April 1976

Sirius Orion Black glowered at the Daily Prophet, more accurately the 'social' section. The photograph of his father escorting Lord Peverell to a fancy private restaurant in Austria stared back up at him. Both men were dressed with the casual, dismissive elegance that seemed to be a pureblood's right and heritage and there was a small smile on his father's face.

That smile. He had never seen such an expression on his father's face around their mother, only rarely directed at him. True he had hardly been around his father by choice when he was old enough to notice and when he had he acted out, loathing his family's 'proper Dark heritage'. It was for this Dark heritage and another private reason that he had sent back his father's birthday gift unopened.

Nobody in his family knew the main reason why he loathed almost everything that came with the name Black. Only one person knew and since he was one of the main causes for Sirius' hurt and anger he highly doubted that the man in question would bother asking about it. All anyone knew was that he loathed the name Black and the Slytherins that carried that name to a fervor that startled all of his friends and acquaintances.

He glared at the photo again, angrily staring at the man who had caught his father's attention. When his father undoubtedly bonded with Lord Peverell he would be well and truly replaced in his father's affections and any chance of reconciliation with his family would be gone. After all, male pregnancy wasn't that uncommon amongst pureblood families and his father was far from being past the age where he could still sire sons.

He flung the paper from him with a rage that startled even his fellow Gryffindors and stalked out of the Great Hall, seeking the distraction of his first class. Potions with Slytherin, wonderful, he thought with a sarcastic snarl.

Since he hardly paid any attention to the table of green and silver now, he didn't notice the concerned frown on a face that almost mirrored his own, nor the piece of parchment that his observer removed from a book bag and began to write a letter upon.

Harrigan laughed at something his companion had said and looked around in the ensuing silence. He had been invited to Malfoy Manor and was stunned at the simple elegance of the home. For some reason, his mind had conjured dark woods, heavy drapes, and black tile floors with an abundance of snakes. The truth couldn't be farther from that image if Harry had mentioned it aloud for someone to take down.

Huge open floor-to-ceiling windows dominated the wall facing a remarkably beautiful sunset. The pinks, gold, and reds filtered through crystal panes and shattered a mosaic of light onto the pure white carpet, deep enough that Harrigan was visited by a strange desire to remove his shoes and wiggle his toes in it. The furniture in this gorgeous 'visiting room' was all cherry, polished to a high gloss, and varying from light to a rich dark reddish-purple. The cushions on the multitude of soft chairs and the two couches were silver with rich purple accent pillows, the Malfoy family crest in fine gold stitchery that could hardly be felt, let alone seen.

Orion, who had escorted him to this gathering, informed him that the family's official colors were silver and purple, fitting in well with the Black family whose official colors were black and silver. His own colors were emerald green and bronze, hence the color of his robes on the day he had claimed his seat on the Wizengamot.

The soft murmur of many conversations filled the room along with the slight chink of fine crystal flutes as lovely champagne from the family cellars was passed around, to appreciation from the guests. Abraxas was a very good host, though he had informed Harrigan wryly that these occasions had become much more pleasant with the death of his private shrew Belladonna. In his own words, she had made these occasions very uncomfortable with her malignant, oppressive presence lingering in the air like a foul odor.

Quite contrary to his deceased mother's appearance, the young Heir Malfoy moved easily through their guests, conversing with each with an easy, confident air and a tidbit about nearly everyone he met, meaning that those he spoke with felt a closer kinship with one that remembered such a small fact from an insignificant conversation. Harrigan took a moment to study the young man, he had just turned 21 in November.

Lucius Abraxas Malfoy was everything that a pureblood Lord could hope his heir to be. Graceful, handsome, clever, and powerful. Liquid silver eyes were so close to Lucien Lestrange's that it was easy to see how the man was not only his godfather but namesake as well. Spiteful individuals had tried to claim that he was Lucien's bastard son as well, but Abraxas had taken measures to discount his distant cousin's claims.

He possessed a river of white-blonde hair and skin that appeared to have a natural golden sheen to it, he practically glowed in the light from the windows and the crystal chandelier that hung over their heads. Dressed in silver-trimmed deep amethyst open robes over beige slacks and a crisp white shirt he was an impressive and handsome image. According to Abraxas, he had been betrothed two summers before to Narcissa Black, daughter of Orion's late wife's brother Cygnus and the man's relative with or without his incestuous marriage. The agreement had been made between Belladonna and Walburga and for now, it stood.

It was a good match and as neither child had said anything to the contrary so far it stood. Narcissa would be going into her final year of Hogwarts this fall just as Orion's oldest son was, the girl's wedding was set for the summer after she graduated, so little over a year from now. He had yet to meet either Orion's youngest son nor their cousins, though just the thought brought up his chance meeting with Orion's eldest and he controlled a frown, bidding a pleasant goodbye to his current companion and seeking out one of the others.

This little party was far more than a social gathering. It had been Abraxas' idea to host a selection of neutral and more neutrally-Light families at one of their homes for a bit of wine and fine appetizers, trying to subtly bring their guests around to the idea that Albus Dumbledore needed to be removed from either Hogwarts, the Ministry or both. Harrigan tended to believe that it was mostly a success so far, that was why he sought out one of his more experienced companions, to get another opinion on the evening's gather.

He found Orion on the far left edge of the room in pleasant conversation with Lord Ogden. Ogden was currently neutral and was something of a political powerhouse despite his advanced age. His opinion was still highly regarded in the Ministry and the Wizengamot and he had openly made a few comments that Dumbledore was unsuited to Ministry offices, let alone the important position as magical Great Britain's representative on the International Confederation of Wizards.

Abraxas Malfoy would indeed be ideally suited to the position and he had admitted to Harrigan and his companions he would enjoy it. He knew a number of languages and had studied magical cultures from around the world, he would know far better than a man who only concentrated on politics part-time how to interact with important dignitaries from foreign countries without offending them or their cultures.

Harrigan listened from a short distance away as Orion was drawing his conversation with Ogden to a close. The night was late now, the sun was setting in the distance and sending more shades of purple than anything else. His attention was caught by Orion's last comment and he listened in surprised delight as Orion stated to Ogden, "Charles, would you mind spreading about the word that the next of these little gathers will be at Black Manor? It is long since time to open up my family's main estate again and what better occasion, hmm? Make sure and let others know that they are more than welcome to bring company and like-minded individuals."

A genial smile widened Lord Charles Ogden's face and he said, "I shall happily do so, lad. I remember Black Manor but only the vaguest, I believe it was your father that closed it down in favor of Grimmauld. Might I add that you have come a long way? I still remember you when you first joined the Wizengamot just after your marriage. You do the name Black proud, Orion."

A genuine smile crossed Orion's lips at the compliment and he responded lightly, "High praise indeed from one of the oldest Lords still active in our government. Thank you for your kind words and you are correct about the timing for the closure of Black Manor. My father was obsessed with privacy and defensibility, a 9 room townhouse was much easier for him to live in than a 90-plus room Manor."

"He was paranoid, lad put it plainly. Arcturus was a good man up until about forty and then he turned into a paranoid, uptight, bigoted bastard. I thanked the gods and Magic for a return to sanity and wisdom when we finished the first sessions with you as the new Lord Black."

All Orion did was chuckle in response to Ogden's blunt summary of his father's faults, moving away from the older man and easily slipping an arm through Harrigan's, startling the younger male. He had not thought that Orion noticed him listening to the conversation. "He's right you know," Orion commented, "about my father. They call it the Black family madness and it seems to affect some more than others. My niece Bellatrix for example, she's Regulus' age and I wouldn't trust her with my life if she was sworn to it with an Unbreakable Vow."

"Strange how some can be so awful and others redeem it," Harrigan commented. "We can't choose our families, I believe all of us have a few relatives we'd rather do without if we could. You were lucky, your sons appear to inherited your sanity over your wife and cousin's madness. Even though he is separated from you, Sirius does display a sane mind most of the time."

Orion grimaced at the mention of his eldest son and said, "It is most obvious when he is angry. There is a certain edge to his eyes that I have tried to keep away as much as possible. I am glad he ran away when he did, I have a feeling Walburga would have driven him farther over the edge than Bellatrix had he stayed and that is a scary thought indeed."

He gave a light, slightly forced smile and said, "But enough on my family, I am surprised that you haven't mentioned my agreement to host the next of these little gathers. Ogden is good about spreading the word, he will make sure that even more come next time. I have a feeling I will have to have the ballroom ready to hold all of us comfortably."

"I am very curious, you Blacks are secretive at best about your residences," Harrigan admitted playfully.

"Not much to say about Black Manor aside from the fact that it has been in the family since the beginning of the line. It was commissioned by Phineas Nigellus in 1877 and has been in the family ever since. I add Nigellus by the way simply because there are not so many different stars and constellations in the skies to name all of my family. There are two Phineas, two Arcturus, my son Regulus is the second of that name and Sirius is the third. Only middle names differentiate between all of us. I am luckily the first and only Orion, Cygnus is also the first."

Harrigan suppressed his laughter with difficulty. "Hopefully if you have more you will be able to give them names that haven't been used as much."

"When not if. And perhaps when that time comes you will be able to give the children more individual, creative names? Somehow still honoring my family's tradition?" The look Orion gave him was both shrewd and subtly nervous.

Harrigan gave him a long look in return, weighing the comment fully. Orion expected to have more children in his lifetime and from both the comments afterward and their Courting indicated that the elder Lord hoped that he would be the one to bear these future heirs of the Black family magicks and blood. Harrigan couldn't honestly see turning this remarkable and addicting male down when he finally did ask so all he responded was a coy, "Perhaps."

From the private, loving smile Orion bestowed upon him, the man had chosen to take it positively.

Harrigan stayed with Orion for the rest of the evening and well into the morning, unable to keep his mind on politics. Instead, it wandered to his possible and most probable future, wondering what children of the Black and Peverell lines would be like. A faint smile remained on his lips, they would always be remarkable to him, after all, they would be his.