The wizarding world was in an uproar over the sudden end to the threat that had been 'Lord Voldemort'. Numerous articles had been printed on the man's attack of Black Manor, most agreeing that it had been a very foolish move without some more detailed reconnaissance at the least. Praise was heaped upon the shoulders of Lord Peverell, Black, Malfoy, and Lestrange for stopping the growing unrest.

Politically, the four men would have an even bigger voice going into the next Wizengamot term. After stopping what had seemed like such a huge problem so neatly, they were considered magical powerhouses of a sort, considerable opponents. Their new allies were no doubt patting themselves on their backs and congratulating themselves on having made such an advantageous alliance just before the four men became the 'hot' item in the eyes of the wizarding public.

Articles had also been printed on the history of this 'Dark Lord'. Thomas Marvolo Riddle was a half-blood, a former Prefect and Head Boy at Hogwarts School, charming almost everyone he met during his seven years as a member of Slytherin house. He'd been awarded a Special Services to the school for 'catching' the one responsible for the death of a student. Under the Veritaserum issued at his trial (compulsory now due to the first argument Lord Peverell had won), it had been learned that Riddle himself had committed the crime, using a basilisk that was still alive in the school.

Rubeus Hagrid had been tracked down on the Hogwarts grounds, informed that he was acquitted of the crime and could now obtain a wand legally and finish his education through private programs. The formidable young man had glared at the Aurors, said curtly that it was "abou' time," and promptly left the school and Scotland in its entirety. Crotchety old Argus Filch had leaped at the opportunity (almost literally, surprising the member of the Board who had visited him) to exit the school filled with 'brats and hooligans' and be left to the relative privacy of the grounds.

Trial aside, today was not going to be a day full of politics. It was a glorious late March and since the students were out for the Easter hols, Sirius, Regulus and their assorted friends were in attendance for one of the biggest social events of the season. The long-awaited bonding of Lords Orion Black and Harrigan Peverell.

"How are you not nervous!" Sirius exclaimed, gazing in bewilderment at the picture of calm that Harrigan gave off. The seventeen-year-old sported a now noticeable swell to his waistline no matter what he wore, prompting him to give up on his loose robes to hide his state and return to elegant, close-fitting silks and wools.

Harrigan looked at Sirius in amusement through pale-green eyes and smiled. The older man looked stunning in robes of silver and ivory silk with a mandarin collar and long, fluttering sleeves. There were gold runes adorning the hem of the robes, just above the rich green trim. "Just because you were a nervous wreck doesn't mean we all have to be!" Harrigan teased.

Sirius snorted a laugh and said, "But really, you aren't nervous at all?"

Harrigan turned fully to face Sirius, robes swishing gently as he took a careful seat in one of the chairs. "I am a little bit, of course, anyone would be at such a change in their lives. But I want this more than anything. What I am worried about is if you accept me fully into your family. Regulus told me so in the oblique way Slytherins are raised by, or so Orion dutifully informed me later. I know you had the most problems with it, to begin with however, so I would like to know that I have your acceptance in my life with your Father."

Sirius blinked. He thought back and realized that somewhere along the line he'd forgotten to reassure Harrigan on this very subject. He felt very much like an idiot at that moment and almost scowled. He caught himself, however, knowing that would likely be taken the wrong way.

"I'm sorry," he said finally. "I am a royal idiot. I haven't had a problem with you and Father being together for months, but somewhere along the line, I forgot to say so. I've seen how happy you make him, how much he cares about you, and how you do in return. Thank you, for bringing him back. He's so different from how he was when Mother was alive, I know now that it was how he was before her. I more than support the two of you being together."

As Harrigan looked relieved he added impishly, "Though you'll have to hurry up if you want my baby to have an Aunt or Uncle not much younger than them!"

The resulting flush of color high on Harrigan's fine cheekbones made Sirius break out into peals of laughter, dissolving into giggles at the mock glower the older man was giving him.

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Orion stared at himself quietly in the mirror, fidgeting with a cuff as his thoughts wandered. He was wearing black robes with a white trim and silver runes, cut to mimic a military suit. While very opulent, he wasn't worried about his appearance, he was used to this kind of lifestyle, growing up in the House of Black.

No, he was remembering the last time he'd been wearing robes similar to these, when his parents had forced him to marry his already unstable second cousin. Prejudiced in the extreme, they were no doubt rolling in their graves with the knowledge that here he was, 20 years later, bonding with another man. This time at least he could say he was looking forward to the actual event and the years to follow.

He turned his thoughts away from the past and exited his private quarters, strolling downstairs at a relaxed pace to join his guests for a bit of pre-ceremony small talk. Spotting vibrant, garish robes out of the corner of his eye he gritted his teeth and turned away, determined to not let the presence of Albus Dumbledore ruin this day. Unfortunately, they couldn't afford to not invite the man.

Instead, he turned to Abraxas and Lucien, holding court with a few of the more notable families including to his surprise, Bones, Greengrass, and Ogden. As the familial heads greeted him, Orion nodded and thanked them for coming. His pale blue eyes caught the deeper blue and silver of his old friends and flicked just slightly in Dumbledore's direction, the man watching them with a small frown on his lips.

Lucien almost visibly grimaced at the bright robes, prompting Orion to hide a laugh with a strategic cough. Abraxas merely closed his eyes for a moment and then turned away from the sight, instead smiling at Orion warmly.

"Nervous old friend?" he asked.

"Just slightly," Orion replied, waiting until their companions had left to add, "but I am looking forward to it this time, not like Walburga."

Lucien snorted. "If you had been looking forward to marrying Walburga I would have taken you to St. Mungo's by force to have your head checked as well as your potions regime."

Orion burst out laughing, unable to hold back his humor this time as Lucien caught him off-guard with one of his rare very frank statements. "There are times I wonder how you escaped Gryffindor with that blunt conversation of yours, old friend!"

Lucien huffed, but the corners of his mouth had turned up. "What a travesty that! No, Slytherin or Ravenclaw for the Lestranges, so it has been for hundreds of years. I wasn't stuck up enough to fit into Ravenclaw, honestly, they have some of the worst egos due to their intelligence."

Abraxas gave a small snort of laughter himself, throwing a gaze sparkling with humor at his friend. "I would say you are 'stuck up enough' for Ravenclaw with your tone right now, Lucien."

"Will you two quit ganging up on me?!" he said in exasperation. "I mean really, we have enough ammunition for a month with the vaunted Headmaster and those robes of his, they really are an eyesore."

Orion dipped his head in agreement. "I would rather have preferred to not invite him to this, but we really can't afford it otherwise. Right now politically we are almost untouchable, but he still has enough of social and political standing to merit an invitation."

All humor disappeared from Lucien's face and a rather feral smile crossed his lips instead. "Not for long, my friends. I for one am greatly anticipating his fall from grace."

As a man dressed in slate grey caught Orion's attention he cast a quick Tempus, taking a deep breath and nodding quietly to his friends. "I believe I need to be addressing my guests, my friends. I will see you later."

Murmurs of encouragement and luck followed him as Orion slowly made his way through the crowd. He spotted his sons as well as their friends not far off, a small smile making its way across his mouth as he did so. Eventually, he ended up at the small platform with the official in grey and turned to the crowd, casting a demi-Sonorous.

"To all of my guests, family, and friends, welcome." The crowd of brightly dressed people turned and looked at him. Luckily he was not a shy person, otherwise publicly speaking to the number of people that had been invited to his bonding would be very daunting indeed.

"Outside of these walls, the people of the magical world celebrate the end of a man who thought to bring a reign of terror to the wizarding world. While I myself am very thankful for this end as well, today we are here to celebrate a beginning. I had thought after the death of my wife Walburga I would live the rest of my life on my own, and while not the happiest of prospects it was certainly not one I would have regretted."

"Then to my everlasting surprise and joy Harrigan Peverell walked onto the political scene of Wizarding Great Britain and into my life. He has been my true friend, companion, and support ever since then. I thank you all for coming here to celebrate with me as Harrigan and I join in what is the most permanent and symbolic relationship available in our world."

Polite clapping followed his words and the guests began to make their way to the silver-colored chairs with white and gold taffeta ribbons wound around the arms and legs, the Black and Peverell coat of arms sharing space across the backrest. A pure white carpet was revealed on the elegant ballroom floor. While the Oratory was considered the traditional space for bonding ceremonies by the Black family, the sheer amount of people present for this event deemed the small space not only impractical but impossible.

Orion took his place and waited patiently, taking deep breaths to steady himself. Lucien and Abraxas sat in the front row, minute smiles of reassurance on their faces. Soft murmurs of surprise and appreciation warned him of Harrigan's appearance, though it did not prepare him for the sight itself. Orion froze, hardly daring to breathe lest the image in front of him shatter. He felt as if he were dreaming, watching Harrigan stride gracefully and confidently in his direction.

He was not dreaming, however, as Harrigan joined him on the platform and they linked left hand to right as they were directed by the official. With hands crossed at the wrists, Orion felt as though he could finally relax and breathe. Now only words separated him from sharing the rest of his life with the extraordinary man across from him and his relief and love could not be put into words.

Regulus sat next to his brother Sirius in the front row, a smile crossing his face as he watched the elegant ceremony. He never would have believed that he would see his father this happy in his lifetime. Orion had been so miserable married to Walburga, sticking around for his sons only. He knew for a fact once the pair of them had gone to Hogwarts for the school year his father disappeared, returning only for school holidays.

He could not imagine being so miserable, spending his entire married life avoiding his spouse. He was thankful that his father was so against marriage contracts being made at a young age. Walburga had tried to betroth him to a young witch from France when he was nine, Orion had found out about it and he had been furious. While a contract had been enacted between Lucius and Sirius it was only after his brother had accepted Lucius' proposal.

He glanced along the front line to his right, spotting his brothers' friends not far down the line. Or at least James, Remus had been delegated to the second row along with the Lestrange brothers and Severus as they were not immediate family of either participant. James Potter sat quietly still next to his father, his mother having succumbed to a fever three years previously. The Potter heir looked very handsome in bronze robes, his dark brown hair for once lying mostly flat. He'd switched out his blocky glasses for frameless oval ones with gold arms, which made his expressive hazel eyes stand out.

Regulus turned his gaze back to the front lest he be caught staring at the other teen. He had apparently been staring for longer than he'd thought, the official was just finishing the formal closing words to the ceremony. He watched as his father lifted his hands, hands now freed from the brightly colored ribbons that had disappeared in a flash of bright magic. Smiling openly, the Lord Black captured Harrigan's face and jaw with his right hand, leaning forward and sealing their lips together.

People stood, applauding politely as the couple broke the chaste kiss, leaving their hands linked together as they turned to face their family and guests. They were announced as Lords Orion and Harrigan Peverell-Black. Regulus smiled proudly at the expression of happiness on his father's face and wondered if his thankfulness to Harrigan could ever be properly expressed.

He greatly doubted it.