Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

This was it, the last day under their control, the breaking of the chain of abuse, hate and prejudice. No more bonds will be severed to abhor of this family. The remaining children of the Nobel most Ancient House of Black met outside of the Grimmauld Place, only their, their parents' wands and a lighter in their hands and pockets.

  They found the remaining canisters of gasoline that they hid around the yard of the house. Before they left for the cold of the night, they made sure that there flammable stuff around the places that the fire would easily get to ensuring that the godsforsaken place would burn down faster. .

Their parents were already dead from the poison their own children put in their tea. But one thing that all pure blood children were taught from birth was to destroy all evidence or to, at least, make sure that it never reaches the light of day.
So the Black children surrounded the house with gasoline making sure to splash some on the walls. Narcissa and Regulus Black put 3 of their parent's wands on the porch of the front door, connecting the circle of gasoline, as Bellatrix Black lit the fourth one on fire.

Regulus and Narcissa moved behind her watching her put down the flaming wand of Druella Black, the house burst into the flames as the licks off fire met gasoline.
They backed off and sat on the sidewalk watching their ‘home’ being filled with flames. .

They let the tears of relief flow, waiting for their grandfather [Arcturus Black] and aurors to come. “I can’t wait to go back to school after this, the gossip, it will be glorious” mumbled Regulus.
““You’ll have to write us all about it” chuckled Bellatrix already predicting the hand cramps he will be complaining about.

Arcturus Black III watched as his grandchildren finish getting interrogated by the aurors.   

He was so proud of the way his wards executed their crime, he knew what they did, he was the one who approved their plan and helped them touch up the details. He was proud of the way they handled the aurors, pretending to be grieving children to not only appear more innocent but speed up the process. It was two in the morning after all.

As the last of his wards, his youngest granddaughter finished giving her report. He decided to apparat them to the Black mansion.  Ushering his grandchildren to go shower and change into different nightwear.

He commended one of the house elves, Coco, to set up the blankets and pillows in the library.   
After that, the set off to pick up his last ward, a granddaughter of his squib cousin, Lily Evans. While her home life was not nearly as bad as that of her cousins [? Honestly not sure how else to describe the relation] it was still unfavorable. And if he was trying to give a good life to the children of his family he might as well give it to all of them.   

Well at least to those that were willing to accept his help. He sent a letter to both his runaway grandchildren. His granddaughter sent him back an unread letter and his grandson incinerated the moment he got it. Arcturus decided to try and reach out again later. For now, he will care for the four wards he has.

 
He approached the Evens residence and knocked on the door. Lily was the one to open them. “Do you have everything?” he asked.

“You told me I only need my wand.” She responded shooting him a tired smile.
“Just checking” amusement clear in his voice.

She reached out her hand her plain linen nightgown hanging of her arms. He grabbed it and apparated the to the library of the Black château.

His wards were spread on the mountain of blanket and pillows, Lily was quick to join them grabbing a book, cookies and cup of tea and settling between Narcissa and Regulus with her head in Bellatrix’s lap. It was a peculiar arrangement but Arcturus found that he didn’t particularly mind it. He sat on one of the couches and picked up the book he was reading before getting notified of what his grandchildren had done. 

But the Lord of the Black family could not concentrate on his book, as he was thinking about things his scions and their confidants had planned out for the next few years

HHe glanced up from his book to notice the girls dormant and Regulus dozing off, not far behind in following his cousins into the realms of Hypnos. He snickered and quietly asked Daisy to clean up the food and the empty teacups but to leave the books on the side.

He got up from the sofa putting his book on the coffee table, going to sleep himself, after all they had a lot to do before Lilly and Regulus went back to Hogwarts.

Chapter Text

Arcturus walked down the stairs of the Black château, it was 9 am, later than his usual time, but then again, he did go to sleep later the usual as well. His scion's shenanigan were not good for his schedule. But it was worth it, they were going to knock the world off its feet and make it theirs, he had no doubt about that.

He sat in the middle of the table. At a big family gathering he would sit on one end of it but there was no use to it now. And it was easier to talk to his wards this way

As he was the first to wake, he had a meticulous routine to follow even after waking up as late as he did. The Black patriarch had Coco start on a breakfast for him and his younglings as he completed some paperwork regarding the pyromaniac tendencies of his wards. [ His granddaughters would disagree with that assumption telling him how they were perfectly innocent and that it was all Bella’s and Reg’s idea]

Lily was the first to come down despite being the one who got the, surprisingly or not, least amount of sleep. After all they were waiting for aurors or someone else to stop by and ask her about the letter she left on the nightstand before she left.

A Hogwarts student leaving her home in the middle of the night calls for an immediate investigation in time of war.

Lilly Athanassia Black sat on the left side of her grandfather, thanking the house elf for the coffee she was handed, and lit up a cigarette. She looked over her grandfather's shoulder asking questions about one thing or another.

“You ought to stop smoking dear, it is a horrible habit” Arcturus remarked. “Reggie is so much worse than me and we all know it. And it helps with nerves.”

Next to come down was Bellatrix, his oldest scion. Despite her wild nature [it was the Bulstrode part of her bloodline], she had as meticulous routine as her grandfather.

She sat across from him tanking Daisy as she handed her a cup of coffee “May I have some cookies with that, Daisy dear?” “No cookies before breakfast Bella” Arcturus shut immediately knowing Daisy would hand them to her if she sweet talked her enough.

Narcissa and Regulus came down together. It was likely that the blond had asked her cousin to do her hair as she was ‘too tired to do so’ even though he would have done it regardless.

They both sat down accepting their own mugs of coffee. Regulus lit a cigarette and positioned his legs so that he could put his hand on his knee and his other leg was as it would be in a crisscross. The girls also got themselves comfortable.

Their positions were unseemly for nobles of their standing, but they were going to spend a while after breakfast in the dining hall to go over things, so Arcturus let it slide. The dining hall table was the most spacious one that they could all work on without getting in others' way.

Breakfasts was a peaceful affair. But soon after it was done Coco was busy cleaning everything up and Daisy was running around getting everyone’s supplies so they could get to work as soon as possible.

When Daisy finished bringing all the supplies, and a blackboard that was not the most necessary. The Blacks re-settled themselves into positions more appropriate for people so high in the social class as they were. Bellatrix and Lily went up to the board to write up and highlight the most important things to go over.

Narcissa was first to speak up after Lily and Bella were done with the board “Alright, the first order of business is to publicly integrate Lily into the family and make sure all the legal records are up to date”

“And that is only thing concerning the public out of the government things, but after that grandfather should also finally be able to put her on the family tapestry” continued Regulus.

“After that it is only a matter on going to public outings as much as possible to show a united front and make sure that everyone knows she is truly a Black” was added on.

“That should be it on PR before the second semester of Hogwarts "Lily said, many people would think that because of her violent temper she would be at least a little overwhelmed by the quiet savages that were the Blacks. And while most social circles taught Bellatrix the exemption of this rule many failed to see the undertones to her loud personality, yes Bella presented herself as loud and seemingly struck by ‘the Black madness.’ But in truth all Blacks were mad in some way. So, Lily will just be another ‘exemption’ to that rule.

“So, we should move on to the legal stuff, grandfather what do you have planned for that?" Continued again Lily.

“Well first we’ll of course put make me your legal guardian, I will have to change my will; even if I do not plan on dying anytime soon, make Narcissa the hair to the wizegmont[sp?] seat so I can take her to the meetings to prepper her for when I’m too old[lazy] for those meeting, make you all the heirs for I know none of you want the head of the family position so I expect you to all have a part in the decisions made when I die.” Arcturus taught this out well and his scions knew he was completely honest with them on this, so he continued. "We will have to present a good case for me to be able to get full guardianship of Lily, so I need you all to have your testimonies ready for that.” He knew they had already written them, but he had to make a point as Narcissa could be quite forgetful. "But that should be it for now, Regulus, Lily, I expect you to finish up your homework if you have any, though I fairly doubt it.”

“I personally have obviously done my homework.” Came a rather smug replay from his grandson.

“O Reggi do not pretend that you are the only nerd in this family.” teased Lily "But yes, I indeed finished my homework too.”

“Then you are free until lunch, after that we will be going to the Diagon alley. After all the children of The Nobel house of Black cannot be walking around looking like common folk. And I plan to rather loudly set up paperwork for Lily at Gringotts before we go shopping.”

“Then I am guessing that it would be good for us to make lists of things we need.” commented Bellatrix.

“Indeed, it would not be good for the Black family to look disorganized." Finished Narcissa for her sister.