The Contract

Chapter 111

"...and they accepted that?" Dorea asked astonished, staring at her grandson in awe, as she tried to digest everything, he was telling her. It was too good to be true, and she would have believed he was having her on if not for how proud he was. He was positively glowing with delight over the things he'd accomplished. There was so much Black in him that Dorea couldn't help but puff up in pride. Her son had been Charlus' double, but her grandson? Had a lovely mixture of them all. The very best of their features, and she reckoned he was going to be even more handsome when he grew. He still had a few years of growing to do after all. "They've actually made it a law that the inmates of Azkaban prison get medical care?" free medical care when they need it, a healer was required to be on the premise twenty-four hours a day, every day.

Rabastan, Corvus, and Rodolphus heard Dorea's voice upon returning. They made their way to the sitting room to find that Harry was in his pyjamas, wrapped up in his favourite throw - the one he got when he was hospitalised, the Lestrange crest stitched painstakingly on the front. He had the seat dragged over to the portrait - despite the fact it could have been levitated over closer to him.

Rabastan stilled staring pensively at Orion Black who looked seriously animated, not at all how he remembered the wizard. Then again, a portrait didn't really need to keep up the pretence. Although, he couldn't help but wonder if it was a pretence. His grey eyes were wide as he avidly leaned forward and actually listened to what the fourteen-year-old had to say. Everything he learned from Sirius said that this wasn't normal Orion behaviour. Orion had barely given his two kids a speck of attention in all the years they were alive. Was Sirius remembering only what he wanted to remember?

"Are you going to explain what..." Rodolphus demanded, he wanted to know exactly what had gone down. He was far from stupid; it took a great deal to get his brother angry enough to want something worse than death for someone. What he had condemned that girl to was worse than death. He wouldn't be quite so quick to think that when he got the full picture from Rabastan.

"Tomorrow," Rabastan declared gruffly, he didn't want to think on what he'd seen tonight, he just wanted to put his focus on something else entirely.

Rodolphus narrowed his eyes, "Alright," he conceded, he'd wait until he came up the stairs then he'd interrogate him then. He wasn't going to be able to sleep until he had answers. Oh, he'd get them alright, and she wouldn't survive the night.

"Yeah, we're going to receive a run down on everything the healers are doing in a month." Harry explained pensively, "It's like they're hoping this is a trial run and deemed 'not worth it' they didn't outright say that, but I'll read out some of their comments and you'll see for yourself."

"They will be," Orion fully agreed, "Money is everything to them, whether they admit it or not. My father raised a significant amount of money and earned an Order of Merlin for it, I did too but we ensured it went to do a momentous amount of good in the Ministry." He wasn't staring at Harry though, as he spoke, it was at the Lestrange men. The Ministry probably hadn't changed much, and they did not 'fix' anything that wasn't deemed 'broken'.

Harry naturally noticed, and glanced over his shoulder, "You're back!" he said his smile dimming into confusion when he saw just how grim and tired, they all were.

"Please, excuse me, I think it's time I retire," Corvus informed his family, it was true, he was exhausted, but he would never deny his son anything. So, if he wanted to spend time with Harry, then he was free to do so. The mornings were his and Harry's the rest of the day well, he was free to do as he pleased.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked, moving swiftly off the sofa, eyes gentle with worry, roaming over Corvus' features, he seemed well enough. He had most certainly seen him in worse ways that's for sure. "I can do the rounds with Graham tomorrow morning and let you sleep in if you need?" Graham did everything else, except the morning rounds, he made sure they got training, adequate exercises, got used to riders, made sure there was no accidental breeding. Bought the newly shed ingredients to Corvus for sale to top up the vault used exclusively for the sanctuary.