Growing up Pureblooded

The Ivory Ibis

After they had seen Aries and Draco off at the train station on September 1, Sirius decided to take Narcissa out for lunch before he headed to Hogwarts himself. The weather was rather fine that day, so they drove through the city in his brand-new red convertible with the top down. Their destination was The Ivory Ibis, a very posh restaurant that had catered to the uppermost crust of British wizarding society since the reign of Queen Anne. Sirius and Narcissa had both eaten there often as children, and whilst the ambiance was much more to Narcissa's taste than his own, Sirius had to admit that the cuisine was excellent.

The restaurant was located on an island in the Thames, and accessible only by a pedestrian bridge. Both island and bridge were enchanted so as to be invisible to both Muggles and Muggleborns. Access to the restaurant had formerly been restricted to high-society purebloods, but the proprietors bowed to popular pressure in November of 1981, and began to admit half-bloods to luncheon. Even so, half-bloods were not admitted to dinner at the exclusive establishment until 1987, when new legislation imposed a hefty fine on any business that still discriminated between persons of documented wizarding birth based on blood status.

An extraordinarily-thin wizard greeted them at the door. He was wearing immaculately-pressed dress robes and spoke in a fair approximation of a French accent. He was so scrawny, however, that Sirius felt somewhat stout just from standing next to him, which was saying something, given that Sirius had still not fully recovered from the emaciating effects of his imprisonment. "Bonjour, Monsieur et Madame Black," the wizard said. "Follow me, if you please."

There was no need for any introductions. The Ivory Ibis prided themselves on knowing everything about their clientele, and Sirius privately thought that in this regard they managed to put even old Ollivander to shame. The wildest rumors were heard about the Ibis's extensive spy network, most of which Sirius discounted, but there was no denying that they knew more than they had any business to do.

The wizard led them to a secluded table with a marvelous view of the river. After they were seated, he put up a Silencing Charm to preserve their privacy, as well as a soft Instrumental Charm tuned to Narcissa's musical tastes. No one came to take their order. At The Ivory Ibis, the kitchen staff selected what they thought one would like best, based on their extensive research into one's culinary preferences. They only bothered to pass out menus to those who were not considered important enough to have their eating habits on file at the restaurant. In any event, satisfaction was guaranteed, and no one had sent a meal back to the kitchen in over two centuries. Though in recent decades a few resolute souls had tried their hardest to dislike what the Ibis set before them, none had succeeded.

Just as Sirius began to be thirsty, goblets of ice-cold water appeared on the white-lace tablecloth, along with a freshly-baked French loaf and a dish of the house butter. Sirius and Narcissa placed their linen napkins in their laps and helped themselves to the hot slices of bread. "It's hard to believe the boys are beginning their third year at school," Narcissa said as she buttered her bread. "They're growing up so quickly." "I know exactly what you mean," Sirius agreed. "I feel like I'm going to blink one day and find out that Draco's teaching Potions at Hogwarts and Aries is Headmaster."

Narcissa frowned. "I don't know about that," she said. "I can't really see either of them teaching." "Whoever could have guessed that I'd be teaching one day?" her husband pointed out as he took a sip of water. "But here I am." The blonde witch chuckled. "True, but you'd never do it if you didn't have an ulterior motive. Lupin, on the other hand...I think he was born to teach." "Remus always was an odd duck," Sirius replied, then took a bite of bread. "Do you really think it was wise to keep your new employment secret from the boys?" Narcissa questioned her husband.

Sirius snorted. "Of course I do. I hardly ever get the chance to surprise them properly. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces." He paused. "Cissy, you don't mind that I'm going to Hogwarts this year, do you?" Narcissa looked surprised. "I? Mind? Why should I mind?" "Well, we did just get married, and it's not generally considered polite for a husband to abandon his wife just a couple of months after their wedding." His wife laughed. "That's very sweet of you, Sirius, but I shall manage perfectly well on my own," she said. "We had a lovely holiday in the Caribbean, and I think that's a sufficiently auspicious beginning to our married life."