Chapter 42

"Good afternoon members of the Wizengamot, I apologise for speaking to you through this memory but I am currently back at Hogwarts and I believe that as you watch this I'm about to go into a brutal and strict revision lesson led by Professor McGonagall."

There was a smattering of chuckling around the chamber as well as some muttering, this magic was new, usually memories could only be viewed through a pensive but this was similar to one of the Orbs of Prophecy kept in the Department of Mysteries.

"I have been trying to fulfil your requirements of marriage before June, but I must be honest, I am struggling to understand what it is you want. You have given me all of the files of suitable prospects before me, but they are very confusing and so I am sending this message to ask for more clarification. Gentlemen, there is very little that the men in the files you sent have in common, and so I ask for your exemplary assistance."

There was some muttering and shifting in the pause as the members of the Wizengamot realised that they had the chance to push their positions further as they ensured that a favourable chance for their relatives.

"Therefore, Gentlemen and Ladies, please create a list for me of the attributes that you suggest I should be looking for in my husband. I am aware that I am running out of time, so I would like to request that I receive the list by the end of the week. Please pass the completed list to me through my vassal, Lord Potter, who will see it personally into my own hands.

As I believe that there are some members of this council who are unable to attend today, you will find a copy of this memory in Lord Malfoy's possession as well as a second in the Department of Mysteries, and a sealed transcription in Lord Potter's and the court secretary's keeping should they be required."

As she finished speaking the ghostly figure of Lady Black dipped into a shallow curtsey and then the image faded as the orb it had been contained in broke on the table in the centre of the room.

Sirius sat back, pale and shocked, what was his niece playing at? Maybe, he sighed to himself, she had given up. She must be so stressed, this was possibly the worst time for her to be making such a life altering decision, but that was probably why the Wizengamot were doing it. Looking over at James he realised that he hadn't known about Rasalas' plan either as James was as pale as Sirius expected he was. A quick glance at Lucius showed very little, as expected, but Sirius thought that he saw some tension in Lucius' jaw, obviously Rasalas hadn't asked either of her advisors for any advice.

Sirius hadn't planned on coming to this Wizengamot session but Severus had sent a message which mentioned a change in his nice and that he thought it had something to do with the meeting today. And so Sirius had followed his husband's direction and found himself in the public gallery. Wasn't he glad he did, he wouldn't have expected this and certainly wouldn't have believed it if he had heard if from another source. This was going to take some explaining to Remus. Maybe Severus could give a second opinion and maybe even think of a more Slytherin approach.

Really what does she think she is going to accomplish? All that is going to happen is she's going to get given a list of everything she hates, and is going to have to pick some mindless bloke who's going to take all the power from her and bully her into having heirs and being a trophy wife. Rasalas was not made for a life like that, she is worth so much and this was supposed to be a new world after the war, one where she had won and- Sirius swallowed hard, he'd never admitted to himself that Rasalas had once been Harry Potter and that is was actually her who had gone up against Voldemort, so maybe she was tired. Everyone was tired of fighting; that was probably why the Wizengamot were trying to push Rasalas back into some 'this is a woman' box, they'd done very little but cower in their mansions during the war and now just wanted everyone to forget it. The people who had actually done any fighting were exhausted and many were backing down in the face of the public who just wanted life to be normal. Sirius could only imagine what Rasalas was feeling like, to be the Saviour of the Wizarding World (even if she wasn't getting the publicity, she'd still done the job) and then thrown headlong into being the head of one of the richest and definitely the most insane family Sirius could think of.

The scraping of chairs pulled Sirius out of the recesses of his mind and he realised that the Wizengamot session had ended. Excellent, he had some family advisors to collar and then he'd send a howler to his niece, maybe ask his husband to perform a suitably scathing lecture.

"…I have no ideas as to what is going on in your head, but this sounds as though it far surpasses any of your previous 'well thought through' plans, such as taking on a Basilisk at 12 and setting a convict free!"

Silence fell in the dungeon as Professor Snape ended his tirade. Draco nervously bit his lip and looked at his cousin who calmly sat in front of their sneering teacher and didn't reply.

"Well? Have you nothing to say for yourself? What is this plan you've kept to yourself?"

"I think, Professor, that you haven't finished and there is something else bothering you."

Snape sighed and seemed to shrink slightly as he stopped looming over his student. Snorting and throwing his hands up in disgust he settled back into the seat behind his desk.

"My husband seems to think that I will be able to get the information from you and set me on you like an attack dog. Honestly, who does he think I am? I received a letter and a howler," Snape looked sidelong at Rasalas, "the howler is for you, I've sent it to your dormitory. Honestly, I'm not his messenger bird, if he wanted to question your intentions he should have come for answers himself."

"Wha...what was that then?" Draco asked, his voice rising in incredulity. At Snape's arched eyebrow and questioning stare Draco flopped his arms at his professor. "The shouting, and the sneering, and the looming, and..and…" Draco spluttering into shock again.

"I do quite like it, and I'm rather good at it." Shrugged his Godfather in reply, Draco could only gape.

"That is true, although I think that you are possibly best when you are quiet, more menacing, you make people feel small and that is a talent." Rasalas' comment made Snape preen slightly, to Draco's amusement, before the professor seemed to realise he was neglecting his duty to his husband. Before he could open his mouth Rasalas held up her hand and continued. "I'm not going to tell you what I have planned, for many reasons and none of those involve not trusting you, Siri, Remus or anyone else; not even Uncle Luc and James. I'm not entirely sure this is going to work and I don't want anyone to be dragged down with me or try and take the blame. If you can't work it out, the hopefully that means that the Wizengamot have no hope and then I'll be in the clear." She leant forward onto Snape's desk and looked straight into his dark eyes. "Can you trust me? The only person this will really hurt will be me, I promise."

After a moment's silence Snape, with great and obvious reluctance nodded. Standing and smoothing down her robes Rasalas nodded in reply. "I think that this plan is actually on a par with being the youngest ever winner of the Tri-Wizard Cup." With a cheeky grin Draco's cousin swept out of the dungeon classroom and as the door closed behind her Draco's head hit the desk in front of him.

"Uncle Sev, she's going to kill me with worry."

"I don't think you have to worry Draco, I think there are many who will kill her first." Silence blanketed the room while Draco tried to work out if his impending headache was due to his cousin, or his head's sudden and heavy meeting with the solid surface it was resting on. "You…don't have any idea what her plan is do you Draco?" Draco straightened in his seat and gave a firm shake of his head.

"She doesn't talk about Wizengamot business with any of us. She just came back from the break with more purpose and looking less forlorn and hopeless than when she had left." The two men remained in silence, they sincerely hoped she had a plan.

A/N: Hi! Just a quick note- if anyone has any thoughts what they think the Wizengamot would ask for I would be really interested in hearing what you think, I do already have a list and I'd love to know if our ideas match up. Or you might have thought of something I haven't! Thanks.