A/N: Look on the bright side of life, Brian, I didn't name this one Meetings.

Actually, folks, you have only one person to thank for this posting, although by the end I'm not sure if it'll be thanking or something else, since it ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger.

But just the same, that person is BellaMonte, who very nicely ask if I would post another preview chapter for Family Relations.

Also, this is short, and there's a reason for that.

It isn't the whole chapter. I cut it off so it would end on a cliff hanger. Aren't I just a stinker?

There is no Q&A at the end of this. I will answer questions from Enemies at the end of the first chapter of Runaway.

Anyway,

As always,

Enjoy.

Chapter Four: And What Is It Exactly That You Do For A Living?

To Harry the whole episode seemed like some bad dream. At that moment he was suppose to be headed home with Sirius and Arabella; with his parents. They had already planned to have a celebration that night at a restaurant in London.

The next morning he was suppose to be waking up to whole new life. He wasn't going to be an orphan anymore. He would have parents. Two people who loved him and wanted him and cared about him.

Instead Harry found himself being ushered into the back of a large black sedan with his godfather's older brother getting in after him, giving the driver direction as he did so.

"Where are we going?" Harry asked in a voice so distant he could barely tell it was his. He hadn't heard the address Orion had given the driver.

"The Black estate." The man sitting next to him replied formally. "You've been there before, yes? So at least you'll be somewhere familiar."

"Can't you just tell me what's going on?" Harry asked.

The man turned to him with a stare Harry was sure Snape would have stood up and applauded.

"I mean.....it's just....I thought...."Harry found his voice failing him as he stared up at Orion Black. All he wanted right then was to be with his godparents. To have something...anything familiar and comforting he could recognize.

And he found it suddenly in the most unlikely of places. In the smile of the man sitting next to him. A smile that was so reminiscent of his godfather that Harry couldn't help but think it was Sirius sitting next to him instead.

"So," Orion asked, "do I look enough like him for you to be comfortable with me?"

Harry's expression shifted to one of amazement. It was as though the man had picked his thoughts out of the air. But he just as quickly frowned at the man.

"So, are all Unspeakables mind readers?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"No." Orion replied pleasantly enough. "Just good judges of character."

Harry gave him a skeptical look.

"All I can read, Harry, is body language." Orion explained. "And believe me, your's was speaking volumes."

Harry turned to the window. Suddenly he found himself feeling very self-conscious. But also he found himself remembering something he hadn't thought of in days.

The document Arabella had had him sign.

She said it was for his protection. That should something happen to her or Sirius, Orion would have custody of him.

Harry seriously doubted Arabella had foreseen Orion using the document in such a way. Nothing had happened to either of his godparents. Why had Orion taken him from them?

"So," the voice behind him broke into his thoughts, "you know who I am. You know what I do. And you know where I live. I'm afraid that covers all the small talk."

"Why did you take me away from Sirius and Arabella?" Harry asked, still facing the window.

"The only person I took you away from in that room, Harry, you desperately needed to be taken away from. And some day you may even thank me for it."

Harry turned sharply back to Orion for an explanation. But Orion seemed currently engaged in studying what was going on outside the car than inside of it. The man shifted his attention to each side of the car, then to the front and the back.

Harry carefully followed his stare, but failed to see what had caught Orion's attention so suddenly.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"I'm not sure yet." Orion replied, pushing Harry down to the seat. "Stay down for me, will you, Harry?"

"What's going on?" Harry repeated.

But Orion was now busy speaking to his driver.

"Give us some room, Craz. Then hit the first street and slow for the alleyway, all right?"

The man in the drivers seat gave no sign he had even heard the instructions. But Harry felt the car suddenly accelerate. From where he lay over the back seat, he couldn't tell if the car, like the ministry cars that had taken them to the train one year, could maneuver magically through traffic, but Harry had the feeling with the man at the wheel's driving skills, it wouldn't have much mattered. Several times Harry found himself nearly thrown off the seat, only to be saved as Orion pulled him back onto it. Abruptly Harry felt the car take a sharp left and then slow slightly.

"Take the car back to the office, Craz. That should give them something to do, all right?"

"Right-o." The driver cued from the front seat.

In the next instance Harry felt himself grabbed by the back of his shirt and hauled bodily out of the back seat and out into the street. Before he had time to regain his footing he was being dragged down a back alleyway where Orion pulled him up against the wall next to him.

Seconds later Harry heard the squeal of tires and suddenly a large black car spend past the alleyway.

Standing still for several seconds, Orion finally decided the danger had past as he relaxed his stance a little.

"Right. That'll throw them off for a few minutes. But it won't take them too long to discover we're not in the car anymore." Orion quickly turned to Harry. "All right. A quick little apparation home and we should still be in time for lunch. Black estate. You know how to get there, right Harry?"

Apparation?

Harry rapidly reached out and grabbed for Orion's sleeve.

And missed.

Quite abruptly, Harry found himself standing in the alleyway alone.

Harry stood for a few seconds in the alleyway, wondering what to do. Surely Orion would realize what had happened and come back. But he had also said they were being followed by Deatheaters. What if one of them had seen the two of them duck into the alleyway? If the Deatheaters found him, he had no way out.

Harry didn't waste anymore time trying to think how he would get out of that one. He didn't seem to get much further past his mental imagine of facing several Deatheaters who were blocking his only escape route. Taking one last look around the alleyway to see if Orion was coming back, Harry's nerves finally won out and he raced for the entrance of the alleyway. At least if he was on the street, he had chance of escaping.

Once he reached the street, Harry already had a plan of where he wanted to go. He headed back in the direction of adoption agency. At least he would be safe there. Even if he wasn't sure where it was, he knew where they had come from. And he could always ask directions when he felt he had gotten far enough away. At the moment all he wanted was to get as far from the area he was in as he could. Then he could worry about finding the adoption agency.

Harry was never so grateful for crowded streets as he was that day. He found himself having to push his way around several other people on the sidewalk as he ran. Surely that would help throw off anyone trying to catch up to him.

When he was sure he was well out of the area where the Deatheaters might be, Harry gave himself a brief rest against a building to catch his breath. He made sure it wasn't too much in plain view, but that he could be seen if someone tried to grab him, that he wasn't near any alleys, and away from the street.

As he stood gasping for breath, Harry began to think further ahead in his plan. He had to get to the adoption agency. That was the first step. But then what? What if the Deatheaters were there? What if they were watching for him. Well, sure they couldn't grab him in plain sight. Maybe he could find a policeman and tell him someone was chasing him and he needed to find his parents back at the adoption agency?

No, that wasn't any good. He couldn't endanger a muggle policeman against Deatheaters.

What if he went to the police station instead?

But who would he say was chasing him? Deatheaters? That would go over well.

A hand suddenly grabbed Harry's arm, snapping him instantly out of his thoughts. His first instinct was to fight.

And he did. Never even bothering to see who the person was, Harry fought against the hold on his arm, hitting at it as he tried to break free and run in the opposite direction. His second instinct was to scream for help. Surely whoever was trying to grab him didn't want publicity. Harry screamed for help at the top of his voice. Yelling someone was trying to kidnap him.

Harry's last glimpse of the street was of the people walking by him, calmly going about their business as thought they didn't even see him.

As shocked as he was by the occurrence, Harry barely noticed two long, thin arms wrapping themselves about him from behind until they increased their pressure across his chest, holding him fast.

"Honestly," a soft, silk-smooth voice whispered in his ear as a cascade of dark auburn hair fell about his shoulders and down his chest, "what is wrong with these Black men? That they can't take care of one, small child?"