Order Only: Private Message to Remus and Dora

[alt_sirius]

Four days later and I still have occasional spasms. Morgana, this not being able to be Padfoot is almost as bad as when Bella cursed me and I had to stay Padfoot.

Mostly it's just being stuck in this house all the time, with that wretched elf.

I've been thinking about what we can do to prevent him betraying us if something should happen to me. Obviously, the orders I've issued him never to contact anyone who hasn't been told the secret of the Fidelius is perfectly effective while I'm alive. The question is what he'll do once I'm no longer his master. Will he accept the will as it's written, will he decide that Bella or Narcissa are his new mistresses, will he defer to Draco or Hydra or will he go and hang himself with my father's bootlaces?

It's complicated, because my mother's will actually left the property to Narcissa but my father's magical protections meant she couldn't take possession of the house. I wrote a will as soon as we were able to open it up, of course. But will Kreacher honour it if I'm not in the picture?

I think there are a few possible solutions but none of them are guaranteed. Since I can't do much else with this ankle still healing, and with my tremors I better not handle sensitive potions measurement, we may as well discuss the options.

Comments

[alt_nymphadora]

I suppose our arrangements are already queer enough, what's another twist? Actually, I think it's lovely.

What do you suppose is required? I mean, it's not as though we can send the parchmentwork and payment along to some office in the Ministry. And we certainly can't march in and present ourselves for reclassification of familial ties. 'Do you, Miss Tonks, consent to be bound in filial relation to the arch-traitor Black?'

Do you suppose I'd be reclassified pure if you became my father? After all, that would make two of my parents purebloods.

[alt_lupin]

I just realised this would also make Sirius Bea's grandfather. As if he doesn't spoil her enough already...

[alt_sirius]

That's just going to make my head spin.

And I don't spoil her any worse than you do. Just because I'm the fun one doesn't make me less of a disciplinarian.

[alt_lupin]

Well, just as a wedding has both a civil component, where you sign papers and all that, and a magical component, there are spells parents do when they adopt a child. We could possibly do the magic part without the signing-of-papers-at-the-Ministry part, since we don't especially want the Protectorate to consider you Sirius's daughter -- what matters is Kreacher.

[alt_sirius]

I think we'd have to obtain the proper parchment from the Ministry and then slip it in somehow without anyone noticing - if we went that route.

But there are magical binding spells - some of the same spells we used when James and Lily named me Harry's godfather - that create a filial bond. Similar to the traditional wedding spells but for a parent and child.

As for reclassificaton, nice try, but I don't think the Ministry would take well to your being adopted by a wanted traitor, and one who's meant to be dead, at that!

Somehow I don't think you want them noticing.

[alt_lupin]

Bill could probably slip it in somewhere, surely.