Chapter Two, Allies

Aquila was two years old when James and Sirius decided to go with initiating a betrothal contract between their beloved princess and Heir Thorfinn Rowle; however, that didn't stop the pair becoming allies with Lord Björn Rowle and his wife Lady Elizabeth Taylor Rowle née Accola, in fact, in the last two years since they met they had become rather close friends and would often go watch James's games with Puddlemere United - that he had started once again when Aquila was fifteen months old. He played Seeker for the team and they would be one of the loudest supporters for James; the only ones louder than them were Sirius (Aquila who would copy her daddy, as she didn't understand what her mother was doing), Euphemia, Monty, Charlus, Dorea, Regulus, Remus, Marlene and Dorcas.

"My love, could you read over this please?" James requested, passing the official betrothal letter to Sirius who was playing with their daughter, a smile stole over his face as he watched the sweet scene. Sirius was uncaringly wearing a tiara and pretending to sip at a tea Aquila made, making their little star beam at her daddy with sweet giggles passing her lips.
"Of course, love." Sirius agreed, knowing he was always of a more political mind out of the two. "Princess, how about you make mummy one of your wonderful teas?" Sirius asked, brushing a strand of black hair out of her silver eyes.

It had escaped the braid and was annoying her as every five seconds she would brush it back growing more agitated the more it fell into her eyes.
"Yes! Here you go mummy." Aquila said happily climbing to her feet quickly, bringing one of the tea cups over to James.
"Thank you baby." James beamed, kissing her forehead as he accepted the cup and took an exaggerated sip before smacking his lips in delight as if it had quenched his thirst. "That is a wonderful tea, thank you my little star. How about you and mummy go and make some cookies while daddy's busy?" James suggested handing the cup back to his daughter who returned it to her tea set that was sitting on the small table in the corner; they had set it up for her in the event they were both busy.

"Oh! Can daddy come and make some cookies?" Sirius asked eagerly, tickling his two year old.
"You mean eat them." James countered, Sirius gasped frantically looking at his husband as if he had just siriusly wounded him.
"My love, you wound me!" Sirius gasped.
"Sure, Siri!" James drawled, his eyes sparkling happily as listened to his daughter's sweet laughter.
"Mummy is lying isn't he, baby?" Sirius asked Aquila. "I wouldn't eat all of your cookies."
"Yes you would daddy." Aquila cried giggling, causing James to let out a satisfied 'HA!', and for Sirius to let out a pitiful whine.
"My own daughter turned against me!" Sirius bemoaned pretending to sob into his hands.

"No daddy! Don't cry." Aquila exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her father and kissing his cheek.
"Oh thank you, Princess." Sirius smiled, hugging her tightly for a moment before handing her over to James.
"Don't worry we might save you some." James teased, laughing as he left the room with their daughter on his hip. Sirius's cheeks were starting to hurt from how much he was smiling and laughing but he didn't care that was what he wanted and he and James have always endeavoured to make each other - and now Aquila - laugh at least once a day, and it seemed to be working. Easing himself from the small chair he rounded the desk taking a seat to pursue the letter.

Dear Lord and Lady Rowle,

I hope this letter finds you both and Heir Thorfinn well.
If you are agreeable, Sirius and I would like to invite you over to Potter manor this coming Saturday - August 5th 1982 - to discuss confirming the betrothal contract between your son and our daughter. Now that your son will be seven this coming December and Aquila has just turned two.

Warmest regards,

Lord James Luis Potter-Black
Lord of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter.
Lord Consort of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black.

Satisfied with the short but sweet letter, Sirius sealed it with his Lord ring and sent it off with the head house-elf, Pimsey (for this type of letter it was much better and safer than using an owl), before deciding to catch up on their parchmentwork and portfolios before he would head downstairs to spend some more time with his husband and daughter.

* * *

The day before the Rowles were due to arrive at Potter manor was an exceptionally warm day so Sirius and James had decided to host their family for a little get together, which was worth it even just to hear the giggles coming from their two year old daughter as she played with her cousins: two year old Draco, five year old Rhea and ten year old Nymphadora. Hearing and seeing all four cousins playing, laughing and bonding and getting along so well despite the large age gaps was soothing to all of their hearts, to their very souls. Especially with how protective they - more so the two older girls - were of each other, and as Aquila was essentially the baby being the youngest out of the four were even more overprotective of her.

Which is why all of the assembled adults were stunned when a wave of familial magic washed over the gardens, a familial magic that hasn't been seen in either family for decades; the bond of ancient family protection.
"Well that's something." Rabastan stated with a smirk, happy that his nieces and nephew will have an extra form of protection. "So, what is it you found out, Bella?" He asked shrewdly, shoulders tense. She had just been about to inform them all what she had found out regarding Dumbledore when the children formed the bond. Bellatrix sighed, slumping back in her chair slightly with a tense set to her shoulders before she looked up and met the eyes of one of her baby cousins and the new Lord of their House now that Orion and Walburga have stepped down.

"James and I are not going to like this in the least, are we?" Sirius asked rhetorically, a sigh escaping his lips as James clenched his hand tightly. "It'll be okay my love." He whispered, bringing James's hand to his lips and bestowing a reassuring kiss to his knuckles before returning his attention to Bellatrix bracing himself.
"He's still planning on using Evans to split you two apart by use of Amortentia on James despite it being widely known you had a bonding ceremony instead of the common wedding." Bellatrix revealed, a call for retribution glimmering in her eyes making them look like molten metal.

"He also plans to douse all four of our babies in potions to hate each other and tear our House apart from the inside, starting with Nymphie next year when she starts Hogwarts." Bellatrix had to raise her voice a little as her little sister, Andy and her husband Ted, started cussing out the old fool; not that any of them could blame them. "He plans to have James taken away from Sirius, and the rest of us, by then so we will have the added stress of it tearing us apart that we - in what he hopes - won't notice the change in the children's behaviour.

As for Aquila, he wants to initiate a betrothal with the youngest and most uncouth of the Weasley brood only so he can steal the Peverell artefacts and for he and Molly to steal the gold. And for that brat, Ronald, they want to make him Lord Potter to have greater access and have her on so many controlling potions." A silencing dome erected over the adults so as to not frighten or worry the children while allowing them to express all of their anger and hate once Bellatrix had finished explaining what she had found out.

"He plans to have the rest of us killed!" Monty growled in realisation, sharing a hardened look with his brother, Charlus, and his best friends Arcturus and Orion. "It's the only way any of this can happen is if the nine of us," Monty gestures to his wife, brother, sister-in-law Dorea, Arcturus and Melania, and Orion and Walburga, "are dead."

"We won't let this happen, I promise you." Lucius swore to his family, plans swirling around in his mind on what they could do. Already he has decided to put forth these issues to Minister Tom Marvolo Slytherin or as he was once known Tom Riddle. Who had once asked him to keep him informed on what Dumbledore was up to for he was too dangerous to not keep an eye on.
"Thank Merlin the Rowles are coming over for the signing of the betrothal tomorrow." Rodolphus sighed in relief.
"Small mercies, brother." Rabastan commented dryly.

"I'll start getting word round to the others of the dark sector, brother. I swear to you, you won't lose Jamie or Aquila." Regulus swore, clasping his brother's shoulder who could do no more than nod his head while his eyes clasped onto his laughing, happy daughter as she ran around with her cousins; soaking up the image as he vaguely heard Remus promising to speak to his uncle, Lord Julian Wood the actual head of the Light sector of the Wizengamot and not Dumbledore.

Shortly after, Marlene was promising to speak to her siblings, and her aunt and uncle to gain the support of the Shacklebolts, Goodmans, Harkaways, Dawsons, Flemings, and the Moores; and Dorcas promising to speak to her parents to gain the support of the Muggleborns as her father was the speaker for them and head of the new Muggleborn sector on the Wizengamot that Minister Tom had created when he first became Minister. They already had the Greys support as Monty was the head of them, Sirius just prayed all of this would be enough and was only a precautionary measure.

* * *

The following day James and Sirius met with and filled Björn and Elizabeth in on what Bellatrix had unearthed the previous day, as they sat in the sunroom of Potter Manor, while Aquila and Thorfinn - or Finn, as he likes to be called at the moment - played on children's brooms under the attentive and watchful eye of Monty and Charlus out on the Quidditch pitch. To say Björn and Elizabeth were beyond shocked and appalled was an understatement. To stoop to such an extent, what exactly was the end game here?

"What conditions do you propose for the betrothal?" Björn got straight to the point. Being Sirius's partner in the Auror Corp, let him in on privileged information on how far he was willing to go to protect those he loved and cared for and he felt thankful that he and his family were now part of that small group.

"We would like that Aquila retains independent authority over the Potter-Black affairs due to the nature of the familial gifts that we have inherited from the Peverells." James put forth confidently. "With that said Finn would gain the title Consort Peverell and would be known as Lord Rowle-Peverell with that being one of the oldest titles my star and myself holds."
"Of course Jamie." Elizabeth agreed, smiling as the condition appeared magically on the contract that was sat between them on the coffee table. "I'd like to add, and I think you will agree to this, that they don't marry until Aquila has finished school."

"Agreed." For the rest of the afternoon the two couples went back and forth negotiating to get the best outcome for their children and future grandchildren but ultimately to make sure that both Finn and Aquila would be happy together until they finally finished up, signing it with a flourish causing the contract to immediately disappear to both of their count managers within Gringotts with happy smiles upon their faces. Their children were finally protected as much as they could make them with Dumbledore and his ilk still at large.

* * *

Dumbledore paced around his office within Hogwarts in a blind rage throwing things against the walls as he had his little temper tantrum, ignoring the tuts and horrified exclamations of those within the portraits lining the walls and ceiling of the office.
"She's useless! Bloody useless! How can she not give one measly Amortentia and Confundus potion to that wastrel Potter freak!" Dumbledore shouted, throwing another priceless artefact at the stone walls while he stewed over the missive he'd received from Lily Evans confessing her failure over not duping James Potter-Black and his brat Aquila.

All that hard work of Molly brewing the Amortentia and him procuring the dark and rare potions to control the freak Potter and his even freakier brat has now gone to waste! All of his money - well the money from the Hogwarts treasury - gone! Those potions were now no longer fit for use as there was a time limit on there use, which meant they would have to be brewed and brought once again, increasing their risk of being caught.

"The Potters and the Blacks need to be punished!" Dumbledore exclaimed to himself, pacing up and down while stroking his long beard in thought. While an elderly headmaster looked on horrified at what his progeny was planning. This was all his fault! How could he not see the true colours of Albus Dumbledore? Now families were suffering as he had given him the prime seat of inflicting the most damage, more than a Minister ever could. What's more dangerous than warping the minds of young witches and wizards in your charge?

"I know the perfect way!" Dumbledore exclaimed, pulling Armando Dippet and several other headmasters and headmistresses out of their horrified stupor. He seemed to be rambling to himself and he seemed to have forgotten they were there and that some of them have other portraits which Phineas Nigellus Black would use to his advantage and to the advantage of his House. But that didn't stop a wary feeling taking root inside him as a sickening grin stole across Dumbledore's wizened face. "I'll use Aquila to bring them all down as there would be no worse or nothing more fitting than to use the brat! This will teach them, for daring to embarrass me! All I have to do is wait for her to join Hogwarts and be away from her family and I have plenty of time to perfect, the perfect revenge."

He was so into his dark and twisted thoughts that he didn't even notice three leaving the office which would bring about his downfall: Headmaster Everard to the Ministry, Phineas Nigellus to Grimmauld Place where Orion and Walburga still resided and Fawkes, the Phoenix that had been chained to the wizened old man but now he was free.

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Author's note: DO NOT ask me to update in any way shape or form. There are other ways of telling me what you thought of this.

Author's note two: the Blacks have always been a close knit family in this story and only became closer with the bonding marriage of James and Sirius. Plus with Tom having went the political route and became Minister (stated in the prologue. There are no Death Eaters so the Longbottoms were never tortured and Bellatrix is actually a Mind Healer in this).