Wrongs Of The Past (Book 1)

Healing

Sirius led both boys into the large town house. Calling Kreacher, he asked to be led to his wife and children. "I have come home." Sirius called out before entering the sitting room where his family waited for him. "Welcome back father." A chorus of voices answered. Sirius placed his hand on his nephew's shoulder to guide him into the room. He immediately registered his nephew's slight flinch. "It's alright, Hadrian. No one will hurt you ever again." He murmured gently, rubbing the boy's head. Upon entering the room everyone froze and turned to stare at them. "What in Salazar's name? Sirius, what have you done?" Hesper managed to gasp out after a solid 5 minutes of silence. "My love, I told you that I had recently received a letter explaining the death of my brother Phineus, did I not?" The woman stood in exasperation. "What does that have to do with you kidnapping a four year old and a baby?" "I'm five." Hadrian said in his usual soft and gentle tone. Hesper's immediately inspected the boy in front of her. From the looks of it he needed a healer badly. The child was covered in scars and resembled a skeleton more than anything else. His clothes were nothing more than rags that hung from his tiny frame. The baby in his arms couldn't have been more than two weeks old. It was also a tiny thing. Frowning, Hesper kneeled in front of the boy, who, much to her surprise, moved back in a startled manner holding the baby in his arms closer to his chest. She shot her husband a look that demanded answers immediately. Before answering, her husband had Kreacher led the boy to an empty room where he could rest and finally put the baby down. Once the children and elf were gone everyone turned their focus on Sirius. "It would seem that my brother married another pure-blood squib in order to honor our family and keep the bloodline pure. In 1921 his wife gave birth to Hadrian Altair Peverell-Black. She did not survive. My brother, who had been sick for sometime died two months after the birth of his son. Hadrian was left in the care of Jonas Bulstrode a fellow squib. With my brother's death Jonas lost himself in drink and began to neglect my nephew. When Hadrian began demonstrating accidental magic, Jonas grew jealous and restful. As you can see Hadrian has lived through the worst kind of hell. In November of this year Jonas drank himself to death. They discovered his body a week later along with Hadrian slowly bleeding to death in a broom cupboard. The only thing Jonas did right was teach Hadrian about his bloodlines and the families of squibs who still remain pure. In an orphanage, a month before I collected him, Hadrian came across a pure-blood witch who happened to be his cousin on his mother's side. This woman gave birth on the last day of December, dying only after asking Hadrian for and unbreakable vow to protect her son, Marvolo Riddle Gaunt. I adopted Marvolo along side my nephew earlier today." Sirius finished, watching them cautiously. "That poor thing." Hesper whispered. His eldest son, Arcturus III sat forward cautiously. "Father, Melania and I would be willing to take in the newborn and raise him as our own. We already have Lucretia, so two should be no problem." Sirius sighed, shaking his head. "I do not think Hadrian would allow that. You should have seen the way he looked at the Matron when she attempted to put Marvolo in his crib. Had she touched the child in any way, I do not believe she would have lived long. She explained that since his birth, Hadrian is deathly afraid someone will take Marvolo from him. Maybe now that they have been adopted and neither are leaving, he will relax some." Sirius' family looked thoughtful. "Are you going to have Nana look them over?" Regulus asked uncertainly. Sirius nodded. "I'll ask mother to come by this weekend. Hopefully her apprentice will be able to take over for a day." They nodded and continued to discuss what was going to happen from that day forward. Sirius decided they needed to hold a family dinner soon, so that he could properly introduce the boys. Before that he needed to get Hadrian completely healed, then take both boys to Gringotts to make sure everything was settled with their inheritance. After the dinner he had to get Hadrian tutors or have his children teach him. This involved getting a wand for him. It was a Black family tradition to be gifted your first wand on your fifth birthday and your heir rings on your seventh birthday. Sirius asked Hesper to check on the boys while he wrote letters to all his siblings and his mother explaining everything and including a copy of all the tests that came with his late brother's letter. Hesper soon returned and told Sirius that both boys were asleep that she had asked Kreacher to check in on them every two hours or so. Sirius nodded and returned to his letters. The next day Hesper and Sirius took the boys to Gringotts. They did inheritance tests on both boys, discovering that Hadrian was the heir to Gaunt, Gryffindor, Peverell, Slytherin, Emrys, and Wyllt. He was also third in line for the Potter lordship behind Fleamont Potter and his younger brother Charles. Marvolo was second in line for the Slytherin, Gaunt, and Peverell Lordships. He was heir to the Hufflepuff, Riddle, Le Fay, and Ravenclaw. Hesper and Sirius blood adopted Marvolo so he became their youngest son. On Saturday Sirius' mother came for a visit. She checked over both boys, while the rest of the women in the house went shopping for essentials for the boys. The list of Hadrian's injuries were extensive. He had to be on a strict diet and potions regiment for the next 18 months. By the time the treatment was over Hadrian should have caught up with the normal development of children his age. Hesper would have to help Hadrian put on a scar cream that would make them fade almost completely. Sirius' children began tutoring Hadrian a month after his arrival. They had waited until Hadrian had relaxed enough that he would let Hesper take care of Marvolo. He was still quite overprotective and watched everyone like a hawk but he was well on his way to healing both physically and mentally.