Chapter 305 : Conversation with Sirius
Sirius smiled bitterly.
"I suppose you've figured everything out if you've come to see me. You mentioned something about an engagement?"
Phineas nodded.
"You know how those old men in the family are. You obviously won't let them use your marriage as a tool. I'm the same. If I must choose a pure-blood family, I'd rather choose Astoria—at least we both have a good impression of her."
"If I get engaged sooner, the elders won't be able to interfere."
Sirius let out a quiet, bitter chuckle.
"Still trying to avoid Selwyn, eh? Isn't Silna rather nice?"
Phineas nodded.
"She is. But neither the Blacks nor the Selwyns would let her marry me. So, the Selwyn girl they'd accept would have to be one of Silna's sisters. And, well... let's just say their personalities..."
Phineas didn't finish the sentence, but he visibly shuddered. Sirius did too.
Phineas wasn't surprised Sirius agreed to cooperate.
Even though Sirius had rejected the Black family legacy and its pure-blood ideals, he had still been raised with their teachings long enough to understand how to navigate such affairs.
Besides, Sirius had noticed something was wrong while he was still semi-conscious—too many people had been lurking near his room, people who had no reason to be there. He realized Phineas had made some move, and the timing of his waking up might determine whether it succeeded.
So he pretended to remain unconscious and watched events unfold.
After Phineas explained his plan in full, Sirius neither opposed nor supported it. That was just like him—a rebellious spirit who never truly concerned himself with family politics. The only reason he took over the family's affairs now was for Phineas's sake.
He still looked out for his younger brother, even if they hadn't spoken in over a decade.
"But Phineas," Sirius said once they returned to Grimmauld Place, "are you sure the old men won't interfere this time?"
Of the two brothers, one had to marry into another family. Sirius's reputation was too tainted to be a viable candidate—so all pressure fell on Phineas.
Phineas shrugged.
"Even if they want to interfere, they can't do much. I'm getting engaged to a Greengrass. Sure, they're not as prominent as the Selwyns, but they're a contracted family of the Council of Elders, so the status matches. The elders won't have a reason to object."
"As for the engagement, it was arranged by our parents before they passed. Since they're gone, the eldest brother makes the decision."
Sirius blinked, staring at him.
"So... you want me to be your shield?"
Phineas grinned, saying nothing—but the look on his face said everything.
Sirius was silent for a moment before asking,
"So, have you set a date?"
Phineas shook his head.
"I only spoke briefly with Leah before disappearing. I wanted to give Damon time to set things in motion."
"Damon? Lisa..." Sirius paused. He had an idea, but still had to ask.
Phineas closed his eyes and nodded gravely.
Sirius fell silent. He didn't know exactly what happened while he was unconscious, but he was sure Lisa had taken the fall for him. Phineas didn't want to talk about her, so he stayed quiet.
The silence hung heavy in the air. Both men tried to think of something to say, but neither could find the words.
Thankfully, Kreacher appeared beside them and bowed deeply.
"My two young masters, dinner is ready. Shall I serve it in the dining room or the drawing room?"
His interruption broke the tension, and both men looked relieved.
"The dining room," Phineas said. "It's been too long since this house hosted a proper meal."
Sirius nodded in agreement, and the two descended to the dining room.
As they sat down, Sirius turned to Phineas and asked,
"Can we have some wine?"
Phineas nodded and instructed Kreacher,
"There's a bottle of Petrus, 1985, in the cellar—I brought it back from the Muggle world. That one."
Kreacher bowed and left.
Phineas turned to Sirius with a grin.
"Château Petrus is on the Gironde River in the Pomerol region of Bordeaux, France. Mostly Merlot grapes. Muggles didn't recognize its value for a long time, but it's one of the finest reds in Pomerol. A French pure-blood family has shares in it—otherwise, I'd have bought the whole place."
Sirius raised an eyebrow.
"That good? I thought the Black family had its own winery."
Phineas nodded.
"We did. Produced decent red wine. But when I was younger, I sold off some Black family assets to distract other families from noticing me. The winery wasn't useful to me then, so I let it go."
"Later, when I had enough power not to hide anymore, it was too late—there are no good family-owned wineries left in the UK."
Sirius didn't respond. He preferred beer anyway. The wine cellar was still well-stocked, and the Black family had the wealth to buy whatever they wanted.
After a while, Kreacher returned with the wine and a decanter.
Sirius waved him off.
"Kreacher, we need to talk—leave us."
Kreacher bowed again and left.
Phineas shook his head, smiling. Sirius still disliked house-elves.
He poured the wine and said,
"Try it. If you like it, I'm thinking of serving it at my engagement ceremony with Leah."
Sirius swirled the wine, took a deep sniff, then sipped it slowly.
After a moment, he set his glass down and nodded.
"Excellent. Maybe I should buy a winery."
Phineas chuckled.
"Maybe later. The good ones in France are already backed by pure-blood families, and Lestrange runs France like a fortress. We'll have to wait for the Consul Family Meeting of the Council of Elders to negotiate."
Sirius nodded.
"Alright, then let's talk about your engagement. You sure about Greengrass? This isn't just about escaping pressure?"
Phineas gave a familiar answer.
"Of course I'm sure. Leah's wonderful."
"And the timeline?"
"For the engagement, soon. I've sent Puff with an invitation to the Greengrass family—we're going to visit tomorrow to finalize everything. As for the marriage, the earliest would be after Leah graduates."
Sirius nodded.
"Good. But launching your plan at the engagement ceremony might be risky..."
"It's already out of our hands," Phineas replied. "As soon as we appear publicly, the plan will be set in motion. The engagement ceremony is just the first opportunity."
Sirius sighed. He understood. The bowstring was drawn, and the arrow had to fly.
The meal wasn't a triumph, but it was cordial.
---
The next morning, Sirius wore a custom set of dress robes from Madam Malkin's. Phineas wore a bespoke three-piece suit. Together, they looked like aristocrats straight out of a portrait—elegant and sharp.
Because the Greengrass family had already aligned with the Blacks, their alliance was strong. This time, instead of sending a carriage, they simply gave the location of the manor directly.
Greengrass Manor still looked the same—an imposing Gothic structure covered with devil's snare disguised as ivy. The grounds had grown even more lush since Phineas's last visit.
Unlike before, Phoebus Greengrass was personally waiting for them at the gate.
"Phineas, Sirius, good to see you," Phoebus said warmly, stepping forward.
"You too, Mr. Greengrass," Phineas said more formally than usual. If all went well today, the man in front of him would become his father-in-law. A little formality was wise.
Sirius, less concerned with such things, grinned and gave Phoebus a hug.
"Good to see you again, Phoebus."
"Come in. I've had your favorite dishes prepared—and a bottle of 'Knight' from Boissonneau. You must try it," Phoebus said, beaming.
Phineas's eyes lit up. The 'Knight' was a rare vintage, originally brewed to celebrate Napoleon's victories—rich, refined, and almost impossible to find. And from Phoebus's pride, this was likely one of the first bottles ever made.
At the dinner table, the famed bottle confirmed it—one of the earliest vintages of 'Knight.'
Despite the reason for the visit, no one mentioned the engagement.
Astoria, growing impatient, kept shooting glances at Phineas, urging him silently to bring it up.
He only smiled back, not yielding to her silent demands. Astoria's cheerful mood started to wane.
Daphne, too, sat in silence. Something was clearly troubling her.
Both Phoebus and Phineas noticed—but said nothing.