Author's Note:
Support this Fanfiction on Pa.treon! 🚀
Love the story? Read 23 chapters ahead (up to Chapter - 42) of the public release on Pa.treon!
🔗 https://www.pa.treon.com/c/NovaChronus
.
.
.
.
Northern Diagon Alley, London
"So that's why you're interested in checking out Hogwarts robes…? You planning to open a clothing shop, then?" Andromeda asked, surprised.
"Precisely," Rigel nodded.
Indeed, Rigel's first business venture is a wizarding clothing shop.
Why a clothing shop, and not something else? Well, there are a few reasons.
The first reason is that his grasp of Magic and all that hasn't quite reached the level needed to open a proper artefact business or the like. That's something he'll only set up in the future… The real main reason here is that he wants to subtly bring changes to the fashion sense of witches and wizards.
Right now, the wizarding world is stuck in the Seventeenth Century, back before the Statute of Secrecy was officially established, at least in terms of their fashion. Yeah, there are occasional changes… overall, the styles haven't moved on much, be it outer robes that most witches and wizards wear or the innerwear like chemises and such.
Can you imagine? Witches here don't wear proper lingerie beneath their robes. Just white plain chemises and similar things, old things. And while he agrees that even those plain white chemises have their own appeal in certain romantic settings… he'd still want to see his woman in all kinds of sexy and beautiful lingerie when in bed…!
Rigel aims to nudge those traditions towards something a bit more modern to suit his own taste, both in outerwear and innerwear.
Of course, pure-blood families won't accept such changes easily if they come from Muggle-born designers or sellers. But if it comes from a shop owned by a pure-blood wizard from a prominent House like the Blacks, they'd be far more receptive to these changes.
Naturally, the shop Rigel's planning to open won't be just another run-of-the-mill clothing shop.
There are already plenty of those around, Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, Twilfitt & Tattings, and the like.
So opening yet another one wouldn't be anything special, wouldn't turn heads, or attract that many customers.
No, he'd have to open something different… something better… a shop that's truly one of a kind.
It'll deal exclusively in ultra-luxurious clothing of the finest quality, the kind of brand where the clothes themselves make a statement and represent a status symbol. And it'll only cater to wealthy wizarding families who can afford such finery.
After all, Rigel's a firm believer in the saying, 'Clothes maketh the man'… and he's set on making sure the elites of the Wizarding World truly live by it.
As for the poor lot? Well, why would a billionaire give them a second thought?
With that in mind, he added, "Once Mr Mulligrub's cleared out of the building, it will become the first store of Noire Éclat."
"Noire Éclat… Black Radiance… a clothing store, is it?" Andromeda murmured, her brow furrowed in thought.
Noticing her pensive look, Rigel asked, "What do you reckon, Aunty? Think the business I'm planning will take off?"
"Maybe…" she nodded, though she wasn't quite sure herself. "Building up clients, keeping up the luxury and standards, all while turning a profit… and not to mention having a proper eye for fashion… wouldn't that be a right challenge?"
"I've got a plan for all that," Rigel replied with a smile. Though he's no fashion expert himself, there's an easy way to learn about it. As for keeping the business profitable, that's not too tricky either, just cut down on labour costs and other expenses. Funny enough, there's a way to get free labour in the wizarding world with just a bit of upfront investment. And as for clients, well, there are a few methods to secure them too… Blackmailing a certain individual into becoming the shop's face for free can certainly attract a lot of attention from his admirers.
"Is that right?" Andromeda murmured doubtfully at his confidence.
Rigel gave a nod. "Indeed," he said after a pause. "Only, I know that I can't handle all this on my own… I need someone by my side to see me through it — someone loyal and solely devoted to me in mind, body, and soul with an unbreakable vow… and willing to go to any extent and make any sacrifice for my sake at my order…" He paused again before adding, "And, as it happens, I do have a candidate in mind… Trouble is, that person hasn't been too keen on my offer." He glanced at Andromeda, who met his gaze, clearly understanding what he was hinting at.
There was a pause before Andromeda spoke up, "Why do you need someone who's utterly devoted and willing to go to any lengths? And on top of that, you want them to make an Unbreakable Vow, ready to sacrifice anything for you… Isn't that a bit unfair towards them?"
Rigel shrugged. "That's true enough… but the simple answer's trust. These days, it's tough to trust anyone. People say one thing, claim another, but hide their true colours and do something else altogether… and that just won't do. Only those fully devoted won't keep secrets, won't lie, won't hold things in their heart, and would never go against you. I'm basically an orphan sitting on an immense fortune, as you saw this afternoon with your very own eyes… as the Lord of the House of Black, it's my responsibility and my ambition to not only protect that fortune, but also to increase it for the future generation while also restoring the House of Black to its former glory.
In this quest of mine, there'll be countless hurdles along the way, hurdles set by those who don't want the House of Black to rise again because of our contradicting ideals; those who'd try to exploit the House's prominence for their gain; and those who'd want the glorious House of Black to serve their own thirst for power. When I'm up against such folk… I can't have anyone around who isn't utterly devoted. Because if that person isn't utterly devoted in mind, body, and soul, then that means they have ulterior thoughts and motives. I just can't trust them — and truth be told, I don't want to."
There are two reasons behind the failure that is He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named… Well, in truth, there are a multitude of reasons for his failure… but two reasons in particular come to Rigel's mind. First, his own hubris — he thought himself above everyone else, with no equal or superior. And second, a serious lack of truly faithful servants.
Whether it was Rigel's own father, Regulus Black, Severus Snape, Igor Karkaroff, Lucius Malfoy, or a fair few other Death Eaters, barely a few were genuinely loyal. Most only served him for their own gain and agendas.
That's not surprising in itself; you can't expect everyone under your command to be utterly loyal. But a few… well, a few have got to be.
Andromeda was taken aback hearing such words from a boy. For a moment, she felt the boy walking beside her wasn't a child at all, but a fully grown man donning the skin of a child, because, in her view, children don't talk like that, they don't think like that. Her daughter never talked like that at that age… what she was more concerned about when she was six years old was whether she should keep her hair pink or green, and if she could turn her eyes scarlet like that of a Vampire she had read about in stories.
Yet here he was, leaving her speechless…
And she had to admit, his words did make her stop and think, or perhaps, rethink… about lies — one in particular. A lie her late husband had told her at the time of their marriage… a lie she'd only now uncovered the truth behind… and one that had left cracks in the trust she'd once had in him.
Not that it mattered anymore since Ted is already dead… but…
As Andromeda was lost in her own thoughts, the pair soon found themselves standing outside Second-Hand Robes when Rigel spoke, snapping the older witch out of her reverie. "Aunty… we're here, at the Second Hand Robes, but… I don't see Cousin."
"Hm? Oh… Dora'll be in there," Andromeda said, blinking as she returned to the present. "Come on, let's head in, you intended to check the robes, right?"
"Alright," Rigel nodded, quietly hiding a sly smile underneath his poker face.
…
Turns out, he was right, Nymphadora wasn't inside.
No… not only was she not there, she hadn't even set foot in the shop!
"What… what do you mean my daughter didn't come here? I sent her to get her measurements done," said Andromeda, utterly baffled and in disbelief upon hearing that she hadn't come here at all. She couldn't quite believe what she had heard and looked at the proprietress doubtfully.
"You may have sent the girl… but no one by that name or description came through our doors today," the proprietress of Second-Hand Robes replied with a helpless shrug.
"Are you quite sure my second cousin… I mean, a mouse-haired witch by the name of Nymphadora Tonks didn't come in, Mrs Glee? She was wearing a blue robe, if that rings any bells," Rigel asked from the side, his brow furrowed.
"Asking the same thing again won't change the answer, child," Mrs Glee said, shaking her head. "If a girl like that had stepped foot in my shop, had asked me to take her measurements, and get her robes sorted, I'd remember without question. I don't forget the names and faces of my customers until I have completed my business with them. But no — no such girl's been in today."
Hearing that, Rigel turned to Andromeda. "Could she have been held up at another shop?"
"But I didn't tell her to buy anything else," Andromeda replied, her voice tinged with worry. "She was meant to come straight here."
"Well, yeah… but it doesn't look like she came here," Rigel said, then added, "Maybe she got caught up browsing through another shop's wares and simply forgot to come here and get her measurements done in… yeah?"
Andromeda didn't think her daughter was the sort to get distracted like that; she wasn't usually so careless. But after everything she'd been through emotionally, it was hard to say for sure.
"Let's have a look around the nearby shops, we ought to find her," Rigel suggested.
Andromeda gave a nod. "Yes… let's."
And with that, the two of them stepped out of Second-Hand Robes and began the search.
The two of them moved swiftly through the crowded cobbled street, weaving past witches and wizards laden with shopping bags, and moved from one shop to another in an attempt to find her.
But no matter how hard they looked, or which shops they checked, there was no sign of the girl. Most shopkeepers hadn't seen her, though a few recalled spotting her lingering outside, gazing at their displays before eventually wandering off… just like—
"Mr Fortescue, have you seen a young witch about thirteen, mouse-haired, wearing a blue robe around here?" asked Black, catching the ice cream shop owner's attention. He held up a poster of Nymphadora that Andromeda had conjured. "This is what she looks like…"
Mr Fortescue took the poster, studying it carefully. After a thoughtful pause, he replied, "Aye, she did stop by me shop a little while ago, stood staring at the ice creams as if she fancied a dozen. I asked if she wanted any, but she shook her head and scarpered off. Tried callin' her back, would've gladly given her one on the house, but she didn't listen."
"I see… cheers anyway," Rigel nodded, taking back the poster. He approached Andromeda, who'd just come out of Flourish and Blotts. "Any luck at the bookshop?"
But he knew the answer even before she spoke; after all, if she'd found her daughter, wouldn't Nymphadora be right there with her?
Andromeda shook her head. "No, she wasn't there."
"Mr Fortescue did spot her earlier, but as with others, she didn't hang about long," Rigel informed her grimly.
"I see," murmured Andromeda quietly, then added, "Let's keep looking…"
Rigel nodded silently and followed after her.
As more time slipped by with still no sign of her daughter, Andromeda, initially only mildly concerned, began to grow genuinely anxious.
"Where… where in Morgana's name could she have gone?" she whispered as dark and worrying thoughts steadily began creeping into her mind.
Before they knew it, they'd searched every shop and side alley in Diagon Alley, leaving only one place unchecked—
"You don't think she's wandered into Knockturn Alley, do you?" Rigel voiced cautiously.
Andromeda's face turned pale at the thought, and she immediately started walking towards that street with a not-so-good reputation.
"Aunty… you're not seriously heading into Knockturn Alley, are you?" asked Rigel, hurrying after her.
"I know my daughter… she isn't foolish enough to do that… but… but, I have to check," Andromeda responded firmly without pausing. "And you, Rigel, stay here. Knockturn Alley's no place for a child."
"And what about you? Have you ever even set foot in that place?" Rigel called after her.
"As a matter of fact, I have," Andromeda replied, without turning back.
Seeing that she had no intention of stopping, Rigel gave a resigned sigh. 'If you wait at one place at Diadon Alley for a while, the paper butterfly would eventually turn up… but… whatever…'
Quickly transforming into the bearded, blond-haired, middle-aged man, he muttered, "Well, I'll still be tagging along, anyway…"
Andromeda shot him a brief glance but said nothing, as the two of them ventured cautiously into Knockturn Alley.
…
Knockturn Alley, London
"Nothing to suggest she was here either," Rigel said while looking around warily.
They were currently walking through the dark and twisted streets of Knockturn Alley.
Even in the afternoon, Knockturn Alley isn't a safe place, let alone at night. He didn't know when someone from somewhere might hex or jinx them and drag them away; therefore, Rigel was very vigilant.
Andromeda, equally as vigilant as he, was also in a bit of a distraught state and murmured, "Dora… where are you?" as her voice cracked and tears threatened to fall.
"Aunty, don't lose hope… We'll find her, I'm sure of it," Rigel reassured her gently. "I mean, she's got to be somewhere here, right?" Though he did lose confidence when looking at the place they were, and said, "Perhaps not here… but…"
It's a pity that his words did nothing to comfort her, and she continued to mutter anxiously, "Why… why is this happening to us? First Ted dies in his sleep, now Dora's gone missing… Is it because I've done something wrong? Why?"
"Please don't think so pessimistically. Perhaps she's just playing a prank?" Rigel suggested tentatively to distract her from crying. But it only served to make her angry…
"Prank?" Andromeda snapped, lifting her head sharply with a scowl. "My daughter's not one to pull such a foolish and thoughtless prank that'd worry me to death. Something's wrong, something's terribly wrong, otherwise…"
Rigel sighed deeply. "Don't jump to conclusions, Aunty. What could possibly have happened to her, eh? It's not like she's got enemies plotting against her or anything. It must be some kind of misunderstanding. For all we know, she might've simply headed home and could be waiting for you there right now to surprise you or something." He paused thoughtfully before continuing, "Let's go back and check your place first. If she's not there, we can reach out to the Department of Underage Wizardry for help. They'll track her down easily enough with the Trace. Should be straightforward for them."
After all, Nymphadora was an underage witch attending Hogwarts, certainly under the Trace placed by the Ministry, so finding her ought to be simple. Unless, of course, she'd somehow managed to leave the country... which was obviously not the case here…
Andromeda, however, hadn't focused on the latter half of his words. Instead, she latched onto the earlier part, murmuring quietly, "Someone plotting against her…" She raised her head, looked at him as though suspecting him to be the one. "There is someone."
Rigel immediately raised his hands defensively and questioned her with a scowl on his face, "Aunty, are you… Suspecting me to be the one responsible?"
"No, no, I am not suspecting you," Andromeda said, shaking her head as she darted her eyes away.
While she knew that Rigel wanted her to return to the House of Black and didn't have very good intentions either, since he wants her to bear his children, defame Ted, quite probably make use of Nymphadora, and so on… she didn't think he'd do something to her daughter.
Besides, he'd been with her the entire time, tirelessly helping in the search. So, it didn't make sense for him to be the one responsible… No, her suspicion was aimed elsewhere entirely.
"I'm talking about someone else. Someone who tried to assault me and nearly murdered my girl not so long ago..." Her voice trembled with a mix of fear and loathing as the appearance of that drunken blond wizard of mixed heritage flashed vividly through her mind.
"S–someone tried to assault you and… and murder cousin?" Rigel stammered, appearing clearly shaken, as if such a thing were completely beyond his imagination. Anger filled his voice as he demanded sharply, "Who… who was it?" as though this was news to him.
"Drek Williams…" she murmured darkly, fury flashing through her eyes. Suddenly, she turned around and hurried out of Knockturn Alley and began making her way back to Diagon Alley.
"Aunty! Where are you heading now?" Rigel called after her, quickly moving to catch up.
"To the Leaky Cauldron," she replied tersely. "I need a word with Anna; she might know something useful."
"Well, it's better than being here…" said Rigel, and followed her to the pub.
…
Leaky Cauldron, Northern Diagon Alley, London
"What do you want?" asked the blonde-haired witch dressed in cleaner's clothes, her voice icy. She was wary and bitter, clearly unwilling to even look at Andromeda.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Andromeda said calmly, "I need to know where Drek is."
Anna scoffed coldly. "Hah! 'Where's Drek?' is that really the first bloody thing you've got to say to me?" She spun around sharply, turning to leave, evidently having no wish to talk further or even look at her.
"Anna… wait! Don't walk away, I have to know where he is!" Andromeda pleaded, quickly chasing after her.
"No idea where the fuck he is. Haven't seen him since then, and you should know bloody well why. After all, he spelled it out for you all to clearly, didn't he?" Anna replied bitterly, without breaking her stride.
"Anna! He might've kidnapped Dora!" Andromeda shouted desperately.
At those words, Anna froze mid-step. "What?"
Andromeda quickly explained, "Dora's missing… we came to Diagon Alley together, and I asked her to get her robes sorted at Second-Hand Robes while I picked up the rest. But when I arrived there, they said she'd never even turned up. We've searched the whole of Diagon Alley, even Knockturn Alley, but there's not a trace of her anywhere. People have indeed seen her… but…"
"And you think Drek's behind it?" Anna asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing else makes sense right now," Andromeda replied firmly. "That night… he tried using the Killing Curse on Dora, remember? So…"
Anna pressed her lips together thoughtfully, not doubting Andromeda's suspicion, "Wouldn't put it past him… He might well have done it," but shook her head slowly as she added, "But like I said, I honestly haven't got a clue where he is. Haven't seen hide nor hair of him since that night. I only ever went back to our place once, and it'd already been burned to ashes. Since then, I've just been living here, at the Leaky Cauldron. Tom's provided me with a place. So, sorry to say it, but I really don't know where he is."
"Are you absolutely sure?" asked Andromeda suspiciously.
Anna's expression darkened sharply at her tone. "If I wasn't, then what? You think I'd cover for that bastard? Or are you suggesting I'm involved as well?"
Andromeda remained silent for a moment before quietly replying, "No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that, I was just—" She paused, then added softly, "Thank you for your time," before turning to Rigel. "Come on, let's go."
Rigel nodded quietly. "Right…" He cast one final glance at Anna before stepping out of the pub with Andromeda.
Anna watched silently as the pair left.
…
Outside the pub,
Rigel turned to Andromeda. "So, what now, Aunty? I'd say it's best to go straight to the Aurors, especially if there's a wizard threatening her life. They'll trace her instantly, best we don't muck about, Merlin only knows what a lunatic might do to her otherwise."
Andromeda nodded. "Yes, you're right," she said firmly. "I'll head to the Ministry right away and ask the Aurors for help."
"Let me come along," Rigel suggested. "If I put some pressure on them as the Head of the House of Black, it'll speed things up."
Andromeda paused to think for a moment, then gave a nod. "Alright…" she said, turning back towards the Leaky Cauldron, where they could use the Floo Network to get to the Ministry.
But the moment she turned, she stopped in her tracks as her eyes caught sight of something unusual: a small shape drifting slowly down from the sky towards them.
"What is…?" she murmured, narrowing her eyes.
"What's the matter?" Rigel asked, following her gaze upward. "A butterfly?" he murmured doubtfully. But he quickly shook his head. "No, wait… That's not a real butterfly. It's made—"
"Out of paper," Andromeda finished softly, eyes fixed on it. "It's a butterfly made out of paper…"
"It's coming straight for you… which means…" Rigel murmured, watching the paper butterfly flutter to a stop in front of Andromeda.
"It's probably carrying a message," Andromeda said, extending her hand. The butterfly landed gently on her palm and instantly transformed into a small piece of parchment with writing on which her eyes fell.
As she read the lines, her jaw tightened and she clenched her teeth. "It's him… it really is Drek. He's got Dora."
"What does it say? Is he asking for ransom or something?" Rigel asked quickly.
Andromeda shook her head. "He wants me… He wants me to go to him," she muttered, before crumpling the parchment in her fist.
Rigel's expression darkened. "Right, then let's not delay anymore and get to the Ministry at once to—"
But Andromeda cut him off with a firm shake of her head. "No need for that now… I know where he is," she said angrily, drawing her wand. "He's in my own bloody house!"
Seeing this, Rigel stepped in quickly. "Aunty… you're not seriously planning to confront him alone, are you? Do you even have any real fighting experience?" he asked, frowning. "Or is it that you are going to surrender to him?"
"I've got no other choice," Andromeda replied, her voice tight. "He wants me, and he's using my daughter as leverage." She hesitated, then added softly, "Truthfully, with Dora as his hostage… I don't have the heart to fight. I will just…"
Rigel shook his head firmly. "No. Absolutely not. I won't let you do that. How could I just stand by and let someone I've already considered mine walk into danger like that? Sacrifice yourself? Not happening. I won't allow it."
"Then what do you suggest?" Andromeda snapped, her voice cracking. "He's got my daughter, the one thing in this world that means everything to me. If I go to the ministry or seek aid from the Aurors, he'll kill her on the spot, he'll kill her even if it means going down himself. I… I'm the ransom he wants, and I've no choice but to give myself to him… to… to save Dora's… I don't… I don't know what else to do…?" Her voice trembled as tears welled in her eyes.
"If you don't know what to do, then listen to me, just do as I say, and I promise you, we'll get her back," Rigel said with calm confidence.
Andromeda, eyes brimming with tears, looked at him. Seeing the certainty in his expression, she gave a small, hesitant nod. "Alright… tell me then. Tell me how I save my daughter… please."
Rigel gave a reassuring smile and began, "Right, here's how it's going to go…"
.
.
That's it for this chapter. Hope you enjoyed reading this one!
If you want to read advanced Chapters, be sure to check out my P-atreon: https://www.pa.treon.com/c/NovaChronus
And guys... guys... guys... GImme da Powehhstone... 200 is the Goaaaaaal, please make this wet dream of mine a reality.
Also, don't forget to drop your comments and reviews as per your views (+ve ones, hopefully) on the story so far.
If you're enjoying the story so far, be sure to add it to your library so you won't miss any updates!