Adele Black: The End

The Last of the Blacks

This chapter is shorter than normal and is mostly dialogue. It's kind of a filler, sorry.

When I invited him to stay and take one of the vacant rooms for while he got back on his feet, Draco originally resisted. But when he admitted that he couldn't go back to the Manor without thinking about the fact that his mother was dead and his father was in prison, my cousin arrived on the doorstep of 12 Grimmuald Place with his trunk and two suitcases.

I ushered him into the house and grabbed out a bottle of whiskey (I had gotten rid of the fire whiskey because of the word fire) and poured him a glass. He drank it all in one go, his face turning sour by the end.

The two of us sat at the kitchen table. Achilles was playing with a little toy that Fred had got him in the other room.

"Do you know the truth of what happened?" I asked him without emotion.

"I was told what the public was told. But I know there's more to it."

And so I told him. I told him everything. I told him about what happened that day. I told him how strong his mother must have been for all that raw power to never make an appearance until later in her life. I told him everything.

By the end of it, Draco looked conflicted. He then poured himself another glass of alcohol and downed it.

"Do you think... you've told me briefly about the Underworld. Do you know where she might have ended up?" Draco asked me.

I paused to try to figure out what to say. "I... I don't know, Draco."

Draco looked at me like I had just sprouted a second head. "But you know everything."

"I do not know everything."

"But you know a lot!" Draco sputtered. "You know about the Underworld, you know... you know where other people ended up! Do you have any idea, any at all, at where she might be?" Draco pleaded.

I bit my lip. Nobody but Nico and I knew where my dad had ended up, but I felt that this was the time to be completely honest with Draco. If anything, it would soften the blow on where I believe Narcissa might have ended up.

"Well, I know that there's... ultimately 5 different places you could go to after you die. There's the Isle of the Blessed, where people who have led 3 stellar lives go. There's Elysium, where you have the opportunity to go for rebirth so you can go to the Isle of the Blessed or you can stay there. Heroes go there. There's the Fields of Asphodel, where most people go, because most people just have average lives. Then there's the Fields of Punishment, which I don't think I have to explain. Finally, there's Tartarus. Tartarus is reserved for monsters usually."

"Thanks for the history lesson, but that's not what I asked," Draco deadpanned.

"It's important background knowledge for you to have. Anyways... For reference, Lily and James Potter ended up in Elysium. My... my dad, he... he ended up in the Fields of Asphodel. Lord Voldemort ended up in the Fields of Punishment," I trailed off.

"Okay, so she could've ended up in Elysium then!" Draco exclaimed. I couldn't tell if he was in denial or if he actually believed that she would end up there.

"Draco," I began softly, "Sirius Black ended up in the Fields of Asphodel. He doesn't remember me, and he never will. His soul is basically just wandering in a field of wheat for all eternity."

"Okay, but my mom could still be in Elysium!" Draco protested.

"If my dad didn't make it to Elysium, do you really think that your mother made it? Your mother killed 3 people. Yes, she lied to Voldemort. But she just killed 3 people. I highly doubt she went to Fields of Punishment, and I'd be surprised if she did," I responded, trying to make my tone neutral.

"Your father..."

"Don't say a word about my father!" I told him.

"I wasn't going to! I was going to say that your father got into the Fields despite all the good he's done!"

I blushed. "Sorry. But... yeah. His soul will roam there forever with no memory of me. It's why I knew that the figure of him that I saw right before I passed out wasn't real. He won't ever remember me, but I'll always remember him, and I'll make the world remember him. Draco, if it really means that much to you, I can ask where she ended up. I have a feeling she's in the same place that my dad is, though."

Draco sighed and took another swig of alcohol. "It's not like it matters, does it? She's gone and she's never coming back." His voice broke and began to sound watery. I stood and put the bottle of alcohol back in the cabinet, effectively cutting Draco off from any more of the substance.

"Yeah," I told him as I poured him a cup of water, "she's gone. So are Remus, Tonks and Andromeda."

There was a pause. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't comfortable either. It was a mix of the two.

"There's stuff we need to do," Draco said suddenly, rubbing his hands across his face.

"About the case? Yeah, I mean I guess we need to interview Ron and Harry and Hermione, but I have the testimony from Remus saved—"

"No," Draco said, running a hand through his messy platinum hair, "there's... things that we have to do now that me, you and Teddy are the last of the Blacks."

My brows furrowed. I assumed maybe there had to be wills, but I couldn't imagine what that had to do with us. "I don't understand."

"That's a first," Draco snorted. "Look, it's important that... well, you're really the last Black. The last with the name. And when you get married, it's gone. You'll what, be Adele Weasley?"

I looked at him in bewilderment. "First of all, Fred and I have never even discussed marriage. Second, I might not even live that long! Third, what makes you think that I'd just give up my last name? I'd keep my last name, and if I have children, there'd be a hyphenation."

"Regardless. You're the last direct Black descendent. You're the only one with the last name. You've got to put roots down somewhere. What happens to the House of Black after you're gone?"

I gave an empty laugh. "Are you saying I should make a will?"

"I'm saying... who are you going to leave everything to? If you die before you have children, what happens to the House of Black? Where do the assets go to? Look, it's easier on me because I'm a male and I'm now head of the Malfoy family. I'll have assets from the Malfoy family and from my mother's small portion she got for being a Black. I just need to find a wife and have kids. Teddy's a baby, and he'll get Andromeda's shares. He'll get her house. And his kids will get that too. But you? You need to make a choice."

"I'll just give it to Teddy. I'll write a will and give him Grimmuald Place," I said.

Draco shook his head. "You can't give it to another member of the Black family."

I let out a nasty string of curses. "What happens if... I don't do anything?"

"You want the Ministry to be able to take over this place?" Draco pointedly asked me.

"No," I sighed. I sat in deep thought for a moment.

Ever since I managed to survive the flame, I kept on wondering what else was going to happen. What would prevent me from getting a happy ending? Another quest? Another prophecy? I wasn't even finished with the one I was currently dealing with, so it was hard to plan ahead. While I did feel more secure about how long I would live than I did a few months ago, I couldn't rule out that I would survive the next two years. I really hoped I did, but I couldn't be certain.

The harder and longer I thought, I realized that there was really only one true course of action that I could take. There was only one person I could leave all this to if I didn't manage to procreate with Fred.

I looked at Draco with a new found confidence. He smirked.

"So, who would you leave it all too? Fred?" Draco smirked.

"No," I said with confidence and a smirk of my own, "If I die before I have kids, I'm leaving this place and my assets to the firstborn child of Hermione Granger."

The next chapter is going to be a fun one!