A/N. I haven't written anything recently but this just wanted to be let out of my brain. I hope anyone who reads this enjoys, it's not well read over and could do with editing but ill maybe go over it later. For now it will do.
thanks :)
Chapter One- It begins
The night Morwen found herself at Number 12 Grimmauld Place was a dismal one, her thick velvet trimmed black cloak couldn't quite keep the steady rain from trickling down her neck. There was no wind or gust, just a steady stream of water that meant she could barely see if she was indeed in front of the seam between houses 11 and 13. A steady breath prepared her to say the words aloud and then suddenly there it was squeezing it way out from the in-between. The wrought iron windows and bleak exterior were more grimy and run down than we she had last seen the outside of this house. Rushing forward she rasped the door knocker, eager to get in from the weather, it took a lifetime for the door to finally be thrust open. Morwen was ushered into chaos. A portrait on the wall was shrieking, wailing as loud as any banshee and the down trodden man who let her in suddenly had his wand to her neck. The black haired witch stared into the face of Remus Lupin, lined and haggard he was a life time away from her school friend but he did not smile.
"What did we find in the cupboard when we were revising on the fourth four in 7th year?" still he did not smile, simply asked the question.
"A lethifold," she replied.
Assured Remus put his wand down and embraced her laughing. Grinning she hugged him back before a voice behind them interrupted.
"A lethifold? How did you pair get ahold of that then?"
Looking up Morwen couldn't quite believe her eyes even though she had been expecting him, his trademark wild hair was streaked with grey and his face had lost its youthful beauty but there was no doubt Sirius Black stood before her.
"Morwena Selwyn," he laughed, barking just like he used to, "As I live, you look barely a day older than I last saw you?"
"Morwen plays with all sorts of exotic magic now Sirius, she's probably been stealing beauty potions from Egyptian tombs." Morwena cuffed Remus' ear as he chuckled to himself, following Sirius down into the kitchen in the cellar.
"Where did you find a lethifold then?" Sirius asked them again when they were sat down at the kitchen table.
Morwen marked how he fidgeted in his chair and fiddled with the mug of tea, still as restless as ever, a trait which had endlessly annoyed his mother. Remus cupped both hands around his mug, smiling contently, "It was a boggart really and we thought we were utterly brilliant when we found one in that empty classroom."
Snorting through her coffee she set her mug down," I'd forgotten about that time Uncle Izzy had taken me on some expedition. I don't even remember where, Serbia or the like, one of those old tombs he was digging up had one stashed in it. I was terrified when I saw a lethifold again, it was a near miss, I don't know why I was surprised when the boggart leapt out at me as one."
"It was a good job we both practiced together, although we were so embarrassed at how long it took us to banish it back in the cupboard we never told anyone," Remus grinned through his fringe, he really needed a haircut almost as badly as Sirius.
"Oh don't start us on your moon," shaking her head she looked up at the them properly, "So when does this meeting start, Dumbledore told me 7o'clock but I'm guessing that's a little early?"
"Ended up changing it, Shacklebolt couldn't get here that early," Sirius replied.
"Most people should be arriving here soon though," Remus checked his watch.
"What have you been doing then Morwen?" Sirius poured himself more tea, not really looking at her. The witch guessed he would feel the lost time keenly, she had passed over a decade since they'd last spoke.
"I work for Gringotts mainly now, Uncle Izzy died and I had been doing some expeditions for the family business, but Dumbledore got in touch so I've come home. For now anyway," she smiled fondly at the thought of her eccentric uncle.
"Izzy died then?" Sirius rubbed the beginnings of his beard. "Pity, he always reminded me of Uncle Alf."
"He contracted Whumping fever in the Sudan, never recovered," she replied, "You'll be glad to know he always pleaded your innocence, said you didn't smell like guilt." Half shaking her head Marina drank more coffee so she didn't have to look at him.
"Unlike like you pair then," his voice was light, like he was joking but when Morwen dared to look at him she could see the hurt written unknowingly across his face.
"I figured you maybe didn't feel guilty, for him not to be able to sense it. If only I'd kept a closer eye on Peter," Morwen replied quietly, eyes watering. Uncle Izzy had excavated tombs all over the ancient world and he'd been exposed to all sorts of weird magic. By his old age he claimed he could smell certain emotions off people, like the nervous guilt Mundungus Fletcher stank of when he tried to steal some silver candlesticks at a Christmas party Izzy held at the family house.
Remus grasped her arm, "We thought it was his mother's death that made him withdraw a bit."
The crash of porcelain made her jump, shards scattered across the floor as Sirius surged up in a rage, "We almost had the little bastard."
Remus jumped up to placate him as Morwena withdrew her wand and cleared the mess with a quiet wave, silently wondering what they meant. All Albus Dumbledore had said in his letter from Fawkes was that Sirius was innocent, Peter guilty and to come to the house. Sirius was pacing up and down the galley kitchen when Remus grasped him by the shoulders, muttering that they would find him.
The tension was broken by a knock at the door, cursing, Sirius made for the stairs just before the god-awful painting erupted. Remus jumped to follow and Morwen got up to see who it was.
A bright haired witch stood in front of the now closed door apologizing, trying to upright the fallen umbrella stand. Remus was trying to ask her the security question but the young witch was still helplessly wrestling with the brass monolith so he had no choice but to help her right it with a sigh.
Morwen turned to a heaving Sirius who was also still wrestling with the portrait's curtains, she was surprised to see the twisted face of his mother shouting down at her.
"Shut up!" Sirius was roaring but a puzzled Morwen stared up at the canvas.
"Mrs Black? I'm afraid I am not a muggle born," Morwen hoped the assertive voice she had donned could breach the din. "In fact none of us are, mudbloods, as you put it. Although Remus is half if you want to be technical," she trailed off.
The older women stopped abruptly and merely looked at the witch wordlessly, Sirius jumped at the opportunity and closed the portrait curtains with his wand. Finally remembering he was indeed a wizard and could charm them shut.
Morwen believed it was the most bizarre thing she'd seen in years, which was saying something, "Sirius, was that your mother?"
Stowing the wand, whoever's it was, back in his waistcoat he replied darkly, "Yes, seems the old bat had a portrait done, the frames up there with an unsticking charm. Neither Remus nor I have had any success in getting her down."
Following him back down in to the kitchen she watched Remus laugh rather nervously while pouring the newly arrived witch some tea. In fact, she nearly walked into Sirius on the stairs as he stopped to watch them in the shadows, slowly descending to alongside him she noted he had a fond looking smile on his face.
Catching her glance he murmured "Don't suppose you remember Nymphadora Tonks, my favourite cousin? Remus is mad for her," he grinned conspiratorially, "he won't admit it, of course, but it's the most fun I've had in years, watching them."
Rolling her eyes the black haired witch swept on down the stairs towards the other pair.
"Nymphadora Tonks, it's been years since I've seen you?" Morwen took up a seat at the table and levitated the coffee pot over from the sideboard.
"You probably don't remember Morwena Selwyn," Remus smiled, "She was a school friend of ours."
"You were in the order the first time around weren't you," Nymphadora's whole face lit up at she smiled, her hair took on a richer pink and her eyes sparkled, the metamorphagus abilities always at work. "Yes, I remember you, you used to show up to order meetings in my mother's house. Always some sort of ball gown or fancy dress on, I used to think you were a real princess!"
Tonks laughed as Morwen shook her head, "Yes, all those bloody pureblood events I ended up at."
"Morwen made a great spy there with her Uncle Izzy," Remus laughed.
The pink haired woman raised her eyebrows, "A spy?"
"Not really," Morwen snorted, "I used to pretend to be drumming up money for the expeditions but it helped me hear all sorts."
"The Selwyns were firmly neutral, too busy larking all around the world bringing back exotic things to busy themselves with the dark lord. They never suspected that old Izzy or Morwen were at all interested in their whisperings," Sirius raised his mug to her.
"It wasn't so easy Sirius," she smiled sadly, "We couldn't associate with anyone unseemly, I had to break ties with school friends. Including these boys, you couldn't be too careful in those days."
Their reminiscing was interrupted by the front door opening and closing, quietly enough so as not to wake Mrs Black. Morwen watched as Molly Weasley and her husband descended into the kitchen, with a few other old faces behind them. There was Daedalus Diggle with his trademark hat, a smiling Hestia Jones alongside the tall elegance of Emmeline Vance, all followed by Kingsley Shacklebolt with his magnificent robes. The greetings were cut short when Albus Dumbledore strode into the room with a surly, dark haired wizard in midnight, high necked robes behind him. When the wizard lifted his face to glare all around him Morwen was surprised to see Severus Snape of all people.
While she was quietly wondering his purpose, Sirius had instead erupted towards him in a snarling fury.
Snape shot of a hex which Sirius deflected, it hit the scullery window which shattered noisily as he readily replied with his own curse, sparks spraying from the angry wand which didn't belong to him. The duel was only stopped in its tracks, Remus was pulling at Sirius' shoulder to no avail, with the booming voice of Dumbledore. Morwen shivered at the years of restrained anger settling as tension all around the room. No one said a word as the two dark figures glared at one another.
"Albus, why is the traitorous dog sitting in this kitchen?" Snape sneered, all restrained loathing.
"I'm no traitor," Sirius practically shouted, "But you…you…" he could hardly get the words out, "…you had to have known it was him. You had to have known it was him who gave them up!" Sirius reached for his wand again but the Head master was quick to disarm him.
Morwen felt the sadness wash over as Sirius was overcame with his grief, everyone knew what he was so angry about. Lily and James were given up by Peter Pettigrew and it was hard believe that Snape hadn't had something to do with it. Which was ever the sadder. Lily Potter had always loved her oldest friend, even when they were at polar opposite ends of the war she couldn't hate Severus Snape.
Snape huffed and turned sideways, arms folded he stared at Dumbledore and didn't say a word.
"Severus is a member of the Order, Sirius-" the other man only laughed bitterly as he sat down into one of the dining chairs. "There will be no more discussion of it, you shall have to learn to tolerate one another," Dumbledore stared hard at them both before settling his gaze on everyone else, silent in the room. "This is final, we have other important things to sort out. I trust Severus with my life and that will have to be enough."
Morwena felt sick to her stomach, Dumbledore didn't exactly give Severus Snape a defense, and the look of hatred that had shuttered across Remus' face for only a few seconds confirmed there was little love lost between the old enemies.
Just as everyone was beginning to settle down a great clunking noise rang out from the top of the stairs, it was enough to set Walburga off shrieking. Sirius jumped up to see to her as a long shadow made its way into the kitchen. The mismatched steps reveal none other than Alistair Moody,
"Well boy, will you shut that infernal woman up?!" the old Auror waves his cane at an astonished Sirius who has frozen at the sight of him, quickly he leapts up the stairs to the painting.
Even with one leg, one eye and half a nose Moody was as formidable as ever.
Once they were all seated, barring Snape who continued to lurk in the corner nearest the door, Morwen looked expectantly at Dumbledore. The old wizard sat at the head of the table, Molly was expertly pouring tea and coffee for everyone as he looked around at them all.
"I'm afraid I have brought you all here tonight to reinstate the Order of the Phoenix," there was utter silence, even Molly sat herself down beside Arthur Weasley.
"As I'm sure you have all managed to hear by now there are rumours of Voldemort's return," solemn faces stared up the table.
"Cedric Diggory died in the Triwizard Tournament last year at Hogwarts, he was murdered by Lord Voldemort in his attempt to get to Harry Potter," the old wizard drew himself upwards and Morwen felt as if she was the only person in the room he was talking too, "Make no mistake, the Ministry and the Newspapers will be of little help to us publicly, but it is the truth."
There was a long pause, everyone digested what they already knew. When Dumbledore spoke the truth there was nothing to be done but to believe it.
"The Ministry will not hold if Fudge continues his campaign against Harry," Shacklebolt's deep voice cut through the quiet.
"No it shan't," Dumbledore replied, "Fudge is a fool, but he has sway."
"The Ministry has never been of any use," Moody interrupted. "But his denial is welcoming everything dark in through the front door."
"Then we shall have to keep watch, from now on there must be a patrol at the department of Mysteries," Dumbledore, pensively stroked his beard. "Alistair, set up the necessary rota and Kingsley, you will have to sort out sifting through the Auror's department. Who can be trusted and who can't."
"I've also been given authority over the search for Sirius Black Headmaster," Shacklebolt folded his arms, the golden threads of his long sleeves glinting, matching his grin.
Sirius lifted his head with a smile and nodded, "I always wanted to visit Tibet you know."
At this Molly got up and start looking through the cupboards, muttering about the lack of pots she waved a hand at Morwen, "You wouldn't fetch my bag dear? I left it somewhere near the stairs I think."
Morwen nodded getting up as the other woman set about charming warm, soapy water into the sink. Plates whizzed off the sideboard and the cupboards below the presentation shelves shot open to a stream of knives, forks and bits and pieces.
"Honestly Sirius, haven't you begun cleaning anything?" Molly cuffed him around the ear rather motherly, as Morwen came back to reach her the tasseled orange monstrosity she'd found.
"Morwena," Dumbledore waved her attention, Kingsley, Nymphadora and Remus had settled into conversation. She strode back down the table and took a chair beside him. "Is Gringotts working out well, I have another ally within the bank but I have a feeling you will meet him soon enough."
"The goblins are easy enough to work for, but they are spooked, Grimblewick, the Head of the clans is shrewd. They've begun to take stock of their wealth, they're moving much of it even deeper." She replied.
"Do they really believe Voldemort will make a direct move?" Snape seems surprised from his corner.
"They plan for every ending, Voldemort will make a direct move if the Ministry falls. To the goblins the Dark Lord failed the last time around, he is not a good bet," Dumbledore still said nothing.
"But if the Ministry becomes weaker and the Dark Lord becomes stronger, then he could become a sure bet," Severus murmured.
"My uncle always dealt with Grimblewick's father, and he trusted no wizard, only the money or treasures they represented," Morwyn shook her head, "It's impossible to know what they'll do, it's too early in this whole sorry mess. Grimblewick isn't like his father, not so content to stay in the dark."
"They want recognition," Dumbledore sighed.
"To be man rather than beast," Severus ran a hand through his lank hair.
Neither man said anything more, Dumbledore merely got up and said his good byes, much to Molly's protest with Severus following along behind like his shadow.