'Cause We Love Trouble: Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I own none of the important stuff.
About: I wanted to play around with the idea of a polyamorous relationship and this kind of created itself spontaneously! Sirius/Remus/Tonks. Also! As with all of my stories there will be truly foul language occasionally. I believe the first F-bomb shows up in the third sentence, so just a heads up, I guess!
Notes: Sirius will not die in the Ministry attack as per canon, because that's just no fun and if he did I wouldn't be able to write this! Remus and Tonks take Sirius in after the Ministry attack and he begins to rediscover his boyhood feelings for his old friend while also finding himself drawn to Tonks. Naturally, Sirius being Sirius, he decides to simultaneously woo his two friends and they discover together all new ways of loving one another.
They floo'd out of the Ministry in a flurry of arms, legs, and curses. Not magical curses, mind you, just the purely mundane, delightfully profane ones.
"Jesus mother-fisting Christ!" Sirius cried as he was pushed unceremoniously into the closest fireplace by his best friend. The fight at the Ministry had come to an abrupt halt, ending in the Minister's discovery of indisputable evidence that Voldemort was back. Seeing Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, possessed by Voldemort right in front of one's eyes certainly left little room for argument!
Unfortunately, Sirius was definitely still a wanted man and his friends had no intention of letting him be captured. So, despite how stunned into inaction the group of Ministry higher-ups and experienced Aurors seemed, they took no chances and so Sirius found himself being dumped into the magical transport system.
They landed in a disorganized heap of appendages in the kitchen of #12 Grimmauld Place.
"Will you please get off of me?" Remus said, sounding remarkably squished.
"To whom are you speaking, Mooney?" Sirius inquired idly. He was definitely baiting his longtime friend, but honestly did not know who had to move first so they could untangle themselves.
" I think one of you has their knee in my boob," said the pink haired woman underneath Sirius. "At least, I don't think my legs can bend that far..."
"Oops, sorry, Tonks," Remus apologized and shifted his knee. This movement seemed to be the catalyst and they all tumbled off each other onto separate bits of floor.
"Oh thank Merlin," Tonks sighed. "Not that I don't love your knees, Remus, but they are bony!"
"No offense taken, Nymphadora," the werewolf replied good naturedly. Sirius smiled widely. It did not matter that he had nearly been killed twenty minutes earlier, a good fight always got his adrenaline pumping, which he loved. Almost as much as he loved wreaking havoc and mayhem with his best friend. They had had precious little occasion to recently, Sirius being an escaped convict and all, put a bit of a damper on the amount of shenanigans they could get up to. Sirius was trapped in his family's old home except under extreme circumstances and Remus was always busy running about for the Order. Tonks was good fun though, Sirius was finding. She was about the house often and loved to help him pull pranks on Kreatcher, his increasingly homicidal house elf.
The pink haired woman caught the look of utter glee on Sirius' face and returned it enthusiastically. "What are you two grinning about?" Remus inquired. "You look like mental ward escapees."
"Just because you don't enjoy the thrill of a good fight as much as Tonks and me," Sirius began slyly.
"Don't enjoy it?" Remus replied. "Do you even know me, Padfoot?"
"I'm just having some fun," Sirius said placating his friend.
"We all know you enjoy a good rumble every now and again, old man," Tonks said, picking up where Sirius left off teasing the greying werewolf.
Ten minutes later they collapsed in the kitchen chairs, again panting for their breaths. Remus never took reference to his greying hair well and had immediately begun chasing the other two about the house. Two times up and down the squeaking stairs had been more than enough and they had all ended back up in the kitchen.
"Wonder when everyone else will be getting back," Tonks mused. It had been a good half an hour since they quit the hullabaloo at the ministry, but so far they had yet to see another Order member return to the headquarters.
"Can't be long now. Dumbledore wouldn't let the Ministry pick over Harry for long after what he went through," Remus said looking suddenly much more serious. Sirius too quieted down as he thought of his godson. He was sure the boy was fine, he was with Dumbledore after all, but he still worried about him near constantly. Ever since their reunion in Harry's third year Sirius had felt extremely attached to the son of his childhood friend.
They sat there for a few moments in silence and Tonks levitated a kettle over to the table along with three mugs. The old kettle boiled in a matter of seconds under her wand and poured it's contents into the waiting mugs. Tonks did not need to ask, she already knew how both Sirius and Remus took their tea. Sirius' cup received a dash of milk, Remus' a veritable boatload of sugar, and Tonks took her's plain. All three focused on their drinks, awaiting the return of their companions in arms.
The rest of the Order of the Phoenix trailed in slowly, Dumbledore and Harry not arriving until everyone else was assembled. Molly Weasley had been flitting around the kitchen like a coked out butterfly for the last fifteen minutes and when she saw Harry's messy head of hair come round the door jam she flew straight over to him, wrapping him up her arms with a mother's love.
"Molly, please," Dumbledore had to prompt her to get Molly to move so Harry could sit down. He sat down next to Sirius and he gave his godson a lopsided smile. Harry smiled back, but there was little happiness in the gesture, mostly just exhaustion.
"My friends," Dumbledore began. "After tonight the Ministry can no longer refuse to acknowledge the fact that Voldemort has indeed returned. They have seen him with their own eyes. But, I warn you, this will not make our task any easier. I do not anticipate the Ministry being of much help to us in the coming battles. We must continue to build up our strength as much as we can, continue to support Harry, and push towards the end of this horrible war."
There was little to say that night. Injuries were taken care of, friends were checked up on, and then everyone trickled off to their own homes. Harry was taken off to the Burrow for the night with his friends Ron and Hermione, Dumbledore had decided Harry needed a warm, cheery environment for the next few days. Finally only Sirius, Remus, and Tonks were left with Dumbledore.
"I am glad you three are here," said Dumbledore. "Sirius I need to speak to you and it would be best if Remus and Tonks were present as well."
"What is it, Dumbledore?" Asked Sirius, instantly on alert.
"You were spotted at the Ministry tonight, Sirius," said the old man, looking sadly at Sirius. "I'm afraid that it may no longer be safe for you to live here. It is your family's home and though we have it protected, we can never be certain."
"Bollocks," Sirius swore under his breath. He had not been very careful tonight, he knew that, but he had thought that Remus and Tonks had managed to get him out before anyone noticed. Apparently not.
"You can't be suggesting, Dumbledore," cut in Remus, concern evident in his voice, "that Sirius go back on the lam?"
"No, no," Dumbledore said dismissively. "That is why I am glad you two are here. Am I right in thinking, Remus and Nymphadora, that you are currently living together?"
Tonks blushed. Sirius was fascinated to find that her cheeks did not turn pink, as was usual, but a kind of vibrant orange. Something to do with being an Metamorphmagus, maybe?
"Yes, that's right," she said, sounding almost defensive.
"Please, do not be offended," Dumbledore said. "I was merely wondering if you two could take Sirius in for the time being. He needs somewhere new to live and I can think of nothing better than housing him with two trusted Order members."
"Of course we'll take him in," Remus cut in. "You don't even need to ask."
Sirius was touched by Remus' eagerness, though he had not expected anything different from his old friend. Remus was particularly loyal and always had been.
"I'm glad," said the old man. "You three may leave as soon as Sirius has gathered up his things. I will see that your apparition goes unnoticed."
And so it was that Sirius found himself falling asleep that night in the spare bedroom of a country cottage in the middle of who-knows-where. Remus and Tonks were getting ready for bed a room over, he could hear them speaking quietly, and for a second he envied their intimacy. He had had so little opportunity to be physically or emotionally close to anyone for the past decade. But he put aside his jealousy. Here in the country he and Remus could run freely and the thought of not being trapped inside was enough to carry him happily to sleep.
And so Sirius sweetly goes to sleep! To sleep perchance to dream? Who knows. All I can say is that lots of fun stuff is coming up!