Chapter 1 Black Death

At a small cemetery in London, a tall handsome man, the object of many women's affections knelt at a headstone and wept, clutching a single red rose. He wept for the girl who had changed him from the greatest womaniser in Hogwarts to the most caring and affectionate boyfriend, fiance and ultimately, husband. However their time together was tragically cut short, a mere 10 months after the small quiet wedding, his wife was killed, along with their newborn twins.

He looked at the inscriptions on the headstone , that he had chosen

Ruby Doreen Tuesday-Black

14th February 1960- 30th August 1980

Loving wife, mother and friend.

Roxy Ruby Black

Born 30th August and died 1980

Special daughter and sister

Regulus Sirius Black

Born 30th August and died 1980

Special son and brother

May we be together as a family again, one day.

He shuddered. That day was painful too relive, as it lay near the surface.

Lilly and Ruby found out they were pregnant within weeks of each other.Being close friends after being in the same year and house in Hogwarts, they were the second person told about their pregnancy. It was quickly decided that James and Sirius would be the Godfathers for the other child, as Lilly and Ruby would be Godmothers. Both families decided that Remus would be the other Godfather, as he was the most sensible of the Marauders, and he had the most spare time due to few people willing to give a werewolf a job. Also, Peter had been strangely busy, no-one in the order had had a longer conversation then five minutes, he was only generally seen during Order meetings. However, despite this it was universally accepted that the Marauders would be 'Uncle' to each others children. This was decided to few of them having siblings that they could count on. This also helped with the lack of Grandparents and other family, Sirius was estranged from his family, James' had recently died of Dragonpox and was an only child, Lilly rarely spoke to her sister and her parents had also recently died of natural causes, as had Remus' and Peter's took little notice of him.

The next few months took on an odd happiness, every routinely diced with death but the thought of the new lives made every one happy, especially when Ruby announced that she was having twins, to Sirius' delight. The time passed in an unreal euphoric haze filled with duels, injuries , death and mourning, yet thinking of the new lives helped everyone deal with the danger surrounding them. Many people in the order or who had connections to it had a young family, or was about to get one. The war was taking its toll and people began to live life as full as they possibly could. Molly Weasley, formerly Prewett, whose two brothers were in the order eloped at the start of the war and now had 5 children, and another on the way. The Longbottom's were also expecting a child and were both prominent members of the order. Alice Longbottom, née brown was in the same year as the Marauders. A sister of Edgar Bones' was pregnant.

Soon the time came when they has to choose names for the soon-to-be children. Lilly and James chose Harry, after Lilly's father and the middle name James after both James and his father. For the girl twin, Ruby and Sirius chose Roxy, after Ruby's sister Roxanne, but not Roxanne as that was the name that Ruby's mother had called her, and Ruby didn't want to name her child after anything that reminded her of her mother. The girl's middle name was to be Ruby, after Ruby. The male twin was to be named Regulus, after Sirius' brother, when he was still uncorrupted, before Hogwarts, when Sirius was still his hero. His middle name was to be Sirius, after his father.

Harry was born on the 31st July, 1980. His christening was held when he was merely 2 weeks old, the war was increasing in intensity and people were beginning to feel that life was too short to waste time. Ruby was the best photographer, so she didn't appear on any of the photos, except one which was one that was now Sirius' constant companion. Rem us wasn't present as the full moon had been recently, though they had a smaller ceremony just for him, later. Peter couldn't go due to 'work commitments'. Sirius and Ruby had eagerly accepted their duties as godparents and Lilly and James were looking forward to the day when they could accept their own responsibilities as Godparents. The first time Sirius held Harry he felt a bliss that could only be eclipsed by holding his own children. From that day forth Harry would be a much spoiled nephew/ son to sirius. The only problem with that happy time was when the potters had to go into hiding. Sirius, sucessfully got them to change the Secret keeper to peter, telling Remus.

A fortnight after Harry's christening Ruby had begun to go into labour. Together with Sirius she flooed to St Mungo's, where she was taken directly to the maternity part. Sirius was soon turned out of the room for pacing and generally worrying and upsetting Ruby. He paced the floor desperately trying not to think about Ruby and the upcoming birth of his children. Once the monotony of seeing the same scenery overcame him he popped his head into the ward and informed the mediwitch that he was going for a walk and to contact him in any means possible once his children were about to be born. He walked out, at a loss for what to do. After much internal debate, he walked towards the nearest fireplace , took some floo powder, then jumped in the fire yelling," Potter house, Godric's Hollow!"

He landed neatly in the potter living room opposite James, who was playing with the almost-month old Harry.

"Padfoot?, Whats happened?"

"Ruby, shes..shes.."

"Shes gone into labour hasn't she?" exclaimed Lilly, dropping a plate as she came into the room.

Sirius was only able to mutely nod, the realisation that he was about become a father.

"go back and see Ruby, the come and tell us when they're born, you'll probably be a bit more coherent anyway" laughed James.

Sirius grinned slightly then ran to the grate and was soon travelling back to st Mungo's. He was rewarded by the sight of a medi-witch scurrying towards him.

"Mr Black, the first of your children is about to be born. Please, follow me."

Sirius hurried after her, his long legs keeping up easily. He rushed into the room and was presented with Roxy Ruby Black. She was

followed by Regulus Sirius Black, five minutes later. He flashed a grin at his wife as he thought of how his little girl - already he was wrapped around her finger- could hold this above her brother. Reggie would be good friends with Harry and they would terrify Hogwarts. The twins were taken away to be weighed etc while Sirius joined his wife and tghey shared a passionate kiss. when the twins were carried back in, they posed for photos, Sirius entraced by the tiny fingers of his children and the power they held over him. He flooed Lilly and James who rushed over, taking Harry to meet his 'cousins'. He then flooed Remus who too hurried over, but strangely, Peter wasn't at his flat. Too eager to see his children again he put this to the back of his mind and ran to Ruby's side once more. They posed for more photos: Harry and his cousins, Remus and his 'nephew' and 'niece', Lilly and james and their Godchildren. Oni photo, taken by the midwife, was Lilly and James with Reggie, Sirius and Ruby with Harry and Remus with Roxy. the last photo on the film was taken by Sirius contained all the people he cared about (well, minus wormtail). Sirius walked the guests back to the floo, promising to make a copy of the photos for everyone. After he had said his goodbyes, which took a while, he walked back to the ward deep in thought. Gradually he began to be aware of screams and smoke coming from where he was heading.

"RUBY! ROXY! REGGIE!" screamed Sirius, frantically, running into the room. There his eyes were met with the worse sight possible. Both of his children were dead, having been hit by an avada kedvra. Ruby was still alive, just. She was covered in cuts from septusempra and was suffering from the cruiatus curse. Her breathing was laboured.

"Sirius... I... love... you..alw".

"AVADA KEDEVRA!"

The spell hit Ruby in the forehead and Sirius' head twisted round to see a familiar figure run away and hear a familiar laugh.

He sprang up from his wife's side and ran after the murderer, stepping over another victim, the midwife.The murderer was a death eater. One of the Inner Circle. His cousin

"BELLATRIX!". The Death eater in question turned and cackled before stepping into the floo.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Sirius had fallen to his knees before the floo and cried. He was found in that position by James hours later. He was taken back to Godrics Hollow were he withdrew into himself. The rare times he came out of himself was when he was with Harry.

The funeral was blurred in his memory. It was mostly organised by Liily, James and Remus as they had known her the best, after Sirius. The picture that remained burned into his memory was that of the coffins of his family.

After the funeral, Sirius slowly opened, first into a diary , then later to Lilly, James and Remus, and much later Peter. He was never the same again but had traces of the old padfoot slowly returning, especially on Harry's first birthday.

His thoughts began to dwell on death. His mind began to flick back to the day his brother died. They had never been particularly close at school because they were in different houses and because Regulus was more susceptible to the pureblood mania that their parents and most of their cousins preached. Despite this they still cared for each other, as Sirius was always reluctant to prank Regulus, and Regulus always annoyed Serverus Snape more when Snape was planning revenge for a marauder prank.

1979

Sirius was in an stupor after a heavy drinking session the night before, another friend had died, when a sudden 'pop' brought him to his senses.

'kreacher!?' He was shocked, he had hoped never to see the elf again, he was suddenly swamped with old memories, few of them pleasant.

"i have a message from master Regulus" announced the elf, rather grandly. "He asked me to tell you this, .." And so the tale of Regulus and Slytherins locket was told, with many exclaimations of how great master Regulus was, in contrast to the sadness on the elfs face. After the tale was told, Sirius looked at the house elf with a sad smile and said "I told him he would have been a good Gryffindor".

"Master Regulus also said that i was to give you this and obey you provided you inherit me" said Kreacher, handing him the locket and a note, before disappearing again.

the note read:-

'Dear Sirius,

I am writing this for two reasons. Firstly I want to apologise for how i have acted towards you for the duration of my Hogwarts career as i feel this will probably be the last contact i have with you. I was close to running away to find you on that night but I had already fallen too deep within the wrong crowd, and was unable to get out. The sorting Hat almost sorted me into Gryffindor, but i rejected for fear of mother's wrath. Due to me being in the wrong crowd from the start, i became a death eater at the age of 16. When i look back, i realise how stupid that was but i am now doing something to remedy this.

The second reason that i am writing this is to give you information. Voldermort has at least one, possibly more horcruxes. I am

going to get one today. Hopefully, Kreacher has handed it to you, it is is the locket. Take it Dumbledore as he probably knows how to destroy it. If i don't make it out then i hope that this deed has at least make you proud of me , big brother.

I am sorry for what i became,

Your Brother,

Regulus'

Sirius stared at the letter then with as much control as possible flooed to Hogwarts and gave the Headmaster the locket and the note, then broke down.

In the graveyard Sirius broke down again but was shaken out of it by a silver wolf patronus coming towards him.

"Sirius, Lilly and James are dead, I know you weren't their secret keeper. I'm going to Dumbledore to tell him about Peter, try and make it but beware, your deception was so good they think you betrayed them"

Remus' warning was too late. Already dementors were closing in , increasing Sirius' torment.