D: A special thank you to SarRansom and XWishing-for-wingsX for beating this chapter. I couldn't do without you two!

AN:Wonderful part of these breaks from university is I actually get to write and update regularly! Here's my Christmas gift for you all! Hope you enjoy it!

Close of Kin

There was a chill in the August air when the lone figure emerged into the busy Diagon Alley. In fact, there had been a chill almost every night for the past few weeks. The Muggle Weathermen were calling it one of the coldest summers in Britain while others who knew better believed there was more than clouds and wind currents to blame for the change in weather.

The lone figure, a tall youth not yet in his twenties peered around the corner, turning his eyes back to see if anyone was following him. Even if they were, he was sure Dumbledore had put enchantments around the place where they were meeting so only those that knew the location could find it. He glanced down at his hand and waited a moment before continuing his path past Olivander's and the entryway to Gringotts, both with entrances swollen with little first years getting their supplies. It was at this intersection however that, in front of a gaggle of giggle girls, he lost his balance on cobblestones and tripped into a puddle, soaking his work uniform with putrid smelling alley water.

Rising up quickly and ignoring the giggles from the gaggle, he cursed and continued on his way.

Sirius Black had certainly had better days.

In fact, he thought to himself as he waved his wand trying to remove the water, he had certainly had better summers. August was usually spent with he and his brothers running around the country, either in 'Camping Trips' or causing mayhem in anyway they knew best. He had spent several sunlit afternoons and chilly evenings rushing around the country side with his best friends, busily plotting new pranks, attacks on Snivillus, how James could successfully woo Lily, their big plans for the future, and how they could get in contact with the resistance.

It only made sense that those days would come to an end. No longer at Hogwarts, their victims for pranks were limited to each other. There was also no need to plan the pursuit of Evans. James hadsuccessfully wooed Evans, and either she or Sirius had experienced a change of heart because he often received invitations for dinner at her apartment. She's just missing James, he knew that. Hell, he couldn't blame her, he missed his best mate too. James had only written a few lines to Sirius since he entered the Auror's Academy though he imagined Lily had only gotten a few more words than him. With four months left until James would be free of the Ministry Training Camp, he knew there were more dinners around Lily and Vera's small square table to be had.

James seemed to be the only one truly enjoying their post Hogwarts employment. Remus was trying desperately to fit in to some niche in the Ministry, but Centaur Liaisons was beginning to weigh him down. He tried to act positive and up beat, give the traditional Moony perseverance, but Sirius knew all too well that his friend was miserable. It was one part sharing an apartment with him and two parts having lived with Moony for nearly eight years. Since working at the Ministry, Sirius was sure he had found five large Honeydukes chocolate bar wrappers laying in various parts of apartment, and at least three that had yet to be devoured.

He hoped that Peter was enjoying his summer tour of the world, but from what he had last heard, Wormtail had gotten a bout of food poisoning in Italy after eating one too many wheels of cheese and was under the care of his Hogwarts love interest Bertha Jorkins, although Sirius would be surprised if Peter had ever said more than three words to her being "Bertha pass the…". As miserable as that would make Sirius, he'd rather have a swarm of his Hogwarts flings tending to him as he lay in misery then what his post Hogwarts life had turned out to be.

His Uncle Avard had passed away at the beginning of the July, leaving him with quite a bit of gold and odd trinkets he didn't want the rest of the Blacks to get. It had been a blow to him; he had always been fond of that uncle. A little crazy in the head Sirius would admit, but he had been a help since he left home. Both he and the Potters. With the gold, he could comfortably live in his apartment for the next year or so, but that was only if he was careful with his spending, something the Black's weren't known for. Only made sense he should get a job, especially with his dear mum trying to see if she could get control of his Gringotts Vault as she accuse he'd stolen part of the family funds. The old bat doesn't remember that she gave me those family funds for sixteen bloody years, he thought to himself; there was a high cost to live under her roof.

The job he had found wasn't what he was looking for. Magical Mechanics seemed to be a promising name for a company, and if he climbed up the ladder it could possibly be promising, but he was far from working and designing machines. Instead, he was the delivery boy and inspector of Vanishing Cabinets He hadn't told James this. He knew that even if his best mate was in the middle of a grueling boot camp with the Aurors, that wouldn't stop him from laughing hysterically at the thought of Sirius Black dropping off widgets to widows and listen to nagging housewives as he made his rounds each day. He thought he could pass time and make the job enjoyable by flirting with the housewives, have his own romantic trysts, but it only took the cold rejection of Mrs. Robinson of Liverpool to crush those dreams. Turned down by a middle-aged house wife, your love life has gone to the dogs.

Despite all the things that seemed to have changed for the Marauders, one thing had stayed the same. Their desire to do something to stop Voldemort. Since their sixth year they had tried getting information out of Frank Longbottom and the Prewett Brothers. A year of nagging had yielded results. The phoenix pennant that Frank had given him two weeks ago was glowing in his hand as he turned down to the main alley again. The pendant was warm in his hand and burned as he reached the front of Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. A smile spread across his face for the first time that day, the thought that perhaps this meeting would be the beginning of better days—it had to be, it was at a ruddy ice cream parlor.

((*))

"About time you showed up," Remus whispered as Sirius sat next to him. "The meeting started about twenty minutes ago. Where have you been?"

"Believe it or not, its not exactly easy being able to apparate cross country with a Vanishing Cabinet Care Kit-disappears half the time and is splinched the rest," Sirius chided, "And give it a rest with that anger of yours, you should be relieved I'm not dead Moony." That seemed to enough to silence his friend, as he looked around the room. He would say thirty people sitting at attention. He recognized some faces from school, both students and teachers and other who couldn't quiet name. "What have I missed?"

"Dumbledore telling us the Order has been organized to combat Voldemort and his supporters," Remus whispered, the faintest shadow of annoyance in his voice. Obviously the 'Be Glad I'm Not Dead' line isn't the best to use now a days, Sirius cataloged in his mind as Remus continued. "He wants us to take them in alive if possible and let the Wizengamont give it to 'em, but that's just what Moody wants I think, we can get more out of them if they're alive than if they're dead."

"Moody's here?" Sirius asked, nearly delighted, cranking his head up just a little bit more in hopes to see the famed Auror. He was taken back when he heard a gruff voice next to him.

"Aye he is, and he'd appreciate it if you shut up Black."

Sirius turned quickly saw the battle worn face of Alastor Moody. Even though he was sitting down, he appeared tall with shaggy gray hair and his mouth set in a straight line Sirius doubted ever broke for a smile. He had sharp, blue eyes set on the speaker although Sirius could swear there was signs of a shiner under Moody's left eye.

"Death Eater throw you a punch?" Sirius asked, "I didn't know they were stooping to Muggle dueling. You know you can just charm that off…"

"I don't charm off battle wounds," the formidable auror replied. "And it wasn't a Death Eater, it happened to be your friend Potter."

James gave Moody a black eye? "Do I need to ask how bad he looks?" He couldn't believe his best mate had actually given Moody a black one, but he was sure the Auror wouldn't walk away from a confrontation like that without leaving his opponent in just as bad shape. Maybe Moody had taken James' ear? Or perhaps his nose? Although he had half entertained the thought of a silent James, Sirius couldn't imagine how ghastly Prongs would look his mouth removed. He had the slightest feeling Lily wouldn't take too kindly to Moody if he were responsible for the maiming of her Stag.

"Let's just say he didn't agree with a certain training technique," Moody answered, but didn't elaborate, but motioned his head back to the front of the room where Dumbledore stood speaking. It was odd for Sirius to separate him from the Professor to his new role, the Undercover Resistance fighter. Here he stood in the middle of an ice cream shop's basement, in practical Muggle-wear no less, not the faintest trace of robes, speaking in a calm but firm voice about "Death Eaters," "Plots" and "Protection of the Innocents."

The whole situation, although amusing in appearance, was mental Sirius decided. Bloody hell, he was nearly two months away from nineteen and here he was sitting in war room as an old man gave them a brief history on their enemy. Most nineteen year olds didn't spend their Friday night's wondering who, if any, of their friends would likely be murdered in their sleep. No, most nineteen year olds would be spending their evening in the arms of their lady love, not worrying about death, but rather if they had put on too much aftershave or where the evening would go…

Sirius tuned out Dumbledore for the shortest moment and tried to pretend that he was in fact a normal nineteen year old. He'd have gotten off work and after a quick shower and an even quicker change of clothes, he'd have flipped through his little black book skimming through the pages even though he knew exactly who he wanted to spend the evening with. He'd have bribed Remus to take Lily out to dinner or some museum exhibit, something the two of them would enjoy, as he, the dashing Sirius, would have knocked on Evanses apartment door holding a brown bag full of Butterbeers and Firewhisky and some take out Muggle Indian Food, waiting for Lily's roommate Vera McKinnon to answer.

If they were any normal nineteen year olds, Vera would have answered the door still in her work robes of lime green. She'd chide him for a minute or two, telling him that she had a lot of homework to do but one whiff of the food in his bag, if he could cock just on eye brow and give her that smile, she'd welcome him inside and they'd spend the evening side by side, doing whatever normal nineteen year olds did. They could go for a walk along the Thames where he'd threaten to jump from a bridge if she didn't kiss him. They could go on a broom ride, tonight was foggy enough. Or they could just snog. That was an option too. Definitely his preferred option with Vera.

But of course, they weren't normal nineteen year olds. Not in that sense. Both of them had to mature with the threat of Dark Lords and Death Munchers. He had matured, but only till about his mid twenties. Vera had matured to her mid thirties. Always gripping about dead lines, work, goals responsibility, she had to be in the running to replace the ancient librarian at Hogwarts. Vera's youth had been just another victim of You-Know-Who's war on them all, and Sirius hated him for that.

"Voldemort has had a reign of terror for the past seven years" Dumbledore explained, his tone of voice puling Sirius back to attention. "In those seven years, he's killed, but it was always in smaller numbers leaving myself to believe his supporters were very few in number. The deaths caused by his supporters in the early 70's were usually tied to Muggleborns who were particularly skilled at magic or who were likely to fight against him. Most victims were in the general population but were also lower key victims. No one that would've caused an outrage or long, drawn out investigations.

However, it appears that Voldemort has enlisted more Death Eaters in order to carry out his agenda more speedily. In addition to Muggleborns, there's also been a sharper rise in Muggle related deaths. With the obliteration of the wizarding community West Bingsler in '75 and him taking up the title 'You-Know-Who' Voldemort opened the gates of recruitment, welcoming anyone who desired to cleanse magic blood. He has fervent followers his own age from his Hogwarts Day, Avery Senior, Dolohov, Rosier Nott and has also gained some popularity with the next generation..."

"Like my lovely family," Sirius whispered at Remus. His own father didn't bare the mark, but he might as well. Sirius could remember coming home for summers and having Dolohov sitting in hisseat as his father's guest to supper. Always the same topic of Magical Purity and the need to clean house. Sirius retaliated by hexing Dolohov's shoes to shrink as he sat. Regulus retaliated by eating the words Dolohov spoke while leaving his own food untouched.

"...because Voldemort is extending his own Order to fight his War, We must combat them before they claim innocent lives," at this, Dumbledore stepped away from the lectern and waved a wand, summoning a stack of crimson folders that dissipated throughout the room to their owners. Sirius looked down at his. Crimson, but for a golden phoenix, similar to the one on his amulet, emblazed on it. He opened the folder and sure enough was his picture with a brief summary of his personals, and a paragraph labeled Mission blazed a top of it.

"As we don't have enough time to go through each of your missions individually, I've included them inside the folder. You may take the paper with you, as it has been charmed for your eyes only," the aged commander looked up at the clock and then at the wizard with the handlebar mustache at the very back of the room. "I will be in touch with you all concerning our next meeting. I believe Mr. Fortescue is ready for us to disperse, but only after we sample some of this weeks special, if you feel so inclined."

As the desserts zoomed down the stairs and into the room, it wasn't the strawberry sherbet that surprised Sirius. It was the bright, cheerful red head who had turned around and said "Moony! Padfoot!" before engulfing both of them in her arms.

((*))

"Why didn't you tell me you'd be here?" Lily Evans asked with a smile as she broke the embrace, looking at the two bewildered Marauders.

"Same reason you didn't tell me, Frank probably threatened to cut your tongue out," he laughed, looking down at her still smiling face, "Although I doubt he'd actually do that, and it was more than a tongue he said he'd take from me."

"We honestly didn't know you'd be coming or I would've escorted you here myself," Remus explained, as he looked at Sirius. Sirius knew that look all too well. We'll have to tell James. He didn't know if his friend would be relived or not. Lily not being invited into the Order had been the source of much contention between Prongs and the Headmaster for the past few weeks. Now that she was in the Order, Sirius couldn't help but suppose James would continue his Lily-induced-mood-swings and write "What is he thinking? Putting her in the Order? She'll be in harms way. What if a Death Eater gets her? Moony, Padfoot, if you let anything happen to Lily, even if she's jumping towards the jinxes, so help me I'll render both of you…"

Sometimes you act like a girl…that's what Sirius would write Prongs when he over reacted. That would whip him into shape.

"I thought you two would be here, and Alice said it was really likely, she remembered Frank saying you boys were harassing him last year," Lily explained, and for the first time Sirius noticed Alice in the background, talking with Frank and the Prewett Brothers, Frank's hand dangerously close to the small of her back.

"Smart girl that Alice," he said. His eyes darted past the others as they searched the room, "Oi Lily, any chance Vera…"

"No," Lily answered slightly crest fallen, digging at the ice cream in hand. "She wasn't allowed."

A fire seemed to erupt in Sirius and understood how James had felt when Lily had originally been barred. "I'm speaking to Dumbledore about this, for all of us to be in the order but Vera…"

"Easy there Black," the husky voice of Gideon Prewett warned, flanking Sirius on one side as his brother Fabian took his other. "We already talked to Dumbledore about this, and Vera's a special case."

A fire seemed to have ignited in Sirius stomach, "You mean her brains are addled? I've been telling her that for a good year or so now, but she doesn't…"

Lily rolled her eyes and looked at Remus before quietly saying, "She's her family's Close of Kin" to which the werewolf nodded as though he understood everything perfectly.

"What the bloody hell…"

"Language Black," Fabian chided, as he snuck a bit of ice cream from his brother. "If you would give us a chance to respond you might learn something."

"Something more important than how far you temper can go before your blood pressure sky rockets…." Gideon quirped guarding his small ice cream.

"Although that is probably just as important, Gideon."

"If I wanted people to finish sentences I would've sat through a Muggle sitcom," Sirius growled, remember the half-blood home he had dropped a delivery at earlier that week. Something about the Brabee's and some girl who had it out for her sister Marsha…

"Vera's not going to join the Order yet," Gideon explained, putting emphasis on the final word. "The only reason she's not here is because her brother and sister-in-law are in the Order, and her parents are heavy sympathizers."

"Well then it only makes sense that Vera would be in here then," Sirius retorted, staring at Lily as though it was her fault her best friend wasn't standing beside her. "That way they can be one great big kick ass…"

"Padfoot, if something were to happen to Orrin and Marlene, what would happen to Vera's nieces?" Remus asked, setting down his chocolate ice cream dish. He had forgotten about the girls, Ada and Gemma. The two little girls that had seemed to bewitch him when he dropped Vera off at their home at the beginning of the summer…surely Voldemort wouldn't kill them. Not with their pretty curls and sparkiling eyes. They were just kids. What threat was two little girls who pretended to be princesses?

"Orrin and Marlene have named Vera as their Close of Kin. If they're killed, the McKinnons are too old to raise the girls," Lily said gently, "They've specifically gone to Dumbledore and requested Vera not be invited so she'll be alive for the girls sake. When you think of it, it's really a good plan. You need to have a surviving family member. That way the Order isn't creating orphans."

"That's why only Edgar Bones and his brothers Paul and Simeon are in the Order and not the rest of their family," Fabian said simply, pointing at the tall man speaking to Moody. "His wife isn't all that happy he's in to begin with, thinks the family will be murdered in their beds. I keep telling him there's worst ways to go…"

"And then there's folk like the Fenwick kid, Benj you know," Gideon added, "Dosen't tell any of his family what he's up to in order to keep them safe. I doubt his parent's know. He just tell's them he's going out on a date when there's a meeting. When he actually starts dating it may get messy, but that's life for you. You have some families more invested into the cause than others, take the Fortescue's. Entire Families in it, Mister and Misuss, and three boys, but they're all grown with no kids of their own yet. It wouldn't be as bad if one of them died."

Sirius was slightly alarmed at how calmly Gideon and Fabian could discuss the deaths of the people in their room. So calmly, as though they half expected any of them to disappear in green light at a moment's notice.

"I'm personally a fan of the Close of Kin business," Gideon said, his voice suddenly more monotone, his eyes distant. "Dumbledore really would like my brother-in-law Arthur to join the Order, but figures it wouldn't be fair to Molly."

A smirk spread on Fabian's face. "We actually campaigned against it; Figure we're the only ones in the Order to have threatened Dumbledore. Took it rather calmly..."

"See, its one thing if Molly's darling brothers suddenly die in a blaze of glory, but if her darling husband also suddenly died, well…" Gideon interrupted, his confidence now flickering like a dying flame. "That's asking quite a lot of a young wife who'd be left with three little children…."

"Five," Fabian corrected, "Don't forget about the twins." He winked at Lily, "This is why I'm the favorite Uncle. I can keep count of all the Weasley brood."

"You've warmed up to Arthur since he eloped with Molly," Lily joked, trying to bring a lighter tone to their discussion. Death, in Sirius' experience, tended to kill conversation. "I thought you owled him a couple of death threats?"

"Well they named the twins after us, so I suppose we couldn't keep a blood feud going," Gideon pointed out, slightly crest fallen. "Fred Gideon and George Fabian, and if they're anything like we were McGonagall best retire now."

"I don't think your namesakes would be as bad as the Spawn of the Marauders," Remus said surprisingly. Sirius took a moment to watch the faintest shadow of a blush to creep over Lily's face. "That's assuming we find a woman who'll put up with you," Fabian countered while Gideon was also giving Lily an amused look.

"This is all under the belief we'll survive whatever the next few years hold long enough to have kids," Sirius said glumly, but Lily cast him a thankful look as though she half expected the conversation to drive towards her and James. "So shouldn't we look at our little folders and find out our life expectancy odds?" He asked, flipping through his little folder and noticing words likeVanish Cabinet…Underground Sellers…Keeping Tabs on Suspected Death Eater Cabinets…oh joy, his thrilling job would extend into his Order activities. Sirius was wondering if he could find someone to take him out of his misery….

"Before you get started on the doom and gloom," a deep voice came from Sirius' side. "Albus wants to see you Black, said something about a vanishing cabinet he's concerned about."

Damn Cabinets….

Sirius turned to see Orrin McKinnon with his broad shoulders and brimming smile. "Good to see you Fabian, Gideon, mind if I steal Black?"

"Take him please, he's been harassing us for a year now," Fabian joked as he raised cross fingers in Sirius' direction.

"Don't worry Padfoot, I'll see Lily home," Remus said, looking up from his closed folder.

"That's ok," Lily answered, "I…I need to ask Sirius something about a cabinet myself, I'll wait for him."

"Go along now Black, Headmaster shouldn't be kept waiting," Gideon smirked as Orrin led him to the back of the room. Most of the members had already left, Sirius could see Professor Mc Gonagall eating her ice cream next to an elderly looking man with a ridiculous hat, while Flitwick put on his traveling coat and headed up the stairs.

"Headmaster already left," Orrin murmured as they made their way to the back storage room, his breath rising up in the freezing cold air. "He asked me to give you this note and if you have any questions floo over to Rosemerta's and he'll meet with you there."

"Then why didn't you just tell me that over with the others?" Sirius asked, a mismatch of confusion and annoyance mixed in his voice.

"I have a favor to ask," Orrin said, leaning against the storeroom cupboard and looking rather uneasy. "See, I'm in need of a guard dog, and Vera mentioned that you knew of a good one…"

"She said that?" He had always joked about this with Vera. He had volunteered to send one up to her room in Gryffindor Tower a few times when she got depressed over the obituaries in the Prophet. But he had always been the guard dog. They boys had always wondered if they could evade the slippery stairs in the animagus forms.

"A couple of times, most recently after you dropped her off last term. You see, Marlene and I—we may be on missions for the order late at night. Vera will babysit the girls, but she sometimes gets uneasy being alone at night, the girls too. We haven't told them much about Voldemort, but they're smart—Ada knows something's wrong when her mum gets antsy and I'm home late. So I thought if we could get connections with the guard dog…."

"Sure," Sirius said with a smirk, "You just let me know when you need him and he'll be in Ambleside within twenty minutes."

Yes, he could be Dumbledore's cabinet spy. But being a guard dog, especially a snoop of one for his Hogwarts girl, that was putting his talents for use.

((*))

"What's that smug look on your face for Black?" Lily asked as he returned from the storage room.

"Not so fast Evans, You've fed me three times this month, call me Sirius," he winked picking up his coat. "Are you ready to go? Where's Remus?"

"Fabian needed him to take one of the new girls home," she explained as Sirius helped her with her jacket. "Really I think Fabian just wants Remus to take a girl out for a drink, but you know Moony…"

"Scared of women more than he is the full moon," Sirius chuckled as they walked up the basement stairs and into the night of the alley. It had been dusk when he entered the basement hide away, now it was pitch back, except for the few candles that were burning outside of the shops. "Would you like me to Apparate or walk you home? We still have an hour til' curfew starts."

"It's a nice night," she joked, pulling her coat tighter and pulling a scarf from a seemingly empty pocket. "Anyway, I got a letter from James I need to tell you about."

"How's he doing?" Sirius asked instantly, quick enough for Lily to flash one of her large smiles. It was when she did this he could see what his best mate saw in her. He'd have a hard time not falling for her when she smiled and her eyes shone.

"He's doing well, but I don't think he's telling me everything, you know?" She started as they emerged from the Leaky Cauldron and walked into the Muggle streets. "He said everything's going well, except training. And then Moody shows up with a shiner and Gideon said he got it at the Auror Academy…"

"Prongs has had worse than black eyes," Sirius offered weakly. No reason to tell her James gave it to him….

"Still," Lily shuddered, half from the cold and half from her fears. "But there's something I wanted to tell you. James didn't mention it, but I think someone should know…"

"What is it Lily? Vera turning into a dictator? Moony and I would be alright if you needed to move in" he joked. But he could see her smile dim as she looked over her shoulder. Taking his hand she leaned into his ear and whispered as they walked closer to her apartment "It's Snape, no one's seen him since June. His mum hasn't heard from him since Graduation. She even asked my mum if I had heard from him. Really it shows you how out of touch she is with her son, but regardless I've done some digging and Snape isn't here and he's left the fake trail I left in Switzerland."

Sirius could feel his heart beat pick up. Giving Lily's hand a faint, uncharacteristic squeeze, "We'll get someone on this. You aren't afraid that he's going to come after you are you?"

"No," she said calmly. Sirius felt an uneasiness settle in his stomach. A year ago Lily would have repulsed from this sign of affection, but he almost thought she squeezed his hand back for support. Her eyes traveled down the alleyways, " I think getting shafted in Switzerland's going to end him following me. But he's going to feel angry and betrayed," her voice hesitated for a moment and she looked up at Sirius her eyes showing the alarm her voice masked. "If he's really on their side, people are going to start to die Sirius, and soon."

AN: First off, Thank you to everyone who has added Dried Lilies and DLFO to their story alerts, favorite stories, or reviewed this past week. I feel as though I've been showered with a Weasley sweater and Fudge in terms of love from you all. It made my Christmas, that's for sure. I hope this chapter (although rather dark) was a nice way gift for you all this holiday season. Second, I hope this chapter wasn't too long; I thought about breaking it into two separate chapters but decided longer was better. Third, As Much as I love writing Sirius centered Chapters,we'll be back to James and Lily starting in the next chapter. Finally, please feel free to leave a review, or send a PM. I really do love hearing feedback from you guys.

Happy Holidays!

Kait Hobbit