Chapter 2

Black Manor

It was the sensation of being watched followed by the sensation of being squished between two bodies was what pulled Orion to consciousness. Opening his eyes, Orion groaned in protest at the overabundance of sunlight. Being blinded that badly meant only one thing. Orion had slept in. His dad would have been proud. Orion, however, was not. How was he supposed to help everyone out if he couldn't manage to wake up on time?

Rubbing his tired eyes, Orion finally realized what—or more precisely who—was squishing him. On his right, Rose was curled up with her face buried against his shoulder, her long black hair covering most of her face and his shoulder. On his left, Hayden slept with his back pressed up against Orion's side, his messy hair looking even more disheveled than normal. Both of the Potters were still sleeping deeply, looking like they had no intention of waking soon.

Confusion quickly set in. If Hayden and Rose were still asleep, then why did he still feel like someone was watching him? Slowly, Orion gazed around the room and found his answer when his eyes rested on the open doorway. Much to Orion's surprise, Sirius was standing there, still dressed in his Auror robes, leaning against the doorframe with what looked like a regretful look on his face. Orion could only imagine what his father was feeling, having missed so much of Hayden's life because James Potter was a git.

As carefully as possible, Orion tried to pry himself out of bed without waking Hayden and Rose. That was certainly easier said than done. The bedcovers were pulled so tight by Hayden and Rose that it difficult to even move. A soft chuckle reached his ears as Orion got his feet tangled in Rose's nightdress causing Orion to scowl at Sirius. Eventually, Orion managed to pull himself free and crawl out of bed, glaring at his father. He hadn't found the situation that funny.

With a smile still on his face, Sirius jerked his head towards the hallway, signaling for Orion to follow. Slightly confused, Orion hurried after Sirius only finally noticing how tense Sirius appeared to be. That was never a good sign. That normally meant that something had gone wrong and Sirius had no way to vent his anger before coming home.

"Dad?" Orion asked softly as he stepped into the hallway. "Dad, what's wrong?"

Sirius turned around and knelt before Orion before running a hand through Orion's hair. "You're too observant, you know that?" he asked with a half-smile before his face turned serious. "I've been taken off the Potter case. My superiors want me here to protect the children in case there's another attack."

Orion stared at Sirius incredulously. "Don't they know how secure the Manor is?" he asked. "Mindy and Toby set up protections so house elves couldn't Apparate in unless they're keyed into the wards."

Sirius rose to his feet, looking a little uncomfortable. "Actually, no," he admitted. "No one knows about that because it is not a common practice. Mindy and Toby actually put up quite a fight when I asked them so we had to make an arrangement. That part of the protections on the Manor is only active when you're here. At the present time, you are the only Black heir so it is understandable—at least to house elves—that I would want to protect the family line at any cost."

"But Dad—"

"—Mindy and Toby could get in a lot of trouble, Ori," Sirius interrupted. "They put themselves at risk for me—for us—so we need to protect them. They're the best house elves this family has ever had. Do I really need to remind you of Kreacher?"

Orion cringed. That had been one freaky house elf. Kreacher had been his grandmother's elf until she died, completely brainwashed into believing that the Black family's dark past had been something to be proud of. Kreacher had hated Sirius with a passion and, therefore, hated Orion. After Kreacher had woken Orion in the middle of the night, mumbling about ways to destroy 'blood traitors', Sirius had ordered Kreacher to live at Hogwarts working for Professor Dumbledore and to never have any contact whatsoever with any relatives of the Black family.

"So, until further notice, you're stuck with me," Sirius added with a noncommittal shrug. "I suppose we should probably wake the remaining participants of your slumber party—"

"—but Dad—"

"—I'm only joking, Orion," Sirius interrupted with a smile. "Actually, I'm proud of you. Not many noticed how scared those kids were while they searched the house and stared at Hayden. Many fail to realize that behind the famous name is just a normal boy with normal fears. What was even worse was how everyone just ignored Rose quivering at Hayden's side. She's only nine-bloody-years-old for Merlin's sake."

"Orion?"

Orion turned to see Hayden approaching the doorway, rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes before sliding his glasses on. At that moment, Orion wished that everyone in the wizarding world could see what he was seeing. They would see the boy that many preferred to ignore when the name Hayden Potter was mentioned.

"Sorry, Hayden," Orion said sincerely. "We didn't mean to wake you."

Hayden's gaze shifted from Orion to Sirius. "Mr. Black," he said quietly. "I—"

"Call me Sirius, Hayden," Sirius interrupted with a smile. "'Mr. Black' makes me feel old. Now, I suggest you wake your sister so we can finish breakfast before your mother fire-calls, demanding to know what you did every minute you were here."

Hayden cringed before hurrying back to the bed and shaking Rose awake. He didn't even give her time to wake up completely before pulling her out of the bed. Sirius just shook his head ruefully at the still partially sleeping Rose before turning and leading the way to the kitchen. With every step, Rose became more and more aware of what was going on. By the time they entered the kitchen, Rose appeared to be trying to memorize everything she saw.

Orion wasn't surprised to see a steaming breakfast waiting for them on the table. Mindy and Toby always seemed to know when someone was hungry. As they dug in, Sirius answered any questions Hayden and Rose had concerning the investigation, even explaining the basic procedures for Aurors when both children appeared to be confused. Both of the Potters listened intently, their eyes never leaving Sirius' face until the door opened, making everyone jump.

Remus came to an abrupt halt as he took in the scene before smiling. "So sorry," he said as he slowly moved to sit down beside Sirius. He had already changed out of his pajamas into a pair of thin robes that looked like they had seen better days. "I didn't mean to startle anyone. Carry on."

Sirius shook his head as he poured Remus a cup of tea. "I think they've heard enough about my boring job," he admitted.

Remus' eyes scanned the group before resting on Sirius. "Ah," he said before taking a sip of his tea. "So you were informing the children of the latest developments in the investigation. Don't you think that's something their parents—"

"—but then we won't know anything!" Hayden interrupted. "Mr. Lupin, please. I think we have a right to know what's going on! That elf threatened me! Not Mum and Dad!"

Remus' gaze shifted to Hayden as an understanding smile formed on his face. "Call me Remus, Hayden," he said gently. "I'm not saying you don't have a right to information. However, it isn't up for us to decide what you should or should not be told. That is up to your parents to decide. You boys already have a complicated friendship because of your parents. Let's not make it any worse, all right?"

Hayden let out a huff of annoyance as he enfolded his arms across his chest stubbornly. Rose looked extremely uncomfortable, sinking low in her chair. Orion wanted to glare at Remus for changing the mood so drastically but a part of him knew that Remus was right. The last thing he wanted was for the Potters to forbid their children from having anything to do with the Blacks.

"So, what are the plans for today?" Remus asked, changing the topic. "I had planned on giving Rose an introduction to Magical History—"

"—no, Remus," Sirius interrupted. "They're kids. Let them have some fun—"

--but Dad," Orion protested. "Remus' history lessons are fun—at least until he starts on the Goblin Rebellions. Those are boring but maybe he could tell Rose the legends of Hogwarts. That's one of my favorites."

"Legends of Hogwarts?" Rose asked in confusion. "Do you mean the founders?"

Remus smiled. "Well, there are legends that surround each founder," he began. "The most well known legend is the conflict between Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin. The second would be the treasures of the founders. Let's see, Godric Gryffindor has his sword, Helga Hufflepuff had a cup, Rowena Ravenclaw had a diadem and Salazar Slytherin…well, there are many variations to what his could be since it was rarely seen by anyone who was not of Slytherin blood."

Rose was nearly jumping up and down in excitement. "Ooh! Can you tell me? Please?"

Remus chuckled before grabbing a few pieces of toast and slowly rising to his feet. "All right. Come on, then. I'll take you up to your room so you can change then we can convene in the library." His gaze shifted to Sirius. "Shall we see you boys at lunch?"

Sirius nodded and watched Remus leave with Rose. As soon as the door closed, he shook his head in exasperation. "Something wrong with that man, I'm telling you," he muttered before shifting his gaze to Orion. "And what are you two have set for today?"

"I sort of promised I'd teach Hayden the Disarming Charm, Dad," Orion said meeting his father's gaze in a challenging manner.

Sirius blinked before nodding with a grin on his face. "We can do that," he said standing up. "Go change boys. I'll meet you two in the Dueling Room."

Orion's eyes widened. "Really?" he asked in surprise. "You mean we can duel?"

Sirius shrugged. "I don't see why not. It would be better Hayden learned what he could now in case he has any more midnight duels in the future."

Hayden groaned as he buried his face in his hands. "Does everyone know everything that happens at Hogwarts?" he asked dreadfully.

Orion gave Hayden a pat on the back. "Only when it concerns you," he said honestly.

CRACK. Mindy appeared and bowed to Sirius and Orion. "Fire-call for Young Master, sir," she squeaked. "Young Master Longbottom wishing to talk to Young Master, sir."

"Thanks Mindy!" Orion shouted. He was already out of the kitchen and running towards the fireplace in the living room where Neville's head was sitting in the middle of the flames like a large egg. "Hey Neville. I didn't think I'd hear from you today."

Neville looked a little uncomfortable. "Well, my mum got called into work and Dad's having one of his bad days," he said quietly as Hayden entered the living room. "Do you think it would be all right for me to come over for a while? Dad really needs to rest."

"Orion!" Sirius shouted from the kitchen. "Tell Neville to get a move on if he's going to join in your lesson!"

"Lesson?" Neville asked in confusion.

"Dueling," Orion said with a grin. "Hayden's over and Dad has the day off so he was going to teach Hayden a few things. What do you say? It's your chance to learn some spells with no one watching."

Neville nodded firmly. "I'll get my wand and be right over," he said. "The password is still the same, right?"

Orion nodded. "See you soon," he said and waited for Neville's head to vanish with a small pop before rising to his feet. "Let's get moving, Hayden."

In no time at all, Hayden and Orion were back in the living room, changed and armed. Hayden's excitement was just as noticeable as Rose's had been about the Legends of the Founders. They didn't have to wait long for the flames in the fireplace to turn green just before Neville stumbled out, nearly falling on his face. Orion had placed himself close enough to the fireplace in order keep exactly that from happening but, from the looks of it, Neville was actually starting to improve in his floo travel.

Neville and Hayden were only able to bid brief hellos before Sirius' voice rang out, notifying them that they had only two minutes to come to the Dueling Room or lessons would be canceled. Orion led the way through the kitchen, down the stairs, around the corner and into a brightly lit room that appeared to have dark blue padding on the walls and floor. Hayden and Neville stared at the room in amazement while Orion joined Sirius in the middle of the room.

Sirius gave Orion a playful nudge before whispering, "So, how do you feel about a little wager?" he asked.

Orion glanced up at Sirius suspiciously. He knew that look. That was the look that was always on Sirius Black's face just before a prank war began. "What kind of wager?" he asked cautiously.

"Well, how about we each take a victim—I mean a student—and the first to have their student successfully cast the Disarming Charm on the other wins," Sirius proposed.

"Wins what?" Orion asked, his suspicion only increasing. "Dad, I'm not going to gang up on Moony just so you can win a duel against him."

Sirius looked aghast. "Orion, I have won plenty of duels against Moony on my own," he insisted. "I was actually thinking of something a little more practical. If I win, you have to spend three days of my choosing having fun—without picking up a book. If you win then I won't bring up your unhealthy obsession with books for the rest of the summer holidays."

Orion shrugged. "I suppose that's fair," he said carefully. "I'll take Hayden since Neville knows you better."

Sirius glanced over at the two boys, all humor leaving his face. "I agree," he said softly.

Orion bit his lower lip nervously, mentally cursing himself for not seeing it sooner. This was really the first time Sirius had been able to spend some quality time with his godson in almost seven years only to have his son step in the way. "Dad, if you want to spend time with Hayden—"

"—don't worry about it Ori," Sirius interrupted sincerely. "You have a valid point. I can talk with Hayden later. Now, I have a bet to win."

Orion rolled his eyes before walking over to Hayden and pulling him to the far corner of the room. Regardless of the bet, Orion did what he could to instruct Hayden just like he did the night before. Hayden was a lot like Neville. Both of them responded well to patience and positive reassurance. They needed to know that it was all right to fail at first because it was extremely rare for anyone to master anything on the very first try.

After nearly a half hour of tutoring, Hayden and Neville were positioned ten paces away from each other while Sirius and Orion stood off to the side. The nervousness was clearly visible on Hayden and Neville's faces as well as in their stances. Orion could remember feeling the same when he had first tested out a spell on Remus. There had been more fear of messing the spell up than actually performing it.

"All right," Sirius said loudly. "Hayden, Neville, on the count of three. One…two…three—"

"Expelliarmus!"

At the same time, both Hayden and Neville were thrown backwards a few feet as their wands went flying in the opposite direction, landing where the opponent had originally stood. Both Hayden and Neville looked positively shocked at each other for a long moment before shifting their gazes to Orion and Sirius. Orion didn't even bother holding back his excitement as he let out a congratulatory yell then hurried to Hayden's side.

"That was great!" Orion exclaimed as he picked up Neville's wand and tossed it back to Neville. "Both of you had so much power in the spell! Now you just have to learn the Shield Charm so no one can disarm you!"

"I agree," Sirius added as he picked up Hayden's wand and tossed it over to Hayden. "But before we start on the Shield Charm, I think Hayden and Neville need to learn how to control how much force they put in the Disarming Spell. Is that all right with you two?"

Hayden and Neville nodded quickly, allowing Sirius to take over teaching both of them with Orion serving as Sirius' assistant. Orion had to fight smiling as Hayden and Neville listened intently to every word Sirius said as if Sirius held all the answers in the world. It was almost funny. Sirius had always protested to Orion's intense tutoring only to turn around and tutor two of Orion's friends.

As Sirius ran through the details in the wand movements, Orion noticed that Hayden and Neville were trying to be discreet in trying out everything multiple times just to make sure they had it right. Both of them had jumped in surprise when Sirius had reached out and corrected Hayden, causing Hayden and Neville to flush in embarrassment. Sirius took mercy on them and put the lecture on hold to test a few methods out on a dueling dummy that he had conjured only be interrupted by a loud crack.

"Master, sir!" Mindy squeaked excitedly. "Fire-call for Master Guest, sir."

Sirius immediately grasped Hayden's shoulder in a protective manner. "Do you know who it is, Mindy?" he asked cautiously.

"Mother of Master and Mistress Guest, sir," Mindy answered quickly

Sirius relaxed as he released Hayden. "Thank you, Mindy. We'll take care of it. Please inform Rose that her mother is in the fire." Mindy bowed before vanishing with a loud crack. "Let's take a short break. Hayden, let's go talk to your mother."

Hayden's face fell. "Do I have to go home?" he asked quietly.

Sirius hesitated before kneeling down so he could meet Hayden, face to face. "That is up to your parents," he answered. "If they want you home, then yes, you'll have to go. However, if they don't mind, you and Rose are welcome to stay for as long as you like."

Hayden beamed and happily walked with Sirius out of the Dueling Room, up the stairs, through the kitchen and into the living room where Lily Potter's head was sitting in the middle of the large flames. Orion and Neville followed at a distance, unsure of whether it would be a 'private' conversation or not. They stayed near the kitchen door, ready to leave just in case.

"Good morning, Hayden!" Mrs. Potter said cheerfully from the flames. "I trust you and your sister have been behaving yourselves."

Hayden knelt down in front of the fire with a wide smile still on his face. "Of course Mum," he said quickly. "It's been great here. Last night Orion taught me some charms and today, Mr. Black—" Sirius shot Hayden a stern look "—er—I mean Sirius started teaching us—Neville and me, that is—the Disarming Charm. He's been trying to show us how to control the spell so we don't send too much power in it. You should see their Dueling Room. It's great!"

"Sirius," Mrs. Potter said cautiously.

Sirius stood firm. "I'm not teaching him anything he won't learn this year, Lily. With everything they got into last year, the boys should know how to defend themselves. Besides, it's safer with me supervising than if they were to try to learn it on their own."

"Oh," Mrs. Potter said softly. "I didn't mean to criticize, Sirius. I'm just surprised. And Rose?"

"I'm here, Mum!" Rose shouted as she ran into the living room and joined Hayden, kneeling in front of the fireplace, now dressed in a pink shirt and a pair of jeans with her hair pulled back in a somewhat fancy fashion. "I was in the library with Remus. He was telling me stories about the Hogwarts founders. You should see the library here and the house elves. Mindy is so nice. She helped me with my hair this morning."

"I'm glad you two are having fun," Mrs. Potter said softly with an almost longing tone in her voice. "I just wanted to check up and update you on what's happening here. We have a few curse breakers coming this afternoon to re-enforce the wards. If everything goes smoothly, you two should be able to come home tonight, possibly tomorrow morning at the latest."

Hayden and Rose glanced at each other. "Can we stay here, Mum?" Hayden asked nervously. "Sirius said it would be okay. It's just that Orion and Neville are here—"

"—Hayden," Mrs. Potter warned. "Sirius is taking time off from his job to protect you and Rose."

"The children are welcome to stay, Lily," Sirius said briskly. "From what I've seen, they're lonely and could use some time with children their age. Hogwarts letters should arrive any day now. Orion normally prefers to pick up his supplies as soon as possible to prepare for the upcoming year. We can meet up in the Leaky Cauldron. You can take your children and go on your way, agreed?"

There was a brief hesitation while hope filled Orion. He couldn't believe it. He was going back to Hogwarts! Sirius had finally given in and realized that Hogwarts was the best places to acquire a magical education—at least much better than learning at home.

"I'll have to talk to James about it but I suppose you have a point," Mrs. Potter finally answered. "We really appreciate you doing this for us, Sirius."

"I'm doing it for Hayden and Rose, not for you," Sirius corrected quickly with a hint if irritation in his voice. "I'll let you know when we'll be going to Diagon Alley." Without another word, Sirius walked out of the room, passing Orion and Neville on his way to the kitchen.

A tense silence filled the room until Hayden rose to his feet. "Sirius is really nice to us, Mum," Hayden said quietly. "Please, just leave him alone."

Mrs. Potter let out a loud sigh. "I know, Hayden," she said softly. "Please tell Sirius that I'm sorry for upsetting him. I'll call again tonight after dinner and please, behave."

"We will," Hayden and Rose said quickly.

They bid their farewells and with a pop, Mrs. Potter's head was gone from the fire. Rose wasted no time before hurrying back to the library while Hayden turned and nervously glanced at Orion and Neville. Thankfully, Neville came to the rescue, proposing that they hurry back to the Dueling Room before Sirius got too bored. The excitement of trying out a few spells pushed any discomfort to the back of their minds.

For the rest of the day, Orion, Hayden and Neville worked in the dueling room with Sirius either instructing or supervising. It hadn't taken long for Sirius to revert back to his cheerful self and even begin joking around which erased any hint of tension between the four wizards. By the end of the afternoon, both Hayden and Neville had been successful in creating a controllable Disarming Charm along with a somewhat decent Shield Charm.

As dinner rolled around, Neville reluctantly went back home, leaving Orion, Hayden and Rose to spend the meal listening to Sirius and Remus recount stories about their days at Hogwarts. They were extremely mild stories in Orion's opinion but Hayden and Rose enjoyed them nonetheless. Rose had even begged for more information about the secret passages that seemed to appear and disappear like magic.

True to her word, Mrs. Potter had indeed fire-called after dinner however, this time, Sirius, Remus and Orion had left the room so the Potters could talk without pulling them into the conversation. It was certainly an awkward arrangement, wanting to be friends with children yet still be at odds with their parents. Orion knew that, no matter what, there were going to be problems, especially if Mr. and Mrs. Potter continued with their attempts to make amends with Sirius.

Some days Orion had to wonder what it had felt like to have a simple life.