Morning light streamed through the open curtains of the window, bathing Sirius' boyhood bedroom in golden tones, which highlighted the red and gold decorations of the former Gryffindor. Annie managed to stay asleep for half an hour after the sun rose before the beams of light fell across her eyes. She yawned widely and sat up, holding the blanket up to keep her naked chest warm. A soft giggle escaped her as she saw Sirius, still fast asleep and most likely drooling, face down and sprawled out on his side of the bed.
Annie ran her hands gently through his tangled hair. The man was nearly as bad at keeping his hair tamed as the Hogwarts gamekeeper, Hagrid. Annie rolled over and picked up her brush from the bedside table, and gently started to ease the knots from Sirius' hair.
Sirius gave a short grunt and pulled his face from the pillow, turning right into the sunlight. He groaned as the light went through his eyelids and struck his retinas. "Ahh….My eyes…."He murmured, rubbing them.
"Have a nice sleep, sheepdog?" Annie asked, continuing to brush her husband's hair until her rolled to face her.
"Who do you think you're calling a sheepdog, collie?"
Annie giggled. "You." She cooed. "You sir, either need to let me brush your mop for a good long while or else let me cut it. To me, this look still screams Azkaban."
"Yeah, yeah." Sirius muttered. "Point is, I'm not letting you near it. Remember the last time you tried? I ended up looking like a Muggle kid who'd had a bowl put on his head."
"That's called a 'mushroom cut', love." She pointed out. Sirius shrugged, uncaring, before he sniffed the air deeply.
"One good thing about Molly Weasley in your house, you can wake up and expect breakfast ready!"
Annie squealed indignantly and whacked Sirius with her pillow, giggling. "How dare you! She doesn't cook that well!"
Sirius laughed and attempted to duck the pillow, squawking as it hit his chest. He grabbed his own pillow, complete with a wet spot from his drooling, and started to fight back against his wife.
The two spent fifteen minutes beating one another mercilessly before abandoning the pillows and dealing out their good morning kisses. Annie sighed and leaned back against the headboard, Sirius's head nestled comfortably between her breasts.
"So, I take it you're hungry?" She asked softly.
"Starved, but I can wait long enough to say a proper good morning to my wife." Sirius said, kissing up Annie's chest, her neck, to her lips.
Annie gave a soft sighing exhale. "Darling, as much as I'd love to be ravished again…People are awake and eating. Do you really want to spoil our guests' appetites with images of what we might be doing?"
"I don't really care about their appetites…"Sirius whispered against her ear shell. "But my own."
Annie shook her head. "They'll all be leaving this afternoon, plenty of time then." She said, patting his head and squirming to get out of bed. Sirius groaned in disappointment but rolled off his side of the bed and started to dress.
"Your patience will be rewarded." Annie promised as she pulled her nightgown and bathrobe back on.
"I should hope so. It's wrong to starve your husband you know." Her husband responded seriously.
"Oh stop. Just behave yourself." Annie said before heading to the door and leaving the room, leaving Sirius for a moment before he followed her, also donning a bathrobe.
Breakfast had been a time of discussion all around. All talk of futures, good and bad. Job choices, grades, subject, teams, it all came up, and when those topics were worn out, time went in reverse, taking them all back to the adults' school days.
"When I was at Hogwarts, I had one thing on my mind." Annie said, purposely adding a suggestive tone to her voice to annoy Molly.
"Anabelle-" The redhead warned.
"I was determined to get the boy I liked to notice me." Annie said simply. "He was always too busy with his friends, running about, playing pranks and being one of the most popular people in the place to see me."
"Did he ever find out how you felt?" Ginny Weasley asked, ever one for a romantic tale.
"Eventually, he did." Annie said. She saw Tonks mouthing the word 'who?' at her and smiled, subtly inclining her head towards Sirius.
"When I was at Hogwarts," Sirius started. "I had it all. First years to do my homework, girls, the best friends ever, girls, awesome grades, and did I mention-"
"Girls?" Fred and George asked together, knowingly.
Sirius nodded, causing Annie to release a suppressed giggle.
"You and your girls, Sirius." She said. "And where are these girls now?"
Sirius shrugged. "How should I know? All I do know is at least thirteen of them are married and wishing they could be shagging 'mass murderer' Sirius Black again!"
Annie, Tonks and a few others burst out laughing, while Molly gave Sirius a sharp look and said, "That is not age appropriate, nor is it breakfast time conversation!"
"Yet she was probably shagging Arthur in my bed last night." Annie muttered to Tonks as soon as Molly's back was turned.
"I'm quite surprised you didn't get your ass handed to you for what you said at breakfast this morning." Annie muttered into her pillow as she and Sirius lay in bed that afternoon. The house was now empty aside from them, the mice in the walls, and Kreacher, who had been ordered not to disturb them.
Sirius said nothing, but instead nuzzled his face against Annie's bare back, sighing contentedly.
"You honestly don't care what I say right now, do you?" Annie asked.
"Nuh-uh." Sirius replied. "Trying to bask in my own post-sex glory at the moment, you?"
"Enjoying watching you bask." Annie replied with a smile. "Though I must admit, that fat head of yours is heavy and my back's starting to hurt."
Sirius gave an exaggerated sigh and lifted his head from his wife's back, and moving so he was lying next to her.
"Much better." She sighed. "I love you Siri…"
He kissed her cheek tenderly and stroked the smooth skin there. He smiled widely as a gentle blush formed.
"I love you too."
The day finally arrived for the children and Annie to go off to Hogwarts, Annie being undercover of course. So far, it had definitely not been a good day in the life of Mrs. Black. So far, nearly the entire day had been spent with Molly Weasley.
Annie had been woken at six a.m. by the redhead to go for last minute shopping for school robes in Diagon Alley, where she'd been forced to wait outside most of the shops, tied to a post, as she was still viewed by a majority of the world as a murderess in human form. When they'd returned to the Burrow (Annie and Sirius had come to stay there the night previously), she'd had to help Molly sort out the last minute rush of the other Hogwarts students, which meant handling more boys underwear and socks than she ever hoped to again.
The worst part was when they got to the train station. Once again, Sirius and Annie had been required to transform into canine form and put on leashes, which was most humiliating to them both. It only got worse when Annie's leash was put into the hands of Molly Weasley.
Molly wasn't in the best mood either. She had nearly had it with Border Collie's pulling on the leash and howling when she'd been left outside earlier that morning, and now she was misbehaving worse than before. While Sirius walked calmly on his leash alongside Tonks, Annie was pulling hard at her leash, nearly jerking Molly's arm off, and barking at things like birds in the rafters or trains letting off steam. Sirius sent sideways glances at his wife, smiling in his doggish way.
Annie sniffed feverishly for a moment, before perking her ears and barking loudly at a passing Irish Wolfhound and his owner. The other dog barked back, but his owner simply pulled him along. Annie woofed again and twisted to the side, spinning Molly around as she tried to give chase.
"For God's sake, Anabelle, behave!" Molly said, jerking on the leash. Annie growled softly.
"She is right, love." Sirius said. "It was funny at first, but you really shouldn't be chasing after other males."
Annie snorted distastefully. "I'd rather risk Tonks stepping on my tail than be dragging her along."
"Not with the boots she has on." Sirius replied.
After the Blacks had delivered to Harry their heartfelt goodbye, which involved giving him an old photograph of the old Order, Sirius had sent Harry out of the waiting area and shut the door so Annie could transform. Annie had taken the Polyjuice Potion, which had been advanced to keep her disguised for a full twenty-four hours, turning herself into a fifteen year old blonde girl.
"How do I look?" She asked, pulling on some of the everyday clothes that Ginny and Hermione had loaned her.
"Like a teenager." Sirius said. "Definitely not like yourself."
"Good." Annie said. "I don't want to look like me."
Sirius transformed into his lovable mutt form, and stood alongside Annie, waiting for her to open the door.
"Remember," Mad-Eye Moody hissed as soon as she emerged. "Your name is Diane Fields, and you have recently transferred to Hogwarts from Olsworth."
"Olsworth? People will think I'm bloody stupid!" Annie said.
"You're not there to earn grades, you idiot. Doesn't matter if you're dumb as a toenail." Mad-Eye muttered as he limped away from her, as to not be conspicuous. "Stupid girl."
Annie pouted, pulling her trunk along behind her, not watching where she was going, when all of a sudden, she smacked face first into someone.
"Excuse me I-"Annie looked up into the stranger's face. "You!" She hissed in a low tone.
Lucius Malfoy stared down with cold grey eyes at the undersized girl before him and raised a practically non-existent eyebrow.
"May I…help you?" He asked coldly.
"Yes, you can help me by giving me an explanation, as to why Molly McKinnon was killed! Were you afraid of her? Afraid she'd-" Annie stopped when she felt a sharp tug on the sleeve of her sweater as Sirius pulled her away.
Fuming, Annie allowed him to lead her. Sirius gave a soft growl, reminding her of what she was doing.
"I know…"Annie sighed. "God help him if I see him as myself though. I'll curse him into oblivion for what he did."
Sirius gave a soft whine in response as Annie set her trunk down to be put on the train. Annie sighed heavily and dropped to her knees before the black dog, who tilted his head as she met his eyes.
"You best get back to the others." She said. "And don't worry about me, I'll be alright. Dumbledore wouldn't have chosen me unless he was sure I was the girl for the job."
She whispered all this rather softly before wrapping her arms around her husband. Sirius gave another whine and nosed her ear before licking her face. "I'll be home at holidays, you know that. And maybe by that point, we'll be extending the family."
Sirius barked excited and gave her one last lick before trotting over to Tonks. Annie saluted her friend before hopping onto the train and starting to search for Harry.
