Skip mini chapter 'Housecleaning' to 'Happy Birthday' if you want to skip the boring parts.
Housecleaning
The air was still, the house was silent and undisturbed… until. "MYTHALY!" Artimis ran down the stairs, leaping over the broken step while she was at it and into the kitchens in the basement. Dust balls hanging from her static light chestnut hair that she had freshly cut back from elbow length to armpit length. The dirt and dust balls also clung to the fabric of the apple green tank top she wore and a pair of dark blue jeans, she dragged dust around with the torn hems of the pants leaving marks on the ground along with the pattern of her runners.
"What are you doing?" Artimis leaned around Mythal's body to take a look at what the other girl was cooking. The smell hit her nose along with some oil spit from the old black pan, Mythal was cooking mince over the stove. "I'm cooking us dinner, if you don't mind. Now go away before that dust falls into it."
"Very well then, I will keep cleaning the other rooms, I'm not going near that china cupboard ever again though, full of spiders the size of a plate!" Artimis ranted as she walked up the stairs with a shiver and out of the basement. Kreature turned his head as the black curtain pushed open and out screamed, "How dare you defile the house of my fathers you Werewolf half-blood!"
"I apologise Mrs Black. Kreature is there anything that can be done about that China cupboard?"
"I can do something… but I won't, Filthy Half-breed." The house elf turned back to the painting frame, polishing it until it glowed, Artimis hid her hurt feelings behind a quick shield as she walked quickly into the dining room and eyed the giant glass pane china dresser against the wall opposite to the window that looked out to the front lawn, she saw a bunch of spiders crawl over the wall and some behind the glass.
She felt a fear wink into her chest as she whimpered and pulled out her wand with hesitation. CLANG! Artimis jumped and heard Mythal swear down stairs. Rushing to the door she opened it and stared out to, "Sirius? What are you doing here, get in!" The convicted murderer leapt through the door and sighed when she closed it.
"You ungrateful boy! How dare you enter this house you were…"
"Oh shut up you horrible woman!" Sirius pulled the curtain closed instantly and kicked Kreature away from it, Artimis winced and gave Sirius a warning look.
"This may be YOUR home but I am living here so no kicking living creatures, unless they are spiders then kill them with fire." Mythal called out from below in question to why it was taking Artimis so long and Artimis quickly replied. "It's just Sirius."
"WHAT!? Why the HELL is he here?"
"Well it is his house, dumb dumb. And it is a hell of a lot safer in here then out there." Artimis and Sirius walked into the kitchen, Sirius' mouth seemed to water at the smell that filled the dingy kitchen. Mythal turned her head and gave Artimis a quick glare and Sirius a greeting before she turned back to her work.
"You have done well in trying to clean this place up…" Sirius turned his eyes from the kitchen to Artimis and the three large scratches healing on her face. His eyes glowed with humour as she attempted to pat away some dust that covered her head to toe only to have it float back on and make her sneeze.
"Yes, we have cleaned all the Basement rooms and the front hall, I have started the first floor today."
"What about the dining room?"
"There is a home of plate sized spiders in the china dresser and I'm not going in there until they are gone!" Artimis shivered at the thought of the creepy legs she saw on the glass and the time one landed on her hand when she held out her wand to cast a spell, she ran out of there screaming like a banshee. Sirius chuckled with humour, his eyes sparkled as he took Artimis' wand from her offered hand.
"I'm going to try and fix the rest of the Dining and Living room while you… deal with those spiders PLEASE!" Mythal rolled her eyes as she set the stove top to lukewarm to let it sizzle for a while as she went back to flipping the vegies she had in another pan that she had been cooking like she would a pancake, giving them a nice crisp outer layer. The other two in the room walked out one with wand drawn and other with a hammer and plenty of nails. Artimis got right to work dragging the tattered sofa's from the room and out into the hall while Sirius' mother screamed from behind her curtain. "What are you doing to my Father's home, monster?"
"Giving it a make over, how long has someone lived here? The place is a mess, maybe some refurnishing… a new sofa maybe… is there a spell that can repair this?"
"Try Reparo!" Called Sirius from his position near the China Dresser, his head was shoved into the broken glass to sniff out the spider nest. One large spider crawled over his head causing Artimis to shiver and make a 'yuck' sound. She pointed her wand at the sofa and said clearly the incantation. Some of the tears knitted together leaving no marks, Artimis walked around the sofa repeating the spell until she was sure the tears were all gone, she double checked by walking around again and lifting the chair with Wingardium Leviosa before casting Scourgify to clean off as much dust as she could from the fabric.
Soon the old sofa was back to its new deep green self again, Artimis left the sofa in the hall way and went to work with the other ones, repeating the spells over and over. Finally the two double sofas, one triple sofa and the single arm-chair were all in good condition again. Artimis got to pulling out the carpet that was nailed to the boards and rolling it up, Sirius helped her for a moment by levitating every thing in the room.
Artimis leaned the old mud brown patterned carpet onto the wall and went to work polishing the ground after lifting off as much dust as she could, Mythal came in later with three plates of crisp vegies with mince and rice, a nice chilli sauce poured over the top made the food a delicacy to the two hard workers. Sirius ate his food quickly and with encouragement from the two girls he went down to get seconds and then thirds, Mythal took Artimis' bowl and went back to the kitchen, which she had dubbed as HER private area. Artimis let her friend take the room, as long as she got the library.
Rearranging and more cleaning
Artimis sighed the next day as she looked at her and Sirius' work, with the two working together with physical and magical work they got a months worth of jobs done in a day and a half. The dark black boards were polished until they glowed; Artimis had used a simple Aguamenti charm to give it a clean healthy glow after the water was dried and had replaced the now clean carpet to the ground and replaced the nails in the corners.
Looking up from her handiwork she eyed the clear china dresser, not a spider in sight, Sirius had terminated the nest, killed every last spider and hunted any live ones all throughout the house. Sirius had disappeared at some point through the day, Artimis discovered him in his old room repairing his old bed and snuffing a small spider nest that was under his mattress. Artimis sighed and went to work with the Piano just as Sirius appeared around the corner with some lunch Mythal had taken the time to go out of her way to buy at a store down the road with muggle money Artimis had gained by selling a few paintings with the kits Dumbledore gave her for both her birthday and Christmas.
It wasn't much, not enough for her to buy large things but enough for food. Out of Artimis and Mythal, Mythal was the fastest to spending Artimis' money. Mostly because she took charge of food and went outside more. Artimis didn't mind as long as Mythal knew when to stop if they were money broke, if they needed it quickly they could transfer some more money into their personal bank, they already had some transferred by Dumbledore before they came to Grimmauld, that money was kept in Artimis' pocket for her self to buy things which she was yet to get to. She planned to go out for ideas for the house interior, patterns or designs.
She had already taken the liberty to cleaning the walls in the Drawing room. She had plans to maybe turn it into another bedroom or an extra living area, or where she would transform. Artimis turned to Sirius and smiled as he handed her some lasagne. Sirius ate some kind of pasta that was mixed with basil pesto.
Mythal was down in the kitchen finishing off her cheesecake, she had come in to lick her fingers of the strawberry topping causing Artimis to say loudly in a whiney voice, "Where's my cheesecake!?"
With the Tupperware dumped into the bin in the basement, Sirius and Artimis went back to work in the living room. Artimis got to work with the Grand Piano, polishing it like she did the boards and testing each key. When one didn't work she peeked into the opening of the piano she held open with a pencil she had transfigured into a bar with V ends. She fiddled with the cords, casting Reparo on the snapped ones and twisting the others by hand if they were only twisted out of shape. Soon the piano was fixed and Artimis was playing the right hand cords with both hands to Fur Elise without a hitch in the cords or sound.
Sirius snapped the bottom doors to the dresser into place and twisted the screws of the hinges with a few twitches of his wand. Finishing the song Artimis pulled the old black piano stool over and fixed the cracks in the padded surface and wiped off the dust, she looked around the room and spotted some peels on the walls, casting a few spells that Sirius whispered from his position with his head in the dresser fixing rat holes and broken china with some twists of his wand, the wallpaper peeled together leaving nothing behind. After carrying in the sofas and rearranging them around the large fire the two levitated the piano into place on the large carpet.
Artimis started to rearrange the room while Sirius went down stairs to check on Mythal's work on the kitchen. Being unable to cast spells she had to do things normally, the room was coming along very slowly but all the cupboards were cleaned out and the utensils were gleaming and spotless. The Boiler room was cleared of rodents long before Sirius had arrived, Mythal and Artimis had gone to work on it the instant they had entered the door spending a whole day clearing the shelves of old rotted food and rat nests.
The shelves were now shelved with fresh food gathered by the girls own money from Gringotts and things given to them by McGonagall, Dumbledore and Molly Weasley. Mythal was currently sitting in a chair reading a book, she looked like she was ready to give up on the kitchen. "Need some help?" Mythal looked up and gave him a look that said, 'Oh now you ask me, bitch!' before gesturing to the walls and the furniture. Sirius got to work casting spells on the walls to bring the tears together and levitated the broken chairs out into the hall where Artimis would use her hammer to stick the broken parts back together. Soon the walls were repaired, but not clean.
Sirius failed at the Scourgify spell, every time he did it all he did was vanish a small blob off the wall and take some of the colour along with it leaving a grey circle on the wall. He got to work on the broken doors and loose door handles while Mythal disappeared upstairs, he heard her make her way to the first floor where she had the bedroom taken as her own. He heard the banging of her moving things around.
Artimis pushed one side of the triple long Sofa so it hit the wall, she had moved it against the wall between the two windows where it fit perfectly. Two double sofas placed in front of the fireplace with the armchair and the long dining table was behind them. Artimis looked around with a slight frown, the patterns on the muddy walls and carpet were too old so she decided to cast a colour-changing charm she had read in Flitwick's charm books he gave her on her birthday. The brown and grey stripped wall paper changed into a beautiful deep Forest green, she changed the sofa's to match the green, taking away the old Granny like patterns. The carpet was turned into green a deeper green, she changed everything she could see including lantern covers that became white instead of the dusty brown. The green matched with the black of the lower quarter of the walls and floor boards, Artimis turned to the windows as she remembered the curtains and thought for a while before changing them into white.
Sitting down on the piano chair in front of the third window near the door that lead to the entrance hall she stared out the window into the small garden at the entrance, the vines were crawling up the walls and windows. Artimis decided she should work on the outside once the inside became liveable. Idea's of plants already forming in her mind, Artimis made her way from the Living room just as Sirius entered and whistled in approval. Making her way to the second floor room she sighed as she flopped onto the bed causing it to puff up some air from the blankets Artimis had brought over by Bubble from her room in the Head girl's quarters.
The lion and wolf rearing up was becoming a symbol to Artimis when ever she thought of Hogwarts and the elves. After all it was a Hogwarts elf that made it for her, on her first day at the school.
Bubble hadn't come by after bringing her blankets but said she was taking care of her Head Girl room personally and even planning to make a second blanket for the bed there. Artimis was curious but the elf kept her mouth firmly shut with a small grin on her lips and a spark in her wide brown eyes.
Artimis had rearranged her room so the bed was against the window wall, there was room large enough for a small book shelf to be placed underneath the window at the end of the bed. Artimis took to covering it with her school books. The walls were changed from the diagonal dark and light blue-grey to plain Pewter grey, the curtain's over the single window were cherry red like Mythal's hair.
The boards on the ground her polished like the ones in the living room and the concrete around the fireplace was cleaned of dirt and dust and what was left of old ash, she had long removed the mud grey carpet and replaced it with a red one to match the curtains. Along the wall above the bed she had replaced the grey and white canvas with black and a Gryffindor shield that Sky, another house elf, had given her for Christmas.
Along the walls next to the window were long Gryffindor banners, the same as the ones beside the entrance to the Head Prefect quarters. It was those few changes that showed she was a Gryffindor, nothing else showed her house. Artimis opened the dresser next to the door and looked at her clothes, making sure no spiders were making a nest in there to escape Sirius before she walked over to the fire to rearrange the moving photos of her, Harry and friends.
There was the photo of the one Colin got of her and Snape when she was heading to her first Full moon, the two were walking down the hall ignoring each others presence until the light flashed causing Snape to flinch back and glare while Artimis raised her arms and blinked with a shocked expression. Artimis thought it was funny when Colin let her go through his photo collections so she asked for a copy. Colin happily gave her the original with a large pearly grin and a faint blush. The photo sat in the same long frame as her with Crookshanks on her lap, reading school books for homework. Her potions book shoved up to her nose,
"Artimis, can I talk to you?" Artimis let Sirius in, he took a few looks around the room before he turned to her. "I haven't really spoken to you or Mythal yet since that time at Hogwarts and I wanted to properly thank you for saving our lives back there. I understand it was you, the white werewolf. Right?"
"Yes that was me. And you don't have to thank me, I was happy to help in any way I could."
Sirius hid a smile by turning to her photos on the fireplace, his eyes drawn to her and Snape.
"Is that Snivillus?"
"That is Snape, he was taking me to Lupin's office on my first Full Moon change. Colin took a photo because I was there and he heard I was a friend of Harry Potter. He adores Harry, a great fan… and might have a bit of a crush on me…" Artimis chuckled along with Sirius who went along the pictures until he reached one of Mythal and Draco holding hands and grinning at each other like a pair of lovebirds, not expecting anyone to notice. "Is that Malfoy's boy? Mythal is dating him?"
"Yes and yes, sadly. But they go well together, and any way Mythal IS in Slytherin… you didn't know?"
"I didn't, you are Gryffindor and you two talk well to each other…"
"We knew each other well before Hogwarts, a house won't tear us apart that easily. Any way Mythal keeps saying I should have been a Slytherin… But I chose not to be." Sirius looked at her with confusion, so she continued, "The sorting hat wanted me in Slytherin but I asked for Gryffindor."
"And when is your next full moon?" Not wanting to question her choice he went to the first conversation that came to mind, and winced at how horrible it sounded.
"Three days, we have three days to get this room of yours set up." Sirius grinned and led Artimis upstairs, silently thanking her for removing those dreadful House Elf heads that had lined the wall, to the master bedroom where he had situated Buckbeak. The Hippogriff lifted his head and cawed in happiness at seeing the man and girl, Sirius gestured to the room and the changes he did to it secretly through the two days he had been here. It looked like he had levitated everything that was harmful onto out of the room, he had arranged it so all was left on the left side of the room was the large bed that he had taken the liberty of fixing the legs of.
"I didn't clean the bed, sorry. The Scourgify spell doesn't like me much." He laughed as Artimis looked around the room, the long old sofa was angled in the right corner of the room in front of a window where Sirius had removed the blinds of. Artimis could feel the many spells Sirius had cast to ensure no sound escaped the room and the windows wouldn't break. The older wizard had summoned some firm bars over the two windows in the room. "Where did you put the other furniture?"
"I put the books into the library and some down to the Living room. The two lampposts are at the entrance beside the door, all the paintings and photos are in the attic along with other things and the large bookshelf is in the Tapestry room."
Artimis got to Scouring as much of the room as she could, Sirius watched her work intently with small pangs of jealousy at how easily she could cast Scourgify. Soon, with some colour-changing spells that Sirius was more than happy to do, the room was filled with red colours and the under lay of gold. "The Gryffindor colours? Figures…" She didn't change much else, expecting her wolf self to rip everything on sight.
Happy Birthday!
1st of July came the next day with Mythal's birthday. Artimis was lounging on one of the green sofa's watching Mythal on the ground opening all the gifts from the teachers. McGonagall gave Mythal a rare book on Animagus and a small pocket book on how to change things like colour or the use of something.
Sprout gave her what looked like the incense of some sort of flower that when Mythal opened it the sweet scent filled the room instantly and clung to anyone inside. Sirius crinkled up his dog nose along with Snape who had brought the presents for Dumbledore. Artimis gave an 'ima gonna puke' look at Mythal, warning her to close the bottle.
Flitwick gave Mythal the same book as he did to Artimis, but the cover wasn't held by bronze but with silver. Poppy gave the same pocket book and a strange amulet to Mythal. Sinistra gave her a book on Astronomy and Horoscope readings. Vector, the Arithmancy teacher, gave Mythal a Number chart book.
She even got something from Lupin, Artimis explained that she had helped him find it before he left the school and helped him buy it when he was a few coins off, she got a bracelet like Artimis' only it had a cat head hanging off on a small chain like a pendant. "I told him about your love for cats." Mythal thanked Artimis then she went to Snape's gift, who was leaning back in the double seat beside Artimis. He had given her a note saying, 'I pray with will make you better in Potions.' Artimis and Mythal laughed while Snape gave the two a look, knowing Mythal blew something up once or twice every so often. Mostly because she was teamed with Neville all of the time.
From Artimis she got a card filled to the brim with cat drawings, which earned a stupid look from her friend. And now came Dumbledore's, which he said he was bringing with himself personally. Mythal gave Artimis a look as the old wizard walked in with ash trailing behind him, with perfect timing like always. It was in a medium sized box, and it wobbled on its own accord. Placing it into the birthday girl's hands he sat between Artimis and Snape to watch with a small shiny smile. Out came a… dark orange American Curl cross breed kitten.
Mythal made the loudest noise of glee and clapped her hands, Artimis raised her eyebrows at the headmaster with a 'oh really' look on her face. Mythal got right away to patting the kitten until it purred. "What will I name it… what is its gender!" Artimis instantly leaned forward and lifted its tail. "Looks female to me." Mythal cooed in pleasure as she scratched the kittens ears and thanked Dumbledore over and over until he laughed and left with a wave and a small birthday speech. "What will you call her?"
"I don't know! Oh she is so cute!" She scratched its Bobcat like cheeks and cooed again, Artimis stared at the kitten for a second before clicking her fingers.
"I think Dumbledore just gave you a part Kneazle. Like Hermione's cat, only bred with the American Curl."
"Oh? Really?" Mythal looked at her kitten as it meowed and pawed at her foot. "What will I name her. Artimis you're the best with names, say something!" Mythal screamed it out and before Snape or Sirius could even wrap their minds around what she had asked Artimis said without hesitation, "Bastet." Everyone in the room stared at her. "What?"
"Ok, what god or goddess is that?" Mythal sighed.
"Egyptian goddess of Cats… Hey I don't always name things from Gods or Goddesses!"
"Let's see… your room password is a goddess. You name everything after something to do with a god or Goddess. Remember the huntsman you called Zeus?"
"The one I found after Sir Freak-a-lot?"
"Yes that one, and the dog you want to get and call it Hades, or Loki. And the bird you called Ra, the willy-wag tail?"
"Wow you are good at remembering all those names!"
"I use to have about 5 cats and 3 dogs, remember." Artimis went quite and thought on that for a second.
"That is true, lots of cat fur…" Mythal nodded her head, she won this little argument. Snape shook his head and left after handing over another gift. "From Malfoy."
Mythal opened it with a smile and squealed, inside was an emerald set into two twisting snakes. "I don't really like the design but the fact that it looks like white gold and has a REAL emerald… I'm happy with it." Artimis picked a note from the ground and handed it over, Mythal read it before grinning. "He want's me and you to meet his parents! O shi…"
"Language…"
Anagrams
One day later found Artimis in pain and grumpy in the morning, Sirius commented, "You really are grumpy on Mondays." Before he had to duck a pan being aimed at his head by the grumpy Werewolf. Sirius had raided his father's cupboards before he had taken them into the attic, he currently wore a deep green shirt and a pair of slightly moth eaten black pants he had raided.
He wore the button up shirt with the top two undone, showing off the tattoos on his chest and along his collar bones. His long hair was brushed back by Mythal to get rid of the years worth of knots that had his hair looking almost like dreadlocks, now it was back to being smooth and tied back at the nape of his neck. His hair curled and waved slightly near the shoulders making his hair look thick and shorter that it actually was, his hair was almost the same as Artimis' in shape just without the semi ringlets beside her face that curled inwards and tickled her chin and chest from where she had it pulled over her ears and covering much of her face.
Mythal offered to cut Sirius' hair for him which he agreed to have done later, which he had said two days ago and Mythal was starting to get edgy with the Animagus. Mythal was able to hold a grudge for years, unlike Artimis who forgave quite quickly if she saw it as right. Artimis groaned in frustration from her position on the third seater in the Living room, she could hear Mythal and Sirius fighting upstairs before they even rushed down the stairs.
Sirius ran into the room, Artimis could see he didn't trust Mythal to cut his hair right. "Will you two shut up. Mythal go grab some money and go to the pharmacy down the road and buy Hair Scissors from the hair store next door, and by a fine tooth comb, a brush for Sirius so he doesn't need to use mine, a toothbrush so he doesn't have to transfigure mine and anything else you deem useful… like shampoo or what ever…" That got Mythal out without complaint, Sirius looked at Artimis with THAT look on his face. "Don't look so frightened, I will do your hair for you so you don't have her do it." Sirius still looked untrusting but less so with the confidence in her voice.
A while later Mythal was back with a bag from the hairdressers with a smaller one from the pharmacy shoved into it. Mythal took out the Pharmacy bag and took it down to the kitchen saying to Artimis, "For the headaches I gain from you both."
Artimis and Sirius sat at out on a small patio surrounded by three and a half metre high bushes and Rose vines to hide out the back of Grimmauld place from the back of the neighbour's homes. Artimis had placed some spare wooden chairs she had found in the attic out side with a round table that she had taken some time to repair with her hammer. She had used long nails to realign the legs and stick them together from the top and down, she had polished the surface to give it a smooth splinter free surface. Sirius tilted his head back as Hedwig flew down again, she had been appearing often with letters from Harry. Sirius opened this one and by his face expressions it was the one that Harry mentioned his dream and burning scar in.
When Sirius read it out loud it confirmed her thoughts. "When we go to school I will keep an eye on him. So it is Quidditch world cup this year? Lucky Harry!" Artimis stretched her arms and spine with a loud pop just as an owl landed in her lap with a FOMP startling her and Sirius. Looking down she picked up the Hogwarts letter.
'Ms Knight
Room on the Second floor
12 Grimmauld St'
Her eyes scanned over it quickly after she puled the letter out. "A Fancy Dress… oh great is there going to be a party?" Artimis pulled him inside where Mythal was reading her own letter that was delivered to the door. She looked excited to buy a dress, but not so pleased about a party. The two knew what was happening, and they were not excited for it.
The two girls whispered to each other while Sirius disappeared to write a letter to Harry, he came back down though and said, "I need a code name or something! Harry's letters might get read!"
"Basilisk Cur?" Said Artimis after a long silence and some penning on paper.
"What?"
"It's an anagram of Sirius Black…"
"…that's good… any other ones?"
"Abris is Luck… licks Airbus…"
"Why don't I just use Padfoot…"
"Fine, be that way but I'm making Anagram's for me and Mythal…"
Sirius looked at Artimis' face them Mythal's then back again. "What have you got so far with Mythal?"
"Mythal Rose Knight… Agent Kilos Rhythm…"
"I like that one!" Mythal butted in happily.
"Yes, your name is so easy to make one with…"
"And what about you…?" Sirius asked while leaning forward, his eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Bad ones but, Artimis M Knight… Arm Hiking Mitts…"
Sirius and Mythal cracked up laughing while Artimis continued on unfazed, but a small twitch of her lips. "Artimis… Simitar, Mythal… La Myth, Mythal knight… Knightly Math."
The three were starting to release small chuckles now from closed mouths as they listened. "Then there is Mythal Artimis… Thirsty Mama…" Now that did it, all three of them fell off their chairs with laughter. "And then… Military Maths. Mythal we should call something Thirsty Mama… maybe my art line in the muggle world?" Mythal was trying her hardest to stop giggling. "I have more, but I'm not telling." Artimis winked and shoved her paper into the book Dumbledore gave her on her birthday and closed the cover with a snap.
Full Moon and a Wolfhound
The next day was the day of the full moon, Artimis wandered the house like a ghost. She popped up in the kitchen scaring the life out of Sirius when he saw her drawn in face and pale skin. "Sit down, I will make something that might help with the pain…" The fireplace roared, Sirius was in his dog form before Professor Snape could even materialise through the flames. "Ms Knight." He nodded his head in greeting, ignoring the dogs growls.
"Professor! What are you doing here?"
"The Headmaster requested me to take a look at the house before tonight." With that he was upstairs before Artimis could say, 'Cow-Dog'
Sirius looked up at her with grey eyes before he followed after she warned him to play nicely. A minute later he was coming back down the stairs with the hairs on his spine sizzling. "I said don't attack him…" Artimis cast a cooling charm on the burns and cast a thickening spell on his hair to make it regrow. Sirius curled up at her feet, an hour later Snape came down while tucking his wand into his sleave.
"I see you have some measures already placed around the Master bedroom, I guessed it was where you would transform. Dumbledore requested I cast some spells on all the furniture and other objects, since you are not at school I can't supply you with Bane as much as Dumbledore would like to but the Minister wont allow any help with you when your home…" Snape looked around with distaste. "And what was with all the red?"
"Someone else's work, if it was me who did it I would have had the room black, and blue…and grey?" Snape scoffed as he dusted a seat and sat down, leaning over he looked into her eyes as Mythal disappeared upstairs with Sirius at her heels.
"Dumbledore has requested for me to also add some other spells to the buildings outside."
"The place already is unplottable and invisible to Muggles and those who don't know its there…" Snape looked like he relaxed slightly. "I'm also planning to add some more safety measures." Snape nodded his head then paused.
"Maybe I should do it, the ministry might track your magic signature and…"
"Very well then, I will let you have your way with the house. I need to go see what that noise was…" Artimis stood and went up to the first floor to find out what Sirius was doing to make such a loud racket. "What are you doing?" She asked the human in front of her as he pulled Buckbeak behind him.
"Taking Bucky here into the Tapestry room before tonight, you have only a few hours to go…" Artimis looked at her watch and sighed, there was three hours left.
"Fine but be quick, Professor Snape is still here casting some spells." Sirius looked upset someone was casting spells on his home, someone he hates with a passion. "Don't complain, its protective measures that Dumbledore wants set up."
"Fine, I will agree only to Dumbledore…" Sirius huffed and stomped to the room of his desire to dump off the hippogriff. Turning back into a dog he found Artimis talking with Snape in the Living room. "…And that dresser had a whole family of Spiders the size of plates!"
"You should have asked Mr Weasley to help." Retorted Snape with dark humour.
"Yes I should have made he come over and say 'Can you get the china out of the dresser for me Ron?' and laugh at his face…"
"You should have been Slytherin…"
"So Mythal reminds me every day." Artimis laughed and turned on her heel, spotting Sirius she smiled and winked at him before patting her knees. "Come here… Fenrir…" Sirius walked over while Snape asked the question he so badly wanted to ask, "Fenrir? Is that one of your god names?"
"Fenrir was a 'devil wolf' that was chained to a stone, son of Loki, it's a Norse myth… and I DON'T call everything after gods!" Snape hummed at that before he returned to the kitchen and flooed away. Sirius turned back into his human form and sighed deeply.
"Fenrir?" He grinned and followed Artimis into the Master Room where Mythal was waiting. "Right, I can stay here as a dog. It might keep you from tearing the place and yourself apart…"
"Thank you I will appreciate that." Artimis let Mythal pat her on the head in a comforting way and waited until the girl was out of the room before going to the bed while Sirius locked the door. He turned to catch her undressing, yelping in surprise he spun around quickly but not fast enough to miss her bright red blush.
"Uh, you can turn around now. And I'm sorry but I got into the habit of having the other person turning away…" Sirius turned to her wrapped in a blanket sitting on the couch next to the window, she was staring out at the darkness with dread. Sirius sat beside her and spoke to her to calm her nerves, "How do you feel about Hogwarts?"
"Honoured that Dumbledore let us in without much questions, he protected me against the ministry at a great cost."
"He is a great man that Dumbledore."
"Yes he is…" The full moon peeked over the houses across the park, Artimis stood as Sirius transformed. He sat beside her as she pulled off the blanket and went through the painful transformation. It was horrible, her mind was being ripped apart along with her body. She wanted to attack and kill, she howled in pain and tried to push down the desire. Darkness slowly consumed her along with claws and fangs.
Sirius watched Artimis twist on the ground, somehow it was worse that seeing Remus transform, maybe because her screaming hit a nerve in him, or he was more mature now to understand pain. After it was over an orange blob appeared at Artimis' still form from under the bed. Bastet curled up and purred against the werewolf's chin, Sirius joined the cat by curling around Artimis' back. The three animals slept the night away without a hitch.
Meet the Parents
Morning came with screams, pain and then a killer headache worst than CFS migraines. It tore through her causing her to tremble and almost throw up, Sirius was beside her as a human wrapping his arms around her to try and calm her down and Bastet purred deeply around her knees. "There we are, it's over now. Wasn't that bad, no ripping each other apart…" Artimis hummed from where she was falling asleep, Sirius sighed and placed her on the bed and pulled the blanket back over her form. Sirius sat on the edge of the bed patting her forehead of sweat while Bastet made herself comfy against Artimis' neck, purring up a storm and kneading at her collarbone.
Sirius stood, opened the door and left to acquire some breakfast. Mythal had gone out to buy breakfast this time, two coffees steamed from the take away lids. Sirius thanked Mythal quickly and walked up the stairs with the coffees in both hands. He placed one on the bedside table and took a gulp of his while he waited for her to wake up.
Mythal walked up the stairs with breakfast in her hands, she found Sirius sitting on the bed beside Artimis and Bastet was curled around her shoulder. Sirius' head popped up from his drink as she entered with the pancakes, one with golden syrup and the other with chocolate and berries. She placed the syrup one down for Sirius and leaned over Artimis giving her a gentle shake, the werewolf's eyes peeked open to give a glare before softening at the sight of the pancakes.
Using Sirius to pull herself up Artimis took the pancakes with a horse thanks and dug in while leaning against his back. Sirius didn't seem to mind as he poked and tasted the pancakes with a curious expression. Mythal left the two humans and cat alone to go down stairs, Draco's family black owl twisted its head around to eye her with large ember eyes that glowed in the dark kitchen. Mythal quickly penned down that she will come and see him in Diagon Alley and try to get Artimis out of bed. The owl took flight up the stairs and out the large vent that was built for owls by the Black family years ago. She waited for Artimis and Sirius to come down stairs and when they did, dressed in new clean clothes, Mythal said, "Draco wants us to meet him at Diagon Alley."
"Very well, I guess you want me to come? Fine Fine, I will come but don't expect sunshine and rainbows to burst from my arse." Sirius chuckled and hid it by taking a long gulp at his coffee and turning his back to the girls. "When do we go?"
"In an hour, get yourself ready." Mythal ran upstairs along with Artimis to dress into more appropriate clothes. Sirius sat in his chair at the head of the kitchen table with the recent Daily prophet in his tattooed hands his eyes raised over the top as the two girls came out wearing sundresses. Artimis looked angry to be wearing a dress and chose to glare at Mythal as she listened to the other girl go on about make up or at least doing her hair up. "Your boyfriend not mine, YOU do the make up on yourself. I'm probably going to be stuck with the parents…"
"THAT'S WHY! Do something to look good, and cover up those blasted scars on your face!"
"I will tie my hair up, will THAT help? And I like to think my scars as sexay…"
"Whatever, but you really need to have your hair cut… both of you…"
"I will go to the hairdressers while I'm at Diagon Alley, and I will do Sirius' hair when I feel up to the challenge." Artimis pulled her hair up with a blue hair band and clipped the hair up with a large metal hair clip that was designed like vines. Her ankle long country style white dress was held tightly around her waist by a big buckled belt that was silver and tarnished with a strange Sun symbol in the middle, the dress had a V-neck and long sleaves that covered the vicious scars along her collarbone, shoulder and back. She wore her many Pendant Necklace and the green Crystals Snape gave her hanged low in the hollow of her breasts just above the tip of the V.
She wore plain black flat sandals that had thin cords to wrap around her ankles and held together by small buckles. Her brown hair now fanned up and over the clip after she was done flicking at it and using the fine tooth comb to tease it in some places by using the help of the small mirror next to the stairs, she looked at her pale face and sighed, no amount of makeup could hide the illness on her face. Turning she raised her arms making the bracelet Lupin gave her shine from the dull light and said to Mythal, "Is this better?"
"Yes, it will have to do." Mythal pulled at her knee length dress nervously, she had chosen to wear Slytherin colours in hope to please the Malfoy's. The full dress was a lovely deep Citrus green with darker forest green around the edges and twining up in weird twirling patterns, the neckline was just like Artimis'. She wore Draco's necklace than hanged in the hollow of her chest. Artimis looked at Sirius as she pulled on a short pale blue sheer cardigan that had nice bell sleaves, she smiled at Sirius as she caught him peeking over his paper. "Only sort of dresses I will wear, I hate anything shorter than my knees it just makes me freak out." Sirius chuckled as she turned to wait for Mythal to come down the stairs.
Mythal returned with her purse, turning to the door and calling out behind her. "We're catching a bus to the Leaky Caldron, come on lets waste no more time!"
"Why can't you just floo?" Asked Sirius from his chair.
"And get ash all over our clothes? No thank you." Mythal was gone, Artimis turned and gave Sirius a random hug.
"I will see you when we get back, look after the house while we are away… Fenrir." She chuckled and walked up the stairs quickly following the sound of Mythal's slightly high-heeled sandals on the wood.
Tapping the wall while Mythal played with her hair Artimis sighed and ignored the beat of her heart hammering against her fragile ribs. The crack in the wall spread, clicks of brick against brick, an arch was left in the wall leading to the bustle of the street. Mythal made her way through the streets to a certain spot in the calmer part near the entrance to Knockturn Alley. Standing just in the shadows of the alley stood three tall blondes, hair glowing in the sunlights reflection off the windows around them. Draco spotted them and nodded his head, the two longer haired adults eyed them as they walked swiftly over. "Evening Mythal, this is my father and Mother."
"It is a PLEASURE to meet you." Lucius reached out and took Mythal's hand in a firm grip with a grim smile on his face, when he spotted Artimis his expression changed, like a stench was beneath his nose, the same expression Draco did when talking to people he thought lower than him. Narcissa stepped forward and gave a short greeting and a quick gentle shake. Draco looked at Artimis and sniffed, Lucius looked the older girl up and down. "Artimis, so you came as well?" The younger Malfoy sneered
"Of course, watching you two embarrassed yourselves is becoming my favourite past time..." Artimis gave him a grin, "Have you got a problem with me being here?" Draco looked down at the shorter woman, his eyes taking in her scratches and pale face curiously.
"Of course not." His father drawled out venomously. "I would very much like to speak to you in person, I have heard so MUCH about you from the Weasley's and Minister Fudge."
Artimis looked hesitant and looked at Mythal's back as Draco, her and Narcissa led the way down the large paved road, Lucius walked by Artimis' side like a guard, as if he was watching her steps. "I heard about the world cup. Will you be there?"
"Of course, the Minister personally asked for my presence to oversee the games."
Artimis hummed as the three in front turned a corner to what looked like a nice Cafe. Stepping under a magical bell that rang out and attracted attention, the five walked across the ground as whispers erupted around them. Artimis tilted her head down nervously while they sat on dark brown sofas around a short round table.
Narcissa and Lucius sat on one couch, Draco, Mythal and Artimis on the other across from them. Narcissa's long deep green Gothic like dress flowed around her matching her husband's long black and green cloak. Lucius leaned his snake handle walking stick against the arm of the sofa and he waved over the waitress who came over and said the menu. Mythal and Artimis gave each other a quick look and tried to catch what the woman was saying.
Lucius and Narcissa instantly ordered for tea and Draco followed suit, with hesitation Mythal ordered for Green tea while Artimis tried to remember what the waitress had said. Lucius eyed her, expecting her to stuff up and embarrass herself. "I will have the Peppermint tea please." She said gently as she could, her face a plastered smile. The waitress curtsied and moved away with their orders in her mind. Lucius looked sightly peeved that she took it so well, he leaned forward slightly catching her attention.
"I hear you had trouble getting into Hogwarts with the Ministry." He smirked darkly, Artimis knew he was one of the people against her getting in.
"Yes, me and Mythal are Australian witches and we hadn't signed into the British Ministry."
"How did you get from Australia to here?"
"We spent almost all our savings to catch a plane to get here."
Lucius eyed her darkly before nodding his head. "I also heard you are 'homeless' who are living off of Dumbledore, are you living in Hogwarts?"
"No, in a house that is old and run down. Dumbledore only gave us starter money, I have been earning muggle coin to get anything else."
"How do you make Muggle coin." He sneered the word Muggle, his lip twitched angrily.
"I sell artwork I have done." Draco and Narcissa looked up from the floor or Mythal's face to watch the two.
"You do art work?"
"Yes, especially the Charcoal drawings I do of someone's photo." The blonde family hummed. Artimis was saved when the waitress came with their tea floating behind her, she placed them in front of them and glided away. Sipping the tea Artimis hummed in appreciation to the taste and how the tang woke up her taste buds, NOT the fact it burnt her tongue even as she blew it. She set it back down with a matching ting to Narcissa and looked around the cafe to distract her eyes from the family. The cafe was small with only Sofa's inside, wooden chairs and tables outside. The two younger girls turned to each other, gave a small smile before returning to the boyfriends parents as Lucius spoke again. "So Mythal is it? How s Hogwarts to you?"
"It is large, very green and different, Australia is a dry."
"And your classes?"
"I find them exciting, it's difficult to do some things. Artimis is the fast learner in the family."
"That's right your cousins right? Both pureblood?" He looked at Artimis expecting her to answer.
"Yes and no. My mother was a pure blood witch but my father was a muggle. Our mothers were related and both witches, Mythal's mother was Pureblood and father a half-blood."
Lucius nodded his head his face visibly relaxed with knowing his son was with a witch of reasonable blood. "So not only are you a Half-Beast, you are also a half-blood." He scoffed and gave her a cruel sneer, Artimis flinched but straightened her face out evenly. The waitress came back and took their empty mugs after a few minutes. Malfoy looked nervously at his girlfriend who returned the look.
After being the centre of attention with Lucius Artimis sighed in relief when the day was over and the two girls said their good byes and left the streets. Artimis persuaded Mythal to travel by floo, so soon the two were standing in the kitchen. Sirius stopped growling at the fire after being surprised from his sleep, his body morphed back into the form of a human, his grey eyes peering out of a skeleton face. "Evening, we are home... FINALLY!"
Artimis flopped onto her chair beside Sirius' and slammed her face into the table with a sigh of relief, Sirius eyed Mythal and said, "I guess it went alright?"
"Yes, it was fine for me. Lucius ignored me and spoke to Artimis most of the day so." Mythal showed no sympathy in her expression as she instantly got to making up dinner, Artimis stood and started to cut the vegies into perfect matchstick sizes with a steady hand.
Sirius was gone with that, probably fixing something again or escaped so he didn't have to do anything. Artimis turned her head to Mythal and smiled. Only one month and a half until September the 1st, just one more transformation to go until the return to Hogwarts.
End of chapter 7