I think from now on the chapters are going to be more film universe than book because these seem to be a lot fresher in my mind. It's all AU anyway so I'm using my creative license.
Thank you for all of the reviews! They really are encouraging.
Please R+R
Chapter Seven
Despite the dark times that had happened at the end of the school year, the summer was turning out to be best Harry had ever had. He'd moved into Grimauld Place permanently after turning up at the Dursleys with Sirius to collect the little belongings he had there. They couldn't have waved him out of the door quicker and Harry was more than happy to oblige.
It seemed with each passing day Scarlet was getting stronger and happier. Lupin had saved many items from their old cottage that he had felt unable to give to Sirius for fear of the pain it would bring. Now Scarlet was back, much to everyone's surprise, he presented it to them at the first opportunity. Scarlet had set it as her goal to turn the house into a proper home and not the dungeon it currently resembled. This caused much screaming from the portrait of Walburga but Harry thought Scarlet secretly enjoyed that. She liked someone to give her as good as they got, that's probably why she married Sirius.
Sirius too was changing day by day. Gone was the drunk, depressed mess and back the young, mischievous man Harry had glimpsed in his memories. Although it was clear that the entrapment in this house still played heavily on Sirius' heart, the presence of his wife turned the prison into an oasis.
They continued to use the house for gatherings of the Order and these became more frequent as the number of disappearances and disturbances did. Even with the new found vigour and happiness a dark shadow still hung over the place. Still there was nothing Harry could do just now so for the first time ever he was going to enjoy his holidays.
/ / /
Sirius wandered down the stairs with a smirk on his face for no particular reason, this seemed to be a regular occurrence these days. He stood in the doorway and watched Scarlet prepare things in the kitchen. She reached up to grab something and her slinky night shorts rode up giving him a pleasant view of creamy skin. Now she was eating properly or more accurately making up for the last 14 years, Scarlet had started to fill out her curves again and because she was sleeping well the gaunt, dark circled face had been replaced with a glowing smile that made her look 10 years younger.
Sirius couldn't keep his hands off of her. He wondered if there would ever be a time that he looked at her and didn't want to do what he wanted to do now. He hoped not.
Sirius walked over and wrapped his arms around her from behind, burying his head in her neck and kissing along her shoulder.
"Mmm, you are wearing too many clothes." As his hand reached under her shorts she giggled but leaned away from him.
"Harry's awake."
"Well he's not here."
"I'm making him breakfast."
He took a step back and studied her.
"I had notice that you were being active in the kitchen. I assumed hell had frozen over."
"Ha!"
"You never made me breakfast." He sounded like a spoilt school boy.
"That's because I don't like you as much."
She squealed as he tackled her to ground and attacked her with a barrage of sloppy kisses.
"Siri!" She laughed, writhing under his grip as kneeled above her. "Stop it, st...Siri..."
"Fine." He mock pouted. "I'll make my own coffee. It'll taste better anyway."
She brought up her knee suddenly and it collided with his groin.
"Oooow... Scar..."
Scarlet stood up triumphant and returned to the cooking.
"Sirius! Sirius!" Harry's excited voice carried along the dark, gloomy corridors of the house. He rushed into the room and stopped suddenly as he almost tripped over Sirius still cowering on the floor. "Sirius?" He asked in a completely different tone: concern. Sirius gingerly made it to his feet.
"It's alright; just another case of domestic violence." Scarlet laughed aloud and retorted:
"Oh yeah, you're an abused man."
"Have you seen the paper?" Harry asked thrusting it into his godfather's hands. Sirius gazed inquisitively at Harry and turned toward the paper.
His mug shot was branded across the front page and the bold letters read: 'BLACK NOT GUILTY'. Sirius read the paragraph beneath:
'In light of recent revelations it appears that one Peter Pettigrew, believed to be dead, is in fact alive. Not only has he deliberately deceived the Wizarding community but it also appears that Pettigrew has been an trusted alley of He Who Must Not Be Named this entire time. It is now believed that on the night of the 31st October 1981 Pettigrew brutally murdered 12 muggles and then mutated his own hand, cutting off a finger to trick everybody into believing he was dead. Due to the overriding new evidence it now appears Sirius Black is innocent of all charges previously brought against him and is no longer a wanted man...'
Sirius sunk to his knees still clutching the paper so hard his knuckles were white. The shock had taken over his body and he could not ever hear the concerned mutterings of Harry and Scarlet. His wife rushed to his side and read the article of his shoulder. Her voice was thick with emotion:
"Siri, this means you're..."
"Free. I'm free."
At once Sirius exploded with action, jumping up and laughing almost manically, uncontrollably. He wrestled Harry into a bear hug and then turned and lifted Scarlet straight off the floor as he spun her round.
"We have to go out and celebrate!" Harry beamed, equally as joyous. "We can go anywhere you like Sirius, anywhere!"
"Where do you want to go?" Scarlet inquired still clinging on to his arm.
"Somewhere big and open with loads of grass and trees and not a bloody wall in site!" Sirius decreed.
/ / /
They had chosen Hyde Park and spent the whole morning just laying there, playing Frisbee and eating the picnic Scarlet had prepared. The sun was shining and the day couldn't be more glorious.
Sirius lay on the blanket and watched Scarlet and Harry wander over to buy ice creams. It was surprising of how much of normal life he had forgotten, the smell of newly mown grass or the feel of warm sunshine as it hits your face, the sound of children's laughter as they played in the sun. He'd forgotten that Scarlet's freckles seemed to multiple almost endlessly as soon as she stepped out into the sun and with the warmth she always wore something that showed off her perfect shapely legs.
Today was untouched perfection.
After they'd raced with the humidity to eat their ice creams before they melted, the trio opted for some sightseeing and headed for the millennium bridge. It was then Sirius' perfect day became warped.
The muggles seemed not to be able to see the black, whirling streams of energy as they raced toward the bridge but Scarlet did.
"Shit!" She whispered.
Harry could not believe his eyes as the bridge began to bend and snap as if were made of malleable plastic. The screams of terror tore right through Harry as people literally clung for their lives whilst a brave few attempted to run to safety. London could only watch on in horror, it was almost as if they were watching a great action film; the special effects were unbelievably good. But this was real and so was the terror pulsing through every man, woman and child that witnessed it.
Before she could stop him Sirius had disappeared and much brighter, white ghost-like substance joined its black counterparts.
"Harry you need to get out of here!" Scarlet yelled over the noise of the surrounding crowds.
"No! I can help..."
"I'm not asking you Harry I'm telling you. Voldemort's army is here and so is the one defenceless boy he is after!"
"I'm not..."
"Just go!" Scarlet pleaded. "For me. Apparate back the house and we will meet you there, I promise."
"I can't Apparate on my own yet, we haven't learnt that."
They both jumped as the hideous sound of metal snapping off of its hinges ringed throughout the air. Scarlet gazed up looking for her husband but could see anything but the spray of water as the bridge crashed into the Thames.
"Get the tube to Richmond, there is an underground cafe there. Wait and hide. I'll come and find you as soon as I can."
With that Scarlet too shot up to the sky and another white light raced over the crumbling bridge.
/ / /
Harry smiled sheepishly and once she had left checked his breath in his hand. It was not good. He stuffed a mint into his mouth.
He'd gone to the cafe just as Scarlet had told him and waited. And waited. And then waited some more. It was now 10.30 and still no-one had come. Harry was reading the Prophet for some form of entertainment; already the front page had turned itself into coverage of the bridge collapse and erased the declaration of Sirius' innocence. Then the girl had come over and Harry had somehow managed to flirt, successfully, he concluded. He hadn't meant to ask her out tonight but Scarlet might return within the next half hour and reveal everything is fine then Harry could enjoy the night.
"Little late for the mint, don't you think?" Harry nearly hit the roof as the voice of his godmother interrupted his thinking. She was sitting opposite him at the table with a knowing smirk of her face. "Not that it seemed to matter. Very smooth, nice touch with Harry Potter tosser. You're your father's son alright."
"What's going on?" Harry demanded. "Where's Sirius? You've been hours."
"Sorry Mum!" Scarlet mocked, then turned more grave. "This is messy Harry."
"He is getting stronger. Growing more confident." She nodded solemnly, knowing exactly who He was.
"It's a message, not just to us but to the muggle leaders as well." Harry looked down, deep in thought. "Come on, there's someone that needs to see you."
He followed Scarlet to the door. He waited until the blur of the train had whizzed past and then he saw it. Looking most out of place against the French perfume advert in the background, Dumbledore stood, perfectly still almost resembling a statue, over the other side of the platform.
Harry smiled and reached for the door but Scarlet stopped him.
"Listen, Sirius and I have to go away for a couple of days. Order business. Dumbledore will see you right." Harry looked disappointed, he couldn't help it. "Don't worry Harry; I will see you before you get on that train."
He smiled and hugged her.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For coming back, for making everything better." She nodded and left the cafe to greet Dumbledore.
/ / /
Harry, Ron and Hermione left the twins' joke shop and walked down the deserted Diagon Alley, taking in the dilapidated surroundings.
"I don't know how Fred and George are doing it, half of the Alley has closed down!" Hermione sounded exasperated.
"Fred reckons people need a life right now." Ron explained.
Harry had stopped listening as soon as he saw Scarlet standing on the corner next to a deserted shop. It had been a week since he had seen her in the train station.
"Scarlet," He said rushing over. "What's going on?"
"Is that your only way greeting me recently?"
"I'm sorry, how are you?"
"Fine, thank you."
"Good. What's going on?" Scarlet laughed.
"Lots of things Harry. Nothing you need to worry about yet." She paused. "So, here's my mother piece: are you sure you've got everything you need?" She asked in her best motherly tone, Harry smiled.
"As much as we can get."
Scarlet looked around at the Alley.
"I know, it's depressing isn't it. You can't blame people for being scared. Still you've got the Weasley's joke shop. Your dad and Sirius would have spent hours in there."
"Where is Sirius?"
"He and Lupin are sorting a few things out. It's safe to say he is enjoying his newfound freedom. He wanted me to give you this." She produced a letter and handed it to Harry. "And I wanted to give you this."
Scarlet handed him a package wrapped in brown paper, as he unwrapped Harry was holding two silver figurines: one of a stag and one of a doe.
"Dumbledore rescued these from your house in Godrics Hollow. It was my wedding present to your parents; I can't believe they'd actually kept them."
"They're beautiful." Harry said earnestly.
"They were their Patronus'. I thought it might be like having a bit of them with you."
"Thank you!"
"I have to go. I guess I'll see you at Christmas. Would it be too embarrassing to write?"
"No." Harry smiled, if only she knew of all the years he had watched enviously as the other students received letters and gifts from home.
"Then I will. Only if you write back."
"I will."
They embraced and Scarlet apparated out.
