NOTE: This story is primarily focused on SiriusOC and is only written for fun.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Harry Potter and the world JK Rowling created. I only own the characters you do not recognize from Harry Potter.
Hey guys, long time no see! I lucked out and had some chances to write lately so I got this chapter out fairly fast. We're just entering the last weeks of te semester, so things are going to get crazy and pretty much stay crazy through the summer semester. But don't worry; I'm still going. I had a guest reviewer tell me they hoped I continued this story some day, so I just wanted to say that I'm still going! School keeps me busy so I don't have a lot of time to work on it and therefore updates are much more sporadic and spread out, but I haven't stopped!
Hope you guys like the chapter and thanks for sticking with me!
Happenstance
Chapter Twelve
"Do you know where we're supposed to go?"
Remus shrugged and glanced around them. They'd just apparated to the site of the World Cup. Sirius had come the day before and they were to meet him at the tent, which he'd brought with him. They'd just emerged from the woods surrounding the camp site. When Sirius had explained to them where to go, he made it seem easy. But he seemed to not have taken into account the hundreds of tents that would be set up in the field by the time they arrived. The field was a sea of tents of different colors and sizes.
"Your husband is terrible at giving directions. In case you weren't aware," Remus said, looking back at her.
Samantha sighed. "To be fair, I imagine it's hard to give directions to get to one tent among hundreds."
"Do you at least know what the tent looks like?"
She shook her head. "Afraid not. Sirius brought the small one. On the very, very rare occasion that we needed a tent, we took the big one."
Remus let out a breath. "Well, I guess we should start looking then. He's going to complain when we're late."
They headed into the sea of tents. The witches and wizards here seemed to be keeping the Ministry busy. Ministry officials were bustling about trying to keep those using magic from exposing them. Sirius had explained that the camp grounds were muggle owned and magic would need to be kept to a minimum, and none out in the open. Those gathered didn't seemed to be heeding the warning. Even the tents failed to be muggle-proof. Some people seemed to have attached chimneys and had a steady stream of smoke rising from them.
"If they pull hiding all of this from muggles off, I will be extremely impressed," Remus said, glancing around at the chaos surrounding them.
"Adrien and Sirius have been working hard enough on security that they'd better pull it off."
They passed through a section of tents that were shrouded entirely in green, obviously Ireland supporters.
"Do you reckon Sirius decorated the tent in green?" Remus asked.
Samantha shook her head. "I told him he was not to alter my parents' tent in any way. And I doubt he's had the time."
Remus shot her a look. "You're severely doubting his abilities to be an uproarious quidditch fan."
They continued to wander the maze of tents, having no idea where they were going. At one point, John Dawlish rushed by. He nodded at them as he passed, but he was gone before they could tell him that they had no idea where they were going.
"We're lost," Samantha said a few minutes later when they were still wandering aimlessly.
"It's hard to be lost when we didn't know where we were going in the first place."
"Oi!" a voice behind them called. They turned to find Sirius striding towards them, a grin on his face. "You're a half hour late. What are you doing all the way over here?"
Remus rolled his eyes. "Because someone gives lousy directions."
Sirius ignored him as he stepped forward to kiss Samantha's cheek.
"Come on," he said to them, wrapping his arm around her waist. "I'll show you to the tent. It's not long before we're to head to the stadium."
With the game set to not start until after dark, Samantha and Remus had not left until after they'd eaten dinner. It was already beginning to get dark, but the numerous tents kept the area well lit. Sirius seemed to have learned his way around well. He weaved between the tents, not pausing to question where he was going at all. It was only a few minutes before he paused outside of a rather plain looking tent. It was one of the few that managed to actually look like a normal muggle tent. Samantha was partially surprised that it had actually been set up and wondered if Sirius had managed on his own or if he'd required the help of spells or another person.
"The Weasleys and Harry are over that way," Sirius said, pointing in the general direction of the woods that they'd emerged from earlier. "I stopped by earlier. They seem to be having fun. And this," he gestured at the tent, "Is where we're staying tonight."
He led the way inside. They ducked through the entrance and appeared in a room that was similar to that of a small flat. There was a small sitting area with a couch and a few chairs, a kitchen, a bathroom, and one bedroom towards the back. Remus would be sleeping on the couch. Sirius had already thrown several blankets and a pillow onto it in preparation for whenever they made it back to the tent. There was no telling how late the match would run.
"I'm off now," Sirius said as they settled into the chairs. "I'll be helping Adrien keep an eye on things from the top box during the match. And I have a late patrol tonight, though I'm hoping to have time for a bit of sleep before that. After that, I'm done. So we can sleep as late as we want and head back tomorrow when we're ready."
"We saw Dawlish rushing off earlier," Remus said. "Seems like you've got your hands full."
Sirius scowled. "Not that we weren't expecting it, but no one seems to be heeding the fact that we're on muggle land. The couple who own-and live on-this property are getting suspicious. They're having to obliviate the poor man every few hours just to keep him from asking too many questions. Not that I blame him. You ought to see the outfits some people are showing up in in their attempt to appear as muggles."
"What's Adrien been doing?" Samantha asked. They'd offered to allow him to stay with them, but he'd said he'd rather help keep an eye on things. As far as she knew, he'd brought a tent to set up closer to wherever their main focus was, but he could have just told her that to appease her.
"Running himself ragged," Sirius replied with a roll of his eyes. "He's supposed to be taking breaks like I am. That's why Dawlish is here. To relieve him. But he's not very good about sitting still and letting everyone else do the work. I'm not sure he slept last night. And I doubt he plans on it tonight."
She shook her head. "I wish he didn't worry so much. He's worked hard on the security. Everything's going to be just fine."
"I tried to tell him that. But you know your brother. Didn't listen to a word I said."
"Hopefully he'll at least allow himself to enjoy the match."
Two hours later, they were moving with the crowd towards the stadium. The stadium was located on the other side of the woods that surrounded the camping field. It had muggle repellant charms on it to keep it hidden. The path through the woods to the stadium was lit by lanterns, and shadows danced across the ground hundreds of feet made their way through. All around them, the cracks of apparating filled the air as even more spectators arrived. Samantha clung to Sirius's hand, glancing around them in awe. She'd never seen such a gathering of witches and wizards in one place.
She caught a flash of red and then another, and then she caught a glimpse of Harry in a sea of red hair that could only be the Weasley family. They were a bit ahead of them on the path, the light of the lanterns illuminating the red hair. Harry turned and caught sight of them and managed a wave before he was swept off into the excited crowd.
The walk took nearly twenty minutes. All around them people sang and talked excitedly amongst themselves. The atmosphere was addicting and Samantha found herself smiling as they trekked through the woods. Soon enough, they broke free of the trees and the stadium towered over them. At the sight of it, Sirius picked up the pace.
As they made their way into the stadium, Sirius was grinning like a child at Christmas. He all but pulled Samantha inside. She glanced behind them to make sure Remus was still with them. He shook his head at her, shooting Sirius a weary look.
"How many people can this place hold?" Samantha asked, gazing up at the walls, which seemed to disappear into the dark sky.
"A hundred thousand," Sirius replied as they stepped up the a ministry witch positioned at the entrance.
He presented their tickets to her with a flourish. She seemed to recognize him because she barely glance at the tickets before she said, "All the way up the stairs, straight to the top," with a smile.
The stairs were carpeted in purple. They were crowed as they began, but the higher they climbed, the thinner the crowd became. There was no sign of Harry or the Weasleys. They must have already made it to the top.
Remus had gone up the stairs in front of them, and Sirius and Samantha followed behind. The higher they climbed, the more lightheaded she began to feel. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest. Her pace began to slow and Remus ended up reaching the top nearly ten steps ahead of them.
When they finally made it to the top, Remus had already stepped into the top box. Samantha paused, gasping to catch her breath. Sirius turned to her, his gaze concerned.
"Alright?" he asked softly.
She nodded. "I just need a moment," she said breathlessly.
He reached out to push her hair out of her face. When his fingers brushed the skin of her neck, he felt her heart beating rapidly and his face fell. "Oh, Merlin," he murmured, grasping her arms and pulling her close. "I'd forgotten."
She shook her head. "So had I."
Her vision swam and his hands gripped her arms tightly as she closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his shoulder. He clenched his jaw tightly. Most of the time it was easy for him to forget about the things they went through back during the war. But every now and then he was reminded. He'd forgotten the damage her heart had taken when she'd been in the hands of Death Eaters. Had forgotten how careful she had to be to not push herself too hard. She'd quickly learned to be careful. The issue had not even come up since he'd returned from Azkaban. He'd completely forgotten until this moment.
"I'm sorry," he said softly to her now.
She glanced up at him, a smile tugging at her lips. She seemed to have caught her breath for the most part. "I'd forgotten, too," she reminded him, a gentle reprimand for him apologizing for something she didn't blame him for.
"I apologize for interrupting," a voice said from behind her. "But do you plan on blocking the stairs all day?"
Even if she hadn't recognized the voice, she would have known who had spoken by the way Sirius's face instantly darkened as he glared over her head. The grip he had on her arms tightened and he pulled her into his side. She turned to find Lucius Malfoy standing a few steps below them. A boy Harry's age stood beside him, a sneer on his face, and she assumed this had to be his son, Draco. They had the same blonde hair, the same dark eyes, and the same unpleasant expressions on their faces.
"Lucius," she greeted, inclining her head politely.
"Miss Dawson."
"It's Mrs. Black now, actually," Sirius spoke up coldly.
Lucius's eyes cut to him. "I suppose it is."
The two of them stared at each other, but neither moved to speak again. After a long, silent moment, Sirius pulled Samantha to the side so that Lucius and Draco could pass. She admired Sirius's restraint to not say anything else as they passed, but she could tell that by the way he was tightly holding her arms that he was fighting not to.
He'd known Lucius Malfoy would be here, she realized. His expression was dark and angry, but held no surprise upon seeing him here. It made sense now that she thought about it. Being in charge of security, Adrien would be very well aware of who all would be sitting in the top box where the Minister would also be sitting. He'd probably spoken to Sirius about keeping his temper. It wasn't surprising Lucius Malfoy had seats in the top box. He had the Minister wrapped around his finger after all.
"I'm impressed with your restraint," she told him once Lucius and Draco had entered the top box.
Sirius pulled a face, releasing her arms to wrap his arms around her waist, leaning his head against hers. "Don't be impressed yet," he said. "The match hasn't even started."
He pressed a kiss to her cheek before he stepped away, his arms falling from her waist. His grin was back, and he pulled her into the top box. They were at the very top of the stadium. Two rows of chairs were situated inside and most of them were filled. The Weasleys were seated in the front row, and Sirius caught sight of Harry's head of messy black hair. Remus was also seated in the front row, and beside him were two empty seats for him and Samantha.
Fudge had already arrived and Adrien was deep in conversation with him. Lucius and his son stood with them, as did a woman who could only be his wife, Narcissa. She must have come up before them. Adrien smiled at his sister when they entered and shot Sirius a warning look. Samantha glanced up to see him giving the Minister a not-so-friendly look. She grabbed his hand to gain his attention and shook her head, pulling him to their seats.
When she sat down beside Remus, he turned towards her with his eyebrows raised. She waved him off and tried to ignore the fact that the Malfoys had just seated themselves behind them. She felt Sirius tense and reached in his lap to take his hand. The evening was meant to be enjoyable. He squeezed her hand back and slowly relaxed in his seat.
There was a commotion as Ludo Bagman bustled into the box. Only a moment later, he'd magnified his voice and was speaking to everyone in the stadium, welcoming them to the twenty-second Quidditch World Cup.
Remus leaned across Samantha. "The Weasley twins have bet Bagman that Bulgaria will catch the snitch but Ireland will win," he said to Sirius.
Sirius snorted and shook his head. "Fat chance in that. Krum may be a bit dim, but he knows better than that."
The Bulgarian team mascots were moving out onto the field. Or rather, gliding onto the field. Samantha leaned forward to catch a better look and when she saw what they were, she rolled her eyes and sat back. They'd brought veela. Sirius had leaned forward as well, a smile on his face. The veela were dancing and singing now and both Sirius and Remus seemed transfixed by the performance. She still held Sirius's hand and she couldn't be quite sure, but she thought that that was the only reason he was still in his seat.
The music stopped abruptly. Sirius blinked and sat back in his seat looking as if he were just waking up. Ludo announced the Irish Team Mascots. Leprechauns began to zoom around the stadium in blurs of green and gold. They formed the shape of a giant shamrock in the air and gold coins began to rain from it. The crowd roared and the leprechauns drifted back to the ground.
Ludo remained silent for a moment, likely for dramatic effect, and then he began to introduce the Bulgarian team. The crowd roared as each player shot out onto the field as their names were announced. The cheers increased when Krum appeared and from down the row, Ron Weasley began shouting in excitement.
The Irish team was announced next, and Sirius let out an excited shout. The referee entered the field last. He mounted his broom before kicking a wooden box opened The balls burst out and shot into the air, the referee following. And the game began.
Samantha had seen plenty of quidditch matches in her time at Hogwarts, but it did not match what she was watching now. The players moved with amazing speed and precision, a kind she hadn't realized was possible. She glanced back to where Adrien was. Always taking his job seriously, he was standing in the back, but his attention was on the game. He'd gotten invited to play professional quidditch once, but he'd turned it down to become an Auror. When he was younger, she knew he used to wonder if he'd made the right decision. She didn't think he did anymore, but with the rapt way he was watching the game now, she wondered if he did still think about it every now and then.
Ireland made the first score and Sirius pumped his fist in triumph. He was leaning forward in his seat again, his attention entirely on the game. Sirius loved quidditch, and this was his first match in years.
If she thought the matches at Hogwarts were brutal, they were nothing compared to the match she was watching now. The Bulgarian beaters were continuously hitting bludgers at the Irish team. Both of the seekers suddenly dove towards the ground.
"He's faking," Sirius muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
Sure enough, at the last moment, Krum pulled up and the Irish seeker slammed into the ground. The match was paused as mediwizards swarmed the field to examine him. Eventually the seeker clambered to his feet and remounted his broom. Cheers roared through the crowd as he shot back into the air and the game resumed.
Ireland pulled ahead, having one hundred and thirty points over Bulgaria's ten. The more goals that were scored, the dirtier the playing became. More penalties, more injuries. At one point the veela and leprechauns began to fight. The veela were throwing handfuls of fire at them.
Adrien moved to stand beside Sirius's chair as Ministry wizards flooded the field to separate them. The game continued, the players seemingly oblivious to the fight their mascots were in. The beaters were swinging their clubs, not caring if it were bludger or human that they made contact with. Krum took a bludger to the face, his nose obviously broken, but no time out was called.
The Irish seeker suddenly went into a dive, and Sirius leaned forward eagerly. There was no mutterings about it being a fake dive this time. Harry began to shout that the snitch had been spotted. Krum was hot on the other seeker's tail. Blood was streaming behind him, but somehow he could see. For a second time, the Irish seeker crashed into the ground and for one frantic moment, no one knew who had caught the snitch. But then Krum was rising into the air, the snitch held over his head.
The scoreboard flashed. Ireland won by ten points.
The reaction was slow as people began to realize what had happened. And then the Ireland supporters' voices rose into a deafening roar. Ludo was shouting that Ireland had one.
Sirius sat back in his chair, a dumbfounded look on his face. "They were right," he muttered. But his excitement over his team winning quickly won over his shock and he was leaping to his feet with a shout. Ron Weasley was shouting angrily about Krum catching the snitch when it wouldn't win him the game.
Sirius pulled Samantha to her feet so that he could hug her, and even Adrien looked very pleased over how the game had come to end. Ludo said something about the top box and then a bright light suddenly illuminated it, temporarily blinding everyone inside. It had been made so that those in the stands could see inside, and a moment later, the defeated Bulgarian team marched inside. They were met with enthusiastic applause, and when Krum's name was announced, the crowd still roared.
The Irish team came next and were presented the Cup. The crowd below thundered in response. Sirius was grinning again, and for an instant Samantha caught a glimpse of the boy she had known at Hogwarts. Just seeing that would have made it worth coming even if she hadn't enjoyed herself. But she had, and that made it all the better.
"I can't believe it," Sirius said for the umpteenth time since the match had ended nearly an hour ago.
"We're well aware," Remus replied with a shake of his head, but he was smiling a big smile that made Samantha wonder if he'd noticed the same thing she had. That for just an instant, everything that had happened to Sirius had fallen away and all that had been left was the fun-loving boy who took joy in everything.
Sirius's arm was tightly wrapped around her waist as they made their way back to their tent. They'd stayed and talked with the Weasleys for a while, and with Adrien, but it was late and Sirius was due to patrol in just three hours. He wanted to get a bit of sleep before then. Around them, everyone was celebrating. They were shouting, singing, and the occasional bang would echo through the night.
"I'm glad I'm not on duty for a few hours," Sirius murmured when they finally reached their tent and ducked inside. The sound was a bit more muted, but not by much. "They're going to have to quiet down."
Despite the excitement of the night, they headed to bed rather quickly, Sirius and Samantha retreated to the bedroom while Remus made himself comfortable on the couch.
"I missed you last night," Sirius said as he settled himself into the bed beside her.
She smiled and rolled towards him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I missed you, too."
He sighed in content and relaxed and she knew he'd already fallen asleep. He must have been more exhausted than he'd been letting on. She pressed a kiss to his shoulder before closing her eyes to follow suit. She fell asleep to the sounds of singing.
She woke again what felt not long after when Sirius rose from the bed. The noise of the celebrating was still loud outside, and she wondered if it was time for him to patrol or if he simply thought that they could use the help with quieting everyone down. Nonetheless, he kissed her cheek before he left, and only when he'd left the room did she allow herself to fall back into sleep.
"Sam."
Someone was shaking her. She groaned and rolled onto her back.
"Sam, you've got to get up. We've got to go."
She pried her eyes opened. Remus was standing over her, hastily dressed and face urgent. There were still sounds coming from outside, but they had changed. No longer were people singing and celebrating. Now it was screams that filled the air, the sound of feet pounding as they ran.
"What's going on?"
He shook his head. "I'm not sure, but I think I heard someone say Death Eaters."
That was enough to send a stab of dread shooting through her. She felt ill, but allowed him to hastily pull her from the bed. He rushed out of the room while she quickly dressed, making sure she had her wand before following. Only after they stepped into the cold night air did she realize she'd forgotten to grab a cloak.
There were a few fires outside of tents still burning, and they illuminated the night dimly. Hoards of people were running towards the woods. She got a glimpse of a panicked face, someone carrying a crying child. From across the field, dark figures were moving towards them. There were odd flashes of light, loud bangs. Jeering, laughter, drunken yells. And then a burst of green light that caused her to jump, her heart stalling in her chest. Remus grabbed her arm and began to pull her away. She started to follow, but then she saw them. A crowd of wizards, moving together and wands pointed up marching slowly towards them across the field. They were hooded, their faces masked. Above them, four struggling figures were being contorted into grotesque shapes. Two of them were children.
More joined the group, trampling tents, catching others on fire. The screaming grew louder, the crowd thickening as more caught on to what was happening and began to flee. Samantha felt herself take a step towards the marchers and then another before she felt Remus's hand on her arm tighten before he pulled her back. She spun towards him.
"We have to do something," she said, her voice sounding more panicked than she liked.
He shook his head, giving her a stern look. "That's what the Aurors are here for," he told her.
She turned back towards the group. Sure enough, Ministry wizards were beginning to arrive, closing in from every direction.
"Let's go," he said, pulling on her arm again.
This time she followed, casting one last look towards the marchers. She felt a strong pull to help, but she felt better putting distance between herself and the group she knew without a doubt were Death Eaters.
They plunged into the rush of bodies. They were jostled and pushed as they made their way with the crowd towards the woods. Remus still gripped her arm tightly. At one point she was shoved roughly into him, nearly knocking the both of them off of their feet, but they managed to keep their footing.
As they began to draw close to the tree line, someone barreled into them, shoving Samantha forward roughly. She felt Remus's hand slip away as she stumbled several steps, the crowd pushing her with them. By the time she was able to regain her footing and look up, Remus was nowhere in sight. She thought she heard him call for her, but she couldn't be sure over the screaming. The crowd continued to push her forward, and with one final glance around, she gave up and began to head for the woods on her own. She'd look for Remus once she reached the cover of the trees.
The closer she drew to the trees, the quieter it became. The screams were behind her now, and once when she chanced a glance back she caught sight of the marchers. The Aurors didn't seem to have managed to subdue them, but they'd slowed their progression forward. She caught one last look of the group surrounded by Aurors before she ducked into the trees.
It was quiet in the woods. The sounds of cracking surrounded her. Everyone seemed to be disapperating once they broke the barrier that prevented it out in the open where muggles could see. She briefly thought about doing the same, heading home and waiting for somewhere there. But surely Remus was looking for her, and Sirius would be back handling the Death Eaters. She did not want to leave until she knew he was alright.
There was a loud boom that came from the campsite followed by a green light that momentarily made everything bright as day. She flinched away. Her right foot landed on a tree root, and as her weight shifted, it twisted her ankle at a sharp angle. She cried out at the sudden sharp pain that shot through her leg and quickly shifted her weight off of that foot, using the trunk of a tree for support. Cursing under her breath, she leaned down to inspect her ankle. She fumbled in the dark for her wand, intending to use it for a light, but before she could cast the spell to light it, another surge of green illuminated the woods.
She waited for it to disappear as it had before but when it remained steady, she glanced up to see what was causing the light. She caught sight of it in the same instant that the screams started up again. Through the trees a bit away from where she stood, she could make out a large skull hanging in the air, a serpent protruding from the mouth. Her heart stilled in her chest and she momentarily forgot about her injured ankle as she stepped forward to better see the skull. She quickly halted as pain shot up her leg again, but her attention remained on the skull.
The Dark Mark. It hadn't been seen in years, not since Voldemort had disappeared. It was a sign of war, a symbol that unspeakable things had and would happen. Death Eaters would leave them after an attack. After they had killed.
"Sam!"
She turned her head to the left to see Remus running towards her. He looked relieved to see her, but his face was white and his hands were shaking.
"Do you see it?" he asked hoarsely as he slid to a stop beside her.
They both looked back up at the mark in the sky. It hung in the air, bathing the trees in an eerie green light. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Remus turn to look at her. She knew he was checking her over, making sure she was alright, but she could not bring herself to tear her eyes away from the mark.
"What did you do to your foot?" he asked, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.
She tore her eyes away to turn to him. He was looking down at her right leg, which she wasn't quite putting weight on. Her ankle throbbed and she wanted nothing more than to no longer be standing on it.
"Twisted my ankle," she replied with a shake of her head. "Nothing terrible. It'll be fine."
Remus just shook his head and grabbed her arm, shifting her weight against him so she could take weight off of her right foot.
"We should leave," he said. "It's not safe here."
"Not without Sirius."
Remus shot her an exasperated look, but he did not seem surprised by her answer.
"He'd want us to leave."
"I don't care what he would want," she replied indignantly.
"And how do you propose to find him? Walk around the woods until you bump into him?" He glanced down pointedly at her foot.
She clenched her jaw and looked away. That had been her plan, or at least it had been before she'd had to go and twist her ankle on a tree root. After she'd found Remus, she had intended to find Sirius, but Remus had found her and she couldn't put weight on her foot without pain shooting through it.
They didn't have to go find him it turned out. A short distance in front of them, a group of people appeared from deeper in the woods. In the dark, even with the Dark Mark illuminating the woods, it was impossible to make out any faces. But one towards the back looked their way and paused. A moment later, they changed direction to head towards them. It only took her a few seconds to realize it was Sirius. As he drew closer, she was able to make out the relieved expression on his face. He looked exhausted, a cut stretched across his left cheek, but he was smiling. It was a weary, tight smile because no one could truly smile after a night like the one that had just transpired.
"Thank Merlin," he said as he reached them. "I wasn't sure if you'd still be here or not. I was worried and hoping you'd left."
"We were about to," Remus replied, failing to mention the argument over staying and finding Sirius he and Samantha were just about to have. "We were separated and just found each other."
"Separated?" he echoed, and his eyes dropped to where Samantha's foot hung slightly off of the ground.
"I just stepped on it wrong," she said before he could ask. "Who cast the Dark Mark?"
Sirius's face darkened. "We don't know. But Crouch seemed determined to place the blame on our godson."
"And the muggles?" Remus asked.
"We got them down," Sirius said, his voice softening. "But I'm not sure how they are or what's going to happen to them." His gaze shifted back to his wife. "I want you to go home." Her mouth opened to argue, but he shook his head and spoke before she could say a word. "The Death Eaters have left, but I'd feel better knowing you were safe at home. I have to stay and patrol the rest of the night, make sure nothing else is going to happen."
Reluctantly, Samantha nodded. Sirius's smile relaxed and he leaned down to give her a quick kiss. Remus promised that he would stay the night at the house and Sirius watched as they disapperated, leaving the woods far behind them.
Samantha woke to the sound of the shower turning on. She shifted and cracked her eyes opened. A dim light was shining through the windows. The bathroom door was cracked and the light was on. She'd been restless all night, or what had been left of it by the time they'd made it home. Keeping her eyes opened was hard, so she closed them.
She must have dozed off because she was woken again by the feeling of fingers lightly touching her ankle. When she and Remus had arrived back at the house, he'd helped her hobble inside and up the stairs. It was the first time she'd ever hated the fact that spells prevented anyone from apparating too close to the house. After she'd collapsed onto the bed, Remus had gotten her some ice. She'd healed it a little to help with the pain, but with minor injuries it was always best to let them heal naturally.
She inhaled deeply and opened her eyes. Sirius was seated beside her on the bed. His eyes had been on her foot but they shifted to her and he smiled. If she thought the one he had given her in the woods looked exhausted, it was nothing compared to the one he gave her now. She glanced down at her ankle. A bruise had begun to bloom, a black ugly thing that looked more painful than it actually was. But that was only because she'd healed it a bit.
"What time is it?" she asked softly, her voice full of sleep.
"Nearly seven," he replied, running a hand through her hair. He sighed and lay down beside her, closing his eyes. There were dark shadows beneath them. He hadn't gotten much sleep in the past two days. Hardly any at all. She wasn't sure how he'd even had the energy for a shower. But she'd heard it on and his hair was damp and he smelled of soap. "Does it hurt?"
She shook her head as his head moved to rest against her shoulder. "No. I healed it enough to ease the pain. Though it probably would if I tried to walk on it." She searched for his hand, lacing her fingers through his when she found it. "How bad was it?"
Sirius drew in a deep breath and then let it out slowly. She didn't push him to answer her. It had been a bad night for everyone, a glimpse of how things had been before and how they were probably soon to be again.
"Roberts," he eventually said softly, his voice hoarse. "That's their name. They have two children. And they've all been taken to St. Mungo's. For both physical and psychological reasons. The smallest…his body was twisted by the time they got him down…"
He trailed off, his voice shaking. She squeezed his hand and turned her head so that she could press her face into his hair. It was damp but it smelled of him and she inhaled deeply, trying to push the images his words had conjured from her mind.
"When the Dark Mark appeared, Crouch took a group of us to see if we could figure out who conjured it. Harry and his friends were there. And a house elf. Harry's wand had been the one to cast it. Harry swore it wasn't him, that he'd dropped his wand. And of course it wasn't. Even if he had the vaguest idea of how…" He'd begun to ramble, his voice growing louder, and he paused his words, composing himself. "We have no idea who did it," he said, voice soft once again. "And we probably never will. Ten people died. One was a child." His eyes opened and he turned his head to look at her. "It's only going to get worse."
A shiver ran down her spine. She'd know that already, of course. But to have it voiced aloud was a different matter. They'd known it was only a matter of time. But she didn't think any of them had realized it was going to start so soon. Sirius seemed to sense what she was feeling because he rolled up onto his side and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into him. She allowed him to silently, tucking her head beneath his chin and pressing a hand to the bare skin of his chest.
"How was Adrien?" she asked softly. Her brother had seen the signs of this coming for a long time, even before Dumbledore had confirmed that he believed that one day, Voldemort would return.
"He was…in shock. He didn't expect such an attack so soon. So…public. And so very obviously Death Eaters. He worked all night, but when I left, Dawlish was contacting Kingsley to come replace him. They'll make sure he goes home to rest."
She knew they would. They'd been looking after her brother for years, making sure he did not run himself down. They'd make sure he went home and got sleep when he needed it. If Nichole was at work, especially before any children were involved, they'd send him to Samantha. The drive to finish the job, to only rest when it was complete, he'd gotten from their father.
"He's holding a meeting on Monday about what happened. It wasn't a lax in security. We just weren't expecting anything like it. He's not going to tell anyone about Voldemort's possible return. Even though it seems likely, he's afraid to say until we know for sure."
She drew in a shaky breath. "I'm not ready for this."
His arms tightened around her. "I know, love. Neither am I."
They fell asleep not long after despite the conversation they'd had. They'd both had a long night and there was no way they could keep sleep at bay any longer. When Samantha woke again, it was early afternoon. Sirius was still asleep and she could hear Remus downstairs in the kitchen. She disentangled herself from Sirius's arms as gently as she could before standing gingerly. Her ankle was sore, but if she put minimal weight on it, she could bear the pain.
She slipped into clean clothes before slowly making her way downstairs. Remus was pulling a roasting tin from the drawer beneath the oven. He glanced up as he straightened and shook his head when he caught sight of her. He set the tin down on the stove and moved towards her, grabbing hold of her arm and helping her to the table.
"You shouldn't be walking on it," he chastised as she sank down into the chair.
"And what was I supposed to do?" she asked as he moved back to the stove and switched it on. "Just lie in bed?"
He turned back towards her. "That's usually what one does when they're injured, yes."
She stared flatly at him until he shrugged and turned his attention back to whatever he'd planned on cooking for dinner.
"I thought I'd make roast beef," he said as he pulled the said meat out. "Thought Sirius would like to have his favorite after the night he's just had."
She nodded, but said nothing in response, her gaze on the surface of the table. She remembered Sirius's voice when he'd told her about the night. He'd sounded so lost, so full of dread. She remembered how it had been before when they'd lived in a time where just leaving the house was a danger. Until a couple of years ago, she'd lived with the thought that she would never have to live in such a time again. But back then she'd also believed she'd never see Sirius again.
"How bad was it?" Remus asked after a long stretch of silence, the same question she'd asked Sirius earlier that morning.
So she told him. His face grew more pensive with the more he heard and by the end of it, his jaw was clenched tightly. They were fairly silent after that, both lost in their own thoughts. After Remus got the roast beef cooking, he joined her at the table.
The kitchen was still fairly quiet an hour later when the roast beef was nearly done and Remus rose to boil the potatoes. There was a quiet bang from upstairs, followed by footsteps above their head. Sirius was awake just in time to eat.
Dinner was a somber affair. Sirius attempted to lighten the mood a few times, but as he was just as lost in his thoughts as the other two, his attempts were halfhearted at best. They ended up spending the rest of the evening in relative silence, but it did not matter because they still had each other's company. By the time it was nearly eleven, they were all ready for bed despite how late they'd slept.
Sirius and Samantha headed upstairs while Remus went to stay in the guest room for another night. That night, Samantha fell asleep against Sirius's shoulder, his arm wrapped tightly around her. Before she fell asleep, she convinced herself that things would somehow work out. Believing that they would was the only way to keep going.
Two days later, Sirius found himself surrounded by other Aurors. They were gathered per Adrien's request. Some, mostly the trainees, were looking around obviously wondering why they were there. Others seemed to know why. Sirius stood at the back of the room, his arms crossed over his chest and his back against the wall. He already knew everything Adrien planned to say. He'd had a meeting with him the day previous along with Dawlish and Kingsley. They'd decided what exactly Adrien should say to everyone else, what he should share and what he should keep to himself.
Sirius felt eyes on him and glanced up. Nathan Roberts was glaring at him from across the room. Sirius looked away and paid him no attention. Nathan had been hostile to him ever since he'd rejoined the Aurors. Part of it was due to who he was, but he was certain the other Auror did not like how quickly Sirius had moved to be part of Adrien's inner circle. Not that he flaunted the fact or even considered it an inner circle. He'd rather be part of the group who didn't know every single detail, really. But Nathan had taken notice of how often Sirius gathered in the Head Auror's office with Dawlish and Kingsley and had made certain to make it know how much he disliked it.
Someone nudged his arm and Sirius turned to see that Kingsley had joined him. The other Auror gave him a tight smile.
"Roberts looks as if he's been sucking on a lemon," he said, nodding at the Auror. Seeming to realize he was being talked about, Nathan sent them one last glare before turning his head away.
Sirius smirked. "He does look like a man who likes to be sucking on things, doesn't he?"
Kingsley rolled his eyes. "Is your wife aware that you've got such a foul mouth or do only I get the pleasure to hear it?"
"I did not intend it in that way which makes me question you." Sirius's lips twitched. "And yes, I believe she is well aware."
Kingsley cut him a sidelong glance and looked as if he were going to say something else, but Adrien strode into the room before he could open his mouth. Silence fell around them as the Head Auror made his way to the front of the room. Dawlish entered behind him, but he ducked to the right to join Kingsley and Sirius at the back.
Adrien looked around the room, his face grim. Once he was sure he had everyone's attention, he began to speak.
"I'm sure most of you already know why we're here today. What happened a few days ago has left every one of us shocked. Ten people lost their lives, and one of those was a child. An event meant to bring witches and wizards from around the world together tore them apart with the threat of their lives. Before we go any further, I want to stress that I am not blaming any of you. This is not a matter of lax in security. Everyone was on their toes for the entirety of the event and the security was the best it could have been considering we were not expecting such an attack. Everyone responded to the attack immediately and just as you've been trained to do. I am proud of each and every one of you."
At times, Sirius found himself comparing Adrien to Moody, whom he had worked under for three years before he'd been arrested. Though Adrien wasn't exactly easy-going, he wasn't as strict and angry as Moody had been as Head Auror. He could hear Moody now, growling at every single one of them that the Death Eaters should not have gotten anywhere near the camp, despite how impossible detecting them would have been. At the Cup, they hadn't even known there was a threat until it was too late. The Death Eaters had too many years of practice; they were good at being unnoticed until they wanted to be seen.
"Since the attack, I've been asked several times if we should expect more attacks or if it was localized. Not all of you were with the Aurors during the first war, but everyone in this room is old enough to remember those days." He paused and looked around the room, his eyes landing on every single one of them. "No, I don't believe this is the last we will see of the Death Eaters. I believe this is only the beginning."
The silence of the room shattered as murmurs broke out. Sirius exchanged glances with Dawlish and Kingsley. They'd known the announcement wouldn't be well-received, but it had been decided that it needed to be made. The other Aurors needed to be aware that another attack could happen at any time, anywhere. Being aware of surroundings at all times could save lives, as Sirius was well aware.
"As of now," Adrien continued, "We're not going to change anything. As you all know, right now trainees are required to undergo three years of training and then an additional year of mentorship. What you may not know is that during the war, the training and mentorship combined was cut down to only two years, a year for each. It squeezed into two years what right now we do in four. But it was necessary to keep enough well-trained Aurors out in the field. As of right now, we don't plan on returning to the faster-paced training. But be aware that we have no idea how far this will go, how bad things will get. Changes could happen at any time."
The mood in the room had shifted while Adrien spoke. Everywhere Sirius looked, faces were grim. That was good. They were taking what Adrien was saying seriously. They needed that. Without telling them of what was likely coming, Adrien could only tell them that it was likely more attacks would happen. They needed the Aurors prepared for attacks because even though Adrien could not say, they knew more attacks were coming. They just didn't know where or when. Which was why they needed everyone to be prepared.
"I advise you to be careful even when you're not on duty. Always be aware of your surroundings, place strong protective charms around your houses. If you need any help with the charms, I'd be happy to assist." There was another pause and Adrien looked as if he were contemplating saying something else. But he shook his head the slightest bit and said, "That's all for now. Get back to work. Come to me with any questions."
Murmuring filled the room as everyone began moving around, filing out to go back to whatever it was they had been doing. Sirius watched them leave. Some looked more worried than others. Those that did look worried were mostly those that had been Aurors during the war. Most didn't look worried at all. But it didn't matter. When the room was mostly empty, when no one was looking, Adrien looked worried enough for all of them.
End Chapter
