A Big thank you for my new reader Jezabelle31415926 for the lovely review they sent me, it really means a lot, and another thank you to my friend Ashnd91.

The weeks came with little change, and Veronica continued to stay with Sirius in Grimmuld Place, waiting for instruction.

She took on most of the house duties to keep herself busy, but also because she figured out Sirius wouldn't do them himself. He was too busy moping about like a ghost. He was ill tempered and easily frustrated most of the time, either anxious from the lack of information they were getting, or from cabin fever.

It was most likely both.

He had made up his mother's old room for her, chuckling darkly when he mentioned what kind of conniption Mrs. Black would have had if she knew. Being in the house brought a sort of darkness around Sirius, and one day Veronica grew brave enough to ask him about it.

"I hate this house." He confessed. "I fought every day until I was 16 years old to get out of this place, and now I'm trapped again."

Veronica sat on his bed next to him. "I'm sorry Sirius. I wish there was something I could do."

"That's the thing, there's really nothing to do!" Sirius grunted. "We have to make it look like this place is abandoned. We're little more than ghosts at the moment."

Veronica frowned but didn't know what to say. He was right.

Christ, she couldn't even call her own family to check in on her son.

But she couldn't bring that up now.

"I always heard stories about your family when I worked in the ministry." She confessed to him. "I didn't know how much was true."

"All of it." Sirius said without hesitation. "All of it was true. Nothing you heard could be worse than the things my family has done."

"Sirius?"

"Yes?"

"Is there anything you want to talk about?" She asked. "I hear you talking in your sleep at night and crying. Maybe talking about it would help."

Sirius pulled in his lips and looked away. "They're just nightmares, they aren't real."

"All the same." Veronica sniffed, "it obviously bothers you."

Sirius remained silent a moment before leaned against the wall and looking at her.

"Every time I close my eyes," he confessed, "I'm right back in that prison cell."

Veronica sat back and listened closely, staring at him to let him know she was all ears.

"It feels so real, like this world is the dream and that one is real life." He went on, his eyes growing further away as he thought about it. "And I think of everyone I've lost; my friends, my freedom, hell even my own brother. And I just feel so helpless because I can't bring them back."

Veronica put her hand on his shoulder hesitantly, then reached around him when he leaned into it. She scratched his scalp gently as she sighed and thought on this.

"It's only for now." She whispered. "This is the hard part I suppose. Not the losses we've had, but the process we need to take to make things better, when all we want to do is charge in head first and give them everything we've pent up inside of us."

Sirius looked at her and offered a weak smile. "I haven't talked to someone like this is over a decade."

"Well then I suppose it's a bit overdue." She smiled back.

"I'm sorry if I wake you at night."

"You don't" She shook her head. "I'm already up when I hear you."

"In the middle of the night?" Sirius frowned. "Why?"

Veronica looked away and pulled her hand away from his head, "No Reason."

"Bull" He cut her off. "Come on, I just spilled my guts. It's your turn now."

Veronica sighed and looked up at him. "I keep thinking I hear him crying."

"Who?"

"Valerian." Veronica swallowed, her face growing hot. She wouldn't cry this time, she told herself, she could be strong. "I guess I'm so used to getting up in the middle of the night to sooth him that it's habit by now. Even if he's not here, I always wake up swearing that I can here him crying for me."

Sirius's face fell as he swallowed and pulled her into a hug gently. "I can't imagine how hard it must be for you."

Veronica sniffed, fighting back tears and sighed. "I keep telling myself that if I'm not away from him now, then I'm forsaking the best future he could have. And he deserves better than all of this."

"We all do." Sirius agreed. "And I'm sure he will understand. He probably won't even remember all of this by the time things are put right."

"Still" Veronica nodded, "I feel so guilty. He's just a baby, he doesn't understand why his mummy isn't there anymore. I wish I could explain it to him, but I can't and-" She cut off, unable to end the sentence properly because he had no words to explain how she felt.

Sirius leaned into her shoulder, his head under her chin. The warmth of her neck and shoulder made him realize how much he had missed human contact in these thirteen years. The rhythm of her fingers in his hair was soothing beyond words. He leaned into her deeper and Veronica grunted before repositioning herself more comfortably.

"It's like you said." He assured her. "This is the worst of it, and once it's over we'll all be able to move on from this like it never even happened."

Veronica nodded and hugged him tighter. They sat that way on the bed for a long time, neither one bothering to look at the clock until they separated, feeling almost refreshed.

"I'm going to go make dinner." She patted his shoulder. "You should try and rest."

She climbed down the stairs, feeling for the wand in her pocket.

There was once a time, not very long ago, when Veronica would hardly ever use her wand. She never felt a real need for it, unless it was required. But these days, it hardly ever left her side. In her pocket, in her hair, and at night under her pillow with one hand gripping it. She and Sirius had taken to refreshing their dueling skills by sparring with each other, keeping their stance firm and their movements quick incase the worst should happen.

Sirius had to work to overcome the difficulty of using a stranger's wand, plus the fact that he had been out of practice for twelve years. They cleared out the large dining room, with Kreature's reluctant help, and soon they were spending hours at a time just training until they exhausted themselves.

And, to Veronica's delight, Sirius never too it easy on her. He didn't fight to seriously injure her, but he didn't pull any punches when she asked him to give her everything he had. They gave each other bruises and cuts and welts that sometimes they would heal with magic, and others they would let turn yellow and purple with age until they disappeared.

Sirius also decided to teach Veronica a skill that had been passed through his family for generations.

"Now these are throwing knives, so they're made for you to throw them by the handle." He stood nearly flush to her back, pulling her into the proper stance. "But if you have to do this on the fly, you'll probably be using a heavy handled knife, so you'll have to throw it by the blade instead."

"Is that safe?"

"It is if you don't know how to hold it properly. You want to keep your thumb firm on the blade but not enough pressure to mess with your accuracy."

He held her hand and placed it on the knife precisely before stepping away.

"Remember, arm back, shoulders straight, like you're throwing a baseball."

She took a breath and followed the motion smoothly, letting out the breath she'd been holding when the point of the knife hit the wall and hung there.

"Bravo!" Sirius laughed and clapped for her, "if writing doesn't work out, we'll sell you to the circus!"

They didn't talk about subject they knew might cause a fight. Which meant No Politics, No Religion, and No Severus Snape.

Veronica found it very natural to be away from Severus, and yet still be connected to him. He didn't have to be within her sight for her to feel close to him.

Severus, on the other hand, was the utter opposite. He'd linger after Order meetings to talk with her, or even pop in from time to time on the weekends to say hello.

It annoyed the hell out of Sirius, but soon he learned to simply leave the room when the uninvited guest showed up.

However, Severus's paranoia still lingered.

"He hasn't…?" He pressed, eyeing the door Black walked out of. "You know."

"Severus!" Veronica hissed indignantly. "You said you trusted me!"

"I do trust you!" Severus soothed her quietly. "It's the hound dog I don't trust."

"Severus Snape." Veronica put her fists on her hips. "You promised me that you would going to lay off Sirius to keep things peaceful between us all."

"I didn't call him out to his face, did I?" Severus defended himself. "You can tell me, I won't freak out."

"No" Veronica growled. "he's been a perfect gentleman!"

The subject was promptly dropped.

Veronica entered the kitchen and began to prepare a simple meal of pork and broccoli. A large knife in her hand, she chopped the veggies before pausing.

"Kreature?" she called, "Is that you?"

No answer came, but she did hear heavy footsteps in the hall and with the knife in hand she kept towards the hall. The footsteps grow louder and faster, belonging to someone in a hurry and Veronica took several steps back and fearfully raised her knife until a blur of black passed her and she cried out.

"Veronica!"

She froze and blinked, Severus stood before her with a serious look in his eye.

"Severus!" She growled furiously, throwing the knife down. "Announce yourself before running in here like a bat! I could have killed you!"

"Thank God you're alright! Where's Black?"

"What?"

Severus grabbed her and shook her fiercely. "Is Black here! Where is he?"

"What's going on down here?" Sirius tramped down the stairs with his wand drawn before rolling his eyes. "Severus, for Christ's sake!"

"You're both here." Severus took a step back. "That's not good."

"You're not making any sense." Veronica leaned on the counter. "Where else are we supposed to be?"

"The department of mysteries." Severus breathed. "We need to call the Order together and get there now. Before Potter does something stupid!"

"Snape!" Sirius barked. "Merlin's Teeth, sit down and tell us what's going on! Where is Harry, is he in trouble?"

"Maybe not at the moment, but he likely will be." Severus took a breath. "That Dark Lord has discovered the link, and he's using it to lure Potter to the Department of Mysteries. I don't know why, but whatever it is it's not good."

Sirius drew his wand and nodded.

"Potter thinks the Dark Lord has you and Veronica held hostage there, I was going to go myself, but I knew I had to check here before I did something stupid." Severus nodded. "I'm glad I did."

"We'll get the Order together and get there as soon as we can." Sirius assured him.

"I have to get back to the School."

"You aren't coming?"

"I can't." Severus shook his head. "I can't blow my cover with the Deatheaters."

"You've done all you can, Severus." Veronica stepped forward, holding his face before kissing him and pushing him away. "Now go, maybe you'll get lucky and catch Potter before he does something rash."

Severus nodded and darted down the hall to the Floo once more and Sirius pulled on his coat before looking at Veronica.

"We said we wanted to make a difference, didn't we?" He growled. "Now's our chance."