CHAPTER 25:

Sirius P.O.V

"Abraham…you can let us out now." Kristoff, if that was really his name, said aloud. Almost instantaneously the lift came to life, and the whole mechanism whirred into action. So he'd planned it all.

"Go home, get some things together and meet me here." Kristoff handed me a piece of paper with an address on it. "We'll take my private jet to Russia. I'll let you see them once we get there, and I get a chance to talk to Adelaide."

I growled at this.

"Well that's not good enough! Take me there now! Thirteen years! Thirteen years! I've done my waiting." I roared, picking the Russian up by his collar.

"Yes. Thirteen years you've waited. All for you to ruin it by running in there, scaring the hell out of everyone, drunk, looking rough as hell, and stinking of alcohol." Kristoff spat. I put him down, my chest rising and falling like I had a bird trapped in me or something. "You are their Father, but I was there when they were born. I've watched them grow up. I don't care about how much you've waited. I don't care how much you want to see them. And I really don't care about how angry you are. I care about the three children that I have come to love. They deserve to know their Father. A decent one. So go home. Have a shower, sober up and meet me at the address with your stuff. Ok?"

Russians are angry people. At any rate...he was right. This wasn't about me. It was about my kids. I nodded reluctantly.

"I'll be there in two hours." I said before apparating to my flat in London.

I still could not believe that I was a dad.

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When I arrived at my flat, I threw a bunch of stuff into a suitcase. Two consecutive CRACK sounds told me that James and Peter had followed me. Of course.

"Pads…don't tell me you're actually just going to just go with this guy! Even if you do have children and this isn't a trick…Petrova tried to kill Harry."

I turned as James entered my room, taking in the mess I had made. I couldn't believe him.

"I have children. Three of them. It's not a trick. I know it. And I'm going to find them and bring them home. They belong with me." I said, dismissing the fact that I didn't have any proof for any of this. I just knew.

"Of course! If they exist, they should be with you. No one is disputing that. The issue is the fact that Adelaide Petrova is a criminal and she is dangerous. What if this is a trick? We need to go in prepared! It's insane not to! Let's talk about this." James attempted to reason with me. I paused my frantic bag packing and looked up at him.

"Oh…so you wanna talk about her now? After thirteen years, James? You want to talk about her now. Where the hell were you thirteen years ago, when I needed a fucking friend? I have been with you through everything! I was there when you got married to Evans…when Harry and Christina were born. I was there when your Dad died. I held your fucking hand! And when Adelaide…when she…you just left me. For an entire year!You turned your back on me for a year, when I gave her up because I put you and your family above her. So what if she's a criminal? I could have been with my kids. I gave up my kids, even if I didn't realise it at the time. So don't you dare tell me you want to talk about it." I retorted, slowly getting louder and louder, until I was screaming at him. James backed down and retreated to the living room. Meanwhile I stripped down and marched purposefully to the bathroom.

Once I was showered and groomed, I lifted the now packed, haphazardly admittedly, suitcase, and strode into the living room. Only Peter remained. It was almost two in the morning.

"Where's James?" I asked. Peter moved his hands from his face and looked up. His watery eyes were tired, and his expression was one of utter exhaustion.

"He went to go and get Dumbledore. I couldn't stop him." He replied. I grimaced. I needed to move fast. I wanted to see my kids before Dumbledore could get involved. I mean I trusted the man with my life…but I couldn't wait. I wouldn't wait.

"When-"

"About ten minutes ago. If we hurry, we can be on that plane and in the air before they even get here." As I said this, I noticed the overnight bag that lay at Peter's feet. He noticed me stare at it. "I apparated home just now and got it. I'm coming with you. I'll see you there." With that, he got up, flung his bag around his shoulder and apparated out with a loud CRACK. The only thing I could do was follow suit.

After the sickening sensation of apparating faded, I made out the large tin creation that stood amidst the roaring sound of an engine. It was a plane. Some way off, Peter stood, talking to Zukov. I ran over to them quickly.

"Apparently, he's coming with us?"

"Apparently."

Zukov nodded, accepting this change in plans, and indicated that we follow him.

Anxious that James and Dumbledore not get here anytime soon, I hurried along, and only felt relative ease when we were airborne.

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Exactly two hours, fifty three minutes and forty nine seconds later, when we reached Russia, Zukov took us to his home on the outskirts of Moscow. He told us that we had to stay put for a few days…that Nikolai, my son, wanted to wait a few days to see me. He wanted to explain everything to Adelaide first. Whilst this was far from what I had planned, it allowed me some time to think. Everything had happened so fast. I mean…I have kids. I'm a dad. Whilst the world hadn't changed even the slightest bit, it seemed like I was no longer me…or rather, I had lived my entire life as someone else, and only when I had realised that I had children, did I truly become me. And then…then there was Adelaide. I had loved her so much. Maybe even now, I wouldn't be able to be completely unaffected by her when I first saw her after all these years, but she was…bad. She had tried to kill Harry. She had left me heartbroken. She had kept my children from me. I needed to think of a way to take them back to England. From what Zukov tells me, they love her. It would be hard to get them to leave. But I had to. It was in everybody's best interests. I just had to bide my time.

Two days later, James, Lily, Dumbledore and Remus showed up. They had, apparently, utilised every resource in tracking down Zukov, and had even managed to secure Adelaide's address. It was true, she did have triplets. Not that I needed any proof. I already knew. That night I had fought with everyone. I wanted to see Adelaide and my kids that day. There was no point waiting. Zukov didn't think she was ready. The others wanted to be prepared for an attack. In the end, I was out numbered and had to do as I was told. It didn't matter in the end.

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ADDY POV

I knew the morning after the triplets' birthday that something was going to happen. When I finally realised that the tickets were gone and Nikolai couldn't look at my face, I grew suspicious. When Feodora notified me that all of a sudden Kristoff had needed to go on a business trip I grew even more apprehensive. A quick call to his secretary confirmed it; he had gone to England. Sirius Black was coming to Russia.

So here I was, sat at the kitchen table, nervously eyeing the telephone. I had to call him.

I dialled the number with shaky hands and held the phone to my ears.

The ring, ring, ring of the line felt endless.

"Hello. You have reached Zukov House. Alexi Semenov speaking, how may I help you."

"Alexi. Hi. Is Kristoff home yet?" I asked quietly.

"He arrived three days ago. Shall I put him on-" Alexi began.

"Yes please." The line was silent for a minute before I heard a fate buzz.

"Alina? Hello?" I heard Kristoff say, sounding on edge.

"Hello. Why didn't you tell me you were going on a business trip?" I replied, sounding, even to myself, cheery.

There was a pause.

"Kristoff?"

"Oh yeah…sorry about that. It was a last minute thing. I had to go and see my Uncle. I just got back this morning."

Liar.

"But Alexi said you got back-"

"I mean, Moscow. I got back to Moscow this morning. I got back to Russia Saturday. I had to go and…"

"Do some stuff? Well, it doesn't matter. You should come around. I'm worried. Nikolai is acting strange." I could almost hear him sweating through the phone. He paused for a while. A very long while. I was, just a tiny bit, enjoying this.

"Well….he's just kid- they do all kinds of crazy-" It's time to move things along

"Really? Do they lie to their Mother's about sending family friends off to England to find their long lost father and bring him back to Russia?" I cut across him in a matter of fact tone.

"You knew?" he replied incredulously.

"Yes I knew. Whilst you may think I am an idiot, I am not. It wasn't hard to work out. Missing tickets…phone calls in the middle of the night and an impromptu business trips without so much as a call…nevermind the blatant lying."

"Adelaide. I'm sor-" he began.

"Spare me the excuses and the apologies. I'm coming over. I think it's time I paid my ex-husband a visit." With that, I slammed the phone down.

"MIKHAIL! I'M GOING OUT! THE KIDS ARE AT GREGORY'S HOUSE, THEY'LL BE BACK IN A FEW HOURS. I MIGHT BE A WHILE SO DON'T WAIT UP!" I yelled, before anyone could reply and shot out the door with a purse.

I jogged a couple of streets before I reached a line of taxi's. I got into the one closest to me and told the driver Kristoff's address. What was usually a half an hour drive took nearly an hour thanks to the ungodly level of traffic that had decided to plague Moscow that day. The whole fifty minute drive to Kristoff's was hell. I kept thinking up different scenarios of what would happen when I got there. I knew he wouldn't he alone. Potter, at least, would have come with him. Dumbledore too perhaps. They'd judge me…of course they would. They still believed me to be a traitor. They thought I tried to kill Harry. It was crazy. I loved Harry. Almost as much as I loved my own kids. And I knew…even then…I should have gone down kicking and screaming; that I should have tried harder to explain, even if I knew it wouldn't have worked. And what would I do when they told the kids that I was a murderer or something…I mean I was- but of the bad guy. I killed Vladaslav. But he was evil. I had to. What if they didn't believe me? I couldn't very well just explain away how I knew that they were going to die and exactly how to prevent their deaths. And even if I told them the truth…who would believe me? Who would understand?

And oh my God. What if…what if when I see him, my knees go weak. What if his grey eyes, that know all too much, consume me whole? What if, when I see him, all the blood rushes to my head and I start to see stars. What if the memories of his skin against mine makes me blush every shade of the rainbow? What if I still love him? What if he breaks my heart all over again? What if, despite everything, I am not strong enough to do this?

It's too late now, I think as Kristoff's mansion comes into view. Within minutes the car is through the front gates and comes to an all too fast stop at the main entrance. Kristoff is waiting for me. He rushes forward and opens the door for me, avoiding, what I am sure he knows, is a death glare. Before I can even get in a word edgeways, he pays the taxi driver and sends him on his way. I click my tongue angrily.

"I can pay my own fare." I told him. Of course he ignored me and instead practically flew through the open doors of his home. I followed, dreading every step.

He's taking me to the guest suite. That's where…Black will be. Usually, when I go to Kristoff's mansion, I enjoy it. I take in the art and the magnificent architecture. I marvel at the sheer grandness of it all. But now, with the looming sense of this-is-happening-now-to-me-ness, I can't seem to take anything in. You know, the human brain, it only takes in the important stuff. It ignores everything else. This is kind of like that.

Kristoff stops at the door of the suite and glances at me apologetically.

"Nikolai…he wanted-"

"It's okay. I know. Thank you…for dedicating so much of yourself to my family. I appreciate it." I whispered, almost crying. I think, suddenly, it dawns on him what this really is. Goodbye. He pulls me into a hug.

"You can turn around and leave. I'll take you all somewhere safe. They'd never be able to find you." He said, wiping away my tears with his sleeves. I shake my head and try to smile.

"This is going to be brutal. They…Stuff happened. A long time ago. And I can't explain why I did some things. I did them because I had too. There was no other way. No one else in the entire world understands though. But I did it because I had too. No one else could, so I had too." I whimpered pathetically, for the first time in thirteen years, yearning for someone, anyone to understand me just a little bit. He was trying to…he thought he did, but he didn't. I let go of his hand and wiped my tears. I straightened up and counted to three before pushing open the door.