Summary: Bonding for Evie and Sirius and a disastrous visit from Snape. First part from Sirius's perspective. Some of the dialogue taken straight from the chapter "Occlumency" in Order of the Phoenix.
Close to the morning, Evie and Sirius were still in the attic. They lay beneath a thick blanket that Sirius had conjured from thin air, and the soft grass created by Remus and Evie served as a surprisingly comfortable mattress. What came as a shock to Sirius was the complete absence of guilt. During weeks of stealing kisses in dark corners, he had wondered whether he was doing the right thing or whether he truly was taking advantage of a vulnerable young woman as Fred claimed. His loss of control on the night of Arthur's attack had unnerved him even as Evie had reassured him that he hadn't done anything she didn't invite. Now they had actually slept together and God hadn't rained fiery retribution from the sky, a tight knot of tension that had existed in his chest for weeks eased.
"So you like it?" Evie murmured. When Sirius looked at her quizzically she grinned and waved her arm, indicating the room.
"Of course I do," he replied, tightening his hold around her waist.
"It must be horrible for you here," she said quietly. "I don't like not being able to leave, but it has to be a hundred times worse for you."
"It's prison." His voice was soft. Whenever he had spoke of his captivity in Grimmauld Place he'd always sounded so bitter, his voice harsh. But now he wasn't raging against not being able to fight for the Order or being treated like a child who needed to be told what to do for his own good. This was the truth: it wasn't the anger he harboured towards Dumbledore or the bile he reserved especially for Snape. This was the frustration at the utter helplessness of his situation. "I thought I could leave if I wanted to," he continued. "I'd be risking the wrath of Dumbledore and Mad Eye, but I could still leave. When it was vital for me to do so, when I couldn't stand the thought of staying safe when someone I care about needed me, Dumbledore cast spells that made certain I couldn't leave the house."
Evie propped herself up on an elbow to look at him more closely, a frown of concern on her face. "That's awful," she said, and he knew that she meant it. "When was this? I don't remember-"
"It was before you came here," Sirius interrupted. This wasn't true, but he didn't want her to know that it had been when she was kidnapped by the Death Eater. He didn't want to remind her of the day her aunt and uncle were murdered, of her captor and torture at his hands.
Perhaps sensing his discomfort, Evie changed the subject. "Do you have any plans yet? I mean for what you'll do after your name has been cleared by the Ministry and everyone knows you're innocent."
Sirius shrugged. "To be honest, I try not to plan ahead. I learned in Azkaban that if I thought about all of the wonderful stuff I could be doing, I'd go mad." He paused thoughtfully before adding, "I owned a bike once. A motorbike that flew. I'm not sure where it ended up after I was arrested, but I'd like to build a new one."
Now lying down against his chest again, Sirius could feel Evie's grin rather than see it. "You owned a flying motorbike? Why does that not surprise me?"
Sirius chuckled, a deep sound that rumbled from his chest. "What about you?" he asked. "What will you do when Voldemort isn't looking for you anymore?"
"Get to know Harry better," she replied immediately. "It's hard to get to know him when I'm here and he's at the other end of the country. And then there's..." she trailed off into silence.
"And then there's what?" Sirius prompted.
"My aunt Mae," Evie said softly. "When I first came here I started to think that there was more to her that I ever knew about. We were never poor, but we weren't exactly rich either. For as long as I knew them they ran a small farm and looked after me. But the more I think about that, the more it doesn't make sense."
"What do you mean?"
"Mae was an expert when it came to potions, especially healing potions. Since coming here I've realised that she knew as much about magic as the Order members do, and most of them work for the Ministry or at Hogwarts. There there's this power; it's not mine, not really. It was a part of her. But I never once saw her lose control of it."
"You think there's more to her than she told you about?" Sirius asked.
"I know there was more to her. And, what's more, I know who to task to find out about her."
"Who?"
"Professor Dumbledore. He was the one who arranged for me to live with them. But," she shook her head, "I can't ask him at the moment. Not when he has so much to worry about already."
Sirius privately thought that Dumbledore owed Evie whatever kind of explanation she wanted about the people who raised her as their own child, but he didn't argue. he had known Evie long enough to know that there were some issues she couldn't be moved on.
It was with a sinking feeling that Sirius realised they should return to their separate rooms. It was nearly morning, and everyone rose early on Christmas Day. In just a couple of hours, everyone would be awake and opening presents, and Molly would be preparing her usual spectacular roast dinner. He wasn't quite ready to leave yet; their pillow of grass was far more comfortable than his own bed, and he was sharing it with Evie.
Unfortunately, Evie seemed to realise the time for herself, because she groaned and reluctantly pushed the blanket back. As she stood, Sirius caught her by the wrist and pulled her back down by his side. "We don't have to leave just yet," he said firmly.
The morning passed in the blink of an eye. Evie spent most of it distributing the various presents she had bought. Harry was thrilled with the teaching aids for his DA classes, and she managed to make peace with Fred and George with Bondat's Beverages and Devious Devices. Remus had tried to refuse his new cloak and coat, but reluctantly accepted them after Evie pointed out that they would hardly fit her. In return, she received a knitted jumper from Mrs. Weasley, several large slabs of Honeydukes chocolate from Hermione and inny, a large book that looked as if it had been written several centuries ago from Harry, an ever lasting tulip from Remus (a tribute to the flowers they had laboured over in the attic), and a delicate looking watch from Sirius along with a copy of Jane Eyre. ("What was it you told me?" he asked with a grin. "The one with the mad wife in the attic?")
After the Weasleys, Remus, Harry and Hermione had visited Mr. Weasley in hospital, everyone sat down to Christmas dinner. Several hours later they were still full to bursting and lounging in the comfortable armchairs of the first floor sitting room. The Hogwarts students were full of stories about Dolores Umbridge, and took great relish in plotting various ways to force her from the castle. Sirius and Remus offered advice and suggestions while Evie laughed quietly and Mrs. Weasley listened with a disapproving frown.
The days after Christmas flew by just as quickly. Evie noticed that Sirius seemed torn: he loved having the house full and time with Harry, but he also looked forward to not having to sneak around with Evie all of the time. Time hurried by regardless of his feelings, and soon it was the last day of the school holidays.
Evie, along with Hermione and Ginny, was watching Harry lose a game of wizard chess against Ron when Mrs. Weasley appeared in the doorway. "Harry, dear," she said, "could you come down to the kitchen? Professor Snape would like a word with you."
"Snape?" Harry asked in horror.
"Professor Snape," Mrs. Weasley corrected firmly. "He'd like to see you too, Evie. Something about arranging the time of your next lesson."
Nodding, Evie slipped from her seat beside Hermione and followed her brother from the room. When they entered the kitchen they sound Sirius and Snape sitting at the table, creating an oppressive atmosphere. The professor glared at Harry as they came in. "Sit down, Potter," he ordered.
"You know," Sirius said, glaring at the potions teacher, "I'd prefer it if you didn't give orders here, Snape. It's my house, you see."
Snape's eyes narrowed but he refrained from retorting. Instead he focused on Harry and said, "I was supposed to see you alone, Potter, but Black-"
"I'm his godfather," interrupted Sirius.
"I am here on Dumbledore's order, but by all means stay, Black, I know you like to feel... involved."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sirius demanded hotly.
"Merely that I am sure you must feel frustrated," Snape said silkily, "by the fact that you can do nothing useful for the Order."
Evie glared at the Professor as Sirius flushed an angry red. She knew that the two disliked each other, but she hadn't thought that the Professor would attempt to wound Sirius in such a way. As Snape explained Harry's Occlumecy lessons, she moved to stand behind her brother and lover, laying a protective hand on the back of each of their chairs. The rest of the meeting was relatively peaceful until Sirius warned Snape not to give Harry a hard time during their lessons.
Snape's mouth twitched into an amused sneer. "How touching. But surely you have noticed that Potter is very like his father?"
There was more than a hint of pride in Sirius's voice when he said, "Yes, I have."
"Well, then, you'll know he's so arrogant that criticism simply bounces off him."
Sirius was out of his chair and in front of Snape in an instant, his wand pointing directly at the other man's face as Snape pulled out his own wand. Harry cried out a warning to Sirius while Evie lurched towards the two furious men, unsure of what to do. "I've warned you, Snivellus," Sirius snarled. "I don't care if Dumbledore thinks you've reformed, I know better."
"Oh, but why don't you tell him so?" whispered Snape in the same silky, wounding voice he had used earlier. "Or are you afraid he might not take very seriously the advice of a man who has been hiding inside his mother's house for six months?"
"Professor!" Evie cried, dismayed and angered.
"Tell me, how is Lucius Malfoy these days? I expect he's delighted his lapdog's working at Hogwarts, isn't he?"
"Speaking of dogs, did you know that Lucius Malfoy recognised you last time you risked a little jaunt outside? Clever idea, Black, getting yourself seen on a safe station platform... gave you a cast-iron excuse not to leave your hidey hold in future, didn't it?"
"No!" Harry shouted as Sirius raised his wand. "Sirius, don't!" Harry and Evie moved at the same time, vaulting over the table and skidding to a halt next to Sirius. While Harry placed himself between the two men, Evie grabbed Sirius's wand arm, pleading with him to calm down.
"Are you calling me a coward?" roared Sirius, trying to get a clear aim at Snape through Evie and Harry.
"Why, yes, I suppose I am."
At that moment the kitchen door swung open and in walked the Weasleys and Hermione, all wearing large smiles, Mr. Weasley in their midst. "Cured!" he proclaimed. "Completely cured - Merlin's beard! What's going on here?"
"Professor," Evie said abruptly as Snape and Sirius lowered and stowed their wands away, "you wanted to speak to me about the time of our next lesson. Perhaps we should discuss it in private." Without waiting for a reply, ignoring Sirius's protests, she turned and strode from the kitchen. She didn't have to look behind to know the Snape was following; from what she had just seen, she knew that if Sirius didn't want her to be alone with Snape, then Snape would happily comply with her request for privacy.
"How dare you?" she hissed the moment they were alone in the hallway and the door leading to the kitchen was shut. She was so furious that she had to thrust her hands into her pockets to hide their trembling.
Snape cocked an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"
"In the last quarter of an hour you have insulted my father and brother, and as for what you said to Sirius-"
"Someone needed to take your arrogant godfather down a peg or two."
"He hates being stuck here," Evie said, fighting to keep her voice down. "And you-" she looked into his eyes. "You know it, don't you? You know he hates not being able to fight. If he goes and does something stupid because of what you said today-"
"I would advise you not to threaten me," Snape said in his most dangerous voice. "I assure you that any harm that befalls Black is his own fault, and well deserved."
Evie hid her face behind her hands. It had been a while since her last lesson with Snape, and she had almost forgotten how difficult it was to reign in the dangerous side of her power. It was like trying to hold molten glass in her bare hands. Snape continued his tirade against Sirius, adding to the fury that fueled her power. Evie sagged against the nearest wall, the effort of containing the raw energy that would kill Snape if it was let loose bringing her to her knees.
"SHUT UP!" she screamed.
As if from a great distance she heard the kitchen door crash open and two sets of feet hurrying across the floor. Someone touched her shoulder, but they yelped and yanked their hand back as if burned. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?" a voice roared, and Evie was dimly aware that it belonged to Sirius.
There was a brief scuffled and a loud bang followed by a cry of mingled pain and anger from Sirius. A tiny thread of Evie's power slipped through her grasp and leapt towards Snape. It slammed squarely into his chest, lifting him off his feet and flinging him against the wall. He slid unconscious to the floor, a small bead of blood trickling from his nose.