"That's the saddest story Moth has ever heard!" Moth sobbed, blowing her nose on a napkin. "You poor, poor man…"

Sirius shoved another bite of cereal into his mouth. It was weird, seeing a grown man eating those fuzzy pink marshmallows. He swallowed after only chewing a few times, "Yeah, it was pretty rough."

"Don't eat so fast," Nana scolded lovingly. Already, she had decided Sirius was yet another child she needed to look after and care for. She'd even vowed to knit him a new pair of socks. "You'll give yourself a stomach ache."

So far, so good, I thought, a little surprised. Remus and I had woken up early and found some of my father's old clothes for Sirius to wear; they hung off of his malnourished body loosely, but it was better than having him walk around in that prison uniform – which he lit on fire immediately after he removed it. Moth was already making Nana her morning oatmeal when we arrived in the kitchen, and both of them took the news very well; though I must admit, Moth over-romanticized everything and Nana was probably too senile to really understand who Sirius was.

"That's two down," Remus said, not looking up from the morning paper.

"Are you doing another crossword?" I asked, sipping at my tea. I had never been much of a breakfast person; peppermint tea and toast was good enough for me.

He chuckled, "No, I meant we've successfully told two people about Padfoot without too much fuss."

"Ohhhh," I said, blushing slightly at my mistake.

"That was the best part about Azkaban," Sirius muttered. "No bloody puns when you're in solitary confinement…"

"What's wrong with puns?" I asked curiously.

"Oh, don't even get me started," Sirius said, shoving another bite of fluffy pink cereal into his mouth.

"Throughout our school days, Sirius was often the certain joke," Remus explained. "While the rest of us found it humorous, he thought it rather annoying."

"What sort of joke?" I inquired. "I'm not sure I understand…"

"Moony," Sirius hissed. "I swear-"

"Don't fret, Padfoot," Remus said, smiling good-naturedly at his angry friend. "I'm not going to say anything. Violet is very clever, I'm sure she'll figure it out on her own eventually."

"This is so exciting!" Moth squealed, dancing about the kitchen like a faerie. "Moth's never helped an escaped criminal before! And Mr. Black is nothing like Moth expected him to be! He's not mean or crazy at all!"

"You're very outgoing for a house elf," Sirius said, with an odd bitterness in his voice. "Violet's family must treat you very humanely."

"Oh, Moth is not in service of the Carroll family," Moth said. "Moth is here on the request of her mistress, Miss Aria Tate."

"She's one of my friends," I explained. "She's been staying with us, too."

"Bloody hell, how many people do you have living in this place?" Sirius grumbled.

"I think there are eleven of us," I said. "Twelve now, including you. There used to be more but…" I looked up at Remus, "Um… they moved out."

"And I don't blame them, not one bit," Nana said. "You'd have to be crazy to wanna live in a house like this. Witchcraft and werewolves and goblins and queers, and now we're sheltering an escaped criminal!"

"Moth isn't a goblin," she said, crossing her arm. "Moth is a house elf."

Sirius smirked, "Sounds like my kind of place…"

"You young people," Nana mumbled, wheeling herself into the living room, where she would spend the rest of her day knitting new socks and mittens for Sirius and staring off into space.

Sirius laughed, banging his fist on the table with amusement, "That old bat's something else..."

"I'll be right back," I said, slowly rising to my feet. "I think I'm going to wake up Lutie."

"Who's Lutie?" Sirius asked, suddenly breaking out of his laughing fit.

"The muggle girl who lives here," said Remus gravely. He was still convinced that Lutie couldn't stand him, but that was only half true. She was getting used to him, at the very least. "Violet, are you sure that's such a good idea?"

"I think she's our safest bet," I said honestly. "Lutie's defiantly the most level-headed of the bunch."

"If you say so," he shrugged, returning his attention to the newspaper.

It'll be okay, I told myself, walking upstairs to Lutie's room with my hands quivering at my sides. If I just explain, Lutie will understand.

The door was open when I arrived. When I peeked inside, I saw Lutie, hunched over another book. She might read more than I do, I thought, clearing my throat, "May I come in?"

Lutie looked up, startled. She sighed with relief when she saw me, "Thank God, I thought you were that damned cross dresser again."

"Did you need me for something, Little Lutie?" Jeff asked, suddenly appearing beside me. "I could have sworn that I heard you say cross dresser."

She smacked her forehead, "What I need, Jeffery, is five seconds without you bothering me."

I guess I could just tell them both at the same time, I thought. Lutie's levelheadedness coupled with Jeff's acceptance might make explaining things easier.

"Um, could I talk to the two of you?" I asked, fidgeting with a loose string on my sweater vest. "I've got something important to tell you."

"Oh Jesus, you aren't pregnant, are you?" she said, looking completely disgusted.

"No!" I said quickly. "No, it isn't anything like that."

"Awww, darn," Jeff pouted. "It would be nice to have cute, nerdy grandchildren running around... Maybe with a wolfy tails…"

Lutie rolled her eyes, "Jeff, shut up. Go on, Vi; what is it you need to tell us?"

I took a deep breath, "Do you… Lutie, Jeff; what would I say if I told you that Sirius Black was sitting in our kitchen?"

In seconds, all the color had drained from Lutie's face, with the exception of her freckles, "W-what?"

"Sirius Black," I said. "He's eating cereal in our kitchen. Right now."

"No way," Jeff said, completely awestruck. "That bastard better not be eating my cereal!"

"Jeffery, shut up!" Lutie snapped. "There's a killer in our kitchen! Cereal is hardly important at this point!"

"How'd he get in?" Jeff demanded, his protective side bubbling to the surface. "More importantly; why aren't we doing something about it?! Please tell me you've already alerted the Ministry, and that you're using my cereal as a distraction!"

"Enough with the fucking cereal!" Lutie screamed. "Make yourself useful and call the police, before he kills us all!"

"He's innocent," I said, suddenly realizing that I might not have made that clear. "Sirius didn't murder my mother, or anyone else. He was framed."

"… What?" Lutie said again, looking at me like I had just sprouted a second head.

"I know, it sounds crazy," I said, laughing nervously. "But it's true. Do you really think I'd let him into our home if I thought he murdered my mother?"

"Alright," Lutie said. "If that's the case, who did murder all those people?"

"And why aren't they in prison?" Jeff asked, mimicking Lutie's tone.

"His name is Peter Pettigrew," I told them. His name left that bitter taste in my mouth when I spoke it. "He framed Sirius thirteen years ago…" I trailed off, my head spinning just thinking about all the details. "It's a really long story…"

"So… he isn't here to kill us?" Jeff whimpered.

"No," I sighed. "He's here because he needs our help. He-"

I was interrupted by a loud, blood-curdling scream, floating through the open window with a gust if cold, post-storm air. I recognized the voice instantly.

"Ari," I breathed, dashing downstairs. Lutie and Jeff followed after me, and we nearly fell into the kitchen when we arrived, just in time to see Aria fly into the kitchen through the back door.

"What's the matter?" Remus asked, his face filled with concern.

"T-there's a Hippogriff in the garden!" Aria shouted, her green eyes wide with fright. "A bloody Hippogriff is eating my begonias!"

Sirius and Remus exchanged a worried glance.

"Why do I get the feeling you have something to do with this?" I asked, glaring at Sirius.

He grinned playfully, "Golly Violet, how'd you know? You really are clever-"

I smacked my forehead, "Just… go take care of it," I said, pointing at the back door. "Before it hurts someone."

"But I haven't finished my-"

"Go!" I snapped. He listened this time, jumping up immediately, pushing past Aria as he darted outside.

Remus chuckled, turning the page of his newspaper, "You can be rather frightening when you want to be, love."

Aria gulped, "W-was that… who I think it was?"

"Yes," I sighed, collapsing into my chair.

"Don't be frightened, Miss Tate," Moth said, holding on to her master's hand. "Mr. Black is really nice; you shouldn't listen to what the media's been saying about him. They've got Mr. Black pegged all wrong!"

"B-b-but…" she stammered, looking at us in utter disbelief. "He… and…"

"Violet seems to be under the impression that he's innocent," Lutie shrugged, helping herself to a glass of orange juice.

"He is innocent," Remus insisted. "I promise, Lutie; I wouldn't have brought him here if I wasn't absolutely sure."

"Oh, you brought him here," Lutie said, as if she finally understood. "Now I get it."

I groaned, rubbing my temple, "Please Lutie, not today…"

"Look, I know how strange it sounds," Remus said, looking back and forth between the three of them, determined to make them believe that his friend was indeed not guilty of the crimes he had been charged with. "Would I really bring a killer into our home? I can guarantee you, Sirius is harmless."

"Damnit, hold still!" we heard Sirius scream. When we glanced out the window, we saw a huge blur of blue-gray feathers pass by. "No! Come back here! Hey!"

"Yeah," Lutie shrugged. "He seems like a real sweet fellow."

"Hippogriffs can be a handful," Jeff added. "If we're going to keep it here, I can help take care of it."

"Thank you, Jeffery," Remus said. "That would be fantastic."

"Oh, it's not a problem," Jeff said, grinning widely. "I love animals."

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am here!" Ashley sung as she danced into the kitchen. For once, she was dressed professionally, wearing a peach-colored suit with a skirt that covered her knees. Her long brown hair, which was normally pulled into pigtails on the top of her head, was now pulled in to a tight, elegant bun. "I am ready for my first day on the job!"

"You look very nice, Ashley," Remus said, smiling at her. He had learned how to play along with her 'I-am-the-queen-of-the-world' games rather quickly. Most of the time, listening to their playful banter was rather entertaining.

"Thank you," Ashley giggled, twirling around like a model on the runway. "But you must control yourself; Vi-Vi is sitting right here. I would hate for her to get jealous."

"She has nothing to worry about," he said, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and kissing me on the cheek. "You may look especially elegant today, but – in my eyes – no one can hold a candle to my Violet."

Yeah right, I thought, looking down at my knee-length gray pleated skirt, white shirt, and argyle sweater vest. If Jeff doesn't pick out my outfits, I always come out looking like a librarian who got dressed in the dark.

"What do you think, Ari?" Ashley asked, dancing over to her.

"Sirius Black is chasing a Hippogriff around our garden," said Aria, her eyes fixed on an invisible point on the wall. I could understand why she was so shocked; hearing her say it out loud like that, the situation did seem rather bizarre.

"You think Sirius Black is chasing a Hippogriff around our garden?" Ashley repeated, looking very confused.

"Sorry about that," Sirius said, bursting back inside as if he was summoned by his name. His hair was now a disheveled mess, making him look exactly like his wanted posters. "I've got him tied up good this time. That blasted bird is going to be the death of me."

Another scream pierced the air. Ashley's, this time; the young law student ducked behind Jeff with fright.

"V-v-vi-Vi!" she stammered. "H-h-he's…"

"Calm down, Ashley," Remus said evenly.

"Hello ladies," Sirius said, smirking at them as he sat back down. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced-"

"Shut up, you," Ashley snapped, pulling out her wand. She jabbed the short, fat, springy wand into his neck. Sirius cringed. Ashley, however, seemed to be enjoying herself. "I work for the Ministry, and-"

Remus sighed, removing his wand from his coat pocket, flicking it in Ashley's direction with a bored expression on his face, "Petrificus Totalus."

"Remus!" I gasped as I watched Ashley's body fall backwards. Jeff rushed to her side, catching her just before she hit the floor.

"Was that too much?" he asked innocently.

Sirius nodded, "It may have been, Moony. Thank goodness this fine young…" he looked at Jeff quizzically, not really sure what to call him. "Erm, individual was here to catch her."

Being around Sirius really brings out Remus's mischievous side, I thought, not quite sure if that was a good thing or not. But at least they're both having fun…

"Well, you didn't have to curse her," Jeff pouted, holding on to his best friend protectively. "She was just scared…"

"And understandably so," Aria added. "I mean, there is a convicted serial killer in our kitchen."

"That reminds me," Jeff said, looking up at Sirius. "You're paying me back for that cereal. Those puffy marshmallows aren't cheap, you know."

"Again with the damn puns…" Sirius groaned, burying his face in his hands.

"Jeff, will you drop it?" Lutie snapped from her perch on the kitchen, where she was nibbling on a piece of fruit while she watched the scene unfold. "You don't even pay for that cereal, so why does it matter to you?"

"At any rate, Ashley dear," Remus said, getting up from his chair. "I'm heading out, myself; I have another job interview. If you like, I can escort you to your new office, and I can give you an explanation on the way."

Of course Ashley wasn't able to provide an answer, under the influence of the body-bind curse.

Jeff waved his hand in front of her eyes, "She says that's fine."

"How can you tell?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"Ashley and I are childhood friends," Jeff said proudly. "Our bond is deep; we don't need words to communicate."

I knew they had could read each other's minds, I thought, but I didn't want to let on that I knew."If you say so," I said calmly, waving my wand in the air. Ashley's invisible bonds were broken, and she scrambled to her feet, straightening her suit.

"Y-you didn't have to do that…" she said, her lower lip quivering.

"I'll be back in time for lunch, I think," Remus said, grabbing his suitcase off of the counter.

"Good luck," I said, standing up to kiss him goodbye.

"Thank you, Violet," he said, kissing me briefly. I giggled as he pulled away; his mustache had brushed across my lip at just the right angle. It was almost painful to watch him follow Ashley out the door; since the house wasn't on the Floo Network yet, they would have to walk to the nearby wizarding community to get to wherever they were going.

He'll be back soon, I reminded myself as I sat back down.

"Aww, isn't that sweet?" Aria asked, breaking out of her bubble in the corner as she sat down in the chair Remus had just left empty, ready to be her normal, social self. "She gets so somber the second he leaves."

"Our daughter's in love," Jeff said dreamily.

"S-shut up," I stuttered, staring at my loafers.

"You should see the way her face lights up the second he walks into the room," Jeff told Sirius, draping his arm around his shoulder. He seemed to have forgotten that this was the man who had taken his cereal. "It's the cutest thing."

Sirius looked at Jeff skeptically, "Who are you?"

"Sirius, this is my friend, Jeff," I said flatly. "I apologize in advance for his outlandish behavior."

"Ah, so he's a guy, then?" Sirius said, still looking quite confused.

"Physically, I suppose," Jeff said, with that glimmer in his eyes that meant he was about to start ranting and raving. I groaned inwardly as he continued. "Though our bodily gender has nothing to do with the gender of our hearts, dear Sirius! While I do not feel comfortable with labels, society would call me a pansexual transvestite."

They usually have a few more colorful words to call you, I thought, smiling to myself.

Lutie groaned, "What does that even mean?"

"It means, Lutie dear," Jeff said, happy to have an excuse to continue talking. "That I can find beauty in anyone, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. And – though my anatomy may be very male – I identify better with the gentler sex, and prefer to dress in women's clothing. That being said, I also happen to enjoy romantic relationships with both genders, and everything in between; right now I am exclusive with the lovely Penelope Clearwater-"

Lutie rolled her eyes, "Don't you have somewhere you need to be?"

Jeff's face dropped, "Shit! I'm late for work!"

"You really should be more careful, Jeff," Aria scolded. "I know your hours are weird, but I made that schedule for you…"

"I've gotta go!" Jeff said, frantically grabbing his purse off the counter before he rushed out of the kitchen without a goodbye.

Sirius stared at Jeff's now empty chair, as if he couldn't comprehend what had just happened. Lutie, Moth, Aria and I watched him, wondering what was on his mind – what he would say. It was always difficult to predict someone's reaction to Jeff's… specialness.

At last, he cleared his throat, "Was that guy for real?

"Unfortunately," Lutie muttered darkly.

"Moth, could you please make me some toast?" Aria asked politely, smiling at her petite servant.

"Of course!" Moth said, bowing. "Moth will get started right away! It will be the best toast Moth has ever made!"

"Do you have anything I could feed Buckbeak?" Sirius inquired.

"Moth will see what she can find," Moth said, opening the refrigerator.

"Buckbeak?" Lutie said, cocking her head to the side with curiosity.

"The Hippogriff," Sirius explained, as if that should be obvious.

"Of course, it has a name," Lutie said dryly. "Whatever it is."

"I'll show him to you later, if you like," Sirius told her, grinning evilly. "I bet a muggle would really get a kick out of it."

"Don't call me that," she snapped, glaring daggers at Sirius as she hopped off of the counter. "I hate that word. I never want to be called that again."

Sirius opened his mouth to apologize, but Lutie was quick to snuff him off. She pushed through the swinging door and stomped off to her room.

"I don't understand," he said. "What crawled up her butt and died?"

I sighed, "She's a little… moody these days. Don't take it too personally; she'll be over it in a few hours."

"Will these do?" Moth asked, placing a bag of raw steaks on the table.

I think Uncle Jack bought those special, I thought, but I didn't say anything. I could always pay him back later.

"Those are fine," Sirius said, grabbing the bag. He offered me a wordless nod before he slipped out the back door.

"Oh! Miss Tate's toast!" Moth said, rushing back behind the counter. "Moth is sorry! Moth will make great haste!"

"He really is innocent…" Aria sighed, running her hand through her poofy blond hair. "Sirius Black is innocent, and now he's living in our house…"

"I know," I said, smiling awkwardly. "I can hardly believe it myself."

"And you're okay with this?" Aria asked me. "You don't have to tell me the whole story if you don't want to; I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I want this," I said, sounding determined. "I want to help him out as much as I can."

"Alright," Aria sighed. "If this is what you want, I'm here for you, Vi. I just hope you know what you're getting us in to…"

I grinned, "Thanks, Aria."

"Miss Carroll," Ms. McGuff said, poking her head into the kitchen. "There's someone here to see you; they're waiting in the living room."

I really wish she'd go back to calling me Violet, I thought, getting up to meet my visitor. Standing in the living room was a man I had never seen before. He wore a nice suit, and new shoes that were polished so brightly that I could see my reflection in them. He had a wand tucked behind his ear.

"Hello, I'm Violet Carroll," I said, shaking the man's hand. "Can I help you with something?"

"Yes," he said pleasantly. "I saw your ad in The Prophet. Are there still rooms available?"

"Yes!" I said, my spirits lifting. More boarders would mean more income; this was like a gift from heaven. "Of course there are! We have tons of-"

I can't rent out any more rooms, I suddenly realized, and I could feel every ounce of blood leaving my face. My stomach did one of its famous back flips, and I was glad that I had eaten a small breakfast. Not with Sirius staying here.

"I'm sorry," I said miserably. "But there are no more rooms available."

"But you just said-"

"I was wrong," I interrupted. I was eager to get this stranger out of my house, before he saw something – or someone, rather – he shouldn't. "I'm sorry you came all this way."

"It's no trouble," he said, though I could tell by the look on his face that it was. I was relieved when he elected to show himself out.

I ran my hands through my hair, letting out a deep sigh, "This is going to be harder than I thought…"

When Sirius didn't return right away, I went out to look for him; having an escaped convict running around in your garden awakens a strange feeling of paranoia. After running several possibilities through my head – each more horrible and less likely than the last – I found him at the far edge of the garden, sitting next to a very large Hippogriff – Buckbeak, I assumed.

Buckbeak noticed my presence instantly, and before I knew it, he was on his feet, ready to charge me if I got any closer. I let out a yelp and stumbled backwards, nearly falling over.

"Easy, Buckbeak…" Sirius coaxed, holding onto the rope around the Hippogriff's neck.

"I-I'm sorry," I said, and – suddenly remembering what I'd read about Hippogriffs at some point during my seven years at Hogwarts – I bowed gracefully. I'd also read that Hippogriffs could sense fear; I shoved my hands in my pockets so Buckbeak couldn't see them shaking. This seemed to calm him down; he nodded at me before he returned to his spot next to Sirius, like a loyal lapdog.

"I didn't mean to frighten you," I said, sitting down on the grass in front of them. It was still damp from last night's rain.

"You didn't frighten me," Sirius said, smirking a little. He buried his skinny, tattooed fingers in Buckbeak's feathers. "Not everyone is as jumpy as you, Violet."

"I was talking Buckbeak," I said, smirking right back. "But how are you? Do you like it here?"

He sighed, "The atmosphere is a bit more… wholesome than what I'm used to, I suppose. It's a little suffocating, when you've been on your own for so long. It's defiantly going to take some getting used."

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

"In all honesty, I'd feel much better if I had my own wand," he said, looking extremely guilty. "You have no idea how fundamental they are until yours is snapped in half; I feel so useless..."

"That isn't a big deal," I said, offering him a smile. "Wands cost what, seven Galleons these days? It's a bit steep, but-"

"You can't just go out and by a wand for someone else, Violet," Sirius reminded me, sounding a little bitter. "Sure, I'd probably be able to use it just fine, but it wouldn't be the same as having my own. The wand chooses the wizard, remember?"

"Oh yeah…" I said, tugging at the grass again. "I guess I didn't think about that."

"And it's not like I can go out in public," he continued, pointing to himself. "What with this face plastered on every street corner under the words wanted fugitive and all that."

"With that face…" I repeated, a plan formulating in the back of my mind. I couldn't help but grin at my own brilliance.

"What?" Sirius said, sounding a little bit afraid. "Why are you looking at me like that? You're scaring me, Violet; what are you thinking about?"

I snickered, "I think I know how we can get you into that wand shop…"