Sirius didn't emerge from his room until just before Arthur arrived, when he finally decided he'd simmered down enough to control himself. When he saw Molly again, she was back to being friendly and Sirius followed her cue, having no desire to continue any unpleasantness between them. If she could get over herself, then so could he.

Arthur Weasley could only be described as jovial, shaking Sirius' hand enthusiastically with not even a hint of the apprehension that he had grown to expect from people. In fact, he didn't seem even remotely interested in Sirius' time in Azkaban as much as his time on the run, peppering him with questions about the various muggle communities in the different countries he'd been rumored to have been spotted in.

Sirius was genuinely sorry to disappoint him with the fact that he spent all of his time out of sight, not interacting with the community, what with being a wanted fugitive. He almost told Arthur he should ask Remus about it, since he was much more well-traveled and generally familiar with muggle culture. He decided, very magnanimously, not to mention it. As funny as it would be for Sirius to watch, he thought Remus might not appreciate intensive questioning about his past from a relative stranger. A very enthusiastic stranger at that.

Molly and Arthur disappeared upstairs as she gave him a tour of the house and time to settle in before the meeting. The kids were all busying themselves setting up their rooms after having finally settled all disputes over who would sleep where. Remus had apparently gone out to fetch some groceries at Molly's request.

This left Sirius alone when the first member of the order arrived. Alastor Moody, a full hour early, there to perform his own recon and assessment of headquarters. Sirius figured he should have predicted this. It would have been strange if the man had done anything else.

Still, he found himself completely at a loss when he came face to face with his old boss, his old mentor, in the dark, quite entrance to Grimmauld Place.

He'd seen Moody's picture in the papers after what happened with Barty Crouch Jr. He knew what he looked like now. Sirius had seen him, unconscious in the Hogwarts hospital wing when Harry had been there in the wake of Voldemort's return. His magical eye had been absent, leaving only the empty socket. Moody must have been as thin and frail as Sirius was at the time. Even more so. Still, even being prepared, he couldn't quite quell the shock at seeing a face he once recognized so well that had been so thoroughly, violently changed.

"Black," grunted Moody, both eyes planted firmly on the not man in front of him. "Nice place you got here," he said after a moment, magical eye beginning to swing around in all directions.

"It's a heinous place."

"Doesn't need to be pretty, just secure. I've dealt with enough of your relatives to know they don't build homes that people can just wander into uninvited. Perfect for what we need."

"True enough," said Sirius with a smirk. "You've lost a few more body parts since our last meeting."

"There were a lot of Death Eaters to round up after the war. Can't say many were cooperative," said Moody with what could only be described as a smirk of his own, though his expressions weren't entirely easy to decipher on his mangled face.

"Oh, I know. You weren't very popular with my old roommates. A lot of them talked about you when they first came in. Before they went silent, at least. They all went silent eventually," said Sirius evenly.

Moody cleared his throat gruffly. Neither of his eyes were on Sirius now.

"Come on," said Sirius. "You want to clear the meeting room, I'm assuming?"

Sirius led Moody downstairs even though he was sure Moody already had every relevant detail about the layout of the house and where the meetings would be held thanks to Dumbledore. Had likely already memorized the layout of the house before arriving.

Moody followed behind him quietly. When they got to the door of the basement kitchen, Sirius gestured politely for Moody to enter. Sirius stayed back in the doorway and watched as Moody surveyed every inch of the room. He preformed a few spells as he went, running his wand deftly along the perimeter.

It felt strange to watch him work this way, in his childhood home of all places. As a young Auror, there was that ever present feeling that Moody could protect people from anything. Like he was invincible. James and him had both held such a deep admiration for the man. Such pride that Moody took a personal interest int hem both. For just a moment Sirius imagined what his life could have been if Moody had come into this home when he was still a child to ward away dark magic and cast his own protection over these rotten walls and banish all the rotten things that dwelled within.

It was too late. Even Moody could not make him safe here now. Invincible men don't get locked in a chest for a year while mad men use their likeness to do horrible things.

"We've still got time," said Sirius as Moody looked to be wrapping up. "Why don't you sit down. Have a drink. We've got tea and coffee," said Sirius.

"You've got a case of wine in a false panel behind that cabinet," said Moody, gesturing offhandedly to one of the cupboards. "Expensive stuff, too. Older than Dumbledore, some of it."

"Oh shit," exclaimed Sirius, looking over to where he'd pointed, mouth starting to water. "Never did spend much time down here. Shame, would've made the Summers more bearable if I'd known," he joked. "You want to break some out?" he asked with a raised brown and mischievous glint.

"No, never touch anything I haven't prepared myself. Constant vigilance," said Moody, pulling out his little hip flask and taking a swig as Sirius reeled with painful nostalgia at the utterance of the familiar catchphrase. "Just figured you'd want to know it was there. I'd check it thoroughly for curses before you touch a drop."

"I won't touch a doorknob in this house without running through every defensive spell I've ever learned, let alone put things into my mouth," said Sirius with an incredulous laugh. All for the best anyway, he thought. He didn't know how Remus would feel about people drinking around him. He was leaving for his cottage the next day anyway. Leaving Sirius all alone with the Weasley's. Sirius would have no cause to feel bad about breaking into his parents secret stash after that.

"Good lad," said Moody before taking another swig from his flask.

"You know, you seem a little crazier than I remember," said Sirius, who distinctly recalled Moody drinking from the communal coffee pot in the days they worked together.

"And you're not?" Moody shot back.

Sirius laughed a short, sharp bark. "So much more than you know."

Things went silent between them. A long, heavy silence that Sirius had no idea how to fill. Moody had been one of the few people from the past that Sirius was somewhat looking forward to seeing at this meeting, but now that he was here, it was difficult. Things were always difficult. He couldn't quit remember if life had always been this hard.

Moody was very still, but for his magical eye. When he finally spoke, it was gruff. Uncomfortable. Moody was not someone who had ever struggled to speak up, but there was a distinct tone of awkwardness in his words that was so unlike anything Sirius had ever heard from him.

"Listen, Black-"

"You don't have to-"

"I do have to. I do," said Moody in a way that brokered no dispute. "What happened to you, I should have known. You were a good soldier. Loyal. A bit unstable, but damn good at your job and committed to the cause. After you were locked up that was it for me. I knew that if I couldn't see something like that right under my nose, still couldn't figure it out it even after the fact, then I didn't have it in me anymore. I stuck around long enough to round up as much of the filth as I could, but once things settled, I was out." Moody paused for a moment. "I thought the biggest mistake of my career was not seeing you for what you were. I was wrong. It was seeing you for exactly who you were and then doubting it anyway."

Sirius stared back at him with searching eyes. He looked as stoic as ever despite the uncharacteristic personal sentiment.

"You're not the only one who didn't see what was in front of them. I misjudged someone much closer to me with much more dire consequences than a prison sentence," said Sirius quietly. "You taught me better than that. I guess we're all fallible." But only one of us got our best friends slaughtered with our stupid fucking mistakes.

Moody nodded. What else was there to say?

"So, tell me about some of these scumbags you rounded up after I went away," said Sirius abruptly. "I've heard some bits and pieces from the other end that I'd love to get your side of," he added with a grin.

They talked for a while about Moody's various dramatic encounters after the war, with Sirius filling Moody in on some of the wild, bragging accounts of inmates who had recently arrived claiming to have maimed or disfigured the great Alastor Moody in some way. Neither was surprised to find that these tales had usually been largely exaggerated.

By the time Remus arrived in the kitchen, a couple of grocery bags in hand, Sirius was laughing and chatting happily.

"Moody," greeted Remus politely. "Good seeing you again."

"Lupin," grunted Moody by way of greeting. He looked Remus up and down appraisingly with his one good eye while the false one spun wildly. "You're looking a damn sight better than the last time we crossed paths."

"Uh, yes, I'm doing well now, thank you," said Remus awkwardly, eyes darting around to see if anyone else was within earshot.

"Oh?" remarked Sirius with a raised eyebrow. "I didn't realize the two of you kept in touch."

"Actually, I'd rather not-" began Remus before being cut off by Moody.

"I kept tabs on all former Order members. Security reasons. Came in handy when Lupin here got himself in bit of bother with-"

"Moody, I'd actually rather keep that between the two of us if you don't mind," said Remus in a hushed voice as more footsteps began descending the stairs.

"Right, right," said Moody gruffly. "It's your business. Still, good to see you've turned a corner."

Remus nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets and trying to ignore the slightly amused, deeply intrigued stare he was getting from Sirius. Moody shuffled off to take a seat at the long, wooden dining table right as Molly and Arthur entered the room.

"Moody! Good to see you," said Arthur, making his way to sit by Moody's side and launch directly into an animated, if somewhat one-sided conversation.

Molly rolled her eyes affectionately at her husband as she headed for the kitchen and started pulling out plates and cutlery. "Come on then, you boys can help me set up!" she called back over her shoulder.

Sirius leaned in close to Remus' ear, whispering playfully. "Whatever that story is, you're telling me later." Even if he had to pry it out of him, which he was almost certain would be the case.

Then Sirius was off by Molly's side. It took Remus just a moment to process the whole sequence of events, but once he did he was joining the rest of them cheerfully. He didn't notice the way Remus ran his finger over the spot on his ear still tingled a little from Sirius' breath.