Though Sirius was loathe to allow his godson out of his sight for even one minute on his birthday-they had missed far too many birthdays and had much too much time to make up-he was grateful to not have to make up an excuse to keep Harry from finding out about the surprise party. He had been antsy as Harry seemed to take more time in the bathroom getting ready than even James had once done, primping and preening to achieve the perfect 'just off the quidditch field' look that the rest of the Marauders had teased him relentlessly for. Sirius did his best not to comment on the ungodly amount of cologne that came off the boy, though Harry had reddened and muttered something about a lid being stuck. Instead, as soon as the boy was out of the house, he had floors Molly Weasley and Moony to join him in decorating the house.
It had been hours of arguing over menus and what streamers to go where and 'just how many people are you inviting Sirius?' that had the ex-convict almost wishing for Azkaban again. Why he had thought it was a good idea to bring together Molly Weasley and Remus Lupin to decorate, he did not know. The decision had not even involved alcohol.
"No, I am setting the cake here; it is best to put the banner over…"
"... I have planned many surprise parties in my day, Molly…"
"A boy's sixteenth birthday party is not the same as James Potter's stag party, Remus Lupin!"
"I am hardly-"
Just when he was debating procuring some stiff drink, a silvery lynx bounded into the parlor where his mother had once entertained the upper echelons of pureblood society. Molly and Remus paused their bickering to turn to the Patronus.
"There has been an attack in muggle London," Kingsley Shacklebolt's deep voice came from the lynx. "Millennium Bridge. We are requesting help immediately."
Ice. Sirius' limbs had turned to ice.
"Where did you say Harry likes to...?" Remus started, but Sirius was already marching to the door. Moony cursed colorfully and Molly did not even scold him as they followed Sirius to the edges of the anti-apparition wards, all three disapparating immediately to the site of the attack.
Chaos. Utter chaos. For a moment, it was the seventies again and Sirius was praying he wouldn't have to fight his little brother and that James wouldn't bleed out before they got him to the Healer. But no, it was nearly twenty years later and it was James' son, not James in danger.
Sirens were going off everywhere and already muggle reporters were rushing to the scene, impossibly large cameras taking in the destruction. Dust and smoke curling together were making it hard to breathe. The bridge was in shambles, half laying in the water with blood and bodies swirling about even as some brave souls were jumping in the river to pull victims to safety. Sirius recognized the stench of Dark magic in the air, but a cursory glance told him that the Death Eaters had struck and immediately disappeared.
"Send a Patronus if you find him," Remus said, but Sirius barely heard him as he rushed into the crowds of screaming people. Merlin, but it was worse than the last war. He had been dogged then by thoughts of his brother and who might be the traitor, but he had also been alive, high on the sensation of fighting his family's bigoted beliefs. But now, he had Harry. There were no more delusions of honorable battle and tales of glory; that had been stolen from him Halloween night, 1981.
"Help! Help me!" a woman was screaming, trying to move a large piece of cement off her leg. Sirius nearly passed her by, but knew that his godson would expect better of him. After all, Harry had saved Wormtail's life, sorry as the rat's life was; he would want Sirius to help the woman.
He didn't even bother with the Statute of Secrecy; the Obliviators would be coming through soon enough. He simply pointed his wand and moved the piece of concrete. The woman gaped.
"You-you-you're like them, the black smoke and-"
"I'm here to stop them," Sirius said calmly as he could. Then, a thought occurred to him. "Listen, have you seen a boy-a teen about this high with messy black hair, green eyes, and a scarred forehead?"
The woman was shaking, still gaping at him. Sirius sighed, knowing when a person was too far in shock to answer any questions.
"Someone will be along to help you to the hospital soon," he assured her before darting further into the crowd.
It was like that with a few more muggles-he would help them, ask them about Harry, but none could remember seeing the boy with messy black hair. It kept on like this until a silvery wolf bounded in front of Sirius, causing several muggles to scream in alarm.
"I have them at my cottage. He's hurt, but will live."
Sirius did not take time to reflect on the odd phrasing before leaping into action, twisting on his heel and disapparating immediately to the rundown cottage that Remus had rented for the past few years. He did not even think of why his friend had decided to take Harry there instead of Grimmauld Place in his rush to get to his godson.
Without even knocking, Sirius burst into the cottage, knees weakening when he spotted Harry sitting upright on the couch, a little bruised and worse for the wear, but alive and relatively healthy.
"Sirius!" the boy said. Sirius rushed to him, grasping him tightly as his heart pounded in his chest.
"Merlin, Harry, I was so worried, I-"
Sirius cut himself off when he realized there was a fourth person in the room. Seeing her was sent him flying further into the past, to a time where his family had the illusion of happy Christmases.
"Cissy, Andy, grab the boys and come on! It's finally warm enough to play quidditch!"
"I don't want to play."
"You can ref, Cissy. Looks like it's boys vs girls again, Bella!"
"She needs help, Sirius, as I was saying to Remus-"
Evanna Malfoy was in the cottage with them.
Evanna POV
When a hand grasped her, she all but had the Killing Curse on her lips as she turned to see her old Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Remus Lupin staring at her. His mouth was moving, assumedly telling her to let Harry go, but she could not be sure.
I won't. I won't let him go. I can't hear you. I won't let him go.
Her message seemed to be delivered, for he frowned and grabbed hold of both of them. Evanna had the sudden sensation of being pressed through a tube, twisting through time and space before landing hard on the floor of a shabby cottage. Her heart raced; she had not wanted to let go of Harry, but to be Apparated to Merlin knew whereby the pet wolf of her father's most dangerous enemy? If she survived this….
There was a flash of light that let Evanna know that he had down diagnostic spells on both Harry and herself before sending a large, furry Patronus-presumably to Harry's godfather. The former professor pointed first to his ears and then to her, before shaking his head before turning to bring Harry back to consciousness.
Her boyfriend blinked, his eyes foggy, and Evanna let out a little half sob to see him okay and awake and not dead, launching herself on him. He grabbed onto her tightly, a vibration through his chest indicating that he was asking questions she could not make out. The werewolf must not want her knowing anything just yet, not until he knew what had happened. Evanna could not quite blame him. She likely would have done the same. But now that she knew Harry was well, the pain had returned with force.
Harry pulled away from her after a moment, an angry look on his face as he argued with the former professor, likely demanding that he heal her. Evanna grabbed hold of his hand, squeezing it to try and encourage him to calm down, but it only seemed to make him angrier.
Harry had stood to yell, as Remus tried to convince him to sit back down when a dark-haired man burst into the cottage. He immediately wrapped Harry in a bear hug, clasping his face as checked that Harry was alright. Then, Sirius Black turned to her.
There was another brief exchange between the three men and Black sighed heavily before saying something that had Lupin going somewhat purple
"Yes, I can hear you, Mr Black," she said in her most respectful voice. "Where are we?"
"My cottage," Lupin said quickly. That gave Evanna very little information, as they had Apparated and could therefore be anywhere. in the face before Black walked to her and gestured for her to sit. She did so somewhat nervously, but Harry gave her a reassuring smile.
Sirius has field healer training, from his days with the Aurors. He says he can heal your ears.
The thought was pushed toward her from Harry. He stepped forward and grabbed her hand, Black seeming to mutter a prayer behind him. Evanna squeezed Harry's hand tight as the former convict pointed his wand at her, doing complicated motions and muttering incantations. It was as if someone was pulling cotton balls out of her ears slowly.
"...you hear me?"
Black was looking at Evanna expectantly
"Yes, I can hear you now," she said softly, surprised at how hoarse she was. "So, what are you going to do to me?"
"Nothing," Harry said immediately.
"Harry, we must tell Headmaster Dumbledore-he will know what is best to-"
"He hates Evanna," Harry said. "He always has. He'll turn her into some sort of hostage!"
"Harry, you know that Dumbledore would never hurt a child-"
Evanna was squeezing Harry's hand so hard that he winced. "Harry, I-"
Harry squeezed her hand back. "Sirius, please. Just let her go home."
The former convict was looking between the two with a strange expression on his face.
"You look much more like your aunt than Narcissa, you know," he said pensively. Evanna's chest tightened.
"Please, Mr. Black," she said softly. "We are family. Don't hand me over to Dumbledore."
"Since when do you not trust Dumbledore, Harry?" he said.
"Since he told me you were dead," her boyfriend said without emotion. Black frowned. "I'm beginning to think Dumbledore has his own agenda, and I don't think it's any good for me."
Evanna could have cheered, but Lupin stood, running his hands through his thinning hair.
"This is madness, Harry," he said. "She is the daughter of one of Voldemort's most loyal followers-who she killed last Yule. In cold blood."
"It was not," Evanna said, glaring at her former professor.
"Pardon?" Even when accusing her of murder, the ragged professor was still painfully polite.
"It was not in cold blood," she said, fighting to keep her voice even. "Lucius very much deserved to die."
Black blinked slowly. "You know, Remus, she has a point."
Evanna thought that maybe, just maybe, her cousin was not half bad.
"Are you safe at Malfoy Manor now?" Black said. "We could get you out. I have the resources, even without Dumbledore. Obviously, your loyalties can't be with Voldemort."
He looked pointedly between her and Harry. She could not turn to look at Harry, to see the desperation in his eyes. But, she knew her father. Without her, he would tear the world apart. But, maybe, just maybe, with her, he would have some hope of retuning to the vision he had once had where magical children would not suffer.
"I think…" she murmured. "I think it best we not do this again, Harry."
"Ev," he started. But she shook her head.
"This summer has been wonderful, Harry. But I knew nothing about today's attack and I can't help but think it wasn't a coincidence."
Evanna ignored the flash of suspicioun that came from Lupin.
"Then maybe you should stay with us," Harry said hopefully, looking up at Sirius. "Dumbledore wouldn't have to know."
Evanna wanted nothing more than to hold him, both loving and hating the hope and naivete in his voice.
"Why would you know about the attack, Ms Malfoy?" Lupin said suspiciously. Evanna felt Harry tense, but she squeezed his hand, turning a cool gaze on Lupin.
"Surely your people know where the Dark Lord has based his operations," she said. "Now, if you could point me in the direction of your wards, I can summon the Knight Bus-"
"We can't allow a child to go back to the Dark Lord's lair, especially one who is… close to Harry," Black said.
"The Dark Lord doesn't know that," Evanna said quickly.
"The Dark Lord is the greatest Legilimens of our time," Lupin snapped. "You cannot be sure of that, just as you cannot expect to be informed of anything as the child of one of his dead followers."
"Evanna is powerful herself-"
Evanna stepped on her boyfriend's foot, hard. Luckily, the adults did not seem to notice.
"Please," she said, doing her best to appear as pitiful as possible. "Let me go home."
Why don't you take his offer? Harry was all but screaming in his mind. Evanna did not know how to explain.
I'll see you at school. She projected the thought into his mind, sidestepping the question.
"Do you believe you are in danger?" Black said, studying Evanna with an unsettling focus.
"No more than Harry is," she said truthfully. Black's lips quirked wryly.
"You can't be considering this, Sirius," Lupin said, shaking his head.
"Did anything you or James said to me convince me to leave my family until I was ready?" Black said. "I don't think that holding a child captive is a precedent we want to set in this war. So if she wants to go home, then she is free to do so."
Evanna nearly released a sigh of relief. The last thing she would want to do was fight these two men who clearly meant so much to Harry.
You'll probably have to do that soon anyway, a small voice in her head told her. She chose to ignore it.
"Thank you," she said. Black nodded.
"If you're ready, I'll Apparate you to the Leaky."
"A couple blocks away, please," she said.
"Ev, are you sure?" Harry said plaintively.
"Harry, I thought you were dead not an hour ago," she said desperately. "If I don't leave now…" She trailed off, doing her best to ignore the way Black and Lupin were staring at her. "We'll see each other at school, okay?"
The adults had turned away to whisper a conversation in the tiny entryway, giving them a moment of privacy. Harry's grip tightened on her, and he pressed a quick kiss to her lips.
"Please, just stay, Ev," he pleaded. "I know you don't believe all the pureblood shite, I know you don't believe in killing people."
Evanna sucked in a deep breath. "There are things I need to do there. I could have… I could have prevented this."
"But you didn't know about it," he said, squeezing her fingers. She did not.
And that scared her.
"Evanna, it's best you leave sooner rather than later if you're leaving."
Black had a carefully blank look on his face, one that Evanna recognized as a face many of the upper echelon of wizarding society wore when hiding their true motives and feelings. Evanna looked back at Harry, who wore every emotion on his face. Evanna's heart cracked, thinking of just how long it would be before she could see this boy again and how they would have to act around each other to make it through the school year under the eye of Dumbledore and the children of her father's followers.
She brushed a hand over Harry's cheek before standing, brushing her now stained dress carefully.
"I'll see you at school, Harry," she said again, softly.
Black escorted her out of the cottage, but before they reached the ward boundary, he stopped, placing a hand on her arm to stop her as well.
"Harry has had enough pain in his life," he said in a low, dark voice. "I will be there at Hogwarts this year to ensure that he does not have any more."
I don't care that she's a child, she will not take Harry from me.
"Mr Black, I would never hurt Harry," she said, meaning every word with her whole heart.
A/N:Hi all! Sorry this is so late and not the 2 chapters over spring break I had promised. My mother ended up with COVID and was hospitalized for 5 days, so I was unable to write. She is doing somewhat better now, but has had very low energy so I have been doing my best to take care of her for the past few weeks and have not had the energy to write myself.