May 1980

Freya woke much earlier the next morning than she cared for when James opened her bedroom door and the door hit her head hard. She moaned in pain as she sat up slowly, a hand rubbing at the developing knot on her head. James frowned, asking worriedly, "Freya? What are you doing on the floor?"

Freya stood and moved away from the door so that James could enter the room. "Annabelle cried during the night, and, well, I guess I did too," Freya grumbled. "What do you want, Jamie?"

"Why were you crying?" Freya snorted, raising an eyebrow at him. James shook his head. "Nevermind, stupid question. Umm, Dumbledore and Moody are both downstairs wanting to see you."

Freya's eyes widened. "Oh," she mumbled, fear paralyzing her vocal chords.

James threw an arm around Freya and easily maneuvered her into the hall, down the stairs, and into the living room, saying, "Don't worry. You'll be fine. You're not in trouble."

Freya nodded as they came to face the professor and the auror. Moody nodded as Dumbledore said, "Good morning, Ms. Black." Freya's breath caught in her throat. Ms. Black, not Mrs. Black. Another reminder that Regulus was dead; it would certainly take some getting used to. "Welcome home. I hope we haven't disrupted your family reunion; we tried to wait as long as possible to have this conversation to give you and your family time to adjust to your new situation. Which reminds me, I do hear congratulations are in order." Dumbledore produced a small pale pink dress patterned with gently fluttering snitches from his robes, offering it to Freya. "I adapted a Muggle knitting pattern to hopefully suit your needs. I do love knitting patterns, but I rarely get the occasion to use one."

Freya accepted the dress, more than a bit confused. "Umm, thank you," Freya said quietly.

Moody said gruffly, "According to James here, you participated in more than one battle as an auror while pregnant." Freya nodded slowly. "You got lucky. Don't do it again." Freya nodded again, waiting for him to say whatever else she knew must be on his mind. "James also says that husband of yours, Regulus Black, was a Death Eater, and he held you hostage in an attempt to keep the child safe during pregnancy, intended to be rid of you after the child was born as he had discovered your true loyalties to the Order of the Phoenix, and planned to raise the child to be a Death Eater?"

Freya hesitated, then lied, "Yes, that's what happened."

Moody evaluated her a minute, then nodded. "Crouch has approved your return to duty following your maternity leave and a psychological evaluation. Your maternity leave ends in six months. Understand?"

Freya smiled slightly. "Yes, sir. Crystal clear."

Moody huffed. "Good, now tell us about this horcrux you stole."

Freya's smile froze on her face, and she glanced at James, eyes widening. James shrugged. Dumbledore reassured, "No reason to fear, Ms. Black. James told me, per your request, and I informed Alastor as a member of the Order. The Ministry remains entirely unaware of the existence of the horcrux, and according to my sources, Voldemort has not yet realized it is missing. So, where is the horcrux?"

Freya shifted her weight nervously as she calculated her response. Choosing to be honest for once, Freya replied, "It's gone. Disappeared along with Regulus's body the night he died."

"And what item did Voldemort place his soul into?" Dumbledore asked, eyes twinkling with curiosity.

"A locket that had once belonged to Salazar Slytherin."

"And how did you come to be in possession of the locket?" Dumbledore pressed.

Freya narrowed her eyes at the Hogwarts headmaster suspiciously. "Regulus stole it," she said slowly. "We tried to destroy it, but the thing is untouchable, even if we could find it. Nothing can even tarnish it. Not that it matters since it's now missing."

"You're saying that your Death Eater husband turned on his master?" Moody asked suspiciously.

Freya huffed impatiently. "Yes, Regulus changed his mind long ago, and stealing that horcrux was his only way out," she snapped. "He didn't want a damn thing to do with those people anymore, and we ran away to stay safe from them. I don't know why he fought back with Sirius the way he did. I don't know why he was acting like he'd never left the Death Eaters. I don't know why he chose to fight to the death instead of letting his brother help him, but he did. Now the horcrux he risked his life for has gone missing, and that's what bloody matters right now. The Order has to find it."

"The Order will do everything they can to recover the missing locket," Dumbledore said calmly. "Perhaps if we knew what the locket looked like…"

Waving her wand, Freya summoned a piece of paper. She pointed her wand at the page, and an image appeared on the paper of the Slytherin locket. She handed it over to Dumbledore when it was complete. "Here. That's what it looks like." The sound of Annabelle crying floated down the stairs, and Freya sighed with relief. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I don't have any more information to share and a baby who needs me. You two have a good day."

Without waiting for a response, Freya turned on her heels and bolted from the room, rushing up the stairs to Annabelle's room. Sirius was also walking up to the nursery's door when Freya reached it. "Morning, love," Sirius said, leaning over her and planting a kiss on the top of her head.

Freya jerked away from him, heart in her throat. "Please, don't," Freya mumbled, opening the door and crossing the room to the crib. She bent down and picked up Annabelle as Sirius followed her into the room. Sighing, she snapped, "Get out; I've got to feed her."

Sirius placed his hands on her hips, making her jump, and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I've seen them before, remember?"

Freya shook her head. "Shut up," she murmured. "This is different. You know this is different."

Sirius sighed. "Ok," he said softly. "Maybe we'll get to that place one day." Freya shivered at his breath on her neck, rolling her head around her shoulders to stretch her neck muscles as Sirius took a couple steps back. "Speaking of which, I've got something I want to talk to you about when you're done." Freya nodded, and Sirius walked away, leaving Freya alone with Annabelle.

Standing in the back doorway, Freya tried not to laugh as Sirius, in the form of a large black dog, chased James's cat through the backyard. She couldn't help herself anymore, though, when the large orange cat turned on Sirius and scratched his snout, making him yelp and run away whimpering. He walked up to Freya, puppy dog eyes in full effect, as she doubled over laughing. Sirius whined as she teased, "Oh, you poor baby. That's what you get for torturing him like that."

Sirius transformed back into a man, his hand covering his nose. "Bloody hell, that hurt," Sirius moaned as he tried to stem the flow of blood from the wound.

Freya rolled her eyes. "Come on. I'll heal it up for you." Sirius nodded and followed her to the bathroom under the stairs, where she found rubbing alcohol, then into the kitchen where he sat down at the kitchen table. Freya grabbed a dishcloth from a drawer, pulled a chair in front of Sirius, and sat down across from him. "It's going to sting," Freya said casually as she poured rubbing alcohol onto the cloth.

Freya gently rubbed at the scratches, making Sirius hiss. "Bloody hell, Freya, you couldn't have just found some Essence of Dittany and closed it up?" Sirius whined.

Freya smirked. "This cleans those nasty germs out first. Then you can have all the Essence of Dittany you want."

"Where the hell did you learn that?" Sirius snapped.

Freya chuckled. "From Regulus," she said as she pressed a little harder with the alcohol-soaked rag, attempting to provoke him.

Sirius frowned at her smirk, then poked back, "When was that, after he beat you or after he raped you?" Suddenly paralyzed, memories of pain and hate and anger and blood flooded Freya's mind. She shook her head, dropping the rag on the table and grabbing fistfuls of her hair in her hands. Sirius lifted a hand to touch her, saying, "Freya, I —"

"Shut up," Freya snarled, letting go of her hair and standing too quickly, knocking her chair over with a loud crash. "Just shut up, Black. I hate you."

She tried to storm out of the room past him, but Sirius caught her hand as she passed him, forcing her to stop. Freya scowled at him as he said softly, "I love you, Freya."

"Why?" Freya snapped. "I've never done anything but cause you grief and heartache, so why the hell would you love me? Why would you love me when you know how much I hate you?"

Sirius flinched at her words, but he didn't let her go. "Before he came along, we were close," Sirius said, forcing a calm tone. "You trusted me just as much if not more than James, remember? Remember how it felt when we were together?" He gently pulled Freya closer, and she didn't resist. He let go of her hand and gripped her hips with both hands, guiding her onto his lap. She straddled him easily, the feel of him underneath her warm and familiar. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Remember the way it felt when I made you scream my name?"

Freya trembled in his arms, her arms draped casually around his neck, her eyes refusing to meet his. "I'm not the same anymore," she mumbled. "You know the last time you really knew me was, what, three years ago?"

Sirius pushed her hair from her face, smiling softly at her. "You've changed, but not as much as you think," he said. "We can make this work."

"He's not even been dead a week," Freya said bitterly. "Don't you think you're trying to move in on your brother's wife awfully fast after you killed him?"

Other than slightly tightening his grip on her hips, Freya couldn't detect a reaction in Sirius. After a moment, he said, "Actually, it's more the other way around. I was hoping that you and Annabelle would move in with me."

Every muscle in Freya's body tensed. "W-what?"

Sirius repeated, "I want you and Annabelle to move into my flat with me."

Freya blinked, still unsure if she was hearing him correctly. "Why?" she asked suspiciously.

Sirius shook his head. "You don't listen well, do you?" he teased. "Because I love you and Annabelle. You're not going to want to stay here much longer, not with Lily pregnant. I know James loves having you here, but they're going to want that space back when their little fellow comes along. You'll need some help with little Annabelle, and you'll be safer than anywhere else if you come live with me."

"Regulus would be furious; he'd hate it," Freya said thoughtfully.

"Regulus is dead, though," Sirius reminded her as he started massaging the back of her neck with his fingertips. She couldn't help the slight moan that escaped her throat as her head lolled back, leaning into his touch. "Freya, I love you. I want to make sure that you never want for anything, and I mean anything. That includes a home."

"I've got money and a job," Freya said. "I could easily provide things like a house for myself and Annabelle."

"True," Sirius admitted, leaning forward and nipping lightly at Freya's exposed neck, sending shivers down her spine and making her squeak in surprise. "But somehow I still think there are things I could give you if we lived together that your money couldn't provide you." Freya hesitated to respond, so Sirius pulled her in and kissed her lips roughly, pouring an intense passion into her until she felt like she was drowning in it. Clutching at his neck, desperate for affection, she pressed herself against him, bringing them as close together as they could possibly get. His hands tangled in her auburn hair and gently tugged it, eliciting another, louder moan from Freya. Sirius smirked against her lips at the sound. He used his hold on her hair to prevent her from kissing him, and she whimpered at the loss of contact. "That's more like it," Sirius whispered, quite proud of himself. "That's the Freya I remember." He traced a finger lightly down her neck, trailing it down her breastbone, feeling her chest heave beneath his touch. "I love you, Freya."

"Oh, Merlin, Sirius!" Freya nearly jumped out of her skin as guilt crashed over her at the sound of James's voice. "I know you already told me you two had been a thing at school, but do you really have to be a thing in my kitchen?" James snickered.

"James —" Freya started, but James waved her off.

"Good for you two and all that," James continued, entirely ignoring the horrified look on his sister's face. "I'll happily babysit Annabelle while you two get it on, just don't get it on in my house, please. I don't want to have to hear it or see it."

Freya gaped at James in shock as she felt Sirius laughing beneath her. "Relax, Prongs," Sirius chuckled. "I'm just asking her to move in with me."

Lily's voice called from the living room, "Isn't that just a bit soon?"

Embarrassment made Freya's cheeks flush hot pink as she stared at James, but her brother just shrugged. After a moment, Freya closed her eyes, and, taking a deep breath to steady herself, said, "I'm not sleeping with Sirius, but ok, fine, I'll move in with him." Sirius grinned at her as she climbed off his lap and stood up, leaving the room to go gather her and Annabelle's things.

"There's the last of it," Remus said as he sat down a bag of Annabelle's things in her new room in Sirius's flat. "Amazing how much stuff little girls manage to accumulate when they're not even a week old," he said with a chuckle.

Freya smiled, leaning against the doorframe as she watched the werewolf move around the room, unpacking Annabelle's clothes. "Yes, the minute my mum found out I was in labor, she ran out the door to go shopping. I didn't even see her that first day for all the time she spent shopping," Freya snickered. "She was not happy that she missed my pregnancy and even more unhappy that James and I'd let her and dad believe I was dead, but she understood. She always understands."

Remus sighed. "Yeah, your mum's pretty great like that. She always sees the best in people, even when they can't see it in themselves."

A thought occurred to Freya. "Remus, I… I'm sorry. I never meant to…"

Remus over his shoulder at her, half of a sad smile on his lips. "I know. It's ok. You did what you had to. You did what Regulus made you do."

Freya bit her lip, nodding. "Yeah," she said softly as Sirius walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

Sirius rested his chin on the top of Freya's head, grinning like a madman. "Hey, Mooooooony."

Remus rolled his eyes before looking back at his friend. "What do you want now, Padfoot?"

"Would you maybe stick around and watch Annabelle for an hour or two? I'd like to take Freya out for a little while on the bike."

Remus frowned. "Are you sure you want me to watch her? The full moon's just a few days away; I don't know if I should…"

Freya interrupted, "Remus, I trust you. You'd never hurt her."

Remus snorted. "I'm not worried I'd hurt her," Remus said. "I'm worried I'll black out or fall asleep too deeply, and she'll need me, and I won't be able to…"

Sirius teased, "Remus, if you can manage to earn five Outstanding N.E.W.T.s during a full moon week, you can handle watching a baby."

Remus sighed. "Well, I guess if you're sure… But I'm calling Peter and having him come over here too, just in case."

"Sure, no problem," Freya said with a small smile.

Freya clung to Sirius's hips for dear life as the motorbike raced faster than any broomstick she'd ever been on down the streets of Muggle London. Hot wind whipped at her face, making her hair flap around everywhere. Her face stung, but she didn't care. She'd never felt so reckless, so careless, so… free. Giggling with glee, she screamed, "Woohoo!"

Sirius laughed, and Freya could feel it making his muscles in his back and hips vibrating. "Having fun?" he asked.

"Loads!" Freya said as Sirius leaned the bike around a turn, making Freya squeal as she tried to keep her balance. She asked, "Where are we going?"

Sirius flew between two cars as he answered, "You never got the chance to really be young and do anything wild and crazy. I don't want you to look back later and feel like you missed out on anything, so I'm taking you to this Muggle bar I know where they play music too loud and let you get too drunk, and then we're going to head home and crash and get up in the morning and be responsible again."

As Sirius pulled suddenly into a parking space, Freya gripped his hips more tightly as anxiety began to creep into her mind. Sirius started to get off the motorbike, stopping when Freya's hold didn't change. He looked over his shoulder at her, raising an eyebrow. She shook her head. "I don't know if we should," she said nervously. "Annabelle…"

"Will be fine," Sirius finished for her. "She's got two responsible babysitters. Moony and Wormtail will take good care of her. We're just gonna go in, have a few drinks, dance a little. Cut loose, Foxy. Have some fun."

Freya hesitated, then nodded. The two got off his bike, and Sirius led her into the bar. The place was crowded, and music thudded through giant speakers scattered throughout the room. Sirius spoke to the bartender, then passed a glass of something strong to Freya. Throwing it back, the alcohol burned her throat, and for a moment she thought she would choke on the burn. She coughed, and Sirius patted her back with a laugh. He led her out onto the dance floor, weaving through the crowd. Pulling her flush against him, they danced and drank and danced some more, until everything was hazy. Sirius spun her around on the dancefloor, making her laugh harder than she could remember laughing in a long time. Spinning around and around, she suddenly spotted a familiar face on the other side of the room. She gasped, stumbling as she abruptly came to a stop. Freya sprinted away, pushing through the crowded room as Sirius called after her. Another glimpse through the crowd, and the familiar face was heading out the front door. She ran after him out into the street, looking around frantically, but the face was gone. Sirius finally caught up to her and grabbed hold of her arm. "What the hell, Freya?" Sirius exclaimed. "Please, don't just run off like that; it's dangerous. What are you doing?"

Eyes wild, Freya searched every face on the street, searching for him. "I-I saw…"

"Freya?" Sirius asked worriedly, making her turn around. He had to force her head to still as he repeated, "Freya, what are you doing?"

"I saw him," Freya said, slurring slightly. "I saw him in the club; I saw him leaving. I ran after him, but…"

Sirius frowned. "Saw who?"

Freya's eyes landed on Sirius's gray ones, but it was like she couldn't focus on him, like she wasn't really seeing him in front of her, and maybe she wasn't. "Regulus. Regulus was in the bar, and he left and now… I can't find him. I tried to follow him, but he's… he's disappeared again and…"

"Freya, love," Sirius said gently, holding her face in his hands and soothingly pushing her hair back from her face repeatedly. "Regulus is dead. He can't have been here tonight. He's dead."

Freya shook her head as best she could with her movement restricted by Sirius's hands. "No, I saw him," she insisted, growing hysterical. "I swear, I bloody saw him. I'm not crazy, Sirius. I saw my husband here."

Sighing, Sirius said, "Love, I know you're not crazy, but you're drunk and still grieving. Maybe it's possible you just imagined it…"

"No!" Freya shouted, yanking hard at Sirius's arms and forcing him to let go of her. "I'm not imagining things! He was here; I saw him!"

"Freya, he's dead!" Sirius yelled back. "He's dead; you hear me?" Tears stung Freya's eyes, and she shook her head, whimpering softly. "Regulus is dead, and he'll never come back for you. It's just you and Annabelle now. He's gone from your life forever, and he's never coming back. And good bloody riddance; all he ever did was hurt you. He's dead, and I'm here. I'm right bloody here in front of you, and I don't regret that I'm here and he's not. He never deserved you; he never properly loved you, not like I do."

Freya reached to slap him, and Sirius caught her wrist easily in a tight grip. Even inebriated, he had better reflexes than she did. He pulled her closer to him but merely stared at her. This time, Freya initiated the kiss, leaning forward, chest to chest, kissing him roughly, biting his lower lip hard as her free hand tangled in his black hair. She intentionally lost herself in the kiss, and she felt a shiver run through Sirius as he gripped her hip and pulled her close so that he was hard against her. Her whole body felt like she'd been shocked with electricity as Sirius kissed and nipped his way down her throat, making her moan. It was different than the way Regulus made her feel, as different as fire and ice. Sirius's touch stung like ice on her skin.

Then they were suddenly back in what was now their flat, stumbling through the dark living room toward the bedroom, trying not to wake Remus where he slept on the couch. Freya couldn't remember exactly how they'd gotten home, but she didn't care as Sirius slammed her against the hallway wall and kissed the daylights out of her. She was unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it off his shoulders when the nursery door behind Sirius opened, and Peter stood behind them, completely flummoxed as he realized what was happening. Freya heard Peter squeak out something akin to, "Sorry, nevermind," before he hid back in Annabelle's room. Sirius snickered at his friend as he pulled Freya's shirt over her head.

Freya pushed him off her, taking his hand and pulling Sirius into the bedroom, which was the total opposite of everything Regulus's bedroom had been. Where Regulus's room had been blacks and grays and greens, Sirius's room was whites and browns and reds. It was a bit like being back in Gryffindor tower, and Freya would love that later, but in that moment the only thing she cared about was getting Sirius out of his trousers. As she undid his zipper, Sirius's hand covered hers, stopping her movements. She looked up at him, confused. He mumbled, "Are you sure about this? Do you really want this? Do you… do you really want me?"

Slightly taken aback by the vulnerability in Sirius's voice, Freya thought for a moment, panting for breath, then nodded. "Yes," she whispered. "I want you, Sirius. I want this." Sirius grinned, then leaned in and kissed her again and allowed her to resume removing his pants.