Here is the next chapter. I hope you like it. Please read and review thanks love Hermione xxx
Arthur entered the living room where Sirius was enjoying some hot chocolate which Kreacher had made him looking around awkwardly.
"Um Sirius can I talk with you about something? I need to ask you a very weird and uncomfortable question but why did your mother burn your name on the family tree?" he asked as Sirius coughed and seemed to instantly sober up. Arthur sat down stunned as Kreacher gave him a hot chocolate too although he'd not asked for one.
"Why do you want to know?" Sirius asked as Arthur took a sip and moaned at the delicious taste. He'd need to be drinking more of this in the future for sure.
"Kreacher please get Molly a hot chocolate too and tell her it's from me. Sirius to be honest with you I just cannot get past what Ronald did to Harry. I know it may seem like nothing because Harry does have so much money. I know that's true but for me at least it's really not the point. Even if he'd had little money taking it would be still be wrong. I just don't know how to look at him anymore. I don't want to kick him from the family of course but he's had some toxic thoughts lately and I can't seem to get beyond it!" he said shedding a tear as Sirius looked and truly saw the exhausted father of seven for who he really was. He was truly exhausted but still tried his best for everyone in his family.
"If it was my son Arthur I'd send him via international floo to Romania and have him work with Charlie the same amount of hours it would take to earn the one thousand or so galleons he took from Harry. This would teach him why working for your money is important. He would do the work but not get the pay and who knows maybe seeing Charlie work for his own money might inspire him to be a better person. I wanted to ask you something weird myself actually. Can I have access to your shed please? Harry taught me a way to make you guys a bit of money and I'd like to do it if I can!" he said as Arthur nodded. This was indeed sound advice and he'd be doing it for sure. There was a lot of wisdom to everything Sirius was telling him and it was great to see that Sirius' bad experiences weren't marring him. He was still free to be totally himself and it was lovely. He hadn't allowed the bitterness in his life to affect his mind and in turn he did give excellent advice.
"You are totally right Sirius. The only way he'll learn is by doing it himself and seeing how Charlie benefits from his wages. I'll arrange it with Charlie and he can be on his way. I may even have Charlie collect him here we'll see. Yes you may use my shed. Any income would be welcome!" he said as Sirius smiled and had Kreacher take him at once to the shed. The shed itself looked tiny but he was stunned at how exceptionally large it was inside. It was absolutely filthy in here and the light was busted as well.
"Kreacher clean this quickly and fix the light please!" he said as with a couple of snaps of Kreachers hand it was done as he moved around the room like a blur cleaning everything there. Now at least he could see everything in there. There were many broken hair dryers, radios, telephones, toasters and fans. With Kreachers help he fixed them up and brought them to the place Harry had told him about.
"Good afternoon sir. My antiques store closed down and I need to sell this stock today if at all possible!" he said as the man looking at him gasped in awe.
"Yes of course right this way sir. Please bring your stock with you. You have a lot of items here. We can make good money selling that. I would advise you to go for a coffee as the auction will begin now and will end in one hour. We are online too so I imagine you'd get a good sale for the items too. Electric items are so hot right now!" he said chuckling at his own joke which was in all honesty lost on Sirius. In one hour Sirius returned stunned to see that every item had been sold. He entered the auctioneers not entirely sure if he could remember what happened next. He was taken to a side office to sign off on the products which had been sold and take cheque for them.
"Thanks for your custom sir. As you can see today minus auction costs of course you made a total of forty thousand pounds. I did tell you that antique electrical items were so hot right now. We had people online bidding from Australia too so they were willing to pay top dollar for those radios. Here you are and have a nice day!" he said handing the cheque to Sirius who was actually stunned. He stared open mouthed at it. He had been sure it would make money as Harry had told him this but he didn't truly think it would make so much money in pounds though. He took the cheque to Gringotts and had it changed into a cheque for galleons. The cheque said eight thousand and thirty two galleons, two sickles and five knuts. He returned home and gave a stunned Arthur the cheque who fainted as Molly entered the kitchen.
"Arthur honey are you alright?" she said rushing to the side of her husband who was waking up stunned.
"Sirius where did you get this money?" he asked as Sirius giggled. It was good to see them so happy. They had become solid friends recently and after their wake up call over their sons actions were now behaving sensibly around Dumbledore. He wasn't hero worshipped anymore but listened to with an air of caution always.
"You will now find that your shed at home is empty. I know of a way to repair and sell your items in the muggle world as Harry confessed to me that he was confused you didn't do this for yourself. He had meant to tell you but forgot. You know how teenagers can be. Anyhow he told me and I did it for you. This is what those items made in galleons!" he said as Molly saw the cheque and stumbled a bit. It was much more then they'd ever had. They were thankful for the money at this moment.
Elsewhere Dumbledore who had somehow figured out how Sirius could communicate with Harry was very proud of himself. He didn't of course realise they talked on the regular thinking Sirius hadn't used it recently and decided to try it out for himself. He slipped the hair of Sirius he had found into the polyjuice potion and drunk it smiling as he saw the face of Sirius Black looking back at him. He held the mirror in front of his face and called out Harry Potter. Harry was at home in his kitchen preparing himself a cup of tea when his mirror pinged and he opened it. He saw Sirius and smiled.
"Hello Sirius how are you?" he asked as Sirius grimaced.
"To be honest Harry I am not good. You have worried everyone here and I'd really rather if you came home now. I am now free at long last and we could live together in happiness. Please come home!" he said as Harry glanced at Draco who was sitting on the other side of the room looing highly confused.
"One moment Sirius I am making some tea. Stay there and I'll be back!" he said going to Draco and whispering I have a plan in his ear and that he should just remain silent because he had ways of knowing if it was really Sirius anyway. He returned and picked up the mirror again.
"Ok Sirius I'm back and while I have you actually I've been doing some research into what we discussed the other day and I forgot what you said. What was it that Mr Harry Prongs always said you should manage? I need to know so I can finish that essay for charms!" he said as Dumbledore looked at him in confusion. Yes this definitely wasn't Sirius at all. Who in the hell was Harry Prongs.
"He should mind his manners Harry of course. It never does to be impolite after all. I thought you should know that!" he responded coolly as though he'd not gotten anything wrong.
"Thanks for that you're the best. I love knowing I can always count on you Sirius. What's the password for that marauders map you gave me? I'm sorry I know I shouldn't have forgotten it but it was for my birthday and I simply forgot to ask you for the password. I am such a fool. Thank you so much for that by the way you're the only person who remembered I have a birthday this year!" he said as once more Dumbledore floundered. He had no idea what the damn password was.
"I have no idea what relevance this is when you should come home this instant young man!" he snapped very angry at Harry's treatment of him.
"You've been caught red handed you absolute fool. Sirius would have known the answer. I know that man like the back of my hand. Whoever you really are under that polyjuice potion you had better hope I don't find you because if I do let me tell you they simply won't find a body. You're lucky I'm not wherever you are. Do you kiss Dumbledore with that mouth? Then again from what I hear he might like it the damn homophobe he is!" he snapped cancelling the call and getting Dobby to check on Sirius for him. Sirius who was now in his room sorting through his clothes was furious and more shocked to find himself in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place whom he stunned so fast Dumbledore hadn't even seen who'd cursed him. He tied him up and fed him the reversal potion showing Dumbledore whom he eyed furiously.
"What the fuck did you think you were doing threatening Harry Potter of all things!?" he snapped kicking the unconscious man before he removed his binds and revived him leaving just before Molly entered the kitchen again.
"Good evening Albus. You don't look too good this evening. Are you ok? What are you wearing?" she asked as he looked stunned. He didn't know he was back to his normal appearance yet so thought she was mental.
"What are you talking about I'm not Albus Dumbledore I'm Sirius Black of course!" he said confidently as she laughed and conjured a mirror for him to look at.
"Clearly someone thought they were having a laugh at your expense! Maybe it was those twins. I'm sorry if it was but I have said people need a laugh more than anything these days and I'm right too" she giggled as he saw himself and gasped.
Had Harry known it was him too? He was sure he hadn't known it was him just that it wasn't Sirius. How had he known that? What had he said which had shown that he wasn't Sirius? He'd need to know so he didn't make that mistake in the future. Actually Sirius hadn't noticed it at all until Dobby had told him about it and fumed. They both agreed that Sirius could know where he lived and he was given the address. Sirius proclaimed that his first order of business as a free man was a vacation which he would be taking immediately. Dumbledore tried to stop him but was shot down by the whole order who agreed he needed the break after all he'd been through. Dumbledore had been defeated there and felt powerless but allowed it none the less. It would not have been wise to push it at that precise moment so he left it.
Sirius flooed over to Harry's house and told him the news face to face. Harry showed him a memory of the call and Sirius answered both questions effortlessly when he had been asked them in the memory. He emerged with a smile on his face.
"For your information the answer to the first question is that you should always mind your mischief and the answer to second question is I solemnly swear I am up to no good. What a fool! Did he really think you wouldn't know it wasn't me? I would never order you around like that anyway. To be honest I love and view you like the son I never had myself. Thank you Harry for giving me a new lease of life. Draco you're just as much my son now too. Come here!" he held his arms out as Draco came over and embraced the man in a hug shocked by the exceptional warmth he felt there. No one had ever hugged him this warmly who wasn't Harry before.
Sure his parents had hugged him but it was done as a show for the public more than for the benefit of him. They had thought they had to be seen hugging him publicly so people wouldn't think they were bad parents. They did hug him at home too from time to time but those hugs were always brief and never warm. Narcissa had always said to him you can't pour from an empty vessel. She had said she was never shown love or understanding when she'd been a child and therefore didn't know how to show it herself. He did understand that but couldn't she have at least tried to show him love if only to give him what she didn't have herself. At least she would be at their wedding and was making up for it now.
Sirius was surprised to hear they were going on to get their suits from an elaborate establishment which was appointment only based and would have an appointment slot for them in ten minutes. They'd be apparating there. He decided to join them. They all appeared just down the side street of the establishment hidden from the view of muggles. They walked up to the front door ringing the bell which made Draco and Sirius jump as Harry chuckled forgetting they'd not seen one before. The door was answered and they were ushered inside to a large room with racks of different suits, ties, pocket squares and fabric. They were all presented with a glass of champagne and told to take a seat. Sirius was shocked with the ease at which they both drank the champagne but didn't say anything to them.
"Harry Potter and Draco Warrens my name is Annabelle and I'll be dealing with you today. Have you brought a friend with you?" she asked eyeing Sirius as Harry smiled.
"This is Sirius he's my father and joined me here today to support me!" he said as Sirius looked chuffed to pieces at his side. Obviously it wasn't actually true but it did feel that way to him hence the reason why he felt no shame at telling people this.
"Very good. Sirius you can stay here and browse if you like. Now then gentlemen what were we thinking in terms of colours?" she asked leading them over to a vast array of textiles on a turntable which swirled around like a book with each swatch of fabric being a page of the 'book'. They both looked at it and for the first time in his life Harry felt adult and like he had free choice. He could select whatever he wanted and no one could ever tell him no and that he wasn't allowed to choose. What did he really want though? I mean Black looked very depressing and grey just looked dull and like you didn't care much about anything. Then he saw it. It was his favourite colour and his eyes lit up. He glanced up to find Draco staring at him with a huge smile on his face and blushed wildly quickly looking down and then back up again.
"Draco my um favourite colour is teal. I like this teal fabric for my suit. What do you think?" he asked holding up the swatch of teal fabric and Draco smirked.
"I never thought your taste in coloured suits would turn me on so much but it does. Fuck it Potter you're so fucking sexy!" he growled out low when he could see that they were alone. Harry honestly felt sexy in that moment. There was just such conviction in the way he'd said it you couldn't but believe he was telling the truth.
"Well I've always been told that Black looks refined by Lucius but I don't agree with him. This is a wedding and not a damn funeral. I found this raspberry coloured suit which I love. See it's like a combination of deep red and pink and matches with your teal perfectly!" he said as Harry gasped. He looked at the two swatches side by side and while so very different they really did match. He just knew he'd wear a raspberry pocket square while Draco could wear a teal one himself.
"Don't take this the wrong way but I'm surprised you have such good taste. I mean in our uniforms it can never really show can it? You've always just looked so boring a bit like me but then again that's what the uniforms do or should I say don't do for us!" he said chuckling as Draco pretended to look hurt for a moment but then chuckled. Heading back outside they showed a stunned Sirius their selections. They actually had suits in these colours to try on they just needed to be tweaked and for an extra fee would be ready tomorrow. They paid the three thousand five hundred pounds for the suits and headed out to a local Indian restaurant in their disguises to have dinner. Sirius donned his own disguise and they made a real night of it. It was plain and simple fun. In that moment there was no Dumbledore or Voldemort or anything bad just plain good fun and it was wonderful.