Disclaimer: not mine
Since this story is obviously AU I am taking the liberty to "revive" so to speak a certain character, because it is important for the story. So, Regulus Black, in my story, is a Death Eater, alive and two years younger than Sirius.
The Road to Hell
Chapter 2: Family
It had been three days since four owls had delivered a securely packaged box to Sirius Black. A fifth owl had delivered a letter. After checking for curses, hexes and poisons Sirius had cautiously opened first the letter and then the box.
The letter had simply read: You left something with me at our last encounter; you will have to take it back. There had been no signature. Curios, he had opened the box. He hadn't seen anything but a yellow blanket and had already started to wonder why someone would send him back a blanket of all things, and where and how he could have left one, when the blanket had moved.
It had been then that Sirius had had a distinct feeling of foreboding. And he had been right. Nestled in the blanket had been a little toddler with black hair, high cheekbones and blue green eyes.
At this point Sirius had fainted.
Looking down on the boy playing with a miniature toy broom and making joyful noises, Sirius counted himself to be lucky. Unlike his friends and colleagues he had never wished to find a wife and settle down.
He liked women well enough but he wouldn't want to have to live with one. They were moody, unpredictable and downright dangerous when under the influence of hormones. Sirius liked a little danger and adventure in his life, but he wanted to live, too.
So Sirius had been quite the lady's man without ever getting serious with any of them. And none of them had wanted anything serious with him.
Therefore it really shouldn't have shocked him that he had fathered a child. Neither was he surprised that the child had been sent to him. It was custom in magical families for an unmarried woman to send any offspring to the sire. Magical children belonged to their fathers and could only be legally held by the mother as long as the child needed her for its survival.
No, shocking had been that the mother had sent the child via owl, without any information regarding the child's name or age, without demanding marriage or even revealing her identity.
None the less, Sirius was happy to be a father. Now he had an heir without the normally obligatory wife.
He would have to somehow get a nurse for the child. If he stopped working out of a sudden the ministry would get suspicious and he didn't want to make it known that he had an heir. The Black family lived by the old laws of succession, meaning that any male child of his that he acknowledged as his would be the sole heir of the Black fortune and Head of Family should Sirius die.
Unfortunately it also meant that any male Black directly related to Sirius had the right to raise his son should Sirius die or be disowned, which Sirius had been.
If it should ever come to light that Sirius had sired and acknowledged a child, his brother Regulus could legally take that child away and raise it as his own. Therefore Sirius would have to make sure that no one learned of the child's existence, ever.
How was he to get a nurse without risking others learning of his son? The nurse would have to live with them, because Sirius often times had to leave on short notice on Auror or Order related missions. He couldn't go looking for one in the magical world, people would take notice. There was no way he would trust anyone magical, his son had to remain a secret.
Well, then he would have to look for one in the muggle world. Thanks to his work, his curiosity and his relationships to muggleborns Sirius could live with muggles without raising suspicions.
Having decided on a plan of action, he scooped the small toddler up into his arms, giving him an Eskimo kiss, causing the child to giggle in delight, and said: "What do you think of living in the muggle world, with a butler and a nice nurse to take care of you when I'm away?"
The child made noises as if answering him, still smiling, it blue-green eyes shining with laughter.
Earnest Sirius nodded his head. "Well, if you have no objections we will go and buy a nice house to live in. Then we will set up blood wards, so no magical being but a Black can enter. And then we will go looking for a butler and a nurse. We will have to use fake names though; we don't want anyone to find us as easily as looking into the phone book, now do we?"
A few spells later everything was packed, shrunk and placed into Sirius pockets.
"Ready, kiddo? Then let's go."
The female estate agent was practically cooing at the two members strong family. She had been properly sorry at Sirius' quickly spun tale of a recently diseased wife and him no longer wanting to stay in a house that held too many memories of lost happiness.
Sirius had to admit that the small, brown haired woman was rather good looking and had a pleasant voice, but he wasn't looking for a date, he was looking for a home to sleep in tonight.
They had visited five suitably big houses, but they hadn't been what Sirius was looking for. He really hoped that the next house would be something a child would like to grow up in as well as be big enough to tell of a rich family, someone who had no need to work for his money, someone no one would question about hiring a butler and a nurse.
After a thirty minutes drive, they arrived at the entrance of a white, Victorian villa, surrounded by a huge park, the whole premises enclosed by thick, twelve feet high walls. Unlike the other houses this one radiated warmth.
Sirius started as his son tucked at a strand of his long black hair, pointed to the house and babbled excitedly in baby speak.
"As you wish, kiddo."Sirius whispered gently in the toddler's ear.
"As you see, Mr.Harrington, this house comes with a very nice environment as well as with high security and privacy. This is one of the most respected neighbourhoods around here and there are two very good schools to go to when your son is older." said the estate agent.
Sirius' dark blue eyes took the environment in, thought of his son growing up here and interrupted her: "How much?"
"Ah, excuse me?"
"How much does it cost? Is it furnished?"
"Not every single room is furnished but the essentials are there. There is no suitable furniture for a toddler though; you would need to get the essentials for him."
While talking they had reached the front door. It was honey brown, big and carved with figures of trees and birds. The entrance hall was big, with high ceilings, the walls were painted in a friendly off-white and there were a few landscape paintings scattered on the walls.
A winding staircase of white marble led to the next floor and there were five passages leading to other parts of the house.
"We'll take it."
After driving back to the estate agency and signing the necessary papers, Mark and Danilo Harrington were the proud owners of one Victorian villa.
The estate agent had even been able to recommend a staff agency. She even drove the Harringtons there.
After talking to the manager for half an hour, telling her what qualities he needed in his nurse and butler, mainly secrecy and loyalty, he had decided on an old butler named Mr.Thomas Brown and a middle aged nurse, Ms.Bridget Lean.
They would be ready to start working tomorrow.
Sirius only hoped he wouldn't be called to an emergency tonight.
They took a cab home, where Sirius, just to be on the safe side, wrote two short letters stating he was ill, one for the Auror department and one for Dumbledore, and sent them off with his owl.
Aurelius was curled up on the carpet, where Sirius had set him down so he could write the letters, and lightly dozing. His black hair was tousled even more than usual, his eyes already half-closed.
Sirius sighed. It had been a long, hard day and if he was tired the little one had to be beyond tired. Gently he scooped the toddler up, pressing a light kiss on his hair. Then he walked up the stairs to one of the bedrooms, put Aurelius into pyjamas and put him to sleep into the de-shrunk crib.
Putting monitoring charms on the now sleeping child, he went to bed himself.
Dumbledore frowned when he received Sirius' letter. His blue eyes narrowed in thought. Sirius wasn't the kind of man to slacken his work because of a child.
He had thought Sirius would simply hire a nurse and then go on as usual. If he had known Sirius would take care of the child himself he wouldn't have put the young Potter there. Sirius was an important member of the Order, an undefeated Auror, dreaded by Death Eaters. Dumbledore couldn't afford to lose the Potters and Sirius at the same time.
Well, he would simply suggest to Sirius to hire a nurse for the boy at the next Order meeting.
At least the Potters had settled in the little cottage without much fuss. They hadn't asked about little Harry when he had visited them earlier this evening, apparently taking to heart his words about necessary secrecy and safety measures. Instead they had asked him what to teach young Regis. Dumbledore reassured them that they should raise him like any other child, at least till he could walk and talk properly. They should however be prepared for unusually strong bursts of accidental magic.
TBC
Please take the time to leave a review.
