~Everything's Not What It Seems~
Alex and Justin are siblings sent to Hogwarts to learn about magic just like their father. There they meet new friends, fall in love, and find out that truly everything is not what it seems.
Disclaimer: J.K Rowling and Disney Channel own the right to all these character. I am only borrowing them :)
"You started without me?" Alex frowned as she plopped down in the chair beside her brother.
"Yeah, but we were only having some guy talk. Now that you're here, we can get to the real conversation." Justin handed Alex the mirror. She took it happily, looking at the mirror happily.
"Hi dad! I miss you." Alex waved into the mirror before positioning it on the table between them.
"Alex my dear, I miss you too! How have you been?" Sirius smiled at his daughter, his eyes glowing with joy.
"I'm great now!" Alex smiled wider. Justin could see the happiness radiating off his sister. After reuniting with her best friend, this was the icing on the cake for her. "Sorry I took so long, I was with my friend."
"No worries at all Alex. Your brother already informed me."
Justin watched the short exchange between his Dad and Alex. While he was thrilled to see them talking to each other, he was a bit impatient to hear everything from their dad. He looked around the room, hoping to find something to keep himself distracted while they talked.
"Seems like your brother is getting impatient."Sirius laughed. "I think it's time I tell the story, yes?"
Alex nodded and looked at him expectantly. Justin nodded in response before looking at Sirius and nodding towards him as well.
~~~~~
It was the thirtieth of October, the day before Halloween. Sirius was home alone with Alex, keeping his daughter as preoccupied as he could. He had convinced his wife to take their son Justin to an early Halloween party across the street from their home. Sirius was in the kitchen, attempting to convince Alex to eat the purée carrots he had prepared for her, when the phone rang. The moment he picked up the call and heard James' voice, he knew something was wrong.
"Hello, Sirius."
"Hi James. Is everything okay? You sound... odd." He asked.
"I don't know. Something feels wrong."
"You feel it too?"
"Yes. Lily and I worry, we don't even leave the house. It's driving little Harry bonkers."
"I understand, Justin is the same. I had Arianna take him to a party across the street."
"And Alex?"
"She is with me, making a mess in the kitchen as we speak." Sirius smiled as he looked at his daughter.
James laughed. "That Alex will be good to continue the Marauder line."
"As long as Harry is beside her doing the same."
"All we need to do is convince Remus to marry so we have our third member." James added.
"Absolutely."
Sirius heard a sound at the door, momentarily distracting him from the phone call. He reached for his wand, but relaxed when he heard fussing coming from the front door.
"I will speak to you soon. Arianna and Justin have returned early."
"That's fine, I should get going as well. Before you go, are you sure about Peter?"
"Yes, I am. I worry if it came down to it, I would choose you over my family. I can't do that to them, it would kill me. He's a good mate, we should trust him."
James laughed. "You're really the best mate. I would never ask you to choose me over your family Sirius, but I know you would do it anyway. Please do come see us soon. I'm worried about you and your family as much as my own."
"I will. Goodbye my friend."
"Goodbye."
Sirius put the phone down and picked up Alex from her high chair. He bounced his daughter in his arms as he made his way to the living room. It only took him a second to notice his wife on the floor. She was holding Justin in her arms really tight, her eyes overflowing with tears. Sirius quickly put their daughter in her play pen before sitting down beside his wife on the floor.
"Arianna, my love, what is wrong?"
Arianna looked at her husband in surprise, loosening the tight hold on their son. She attempted to wipe the tears from her eyes as Sirius took their son from her and placed him in the play pen with his sister. He returned beside his wife, wrapping an arm around her. "Sirius, I worry for our children's safety. I couldn't sit at that party without wanting to check on Justin every few minutes."
Sirius frowned. Something was definitely not right. How were all of them feeling so off. "James called. He is also becoming more worrisome. I think… I think we should go see them."
"I agree. We need to make some sort of arrangement here so that we aren't scared for the lives of our children at every moment." Sirius nodded to his wife in agreement. "Also… I want to make Remus our Secret-Keeper, not Peter." She quickly added.
Sirius sighed, running a hand through his hair. His wife had brought up her concern with having Peter as their Secret-Keeper numerous times. Sirius had assured James that Peter was the best choice because he would be the one that their enemies would least likely expect. Remus was also away on Order business when they had to select their Secret Keeper.
"We will discuss this when we are with Lily and James. For now, go pack." Sirius got up and began to make his way back to Alex to continue her feeding when she felt Arianna grab his hand to stop him.
"No. I must speak to them immediately. I really don't feel right about Peter. You can come tomorrow night with Justin and Alex, but I will go now." Sirius looked at his wife in surprise. While Arianna has voiced her concerns in the past, she had never outright said that she didn't trust Peter like this.
"If you're sure, love." Sirius replied as his wife made her way towards the stairs.
By the time Sirius had finished feeding Alex, Arianna had returned to the living room. Her bags were packed and she was holding Justin in her arms, peppering him with goodbye kisses. Sirius settled Alex into her play pen.
"I wish you'd wait one night. Or at least let us come with you." Sirius said as he wrapped his arms around his wife's waist, pulling her closer to him.
"If we go for a drive now with Alex, she'll never sleep." And we can hardly travel by floo powder with two babies.
"Fine." Sirius sighed. "Be safe." He leaned towards his wife, planting a light kiss to her lips.
"I will." Arianna smiled at her husband. "I should go. It's getting late."
Sirius nodded. He moved towards the fireplace and cleared the way as his wife kissed their daughter goodbye and grabbed her bags. He smiled as she blew a final kiss to him and their children before throwing the floo powder into the fireplace and disappearing out of sight.
That night, Sirius had trouble falling asleep. His mind kept thinking about Arianna and the fear on her face when she came home. He barely slept an hour that night and when morning came and he heard the cries coming from Alex's bedroom, he was already awake. After calming his daughter down, he quickly wrote a letter to send to Albus by owl. He rushed through the motions of getting Justin and Alex fed and their belongings packed up for the trip to the Potter's. By noon, he was done but hadn't heard a thing from his wife. He did however receive an owl from Albus, who instructed him to stay and wait so he would accompany Sirius to where he'd meet the Potters. As the time went by, noon became afternoon, afternoon became evening, and before he knew it, Sirius was staring at the clock showing midnight. Albus never came and he couldn't reach James no matter how many times he called. Frantic, Sirius decided to call Remus.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Remus! It's Sirius!"
"Sirius? How dare you call me!"
Sirius paused, momentarily shocked by his friends outburst. "What... what are you talking about?"
"You have the audacity to call me after betraying your friends and your own wife?"
Sirius was shocked by the accusation. Betray your friends and your own wife? He was scared to ask what this meant. "Remus, what are you saying? Arianna left last night to the Potters. The only person I've spoken to since she left was Albus. What is wrong?"
The phone went silent, though he could hear Remus's breathing on the other end. The silence seemed to be never-ending for Sirius.
"I am coming to see you."
Twenty minutes later Remus appeared in front of the fireplace of Sirius and Arianna's living room. Sirius could tell the moment he saw his friend that something had happened. From their brief conversation on the phone, he was positive it had something to do with James, Lily, and Arianna.
"Remus, what is going on? What were you talking about on the phone?"
"You really haven't left the house or talked to anyone besides Albus?" Remus paced around the room with a concentrated look on his face. This was the expression that dawned his face when he was planning something.
"No, why did you say I betrayed James and Lily… and Arianna?"
"You're their Secret-Keeper!" Remus yelled.
Sirius shook his head. He'd almost forgot, they had yet to tell Remus that he was no longer James and Lily's Secret-Keeper. They were going to tell him when he returned.
"Sorry we didn't make you aware of this sooner, but we actually changed our Secret Keeper. Peter is both of our Secret Keepers." Sirius saw the realization and anger flash through Remus' eyes within those minutes. It only alarmed him more. He feared what he was about to hear from his friend.
"Sirius, I don't know how to tell you this, but… Voldemort found them. James and Lily are dead. And…so is Arianna." Sirius' heart dropped. He could see that Remus was still talking, but could no longer hear anything that his friend was saying. Sirius fell to his knees, the shock shooting through his body. He looked at his kids as they played in their play pen, oblivious of the fact that their mother was no longer in this world. She was gone and they were too young to even comprehend it. And his closest friends, James and Lily. They were gone too.
"I'll kill him!" Sirius stood up, still oblivious to the words Remus had been saying since he'd revealed the death of his wife and close friends.
"You can't. I told you, he's already dead. Apparently, by your hands." Sirius looked at his friend, eyes wide.
"But I didn't..."
"Sirius." Remus grabbed onto his friend's shoulder. "You need to know, there's more. Sirius, they… they think it's you who betrayed James and Lily. The ministry will be here soon to arrest you."
"That's preposterous! I haven't said a word to anyone! I'm not even their damn secret-keeper anymore!"
"But no one else knows that Sirius. We need to stop and think about what to do next. Voldemort is gone, he's dead. But he may return one day and his followers will look for Harry, Justin and Alex."
"Harry! Is he alright?"
Remus nodded. "Fortunately he is alive. He's being sent to live with his muggle aunt and uncle in England."
Sirius nodded. He looked back to his son and daughter. He needed to decide what to do next. He would go to Azkaban, no doubt. Where he would be for the rest of his life. And because of the prophecy, his children and Harry's lives would forever be in danger. He would need to make arrangements to keep his children as far away from all this as possible.
"Remus, what should I do about Justin and Alex?"
"You know I would take them. I would love to take them because I love Alex and Justin like they are my own. But you and I both know it wouldn't be safe with me. Nor would it be safe for them to grow up with their uncle. They need to be sent away, somewhere no one knows them." Remus looked at Alex and Justin, smiling as the two played together.
"Jerry!" He looked at his friend seriously. "Remus, you must take Alex and Justin to Jerry. No one knows my relation to the Russos and I trust him a hell of a lot more than I trust my own family. You must take them to New York. They'll be safe there since very few know that Arianna and I are married, let alone have children. I have little time, and it won't be up to me once the ministry and Albus comes. You must convince them, as Alex's godfather, that sending them to New York is what's best for them. Accept any conditions they set."
"What do we tell Justin and Alex about you... and their mother?" Remus asked hesitantly.
"It won't matter what I want them to know, will it?" Sirius shook his sadly. "If it were up to me, I would want my children to know the truth, Remus. I would want them to know that their mother is gone and that their father would never betray his friends or family. I would want them to know who they are. Remus, if everything else is out of your hands, please promise me one thing. Make sure no one knows that they are my children, the only living heirs of the Black line. They should grow up as far away from the Black name as possible. No one should know who they are."
Updated!
