You Were Always There: Part Six

by OpenBookLina

Mia Thatcher and her friends are back for a strange and exciting sixth year at Hogwarts. This time, they have a collector as their potions teacher, Dumbledore is disappearing more often to who knows where, schoolwork and blossoming love fill their daily activities, and on top of it all Harry may find the secret to Voldemort's past and the key to defeating him once and for all.

19. Guardians and Miracles

Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter are NOT mine!

Chapter Nineteen: Guardians and Miracles

MiaPOV

There was a brief moment of stunned silence after Mrs. Nessen spoke, during which time Mia felt as if she'd been slapped. What did she just say?

"What?" Mrs. Weasley whispered.

"I'm afraid we do not understand," Remus stated with a slight frown.

"Under the Decree for the Protection and Well-Being of Magical Children, I am authorized to escort an underage witch or wizard to the assigned Muggle shelter and handle all necessary legality arrangements between our department and Muggle social services," Mrs. Nessen explained. "Especially in the wake of a unexpected tragedy, such as what had occurred at the Townsend Bridge. My assignment is to take the Thatcher children to a Muggle institution in the city and handle of the required paperwork as needed, as well as settle the arrangements for Miss Thatcher to return to school when the time comes."

"And as I have said before Mrs. Nessen, my wife and I are more than happy to take in Mia and Brian under these circumstances," Mr. Weasley said in a voice of forced calm. "There is no need to take them to any sort of orphanage. The Thatchers were dear friends of ours, I'm sure they would have wanted—"

"But unfortunately, Mr. Weasley, there is no will that has been found stating that you and your wife are to have custody over these children in the circumstance of their passing," Mrs. Nessen cut in with an air of sympathy. "I'm sure that your heart is in the right place, but despite your obvious experience with handling children, there are other matters that play into effect here."

"Such as?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Well sir, you must take into consideration your financial status, as well as the sate of your current residence—"

Mia could hear Sirius curse low underneath his breath, resulting in Remus flashing him a look while Mr. Weasley's face darkened.

"—it is simply not suitable for additional children who are in no relation to you."

"Mia and Brian have been a part of our family for years," Mr. Weasley seethed. "They have been over at our home on numerous occasions, and there is nothing remotely dangerous there would cause them harm. And as far as any concerns you have about our financial situation, I was promoted last summer and my income has increased."

"That may be true Mr. Weasley," Mrs. Nessen agreed, in a sickly sweet way that reminded Mia too much of Delores Umbridge. "But that is really only enough to keep you, your wife, and you two youngest children comfortable, is it not? Would you not end up struggling with two more mouths to feed? I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you both when all of your children were underage."

"Molly and Arthur's youngest would still be at school, along with Mia, for the majority of the year," Tonks commented, which was a good thing because Mr. Weasley looked as if he were about to spit fire. "The only one they would really be caring for is Brian."

"True, but they would still face the stress of completely uprooting this poor boy from his Muggle lifestyle to a completely new world," Mrs. Nessen countered. "I do appreciate all of your concerns but this will not do any good in the long run. Mr. Weasley, you may fill out the proper forms and applications to make an attempt for a case to apply for custody, but the children will still need to go to the shelter in the meantime, and by the time it's all worked out, Mia's sixth year will be over. Believe me sir, I do not like this any more than you do, but there's nothing more that we can do. Now, I can allow a few minutes for the children to pack up anything they may need, but afterwards we—"

"No."

Mia's voice was firm, even as she stood up with slightly trembling knees, her heart pounding in her chest. She stared down Mrs. Nessen, her resolve clear as she moved so that she was standing beside Brian's chair, placing a hand protectively on his shoulder.

"We are not going anywhere with you," she said.

"Mia," Mrs. Nessen said. "I can't begin to imagine what you are feeling and what you and your brother have been through this past week. But you must understand, this is what is best for you both at this time, and I promise these arrangements will only be temporary."

"Yes, I'm sure they will," Mia said. "As in, our living arrangements will change the very second you try to take us out the front door?"

"What do you mean, dear?" Mrs. Nessen asked, in a kindly curious tone that didn't have Mia fooled for a moment.

"I know exactly who you are, Mrs. Nessen," Mia ground out. "You may not have realized it, considering that you haven't spoken to her in months, but I'm good friends with your daughter, Claudia."

As soon as she spoke, there was a flicker of something in Mrs. Nessen's eyes and she held herself a tad bit more rigidly as her smile dropped slightly, the only indication that she was surprised to hear this news.

"Oh really?" she inquired.

"Yes," Mia replied, her free hand curling up into a fist. "The same daughter that you disowned after she dared to make friends with a Muggle. The daughter who you crushed after your monster of a husband arranged for that same friend and his family to be attacked in their home!"

"Mia, what are you talking about?" Mrs. Weasley said, while Sirius and Remus both went stiff in their seats.

"Claudia told me everything," Mia explained in a heated tone. "She made friends with a Muggle boy last year, and when they found out, they cut her off, and they attacked him, and his mother, as a consequence for her disobedience."

"Now Mia, I have no idea just what Claudia has been telling you, but none of this is true," Mrs. Nessen insisted, taking a step towards her. "My daughter and I do not always see eye-to-eye on certain things, but I would never go as far as to hurt a friend of hers."

"Maybe not you yourself," Mia corrected. "Claudia said you were never in deep enough to get your own hands dirty, but I'm sure your husband had his connections handle it. Maybe he even went along just for the fun of it. You may not be directly involved with their attacks, but you support the Death Eaters and what they do!"

"Now Mia, be reasonable—"

"I am not going with you, and neither is my brother," Mia reiterated, glaring at the witch with icy blue eyes before flickering her gaze from the Weasleys, to Tonks, to Remus, and then landing on Sirius. "We won't last five minutes with her. She knows who I am, she'll take me to them. Please."

Mia didn't exactly know how she knew this, but if Harry were to rub anything off on her after knowing him for all these years, it was always to trust your gut when it was screaming at you that something just wasn't right. She remembered the disgust and shame Claudia expressed when she revealed what her father had done to Garrett, and knowing that her mother did nothing to stop it must have been truly horrible. Unfortunately Mia nor Claudia had no solid proof that the Nessens were behind the attack, but in that moment she knew—from the predatory grin that Mrs. Nessen had when she set her sights on Mia—that if she were to leave with this woman, she would end up in the clutches of Death Eaters. Or Even Voldemort himself.

"Come now Mia, this is just an irrational fear," Mrs. Nessen tried to reassure. "Death Eaters had caused you to lose your loved ones, it's natural that you would be fearful of a stranger."

"Perhaps this is not an appropriate time to send off Mia and Brian to a shelter," Remus suggested, although the glint in his brown eyes said it was anything but. "They buried their parents mere days ago, it might be better for them to stay with people they know, and trust. You said that you handle all of the legal documentation, correct? Maybe once all of that has been properly arranged, then you can come by the Molly and Arhtur's home to further discuss this."

"I'm afraid that there's nothing left to discuss," Mrs. Nessen said, her smile finally slipping away as impatience started to settle into her features. "I am well at liberty to have Mia and Brian come with me."

"Where is the order to take them?" Mr. Weasley demanded. "I'm sure it has the seal of approval from the head of the department?"

"You are not privy to that information, Mr. Weasley," Mrs. Nessen stated before turning her gaze back to Mia, taking another step. "You are coming with me, Miss Thatcher."

"I would advise you to keep your distance," Sirius said, slowly rising from his chair, his gray eyes like steel.

"You may want to watch yourself, Mr. Black," Mrs. Nessen warned, her hand falling close to the pocket of her robes. "You wouldn't want to get yourself thrown back in Azkaban, would you? Kidnapping is a serious felony."

"I've been framed for much worse," Sirius practically growled. "You leave now, and take care of the paperwork. Or you hand this case over to someone else. Otherwise, you're not going to lay a finger on these children."

"You have no right to—"

"Obliviate!"

The sudden exclamation took everyone off guard and Mia looked over to see Mrs. Weasley standing directly behind Mrs. Nessen, her wand pointed to the back of her head, and her face stoic as a faint blue light appeared at the tip. All at once, Mrs. Nessen's eyes clouded over, her expression falling into one of calm indifference, and after a few more seconds, she smiled in peaceful serenity. To say Mia was shocked would be an understatement—Mrs. Weasley had deliberately used a Memory Charm on a Ministry official. The Weasley Matriarch's eyes held just a touch of fear at what she had just done, but it was overshadowed by the protective determination that seemed to seep from her very core.

"Molly," Mrs. Weasley murmured in disbelief. "What have you done?"

"I've bought us some time, hopefully, to get this straightened out," she answered, taking in a slow breath. Whether it was to calm everyone else, or herself, Mia wasn't sure. "Mia dear, listen to me very carefully. You and Brian go upstairs, right now, and get your things. Only the essentials, we'll find a way to come back for anything else later. Be back down here quickly, do you understand?"

Mia could only nod, still too stunned to really say anything. The gravity of what just happened dropped on her heavily, but she knew that this was not the time to dwell over it. Mrs. Weasley just committed a crime to give Mia and Brian time to get away from Mrs. Nessen's grasp—she couldn't waste it. Taking Brian's hand in hers, she quickly led him out of the kitchen, her heart still beating loudly in her ears as she hurried them up the staircase.

This is bad. So, so bad.

"Mia's what are we doing?" Brian asked, looking terribly confused and worried as Mia dragged him into her room.

"Brian, we're leaving, right now," Mia said to him, making haste as she ran around her room, grabbing anything remotely magical or school related and tossed it into her trunk before snapping it shut. Then, she ransacked her closet until she found the travel bag she would use whenever they would go to their family's cottage for the holidays and heaved it onto her bed. Within the next couple of minutes, she threw her two photo albums, one of Aggie's books, her mother's jewelry box, the baby blankets, and the scrapbook her father was working on for her birthday, all into the bag. Within seconds, she was rushing down the hall to Brian's room, yanking open his dresser drawers to grab any clothing that she could scoop up into her arms, as well as Barnaby the Bear from his bed. Once she had everything packed, she shoved Barnaby into Brian's arms, shouldered the travel bag, and then grabbed his hand as she walked them back downstairs, trailing her trunk behind her. Thankfully, Brian seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation and didn't give any protest. They reached the ground floor just as the front door was closing behind Mrs. Nessen, and Mia wondered what exactly Mrs. Weasley had done to her memory.

When they entered the kitchen, it was to see that Tonks was gone, and Remus stood by the back door with Mr. Weasley, peeking through the window as though he were searching for something. Mrs. Weasley and Sirius were still over at the kitchen, the latter looking more serious then she had ever seen him before as he listened to her intently.

"…already went to our house looking for her. I'm sure they'll be back, and we won't be able to handle any sort of reinforcements the Ministry provides if they find out, and I know those horrid monsters will be waiting in secret, ready to snatch her up if they get the chance. I know this is a lot to ask, Sirius, but…"

"I see her as family too, Molly," Sirius said. "I swear on my life, I'll protect them."

"Mrs. Weasley?" Mia piped up. "Sirius?"

"Oh good, you're all set," Mrs. Weasley said, walking over and placing her hands on Mia's shoulders. "I'm so sorry about all of this happening so suddenly Mia. I know it's not fair to either one of you, but please believe me, it's what's best for now until we get things sorted."

"Where are we going?" Brian asked in a small voice, clutching Barnaby close to his chest.

"With me," Sirius answered, giving Brian a warm smile. "You and Mia will be staying with me for a while."

"But I thought that we were going with you, Mrs. Weasley."

"I know sweetie, but it would be better to go with Sirius, at least for now."

"Mrs. Weasley," Mia said, her voice shaking. "What if they find out what you did? You could be arrested because of me."

"I would do it for any of my children, Mia," Mrs. Weasley reassured her, cupping Mia's face with her soft hands. "And I'm sure even if Nessen somehow does remember, she will not want too many people snooping around to find out what her true intentions were today. There's no proof that anyone here did anything, so don't you fret. You and Brian go with Sirius now, and I promise we'll see you soon. Okay?"

"Okay," Mia mumbled back, still fearful for the woman who has acted like nothing less than a mother to her for all the time she has known her. Mrs. Weasley gave her one of her signature smiles before pulling her in for a tight, yet brief hug, moving on to give one to Brian as well.

"Looks like it's all clear outside," Remus said as he came back over to them. "Here Mia, let me take your things."

In a matter of seconds, Remus reduced Mia's trunk and bag to the size of Sickles, and he carefully placed them in the inside pocket of his robes. When they were all set to go, Mia scooped Brian into her arms, instructing him to hold on tight to her. The little boy did as he was told, slinging one arm around Mia's neck while the other clutched Barnaby to his body. Sirius came over to wrap a secure arm around Mia's shoulder while she used her free hand to grasp the back of his robes. With a nod to Remus, Sirius turned them around on the spot and Mia shut her eyes in preparation just before she felt the familiar sensation of Apparition.

Thankfully, the feeling didn't last for very long at all, and the next time Mia opened her eyes, she found herself standing in the middle of Sirius' living room. Brian made a small noise of discomfort, and she went to place him down on the nearest sofa, gently telling him to breathe and the queasy feeling would soon pass. All the while, Remus returned their belongings to proper size and then turned to Sirius, his expression a bit hesitant.

"Are you sure about this, Sirius?" he asked.

"I'm not making the same mistake twice," Sirius replied, taking out his wand. "There's no one I trust more."

"What are you doing?" Mia inquired as she straightened up.

"I'm placing the house underneath the Fidelius Charm until we get the problem with the DPMC resolved," Sirius explained. "Remus is going to be our Secret Keeper."

"What?!" Mia gasped in shock. "But Sirius—"

"No buts, Mia," Sirius said sternly, fixing her with an unwavering look. "We believe what you say about Nessen, I remember years ago when they expressed their support in Voldemort's ideals. But unfortunately without hard evidence, no one outside of the Order will believe it. They already went to Arthur and Molly's home looking for you, but very little people know where I live."

"Sirius, we won't be able to leave, at all," Mia protested, trying not to panic. "I won't be able to go back to school, Harry, Ron and Hermione won't be able to find us, and you won't be able to do any missions for the Order!"

"Your safety is my top priority right now," Sirius stated. "I'm not going to let you get hurt by those bastards again."

"I know this is unfair to you, Mia, but it's the safest option for you right now," Remus tried to sooth her. "You and your brother. Our enemies know how much you mean to Harry, as well as Brian. You know that they will not hesitate to exploit any potential weakness, because it's happened before. And I know you don't want to put Brian at risk, do you?"

"Of course not," Mia agreed, glancing over at the small boy on the sofa. "I…I just…"

I'm scared. This is all happening so fast, and I'm scared. Remus seemed to understand her mindset, for he smiled kindly and reassuringly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Harry and the others will understand, I'm sure of it," he murmured. "This will only be temporary, we will get all of this sorted as soon as possible. You'll be back at school in no time."

Knowing there was really nothing she could do to convince them otherwise, Mia let out a low breath in defeat, nodding her head reluctantly. Remus gave her shoulder a firm squeeze before he went over to stand in front of Sirius, taking out his wand as well. Over the course of the next few minutes, Mia stood off to the side and watched as they performed the charm. At one point their wands each created a stream of light the entwined around one another in the air, and after Remus took the vow of secrecy to never reveal the location of the house, the lights slowly descended and seemed to merge into Remus' body, concealing the secret within him. Just as the charm had been cast, Mia felt a slight shiver and she could have sworn the atmosphere in the room has shifted somehow. Glancing out of the window to her left, Mia had a feeling that the house was no longer visible to anyone on the outside, and as much as that filled her with relief, it also filled her with great sadness. Because no matter what the intentions were, or what the circumstances called for, she was now a prisoner.

RonPOV

There had been plenty of times in his life when Ron was beyond angry, and this was certainly no exception. He was sitting in the dormitory with Harry and Hermione, speaking together in privet while everyone else was at dinner. Earlier in the evening, Harry had been summoned to Professor's Dumbledore's office, and at first, he and Hermione had believed that it was a last minute lesson the headmaster wanted to have with him. However, when Harry still hadn't shown up for dinner, they started to get worried and therefore left fairly early into the meal to go looking for him. Thankfully, Gryffindor tower was the first place they looked and they found him, sitting on his bed, staring into nothing. His shoulders were slumped and although he'd never say it out loud, Ron could see the redness around his eyes, as well as the anger in them. It took a few minutes to get him to talk, but when he did, he told them everything that Dumbledore had told him about what had happened at Mia's home the previous day.

Someone had come for Mia and Brian, and not just anyone—Claudia Nessen's mother, who supposedly works for the DPMC at the Ministry, and based off of what Mia had told them before, a supporter of the Death Eaters. This woman had shown up at the door mere days after the Thatcher's funeral, listed off every negative reason as to why Ron's family was not fit to take in Mia and her brother, and then proceeded to try and take them away! Hearing this made Ron's face turn white. If it was true that the Nessens supported You-Know-Who, who is to say that Mia and Brian wouldn't have been delivered right to their doorstep as a way to get to Harry? The idea that someone had intentions of harming one of his best friends yet again made Ron furious and frightened, but thankfully, the members of the Order who were with Mia at the time seemed to suspect something. Dumbledore didn't go into specifics about what happened with the DPMC witch, but she ended up leaving without Mia or Brian, and they had been taken somewhere safe. Harry had begged to know where they were, but Dumbledore could not say, claiming it was for their own safety that no one knew at this time while they got everything sorted. It was all a lot to take in and Ron eventually sat down on the bed, too stunned to speak for a while after Harry finished talking.

"This isn't bloody fair," Ron finally spat. "We're her best friends! Forget that, we're her family! Why can't they just tell us?"

"They went to your house first looking for her, Ron," Hermione piped up quietly, her arms crossed over her chest and looking as though she was trying her best not to cry. "They must not want to risk the information falling into the wrong hands."

"Do they really think we would just go blabbing about her hiding place?" Ron demanded.

"This castle has eyes and ears all over the place, Ron!" Hermione snapped at him. "Both friendly and non-friendly. Remember, Malfoy's not the only one with Death Eater relatives."

Ron was about to snap back at her, but the look on Harry's face made him stop. The boy sighed heavily, placing his elbows on his knees and hunching over as he gripped his hair. Whatever anger Ron was feeling deflated quite a bit at this. No matter how bad he was feeling, Harry had to be feeling to ten times worse. From the sounds of things, Mia wasn't going to be able to come back for a long while, and he had no idea if they would even get a chance to see her at all. As much as it grossed Ron out sometimes, he couldn't help but feel envious of Harry and Mia's relationship. The way they looked at each other, the way they protected, cared for, and supported one another…anyone with a brain could see how deeply in love they were. Being forcefully separated like this had to be terrible for him, especially when he had no idea where she was. Ron couldn't even imagine if he had to be kept away from anyone in his family.

Or away from Hermione. Ron swallowed and stole a brief glance over at the bushy haired witch next to him, his heart clenching a little at the thought of Hermione being in danger and having to be hidden away. The thought of not knowing where she was, or wondering if she was safe, left a bitter feeling inside of his chest and he repressed these thoughts instantly. Instead, he took a breath and reached over to grip Harry's shoulder.

"It will be all right, mate," Ron encouraged. "This can't last forever, can it? Dad must know someone in the department who will be able to help, and Dumbledore himself said that he'd check into it, right?"

"I think this is out of his jurisdiction though," Harry mumbled, not even bothering to look up. "I doubt the headmaster of the school will have any say as to what goes on the Department for the Protection of Magical Children."

"He has such powerful influence though," Hermione commented. "I'm sure there must be something he can do to help."

"Dumbledore is great, but he can't perform miracles," Harry said, and Ron could hear the tremble in his voice. "Even if he could, what if they don't act fast enough? What if Voldemort finds Mia and Brian? She was almost killed last year because of me. If he gets her—if he hurts…"

Harry's voice broke on the last word and he groaned in frustration, gripping his hair tighter. Ron looked over at Hermione, who appeared just as lost as to what to say to try and comfort him as he felt. Ron was sure that his parents and the Order would do what they could to take care of Mia and her brother, but how long will it be before they can't stall the legalities of the situation anymore? Another silence fell upon them all, and Ron wasn't ashamed to admit how truly worried he was about Mia. She was like a sister to him, one of the first friend he ever made when they started school together. Merlin forbid, if something did happen to her again, he wasn't sure what he would do. After a few more minutes, there was a knock on the door and Ron looked up to see Neville poke his head in. Whiskers, the kitten Mia had given him, was perched on his one shoulder with his tail draped lazily over the other.

"Harry?" he said. "Alex Parker and Claudia Nessen are outside of the Portrait Entrance, they said they need to talk to you."

"Nessen?" Ron hissed. "What the hell does she want?"

"Ron!" Hermione said with a reproachful tone. "She had nothing to do with it, and you know it."

"They're really insistent," Neville continued. "I don't know what it's about, but they look sincere."

"I'll go and tell them that this isn't a good time," Hermione sighed. "They probably want to ask about Mia."

Hermione left the dormitory to walk down the staircase, leaving Harry, Ron and Neville alone, with the latter fidgeting nervously. Soon enough Neville inched his way further into the room to stand closer, but still provided them with some space.

"I never got the chance to tell Mia that I'm sorry about her parents," Neville said quietly. "I only met them a couple of times, but they seemed really nice."

"They were," Ron agreed with a nod.

"Do you guys know when she might be able to come back?" Neville asked them.

Ron didn't answer at first, feeling Harry's shoulder stiffen under his hand. How were they supposed to explain this to their other friends without giving away too much information? Everything was so messed up, he didn't want to leave people in the dark—heaven knows Ginny would kill him herself if he tried to keep secrets about Mia from her—but how much were they allowed to say?

"She's not coming back," Harry muttered in a hollow voice, finally straightening up with emotionless eyes.

"What? What do you mean?" Neville said in confusion.

"She's not coming back for a while," Ron corrected firmly before sighing, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's complicated. Something's happened, and well, we're not sure exactly how long it'll be before she's able to come back."

Neville opened his mouth, more than likely to ask what had happened, but before he could, the door to the dormitory opened again, and Hermione came bustling back in. Ron was surprised to see that her distraught frown that she was previously wearing was gone, and there was a hopeful light in her brown eyes that made them sparkle beautifully.

"Harry, Ron, get up," she urged. "We need to talk with Alex and Nessen right now."

"What? Why?" Ron said.

"Because I think we may have a miracle on our hands."

SiriusPOV

Sirius stood silently in the door frame to the guest room, gazing quietly at the still forms of Mia and Brian as they slept in the bed together. A small smile graced his lips as he saw the way Mia held her brother close to her body, her face partially buried in his hair while he was snuggled up against her chest, his stuffed bear tucked securely under his arm. They were still dressed in their day clothes but they were just so tired from the day's events that Sirius didn't even bother suggesting that they change. Taking his wand out of his pocket, he silently cast a simple charm that had the blankets on the bed drape themselves around the Thatcher children without waking them up. Then, he closed the door softly behind him as he left, hoping that they would be able to get a good nights sleep, despite everything that's happened. Sighing, he ran a hand down his face as he walked down the hallway and back down the staircase, a part of him still reeling over what had happened in the last twenty four hours. The house was mostly dark, with only dim lighting in the living room, and even though he knew that no one could peer inside, he still closed the curtains nonetheless. He made his way to the kitchen, where he opened up one of his cabinets and pulled out his hidden bottle of Firewhisky. Pouring himself a glass, Sirius settled in at the kitchen table and sighed again, listening to the rain that had picked up some time ago, and was still falling outside. As he sipped at his drink, he frowned as he got lost in his thoughts.

Never in a million years did he think he would ever be in this situation again. During his time on the run, he was constantly hiding away in abandoned buildings, caves, or just about anywhere he could find shelter. Being hunted down by magical and Muggle law enforcement had definitely taken it's toll on him, but at t\least he had been out and about. When he had to stay cooped up in his old family home, he surely thought he would be driven mad with boredom and loneliness. It was a bit ironic, if that had been what would do him in, instead of all those years in Azkaban. Even back during the first war, he had to keep a low profile most times, and he hated every second of it. The lack of freedom, the cowering in the shadows, it agitated him to no end and a part of him loathed the fact that he was doing it yet again.

However, just like before in the first war, he was doing it to protect people he loved, and he would not be alone like he had been at Grimmuald Place. He didn't like the fact that he had to place Mia and Brian under the effected of the Fidelius Charm, but what choice did they have? Out there, outside of Hogwarts without the Order's protection, how long would Mia last until the Death Eaters came for her? When that witch from the DPMC came to take Mia away, seeing the fear in the young girl's eyes as she pleaded with them not to let the woman take her, it made Sirius see red. There was no way in hell he was going to let Nessen lay a finger on Mia, consequences be damned. He vaguely knew of that family, and he remembered when they had attended his parent's parties when he was a young boy, speaking delightedly at the fact that someone—specifically Voldemort—was speaking out to do something about the Muggle problem. He wasn't willing to take the chance with Mia and Brian going with Nessen.

Although, he still felt horribly guilty for having to keep them cooped up, now. With the Fidelius Charm in place, they can't even go outside, and he had a feeling that was going to effect Brian more than Mia. From what he saw before in the past, the little boy loves to play outside in the sun, and now it was going to be difficult to explain why he can't do so now. Within a single week, both children had lost their parents and now their freedom because of twisted psychopaths, a few of which he is deeply ashamed to be related to. He never wanted to keep them locked away, but what else could he do? He cared so much for Mia—his feelings damn near close to being parental—and her little tyke of a brother was definitely growing on him more and more every time he saw him.

It didn't take long for Sirius to finish his glass, and then he poured himself some more, wishing Remus was there to share some of the whiskey with him. He was still very firm and confident in his decision to make Remus his Secret Keeper because he know with every fiber in him that his old friend would rather die than give away their location. As soon as the charm was completed, Remus left for Hogwarts to update Dumbledore on what had happened and also to meet with Arthur to figure out what could be done in regards to Mia and Brian's situation. She still had over two months before she turns seventeen, and her brother was still much too young. Sirius hated to admit it, but all the things that Nessen had pointed out back on Privet Drive held valid truths. Arthur and Molly were lovely people, they had managed to raise seven amazing and wonderful children. However, the DPMC will not see it that way—they will only see a couple who are still barely making ends meet and are not suited to take on more children. Especially if Nessen has her way in the end.

"Dammit," Sirius muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What can we do? What can I do?"

It was times like these that he desperately missed James, and wished that he was still here with him, to advise him on what to do. The two of them were always there for each other, through thick and thin, and even though Remus was usually the voice of reason for serious circumstances, James did have a wise moment from time to time when the situation called for it. A lot of people only saw him one way, but Sirius knew there were sides to James Potter he only allowed the people closest to him to see. He still remembered the night that Harry was born, when James showed no hesitation whatsoever about asking him to be godfather.

"Who else would I ask, you mangy mutt?" James has said with his signature grin. "You may have a flea problem, but there's no one I would trust more to take care of my son. No one."

James was so resolute, and so was Lily for that matter. Their faith in him blew him away and he had never felt more honored about anything in his life. They trusted to take care of Harry, if anything ever happened to them, and to this day, he still hated himself for ruining everything. If he had been more patient, more reasonable, he could have raised Harry, be his guardian—

Guardian

All at once, Sirius' mind seemed to short-circuit as a crazy, ridiculous, insane idea suddenly came to him, making him slowly set down his almost empty glass to the table. It was absolutely bonkers, but then again, could it really work? The ministry does owe him a huge favor, and he doesn't have any sort of financial problems that would cause a problem. Sure, he spent several years in prison, but it was unjust, and the charges had long since been dropped, and his name cleared. It would only be temporary, but the idea still sent fear and anxiety down to his very core. He lost his chance to prove himself for this kind of responsibility the moment we went after Pettigrew all those years ago, but he's different now. He's changed, and he's learned he cannot afford to be reckless. Not with his life, not with Harry, and certainly not with the children currently under his protection. He has already willingly decided to care for Mia and Brian without a second thought…why not make it official?

Remus may just have my sanity checked for this, Sirius thought to himself as he threw his head back and chugged the last of the whiskey, making a face as it burned going down his throat. He always said I was a complete lunatic.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+

Okay, I know there are several things that I need to apologize for. For starters, I'm sorry that this took so long to post, I honestly don't have a proper explanation. All I can say is that /I am trying my very best with the time, inspiration and motivation I'm given. I know that this chapter is shorter than my other ones, but hopefully the content inside will make up for it, at least a little. I feel like the quality of my writing in this could be better, I know it's a ton of dialogue, but this chapter was honestly one of the hardest ones I've ever had to write. I hope that it's at least acceptable. Please forgive me for any and all grammar mistakes, it's after 1am where I am right now and I just don't have the energy to go back and correct everything.

Now, I'm pretty sure that most of you will guess what's about to happen here with Sirius, Mia and Brian. First off, I would just like to say that I have had this planned out way back when I was writing the very first story, and it was one event that I had no intention of changing. Secondly, I do apologize if the foster care/orphanage/child services process in this chapter is not believable or accurate. This is my first time writing about this kind of situation, and the little research I did for it wouldn't have helped much, as this setting is in the late nineties and in a different country (for me). I tried to deal with it as realistically as possible, but if there are any major problems that need adjusting, if I can incorporate it into the story and continue the flow, please let me know. Thirdly, I know that the last few chapters have been mostly fillers, but don't worry, the events of the sixth book will continue on by the end of the next chapter. I apologize that the past few chapters have dragged out a bit.

Other than that, I do hope you all liked this chapter, please leave me a review to tell me your thoughts, and I will see you in the next one.