The sky was slowly turning from a steely gray to pink streaked with gold, by the time Regulus returned home from his encounter with Sirius. He had half a mind to remain awake rather than bother with trying to sleep.

At Hogwarts, the students remained at school for a week awaiting their exam results before going home. Beauxbatons was different in that the students returned home the day after their final exams concluded and awaited the results of their term by owl.

As such, Carina was scheduled to arrive in Paris that evening, and he expected it would be a late night. As was their habit upon meeting her at the station, either Maliah or Carina would insist on remaining in the city for much of the evening for some attraction or other. Inevitably, whether initially planned or not, some level of shopping would transpire before the night was over.

It was tradition for Maliah and Carina to carry on excitedly through the city while Regulus and Caelum resignedly followed them. Regulus often joked that he nor Caelum would be allowed to tagalong at all if not for Maliah and Carina needing their hands free to buy more things. Neither of them ever denied it.

While there was likely too much on his mind to actually fall asleep, nothing sounded better to him in that moment than to hold Maliah and his children tight and never let them out of his sight. With that thought in mind, he made his way up the stairs.

He checked in on Caelum, who was sound asleep and sprawled out as if trying to take up as much space in his bed as he possibly could. Shutting the door quietly, Regulus padded down to the other end of the hallway and into his and Maliah's bedroom.

He shirked off his traveling cloak, and laid it across an armchair in the corner of the room, rather than bothering to put it away properly. He then climbed under the covers of the bed and gently pulled Maliah into his arms. She gave a bit of a whine before resettling onto his chest without waking up. He lightly tucked back the strands of her dark hair that had fallen, partially covering her face.

She looked entirely relaxed and peaceful. He did not look forward to telling her the news, but couldn't hide it from her either.

For the first several years of Carina's life, they had lived with a near-constant fear that someone would link them to their past. As if worrying about Voldemort and his followers wouldn't have been stressful enough in its own right, they also had a young child to raise, with minimal guidance for how to proceed. Likely nothing else could have brought them closer than the necessary reliance they had on each other during that time.

They had been living in Australia when the news of Voldemort's downfall reached them. Maliah had been particularly affected by the apparent fate of the Potter's; Regulus was simply baffled. Was it his imagination that his left arm felt better, stronger than it had in years? They elected to monitor the situation from a distance rather than risk letting down their guard too soon. In the following months, there was a marked decrease in news of atrocities that occurred in Britain. As improbable as it was, it seemed that Voldemort truly was gone.

As they grew more confident in their safety, Regulus proposed moving back to Europe. He wasn't particularly homesick, though he knew his wife was. Being the youngest child of the Bones' family, she had much fonder memories of her childhood than Regulus did. And while returning to Britain would have been imprudent, she had spent most of her summer holidays in a home her family owned in the south of France.

Deeming it to be the closest he could get her to home, he suggested they move to France. He was taken aback when her preference was to look for a place in Paris. As much as he tried, he couldn't get behind it.

He had grown up in London, after all, in a townhouse shared with muggles. He and Sirius had never been allowed to fly broomsticks outside-they had rarely been allowed outside, period. For all of their parent's anti-muggle sentiments, they had lived amongst them and had to hide their magic even more so because of it.

His only request had been that they choose somewhere private enough that they wouldn't have to constantly worry with the statute of secrecy. That they, and their children, could be themselves in their own house and on their own property. They ended up settling in a fairly remote area in the Rhône-Alpes region, not far from Lyon. Carina had been three and Caelum, just a few months old. Neither of their children had ever known any place else as home.

News traveled more freely across the Channel than it had across an ocean. It was after moving to France that he learned his brother's fate. Sirius had already been in Azkaban for several years by then. Regulus had been gutted, and guilt-ridden, and useless in any effort he made to help. All of those still applied, which he was reminded of when he met him earlier.

Now that Voldemort was back, the proximity of France to Britain was weighing heavily on his mind. He lost track of how much time passed as he laid there, absentmindedly playing with Maliah's hair, while trying to think of how best to protect her, Carina and Caelum.

"Did you sleep at all?" Maliah asked him blearily when she woke up.

"I might have dozed off," he said doubtfully.

"He's really back, isn't he?" she asked, now fully awake after reading his mood properly.

Regulus met her gaze, and nodded, "Yes, he is."

Maliah exhaled softly, as she wrapped her arms around him more securely, "What are we going to do?"

While she had been sleeping he had been considering options to answer that very question. Unfortunately, none of them were ideal. His favorite involved having them adopt false names and relocating back to Australia by no later than the next morning. Not wanting to make Maliah more distressed by overreacting (though he wasn't sure if overreacting was truly possible, all things considered), he answered simply.

"We're going to pick up Carina this afternoon in Paris. You'll be able to meet her simpleton boyfriend before Caelum and I take you and Carina someplace nice to eat."

"Are those the only plans you've made so far?" she asked skeptically.

"Of course not. As soon as I can will myself to get out of this bed, I intend to go to Beauxbatons and present my resignation to Madame Maxime, assuming she is back from Hogwarts."

"You love teaching."

"Not as much as I'd love to have more distance than the Channel separating us from Voldemort. Besides, I could probably find another teaching job somewhere else if I wanted to… I'm kind of smart you know."

"So, you've told me," she said wryly. "I suppose Hogwarts might need someone in Defense. They always seem to."

"Yes, but I've grown to prefer the warm palace of Beauxbatons over the cold dungeons of Hogwarts. Not to mention everyone in Britain believes I'm dead - except Sirius… I suppose I should mention I ran into him last night."

Maliah propped herself up on an elbow, her hazel eyes looking at him intently, "How did that go?" she asked hesitantly.

"After I found him arguing with my mother's portrait, we had a very brief conversation, in which he confirmed that Voldemort has come back, and that I should leave before he alerts the Ministry of my whereabouts."

Her brow furrowed. "Do you really think he would do that?"

Regulus hesitated to answer that. He was uncomfortably aware that his brother was prone to making rash decisions. And he could only imagine how infuriating it must be for him - to find out that he is alive... and knowing that, of the two of them, he was the one sent to Azkaban...

"I don't know," he admitted. "He has to realize I am no longer a death eater. Nothing else would explain why I left when I did. He was a bit shaken already... his godson was evidently there to witness Voldemort's return."

"Is Harry okay?" Maliah asked apprehensively.

Regulus was vaguely amused by her use of the boy's first name as if she knew him. "He continues to live it seems. It's a good thing too... I don't know what Sirius would do if something happened to him. Lupin was at Grimmauld Place with Sirius, so he knows I am alive too..." he said as an afterthought.

"Did you tell them why you left?"

"No... he drew the conclusion that I would expect in his position - that I got cold feet, and knowing I couldn't leave the death eaters, I faked my death and ran away." He sighed tiredly and avoided her gaze. "He knows now that I've been living abroad. While I can't see any reason why he would link me to France in particular, it shouldn't matter too much if he does. We should move farther away from Britain. Madame Maxime suspects enough of the truth about my past. If she is aware Voldemort is back, she won't be surprised to hear I wish to resign."

Regulus made to sit up in bed, intending to go to Beauxbatons so that he could find out whether the headmistress had returned from Hogwarts yet. His efforts were impeded by Maliah, who had hastily climbed on top of him and was now straddling his waist.

"I don't think you've considered all of your options."

Regulus' hands moved instinctively to her hips. Looking her over appreciatively, he smirked, "And what other options do I have?"

"Beauxbatons is a fortress. There is optional housing there for all of the professors and their spouses. Carina is already a student. Caelum will begin there this year. Besides, we can't just pull them out of school."

"They can go to school elsewhere, or be home-schooled. We would be little more than prisoners of the school if we were reliant on its protections-" he began, though his argument was lost as Maliah shifted her position.

"Moving to Beauxbatons is only a contingency plan," she whispered in his ear. "We wouldn't move unless our survival became known, and in that case, few other places would be safe for any of us," she said as she began kissing his neck.

"At which point, I would be putting the students at risk-" he tried again but was interrupted by Maliah's lips capturing his.

"Let's just get through today," she whispered, pulling his shirt so that it became untucked. "There is plenty of time before the next school year begins for you to give an acceptable notice of resignation- should you need to."

Regulus nodded slightly before rolling them over so that Maliah was the one on her back, and kissed her more deeply. It was not lost on him that she had purposely distracted him from his plans that morning.

Not that he minded just then...

Sirius' parents would be beyond furious if they knew Grimmauld Place was to be used as headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore had accepted his offer at once, and had already placed it under the Fidelius Charm with himself as Secret Keeper.

In the days since, Sirius frequently caught himself looking outside, as if expecting to find Regulus staring at the place his childhood home used to be. He didn't want to care, and yet, he did wonder what his brother was doing, and where he was... There had been no sign of him since he had sent him away.

When the first Order meeting was called, Sirius elected to wait upstairs and out of sight as the members trickled in. From his perch on the landing of the second floor, he was able to peer over the bannister to see the entrance hall. He was unsurprised that nearly every member, new and old, appeared wary upon entering the sinister and unwelcoming house. Perhaps it was his mother, whose portrait was screaming obscenities at them, that startled them most.

When Dumbledore arrived, Sirius went downstairs to meet him.

"Ah, Sirius. You timed that well," he greeted pleasantly. "Are you ready?"

He nodded tersely and followed him to the basement.

"Dumbledore," Dedalus Diggle exclaimed as he entered the room. "Whose house is-" upon seeing Sirius, he toppled out of his seat.

"Sirius Black!" a young woman with black hair and rosy cheeks shrieked at the same time, as she leapt to her feet.

"Calm down," he heard Molly Weasley chastise the witch, as if she had not had a similar reaction to seeing him only days before.

As the gathered members stared at him, it was evident who had known to expect him and who was utterly shocked. Sirius glanced at Dumbledore, who looked perfectly calm as he watched them mutter themselves into silence.

"Sirius has graciously offered up the Black ancestral home to be used as headquarters," he began. "Suffice to say, he is not working with Voldemort, and never has."

"What about the Potters?" asked Emmeline Vance.

"Peter Pettigrew was their secret keeper, not Sirius. They had switched without telling anyone. When confronted by Sirius, it was Peter who blew up the muggle street, killing those twelve muggles-"

"But... the only part of Pettigrew that was ever found was his finger," Sturgis Podmore said, while eyeing him suspiciously.

"He cut it off," Sirius said, his voice sounded oddly hoarse as if from disuse, "and then disappeared into the sewers in his animagus form - it is a rat, fittingly enough."

"Peter Pettigrew was an Animagus?" Professor McGonagall asked, clearly stunned that he could have managed it.

"He is an animagus," Sirius corrected. "James and I taught ourselves when we were fifteen. Eventually, we were able to help him through it," he added bitterly.

"It is true," Remus said dolefully. "They learned because of me... to help me cope with my transformations... I am a werewolf."

There was another round of gasps and muttering. When it became quiet once more, Dumbledore continued, "It was also Pettigrew who helped Voldemort to return to a human body."

As he embarked on a retelling of Harry's ordeal, beginning with his name being entered into the Triwizard Tournament, Sirius found an empty seat at the end of the table beside Emmeline Vance. She inclined her head as he sat down though, like everyone, seemed reluctant to meet his gaze.

When introductions were belatedly given, he learned that the witch who had leapt out of her seat when he entered the room was called Hestia Jones. Another young witch whom he hadn't known, with bubblegum pink hair, went by her surname, Tonks.

She introduced herself to him again when the meeting was over, letting him know that she was Andromeda's daughter.

"So what is your Animagus form?" she asked as if they were old friends.

"A great black dog," he admitted reluctantly.

Tonks screwed up her eyes, and her nose swelled into a snout-like protuberance that was distinctly doglike. "Something like this?" she asked.

A laugh escaped Sirius in his surprise; what must have been his first in weeks. "Not bad," he commended, "But how-?"

"I'm a metamorphagus," she explained with a toothy grin.

Sirius took a cursory look around the room to see who was still there. Seeing that it was Remus and Mad-Eye, who were talking to Dumbledore and the Weasley's, he obliged to what he knew she wanted and transformed into Padfoot.

"Aww," she said, moving as if to pet him. Sirius resumed his human form before she could.

"Moody, I daresay we never got off on the right foot with your teaching," Sirius overheard Dumbledore say.

"You're wasting your breath, Dumbledore," the retired auror growled. "I wasted a year of my life locked in my own trunk by Crouch's doing. I'm not about to waste another year of my time." Sirius pretended not to notice when his magical eye swiveled to rest on him.

"Do you have any other candidates in mind?" Remus inquired.

It was a damn shame Remus couldn't resume the position. Sirius had no doubt he had been a good teacher and he could certainly use the money.

Dumbledore shook his head, "Regretfully, no. I knew when Moody took the post last year that it would only be for one year. In all of this time since then, no one qualified has shown any interest. Madame Maxime and I actually discussed the shortage of good professors in that discipline only this morning."

"It's a shame if the professor at Beauxbatons is inept. Who's to say Voldemort won't take a hop across the pond and try to take over France too?" Moody asked.

"On the contrary, Madame Maxime was most complimentary of the professor who currently holds that position. She is, however, anticipating that he might be inclined to resign after this year. She mentioned that his family prefers not stay in one place for very long."

"In that case, maybe he would be interested in teaching at Hogwarts," Remus said mildly.

"Indeed. I am interested to find out more about him." He chuckled, "I daresay Madame Maxime regretted mentioning him to me at all. She wouldn't even tell me his name when I inquired."

"Can't blame her for wanting to keep him if he's good," Mad-Eye intoned. "How is Potter holding up?"

"As well as can be expected. Given the circumstances I am afraid that time will be what best allows him to heal. He met with the Diggory's earlier today."

The rest of the room was silent, indicating Sirius wasn't the only one eavesdropping on Dumbledore's conversation. From the corner of his eye, he saw Molly Weasley dabbing at her eyes. No one wanted to consider what the Diggory's must be going through now after losing their son.

After a respectable amount of time had passed, Sirius addressed Dumbledore. "Have you given more thought to allowing Harry to come here?"

"I've already asked if he can stay at the Burrow," Molly sniffed.

Sirius was inclined to think that, as his godfather, his preferences should hold more weight than hers, though he merely looked at Dumbledore as if he had not heard her.

"It is in Harry's best interest to return to his aunt and uncle's house," Dumbledore told them gently.

"After everything he has been through, he should be around people who care about him. Not those muggles he lives with. They care nothing about him," Sirius objected.

"I understand your concerns, but there are reasons why he must stay there," Dumbledore explained. Seeing Sirius' mutinous look he added, "Perhaps not for the entire summer, but when the Hogwarts Express arrives in London, Harry is to go with his aunt and uncle to their home."