To My (Anon) Guests: I enjoy your reviews very much, unfortunately I cannot reply to you. So, if you have questions and/or more nuanced comments please leave me a calling card of some sort (initials, random letters and symbols, your nickname in binary code, anything!) and I will do my best to address them in the header of the next chapter.

To the Guest reviewer (review 3 on HaL): Ohhhh man, you hit so many major plot points I thought someone had stolen my notebook and was punking me. This rollercoaster of a plot was meant for you.

Sirius's Side

The next morning Sirius wakes up in his parent's bed, it is late in the morning and he is alone. He makes his way down stairs to the parlor at Kreacher's insistence and finds his parents eating a late breakfast. A simple flick of his mother's wrist has the tea pouring itself, they are taking tea on a new set today, while a similar motion from his father has a small plate of food prepare itself at the small buffet along the wall. Kreacher stands idle, a sentry manning the door.

Sirius takes the food his parents offer him and sits down to eat. The despair that had begun to plague him once he had full awakened lifts and he finds himself able to think more clearly. The effects of a mild calming draught in his tea helped by the return of his parents magic and a good night's rest aided by said magic. Familial magic born of parental bonds can be exceedingly powerful, and though Orion and Walburga have never been the kindest of parents they are still fiercely protective of their young sons. A feeling that extends to their nieces as well. Walburga is quite certain she and Orion are the only thing that keeps some of the lesser family members from acting out concerning her brother's lack of male heirs.

After yesterday, it made sense that Sirius's parents would keep him sedated for the time being. They might even be sedated themselves. Blacks don't do well with emotions and they're all going to feel some volatile ones pretty soon*. Luckily Regulus has already been taken via Floo to Cygnus's house and handed off to Cygnus's governess there to ensure there would be neither distractions from their discussions nor would he run the risk of being caught in any magical backlash caused by his family. Unfortunately, Walburga's spell the previous night meant that nobody save close family (and even then only those that she approves of) will be able to enter their family estates for the time being, which means no outsiders will be able to enter the premises. As such, their own family governess has been given an impromptu vacation, paid of course- they aren't animals, unlike some families. And Sirius's tutors have been similarly dismissed for the time being.

"Sirius," Sirius has just finished his breakfast, his father's voice is calm and still a little gruff from sleep, "we need to know what happened yesterday. Why did you run off? How did you get out into the muggle world? Why were you with those Muggles and what happened with that man?"

His parents are not outright interrogating him or at least not in a way that indicates they are angry with him, it seems yesterday's fiasco was one of those few times where the need to see to their son's safety is enough to override any anger or disappointment they'd felt towards him for his 'unbecoming behavior'.

"I didn't mean to run off, I was just so angry! I was upset and all I could think about was that I needed to get out" Brow furrowed, Sirius's answer comes out contrite and a little high pitched, making him sound every bit the child he is.

Orion and Walburga exchange quizzical looks, "Angry? We were only supply shopping. What made you angry?"

A sneer steals across Sirius's face at the question and his eye's flash, in that moment he looks every bit his mother's son. Sitting in her wing-backed chair Walburga smiles into her tea, her son's Black temper always brings her such pride. Proof that he is her and her husband's child through and through.

"The shop boy was acting out of line. He was rude and took a tone with me . He insulted Reggie and the Girls and myself, too! He made crass remarks About Our House and..." Here Sirius stops himself, nostrils flaring, teeth gritting as his sneer becomes a snarl. He can feel his magic burning through his system.* He fights the urge to get up and rage, a habit he'd gotten from his father, instead he balls his hands into fists and presses them down into his still pajamaed thigh.

"Scourcher**, What else did he say?" It's his mother who addresses him this time. Her face is a comforting smile that doesn't reach her cold eyes, he knows she is not angry with him but the look is still terrifying. His slight fear doesn't stop the vindictive glee from blooming in his heart, the shop boy has just become his mother's newest prey. Few people are aware of his mother's true nature, she plays her part as a regal society wife very well. More fool them.

"He said Uncle Cygnus and Aunt Druella should sacrifice one of the girls to appease the gods because Clearly they had angered them to get three Worthless daughters. That Bella was doomed to be put down like a dog anyway, that is would be a mercy to Andy rather than let her die an old maid, and Cissy probably wasn't even a Black to begin with!"

There's a sharp intake of breath and a hiss respectively from his parents. His parents magics writhe in the confines of the room. His mother's cold and crackling meeting his father's dry heat and static. Sirius can feel the reaction like the feeling of an oncoming storm. Then a Snap! And it's gone in a rush of inhuman magic, his parent's ambient magic that had been quickly filling the room rerouted into Grimmauld Place itself with a snap of Kreacher's gnarled fingers.

Cygnus's daughter's are well loved by their aunt and uncle who have doted on them since birth. The eldest, Bellatrix, is Orion's own goddaughter, a fierce girl with hell-fire in her eyes. Everyone in the family knows she is touched by the Black Fire, a strain of madness born of and named for the Black family's sacred gift, the more powerful she grew the more unstable she would become. Eventually, should she grow too strong, she will go mad and the House will be bound by honor and duty to execute her. That is, unless a Witch or Wizard chooses to become her anchor, a person spiritually and magically bound to her to tether her mind and soul together. The problem is that the last several Wix to try and Anchor to a Black had either died as a result or commited suicide due to the magical feedback they recieved from the Black they were Anchored to. Orion is determined to save his goddaughter, no matter the cost, and has spent a great deal of time and money searching for a suitable match in hopes of stabilizing her.

Aunt Cassiopeia had taken to Andromeda, the Middle sister, at birth. Andromeda had been born with the same beauty mark as her, a fact she claimed meant the girl was to be taught the family secrets by her personally, and inadvertently gifted the girl her first name. Andromeda, in turn, is a quiet girl who's intelligent eyes take in the world around her, little happens that Andromeda does not know about or sometimes even have a hand in. Sirius likes her best as well, as she often aids him in his little mischiefs. Aunt Cassioepia is the family's Priestess and Andromeda often acts as her assistant, a position revered and respected within the family. Where Arcturus has Familial Power, as The Head, and Orion has Political Power, as The Lord, Cassiopeia had Religious Power, as The Priestess. She was charged with ensuring the Blacks were always on the good side of their gods, A nearly impossible task.

Narcissa, the youngest and a Rosier in looks if not temperament, has always been Walburga's favorite. The girl has impeccable manners and knows how to comport herself, for all intents and purposes she is a Perfect Pureblood Princess. She also knows how to use such skills and appearances to get away with just about anything. Walburga enjoys secreting her way and teaching her little magics that 'young ladies of good breeding' shouldn't know and how to do some truly death defying flying tricks on some of her own old competition brooms.

In truth Walburga sees a bit of herself in each of her nieces and is determined to see them flourish where she has been ground down. Her brother and sister-in-law are only too happy for her's and Orion's backing, especially against Arcturus's schemes.

Orion is on his feet, eyes blazing, fury etched across his face. He makes to head for the door before Walburga's firm grip stops him cold. He turns to face his wife.

"Are you going to go and bludgeon the boy with your bare hands?" Despite her words dripping with sweet poison that speaks of just how foolish she finds the idea, the look on his face implies he just might. "We had Kreacher lock our wands away to ensure we made no rash decisions. Besides, there is still more we need to know."

Unhappily, Orion returns to his seat, grabbing his cup he tosses back the entirety of his remaining tea. Said action earns him a raised brow and slightly pinched look from his wife. The after-affects of burning through as much calming draught as they are are a nuisance at best, but there is a possibility of developing an immunity that will only serve to cause further problems down the road.

"Alright, what happened next?"

"I got so angry I ran out the door, I don't know why, I just couldn't be there anymore. I kept going until I felt I had gone through a barrier. I realised I was in the muggle world 'cause it looked like the muggle streets out front, but really shabby and old. I felt Home, or at least I thought I did, so I started going toward it. Only I felt like I was being watched, but couldn't find anything when I looked around. I got scared and started running. Then I ran into the Grangers, that's who that girl and her father are. Wait! Is Mister Granger going to be okay? He got really hurt trying to save me! I don't want him to die! You healed him yesterday, right? I know he's just a muggle but He-" Sirius's magic was starting to fully burn through the potion in his system and he was slowly getting more upset.

"Sirius!" His Father rose from his own chair and crossed to his son, going so far as to kneel beside him and take his hands into his own, offering some small comfort despite the difficulty kneeling was causing him. Even with the liberal amounts of his medicinal potion he had used, both that morning and the night before, he can still feel the distinct grind of his knee protesting his new position. He knows from the diagnostic charm he had cast earlier that his escapades and overexertion the previous day had further reduced his mobility, permanently. Orion would honestlynadmit, if only to himself and his closest family, that he would have readily lost the entire limb if it meant his son would never be subject to Davon Krane's depravity or be forced to watch the murder of another human being at such a young age.

" Mister Granger will be alright, I healed him well enough before we left that he will be just fine with time and rest. And he may be a muggle but he saved you. And Blacks don't forget debts like that, everything will be alright. Now what happened after you met the Grangers?"

"I Introduced myself and they did the same, the girl was odd and had an odd name -i don't really remember it-, she called me pretty and asked if I was a fae!" Sirius's proclamation is accompanied by a fierce pout. His parents do their best to cover their laughter at his words and his father returned to his seat, not wanting to stay on the floor to long only to find he couldn't get back up again.

It is not the first time Sirius has been called pretty, much to the young child's chagrin. And while normally it would be considered an insult to compare a human and a fae (going both ways), the older Blacks are at least somewhat aware of the modern muggle era's romanization of the Fair Folk, often considering them nothing more than pretty cherubic tricksters found in bedtime stories. Either Muggles had lost a great deal of their collective self-preservation instinct or some members of the Gentry were running the best PR campaign in modern history. How half the muggleborns and halfbloods they'd gone to school with hadn't been Taken was down to Hogwarts ancient wards and sheer dumb luck.

"Mr. Granger said I could stay with them while I waited for Father to arrive. We were playing hide and seek when that man grabbed me. He lifted me into the air and was about to hit me when slammed into him, knocking him down and freeing me. Mr. Granger told us to run, but the girl wouldn't move, and I couldn't just leave her. They started to fight, but the other man was stronger and started to beat him up really bad. He even pulled a knife when grabbed him and pulled him down again when he tried to come at me and the girl. He tried to stab Mr. Granger in the heart, but I… I stopped him with magic"

"You stopped him with magic?" Walburga asks.

"Yes, I-I didn't want him to hurt Mr. Granger anymore so I yelled at him to stop and through out my arms and pushed out as much magic as I could at him. When it hit him he flew back and he didn't get back up."

Walburga turns to her husband, question burning in her eyes.

Understanding his wife's unspoken desire Orion confirms his son's actions.

"As far as I can tell it might have technically been accidental magic, but he essentially hit the fucker with a stupify. It wouldn't have gotten him an Outstanding on his NEWTS but it was more than passible."

" After that Father arrived, I'm not sure what all happened after that or what the guy who had attacked us was saying, he spoke weird." From the corner of her eye Walburga sees the relief wash over her husband's face.

"That's all I remember." Sirius finishes his story, then steels himself for his mother's judgement. She is the more likely of his parents to show her disappointment, as well as the one who disliked anything and everything to do with Muggles.

Orion, for all that he was the Lord of a known anti-muggle family, was more ambivalent and neutral about such things, a consequence of having to interact with the many, varied members of the Wizengamot- and using said members to try and subtly avoid his father's old 'companions' by 'getting the lay of the land' or some other nonsense to avoid the old bastards. Said actions were regularly aided by his Prewett inlaws who despise his father and his cronies almost as much as Orion himself does, proof that they are far better people than half the other so-called 'Purebloods' Orion is forced to interact with on a regular basis.

"Sirius Orion Black, what you did was unbearably foolish. I am beyond upset with you. You will not be punished because yesterday's events were punishment enough, but this is not going to happen again. You got yourself lost in the Muggle world, lost your cloak and broach: the first of which was meant to be your mantle and the second of which was a powerful family heirloom, you have exposed no less than three muggles to magic -something that the DMLE will likely be contacting us about as soon as they can find someone of dull enough wits to sign the inquisition form-, and you nearly got yourself maimed or worse -killed. How would that have looked? Did you want to go the way of Sirius the first? Murdered by muggles out in broad daylight, because he had ignored his parent's warnings and wandered off? The Heir ring doesn't register Muggles like it does other magical beings- you'd have been safer against a werewolf! Do You Understand? We Could Have Lost You!"

Walburga's tirade, which had started out stern and slow -each part emphasized to better get her point across to her son- had grown furious, then just as quickly, fearful. At some point she had gotten up and started to pace, seeming more a trapped, feral animal than A Lady, before coming to a stop behind her husband's chair. Placing a steadying hand on her husband's shoulder and gathering herself again, she turned back to fully facing her son.

"All of these things aside, I am proud of you." For a split second Orion is grateful for the hand she has placed on -dug into- his shoulder, because he is sure without it he would have fallen out of his chair, Sirius nearly does. The astounded look on his son's face would be funny if he wasn't 100% sure it mirrored his own.

"For all the wrongs you did, you did many things right. You accepted help when you needed it, you protected a young girl in danger, you used your magic to face down an adversary and likely saved a man's life, and you did all of this when you were alone and scared. Every Black in the last century may have been a Slytherin, but that does not mean we throw out Nobility and Honor just because they are Gryffindor traits. The choice you made, to stand by those who had stood by you, fills me with pride and hope. Hope that someday you will be the Greatest Lord the House of Black has ever had."

Overcome be her words, Sirius sniffles before wiping his face and jutting his chin up, little aristocratic nose in the air, "Thank you, Mother, I'll make you proud".

"Yes well, it's time for you to go get dressed, then you and I'll head over to your cousins. Your father has some work to see to."

At that Sirius hesitates, "Do they-?"

"Know? Your Aunt and Uncle know some but the girls all believe you have been in private lessons with your Father all morning. Very secretive Heir and Lord business, very Hush Hush. They know better than to ask you about it. So you won't get any questions from them."

"Okay, Thank you, Please Excuse me."

"You're Excused"

With that Sirius scampers out the door and up to the nursery to get ready, Kreacher follows behind after returning Orion and Walburga's wands to them. He's too old to be a Nanny Elf but he still likes to ensure that Sirius doesn't dress himself too obscenely.

As soon as the door is closed and locked and a soundproofing charm goes up Walburga turns her attention to her husband.

"What did that filthy Muggle say? And how do you know"

"What do you mean?"

"When Sirius said he didn't know what the bastard had said you looked relieved, don't try to deny it. Which means he said something, something you'd rather our son not remember. Which is odd because you weren't there."

Orion sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, his wife is still situated behind him and her nails are starting to really bite into his shoulder blade.

"I was able to use legilimens on the bastard, his name is Davon Krane, and he's a sick fuck who's been terrorizing that part of the city for years. He and my father are cut from the same cloth."

At his words a shock of magic washes over him, his wife's magic clings to and wraps around him. He can practically hear it chanting mineminemine. For all that he and Walburga do not love each other in the way many married couples do, they are extremely possessive of each other, and his father has always been a threat to their marriage, and more recently their family.

"Krane was going to kill William, then take Hermione, that's the girls name, and Sirius down to the docks. There is apparently some type of sex trafficking ring being run out of an abandoned warehouse down there, it specializes in children. Mostly orphans and run-aways and sometimes the children of people they want to teach a lesson to."

"I see. I suppose you want to do something about it."

The question is rhetorical in the greatest sense. There's no chance Orion won't do everything he can to make not just Krane, but everyone involved, pay for their crimes. And Walburga will be happy to follow him, burning and salting the earth as they go. She may find Muggles distasteful but she, like him, despises those who harm children more.

"Oh, Love, You can take care of the Muggles, His wife sniff delicately, as haughty as ever, "you know I can't be bothered to deal with such barbarians."

"And here I thought they were starting to grow on you,'' Came her husbands teasing reply. "What did you say again? Choosing to stand by those who had stood by you?"

"Hush you. Statistically speaking, with how many of them there are, they have to occasionally breed an adequate human being or two. Like Callicos."

"Adequate? Callicos?", Orion snorts ," A man nearly dies to save your son and you call him adequate and compare him to breeding cats?"

Walburga only sniffs daintily again and doesn't reward his comment with a response. Orion suspects she is keeping her more anti-muggle sentiments to herself considering one has just saved their son. It is considered bad form to insult someone who has aided their family, not to mention Aunt Cassiopeia is of the firm belief that the gods send their aid in mysterious ways. If this happened to be one of those times it was best not to earn their wrath by impugning on the honor of their chosen vassel.

Rounding his chair Walburga leans down and places a chaste kiss on his cheek, an action done in mockery, rather than affection. a common occurrence between them.

"You leave that sweet little shop boy to me," His wife whispers as she leans up and away, a cruelly delighted smile stretching across her face, eyes glinting, her words crawl along his spine and leave gooseflesh in their wake. Orion is struck by the urge to kiss her, to taste the poison of her words, her magic, her soul- dripping, dripping, dripping like nectar, like honey, like ambrosia from her wicked smile and wickeder heart. It is a feeling he has rarely felt these last few years marked by bitterness and contempt.

Walburga turns and sashays away before he can give in to the urge, looking every bit the apex predator she is. Halfway to the door she looks back over her shoulder and calls back to him her voice a purr.

"Oh, and My Lord? Happy Hunting~"

I am aware that Sirius is very young and sounds a little old but children mimic their parents and you Know the Blacks are Haughty as hell. So i always imagined him well spoken without a full grasp of what he's saying.

Orion and Walburga are a little mellower, but that's because I see them as being a little better in their youth (you'll see why in the next chapter or so), but went bad due to all their issues. AKA in the words of Harvey Dent " You either die a hero or You live long enough to see yourself become a villain."

* Magic can burn through weaker potions, Especially if backed by emotions

**Orion's nicknames for Sirius are variations of "Bright Star" ('Brightness', 'Burning Star',etc), because he is named after the brightest star in the night sky, he is the 'light' of his father's life, something untainted by the world, and Orion sees him as the future of the wizarding world.

**Walburga's nicknames for him are variations of "Tourcher" ('Scourcher', 'Torch-bearer',etc),, because she considers him her 'Lokabrenna', loki-torch, her trickster born to burn the world.

Neither call him such things in public, they both consider it unseemly and an invasion of their private lives.