Chapter Thirteen

"I can't believe it's been nearly a year," Hermione murmured, sidling up beside Sirius where he was standing against the wall, observing their family.

"Hell of a year," he agreed. "Can't wait to see what the next five or ten are like. We've got a lot to get in place, but it doesn't feel like there's a rush right now. Twat-face is only just now gathering strength, after all."

His wife snorted in amusement. "I'd pay good Galleons to see you say that while he was standing in front of you."

"I'm sure there would be rage," Sirius shrugged. "He'd probably try to kill me. He - Who - Needs - A - Good - Spanking. Gods, imagine how much better off we'd been if Tom bloody Riddle had just been properly disciplined as a child."

"Hard not to think of the what ifs these days, isn't it?" she asked. "Speaking of, I was thinking this week about Mum's suggestion to not carry it all on my own shoulders, and to let people in."

"We've let people in," he said. "Tons of people!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I mean all the way in, Sirius. Aberforth, Melok, and Cedrella have all made guesses as to where we come from. Helen and James we have already begun to explain things to. If the five of them have kept confidence this long, I think it may be time to come clean with them about everything."

"Everything?" he asked, startled at the suggestion. "Like, everything? Who dies, who shagged who, who needs to knock who up in order for the world not to be doomed… that everything?"

"Well considering that a great deal of that is mutable, I don't see why not," she shrugged. "Save Cygnus and Druella the question and tell them to plan on betrothing Narcissa to Lucius. Our job will be to make Lucius worth Cissa this time around, which I do think is feasible. I'd honestly like Cedrella's input on Andromeda's future husband. I never met Ted, but I hear he was lovely, and very good to her. On the other hand Beta Filius and Andromeda were, by all accounts, a dream couple. Who is to say which coupling is better to encourage? It's questions like these that I feel like we should have others weighing in on. We can't make all these decisions alone."

"Do you think Filius will even consider Andy in that way if they grow up knowing they're cousins?" he asked, frowning.

"They're not close enough cousins for it to matter," Hermione replied. "I think Arthur and Molly are closer, and they're one of the best couples I've ever known, cousins or not. That's another pair I can't fathom not getting together. Can you imagine a world without Ron and Ginny and Fred and George and the rest?"

He chuckled, thinking of the twins. "Yeah, I agree, those kids need to be born. Harry as well, obviously. Now, if James and Lily die again, who ends up with Harry, by the by?"

"I'd assume Petunia," came an easy reply. "Or whoever becomes Godfather, which will be your younger counterpart or Severus most likely. I gave Petunia's genome a little push when she was born, so I think she'll be magical this time around. That will fundamentally change her world. It doesn't guarantee she won't grow up resenting her sister for some other reason, but it won't have anything to do with magic, and she'd be hard pressed to hate her nephew on that basis. In any case, I hope enough of the family will be around by then to step in if she were to mistreat him in any way."

"If she's a Witch, how will she meet Vernon?" he asked, frowning.

"I can't promise she will meet him," Hermione replied. "It seemed a small price to pay given how much potential she showed in Beta. Arthur mentioned at one point that Petunia and Edmund flirted up a storm before he was killed, so maybe Petunia will end up with Cedrella's youngest, regardless of if he's still named Edmund here."

Sirius grinned. "Is it bad that I can clearly picture Petunia with Cedrella as a mother-in-law and feel pity for neither of them?"

"I'd pity anyone in the middle of the two of them rowing," Hermione chuckled. "Both are forces to be reckoned with."

They were quiet for a little bit, both lost in thought. Then, Sirius let out a sigh. "They'll ask hard questions, the lot of them. I anticipate the worst of them coming out of Aberforth or Helen, to be honest. Neither hesitate to be blunt, you know?"

"The idea of introducing the pair of them is almost disturbing, now that you mention it," his wife snorted. "When you add Melok to the mix, there will be no stone left unturned."

"It isn't as though Cedrella and James won't ask enough hard questions themselves," Sirius remarked. "They've got that thing in common where they tend to see what others don't. I imagine they'll get along well. Have you considered bringing Minerva on board? You know it's only a matter of time before she figures things out."

"I know," Hermione agreed. "One day telling her will be necessary, but I want to put that off for as long as possible. She's so bloody innocent, Sirius. In many ways she's just a girl. I want to try and maintain her innocence for as long as possible. It isn't a lack of trust. I just…"

"Know what she stands to lose the moment we crack the world open for her?" he finished.

"Yes," she nodded. "So for now, we wait."

"Alright then," Sirius agreed. "Sometime in the next few days, head up to London to talk to Watson, and coordinate with Helen. Finding a time that suits the two of them will be more difficult than the other three, and I expect this will be something we need to block out a full day for. It won't be a short conversation."

"At least they all know what they're getting into," she shrugged. "Sort of."

"Hon, we're the time travelers, and I'm still not sure what I've gotten into," he laughed. "If they think they have a clue, they're wrong. Now, shall we get back to the party?"

His wife smiled at him and took his arm. "Indeed. You're supposed to be talking to Caspar about supporting you on the Wizengamot."

Sirius groaned. "Crouch hates me, babe."

"I know," she said, patting his shoulder. "That doesn't make him and Charis any less family. Besides, Barty and the girls are sweet enough. And didn't Barty recently announce his engagement to Abraxas Malfoy's daughter? I hadn't realized Lucius had an older sister until now."

He shrugged. "She had the misfortune of being born a Malfoy, and she wasn't a son. That sort of made her irrelevant so far as Abraxas was concerned. From what I hear, Arianna is nice enough. Poor girl isn't even quite seventeen yet, though. Barty is only a year older. Fucking Purebloods marrying off their kids like cattle."

"It's just a betrothal. We both know it will lead to marriage, but I don't think their son is born until the early sixties, so there's time. Further, in Alpha, she gave her life to save her son," Hermione reminded him. "That speaks a great deal to her character, her present youth aside."

"Or her father or brother's ability to cast the Imperius," he scoffed. "Crouch Jr, carrying the name or not, was still a Malfoy son. They'd not have let him die in Azkaban if it could be helped."

"You, dear husband, are jaded," she chastised.

Sirius shrugged, not even arguing the point. "Just where it comes to Pureblood politics."

He supposed he should be used to it by now; the crack of an incoming apparition. Unlike Helen's Sanctuary, London was not protected by an EM shield, although he knew that it was in her plans to eventually make the addition to their other satellites and that his was on the top of the priority list. The supplies to construct one were expensive, however, and other things took priority considering that the only thing the EM shield protected against was John Druitt. Given they were involving themselves in a Wizarding war, James thought that perhaps it would be prudent to step on those upgrades, as it would prevent apparation just as it prevented John's ability to teleport, and resolved to speak to Hermione about what she might contribute to the cost, given it was she who'd be bringing such trouble to their door. He turned around to see the woman in question. "Hermione," he greeted. "You're well, I trust?"

"Well enough, James," she assured him. "Have you got some time for a field trip?"

James looked at the calendar on the wall. "Not three days into the New Year. Have you got something against just enjoying the holiday season? In my day, the merriment lasted a full week following the dawn of the New Year."

She grinned at him. "Well I was going to make arrangements to tell you, Helen, and a few others all there is to know about alternate timelines, but if you'd rather wait until next week…"

He scowled, annoyed at her for playing on his curiosity. "Bugger, woman. So I take it you want to take a trip to Old City to fetch Helen?"

"Assuming she's free to step away from her Sanctuary for a few days," Hermione said with a nod of confirmation. "I figured that your and Helen's schedules were going to be least flexible, so once I have you both in London and ready to meet, I'll speak to the others and set up a definite day. I don't relish having this conversation more than once."

"Who else are you planning to tell?" he inquired.

"Melok of course," she said with a smile. "He was always going to be a given, honestly, and he overheard me talking about something a few weeks ago and now he's nagging incessantly. I mentioned a while back that Cedrella Weasley, our niece, sussed out that we were time travelers, so she's getting the talk. In the last year I've come to realize that she's not to be underestimated so far as what she can contribute. The woman is sharp as they come. Last is Aberforth Dumbledore. He confronted me just before Christmas about my being a time traveler. I don't think he's realized that Sirius is as well, but that's neither here nor there. Besides being one of the few who has worked out the basics on his own, his connection to Albus makes him a valuable ally."

"Just the five of us, then?" James confirmed.

Hermione nodded. "Poetic, right? Once more, you and Helen will be part of a unit of five. That said, I expect in time that number will grow. I know at least one person for certain I'd like to confide in, eventually, but he won't be born for a few more years yet, so that will be years and years from now."

"Yes, trusting an infant with secrets such as these does not seem prudent," he agreed, chuckling.

"Oh," she said suddenly. "Hold that thought. Dobby!"

He was about to ask who Dobby was, when a creature no taller than the height of his knees appeared beside Hermione, with pale skin, spindly limbs, and large ears and eyes, almost like a more evolved Galago. "Yes, Mistress?" the creature said, looking up at Hermione.

"Dobby, this is Doctor James Watson," she introduced. "James, this is Dobby. He's a House Elf. Dobby, if James ever calls for you, I want you to attend to him. He's Muggle, you see, so he may need assistance in delivering messages to me, or perhaps in regard to transportation."

James raised an eyebrow. "How do I call Dobby?"

The House Elf looked at him, and put his hands on his slender hips. "You's just be saying Dobby's name, sir. House Elves can hear a call from wherevers you are."

"Telepathy?" he asked, intrigued.

"Of a sort," Hermione replied, smiling. "House Elves really are incredible. I'm able to apparate across oceans, but most Witches and Wizards aren't. That's a perk of being a Mage. That said, House Elves can do so as well. If you or Helen needed to get to another Sanctuary in a hurry, Dobby would be able to make that happen for you. I intend to give Helen the same permission to call on him. Given I am Dobby's Mistress, he'll only answer the call of someone I give him explicit instructions to obey."

"You act as though he's your slave," James said, frowning at the implication.

The Mage sighed. "I don't like it either. As a species, yes, House Elves are technically enslaved. They are also genetically predisposed to prefer being bound to a Wizarding family, and experience a great sense of loss and anxiety if they are without one. In short, for most Elves, if you freed them, you might as well have exiled them and taken away their purpose in life. Their own kind will reject them, and consider them disgraced. Dobby is an oddity of his kind - while he'd prefer freedom, he knows the political landscape and has chosen to remain bound to me rather than face the condemnation of his people. He may be a slave in technicality, but he's my friend before he's my servant."

"Dobby was being free in two other lives," the House Elf remarked. "It is enough for Dobby to be remembering freedom."

James just stared. "Alright, that one you're going to have to explain."

"In general temporal mechanics, each person has infinite lives, and a soul unique to each of those lives," Hermione said with an amused expression. "House Elves are, as far as I know, unique in the world in that they have infinite lives, all connected through one soul. If they encounter someone who has known an alternate version of them, they are able to, what do you call it, Dobby?"

"Connect the souls," the Elf said happily.

"Yes, connect the souls," his guest finished explaining. "In short, I have known two Dobbys other than this one, and therefore by connecting to me, Dobby has the memories of both of those other Dobbys' lives. He'll understand the situation far better than any of you could dream of doing, because like Sirius and me, he's lived it, in a sense."

"Fascinating," James breathed. "That's brilliant."

Dobby shrugged. "Some recallings are better than others. Dobby gets joy in remembering being born to a world where Elves were free for generations. Dobby also be remembering a world where the tiny sweets thief stabbed and killed Dobby."

Hermione shoved Dobby a little. "I thought we agreed not to call her that."

"But Mistress, Miss Trixie is a tiny sweets thief!" the Elf pouted. "Dobby only be speaking truth."

James laughed. "That sounds like a story."

The Mage sighed heavily. "Less of a story, and more one of the reasons I'm adamant about changing the timeline. I'll explain further when we all get together, but in short, one my nieces - who has something of a sweet tooth, as Dobby indicated - is a very kind and gentle little girl. That said, the first time I met her, she was a grown woman, the right hand of a Dark Lord, and she was torturing me on the floor of her sister's drawing room. Bella deserves far better than fate gave her the first time around."

"She still better be stopping with being a sweets thief," Dobby grumbled.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "New Years party, Dobby kept refilling the candy dish, and every time he did Bella emptied it. He's a little bitter about it, if you can tell."

"Are we being going?" the Elf asked, stomping his foot. "Mistress wishes to go to Old City Sanctuary, yes?"

James quickly jotted down a note so if anyone came looking for him while he was gone they wouldn't worry. He didn't imagine they'd think he'd rushed off to Canada when they saw 'Took a stroll, be back in a few hours at most,' but that was neither here nor there. "Ready when you are," he said, moving toward them.

Dobby gripped his sleeve, and Hermione gently laid her hand on the little creature's shoulder. James felt the breath leave him as they jolted away from his office, and a moment later, he was standing at the front gate of what he presumed was Helen's Sanctuary. He'd never actually been there before. "There is being unusual energy field around the house," Dobby explained. "We could not be arriving inside."

"I expected as much, thank you Dobby," Hermione said kindly. "Now, let's get to it, shall we? I just dropped Helen at the door the last time I was here. I didn't have time to go in."

The trio walked forward, stopping at the front door, James spotting the familiar looking surveillance camera placed to screen visitors. "May I ask who's calling?" a garbled voice inquired through the speaker a moment later.

"James Watson and Hermione Black," James answered. "Tell Helen if I can get my arse across the bloody ocean, she can get her arse to the front door."

"I will, uh… announce you, sir," the man on the other side of the intercom stuttered.

Hermione snorted. "I think you scared the poor bloke. He must be new and not understand yet that Helen isn't exactly an ordinary lady."

"There are days I wonder if she constitutes as a lady at all," he scoffed. "In fairness, those are typically the days she's knocked my teeth in in the course of a disagreement."

"Nikola always did say she had a temper," Hermione mused.

Dobby tugged on her sleeve. "In Alpha, Mistress Helen said that Master Vampire stayed away from her so he didn't get his teeth knocked in like Master James."

She raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you knew Helen in Alpha, Dobby."

"Master Gregory introduced us," the Elf said solemnly. "That was before Master Gregory was going missing, of course. That was not happening in this timeline. Master Abraxas bought us first. In Alpha, it was Master Lucius who bought us."

"Who did you belong to before the Malfoys, Dobby?" Hermione asked, clearly intrigued.

"Dobby was born a Magnus Elf, of course," he said, looking affronted. "Master Gregory's father was Dobby's first Master. Dobby be answering to Mistress Helen with or without Mistress Hermione's orders. The first bond is coming first."

The door swung open, and there was Helen, looking amused to see them both. Before the Head of the Sanctuary Network could get a word out, Dobby flung himself forward and wrapped his arms around her legs. "Oh, hello," she greeted, looking down. "Lord, I've not seen a House Elf in years."

"Dobby was born a Magnus, Mistress Helen," Dobby said, looking tearful. "Dobby is being with Mistress Hermione now, but will always answer the call of a Magnus!"

Helen awkwardly stepped back into her foyer and waved James and Hermione in, Dobby still firmly attached to her leg. "Oh, well, thank you Dobby," she finally said. Her gaze met Hermione's obvious pleading in her expression. James wanted to laugh at her expense, but decided it was not worth getting punched.

Hermione obliged after a sigh. "Dobby, please unhand Helen. How about you find the kitchen and sort the three of us out some tea, then bring it along to Helen's office?"

"Yes Mistress!" Dobby said, looking excited to serve, and toddled off, unable to just apparate around. That, James figured, would buy them some breathing room. House Elves were certainly excitable creatures to say the least.

He smirked. "You alright there, darling?"

Helen glared. "I'd ask how you got here, but between the Mage and the House Elf, you certainly had options. What can I do for the both of you?"

"Shall we be civilized and take this conversation to your office?" Hermione suggested.

The older woman sighed. "Well, we are evidently expecting tea there. I need to detour quickly to guest quarters and introduce you to someone. He won't tell me his name - his kind forbids outsiders to know - nor will he allow me to give him an alternate name to go by while he stays. I simply call him Friend. The rest of my staff calls him The Big Guy, or Biggie, which he doesn't seem to mind, but I personally find a bit crass. He came to me a little under four years ago, and after removing more than a few bullets from him, he opted to remain at the Sanctuary. At this point, we're talking about transitioning him from being a patient to a member of my staff properly. There's a lot we feel he can contribute. That said, his olfactory senses are extremely heightened and if I don't introduce you right off, he'll likely storm my office in fear I'm under attack. He's very protective."

"That's sweet," Hermione said, smiling brightly. "So basically he just needs to be told we're friendly, scent us, and from then on we'll be alright?"

Helen nodded, motioning for them to follow down a corridor. "He's highly intelligent, as well, and has expressed an interest in medicine. I'm hoping to teach him enough to assist me on procedures. His size gives him great potential for field skills as well. As it stands, he's already stepped up and learned how to drive, after my last Chauffeur retired a year ago. You can't imagine how much work one can get done while driving from place to place. It is worth having a Chauffeur. Worth every bloody penny."

"I don't even have a car," Hermione laughed.

"Your opinion doesn't count," Helen bantered. "You cheat when going place to place. Ah, here we are. My friend, we have some guests I'd like you to meet."

James' eyes widened a bit as he took in the neanderthal. Layman's term, he knew, was Bigfoot, so he understood why Helen's staff had chosen the monikers they had, but as a scientist he couldn't help but be impressed by such a rare and reclusive species. "A pleasure to meet you, sir," he said, offering his hand. "I'm James Watson."

Helen's friend sniffed the air around him as their hands gripped together firmly. "Blood like Helen's," he said gruffly. "Not as young as you seem, are you?"

"Fascinating," Hermione said, stepping forward and offering her own hand. "I'm Hermione Black. I'm deeply curious about what you can tell from my scent."

The large creature sniffed at Hermione a bit longer than he had with James, eyes widening slightly in surprise. "Witch," he concluded. "Animagus. Some sort of feline form, I think. Very powerful. Mage, if my guess is right, although it's been many years since I've come across another Mage. Your sort are even more rare than mine are."

Hermione grinned, stepped back, and James nearly yelped in surprise when she was suddenly gone and in her place was a beautiful Fisher Cat, dancing between the Big Guy's legs, making him laugh merrily. A moment after that, the Fisher Cat was gone and Hermione was back. "That is a truly impressive nose you've got, Friend."

Helen rolled her eyes. "So, can you be assured of my safety while in the company of one of my oldest friends and a Mage?"

The tall Abnormal let out a barking laugh. "Helen, if you think you're safe in the company of a Mage, you still have much to learn about them. That said, I don't sense she intends you any harm, so I hope you have a good visit. Shall I take care of the afternoon feedings?"

"Take Corday with you," she instructed. "You're still learning the ropes, but he can teach you just as well as I can. I'll be in my office if you need anything, although I suspect I'm getting dragged back to London, so warn Corday that you gentlemen may be on your own for a few days."

The Big Guy nodded in understanding, and then waved them off. A few minutes later, they were in Helen's office, and Hermione got right to business. "It's time," she said succinctly.

"I presumed as much," Helen replied, smiling coyly. "Who are you bringing on board, aside from James and myself?"

"Melok, Cedrella, and Aberforth," the younger woman answered.

"A Goblin, a Weasley, and a Dumbledore," his friend mused. "That sounds like trouble."

"Technically Cedrella is a Black," Hermione pointed out.

"Technically that makes it more trouble, not less," came the quick counter.

James decided on the spot that it was a really bad idea for these two women to become friends. It was clear they spoke the same language, and shared the same opinions on many issues. That much had been made plain in the last year. To give Helen the advantage of all the knowledge of Hermione and Sirius' past - of the future to come - seemed a bit like adding petrol to the flames. Helen Magnus was an information junkie if there ever was one. Had she been born a Witch, she'd likely have gone to Slytherin House just like Gregory had been. She was ambitious, willful, clever, and had no problem stooping to unseemly avenues if it was required to protect the things she cared about. "Out of curiosity," he said, "what was your Hogwarts House, Hermione?"

Hermione grinned broadly. "Gryffindor. Home of the bold."

"Oh, this is going to be fantastic," he said sarcastically. Melok had told him enough about the Houses over the years to have determined that he was a Ravenclaw in the making, through and through, and he was also well aware of the powder keg that was a union between Slytherin and Gryffindor. It wasn't that they couldn't get along. They could, it just wasn't often. However, when a Slytherin and a Gryffindor allied, the world trembled at their feet and nothing less.

He hated to be crass, even in his own mind, but this Dark Lord Hermione alluded to was well and truly fucked.

Cedrella looked up as her Floo activated, and smiled as Uncle Sirius stepped through. "Good afternoon," he greeted.

"Same to you," she replied. "What brings you by?"

"I was wondering how difficult it would be for you to find a sitter for the boys for the better part of a day," he inquired. "Hermione and I have decided it's time to come clean with a group of you about, well, everything. We don't really want to have the conversation more than once though, so we're trying to coordinate with everyone."

She frowned. "I can usually get either Dorea or Cor to watch Peter and Arthur if I give them a day's notice. I could Floo either of them today and viably be free tomorrow."

"Okay, let's plan on that then," he said with a nod. "We're wanting to meet just after lunch. Say one o' clock at Hog's Head, and then we'll arrange transport from there. We're meeting somewhere secure you've never been, otherwise I'd have you just meet us there."

"There are portkeys, you know," she said, amused.

"I'd have to get that authorized by the Ministry," Sirius pointed out. "As I'm trying to keep this meeting under the radar, I'd rather not give the Ministry a road map to it."

"Fair enough," she admitted. "Who all is included in this group? I know I'm not the only one to have poked holes in your cover story - you've both hinted as much - but you've never let on who else I'm in such fine company with."

He laughed. "Technically speaking, the only other one who sorted things out without help is Aberforth Dumbledore, so he's in. Melok was told the day we arrived because we needed his help getting Hermione sorted with the Mage training and getting paperwork situated."

"Ah, I'd wondered who helped you with that," she admitted. "Melok would have the connections."

"It helped that his counterpart began Hermione's training, so she already trusted him a ton," Sirius confided. "I didn't get close to him like she did, but honestly, I don't expect I ever will. What they have is weird and I don't get it, but I do respect it."

"Anyone else?" she asked, making a mental note to observe Aunt Hermione and Melok together. She was curious about this relationship of theirs. At family gatherings, she'd noted that they often gravitated toward one another at some point, but she hadn't really given it much thought until now.

"Two others, but you don't know them," he admitted. "Helen Magnus is something of a Magical Creatures expert. Her father was a Wizard - Gregory Magnus - and although she's a Squib she's carried on his work. James Watson is a friend of hers. There was another friend of theirs, Nikola Tesla…"

"Wait right there, did you say Nikola Tesla?" she asked. "I may be a Witch, but I'm not out of touch with the Muggle world."

"Yeah, that Nikola Tesla," Sirius ground out, looking irritated. "Very long story short, Helen, Watson, Tesla, and two others did some experiments using Vampire blood when they were studying at Oxford. It outright turned Tesla into a Vampire. Helen is basically immortal - looks like she's thirty something - she's actually over a hundred. Same with Watson. I don't know much about the other two, and in any case, that's Helen and Watson's story to tell. Point I was getting to was that Hermione and I met Tesla before coming here and despite the fact that he's a titanic prat, he earned my begrudging respect, so if he says Helen and Watson are folks we want on our side, I'm going to trust that. Hermione actually liked Tesla, so she was even more keen to go with his recommendation."

"Sounds like a fun group," Cedrella commented.

He eyed her curiously. "This is your last chance to back out, Cedrella. I know you already know about Horcruxes, so that won't shock you the way it might the others, but there is a lot more in Hermione and my memories that I can emphatically say you probably don't want to know about. There's a lot of grief. We've not had it easy in the slightest, and while we do mean to change things for the better, in order for you to help us do that, you will need to face the horrors we have - at least our telling of it - and I promise it will change the way you look at life. It will change the way you look at people. Are you sure you want to know?"

Cedrella had thought of little else for months, knowing this day was inevitable. Her answer was at the ready. "I don't want to know, Uncle Sirius. My willingness to know isn't about curiosity. I do believe that I have something to contribute to the reshaping of the future. I understand this era's Pureblood politics better than you do. Aberforth might be useful to that end, but he's a Dumbledore, and they've rarely gotten caught up in such things. Knowing the political landscape of things is going to be necessary. I may wish I could bow out, but the truth is that you need an insight into high Wizarding society as it stands, and I already know part of your secret. I'm the natural choice to confide in, a fact I'm certain Aunt Hermione has already concluded or we wouldn't be having this conversation."

He shuffled his feet. "She might have mentioned something similar."

"Then don't make it any harder by pointing out the obvious," she snapped. "My world will be turned upside down tomorrow, end of story. I'm prepared for that. What little innocence I have left will be shattered. I'm prepared for that, too. Tonight, I'm going to spend time with my family and enjoy not knowing for one last day. It's so rare for people to know when their world is about to radically change. I appreciate knowing. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have childcare to arrange, and I'll see you after lunch tomorrow."

He smiled at her tenderly, and moved forward and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "I don't know what we did to deserve you," Sirius said softly, "but thanks. Love you, Cedrella."

She huffed, even if she was honestly touched by his care. She was a Black. Showing emotions was really not in her wheelhouse. She had no idea what was wrong with him that he was so bloody demonstrative. "I love you too, Uncle Sirius. Now get!"

"I'm going, I'm going!" he said, grinning.

A moment later, the Floo activated, and he was gone. Cedrella took a few minutes to calm her frayed nerves, the gravity of what she was about to commit to sinking in. Then, she stood and put in a Floo call to Dorea Potter.

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