Ater Sanguis
Warnings: Rated M for language, violence, and occasional sexual scenes; adult themes.
Disclaimer: I do not own the wonderful wizarding world of Harry Potter; if I did, I could actually afford to attend uni. All characters are property of JK Rowling.
A/N: I am so sorry about the random hiatus. I've just had so much going on, and I really couldn't think of writing for the story. After my boyfriend's father died, his grandmother (father's mom) passed shortly after. The next few months were hell, honestly. We still aren't done cleaning out his father's storage unit. I wrote this back during my winter break, but I have been so busy between classes, work, and my home life that I just hadn't thought to update. Forgive me? I'm in the midst of writing a novel, helping a friend edit her novel so she can publish it, and then there's the mass of homework and papers I have. Plus I need to select my courses for next term soon, and that's always fun. Anyways, you deserve a chapter...
A Celebration
31 July, 1996
12 Grimmauld Place
It had been just about a week since the article had been published; since Hermione had stayed with her mother for most of the week, she didn't have to deal with the public. Sirius, on the other hand, did. He was being congratulated left and right for fathering the brightest witch of the age by some. Others hissed that he was lying, just using this to keep up good graces – "I bet you manipulated her into thinking that there's a bond there. Being related to 2/3 of the Golden Trio must have been the reason you were acquitted of your crimes," one person had told him. Sirius snapped, saying that at the time of his acquittal he had no idea Hermione was his daughter, and Harry had no idea that he was undergoing the trial to be acquitted. The Wizengamot cleared him of charges because Peter Pettigrew was the true killer, and that was that. Besides, people had more to worry about right now, with Voldemort back.
Sirius pushed the thoughts from his mind; he got up from his chair and commanded his house elf to begin setting up for the party. Harry was turning 16 today, and Sirius had managed to get the young Potter to stay at the old house for a few days, so he could celebrate with those who truly cared about him. He was out at the moment, going to collect Hermione with Remus, if Sirius remembered correctly. They wouldn't be back until noontime, so he had a few hours to kill. A trip to Diagon Alley was in order. Sirius took the Floo to the shopping area, and headed straight for Flourish and Blotts.
"Good day, Mister Black," the attendant at the counter greeted him, a tight smile on his face. "What can we help you with today?"
"I would like to purchase a book."
"Well you've certainly come to the right place, Mister Black. Books are our specialty," the attendant laughed. "Anything in particular?"
Sirius pursed his lips. "I don't know. I want to surprise my daughter. I haven't been very fatherly in the past week or so since we've discovered our bond, and I know she loves putting her head in a book. Do you have any recommendations?"
"Hermione is one of our best customers, sir. She loves the informational books, but we've also seen her looking at the fictional section from time to time. We've recently expanded to include a few muggle fiction books, purely for our muggle-born and half-blood customers. It is all the way in the back; perhaps Hermione would like one of those?"
Sirius nodded and made his way to the new addition to the store. It was a single bookshelf, only about 7 feet high, 4 across, but it was filled with books that clearly did not belong in a wizarding book shop. Authors that Sirius had heard of only because of Lily, like Jane Austen, were there, but there were others that he didn't know. What would Hermione even like? Perhaps I'll just buy her the lot…no, no, that's excessive. She'd probably lecture me on wise spending. I'll pick 4 books at random, and those will be what I get her.
Ten minutes later, he exited the shop with 4 muggle authored books in a bag: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, a collection of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, and Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. There was a sign for a book that was scheduled to be in stores just a few days later, and Sirius decided he would return then to buy that one for her as well. He had also purchased a few books that contained stories that he had grown up reading, as he was sure Hermione would enjoy them. Now he had to shop for his godson, as it was his birthday.
Sirius headed over to Quality Quidditch Supplies, feeling a wave of nostalgia when he stepped through the threshold. He hadn't been here since before seventh year began; he had been with James and Remus at the time, as Peter was off visiting his Nan. It saddened Sirius to be back in the store without his friends, but he knew that he had to get Harry something wonderful for his birthday.
"Bloody hell! The Thunderbolt IX looks amazing!" Sirius heard a young boy exclaim, staring at the floor model in the center of the room.
"Just came out last week," another boy responded. "S'posed to be the best broom since the Firebolt. Costs a fortune, though. I'll just have to look at it for now."
Perfect, Sirius thought. He strode over to the nearest salesperson and requested more information on the Thunderbolt in the center. Once he had sufficient information, he took out his bag of Galleons and placed it on the counter. "I'll take it. Gift wrapped, if you could. S'for a special someone."
xxx
Sirius returned just before Harry, Hermione, and Remus. He quickly stashed the presents in his room, and made his way towards the kitchen. Kreacher had done a fine job setting up the area for the party that evening. He rewarded the house elf with a biscuit; Hermione had demanded that Sirius treat the elf better, whether they liked each other or not. "It's just not right," she had said to him just days ago, "Kreacher works hard for you, and you should at least pay him." (The elf shouted at her, damning her for even suggesting that the house elf to the House of Black get paid. She offered the idea of a biscuit for pay, and the elf begrudgingly agreed.)
The house was cleaner than it had been in ages. Of course last year when Molly and the others helped clean, that made a big improvement, but Hermione wanted to take it a step further; she implemented the idea of weekly dustings, and Kreacher cleaned up as much as he could. The old elf was unable to do as much as he could in his younger days, and he still didn't like working for Sirius, and he especially didn't like working for Hermione, but thanks to her he got to have shortbread biscuits nearly every day, and they reminded him of Regulus, so Kreacher didn't mind her as much. Hermione had also suggested a complete reorganization of the house. New paints and wallpapers, some new furniture, and finally figuring out how to take down that dreaded portrait of Walburga. Narcissa had offered to help with that, and said that she could potentially destroy it if she had the proper potions at home; so next week she was coming by to do that, which made Sirius happier than he had been in a while.
Sirius was thinking of all of the great ideas to change the house when Remus and Harry arrived with Hermione.
"Can't wait till you two start taking the apparation class, side-along is too difficult with two people," he heard Remus say. "Rest of the people should be here in an hour or so. You two know this place well enough by now, just don't do anything stupid."
"Remus, stupid is his middle name," Sirius said as he walked into the room. "He's James' son and my godson; he has to be stupid and reckless."
Hermione came over and gave him a hug, which made Sirius smile. As odd as it was to have a child, especially one that's a teenager, Sirius liked it. "Hermione, I have something for you upstairs. Can you join me?" She nodded and the two went upstairs into his room.
"Now, I know it's Harry's birthday, but I was out trying to get him a present and I figured I would get you something too." Sirius pulled the books out from his hiding spot and handed them to her. "Flourish and Blotts started selling muggle novels not long ago, and I thought maybe you'd like some. I got you some old wizard stories too, since you wanted to learn more about my side of the family. My…my brother and I would read these books when we were younger."
"Brother?" Hermione questioned. "I didn't know you had a brother."
"He's been gone for a long time. Died. Don't know how. Not that we stayed close. He was the perfect son for the Black Family; Slytherin, Death Eater, and complacent towards Walburga and Orion," Sirius sighed. "It wasn't like that always. Before Hogwarts, we had been best friends. I took care of him. But then things changed. It was difficult." He stared off, thinking of his long-dead brother. Regulus' room was just feet away from his own, and had remained untouched for nearly two decades. Sirius shook his head, returning to the present. "But anyways, yeah, we read these. They're old wizarding fairy tales and stuff. You'd like them."
"Oh, Sirius, thank you so much!" Hermione hugged him again, harder than last time, and he reciprocated. "This is wonderful. Thank you…Dad."
xxx
The party was wonderful; the Weasley clan showed up, as did Tonks and her parents, and Dumbledore. The food Kreacher made was delicious, and Harry loved his presents – especially the broom from Sirius.
"Anything for my godson," he grinned.
The celebration went well into the night, and Hermione decided to stay over with Harry and return to her mother the next day. She shared the books that Sirius got her with Harry, and the two poured over the fairy tales, laughing and gasping and enjoying each other's company. Sirius couldn't have felt prouder. He was doing something right, and it was the best feeling in the world.
