Chapter 6
Once both boys had safely left the room, Sirius turned in his chair and raised an eyebrow at his husband, "So... You know Alex, then?"
Remus sighed and stood up, carrying his plate to the sink, "Yea. I've never met him personally before... But I most definitely know of him".
"How?"
"I... I can't tell you".
"Why not?" Sirius pressed, bringing his own empty dinner wear over to the kitchen counter.
"I just can't, alright!" Remus growled, his eyes flashing a dangerous shade of amber, and Black immediately backed off, silver eyes dropping to the floor before in submission to the wolf, a low whine emerging from his throat.
Lupin took a deep breath to calm himself, "... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped, I just..."
Sirius remained staring at his shoes, knowing that his mate needed to gather his thoughts right now.
"I just..." He began again, "... I'm worried".
He cautiously looked up, only to find Remus's eyes glazed over and distant, as if recalling old memories.
"Alex, he... he had a bad start in life" He continued, "I can't tell you how or why, it's not that I don't want to, I literally can't... The government swore me to secrecy".
Sirius blinked, surprised. Just as he was about to ask how, when, where, what, and why, however, the wolf continued.
"It was pure chance that I found out about him... It was about two years ago, just after the war. I was in the Ministry of Magic, sorting out some paperwork or something like that... And he was there. I smelt him immediately, the power that boy gives off... He was having a shouting match with the Head of the Auror Department. Really put him in his place, too, based on how pale the man looked..."
He sighed and tiredly ran a hand over his face, "He... intrigued me. I mean, not even Harry smells that powerful and he defeated Voldemort... So I did some digging... Asked around, pulled up a few papers, even went into Muggle London... Then they contacted me".
"They?" Sirius asked quietly, as if afraid he'd break the spell, and Remus absentmindedly nodded, "Yea... The English government... Obviously, I can't tell you which sector, but the woman I spoke to was... not a muggle, but not a wizard. Possibly... a squib? But she smelt different. Acted different, too. Very... detached, yet still concerned... She explained to me what Alex had done... what Alex is doing... And then gave me two dozen different documents to sign, swearing me to secrecy".
"Why didn't you ever mention it before?" Sirius asked quietly, and Remus shrugged, "I couldn't. Not properly anyway, unless I wanted to be trialled for treason... There was no point in only telling half the story, and this was just after the war. Everyone was still celebrating... still grieving... I didn't want to add even more confusion and secrets to your pile. Merlin knows we had enough things to sort through".
His husband slowly nodded, before stepping forwards and carefully wrapping his arms around the wolf, his head resting on his shoulder, "Just... Promise me you'll tell me if something you know could interfere with us. If Alex has... I don't know... the American government after him".
Remus laughed and leaned back into the warm embrace, "No, I don't quite think it's that extreme... But then again".
Sirius squeezed him threateningly, and he grinned, "Don't worry. I'll tell you if it's important. I promise".
"Thank you" He muttered, placing a gentle kiss on the back of his neck, "So, he is a Pureblood, a Half-blood, a Muggle-born, what?"
"Alex?" Remus asked surprised, "... I don't actually know. I mean, everything I found out about him wasn't actually a whole lot. Enough to make me sick to my stomach, but... as for the magic part of him? I don't know anything asides from what I learned today".
"That he's powerful, has no wand, and is an expert at non-verbal wandless magic?" He finished, "Hmm... Pureblood?"
"That's what I thought too" Lupin agreed, "But you rarely meet a Pureblood and not know their family name. And I've never even heard of a Rider family, let alone a Pureblooded one".
"True... But he might not be Pureblood. I mean, look at Harry and Voldemort. They're both Half-bloods, as much as the latter refused to admit it. Before I met Alex today, I thought those two were the most powerful wizards that ever lived. Dumbledore's a Half-blood. And so was Gellert Grindelwald... In fact, now that I think about it, it's your blood type that we should be watching out for, not these Pureblood supremacists".
He smirked and turned to face his husband, "Well I, for one, happen to think I'd make a dashing Dark Lord".
"And I don't doubt that for one second" Sirius replied, "But you know what would make you even more dashing? If my Pureblooded self was standing right next to you".
Remus hummed thoughtfully, "Yes, I would like a slave".
"Hey!"
"Oh whist, as if I'd trade you for anyone" He calmed, wrapping his arms around his mate's waist, and Sirius huffed, "Well I bloody hope so. I'd hate to return to Azkaban for a murder that I actually committed".
Remus snorted and Black smiled at him.
"... How old do you think he is?"
"Alex?"
"Yea".
Remus sighed, "I don't know... Younger than I'd like, anyway... Seventeen, I'd say? Possibly eighteen?"
"Still a teenager, then" Sirius summarised, and he nodded, "Oh yea, definitely... But hey, didn't Harry say Shacklebolt came in? Talking about underaged magic?"
He blinked.
"Yea. He did... I'd forgotten about that... But that'd make him younger again".
Remus shook his head, "Not by much... Based on that, and based on what I know... I'd say he's just turned seventeen".
Sirius frowned, and his husband watched him carefully, "Why? What's wrong?"
"There's just something... bothering me... about this whole situation".
"And that is…?"
He hesitated, "Well... If Alex has only just turned 17… Then why isn't he still in Hogwarts?"
Remus froze.
It was only March.
That would mean he should have at least another 10 weeks of school, or almost four months if he sat all his N.E.W.T's.
So what the hell was he doing wandering around Knockturn Alley and beating up Death Eaters for?
"… I think we need to speak to Dumbledore".