Hunt for a Brother

Sirius's flat

Sirius grew more nervous by the minute. Niamh had promised him to send him a message the moment she got home. She always did that when she'd been on an assignment from Voldemort. But now he was still waiting, while morning was rapidly approaching. He chewed on his lip. Perhaps she had gone straight to Headquarters. He couldn't wait for her there; any messages were prevented from following the recipients to the house. Maybe he could just pop in, see if she was there, and Apparate back home.

Sirius turned on the spot and Disapparated. Quickly he walked past the protective spells and charms and stepped inside. Nobody but Benjy Fenwick was there. Rolling his eyes covertly, he asked if he had seen Niamh this morning.

Benjy shook his head. "No, is she missing?" he frowned.

"I haven't heard from her yet," Sirius replied, getting impatient. The last thing he wanted was having a little chat with the man who suspected his wife of being a double agent.

"She was out with the Death Eaters?" Benjy pressed.

"Yes," Sirius snapped. "You have something to say?"

"No," he denied quickly.

"Good. I'm going back to wait for her message." Not bothering to say goodbye, Sirius walked outside and Apparated home.

No message. She always sent a message to let him know she was okay. Sirius could think of only one reason why she hadn't done so now. The restless feeling in his chest swelled to a nagging worry. Sirius contemplated staying in his home and waiting for what would happen.

"Screw caution," he muttered and Disapparated again. In a dark corner of Diagon Alley he transformed into his animal form and crossed the distance to Niamh's apartment in a run. He skidded to a halt after having bolted up the stairs and sniffed the front door. She'd been here recently. Sirius snuffled again. There was an unfamiliar smell too.

He gave a loud bark and sat on his haunches to wait for someone to open the door. Impatiently he barked again and let out a loud whine. Finally! He heard footsteps on the other side of the door. Sirius's ears backed and he bared his teeth when he saw who had answered the door.

Evan Rosier stared down his nose at the canine sitting in front of him. "What the…" he muttered.

Sirius growled low in his throat. Evan took a step back.

"Who is it, Evan?" a feminine voice came from inside. It sounded weak and wheezy.

Alarmed, Sirius leaped past Evan and padded inside.

Evan followed him. "Are you acquainted with this... er… mongrel?" he asked.

"What?" Niamh's voice asked confused.

Sirius found her on her sofa in the living room, pale and shaking. Her eyes widened when she saw him. "Er… yes. He's just a stray I feed sometimes. Harmless, really."

Her hand came up to stroke his head, which he had laid on her thigh with a soft whimper. "Evan, I'm fine. You don't need to stay with me. I'll just go to bed and sleep it off."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Alright," Evan gave in and bent over her to kiss her cheek.

Sirius growled threateningly. Evan quickly stood up straight again.

"He's a bit protective," Niamh apologized.

"I see. Well, goodbye. I'll see you in a few days."

"Bye."

Niamh held her breath until she heard the door close. Then she turned two angry blue eyes on him. "Have you lost your mind?" she inquired.

Sirius turned back to his human form. "What happened?"

She lowered her Occlumency defences. It surprised him every time he saw it. It was visible in her face. It was like a veil dropped in front of her and suddenly the real Niamh appeared. She took a few deep breaths to control the nausea. "I did something stupid," she admitted. "Oh, bugger." She stumbled off to the bathroom, grabbing tables and chairs to remain on her feet.

Sirius could hear a horrible retching sound. He followed her and rubbed her back while her body heaved to rid itself from its stomach contents. Niamh dragged herself to her washbasin and rinsed her mouth with her toothbrush, grimacing at her sickly white face in the mirror.

"Come on," he said softly and snaked an arm around her waist. Niamh's knees wobbled as he guided her back to the sofa and helped her lie on it.

She closed her eyes. "I really did something stupid," she repeated. Unexpectedly her face twisted and she burst out in tears.

Startled, Sirius wrapped her in his arms. "Hey, hey," he soothed. "Come here. Tell me what happened."

"I was punished," she sobbed in his shirt. "Oh God, Travers… he raped a woman. A Muggleborn. And I couldn't bear it. I blasted him off his feet."

"Y – You did what?" Sirius stuttered in shock. "Are you mad?"

"I couldn't help it. I had done it before I realised it. And he told V--Voldemort about it. He punished me."

Sirius recognized the tiny twitches in her muscles that indicated she had endured the Cruciatus Curse. "Did he perform Legilimency on you too?" he asked urgently.

"Yes, but it's okay. He saw nothing compromising, because – because my mind was preoccupied with Evan." Niamh pulled back from him and looked him reluctantly in the eye. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but Evan has set his mind on having me as his mistress."

Sirius felt every single muscle in his body stiffen. "He what?" he asked, narrowing his eyes dangerously.

Niamh swallowed. "He… er… he is bored with Sophie. He has his father's business now, so he can do as he likes."

"And what have you said to him?"

Sirius could see in her eyes that she took offence at his careful and angry articulation of every word.

"I told him that I like his wife and that I have no interest whatsoever in an extramarital affair, Sirius," she snapped.

"And that is why he was here just now?"

"What exactly are you suggesting?" she hissed.

Sirius stood up abruptly. "Nothing. I'm sorry. Merlin, I just want that wizard out of our life!"

"So do I!" she shrieked. "I'm afraid of him and what he is capable of."

"Please be careful around him," Sirius pleaded. "I can't protect you from him and I hate that. Please promise me you'll keep your distance from him." He kneeled back down next to the sofa.

Niamh smiled. "I can take care of myself."

"You're my wife," he retorted gruffly. "Protection comes with the package."

Her smile grew wider. "I love you."

Sirius leaned over and kissed her.

"Do you need to go to St Mungo's?" he asked after he had pulled back.

"No, I just have to sleep. It's not too bad; the effects will wear off."

Sirius looked her up and down. Her hands and legs still made little uncontrolled movements; she was pale and breathed with difficulty… His chest tightened. "Don't ever do that again," he requested with a sigh. "There have been too many narrow escapes already."

"I know." Niamh's bottom lip trembled, but she held her tears back.

"What happened to the witch?" he asked tentatively.

She held back a sob. "I finished it myself." With a cynical scoff she added, "You're married to a cold-blooded murderer."

"No, I'm not," Sirius said softly. "If you had not finished it, would both you and she have had a chance to live?"

Niamh shook her head.

"Then you did the only thing you could, to protect yourself."

"That's a very Slytherin point of view, do you know that?"

Sirius huffed. "Don't expect me to make a habit out of it."

She chuckled faintly. "I'm tired. Will you stay with me?"

"Of course I'll stay with you." He lifted her in his arms and carried her to bed. Not bothering to undress either of them, he lay next to her on his side, propping his head on one hand and caressing her hair with the other.

Exhausted as she was, she fell asleep in moments. Sirius laid his head on the pillow, tugged her closer and closed his eyes too.


Niamh's apartment

I woke up with a heavy weight on my chest. I reached at it with my hands and found my fingers groping in copious amounts of hair. The object on my chest gave a sleepy grunt. Smiling, I relaxed and played with a few strands of Sirius's hair.

My smile faltered as I recalled how reckless I had been. Fortunately I had not been punished too badly and even more fortunately the breach in my Occlumency had revealed nothing of importance. I felt goosebumps appear on my skin. I wondered when I would run out of luck.

Weaving my hand tighter in Sirius's hair I sent a silent prayer up to whatever deity I could think of to end this war soon. But I knew it wouldn't. If the war ended soon now, it would be because Voldemort won. And I would run out of luck. It was just a matter of time. God, I couldn't run out of luck. I was a godmother. With Abby and Roger gone, and Lily's parents too, Sirius's and my responsibility as godparents suddenly had become a whole lot more real.

Harry had no one but us should anything happen to his parents. Inadvertently the alternate version sprang to mind. If something should happen to us… I shivered and pushed that thought out of my head.

Sirius shifted and mumbled something in his sleep. I whispered his name.

"Hmbrf?" was his muffled reply.

"Sirius." I pushed him off me onto his side and pressed myself close to him. This immediately provoked the reaction I was hoping for. Still half asleep he fumbled with my clothes, making more inarticulate sounds.

"Wake up, Sirius," I murmured in his ear and kissed his neck. Running my hands over his back, I slid a leg between his knees and wriggled myself against him.

Sirius made an approving sound and opened one eye. "How are you feeling?" he asked sleepily.

"Fine," I dismissed his question. What I really wanted was to have him as close as I could. "Make love to me."

A black eyebrow rose with interest. "But you're ill," he protested, out of courtesy.

"I feel fine," I pouted. "Please? I need you."

My hand slid over tender parts, causing him to close his eyes again. "Cheat," he breathed.

I began to nibble on his bottom lip in response.

With a groan he rolled on top of me and deepened my kiss. I gladly opened my mouth for him, wrapping my arms and legs tightly around him at the same time, almost in an attempt to crawl into him.

"I need you."


It took me a whole week to lose all the lingering effects from the Cruciatus Curse. Fearfully I took my place in the circle once more, fighting the urge to grab my left arm against the pain. The Dark Lord's mood could be felt through the Mark, especially his anger. I had cried out in pain this time – something which had never happened before. He was enraged.

As I'd hurried to collect my cloak and mask, I wondered what had happened. Voldemort had been in a good mood lately. His plans securing his immortality were coming along very well, though he did not inform his Death Eaters of the details. The rumours about the Horcrux were growing stronger though. Still, I did not know what made him so wary of death. Who could defeat him? Even Dumbledore had trouble keeping his own when he and the Dark Lord met. Dumbledore! The most powerful wizard on earth.

I realised it was extremely foolish to be thinking about Voldemort's nemesis, when he was so close by and quickly forced every thought out of my head. I sank to my knees when the Dark Lord swept into the circle. I cringed. The fury radiating from him struck terror in me. "I have been denied!" he hissed.

I suppressed a sigh. That meant we had another execution on our hands.

"Denied!" Voldemort repeated, anger and disbelief fighting for dominance in his unnatural voice. "Not by one of the Wizengamot or Council, not by one who resisted your persuasions, but by one of our own."

I frowned. What in Merlin's name was going on here?

"One of our own! One I let into my circle, one I trusted, one I thought would climb swiftly in our ranks."

Suddenly I felt like throwing up. I broke out in a cold sweat, trying to control my anxious panting. Was he talking about me?

No, no, I tried to calm myself. You would have been bound and gagged, enduring much more painful things than the Cruciatus by now. Strange though it may sound, this train of thought actually comforted me.

"I want him found and killed," the dark Lord ordered.

Who?

"All of you. Find Regulus Black and kill him!"


A/N: I'm keeping the R.A.B-theory out of this. Besides, if Regulus really is R.A.B, I don't think Voldemort would have told the Death Eaters the real reason he wanted Regulus dead. I would love Regulus to be R.A.B though; he's such a mysterious character. I'd love to find out more about him.

Anyways, Jennie & Messr-Paddifoots-love: thanks for reviewing :) ( I'm sorry, but my plot-bunny has made me sign a contract not to give any details about the story away;) )

Leave a note telling me what you think!