So here is chapter 5. Expect OOC behavior, lots of weird and talk about people who aren't there. This is a Wolfstar fic but I can not live in a word without Teddy. So, we're sorry if we disappoint you that Sirius and Remus haven't been clawing at each other's clothes when we've already reached chapter five.
same deal as always:
Evanescent-Penumbra and I (Faded Electric aka AWH) own nothing, this is merely for free enjoyment of the writers and the readers. We earn no monetary gain.
Remus pulled himself out the small library in Grimmauld place, letting Sirius and Harry have their moment. His only concern was that Sirius' mind wasn't as healthy as it should be, but after the Dementors it was expected. Maybe the new memories with Harry would help those wounds heal? He knew that it assuaged some of his own pain, never the guilt but the pain was less. Harry was so happy and caring. Everything James hadn't been, sure he cared and healed every one of his wounds after a rough adventure. He defended Remus with shield and sword but James had had one enormous flaw back when he was Harry's age. He was a bully. Remus saw it and would try to remind him of something that he did wrong, but pack mentality won out. Remus would forget or just stay quiet. Only now, seeing Harry stand up to a bully, did he notice he had been as bad as Peter when the disgusting sewer dweller had wanted to put tacks in Severus' shoes. That is not a prank; that is indirect torture. Just by staying quiet.
Remus could only sigh in the present date and time. Sirius and he had sworn to never take part in self loathing when the other wasn't around to snap them out of it. So all he could do was frown and search for liquid comfort.
Going through the motions in an automatic fashion he fixed some vanilla and chamomile tea, sweetened it just right and went to couch. It was something he did since he was a boy, only then his mother or father would make him tea while he watched the fire. Sirius would do the same in their flat and at Hogwarts, that man had a way with the kitchen's elves. Kreacher could be heard dusting the furniture around the living room, the elf mumbled something about paintings that refused to say straight and continued to clean. Ever since the morning the elf had decided he would take to his tasks again, Remus shrugged and pondered if it had to do with a hissing Harry and the responding magical snake in his hand.
The wolf had just taken a sip of calming sweet gold when the fire place flared up. His wand was raised in a heartbeat, a stern look in his eyes. He stayed like that for a moment until he saw it was Moody, Bill Weasley and Tonks with her mother. Remus lowered his wand and his teacup, he had thought to use it as a distraction, chuck it as someone's face. Only know as he asked each of his visitors a secret question each did he realize how strange his posture seemed. His sock clad feet were tucked under him as he sat sideway on the couch; teacup now held with both hands and huddled close to his form. His shoulders hunched over to create a perfect cave of safety for his coveted tea.
"Moody. Vindictive fluff ball of joy and a slobbering prick, who did I just described?" He began; he felt his virility decrease at the question. How long exactly had he been up? Did this mean he wouldn't be hung-over until tomorrow, hangovers near the night of the full were not good.
The old Auror snorted and rolled both his eyes, a smirk on his marred lips. Remus could never get used to it, not after all those years. "The white sheep." he only responded and Remus could only nod. Out of the whole order only the real Moody knew that he referred to Sirius as the white sheep of the black family.
"Bill, what did we do on Tuesday, April 9th in 1994 at two in the morning that we never talk about?" He hated how he felt less and less manly as the questions progressed his wolf had his ears pressed flat against its skull and tail wedged so far between his legs that he felt it on his belly.
Luckily Bill had the decency to blush wildly and look at his feet; it was a startling change from the sick and pasty look he had been wearing. What ever news he had it wasn't good, the wolf didn't smell death clinging to him but he did smell the residual venom.
"We danced "Do You Wanna Touch" We were drunk, Sirius spiked our goblets." He said barely loud enough to be heard and covered his face when he grinned. Tonks bust out laughing and nearly fell over; Remus could only smile at her reddening face and the odd snort that mingled with her hearty chuckles. The wolf's ears prick up and Remus could practically see him sniffing the air around her, most definitely curious about this cheerful being.
"Andy, how many carrots can Sirius fit in the big trash bin he calls a mouth?" Remus heard a falsely affronted
"Hey!" coming from the hall and Harry trying to stifle his giggles. Andromeda looked smug. "I'm pretty sure it was three, small cucumbers. Not carrots." she corrected and Harry could only chortle along with Tonks.
"You sleep surrounded by pillows and you feet point to the headboard." the pink haired witch said once she recovered from her laughter, Remus felt thoroughly emasculated and the wolf tapped his paws on the ground excitedly. It perplexed Lupin. Why would he do that?
"He stopped sleeping with that stuffed Unicorn doll?" Sirius added and Remus covered his eyes with a hand. Oh gods, he remembered first year so vividly now. Pettigrew had ripped his stuffed toy out of his grasp one night and Remus woke instantly. In a minute James had taken the toy out of the rat's paws and Sirius had punched Peter, they handed Pearl back to him and no one said a word. Until now and he missed Pearl again, there went the last dregs of his manhood along with the tea.
While Remus was struggling to retain some sense of dignity, Bill was shuffling around awkwardly as he waited for the jovial mood to disappear. Moody caught on to the younger man's attitude and quickly sobered up, smacking Tonks in the elbow to get her to stop giggling.
"But in all seriousness, the condition of my father is stable, but he's still in St. Mungo's, getting patched up." Bill said, trying not to wince as he mentioned his father's condition.
"I'm sorry, Bill." Remus said sincerely before continuing, "Come this way, everyone is in here."
The group of newly arrived wizards followed the werewolf the short distance to where Harry and Sirius had returned to chatting at the table. He wondered how long it would take the wizards behind him to notice the small snake that was curled into a ball in Harry's lap.
He was sure Moody already had, but because of his eye he hardly counted.
"Hello Harry. Sirius." Bill said in greeting, taking a seat across the table from the teenager and his godfather. Moody stood in the back corner, though that was to be expected, while Tonks took a seat to his right and Remus took a seat next to her.
He snorted at the obvious blush on the werewolf's cheeks and wondered if anything would blossom from it. He shook his head and focused back on Harry who was now staring intently at him while awaiting the news.
"What happened?" The green-eyed boy prompted after a moment of silence, and Bill was touched by the legitimate worry displayed on his face.
"My father is fine, Harry. Don't worry too much; he's getting patched up in St. Mungo's as we speak." Bill was going to continue, but Moody interrupted.
"Harry, he's gettin' in your mind. While it saved us this time, it could be used against us the next. You'll be needing Occlumency to keep that in check." Moody paused, and had to force himself to look away from the teenager's distressed features. "I already talked to Dumbledore about it."
The teen looked at Moody, the shock and disgust of knowing the Dark Wanker was slithering through his brain made him shiver and bile rose up his throat. "I wanna vomit." he grimaced and he felt Masheed sneak up the sleeve of his shirt. The serpent came out through the neck and nudged his cheek. Waves of comfort oozed from her and he felt slightly better, he had thought of Hedwig as a familiar but he never felt emotion this clearly from her. "I'll do it; I don't want to give him any more than he's already taken." Harry said solemnly.
Bill's eyes widened at the sight of the snake and he nearly jumped out of his chair. Harry looked down and blushed, he was being inconsiderate. The man's father was in the hospital for a vicious and nearly lethal attack from a similar reptile.
"What about the other man?" Harry asked desperate to change the topic and Masheed quickly ducked back in his shirt and curled around his arm, he could feel her tongue flicker against the crook of his elbow. He had seen another man die from Nagini's poison and he at least wanted to know his name, there were so many dying whose names he didn't know. He never met them but he would fight for them anyway, as fiercely as he would for his own friends and parents.
"My dad." A small voice said from the doorway of the kitchen, Harry looked up to see Jack. His heart fell to the pit of his stomach. Sophia and he were practically brother and sister, his friend must be devastated, and the boy before him is probably torn to shreds.
"His name was Jonathan." A weak smile adorned the boy's pale lips as he spoke. "He's finally back with mother, I'm happy for them." The teen greeted the strangers in the room and sat down between Tonks and Andromeda, a little shaken from loss but not at all bothered by the other witches and wizards. Andromeda gifted him a warm smile and Tonks moved a lock of wayward brown hair out of his bloodshot amber eyes.
Bill could only stare at the child; suddenly it hit him how much worse things could have turned out for him. Here this boy was, unfazed by the sight of a snake when another had killed his father. The shock was expected but he knew that one example didn't describe the rest. Greyback was a monster and yet Lupin was the most honorable man he had ever met.
Remus could feel the wolf in him saying that he needed to put a hand on Tonks' shoulder, touch her in any way. Right now! Or so help me god you will never get wood in your life again. Remus swallowed and pushed his chair back; his hand covertly missed the back of Nymphadora's chair and grazed her shoulder as he got up to heat the tea he made a few minutes ago. The wolf rejoiced and asked him if he could feel it, and he could. A warmth that felt wrong in the current mood coursed through him and Remus' sleeve nearly caught fire. Sirius sniggered at his friend's antics, the wolf wondered if Pads could smell it. Remus paled, oh gods, he would never hear the end of it. Harry chose to interrupt and Remus thanked the gods for a fifteen year-old's appetite.
"Can anyone stomach breakfast?" He asked innocently enough that Sirius laughed and began to take out the makings for a simple but filling meal.
"Make extra, I could eat a hippogriff." Jack added when Remus handed him a cup of tea. "Two maybe." Tonks handed him the sugar and a muffin and put a hand on the back of his chair. Moody nearly smiled at the sight of his trainee taking a brat under her wing, they really did grow up fast. A glance shared with Andromeda told him he wasn't the only one with that particular thought train.
Sirius handed out a few more muffins, all the while keeping his eyes glued to Remus and Tonks. He knew what was going on there; he may be stupid, but he wasn't an idiot, and even an idiot could see that something was happening between the two of them.
He held back a grin as he watched Remus struggle with the concept of subtle. He flopped himself back down in his chair and threw an arm around Harry's shoulder.
"You see it too, don't ya?" He whispered into his godson's ear. Harry turned to look at him, with a grin on his face.
"How could I not?"
Sirius' smile broadened, but he relaxed his hold on Harry's shoulder and went back to sitting up relatively straight. "He's sort of embarrassing."
"Yeah, only a little bit." Harry responded, sarcasm evident in his voice as he watched Remus get caught red-handed in an attempt to discretely make contact with Tonks. "But I think Tonks is as naive as he is."
Sirius let out a bark of laughter at the true, albeit blunt statement. "They might need a little help."
Harry looked to his godfather and grinned. He'd never played matchmaker before but if it involved Remus, then he was happy to give it a shot. "Yeah, that might be a good idea."
Remus could hear them talking, the words a little too muffled by the now sizzling sausages and the knife he had charmed as it cut up bread for some toast. A blush crept up his neck again as he plated the links and replaced them with bacon, he cracked some eggs and began to scramble them in a separate pan. The work took his mind off of things, Sirius and Harry could talk all they wanted, and Remus was going to make an excellent breakfast for his guests. The cubs needed food, Jack and Harry both needed comfort and it would start with a hearty breakfast.
The pink haired Auror openly stared at him as he fiddled with pans and spatulas, any man who dances to Joan Jett and works his way around a kitchen while looking so damn attractive was a man you dug your hooks into. Andromeda cleared her throat and she saw the teenager between them roll his eyes, his nose was scrunched up. He wiggled it from side to side and his face settled again as he divested his second muffin.
"Don't the muggles have a saying about elephants in a room?" Moody spoke up as he grabbed one of the many coffee cups Lupin had just levitated to the table.
"They do, let's scare it away with Quidditch instead of mice." Jack said as he offered a change of topic. Everything got so awkward and he was half tempted to go back to the room he had woken up in and half tempted to sprint all the way back to Hogwarts.
"You planning on training your team better or are you just going to let us win, Harry?" He asked the only other teenager at the table. The Gryffindor pretty much let his team drop out of the sky this season, Ginny was brilliant but everyone else didn't want to pay her any mind.
"You wish!" Harry grinned, smirking at the Slytherin. While he didn't know Jack that well aside from the time they spent in the DA, he also knew that he was one of the few Slytherins that wouldn't join Voldemort in a million years. In fact, he could only think of three that he knew absolutely wouldn't join the megalomaniac including Jack. And the other two were back at Hogwarts. His mind flashed to a boy with a scarred face and a girl with wavy black hair. He pushed his thoughts aside and clutched Masheed closer to his chest. "I'd really love to play a round."
"Yeah, good luck with that, Harry." Sirius grinned, gesturing towards the open window revealing the city streets full of muggle apartments.
"I didn't say I could, I said I wanted to." Harry retorted, but the grin on his face said he wasn't upset or annoyed at all.
Jack nodded at Harry's statement; they usually talked during the DA classes. His eyes widened at his thoughts, 'Dumbledore's Army' rang out in his mind and he smacked his own face with a grunt.
"Har, we've pretty much turned Dumbledore into a cricket and handed him over the toad." He said looking up at his fellow rebel and the questioning look he got from the green eyed teen. The adults around him went still.
"We gotta change the name; Sophia managed to get some information." Jack folded his arms on the table as breakfast was consumed and he stared at his plate like in contained the answers to the universe. His messy brown hair still rumpled from sleep, not that it mattered. Vanity could wait; his friends needed a strategist right now.
"And just why have to students been going around gathering information that could either endanger or save Professor Dumbledore?" Remus asked them with in full teacher mode. He stressed the word Professor, reminding them of Albus' proper title.
"Soph and I are in Slytherin, resourceful, determined and cunning. If anyone can keep Harry's secret organization a secret it's us. It's a natural talent." Jack grinned, looking quite pleased with himself. He alone had managed to prank the Inquisitorial Squad a good five times and steered them away from the end of a lesson.
"Sounds an awful lot like spying." Moody grunted from the back, "You the kind to spy, kid?"
"I'm more for reconnaissance and securing the perimeter." Jack frowned at the little trust being show in him; his own father had just died at the hands of Voldemort's pet. "Sophia is the one with eyes and ears everywhere, she's much better at poker than I am." He turned back to Harry who has eyeing Moody. "Soph heard someone say DA right in front of the toad." Harry's eyes widened that was not good, Jack only took to scooping a healthy amount of warm eggs and breakfast meats onto his plate. "And she knows that Umbridge told her pets to arrest anyone having to do with anything labeled 'DA' because they belong to Dumbledore's Army."
Sirius frowned a little, his eyebrows knitted in curiosity. "And how does she know that?" He asked?
"She has a source, knows someone in the Inquisitorial Squad." Jack commented nonchalantly as he took a bite of juicy bacon. Yes, he definitely liked Lupin. His favorite professor now became his favorite person. He busied himself with his food and tried to shove away the thoughts of his sister getting friendly with Draco Malfoy of all people.
Bill watched the interactions from his own place at the table, pondering all that he heard and all of the questions that had just been brought up.
"What is Dumbledore's Army?" He asked. He assumed it had something to do with defense against the dark arts, but he wasn't completely sure what that encompassed. He was rather out of the loop on everything that was happening in Hogwarts because he had been busy with his own work at Gringotts until his father was attacked.
"Er, we try to teach other students how to, you know, actually defend themselves." Harry mumbled. Bill had the distinct feeling that Harry was very embarrassed by admitting this. He thought it was endearing that the teenager was so modest.
"Then Umbridge isn't doing a good job?" He mostly asked the question to get a rise out of his surrogate brother, but he was also curious as to how the woman was running the place. He knew it wouldn't be good.
Jack only snorted, "If Umbridge is a good teacher then I'm Godric Gryffindor." He answered Bill. Despite not knowing any of the older Weasley's apart from Fred and George, he felt comfortable around these people, the wolf in his was laying placidly and wagging its tail in whatever mental cage the wolf's mind was placed in during the days and the nights without a full moon.
"She's not only pants at teaching; the woman is a dictatorship waiting to happen. We can't even use our wands in class!" He added and speared a piece of sausage with his fork; he went to take a bite but instead pointed it at Bill. "Did you know she tried to curse my sister for talking to a pureblood Ravenclaw?" He ate the piece of food off his fork and went to skewer another, he remembered to chew and swallow before talking again. "The toad told her to 'stick with her own sort'. All 'cause Sophie's not pure or girly enough and she hangs out with the likes of me."
He huffed at how ridiculous it was and bit a piece of sausage like it had offended him. "Not even Snape likes her, as much as she's picking on Harry, he hates the toad." Jack fiddled with the eggs on his plate, the next thing he wanted to say would put his credibility in question but it could also free some of the his housemates from being condemned as Death Eaters to be. "Soph thinks he wants us to create a Slytherin resistance to the hag, since Gryffindor's rallied around Harry." She had told him Snape even said as much in his own covert and ambiguous terms. "He's even looking to introduce us to the Noir twin in our house, something about needing friends for when we have to bolt to avoid getting Marked."
Sirius had sat with his eyes narrowed and his fingers rubbing at his lips thoughtfully. "Noir?" He asked, taken out his revere. The animagus had been impressed by what these kids had accomplished and how they had circumnavigated the chief Inquisitor. He didn't even want to think about Snape creating a the beginning of a fanged resistance or helping his snakes to avoid anything war related, he honestly couldn't picture Snivellus knitting a safety net for his students to get out of being branded by the Dark Wanker.
"Yeah, Sebastian's okay. Damian, his brother's an elitist wanker-" he blushed when he remembered the women present. "Sorry, I meant to say brainless elitist brat." Tonks smiled and shrugged while her mother only nodded; a small fond smile on her lips as well. "Sebastian isn't how they paint him; I'd rather have him watching my back than Malfoy and his Gorillas."
"The boy was in my defense class whilst I was a professor at Hogwarts." Remus chimed in, happy to here that Jack also seemed to be friends with one of his favorite students. "He's a tough kid. He's been through a lot, though I suspect I only got to scratch the surface of it."
"Really?" Asked Bill, having never met either of the Noir twins. He had met their parents though, and Augustus and Clarissa Noir were some of the worst human beings he had ever encountered. Mr. Noir was pompous and condescending and had he been a Slytherin, Bill was sure he'd have been acquainted with Lucias Malfoy. Clarissa was just as bad if not worse. She was the kind of person that pretended to care about others until she had managed to twist them and manipulate their emotions so that she got what she wanted.
He thought they made a wonderful pair.
"Yes. From what I know, which isn't much, his parents favor Damien and aren't pleased that the rights to the Noir fortune go to Sebastian, the older twin, when they die." Remus said, thinking back to the bitterness in the boy's voice during that conversation in third year. He also remembered that the scarred teenager never sounded angry with his parents, or even his brother for that matter. He mostly just seemed angry at himself.
He suspected it had something to do with his vampirism. He'd immediately smelled the vampire on Sebastian when he had met the boy, though it was a difficult scent to identify. He wasn't a defense teacher for nothing though. He remembered cornering the boy after class and asking about it and getting nothing but a shrug in response.
He also remembered the watery eyes as the black haired boy turned away. He pulled himself out of the memories of Sebastian, whom he hadn't even seen in almost two years, and turned his attention back to subtly attempting to woo Tonks.
"I bet Sophie's already taken him under her wing, knowing my sister." Jack smirked, "She has thing for accepting the unacceptables who go bump in the night." a fond smile overcame him as he stirred sugar into his mug.
Harry sent him a look, curious as to what he was talking about and Jack just shrugged. He wasn't ready to share; Lupin could probably smell him and possibly Black. He was lucky that either Lupin wasn't alpha or that he himself didn't smell or act like the leader type, granted he could take up leadership though he preferred to have orders relayed to him rather than give them out.
Tonks just sat quietly during their conversation, that Umbridge lady gave her the creeps. A frown marred her lips as she remembered her last encounter with the plump pink woman, she had kept her hair bright electric blue for weeks. Never had she felt the need to rid herself of her favorite shade of hot pink than that moment. She noticed Lupin sit across from her and gave him a wink, ever since last year she had begun to grow fond of him.
Age difference be damned, the man was hot as hell and cute to boot. He was the perfect calm and warm persona to contrast her usually upbeat and wild character. She chuckled lightly when he flushed and made to take a delicate and lady-like sip of tea, instead she ended up slurping loudly and began to laugh at her mother's outraged look. Ladies apparently did no slurp their tea. Even at fuck all, she checked the clock, half past seven in the morning. That sent her into a fit of giggles, only her mother would think it possible to be composed at this hour. Tonks rolled her eyes fondly, her hair a brilliantly bright bubblegum pink to match her evident mirth.
"Everyone seems to know Sebastian except me." Harry frowned, though his eyes were still scrunched in laughter from the latest development, or lack there of, in Remus and Tonk's relationship. "I mean, I see him all the time, but I've never actually talked to him before. Well, aside from class work and stuff." Harry didn't mention that Sebastian was best friends with Malfoy, because he figured it would make the Slytherin look suspicious and he knew that Sebastian was a good person...He wasn't sure how he knew, but he knew.
He felt Masheed twist around his wrist. He smiled fondly at the snake, but held off on speaking to her do to the room full of people who weren't exactly fond of parseltongue.
"I wouldn't dwell on it Harry," Remus said. "He's not exactly a talkative person."
"Yeah, I guess so." Harry said, trying to think on what he actually knew of the older Noir twin. His obnoxious brother was in his house, but even the thought of Damien made him want to bash his head against the wall. The lighter haired twin took forever in the morning, was extremely messy, and never flushed the toilet. He didn't even want to get started on the wanker's personality.
But Sebastian was different, almost startlingly so. The boy had mix-matched eyes that were very hard to look away from and a tattooed cheek that everyone actually knew was scarred. From far away the markings did look like tattoos, but once one got up close enough they would be able to see the slightly ragged edges.
Harry winced; he really didn't want to know how the other boy had gotten them.
Another thing he noticed about Sebastian was that he never got into fights with anyone but his brother. He was polite to everyone, despite their house, though Harry was starting to wonder if wasn't just merely apathetic towards house rivalries at all. He sighed, and turned his attention back to teasing Remus.
Remus could feel Harry and Sirius eyeing him; the urge to do something to make it stop was nearly unbearable. Though if he did something then it would probably confirm the curiosity in their eyes. He knew Sirius well enough to know exactly what the man was thinking and tried, for the life of him, to lead the old dog away from that particular scent. As soon as the others left he knew he wouldn't hear the end of it, and judging by the smirk on Jack's face and how he avoided the older wolf's gaze towards him, with that all too familiar gleam in his eye. Well, Remus knew that as soon as they left that it would be three against one. He shifted in his chair a little, leaning back and crossed his unoccupied arm across his belly; the other brought a warm and comforting cup of tea to his lips. He took a cautious sip and looked at Sirius; oh he didn't like the look his friend was giving him. He knew, he knew everything and he was silently being smug about it. Covert smugness, looks like old dogs really did learn new tricks.
"We both know Sophie, she'll probably get him to warm up to her and then he won't be able to escape her." Harry decided Remus was suffering enough from the awkward and went to steer the focus of attention to people outside the room. "Pierce knows how to make anyone open up, surprised she's in Slytherin. Once I found out about Houses, she seemed to be a shoe in for Hufflepuff."
"Sophia Pierce?" Andromeda asked. She had heard of the girl from her husband and knew about her grandparents from when her sisters had tried to befriend their only daughter. "I knew her mother, Gwyneth."
The girl had walked straight between her sisters the day they approached her in the great hall after breakfast and offered a handshake. The way she introduced herself to Andromeda still made her smile.
"Bellatrix and Narcissa had tried to befriend her, she was a powerful witch, and of course since I am one of the white sheep of the family they needed a third for their coven." She paused to take a sip of tea and let it sink in just how bad things could have been. "I still remember how she walked right past them and introduced herself to me 'Gwyneth Pierce,' she said, 'phoenix among basilisks'. I don't think I saw her cast any shield charms but Bella tried to hex her and it bounced right off Pierce's back." The smile that grace her lips reached her aged eyes and it was a fond memory, they had been good friends and had even been at each other's weddings.
"Sophia is pretty much a carbon copy of her parents in attitude. Righteous and chivalrous though cunning, resourceful and determined; though she doesn't look much like them, maybe a grandparent or some ancestor." Remus added. He knew Andrew and Gwyneth; they had been good friends once he fled to France, when the harassment in Wizarding Britain had gotten to be too much. They had given him a roof over his head, clothes and food; only for taking care of the house and their child while they were away.
A thought struck him; the Dallas-Pierce couple had only had one child, Sophia. Jack called her his sister, and last he remembered the teen was a year old than Sophia. His birthday was in the middle of the school year and letters were given after or around a week before the child turned eleven. They were in the same year only because of Jack's odd October birth while Sophia's, he remembered vividly from the years he spent with the family, had been in April.
"Jack do you have any idea who Sophia's guardian is?" He asked in a soft voice, not wanting to alarm anyone.
Andromeda spoke up next, "I would really love to arrange a meeting with her, she's my goddaughter and I haven't seen her since she was a babe."
Jack only swallowed; he gave Remus a sad smile. It's just a twitch on the left corner of his lip and Remus is suddenly transported back to his memories of growing up with lycanthropy. On the outside you look okay for the most part and then something happens that makes the damage from the past moons break through.
"She told me, they had spoken with Dumbledore about who could care for her in the event of her their deaths. They wanted someone who could protect her on all sides, hide her from Voldemort's lackies, keep her away from her mother's vengeful family and knew how to handle lycanthropy if it cropped up later on." He couldn't say it, he had promised he wouldn't. He had promised both the guardian and the ward and he would not betray his sister. "Someone who could deal with bullies when she went to school, Andrew was a muggle and werewolf, while Gwyneth was a blood traitor. She would be attack on all sides."
He took a breath and shook his head. "I can't tell you, I made a wizard's oath. Its either you find out for yourselves, the guardian or the ward tells or I loose my magic." He opened his eyes and looked at Lupin. "I can tell you that she is safe and while my dad wasn't her guardian, she is my sister by magic, house and heart and I won't let anything harm her." he sat back in his chair, feet crossed under the table and arms crossed against his abdomen. "Including her guardian. I'm not just the master prankster of Slytherin, I'm also very well practiced in dueling."
He turned to Andromeda who had gone a little misty eyed; it was difficult for Slytherin's to band together and to see a fellow serpent vow to protect the last dregs of her childhood friend on the living plane. Well, I was quite a show of bravery.
"Looks like, Gwyneth wasn't the only phoenix in the snake pit." Moody spoke up. If this kid was worth his salt then he might have a spot in the order when he grew up some, learned a few more spells and got some lessons from him.
"We exists, we're just really good at hiding." Jack said as his eyes slid shut as he nodded. "And we're generally the rejects of modern wizarding society. You know; dark creatures, the spawn of blood traitors, half bloods, muggleborns and freaks." He shrugged and grabbed the tea before him. "It's good to be weird, it scares the crap out of the normals." he said and Tonks grinned, she hugged him and rubbed his arms. It warmed him up and made him chuckle. Yes, Tonks and Remus were his favorite people on earth as of today. Now, if only he could lock them in a broom closet somewhere until they shagged each other senseless.
Harry grinned at the Slytherin, pleased that the older teenager wasn't fitting into the, in his opinion, unfair stereotype that was placed onto Slytherin students. "It really seems to scare the shite out of Noir...Damien, I mean. Not Sebastian." Harry corrected himself, seeing the knowing look on Jack's face when he mentioned the other Noir twin.
"Everyone seems to know these Noir twins." Tonks mused as contemplative look consumed her features.
"Well they're sort of infamous." Harry stated, though a smile was absent from his face as the adults sans Remus waited for him to explain. "Damien is a wanker and Sebastian is...well, he's Sebastian. His father said in the Daily Prophet a few years back that he was delinquent, but no one really believes that anymore. Not since the fight Damien and Sebastian got into last year."
"What happened?" Bill inquired. He'd been at Hogwarts briefly during the Tri-Wizard Tournament, but hadn't heard any gossip about the fight.
"Damien hexed Sebastian after Charms and hurt him really badly. There was blood all over the floor. Sebastian didn't hex him back though, and just let Damien keep hexing him. He was in the hospital wing for four days." Harry revealed, shrugging. "That's part of the reason why I hate Damien. It also proves that Gryffindors can be just as bad as Slytherins, no offense." Harry said, sending a sheepish smile in Jack's direction at the end. He didn't think Slytherins were bad, necessarily, but the majority seemed to be and it was just the general stereotype anyway. He was pleased when the other boy gave him a wry grin and shrugged
"We do have a reputation, useful thing sometimes." He said took a drink of warm tea.
While Harry had had a year to digest the information the adults needed a moment to take in the extent of the relationship between the two Noir twins. He pretended not to notice Sirius looking a little more contemplative and forlorn than usual. He assumed it had to do with his own relationship with his brother Regulus.
"Soph and I live to scare Damien Noir senseless, with in school rule of course" he said the last part to Lupin when the former professor gave him a look. "You'd be surprised what whispering nonsense and chuckling when someone walks by does to people." Jack grinned.
Sirius rolled his eyes, if that was what two Slytherins could come up with then he had lost all respect he secretly held for the house. They were supposed to be the scariest, most vicious and potent house in the school and yet they stopped to the odd malicious glance it seemed.
"I think it has more to do with time you turned if trousers invisible." Remus stated, remembering that particular defense class in third year where Slytherins and Gryffindors were basic practicing shields. "How did you do it by the way?" He was curious, not at all encouraging he told himself. Sirius knew that Remus had a soft spot from some students he had taught.
"Combination of a topical vanishing portion of our own design and a few cleverly cast disillusioning and banishing charms." Jack smiled to himself and took a sip of his lukewarm tea. "Soph and I are a sneaky version of the Weasley twins."
Bill groaned and put his face in his hand "How is the school standing?" He asked Harry who just shrugged.
"I don't even know, I mean with the hell I bring without even noticing it should have collapse a few years ago" The green eyed boy said and suddenly the dishes vanished, the warm bread basket and the muffins remained. The teacups and coffee mugs refilled, Harry looked at Sirius with a skeptical look but the man only picked up a mug and took a sip with an audible "Thank you, Kreacher." shortly following.
Sirius turned to see his godson "Just roll with it, he's cleaning up and feeding people. Good start." He felt calmer for some reason; his mother's portrait was still dormant and hadn't yelled once in the day and a half that Harry and Jack had been here. She hadn't even made a sound when the fool activated. He let out a happy sigh and looked at the people chatting around the table. A makeshift family, he thought he'd never see these people again and here they were. Even Andy, his favorite cousin was present, he was still feeling warm and pleasant from the kind and nearly constricting hug the woman had given him. A small wave of loss and guilt overcame him as he thought of the other Black that should be here, he looked at Remus and when man looked back. A warm and understanding smile on his lips, Sirius knew he'd have someone to talk to when the day was over.
"Sophia probably took up your post as the fifth year instigator in Defense; I can almost see it now." Jack hoped that Umbridge wasn't being too horrible with his sister; he knew Sophia would give the toad hell to make up for his absence and Harry's.
"I hope she gets sacked." Harry seemed to read Jack's mind, he shared that sentiment precisely.
Just as Jack was about to agree the distinctive sound of the floo firing up was heard everyone went for their wands. Jack's slipped from the holster in his arm to his hand, he caught Mad Eye's glance as the older wizard slunk into the shadows. Andromeda moved quietly and hid Harry behind the drink cabinet while Tonks copied his appearance. Everybody was on guard, Jack had moved behind two rows of adults with the fake Harry. He was close enough to bodily shield the real one should the need arise and kept that in mind.
The distinct sound of someone falling out of the fireplace and something fragile breaking was heard and Mrs. Black started up. "You! Get out of my house! Disgusting mudblood loving traitors! How dare you bring your shame to the honorable House of Black!" She screeched and apparently caught sight of someone else. "Filth! Horrible little bitch, abomination who calls herself a witch! OUT OF MY HOUSE! I hope you choke on whatever you pilfer from my kitchen!"
"Sod off, hag." One highly familiar voice said.
"You've been dead for years, shut your trap." An identical one added.
"Honestly you two, it's just a painting." Hermione huffed, stepping out from behind the throng of Weasley children and into the kitchen area where the smells of breakfast were still floating around.
"Hermione!" Harry grinned, standing up to wrap his arms around his friend in a tight hug. When he released her he took the time to give Ron a pat on the back, and attempt a comforting smile. He knew it wouldn't do much, but he could hardly blame himself. He doubted anything but confirmed word that his father was okay would make Ron relax.
He also thought that was completely justified.
"Jack?" Hermione asked, suddenly seeing the Slytherin student seated awkwardly at the kitchen table.
"He's been with us the entire time." Harry said, before the Slytherin could let out some undoubtedly snarky comment.
"You've been hanging out with a Slytherin?" Ron asked incredulously, eyeing his best friend as if he was suffering from some kind of unknown and severe illness.
"Ronnie-kins not all Slytherins are bad," George started.
"In fact, some are quite...brave." Fred finished, a blush standing out on his pale, freckled cheeks. Said blush only intensified when his twin sent him a knowing smirk.
"And lets not forget Damien," Harry supplied, remembering the conversation that had taken place earlier. "He's much worse than Sebastian."
"Yeah, but Harry," Ron protested. "We all know how long Sebastian sorting took! The longest in ages; longer than yours! He could've been in any house, probably."
Harry shrugged. He did remember the sorting. Sebastian had been up on the stool for a good seven or eight minutes before the hat called out Slytherin. He remembered the long waiting period did nothing to calm his nerves, especially since to everyone aside from Sebastian, and maybe a few of the teachers, nothing about it was all that interesting.
"That is true. I found it interesting that Damien also took a long time to get sorted." Hermione said, moving to take a seat at the end of the table. Ron followed her and Harry took back his original seat, with the rest of the Weasley children filling in where spaces were empty.
"Probably because the hat didn't want to place him anywhere." Harry stated, earning a bark of laughter from the twins and Ron, and a nice chuckle from Hermione. He thought he even heard a chuckle from Jack, though it was hard to tell over Sirius' boisterous laugh.
Jack gave the throng of Weasley's a small smile and pocketed his wand as Tonks reverted back to her normal apparel and sat back down. "Our Noir is a pretty good kid, an outcast for sure. And that only makes me trust him more." Jack shrugged. "Little known secret, you have to watch out for the popular kids in Slytherin, the girls more than the guys." He sent a pointed look to the twins, he often dropped hints on who had been naughty and nice in his house so they could be pranked accordingly when his hands were tied up and he couldn't solve it on his own.
"The outcasts are more likely to help you escape Peeves or drop a hint when Snape's in a mood and about to turn a corner." He finished, he felt a little bad giving away some facts about his house but these were his brothers in arms.
"Yeah, Sophie saved our skin loads of times with Toadface this year." George added.
"Wonder how she's fairing at school all by her lonesome," Fred continued staring off into the ceiling in the opposite direction of his twin in a perfectly mirrored gesture.
"Going stir crazy, I bet." the other replied
Jack only snorted "Or making up for your absence." Hermione's eyes widened and she groaned. That girl could be as bad as the twins; Jack tempered her a little sometimes. Well, when it hadn't been his idea to flood the corridor with multicolor bath bubbles that stuck to your clothes.
"Oh, mind following me up to a bedroom guys? We have things to discuss." the Slytherin spoke up again and got up motioning for the stairs. Remus and Sirius had gotten back from shutting up the painting soon enough to hear the last of his words.
"And what exactly can't you discuss around adults?" Remus spoke up first and Sirius leaned against a wall with his arms folded.
"You're birthday party." Harry supplied, knowing that his former professor knew he had no idea when his birthday was.
"Be Serious, Harry. What are you getting up to?" Sirius snorted behind him.
"Remus, why do you always insist everyone needs to be me?" He said and put a hand on his friend's shoulder when he was close enough.
Lupin only sighed; Sirius always instinctively went to make a joke out of his name when he could. "You know what I meant." The werewolf said with a quirk on his lips.
"You refuse to let us hear stuff about the Order; we refuse to let you know about anything we get up to." Both twins said in unison and Jack started to climb the stairs, the older boys following. The Golden Trio followed them and Harry looked over his shoulder to give his parents' childhood friends an apologetic smile. Sirius didn't waist a second and shot him his unofficially patented puppy dog eyes.
Harry ignored his godfather, though the smirk on his face was evident when he turned to follow everyone else upstairs. He ignored the wounded sound his godfather made and the subsequent thump as Remus smacked him.
"Which bedroom?" Harry asked, finally getting to the top of the steps where everyone was standing around awkwardly. He briefly felt sorry for Jack who was standing a little ways a way from everyone else. He knew no one around had a real problem with Slytherins, aside from Ron who liked to pretend he did. It was really that they didn't like mean people, and most mean people tended to be in Slytherin...aside from Damien. Harry really bloody hated that wanker. He was forever having to send cleaning curses at the toilet to wipe the other boy's urine off the seat.
Masheed seemed to sense Harry's irritation, and softly squeezed his wrist before moving up his arm to wrap herself around his neck.
"What about Regulus' old bedroom?" Hermione asked, knowing that it was empty. No one really liked staying in there, though it was a well known fact that Sirius would sometimes sleep in there instead of in his own room.
She really felt sorry for the brothers. It reminded her of Sebastian and Damien, though she wondered if either one would actually care if the other one disappeared. She sighed, and felt Ron pull her into a quick side hug. She hid the blush as Fred and George took the initiative and headed towards the bedroom.
Jack followed the twins and looked around the room, he felt comfortable here. It was decorated in a true Slytherin fashion. The comfort ended as soon as he spotted the newspaper clippings about Voldemort. Either Regulus Arcturus Black had been a fan or secretly tracking his movements to keep himself and his brother alive. He hoped it was the latter, even if it didn't help much. Everyone in his house knew Regulus Black was dead as can be and hated his bother. Jack could never imagine himself hating Sophia, granted they hadn't been born into the same family and both their families had belonged to the light unlike the Black brothers.
"First order of business" Jack started once everyone was in the room, catching everyone's attention by clasping his hands with an audible clap. "Wards." He looked at the twins and Hermione inviting them to put up some privacy wards. Crookshanks slunk off the bed, previously unnoticed and went to lay by the door.
"Okay, Crookshanks plays guard." He looked at the grumpy cat and spoke to it. "Don't let anyone pass unless they're one of us. Use force if you have to." The cat seemed to nod before he trotted out the door and sat down in front of it with his tail twitching. Jack took out his wand and closed the door with a flick, effectively locking it and then Hermione and the twins began to put up silencing charms and detection spells.
"Sophia managed to tell me yesterday that someone nearly outed us, without meaning to." He took a seat on the bed and looked at the people in front of him. "The Inquisitorial Squad have orders to take anyone with anything labeled DA or seemingly suspicious to Umbridge." He began and rubbed the back of his neck, faking a voracious interest in the green carpeted floor. "If we're ever found out, Dumbledore takes the fall. Umbridge is convinced that he's planning to over throw Fudge." He looked up at then, his hazel eyes filled with worry but hopeful that they'd understand. Harry knew and he nodded, Jack carded his had through the wavy brown hair on his head. Things were getting serious.
"We'll change the name then," One of the twins spoke up, he was leaning against one of the desks while his counterpart was sitting on the corner of that same desk. "We keep the initials and change the name." the other said, arms crossed on his chest.
"We have to alter the list and be more careful with the messages, only during meals, make sure no one's looking, and while we're in the common rooms." Harry promoted and Hermione looked at Jack with her brow furrowed.
"You'll be safe in you dorms?" She asked him and Jack nodded, though he wasn't too sure of it. He was about to respond when the door burst open. All of them had their wands pointed to the doorway and they head Jack's wand drop to the floor and roll on the ground. In seconds he was engulfed in a hug and his back hit the bed. He felt a total of five kisses planted on his face before he could register the scent of the person who tackled him.
"Missed you too, Lyall." He whispered and let out a breathy chuckle as his lungs were being constricted by the arms around him and the weight atop him shifted. A mass of black wild hair came into his line of sight, followed by a pale forehead and finally wet gray eyes.
Fun fact: I have been dubbed Padfoot, Snuffles, Sirius, Black (or whatever you choose to call me) and Pen is now my Prongslet. Deal with it. He is my Prongslet, my pup.
Up next: More at Grimmauld Place! Things get weirder.
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Ta,
Snuffles and Prongslet.
P.S. If you've caught on where we're getting our chapter titles from help yourselves to some candy and cake at the refreshment table.