A/N: Thank you all for the great comments, suggestions and theories! Keep them coming - they sometimes inspire me to write something totally different than what I had planned ;)

Charm93: Thank you for telling me about marksmom... I spent the last few days reading all her stories which kept me from writing my own ;) Maybe Ron will visit but since Ginny will have to stay at St. Mungos she won't be any trouble for him at the burrow.

randomplotbunny: Oh yeah... she's quite the drama queen ;)

geekymom: No I don't think so...

tefe203: He kind of feels more like a raven or even bat to me... Marvolo would be a snake for sure ;) I wouldn't be against it but it won't be happening in this fic. This one is more about stabilising their family and finding together as one :)

mandancie: No worries ;) Yeah I found the idea hilarious :D

: Thank you for looking past that and still enjoying the story :) Good for you! Also I believe that my slash parts are rather tame in comparison to some I have read ;) I will be finishing this for sure - I also want to know what will happen ;)

Guest: Although I'm not against it it won't be happening in this fic... at least not as far as I have planned but there have been a few things that I didn't plan...

mizzrazz72: Who knows... I would say he completely brainwashed her or something like that ;)

Dixie.f.9: That she does. She will get help and get better again but it will take some time :)

Zoysite: Oje ich hoffe dieser Sonntag war besser? Danke :) Ja das mit den Farben ist mir gekommen, weil ich nicht das klassische Slytherin grün und silber haben wollte... Ich bin ca genauso blass wie Snape und hab brünette Haare und mir steht rot sehr gut also hat er das abbekommen ;) Urlaub kommt bald aber Flitterwochen in dem Sinne wird es nicht geben...

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling - I just played a bit in her universe.

Thanks to miu-sama95 for prereading, betaing and helping with the storyline ;)

Sorry guys! Fanfic wouldn't let me upload my document and I was already late before that. You can blame Charm93 and marksmom for being later than usual... go and check marksmom out - I was lost in her stories for the last few days... ;)

Chapter 38: Parties, Shocks & Hangovers

Words: 3282

Sirius was trying to hide. He hated parties of any kind. Even if they were as small as this one was. There were only Severus and Marvolo, Lucius and Narcissa, Harry and of course he himself in attendance.

He couldn't very well sneak away as he used to at the big events his parents used to take him to. Harry would come looking for him in minutes. To be fair it was a relaxed affair. They had had a very nice dinner after Severus and Marvolo's bonding ceremony before they all retired to the library for drinks and music.

Sirius had retreated to the corner by the fireplace and was observing the others closely. The newlywed couple sat snuggled together on the loveseat while enjoying some firewhiskey talking quietly.

Lucius and Narcissa were on the other sofa but Lucius was in a deep discussion about something with Harry, who was in the neighboring armchair. He still found it weird to see Harry talking and even smiling at Lucius Malfoy.

When Sirius looked towards his cousin he was met with an inquiring look and moments later Narcissa was standing next to him.

"What has you in such deep contemplations, dear cousin?"

"Just can't believe whom I'm in the room with."

"I guess it must be… different after so many years alone in Azkaban."

"It's not just that. I just can't believe that so much of what I had been told and believed in had been a lie." Sirius tried to explain. "Just look at them. Harry and Lucius having what seems to be an interesting conversation and my worst school time nemesis is the father of my godson. It all just seems so surreal."

Narcissa laid a comforting arm on her cousin's shoulder when he got more and more emotional.

"I'm sure you will get used to it. Maybe you should see a mind healer after the public finds out about your innocence."

"Maybe I should, Cissy. Who knows what that place did to my mind. You were always the smarter one of us. What are they talking about anyway?" Sirius nodded towards his godson, trying to change the subject.

"When I got up they were talking about how investments work differently in the wizarding and the muggle world."

Narcissa couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her lips when she saw the surprise on Sirius face.

"Contrary to popular believe the Malfoy family has more than one asset in the muggle world."

"Really? With all the blood purity stuff I would have never thought that Lucius would ever willingly venture out into the muggle world."

"Of course he does! We regularly attend the London and Paris operas. I also adore a few special French designers. Their work looks magical for muggle standards."

Narcissa started giggling like a schoolgirl when Sirius mouth dropped open and he didn't seem to be able to close it again.

"You..? But how..? When…?"

"I love muggle fashion, dear cousin. How I got into that? It was actually when we stayed at Grimmauld Place one summer and Andy and I snuck out for some quiet time."

"How did that go with your mother?"

"What she didn't know couldn't get her upset."

"You cunning little girl!" Sirius laughed, catching the attention of the others.

"What did you tell him, love?" Lucius asked curiously when the mutt didn't seem to be able to control his laughter.

"I just told him about my love for muggle designer fashion."

"Oh yes. My vaults cry every time you leave for Paris." Lucius grumbled, sending all of them into peals of laughter. They all knew that the Malfoy fortune was big enough to sustain a lifetime of designer fashion.

"At least it's not rare potions ingredients." Marvolo threw in getting him an indignant look from his husband. "Which reminds me! I still owe you quite a few anniversary presents, love."

"That you do." Severus drawled.

"I got you something which will hopefully redeem myself at least a bit. Let me just get it."

Giving Severus a quick kiss Marvolo got up and strode out of the library, leaving a stunned and intrigued husband behind.

Severus shared a quick glance with his son but Harry just shrugged. Before he could think further on this Marvolo reentered carrying a large parcel. Once he was seated next to his husband again he put the box on Severus lap.

"I hope you like it. Although I have to admit that Harry gave me an important clue to finding this."

"I did?" Harry asked confused.

"Just wait and see."

Severus took that as permission to open the package. He carefully lifted the top of the box and gasped when he looked inside.

"What?"

"What is it?"

"Sev?"

Severus was too shocked for words which didn't happen very often. Actually he could count the number of times it had happened on one hand. Inside to box were vials and jars full of potions ingredients.

He could see that they were all very expensive and rare ones and took one out to inspect it more closely only to gasp once more.

"Is that…?" Narcissa asked shocked. She knew a bit about potions ingredients since she was a trained healer.

"If you are asking if this is basilisk skin then the answer is yes." Marvolo answered her question. "Harry was kind enough to remind me of the carcass still lying in the Chamber of Secrets and implied that I could harvest some ingredients from it."

"This… This is incredible!" Severus finally came out of his stupor. "All the potions and experiments I can now try out! This is amazing! Thank you, love!"

Severus leaned over and planted a big kiss on his husband's mouth which was greatly appreciated by said husband. Not so much by Harry and Sirius.

"There is more. When I was down there I had a look around and found some very interesting rooms. They were the private quarters of Salazar Slytherin."

"How peculiar." Lucius drawled. "What did you find in them? I know that the knowledge of their location was lost ages ago."

"Yes there was quite a lot of dust. But there was also Slytherin's office and his private potions lab complete with fully preserved storage cupboards."

"Oh my!" Sirius breathed. Even though he was a Gryff he knew the importance of Salazar Slytherin to the potions community. Some of the most common draughts were invented by him.

"Quite so. That is another part of your present. I will take you down to his lab so you can explore to your heart's content."

"Thank you! That would be amazing!"

"Can I come as well?" Harry asked. Although he was still afraid of going down there again he really wanted to see those rooms.

"Of course you can." Marvolo told him. "I also found his journals full of recipes."

"WHAT!?" Severus exclaimed unbelievingly. Those had been lost since Slytherin's death.

"I found Salazar's journals. I will give them to you but at the moment they would be useless to you because they are in parselscript."

"Unbelievable." Narcissa breathed.

"You can write in parsel?" Harry asked surprised which caught Marvolo's attention.

"Of course you can. If you want you can help me translate the books. That way you can learn to distinguish between parsel and English."

"That would be awesome!" Harry beamed.

Severus was still shell shocked and just stared at the box of ingredients with wonder. A soft touch on his arm startled him out of his stupor. He looked to his left and met the eyes of his bonded.

"Do you like it?" Marvolo asked a bit of uncertainty in his voice.

"I love it! This more than makes up for all the anniversaries you missed." Severus told him quietly. "I shall have to show you my appreciation later on."

Marvolo had a quick look around and noticed that the others were back to their own conversations, giving the couple a moment of privacy. Of course the Dark Lord used that to his advantage.

He quickly relieved Severus of the box on his lap and deposited it on the coffee table before drawing his husband to his feet and sneaking out the door with his spouse behind him. Once they were in the hallway they both looked at each other and giggled like little boys because of their successful escape.

They quickly and quietly made their way upstairs to their bedroom to get their wedding night started.

Back in the library all had noticed the escape of the newlyweds and while Lucius and Narcissa sniggered Harry and Sirius shared an eye roll about their antics.

"I just hope they remember the silencing spells." Harry muttered causing Sirius to bark with laughter.

"Well I guess this is our sign to leave as well. Have a… well hopefully quiet night." Lucius said with a smirk causing Harry to groan and Sirius to chuckle again.

"Oh yes! Good night to you two and don't stay up too long." Narcissa told them and kissed each of them on their cheeks before she stepped through the floo to get home.

"Good night, Cissy!" Sirius called after her.

"Good night, gentlemen."

"Bye, Lucius!" Harry said and moments later he and Sirius were all alone in the library.

"What do we do now?" The teen asked curiously. He had never been to a wedding and certainly not to a bonding.

"Now we celebrate the newly bonded couple and I'll fulfill my role as godfather and introduce you…" Sirius proclaimed and pulled a bottle from behind his back. "…to the finer points of firewhiskey!"

"You are giving me alcohol?" Harry asked disbelievingly. "But I'm only fourteen!"

"Yup. Who cares? Everybody is gone so it's just you and me."

"Alright." Harry agreed. He had to admit that he was curious about alcohol and his inner Gryffindor wanted to come out and play for a bit. He felt comfortable enough here at home with his godfather to give in to those urges.

"Great!" Sirius grinned. "Pippy! Please bring us two glasses!"

Once they had received the glasses and retired to the sofa Sirius filled their first round. He handed Harry his glass and raised his own for a toast.

"To the newlywed couple."

"To the newlyweds!" Harry raised his glass and as one they both downed their first shot.

Sunday morning brought surprised to more than one wizarding household. This day's Daily Prophet was a special edition so it was delivered to every registered British witch and wizards regardless of their subscription to the newspaper or their location.

Somewhere in Italy Draco Malfoy had just sat down for breakfast with his best friend Blaise when the owl arrived. Draco was confused why he would get the newspaper while on holiday but once he read the front page headline he understood. He was so shocked that he forgot about the mouthful of tea he had just drunk.

That is until he took a breath and got the tea into his airways causing him to start coughing like a madman. Blaise was nice enough to pound him on his back until he was able to breathe again. Instead of answering the other teen's inquiry he just handed him the papers, making sure he had not just drunk anything before seeing the headline.

Mister Malfoy was by far not the only one with that reaction once they got the paper.

In one of the most northern islands of Scotland, the Isle of Skye a strict woman took a sip of her morning tea just as she opened the paper resulting in said paper being drenched in a mouthful of tea.

"Bloody hell! Albus!" She cursed in a strong Scottish accent. "What have you old idiot been up to again?! Now my holiday is ruined!"

Still cursing the headmaster in a colorful language she hurried to get ready for the day all the while waving her wand to pack her belongings together. After one last glance around her cottage she disappeared to London.

At the burrow it was for once quiet. While part of the family was still at the hospital with their daughter and sister some of the boys were at home but still asleep after the late night they had had.

They would not see the article until it was much later. Even then they would be too worried about their sister to really care.

In a suburb of London a teenage girl couldn't contain her shout of surprise when she read the food news. This caused her parents to storm into her room thinking something had happened.

"What is it, Hermione?" Her father asked.

"Harry's godfather was finally declared innocent! That means they are working hard on bringing the whole scheme to light!" She explained excitedly. "I need to write a letter!"

With that she rushed to her desk and completely forgot that her parents were still in her room. They just shook their heads and left their daughter to it. She would explain later on.

Somewhere in the Swiss Alps a man also received the papers. He was surprised since he was kind of hiding. Not that he was hiding per se. He just hadn't told anyone where he was going.

Once he saw the headline and read the article he started sobbing like a small child. His best friend's innocence had been proven! He had to get back to England! Getting his meager belongings together he started planning for his return home.

The newspaper left completely forgotten on the table. It read:

Albus Dumbledore arrested, Sirius Black innocent!

By Rita Skeeter

This reporter has the honor of informing you, dear wizards and witches of some very shocking news that came to light in yesterday's Wizengamot meeting.

The first surprise was that the meeting was led by Amelia Bones, head of the DMLE. She informed the members of the Wizengamot that the current head, Albus Percival Brian Wulfric Dumbledore had been arrested by the goblins of Gringotts for attempted line theft. Yes you read correctly! Our esteemed headmaster has been arrested.

Direct inquiry at the bank revealed that Mister Dumbledore had brought the sword of Gryffindor to the goblins and tried to claim the Gryffindor Lordship. That in itself would not warrant an arrest but just days earlier that particular Lordship had been claimed by the rightful heir.

The goblin's speaker stated that while the heir provided memories of drawing the sword of Gryffindor out of the Sorting Hat and confirmed his claim with blood he also provided memories of Albus Dumbledore taking said sword from him.

This let the goblins to arrest Dumbledore especially after he had refused to prove his claim with blood which is always required by the goblins.

Madame Bones stated in a press conference late last night that additionally to the goblins arrest she had also been informed of a few other misdeeds committed by the headmaster in the previous days. She would not divulge any details only that an investigation of the allegations was underway.

Of course we at the Daily Prophet will keep you informed about the ongoing of this investigation.

After this shock we hope that the session would continue as usual but alas we were not blessed with boring talk.

The next point that was brought to the member's attention was new evidence that proved Lord Apparent Sirius Orion Black had been imprisoned unlawfully and also that he was innocent. Yes, dear readers! You read that correctly. Sirius Black, thought to have betrayed the Potters, has been declared innocent by the Wizengamot. The most promising evidence to support this was the arrest of Peter Pettigrew.

Everybody had thought the man had been killed along with thirteen muggles by Sirius Black. As it turned out it had been Pettigrew all along. He had been the one to divulge the Potter's secret location to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as well as kill all those muggles before vanishing in the sewers in his illegal rat animagus form.

A trial date for him has been set for the 21st July.

Madame Bones stated that she and her aurors had many leads for both Pettigrew and Dumbledore to follow up upon before they could state their cast at a trial.

This reporter has been shocked by the information that has been revealed to us and apalled how all of this could have happened. How could a Lord Apparent be condemned to imprisonment in Azkaban without a trial? Do we not have laws to prohibit just these things from happening? Where were the ministry officials tasked with controlling every trial and arrest?

On a more positive note we wish all the best to the newest Wizengamot members Lord Marvolo Cadmus Slytherin, Lord Severus Prince-Slytherin and Lord Henry Gryffindor Potter Prince-Slytherin. May their votes always be led by good conscience.

In our favorite mansion it was also still quiet. While one pair of men was blissfully exhausted asleep in the master bedroom the other pair had never made it out of the library. Thus these two were painfully woken by the bright sunlight streaming in through the big bay windows as well as the soft sound of an owl pecking against the window.

Although in Sirius head that soft pecking felt like one of those muggle pressure hammers used at road construction. Where that comparison had come from he had no idea and his head just hurt too much to think. What had happened last night?

Sirius slowly opened his eyes, shielding them with his hand from the light. It looked like he had spent the night on the sofa. The persistent pecking on the window reminded him why he had to get up. With a groan he sat up and after a moment of concentrating on his breathing (so he wouldn't throw up) he got to his feet and staggered to the window to let the stupid bird inside.

"Come here you…" He got the owl to hold still so he could remove the papers from its leg. Once done the bird flew out the window again and Sirius sat back down heavily on the sofa.

Before he could unfold the papers there was a groan to his right, alerting him to the presence of another person in the room. When he glanced over he was surprised to see his godson curled up on the loveseat. Why was Harry here?

Something happened last night but he couldn't remember. Everything was foggy in his mind. The room also didn't give him any clues. The house elves must have already cleaned up in here. The house elves! They could supply him with hangover potion.

"Pippy!" He called quietly, hoping Harry would sleep a bit longer.

"Yes, Master Sirius?" The elf asked after appearing right in front of him.

"Please can you get me two hangover potions? And some breakfast would be nice."

"Yes, sirs!"

Once the elf was gone Sirius made his way to his waking godson. It took the teen some time to come back to the land of the living and once he did he was still totally confused.

"Sirius?" He croaked.

"Yeah, pup. I'm here."

"I don't feel so good."

"I know. Pippy will be back in a moment with hangover potions."

"No, Sirius. I'm gonna be sick."

Sirius had just enough time to conjure a bucket before Harry revisited last night's dinner."

Just then Pippy came back empty handed.

"Sirs? We is not having a potions stock yet."

"Not good. Please go and get Severus and Marvolo down here."

With a nod the elf vanished again and Sirius started stroking his upset godson's back to calm him down while the poor teen puked his guts out.

TBC

Just the way Sirius would behave... What do you think will happen next?

For all of those who asked: I uploaded the teaser to my new story as well today. It's called Bonded for Life and you can find it on my profile :)

First posted on: 04. February 2018

Next update planned: 18. February 2018