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"I don't like this house." Said Timothy as he surveyed the house. It was dark, dusty, small, and the portrait on the wall wouldn't stop insulting him.
"I know, I know but it'll have to do until we can get another property u[ to living condition." Said Galatea. This was the only livable house and that was an exaggeration. She took a side step as a mover went through the floo and carried some things upstairs. For a Noble House that prided it's self on purity why would they set up so near muggles.
"I want to go home!" wailed Timothy. Galatea rubber her temples as he set that bloody portrait off. She ground her teeth and attempted to quiet down her son. She cursed all the deities as she rocked her son back and forth. If she had the time she would have hired help, had them clean, and then get new everything for this cursed house. Instead she was stuck with the second rate movers, most of the furniture that was already there, a no show Harry, and worst of all her so called father.
"Shut that brat up!" barked Sirius as he closed the curtain on Wallburga Black's portrait. Galatea shushed Timothy and ignored her father.
"Don't you have any friends? Distant family removed twenty generations back? Vagrant with a beard you shared a meal with while you were on the run?" said Galatea as she watched THE FLOO. Where was Harry?
"Don't you have a husband?" mocked Sirius. Galatea wondered if this was Azkaban's effect on him or if he was just naturally a jerk.
"Yes but I have to protect Harry." Said Galatea having finally calmed Timothy down. Timothy went off to explore and had already tripped two movers as they were coming out of the floo. There was soot everywhere. Great.
"I know what you're planning on doing." Said Sirius Black suspiciously. Galatea brushed some hair from her forehead. Double great, sweat. She felt tired, cramped, and filthy. The last thing she needed was her father being mean and hateful.
"Fixing this place up so my son can live in it?" said Galatea sarcastically
"No, you're going to pretend for a while and then take Harry back to that cursed rock." Said Sirius. Darn, that was Galatea's plan. Well, time to play it cool.
"It's not like it's about time for me to leave the nest or anything." Muttered Galatea in mock offense. Sirius couldn't tell, all he could see right then was Margaretta being her vapid, unpleasant, terrible self.
"How old are you anyway?" asked Sirius. She looked like a grown woman as she stood before him in her green dress, bustle dusting the wall, black hair escaping from her green velvet wide brimmed hat topped with flowers. He knew she wasn't that old though, being born before he was even inducted into the order.
"Sixteen. You honestly don't have any idea of how old I am?" said Galatea genuinely offended that her father didn't even know how old she was. Sirius did some quick math in his head; that was right. Wow, he had a sixteen year old maraudette. No, she was with the rat. She was just as dark and cowardly as he was.
"Mummy!" shrieked Timothy as he seemingly flew down the stars. He hit the wall and ran towards Galatea before hiding behind her dress. Sirius smiled a bit and it seemed to scare him more.
"What's wrong?" said a panicked Galatea as she pried his hands from her dress. She shouldn't have left him; this wasn't the Pettigrew hosue where there were dozens of servants to watch out for him.
"There's a mean monster upstairs! It called me bad things that the portrait called me like half breed and other stuff!" wailed Timothy. Galatea hoped that it was just a simple boggart but this place could have been infested by anything.
"Did it have pointy teeth and sharp claws?" laughed Sirius. Timothy blew his nose into Galatea's dress and she grimaced. Served her right for being dark and having a dark creature for a son. Not that there was anything wrong with having creature parentage.
"No claws but it had sharp teeth, pointy ears, and it was almost naked." Said Timothy now much calmer. Galatea carried him to a decrepit old sofa and plopped him down.
"Wait here while I find the monster." Said Galatea. Timothy nodded. She pulled the wand from her sleeve and went upstairs. Sirius looked at the child for a while and then went to find some brandy. Yes, brandy would help in this situation.
"Nasty half breed brat walking around here bold as brass. If my poor mistress was alive she'd put a stop this filth that invaded the house of Black. Oh yes she would…." Muttered Creature. Galatea rolled her eyes. A house elf; of course. She'd have to get rid of it. Human servants were better mainly because they didn't try and boil themselves every time something went wrong. Galatea sent him a quick succession of stinging hexes.
"Don't ever insult anyone in this house again in my presence or I'll…blast what was it…I'll give you clothes." Said Galatea. The elf opened its mouth to talk but nodded when Galatea sent another hex at him. He could be heard continuing his insults but Galatea had to get back to her son. She was interrupted as she heard a knock at her door. She rushed over hoping that it was just some lost muggle…who could see through the wards hiding the house. She opened the door a crack and then all the way when she saw who it was.
"May I come in?" asked Dumbledore. Galatea motioned for him to come in before anyone saw his robes. Harry looked…bad. He hadn't changed his clothes but he was clean enough she supposed. His cologne was nowhere to be found and his hair was going in all directions.
"Harry!" yelled Sirius as he rushed into the world. He tried to scoop Harry up but Harry hugged Galatea a bit too closely. He grimaced as his hand made contact with some snot on the back of her dress.
"Harry, I know we got off on the wrong foot earlier…" started Sirius. Harry glared at him and then Dumbledore. Galatea sincerely hoped that Timothy's teenage years were nothing like this.
"When are we going home?" asked Harry to Galatea. Galatea played with her glove for a moment. If she told him they were staying he'd have another fit but if she said they were leaving then she'd have to deal with her father and Dumbledore.
"We live here now." Said Timothy. Harry looked like he was ready to explode. He didn't want to live here. Now, he wasn't opposed to living with Galatea but Sirius? No, he needed to go home. But then again Galatea was here all alone no husband…hmm…comfort or attractive woman. Harry's hormones won out.
"Fine but he leaves and we hire staff to make this place livable." Said Harry. He was going to leave eventually; just not yet. Nothing was topping his family from visiting him after all.
"I'm afraid that Sirius will have to stay here for the time being. This is his home after all." Said Dumbledore. This was going better than he imagined. Now if Harry and Sirius could cultivate a relationship everything would be perfect. Harry would be the savior the light needed.
"Take your leave sir, we will sort things out." Said Galatea all but pushing him towards the fire place. Dumbledore decided that everything would be fine if he was with Sirius and left. Yes, things would be alright.