Chapter title from "Peacekeeper" by Fleetwood Mac.
Andromeda's house was a quaint and cozy red brick structure with a bright blue door and thatched roof. Boxwoods lined the brick pathway and pink roses climbed the exterior walls. With Ted having been a Hufflepuff, his natural affinity for Herbology was evident. Apparently his daughter had been able to maintain it in his memory, as the late April foliage and blooms were in top form.
"Sirius Black," Andromeda greeted him at the door, her lips forming a wry smile. "It's been what, sixteen years? And you still make one wonder whether you're a cheeky scamp or a storybook prince."
"I'm his wife and I still wonder," Colleen responded with a light laugh, shaking the witch's hand.
"Well, congratulations on catching him, either way," Andromeda joked. She was a lovely witch— generally serious even when dryly delivering humorous jabs. She was strong and capable looking, with dark eyes as sharp as her intellect. Her resemblance to Bellatrix was undeniable but for those unique traits, those which gave her an unwavering air of stability in contrast to her sister's unhinged mania.
"Yes, Dromeda, this is my beautiful wife, Colleen, and of course you know Benji. And this is our dear friend, Rhiannon." Sirius shrugged out of his traveling cloak and assisted the women with theirs after Andromeda ushered them into the foyer.
Rhiannon waved nervously, her other hand grasping her wand within her pocket. Andromeda's hand tensed and flew to hers instinctively as well.
"The one who married Snape," Tonks's mother said with derision.
"I haven't explained anything to her yet about that situation," Remus said, joining them with a newfound spring in his step.
"Dromeda, the Snapes can be trusted," Sirius assured her. "But I say that to you in utmost confidence. We had been hesitant to say anything to you before, to protect their unique position, but Rhiannon was desperate to see the baby. I'm sure Remus can fill you in more later on."
Andromeda pursed her lips as if she were wanting to unleash a deluge of questions, but Remus's enthusiasm eclipsed all other conversation as he led them into a friendly, well-appointed sitting room. Perched on a sofa next to a bountiful flowering apidistra was Tonks, already much smaller, but noticeably more exhausted. She held a feisty baby boy wrapped in a simple blue blanket, and her mouth spread into a proud grin. Rhiannon, Colleen, and Ben descended upon her and the baby immediately, while Sirius moved to pull Remus into a hug.
"Congrats, Dad," Sirius said with a grin, and Remus beamed.
"He's as healthy as can be, Pads. And his hair changes."
"Dora's began changing immediately after birth as well," Andromeda chimed in. "Almost every hour on the hour."
"His name's Teddy Remus Lupin," Tonks announced over the chorus of murmurs emanating from Baby Teddy's admirers. "I think Dad would have been proud."
"He would have been grinning from ear to ear and pulling tricks out of his Weasleys' Wheezes bag to keep him endlessly entertained," Andromeda agreed.
"What do you say we celebrate with a drink?" Remus suggested pointedly to Sirius, his head angling toward the kitchen. Sirius followed curiously.
"Pads, I just wanted to tell you...I went to one of the Order's current hideouts, and I saw Harry."
Sirius felt himself tense involuntarily, but he nodded. "How is he?"
Rhiannon had told him about the narrow escape at Malfoy Manor. Sirius had been a bit miffed that the witch hadn't intervened more, but he understood it came with the territory of being a Snape.
"Thoughtful. Preoccupied. Definitely on a mission still, but I can tell from speaking with Bill a few days later that the secrecy is high. I have no credible information regarding their next steps. But I...I asked Harry to be godfather while I was there."
Remus said it in such a way that Sirius knew he expected a grand reaction, one way or the other. In truth, Sirius's reaction was more guarded. Of course Sirius hadn't expected to have the title bestowed on himself, after he'd already fucked up the job so royally. While it wasn't a stab in the heart, it was indeed a dull prodding that served as a reminder of his failures and lost chances. But it was a new beginning for Harry— a chance to start fresh with a new focus after all this was said and done. If he was lucky enough...
"Remus, we know Harry very likely won't make it to the other side of this," Sirius said carefully. "What if you're setting Teddy up for the same disappointment that Harry himself suffered?"
Remus shook his head stubbornly. "I refuse to give up hope. It's as simple as that, Pads. If we lose hope, then we've lost everything."
Sirius thought it a bit strange that the wizard who had been so anxious and expecting the worst outcome for his son was now playing such a loud fiddle of optimism. Sirius himself struggled to see beyond what seemed the bleak inevitable where Harry was concerned. So as he did with most thoughts and disappointments surrounding being a godfather, he pushed the matter aside.
"How did Harry take the happy news?" Sirius finally asked, forcing his tone to be bright.
"He thanked me," Remus said cheerfully. "Even if it doesn't go as we hope, then having Harry aware of the honor is enough. Especially after the way he and I left things over the summer. Harry was right— so incredibly right. I can't believe that I considered giving up this opportunity for even a second— being a husband and a father. There's nothing greater in all the universe."
Sirius smiled. "On that we agree completely."
They visited for a few more hours, enjoying a late lunch of spring vegetable pie and fresh cheese from a nearby farm. Bellies full and hearts equally so with newborn baby cuddles, Sirius and Rhiannon apparated back home with Colleen and Ben in tow side-along. It was a cloudy day with no emerging sunset to be seen, only slowly darkening shades of blue-gray over the lull of the sea.
"Sirius," Colleen began as they wound up the hilltop path. "What would you think if..."
She didn't get to finish whatever she was proposing, for they were met with a sudden, sinking feeling. Their front door stood wide open, revealing a dark house inside.
"Remain here," Sirius said sternly, wand drawn. "Send a Patronus if you need me, if you can."
Rhiannon brandished her wand as well, bringing Colleen and Ben close. Severus was likely still at the school. An elementary mistake like leaving a door open wasn't possible for Severus Snape. It had to be someone else, and it was a move intentionally designed to provoke fear.
The house was indeed dark, only the last dreary rays of subdued daylight providing illumination. Sirius charmed all the interior lamps to turn on and braced himself for emerging figures and flashes of light, but none came. His heart was pounding with delicious adrenaline, and he briefly regretted Dr. Moody's absence from his life. Sirius's perverse desire for mortal danger truly needed some intense examination.
He moved from room to room, examining every surface and item for signs of something amiss. He even waved his wand in a series of detection charms, trying to identify if any dark spells had been left in place by an intruder. Sirius simply wasn't finding anything— until he arrived back around to the parlor.
"Fuck," he muttered. There in their gilded cage lay the bodies of Rhiannon's two remaining birds, Slytherin and Thunderbird, their bodies severed open in a stomach-churning warning. Sirius's mind raced for a split second. Would Rhiannon want to see them, to wish them goodbye? Or would it be too painful? His heart ached knowing how she would feel. Hell, his heart ached on its own account; those birds were the very reason he stood there taking a breath. But to Rhiannon, they were so much more— the very embodiment of her power.
Closing his eyes briefly, Sirius continued his scouring of the house, which took quite awhile. It was a large house with many nooks in which to hide. When he was satisfied it was safe, for now, at least, he brought his family back inside. He drew Rhiannon immediately into his embrace. Colleen looked at him curiously.
"Darling, they got the birds," Sirius told Rhiannon softly, a comforting hand stroking her golden hair.
Rhiannon pulled away abruptly. "No."
Sirius swallowed. "I — I didn't know if you wanted me to...evanesce them. Or if you wanted to see them one last time. It's not...well...it was violent, love. I'd prefer it if you'd let me take care of it."
"Oh, Rhiannon, I'm so sorry," Colleen whispered. She held her tightly and pulled Ben close as well. The little boy was so sleepy he didn't seem to register what had happened.
"The warning couldn't be any clearer, could it?" Rhiannon said, her voice devoid of any feeling. "It's almost as if they not only know you're alive, but know how it was accomplished."
Sirius shook his head. "They couldn't possibly. You don't even understand it, and it's your magic!"
Rhiannon's wheels were still turning, her mind clearly taking over to save her from her emotions. "Why didn't we protect the house with a Fidelius Charm?" she whispered. "Severus is a masterful wizard. I know he could have done it."
Sirius nodded miserably. "He did, Rhiannon. A couple months ago, he and I decided it would be best. Once my name started to come up more in meetings. He made me secret keeper. I begged him to let me — basically to redeem myself for shirking the responsibility before. Severus said it made sense. Since the whole premise was that they were looking for me in the first place— obviously if they were interrogating me about the location, then I would already be discovered. But I swear I didn't reveal the address to anyone. I have no idea how this happened."
"Sirius, the Fidelius Charm is lock-tight," Rhiannon argued. "You had to have let something slip somehow." She was clearly agitated, and of course Sirius understood why.
"Rhiannon, I didn't," Sirius said calmly. "Don't you think I've made enough mistakes in my lifetime that I've learned my lesson? I would never put my family at risk. I haven't breathed a word."
"Then something must have been wrong with the charm casting," Colleen interjected. "A flaw, a technicality."
Rhiannon shook her head adamantly. "Severus doesn't make mistakes."
"Rhiannon, everyone makes mistakes," replied Colleen.
"Not Severus."
Colleen sighed. "But you're so quick to assume that it was Sirius?"
"All right, enough," Sirius said quickly. "We can't afford to stand around and argue or even analyze this right now. We have to pack and leave immediately. This place is no longer safe."
Both women looked horrified. Ben had already checked out of the conversation and had curled up on the living room sofa.
"Give up our home?" Colleen's voice was suddenly shrill. "But this is where we belong...it's perfect!"
Sirius rubbed her arms reassuringly. "It's only temporary, sweetheart." He turned to Rhiannon and cast a quick silencing charm in case he'd been remiss in his curse detection a few minutes earlier.
"Rhiannon, can we join Severus at Hogwarts somehow?"
The witch nodded, her stare still blank and shell-shocked. "We can apparate to the outskirts and then hopefully I can use our bond to communicate to him from there."
Sirius jogged to the parlor to take care of the sad task of the birds, while Colleen and Rhiannon began packing a week's worth of essentials and emergency supplies. It was hard to fathom everything they could possibly need when they were dealing with a giant unknown, but they figured Severus could always get away with returning, if needed, under the guise of chasing a lead on Sirius Black. Within an hour they were saying goodbye to the home they'd created together, hearts heavy at the prospect that they may never return.
"DANGER. DO NOT ENTER. UNSAFE," Colleen read aloud. She was facing a rotting, ramshackle ruin with a hand painted sign warning of its peril. From the shadowy old trees that flanked the ruins, Severus emerged, cloak billowing in the evening breeze, his face stoic.
"Where do you see that sign, Mummy?" Ben asked, his little face thoroughly confused. "All I see is a pretty castle."
"Animos Revelio," Sirius said confidently. He shrugged sheepishly when Colleen confirmed there was no change in what she saw before her. "Hey, it worked at Grimmauld Place," he apologized.
"These enchantments against Muggles have been here for centuries," Rhiannon reminded him. "It will probably take far more advanced ward-breaking skills." She stepped up to the plate next, taking a deep breath before waving her wand resolutely, her lovely brow furrowed.
Severus gently grasped her wrist and lowered her hand, simultaneously raising his own wand. "Help," he murmured. And suddenly the very sky and ground seemed to expand, revealing a wonderland.
"Oh, my," Colleen whispered. It was like something out of a childhood dream or one of Ben's storybooks — alive with light, built with majestically unbreakable stone, sitting atop a sparkling lake. It seemed to rise out of the earth itself, like it was created from the very essence of the land upon which it was constructed.
"THAT'S all it took?" Sirius said incredulously. "'Saying the word 'Help?'"
"Help will always be given at Hogwarts, to those who ask for it," Severus said simply. "I'm sure your marriage bond and her relationship to Ben played a role. But sometimes the best solution is the obvious one. That being said, she is not to roam Hogwarts grounds unless her safety requires her to change locations. I believe a visit to your old favorite haunt at the edge of Hogsmeade may be in order."
Sirius grinned. "Ah yes, it'll be just like the good ol' days. Pretty sure you broke the bed though, Sev, when Harry and his friends blasted you in there a few years ago."
"With your advanced Transfiguration skills, I'm sure it can be repaired," Severus replied silkily.
"Colleen and I will just break it again anyway, right love?" Sirius slid an arm around her waist and nibbled on her neck. Colleen giggled, but she soon felt an icy sensation start at her fingertips and creep ever-so-slowly up her arm. It then moved from her toes to the top of her legs, filling her chest cavity. Her teeth began to chatter.
"The Dementors sense a new presence," Rhiannon whispered with dread. "Get Colleen and Ben somewhere safe, now!"
Severus picked up Ben and shot through the air like a puff of black steam emanating from a train engine. Colleen shrieked her son's name, but Sirius hurled her over his shoulder and took off before she could ask any questions. Sirius's feet flew over the mossy ground in the direction of the village. Colleen peered behind them to see a bright light protruding from Rhiannon's wand, growing larger, unfurling, then suddenly taking the shape of a strong, graceful horse — white, with a surrounding orb of ethereal blue.
"Is that a Patronus?" Colleen asked Sirius shakily. She had read about them, of course, but seeing one in person was incredible. She couldn't see what had tried to attack them or if it had left, but the blue, horse-shaped light seemed to emit a heat wave that counteracted the bone-shuddering chill.
Sirius was too focused on running and carrying her to answer. All his running on the beach both as a wizard and as Padfoot had given him almost superhuman speed. Rhiannon and her magical horse soon became distant figures, and the increasing yardage between them filled Colleen with a renewed sense of anxiety. They had spent almost a full year together in a pack, and splintering off like this seemed unwise. She understood her and Sirius's presence inside Hogwarts, though, would put Severus in far too precarious a position.
"Where did Severus take Ben?" Colleen demanded when Sirius finally set her on the ground. Her wizard still ignored her, his attention directed to a gigantic tree that swished its gnarled branches violently whenever he approached.
"Whoa, boy," he said with a chuckle, dancing back and forth with the tree as if his movements were choreographed in long term memory. Wand in hand, he levitated a small branch from the ground and sent it hurling toward a spot in the tree's trunk at just the right moment. The lashing of branches stopped.
"After you, my lady."
"We're living in a tree?"
"No, the tree leads to a tunnel, which leads to there." He pointed to a tall, rickety wooden building that barely looked sturdier than the Hogwarts "ruins" had looked to Colleen moments before. Sighing, she shimmied down and slid into a hole that was now visible at the tree's roots, her jeans and blue Henley now a muddy mess. She couldn't believe she was charging headfirst into a dark pit of underground peril, but life with Sirius Black left little choice in such matters.
Upon entering the shack they were met with the smell of damp wood, a dusty floor and fireplace, piles of broken furniture, and boarded up windows. Sirius promptly went to work with his wand, putting on a Transfiguration magic show to make the space at least a bit inhabitable.
"We had this place looking all right at one time," he remarked. "Remus would go in here when he transformed, of course, but it was also a great haunt for four teen boys to hang out and shoot the shit with some firewhisky and cigarettes, even at other times of the month. One time, we even..."
Colleen cleared her throat. "Sirius, I hate to interrupt your reminiscing, but do you have any idea where Severus Snape has taken our son? I'd like him here with us."
Sirius pulled her close. "Severus won't let anything happen to him. He's Ben's family too, remember? I'll figure it out though. Let me do some charm work upstairs so we have a place to sleep, then I'll transform into Padfoot and try to get some intel, all right?"
Colleen laughed at the word "intel" coming from her wizard's mouth; clearly he'd been enjoying too many action and spy movies. She followed him up the stairs, which looked like they should be condemned, and she spotted the broken bed he and Severus had mentioned. Mending that took some concentration, but Sirius managed to make a stable, decently comfortable spot to sleep, with a feather mattress and a few coarse but adequate blankets and pillows transfigured from scraps found around the shack.
"I sort of glamorized 'roughing it' back when we hung around here, after my posh upbringing. So we never brought in anything all that nice," he said apologetically.
"Well, hopefully it's very temporary," Colleen replied with a shrug. "I don't think I'll get all that much sleep in a place like this anyway."
Sirius grinned devilishly. "I hope not."
She rolled her eyes. "Are there any limits to where and when you will shag?"
"Hmm, let me think. No." Sirius held his arms out to her, daring her to make the first move.
Colleen shook her head. "Go find Severus first, remember? I need at least a little peace of mind before I can even think about all that."
Sirius nodded. "Of course. Be right back." He darted downward and forward, and Padfoot began heading toward the stairs with a swagger and a long look back at her. If dogs could wink, Colleen could have sworn he did.
Colleen looked warily at her surroundings, then decided to distract herself by inventorying everything she had so hastily brought along in her large rucksack. She had Essence of Ditany, powdered silver and ditany for werewolf attacks, anti-coagulants, pain relievers, bezoars and Antidote to Common Poisons, anti-venom, salves for treating muscular tremors caused by the Cruciatus curse, and burn healing paste. She of course had her dragon skin jacket, and the talisman she and Rhiannon had crafted a few months ago.
As far as the original talisman from Rhiannon's mother, Colleen had given it to Severus a few days earlier. In her mind, it was he who was at the greatest risk, playing for and against both sides. If anyone needed any protections it may offer, it was Severus. Colleen just hoped he would abide her wishes and wear it beneath his black layers instead of dismissing it as superstition.
Just when Colleen thought she was down to only crystals in the bag, she felt the weight of one more bottle. It was dark blue glass with a label featuring two runic symbols. She had read a text on Ancient Runes one day, but had ultimately decided to save it for peace-time reading since war-time subjects seemed more pressing. She had no idea what the potion was, and she was certain she had not put it in the bag herself. It was Severus's typical bottle and label shape, however. Curious.
Merlin, where has he taken Ben? Colleen wondered, casting a glance through the cracked wood out onto the moonlit grounds. No sign of Severus or Padfoot. With a sigh, she rummaged in the bottom of the bag where she had stashed her crystals. From it she produced the Howlite, chalky white with its black marbled veins, known for its ability to calm the mind and instill confidence. With it securely in her palm, she laid upon the bed Sirius had cleaned and repaired, awaiting his return.
It didn't take long for Padfoot to smell Snape's most recent trail. He charged on all fours toward a grove of trees just behind the shack, spotting the wizard's tall, shadowy form blending in with a thick tree trunk.
"Well, that took awhile, didn't it?" Snape asked the dog coolly. "I was beginning to think I should find a way to conjure a tent."
Padfoot sniffed the man's leather boots and nuzzled the wool of his trousered legs before sliding up, placing one paw on his thigh. Snape jerked away violently.
"I am not playing this game with you, Black."
Padfoot leaned into the wizard for support as he transformed, his face lifting until it was less than an inch from Snape's. "Just a bit of fun, Snape. No need to get your robes all in a wad."
"There's no time for this, Sirius. Things are escalating quickly, and the end is near."
"So dramatic, Sev. And you said my first name again. I love you, too."
"Save it for the bedroom, Black. Potter broke into the Lestrange vault at Gringotts today, presumably to procure and destroy another Horcrux. But all of the Hogsmeade forces are on high alert, anticipating his next move. I am certain the final battle is approaching. I've moved Ben to the Tonks house, with Andromeda, Teddy, and Beedle. Remus, Tonks, and the rest of the Order are on alert as well. Andromeda's is the safest place for Ben right now. Her blood status protects her. She can always denounce her late husband's decisions in his latter days, and being a Slytherin, I'm sure she will if needed."
Sirius chuckled at that last bit. At least his family could be counted on for something. "Thanks. Colleen will be glad of that. Now for the battle— I'm fighting. I'm not taking no for an answer. Wherever you go, I'm going too."
Severus nodded somberly. "I'm fairly certain the battle will be coming to us."
Sirius felt a leap of excitement in his belly in place of what ought to be fear. He felt like he'd lived his whole life for this moment. But on the tails of that excitement came a nagging reminder that they'd abandoned the beach house prior to supper. He couldn't fight on an empty stomach. And that reminder brought with it his questions regarding the failed Fidelius Charm.
"Severus— what went wrong with protecting the house? I promise on my life I didn't reveal the location. I know I've messed up a lot in the past, but I know this time I didn't."
The Slytherin studied his face, not smiling nor frowning. Sirius assumed his own mind was being mined for information, but it was a subtle invasion. And one that Sirius didn't mind. He wanted to be proven innocent on this front.
"I don't know, Black," Snape finally answered. "There's obviously a reason, but its discovery will have to wait for another time. There are far too many other tasks at hand. But...I believe you," he added quietly.
Sirius nodded with relief. "Say, you think you can smuggle some food from the castle? Enough to last us a few days out here?"
"Yes. But you need to transform back into dog form quickly. I'm sure the Dementors consider you an old friend and will undoubtedly come to call again. Go back to your wife. I will leave the food in the tunnel within the half hour. But..." The wizard trailed off, his moonlit face looking like he wanted to say something important.
"What is it, Sev?"
"Over a year ago, when you first came to me about Colleen, I asked you if you had soul-bonded with her."
Sirius nodded. "I feel like I have something special with her. It's based on scent. When I smell her, my mind is all wobbly. But in a good way. She has said she feels the same. It's different than the attraction I have to you and Rhiannon. And it became stronger after the magical marriage rites."
"It's the beginnings of your bond, accentuated by a general marriage bond, which is powerful," Snape explained "But you're not soul-bonded— not truly. If soul-bonded, you would feel her presence all the time, be able to communicate with her, in a limited fashion, across a distance, and you would know immediately if she were in danger. You would also be able to control each other's interactions with others, like Rhiannon and I do."
Sirius made a face. "Colleen and I place an importance on consent. I would never want to take any measure of control away from her."
"You have the ability to allow her as much freedom as you and she desire, and vice versa. It's an aspect of soul bonding that you can choose to use or not use. But the benefits— the things you can't control, like the extra protection it affords you— are worth the negotiations required for the other parts. With the final battle looming, you should strongly consider it. Tonight."
It made sense. And it stirred something within Sirius, a deep, primal urge he'd felt often during those first few months he'd known Colleen. He distinctly remembered the power of that feeling that night at Grimmauld Place; he'd fucked her in a more animalistic way than normal, and she'd loved it. But he'd held back a bit, not wishing to frighten her, scared of losing her. Still — that had been just rough sex. This would be different.
"How would we accomplish it?" Sirius asked Snape steadily, pretty sure he had an idea. "What did you and Rhiannon do?"
"Yours will be different," Snape answered. "And I think you know what to do. You'll find a potion in Colleen's rucksack that will aid you in your efforts. I placed it in there a few days ago when she and I were discussing another matter."
The wizard's hand drifted distractedly to his neck before he continued. "After Potter's narrow escape from the Manor, I knew it was only a matter of time until the end. I brewed a batch so you would be prepared."
Sirius's eyes widened. He could make an educated guess on what the potion would do. His blood was pounding in his veins now. Could he do this? Colleen wasn't an Animagus. She wasn't even a witch. How could she possibly understand? His mind thought back to the evening the Snapes' child was conceived, when he'd praised Colleen's glorious scent and she'd desperately moaned that she smelled so good to Sirius because she was his. She did understand, on a level that was deeper than conscious awareness. Sirius would just need to tap into that whirlwind of uncontrollable desire once again.
He looked up at the moon. It wasn't full, only a waxing crescent. In astrology, it symbolized positivity and "faith rewarded." Great shifts, changes, and calls to action were to be aligned with the waxing moon. It was said that those who were naturally hesitant in life should take advantage of the moon's power to take that final leap. There was truly no better night for this.
"Thanks, Sev," he said quickly. "And hey..." Sirius shoved his hands in his pockets, suddenly feeling nervous. "If I don't see you again, these past few months have been...really good. The closest thing to a life I've ever had really. One that's not just happy, but happy for the right reasons. With purpose. And with people I'm truly proud to call my family. That includes you. Tell Rhiannon that too, and that I love her."
Snape gave a nod in return. The man wasn't one for sentimentality, but at least he didn't lash out in protest. "Good luck, Black. I hope to see you on the other side of all this. But if I don't, take care of my child."
Sirius gave him a warm smile. "You know I will." He watched the long tail of the wizard's black cloak disappear over the hill, and his anticipation of the night's upcoming thrills turned briefly into a sense of heaviness, knowing their family might never be the same again after tonight.