"Brumous"

"Chapter Thirty-Two: Memories"

Harry thought it felt odd, trying to duel with somebody else's wand. The fact that the wand had belonged to James Potter made it all the more unsettling. It was the wand that his father had had since he was eleven, had become an Animagus with, had fought countless Death Eaters with, had defied Voldemort three times with. It was also the wand that his father had left forgotten between the cushions of the sofa when Voldemort had tried to murder their entire family. The wand that could have potentially saved their lives, had James not trusted his friend.

Harry studied the wand, more than he had before. The handle didn't feel as smooth as Harry's, like James had been careless and reckless with it. Dents and dings littered the handle and even the tip, and Harry briefly wondered if his father had a habit of hitting his wand on things. There were markings in it too, like the outline of antlers at the very base of the wand, right below a rather large dent. Harry couldn't help but wonder if his father had carved it in himself, representing Prongs. If he turned the wand, there the letters MWPP were carved on the opposite side of the antlers.

Sirius seemed quieter than usual as Harry used the wand, his arms crossed over his chest and his features void of any emotion. Harry hated every second of it. His dad's wand didn't hold the same punch of power as his own wand did, but Harry noticed it was smoother in its transitions and layering. The wand responded well to him, despite feeling so foreign.

"It's a good backup wand," Mrs Robins observed at the end of their lesson. "Aurors normally have a second wand they carry. It will never be as good as your main wand, but it will help in a pinch."

"It feels… different," Harry said in a soft tone so Sirius couldn't hear him across the garden

"Sirius said it's good for Transfiguration," Mrs Robins explained. "I know Gawain wanted you to work on your Transfiguration. Might be good to practice with that one for more complex Transfigurations and see if it's easier for you."

Harry nodded, his eyes dropping to the mahogany wand and brushing his thumb along a deep gash on the tip. He wandered what had caused the blemish in the wood, but he'd never know. His chest twisted painfully knowing there were so many stories and so much knowledge about his family that would remain a mystery. Because Sirius didn't know everything, despite Harry's desire that he did. While Sirius did know a large chunk about the Potters, it was never enough to quench Harry's thirst. Sometimes, Harry felt like he knew the Black family better than the Potter family.

"You did well," Mrs Robins assured him. "Especially for using a wand that wasn't your own."

Harry looked up at Mrs Robins, his brows furrowing as he stuffed his dad's wand into the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt. "I suppose, yeah."

"Gawain will be back next week," Mrs Robins assured him. "We'll go back to your own wand next Sunday. Sirius just needed to see how the wand responded to you for ward purposes."

Harry didn't say anything. He knew Sirius had dismantled the blood wards around the Hogsmeade house, that much he had been told. But Harry hadn't the foggiest idea as to why. While he wanted to know, Sirius had quickly changed the subject. Harry couldn't help but feel like Sirius was just trying to divert the conversation. There was nothing Harry hated more than to be left in the dark.

"Thank you, Mrs Robins," Harry said in a sincere voice, appreciating that she and Tonks had found the time to help him the day after an attack.

Mrs Robins smiled. "Anytime. Now, let's go fill in that godfather of yours."

Harry made his way over to Sirius and Tonks who stood on the back deck chatting in low tones to one another. Mrs Robins went over Harry's progress, things he should work on, and also gave Sirius the go-ahead to use James' wand for wards around the Hogsmeade house.

"Thanks, Tee," Sirius said in a soft voice. "I really appreciate you getting away for this."

Mrs Robins laughed, her hand touching Sirius' elbow. "Trust me, this is better than the mountain of paperwork I have to do later today. Lucky for me, King and Sutton said they'd take some of it off my shoulders so I could be here."

Tonks laughed. "King would do that. Such a people pleaser."

"A real hero," Mrs Robins added with a smile.

A tight smile flitted across Sirius' face as he turned towards Harry, his hand gripping his shoulder. "Ready to go, kid?"

Harry waved at Tonks briefly before he followed Sirius around the house and towards the Apparition point. He knew to stay close, especially after the attack the previous day. There was a heaviness that hung between them, like when they had first talked outside of the Shrieking Shack when Sirius had awkwardly offered him a new home. Harry despised that, especially since he wasn't quite sure what had sparked Sirius' foul mood. It wasn't just what he learned in France, Harry knew that much. France had definitely amplified his bad mood, but Sirius had been moodier before they had even gone.

"Don't forget to leave James' wand with me," Sirius said as they turned into a small wooded area. "Bill said he could put the wards up tonight."

Harry nodded. "Okay."

Without warning, Sirius Apparated. When they arrived in Hogsmeade, Sirius didn't take him by the house like he normally did so they could have lunch and chat. Instead, they made their way towards the castle. Harry didn't say anything, his gaze focused on his shoes.

When they arrived in Professor McGonagall's office, Sirius signed him back into school with a frown etched deep in his brow. Harry tugged his father's wand out of his pocket and rolled it between his fingers, tracing the carved antlers with his thumb.

"Is Dumbledore in?" Sirius asked, glancing at his watch.

Harry looked up at Sirius, peering at him over the top of his glasses.

"He is, but he's been in and out of meetings all day with Ministry officials," McGonagall explained. "Gawain has been by at least three times to discuss how to better secure the castle and the village."

Sirius nodded, tossing the quill onto the desk. "Are Hogsmeade visits canceled?"

Harry's face pulled, his eyes flickering between the two.

"Not yet, but Albus wants to drastically change them," McGonagall replied, clasping her hands in front of her. "Are you revoking Harry's privileges?"

Harry held his breath, ready to protest.

"Not yet," Sirius said, his head turning to look at Harry. "But I will if the village can't be secured for visits."

"Sirius–" Harry started.

But Sirius only raised his hand to stop him before he could speak more. "Look, it's a last resort. You deserve to have fun, all right? But I can't have you vulnerable every single visit."

McGonagall nodded curtly. "From what I have gathered in the meetings I was a part of, they will be unannounced trips for starters and nobody would know they are happening until it is announced at breakfast. Students attending are to leave directly from breakfast, unable to go to their dormitories for anything so there is no way for any student to contact any outside sources," she explained, his lips forming into a thin line. "He wants a heavy Order and Auror presence as well as closing the village to all Apparition during those weekends."

Sirius huffed. "Wouldn't that need approval from the village? Residents and business owners?"

McGonagall nodded. "Yes, but business owners will approve it if they want Albus to keep the village visits. I'm sure Albus could sway enough of the residents. Are you on good terms with any of them?"

Sirius let out a bitter laugh. "Oh yeah, my neighbors bloody well love me."

"Maybe you should try to make some friends, Mr Black," McGonagall suggested, her lips quirking.

Sirius shot her a disgusted look. "I hate people. That's the last thing I want to do."

"It was merely a suggestion," McGonagall insisted.

"Right, thanks but no thanks," Sirius replied before turning towards Harry. "All right, you know what I'm going to say, don't you?"

Harry nodded. "Keep my head down and nose clean."

Sirius offered him a strained smile. "Correct," he said in a light tone, his hand reaching out. "Wand?"

Harry placed his father's wand in Sirius' outstretched hand. "Are you going to tell me why the blood wards don't work anymore?"

"Just trying something new," Sirius replied, his fingers wrapping around the wand. "I'll give this back next week."

Harry sucked in a breath. "Right."

Sirius clapped a hand on the side of Harry's neck. "I love you. I'll see you next Sunday."

A lump formed in Harry's throat. "Me too."

"I'll walk you out," Sirius added. "I'm going to go speak with Dumbledore."

Harry only nodded once more, following his godfather out of McGonagall's office. They parted ways, Sirius towards the headmaster's office while Harry made his way towards the library to find Ginny and Ron.

He found them easily enough at the girls' normal table in the back of the library. Niamh's chair sat close to Ron's, the two doodling on a piece of parchment. Gemma, Demelza, and Ginny seemed less interested in their open books and more interested in giggling behind their hands as they chatted. Gemma saw Harry approaching first and waved in his direction. Demelza automatically moved to another seat to allow Harry to sit next to Ginny.

"You're back early," Ginny commented as Harry bent down to peck her on the lips.

"Yeah," he replied as he took a seat next to her.

Harry felt distracted that entire day, barely listening to the group talk as he attempted to get some homework done. He kept thinking about his father's wand, the wards, and Sirius' foul mood. His godfather's mood seemed to have begun about a month into the school year. Perhaps it was seasonal, thanks to the bitter October air rolling in. Maybe it was something with the Order of the Phoenix. Arguably, he could just hate living in Hogsmeade as much as he had Grimmauld Place, tired of everyone judging him and sneering in his direction. Harry didn't know what to do about any of it, whatever the reason was.

When dinner time rolled around, Harry sat between Ginny and Ron like he normally did. His fork pushed around his food, not feeling very hungry. Sirius' awful mood had infected Harry, and he was very aware of that. He tried to shake it off, but he just couldn't. A heavy cloud of irritation and melancholy rained down on him.

After dinner, the group parted. Ginny grasped his hand in hers and dragged him off towards the Room of Requirement. She paced in front of the tapestry, a smile quirking on her lips as Harry just stood there dumbly and watched her. They entered the room and Harry couldn't help but think it looked like the Burrow with its comfy furniture and cozy atmosphere. There was even a fire going in the fireplace, casting a warm orange glow over the room. Harry took a seat on the sofa.

"Do you like it?" Ginny asked, collapsing down on the sofa next to him and draping her legs over his thighs.

Harry's lips quirked. "It's great. I like it a lot."

Ginny grasped his hand in hers, her thumb brushing against the back of his hand. "What's wrong?"

Harry leaned back against the sofa, his eyes staring at the ceiling. "I don't know. Just in a bad mood."

"Did something happen during your lessons today? Is that why you were back early?" Ginny inquired, scooching closer to him until her bum was touching the side of his thigh.

"Normally, I go back to Sirius' for the afternoon," Harry explained, even though Ginny already knew that. "Today, he brought me right back to the castle. He's all moody," he said as he turned his head to look at her. "Why does he get all moody?"

Ginny shrugged. "Sirius always seemed… I don't know. Like little things set him off, you know?"

Harry did know. Sirius was far more likely to become snappish and irritated over things that annoyed him. Sirius had by and large avoided that kind of behavior towards Harry. That was until their latest excursion to France where Sirius seemed peeved by Harry's insistence that they don't lie to Cepheus about Regulus. But Harry had fallen into line with what Sirius wanted, or as best as he could, to avoid any further argument with his godfather and sour their otherwise good relationship.

"I don't know, Gin, it's just frustrating," Harry admitted. "Isn't it supposed to be easier?"

Ginny laughed. "Merlin, no! I've fought plenty of times with Mum and Dad over the silliest things. People fight. People get angry and upset for no bloody reason. Sirius is generally a moody bloke. If it makes you feel any better, Mum asked me the other day over the mirror if you had been talking to Sirius regularly because he's been more withdrawn with her as well. She was worried about him."

Harry frowned at that bit of information. "I mean, I have been. We talk nearly every single night. They've just been a lot shorter conversations lately."

Ginny nodded. "That's what I told her."

"Apparently, he took down the blood wards on the Hogsmeade house. I guess he's using wand signatures or something," Harry explained. "Bill is helping him. They're tying in my dad's wand into the wards. I guess it responded well enough to me that they think it'll work."

"I wonder why he's securing the Hogsmeade house as well as he is," Ginny mused. "It's not like you're ever going to stay there. Isn't he looking for a house in the middle of nowhere for summer?"

"Yeah, he wants it by Christmas," Harry explained. "And I'm assuming he wants a safe place in Hogsmeade in case of an attack, like there was yesterday. Maybe he thinks he can drag me into the house and protect me that way," he said, unable to keep the bitterness out of his tone.

Ginny rolled her eyes at him. "Merlin, Harry."

Harry felt his mirror go off. He shifted, grabbing the mirror from his back pocket. He expected it to be Sirius, maybe with some information on what was going on after speaking with Dumbledore and an update on the wards. Except it wasn't his godfather. Instead, it was Cepheus Black. Harry pursed his lips to the side, glancing over at Ginny.

"Want to meet my new cousin?" Harry asked.

Ginny grinned, snuggling close to Harry so they could both be seen in the mirror. "Always."

"Cepheus Black," Harry said and the mirror instantly started to ripple.

"Harry! Hi!" Cepheus greeted, a wide grin spreading across his lips.

"Hey, this is my girlfriend, Ginny Weasley," Harry introduced her. "Gin, this is Cepheus."

"It's nice to meet you," Ginny greeted. "Harry told me all about France."

"Oh, brilliant! That's, that's great! He talked about you too when he was here," Cepheus replied. "We spent hours walking around Beauxbatons. Which, speaking of that, my mum still isn't saying what her and Uncle Sirius discussed."

Harry frowned. "Yeah, it must be big though because Sirius is really moody. Well, he's always a tad bit moody but way more than usual."

"I also wrote to my great-grandmother," Cepheus said, scratching his cheek. "Melania Black, the one I told you about. Although, I'm not sure she'll tell me anything, especially if you've never even met her."

"Melania Black?" Ginny repeated. "Sirius had never mentioned his grandmother before, has he?"

Harry shook his head. "I thought Druella was the only Black still alive."

Ginny pursed her lips to the side. "Well, there's my grandmother. I can write to her."

"You're a Black?" Cepheus asked.

Ginny shrugged. "My grandmother is. I'm not even sure how she's related to Sirius though. Distant cousins. She's never really talked about the Black family because she was disowned. Sirius said he only met her once or something. But she may know something. I'll write her."

Cepheus frowned. "The more I learn about the Black family, the more I don't think I like them very much."

Harry frowned. "I'd just focus on the good Blacks like Sirius and Andy."

"Would, err, would Andy mind if I wrote to her?" Cepheus asked.

Harry shook his head. "Nah, she wouldn't. She's very family oriented. She lives in Exeter, but I can get you the full address once I'm back in my dorm if your owl will need it. Hedwig's always been really good about finding people with just a city name."

Ginny snorted. "Pigwidgeon needs very specific instructions."

Harry bobbed his head from side to side. "But Pig is very, well, Pig."

Ginny wrinkled her nose. "What the bloody hell does that mean?"

"I mean, you know, he's a hyper little thing with a very… limited attention span," Harry elaborated.

"Can you grab me the specific address?" Cepheus asked. "I have to use a school owl. I don't have my own."

Harry agreed, knowing he had the address buried somewhere in his trunk. The three of them chatted for a bit, getting to know each other better. Harry relished how normal it all felt, finally having a cousin who didn't hate him and was interested in him and his life. Harry was equally as interested, because he had wanted a family his entire life and now people were being thrown at him from all directions. Honestly, Harry relished in it.

It was past curfew when Harry and Ginny decided to make their way back to Gryffindor tower. Harry flourished the Invisibility Cloak, covering him and Ginny completely. He had to crouch down so his feet didn't show, pressing himself close to Ginny as they shuffled along the corridors. Ginny had the map out in front of her, keeping an eye out so they could make a move quicker down some corridors.

"Snape," Ginny hissed.

Harry made sure to crouch lower than normal, his cheek resting against Ginny's temple. His eyes dropped down to the map to see Snape rounding the corner. They stayed frozen against the wall. Harry's eye caught movement not far behind Snape, Marlene's little dot moving in fast.

"Severus!" she shouted.

Snape strolled past them, his face straight ahead as he ignored Marlene calling out for him. A split second later, Marlene came bursting down the corridor, her face red and angry. Harry wrapped an arm around Ginny, pressing her close to his chest as they stood frozen like statues.

"Don't be a fucking coward!" Marlene seethed, sounding far more confident than Harry could ever recall. "I'm tired of you ignoring me and not even looking at me!"

Snape whipped around, his robes swishing around him as he gave Marlene a hard stare. "What do you want?"

Marlene's chest heaved, tears springing to her eyes. "You knew."

Snape merely looked at her, his lips setting into a thin hard line. He didn't move a muscle. Marlene took a few steps closer to him, her breaths coming out in harsh huffs.

"You saw me that night," Marlene uttered in a hushed tone. "You looked right at me."

"I don't–"

Marlene flung her hands forward, pushing Snape back. "Don't fucking lie to me! As soon as I saw, I saw Bellatrix I have been remembering more and more! It's becoming clearer and clearer! You saw me crawling, bloody and nearly dead in the back garden. You looked right at me. You didn't try to help me. You didn't tell anyone I was still alive. You just set fire to my family's home! I watched you do it!"

Harry's eyes narrowed as he stared at Snape while Ginny sucked in a deep breath. Snape's normally pale face turned ghastly white.

"What was I supposed to do?" Snape hissed. "Compromise my position as a spy to help a dying woman? I thought you had died in the woods!"

"I was always so kind to you," Marlene whispered, tears pouring down her face. "Dorcas hated you. She tried constantly to get Lily to ditch you. But I kept my tongue! I even tried to befriend you even though you were never kind to me in return. I tried so hard for Lily to be nice. All you ever did, all you ever will do, is destroy everyone around you."

"Don't pretend you were ever kind to me," Snape sneered. "I know how all of you tried to turn Lily against me! I loved her!"

Marlene let out a bitter laugh, one that made the hair on Harry's arms curl. "You didn't love Lily. You were obsessed with her. That's a big fucking difference. When she didn't return your feelings, you did everything you could to make her life miserable."

Marlene raised her hand to her head, her fingers pressing into her temple and massaging it. The color slowly drained from her face as she stared hard at Snape.

"I know it was you who pushed her together with Potter," Snape snapped, his jaw tight and his body stiff. "You and Black, the little dynamic duo. Black with his little sob story he would talk to Lily about, how terrible it was to run away from home and how amazingly supportive Potter was. You, with your coaching Potter how not to be a complete pompous git at every single opportunity presented to him."

"Lily didn't do anything she never wanted to do," Marlene replied, her voice wavering. "She liked James for a while, thought he was funny and fit but also thought he needed to grow the fuck up. As soon as he did, Lily was more than happy to give him a shot. But you, you never grew up," she barreled on, her other hand reaching up to massage her other temple. "You joined a fucking hate group. You hurt people. You killed people. People just like her."

Snape's brows furrowed as he stared at Marlene who seemed to be slowly slipping. Her body trembled, her eyes screwing shut. She stumbled to the side.

"You even tried to crash her wedding." Marlene gasped. "You tried to convince her not to marry James. Dorcas, Sirius, and I had to… we had to force you to leave."

Marlene gasped, falling to her knees. Harry stiffened, his arms falling from around Ginny. He watched Snape very closely. There wasn't a chance he would allow Snape to hurt Marlene again. Slowly, Harry drew his wand from his pocket as he positioned himself in front of Ginny.

Snape took a step closer, peering down at Marlene. "Marlene?" he whispered.

"I hate you!" Marlene screamed, hunching over further. "I hate you! I hate you! You ruined my life! You left me to die! You left me! You let them manipulate me! You let them rape me! You let them hurt me!"

Snape jumped back, as though he had been burned.

"I didn't know…" Snape trailed off.

Footsteps sounded, growing closer and more frantic. Professor McGonagall appeared around the corner, rushing towards Marlene. She swooped down next to Marlene, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"What happened, Severus?" Professor McGonagall asked, soothing Marlene's hair back.

"He knew," Marlene sobbed, holding her head in her hands. "He knew. He knew. He knew."

Harry bent down to whisper in Ginny's ear. "Take the map and the cloak. Go back to the common room."

Without another word, Harry slipped from the Invisibility Cloak. He stepped out of the shadows, not even bothering to look at Snape as he crouched down on the other side of Marlene. Professor McGonagall peered at him but didn't say anything.

"I think she's getting her memories back," Harry explained before he ducked his head down to try to get Marlene to look at him. "Marlene?"

Marlene turned her head slowly, peering at him. Her face lit with recognition as she practically flung herself at him, her hands clawing at his shirt.

"James! James! He knew!" Marlene cried.

"Marlene, that's Harry," Professor McGonagall said, still running her hand along Marlene's back. "Marlene."

"James, James," Marlene sobbed, her face burying into the crook of Harry's neck. He stiffened, forcing his arms to wrap around her.

Harry tried to put a reassuring smile on his face, but he was sure he failed. "It's, err, it's all right," he said in an awkward tone, not knowing what to do.

"Harry," Professor McGonagall started.

"It's all right, professor. She's just confused," Harry replied, trying to relax. "I don't mind."

"James, where's Sirius?" Marlene asked, pulling her face back to look at him. "Why isn't he with you? He's always with you… co-dependent fuckers."

Harry swallowed, his face grimacing. "Err, he's at home."

"James…" Marlene whispered, her eyes flickering from side to side rapidly. "What's wrong with your eyes?"

Harry opened his mouth but no words came out. What was he supposed to say to that?

"James… where's Harry?" Marlene asked before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she went limp in his arms.

Harry's head snapped up to look at Professor McGonagall. His heart hammered in his chest as she reached out to press her fingers to the vein in Marlene's neck.

"She needs the infirmary," Professor McGonagall said, pulling her wand from her robe pocket. "I'll levitate her. Just sit her down on the ground, Mr Potter."

Harry swallowed, his head snapping over to where Snape stood stiff as a board. "No, I'll carry her."

Harry slid an arm underneath her knees and kept his other one under her back, just like he had seen Sirius do in Hogsmeade the previous day. He rose to his full height, adjusting his godmother in his arms. It felt weird, way too weird. He had never carried anyone before. Sirius had made it look easy, like it was second nature.

Professor McGonagall tapped Marlene's shoulder and she became weightless in Harry's arms. He shot her a lop-sided smile in appreciation. Footfalls sounded. Professor Dumbledore and Remus rounded the corner.

"Ah, the portraits told me we could find you here," Professor Dumbledore greeted, his face grim. "Is Marlene all right, Minerva? Remus told me she's been regaining her memories."

Remus picked up his pace, moving fast towards Harry. "Harry, what are you doing here?" he asked, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"Potter was lurking about the castle, per usual," Snape said, though his normal drawl of contempt was absent.

Harry shot him a glare. "I heard everything," he hissed, his shoulders squaring. "Snape knew Marlene was alive. She saw him that night outside of her parents' house."

Remus took a step in front of Harry and Marlene. "What?"

"Severus, is this true?" Professor McGonagall whispered.

"Remus, Minerva, will you please escort Marlene and Harry to the hospital wing while Severus and I talk?" Professor Dumbledore asked. "I will be along shortly."

Harry scowled. He wanted to know what Snape had to say to the revelation. What possible excuse could there be? He could have saved Marlene from years of mental torture if he had just said he had seen her. The Order would have looked for her. They could have found her.

Remus turned around. "Let's go, Harry."

Harry wanted to protest, his eyes pleading for at least Remus to stay and find out what was happening. Except Remus only wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders. Harry pressed his lips into a thin line and followed Remus and Professor McGonagall towards the infirmary.

Remus leaned in close. "Don't tell Sirius about this. Let me go to him in the morning and tell him in person, all right? This isn't something he should hear over a mirror conversation."

"You promise you'll tell him though?" Harry asked.

A grim look spread across Remus' face. "Yes, Harry, and I'll make sure he doesn't do anything rash. That's another reason I'd rather talk to him in person. The animosity between Sirius and Severus is already high. We don't need anything to escalate it."

Harry swallowed. "Why wouldn't Snape tell anyone that he saw Marlene alive that night?"

Remus shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine," he whispered as they turned the corner. "But I can tell you one thing I know for sure. Severus only ever cared about one person. That one person was your mother. Everyone else could be damned."

Harry's stomached churned at that bit of information. Try as he may, he couldn't picture his mother and Snape being friends at all. Snape was rude, foul, and just plain mean. From what he had heard about his mother, she had been one of the kindest witches to ever live. The two personalities just didn't connect in his mind.

Remus knocked on Sirius' door early the next morning, his mind going over his little speech for the umpteenth time. He and Harry had spent a few hours in the infirmary with Marlene, but she had only slept. It was close to two in the morning when Remus walked Harry back to Gryffindor tower before he went back to sit by Marlene's bedside.

Now, he was tasked with the job of telling Sirius what had happened. Remus was the only one who could tell Sirius and deal with the fallout of emotions. He knew that he would be able to get Sirius not to do anything foolish, or at least he hoped so.

The door wrenched open and Sirius stood there with a grim look on his face. Remus could smell the alcohol on Sirius' breath and he winced.

"It's not even ten in the morning, Sirius," Remus greeted.

"It's five o'clock somewhere, isn't it?" Sirius replied, his words strong and steady.

At least he wasn't drunk. Maybe a bit of alcohol wasn't the worst thing right now given what Remus had to tell him. It may just take the edge off.

"May I come in?" Remus asked, gesturing with his head.

Sirius stepped aside, his fingers curling around the door. "Yeah, mate. Come on in and tell me what brings you here on a random Monday fucking morning."

Remus entered the house, his eyes staring at the large picture of Harry and Sirius in France hanging in the entryway. They both looked so happy, carefree, oblivious to a war happening around them. Turning around, Remus faced his best mate who did not look so bright and shiny as in the picture.

"I'm just going to be blunt with you, Sirius," Remus said with a sigh. "Marlene started regaining her memories."

Sirius didn't show any emotion. "Is she now?"

"Ever since she saw Bellatrix," Remus confirmed. "They've been coming in massive spurts that take her to her knees. She's in the infirmary at Hogwarts."

Sirius nodded, his arms crossing over his chest. "That's great. Does Harry know?"

Remus cleared his throat. "Yes, he found her last night having a little… episode, I suppose."

Sirius let out a long breath. "That's… it's great news."

Remus shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, his face pulling. "There's something else you should know."

Sirius' eyes searched Remus' face. "Just spit it out, Remus."

Remus collected his thoughts for a moment. He couldn't just spit it out, because he had to make sure that Sirius wouldn't march to Hogwarts and hex off Severus' face. Dumbledore had been tight-lipped about his talk with Severus, saying he still fully trusted the man with his life just that morning before he had left the castle. But Remus' own faith had started to waver.

"Promise me, you won't do anything stupid," Remus pressed.

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh, his head shaking. "For fuck's sake, Remus. I'm not a bloody teenager anymore."

Remus raised his eyebrows. "Well, you've certainly been moody like one lately."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Fuck off, all right? It's bloody October. You know what next Thursday is or have you forgotten?"

"I'm very well aware that next Thursday is Halloween, yes," Remus replied in a dry tone. "I have the full moon to look forward too as well on Saturday so the next week and a half are going to be full of joy."

Sirius pursed his lips, his head nodding. "I'll be there, all right? Harry has his Quidditch game in the afternoon and Andy wanted to take him out for dinner afterward. Then, I'll be by your place," he explained. "Are you going to try to go to the game? I know Dora is going."

"Yes, I wanted to try to make it," Remus confirmed. "I'll just have to make sure I keep an eye on the time if it runs long."

"Good," Sirius replied. "You need to show up for him."

Remus sighed. "Can we get back on topic?"

"Sure, tell me something that's going to piss me off and have me do something stupid," Sirius replied sarcastically.

"The night that the McKinnons were attacked, Marlene apparently crawled out of the house and into the back garden," Remus started, watching his friend's face closely. "She saw more Death Eaters arrive after she had escaped, before the fire was set."

"Okay…?" Sirius said, his brows furrowing.

"Snape was there," Remus said. "He saw Marlene crawling on the ground. He knew she survived the attack."

Sirius' face pulled back in disgust. "So he knew what Bella did to her? He knew how, how Marlene was tortured and manipulated and just said nothing?"

"No, Severus claims he saw her bleeding to death and assumed she died in the woods behind the house," Remus added in a rush. "He had no idea that she was still alive or that Bellatrix had gotten her hands on her. He assumed that when the funeral was held, they had found her body."

"It was an empty fucking casket!" Sirius shouted, his eyes flashing.

"He didn't know that," Remus said in a diplomatic tone, repeating what Dumbledore had told him that morning. Something about the story hadn't added up in Remus' mind, but he hadn't questioned Dumbledore on it – partly out of exhaustion and partly because he hadn't wanted to question the man who had done so much for him.

Sirius shook his head. "And you fucking believe that?"

"I…" Remus trailed off, sighing. "I don't know. Dumbledore believes him, but I just… I don't know, Sirius."

"He hated her," Sirius said in a deathly low tone. "He hated how close she was to Lily, hated how they steadily became best friends while his friendship with her deteriorated. Snape felt replaced. Marlene always said she tried with him, tried to be his friend because Lily saw something in him, but he was never kind towards her."

"Sirius, I just think… we can't do anything drastic with this information," Remus reasoned, not dropping eye contact. "And before you even think of dealing with it on your own, I want you to think of Harry. You have already royally angered Amelia Bones by deciding not to do what she asked of you."

"I was more than willing to give her moronic speech, but I wasn't going to bash Dumbledore when he's the only one who even remotely knows what's going on and can protect Harry," Sirius snapped.

Remus' jaw tightened. "Look, I know that and I agree with you. But she's looking for a reason to get back at you for not falling at her feet in gratitude. You and I both know that. If you rush into Hogwarts and attack Snape, then the Ministry will have cause to take Harry away or worse, throw you back into Azkaban."

Sirius stared hard at Remus, the muscle underneath his right eye twitching. "The only way Harry is taken away from me is over my dead body."

Remus sucked in a breath. "Yes, let's not get to that point for everyone's mental health, all right?"

"Look, I'm not going to do anything stupid," Sirius said in a short tone. "Harry means too much to me for me to fuck that all up."

Remus debated for a few moments if he should talk more in depth about Sirius' dubious coping mechanism and how he may just do something completely stupid while intoxicated. But October was hard on both of them, knowing all the mistakes that had been made all those years ago. Remus would be lying if he didn't admit to drinking a tad more than normal as Halloween drew closer. All he wanted to do was curl up next to Nymphadora and forget the world. While Remus knew that Sirius had been growing closer with Tegan, he doubted that Sirius was actually opening up to her in any meaningful way if he deemed her as just a shag buddy.

"You should contact Harry about Marlene," Remus changed the subject. "I asked him not to mention anything to you, because I thought I should tell you in person. He seemed rather anxious about it."

Sirius nodded. "He hates secrets."

Remus frowned. "Look, I'm far from an expert on children, but I know you've been more distant lately. I get it. I truly do. I fucking hate Halloween too. I hate this fucking month. I hate everything about this fucking season," he started, shifting his weight. "But Harry doesn't remember this as an awful time. He doesn't get why we're moodier than normal. Yes, he knows his parents died on Halloween, but he doesn't dwell on it like we do. I remember when I taught him a few years ago, he was unbothered by October. Minerva said he was never upset on Halloween and she doubted he even registered Halloween was his parents' death day. He doesn't associate it because he was too young to remember."

"So, what? You want me to tell him that I'm upset because I hate October and have him start to dwell on it like we do?" Sirius asked, his face pulling. "Or, or make him feel guilty that he's not as depressed as we are during this awful month?"

Remus sighed. "I don't know what the answer is, Sirius, but you and I both know that Harry has… issues."

"Issues," Sirius spat. "What the fuck does that mean?"

"Trust issues. Authority issues," Remus elaborated, his hand waving between them. "He likes to think he's a grown up and should know everything there is to know about a situation. He's never been allowed just to be a kid before."

"I'm trying to let him be a kid this year!" Sirius protested. "I've tried my damned hardest to let him have some semblance of a normal childhood for once in his life!"

"Why are you shouting at me?" Remus snapped, his brows furrowing. "I'm on your fucking side, Sirius!"

Sirius' jaw clenched, his hand carding through his hair. "I'm sorry. I'm just in a foul mood."

"Right," Remus said. "Look, uh, I told Marlene I would sit with her today. She has these intense moments where memories flood her mind. They're painful and awful and I promised I'd help her through it. But I wanted you to know what was going on because I think Harry needs someone to talk to. We both agreed it was important for me to come talk to you."

Sirius nodded. "Yeah, thanks. I'll call Harry on the mirror. Make sure he's all right."

"Would you, err, want to come with me?" Remus asked. "Marlene asked for you during one of the… the episodes yesterday afternoon."

Sirius' chest heaved. "No, no, I think it's best if I stay away."

"You can't avoid her forever, Sirius," Remus reasoned, frowning. "You were going to marry her."

Sirius cleared his throat, his eyes becoming unfocused as he looked beyond Remus. "I never got the chance to propose. I placed her ring in her empty casket before it was buried."

Remus cleared his throat. Even though he didn't agree with the way Sirius was going about things, he wasn't going to pick a fight with him. Maybe after October, Sirius would feel more up to speaking with her and the two could work out their problems. It was the advice Remus had given Marlene not that long ago. Just wait until Halloween was over. Everything would surely be easier after that.

Sirius stared at the swirl pattern on the ceiling, feeling Tegan's hot breath against his neck. His fingers played with her long, brown hair as he listened to the steady downpour bounce off the roof. It seemed wrong to still be shagging Tegan without telling her the awful truth about his parentage. The thought was a constant clawing at his chest, ripping away at his humanity bit by bit. Because Andromeda could say it didn't matter all she wanted, but that didn't make it true.

Maybe Sirius was more of a Riddle than he liked to admit. He had attempted to kill Wyatt Macnair. If Dora hadn't interrupted him, he would have killed the man without a second thought. One less person to potentially find Charlotte and Cepheus after all. When he had come across Bellatrix hurting Harry, he had seen red. The only thing he wanted to do was kill her. He had sent Snape's little slicing spell at her in hope that he hit a major artery. Sirius had no idea if she was saved or if she was dead. He realized he felt nothing but anger radiating deep inside of him.

Maybe the ease in which he could hurt people was a testament to his parentage. Perhaps he was so cruel because he was a Riddle by blood. What if that was what was wrong with him? That wasn't something that could be fixed. It was something that he'd have to live with.

A knock sounded at the door and Sirius held his breath. He swore if it was old Mrs Taylor again complaining that he was scaring her fucking cat, he was going to lose his fucking mind. His elderly neighbor always shot him nasty looks, telling her precious little Buttercup to stay away from the mean murderer next door. Sirius tried to ignore her, but she just plain pissed him off more often than not.

He slid out from underneath Tegan. She stirred, her hand groping for him. Bending down, he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Go back to bed," Sirius whispered. "I got it."

He grabbed a pair of joggers off the floor and shoved his legs in before he made his way towards the staircase, making sure to tie them tight on his waist. He ran his fingers through his hair as he made his way down the stairs, trying to make himself more presentable and not looking like he had just had sex. The knocking grew more frantic, and Sirius' annoyance only intensified. If Harry wasn't in trouble, he was going to be bloody well angry at whoever was at his door.

Sirius wrenched the door, trying to hold his irritation at bay. He froze when he saw who was standing on the other side. Her hair hung around her face, drenched from the downpour. She shivered, her blouse and skirt sticking to her skin. Obviously, she had forgotten a jacket or a robe. Nor did she bother with a Water Repelling Charm. She didn't seem like she even noticed how wet she was, her red lips parting like she wanted to say something.

"Marlene?" Sirius whispered.

She didn't reply. Instead, she stepped through the doorway, her body crashing into his. Her lips pressed against his, bruising and rough and desperate. Her hands tangled in his hair, her entire body leaning into his. It only took Sirius a few moments to register what had happened, his hands finding her waist so he could hold her to him. They were pressed so close together that Sirius could feel her erratic heartbeat against his chest.

Her lips were soft, softer than he remembered. Her breath tickled his nose as she deepened the kiss, and Sirius' chest expanded oddly at the warmth that flooded his body. Then thoughts of Tegan naked in his bed just upstairs crossed his mind. He froze, his lips no longer working. He pushed gently away from her, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Marlene… I… I can't," he whispered, his mouth suddenly dryer than the dessert. "I'm… I'm seeing someone."

Marlene looked like a deflated balloon, her features falling in a split second. Her hazel eyes searched his, her body trembling.

"Oh, I'm… I didn't…" Marlene cleared her throat, taking a step away from him and wiping the back of her hand across her mouth. "I'm sorry," her voice cracking, her eyes blinking rapidly. "Is it… is it Tegan?"

Sirius only stared at her. Though Sirius and Tegan hadn't come out and said they were dating, or whatever it was that they were doing, they weren't exactly covert about it either. The way they teamed up on missions for the Order, the way they leaned in close to one another as they chatted before and after meetings, the way she touched him and he touched her, the affectionate nickname that slid off his tongue with ease… no, surely, people suspected in the Order and so would Marlene. There was no point in lying to her. He owed her that much.

"Yeah, yeah, Tegan and I are…" Sirius trailed off, his tongue peeking out to lick his bottom lip. "The kids don't know. Harry and Demelza. So, yeah."

Sirius crossed his arms over his bare chest, feeling tense and uncertain. It seemed odd that she remembered after so long knowing nothing. He couldn't help but wonder if she had two sets of memories or if all the bad memories surrounding him had disappeared. Sirius knew it wasn't his place to ask, not when he had denied her advances.

"You look good, Sirius," Marlene whispered, a few tears splashing down her pale cheeks. "Fatherhood suits you. I, I remember you thought you'd be terrible at it. You had no interest in fathering a child, but I told you that you'd be amazing with the way you were with Harry. Nobody was as good with Harry as you were. Not even James. You had a way with him, always able to calm him and, and soothe him in a way none of the rest of us could."

Sirius felt his throat narrow and ache. "He's a great kid. You should get to know him. I… I won't stand in the way of that. You know that, don't you?"

Marlene offered him a watery smile. "I know, Sirius. I know. But I also know he's very attached to you."

Sirius cleared his throat, shifting. "I've told him all I could about James and the Potters. But I didn't… I mean, I only met Petunia and the Evans that one time. You knew them better than I did. But, uh, Petunia she… she's a bitch. She abused Harry. Just so you know."

Marlene nodded. "Doesn't surprise me. Petunia was always awful. Lily often ran to my house just to get away from her. She was nasty. Lily tried so hard to mend the bridge between them. But I think it was too broken to ever be able to fix. Didn't stop Lily from trying though. She is… she was too good of a person."

Sirius searched Marlene's eyes, eyes that had also belonged to his deceased best mate. James and Marlene didn't share very many facial features despite being second cousins. The eyes though, they always stood out to Sirius as being the same exact shade of hazel.

Marlene sniffed. "I, uh, I hope we can still be friends. I… I miss you, Sirius."

Sirius shot her a strained smile, swallowing back the emotions that threatened to burst from him. "I've missed you too, Marlene."

Marlene closed the space between them, rising up on her tiptoes. She wrapped her arms around him, her fingers wrapping around the back of his neck and holding him close to her like she had a million times before. Sirius melted into her arms, wrapping his around her waist like no time had passed at all. Screwing his eyes shut, he tried to regulate his breathing.

"I'm here for you, all right?" Marlene whispered. "You'll always be my person. No matter what."

Sirius' shoulders shuddered, his grip tightening around her. "I have so much I want to tell you. Things I haven't told anyone," he said, his voice cracking. "I'm drowning, Marly. And I can't breathe half the time. I, I, I feel like I'm dying."

Marlene tightened her grip around him, her cheek pressing against the side of his head. "Me too. Merlin, me too," she said, a sob escaping her lips. "Lily and James are dead."

Sirius nodded against her. "Fifteen years this Halloween," he said in a miserable tone. "I fucking hate Halloween. I hate October. I hate autumn. I hate everything."

Being around Marlene with her memories intact was easier than being around anyone else. She was a safe space for him, someone he didn't have to worry about offending or censoring himself around. Pulling away from her, Sirius shoved his hands into the pockets of his joggers. His eyes flickered to the staircase, but he hadn't heard Tegan moving upstairs. It only took the one glance for Marlene's face to shatter again.

"Is Tegan here?" Marlene whispered, her eyes widening and lips thinning. "I'm sorry, I'll, I'll go. Merlin fuck, what is wrong with me?"

Sirius shook his head. "It's not… it's fine."

Marlene let out a watery scoff. "Yeah, I'm sure she'll think highly of me after this."

Sirius' face tugged down. "She won't judge you. She's not like that. And, like you said, we're still friends."

Marlene winced at that. "Yeah, friends," she echoed in a tense tone. "I, uh, I should go."

Sirius reached out, grabbing her elbow. "Remus said you were having episodes where memories flood you. Are you going to be all right heading back by yourself? I'll walk you."

A weak smile flickered across her face. "I'm fine. I haven't had one in hours now. I think, I think I remember everything."

Sirius nodded, his fingers dropping from her arm.

"I still have the other memories," Marlene said in a soft voice. "About my life as Bella Riddle and, and you. I have two sets of memories of you, but I don't… I don't believe the bad ones."

Sirius frowned.

Bella Riddle.

Bella Riddle.

Bella Riddle.

Bellatrix knew. She knew all about how Sirius was Voldemort's son. The name she had given Marlene had been a nod to that. He was supposed to have married Bellatrix at sixteen, but he had escaped to the Potters before the Blacks could force the marriage. His last name was supposed to be Riddle. Bellatrix was sending him a very clear message, mocking him at the life he was supposed to be leading but had fought at every single turn.

"Are you all right, Sirius?" Marlene asked.

Sirius swallowed. "Yeah, yeah, I'm… yeah."

Marlene didn't look convinced but she didn't say anything either. Sirius forced a smile on his lips, although he wasn't one hundred percent positive that it wasn't a grimace. Whatever his face looked like, Marlene must have gotten the hint that he didn't want to talk because she bid him goodbye before she left the house. She didn't bother looking back at him before closing the door, and Sirius was oddly all right with that.

"Sirius?"

Turning around, Sirius watched as Tegan descended the stairs in one of his t-shirts. He didn't know what to say to her. Surely, she had heard about their history from someone in the Order. Andromeda certainly wasn't shy with her opinion about how Sirius and Marlene needed to communicate better.

"That was Marlene," Sirius said, his eyes searching hers. "We, uh, we dated a long time ago."

Tegan nodded, stepping off the final stair. "I know."

Sirius cleared his throat. "She just got her memories back. And, well, she, uh, she kissed me."

Tegan sucked in a breath. "We're not exclusive, Sirius. It's fine."

Sirius pursed his lips to the side. "Right. Not exclusive," he echoed, not knowing how he felt that she was so unbothered by it.

"I mean, you're not my boyfriend," Tegan continued.

"Yeah, if I was, I'm sure our kids would know that we've been fucking for the past two months," Sirius replied in a dry tone.

"I thought we agreed this was just a spot of fun," Tegan added, her arms crossing over her chest and causing the t-shirt to ride up her thighs.

"We did, yeah," Sirius agreed. "And I certainly like fucking you."

Tegan forced a smile on her lips. "Yeah, I like fucking you, but if you wanted something more… now that Marlene has her memories back…"

Sirius grimaced. "Are you breaking off our fuck buddy relationship?"

Tegan searched his face. "Only if you want to," she replied, her right shoulder shrugging.

Sirius glanced down at his watch. It was a quarter past six in the morning. His eyes flickered back up to her.

"Well, you don't start work for another two hours so…" Sirius trailed off, closing the space between them.

Tegan grinned as she rose up on her tiptoes, her arms draping across his shoulders. "Are you going to fuck me, Sirius?"

Sirius bent down, his fingers wrapping around the back of her neck and pulling her closer to him. "I think that's what fuck buddies do."

Sirius kissed her, hard and bruising. They stumbled towards the stairs, Sirius pushing her roughly against the wall and his hands tugging at the hem of the thin t-shirt. His mind vacated of all thoughts, shoving everything aside as he concentrated on how Tegan felt against him. Her hand slid down his joggers and wrapped around him, and every single thought slipped from his mind. It was easier not to think about the shitstorm around him when her naked body pressed against his. It seemed to be one of the few things that quieted the voices in his head, calming him down. Sirius was completely intoxicated by Tegan's touch.

Ginny laid next to Harry on a blanket on top of the Astronomy Tower. Heat radiated from the fabric below them as she cuddled close to Harry's equally warm body. The stars twinkled above them as Ginny pressed her cold nose against Harry's neck. He didn't seem bothered by the suddenly icy touch, but his hand did rub along her arm.

"I miss summer," Ginny murmured against him.

"This was your idea," Harry reasoned, his face still pointed towards the stars. "I was more than happy to stay where it was warm."

Ginny grinned, reaching behind her to pull the heated blanket around their bodies. "We should have brought more blankets."

Harry chuckled, his cheek resting against the top of her head. "I cast the most powerful Warming Charm I could manage on that blanket and our jackets."

Ginny snorted. "You're wearing a hooded sweatshirt. Do you even own a jacket?"

Harry laughed. "Andy bought me several actually. My winter one was some wool emerald green thing."

"Afraid people will think you're a Slytherin?" Ginny teased, propping herself up onto her elbow so she could see his face.

His nose wrinkled. "Just not my style."

Ginny cupped his chin with her hand, squeezing his lips together until he made a fishy face up at her. "What exactly is your style? Jeans and hooded sweatshirts?"

"Comfy," Harry said in muffled voice, given the fact that his lips were pursed together.

Ginny chuckled, bending down and pressing her lips against his. His fingers laced around the back of her neck, holding her steady against him. Her fingers slipped from his face so he could properly kiss her, and he didn't need any more encouragement as he deepened the kiss.

She had been kissing Harry for four months now. Each time was like their first time, sparks flying down her spine and the little hairs raising on her arms. She had never experienced anything so toe-curlingly good before. Certainly, not with Michael. She couldn't recall one time that Michael ever made her shiver as he kissed her. But with Harry, it was every single damn time.

Ginny pulled back, her eyes searching his. His hand moved from the back of her neck to the side, his thumb brushing along her jaw.

"I feel warmer now," Ginny said, her lips curving.

Harry only looked at her, an unreadable expression crossing his face. She fiddled with the strings on his sweatshirt, rolling the material between her fingers. His Adam's apple bobbed, his thumb ceasing in its caressing.

"Harry?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

Harry shook his head. "Nothing," he croaked before clearing his throat. "Nothing, Gin. Absolutely nothing."

"You're looking at me all weird," Ginny commented. "Is my breath rancid? Maybe I shouldn't have had so much shrimp at dinner. Is my breath shrimpy?"

Harry chuckled. "Nah, your breath his fine."

Ginny lolled her head to the side. "You'd say that even if my breath made you want to gag."

Harry's grin grew impossibly wider. "Probably. But honest, your breath is fine."

Ginny collapsed on the blanket next to him, her eyes searching the constellations above. "I'd definitely tell you if your breath was rancid."

Harry turned onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow. "I have no doubt you would," he said, his hand reaching out to cup her chin and force her to give him a fishy face. "Oh, look, you ate so much shrimp you turned into a fish. That's unfortunate."

Ginny laughed, swatting his hand away. "You're so corny."

"I'm sorry, Gin, I can't date a fish. I think there's laws against that," Harry continued, his green eyes sparkling. "I'm sad to part with you, but it has to be done."

"Here, I'll make you a fish again," Ginny commented, reaching up to squeeze his lips back together.

Harry did the same to her before he bent down to kiss her. It felt funny and Ginny spluttered a laugh against his lips. Harry let go of her face, so she did as well, her hand falling uselessly between them.

"You make me happy," Harry said, his voice thick and raw.

Ginny pressed her foot against his leg. "You make me happy too," she said, scooting closer to him so that she was pressed tightly against his chest. "Even if you're very distracting."

Harry's brow furrowed. "Distracting?"

Ginny bit her bottom lip. "Hmm, you were supposed to be helping me with my Astronomy essay."

"You kissed me first," Harry reasoned. "So you just distracted yourself. I was completely innocent."

Ginny ran her palms against his prickly cheeks. "Your fit body distracted me first."

Harry's eyebrows rose. "Fit? Me? You must have hit your head on the way up here."

Ginny laughed. "Yeah, tell that to all the girls who fancy you. Gemma told you about Romilda Vane and her little piranhas drooling as they watch you."

Harry looked up, a sigh escaping his lips. "They only like me because I'm the Chosen One. They don't like me because they think I'm fit or even because they like me for me."

"I personally like you for your hair," Ginny said, her hands riding up his face to his impossibly soft hair. "How do you get your hair so soft?"

Harry just stared at her. "I don't know. Shampoo?"

"What kind of conditioner do you use?" she asked, his fingers playing with the strands.

Harry's face pulled. "I don't use that. Just shampoo. Whatever Andy bought me."

Ginny burst out laughing, her hands falling from his hair. "Andy bought you your shampoo? Harry! You're sixteen!"

Harry shrugged. "What? I've never bought it before! I always just used to use whatever was available but Andy got all this fancy stuff for me. Most of it I don't even use. Or even know what it is."

"Merlin, Harry, you're impossible," Ginny breathed. "Now, I have to see your toiletry bag."

Harry collapsed down onto the blanket next to her, his fingers lacing with hers. "Sure, go for it. I know there's some Sleekeazy's Hair Potion in there. She thought I might like it. I never used it though."

"That's what your grandfather invented, right?" Ginny asked, turning her head so she could look at him.

"Yeah, he did," Harry replied, his eyes focused on their intertwined hands between them. "It's weird, you know? Like, I understand he's my grandfather. I've seen a few memories of him and read letters he wrote to me and others, but he doesn't seem real at the same time."

"I never met any of Mum's family," Ginny admitted. "But you hear these stories and they're like these make-believe figures who can do no wrong to the point they don't even seem real."

Harry nodded. "That's how I feel. My dad is the only one who has any semblance of being a person in my mind. People don't shy away from telling me horrible things about him nor great things."

Ginny frowned, her eyes searching his face. "That's Snape though telling you awful things. You can't believe him."

Harry's jaw tightened. "I think you're right. I don't believe him. I don't believe a word he has to say, because he's an awful human being. I hate him," he whispered. "I skived off his class this week. I have no plans of going next week either."

Ginny brushed her thumb along his knuckles. "Harry, you can't just drop Defense Against the Dark Arts. You want to be an Auror."

"I don't care," Harry said in a stubborn voice. "I'm not sitting in his class any longer. Not after what he did to Marlene," he said in a sure voice, his head turning to look at her. "He knew. He knew she was alive and he left her to die. He may not have known what Bellatrix did to her, but he should have told someone he saw her crawling into the woods. What he did… it's unforgivable, Ginny. I can't even look at him."

"What does Sirius say?" Ginny asked, moving their joined hands to her lips so she could kiss his hand.

"I haven't talked to him about it," Harry replied, a slight bitterness lacing his words. "Sirius isn't exactly chatty lately. I told you that."

"Well, I'm chatty," Ginny explained, giving his hand a squeeze. "You can always talk to me. About anything and everything."

Harry leaned his head forward, their foreheads connecting. "I know. I really appreciate that," he whispered. "Same with you, you know. If there's something you want to talk about. I may not know what to always say like you do, but I can listen."

Ginny's chest expanded, her body rolling back onto her side. The back of her hand brushed along his cheek. In that moment, on top of the Astronomy Tower on a clear and chilly night in October, Ginny was very acutely aware that she had fallen head first in love with Harry Potter. It wasn't just a crush. It wasn't just a teenage romance. No, Ginny would die a spinster if she somehow lost Harry. While Ginny had never believed in soul mates or old witches' tales, she couldn't help but think maybe she should as she stared into his twinkling emerald eyes.

Sirius waited outside the gates of Hogwarts, his hands shoved in the pockets of his leather jacket. His arms pressed tight against his sides. It was bitter cold, but he didn't bother with a Warming Charm. The chill made him feel alive, which was appreciated since he felt like he had been wandering around in a nightmare for the past several weeks.

A few parents passed by him, some he recognized from his childhood. Slytherins who sneered at him as they passed, their children no doubt on the Quidditch team. Turning his back to them, he stretched his neck and hated that he was there before everyone else. He should have been the last to arrive, but he had been excited to watch Harry play Quidditch. His eyes roamed around for his family, wishing they'd hurry the fuck up.

It took a few more minutes until Andromeda and Ted appeared. Andromeda looked stylish as ever in her long red peacoat that Sirius had no doubt that she bought for the occasion to match her Gryffindor scarf and beanie hat. Her brown hair was curled perfectly under the hat, not a strand out of place. Next to her, while Ted matched his wife with his scarf and beanie, he wore his normal tan Macintosh coat. Sirius wondered if it bothered Andromeda just a tad that he hadn't color coordinated as well as she had.

Sirius jerked his head up in greeting as they stopped short of him. "It looks like Gryffindor vomited on you."

Andromeda sighed, her head shaking as she reached into the pocket of her coat. "You look like you're attending a funeral. Black hooded sweatshirt, black leather jacket, and, for Merlin's sake, Sirius, you're even wearing black jeans! What is wrong with you?"

"I didn't know there was a dress code for a kiddie Quidditch game," Sirius said, eyeing the Gryffindor scarf that Andromeda produced. "Andy…"

"Be festive," Andromeda said in an exasperated tone as she snapped her fingers for him to bend down.

Sirius obliged because there really wasn't any fighting with her. Andromeda always got her way in the end. Andromeda beamed as she looped the scarf around his neck, adjusting it so the lion was on full display.

"I'm not wearing one of those ridiculous hats though," Sirius snapped as he stood up to his full height.

Andromeda didn't say anything as she reached into her pocket once more and produced her wand. She pressed it to Sirius' leather jacket and a warmth flooded him.

"You're not going to sit for hours in the bloody cold, Sirius," Andromeda whispered, her hands cupping his face.

"How the fucking hell do you know I didn't already place one?" Sirius asked, a scowl working its way on his face.

Ted clapped a hand on his arm. "I sometimes wonder if the Blacks don't have a bit of a third eye. It's eerie, mate."

Sirius snorted while Andromeda rolled her eyes. Before she could retort, Remus and Dora appeared decked out in Gryffindor colors as well. Sirius could only roll his eyes, shooting a judging glare at Dora.

"For someone who is so violently Hufflepuff, doesn't it make you die a little inside to don red and gold?" Sirius asked, hunching down to talk to her as they made their way towards the pitch.

Dora glanced up at him, her face pulling. "It really, really bloody does, but this is for Harry so we all have to swallow our house pride."

Sirius chuckled as Remus leaned around Dora to speak with him.

"For someone who was actually in Gryffindor, you're certainly not dressed appropriately," Remus commented.

"We're not in fucking school anymore," Sirius retorted.

"Merlin, you're so cheerful, Sirius, I don't know how you're always so chipper," Dora said in a pleasant tone as she turned towards Remus. "I can hardly take how happy he is all the time!"

"Fuck off, Dora," Sirius grumbled.

They made their way up to the top of the visitors' stands. They took their seats towards the front, Sirius taking a spot between Andromeda and Remus. He glanced down at his watch. There was still a good twenty minutes before the game started.

Sirius leaned back in his chair, listening to the conversations around him. Remus and Dora chatted about some biography she was reading while Ted and Andromeda were deep in conversation about some potion breakthrough. Sirius just felt alone, like he often did. He stared across the pitch to see the students taking their seats in the stands, chatting excitedly and waving their banners. He caught sight of one girl wearing a giant lion's head and Sirius only shook his head. James would have fucking loved that.

People shuffled in the seats behind them. A hand pressed on his shoulder and Sirius turned around to see Molly. She bent down, pressing a kiss to his cheek in greeting while Arthur shook hands with Ted. Turning around more in his seat, he noticed Bill and Fleur had taken seats behind Dora and Remus, the four of them chatting away.

"How are you, dear? It's been a while," Molly said as she sat down on the edge of her seat.

Sirius forced a smile on his lips. "I'm good. Just…" he trailed off, sighing. "Just some bad memories lately."

Molly nodded, her eyes swimming with what looked like pity, as her hand reached out to grasp his. "I know Halloween is hard for you. Just focus on Harry, all right? And how wonderful your life is right now."

Sirius sucked in a breath. There was no way that Molly could possibly know the emotional shitstorm he had been dealing with. Nor did she need to. Andromeda knowing everything was terrible enough. Honestly, if Sirius could get away with just letting Harry in on the secret of his parentage, then he'd be happy. There was no reason every single person in his life needed to know.

"I know," Sirius croaked.

Movement caught Sirius' eye. His gaze drifted to the stairs to see Tegan. Arthur waved at her to join them and she did, waving enthusiastically at Dora before her eyes landed on him. She excused herself as she stepped in front of Arthur so that she could greet Sirius. Bending down, she pulled him into a one-arm hug that Sirius returned with ease.

"Hey, Sirius," Tegan greeted.

"Hey," he replied as they pulled away.

Molly made a little sound in the back of her throat, but Sirius ignored her. Tegan sat down next to Arthur, leaning into him to say something that Sirius couldn't hear. But his attention was no longer on Tegan. Instead, it was on the three newcomers making their way down the stairs. Sirius frowned, the palm of his hand touching the back of Andromeda's head. Sirius stared at Narcissa, Malfoy, and Druella as they sat on the other side of the aisle from them.

Andromeda glanced over at Sirius. "What's wrong?"

Sirius swallowed, his eyes flickering to Andromeda. "Your sister and bitch of a mother are here."

Andromeda's face shattered, a million little emotions flittering across her eyes. Sirius withdrew his hand from her hair, reaching down to grasp her hand in both of his and resting it in his lap. Ted glanced over at the newcomers for a brief moment before he scoffed and wrapped an arm around Andromeda's shoulders.

"It's fine," Andromeda said in a clipped tone. "We knew it was Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Harry told us Draco played for Slytherin."

"Fuck them," Ted said in an oddly cold tone.

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Well, if Teddy here is going to drop some cuss words, then we know we should probably listen, yeah?" he said in a light tone, squeezing Andromeda's hand.

Andromeda let out a watery chuckle. "Oh, Ted."

"I won't apologize," Ted replied, leaning in and pressing a kiss to Andromeda's temple. "They don't know what they're missing out on. It's their loss, not ours."

Sirius leaned back in his chair, his lower jaw jutting to the side. "Malfoy tried to hurt Harry last week at Hogsmeade."

Andromeda gave Sirius a hard look. "You are not going to do or say anything right now and get kicked out of Hogwarts so you miss Harry's game. They're not worth it."

Sirius clenched his jaw. "Harry recognized him. Malfoy held a wand to his neck."

Andromeda huffed. "I don't like it any more than you do, but there's nothing you can do about it. He'll get his eventually."

Sirius knew Andromeda was right. And what could he really do in a very public place like in the Quidditch stands of Hogwarts? All that would be accomplished would be Sirius being arrested or, if he was lucky, only kicked out of the game. Sirius needed to show up for Harry, because he hadn't been able to show up before.

"I didn't know they let in anyone here," Druella said in a loudly obnoxious voice. "But then again, I suppose with Dumbledore as headmaster, what do we really expect?"

Sirius closed his eyes, a long sigh escaping his lips. He wanted to bang his head against a fucking wall. This was the last thing he needed to fucking deal with. Opening his eyes, he willed for the game to bloody well start.

Remus leaned into Sirius' side. "I trust I don't need to give you the don't do anything stupid speech?"

Sirius snarled. "Andy already did, but thanks, Remus."

"The Board of Governors have always said that Dumbledore was out of touch," Malfoy said in a loud voice. "We've tried multiple times to get him to leave the post, but he's like a cockroach and always managing to survive despite our best efforts."

Sirius glanced across the aisle, his teeth pressing together tightly to avoid saying anything. But he wanted to say something. A lot of somethings. He was in half his mind to pay his way onto the board just like Malfoy had done.

Sirius cleared his throat loudly. "I always said it was a shame that Death Eaters paid their way into influential positions without having any common sense or morals," he nearly shouted, his eyes locked on the blond wanker across the way.

Malfoy turned slowly, his eyes locking with Sirius. A grin flitted across Malfoy's face as he rose from his seat. He crossed the aisle and looked down at Sirius.

"Ah, Sirius, I didn't even see you here," Malfoy said in a false cheery tone. "Pleasure as always."

Andromeda stiffened next to Sirius, her hand gripping his in a death grip. Sirius' eyes flickered over to Narcissa to see her staring at them, her eyes moving rapidly between Sirius and Andromeda.

"Displeasure as always, Malfoy," Sirius snapped. "While I have you here, I'm going to tell you that if you ever touch so much as a hair on my godson again, I will rip your fucking throat out with my bare hands. Are we clear?"

Malfoy chuckled. "Lovely as ever, aren't we, Sirius?"

"Stay away from my family," Sirius said through clenched teeth.

"Bit hard, isn't it, considering I'm married to your darling cousin," Malfoy replied with a fake smile.

"She's no cousin of mine," Sirius jeered.

"The Blacks have always had a very unique family dynamic," Malfoy explained, his eyebrows raising. "You seem to claim certain family members yet denounce others. Tell me, Sirius, who gets to claim your nephew?"

The blood drained from Sirius' face, his features setting into a cold hard stare. Andromeda gripped his hand so tightly that Sirius lost all feeling in his fingers.

"I don't have a nephew," Sirius lied.

Malfoy leaned forward, snatching up his long robes upon touching Ted's leg and shooting him a glare before he turned his full attention back to Sirius. "Regulus and Narcissa were always so very close. I think Cepheus is ours for that reason alone."

Sirius swallowed, keeping his face as neutral as possible. "Never heard of him."

Malfoy snickered. "I'll find him, Sirius. When I do, that boy is mine. Just like his father was mine."

Sirius leaned forward, staring up unblinkingly at Malfoy. "I will fucking torture you to death, do you understand me?"

A humorless laugh escaped Malfoy's lips. "Like father like son, I suppose, wouldn't you say, Sirius?"

The crowd roared to life as the Gryffindor Quidditch team was introduced. Malfoy only winked at Sirius before he made his way back to his seat, a satisfied little smirk dancing on his face. Sirius leaned back in his chair, stiff as a board.

"And finally, number seven, our unbeatable Seeker, Harry Potter!"

Sirius watched as Harry flew out onto the pitch, his last name shining brightly on the back of his robes. He focused on his godson as he tried to regulate his breathing. There was no doubt in his mind that he had to warn Charlotte about Malfoy's threat. He could only hope that Beauxbatons was as secure as Hogwarts and that Charlotte had somewhere safe to go. Sirius would have killed Regulus if he wasn't already dead. Had he really been stupid enough to tell Narcissa of all people that Charlotte was pregnant? What had he done?

Hope you enjoyed the newest chapter! Don't forget to drop a review. They motivate me to keep writing and keep my updating schedule. The next couple of chapters are HEAVY. So some encouragement would be greatly appreciated.

Special thanks to Bell for being her fabulous self.