One Sunday morning in late October, Sirius was sitting alone on the terrace. Regulus and Gavin had come to dinner the evening before and had told them about the redecoration at the house on Grimmauld Place. The boys had been desperate to help and had pushed until Mercuria agreed. Therefore the next morning together with Marius and the children she had left for her brother-in-law's house. Suddenly Sirius heard someone arrive on the Floo Network. He turned expectantly to the door and when the visitor stepped outside, he asked in amazement, "Marius, what happened? Why are you back already? And where are Mercuria and the boys? And why did you cut your hair?". The young man in the doorway laughed cheerfully. "I think that you're mistaken me for somebody else. I am Cygnus. Cygnus Flint. I was told we were related. Well, actually, you're supposed to be my father. And looking at you, I think it's true". He laughed again and held out his hand. Sirius stood up, examined the young man intently, fascinated by the stranger's similarity to his oldest son, and nodded as he shook his hand. They sat down.

Cygnus continued, "You seem surprised. I suppose you didn't know about me?". Sirius shook his head. "Can I offer you something? And I'd love to hear your story". "Whisky would be fine". Sirius hesitated for a moment. Among his new resolutions was that he wouldn't drink any more spirits. But this was a special occasion, so an exception was probably appropriate. He conjured up a bottle and filled two glasses with which they toasted each other. "Tell me about it. Looking at you, there can be no doubt that you are a Black". Cygnus smirked. "That's what my grandparents told me as well. I grew up with them, by the way. Marius and Ursula Flint, Hallie's parents. But you've hardly mistaken me for my grandfather. You must have thought that I was my twin brother when you called me Marius earlier, right?". Sirius nodded. He smiled. "Yes, your brother has moved in with us three weeks ago. He has been abroad for a long time". "Where is he now?". "With my wife and the little ones at my brother's. Regulus lives in the family town house on Grimmauld Place. He only moved in there recently and after the house stood empty for years, there is still a lot of work to do to make it habitable again". "I understand. Too bad. I would have liked to have met all the others. But perhaps there will be an opportunity one day. Tell me, you're not mad at me for showing up here just like that, aren't you?". Sirius shook his head. "No, of course I'm not. But honestly, I hear that Hallie has had twins for the first time".

Cygnus frowned. Then he suddenly laughed heartily. His laughter was infectious, and Sirius joined in. "So I'm a real surprise to you then? Remarkable". Sirius sipped his glass and said, "Let's hear your story". "As I said, Hallie had two boys. Marius and me. But she couldn't take care of both of us. She was, after all, very young at the time". Secretly Sirius thought, "two years older than me, after all". "That's why my grandparents took me in. But they were too old to raise both of us. Therefore, Marius remained with Hallie. At some point you took him to live with you. Man, I'm really looking forward to meeting him. Too bad you didn't know about me. Then I would have grown up with my brother. That would have been nice". He sipped thoughtfully at his glass. Sirius did the same and refilled it. He hoped the boy would not ask questions he neither could nor wanted to answer. Instead, he started himself to ask questions, "And what have you been up to?". Cygnus smiled mischievously. "As I said, I grew up with my grandparents. We lived pretty isolated. They had not much of a social life. They were self-sufficient. And times were troubled then. I'm sure you remember. But I had a happy childhood. They were loving and cared for me. Certainly better than my mother did for Marius. I went to see her once, shortly before she died. A bitter woman, she was". Sirius searched his memory for what he knew about the Flints. Pure-blood, of course. Well off, but not exactly rich. Marius Flint had had a reputation as an insufferable troublemaker. In short, the Flints were in another league than Sirius' family and there had been no contact. However, they did have a common ancestor: Phineas Nigellus Black's wife had been Ursula Flint. While Sirius tried to remember more details, Cygnus continued, "When I was old enough to go to school, they sent me to Durmstrang. Obviously Hallie's pregnancy created quite a scandal. I didn't find out why, but my grandfather decided that I should better not go to Hogwarts and that It might reopen some old sores if I did".

"Do you mind if I smoke?". "No, go ahead". Though Sirius had stopped smoking a while ago, he nevertheless took the cigarette Cygnus offered him. "After I graduated, I had to take care of my grandparents. They were not doing well anymore. Grandmother died in February this year, and grandfather a few weeks later. When I was checking through their papers, I found out about Hallie and you. They never talked about Hallie at home. Instead, they told me that my mother was dead and they never mentioned her as far as I remember. That you were my father was only an assumption. One day they even went to see your parents about it. Seems to have ended in quite a disaster. Your father threw them out the door". Again, he let out his infectious laugh. Sirius joined in. The idea that his parents had known about his love life and its consequences amused him. He leaned back and tilted his chair against the wall. While Cygnus chatted blithely on, his mind wandered far away. He had not felt as comfortable for quite some time. Completely relaxed, a drink in one hand, a cigarette in the other and no one to bother him with his worries and troubles. Instead, an amusing conversation in a trusting and cheerful atmosphere. Just like back then. With James. Cygnus, meanwhile, had moved on to sharing anecdotes from his school days. Sirius felt reminded of his own time at Hogwarts. When Cygnus finally got up and said goodbye, Sirius accompanied him to the fireplace. "When will you be back?". Cygnus smiled. "Next Friday, if I may?". Sirius nodded, pleased. "I'd love to. You can meet the others then. Wouldn't you like to spend the weekend here?". Cygnus beamed at him. "I'd be delighted to. Do you think the others will agree?". "I'm sure they'd be thrilled". As they hugged each other goodbye, Sirius felt as if all his problems had been blown away by a breath of fresh air.

It was already past nine when his family stepped out of the fireplace in the evening, exhausted. The boys rushed up to him and loudly related to him how they had helped Uncle Regulus. As they sat at dinner, Sirius told them about the surprise visit he had had. Mercuria and Marius listened intently as he described the afternoon's events with increasing euphoria. Several times, and without realising it, he called Cygnus 'James'. He was surprised when he became aware that Mercuria was eyeing him with growing scepticism, while Marius seemed to share his enthusiasm. "I have invited him to spend next weekend with us. You will meet him then". Marius beamed, "I am very much looking forward to it". Mercuria remained silent. As they lay in bed that evening Sirius asked, "Aren't you happy for me?". She smiled at him. "Yes I am. I'm very happy. Cygnus seems really nice and I'm curious to meet him". Sirius knew her well enough to know she was hatching something. Then he brushed the concern aside. Once she met Cygnus, she would be as excited about him as he was.

The week dragged on, and Sirius could barely contain his excitement. At one point, he briefly wondered why he was so euphoric. Then he simply put the thought aside. He just enjoyed being with Cygnus. He hadn't felt as good as he had on Sunday afternoon for a long time. When Cygnus came through the Floo network on Friday evening, the family stood expectantly in front of the fireplace to welcome him. He approached Mercuria first and introduced himself. "Hello, I'm Cygnus". Then he handed her a large bouquet of flowers. "For the lady of the house. I have heard that this is the custom with you". He beamed. She thanked him and placed the flowers in a vase, while Sirius was quite touched by the thoughtfulness of his son. Over dinner, Sirius made plans. "I'm going to show you everything. The house, the property and we can visit Regulus too. What do you think?". Cygnus was excited at the prospect. "Love, are you in?", asked Sirius. "No, why don't the three of you go on your own. I still have work to do". Sirius explained, "Mercuria designs jewellery. And manufactures it herself, too. She has a workshop here. Sometimes she has to work on the weekends". He turned to his sons. "Okay you two. We're going to bed now. See you in the morning. Good night".

Over the next few weeks, Cygnus spent every other weekend at Black Manor. Sirius was thrilled. At first Marius joined in their ventures, but after two or three weeks they went off on their own. Sirius showed him all the property, gave him a tour of his garage in the Muggle village and finally took him to the house on Grimmauld Place. Cygnus inspected everything carefully. In particular, the house on Grimmauld Place and the Black family tree had taken his fancy and he spent a lot of time in front of it absorbing every tiny detail. And Cygnus always had plenty of whisky and cigarettes on him. At first Sirius restricted himself to two or three glasses, but gradually he got used to his drinks again and had more. They flew around on the motorbike, thinking up all sorts of mischief and more and more Sirius felt reminded of his time with James. Except that he had to teach Cygnus a lot of things. Sirius graciously accepted the role of teacher, even more so because Cygnus proved to be a willing student. In the end, his son would be as good as James and himself. By now he was convinced of that. To demonstrate his attachment to his sons, he also agreed, at Cygnus' insistence, to officially adopt them. "Then we will both be true Blacks", his son exclaimed enthusiastically when he consented. Thus, Sirius took Cygnus and Marius to the Ministry of Magic and made the necessary registration arrangements. "Now we really are your sons" exclaimed Cygnus and hugged him warmly.

One evening shortly before Christmas Eve, Sirius and Cygnus were sitting at a campfire by the lake. Sirius had already had a couple of drinks and felt pleasantly at ease. They were stretched out next to each other on a blanket when Cygnus suddenly said, "Sirius, I hear you're an Animagus". Sirius looked at him suspiciously. "Who said that?". "I don't remember. But it's true, isn't it? You and James Potter figured out how to become an Animagus. You are a dog, and he was a stag. Tell me, why don't you show me how it's done? No one needs to know. Wouldn't it be exciting if Padfoot and Prongs were on the move together again? I'd love that!". Sirius thought about it. For a moment he hesitated. Cygnus had said something that should have made him suspicious, but he could not point his finger at it. But then, what the heck? Cygnus would surely be able to master the transformation. If even someone like Pettigrew... Sirius didn't want to think about the traitor. Not now, when he was feeling so fine. He leaned towards his son and said, "Okay. It's a lengthy and complicated procedure. I suggest you move in with us in the new year, and then I will help you to become an Animagus". Cygnus beamed at him and exclaimed, "Thank you, thank you. A dream come true. We are going to have so much fun together. I'm really looking forward to it". When Sirius told Mercuria about it, she reacted in a way other than he had expected. She frowned and shook her head. "I just want to know what he is really up to". Sirius was taken aback. "What do you mean?". "There's something fishy about the whole situation. How come he knows that you are an Animagus?". He laughed. "Don't worry about it. After Peter changed sides, he told the Death Eaters about the Animaghi. Not to mention our friends. Someone probably told him". Surprised, he noticed the sympathetic look on her face. "You are right. Some knew about your Animaghi shapes. Many of them are dead now, but a few survived. But who knew your aliases? Dumbledore, Remus, Peter, Voldemort, Harry and his friends. Cygnus mentioned Prongs and Padfoot. How does he know about them? I think that's odd". Sirius brushed her concerns aside. "Oh, come on. It's probably just coincidence. Don't worry about it. Everything is wonderful." He bent over her and tenderly ran his hand between her legs.

With Cygnus by his side for Sirius time seemed to pass in a rush and in the new year, his son moved in and they started the complex transformation into an Animagus. Cygnus also confessed to him that he had fallen in love with Lizzy, the nurse. "You know, I already adored her, when I came here last year. She is just so exciting". Sirius was surprised. The idea that his dashing and poised son would find plain and silly Lizzy exciting had never crossed his mind. Perhaps she had hidden qualities. Shortly afterwards, Cygnus asked Sirius, "Marius is a healer, right? What do you say about getting him a job at the hospital in London?". Sirius thought about it. "Sounds like a good idea. I'll have a word with him". "I was actually thinking you'd surprise him. I'm sure he'd be thrilled to see you sticking up for him like this". Sirius thought it over again and came to the conclusion that Cygnus was right. Besides, he felt guilty towards Marius. For years he had been looking forward to having his son back by his side, and when he finally showed up, he had been overjoyed. But he honestly admitted that he had hardly cared for him any more since Cygnus had entered his life. They just had so little in common. Therefore, Sirius found it difficult to find a bond with the young man. Cygnus' suggestion opened up an excellent opportunity for him to show Marius how much he appreciated him. "Tomorrow we'll go to London and sort it out. Saturday Gavin and Regulus are coming for dinner, Then I will break the news to Marius". Satisfied with himself, Sirius poured them another drink and leant back. Since Cygnus had arrived, he finally spilled over with good ideas again. There was nothing left of the boredom that had plagued him last summer and autumn. And he had not thought about James for quite a while, let alone missed him.

All day Sirius was excited because he hoped to finally get rid of his guilty conscience for neglecting Marius for so long. The greater was his disappointment at the reaction when they sat down to dinner and he announced the news. It became dead silent. Mercuria frowned and stared suspiciously at Cygnus. Marius turned chalk-white, trembled and had tears in his eyes. Regulus, sitting next to him, quickly put his arm around his shoulder. and Gavin called out, "Marius, then you will move in with us. We've already redecorated Regulus' old room. You can furnish it the way you like it. From there you can easily get to your workplace. We will be very happy to have you with us". Cygnus asked hypocritically, "By the way, where are your rooms? When I visited the house with Sirius, I thought you lived in the rooms on the top floor". Gavin narrowed his eyes suspiciously, while Regulus replied innocently, "No, we moved into the master bedroom a long time ago. Sirius knows that, doesn't he? Didn't he tell you?". He looked at his brother questioningly. Sirius shook his head. "We didn't talk about that. I thought it went without saying". He downed his red wine and poured himself a refill. This conversation was turning out so very differently from what he had expected. What was actually going on here? Somehow he had the impression that the others held him responsible for the bad mood that had suddenly arisen. But he had only wanted to make everyone happy. What was wrong about him trying to support his son? And why did the latter almost burst into tears? Sirius could not remember ever having met such an effeminate man. Had it been a mistake to send him to Beaux-Baton? Or was Mercuria's upbringing to blame? If so, he needed to take much more care of the little ones. He wanted his boys to be like Cygnus. And like James and himself.

After dinner, the party went to sit in the living room, while Sirius stayed behind in the dining room with Cygnus for a moment. Cygnus asked, "What was that all about? I thought Marius' reaction was completely inappropriate. Do you actually approve of him staying with Gavin and Regulus?". Sirius looked at him quizzically. "Why do you ask?". "Call me naïve, but I was under the impression that those two were just good friends. Now I guess there's a lot more to it than I imagined. That's just how Muggles live, not wizards. I find their way of life highly disconcerting". Sirius downed another glass of wine. He himself had never minded his brother's lifestyle before. On the contrary, he had been thrilled that Regulus was happy. Besides, during his own school days, there had been a handful of same-sex couples. Girls and boys. Not that he had been particularly interested in them. He had just noticed it in passing. Especially since sex was frowned upon at Hogwarts, and he was sure that there had not been more than some occasional fumbling and snogging. But perhaps students at Durmstrang were taught different morals, and therefore Cygnus found the situation at Grimmauld Place off-putting. Sirius said, "I don't see anything wrong in their relationship. Marius is in good hands with them". Cygnus bent towards him, "I'm sure you have good reasons. After all, you've known your brother for much longer than anyone else. I was just surprised when I noticed the Death Eater mark on his arm. By the way, do you know exactly what he has been doing back then?". Sirius shook his head. No matter how close they were, there were still certain things he would not discuss with Cygnus. And these definitely included Voldemort's Horcruxes.

Sirius walked over to the living room. His relatives were having a loud discussion, but when he entered, they fell silent. He looked at them suspiciously. What had they been discussing that he shouldn't overhear? Marius got up, shyly thanking him for taking the trouble to find him a job. Sirius beamed and hugged him. "I'm glad you're pleased. I was worried you wouldn't". Satisfied, he poured himself a glass of whisky. They spent the rest of the evening in animated conversation. When Sirius got up to see Gavin and Regulus off, he swayed slightly from the alcohol he had drunk. "Tomorrow I'll bring Marius over and help him get settled". In bed that evening he asked Mercuria, "Do you think it was a mistake? I just wanted to please him and surprise him with this?". She caressed his face. "I know. You meant well. He was just a bit surprised, I think". Relieved, Sirius snuggled up to his wife and fell asleep.

As promised, he accompanied Marius to London the next day and helped him settle into Grimmauld Place. "Shall I stay the night and accompany you to the hospital in the morning?". Marius beamed at him. "That would be wonderful, Daddy". Sirius flinched briefly at the salutation, but didn't show it. The evening went smoothly, although Sirius became increasingly concerned about his brother, his brother's lifestyle in general and his role as a Death Eater in particular. The only one who had backed up parts of Regulus' story had been Kreacher. Not a very reliable source because Sirius knew that the house-elf would confirm everything Regulus asked him to. After he had accompanied Marius to the hospital, Sirius stopped at the Leaky Cauldron to allow himself some time to think. He had the impression that something was going on around him that he was not aware of. He also felt an indefinable threat, without being able to say exactly what it was. He would ask Cygnus about it.

When Sirius returned home, he told Mercuria how things had gone. When she learned that he had personally accompanied Marius on his first day at work, she hugged him enthusiastically. "That was very thoughtful of you. I'm sure he was very pleased". "What has Cygnus been doing by the way?". "I haven't seen him much of him to be true. Yesterday he spent in the library most of the day and today he left quite early". When Cygnus showed up in the evening, Sirius sat down with him in the living room and told him about Marius' first day at work. Suddenly Cygnus looked at him in shame. "I have a confession to make. I messed it up. The Animagus, I mean. I'm afraid we'll have to start all over again". Sirius was taken aback. Actually, he had expected his son to master the task without a problem. He had even prepared a crystal phial for him as a second step of the procedure. Soothingly, he said, "Then we'll try again". Cygnus gave a contrite nod. "Thank you, I take it you've mastered that on the first try". Sirius nodded absently. The evening was a boozy and merry one, and the next morning Sirius couldn't remember a thing.