Sirius' consciousness became increasingly blurred over the next few days. His daily routine consisted of drinking, pining for Drusia during the day, only to be disappointed by her again at night, and occasional conversations with Cygnus, the content of which he immediately forgot. Less and less of what was going on around him penetrated his mind. Sometimes, in his sleep, Sirius heard a voice whispering in his ear, asking stupid questions like, "Tell me, dear, where is the secret room in the library?". How was he supposed to know? Hadn't he searched in vain for it himself? "Please, dear, where is the device for travelling?". A travelling device? What was that supposed to mean? The motorcycle? The hippogriff? A broomstick? But they wouldn't be a device. Then he remembered. The time-turner. Where was that again? "Behind the veil". "What veil?". "In this room". Most disconcerting of all was another question. "Tell me where the feather is". Feather? What feather? He didn't know anything about a bloody feather. When the voice became too annoying, he covered his ears with his pillow. The only thing he never missed was administering the pill to Drusia.
Two weeks after Mercuria's departure, during breakfast, Cygnus received owl mail. "From Regulus. There are some family matters to be settled. He invites us to come to Grimmauld Place. Perhaps you can reconcile with them. That would be nice, wouldn't it?". Sirius shook his head. He was ashamed to face his brother. And who else would be present? "I don't want to go there". Cygnus patted his arm reassuringly. "Everything's going to be all right. Believe me. Come on, let's go". Sirius propped himself up on Drusia as he shuffled into the living room. Cygnus smiled derisively. Drusia helped him onto a chair and hugged him from behind. She whispered, "I know this conversation feels unpleasant to you, but it's family after all. We want to live in peace with them in the future, don't we? And Cygnus will be with you, won't he? So, what's the harm?". She handed him a glass of whisky, which he downed in one gulp. As he did so, he noticed Cygnus and Drusia exchanging surreptitious glances. Cygnus clapped his hands together. "Ok, let's go".
They walked over to the fireplace and Sirius took a handful of Floo powder from the container. He tossed it into the fireplace and muttered, "Grimmauld Place 12". He swayed slightly as he stepped out of the fireplace at his parents' house. Cygnus appeared directly behind him and pushed him down onto a chair. He himself placed himself behind his father's chair and put his hands reassuringly on Sirius' shoulder. Directly opposite sat Mercuria with Gavin and Regulus to her left and right, and behind her stood Marius and Malfoy. Sirius wondered. What the hell was he doing here? And why did his hand rest on his wife's shoulder? Regulus nodded at him, "Brother". The others remained silent. Cygnus looked at them in turn and then began in a conciliatory tone, "You have asked for this conversation and although my father is not well, he has agreed to meet you. This as a sign of his goodwill". Regulus replied, "We are very pleased that you have come, and we are deeply concerned to hear that you are indisposed". Sirius glanced at his brother and smiled crookedly.
Cygnus nodded and said in a blasé tone, "My father is very sorry that recently there has been some estrangement. But he always had your best interests at heart. For example, you, Marius, beloved brother. Our father is immensely proud of you. That's why he wanted you to work in your traditional profession as a healer. This would not have been possible if you had stayed on the estate. I really don't understand why you resisted. It was a sensible idea". He turned to Regulus. "And you, dear uncle. Your admittedly questionable close association with a certain now deceased Dark Wizard has got Sirius into trouble on more than one occasion. Add to that," he paused here before continuing arrogantly, "your, as I'm sure you'll admit, eccentric lifestyle". Sirius saw Regulus turn pale. He wanted to say something pleasant to his brother, but before he could gather his thoughts, Cygnus declared, "All that would have been forgivable. But why did you have to destroy the portrait of Sirius' beloved mother and desecrate your parents' bedroom?". Sirius thought he had misunderstood. And in the faces of the people sitting and standing opposite him, he saw stunned disbelief. His beloved mother? Something strange was going on. "My father has suffered immensely for years. Now grant him a little happiness and contentment".
Finally, Cygnus turned to Mercuria, who had been following the conversation with a motionless expression on her face. "And now for you, Mercuria. Actually, my father would have expected you to show him the gratitude he deserves". Mercuria frowned. "My father comes from one of the oldest and most respected pure-blood Wizarding families in the country. And yet he has deigned to share his life with you for some time. He has given you four children. Young, hopeful wizards who will now grow up in a healthy environment under the loving eyes of their father. And he has left you my beloved brother Marius to care for. To you, a Muggle". He literally spat out the word, making it sound all the more like the insult he intended it to be. "But now my father has met an attractive, talented young witch from the best of families with whom he will share the rest of his life. Why are you not grateful for the happy times you were allowed to spend with him, not begrudge him the happiness he has finally found, and disappear from his life?". To everyone's utter surprise, Malfoy leaned forward and said to Mercuria, "Yes, I wonder about that too. For years, I've been telling you the bugger was a complete failure. I always wondered what you saw in him. Remember what I said about him back at the Rosier's ruined house. Please come back to me. Didn't we have a great time when we were together? Since Narcissa died, I have no interest in any boring, gifted young witches from good families. We will make a wonderful couple". He slumped forward, gasping for breath as Mercuria jabbed her elbow violently into his stomach. Although Sirius' alcohol-fogged brain had had difficulty following the conversation so far, Malfoy's words had penetrated his consciousness very clearly. Who did this pompous and bumptious jerk think he was, to make a pass at his wife? Clumsily, he pushed himself up, unsteadily leaned on the tabletop with both hands and steaming with rage, he slurred, "How dare you talk to my wife like this?". Desperately searching for words to express his indignation and rage, he fumbled for his wand. Cygnus, completely surprised by the sudden outburst, grabbed Sirius' arm, yanked him towards the fireplace, reached into the Floo powder container and the two disappeared.
Back in Black Manor, Sirius dropped heavily into his armchair and closed his eyes. Cygnus whispered softly: "Get some rest, Sirius. This has all been very unpleasant. I had hoped that we would all become closer again through this conversation. Unfortunately, it went completely wrong. Don't be sad. We can manage without them". Sirius dozed off. When he woke up again, it was already dark outside. He held an empty glass in his hand. He peered over at the bottle on the table. Next to it lay his wand. Apparently, he had woken up in between and had had a drink. He tried to recall the day's events, but all he saw was a pair of sad emerald eyes. At least he was sober enough again to perceive what was happening around him. Drusia stepped into the room and when she realised that he was awake, she beamed at him. She took the glass from his hand and walked to the table. Since she turned her back to him, he could not see what she was doing. She approached him and thrust a glass full to the brim into one of his hands and his wand into the other. When Sirius tried to pocket his wand, the glass slipped from his grasp and shattered on the floor. He wondered at Drusia's horrified face. With difficulty he heaved himself up out of the armchair and held onto its back to keep from falling over when he suddenly felt dizzy. "Someone begrudged me the glass". He chuckled goofily. "Let's go to bed". He noticed a disappointed expression on Drusia's face. Then she turned and walked ahead of him out of the room to the stairs.
Sirius staggered up the stairs behind Drusia. His legs were unsteady, and he had to pull himself up by the banister. He felt sick and for a moment he seriously wondered what he was doing here. Drusia opened the door to the bedroom and helped him inside. He fell heavily onto the bed and in his drowsiness noticed that Drusia was unbuttoning his shirt. He fought to keep his eyes open. Drusia took out her wand and used magic to disrobe him. Then she bent down and began to caress his lap. Sirius grunted. Her clumsy touches made him feel not just annoyed, but downright uncomfortable, and he secretly wondered how he could ever have any desire for her. When he felt her lips on his groin, he yanked her head sideways by the hair, shoved her away and hissed angrily, "Stop it. Now". He rolled onto his side, turned his back to her and dozed off. Why did he always imagine seeing a pair of sad emerald eyes when he was in this condition?
When Sirius awoke the next morning, he felt an unpleasant throbbing in his temples. He got up and dragged himself to the bathroom. Supporting himself on the sink with both hands, he spat to get rid of the foul taste in his mouth. Suddenly he threw up and broke out in a sweat. Then he examined himself in the mirror. Normally he didn't care much about his appearance, but now he was scared of himself. His face was puffy and his eyes bloodshot from all the alcohol he had consumed recently. His hair was dirty and matted. His complexion was even paler and more translucent than it was by nature. He stepped into the shower and turned on the cold water to regain his wits. He dressed and slipped past Drusia, who was fast asleep, down to the terrace. There he threw himself on a chair, put his legs up on the table and summoned a bottle of water, which he drank in one gulp. Dinky brought his breakfast, and when he had eaten, he finally felt slightly better. And most importantly, clear-headed for the first time in weeks, although he still felt a mild pounding in his skull. What the hell had happened, anyway? How had things come to this? It had all started when Cygnus had turned up. Cygnus, who had quickly become a good friend to him. He resembled him far more than shy, reserved Marius. Brave, daring, willing to take risks. From the first moment they had been very much in tune with each other. Hadn't it been Cygnus who had advised him to send Marius to London so that he could work as a healer there? He had been right after all. What was a healer supposed to do out here, away from all the others of their kind? And then Regulus and Gavin. He himself had never been offended by their lifestyle. Cygnus had opened his eyes to the enormity of their relationship. Among Muggles, such a situation might be acceptable. But among wizards? And hadn't Regulus supported the Dark Lord? Who guaranteed that the story of his survival was true? Had he really renounced the way of thinking that his parents had instilled in him? Cygnus had pointed out various inconsistencies in this context to him. And finally, Mercuria. Why had she reacted so sensitively? In the past, they had both had an occasional affair and it had never led to an estrangement. Well, she had never met these ladies in person. But he was a wizard after all. What was so bad about it if he had a fling now and then with his own kind. But it hadn't been a once in a while. He had been mad about Drusia. And had thrown his own wife out of the bedroom they shared so he could make love with someone else in their marital bed. No wonder, Mercuria had been out of her mind.
Sirius leaned back and rocked his chair against the wall. At first, he had been glad that everyone was gone. Now he could devote his undistracted attention to Cygnus. Cygnus, who admired him. Cygnus, with whom he had so much fun. Cygnus, who knew what he wanted and needed before he did so himself. Cygnus, who absorbed everything he told him like a sponge. Who hung on his lips and urged him again and again to let him share his knowledge? Cygnus, who was in the process of becoming an Animagus. Sirius abruptly leaned forward so that the chair slid back into a horizontal position and its front legs crashed violently to the floor. This was it. Cygnus had come to learn from him about things he had not had access to. Whatever he might have heard, in the end he would have found that his father had been at the centre of countless mysteries. Someone who dug deep enough into the past, and Cygnus certainly had, would eventually hear that Sirius was an Animagus. And had narrowly escaped death several times. Sirius shook himself. Slowly it all became clear to him. Perhaps Cygnus had questioned some old classmates. Possibly even teachers. Professor McGonagall, for example. Sirius snorted. Professor McGonagall certainly had countless stories to tell about Potter and Black. She also knew all about Hermione's time-turner. Whether she would confide this to anyone, however, was doubtful. And had she heard of Padfoot? After Voldemort's death, Sirius had tried to erase all memory of his being an Animagus whenever possible. Many of those who had known about it had since died. He had expected that he would not succeed completely, and Cygnus had found out about it. Sirius took it upon himself to address Harry about the matter.
So this had been Cygnus' goal. He had come with the intention of eliciting as much knowledge as possible from his father, and in order to achieve this, he had made Sirius believe that he had finally found a replacement for James. First, he had made Sirius booze. And he had done everything in his power to isolate Sirius, and to this end had inspired Sirius's suspicion against the other members of the household. Since Sirius was quite suspicious by nature, it hadn't taken too much effort to discredit the others in turn. Once he had grown leery, Sirius had not looked left or right, but had eagerly absorbed every fishy clue. Cygnus had even pretended to dissuade him from acting rashly, only to push him further. By way of excuse, Sirius could say that Cygnus had had the outrageous good fortune to show up at a time when his father was wracked with self-doubt and desperately missing his childhood friend. A small consolation.
What now? Sirius pondered. Under no circumstances should Cygnus complete his transformation into an Animagus. In a weak fit of resistance, Sirius had not revealed the complete procedure to him, but had guided him step by step. He could still intervene and stop the whole process. Suddenly he remembered his boys. Why had Cygnus not wanted Mercuria to take them? What interest did he have in four little children? Slowly it dawned on Sirius. None at all. It hadn't been the children but their nanny that Cygnus was interested in. He needed Lizzy for whatever. Which was why he had started an affair with her. Head over heels in love, my arse. Sirius was feeling hot and cold. Now that he had seen through his son, he realised that his boys were in danger. Half-bloods. Worthless. Sirius jumped up and sprinted to the kitchen. The boys were sitting at the table having breakfast. When he entered, they looked at him uncertainly. Emphatically cheerful, he asked, "Good morning, boys. What's up?". At first, they looked confused. Then Procyon jumped up, ran towards him and threw himself into his arms. The others followed. "Daddy. Are you yourself again?". Sirius nodded, embarrassed. "Yes. I think I am. Where's Lizzy?". Dinky said, "Miss Lizzy and Master Cygnus left early this morning. They will be back around noon". Sirius nodded. "Boys, have a seat". Then he called out loudly, "Dorkas." The chief of the outer elves apparated and bowed. "Master Sirius". Sirius stood up and paced up and down the room. "Boys, you all know Dorkas". The boys nodded. "I want you to go with Dorkas and stay with him for a while". "Why?". "Because he will protect you. Now listen to me carefully. Cygnus is angry with you. He has persuaded Lizzy to be angry with you too. That's why you're going to stay with Dorkas for the time being. Now quickly gather your things and come back here". The boys jumped up and ran out of the kitchen. Sirius turned to Dorkas. "You heard what I said?". The elf nodded. Sirius continued. "Unfortunately, it turns out Cygnus doesn't have any good intentions. First, I need to get the boys to safety. I want them to stay with you. You must protect them. Don't hand them over to anyone but me. And only in exchange for a password. How about 'Cygnus is evil'?". Dorkas nodded thoughtfully. At that, the boys came bustling in. Procyon and Asterion each carried a small bag. "We're ready, Daddy". Sirius bent down, hugging each one. "Boys, be good. I'm counting on you". Dorkas disapparated with them.
Sirius sat down at the kitchen table. Silently, Dinky placed a cup of coffee in front of him. He thought about the situation. Then he stood up. "Thank you, Dinky". The house-elf bowed. "Master Sirius". Suddenly he stopped sharp. "Dinky, Mrs. Black told me that Cygnus spent a lot of time in the library, when I was away. Do you happen to know, what he did there?". The house-elf nodded. "Master Cygnus said to me once that there must be a secret room in the library, where Master Phineas held all those forbidden books. He asked me whether I knew where it was. When I said to him that I didn't know, he abused me". She had tears in her eyes. Sirius smiled at her and said, "You did right, Dinky". So Cygnus had wanted to read the secret books. Determined, Sirius plodded out of the kitchen, ready and willing to put a stop to his son. In the dining room he met Drusia sitting at the table in her dressing gown. When she saw him, she jumped up and came to hug him. "Darling. Where is that incompetent house elf". He looked around, not recognising the room. "What happened here?". "Oh, I've redecorated the place a bit. I like it much better this way". Sirius waved his wand and transformed the room back to its original state. "Nothing will be changed here at all. My wife has decorated this room the way she likes it, and no one is modifying a thing". Drusia looked at him surprised. "But I will be your wife. We were supposed to get married now that this Muggle woman is gone". Sirius stared at her, stunned. He was trying to understand why he had been so mad about this woman. The very first time he had been with her had been a complete frustration. And yet he had yearned for her all day long, only to lie in bed with her at night and becoming more and more disgusted by what they were doing with each other. Whereas doing with each other hardly suited the matter. He did, and she squirmed while moaning loudly in over-the-top ecstasy. Contractions that shot through her body like a lightning storm, as he was accustomed to from his wife, Drusia had never had. Quite soon, therefore, he had abandoned any attempt at refined lovemaking with her and had just mounted her and relieved himself, which she seemed to find perfectly appropriate.
Suddenly it dawned on Sirius, and he waved his wand and shouted "Accio Potion". A small phial flew out of the pocket of her dressing gown and into Sirius' hand. He frowned and said, "Well, well, well. What have we got here? Can you explain this to me?". Drusia had turned pale and trembled. Defensively, she raised her hands. "Please, I can account for this". Sirius leaned against the wall and slapped his wand rhythmically against the inside of his palm. Drusia sobbed. "Cygnus approached me a few weeks ago. He asked if I would be willing to have his father's child. Then you would leave your wife and marry me. Because it would be a pure-blood baby, after all. When I agreed, he gave me this potion and told me how to use it". "How?". "Once a day, a spoonful in your whisky". "Then you must have been disappointed last night when my glass dropped. You tempered with that glass, right?". She nodded. "There was no chance to try again after it smashed". Sirius snorted. "Why did you get involved with someone twice your age? And a down-and-out drunk?". She looked at him, puzzled. "You're filthy rich. And when we met, you still looked awesome". Drusia approached him, swaying her hips flirtatiously. "But you know what? I think I'm pregnant. Are you happy?". For a moment Sirius was speechless. Then he threw his head back and laughed throatily. With both hands, he then grabbed her brutally by the upper arms and said in an ice-cold voice, "You know what? I don't think so. If you're having a child, it's not mine. I have been fooled once. It won't happen to me again. I have taken care of this". Drusia blinked in disbelief. "How?". " Do you think that Cygnus is the only one who can brew potions? Every time we've been together, I've made sure that you can't conceive. So, enough of this. I'm off for some time. When I return, you will have left. Do you understand me?". He pushed her violently away. Then he stomped out of the room and went to the cellar where he kept his potions.
Sirius examined the shelves in his laboratory to see which potions might be useful to Cygnus for his plans. Finally, he destroyed most of his stock and hid a few phials in a secret compartment, which he additionally protected by magic. Then he stepped onto the terrace and apparated to a small cave on his property. Cautiously, he approached it. He expected that the place would be protected by an Intruder Charm, but when he entered the cave, nothing happened. "Pretty stupid to leave it unprotected, my son". He thought. "Or arrogant". Cygnus had already made the third step in his strive to become an Animagus. In a sheltered corner of the cave lay a small crystal phial, which Sirius had prepared for his son. Sirius took it and apparated back to the house. where he destroyed it. In any case, he had successfully prevented Cygnus from becoming an Animagus.
What luck that the first attempt had failed. Sirius thought about it. Had it really, or had Cygnus deliberately aborted the experiment in order to have an excuse to stay longer by restarting it? But then he had made a major mistake, because if he had pursued his plan, he would have finished the transformation by now and would be an Animagus. Suddenly Sirius recalled that things had really taken off since Lucius Malfoy had appeared on stage. When he had told Cygnus that Lucius had been present at the secret meeting on Grimmauld Place, he had been astonished. No, he had been horrified. But why? It seemed to Sirius that Lucius' involvement had enormously narrowed the window of opportunity for Cygnus' ventures, and that originally his son's plans had been designed to be far more long-term. Suddenly, urgency had been the order of the day. Cygnus had increased his father's alcoholism enormously and he had dragged in Drusia. Drusia, who had immediately started to seduce him with the Love Potion so that Mercuria would disappear. Mercuria, the last one in the house who still had some influence over Sirius. And who had thus stood in Cygnus' way. So why had Malfoy been the game-changer? After a moment, it dawned on Sirius: because Malfoy, unlike himself and his family, had known the Flints well, and he probably knew things about Cygnus they were not supposed to find out. Most likely this had been the reason why his family had turned to Lucius for help on the day he had burst into their meeting unawares. They had not ganged up on him, as he had assumed at the time. Instead, they had wanted to find out about Cygnus. And Cygnus had been aware of this. Sirius buried his face in his hands. How could he have ever been so stupid? Pretty soon his family had begun to have doubts about Cygnus' intentions, and they had tried to protect him from his son. Only that they had been no match to his own obstinacy and mistrust. Quite the contrary, because they had fuelled the whole situation. Sirius cursed himself and hoped that his family would forgive him.