The question now was, what else was Cygnus up to? And what could Sirius do to stop him? He longed for a drink, but then decided that getting drunk again would only play into Cygnus' hands. Finally, he decided to first grovel to those he had so deeply offended. He went into the living room, stood in front of the fireplace, took a handful of Floo powder, threw it into the fireplace and called out "Grimmauld Place 12". When he stepped out of the fireplace at his parents' house, Regulus was sitting at the kitchen table reading the Daily Prophet. He looked up in surprise and frowned. "Brother. What brings you here?". Hesitantly, Sirius sat down. While he told his brother what he had found out, Gavin entered the kitchen, stood behind Regulus, and put his hand on his shoulder. When Sirius had finished, they both looked at him quietly. Sirius nervously stared at his hands as he waited for their reaction. Finally, Regulus said, "You know what, brother? Honestly, I'm glad it worked out the way it did". "What do you want to say?". A subtle smile played around the corners of Regulus' mouth. "Sirius, all your life you have been extraordinarily suspicious. Those few you fully trust can whisper to you quite easily. Cygnus knew this and took advantage of it. On the other hand, you are amazingly loyal and caring. I found it hard to believe that you duped us like that of your own accord. It was so unlike you. I'm glad you realised what was going on around you in time. But now the question is: what happens next?".
Sirius shook his head. "First I must speak to Marius. I'm afraid I've disappointed him very much and treated him badly". Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. Sirius looked up. Marius had arrived through the floo network and stood behind him, oblivious to Sirius. "I'm glad to hear you say that. All I ever really wanted was to be your son: Do you think..." he hesitated, "do you think he used the Imperius Spell on you?". Sirius thought about the question. Finally, he shook his head. "No. I don't think so. When Voldemort was alive, some Death Eaters dared to use it. But casting an Unforgivable Spell these days is an unnecessary risk. I think he talked to all sorts of people from back then. And in the end, he decided...". He fell silent and paused before whispering, "he decided to replace James Potter". He saw their startled looks. Regulus spoke up, "I always thought that Harry ...". Sirius smiled subtly. "Oh Harry. He's my godson and I really love him. But when I met him, he was thirteen and just a kid. I tried to help him. To a certain extent that worked too. But I couldn't really do much for him when he was still at Hogwarts due to my precarious situation back then. And when Voldemort was eventually vanquished, we both went our separate ways. Of course, I saw him often after that and we talked a lot. But he could never replace James. He was just so different, even though he looks like James. Today even more than ever". Marius said, "And then Cygnus came along, and he was just like James. You felt reminded of the time with him. Because no one could fill the void that James left. But James you could trust. Cygnus you couldn't". Sirius reached into his pocket. "I don't think he used the Imperius Spell. But he did pour alcohol on me. And he used this". "What's that?" asked Gavin curiously. "A love potion. And quite strong. Drusia put it in my whisky. Yesterday I dropped the glass she gave me. That's why the effect wore off and I finally got clear in my head again".
Sirius rose. "So, now I will go and see my wife". Mercuria stepped out of the shadows. "You can save yourself that walk". Sirius blinked uncertainly. He watched as Mercuria approached the table and picked up the phial and held it against the light. Then she pocketed the potion. Sirius raised his eyebrows. She looked at him. "I'm suspicious too. I'm going to try this stuff on myself. If it works, I might believe you". At that moment, Malfoy stepped out of the fireplace. When he caught sight of Sirius, he stopped short in surprise. "Black. What brings you here? After that performance yesterday, I didn't expect to ever see you again". Sirius felt the rage welling up inside him but controlled himself. And told Malfoy what had happened. "You mean he wants to follow the footsteps of Voldemort?". "I am not yet certain of his ultimate goal. All I am absolutely sure of is that he has no good intentions. At present he is busy accumulating as much as knowledge as possible. He has gathered information about my life and has probably come to the conclusion that I can teach him many things". Malfoy nodded. "He's right about that, of course. What does he know?". "I'm pretty certain the only thing he definitely knows about is the Animagus. He might have heard about other things as well, but nothing specific. He did try to obtain further details from me, but he didn't get them". "Ok, then let's consider what to do now".
Mercuria stepped forward. "I want to go home for a few minutes to quickly fetch some things. Is that alright?". "Can't you wait for me? I want to talk this over". asked Sirius helplessly. "I need the stuff now". Regulus suggested, "Kreacher can accompany you. I don't think anyone is on site at the moment". He pointed his wand at the mirror hanging over the sink. "Kreacher, activate the mirror in the kitchen. Then we can keep an eye on Mercuria". Kreacher nodded and took Mercuria by the hand. They apparated. The wizards sat down at the table and discussed how to proceed. Suddenly the mirror popped on and they saw Black Manor's kitchen. Mercuria was standing at the table talking to Dinky when Drusia entered. "What are you doing here?", she asked, stopping short with a startle. Mercuria looked her up and down and replied, "I live here. And that's more than can be said about you. Sirius kicked you out. So why are you still loafing around here?". Drusia pulled out her wand and waved it around. "I'm not leaving without a fight. Sirius will come to his senses. He knows what he has in me". Mercuria took the phial with the Love Potion out of her pocket. "How right you are. Whether this will convince him in the long term, however, remains to be seen". Drusia turned pale. "He gave this to you?". Mercuria beamed. "I wanted to try it out myself. What do you think will happen then? Will I be horny as hell?". She held the phial to her lips. "For you?". Drusia looked sceptical and a little scared. As she spoke, Mercuria had moved closer and closer and now stood within arm's length of the young witch. Quick as an arrow, Mercuria suddenly snatched the wand from the astonished Drusia's hand, broke it in two and grabbed her opponent's blonde hair with both hands. With a swing, she knocked her head onto the tabletop, lay over her from behind, put an arm around her neck and pulled her head up by the hair. At Grimmauld Place they saw that Drusia's nose was broken, and blood was pouring out. Tears streamed down her face, which was contorted into a terrified grimace. Mercuria whispered, "Why don't you tell me how you ended up making a pass at my husband? You are not a long-time friend of Cygnus, right? So what happened?". Drusia sobbed. "I was in the Leaky Cauldron, sitting on my own. Cygnus came up to my table and approached me. He asked me if I was pure-blood. When I said yes, he proposed a deal. I should return home with him and meet his father, who was married to a Muggle. Would I be willing to share his father's bed and have a child with him? Then he would give me a Love Potion to make his father fall in love with me. He would then finally get rid of the Muggle. In return, his father would marry me, and I would become truly rich. I would only need to ask his father for a few things then, when we were in bed". "What sort of things?". "Where the secret room in the library was. And the feather. But above all, where the illegal piece is that his father owns". "The illegal piece? What would that be?". "I don't know, honestly. Sirius possesses something that Cygnus is desperate to obtain. He's searched the whole house for it. He didn't find it though, and Sirius didn't tell me where it was. Only that it is hidden behind a veil". Mercuria hesitated an instant, before she laughed out loud. "Well, well. So that's what he's after". She continued in an icy voice, "Listen to me carefully. You get out of here right now. I never want to see you here again, do you understand me?". Drusia nodded. "Can you get out of here without a wand?". "No. Cygnus deactivated the Floo network when he returned". "He's here?". "Lizzy and he came back about half an hour ago. They went upstairs". Mercuria turned to Kreacher. "Kreacher, can you please make sure that there is peace in this house again and help this woman leave the grounds?". Kreacher bowed, muttered "Madam Black", grabbed Drusia's arm and disapparated with her.
Regulus exclaimed, "What was that about?". Smugly, Malfoy explained, "This young witch has learned a lesson she won't forget any time soon. Muggles are by no means as helpless as commonly believed". Everyone but Regulus snorted. Malfoy continued, "A wand is a long-range weapon. A wizard should never get too close to anyone stronger than himself". Sirius said, "You know that from personal experience, I suppose". " You bet I do". Suddenly Sirius raised a hand and pointed at the mirror. Mercuria listened. Then she ran to the wall and fetched an old, dented pan that was suspended there and hid it behind her back. Malfoy and Sirius looked at each other highly concerned. Next, Cygnus stepped in. He placed himself on the opposite side of the table and eyed Mercuria from top to bottom. "You're back?". "Looks like it". "I hate to admit it, but I completely underestimated you". Mercuria snorted. "Don't fret, most wizards do". Cygnus began to pace up and down. "I should have killed you when I had the chance. One little accident. It would have been so easy". He took out his wand. "I assumed you were unimportant. How stupid of me. Unfortunately, until yesterday I didn't realise it was all your fault, Mudblood. You turned my father's head so that even my strongest Love Potion couldn't compete with it. And how was I to know you'd done the same to Lucius Malfoy? And you turned my brother into a ridiculous caricature of a wizard. And my uncle, he's taken that Murphy fellow into his house. Me, I'm the last Black, you understand? Not your bastard spawn. Toujours pur. That's our family motto. But only I still live up to that standard. I'm the only Black left. And I will not let anyone take away my birthright". Mercuria narrowed her eyes.
"So that's what you want. There is only one problem, last of all pure-blood Blacks". She cocked her head to one side. "No, actually there are three problems. Sirius and Regulus, who must be out of the way, of course. I suppose you've planned for that. But then you're still a bastard, though you carry your father's name". Cygnus gave her a hateful look. "How right you are, Mudblood. As you know, I was raised by my grandparents, not my incompetent mother. Like all pure-bloods, they are distantly related to the Blacks. They guessed who my father was right away. Hence my name. The Blacks often bear names of stars and constellations. Like my father and my uncle". He laughed out loud. "They prepared me from the beginning for the task I will have one day. They knew a thing or two about the Dark Arts. And passed their knowledge on to me. But Sirius knew more. Much more. They followed his life closely, and at some point, learned about his Animagus. But they found out even more. Sirius owns a time-turner". Mercuria shook her head, puzzled. "A time-turner?". Cockily, Cygnus confirmed, "Yes, a time-turner. You probably didn't know, Mudblood, that wizards can travel back in time. And my father owns one. It saved his life at the department of Mysteries back then. I just don't know where he hides it. I've been looking for it ever since I got here. Drusia was supposed to try and get it out of him when he jumped on her. That's why I brought her along in the first place. But that incompetent little cow hasn't been able to coax it out of him. Only that there's a veil over it. But what does that mean?". "A veil?". He mimicked her. "Yes, a veil". Mercuria burst out laughing. "If I were you, I'd look somewhere else entirely. Oh, let's not dwell on that. What about being a bastard?". He looked at her suspiciously. "Somewhere else entirely? As for the bastard, and just to satisfy your curiosity, I would have arranged for Sirius to marry my mother. That would make me a legitimate offspring of a pure-blood Black. But what isn't yet can still be. As soon as I find the time-turner. You also prevented that I learned to change into an animal. I only got as far as the third step. This morning Sirius destroyed everything connected to my transformation. At your behest". Cygnus raised his wand, pointed it at Mercuria and shrilled completely out of his mind, "Crucio". With an elegant backhander of her frying pan, Mercuria parried the spell. Sparks flew and a deafening bang shook the kitchen as the spell hit the dented bottom of the pan and rebounded from there against the china cabinet. The china shattered and a shower of shards rained down on the room. Cygnus stared stunned at the mess. Then he yelled "Incendio". Mercuria returned this spell too, but this time directly at Cygnus, whose cloak caught fire. Screeching hysterically, he tried to extinguish the flames. Mercuria sprinted to the sideboard, grabbed a bottle of paraffin, took a large gulp, and spewed it in a fine spray at her opponent, who was ablaze like a living torch.
At the house in Grimmauld Place, Sirius jumped up and dashed to the front door, followed by the others. Outside the door, he apparated to the bus stop in front of his estate. Several times he nervously pressed his wand against the weathered timetable hoping that the hedge would part, and the gate would open, but Cygnus' protective spell withstood. It was only when all wizards cast their spells together at the same time that the hedge slid aside and the wrought iron entrance gate behind it finally gave way and opened. They sprinted down the driveway to the mansion. From a distance Sirius spotted that the front door was open. With a leap, he took all of the steps at once and stormed through the entrance hall to the stairs leading down to the kitchen. Mercuria stood in the middle of the room. The interior was in ruins and some of the furniture had traces of burning. Her right arm was dangling. In her hand she held the pan. As Sirius rushed into the room, she wheeled around. She was chalky white and trembling. He pulled her into his arms. "He's gone". Sirius covered her face with kisses. "We saw it. What a pity he was back already. And that you sent Kreacher away. This could have ended badly". Regulus restored the kitchen to its former state, and they sat down at the table. Sirius poured out Butterbeer and hastily downed a glass himself. "What the hell was that frying pan all about?", asked Marius. Malfoy twisted his mouth into a sarcastic smile. "I gave it to Mercuria years ago. It's spell-repellent. First time I've seen her use it. One of my most brilliant ideas".
Mercuria nodded, "I have used it before. But I have never needed it as badly as I did today. I was lucky he attacked me in the kitchen. Otherwise, I would probably be dead now". "And Lizzy?". Mercuria shook his head. "I haven't seen Lizzy". Sirius jumped up. He pointed at Marius. "You and Mercuria stay here. The rest of us will look for Lizzy". Marius pulled his wand out of his pocket and sat down next to Mercuria. The others ran through the house calling Lizzy's name. Sirius climbed the stairs and entered the hallway to their bedrooms. Outside Lizzy's room he stopped and knocked. No reply. Carefully, he pushed down the handle and peered into the room. He suppressed the urge to vomit, although he had already reckoned with the sight before him and his worst fears had come true. He called for Regulus and Gavin and entered. Lizzy was sprawled on the floor. She appeared unharmed and there was an astonished expression on her face, as if she was completely taken aback by what was happening to her. On the bed lay a half-packed suitcase. Sirius knelt beside her and folded her hands on her chest. Hearing footsteps behind him, he said without turning, "He must have talked her into leaving with him. She believed him. Poor thing. I'm sure he never intended to take her with him". Sirius looked up and gave Regulus, Gavin and Malfoy, who were standing in the doorway, a sad look. Regulus said, "This is terrible, brother. I never thought something like this would happen again after Voldemort's death. But you can't help her now. Let's return to the kitchen and discuss what to do". Sirius nodded, stood up and followed them.
When they entered the kitchen, Marius and Mercuria looked at them expectantly. Sirius just shook his head, dropped heavily onto a chair and poured himself a whole glass full of whisky. Regulus said, 'We need to think about what to do. He must have some plans. What can we do to stop him plotting?". Marius spoke up, "While you were looking for Lizzy, Mercuria and I thought about what he might do next. For one thing, we need to protect aunt Andromeda and Teddy. Apart from us, they are the only remaining family members. And, of course, in his eyes, both deserve to be eliminated". Sirius jumped to his feet. "You are right. Marius and Mercuria are going to Andromeda. You must convince her that she must move in here. Marius, take a broomstick. He disconnected us from the Floo network. We'll leave it at that for now. We will renew the security around the compound, and then apparate to the house at Grimmauld Place".
At that moment, Dorkas apparated into the kitchen. He bowed. "Master Sirius. Your son, Master Cygnus, came to us in the forest to claim his brothers. He said you had sent him". Sirius froze and had to hold onto the back of his chair. His beautiful boys. Dorkas continued, "We didn't give them to him. You had told us that only you could come for the children. Master Sirius. it's so terrible. He killed five of our people before we could drive him away. Did we do everything right?". Sirius struggled to compose himself. "Dorkas. I'm infinitely sorry about that. My son is a Dark Wizard. No one suspected that. It was my responsibility to protect you. I failed miserably. Please forgive me. I cannot find the words to express my regrets. But now we must all protect ourselves before more harm is done. Can you keep the boys with you until we come for them? And only me against naming the password?". The elf nodded and disapparated. Sirius looked round. 'You see how urgently we must act. Marius and Mercuria. Are you ready?". The two stood up. Sirius walked up to his son and put his hands on his shoulders. "Marius, I know I can rely on you. You are my first born and it is time you took responsibility for your family. I am sure that I can count on you". Marius looked at his father seriously and nodded resolutely. Sirius took him in his arms and hugged him tightly. Then Marius and Mercuria left the kitchen, and they heard them running up the stairs. Regulus got up. "Brother, we must protect the property from him. Then we will put the Fidelius Charm back on the house at Grimmauld Place so that Cygnus cannot enter there. Gavin and I will move in with you for now. We all need to join forces. What about you, Lucius? He may try to get hold of you. Today he used an Unforgivable Spell. Which means he will stop at nothing anymore". "What would he want from me?". Sirius said, aghast, "You can't be serious. What would he want from you? Information, of course. First about the Dark Arts and then about yourself, Regulus and me and the time of war. Didn't you understand that by now he's realised that you were privy to a lot of things? How long do you think it will take him to figure out that the time-turner in fact was yours?". Regulus interrupted, "Tell me Lucius, do you still have the piece?". Lucius shook his head. "No. I don't. I threw it behind the veil back at the Department of Mysteries because I knew that I would get arrested shortly afterwards and that they would search my stuff. If I still had the piece, then Voldemort would have found out sooner or later that I could have saved him with the time-turner". Sirius looked at him. "So, what now? Are you going to stay here for a while?". Lucius raised his eyebrows and considered the question for a moment. Then he nodded. They tightened security around the estate and then apparated to the house at Grimmauld Place. When they arrived there, they bumped into Cygnus, who disapparated immediately, before they could get a hold on him. Regulus and Gavin gathered their belongings and finally they cast the Fidelius Charm on the house with Sirius as Secret Keeper. They took along Kreacher, whom they met on the spot, when they returned to Yorkshire. Andromeda and Teddy had already arrived and after Sirius had fetched the boys from the outer elves, they had a late dinner before they all went to bed.
Sirius climbed the stairs behind his wife. He was unsure what to expect. For a moment he feared that she would step into the bedroom and slam the door in his face. Nothing of the sort happened. Instead, she disappeared into the bathroom. Sirius undressed and slipped under the covers. When Mercuria stepped out of the bathroom she was naked and had her hands clasped behind her back. She stopped in the doorway and suddenly threw something at him. "Catch". Sirius caught the object. It was the phial with the Love Potion. Only that it was empty. "What happened?". "I told you I wanted to test the stuff myself". "Did you take it all at once?". "Yeah, sure. There wasn't that much of it left". Sirius looked at her doubtfully. "Just let me know if you start feeling sick". " Sick? I've never felt this good before". She giggled and slowly made her way to the bed. With a jerk she pulled the covers aside and looked down at him. Sirius was confused and completely surprised when she suddenly threw herself on top of him and ran her tongue down his chest. Then she took his face in her hands, beaming at him as she pushed her tongue into his mouth and kissed him. Sirius hugged her and gently pushed her aside so that he could caress her nipples with his hand. At last, the reaction he'd been missing for so long came: her body jerked, and contractions shot through her like freak waves. Sirius smiled. "Easy, little lady. We have endless hours ahead of us. We'll make up for everything we've missed". And they did. They made love in every way they could think of.
Sirius found himself wondering what he was still capable of, despite the tremendous amount of drinking he had done in recent weeks. And Mercuria continued to arouse him every time he had taken her. When he finally couldn't cope any more, she bent down and tried to get him going with her mouth. When this did not work out, she said, "Sirius, what's the matter with you? Try harder, for God's sake. That can't have been all of it". He closed his eyes and moaned. "Darling, I really don't think there's anything else I can do for you now". She looked at him in frustration. Then she added determinedly, "Then do it with your tongue. Or your fingers. Perhaps something will work out later. Come on, man". She beamed at him expectantly for a moment. He felt completely exhausted and drained. As he straightened up and dived between her legs, he briefly considered to run away and wait for the effects of the potion to wear off. But then he sighed and began to caress her with his tongue. Had it not been himself who was to blame for the situation? Now he had to do everything he could to get their relationship back onto the right path. When he finally couldn't go on any longer and his head fell onto her belly from sheer exhaustion, she stroked his hair and whispered: "I think we should get some sleep, what do you say? Then we can have a fresh start in the morning". Sirius rolled his eyes and slid onto his pillow with his last ounce of strength. As he drifted off, he noticed that Mercuria was snuggling up to him, her head resting on his chest.