"Brumous"
"Chapter Forty-Two: Riddle House"
Ginny woke slightly disoriented and twisted in an awkward position. Groaning, she turned her face into something hard that was definitely not a pillow. Quirking an eye open, all she saw was green. She pushed herself up into a seated position, and realized she had fallen asleep on Harry's chest. Her sudden movement caused Harry to groan.
His glasses lay askew on his face and his hair a wonderful mess. The Marauder's Map laid open, half on his lap and half on the bed. Harry righted his glasses. He reached underneath the comforter, adjusting his body before he lolled his head to the side to look at Ginny.
"I think we fell asleep," Ginny commented, her hand squeezing her neck to work out the kink in it from the awkward angle she fell asleep in.
They had watched the Marauder's Map until they had fallen asleep. Harry wanted to know when Malfoy and Nott left the Room of Requirement, so they could have access to the room to look at the cabinet more closely.
Harry grumbled, sitting up and snatching the map. His eyes flew around the map, folding and unfolding it in a frantic search to find Malfoy and Nott. He stopped on the Slytherin common room. Malfoy and Nott's dots were in their dormitory. Harry cleared the map before scrambling out of bed, nearly falling flat on his face. Ginny sprung to action as well.
Ginny jumped out of bed, crashing into Harry in the process. He stood frozen. It took Ginny a few moments to realize he was staring at something. Or rather, someone. Ron looked between them, his eyebrows rising into his hairline. Harry breathed heavily next to her.
"Want to investigate a cabinet?" Harry asked. "I think Malfoy and Nott were messing around with it."
Ron's eyes grew impossibly wider. "Well, bloody hell, yeah! But, I mean, we've got to, you know, talk about this," he added, gesturing between Harry and Ginny.
"No, we bloody well don't," Ginny snapped.
"Are you in here every night?" Ron asked.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Ginny challenged.
"No," Harry lied at the same time, sounding far too convincing. "We fell asleep waiting for Malfoy and Nott to leave the Room of Requirement."
Ron narrowed his eyes at Harry before he nodded. "Well, let's go then! Show me this ruddy cabinet!"
The three of them dashed through the corridors. Ginny struggled to keep up, cursing the boys and their long legs. She had to move twice as fast as they were. At one point, Harry even turned around to make sure Ginny was still with them. He paused in his stride and held his hand out for her. She huffed, pushing it away as she darted in front of him. She wasn't going to let him think she couldn't keep up.
When they arrived at the Room of Requirement, Harry took the lead. He remembered right where to go as they weaved through the mess of shelves and objects, something that Ginny couldn't say the same. She felt turned around, everything looking so similar. Harry halted in his stride, his head whipping around frantically.
"It's gone!" Harry exclaimed, turning around and gesturing to an empty space. "It was right here."
"Erm, mate, I'm not saying you're wrong, but are you sure this is the right spot?" Ron asked as he looked around. "I'm not even sure I could find my out of this maze."
Harry snapped his attention to Ginny. "This is where it was, wasn't it?"
Ginny blinked. "I mean, maybe? I think we should just look around a bit. Just to make sure. As much as it pains me to say this, Ron is right. This place is a maze."
Ron chuckled, looking rather smug. "Can you say that again?"
"Fuck off," Ginny snapped.
Ron cupped his hand to his ear and leaned in. "Come on! I want to imprint this into my memory."
"I'll imprint my foot on your face in a second," Ginny growled.
"Can you two not bicker right now?" Harry interrupted in an exasperated tone.
Ron and Ginny exchanged a look with one another. Harry was in a mood. It reminded Ginny of the way he was the previous year – easily agitated and grumpy.
They searched the room for a good hour, looking everywhere for the cabinet. It was nowhere to be found. It became very apparent that Malfoy and Nott removed the cabinet from the Room of Requirement altogether. Or, at least, that specific room.
"Look," Ron reasoned, his hands steadying on an irritated Harry's shoulders. "This is better, isn't it? This room isn't on the map, but everything else is, right? We'll find out where they took it."
Harry's jaw clenched. "Unless it's not at Hogwarts anymore."
"It's not like they know about the map," Ron reasoned.
Harry raised his eyebrows. "Pettigrew is a Death Eater. He knows I have the map. If he had no problem betraying my dad and Sirius, his supposed best friends, then he would have no issue telling everyone about the map. There's no way Malfoy doesn't know about it."
"Well, maybe he didn't think to tell anyone?" Ron suggested as one side of his lips quirked up.
"He told them about Sirius' Animagus form," Harry argued. "It's why Sirius couldn't use it last year to leave Grimmauld Place. And Malfoy has not been shy about calling Sirius a dumb dog, so he obviously knows."
"Makes you wonder what else Pettigrew told You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters," Ron mused.
Ginny's insides churned at the thought.
"Probably a lot of stuff about Sirius," Harry replied, his hand reaching up to push his glasses up so he could rub his eyes. "Not to mention us for the first three years of Hogwarts."
Ron blew out a huff of air. "Okay, so what? He knows that we're best mates? Big fucking whoop. I mean, anyone with a brain knows that. He knows we're always together, that we would die for one another, that we're platonic soul mates."
"Platonic soul mates?" Ginny echoed incredulously.
"Shh," Ron hissed, holding his hand up in Ginny's direction. "He knows you're close to my family and that we spend every single summer together. Again, it only takes a brain to know that. He's got nothing on us."
"He knows that if anyone I care about is in danger that I won't hesitate to dive in head first," Harry argued, righting his glasses.
"Harry, mate, you're not that special," Ron replied, offering Harry an upside-down smile. "You're an open book. Everyone knows that you love a good saving the day moment. You can't help yourself. Pettigrew doesn't know anything that the entire bloody school doesn't know. Now, I will admit, there's probably a lot of shit he knows about Sirius and Lupin."
Harry sighed heavily, stepping away from Ron. He looked around the Room of Requirement once more. His fingers wrapped around some sort of glass figurine and he hurtled it across the room. Ginny jumped when the glass shattered.
"Harry…" Ron trailed off.
"I need some air," Harry snapped, pushing past Ron.
Ginny turned slowly to Ron, waiting for him to say something. Ron only ran a hand down his face and shook his head.
"He gets like this sometimes," Ron said in a weak tone. "It's best to let him be for a little bit. He just needs space."
Ginny crossed her arms over her chest. "You just let him what? Stew on it until he pushes it down and never talks about it?"
"I've known Harry a long time, Ginny," Ron retorted. "He hates talking about anything dealing with emotions. I can't get two words out of him when he's upset."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Where does he normally go if he's upset?"
"Ginny, leave him be," Ron stressed.
"Ron, tell me," Ginny pressed.
Ron shifted his weight, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "On the west side of the Black Lake, where all those trees are, you can walk through there. It's a bloody pain with all the branches. But it opens up. Harry likes to go there to be alone."
Ginny thanked him before she rushed off to find Harry. When she arrived at the spot Ron described, she saw Harry sitting on the ground with his back pressed against a tree trunk. His legs were drawn up, his forearms resting on his knees. His limbs twitched from the cold.
Ginny eased down on the cold ground next to him, her arms wrapping around his elbow. She leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder. Her hand ran down his arm until her fingers ghosted over his chilled skin.
When she couldn't take the bitter weather any longer, she tugged her wand out of her pocket and cast Warming Charms on each of them before she conjured a big fluffy blanket. She maneuvered it around both of them to keep them warm. Ginny didn't say anything. She sat in silence with Harry, letting him stew but also letting him know she was there if he wanted to talk.
Sirius stared up at the night sky, the stars twinkling bright in the clear sky. It was nearly midnight and he barely listened to Snape explain the plan for the evening. Dumbledore added his two Knuts occasionally, but Sirius couldn't stop staring at one constellation in particular. Even after all these years, Sirius knew all the constellations and the stars by heart. Sometimes, when he had been really lonely in Azkaban, he talked to the stars in the sky.
"I think at the stroke of midnight would be an excellent time to depart," Dumbledore announced. "Severus, if I may go over a few things with you first."
Tegan leaned into his side, her head tiling up as well. Sirius didn't know how well versed she was in Astronomy. He assumed decent since she had been Head Girl. Sirius leaned his head to the side. He pointed at the constellation he was looking at.
"That's Cepheus, the king." Sirius explained. "It's a Black family tradition to name your children after constellations and stars. I can only think of a handful that broke the tradition. I could point them out and list them all by the time I was six. My Uncle Alphard used to say that he was always with us, as long as we could find him in the sky."
"You talk about your Uncle Alphard a lot," Tegan mused.
Sirius nodded. "Alphard is the brightest star in Hydra. Sirius is the brightest star of all. My uncle used to say that connected us. We were bright stars in a very dark sky."
Tegan turned her full attention to Sirius, her hand pressing against his back between his shoulder blades. "We'll get Cepheus out of there tonight. You'll live up to your brightest star name."
Sirius cast his gaze down at Tegan. "I'm worried Narcissa is setting us up. She… she aligned herself with Bellatrix a long time ago, when Andy left the family and I had become… unmanageable. She had never really gotten along with Bellatrix before then. They were polar opposites. Now… now, I can't help but think she'll turn out just like her sister."
"You said she loved Regulus," Tegan pointed out.
Sirius nodded. "She did. But then again, so did I. And I turned my back on him. I left and never looked back."
Tegan pressed her chin against his bicep. "You said it yourself, they would have killed you if you stayed."
Sirius said nothing. He looked back up at the sky, wishing more than anything that Alphard was visible in the November sky. He could have used the support, the reassurance, something. That was a ridiculous thought, Sirius knew that. But he always felt calmer whenever Hydra was visible in the night sky.
Shoving his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, Sirius felt Fluffernoodle curled up in the bottom of his left pocket. Sirius ran a finger along his little head. Before he knew what was happening, Fluffernoodle curled around his wrist and slithered up his arm underneath his shirt. Sirius hadn't the mental capacity to care, his mind focused on the mission at hand. Fluffernoodle curled around his shoulder, the snake's head resting on his collarbone and his tail curling underneath his armpit.
Tegan pointed at the sky, her bottom lip sliding between her teeth. "That's… Pegasus?"
Sirius chuckled. "Nah, that's Andromeda."
"I'd fail the Black family interrogation for potential girlfriends, wouldn't I?" Tegan asked, resting her temple against his shoulder.
"Walburga would have positively hated you for being a half-blood," Sirius explained, his eyes roving across the sky. "Add in your piss-poor Astronomy skills and you would have been kicked out the door."
Tegan laughed. "Good thing she died ages ago."
Sirius cast his eyes down, staring at the dark beanie on her head. "I fear the only one you'd have to impress would be Andy. She is not only my older cousin, but she acts like she's a mixture between my big sister and mother all rolled into one. She takes on a lot of roles in my life, because we were both disowned."
Tegan pulled back, tilting her chin up to look at him. "Let me guess, you're the annoying little brother to her?"
Sirius smiled tightly. "Something like that. I think I exasperate her more than I actually make her happy."
Tegan beamed up at him, her hands reaching up and grabbing the hem of his beanie hat. She tugged it down further over his ears. Her fingers pressed against his cheeks, feeling warm against his chilled skin.
"Did you forget a Warming Charm?" Tegan asked. "You're like ice."
"Must have," Sirius lied, knowing damn well he didn't bother with one.
Tegan's hands dropped from his face. She pulled her wand out from the inner pocket of her black peacoat. The tip of her wand pressed against his shoulder and he felt warmth flood his body. Sirius thanked her.
Movement behind Tegan caught his eye. He looked up to see Snape walking towards them. Sirius sneered, his eyes rolling up for a brief moment. Upon the change in expression, Tegan turned around before stepping back to stand next to him. Their shoulders brushed against each other.
"Ah, fuck, he's coming our way," Sirius groaned.
Tegan bumped her hip against his, a soft smiling dancing on her face. "Be nice."
"I'm always nice," Sirius insisted, not being able to wipe the disgusted look from his face.
Tegan snorted. "I've never seen you even be civil with him."
"He's a cockwombling fucking gi- oh, hey, Snape," Sirius greeted Snape as he joined their group "Great to have you on the team."
"Black," Snape said in his lazy drawl.
"Maybe you two should try starting fresh," Dora announced as she too joined them, looking far too chipper. "Pretend like you're meeting for the very first time. Try out a first name. It's more friendly."
Sirius sucked in a breath, narrowing his eyes at Snape. He really fucking hated the man in front of him. But he had promised he'd work with Snape.
"S…" Sirius trailed off, clearing his throat. "Sev…" he continued with a wince, resisting the urge to gag. "Severus."
Snape narrowed his eyes. "I decline."
Sirius shot a strained smile down at Dora, his hands making an oh well, I tried gesture.
"Why, Severus, I believe Sirius is extending an olive branch," Dumbledore announced as he stepped up to the group. "You will have to have each other's backs. You have to trust each other."
Snape rolled his eyes. "Sirius," he said in a disgusted tone.
"Wonderful!" Dumbledore announced.
"Now, hug!" Dora added.
Sirius had never wanted to kill his baby cousin before. But there was a first time for everything. He shot her a look, clearly conveying if she didn't bloody well stop than he would pull his wand on her. She only laughed at him.
"All right, we'll be departing in a minute," Tegan announced. "Severus, why don't you side-along with Tonks and I'll take Sirius. We'll meet where we discussed?"
Sirius hated the thought that Snape would be Apparating with Dora. While they were supposed to trust each other and have each other's backs, Sirius didn't trust Snape as far as he could throw him. Not after everything he had done. Sirius' eye twitched as Dora held her hand out to Snape. Sucking in a breath, Snape grasped Dora's hand.
Tegan's arm looped with Sirius', her eyes snapping down to the watch on her wrist. Sirius' heart rate spiked. He clenched his fists, trying to stop his hands from shaking. The only thing he could think about was that he should have said goodbye to Harry. What if he never saw him again?
"Stick together," Dumbledore instructed. "Leave no wizard behind."
"Ten, nine," Tegan counted.
Sirius' eyes slid shut, listening to Tegan's soothing voice as she counted down. He had to believe that Narcissa hadn't set them up. He had to trust her. Because if she had betrayed him, if any of them died, Sirius would be at fault, wishing he had gone in alone.
Everything squeezed together and Sirius felt nauseous for the first time in a long time while Apparating. His eyes snapped open. The moon illuminated a once magnificent house, which now stood in shambles in front of him. Vines grew up the sides of the house, siding hanging on by threads in some places, and the front porch was missing some spindles in the railing. It reminded him of the Potters' manor on the outskirts of Godric's Hollow. Grand but not flashy.
The group walked towards the house, making their way to the back garden so they could break in without prying eyes. Not that anyone seemed to be awake in the small sleepy town. Sirius couldn't even see a light on anywhere near them. No streetlamps, no houses lit up, not even an automobile on the road.
Sirius stepped in front of Snape, taking the lead up the steps of the back deck. He dug around for the penknife in his pocket. When he had bought Harry his a few years ago, Sirius had bought a matching one for himself. He didn't know if he'd need something like that while on the run. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Flicking the blade out, Sirius shoved it between the door and the frame. He maneuvered it up and down before he heard a faint click.
They wanted to avoid magic at all costs. It seemed to be a smart way to go, not knowing exactly what sort of wards were placed around the house. They didn't have the time to check or dismantle any. Sirius shoved the penknife into his pocket and wrapped his fingers around the doorknob. Sucking in a breath, he twisted his wrist and pushed the door open.
They entered a kitchen. Sirius looked around the room, the moonlight shining through the windows. Layers of dust littered the countertops and appliances. Muggle appliances. For the first time since finding out he was biologically Voldemort's son, he realized he wasn't a pureblood. He was a half-blood with a Muggle grandfather. His eyes roamed across the room, soaking in all the things he had learned about in Muggle Studies ages ago or that Lily had talked about.
Snape stormed forward, his shoulder connecting roughly with Sirius'. But Sirius couldn't find it within him to care as he stepped closer to the table and chair set. His fingers dragged across the back of one of the chairs, his chest twisting and expanding.
"Black," Snape hissed.
Sirius snapped his attention to Snape to see him standing next to a door. He gestured towards it. Sirius pulled the penknife from his pocket once more, making his way across the kitchen. Licking his bottom lip, Sirius wiggled the knife to unlock the door.
"I wonder why he picked this place," Dora said somewhere behind him. "This is a Muggle house."
Sirius had no desire to fill her in. Nobody else said anything either. The lock clicked and Sirius pushed the door open to reveal a staircase. It was pitch black. Sirius turned around. Dora ruffled through her satchel and pulled out torches. She handed them out to everyone. Sirius pressed the button and pointed it down the staircase.
Sirius descended the stairs first, his weight causing them to creak. He ducked his head low as he went, worried he'd bang his head on the low ceiling. He stepped off the last step and pointed his torch down a long corridor. Sirius pressed his palm against the wall, inspecting it with his torch. It looked fresh, like the plaster had been erected not that long ago. Moving his torch down the hallway once more, Sirius noted the doors. Voldemort had built his own little dungeon underneath the house. What if there were more prisoners besides just Cepheus?
"Sirius," Tegan breathed, her hand touching his elbow.
"He made a prison," Sirius whispered, making his way to the first door on the left.
Shoving the torch between his teeth, Sirius used his knife to unlock it. Pushing the door open, the room was empty. Sirius growled, darting across the hallway to unlock the next door. Nothing again. Panic rose in Sirius' chest. They had been duped. Surely, they had been made out to be fools. The next room, nothing. Another room, nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Sirius rounded a corner to see even more doors. Clenching his jaw, Sirius was about ready to scream when he saw it.
A light seeped out from the last door on the right. Sirius darted towards it, fumbling to shove his knife between the door and the frame to unlock it. It clicked and Sirius rammed his shoulder into the door to push it open.
Sirius froze in the doorway, his hand reaching up to take the torch out of his mouth. His nose wrinkled at the stench in the room. Cepheus sat on the floor, his knees drawn to his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs. His hair lay limp and greasy on his head. A healing bruise surrounded one eye while the other had a fresh bruise. A healing cut sliced through his bottom lip. Dried blood coated his nose, chin, and clothes.
"Cepheus," Sirius breathed, making his way into the room as he pocketed his torch and knife into his leather jacket.
Cepheus flinched back, his face pulling as tears brimmed his eyes. Sirius didn't stop in his stride. He knelt down in front of his nephew but didn't touch him.
"It wasn't me," Sirius whispered, his eyes searching Cepheus' fearful gray ones. "It was Lucius Malfoy under Polyjuice Potion. That woman? That wasn't your mum."
Cepheus blinked, tears cascading down his cheeks. In that moment, Cepheus looked younger than sixteen. He was just a child, so young and innocent. Dora knelt down beside him. She had some sort of Muggle tool in her hand to cut the chain connecting Cepheus' ankle to the floor. Sirius reached out slowly, his fingers wrapping around Cepheus' shoulder and giving him a squeeze.
"We're going to get you out of here," Sirius explained.
"Uncle Sirius," Cepheus gasped. "Is my mum… where is my mum?"
Sirius couldn't look at him. His head turned to see Dora trying to slice through the metal and struggling. He hoped she had a better tool in her satchel.
"I'm sorry, Cepheus," Sirius choked out, snapping his gaze back to his nephew. "Your mum was found murdered in your home after you had gone missing. They killed her after they stole her hair to impersonate her."
Cepheus sobbed, his shoulders shaking. Sirius cupped his face, his thumb brushing the tears off his cheek. He leaned forward, connecting their foreheads. Sirius' heart shattered into a million pieces. All he could think about was that he had failed yet another child. He had failed Harry. He had failed Cepheus. Sirius was a piss-poor replacement for their parents.
"Run," a familiar male voice hissed.
Sirius stiffened, his body jerking away from Cepheus. He twisted his body, staring at Snape standing by the door. What the fuck was he playing at? Did he betray them? Last minute regret as he told them to run.
"What the fuck did you do?" Sirius snapped.
Snape furrowed his brows. "What are you talking about, Black?"
Sirius snarled. "You just told us to run. What did you do?"
"I didn't say anything," Snape snapped back. "It seems as though your time in Azkaban is finally catching up with you. No doubt losing your mind."
"Run," the voice said again, but it wasn't Snape who said it. Snape was still running his mouth off.
A flicker caught Sirius' eye behind Snape. A young man stood in the doorway, his dark curls falling into his eyes. He stood rigid, his posture perfect. His gray eyes soaked in the scene in front of him.
"Run, Sirius," the man said. "Please, save him."
"Reggie?" Sirius whispered.
A clank. Sirius whipped his head around to see the chains had fallen to the floor and Cepheus was free. Only the manacle around his ankle remained but they could deal with that later. Sirius turned back to the doorframe. Regulus was gone. Sirius' heart pounded in his chest.
"We have to move," Sirius said in a frantic tone, his hands wrapping around Cepheus' arm and helping him to stand.
"Sirius, what's happening?" Tegan demanded.
"They're coming," Sirius replied, wrapping his arm around Cepheus' shoulders and pulling him close to his side.
"How do you know?" Dora asked.
"I just do, all right?" Sirius snapped. "MOVE!"
Snape glared, his eyes burning into Sirius. But Sirius paid no attention to him. He didn't have to give him any sort of answer. Sirius reached into his pocket and produced his wand. As soon as Sirius stepped out into the hallway, light burst around them from sconces on the wall. Sirius' stomach dropped to the floor, his fingers wrapping tighter around his wand. Rounding the corner, Sirius stopped dead in his tracks.
Lucius Malfoy stood at the end of the hall, blocking the stairs. He had his wand raised, pointing directly at Sirius' heart. There were four Death Eaters behind Malfoy, each of them pointing their wands at them. They were only outnumbered by one at least. Sirius recognized Franklin Nott as one of the Death Eaters but the other ones he didn't know. Sirius swallowed, pushing Cepheus behind him as he snapped his wand arm up.
"Did you really think you could just take my property without me noticing?" Malfoy asked.
Sirius sneered, taking a step forward. "He's not property," he hissed. "What the fuck is the matter with you?"
Malfoy laughed, making his way closer to Sirius. His eyes flickered beyond Sirius.
"Severus, Narcissa will be very disappointed to know you've been consorting with her degenerate cousin," Malfoy said in a lazy tone. "I'm curious, how did you manage to fool the Dark Lord that you were one of his most loyal? But I knew better. The way you conveniently didn't show your face on the night the Dark Lord rose again."
Sirius snapped his eyes up, looking for lights or something he could drop on the group. The hallway was narrow. Stray spells could kill any one of them. A blast could be effective, but Sirius didn't know if there was another way out if they blew up the staircase. Cepheus trembled against Sirius' back.
"It was Narcissa," Malfoy said, snapping Sirius out of his thoughts. "She told me everything. How she had gone to see you, how she had instantly regretted it, how she just missed Regulus so much that it clouded her judgment."
Sirius' breathing picked up. He never should have trusted her and her fake fucking tears. Narcissa was always the good little actress in the family.
"I must admit, I'm glad she did," Malfoy continued, taking another step closer. "It gives me the opportunity to finally be rid of you, Sirius. I have wanted for so long to watch the light leave your eyes. Insolent. Infuriating. Dishonorable freak. It amazes me that Walburga didn't drown you as a small child."
Sirius refused to say anything.
"The Blacks are mine," Malfoy said in a lazy tone. "Kill the others as you see fit."
A black spell shot from behind Sirius. An inky black substance coiled around one of the younger Death Eater's throats and he choked, his wand falling to the ground. An awful gasping filled the air. Sirius craned his neck briefly behind him to see Snape rolling his wrist, as though commanding the black ink around the wizard's throat.
"Cepheus, get back," Sirius ordered, his wand snapping to Malfoy's chest as he dashed forward.
A beat later and all hell broke loose. Spells flew around the corridor. Some slammed into the walls, bits of plaster exploding all around them. Others hit the scones, glass raining down upon them. Others just narrowly missed Sirius as they zoomed past his head. Sirius hoped Cepheus had fallen back behind the group or even went into one of the empty rooms. He was defenseless, though Sirius doubted he was a fair enough fighter even if he did have a wand by some miracle. He hadn't been trained as extensively as Harry had been. There was no need for it in France.
True to Malfoy's command, Death Eaters rushed past Sirius to deal with the group behind him. The young Death Eater scrambled up from the floor, red pooling down his throat from whatever spell Snape had used. Malfoy rounded on Sirius, a snarl crossing his face.
"I am going to enjoy killing you nice and slow," Malfoy hissed through clenched teeth.
Sirius didn't hold back like he did while at Hogsmeade or even the gala in Snowdonia. There were no witnesses. Sirius could kill if he wanted to. Honestly, Sirius relished in the idea of it. To finally rid the world of Lucius Malfoy was all he needed as he snapped his wrist to start the duel to the death. Because that's what it was. Malfoy would not let him leave alive and Sirius would be damned if he allowed Malfoy to escape.
Even if Malfoy bested him, Voldemort would no doubt kill Malfoy for murdering his biological son. Voldemort hadn't been able to suck out whatever he wanted to extract from Sirius and Cepheus. Malfoy had no clue just how important the Blacks were to Voldemort – no matter how misguided and loveless his obsession was.
Sirius didn't have time to solidify a good shield. He had to rely on dodging spells and being creative to get by. Sirius dove to the left to avoid a blood red spell, his hand shoving into his pocket to grab a Galleon, as his shoulder rammed into the floor. He flicked the coin with his thumb in Malfoy's direction before he pointed his wand at it, following it perfectly as it lobbed in the air. Sirius closed his one eye, his teeth baring as he twisted his wrist.
The coin grew and shifted, transfiguring at Sirius' will. With a quick snap of his wrist, the metal elongated into a sharp point. Sirius jerked his wrist back, getting the now dagger to stop flipping in the air before jabbing his wand forward. The dagger pierced Malfoy's shoulder, causing him to stagger back with a gasp of surprise.
Sirius pushed himself off the floor, his head turning around to see Cepheus' head poking around the corner as he watched the scene unfold with wide eyes. Tegan and Dora each took a Death Eater while Snape battled two at once. Everyone seemed to be holding their own until Nott pointed his wand beyond Snape.
A Blasting Curse hit the wall. The gust was powerful enough to slam Sirius' body into the opposite wall. All the air escaped his lungs, his eyes searching frantically for Dora and Tegan. His cousin was fine, shooting a rapid fire of spells from where she laid on the floor. Tegan rose from the rubble, her forehead bleeding and face smeared with dirt. Snape grunted, his robes ripped at the shoulder as he limped forward. He slashed his wand in the air. Criss-cross wounds blossomed across Nott's chest and he fell to the ground instantly.
Sirius kicked off the wall, turning his attention back to his opponent. Malfoy sneered, his wrist flicking. The light green spell hit Sirius right on the face, slicing open his cheek. The wound stung, blood pouring down his face. But Sirius paid no attention to it as he ground his teeth. The whoosh of blood sounded in his ears, and he could feel his heart attempting to break through his chest cavity.
"Is that all you have, Sirius?" Malfoy asked, his wand pointing at the dagger in his shoulder. "Parlor tricks?"
He jerked his wrist back, the dagger falling from his body. Another wave and Sirius could only assume he had done a piss-poor job of healing himself. Sirius, however, did not wait for him to be ready to continue their duel. Sirius would show him fucking parlor tricks.
Shooting a Disarming Spell, Sirius stepped back and shoed the trainer off his heel. He kicked his leg forward, the trainer flying through the air. With a carefully placed blast, the shoe exploded into chunks. A twirl of wrist and the pieces of his shoes turned into tiny birds with sharp beaks. They darted at Malfoy at full speed, attacking him relentlessly.
A gasping scream sounded behind Sirius. He whipped around to see Dora pinned to the wall, a wand shoving into her throat. She struggled against a burly Death Eater. He was younger than Sirius, but older than Dora. Sirius grit his teeth, shooting a spark at the wizard's feet. His shoes burst into flames, causing him to stagger away from Dora as he screamed and cast Aguamenti at his feet.
Before Sirius could turn around, he felt thick ropes coiling around his body and pinning his arms to his sides. An invisible force knocked him off his feet as the ropes wound tighter and tighter around him. He kicked his legs, a grunt escaping his lips. A rope slithered up around his neck, constricting until he found it difficult to breathe. Sirius' eyes slid over to see that Tegan and Snape had their backs pressed together as they each fought a Death Eater. Dora was too preoccupied with the wizard Sirius had just set on fire. Nobody noticed he had gone down.
A weight eased onto Sirius' chest. Malfoy loomed over him, small little cuts covering his face from the birds. Sirius would have mocked him if he hadn't been tied up and at the wizard's mercy. Malfoy's hand gripped Sirius' chin, pushing his head back as he squeezed his fingers tight. Sirius winced as his sharp nails dug into his face.
"I told you that you'd be my little lapdog someday," Malfoy hissed, his face leaning forward closer to Sirius's. "I can't decide if I want to kill you or drag you back for Bella to finally break you. She perfected her art since the last time she tried with you. That McKinnon girl was the perfect test subject."
Anger burst in Sirius' chest as the ropes wrapped tighter around his body. Something slid across Sirius' collarbone. He dropped his gaze, trying to see what was happening. The small little head of Fluffernoodle peeked out from the collar of his shirt. His mouth opened wide before he snapped his head up and bit down on Malfoy's wrist.
Malfoy yelped, jumping up off Sirius. The spell on the ropes weakened, loosening around him. Sirius wiggled, his arms pressing against the ropes as he gasped for breath, and tried to untangle himself from the mess of ropes.
"Sirius!" Tegan cried.
An instant later, the ropes dissolved into thin air. Sirius jumped to his feet. Fluffernoodle had not let go of Malfoy's wrist, no matter how hard Malfoy tugged on the snake's body. Malfoy was not going to hurt his damn snake. Sirius rushed him, pushing him up against the wall and shoving his forearm against Malfoy's windpipe. Sirius wrapped his fingers around Malfoy's wrist, just below where Fluffernoodle was holding on for dear life. The snake coiled around Sirius' wrist just before he slammed Malfoy's wrist into the wall. The wand fell from his fingertips.
"I've waited for this day for so long," Sirius hissed as Malfoy made gargled choking noises.
A breath tickled Sirius' neck. "Kill him, Sirius," Regulus' voice hissed in his ear. "He hurt us. He hurt Cepheus. He'll hurt Harry too. Slit his fucking throat."
Sirius' chest heaved, his body weight leaning against Malfoy's throat. "You're a parasite," he said in a breathless voice. "A fucking cockroach who has somehow managed to escape the worst situations again and again and again."
Malfoy tried to buck Sirius off him, his free hand clawing desperately at Sirius' arm.
"I was hoping it'd be me who finally exterminated you," Sirius said in a cold voice.
Sirius pushed Malfoy onto the ground. Malfoy gasped pathetically, trying to gulp in as much air as he possible could. A beat later, Sirius slashed his wand through the air. Malfoy's throat slit, the blood bubbling as he made pathetic noises. Sirius watched in sick satisfaction as Malfoy choked to death on his own fucking blood. Sirius smiled the moment Malfoy's body went lax and the awful noises stopped.
Sirius turned around to see three bodies on the floor. Snape had the final Death Eater pinned to the wall, his wand slashing to slit open the wizard's throat. Snape stepped back, the body falling to the ground with a sickening thump. He turned to look at Sirius. Snape was covered in blood, but he didn't seem to care. He wiped his sleeve across his face, smearing the blood across his cheek.
"We didn't detain them," Dora gasped. "Shouldn't we have tried to detain them?"
Sirius snapped his attention to his little cousin. Tegan had her arms wrapped around her, her hand pressing to Dora's arm as crimson poured between her fingers. Tegan's jacket sleeve was ripped and the wound by her hairline that seemed to be still actively bleeding, but she looked mostly unscathed.
Snape rounded on Dora, his face red with fury. "You nearly got us killed!"
"Severus, stop," Tegan hissed.
Snape pointed at Dora. "What kind of Auror are you? We are at war! You don't detain in a battle for the death!"
Sirius strolled forward, grabbing Snape by the bicep and forced him to look at him. "Lay off her."
"She's a liability with her little morals," Snape sneered. "You know it as well as I do."
Sirius flickered his eyes over to Dora. She was so young. She had been a child during the first war, so small and innocent. She had no clue just how ruthless the Death Eaters were. She had just qualified to be an Auror and hadn't seen the worst of humanity yet. Not like the rest of them had. Dora was painfully naïve with her idealistic worldviews. Sirius only felt pity for her, knowing that everything she had ever known had come crashing down in one fell swoop.
"We need to get out of here before more Death Eaters come," Sirius said instead, his head snapping to where he had seen Cepheus hiding before. "Cepheus, come on. Lets' go. Now!"
Cepheus scrambled to his feet, darting across the hallway towards Sirius. Sirius held his arms open for his nephew. Cepheus crashed against his chest, and Sirius held onto him tightly. He pressed a hand to the back of Cepheus' dirty hair.
"Sirius," Dora whispered.
"If we didn't kill them, they would have killed us," Sirius reasoned. "There was no detaining them. I'm sorry, Dora, but this is war."
Dora nodded, realization melting across her features.
"Sirius is right," Tegan agreed. "Detaining Dark wizards is one thing. But this, this wasn't the time or the place to show mercy."
Snape limped past Sirius without another word. Sirius shifted Cepheus into his side, his arm secure around his shoulders, and steered him towards the staircase. All he wanted to do was to get back to Hogwarts, to safety. Sirius side-stepped Malfoy's dead body, shifting his body so Cepheus didn't have to see him lying there since the kid was already trembling violently in his arms.
Sirius was painfully aware that Cepheus had his innocence ripped away from him in the cruelest of ways. He was no longer a child, no longer a carefree teenager who played Quidditch and chatted with his friends. No, now he was a part of a war. There was nowhere to hide, nowhere to go. Cepheus, whether he liked it or not, was stuck with Sirius. Because there was no way that Sirius would allow the Macnair family to sink their teeth into the kid. Nor was there another Black who could take him in and protect him.
Harry woke up with a slight weight on his chest. It was a common occurrence for the past couple of months. Harry had grown used to it, more used to it than he liked to admit. When Ginny wasn't in his bed, he woke up feeling… empty. That was a thought that scared him. He had never relied on another human being before for comfort. Ginny gave it to him in droves.
Harry pressed his hand to the back of her head, his fingers instantly becoming tangled in her long hair. She moaned, her nose pressing into his chest. Harry wanted the moment to last forever, to spend his days and nights tangled up in the sheets with Ginny pressed against him. It wasn't even like they were doing anything, despite the awkward strain on his trousers that he tried to hide from her every morning. They just talked, snogged, and slept. It was pure bliss.
Ginny rolled away from him, her limps stretching. Harry turned his head to look at her, squinting to try to see her expression because he hadn't put his glasses on yet. As though reading his mind, she rolled even further away from him and snagged his glasses off his bedside table. Harry stealthily adjusted himself when she wasn't looking. She gently plopped them down on his face.
"There, you look like you again," Ginny commented with a dazzling smile, her hand brushing against his cheek.
"Why don't we skive off class and stay in bed all day?" Harry suggested, propping his arms behind his head.
Ginny laughed. "As appealing as that sounds, I can't get behind any more than I already am in my classes," she explained, leaning forward to peck her lips against his. "O.W.L. year and all, unfortunately."
"Fine, go to class and actually learn," Harry replied. "Maybe I'll just lounge in bed all day without you."
Ginny arched an eyebrow. "And what? Stalk Malfoy and Nott on the map?"
Harry laughed, pushing up into a seated position. Speaking of Malfoy and Nott, he wanted to check the map to see where they were. With the cabinet being moved out of the Room of Requirement, Harry needed to know where they moved it and what they were doing even more. Reaching over towards his bedside table, he snagged the map and his wand.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," Harry said, his wand pressing against the parchment.
Ginny collapsed against the mattress, stretching some more. Her toes pressed against his leg, a smirk dancing on her face. Harry offered her a small smile before he turned his attention to the map. He'd check to see if they were in the Slytherin common room first or if they were already up for the day. It was just past six in the morning, so Harry knew they may still be in bed.
Harry's eyes scanned the map to look for their names when he froze. His eyes lingered on a cluster of names in the infirmary: Sirius Black, Cepheus Black, Tegan Robins, Nymphadora Tonks, Severus Snape, and Albus Dumbledore were all there. Harry's heart sped up, his body growing stiff.
"I got to go," Harry said in a rush, clamoring out of bed.
He shoved the map into the pocket of his pajama bottoms, along with his wand. Bending down, he pressed his lips against Ginny's as a goodbye.
"Harry," she mumbled against his lips.
"Cepheus is here," Harry said as he pulled away. "I'll fill you in later!"
Harry shoved his sockless feet into his trainers before he dashed out of his dormitory, taking the stairs two at a time. Harry had never run so fast in his life, his lungs burning as he dashed through the corridors. Several portraits yelled at him to slow down, but he didn't listen. He needed to know what had happened, where Cepheus had been, and if everyone was all right.
Harry pushed the doors to the infirmary open, his eyes snapping around the room. He spotted Sirius immediately, his face caked with blood and what looked like rope burns around his neck. He stood next to a hospital bed. Snape sat on the bed, shirtless, with blood smeared across his pallid shoulder and down his chest. Even his face had blood smeared all over it. Sirius held a wand in his hand, his eyes rolling towards the ceiling.
"Just let me do it," Sirius snapped. "You're such a pain in my fucking arse."
"Boys!" Madam Pomfrey shouted. "Just wait a moment! I'll be right over!"
Harry snapped his eyes back to see Cepheus sitting desolate on a hospital bed as Madam Pomfrey handed him potion after potion. His face was gaunt, covered in bruises and his split lip healing. His clothes were dirty. His greasy hair hung limply into his eyes.
"Fine, just get it over with," Snape snarled.
"Gladly," Sirius said with a smirk.
Pressing his hand on Snape's good shoulder, Sirius pointed his wand at the wound. He jerked his hand back and something came flying out of Snape's shoulder. Snape gave out a strangled scream, his head banging against headboard and his hand rising up to press against the wound. Sirius stepped back, his hand carding through his hair.
"Baby," Sirius huffed.
"Oh, you want me to pull glass out of you and see how it feels, Black?" Snape snapped.
"Bet I wouldn't scream like you did," Sirius retorted.
Mrs Robins crossed the infirmary to where they were, her head shaking as she looked between Sirius and Snape.
"Where were you during the explosion?" Snape snapped. "Conveniently not there, Black?"
"Oh, I don't know, actually dueling someone to the fucking death," Sirius replied in a cold tone. "Not my fault you couldn't hold up in a duel against Nott."
Snape looked like his head would explode at any second. Harry couldn't recall a time that his face had been redder.
Mrs Robins fingers wrapped around Sirius' arm, tugging him away from Snape. "Can you not poke a Hippogriff for once? Bloody hell, Sirius."
Harry's eyes roamed across the room to where Dumbledore stood close to Tonks, the two of them chatting. Tonks had a hand over her mouth, her head nodding as she listened to whatever Dumbledore was saying to her. Harry stepped further into the room, trying to piece together what had happened.
"He started it," Sirius whined.
"Merlin, Sirius, I swear you and Severus resort back to being twelve years old when you're together," Mrs Robins insisted.
Sirius chuckled, a grin spreading across his face. He stilled, his eyes snapping over to where Harry stood. Looking straight at his godfather, Harry noted his beard was coated in blood. The rope burn looked nasty, looking as though the rope had wound around his neck four or five times. There were specks of blood on his face, neck, and probably his clothes (which Harry couldn't be certain given the fact that Sirius donned black from head to toe).
"Harry…" Sirius trailed off, taking a couple of steps closer to him.
That was all Harry needed. He dashed forward, finding himself in Sirius' strong arms within moments. He screwed his eyes shut, wondering what had happened. More so, Harry hated that Sirius hadn't even told him they were attempting a rescue mission.
Sirius' hand pressed to the back of Harry's head. "It's all right, kid. We're all fine."
Harry opened his eyes so he could look around the room over Sirius' shoulder. His eyes locked with Cepheus' across the room. Madam Pomfrey rubbed his arm before she made her way across the room.
"Mr Black, your nephew is all patched up," Madam Pomfrey announced. "I gave him a Calming Draught and a Sleeping Potion so you might want to talk to him now before he falls asleep for the next several hours."
Sirius pulled back, his hand clamping down on Harry's shoulder. "Want to go see him quick with me?"
Harry nodded, allowing Sirius to steer him towards the back of the infirmary. Cepheus stared at them with tears brimming in his eyes. Harry couldn't even fathom the hell Cepheus had endured for days on end. They stopped right in front of where Cepheus sat. Sirius reached out his free hand, cupping Cepheus' face and offering him a strained smile.
"You doing all right?" Sirius asked.
Cepheus nodded, though he didn't look convincing.
Sirius' hand dropped to Cepheus' shoulder. "It's over with, okay? You're safe now."
Cepheus sniffed, his gaze dropping to his hands in his lap. "What happens now?" he asked in a soft voice. "M-Mum's dead. I have nowhere to go."
"What? You think Harry and I are just going to say 'good luck' and never see you again?" Sirius asked.
Harry glanced over at Sirius briefly before turning his attention back to Cepheus. His chest expanded as Cepheus looked up at him. Harry grinned.
"Yeah, why be cousins when we can be brothers?" Harry offered.
Cepheus offered Harry a half-hearted smile. Harry didn't take offense to it. He had just been tortured for days on end and found out his mum was dead. Harry felt sorry for Cepheus. Honestly, Harry didn't know what was worse: to not remember his parents and not know what he was missing or to remember them and know he'd never see them again. Harry glanced up at Sirius. The answer was right in front of him.
Growing up without parents had been hard, especially living with the Dursleys. But he didn't know James and Lily Potter. He had no idea what they would have been like as parents. He did know Sirius though. Losing Sirius would be infinitely worse than losing parents he never got the chance to know.
"Oi, why don't you sleep?" Sirius pressed. "I'll be by later to see you. I'm sure Harry will be by too."
Cepheus nodded, pulling his legs up onto the bed and collapsing down against the pillow. Sirius maneuvered the blankets out from under Cepheus and pulled them up to his chin. Sirius pressed a hand to his dirty hair and nodded before he stepped back. He pulled the curtains around the bed. With a long sigh, Sirius turned towards Harry and their eyes met.
"Found out we were here because of the map?" Sirius questioned, his hands shoving into his pockets.
Harry nodded as he pushed his glasses up his nose with his fingers. "You didn't tell me you were going on a rescue mission."
Sirius swallowed visibly. "I didn't want you to worry."
Harry frowned. "You trusted Snape enough to go with him?"
Sirius' eyebrows raised, his head cocking to the side. "I didn't have a choice in the matter. I didn't put together the team."
Harry leaned forward, chewing the inside of his cheek. "Is he the reason you're hurt?"
Sirius smiled. "No, that would be because of Lucius Malfoy. Snape, whether I want to admit it or not, killed three Death Eaters and helped us all get out of there alive. Although, I don't doubt a bit that his motivation to leave no survivors was because he didn't want to be exposed as a spy."
Harry's brows furrowed. "No survivors?"
"Lucius Malfoy is dead. Along with four other Death Eaters that attacked us," Sirius explained. "Not that it matters, but, uh, I killed Malfoy, so I'm more than satisfied with myself."
Harry blinked up at his godfather, letting the words wash over him. The battles in the war seemed to becoming a frequent occurrence, the fear and bloodshed becoming more of a reality. Harry hated every second of it. The gala being attacked in Snowdonia, the Hogsmeade attack, the Slytherins cursing fellow students, and now this. Cepheus being kidnapped and the Order fighting to the death to rescue him.
All Harry could think about was that he wanted to be a part of the action. He wanted to go on the Order missions and save lives and do something other than tailing Malfoy and Nott around the castle. What was the point of training as hard as he was if he wasn't fighting in battles yet?
"Oh, and, well, I need to thank you," Sirius whispered.
"For what?" Harry asked.
"For conjuring Fluffernoodle," Sirius elaborated. "He saved my life. I may have died last night if it wasn't for him."
Harry raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
Sirius nodded, pulling his hand out of his pocket and holding Fluffernoodle in his palm. "He attacked Malfoy and gave me the upper hand in the fight. Can you tell him I think he's all right? He can stay in my pocket and I won't get upset."
Harry let out an incredulous chuckle as he bent down towards Fluffernoodle. "Thanks for saving Sirius' life. He appreciates it. He says you can stay. He's officially come around. I told you he would."
Fluffernoodle nodded. "He's my favorite human."
Harry grinned, reaching out to pet Fluffernoodle on his head with his index finger. "Mine too."
Harry rose to his full height. Fluffernoodle slithered up Sirius' arm and then disappeared underneath the collar of the leather jacket. A moment later, Fluffernoodle's head poked out on the other side. The snake lay across the back of Sirius' neck, his little head rubbing against Sirius' throat.
"Maybe we should get you a pet snake too," Sirius suggested. "Ole Fluff was very useful."
"Sure," Harry replied. "Fluffernoodle and my snake can be best mates."
Sirius smiled, the wrinkles stemming from his eyes becoming more prominent. "I'm going to head home and shower off the blood and change into clean clothes. I'll be back after dinner if you want to stop by the infirmary."
Harry sucked in a breath, looking up at Sirius with hopeful eyes. "Can I come home with you?"
"Harry, you have class," Sirius reasoned.
"I know, but… I want to hear more about what happened," Harry reasoned.
Sirius searched Harry's face. "You told me you were struggling to keep up with your coursework."
Harry shrugged. "I'll skip dueling club this week and catch up. It'll be fine."
Sirius sucked in a breath, looking as though he were readying himself for a battle. Before he could say anything, Mrs Robins stepped up beside him. She pressed a hand on his arm, gaining his attention.
"I'm heading home," Mrs Robins announced. "I just wanted to see how Cepheus was."
Sirius nodded. "All right. Shaken up. I'm sure he'll… struggle for a bit after everything."
Mrs Robins' eyebrows tugged down. "I'm sure. Call me later if you need anything?"
"I will," Sirius promised as he bent down, wrapping his arms around her. "Thanks, Tee. For everything. I don't think I could have done it without you."
Mrs Robins laughed, returning the embrace. "I'll always be here for you, Sirius."
Harry shifted his weight, feeling uncomfortable. Mrs Robins pulled away from Sirius, her hands cupping his face. Sirius gazed down at her, looking like he wanted to say something to her… or kiss her. Harry couldn't decide which. But Sirius didn't do anything. Mrs Robins hands fell from his face and she turned towards Harry. She offered Harry a brilliant smile, her hand touching his arm for a brief moment.
"I'll see you Sunday, Harry," Mrs Robins said.
Harry nodded. "See you, Mrs Robins."
Mrs Robins chuckled, her eyes sparkling. "You know you can call me Tegan, Harry. I think we know each other well enough at this point."
"Right, sorry," Harry replied awkwardly. "I'll see you Sunday… Tegan."
She glanced over at Sirius for a few seconds before she turned to leave. Sirius let out a long sigh.
"Sirius, I'm no expert or anything, but I'm fairly certain that you and Mrs Rob– err, Tegan are dating and not… casual," Harry said, casting his eyes up to look at Sirius' face.
Sirius squinted, his face pulling. "Yeah, I'm not exactly sure what we are, to be honest with you. I've only ever had one girlfriend before."
Harry stared at Sirius. "Really? You've only ever dated Marlene?"
Sirius shot Harry a look. "I was in prison for twelve years, Harry. You think my dating options were amazing in there?"
Harry laughed, a grin splitting across his face. "I definitely approve of Mrs Robins more than any psychopath you would have met in Azkaban."
Sirius chuckled, his arm wrapping around Harry's neck and pulling his head down. Harry's fingers wrapped around Sirius' arm, trying to pry his arm away from his neck. But Sirius held on tight, his knuckles messing up Harry's hair.
"She told you to call her Tegan, so for Merlin's fucking sake, please do," Sirius said, not relenting. "I told you it makes me feel old when you call her Mrs Robins."
"But you are old," Harry retorted.
Sirius snorted, pushing Harry gently away from him. "You are such a little shit."
Harry tried to smooth down his hair. "You enjoy it."
Sirius grinned. "Yeah, but that mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble one day, you know that, right? You're going to make a smartarse comment to the wrong person. Not everyone is as easygoing as me."
It was Harry's turn to snort. "You think you're easygoing? Sirius, you're the least easygoing person I have ever met. You are constantly on edge, at all times of the day."
Sirius pointed a finger at him. "You think that is going to get me to agree to sign you out for the day instead of making you go to class like a normal kid? Smart mouths don't get special privileges, kid."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Will you please sign me out, oh young one?" he asked in a deadpan tone. "Honestly, you're so young that I don't even understand how you're my godfather. What were you? Five when I was born?"
Sirius let out a long sigh, though a smile danced on his face. "That's better, I suppose."
"Besides," Harry continued, thinking about the Room of Requirement. "I need to tell you something in private that I found out last night."
Sirius closed his eyes, his thumb and forefinger pinching the bridge of his nose. "Harry, can you stay out of trouble for one bloody day? What part of keep your head down and your nose clean don't you understand?"
"Look, I don't go looking for trouble," Harry insisted, not for the first time and certainly not for the last time. "Trouble usually finds me."
Sirius pointed to the spot of hair above his ear that looked more salt and pepper than black. "You're the reason I've started to go gray hair, you know that, right?"
"I think it's normal to start to gray by thirty-seven," Harry reasoned, trying to keep the grin off his face. "So, you really shouldn't blame me for your aging."
Sirius ran a hand down his exhausted face. "All right, kid, let's go before you bruise my ego beyond repair. Only for a couple of hours though. You're going to do some classwork while I shower. Then, we can chat."
"I don't have my satchel," Harry protested and gestured to his pajamas. "Nor did I even get ready."
"Ah, you're in luck," Sirius said, wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulders. "Remus left his Defense book at my house. He was asking me what you were learning with the Aurors so he could cater his lesson plan. Funnily enough, I even have parchment and quills. So, you can find something productive to do, I'm sure."
Harry rolled his eyes as Sirius led him across the infirmary. Sirius stopped to speak to Professor Dumbledore briefly to tell him he was taking Harry home for the morning and he'd be back after lunch.
They walked in comfortable silence, like they often did when Sirius signed him out of school. Sirius hated talking in public where anyone could overhear. Harry agreed with him on that. It wasn't until they stepped out into the bitter late November air that expletives escaped Sirius' lips. Harry crossed his arms over his chest, trying to stay warm since he left his jacket in his dorm. Sirius shrugged off his leather jacket and held it out to Harry without a word between them.
"I'm fine," Harry said, holding up his hand.
"Put the bloody jacket on before I take you right back into school," Sirius snapped, his eyes wide.
Harry sighed, snatching the leather jacket from Sirius' outstretched hand. He shoved his arms into the holes. It fit him perfectly, the fleece on the inside keeping him warmer than he anticipated. Sirius, being embarrassing, reached out to zipper up the jacket. Harry shot him a look.
Sirius pressed his palms against Harry's cheeks, a grin breaking across his face. "Look at you, a little mini me. How adorable. Now, let's go, kid. I'm freezing my arse off."
They started down the path towards Hogsmeade. Sirius pulled Fluffernoodle away from his neck and plopped him in Harry's pocket once they reached the gates.
"There you go, Fluff, stay warm in the pocket," Sirius said.
Harry laughed. "Look at you, being a concerned pet parent all of a sudden."
Sirius crossed his arms over his chest, his shoulders rising in the bitter air. "Shut up, Harry."
When they arrived at the house, Sirius shooed Harry to the kitchen to work on his Defense homework. Sirius disappeared up the stairs, letting out a loud groan about halfway up. Harry settled into the kitchen, putting on a pot of coffee before raiding the crisps in the cupboard. Even though he had lived with Sirius for a while now, he always froze midway through looking for snacks. The Dursleys would have beat him if they found him stealing food. Harry had to remind himself that Sirius viewed everything in the house as theirs. Their house. Their food. Their family.
Harry closed the cupboard door, taking nothing. Instead, he decided to make Sirius some breakfast. Hunger clawed at Harry's stomach, and he was sure that Sirius was probably starving as well after the mission. Harry found eggs, beacon, bread, and beans. He got to work, making sure the eggs were extra runny because that's the way Sirius liked them.
Harry was nearly done when Sirius entered the kitchen with his hair still wet and in a jumper that looked like the one Mrs Weasley knitted him the previous Christmas. The cut on his cheek run up his cheekbone, looking red and angry, though it was no longer bleeding. The rope burns around his neck looked nastier.
"What the bloody hell are you doing?" Sirius asked as he crossed the kitchen. "I told to work on homework."
Harry shrugged. "I didn't have breakfast. I'm starving."
Sirius shooed Harry away from the stove with his hand. "I'll take over. Go work on your Defense."
Harry's face pulled. "I'd like something edible so I think I'll finish this up."
"Look, I grew up with house-elves," Sirius said in an exasperated tone.
"Maybe you should have Kreacher start cooking for you," Harry suggested as he flipped the bacon.
"Do you want me to die?" Sirius asked, leaning his back against the counter next to the stove. "Kreacher would definitely poison my food."
"You know you can order him not to poison you," Harry suggested. "I don't think Kreacher is all that bad. I mean, I know he has some weird obsession with Walburga and he says a lot of nasty things, but he's always just regurgitated Walburga's rhetoric, right? So, I mean, if he was exposed to you and your ideals more, maybe he'd start to be a better person."
"I think you're giving Kreacher too much credit," Sirius retorted moodily.
Harry squinted up at Sirius. "It was just a suggestion."
Sirius sucked in a breath and held it for a few seconds. "Thanks, but no thanks."
Harry nodded, pursing his lips to the side and glanced back at the bacon. Honestly, Harry just hated the thought of Sirius living alone. He knew that there were loads of people checking in on him constantly ever since Halloween, but Harry would just feel better if someone else was in the house. Harry could order Kreacher to tell him if Sirius drank or was hurt.
"You obviously have something you want to say," Sirius pressed. "I can practically see the brooms flying around your head."
"It's nothing," Harry lied.
Sirius sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Kid, I know you. Your face is an open bloody book."
Harry silently cursed his stupid face. He needed to master a stoic expression. His godfather was an expert at it.
"I just don't like you living alone, all right?" Harry blurted out, refusing to look at Sirius.
"I'm not drinking anymore, Harry," Sirius insisted.
"It's not that," Harry said, turning to face his godfather. "Look at what happened to Charlotte. She lived alone. She was attacked and murdered. You've said it yourself before, you've made a lot of enemies with a lot of Death Eaters. Walden Macnair broke your leg and tried to kill you. Lucius Malfoy dueled you to the death. You murdered that Nott bloke so I'm sure the Notts want to do you in. Bellatrix is positively psychotic with some weird obsession with you. Voldemort, don't even get me started on Voldemort."
"Harry, I'm more than capable of taking care of myself," Sirius insisted. "Nobody's managed to kill me yet."
"Yeah, and I'm sure my dad felt the same exact way," Harry replied. "I'm sure my mum and dad felt perfectly safe until they were attacked too."
Sirius screwed his eyes shut. "Harry."
"What? You're allowed to worry about me but I can't worry about you?" Harry challenged. "You're the only family I have left."
Sirius opened his eyes, his face crumbling into a million pieces. "No, you're right. You're absolutely allowed to worry about me too. Because we are family and that's what family does. Over the past several months since you've lived with me, I've started to see you as more than my godson. You are my son in every single way that matters. We have a really strong bond. We're at war, so it's natural to be fearful. But I promise you, Harry, I'm not alone. Most nights I'm spending it with Ted and Andy, Remus and Dora, Molly and Arthur, or just Tegan. I am constantly surrounded by people now. Plus, I do keep the emergency Portkey nearby just in case, all right?"
Harry nodded, only feeling slightly better. Sirius offered him a strained smile. Turning back to the stove, Harry noticed the bacon was starting to burn. He took it out of the pan as fast as he could.
"Let's have breakfast and then you can tell me whatever it is that you want to tell me," Sirius offered, kicking off the counter and cupping his palm around the back of Harry's neck. "Unless that was just a ploy to come hang out with your favorite godfather."
Harry smiled as he turned off the stove. "Nah, I saw what Malfoy and Nott were messing with in the Room of Requirement," he announced as he handed a filled plate to Sirius. "They moved it though, and I'm not exactly sure what it is."
"Harry," Sirius groaned. "Head down. Nose clean. Stay out of trouble. Following around two known Death Eaters isn't staying out of trouble."
Harry picked up his plate and shrugged. "It was a cabinet. Taller than I am. There was an apple on the floor of it. There were runes and such etched into it."
Sirius sighed, his head shaking. "I don't know, Harry. I can talk to Dumbledore about it."
"It was in a room of a bunch of stuff," Harry elaborated. "Shelves upon shelves of objects. There was furniture and boxes everywhere."
"We never discovered this room when we were in school," Sirius explained. "I don't know anything more about it than what you've told me."
Harry's heart dropped. He figured Sirius hadn't discovered the Room of Requirement since he hadn't said anything about it when Harry used it for the D.A. meetings. Nor was he surprised that Sirius didn't know what the cabinet was. Harry had done a poor job of describing it.
Harry nodded, gesturing his head towards the kitchen table. "Let's eat and you can tell me about the rescue mission?"
"Sure, kid," Sirius replied. "Then, I'm taking you back to school for the afternoon. You can meet me at seven in the infirmary, all right? We'll visit Cepheus together."
Harry grinned up at Sirius, following him to the kitchen table. Sirius wasn't nearly as upset as Harry thought he'd be about him tailing Malfoy and Nott. He eased down across the table from his godfather, listening intently as Sirius told him about the Riddle house in Little Hangleton, the freshly erected prison in the cellar, and how they hadn't gone undetected. Harry's insides squirmed, his mind flashing to cemetery in Little Hangleton. He tried to push back the awful memories and concentrate on Sirius' soothing voice.
Couldn't resist posting today! I hoped the action sequence lived up to the hype! It was a doozy to write!
Special thanks to prewettpotter for editing for me! She's been so fantastic in helping out!