Note: Another Series of Vignettes.

Trigger warning: Sirius is a drunk, mostly he needs help but he does do something bad.

Note 2: Again, I like Sirius, but I have a very specific story to tell. There's a theme and it gets more obvious as the story progresses I think. I hope at least.

Sun sat staring at Harriette's empty bed. It was late at night, and the daycare was closed. Technically he was supposed to clean. He couldn't really bring himself to do it though. Harriette's plushies of him and Moon sat alone and as forlorn as their real world counterparts. Harriette had finally had the courage to leave them behind, and now she was gone. She'd never hold them again. Sun would never hear her talk about spiders. He'd never hold her hands. Hug her. Moon was just as silently lost.

"It's not fair!" Sun said.

Our little girl is gone, and there's nothing we can do, Moon said back. They couldn't even properly comfort each other.

Harriette was alone in the room that Kreacher had told her was hers. She curled in on herself and cried. She wanted to go home. She wanted her daddies. She wanted her plushies and her bed. She sobbed. She wanted her daddies most though. She'd never even gotten the chance to call them that for real. She hated it.

"Miss Harriette?" Kreacher said, knocking on the door. "Would you like to eat? It's getting rather late."

"I want to go home," Harriette stated, rubbing her eyes. She joined Kreacher at the door and took his hand. He held it for her.

It was much later in the night, when Kreacher led Harriette back to her room. When they reached the door she gripped his hand a little tight. She sniffled.

"Can you stay with me?" She asked, in such a soft, weak voice. "I'm- I'm scared."

"Alright," Kreacher said. She didn't lay down, instead sitting in bed and leaned her head on his shoulder after inviting him up.

Kreacher, like most house-elves, was bound to the Black family at a very young age. Perhaps he'd been meant to replace his aged parents, perhaps another previous house-elf. He did not remember, nor had he cared for a very long time. The Black's were fine to him. He was not starved or beaten unless he'd specifically failed a particularly important order and then only by himself. They weren't exactly kind, but the passed some affections his way once and a while. When Regulus was born it changed a lot. Though it took a few years for the changes to truly take affect. Regulus was always kind to him. Not just by master standards. Regulus taught Kreacher to read when he was struggling to learn himself, Snuck down to the cupboard in the kitchen and talked with him late into the night. Complimented Kreacher when he did good, or even just okay. Patted Kreacher's head, held his hand, held his shoulders gently to face him… Hugged Kreacher.

Regulus shared his secrets with Kreacher too, all of Regulus's sad, and hurt and need were shared with Kreacher. And he asked Kreacher to do the same. Kreacher had loved Regulus. He was the Master he would have followed happily to his death.

When Kreacher had been forced to watch Regulus disappear under the water, it was the first time that he'd truly hated that he could not disobey orders. That he could do nothing but obey. Watch as the first Master he'd ever truly loved disappeared from the world. The memory of the little boy who'd taken his hand for the first time.

"Kreacher, can you stay with me I'm scared."

"Kreacher, listen to this Serius was-"

"Kreacher, guess what?"

"Kreacher, can you hold my hand?"

"Kreacher, do you have a real name?"

"Don't worry Kreacher, I've got you."

"Have this Kreacher."

"That's a good job Kreacher."

Kreacher was forced to leave behind the boy who'd been his everything. With nothing but a locket and an order to destroy it. He'd failed. All he could do was keep the secret and try to provent the locket from being lost. He'd lost Regulus and he couldn't even follow his one last order.

Harriette shifted against his shoulder, mumbling in parseltongue in her sleep. Kreacher reached over and pulled the blanket over her shoulder. The girl had asked Kreacher about his real name. Nobody but Regulus had asked that. She'd said it was sad that he only had Kreacher for a name. Kreacher didn't fully understand why that was sad, but she'd been nice. She had the same way about her that Regulus had. Maybe this time he wouldn't fail.

They were seating in the drawing room. Harriette trying to read one of the large books left from some ancient Black or another. Kreacher leaned over and corrected the reading. She turned around. Kreacher was honestly impressed that she knew how to read at such a young age.
Regulus hadn't learned to read until he was almost ten, apparently Sirius had started teaching him. Sirius had learned earlier because he was destined to be the head of house and had more expectations on him. Sirius never lived up to them.

"Can you read this to me?" Harriette asked, pulling Kreacher from his thoughts.

"Sure," Kreacher said.

"Thank you," Harriette smiled. They sat together reading for quite sometime.

Kreacher led Harriette to the kitchen. Her stomach growling periodically.

"Why didn't Harriette ask for food sooner?" Kreacher questioned. "Kreacher would have made you food anytime. Kreacher was ordered to make sure Harriette is taken care of." Harriette shrugged.

"Sirius hasn't come back for three days, I didn't know if I was allowed to eat without him." Kreacher nodded. Understanding immediately. He began working on her food.

"Can you stay and eat with me?" Harriette asked. "I don't want to eat alone." She rubbed her eyes.

"If that is what Harriette wishes of Kreacher," Kreacher said.

Kreacher wasn't allowed to purchase the food Harriette needed. Insults slung his way.

"We don't serve free elves," the man said.

"Does Kreacher look free?"

Sirius screamed at Kreacher, hitting Kreacher. Harriette shouted out trying to pull Sirius off of Kreacher.

"Get off!" Sirius shouted, Harriette flew. Something crashed. The two men stopped turning to look at the child. Blood, broken glass.

"Harry," Sirius said.

"Stay away from her," Kreacher grabbed him. Harriette put a hand to the cut on her forehead, then turned to look at them, a bruise blooming on the left side of her face, rage in her bright green eyes. Sirius froze. Harriette grabbed Kreacher's hand and pulled him away. Kreacher's hand still clutched Sirius's gloved hand, pulling the cloth and himself free.

Sirius came free of the spell, eyes wondered for the girl and house elf. Guilt turning his gut, tears burning his eyes.

"Kreacher," Nothing. "Kreache! Harriette." Sirius curled in on himself.