I do not own Harry Potter
Chapter Nine
Adeline showed everyone to their rooms, Remus walking ahead of her and going to his own room to change into something warmer. The rooms all had new clothes and plenty of bathroom supplies for everyone to choose from. Lily joined Adeline in her room after grabbing a change of clothes. The two girls changed and got ready together, doing each other's hair and makeup before joining the boys in the main sitting room. Sirius stared at Adeline much the same way that James and Severus stared at Lily before Remus let out a wolf whistle, causing Adeline to laugh before leading everyone out of the manor.
They went to the Indian restaurant that Adeline and Remus frequented, ordering for the whole table. They ate their meals, laughing and joking as they did and causing a few of the muggles in the restaurant to glance at them from time to time. Adeline leaned against Sirius as she laughed at a joke Peter had whispered to her, wiping a tear from her eye.
Once they had finished eating, Adeline tipped their waitress extra for all the noise they'd made before leading the group to the theater, James and Sirius vibrating with excitement as Peter tried to seem as if he wasn't as excited as them. Reggie, the only one who hadn't seen a muggle movie before, was confused by the excitement but didn't question it as he followed Adeline. Severus and Lily were surprised that Adeline had been the one to introduce the wizards to muggle movies.
"How do you fit in with the muggles so well?" Severus asked.
"I'm secretly a muggle born," Adeline sighed. "You caught me."
Remus bit into his lip so hard to keep from laughing, Adeline worried he was going to bite through it.
"In the states, witches and wizards live mostly among the muggles," Adeline explained. "I did have friends outside of those two growing up."
"How dare you have friends besides us," Reggie said, sounding shocked.
"I'm just as offended as Re ggie is," Sirius nodded.
"Drama queens," Adeline rolled her eyes before buying tickets to 'Miracle on 34th Street' for everyone.
Once they all had snacks and drinks, they sat in the theater, Adeline whispering quietly every once in a while to explain something to Reggie. Once the movie ended, they headed back to the manor, Tiffy and Wobky greeting them at the door happily. The group sat around the main sitting room, a fort having been built at Peter's insistence. The cooling charm had been placed and the fire and hot chocolates kept them warm as they spoke excitedly together.
Once everyone had fallen asleep, Adeline stood, leaving the group. She went to Adrian's old study, looking at the paperwork that Wobky had pulled out for her, her wedding contract on the top of the pile. Remus joined her a few minutes later with coffee, sitting beside her and helping her read through notes that Gringotts had made about her assets and money being moved to vaults for Hathor and Remus. They spent the next few hours going through everything, Adeline not glancing at the wedding contract.
Adeline startled awake as Remus shook her shoulder, the both of them having fallen asleep at some point in their chairs. Sirius cleared his throat and Adeline blinked blearily before her vision cleared. She gave him a sleepy smile before standing and collecting the majority of the paperwork. Remus stretched before leaving the room, patting Sirius' shoulder as he passed them.
"So, Remus gets to help you with paperwork?" Sirius asked.
"Get to?" Adeline smirked. "It's not exactly enjoyable."
"For him it kind of is," Sirius argued.
"Would you like to help me with paperwork?" she asked.
"I feel like I should," he shrugged, looking away from her.
"Come here," Adeline held her hand out.
Sirius stepped into the office, taking Adeline's hand when he was close enough. Adeline pulled him close, kissing him gently before pulling away. He hummed and pulled her against him again, kissing her again. She leaned into him, deepening the kiss a bit. Sirius moved quickly, lifting Adeline and setting her on the desk before placing himself between her legs. He kissed her again and Adeline smiled into the kiss. A throat clearing in the doorway caused them both to roll their eyes as they looked to Reggie.
"Breakfast is ready," he smiled. "Thought you would want to know."
"Thanks, Reggie," Adeline smiled. "We'll be there in a moment."
"Take your time," Reggie joked before walking away.
"Is that our marriage contract?" Sirius asked, picking up the document that sat behind Adeline.
"Yes," she nodded.
"What are these notes?" he asked, pointing to Remus' handwriting next to her family's goblin's.
"Different ways to make sure I'm protected in our marriage," Adeline shrugged. "Orion and Walburga made it so that everything I own goes to the Blacks when we wed; money, heirlooms, properties, the works. Silverblade seems to have found a way for Shafiq manor to stay under my control completely though, which is nice."
"You don't trust me?" Sirius asked, voice agitated.
"You, yes. Your parents, no. Oh, look! A loophole on the children," Adeline grabbed the contract, reading over it.
"A loophole on our children?" Sirius questioned. "What do you mean a loophole?"
"Well, we still have to have a child within three years, but we don't have to have sex to do it," Adeline explained, showing it to him. "I didn't really mind the sex part of the contract, though. Just the three years part."
"Father said we could wait to get married," Sirius said, sounding confused.
"Walburga decides the wedding date," Adeline stated. "Says so right here. Even with Orion telling her to wait, she could still change her mind and force us to marry tomorrow if she wanted."
"Are you looking for ways out of marrying me?" Sirius asked, staring into Adeline's eyes.
"I want to marry you," Adeline assured him. "I just want us to be in charge of our lives. Everyone has been telling me that I'm going to be your wife since I can remember. I want to at least be able to decide something for myself. Surely you can understand that?"
"I guess," Sirius shrugged. "It just seems like you're trying to find ways out of all of it."
"If I can, I will," Adeline admitted before realizing it wasn't the right thing to say.
"So, you don't want to marry me?" Sirius questioned.
"I do," Adeline insisted as Sirius backed away from her.
"Doesn't seem like it. Seems like you're looking for ways to escape me."
"Not you," Adeline said, standing and reaching for Sirius.
"Don't!" Sirius yelled, pulling away from her. "Don't touch me and don't lie to me!"
"Sirius," Adeline was shocked by his behavior. "I wouldn't lie to you."
"Just say you don't want to marry me!" he yelled. "Tell me the real reason!"
"I want to marry you someday," Adeline argued, trying to keep her voice even. "As I said, I want it to be up to us when we wed. I want us to choose when we have children. I want to keep my money and family homes."
"You just said you'd get out of it if you could!" he defended.
"I didn't mean leaving you!" Adeline finally snapped back. "I meant making my own choices! Merlin, I thought you'd understand that! You see how unhappy Bella is in her marriage! You know I want to continue my schooling and not have children until after! Why is it such a big deal now that you see me doing something about it?"
"Because you're in love with Remus!" Sirius yelled.
"Oh, Merlin," Adeline groaned. "For the last time, I am not in love with Remus! He is my best friend! It's not my fault that you're jealous of our friendship! You don't see me getting angry at you for spending time with James!"
"That's different! James is a bloke!"
"Who cares?!" Adeline screamed. "You're acting as if I'm trying to get out of our marriage so I can run off into the sunset with Remy!"
"Well, I'm sure Remy would enjoy that!" Sirius spat.
"Are you listening to yourself?" Adeline questioned. "You sound like an idiot."
"Oh, I'm an idiot now?" Sirius questioned.
"You are being rather thick, yeah!" Adeline nodded. "Do you even want to marry me? Or do you just see yourself as stuck with me? All you've been doing since we've gotten engaged is find reasons to row with me! I've sidestepped the other attempts, but now I'm just angry! What is the issue?"
"I am stuck with you," Sirius said, breathing heavily. "The least you can do is be respectful of it."
Adeline was taken back by his words, staring at him in shock. Sirius seemed to realize his words as Adeline's eyes filled with tears.
"Adie, I didn't mean it. Please," he reached for her and she slapped his hands away, backing into the desk painfully to get away from him.
"Don't touch me!" she yelled, ignoring the throbbing in her hip.
She turned to the door, planning to run out of the office just to find everyone staring at the two of them. Adeline turned away from the crowd, facing away from them as she wiped her tears away angrily. Sirius stared at their friends in shock before looking to Adeline, watching as she tried to pull herself back together.
"Adie," his voice was soft, never having truly seen her upset before.
"Get out," Adeline told him, her voice shaking. "I don't want to speak to you right now."
Sirius turned on his heel and left without hesitation, James and Peter following him in the process. Remus glared at Sirius as he left, controlling the wolf inside of him.
"Adie?" Reggie's voice was soft.
"Not right now, Reg. I'll come find you later. May I be left alone, please?"
Remus could hear the thickness of Adeline's voice and was rooted to the spot, unable to leave her when she needed someone. Lily and Severus left quickly, escaping the awkward silence that filled the air. Reggie waited another moment before leaving as well.
"Go, Remy," Adeline said, not turning to face him.
"No," Remus said, finally moving.
Remus wrapped Adeline in his arms and Adeline collapsed. He guided her to the floor gently as sobs raked through her body uncontrollably. Remus just rocked her back and forth, fingers running through her messy hair as he comforted her. After some time, Adeline hiccupped as her crying finally ceased. She remained in Remus' arms, unable to truly pull herself back together in the moment. Remus just continued rocking her, whispering to her that she would be okay.
"Do you think you can stand?" Remus eventually asked, voice gentle.
Adeline simply nodded, not trusting her voice in the moment. Remus helped lift her from the floor and lead her to the small couch in the corner of the office. He pulled the throw blanket from the back of the couch and threw it over her. He kissed her forehead before sighing.
"I'll be back," he promised.
Adeline nodded and Remus left the office, making it to the sitting room where Sirius, Peter, and James were all sitting quietly.
"Tiffy?" Remus asked, causing the other three to jump.
"Yes, young master?" Tiffy asked.
"Will you make Adeline her favorite tea, please? Maybe something small to eat as well. Just pop it into the office for her. She wants to be alone at the moment," Remus said as he kneeled in front of the elf.
"Young master takes care of mistress," Tiffy nodded. "Tiffy will do as young master asks."
"Thank you, Tiffy," Remus nodded, patting her head before standing and glaring at Sirius.
Sirius just stared back, eyes blank. Remus sighed, glare falling from his face before he sat beside Sirius. He reached up and held Sirius' shoulder, waiting for the other boy to speak first.
"I'm sorry," Sirius finally whispered, voice sounding broken.
"I'm not the one you need to apologize to," Remus whispered.
"She doesn't want to see me."
"No, she doesn't. Give her time," Remus told him.
"I've never seen her cry before," Sirius was ringing his hands. "Not even when her parents died or when she was in pain."
"She tends to hold herself together pretty well," Remus nodded. "I think you hurt her worse than she's ever been hurt before."
"You're not helping," James grunted out.
"Am I meant to?" Remus asked, voice hard as he stared James down.
"Yes, you are," James informed him.
"Do you want me to lie to him and tell him that she's going to forgive him instantly? Should I say that it's fine that I just held my best friend as she was crying for the past hour?"
"I thought we were your best friends?" Peter's voice was small.
"You are," Remus promised him. "Adeline is different though."
"Because Sirius is right?" James asked, voice still hard.
"I am not in love with Adeline and she is not in love with me," Remus insisted. "She's like the little sister I didn't even know that I needed."
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked, sitting a bit straighter.
"She brews my potions without complaint even though it takes a month to brew and is a tedious potion. She became an animagus simply because she didn't want me to have to be alone during full moons. She's trying to create a potion that takes away the pain of the transformation completely without counteracting the other potion. She checks on my mother once a week via owl, she's learning different types of magic so she can find better ways to protect all of us, and when those wizards broke in, her first instinct was to get me to safety."
"Not helping the theory of being in love with one another," James pointed out.
"If Adeline and I had feelings for each other, we would be together, marriage contract be damned," Remus said, voice harsh as he glared at James. "The contract says nothing about her having a lover before or after being married, just that she has to have a child that biologically belongs to a Black. If we wanted to be together, we would be."
"So, you don't have those feelings for her?" Sirius asked, voice shaking a bit.
"No," Remus answered, turning to Sirius. "I wish you'd spoken to me about this before having a yelling match with her. Now she believes that you only pretend to care about her because of your mother."
"What?" Sirius asked, eyes growing wide.
"You said you were stuck with her," Remus reminded him. "You've been trying to fight with her for months now. We've all noticed."
"He's right," Peter nodded before James slapped Peter's arm. "What? He is! Adie's been really calm trying to convince him that she loves him but he's been a right arse towards her!"
Sirius groaned as Peter's words settled in, realizing that he was right. Sirius put his face in his hands. Remus rubbed his back gently, comforting his friend. Sirius sat up and looked to Remus.
"What should I do?" he asked.
"You'll have to fix this on your own," Remus informed him. "Give her space today. Reggie and I will keep an eye on her. You make a plan with James and Peter."
"Okay," Sirius nodded and Remus stood. "Remus?"
"Yes?" Remus turned his head to Sirius.
"Thank you."
Remus nodded to Sirius before heading back towards the office. He found Adeline and Reggie sitting on the floor playing exploding snaps, smoke dissipating from the room as a card exploded. Adeline laughed as Reggie grew his eyebrows back with his wand. Remus smirked before sitting beside them.
"I'm guessing she's winning?" Remus' amusement was easy to hear as he looked to Reggie.
"Help," Reggie begged.
Remus laughed before moving closer to Reggie. The two teamed up against Adeline and still somehow lost. Adeline smirked as she ate a few bites of the turkey sandwich Tiffy had brought her. The three continued playing for a while, Severus and Lily joining after some time. Eventually, they all headed to the kitchen for an actual lunch, Remus walking ahead of them to make sure the boys weren't there. They sat around the table, Tiffy serving a spiced stew that Adeline thanked her profusely for.
After lunch, Adeline led everyone to the sitting room that the boys were in.
"Wobky, Tiffy?" Adeline asked and the elves appeared.
"Is it time, mistress?" Tiffy asked.
"Yes, Tiffy," Adeline smiled.
Lily and Severus took Tiffy's hands and popped away to Lily's home for the holidays. Wobky reached out for Peter, popping away with him as Tiffy reappeared.
"Does mister Potter want Tiffy to take him home?" Tiffy asked.
"I can floo, Tiffy. Thank you," James smiled to her.
"Yes, young sir," Tiffy nodded as Wobky reappeared.
"Young sir gave Wobky a gift for mistress," Wobky announced, handing the gift to Adeline. "He says to wait to open it until Christmas."
"Thank you, Wobky. Both of you are free to go," Adeline smiled.
"Thank you, mistress," Tiffy and Wobky bowed before disappearing together.
"Is it still snowing?" Adeline asked, turning to leave them room with Remus following her.
James and Sirius rushed after the pair, Remus smirking in amusement.
"I believe it stopped," Remus told her.
"We should dress in something more warm," Adeline nodded.
"Agreed."
"Why are we dressing warmer?" James asked.
"So we can play in the snow," Adeline shrugged as she went up the stairs.
Once they had all changed into heavy jackets and boots, the four headed outside, finding Reggie waiting for them there.
"Who are the team captains?" Reggie asked with a smirk.
"I think James and Remus should be captains," Adeline stated. "They are the guests after all."
"It's an odd amount of people," Remus pointed out.
"So, whoever picks first gets an advantage," Adeline smirked.
"James can pick first," Remus smiled.
"Sirius," James said immediately.
"Adie," Remus bumped Adeline's shoulder.
"Regulus," Reggie smirked as he called his own name and went to stand by James.
"What are we doing exactly?" James asked before being hit in the face with a snowball.
"Opps," Adeline smirked before she and Remus took off running.
"Oh, she's dead," James growled out before chasing after her, the two brothers laughing as they ran after him.
The two teams built forts from the snow, ducking behind the piles for cover. Adeline using her wand to create perfect snowballs in a pile for Remus to throw.
"Maybe we should have thought this through better," Remus breathed out heavily.
"Why's that?" Adeline asked.
"Because they have two quidditch players," Remus deadpanned.
"Didn't think about that," Adeline nodded. "How are your superpowers doing?"
"I don't have superpowers," Remus rolled his eyes before pulling Adeline down as a snowball flew past them.
"You sure about that?" Adeline asked pointedly.
"Shush," Remus told her before grabbing a snowball and peaked over the fort. "I don't see Sirius."
"They probably sent him out when they distracted us a minute ago," Adeline nodded. "I'll find him."
"Be careful," Remus told her as he threw snow to cover her.
Adeline ran from the fort, hiding behind the broom closet once she reached it, breathing heavily. The door opened suddenly and Adeline was dragged inside by Sirius. She gasped in surprise and his hand covered her mouth to silence the sound. She glared at him as he lowered his hand.
"What are you doing in here?" she asked.
"Waiting for you to come looking for me," he smirked.
"And why is that?" she asked.
"So I can apologize a hundred times," he fidgeted nervously.
"I don't want to speak with you right now," Adeline informed him, moving to leave the broom closet.
"I know," Sirius said, pulling the door shut again so she couldn't leave. "Adie, everything came out wrong. You were right. I have been picking for a fight lately. I've been jealous seeing how close you are with Remus and I handled it incorrectly. We aren't stuck with each other and I understand you wanting to protect yourself from my family."
"Didn't sound very understanding to me," she stated, folding her arms over her chest.
"I know," he nodded, rubbing her arms gently. "I screwed up. I've felt terribly knowing I made you so upset. I made you think that I don't truly love you, but I do. I've loved you for so long now that it's a part of who I am at this point. We're Siri and Adie, troublemakers in love. I never meant to make you doubt that."
Adeline just stared at him, tears in her eyes. Sirius reached up, wiping the tears away carefully. Adeline leaned into his touch on instinct before she allowed Sirius to pull her into a hug. Adeline sighed as she leaned into his touch, soaking up his warmth.
"I'm still mad at you," she mumbled into his chest.
"I deserve that," he agreed. "I'll make it up to you, though. I solemnly swear."
"You better," Adeline grumbled as she pulled away from him. "We should get back out there."
"Okay," Sirius nodded.
"One more thing," Adeline caught his arm.
"Hmm?"
Adeline caused a bucket full of snow to pour onto Sirius' head before she ran out of the shed, cackling as she ran back towards hers and Remus' fort, dodging snowballs in the process. Sirius yelled before running after her but Remus had been watching. He sent ten snowballs at Sirius using his wand in rapid succession as Adeline dropped beside him. Sirius ran towards the fort with Reggie and James, but the two seemed to think he had switched teams and started pelting him with snow. Adeline watched, laughing on the ground as Remus watched over her.
Everyone decided that they were too cold once Adeline had shown Remus the spell to create buckets of snow, the other three boys drenched as the snow melted as they stood in front of the fireplace, still shivering slightly. Adeline and Remus had been smart enough to change out of their clothes and carry down blankets for everyone. Adeline was now in the kitchen making hot chocolate for everyone, chicken and root vegetables roasting in the oven for supper. The boys piled into the kitchen, Reggie, James and Sirius having finally decided to change clothes. Adeline passed out hot chocolate as Remus began peeling potatoes for her. The three boys hummed appreciatively as they drank the chocolatey substance.
"James, when do you need to go home?" Adeline asked curiously.
"I just have to be home by Christmas Eve," he shrugged. "Speaking of Yule, you need to decorate. This place looks so sad."
"Well, I plan on getting new furniture tomorrow," Adeline explained. "After that I'll decorate."
"Wait, really?" James asked.
"Want in on a secret?" Adeline smirked as James leaned in. "I hate this house."
"Really?" James asked, confused. "It's your family home though. You grew up here with your parents."
"My mother and I didn't see quite eye-to-eye," Adeline groaned out.
"That's one way to put it," Reggie mumbled under his breath.
"What do you mean?" Remus asked and Sirius sat up a bit straighter as he realized she hadn't told Remus everything.
"I mean she felt the same way about me as Walburga feels about Siri," Adeline shrugged.
"None of us liked Miranda," Reggie admitted.
"Adrian was sweet though," Adeline said, looking down at her cup. "Him I miss. He also hated this house though which is why we were in America so often."
"Oh," James said, watching as Sirius reached forward and took Adeline's hand, squeezing it gently.
"Anyways!" Adeline smiled as the awkward silence drug on. "Furniture shopping tomorrow! Anyone want to come with?"
"Are you going to a muggle store?" James questioned.
"Yes," Adeline nodded. "There's one near the theater and they deliver. I'm going to have them drop everything off in the front room and use magic to move everything once they leave."
"Are you doing the entire house?" Remus asked.
"What are you going to do with the old furniture?" Reggie questioned at the same time.
"Burn it," Adeline said honestly before turning to Remus. "Just a few rooms to start. Dining room, main sitting room, foyer, and a few things for the library. This summer, I'll get the rest of the house finished. You can pick whatever you want for your room since you'll be here more than me."
"Why will Remus be here?" Sirius asked.
"My mother doesn't want me around as much anymore," Remus admitted.
"Why didn't you tell us?" James jumped out of his chair and wrapped Remus in a hug.
"We could have helped," Sirius said as he joined in on the hug.
"I didn't want you all to know," Remus shrugged as he hugged them. "Adeline found out through my mother and kind of thrust the house upon me."
Adeline simply shrugged as she checked on dinner, taking over chopping the potatoes to boil. The three teen boys spoke quietly to each other as Reggie came to Adeline's side.
"Mother won't be happy about this," he whispered to her.
"She isn't going to find out," Adeline told him. "She doesn't come here."
"What happens when you and Sirius marry and she finds out someone already lives on the property?" Reggie asked and, when Adeline gave him a strange look, he rolled his eyes. "I read the contract during exploding snaps."
Adeline sighed as she thought over her answer.
"I've thought about signing the house over to Remus so that she won't know," Adeline admitted. "I already sighed two properties over to him so that she can't touch them."
"Wait, really?" Reggie asked. "You trust him that much?"
"I trust Remy with my life," Adeline said without thinking. "You, Sirius, Remy. You're my family and I'd do anything for you three."
"Well, I feel a bit left out," James announced from Adeline's other side, causing her to jump.
"Why are you listening to our conversation? Shouldn't you be plotting with the other two?" Adeline asked in annoyance.
"We plot better with Peter around," James shrugged.
"Well, go get him. He said he didn't necessarily have to go home yet, just that he thought he should," Adeline waved James off.
"I still feel left out!" James called as he left the kitchen.
"Him?" Adeline asked Reggie, facing him. "The annoying one? Really?"
"Him?" Reggie asked, pointing to Sirius. "The jealous one? Really?"
"Touche," Adeline rolled her eyes as Sirius yelled out an offended, "Hey!"
"You do have jealousy issues," Remus offered him.
"Green's my color, darling," Adeline smiled. "Red looks better on you."
"I'll have you know that I look good in anything," Sirius puffed his chest out.
"I'll make sure to tell Walburga to only order Slytherin colored dress robes for you for every function from now on," Adeline smirked.
"Everyone knows that you choose Sirius' dress robes by now," Reggie smirked.
"Wait, really?" Sirius asked.
"Now everyone knows," Adeline corrected Reggie as James and Peter walked into the kitchen. "Hey, Pete!"
"What are we up to?" Peter asked as he went to Adeline's side.
"We're picking on Sirius," Adeline smirked.
"Oh, I have so much to say!" Peter said in excitement.
"How can you have so much to say?" Sirius asked. "Do you keep a list?"
"As a matter of fact," Peter sent a wink to Adeline before turning to face Sirius. "You're smug, arrogant, and entitled. Your breath stinks half the time. Do you not know what mouthwash is? I feel bad for Adeline having to snog your sorry mug."
"My breath doesn't stink!" Sirius defended.
"Well," Adeline tilted her head.
"Adie!"
"Only joking, love," Adeline smirked as she passed the strained potatoes to Remus to mash.
Once dinner was ready, they all sat at the table, laughing and tossing vegetables at each other every so often. The Shafiq Manor was, for the first time in Adeline's memory, filled with laughter and happiness. It made her smile brighter as she realized that she was making happier memories in the house. She wondered if Adrian would be proud of her before she realized that Miranda was probably rolling in her grave which caused her to have to hold in a laugh.
The next day, Adeline and the boys went to the muggle furniture store. The store attendee stared at them for a moment, wondering why children were buying furniture for a house and Adeline sighed before rolling her eyes and walking around the store. She found a dining room set that she liked and was wondering through the sitting room options when a manager approached her.
"Where are your parents?" they asked her.
"Dead," Adeline answered.
"Your guardians?" he asked instead.
"At home," Adeline told him. "Is there a problem?"
"Well, we need an adult to be with you in order for you to buy something," he stated with a smug smile.
"Fine," Adeline shrugged as she opened her wallet, counting the pounds in contained before turning to the boys.
"Let's go somewhere else," she told them, smirking as the manager stared at the all of the money that Adeline was putting away.
"Where to?" Remus asked once they'd left the store.
"Well, we could try the alley?" Adeline shrugged. "I've never seen a furniture store there though."
"I think there's one by Gringotts," Sirius told her. "We'll have to dress appropriately though."
"We might run into press," Adeline sighed.
"That would go over well," Reggie joked. "Last time the two of you were caught by press, Adeline was locked in her room like a tower princess for a week."
Adeline sighed as they entered the manor.
"Wobky?" she called.
"Yes, mistress?"
"Where can I order furniture?" she asked him.
"There is a store in Diagon, mistress."
"Is there a way to order it discreetly?" she asked. "We don't want to travel into the magical community right now."
"Wobky will get mistress a form," Wobky nodded before disappearing again.
"Well, that works I guess," Adeline sighed.
"Not how you wanted to do that?" Remus asked.
"No, it's not," she sighed. "Sometimes, I can't wait to be an adult. Other times, I want to stay a child forever."
"We could have tried Polyjuice," Remus offered.
"I wouldn't have time to make Polyjuice and my other potions," Adeline shook her head, hiding the name of the other potion since Reggie was with them. "It'll be fine. We'll figure it out."
"We can always ask my mom?" James offered.
"I don't want to bother her," Adeline shook her head.
"His mom adores you," Sirius spoke up. "If he tells her that you need an adult, she will happily go with you."
"Your mom likes me?" Adeline turned to James, confusion on her face.
"Well, yeah. She thinks you're really sweet," James shrugged.
"And that is how we know she hasn't spent any actual time with you," Remus joked.
"Excuse you, I am sweet!" Adeline's hands went to her hips.
"If you're being sweet to someone, I turn and walk the other direction because I don't want to be a witness to whatever it is that you're about to do," Reggie spoke up.
"I think Adie is sweet," Peter defended.
"Peter is the only one who appreciates me," Adeline stated, taking Peter's hand in hers. "He gets hot chocolate. The rest of you can make your own."
"Oh, no. We have to make our own hot chocolate in a magical house?" James joked.
"How ever will we get it done," Sirius smirked.
Remus and Reggie both sighed, knowing the two were going to make a mess somehow. They'd been right. Adeline stood over the two boys with a hot chocolate wrapped in her hands, smirking as they cleaned a broken mug and chocolate from the floor. Peter hummed loudly as he sipped his own cocoa, causing the two to glare at him as they continued cleaning by hand. Remus moved around the kitchen, making hot chocolate for himself and Reggie by hand before hopping onto the counter to watch, helping Adeline up when she moved to join him.
Wobky appeared with a large order form for Adeline, bowing before popping away again. Adeline, Sirius, and Remus went through the catalog, Remus choosing options for his room as Adeline and Sirius marked other items that they liked. There was an option for the old furniture to be donated to families in need and Adeline smiled as she checked the box for it. Once they had decided on everything that they liked, Wobky turned the form in and Adeline collected all of the furniture that she wanted to donate, stacking it in the main entrance room for collecting.
Adeline conjured a Yule tree in the corner of the sitting room as Reggie and Sirius went to collect the Yule decorations from the attic, bumping each other along the way. Adeline showed Peter the spell Walburga had taught her to conjure decorations, having him help her place garland across the fireplace, staircase banisters, and above the thresholds for all of the doorways. Sirius and Reggie reappeared with boxes floating behind them and Adeline opened the boxes carefully, staring down at the dark decorations.
"Why is everything black?" James questioned.
"Shafiq tradition," Reggie shrugged. "We didn't see Adie in any sort of color until mother took her shopping for the first time. I think Lady Shafiq had a fit seeing Adie green rather than black."
"Oh, she did," Adeline smirked, remembering the library. "Wasn't the only thing she was upset about, but I'm sure it didn't help. Is any of this worth putting up?"
"It all looks like funeral décor," Peter sniffled slightly.
"This one is from when you were a baby," Sirius smirked, pulling an ornament out.
Adeline stared at the small handprint for a moment before reaching for it. She stared down at the ornament, the handprint that belonged to a child that no longer existed. She wondered how the lives of her boys would be had it not been for the people who had gone after a child, how her own life would have been at the orphanage and Ilvermony. She set the ornament away from the rest of the decorations before waving her hand and having the boxes follow her. She walked outside, Remus and Sirius following her, both looking confused.
Once Adeline was outside, she set the boxes on fire, watching as they burned. Once everything was destroyed, she sighed and headed back inside, the two boys following after her. Adeline smiled as she watched Peter carefully conjuring ornaments for the tree and passing them to Reggie and James, the handprint resting in the middle of the tree. Remus went to join the other boys as Sirius stood by Adeline. His arm wrapped around her waist as his other hand came up, snapping a picture before passing the camera to Adeline, who hid it in her pocket.
The two moved to help with decorating the tree, getting it decorated quickly. An hour later, there was a knock at the front door and Wobky appeared, letting Adeline know that the furniture had been delivered and the old furniture had been taken away. Using her magic, Adeline placed the new furniture around the house, Peter following behind excitedly as he began truly decorating the rooms. Remus and James went upstairs, setting up his bedroom. Sirius and Reggie just watched Adeline as she moved through the house, making it seem more like a home as she set everything up, smiling to Peter as he excitedly threw Yule decorations on everything.
"What's wrong with Peter?" Reggie asked Sirius, voice low.
"I'm not sure to be honest," Sirius told him. "He doesn't like being touched and he gets in these moods sometimes that have me wanting to hide away. He goes from one extreme to the other. He's happy around Adeline, though, so that's good."
"One extreme to the other?" Reggie questioned.
"One moment, he'll be fine. The next, he'll be so angry that his magic sparks out like a child performing accidental magic. At other times he'll be so sad that he can't get out of bed. James and I discussed sneaking him to a healer, but we don't want to upset him."
"You should tell Adie," Reggie nodded. "She'll know what to do."
"She always does," Sirius smiled fondly as he watched his fiancé moving around the house, encouraging Peter as he performed spells.
"Do me a favor?" Reggie called for Sirius' attention.
"Hmm?" Sirius asked, looking to his little brother.
"Don't upset her like that again," Reggie's voice was firm. "She truly loves you. She doesn't keep you around just to please mother. She wouldn't have brought all of us here if she didn't have real feelings for you. Merlin, she'd date around at school if she didn't love you and trust me when I say she has options."
"Options?" Sirius questioned, brow raised.
"Did you truly think that Evan was the only one that finds her attractive?" Reggie shot back, brow raised in the same manor. "He's just the only one openly trying to get her attention. I believe he's the only one who isn't afraid of you."
"He should be," Sirius grumbled, pouting.
"Why are we pouting?" Adeline asked as she fell onto the couch, her head landing in Sirius' lap. "It's almost Christmas. There should be no pouting. Tell him, Pete."
"No pouting," Peter smirked as he sat on the floor, head by Adeline's hand.
Adeline moved her hand to Peter's hair, running her fingers through his hair in a calming manor. James and Remus joined them a few moments later. The small group joked and laughed for the remainder of the night, falling asleep around the sitting room and all touching someone else. Wobky and Tiffy made breakfast the next morning, rousing the children and getting them moving for the day. They went through muggle London, buying gifts for one another to exchange the next day.
Christmas Eve came and they passed gifts around, Adeline giving James a notebook that was connected to one of hers, Severus receiving his own through the mail. She decided that she needed to find a way to put all of her notebooks into one so that she wouldn't have to carry so many at once. After gifts were exchanged, James and Peter left through the floo, promising to see each other on the train back to school.
The next morning, gifts were found under the tree, Wobky and Tiffy having placed the presents there when they'd arrived by post. Adeline received a sleek gown from Walburga to wear to the summer ball, Sirius receiving matching dress robes. The two rolled their eyes before setting the boxes aside and moving on. As the holidays came to an end, Reggie, Sirius, Remus and Adeline popped into the train station thanks to Wobky and Tiffy, Adeline patting their heads before heading onto the empty train.
James and Peter joined them an hour later as others began arriving. Adeline smiled when she spotted Lily and Severus boarding the train, standing and greeting them in the hall. Severus sent Sirius a glare for a moment, remembering how Sirius had upset Adeline the last time he'd seen him. Lily was dragged away by Mary and the other girls in her house and year before Severus moved to sit with a few of the Slytherins. Adeline went back to her compartment, sitting with her boys and watching as they began playing different games.
The next week at school was a bit strange, Avery and Mulciber following her around a bit as she moved along the halls. Finally she turned to face them, hands on her hips as she demanded an explanation.
"Where were you during the holidays?" Avery asked.
"At my home," Adeline stated as if it were obvious. "Why?"
"Walburga Black sent us letters to make sure you stayed here," Mulciber explained.
"She has you spying on me?" Adeline asked, not really surprised by the information.
"We told her you were here," Avery nodded. "We just wanted to be sure that you hadn't gotten up to anything that would get us found out."
"You're both safe," Adeline promised. "Thank you."
"No need to thank us," Mulciber shook his head instantly. "We were the ones spying on you."
"Thank you for covering for me," Adeline corrected. "Remind me to add you to my Christmas gift list next year."
"No need," Avery shook his head. "We are supposed to escort you to and from classes now though."
"No need," Adeline shook her head. "Sirius and Reggie already tend to follow me around. I don't need the two of you doing it as well."
"Where are they now?" Mulciber shot back.
"I ditched them so I could speak with the two of you," Adeline shrugged.
Avery and Mulciber both laughed at that before leading her to the library, dropping her off at the doors once they saw Reggie inside with Barty and Evan.
The rest of the school year went by rather quickly, Adeline swamped with studying now that she had more classes to take end of year tests for. She hid in the classroom with her potions brewing to study in peace as Evan kept trying to gather all of Adeline's attention whenever they were in the same place. Remus joined her more often than not, hiding away from Sirius and James' shenanigans as they tried pulling off more pranks as the end of the year loomed closer, Peter even joining a few times, his head always ending in Adeline's lap so that she could run her fingers through his hair.
She was dragged to quidditch games every so often when Slytherin or Gryffindor played, forced to sit through games where James dominated the air or Reggie had an eye on the snitch at all times, just waiting for the okay to catch it from his team captain. Adeline knew Slytherin would be winning both the house cup and the quidditch trophy this year.
Once finals were complete, Adeline flew up to Gryffindor tower through the always open window, collapsing on Peter's empty bed. She sighed at how quiet the room was when none of the boys were there before waving her wand and causing the room to clean itself. She kicked off her shoes before getting more comfortable in Peter's bed, pulling the soft blanket that he kept on the bed over her shoulders. She fell asleep quickly, exhaustion washing over her from studying so much.
She woke as Remus gently shook her shoulder, a soft smile on his face.
"Hey," Adeline sighed before stretching.
"Time for dinner," Remus smirked.
"Where are the others?" she questioned.
"Already in the Great Hall. I just came up to grab something and found you," Remus explained. "Come along."
"Okay," Adeline nodded, slipping into her shoes and waving her wand over herself, fixing her hair and makeup.
The two headed down to the Great Hall, receiving a few looks as they went. Adeline decided to join the Gryffindors for dinner, landing in the seat beside Sirius easily as Remus sat on her other side.
"Where have you been?" Sirius smirked.
"Asleep in your room," Adeline yawned before placing a bit of food on her plate.
"Were you in Peter's bed again?" James smirked.
"He has the best blankets," Adeline defended herself.
"I do," Peter nodded, still smiling brightly now that Adeline had joined them.
The end of year feast was held two days later when OWLs had been completed. The party in the Slytherin common room was louder than ever as Adeline headed out of the castle, turning into a bird and flying into the Shrieking Shack. Remus joined her a few minutes later, climbing out of the trapdoor on the first floor. He laid on the bed with Adeline, sighing as he took her hand.
"You didn't have to come tonight," he told her. "You could have stayed at the party that I'm sure you're missing."
"I'd rather be here with you," Adeline shrugged. "You're more important than some party."
Remus just stared at her for a moment before pulling her close, hugging her to his chest. Adeline rested her head over his heart, listening to his heartbeat as it comforted her. Remus changed an hour later before lying back on the bed, curling around Adeline, her reading to him as they waited for the sun to rise. Tiredly, Adeline flew back to the castle the next morning, packing away her things with a flick of her wand before collapsing in her bed, grabbing two hours of sleep before being shaken awake by her dormmate. She ate breakfast beside Reggie, her head going to his shoulder at some point. He shook her awake, causing her to jump slightly before being led to the carriages.
On the train, Adeline laid across one of the seats, Remus lying on the seat across from her. Adeline's head was in Sirius' lap as Remus' was in James'. The two slept the majority of the trip, Peter sitting on the floor in front of Adeline, holding her hand as she slept. She squeezed his hand gently as she sat up, staying awake for the last hour of the trip. Walburga and Orion stood waiting for Adeline, Reggie, and Sirius when they reached the station, the three walking to the couple together.
The next week was rather tense, Walburga and Orion distant from the three children. Adeline wondered if it was due to the previous attacks as the day of the ball arrived. Sissy showed up that afternoon to help Adeline get ready, Walburga moving around the manor quickly and refusing Adeline's help.
"Do you know what's going on with Walburga?" Adeline asked as Sissy twisted her hair into an elegant braid. "She typically has me help her with the ball, but she's been rather short all week."
"I'm not sure," Sissy bit her bottom lip slightly.
"Sissy," Adeline deadpanned.
"Okay, fine," Sissy sighed, sitting beside Adeline. "She heard from a few people that Sirius was rallying for muggleborn rights this year. Apparently, he hexed someone for calling his muggleborn friend a mudblood."
"He did," Adeline nodded. "He told me before he headed off for his detention with James."
"Well, in our family, that doesn't exactly go over well," Sissy explained. "I know the Shafiq's haven't always been the most seeded in pureblood traditional values, but the Black family had a reputation to uphold. Having the eldest son, the heir, going against those values so heavily has caused a bit of talking amongst inner circles."
"So, is Sirius in trouble?" Adeline questioned.
"He is, but I'm not sure how much trouble he's in. Walburga and Orion have been tight lipped about it. I think they'll test him a bit tonight," Sissy admitted.
"We need to warn him," Adeline stood, slipping into her dress and heels easily.
She muttered the cushioning charm on her shoes before following Sissy out of her room. They knocked on Sirius' door and Adeline smirked slightly when he answered without a shirt on. Sissy cleared her throat, catching Adeline's eye with an amused smirk.
"We're engaged. I'm allowed to look," Adeline rolled her eyes before looking to Sirius, who was also smirking. "Your parents know about you hexing that sixth year for calling Lily names. They're not happy about it and Sissy thinks that they're going to test you somehow tonight."
Sirius' face turned sour for a moment before he sighed and nodded.
"Thank you," he said to them both sincerely. "If you'll excuse me, I need to finish dressing. Can't have my fiancé staring at me indecently, now can we?"
"Well, why ever not?" Adeline pouted before Sissy dragged her away, all three laughing.
A half hour later, Walburga knocked on Adeline's door.
"Narcissa, may I have a word with Adeline in private?" she asked.
"Of course," Sissy nodded, standing to leave. "I should head downstairs to wait for Lucius anyways."
"See you soon," Adeline called as Sissy left before turning to Walburga. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes, dear. I'm sorry for being so short with you lately," Walburga sat beside Adeline on the bed. "I've been doing a bit of damage control where Sirius is concerned."
"Whatever for?" Adeline asked, forcing her face to look confused.
"Well, I'm sure you know of all the detentions he received at the end of the year," Walburga stated and Adeline nodded. "He's become quite the troublemaker and he's been sprouting off about certain kinds of people."
"What do you mean?" Adeline questioned.
"He has a mudblood friend that he claims is the brightest witch in the school," Walburga sighed. "Hexed a few of your classmates for reminding him of the mudbloods place."
"That's why he hexed them," Adeline whispered, trying to sound surprised. "I wasn't aware. I knew they'd upset him but that was all."
"I'm sure you didn't, darling," Walburga pat Adeline's hand, attempting to sooth her even though Adeline was just fine. "I know the Shafiq's had a different way of raising you, but I feel as if we've taught you quite well what your place in the world truly is. You know that you're better than those mudbloods and the muggles."
Adeline just watched as Walburga sighed.
"I'm not sure how best to deal with Sirius anymore," she admitted. "He was doing so well when you first came back."
"Do you want me to speak with him?" Adeline asked.
"I'm worried you'll accidentally push him away," she admitted. "He's so very stubborn."
"I wonder where he gets that from," Adeline smirked, causing Walburga to smile at her.
"Must be his father," Walburga spit back in amusement.
"Oh, please," Adeline laughed. "Everyone knows that the Lord Black is just there to look pretty. You are the one who runs the House of Black."
"And one day it will be you," Walburga reminded her. "My sweet girl. What would we do without you?"
"Well, you would have to be escorted by your husband to every social event, whereas tonight I insist on escorting you myself," Adeline nodded.
"Is that so?" Walburga smiled.
"A feel as if a daughter and mother should be allowed to do these things," Adeline knew she was laying it on thick, trying to get Walburga's mood up before she punished Sirius, knowing it always helped.
"Well, as the head of House Black, I make the rules," Walburga smiled. "I believe my daughter and I shall escort each other tonight."
Adeline stood, offering her arm to Walburga. Walburga laughed before taking Adeline's arm. The two descended the stairs together, Sirius and Orion staring up at them with matching looks of love in their eyes. Adeline and Walburga nodded to the men before moving to the main room, standing by the floo to greet guest as they came in.
"I believe our dates have been stolen, father," Sirius stated.
"I believe you're right," Orion chuckled. "Let us go to the door and greet people from there. Let the two be for now."
People began arriving, Adeline and Walburga greeting them as they entered the manor. Tom presented Adeline with a blackened rose upon entrance, which Walburga put into Adeline's braid with a flick of her wand, thanking the Dark Lord for his generosity. Adeline and Tom smirked before he moved further into the room.
"The Dark Lord is fond of you," Walburga noted.
"He's a wonderful teacher and pen pal," Adeline nodded.
"I believe you will do well within his circle," Walburga nodded. "You and Sirius will be joining him once you've finished all of your schooling."
"Yes, my lady," Adeline nodded as more guests flooed in.
Once everyone had arrived, Sirius and Orion appeared by their sides. Walburga and Adeline shared a smile as they were led to the sunroom. Sirius led Adeline to the dance floor, leading her into a waltz as he always did. More people joined in and Sirius pulled Adeline a bit closer.
"What did mother want?" Sirius asked.
"To speak about you," Adeline admitted. "You need to be on your best behavior. I calmed her a bit but I'm not sure how long the good mood will last."
"Behave myself?" Sirius smirked. "I've never behaved in my life."
"I am quite aware," Adeline smirked.
"You love it."
"I do."
"Would you like for me to lead you to my room so that we can misbehave together?"
"Sirius," Adeline slapped his arm, face reddening slightly as she smiled up at him. "That is the opposite of what we should be doing."
"Would you rather we do it here in front of everyone?" Sirius' brow went up. "I'm surprised at you, Adie. Not very lady like."
"You're not being a gentlemen," Adeline remarked. "Trying to sneak me away so that you can have your wicked way with me."
"Mm. I like the sound of that," Sirius pulled Adeline closer and she smelt the whiskey on his breath.
"Have you been drinking?" Adeline asked, voice in a low hiss.
"A bit," Sirius smirked. "Helps to deal with all of the nonsense. If mother is going to punish me, I'd rather not be sober for it."
"She's going to punish you worse if she finds out that you've been drinking," Adeline whispered.
"Why are you speaking so quietly?" Sirius said loudly, causing a few people to turn their attention to them.
Adeline dragged Sirius from the dance floor, smiling kindly to everyone that they passed. They reached an empty table and pushed Sirius into a chair.
"Stay here," she told him, not waiting for a response as she went in search of Regulus.
"Need a hand, Lady Shafiq?" Avery's voice questioned, causing her to turn and find him and Mulciber watching her.
"No, thank you," she sighed. "I just need to find Regulus."
"He was over with Rosier by the punch last I saw," Mulciber provided.
"Thank you," she said gratefully before leaving them.
She found Reggie with Barty and Evan, laughing with them. When Reggie saw the panic on Adeline's face, he went straight to her.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
"Sirius," Adeline hissed as Barty and Evan joined them.
"What's he done now?" Evan asked with a sigh.
"He's drunk," Adeline told Reggie. "If your mother finds out."
"Where is he?" Reggie asked and followed Adeline without question.
Her eyes went wide when she saw that Sirius was no longer at the table.
"Shit," she cursed, turning to the other three boys. "I left him there to come find you."
"He can't have gotten far," Regulus said, arms going to her shoulders. "We'll find him."
The sound of glass breaking caused all eyes to turn and Adeline felt her heart drop at the sight of Sirius glaring at Avery and Mulciber, broken wine flutes surrounding them, the shattered crystal glittering at their feet. Orion was beside Sirius in an instant, pulling him away from the two older boys. Adeline pulled her arm from Reggie's grasp and rushed forward, standing by Avery as Orion spoke quietly to Sirius.
"What happened?" Adeline whispered.
"Your fiancé doesn't like that we're friendly," Avery whispered back.
Sirius' eyes narrowed when he saw Adeline beside Avery. His lip curled slightly and Adeline was reminded of their fight over holidays just a few short months ago. She already knew along what line Sirius' words would be but was still unprepared when it happened due to the vulgarness.
"Whore," he whispered out, catching everyone off guard.
Adeline's brows rose and she stared at him, completely unimpressed. Walburga was there immediately and Adeline stepped forward, blocking her path with a raised hand. Walburga and Orion watched the pair intently and Adeline kept her voice low to keep those around them from hearing the conversation.
"Sirius, I think it's time that you retire for the night," she stated, sounding too much like Walburga for her own liking.
She waved her wand and the crystal flew away, the wine flutes correcting themselves and Adeline not even flinching when a piece of glass cut her arm. She waved her wand again and the liquid that covered the floor disappeared completely. Adeline noted the glasses had refilled themselves before looking into Sirius' eyes again. He was staring at the blood on her arm, eyes wide before he looked to her again, the idea of her being in pain breaking through the haze of the alcohol.
"Don't," she told him when he made to step towards her. "Go to your room. I'll be there shortly."
Sirius nodded, probably thinking it had been his mother speaking. He left, head down in shame as he walked away. Adeline waved her wand over her arm as he left, wrapping the cut tightly before wiping the blood away with her hand. She turned to the guest then, a smile on her face.
"I'm so sorry for the interruption," she announced to the room. "Thank you all so much for coming. Please, continue."
With a final click of her wand, the music began again, a soft tinkling floating through the room. Reggie approached Adeline quickly. She took his arm as he led her to the dance floor, the two of them waltzing and causing other guests to follow their lead. Once plenty of people joined, Adeline and Reggie snuck out of the crowd, both heading to the stairs as calmly as possible.
They looked into Sirius' room, noting his tie and jacket on the floor, but him nowhere to be found. They went to Adeline's room next, not finding him. Kreacher popped in then.
"Mistress Black requires Lady Shafiq's presence in the library at once," Kreacher stated, holding his hand out.
"Go to your room and call for Tiffy. Tell her to keep an eye out for Sirius and me," Adeline whispered to Reggie before taking Kreacher's hand.
They appeared in the library a moment later. Adeline was a bit shocked to find Sirius standing by the fireplace with Orion, Walburga opposite them and breathing heavily.
"Adie," Walburga sighed, turning to her. "Sirius says that I have nothing that I can take from him."
Adeline knew what was coming the moment Walburga's wand turned on her. She fell to the ground, screaming in pain as the unforgivable caused her blood to turn to ice and lightning to shoot through her nerves. She heard Sirius screaming in the distance and wished she could get to him but couldn't do more than thrash on the ground in pain.
"Enough!" Orion's voice bellowed and the pain stopped. "He's gone. You proved your point. She did nothing wrong."
"Adie?" Walburga's voice was gentle as the pain continued to rock through Adeline's body slightly.
Adeline rolled to her side, curling in on herself as tears of pain escaped her eyes. She was shivering and felt a blanket being placed over her before Kreacher poured a potion down her throat. The potion took away most of the pain, allowing her to stop crying. She tasted blood in her mouth and knew she'd bitten into her lip to try to keep from screaming at first. When she looked to the clock behind Kreacher, she realized that Walburga had been torturing her for nearly twenty minutes before Orion had stopped her.
"Adie?" Walburga asked from behind her, voice still soft. "I'm so sorry. He needed to be taught a lesson and I got carried away. Tiffy is here to take you to Shafiq manor to heal. Can you stand?"
Adeline tried moving but groaned in pain.
"It's okay, mistress," Tiffy spoke up. "Tiffy can take mistress while laying down. Tiffy has mistress."
Adeline could hear the tears in Tiffy's eyes before feeling her hands gently wrap around hers. The pull of the disapparation caused the pain to start up again and Adeline screamed as she landed on her bed. Tiffy cried loudly as Remus, Sirius, James, and Peter ran into her room, Sirius keeping the others from touching Adeline as Wobky poured three potions into her mouth. She fell asleep just as Mia Potter entered the room.