"Brumous"

"Chapter Seventeen: Preparations"

Harry kept his gaze focused on the ground as they walked down the alleyway behind the shops in Hogsmeade. Sirius and Remus flanked him from either side, their arms brushing up against each other as they walked. Harry was curious to see the house that Sirius had bought and would stay in come September. Relief had flooded him when he found out a house had been secured. While he had become better at closing off his mind and even detecting when Voldemort was present in his mind, the thought of Sirius being nearby in case the worst happened was just plain comforting.

They cut down a street and Harry looked up at the neat row of terrace houses. Beyond the roofs, he could see the tips of the castle. Looking around, he noticed a few people stopping and staring at the group. He offered an awkward smile while they stopped in front of one of the houses. It was bright and cheery with little flowerboxes in front of the windows.

Sirius pulled his wand from his pocket and did some elaborate unlocking pattern that Harry knew he'd have to learn. As soon as the door opened, Sirius practically pushed Harry inside and away from all the prying eyes. He shot his godfather a look, but Sirius didn't seem to care in the slightest.

"Let's do this," Sirius said as he slammed the door shut. "The quicker it's done, the better I'll feel being so out in the bloody open."

Remus pulled out a book from his rucksack and opened it to the bookmark. Sirius didn't waste any time slicing his palm open with his wand before leaning in towards Remus to look at the runes in the book. The two talked in low tones, Remus gesticulating some of the motions with his hand as he pointed towards the door. Apparently, they were doing three separate runes stacked neatly in a vertical row. Harry wrinkled his nose as he watched Sirius smear his blood on the door, consulting the book frequently.

"The bottom needs to flare out a bit more," Remus instructed, gesturing towards the middle ruin.

For the first time in his life, he wished he had taken Ancient Ruins. He had zero idea what any of the symbols meant. Once finished, Sirius healed his palm before he motioned for Harry's hand.

"I have to do this too?" Harry asked, taking a tentative step forward.

"Just trace what I put on the door," Sirius instructed with a grim face as he grabbed Harry's wrist before he could protest, his palm slicing open. "It signifies we're the owners of the house. Nobody can enter that we don't allow and we can expel anyone we want who we previously gave access to."

Harry wrinkled his nose, watching the blood pool in his palm.

"Now, Harry, it needs to be fresh," Sirius instructed.

Taking a step forward, Harry carefully traced Sirius' blood on the door. He had never experienced such magic before, nor did he think he particularly liked it. He couldn't help but wonder if they were partaking in Dark Magic and if Sirius had knowledge of this type of magic from his childhood. It certainly wasn't taught at Hogwarts.

"So, Voldemort can't enter?" Harry asked as he started on the second ruin.

"It's not foolproof," Remus mused. "Don't forget the tails, Harry!"

Harry sucked in a breath as he made sure to get the tips of the middle ruin before moving down to the third one. "Then why are we doing this?"

"Because it will take him a bit to dismantle the blood wards which should give us enough time to get the fuck out if need be," Sirius replied, his lips pursing to the right. "The Fidelius works the best, but Hogsmeade has ordinances about what kind of wards can go up around houses. Next to the Fidelius, blood wards are the strongest and will buy us the most time if we're attacked here. I'm paying a pretty Knut to have access to an emergency Portkey for the house."

Harry swallowed as he finished up, standing to his full height and holding out his hand towards his godfather. Sirius healed it with one flick of his wand.

"Why didn't my parents do that?" Harry asked, his eyes locking with Sirius'. "Have an emergency Portkey in the house."

They definitely had the money for it. Harry had seen his trust vault. He had seen Godric's Manor. The Potters may not have had as much money as the Blacks, but Harry suspected that they could have afforded anything they wanted. Especially given the fact that his dad had been in possession of all of the Potter vaults at the time of his death.

Sirius cleared his throat. "Well, technically, the Ministry highly regulates Portkeys and frowns upon ones for personal use. In the hands of a Muggle, it could be disastrous. Then, you also have Portkey touts who help criminals escape the country which the Ministry is always cracking down on. I knew a Portkey tout in Merseyside after I escaped from Hogwarts in your third year. I met him during the first war through Mundungus. Cheery bloke, more than happy to help secure me a Portkey out of the country with a Hippogriff. Let me tell you, securing a Portkey to travel with a large animal is no easy feat, but ol' Hector liked me a lot. Said I was funny."

"Wait, do you mean Hector Quade?" Remus interrupted, his face pulling. "You fucking trusted him? He's psychotic, Sirius!"

Sirius only shrugged. "He liked me even more thinking I was a murderer."

Not for the first time, nor probably the last time, Harry questioned his godfather's judgment.

"Anyway," Sirius said, his hand waving to dismiss Remus' concerns. "Since you're so important and precious to the Ministry, I was able to secure one for home use. Only those who are seen as important in society are afforded the Portkeys. Though, if misused or sold to touts, you may as well kiss your life goodbye. It'll secure you a life sentence in Azkaban."

Remus sighed, his head shaking, as he held out his hand towards Sirius. With a slice of his wand and muttering the word Intrare, blood blossomed in Remus' palm. He pressed his hand where the doorknob should be and the door glowed a pale yellow.

"Hmm, I guess that means we did it correctly?" Sirius mused, his head cocking to the left.

"I think," Remus replied, pulling his hand back and healing his palm. "I'll stop by later with Dora and see if she can enter."

"The other wards are already up?" Sirius questioned.

Remus nodded. "Bill and Fleur stopped by this morning and put up all the wards they could."

"Perfect," Sirius replied, turning his attention towards Harry. "Let's get out of here. I don't want to linger until we know for sure that the blood ward took."

They snuck behind out of the back of the house and made their way towards the alleyway again. This time, Sirius kept a firm hand on Harry at all times. As soon as they arrived at the Apparition point, they were gone with a faint pop.

Harry spent the rest of his day outside of the Burrow with Ron and Ginny, which seemed to be how they normally spent their days. They tossed around the Quaffle for a few hours, degnomed the garden for Mrs Weasley, and even fed the chickens. It was close to dinnertime when Sirius called him into the house to speak privately. Harry went without hesitation, wondering what his godfather wanted to talk about. Harry couldn't help the anxiety that rose in his chest at the thought that Sirius had acquired another mission or that the blood wards in Hogsmeade didn't stick.

They made their way up to Harry's room. Harry took a seat on the bed and looked up at Sirius, waiting for him to take the lead.

"So, uh, I was thinking," Sirius started. "It's been a while since we read any of those letters from Fleamont."

That was not even on Harry's list of topics that it could possibly be.

"Oh, well, I just… you seemed upset after my mum's letter," Harry explained. "I didn't think you wanted to read them anymore."

Sirius squinted down at him. "Did you read them without me?"

Harry shook his head. "No, no, I promise. I just, I kept them in the bottom of my trunk."

Sirius sighed, shoving his hands into his trouser pockets. Harry didn't move as he stared up at his godfather, trying to anticipate what was going on in his head. He looked just plain, well, sad. Harry couldn't decipher exactly why.

"I'm trying, Harry," Sirius whispered. "Truly, I am."

Harry's brows tugged down. "What do you mean?"

"I know I'm not the most… emotionally available guardian you could have," Sirius started slowly, his eyes searching Harry's face. "It's hard for me to talk about your parents and grandparents. I'm trying really hard to push through that, because you deserve to know where you come from and how great they are… were." Sirius' face pulled. "I don't want you to think you can't ask me questions or we can't do stuff like read the letters together because I get… quiet or whatever. I want to talk to you about them and I want to do things like the letters with you. It just… it makes me, well… yeah."

Harry chewed on his bottom lip for a few moments. "I didn't want to upset you again."

Sirius offered him a strained smile. "I don't want you to have to worry about upsetting me, all right? Just because I get upset doesn't mean I don't want to read them. I miss them, Harry. All of them. All the time. I'd give anything to have one last conversation with them, to have the opportunity to say goodbye. But neither one of us were lucky enough to have that."

Harry swallowed, his gaze dropping down to his hands in his lap. There were so many things that Harry wanted to say, but he didn't know how to say them. Most importantly, he'd give anything for Sirius to be able to say goodbye as well. Even more so than himself. He didn't remember any of them. Not even one solid memory, unless he could count the screaming of his parents the night they were murdered when he was near a Dementor. Harry didn't want to, thinking how terrible it was that his parents' screams were the only concrete memory he had of them.

Not remembering his parents used to upset Harry a lot. He spent many sleepless nights lying awake and trying to remember just one thing about them so that they seemed real. Except, nothing ever sprung to mind. Not their names, what they looked like, nothing. The only thing he knew before he was eleven was that his dad had unruly hair just like him, a comment slipped from his aunt's mouth when she was complaining about him.

But now, not remembering his parents didn't bother him as much as it once did. Not since he had Sirius in his life. Spending the summer with Sirius, having Sirius adopt him, Harry realized that he was at peace with never having the opportunity to meet any of the Potter family. Because he had found family with Sirius. The man made him feel loved and wanted, two things that he had never felt with the Dursleys. And while Harry would never have memories of his own with his parents, Sirius had shared his memories, and that alone was far more than Harry had ever hoped for.

"Do you want to, err, read your letter?" Harry suggested, looking up at Sirius.

Emotion swam in Sirius' eyes before he nodded slowly. Harry rose from his bed and dug through his trunk for the letters. He shuffled through them until he saw the one with Sirius written on the front. Harry had wanted to save his letter for last, wanting to get a good feel for who Fleamont was before he read the letter written just for him. Standing up to his full height, he held out the letter for Sirius.

"I, uh, I was hoping that you'd read my letter," Sirius said, eyeing the letter. "I'm not sure if I can."

Harry hesitated for a moment before he nodded, taking a seat on his bed once more. Sirius stood stiff in his spot, his body not moving and his eyes not blinking. Harry unsealed the letter with his thumb as the blood rushed in his ears. There was absolutely no reason to be so nervous over a letter, but he couldn't help the anxiety that crept up his chest. He blinked down at the cramped writing that he had become accustomed to since they discovered the letters.

"Sirius, my son," Harry started, his eyes flickering up to see Sirius close his eyes at the first three words. "I don't know where to even begin. I remember the day you came into our lives. I remember how James invited you to our home for the last week of summer before your second year, how Orion had brought you to our home looking as though he regretted it the moment he laid eyes on us. I suspect he only allowed it because we were purebloods. Little did he know how much he would come to regret that decision. Little did Euphemia and I know how much we would be forever grateful for that decision."

Sirius cleared his throat, his gaze focused on the window as he stared out at the bright blue sky. Harry wondered if he was actually listening to the letter or if he was disassociating.

"You were so charming and polite. I daresay, I think you were a bit nervous at first. There were times I thought you wanted to go home, more comfortable with the monsters you knew rather than the people you didn't. I'm glad you didn't leave, and I'm glad you slowly started to realize that Euphemia and I were nothing like Walburga and Orion."

Harry could definitely relate to that. He had been so afraid of upsetting the Weasleys when he was first at their house. It took him longer than he was happy about to realize that Mr and Mrs Weasley were nothing like Petunia and Vernon Dursley. The Weasleys were so kind, welcoming, and funny. He never once felt like a burden or out of place in their home. He would forever be grateful for the home they gave him when he had nobody.

"As the years wore on, as it become very apparent that you were suffering with the Blacks and as you lost a bit of your initial sparkle, Euphemia and I became more and more concerned," Harry continued to read, noting that Sirius had not moved a single finger since he had started reading. "I cannot tell you how many times I spoke with my dad to try to get the Ministry to intervene, how many sleepless nights Euphemia and I spent researching how to get you legally out of that house, and how many times our hearts broke when we came up empty-handed time and time again. We were constantly told that it was not wise to go up against the Blacks, but we welcomed the challenge. I think we were some of the few who were not intimidated by the Black family."

"He wasn't," Sirius croaked, his gaze still focused on the window. "Your grandfather wasn't intimidated by anyone or anything. He was the very embodiment of a Gryffindor."

Harry let that bit of information swirl around in his head. "So, he was a Gryffindor then?"

Sirius nodded, his head turning to look at Harry finally. "All the Potters were. For as long as I can tell. James, Fleamont, Henry, and Henry's father. I don't remember his name. He died right before James started Hogwarts, but I know he was a Gryffindor as well."

"What about my grandmother?" Harry asked, his fingers running along the letter.

"A Hufflepuff actually," Sirius replied with a warm smile. "But don't let her house fool you. She was definitely fearless. She loved to have screaming matches with Walburga since she was so fiercely protective."

Harry grinned at that bit of information as he turned his attention back to the letter. "I often think about what happened to you over the Christmas holiday when you were sixteen. I wish Euphemia and I had tried harder to get you out. Perhaps not harder, for we did try desperately to rescue you from there. But I wish we had have done better. Our concerns landed on deaf ears. Our attempts to visit the house left unanswered. You may not know this, but after that Christmas Eve night, Alphard and I kept in contact. I think he wanted to see Walburga get what was coming to her just as much as I did."

Sirius hummed, his brows furrowing at that bit of information.

"While I don't approve of the way Alphard handled your situation, I understand why he wanted to keep in the Blacks' good graces," Harry read, trying to remember exactly what Alphard had written in the letter to Sirius that he had read at Godric's Manor.

Harry's understanding of the circumstances that led to Sirius finally running was murky at best. He had heard so many small and disjointed comments about it that it was hard to put it all together. He'd be lying if he said he didn't want to know the full story, but he didn't think Sirius would be willing to tell it anytime soon.

"He told me how he helped set Andromeda up with some money and encouraged her to separate from the family," Harry continued, glad that Alphard had helped Andromeda as well. He had grown fond of her."He said while it pained him not to go to you straight away when he found out what was happening, he wanted to maintain his position within the family to help Regulus and Narcissa escape as well. Apparently, Narcissa was not pleased with joining the Death Eaters and even less pleased with Lucius' behavior as time wore on. The sparkle from the initial attraction seems to have waned as Narcissa started to second-guess her choices. Regulus was so young. He couldn't stand to leave him behind. I wonder if Alphard had survived long enough if he would have been able to help Regulus. I know Regulus' death was a hard hit, but it is not your fault. There was nothing you could have done to prevent it. Regulus was a soft boy who never had the opportunity to escape like you had. You mustn't blame yourself for seizing the opportunity presented to you. If the rumors are true, if Regulus really did get cold feet and try to run, then I have no doubt Walburga and Bellatrix were the ones to murder him. James told me that was your suspicion as well."

Sirius let out a bitter laugh and muttered, "Regulus was so bloody soft."

Harry chewed on the inside of his cheek, thinking of the memory he had seen of Remus and James talking at St. Mungo's about how Regulus had stabbed James. He wanted to tell Sirius all about it just in case Sirius was harboring any guilty feelings about his brother's death. But he knew now was not the time. Sirius was already struggling to get through the letter.

"Alas, I digress," Harry barreled on, wanting to finish the letter before Sirius stopped him."This was meant to be a goodbye letter, to ensure that you know how deeply Euphemia and I loved you, to ensure you know that you are a Potter, and to ensure you know how very special you are."

Harry glanced up at his godfather to see tears shining in his eyes but none spilled down his cheeks. Without giving it much thought, Harry stood up from the bed and closed the space between him and Sirius. He pressed their arms together. It only took a moment for Sirius to wrap an arm around his shoulders and Harry melted into the embrace.

"I am forever grateful that James brought you into our lives," Harry read. "Euphemia and I counted our lucky stars more times than I can say. We always wanted a large family, but fate was not kind to us in that regard. We struggled for decades before we were blessed with James. Eleven years later, we were blessed again with you. I never want you to forget, you are our son in every way except by name, though that is not from lack of trying on Euphemia and my part."

Sirius chuckled, his hand rubbing against Harry's arm.

"I know you are struggling with the prophecy," Harry continued, a frown working its way across his face at the words."I know how deeply you love Harry. I want you to remember that it is paramount for you to control your anger. It is vital that you listen to Lily when she tells you to pause and think for a moment. It is beyond important that you and James do not do something that either one of you will regret. I know when you boys put your mind to something, the world is at your mercy. Together, you are powerful but you both let your emotions cloud your judgement. Channel your rage into something productive, something that will save Harry's life but not destroy your own."

Not for the first time while reading Fleamont's letters had Harry wished that his family had an opportunity to read them all those years ago. He couldn't help but think that things would have turned out differently with Fleamont's advice. It just made Harry's heart ache something awful.

"Lastly, my son, I must ask you to look out for James," Harry continued, his voice dropping as he found it was becoming increasingly harder to read the letter out loud. He didn't know how Sirius had gotten through two of them."I have watched him spiral into a shell of the person he was. There is no more joy in his eyes, no more laughter, no more unwavering positivity. He has slipped into the deepest pit of depression, something I know you have battled in the past. For the first time in his life, James is scared. You and I both know he has already resigned that he will give his life for Harry, like any good father would. I just hope it's out of necessity and not out of recklessness. I would hate for Harry to grow up without James simply because James decided to seek out Lord Voldemort himself in desperation to save his son's life. It is something that I myself have had to refrain from doing. The only reason I haven't is because I know Lord Voldemort cannot die. Something is tethering him to our world, something dark and pure evil. I know I have shared these suspicions with you boys in the past. Yet, Albus and I just haven't figured out what he did."

Harry looked up to see Sirius's grim face staring out of the window once more. Blinking, Harry tried to recall something he heard in one of the memories he had seen of Sirius'. Something about a book about some type of magic in Grimmauld Place… Harry squinted. He hadn't been paying much attention to Sirius and Dumbledore talk, his focus on a teenage Sirius and Regulus watching as the Black family all took the Dark Mark. They had said a word that Harry had never heard before, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what it had been.

"Sirius…" Harry trailed off.

Sirius only shook his head. "We'll talk about it later when we're in private. With Dumbledore."

Harry's brows furrowed. "With Dumbledore? What about what you heard from Bones? You still trust him?"

Sirius snapped his attention to Harry, his lips drawn in a thin line. "I have to if I want to keep you safe. We have to if we want this war to end. He has far more knowledge than I do and it seems we both have knowledge the other wants."

"What if he–"

"He won't do anything to me and risk getting on your bad side," Sirius replied, his tone ending the conversation. "Whether I like it or not, he needs you because of the prophecy."

"When do I get to know the entire contents of the prophecy? You said once I mastered Occlumency, you would tell me," Harry argued.

"You're close," Sirius replied, giving Harry's arm a squeeze. "Really close, Harry, I promise you. You have made leaps and bounds this summer."

Harry's jaw clenched as he turned back to the letter. "Protect your family, Sirius. Stick with James and only James. Trust no one except your family. But most importantly, don't forget to live. Marry Marlene. Be the fantastic godfather I know you already are. Spend time with your brother and Lily," Harry read, trying to keep the bitterness out of his tone. "With all my love, your father."

Harry folded the letter up and held it out to Sirius to keep. It was his letter after all. Sirius accepted it, stuffing it into his pocket without a word.

An uneasiness filled Harry as he stepped out of his godfather's embrace, his arms folding in front of him. Harry knew that his grandfather and Dumbledore had been close. But there was something about Fleamont so casually mentioning that Voldemort could not die that made Harry need to know more.

"How did my grandfather know that Voldemort couldn't die?" Harry asked, his gaze locking with Sirius'.

Sirius stood still, his face pulling. "Because he tried to kill him and failed."

The room seemed to tilt and spin. Harry couldn't hear anything over the rushing of blood in his ears. A million questions rapidly fired in his mind, each one more pressing than the last.

"There was an attack in Diagon Alley," Sirius whispered. "Your parents, grandparents, and I were all shopping for your nursery. Fleamont had had enough of the rhetoric, the kidnappings, the murders. He didn't shy away from doing what he thought was right, nor did he ever question his skills as a duelist. Dumbledore was the only person who ever challenged him, which makes sense because Dumbledore trained him personally. Fleamont sent a Patronus for Dumbledore. They both ended up dueling Voldemort. Two of the most powerful wizards I have ever met couldn't take him down. Fleamont said he shot a curse at him, one he said should have killed him. But it didn't. That's when we knew he had done something."

"You know what he did now though?" Harry pressed. "It's why Dumbledore wanted you to show him your family dinner with Voldemort. There was something the two of you were discussing."

Sirius gave a half-shrug. "We'll discuss that with Dumbledore later. There's information that I know and information that he knows. I think once we actually share that information, we'll have a lot clearer picture."

"I'm tired of being in the dark. I'm tired of being lied to," Harry argued, anger rising in his chest. "The prophecy is about me, and you're keeping secrets again!"

"I'm not trying to keep secrets from you, Harry," Sirius said, his jaw tightening. "I'm trying to keep our hand close to our chests. Voldemort is in your head–"

"Thanks for that reminder," Harry seethed. "I totally forgot he was in my mind when he was slitting my throat."

Sirius rolled his neck, his eyes screwing shut. He didn't speak for a few moments and that only angered Harry more. For the past month or so, he felt like he was finally sitting at the table. Now, it felt like a huge step back. The most vital bits of information being kept from him once more.

"Look, how about this?" Sirius said with a sigh, his gaze snapping to him. "Let's have a week of intense Occlumency lessons, all right? I'll go on my Order mission next Saturday. We'll have a few more days of lessons. We will celebrate your birthday. Then, I'll take you to Hogwarts. If you can push Dumbledore out of your mind, I'll tell you everything I know. I won't leave anything out, all right?"

Harry's heart pounded in his chest so hard that it ached. "You'll answer whatever questions I have? You really promise?"

Sirius searched his eyes for a few seconds. "I broke a promise to be right back after I left you on Halloween all those years ago," he whispered, his voice thick and hoarse. "When we reunited, I promised myself that I would never break another promise to you again. So, yes, Harry, I promise."

The anger deflated in Harry's chest. His palms grew sweaty at the very thought of having to prove himself and his abilities with Dumbledore. Except he had pushed Voldemort out. He could do the same to Dumbledore. He just had to believe in himself. That was easier said than done.

Remus glanced over at Sirius, unable to tell if he was being serious or not. The somber look on his face told him everything he needed to know. Remus turned his attention to Harry who shifted from side to side, his wide green eyes staring at his godfather like he had never seen anything like him before.

"You want me to what?" Harry asked, his voice on edge.

Sirius' lips pulled into a thin line. "I want you to push us both out."

Remus supposed it was probably a good thing that Ginny and Ron were not a part of the lesson. The order was a tall one, and Remus wasn't exactly sure why Sirius was upping the ante all of a sudden in terms of pushing Harry as hard as he was. Remus could see the anxiety clear as day on Harry's face, his eyes pleading in Sirius' direction.

"We're both going to invade your mind at the same time," Sirius explained once more. "It could realistically happen. If Voldemort thinks you can easily push him out, he could have someone attack your mind with him. His choice would be Bellatrix. Trust me, you don't want that psychotic bitch in your mind."

Harry let out a long and deep breath, his hands shaking at his sides. Remus didn't know how much he liked the thought of putting Harry through so much. While he understood the urge to prepare Harry as much as they possibly could, everyone had to remember that Harry was only a child. Sometimes, it was hard to remember that, especially in the past couple of years.

Remus felt like Harry looked far older than he was. Sirius had confided in Remus that the kid's eyes completely changed after watching Cedric Diggory be murdered right in front of him. When Remus caught back up with him, he saw the change as well. He was quieter, more cutting with his words, angrier. He had aged, looking more and more like James had towards the end of his life.

"Ready?" Sirius asked, his head looking between Harry and Remus.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Harry replied in a miserable tone.

Sirius stepped forward, pressing the tip of his wand against Harry's temple. Harry screwed his eyes shut, as though he were already preparing for the inevitable. Remus pressed his wand to Harry's other temple, feeling more than uneasy about what they were about to do. Sirius caught his eye and nodded.

"Legilimens," they said together.

Remus fell forward, landing in the decrepit Shrieking Shack, face-to-face with Sirius looking ragged and murderous in his prison robes with dirty matted hair. Remus whipped around to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione looking so young and fresh-faced. To the right of them stood a fifteen-year-old Harry and a more put together Sirius.

"I thought you were actually going to kill me, Harry," Sirius said in a lazy tone, his body twisting to look at his younger self. "Why are you thinking of this?"

Harry didn't reply, he already had his hands covering his ears and his eyes pressed shut. It was then that Remus realized he couldn't hear anything. Young Harry's mouth moved, the veins showing in his neck as he screamed in Sirius' direction but no words escaped his lips. Remus snapped his attention to his friend who was watching Harry closely.

"Hold on," Sirius barked.

"What?" Remus asked, his head shaking.

"Don't let him push you out!" Sirius shouted as his eyes closed, one foot stepping back as though to brace himself against some sort of assault.

Remus didn't know whether to laugh or follow. Sirius was far better at Occlumency than Remus was. There was no doubt in his mind that Sirius was actually a challenge for Harry while Remus was just a bit of light practice. Everything melted to black around them. The air grew thick, nearly suffocating. Remus could only stare wide-eyed at Harry and Sirius in front of him, a palpable tension growing between them.

A gust of wind pushed Remus back, his feet flying out from under him. He stared up at the darkness above him, watching as a crack of light appeared. Remus swore he saw a glimpse of Sirius and James as teenagers laughing together before the crack closed. Another rush of air and Remus felt himself falling and falling until he landed in an unfamiliar house.

Standing up, he saw Harry on the floor. All the muscles in his body were tense as his chest heaved. Sirius stood near him, his entire face white as he stared beyond Harry at the memory in front of him. Remus looked up and stumbled forward at what he saw.

A large man held onto the too large collar of a dirty t-shirt of a small messy-haired child with glasses. The man had the child pinned to the wall, his face red with fury. The kid, who couldn't have been older than five or six, looked away from him with his eyes screwed shut.

"What the devil were you thinking, boy?" the man hollered. "You turned her hair blue? Why would you do that?"

The kid only shook his head. "I-I didn't!"

The man shoved him tighter against the plaster, pushing him higher up against the wall until the child scrambled to stand on his tiptoes. "Do not lie to me!"

"It-it was like magic!" the boy cried.

"There is no such thing as magic!" the man screamed, his face inches away from the child's. "Look at me!"

The child opened his eyes. Brilliant green eyes as wide as saucers turned slowly to look at the man. Tears brimmed his eyes but nothing fell down his cheeks. He stood perfectly still, as though afraid to move.

Harry stood up from the floor, his body trembling as he looked at the scene in front of him. He turned slowly towards Sirius, his eyes widening. Harry rushed Sirius, pushing him to the ground. Remus felt himself jerk again as they fell through the floor and tumbled into a garden. All of the air escaped Remus' lungs as he pressed his face into the dewy grass. Looking up, Remus saw a young Sirius standing before him, not older than eleven or twelve.

Sirius shook with anger, his fists clenched tightly at his sides as he stared up at Walburga through his eyelashes.

"So I'm not allowed to have my own opinion?" Sirius asked, his voice dripping with contempt. "You can't stop me from socializing with who I want to while at school."

Walburga slashed her wand through the air. Sirius let out a gasp as he pressed his hand to his cheek, blood seeping through his fingers. Sirius stared at his mother, his limbs trembling from fear and not anger any longer.

"Walburga!" a male voice shouted. "Stop! What is the matter with you?"

A tall man stood between Walburga and Sirius, with fury clear as day on his face.

"This does not concern you, Alphard," Walburga replied.

Remus looked around to see Harry walking towards the younger Sirius, standing next to him as though in solidarity. Not far from them, Sirius pushed himself off the grass. He wiped his hands on his trousers as his attention was drawn to the battle in front of him.

"This is my house, Walburga," Alphard replied. "I'd like for my nephews and nieces not to bleed while they're here."

Walburga pointed in Sirius' direction. "He cannot speak to me like that! I am his mother and he will show me the proper respect!"

"All right," Alphard conceded, his hands raising in front of him. "I'll talk to Sirius. Go back to lunch. I'll take him inside for a quick chat and get him cleaned up."

Walburga stormed off with a huff, her black hair bouncing with each forceful step she took. Alphard turned to Sirius who still held his hand to his bleeding cheek, a strained smile on his face as he wrapped an arm around Sirius' shoulders and steered him towards the cottage.

"I want to watch this," Sirius grumbled, as he followed his younger self towards the house.

Remus scrambled to stand up, making his way toward a frozen Harry. He pressed his hands to Harry's shoulders, looking at him square in the eye.

"That was your uncle?" Remus asked. "In the last memory?"

Harry didn't reply. His eyes only snapped over to look at his godfather leaving.

"It wasn't your fault," Remus pressed.

"I'm fine," Harry snapped, brushing Remus' hands off his shoulders before dashing off after Sirius.

Remus sucked in a breath as he followed them, wondering why Sirius would want to stay in this memory longer than needed. He jogged to keep up with them and not be thrown from the memory. He entered the cottage through the door to the kitchen. The house looked different than when Sirius and Marlene lived there. Darker and outdated. Sirius and Marlene must have updated it before they moved in together all those years ago.

"Hop up on the counter," Alphard directed.

Sirius did as he was told, the blood on his hand smearing on the countertop as he did so. Alphard pulled a small healer bag from a cupboard before making his way over towards Sirius. After cleaning the blood off Sirius' face with some cotton, Alphard then pulled his wand from his robe pocket and a pale blue light burst from the tip as he ran it along the cut. Once finished, Alphard grabbed a vial of potion and released a few drops on Sirius' cheek before he rubbed the potion across the bright red scratch with his fingers.

"You mustn't antagonize her, Sirius," Alphard said in a gentle tone as he grabbed a tea towel and wiped his hands clean.

"All I said was that I didn't agree with her about Muggleborns," Sirius replied in a soft voice. "I've met some at Hogwarts. They're no different than us. She always made them seem like they were… diseased or something. They're not. They're just people."

Alphard nodded. "Not everyone shares that sentiment."

"Do you?" Sirius pressed.

Alphard looked up at Sirius. "No, I could care less what somebody's blood status is. It always seemed rather silly, but we are not allowed to have that opinion and still be a member of the Black family. So those of us who believe that, well, we keep our mouths shut."

Sirius blinked. "Why?"

Alphard cupped either side of Sirius' face. "Because of the wrath that follows. You just witnessed it firsthand. I don't think that's the first time that Walburga has turned a wand on you, but I do believe it's the first time she drew blood. You looked surprised."

Sirius shrugged. "If I were you, I'd just leave. Withdraw a bunch of money and just disappear. Who cares if you're blasted off the tree and disowned? Their beliefs are vile."

Alphard smiled. "Then I wouldn't get to see you and Reggie and Andy and Cissa. I would be devastated not to be your uncle any longer."

Sirius looked down at his hands in his lap. "Andy's engaged to a Muggleborn. I heard Cissa and Bella talking about it. That's why she's not here today. Bella said a bunch of nasty things about Andy."

"Bellatrix is a lost cause," Alphard said with a sigh. "She has no morality left in her. As for Andy, well… trust me. It wasn't my idea to not invite her."

"Bella said if she ends up marrying him, then Andy won't be their sister any longer," Sirius continued in a small voice. "Cissa looked upset but didn't say anything to defend her. When I tried to defend Andy, Cissa told me to shut my mouth."

"I daresay, Cissa was trying to protect you," Alphard said.

Sirius made a face as though that was the last thing he suspected but didn't want to contradict his uncle. "Uncle Alphard…" he trailed off, looking back at his uncle. "Can I stay with you this summer? It's been awful at home. Mum's been raging about how I was sorted into Gryffindor. She's told Regulus not to talk to me because I may fill his head with lies. Dad's been, well… let's just say I've been on the receiving end of quite a few hexes this summer. I just don't want to be there anymore. I hate it there. It's lonely and unbearable."

Alphard cleared his throat. "That wouldn't go over well, Sirius. If I could, I would in a heartbeat. Believe me. But I would never be able to gain custody of you, nor would Walburga ever leave you be if you were with me."

"Please, Uncle Alphard, I'll be good. I'll do whatever you ask of me," Sirius pleaded, tears brimming his eyes. "I promise, I'll be good. I won't talk back and, and I'll help you in the garden and I'll clean and… please, Uncle Alphard. Don't make me go back to Grimmauld. Mum will punish me when we get home because you stopped her outside. I don't want to, please."

The tears spilled down Sirius' cheeks, his eyes hopefully looking up at his uncle. Alphard shifted as he pulled Sirius against his chest, his hand pressing on the back of his head. Sirius clung to him, his fingers clutching the fabric of his robes tightly.

"You can spend the night tonight," Alphard whispered. "I'll talk to Walburga and tell her I'll whip you up into shape. But it's not a long-term solution, Sirius. Walburga won't allow it. You'll be better off to get away from this family," he explained as he pulled out of the embrace and pressed his hands to Sirius' shoulders. "Your friends at Hogwarts. You talked a lot about a boy named James Potter? Is that Fleamont and Euphemia's son?"

Sirius blinked at his uncle. "Uh, I think? James' middle name is Fleamont. Why?"

"Ask to spend a few weeks with them," Alphard urged. "Have James invite you for the last week or two of summer. Tell him you need to get away."

Sirius' brow furrowed. "Mum already said that the Potters were blood traitors. Blood traitors tend to hate the Blacks. Trust me, I've experienced it this past year. Very few people actually like me at school. I have a friend named Remus Lupin. His mum is a Muggle and his dad–"

"No, Lyall Lupin hates our family. He was in the same year as Cygnus and they loathed each other," Alphard explained. "He's been known to be very stubborn in his beliefs. I'm assuming you know what happened with Remus, don't you, if you're friends?"

Remus froze at the mention of his name and his condition. For the first time since they entered the house, he looked over to see Sirius standing stiff with his arm around Harry's shoulder across the room. Sirius was talking in low tones to Harry about something that Remus could not hear.

"Nothing happened with Remus," Sirius said in a flat voice, leaving no room for discussing.

"He's a werewolf," Alphard pushed on. "Attacked by the very wolf that Lyall Lupin thought it perfectly acceptable to denounce in public. It was a hot topic of gossip when it happened, but I think many have forgotten all about it. But I never did. I've had several run-ins with Lyall over the years. Unpleasant is the chief word I would use."

Remus swallowed, taking a step forward. He knew his father absolutely loathed the Black family. But he had no idea that he had known Cygnus or Alphard personally.

"Remus is my friend," Sirius whispered. "Please, don't tell Mum and Dad. They'll run him out of school."

"I would not mention him in front of Cygnus," Alphard advised. "He will remember Lyall and what happened to his boy."

Sirius nodded.

"The Potters, however, are… unique. I've done business with Fleamont in the past," Alphard explained. "He once told me I was more pleasant than the rest of my family. He doesn't blanket judge based off a last name. It'll be good for you to see how a normal family ought to function."

"What if they say no? Can I stay with you then?" Sirius pressed. "I'm sure we could figure out something to tell Mum to have her agree."

Alphard nodded, his hand tapping Sirius lovingly on the cheek. "We'll discuss how to make it happen if it comes to that. But I think the Potters will be good for you. You seem to really like James, based off what you've told me. I think you'll like his family as well."

"I do miss James," Sirius admitted, a fond smile crossing his face. "We were always together last year. The professors started to separate us in detentions because they said we needed some time apart but James' dad sent him a set of communication mirrors so we could still talk during them."

"All right," Sirius announced in a gruff voice. "We're done here."

The room spun and they reappeared in Sirius' bedroom at the Burrow once more. Remus turned slowly towards Sirius and Harry. He had felt useless during the lesson, along for the ride while Sirius dominated what was and wasn't seen.

Sirius pressed his hands to Harry's shoulders. "Go get a glass of water and I'll be down in a few, all right?"

Harry nodded, not saying anything as he left the room. Sirius followed him to the door, shutting and locking the door behind him before he cast a few privacy charms.

"What the fuck was that?" Remus demanded. "Why did we stay so long in that memory? Wanted to show me how your uncle hated my dad and vice versa?"

"No, I wanted to show Harry that even though you may have family that fucking sucks and are abusive, there are always people who will have your back," Sirius explained, leaning up against the door. "Plus, I wanted to see if he mentioned anything."

Remus raised his eyebrow. "Mention what?"

"About my family and Voldemort," Sirius replied, his eyes screwing shut. "I am having trouble sifting through my memories to pull out key details. Now that I know my Uncle Alphard knew things, I had to see what he said or if he implied anything that I would have missed as a dumb twelve-year-old. Though, I don't remember Voldemort ever coming by the house until I was thirteen."

"Care to share with the class, Sirius?" Remus asked, his head shaking.

Sirius parted his lips, his jaw jutting to the side. His eyes snapped open to look at Remus.

"Voldemort can't die because of Horcruxes," Sirius whispered. "Dumbledore knows but he didn't know how many he had. It's why he wants Harry to go to Horace Slughorn's party at the end of the month. He thinks Slughorn knows."

Horcruxes? The word didn't sound familiar at all. In fact, he was certain he had never even heard of that term used before. Why would Horace Slughorn, of all people, know anything about it?

Remus blinked, his head shaking. "I thought that party was off? Andy said in an Order meeting a few weeks ago that he'd disappeared once Voldemort came out into the open and nobody can get ahold of him."

"You think he'll miss a chance for one of his little collection parties?" Sirius snapped in a bitter tone. "He'll come back out of hiding, but that's beside the point." Sirius waved his hand, kicking off the door. "I know how many times Voldemort split his soul. I came across a memory of it."

Remus sucked in a breath, looking at Sirius like he had grown an extra two heads. "Why the bloody hell do you have a memory of that?"

"I overheard a conversation between him and Walburga once when I was drunk off my arse," Sirius explained. "I didn't remember it until I saw the memory."

"Of course, you were drunk off your arse," Remus replied, his head shaking. "I feel like getting drunk was your favorite pastime from the time you were fourteen."

Sirius scowled at him. "Do you want to hear what I have to say or do you want to be a wanker some more?"

Remus shoved his hands into his trouser pockets and sighed. "I'm sorry. Yes, please, continue."

"My Uncle Alphard knew about the Horcruxes," Sirius continued, his jaw tight. "He knew where one was even, back during Christmas of '74. I haven't told Dumbledore yet, because, well, I need to use what I know as leverage."

"Leverage for what?" Remus asked, not for the first time beyond exasperated with Sirius. Not everything needed to be a game or a power move. Growing up in the Black family had damaged his frame of mind severely.

"If you think Dumbledore isn't keeping things from me about Harry, then you're fucking naïve, Remus," Sirius bristled, his face pulled thin. "I know you have a soft spot for the man because he allowed you to go to Hogwarts when you didn't think you'd ever be allowed, but I was never afforded the same kindness from him as you were."

"I think you both need to sit down and talk to one another," Remus suggested. "Realize you're both on the same team and not on opposite ones. You both care deeply about Harry. It may just help matters if you both communicate effectively with one another, that's all I'm saying."

Sirius nodded. "Well, by all means, tag along and play mediator," Sirius suggested, his tone biting.

Remus sucked in a breath, his head shaking. "Are you going to explain to me what the bloody hell a Horcrux exactly is or am I going to be surprised during the meeting?"

A twisted look crossed Sirius' face as he delved right into everything. Remus felt the panic settle in his chest the longer Sirius talked, a giant rock rooting itself in the pit of his stomach. It seemed impossible but also made an insane amount of sense.

Seven.

He split his soul into seven pieces. That meant there were six Horcruxes. Remus couldn't even fathom splitting one's soul into seven different pieces.

"It's why he looks the way he looks," Sirius explained. "A sacrifice has to be made in order to split your soul. It chips away at you, peeling back your humanity. Every time he made a Horcrux, he started to look less and less human. Because, essentially, he was less human."

Remus wasn't quite sure how much humanity Voldemort had started with in the first place. Regardless, Remus just felt sick to his stomach even thinking about what needed to be done. Surely, it would be impossible to find all of his Horcruxes. They could be literally anything and anywhere. Remus only hoped they'd be able to find some information from Alphard Black that would help them figure it all out.

Ginny sighed, her gaze staring unwaveringly at Harry next to her. It was Saturday and her boyfriend had been in a mood the entire day. She really couldn't blame him for being nervous about Sirius' first Order mission. Sirius had been out of practice for years and had spent the better part of a year locked up and haunted by his parents' home.

Footfalls and voices sounded. Ginny turned her attention towards the doorway of the kitchen to catch Remus and Sirius walking in looking fine in their expensive and posh robes.

"Merlin!" Ginny's mum breathed, a smile twitching on her lips.

Ginny raised an eyebrow as she observed the two wizards looking… well, bloody fucking dapper. The two looked entirely too attractive to be real as they had both actually taken the time to trim up their beards and style their hair. Their suits and dress robes… Merlin, they were tailored exquisitely. Both men were rather fit, something that Ginny had noticed before but had never paid much attention to because they were old enough to be her father. But she couldn't help but take a double look.

Ginny snapped her attention to Harry next to her. He hadn't looked up when Sirius and Remus entered. He looked downright miserable as he traced lazy circles onto the table with his finger.

"You boys looks absolutely dashing!" Ginny's mum squealed, a wide grin spreading across her lips. "Oh, you are going to be the talk of the charity gala!"

Remus winced, tugging at the bow tie around his neck. He looked more than a tad uncomfortable. Sirius reached out and slapped his hand.

"Stop it," Sirius hissed. "I'm not tying that for you again."

"I don't see why we couldn't just wear ties," Remus replied, shoving his hands in his robe pockets.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "It's no different. You've just never been this formal since Hogwarts."

Remus sucked in a breath. "Where are the girls? I just want to get this over with."

"I need pictures before you leave!" Mum exclaimed, grabbing her camera off the counter and gesturing for the two of them to stand together.

Sirius' face pulled. "Not bloody likely! We're not taking pictures like we're going to the bloody Yule Ball."

"Don't be a spoilsport, Sirius!" she exclaimed. "You two look so handsome! We'll grab pictures with Dora and Tegan when they get here too."

"Molly," Sirius growled. "This is a serious mission, not some double date night."

Remus sighed, stepping closer to Sirius. "She's not going to rest until we do it. Let's just get it over with."

Sirius scowled while Remus gave a strained smile.

Mum huffed. "Oh, for Merlin's sake! Smile! Pretend like you actually like each other!"

Sirius' lips twitched as he looked down at Remus. "Yeah, that's debatable."

Remus shook his head, looking up at Sirius. "I don't know why we're friends to be completely honest with you. You're a git half the time."

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh. "Convenience mostly, I think. Nobody wants to befriend an ex-convict except for a werewolf and vice versa."

Remus snorted. "That's very true."

The camera flashed a few times. Sirius shook his head before he slung an arm around Remus' shoulder and leaned into him. Once Molly was satisfied, she stepped forward to straighten Remus' bow tie while Sirius joined the trio. He sat down next to Ron and snagged a few of the crisps on the table.

Ron clapped Sirius on the back. "Bloody annoying, isn't it?"

Sirius snorted. "She means well."

"I'm just glad she wasn't there when we went to the Yule Ball," Ron grumbled. "It would have been mortifying."

Sirius finished chewing his crisp as he looked over at Remus being smothered. "She did complain to me that neither of you boys took pictures. Ginny had a photo with her date but neither of you did."

Ron wrinkled his nose. "We went with the Patil twins. It was not fun."

Sirius raised his eyebrows, his gaze snapping between the boys. "You two snagged twins and it wasn't fun. What is the matter with you boys?"

Harry winced. "They wanted to dance and such."

"That's generally what you do at balls, Harry," Sirius explained. "I'll be dancing tonight."

"Good for you," Ron said as he as he grabbed a handful of crisps. "It's not like either of us went with who we wanted to anyway."

The back door opened and a petite woman with long black curly hair stepped inside. She wore a long navy-blue dress. Her eyes locked with Remus across the room and she smiled.

"Tonks?" Ginny asked, her lips parting.

Ron took a double take. "No bloody way!"

"Oh, Dora, dear! You look marvelous!" Mum squealed. "Remus! Dora! You two need a picture together!"

Tonks crossed the room with a little skip to her step until she tripped in her heels and nearly face-planted. She recovered quickly, a small chuckle escaping her lips as she made it to Remus without any other issues.

"You can blink," Tonks said as she rose up on her toes to press a kiss to his lips. "I can clean up nice, you know."

Remus visibly swallowed. "I never doubted that."

Sirius leaned forward, propping his elbows up on the table. "The correct answer, lads, is 'you always look stunning'. Remus doesn't have any game."

Ginny snorted. "And you do?"

Sirius shot her a strained smile.

"Ginny's right," Ron added with a sly smile. "He's the one with a girlfriend."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Some people choose to be happily single."

"Oh, is that what you're going with?" Ginny pressed.

"Shut up, the both of you," Sirius snapped, leaning back in his chair and glancing over at a silent Harry for a brief moment. "I'll never help either of you ever again."

Ron and Ginny laughed. Sirius just looked thoughtfully at Harry.

"All right, Harry?" Sirius asked.

Harry nodded, grabbing a crisp from the bowl but he didn't eat it. "Yeah, of course."

A knock at the door sounded. Ginny's mum rushed towards the back door to answer it. Mrs Robins stepped in looking stunning in a sparkling black dress that fit tightly against her slim frame. Demelza stepped in behind her. As soon as she spotted Ginny, she made a beeline for the table and plopped down in the empty seat next to Ginny. She greeted Ginny with a hug and a wave in Harry's and Ron's direction. Sirius rose from his chair to greet her, a smile dancing on his face.

"You look stunning, Tegan," Sirius said as he offered her his arm.

"You clean up nice," Mrs Robins replied with a smirk as she wrapped her fingers around his elbow.

"Oh, you two look so amazing!" Mum cooed as she waved her camera. "Come on, let's take a picture. Then, I want all four of you together for a group photo."

Sirius leaned down to Mrs Robins' height. "She's barmy. Just go with it."

The camera flashed more times than Ginny could count, but she wasn't paying much attention anymore as she leaned her head in with Demelza's to chat.

"Merlin, Mum's lucky to have him as a date," Demelza whispered low enough so only Ginny could hear. "He's bloody fit."

Ginny's lips twitched. "First you have a thing for a professor and now an ex-convict? Demelza, you need to find someone your own age," she teased.

Demelza laughed. "All the boys our age are so bloody annoying," she replied, her nose scrunching as she looked over at Ron and gestured to him. "Look at him, he's a bloody idiot."

Ginny turned to look at her brother to see him shoving crisps in his mouth, his cheeks puffing out as Harry chuckled as he counted. Ginny pulled her face back in disgust. They must be doing the how much of this type of food can Ron fit in his big mouth game again. It was a game they often played. It was disgusting to watch.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Don't let my idiot brother turn you off from every bloke our age."

Demelza's gaze lingered on Ron as he sputtered and crisps flew all over the table. Harry let out a loud laugh as he brushed crumbs off him, looking a little more relaxed than he had previously. Ginny was convinced that Ron just did dumb shit to make Harry laugh when he was in one of his moods. It seemed to work more often than not.

Mrs Robins made her way to the table and bent down between the girls. "Be good, Elza, all right? Listen to Molly and Arthur. They were kind enough to let you spend the night. I'll be by in the morning to grab you since we'll be back late."

Demelza rolled her eyes. "I'm always perfect, Mum."

Mrs Robins pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You're a menace and you know it," she said in an affectionate tone. "I love you, darling."

"Love ya, Mum," Demelza said with a grin. "Have fun with your sexy date."

Mrs Robins arched an eyebrow. "Demelza, behave."

Ginny laughed, turning to see Harry had left his spot next to her. She glanced over to see him talking quietly to Sirius in the corner of the room. Sirius pulled him into a tight embrace, his fingers tangling in Harry's hair as he continued to say something that Ginny couldn't hear in his ear. After a few moments, Sirius pulled back and cupped Harry's face in his hands. Harry only nodded in response.

The small group left with waves of goodbye out of the back door. A minute later, four soft pops sounded as Harry made his way back to the table and took his seat between Ginny and Ron. She reached out, clasping her hand over his in his lap. When he glanced in her direction, she gave him the best reassuring smile she could muster.

The St. Mungo's charity ball was being held in a mansion on a mountain in Snowdonia. As soon as Sirius landed at the Apparition point, he winced at the cold air that hit his face. Tegan pressed against him, neither one expecting the chillier air. Tugging his wand out of his inner robe pocket, he cast a Warming Charm on each of them just as Remus and Dora appeared behind them.

The four of them took a horse-drawn carriage up the mountain. An Anti-Apparition ward as well as a Muggle Repealing Charm surrounded the mansion and the grounds as a safety precaution. What Sirius didn't know was how far the wards were around the mansion. The carriage ride lasted a good fifteen minutes, which meant that a quick getaway would not be possible if shit went down. Nor would the Order be able to reach them quickly if they needed back-up.

Once at the mansion doors, Sirius handed over their tickets and the witch gave him an odd look as she accepted them. With a flick of her wand, she verified them before handing them a card with their table number. He thanked her, offering Tegan his arm once more and entered the ballroom. Remus and Dora followed them in.

People were already milling about. Sirius spotted his former family straight away. Narcissa stood tall and pin straight, looking paler than he remembered her. A blond teen towered over her, a smirk on his face as he bent down to say something in Narcissa's ear. Sirius had heard all about Draco Malfoy from Harry and Ron, and knew the kid was a mini little Lucius. Next to them stood Lucius and… Sirius swallowed.

Images of his Aunt Druella tossing his things carelessly into a cauldron to destroy all of his belongings fluttered across his mind, a memory that played often while he rotted in Azkaban. Druella looked just as nasty as she had always been, her chin jutted up as though she was the most important person in the room with her stark white hair in some fancy updo.

"This is us," Dora announced. "Aw, look, they even have our names. Fuck you, Sirius, for putting Nymphadora on mine. You could have at least put Dora."

Sirius' gaze flickered down at the little place card that read Sirius Black and took a seat. There was fresh baked bread and fruit in the middle of the table. Candles hovered above the food. Sirius tossed his name card out of his way to avoid looking at his blasted last name for any longer.

"I see our family is already here, Sirius," Dora said in a cheery tone, popping a grape in her mouth. "Aw, my grandmother looks like a miserable old hag. Do you even think she'd recognize me?"

Sirius glanced across the table at his little cousin. She looked frighteningly like Bellatrix. He couldn't decide if that was intentional or just what she looked like naturally. The Black family had very strong genes, everyone looking eerily similar to one another because of all of the inbreeding. Narcissa was the only one to look different with her Rosier light hair. Her face had been all Black though. Even her little evil spawn had all Black features despite his platinum blond hair.

"Druella would pretend that she never even had a third daughter," Sirius replied in a bitter tone, his fingers running along his brow. "They're all awful."

Dora propped her elbows up on the table and grinned. "Well, you're not half bad, Uncle Sirius," she said with a wink and Remus winced. "And Auntie Walburga's portrait was such a treat."

"Don't call him that," Remus groaned, wincing.

Sirius' face pulled. "Don't call her that. If we have to talk about Walburga, then can we refer to her as a manky slag? A minger muppet? A barmy trollop?"

Dora snagged a piece of bread from the center of the table. "Your mother positively loathed when I called her that, though. It was funny."

Sirius flinched. "Please, call Walburga what she is: my bloody egg-donor."

Dora had the audacity to roll her eyes, popping a bit of bread in her mouth. Sirius supposed he shouldn't be irritated with her. She didn't understand just how vile the Blacks were. She certainly didn't know what Walburga, Orion, Druella, and Cygnus put him through as a teenager. Andromeda and Ted had kept her away from all things Black related, rightfully so. As far as Sirius knew, only he and Uncle Alphard had been allowed around Dora as a child. She didn't remember Uncle Alphard from what Sirius could gather.

"Who's the young girl with the Malfoys?" Tegan asked.

Sirius glanced over to see a petite teenage girl with a black bob and a pug-face practically hanging on Draco Malfoy's arm.

"Pansy Parkinson," Remus supplied. "A Slytherin in the same year as Harry. Absolutely vile girl."

Sirius grunted. "The Parkinsons are real treats," he muttered, his eyes scanning the room for anymore Parkinsons but he didn't spot any.

Who he did spot made him groan out loud, wondering if the man would dare to speak to him. Fergus Belby laughed across the room as he chatted in a small group of people. Sirius continued to scan the room, noting all the purebloods in the room and those he suspected to be Death Eaters or were known Death Eaters. They had a list of attendees from a week ago and Sirius had tried to remember all the names on the list. But he knew there was bound to be a few last-minute additions.

Tegan leaned into his side, her hand pressing on his arm. "Do you want to grab a drink and not so stealthily listen in on some conversations?"

Sirius nodded curtly, his attention snapping to Remus and Dora. "Do you two want anything?"

"Nah, we'll do our rounds in a few," Dora replied, her hand waving in his direction. "We'll see what way you two go and we'll go in the opposite."

"Sirius, stick together, all right?" Remus whispered.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I'm not a moron. The point of having dates was so we could easily stick together. I won't go off on my own, Dad."

Remus huffed. "Don't call me that."

"Then don't act like it," Sirius challenged as he rose from his seat.

He and Tegan made their way over to the bar, Sirius placing a hand on the small of her back as they walked. Taking a step closer to her, he really wanted to sell that they were there on a date and nothing more. Though he knew that the Death Eaters probably wouldn't buy that, it didn't mean he wasn't going to try to sell it.

"Elderflower wine, please," Tegan ordered.

Sirius cleared his throat. "Uh, just water for me. Thank you."

After receiving their drinks, they wandered around the room with their arms linked together. Sirius caught sight of Rosamond Lestrange standing with a group of her old Slytherin friends, laughing and sipping wine as they talked. As though she felt his eyes on her, she turned and her dark eyes locked with his. She smirked at him, raising her wine glass in his direction. Sirius just stared, his lips twitching down.

"Ahh, look who it is," a familiar voice that Sirius hadn't heard in years rang in his ears.

He turned slowly to see Druella Black standing in front of him, a twisted smile crossing her features. Tegan leaned into his side, her hand giving his elbow a squeeze. Sirius tried to push down his hatred and force a smile on his face, but he couldn't get his features to cooperate.

"Druella," Sirius greeted. "A displeasure as always."

"It's been a long time, Sirius," Druella replied, her thumb rubbing along the stem of her wine glass. "I see somehow you secured the Black family fortune."

Sirius laughed bitterly. "Yes, and I see Walburga left you high and dry when she passed. I guess she couldn't stomach her hefty little fortune going to someone who wasn't born Black. She'd rather her abhorrent son inherit the money than a Rosier by birth."

"I see you're just as nasty as always," Druella replied as she stiffened. "What did Walburga used to call you? A wretched bête noire? Guess that's what you have always been."

Sirius' chest constricted at being called that after so many years. She was trying to get a rise out of him but he refused to give her the pleasure. He wasn't sixteen anymore. None of them could hurt him anymore. He didn't care about any of them. He hated the lot of them. Tegan brushed her thumb against the inside of his elbow.

"I don't think we've met," Tegan said in a cold tone. "I'm Tegan Robins."

Druella snapped her attention to Tegan, contempt clear as day on her face. "If you're dating my nephew, you might want to run. He's a foul and vengeful man."

Sirius' nostrils flared, his lips spreading into a thin line.

Tegan glanced up at him. "I find him dashing. Quite kind and polite," she said as she reached up to wrap her hand around his neck, pulling his face down closer to hers. "Funny and intelligent, too. It's a shame he comes from such a nasty family."

Sirius smiled softly, his eyes searching hers. She leaned in and pressed a quick peck to his lips. Druella scoffed. Sirius dared a glance at her to see her fuming, her little plan to attempt to ruin his life more than she already had, was failing. Luckily, Tegan was a good sport. He stood up to his full height, slinging a casual arm over Tegan's shoulders and pulling her close to his side.

"Dreadful as always, Druella," Sirius said with a tip of his head. "I hope I don't see you again for another… what's it been? Nearly twenty years?"

Sirius pulled Tegan away from Druella, going back to milling about the room as she wrapped an arm around his waist.

"I hope that wasn't too forward," Tegan whispered. "What a bitch. I couldn't just let her stand there and think she could scare me off."

Sirius chuckled. "Nah, of course, do that and more tonight," he joked, his eyebrows wiggling in her direction. "Let's have some fun."

"You're a good man, Sirius, you know that, don't you?" Tegan asked as she took a sip of her wine.

Sirius shrugged. "I stopped caring what the Blacks thought about me long ago."

That was mostly true. He had grown to learn to block out their hateful words directed at him. But sometimes they still stung, a sharp slap across the face. The people who were supposed to love him the most just simply didn't. The people who were supposed to protect him had failed him at every single turn. They had never been a family, but rather more of an organization. Sirius and Regulus had been there to be groomed into perfect little heirs, obedient to the whims of their supposed superiors. They weren't children or nephews or even someone to love. They were tools and props. They had deemed Sirius broken and beyond repair a long time ago.

They stopped to chat to a few Ministry members, some of them fascinated by Sirius and his story while others looked downright uncomfortable in his presence. Sirius put on a winning smile, pretending like none of them bothered him in the slightest. He had good practice at that as a child while attending all the boring pureblood parties he was forced to attend.

Somehow, Sirius and Tegan made their way into a small group of people that unfortunately included Fergus Belby. Sirius tried to keep his fake smile on his face, but he wasn't sure how well he was accomplishing it.

"Ah, Sirius, it's been years," Fergus greeted, holding out his hand.

Sirius took it. "Fergus."

"I heard you gained custody of James' boy," Fergus continued, obviously fishing for information. "You and James were always inseparable."

Sirius' lips twitched. "I suppose just like you and Fleamont were once upon a time."

Fergus just barely flinched, catching the implication behind Sirius' words. With a chuckle, Fergus turned towards his associates.

"Sirius, these are few very dear friends of mine," Fergus started, gesturing to the wizard to his right. "This is Libatius Borage." He then gestured towards the woman next. "Gethsemane Prickle." Lastly, he gestured to another man. "And Adriano Fidelius."

Sirius froze, his face falling.

"Libatius, Sirius knew Fleamont Potter. Lived with them a bit when he was a child," Fergus explained. "Best mates with James Potter. You never saw one without the other. He's Harry Potter's godfather. The lad's lucky to have someone like Sirius in his life."

"Ah, Fleamont was such a wonderful man," Libatius said in a fond tone. "Bloody brilliant potioneer."

"I'm sorry, my dear, I didn't catch your name," Fergus said with a smile as he looked in Tegan's direction. "Sirius seems to have forgotten his manners."

"Tegan Robins," she introduced herself. "Sirius and I have known each other since Hogwarts."

Prickle smiled. "What do you do?"

"I'm an Auror," Tegan replied with a smile.

Sirius could barely concentrate on the conversation around him as he stared at Adriano Fidelius. Suddenly, Voldemort's interest in the charity ball became crystal clear. It wasn't about some Dark item up for auction at all, but it was about kidnapping the wizard who had invented the Fidelius Charm. Voldemort wanted to know how to break it so he could get to Harry.

"You weren't on the guest list," Sirius blurted out, his attention focused on Fidelius.

Fidelius chuckled, a confused expression crossing his features. "I was extended an invite by the Board of St. Mungo's personally, but it was all about obtaining a Portkey here in time. I bought my ticket two days ago."

Sirius squinted. He was fairly certain their list was from a week ago. It was the latest one they were able to obtain.

"I'm a big admirer of your work," Sirius continued. "The Fidelius Charm was certainly a breakthrough. I remember when it came out in the early '80s. Certainly, far better than blood wards were at the time."

Fidelius forced a polite smile on his face. "Yes, well, thank you. Blood wards were just so outdated and unseemly."

"Is there a way to break the Fidelius Charm?" Sirius pressed. "Besides through the Secret Keeper willingly giving the secret away?"

Fidelius blinked. "You are certainly interested in the charm, I see."

Sirius frowned. "I've seen it performed a time or two in my day."

Fidelius shifted. "Well, I can say I never intended for the charm to be broken, but I suppose there is always a way if one tries hard enough. Nothing is ever foolproof in life."

"I could think of one person who would love to know how to break the charm," Sirius said in a dark tone. "I'd like to know if it's possible and how it's possible so I can ensure that it doesn't break."

"I haven't attempted to break it, Mr Black," Fidelius said in a flat tone. "If you'll excuse me, I see an old friend that I'd like to speak with."

Sirius sneered, watching as Fidelius crossed the room. Turning back to the group, Sirius saw Fergus staring at him. Sirius could practically see the broom flying around in his head.

A voice filled the room, announcing the start of dinner. Borage and Prickle awkwardly made their way from the group towards their table. Fergus stood rooted in his spot, not being able to look away from Sirius.

"Is… is that how you're protecting Harry?" Fergus asked in a low voice. "Has You-Know-Who tried to break it?"

"Don't act like you care after all these years," Sirius snapped through clenched teeth. "You weren't there when Fleamont was dying. You didn't give two fucks when James had to go into hiding. You didn't even attend James' funeral after he was murdered. You never once contacted Harry. You washed your hands of the Potter family a long time ago."

"I regret those choices," Fergus replied, his eyes pleading. "If I can help protect Harry, allow me to. I would love to make up for lost time."

"You can't!" Sirius snapped. "You were a shit godfather to James and a shit friend to Fleamont. I would never do what you did to them. I would never abandon my godson in his time of need. I'm not a fucking monster."

Sirius took a step back. Tegan slipped her hand in his as they made their way back to their table. Sirius tried to push back his rage, because the mission had just changed. They needed to ensure that the Death Eaters didn't kidnap Adriano Fidelius. That seemed like a tall order given how vastly outnumbered they were. He didn't exactly hit it off with Fidelius either.

Remus and Dora were seated at the table with their plates already filled with food. Sirius sat down, tugging his wand out of his inner robe pocket to cast a privacy charm around their table. He quickly explained about Adriano Fidelius' presence at the ball and the four started to make plans on how they could protect him.

I hope you enjoyed the newest chapter! Don't forget to drop a review! They motivate me to keep on chugging away on this story and others!

I didn't get a chance to respond to your reviews yet. Every time I try to pull up the reviews in my account, the page won't load. Luckily, I was able to get into the publish tab so I could at least post. Or, at least, as I write this, I'm assuming I will be able to post. Fingers crossed. I'll try later today to try to respond to reviews from last chapter.

Special thanks to Bell for editing.