"Brumous"
"Chapter Twenty-Six: Exhale"
Sirius rolled his head, trying to loosen some of the tension that had settled in his shoulders. They had been discussing Nott Manor and Adriano Fidelius for nearly nine hours. Frustrated, starving, and just plain grumpy, he lolled his head to the right. He locked eyes with Tegan who just offered him an upside-down smile, her eyebrows raising into the air like this was just another day in fucking paradise. This was why he had never joined the Aurors. He was bored out of his bloody mind as they plotted and planned down to the last-minute fucking detail.
The door to the room opened and Snape stepped in. Sirius' face pulled, his eyes rolling up to the ceiling but he kept his tongue. It had been amazing not to see Snape's smug little face for the past month as he gave his oh-so-important reports to the Order. But just when he didn't think his day could get worse, Snape had to arrive to make it even more terrible. Crossing his arms over his chest, Sirius tried his best to ignore the man.
"Potter is sitting outside," Snape announced and Sirius glanced over at him. "Arrogant enough to think he should be involved in this conversation."
Remus placed a hand on Sirius' arm, as though that would keep him fucking calm. Sirius only clenched his jaw as he debated about stepping out for a few minutes to talk with Harry. As much as he wanted to hear the rest of the conversation, he couldn't let Harry just sit out there. Merlin only knew how long he had been sitting outside of the room already.
"I'll be right back," Sirius said as he made a move towards the door.
"Of course, pamper Potter," Snape sneered. "No wonder he thinks the world revolves around him."
Sirius whipped around so fast that his neck hurt.
"Severus," Dumbledore said in a low tone.
Chest heaving, Sirius closed the space between him and Snape. He pointed his finger, jabbing it into Snape's chest.
"Don't you even fucking dare talk about Harry like you know anything about him," Sirius said through gritted teeth.
A snarl worked its way across Snape's face. "I've known him longer than you have."
"Severus, enough," Remus snapped as he moved closer to the pair.
Sirius' nostrils flared as it took everything he had in him not to ram his fist into Snape's face. If they had been alone, Sirius wouldn't have hesitated. He would have beat the fucking shit out of the slimy git. But that's what Snape wanted. He wanted to get a rise out of Sirius and prove to the Order that he was still the same reckless kid who had gone after Peter instead of staying with his godson. Sirius refused to give Snape the satisfaction he sought.
The door opened once more, but Sirius didn't bother to turn around to see who had joined them. It was probably McGonagall as classes were winding up for the day. Sirius only straightened to his full height, towering over Snape.
"I think he's extraordinarily like Lily," Sirius said in a low voice, a spark bursting in his chest when Snape flinched just a tad at her name before he recovered quickly. "Harry has Lily's heart, being far kinder to people than they fucking deserve."
"Yes, she was quick to categorize you as some dumb beaten-down dog who was worthy of her attention," Snape drawled, his eyes blazing. "How did you repay her for her kindness, Black? You got her killed."
Every single muscle in Sirius' body twitched, his arm flinging back before he could even stop himself. Hands wrapped around his drawn-back arm, tugging him away from Snape while Remus stepped between the two of them with his back facing Sirius.
Sirius tried to regulate his breathing. A hand pressed between his shoulder blades. He glanced down to his left to see Tegan standing next to him.
"Can't take the truth, Black?" Snape spat. "It was your idea to change Secret Keepers, was it not?"
Sirius snapped his attention back to Snape. "Fuck you!"
"Severus, that's quite enough," Dumbledore's voice boomed.
A red-faced Remus turned around, his face drawn tight. "Take a walk, Sirius."
"Go. Talk to Harry," Tegan urged. "I'll fill you in on what you missed."
Giving Tegan a curt nod, he turned to leave the headmaster's office when he froze. It was not only McGonagall who had arrived in the office but Marlene as well. They stared at each other for a few moments, her wide eyes focusing on him. Wonderful. Bloody fucking wonderful. Seeing him angry and yelling 'fuck you' would do wonders for her gaining her memories back. Tearing his eyes away, without saying another word, he walked past them and made his way down the spiral staircase.
Harry sat on the bench outside of the headmaster's office, his hands shoved under his thighs as he sat hunched over with his gaze focused on his shoes. The anger Sirius felt just moments ago seemed to evaporate as he soaked in the appearance of his godson. Sirius sat down next to him, bumping his shoulder against Harry's.
"Hey, kid," Sirius greeted.
Harry's attention snapped up, his eyes swarming with worry and anxiety. "Is everyone all right?"
Sirius nodded, forcing a smile on his face. "Everyone is fine. Nobody is hurt."
Harry's shoulders sagged, his back falling against the stone wall. "Ginny said she saw you arrive this morning."
Sirius mimicked Harry's position. "Yes, and I'm famished. Didn't happen to grab dinner before you came up here for your vigil and bring me some, did you?"
Harry let out a small chuckle. "Sorry, I didn't think about it," he replied as he chewed on his bottom lip.
Sirius leaned in closer so he could drop his voice. "We may have a lead on where Fidelius is."
"Really?" Harry breathed, his eyebrows raising above his glasses.
Sirius nodded. "Just some planning going on. That's all, okay?" he assured, leaning forward and pressing a hand onto Harry's knee. "Just so you know, if someone was hurt, then I would have you pulled from class immediately to tell you. I don't want you to ever worry someone you care about is hurt or dead and have you think that you wouldn't be the first person I would tell, all right?"
Harry's face melted. "Thanks, Sirius."
"If something happened to me, Andy and Ted would pull you immediately from class as well," Sirius added, giving Harry's knee a squeeze. "I know you have the map. I know you'll be checking it obsessively. Just know, that if you see any of us around the castle, it's most likely to do with the Order and nothing is wrong."
Harry didn't look comforted by that fact. "Are you going on the mission?"
Lumos lit above Sirius' head. Sirius let out a long sigh.
"Now that I'm free, I'm not going to be sitting at home twiddling my thumbs," Sirius replied. "Missions are part of the job, all right? It's what I did the first time around. I was always paired up with James. Then, when he went into hiding, I started pairing up with Marlene's brother Matthew or some of the other Aurors in the Order. I used to be a good duelist. You don't grow up around the British Dueling Grand Champion Fleamont Potter and not excel in dueling," he added with a smile that Harry didn't return. "I'm just a bit rusty is all. On Friday, I'm going to talk to some Auror friends at the next meeting and set up some dueling practices for the both of us. My big flub at the gala proved to me I'm out of practice and I plan on remedying that."
Harry looked down at his lap but didn't say anything. His head only gave a small jerk of understanding. Sirius moved his hand to grip Harry's shoulder, his body leaning down further to try to catch his eye but Harry stubbornly refused to.
"I know you don't like the fact that I'm going on missions now, but, Harry, we're at war and this is what war looks like," Sirius added.
"I know what war looks like," Harry replied, a slight bitterness to his tone.
Sirius sighed, still trying to catch Harry's eye. "Then what's the issue? I can't read minds, Harry."
Harry didn't say anything right away, but Sirius could tell he was thinking. A thin line between his brows appeared, the same damn line that always appeared when Lily was in deep thought.
Sirius gave Harry's shoulder a slight squeeze. "Oi, mate, we're too close to keep things from each other, yeah?"
After what felt like several long moments, Harry finally looked at him.
"I already lost my mum and dad," Harry said in a small voice. "I don't want to lose you too."
All the air vacated from Sirius' lungs, his grip tightening on Harry's shoulder. "I don't want to lose you either," he said in a soft voice. "That's why I'm doing this. To make sure when you're my age, you're not still fighting in the same damn war. I want you to have the life James never got to have. I want you to be an Auror, get married, have kids, and actually get to raise your kids. I want you to be a godfather and love them like they are your own. I want you to be able to not worry about your dreams being invaded or being possessed. I want you to have a normal life and holiday in France and be far kinder to Kreacher than he deserves. I want a life for you, Harry, and this is how I accomplish that for you. By being in the Order and going on these missions so you don't have to."
"But none of that matters if you die," Harry said in a miserable tone.
Sirius offered him a strained smile. "Look, I don't plan on dying anytime soon, all right? Even if I did, I wouldn't want you to wallow because of my death and not live your life. All that stuff I just listed, yeah, it does still matter and it's what I want for you whether I get to see it or not. I hope to Merlin I'm here to see it. Nothing would make me happier than to see you in Auror robes and married to Ginny and having a little clan of messy-haired kids with black and red hair. I want to be a part of their lives and have carrot tea with your little son or daughter just like I did with you when you were little. I'm not planning on going anywhere," he assured, his eyebrows raising. "But I do have to make sure you get to have that life and I won't stop fighting for you to have that life. That's what parents do. They make sure their kid has a better life than they did. It's what James and Lily fought for. It's what I'm fighting for. What Andy and Ted are fighting for. What Molly and Arthur are fighting for. We have only known bigotry and death since we were kids. We don't want that life for you lot."
Harry nodded slowly as he finally caught Sirius' eye.
"Come here, kid," Sirius instructed, gesturing for a hug with his hands.
Harry melted into Sirius' arms, his cheek pressing against Sirius' shoulder. Sirius carded his fingers through Harry's messy soft hair, his chest twisting something awful. The last thing Sirius wanted to do was lie to Harry, but he would start doing so if it meant the kid wouldn't worry so much about him when he was on missions. He just wanted Harry to live his life and enjoy school, to be a normal teenager for once in his life. Sirius would be damned if this year wasn't going to be easier for him than the last one.
Ginny couldn't stop thinking about where Harry was. He didn't turn up to dinner in the Great Hall. Ron said he had stayed behind in Potions to talk to Marlene, saying he'd catch up with them, but he obviously never did. Neither one of them knew where Harry could be. From the several people they had asked, nobody had seen him after Potions that day.
"Maybe he went to Hogsmeade with Sirius," Ron suggested as they left the Great Hall after everyone had cleared out after dinner.
Ginny huffed, her eyes scanning for Harry as they walked back to Gryffindor tower. "Would he be mad if we went through his trunk to find the map?"
Ron shook his head. "Nah, he wouldn't, but I already did that before I came down to dinner. He has the map on him. It wasn't there."
"Does he have his mirror on him?" Ginny suggested.
"Actually, I think he does, yeah," Ron replied, looking at Ginny like he was mildly impressed. "I sort of forgot about the mirrors."
Ginny grabbed Ron's wrist and pushed him into a dark alcove. He grumbled at her as she pulled out her mirror from her bag, pressing her back against the wall next to her brother.
"You carry that around with you?" Ron asked. "Merlin, no wonder you're dating Harry. Paranoid, the both of you."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "I carry it around in case something happens and Mum needs to contact us. Our entire family is in the Order. What if someone got hurt? Wouldn't you want to know?"
Ron bumped his shoulder against hers. "Isn't that what being a sister is about? To be the responsible one who relays family messages to her brothers?"
Ginny snorted. "Harry Potter," she said in the mirror, waiting impatiently for him to answer.
It didn't take long for the mirror to ripple and Harry's face to appear. Ginny squinted at the background to try to figure out where he was.
"Are you at the Three Broomsticks?" Ron blurted out.
"Uh… yeah?" Harry replied as he flipped the mirror to show Sirius dunking a chip in gravy. "Sirius signed me out for a bit because he was hungry and didn't want to eat alone."
Sirius glanced up at the mirror, his brows tugging down. "We both missed dinner."
The mirror flipped back to reveal Harry once more. "I'll be back in about an hour or so. I'll see you in the common room later?"
"Have fun," Ginny said before she disconnected the mirror to give Harry time alone with Sirius.
Ginny stuffed the mirror back into her bag as Ron continued to lean against the wall. She looked up at him, her eyebrows raising.
"I have a feeling that's going to happen a lot," Ron concluded.
"It's not a bad thing," Ginny replied. "He's never had family before. I could tell he was homesick last night before we went to bed."
Ron shook his head. "I'm not saying it's a bad thing. It's just something to get used to. I'm used to having him around all the time. Now, he's with Sirius a bunch or he's with you and your loud friends."
Ginny let out a huff. "They're all nice. They've been nothing but kind to you and Harry. I mean, Niamh was willing to stand on the bloody train just so you and Harry could sit together!"
Ron pursed his lips. "I didn't say they weren't nice either. Merlin, Ginny, defensive much?"
"Well, Hermione wouldn't sit with us yesterday," Ginny argued. "When I tried to talk to her about it, all she wanted to know was what happened over the summer. She asked about the scar on Harry's neck."
"What did you tell her?" Ron pressed.
Ginny shot him a look. "I told her it wasn't my story to tell and if she wanted to know anything then she had to talk to him."
Ron let out a long sigh. "It's just been the three of us for a long time," he replied, gripping the strap of his satchel. "Who would have thought out of the three of us that Harry would be the one to branch out socially first."
Ginny's face pulled. "The three of you are entirely too co-dependent, you know that, right? Like it's borderline psychotic."
Ron scowled. "You and Demelza are all co-dependent and shit."
"She's my best friend and I spend most of my time with her, yes, but I can also hang out with other people without feeling like I lost a limb," Ginny argued. "You need to find yourself a girlfriend. Hey, Niamh thinks you're fit."
Ron's ears tinted red. "Niamh? She thinks I'm…" he trailed off, gulping. "Fit? You're having a go, aren't you? Why in the bloody hell would you want me to date one of your friends?"
Ginny glanced up at the ceiling. "Oh, I don't know because, despite being extremely annoying, you're my brother and I love you. I want you to date a nice girl. Niamh is sweet. Plus, it would only help me spend more time with Harry since the two of you are always together, so you can be together with your girlfriends who are also friends. It's a win-win for everyone involved."
Ron seemed to take this into consideration, his eyes narrowing at Ginny. "She is rather nice. Pretty too. Does she like Quidditch?"
Ginny winced. "Uh… not really, but she does go to the games at Hogwarts. But I'm not sure if she could tell you the difference between a Quaffle and a Bludger."
Ron rubbed his chin. "I mean, I guess that's not a dealbreaker."
"Ronald Bilius Weasley, I will Bat-Bogey the fuck out of you if you ask her out only half-heartedly and then are rude to her!" Ginny seethed. "You be sure you actually like her before you do, do you understand me? This was a suggestion to get to know her better, not to muck this up because you're a moron."
Ron held his hands up. "Oi, calm down, Morgana, sheesh!"
Ginny side-eyed him for a few seconds before she started off towards the common room. Ron caught up with her, shoving his hands into his robe pockets as they walked together. There was a little skip to Ron's step, and Ginny thought the little confidence boost was good for him. But by Merlin, if he hurt Niamh, she'd make it so he couldn't produce another bogey in his ruddy lifetime.
When they arrived back at the common room, Ginny found her friends sitting by the fireplace and Ron followed her like a lost little puppy dog since Harry was out and Hermione had a patrol with Hannah Abbott. Ron took a seat next to Niamh and gave her the most awkwardly cringeworthy head nod that Ginny had ever seen. She groaned as she turned her attention to Demelza.
"Merlin fuck, my brother is so bloody awkward," Ginny grumbled, kicking her legs up onto the coffee table.
Demelza only shrugged. "Where's your lover boy? I can't imagine who he is with if he's not with you or Ron."
"Dinner with Sirius in Hogsmeade," Ginny supplied. "I'm sure he's finding out why a bunch of…" Ginny trailed off before lowering her voice. "You know what were here today."
Nothing more was needed to be said as they switched topics. Ginny and Demelza silently agreed to put off their already mounting homework to chat instead. The topic naturally involved the upcoming Quidditch tryouts and if Ginny had any scoop on when Harry was going to schedule them.
"He said he had to talk to McGonagall to reserve the pitch," Ginny supplied. "I'm sure he'll be on top of it. He's been excited to be captain."
Demelza nodded. "I talked to Eddie–"
"Who the ruddy hell is Eddie?" Ginny interrupted, her brow furrowing.
"The Head Boy," Demelza replied with disgust. "Eddie Carmichael. He's in Ravenclaw."
"Oh, is that his name?" Ginny clarified. "I bet he loves you already."
Demelza snorted. "Oh yeah, he loves me. I told him I wanted to be paired with Ron as often as I could to make Quidditch practices easier to schedule for Gryffindor. He looked at me like I had grown two extra heads and asked if I really cared about Quidditch more than I did the integrity of the prefect position. I told him could shove the integrity of the prefect position up his bloody arse. Then he just stormed away."
Ginny groaned. "Come on, Dem, do you really want McGonagall or someone writing home to your mum about how you're not taking this seriously?"
"Mum knows I don't want to be prefect," Demelza argued. "She's already lectured me enough, so you don't have to."
"This is the last I'll say about it, all right?" Ginny promised, holding out her pinky finger before Demelza hooked it with hers. "You've talked about being an Auror like your parents since you were ruddy eleven. The Auror Department doesn't even accept people every year into the program. This will help push you over the edge to claim a rare spot."
"I hear you and I appreciate that, but Mum said since You-Know-Who has been officially declared back that the department is scrambling to hire more Aurors. They're offering generous bonuses to wizards in foreign Auror departments to tempt them over here. She said the department got way too comfortable the past decade when there were no major conflicts. She said Gawain Robards wasn't going to allow that to happen again and this year alone, they extended offers to two Hogwarts students and an Ilvermorny student to join the Auror Training Program. Plus, he hired new professors to teach at the academy so they can streamline and condense the training because the Auror Department is desperate."
"You should tell Harry that," Ginny concluded. "You both can be less nervous about it together then."
Demelza laughed. "Like the Chosen One has anything to worry about. He's a shoe-in."
"Harry doesn't see himself like that," Ginny commented, a long sigh escaping her lips. "He needs to hear reassurances."
Demelza agreed to tell him, and the girls decided they should probably get a head start on some homework before they were so swamped they would have to start pulling all-nighters.
It was a little over an hour later that Harry came through the portrait hole. He made a beeline over for their little group by the fireplace. Ginny gestured for Demelza to scoot over to make room for him on their sofa. He took a seat, squishing Ginny in the middle but she didn't care as she leaned into his side. Ron waved at him from the adjacent sofa as he sat between Niamh and Gemma, looking far more relaxed than he had originally when he joined them.
"How was dinner?" Ginny asked.
"It was fine," Harry replied.
Demelza leaned across Ginny. "So why were… they at the school today?"
"A… mission," Harry replied, shifting awkwardly.
"Do you know what?" Demelza pressed before she chewed at the skin around her thumbnail.
Harry shook his head, but Ginny could tell he wasn't being completely honest with the way his eyes dropped. Demelza didn't seem to notice as she flopped back against the sofa. Ginny laced her fingers with his, homework long forgotten as they sat comfortably together on the sofa.
It was nearly two hours later when the occupants of the common room slowly started to file to bed. Harry seemed content to stay pressed against Ginny. None of her friends questioned it as they bid them all goodnight, chatting and laughing all the way to their dormitory. Ron looked at Harry expectantly but Harry said he'd be up in a few.
"Are you all right?" Ginny asked once their friends had all left.
Harry nodded, his head resting against the sofa as he looked at her. "Yeah, we just haven't had a lot of alone time since I got back from France."
Ginny smiled as she swung her legs over his thighs and leaned her side against the back of the sofa to face him. Her thumb brushed along the palm of his hand as she looked up into his eyes.
"I can sneak up into your bed tonight if you like," Ginny offered, wiggling her eyebrows. "We can silence your bed and then put a sticking charm on your coverings."
Harry let out a soft chuckle, a wide smile spreading across his face. "I do have my Invisibility Cloak in my bag."
"Were you planning this all day?" Ginny asked, her hand rubbing up his arm.
"Sadly, no," Harry admitted, his hand rubbing along her thigh absentmindedly. "Sirius told me to keep the map, the cloak, and my mirror on me at all times for safety reasons."
"Not a bad idea," Ginny agreed. "Sirius does have some good ideas once in a while."
"I'll let him know you think so," Harry replied in a light tone.
Ginny laughed, her fingers running down his face playfully. "Stop it. I can't have my boyfriend's dad hating me."
"Yeah, I don't think Sirius would ever hate you," Harry replied.
"I would hope not," Ginny agreed. "That'd be rather unfortunate. But I did accost him today and demand answers earlier."
Harry chuckled softly. "He told me about that over dinner. Honestly, he's probably just happy you feel comfortable enough with him to do that. Normally people avoid him or whisper about him behind his back. I know I appreciate it when people treat me like I'm just Harry and not the Boy Who Lived or now the Chosen One."
"So what's the mission they were discussing all day?" Ginny asked, her voice dropping to barely above a whisper. "Is Sirius going on it?"
Harry shrugged. "It's Fidelius. I don't know. I think he is. I hate it."
Ginny scooted her bum closer to Harry so that she could rest her cheek against Harry's shoulder and look up at him. His arms tightened around her, keeping her close.
"I know it, it sucks," Ginny agreed. "I didn't worry too much about it all until Dad was attacked last Christmas. Then it was like, well, what if he didn't make it next time? What would happen if he died? Or Mum? Or Bill? Or the twins? They're all in the thick of it now."
Harry nodded. "I feel like for the first time ever that I actually have a family, you know? That could all change in an instant. I don't want to lose any of them, because this was how it was supposed to be, wasn't it? Before Peter decided to frame Sirius? This was supposed to be my life and it was ripped away in just a few moments. It could all disappear again just as fast."
"It could," Ginny agreed, wrapping an arm around his stomach. "But you can't keep waiting for it to happen. You have to enjoy your life and enjoy your time with them. Worrying about losing them will only make you put distance between you and them. I've seen you do it before. All last year you just pushed people away. You can't keep doing that either."
"How do you always know what to say?" Harry asked, his gaze locking with hers.
Ginny's lips twitched. "I have a mother who loves to give lectures. I occasionally listen."
Harry smiled, his hand cupping her face. He twisted his body so he was facing her and his lips met hers. Ginny pressed against him, tingles running up and down her skin, as she parted her lips to deepen the kiss. Bliss blossomed in her chest as the two finally had a proper reunion.
Remus watched as the Aurors disappeared into Nott Manor in the dead of night. Severus had confirmed that a meeting was happening at the Malfoy Manor, but he was unable to supply who would be on guard duty for Fidelius that evening. Severus had never been put on guard duty. Instead, lower level and weaker Death Eaters had been assigned that job for lack of anything else to do.
Sirius sighed next to him, leaning up against a tree. He crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at the house, his face drawing into a thin line. Remus knew Sirius was irritated about being the designated lookout for the mission, but honestly it was for the best. They had botched their last mission by being underprepared. Besides, it was a mission made for the Aurors in the Order and not two middle-aged and out-of-practice wizards who were running on pure emotions because of the shit they went through during the last war.
"It's funny to me," Remus started in a low voice, his eyes scanning around the property, "that during the first war we were never partners and now we've done back-to-back missions together."
Sirius snorted. "You were off running around with werewolves. I didn't quite fit in."
Remus nodded. "Nah, but decked out in all black while lingering in the woods really does suit you."
Sirius chuckled, his head shaking. "I used to be the one fighting and now I'm a lookout. This does nothing for my ego."
Remus' lips quirked. "Well, start those dueling lessons and you'll be running into the line of fire before long."
A comfortable silence fell between them as Remus leaned his side against the tree as well. The night was quite dark as the waning crescent moon remained hidden behind an abundant number of clouds. They didn't bother with Disillusionment Charms because of the darkness that encased them. They had dressed for the occasion, black adorning them head to toe.
Sirius cleared his throat. "So, uh, Harry was nervous about this."
Remus glanced over at his friend. "You told him we were coming?"
Sirius shrugged, not looking at Remus as he scanned their surroundings. "He thought we were at Hogwarts yesterday because someone died or got hurt or something. I told him it was just a mission. He asked me if I was joining the mission. I think he was nervous."
"Well, I mean, he knows last mission Macnair tried to kill you and you barely escaped with a leg snapped in half and survived in a cold cave for the night," Remus reasoned. "He knows how his parents died. He told me he could hear James telling Lily to run and could hear Voldemort murdering her when the Dementors were near him. I think he has a right to be anxious about anything dealing with Voldemort."
"I hate that he worries," Sirius said with a sigh.
Remus nodded, his body twisting to look behind them. "At least he's telling you about his fears. Harry was always so tight-lipped before, burying everything down until it erupted like a fucking volcano."
"I think France helped," Sirius admitted. "One of my better parenting calls, I believe."
"Because he just got to be a kid in France," Remus explained. "He had a taste of what his life could have been and he embraced having a family for the first time."
Sirius fell silent and Remus winced. He didn't mean anything by his words, but he could see how it would be taken wrong. Remus stole a glance at Sirius to see his face set in one of his stoic masks, not revealing even a hint of emotion.
"I didn't mean it like that," Remus clarified, refusing to look at Sirius.
"No, I know you didn't," Sirius said with a sigh as he kicked off the tree and twisted around to look behind them.
Remus pursed his lips, squinting into the darkness for any hint of movement. It was a calm and still night which made things a lot easier. Almost too easy. Remus kept waiting for the shoe to drop, for all of this to turn out to be one giant trap.
"Who told you about Fidelius?" Remus inquired, his gaze watching the back of Sirius' black beanie-clad head.
Sirius' shoulders rolled at the question before he turned around to face his friend. Remus couldn't understand the hesitation that marred his features. They were alone, both safely within the confines of the Muffliato Charm they had cast once they had arrived.
Sirius let out a long sigh. "Rosamond Lestrange – or better known as Rosamond Nott now."
Remus blinked, his brows furrowing. "The girl from the memory you showed us yesterday?"
Sirius nodded. "We were… friends once. Before I was sorted into Gryffindor."
"You think she's trustworthy?" Remus pressed.
Sirius shrugged. "I don't know. When I was scouring my memory for references for the… you know what, she helped me when I was drunk off my fucking arse to get out of my family's presence. Then, well, she told me something yesterday that made me…" Sirius sighed, hand rubbing the back of his neck. "She told me she helped Charlotte Macnair escape England after Regulus disappeared. A pregnant Charlotte. She showed me pictures of a nephew I never knew I had. He's sixteen, a little over a month older than Harry."
Remus stared at his friend, could see the pain and guilt swarming in his eyes. He knew Sirius, knew exactly what he was thinking without him saying it, because it was classic Sirius Black. Sirius counted it as another failure, another line in the column of things he royally messed up in his life. Remus didn't know how to make him see that wasn't the truth.
"What's the kid's name?" Remus asked, squinting around the grounds of the manor.
"Cepheus," Sirius whispered. "Guess she kept the Black family naming scheme."
"Beauxbatons, I assume?" Remus pressed.
Sirius let out a long sigh, his head nodding. "Yeah."
Silence stretched between them because Sirius wasn't one to talk unless he was pushed to do so. Remus decided to channel his inner James and push.
"Are you going to go see him?" Remus asked.
Sirius snorted. "No, I can't."
Remus snapped his attention to him. "Why the fuck not? You obviously still have a soft spot for Regulus despite all the shit he did. If this kid was raised right, away from all the pureblood madness, then he probably wants to know the lesser fucked up members of your family. Honestly, Sirius, you're only mildly fucked up so that's a plus."
Sirius chuckled, a smile crossing his face. "I can't leave England right now without Harry."
Remus sighed, his eyes glancing up at the sky. "Go for two days, just to meet him. You know you want to. Dora and I will stay at your house in Hogsmeade to be there for Harry. You can go during the week when Harry's stuck in class all day. You can take the emergency Portkey with you in case something happens and you need to come home quick. You can keep your mirror on you at all times. It'll be fine."
Sirius shrugged. "Look, as much as I want to meet the kid, Harry takes priority."
"Harry will be fine," Remus stressed. "Tell him what's going on and I'm sure he'll cease finding trouble for a day or two. We can let Marlene and Minerva know. They'll keep an eye on him too."
Sirius shot Remus a look. "It unnerves me that you call her Minerva, you know that right?"
Remus' lips curved. "She insisted when I taught there. It was hard at first, but I got used to it."
"Yeah, well, she told me the same thing over a year ago but calling her anything other than Professor McGonagall seems odd," Sirius pointed out before the smile fell from his lips. "Oi, people are coming out."
Remus turned to see figures leaving the Nott Manor. Straightening to his full height, Remus readied his wand and took a step closer. He could make out Kingsley in the front, the figure of Adriano Fidelius floating out of the manor behind him. Squinting, he noticed Nymphadora by her hair. Though black and undetectable, it was still short and the tips flared out like it always did. Her petite frame stood out next to the tall and leggy Tegan.
Sirius moved from the shadows, his wand at his side, and rushed to join the Aurors. Remus darted forward as well to join the group. As he drew closer, he could see Sutton's arm bleeding, his fingers curled around his bicep as he grumbled to Robards that he was fine. As though sensing his presence, Nymphadora turned around. Remus grimaced when he saw the bruise already forming on her cheek. He cupped her face, his thumb bruising along the edge of the bright mark on her pallid skin.
"What happened?" Remus pressed.
Nymphadora stepped away from his hand and motioned for him to walk. They strolled in a group, keeping their eyes peeled, as they made their way off the grounds of the manor. While Robards and Tegan had dismantled most of the wards around the manor to gain access to the house, they did not bother to take down the Anti-Apparition wards due to time and difficulty. Not to mention, to lessen the risk of a surprise attack.
"They had muscle watching Fidelius," Nymphadora said out of the corner of her mouth as she didn't look at him. "Dumb as a bag of fucking rocks, because they didn't even call for backup but they did get a good spell or two in."
Remus gestured his chin to the floating form of Fidelius. "He looks in bad shape."
His limbs hung limply at his side. Dried blood and bruises littered his body. His clothes were ripped to shreds.
"He was barely conscious when we found him," Nymphadora explained. "Gawain thinks we should take him straight to St. Mungo's and have guards outside his room until he's released."
Remus nodded. "He looks like he needs medical attention."
Glancing over the top of Nymphadora's head, he saw Sirius hunched over as he walked close to Tegan to talk to her. Her hand was curled around his upper arm as her body leaned in close to him.
"We decided on the way out that you and Sirius could give Dumbledore an update while we take Fidelius to St. Mungo's," Nymphadora explained. "It'll look like an ordinary Auror mission and not cause concern for Bones. We're trying to keep a low profile. Gawain's even told her that if he discovers any Aurors in league with Dumbledore, he'll put them on leave."
Remus snorted. "That's going well for Bones, isn't it?"
"She has complete and utter faith in Gawain for some reason," Nymphadora mused as they entered the small wooded area. "He's so stone-faced when he talks to her. He's just an utter gift to the world."
Remus chuckled under his breath as they made their way towards the edge of the wards. Tegan must have clued Sirius into the plan because he stepped back as the Aurors gathered together. With a series of hand signals that Remus didn't understand, the Aurors were gone in a flash.
"Ready to go talk to Dumbledore?" Remus asked, his gaze turning to Sirius.
"Like I have a bloody choice," Sirius grumbled. "Fuck me."
Remus jutted his lower jaw to the right. "Nah, I think I'll leave that to Tegan."
Sirius narrowed his eyes at Remus. "I swear to fucking Merlin if you say anything to Dora or Andy, I will kill you. I'm not even joking. I would rather risk Azkaban again than to deal with my cousin being unbearable about it."
Remus held up his hands. "We're best mates, Sirius."
Sirius appraised him for a few minutes before he nodded curtly. They Apparated a second later, no words exchanged between them, to Hogsmeade. They walked in comfortable silence up to the castle. Remus already decided he would take the lead in the conversation, because he didn't have a laundry list of issues with Dumbledore like Sirius had.
Harry shifted on the sofa next to Ron in the Room of Requirement, watching as Hermione paced in front of them. For the past hour, they had filled her in on everything that had happened over the summer. Every time Harry stumbled or became uncomfortable, Ron stepped in to fill in the blanks. It had been Ron who had taken the lead on the possession, on what exactly had happened at the gala, and even started to explain what had happened to Marlene McKinnon all those years ago.
Hermione grew more and more distressed as the story went on. Her face scrunching together as she fought back tears. Harry did have to give Hermione credit. She barely interrupted them during the retelling, though Harry suspected that she was desperate for the information that she hadn't been privy to for so long.
"You shouldn't be alone with Professor McKinnon," Hermione finally said after a long silence.
Harry blinked at her. "What?"
Hermione stopped pacing, her body turning towards him. Her wide eyes brimmed with tears that she quickly wiped away with the back of her hand.
"She's had her memories altered, Harry," Hermione replied, her voice on edge. "How do you know that they haven't done something to control her as well?"
A spark of irritation ignited in Harry's chest. "Dumbledore allowed her back into the Order and to teach here. If there was any way Voldemort was controlling her, he would know."
Hermione flinched. "I just think you should be cautious."
"Yeah, cautious like I was with Sirius who turned out to have been framed and trying to save my life?" Harry snapped.
Hermione shook her head. "Just because we were wrong about Sirius doesn't mean that you should blindly trust Professor McKinnon! It's the Malfoys! Who knows what they did to her!"
Harry stared at his friend. "I'm not going to ignore her or not talk to her. She's been trying to get her memories back for months. She wants to get her memories back."
"Harry! Would you just think about this for a moment?" Hermione pleaded, a tear falling from the corner of her eye.
"She's my godmother!" Harry protested. "She was my mum's best friend!"
"I understand that, Harry, and I'm not saying you can never be close to her, but I just think given everything happening right now, it's not a bad idea to be cautious," Hermione pressed in a rush.
"Right," Harry said lamely, leaning back against the sofa.
Hermione blinked, her brow furrowing. "Are you angry with me?"
"No," Harry replied, though he knew that wasn't entirely true.
Maybe angry wasn't the right word. Peeved was more like it. He had met Marlene over the summer, wrote to her, talked to her. While things were strained and awkward between them, he didn't want them to be that way. He wanted Marlene in his life in the same way Sirius was, in the same way Andromeda and Ted were, in the same way Remus and Tonks were. Harry finally felt like he had a family of his own. While he cared for and admired the Weasley family, he wasn't truly a Weasley. He wasn't their son or their brother. But he was Sirius and Marlene's godson. Sirius had adopted him. Andromeda and Ted embraced him into the family as well, coddling him and Sirius alike.
Harry didn't want to let that go. He didn't want to blow his chance with Marlene on the off chance that something bad could potentially happen. Despite Sirius' sour feelings towards Dumbledore after everything that happened during the first war, Sirius still trusted him. If Sirius trusted Dumbledore's judgement now, then that was good enough for Harry.
"Harry–"
"Look, I'm not going to argue with you about this," Harry replied, rising from the sofa. "I'm not taking your advice. I'm going to get to know my godmother and this is the only real opportunity I've had. I'm seizing that opportunity no matter what you say, so you can just save your breath, Hermione."
More tears leaked from Hermione's eyes. "I just care about you, Harry."
"And this is my family, Hermione!" Harry protested.
"I understand that!" Hermione protested in a desperate tone. "I'm not telling you not to talk to her! I'm just telling you to be careful what you tell her! You don't know what side she's on!"
"She's on my side!" Harry shouted before he could stop himself. "She's not a Death Eater!"
"I never said she was, Harry! There are other ways to control a wizard that aren't just the Imperius Curse!" Hermione protested. "I've never heard of that type of memory alteration before! Who knows what else they could have done to her! Who knows what kind of undetectable spells they have her bewitched with!"
"You're speculating!" Harry yelled.
"I'm worried!" Hermione cried.
Ron stood up, his hands raising to shush them. "I think we all need to calm down. Harry, you know Hermione's heart is in the right place. Hermione, you know how much this means to Harry."
Harry glanced over at his best mate. He knew Ron was just trying to keep the peace. It had been a long time since their group had a major fight, which Harry was happy about. He dreaded fighting with his friends.
"I just think–" Hermione started.
"Hermione!" Ron interrupted, his eyes widening.
Hermione's lips twisted as she crossed her arms over her chest. Harry could tell it was taking everything she had in her not to continue to harp on the topic of Marlene. With a sigh, Harry grabbed his bag from the floor and slung it over his shoulder.
"I told Ginny I would meet her in the library," Harry announced. "I have to go."
With that, Harry made his way out of the Room of Requirement and tried to forget about the small fight that had occurred. He just hoped that Hermione would let it go, because he wasn't going to avoid Marlene. And he wasn't a moron either. He knew not to tell her about the prophecy or the Horcruxes or anything that had been discussed between him, Sirius, Remus, and Dumbledore. He hadn't even told Ron and Ginny about any of it, because Sirius told him not to. He didn't plan on telling anyone anything unless Sirius gave him the go-ahead.
Honestly, Harry didn't want to talk about the prophecy. He didn't want to tell anyone that it was his duty to kill Voldemort, especially when he wasn't entirely sure he would be able to. Harry could remember the surge of anger and pain that had radiated through him when he first met Sirius and had thought the man had destroyed his life. He wanted Sirius to die, but he couldn't even utter a spell. He had been frozen, unable to hurt another person. Harry was glad he couldn't because he would have hated himself after realizing he had hurt the godfather who had loved him since he was a baby.
While he thought it might be easier to cast aside his hesitations when it came to fighting Voldemort, since he knew how evil the wizard truly was, Harry didn't want to be the one to utter the curse to kill him. Harry certainly didn't want to use the curse that had killed his parents.
Harry turned the corner to see Draco Malfoy standing without his friends. His back leaned against the wall, his tie loose around his neck, and his hair disheveled as though he had carded his fingers through it one too many times. Malfoy looked up, his gaze locking with Harry's. Neither one said anything, which was unique as Malfoy was never able to keep a snide comment from slipping past his lips. Harry dropped his chin, trying to hide the thin scar on his neck.
Harry only walked by him, his body stiff as he braced himself. Malfoy would know all about the attack on Grimmauld Place, about Voldemort forcing him to slit his own throat, about Sirius being attacked at the gala. When nothing happened, Harry couldn't help but look back and see Malfoy watching him closely. Harry just thought it was plain odd. Trying to put Malfoy's unusual behavior out of his mind, he made his way towards the library.
Ginny was easy to find as her and her friends almost always claimed the back right table every single time they studied. He couldn't help the smile that tugged on his lips when he saw her, but his face fell when he noticed her jaw tight and her eyes staring up at the ceiling. Next to her sat Michael Corner. Harry made his way to the table, stopping at the head of the table instead of sitting down.
"Is there a problem here?" Harry asked, his gaze focused on Corner.
Corner sneered. "Nah, no problem at all."
Ginny sucked in a breath, her chin jutting up as her eyes glanced over at Harry. She looked almost like she was annoyed, but Harry couldn't even fathom why. He squinted, trying to determine if she was annoyed at him. Harry shifted, his eyebrows raising above his glasses. Harry dropped his satchel onto the table and slid into the seat across from Ginny.
"We were talking," Corner said flatly.
Harry nodded, his lips thinning. "Go ahead and talk then."
"No, we're done talking," Ginny replied, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. "Believe what you want to believe. I don't give a fuck, Michael."
Harry's heart thudded in his chest, his elbows propping onto the table and his fingers lacing together.
Michael snorted. "Slag," he muttered under his breath as he pushed his chair back.
"Oi!" Harry snapped, his eyes narrowing at Corner. "What is your problem?"
"I'm not a moron, Potter," Corner replied, his head cocking to the side. "I know she cheated on me with you. You act all noble and shit. What a fucking riot."
"Not that it's any of your business, but Ginny and I didn't start dating until June," Harry said in a cool voice. "And if I ever hear you call her that again–"
"You'll what, Potter?" Corner interrupted. "You'll go all the Chosen One on me? Teach me a lesson?"
"Fuck off, Corner," Harry hissed.
"No, you fuck off, Potter," Corner spat before he stormed away from the table.
Harry sneered at the back of his head before he turned his attention to Ginny across the table. She stared at him, her left eyebrow arched and the corners of her lips twitching.
"What?" Harry asked, his tone softening.
"Nothing, it's just… well, I don't think I've ever heard you swear before," Ginny commented, her lips pursing.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, you try living with Sirius and being best mates with Ron. Every other word out of their mouths is a cuss word."
Ginny let out a small chuckle. "I also can't decide if I'm annoyed or slightly turned on by your behavior."
Harry's face pulled. "What do you mean?"
"While I hate people fighting my battles for me because I'm capable of taking care of wankers myself, I was oddly enjoying you swearing and getting all defensive over me," Ginny replied, clearing her throat. "Just don't make a habit of it, yeah?"
Harry raised his eyebrows. "I would have defended anyone from that git."
"I know you would," Ginny replied, leaning forward and reaching out to grab his hand in hers. "But I would rather you be my partner and have my back than just fight the battle for me."
Harry appraised her for a few moments before he nodded his head. "I can do that."
Ginny beamed at him, her hand leaving his as she leaned back in her chair. Her gaze lingered on him for a few moments before she pulled out her Defense Against the Dark Arts book and started to complain about Snape. Harry chuckled as he pulled out the same book, deciding it was probably less confusing if they worked on the same subject even though they were learning different things.
Harry propped his elbow up on the table, his fingers gripping his hair as he skimmed the chapter to find the information he needed about nonverbal spells for his assignment. He found himself glancing up at Ginny occasionally, watching as she chewed on her quill as she read. A smile quirked on his lips as he turned his attention back to his own assignment, relishing in how normal the two of them were.
The first week of school piled on more homework than Ginny could even believe. How could she already be behind when they had only had five days of classes? Ginny wanted to bang her head against the wall. Gemma and Demelza just gave up and opted to build a house of cards with Exploding Snap cards at their study table. Niamh looked near tears with her Defense Against the Dark Arts homework where she had to explain how to layer spells.
"I can barely Disarm someone let alone Disarm them and cast a Shield at the same time!" Niamh fretted. "I'm doomed!"
"Just give up," Gemma told her, chewing her bottom lip and as she placed the card carefully. "You won't need Defense at all if you're still thinking of going into Alchemy."
"I can't just fail, Gemma!" Niamh protested. "It would kill my parents! They would literally die of disappointment. I'm not even joking!"
Demelza looked up, a small smirk crossing her features. "Ah, you're in luck, Niamh. Your knight in shining armor is coming to your rescue right now."
Ginny followed her gaze to see Harry walking towards their table. He dropped his bag on the floor next to the empty seat by Ginny. Before he could sit down, Niamh jumped up and grabbed his arm. He froze, looking down at her with a furrowed brow.
"Harry! Harry! Please, help me not fail my Defense assignment!" Niamh pleaded. "Professor Snape is trying to murder us and it's only the first week! How do I layer spells?"
Harry forced a small smile on his face as he looked down at the open textbook on the table. Niamh sat down in her chair, pulling Harry to sit in the chair next to her. Ginny chuckled, her head shaking as he shot her a confused look.
"Will you please help me?" Niamh asked, finally letting go of his arm.
"Yeah, of course," Harry replied, shifting in his chair.
Ginny only smiled wider as she listened to Harry explain how to layer spells. Harry used his hands a lot when he explained things, his eyes locked solely on Niamh as he gave her his full attention. He was so patient and kind, answering all of her frantic questions with a relaxed confidence about him. Ginny turned back to her Potions book, listening to his soft rumble.
After a morning of studying, Ginny suggested the two of them spend some time alone by the lake. They stopped by the kitchens for a few sandwiches and crisps, before they found a tree to have their picnic under. In the distance, Ginny could see two figures practicing on the Quidditch Pitch.
"It's Ron and Katie," Harry explained before Vanishing his trash. "He was nervous about tryouts so she said she'd help him today."
Ginny raised her eyebrows. "He's skipping lunch for this?"
Harry chuckled. "Nah, he was going to sleep in and have a large breakfast before heading down."
"He could have asked me to help him," Ginny argued. "I'm his bloody sister."
"Well, he didn't ask Katie. She just offered when we were talking to her the other night," Harry supplied as he stretched his long legs in front of him.
Harry pressed his hands behind him, leaning his body back as he tilted his head up to the sky. The scar on his neck stood out brightly against his tan skin as images flooded her vision of Harry's wand slicing his throat open. Ginny tried to push the images out of her mind, not wanting Harry to ask her what was wrong. She swallowed at the lump in her throat, turning towards the Quidditch Pitch and squinting at the figures even though she really couldn't see much beyond the two blurs of people flying.
"Sirius called me last night," Harry said, turning his attention to Ginny. "He talked to Gawain Robards. Apparently, he's agreed to train me. He said he'd make up a schedule of Aurors to help out because he won't be able to make it every week. But he's coming tomorrow to test my skill level."
Ginny could see the nervous twitch in his jaw. "That's exciting, Harry."
Harry shrugged. "He was going to test Sirius too. Get him better prepared for missions."
"That's not a bad thing, Harry," Ginny reasoned. "We both know Sirius isn't someone to sit around while others fight, without growing restless. Him being at the top of his game is a good thing. From what he's said before, it sounds like he was assigned a lot of risky missions the first time around."
"No, I know that," Harry assured her as he laid down in the grass, his arm gesturing for her to join him. "I just… I hate it. I hate everything about what's happening. I just want it over."
Ginny snuggled down into his side, her head resting directly over his heart so she could hear the strong and steady thumping. "Me too, Harry. Me too."
Lifting her head off Harry's chest, she propped herself up so she could look at him. She ran a finger down his nose and across his lips. He smiled softly at her, his fingers coiling around the back of her neck. He tugged her face down closer to his, his lips brushing so tenderly against hers that she squirmed, wanting more.
Sirius groaned, scrubbing his eyes at his kitchen table as he poured over financial records that he had obtained from Gringotts. Regulus had been siphoning money out of his account since the day he turned seventeen. Recurrent transfers to a French bank, a Muggle bank, and some other bank that Sirius had never heard of. All of the transfers had been happening for years, never ceasing and nobody noticing. While Regulus' account had passed back to Walburga upon his death, Sirius was sure she never looked into his financials. She had no concept of money. Uncle Alphard had always managed the family finances. All these various accounts just screamed Uncle Alphard. He was sure that the accounts could not be accessed by Sirius, that they wouldn't be family accounts but individual accounts.
The sound of his front door opening had Sirius reaching for his wand. He squinted at the door to the kitchen and a few moments later, Andromeda appeared with takeaway containers in hand. Sirius relaxed, shoving his wand back into his pocket.
"You know, there's something called knocking," Sirius told her. "You might want to try it sometime."
"Family doesn't knock," Andromeda replied as she took a seat across from him, peering at the documents. "Are you looking into your finances? Deciding on if you can really afford all this money you're giving away? Or are you just deciding you want to be like Uncle Alphard and invest in shit that nobody knows exactly what you're investing in?"
Sirius sighed. "No, it's Regulus' old account ledgers."
Andromeda leaned back in her chair. "Is this about the kid you saw in France?"
Sirius licked his bottom lip, his eyes glancing up to meet Andromeda's. He debated for all of two seconds before he dove into his visit with Rosamond, leaving out the bit about how she was the one who told him that Fidelius had been chained up in her dungeon. He did tell her that Melania Black knew and had secured the Portkey for Charlotte.
"And you're delving into Regulus' finances to find proof of what she said?" Andromeda clarified.
"Do you actually think I'm going to go see my grandmother?" Sirius asked, his face pulling.
Andromeda sucked in a breath. "She's a… what's her maiden name again?"
Sirius rubbed his chin. "Macmillan."
"Oh, that's not terrible," Andromeda reasoned. "It's not like you're going to the grandmother we share. I wonder if anyone went to her funeral. She died a few months ago, did you hear?"
Sirius snorted. "Irma? Thank fucking Merlin that bitch is dead," he leaned back in his chair, grabbing his cup of coffee. "Remember how she used to shoot Stinging Hexes at us if we didn't sit up straight?"
"There is no slouching in this house," Andromeda said in a lower voice, trying to mimic Irma Black.
"Reg and I used to shoot spit-drenched wadded up parchment at the back of her head through a straw," Sirius said, his shoulders shaking from his low chuckle.
Andromeda burst out laughing. "Merlin! I remember that! Didn't she burn you when she found out?"
Sirius held up his left hand, showing her his wrist where a small red mark from Irma's wand had burned into his skin. "I was nine."
Andromeda let out a long sigh, her head shaking. "Cissy didn't even like her. I bet you anything it was Cissy and my mother that probably organized old Irma's funeral though. Who else would have done it?"
"Druella is just as vile," Sirius commented, kicking his legs up on the table and leaning back on his chair's hind legs.
Andromeda frowned. "I stand by my initial assessment that Uncle Alphard was the only kind family member we had growing up."
Sirius bobbed his head from side-to-side. "I always liked great-grandmum Violetta. She was a sweet little old lady. Much better than Hesper."
"Hesper was on your dad's side, right?" Andromeda confirmed. "I don't know his line that well."
Sirius sucked in a breath. "Please, he's just a sperm donor. Can we not call them my mum and dad?"
Andromeda rolled her eyes as she pushed a takeaway container in his direction. "Look, if you want information on Charlotte and Cepheus, I'll go to Melania's house with you."
Sirius debated the offer for a few moments. The last thing he wanted to do was associate with any Blacks, except for the Tonks line. But he would never find Charlotte through the financial documents. He had spent a week trying to find an address for her to send her a letter but came up empty. Sirius rolled his head back, staring up at the ceiling.
"Should we take some Aurors with us?" Sirius suggested.
Andromeda sighed. "Sirius, I think we can handle your grandmother. It's not like Arcturus is still alive. He was nasty."
Sirius nodded in agreement. However bad Orion and Walburga had been, Arcturus Black had been worse to the point Sirius and Regulus had avoided him at all costs. But Sirius couldn't remember Melania being unpleasant barring the fact that she had turned a blind eye to Arcturus' behavior, biting her tongue whenever she saw him punishing her grandsons. She had been a follower. As an adult, Sirius suspected she had probably been abused given Arcturus' disposition.
"All right, fine, yeah, let's do it," Sirius replied. "You should do a bulk of the talking, though. I might lose my fucking cool if I have to talk to her for long."
"You're too much, Sirius, you know that, don't you?" Andromeda said in an affectionate tone.
Sirius only shrugged, opening his takeaway container so he could have lunch with his cousin. He told her all about Harry's first week of school, most of which she already knew since Harry had called her and Ted the previous night for a chat. He showed her the pictures of Cepheus and tears poured down Andromeda's cheeks at the sight of the kid.
All Sirius could think about was how he wished things were easier. He wished he had raised Harry, wished Harry and Cepheus had grown up knowing each other as cousins, wished his little brother hadn't died so young and before he got to meet his own child, wished James and Lily had never died, wished Peter had drowned in a fucking lake, and wished for a lot of things that would never ever come true.
Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter! This was very much a... breather of a chapter, so to say. I took it to set up some stuff, so hopefully it was still enjoyable. Don't forget to drop a review. They truly motivate me to keep on schedule and make me want to write one-shots and other stories as well.
Special thanks to Bell for being awesome as always with her editing skills.
Also, shout out to my Tumblr peeps. (I am so sorry that I cannot remember the person who originally sent me the ask but I cannot find it in the mountain of asks you all send me and I should have saved the ask but I'm such a scatterbrain) but someone sent an ask about Ginny and Hermione talking the first night back at Hogwarts where Hermione just wanted to know what happened over the summer. While I didn't write that scene because this chapter was already done, I did go back and add a little bit of their ask in the story. So thank you for your idea!