"Brumous"
"Chapter Forty: Hector Quade"
Tegan showed up at Sirius' door, tears brimming in her eyes as she told him how she was assigned a case that dealt with an entire family slaughtered by Death Eaters. The youngest victims were five and seven. He held her for at least an hour, knowing he would have been shaken up seeing dead bodies of small children brutally murdered as well. Once she calmed a bit they talked for hours. About everything and anything, to help her forget her awful day.
Something deep within Sirius sparked to life as he held her in his arms. A pang of guilt for reasons he didn't fully understand. There was nothing to feel guilty about, after all. That feeling slipped away when Tegan's lips met his, his body shivering with her soft lips and gentle caresses. The tenderness didn't last, it never did with them. It was all about heat and lust, their fingers fumbling to rip off each other's clothes in a haste to feel each other's heat against their skin.
Sirius didn't bother to take her upstairs. The sofa would do just fine. It wasn't like they hadn't fucked all over every inch of the house by now anyway. Sirius found himself slipping both mentally and physically as he pushed against her folds, his mind numbing in ecstasy. The voices quieted, guilt became a distant memory, and he felt like a normal human being again.
Normal was good. Better than fucking good. He was just Sirius for a moment, happy and content. The demons held at bay as he focused on only pleasure. This was the feeling that Sirius craved at all times. It was intoxicating, addicting. It was a feeling he chased his entire life. Having sex, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, feeling it for only small spurts at a time. Sirius didn't know how to make his brain work to feel like this in his everyday life – to be a human at all times.
As quick as the feeling came, it left as soon as he climaxed. His breaths came out in harsh huffs, his thumb brushing against Tegan's bottom lip. He stayed still for a couple of moments, hovering above her. Licking his lip, he shifted so he could reach down between them, making sure she was satisfied like he was. Her fingers tangled in his hair, her body rocking against his. He could tell the moment she finished, her hand slipping from his hair and dangling off the edge of the sofa.
Sirius eased out of her, careful not to hurt her as he rolled off the small sofa. He stumbled as his feet touched the ground. His eyes scanned for his boxer briefs.
"That was amazing," Tegan breathed, turning on her side to look at him.
Sirius snatched his boxers off the floor. "I aim to please."
Tegan grinned. "Making sure I always finish is a great way to please. You'd be surprised how many blokes don't give a shit."
Sirius let out a small chuckle, grabbing his t-shirt off the chair and tossing it in her direction. "That's just rude."
Tegan sat up, pulling the t-shirt on over her head. "I'm starving. You want to make some dinner?"
Sirius nodded, leading her to his kitchen. Luckily, Andromeda kept him well-stocked with groceries, even if he didn't cook. He leaned against the counter, watching Tegan put chicken on the stove before cutting vegetables for a salad. Sirius couldn't help but think it all felt so, well, domestic. A rough day at work, a good fuck to forget, now cooking dinner together like they were in a real relationship and just not fucking on the side.
This was what could have been if he hadn't gone to Azkaban. A normal relationship, custody of Harry, and a normal family life. Deep down, Sirius still wanted that. He wanted to share his life with someone and give Harry a nice family dynamic. Except nothing about his life was normal: war, depression, a shit load of baggage.
Sirius debated telling Tegan about how Harry knew of their relationship, but didn't want to upset her. She had been clear that they would not tell the kids anything, but Sirius refused to lie about it when his godson asked him straight to his face. Honestly, Sirius was surprised it took him so long to realize. He was definitely his mother's son. Lily had been just as oblivious.
"Can you check the chicken?" Tegan asked.
Sirius kicked off the counter, making his way over to the chicken in the skillet and peering down at it. "Err, what do I do?"
Tegan looked at him over her shoulder. "Are you for real right now?"
Sirius offered her an upside-down smile, his eyebrows shooting to his hairline. "I don't cook. We had house-elves growing up. Euphemia made sure James and I were fed the year we lived together. Then, well, then I moved in with my girlfriend at the time and she did all the cooking. We weren't allowed to cook in Azkaban. No kitchen. Just disgusting, lumpy gross shit that makes me want to vomit thinking about it. On the run, rats were my go-to meal. Uncooked. Not the most appetizing thing ever. They were better tasting if I was a dog. And, uh, well, the year at Grimmauld, Molly kept me fed. There's always restaurants and takeaway and prepared foods that you can buy at the market. I survive without cooking."
Tegan burst out laughing. "You're incorrigible, Sirius!"
Sirius grinned at her. "I'll have you know that Harry thinks I make a very delicious ham and mustard sandwich. I've had zero complaints."
Tegan turned towards him, her arms resting on his shoulders. "Oh, do you? Maybe we should break out the ham and mustard so you can make me the best sandwich of my life."
Sirius pressed his hands on her bare bum, pulling her closer to him. "I think that would go wonderful with your little salad you're making, Tee. Are you sure you're okay with me overshadowing your cooking skills with my sandwich making skills?"
Tegan smiled, tugging his face down to meet hers. Their lips met, gliding perfectly against one another. Sirius parted his lips to deepen the kiss when a knock sounded at his door. Sirius groaned against Tegan's mouth, pulling back.
"I should get that just in case," Sirius said before he pointed a finger at her. "I would not object to you finishing up your salad in the complete nude. Just a friendly suggestion."
Tegan laughed as Sirius pulled away from her. He crossed the kitchen, looking back at her over his shoulder to see her prodding the chicken on the stove before he exited the room. Sirius found his trousers laying in the doorway of the parlor, so he grabbed them to make himself at least a little decent. Tegan had his shirt, so that was as clothed as he could get without running upstairs.
Sirius opened the front door to see Dumbledore standing there. There was no sparkle in his blue eyes. Nor did he smile in greeting like he normally did. Something had happened. Sirius could feel it.
"Is Harry all right?" Sirius burst out, his fingers wrapping around the edge of the door.
"Harry is physically fine, albeit a little shaken," Dumbledore replied. "May I enter, Sirius?"
Sirius allowed him to enter, eager to get the talk over with so he could go see Harry. What in Merlin's name was he shaken up about?
"Where were you today, Sirius?" Dumbledore asked.
Sirius blinked at him, his brows tugging down. He couldn't help the spark of anger that rose within him. If Dumbledore thought Sirius had anything to do with the murdered family, he was going to lose his collective shit.
"I thought we trusted each other," Sirius snapped.
"About an hour ago, Harry received a mirror call from Cepheus Black," Dumbledore started, his hands folding in front of his stomach. "Cepheus was distressed, saying that he was signed out of school by his mother and joined by you."
"I haven't seen Cepheus in person since October," Sirius interrupted, his eyes narrowing. "He's in France and I'm in England."
Dumbledore nodded. "Cepheus said he took a Portkey with you and Charlotte, but he does not know where. He had a black eye and a cut on his lip."
Sirius felt the blood drain from his body.
"Then, another person entered the mirror," Dumbledore continued. "Harry said it was you. Except that you did not seem like yourself, that you were cold and harsh with him. You told him you went back to your family, where you were meant to be."
Sirius shook his head, trying to comprehend what was going on. "No, no, I've been with Tegan all evening, for at least the past three or four hours. I wasn't on the mirror with Harry and I haven't seen Cepheus," Sirius said in a rush, twisting so that he was looking at the door of the kitchen. "Tegan! Tee, get in here!"
Sirius' ran his fingers through his hair, trying to comprehend what was going on. He had been Christmas shopping with Andromeda all day because she annoyingly said they needed to get a head start before the rush started. He had gone, tailing after her going from store to store to store. He had only been home for no more than an hour when Tegan showed up. He knew where he was the entire time. It wasn't like he was possessed like Harry had been. Sirius doubted he could be possessed like that after all the years of assault he has already withstood.
Tegan rushed into the entryway, the face blanching at the sight of Dumbledore. She tugged Sirius' t-shirt down as far as it would reach on her thighs, her wide eyes shooting Sirius a death glare.
"Cepheus has apparently been kidnapped by me," Sirius explained to her, his voice trembling just a tad.
Tegan's face instantly softened. "What? When? How?"
"Cepheus had his mirror on him and contacted Harry for help. Harry saw me in the mirror," Sirius elaborated.
"When was this?" Tegan demanded.
"Around an hour ago," Dumbledore supplied.
Tegan shook her head, taking a step closer to Sirius. "He was with me the entire time. Since around six."
Dumbledore looked between them. "I did not believe that Sirius has done anything nefarious on his own accord. I was more concerned about Sirius being placed under the Imperius, but it seems like we are not dealing with that if Sirius was with you."
Sirius drummed his fingers against his thigh, his body vibrating with pent up energy. He needed to see Harry and figure out exactly what his look-alike said to him. Then, he needed to find his nephew. If Voldemort had Cepheus, he wouldn't kill him quite so soon. Hurt him, definitely, but not kill him. However, that wasn't a comforting thought.
A tapping sounded. Sirius turned his head towards the window, feeling time move in slow motion. An owl sat outside his window. It looked like a Ministry owl. Dumbledore made his way over to the window and opened it, nodding at the owl as he took the scroll of parchment. He unrolled it and started to read.
"Ah, yes, I was waiting for this," Dumbledore mused. "I asked Hestia to look into the Portkey registry for the past week to see if anyone obtained a legal Portkey to France. Lucius Malfoy and Rosamond Nott booked a Portkey while Hestia was out of the office. It left three days ago on Hestia's day off. It was misfiled so Hestia missed it. She's been checking the registries every day for you, Sirius. Someone in the Transportation Department purposely misplaced this Portkey information."
Sirius froze. Rosamond traveled with Malfoy to France. Rosamond who had told him Cepheus existed. Rosamond who showed him the Dark Mark she was forced to take. Rosamond who lamented that her own son had been forced to take the Mark. Rosamond who told him where to find Adriano Fidelius – a rescue that had gone too smoothly. It wasn't his grandmother who sold Cepheus and Charlotte out. It was Rosamond, his first and closest friend until he was sorted into Gryffindor at eleven.
"I can safety say that I assume Polyjuice Potion was used," Dumbledore explained.
He should have known better than trusting her. Sirius couldn't help but feel dirty, used. Rosamond had told him everything he wanted to know, gaining his trust so she could what? Spy on him? Figure out where Charlotte lived to obtain her hair so she could kidnap Cepheus?
"Do you know when Lucius Malfoy would have obtained your hair, Sirius?" Dumbledore asked.
Malfoy stole his hair. When? The Quidditch match? Nah, he hadn't gotten close enough. Then, Sirius' heart dropped to his stomach. His run-in with Malfoy in Hogsmeade several days ago. Malfoy had grabbed him, goaded him. Sirius' eyes screwed shut. That's what Malfoy had been doing in Hogsmeade. Sirius wanted to kick himself.
Sirius nodded, his throat closing. "Hogsmeade. He was…" he trailed off, finding it difficult to speak. "He accosted me."
Tegan pressed a hand between his shoulder blades, leaning into his side. "I'll get a missing persons report filed with our Ministry for Cepheus. Do you have a recent photo I could use?" she asked before she turned to Dumbledore. "Where is Charlotte? Is she missing as well?"
"I have no way in contacting Charlotte, nor have I heard from my contacts in the French Ministry yet," Dumbledore replied. "I have sent word to Madam Maxime as well."
Sirius let out a long shaky breath, reaching behind him to tug his mirror out of his back pocket. He stared at his reflection, looking pale with tear tracks running down his face.
"Charlotte Black," Sirius croaked at the mirror.
Sirius sniffed, wiping his free hand underneath his nose. The seconds dragged on. Hope slipped through Sirius' fingertips. Sirius was a glass half-empty kind of bloke. He knew, in his gut, Charlotte was dead. Malfoy would have relished in murdering her. They couldn't have her around for their plan to work. Sirius hung his head.
Tegan wrapped his fingers around Sirius' bicep, her nose pressing into his arm. "I'll put a missing persons report together for Charlotte as well."
"I'll grab you photos," Sirius said in a hoarse voice before he turned to Dumbledore. "I need to talk to Harry."
Dumbledore nodded. "He is with Marlene in her private quarters. You are more than welcome to speak with him."
Sirius let out a breath, trying to compose himself.
"I will let you know as soon as I hear something," Dumbledore continued. "Severus is trying to obtain information."
Sirius scoffed. "He left Marlene to die. You think he's going to willingly help my nephew? Anyone who matters to me?"
Dumbledore sighed. "Sirius, we all made mistakes we regret in life. Severus is no different than the rest of us. The path to atonement is daunting and strenuous."
Sirius honestly did not give a flying fuck. He had zero faith in Snape's loyalties. People like Snape don't change. He was and will always be a slimy little parasite.
Dumbledore bid farewell. As soon as the door closed behind him, Tegan pulled him into a fierce embrace, holding him close for a few moments. Sirius breathed in her sweet citrusy smell, arms tightening around her. He pressed his chin against her dark hair and counted to ten to try to calm his nerves. Because there was work that needed to be done. Sirius would not rest until Cepheus was found. Voldemort wasn't going to sink his teeth into Cepheus like he had Regulus. Sirius would make damn sure of that.
Harry stared at the coffee table, watching the steam rise from a cup of tea he hadn't touched. Ginny curled up next to him, head resting on his shoulder and her thighs against his. Marlene hovered, first bringing them a blanket, then biscuits, and then whatever else she could conjure to ease the sorrow in the room.
The words Sirius said to him played over and over again in his brain. He tried to block out the words, telling himself that there was no way it was actually Sirius talking. His godfather loved him. He would never say any of those things to him.
"You. Mean. Nothing. To. Me."
Harry couldn't decide if Sirius was under the Imperius Curse, if Polyjuice Potion was at play, or if it was something else entirely. Whatever the cause, Harry just wanted to know Sirius was all right and try to help Cepheus. It felt wrong to be sitting in the castle and not out doing something. Anything.
Harry rolled his head back against the sofa, staring at the ceiling. Here he was upset about a few words when Cepheus was chained like an animal. Screwing his eyes shut, Harry tried not to think about Cepheus. He had grown fond of Cepheus since meeting him. Cepheus' insistence they were cousins was endearing. He always wanted a family who wanted him. Within the past six months, more and more people chose to be his family. Now some of that family was threatened.
There was a knock at the door. Harry rolled his head on the sofa, watching Marlene cross the room to open it. The air left Harry's lungs as the door opened to reveal Sirius. His head snapped up, his wide eyes staring as his godfather entered the room. It only took a mere five seconds for Sirius' eyes to lock onto Harry.
Sirius crossed the room, taking long strides. Harry sat up straight on the sofa, causing Ginny to untangle herself from him.
"It wasn't me," Sirius gasped out. "It wasn't me. It was Malfoy," he said in a rush. "I saw him in Hogsmeade several days ago. He grabbed me. He must have taken my hair and used Polyjuiced. Dumbledore has Portkey records to prove he went to France a couple of days ago."
Relief flooded Harry, weight lifted off his shoulders. Harry wanted nothing more than to barrel into his godfather but something made him hesitate. He didn't know what, but he knew he hated the feeling of restraint. He hadn't felt that way in months.
Sirius knelt down in front of Harry, his hand pressing on his knee. "I love you, kid, all right? It wasn't me. Dumbledore said he said nasty things to you. I don't know what it was, but know I would never say anything hurtful to you."
Harry nodded, his limbs twitching for his godfather. A second later, Sirius pulled Harry off the sofa and onto the floor. He wrapped his arms tightly around Harry, holding him close to his chest. Sirius' left hand found its way to the back of Harry's head, where it always laid when Sirius hugged him close. Harry hugged him back just as fiercely.
"I'll find Cepheus," Sirius assured him. "Everything will be okay, all right?"
Harry nodded against Sirius' shoulder. Sirius pressed a kiss to the side of his head before pulling back, though he kept his hands firmly planted on Harry's shoulders.
"What did the fucker say to you?" Sirius asked.
Harry shrugged. "It doesn't matter. It wasn't you."
Sirius' jaw clenched. "I still want to know."
Harry searched Sirius' eyes. "Just that, that the Blacks were your real family. That I meant nothing to you."
Sirius' grip tightened on his shoulders. "You mean everything to me, all right? Everything."
Harry nodded, his lips pulling into a thin line. Sirius cupped his face, his thumbs brushing along Harry's cheeks.
"Are you all right?" Sirius asked.
"I'm fine," Harry replied. "But Cepheus looked hurt."
"You have no idea where he is?" Sirius pressed.
Harry shook his head. "He was in a room. That's all I saw. Cepheus said they took a Portkey."
Sirius' eyes slid closed, his face scrunching up. "All right. Well, it had to have been through a tout," he said, his eyes snapping open. "I'm sure Dumbledore already thinks that and contacted Dung. I have a contact I can get in touch with too."
"But the one to France wasn't through a tout?" Harry clarified.
Sirius let out a bitter laugh, his hands pressing against Harry's shoulders. "No, Malfoy wanted me to know it was him. He's fucking with me," he explained, his hands dropping to rub Harry's arms for a brief moment. "I have to go. I just wanted to check and make sure you were all right."
Harry reached out, grabbing Sirius' wrist. "Can I come with you?"
Sirius searched Harry's face. "You need to stay at school, kid."
Harry wanted to scream. His jaw tightened.
"This is my family too," Harry argued.
Sirius observed him for a few moments, watching him closely. Harry didn't break eye contact.
"You can come home for the night, okay?" Sirius conceded. "But you need to attend class tomorrow. I'll bring you back in the morning. Before I go see my contact. It's too late to go to him now anyway."
It was better than nothing. Harry didn't want to stay at Hogwarts, not with Cepheus suffering somewhere. Harry didn't want Sirius to be alone tonight either. Not knowing how upset he was about Malfoy wearing his face and kidnapping his nephew.
Sirius rose to his full height, holding out a hand for Harry to take. He accepted it. Sirius turned towards Marlene, his face void of any emotion.
"Can I sign him out with you or do I have to hunt down McGonagall?" Sirius asked.
"I have a form, hold on," Marlene replied, rushing over to her satchel on the coffee table and rifling through it.
"Thanks," Sirius said, walking towards her.
Harry turned to see Ginny standing by the sofa, her arms wrapped around her stomach. He closed the space between them.
"If you see Ron, can you tell him I'll be back in the morning?" Harry asked.
Ginny nodded. "Of course."
"You know I'm here for you if you want to talk, don't you, Sirius?" Marlene insisted.
Harry turned to see Sirius hunched over, signing a piece of parchment. Marlene hovered near him.
Sirius looked at his watch briefly before turning back to the parchment. "I know. Thanks, Marly."
Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry's stomach. Harry pulled her into his side, holding her tightly against him. His nerves calmed instantly, her touch warming him.
Sirius straightened, handing the parchment to Marlene. "First class is eight tomorrow, so he'll be back before then."
Marlene smiled softly, accepting the form. "Have his schedule memorized?"
"Do you expect any less from me?" Sirius asked, his hands shoving into the pockets of his leather jacket and pressing his elbows close to his sides.
Marlene reached out, her palm pressing against his arm. "The Order will find him."
"I hope you're right," Sirius whispered.
"You have to believe it, Sirius," Marlene insisted. "Stay positive."
Sirius shook his head. "Nothing has gone right for a very long time, Marlene, so positivity isn't really my strong suit."
"Don't spiral," Marlene pressed, her gaze fierce. "I know you. I know how you operate."
Sirius heaved a sigh. "Yeah."
Marlene's hand dropped from Sirius' arm. She took a step back. Harry couldn't help but snap his attention between the two of them. Sirius turned away from her, focusing his gaze on Harry.
"Ready, kid?" Sirius asked.
Harry turned towards Ginny. Her palm pressed against his cheek. He bent down, brushing his lips against hers in a soft and brief kiss. With a final goodbye, Harry walked to his godfather and allowed Sirius to wrap a secure arm around his shoulders, letting himself be pulled close to his side.
The walk back to Hogsmeade was quiet. Sirius didn't seem like talking and, truthfully, Harry didn't feel like it either. It wasn't until they were in the kitchen, out of public, did Sirius speak.
"We need to establish a secure password between us or something," Sirius said, his body rigid. "Who knows how much of my hair Malfoy snatched. They've probably picked up on our pattern of leaving on Sundays for Gawain's house. Which, we should probably start switching up that location as well. We're too at ease with everything. This is how people get killed in a war. They get too comfortable in their routines."
Harry nodded, his arms crossing over his chest as he leaned against the counter. "What kind of password do you want?"
"Something we can both remember. We should change it often too," Sirius added. "We need to also make sure we have security questions lined up. Things that we can ask one another that only we know in case we think the other is acting funny."
"Okay," Harry agreed, trying to think of something only the two of them would know.
"We need an alert phrase too," Sirius continued. "Like if you're on the mirror in danger and being forced to say everything is all right. We need a discrete phrase we can slide into everyday conversation. Like… how's the cat doing? Because we don't have a cat so it would tell me that you're in danger."
"You've thought a lot about this," Harry whispered.
"It's something I did with your parents and Marlene during the first war," Sirius admitted. "The Imperius was being used left and right back then. We needed to know we could trust that we were all in our right minds."
"What sort of passwords did you use with them?" Harry asked.
Sirius snorted. "Your dad and I used names for our passwords. Sometimes they were made up like Elvendork or sometimes we used Muggle artists names like Ringo Starr. Sometimes I couldn't even remember what name we were using that week so it was useless and we just asked security questions instead. Lily and Marlene were way more methodical with the passwords they picked. There was no theme and easier to remember them because they were so different. But, you know, your dad and I were morons, so…" he trailed off, throwing his hands up.
"You say that a lot," Harry said, a smile twitching on his face.
"Say what?" Sirius asked.
"That you and my dad were morons," Harry supplied.
Sirius chuckled, a ghost of a smile crossing his face. "Because we were. We were arrogant fucking berks who thought we knew everything but, in reality, we were just dumb morons who really didn't know anything at all."
Harry searched Sirius' face, seeing the regret and sadness that clouded his features. Harry wondered if twenty years from now he would think the same way Sirius did. If he'll look back on his life and think that he and Ron were complete idiots most of the time.
"Not that I want to be a paranoid broomstick parent, but we're sleeping together tonight," Sirius said, his tone leaving no room for discussion. "The enchantments on this house aren't the most advanced because Hogsmeade has ruddy stupid ordinances that prevent me from securing it the way I want to. So, I want to be in the same room as you in case something happens. That way, we are already together and can both grab the emergency Portkey."
Harry rolled his eyes. "That's fine. I don't care."
"I can sleep as a dog on the floor," Sirius added.
"You can sleep as Padfoot on the bed," Harry suggested. "The floor sounds terrible."
Sirius stiffened. "All right, yeah, that sounds good. I'll, uh, I'll sleep as, as… Padfoot, I guess."
Harry shifted. "You all right?"
Sirius cleared his throat. "Yeah, it's just… you called me Padfoot."
Harry's brow furrowed, his stomach dropping. "Oh, am I not… allowed to?"
"No, no, it's not that. It's just…" Sirius trailed off, his hand waving uselessly between them. "I don't go by that anymore. Remus and I don't use even those nicknames. It… it makes me… sad, I guess. They feel… tainted now after what Peter did. The names were our sign of brotherhood and friendship, you know? It was what we called each other. Then, then, Peter had to go and ruin everything. He shit all over everything. And I… hate that name now. I hate being called Padfoot."
"I'm sorry, Sirius. I didn't know," Harry said in a soft voice, looking down at his feet.
Sirius shook his head. "Don't apologize, all right? It's part of the reason I had you call me Snuffles when I was on the run."
Harry chewed on the inside of his cheek. "I like Snuffles better anyway."
Sirius let out a sharp bark-like laugh, the tension in the room breaking. "You would because you're a little shit. Snuffles. Merlin, what was Lily thinking?"
"She's nearly as good as Ginny at naming animals," Harry mused. "Snuffles. Archibald. Did she name anything else?"
Sirius chuckled. "I don't think so, but you can ask Marlene if Lils named any childhood pets I don't know about," he suggested before he kicked off the counter. "Let's head to bed. We need to get up early tomorrow."
Harry glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's just after eleven. You never go to bed this early."
Sirius rubbed his hands together, shrugging. "I think my potion is starting to kick in because I've been sleeping a bit better. Not tons, but a little."
Harry raised his eyebrows, making his way over towards Sirius. "That's really great!"
Sirius nodded, leading Harry upstairs to the master bedroom. Harry changed into a t-shirt and joggers that Sirius set out for him before crawling under the covers. Sirius changed into Snuffles before jumping up on the bed, back pressing against Harry's thighs. Harry ran his fingers through the dog's thick hair, his mind wandering to the Malfoy family.
"I need to tell you something," Harry blurted out.
The dog turned his head, his big eyes staring up at Harry.
"I, uh, I had a run in with Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott at school," Harry continued, feeling the dog stiffen underneath his fingertips. "I may have ripped Malfoy's robes back and saw the Dark Mark. I've been watching him on the map. He and Nott have been going to the Room of Requirement a lot lately. I don't know why, but… I needed you to know."
The dog scooted up the bed, his wet nose pressing against Harry's chin. Harry winced, reaching up to wipe the wetness off his face. The dog rested his head on Harry's chest, what sounded like a weird sigh noise escaping the dog's lips. Harry ran his fingers through the dog's fur before closing his eyes.
Remus stared hard at Sirius. Disbelief flooded his body. Sirius showed up at his door, at half past eight in the morning, telling him how Lucius Malfoy and Rosamond Nott kidnapped Cepheus Black. While Remus knew the threat was real, he didn't expect it to happen so soon and this way.
Sirius looked worn with dark circles under his eyes. Truth be told, Remus thought he saw a few new gray hairs sprouting around his ears. Remus wondered when his friend would catch a break.
"So, will you go with me?" Sirius asked again.
Remus jolted out of his musings. "You want me to go see Hector Quade with you?"
"Yeah, he operates in Merseyside," Sirius explained.
"Don't you want to wait and see what Mundungus can dig up?" Remus asked, reluctant to talk with a psychopath like Hector Quade.
Sirius scratched his brow with his thumbnail. "No, because Dung doesn't know a lot of touts. Touts are a different breed of criminal."
Remus let out an incredulous laugh. "I don't think you should associate with Quade."
"Hector likes me," Sirius reasoned.
"Then why do you want me to go with you if not for backup?" Remus pressed.
Sirius shrugged. "Look, last time I saw Hector I was in prison robes and looked pretty rough. He was happy to help give the Ministry the two-finger salute. This time, I'm asking for information. And, I don't know if you noticed, but I don't look as… rough as I used to. And I was declared innocent so I sort of lost… credibility as a criminal with him."
Remus peered at Sirius, his head cocking to the side. "And I have credibility as a criminal?"
"Well, you have some nasty scars and the whole werewolf thing going on, so, uh, yeah, you do," Sirius stated bluntly.
"I've never been to Azkaban," Remus argued. "Nor is my nonexistent criminal record anywhere near as impressive as yours. I mean, I couldn't just run into a battle and risk getting arrested with my condition, so I've never even seen an inside of a Ministry holding cell like you have."
"Hector doesn't know that," Sirius reasoned. "I'll just introduce you as my big bad werewolf mate," he continued in a casual tone, as though that was a common and acceptable thing to boast about.
"Can you not?" Remus grumbled.
Sirius arched an eyebrow. "Do you want Hector to kill us?"
Remus shot Sirius an agitated look. Although Remus agreed to go to with Sirius, he was sure as hell going to make his displeasure known. The two bickered all the way to the Apparition point. Sirius grabbed a hold of him, Apparating them both because he knew all of Quade's little hidey-holes better than Remus did.
Remus and Sirius went from pub to pub to find Quade. Remus realized, with some alarm, that Sirius was more well-known in Quade's circle than he had thought. He watched quietly as Sirius leaned against the bar, ordering two drinks and flirting with some witch. Sirius gave her his infamous grin, complimented her with ease, and soon had her talking about Quade meeting up with a potential client near River Mersey. Sirius must have known where she was talking about, because he asked no more questions.
"Here you can have my drink," Sirius said, sliding the full glass toward her. "Just because you're so gorgeous, Bernadette."
Sirius wasted no time dragging Remus out of the pub. They made their way down to the river with Sirius leading the way. Within fifteen minutes, they found Hector Quade. The man was tall and lean, his face long and narrow. A cigarette hung out of his mouth as he exchanged coins with someone. Sirius hung back, kicking the toe of his boot into the grass and waiting for the transaction to be over with.
"Remember, you're big and scary," Sirius reminded him.
Remus resisted the urge to roll his eyes. When the transaction was over, Sirius straightened to his full height, squaring his shoulders. Sirius could be tall and intimidating when he wanted to be. Remus straightened up a bit too as they approached Quade.
"Sirius, mate, look at you," Quade greeted them, taking a long drag of his cigarette. "Posh bastard. You clean up nice and handsome, don't you?"
"Hector, long time no see," Sirius greeted with a smile. "This is my mate, Remus Lupin. He runs with Greyback."
Remus froze at the words. He gave Sirius a quick glance but tried not to show his displeasure on his face. Apparently, Sirius didn't listen to a fucking word he had said. Quade gave Remus a good run down with his eyes, probably to determine who Remus was. He nodded, seemingly satisfied.
"What can I do for you, Sirius?" Quade asked, tossing his cigarette onto the ground.
"I need information," Sirius replied.
Quade laughed. "You know I don't deal in information."
Sirius nodded, unfazed. "Normally, I wouldn't ask. But my nephew's been kidnapped. I've heard rumors they used a Portkey through a tout. I'm just looking for my nephew."
"Wish I could help, but I can't, Sirius," Quade replied with a shrug.
Sirius smiled. "It was Lucius Malfoy."
Quade shrugged again. "Never heard of him."
Sirius sighed. Then, he rushed Quade, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and shoving him hard against a tree. Remus flinched, unsure if he should draw a wand and fight or stand back playing lookout. Sirius hadn't exactly filled him in on his plan. Knowing Sirius, he was probably winging it. Or he wanted Remus as backup in case anyone stumbled upon them and conveniently forgot to bloody tell him that. Remus was going to fucking kill him.
"I need to know where the Portkey was headed that Malfoy paid for," Sirius hissed.
"Go fuck yourself, Black," Quade retorted, struggling against Sirius' hold. "I'm no grass."
In one swift movement, Sirius rammed his knee upward. Quade let out an awful yelp, his body falling slack against the tree. Remus was certain he only stayed upright because of the tight grip Sirius had on him. Sirius swiped Quade's wand from his pocket before tossing it to Remus, who caught it midair. He stared at it, wondering what the hell he was supposed to do with it.
"Snap it," Sirius commanded.
Remus swallowed, holding the wand in both hands. He lifted his right knee into the air and slammed the wand down onto it. The wand splintered, cracking in half. Remus tossed the useless wand onto the ground.
"TELL ME!" Sirius shouted in Quade's face.
Quade's lips twisted before he spat right on Sirius' face, which he didn't bother to wipe off. Sirius lost it. His fist rammed into Quade's face so hard that he fell to the ground. He sneered down at Quade, his eyes wild, as he rammed his foot into Quade's throat. An awful gagging sound filled the air and Quade's hands tried to push Sirius' foot off him.
"Where was the Portkey to?" Sirius questioned in a dangerously low voice. "You're the best at obtaining illegal Portkeys with little to no trace. Malfoy would have wanted the best. I know you know. I'm not an idiot, Hector."
Quade smiled, a mouthful of blood. "You going to kill me, Black?" he asked in a strangled voice.
Sirius straightened his knee, applying more pressure to Quade's throat. "Nah, I'll let Greyback's pack have a go at you," he said in a low drawl, his head inclining back towards Remus. "I hear they have fun ripping someone apart. Isn't that right, Lupin?"
Remus took a step forward, his eyes staring down at Quade. "I've seen Greyback hang his enemies by their toes and skin them," he said, telling the truth. Remus had vomited for hours after he had arrived home.
Sirius' face pulled. "Sounds ghastly, doesn't it, Hector?"
"It lasts days," Remus added for effect, though he had never witnessed it lasting all that long. Greyback was impatient. He loved watching the light leave someone's eyes.
Sirius eased his boot off Quade's throat. "Where was the Portkey to, Hector?"
Quade looked between Sirius and Remus. His lips pulled back to reveal his teeth. Sirius raised his eyebrows, as though challenging Quade to say anything else besides the answer he sought. Remus had seen Sirius act like this before: cold and ruthless. Sirius was dangerous when he wanted to be, commanding respect and answers like no one else. It was part of the reason he had believed Sirius to be the spy. He had been completely unhinged while in the Order during the first war. Sirius had no issue killing or pulverizing someone.
"Wiltshire," Quade hissed.
Sirius grinned, his hands clapping together. "Excellent! See, that wasn't so hard, was it? Did we really need the dramatics?"
"You better watch your back, Black," Quade croaked, scrambling back away from Sirius.
"Oooh, I'm scared," Sirius said in a sarcastic tone, turning towards Remus. "Are you scared, Lupin? Because I'm absolutely petrified."
Remus shrugged, his hands shoving into his pockets so he could wrap his fingers around his wand. "I mean, I guess it's your funeral if you want to mess with Greyback."
Sirius snapped his fingers and pointed at Quade. "Ah, yeah, I'll be sure to send some flowers."
Without another word, Quade Disapparated with a loud crack. Sirius broke out laughing, thumping Remus on the back.
"Nice job, Remus," Sirius complimented, finally wiping the spit off his face. "Didn't know you had it in you."
Remus pushed Sirius' arm away. "What the fuck are you thinking? Quade is fucking psychotic! What if he comes after us?"
Sirius nodded, a frown etching on his face. "Oh, he'll definitely come after us. With some friends too. At some point, we'll have to kill him."
"Are you mad?" Remus hissed.
"Look, it'll take him awhile to figure out we were lying about our association with Greyback," Sirius reasoned, sounding far too unconcerned for Remus' liking. "Plus, the Aurors have been trying to nab Hector for decades. I'll drop some friendly anonymous tips to secure his capture. It'll be fine."
"You could bloody well have warned me this was your plan!" Remus protested. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
Sirius raised his eyebrows, his head dropping just slightly to the side. "There's a lot fucking wrong with me. But, anyway, that was like plan D. I decided to skip right to it because I wasn't in the mood for the other plans. This way took less time."
"Sirius–"
"I need to give this information to Tegan," Sirius interrupted. "Thanks for coming with me, Remus. Oh, hey, was the skinning thing real?"
Remus glared at Sirius. "Yes."
Sirius winced. "Merlin, that's awful. I'll see you later, yeah?"
With that, Sirius was gone. Remus groaned, his head dropping back to look up at the sky. He knew this was only the beginning of Sirius' warpath. When Sirius focused on something, he didn't stop until he accomplished the mission. Remus knew this wouldn't be the last time Sirius called on him for help. He just hoped next time didn't involve beating up a psychopath and risk dying a horrific death.
Sirius stormed into the Auror Department, his eyes scanning for Tegan. Several Aurors peered at him, whispers breaking out around him. Sirius held his head high and made his way over to the Violent Crimes Division and walked along the wall looking at the nameplates outside the offices. He stopped short of a door, gold nameplate reading Tegan D. Robins, Head of Violent Crimes. Knocking his knuckle against the door, he waited for her invitation to enter.
Once he heard her voice, he opened the door slowly to see her standing at a table with Gawain Robards. He shut the door behind him, pressing his back against the wood.
"What do you want, Sirius?" Gawain barked.
Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Oh, wow, you're more pleasant than normal. Good to know."
Gawain scowled. Tegan crossed the room towards him, her face soft.
"Did you hear?" Tegan whispered, her fingers wrapping around his wrist.
Sirius furrowed his brow. "Hear what?"
Tegan's face fell, her thumb brushing along the inside of his wrist. "I heard back from the French Ministry of Magic. Charlotte Black was found dead in her home."
Sirius sighed, his eyes screwing shut. "How?"
"You don't need to know the details, Sirius," Tegan insisted.
Sirius snapped his eyes open. "They tortured her, didn't they?"
"Without a formal autopsy, they suspect that she died due to blood loss," Tegan said carefully.
That was all Sirius needed to know. Malfoy watched as she bled out in pain. It probably brought him some sick satisfaction. Sirius buried his grief, knowing Charlotte would want him to stay focused on saving Cepheus. He had to go numb, not think or feel. Push it all down until it was untouchable and kept at bay.
Sirius cleared his throat. "The Portkey used to take Cepheus was to Wiltshire, though I doubt they're staying in one location for long. They probably Apparated when they were back in the country, if I had to wager a guess."
"And how the fuck do you know that?" Gawain demanded.
"Hector Quade told me, which, by the way, I can provide you a list of his normal haunts in Merseyside. He Apparated near River Mersey. I can give you the exact location so you can try to track him. That's one of his normal selling points," Sirius explained. "If you could, I don't know, arrest him and lock him in Azkaban before he murders me, that'd be great."
Tegan raised his eyebrows at him. "What did you do, Sirius?"
Sirius' face pinched. "Err, I may or may not have beat him up and then threatened to have Fenrir Greyback skin him alive."
Tegan screwed her eyes shut. Gawain continued to scowl.
"I would love to know what the fuck goes on in that ruddy head of yours!" Gawain snapped. "There is something seriously wrong with you!"
"All right," Tegan said loudly, her eyes snapping open. "Wiltshire. There's a lot of old Malfoy properties there, so that makes sense."
"There are Lestrange properties there too," Sirius added. "Specifically, one that used to belong to Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange. It should have gone to Rosamond Nott once they were incarcerated."
"So, we'll search those properties and see if we can't find something," Tegan suggested. "I think you're right. They will move him. It's only a matter of when at this point."
Sirius nodded. "What can I do?"
"Go home, Sirius," Gawain replied. "You're not an Auror. You're nothing more than a vigilante at this point. I can't have you interfering."
Sirius shot him a look. "This is my nephew we're talking about."
Gawain shook his head. "I can't protect you, you understand that, right? If you're arrested because you're barreling fist first into this, I can't offer you protection, not with Bones in office. I'm not fucking Merrick McKinnon. I don't have the sway or the pull with either Bones or the Wizengamot."
That made Sirius hesitate. Flashes of Harry appeared on the back of his eyelids. Harry was his number one priority, had to be. Harry had no one else. Then again, Cepheus didn't have anyone anymore either. Sirius wanted to scream.
Sirius sucked in a breath. "I want regular updates. I can't just sit and do nothing. If you get even a single lead, I know a lot of people. I can get information."
"By threatening to skin them alive?" Gawain questioned in a dull voice.
Sirius rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. "Hector is a unique case. He responds well to crazy because he is crazy himself."
Gawain shot him a look but didn't say anything.
Tegan gave his wrist a squeeze. "I'm sorry, Sirius. I wish I had better news," she whispered. "I'll let you know if we have any leads on Cepheus. We have a meeting with Dumbledore tonight. Snape went out this morning to poke around for information, so I'll hopefully have some update late tonight."
Sirius leaned down low, his eyes locking with Tegan's. "Don't trust Snape. He knew Marlene was alive and left her to die. He can't be trusted."
Tegan stiffened. "I'll be careful."
Sirius nodded, straightening to his full height. He turned to leave, Tegan's grip falling from his wrist. Before he made it to the door, a hand grabbed his bicep and he turned around to see Tegan standing there. Her free hand wrapped around the back of his neck, pulling him down to her height. Her lips crashed against his. He slipped for a second, feeling a warmth flood his veins. It was a little pick-me-up, something that could keep him going for a bit longer without losing his mind.
Then, someone cleared their throat. Sirius remembered Gawain had been in the room. He pulled away from Tegan, his tongue licking his bottom lip.
"I'll be by your place tonight. Be safe," Tegan whispered, her thumb brushing against the corner of his mouth.
"You too," Sirius replied before turning and leaving.
He walked through the Auror Department, his mind fogged with thoughts and emotions he didn't know how to categorize. One thing he knew was he didn't want to be alone. It was times like these Old Sirius would start drinking. But Sirius was a new man, or at least he was trying to be. He couldn't have even a sip without falling arse over face down the slippery slope. He knew himself.
Instead, he found himself walking toward St. Mungo's. He had no idea if anyone had told Andromeda the news about Cepheus. While she had never met Cepheus, she listened with rapt attention anytime Sirius mentioned him. She would want to know what happened.
The Alchemy Room was located on the ground floor. Sirius had only been there a handful of times when he was younger. The awful time he went to tell her Regulus was declared dead. He remembered her break down. Sirius holding her on her office floor, next to her cauldron, as she sobbed.
Sirius made his way down the long potioneer corridor as his eyes flickered at the nameplates on the offices. He stopped when he saw Andromeda Tonks, Master Potioneer on the one door. It was open a crack so he pushed it open to see into the room. But his cousin was not in her office.
Sirius looked around, trying to find out where the Brewing Room could be located. He continued down the hallway, following a pungent smell. Rounding the corner, he located the Brewing Room and peeked through the glass. He spotted Andromeda immediately, hairnet on her head, watching a young Potioneer at a cauldron. Sirius knocked on the glass, everyone looking up at him.
Andromeda's face tensed immediately as she hustled towards the door. She slipped out into the hallway, her hand instantly gripping onto Sirius' arm.
"What happened?" she whispered.
Sirius swallowed. "Voldemort has Cepheus. Charlotte is dead."
Andromeda's eyes searched Sirius' face. "How? I thought Madam Maxime was on high alert."
Sirius gestured her to follow him, away from prying eyes and ears. They entered her office, the door closing behind them. Sirius added several layered privacy charms for good measure before turning around and telling her everything.
Andromeda broke down immediately, gripping him tight as she cried into his shoulder. Sirius experienced an awful case of déjà vu as he tried to keep his own emotions at bay. He couldn't break down. Not now. Not yet. Sirius tightened his grip around Andromeda, his throat closing so tight that he didn't know how much longer he would be able to continue breathing.
Ginny leaned against the stone wall on the seventh floor, watching as Harry and Ron paced back and forth in front of the Room of Requirement. Malfoy and Nott entered hours ago. Harry tried to enter the room nonstop, but nothing worked. The room was locked from the inside, keeping everyone who tried to utilize the room securely on the outside.
Ron pressed his palm against where they normally entered, his face scrunching up as he looked around trying to find any way in. Ginny knew it was hopeless. It was a secure room. Nobody bothered them during the D.A. meetings. Fred and George figured out a way to secure it and then taught Harry. Malfoy and Nott must have done something similar.
"You reckon if we knew what room they were conjuring we could get in?" Ron questioned, stepping back to look the wall up and down.
Harry shrugged. "Not if they locked it."
"Secret passage?" Ron inquired, his head tilting to the side.
"None that I know of," Harry admitted.
Ron turned towards Harry, a wide smile crossing his face. "Blow up the wall?"
Harry snorted. "Yeah, Seamus, let's blow up school property."
Ron sighed, glancing down at his watch. "Bloody hell. I am supposed to meet Anthony Goldstein for prefect duty. Fucking kill me, Harry."
"Nah, I'll pass," Harry replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "Can't have history repeating itself. Mate betraying a mate, kind of already done."
Ron barked out a laugh. "Fucking dark, mate," he said, clapping Harry on the back. "I'll see you later. Good luck."
Ron turned towards Ginny, shooting her a two-finger salute before dashing off down the corridor. Ginny rolled her eyes, head shaking. Sometimes, she really hated having all brothers. She wondered what it would be like to have a sister who wasn't trying to agitate her all the damn time.
Harry leaned against the wall next to Ginny, his face drawn into a thin line. Ginny leaned into his side resting her temple against the side of his shoulder. She had no comforting words to offer that weren't outright lies. There was no way to enter the room. No way to see what Malfoy was doing. These were just facts.
"It's annoying," Harry grumbled.
Ginny reached out, wrapping her fingers around his palm. "I don't think this is the way to go about trying to figure out what they're doing. We can't break into the room while they're in it. There's a reason we used it for the D.A."
Harry's thumb brushed against her hand. "We need to keep trying. They're Death Eaters. They're not doing anything innocent in there."
Ginny frowned. "I know, Harry."
The wall shifted. Harry moved quick, pulling Ginny into a small alcove. Her back pressed against the wall as Harry's chest pressed against hers. He peered around the corner, his body tight against hers. She struggled to breath, harsh breaths escaping her parted lips. Harry squinted behind his glasses as footfalls fell in the distance.
"It looked like… junk," Harry whispered, easing away from her. "I saw a glimpse of the room. It was just piles and piles of stuff."
Ginny frowned.
"I have an idea," Harry announced suddenly, pushing off her and disappearing out of the alcove.
Ginny let out a small huff of air, her body tingling, as she followed him. Harry paced. A door appeared, and Harry held out a hand for her. Ginny rushed to his side, their hands connecting as they entered the Room of Requirement together.
It was a mess. Shelves of various objects littering the room from floor to ceiling. It was deep, deeper than Ginny had ever seen the room.
"What did you ask for?" Ginny asked.
Harry pulled her deeper into the room, his head snapping from side to side. "I asked for what the last room was while thinking about what I saw."
"Oh, I'm surprised that worked," Ginny replied, her eyes locking with a shelf of crystal balls.
"What could Malfoy and Nott be doing in here?" Harry wondered out loud. "I mean, look at all of this stuff."
"Harry, it's impossible to tell," Ginny reasoned. "We need to find a way to break into the room while they're in it. But I just don't know that's possible."
Harry ran his fingers along a shelf of dusty books. Ginny chewed on her bottom lip, her eyes scanning the room more. Nothing stood out to her as important. But there had to be something important buried in here.
"I'll write Fred and George," Ginny announced. "If anyone can figure out how to break into this room with Malfoy and Nott in here, it's them."
Harry nodded, his fingers squeezing around her palm. It was a place to start at least. That's all they needed. A small spark of hope.
I have been SO excited for this story arc. Don't forget to drop a review. They motivate me to keep writing and stay on my posting schedule. Not to mention, they just make my day.
Special thanks to justalittleconfusing for being FABULOUS, per usual. She's a gem.