Chapter Six
Nikka felt rather bad, using her best friend's wedding as a cover, but it seemed like the best way forward and Tonks completely understood when Nikka had explained the situation to her.
Ryker and Stefan were only too happy to volunteer for the 'dangerous' mission of getting Sirius out of St Mungo's and into the Manor. He was currently perfectly safe in the hospital, but times were changing quickly and Nikka couldn't risk him not being safe, or worse, used against them.
Lily and Lucius had been talking; they gave it, at most, two months after the Ministry fell that they would all be on a wanted list.
And it wasn't a question of 'if' the Ministry fell- it was 'when'. They already had several people in place and that was before Tonks and Nikka had left. It would only have gotten worse since then.
Nikka was a well bred young lady, with a first rate up bring. She never thought that she'd have been fired, from the same job, twice before she was even twenty four.
Her face was far too well known around St Mungo's for her to get in and out quietly. There was also the issue of it would be expected that she would go to take Sirius, they'd be watching out more carefully for her.
Which left them all here. Nikka excitedly getting ready for the wedding while her brothers broke into the biggest Wizarding hospital in the country to kidnap someone.
She secured the rose crown in her hair and made sure that her floaty dress was straight before heading to Tonks' room.
Stefan and Ryker spotted her walking down the hall and gestured for her to duck into the nearest room.
It was a large open space, with plenty of light, however the furniture being all covered by large, dusty sheets made it seem rather creepy.
"We're going to head off as soon as we can, shouldn't be more than ten or twenty minutes from now." Stefan said, checking his watch, "You doing OK, Sis?"
Nikka let out a pained laugh, "OK isn't exactly how I would put it. I will be though. I'll feel better once Sirius is here."
"It's going to be safe taking him from the hospital, right?" Ryker asked.
Nikka nodded, "Yes. I've asked every time I go in, always have, what they're doing but the answer has always been the same, there's nothing to do. And we can look after him, make him comfortable here just as well as there. Lucius has already said that he'll have house elves with him around the clock, if no one else is free."
Stefan and Ryker nodded.
"Room 739 right?" Stefan double checked.
Nikka nodded, "Yep that's the one. It shouldn't be protected or anything, not yet."
They both nodded, wrapping their sister in a hug.
"You look really pretty." Ryker smiled, "Go on, before you're missed."
"Maybe I should come with you?" Nikka suggested, chewing the side of her cheek, "An extra wand couldn't hurt… and I'm trained."
"Get going you!" Stefan laughed, "Stop worrying so much, you'll get wrinkles!"
"Well… more wrinkles." Ryker smirked.
"Nice." Nikka frowned, giving him a playful smack, "Just stay safe."
"We will." they promised her.
Nikka left the room and headed off down the corridor, leaving her brothers leaning against the wall.
"How long do you think we should leave it?" Ryker asked, checking his watch, "It's half ten, wedding is due to start at midday."
"I suggest leaving at just after half eleven." Stefan said, running a hand over the back of his neck, "Everyone will be finishing getting ready or out the back by then so we can slip out the front."
They wondered back to the room where they were staying and double checked they had everything. They'd got an old school bag to gather up the pictures and things that Sirius had with him and made sure that their wands were easy to grab in their every day robes.
The clock ticked on, annoyingly slowly, until half passed eleven finally rolled around. They did their final checks and they walked slowly out the Manor.
Lucius knew to expect them back, hopefully within the hour. He could dart off during the photographs to let them in and be back before anyone really noticed he was gone.
It seemed weird, to bring the soul heir to that side of the Black family into Malfoy Manor as invisibly as possible.
Ryker and Stefan passed through the blood ward, shaking off the feeling of magic when they reached the other side. It was still Malfoy land for miles and miles in every direction, only the main house and it's immediate gardens were protected. It was enough to keep them safe, and give them some fresh air. It would have taken a hundred or more Malfoys to protect all their land.
They apparated to the run down street just outside St Mungo's and noticed how different it looked from the last time.
The mannequin that stood in the window leading to the hospital had been changed since last time, it was in far better condition and looked them up and down disapprovingly.
"We're hear to visit." Stefan said clearly, it was a total lie but he was a very good liar.
The mannequin gave a sharp nod, its head wobbling a little and let them through the glass window.
The waiting room was far less busy than normal as well, but those who were there seemed more hurt than they usually would be. These were nearly all the victims of attacks, not magic gone accidentally wrong.
A pair of wizards were standing next to the door way, and handed them both a clipboard with a form and quill.
"We're just here to visit, not to check in." Ryker said politely, trying to hand back the clipboard.
"All visitors, no matter why they are here, must fill out the attached forms." one of the wizard said to them with a large sigh, "You return them to the front desk."
"Of course." Stefan said with a smile, "What do you think? Fill them in with our real names or not?"
Ryker wrinkled his nose in disgust, reading over the questions, "Nikka never mentioned this, it must be new. Real names I think, look, she's checking them against some sort of list."
Stefan nodded and guided him to a couple of spare seats.
"Blood-status muggle born?" the witch at the reception desk sneered, "Floor four"
The witch flicked her tightly curled, black hair and shook her head to the smart red head beside her, "Fourth one today. Bad enough they're stealing magic, they could at least be careful with it! Stop stealing resources from those who really need them."
"Couldn't agree more." the red head nodded, "They're just messin' around with stuff they have no right to. They should be refused access here, let them sort themselves out if they're so clever!"
Stefan and Ryker gave each other worried looks. There had always been some who thought that way, that muggle borns were just stealing the wizarding culture that they had no right to, but normally it was kept quiet, whispered in corners not blurted out loudly while at work.
They filled in the forms, they would have no trouble getting in as they were both pure-bloods, even though they hadn't been named as part of the sacred twenty eight. Partly because they were still viewed as a French family, their name was on the French list after all, and partly as their family had always been very inclusive of everyone, no matter what their background.
Ryker flashed the young witch at the desk his best smile, he was at least ten years older than her but it worked.
"Pure-bloods?" she said, fluttering her long eyelashes, "I'm sure I've heard of the DeGeres before, you're a really good family."
"We try." Stefan said, fighting not to roll his eyes. The witch didn't look nearly as interested in him as she did Ryker, something that had often been the story of his life.
"So… where are you off to, today?" the witch smiled.
"Ah here to visit a friend, don't worry we know the way." Ryker smiled back at her.
"Well, if there's anything I can help you with…"
"Oh I'll be sure to come find you." Ryker said with a wink.
Stefan and Ryker made their way over to the lift and waited until there was one they could get in alone.
"Bloody hell that was rough." Stefan said with a shake of his head, "The way she perked up when she saw you were a pure-blood!"
Ryker nodded, "Tell me about it, made me feel… dirty really. Don't like the way they were talking about that poor muggle born either."
"They're getting more through the door because there are more and more attacks happening, anyone could see those burns were no accident." Stefan said, shaking his head again, "Nikka was right to want to get him out of here before anything happens."
The lift doors pinged and opened, letting them out into the dingy hallway. Room 739 was only a short way down the hallway, hidden slightly around a corner, in the long stay area.
Ryker and Stefan walked into the picture covered room and locked the door behind them, both with the doors lock and a quick spell.
"We should get started." Stefan said, "It's a shame these all have to come down."
"They can put them up again." Ryker pointed out, "And they'll have more room for even more drawings. It would take them years to fill the walls in Malfoy Manor's library."
"Danica has given Vol… sorry… You-Know-Who a really big nose!" Stefan laughed, "Sorry, nearly forgot that we're not meant to be saying his name."
"Just one more thing we need to try and remember. We grew up being one of the few families to say his name and it's rather come back to bite us." Ryker smirked, "Although it would be interesting to see, 'Taboo' verses Blood wards."
"Maybe not until we don't need the Blood wards any more?" Stefan suggested.
"Spoil sport." Ryker laughed, "I thought I was meant to be the grown up responsible one?"
They finished taking down the many, many pictures that Harry and Danica had drawn and packed them carefully in the satchel. They also put away his pink dog collar and the picture of Nikka and Harry.
"Do you think we should of brought some clothes with us?" Stefan asked, "I feel kinda bad stealing ones from here."
"Maybe." Ryker shrugged, "But the whole idea is to make it look like we've not taken him, so we wouldn't be able to leave them here anyway, unless you suggest tucking them back into bed to make it look like he melted or something?" he said, perfectly seriously.
"No… I suppose not. We'll donate enough to buy far more than some pyjamas after it all." Ryker flicked his wand and copies of the pictures, collar and photo flew into place.
"Now for the hard bit." Stefan whispered, even though they were the only ones in the room, "Gods he ways a ton!"
He didn't weight as much as he did when he'd first arrived, much of his muscles having wasted away but it was still not easy to lift him as a dead weight.
Stefan gave Sirius's sleeping form a good tug so they could disconnect the wires from his head.
Ryker helped him hold the other side and gave a difficult turn on the spot to apparate out.
Nothing happened.
"I thought Nikka said it wasn't protected?!" Stefan hissed.
Ryker looked around, "Well I don't hear any alarms, they must have just blocked the room rather than set up any alert systems. Yet. Thank the gods we came today."
Stefan looked around, "Stay here, I'll check the hallway."
Stefan took the trace they'd brought with them, so they would be able to apparate straight back into the hospital. Highly illegal and very much classed as 'Dark Magic', but it was needed for the plan to work.
Stefan stepped out into the hallways, tucked the trace in a corner and left the building with a pop, popping back a second later.
"It's just this room." Stefan told his brother, "They must have guessed we'd think about moving him."
"So we carry him into the hall." Ryker sighed. He flicked his wand, lifting Sirius effortlessly from the bed, "Is it clear?"
Stefan looked back out into the hall, "Yep."
Ryker placed the trace in one of the draws next to Sirius's bed, before carefully guiding him from the room, checking the hallway as he went.
"Let's go then." Stefan said, looking around, "I want to get gone sooner rather than later."
They held hands, holding onto Sirius as well and left the hospital, arriving neatly out of the suffocating darkness on the grass, just outside the Malfoy wards.
"Let's not tell Nikka we left her beloved on the grass." Stefan grinned.
Ryker snorted a laugh, "Good idea. Even if it is only for fifteen minutes at most."
Ryker lowered Sirius to the ground, while Stefan conjured several blankets to wrap him in, making sure he wouldn't get cold. They were both very glad it wasn't raining.
They linked hands once again and arrived with an echoy pop back in the hospital room. It looked exactly as it had when they'd arrived, apart from the now empty bed.
"No point hanging around really." Ryker sighed, "What do you think they'll do with all the copies?"
Stefan shrugged, "No idea. Either chuck 'em, put them in storage or give them to Nikka I guess."
"I'm glad we made copies." Ryker sighed, grabbing the trace from the draw, "Come on."
They silently left the room, making sure to close the door behind them. It was difficult, the walk back to the entrance of the hospital, making sure they smiled at the right people, chatted rather than walking sullenly or nervously.
The witch from the front desk called Ryker over, slipping a bit of parchment with her address into his pocket, just in case he ever wanted to write to her.
Ryker grinned at her and suggested he might just do that, while Stefan rolled his eyes and made throwing up noises, causing the other witch to smile.
Less than ten minutes after they'd left Sirius's hospital room, they were standing with him again as Lucius extended a hand to allow them through the wards.
"All go to plan?" Lucius whispered, even though once again there was no one around.
"Yeah pretty much. They'll be doing rounds again this evening so they'll spot it then." Stefan sighed, "Just up to Nikka to give a good enough panicked slash furious impression when they contact her."
Lucius nodded, "The house elves have prepared his room, do you know where to go?"
Stefan and Ryker nodded.
"Good. I should get back to the wedding." Lucius told them, "But do come and find me if there is anything I can do to help."
Stefan and Ryker nodded again and floated Sirius into the Manor.
The prepared room was on the ground floor. It was once a day room for ladies, and just off the library but it had been stripped bare, repainted into a soft, dusty red with a small table and several chairs around a single, large bed, with a carved wooden headboard.
It was Sirius's bed from Grimmauld Place, one of the few things they'd been able to take with them. They'd all thought it was important that Sirius had his own bed to sleep in.
They tucked Sirius into the fresh, warm sheets and rang the little bell that was sat on the table. Someone would be there as soon as they were free.
"Should we just head down to the meal?" Stefan asked, it seemed a little rude to drop into the wedding now, but it would also do good to be seen.
"I think so. I don't know about you but I'm starving!" Ryker grinned.