Author's Note: I feel I should inform people not to always expect this quick of a turn around for chapters. I just had a bunch of this already written from earlier drafts, so it wasn't much work to edit it to fit what the story is now. Regardless, enjoy!
Chapter 12: Mischief of a Marauder
Sirius Black is having a rather bad day, and that is saying something.
Now, his normal days aren't anything to brag about. They usually consist of plotting ways to murder Wormtail should he ever get free, cursing himself for his stupidity at abandoning his goddaughter in her time of need, and mourning in what little ways he can the loss of the only true family he's ever known. The dementors don't help any, what with their sucking away every decent memory he has, thus leaving him to live with only the worst of them. Still, he survives because he knows he's innocent, not that that's a particularly happy thought right now.
But about why today is one of the actual bad days.
Just yesterday, the Aurors currently stationed here had started talking about the news taking their world by storm. His Evelyn, the beloved Girl-Who-Lived, has gone missing. Not only had Dumbledore apparently left her with bloody Petunia(who Sirius knows Lily would never leave her child with, even if something prevented both him and Alice from taking custody of Evelyn, which did end up happening), but now, a month before her eleventh birthday, she's blown up the staircase in their home before disappearing into thin air along with her cousin. No one has any idea where they've gone to, and rumors are flying left and right about where that somewhere might be.
All Sirius is able to do is just sit and plan out how he's going to murder Petunia alongside Wormtail, because Merlin and Morgana, it's the scandal of the year! The Girl-Who-Lived kept in a cupboard underneath a Muggle staircase! Sirius had a very vivid dream last night of tearing out Petunia's throat. It was highly satisfying.
So when the shouting starts, he doesn't pay it much heed. The other inmates shout all the time, even if said shouts sound slightly more hysterical than usual if one actually pauses to consider them(and no one does).
It's when the lightning and thunder begin as it pours that he starts truly paying attention. The weather at Azkaban is horrible to begin with but this, this is quickly bordering on ridiculous. Shortly after the storm whips itself into a frenzy, people start screaming. There's enough static in the air that he accidentally shocks himself by touching the metal door to his cell. Then the screams go abruptly silent, leaving behind only the sound of the wind whistling through the stone hallways. Everything about the situation has set his teeth on edge, so when his prison door explodes inwards, he feels well within his rights to let out a startled high-pitched squeak of fright.
"Brother, do calm down before you kill the man with a heart attack," an unknown male voice drawls. "Should that happen, I will be informing Evelyn that it is your fault her godfather died in prison."
Sirius is scrambling to his feet the instant his goddaughter is mentioned. "Evelyn, you know where she is?" he demands hoarsely. He freezes momentarily as emerald green eyes so like Lily and Evelyn settle onto him, but he steels himself. There's no way he's backing down now at this point. Not with Evelyn on the line.
The green-eyed man raises an eyebrow, but answers his question. "Should she be where she promised, then in the gardens with my mother getting a lesson."
A head of golden hair peeks around the edge of the doorway. "Yes, and Mother won't be able to keep her occupied for long, so we should leave while there is still time," the new man cautions.
He might've been in Azkaban for a while, but that hasn't made Sirius stupid. If anything, it's made him less stupid, because he isn't going to go charging off at the first opportunity anymore. "You'll take me to her? You'd swear to do that?"
If he's not mistaken, a glimmer of approval flashes through green eyes. "I swear to you that I will bring you to Evelyn Rosalise Potter, and may my magic forsake me if I lead you astray."
Well, he'll take that, given that he's not really in any sort of position to make any further demands. "So mote it be." It's a peculiar feeling, feeling the magic bound oath settle into place after over tens years of not really using his own magic beyond shifting to and from Padfoot to avoid the dementors.
"Right then, can you walk unaided?"
It takes a moment for the question to register, and even longer before Sirius realizes it's directed towards him. "Can I what?"
"Can you walk unaided?" the man repeats. "I will have my brother carry you if we must, but we are leaving with you now, one way or another."
Even battered and drained as he is, Sirius still has his pride. He's always vowed that when he leaves this prison, it'll be under his own power. "I'll bloody well walk myself out, thanks."
"Very well then." His rescuer jerks his head towards the outside while taking a step backwards to clear the doorway. "Whenever you're ready."
It's that statement that makes the enormity of the situation hit him like a Bludger to the head. He actually leaving Azkaban. Really, truly leaving. Mercifully, neither man says a word as Sirius draws in a startled gasp of breath. They just patiently wait for him to sort himself out. It takes a few deep breaths, but he finally feels steady enough to go. The high of taking that first step out of his cell feels like he's freefalling through the clouds on his broom.
Of course, then he has to go and remember the dementors. Or, rather, the lack of them. He's cold, because he's on a gods forsaken rock in the middle of the ocean, but not dementor cold. A look down the hall tells him why. There's a falcon patronus hovering in midair, beating its wings furiously at the dementors gathered at the end of the hallway.
"Who's—"
"That would be mine," the green eyed man states with fondness. He holds out an arm, and as if it were a real falcon, the patronus banks back and lands on the offered perch. Sirius swears to himself that it almost looks solid enough to touch, but he's never heard of a patronus doing that before. "I had a rather good teacher and some excellent memories to draw from."
This, for some reason, makes the blond man gag. "There are some things, brother, I am much better off not knowing, and that is one of them."
A rather sly smile spreads across the other man's lips. "I'll have you know, I have no need to draw from those particular memories. Our wedding day is more than enough." The blond huffs, but makes no further comment. "Shall we?"
After eyeing the dementors one last time, Sirius agrees. "Yeah, let's go."
The green eyed man starts off towards the exit, and Sirius falls into step behind him with the blond taking up the rear. It's only when they pass another cell that Sirius realizes all the other inmates are silent. No one is making a sound as they pass by.
"Well, that's just bloody creepy," he mutters to himself.
A "Hm?" is tossed back at him.
"They're all quiet," he points out. "It's never this quiet."
"Ah, that would be my fault," the green eyed man states blandly. "Their shouting was annoying me, so I silenced them. Also, there's no need for you to worry about any of them telling anyone who helped you escape. None of them will remember this little portion of time once we're gone from here."
Sirius can't help gaping at the man's back. The amount of power and precision necessary to accomplish all that is staggering.
"My brother is rather accomplished in the magic of mind arts," the blond man says softly from behind. Sirius twists his head to see him looking towards his brother with a solemn expression. "It is the result of having been under someone's control and forced to do things he still regrets to this day. Have no fear, Sirius Black, for if my brother says he will do something, then it will be done."
"Hadn't thought that far ahead, actually," he returns hoarsely.
The blond's expression morphs into sad understanding. "No, I don't suppose you would have. Just as well that we have my brother for that."
"Yes, I do tend to think further ahead than you," the other man drawls, stopping just short of the doorway outside where the storm still rages. "Brother, if you would be so kind?" While Sirius doesn't understand what's being asked, the blond does, as he proceeds to step out into the storm and raise his hand. There's a flash of lightning followed by a booming clap of thunder, and then silence. "Quickly now." Sirius' arm is grabbed and he's steered out onto the bare rock.
"Heimdell, we're ready!" the blond calls out.
The green eyed man plants himself and Sirius right by his brother before he warns, "I would suggest bracing yourself."
"Brace my—?" The world around him dissolves into a dizzying display of rainbow colors as he feels like he goes hurling into the air. How long it lasts, he's never able to say. When his feet hit solid ground again, his legs buckle out from underhead him. "Bloody hell, what was that?" he groans, pressing his face into the cool metal he's lying on. He squeezes his eyes shut while attempting to settle his rolling stomach.
"The Bifrost can be a bit tricky when one isn't used to it."
"The Bi-what?"
"Open your eyes, Sirius Black, and look."
Suppressing another groan, Sirius lifts his head and is suddenly quite thankful he's already on the ground. Before him is a rainbow bridge that stretches out across a vast rolling sea while in the distance there's a majestic golden city filled with towers reaching for the sky. A hand enters his line of sight and he's helped to his feet by the green eyed man.
"Welcome to the Realm Eternal, welcome to Asgard."
Sirius blinks, letting that knowledge roll around in his head for a moment before blinking again. "What?"
The man smirks. "We never did introduce ourselves." He offers his hand again and Sirius automatically takes it. "I am Loki Odinson, Prince of Asgard. My oaf of a brother over there is Thor Odinson, Crown Prince of Asgard."
Sirius stares at him for a long second. "What?"
"I told you we should've introduced ourselves before now," Thor grumbles.
Loki waves away Thor's comment. "We'd've never left Azkaban in a timely manner had we done that, and you were correct in stating that Mother can keep Evelyn occupied for only so long. I still intend for this to be a surprise for her, which will be ruined should she come looking for us."
"This isn't some sort of joke?" Sirius chokes out.
Loki fixes him with a solemn look. "Whether you believe me or not is for you to decide, but I swore to you that I'd take you to Evelyn. As my magic has not let left me, you ought to know that I still intend to do just that. Thor," He looks to his brother, "go ready the horses."
Thor raises an eyebrow, but inclines his head. "As you wish."
"Now, there are two things I will have you do before I take you to your goddaughter, and that is simply so you don't scare her. A bath to begin washing Azkaban away, and a quick meal. After that, my word that I will take you to her."
Seeing as he has no desire to scare Evelyn the first time that he sees her since James and Lily died, and he'd really rather not be filthy anymore, Sirius agrees.
After a hot bath that feels heavenly, new clothes, and a simple yet hearty meal, Loki leads Sirius into a series of gardens. They remind him of the ones his mum(Dorea Potter, not that bitch Walburga) kept at the manor. It makes him homesick for a family he's never getting back. However, he shoves such thoughts to the side. He's getting his pup back. That'll have to be enough for now.
"They're just over there," Loki murmurs, peering around the pillar he stopped at. "If you'll wait here a moment, I'll go fetch her."
Sirius inhales shakily and manages to jerk out a nod.
Loki gives him a knowing look before slipping out of side.
"Loki!" Evelyn's voice is familiar enough that Sirius staggers sideways at the sound of it. He has to brace himself against the pillar to stay upright. "Come see what Frigga's been teaching us!"
"I'm sure, whatever it is, you're magnificent at it, darling, but I have a present for you first." Loki says. For some reason, the tone of voice that Loki uses makes his godfather senses tingle. Why, he doesn't know, but they do, so he resolves to pay close attention to how those two interact. He did promise James that he'd look out for his baby girl, and he's not about to mess that up a second time.
"A present?" The lilt of her question is all Lily, but Sirius just bets she tilts her head like James. The image conjured makes his heart ache for all that he's eager to actually see it. "Loki, I don't need—"
Loki cuts her off. "It's not something I have any intention of returning, so you're just going to have to make due."
"Prat. So where is this present?"
"Right around the pillar over there."
Sirius knows he said he'd wait for Loki to bring Evelyn to him, but he suddenly finds he can't wait a second longer. So he steps out from behind the pillar and into the sunlight. The sight of her stops him dead in his tracks.
Lily's red hair glows in the sunlight, framing emerald green eyes on James' face. She's wearing clothing similar to what Sirius has seen other people wearing, only much more intricately designed, which makes sense given that she's staying with the bloody Royal Family. Behind her are two other people, one boy around her age that Sirius reckons is her cousin, and a woman who can only be Loki and Thor's mother. Both have remained seated while Evelyn is walking next to Loki, looking up at him with an expression of love and exasperation Sirius saw many a time on Lily directed towards James. However, when he moves into her line of sight, she herself stops.
"Loki?" Her voice goes ridiculously high as she stares at him in obvious disbelief. Disbelief of what, Sirius couldn't say.
"Surprise," Loki says a touch dryly. "Do you like it?"
She raises a trembling hand to her mouth. "You—you broke—"
"Hi Evie." Sirius gives her the best smile he can manage. "I don't know if you remember me, but I'm—"
"Sirius!"
She flings herself at him, sobbing for some reason. Sirius scrambles to catch her, but they end up dropping to the ground. It's then that their skin finally touches and some form of magic flares up from Evelyn to envelope him. His grip on her tightens instinctively, but he's gasping for breath as he vividly remembers the green light that Bellatrix shot at him. He hadn't dodged, and he recalls Evelyn's blood splattered face staring at him as the rest of the world faded away. Now he's on his knees with her in his arms, only she looks like she's eight when she's supposed to be nearly sixteen. Also, her hair was black last he checked, not the red she'd had as a baby.
Then Evelyn yanks herself back and looks up at him with wide eyes. "Oh my god," she breathes. "Oh my—Sirius?"
"You're supposed to be fifteen," is what he stupidly says as opposed to the myriad of questions now whirling around in his head. Like why the hell he's seeing her again when he's very certain he just got himself killed by his insane cousin. If she got herself killed trying to avenge him, they are going to have to have a rather unpleasant talk in just a bit. After he figures out just what the hell is going on.
"Alskling, what did you just do?" Loki's voice reminds him that they're not alone. Sirius jerks his gaze up to see the man standing over them, concern and worry spread across his face.
"The Soul Magic, it just—I think it just gave Sirius his memories back," she says, appearing absolutely dumbfounded.
"What memories?" Sirius parrots back, even more confused now.
"I thought he'd been dead for twenty four years."
Evelyn huffs. "Yeah, well Thor had been dead for three and he still remembered."
"Yes, but he was near me when my soul returned," Loki counters in this insane argument they're having. "Sirius Black was nowhere near either of us."
Evelyn twists in Sirius' arms to glare up at the man. "You think I have any why it did this? You're the one who suggested we use it in the first place! If anything, it's your fault all this weird shit keeps happening!"
Loki merely raises an eyebrow. "And yet, it is inevitably Potter Luck that truly is the reason things don't go quite the way I planned."
"You had better not be planning on using my bloody luck as blame for everything that goes sideways in our marriage, Odinson," Evelyn snaps back.
"Whoa, you are too young to be talking about marriage!" Sirius protests, yanking her back against his chest.
"Sirius," Evelyn says softly, "I lived for twenty four years after you died." She gently but firmly pushes herself away and gets to her feet. For some reason, she takes a simple pendant out of her pocket and fastens it around her neck. Sirius' jaw drops when she shimmers, and her eightish year old body morphs into that of a full grown woman. "I grew up, Padfoot. I grew up and had a life and got married."
"And Voldemort?"
Evelyn smirks, practically brimming with confidence. "Him I dealt with three years after that debadical in the Department of Mysteries. You are looking at Lady Evelyn Rosalie of House Potter, House Black, House Gryffindor, and House Slytherin, the Girl-Who-Lived, the Woman-Who-Conquered, the Savior and Chosen One of the Wizarding World." She pulls a face. "Stars that's still a fucking mouthful."
"You forgot Mistress of Death," Loki points out blandly, but that just makes Sirius' heart lurch dangerously in his chest, "as your Wizarding World likes to call being Hela's Avatar."
"You have the Hallows?"
Evelyn shakes her head. "I did, but not anymore for all that they still apparently answer solely to me." She kneels back down in front of him and takes one of his hands in hers. "Sirius, it's 1991 again. I'm due to start my first year at Hogwarts in two months."
"That's not possible," he retorts flatly. He knows about the Time Turners, but there's no actual way to do what Evelyn is suggesting happened.
She smiles sadly at him. "It is because we used Soul Magic to send my soul back in time. There was nothing left, Padfoot. Nothing left but dust and ruin and war." She bows her head, but not before Sirius sees the tears welling up in her eyes. "I was dying and Loki refused to accept that. So he gave me everything he had left and I woke up four nights ago back under the stairs on Privet Drive."
"There was another war?" Sirius feels rather indignant that his goddaughter somehow got dragged into another war so soon after the last one apparently ended, and he doesn't doubt that it was probably for a similarly stupid reason like blood purity.
"Not a wizard's war," Loki corrects his unspoken assumption instead of Evelyn. "A war that encompased all the Nine Realms. It started when the Realms were thrown out of alignment and everything descended into chaos after that. Evelyn and I, we attempted to fix it, but I fear we were already too late when Svartalfheim collapsed in on itself. We fought to save those we could, but in the end we were the last two remaining from our group. I used Soul Magic because we had nothing left to lose." He kneels as well to be able to wrap an arm around Evelyn's shoulders. "It was a surprise that Thor and Dudley remembered, but I assumed it was because they were near us when the Soul Magic returned us. I honestly hadn't expected anyone else to be able to."
One of Evelyn's hands darts out to grab ahold of Loki. "Thor, Dudley, and Sirius were three people I considered family, and you sent me back so that I could save my family." She lifts her head and looks at Loki with wide, tear filled eyes. "Do you think—" She chokes on a sob, unable to finish her sentence.
"Perhaps, love, perhaps," Loki murmurs, gathering her up into his arms with such tenderness that Sirius honestly feels like he's intruding on a private moment. "We won't know until we try, unfortunately, but it just might work."
"Remus, then," she states firmly through her tears. "I want Remus if only so that I can chew the bastard out about Teddy and Tonks."
Loki drops a kiss to the top of her head. "As you wish, alskling."
"Don't tell me that wolf finally got off his arse and talked to my cousin," Sirius interjects in an effort to lighten the mood.
Evelyn barks out a watery laugh. "Talked to her, married her, and even had a kid, for all that I had to yell at him when he got scared about impending fatherhood. Theodore Remus Lupin was the cutest baby I ever laid eyes on. The bastard made me godmother though, which turned out to be a good thing since both he and Tonks got themselves killed at the last battle before I offed Voldemort." She scrubs away her tears before smiling weakly at him. "I raised him from infancy as my own. He always knew he wasn't mine by blood, but I told him stories of the Marauders and of the Order of the Phoenix, so he knew his father and he knew that his parents died so that he could have a better life." Her smile becomes bittersweet. "And mercifully, I was fully able to relate to him when there were the inevitable tantrums about the anger and the pain and the unfairness of it all, which usually sent Draco running for cover."
Sirius' lips pull back in a sneer of disgust. "You raised Moony's kid with Malfoy?"
Evelyn, of all things, bares her teeth right back at him. "No, I raised my child with Draco Regulus Black. He taught us about Pureblood customs and I taught them how to survive and enjoy the Muggle World. You don't get to judge who I raised my child with and how we did it because both you and Moony fucking died! You died and left me alone again, so I did what I had to do to keep myself sane! And since that ended up being raising Teddy together with Draco, I bloody well did just that!"
"Enough." Loki's mother finally stands, and Sirius abruptly remembers that for Loki to be a prince, that means his mother is a fucking Queen. "Sweetling, calm yourself," she instructs while maneuvering Evelyn out of Loki's arms and into her own. "You have only just recovered from being sick. I will not have you relapsing from a fit of temper." She fixes Sirius with a bland look that has him shrinking back, something only his mum and Professor McGonagall have ever successfully managed until now. "My son, should you wish for this man to remain in Asgard, I would suggest explaining that I will not tolerate disrespect of any sort towards my future daughter." With that parting shot, the woman whisks Evelyn away, leaving Sirius alone with Loki and Evelyn's cousin who he's suddenly not so sure about.
"Well that could've gone better," the cousin sighs from where he's still seated. "Did you honestly have to question her parenting? You weren't there, so you never saw the sacrifices both Eve and Draco made for that kid."
"It's Malfoy," he mutters indignantly, like that's all the excuse he needs.
"And yet, from what Eve told me, Draco was the one who spearheaded the campaign of equal rights for werewolves and their families in your world. He was the one who pushed through laws for just that purpose. He was the one who clued Eve into the fact that she could set up a foundation to supply all werewolves in Great Britain with some potion that apparently makes their transformation easier. All for that kid you said he shouldn't've helped raise."
"And from what I remember, my goddaughter wouldn't give you the time of day, so what's all this buddy buddy nonsense?" SIrius demands, because he still remembers Evelyn's furious tears over explaining the dementor incident that landed her that ridiculous hearing at the Ministry.
The boy fixes him with an utterly flat look. "Like Eve said, we grew up. For me, that meant getting my shit together and moving away from my parents and their frankly terrible opinions about my cousin and the world in general. I got help and, with Eve, worked through our appalling childhood. We fixed our relationship, and while she swore to never set foot on Privet Drive ever again, I visited just once a year out of obligation." He smiles grimly. "It was more to remind myself why exactly I'd left, seeing as they never changed. I love them, they're still my mum and dad, but that doesn't mean I trust or like them. Eve accepted that, seeing as I never once tried to make her come along on those visits.
"And for your information, Black, Draco rejected all aspects of his Malfoy heritage after the war. Hence the whole Draco Regulus Black name thing. He was Heir Black to Eve's Lady Black. As to why I know all this, cause I can see it in your face, who do you think helped Eve introduce Teddy and Draco to my world?" He stands, brushing dirt off his pants. "I'd suggest some serious soul searching if you don't want to offend Eve every time you open your bloody mouth."
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