December 27th 16:43 Moony & Twinkles

Good afternoon, My Magnificent Moonbeam. You'll no doubt be delighted to learn that I've been invited to Sunshine's tomorrow for the day, so I'll be out of harm's way for a while. Missing you, though. What are you up to? xxx

December 28th 6:07 Moony & Twinkles

Are you okay, Moons?

December 28th 8:55 Moony & Twinkles

I'm leaving now. I'll write when I get back. Hope everything's okay.

December 28th 11:39 Moony & Sunshine.

Moony, You asked me not to write to you with any more attempts to justify what I did, and that's not what this is. This is an apology. Nothing more, nothing less.

I am so sorry for betraying your trust. Twinkles has patiently explained to me how big a risk you take when you tell anyone, and I'm sorry I didn't understand before. You put your trust in me, and I made you regret that decision by taking away your choice. It doesn't matter that my parents don't care, because the knowledge is in their hands now and it wasn't your choice to trust them with it.

If I could take it back, I would. But all I can do is apologise. I'm sorry, Moony. I really am.

December 28th 11:43 Moony &Twinkles

So you spoke to Sunshine, then?

December 28th 18:23 Moony &Twinkles

Yeah, I just got home. Are you okay? Why didn't you tell me?

You don't think I'm overreacting? I mean, it's Effie and Monty. I probably would have told them, eventually. I'm not even that worried about it. I don't think they'll tell anyone. But I'm still so angry at Sunshine.

No, I don't think you're overreacting. He had no right to tell them, and it doesn't matter that they can be trusted when it wasn't you who chose to trust them. And it's not the first time he's done this, either. Remember, he told them about what happened to me during the summer.

You said you weren't mad about that.

I was a bit mad about it, but - Deleted

And I told McGonagall without your permission, too.

Yeah, I was mad about those things, but - Deleted

Fuck. I'm a complete hypocrite.

Will you stop writing stuff and let me answer?

Sorry.

Thank you. Alright, so I was a bit mad about James telling his parents, and I was a bit mad at you for telling Minnie. But since both resulted in me receiving something invaluable I wouldn't otherwise have, it was difficult to make a fuss about it. And I got over it, so don't you dare say sorry.

Am I being a hypocrite, though?

Honestly? Yeah, a little. But I get why you're mad, too. It's not the same situation. You told Minnie because you were worried about me. Sunshine didn't have a reason to tell his parents. He just said it.

Alright. Thanks. I'm going to do some thinking and reply to Sunshine.

Okay. Are you mad at me?

No. Thank you for being honest.

Always, Moony xxx

December 28th 19:22 Moony & Sunshine

Hi, Sunshine. Thank you for apologising. I'm still angry, but it helps that you seem to understand why now, and so I accept your apology. You're a good friend, and I don't want to lose you over this, but it's going to take a while before I can trust you again.

Thank you, Moony. And I understand. I don't want to lose you either. I'll do whatever I have to do to earn your trust back.

Friday 29th December, 12:40 pm

'Monty! James! It's time to go!'

Monty jumped, spilling the vial of dragon's blood he'd been measuring to add to his current project.

'Shit,' he muttered, reaching for his wand to put the cauldron under stasis and vanish the mess. It wasn't in his holster. 'Damn. Where did I put it? I had it earlier when I was working on the new formula…'

'Monty!'

'Just a minute, darling!' he yelled up the stairs. 'Ah, there it is.' He spotted the end of his wand sticking out from under the towel he'd tossed on the counter next to the sink. Grabbing it, he started up the stairs, before remembering why he'd been looking for the wand in the first place. 'Oh, right,' he said, chuckling and casting the stasis charm on the smoking potion before vanishing the spilt dragon's blood. He took a quick glance around his lab for anything else he'd forgotten but there was nothing.

'Monty!'

'I'm here,' he said, emerging from the door to the converted cellar space. Effie and James were waiting for him. 'Are we late?'

'Of course not,' Effie said. 'As if I'd let us be late.'

'Mum called us twenty minutes early,' James said, rolling his eyes.

'That's because she's a smart woman,' Monty said, smiling at her and dropping a kiss on the end of her nose. Merlin, but he loved her.

'It's because you've never been ready on time a day in your life,' Effie said. 'And you're not wearing that.'

'What's wrong with this?' Monty asked, looking down at his robes. They were the ones he used for brewing, laced with runes and spellwork for everything from stain repellant to burn protection.

'First impressions are important, Monty. Those robes cost a fortune. We'll look like we're showing off.'

James cocked his head to the side. 'No, they're perfect, actually. Pete won't be able to resist asking about them.'

'That's right. He's a bit of a brewer, too, isn't he?' Monty said.

James snorted. 'Yeah, you could say that.'

'Well, that's decided, then. I'm wearing this. Is everyone ready?'

Effie tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and patted his arm. 'I've been ready for an hour, dear.'

He grinned at her. 'Wonderful. Let's go, then.'

They sent James through the floo first, so Peter would have someone he knew with him when they arrived. Effie went through next, and Monty waited a few seconds before following. He stepped out into a large living room and took a quick glance around, trying to be subtle about it.

The room was spotlessly clean. Usually, that would be a good sign, but with what he knew of the Pettigrew's situation, it worried him. How hard was the little lad working? And hadn't his relatives only just left? There was no sign of the mother, but Peter was talking to Effie, James beside him, and he was flicking the nail of his left thumb repeatedly behind his back. He was nervous. A pile of paperwork sat on the coffee table and Monty's fingers itched to rifle through it. This was a big house. How was Peter paying for everything?

'Um, can I get you a drink, Monty?' Peter asked, breaking into his thoughts. 'Tea?'

'Oh, that would be lovely. Thank you. But how about I make it, so you can talk to Effie?' Making the tea would give him the opportunity to see what the food situation was like. He didn't give Peter a chance to argue. 'Is the kitchen through here?' he asked, walking over to the door. 'Ah, yes. Here it is. Won't be long.' He disappeared through the door, trying not to laugh at Peter's dumbfounded expression.

The kitchen was as disturbingly clean as the living room had been. Monty was starting to worry for the child's health, doing so much at such a young age. He located something he was fairly certain was the kettle on the counter and examined it. It was muggle technology, looking a lot like a teapot but where the handle would usually be, there was a box attached to a curly string which, in turn, was attached to the wall via another box. The string made it impossible to reach the sink with the kettle. How was he supposed to put water in it?

He picked it up to get a closer look at the box on the back. The string ended in a small white block that seemed to be pushed into a hole in the box. Did it come out? Pulling gently on it, he could feel it give, so he pulled harder, and it popped out! Success!

Grinning to himself, he filled the kettle at the sink and returned it to the counter, pushing the end of the string back into the hole. Now what? It didn't seem to be doing anything. Was there some kind of trigger?

'Start,' he said. Nothing. 'Heat,' he tried next. Still nothing. 'Boil.' The kettle did not seem to respond to verbal commands. Monty prided himself on solving puzzles, though, and he was not about to be outsmarted by a muggle kettle. He frowned at the problem and went back to examining the kettle. There was a strange section just above the string-hole, a sort of triangle sitting proud from the otherwise smoothed contours, and it didn't seem like a design feature.

Monty poked at it and it disappeared, a second triangle popping out directly above it with a click. He froze, waiting, and a few seconds later, the kettle started making a hissing sound. Monty stepped back with a proud grin. That wasn't so hard.

Hunting for cups gave him an excuse to snoop through the cupboards, and he was relieved to find them fully stocked with a healthy variety of decent food. They weren't going hungry. That was good. And he'd found a milk jug, sugar bowl, a tea tray, and the all-important tea during his search. The muggles had parcelled the dried leaves out into little individual sealed bags for some reason, and he had to read the box to find out how to use them. Just as he was popping one into each cup, the kettle clicked itself off. He nodded at it, impressed. That was convenient.

He found the milk in a tall free-standing cupboard that was well-stocked with meat and cheese. It was kept cold somehow and had a little light inside that turned on when he opened the door. Fascinating. He really wanted to examine it more, but the tea was ready, so he had no excuse to stay longer.

James was talking to Peter at a mile a minute when he returned to the living room. Effie was watching with a fond smile on her face, probably thinking the same as him. James could make even the most awkward of situations feel comfortable simply by telling a story. Their son was truly gifted.

Setting the tray down on the coffee table next to the stack of paperwork, he scanned the uppermost document, a bill from St Mungo's. He couldn't see the total, but from what he could see, the lad must be struggling. 'Tea's ready,' he said, smiling.

'Thanks,' Peter said. 'Um, did you find everything okay?'

'I did. The kitchen's wonderfully organised,' Monty said, truthfully. 'And I worked out how to use the muggle kettle.'

'Oh, well done, dear,' Effie said as she helped herself to sugar. 'Was it complicated?'

'Not once I figured out the string tying it to the wall was detachable.'

James laughed. 'That's the plug, dad. It delivers the eltricity.'

'Electricity,' Peter corrected.

'Yeah. That. Muggle magic.'

'How do you know that?' Monty asked.

'Oh, Pete's been teaching us about muggle stuff. He knows everything.'

'Not everything,' Peter said. 'Just more than you.'

James rolled his eyes. 'He hates compliments,' he stage whispered to Effie.

'He's probably not going to enjoy this conversation much, then,' Effie replied in the same manner.

Peter visibly swallowed, looking worried. Then a flicker of movement behind his head caught Monty's attention. 'Is that a skulking fluxroot? Why do you have a skulking fluxroot?' The mischievous plant had a climbed onto the back of the sofa and was waving its branches extravagantly, as if wanting to show off its blossoms, which Monty had to admit, were well worth the attention.

Peter jumped and looked behind him. 'Shit,' he muttered. 'I mean, um. Yes. It's a skulking fluxroot. And I have it because… I think they're cool?'

Monty frowned. Skulking fluxroot was an insanely difficult plant to cultivate. He couldn't imagine anyone keeping one for fun, and this one looked extremely well cared for. It was also highly restricted, and Peter was being evasive. He wouldn't blame the lad if he'd been forced into something less than legal to make ends meet, but if he didn't know what was happening, he couldn't help. And Peter clearly didn't want to tell him anything. He would need to tread carefully.

'They're extremely cool,' he said, grinning at Peter. 'Yours looks really healthy, too. Should be ready to harvest soon, no?'

'Yeah, next couple of days,' Peter said.

Out of the corner of his eye, Monty saw James smirk, but he ignored it. 'I've been thinking about getting one myself. I think it might be just what I need for the new formula I'm working on.'

'Is it a new hair potion?'

'Oh, no. Pretty sure I can't improve on Sleekeazy's.' he said, with a chuckle. 'This one's for something else. It's top-secret, though. Can I trust you?'

Peter nodded. 'I'm great at keeping secrets.'

Monty leant forward and lowered his voice as if someone might be listening on the other side of the door, and lied through his teeth. 'I'm working on improving the draught of peace. I was wondering if part of the skulking fluxroot could replace the unicorn horn and moonstone. It would make it cheaper to brew.'

Peter's eyes lit up. 'Interesting. You'll want to avoid the petals. They create confusion. But the pollen on its own could work. It has the same properties as the ingredients you want to replace.'

It wasn't definitive, of course. Peter could just know a lot about the plant. But it was a distinct possibility that he was using it for its confunding properties. The question now was, why?

Effie cut in at that point, with perfect timing, as always. 'Maybe the two of you can continue this later? You have a lab, I assume?' Peter nodded. 'I'm sure Monty would love to see it when we're done here.'

'Oh, yeah, we can do that. I'm sure it's got nothing on yours, though.'

And just like that, she'd wrangled him access to the lab so he could find out what Peter was doing down there. Gods, she was amazing.

'We all have to start somewhere, lad. I can't wait to see it. But we best get the boring stuff out of the way first, or Effie might get cross with me.'

Effie rolled her eyes and turned back to Peter. 'So, did James explain why we wanted to speak to you?'

'He said you wanted to offer me help? But I'm fine. We're fine. We don't need anything. Really.'

'I can see you're doing remarkably well,' Effie said, pointedly glancing around the room. 'I think your house might actually be cleaner than mine, but surely it's difficult when you're at Hogwarts?'

'My neighbour helps when I'm at school. She comes by every day to give mum her potions and make her food, and she does the shopping and stuff.'

'That's a lot for one person,' Effie said. 'Would I be able to speak to her? Maybe we can work out a rota.'

'She said she'd try to pop by while you're here. It depends if her husband is home. He's a muggle, so she has to be careful.'

'He doesn't know she's a witch?'

'She's not,' Peter said. 'She's, um, she's a squib.'

'Oh, I see. That makes sense. We'll just have to hope she can make it. Is there much chance of your mum waking up while we're here? I'd love to introduce myself.'

'Um, no. I don't think so. She had a potion about half an hour ago, so…'

'So she'll be out for hours,' Monty finished for him. 'Is it the Elixir of Tranquillity that she's taking?'

Peter nodded.

Monty exchanged a glance with Effie. 'That's an expensive potion.'

'I brew it myself,' Peter said, his face an amusing cross between proud and embarrassed. 'And I grow some of the ingredients. So it's not too bad.'

The pride was well earned, and the lad had no reason to be embarrassed. The Elixir of Tranquility was a nightmare of a potion, requiring intense attention to detail. And Monty was beginning to form a plan. There was a way he could help without making the lad feel uncomfortable or indebted to him, and his skill with potions was key.

December 29th 16:52 Sunshine & Bubbles

Your dad just left. I didn't think he was ever going to, but he left.

Ha. Yeah. He gets a bit excited. I hope he didn't annoy you too much.

No. After living with you for a year, I'm used to it. He offered me a job?

I don't know whether to be offended by that or not. But I've decided not to be because my dad's awesome, so it must have been a compliment. What do you mean, he offered you a job? What the hell happened after mum and I left?

I showed him my lab, and he looked through all my notes and everything, and he asked if I'd ever considered a potion's apprenticeship. Which you know I have. And then he offered to oversee my Mastery. But he wants to start now? And he's going to pay me?

You said yes, right?

I said I'd think about it. I don't know. It feels a bit like he's just trying to give me money.

I won't lie to you. That might be part of it. But dad's been looking to take on an apprentice for years but he's never found anyone good enough. Or the way he puts it, he's never found anyone who sees the magic in potions the way he does. He gets tonnes of people applying every year, but they're all after the qualification, not the career. He doesn't want to waste his time on someone who's going to leave the field for auror or healer training immediately after. The fact that he's offered it to you? There's no way it's just about giving you money.

I don't understand how it would work, though. I'm at Hogwarts all year.

Let dad worry about that. He's great at finding unusual ways to do things.

You think I should say yes?

YES! Absolutely! Imagine. You graduate Hogwarts with your NEWTs and then immediately complete your potion's Mastery because you've been working on it for six years already. You'll be the youngest potion's Master in centuries!

That does sound pretty cool.

December 29th 19:20, Moony & Sunshine

Hey Moony, my dad asked me to ask you if you could make a notebook for him and link it to a page in Bubbles' because Bubbles is his new apprentice and he wants to be able to communicate with him easily.

I can, once we're back at school. Or I can just tell him how I did it and he can do it himself. How on earth did Bubbles become your dad's apprentice at twelve years old?

Dad says he can wait and that you shouldn't be so quick to offer to give away your secrets.

What an unfortunate thing for him to make you say to me.

Yes, I thought so too, but I decided not to point it out. I wasn't sure if we were at the joke making stage yet.

I can. You can't.

That's fair.

Are you avoiding the other question or did you just forget to answer it?

Avoiding.

Why?

Because it involves Bubbles' secret and I don't know how much you know about it, and I'm trying to be better.

I know his dad's in muggle prison, but that's all I know.

I shouldn't say anything, then.

Did you tell your parents or did he?

I really don't want to answer that.

I told them, but it was before our argument. I have learned my lesson. I promise.

I guess that's between you and Bubbles.

Yeah. Are we okay, Moony?

We will be. I still need some time, though.

Okay.

Saturday 30th December, 10:58 am

'Sirius,' his mother hissed. 'Can't you stay still for thirty seconds? Stop. Fidgeting.'

Sirius rolled his eyes but stopped his foot tapping. What did she expect when he was bored out of his mind? If the speech didn't start soon, he was going to scream. Waiting. Merlin, he hated waiting. Waiting was the worst thing in the world. But knowing he didn't give two shits about the thing he was waiting for made it exponentially worse.

They stood on the edge of the enormous crowd—his mother didn't want to get too close to the rabble. Everyone was facing the stage that had been erected in the middle of Diagon Alley, and there was a sense of excitement in the air as the audience waited for Lord Voldemort to appear. Sirius recognised a few of the people at the side of the stage from parties he'd been forced to attend, Rosier, Nott, Dolohov, and Mulciber, along with dear Bellatrix, of course. And, to his surprise, Lucius Malfoy. This Voldy guy was collecting some serious clout behind him for someone he'd never heard of before.

He started tapping his hand against his leg in time with the music playing in his head, and a few seconds later felt a hand grab his. A quick turn of his head revealed it was Reggie, and he grinned at him, mouthing the words, 'I'm so bored.' and pulling a face.

Reggie bit back a laugh. 'It can't be long now,' he whispered.

As if triggered by Regulus' words, the crowd suddenly broke out in spontaneous applause as a tall, handsome man strolled out onto the stage, waving enigmatically.

'Magical brethren,' he said after casting an amplifying charm on his voice. The crowd went crazy and Sirius couldn't keep from rolling his eyes. It wasn't the most imaginative way to start a speech. 'It is a great honour to stand here today with so many of you eager to hear my vision for the future of our society. A society that fell into darkness two hundred and eighty years ago when driven by fear of the muggles, a small group of wizards decided that all of us were to hide like cowards. This was the wrong choice. And it is time to rectify the mistake of our ancestors and bring our world back into the light!'

Sirius was disturbed by the utter joy these words were received with. While his own family group clapped politely, the majority of the crowd were cheering like a pack of schoolchildren.

Lord Voldemort waited for the noise to subside before continuing. 'The question I get asked most is, "What about the muggles? Won't they turn against us again as they did in the past?" The short answer is, no, I don't believe they will. The much longer answer is this. Just like us, muggles have changed in the last three hundred years. They no longer fear magic. Instead, they covet it. They write stories about special people being gifted with powers and using them to save the world, fix the wrongs in their society, or cure disease. And these stories sell in their millions.

'I won't lie to you. There is a minority that would be threatened by our existence, but they are far outweighed by the majority that would welcome us and treat us with the respect we deserve.

'Without even knowing we exist, the muggles already know we're stronger than them, smarter than them, and believe us worthy of their admiration. How much stronger will those beliefs become when they find we're real and can do all the things they hope for and more?'

As he spoke, Lord Voldemort paced back and forth across the stage, making full use of the space and gesticulating to emphasise his points. Sirius had to admit, his words were convincing, but he couldn't forget what Bellatrix had said during the summer about putting muggles and mudbloods in their place.

'You don't believe this rubbish, do you?' he whispered to Reggie.

To his dismay, Reggie shrugged. 'Makes sense, don't you think? Now hush, I'm trying to listen.'

Sirius scowled at him until his mother pinched his arm and he was forced to return his attention to the stage. The speech continued for so long, Sirius thought he might actually die from boredom, but the reception from the rest of the crowd was unanimously positive, and he found that extremely worrying.

There was only one thing that could have made him feel worse, and when it happened, his stomach lurched. Dumbledore was watching the speech from the edge of the crowd, dressed unusually sedately in plain black robes, with a thoughtful expression on his face. If someone Sirius liked and respected as much as the headmaster of Hogwarts could be taken in by Lord Voldemort's pretty words, what hope was there for the rest of the country?

The speech finally came to an end with Lord Voldemort listing the dates he'd be giving speeches in the various wizarding settlements across the country, and Sirius hoped to Merlin he wouldn't be dragged along to any more of them as the rest of the family apparated home, leaving him alone with his father.

'This way, Sirius,' Orion said gruffly.

They walked in silence to Gringotts, and Sirius stood behind and slightly to the side of his father as he spoke with the goblins. The next half an hour was a tedious blur of paperwork as he was added as an executor on all the family vaults, and Sirius mentally amended his previous statement. Paperwork was on equal footing with waiting for the worst activity in the world.

As they left the bank, Orion checked his watch, and the corner of his mouth twitched. He glanced down at Sirius for half a second before returning his attention to the street ahead of them. 'I believe you're capable of keeping a secret, yes?'

'Of course, father,' Sirius said, a little unnerved by the question.

Orion looked at him again, this time holding his gaze, and there was a strange glint in his eyes. 'The paperwork took considerably less time than expected. Your mother won't be expecting us for a while yet. What do you say we stop for ice cream?'

Sirius' eyebrows shot up in surprise before quickly dropping into a frown. Was this a test? Was he supposed to decline the temptation? Or was his father being genuine? What was that look in his eyes? It was strangely familiar, almost like a long-suppressed glimmer of mischief, but it couldn't be, could it? Sirius was the family disappointment. If Orion had ever been like him, why would they hate him so much? His father was waiting for an answer, though, so he settled on something non-committal. 'In December, father?'

'The unsuitability of the weather is what makes it fun, is it not?'

Sirius stared at him. The gleam in his eyes was getting brighter, and the corners of his mouth were definitely angled upwards. He was beginning to think there was more to his father than he'd thought. 'I believe you may be correct,' Sirius said.

'Excellent,' Orion said, his face breaking out in a broad smile for barely a second before it was stifled. Watching, Sirius felt the oddest feeling that he was looking at his future, and it sent a shiver down his spine. Would that be him one day? Hiding every show of emotion as if it were second nature? He shuddered and pulled his cloak tighter in a ridiculous attempt to ward off a future he couldn't bear the thought of.

Orion didn't seem to notice, and he quietly led them to Fortescue's ice-cream parlour, holding the door open for Sirius and ushering him inside ahead of him. Sirius approached the counter, his eyes sweeping over the tubs of ice cream in every colour of the rainbow.

'Good afternoon, Mr Black,' the man behind the counter said brightly. 'The usual? Or can I tempt you with something different today?'

Sirius almost jumped out of his skin when his father chuckled. He hadn't known the man could make that sound. But what surprised him even more was the reference to his fathers "usual." Did he do this often?

'Afternoon, Florean. You already know what I'm going to say.'

'You can't blame me for trying,' the man said, smiling at Orion as if they were lifelong friends. 'One of these days, I'll get you to try something new.'

'Unlikely. I know what I like,' Orion said. 'But I will be adding a second portion to my order. My son is joining me today.'

Sirius startled when he felt a gentle hand land on his shoulder, squeezing lightly, and he looked up at his father. Was that pride in his eyes? Sirius was starting to wonder if he'd fallen asleep during Lord Voldemort's speech, or maybe at the bank. This had to be a dream.

Florean smiled at him before looking back at his father. 'Two specials coming right up. I'll bring them over when they're ready. Your usual table is free.'

'Wonderful. Thank you, Florean. Come, Sirius.'

Sirius followed his father to a secluded section at the back of the store, and he felt the cold wash of magic stream across his skin as they stepped through some kind of barrier. 'What was that?'

'Privacy ward,' Orion said, grinning at him. 'No one can see us sitting here now.'

Sirius stared at him. It was like he'd turned into a completely different person. His face and body were animated in ways he'd never seen on the man before. He practically vibrated with energy, his usual stillness nothing but a memory.

Orion slid onto the bench seat and laughed. 'Sit down, Sirius. Florean will think you've been confunded.'

Shaking off his shock, Sirius sat beside him, spine straight, hands folded neatly in his lap.

This only served to make Orion laugh harder. 'Relax, son. You look like you've got a broom shoved up your ass. Your mother can't see you now.'

'What the hell is going on?' Sirius blurted out, losing all the carefully cultivated control he'd been clinging to all Christmas.

Orion sobered, wiping tears from his eyes, but he was still smiling at Sirius. 'You're thirteen,' he said. 'Which means I finally get some access to you. So, I'm treating you to ice cream, mainly as a way to show that I'm proud of you, but also because I really like ice cream.'

'Who doesn't?' Sirius asked rhetorically. 'You're… proud of me?'

'More than I can possibly say.'

Sirius frowned. 'But, why? I do everything wrong.'

Orion rolled his eyes. 'According to your Mother's narrow idea of what makes a suitable heir, that's true. But then, she calls ice cream "pointless empty calories" so what can we expect?'

Sirius laughed, and Orion grinned.

'There he is.' Orion picked up a spoon from the table and twirled it between his fingers, staring at it intently. 'I was starting to worry your mother had finally broken you. You've been so quiet this Christmas.'

'Never,' Sirius growled. Then he panicked. What if this really was an elaborate ruse? Had he given himself away? But Orion only turned his head to grin at him.

'That's what I was hoping you'd say.'

Florean arrived then, with two enormous bowls of ice cream in several flavours, all covered in a layer of hot fudge sauce and topped with chocolate sprinkles. Sirius stared at his dish with wide eyes, waiting for Florean to leave again before looking at his father with raised eyebrows. 'Mother would be appalled if she saw us eating this.'

Orion dug in, scooping a generous amount onto his spoon. He raised it to his mouth and wiggled his eyebrows at Sirius. 'Wouldn't she just,' he said, his voice laden with humour, before putting his spoon in his mouth and moaning with delight. And a complete lack of decorum.

Sirius copied him and found his moan had not been exaggerated. In fact, it was quite possibly the best thing he'd ever tasted. 'Alright,' Sirius said after another few bites. 'I think I understand why this is all happening now, but I don't get why you didn't say anything on Boxing day when we were alone.'

Orion smiled. 'The walls have ears, son.'

'You mean the portraits?'

'Exactly.'

Sirius was quiet for a minute, thinking. He wanted to not care that his father was proud of him after he'd put so much energy into trying to not care that his parents hated him. But he couldn't. It was everything he'd never been able to admit he wanted. 'So,' he said, at last, keeping his gaze firmly on his bowl, 'you think I'm a good heir?'

'Sirius, you're everything I would never have thought to ask for,' Orion said. Sirius looked up and met his eyes as he continued speaking. 'You're headstrong, and when you make a decision, you stick to it no matter what. You're steadfast in your beliefs and willing to stand up for them against anyone. And you're so incredibly brave. When your mother told me you'd been sorted into Gryffindor, I had to leave the room so she wouldn't see me smiling. The truth is, you're going to make a far better head of this family than I ever did. You have the courage and conviction to stand up to everyone and make things better.' He looked away from Sirius, staring out the window. 'You're not a coward like me.'

December 30th 15:53 Moony & Twinkles

Moonbeam, I have had the weirdest afternoon, and I need you to tell me I haven't crossed into some alternate dimension where everything is backwards.

I'm not really sure how to assure you of that. As far as I know, you're still in the same dimension you were before.

Tell me some facts. Who do you like, and who do you hate?

Alright. I love my mum and hate my dad. I like Bubbles and Sunshine (though I'm mad at him right now), and I really like you. I like Lily, Marlene, Mary, and Dorcas. I hate Snivellus, and all the people he hangs out with. Is that enough? What happened this afternoon?

Yes. Thank you. Everything seems normal. And I really like you, too. This morning we went to watch Lord Voldemort make a speech and then after I went to Gringotts with my father to sign some paperwork. That was all perfectly normal. But then he took me to get ice cream, told me he was proud of me, and that he thinks I'm going to be a wonderful leader of the family. It was so weird.

Sounds like you're doing a great job of acting like you're following your parents' rules.

No. You don't understand. He said he was proud of me for all the things my mother has always punished me for. Like standing up for my beliefs and being sorted into Gryffindor. And he was acting differently too. Normally, he's all grumpy and dignified, but he was behaving like a kid at Florean's.

Okay, I see why you're freaking out. That is really weird. Isn't it a good thing, though? You have another ally against your mother?

You'd think so, but he basically told me I'm on my own against her. Called himself a coward. Apparently, that's why I'm going to be a better head of the family because I'm brave enough to stand up to them while he was always too scared.

Well, at least he can admit to his faults, I guess. How do you feel about it?

Confused. I want to say I don't care but…

You're allowed to be happy that your father's proud of you. Especially because he's proud of the right things.

Am I? It feels wrong.

It seems like he might not be the person you thought he was when you decided you didn't care what he thought of you. Is the person you met today someone you want to have a good opinion of you? Did you like him?

Yes, I think so.

Then it's okay to be happy that he's proud of you.

Thanks, Moony. You're so good at this.

Hey, you helped me through my freak out about my father. It's only right that I return the favour. You're welcome. I wish I could give you a hug.

I can't risk it tonight. Mother's been on my case since Father and I got back.

Only one more week and we'll be back at school.

I can't wait xxx

Neither can I xxx

Sunday 31st December 10:30 am

Peter was just finishing brewing a pot of tea when the knock sounded from the front door, followed by Bella's cheerful voice calling a greeting.

'Morning! I brought biscuits!'

She entered the kitchen a moment later, waving a packet of chocolate digestives at him.

'Perfect,' Peter said, carrying the pot over to the table where he'd already laid out cups, milk, and sugar.

Bella pulled out the chair opposite him, ripping open the biscuits as she took a seat and placing them in the middle of the table so they could both reach. 'How's your mum doing?' she asked, pouring tea into her cup.

'Not great,' Peter said with a sigh, reaching for a biscuit. 'She thinks it's five years ago and keeps asking when dad will be home.'

Bella winced. 'That's got to be hard. Are you doing okay?'

Not really. Every time she mentioned his dad, he had flashbacks of her bloodied, broken body lying on the floor of the living room; felt the faint warmth of her breath on the back of his hand after the person on the phone asked him if she was breathing; smelled the stench of piss in the air because she'd wet herself at some point during the beating. 'Yeah,' he lied, dunking his biscuit in his tea. 'I'm just worried.'

'Has she had any lucid moments since your nan left?'

'Not that I've seen, no.'

'But it took a few days last year, too, didn't it?'

Peter nodded. 'Yeah. I just hate it. I won't be able to relax until she recognises me again.'

She reached across the table and put her hand on his, squeezing it gently. 'It's going to be okay.'

'I hope so,' he said, offering her a weak smile. 'She's settled for a few hours now, at least. But I've got no idea where the fluxroot is.'

Bella took the hint and went with the change of subject. 'It must have heard us yesterday and hidden somewhere. No matter. We'll just have to find it.'

They finished their tea first, dunking and consuming three-quarters of the biscuits in the process, before starting the hunt. There was no sign of the plant on the ground floor, but in Peter's room, they discovered a single leaf in the middle of his floor. The little bugger must have waited for Peter to leave this morning before taking refuge in the only room he was unlikely to enter again before the end of the day. It was strangely smart for a plant.

Silently, Peter pointed at himself and then at one side of the bed, before pointing at Bella followed by the other side of the bed. Bella nodded and moved into place. Once they were both ready, he counted down from three with his fingers and they both dropped to the floor. The skulking fluxroot jumped and scurried out from under the bed, attempting to make a dash for the door past Bella, but she was having none of it.

With an energy Peter didn't know she possessed, she sprang at the plant like a cat pouncing on a mouse, pinning it by the roots so as not to damage the blossoms. 'Gotcha, you little bugger. Get your wand, Pete.'

Peter had already drawn it, and he hurried over, crouching next to her and poking his wand between the leaves to press the tip against the stem. Normal practice for harvesting a Skulking Fluxroot was to stun the plant, but the stunning charm wasn't on the list of spells he was allowed to cast outside of school, so they'd been forced to improvise. After some experimentation, they'd found casting the stasis charm directly on the stem of the plant, caused it to freeze in place much like a stunner would.

Peter muttered the charm, and a shiver went through the plant as a sheen of translucent blue swept across it, beginning where Peter's wand made contact and spreading out to the leaves and flowers.

Bella grinned at him as she lifted the plant and climbed to her feet. 'That went well.'

'Yeah,' Peter agreed, sheathing his wand. 'Let's get the flowers before it wears off.'

'Do you feel as bad about this as I do?' Bella asked a few minutes later as they bent over the plant in Peter's lab with a tiny pair of silver scissors each. 'It's so proud of its flowers.'

'Yeah,' Peter said. It may just be a plant, but it definitely had some awareness of self. 'But they'll grow back. We're just giving it a haircut.' Despite his words, Peter couldn't help feeling a twinge of guilt with every snip of his scissors. Which only worsened when the stasis charm wore off and the now deflowered plant jumped up, shook itself, and skulked away, looking as dejected as it was possible for a plant to look.

'Well, I feel like the most horrible person in the world,' Bella said, watching it leave. 'How about you?'

'Pretty terrible, yeah.' They didn't really have time to waste worrying about it, though, so Peter flicked his wand at his firepit, activating the low heat rune and making flames flare to life under the enormous cauldron. 'Can you fill that halfway with water while I fetch the rest of the ingredients?'

Bella nodded and walked to the sink, rolling up her sleeves, and Peter turned to the store cupboard. They were brewing Bella's confunding potion first, and it didn't need many ingredients. But it did require Peter to wear a mask if he wanted to keep his wits about him, and he pulled the enchanted cloth from the cupboard first, looping it around his ears and adjusting it to cover his mouth and nose.

By the time he returned to the prep table with the other ingredients, Bella had finished filling the cauldron and the water was bubbling gently. Peter sprinkled the flowers from the skulking fluxroot across the surface and left it to simmer.

'Time for your haircut,' he said, picking up the scissors again and snipping them at Bella menacingly.

'If I run, will you chase me down, too?' Bella asked with a chuckle.

Peter shrugged. 'Depends how fast you run.'

'I'm faster than a plant.'

'Probably not, then,' Peter said. 'I'm really not much of a runner.'

'I suppose I'd better just let you cut it then.'

'If you want to keep playing witch with the muggles, you'll have to.'

Bella hummed. 'That's definitely worth the loss.' She pulled off the hairband securing her hair in a bun at the back of her head, causing it to cascade down in a blonde waterfall. 'Try to cut it straight this time, will you? I had to go to the hairdresser's after the last time.'

Peter laughed. 'I'll do my best, but this is literally the only time I ever cut hair.' She took a seat on the stool next to the prep table and Peter moved behind her. Her blonde hair was so fine and soft it was a struggle not to run his fingers through it, but he managed to hold himself back from acting like a weirdo and trimmed a few millimetres from the ends, catching them in his hand as he went.

'All done,' he said, depositing the last handful in the dish with the rest. He stepped back and Bella gathered her hair and pulled it over her shoulder to inspect the ends.

She hummed. 'It doesn't look too bad.'

Peter rolled his eyes at her. 'It looks fine. Now put it back up so you can help. I need all that lavender ground into a paste.'

'Yes, I do remember,' she said, sticking her tongue out at him as she expertly flipped her hair back into a bun so fast that if Peter didn't know better, he would have assumed she'd used magic.

He grinned and went to check on the fluxroot infusion. The mixture was the perfect shade of sunshine yellow, so he gave it a stir and added Bella's hair, making her immune to the effects of the finished brew.

'So,' Bella said, ten minutes later, when the lavender had been added and they had a short break before the next step. 'I got an owl this morning from Euphemia Potter.'

'Shit,' Peter said. 'Did Mr Figg see it? I told her you were married to a muggle. She shouldn't have done that.'

'No, he'd already left for work. It's fine. I was just wondering how much you wanted me to tell her?'

Saturday 30th December

Dear Peter,

I've been to the Ministry this morning to register you as my apprentice. They've provided me with documentation outlining what we need to cover before you can take the exams and the parameters for your final project. I'm going to go through it and decide on a course of action. Once you're back at school, your friend Remus has agreed to make me a notebook and link it to a page in yours so we can have instant communication. So I'll be in touch when that's been completed.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday.

Monty.

-o-o-o-o-

Saturday 30th December

Dear Mrs Figg,

My name is Euphemia Potter, but please call me Effie. I'm the mother of one of Peter's friends, and his home situation has recently become known to me. I find myself unable to sit by and do nothing to help when I am more than able to, but Peter is reluctant to accept assistance. I understand that you have been taking care of Mrs Pettigrew while Peter attends school, and would like to offer my support in whatever capacity would be of best use, be that financial, physical, and/or emotional.

I've instructed the owl to deliver this when your husband isn't home. If you have another way you'd prefer to communicate, please let me know with your reply.

Yours sincerely

Effie Potter.

-o-o-o-o-

Sunday 31st December

Dear Effie,

Please, call me Bella.

I was so pleased to receive your letter this morning. Peter is managing remarkably well, but another pair of hands definitely wouldn't hurt when he's at school. I don't let him know how much of a strain it is, of course, but I would welcome some help. I didn't realise how much I was taking on when I offered to look after Mrs Pettigrew while he was away, but he doesn't deserve to lose out on an education because of his father's actions, so I'm reluctant to admit to him it's too much.

Financially, Peter is doing fine. His mother was a well-known potioneer before her injuries, with an extensive client list, and his father came from money. He has budgeted the contents of his parent's vault to last until he graduates and is able to work; he receives a small amount from the muggle welfare system, which I collect for him; and his paternal grandmother provides them with a monthly allowance to cover living expenses. It's not a luxurious amount, but it's enough.

However, physically, I could use some help. Currently, I visit three times a day to assist Mrs Pettigrew with hygiene, medication, and food. I try to keep on top of the cleaning as much as I can, but with my own home to look after, it does tend to build up and Peter usually comes home to a mess, which isn't fair on him, though he never complains. If you could take over one visit a day, that would be a huge help to me, and perhaps you could cast a few cleaning spells while you're there?

Please let me know if this is agreeable to you. (Owls are fine as long as my husband is out when they arrive).

And thanks again.

Bella.

December 31st 10:15 pm Moony & Twinkles

Goodnight Moonbeam. Only five more days xxx

Goodnight Twinkles xxx

You're still awake?

Of course. It's new year's eve.

What's that got to do with it?

Don't wizards celebrate the new year?

No? There's nothing magically significant about the day. Why would we celebrate it?

Well, muggles do. They stay awake until midnight to greet the new year as it arrives and kiss their partner for luck.

That's completely stupid. Are you staying up until midnight?

Yeah, I'm watching a film with my mum right now.

Moony! You're making no sense. What is a film, and why are you watching it?

Just so you know, mum and I are both laughing at you. You know what a tv is, right?

Yes, they have them in the squib wing. You can use it to see things that happened in the past that the muggles recorded somehow.

Right. So a film is a story. The muggles act it out and record it, and people can watch it at home on the tv.

Like a play?

Similar, yeah, but because it's recorded, they can use different locations instead of doing it all on one stage.

That sounds really cool. What's the story about?

It just finished. It's called "A Star is Born," and the ending was really sad. It was about an alcoholic who fell in love with an aspiring singer. He helped her become famous, and they got married, but he realised his addiction was holding her back, so he drowned himself. She was heartbroken.

That's a horrible story. Why would you watch that?

I didn't know it was going to be sad!

It's a good thing you have me to cheer you up.

I thought you were going to bed?

That was before I knew about new year's eve and staying up until midnight. Now I'm doing that.

You said it was stupid.

Yes. But then I happen to like doing stupid things.

You're ridiculous. I have to go. Mum wants me to put my notebook down. Apparently, I'm ignoring her.

Alright. I'll write to you at midnight xxx

Sunday 31st December 11:45 pm

Remus glanced away from the tv to speak to his mum, only to find she'd fallen asleep with her head on the arm of the sofa and her feet tucked up beneath her. Typical. She made him stay up with her and then fell asleep before midnight. He fetched a blanket from the airing cupboard and tucked it around her, before turning the tv off and grabbing his notebook to head to his room.

Mum fell asleep, he wrote, after making himself comfortable on his bed, tapping the words with his wand to send them.

Rude! Are you going to wake her up?

Nah, I got her a blanket and left her on the sofa. I'm going to go to bed.

Perfect, was the response, and Remus frowned at the word for a second before a quiet pop drew his attention to the middle of the room.

'Hey, Moonbeam,' Sirius said, grinning at him. The house-elf beside him vanished with another pop.

'What are you doing here? I thought you couldn't come again?'

'Everyone's asleep at home,' Sirius said, walking over and sitting next to him on the bed. Remus shuffled over to make room, and Sirius reached over and tweaked his hair. 'I like this. You didn't tell me you got it cut.'

Remus felt his cheeks warm under Sirius' scrutiny. He'd become accustomed to the haircut and had honestly forgotten Sirius didn't know about it. 'It was supposed to be a surprise.'

'It was. And it suits you.' Sirius leaned in, placing his hand on Remus' cheek to tilt his head up, his intention clear. 'You look gorgeous,' he whispered, before kissing him softly.

Remus kissed him back, but kept one ear on the living room, listening for the slightest hint of movement. He didn't need his mum walking in on this.

'Hmm,' Sirius hummed when he pulled back. 'I missed you.'

'I missed you, too,' Remus said. 'I can't wait until we're back at school.'

'I don't know how I'm going to resist snogging you on the train,' Sirius said with a chuckle. 'I'm not sure our secret's going to stay secret for long.'

'Surely your sense of mischief will keep you in check.'

'I don't know. I really like kissing you. I might be overwhelmed with desire the moment I see you.'

Remus covered his face—knowing full well it was too late, and he was already Gryffindor red—and flopped backwards onto the pillows. 'Sirius!'

'What?' Sirius asked, attempting to sound innocent, and failing miserably.

Remus lowered his hands and tried to scowl. 'You're going to be the death of me.'

Sirius shifted to lie on his side, propping himself up on his elbow with his head on his hand and smirked at him. 'You better get used to it, then, because I will be very cross if you go and die on me.'

The distant sound of fireworks going off alerted Remus to the time. 'I think it's midnight.'

Sirius grinned and leaned down. 'Guess I better kiss you, then,' he said, before doing exactly that.

Remus thought new year's eve might be his favourite muggle tradition out of all of them.