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thebestworstidea · 4 years

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The Green Knight’s Lady

Sequel fic to “The Witch and the Green Knight” (on Ao3)

Chapter 1: In which Rowan has Unexpected House Guests

>-<>-< ——————-<>——————- >-<>-<

Chapter 2: In Which They Try to Figure Out What the Hell is Going On

>-<>-< ——————-<>——————- >-<>-<

Remus was familiar enough with the Baker’s house that he brought a chair so the smaller fae could sit in the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room and watch Rowan suspiciously.

“So what do you like to eat?”

“Meat.”

“...” Rowan pinched the bridge of her nose, stopping herself from being exceptionally sarcastic. If she let herself get much more catty she’d have to sit down and eat mice with him. “Raw or cooked?”

“What?”

“It’s just that if you want it raw, it will probably be cold. I could get it warm-ish, but it would probably be a little cooked by that point.” she had her head in the fridge. “We’ve got some chicken, and some beef. We might have venison or mutton in the freezer in the basement, but you know, freezer. Basement.” She closed the door. “How hungry are you?”

“I’m really hungry, little tree.” Remus said making eyes at her. “I’d like that beef.”

“You’d like that entire roast.” she retorted. “It’s something we have in common.” Rowan sneezed, and rubbed her nose on the back of her hand, before heading to the sink and washing her hands thoroughly, throwing occasional looks over her shoulder. Wiping her heads she hit the button on the kettle. “Let’s start with tea.” Standing in front of her jars, she ran her fingers back and forth over them, plucking a few, and setting them on the counter where they could be seen, a square of white cloth laid out on a far-too fancy saucer next to a plain teapot. “Something simple.” Rowan hummed under her breath, and measured out pale tea leaves, lemon peel and the barest pinch of lavender, knotting the cloth up, and pouring the water into the pot, swirling it a moment before dropping the bundle in. She put the jars away, and picked out a pretty teacup with yellow roses on it and a matching saucer, then two mugs, one with a stylized face made out of leaves on it, and the other a gradient rainbow.

“This is awkward…” she realized. “I’m not going to try to get you into the kitchen, but I’m sure you’re going to want to watch me cook; so I can’t get you to sit in the dining room.” She flapped this thought away with a hand, actual blood pact aside, ‘Danger Noodle’ had no reason to trust her, so the lack of it could hardly hurt her. Well, her feelings at least. “Hey, stinkbug, you know what a tv tray looks like?”

“No.”

“Little folding table, I think there’s one in the corner of the dining room, can you grab it?” As he stepped off to look for it, she adjusted her shawl and sighed. “No food offered to you in this house carries obligation.”

“You can’t make that claim for the other mortals here.”

“I sure as sugar honey iced tea can. At least for my family. Don’t you have things in common with your family?”

He frowned, brow furrowing slightly. It would have been more intimidating on an adult’s face.

“Nothing significant comes to mind.”

“It’s like a tea tray on stilts!” Remus said brightly, returning through the other door into the kitchen. He set it down in reach of the young fae, and Rowan brought over the tea cup and one of the mugs, pouring them full, before returning to fill the last one.

“Somehow I think you could use a great deal of sweetening.” she said cheekily.

“I want honey.” Clearly he could see it, though if he wanted to get it himself he’d have to step into the cast-iron filled kitchen.

“Well you’re not getting it.” her nerves were buzzing. She was just going to spend the next however long she lived in a state of repressed hysteria. This entire situation was ridiculous but she pushed forward, putting the sugar bowl on the tv tray along with a silver spoon.“The compost heap doesn’t even get honey, and you’ve been alive for like, less than twenty four hours by my count.” she didn’t mention his physical state. “Oh wait…”

There was a cake stand on the counter, and she lifted it up, and pulled out a cupcake, setting it on a napkin and putting it in front of him. “Happy birthday, Danger Noodle.”

The expression of warring confusion, annoyance and ‘oh gosh a cupcake’ was well worth it, in her opinion.

“Can I have one?”

“Yes- no wait.” She walked towards Remus with intent. “I am not letting you be a biohazard in my eating area.”

“It’s perfectly clean mess.” Remus held up his hands wardingly.

“Yeah, well, no.” She grabbed him by the back of the collar and hauled him away.

“What am I supposed to do?” demanded ‘Danger Noodle’

“Drink your tea and don’t hurt anything.”

“No promises.”

>-<>-<

The laundry room was next to the downstairs bathroom, and Rowan pulled Remus in, digging in a basket in the corner.

“Is this weird for you at all? I mean him being a kid.” she asked quietly.

“Nah, not really.” Remus shrugged. “It’s not going to last. It’s not like he’s a baby or anything. Besides, I’ve always been older than him.”

“What?”

“Yeah, not a lot but-” he made measuring gestures with his hands. “Ten years? Something like that? That kind of gap isn’t even really weird for mortals, right? I mean, it looked different, I started out smaller.”

“It’s a little creepy.”

“Is it?” He stopped. “Oh shade and sorrow, where did you get those dirty thoughts?” Giggling, Remus tweaked her ear and she swatted at him. “Nothing’s going to happen.”

“Oh thank you for that visual, that’s great.”

“I may go back down a bit, anyway.”

It took Rowan a moment to parse out what that meant.

“You’d better stay a certain amount big, he’s going to need protection.”

“Probably just a few years. Getting smaller is harder than getting bigger.” he scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Wouldn’t want to be creepy accidentally. Let me know if I stray closer?”

“Sure.” She rested against the wall for a moment. “I’d feel weird if you were like… a kid or a teenager too. Not creepy-weird, just weird. Humans only age in one direction.”

“Boring!”

“Yep, that’s us.” Rowan shook out a t-shirt, then tossed it on top of the pants she’d picked out. “Here, these are my longest jeans, they should fit you okay.” She handed him the pile, and shoved him towards the bathroom. “I think you’ll feel better clean. I mean, it’s not your thing, but still. You can use my soap and shampoo, I think you’ll know which ones they are.”

“Do I gotta?”

“You absolutely gotta. Things will be fine for ten minutes while you shower.” As much as she loved him, she wanted to reduce how much clean up she was going to have to do. There was a beat of silence and she listened to the house. Upstairs she could hear the rattle of her younger brother’s snore, but no footsteps. Downstairs, nothing but her breathing, no- she could hear Remus and the faint sound of the water heater beneath them.

“I can hear him. It’s fine.” Remus murmured.

“It is so far from fine I don’t think I’d be able to see it on a clear day.” Rowan retorted, squeezing her eyes shut and pressing her hands over them. “I just… I told him he needed sweetening and told him he couldn’t have honey like he was a child and gave him a cupcake, and he’s- he was-” swallowing she grimaced. “I called him ‘Danger Noodle’. To his face.”

Remus laughed at her, but gently, and bonked their foreheads together again.

“I think it’s cute.”

“You would.” she mumbled sourly. “He really trusts you.”

“It’s not polite to talk about it.” he was smiling.

“When has that ever bothered you?”

“I know what manners are for.” he retorted, not sounding offended at all. “You know, when I told you my name, it was so you could call me by it.” He dragged his fingers through her bangs. She relaxed, just a little bit. “It’s what people call me. Not that I don’t like your nicknames.”

“Am I gonna stop being a little tree?” she asked, steering him towards the shower.

“Maybe if you get bigger.” He kissed her forehead again and started to get naked. Rowan left the room, shutting the bathroom door behind herself and taking a few more deep breaths.

Then she headed back to the kitchen, her tea would be cool enough to drink.

She caught ‘Danger Noodle’ with fingers in his mouth, apparently licking off frosting, since the cupcake was gone completely.

They stared at each other. Rowan did her best not to get into a staring contest, or fall back asleep.

“So … ‘Danger Noodle’ is that really what you’re sticking with?” he asked

“You going to give me something better?” She challenged. “It is kind of a mouthful, though. Nope Rope? Spicy Spaghetti? Caution Ramen? Murder Spugurder? Tube Dude? Scale Puppy?”

He looked quietly appalled.

“I’ll take the first one.”

“I thought you might.”

“You’re obnoxious.”

“I’m nicer when I’ve had enough sleep. I think.”

“I’m not.”

She couldn’t help it, she gave a snort of laughter, which didn’t make him look any happier.

“D.N. then,.” Rowan said thoughtfully. He narrowed his eyes at her. And she’d so carefully not said ‘for short’

“Well, that’s an improvement.”

She took a sip from her mug and pulled the roast out of the fridge. Her hand automatically went to the knife block, then pulled back. Treating it like an allergy, she should reduce contact with steel. Rowan began rummaging in the kitchen drawers.

“Is it weird for you?” she asked, not looking at him “I may be small again after I die, but I won’t remember being an adult.”

“I am just barely sure that this is not a nightmare.”

Her search produced a ceramic knife her mother had gotten after Remus had started visiting.

“I am right there with you.” she sighed expressively. “No salt, no steel.” Rowan sang under her breath as she sliced the meat into thin strips, and moved on to an onion, tossing it into a copper pan with a large pat of butter. “I’m going to have to learn to cook again-” she continued in singsong “As my green friend is not a good judge of what is safe to feed a fae…”

“I see his eating habits haven’t changed.”

“I’ll be fair, I’ve never seen him eating roadkill.” She offered.

“He’d much rather kill something himself.”

“He’s blood thirsty like that.” There was a pause, and she sipped her tea without turning around, as the idea that her back was to an unfamiliar person, in the middle of the night itched at the back of her mind. “You’ve known each other for a long time.”

“Do you really want to have a conversation with me?”

Rowan’s shoulders went up then down, and she kept stirring the onions.

“I don’t see why I shouldn’t try.”

“Pretending won’t make me any better.”

“No, that’s all on you. Would you like more tea?”

>-<>-<

Fortunately for their awkward conversation, Remus came back into the kitchen then, a silver chain disappearing under the collar of the t-shirt, hair wet, and moisture sticking to his skin. Rowan was not completely sure that he wasn’t a lighter shade- but she had seen him wash before, so that was probably in her head.

“I feel naked and not in a fun way.” he pouted. “Do I get a cupcake now?”

“But you smell better, and I’d be willing to lend you a blanket.” She tweaked his nose and did give him a cupcake. “I’ll put the meat in and you’ll have food in a minute.”

The sound of frying meat covered up the quiet conversation they had behind her, and she focused on it.

“Real table time.” She interrupted. “Dining room’s right behind you.”

It was too late for a midnight snack, and too early for breakfast, but she filled three bowls with the meat and vegetable mix, ignoring the voice in the back of her head that insisted she should make rice, or at least some noodles to go with it, she set the bowls out in a row, and let her guests pick whichever they pleased, only sitting down and taking the last one one they had. The meat was more rare than she’d prefer in a fryup, but compromise. She’d refilled her cup twice and Remus’s once as well before she spoke again.

“How is this even possible?”

“Now you ask.” scoffed the young fae.

“Do you know?”

He didn’t answer, eyes flicking to the side to avoid meeting her gaze, but it looked more like a ‘no’ than a ‘not telling’. She poked Remus with her foot under the table, getting his attention, and after a moment, sliding the rest of her serving over to him.

“Okay, I need you to walk me through what happened.”

“Uh…” He looked lost.

‘Danger Noodle’ sat back a bit in his chair so he could see them both better.

“Just, some idea. We found his bones, and then...”

“Not a creepy conversation to be sitting in on at all.” the young fae hissed between his teeth, cleaning his nails.

“Shut up, Danger Noodle.” He made a very teenagerish face at her. She sneered back.“And then?”

“I uh… don’t remember much for a while?” Remus admitted “So I don’t know how long I was there. But eventually, I..” his eyes flashed over to the other fae, then returned to Rowan. “I picked them up and gathered them into the bag you made me. And then I wormed my way out of the grove and I left.” He looked over at the young fae and took a deep breath. “So, legend is they were made straight out of shadows in the darkest part of the forest. So I went there. I’m not sure what I was thinking, that if they were born there, that would be the best place to rest. I just knew I didn’t want to leave the bones where we found ‘em, because it did feel… bad. Angry. And keeping the bones in my home would be a little weird even for me.”

“Just a little.” Rowan agreed.

“But that’s not much by way of directions.”

“The forest is a fae.” Interjected ‘Danger Noodle’ They both looked at him. “My brother calls it ‘mother’.”

“And you?” Rowan asked.

He gave a surprisingly honest looking shrug and rubbed the back of his neck, then his temples. “Something is there.”

“And I found a nice hollow tree to put them in.” Remus offered.

“Which I’m sure sounds cozy to a summer.”

“It does! Not that one though.” Remus blinked, slowly and rocked back and forth. “Then, I sat down, I was only going to sit down for a minute, only it was dark, and like… like finding the first patch of horfrost. So I just stayed sat.”

“Did you say anything? Think anything?”

“I don’t think I said anything. I thought about dying of exposure, and that elk skeleton I saw last summer.” He looked away from Rowan and smiled at the little fae “Thought about you.”

He raised his eyebrows, but didn’t respond.

“Then… I dunno. I think I fell asleep. I don’t remember anything. But then I woke up and heard swearing.” he gestured at ‘Danger Noodle’. “The bones were gone, and he was there instead.”

“And you just knew who he was?”

“I will always know.” Remus said with enough feeling he embarrassed both Rowan and the fae child.

“So nothing we did on purpose.”

“I was brought back to life by accident?” he sounded almost offended by the concept.

“Oh somebody did it.” Rowan retorted. “It just wasn’t us.” It didn’t taste true, there was like a rattle of thought in the back of her mind. “It wasn’t just us.” she added, and shivered. “I remember when we were looking I’d get these strange feelings; nudges. Just different enough from how I normally find things that they didn’t seem like the same thing. I usually find things by seeing something, or feeling a tug in the right direction, and it was like that but it was like… someone pulling on a string that was tied to something that pulled me, the pictures I saw looked like words feel.”

“Witch magic.”

“I always thought of it more as psychic phenomenon, but-” She laced her fingers together. “I don’t know how to separate them.” Rowan pulled her shawl around herself more tightly. “Somehow… I feel I should apologize.” Rowan said honestly.

“What for?”

“My admittedly small part in your resurrection.”

“Don’t.” He folded his hands and frowned. “I was… present. In the bones. I couldn’t leave.” He looked at his hands and scowled again. “A poetic punishment for past misdeeds, I suppose. And I can feel magic. I would not be here, even in this form, if it weren’t for you. I hate it, but I owe you a debt, Rowan.”

“That’s why you agreed.” She said quietly.

“Whatever I owe you doesn’t preclude me killing you if you push it.” his eyes widened suddenly as if noticing something. “... you didn’t include yourself in your bargain. You said ‘my family or guests in my home’.”

Rowan just smiled at him.

“That took even less time than I thought it would.”

“Nothing is keeping me from killing you.” he sounded almost confused.

“Well. You are a guest in my home.” she offered. “And you owe me. So there’s that for now.”

“You’re very trusting.”

Rowan laughed.

“That’s not a new observation.” Her head felt split in two by a sudden yawn. “I feel like I’m out of thinking for now.” Rowan squinted at her guests. “Let me offer you a bed; I mean, you could sleep in mine, but I’m not giving it up, so the mess gets the middle.” she nodded at Remus. “So there’s the guest rooooo-okay not the guest room, that’s got an iron bedframe. So the loft, which is at least private.”

>-<>-<

The house only technically had three floors, the third being more of a half floor that was mostly one large room with storage closets lining the eves. Lazy storage left a handful of boxes not actually getting where they belonged, boxes stacked on the made up king bed, which Rowan hurriedly moved. The wind could be heard through the roof, but there were only two windows, round ones, one that faced the road, the other facing the forest. Both had small iron bells hung on the upper frame, and fans sitting beneath them. Bookshelves in various states of dilapidation were filled with books haphazardly, and there was a large stack of white comic book boxes. A standing rack was full of coats and old costumes, only some of which were in garment bags. A space heater stood at the foot of the bed.

“If you want to stay here, it will be mostly private,” Rowan offered. “If you need more blankets, there’s a blanket chest outside the upstairs bathroom.”

“Thanks little tree.” Remus nodded. “I shouldn’t be tired, since I just woke up but… winter I guess.”

“One last request?” Rowan asked nervously, standing at the head of the stairs. “I’d like to broach the subject with my family myself? So uhm. Could you wait until I come get you tomorrow?”

“Are you trying to lock me in a tower?”

Remus seemed to think that was a joke, so Rowan took it as one.

“Don’t be silly. There aren’t any towers available. Or big enough locks.”

#the witch and the green knight #willow is writing #AU AU

11 notes · View notes

tnott · 4 years

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* 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄 / 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐄𝐂𝐇 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒:

𝙽𝙾. 𝙾𝙵 𝚂𝙿𝙾𝙺𝙴𝙽 𝙻𝙰𝙽𝙶𝚄𝙰𝙶𝙴𝚂: 1 / 2 / 3+ — Fluent in English, Welsh, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Passable conversational skills in Russian and Modern Greek.

𝙰𝙲𝙲𝙴𝙽𝚃: yes / no — She’s from North Wales, and it’s apparent in her speech. When speaking foreign languages, she generally has the typical accent of an English-speaking second language learner.

𝙳𝙴𝙼𝙴𝙰𝙽𝙾𝚁: confident / shy / approachable / hostile / other — Theo is very much a loner, and she largely comes off as neither friendly nor hostile, but detached and aloof..

𝙿𝙾𝚂𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙴: slumped / straight / stiff / relaxed — The importance of proper posture was drilled into her as a child.

𝙷𝙰𝙱𝙸𝚃𝚂: head tilting / swaying / fidgeting / stuttering / gesturing / arm crossing / strokes chin / er, um, or other interjections / plays with hair or clothing / hands at hips / inconsistent eye contact / maintains eye contact / frequent pausing / stands close / stands at distance / other

𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐗𝐈𝐓𝐘.

𝚅𝙾𝙲𝙰𝙱𝚄𝙻𝙰��𝚈: ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬜

𝙴𝙼𝙾𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽: ⬛ ⬛ ⬜ ⬜ ⬜

𝚂𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝚂𝚃𝚁𝚄𝙲𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙴: ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘.

𝙵𝚁𝙴𝚀𝚄𝙴𝙽𝙲𝚈: ⬛ ⬛ ⬜ ⬜ ⬜

𝙲𝚁𝙴𝙰𝚃𝙸𝚅𝙸𝚃𝚈: ⬛ ⬜ ⬜ ⬜ ⬜

𝐁𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐋𝐘.

arse. ass. asshole. bastard. bitch. bloody. bugger. bollocks. chicken shit. crap. cunt. dick. frick. fuck. horseshit. motherfucker. piss. prick. screw. shit. shitass. son of a bitch. twat. wanker. pussy.

𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐓.

christ on a bike. christ on a cracker. damn. goddamn. godsdamn. hell. holy shit. jesus. jesus christ. jesus h christ. jesus h. roosevelt christ. lord have mercy. jesus, mary and joseph. sweet jesus.

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓

contractions or enunciation? straightforward or cryptic? jargon or toned? complexity or simplicity? finding the right word or using the first word that comes to mind? formalities or abrasiveness? frankness or lies? excessive or moderate or minimal hand gestures? friendly or and blunt nicknames?

𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒.

𝙳𝙾 𝙿𝙴𝙾𝙿𝙻𝙴 𝙷𝙰𝚅𝙴 𝙰 𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙳 𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴 𝚄𝙽𝙳𝙴𝚁𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙾𝚁 𝙷𝙴𝙰𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁? almost always / frequently / sometimes / rarely / never.

𝙳𝙾𝙴𝚂 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁’𝚂 𝙿𝙾𝙸𝙽𝚃 𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙴 𝙰𝙲𝚁𝙾𝚂𝚂 𝙴𝙰𝚂𝙸𝙻𝚈 𝚆𝙷𝙴𝙽 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚈 𝚂𝙿𝙴𝙰𝙺? almost always / frequently / sometimes / rarely / never.

𝚆𝙾𝚄𝙻𝙳 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙸𝙽𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙰𝚃𝙴 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂? almost always / frequently / sometimes / rarely / never.

𝚆𝙾𝚄𝙻𝙳 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙱𝙴 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙾𝙽𝙴 𝚃𝙾 𝙴𝙽𝙳 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂? almost always / frequently / sometimes / rarely / never.

𝚆𝙾𝚄𝙻𝙳 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚄𝚂𝙴 ‘𝚆𝙷𝙾𝙼’ 𝙸𝙽 𝙰 𝚂𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙴? yes / no / only ironically.

𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚆𝙰𝙽𝚃𝚂 𝚃𝙾 𝙼𝙰𝙺𝙴 𝙰 𝙲𝙾𝚄𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙿𝙾𝙸𝙽𝚃. 𝚆𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳 𝙳𝙾 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚈 𝚄𝚂𝙴? but / though / although / however / perhaps / mayhaps

𝙷𝙾𝚆 𝙳𝙾𝙴𝚂 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙴𝙽𝙳 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂? walk away / ask if that’s everything / say that’s everything / give a proper goodbye /tell their company they’re done here / remain quiet / they don’t.

𝙷𝙾𝚆 𝙳𝙾𝙴𝚂 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙰𝙳𝙳𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚂 𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝚂? titles / first names / surnames / full names / nicknames — First names for peers she knows, nicknames for peers she knows well. Surnames for peers she doesn’t know or dislikes. Mr./Mrs. for most adults, Professor for her teachers

𝚆𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝚂𝙾𝙲𝙸𝙰𝙻 𝙲𝙻𝙰𝚂𝚂 𝚆𝙾𝚄𝙻𝙳 𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝚂 𝙰𝚂𝚂𝚄𝙼𝙴 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙱𝙴𝙻𝙾𝙽𝙶𝚂 𝚃𝙾, 𝙷𝙴𝙰𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝙼 𝚂𝙿𝙴𝙰𝙺? upper / middle/ lower

𝙸𝙽 𝚆𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝚆𝙰𝚈𝚂 𝙳𝙾𝙴𝚂 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚆𝙰𝚈 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚂𝙿𝙴𝙰𝙺 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙾𝚄𝚃 𝚃𝙾 𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝚂? accent / vocabulary / tone / level / politeness / brusqueness / it doesn’t.

stolen from: @chaotiicgoods tagging: @glassmenagerieofmuses (Harry) @mayhemxmugglesxmagic (Greg) @betterdcyz (Remus), @madeperfect, @blaesus, @heartscfvalor (Harriet)

#meme answers #dash games #headcanons #she can also read and write in Latin Ancient Greek Old English and Old Brythonic.

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kingsmakers · 4 years

Note

Evens for Cass and Odds for Phoenix 😈

Ooh this is long so:

Phoenix Black

1. Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with?

Phoenix is obviously from a big family, so yeah she has both her brothers and also her cousins (almost all of which are older than her). She’s closest with Regulus, as they share very similar views. Her twin is probably a little more prejudiced than Phoenix. As a child she was often the glue between Regulus and Sirius, as she’s got a positive relationship with both of her brothers.

3. What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like?

Orion is a fairly distant presence emotionally. He’s an Unspeakable for the Department of Mysteries, so he works long hours and isn’t allowed to talk about his work. Although not as abusive to his kids as Walburga, he’s never intervened on their behalf. She and her father both have depression though, which is something that comes to light more later during Phoenix’s story.

5. On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets?

Her wand ALWAYS, probably some treats for her cat Saturn, a bunch of hair pins and hair ties just in case her hair gets too unruly.

7. Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares?

There’s a lot of death in Phoenix’s nightmares, which makes sense really because of the First Wizarding War and all.

9. Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up?

I think it’s similar. Phoenix has grown up privileged and she’s never wanted for anything, her family is very wealthy. I will say that as an adult, she has more of an appreciation of hard work and having to earn things. Nonetheless she does inherit a fair bit of money, so even if she didn’t work, she’d always be comfortable.

11. In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?

Directly following Evan Rosier’s death. I can’t say too much without spoiling, but Phoenix did unknowingly have a hand in his and Wilkes’ ultimate fates. She also understands why Regulus wanted out, and knows she has to go to protect herself and baby Cass. So she’s terrified that Death Eaters will hunt her down and murder her.

13. Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way?

Phoenix is completely unperturbed by blood. As she’d put it, girls see more than boys anyway.

15. Is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? Why or why not?

I think she is despite her best efforts not to be. Much of Phoenix’s young life was dominated by the idea of status, and how flaunting your wealth was the best way to achieve that. She becomes better as an adult, especially as Remus is not very comfortable with flaunting money due to his vastly different financial upbringing.

17. What was your character’s favorite toy as a child?

I think as she’s a pure-blood it’s a bit hard to tell what toys she had, but she probably would have loved all of them.

19. What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?

I would definitely say that, when she’s younger, it’s her tendency to think too much about other people’s opinions and how things look. It definitely ruined her relationship with Remus while they were still at Hogwarts - she placed too much faith in people’s perspectives on it, and it was what led her to break up with him.

21. If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others?

I think Phoenix is quite self-destructive, so I think she would often blame herself, or at least question how active a role she had in the tragedy that occurred. She’d wonder what she could do differently. However, when there’s blame to be placed on others, she would certainly put it there.

23. What does your character dislike in other people?

Phoenix is not a fan of others who go out of their way to be cruel or unkind to others for no reason. Ironic, considering she’s a Slytherin and in a very pro-Voldemort circle, but it’s part of what pushes her to want to get out.

25. How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person?

Phoenix definitely turns a blind eye to those she’s closest with, it’s a big flaw of hers. However, she can be somewhat paranoid and suspicious of others, and when she’s got an idea in her head, it’s hard to convince her otherwise.

27. How does your character normally deal with confrontation?

Phoenix isn’t a very confrontational person, but she does believe in sorting out problems rather than letting them fester. I think she would approach the conflict with the knowledge of what she wants to say, and an idea of what the outcome would be.

29. What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?

As a kid, Phoenix really wanted to be an Auror. Unfortunately after her husband was killed by them, it crushed that for her. After that, she was a bit disillusioned with the Ministry, though she knew working for them would be a nice paycheck.

31. Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable.

With Remus and her kids. After the war, she just wants to settle down in a modest home with them and live a peaceful existence. Phoenix has a lot of trauma packed into the space of a few short years, so I think she’s done with eventful after all of that.

33. In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?

Phoenix can get very defensive, and is prone to tears when she’s called out. She doesn’t handle criticism well, and it’s something she’s well aware of and is working to change.

35. How does your character behave around people they like?

Phoenix is naturally an extrovert, and that really shines around people she likes. She’s friendly, bubbly and eager to include and be included. Phoenix is the sort of person who, when she’s at her best, you’d really want to be friends with. She does have a sunny personality when she’s in a good mood.

37. Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status?

Originally it would be protecting her status, but that would definitely change later on.

39. Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)?

Lmaoooo does Remus count? ;)

41. Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first?

Phoenix at first feels she deserves to have what she wants, but it’s only as she gets older that she realises she has to work for it and earn it, and she finds it feels better to her that way.

43. Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?

I wouldn’t say a ‘dependent’ but she does have an interesting relationship with Harry. She’s sort of that aunt figure to him, as both Sirius’s sister and Remus’s wife.

45. What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?

Phoenix isn’t entirely sure that what happens after she dies, but she thinks there might be some sort of afterlife, and it comforts her a little knowing she’ll be reunited with people like her twin.

Cassiopeia Rosier

2. What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?

Cass gets along quite well with her mum. Phoenix was only young when Cass was born, so she’s a fairly young mum, and they have some similar characteristics. She’s also the only biological parent of Cass’s still alive, so I think Cass relies on her a bit for information about what her dad was like.

4. Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

I definitely think Cass witnesses a lot during the Second Wizarding War. This is a maybe, but I considered that Cass suspects something is up when Harry is led away with ‘Moody’, and stumbles upon him having changed into Crouch. However, the professors arrive before he can attack her.

6. Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams?

I think Cass dreams about her dad a lot, what he’d be like, how he’d act toward her etc. She adores Remus, but she also wonders about her biological father for sure.

8. Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target?

Nope, she has not.

10. Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?

Cass is quite body confident so I think some of the clothing she wears is a little more on the revealing side. I mean, Fred ain’t complaining.

12. In what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been?

I think this was during her younger half-brother, Orion Lupin’s, venture to Hogwarts. He was really stressed about where he would be sorted and what it would mean and Cass was like “lmao doesn’t matter”.

14. Does your character remember names or faces easier?

I would say faces.

16. Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success?

A bit of both ideally, but if she had to choose, she would say happiness.

18. Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?

Wisdom, the little goddamn Ravenclaw.

20. In what ways does your character compare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism?

Cass is a bit of an overachiever, so she’s likely to compare her grades and results to those of others. She sometimes feels that if she’s not the best, then what’s the point?

22. What does your character like in other people?

Genuineness, and the ability to make her laugh.

24. How quick is your character to trust someone else?

Not very. Cass is not a trusting person, and she keeps herself guarded.

26. How does your character behave around children?

Cass is an oldest child and her youngest brother is 14 years younger than her, so she’s pretty good with kids.

28. How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation?

Cass isn’t a physically violent person, and she would only lash out if someone had done so to her first.

30. What does your character find repulsive or disgusting?

Arrogance. Something she does see a lot in other Ravenclaws. Also people thinking they’re ‘above’ others. She’s a pure-blood herself but sees no need to be a supremacist about it.

32. Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.

Being compared to Death Eater daddy in a negative way. She knows her dad did some awful things, and there’s no denying she’s like him in some ways, but she never wants to come across as cruel or malicious.

34. Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method?

She would move on to a different method. Cass is constantly changing her methods.

36. How does your character behave around people they dislike?

Civil, but indifferent. She will make conversation if she has to, but it won’t be anything more than small talk. She’s not outright rude but she’s not going to push it.

38. Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat?

I think she would remove herself from the problem or threat. She finds taking a step back gives her more space to think.

40. How does your character treat people in service jobs?

Polite. Not quite kind, but she would always at least attempt to be friendly.

42. Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?

Remus maybe but he’s her stepdad so? Other than that, I think she has Molly Weasley, who utterly adores her.

44. How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it?

She finds it hard. Cass knows that she’s a product of basically an arranged marriage, so it’s not something she throws around lately. It’s a big thing for her to say.

#asks #phoenix black #decadence #cassiopeia rosier #turbulence

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siriuslyblack12 · 4 years

Text

chapter 4

Remus felt the sofa dip as James sat down beside him, the popcorn he was carrying spilling as Peter took a handful. Movie night, a time-honoured tradition for the marauders, had fallen on a Thursday this month, but the inconvenience wouldn’t stop them. James always hosted, so at least they could rely on Mrs Potter to wake them for school in the morning. Sirius flicked through Disney Plus on the TV, sat criss-cross in the most ridiculous onesie James had jokingly bought him one birthday, struggling to pick a film.

It made him look great, hugging everything delightfully, whilst still having that sense of humour that he adored.

Can you stop being a gay disaster for 5 minutes?

Sirius had begun to act normally again after only a few days, refusing to attest to what exactly was bothering him, ignoring people when asked. On the first day he’d laughed along with his friends as he used to, Remus had given Lily a concerned look which was shrugged off timidly.

“How ‘bout Shtar Warsh? We haven’t washed dem in a while.” Peter suggested through a mouth full of food.

James huffed, “No, Wormtail, we watched all the bloody films last month, remember?”

“Well what about Narnia? Magic and shit.” He tried again. Everybody groaned.

“Ok, ok, I get it,” He defended, hands going up in mock surrender. “What do you suggest then?”

Remus watched as Sirius thought for a moment, pulling at his hair before switching to the Marvel section, “You can’t go wrong with Avengers, lads.”

“Sirius, you are literally the only person who likes the Avengers.” James said as he put his head in his hands, snatching the popcorn bowl from Peter and offering it to the room. “Moony, you’re awfully quiet, what do you think?”

Remus tore his eyes away from Sirius just as he tilted his head and offered his infamous puppy dog eyes, the caramel flecks shining in the light of the TV. Truthfully, he didn’t much like Marvel movies, finding them a bit boring, but how was he supposed to say no to those eyes? “I don’t mind, let Sirius pick.”

Sirius squealed girlishly before starting the film, getting up from the floor and situating himself right next to Remus, body pressing against his side. He drew in a breath.

Stay calm. You’ve sat close to him before.

“Wait who’s that? What’s he doing?” Peter was one of those people who talked the whole way through a movie, asking question that would be answered within a few minutes, and it was annoying to say the least. “Oh fuck! Why’s he doing that?!”

Sirius laughed seemingly right into Remus’s ear and the sound was infectious. The slight feeling of hot air against his face sent a jolt down his spine; he didn’t dare to move an inch in case he got too close, or in case he got too far away. He couldn’t deny himself the feeling of it, even if it was only temporary.

As the evening faded to night, sun into the moon, the four of them lay tired, barely processing what was happening on the screen with eyes blinking wearily. Yet Remus was wide awake, all too aware of the soft dundun dundun dundun of Sirius’s heartbeat. It was calm and lethargic, accompanied by the rise and fall of his chest. The screen was busy with action and explosions, and Remus’s brain was loud with spinning thoughts.

James yawned exaggeratedly. “I don’t know if I can stand anymore of this Padfoot, turn it off.”

“But this is the best bit!” He pleaded.

“It was the best bit half an hour ago, hell, it was the best bit 10 minutes ago. Poor Peter’s trying to sleep.” A snore came from the floor almost in agreement.

Sirius sighed, “please… just let me watch this, I’ll turn it off straight after. Swear down.”

“Fine, but I’m going up to bed. Turn off the lights when you’re finished, would you? Mum says we’re trying to save money on the electric.”

“You got it Prongs!”

The room was eerily silent as the film continued, apart from Sirius’s quiet reaction and Peter’s thundering snores. Remus’s breathing evened out gradually as he settled back into the heat of his friend’s body. He knew he was crossing some sort of boundary but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Staving off a yawn, he braved a look at the other boy, only to meet bleary eyes and a drooping head.

“You don’t actually like Avengers, do you?” He smiled.

Remus’s breathing picked up again. “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about-“

“No, I know, I know… It’s fine. You don’t have to pretend anymore.”

He scoffed, “I wasn’t pretending. Why would I?”

“You tell me, Moons.”

Remus woke up to a head heavy on his shoulder, still peacefully sleeping, his lips slightly parted and hair falling onto his back. When had Sirius fallen asleep? And when had he gotten right there?

“Boys, boys, I can’t believe I forgot!” Mrs Potter entered the room briskly. “It’s time to get up, hurry now.”

The head on his shoulder jerked up, obviously startled as he brought his arm up to cover his eyes from the intensity of the light. “What time is it? Moons?”

“It’s about 8, Sirius love. Was it a late night?” Mrs Potter asked, tidying the blankets and bowls scattered all over the floor.

He stretched lethargically. “Not quite.”

She left the room with a final wake up call to Peter, leaving Remus to deal with a half-asleep Sirius Black practically on his lap. He watched as he brushed his hair out of his face, rubbing at his eyes and pressing into the material of the other’s pyjama t-shirt. The bastard doesn’t even look dishevelled.

“Morning, Moons, you alright?” He mumbled.

Remus stuttered, “Yeah, I’m fine, I’m great, yeah, I’m… peachy.”

“Peachy?”

He didn’t notice the way Sirius’s cheeks flushed and his face fell, nor did he notice the waver in his iron confidence that was built up so high. The boy sobered slightly, finally lifting his head and coming back down to reality.

“How did you-, um, did you sleep okay?” Remus asked.

“Absolutely peachy.” Sirius laughed, “How about you?”

His palms began to sweat as he answered shakily, trying his best to change the subject “Oh, yeah, do you know where I put my, um-, my bag?

The other boy faltered, gathering his own belongings and spare change of clothes. “I think it’s in the kitchen mate.”

“Right, thanks, yeah,” Remus said.

Peter looked up from the floor, appearance in stark contrast to Sirius’s effortless, I woke up like this aura. He felt around for his phone and once found he cursed loudly, “Shit! I forgot to charge it, my mum’ll go mad.”

Remus wasn’t listening as he stared at the back of a certain someone’s head, wondering if he’d done something wrong. It seemed as if there was an entire section of his brain dedicated to Sirius, whether that be anxious thoughts about his wellbeing and emotions, or pathetic crushing.

James burst through the door, “Do you need me to call your mum? Is she worried about you?” He cooed. “Okay now, that gesture wasn’t very nice.”

When Remus turned back to look at Sirius, he had already gone, presumably to the bathroom. James spoke warmly, “What do you want for breakfast? Dad says he’ll make bacon if you fancy it.”

“Have you got sausages as well? That’d be nice.” Peter had stopped panicking about his phone, perking up at the mention of food.

Remus truthfully was quite hungry, but suddenly wasn’t in the mood. “I’ll eat at school, thanks though Prongs.”

“It’s no trouble, he always makes too much anyway.” James reasoned.

“Seriously, I’m fine.” He said dismissively, giving one last reassuring smile before stalking into the kitchen to sit at the bar, scrolling through his own phone lazily. Mr Potter was hard at work at the stove, the bacon James had spoke of by his side.

He sought out conversation, “How’s your mum these days? I haven’t spoken to her in a while.”

“She’s doing well, yeah.” For a moment he let his mind linger on the thought of his mother, pushing herself to her limits just for mere household chores, every adult he knew always asking about her. He tended not to think too much of it, but occasionally it was impossible to ignore. Never did he talk openly about what was going on, he was similar to Sirius that way.

“Something smells good.” Sirius sauntered into the room, looking even more perfect than before, if that was possible.

James chuckled, “Unlike you.”

“Very original.”

“Again, unlike you.”

Marlene looked away from where she was tracing glitter onto Remus’s eyelids, “Seriously, Re, I don’t know why you were so against this. It looks good!”

“I wasn’t against it, I am against it. This is stupid.” He huffed.

Remus was sat in the girls’ bathroom, legs folded on a closed toilet seat, head tilted up to meet a makeup brush. Surrounding him were Lily, Mary, Dorcas and Marlene, all gossiping excitedly about an art project they were doing. After he’d come out to Lily, he’d found it easy and comforting to tell the other girls too (though still not ready to tell the boys), who’d jumped on the excuse to show him love, support and happiness. They were currently working on a project about gender expression, using Remus as a very unenthusiastic model.

“Jeez, Marls, doesn’t this seem like a bit too much?” He asked.

Dorcas laughed, “There’s no such thing as too much!”

“Tell that to the people who are going to be blinded by my fucking-,” He winced as the brush pressed harder against his skin, “be careful with that, -my eyes.”

Marlene swiped a thumb over the glistening skin, before leaning back to inspect her work. “Hey babe, do you think I should go for red or pink on the lips? I think the red goes cute with the eyes.”

“Whatever you think.” Dorcas smiled sweetly.

Remus made a noise in the back of his throat, “As long as it doesn’t take too long, I have to take all of this off before my next lesson.”

“You should keep it on, it’s nice.” Lily suggested, “I think Sirius would think so anyway.”

“Fat chance.”

He felt his phone buzz in his pocket so he got it out, not without protest from Marlene. The beating of his heart picked up as he saw it was a snapchat from Sirius, his momentary freeze allowing Lily to snatch it right from his hands.

“Speaking of him, what’s going on?”

He snatched the phone back. “I haven’t opened it, dumbass.”

“Well then you better open it before I do, dumbass.” Lily teased.

He wondered for a moment what it could be, considering Sirius must have been well into a lesson. Not that I know his timetable. That would be weird. He tried to reason with himself about all of the possible things it could concern, and how practically none of which aligned with his fantasies and wishes. Reasoning had always gone out the window when it came to his friend.

Friends. That’s all you are.

“C’mon Remus, let’s see it.” Mary sang.

Marlene joined her, “You cannot leave us waiting like this.”

“He’ll open it when he’s ready, guys.” He heard Dorcas say vaguely.

He only hesitated for another second, until with a surge of confidence he tapped his phone to open the message. For a moment, he thought I’m overreacting, it’s just a stupid snapchat, but this moment was cut short by a glance at the picture of Sirius from under the desk with the caption ‘meet me in Slughorn’s empty lab in 5. We need to talk’

Holy. Shit.

“Um, Marls?” She hummed in recognition. “How fast can you take all of this off my face?”

It was eerily quiet as he cautiously walked into the lab, having never been there outside of lessons. It was also strange to see Sirius perched atop the counter, legs swinging wildly and fingers picking at his nail polish. Remus remembered when he’d first started painting his nails, claiming he was only doing it because it pissed off his mum, but it was to be suspected that he secretly loved it.

Sirius lifted his head and scanned Remus’s face in confusion. “Bloody hell, what happened to you?”

“Marlene happened.”

He laughed, “That explains it.”

The two looked at each other for a moment, searching for the words but not quite finding them. It was awkward, but the comfortable kind. Remus broke the silence shyly, “Did you need to talk to me about something?”

Sirius sighed, “I was hoping you wouldn’t bring that up.”

“What-, what do you mean? Isn’t that why you wanted me here? No offence, but I wouldn’t just risk detention with Slughorn to just stand here,” He asked, before realising what he said. “Not that I don’t… I wouldn’t… I just wanted to know what’s up.”

Sirius rubbed at the back of his neck. “Keep talking, please, it makes me less nervous.”

“What do you have to be nervous about?” Remus said, kicking at his shoes.

“A lot, apparently.”

Sirius stilled where he was sitting, hooking his ankles together to stop the violent swinging, running a hand through his hair. Remus’s mind reeled trying to make sense of what was happening, or what he should be doing. Say something, idiot. “Me talking makes you less nervous?” It was more of a statement than a question.

“I guess it does, yeah.” Sirius replied quietly.

Remus found a poster on the wall to burn his eyes into, reading the same sentence again and again without really understanding it. Truth be told, he had no idea what was going on, and at this rate he’d never find out.

He spoke with a care-free façade, “So who’s lesson are you skiving? Wait no, don’t tell me, it’s Binns, isn’t it?”

“You know me so well.” Sirius said with a hand over his heart. “He doesn’t even notice! It’s a wonder anyone shows up.”

Remus paused a moment for a thought, “Perhaps it’s just the people who actually care about their grades. Or the people who chose the subject because they enjoy it, not just because James picked it, who only did it because Lily did.”

“Couldn’t be me.” Sirius giggled. Giggled.

“Well, for once I can’t be too angry,” Remus mirrored his laugh. “You did save me from the wrath of Marlene’s makeup brush. I don’t think I could have been able to stand any more glitter.”

“I don’t blame you.” Sirius said amusedly, before adding, “I don’t blame her either. Looks nice.”

Remus’s breath caught in his throat. “You think?”

Rather than be embarrassed as he was before, Sirius let out another hearty laugh. “You’re always so self-deprecating, mate. You look good, any bird would be lucky to have you.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it.” Remus replied happily, any sadness slipping from his shoulders as he took in the compliment. He’d never been good at taking compliments, either out of disbelief and surprise, or his anxiety.

They’re only saying these things out of pity, he’d think. But he didn’t think that now.

It subdued for only a few seconds, the two laughing about anything and everything, before Sirius blurted something that made Remus’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. “I like boys, by the way… that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

FuckfuckfuCKFUCKFUCKSHITSHIT

“What-, you-, I don’t, what?” He spluttered, eyes wide. “Are you serious?”

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

Remus had to bite back a smile, “No, I absolutely do not. I just… wow.”

Sirius nodded. “Wow. That sums it up pretty well.”

“I-, I had no idea, I mean, that came out wrong.” He then realised how awful this sounded, probably making Sirius think he was homophobic or something. He debated it in his mind, he had the perfect opportunity to tell him of his own truth. “Does-, does anyone know? James maybe?”

Sirius’s squeezed his hands between his thighs. “The only people who know are my so-called parents and Regulus. Long story short, they’re not exactly the most accepting people in the world.”

Remus let out a sympathetic noise, “I’m so sorry.” You can’t tell him now, it’d take his moment away.

But maybe I have a chance. A very small one, I’m probably not even his type. But a chance.

“Can I… Do you… A hug, maybe?”

Before he could blink Sirius was wrapping his arms around him, pressing a teary face to his shoulder. It was slightly difficult at the angle, and Remus had to stand on his toes to put his own arms on his waist to steady him.

Sirius breathed, “I left, Re. I told them and stood up and I left.”

“I’m proud of you, it takes a lot to do that”

He hadn’t known when tears had started to stream down Sirius’s face. “But Reg, he’ still there. I left him in that fucking house! I could have-“

“He’s a smart kid, you know that. You had to get out, you can’t put all the fault on your shoulders, Pads.” He was saying anything he thought could cheer him up. “Where did you even go? After you left, you had to have gone somewhere.”

“Round James’s. Mrs Potter set up an airbed and everything.”

Remus smiled, relieved that he’d gotten the comfort of the Potter household. “Pads, can I tell you something?”

“Course, Moons.” He lifted his head from where it had been pressed against Remus, looking him right in the eye.

“Me too.”

“What?”

“I-“ Spit it out. “I like boys too. And girls. Pads… I’m bi.”

This time he did notice how Sirius’s face flushed as he cleared his throat. “I’m happy for you, mate. Although the glitter might have given it away.”

“You think?”

One week ago.

Sirius was running. He didn’t know when it had started raining, but now he was picking up the pace as to not get caught in the heavy downpour. It was cold – dark with an evening breeze and freezing – and he was only wearing a thin, white t-shirt and jeans. His long hair stuck to his forehead unpleasantly, beads of rain and sweat dripping down his entire body.

‘Then leave! Get the fuck out of my house!’ Mr Black boomed.

He hadn’t expected to leave, to tell them he was gay or to stand up for himself. It had been an idea in the back of his mind for a while, but as he was now actually going through with it, he was regretful. It was the name of his brother coming from Mr Black’s mouth with such disrespect had been the final straw.

He knew exactly where he was running, the only place that had ever felt like home. He flinched as he heard himself bang on the door heavily, his mind swimming elsewhere, and fell into the arms of the woman who opened the door with a startled smile.

“Sirius love, what’s going on?” She inquired. “Gosh, you’re soaked through, let’s get you to the shower.”

He nodded glumly and heard his best friend hurry down the stairs, “Padfoot! Are you okay? Who was it? I bet it was his parents. Those bastards, I don’t know why you stayed there for so long. Is Reg okay? Is he here? We’ll take him in too if we have to.”

“James, stop crowding him. I’m sure he’ll tell us when he’s ready. In the meantime, let’s get you cleaned up.” The last part was directed at Sirius.

He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. “Can I stay the night?”

Mrs Potter’s eyes curled kindly, “You’ll stay as long as you need. Who would I be to send you away in this state?”

“Sick!” James exclaimed while his mother shushed him. “We’ll have a sleep over, wouldn’t that be cool?”

Sirius hadn’t smiled all night, but in that moment he did. “Thank you.”

“C’mon, mate. You can pick some of my clothes.”

“Not a chance, you dress like a 9-year-old kid.”

“Do not.”

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asher-blackwood · 6 years

Text

Chapter 2

A New Home

It was now 10:00 in the evening and Harry was passing the living room. " I'm sure they'll be here soon but you need to calm down." Petunia said soothingly. Two hours had past since Harry had news from anyone and the stress was making his head throb. He knew his aunt was right but he couldn't shake this feeling more could he really express what it was. Harry was about to go check and see if he left something up stairs for the third time when a firm knock at the door filled the room. Standing before Harry could move Dudley answered the door opening it wide so the large group of people could enter.

He expects Sirius and Remus but not all the Weasley boys, sans Percy. He grinned as relief spread through his body. " Watch ya Harry." The twins said together. Then Charlie pulled him into a bone breaking hug. Ron Pat him on the back as he staggered away. Bill lt Sirius and Remus hug him first. Then he shook his hand with a big smile on his face. It was like someone was running electricity through his arm, the pain making his head swim and sent them both to the floor.

"What the hell was that?" Sirius exclaimed while Charlie helps Bill up and Remus grabs Harry. Bill stairs at his hand then looks at Harry, "You alright then Harry?" Nodding he runs his hands through his hair. "Yeah I thinks so. What was that?" Everyone just shook their heads. "Something else we'll have to talk about when we get back." Fred says with a mischievous grin. George replies with a matching grin. " Let's get on with it then." Taking hold of Harry's trunk and giving Ron Hedwig's cage they walk out the door. Harry looked around rubbing his hand. " See you next summer, and I'll write at Christmas shall I ?" His aunt nods and Dudley smilies waving goodbye as Harry steps out into the night.

Outside was what looked like a muggles station wagon, painted bright yellow with wood paneling. His trunk was no where to be seen and the twins were already seated. Harry raised an Eyebrow as Remus' climbed in the driver's seat. Sirius gingerly tucked his shoulder and when nothing happen clasped it firmly, " Moony thought a family car was a good idea. What do you think?" Harry was nodding a smile on his face, " Looks great Pad." Sirius climbed into the front passenger seat while the rest arranged themselves in the magicly expanded space. Harry, while taking his seat tripped and falling headlong into Bill. When nothing happen the both let out a breathe. Bill then helped him stand," You ok there Harry." Nodding he started chatting with everyone. No one seeing the almost sad smile on Bill's face.

They had been diving for about 30 minutes when Harry asked, " Why are we driving to where ever it is we're going?" Turning in his seat Sirius looks at him thoughtfully. " Well with how many people we have, and all the shit that can happen in magical transport, we thought this would be safer. That and Moony wanted to show off his car." He finished grinning like a mad man. They had happily been chatting again when George looked Harry up and down critically. " So Harry you finally going to do some shopping or what Mate?" Passing at this statement everone turns looking at him. Harry turning as red as a tomato he starts mumbling something about not really need to and wouldn't know where to start. Remus chanced glancing at Sirius then. " We'll be taking him for his school things and other stuff that he may need or want." Sirius was nodding his agreement along with Bill and Charlie. Fred spoke, " Good, it's about time Harry was taught how to shop. Besides his clothes have never really fit." Harry blushed again looking out the window. Half an hour they arrived in London and Remus began winding his way through the city.

They arrive in a neighborhood that looks as though it had been well to do at some point but has fallen into disrepair. The houses were all dark and dingy. Music seams to be coming from one of the upper windows of a house to his left. Looking around Sirius takes a piece of paper out of his pocket, handing it to Harry. " Read it to your self Pup, memorize it. The Give it to Remus." Harry nods not quite sure what was going on. The small bit of paper had #12 Grimmold place scrolled across it in neat elegant handwriting he was certain he'd seen before. Suddenly the two houses in front of them began making room for a stately Manor, painted in dark colors with an almost gothic feel to the architecture. As the door pops into place a larger iron number twelve appeared above the knocker.

They all moved in side bringing Harry's things with them Ron coming in last with Hedwig. Handing her over Charlie he turned to shut the door kicking a very ugly umbrella stand as he did. The loud cursing that fallowed triggered a cacophony of noise from a hideous painting that was once hidden behind red curtains.The old women on the canvas screeched obscenities about mudbloods and blood traitors till her curtains were wrenched shut again by Sirius. "Sorry about that my mother was never the most pleasant of people." Harry just staired at him for a moment, " That was your mum". Sirius just nods and motions for Harry to fallow him while the twins took his stuff up stairs.

Leading Harry down a long dark corridor with dark squares on the walls where paintings used to hang. Most of the doors were painted black and locked. After passing two doors on his left and three on the right the hall came to an end with a sharp left turn and a door right in front of them. Sirius takes the left entering the first door on the right holding it open for Harry and Remus,who Harry didn't seen fallowing him. Sirius shut the door and locked it. He and Remus cast several privacy and silencing charms. Then they both turned to him smiling. Walking over Harry gives his Godfathers a big hug then pulls away looking around the room. It was a large room with a huge tapestry taking up the whole wall that seam to be a family tree. On the other wall stand several bookshelves and the far end of the room had a large window and a desk placed in front of it with a high backed leather chair. Walking over to the huge oak desk he turns to face the only parents he's ever known and leans against it. " So what was you needed to talk with me about?"

The pair looked at each other smiling, "Well Pup we want to talk to you about, well ask you really, if you would be ok with Remus and I blood adopting you. As your birthday present I mean." Harry stood there his mouth hanging open, then Remus jumped in. " Before you you say anything you need to know what this would and could mean Cub. First this is old magic and will add some of mine and Sirius' genetics to your own. That would mean there is a possibility of you getting some of my wolf traits. Second it will mean you could calm your not one but two Lordship." When Harry looked at him questioningly he clarified. " You are your parents and Sirius' only heir Harry since he is a Fugitive you can claim the Black Lordship as well. Making you an adult in the eyes of the law." Remus' calm voice fill Harry like a glass being filled with water. When he finish Harry was smiling at them both. "You want me to be your son." He whispered softly, eyes shining with unshed tears. The two mean rush over and held the young teen as he thanked them over and over. Pulling away while rubbing at his face, "So when would we do this then." Explaining since it must be done before for the full moon it they wold do it three days before his birthday. However untill it was done they can't tell anyone about it. Harry nods in understanding, he didn't want Dumbledore finding out till it was to late for him to stop it. Hugging them both Harry's stomach let out a huge growl. Sirius let out a bark like laugh moving the other two towards the door. "Come on let's go get something to eat."

The next morning Mr. Weasley arrived with the news they all had been waiting on. " Harry is to have a trail for using magic outside of school." The room was in an up roar in moments, everyone shouting about how unfair it was or what to do. Everyone but Harry that is he just sat in his chair thinking. As the noise quieted he looked up at Mr. Weasley, "Does any one have a pensive?" Bill had to hand it to Harry the plane was simple but brilliant. Registering Dumbledore as his legal advisor along with the rest of the evidence Madam Bones will have to drop the charges. His father left and came back with the Headmaster's agreeing to the plan. Harry was not surprised that the Headmaster had acquiesced to the plan but he was glad. Now all that was left was new clothes for Harry.

Remus; Bill; Fred; George; and Hermione, who met them at the Leaky Coldren. She will be going back with them that evening. Start making a shopping plan as they ate lunch. More of the group tried to come but Molly said she needed help cleaning and some of them would have to stay. But since no one could agree they ended up drawing lots. Sirius, Charlie, Ron, and Ginny had lost and Arthur had to go back to work.

By the time they had finished eating they had a plan, starting with the bank. Hermione thought it might be good to get some nice dress robes for the trail, instead of a muggles suit Harry wasn't so sure. The compromise was to get a nice muggles suit and formal outer robes to go with it. Everyone seam to think this was a good idea. So after the bank they headed straight to muggles London.

Harry said he only want to buy the suit and outer robes as far as clothes went. Promising,however, that after his birthday they would get him more clothes. So they set out to find him a good suit that he likes. The suit is formal with out being old fashioned and will work well with formal robe. Though Harry got it in black with green accents. It fit every well and gave Harry a more of an adult look which he liked and made a mental note of the shop so he could get more the next time.

Once they had finished getting Harry's suit he ask it they could visit some antique stores and second-hand shops. When asked why he said, "I have found some really great books and other things there before but wasn't really allowed to buy anything cause I was with my aunt." Now the group was walking around an old looking shop filled to the brim with antique booths from different sellers. The shop own was I tinny little old man. His ears were very large, with owlish eyes and a hooked nose. The only hair he had to speak of was a ring of silver that stretches from ear to ear leaving the top of his head bald and shiny. He was however very kind when greating them all warmly. "Are you finally going to buy them today young man?" He asked Harry like he has seen him many times. Harry in return nods happily, "Has he added anything new to the booth Mr. Thatcher." The old man nods chuckling, "he's hoping you'll buy the whole booth someday, you know." Harry smile just grows, " How does today sound?" Mr. Thatcher looked at the young man in front of him. He has known him since he was just a little boy helping his Aunt go shopping. She bought his school supplies here, a coats, shoes, even his school bag. The woman would tell him to sit some where and be quiet while she shopped and he always went to the same place no matter what. The booth in question was in the far back of the store and was filled with the strangest things. Mr. Thatcher assumed they were theater props and old story books. They were all beautifully made and the boy had loved it all so much.What made the whole thing even more strange is that no one else seamed interested in any of it. So now the full collection seem to be waiting for this young man to buy it.

Mr. Thatcher leads Harry and the others to the back booth while he calls for his grandson to come help get the it packed up. The old man takes the sign down, then gave Harry a chance to show his companions what he's buying. Remus and Bill were floored when they saw what Harry had found. The twins gave low whistles in appreciation and Hermione put a hand over her mouth looking around. The booth was filled with beautiful Wizarding antique furniture, robes, even a staff and matching wand, a full Alchemy lab. There are potions tools and books oh so many books and inkwells and quills it's like an entire Wizards life have them put into this little antique shop.I mean this booth took up the space of a small bedroom."How did you come across all this Harry?" Bill asked looking around. Harry just shrugs " My aunt likes to shop here." He turns to the Mr. Thatcher , "Shall we go and figure up the price ." He nods leaving his grandson to start packing.

Heading home after the long day found most of the group dozing in the back seat. It took two hours before they finished at the antique store so they decided to just pick up Harry's outer robes then go. The ride isn't long but Harry can't wait to get home and unload his purchases. In fact there so many that Bill and Remus had to cast multiple shrinking charms while the twins quietly cast Notice Me Not charms. Remus was glad they had done it, he has never seen Harry so happy, he just hopes it last.

The atmosphere at the large table was tense, no one had gotten any real sleep last night. It was a little after 5:00 am when people start gathering in the kitchen. Harry mean while was still in his room trying to get his hair to do something other then look like a bird's nest. After about fifteen minutes of this he gives up and gets dress. Aside from his hair he thinks he looks rather good, at the very least more together then he felt. Down stairs everyone was waiting for him to appear Arthur and Remus talk about where the would be taking him once they arrived. Quietly Harry come into the cavernous kitchen and sits next to Ron and Hermione. After spending the last hour telling people he wasn't hungry, he Arthur and Remus head out.

The car ride was short and the two mean kept telling him everything would be fine. For his part Harry could only nod. They make their way to the guest entrance feeling nervous. The phone booth was cramped with all three in side but is didn't last long, as they came to the Atrium level.

How could they do this? Harry thought as the group rushed down to the court room. It seams Fudge is trying everything to unseat Harry and make him look guilty no matter what Harry dose. They arrived at the Ministry early and we're going to Arthur's office when Kingsley Shacklebolt, an auror and member of the Order, caught them in the lift. " The boy's trail has been moved to the big court room and is set for 8:00 this morning. You best hurry." Nodding their thanks they rushed to be on time only just making it. Harry straightened his robes and tried to make his hair lay flat. Giving up he simply takes a breathe and walk in, Remus close behind.

Harry keeps his face calm, Fudge it seams has called a full court for a simple case of under age wizardry. If he wants to play things this way so be it. Harry thinks as he walks to his seat look every bit the young Lord he was becoming, Remus standing behind him and to his right. Fudge was blustering about why Remus was there in the first place. Even going so far as to call him a beast. At this point Harry stands and clears his throat, " Minister I do believe it is my right a minor to have parental representation in this trial and since my aunt could not make it, Remus happily agreed." He looks straight at the sputtering Minister who finally moving the proceedings along.

Harry sits back down as Fudge does the formalities, but then stands again as the man has the gaul to state they were here to determine the sentence of the accused. "Pardon me Minister don't you mean to determine my guilt or innocence?" He asked coolly, stairing the man down as he spoke. Fuge replied rather angrily, " We all know you did it boy and your record in this matter is against you so now we....." Fudge stopped as the court room doors swung open and Dumbledore walked in smiling. " I do hope Minister that you do not begin with out Mr. Potter's legal representation present. I do believe when he signed in he put down I would be joining him in this capacity." Fudge's face began changing from one ugly color to the next in his embarrassment and anger. Dumbledore just raised an eyebrow at the man then started speaking. " First we have one character witness for this trail, we also have the house elf that cast the levitation charm that Cornelius brought up but had at the time so graciously pardon him for, and we also have an eye witness to the attack that resulted in the Patronus charm being used." The whole of the court room was silent and stairing now, not really sure what to make of this. Dumbledore continued, " We have also requested a pensive and memory specialist to come and examen Mr. Potter's own memories of said attack. Since there were two Dementors in Little Whinging I'm sure." Suddenly there was a high pitched "Uhum" the court turned to look at a short woman wearing far to much pink, and a face like a toad. " Excuse me but since all Dementors are under Ministry control, and you are claiming that this boy was attack by Dementors. Forgive me but, it sounds like you are accusing the Ministry of sending Dementors to attack him." She said all this in a simpering, sweet voice. Wearing a smile that never reached her eyes. Harry gave her a calm pleasant face as he spoke," Of course not, Madam. Anyone who has studied History of Magic know that not to long ago there was another who controlled the Dementors. I also believe I gave testimony on the matter of Voldemort." All at once the court room was filled with gasp, shouts, and reprimands. Till Fudge bagging his gavel managed to restore order. " That is not the top of this trail. If it is brought up again I will hold whom ever did so in contempt. Now bring in the memory expert so we can get on with this." At this a large pensive was brought in along with a rather thin middle aged woman. She was nice and polite when she asked Harry to sit down, and made quick work of finding and analyzing the memory. Then she poured it in and as the first Dementor rose from the pensive Harry knew he had won.

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jbankai89 · 7 years

Text

Not Quite to Plan (2/3 of Lover’s Walk Series)

Not Quite To Plan

Sirius had not quite planned it this way.

When he'd envisioned telling the world—or his family, at least—that he was involved with a wonderful man who also happened to be his godson, what he thought would happen turned out to be very different from what actually transpired.

For one, he would be awake, and for two, he would have had clothes on.

When Remus—dear Remus with his keen eyes, endearing bookishness, and proclivity for danger—actually did find out, Sirius was not awake, nor was he clothed.

What he was, was in bed on that peaceful Sunday morning, a thin blanket draped haphazardly across his hips, and curled up with his young lover, their legs akimbo, and neither man left anything to the imagination of what they had been up to the night before.

Remus was quiet and thoughtful, as was his nature (ironic, all things considered) but that particular morning, the morning after the full moon, no less, everything that Remus was had been replaced with a different emotion—blind panic.

And that was how Remus burst into the master bedroom, crying Sirius's name, and rousing both men in an instant.

They shot up in bed, and Remus skidded to a halt in the frame of their bedroom door as his eyes went almost comically wide.

“Oh. My. God.”

“Oh, damn it,” was Harry's only response.

Remus's brow quivered, caught somewhere between shock and a scowl, and his eyes flitted to Sirius. Sirius noted that Remus was wearing clothes that did not belong to him, he was pale and swaying slightly from exhaustion, and there was a long scratch high on his cheek. Considering the way Remus was staring at them as though he'd just witnessed a murder scene however, Sirius found it a little difficult to feel particularly sympathetic towards him at the moment.

“Let me guess,” Sirius said dryly, albeit somewhat groggily, “Sirius Orion Black, by all the saints what have you done, you've defiled your godson and ruined your relationship with him, blah, blah, blah, how could you, et cetera, et cetera, you wait until Molly finds out she is going to murder you, and so on and so on...am I warm?”

“Put some trousers on and come to the drawing room,” he said, his brow furrowing with annoyance, but he did not move from his spot, as though certain Sirius might further corrupt Harry if he turned his back.

In truth, he wasn't exactly that far off the mark.

Harry and Sirius exchanged a look, and grinned at each other. Sirius's was closer to a smirk, but the look did elicit another reaction from Remus, who rolled his eyes and stared at the ceiling as the pair slid from the tangle of blankets and meandered over to the wardrobe at a leisurely pace, completely unconcerned that Remus Lupin was watching the entire scene.

They dressed in relative silence, and out of the corner of his eye Sirius could see Remus's look of abject horror become more pronounced when he saw just how jumbled together their clothes were in the wardrobe. It was a small sign that this had been going on for quite some time (fourteen months, in fact) and was not a new or spur-of-the-moment thing.

This seemed to alarm him more than the fact that he had caught them in bed together, and after the two men had tugged on some clothes (Harry in jeans and a T-shirt, Sirius in pyjamas and a dressing gown) they headed down to the drawing room.

The couple walked ahead of Moony, and Sirius felt tempted to tease his last surviving friend a little more, and reached for Harry's hand. Harry swatted it away with a glare that clearly said, don't push it.

The trio stopped at the door to the drawing room, and Harry huffed a small sigh.

“I'll get some breakfast going, you two feel free to debate how I'm just a child and can't possibly know what I really want and so on. Yeah?”

“Sounds good,” Sirius replied as he pecked Harry's lips in a kiss before the younger man could stop him, and he saw Moony out of the corner of his eye go even redder at the familiar touch. “Don't be long, lover.”

Harry rolled his eyes and strode away, not looking back once as he disappeared into the kitchen.

“You've had a bad influence on him,” Remus said, his voice shaking a little, though Sirius couldn't honestly tell whether it was disapproval, disgust, or both he was hearing in his voice. “He's starting to sound like you.”

“Yeah,” Sirius said, a wistful note in his voice, “great, isn't it? Took ages to get him to stop sounding like a Weasley.”

“Sirius, this is serious,” Remus said forcefully, and Sirius arched an eyebrow at him. “I mean it. He's twenty-two years old. You're in your forties. He's just starting out in life, and do I even need to mention that he's your godson? What the hell were you thinking?”

“It's not like we're actually related, Moony,” Sirius pointed out, “and you should probably ask Harry that, rather than me, given that he's the one who made the first move.”

“It doesn't matter who made the first move,” Remus replied, his tone on the cusp of snide, “you are the older one. You are the one who's supposed to be mature and make the right decisions, not let your godson seduce you!”

“In my defence, he is very hard to resist,” Sirius retorted with an air of amusement, and Remus pursed his lips.

“That is not funny, Padfoot. You need to break it off with him, this isn't healthy, you're taking advantage of him, Harry's never had a real family, he's starved for affection, and—”

“—and Sirius's affection is quite nice, thank you,” Harry interrupted as he strolled into the drawing room bearing a platter of toast, eggs, and tea, as well as three plates. Remus scowled again, and Sirius immediately bent forward to prod the scrunched up skin between Remus's eyebrows.

“Don't scowl like that, Moony, you'll get wrinkles.”

“How is it that you're so wrinkle-free?” Harry asked as he set down the platter on the table and sat next to Sirius. “You're the same age, but...”

“An enormous trust fund from a dead relative, a lover who's half my age, no children, and I'm not married to an accident-prone Metamorphmagus.”

Remus's scowl deepened.

“All right, Remus, look,” Harry said as Sirius busied himself with serving up the food, “I know it's not exactly...correct, but I'm not fifteen anymore, we're both consenting adults, and we're happy. Why is it so wrong?”

“He was best friends with your father,” Remus said stubbornly as he crossed his arms, “that should have been enough of a deterrent. You may as well be shagging your uncle.”

“Yeah, but I'm not,” Harry emphasized, and placed a hand on Sirius's thigh. It was not a sexual move, but a protective one, one which pulled a smile to the surface of Sirius's expression, and a frown to Remus's. “That's the point, Remus. I didn't know Sirius 'til I was thirteen, and we didn't have a proper relationship until after the war was over, when I was nearly eighteen. I...” Harry trailed off, and Sirius dropped his gaze to Harry's hand on him, and watched the fabric bunch up under his fingers as he clenched his hand into a fist. “I didn't know him for a long time, not properly, and when I started figuring out who I was and what I wanted...”

Harry turned to Sirius with a bright, sunny smile. Sirius all but felt his heart melt at the expression, and wholly unconcerned that Remus was watching, he took Harry's hand and their fingers threaded together. Remus's complexion seemed to curdle at the sight.

“Sirius,” Remus tried again, “please, I implore you two to see reason. This isn't right. You know this isn't right. You can't do this, it's not healthy.”

“Remus,” Sirius began, his tone almost grave in its seriousness. Harry's mouth quirked at the corners, clearly amused by Sirius's tone—it was quite rare for him to actually speak about their relationship in such a serious matter, completely devoid of jokes or innuendo. “You are my best friend. Your opinion matters to me—it always has. You're The Dad Friend. If it weren't for you, I'd probably be dead by now. You were the one who talked James and I out of marrying each other for the tax benefits when Lily nearly broke it off with him, you're the one who went running to McGonagall when James and I planned to try muggle bungee jumping off the Quidditch goalposts, and you're the one who married my cousin who is thirteen years younger than you and then had a baby with her. So really, you're not exactly one to talk.”

Sirius moved to wrap his arms around Harry, and this time the younger man allowed it, while Sirius never broke eye contact with the werewolf. “I love Harry. I love him more than anything else in this life. On the outside, I'm sure it looks strange, and maybe even a little bit criminal, but you know what? I don't care. He and I are both adults, and we can make our own decisions. If you don't like it, then piss off, because neither of us plan on ending this any time soon.”

“That remains to be seen, how adult you are,” Remus muttered as he crossed his arms stiffly, and continued to scowl at the pair of them.

“If we're going to discuss adult responsibility and decorum, need I point out that it was you who burst into our flat unannounced, at the crack of dawn—” Sirius began, but Remus was quick to cut him off.

“That was because I had taken a new experimental version of Wolfsbane last night and I woke up round the corner in an alley, with no idea how I got there!” Remus protested hotly, “I just wanted to rest here before Apparating home when I saw you two—”

“You could have knocked,” Sirius retorted in the same tone, “look, I'm sorry for that happening to you, you know I am, but bursting in on us—”

“If I hadn't, you two would still be living in sin—”

“Living in Sin,” Sirius sneered, “oh, that's rich, coming from you—”

“Fingers on lips!” Harry suddenly yelled, drawing both Remus and Sirius from their argument. He was holding a finger up to his mouth in an indication for them both to be quiet, and when neither man reacted beyond falling silent, he raised his eyebrows in an obvious hint.

Smiling with amusement, Sirius obeyed, and Remus grudgingly followed suit.

“Now,” Harry said in a soft voice as he lowered his finger away from his mouth, “Remus, would you care to tell us what it is that has you so distressed about our relationship?”

“Harry,” he began as he, too, lowered his finger, but his tone was harsh and accusatory. “This is completely inappropriate. If you don't break this off—”

“What, Hermione?” Harry asked with something close to a sneer in his voice. Sirius's eyebrows shot up in surprise at his tone. “Are you going to go running to Mrs Weasley? Or McGonagall? What do you think they'll do? McGonagall can't give me detention over this, and we are more than capable of constructing a bunker to ride out Mrs Weasley's tirade of righteous indignation. Have you lot all forgotten that I am not a kid?”

“I haven't,” Sirius chimed in, his hand falling to rest on Harry's thigh, and offered the limb a small squeeze. Remus rolled his eyes again.

“This is beyond inappropriate!” Remus sputtered, and Sirius pursed his lips. As much as he loved Moony, he was beginning to sound like a broken record—a very annoying broken record, at that. “Harry, please, you've been through so much, why would you wish to make you life harder—”

Sirius and Harry exchanged a look. Remus's face went very pink.

“Is my life harder, Sirius?” Harry asked him with a sickly-sweet false innocence in his tone.

“Certainly less flaccid,” Sirius replied smoothly, and both men snorted, while Remus scowled again.

“That is not funny,” the werewolf interjected, and Remus crossed his arms.

“It was a little funny,” Sirius replied, and Harry masked a laugh under a false cough. The older man stifled a small yawn, and stretched, using the move to drape an arm over Harry's shoulders and draw him closer. “Look, what will it take to make you to piss off until a more reasonable hour when both of us are more awake? You can lecture us then, if you're so inclined. But it's barely half-six, and I haven't been up this early since our schooldays. It's playing havoc with my beauty rest. It's no small feat, always being the handsomest person in the room, let me tell you.”

“I'm not going anywhere until I talk you two out of—” Remus began, but this time Sirius ignored him.

“Fine, stay here then,” Sirius interjected, and stood up, discarding his barely-touched breakfast. Even his stomach hadn't woken up yet. He turned to his young lover, and stretched out a hand to him. “Harry? Care to join me?”

“That's not app—”

“Get stuffed, Moony,” Sirius retorted grumpily, finally hitting the end of his tether with his friend's attitude. “If I want to sleep in the same bed as my significant other, that's my business.”

Harry didn't answer, but frowned at Sirius a little. He took his hand nonetheless, and ignored Remus's stuttering half-protests as he led the older man from the room and back to their bedroom.

“I need you to cool it with being so antagonistic towards Remus,” Harry said gently as he tugged Sirius down onto the bed. They sat close enough that their thighs touched, and Harry closed both hands over one of Sirius's. “I know you wanted this to come out, and...well...that wasn't exactly how I pictured telling him, but you getting all defensive and snippy isn't helping.”

“I just don't like hearing him pick apart our relationship like he thinks he knows better because he's married and has a little snot monster running around...” Sirius grumbled as he disentangled his hands from Harry's to wrap his arms around the younger man's waist, and draw him closer.

“I believe they call them children these days, Sirius,” Harry replied with a soft chuckle as he reached up to link his hands at the back of the older man's neck. “Look, I know part of this delightful attitude of yours is that you're a right cranky arse when you're woken up too early. So just go back to sleep, and I'll talk with Remus on my own, yeah?”

Sirius leant in to kiss him. It a was barely more than a light peck, but after the frustrating talk with Moony, it felt as passionate as a deep kiss. Harry reached up to stroke his cheek, and when he pulled back from the kiss, the younger man was smiling brightly.

“You sure you want to face the beast on your own?” Sirius asked uncertainly, and Harry chuckled warmly.

“If you're worried he's going to talk me out of our torrid relationship, don't worry. I'm in it for the long haul, and Remus bleating about how immoral it is won't change anything.” Harry kissed him again. “Go to sleep, we'll talk properly about what we wanna do next when you wake up.”

“I cannot believe you just used a sheep metaphor to describe a werewolf,” Sirius retorted, and Harry chuckled softly. “Lie with me for a few minutes, at least?”

“Can't sleep without me, eh?” Harry teased as he flopped down on the bed heavily, and Sirius tossed aside his dressing gown before lying down next to him.

“Do you remember that sodding wizarding defence embassy thing in Greece last month?” Sirius asked as he drew Harry close. “I was without you for a whole three days. Didn't sleep a wink.”

“Hmm, I don't know about that,” Harry replied while he cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. “I have all these vivid memories of lots of mirror sex. Me wanking for you, you wanking for me...”

“Yes, well, all the other times I didn't sleep at all,” Sirius retorted, and tightened his arms around Harry. “You're better than a Sleeping Draught.”

“Hmm,” Harry intoned as he kissed the older man gently, tenderly, and reached up to trail his fingers through Sirius's hair. “So are you saying that I'm so boring that I put you to sleep, or that I'm so comforting that you just relax around me?”

“You know which it is, you twit,” Sirius replied as he leant in for another kiss. Harry let out a small sigh of contentment as he returned it, his hand moving from Sirius's hair to his cheek, stroking the line of his jaw with gentle touches. Sirius stifled a cavernous yawn, and Harry chuckled as he drew him close.

“Come on, sleep, and I'll go keep the stubborn werewolf occupied, yeah?”

Too tired to offer up any sort of retort, Sirius finally allowed his head to slump against his pillow as he fell back to sleep.

~*~

When Sirius next woke it was nearly noon, and the flat was silent. He'd half-expected to hear some sort of bickering or arguing, and the quiet came as something of a surprise.

He rubbed a hand over his face, dispelling the last of his fatigue as he rolled out of bed, stretching and cracking his aging bones as he went.

Sirius took his time readying himself to face Moony again. He showered, changed into real clothes, and stood in front of the mirror for a full ten minutes, changing the stray grey hairs that he found back to dark brown—just because he was older than Harry didn't mean he needed to look that much older.

When he at last made his way to the sitting room, he found Harry alone on the sofa with a cup of coffee and a book open across his knees. Remus was nowhere to be seen.

As he stepped farther into the space, Harry turned and offered him a warm smile. “Morning.”

“Morning,” Sirius replied as he swept in to peck Harry lightly on the lips. “Where's the world's most annoying werewolf?”

“He gave up about an hour ago when I started describing our sexual exploits in intricate detail,” Harry explained with a wicked grin. “In particular that time I fucked you in the chair he happened to be sitting in. He got fed up and left. I doubt he'll be gone too long though—he's probably just gone to bleach his trousers and use a Memory Charm on himself.”

“No, because Mr Moral High Ground needs to impart his sodding wisdom on us horrid sexual deviants...” Sirius grumbled as he flopped down next to Harry, and his young lover chuckled as he abandoned his book and drink to snuggle closer to Sirius instead.

“Be fair, he means well. He's just worried, that's all.”

“It's more than that, Harry,” Sirius mumbled as he automatically wrapped an arm around Harry's waist to draw him closer. “I hate how it feels like he's judging me because he's married and has a kid, and I just have...well, you.”

“Your young adult lover?” Harry teased, and Sirius chuckled weakly. “He doesn't think less of you, I'm sure...”

“Doesn't he?” Sirius asked, a note of bitter sadness in his voice that made Harry frown. “I mean, he has his whole life together now. He's got an Order of Merlin, First Class, he's head of the Werewolf Liaisons Office at the Ministry, He's got a house, and a wife, and a kid, and I've spent twelve years in Azkaban, then a few years on the run and in hiding, and I've been a free man for barely five years. I don't even know how to be the kind of adult Moony is—”

“—Sirius, no one is asking you to be like Remus!” Harry protested, and his gaze whipped to the younger man, his eyes wide at Harry's near-desperate tone of voice. Before he could say a word, Harry clambered into Sirius's lap, straddled his hips, and kissed him hard.

Sirius's hands fell automatically to Harry's hips as he kissed the young man back, but Harry ended the kiss much sooner than Sirius would have liked as he sat back up and smiled at Sirius warmly.

“I know I wouldn't be half as crazy about you as I am if you were more mature and grown up, or whatever other stupid thing you have stomping around your brain,” Harry said softly. “It's not some sort of race to see who can be the most boring adult first. You have your priorities, and he has his. He wants to be a good husband and father—that is a thing that he wants. It doesn't mean he thinks you should be like him. He just has this stupid idea that you somehow convinced me—or, to use his word, coerced me into this relationship of ours, and my I made the first move, I love him, piss off, responses were pretty much ignored.”

“Despite that mild-mannered attitude, he's always been stubborn as hell,” Sirius muttered. “I just hate that it feels like he's judging us because of this. I never really expected people finding out to feel so...bad.”

“I do remember warning you about ten thousand times about this...” Harry teased, and Sirius snorted.

“What should we do if Remus returns with Molly or Hermione or both in tow?” Sirius asked, arching a brow at Harry as he spoke.

“Run?”

“Some Gryffindor you are.”

Harry opened his mouth to respond, when at the same moment a firm knock sounded from the front door.

Both Harry and Sirius groaned, their heads bowing forward almost in unison as they braced their heads upon each other's shoulders.

“Which do you want?” Harry mumbled, “tea detail or door detail?”

“Tea,” Sirius answered at once, “you can face the beast.”

Chuckling, Harry stood up and headed for the door, while Sirius hastened to the kitchen to put together a platter of tea (in his favourite cranberry-coloured teapot) and biscuits. It took less than five minutes, and as he carried it back to the sitting room, he saw not just Harry and Remus, but Hermione as well, who appeared quite confused as to why she was there.

“Good news,” Harry said with an exaggerated grin as Sirius set the platter down and joined Harry on the sofa. “Remus has learned how doors work. Quite the revelation—apparently, knocking is how to get it to open, not just bursting through them at the crack of dawn.”

Remus narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, but both Harry and Sirius ignored the look as they went about serving up the tea. Sirius was careful to leave a large gap in Remus's cup for his usual obscene amount of milk and sugar, while the others he filled right to the brim. Once everyone had their cups, it was Hermione who broke the silence.

“So is anyone going to tell me what's going on?” she asked uncertainly, “Remus barged over to my and Ron's flat and insisted that there was something I needed to see, and brought me here.”

“He didn't tell you?” Harry asked, blinking in confusion as he stared across at her. She shook her head as she took a sip of her tea.

“I didn't think she'd believe me if I just told her,” Remus explained stiffly. “She needed to see it for herself.”

“Is this about Harry and Sirius being together?” Hermione asked innocently, and Sirius just barely managed to bite back a laugh when Remus's milky tea came flying out of his nose.

“How on earth do you know?” Remus demanded, albeit a little hoarsely as he mopped tea from him face, “did Harry tell you?”

“Harry most certainly did not,” Harry said, and Sirius chuckled softly.

“Be fair, they haven't been exactly subtle about it,” Hermione said as she giggled, and this time, Sirius blinked in confusion.

“We haven't?” Harry and Sirius asked at the same time, then paused and glanced at each other as Hermione giggled again.

“You two are so obviously head over heels for each other. It's as plain as day,” Hermione explained, pointedly ignoring Remus's growing look of horror at what Hermione was saying. “Also, when I visited to help Harry pack for your trip a few months ago, I could see you two snogging in the kitchen. I waited until it looked like you'd finished before I interrupted, I think you would have completely forgotten I was even there otherwise.”

“How—how can you be okay with this?” Remus sputtered as he turned away from Harry and Sirius, and focused on Hermione. “Harry is half Sirius's age! They should both be with people more appropriate—”

“—like who,” Sirius interrupted with a sneer, “a nice little witch in her forties, maybe a single mum, and make more babies? We're not hurting anyone, Moony, when are you going to leave this alone?”

“Harry is—” Remus began, but this time it seemed as though Harry had had enough.

“Oh for the love of all that is holy—Remus, I am not a fucking child!” Harry half-yelled, his voice so strong in its indignation that it made the werewolf jump in surprise. “I am twenty-two years old. Twenty-two. Not twelve, not fifteen, twenty-two. Legally, physically, and emotionally I am what is commonly referred to as an adult. Sirius had never once treated me like a little kid, or coddled me, or anything. We're equals in every sense of the word. Just because he's a little bit older than me doesn't change anything. I love him, he loves me, and if you can't take it, then get the hell out of our home, and don't come back until you've smartened up. I've had enough of listening you talk as if I'm some stupid kid who has no idea what he's saying.”

Harry pointed to the front door, and absolute quiet followed his words. Remus appeared to have been shocked into silence, and he sat, staring blankly at Harry as though he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Despite his strong, assured voice as he had spoke, Sirius could feel Harry trembling minutely next to him, and he wrapped a protective arm around the younger man's waist. Immediately he calmed, but did not shift his gaze from his former professor. His arm relaxed into his lap, but Harry's look of anger did not fade from his face.

“Harry, please,” Remus said, though his tone had gone from firm and certain to feeble and plaintive. It was a sound that Sirius knew well—he was losing the argument, and knew it. “I beg you to see reason. This isn't healthy, it—”

“—how is it unhealthy, specifically?” he interrupted. “What aspects of our relationship, which you have known about for barely six hours, do you see as problematic? Spell it out as though I were a total idiot. Do you see any indications that I'm being abused, sexually or otherwise? Do you see Sirius controlling me in some unhealthy manner? Am I some how dramatically changed, and not in a good way?” Harry arched a brow at Remus, and the werewolf frowned at him. “Or is it the gay thing? You don't approve because we're two blokes, but you're too politically correct to say it?”

“Sirius will know better than most that it is most assuredly not the gay thing, as you put it,” Remus said stiffly, and Harry shifted his gaze to Sirius, his brow cocked in question.

“We shagged for most of our sixth and seventh years,” Sirius responded without missing a beat, and bit the inside of his cheek when he saw the way Remus turned a blotchy red at the deadpan, casual explanation.

“So what is it, then? Seriously, Remus, what is it that bothers you so much?” Harry asked, his eyes wide and questioning, as though he'd somehow reverted back to a curious student, and not the young adult that he was.

“It is not appropriate for a man his age to be touching you and having sex with you,” Remus said firmly, and crossed his arms as his glare shifted from Harry to Sirius. In response, Sirius tightened the arm around Harry, and he leant into the touch, while at the same time reaching out to offer Sirius's knee a gentle squeeze.

“You and Tonks have a pretty big age gap, but you don't hear either of us giving you a hard time about it,” Harry pointed out, and Remus gritted his teeth in clear frustration. Sirius couldn't completely blame him for the reaction—he was sure that trying to argue with them was like trying to argue with a brick wall.

However, now the arguments were going in circles, and knowing how stubborn Remus could be, Sirius could not see it ending any time soon. With a heavy sigh, he reluctantly untangled himself from Harry and stood up, closing the distance between himself and his last surviving friend.

“Moony, you have said your piece, now I would like you to leave,” Sirius said firmly. Remus's eyes widened with shock at his tone, and his lips parted immediately to protest. Sirius got there first. “Until you have something more to say than pass blanket judgment on me and Harry for our slightly unconventional relationship, I do not want you here. You have your own family, and I will not just sit here and listen to you try and tell me that my life is wrong, simply because you refuse to approve of it. Out. Now.”

Remus looked as though he'd been slapped. He gaped at Sirius, his mouth opening and closing silently like a fish out of water. Sirius did not back down, but held his ground as he waited, and ever so slowly Remus got up from his seat with a heavy, defeated sigh, and Sirius marched him to the door.

“Sirius—” Remus began as they stood on the threshold, and he gazed at Sirius imploringly. “I—please...”

“Good day, Remus,” Sirius replied stiffly. “Send me an owl when you've gotten over being such a judgmental arse.”

Without another word, Sirius shunted his friend the rest of the way out the door, and slammed it in his face.

The same moment that the door slammed, Sirius heard the distinct whoosh of the Floo, indicating that Hermione had taken her leave as well.

Sirius shifted the lock on the door, and shuffled back to the sitting room, where Harry was trading the tea tray for two tumblers and a bottle of scotch.

“What have I done?” Sirius asked with a groan as he slumped down next to Harry on the sofa, “Moony is never going to speak to me again...”

“You'd rather he hang around and make a pest of himself?” Harry asked as he poured out a measure of the drink for each of them, and pressed one of the glasses into Sirius's hand. “I feel like he'd keep nagging us until either we kicked him out or we gave in.”

“It's one of Moony's qualities,” Sirius muttered as he sipped at the drink. The burn was soothing, and made him feel warm, though not terribly relaxed. “I'm just so knackered already and it's barely noon...”

“Want me to make it better?” Harry asked in a soft, flirtatious voice, and Sirius snorted into his glass.

“Not your best chat-up line...” Sirius retorted teasingly, and Harry laughed a little.

“Well, I was planning on saving that for later, but I was thinking more along the lines of letting me do your hair,” Harry explained as he reached up and twined his fingers through a lock, and offered Sirius a warm smile.

Sirius grinned, and he knew that that was all the answer Harry needed.

~*~

Harry had a number of hidden talents that his friends did not know about—his secret desire to abandon Auror training and become a pastry chef, his deep love of body shots (but only if Sirius was involved), and most endearingly, his obsession with playing with Sirius's hair.

It had become most apparent after a vigorous session of lovemaking, and Sirius looked like a cat had taken up residence on his head that Harry would laugh, draw him close, and begin to gently work out the tangles by hand, instead of using magic.

Sirius had never had his hair done without magic prior to that moment. With magic, it always took less than thirty seconds to fix it, and he could go on with his day. He had never quite imagined how such a small act could feel so deeply intimate, strengthen their relationship, and somehow make it better. Harry's hands were like artist's hands, and he could wield a comb with as much precision as defensive magic—and Sirius loved it.

Harry had summoned the office chair they often used for these sessions, and conjured a black basin with a dip in the side for Sirius to lay his neck on comfortably. Harry layered a towel over it before he coaxed Sirius to lie back, and he listened to the soft rush of water from the manoeuvrable spout, as Harry wet his hair, and reached for the hair potion.

“Oh no,” Harry said with a soft, lamenting lilt to his voice, his fingers buried in Sirius's hair as he worked the potion into a lather, and Sirius's eyes snapped open.

“What?”

“You've coloured your grey again,” Harry said, and Sirius snorted.

“I don't need a visual representation of my advanced age, thank you,” Sirius replied, and Harry laughed a little as his nimble fingers massaged Sirius's scalp, sending him back to an advanced state of relaxation.

“I think it makes you look distinguished,” Harry replied, “like a silver fox or something. I like it.”

“Just you wait until you start going grey,” Sirius muttered as Harry laughed again, “it doesn't feel very distinguished.”

“By then you'll be a wrinkly old raisin with white hair—” Harry teased as he rinsed the potion from his hair, and reached for another, “but you'll still be beautiful to me.”

“Is anyone beautiful when they're that old?” Sirius asked as he scrunched up his nose, and Harry laughed as he massaged the conditioning potion into his locks.

“You will be,” Harry said with unabashed certainty as he massaged the thick salve into his hair, then began to work out the minor tangles. “You're beautiful at every age. I know you'll be beautiful at eighty, and ninety, and one hundred...”

“All right, enough,” Sirius cut in as he laughed, “you might have a thing for prime, aged cock, but I have yet to acquire that particular taste.”

Harry chuckled, but offered up no reply as he rinsed the salve from his hair and squeezed it out before he wrapped it in a towel and helped his lover sit up. He vanished the basin and manually dried Sirius's hair until it was damp, but not soaking, and draped the towel over his shoulders before he reached up to card his fingers through Sirius's thick locks. Sirius let out a soft groan close to a purr, and he heard Harry chuckle behind him.

“I love your hair,” Harry said reverently as he ran his fingers through it, “if you ever come home with it cut really short I'll probably cry, just to warn you.”

“So no buzz cuts, then?” Sirius teased, his eyes shut as he focused on the delicious feeling of Harry's fingers weaving through his locks, and the younger man let out a cry as though he'd been mortally wounded.

“It would be a travesty!” Harry protested as his fingers stilled in his hair. “Sirius, don't you dare, I mean it.”

“I think we both know I'm far too pretty to look that butch,” Sirius teased, and tilted his head back to look up at Harry with a warm smile. Harry returned it immediately, and bowed forward to kiss him gently. His hand cradled Sirius's chin as though he were precious, while the other remained in his hair, combing through the long locks gently as they kissed.

As though Harry could sense when Sirius began to get a crick in his neck, he pulled back, licking his lips like Sirius was a taste he wished to savour. Quite suddenly, Sirius had absolutely no desire to continue doing his hair, and longed to just drag Harry into another kiss. It was a trial to remain still.

“I thought I'd braid your hair,” Harry said in a rough, rushed tone, “one of the herringbone ones that you like.”

“I swear to God, Harry, you should just quit the Aurors and become a hair stylist,” Sirius remarked as he nodded to Harry's suggestion, and watched the younger man pick up a comb from the side table to work out the rest of the minor tangles. “You'd do so well. You're good at this, and there's the added bonus that I won't need to as obsessively worry that you'll get yourself killed at work.

“You say that now, but I can see the Daily Prophet article—Harry Potter Murdered by Angry Witch with a Bad Perm.”

“Ah, well maybe the muggle way is better—”

“—I have a feeling chemical burns are worse, since you can't exactly mend it with the flick of a wand,” Harry pointed out in a mild tone, his fingers moving deftly as he twined Sirius's hair into the braid, and the older man chuckled a little at the remark.

“Well, it was just a suggestion,” Sirius replied with a small shrug, “Auror or Hair Stylist, you do whatever you like.”

“I always do,” Harry replied in the same voice, and Sirius frowned. Something about the way Harry spoke was bothering him, but he waited until he had proclaimed that he'd finished before Sirius spun in the chair to face his young lover.

Harry faltered in his clearing up, and eyed Sirius uncertainly. Sirius had no such qualms, and promptly tugged Harry into his lap.

“Are you all right, Harry?” Sirius asked, raising his eyebrows at him in a way that told Harry that he wanted an honest answer.

“'Course I am,” Harry replied quickly—too quickly, Sirius noted—“why wouldn't I be?”

“It's just that every time we talk about life stuff, you get...well, not tetchy, but weirdly sarcastic.”

“Weirdly sarcastic?” Harry repeated back at him, and Sirius nodded. “How d'you mean weirdly sarcastic?”

“Well, whenever we talk about your Auror training, or I say something like, you should do this instead, because you're good at it, you always have a smart remark about it. It's a little worrying, that's all.”

After their confrontation with Moony, Sirius could feel that both of them were a little raw and emotionally exhausted. Defending their relationship had been harder than Sirius had expected, and he could see the similar weariness reflected in Harry's eyes. He wanted nothing more than to pull Harry close and forget this day had ever happened, but at the same time it felt as though hashing out all their issues at once might be a good thing—free them, somehow, from all the bollocks that had been bogging them down.

“Let me get a cuppa tea, then we can talk,” Harry said with a small sigh of defeat, “you want one too?”

Sirius nodded as he stood up, banishing the chair to its usual place in their study, and leant in to brush his lips over Harry's in the ghost of a kiss. He could feel Harry shiver a little, and he pulled Sirius in for a real kiss before he pulled back abruptly and darted towards the kitchen without looking back.

Sirius eased down onto their sofa as he waited for Harry to return. Clearly, beyond Remus finding out what had happened, something was bothering Harry, and Sirius felt that distinct ache of guilt in the pit of his stomach for not having noticed it earlier. He knew that Harry could have had the tea ready in mere moments, but instead it seemed that he was doing it manually, perhaps psyching himself up for talking to Sirius—he wasn't entirely certain.

At last Harry returned, and he did indeed look a little nervous. Sirius arranged his face into something that he hoped looked neutral, though if Harry noticed, he did not comment on it one way or the other. He bore two mugs in his hands—one was the clear glass mug that Sirius favoured for his morning coffee, and the other was a simple ceramic mug in deep burgundy that always gave the impression of a more grown-up and distinguished version of the famed Gryffindor shade.

Moving Sirius like a shop-window dummy, Harry shifted him until he lay upon the sofa, and after handing Sirius his cup of tea, Harry settled down between his legs.

“I kept meaning to talk to you about this, but I didn't know exactly how,” Harry began, punctuating his words with a sip of the soothing beverage. “Remus finding out about us put me on edge, and honestly I really didn't expect him to react as badly as he did. He was so...judgmental. I never pegged him for being like that.”

“He always wanted nothing more than to be a totally normal wizard,” Sirius explained gently, “he never reacted well to things outside what he considered normal because of his issues with how he sees himself. It took him a very long time to accept himself as a wizard and werewolf, and he still struggles with it sometimes. Really, it's not against you, or us, though I agree his holier-than-thou attitude I could definitely go without experiencing again.”

Harry chuckled as he reached out to squeeze Sirius's arm affectionately. In return Sirius kissed his shoulder, and wrapped his free arm more securely around his young lover.

“Now enough beating around the bush—tell me what's wrong.”

Sirius's straightforward command made Harry sag with defeat. He stared off into space, and at first Sirius suspected that he was doddling, but after a moment he realized that like before, Harry was trying to gather his thoughts and formulate them into an explanation that made sense.

“When I was in school, the only real career I thought about was being an Auror,” Harry began, his tone halting and awkward, “and then the war happened, and when it was over, people talked at me about how well I would do in the Auror program, and how perfect I was for it, and Hermione got off my back about finishing school when I decided to jump right into training...”

Sirius could all but hear the but as Harry trailed off.

“But...?” Sirius prompted when Harry did not immediately speak.

“But I don't think it's what I really want,” Harry replied in a rush, and he seemed to sag with relief after he'd voiced it. “I kept going with it because everyone from Mrs Weasley, to Ron and Hermione, to all my other school friends and the other Order members...they just all expected it of me. I once—once—mentioned to Hermione that I wasn't sure that it was what I wanted to do, and she just got so upset with me, like I'd told her I'd opened a restaurant that served babies or something. She just went on and on about how we needed to make a difference and be in the right places to affect change and all that rot, never mind that all I ever wanted to be was unnoticed, and fade into obscurity. I make the papers if I sneeze. She's famous too, after all the stuff we did during the war, but she's not famous how I am. I just...I don't want to do something important, or be some sort of figurehead, I just want to have a life that I enjoy, not one that's full of expectations like this...”

“Harry, if you were this miserable, why didn't you tell me sooner?” Sirius asked gently, abandoning his tea in favour of wrapping both arms around Harry's middle securely. Harry leant back into the embrace, but still held fast to his own mug.

“I'm not really miserable,” Harry explained, “I mean, the coursework and things is interesting, but after killing one dark wizard, I just can't picture doing it for the rest of my life. There are other things I enjoy beyond just Quidditch and Defence, but I can't even explore them because Hermione or one of the others will jump down my throat over it—like how Remus did today with finding out about us. It's not their business what I do, or what we do, but somehow they decide that it is. It's so frustrating.”

“You are in charge of you,” Sirius said gently, and kissed the top of his shoulder. “I don't give a rat's arse if Merlin himself rose from the grave to tell you to become an Auror, if you don't want to do it, then don't. You'll just wind up miserable.”

“But what else could I do?” Harry asked, and Sirius felt his heart ache at the lost, uncertain tone with which he spoke.

“Well, you could be a philanthropist, or a gentleman of leisure. Or we could get married and really piss off Hermione by calling you my househusband.” Sirius grinned when Harry snorted, and offered him another gentle squeeze.

“Yeah she nearly murdered Ron when he teasingly asked her if she'd ever be a housewife like Molly...I don't think Hermione would do well with domesticity, she's too ambitious for that, to say the least.”

“More likely she'd become Minister at some point, and Ron would take up the role of staying home with the babies,” Sirius quipped, and Harry laughed again. As the laughter died down, Sirius returned to his original point. “But there's a million things. You could breed thestrals with Hagrid, or stop him from crossbreeding ostriches and hummingbirds, or whatever weird cross-species he's working on this time—you could open a salon, you could become a pastry chef, coach children's Quidditch, er...” Sirius racked his brain for more ideas. “Oooh, you could always become a sex toy tester.”

“Sex Toy Tester?” Harry asked between giggles, “is that even a thing?”

“Of course it is,” Sirius replied, which only succeeded in making Harry laugh again. “Every product needs to be tested, and the best part is you'd never have to get out of bed again.”

“And there's always the added bonus of you can help me test them...” Harry said as he set aside his half-empty mug and turned over in Sirius's embrace, a coy smile playing across his lips.

“Hmm...I'm starting to really like this idea...” Sirius purred as he drew Harry in for a kiss, “I've always wanted to try those day-long anal plugs...”

“Imagining you walking around all day with a plug in is so hot...” Harry replied, his voice escaping him as a moan, “imagine riding your motorbike with one in...” Sirius groaned this time, and bit down on Harry's lower lip gently, tugging on it before he kissed him again.

“Oh, baby, I love how filthy your mind is...” Sirius murmured as he tugged Harry closer—

Only to be interrupted by a small squeak, which he would have mistaken for a mouse, had it not been for the masculine, distinctively human lilt to the voice.

Or werewolf, as the case may be.

Harry turned from Sirius, a strange mixture of a whine and a groan escaping him as he shifted his gaze to the fire, where Remus's head was perched, his eyes wide with surprise. Even through the fire, Sirius could see that his face was bright red.

I swear, Remus has the worst fucking timing in the universe.

“I...er...” Remus began, and his flush seemed to only worsen when both Harry and Sirius reached down to adjust how their groins sat in order to make their twin erections less noticeable.

“You've already interrupted us, so you may as well come through,” Sirius said with a grumble.

“If he says one word against our relationship, I'm turning him into a shrubbery,” Harry hissed, and Sirius bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing as the green, spinning form of his last surviving friend appeared in their fireplace, mere seconds before the man himself was sprawled across their hearth.

“You've managed to leave us alone for nearly three hours,” Sirius said, his voice heavy with disdain that would have made his mother almost proud. Remus winced at the sound of it as he stood up and brushed himself off, though his gaze never managed to make it all the way to their faces. “Did you come up with a new argument as to why we're not allowed to be together, or are you just going to parrot everything that you said to us earlier?”

“I came to say I'm sorry,” Remus said, and his amber gaze snapped up to lock with Sirius's grey one. “I told Dora what had happened...”

“Oh, balls,” Harry hissed, but Sirius smirked a little at this admission. He had a feeling that he knew how this story would end.

“...and she hit me with Teddy's toy broomstick.” Remus finished, and winced as he reached for the back of his head, no doubt where there would be a big bump as proof. “She claimed that everyone's known for months that you two are...” Remus flushed a deep scarlet again, cleared his throat, and continued. “Apparently, some of the Weasleys have been taking bets as to when you two will admit openly about...it...and Molly keeps talking about how it's been so long since they've had a wedding...” again, Remus cut himself off, a look of minor unease registering upon his face. “I suppose I was the only one who didn't know.”

“A new record, considering you're usually so keen-eyed when it comes to secrets like this,” Sirius said with the same sneering tone, and Harry elbowed him gently in an obvious hint to shut him up.

“I'm sorry,” Remus repeated, his gaze flicking from Harry to Sirius and back again, indicating that he meant the apology to go to both of them. “Seeing you two this morning...it was a shock, to say the least. I wasn't exactly expecting to find you two like that. But...you're happy?”

Sirius smiled, remnants of the Remus Lupin he had known for so long shone through this new, more mature version of himself. Sirius wrapped his arms around Harry, and the younger man mirrored the embrace at once.

“We are,” Harry confirmed, and Sirius nodded in agreement.

“This is the happiest I've ever been, Moony,” Sirius added, and he saw the briefest flicker of guilt register in Remus's eyes, as though finally realizing that there was nothing sick about their involvement.

“Will you...tell me about it?” Remus asked uncertainly, “I want to understand.”

Sirius exchanged a look with Harry. They had been right in the middle of something—or close to it, at least, but Moony's quick turnaround, at least to Sirius, said that they needed to take this time, and not brush him off.

Harry seemed to feel the same, and offered Sirius a small smile and nod.

Over more tea, the whole story came out. Harry told most of it, almost bouncing excitedly in his seat as he spoke. Sirius had never heard Harry's side of their story, and it was endearingly sweet how Harry only began to notice him when Charlie had made casual passes at him at Harry's birthday, but little did he know that Sirius had never had eyes for anyone but Harry.

Even now, more than a year into their relationship, Sirius could recall the days and sleepless nights following the war as he watched Harry grow from a boy into a man—a gay man, and a handsome one, at that.

Sirius remembered the months of vivid nightmares, where Harry would wake screaming, tears pouring down his face, convinced that Voldemort had somehow returned, or he witnessed graphic reenactments of the deaths of his loved ones—Cedric, Dumbledore, Moody, Dobby, Fred—even Snape, for some strange reason, though Harry had never told him why the slimy git was making guest appearances in his dreams.

Sirius would console him, allow Harry to cling to him, childlike, shaking violently as he rode out the aftershocks of his nightmares. Some nights, Harry would shyly ask to share his bed, and once again, Harry seemed as though he had regressed to that of a young child, in desperate need of closeness and affection. There was nothing sexual about it, and Sirius regarded Harry as nothing more than his adult godson, who was more damaged by the war than he ever let on to his friends.

But as time passed, the platonic aspect of their relationship, that line Sirius hadn't been even aware of, began to blur.

He began to see Harry differently, and at first, he hated himself for it. He was a handsome young man, struggling through the trauma the war had left upon his mind, and Sirius was a lonely older man, whose pool of friends had shrunk significantly after Remus married Tonks and had little Teddy.

Sirius swore to himself that he'd not be the one to make the first move—he refused to risk their relationship like that, especially when Harry seemed to depend on him so much.

But when Harry had burst into their shared flat one day, nearly a full year after Sirius's feelings had first begun to change, his face set with determination, Sirius was subject to the shock of his life when Harry strode over to him purposefully, and kissed him hard on the mouth.

As first kisses went, it wasn't the greatest they'd ever had, but they'd long since made up for it.

“I dunno what else to say,” Harry said, his voice drawing Sirius out of his memories, and he smiled warmly at the way Harry stared down at his knees, a bashful smile upon his face, and his cheeks pink, but with joy, and not embarrassment. “We just...work. It's been so good, and I'm so happy, but I was really scared of people finding out. I didn't want you lot to think Sirius pushed me into this, when it wasn't like that at all.”

Harry's hand found his, and Sirius squeezed it firmly. A warm, tingling sensation seemed to wash through his body. Sirius felt it from his cheeks to his thighs, and he longed to drag Harry close. However, Remus seemed to be teetering between concern and acceptance, and he had a feeling that such a display of affection would not tip the scales in their favour at the moment.

“I've loved Harry for a long time in a way that I felt I shouldn't,” Sirius added, his voice a little rough from the emotions coursing through him. “I had no reason to deny him when he came to me. It's been pretty much perfect ever since. I've never been in a relationship this...comfortable.”

“I'm happy for you, I am,” Remus said, and it sounded as though he meant it, too. His mouth quirked into a mischievous smile that Sirius had not seen since their Marauder days, and his gaze shifted to Harry. “As the token best friend, I do believe it's my sworn duty to threaten you with bodily harm if you hurt him. Understand, Harry?”

Harry snorted as Sirius barked a laugh, while Moony offered them both a reserved smile.

“Yes, Remus,” Harry said as he calmed down, “I won't hurt him, I swear.”

“That's the most prim and proper variation of if you hurt him I will beat you to death with a shovel I have ever heard,” Sirius remarked, and this time Remus chuckled in response.

“Well, as you so eloquently pointed out last time, I am the Dad Friend, it's my duty to sound stuffy and no fun, right?” Remus teased in the same mild tone he always spoke in, and the couple laughed again.

“Do you ever let down your hair, Remus?” Harry asked suddenly between chuckles, and Sirius smirked.

“A bottle of bourbon and a few glasses of scotch, and Remus will give you a strip show you won't soon forge—” Sirius began, just as Remus flicked his wand at him, silencing him, but it was too late, and Harry was clutching his ribs as he howled with laughter, the former professor beet-red with embarrassment.

“Harry does not need to know about that, Sirius,” Remus said, his face still very red, and voice barely audible above Harry's continuous shouts of laughter. Unable to speak, Sirius merely offered his friend a wicked grin. “Harry, if you repeat that story to anyone—especially Dora, I will kill you.”

Remus flicked his wand at Sirius, returning his voice to him, while the couple exchanged wicked grins. Remus did not look particularly cheered by the look they exchanged.

~*~

For the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening the trio chatted amiably, and Remus only left when he mentioned that he'd promised to cook tonight for Tonks and Teddy, and took his leave. It was one of the best afternoons Sirius could recall having. Though he longed for Remus to leave so that he and Harry could celebrate their coming out, so to speak, properly, he hadn't the heart to make Remus leave—especially now that it was quite clear that they could go public with their relationship without fear.

Once Remus finally did leave, Sirius had little thought beyond begging Harry for an early night, but his lover insisted they at least have dinner first.

Sirius was entirely unhelpful, as usual, and leant against the edge of the table in a pair of tight jeans and a fitted button-down shirt opened at the chest, which had the desired effect of completely distracting Harry from cooking, and thus nearly burned their dinner—twice.

“You need to stop doing that,” Harry said when they finally sat down to eat, and with Sirius's mouth full of fish, he raised his eyebrows at Harry with a look of mock innocence that the younger man did not buy for a second.

“Doing what?” Sirius asked innocently once he'd swallowed, and Harry snorted.

“Dressing like a wet dream come to life,” Harry said. “It makes it impossible to think on anything else except wanting to rip your clothes off and shag you senseless.”

“And that's bad because...?”

“It's bad when I'm at the cooker,” Harry said as he kicked him lightly under the table. “I'd rather not burn our building down.”

“You are no fun,” Sirius teased as he hooked his ankle around Harry's, “the whole point is that I'd rather you eat me than fish and salad.”

“You are so getting punished tonight for being such a brat,” Harry retorted, his mouth twitching into a similar smile to Sirius's.

Sirius grinned.

“Good.”

~*~

By the time Sirius had tumbled into bed with Harry on top of him, he was quite certain that Harry had been determined to torture him as much as humanly possible first. Harry asked Sirius to clear up—which he did without complaint—then he insisted on an evening tea, then he wanted to tidy the flat, all the while smirking at his lover knowingly, making it clear that he knew exactly what all the waiting was doing to him.

When Sirius's back did at last hit the mattress, he could have sung with joy. Harry's mouth covered his with a rough, needy kiss, and Sirius groaned as he returned it with equal enthusiasm. His hands buried themselves into Harry's tousled hair, and Harry's fingers went to the tie at the base of Sirius's braid. With a few gentle tugs it unravelled itself, and Sirius's long hair fanned out across the coverlet.

“Fuck, Sirius,” Harry whispered as he straddled the older man and kissed him again, “I love you. I love you so much—”

“Love you too, Harry, Gods...” he cut himself off with a groan as Harry dug the heel of his palm into the growing erection beneath his jeans, and he let out a soft cry before he dragged Harry to him again, and dug his fingers under the hem of the young man's T-shirt, then dragged it up and off.

Sirius leant forward to kiss at Harry's throat, and grunted when Harry stopped him short and pressed him back into the mattress.

“No, no, no...” Harry said, his voice teasing and sing-song. “You were a total pest all evening, you need to be properly punished...”

“Harry,” Sirius groaned as Harry pinned his arms above his head, “don't do this to me...”

Harry ignored the feeble plea, and kissed him hard, his hand fastening around Sirius's wrists to pin them above his head. He shifted his grip to hold onto Sirius with one hand, and used the other to deftly unbutton the sleek shirt he'd worn to taunt and tease Harry for the bulk of the evening.

Sirius tried to ignore the faint tickle of the lift and fall of the garment as Harry thumbed open the buttons, the silk brushing his chest like butterfly kisses. The light contact was driving Sirius close to madness, and he squirmed beneath Harry, his hips arching in an obvious hint, but Harry merely pulled back from their heated kiss to offer the older man a wicked grin, and arched out of his reach.

“Harry, you little arsehole,” Sirius said with an anguished moan as though he was inflicting Sirius with physical pain, “stop teasing me!”

“Why should I?” Harry asked sweetly, and used his wand to discard the shirt the rest of the way so that he would not have to let go of Sirius. “I told you, you need to be punished.”

“Oh, please,” Sirius said with a derisive snort, “you know you won't be able to hold out to properly punish me...”

Harry arched a brow at him.

“Is that a challenge, Mr Black?”

Something about Harry's sudden shift to a silky tone unnervingly similar to how Snape's had been made him shiver. Sirius had a feeling that he was in deep trouble.

Sirius opened and closed his mouth several times, but no sound came out. When Harry's mouth slid into an evil smirk, he whimpered audibly.

“Incarcerous.”

Sirius cried out in surprise as his wrists snapped together and his legs sprang apart, while thin ropes affixed themselves to the bedposts at the end of the bed as well as the headboard, binding Sirius in place securely.

“Harry!” Sirius cried indignantly, “let me go!”

Harry responded with another grin as he straddled Sirius, his arse perched lightly upon the obvious bulge in the older man's tight jeans.

“I told you,” Harry said as he leant forward to offer Sirius a light kiss, “you need to be punished. I'd spank you, but you'd enjoy that too much. So you get to watch me until I feel like you've suffered enough.”

“Are you sure that that Horcrux is really completely gone from that brain of yours?” Sirius asked dryly, and Harry swatted his chest lightly.

“Quiet, you,” Harry said as he slid off of Sirius, and stood up momentarily to kick off his jeans and boxer-briefs before he settled back down on the end of the bed and began to stroke himself. Sirius felt his cock positively ache at the sight. He squirmed and moaned as though agonized at the thought of being tied down like this, but they both knew that if he was in any real distress, he would just spout his safeword—cheesecake—and Harry would stop.

“Harry...” Sirius whimpered, squirming in his bindings as Harry brushed his thumb over the leaking tip, “please...”

“Oh, I love it when you beg...” Harry said with a moan as he tilted his head back a little, but kept his eyes fixed on Sirius. “Your bottom lip gets all quivery, and it's just so fucking adorable...”

Sirius bit his bottom lip and glared at his young lover, who answered with another grin, and resumed strong his cock.

“Fucking hell,” Sirius groaned, “Harry, please, I'm sorry, all right? Just fuck me already or I'm going to explode.”

“Isn't exploding the whole point?” Harry teased, his voice becoming a little breathless as he continued to stare at Sirius. Sirius scowled, and the younger man snorted.

With a soft sigh, Harry let go of his erection, and crawled back over to Sirius. He straddled him again before he bowed his body forward, blanketing the larger man with his lithe form. Sirius's arms twitched, longing to embrace Harry, but his young lover did not seem to feel inclined to release him just yet.

As they snogged, Sirius saw Harry lift his wand out of the corner of his eye, and shivered when his jeans and pants vanished. Harry chuckled at the reaction, and rubbed his hands up and down Sirius's pale thighs gently.

“Ready?” Harry murmured between kisses, and Sirius groaned.

“Yes.”

Chuckling again, Harry pulled back a little and flicked his wand once, followed by a quick jab.

The first wand movement summoned the lubricant from their bedside table, and the second freed Sirius's ankles. He immediately took advantage of his newfound mobility by hooking his legs around Harry's waist, and he drew him close.

“I can't prepare you if you're holding me like that,” Harry protested with a laugh, but still leant back in to kiss him again. Their mouths moulded together on instinct, and not for the first time, Sirius was struck with the sheer rightness of being with Harry like this.

“Sorry, Harry,” Sirius murmured between kisses, “you're just so hard to resist...”

Both giggling like schoolchildren, Sirius finally let Harry go and he watched with a lazy, but aroused smile as Harry unscrewed the lid of the jar and dipped his fingers into the clear gel.

His arse seemed to tingle with anticipation as he watched Harry adjust his position, and brush the slick fingers teasingly over his entrance.

Sirius immediately moaned, and Harry's mouth quirked into a smile as he pressed the digits gently against his arse, and ever so slowly, breached the entrance.

Sirius's eyes fluttered shut and he relaxed against the mattress as he spread his legs wider in invitation. He heard Harry chuckle, but offered up no other response as he pressed the fingers in farther, gently scissoring him and stretching him. Sirius let out a soft groan as he tried to bear down on the digits, but his wrists still bound to the headboard stopped him from going very far.

“Harry,” Sirius groaned, but did not open his eyes, “please...”

This time, thankfully, Harry did not respond with a teasing remark, but instead removed his fingers and moved into position between his parted thighs. He heard Harry mumble something, and he assumed that it was a counter-curse, given the way his wrists sprang apart following it.

“Look at me,” Harry commanded, and Sirius's eyes immediately snapped open.

Harry's eyes were darkened with lust, and he was smiling at Sirius with unabashed love. In one, Sirius felt both loved and desired; the protector and protected. Never in his life did he expect to find a love quite like this, and as always, he was deeply grateful now that he'd found it.

Sirius let out a tiny groan as Harry began to slide himself into the older man, and he relaxed on instinct, welcoming Harry into his body wholeheartedly.

When Harry had fully sheathed himself inside of Sirius, the older man instinctively hooked his legs around his waist, holding him in place. Both men were panting softly but sharply, and Sirius arched up to kiss Harry deeply, their tongues tangling together messily as they strove to taste the other as thoroughly as they could. As they kissed, Harry began to move.

Harry rocked his hips slowly at first, and Sirius followed his movements easily, their mouths parting, but only by a few centimetres. Sirius stared up at Harry dazedly, and Harry responded with a small smirk as he sped up his thrusts.

Sirius fell back onto the bed, grunting and rocking his hips with Harry, his fingers reaching up to thread through the fabric of the duvet, both their bodies shiny and slippery with sweat, and the room silent, save for the soft grunts and groans as they moved together.

Harry found his release first, and Sirius moaned as he felt the wet heat fill him. The younger man continued to move, breathing harshly as one hand lifted from Sirius's waist to close around his cock, stroking him to orgasm.

Sirius came with a cry, and as his seed flooded onto Harry's hand and dotted his abdomen, he felt every muscle in his body immediately relax.

Harry slumped forward as he pulled out of him, lying on top of Sirius comfortably. He was panting softly, but smiling, the perfect picture of contentment.

Sirius reached up to stroke his hair, and smiled indulgently at the way his fingers disappeared into the thick locks. Harry purred like a contented cat, and slid off of Sirius to curl up into his side, while Sirius took to the task of cleaning them up of their respective messes with a quick flick of his wand.

“You were brilliant,” Sirius murmured as he leant in to kiss the top of Harry's head, “I love it when you get all forceful like that.”

“I love that you let me,” Harry mumbled sleepily, “before you, my few experiments were always exclusively tops, and they got all weird about bottoming. I like that you're...” he paused, his brow furrowing before he said, “analdextrous.”

Sirius snorted loudly, clapping a hand over his mouth to stop himself from spraying Harry with spit, while the younger man grinned up at him widely.

“I cannot believe that you just said that,” Sirius said as he howled with laughter, “Gods, I dare you to use that word in front of Moony. I want to see just how red he gets...”

“Oh my God,” Harry cackled, “he would never speak to us again...” he grinned wickedly, “consider it done.”

Still giggling, they shimmied under the covers and curled up together, both still radiating sleepy contentment as they got comfortable. Harry let out a small sigh and curled into his arms, the younger man's head resting lightly against Sirius's bicep as he smiled up at the older man with warm adoration.

“This was the longest day I've ever had,” Sirius said softly as he kissed Harry's forehead, just above his scar. “I liked how it ended, though.”

“Even better,” Harry added in a similar tone, “now we know that we can show up at the next Weasley gathering together-together, and neither of us will be harassed for it.”

“I hope the next one is soon,” Sirius murmured as he rested a knuckle under Harry's chin, tilting his head up to kiss him lightly. “I can't wait to show you off.”

-Fin

A/N: If you like my work, please consider throwing a few bucks into my Digital Tip Jar. I am a starving artist, and I like not actually starving to death :P

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maraudersmessrs · 7 years

Text

Remus Lupin and the Prisoner of Azkaban--- Chapter 18: Visitation fortification

Ao3 link

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 / Chapter 9 / Chapter 10 / Chapter 11 / Chapter 12 / Chapter 13 / Chapter 14 / Chapter 15 / Chapter 16 / Chapter 17 / Chapter 18 / Chapter 19 / Chapter 20 / Chapter 21 / Chapter 22 / Chapter 23 / Chapter 24 / Chapter 25 / Chapter 26 / Chapter 27 / Chapter 28 / Chapter 29 / Chapter 30 / Chapter 31 / Chapter 32 / Chapter 33 / Chapter 34

“‘Scuse me,” Remus said incredulously, looking up from his grading to reach out and draw his bowl of chocolate closer to him from across the desk. “1 each.”

George Weasley batted his eyelashes at him innocently, putting a hand to his chest. “But I have--”

“I think, not, George. You were up here before.”

“I’m not George, I’m Fred!”

Remus smiled blandly at him, not moving the bowl any closer to the other side of the desk. “Don’t you have somewhere to be, George?”

“I was just getting one for Percy!” He protested, grinning.

“What a devoted brother you are. Percy can just come and get it himself and you’ll have to find another way to show your sibling affection.”

“Curses, foiled again!” George shook his fist in mock frustration, reshouldered his bag, and grinned. “You’re ruining Halloween for all of the children, Professor.”

Remus nodded indulgently. “Somehow, I will survive. Have a good day, George.”

Fred, waiting by the door, shook his head in exaggerated disappointment at his twin and they followed the flow of people out of the classroom. Remus shook his head, smiling, and went back to grading the Redcap essays as the late morning light slanted in from the high windows of the classroom. Those boys reminded him of James and Sirius. The part of the Weasley clan that he had in his classroom seemed to be a delight; the twins were always trying to pull something and, one of these days, he was tempted to actually let them succeed. Ron was funnier than he let on and quicker than he seemed to think as he was often overshadowed by the absolutely brilliant Hermione. Ginny, as he learned the red headed girl from the train was called, was sharp as a tack and seemed absolutely ravenous for any information on defense. He made sure that he kept a close eye on her; he knew past trauma when he saw it. Lastly, Percy was the quietest and most studious seeming of all of them but Remus had seen him brandish his prefect badge with gleeful authority in the halls that made him hide a smile. Quite the cast of characters. It made him grateful that Harry seemed to be surrounded by such a warm, familial presence, that he wasn’t moving through this world as isolated as Remus had feared.

A soft knock on the door broke through his thoughts and he looked up, half expecting to have to defend his chocolate stash from further interlopers but, to his surprise, Professor McGonagall was standing in his doorway. “Oh! Professor,” he stood and gestured to the room. “Come in, what can I do for you?”

“I was hoping to catch you before you left for lunch,” she came up to his desk and, strangely, looked out the window.

He watched her a moment, slowly followed her gaze, found nothing of interest, and looked back to her. Her jaw was working, clenching and unclenching and he realized that she was searching for words. Fascinated, a little daunted, he sank back down into his chair and placed his folded hands on the desk before him, waiting.

“I wanted to apologize, Lupin, for the other day.”

He stared at her, blankly, wracking his memory for something that she would have to be sorry for. To his knowledge, they hadn’t even had a personal conversation of any length since he had come back to Hogwarts. Plenty when he had been a student, most of which had began with, ‘What on earth do you think you boys are doing?’ A few from the First War and the Order of the Phoenix which, funnily enough, had often started the same way. “Er...I don’t understand.”

She took a breath and turned away from the window to look at him, focused on him sharply. “What Severus said the other day...I was too stunned to interfere at first and then I saw your face…. I deemed the highest priority to separate you 2 before anything else and...the more I’ve thought about it, the more I realize it was not the best decision. I should not have let that happen. Whatever personal feelings Severus might have toward you, purposely goading another Professor is improper conduct and highly unprofessional, and I have felt that it is a matter that has been left unresolved. I’ve expressed my feelings on the matter to Professor Snape himself and then I wanted to let you know that I regret how that day came to pass.” After this was finished, she folded her hands in front of her and watched him expectantly.

Stunned, it was his turn to search for words, opening his hands palm up on his desk. “Ah...well...thank you. Apology accepted, but...I must say unneeded. It’s not your job to...break up childish squabbles between adults.”

“You’re not living alone any longer, Remus, there is a code of ethics that must be upheld,” she said dryly, raising an ironic eyebrow.

“I suppose so.” He returned a slight smile. “I also shouldn’t have lost my temper.”

“Ludicrous,” she scoffed and he blinked. “He was being intentionally inflammatory and I, myself, was appalled. I knew you boys,” she went on, angrily. “I knew them too. Unwarranted. Cruel.” A bit self-consciously, she sniffed, straightened her glasses, and cleared her throat, drawing herself up once more. “I just wanted it in the open air. I didn’t want you thinking...well, that I took any stock in what he said, what with the anniversary coming up and all.”

“Well...I thank you.”

She nodded briskly, then seemed to hesitate. “If...If Harry Potter should come ‘round, I think it best he stay within the castle.”

He must have looked lost, for she elaborated. “The poor boy couldn’t get his Muggle family to sign his Hogsmeade permission slip and he’s been hounding me for permission. Despite the fact that I am not his guardian, but he’s nothing if not optimistic. Even if he could go, I think it best with the current dementor and Black situation that he not go. So, if he should come looking for permission from you, I would think it wise to not indulge him.”

His chest hurt to think that he might even resemble anything close to a guardian for the boy. “I’m...flattered, Professor. But Harry has no idea who I am. To him, at least. It’s...I feel that it’s best to not complicate things. I am not the safest or most reliable adult ally one could have, after all,” he added a bit darkly. “But, in any case; I agree. It’s safer.”

“Lord knows he doesn’t seem to be taking it too hard, this whole “imminent doom” nonsense.” She made a face. “Sibyll is inflicting her yearly death prediction on the boy. Of all times. Seeing death in everything from tea leaves to mouse droppings, I’d bet. Soon, she’ll be seeing omens in his choice of breakfast food. Still doesn’t dissuade him from wanting to venture out. I can’t tell if it’s youthful courage or merely ignorance in the scope of his situation. Ah, well, you should be grading and I should be preparing for class.” She gave him a brisk nod and exited.

The morning of Halloween dawned brisk and clear and he lay an extra few minutes in bed, staring at the ceiling. 12 years ago to the day. Tentatively, he tested the strangeness of what seemed to be a shared awareness of this occasion; McGonagall and Hagrid’s mention of it had awakened him to the realization that this was not altogether a private grieving. It was not as if he thought no one else loved the Potter’s and Peter, he had just never had anyone to share it with. He had only ever had to brace himself, alone, against the current of costumed children and festive cheer that seemed to linger in the air. The full moon being only a handful of days away did not help to lighten the clinging, dull weight that seemed ready to be donned with the rest of his clothes.

With a most unpleasant jolt, he realized as he was layering a sweater under his robe, that this was the first time that Sirius’ Halloween would be different than it had been the last dozen years as well. The thought made him pause and meet his own eyes in the mirror. The man that stared back at him was not as thin as he had been a few months ago, but there was a darkness about his eyes, a haunted look on his solemn face. What had sparked this difference between their gazes, these men who knew Lily and James? One was a searing madness, the other a gaunt shadow. How could this one calamity forge such opposite beings?

What was he doing right now? His eyes wandered to the window overlooking the forest, aflame with reds and oranges and yellows, impenetrable. Somewhere beyond, Sirius drew closer. It wasn’t until his knuckles gave a twinge of protest that he realized his fists were clenched where they had halted while situating his robe. Deliberately, he opened them and finished dressing to go wait in his office for the Grindylow he was expecting today.

As he waited, soberly grading more essays, he felt a brush against his ankle and pushed back from his desk with a start. Sitting unapologetically beneath his desk and blinking up at him slowly from a great, squashed face, was a huge orange cat. He stared at it a moment and it stared back, calmly, tail curled around itself. “Well...hello.”

In response, it leapt up, onto his lap and began kneading at his thigh with tiny sharp pinpricks of claw through his robe and pants. Startled, he held his hands away for a moment, then, carefully, scratched it behind it’s ear. It began thrumming immediately, flopped onto his lap and closed it’s eyes. “Well, then.” It made him crack a small smile. Usually, animals could sense or smell the predator that lurked within him and avoided him at all costs. Apparently, not so for this cat. He returned to marking homework, but with his solemnity a little bit lighter.

It was quiet, that day, most upperclassmen visiting Hogsmeade and the rest presumably having a lazy day relaxing or doing homework. In the distance, one could hear the occasional creak-thump of a door and once or twice, he heard Filch mutter-sweeping by his door. Eventually, unfortunately, when the grindylow delivery arrived, he had had to carefully depose the cat, who had mrowed at him reproachfully and stalked out, bushy tail held high in protest. The indignance made him chuckle.

He was inspecting the tank and checking the supply list for the grindylow that he and Hagrid had gone over a few weeks previous when a figure glumly slumped by his door with a familiarity that it caught his attention. “Harry?”

As he went to peer around the door, he saw the boy reversing slowly to slog back over to him. He looked absolutely miserable. “What are you doing? Where are Hermione and Ron?” Of all days, it was difficult to look Harry in the face with James' expressions and Lily's gaze. It's just Harry. You wanted to be free of your past, let him have the same right. It's just him.

The boy shrugged, obviously attempting nonchalant a he said, “Hogsmeade.”

Poor lad. “Ah,” he answered and scanned Harry's despondent face and wilted stance. A day without friends for the both of us, is it? He came to a sudden decision. “Why don't you come in? I've just taken delivery of a grindylow for our next lesson.”

It seemed to be inertia rather than any real interest, but Harry obediently fell in behind Remus. “A what?”

The conversation and tea were more fruitful than he had anticipated, given the boy’s mood. Harry seemed to feel comfortable questioning him and Remus was only too happy to oblige. Honestly, the more time he spent with him, the more he wished he would ask Remus for something, anything. I don't have much, but what I do, I would give to you, if you required it. This child deserved nothing less, after what the world has already put him through. He was revealing himself to be thoughtful, brave, and eager to prove himself as they spoke more and Remus could not help the pride that blossomed again in his chest, though he had had no part in shaping who he had become. So proud…. Even the brief drop in from Severus didn't ruin the visit. He was still smiling slightly, after Harry left.

#Remus Lupin and the Prisoner of Azkaban #ficlet #my stuff #There's another one coming tonight >:]

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aidanchaser · 4 years

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Everyone Lives AU

Table of Contents beta’d by @ageofzero, @magic713m, @ccboomer. @aubsenroute, @somebodyswatson

Chapter Twenty-Six The Battle for the Tower

Sirius was only mildly envious as he watched James and Lily walk into Hogsmeade with Dumbledore, Diggory, and Williamson. While a drink with friends sounded preferable to hours of patrol at Hogwarts, he was not sure he could stand any more small talk with Williamson. He had done plenty of that this year already.

If James and Lily wanted any time to themselves while Aurors were on their property, it was Sirius’ job to keep them occupied. He was happy to do it, but it had grown tiresome. He had heard enough about Williamson’s strange collection of Muggle garden gnomes, Savage’s unhealthy obsession with professional Gobstones, and Marcy Longfellow’s ongoing feud with her wife’s mother over the correct way to prepare a rhubarb pie.

What Sirius really wanted was to know where Dumbledore was off to. He did not think Dumbledore was leaving Hogwarts so he could sit down at the Three Broomsticks with James and Lily for a chat. Sirius would even have liked to go with Dumbledore — maybe he could be useful — but Dumbledore had been especially secretive about these missions. While Sirius trusted Dumbledore with his life, he did not care for secrets. Secrets bred liars, and Sirius hated liars.

Once the Potters, Aurors, and Dumbledore were no longer visible on the path, Sirius closed the enormous iron gates. He double-checked the lock and triple-checked the wards. Everything seemed to be in order. No Death Eaters would be getting through Dumbledore’s protections, not even Voldemort himself. He walked back up to the castle.

Bill Weasley stood waiting at the castle doors, eyes on the sun as it began its descent over the mountains in the west. “Did Dumbledore say how long he would be?”

Sirius shook his head. “Said he hoped to be back before sunrise. Didn’t give me even a clue where he was going.”

“I’m sure it’s important, or he wouldn’t leave.”

“Seen Remus or Tonks?” Sirius asked as he locked the castle doors.

Bill shook his head. “Tonks and I arrived together, but she said she’d take the sixth and seventh floor.”

Sirius raised his eyebrows. “Remus told me he was planning to keep an eye up there.”

“I’m sure they both want to be close to where Harry is.”

Sirius wondered if it would be better or worse if they ran into each other. He wanted Remus and Tonks to be friends at the least, but after everything Remus had said to Tonks, he wouldn’t blame her if she never spoke to Remus again.

Sirius and Bill checked the Great Hall first, since it was nearby. The students were still at dinner, and there were many loud giggles as the two wizards, both long-haired, sporting leather jackets and leather boots, waved to the staff to let them know they were there.

Bill grinned as they left the Great Hall and headed downstairs. “Merlin, I would have faced a dragon if it meant getting that reaction out of girls when I was in school. Not that I wasn’t popular, but…” Bill laughed and shook his head.

Sirius snorted. He’d had his fair share of girls that tried to win his attention. He’d never been interested in them. There was only one person he had ever wanted at Hogwarts, but he had been young and stupid, and he had made too many mistakes. He was only just now starting to figure out how to set those mistakes right.

“How’s wedding planning?” Sirius asked.

“Complicated.” Bill ran a hand over his face. “There’s so much more to do than I could have thought. I looked at Fleur’s list the other day and she had ‘napkins’ written down. I hadn’t even thought about them, and when I asked her why they were on the list separate from the food, she said she hadn’t decided on what colour they would be, how they would be folded, or if they would be folded, or if she wanted rings, and what sort of rings she might like — I can’t keep up with half of what has to be done. Her parents’ll be here soon, and I hope her mother can take on a lot of what we’ve been doing. It’s exhausting.”

Sirius could not help but laugh. He had only met Fleur a few times, but he was unsurprised to learn she was both extravagant and particular. “I’m sure it will be beautiful when it’s all done.”

“Oh, absolutely. Fleur’s incredible at planning. I think it’s driving Mum a bit mad, though. She didn’t do anything like that when she and Dad got married.”

As they headed downstairs into the lower corridors of Hogwarts, Sirius said, “If we bump into Regulus, maybe ask his advice. He’s always been fond of weddings.”

Bill laughed, then realised that Sirius was being serious. “You’re joking. He’s never struck me as the sentimental type.”

Sirius shrugged. “I’ve never understood him myself.”

They passed the Hufflepuff dormitories and grabbed dinner for themselves in the kitchens. Sirius asked if Remus had been by, and was assured that Remus had eaten.

“It’s funny coming down here now,” said Bill as they walked past the Slytherin common room, “casually walking into all these places we weren’t allowed to go as students.”

“Can’t say that ever stopped me before,” Sirius laughed.

“No,” Bill grinned, “I suppose it didn’t stop me either.”

Patrol was quiet, as Sirius had expected. He and Bill didn’t have to walk together, but the company was pleasant. They talked about the upcoming wedding in more detail, and traded a handful of mischievous adventures from their days as students. They made their way upstairs slowly, occasionally checking secret passages, making sure nothing was amiss. The only problem they ran into was a pair of students using an empty classroom for privacy, and Sirius, as much as he hated enforcing rules, asked them to head back to their respective common rooms for their own safety. One of them tried to convince Bill and Sirius that they were just using the classroom to study, but Bill reminded them that exams were over, and they ought to get to their common rooms before one of the professors caught them instead.

Sirius was just beginning to think those two students were going to be the most interesting part of his evening when Harry came running into the corridor.

“Sirius!” Harry shouted. “Quick — it’s Malfoy!”

Bill and Sirius had their wands out before Harry reached them.

“Where?” Sirius asked. “What’s happened —”

Bill put a hand on Sirius’ arm. “Harry, we want to help, but can you prove you’re you first?”

“What?” Harry looked exasperated, which did not surprise Sirius. “What do you want me to say? Sirius got me new Quidditch gear for Christmas. I know where Headquarters is —”

“Who’s in that portrait in the room you stayed in at Headquarters?” asked Sirius.

Harry ran a hand through his hair. “Merlin, Sirius, I don’t know. Some former Headmaster of Hogwarts? Phineas or something?”

“Good enough for me,” Sirius said. “What’s Malfoy done?”

“He’s in the Room of Requirement,” Harry was already leading them up a hidden set of stairs. “I sent Ginny and Luna to get Mcgonagall and Flitwick, and I came to find you, because Dumbledore isn’t here. I don’t know what Malfoy’s done — I thought he was looking for something in there, but he disappeared into a Vanishing Cabinet.”

Sirius frowned. He did not think that boded well. “The Room of Requirement’s on the seventh floor, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s not far —”

“We’ll find it. You go up to Dumbledore’s office. Tell Fawkes what’s happened and he can get word to Dumbledore to return quickly.”

“But —”

“We can handle Malfoy,” said Bill. “Get Dumbledore.”

Harry did not look pleased to be sent away, but he hurried off in the opposite direction.

“Disappeared into a Vanishing Cabinet doesn’t sound too dangerous,” said Bill, as he and Sirius reached the corridor with the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy.

Sirius scanned the solid stone wall. “The real question is Vanished to where?”

“What do you mean? I thought they just let you disappear for a while, then bring you back.”

“Some of them. Not all of them.” It was entirely possible that Harry was overreacting, and Malfoy had simply ducked into a Vanishing Cabinet to avoid another duel with Harry. Sirius hoped that was the case, and that Harry was going to call Dumbledore back for nothing.

“So… how do we get into the Room of Requirement?” Bill asked.

“I’ve never done it before. Really thought it would be more obvious… I guess we can at least wait here until —”

The wall began to move. Stone blocks parted to reveal a small wooden door. The door opened, and Sirius saw two things: Draco Malfoy, holding a shriveled, dried-up, skeletal hand, and behind him stood Corban Yaxley. And then Sirius saw nothing at all.

The corridor became filled with a thick, dark smoke. Sirius could not even see his wand in front of his face. He tried lighting his wand, but even that could not penetrate the darkness. He fired a curse blindly, in hopes Bill had not charged forward, but when a return Stinging Jinx struck him in the shoulder, Sirius decided it was best not to stay in the darkness.

Sirius moved backwards until his hand brushed against the cloth of the tapestry, then used that to guide him out of the corridor. He stumbled out of the darkness just in time to see Malfoy hurry towards the Astronomy Tower, with two adult wizards on his heels. Sirius did not recognise them as any members of the Order, and his stomach turned.

There were Death Eaters in the school on his watch. How many? And what did they want? And where was Harry? And Bill? And Remus and Tonks —

Bill came out of the cloud of darkness coughing. “Merlin, that looked like some of Fred and George’s Peruvian Darkness Powder. What the hell are they doing selling it to Malfoy?”

“How many did you see?” Sirius asked, already running after Malfoy.

Bill hurried to keep up. “Just Yaxley. Just had a Ministry lunch with the bastard last week.”

“Hope that won’t keep you from hexing him.”

“No, he made enough terrible jokes about goblins that he’s lucky I didn’t hex him then and there. Though now I wish I had.”

If there were only two Death Eaters and Malfoy, they could handle this easily. Sirius was daring to feel hopeful when he heard a familiar shout, followed by an inhuman snarl. Sirius doubled his pace and rounded the corner to find Remus and Tonks, back to back in front of the stairs leading up to the Astronomy Tower, completely surrounded by eight Death Eaters.

Eight.

One of them was Fenrir Greyback.

There was no more time to think. Sirius hurled a Stunning Charm at the back of the nearest Death Eater, then ducked as two turned and fired on him.

It was not unlike dueling in the corridors as a student. There was limited cover, and success relied on speed, accuracy, and numbers. Unfortunately, they were outmatched in at least one of those respects. And, unlike when he was a student, these opponents were cursing to kill.

A green spark shot over Remus’ shoulder and cracked the stone wall behind him. Sirius was not entirely sure who threw it, but he pointed his wand at the witch nearest to Remus and thought Crucio. She yelped and fell to the ground. Focusing on his Unforgivable, however, left Sirius defenseless, and he was unprotected when a white light struck the ground by his feet. He was thrown backward, into a wall. His vision went dark as his head struck solid stone. The light dinner he had eaten in the kitchen just an hour ago threatened to come out the way it had gone in, but he swallowed and struggled to his feet. Then someone was beside him, helping him stand.

“Sirius!”

Though his vision was still spotty, he was just able to make out Harry, lending him support with one hand and in his other… was that a sword?

But there was no time to ask questions. Fenrir Greyback lunged at Harry. Sirius tried to Stun him, but it bounced off of a Shield Charm. Harry’s Stunner hit, at least, and Greyback tumbled into the floor.

“Where’s Malfoy?” Harry asked. “Did he have anything in his hands?”

Sirius blinked, trying to refocus his vision and his thoughts. “Yeah, he had a…” Sirius winced and touched the back of his head tenderly. It was wet.

“Protego!” Harry shouted suddenly, Shielding Sirius and himself from one of Yaxley’s curses.

Sirius’ vision cleared enough to see Malfoy slip past Remus and up the stairs to the top of the Astronomy Tower. Before Sirius could even warn Harry not to follow alone, Harry was on Malfoy’s heels.

Sirius pointed his wand to yank Harry back to his side, but Yaxley threw another curse at him. This time it bounced off of one of Remus’ Shield Charms, and Sirius watched Remus crumple from another hex, undone for taking a moment to defend Sirius.

Sirius let out a snarl, not unlike Greyback’s, and shot a Blasting Curse at Yaxley. It was a poor choice in the confined space, but Sirius wasn’t known for wise choices. The force cracked the flagstone floor and everyone, Death Eater and Order member alike, was thrown apart. Sirius barely managed to throw his hand up to protect his head from a second blow as he fell against the wall.

“Goodness!” a high-pitched voice squeaked. “Surely we taught you to duel better than that.”

Sirius turned to see Flitwick hurrying into the fray alongside McGonagall, with Ginny, Neville, Ron, Hermione, and Luna running behind them.

McGonagall quickly threw a Stunner at a Death Eater, knocking him back down before he was halfway to his feet. “Inelegant but efficient, Sirius. Are you alright?”

“Concussed,” he grunted. “I’ll live. Harry and Draco are up on top of the tower.”

McGonagall pressed her lips together and hurried for the stairs. Yaxley, however, got in her way.

The battle picked up quickly as the disoriented rejoined the fight. Tonks and Travers were locked in a duel, and Remus provided McGonagall assistance as they tried to retake control of the Astronomy Tower staircase. Sirius desperately wanted to know what was up there, and if Harry was alright, but two identically ugly Death Eaters were suddenly throwing curses at him and Flitwick.

Flitwick cast a Shield Charm twice his height, and three curses bounced off it, unable to reach him and Sirius, nor the students behind them.

“We’re not leaving, Professor!” Ron shouted. “We’re going to help.”

“Fine, yes!” Flitwick grunted. Apparently the argument had been had all the way here. “But Ginny and Luna, go and get Professor Snape!”

“Just because we’re the youngest!” Ginny snapped.

“We need additional assistance! Go, two of you — you’ll be better protected as two. We don’t know if there are more in the castle.”

Sirius, glad as he was to have extra help, wished Flitwick had not said that. He wondered if some Death Eaters had slipped away, if some had not followed Malfoy to the Astronomy Tower. What could their goal be? Why had Malfoy brought them here?

Flitwick maintained his Shield Charm while Luna and a reluctant Ginny hurried down to the dungeons to get more help. When they were clear, Flitwick dropped the Shield and engaged the Death Eaters with Neville and Hermione at his side.

Bill was only just staggering to his feet, and Ron helped him up. Before they could assist anyone else, Greyback charged at them with an inhuman, guttural growl. Sirius moved to help, but Thorfinn Rowle shot a burst of flames at Sirius, and another Death Eater joined the fight against Flitwick.

Sirius' reflexes were not what they should be, and Rowle easily side-stepped the Disarming Charm that Sirius aimed at him. Rowle shot a bright blue light at him, and it broke through Sirius’ half-formed Shield and struck him in the chest. He tasted blood, and his knees went weak, but Sirius held his ground. He retaliated with a silent Incarcerous. The ropes that shot from his wand wound their way against Rowle’s feet and pulled him to the ground. Sirius hoped that Rowle’s head hit the flagstone hard.

Sirius heard the snarls of Fenrir Greyback and turned to see the man with his thick, sharpened nails buried in Ron’s chest and his teeth about to close on Ron’s throat. Sirius threw a Stunner with everything he had as Bill tackled Greyback. Sirius hoped his Stunner had not hit Bill, but he did not have time to worry because McGonagall shouted as a curse sent her sprawling and Yaxley took control of the archway.

“Come on!” Yaxley shouted.

It was not a taunt; it was a rally. Greyback, with blood dripping from his hands and teeth, threw Bill aside and charged up the stairs. The identically ugly Death Eaters turned back to back; one blocked spells from Hermione and Flitwick while the other cursed Remus. Remus was blown backwards, not unlike Sirius had been earlier, and the two Death Eaters charged up the stairs. As they passed him, Yaxley cast a spell that shimmered in the archway, then disappeared up the stairs himself. Neville abandoned his duel to run after them. He threw himself at the barrier but bounced off of it and hit the ground. The Death Eater he had been dueling shot a red spark at him, but Sirius threw a Shield Charm between them, just barely protecting Neville.

“How do we get through?” asked Hermione, as she fired a Full Body-Bind Curse at the Death Eater. He crumpled to the ground.

“Someone help Bill!” Ron shouted. “He’s bleeding —”

“No, you’re not getting past me,” Tonks snapped as another Death Eater made a run for it, and she knocked him to the ground. He got right back to his feet, and she barely ducked under a bright green curse that struck a torch sconce on the wall. A bright flash and a loud bang filled the corridor, temporarily blinding and deafening Sirius.

When the hot white light had faded, and Sirius’ eyes had readjusted to the dim light, he saw Snape stride into the corridor, a black cat on his heels.

His ears were ringing, and he could not hear his own voice, but Sirius shouted, “Harry’s up there — alone — there’s a barrier —”

He did not know if Snape heard him. He did not know if his words were intelligible, but Snape walked through the battle. Neither Death Eater nor Order member attacked him, and he passed through the barrier blocking the staircase, wand drawn.

Regulus shifted into himself and hurried to Sirius’ side. “Sirius — where are you hurt —” but Sirius pushed him aside, and stumbled towards the barrier.

Remus, too, hurried to follow Snape, but he was thrown backwards as Neville had been.

“No!” Sirius shouted, and, though he knew it was foolish, pounded his fist against the invisible wall that separated him from Harry and shouted, “Harry!”

“Sirius — no!” Regulus shouted, and then an explosion followed.

Sirius did not know who cast what, but the ceiling overhead crumbled. A chunk of stone struck his shoulder and he crumpled to his knees. He barely had the sense to scramble backwards as bits of the archway fell, and one stone landed on his ankle, crushing the bone. He held back a yell, and then Regulus’ arms were under his shoulders, hauling him away from the rubble.

“Harry,” Sirius gasped. “If the arch is fallen —”

But before Sirius could try to stand or crawl over the rubble and up the stairs, Snape walked down with Draco Malfoy at his side. Harry was nowhere to be seen. Sirius’ breath came short and fast. Malfoy was no longer carrying a shriveled hand. Instead, he half-carried, half-dragged the Sword of Godric Gryffindor, dripping with blood.

#hp everyone lives #sirius black #hp fic #hbp

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