#anyway she and sean married young and she died after just a few years and he wore that ring for 20-odd years

[misscrazyfangirl321]

72-78 and 82-88 for Rebecca! (I hope you don't mind I asked so many LMAO)

I absolutely do NOT mind, I would LOVE to talk about my daughter. Also, just so you know, Rebecca's whole character came from "Sean Renard wore a wedding ring for nearly six seasons and it was never explained, but him taking it off was a big emotional moment. Who was his wife?"

Presenting, Rebecca Renard.

72. What is their motto? "I'm not defined by anyone else." Or something to that effect.

73. Do they have any markings on their body? Some scars from fights along the way, but no tattoos or anything.

74. Have they ever been abused? Not physically, for sure. Emotionally... Her parents were kind of controlling, and isolated her a lot growing up, because they were trying to prepare her for her Grand Destiny. They didn't think that Destiny had room for friendship, much less romance. So while they never meant to hurt her, there were definitely Consequences to that.

75. What is their biggest fear? Losing her family.

76. What are their goals? To protect her family and prove that she can be a different kind of... *Spoiler alert* .. Grimm.

77. How do they go about achieving their goals? Mostly by trying to live her life and have a normal one, but in the end, she sacrifices herself to protect her family from the Royals. She also recruits the help of a trusted friend to protect her child.

78. Do they have a fight or flight response? Generally she leans toward fight when it comes down to it, but she's also pretty good at knowing when a fight is too big for her, and it's time to run/get backup.

82. Are they good at mental math? Theoretically.

83. Do they get along with others? She struggles with that sometimes (thanks to how she grew up), but she has a big heart and is unapologetic about giving to people who need it and loving people around her, so it helps.

84 Are they lazy? Not at all.

85. Are they self motivated? Yes.

86. How do they cope with anger? She tends to bottle it up inside because she doesn't want it to come out on others.

87. Have they ever been in a situation where they were helpless? Not often. Even in her death, she managed to outwit the Royals, and ensure the survival of her child.

88. Are they organized or messy? She wasn't a complete slob or anything, but she definitely was a lot messier than Sean. A free spirit, so to speak.

[scumbagg]

OC Interview

Charlie O’Malley

Date of Interview: “22nd July, 1898”

Name: “Charlie O’Malley”

Are you single: “Currently.. hopefully that changes one day, though”

Are you happy: *chuckles* “I am now that I’ve ran into Sean after all this time, yeah.”

Are you angry: “Not at the moment. It takes a bit to get me angry”

Are your parents still married: “They are 100% still married in heaven.”

Facts

Birthplace: Donegal, Ireland.

Hair color: Dark brown

Eye color: Green

Birth date: "13th February 1876″

Current Mood: "Hungry, but I’m always hungry. Other than that I’m fine."

Gender: ''I think my third leg means I’m a guy!" *winks*

Summer or winter: ''Summer! Only in the Heartlands tho.. gets too hot in the south in summer. I love a warm day with a nice breeze, me.''

Morning or afternoon: "Ahh, I love a crisp fresh morning with a hot cup of coffee"

Love life

Are you in love: "I fall in love with a new bird every day.”

Do you believe in love at first sight: “Not really, maybe it just hasn’t happened to me yet, I dunno."

Who ended your last relationship: “She did, but her parents were leaving town and she couldn’t stay. Ah, I don’t think it would’ve worked out anyway.”

Have you ever broken someone's heart: “Noo not me. I’m a charmer, I is!."

Are you afraid of commitment: “I’m not afraid to be committed to me drink! But not really, no. Hopefully I’ll find a nice lass to settle down with one day, maybe raise a few wains.”

Have you hugged someone in the last week: “I hug people all the time! It’s the easiest way to nick their wallets out their back pockets!” *winks again*

Have you ever had a secret admirer: “Ah, one or two. What can I say?! I can’t shut up after a whiskey or two in the saloon. Must have a way with words”

Have you ever broken your own heart: “Only one time. She’ll always be the one that got away.”

Six Choices

Love or Lust: “Don’t mind a bit of both. I’m just havin’ a bit of fun at the moment.”

Lemonade or Iced Tea: “Lemonade ain’t bad for a hangover! Ha ha”

Cats or Dogs: “I’m a sucker for a doggy, I am.”

A few Best friends or Regular Friends: “I’m thinkin best friends are the way to go these days. Although there are a few people I’d call me friends that I’d call regulars”

Wild night out or romantic night in: “Ah, I don’t really do romance, but I do love a girl’s reaction when I try me best to surprise her with something nice.”

Day or night: "I prefer the night. The best tings happen at night.”

Have You Evers

Been caught sneaking out: “The only time I’ve snuck out was when I left Colm O’Driscoll’s gang and they still haven’t caught me!” *chuckles*

Fallen Down/Up the Stairs: “I’ve done both many times, and I’ll probably do both many times more.”

Wanted someone/something so badly it hurt: “Yeah...” *looks at his feet* “When I was a young lad, before me Da passed... all I wanted was me Ma. She was a fine woman, one of the greats.”

Wanted to disappear: “Once or twice at a bar when a woman rejects me, but other than.. nah.”

Four preferences

Smile or eyes: “Love a big beamin’ smile. Makin’ a girl smile is one of me favourite tings to do.”

Shorter or taller: “I’m not fussy, I’m obviously not a giant meself but I tink short girls are adorable.”

Intelligence or Attraction: “Bit of both, I think attractiveness doesn’t get you far if you’ve got an empty skull."

Hook up or Relationship: “Well like I said before, I’m just doin’ the hook up thing at the moment but I’d be open to settling down for a decent woman.”

Family

Do you and your family get along: *chuckles to himself fondly* My Ma was the most beautiful woman, I remember she had the voice of an angel. Her and Da used to sing together some nights in front of the fire place. Da was a decent man, he was just very... sad. Couldn’t handle it after Ma died, he loved that woman with everything he had. Died a few years after she did, combination of drink and heartbreak, bless his soul.”

Would you say you have a messed up life: "Ah, I wouldn’t say I have a messed up life. The last ten years have been pretty rough, but I’m gettin’ back on track."

Have you ever got kicked out: *laughs loudly* “I got kicked out of a girls window after her daddy came home early one day and caught me in her bed!"

Friends

Do you secretly hate one of your friends: “The only person I hate is Colm O’Driscoll."

Do you consider all of your friends good friends: “I consider almost everyone I know my friend, and most of them are good people, so I guess they’d be good friends.”

Who is your best friend: “I would have to say that ginger bastard Sean Macguire. Known him since we were wee wains back in Donegal, can’t BELIEVE I ran into him here, of all places. What a bloody small world."

Who knows everything about you: “12 months ago I would’ve said Colm O’Driscoll... now, I’d probably say Sean.”

[tangent101]

Thoughts on Life is Strange 2

Okay. First, I should do a full disclosure on me and LiS. If you don’t care, you probably should skip the next couple of paragraphs where I get into LiS 2 itself. Also, I’ve only gotten partway into the game... but I still have fallen very much in love with the characters and the dynamic.

I love the first game. I am a huge Pricefield fangirl and also am an Amberprice fangirl even if I do think Rachel Amber had moved on from Chloe before her death. I mean, not all relationships last. I once had a rather intense and fun relationship with another girl that lasted all but a month... but was still full of ups and downs and while I might do a few things differently, I’d never chose not to have dated her. That’s how I see Rachel and Chloe - Rachel had a lot of fun with Chloe... but realized after a year or two that they wanted different things in life. That doesn’t lessen what Chloe and Rachel had together, though, or for that matter what Max and Chloe have.

My enjoyment of Life is Strange: Before the Storm is more... problematic. I had issues with their portrayal of Joyce and David, and feel that there could have been a far better portrayal of Chloe’s issues if they had shifted it to the fall of 2009 and had Chloe having to cope with her mother getting ready to marry David (especially as in-game, Joyce started seeing David within two months of William’s death). The story should have been about Rachel helping Chloe cope with her life going upside down, not Chloe trying unsuccessfully to be Rachel’s hero and solve her problems. We should have seen how Rachel was Chloe’s angel, not this idiocy that the plot became.

All things aside? Max and Chloe’s story is ended. Whether you tossed Chloe into the metaphorical volcano to save Arcadia Bay or chose to let things happen and accept you can’t save everyone, you can’t effectively create a sequel without undoing everything of the first game. Seriously, you need to use Time Travel to undo the entire week, possibly up to the start of September, and maybe even all the way to March when Rachel died. Why not just move on with all new characters and a new setting? And Sean and Daniel’s story is one worth seeing.

Now, I have to admit when I first heard things about LiS 2, I groused over the fact we had an 18-year-old guy as the protagonist. As a woman, I kind of prefer playing female characters. We don’t get a lot of them. Often when we do, the character is generic and either a round peg put in a square hole (Mass Effect) or the story is so bare-bones that it doesn’t matter what gender or race you are (Elder Scrolls). Even after having played what I have with LiS 2? I still feel that Sean could easily have been Shawna and it could have worked equally well - only it’s a Hispanic teenage girl protecting her younger brother even against snide white trailer trash who upgraded to a real house. And yes, we need more minority protagonists... but there are a lot of Hispanic girls out there who likely would have loved to be the heroine of a tale.

Despite my desire for more strong female protagonists... I love Sean. I love how he is protective of his kid brother. There is a true sibling bond there and their dynamic reminds me of my cousins, and maybe even how I was with my older brother when I was younger. (Being a young brat transcends gender. We girls can be as bratty as boys.) Further, I love the dynamic between him and Lyla, and I can understand why @lylapark is so in love with the character. Even though we only see her for the first part of LiS 2, between those interactions and the texts between the two after Sean’s world turns upside down... you sense these two are also family - but the family one chooses rather than being born with.

That is the thing about Life is Strange 2. It is a story about family. The original Life is Strange was a coming-of-age story of a young woman realizing she isn’t straight (I mean, you can have her literally come out of the closet to protect Chloe from David) and seeking to do everything in her power to keep her best friend safe. It was a story of young love, and of learning who you are. It was a story about realizing you are strong - and one interesting thing is that Max never truly loses agency... even when tied down with David Madsen rushing to stop Mark Jefferson, it takes Max’s direct action of distracting Mark Jefferson in order for David to succeed. But that’s not what Sean’s story is about.

Sean is a teenage boy. He is just coming into adulthood. He has a loving relationship with his father, he loves his brother more than anything, and he realizes the world isn’t his friend. Bad things will happen and as a Hispanic teenage boy he has to be extra careful, as unfair as that is. What’s more, there is no free “rewind” to fix the story. He can’t afford to be reckless. But then, as I said already... Life is Strange 2 is a story about family. It is a story about a young man being tossed into the deep end and having to become an adult. It is about someone trying desperately to keep family safe.

So... if you loved Max and Chloe’s story... give Sean and Daniel’s story a shot. It is not the same type of story. It isn’t a love story, or a story of a young woman realizing she’s gay, or anything of the sort. Instead, it is a more personal story. Because family is important to most of us. And sometimes we don’t get along with our siblings or parents... but just as Lyla is as much family to Sean as Daniel and their dad, so too do we have friends who are family to us. So I think most of us can find something to relate to with this tale.

I’ve tried to avoid too many spoilers (for LiS 2 anyway) in this commentary. But even if you know all about the story... still, give it a try. Don’t think of it as a direct sequel, like the Two Towers following the Fellowship of the Ring. Instead, it is more akin to other sequels. Think of the Twilight Zone, where each episode is separate from the others but is linked by being Twilight Zone... or the early Nightmare on Elm Street in which different teenagers have to face down Freddy in the first couple of movies. Sometimes, sequels can just be set in the same world rather than follow a set cast of characters. And they can still be truly worth seeing even without a favorite cast to draw you back in.

[thornstocutyouwith]

Basics:

Character’s Name: Setirasuri

Character’s Nickname(s):  Seti, Suri, Little Prince, Brat

Name pronunciation: It’s not that hard to say.

Origin of name: I love the Egyptian god Set, so I looked up the closest Egyptian name to it, and combined it with Ra, I don’t know where the Suri came from. I think it’s just something I tacked on at the end because it sounded nice with the other two names, not that it is a name all on it’s own. lol

Age: 19

Ethnicity: Egyptian

Sex/Gender: Male

Sexual orientation: Primarily Bisexual(Male Preference) 

Hair color: A light brown, with a reddish brown tent (Another homage to the god Set~)

Eye color: Green

Height: No taller than 5′10″

Weight: 105

Scars: Several on his neck, his chest, his arms, his hands, his back, and his legs. 

Tattoos: None so far.

Birthmarks: A few here and there

Piercings: Several on his ears

Right/left handed/ambidextrous: Right handed

Glasses/contacts: Neither

Apparel:

Clothing preferences: Seti in his Main Verse will usually wear next to nothing, or thin, airy soft fabrics. In a verse set in Modern times he would wear all sorts of colors, t-shirts, hoodies, jeans, he would be adventurous.

Accessories: Seti likes to wear stuff, jewelry can pretty much be found on most of his body parts, in his main verse. In a modern verse he wouldn’t wear too much like he would in his main, he would wear all sorts of bracelets, necklaces and some rings though. They wouldn’t be as flashy as in main, more earthy or Hippie like.

Style: In his main verse he could be viewed as extremely flashy at time, mostly pointing out his princely, royal, status. Though he is more so treated like an object and a lot of things are also just given to him.  In a modern verse it’s all more down played, casual clothing.

Trinkets: Probably a few magical items he’s come across. Some of them look like normal jewels, and such. 

Favorite possession: A lot of the things he wears, the artifact, The ring Sean gave him.

Equipment: Seti carries around a bag that he has his trinkets in and extra jewelry. Some scrolls, some with spells, or just for reading. A lot of things with text. 

Grooming habits: Usually oils, which he massages himself with often. He bathes a lot as well, mostly for enjoyment, and not so much for grooming.

Family and Relationships:

Parents: Seti and his mother and father got along very well. Seti was more of a momma’s boy, though. 

Siblings: Seti has several siblings. Husani, the eldest, but not first born of his siblings, is the current pharaoh and treats Seti like a pet or personal object to do with as he pleases. Which causes a lot of tension between them. Despite Husani’s abusive tendency’s toward Seti, Seti still tries to care about his brother. Seti’s elder sister, Isis, is a lot nicer than Husani, but is still a very cunning and powerful woman. She took on parenting Seti after their mother died when he was still very young. Making Seti’s relationship with her a good and strong one.

Grandparents: N/A

Marital Status: Married to Sean

Significant Other: Sean O’Hare

Children: 4 [Julian, Phoebe, Pfieffer, Phoenix]

Pets: A ton of cats at the abandoned temple to keep him company, especially when Husani chains Seti there.

Friends: Seti has some friends here and there who help him when he travels to the kingdoms.

Enemies: He has a lot lol

Close relatives: Quite a lot

Non-close relatives: Unknown

Ancestors: Mekh, Narmar, Akhenaten, Seti I and Tutankhamen bloodlines

Religion:

The religion they follow (if any): Egyptian polytheistic

Beliefs: In Egyptian gods, ritualistic things. 

Superstitions: A lot.

Virtues: Unknown

Location:

Country of Birth: Egypt

Place of Birth (State, city, etc): Memphis, Ta-Mehu (Land of papyrus, Lower Egypt)

First Language: Egyptian(Coptic form)

Cultures: Unknown

Traditions: Unknown

Schooling:

Highest Education: Minimal

Degrees: None

Home-schooled/public school/private school: Home schooled

Favorite subject: Anything to do with reading

Favorite teacher: Science Teacher

Least favorite subject: Math

Least favorite teacher: Math Teacher

Average grade: B- 

Study habits: None

Special education: Unknown

Graduating year: Never

Work:

Occupation: Nothing

Salary: A lot of monies

Employment history: None

Work space: No where

Mode of Transportation: Walking

Total income: Lots of monies

Boss: Husani

Hours: Life

Experience: Life

Co-worker relationships: Threatening

Rank: Scapegoat

Work ethic: None

Home:

Rent or Own: I guess he own’s it, he’s made it his own ahah

House, apartment, etc: Apartment in the Palace, Home under the Temple

Mode of transportation: Walking

Living space: Quite spacious 

Address: In the middle of no where mostly, At the palace

Hometown: Memphis, Ancient Egypt, Lower Egypt

Inner Workings Of Your Character:

Secrets: He was framed for the murder of his father. He has been abused by several people, mainly his brother Husani. Husani’s wife has in the passed forced Seti to have sex with her, in order to make her husband happy when she ends up pregnant with a child, that thankfully have almost all have been Husani’s, the living ones anyway. Can be easily manipulated into having sex with someone when drunk. Has, in the past more so then presently, sold his body merely to spice things up in his sex life. Has also had sex forced on him, whether drunk or not. 

Fears: Being crowded, or put in traumatic situations

Worries: Things getting bloody, hurting someone, having a panic attack and losing control over his powers.

Eating Habits: Seti eats in a polite way, usually. Keeping his mouth shut, not trying to talk, if possible as he is chewing. But sometimes he will toy with his food a bit.

Food preferences: Seti prefers sweets and meats. But he is okay with veggies and fruits too. He’s not very picky.

Sleep preferences: Usually prefers to be as comfy and cozy as possible. Though he doesn’t like to feel suffocated, so if he’s sleeping with others it could be a little problematic.

Work preferences: He has none, he doesn’t work.

Book preferences: Anything stimulating for him in the fiction section is pretty good. 

Music preferences: Stuff that makes him feel independent or just speaks to him. Other than that he would probably have no other preferences.

Introverted/extroverted: Probably an ambrivert

Optimist/pessimist: He’s more on the optimistic side

Hobbies: Exploring, Table games, Dancing, 

Pet peeves: Being stuck in awkward situations. Giving up easily. Referring to any government agency as "the Fed". Characters that have just met each other in movies arrange dates without exchanging any contact or meet information. When you're invited to a party (or any event) with people you have never met, and the host doesn't introduce you to anyone. People who blame anything but themselves for THEIR failure.  

Skilled at: Lockpicking, Monster Handler, Cartography, Swords, Bow and Arrows/other ranged weapons, Fire Building, Riding, Hunting, Desert Survival, Deduction, Persuasion, Botany, Hiding, Parry, 

Unskilled at: Hand to Hand, Playing Brass Instruments, Tailoring, Survival Arctic,  Firearms, Aura Perception, 

Attitude: Positive

Obsessions: Snacks, Sleeping in, Sex, Partying, 

Stresses: Being in tight spaces, Blood, Being put into situations out of his control,

Addictions: Fruit, Sex, Staying up late, 

Handicaps (physical): None

Handicaps (emotional/psychological): Emotionally scarred due to his brothers actions, and recent events. 

Allergies: Unknown, so far.

Medical history: Suffers random bouts of sickness, due to weakened immune system and rough life conditions.

IQ: 104

Temperament: Phlegmatic

Perception and outlook on life: Positive, for the most part. 

Habits:

Verbal quirks: For the most part, Seti’s speech is clear and he will mostly speak English. Outside of that, sometimes he will carry an accent when in high stress situations. Or mix up words/ slip in some things from his native language. 

Physical quirks: Thrives in hot weather, hates cold weather, Has a noticeable scar from a weapon,  Plays with hair, Shifts from foot to foot, 

Sleeping habits: Wakes up after noon, 

Annoying/Irritating habits: Drinks alcohol excessively when around others,uses drugs recreationally,

Eating habits: Is strongly susceptible to “brain freeze”, 

Healthy habits: None

Unhealthy habits: Sometimes overeats, Sometimes sleeps too much

Objects Kept In - And Why:

Their closet: Technically he doesn’t have a closet, but wherever he keeps his clothes, they are all fairly well made, considering where he lives. And the time in which he lives in. Thin breathable fabrics that at the bare minimum would cover up from the hip to the knee. 

Their bedroom: Styled appropriately, with an abundance of pillows and blankets. 

Their purse/bag: Survival items.

Their fridge: No.

Their car: No.

Their desk: No.

Their pockets: Probably small little trinkets, rocks, pieces of jewelry.

Their junk drawer: No

Their glove compartment: No

Their backpack: No

Their locker: No

Their car trunk: No

Their wallet: No

Their suitcase: No

Favorites:

Favorite book: The Journey To The West

Favorite movie: I, Robot

Favorite hobby: Astronomy

Favorite animal: Cats/ Snapping Turtle

Favorite color:  Emerald Green

Favorite season: Doesn't matter, it’s perpetually too hot. Spring?

Favorite food:  Rice

Favorite drink: Wine

Favorite time of day: Noon

Least Favorite:

Least favorite book: Harry Potter

Least favorite movie: Black Panther

Least favorite hobby: Car Racing

Least favorite animal: Birds

Least favorite color: Grey

Least favorite season: Winter

Least favorite food: Passion Fruit

Least favorite drink: Water

Least favorite time of day: Morning

Other:

Talents:   Tanning (furrier), Play Percussion Instruments, Trade, Speak (language), Leadership, Herbalist, Closed Fist, Archery, 

Political preference: It’s not important.

Strengths: Curiosity, Judgment, Bravery, Perseverance, Fairness, Forgiveness, Self Regulation, Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence, Logical, Friendly, Open, 

Flaws: Blunt, Moody, Indifferent, Intolerant, Naive, Lazy, Strict, Bold, Fierce, Proud, Smartass, Unpredictable, 

Social class: Royalty

Blood type: AB

Posture: Bird like, elegant, sometimes hands on his sides, or at his sides. 

Speech impediments: None

Spending habits: I’m sure he has some.

[aidanchaser]

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Everyone Lives AU

Table of Contents beta’d by @ageofzero

Chapter Two Sirius’s Big Mistake

Harry generally liked Sirius’s flat. It was a Muggle flat, complete with electricity and pens. He also really liked spending time with Sirius.

Harry had known Sirius his entire life, and Harry could not imagine a better godfather. Sirius let him get away with pranks, helped him break small rules, and took him on motorcycle rides. Twice, Sirius had actually flown the motorbike for Harry, and neither of them ever breathed a word of it to Lily and James.

So Harry really didn't think he should be upset that he was spending his birthday with Sirius. But he was upset. He’d expected more for his thirteenth birthday.

He had known that Uncle Remus probably wouldn’t be well enough to celebrate his birthday. It had happened twice before. The first was on Harry's fifth birthday, when he was too young to understand why Remus was sick, and too young to really notice except in memory. Then, three years later, the full moon had fallen on Harry’s eighth birthday. That was the year he had wanted to spend his birthday helping his mother prepare Remus's potion. That was the year he'd even asked to try it, to see how it tasted, and Remus had told him he had more grace and kindness than Lily, which had meant a lot to Harry because his mother was the kindest person he knew.

This year again, Remus was ill, and his best friends were traveling, so Harry had resolved to be content to celebrate with just Sirius and his parents.

But instead, his parents left him on Sirius's doorstep with hasty goodbyes and urgent whispers Harry couldn't make out. He remembered at the end of the last school year when his parents had promised there would be no more secrets between them. Harry wanted to remind them of that promise, but they were gone too quickly, and he was left alone with Sirius. For the second year in a row, Harry was disappointed with his birthday.

“We'll have a good time,” Sirius promised. “Tell you what, we can stay up the rest of the night and marathon James Bond films, and tomorrow we can bake a real birthday cake, Muggle-style and everything, in an electric oven.”

Harry thought those things sounded fun, but he would have liked to have his parents with him.

Harry put his hastily packed trunk in the bedroom and settled down on the couch with Sirius. Though the movie was on, Harry's thoughts were elsewhere.

“Did something happen to Mr. Longbottom?” Harry asked, not at all interested watching Sean Connery flirt with Shirley Eaton.

“No, Frank's alright.”

“What about Neville?”

“Staying with his grandmother. Honestly, Harry, I can’t hear.”

But Harry did not want to watch the movie or eat popcorn. Sirius had seen the film anyway, so he kept pressing. “If Mum and Dad are with Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom, and you're watching me, what is Uncle Remus going to do?”

“Your Mum can still make his potion.”

“But won't he be alone?”

“He'll be fine. You're worrying too much.”

Harry did not think he was worrying too much. He thought he was right to be worried about his parents and Neville and Uncle Remus, and he really wished someone would tell him what was happening.

Sirius stopped answering his questions after that and only managed to stay awake through two movies. He was dead asleep by the climax of For Your Eyes Only, and even though Harry never had any interest to begin with, he was unable to fall asleep.

When the VHS tape finished rolling through the credits, and the screen turned to black and white static, and even that didn't wake Sirius, Harry decided he might as well entertain himself.

He was out of homework, and Sirius's flat was far too small to ride a broom in, so Harry took his favorite book from his trunk — a collection of notes and letters that had been compiled by someone in Sirius's family and hidden in Sirius's family home.

Sirius had given the book to Harry for his birthday last year, and Harry had learned a lot of exciting curses from it. One of them he had used to turn Draco Malfoy's nose green. Harry had gotten a face of boils in return, but it had been a satisfactory duel.

Besides the unusual spells, there were notes taken during the First Wizarding War, and a lot of letters. Whoever had compiled the book must have been through a lot of different people's things. Harry wondered what sort of person would steal old letters to put in a book and why, but the book had yielded no clues to either of those answers.

Based on the letters, and the few details he knew about Sirius’s past, Harry had put together a vague picture of Sirius's family.

The people he knew the most about were Regulus and Narcissa, who popped up frequently in the letters. They mentioned mothers and aunts, so Harry guessed they were cousins. They mentioned a girl named “Drommie” a few times, and Harry surmised she was someone's cousin, who left the family in a disgrace similar to Sirius.

Harry also knew Narcissa married someone named Lucius, who Harry guessed was Draco's father. Harry didn't like to think that Sirius was related to Draco Malfoy, but it seemed plausible.

Other than that, however, Harry had little idea of who the people in the letters were. And every time he pressed Sirius about it, he got vague, noncommittal answers.

By the light of the static from the television, Harry read through some of the old letters that were addressed to Sirius. All of them were from Regulus Black. Harry knew Sirius had run away at the age of sixteen and gone to live with James. Some of the letters from Regulus to Sirius were dated after that, which Harry found odd. Sirius had always said he had no contact with his family after leaving. Harry knew for a fact Sirius had only just gone back to his family home within the last eighteen months, even though his family had been dead for years.

The static turned off, the VHS player began to automatically rewind the tape, and the TV switched to basic channels. When he heard pleasant talk show hosts and laughter, Harry realized it had become morning.

He set down the the letters and decided to make himself breakfast and a cup of tea.

Breakfast at Sirius’s was usually toast or eggs and Harry didn’t feel comfortable using a Muggle stove without supervision, so he put some bread in the toaster. Even though he didn’t like the stove, Harry liked using the electric kettle. Mostly because it shut off all by itself and he thought that incredibly clever.

Fortified with toast and tea, Harry went back to the living room. He found Sirius awake, looking over the letters he’d left lying out. They were mostly letters from Regulus to Narcissa. Harry had started organizing the letters into Narcissa categories and Sirius categories. He’d been going over the Narcissa ones, trying to figure out who Drommie was.

“Where did you get these?” Sirius asked. His voice was low, and Harry had a feeling it wasn’t because he’d just woken up.

“They were in the book you gave me for my birthday last year.” Harry knew Sirius would avoid an answer, but he asked anyway, “Is Regulus your brother?”

“Regulus was… something.”

“Did he die?”

“We are dead to each other, I believe,” was Sirius’s answer. He had a small smile on the corner of his mouth, like he was trying to be funny. Harry didn’t think it was funny.

“He sounded like he cared about you. Even after you left.” Harry flipped through the book and pulled out one of the letters he’d found tucked in an extra pocket. The pocket had been sealed magically, but the Charm had worn down and Harry found the corner of the letter poking out of it. He and Hermione had worked it all the way open just before they’d left Hogwarts for the summer. He handed the letter to Sirius.

Harry didn’t know if Regulus Black was still alive, but the last letter he’d found from Regulus to anyone was this letter, dated 1979, a year before Harry had been born. The letter sounded like Regulus Black was recanting his belief in Lord Voldemort, and whatever drastic measures he was going to take to leave Voldemort would end in his death. As far as Harry could tell from the later letters, Regulus really had died. There were two separate mentions of his disappearance, shortly after that last letter. It made Harry wonder who put this book together.

“My brother,” Sirius began slowly, and Harry realized it was the first time Sirius had directly addressed Regulus as family, “was always very good with his words, but his actions did not always match. He had my mother’s flare for believable lies.”

“If he died fighting Voldemort, doesn’t that make him a hero?”

Sirius sighed heavily and folded the letter up. He tucked it into his robes and stood. “My brother didn’t die fighting Voldemort he —” Sirius broke off, gaze fixed on the television, so Harry looked to see what was so distracting.

The lady on the morning news said, “The public is warned that Black is armed and extremely dangerous. A special hotline has been set up, and any sighting of Black should be reported immediately.”

And they cut to a picture. It wasn’t a moving picture, like Harry was used to, but a still image, common in Muggle newspapers. Harry usually thought it odd that even on the television they used still pictures, but that thought didn’t occur him to this time. He was too preoccupied with the striking resemblance between the photograph of the man on the television and his godfather.

The escaped convict was thinner, with darker shadows under his eyes, and his long hair was matted. But Sirius and the criminal Black shared the same high cheekbones, striking nose, and dark, determined eyes.

“Is one of your family a Muggle convict then?” Harry asked.

But Sirius didn’t answer. He only said, in a low, gravelly voice, “I’m going to make some tea. Do you want any?”

Harry didn’t bring Sirius’s family up again.

It was Harry’s birthday, so Sirius borrowed a recipe from one of his neighbors — a nice Muggle woman, with three children, who reminded Harry of a younger Mrs. Weasley — and they baked a real Muggle cake, with all Muggle ingredients, in a Muggle oven and everything. As far as birthdays went, it wasn’t the most exciting thing Harry had ever had, but it was definitely fun.

He got letters from his parents that evening, telling him everything was fine, they were safe, the Longbottoms were safe, and they would see him in a few days and they would open all his birthday presents then.

—————————— ✶✶✶——————————

A few days was a lot longer than Harry anticipated.

The third day at Sirius’s, while Harry and Sirius were having lunch, Nymphadora Tonks arrived.

Harry didn’t know Tonks very well. She was older than him by several years, the same age as Charlie Weasley. She’d babysat him maybe twice when he was younger, on the rare occasion that neither Sirius nor Remus could cover for his parents. He liked the fact that her hair was never the same color for very long, and he liked the way she made weird faces when large family parties got boring. But other than that, Harry didn’t know much about her.

“Do you want something to eat?” Sirius asked as he led Tonks into the kitchen.

“I’m okay,” she said, but her voice didn’t sound okay. She sounded a bit strained. Harry didn’t miss the way her eyes flicked towards him and back at Sirius. He got the feeling she wanted him to leave, but Harry didn’t want to leave.

“Sirius,” Harry said, “I’m going to go review my History of Magic essay.”

If Sirius thought that sounded suspicious, he didn’t show it. “Sure. Let me know if you need any help with it.”

Harry didn’t think Sirius was very good at History of Magic, but maybe Sirius really hadn’t been listening to what Harry said.

Harry left the kitchen, but stayed just behind the door. It wasn’t the first time he’d decided to eavesdrop on conversations he wasn’t supposed to hear.

“My mother almost went into a panic yesterday,” Tonks said quietly. “She seems to think he might come after me.”

“Everyone thinks he’s going to come for them,” Sirius sighed heavily.

“I’m worried he’s going to come after you.”

“He won’t find me.”

Harry couldn’t imagine who they were talking about. Was it Voldemort? But Harry didn’t understand why that would be a concern now. Had something happened? He pressed his ear closer to the door.

“I know James and Lily obviously think you’re safe, because they trusted Harry with you, but honestly, all the stories Mum’s told me about her family.... I remember being terrified until I was eight of some crazy aunt named Bella that would come and snatch me away in the middle of the night. If blood meant anything to him —”

“Drommie’s always been rightfully paranoid of Bella.”

Harry’s heart raced. He knew Tonks and Sirius were cousins of some sort, but Sirius was also cousins of a sort with Molly Weasley. Sirius was related to everyone in some way. But if Tonks’s mother was Drommie, and Bella was Tonks’s aunt, that information could answer some of his questions about the letters.

“But Regulus,” Sirius continued, and Harry pressed as close to the kitchen door as he dared, “only cared about impressing Voldemort. That seems obvious, given his final actions. He’ll go after James or Lily to avenge Voldemort, or Frank and Alice to finish what he started. If you ask me, he knows he can’t take on all four of them, and he’s trying to gather some old friends together.”

“I’ve been reading all the Auror reports,” Tonks said, and her voice was anxious. “No one’s seen him. No undercover agents, no turned Death Eaters, no one. If that was his plan, we would have picked up something.”

“They’ll catch him soon, and you won’t have to worry about it.”

“But I’m worried because we’ve heard nothing. Maybe he’s not looking for support, but hunting for you or me or my mum or — or even Harry.”

“Nymphadora —”

“Sirius Black.”

Harry heard the chairs scraping the linoleum flooring and quickly sat down on the couch. He grabbed the nearest piece of paper — a letter from Bellatrix to Narcissa he’d read a few months ago — and pretended to be very interested in it.

But truthfully, he was trying to fit together what he’d just heard about Regulus. What final actions was Sirius talking about? As far as Harry knew, Regulus’s last action had been in defiance of the Dark Lord. And why the Longbottoms? He wondered how to get information out of Sirius, but Sirius had gotten so good at avoiding questions about Regulus lately.

Normally, when the grown-ups were keeping secrets from Harry, he could get Sirius to let some information slip. But because the secrets were about Sirius’s family, Sirius had been surprisingly tight-lipped. And his parents weren’t offering any clues.

Sirius and Tonks came out of the kitchen. He walked her to the door.

“Bye Harry,” Tonks said with a cheerful smile. “Good luck with your essay.”

“Thanks,” Harry said, trying to match her smile.

“Oh, and Remus says happy birthday. He’s sorry he missed it.”

“You saw Remus?” Sirius raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, popped over there just after breakfast today. Thought I’d surprise him and congratulate him on the new job.” Harry thought her cheeks looked a little pink. “Anyway, I probably should’ve owled first. He didn’t look like he was feeling too well.”

“New job?” Sirius asked, and Harry was glad that Sirius was just as bewildered as he was.

“He was nice about it though. Let me talk about my mum and everything. Told me I should probably talk to you, and asked me to wish Harry a happy birthday. He said he’d get you two presents at Christmas to make up for missing your birthday.”

Harry thought that kind, but unnecessary. “Thanks. I’ll have to write him a letter.” And Harry thought that Remus might be the best person to ask his questions to. If he phrased them just right, Remus might give him the answers he was looking for.

—————————— ✶✶✶——————————

Dear Remus,

I hope you’re doing better. Tonks said you didn’t look too good, but was that just because she doesn’t know how bad the full moon gets? Or is it worse than usual?

Sirius said you wouldn’t be alone, so I hope Mum was able to make your potion alright, and Dad was able to be with you. Do Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom know about it? That would make it easier, I think.

Thanks for the birthday wishes! You really don’t need to get me two presents at Christmastime. If you really want to get me a birthday present, you should just come visit me and Sirius. It’s been just us which was fun for maybe two days. I miss you and Mum and Dad. Coming to visit will be enough of a birthday present.

And do you know anything about Sirius’s family? Or what’s happening to Neville’s family? Sirius, Mum, and Dad won’t tell me anything, even though they promised me last year we wouldn’t have anymore secrets.

Please come visit soon.

Love,

Harry

—————————— ✶✶✶——————————

Dear Harry,

I appreciate your concern, but nothing unusual happened. Your mother made the potion, and your father stayed with me. Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom are perfectly fine. I think The Ministry is being unusually cautious because they’ve never had something like this happen before.

Sirius never bothers to read the Daily Prophet, so I’m sorry you’ve been out of the loop. I don’t know why your parents are keeping some things from you, but I’ve included the article from the Daily Prophet. I hope this answers some of your questions.

I will try to visit soon.

Love,

Remus

—————————— ✶✶✶——————————

BLACK STILL AT LARGE

Regulus Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today.

“We are doing all we can to recapture Black,” said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, “and we beg the magical community to remain calm.”

Fudge has been criticized by some of the members of the international federation for Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis.

“Well, really, I had to, don’t you know,” said an irritable Fudge. “Black is mad. He’s a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister’s assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black’s true identity to anyone. And let’s face it--who’d believe him if he did?”

While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. It is well-known that Black was an active supporter of You-Know-Who, and a member of You-Know-Who’s inner circle. The Ministry intends to catch Black before he can build enough support to restart the war.

—————————— ✶✶✶——————————

Dear Harry,

Your mother and I are so sorry this is taking so long. We thought the Ministry would have taken care of everything by now, but it’s taking much longer than they expected.

We are both fine, and so are Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom. They’re as anxious about being separated from Neville as we are about being separated from you. But I trust you’re safe with Sirius, and I trust you two aren’t driving each other crazy.

I know you’re probably upset with us, and we completely understand. We deserve it. We promise we’ll explain everything when we see you.

We included your birthday presents. Hopefully it makes being stuck in Sirius’s a little easier.

Love,

Mum and Dad

—————————— ✶✶✶——————————

Three more days went by. Harry was getting very anxious at Sirius’s flat. His parents had sent him three galleons and Gilderoy Lockhart’s new book — Who Am I? — which would have been funny if he wasn’t so irritated with them. And, finally, their third present, was a New Edition of Exploding Snap (with FlashBangsTM), which was fun for about two hours.

Usually, Sirius took Harry out on all sorts of Muggle adventures, but they hadn’t left the flat once this week. Harry couldn’t understand it. All Sirius wanted to do was stay inside, play games, watch movies — Harry needed to get out. He needed to fly his broom or go into a shop or anything other than sitting inside the flat.

He also wanted to know more about Regulus and Sirius’s family, but Sirius was not forthcoming with answers. He was getting tired of Sirius’s evasiveness, and Sirius was getting tired of Harry’s questions. It was not a good end to the week.

Uncle Remus arrived on sixth evening of Harry’s stay with Sirius, and it was like a breath of fresh air. Harry didn’t think he could be happier to see anyone, except maybe his parents.

Remus looked good for four days after the full moon. He had color and a comfortable smile. Harry was glad to see it, because even though Remus had assured him everything was fine, he’d learned that Remus often said things were fine when they weren’t.

Harry gave Remus a big hug when he walked in the door.

“Happy belated birthday,” Remus said with a smile.

Harry got out the last piece of the cake he and Sirius had made and the three of them finished it off.

“It’s a little stale,” Harry said, “but it was good when we made it.”

“Harry’s a good cook,” Sirius said.

“I just wish I was better in Potions.”

“I think we can safely blame Snape for your lack of ability in Potions.”

Harry wasn’t so sure.

“Don’t worry about it,” Remus said with a small smile, as he took a bite of his cake. “I was never very good at Potions when I was in school.”

“Remus,” Sirius started slowly, “Tonks said you have a new job?”

Remus cleared his throat. “Yes. That’s… part of why I came over. I wanted to tell you in person. I thought Nymphadora might have a bit more discretion about that.”

“What’s the job?” Harry knew that Remus struggled to hold down jobs, or even to get one at all. He knew it had something to do with a bit of anti-werewolf legislation passed this year, but ever since then, Remus had been barely supporting himself with odd jobs, and James and Lily were taking care of the rest.

“Well,” Remus said with a small smile, “I’m going to be your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.”

“That’s incredible!” Harry said excitedly.

Sirius did not look quite so excited. “Congratulations,” he said.

“I know it means I won’t be around often,” Remus said, “but Lily and James still have the cottage in Hogsmeade.”

“I think it’ll be great,” Harry said. “I won’t have to write to you for help with my essays anymore. And you’ll be at least as good a teacher as Mum, if not better.”

“I don’t know about better.” Remus set the half finished cake down on the table. “I’m not exactly Order of Merlin First Class or anything.”

“Yes, but you’re not my mum,” Harry laughed.

Sirius still looked unhappy. Harry couldn’t really understand why. It should be great news that Remus had a real, steady job. It was something Remus had wanted for a long time.

Harry wasn’t sure what else to do, so he took the dishes off the table and to the sink. He opened the refrigerator. “Sirius, I think you’re out of milk for tea,” Harry said.

“Used the last of it yesterday. I can go to the store when… when your parents get back.”

“I’ll go for you,” Remus said. “I assume you’re not leaving because of —”

Sirius hastily cleared his throat. “That’s nice of you to offer, Remus. Let me get you some Muggle money. There’s a shop on the corner.”

Harry was not stupid. Sirius was hiding something. He’d been hiding something all week. His parents were hiding something from him, too, and Remus knew what all of it was.

They were gone long enough that Harry knew they’d discussed something important, but he hadn’t a clue what it was. He only glared sourly at Sirius as Sirius led Remus to the door.

“Can’t I go with Remus?” Harry asked.

“No,” Remus said. “Not this time.” Remus paused on the threshold and added, “Sirius, tell him.”

Sirius looked as pouty as Harry for a moment, then finally grumbled, “Fine.”

Remus nodded and closed the door behind him.

“Tell me what?” Harry tried not to sound too eager.

Sirius sat down on the couch and motioned for Harry to do the same. “Harry, I… You know I don’t like talking about my family. And I know you’re very interested in them because I gave you that ridiculous book, but believe me when I tell you there isn’t anything interesting about them.”

Harry really didn’t agree, but he said nothing. He had no desire to irritate Sirius when he was so close to answers.

“You know that Regulus Black was my brother. You told me that you thought he died, but he didn’t. He’s been in Azkaban these last twelve years. And a week ago, he escaped. He was very close to Voldemort, and a lot of people are afraid he will try to take revenge on them. Your parents and Neville’s parents are at the top of the list. The Ministry is very concerned he will come after them, and so they’re together both to keep each other safe, and so the Ministry can keep an eye on them. It should also, hopefully, stop him from coming after you or Neville, if you two are hidden, and your parents are out in the open.”

Even though he’d read the article in the Daily Prophet, Harry still felt like this Regulus Black didn’t quite match the one who’d written all those letters to Sirius. “Why would he come after me and Neville? We would have been babies when he went to Azkaban.”

“Harry… Death Eaters are awful people. They only want to hurt others. And if anything were to happen to you or to Neville, it would hurt your parents very much.”

Harry reached for the notebook he’d left lying on the end table beside the couch. “And you’re hiding from him too?”

“There’s a lot of bad blood between Regulus and I. He might come looking for me, but the likelihood that he would look in a Muggle town is very slim. And then Tonks’s mother is my cousin, which makes her Regulus’s cousin. Andromeda left the family in as much disgrace as I did, so she is a little worried Regulus might come after her or her daughter.”

Andromeda, or as she was known in the letters, Drommie. Harry flipped through some of the letters. “So, you and Regulus are brothers. Andromeda is your cousin. Are Narcissa and Bellatrix your cousins too?”

Sirius looked as if Harry was trying to yank his teeth out, rather than just asking questions about his family relations. “Yes. Bellatrix is the oldest, and she went to Azkaban with Regulus. Narcissa is the youngest, and your friend Draco’s mother.”

Harry felt a little proud that he’d correctly figured that last part out. How many people in the wizarding world named Lucius could there be, anyway? “And you’re sure that Regulus deserved to be in Azkaban?” Harry pressed.

Sirius frowned. “He did a lot of awful things, Harry. I told you not to believe whatever letters he’d written in that book.”

Harry did not see what reason Regulus would have to lie in these letters. “He seems so honest. Maybe there was some sort of misunderstanding. Do you know what it is he did, to take down You-Know-Who?”

“I don’t think he did anything,” Sirius sighed. “I think you’re too invested in that book.”

“You have to admit it doesn’t make sense.” Harry pulled out the letter he’d show Sirius a week ago. “Why would he write a letter to Narcissa about going to die? He wanted out.”

“But he didn’t leave. He stayed, for another two years after he wrote that letter. The things my brother did during the war —” Sirius voice seemed to trip over those words, and Harry realized it was the second time Sirius called Regulus his brother.

Sirius took the letter and the book from Harry. “I think I ought to take this book back. It’s too much for you.”

Harry quickly got to his feet. “Hey! You gave it to me. There’s nothing wrong with it.”

“You can’t trust anyone in this book,” Sirius said sharply. “I gave it to you because there were spells in here, not so you could sympathize with Death Eaters!” His voice was close to shouting.

It was not the first time Harry and Sirius had fought. Sirius had often played a joke on Harry that went too far, and Harry had returned the favor with the help of a few garden snakes over the last few years. But they had never fought like this, over something so serious to the both of them.

It wasn’t that Harry knew Regulus, but he did know Sirius. He knew how much Sirius’s family had hurt him. He knew that even though Sirius pretended not to care, there were parts of Sirius that truly longed for his family. And when he’d read those letters from Regulus, he saw an opportunity to bring them back together. He thought those letters would make Sirius happy. He had not expected this fight.

“I’m not sympathizing with Death Eaters, I just think you might be able to save your brother! Tonks said herself he’s not looking for Death Eaters. Maybe he’s just scared. Maybe he just wants to do the right thing! He didn’t break any friends out of prison. You don’t know what he wants.”

“I think I know my brother better than you do!”

“How? You won’t even read the letters he wrote to you!”

“I read them when he sent them, and I do not need to read them again.” And without warning, Sirius grabbed his wand from the coffee table and set the book on fire.

“Stop it!” Harry grabbed for Sirius’s wand, but as much as he’d grown this last year, he was not nearly tall enough. “Sirius, stop!” They tumbled into the couch and by the time Harry got his hand on Sirius’s wand and ended the spell, the book was nothing but a pile of ash.

Harry didn’t even know what he was doing. He was angry. He was hurt. It wasn’t fair. He stormed into the guest room, threw the books he’d gotten out into his trunk, and left Sirius’s flat.