#my never ending feelings about sirius black and the myriad of ways he deserved better

[thestralsofspinnersend]

Death, and Other Origin Stories

Chapter 28: A Potion for Joy

He didn’t remember falling into the dark and quiet of sleep, but suddenly his three mates were cheering loudly as the clock struck midnight above the mantle, yanking him from the deep pool of a sickly unconsciousness, his mouth tasting like saw dust and stale tea. Another blanket had been tucked haphazardly around him.

Bleary eyed, he sat up with baffled incredulity to see a half-dressed James slinging an uncoordinated arm around Peter and wetly kissing his ruddy face. Remus was just wiping his mouth from where he’d been drooling on the arm of the sofa when James was suddenly grabbing him.

“What the—” was all Remus managed in his exhausted stupor before James screamed “ Happy New Year ” at full volume and pressed his spiced mouth onto his, Sirius wolf whistling loudly. His shirt was unbuttoned and his face was flushed and his smile was big and bright. He smelled of cinnamon, vanilla and star anise. Like his skin might taste of it.

“I am not drunk enough to let you snog me, Potter!” Sirius shouted in warning, pointing the empty bottle of rum at James with one wavering hand and reaching for a cushion with the other.

“ What —” Remus repeated, dazed and confused in his exhaustion, wiping his mouth of the lingering bitterness of the spirit, realising just how sloshed his friends had gotten during his unintended nap.

Grumpy and tired and annoyed, he was suddenly feeling both isolated in his sobriety and somehow betrayed by their drunkenness.

“It’s New Years!” James was yelling in justification, launching himself at Sirius. In his inebriated foolishness, he miscalculated the distance and the force with which he lept and the two of them tumbled off the winged back chair with a loud thud and near hysterical laughter.

“C’mon, Lupin,” Peter was saying with a lopsided smile, swaying where he stood, his hand outstretched. Remus whinged and grimaced as Peter pulled too hard in helping him up, his hip aching something awful.

Sirius managed to worm his way out from under James and stumbled in an inelegant attempt to run to the stairs, James in hot pursuit, socks slipping comically on the wooden floor, shouting the benefits of platonic kissing.

Slowly, with aching bones, Remus shuffled his way to the stairs, listening to James yell dire threats of intimacy to the cackling admonishments of Sirius.

Remus toppled into bed with a graceless exhaustion, pulling his duvet tightly around his chilled body. Another wrestling match had commenced and James could be heard making exaggerated smooching sounds over the wheezing, cataplectic laughter of both Sirius and Peter.

And Remus, much against his will, felt an endeared smile break through his maudlin irritation as Sirius finally admitted defeat. James had whooped in victory before grabbing Sirius’s grimacing face and performing, what could only be described as, the least desirous snog Remus could possibly imagine.

@houseofhebrideanblacks

[warmhappycat]

I cannot BELIEVE I missed that addition, uh, 7 years ago. Potter Cottage Children’s Home and the Alphard Youth Grant are now canon.

Imagine the advances to wizarding society if Sirius Black had lived…

After the war, Sirius would have had a huge inheritance from parents he wanted to spite and a lot of leisure time to find good uses for it. We could have had…

1. Fleamont House: A house - perhaps even a heavily renovated 12 Grimmauld Place - where Hogwarts students can stay over breaks if going “home” wouldn’t be good for them (i.e., students like Sirius, Harry, or Tom Riddle).

2. Rest for Regulus: A seemingly bottomless grant awarded to the Auror department with the goals of:

Researching a way to deactivate Inferi;

Applying this research to deactivate all Inferi in Voldemort’s cave;

Identifying the remains taken from the cave using the best of both wizarding and muggle technology; and

Returning the remains to their next of kin for proper burial, or, if no next of kin is available, interring them respectfully within the Ministry.

3. Justice for All: A lobbying organization dedicated to pressuring the Ministry to improve their legal system, most notably,

By requiring that all suspects be awarded a full and fair trial before being sent to Azkaban; and

By working to outlaw the use of dementors in any correctional facility, including Azkaban.

4. Gentle Jails: Working in close collaboration with Justice for All, Gentle Jails builds small, secure, and humane (in particular, dementor-free) holding facilities for suspects awaiting trial. Gentle Jails funds their construction projects with donations, thereby cutting through all financial excuses the Ministry has for only using Azkaban to house suspects.

And finally, his personal favorite, the first one to be founded, the most heavily funded, the one that gets the most of his personal time and attention…

5. The Moony Institute for Lycanthropic Studies: A multidisciplinary research and applications powerhouse dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by lycanthropy.

The research division includes:

Anthropologists who document the life experiences of werewolves both in and outside of packs;

Psychologists studying the mental impact of lycanthropy, and how to make it easier;

Historians working to prevent the erasure of werewolf accomplishments and contributions; and of course,

Medical scientists searching for better treatments, and ultimately, a cure.

The applied research and services division works in a tremendous and ever-expanding variety of ways, including:

A hotline number that can be called anonymously with any lycanthropy-related question or crisis;

A counseling program, based largely on the research of the anthropology division, aimed at helping newly-bitten werewolves find social support within their community rather than joining a pack;

A second counseling service available to packs to improve their standard of living and help integrate them into society to whatever degree they desire;

A third counseling service, which provides short- and long-term therapy to werewolves and their loved ones on a sliding payment scale, with many clients treated for free;

A library of all things related to lycanthropy, which is open to the public (anyone can view the materials in the building; getting a card to take things home requires a small fee);

Partnering with potioneers to provide Wolfsbane potion (and other treatments developed by the research division) on a sliding scale of payment - with many patients paying nothing;

The construction and management of a building full of secure but comfortable transformation rooms, available at no charge and without any ID. Any werewolf can request a safe place to spend the full moon, no questions asked, no money required. Rooms come equipped with sound-proof walls, soft furniture, a pool of drinkable water, a protein-rich meal, and things like sticks or toys to chew on and destroy if the mood strikes;

An awareness team that visits schools and other events to dispel myths about werewolves and discourage prejudice;

Employment services to help clients find werewolf-friendly jobs. In addition to helping with job searches, this division keeps track of their clients’ experiences with different companies to better inform future applicants;

Lobbying efforts to repeal hateful laws and pass new ones including laws to (1) give werewolves equal rights as non-werewolves, (2) criminalize anti-werewolf discrimination in employment, housing, and public access to services, (3) establish Safe Haven zones for parents to abandon their bitten children (proposed after the heartbreaking discovery of a high rate of post-bite infanticide; the Moony Institute itself was the first Safe Haven location tonbe announced), (4) require employers to offer medical leave for werewolves around the full moon, and (5) require hospitals be trained in lycanthropic medicine;

Lobbying efforts to end the shuffle of werewolves between the beast and being divisions of the Ministry, and instead classify them as human (this was the project Sirius was most passionate about); and

Project Pup, which pairs werewolves with a dog to keep them company and soothe them during full moons. Werewolves apply for Project Pup and have to pass a background check and psychological evaluation (to make sure the dog will be safe). Much like Guiding Eyes for the Blind, it is then the recipient’s responsibility to take care of the dog. When the dogs get too old to accompany the client on full moons, they can either return it to the Moony Institute to be adopted out, or they can keep it as a pet (which most do). Either way, they are automatically eligible for a replacement full moon companion. All dogs are pulled from “death row” at high-kill Muggle animal shelters (that part was Hermione’s idea). (This was Sirius’s first project, and it is probably the Moony Institute’s most acclaimed accomplishment.)

The Moony Institute became much larger than Sirius ever envisioned, and it had tremendous impact on the lives of people with lycanthropy all over the world. A surprising number of donors came forward to keep it afloat and non-profit (even the Black fortune couldn’t do it alone forever!). It created a lot of jobs, and preferentially hired werewolves to fill them. So much of the staff has lycanthropy, in fact, that many offices shut down altogether around the full moon! (Which is fine, because their clients are in poor shape at that time too.) It brought Sirius endless joy to put his bigoted family’s money to use improving the lives of “half-breeds,” especially because it was all inspired by his half-blood friend.

Finally, although he may never hear of it since it’s a Muggle charity, but if he ever found out about the Innocence Project, Sirius would be a regular and generous donor.

(Obviously these headcanons rest on the assumption that he experienced some personal growth, which I think is entirely possible if he had time to heal from Azkaban and got to spend more time with Harry and Remus.)

[hufflepuff-m]

SIRIUS LEFT HIM THE HOUSE

[August 4, 2017, 12:04 am]

[heyitssmiller]

Clandestine: Chapter Nine

Another cliffhanger? Me? Nah. 

All characters belong to @lumosinlove

@donttouchmycarrots is the best and I love her so much. She also inspired a lot of this chapter’s angst, so it’s not all my fault this time! <3

CW: violence, blood/injuries, guns/gun violence

Clandestine Masterlist

.

Sirius woke up alone. This in and of itself wasn’t unusual, until he remembered the events of the night before. Wandering hands, soft, needy sighs, and warm lips that kissed him and kissed him and kissed him. He rolled onto his stomach and smothered himself with his pillow to hide the smile that took over his entire face, heart beating giddily in his chest. That happened.

Holy shit.

But that begged the question: where was he?

Sirius stayed in bed for a few moments, thinking that maybe Remus was coming back, but then he got too impatient and crawled out of bed to go searching. If he was camped out in front of that laptop again this early… but no. He was standing in front of the stove, prodding at the contents of a frying pan. The smell of coffee reached Sirius and he smiled again as he entered the kitchen, making sure his footsteps were loud enough for Remus to hear - that way it wasn’t a surprise when he came to stand behind Remus and wrapped his arms around his waist, hooking his chin on his shoulder to watch what was happening on the stove. 

A general rule of dating a spy - don’t sneak up on them. It tends to end badly.

“Morning.” Sirius mumbled, turning his head to press a lingering kiss to a tendon in Remus’ neck and smiling against warm skin. Remus hummed, leaning back into Sirius’ chest and angling his neck to give him better access. That simple, innocuous motion stole Sirius’ breath. Remus didn’t trust easily - Sirius could understand why, given everything he’d been through. But there he was, relaxed against Sirius, eyes closed, completely trusting. Sirius wasn’t exactly sure what to do with something so precious, but damn he really didn’t want to screw this up. So he continued to place kiss after kiss to Remus’s skin, finding a ticklish spot right below his ear that made him laugh and squirm in Sirius’ arms before he shoved him away, a wide, happy smile on his face.

Had Sirius ever been this happy before? He doubted it.

“So what’s for breakfast, chef?” He asked, peering at the frying pan. Remus turned the stove off and grabbed plates from the cabinet by the fridge while Sirius grabbed silverware and napkins. It was incredibly domestic. Sirius couldn’t get enough of it.

“Scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee. Nothing gourmet, but it’s the best I can do.” He answered as he scooped eggs out of the frying pan and grabbed toast from the toaster, then handed the plate to Sirius. They took their plates to the tiny kitchen table, along with the coffee and creamer and jams before sitting down to eat.

It was… nice. Their relationship had changed a lot the night before, but it was easy - a seamless transition from friends to more. He’d always assumed there would be some awkwardness with a big change like that, but it felt normal. Remus still teased him for how he took his coffee, Sirius still kicked him for it. They went over their plans for the day and what they wanted to get done. The ease of it all made Sirius wonder just how long they’d been teetering over that precipice.

It also made him feel guilty, how happy he was when his brother was still trapped with the Snakes and Finn still missing. Remus seemed to recognize his shift in emotion and smiled sadly, reaching across the table to tangle their hands together.

“We’re going to figure something out.” He said quietly before taking a sip of coffee, not once letting go of Sirius’ hand but playing with his fingers absentmindedly. It made it a bit tricky to eat, but Sirius couldn’t say he minded one bit.

He hoped Remus was right.

***

“Update?” Talker asked as soon as Remus and Sirius entered the office, looking tired. He kept pace with them as they walked, eager for a response. He and Finn were pretty close, constantly cracking jokes and trading jabs and playing pranks. But then again, Finn was a very outgoing guy - he was pretty close with a lot of people.

Sure enough, as they rounded the corner they found a gathering of people outside Remus’ office, all friends. All worried.

And a stranger standing next to Kasey, watching them as they approached. Red hair, brown eyes, faint freckles.

Remus didn’t have to ask who he was.

He stuck his hand out for the agent to shake. “O’Hara.”

Alex shook his hand briefly, soulful eyes a myriad of warring emotions. “Please tell me what the hell is going on.”

Remus looked at him, then the rest of the people around his office. They all needed to know what was going on, but he felt like Alex deserved the chance to hear this on his own, without the prying eyes of a bunch of strangers.

Sirius seemed to know exactly what he needed. It was like a sixth sense. “Lions, to the conference room! I’ll tell you what we know.” He gave Remus a warm smile, one that he was helpless to return. Last night was… blinding, as strange as it sounded. Sirius was all he could see now - the bright, expressive eyes, full, addictive lips, and wow he needed to get off this train of thought quickly. He had important things to do today.

Sirius seemed to know exactly what was on his mind. His smile turned secretive and sly before he shot Remus a wink and led the way to the conference room, leaving only Alex. Remus looked at him, then jerked his head towards his office. Alex followed after him and instantly sat down in one of the extra chairs, eyes never leaving Remus. He looked tired, worried, desperate for answers.

Remus sighed, an ache in his chest. He couldn’t imagine what it must be like for him, dealing with his younger brother being kidnapped. If it was Jules, Remus would lose his mind. “Let’s just start at the beginning, ok?” And so he did. He went over the general premise of the mission, what they’d done so far, and what went wrong. Alex listened quietly, taking it in.

When they were finally caught up Alex leaned back in his chair, raking a hand through his hair - a motion that was so Finn that Remus had to hold his breath for a second before releasing it. “So do we have any leads? What’s the plan?”

“We’ve got three possible locations. We’re going to try to narrow it down and then send in the two operatives we’ve already got in Slytherin.”

“Finn’s partners.”

There was something about the way Alex said that. The wrinkle in his brow, eyes hard and unflinching. Unforgiving. Remus gave him a look, keeping his voice neutral. “It was a freak accident, O’Hara. Not their fault.”

He wasn’t brave enough to tell the agent how much of that fault rested on his own shoulders. He was basically in charge of this mission. He’d been the one in charge of planning, giving them the go-ahead, looking out for signs of danger. There were signs of the op going bad - he could see that now, in hindsight. But hindsight was always 20/20, wasn’t it?

And now he was sitting here, explaining to the brother of the agent he let get kidnapped that they didn’t really have a solid plan. They were still scattered and struggling to recollect themselves after that disaster of a mission. What exactly was he supposed to say?

Alex ignored his earlier attempt at placation. “You’re telling me that your plan is to send one agent and a rookie safe-cracker into Snakes headquarters and break my brother out? That’s all you’ve got?”

“The rest of us are already on their radar. If we sent in other agents-”

“Bullshit.” Alex growled, leaning forward dangerously. And really, Remus couldn’t fault him for any of this. Their bond ran deep, apparently. “You’re taking down the Snakes anyways, what’s wrong with pushing up the timeline a little? We don’t need to be covert anymore, we need to be dominant and aggressive.”

“That makes your brother collateral damage,” Remus reasoned. “We go in guns-blazing, the first thing they’ll do is make it a hostage situation.”

Alex sighed, his shoulders slumping and all the fight leaving him in a split-second, frustration rolling off him in waves. “Fuck.”

“We’ve got an ex-Snake on the team and a guy on the inside. Potentially,” he felt like he had to add, because he still wasn’t sure what to think of the younger Black brother. Sirius trusted him, sure, but was that enough?

One wrong move and they could lose three agents. This required precision and cunning, not hot-headed recklessness.

“We’re going to do our best to get him out of there.” Remus finally finished, trying to instill confidence with just the words. Alex just smiled sadly.

“Good media answer, right there.”

Remus’ phone buzzed twice in his pocket, signaling an incoming message. He fumbled with it for a second, then looked down at the screen. “Well, I might have a better answer in a few minutes. One of his partners says they’ve got news.”

Remus just hoped it was finally some good news.

***

Logan was still pacing - back and forth, back and forth. It wasn’t a stressed pace this time, exactly. His stride was longer, full of pent-up energy and restlessness. Leo was switching between watching him and reading the messages Regulus sent the night before to Loops and Sirius, who were both listening intently.

“So let me get this straight.” Remus said through the computer speakers. “Regulus said he’d turn off one of the cameras that overlooks a side door, sneak you two in, and then help you get both him and Finn out?” He and Sirius were sitting close together at the conference table, sneaking glances at each other when they thought no one was looking.

Leo smiled knowingly. Good for them.

“Yeah.” Logan said as he continued to pace. “Get in, get them, get out. Simple.”

“Well,” Leo said, stretching out the word and watching Logan’s eyes snap to him. Yeah, he wasn’t going to like this. “According to Reg, one of Riddle’s flash drives is there too - in a safe in his office. Logan can get Finn, and I can-”

“No.”

“Logan,” Leo sighed, giving him a look. “After we get Finn out, they’ll put that place on lockdown. We won’t get another shot at getting this drive and you know it. Plus Riddle’s not even there right now. It’s the perfect opportunity.”

“When did he even tell you that?” Logan asked, staring at him incredulously. “I don’t remember this at all.”

“That would be because I’ve been texting him this morning because I knew you’d react like this.” Leo rushed to finish his sentence and be heard over Logan’s loud dissent.

“React how? Logically?”

“Over-protectively.” Leo corrected, watching the aggravation return to his pacing again as he grumbled something under his breath. “If we get this drive, that only leaves the ones Lestrange and Riddle have on them. Reg said he could probably grab the one Bellatrix has - he can replace it with the fake I slipped into his pocket at the gala-”

“Nut, you can’t be serious.”

Leo glared at him. “It’s a perfectly solid plan.”

“And it’s dangerous!”

“Are you forgetting what our jobs are?” Leo asked with an incredulous laugh. “Everything we do is dangerous.”

“Leo.”

The blond looked to the laptop, where Sirius and Loops were looking back at him. “Back me up here.”

Remus glanced over at Sirius, then back to Leo. “It’s risky, but if you feel like you can do it-”

“I can.” Leo said, no room for argument. The kid who was nervously drumming his fingers against his thigh and staring off into space before his first mission was long gone, replaced by a calm, confident agent - who still drummed his fingers on a regular basis, but who was self-assured and comfortable with his role. Logan wasn’t exactly sure when that had happened, but he was proud nonetheless - even if he was still terrified.

“When’s Reg going for Lestrange’s drive?” Sirius asked, in a similar state as Logan. Worried, but knowing he was fighting a losing battle. This was happening whether they liked it or not.

“She puts it in the same spot every night before she goes to bed, so he’ll grab it right before we get there when she’s already asleep. If we go really early in the morning - like really early - everyone should be asleep, save for a few.”

“They’re cocky like that,” Sirius added, “No one’s ever been dumb enough to try to break in, so they won’t be as prepared for it.”

Leo frowned, not sure whether to take offense or not. “Thanks?”

“So how long do you think getting into the safe will take?” Remus asked, keeping all of them on track, as usual. The steadiness and predictability calmed Logan down, just a little.

Leo shrugged. “Don’t know, depends on what kind of safe it is. Reg doesn’t know.”

“So you’re going in blind.” Logan finished, anxiety churning in his gut. That calmness had lasted all of three seconds. He didn’t like this. There was so much that could go wrong; it was risky enough sneaking in to get Finn out of there, but adding this on top of it? What if one of them got caught? What if all of them got caught? What if Regulus wasn’t as trustworthy as Sirius claimed? What if they were just walking into another trap?

What if, what if, what if. There were too many variables to this, too much at risk.

He’d never really hated his job before. In the past he’d loved the suspense, the intrigue, the unpredictability. He’d grown up wanting a career that had action and adventure, just like the movies he and his sisters used to watch. Now all the things he used to love were the things that were stressing him out the most. But then, he’d never had partners before - definitely not partners he was halfway in love with.

He was starting to hate this job now.

Leo’s voice brought him back to the conversation. “Not really. It’s either going to be a digital safe or manual. I’d crack a digital safe the same way I cracked the ones at the banks, and manual safes are kind of like giant locks. I just feel for the sticking points and do the math.”

“There’s math?” Sirius asked, looking disgusted. Logan thought back to Finn saying the exact same words, all three of them squished together on the bed with a nature documentary playing in the background, warm and content and relaxed. No stress, no sense of impending disaster, no one missing.

He wanted that again, more than anything.

He felt like this wasn’t the way to do it, though. Which was ironic, seeing that he was the one who usually wanted to be reckless. That was his M.O. - the rough, hotheaded agent who wasn’t afraid to take some risks. He completely changed his tune when those risks endangered his partners.

He couldn’t lose them - either of them. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if...

But arguing against this rescue mission was like leading a horse to water - pointless. The only thing left to do was to prepare. So Logan tuned the conversation out and started planning for every possible outcome he could think of. He wasn’t going to be left just reacting, not this time. He was going into this with every last detail mapped out, every potential misstep accounted for, every contingency plan organized in his head.

He wasn’t going to let anything go wrong. He couldn’t.

***

The alarm Leo and Logan had set was essentially useless, seeing that it found the two of them already awake, going over the plan in their heads. Logan stretched his arm out to shut it off, then rolled over to look at Leo. Blue eyes were already staring back, alight with optimism- a stark contrast to how Logan was feeling. He just hoped tonight wasn’t the night he would be disappointed.

“We’re going to get him back.” The blond said, no sleepiness to his voice as he softly leaned in to kiss Logan sweetly, then more enthusiastically. Logan let himself get lost in it for a while, a heart-wrenching distraction, accepting kiss after excited kiss with a sigh against soft lips. He took the lead a second later, pushing Leo back into the mattress and pressing their chests together, getting as close as he could manage and relaxing into the warmth.

“And then we’ll all be together again.” He added after a while, trying to reassure both Leo and himself as he kissed a dimple and earned a smile, bright in the early-morning darkness. “And we can finally have that talk.”

Leo hummed happily and pulled him down for one last lingering kiss before shimmying his way out from under Logan and getting to his feet, hair an absolute mess from a night of tossing and turning and Logan’s hands. Logan felt strangely proud of himself for that.

“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go.” Leo chanted, dashing to his suitcase to grab clothes. His enthusiasm visibly shown in every action - brushing his teeth, pulling on his shoes, grabbing his tools. Logan soon found himself dressed and ready to go, turning his earpiece on and testing his mic. His gun was loaded and ready, a comforting weight at his hip. Leo’s voice echoed in his ear as he tested his mic, loud and clear. His tools were all packed up and smuggled away in his pockets, determination written across his face.

They were going to get him back.

Logan pulled up the directions to the address Regulus had sent them and they hurried to their car, blasting the heat as high as it would go to try and defrost the windows. The clock read 4:13 am as they pulled out of the hotel parking lot and headed down the street.

The drive was tense with anticipation and nerves and adrenaline. Leo’s leg never stopped bouncing from the passenger’s seat as he stared out the window, clearly lost in thought because it was still pitch black outside - he definitely wasn’t looking at anything. Logan kept his eyes on the road ahead and his thoughts on their mission, going over the details one last time as the navigation app instructed him to turn right.

The building they were infiltrating was on the very outskirts of Slytherin, somewhat secluded and run-of-the-mill. If Logan wasn’t sure this was the right place, he would never have guessed this to be a Snakes’ building. Which was probably exactly what they were going for.

Logan drove straight past the building, continuing down the road for a while until he figured they wouldn’t raise suspicion. He put the car in park, switched the headlights off, then turned to face his partner.

“You ready?”

The resulting grin was luminous. “You know it.”

Logan nodded, nerves gnawing away at his stomach, and got out of the car. He and Leo snuck around to the southeast side of the building where they found a door, the light above it flickering occasionally. Leo sent Logan a look, then rapped on the door with his knuckles twice.

A few seconds passed by, then the door opened silently. Regulus Black stared back at them, face as impassive as always. The two agents stepped inside without another word, watching as Regulus closed the door behind them and locked it before turning to face them again.

“I’ve got Bellatrix’s drive,” he said, so quietly that Leo and Logan had to lean in a little to hear him. “Snagged it about twenty minutes ago and replaced it with the fake. She’ll never know the difference.”

“Perfect.” Leo grabbed Logan’s forearm, eyes bright and intense. “You go get Finn, I’ll grab the drive. Meet you back at the rendezvous.”

Logan still didn’t like the idea. He didn’t like the thought of being separated. “Leo-”

“No one’s out this early, it’ll be the easiest grab of my life. I’ll be careful - I’ll be so careful, Tremz. You gotta trust me.” He pressed their foreheads together briefly and Logan allowed himself that one moment to close his eyes and press back, inhaling deeply. He still smelled like the hotel’s shampoo, clean and citrusy. After all this, Logan didn’t think he’d ever be able to forget the smell - or the memories that came with it. He couldn’t quite figure out if that was a bad thing or not. Because on the one hand, there was stress and kidnappings and hurt. But on the other hand, there was exciting, brand new kisses and falling asleep in his arms and the comfort of just being with him.

“Make it quick, ok?” he said finally, reluctantly leaning away and meeting blue eyes. Leo nodded, giving his hand a squeeze, and turned to set off down the hallway. Logan only allowed himself half a second to look after him - if he watched any longer, he just knew he’d start chasing after him, blindly following an angel and not caring where he was going. He’d probably follow him anywhere, if he could. He faced Regulus again instead, who was looking decidedly awkward. Logan just raised an eyebrow at him and motioned for him to lead the way.

His heart hammered louder and louder the more they walked, excitement and worry and adrenaline snowballing together and making his head spin. He could hear Leo’s quiet breathing through the coms, measured and steady and constant like the tide pushing and pulling against the shore. That, more than anything he tried to tell himself, calmed him down.

They reached a nondescript door and stopped in front of it. Logan glanced at Regulus, then back at the door. This was it. Finn was on the other side of that door. He was a paradoxical combination of excited and terrified of what he’d find on the other side of that door.

“I’m just going to wait out here,” Regulus said, moving so that his back was against the wall. “I’ve already witnessed you all soft and mushy tonight - I don’t think I can handle seeing it again. I’ll keep an eye out from here.”

Logan sent him a grin, incredibly pleased with himself and completely unashamed.

He took one last, deep breath and opened the door.

The sound of the door must have woken Finn, because the first thing Logan saw was the shifting of shoulder and back muscles as the redhead sat up with an annoyed grumble. “What the fuck is so important that you feel the need to wake me up this early?” He demanded, reaching up to further tousle his hair as he swiveled around to face the door. Their eyes locked and Finn froze, staring at him with his mouth agape and wide, wide brown eyes, one of which was blackened and swollen. There was blood at the corner of his mouth, dark and distracting. Logan’s breath left him in a rush, like he’d been the one punched in the face.

“Lo,” Finn whispered, that one syllable barely loud enough to reach Logan’s ears. He sat up straighter in an instant and continued to stare, as if he couldn’t quite believe his eyes. “Logan?”

That was all it took to spur Logan into action. He crossed the room in five quick paces and then he was on his knees in front of Finn, reaching for him hesitantly. Finn practically launched himself at him, arms around his neck and holding tight - almost bruisingly. Logan didn’t care. He’d gladly take the bruises if it meant having his partner in his arms again. It hadn’t even been that long since Logan had seen him, but it felt like an entire lifetime. He hugged Finn closer, probably holding him too tight, before leaning back and looking him over. Frantic hands passed over skin and clothing, feeling for injuries.

“You ok?” He asked, reaching up to tilt Finn’s face so that he could examine the black eye and split lip. Calloused fingers traced gingerly over constellations of freckles, marred by purples and greens and yellows. “God, Finn-”

Finn laughed a little, reaching up to still Logan’s hand and pressing it to his stubbled cheek instead. Logan could feel his smile against his palm and melted. “I’m ok. It looks worse than it actually is, I’m sure.”

You’re still gorgeous, Logan thought as he swiped a thumb across his cheek. He wanted to drown in the sight in front of him. Finn wasn’t great but he was ok and considering the circumstances, that was all Logan could really ask for. He was still livid, of course. And the ones who’d hurt Finn would get what was coming for them. That much he could guarantee.

“You shouldn’t be here.” Finn murmured, still leaning into Logan’s touch. Logan just shook his head firmly, eyes serious. How did Finn expect him to leave him behind? He clearly had no idea just how little they could function without him, the gaping hole he’d left in his absence.

Finn looked over Logan’s shoulder, then back to Logan with worried eyes. “Leo?” He asked and let Logan help him to his feet, favoring his left leg. Logan tightened his grip on his biceps and steadied him before answering.

“Currently? In Riddle’s office cracking a safe.”

Leo’s voice, calm and even, came through the coms. “Tell Finn I said hey.” Logan grinned.

“He says hey.”

Finn looked offended. He leaned closer to the mic Logan was wearing at the collar of his shirt, making the brunet still. The expression on his face - a comical combination of panic and turned-on - made Finn smile as he spoke. “You’re breaking me out of here after I was kidnapped and the only thing you can think of to say is hey?”

“Well, I was planning on saving the sentimental shit for when I actually see you.” Leo said distractedly from his spot on the floor in front of a truly ancient safe, rotating the dial slowly and feeling for the last remaining sticking point. “It’s good to hear your voice, though.”

He heard Logan relay the message to Finn, and then Finn’s resulting coo. Leo laughed under his breath at the sound right as the safe opened with a loud click, opening to reveal nothing inside but a blue and gray flash drive.

“I can’t believe this is the only thing he keeps in a safe like this.” Leo grumbled, reaching forward to make the switch-

Right as the office door opened.

Leo whirled around, slipping the real flash drive into his pocket as he faced whoever had walked in on him.

Unnatural yellow eyes stared back.

And a gun was pointed at his chest.

He could tell Riddle recognized him from the party by the curl of his lips that formed the beginnings of a smile. Cold dread washed over Leo at the bizarre sight. He wasn’t sure anyone had seen the leader of the Snakes smile before. If they did, they hadn’t lived to tell the tale. Leo’s heart raced as all he could do was stand there and stare. His gun sat heavily at his hip, but he knew reaching for it would only speed up the inevitable. He stayed still.

Leo’s partners were still talking over the coms, happy and ignorant of the situation going on right down the hall from them. As Leo stared down the barrel of a gun, he thought maybe it was for the best. Riddle wouldn’t react well to breaking Finn out of here, he knew that much. At least this would be a good distraction - if Riddle was focused on him, he wouldn’t be focused on his partners. Maybe they’d be able to get out of here before Riddle even realized the real reason Leo was in the building.

He’d rather die than give either of them up. He was a little scared at the honesty behind that statement… and the likelihood of it happening much sooner than he’d hoped.

Riddle adjusted his sights without saying a single word, finger against the trigger. Leo sucked in a harsh breath and braced himself.

Bang.

[warmhappycat]

Realizing Upsetting Things Forever - 12/29/2017

So uhhhh... all these “happy” everyone lives AUs imply that Sirius had to see Hagrid carry Harry’s body out of the forest.

[warmhappycat]

He's bending down like he's ready to catch a toddler. In some part of Sirius's mind, Harry's still the happy baby he used to visit in Godric's Hollow.

This is it. The gif that kills me. My favourite thing ever.

[warmhappycat]

Everything that Comes with That

Sirius spent the whole summer at the Potter's house before his 5th year. He hadn't officially run away from home yet, but he had started thinking of the Potter's house as his real home and Euphemia and Fleamont as his real parents. He shared James's bed and they spent every night curled up together. James chased away his friend's nightmares at home just like he did at school. While the boys were away at school that year, Euphemia and Fleamont quietly made some renovations to their house.

Plans were already in the works for Sirius to spend the next summer with them too when he ran away. He showed up a few days earlier than planned and told them what had happened. Euphemia pulled him into her arms and said she was glad he was there, and of course he could stay. "In fact," she said, "we have something to show you." James was beaming behind her.

The four of them climbed the stairs towards James's bedroom, and Sirius noticed a new door beside James's. Fleamont opened it, and Sirius saw that inside was a bed, a dresser, a bookcase, and a desk. A Gryffindor lion stood over the bed like a guard, and the bedspread had a picture of a motorbike on it. Sirius could hardly speak, looking back and forth between Mr. and Mrs. Potter. "Is this...?"

"It's yours," Fleamont finished. "We added on to the house so you could have your own bedroom here."

Sirius's face widened in surprise, not believing his ears. James, still beaming, threw an arm around his shoulders. "Go take a look, mate!" he said, before nudging Sirius through the door.

"Did you know about this!?"

"No, they showed it to me when I got home from school."

Sirius crept into the room like he was walking on holy ground. He ran his fingertips over the walls and pressed his hand into the mattress. He smiled at the motorbike on his bedding.

After a few minutes of exploration, Euphemia stepped forward and put her hands on his shoulders. "Now dear," she said earnestly, looking right in his eyes, "I know you like snuggling with James," Sirius blushed a little, James cocked his chin up with pride, "and that's fine. James seems to like it - yes, dear?" James nodded his confirmation, and Euphemia continued "and we think it's good for you. So I want you to know that you never have to sleep in here if you don't want to. You can stay with James just like last summer and nothing has to change. Even if you never spend one single night in here, we won't be upset or think it was a waste. This is something we wanted to do for you, as a symbol," Euphemia choked up, "that this is your home and we are your family. And you are entitled to everything that comes with that."

Sirius moved forward and hugged her, and she put her arms around him. Euphemia finished her speech. "You are not a guest or a charity case. You are our son and you live here." She rubbed his back and couldn't help but think he felt too thin. "We love you, darling," she said into his dark hair.

Lifting his chin onto her shoulder, he sniffled back, "I love you too... Mum." Joy exploded across Euphemia's face, and she squeezed her beloved child even closer. James wiggled near the doorframe; he was too excited and happy to stay still.

Fleamont approached the hugging pair and wrapped his arms around both of them. "I love you, son," he said quietly to Sirius, "I'm so glad you're home." James grinned even wider, until he couldn't take being left out any longer and joined the huddle, enclosing Sirius on every side with family.

Sirius tried to sleep in his new bedroom that first night, but nightmares of the fight that prompted him to leave 12 Grimmauld Place for good drove him into James's room in the middle of the night. After that, for a while, he went directly to James's bed. He spent time in his own bedroom during the day though, unpacking his things and decorating the walls with non-permanent sticking charms (he didn't feel the need to leave his things up as an eternal insult, like he had in his old bedroom in his old house). After a few weeks, when he was sleeping well, had fattened up to Euphemia's satisfaction, and wore a healthy color in his cheeks, he was able to sleep alone once in a while. He still needed lots of cuddles and comfort to keep the nightmares at bay, but once or twice a week he would sheepishly tell James he was going to try and sleep alone, and more often than not, he actually made it through the night. James learned his rhythm, and never whined or teased about where Sirius wanted to sleep. He hugged him goodnight in the hallway just as kindly and easily as he welcomed him into his bed with warm covers and open arms.

[warmhappycat]

Me, slamming pots and pans together:

📢Stop getting on Sirius Black for being cranky!📢

📢He has PTSD, you assholes!📢

📢You'd be cranky too!📢

[warmhappycat]

Happy birthday, Sirius Black!

As we’ve already covered, the timing of Sirius’s birthday is tragic, but now consider this: the Potters died 3 days before his birthday.  Three days.  If they were in hiding, anything they wanted must have been ordered well in advance, meaning, there were probably birthday decorations and presents for him already stashed in the Potter’s house when they died.  He probably walked right past them in a closet somewhere without even realizing it.  What’s more?  James was probably the first/only one who ever made birthdays special for Sirius.  There’s no way his parents would have made a fuss for him, but James would have gone wild to make Sirius’s birthdays special.  Sirius’s birthdays from 1971-1980 must have been incredible, and the rest must have been awful.

Detailed headcanon/short fic after the first break, author’s note after the second break.

Growing up, Sirius had awful birthdays. On good years, Orion and Walburga couldn’t be arsed to do anything for their son; on bad years, they introduced him to some new, horrible pureblood rite of passage. If he got presents, they were terrible things like an elf-head axe or a cursed family heirloom. Little Sirius learned quickly not to expect anything good on his birthday. 

Then he got to Hogwarts though, and on November 3rd, 1971, James Potter went HAM. Surrounded by his new, good friends, Sirius Black had the first happy birthday of his life. James made a big deal out of birthdays in general, and always orchestrated the celebrations for the other three Marauders, but he made Sirius’s birthday extra special. Remus and Peter had parents who loved them; they could look forward to letters and packages from home on their birthdays. James was all Sirius had, and he went all out making sure his friend - his brother - knew how loved and special he was. James threw Sirius the most incredible birthday bashes all through their Hogwarts years and beyond, for the rest of his life. 

In his third year, Mr. and Mrs. Potter starting sending gifts for Sirius.  They’d send a few things, but instead of packaging them in a box or bag they’d wrap each item separately.  They knew Sirius wouldn’t get any other packages, so they wanted to maximize how many things he got to unwrap.  James couldn’t help but poke fun on Sirius’s 13th birthday when he was dainty and gentle with the paper - Walburga Black would never have stood for ripping and tearing.  When James explained that it was ok to destroy the paper, Sirius’s face lit up and he dug into the packaging like a madman.  In his sixth year, the card was signed “Love, Mum and Dad Potter,” and Sirius cried.  From then on, until their deaths, Mum and Dad Potter sent a card and gifts for their second son’s birthday just like they did for their first.

Come 1980, and James wasn’t going to let a little thing like Voldemort stop him from celebrating his best friend’s birthday. It was a smaller gathering of friends than usual - only people that could be trusted to know the location of the Potter’s house - but it was still a banger. Sirius spent most of the night with a fire whiskey in one hand and a baby in the other; 3 month old Harry was dressed up like a present and had at least one bow on his face at all times. (Baby Neville was there too, and wherever Sirius’s stuff ended up when he went to prison, somewhere among it is a photo of him in a party hat, laughing, with two fidgeting infants on his lap.) After the party, Sirius fell asleep on the Potter’s couch and Harry fell asleep on Sirius (although the order of those events is unclear). 

When Sirius walked into the Potter’s house on October 31st, 1981, three days before his birthday, he was met with the sight of his best friend lying dead on the floor.  Numb, in shock, he somehow moved his legs towards the staircase that led to the upper level bedrooms and nursery.  He could hear Harry crying; that sound was the only thing that mattered anymore.  At the foot of the staircase was a coat closet.  He passed it without giving it any thought (not that he could make thoughts anymore) and dragged himself up the stairs to where another dear friend lay dead but his godson was alive.

Little did he know that that coat closet was full to the brim with presents, wrapped in Gryffindor red paper.  Everything James and Lily wanted from the outside world had to be arranged and ordered in advance; they had been working on Sirius’ birthday party for months to make it perfect in spite of everything.  Nor could Sirius have known about the brightly colored streamers, bigger and more embarrassing party hats than ever before, and enough fire whiskey to bring down an elephant.  Lily had mentioned pinatas on her birthday, all the way back in January, and the purebloods had never heard of them.  Sirius loved the idea though, and in late September, James ordered four.  A giant, paper-mache lion, eagle, badger, and snake were shoved awkwardly into the coat closet, ready to tumble out as soon as someone opened the door.  James was on a roll with Muggle birthday traditions, and also ordered poppers that burst open to reveal toys or candy, and a huge printout of the Gryffindor lion, sans tail, to play pin the tail on the lion (”Psht, with this much fire whiskey, you won’t even have to spin him around!” Lily had chided).  James’s last order was a handful of novelty dog biscuits with the words “Happy Birthday” or “Padfoot” printed on them, although those would have to wait until after the party guests had left.  Perhaps most beautiful thing in the closet was the banner, reading “Happy Birthday, Sirius!”, with letters made to look like constellations against a night sky.  Sirius’s birthday had always been James’s thing, but this year Lily helped too (she needed something to take her mind off her worries).  The banner was her idea; her excellent charm work made the stars really twinkle, and the dot over the first i in Sirius’s name was a perfect replica of the sirius star.  She also charmed 22 silver candles to look more like starlight than fire when lit, but she was much more satisfied with the banner.

Sirius never opened those presents.  Dust settled into the paper-mache animals and over the silly hats.  The straps on the hats frayed, and would have fallen apart if there were anyone there to touch them.  Some of the poppers’s springs went bad and they burst open unceremoniously, with no one around to collect the goodies they’d held.  The dog biscuits got hard with time.  The house was never repaired, and eventually a hard rain seeped into the closet, wilting the streamers and the pinatas.  The biscuits went from hard to mushy, dropped over the fire whiskey bottles, and congealed around them.  Most of the candies went bad, and some even grew mold.  The dye in Lily’s banner ran and smudged, covering over most of the stars.  

On November 3rd, 1981, Sirius Black found himself in Azkaban, and a baker near Godric’s Hollow got more and more irritated as he waited all day for someone who never came to pick up the elaborate cake he’d preordered.

(The pain you’ve just experienced was brought to you as a collaboration between @itisaboutbakinganewpie​ and me.  We’re sorry.)

[warmhappycat]

You know what my favorite detail in the whole Harry Potter series is?

My favorite?  From the whole series?

When Harry sticks his head through a fireplace for the first time and comments on how much it hurts his knees.

You know why this is my favorite?  Because it’s the first time it’s acknowledged how uncomfortable it is to make a fire call.  I thought wizard fireplaces were just different, or maybe they used some sort of magic to make your knees not hurt, or something, because until then, we had literally no indication that fire calls were physically uncomfortable.  

I thought for sure that Sirius “still mad about some 20 year old bullshit with Snape” Black would have given us some indication of it his knees hurt - a grimace, a grunt, a facial expression, a comment, anything.  But didn’t.  Ever.  Not one single time.  He was just so happy to talk to Harry; achy knees literally did not matter, and if he even noticed them, he didn’t bring it up.  He loved this kid so much and wanted to spend every possible second talking to him.

It’s just reason number 637482 that the love Sirius had for Harry was too pure for this world and we didn’t deserve it ok thank you bye.

[hufflepuff-m]

[Re: Sirius’ death]

I can't imagine a death that would out-do this one.  (And I know some of the ones that are coming.)

I just loved Sirius so much 😭

I just started book 6 and the bitch who killed him just killed a fox.  Like, a fox???  A beautiful orange playful cat-dog???  That was just minding his business???  Fuck you, Bellatrix.

[August 3, 2017, 11:17 pm]

[hufflepuff-m]

“OK I'm done”

[July 26, 2017, 3:29 am]

1. The permission slip made me awwww out loud.

2. Fuck Peter Pettigrew

3. I'm still kinda upset about Scabbers though!!!???  I had a soft spot for an old rat.

4. I really thought Buckbeak was dead for real.

5. I figured out early on that Sirius was an animagus, but I thought he was Crookshanks!  I figured that was how he got into the castle and that he was attacking Scabbers...just to be a dick, I guess?

5b.  Is Crookshanks seriously just a normal cat!!!?!???  I feel bad for not adoring him appropriately throughout.  I do take Ron's side on the whole "should you bring your pet cat around other someone's pet rat though?" -- no, Hermione, you shouldn't.  Don't be an asshole.

6. I started the book knowing Sirius was somehow secretly good (I'd heard), then about halfway through decided I must have heard wrong.

Oh I almost forgot

7. I thought for sure Hagrid sent a Buckbeak patronus, and Harry's confusion was over how someone who got expelled their third year could do it.

Ok I think that's everything

[hufflepuff-m]

Sirius no...

I was just thinking 2 seconds ago that when this is over Harry and Sirius could be a happy family

No...

I am miserable.

[August 3, 2017, 4:05 am]

[warmhappycat]

Imagine the advances to wizarding society if Sirius Black had lived...

After the war, Sirius would have had a huge inheritance from parents he wanted to spite and a lot of leisure time to find good uses for it. We could have had...

1. Fleamont House: A house - perhaps even a heavily renovated 12 Grimmauld Place - where Hogwarts students can stay over breaks if going “home” wouldn’t be good for them (i.e., students like Sirius, Harry, or Tom Riddle).

2. Rest for Regulus: A seemingly bottomless grant awarded to the Auror department with the goals of:

Researching a way to deactivate Inferi;

Applying this research to deactivate all Inferi in Voldemort’s cave;

Identifying the remains taken from the cave using the best of both wizarding and muggle technology; and

Returning the remains to their next of kin for proper burial, or, if no next of kin is available, interring them respectfully within the Ministry.

3. Justice for All: A lobbying organization dedicated to pressuring the Ministry to improve their legal system, most notably,

By requiring that all suspects be awarded a full and fair trial before being sent to Azkaban; and

By working to outlaw the use of dementors in any correctional facility, including Azkaban.

4. Gentle Jails: Working in close collaboration with Justice for All, Gentle Jails builds small, secure, and humane (in particular, dementor-free) holding facilities for suspects awaiting trial. Gentle Jails funds their construction projects with donations, thereby cutting through all financial excuses the Ministry has for only using Azkaban to house suspects.

And finally, his personal favorite, the first one to be founded, the most heavily funded, the one that gets the most of his personal time and attention...

5. The Moony Institute for Lycanthropic Studies: A multidisciplinary research and applications powerhouse dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by lycanthropy.

The research division includes:

Anthropologists who document the life experiences of werewolves both in and outside of packs;

Psychologists studying the mental impact of lycanthropy, and how to make it easier;

Historians working to prevent the erasure of werewolf accomplishments and contributions; and of course,

Medical scientists searching for better treatments, and ultimately, a cure.

The applied research and services division works in a tremendous and ever-expanding variety of ways, including:

A hotline number that can be called anonymously with any lycanthropy-related question or crisis;

A counseling program, based largely on the research of the anthropology division, aimed at helping newly-bitten werewolves find social support within their community rather than joining a pack;

A second counseling service available to packs to improve their standard of living and help integrate them into society to whatever degree they desire;

A third counseling service, which provides short- and long-term therapy to werewolves and their loved ones on a sliding payment scale, with many clients treated for free;

A library of all things related to lycanthropy, which is open to the public (anyone can view the materials in the building; getting a card to take things home requires a small fee);

Partnering with potioneers to provide Wolfsbane potion (and other treatments developed by the research division) on a sliding scale of payment - with many patients paying nothing;

The construction and management of a building full of secure but comfortable transformation rooms, available at no charge and without any ID. Any werewolf can request a safe place to spend the full moon, no questions asked, no money required. Rooms come equipped with sound-proof walls, soft furniture, a pool of drinkable water, a protein-rich meal, and things like sticks or toys to chew on and destroy if the mood strikes;

An awareness team that visits schools and other events to dispel myths about werewolves and discourage prejudice;

Employment services to help clients find werewolf-friendly jobs. In addition to helping with job searches, this division keeps track of their clients’ experiences with different companies to better inform future applicants;

Lobbying efforts to repeal hateful laws and pass new ones including laws to (1) give werewolves equal rights as non-werewolves, (2) criminalize anti-werewolf discrimination in employment, housing, and public access to services, (3) establish Safe Haven zones for parents to abandon their bitten children (proposed after the heartbreaking discovery of a high rate of post-bite infanticide; the Moony Institute itself was the first Safe Haven location tonbe announced), (4) require employers to offer medical leave for werewolves around the full moon, and (5) require hospitals be trained in lycanthropic medicine;

Lobbying efforts to end the shuffle of werewolves between the beast and being divisions of the Ministry, and instead classify them as human (this was the project Sirius was most passionate about); and

Project Pup, which pairs werewolves with a dog to keep them company and soothe them during full moons. Werewolves apply for Project Pup and have to pass a background check and psychological evaluation (to make sure the dog will be safe). Much like Guiding Eyes for the Blind, it is then the recipient’s responsibility to take care of the dog. When the dogs get too old to accompany the client on full moons, they can either return it to the Moony Institute to be adopted out, or they can keep it as a pet (which most do). Either way, they are automatically eligible for a replacement full moon companion. All dogs are pulled from “death row” at high-kill Muggle animal shelters (that part was Hermione’s idea). (This was Sirius’s first project, and it is probably the Moony Institute’s most acclaimed accomplishment.)

The Moony Institute became much larger than Sirius ever envisioned, and it had tremendous impact on the lives of people with lycanthropy all over the world. A surprising number of donors came forward to keep it afloat and non-profit (even the Black fortune couldn’t do it alone forever!). It created a lot of jobs, and preferentially hired werewolves to fill them. So much of the staff has lycanthropy, in fact, that many offices shut down altogether around the full moon! (Which is fine, because their clients are in poor shape at that time too.) It brought Sirius endless joy to put his bigoted family’s money to use improving the lives of “half-breeds,” especially because it was all inspired by his half-blood friend.

Finally, although he may never hear of it since it’s a Muggle charity, but if he ever found out about the Innocence Project, Sirius would be a regular and generous donor.

(Obviously these headcanons rest on the assumption that he experienced some personal growth, which I think is entirely possible if he had time to heal from Azkaban and got to spend more time with Harry and Remus.)

[warmhappycat]

My personal headcanon has always been that he left when he realized he couldn't save Regulus, but this is a good one too!!

Okay, so Draco Malfoy became a Death Eater at 16, right? And Regulus Black was probably also 16 when he became one. Now, one can strongly presume that 16 is the age you must have in order to join the Death Eaters.

And we know that Sirius ran away at 16.

What if what finally made him snap, was that his parents demanded that he became a Death Eater?

[warmhappycat]

The more I think about this theory the more I like it: Sirius left everything to Harry with the intention (and confidence) that Harry would do right by Remus. I hope he talked to Remus about it so he wouldn’t have to wonder about Sirius’s intentions, but it would be such a beautiful gesture.

First, it says very clearly that Harry was Sirius’s whole world. Divvying things up between Harry and Remus would say “you are the two most important people to me,” which is technically true, but I don’t think that’s how Sirius thought of them. If you were to ask most parents who the most important person is to them, they’ll say their kids. Kids come first and are on a level all their own. Spouses come in a distant second. Leaving it ALL to Harry says, “you’re my kid, and there is no one, not even Remus, that is even remotely as important to me as you are.”

Second, it’s one final way for Sirius to express his confidence in Harry. Sirius and Harry both know that Remus needs help, and by not doing it himself, Sirius is telling Harry that he trusts him and knows he will do the right thing. Just like Regulus expressed his confidence in Kreacher by saying “I plan to destroy it,” in first person, but that’s an entirely separate post.

Just... the love Sirius had for Harry was too pure for this world and we didn’t deserve it.

Am I the only one who’s peeved that James and Lily didn’t leave Remus any money after they died?

Like, I get that they wanted to leave a small fortune for their kid, but Harry is FINE. Remus Lupin’s eating once a day and living in a run down cottage. LET MY BOY EXIST! GIVE HIM A LITTLE STABILITY, FOR MERLIN’S SAKE!