Reading Time: 137 Minutes

Title: Do Not Go Gently (Into That Good Night)
Author: enigmaticblue
Fandom: Harry Potter
Genre: Drama, Family
Relationship(s): Gen, some Regulus Black/OFC and James/Lily
Content Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Word Count: 92,000
Summary: Arcturus Black is a man facing death—a slow, wasting death—and he will see his line secured if it’s the last thing he does, no matter what he has to do do in order to do it. And that includes wrangling his grandsons.
Artist: greeneyesblue

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Chapter 7

Arcturus doesn’t want to go into the Ministry, but he knows that it’s necessary. Regulus deserves to have him make the request for sanctuary in person, and he can’t afford to have people to know about his weakness.

About a week into the school year, Arcturus is having a good day, one where he’s feeling strong, and the cane is just a precaution. On that day, he dresses with care in a black suit, silver tie, and black robes lined with silver. He brings his most ornate cane, which is sturdy and hides a surprise or two to complete the look.

He floos to the Ministry, and he’s immediately greeted by an Auror that he’d gone to school with, a man who shared his pureblood politics. That doesn’t exactly make Arcturus feel better, since he’s well aware that the Ministry is rife with Death Eaters.

“Lord Black,” Myron Bragg says genially. “It’s been too long.”

“Indeed, it has,” Arcturus replies, accepting the outstretched hand. “It’s good to see you again. How is Sarah?”

“The missus is good.” Myron sounds cheerful. “What brings you to the Ministry?”

“I’m here to speak to someone about a formal sanctuary request I received from my grandson,” Arcturus says blandly. “Do you know where I should go?”

Myron blinks. “A sanctuary request? Is this one of Walburga’s boys?”

Arcturus narrows his eyes. “I didn’t realize that you were acquainted with my daughter-in-law.”

Myron flushes. “Let me just show you where to go.”

Arcturus wishes he’d brought someone to watch his back, and he curses himself for the oversight, and then he sees Rockhand entering the Ministry. “One moment,” Arcturus says, and watches as Rockhand submits to the checks and accepts a visitor’s badge. “It seems my account manager has arrived to ensure all is in order.”

“Lord Black,” Rockhand says. “I have another witness coming.”

Smart, Arcturus thinks, because it’s a high crime for a goblin to assault a wizard unless in defense of their own life.

He’s even more surprised to see the current head of the Longbottom house approaching. Arcturus knows that he has a son a few years older than Sirius, and he’s from one of the older pureblood families. Arcturus assumes that Rockhand had known that Longbottom would be willing to stand as a witness for some odd reason.

“I believe you two know each other,” Rockhand says, sounding smug.

“We do,” Longbottom says. “It’s been a while, Arcturus.”

“It has been, Daniel,” Arcturus replies. “How is Augusta?”

“Quite well,” he replies.

“And Frank, right?” Arcturus asks.

Longbottom smiles. “Doing well. He’s showing great promise as an Auror.”

Arcturus had forgotten that Longbottom’s son is an Auror. “You must be very proud.”

“I am,” he replies. “Rockhand tells me that you might need some assistance today.”

“My grandson has made a formal request for sanctuary, which I am honoring,” Arcturus replies.

“Your heir?”

“His younger brother,” Arcturus corrects.

Longbottom’s eyebrows go straight up. “I didn’t expect that.”

“I don’t ascribe to the theory that a younger son is less important than the heir to a great and noble house,” Arcturus replies. “After all, these are perilous times.”

“Truer words,” Longbottom agrees.

Myron is noticeably impatient with their small talk, but if he’s friends with Walburga, then Arcturus is no friend of his. “Shall we go?” Myron asks.

“Apologies,” Arcturus says with patent insincerity. “Mr. Longbottom and I haven’t seen each other in quite some time.”

“This way,” Myron replies, clearly disgruntled, which amuses both him and Longbottom.

There’s a small department within the DMLE devoted to the protection of children, and that’s where Myron leads them. The cheerful young woman behind the counter smiles at Arcturus. “What can I do for you today, sir?”

“My grandson has requested sanctuary,” Arcturus replies. “He’s at Hogwarts right now, but I’d like to have this taken care of by the time the summer holiday begins.”

Her bright smile dims slightly. “I see. Do you have proof?”

Arcturus had anticipated this, and so he hands over Regulus’ letter. The woman reads it, and her expression grows stern. “Very good, Lord Black. This should not take long at all. I’ll draw up the petition and send it to you for your signature. You’ll have it tomorrow.”

“I very much appreciate your assistance,” Arcturus replies. “Thank you.”

“Anything to help a child, Lord Black,” she says.

Myron leads them back to the atrium of the Ministry. “Good luck, Lord Black,” Myron says sourly. “Stay safe.”

He wonders if he’s imagining the unstated threat, and he resolves not to return to the Ministry if he can help it. The Death Eaters have made too deep of an inroad there, and he knows that he needs to stay alive as long as he can to ensure that Sirius can take over as Lord Black when he’s gone.

“Would you care to get lunch?” Longbottom asks.

Arcturus hesitates, but the Longbottoms are likely to be good allies for Sirius in the future. “I would be happy to,” he says.

Rockhand nods as he takes his leave of them. “Good. You’re in good hands, Lord Black.”

“Rockhand was quite insistent, you know,” Longbottom comments. “He said you needed someone to watch your back, that the Ministry would be dangerous for you. Based on what that arsehole just said, I think he was probably right. The question is why you didn’t bring backup to begin with.”

Arcturus sighs as they emerge into the fall sunlight. “Because my pride didn’t allow me to consider that I might be in danger, even though I should know better.”

He glances at Longbottom. “Perhaps we would be better off eating somewhere that isn’t in a public location.”

“I know just the spot,” Longbottom replies.

It turns out that the Longbottoms have a townhouse not far from the Ministry where he stays sometimes, and where Frank and his young wife have been living. Their house elf, Mitzy, brings them a lovely spread of finger foods as well as tea for a light lunch.

“I made Regulus promise not to join the Death Eaters,” Arcturus says once they have their tea and plates of food. “So, they might have something against me.”

“Depriving them of a loyal follower?” Longbottom asks. “They might. I know about both your grandsons. I believe Sirius will graduate this year, correct? And Regulus is a couple of years behind him?”

“And Frank is older than Sirius by a couple of years,” Arcturus says with a smile.

“Frank is an admirer of your grandson and his friends,” Longbottom replies. “He found their pranks very amusing.”

“He was also in Gryffindor,” Arcturus says. “Sirius mentioned Frank and Alice from time to time. I think Alice was close with Lily Evans.”

Longbottom is obviously surprised. “I had no idea you were this informed about your grandsons’ lives.”

“I’ve made myself informed,” Arcturus replies. He studies Longbottom, and then he says, “I’d like to trust you with something, but I haven’t made a habit of trusting anyone other than family, and yet I have discovered rot within my house.”

“Your grandsons were both mistreated,” Longbottom says. “It was an open secret in Gryffindor, at least with regard to Sirius.” He pauses. “The question is why you’ve chosen to be involved now, and I imagine that has something to do with your secret.”

Arcturus sighs. “I’m dying.”

Longbottom huffs. “Yes, well, that will cause a man to rethink his legacy. Why are you telling me?”

“Sirius is my heir, and he’ll need allies when the time comes,” Arcturus replies. “I have no idea how much time I have left.”

“I see,” Longbottom says. “From what I’ve heard about Sirius, I would be happy to do whatever I can for him. Do you know what he’s planning to do after Hogwarts?”

“I don’t,” Arcturus replies. “But neither does he.”

Longbottom nods. “I would be happy to meet with him. He’ll hold the Black seat in the Wizengamot. It’s essentially powerless now, I know, what with the current reign of terror, but I hope that won’t last forever.”

“I hope so, too,” Arcturus replies. “Whatever our political differences, no one should be killed simply because we disagree.”

Longbottom sighs. “It’s too bad that such reason has departed so many.”

“It’s why I tried to safeguard Regulus,” Arcturus replies. “He doesn’t need murder on his soul. No one does.”

“No,” Longbottom agrees. “No one does. Thank you for trusting me, Lord Black.”

“Call me Arcturus,” he invites. “Since we’re apparently going to be friends.”

Longbottom chuckles. “I’m guessing you don’t have many of those.”

Arcturus sighs. “No, I really don’t, but thank you.”

It’s possible that some part of himself that he’d closed off when his wife had died has now been blown wide open.

~~~~~

Regulus takes a drink from the tray that’s circulating through the room, carried by Hogwarts students who want to be part of the Slug Club but don’t have what Slughorn is looking for, or who aren’t important enough to warrant an invitation. As the newly minted Head Boy and Head Girl, James Potter and Lily Evans are also there, as is Sirius.

His brother is clearly working the room, speaking with everyone who’s shown up—everyone other than Regulus, and any Slytherins who give him the cold shoulder. Everyone else, though, Sirius talks to—and then Regulus notices that James and Lilly are doing the same thing.

What the bloody hell are you planning, brother? Regulus thinks.

As though he senses Regulus’ thoughts, Sirius glances over at him and winks.

Eventually, Sirius does make his way over to Regulus, snagging another butter beer on the way. “Brother.”

“Are you supposed to be talking to me?”

“Oh, I’ll say something insulting before we part so you can punch me in the arm, and we won’t part as friends,” Sirius replies jovially. “And then you can tell everyone that I’m a shit brother.”

Regulus rolls his eyes. “That would be hard to sell, because you’re not. But you are up to something.”

“Neutrality,” Sirius says. “We’re working on recruiting people for a third group. Not the Order, not the Death Eaters, but people who look out for each other.”

“Shouldn’t that be me?” Regulus asks.

Sirius smiles. “No, little brother. It should be us, because we’re going to keep the people like you safe—and neutral.”

Regulus blinks, realizing what Sirius is proposing. “A shadow Order?”

“One that Dumbledore needn’t know about,” Sirius replies. “For people like you, and Remus, and others who prefer to stay out of the fray.”

“Smart,” Regulus has to admit. The Slug Club is an excellent place to recruit neutral parties, and to have two of Dumbledore’s golden boys, men who are likely to join the Order of the Phoenix to fight Voldemort promising protection without demanding that they also join…

“Grandfather has taught me to think ahead, at least as much as a brash Gryffindor can,” Sirius teases. “Now, punch me in the arm. It will sell the bit.”

“I’m neutral,” Regulus reminds him. “And people would wonder if you didn’t try to recruit your own brother for the neutral option.”

“You always were the smart one,” Sirius replies. “And you make a good point. So, shall we part as friends?”

Regulus extends his hand. “As friends, then. We’ll show what’s possible.”

Sirius clasps his hand. “Tell Violet I said hello.”

“I will,” Regulus replies.

Sirius drifts away after that, and one of the other Slytherins comes over. Regulus knows that Thomas is unmarked, but sympathetic to the Death Eaters. “What were you doing, talking to that blood traitor?”

“He’s my brother,” Regulus replies. “Of course, he’s going to try and recruit me.”

“You parted as friends,” Thomas replies.

“We parted as brothers who are sharing our grandfather’s roof and tutelage, as Sirius is the heir and I’m the second choice,” Regulus replies. “But our grandfather is treating me as though I’m just as important as the heir.”

Thomas’ expression relaxes at that. “He might think you’re more likely to take over, since your brother is going to get himself killed. He’s no match for the Dark Lord.”

“Who is?” Regulus replies lightly. “There are ways to work for a common end that don’t involve taking the mark, you know. We can do what we need to do through other means.”

“Spoken like a weakling,” Thomas scoffs. “And not as a scion of an Ancient and Noble House.”

“And what if the Dark Lord loses?” Regulus counters. “He could, you know, and those of us who remain unmarked will be able to show ourselves in polite society.”

“You’re delusional,” Thomas says flatly. “Those who aren’t for us are against us, and we’ll remember this.”

Regulus smirks. “And I’ll remember your very friendly threats. Go away, Thomas. You have a small mind, and I have no idea why you’re even here.”

Thomas stalks off, and Lily says from behind him, “That was well handled.”

Regulus turns. “I didn’t think we talked.”

“That doesn’t mean we can’t talk,” Lily counters. “Can you tell me, is Severus marked?”

Regulus hesitates. “Yes. He is. I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t your choice,” Lily replies. “And it’s not your fault.”

But her smile is sad, and Regulus has heard Snape talk about her before, although as time has gone by, his tone has turned from admiring to contemptuous. He’s been particularly harsh since Lily started dating James Potter.

“You should watch your back around him, though,” Regulus warns her. “He hasn’t been particularly kind of late and he hates Potter.”

“I’m aware,” Lily says. “The last time we actually spoke, he called me a Mudblood, so I think I know where we stand.”

Regulus likes Lily, in spite of the unfortunate fact that she’s Muggle-born. She’s hard not to like, as smart and pretty as she is. He feels a little uncomfortable admitting that, even just to himself.

“Good luck this year, Regulus,” Lily says.

“You, too,” Regulus replies, knowing that she will be taking her NEWTs along with the rest of the seventh years. He’s due to take his OWLs, so it’s an important year for both him and Sirius.

Within the first month of school starting, Regulus can already see the differences. A number of the marked Death Eaters decided not to come back for their seventh year, and it seems as though fewer of those going into sixth year are actually marked.

And the ones who are marked seem more interested in hanging out with each other and ignoring everyone else than messing with those not marked.

When no one tries to curse him in the back, Regulus starts to think that something has drastically changed.

“Have you noticed the lack of hostility this year?” Regulus asks Violet when they’re alone in the library one day.

“Postponed, I think,” Violet muses. “They probably were instructed not to get themselves expelled this year to better spy on everyone.”

Regulus frowns. “Are there fewer of them than there were before?”

“I’m not sure,” Violet hedges, pushing her dark hair behind her ears. “Not all of those who were marked noised it about. Maybe some of those here want to keep it quiet so they can spy on us and others.”

Regulus is amused. “Are you paranoid?”

“No, I’m cautious,” Violet replies. “For every idiot Death Eater, there are at least a couple of smart ones.”

Regulus knows that’s true enough. “Better safe than sorry, I suppose.”

“You know as well as I do that we’d wind up dead if those assholes realize that we’re actively recruiting people away from You-Know-Who, even if it’s not for the light,” Violet replies in a hissing breath.

Regulus does know, which is why Sirius and James insist on being the face of the recruitment process. “We really should find a place to work on the practical aspects of our spells. They test both theory and practical on our OWLs,” she adds, changing the subject.

Regulus hesitates, thinking about the Room of Requirement, but it wouldn’t do to have too many people knowing about it, and they’ll likely invite Elias, Byron and Myra, as well as any other students who wish to practice—assuming they aren’t complete arseholes.

“We should talk to Professor Slughorn about using an empty classroom,” Regulus suggests. “There might be others studying for their OWLs who will want to join.”

Over the next few weeks, they gather a group of students, including a handful of Gryffindors and two other Slytherins. They’re all studying for their OWLs, and while there’s a spirit of friendly competition, they mostly all want to do well. Helping each other to improve their own skills is pure self-interest.

At least for some. For others, there’s a genuine spirit of camaraderie and wanting to help their fellow students.

It’s a pocket of calm in a sea of chaos. Maybe there are no more than 20 students at any given session, but at least they’re friendly to each other during their practice, and do no worse than ignore each outside of it.

Inside Hogwarts, Dumbledore’s promise of safety holds true, at least for them.

~~~~~

“Sirius, did you know about this?” Peter hisses as he reads the Daily Prophet. “It’s not front page news, but it’s on page three.”

The story is buried beneath various stories about Death Eater attacks, missing persons, and deaths, as well as some attacks on Muggles, some vandalism.

The Ministry has proven itself completely ineffective—but that had been part of the strategy, Sirius knows.

The inability of Ministry members to keep a secret, or maintain any sort of security, means that his brother’s sanctuary request has been leaked to the paper. Sirius knows Regulus and his grandfather assumed this would happen. The timing of the leak—right before the Christmas holiday—could not be better if the intention was to garner attention and cause their parents maximum embarrassment.

“I had some inkling,” Sirius admits in a low voice. “I was treating it as a private family matter, though.”

James and Lily had known, of course, but that’s because they’d been around after his dinner with Reg in London.

Peter subsides a bit at that, but he says, “He’s staining the family honor, though.”

Sirius frowns at him. “No, my parents did that when my mother used physical violence against him, and forbade Regulus from marrying Violet when the family patriarch had approved the match. My brother did the honorable thing, and the Ministry leaked it to the papers.”

“He could have just stayed with your grandfather without making it formal!” Peter protests.

Sirius has no idea where Peter is going with this. “And my parents could have insisted on a visit, or even that he stay with them over Christmas or the summer holidays. Regulus wanted the security.”

“You never did it,” Peter replies, his voice rising hotly.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Wormtail, okay?” Sirius demands. “Drop the subject.”

Sirius shoves his breakfast plate away, no longer hungry. “We have some time before the first class, and I wanted to look something up.”

He can hear James ask, “What the hell, Wormtail?””

Remus is the one to follow him, and he says, “James will get it out of him.”

“I don’t care,” Sirius replies stubbornly. “Why is it any of his business anyway?”

Remus blows out a breath. “Yeah, well, maybe you haven’t noticed, but Peter has been weirdly fixated on your relationship with your grandfather.”

“Okay, I had noticed,” Sirius admits. “But I thought that was just his ambition.”

“It is his ambition, but he also knows what kind of a benefactor your grandfather could be,” Remus says. “Or that the Black family could be.”

Sirius pulls Remus aside. “Does this have something to do with the charm?”

“It’s expensive,” Remus replies. “And you know that.”

Sirius shakes his head. “No offense, Moony, but you know that wasn’t about you. It was about getting on my good side and keeping me safe. You don’t owe him anything.”

“I know I don’t,” Remus replies. “And I know why your grandfather is making an effort now. My own grandfather died when I was ten.”

Sirius scrubs his hands over his face. “So, Peter?”

“Peter knows how much it costs, and he thinks that I’m getting a favor I didn’t deserve, and that he does, or at least he deserves the same opportunity,” Remus replies.

Sirius shakes his head. “He’s an animagus, and you’re a werewolf. My grandfather gave you control over your own body; he didn’t do you a favor, or help you get ahead.”

“I have the apprenticeship.”

“Through your own hard work,” Sirius argues. “Grandfather might have removed an impediment, but you wouldn’t have the opportunity if you hadn’t earned it.”

“Some would argue otherwise, and the fact remains that he did me a favor and has done nothing for Peter,” Remus replies.

“He’s hosted him two summers in a row,” Sirius argues. “He’s been kind.”

“I know,” Remus says. “But you have the Black family name, and the family fortune to fall back on, and you know how wizarding society is. The name and the money will get you further than raw talent or brains oftentimes.”

Sirius does know that, which is why he tries to avoid thinking about it, or flaunting it if he can. About the closest he’s come is to invite his friends to stay at Black Manor.

“Come on,” Remus adds. “You made up the excuse. We might as well fulfill it.”

They go to the library, and Sirius does get the book on Ancient Runes that he wants to take home with him over the Christmas holiday. The end of the school year might seem far away, and maybe he doesn’t need to do well on his NEWTs strictly speaking.

But he wants to; he wants to make their grandfather proud.

After their first class of the day, James pulls Sirius aside. “Peter has some strange ideas about what it meant for your brother to request sanctuary. I think he’s straightened out now.”

“He does realize that our grandfather is the actual head of our house?” Sirius asks. “And that I’ll be the head of house when he’s gone?”

James claps him on the shoulder. “He does now. Don’t worry about it, Pads. He had some odd idea that this would harm you and Regulus somehow, but I convinced him otherwise.”

There’s something about the whole thing that doesn’t sit right with Sirius, but he pushes it aside. If Peter wants to be weird about the Black family business, that’s on him. There’s only one more term left, then their NEWTs. Peter will probably go to some low-level job at the Ministry, whereas he and James are planning on joining the Order. They have the luxury of not needing to get a job, and being able to help the war effort.

With Remus getting an apprenticeship, Sirius doubts that they’ll be seeing much of each other after they’re finished with school.

Most of the time Sirius tries not to think about that fact, but there are times when the knowledge hits him, and this is one of those times.

He feels a little cool towards Peter after all that, though, and he knows that probably shows. He spends more time with James and Remus, and more time studying and at Quidditch practice. Sirius doesn’t mind any of that, though. They plan on winning the house cup for Gryffindor this year, and so far they’re on their way, having won their first match against Slytherin.

While Sirius and Regulus might be friendly off the pitch, they’re just as competitive during the games, and Reg is an excellent Seeker. It just turns out that James is slightly better.

Which Sirius ribs Regulus about over their first dinner back with their grandfather over the Christmas break.

Regulus glares at him. “Slytherin is going to take the house cup next year, you know. Potter won’t be around, and there aren’t any Seekers in the other years who are nearly as good.”

“You’re probably right about that,” Sirius replies cheerfully. “But that doesn’t mean we won’t get the cup this year.”

“Boys,” Arcturus says, sounding rather amused. “Sirius, it’s not nice to bait your brother.”

Sirius shrugs unrepentantly. “Doesn’t make it any less true.”

“A sore winner is no more attractive than a sore loser, Sirius,” his grandfather says. “And he’s your brother. Keep your taunts for the Quidditch pitch.”

Sirius nods. “Yes, Grandfather.”

He lets that go, and he knows that he’s going to need to speak with his grandfather about what had happened with Peter, and what he should expect.

“Good,” Arcturus says. “Black Manor is supposed to be a safe zone for everyone who comes here, and that includes the two of you, and it means you need to be safe from each other, too.”

Sirius feels the sting of rebuke, and he has to acknowledge that his grandfather has a point. “Sorry, Reg.”

Regulus nods stiffly. “It’s already forgiven, brother.”

Sirius realizes that he’s made a serious misstep. “I am sorry. Grandfather is right. Hogwarts houses have no place here, and I was wrong to bring that rivalry up now.”

Regulus’ expression softens completely. “Thank you.”

After dinner, Regulus declares that he’s tired and ready for bed, but Sirius says, “I’d like to speak with you.”

Arcturus gives him a long look. “Does this have anything to do with the fact that you were baiting your brother over dinner?”

“Maybe,” Sirius admits. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Let’s retire to the study, then,” Arcturus says. “And you can explain it to me.”

Sirius feels a little bit of reluctance, following his grandfather into the study, knowing that he’s disappointed him. “I’m really sorry,” he says as they sit down.

Cordy brings him a butter beer and his grandfather a fire whiskey.

“What are you sorry for, my boy?” Arcturus asks him.

“I’m sorry for making Regulus think this wasn’t a safe place for him,” Sirius says immediately, because he understands his grandfather’s earlier warning. Black Manor is supposed to be a safe place. He’d undermined that for his brother, and he hates that. “I should never have—“

“Stop.” Arcturus’ voice rings out authoritatively. “You were teasing your brother. That’s something that brothers do. You didn’t hurt him, and you apologized for any harm you may have caused. But that’s not why you did it.”

Sirius manages a smile. “Also, I really wanted to give him a hard time.”

Arcturus smiles in return. “Of course. You wouldn’t have been human if you hadn’t.” He clears his throat. “Now, tell me what’s going on.”

Slowly, Sirius explains what has happened with Peter, and the strange reaction to Regulus’ request for sanctuary leaking.

“What bothers you about it?” Arcturus asks. “And really think about it before you answer.”

Sirius takes another sip of his butter beer. “You gave Remus that charm, but he decided to take the apprenticeship. He knows you did that to protect me, and he’s grateful, but he doesn’t want to be beholden.”

“It’s one of the reasons I was willing to do that for him,” Arcturus replies. “It wasn’t just about you.”

Sirius nods. “Peter resents the favor he thinks you did for Remus, and he wants you to do something for him, too. He’s looking at me like he can get that out of me. He never used to do that.”

“He knew you as someone who may end up disowned, who couldn’t offer him anything,” Arcturus counters. “He probably fawned after James.”

Sirius is reevaluating the last few years of his life. “Yeah. He did.”

“What made you realize that?” Arcturus asks. “Because you need to be able to recognize this, my boy. Pettigrew might be the first to trigger that response, but he won’t be the last.”

Sirius really thinks about it. “It was Remus. He got an apprenticeship, and he was happy about that. He’s not joining the Order.”

“And the reason for that?”

Sirius shakes her head. “I’m not sure, but I think it has something to do with the charm.”

“He would either have to leave it behind and transform if Dumbledore sends him to the packs, or he would have to disclose why he didn’t transform,” Arcturus replies. “I doubt they’d follow him if he didn’t spend at least one full moon with them.”

The reality hits Sirius hard. “His parents told him not to tell anyone about the charm. He can’t join the Order.”

“No, he can’t,” Arcturus agrees. “Especially since Dumbledore won’t think about utilizing him in some other way. What about Peter?”

The amorphous feelings coalesce into a bone-deep realization. “He’s more interested in what he can get, rather than what he can give, in any given relationship.”

“Good,” Arcturus says approvingly. “I’m glad you recognized that on your own, without me having to point it out.”

Sirius scrubs his hands over his face. “What do I do?”

“You keep your distance,” Arcturus replies. “But I imagine you’ve started doing that already.”

“I have been,” Sirius admits. “I’m sorry. I just—they were my brothers.”

Arcturus sighs. “I do not want you to become paranoid, Sirius, but understand that anyone can change, and even turn on you. It doesn’t matter if they’re family by blood or not.”

Sirius shakes his head. “James never would.”

Arcturus visibly hesitates. “No, James is capable of standing on his own two feed, and Remus has the desire to do so. Peter has shown himself incapable of both.”

“Merlin’s pants,” Sirius breaths out. He hates this. He hates doubting his friends, but he knows the current atmosphere just feeds into it. Who can anyone trust these days?

“That’s why it’s so important that you both feel safe here,” Arcturus adds. “I’m glad you understand that.”

“I do,” Sirius replies. And now he’s going to have to spend time avoiding Peter.

But maybe it’s worth it.

~~~~~

Arcturus is glad that whatever upset Sirius caused by teasing Regulus passes quickly. His sincere apology smooths over most of the ruffled feathers, and time does the rest. This year, Arcturus gives Sirius the keys to an apartment in London that should be his by right of being heir. He doesn’t want to show any favoritism, so he offers Regulus the same. There’s a place in Paris that the Black family holds.

“I don’t understand,” Regulus says.

“When you leave Hogwarts, it will be harder for them to reach you if you’re not in the country,” Arcturus replies. “I can arrange for both you and Violet to obtain your masteries in whatever subject you would like.”

“You want us out of the country,” Regulus says bluntly.

“I want you out of danger,” Arcturus replies. “And I’m sure your brother would like the same.”

“I do,” Sirius replies. “You have a few more years at Hogwarts, but I would love you to be safe after that.”

Regulus stares at the key in his hand, and then he glances at Arcturus. “Thank you.”

“There’s no need for you to put yourself in danger,” Arcturus adds. “And the violence hasn’t really spilled out over the Continent yet.”

Regulus turns the key over, and stares at it for a long moment. “I should start brushing up on my French, then. Perhaps I’ll seek my mastery there.”

“What were you thinking?” Sirius asks. “Charms? Potions? Something else?”

“I don’t know yet,” Regulus admits. “I’ll have to think it over.”

“I think that’s wise,” Arcturus replies. “Once you’ve made up your mind, I’ll contact the right people.”

He’s glad that Regulus is thinking about the future and making plans. If he can just keep Regulus safely at a distance after he gets out of Hogwarts, he’ll have that much more peace of mind.

Maybe that’s an overabundance of caution, but if he’s beyond the reach of the Death Eaters, he’ll be safer. There’s no chance that he could convince Sirius to do the same thing, so he’ll be grateful that one of his grandsons is willing to take himself off the playing field.

Regulus chuckles. “You’re just saying that because you know that Sirius is too much of a Gryffindor to run away.”

“I trust that your brother will be as cautious as he can be,” Arcturus replies. “And that you will do everything to safeguard the Black line.”

Regulus smile broadens. “I think he’s suggesting that you’re a total Gryffindor, brother.”

“Well, he’s not wrong,” Sirius readily admits. “If I weren’t, I’d probably be heading to America to do a mastery in something, or ask for hit wizard training with the ICW.”

“That is not staying out of trouble,” Arcturus says, feeling unwillingly amused.

“But hit wizards are notoriously hard to kill,” Sirius points out with a cheeky grin. “That would be safeguarding the Black line.”

Hit wizard training takes months, if not years, and if Arcturus thought he could get away with it, he would send Sirius for training in a heartbeat. Sirius would be safer there anyway.

“If I sent you there, would you go?” Arcturus asks.

There’s a moment of hesitation on Sirius’ part. “If it weren’t for James, I might, but he’ll stay. So will Lily.”

Arcturus sees his opening. “I understand, Sirius, but if there ever comes a point where they need sanctuary, Black Manor will be that for them, for your sake.”

Sirius’ smile is bright. “Thank you, Grandfather.”

After the boys go back to Hogwarts, Arcturus hosts Rockhand again. The goblin gives him a look over his cup of tea. “Your boys are keeping our seers very active, you know.”

Arcturus takes a sip of his own tea. “They’re very active boys.”

“The seers believe that Regulus is safe enough, although there are circumstances where that could certainly change,” Rockhand says. “Your heir’s future is a little more uncertain, though.”

Arcturus sighs. “I’m not surprised.”

“They aren’t sure why his future is so murky, but it has to do with a child, and the possibility of ending the current war,” Rockhand replies. “You will need to be very careful.”

Arcturus nods. “Of course. We will do what we can. Thank you for the update.”

He exchanges letters with the boys through the rest of the school year, pleased when Sirius and Regulus both win their Quidditch matches—except for the one they play against each other. All through second term, Slytherin and Gryffindor are neck-and-neck in their battle for the house cup, the outcome hinging on the final house points at the end of the year.

Gryffindor wins, but only by twenty points, and Arcturus enjoys the vying viewpoints in their letters.

After their end of year examinations, the boys return to the manor. Arcturus has lined up the same tutors again. Sirius and the rest of his friends are all waiting on the results of their NEWTs before moving on to the next phase of their lives.

Sirius plans on moving to the London flat and joining the Order once his results come back, with both James and Remus living with him. The flat is a good size, and Arcturus certainly doesn’t mind his friends deciding to stay with him. He’s just glad that Sirius has carried through with his decision to distance himself from Pettigrew.

Although Sirius returns to Black Manor without any of his friends, Regulus brings Violet and the rest of his.

Sirius is civil, but he’s also clearly focused on other matters. He shows up to all of his dueling lessons, and practices in between. He brews potions in the potions lab in the basement of Black Manor. He reads various tomes on wards and defenses, anything he can find in the Black family library.

Sirius questions him carefully about the wards around Black Manor, and how they were constructed and when.

“Is Sirius acting strangely?” Regulus asks him on a rare night when the two of them were alone, after his friends had gone home, and when Sirius had taken an early night.

“He’s acting like a man gearing up for war,” Arcturus says heavily. “I suppose that’s strange enough, given that he’s not even shaving regularly yet.”

Regulus appears troubled. “Do you think I’m wrong for not wanting to go to war?”

“You know I don’t,” Arcturus replies. “No one should be forced to participate in a war they don’t believe in.”

Regulus hesitates. “What if I do believe in it?”

“Regulus—“

“I think Voldemort is doing irreparable damage to pureblood politics,” Regulus says forthrightly. “No one is going to take us seriously, assuming he loses, and I don’t want to live in a world where he wins, and is allowed to continue to murder innocents.”

Arcturus forces himself to take Regulus’ words seriously, and not respond in a knee-jerk fashion. “Then perhaps instead of Potions, you should consider a mastery in law, where you can protect pureblood values and everyone else alike.”

Regulus relaxes at that. “Perhaps I will, Grandfather.”

Arcturus isn’t looking forward to Sirius getting his NEWT results, because that will just mean that whatever is left of his childhood is over.

But when his NEWT results do arrive, Arcturus couldn’t be prouder. Sirius opens the letter that arrives over breakfast, swallowing as he reads the results, and then he hands it to Arcturus.

Arcturus scans it quickly and feels the smile forming on his face. “Sirius, my boy, congratulations. O’s in every subject but charms, and an E in that one. You could do just about anything with these results.”

“They’ll be just as good in a few years when we’ve defeated Voldemort,” Sirius replies with a pleased smile. “And then I can do anything I’d like.”

Arcturus is relieved to hear that Sirius has plans for the future. It means that he doesn’t plan to throw his life away. “What do you think you’d like to do?”

Sirius shrugs. “I don’t know. Not the Ministry, or the Aurors. But I want to do something that matters.”

“You’ll find your way,” Arcturus says confidently.

“There’s always your ward work, brother,” Regulus says. “Your ancient runes and arithmancy skills are top notch.”

Sirius shoots him a look. “I spoke to the others, and they agreed to let you inherit the map.”

Arcturus frowns. “What map is this?”

“You should show him,” Regulus insists. “Wait until you see it, Grandfather.”

Sirius hesitates. “The others helped a lot.”

“It’s still brilliant,” Regulus insists.

“I’ll be right back,” Sirius replies. “I need to give it to you anyway.”

Arcturus waits until Sirius is out of earshot before asking, “What is this, Regulus?”

“It’s a project that Sirius and his friends worked on to help Remus,” Regulus explains. “Snape had been following them around, trying to get them into trouble, and they needed a way to make sure the coast was clear. I found out about it when Sirius used it to make sure that we weren’t going to be caught meeting together.”

“It was a joint project,” Sirius says as he comes back into the room. “James and Remus especially helped, but I will admit that it probably helped us do really well on our OWLs. If Hogwarts really wanted students to do well, they’d encourage independent projects like this one.”

Arcturus watches with interest as Sirius unfolds a piece of parchment, and then he taps it with his wand and says, “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”

A map of Hogwarts begins to bleed out onto the paper, complete with little markers that show the locations of the professors who had apparently remained at the castle for the summer. As Arcturus watches, the names move around the map, and Arcturus can’t resist the urge to touch.

There are no raised lines, nothing that would give anything away just by touching, It’s an incredible piece of magic, especially considering how old the creators had been at the time.

“How do you safeguard it?” Arcturus asks.

Sirius grins and taps the map again with his wand. “Mischief managed.”

The map clears.

“And what happens if someone tries to use it who doesn’t use the code phrase?” Arcturus asks.

Sirius shrugs. “Try it.”

Arcturus pulls out his own wand and taps the map. “Revelio.”

Ink seems to swirl, and words form. Mssrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot & Prongs cordially invite you to bugger right off.

Arcturus can’t help but bark a laugh at the cheek. “Oh, Sirius. This is a stroke of genius!”

Sirius blushes brightly. “You really think so?”

“I know so,” Arcturus replies.

“Come on, brother, you have no need for false modesty,” Regulus cajoles.

Sirius takes a deep breath. “It was just a lark, really, and an attempt to keep Remus safe. Something we didn’t need as much after Remus had the charm. Although we still used the map, since Remus’ parents didn’t want Dumbledore to know about the charm.”

Arcturus taps the map with one finger. “This sort of work is remarkable, Sirius. You could easily set up your own research group, or join the Department of Mysteries.”

Sirius’ smile is pleased and shy. “It’s all something to think about.” He takes the map and passed it to Regulus. “Try not to lose it. I hate to let it go, but—you’ll have need of it more than we will.”

“I’ll keep it safe,” Regulus promises. “And I’ll give it back to you once we’ve graduated.”

“Thanks,” Sirius replies. “I hope you get as much use out of it as we did.”

Regulus tucks the map into his robe reverently. “Thank you.”

Arcturus isn’t sure that Sirius will tell him, but he asks, “Where do the nicknames come from?”

Sirius coughs. “Ah, well. I could probably get in trouble if you knew.”

“Family business remains family business,” Arcturus says firmly. “If you’re willing to tell me, your brother and I will hold your secret as dear as our own.”

Sirius hesitates. “I’m Padfoot. Remus is Moony, probably for obvious reasons. James is Prongs, and Peter is Wormtail.” He stands up. “We found our animagus forms so we could keep Remus company during the full moon. It wasn’t necessary in the end, but I think our forms might come in handy during the war.”

And then he transforms, and in his grandson’s place is a large, black dog that could easily be mistaken for a Grim.

Unless, of course, it is a Grim. Arcturus makes a note to make careful inquiries with the goblins to see if it means something.

“Merlin’s pants,” Regulus breathes. “You look like a Grim!”

Sirius transforms back and offers an eloquent shrug. “I don’t think I am, but I’m not sure I’d know either way. James is a stag, and Peter is a rat.”

Arcturus has never done the work to find his form, but he says, “They say the form reflects the person.”

Sirius glances at his grandfather. “I would believe it.”

“How did you do it?” Regulus asks. “I think it would be helpful.”

Sirius hesitates. “Well, we have a little time before you go back to school. We can work on it until then.”

“I thought you were going to move into your flat,” Regulus says.

Sirius smirks. “Yeah, I am, but I can apparate now. I don’t mind helping you.”

Arcturus is glad to see the renewed closeness between the boys. It gives him hope.

~~~~~

Regulus sits down in front of Sirius with a feeling of trepidation. He wants to be able to transform. Although being an unregistered animagus comes with its own risks, and is technically illegal, it’s only subject to a fine if discovered.

But the advantages to being an animagus in the current situation, when no one knows your form, certainly make the risks worth it.

“Relax,” Sirius tells him. “You remember what I said about meditating?”

“I remember,” Regulus replies. “I tried meditating last night, but I think I might be terrible at it.”

“It takes practice,” Sirius says. “Keep working at it and you’ll get there. It took me about six months of meditating to find my form, and then a little longer in order to transform. The meditation exercises will help you if you’re around those who practice legilimency.”

Regulus knows that his brother has a point, and he nods. “I’ll keep working on it.”

“Okay,” Sirius replies. “Then we’re going to work on that, and I’m going to walk you through the meditation exercises. Maybe it helps, but if it doesn’t, you’ll have to work on it on your own.”

“I understand,” Regulus replies.

But it turns out that Sirius’ voice is soothing, and Regulus finds that it’s easier to meditate with Sirius guiding him.

“Imagine yourself in a safe place,” Sirius says. “Where are you?”

Regulus has his eyes closed. “In an empty classroom with Violet.”

“Good,” Sirius replies. “Is it day or night?”

“I can see the afternoon sunlight,” Regulus says.

“Feel that light on your face,” Sirius urges. “Breathe in the smells of the classroom, Violet’s perfume. You’re completely safe.”

Regulus knows that he is, because he’s with Sirius, and Sirius is guiding him.

“Now, from that place, imagine that you’re in an empty field,” Sirius says. “You’re still safe, you’re still secure.”

“I’m with you,” Regulus says slowly. “Of course I’m safe.”

There’s a pause. “Thank you. Now, you’re in the field, and there’s an animal coming to meet you. It might not happen this time. You might not see anything, but if you keep trying, it will.”

Regulus thinks that he does see something, a shadow at least, and the shadow comes from above.

Regulus looks up, but is blinded by the sun. He can’t see what’s above him, and then he’s thrown out of the meditation.

“You all right?” Sirius asks.

Regulus shrugs. “I don’t know. I saw a shadow of a bird flying overhead. It might not have meant anything.”

“It means something,” Sirius insists. “It means you probably have a bird form. It wouldn’t surprise me at all.”

Regulus frowns. “Why?”

“You’re fiercely independent, smart, and cunning,” Sirius says frankly. “You could have had a snake form, of course, and that would have fit, too, but it tells me that you want to be free.”

Regulus swallows hard. “I talked to Grandfather about joining the war. I don’t want Voldemort to win.”

“He killed Violet’s sister and her husband and child,” Sirius replies. “That child would have been your family. I would think less of you if you didn’t feel that way. But you’re a good man, and you do feel it, and you still have an obligation to our family. You have Violet, Reg. She’s great. You’re the future of the Black line, okay?”

Regulus feels a spike of alarm. “No, I’m the backup. You’re the heir.”

“And you’re also perfectly capable of serving in that function should the need arise,” Sirius counters. “I’m not saying that it will. I’m not planning on it. And I hope you won’t do yourself the disservice of calling yourself the spare. I have James and Remus, and we’re close, but you’re my brother. You’re the one who’s going to keep me honest about pureblood politics. Assuming I survive all of this, I’m going to need you. You and Violet.”

Regulus realizes that he’s sincere, and that his brother is laying out his plan for the future. “Siri…”

“I’m proud of you,” Sirius says. “I’m glad that you care about innocent lives, and that you’ve come around to thinking beyond our own upbringing.”

“Grandfather helped with that,” Regulus admits.

“I think we can both acknowledge that we were heading down very different paths before Grandfather stuck his nose in,” Sirius says with a cheeky grin. “And we can both be very thankful for it.”

Regulus nods. “What do you recommend I do with the meditation?”

“Ask Violet to help you,” Sirius replies. “She may or may not have the aptitude, but she definitely has the determination, and she’ll keep you honest.”

“It might be hard to meditate with her around,” Regulus admits.

Sirius laughs. “She is very pretty. If it becomes a problem, switch things up. But I strongly suspect that she’s going to keep you focused, and you made good progress today. Even just knowing that your form has wings is progress, believe it or not, and more than we knew even after a month of trying.”

“It’s going to be weird going back to Hogwarts without you,” Regulus admits.

Sirius smiles gently. “I know. It’s going to be weird not going back. Have you decided what you’re going to take after your OWLs?”

Regulus’ OWL results had been similar to Sirius’ NEWTs: almost all O’s with one E in Arithmancy. At the moment, the sky is the limit for Regulus.

“I’m going to take a full load,” he admits. “And then I may pare down after sixth year.”

Sirius nods. “Smart. That will ensure that you have no shortage of choices.”

Regulus realizes that he’s going to miss his brother, even though they rarely interact at school. “You’ll be careful, right?”

Sirius flashes a quick, bright grin. “Careful as I can be.”

But Regulus is afraid that he won’t be careful enough.

~~~~~

Sirius grins as he looks around the flat his grandfather had given him. As befitting a Black property, it’s well appointed with antique furniture and freshly papered walls. James throws an arm around Sirius’ shoulders. “When you said your grandfather gave you a flat for Christmas, I didn’t think it would be this nice.”

Sirius laughs. “I’m a Black, Prongs. Grandfather was going to ensure that I had appropriate lodgings, and he doesn’t mind who ends up staying with me.”

“It is really nice,” Remus says. “Are you sure you won’t accept rent?”

“I’m not paying rent, am I?” Sirius counters. “Why on earth would I accept rent when this place was a gift to me?”

Remus grimaces. “Still, I am making a decent income from my apprenticeship.”

“And if I were paying rent on this place, I would accept your contribution,” Sirius says firmly. “But since I’m not, I won’t.”

Remus still appears a little troubled. “But you didn’t make Peter the same offer.”

“Peter already had a place lined up by the time I made the offer,” Sirius replies lightly, as though he hadn’t hesitated just for that hope. Once Peter announced that he had found a flat on his own, and knowing that James and Remus hadn’t found lodgings yet, he’d made the offer.

He doesn’t say that Remus is appropriately grateful, and isn’t going to try to use his connection with the Ancient and Noble House of Black to his own ends. Peter will try to do just that.

Remus and James both shoot him knowing looks. “Is this about how weird Peter was about your brother asking for sanctuary?”

“It’s partly that,” Sirius agrees. “And it’s partly that he’d try to use his connection to my grandfather.”

“You can’t blame him for that,” Remus replies, although his tone is dubious. “He just wants to get ahead.”

“Like you’re doing?” Sirius asks. “I don’t blame him, but I’m not going to put myself in a position to be used either.”

“Fair enough,” James says, his definitive tone putting an end to the topic. Sirius figures that if anyone understands why Sirius wouldn’t want to be used for his money and connections, it would be James.

Not that he would say as much to Moony, of course.

“We’ll have to brush up on our domestic spells,” Remus says. “My mum taught me how to cook, but it’s been a while.”

Sirius is grateful for the subject change. “I scouted the area around us. There are plenty of take away places.”

“Pretty sure that Lily would appreciate James knowing how to make at least the basics,” Remus teases.

James snorts. “She’s already said that I’m crazy if I assume she’s going to do more than half the household chores, including cooking. So, I’d better learn, right?”

“You’d better,” Sirius replies. “Unless you want to be sleeping on the couch.”

“I’ll pass on that,” James counters. “But I trust that you two will eat my shitty cooking until I perfect the art.”

“Sure, we will,” Remus says. “But I can’t promise that it will be without complaints.”

“How will I get better?” James asks. “But I might ask for your help, Moony.”

“Happy to give it,” he replies. “In the interest in promoting a happy household later.”

“This is going to be great,” Sirius insists. “And we should unpack, because we all have a busy day tomorrow.”

He and James are reporting to their main contact in the Order tomorrow, and Remus has his first day of his apprenticeship.

“We’ll get take away tonight,” James says. “Might as well celebrate our first night on our own.”

They get a curry that night, after they’ve unpacked and settled into their respective rooms. Sirius takes the main bedroom, the one that the head of the house would have taken when staying in London for the Wizengamot sessions, or doing business.

The other two bedrooms are nice, serviceable, but nothing terribly fancy. Nicer than Remus could afford, for sure, but James could probably do just as well.

“I think the bedroom is nicer than the one I had at home,” Remus says that night over curry. “Thank you, Pads.”

Sirius frowns at him. “Moony, for the last time, there are no thanks necessary. My grandfather gave me this place, and it has three bedrooms. What am I going to do, rattle around this place by myself?”

“You could have,” James points out.

“And I didn’t want to,” Sirius counters. “I have a place, and I have friends. That’s enough for me.”

The next day, they meet with Frank Longbottom and his wife, Alice, who are both Aurors and members of the Order. Frank greets them both with handshakes. “Dumbledore has spoken highly of you both. Thank you for being here today.”

“Thank you for meeting with us,” Alice says. “I know there are other things you could be doing.”

“Not really, no,” Sirius says. “The best thing we can do right now is to stop the Death Eaters.”

“I’m glad you feel that way,” Alice replies. “We have a few protection jobs that the Ministry won’t fund.”

“We’d be happy to,” James says.

And that begins a lot of jobs that the Ministry won’t support, that largely involve protection details and hunting down Death Eaters. They don’t see much of Remus, who is usually gone before they wake up, and doesn’t get back until late. Whenever they do see him, though, he has a smile on his face and a spring to his step.

Dumbledore asks about Remus during one of the Order meetings, pulling Sirius and James aside afterward. “I thought we’d see Remus here.”

“He’s busy with his apprenticeship,” Sirius replies.

Dumbledore frowns. “I was rather hoping that Remus would be willing to approach the werewolf packs on behalf of the light.”

“Remus is focused on his studies right now, and thinks that’s how he can best serve the light,” James replies.

They honor Remus’ wishes and say nothing about the charm, or anything more about what Remus is doing now. Sirius and James both know that Remus might decide to participate in individual missions as time allows, but he’s not going to join the Order and place himself at Dumbledore’s mercy. It’s too much of a risk.

Dumbledore seems troubled by that, but he doesn’t press for more information, for which Sirius is grateful.

“What did he want?” Lily asks as they leave.

“He wanted to know where Moony was,” James replies, putting an arm around her shoulders. “We told him not to worry about it.”

“I was a little surprised that he decided not to join,” Lily admits.

Sirius shakes his head. “He doesn’t want to be asked to go to the werewolf packs.”

“That makes sense.” Lily shakes her head. “It’s not like Remus knows that many other werewolves.”

Sirius is fairly certain that Remus doesn’t know any other werewolves, and part of that is because his grandfather’s gift has allowed Remus to fly under the radar.

James and Lily are asked to take an assignment guarding a family of Muggle-borns, and Sirius gets a surveillance mission to watch a known Death Eater to see if they could identify additional Death Eaters from his associates.

After all, not every Death Eater goes around waving their marked arm.

Sirius spends several days following his subject, without much success. Yaxley goes to and from the Ministry, and that’s about it. He might suspect that he’s being followed, but there’s no way to know that for sure.

He returns to the flat after three days, needing a shower and something decent to eat, and finds James and Lily already there, relaxing in the living room with butter beers. Both of them look wrung out, and Sirius frowns.

“Are you two okay?” Sirius asks.

James nods. “We’re fine, but you need a shower. You smell like wet dog, Pads.”

“That’s because I was a wet dog until fairly recently,” Sirius replies. “I’ll just go take that shower now.”

It’s a relief to get cleaned up and into clean clothes. He grabs a butter beer from the cool box and sprawls out in one of the overstuffed chairs across from James and Lily.

“How did your mission go?” James asks.

“No luck,” Sirius admits and take a long pull of his drink. “What about you?”

“The Muggle-borns are safe,” Lily replies. “But we had to fight off a group of five Death Eaters—and that was after they tried to get us to join them.”

Sirius frowns. “They tried to get you to join them?”

“That’s pretty much what I said,” James replies, “right before I tried to take a wand arm off with a reducto.”

“Did you manage it?” Sirius asks.

“The key word in that sentence is tried,” Lily says ruefully. “Although James did expend great effort.”

“At least you saved lives,” Sirius replies. “I’m still no closer to figuring out the identities of additional Death Eaters.”

“Did he know you were following him?” Lily asks.

Sirius shrugs. “Not unless he suspected a large, black dog of being an Order member.”

“Better luck next time, Pads,” James replies.

Sirius sighs. “I suppose so. I hope Reg is doing okay.”

“I’m sure he is,” Lily says encouragingly. “I don’t think anyone who was marked came back for seventh year.”

Sirius certainly hopes not.

~~~~~

Regulus taps the map with his wand and says, “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”

Violet leans over his shoulder and gasps as the floorpan of the castle. “That’s remarkable.”

“That’s my brother’s work, him and his friends,” Regulus says proudly. “And maybe most of the marked Death Eaters didn’t return for seventh year, but we can be sure that some of them did.”

“And the map is going to show us that?” Violet asks.

“No, but it will show us whether we’re going to wind up running into anybody on the way to the Room of Requirement,” Regulus replies. “Sirius didn’t put the room on the map, because he wanted to protect it, just in case, but it’s an ideal place for us to meet and practice.”

He nods. “Coast is clear.”

Regulus thinks hard about the sort of room they’re going to need in order to practice his meditation. If his form is a bird, the way Sirius thought, then it could be incredibly useful. He’s pretty sure Sirius is using his own form to spy on Death Eaters. Regulus could do the same.

Violet eagerly agreed to help him, and she wants to see if she can find her animagus form, too. They haven’t spoken to their other friends about it yet. Elias has been avoiding them, and Byron and Myra are both dating other people, which leaves them without much time for their friends.

Regulus figures that Myra and Byron’s actions are normal. He’s a little worried about Elias, though. He’s afraid that Elias’ stand-offishness has to do with him changing his mind about remaining neutral. If he does that, it could be a big problem for them. Elias knows too much about Regulus’ family.

But right now, they’re focusing on finding their forms, and the room provides a large room, that is nearly empty save for some squishy chairs that will provide them a comfortable place to sit.

“So, how do we do this?” Violet asks him.

“I asked my brother to give me a few pointers before I came back to school,” Regulus says, although he’s feeling a little uneasy about the meditation.

“What’s worrying you?” Violet asks. “I’ve done a bit of research on my own, and if you’re preoccupied, this isn’t going to work.”

“Elias,” Regulus admits. “I’m worried about him.”

“So am I,” Violet admits. “He won’t talk to me either, and he’s staying to himself. That’s not typical for him.”

Regulus sighs. “Yeah, that’s what I was thinking, too. Do you think he got marked?”

“I don’t know,” Violet replies. “Maybe we should try to corner him, get him alone, although not here. We can try tomorrow. Now, can you focus?”

“I can try,” Regulus replies.

She rolls her eyes. “Don’t try, do.”

He gets a little further with Violet’s help. Sirius had been right, having her present is motivating factor, because he wants to impress her.

Regulus sees the shadow of the bird flying again, only this time he can see the shape of it a little better, and he thinks it’s some kind of hawk. Violet doesn’t get that far, but she’s insistent that her form is going to be something fierce.

He knows better than to argue with her.

They sit next to Elias at dinner that night, and he ignores them as he’s been doing since the school year began. They’re not going to confront him here in front of the rest of the Slytherins, so they do what they’ve been doing since starting this thing: they focus on each other.

Regulus knows that this is the year that their classmates are likely to step up recruitment efforts, or possibly try to Imperius them into taking the mark. He and Violet have their promise rings that will prevent that sort of spell, and Regulus is still wearing his armor every day to prevent any curses to the back.

Still, he knows that this year and the next are probably going to be the most dangerous for them, at least until they can get through their NEWTs and go somewhere safer.

Regulus hasn’t totally given up on the idea of joining in the war effort, but he remembers what he’d promised his grandfather, and he’s going to have to do it cautiously.

They aren’t able to catch Elias alone until the following week, and they have to resort to subterfuge in order to do so. Violet writes a note that purports to be from a girl in the year below them that Elias has had his eye on for the last year or so.

Regulus isn’t surprised that it works, and Elias turns up in the empty classroom after dinner. Although he turns right back around when he spots Violet, Regulus expects that, and he’s right behind him.

“Come on, Elias, we’re all friends here,” Regulus says, prodding Elias farther into the classroom and closing the door behind them.

“We’re not,” Elias says tightly. “I thought I’d made that clear by ignoring you two.”

“Talk to us,” Violet urges. “We can help you.”

Regulus isn’t surprised when Elias pushes up the sleeve of his robe to show the Dark Mark. “No, you can’t help me!”

“I didn’t think you were going to join the Death Eaters,” Regulus says quietly. “We talked about it.”

“I didn’t have a choice,” Elias snarls. “I’m not you, Regulus! I don’t have a powerful grandfather to protect me. My father made it clear that if I was going to remain a member of the family, I would have to take the mark.”

Violet’s expression is soft with sympathy. “What did they make you do?”

Elias shakes his head, his face twisting in anguish. “Don’t ask me that, Vi. I can’t tell you.”

“Then the rumors are true,” Regulus says bluntly. “You are required to commit some sort of crime in order to be marked.”

Elias sets his jaw. “I can’t be seen talking to the two of you.”

Regulus remains in the doorway, blocking Elias’ exit. “You know too much about the Black family.”

Elias’ expression twists into agony. “I wouldn’t betray you.”

“You might not have a choice,” Regulus points out.

Elias takes out his wand and raises it. “I swear on my magic not to reveal any secrets of the House of Black.” He tucks his wand away. “There, does that satisfy you?”

Regulus moves out of the way. “Yes, it does. I’m sorry, Elias.”

Elias shakes his head, his expression bitter. “Don’t, and I would advise you not to be around after school. They’ll target your brother because they know he’s an Order member, but they’ll target you to get to him, too.”

“I know,” Regulus replies. “We have our own plans.”

“Goodbye,” Elias says, and the word holds some finality.

He leaves the classroom, and Violet immediately hugs him, and Regulus hugs her right back. “How bad do you think it was?”

“I think it was very bad,” Violet whispers. “Did you see his expression when I asked what they’d made him do?”

Regulus thinks that could have been him—he could have been the one to receive the mark this last summer. He could have been the one forced to do something that would stain his magic and his honor.

He could have been one of those involved in the murders of Violet’s family members.

“I’m glad very grateful for my grandfather,” Regulus finally says. “Because that very well could have been me.”

“No, it wouldn’t have been,” Violet argues. “You don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Regulus shakes his head. “No, I don’t, but by the time I figured that out, it may very well have been too late. Elias never wanted to hurt anyone either.”

But it’s disheartening to realize that Elias has been lost to them, unless they end the war and defeat Voldemort. And even if they do that, there’s every chance that whatever crimes he’s been forced to commit, he’ll still have to answer for.

~~~~~

Arcturus reads Regulus’ letter with a heavy heart, and an understanding that it could have easily been Regulus forced into doing something he wouldn’t have otherwise done. Elias Oldham is from an old family, and one that hasn’t been linked to Voldemort.

Still, Arcturus can guess at what had happened. The Oldhams have money and a small amount of power, and they likely wanted to keep what they had of both. Aligning themselves with Voldemort, and offering their son as a sacrificial lamb, would probably seem like an attractive proposition—or at least the best choice out of a lot of bad ones.

Arcturus is more convinced than ever that he needs to send Regulus to France as soon as he takes his NEWTs, and he resolves to contact Violet’s father. They’re young to be married, but he suspects that the Millers won’t want the two of them living together without being wed.

Arcturus is safe at Black Manor, but both of his boys are in jeopardy. There’s very little he can do for Sirius, but he can make sure Regulus is well out of the way.

He’ll ensure that the Black line continues, and while he’s incredibly fond of Sirius, he thinks that Regulus is more likely to carry on the line. Regulus has a serious girlfriend, and is likely to marry her. He’s also willing to sit out the current war.

Sirius has also sent an owl, and his letter is lighter, happier. Even though he’s working for the Order, he keeps the focus on amusing anecdotes. James is talking about marrying Lily; Remus’ apprenticeship is going well.

And you’ll be happy to know that I can conduct a lot of Order business as Padfoot, Sirius writes. I’m being as careful as I can be.

It’s a small comfort, to know that Sirius has the protection of an unknown animagus form, but it’s a comfort nonetheless.

He’s at least being careful, and Arcturus is glad to hear that. And even if Sirius is putting up a front, it sounds as though he’s having a fairly normal post-school experience. He’s living with friends, and navigating relationships.

Arcturus is less worried about Sirius than maybe he should be, but he likes the fact that Sirius is enjoying his life. That’s something.

He sends an owl off to Mr. Miller to begin the conversation and make arrangements. He also sends an owl to Daniel Longbottom, letting him know about the development with the Oldhams.

Knowing who has joined Voldemort makes it less likely that someone will get a surprise curse to the back. And it shows how deep Voldemort’s reach goes.

Arcturus sends a reply to both boys, commiserating with Regulus and asking Sirius if he wants to have dinner at the Manor soon.

He misses having them around, and since Sirius isn’t at school and can apparate, he’s hoping Sirius will visit a little more often if invited.

He also sends an owl to Rockhand, with a query for the goblin seers with the new information about Regulus’ friend.

Arcturus doesn’t have to wait long for a reply from Miller, who offers to meet him. Since Regulus and Violet still seem quite attached to each other, Miller is going to be family eventually, and Arcturus invites him to Black Manor. Violet has already been there, and he includes her mother in the invitation as well.

They arrive at the Manor two days later, dressed to the nines, escorted by Arcturus’ solicitor. “Welcome,” Arcturus says. “It’s good to see you again, Mr. Miller.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Miller replies. “And this is my wife, Nancy.”

“I’m very pleased to meet you,” Arcturus replies. “I can see where Violet gets her good looks.”

Mrs. Miller laughs. “And I can see why my daughter said you were quite charming.”

Arcturus smiles. “She makes it very easy. You must be proud of her.”

“Very much so,” Mr. Miller replies.

“Please, come in,” Arcturus says. “We’ll have some refreshments and talk. I wanted to tell you both how sorry I was to hear about the death of your daughter and her family.”

Mrs. Miller’s eyes immediately fill with tears. “Thank you. That’s very kind of you to say.”

“Not at all,” Arcturus replies. “I am hoping that I can offer you some peace of mind, at least about Violet.”

Mr. Miller clears his throat, sounding choked up. “I would do anything to protect Violet.”

“As I would do anything to protect Regulus,” Arcturus replies. “I’m afraid there’s not much I can do at this point for Sirius. He’s part of the war effort, and I can’t dissuade him.”

“Have you threatened to disown him?” Miller jokes.

“He was ready to disown himself before I stepped in,” Arcturus says ruefully. “There were no threats I could make to change his mind, and I’m not sure I would have anyway. I’ll do what I can to protect the Black line, but Sirius lives by his own values, and I appreciate that about him.”

“He sounds like a strong-minded individual,” Miller says. “Violet has spoken of him quite positively, even if he is a Gryffindor.”

Arcturus laughs. “Indeed.”

They sit in the study, and Cordy brings refreshments—tea and small sandwiches and cakes. Everything looks beautiful, and Mrs. Miller compliments Cordy with real feeling. “This all looks wonderful. Violet said the food she had here was wonderful, and I can see why.”

Cordy gives her a pleased smile. “Thank you, you’re too kind.”

Once they all had their cups of tea and have filled their plates, Arcturus says, “For Christmas, I gave Regulus a family property in Paris. I plan on sending him there after Hogwarts for continuing education. Currently, he’s leaning towards law.”

“Violet said he had ambition,” Miller says approvingly. “I’m not sure where that leaves Violet, though.”

“Voldemort’s violence hasn’t quite reached the Continent yet,” Arcturus explains. “The residence itself can easily be made unplottable. I have concerns about their safety after one of their friends in Slytherin, who had sworn not to join the Death Eaters, did so.”

Mrs. Miller’s chin trembles with emotion. “Violet said. I couldn’t believe it. From everything she’s said about Elias, he seemed like such a nice boy, and he knew what happened with Mary.”

“From what Regulus reported, I’m not sure that Elias had much choice,” Arcturus says gently. “Which is all the more reason to get Regulus and Violet out of the way.”

He knows that Miller is starting to follow his train of thought. “You’re thinking marriage.”

“I wouldn’t suggest them living together without being married,” Arcturus replies. “I realize that they’re young, probably too young, but we’re in the midst of a war.”

Mrs. Miller smiles. “We were an arranged marriage, and we’ve made it work between us. Regulus and Violet have a strong foundation, all things considered. They’re very good friends already.”

Miller nods. “Assuming that they’re both amenable, we’re willing to support it. Anything to make sure she’s safe.”

Arcturus nods. “I’ll broach the subject with Regulus over the holiday, then, if you’d like to speak with Violet.”

“We will,” Mrs. Miller says firmly. “And we very much appreciate the offer, and the fact that you’re showing such care for Violet’s safety.”

“She’s important to Regulus, and I’m quite fond of her myself,” Arcturus replies.

Among the purebloods, Arcturus knows that marrying into the Black family would be considered a step up. The Millers don’t have the same social status, even if they’re pureblood.

Not that Arcturus would ever mention that, as it would be incredibly gauche.

They part as friends and possibly future in-laws, and Arcturus is hopeful that they might be able to keep their children safe.

~~~~~

Sirius is worried about Regulus after he receives his brother’s letter, telling him that Elias had been marked. He’s familiar enough with Elias to know that it’s out of character, and contrary to anything that Sirius might have expected from him.

That just makes Sirius even more worried. Someone could target Regulus, get him into a vulnerable position, and force him to take the mark. Once marked, Regulus would be at Voldemort’s mercy.

“What’s put that look on your face?” Remus asks. He has a rare day off from his apprenticeship, and Sirius doesn’t have a mission for the Order. James and Lily are out on a date, and Peter has made himself scarce recently, which leaves Sirius and Remus to hang out.

Instead of a verbal answer, Sirius passes his brother’s letter over, since there’s nothing in there that’s too personal for Remus to see.

Remus reads the letter with a deepening frown. “Elias Oldham took the mark? He didn’t seem like the type.” He pauses. “But it sounds like it wasn’t by his choice.” He hands the letter back to Sirius and rubs his eyes. “I’m sure you’re worried.”

“More than ever,” Sirius admits. “They could force Regulus into doing something. If they managed to get Violet, or threatened her, or me, or Grandfather…”

He trails off, unable to put his thoughts fully into words. He takes a deep breath. “Speaking of Grandfather, he’s invited me for dinner this weekend, and said you and James are welcome to join us.”

“Not Peter?” Remus asks with a raised eyebrow.

Sirius gives him a look. “You know why that is.”

“I think you’re being a little too hard on him,” Remus replies.

“And he hasn’t exactly been around,” Sirius points out. “He’s thrown himself into his job at the Ministry.”

Remus shrugs. “I get that, but you also asked me and James to live here, and not Peter. Maybe he feels like he’s being shut out.”

“Maybe he is being shut out,” Sirius shoots back. “Look, I’m not saying we aren’t friends any more, but things change, Moony. James is talking about looking for a ring for Lily, and then they’ll be out on their own. You have your apprenticeship. I have my work for the Order, and my family. If it weren’t my grandfather making the request, I probably would invite Peter along, but I can’t overlook what he said about my brother.”

Remus is quiet for a long moment. “Especially given what we know about your parents?”

“Especially given that,” Sirius finally admits. “You’re all aware of what my life was like with my parents, and now they’ve turned on Reg. He deserves to have the safety that I never did.”

“You deserved to be safe, too,” Remus says. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to press. Maybe I’m missing the old days.”

“You’re allowed,” Sirius replies. “I understand, Moony.”

“But I wouldn’t mind having dinner with you and your grandfather,” Remus adds. “I just wanted to be sure that you weren’t leaving Peter out just because you had forgotten him.”

Sirius shakes his head. “No, I haven’t forgotten anything.”

He means that on multiple levels, and Remus is smart enough to understand.

“We should go out tonight,” Sirius says. “We can get something to eat.”

Remus smiles. “I’d like that.”

That night, he and Remus go to a local Indian place for dinner, ordering enough food to have plenty of leftovers for the next few days. They’d learned that having leftovers meant no one had to cook, especially when Remus is out a lot, and Sirius might get a mission from the Order at any moment, and be out at all hours.

After dinner, Sirius suggests that they go to the Muggle movie theater, and they pick a film at random to watch. It’s a rare carefree evening, and Sirius sometimes wonders why more wizards don’t retreat to the Muggle world these days.

They’re walking back to the flat, and Remus says, “That was a lot of fun. Thanks for that.”

“I took Reg out to Muggle London, and he enjoyed it more than he thought he would, I think,” Sirius says. “It’s really not so bad.”

Remus laughs. “No, not so bad at all.”

“It’s not like wizards make films,” Sirius teases.

“No, that they don’t,” Remus says, and bumps Sirius’ shoulder with his own.

When they get back to the flat, James and Lily have returned from their date, and Lily is glowing. James lights up when he sees them. “I just want to give the news once, and Peter is on his way.”

Sirius’ eye is immediately caught by the ring on Lily’s left hand. “Oh, I think we already know what the news is. Congratulations, you two.”

He gives Lily a hug and a kiss on the cheek as Remus offers his own congratulations to James, and then they switch places.

Peter arrives as James is grabbing the bottle of champagne out of the refrigerator, and he asks, “What did I miss?”

“Sirius’ eagle eyes caught it,” James says. “Lily agreed to marry me tonight.”

Peter grins. “Congratulations!”

There are more hugs and kisses, and James finds five mismatched glasses and pours them all a glass of bubbly. They toast the happy couple, and on the heels of the evening that he’d spent with Remus, Sirius can almost forget they’re in the middle of a war still.

The next day, everything is back to normal, though. Lily is back at her own job, Peter at his, and Remus back at his apprenticeship. They don’t have another job from the Order, and so Sirius shares his brother’s news and his grandfather’s invitation with James.

James is as troubled as Remus had been at Elias’ defection, and quickly agrees to the dinner. “Do you think he’d mind if I brought Lily? To be honest, I’m beginning to think of him as family, and—“

“I think he feels the same way,” Sirius is quick to assure him. “And I’m sure he’d be open to having Lily there, but I’ll ask him.”

“But you’re not inviting Peter,” James says.

Sirius sighs. “You know, Moony asked me the very same question, and no. Not after what he said about my brother’s request for sanctuary. Not when he knew what it was like for me with my parents.”

James nods. “You’re allowed to hold a grudge, Pads. I’m not saying you shouldn’t, and we all know—or should know—just how protective of Reg you are.”

Sirius relaxes, relieved to have James’ support. “You didn’t say whether you two had picked a date,” he says.

James hesitates. “Lily wants me to meet her sister, and her sister’s fiancé. We’ll set a date after that.”

Sirius remembers that Lily had made a few comments about her sister, and her jealousy, and he says, “I don’t see that going well.”

“Lily is hopeful,” James replies. “But also not holding her breath.”

“So, soon?” Sirius asks.

“That’s our preference,” he admits. “There’s a war on, Sirius. And we don’t want to waste any time.”

“I can understand that,” Sirius replies. “I’m happy for you, Prongs.”

“What about you?” James teases. “Pretty sure you’re supposed to be making Black heirs.”

Sirius shakes his head. “Maybe when I find a woman like Lily, but I haven’t met anyone who would tempt me to give up being a bachelor. Besides, pretty sure Regulus and Violet have that covered.”

James laughs. “Well, I’ll admit that I’m very lucky.”

Sirius shares the good news with his grandfather by owl, and gets a quick and courteous response, inviting Lily to dinner along with Sirius’ friends. He does add a note, “I would prefer if you didn’t bring Peter, though, my boy. But if you must, he’ll be welcome.”

For Sirius, his grandfather’s expressed wish is enough reason not to invite Peter, let alone the fact that Peter has mostly made himself scarce. Granted, that might be because they haven’t been inviting him around, but they’ve been busy.

Sirius knows the location of Manor, as do James and Remus, and so James side-alongs Lily and they turn up on the front lawn. The door is flung open, welcoming them. Cordy bows and says, “It is very good to see you, Master Sirius.”

“Good to see you, too, Cordy,” Sirius replies. “How is my grandfather?”

“He be doing good,” Cordy says. “He stays busy, but he misses you.”

As a guilt trip, it’s quite effective. Sirius knows he needs to visit his grandfather more often; there’s no telling how much time he has left. “Thanks, Cordy.”

“We prepare special meal to celebrate,” Cody says. “There be champagne in the study.”

Sirius leads them through into the study and finds his grandfather ensconced in one of the wingback, leather-bound chairs. “You’ll forgive me if I don’t get up,” he says. “But I have to offer my congratulations to you and Lily, James. Welcome to the family, my dear.”

Lily smiles uncertainly. “I didn’t realize you were a Black, James.”

“My grandmother was,” James replies. “I think Sirius and I are second cousins, or maybe third.”

“It’s a distant relation, but most pureblood families are related somehow,” Arcturus adds. “But Sirius views James as his brother, and that’s good enough for me, even without the blood tie.”

James smiles, and Lily blushes. “Thank you, Lord Black,” Lily says. “That’s very kind of you to say.”

“I believe Cordy has prepared a special meal to celebrate,” Arcturus says. “If you’ll help me up, Sirius.”

Sirius offers a hand up, and then he offers his arm for additional stability in addition to the cane that his grandfather leans on heavily.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Sirius asks in a low voice.

“Today hasn’t been a particularly good day,” Arcturus admits. “And my balance is a bit off. But I’m otherwise fine.”

“Just lean on me, then,’ Sirius says. “And if you need me to stay here—“

“My needs are well taken care of, but I appreciate the offer,” Arcturus says quickly. “You deserve to have a life.”

“I also deserve to have a grandfather,” Sirius counters. “Thank you for inviting us tonight. I know we’ve been caught up in our own lives.”

Arcturus smiles gently. “That’s as it should be. Don’t worry about it.”

Sirius seats his grandfather at the table and sits at his right hand, Remus on his other side. James sits across from him, with Lily next to him, and glasses full of champagne appear at the top of their plates.

Arcturus raises his glass with a still-steady hand. “Felicitations to James and Lily. May you be as happy together as my wife and I were.”

Sirius remembers spending time with his grandparents, and he remembers how much Arcturus had doted on his grandmother.

It’s a good toast, and a good wish.

Dinner that night is delicious, and the mood convivial, in spite of the knowledge that they may very well be losing the war. “Sirius, will you stay tonight?” Arcturus asks at the end of the meal.

Sirius glances at James and Remus, and he says, “Yes, of course. We don’t have any Order business until the meeting tomorrow evening.”

“Thank you for the lovely evening, Lord Black,” Lily says. “The food was delicious.”

“Made more delicious by the wonderful company,” Arcturus says. “Thank you for coming.”

Sirius’ friends say their goodbyes, and Sirius walks them out, then joins his grandfather in the study. He accepts the glass of fire whiskey his grandfather offers, and he knows the gesture for what it is, the acknowledgment that he’s an adult now.

“Tell me about what you’re doing now,” Arcturus says.

Sirius hesitates. “Why do you want to know?”

“Because you’re my grandson, and while I can’t protect you, or prevent you from participating in the war effort, I can at least know what it is you’re doing,” Arcturus replies.

Sirius sighs. “It’s not going especially well.”

“So I’ve noticed from the Daily Prophet,” Arcturus says. “Your brother did say that he’d extracted a promise from Elias Oldham that he wouldn’t reveal anything about our family. He promised on his magic.”

Sirius nods grimly. “Well done, Reg,” he mutters, and he feels a bolt of sympathy for the younger man. Such an oath, on top of the oath he must have taken as a Death Eater, and the burden that it would place on his magic…

Well, he must truly care for Regulus and Violet to have made such a promise, knowing that it might kill him.

“Regulus thought he had been forced into it,” Sirius says quietly.

“That’s what he told me as well,” Arcturus agrees. “The Oldhams are an old pureblood family without a lot of money or power.”

“So, they don’t have an unplottable manor that they can retreat to,” Sirius comments. And then, in spite of knowing that Elias is a Death Eater now, that he might have to face him on the field of battle, Sirius says, “That poor kid.”

Arcturus smiles approvingly. “I’m glad you understand that, my boy.”

“It’s not hard to imagine Regulus placed in that position,” Sirius admits. “I just hope I don’t have to meet him at the end of my wand.”

“I hope so, too,” Arcturus says.

And Sirius begins to tell his grandfather about what he’s been up to for the last few months.

~~~~~

Regulus feels Elias’ absence even more after they find out that he’s taken the mark. Before, things had just been strangely awkward. Now, it feels like a death.

He and Violet say their lingering goodbyes on Platform 9 3/4, as they part for their holiday break.

“Say hello to your grandfather for me,” Violet says. “I’ll send you an owl once I know what my parents wanted to talk to me about. They’ve been mysterious, but said it’s something important.”

Regulus smiles. “I’m going to guess it has something to do with that flat in Paris my grandfather gifted me. I know he mentioned having your parents over for tea one day.”

“Hey, Reg, Vi,” Sirius says, making his way towards them through the crowded platform. “How are you?”

“We’re fine,” Regulus replies. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to see you both safely to your destinations,” Sirius says. “James and Remus are here, too. We don’t think the Death Eaters will target the platform, not when their kids are here, too, but you can’t be too safe these days.”

Sirius cocks his head, and Regulus follows his gaze to Elias, who is standing several feet away, his wand in hand. “Come on,” Sirius says quickly. “Let’s get out of here.”

He pushes Regulus and Violet ahead of him, towards the exit. “He wouldn’t—“ Regulus begins.

“No, I’m sure he was just worried about what I would do,” Sirius replies grimly. “Like I said, there are plenty of Death Eaters here, or those who are Death Eater adjacent.”

Regulus frowns, alarm beginning to build. “But you wouldn’t go after him.”

“No, I’m not going to go after him, not unless he leaves me with no other choice,” Sirius replies. “But I’m not going to seek him out. He’s just a kid.”

James and Remus fall in to flank them, and then Lily takes up the rear. “Lily and James are going to make sure you get home safely, Violet,” Sirius says. “They’re expecting you.”

Violet hugs Regulus tightly. “Be safe, okay?”

“You, too,” Regulus replies, and then kisses her.

It’s warmth and reassurance, and then they break apart. “Happy Christmas,” Regulus says.

“Happy Christmas,” Violet replies. “Thank you, Sirius.”

“Of course,” Sirius replies.

It’s Remus who accompanies them to Black Manor, although he declines Sirius’ invitation to stay. “My parents are expecting me, but I’ll see you later, Padfoot.”

“You will,” Sirius promises. “Thanks for the assist today.”

“It was a doddle,” Remus replies with a smile for Regulus, and then he apparates away.

“Why were all your friends there?” Regulus asks as they enter the Manor.

“Just a precaution,” Sirius replies. “Don’t worry about it. We didn’t want to give the Death Eaters a shot at your or Violet.”

“I thought you said they wouldn’t risk it,” Regulus objects.

Sirius suddenly appears grim. “There are a lot of things I thought the Death Eaters wouldn’t do, and they did it anyway. I don’t think they would have risked it, but I didn’t want to be wrong either.”

Regulus frowns. “How—how bad is it, really? I’ve been reading the Daily Prophet, and there are a lot of stories about deaths, but I wasn’t sure…”

“It’s bad,” Sirius says bluntly. “Which is why I’m not giving them a shot at you, and neither is Grandfather. We’re safe enough here for Christmas, and we don’t have to think about it. I have a couple of days until the next Order meeting anyway.”

Regulus is about to ask another question about the Order, but Sirius abruptly changes the subject. “How’s the meditation coming? Have you found your form yet?”

“I think it’s a goshawk,” Regulus admits. “It’s getting clearer, and Violet has been helping, but it’s not there yet. She thinks she’s a cat of some sort, but it’s even less clear for her.”

Sirius nudges him with his elbow. “We can work on it while I’m here. Maybe that will help. I think having your animagus forms will make you and Violet safer, especially if the Death Eaters don’t know about it.”

Regulus wants to find his form, because he’d like to be able to transform the way that Sirius can, and he’s happy to spend time with his brother. But he also hates to know that it’s not just for fun; it’s protection.

Sirius throws an arm around Regulus’ shoulders. “Let’s put that aside, okay? We’ll have a nice Christmas, and I’ll help you find your form, and we’ll forget about the war.”

His grandfather is seated when they enter the study, and Regulus notices that he doesn’t rise to greet them. “You’ll forgive me, my boys. Today has not been a good day.”

Sirius shakes their grandfather’s hand. “You’re having more of those lately.”

Arcturus smiles gently. “We knew that would happen.”

“I was hoping for more time,” Sirius admits.

Regulus frowns. “But what—“ He stops, because he’s about to say something very selfish.

“I’ll be around long enough,” Arcturus says. “And when I’m gone, your brother will be the patriarch, and your request for sanctuary will transfer to him. Sirius will make sure you’re safe.”

“I’m sorry,” Regulus says immediately. “I didn’t mean—“

“You were quite naturally worried about what might happen to you in my absence,” Arcturus replies. “Nothing wrong with that. Now, Sirius, I believe dinner might be ready, if you’ll lend me your arm.”

It hurts Regulus to know that their time with their grandfather is limited. Time is always limited, of course, and no one is immune from death, no matter what Voldemort promises. But although Regulus has known for a while that his grandfather is ill, he’s failing faster than Regulus expected.

“Oh, chin up, Regulus,” Arcturus says. “Just because I have a few bad days doesn’t mean I’m on my death bed. I plan on sticking around at least until I have half a dozen great-grandchildren.”

“Better alert Violet, Reg,” Sirius jokes, helping their grandfather up, and offering his arm as they head into the dining room. “She should probably know that Grandfather is requiring at least six kids from the two of you.”

“You’re included in that, Sirius,” Regulus is swift to reply. “I figure three from each of us.”

Sirius snorts. “You’re the one with marriage on the mind, brother mine.”

Regulus frowns. “I’m a little young for marriage.”

Arcturus clears his throat. “That’s one of the things I wanted to speak with you about while you’re here.”

Sirius helps Arcturus into his seat at the head of the table, and takes the righthand seat.

“Is this about the flat in Paris?” Regulus asks.

“You didn’t think the Millers would let their daughter live with you without being married, did you?” Arcturus asks. “I spoke to them, and they’re amenable to the idea. They’re going to speak with Violet over Christmas break and find out if she’s willing. If you’re both agreeable, I’ll send you back to school with a little more than a promise ring.”

Regulus swallows. “But I’m a little young, right?”

“James asked Lily to marry him, and he’s only a couple of years older than you are,” Sirius points out gently. “There’s a war on, and by the time you both leave school, you’ll be young, but older than you are now.”

“Your brother is right,” Arcturus says. “Your grandmother and I were an arranged marriage, and we didn’t have the foundation that you and Violet do. You’re friends first, and that’s the important thing. You can build something strong on that foundation.”

Regulus swallows. Two years ago, he’d thought he’d join Voldemort and the Death Eaters. He hadn’t planned on getting married or having a family. He hadn’t planned on reconnecting with his brother and grandfather, or anything else that had happened.

“For the record, I’m not okay with providing half a dozen grandchildren,” Regulus says. “Sirius should be on the hook for at least two.”

Arcturus smiles. “Four from you will do.”

Sirius rolls his eyes as their food appears in front of them. “You’re assuming that I can find a woman willing to put up with me, and that might be a tall order.”

“True,” Regulus agrees. “Maybe you should let Grandfather arrange a marriage for you.”

“After the war is over, maybe I’ll think about it,” Sirius replies, with a quelling look in Regulus’ direction.

Their grandfather doesn’t stay up very late, going to bed soon after they’re finished with dinner. He and Sirius head for the study, and they sit on the floor. “No time like the present to start,” Sirius says. “Do you want to find your form?”

“Of course, I do,” Regulus replies. “But I don’t appreciate being stuck with producing that many kids.”

“As soon as I find the right person, I’m happy to assist,” Sirius replies. “But eligible witches who aren’t also Death Eaters are scarce on the ground. No matter, though. What woman would want to hitch her star to someone who’s likely to wind up dead at some point?”

Regulus glares at him. “You’re not allowed to die.”

“So noted,” Sirius replies. “Now, close your eyes, because we’re going to meditate, and you’re going to find your form.”

“What? You think you’re so special, you can lead the way?” Regulus scoffs, enjoying the banter.

“I’ve been working on a few things,” Sirius replies. “So, close your eyes and relax.”

Regulus does as he’s told, and then he feels Sirius in his mind, gentle and tentative. I told you that I’ve been learning. Is this all right?

“When did you become a legilimens?” Regulus asks aloud.

“I didn’t say I had,” Sirius replies. “Ordinarily, I probably wouldn’t be able to manage it, but you’re my brother, and you’re more open to me than most. I have very little ability otherwise. But with you, I can do it. Do you consent?”

Regulus nods. “I do.”

“So, close your eyes,” Sirius says. “And I’ll show you how it’s done.”

He closes his eyes, and then he feels Sirius poking about the corners of his mind again, and this time he allows it. And when he’s in the field again, with the shadow of the hawk above him, Sirius is there next to him.

“I’m here because I want you to feel it as I change, okay? So, pay attention,” Sirius says.

Regulus suddenly realizes what his brother is talking about. If Regulus feels Sirius change, he might catch the trick of it.

“I understand,” Regulus says. “I’m paying attention.”

“Good.” Sirius transforms. And then back, and then to Padfoot, and back and forth, and Regulus can feel how the transition feels, what it means, and he suddenly sees it, and how to do it.

The next thing Regulus knows is that he’s back in the study, and he’s—well, he has feathers.

“Congratulations, you were correct,” Sirius says, amused. “You are, indeed, a goshawk, and you’ve found your form. Now it’s just a matter of changing back. Think about how it felt for me to do that, and you’ll get there.”

Sirius seems remarkably calm given that Regulus is covered in feathers and has no idea how to change back.

“Come on, you’ve got this,” Sirius says. “Just think what it feels like to be human again. It’s the same transformation, just backwards.”

And that calms Regulus down enough so that he can transform back, and Sirius beams at him. “Well done! Now, we’ll do that a few dozen times, and tomorrow you can try flying. It’ll make it easier in the long run.”

The next day, Sirius is as good as his word, and their grandfather seems to be feeling a little stronger, because he accompanies them outside to watch as Regulus take his first flight. He might be leaning on his cane, but he walks steadily and without assistance today.

He’s as impressed with Regulus’ form as he had been with Sirius’, and they both stand outside to watch as he takes flight. Regulus flounders a bit the first time, not quite getting how to move his wings and tail to catch the air currents. It takes him several tries to get off the ground and into the air, at least more than a few inches.

And then something seems to click, and Regulus launches himself into the air, wings flapping strongly, and he circles the lawn a few times, experimenting with a dive before pulling out of it to do another pass.

He’s always loved flying, but it’s so much more intense when he’s flying as a goshawk, rather than on his broom. By the time he lands and transforms back, Regulus knows that he’ll be back up in the air as soon as he can manage it.

“How was it?” Sirius asks brightly. “Did you have fun?”

“It was amazing,” Regulus gushes. He’s not usually that enthusiastic, but he’s on a high from his flight.

Arcturus is smiling indulgently. “I’m a little jealous, Regulus. That looked like fun.”

“It was fun,” Regulus replies cheerfully. “Probably the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”

“Come on inside,” Sirius says. “If you’re not hungry, you soon will be.”

Regulus hears his stomach growl, and Sirius laughs. Arcturus chuckles. “I think that answers that question.”

And for a brief, shining moment, there’s no war, no Death Eaters, just him and his family, and Regulus decides to live in the moment.

~~~~~

By the time they get through Christmas, Sirius is pleased with how his brother is doing with his transformation, satisfied that Regulus could just fly away from trouble. Although, if Violet really does have a feline form, Sirius isn’t sure what that would say about their compatibility.

Then again, they would both be predators, so that might make sense.

Sirius lets himself into their flat, and calls out, “Anybody home?”

He knows he has an Order meeting in an hour, and he’d planned on going with James, assuming James isn’t with Lily. They hadn’t made any firm plans, other than attending the meeting.

There’s no reply, and Sirius quickly gets changed into more comfortable clothing than what he had been wearing at his grandfather’s house. Sirius pulls on his robes on, and then apparates to the meeting location. He’s early, but there are others who are also known to show up early.

Indeed, Frank and Alice Longbottom are already there, wearing their Auror robes, and Frank greets Sirius with a handshake. “How are you, Sirius? And how is your grandfather?”

Arcturus has mentioned the Longbottoms in the past, so Sirius knows that they’re acquainted.

“He’s doing well,” Sirius replies. “I just came from there, actually. How was your Christmas?”

“Good,” Alice says, dimpling. “We had a very nice holiday.”

James and Lily are the next to arrive, and James gives Sirius a quick, hard hug. “How was Christmas?”

“It was good,” Sirius replies. “Regulus and Grandfather are both doing well.”

He’ll likely tell James and Remus about his brother achieving his animagus transformation once they’re alone, but he’s not going to put it out there for public consumption.

The rest of the Order members begin to filter in, and there are friendly greetings all around, even between members who are only civil. They all know that they might not survive their next mission, and no one wants to go out on bad feelings.

Dumbledore calls the meeting to order, and they discuss the various assignments. There are Muggle-born families that need protection, sensitive spell ingredients that need to be transported to those who are brewing potions for the Order, and intelligence gathering to undertake.

Frank and Alice aren’t the only Aurors present—Mad-Eye Moody is there as well as Kingsley Shacklebolt and Edward Bones. There are also the usual sorts—the Prewitt twins, the Weasleys, and Amelia Bones.

It’s not as though the Ministry has proven effective against Voldemort or the Death Eaters, and so the Order serves as a shadow law enforcement agency.

Dumbledore asks Lily to accompany the Longbottoms on their mission that night to accompany some of those in the Ministry who have been threatened. He asks Sirius and James to run surveillance on a group of Death Eaters.

“I believe that they’re meeting with others,” Dumbledore says. “You may have an opportunity to discover their identities.”

Before they leave, Dumbledore stops them, and Sirius keeps his sigh purely internal. He knows what Dumbledore is going to ask—again. He hasn’t given up on recruiting Remus for the Order, to send him as a liaison to the werewolf packs.

And sure enough, that’s exactly what Dumbledore wants.

“Surely, Remus can see how useful he’d be to the cause,” Dumbledore says.

“And Remus is still very invested in his apprenticeship, and is still very busy,” Sirius says pleasantly. “You’ve always said that joining the Order has to be voluntary, and while Remus is, of course, very concerned about Death Eater activities, he’s not in a position to join the Order right now.”

Dumbledore’s expression is disappointed, but Sirius is going to hold the line. Remus has asked Sirius and James not to let Dumbledore know anything other than he’s busy and unwilling to formally join the Order.

They’re going to hold the secret of the goblin charm as sacred, and given how badly Dumbledore wants to use Remus, Sirius thinks Remus’ instincts are correct.

“Where is Dumbledore’s desperate desire to bring Remus onboard and send him to the packs coming from?” James demands in a low voice. “It’s starting to get weird.”

“You know the Headmaster,” Sirius replies. “He has his own motivations for everything he does. This war is a chess game, and Remus is a piece that has refused to be placed on the board.”

“That doesn’t say much good about Dumbledore,” James mutters.

Sirius shrugs. “I’ll protect Remus for as long as he wants to stay out of things.”

“So will I,” James agrees. “Besides, it’s not like Moony isn’t willing to help out when we need him.”

“True.” Sirius draws his wand. “Once more into the breach, Prongs?”

“Absolutely,” James replies.

They find their quarry easily enough, just where Dumbledore said the Death Eaters would be. There are three of them, all wearing hoods and masks. No chance of getting their identities as he and James watch from the shadows. And, while the information had been good as to their location, there’s no sign of any others.

The rendezvous is in one of the rougher areas of Diagon Alley, and Sirius frowns as they start heading out of Knockturn Alley towards the main street. It’s a little late—just after eight—but there are still plenty of people out and about.

“I don’t think they’re up to any good, Prongs,” Sirius murmurs.

“Neither do I,” James replies. “What do you say we provide a distraction?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Sirius replies.

Wands out, he and James send a series of annoying hexes and jinxes at the Death Eaters, to turn their attention to them, rather than the innocents going about their business.

They would have to keep the attention on them, and they both have experience with that by now. The Death Eaters turn to face them, casting a number of curses at them, and he and James lead them away, towards Knockturn Alley, keeping them busy.

Right up until he and James hit them with heavy-duty stunners, followed up with incarcerous spells. “That should keep them tied up for a while,” James says.

Sirius snorts. “I didn’t get the chance to ask, how was Christmas with Lily?”

James groans. “It was awful. Her parents are nice enough, and they were quite welcoming. If it had just been about spending time with them, it would have been fine. But there was her sister and her sister’s husband, and they are the worst sort of Muggles. An evening in their company almost had me wanting to switch sides and join the Death Eaters.”

Sirius winces. “That bad, huh?”

“Probably worse,” James says. “I don’t think that Lily is all that interested in having them at the wedding now, which is definitely for the best. We did set a date, though, in the spring.”

“That’s something, anyway,” Sirius replies, clapping James on the shoulder. “I’m sorry your Christmas wasn’t a terribly happy one.”

“What about you?” James asks.

“Regulus found his form,” Sirius says. “He’s a goshawk. Took to flying like he’d been born with feathers.”

He knows that he sounds proud, and he is.

“That’s great,” James replies with a grin. “No surprise that Reg is a bird, or a goshawk.”

“No, no surprise there,” Sirius agrees. “Guess we’d better enjoy evenings like this while we can, huh? Pretty soon, you’ll be married, maybe have a baby.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” James replies. “We’ve talked about kids, but we’re not planning on any in the near future, not until the war is over.”

Sirius smirks. “Then I guess we’d better end the war, hadn’t we?”

~~~~~

Regulus steps onto the train platform with some trepidation. He’d spent another week at Black Manor after his brother left to go back to Order business, and his grandfather had given him an engagement ring after the owl came from the Millers. Violet is amenable to the idea of marriage, and his grandfather is wasting no time.

The ring was his grandmother’s, and comes with even stronger protections than the promise rings the two of them wear. Right now, it’s burning a hole in Regulus’ pocket, even though he has no idea how to propose.

Regulus glances over at Sirius, who has once again accompanied him, along with Remus. James and Lily are escorting Violet. None of them are taking any chances once again.

“Can I ask you a question?” Regulus glances around and doesn’t see Violet yet.

“You can ask me anything you like,” Sirius replies. “I can’t promise to answer, though.”

“How do I propose to Violet?” he blurts out. “I mean, it’s kind of a done deal, isn’t it? But I don’t want her to think it’s not important or that I don’t care about her.”

Sirius frowns, apparently thinking about it. “Do you still check in with Kreacher?”

Regulus nods hesitantly. “Yeah, I do.”

“Okay, then you talk to your head of house about finding a nice, empty space, and you get Kreacher to help you decorate. A table, candles, all of it,” Sirius says. “Either Slughorn will help provide a special meal, or maybe Kreacher can get you something. Be sincere when you present the ring, and tell her that while this might be moving faster than expected due to current events, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t eagerly anticipating being married to her.”

Regulus takes a deep breath. “Okay, yeah, that makes sense.”

Sirius claps him on the shoulder. “Relax, little brother. She’s already said yes. But by going that extra mile, you’re going to show her just how serious you are about this.”

Regulus snorts. “I thought you were Sirius.”

His brother barks a laugh. “That’s my line, you berk.”

“Thanks,” Regulus adds. “For the advice.”

“You’re going to do just fine,” Sirius says.

James and Lily walk through the barrier to the platform with Violet between them, and she makes a beeline for Regulus, hugging him tightly. “How are you?”

“Happy to see you,” Regulus replies, remembering Sirius’ advice.

Violet smiles. “I’m happy to see you, too. How are you, Sirius?”

“Glad to see you’re in one piece,” Sirius says warmly. “We’ll stick around to make sure you get on the train safely. Good luck this next term.”

And then Sirius retreats to give them some privacy.

“Was that your brother and his friends being sensitive?” Violet asks.

“Or something passing for that,” Regulus jokes. “Look, to address the elephant in the room—“

Violet holds up a hand. “This might have been partially arranged by my parents and your grandfather, but I still expect a proposal, Regulus. And I mean a real proposal.”

Regulus laughs. “Planning on it.”

“Then there’s nothing more that needs to be said,” Violet replies.

They share a compartment with Byron and Myra, who bring their significant others along with them. Byron is dating a girl from his own house, Diana, and they seem cozy. Myra is dating a boy from Gryffindor, who seems pretty decent and who knew Sirius and James, since they’d played Quidditch together. David is probably the most laid-back Gryffindor Regulus has ever met, because he relaxes and mostly stays quiet.

He and Violet don’t break the news that they’re planning to get betrothed. Regulus figures he’ll let Violet decide when and how to break the news, and he suspects that she’s going to wait until she has the ring and can show it off.

“So, is it true about Elias?” Myra asks. “We heard he was marked.”

“We saw the mark ourselves,” Violet confirms. “That’s why he’s been avoiding all of us.”

Byron tips his head back. “Merlin’s pants. Why did that idiot go and do something like that?”

“Maybe he didn’t have a choice,” David drawls. “Some don’t.”

Regulus might be warming up to Gryffindors—just a bit.

“David is right,” Diana says reluctantly. “I think we all know people who have been forced into it. The problem is that it’s impossible to really tell who’s a pureblooded bigot, and who was actually forced.”

“Elias was,” Regulus says. “I don’t have proof, but Violet and I both saw the look on his face when we confronted him.”

Byron nods. “I trust you, and I trust your judgment. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get him out of it somehow.”

“Somehow,” Violet echoes, but Regulus knows that she knows the chances are good that Elias won’t be released unless or until they win the war.

It takes Regulus a few days once they get back to Hogwarts to set up the proposal, but he does as Sirius advised. Slughorn is surprisingly helpful, and Kreacher appears to be excited by the opportunity to play an important role in his plans.

Dinner is set for the Saturday after they return, and Kreacher outdoes himself with the decorations. The classroom has been cleared of desks, with a single table in the center. There’s a white tablecloth and a candle set in the center, with candles around the room offering a soft light. There’s china and silver, flowers and warmth, and maybe this is the perfect way to propose after all.

They had met at Hogwarts, had formed an alliance at Hogwarts, and they’d spent a fair share of time in empty classrooms for various reasons.

Regulus is wearing his smart clothes under dress robes, and when Violet enters the room, he sees that she’s done the same. She has purple flowers threaded through her dark hair, which is up in a complicated braid, and she’s so beautiful that she takes his breath away.

Regulus can’t wait another moment, and he goes down on one knee, pulling the ring box out of his pocket.

Violet smiles. “I thought you were going to pull out all the stops, Black. I haven’t even had dinner yet.”

“I didn’t want to wait one more second,” Regulus replies. “Maybe we’re getting married sooner than we would have if there weren’t a war on, and your parents and my grandfather weren’t involved, but I would still want to marry you. You are one of the smartest, bravest witches I’ve ever known, and I want you as my partner in crime—and in all things.”

Violet is blinking rapidly. “How did you get to be so romantic all of a sudden?”

“Well, I did ask my brother for advice,” Regulus admits.

Violet sniffs and then gives a watery chuckle. “We really ought to set him up with some nice girl as soon as possible, because I am not going o be the one solely responsible for coming up with the Black heirs.”

“So noted,” Regulus replies. “So, your answer?”

“I’ve already said yes, you dolt,” Violet says fondly. “Put the ring on my finger already so we can eat. I’m absolutely starving.”

Regulus puts the ring on her fingers, his hands shaking slightly, and then he stands up and kisses her, feeling her fingers tangle in his long hair. “I love you,” he says.

“I love you, too,” Violet replies. “Good job, by the way.”

“I took my brother’s advice,” Regulus feels compelled to point out.

Violet smiles. “But you asked advice from the right person, and that shows just how smart you are.”

“Right now, I feel very smart,” Regulus admits.

Chapter 8

Three Years Later

Arcturus feels a sense of deja vu, sitting in his study across from Rockhand. They’re old friends at this point, if one can be friends with a goblin. Not that Arcturus believes that goblins and wizards can’t be friends, but he’s not sure whether Rockhand would say the same.

He would hate to be presumptuous.

Rockhand takes a sip of his tea and regards Arcturus with a sharp gaze. “You’re looking well, better than I expected.”

Arcturus nods. “I have good days and bad days. Today is a good day.”

He doesn’t say that on his bad days he has to fight just to get out of bed, but he refuses to give in, not when his boys are still in danger. When they’re safe, he won’t have to fight so hard.

“You asked whether we’ve seen an end to this war,” Rockhand says. “We have.”

Arcturus maintains his composure with some difficulty, but he feels some hope for the first time. “I see. I assume that it’s a little more complicated than that we’ll win the war.”

“Indeed,” Rockhand agrees. “There is a prophecy about a child who will defeat Voldemort.”

Arcturus blinks. “A child? Surely not.”

“Well, that’s what the wizard prophecy says,” Rockhand says dryly. “The goblin seers say something different.”

Arcturus has learned to trust the goblin seers, so he says, “I’m sure they do, and whatever they say is likely more accurate.”

“The wizard prophecy can be used to set a trap,” Rockhand says. “Voldemort will assume that killing a child would be an easy task, and the only thing standing in his way to total dominance. There are blood rituals that can be done. Your younger grandson would know how to do that.”

Arcturus frowns. “Regulus is safe in Paris. Why should he need to get involved?”

“He wouldn’t be the one doing the ritual,” Rockhand replies, sounding somewhat amused. “His parents would be the ones.”

“And who are the parents?”

“Unknown at this time,” Rockhand admits. “The prophecy could apply to one of two children: Harry Potter or Neville Longbottom.”

Arcturus feels his heart sink. Both boys had only just been born. He counts Daniel Longbottom as a friend, and knows he’s excited over the birth of his first grandchild. Arcturus hasn’t met little Harry yet, but Sirius is his godfather.

If Harry is a target, there’s no way that Sirius won’t be involved. And if Sirius’ life is at risk, Regulus will want to help.

He sighs. “I see. That does change things a bit.”

“I would say so,” Rockhand replies. “The seers don’t believe that your grandsons are likely in any additional danger, but the children are, as are their parents.”

Arcturus knows that he’s going to be opening up the Manor to the Potters, which is unplottable and will afford them more protection than any other location would.

After all, Harry Potter is Sirius’ godson, and that makes him family of a sort.

~~~~~

Sirius bounces Harry in his arms, soothing the fussy baby, unable to help the silly grin that spreads out over his face. He’d been honored to be asked to be Harry’s godfather, and had immediately said yes. He hadn’t been prepared for the overwhelming love that he felt when James placed Harry in his arms for the first time.

He doesn’t think he could love Harry more if he was his own blood.

“Are you going to let me have a turn?” Remus asks, obviously amused.

“He likes me best,” Sirius replies smugly. He and Remus had agreed to babysit Harry while James and Lily met with Dumbledore. They hadn’t known what Dumbledore wanted, but they wanted to make sure Harry was protected.

“He’s not going to get used to me if you keep hogging him,” Remus points out. “Come on, Padfoot, give him here.”

With a sigh, Sirius hands the baby to Remus, who hums happily. “How are things going with the Order?”

“I’m still taking missions,” Sirius admits. “More now than ever, to be honest. James and Lily have taken some time off, and with the deaths of the Prewitt twins, I’m busier now than I’ve ever been.”

Remus frowns. “Sirius, if you need me—“

“You have a good thing going, Moony,” Sirius says quickly. “Your work is important, and unlike me, you actually do need the money, even though I would support you if you asked.”

“And I’m not going to ask,” Remus is quick to say. “I’ll help you, but I still can’t join the Order. I don’t want to risk Dumbledore using me, not when I’m in such a good place.”

Sirius can’t blame Remus, who has a respectable job and his own flat now. He doesn’t have to worry about the full moon, or go through the painful transformation. As far as Sirius knows, he’s even dated a few people.

“Have you spoken to Wormtail lately?” Remus asks.

Sirius shakes his head. “No, not recently. He’s been scarce as hen’s teeth. Why do you ask?”

Remus shrugs. “I haven’t spoken to him either, and that’s a little more unusual. We were getting lunch together every month, but he’s been ignoring my owls.”

“He might just be busy,” Sirius says. “He has his Ministry job. I’m sure that’s all it is.”

“I hope you’re right,” Remus replies. “How is Regulus?”

Sirius sprawls on the couch next to Remus. “He’s great. He and Violet are expecting their first child.”

“You’re going to be an uncle then,” Remus says with a smile. “Congratulations. I’m sure your grandfather is over the moon.”

“Last I spoke to him, he certainly was,” Sirius replies.

“And your grandfather?” Remus asks.

Sirius sighs. “He has good days and bad days, but he’s doing better than we expected at this stage. The disease is progressing slowly, and we didn’t know whether it would be fast or slow.”

“That’s something, anyway,” Remus says.

They’ve just put Harry down for his nap when James and Lily return from their meeting with Dumbledore, looking a bit shell shocked.

“What’s wrong?” Sirius demands. “You look as though you’ve seen a ghost.”

“There’s a prophecy that could be about Harry,” Lily says faintly. “Dumbledore thinks we should go into hiding, because You-Know-Who is hunting for him. He suggested putting the house under a Fidelius.”

Sirius frowns. “With a Fidelius, you’d need a Secret Keeper.”

“We were hoping you could do it,” James says.

Sirius hesitates. “Of course, I would be happy to, but I think it would be a mistake.”

“How so?” Lily asks.

“Everyone is going to expect me to be your Secret Keeper,” Sirius points out. “And all it would take is me getting captured and tortured to reveal that secret.”

James frowns. “You wouldn’t.”

“I wouldn’t want to,” Sirius counters. “But we’ve both seen it before, Prongs. I’m not going to pretend that I would be able to hold up forever. If someone is that determined to get the information, they’re going to get it.”

Lily sits down in the recliner and slumps. “You make a fair point, Sirius, but what would you suggest?”

“I suggest relocating somewhere that no one can find you, and that they wouldn’t necessarily expect,” Sirius says with a smirk.

James frowns. “Black Manor?”

“Got it in one,” Sirius replies. “It’s unplottable, and no one would know that you’re there.”

“There are Death Eaters who know its location, though,” James points out. “Your brother’s friend, Elias, knows where it is.”

“And he swore on his magic not to take action against our family,” Sirius points out. “But we could put the Manor under a Fidelius if my grandfather agrees. He’s virtually a hermit anyway, so I doubt he’ll mind.”

“Speak with your grandfather,” James says reluctantly. “But Dumbledore didn’t think we should stay here without some form of protection.”

“Make me the Secret Keeper,” Remus says. “I’m not in the Order, and most people have probably forgotten that I exist.”

Lily smiles at him warmly. “We haven’t, Moony.”

“And you happen to be the only people I care about not forgetting about me,” Remus says. “I’m happy to play it safe these days.”

“Moony wouldn’t be the obvious choice,” Sirius admits. “And if he took precautions when coming here, it would be safe enough. In fact, even if you do relocate to Black Manor, putting the house under a Fidelius might throw people off. They’ll naturally assume that you’re here.”

James nods. “Okay, that sounds like a solid plan.”

The Fidelius is quickly cast, and they have dinner together, with Harry gurgling happily in Sirius’ arms. “I’ll go see my grandfather tomorrow,” Sirius says. “I’ll ask him about it then.”

“Thank you,” James says. “I really appreciate you doing that, Padfoot.”

“Anything for my godson,” Sirius replies. “You know that.”

Sirius is as good as his word. He sends an owl that night, to let his grandfather know that he’s coming, and then apparates to Black Manor mid-morning. Arcturus is in his study, and he says, “I was expecting you. Tea?”

“Please and thank you,” Sirius replies. “How are you feeling?”

Arcturus raises an eyebrow as Sirius sits down across from him, a cup of tea appearing on the desk in front of him. “You ask me that every time you see me. You’re not going to ask why I was expecting you?”

“I’m sure you’ll tell me,” Sirius says, amused. “So?”

“I’m feeling just fine,” Arcturus says, a little huffy.

Sirius grins at him. “How did you know I would be coming?”

“There’s a prophecy,” Arcturus replies. “Rockhand told me. Harry is a possible subject.”

Sirius nods. “That would be the reason that I’m here, yes. Dumbledore informed James and Lily about the prophecy yesterday. We’ve put their house under a Fidelius.”

Arcturus frowns. “Are you their Secret Keeper?”

“No, I thought it would be too obvious,” Sirius replies. “We chose another.”

“Remus, I suppose,” Arcturus comments. “He’s a good choice, since he’s stayed out of the Order.”

Sirius nods. “Thanks to you, yes, he has. He knows that Dumbledore would send him to the packs, and he doesn’t want to go.”

“I don’t blame him,” Arcturus replies. “Remus always struck me as a clever one. Being used as a pawn wouldn’t agree with him, and is unlikely to do any good. The packs are never going to trust a wizard, and they’re too disorganized to be of any use.”

That’s Sirius’ take as well, and is another reason that he’s protected Remus from Dumbledore’s interest. “Anyone who knows the Potters well is going to assume that I’m the Secret Keeper, but if they discover that I’m not, the next guess will be Remus.”

“I assume that you want to relocate them here,” Arcturus says. “And of course my answer is yes.”

Sirius nods. “Did the goblins say anything else about the prophecy?”

“They think we can use it as a trap for Voldemort,” Arcturus says. “Through a ritual. Rockhand seems to think your brother might know the right one.”

Sirius nods slowly. “Right. I’ll go see him after we’ve relocated the Potters, then. Thank you for this, Grandfather.”

“Think nothing of it, my boy,” Arcturus replies. “James is a distant cousin, after all, and Harry is your godson. That makes them family.”

Sirius wants to ask how his grandfather could define family so broadly, and yet so narrowly, all at the same time, but he knows why already. His grandfather wants the Black line to continue, and anything that threatens him or Regulus is something he will do anything he can to prevent.

That’s just his grandfather, but he won’t be the Black patriarch forever. One of these days, Sirius will lead the family, and he’ll make the decisions as to who’s in and who’s out.

~~~~~

Regulus strolls through magical Paris on his way back from lunch. He has a few more hours of work left, and then he plans to take Violet out for dinner, to give her a break from cooking. In her condition, she shouldn’t be on her feet too much.

He’s not really paying much attention to his surroundings, and he should know better. Although the Death Eaters’ violence is mostly contained to the United Kingdom, it has spilled over onto the Continent a few times. Paris might be relatively safe, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be vigilant.

But he’s thinking about the report he needs to write on magical contracts, and so he’s startled when a hand appears out of nowhere and grabs his arm, yanking him into an alley. Regulus’ wand is in his hand immediately, but the person who grabbed him is ready for that, and shoves him up against the brick wall, the tip of his wand digging into Regulus’ throat.

He suddenly realizes who’s holding him at wand point. “Elias? What—are you here to kill me?”

“No, I’m here to make good on my vow,” Elias replies, taking a step back. “I just needed to make sure I had your attention.”

“Mission bloody well accomplished,” Regulus replies, exasperated, but then he sees the state that Elias is in. He has deep, dark circles under his eyes, and a pallor that speaks of illness or of not enough time in the sun. “You look terrible.”

“Be glad you were never marked, Reg,” Elias replies. “The strain on your magic is terrible.”

Regulus swallows, knowing all too well that Elias’ fate could very well have been his. “I am glad. What’s going on?”

“You need to know that Peter Pettigrew was marked,” Elias says. “Last week. And he was entrusted with a mission from the Dark Lord.”

Regulus swallows. “Are you sure?”

“I was there when it was done,” Elias replies. “I swore on my magic that I wouldn’t act against you or your family, so I knew I had to warn you, let you warn your brother and grandfather.”

Regulus nods. “Do you know what his mission was?”

“No, but I believe it has something to do with the Potters’ child,” Elias replies. “He’s hunting them.”

Regulus frowns. “Why?”

“There’s a prophecy, but I don’t know the details,” Elias admits. “Just that the Dark Lord thinks the boy is a threat to him.”

Regulus lets out a breath. “Okay. I’ll pass the word along. Can I—do you want to come by for a meal, or—“

“I can’t be seen with you,” Elias replies. “This was a big enough risk as it is. I have to be back in England this evening.”

Regulus nods. “Good luck, Elias, and if there’s ever anything I can do—“

Elias manages a smile. “I know. Thank you.” And then he apparates away.

Regulus goes back to the office where he’s reading law, and he tries to focus, but Elias’ words and his appearance keep replaying through his mind. Regulus finally gives it up, and he sticks his head into his boss’ office. “Monsieur Thibeault, forgive me, but I need to leave early today.”

Thibeault looks up. “Is everything all right, Monsieur Black?”

“Just some upsetting news from home, that’s all,” Regulus replies. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

“Let me know if you need some more time off,” Thibeault replies. “You’ve been an excellent clerk, Regulus. I would hate to lose you, but I can give you time off if needed.”

“I appreciate that, and I’ll let you know,” Regulus promises. “I’m hoping it won’t be necessary.”

He apparates straight to the hall right outside of their Paris flat, not wanting to startle Violet. He unlocks the door, and calls out, “Violet? Are you home?”

“I’m here,” Violet calls. “You’re home early.”

“I saw Elias,” Regulus says. “He pulled me into an alley at want point.”

Violet rushes over to him. She’s about five months along, and hasn’t slowed down yet. Regulus wants her to stop working, since she’s working in a shop that sells spell ingredients, but so far she’s refused. He kind of loves the fact that she wants to be independent, even though she wouldn’t have to be.

“Are you all right?” she demands. “Were you hurt? Was he?”

Regulus shakes his head. “No, he just wanted to warn me. Pettigrew has been marked.”

Violet frowns. “That’s a coincidence. We just got a letter from your brother today. He addressed it to both of us, so I went ahead and opened it. He’s going to be here the day after tomorrow.”

She grabs the letter and hands it to him. “I’m sorry if I overstepped.”

Regulus shakes his head. “He wouldn’t have addressed it to both of us if he meant it to be private. Don’t worry about it.”

He quickly scans the letter.

Dear Reg and Vi,

Business is going to bring me to Paris the day after tomorrow, so I’ll be stopping in to see the two of you. I want to make sure you two are taking good care of the newest Black, not that I have any doubts. See you soon.

Love,

Sirius

“That’s odd,” Regulus says.

“What’s odd?” Violet asks.

“He didn’t say anything about needing or wanting a response from us before he just showed up,” Regulus replies.

“It’s not like we would turn him away,” Violet objects.

Regulus shakes his head. “No, of course not, and Sirius knows that. But we had politeness drilled into us, and the polite thing to do would be to give us the opportunity to turn him away if we had other plans. He didn’t do that, which means there’s an emergency of some sort, something he didn’t want to put in a letter.”

“Well, I guess we’ll find out what that is the day after tomorrow,” Violet says. “There’s no sense worrying about it now.”

“Except that Pettigrew knows where Black Manor is,” Regulus replies. “And he could lead the Death Eaters directly there.”

Violet frowns. “Do you really think he would?”

“I don’t know,” Regulus replies. “That’s the problem. Elias took a huge risk by warning me.”

Violet caresses his face. “I know, but I think we have to wait. Clearly, Sirius couldn’t say much. He’s worried about the message being intercepted. We don’t have a secure way of warning him. We have to wait for him, and hope for the best.”

Regulus sighs, knowing that she’s right, and he pulls her close. They’ve been married for a year and a half, and his love has only deepened. She’s beautiful and smart and kind, and now she’s going to be the mother of their child.

“I love you,” Regulus says. “You know that.”

“I do know that,” Violet replies. “And you’re going to be an excellent father, and we are going to be fine. Your family is going to be fine.”

“Is that a promise?” Regulus asks.

Violet smiles. “It is. I’ve been right so far, haven’t I?”

“You have been,” Regulus replies. “You very nearly always are.”

“Nearly?” Violet counters.

Regulus laughs, since it’s an old discussion. Violet insists that she’s always right, and Regulus not quite ready to agree. “Nearly,” he insists.

“You keep telling yourself that, Regulus Black,” she says. “Maybe one day, you’ll even be convincing.”

Regulus goes back to work the next day, and he manages to focus enough to get the job done, even if he’s not as productive as he normally is.

He does ask for the following day off, since he isn’t sure when Sirius is getting into town, and he wants to be prepared. He picks up what they need for dinner at the market, although he plans on being the one to cook. Violet had taught him everything he knows, laughing at his sheer ineptitude until he’d been forced to learn.

Plus, he’s pretty sure that Sirius doesn’t know how to cook, and he’d like to impress his brother.

Violet is at work when he returns to the flat, and Regulus puts the groceries away. He doesn’t have much to do other than wait, so he reads a book, going back over the books that his parents had given him for Christmas all those years ago. He’d been reading up on protection rituals now that Violet is pregnant.

Anything that she could activate if she were attacked, anything that would protect their unborn child. There are no lengths to which Regulus would not go.

A brisk knock sounds, and Regulus draws his wand. He looks through the peephole, and he sees Sirius standing on the other side.

Regulus opens the door, and it’s the first time he sees his brother in person in at least six months. The Blacks might not be physically affectionate, but Regulus can’t resist throwing his arms around his brighter in a tight hug.

“Come on, Reg,” Sirius says laughingly. “You aren’t even going to do an identity check? You know better.”

Regulus does know better, but he’d been too happy to see his brother to do it. Now, he casts a revelio, and nothing turns up. “Sirius.”

“I’m happy to see you, too,” Sirius replies. “But I could still be under polyjuice.”

Regulus rolls his eyes. “But you’re not.”

“And why is that?” Sirius asks.

“Because you’re going to tell me what my animagus form is,” Regulus replies.

“You’re a goshawk,” Sirius says.

“And you’re a Grim, or something that looks like one.” Regulus stands aside. “Come on in. Your letter was strangely cryptic.”

“I didn’t want to risk it being intercepted,” Sirius replies. “Where is Violet?”

“At work,” Regulus says. “And before you say it, I know, but she insists, and I’ve learned that arguing with her is inadvisable, even if we are married.”

Sirius laughs. “I’d say especially since you are married. She knows where you sleep.”

“She does,” Regulus says. “But you didn’t respond to the question.”

Sirius sighs. “Do you have anything to drink? Portkeys leave me parched.”

“I’ll grab a couple of butter beers,” Regulus replies.

Sirius makes himself at home at their kitchen table, and Regulus grabs their drinks. “What’s up with you?” Sirius asks. “Because I can tell there’s something. You should have new father glow, and instead you seem spooked.”

Regulus glares at him. “What would you know about new father glow?”

“Harry is only a few months old, so I’m intimately familiar with new father glow, you berk,” Sirius says. “What’s up?”

The news is sitting like a heavy stone in Regulus’ chest. “Elias found me the other day. He grabbed me and said that Pettigrew had taken the mark.”

Sirius hisses. “What.”

“He said he’d witnessed it himself, and he was fulfilling the promise he made on his magic,” Regulus replies. “You can’t trust him, Siri.”

“I know,” Sirius says. “I mean, I’ve known for a long time, but you gave me a concrete reason just now. He’s probably going to try to come after Harry.”

Regulus frowns. “Your godson?”

“That’s the one,” Sirius replies. “There’s a prophecy, where he’s foretold to stand against the Dark Lord.”

Regulus glares. “Why are you calling him that?”

Sirius grins. “Good catch, but that’s actually what the prophecy says. We put the house under a Fidelius and relocated them to Black Manor, but if Peter is a Death Eater, we’ll need to take more precautions than that. The goblins think we can use the prophecy to trap the dark git, though, and that you might know the spell to do it.”

Regulus blows out a breath. “Yes, I mean, I’ve been looking up spells for Violet and our child. If you give me a couple of days, I think I can come up with something.”

Sirius smirks at him. “How comfortable is your couch?”

“We have a guest room,” Regulus says firmly. “And you can stay in it as long as you don’t make more work for Violet.”

“Now, why would I do that when she’s doing the hard work of carrying my niece or nephew?” Sirius asks. “I promise, you’ll know I’m here, but only in the best possible way.”

Since time seems to be of the essence, Regulus sends an owl to his boss, requesting time off for said family emergency. Then, Regulus goes back to the books. He’s a little surprised that Sirius and the Potters are even willing to consider a blood ritual, but Regulus isn’t even a parent yet, and already he can’t think of anything he wouldn’t do for his child. He doubts the Potters are any different.

When Violet returns home that evening, Sirius produces two gifts from his small suitcase for her. “One from me, and one from our grandfather,” Sirius says with a charming grin. “For the mother-to-be.”

Violet smiles. “Isn’t that a nice surprise? Right along with you being here, of course.”

She opens Arcturus’ gift first and Regulus sees a very traditional new-mother gift in pureblood families, a beautiful necklace with a diamond pendant. “Oh, it’s beautiful!”

“It was our grandmother’s,” Sirius explains. “Grandfather thought you should have it. He bought it for her when she was pregnant with their oldest.”

Violet sniffs. “That’s so sweet.”

“I’m afraid my gift isn’t so fancy,” Sirius confesses, handing her the second gift. Inside the box is a soft baby blanket wrapped around a book titled, “Magical Parenting: What You Need to Know.”

“One of the Order members knits,” Sirius says. “I asked her to make the blanket when Reg gave me the news. It’s not a diamond necklace—“

“Stop it,” Violet says firmly. “The blanket and the book are both lovely gestures, and I very much appreciate them. It was very thoughtful.”

“Anything for my new niece or nephew,” Sirius replies. “And I’ll have you know that I’m getting pretty good at this whole babysitting thing, so I’m happy to portkey over to help out.”

“That’s a very generous offer,” Violet replies. “Being a godfather suits you, Sirius.”

Sirius laughs. “I can’t help it. I love that kid, and I’m going to enjoy being an uncle just as much, I know.”

And it becomes clear over the next couple of days that Sirius is invested in just that. He’s an excellent house guest, and he’s solicitous of Violet. It’s clear that he has some experience around a pregnant person, because he seems hellbent on making sure that she doesn’t have to lift a finger.

He confesses that he’s not much of a cook, but he can make breakfast, and he can go pick up whatever she expresses an interest in eating. While Regulus researches, he regales Violet with stories of his time with the Order, sticking to the more amusing tales.

In short, Sirius makes himself indispensable and charming, and Regulus wouldn’t mind if he visited more often. It’s a different side to Sirius than what he’s seen before, and he loves him the better for it.

After two days of straight research, Regulus thinks he has the answer that Sirius is seeking.

“There’s a blood ritual that is best performed by both parents, but particularly the mother,” Regulus says over dinner and drinks. Sirius had sourced take-away, and Violet is working an evening shift at her job. “It will turn any spell against the caster, including any unforgivable curse.”

Sirius leans back in his chair, his expression grim. “Then we could set a trap.”

“You could,” Regulus agrees. “The ritual can take one of two forms. It can either protect a place, like a nursery, or a person. I’d recommend a place, since doing otherwise would mean using Harry as bait.”

“Can we do both?” Sirius asks.

Regulus has anticipated that question. “You can, but only one person or pair of people can fuel the spell. The spell will be stronger if both of the Potters participate.”

“What about me?” Sirius asks. “What if I do the spell?”

And that is a question that Regulus hadn’t anticipated, but he knows the answer. “You could, but it wouldn’t be as protective.”

Sirius runs a hand through his hair. “You’re going to be a parent. What would you do?”

Regulus blows out a breath. “You would ask me that. I don’t—I don’t know, Sirius. The parent in me says to throw everything at protecting Harry, but if you can set a trap and defeat the bastard, Harry wouldn’t need that kind of protection.”

“If I did the spell on Harry’s nursery, and we trap him, would the spell still reflect back on him?” Sirius asks.

Regulus considers the question. “It would, but maybe not as strongly. As strong as he is, unless the protection ritual is at full strength, I don’t think it’s going to take him out.”

Sirius drums his fingers on the table. “Fair point. Once the protection ritual is spent, can it be recast?”

Regulus nods. “If it’s cast on a place, not a person. Once it’s cast on a person, it’s a one and done.”

“What’s the cost of casting the spell?” Sirius asks shrewdly.

“On a place, negligible,” Regulus replies. “On a person, you’re tying your life force to theirs.”

Sirius’ eyes narrow. “Wait, so James and Lily could cast the spell on Harry’s nursery to set a trap, and I could cast on Harry. I’m legally his third parent, so—“

Regulus holds up a hand. “What do you mean, you’re his third parent?”

“We didn’t want to take any risks that Harry would go to Lily’s sister,” Sirius explains. “We thought the best way to prevent that from happening would be for me to take oaths as a parent.”

“That changes things,” Regulus admits slowly. “Magically, you’re as invested in Harry as his parents. Your idea has merit. If you could also cast a spell creating simulacrums of the Potters and Harry, real enough to fool Voldemort, you could create a trap that way.”

Sirius nods slowly. “Remus is talented enough to do it. And now that we know Peter is marked, we can use that. Elias may have just handed us the key to stopping the dark git. When this is over, I’ll make sure everyone knows that he helped. I know what kind of risk he took coming to you.”

Regulus lets out a relieved sigh, knowing that Sirius’ word is going to mean more than his. “Thank you.”

“I remember the people who help me,” Sirius replies. “And Elias helped us. If he hadn’t warned us, we might have shared the Potters’ location with him.”

“I want to come back to England,” Regulus says. “I want my child to know you and our grandfather. I want Grandfather to know my child.”

“You’ve helped,” Sirius replies. “More than that, you’ve handed us the key to the problem. I’m going to bring you home.”

Regulus glances away. “It’s been really good to have you here, Siri.”

“It’s been good to be here,” Sirius replies. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” Regulus says. “Who would have thought?”

“I would have,” Sirius replies. “I always missed you, Reg.”

Regulus takes a deep breath. “Thank Merlin for Grandfather, huh?”

“In more ways than one,” Sirius says.

~~~~~

Sirius returns to England and heads immediately for Black Manor. The news about Wormtail means that they need to take immediate steps to secure the Manor against him. His grandfather had some reservations about putting the Manor under a Fidelius. Since Elias had taken an oath on his magic, there hadn’t been a sense of urgency.

That has all changed now.

He’d sent a message to Remus, asking him to meet them at Black Manor once Sirius is back in town, with a date and time, and so Remus, James, and Lily are all present when Sirius arrives. Cordy tells Sirius that they’re in the study.

“Where’s Grandfather?” Sirius asks.

Cordy lets out a little laugh. “Oh, he in study, too. Lord Black get the reputation as a baby whisperer.”

Sirius frowns, and decides that he has to see this for himself. Sure enough, James, Lily and Remus are all sitting around a tea service with a platter of snacks, and Arcturus has Harry bouncing on his knee, a silly grin on his face.

Sirius’ eyebrows go straight up, but he keeps his first comment to himself. Harry is giggling happily, James and Lily are wearing indulgent smiles, and his grandfather looks happier than Sirius has ever seen him.

“Hi all,” Sirius says.

His grandfather glances up. “And when are you going to provide me with grandchildren, hmm?”

“I think Regulus has that covered for the moment, Grandfather,” Sirius replies. “Violet is glowing, as is Regulus.”

“Did she like the gift?” Arcturus asks.

“She cried happy tears,” Sirius replies. “It was a hit. I see that you’ve made friends with my godson.”

Arcturus is unabashed. “He’s a delightful baby. I always enjoyed babies.”

Sirius blinks. “That…is not something I knew.”

“Why should you?” Arcturus asks. “Since you haven’t provided me with great-grandchildren.”

Sirius can tell that this is going to be a repeated theme. “Never mind that. Regulus’ friend, Elias, found him in Paris.”

Arcturus goes still and solemn. “Is he all right?”

“I would have led with that if he weren’t,” Sirius replies, and then he looks at James and Remus. “Elias told Reg that Peter had been marked. Said he was there when it happened.”

James frowns. “You have to be kidding.”

“He was very clear with Regulus,” Sirius says. “Peter is a Death Eater now.”

Remus curses bitterly, using language that Sirius hasn’t heard from him before. “I knew something had changed. He was avoiding me.”

“You were right to be worried,” Sirius admits. “But we all know that Wormtail doesn’t have the strongest constitution.”

“Maybe we should have given him a reason not to join the Death Eaters,” James mutters. “If we had—“

“No.” Remus is the one to speak, his tone sharp. “Peter made his choice. He knows that he could have come to us, or even to Lord Black for protection. We all have choices to make, and drifting away from his friends isn’t an excuse to join the enemy.”

“Remus is right,” Lily says firmly. “Severus was my best friend, and he joined the Death Eaters. He could have done just about anything, but he joined them instead.”

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter,” Sirius insists. “We know he’s been marked, and we know that Voldemort is hunting for Harry. If the dark git isn’t a complete idiot—and we all know he isn’t—he’s going to use Wormtail to get to him.”

Arcturus clears his throat. “I think we should put the Manor under a Fidelius. I wasn’t certain before, but this changes things. Peter hasn’t taken an oath not to act against our family.”

Sirius nods. “I can be the Secret Keeper for the Manor.”

Arcturus nods. “Good. I would prefer that, and I’d prefer that you visit your brother again, in person. If Elias has found him in Paris, it’s possible that other Death Eaters will follow. I’d like to ensure that they can safely retreat here.”

Sirius has no problem with that, especially since Regulus will really need the retreat if he has to come here. “Of course. Right after we do the blood ritual, because we have a plan.”

“I’d like to hear it,” James says. “Because I’m not sure that I’m okay with a blood ritual.”

“I am,” Lily says firmly. “Unless we have to use someone else’s blood without their consent.”

Sirius shakes his head. “I know better than that. Regulus was already researching protection rituals for their child. We can cast it both on Harry, and on his nursery.”

Remus immediately understands. “What would you use for bait?”

“Simulacrums,” Sirius replies. “With strong enough wizards or witches, we can set a very realistic looking trap. If we play our cards right, we can even use Peter to do it.”

James grins. “I like the way you think.”

Sirius holds out his hands. “Can I have my godson now while we talk about this?”

Arcturus sighs deeply. “Fine. I suppose.”

Sirius grabs Harry and raises him high. “And how’s my favorite godson?”

“He’s your only godson,” Lily points out, sounding amused.

“Hopefully, not forever,” Sirius replies, cuddling Harry close. “But Harry will always be my favorite.”

Harry reaches out and tugs on Sirius’ hair, cooing. “See? I’m his favorite, too.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Remus says, but his tone is fond. “Come on, Pads. Tell us how we’re going to defeat this dark bastard.”

It’s not as easy as just saying the words, of course. The protection ritual isn’t easy, nor is it without risk, and they have to cast it both on Henry, and on the nursery at the Potters’ cottage. There’s a ritual circle at the Manor, where they can do the spell on Harry, but they’ll need more preparation for the cottage. And they’ll need to do it under the cover of darkness, so that no one notices.

But, in a way, it is easy, because they’re a united front, and it’s like when they were in Hogwarts planning their elaborate pranks. They’ve been practicing for this moment their entire lives it seems like, and maybe just for this very moment.

They’re going to take down a Dark Lord, protect Harry, and maybe even save the world while they’re at it.

~~~~

Arcturus shouldn’t be surprised at how much he likes having the Potters around. They’re both lively young people, who are good houseguests, and are kind and respectful. But even if they weren’t all those things, he would tolerate their presence for Harry.

Harry exudes magic. He has his mother’s green eyes, which sparkle, and while he can be fussy, he’s easily distracted by something that keeps his attention. It could be a glowing ball of light, or imaginary butterflies, or one of a hundred things.

He isn’t talking yet, not intelligibly, but Arcturus is teaching him to say grandpa for the day he inevitably does, because he knows that James and Lily both lost their parents the previous year—Lily’s to natural causes, and James’ to the Death Eaters. There is no other grandparent to compete, and so Arcturus plans on filling the role as long as he can.

And Arcturus hadn’t lied to Sirius. He’d enjoyed this stage with his own children, but by the time they were older, he’d been busy with his work at the Wizengamot, busy with his estates, and he hadn’t made the time as he had when they were brand new. When they went to Hogwarts, he hadn’t made the effort to stay in touch, not the way his wife had. He thought she would make up for any deficits.

He’s come to realize that there was no substitute for the human touch.

Harry has fallen asleep in Arcturus’ arms during the planning session, and that had been a lesson in and of itself. His heir and his friends would have been generals with the precision of their planning. All three boys are smart and cunning, and with the addition of Lily, he suspects they’ve only improved on things.

“You’re very good with him, you know,” Lily says.

Arcturus glances up, surprised, realizing that he’d been half-dozing himself. “Forgive me.”

“No, it’s good for—“ Her voice falters. “He’ll never know his grandparents, but it would be good to have someone who will spoil him like a grandfather would. Sirius will—well, I’m sure he’ll encourage all kinds of things I’m not in favor of, but that’s what a godfather is for, and I know that Sirius would protect him with his life if necessary.”

Arcturus looks down at the sleeping boy in his arms. “As would I, but if we put Black Manor under a Fidelius, it shouldn’t be necessary. Harry will have Sirius, and me, and even Regulus and Violet if it comes to that.”

Lily nods. “We have a very detailed will. I’d like to leave you with a copy, just in case.”

“Of course,” Arcturus replies. “I have a veritable army of good solicitors. We’ll make sure your wishes are carried out. What has you most concerned?”

“I’m not sure,” Lily admits. “I just know that the last person I want to raise my child is my sister, and she’d be the natural choice, with our parents gone, and James an only child. Sometimes I wonder if Sirius being the godfather is even enough, even if he did take oaths that make him Harry’s third parent. James tried to explain the difference to me, but—“

Arcturus clears his throat. “No offense to James, but I might be able to do a better job there. A godparent, in magical terms, is important. It’s the person you have entrusted the care of your child to should something happen. As Harry’s godfather, Sirius has obligations and oaths. But as his third parent, unless something should happen to him that would render him incapable of fulfilling those duties—death, incapacitation, or incarceration—he would be Harry’s caregiver. There would be no question of custody.”

Lily frowns. “But we’re not—I mean—“

Arcturus smiles gently. “It’s generally only an oath taken in a time of war, when both parents’ lives may be threatened. Sometimes it’s done because there’s a threesome, but it’s not required, only that the parents of the child trust the third parent enough to make such oaths.” He hesitates, and then adds, “It also makes Harry the heir to the House of Black.”

Lily rubs her eyes. “Really?”

“There are ways to get out of it,” Arcturus replies. “Ways to choose another heir, but if Sirius never marries, or if he never has children, Harry will inherit.”

Lily gives him a long, hard look. “And is that a problem for you?”

“Why would it be?” Arcturus asks. “Just look at Harry. He’s very magical. His parents are very accomplished. I have no objections.”

“He’s a half-blood,” Lily points out.

“Hm,” Arcturus replies. “Perhaps that’s true, but I’d rather Harry be Sirius’ heir than Malfoy’s son, who’s likely to follow in his father’s footsteps.”

Lily is quiet for a long moment, and then she says, “When James and Sirius convinced me to come here, I had assumed I’d have to make the best of it, and you’d be horrible or at least very cold to me, and to Harry. Being here, I’m beginning to understand the changes I saw in both James and Sirius in sixth year, and why Regulus is married and expecting and studying law. I am very happy that Harry will get a chance to know his great-grandfather.”

Arcturus maintains his composure. “Yes, well, it’s been lovely to have all of you here. It makes the place feel alive again.”

Lily stands and then leans down to kiss his cheek. “May your family always surround you, Grandfather.”

He hasn’t invited the familiarity, but he’s glad that she’s taken it. It’s something his late wife would have done. “Thank you for making a beautiful baby.”

Lily places a hand on Harry’s head. “I hope there’s more where he came from. I’d like to have a big family.”

Arcturus hopes she gets that chance, but in the meantime, he’s going to enjoy Harry’s easy company.

~~~~~

Regulus isn’t too worried about someone finding them in their Paris flat. Like the Manor, and Sirius’ London flat, it’s unplottable, He hasn’t provided his address to anyone, other than his boss, and the wards are near-lethal if someone isn’t recognized.

He’s also not expecting to see his brother again so soon, because it’s been months between visits over the last three years. This time, it’s only a couple of weeks, although Sirius only stops in for dinner, with plans to head back to England immediately after.

“What’s going on?” Regulus asks when Sirius knocks on the door, stepping aside to allow him to enter. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but your note was cryptic, and you we just saw you a couple of weeks ago.”

“We put Black Manor under a Fidelius, and we’re about to embark on a plan to hopefully end the war,” Sirius replies. “Grandfather wanted to be sure that you could retreat there if necessary, especially with the baby on the way.”

Regulus relaxes at that. “I thought maybe—well, it doesn’t matter what I thought. I’m just glad that’s all that’s going on.”

“Grandfather is in good health,” Sirius insists. “He’s hoping that you’ll either be able to travel there, or that he’s capable of coming here. You should see him with Harry. It turns out that he’s a baby-hog.”

Regulus laughs. “That’s a surprise.”

“That’s what I said, and then he reminded me that I would know if I had provided him with great-grandchildren,” Sirius says dryly.

Regulus laughs even harder at that. “You know you’re going to be getting that until you get married and start producing children.”

“Now, why would I want to do that?” Sirius asks with a grin. “I have you and James for that.”

Regulus rolls his eyes. “Violet insisted on picking up food. It’s from the bistro just down the street, and she wanted to get some exercise.”

“I’ve heard exercise is good for pregnant people,” Sirius replies. “And she’s carrying your child. I’m pretty sure she gets to do whatever she wants, within reason.”

“You said it, not me,” Regulus replies. He pours them each a glass of wine, “I’m sure you’ll want to tell both of us at once.”

Sirius nods. “I do, not that it makes any difference, I suppose.”

“I’m sure we’d both like to hear how Grandfather is doing,” Regulus says, just as the door opens and Violet comes in carrying take away bags. He immediately stands to help her, and Violet waves him off irritably.

“I’m fine, Reg,” she says. “I’m not even seven months pregnant. Don’t make me feel like I’m actually a whale.”

“You’re not a whale,” Regulus replies immediately, because she certainly isn’t. She might be obviously with child, but she’s getting around just fine.

“Try telling that to my ankles,” Violet replies, still irritable, but she flashes Sirius a smile. “It’s good to see you again so soon, Siri. How are things going?”

“Things are progressing,” Sirius replies. “We have a plan, but before we can start executing, Grandfather wanted to be sure that the two of you could retreat to the Manor if necessary. We’re hoping it’s not, but if you need to go there—“

“We’ll really need to go,” Regulus agrees.

“Since we put the Manor under a Fidelius because of Peter, and I’m the Secret Keeper, I needed to tell you the location in person,” Sirius explains. “Black Manor is located two miles to the west of Westerling Village, at the end of Evers Lane.”

Regulus takes a deep breath. “Black Manor is two miles west of Westerling Village, at the end of Evers Lane.”

The knowledge sinks into him, and Regulus hadn’t known until just that moment that he wouldn’t have been able to apparate—or side-along Violet—to the Manor.

“Thank you for coming to tell us,” Regulus says. “I didn’t realize…”

“It can be disconcerting,” Sirius agrees. “I felt the same way when the Potters placed their cottage under the Fidelius with Remus as the Secret Keeper until he told me its location.”

“What are you going to do?” Violet asks.

Sirius shakes his head. “It’s best if you don’t know. We’re playing for all the Gobstones, and we can’t risk anyone finding out who shouldn’t.”

“Smart,” Regulus says. “We won’t ask any more questions, then.”

Violet groans. “I hate that we can’t know! Fine, but you have to send an owl as soon as it’s over.”

Sirius smirks. “I’ll do you one better. I’ll portkey over myself to let you know as soon as it’s over.”

“Thanks,” Regulus replies, and then he asks, feeling a spike of anxiety, “Do you think you’ll be done in time for Violet to give birth in England? I’d like Grandfather to be there.”

“I’m going to do my best,” Sirius promises, and he puts his hand on Regulus’ where it rests on the table. “I want to be there, too.”

“It’s a boy,” Violet bursts out. “We asked the Healer to tell us so we could pick a name. We agreed on Orion.”

Sirius flushes. “Oh. I don’t—“

“Yes, we’re naming him after you, you wanker,” Regulus says. “It’s in keeping with family naming convention, and I hope you’ll agree to be the godfather, and not just the uncle.”

It’s not just about the fact that Sirius is obviously very good with Harry, and obviously enamored with being a godfather and an uncle. It’s also about the fact that Sirius will be the head of the House of Black, and Regulus wants to ensure that his son is ensconced in the bosom of said family.

“You know, he’ll probably grow up with a whole passel of kids, if everything goes well,” Sirius says. “Lily wants a big family, so he’ll have plenty of cousins.”

Regulus smiles, thinking about the idea. “We’re hoping for at least a few ourselves. Maybe we’ll fill up the Manor.”

“Grandfather will love that,” Sirius replies.

“When are you going to get married?” Violet asks. “I have some friends who might suit if you’re interested.”

Sirius shakes her head. “Maybe after the war. When this is all over. I wouldn’t want to risk leaving someone a widow.”

“Unless you’re interested in someone else,” Regulus says. “If that’s it—if it’s, um…” He trails off, not knowing how to broach the subject.

“I’m interested in both men and women, and no, there’s no one definite,” Sirius says.

Regulus clears his throat. “Not Remus?”

Sirius shakes his head briefly. “No.”

There’s a part of Regulus that wonders if Sirius hadn’t been in love with James, but it’s none of his business at the end of the day, and it’s a moot point. It’s clear to him that James is deeply in love with Lily, and looks at Sirius as a brother.

“When this is all past us,” Violet says, “I have a list of eligible friends, and some of them were even in Gryffindor.”

Sirius smiles gently. “When this is all over.”

And Regulus wonders if part of Sirius’ hesitation is that he doesn’t think he’ll survive that long.

~~~~~

Once he returns to England, the plan is full speed ahead. There’s a ritual circle in Black Manor, which means they can cast the protection spell on Harry there. As the heir, Sirius feels the circle welcome him. As Harry’s third parent, being bound by strict oaths, the protection spell taking effect settles on him like a heavy blanket. It’s not a burden; it’s even comforting.

Sirius feels the new tug on his magic after the ritual, and he welcomes it.

“How does it feel?” James asks anxiously.

“Like a warm blanket,” Sirius replies. “I know that Harry is protected.”

Lily smiles. “I knew we’d made the right choice with Harry’s godfather. What about the cottage?”

“We’ll have to build the ritual circle, and we’ll probably have to do it at night, after the sun sets, so no one gets wind of it,” Sirius replies. “The cottage has a cellar, right?”

James nods. “Yes, there’s a cellar.”

“There’s a way to build the circle in the cellar that extends upward,” Arcturus says, entering the room. “I can tell you’ve been successful, my boy. I can see your magic on Harry.”

“How do we do build the ritual circle?” James asks.

“We can talk about that after dinner,” Arcturus says firmly. “You’re going to need to eat, Sirius. That was a significant ritual.”

Sirius’ legs are feeling a little shaky, so he can’t argue. “Let’s eat.”

The house elves produce a meal fit for kings—as usual—and Sirius feels much more like himself once he’s eaten. Lily takes Harry into the other room after dinner to feed him, and Arcturus says, “There’s a book on a shelf in my study, behind my desk. It’s the third shelf down, the large, leather bound one with a black cover.”

Sirius goes into the study and finds the book, realizing that it’s a family grimoire. He’s not surprised that their family has a spell for a circle for blood magic.

There’s a reason his parents gave Regulus a set of books on blood magic for Christmas.

Arcturus takes the book and flips to a particular page, then hands it back. “It’s going to take you at least two weeks to build it, and it would be better if no one knew you were doing it.”

Sirius peruses the spell and winces, seeing all the ingredients needed, all the steps to the ritual, and he knows this is going to be one of the most complicated undertakings he’s ever done. He feels confident that he can do it, though.

“If you build the circle, it will be yours, not James’,” Arcturus warns him.

James frowns. “So, I should build the circle?”

“You and Lily,” Arcturus replies. “Sirius and Remus can help, and you’ll need their power, but you and Lily should build it together.”

James takes the book and starts to read through the spell. “This is considerably more involved than the map, but with Lily and Remus, we can get it done. If we work at night, and leave Harry here, we can get it done without risking him.” He glances at Arcturus. “If that’s okay with you, of course.”

“You didn’t even need to ask,” Arcturus replies.

Lily comes back into the room with Harry, and she hands him and a burping rag to James, grabbing the book from him. “Is this the spell?”

“That’s the one,” Sirius replies. “You and James will have to be the primary builders.”

“It will work better for the spell if we are,” Lily agrees. “We can use it to power the wards on the cottage, as well as the protection spell, particularly if we do the wards at the same time.”

Arcturus’ expression is very pleased. “That’s an excellent idea.”

“I’ve been called the brightest witch of my age,” Lily says, flashing a smile.

“For a very good reason, obviously,” Arcturus. “And as I’ve already told your husband, Harry can stay here with me.”

Lily’s smile goes soft. “Thank you, that’s a great relief.”

Arcturus smiles. “It’s my pleasure. I recommend not starting tonight, no matter how much you’d like to do so. You’re more tired than you know, Sirius, and you’re going to be providing a lot of power for that spell.”

Sirius knows his grandfather is correct, and he agrees. “We’ll get a good night’s sleep tonight and start preparing tomorrow.”

“We made a good start today,” James insists. “In two weeks, we’ll have the tools we need to defeat Voldemort.”

~~~~~

Arcturus is rather impressed with his grandson, and he’s pleased to watch him work. Sirius handled the protection ritual with aplomb and a display of skill and power that tells Arcturus he’d made the correct choice in selecting his heir.

And he certainly doesn’t mind the extra time spent with Harry.

He’s busy entertaining the baby when the wards warn him that they have a visitor. Sirius, James, and Lily are a week into building the ritual circle in the cellar of the cottage, with intermittent help from Remus when he can manage it. The three of them are napping before dinner, since they plan on going to the cottage after dinner, once it gets dark.

The wards tell him that it’s someone who’s welcome, and when Cordy pops in to say, “Master Remus is here, Lord Black.”

“Show him in,” Arcturus says. “And wake Sirius.”

Cordy nods. “Right away.”

Remus enters the study, looking shaken. “Thank you for seeing me, Lord Black. I know I’m showing up without calling ahead.”

“You’re welcome any time,” Arcturus assures him. “Sirius is on his way.”

Remus takes a deep breath. “Good. Thank you.”

“You look like you could use a drink,” Arcturus says. “There’s whiskey on the side board.”

Remus immediately goes to pour himself a couple of fingers, just as Sirius enters the room, a pillow crease marring his right cheek. “Well, that’s not a good sign,” he comments, seeing the glass in Remus’ hand. “Did Pettigrew happen?”

“You could say that,” Remus says, taking a healthy swallow. “He reached out to me, wanted to have dinner tonight. I told him that I was busy, and asked if it could wait until next week. Then, he showed up at my work. He said he’d tried to visit James and Lily, but realized that the house was under a Fidelius when he couldn’t find it anymore.”

Sirius’ gaze sharpens. “What did you tell him?”

“I played dumb,” Remus says. “I told him I knew that the Potters had gone into hiding, and I wasn’t sure where they were staying.”

“Did he ask for the location of the cottage?” Sirius asks.

“He asked, but I pretended that I had a meeting I had to attend, and couldn’t stand around talking,” Remus says. “I doubt that’s going to put him off for long, though, Padfoot. He’s going to want that information, and I can’t lie to him again, not if we want to use him to set the trap.”

Sirius runs a hand through his hair, and Arcturus watches him think. He can see the wheels turning in his grandson’s brain, and he wants to see what Sirius is going to do. “Can you either take a week’s holiday or be sick for a week?”

Remus winces. “Maybe. I don’t know. My boss really likes me, and if I say there’s a family emergency, he’d probably believe me, or he would choose to believe me.”

“Tell him it’s Death Eaters,” Arcturus says quietly. “That they’re threatening your parents, and you need to be with them.”

Remus blows out a breath. “Yes, that could work. He knows they’re not in the best health. I’ll have to tell my parents that they need to cover for me.”

“Tell them it’s for us—for Harry,” Sirius replies.

“Which has the benefit of being the truth,” Remus mutters. “All right. I’ll owl my boss, and my parents. Is it all right if I use yours, Lord Black?”

“Of course,” Arcturus replies. “And why don’t you stay here during the interim, to make it harder for Peter to find you?”

Remus nods. “Thank you. I think I’ll take you up on that offer.”

“If you help us with the ritual circle, it will be done that much faster,” Sirius says. “And the faster that’s done, the sooner we can trap the dark git. And the sooner we can take care of that, the sooner we can all get on with our lives.”

Remus nods. “Okay. I’m in. Full time. I’ve been looking into the best way to cast the simulacrum spell, too. I think it can be done by the three of us. The only problem is, we’ll have to stay close, really close.”

“Like in the cellar close?” Sirius asks.

Remus nods. “Like that, but it means we don’t have to involve anyone else, and we don’t know who to trust, Padfoot.”

Sirius pinches the bridge of his nose, and Arcturus knows what he’s thinking. “James and Lily—“

“Lily will be safe here, with Harry,” Remus says. “It will be the three of us.”

“I’m not letting you three risk your lives while I stay safely tucked away,” Lily says hotly. Arcturus had seen her enter the study with James in tow, but he hadn’t said anything, wanting to see how things played out.

“Lils,” James says quiet. “It’s for Harry. We’re going to be deliberately baiting You-Know-Who. We can’t risk leaving him an orphan, not when Sirius is going to be there, too.”

“Then Sirius can stay behind,” Lily protests.

Remus shakes his head. “Each person there has to have a tie to one of simulacrums. Honestly, the ideal formation would probably be you, James, and Sirius, because each of you could power and manipulate your own simulacrums, and Sirius could do it for Harry.”

“But the risks are too high,” Sirius says. “That would put Harry into even more jeopardy.”

“Sirius is right,” James says. “If something happens to the three of us, you’d be safe here. Lord Black would make sure of it.”

“I would,” Arcturus agrees.

Lily wipes away tears. “I am so mad at you right now.”

“You’re mad at the situation, darling,” James says. “And at the fact that Remus is right.” He looks at Remus. “That’s what you meant, about the three of us, right? Me for Lily, you for me, and Sirius for Harry?”

“That’s right,” Remus says, shooting an apologetic look at Lily. “I’m sorry.”

Lily sighs. “No, James is right. I’m not mad at you for being a good friend, or a good uncle to Harry. He needs to have one of us.” Then she sticks her finger in James’ face and says fiercely, “You will stay alive. You all will. I refuse to raise Harry on my own, even if it is with Lord Black’s help.”

“I think you can call me grandfather,” Arcturus says. “All of you.”

He probably should have offered before, but he’s offering now. And he means it.

“Thank you,” Lily says, putting her hand on his arm, and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “And thank you for looking after Harry. I think you might be his favorite.”

“Hey, now,” Sirius protests, half-heartedly.

But Arcturus just smirks.

~~~~~

Sirius has never worked harder in his life—not in school, not on the map, not on a prank. Building the ritual circle starts with cleansing the space of all magic, which was a complicated spell all its own, and required a ton of ingredients. That had taken a couple of days.

Then, they’d needed a permanent circle, with the appropriate protection runes. The best metal for that is silver, which means they have to cut the appropriate grooves in the stone floor with magic, and then pour enough molten metal into those grooves to fill them, which is why most people can’t afford to create their own. A lot of Muggle-born come from poor or middle-class families, and not many come from money, or with means.

Ritual circles are expensive, both in money and in time. There’s the cleansing and the building, the expense of silver, then the building of the wards and the circle itself. Normally, it takes a conclave or a coven, or some mixture of the two, to create a circle. But now they have themselves, people bound by oath and marriage and love. It could be unbalanced, but Lily is strong enough to carry her end.

They imbue the circle with James and Lily’s love, for each other and for Harry, and for their friends. Sirius adds his own love and strength to the wards, and so does Remus, and in the end, Sirius feels it.

He feels the strength of the space, the meaning of it, and he believes that it will work.

“This is a good circle,” Remus says, and he’s the first to speak. “I can feel it.”

“So can I,” James says. “But it’s a woman’s circle. I feel that, too.”

Sirius laughs. “Come on, James. The lioness is in charge of the pride, and we all know who’s in charge here.”

“You had better believe it,” Lily replies. “Which is why when I tell you that I expect all of you to survive, you’ll do as I say.”

“Always,” James says with a soppy grin, kissing her intensely.

“Don’t expect me to kiss you,” Sirius says to Remus.

Remus laughs. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“We’re ready,” James says, breaking off the kiss. “Moony, are you still willing?”

“Of course,” Remus replies easily. “I’lll contact Wormtail, tell him I’ve heard from you, and that I’m the Secret Keeper. I just didn’t know that he could be trusted, and I had to get James’ permission.”

James nods. “That makes sense. Thank you, Moony.”

“It’s the least I can do,” Remus replies.

“Once Wormtail knows the location of the cottage, it’s not going to help You-Know-Who,” James points out. “He still won’t be able to give anyone our location.”

“We can lift the Fidelius,” Sirius says. “Although that’s going to make it pretty obvious that it’s a trap.”

“You-Know-Who is probably arrogant enough to assume it won’t matter,” Lily points out. “It’s the only way to make sure that Wormtail can lead him here.”

They look around the cellar, and James says, “Once Wormtail knows, we’ll have to camp out here to make sure the simulacrums are in place.”

“We’ll gather the supplies we need. Chances are good that he’ll attack at night,” Sirius comments.

“Let’s take down the Fidelius,” James says. “We’ll gather supplies and meet back here. We know from Dumbledore that Voldemort has already been hunting Harry for months. I doubt he’ll waste much time once he has the information he needs.”

James casts the finite to end the Fidelius, and Remus says, “I’ll let you know as soon as I’ve spoken to Wormtail.”

Remus apparates away, while the three of them go back to Black Manor. It’s the middle of the night, so everyone in the Manor is asleep, which is where they head. At this point, it will be the next day before Remus can make contact with Wormtail.

They rise late the next morning, and grab breakfast, then fill his grandfather in on their plans.

Arcturus seems approving. “You could use Cordy for supplies. House elves usually go unnoticed.”

Sirius nods. “That’s a good idea. Thanks.”

He thinks James is probably right, that it won’t take long before Voldemort strikes. If he’s been hunting Harry all this time, he’s not going to wait around. Sirius expects that it’s only going to be a night or two that they’ll have to stake the place out.

Lily definitely isn’t happy with this part of the plan, which requires her to stay behind in the Manor while they face Voldemort. Before they leave, she clings to James a little desperately. “You be as careful as you can be,” she tells the both of them, her green eyes shining with unshed tears.

“I’ll look after him,” Sirius tells her.

“You can both look after each other and Remus,” Lily replies.

Arcturus shakes Sirius’ hand, and then pulls him in for a hug. “You’ve done well so far, my boy, but I need you to come home alive.”

Sirius nods. “I will. I promise. And we’ll show you the ritual circle when this is all over, Grandfather.”

“I can’t wait to see it,” Arcturus says.

He and James apparate back to the cottage and set up camp in the basement. Cordy has already set up lunch for them.

“One way or another, this is going to end,” James says quietly. “It has to, Sirius.”

“If it doesn’t, then you should consider getting out of the country, joining Reg and Violet in Paris,” Sirius replies.

James shakes his head. “The violence is going to spill out over the continent eventually.”

“Then America, or Australia, or any one of another hundred countries that are an ocean away,” Sirius says, knowing that he sounds somewhat exasperated.

James sighs. “Lily and I have already talked about it, and we agree. We’re not sure where we’ll go, but we’ll leave, for Harry’s sake.”

Sirius doesn’t want his best friend and his family to have to flee the way that Regulus and his family had, but he also knows that if their plan isn’t successful—and they actually survive—James won’t have much of a choice.

Remus apparates into the cellar, looking a little windblown.

“How did it go?” James asks.

Remus pushes his hair out of his face. “I think he bought my story. I admitted that I had been the Secret Keeper, but had to check with James and Lily before I told anyone where the cottage was.”

Sirius frowns. “You said ‘had been.’”

Remus smirks, the way he had when they’d just pulled off an epic prank back at Hogwarts. “I told him that I had cold feet, and begged to be let off. I was afraid that the Death Eaters would find out and come after me, and James and Lily were going to redo the spell tomorrow night with Sirius as the Secret Keeper.”

Based on James’ grin, he catches on to what Remus had done just as Sirius had. “They’ll have no choice but to try tonight,” James says slowly. “That’s brilliant, Moony!”

“I figured none of us want to be stuck in this cellar longer than we have to be,” Remus says with pardonable smugness. “And we’ll only have to hold the simulacrums for the space of today and tonight.”

“I think that just proves that you’re the smartest out of all of us, at least the Marauders,” Sirius says.

Remus shrugs. “I just figured that a coward like Wormtail would be eager to believe that his friend is just as much of one as him. Since I haven’t joined the Order, it was an easy lie to sell.”

They’ll use the ritual circle to help power the spell, of course, but there’s still going to be some strain. As long as the illusion appears solid, it won’t need to be solid until Voldemort actually shows up.

“All right,” James says. “Let’s not take chances. We’ll start the illusions now.”

They take their places in the ritual circle, and they cast the illusion spell. Remus casts the illusion of James, and James one of Lily, with Sirius casting an illusion of baby Harry in his crib. It’s better if the illusions don’t interact with each other, so Sirius has the easiest task. James and Remus have their illusions wander around the house.

The task is boring, at least for the moment. Sirius is used to this sort of thing, though, and he knows that James is, as well. Order business is often this way—long stretches of boredom interspersed with moments of terror.

“Is it always like this?” Remus asks idly.

“Pretty much,” James admits. “But if someone is watching the house, it will be better if they see us wandering around.”

“Oh, I agree,” Remus says readily. “I’m not complaining. I just haven’t been on that many missions for the Order.”

Sirius glances at him. “Do you regret it?”

Remus quickly shakes his head. “No, I have no regrets. Besides, I’m certain that my wards have saved lives. I have your grandfather to thank for that, Padfoot.”

“Pretty sure he did that for me, and you were just the lucky beneficiary,” Sirius replies.

“Still, I am lucky,” Remus replies. “And I’m very well aware of that.”

They speak idly of their lives, and their hopes for the future if they’re successful tonight. They stay away from any talk of their time at Hogwarts or Wormtail. They all know if they are successful, Peter Pettigrew will wind up with a long prison term in Azkaban.

And that’s if he’s lucky.

The cellar has one small window, and as darkness falls, they don’t light any candles. They can’t risk anyone knowing that they’re down there. All three of them firm up the illusions, so that they’re true simulacrums, each controlled by one of them.

It’s nearing midnight when there’s a loud crack outside the cottage, and Sirius rolls his eyes. Voldemort and his Death Eaters like to make a lot of noise when they apparate in order to intimidate.

Too bad that the three of them aren’t going to be intimidated.

There’s a crash from upstairs, of the door being blown open. They’d rehearsed this, and the simulacrum of James, controlled by Remus, stands in Voldemort’s path. “Lily, take Harry and run!” Remus mouths.

“Avada kedavra!” Voldemort says, and they can all hear it, and see Remus shudder as the death curse strikes the simulacrum, and then he slumps. Sirius knows that Remus probably felt an echo of the pain.

Lily’s simulacrum is upstairs, standing guard over the nursery, and James mouths, “No! You can’t have Harry!”

“Out of my way, woman!” Voldemort shouts. “I’ll have that boy!”

“No!” Lily screams. “Not my baby!”

And then James shudders, and Sirius knows that the fake Lily has been hit with the killing curse. Sirius’ simulacrum of Harry wails in terror as Voldemort looms over Harry’s crib. Through Harry’s eyes, Sirius can see him, can see as he rears back with his wand pointed at Harry.

“Avada kedavra!” Voldemort says for the third time that night, and Sirius can feel the wards on the cottage shudder as the spell backlashes on him. The cottage itself shudders, too, and Sirius lets his own illusion drop.

Sirius is exhausted, but he knows they’re not finished yet. The three of them don’t even have to speak, just head upstairs with their wands out. The front door has been blown off its hinges, char marks on the wall where Voldemort had fired at the fake James, his “dead” body having dissipated when Remus let the illusion drop.

Upstairs, it’s more of the same—char marks on the wall, where Voldemort had cursed the fake Lily, and an entire wall of the nursery blown out with the damage of the spell backlash.

“Is it over?” James asks, sounding absolutely exhausted.

“It looks like it,” Sirius replies, equally weary

“What do you think?” Remus asks.

James shrugs. “I think we should go back to the Manor. Whether or not it worked, it’s over for tonight.”

Sirius suspects that James just really wants to get back to his wife and son, and Sirius wants sleep.

They reach the Manor, and Arcturus and Lily meet them, a sleeping Harry in Lily’s arms.

“Did it work?” Lily asks.

James nods. “We think so. There was certainly signs of a spell backlash, and there was no sign of Voldemort after he tried to kill the fake Harry. I suppose we’ll know more tomorrow morning. If Voldemort is dead, the Death Eaters will feel it through the mark.”

“Go to bed,” Arcturus says firmly. “You all need rest.”

Sirius is grateful for his grandfather taking charge. He’s too tired even to think, or to absorb the events of the last day.

He goes to bed, pausing only long enough to undress and cast a quick cleaning charm on his teeth. When he wakes up late the following morning, Sirius showers and pulls on clean clothing. It might offend his grandfather, but Sirius is unwilling to wear anything too formal. His well-worn jeans and t-shirt are soft and comfortable, and that’s what he needs right now.

Arcturus is in the study, as is typical for this time of the morning, the Daily Prophet spread out in front of him.

“What’s the news?” Sirius asks.

His grandfather closes the paper and turns it so that Sirius can read the front page right side up. THE DARK LORD DEFEATED BY POTTERS the headline screams in all capital letters.

Sirius leans in closer to read the text: The Dark Lord was destroyed last night by James and Lily Potter, and other unknown parties.

“We’ll need to go to the Ministry,” Sirius says. “I’m not sure how the news spread so quickly.”

“There’s another article that says everyone with the Dark Mark felt it,” Arcturus replies, flipping the paper open. “They caught several Death Eaters who weren’t known to be marked that way. They collapsed, and the mark has faded some.” Arcturus pauses. “You should write to your brother and let him know that he can come home.”

“You could write him, too,” Sirius counters.

Arcturus smiles. “What makes you think I haven’t? But you’re the future head of our house, and his brother. I would like him back here when Violet gives birth.”

Sirius nods. “I’ll write him now, then.”

He’s just finishing his letter to Regulus when James and Lily enter, with Harry in tow. “What’s going on?” James asks.

“It worked,” Sirius says. “Voldemort is gone.”

“Oh, thank Merlin,” Lily says, bouncing Harry in her arms. “It’s over.”

“It’s over,” James agrees, putting his arm around her shoulders. “The cottage will need repairs before we can go back, but we can go home.”

“You can stay here while the repairs are being made,” Arcturus insists.

Remus enters the study, blinking sleepily. “Did it work?”

“Looks like it, Moony,” Sirius replies. “James and I should probably go to the Ministry today, to clear up any questions they might have. There will be trials, too, and we’ll probably be asked to give testimony.”

“There might be some clean up yet to do,” James adds. “I doubt all the Death Eaters will take this lying down.”

But the important thing, Sirius thinks, is that the worst is over. Voldemort is gone.

~~~~~

Regulus has already heard the news of Voldemort’s demise. It’s been reported in all the papers, as it’s international news. He gets a letter from his grandfather, who asks him to bring Violet home for the birth, and the letter from Sirius comes the following day.

Dear Reg (and Violet),

The coast will be clear by the time Violet is ready to give birth. There are still trials to get through, but the worst is over, and Grandfather wants you home. I’m sure Violet’s parents would say the same. I’d like to be there for the birth of my nephew as well.

Love,

Sirius

Regulus takes a deep breath. “Are you willing to go back to England for the birth?”

“If it’s safe, that’s where I want to be,” Violet says firmly. “I wanted to give birth at St. Mungo’s, with our family close by.”

Regulus nods. “Then we’ll plan on that.”

It takes them time to pack up, since they plan on staying in England to be close to family for the first six months after the birth. Regulus is nearly done with his law studies, and can easily transfer to another solicitor’s office to finish up.

They have to pack up the necessities, since they’ll be away for a while. And since portkeys make Violet incredibly ill in her pregnant state, they actually wind up taking Muggle transport back to England. They take the train from Paris to Calais, then the ferry over the channel.

Regulus isn’t expecting anyone to meet them, but then he sees Sirius standing next to a truly ridiculous car. “What are you doing?”

“We’re alive!” Sirius replies. “They’ve nominated James, Lily, Remus, and I for an Order of Merlin, which is completely weird. Isn’t that weird?”

“You’re all fucking Gryffindors, so no,” Regulus replies, and then hauls his brother in for a hug. “What are you driving?”

“It’s a Bentley,” Sirius admits. “Which is completely ridiculous, and I will admit that, but also it’s a great car with all the recent magical upgrades.”

“What does that mean?” Violet asks suspiciously.

“It means I can get you to Black Manor with a smooth ride, and in record time,” Sirius replies.

Violet is tired, so she takes the back seat, stretching out. The trunk appears to have no capacity limit, because it easily fits all their luggage.

The Bentley doesn’t seem to even notice the traffic, moving around cars like they don’t exist. And it’s fast, so fast that they’re on the road approaching Black Manor in just a couple of hours, and so smooth that Violet doesn’t get an upset stomach.

“Have you seen or talked with Elias?” Sirius asks.

Regulus shakes his head. “Not since he warned me about Pettigrew. If he’s smart, he probably fled the country.”

“Well, if he needs help, we’ll give it to him,” Sirius replies. “His warning was key to our success, and we know what kind of a risk he took getting that to you.”

Regulus smiles. “I appreciate that. Maybe I’ll try sending an owl to let him know.”

“You do that,” Sirius says. “Tell him to meet you somewhere, since the Manor is still under a Fidelius. Somewhere private, and tell him I’ll be there, to give him the location.”

Regulus smiles. “Thanks. That’s really nice of you.”

“It’s not nice, it’s the right thing to do,” Sirius insists. “That could have been you.”

Regulus rubs his eyes. “Yeah, it could have been.”

James and Lily are still at the Manor when they arrive, along with baby Harry. Violet coos over Harry immediately, “Can I hold him?” she asks.

“Of course,” Lily replies. “You’re his Auntie Vi.”

“They’re still doing repairs on our cottage,” Lily adds, transferring Harry to her arms. “So, we’re here for the duration, but I can stay as long as you think you’ll need me. Are your parents going be around? If not, we can certainly help out.”

Violet dimples. “That’s so kind of you. My parents will be around, but I would love advice from another new mom.”

“Anything you need,” Lily promises. “I know I would have loved it if my sister had been able to give me advice when Harry was first born.”

Violet looks down at Harry with a sad smile on her face. “I miss my sister.”

Lily puts an arm around her shoulders. “I can’t replace her, but maybe I can help ease the hurt.”

“You already have,” Violet replies.

They stay in the Manor until Violet is ready to go to St. Mungo’s. Even after the cottage is repaired, James and Lily are frequent visitors. Regulus can see Lily and Violet getting closer, close as sisters, as Lily coaches her through the final stages of pregnancy.

And then there’s the birth, and Violet’s parents come to St. Mungo’s. They’re gushing over the birth of their grandchild, and maybe Orion can never be a replacement for the one that they’d lost, at least they have a grandchild again.

Regulus is there when his son comes out, and he’s beautiful, with a full head of dark hair already. He cries loudly, demonstrating that he has a good set of lungs. The nurse puts his son into his arms for the first time, and Regulus stares down at his newborn son. “Hello, Orion Arcturus Black,” he murmurs. “It’s nice to finally make your acquaintance.”

He looks at Violet, who’s sweaty and exhausted, but she nods. “Go, show him off to everyone.”

His grandfather has made the trip to St. Mungo’s for the occasion, and his are the first arms that hold his son after him.

Arcturus cradles Orion expertly. “He’s a handsome boy, Regulus. We’ll hope that he takes after his mother.”

Everyone in the waiting room laughs, including Regulus. Sirius runs a hand over Orion’s head, and Lily brings Harry close to meet his new cousin.

And it feels like family

~~~~~

Arcturus loves having his boys under his roof, and he especially loves having his great-grandson here. He doesn’t have to talk to the goblins about the future of his family.

Arcturus can just focus on living his best life with his family, in whatever time is left to him, and he hopes that he’s made some small bit of difference.

“Are you hogging the baby again?” Sirius asks, coming into the study, finding Arcturus holding little Orion while he sleeps.

“I am letting your brother and his wife sleep,” Arcturus replies. “There’s a difference.”

“You keep telling yourself that, old man,” Sirius teases. “You’re a total baby hog.”

“You’d know if you’d give me great-grandchildren,” Arcturus replies.

“Any future wife of mine would have to compete with Lily and Violet,” Sirius points out, sitting next to him on the couch in the study. “And that’s a very high bar.”

Arcturus nods, and then turns serious. “Don’t compromise, Sirius. You deserve to have a great partner. Wait until you find the right one.”

“I will,” Sirius replies. “And I promise that I will take care of the House of Black. Maybe not in the same way you would, but certainly with the same care.”

“I know you will,” Arcturus replies. “You have handled everything with both grace and wisdom so far. I was so impressed. Building a ritual circle is a life’s work.

Sirius frowns. “You didn’t tell me.”

“I didn’t want to discourage you from trying,” Arcturus replies. “I knew you could do it.”

Sirius presses his lips to Orion’s forehead, and then to Arcturus’, and he says, “I love you both.”

“I love you, too,” Arcturus says, the words torn from him, because he knows Sirius needs to hear them, even if he has a hard time saying the words.

Sirius beams at him. “Thank you, Grandfather. You’ve changed our lives for the better, and I want you to know that.”

Arcturus blinks. “Well, then something good has come of this, hasn’t it?”

“I think a lot of good things have come out of it,” Sirius replies. “I have more trials tomorrow. Elias is one of them.”

“What do you think is going to happen?” Arcturus asks.

“I think he’ll get off with a minimal sentence, maybe house arrest,” Sirius replies. “That’s what we’re arguing for.”

“I’m glad you’re helping the boy,” Arcturus says.

Sirius smiles. “He helped us. We pay our debts.”

“You’re a good boy,” Arcturus says. “And I’m proud of you.”

“Even if I haven’t provided you with babies?” Sirius jokes.

Arcturus shakes his head. “Find love, Sirius. If you find love, then I will be happy.”

“Thank you, Grandfather,” Sirius replies.

Epilogue: 1991

Sirius slips into his grandfather’s bedroom as quietly as he can. Arcturus is nearly skeletal, lying under layers of blankets. His eyes are closed, and his breaths are coming in slow gasps. Harry had gone to school a month ago, and his grandfather had gone downhill quickly since then.

He sits down in the chair next to the bed, and takes his grandfather’s hand in his own. “Harry sent a letter. He’s settling in to Gryffindor well, but he wanted to let you know that he’s sorry he couldn’t be in Slytherin. Apparently, the hat said he’d do well there, but Malfoy’s son turned him off of it, and he met a Weasley on the train. He says he knows you wouldn’t be disappointed, and he’s going to do his best to unite the houses.”

His grandfather doesn’t respond, but Sirius knows just how close he is to death, and he doesn’t expect a response.

Sirius keeps talking, just on the hope that his grandfather can hear him. “Regulus is trying to talk his kid into Slytherin, but everyone keeps saying that Orion takes after me, and he idolizes Harry. I see him him arguing the Sorting Hat into submission if necessary.”

His grandfather’s breath hitches, but there’s no sign that he’s being heard other than that.

There’s not much time left. Arcturus had been a fairly until stalwart if reclusive figure until six months ago, when he’d taken a turn for the worse. He’d accepted a visit from Harry before he went to Hogwarts, but hasn’t wanted to see anyone other than Sirius and Remus since. He’d been quite firm about that until falling into a coma two days ago. Since then, he and Regulus had taken turns sitting with him.

Violet is watching Reg’s three kids, and Iggy, well—she understands family obligations.

“Iggy agreed to marry me,” Sirius says. “Not right away, probably another three months, if not six. We haven’t talked about timing, but I wanted to say that I found someone as awesome as Grandmother, or Lily and Violet, and she agreed to marry me.”

He thinks he feels Arcturus squeeze his hand slightly. “I thought you’d like that. I know you’re hanging on, but I want you to know that it’s okay to let go. I’m ready to lead the family. We have a passel of heirs now. Thanks to you. None of us want to see you go, but we love you, and we want you to be free of pain, so maybe it’s time.”

Regulus slips into the room, and takes the chair on the other side of the bed, and grips Arcturus’ other hand. “Grandfather, I will miss you terribly, and I hate that you will not be able to hold any future children, but it is okay to let go. Sirius will be great, and I’ll be there to keep him on the right path.”

Maybe it’s their words, or maybe Arcturus is just ready to let go, because he takes in a breath and lets go, and that’s the death rattle.

Sirius continues to hold his hand, as does Regulus.

“Fuck,” Sirius says with feeling.

“You’re going to do great, Lord Black,” Regulus says. “I will follow you.”

Sirius looks down at his grandfather’s still form. “Only because he lead us first.”

---