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sapphicwhxre · 3 years

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ASTERIA'S 2.5K FOLLOWER FIC REC LIST

i read fics just as much as i write them so here are some of my favourites. tysmsm for this milestone, i love you all <3 quick note: i didn't re-tag anyone if i recommended more than one of your works because of the tag limit.

───────── girls ─────────

hermione granger

tuesdays - @stupxfy

probably one of my all time favs for hermione. it's just so well written and adorable and fluffy and yes.

if i could tell her - @hellounicorn

pining, pining, PINING. the way these emotions and hermione's described is just... art. perfection. there's a happy ending and it is so worth the build up.

darling dearest - @dracolvr

fluffy goodness. read to be hopelessly in love with hermione ─ which, let's be real, we all are.

november rain - @pansydaisy

uhm i love this one sm. it's so simple but amazing ─ everyone has their days like this and having hermione to cure them? it's what everyone needs.

i need more - @15-dogs

i sobbed the first time i read this. it'll break your heart but it's so amazingly written that it's worth the sadness. actual gut wrenching / mindblowing writing.

how the potter girls react to you in lingerie - @pottersanime

the title. need i say more?

honeyed eyes - @minty-malfoy

HEAVEN. being hermione's first kiss as friend? but both of you idiots liking each other? oh my god, sign me up.

hugging her from behind - @pastanest

again, the title. read to feel 🥺💙

grey days - @pepperimps01

PANSMIONE 😌😌 it's angsty with a happy ending and i love it sm. this does such a perfect job of capturing pansy and hermione's relationship growing and having its ups and downs with just a few paragraphs. honestly so good

grenade - @hellounicorn

another one that'll make your heart shatter. but in the best way. these are the fics i live for where the you can't help but feel like it's really happening to you and hermione and god it's so fucking powerful. underrated writing right here in general. and also pansmione is the loml so it hurts in that way.

honeybees - @pansydaisy

fluffy aesthetic heaven.

lead the way - @teacup-tai

more pansmione but this is pure filthy thinking and satisfies all the sexual tension dreams pansmione shippers have.

two queens in a king sized bed - @shysneeze

domestic christmas morning with hermione and it's angelic.

would you still love me if i turned into a worm? - @minty-malfoy

one of those blurbs i never imagined i'd read or love so much. not to mention it's spot on and adorable.

pansy parkinson

right and wrong - @starrkidmalfoy

a first kiss and the overdone trope that i will never get sick of, the bitch who's soft only for you. the descriptions in this are perfection and the writing is beautiful <3

messed up - @writseo

toxic, messed up love fics will be the death of me. insane how well you captured it all and i just yes damn fucking props.

pansy parkinson imagine - @moonlight-imagines

*screams* THE BEST FRIEND BANTER + THE ENDING OH MY GOD OH MY GOD ─ I SCREAMED WHEN I FIRST READ THIS. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE IT.

dating pansy would include - @lotsoffandomimagines

ABSOLUTE POWER COUPLE SHIT and to this day, pansy saying "jealous much?" when being scolded for pda remains iconic.

grey days - @pepperimps01

as i said before: PANSMIONE 😌😌 it's angsty with a happy ending and i love it sm. this does such a perfect job of capturing pansy and hermione's relationship growing and having its ups and downs with just a few paragraphs. honestly so good

new rules - @silversslytherin

excuse me this is immaculate ─ pansy is the best friend and the second you see that she's also the best s/o, you're done for. perfection.

study "dates" - @turning-dreams-into-chaos

the title is self explanatory and this whole thing is fluffy heaven <3

how the potter girls react to you in lingerie - @pottersanime

read the title, thank me later.

lead the way - @teacup-tai

more pansmione but this is pure filthy thinking and satisfies all the sexual tension dreams pansmione shippers have.

traitor - @hufflepuff-writings

a masterpiece where pansy chooses the wrong side in the battle of hogwarts. this ties up so well and the writing is so powerful.

back alley love potions - @a-simple-imagine

this actually hurts but in a beautiful way. watching pansy give draco a love potion is such a fucking concept and this is executed incredibly.

my little bunny - @emmamarie7708

pansy making you do this is so dirty yet she's slightly sweet and i am a sucker for it. god is a woman and her name is pansy fucking parkinson.

pansy parkinson imagine - @moonlight-imagines

i'll let pansy beat people up for me all day. they put me in madame pomfrey's, feel my girlfriend's wrath.

ginny weasley

blissful - @enyastasia

fluffy ginny goodness. the friends to lovers? the amazing kiss? 🥺🥺🥺💞💞 this fic lives in my heart <3

bubble pop electric - @hunnypot-imagines

this is hotter than a lot of actual smut and the chemistry is so... wow. ginny weasley owns me.

dear ginny - @alyssamalfoy

how does this short ass letter manage to make me feel so much. it's sorcery but i don't even care, it's beautiful.

wildflower - @pansydaisy

will i ever get tired of cheeky i love yous? not when loves like ginny weasley and ayli's so so pretty writing exist.

all i want - @hellounicorn

ouch. fuck you harry :) quite possibly the best ginny fic i have ever read. insanely talented writing, i genuinely feel every touch of emotion you put down and you need to know how amazing that is. keep breaking my heart.

linny hcs - @bluebirdlinginthenest

who doesn't need good linny content in their life?

how the potter girls react to you in lingerie - @pottersanime

sexy bitch, fuck me up.

willow - @padmeamiala

ginny is the loml. her brothers can cry about it.

bellatrix lestrange

attempting to bake with bellatrix - @carters-coffee

MY FAVOURITE BELLA FIC ─ there's not enough bellatrix fluff out there but this makes up for the lack of. heaven.

bellatrix prompt - @carters-coffee

this gives me chills. she knows she's a bad bitch and that's what we love about her.

change of plans - @dumb-sbian

why THE FUCK have i not had a rainy morning with bellatrix? she can sleep and mumble something just like this and i'm still head over heels for her.

being tortured as bellatrix's girlfriend - @writings-of-a-british-fangirl

definitely a concept BUT this makes me feel some type of way and i recommend giving it a minute of your time 😌

bellatrix finding out you're a muggleborn - @carters-coffee

the beauty, the nuance omg. this is art.

bellatrix prompt - @carters-coffee

yep jealous bella. trust me, im all yours mommy <3

sex with bellatrix would include - @onegayastronaut

so short but... sign. me. up.

luna lovegood

never leave - @/deactivated

luna smut is hard asf to come by and this is my favourite. it's so luna and the pain over her not knowing, not getting that closure about how you feel until this is an amazing rollercoaster.

she - @hunnypot-imagines

the beauty of falling in love with luna, through this majorly talented writing. ten out of fucking ten. i will not elaborate but there's also majorly good association in this imo.

silver berries and flickering fireflies - @duskgrangers

i love this fic so much. she's so herself and that is why we ✨ simp ✨ and the scene set just sounds so prettyy

how the potter girls react to you in lingerie - @pottersanime

luna + this title? yes please, ma'am i am simping.

would you still love me if i turned into a worm? - @minty-malfoy

put me in your pocket luna. im begging you.

dancing in the rain with luna - @/deactivated

only luna would get you a dress to go dancing in the rain and this is the stuff of blissful, fluffy dreams.

hugging her from behind - @pastanest

short and cute, do me a favour and read it :)

dating luna lovegood would go like - @glossymalfoy

life is NOT worth it if you don't read these cute little headcanons and imagine dating ravenclaw's baddest bitch.

linny hc - @bluebirdlinginthenest

like i said, who doesn't need good linny content?

cho chang

strawberry kisses - @pansydaisy

the only cho fic i've been able to find and it's SO WORTH IT. the cutest, it flows so well, and i absolutely love it. i need this with cho tbh.

fleur delacour

toutes les etoiles - @coffee--writes

im in love with fleur and this amazing writing. and for the first time since i started high school, my three years of taking french feel good for something.

being best friends with fleur would include - @harrypotter-imaginess

not romantic but actually so sweet pls. i want this friendship in my life so bad.

nymphadora tonks

dating nymphadora tonks would include - @imaginesforgirls

dating her + that warm little feeling of bliss that only HCs can give you

taking care of her after the war - @random-imagines-blog

this kind of hurts in that good ass way and i lovee it. they're simple hcs but i feel for tonks so much and then there's that warm lil feeling when you're the one to put her back together aand now my primary life goal is to help this woman heal.

───────── boys ─────────

harry potter

phosphenes - @minty-malfoy

ok shakespeare, the fuck?? this fic will never not get me right in the heart. the angst, holy fuck. and for once, the reader doesn't hurt harry and let draco walk all over them and it's just done so well. the transition from a toxic relationship to a sweet, loving one PLEASE. it's beautiful.

happy memories - @15-dogs

how does this manage to be so. smutty and fluffy at the same time? this is one of those short ones that has lived in my head, rent-free since i read it. and tbh any fic that includes expecto patronum is guaranteed to be good.

come back to me - @wondernimbus

right from the beginning, it's a mess of emotions both good and bad. that kind of good ass writing that hits you in the heart <3

making out with harry potter would include - @badfvith

read this title. done? now thank me later.

harry prompt - @thoseofgreatambition

harry x a sarcastic swooning bitch is an elite trope idc. short and sweet, i'm marrying this fic.

keep your eyes on the prize - @rowema-ravenclaw

first of all, showing harry up and second, pure fluff (and a little steam) right after. i also love how she writes harry in general because he's totally safe/in love with the relationship but still has that awkward lovable shyness and i just... *sighs*

always - @pansydaisy

uhm i will always love him and always reread this a thousand times so its a fit title + a good read.

late night studying - @lumosandnoxwriting

fuck studying, let his hand stay in my shirt. once again recommending fluffy bliss in the form of a short read that makes me feel things <3

would you still love me if i turned into a worm? - @minty-malfoy

he's so stupid. but he still loves you + this is from our resident perfectly talented writer so its a win.

cuddling after a rough quidditch practice - @badfvith

harry james potter is : b a b y

gryffindor's victory - @rowema-ravenclaw

make me gryffindors fucking cheerleader because HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT. AND THE WRITING IS IMMACULATE PLEASE. just read it, you won't regret it.

draco malfoy

silent treatment - @slytherinwh0re

andy's mad talented and this is just... insert a cheesy chefs kiss. unbelievably adorable but so fucking hot and an actually good smut plot (which is rare lmfao). remind me to give draco the silent treatment every time im upset.

rewards - @malfoysstilinski

so hot PLS. hype him up for the match and get your reward, bye. so good.

reading between the lines - @minty-malfoy

i've said this a thousand times but that's what happens when you've got a mad talented mutual BLESSING everyone with beauty like this. butterflies and warm feelings all around when i read this 💓

point of view - @draconisxcaput

its angst for hermione and fluff for you but overall ethereal writing. i am never going to recover from the pure talent that this is.

im not kidding im dying - @malfoysmatrioshka

i hate being sick with a passion but this... this would make it worth it.

hogwarts express - @/deactivated

draco fucking you because he knows harry's watching. the shit of legends and god is it hot.

draco laughing at you because you can't walk after sex - @glossymalfoy

*motions to the title* fluff with this loser 😌

the cheeseburger - @slytherinwh0re

really short read but this is one of those things i just. didn't know i needed. you're missing out and haven't even realised it if you haven't read about introducing him to cheeseburgers. and that ending is so funny/in character to me i fucking love it.

four am - @malfoysstilinski

domestic draco 🥺 but also sad draco 🥺 and then fluffy draco 🥺

hugging him from behind - @pastanest

real short and it'll brighten your day <3

would you still love me if i turned into a worm? - @minty-malfoy

how is it that this is so stupidly adorable. i love it 💘

ron weasley

heather - @hellounicorn

always making me cry with your fics i swearrr. this is a must-read. having someone but them not really being yours is a beautiful trope and this fic absolutely does it wonderful, poetic justice. your angst is addicting.

apple pie - @pregnant-piggy

ABSOLUTE DOMESTIC BLISS I AM IN LOVE. i don't even like kids or baking that much but this made me so soft. the whole cozy, heavenly vibes from this fic yes yes yes.

jealousy - @writeroutoftime

cliché jealousy turns friends to lovers and i am a sucker for it all over again <3

shaking and trembling - @ronsbadidea

if ron doesn't finger fuck me and then make a cheeky comment about it in class later then WHAT IS THE POINT :(

mixed signals - @iamthecabbage

i've always figured ron is this awkward idiot cutie with a crush and yea, this is it.

fred and george weasley

i love you, but you don't - @george-fabian-weasley

fred's a character i really don't read for often but goddamn. it's the saddest, most beautiful mix of rejection and pain and fred desperately caring but not in the way you want him to ─ an angsty masterpiece.

cockwarming george - @roonilwazlibimagines

because of this filthy gem, i one hundred thousand percent believe that he could make me cum without even fucking me and this is just... it's a good fucking read.

would you still love me if i turned into a worm? - @minty-malfoy

their responses are so wonderfully chaotic and adorable and GOD you're missing out if you haven't read these lil blurbs.

─

#harry potter x reader #hermione granger x reader #pansy parkinson x reader #luna lovegood x reader #ginny weasley x reader #draco malfoy x reader #fred weasley x reader #george weasley x reader #cho chang x reader #nymphadora tonks x reader #bellatrix lestrange x reader #ron weasley x reader #fleur delacour x reader #harry potter #fic recs #masterlist #smut #fluff #angst

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halothenthehorns · 3 years

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TLTNL- THE NOBLE AND MOST ANCIENT HOUSE OF BLACK

James came back down the stairs to find they were already trying to wrangle together some kind of answer for this 'weapon' that was clearly the big deal with keeping Harry in the dark, but no one was getting very far. Remus and Sirius kept breaking off to take shots at each other, and Harry kept giggling at every crack they made making Lily smile indulgently and occasionally throw her own witty retort in before someone tried to push them back on track. James remembered his promise to try and dig some answers out of his brother for the way he'd been acting regarding Molly in the last chapter, but suddenly he just couldn't bring himself to do it right now. James just leaned against the banister for a moment and watched them all, his two friends who would soon be so unrecognizable to him, his wife and now grown son and the fate hanging over their heads. The goosebumps erupting over his flesh as the chills traced him gave him a nice kick to jump in and force past that moment he never wanted to live without them.

Lily had to dig the book out from under the recliner where it had fallen and give it a toss at Sirius' face to cut him off for the last time, "you've said that three times now, no Sirius it is not Voldemort's plan to string together troll hairs for anything, now would you read."

Sirius pouted up at her and honestly considering sitting on the book just to force his point home, but honestly he really was just as curious to see the real answer so he flipped to the correct page while telling Lily how much potential she was wasting by cutting him off.

James didn't try to hide his pleased smile as he watched his brother treating Lily how he should have been treating Molly, at least he got to see the proper response once.

Mrs. Weasley followed them upstairs looking grim.

"That's ridiculous, she looks nothing like me," Sirius sniffed, enjoying for the moment being able to hold the book and make that joke so he could smirk at Harry's chuckle.

Demanding of all of them they go to bed at once, no talking.

Lily still couldn't stop a nasty scowl in place as Molly kept trying to baby those teenagers.

Then she added a bit more softly to Hermione that as Ginny was probably already asleep, Hermione should be extra quiet.

"If Ginny has actually gone to sleep, than we have drastically misjudged her," Remus rolled his eyes.

"And that's never happened before," Sirius sniffed.

"Right," Harry fought off a smile at the lot of them, Hermione easily coming to mind, but knowing they were joking regardless.

Fred muttered for his brothers ears that if Ginny was asleep and not waiting to pounce on Hermione, he was a Flobberworm.

"Well both us, and the twins can't be wrong, that is impossible," James smirked.

Harry and Ron wandered into their room and quickly got into bed after Ron threw some owl treats up for the birds, telling Harry that they didn't let them out every night as Dumbledore was worried the birds would make the area suspicious.

"And the paranoia levels are still rising," Sirius rolled his eyes at this display. So what if a few owls started hunting in the area, no one who spotted and cared could still get in, or honestly would think much of it as owls had a large hunting range.

Then Ron quickly bolted back out of bed, saying he'd forgotten to lock the door, then answering to Harry's confused look that this was needed because of Kreacher.

Sirius nodded to himself like that made absolutely perfect sense while Harry was still wondering if his friend and godfather were being a bit paranoid themselves now.

Ron told of his first night here, and how he'd woken up to the elf prowling around his room and how creepy it had been. Then he added in a softer voice what Harry reckoned?

Harry didn't need to ask what he meant.

"I'd be worried for your mental health if you did," Remus agreed.

Harry first told they hadn't said much that they couldn't have guessed.

"That's true," James pouted at the two like it was really all their fault. "What's gotten into you two? You should have started with that weapon the moment Molly was out of sight."

"I honestly have no defense for myself," Sirius sighed while Remus agreed.

All they'd really said was what they were trying to do to stop Voldemort, ignoring as always Ron's gasp at the name. Harry demanded when his friend was going to get over that? Ron just ignored him.

"Most people do for some reason," Lily rolled her eyes.

Neither could get much farther in the conversation when there was a CRACK and someone yelped in pain, while another someone hissed at Ron to keep his voice down before Mum came back.

"I'm fairly confident the crack was louder than the yelp of pain," Harry smirked, finding it utterly amusing not one person was surprised to hear the twins making a reappearance like this.

Ron snapped back they'd just Apparated onto his knees!

Fred defended it was harder in the dark.

Then one sank down onto Harry's bed, the other remaining on the edge of Ron's as George asked if they'd guessed it yet.

Harry confirmed he was talking about the weapon Sirius had mentioned.

"Actually, you referred to it as a weapon Harry," Lily corrected as she really thought it all through now. "Sirius just didn't correct you, which either means you guessed right-"

"or dead wrong," James finished for her as he really picked apart Sirius' word choice.

"All we really know is it's something he doesn't have this time," Remus huffed, "that doesn't really tell us anything."

Fred corrected it was more like he'd let it slip, no one had heard of that on the Extendable Ears.

Harry asked what it was, and George pointed out it could be anything. Ron asked if it could really be worse than the killing curse?

"I love that he's naïve enough to be asking that," James whispered mostly to himself while staring hard at his wife.

Fred suggested it could be something to kill loads of people at once.

"I really don't even think it's that kind of weapon," Lily shook her head. "It must be something he needs to get more power, and something to kill just isn't that hard to come by."

"Maybe there's another Philosopher's Stone out there?" Remus offered.

"He'd have no more use for that," James waved him off. "He can get himself plenty rich, and clearly he's already reached some level or immortality from not having died when he should have."

"It must be something that doesn't even exist yet," Sirius sighed, "otherwise we should know about it now."

Harry was starting to get a horrible feeling every time this was mentioned now, beads of sweat spreading across his brow and leaning in very close to his godfather. Before anyone could say anymore, he practically pleaded, "does it make you all feel better if I say I'm convinced right now I find out what it is, and we can move on?"

They all watched him with deep worry for a moment, it wasn't at all comforting that this topic was causing him so much pain just to be poked at and they suddenly decided they may not want to know if it involved that look on Harry's face without the memory to reinforce it. So Sirius gave Harry a reassuring pat and decided to do just that.

Ron suggested it involved torture as well as pain, but Harry corrected there couldn't be anymore more effective than the Cruciatus for that.

Sirius' voice hitched as he was forcefully reminded his little pup had lived through that experience.

Then George asked who they supposed had the thing now?

"Well I'd assume it was someone we trust, otherwise we wouldn't be worried about Voldemort getting it," Remus pointed out.

"Let's hope it's not being hidden at Hogwarts again," Lily huffed, clearly still bitter about that Stone.

Fred pointed out Dumbledore probably had it, while Ron asked at Hogwarts?

George agreed it made sense, that's where he hid the Philosopher's Stone.

"Hid is the wrong word, since apparently everyone in the world knew what and where it was seeing as Harry was implied to have supposed to figure that out on purpose," James rolled his eyes.

Ron protested the weapon was bigger than that Stone.

"Not necessarily," Sirius disagreed, still sometimes wishing Ron was here so that he could turn and say those kinds of things to him.

Fred disagreed size was no guarantee of power, look at Ginny.

They all laughed happily for that comparison, Lily hardest of all.

Harry asked what that meant, and he was happily treated to her experience in the Bat-Bogey Hex.

"Oh I remember that spell being mentioned," Sirius' eyes brightened at once, "I've been meaning to ask for ages, did you two ever ask Hermione to teach you that one?"

Harry's laughter doubled as he agreed she had indeed, though the two had honestly thought the incantation was her idea of a joke, but it had worked when they'd tried it. Seems Ginny had taken to it even more than her brother. Harry wondered who the Marauder's first victim would be on this new to them spell.

No one had time to say more when footsteps arrived on the stairs,

"That woman," Lily rolled her eyes with an honest touch of fondness as all of the boys exchanged an indulgent smile at that nostalgia.

and the twins vanished with another crack.

"Yes, I'm so sure Molly won't find that cracking noise suspicious," Remus snorted.

A few seconds later, they heard the floorboard creak outside their door; Mrs. Weasley was plainly listening to check whether or not they were talking.

"And what if they were?" James snapped at once. "What's she going to do then, come in and give them a spanking for staying up talking."

Harry wished he was playing off a joke, but the dangerous tone he still carried meant he wasn't cutting any slack for her, especially in regards to him.

Ron waited until her footsteps faded away again to mutter how she didn't trust them at all.

"Says the boys, doing exactly what they're not supposed to be doing," Sirius muttered for Harry alone, who was at least pleased to see a small smile on him. James threw the two a sour look for clearly trying to smother some humor.

Harry expected to lay up for hours thinking over everything, but before he knew it he could feel the day weighing on him, and he swore he could hear more footsteps on the stairs that actually sounded like a many-legged creature.

"Err, is Buckbeak there or something?" Remus asked.

"Actually that's a good question," Sirius suddenly looked a little concerned, "where is that hippogriff? I don't see why I would have kept him around for a whole year but then not have wanted to keep him, but that's not exactly a friendly place for the beast."

"I'm sure Buckbeak's fine," Harry soothed with a soft smile, he found it adorable how concerned Sirius was for the beast and had a sneaking suspicion Sirius would enjoy the answer.

Then Hagrid's voice was telling Harry what beauties they were!

"Oh, he's dreaming," James realized.

"Thank you Captain Obvious," Sirius snorted without looking up, "here I thought Hagrid had snuck into the room to tell Harry this."

They'd be studying weapons this term, and Harry looked back just in time to see a horse like creature with a cannon for a head pointed right at him.

"That was probably one of the most normal dreams you've ever had," Lily giggled.

"It does make some sense as Hagrid's been known to let information slip before, so if he does know the answer to this mystery thing I'd put money Hagrid'll help you figure it out," Remus agreed.

Next thing he knew, he was waking up to daylight.

George's voice was already floating up the stairway about them hurrying up, that Doxy infestation was waiting, and she'd even found some Puffskeins.

"Fascinating," Sirius pouted, now honestly wishing he could hand over the book to Harry early or something, he had no want to read of this place even if it did give him some small pleasure to hear of the disrepair it was in. He resisted the impulse though, he'd forced himself to read through worse, that stupid house wasn't even so bad as other things.

In no time at all, Harry and Ron had joined the twins, Hermione, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley in the drawing room, all with their faces covered and holding little black bottles.

"I'm surprised she trusts them to be around such fearsome and dangerous creatures without having them all in bubblewrap," James huffed.

"I'm impressed you know what bubblewrap is," Lily tried to poke fun in favor of agreeing, at least trying to break out of her own bad mood at any mention of her.

James remained in a fuming silence, so Lily worked out for herself who must have introduced that to him.

The moment Molly caught sight of them, she instructed they do the same. She had some Doxycide on hand, but she'd rather not use it. This infestation was terrible, what that house-elf had been doing all these years was anyones guess.

"Seems without dear old Mum around, Kreacher takes the Black name to new levels with that house," Sirius sniffed in disgust. He did find it a bit odd, he'd have thought that vermin would keep the place as pristine as his favored Mistress had always wanted it, but he supposed without direction the old thing would circle into the useless state Sirius had always claimed he was. He could live with that.

Even with Hermione's face half concealed, Harry still saw her give Mrs. Weasley a look for that comment.

"Now that would be an interesting argument," Remus smirked at the thought.

She tried to defend how old Kreacher was, and how hard it must be for him to manage-

but she was cut off by Sirius arriving to tell her that Kreacher could manage wonders when he tried, while placing a bloodstained bag on a chair, clearly filled with dead rats.

"I think I found out what you're doing with Buckbeak," Remus blinked in surprise.

"Either that, or I'm fixing to get some really interesting revenge on Molly," Sirius agreed.

At the odd look Harry was giving the bag, Sirius explained those were for Buckbeak.

"Still okay with this," Sirius chuckled.

He'd just been upstairs feeding him in his mother's old room.

"There are so many ways I can laugh about this, I can't decide which to choose," James blinked spastically while Sirius chose outright joy and promptly fell back against his seat laughing so hard his face was turning red.

Lily watched his amusement fondly, but she was honestly a bit saddened by it as well. What had his mother done to him that would cause him to be so bitter and happy about this petty insult? She couldn't help her mind flicking back to Molly. If this is what Molly saw of Sirius from the beginning, she almost empathized with the woman who only saw the face of Sirius and his careless ways. She hadn't taken the time to get to know him, and really would just see the reckless man who thought of nothing but himself. It didn't excuse the way she'd spoken to him though, not by a long shot, so she forced herself to stop thinking about the matter.

He stepped farther into the room and examined the desk Molly had mentioned the night before, agreeing with her that it most likely did contain a boggart, but they should still wait for Moody.

She agreed that was the best course. Both were being formally cordial to each other, making it clear they were both still sore about last night's argument.

Sirius was trying to speak in a light way as well, he didn't want to get his friends yelling about her again, nor did he want to dwell on it himself.

No more could be said when the doorbell went off, and Sirius groaned he'd told them all to stop that as he sprinted out of sight.

"But who doesn't want to announce their arrival like that," Remus rolled his eyes.

Not a moment later and the loud shrieking of Mrs. Black could again be heard of all their dishonor, filthy half-breeds, and traitors!

Mrs. Weasley cut off that noise by asking Harry to close the door.

James was still so rankled he wanted to shoot something at Molly just for that tiny little thing.

Harry took his sweet time in closing the door shut, only just managing to hear Kingsley speaking below of Hestia relieving him from his shift and she was now in possession of Moody's Cloak, and Kingsley just wanted to drop off a report for Dumbledore.

Feeling Molly's eyes on his back,

Sirius sighed, and to redirect something he could feel coming, he instead threw out, "well someone's definitely still on guard duty over something, and they're hiding, why else would they need a cloak around?"

The others didn't disagree, but no one played along in speculating with him, Harry just because he had no more new information and an already building headache at the idea of this thing again.

Harry regretfully shut the door and turned back to see Molly flipping to the chapter on Doxys in Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household pests book.

"Why does she still have that?" Remus sputtered in disgust.

"The information is still right, even if he did steal it from someone else," Harry reminded.

"Did you never tell her, or Dumbledore never told anyone about him?" James asked as they hadn't heard anything about it otherwise.

"I never did," Harry shrugged, he hadn't taken much of an interest in Lockhart after he'd left school, though it did leave Harry wondering why he thought he might see him again.

The others hoped that at least Dumbledore had informed the public of that sham, preferably putting some kind of charges on Lockhart in the process for what he'd done.

She instructed that she had a bottle of antidote for the Doxy's if someone got bit, but she'd rather not need it, so they should all be careful

"Did Ron get bitten by anything last year?" Sirius randomly asked as he remembered his first three years. "I think a pattern got broke, and I'll be disappointed if it doesn't pick up again."

"Sirius, you were the last thing to bite Ron," Harry reminded sadly, causing Sirius to quickly decide to change the subject, as he had not forgotten that.

She stood and faced the curtains, and called on her command they would all start spraying and then dump the stunned creatures into the buckets.

"What's she going to do with them afterwards?" Harry asked.

"Probably toss them outside and let them find somewhere else to nest," Lily shrugged.

Harry only got one squirt before the swarm all came out, but everyone was a good enough shot to get them in the face, and soon the floor was littered with the tiny furry creatures. Mrs. Weasley managed to keep attention on both her own pests, and her kids as she instructed Fred to stop playing with them and stun it already.

"She won't even let them properly investigate what they're spraying? They could be trying to educate themselves on these little things," Sirius told with a wide eyed expression Harry was sure never fooled a single teacher.

Fred agreed at once and did indeed have the creature go limp, but the moment his mother turned her back he slipped it into his pocket with a wink at Harry.

"What is he doing though?" Lily asked in confusion, this had gone from playfully joking around to them clearly up to something.

"Fingers crossed Harry asks," James said eagerly.

George came over and whispered next to Harry they were going to use these things venom for their experimenting in their Skiving Snackboxes.

Remus at once tried to lean over and see what this new mischief was about, but Sirius just as quickly pushed his face back away and ducked protectively over the book to read on loudly at this already brilliant name, he had no doubts it would be followed up with some new invention of the twins he was going to love!

Both twins at once began, in low undertones so their mum still couldn't hear, that those were their newest inventions. A range of double ended sweets, the orange half left you vomiting so badly you had to be left for the Hospital Wing, while swallowing the purple half left you healthy as ever and free to go at your leisure.

Lily's mouth was hanging open by the end and Sirius just had to stop for a moment to marvel at this.

"That is, brilliant," Remus managed to get out first, blinking spastically as he thought through it. "I've never heard of that, yet the idea is so-"

"This is the best idea ever!" James shouted as he began bouncing in his spot. "My word how did we never come up with this? It's fantastic!"

Sirius didn't even look like he wanted to keep going, all the boys were clearly fixing to have a full blown chat about the ideas of this and what could have gone into such a thing while still praising the twins genius, so Lily had to clear her throat hard to keep them on track. Sirius did eagerly return though, he wanted to know more!

George sad that they weren't perfect yet, the testers were having trouble stopping vomiting long enough to get the purple half down.

"Testers?" James repeated with a grin, wondering which brother had befallen this trick first.

While Fred explained that the testers were sadly only them, they'd been taking turns on all the products. George had done the Fainting Fancies, both of them had tried the Nosebleed Nougat, while George inserted that their Mum thought they'd been dueling each other.

"A fair assumption, along with those banging noises I remember being mentioned coming from their rooms," Lily grinned indulgently. "Clearly this has been a long standing practice to try their material on each other."

Harry came to the conclusion their joke shop was still on then?

"I'd be insulted if it wasn't by this point," Remus' shoulders kept shaking he was trying to force himself to stay quiet enough through his laughter so Sirius wouldn't stop.

George agreed they hadn't got any premise yet, as of now it was a mail order service through the Daily Prophet.

"That's the best start they could ask for," James agreed at once. "Can't start too big, they still look to inexperienced. I've no doubts it's going swimmingly though!"

Fred swiftly added on it was all thanks to Harry, not that Mum still knew. She hadn't been reading the Prophet since it went off on him and Dumbledore.

This clearly didn't impress anyone but Harry, who found the gesture oddly nice, and a blessing as it saved him from hearing about another row that could land him and the twins in some very hot water.

Harry grinned at them, he still didn't regret giving them his thousand Galleons prize money from his Tournament last year, but he was also pleased Mrs. Weasley yet knew of his involvement in the twins future plans as she did not approve of this joke shop idea for her kids.

"And I still don't care," James said nastily.

"Dad," Harry groaned for the tone.

"Nope," he snapped back at once, not budging an inch.

"James, I'm still angry to, but don't antagonize him," Lily sighed to cut off Harry who really may have said something back.

James just rolled his eyes while Harry was still looking sadly at the pair of them.

They went back to help the others before anyone could grow suspicious, and the de-doxying took up the rest of the morning. By that time Mrs. Weasley moved to collapse into the nearest chair, and managed to sit on the bag of dead rats.

Most of them got a revengeful giggle out of that, the Marauders more than anything as they really were wondering if this emphasis Sirius had on killing rats of late had some not so subtle meaning.

The curtains now hung damp but pest free, at the foot of them was the pockets of the former occupants and some eggs they'd managed to find, which Fred, George, and Crookshanks were all eyeing curiously.

"They were shown to have grabbed at least two each by now," Remus raised a curious brow, "and I'm still not even sure what they think they're going to use Doxy venom for. It doesn't cause vomiting, so I'm sure they should be good."

"I'm positive they've been at it long enough they won't raise suspicion to their mother," Sirius assured.

"They might be using them for a new pill," James offered, "after all, if they've already got one almost out of the testing stages, then they're probably right on track with the next, maybe it'll cause some kind of fever since that's what doxy venom is known to do."

Molly was looking at the glass cabinets at the other side of the room and decided they'd clean out those after lunch, Harry could already spot a vile of what he was sure was blood.

"You would be correct," Sirius sighed, clearly not noticing more than anyone else Harry's sudden unease about those cabinets.

Then the doorbell rang, and Mrs. Weasley told them all firmly to stay upstairs, she'd bring the food up.

"Just put them all in a playpen and put up baby gates everywhere, I'm sure that'll hold them," James mocked.

She left the room, closing the door carefully behind her. At once, everyone dashed over to the window to look down on the doorstep. They could see the top of an unkempt gingery head and a stack of precariously balanced cauldrons.

"Glory that man has a death wish," Lily's brows began creeping into her hairline. "Dragging that stuff there, isn't that what he went to do instead of watching you? With Molly and Sirius already there and in bad moods."

"This could turn into a bloodbath," James agreed, though he didn't sound particularly concerned.

Hermione was stunned he was bringing all those cauldrons in.

Sirius suddenly paused with a stupid smirk in place, and Remus and James were already bracing themselves as Sirius turned to Harry and said, "hey pup, what does your best mate and those have in common?"

At Harry's blank look, Sirius continued on in the same breath, "they're both called Ron!"

It took a moment, Harry mouthed the word again to himself, then his eyes brightened and he laughed like Sirius had just made another pun about his own name.

The others were honestly beginning to wonder if Harry may be faking that to indulge Sirius, it couldn't really be that funny? Sirius clearly didn't care though as he kept reading cheerfully.

While Harry pointed out he was looking for a place to stash all those dodgy cauldrons.

"I'm sure Percy and his Cauldron Bottom report would just love to get his hands on this," Remus snorted.

Fred agreed their Mum was going to be ticked.

"Doesn't seem like she likes much of anything," James muttered.

Everyone crept to the door so that they could hear Sirius and Kingsley greeting him, while Fred suggested they should try and pop upstairs for the Extendable Ears, see if anything important was going on.

"Why would they want to?" Sirius had an odd smile in place as he was picturing the carnage to come. "Don't they get enough of their mum yelling? I'd think they'd enjoy from a distance her turning on someone else."

"They're not going to be discussing anything about the Order anytime soon, but better safe than sorry I suppose," Remus shrugged.

Before either could act on that, no sneaking device was needed, as the whole household could hear every word from Mrs. Weasley's voice.

"There it is," James nodded without surprise.

Shouting at the very top of her lungs that they were not running a hideout for stolen goods!

Fred inserted conversationally how he loved hearing her have a go at someone else, it made such a nice change,

"Is that all she's going to do though, shout?" Sirius pouted. "I really was hoping she'd do a bit more, like hex him."

"I'm sure that's where you'll step in," Remus chuckled.

He even opened the door a crack to let the noise filter better about how they had enough to be worrying about without him dragging illegal things through here!

"Again, even against his will, it is Sirius' place," James sniffed. "Don't see how she can say all that."

"You know you'd agree with her at the moment," Lily scolded softly, keeping her eyes on the book intently. "Stop being petty and listen."

James was still scowling but shut his trap.

George shook his head at the rest of the household letting her get her stride in, you had to head her off early otherwise she could go on for hours.

"Poor boys have learned that from experience," Remus winced for them.

When Mrs. Black began her own course of insults finally drowning out Molly, George tried to shut the door, only to have a house-elf shuffling into the room.

"Oh joy," Sirius' interest vanished at once as he realized the topic was getting switched off of yelling about Dung. He'd rather Harry snuck out now to keep watching what Molly did best, this one was going to be far worse.

He only wore a filthy rag around his saggy skin, and though bald, he had a large quantity of white hair sprouting from his ears along with bloodshot eyes, batlike ears, and the same snout like nose as the others elves hung from the wall outside.

He seemed to take no notice of those already in the room, and instead was muttering as if to himself in a deep, bullfrog's voice.

"Most elves act invisible actually," James told Harry, "that's how they're trained. It really isn't so odd this is the first one you're properly interacting with."

"Wouldn't have been my first choice," Sirius grumbled.

He was already on a tangent about Mundungus, which easily slid into repeating everything his Mistress portrait had been saying about how all of them were Mudbloods and werewolves and traitors amongst his precious dwelling.

Everyone was angry by the end of that rotten little speech, though all for entirely different reasons, at least Sirius didn't feel bad about how he was now reading as if speaking about his own mother and no one was going to tell him off for it, they all saw entirely why.

Fred cut off the spiel by saying hello to Kreacher, who spun around as if in surprise.

"Don't know why he bothered," Sirius grumbled, "he turns around and says it to their faces again anyways."

"I can't believe he really says all that," Lily sighed.

"Why do you think my mother preferred him over me?" Sirius reminded with a hard look. "I refused to say any of that, yet he went around saying it all the time."

He began apologizing to the young master that he had not seen him while bowing.

"Why'd he call him master?" Harry asked, his burning hatred of Kreacher still at the top with everyone else, completely ignoring any other feelings he might have for the thing.

"He is a pureblood," Remus reminded, "so he does it on instinct. It won't hold weight for anyone but Sirius though."

Then, still facing the carpet, he added perfectly audibly what a nasty little blood traitor of a brat he was.

George inserted they hadn't quite caught that last bit?

"Wish I didn't," James grumbled, he'd only met Kreacher in person once, and he'd never again laughed at thinking his friend exaggerated this thing.

Kreacher quickly said he'd said nothing else while giving a bow to George as well, and adding on not even the slightest bit in a lower tone what unnatural brats the two were.

"Those unnatural little beasts are the most brilliant thing that's ever existed," Remus scoffed, "so Kreacher clearly has no idea what true talent is."

Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"I much prefer cursing him, but laughing in his face is a good start," Sirius agreed.

The elf straightened up, eyeing them all malevolently, and apparently convinced that they could not hear him as he continued to mutter.

Harry kept watching his Godfather curiously, like he was hoping he'd answer that, but Sirius decided the less he spoke about Kreacher, the less swear words that would be involved, so the less Lily would keep glaring at him.

His eyes next fell on Hermione, referring to her as a Mudblood

Sirius still despised having to say that, if there was one thing he'd punish Kreacher for saying outright it was that, stupid thing was lucky he wasn't in the room to hear that one.

standing there in this house, oh what his Mistress would say. Then his eyes spotted Harry, a new boy, and Kreacher wondered who he was.

"It's always nice to not be recognized," Harry grumbled as he still glared hatefully at the book for referring to his friend like that.

Hermione politely informed Kreacher of Harry's name, and Kreacher kept speaking entirely to himself out loud about how he would not even acknowledge that the Mudblood had spoken to him, oh what his mistress would say.

Sirius got all that out through gnashing his teeth in frustration, oh he had a very good idea what his Mum would say to Hermione, and Lily.

Ron and Ginny finally yelled at him not to call her that!

"Always love Ron's automatic defense of her," James smiled, "now Ginny's joined in."

"I think they've shared a room two summers in a row now," Lily reminded fondly, "I suppose they've grown a bit close."

Hermione tried to stop them, saying he wasn't in his right mind and didn't know what he was saying-

"I can not believe she's actually defending this thing," Sirius grumbled with disgust.

but was cut off by George saying she was kidding herself.

Kreacher's eyes were still on Harry as Fred asked what he was even doing in here, and the elves evasive answer was to say cleaning.

"So, were we meant to hear that, or is he talking to himself some more?" Harry asked.

"If he answers you without the insults, he's actually answering," Sirius huffed.

A new voice entered saying how much he believed that, and it was Sirius in the doorway. From behind him, the shouting had ceased, so Mrs. Weasley and Mundungus must have moved to the kitchen below.

"More like moved the body back to the gutter," Lily rolled her eyes.

Upon his arrival Kreacher took such a low bow his nose was flattened against the floor.

Sirius impatiently told him to stop that, and answer what he was really doing.

Kreacher insisted he was cleaning to serve the Noble House of Black-

While Sirius cut him off it was getting blacker every day with how filthy it was.

"There's my Padfoot!" James beamed upon hearing that.

"Can't believe it's taken you this long to play a joke on your name," Remus agreed affectionately.

Sirius didn't seem to pleased with himself for now, though the shock of his friends actually indulging him in doing this was more than enough to pull him into a slightly less bad mood.

Kreacher did not argue the point, it seemed, except to continue muttering about how ungrateful this master was who'd broken his mother's heart,

"Wasn't much of one to break," he inserted with a mutter.

while Sirius snapped his mother hadn't had one of those!

"Sirius, please don't parrot yourself," Lily groaned. "No one wants to hear that twice."

"Not my fault it was so true it deserved to be said twice," Sirius smirked.

Kreacher apparently agreed with him, before continuing to himself that this Master wasn't fit to wipe the slime from his mistress boots, oh how she'd hated him and what a disappointment he was-

Harry really felt a lot of sympathy towards Sirius more with every word he spoke. Had his mother really said all that to his face, repeatedly? Enough he said it again without much more care in his voice than of normally speaking about an elf he hated so much.

Sirius cut him off by demanding to know what he was doing in here? Trying to sneak something else out?

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Remus said deadpan, though they all looked to Harry in concern when he flinched at that for seemingly no reason.

Kreacher insisted he would move nothing from its proper placing, before uttering he would not let them destroy that tapestry.

"Don't know what he's bothering with," Sirius rolled his eyes, "I already know that things got another Permanent Sticking Charm on it."

"Do I want to know how you know that?" Lily asked with honest curiosity.

"Nope," he said simply, popping the p for emphasis.

Sirius was not surprised this was his current object, but dismissed he couldn't do such a thing as he was sure it had another Permanent Sticking Charm on it.

Sirius frowned uncertainly as he phrased it like that. The memory was clear as day in his own mind, but the idea it may have faded all together while he was in Azkaban was only one of the disturbing things he'd realized he'd soon be experiencing.

Then he told Kreacher to go away, and Kreacher actually could not disobey a direct order, so he had no choice but to slunk back out of the room still muttering the whole time about how he'd come back from Azkaban now order poor Kreacher around, and oh his poor mistress, what would she say if she saw the house like this?

"Several colorful things, quite centered around Kreacher, though I'm sure she'd find a way to throw my name in there even before I came back," Sirius rolled his eyes.

All these scum living in here, and the worst one probably a murderer,

"Wish he was," Remus muttered so only Sirius could here.

Sirius barked if the elf kept this up he would be, while slamming the door.

Hermione tried to tell him it was just because he didn't understand they could hear him.

"So that makes it alright for thinking it?" James demanded with a poisonous brow.

Sirius just said it was because he'd been alone to long, taking orders from that mad portrait, but he'd always been a foul little thing.

Hermione tried to persuade he should just set him free- but Sirius corrected it was too dangerous to the Order, he knew too much.

"Don't know what stopped me from doing it the second I walked in there though before this could start," Sirius huffed.

"I'm actually worried it would be the same reason Dumbledore's telling to keep you in there dear," Lily said tentatively, already feeling bad for him being in such a bad mood, but she had been wondering the same thing of him. "If you set him free of you, he'd immediately go running off to the next person in line who he thought should have him, like the Malfoy's. Do you really want Voldemort knowing you've been to your house recently, a place where you were looking into Headquarters."

Sirius' face flushed with frustration as he couldn't work a way to argue that point, but he still snapped back his other point, "that doesn't change how stupid it is to keep me in there all the time! We're in the exact same circumstance as last year, what's the sudden need to force me to stay in!"

Lily did not want to start an actual argument with him, and as he was near shouting at the end it was clearly headed that way, but she also was hoping that maybe someone explaining this to him would lessen his mood just a bit as she pointed out, "well no actually, the big difference is Voldemort is back now. You can't go back to those mountains, not with, him, knowing them just as well as you. Can't stay at Remus' place as he's more than likely being watched by Death Eaters as well just waiting for you to arrive."

"Doesn't mean I have to be there!" Sirius seethed, a vein starting to thump with frustration against his temple. "Pick any vacant house in London and I'd rather be there!"

"Would you really though?" Her voice kept growing quieter the louder his was getting. "Away from even those meetings that you'd rarely visit at that place, kept even further out of the loop, and so far away you couldn't get visitors or even help if it came to that."

Sirius was physically chewing on his tongue to stop himself shouting back at Lily that didn't make this right, but he seemed to have run out of comebacks for now as he turned back to the pages.

The others had watched the exchange with silent fascination, Remus in particular wondering if this had been the exact same way Dumbledore had handled Sirius into being there.

Besides, the shock would kill him.

"You don't have to say that with so much pleasure," Lily sighed, which Sirius blatantly ignored.

Sirius walked across the room to examine the tapestry Kreacher had been trying to protect. Harry followed him and found it covered the whole wall, at the very top it read The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, and just underneath that, Toujours pur.

"What does that translate to?" Harry asked cautiously, as Sirius still seemed likely to explode any second.

"Always Pure," James answered for him as Sirius was still trying to pretend the others weren't in the room.

Harry was examining the bottom few branches, and pointed out he couldn't find Sirius' name.

Sirius agreed he was that blackened spot where his mum had blasted him off after he'd run away from home, Kreacher loved telling that story.

James still winced as he remembered how his brother had turned up that night. Harry was dying to ask for details, but Sirius was still in such a foul mood he wasn't sure if he'd get it or continue being ignored.

Harry was stunned he'd done such a thing, while Sirius agreed he'd made a run to James place, his parents, Harry's grandparents, had adopted Sirius for a time after that. Then he'd struck out on his own when he hit seventeen. His Uncle Alphard had left him with a decent amount of money, probably why he wasn't on here anymore either. He'd always been invited back to Sunday lunch with Mr. and Mrs. Potter though.

James and Sirius both winced at the reminder while Lily placed her hand lovingly over her husbands. James' parents had only passed away the previous year from Dragon Pox, and it was still sharp to both boys. They hadn't even lived long enough to meet their only grandchild. Lily was still happy James had never suggested giving their son his father's name, it would have been too hard to tell him no.

Harry asked why he'd left?

Sirius ran his hands bitterly through his unkempt hair.

"Thought that was obvious," Sirius sniffed which sounded a bit more watery than he meant it to.

Remus couldn't even bring himself to break the tension with a joke about Sirius' vanity, it was still a horrid reminder Sirius didn't even come close to keeping his appearances up like he did now, their Padfoot would never let his hair get anywhere near unkempt.

He answered briskly it was because he hated the lot of them, and his idiot, soft headed brother who'd gone along. He jabbed at a date, of both birth followed closely by a death marked some years previously.

Sirius felt something just wilt inside him at the news that his brother wasn't even alive. Or at least, he wouldn't be in a very short time, as it was nearing the end of October now. He wasn't even sure why he was so surprised, he'd told that little idiot the day he'd found out he was going to join the Death Eater's he'd meet a fast end, and Regulus had just laughed him off. That had been the last time Sirius had seen his brother...and now Sirius realized he wasn't going to see him again.

"Sirius?" James whispered softly, not really sure if he even wanted to get his attention, but willing to do anything to get rid of that blank look on his brother's face.

Sirius shook himself, blinking several times before he put up a smile no one believed. He tisked and put as much carelessness in his voice as he could muster, which wasn't much even to his own ears, "why should I care? Told him this was going to happen, and he told me to f' off. S'not like I care," he finished with a mutinous huff, clearly failing at believing that himself as much as he was trying to convince the others.

Sirius explained such a short life had happened because he'd joined the Death Eaters.

Harry was stunned at the news, but Sirius said he'd seen it coming. His parents, and many others, and thought Voldemort had the right idea with his pureblood supremacy and found their youngest a hero for joining up.

Sirius still managed to read that with a burning hatred that he'd yet had the pleasure of turning on his parents, but now he would be very, very soon. Those idiots had gotten his little brother killed by convincing him it was a good idea to do this, filling his head with lies from the age he was born. Of course it was his own fault as well, weak willed little shit he was who'd never bothered telling their parents no, or anyone for that matter.

Sirius was becoming so twitchy at this topic that he was beginning to fall under the threat of tearing pages out, but he was also clearly refusing to hand the book over as well.

Harry asked if he'd been killed an Auror?

Sirius corrected by Voldemort,

Sirius heard someone choking in shock for that news, but he continued reading on loudly over whoever so that he could hope for more, his mind just couldn't grasp the little idiot earning that pleasure.

or more likely a subordinate of his, Regulus couldn't have gotten in that far. Apparently he'd joined up, but then gotten cold feet over what he was being told to do and tried to run. That didn't work of course, you promised a lifetime of servitude under that rule.

Mrs. Weasley's voice cut in announcing lunch.

Sirius couldn't force himself to keep going for a moment, just sitting there in a stupor as he realized, he'd done it. His brother had actually tried to take a step back, out, to leave all that. Where the hell had he been when this was happening? What if Regulus had tried to reach out to him, right now, would he listen? His instant answer was yes of course, but this was now knowing that he'd got killed for clearly trying. Yesterday, before he'd heard this from his own mouth? Perhaps not, as he'd just think it was some ploy.

He was almost grateful when Remus cut into his train of thought by demanding, "Sirius, how on Earth would you know that?"

Sirius had to blink a few times, and shook his head to clear it as he muttered, "no clue. I certainly never heard of this now. Maybe I really did go looking him up after I got out of, well after. Trying to think of someone I'd trust to both know this and I'd ask, and maybe it was from Andromeda."

"That makes sense," James agreed fairly. "You've mentioned she still stays in touch with her sisters, Narcissa anyways, and I'll bet they've said something about this and maybe you ask her."

Sirius wasn't as keen on the idea, as Andromeda's contact with her sisters was the reason Sirius didn't go around seeing her much. He was never sure how much he could entirely trust her, as he absolutely did not trust Narcissa at all, but Andromeda still sent frequent owls to her favorite sister. Sirius had no clue if Lucius even knew about it, he'd asked and Andromeda had always said Cissy had never exclusively said anything about it. Still, the woman had stayed married to a Muggle-born and had one hell of a daughter, so Sirius did hope he'd get back in contact with his favorite cousin, and he guessed he could still count on her for some kind of information about his little brother.

She came in holding a tray of sandwiches for them all, but neither Sirius or Harry took notice as Sirius kept examining the lines and pointing out a few, like Araminta Meliflua, who'd tried to pass a bill in the Ministry making Muggle-hunting legal.

"Lovely," Lily squished up her face in disgust while her husband moved a few inches closer to her.

and dear Aunt Elladora, she'd started the family tradition of beheading house-elves when they got too old to carry tea trays.

"I still don't understand sticking them up on a wall," Remus rolled his eyes.

"Trophies of how many generations the house has carried," Sirius said without any of his usual mocking, or voice imitation, or anything to really show he even realized he'd answered. His eyes were still vacant.

Of course anyone who'd shown a shred of humanity was blasted away. Like Tonks wasn't on here, that's probably why Kreacher wouldn't listen to her.

"It can't just be the tapestry though," James disagreed, "otherwise he wouldn't take Orders from you as well."

"Guess it is marginally more specific than that," Sirius agreed restlessly, his thoughts still on a brother he'd disowned and was now bitterly regretting. "It has to be my surname or nothing, unless he so chooses."

At Harry's surprise, Sirius explained the relationship that Andromeda, Tonks' mother, was his favorite cousin. She'd gone off and married a Muggle-born named Ted, so bam!

Bellatrix and Narcissa, her sisters, had both married respectable pure-bloods.

Sirius wondered what Andromeda had been thinking while he'd been accused those twelve years of his crime. Had she believed he'd been fooling everyone as well? Or had his years in showing his approval of her husband kept her convinced and she just hadn't been able to do anything for him? Neither answer was comforting, as he still couldn't forget the one person who had believed it all, and Remus should know him better than anyone.

Sirius aimed to where their names swirled off, and Harry was shocked to find Draco Malfoy's name on there.

"Because I always love that reminder," Sirius sneered.

"Does that magically update itself, or were your parents alive to add that?" Harry asked.

"Magically," Sirius replied.

Sirius agreed all pure-bloods were some kind of interrelated.

"Reminding me that I'm technically related to him as well," Harry groaned.

"About as much as I am, and I don't even make the list," James said with chipper. "Potters got labeled as blood traitors way back when all of this nasty business was still being developed, so we hardly even get recognized at it, yet we still manage a pureblood lineage. I still claim it's by accident more than anything."

He was in fact related to the Weasley's as well, but Harry would never find them on here, their whole line was nothing but blood traitors.

James couldn't help a little wince though Sirius hadn't used him as an example. He supposed it was easier, them being right there in the room, but he also wondered if it didn't have more to do with the face it must hurt Sirius something terrible to still say his name.

Harry had turned attention to the last, and oldest sister Bellatrix Black.

Harry felt a nasty, creeping feeling rising up inside of him at Sirius mentioning her.

It was connected to Rodolphus Lestrange, and Harry repeated the surname, wondering why it stirred at his memories?

"Voldemort mentioned them," Remus quietly reminded, causing Harry to wince but acknowledge with a nod that must be where this bad feeling was coming from. They were still in Azkaban, obviously he had no connection to her.

Sirius agreed her, her husband and his brother were all dragged in with Barty Crouch junior and had all been on trial and were now in Azkaban.

"Oh wow," James blinked in surprise. "Didn't even occur to me that was her, though it does explain the nutjob qualities of that woman."

Sirius wished he could join along, mock back the situation, but he really was finding it harder with every line to pretend enthusiasm at this topic of his heritage.

Harry realized that's where he knew her from, the proud woman who'd shouted from Dumbledore's Pensive that she would be rewarded by Voldemort for her loyalty.

"That's not where you remember her name from, they didn't mention any of them by name in that," Lily gently reminded.

"I just put them together like that," Harry agreed.

Harry began to ask why he'd never mentioned any of this, and Sirius snapped back why would he? These weren't his family!

'No, they're all dead,' Sirius hated the nasty little thought that flitted through his mind, but then he glanced to either side of him and amended, 'not all of them.'

He hadn't seen any of these people in years, unless you counted watching a few get dragged past his own bars in Azkaban.

Sirius still hated the hitch that tore through his throat as he was once again reminded of that, it seemed to manage to hurt worse every single time, though not nearly as bad as watching those around him flinch because of it.

Harry began to apologize for bringing all this up, but Sirius waved that off and instead apologized for snapping. He just hated being back here, never thought he'd be stuck in this place again remembering it all.

Harry completely understood that. He could imagine he'd be the same way if he was forced to live back in Private Drive for an unknown amount of time.

Lily felt like she'd been smacked in the face for ever suggesting it was a good idea for Sirius to be in there now. Safety reasons be damned if Harry comparing his life to how Sirius' must look in that moment, and his tone completely agreed with Harry's comparison. She'd vouch for him living at Hogwarts in the boys dormitory then. "Sirius, I'm so sorry, I never should have said it was any good for you to be there, I just-"

"It's alright Lils," he grunted, though he did meet her eyes so he clearly wasn't really that mad still. "I was more pissed I couldn't think of anything to argue back, probably can't with Dumbledore either which is probably why it's working."

Lily flushed, she didn't want to be compared to Dumbledore right now as angry as she was with him. She still wanted to tell him of her idea he just stay at Hogwarts, but Sirius seemed to find that conversation done as he kept going.

Besides, the place really was ideal for headquarters. His father had put every magical protection on this place that existed, and then Dumbledore had added a few of his own on top of the Fidelius Charm. With him being Secret Keeper, no one could get in that Dumbledore didn't know about.*

"Wait, he can do that?" Remus's face puckered in confusion.

"That doesn't make any sense," Lily agreed uneasily, suddenly tense in her husband's arms of all that this made them wonder. "If the person can be Secret Keeper, then why weren't James or I just one? I was going off the assumption you couldn't live at the house to be one, no offense Sirius love," she quickly added.

Sirius waved that off, he completely agreed, but he couldn't unlock his jaw to any more than scowl hatefully into the fireplace for the reminder of this.

"Maybe this time they just had more time to test the idea and figure this out," Harry offered uneasily, he could already tell they all just wanted to move on from this topic, but it was a good question, and one that he'd been wondering himself. "When you two used it for the first time, you did say Mum it was a lost spell Dumbledore must have come across and put up spur of the moment. Didn't have time to test the idea past well, using the first volunteer or-" he broke off as he couldn't play this off anymore or ignore the building growl coming from all the boys.

Sirius got the gist of Harry's idea, and it did make sense, so he forced himself to keep reading loudly before he started digging a hole in Lily's carpet to get out of here.

He promised he could bare it a bit more if he could just get out once in awhile. He'd asked Dumbledore if he could escort Harry to his hearing for some moral support, as Snuffles obviously.

"I wish you wouldn't," James hated having to say it while Sirius was looking to his breaking point any second now, as literally every topic he hated hearing had all come up in this one chapter! Throw in some mentions of dementors and Snape and he'd hit the jackpot. Still, that didn't stop him reminding, "there are enchantments all over that place to stop people from concealing themselves inside there Pads, you know that. We've never tested the idea an Animagus can get through there unchecked."

"Maybe we should," Sirius insisted, his eyes too bright, but just wanting to think of anything good for a moment, and being there for Harry was certainly one of them. "Send in McGonagall first, have her scope out the place as a tabby with Dumbledore, or some other member of the Order for some cock n bull reason like-"

"You're assuming she's in the Order," Remus reminded, "she's not this time around, though Dumbledore trusts her. What makes you think she is the second time?"

Sirius sat there stumped for a moment, then finally snapped and barked at him, "can't I just have one good idea for one second!"

Remus raised his hands in surrender while Sirius turned fumingly back to the pages.

Harry felt like he'd just sunk into the earth below. He hadn't had to think of his upcoming hearing while he'd been here, but now he realized as he looked back at his friends he very well may not be going back with them to school.

Sirius understood at once, and promised Harry he'd be cleared, there was definitely something in the laws about how he was allowed to save his own life in those circumstances.

"Look Lily, some of what you say does get through to him," James forced a smile none of them felt, when were they going to leave this house already? Sirius acting like this was really dragging them all down.

Harry ignored that, and instead turned pleadingly to his godfather that if he was expelled, could he come live here with him?

Sirius just gave a sad smile.

Harry persisted he would feel at least a little better knowing he had some other options than going back to the Dursleys'.

Sirius looked around glumly as he said how bad they must be to prefer this place.

"I have no idea," Sirius informed his future self, even if he did have an odd look in place for doing so.

Mrs. Weasley called over to the two to come get some food before it was all gone.

"Yes, how dare they have a private moment," James sneered.

"How does she keep managing to have the worst timing," Remus agreed with him, "one more second, and Sirius would have asked for details about that!"

The two did indeed join the others, and then began tackling the glass cabinets now accompanied by Sirius. He paid for it by getting bit by a snuffbox, and then his hand developed a tough brown scaly glove appearance.

"Wartcap powder," Lily quietly told Harry before he could ask, "used in a lot of fire protection potions."

He fixed it with a tap of his wand, explaining to them it was just Wartcap powder before throwing it in the bin. Harry saw George sneak that into his pocket next.

"I can see why they'd have a use for that," Remus smiled to himself, "I'm convinced they must have set a few accidental fires in their time, and that's not particularly easy to come by."

More assortments of things included a tweezer that tried to stab Harry until it was smashed with a book, a music box that made them all drowsy until Ginny snapped the lid shut,

Lily shivered at the idea of that thing, and managing to find it extra fascinating Ginny had been the one to fight off such a thing. Guess the poor girl must have an extra sense now of things trying to charm her into submission.

a heavy locket that none of them could open,

The moment Sirius read that, Harry felt such a huge wave of nausea and vertigo, he actually momentarily blacked out. He came back peering at the book in shock, his hand pressed hard to his temple as he tried to understand where that had come from. The last time he'd felt something so powerful, was when he'd heard about Ginny's diary...but what did this have to do with that? He wondered if he was finally cracking, if his memories were just getting so disjointed that he could no longer separate what he was hearing now and what he may be feeling in the future. He refused to linger on it, waving off everyone's concern and promising he wasn't pushing at anything as he insisted Sirius just go on.

and an Order of Merlin, First Class, labeled to Sirius' grandfather for 'services to the Ministry.'

Sirius took one contemptuous look at it, and said it meant he'd given a lot of gold to people before giving it a toss into a rubbish sack as well.

Harry suddenly didn't think of that award in the same way if it really could be handed out all willy nilly like that.

Kreacher made a few more appearances, always near the trash pile and trying to sneak things back away, finally bursting into tears when Sirius wrenched a ring from him. He fled the room calling Sirius things Harry had never heard of before.

"He had a real talent for that at least," Sirius agreed with any resemblance of fondness he was positive he could ever foster for that thing. "Taught me most of my vocabulary."

"Great, now I dislike him as much as you," Lily rolled her eyes.

Sirius replaced it back with the pile while explaining that had been his fathers. Kreacher hadn't been quite as fond of him as Mrs. Black, but Sirius had still caught Kreacher snogging some of his old trousers last week.

"Fascinating to walk in on I'm sure," Remus tried for a genuine smile.

Mrs. Weasley kept them all hard at work in the room until finally the only undesirable thing left was that tapestry, which indeed would come off no more easily than the portraits below, and the still rattling desk as Moody had yet to come by.

They moved downstairs into the ground floor dining room, where Ron vacated the area for a while as he needed a spot of tea after some spiders the size of dinner plates could be spotted in the banisters.

"Well sometimes you manage to mess up the first pot, and it becomes a real hassle to hunt down another, I really can see him taking some time," James agreed fairly, not one of them held any humor for that, not after Aragog.

Snape may have referred to their work as just 'cleaning', but in Harry's opinion they were really waging war on the house, which was putting up a very good fight, aided and abetted by Kreacher.

Harry had many times believed and thought that Hogwarts felt like a living presence to him, but he wasn't as happy to be thinking the same about this old place.

Sirius had quickly grown tired of simply telling him to leave the room, and at one point threatened him with clothes. Kreacher just fixed him with a nasty smile and reminded, apparently only to himself, that his master would do no such thing as Kreacher knew what they were up to, plotting against the Dark Lord with Mudblood, traitors and scum.

Sirius finally lost his temper and actually threw him from the room.

"Sirius!" Lily tried to groan in rebuke, but it came out more as a sigh of acceptance she just couldn't fight him on this.

"Wish I could do that to everyone who calls my friends and family that," he replied easily.

The door continued going off several times a day, several Order members coming and going. Harry had spotted Snape a few times, though thankfully he'd never had to come face to face with him.

"There's a relief," James groaned, he had to stand that guy enough at school, no need to add to his ever growing list outside of the place.

Harry also caught sight of Professor McGonagall, and she also seemed too busy to linger.

"Ha!" Sirius barked as he waved a triumphant finger into Moony's face.

Remus took the prod in the nose from that with acceptance, though he did still wonder what the difference was in Dumbledore including her that time but not now. Though maybe she was a member now, in deep secret that they didn't even know about. He couldn't imagine what the motive for that would be, but he wouldn't be surprised if there were secret Order members they didn't know about either.

Sometimes the visitors did stay to help, like the memorable night Tonks had come around and helped them with a murderous ghoul in a toilet. Lupin came and went frequently, apparently staying at this place with Sirius but leaving for extended times to do unspoken work for the Order.

Remus winced, but no one looked very surprised except Harry. He was dying to ask just what this 'work' was, but even judging from how pale he'd gone now and a look he'd grown accustomed to seeing over them all at any mention of his lycanthropy, Harry thought he had a pretty good guess, so why bother him over it for details.

He'd been the only one able to repair a grandfather clock that had developed the unpleasant habit of shooting heavy bolts at passers-by.

"How could you not want to keep that feature?" Remus asked in a too high voice that James and Sirius still managed to smile at nonetheless.

Mundungus redeemed himself slightly in Mrs. Weasley's eyes by rescuing Ron from an ancient set of purple robes that had tried to strangle him when he removed them from their wardrobe.

"Well so long as he has his uses," Lily murmured approvingly, hoping this would help Molly to lighten up all around now that she saw there was more than one side to everyone. She really was hoping to hear of a make up between her and Sirius before Harry went back to school, an apology really was in order for Sirius.

Despite the fact that he was still sleeping badly, still having dreams about corridors and locked doors that made his scar prickle,

Harry rubbed furiously at his scar now as he gazed blearily around in confusion, still trying to resist word vomit anytime that place was mentioned even if his scar wasn't paining him now.

The others dearly wanted to speculate on this now. At first it had made sense in the dreamscape of his trapped feelings at Private Drive, but now? They supposed he could be feeling trapped and suppressed by that hearing, so the recurring dream would stay, but none of them liked how Harry kept reacting to it like it should mean more.

Harry was managing to have fun for the first time all summer. So long as he kept busy, he was happy, but in those moments at night where he was left alone, he was forced to realize some unseen Ministry person forbidding him returning to Hogwarts, snapping his wand.

"They can't," Sirius's voice broke on that though, and he couldn't pretend to keep going. There was a lot of things lately the Ministry supposedly couldn't do, and yet had been doing. It whipped them all terribly they couldn't be of any comfort to Harry about this, but Harry still didn't look nearly as worried about this as he just had about that locked corridor nonsense, so they tried to console themselves if this had happened, he'd be a lot more panicky about this.

The only small light he had was that he would not be left back at the Dursleys forever, he would come back here with Sirius.

"I'm positive you give the place a brighter charm pup, even though that's not a needed option," Sirius put more enthusiasm into that than he had this whole book so far, managing to make Harry smile up at him for real.

The night before the dreaded thing, he felt like a brick was smashing down on him as Mrs. Weasley told that she'd already ironed his best clothes, and she wanted his hair to have a good wash before he left in the morning. A good first impression did wonders.

"Well she's not wrong," Lily muttered petulantly, still not entirely happy with agreeing about anything with her, even universal advice.

Harry asked how he was getting there, and Arthur piped up Harry was coming with him to work.

Harry turned curios eyes to Sirius, but Molly was already answering that Dumbledore had said it was not a good idea for Sirius to be coming along.

"Since when do I pass every solitary action by that man," Sirius ground out in frustration. "What, am I supposed to start telling him when I use the loo? Would he like to know my regular schedule of how often I-"

"Padfoot, considering how well I know you, please don't finish that," Remus finished almost pleadingly, while Sirius harrumphed but kept going on testily.

Sirius bitingly cut her off how much he agreed this was a good idea.

"Run that by me again, I don't think I quite bought the sincerity of that," James sighed.

Harry asked when Dumbledore had been here to say this, and Arthur said just last night when Harry was asleep.

"He couldn't have woken me up?" Harry yipped in protest.

"Apparently you were too busy, must have been in a private meeting of your own," Sirius stated just to agitate Moony who refused to look over at him. Sirius just grumbled when he got no reaction and finished.

Sirius viciously stabbed a potato without further comment. Harry turned with even more worry and depression back to his own plate, unable to understand how Dumbledore had been in this very house and hadn't bothered to come speak to him. He hadn't realized he could feel worse until now.

"Chapter's over," Sirius groaned as he thrusted the book into Harry's lap. "By the way, I completely agree, the man's behaving like a wanker towards you, not bothering to once come by and hear your side."

"You can't have it both ways Sirius," Remus sighed. "You can't go complaining one minute he's too involved in Harry's life, and then say you're annoyed he hasn't checked up on Harry when the man would know Harry's fine."

"There's a difference and you know it," Sirius snapped back, but Harry was already flipping to the next chapter to avoid an argument, even if he was on Sirius' side.

HPHPHP

*Oops, ignore my earlier * back in chapter four, my brain completely skipped the fact that this was mentioned right here, so hope you enjoyed that.

#The LIfe that Never LIved #Harry Potter #fanfiction #reading the books #hp #Ootp #Jilly #James Potter #Remus Lupin #Sirius Black #Lily Potter

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