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Chapter Text

20/05/1987

Sirius parked their 1980 Ford Cortina as best he could, but he still scuffed the tire rims by lurching onto the curb. Bollocks. He was getting better and better at driving muggle cars; even Moony complimented his improvement, and a compliment from Moony was well earned.

But he was still a bit clumsy at parking.

It had been seven months since they bought the car, and four since they both passed their driver’s tests. James had initially been utterly confused, unable to see any point in muggle driving when they could apparate and floo. It had taken many hours, involving a white board diagram and dozens of firewhisky shots, to convince him.

Lily, with her usual tactical and well-composed approach, had explained that driving was a key part of muggle life and, considering Sirius had worked in the muggle world since graduation, it was perfectly reasonable to desire a car. She herself had received her license between fifth and sixth year, and frequently asked the boys if she could borrow the car, saying it made grocery shopping much easier. Her final cincher to persuade James was that it was easier to drive with kids than any wizarding transport, and his head exploded at the thought of it being easier to transport with them.

Moony had a similar sentiment, arguing that they lived in muggle London and it made sense that they had a car. Sirius believed him somewhat, but knew Moony just hated his motorbike. He felt it was unsafe, and got comically nauseous looking at it. But he hadn’t thrown up since the first time he rode it, all those years ago; the first and only time.

Sirius liked his bike, but his heart fluttered at the thought of being able to drive his niece and nephew around. And the radio would probably sound much better! So while they were discussing purchasing a car together, he impulsively bought one and spent a huge sum of money on it to surprise Moony. He had been upset about Sirius going behind his back, but not for very long, because the car was an intriguing forest green with a bit of shimmer, and custom cherry red cushiony interior seats.

Sirius loved the car now for its convenience, but had originally wanted it mostly because it was so un-wizardly. He had loved Muggle things since childhood when his rebellious older relatives like Andromeda had shown them to him. He knew it would piss his parents off, but had been scared to rebel too loudly because of the torturous punishments his mother put him through. Then, in first year, Moony had come from the muggle world, and showed him all those David Bowie records. In the years since they’d left Hogwarts, Sirius had embraced many Muggle things. He’d gotten almost his entire body covered in tattoos, plus abundant ear piercings and one in the eyebrow, and tried LSD (which had been quite fun the one time, until he had turned into Padfoot, forgotten how to turn back, fell off a bridge and broken all four of his ankles, so he was in no rush to do it again). But sharing something with Moony that was just theirs…the memory still made his stomach erupt in butterflies. He had loved Moony since that moment, hadn’t he? Just hadn’t known it yet. They had been through everything together since.

And as for the car, nothing turned Sirius on more than watching Moony drive. The way he worked that gear shift…and put his arm on the back of Sirius’ headrest to reverse! Once Sirius had asked if Moony could enter him the way he entered those parking spots, with that contorted facial expression of concentration. That earned him a slap on the head, but a sleepless night.

Sirius thought about all of this as he idly got out of the car and gathered his wallet and keys. He checked the side of the car where he’d hit the curb - oh shit. It was quite the scratch, but nothing “Reparo” couldn’t fix when he got home. Patting his wand and his keys in the same trouser pocket, Sirius smirked to himself. How lucky he was to be able to enjoy Muggle and Wizard things. There was a lot he felt lucky to have. Images of Moony floated across his thoughts like pink clouds. The funniest, smartest, sexiest boyfriend alive, who had an internal clock that, leading up to the full moon, caused him to fuck Sirius with so much ferocity and hunger that he couldn’t walk for days (which Sirius was the opposite of upset about). And he was thoughtful, and generous, and since graduating had turned into an excellent cook.

James, the best mate he could ask for. Thank Merlin he had retired from professional quidditch the year Harry was born; Sirius had missed the prick too bloody much. Now he was a cheesy stay at home dad and Sirius could see him as often as he wanted. Brilliant and incredible Lily, who was thriving as a head researcher at a wizarding apothecarial lab. She was incredibly intelligent and used all kinds of big scientific words now. And of course she was smarter than the rest of them—she had become an Animagus at 19, accomplishing in eleven months what had taken the Marauders three years.

Sirius felt a rock sink in his stomach, like it always did when he heard that word. The Marauders. He, Prongs, and Moony inherently kept the legacy alive, and of course the map was sitting in Filch’s office, waiting for Harry to nix it the second the boats took him across the Great Lake. But Peter had died when they were barely 20. Some muggle infection nobody had caught in time. He had passed suddenly, shocking everyone and especially his three best mates. Lily, Mary, Marlene, and Peter’s serious girlfriend Kelly had been deeply shaken, but not like the boys. They lost one of their pack. It had been such an awful time grieving. No one brought him up much, which Sirius regretted. Where was Kelly now? Fuck, where was Peter now? He missed him. Sure, they had bickered like crazy, and Peter was a fucking dumbass. But he was loyal, and sharp when he needed to be. Sirius wished he hadn’t died so young, and so tragically.

Sirius shook off the sunken feeling and kept walking through the London streets on his way to the shop. It was technically Moony’s turn to go grocery shopping, but he was slammed at work with the end of the school year approaching, and the full moon only seven days prior had left him sore and behind on grading. Sirius had a few weeks off from the bike garage while the electricity got rewired, and he was chuffed for two reasons. First, he had plenty of time to relax, clean the flat, and catch up on tweaks on his bike (there was always SOMETHING you could do!). Second, he loved being Moony’s precious housewife. Sirius laughed out loud at the mental image of Moony’s reaction if he came home and found Sirius in bed, wearing a slutty maid’s uniform.

He kept walking, letting his thoughts continue to wander as his black boots crunched against the gravel and cobblestones. He really should be thinking about the grocery list…they needed fruit…But he was thinking about his friends. He was deeply grateful for Mary and Marlene too, although they were so busy with work it was hard to see them more than once a month. Mary was the editor in chief at Charms & Glamour Magazine, living her dream of writing for makeup and fashion, leading a team, receiving expensive products in the mail, and attending endless celebrity parties. She had fought tooth and nail for the role at the luxurious wizarding magazine, working her way up as a fearless journalist. Marlene was doing similarly well, leading the lycanthropy ward at St. Mungo’s. It had been completely transformed in the nearly eight years she had been there, going from miserable and neglected to bustling with resources and support. There was still immense prejudice, but Marlene had revolutionized pain management, and werewolves felt less shame seeking help. Her own brother Danny had been bitten in an attack, during the gang’s seventh year. It had destroyed her, and that’s when she found out about Moony. She had once been prejudiced too, but learned the truth and devoted her life to helping those afflicted. She tested her elixirs on the two of them now, who were both quite grateful but trying not to admit just how much. He and Moony had muggle friends too now, mostly neighbors and coworkers. Many of them gay.

Then of course there were James’ and Lily’s foals. They had brought a love and a sense of purpose into Sirius’ life that he never knew he could have experienced. Mr. and Mrs. Prongs had still been babies themselves when they had Harry, and though Sirius loved James, he probably loved his son more. The near-seven year old was hilarious and endlessly curious, on his way to becoming an excellent prankster and the best damn quidditch player Hogwarts had seen since his old man, if not better. Then Genevieve had come four years later, in 1984. She was intelligent, chatty, and explosive with energy and giggles. Sirius loved playing with her in the garden, watching her make sloppy daisy chains for Padfoot and carrying her on his back.

Sirius and Moony adored being their uncles, and they spent time together constantly. He loved it. But it didn’t fill him up completely; there was a feeling deep inside of him that he always ignored; a feeling of longing. He knew what it was about, but he refused to give it any merit. He or Moony were highly unlikely to sprout a uterus any time soon, and that still seemed more likely than Britain ever letting two men adopt a child together. Being the best uncles had to be enough -

He slowed down his pace when he realized his daydream had clouded his brain so thickly that he had taken several wrong turns, and now he was lost. Where was Moony’s compass when you needed it? He tried to find his way back to the market, and as he did, he locked eyes with someone sitting in front of the rundown pawn shop across the street. He was a little boy, probably not much older than Genevieve, with greasy blonde curls and mismatched, stained clothes. He stared back at Sirius with wide, terrified eyes, while clutching his knees to his chest. Sirius did not like the look of this boy sitting there, alone, looking frightened and dirty, in front of such a seedy place. But maybe his mum was just around the corner buying his surprise birthday present. That was possible, right?

Sirius noticed there was a drug store on that block, so he wrenched his gaze away from the boy and forced himself to head toward it. A pool of anxiety was swirling in his gut because of the boy, but Sirius tried to breathe through it. He was probably just fine, and didn’t need a stranger approaching and scaring him further.

He bought more pain medicine, feeling rubbish about it. Poor Moony. Sirius knew that the chronic pain was getting worse as Moony got older, and he hated to see his partner suffer like that. Especially when he kept telling everyone, even Marlene, he was fine. He knew that Moony was too proud to admit when he needed help, even though he was a grown man and not an angsty teenager anymore. It was honestly ridiculous, but Sirius never said anything. He could see it now; Moony would find the pills in the cabinet and scowl, but take a few eagerly. Neither of them would say anything about it. Maybe he’d let Sirius draw him a bath again, but he would never admit how much agony he was in. Sirius didn’t need him to - Padfoot could smell it on him.

He left the pharmacy and saw the little boy was still there. He was fiddling with his shoelaces, which were made from straggly pieces of yarn. The aching swarm of anxiety hit Sirius again. He wanted more than anything to approach the boy and ask if he was alright. But he knew he shouldn’t; obviously he belonged to someone, and they wouldn’t want to come back and see a man in a leather jacket with knuckle tattoos talking to their kid (although his knuckles did say WOLF STAR, and that hardly seemed threatening).

Then Sirius popped into the suit shop and bought more leather polish for his jackets and their shoes. After that errand, the boy was still there, looking around nervously. Sirius took a step toward him, but stopped himself. He wound up at the market and bought groceries for the flat, including an ice cream treat, cookie dough for himself and triple chocolate for Moony. It had been quite a while since he had arrived in town, by then. Walking to his car with bags slung on his arm (reusable totes, at Lily’s insistence), he stopped in his tracks and turned on his heel back toward the pawn shop. What was he thinking, ignoring a child in peril like that? He needed to know he wasn’t there anymore. Surely he couldn’t still be…surely…

Chapter Text

But he was, and he was starting to doze off now. Sirius sprinted toward him, feeling yanked by an invisible rope. He stopped clumsily just in front of the boy, almost toppling over, and woke him up. The boy stared up at him with frantic brown eyes, and pulled his limbs together tighter to make himself as small as possible.

“Hey there, lad! Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you okay?”

The boy said nothing, just stared at him, petrified. His eyes were searching Sirius’ leather jacket and ripped black jeans, sword earrings, and tattoos on his hands & neck. Did he look scary? The boy was shaking. Sirius kneeled down and spoke gently.

“Where’s your mum?”

The boy eventually shook his head.

“Don’t know?”

--

“Well…do you know why you’re sitting here?”

Another head shake. He seemed terrified of Sirius.

“Well, I think I should help you get back home. But first, wanna get some lunch? I’m starving, how about you?”

The boy shook his head and shut his eyes, ducking his head down. Sirius bit his lip, and waited a moment before standing up. He had been foolish to approach the boy. He had probably learned all about stranger danger, and Sirius was making him upset. He just needed to go, and maybe phone the police.

Sirius gathered his bags and walked away. A minute later, he heard apprehensive footsteps behind him, and he glanced to see the boy was following him at a distance. He was rubbing his stomach. Sirius offered a kind smile.

“Alright then, let’s go! I know a pub that serves endless mozzarella sticks....”

Sirius led them to Nell’s Pub and got them a table by the windows, so somebody would see the boy if they were looking for him.

He ordered them two strawberry lemonades and, when the boy made no indication of what he wanted to eat, also ordered shepherd’s pie, two plates of fish and chips, and a limitless supply of mozzarella sticks. When everything arrived, the boy stared at him helplessly.

“Hey, it’s alright, you can go ahead and eat! You’re perfectly safe. It looks good, doesn’t it?”

Sirius started on the pie, smacking his lips together obnoxiously. The boy saw this and finally tucked into the food, and after a few bites, attacked it with an aggression only Moony’s appetite could match. He ate the food with his hands, barely stopping to chew. He finished the pie, the fish and chips, and three baskets of cheese, but shook his head when Sirius asked if he was full, so Sirius ordered a plate of lasagna. The boy scarfed that down too, and then Sirius got them chocolate milk and two slices of cake for dessert. The bill cost more than the groceries, but Sirius didn’t bat an eye. They walked back through the streets, the boy following him a bit closer now.

“You have quite the appetite, bud! You can eat almost as much as my…friend, Remus. You should see him finish a whole pizza by himself!”

Sirius noticed the boy’s lips upturn ever so slightly at that, which was perfect, because they were passing the pawn shop now. There was no one looking for the little boy. Sirius clenched his jaw. He knew what he had to do, and didn’t care about the consequences.

“Hey, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to stop at my flat before I take you home. I have some groceries to pop in the fridge. Would that be alright?”

The boy nodded hesitantly, still quiet and timid, staring down and fiddling with the hem of his shirt. It was filthy.

They drove home in silence, Sirius playing a pop station on the radio. They both nodded along to the melodies, and Sirius couldn’t help himself from singing along to his favorites. The little boy even started to drum on his thighs to the music. When they arrived home, Sirius turned to see him looking around curiously, with a similar innocent expression to Harry and Evie. The sight of it made Sirius’ insides go warm, like he was full of fire.

Sirius led him to their flat on the third floor. When they had been searching for apartments, Moony had liked this building so much because it was quiet and had an elevator; Sirius loved that the exterior was painted bubblegum pink. They had been here since 1980, after spending a few years at the Potters. James, Lily, Fleamont, and Efthimia had insisted there was plenty of room, but the boys wanted to start their own lives together, and let the Potters be a family. After James’ parents had died in 1983, it had been a miserable time, but warmth eventually refilled the house, and now it was stuffed with the sound of children laughing and running around.

As for Sirius and Moony, they were quite happy in their building in Chinatown. They had friendly neighbors who would have them over for tea and games, and who didn't phone the landlord when Sirius' disruptive coworkers drank in their living room until the sun rose. There was a humble garden downstairs where they had a plot of eggplants and tomatoes (sometimes Sirius thought that Moony cared more about their crops than he did for him, considering the manic devotion he had for them). Sirius wondered what sort of home this boy came from.

He plonked the groceries onto the kitchen counter, then turned to look at the boy. He was looking around the room with an expression Sirius had trouble placing, and he followed where the boy’s eyes landed around the room. The couch with six different blankets on it, all tousled. The liquor corner that was clearly the most popular spot in the house. The blue danube tea cups drying in the dish rack. Pots of herbs lining the kitchen. A kitschy Mickey Mouse coat rack they had found at the thrift shop. A clunky TV. An abused record player surrounded by stacks and stacks (and stacks) of records. Moony’s ash trays. A lunar calendar. A vase of flowers their elderly neighbor Pauletta gifted them, that they enchanted to live perpetually. About 600 candles. Two pairs of jeans thrown hastily over the back of the couch. A quilt that Mrs. Potter had crocheted, hanging on the wall. A bin full of abused takeaway menus. Rock & roll posters. The window letting the late afternoon sun pour in, decorated with red & gold curtains and jelly butterflies Genevieve had stuck there. And dozens of photos covering the remaining wall space and fireplace mantle. The seven of them at Hogwarts; James and Lily’s wedding day; Harry and Evie with their favorite uncles; the only image Moony had of his mum and dad; Regulus and his wife; James Potter, Quidditch Star; Moony’s 21st birthday, trying to eat all 21 layers of his cake; Andromeda’s family; photos from the rowdy Weasley parties; a cutout from Mary’s first magazine issue as editor in chief; a portrait of Peter, laughing, in a frame carved with flowers and dancing mice; and many, many of just Moony & Sirius. Their backpacking and camping trips; one that Marlene had secretly taken in 4th year while they were in the middle of planning a prank, looking mischievous as ever; the time they visited that big chocolate factory; Padfoot wearing Halloween costumes; a photo with the Potters, the only parents they had ever known, and missed deeply; their drunken escapades; Sirius at the beach, shirtless and buried under a mermaid tail made of sand; and of course lots of snogging. Some moved, others were still.

Sirius loved everything about their flat. He thought he knew what home felt like, first at Hogwarts and then at the Potters'; but nothing made him feel as safe and content as the flat he shared with Moony. It was true magic.

But now, watching the boy take everything in, Sirius wondered if it was an unsuitable environment for a child. He rarely thought about his mother anymore, but sometimes the internalized homophobia settled onto him like snow.

“So, lad, where’s home?”

“----”

“Are you able to talk? And just shy today? That’s okay, I do plenty of talking.”

The boy nodded meekly. Sirius took a step forward, feeling daring.

“Are you hurt? Is someone at home hurting you?”

The boy shook his head more enthusiastically, frowning. His blonde eyebrows were knit with distress.

“Ok, well, I’m going to figure out your address so I can get you home. I bet your mum, or dad…somebody sure misses you. Do you want to rest for a bit? Would you like some tea?”

The boy shook no once more and rubbed his tummy. Sirius led him to their bed. He set up some extra blankets from the couch so the boy was wrapped up all cozy.

He was brainstorming how to entertain the boy when he heard the keys jangle at the door. His heart raced—he knew Padfoot’s tail would be wagging.

“Heya babe!” He heard Moony drop his keys, briefcase, and coat. Then he coughed, which Sirius couldn’t help rolling his eyes at; those fucking cigarettes. He had quit when Lily got pregnant in 1979, and Moony had tried, but he couldn’t kick the habit.

Sirius gave the boy a thumbs-up before stepping into the living room and closing the bedroom door behind him. He found Moony looking at the groceries on the counter, his back toward him.

“Go grocery shopping, then?” he said plainly. Sirius approached and saw the mess.

The dry stuff like the pasta and beans would be okay, but the fruit and the meat had attracted flies and the ice cream was a horrible, melted, sticky goop. Sirius groaned. He had kept everything unrefrigerated for too long by going to the pub.

“Oh fuck me! I didn’t mean to leave them out. Sorry, honey.”

Moony grabbed Sirius’ hips, pulled him tight, and kissed his forehead. He loved how tall Moony was—it was so fucking hot.

“ ‘s alright. What are we going grocery shopping for anyway? We’re wizards. We just need to wave our magic stick and, boom, a cornucopia!”

Sirius laughed, and they kissed on the lips, tradition for when they were leaving for or arriving home from work.

Sirius ran his thumb along Moony’s facial hair. They had both experimented, trying to see what they liked. Sirius had grown out a full beard, then a fluffy handlebar mustache, and even a soul patch; nothing had fit quite right. Now he had a steady scruff, and loved when Moony played with it (it was also Padfoot’s favorite tickling spot).

Likewise, Moony had tried his own beard (which Sirius liked, but Moony hated) and awkward sideburns (which Moony liked, but Sirius hated). Now he had a proper but tamed mustache, which both the men liked. Sirius thought it was perfect for Remus as a sexy professor (and Moony kept reminding him he wasn’t a professor, he taught primary school). Sirius fiddled with the ‘stache before continuing.

“You fucking nerd. Speaking of being wizards though…I need to fix the car really quick.”

“I already did when I got home. No worries. But you work in a garage, you could’ve fixed it without magic easily, silly goose.”

Sirius just nuzzled into Moony’s neck. He smelled so good, like citrusy deodorant and paint from the school and woodsy tobacco. Moony hugged him, and inhaled too, but only a moment later stiffened and pulled back.

“Someone’s here? Who is it?”

“What? Nobody’s here.”

Moony smirked and pat Sirius’ shoulder, heading toward the bedroom.

“Pads, I can tell.”

Sirius followed him. “Always worth a shot.”

Moony opened the door and stopped abruptly when he saw the boy wrapped up in their blankets. He stared back.

“Sirius, who’s this?”

“Oh, this is my new friend…er, yep.”

Moony glanced back pointedly at Sirius while approaching the boy. He bent down, so he wasn’t so tall, and used a soothing voice to say,

“Hello there, my name’s Remus. What’s yours?”

Sirius nearly smacked his forehead. He hadn’t even thought to tell the boy his name. Maybe that would have made him more comfortable.

The boy just stared. Moony smiled reassuringly.

“Don’t want to talk? That’s quite alright—Sirius does plenty of talking.”

He turned back to Sirius, and said tightly,

“Sirius, would you like to talk outside right now?”

Sirius nodded and they shut the door once more, reconvening in the kitchen. Moony started cleaning up the food, and Sirius followed suit.

“Babe, whose kid is that?”

“I don’t know. He was left outside.”

“What?! You TOOK him?!”

“No—I mean, er, yeah—but—but he was ABANDONED outside the PAWN SHOP, Moony! I was running errands for hours, he was alone the whole time, nobody ever came looking for him. And why isn’t he talking? Something really bad must have happened to him.”

Moony rubbed his sore shoulders, and the line that formed when he was thinking hard crept between his eyebrows.

“...I need to call Grant. Has he eaten?”

“Yep. Like a bloody cow, babe. Ate more in one sitting than you could.”

Moony lifted his eyebrows playfully. “Oh really? Bet I can prove you wrong.”

He kissed Sirius’ cheek and walked to the phone on the anchor by the record player. He opened the window and smoked while chatting with Grant. He wrapped up the call just as the cigarette was finishing.

“I love you too. Okay. See you then. Bye.”

He came back over to Sirius.

“He’s in Hertfordshire helping an adoption. He’ll be able to stop by on Sunday morning.”

“That’s four days from now!”

“Well then we’ll see if somebody DOES come looking for him, then! You shouldn’t have just taken him, Pads—you could’ve rung the police.”

“I know. I just felt a sense that he had already been through enough.”

Moony’s expression softened, and he smiled.

“Oh, you’re such a softie, aren’t you. Come on, then. We’re babysitters this week.”

Moony marched into the bedroom with stride. Sirius dreamily watched his boyfriend move so confidently, with his strong sense of logic and morality…not to mention his shoulders jutting against his sweater, and his ass in those corduroys…how could he keep getting sexier every day?

Moony kneeled in front of the boy.

“Thanks for waiting. Now, Sirius tells me you’ve had lunch already, but…maybe you’d still fancy…an apple juice?”

He reached briefly behind his back and pulled forward a juice carton. The boy accepted it eagerly. Moony stood up shakily, clutching the table to hoist himself.

“Excellent. I’m going to make dinner in the big room now. Would you like Sirius to keep you company in here?”

The boy sipped his juice and darted his eyes between the both of them, then shook his head. Sirius’ heart sank a bit.

“That’s okay, we’ll check on you later, alright? You’re going to stay the night here until we’re able to find your home, if that’s okay with you. Sirius, let’s go.”

…

Moony made orange chicken and rice while Sirius made a salad and cleaned up after him, talking about their days. Moony had science presentations in his Year 3 class and a history test in his Year 5. His coworker Hillary revealed that she found her fiance fucking another woman in their bed, wearing a pink wig (he was wearing it, not the woman). She wanted to kill him, but Remus and the girls talked her out of it, and he suggested rosehip as revenge. And the new teaching assistant, Grace Ann, asked him if he had a girlfriend, to which he very truthfully said no. But then she asked him on a date, and he had to explain who Sirius was in the most delicate way possible. Sirius liked being upfront about their relationship, and so did Moony, just not at work. His closest coworkers knew he was gay (and Sirius thought it was pretty obvious, re: the mustache), but he wanted to keep it quiet since he was working with children. Sirius’ coworkers knew too, which he thought was hilarious, because they were all burly, tatted up bikers. He had honestly been quite nervous at first, but everyone had reacted very positively when the photo of them snogging fell out of his wallet (he likes to keep one there).

The boy accepted their invitation to eat dinner, relieving Sirius. They ate on the couch in front of the TV and watched something called Fraggle Rock. None of them had seen it before, and they all sat jaws open, dazed. Then Sirius fetched them some proper ice cream and they ate on the balcony, watching the cars and trolleys below. When Sirius was scrounging the storage closet for something old of Harry’s that maybe the boy could wear to sleep, he heard Moony yell from their room—

“MERLIN’S BALLS!”

Sirius rushed in. There was sick all over the bed and Moony’s & the boy’s clothes. The boy had a hand to his mouth, looking embarrassed.

Sirius watched Moony’s face scrunch up in disgust and frustration, then melt into calm as he took a deep breath.

“That’s alright, lad. I suppose we didn’t give you too much healthy food today, did we? Let’s get you cleaned up. Sirius, do you want to draw the bath or clean the bed?”

Sirius scooped the boy up in his arms without hesitation. The boy let him.

“Bath definitely. Sorry, Moons.”

He kissed Moony’s cheek, and they both froze and held a knowing gaze on the boy. Sirius hurried into the bathroom, set the boy gently down onto the lime green mat, and started the tub faucet.

“Ok mate, it’s time to wash off. You’re gonna have to take your clothes off, are you okay with that? I won’t look.”

The boy shrugged and started undressing, and Sirius quickly shut his eyes. He heard a step and a splash and when he opened them, the boy was in the tub already. Sirius absentmindedly muttered a spell to ignite the tub with thick, sweet-smelling bubbles. Then his stomach tightened—Moony used magic in front of the kids at work, but those were pre-Hogwarts wizard kids learning muggle primary school basics. Sirius had found the boy in muggle London. He shook it off, telling himself he was too young to remember it, probably.

Then Sirius grabbed the radio from beside the sink and softly played an upbeat, jazzy station that the boy seemed to enjoy as he attempted to clap his hands to the beat. Sirius told him to close his eyes, and when they were opened, Sirius was holding a few rubber bath toys. He could use transfiguration if the boy wasn’t looking, eh?

“This one’s called Moony,” Sirius cooed as he placed a large brown wolf onto the water’s surface, “this one’s Padfoot, the best one…Prongs, the big deer wearing glasses…and here’s…here’s
Wormtail.”

He set the toys out and the boy just stared at them. Sirius encouraged him to go on and play with them. The boy reached out and splashed them around, perking up. Sirius smiled and enjoyed watching the boy’s delight. He wanted to make him laugh, though. He hadn’t heard it yet. Without a second thought, he pulled his wand from his hair, where he had been using it to hold a bun.

“Hey bubba, look!” He shoved the wand in his nose and made a silly face. The boy burst out laughing, a rattling, loud, explosion of wonder that made Sirius erupt in laughter too from pure joy. He noticed that the boy had a gap between his front teeth, and one of them was severely chipped. They sat there laughing together for a few minutes, until Sirius’ abs were burning and the boy was rosy-cheeked and hiccupping bubbles. He let Sirius wash his hair, and then he dried him off and took off his shirt for the boy to sleep in.

He carried the now very drowsy boy back to the bed, thinking about the trip he would need to take to the shop tomorrow for an extra toothbrush and some kids toothpaste. James told him once that it was very important kids use their own special toothpaste, and Sirius had thought it was rubbish, but now he figured it was the safe thing to do. He really knew nothing about kids, other than they had a lot of energy. He was just trying to act in the opposite way his parents had.

When they came into the bedroom, Moony was in his pajamas and lying on the freshly made bed, reading. He looked up and grinned.

“Looks like someone is fresh and clean! Just like his big bed! Now it’s bedtime. Tomorrow we’ll read a story, but tonight you’re probably very tired, I would think?”

The boy nodded, mid yawn. Sirius tucked him in and the boy seemed much more comfortable with him than he had a few hours ago. Moony flicked off the lights and turned on the star thrower he must have poofed into existence while they were in the bath. The dark walls were now dotted with stars that rotated calmly around the room. They wished him goodnight and that they’d be in to check on him in the morning.

The door was almost shut when Sirius heard the faintest,

“Thank you.”

Chapter Text

21/05/1987

Moony awoke Sirius at seven am, right on the dot, without an alarm, as usual. They were bound together in an uncomfortable position on the couch that was way too small for the both of them prone like this. Moony stretched and accidentally elbowed Sirius in the face.

“Ah, fucking hell, Moony, really?! Have some class!”

“Sorry babe, didn’t mean to! And don’t lecture me on class—you’re stiff as a rod! What are you, fourteen?!”

“Shut up! You’re just—I’m just—we’re all tied up like this—ugh! Do something about it or leave me alone!”

Moony rolled his eyes while standing and yanking his pajamas back on.

“Cark off. Up then, let’s check on him.”

Sirius was on his feet in a blink and they were both momentarily lingering at the bedroom door. Moony’s hand moved back and forth from the doorknob to the wood, unsure whether to twist or knock. He finally opened the door gently.

“Buddy? You awake?”

The boy was sound asleep, wrapped up messily in the pile of blankets. He was curled up, like a puppy. They shut the door.

“Okay, I need to go to work today since we’re performing a play in our Shakespeare class. You’ll be okay alone with him, eh?”

“Of course. I’m going to call James after breakfast.”

Moony scowled.

“Oh no, the Moony look. What are you thinking?”

“Well, I just wonder if it’s not such a good idea telling Prongs. I mean, we’re gonna have to…return him to where he came from, once Grant helps us find out where that is. We probably shouldn’t tell people.”

“He’s not people, he’s James! He’s a dad, he certainly knows what he’s doing more than we do! What stick do you have up your ass?!”

“Don’t yell at me, he’s sleeping! And you better wash your mouth with soap before he wakes up! Stick up my ass…fucking amuteur…”

Moony brewed an extra strong mug of coffee while eggs and toast cooked themselves. He started with the coffee and a cigarette on the balcony as he organized his lesson plans for the day. Sirius cleaned up the kitchen and emptied all the ash trays around the house. Then he decided to stuff each of the ceramic dishes to the back of the lowest cupboard, where he knew Moony wouldn’t check because the bend made his knees hurt. He would probably toss all the cigarette packs out today too, even the emergency stash, and he would take them to the main dumpsters so Moony couldn’t dig through the rubbish and recover them again (and yet he’ll still say he could quit anytime he wanted). Sirius didn’t want an ounce of tobacco in the house while the boy was there. Fuck, did that mean his weed had to go too? He could hand it off to Pauletta maybe, or Danny…

Sirius had cooled down from his sleep-deprived mood by the time Moony had quietly gotten dressed in the bedroom and was on his way out. They kissed at the doorstep, paying no mind to their neighbors passing by.

“If you need anything at all, call the school, okay? Anything. Hmm, maybe I should stay with you. I can get Marcius to take over my King Oberon role.”

“Hush now Moony, I know how much you’ve been looking forward to this play! We’ll be fine here, really. I don’t want you fretting about us, I’m worried about your stress cortisol.”

“Now who’s the fucking nerd? I’ll call at lunch. And pick up kid’s toothpaste on my way home. I love you, Pads.”

Sirius loved him back and left a wet, sloppy kiss on his cheek that Padfoot would approve of. Moony was still blushing when he disappeared down the stairs toward the train.

First Sirius checked on the boy, who was still out like a light. He crept in and turned off the star thrower, then stared at the boy for a few minutes, unable to stop himself. He was so precious. His curls were clean and springy now and glistened in the sliver of light streaming in from the curtains. His chest rose and sank melodically, like a duck bobbing in the water. Sirius smiled at that. What a silly thought to have. Something Genevieve would enjoy.

With that, he went to the living room, cast a silencing spell, and grabbed the mirror from the last place he had used it, the tiny guest toilet (don’t ask). He called for James, who answered almost a full minute later.

“Mmm, ‘sup, Pads?” he whispered tiredly.

His hair was a mess—even more so than usual. He truly looked like an electrocution victim at this point. His glasses had been hastily thrown on and hung treacherously on the tip of his nose (which was permanently crooked now, thanks to the Great Bludger Bonk of ‘78). The bags beneath his eyes were swollen and he was lying in bed. But he was the same old James. Beautiful, brilliant James. The Marauder.

“Prongs! Why are you whispering? Don’t wanna disturb Lily and whoever she’s cucking you with this week?”

James smirked, more awake now. He pushed his glasses up. “Mmm, just exhausted from pounding Moony all night.”

“Oh, excellent! How was he? I taught him everything he knows.”

James laughed brightly. Seeing his face light up like that, Sirius was suddenly back in the Gryffindor common room, touching knees with a much younger James as they plotted their next prank.

“I do have to be quiet though,” said James softly, “the bugs are still sleeping, miraculously, and once they’re up—”

The mirror buzzed in Sirius’ hand as the sound of the door slamming open and children screaming filled James’ room. His kids launched onto the bed, landing on top of their dad and squeezing the air out of him.

“Daddy! Wake up! Pancakes!” chirped Evie, whose bright red curls trembled as she held James’ face and jumped on the squishy mattress. Harry noticed the mirror that he had dropped onto the comforter, and squealed with delight.

“PUncle Padfoot! Come eat pancakes with us!”

Sirius laughed. “I’d love to Harry, but I was actually hoping your dad and you guys could come over here instead. Will you let me talk to him?”

Harry lifted the mirror, kissed it, and handed it to James. He wiped off the slobber and laughed, clearly exhausted but deeply content.

“Zoo’s open for business now. You want me to come over? You okay?”

“Yeah, peachy. Just…wanted your help with something.”

“Something legal, I hope? I’m a father now.”

“Ooooh, really? I didn’t know, you hardly mention it. Anyway, can you? We have flour over here, that’s all you need for pancakes, eh?”

“Pads, you know I want to, but today’s a bit kookoo. Evie has a dentist appointment—she bit another rock—and then there’s laundry and I promised Lily I’d run some things to Gringotts today. Then I have to buy her…well, nevermind that. But I should be free to come over…hmm...how’s Sunday night at six?”

“Brilliant.” Sirius knew this was the best he was going to get since James became a stay at home dad. “Why don’t you all come over for dinner? I’ll wrangle Mary and Marlene, too. Moony can make a stew.”

“That rhymed!” Harry yelled, jumping too now. Evie was blowing raspberries on James’ bare stomach, flailing around as the up-and-down of the mattress sent her into the air.

“That sounds bloody…er, I mean, extremely great. Lily’s felt a bit ill this week, but I’m sure she’ll be fine by then. We’ll bring a bread loaf. Are you sure you’re okay, Sirius?”

“Yes! Completely! Just jealous I’m missing the pancake party. But Moony would want…um, me…to stay here today. See you Sunday. Love you.”

“Love you too, mate. Kids, say goodbye to Uncle Padfoot, please?”

“BYE UNCLE PADFOOT! LOVE YOU!”

“I love you too, kiddos! Be gentle with your dad please, the Cannons said they’d take him back once you’re at Hogwarts!”

He snapped the mirror shut, listening to the kid’s blabbering fade out. He loved those goofballs. He missed James though, who never had time for late night motorbike rides anymore. But Sunday would be perfect. Grant would be there and help them get a grip on the situation, and the boy would open up by then. Hopefully. Sirius looked thoughtfully at the closed bedroom door, the soft snoring behind it barely audible. Did the boy come from the kind of household where he could jump on the bed and play? If so, why had he been abandoned at the shop yesterday? Had Sirius made the irresponsible choice bringing him home instead of calling the police? The selfish choice? Yesterday he had hoped somebody would be looking for him, but now he was sort of wishing that he and Moony could take care of him for more than a few days. It felt like such an important purpose. Sirius shook his head, feeling ashamed of himself. This boy was part of a family somewhere out there, and families were meant to stick together. They just needed to keep the boy happy and healthy until Sunday morning, when Grant came and…he didn’t want to think about what came after.

Sirius got to work on his own pancake party, whipping up enough for a mid-sized village. He made some with blueberries, some with bananas, some with chocolate chips, and some plain. He had no idea what the boy would like. He just wanted him to be happy.

The boy finally stirred at half past nine, and stepped out of the bedroom, looking around for Sirius and finding him cleaning up in the kitchen. He was still staring intently, but his eyes were perhaps less wide now.

“Toilet?” the boy asked sheepishly. He was nearly swallowed up wearing Sirius’ “Led Zeppelin 1979 Tour” shirt, grazing the floor on him.

“Oh, of course! This way, lad!” Sirius hurried him to his and Moony’s bathroom and waited outside to listen and make sure he knew what he was doing. He helped the boy reach the sink to wash his hands, and then he tried to brush his hair, but his tangled curls were less forgiving than Devil’s Snare.

They ate breakfast in front of the TV, watching Fraggle Rock again. Sirius was really enjoying the program. He let the boy play with his keys and some knuts on the floor while he finished tidying up and putting the extra food away. He knew he needed a trip to the toy store proper. He wanted to take the boy out to the city, but didn’t want to at the same time. He knew Moony wanted them to stay in the apartment, because Moony got weird sometimes. But how was he going to entertain him? They couldn’t eat and watch TV all day. What would James and Lily do?

Sirius decided it was safe to take him to the grass patch next to the garden on the first floor of their building. He laid out a blanket, a water bottle, and propped open an umbrella for some shade. James was always whingeing about the importance of sun safety. The old tosser.

They sat on the blanket and the boy picked boredly at the grass.

“Do you want to run around?” asked Sirius. The boy had, thankfully, started talking, but with very, very few words. Sirius thought it was best to stick to yes and no questions for now.

“Okay.” was the response. Sirius looked around to make sure they were completely alone.

“Well, quite…I’m going to show you something, and please don’t be scared, okay? It’s perfectly fine. But I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone.”

The boy looked confused. Sirius stood and pulled out the tennis ball in his pocket, letting it drop. Under the umbrella, he double checked their surroundings and then transformed into Padfoot. The boy gasped and scuttled backward, those frightened eyes returning.

Padfoot wagged his tail and panted, trying to show he was a friend. He pushed the tennis ball toward the boy with his nose and jumped eagerly.

The boy cautiously tossed the ball meekly across the grass. Padfoot ran after it, adopting a goofy run to try and please the boy. He grabbed the ball in his mouth and returned it to his tiny palm. Padfoot jumped and barked, willing for the boy to perk up.

And he did. He stood up and threw the ball further, and Padfoot ran faster. When he glanced behind him, the boy was running after him, laughing.

They played like this for a few hours, chasing each other. The boy was laughing hysterically. He scratched Padfoot’s belly and giggled when the dog licked the side of his face. When Sirius felt that he had tuckered the boy out enough, he turned back. He was still panting, and sweating.

“Did you have fun?”

The boy nodded enthusiastically, beaming.

“Why are you a dog?”

“It’s something I learned how to do a long time ago, to help someone. You have to remember not to tell anyone about it. Now, I think it’s lunchtime, eh?”

They walked back to the flat silently, but the boy was skipping. Sirius unlocked the door and set his things down.

“Would you rather eat first, or take a nap first?”

“Eat!”

“That’s what I thought. You’re really just like Remus. Grilled cheese or cream cheese and cucumber?”

“Um…both?”

“Perfect.”

Sirius put on an Elton John record while he made lunch, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, his favorite. The boy curiously explored the room and touched everything, running his fingers along the records and picture frames. Oh fuck, he should have probably frozen the moving photos like they did when their muggle friends came over or Moony had a headache. But the boy was watching them with delight and wonder, so Sirius let them be.

They ate their sandwiches and juice while watching Cinderella on cable. The boy scarfed down four sandwiches, devouring them hungrily. Sirius wondered if he had had a proper meal recently at his real home. The boy wanted to finish the movie, and then Sirius put him down for a nap in the bed. He was just finishing the last of the dishes when the phone rang.

“Lupin-Black residence?”

“Is that really how you answer the phone? That’s so gay. It’s me, Pads.”

“Hmm, Me, not sure I know one of those. Surname?”

He heard Moony sigh on the other line.

“How’s everything going? How’s the lad?”

“Who?”

“I’m serious!”

“No, I’M Sirius!”

“Bloody hell, shut the fuck up—” Sirius heard Moony’s voice go quiet as he pulled the phone back to speak with someone. “Sorry, Grace Ann, I’m on the phone with…yes, he’s my…uh huh…no, I haven’t seen him since…wait, he shoved HOW MANY crayons up his WHAT?!...I’ll be right there…Sirius, I can’t talk long. How’s the day been?”

“Great! We had so much fun playing in the grass. He’s fed and napping now. I wanted to take him to the toy store once he’s up.”

“Babe, I really don’t think that’s a good idea. Don’t you think you look a bit…suspicious?”

“You’ve never minded the leather and tattoos before.”

“Yeah, you weren’t…ugh, please don’t be upset with me. I just don’t think you should take him out today, but we’ll talk about it tonight, okay?”

“I can’t just keep him locked up in here, this isn’t Azkaban! And how are we supposed to stay busy, Remus?!”

“I don’t know, figure it out! You can be such a fucking drama queen, a real pain in my——what?! Er, sorry Grace Ann, please give me another minute…”

Sirius grinned. He could never stay mad at Moony too long. Hearing him jump from sweet to pissed off to professional in five seconds was one of the things that turned him on the most.

“Okay Pads, I have to go. I’m sorry for snapping. It’s pandemonium at school today…someone threw up in Nick Bottom’s donkey head…I can’t get into it right now. I love you.”

“I love you too, you swot. Good luck.”

“You too. Bye.” ----

Sirius chuckled as he dialed the next number. It had been almost a decade since Hogwarts, but sometimes Moony was just as moody.

The phone rang and clicked as someone answered it. “Ms. Macdonald’s office, how can I help you?”

It had gotten much easier to communicate with his wizard friends since phones were becoming more and more popular in their society. Not all wizards were too enthusiastic about the “Muggle Takeover,” but luckily Mary, with her feet in both worlds, had implemented a phone line at the magazine as soon as she was put in charge.

“I need to speak with Mary, please.”

“What is the nature of your message?” Sirius could hear chattering and other office atmosphere in the distance.

“I’m a close friend.”

“Your name?”

“Sirius.”

“Alright, I will tell her it’s urgent. Your name, please?”

“No, my name—”

“Delilah, is someone giving you trouble?”

“Your friend won’t tell me his name, only that it’s a serious matter—”

Sirius could hear Mary laughing with her signature rasp.

“It’s alright, doll, I’ll take the phone, thank you. Would you please make me a cappuccino?”

“Yes of course, Ms. Mcadonald.”

There was a clunky silence as Mary took over the phone. As she answered, Sirius could picture her smiling. Was her lipstick red or pink today? Or maybe purple?

“Hiya, sexy.”

“Hiya. Where’s Martha? She knows who I am.”

“Martha got promoted to copyediting, so I hired Delilah. And I don’t want you talking to Martha anymore, sweetie. She said you were hitting on her.”

“Mary, I gawk at your accusation! I’m a married man!”

“I know that, but she was uncomfortable with your boyish charm. It’s hard enough being a woman in the office. Now, are you alright?”

“Of course I am! I can’t call my friend out of the blue? I thought I meant something to you. We lost our virginity to each other.”

“Oh honey…I should probably tell you the truth. When I said that was my first time that summer…I was lying. I lost mine to Eric McLaggen, before you and I dated. I didn’t want to tell you, so I thought lying would be better, but it wasn’t. I’m sorry.”

“Damn, that’s fucked up. Maybe I don’t want to invite you to Sunday dinner at the flat anymore.”

“Well maybe I don’t want to come. You did forget more than a few Hogsmeade dates in sixth year.”

“Yeah, sorry ‘bout that. I was distracted by Moony’s arse in that uniform.”

Their conversation was interrupted when someone passing by complimented Mary’s black lipstick. Ah, of course it was black. Mary was always setting new trends.

“Sirius honey, I’m afraid I have to go, I have a meeting with the wizard division of Prada handbags in five minutes. I can’t wait for Sunday. What time?”

“Six.”

“Brilliant. Ta, pet. Love ya.”

“Love you too.”

They hung up and Sirius’ chest felt warm and gooey. Mary was a great friend. She was courageous, witty, fiercely motivated, and knew how to bite back. They probably would’ve ended up together if Moony hadn’t existed. And if he didn’t like sucking dick so much.

Sirius checked that the boy was still sleeping, then returned to the parlor. It would be a bit trickier contacting Marlene, since St. Mungo’s was ancient. He considered sending her an owl, but he missed her voice too much. And since when did they own a fucking owl? Think, Sirius, think!

He knelt in front of the fireplace and tossed a handful of floo powder into the flames he had ignited a moment prior. “St. Mungos.”

The green flames swirled and congealed until the blurry image of a hospital wing came into view. Sirius squinted. He could only make out silhouettes. It was sort of like Padfoot vision.

“St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, where can I send you?” The nurse speaking into the fireplace was male, with a tinkly Scottish voice and short blond hair. He was definitely part of the club.

“Lycanthropy ward, please.”

“What is the reason for your visit today?” he said sweetly.

“I’d like to visit a healer.”

“Name of healer?”

“Marlene Mckinnon.”

“Ah, Ms. Mckinnon, quite the celebrity around here. Fixed up that ward all by herself, didn’t she? I’ll alert her right away of your presence, but she is very busy, mind. Lots of administration work today. Thank you!”

The nurse flicked his wand and the image blurred away once more. Sirius traveled through space for a while before finally landing in Marlene’s office.

“Hey, Sirius! Great to see you! You look amazing!”

“I do? I’m surprised you can see me at all, my side is quite muddy.”

“When you’re a healer trying to intake patients via floo, you get good at reading it. How are you, I haven’t seen you since Evie’s birthday! Are you alright?”

“Why, yes! Everyone I’ve called today thinks I’m not alright and I can’t possibly be calling just because I miss you!”

“I miss you too. I miss everybody, and the kiddos, but I’m just really busy at work right now.”

“Yeah, is everything okay? The nurse mentioned a bunch of administrative work.”

“Well, it’s—I’ll just tell everyone together, more convenient that way.”

“Well that’s lovely because I was just about to invite you to dinner at the flat on Sunday. Everybody’ll be there.”

“Oh, so I was the last to be invited? Kept out of the loop once again?”

“No, I have something I need to tell you right now, just us…go fuck yourself.”

“Maybe I will, and I’m sure I’m better with a woman than you are.”

Marlene’s hands flew to her mouth immediately, and Sirius didn’t know which was funnier, what she had said or her reaction to it. She looked through the windows ahead of her to make sure no one had heard it.

“Merlin, I can’t believe I just said that at work! You’re a bad influence, Black.”

“Whatever do you mean? I’m an angel.”

“Oh yeah? Do you ‘solemnly swear’ that?”

“Wha—how—Lily! She broke an oath!”

Marlene’s nose wiggled as she laughed. Then her chest pin glowed orange.

“Sirius, I’m sorry, I have a code marigold, someone’s fighting again. What time’s dinner on Sunday?”

“Six.”

“I’ll be there with LOTS of wine. Love you, bye!”

Marlenes smoldered away before Sirius could say goodbye back. The women of their group had certainly become quite successful; Lily was making significant advancements in potions, Mary was in charge of the most popular beauty magazine in the wizarding world, and Marlene had given every werewolf in the UK a better life. What were the boys doing?...well, he assumed that Moony was everyone’s favorite teacher.

“What do you wanna do now?” the boy said suddenly from the doorway, causing Sirius to jump to his feet and stand widely in front of the fireplace. He tried to obscure it while flicking his wrist to dissipate the floo. Fuck. He was totally mucking up the whole “don’t do magic in front of the kid” thing. Had he really shown him Padfoot? It had seemed like a good idea at the time…Moony would be mad.

“Hey! I’m glad you’re up. Hungry?”

“No.”

“Well, maybe we can sit on the balcony for a while. I promise things will get more exciting once Moony gets home.”

“Who’s Moony?”

“I meant to say Remus.”

They sat on the balcony drinking tea, and Sirius showed him how to fold a paper airplane. They tossed them idly in the wind, competing whose could go further.

Below, a gang of bikers loudly tore through the street. The boy jumped from his seat and leaned against the railing, hungry for a better look. Sirius scooped him up and sat him on his shoulders for a better view. The boy oohed and aahed as the bikes rumbled and their bodies glistened in the midday sun. He had the most sincere expression of dazzlement and excitement, not unlike the look on Sirius’ face the first time he had seen a motorbike pack. It had ignited a fire inside him that he thought only existed for planning pranks and snogging Moony.

Sirius bent down and helped the boy off his shoulders. They stared at each other and Sirius just knew. He didn’t know much—how airplanes worked; why leaves change color; how to make sangria that didn’t kill everyone after one cup; why dogs couldn’t eat chocolate; how to piss in the middle of the night without waking Moony; where this boy had come from; who his parents were; if there would be consequences for showing him magic. But in that moment, Sirius was absolutely certain of one thing. He would protect this boy fiercely with everything he had, and never let anything frightening happen to him again. He would never allow him to experience the kind of childhood that he and Moony had, filled with neglect and pain and fear. He would be happy and full of joy and trust. Or Sirius would die trying.

“Cool, right?” Sirius asked, and the boy nodded excitedly, eyes ablaze.

“Wanna see one up close?”

…

So then they went to their garage on the first floor, where they kept the car, Sirius’ bike, and his workbench. He pulled off the fabric cover (which was hot pink to match the building’s walls. Sirius quite liked the color). His bike gleamed, and the boy gasped. He reached his hands out, but then grew sheepish, looking at Sirius self-consciously.

“Go on, it’s alright. You can touch it. I trust you.”

The boy gently tapped on the metal plating, the sleek body, the plastic lights. He seemed thoroughly chuffed.

“This is a 1982 Suzuki Katana GSX1100S. One of the best on the market. I fixed it up so it can fly…er, metaphorically, that is. It’s my most prized possession.”

“A Soo…zoo…what?”

“That’s alright, Moony can’t say it either.”

The boy bounced on his heels, gripping the front tire. “Can we ride it?”

Sirius chuckled. “Sorry, mate, I’m afraid you’re too young. It’s not safe, and friends keep each other safe. But when you’re as tall as I am, we can go!”

The lad beamed so brightly that Sirius’ stomach did several Olympic-level backflips.

Sirius pulled his radio down from the shelf and put on the rock station. Mmm, Bon Jovi, his favorite. He grabbed some tools from the workbench and plonked down on the ground beside the bike. The boy sat across from on the other side.

As Sirius tinkered with his bike, he explained each tool and procedure. The boy nodded his head, deeply transfixed. He looked like a bobble head, how much he was nodding. Sirius was worried his head would fall off and he’d have to tie it back on with a ribbon, like that scary story about the girl with the neck ribbon that Lily had told around the fire at one of their annual camping trips. It had made Harry wet himself (and Sirius would take to the grave that he had wet himself a little bit, too. It was fucking scary!)

After about an hour, the boy had relocated to sitting next to Sirius, and was holding the tools in his lap to hand to him. He asked questions and Sirius guided his hand so he could tighten the bolts himself. After another hour, they were done with the bike and were just singing and dancing to the radio. The boy knew none of the words but was a great dancer all around. They gave the bike a polish then went back to the flat. The boy insisted they race up the stairs, and Sirius had a wicked stitch on his side afterwards.

Back in the apartment, the boy had an explosive amount of energy. He wanted to jump on the bed, and shit, Sirius did too. So they jumped until Sirius hit the ceiling and got an egg-sized welt on his temple. They laughed about that for a while. The boy had worked up quite an appetite so they ate spaghetti on the bed, which Sirius knew would give Moony a heart attack if he could see it.

They both needed a nap at that point, and Sirius stayed on the bed, wondering if that was alright with the boy. It didn’t seem to be an issue, as the boy crawled under the covers and curled up like a dog. Sirius watched his eyelids flutter and his breathing even out. He hadn’t had this much fun since he and Moony took Harry & Evie to the goose pond last month. Did James and Lily get to have this much fun every single day? Sure, it was probably exhausting, with the need to keep them constantly entertained. Then there were meals that needed to be healthy, and big loads of laundry that needed to be put away, and boogers that needed to be wiped. But, as Sirius laid next to the boy that day, he wanted to wipe every booger on the planet if it meant getting to witness that rosy-cheeked smile.

Chapter Text

He must have fallen asleep eventually, because he was awoken by the familiar sound of keys jangling. He rose from the bed and crossed the room quietly, but the boy stirred and they entered the living room together.

Moony was setting a bag of groceries onto the counter. The boy smiled and waved.

“Hi Moony!”

Moony whipped around and laughed at the sound of that. He hadn’t heard the boy speak yet.

“Alright, lads?”

“We’re great!” said Sirius, padding over to him. He wanted more than anything to grab his boyfriend’s waist and snog him, but with the boy at his knee, thought better of it.

“Whadya get?” Sirius peered into the paper bag Moony was unloading. The boy jumped up, just as curious.

“Well I felt terrible that our little friend got sick last night, so I bought some healthy snacks. I think we could all start eating healthier, Padfoot.”

Sirius’ mouth fell open at the sight of the bag’s contents as Moony finished laying it out. There were at least twelve different kinds of fruits and vegetables. Moony had always been extremely frugal and didn’t like to have more food than necessary in the house. The gesture of buying so many options for the boy made Sirius fall in love all over again.

“That’s brilliant, coming from you. Doesn’t matter how much broccoli you eat if you smoke cigarettes.”

Moony rolled his eyes. “I don’t need the lecture, Lily gives it to me every week. I could quit if I wanted.”

Sirius wondered if Moony would maintain that philosophy once he had chucked out all his cartons like he had planned to. Might as well keep the emergency stash, though. Didn’t need to torture the man.

Moony bent down as much as his knees would let him. “What did you guys do today?” he asked the boy.

“First we ran around outside, then I took a nap, then Sirius showed me his metal bike—it’s called a Suzuki, Moony, it’s easy!—and then we ate spaghetti and then I took another nap. It was great!”

Moony laughed, ruffled the boy’s hair, and straightened up. He glanced at Sirius, eyes warm, though there was a degree of suspicion on his face. Probably pertaining to the ‘running around outside’ and if that involved a certain dog. But he didn’t say anything.

“That sounds just lovely. I bet you’re plenty hungry after all that, how do hamburgers for dinner sound?”

The boy grinned and nodded, shaking his curls.

“But first, have some fruit. What would you like?”

Sirius hoisted the boy up so he could see the fruit on the counter. He looked at everything uncertainly, frowning.

“What is it?” he said earnestly. Moony and Sirius shared a look. Had the boy not seen fruit before? What sort of neglect did that mean?

“It’s sweet, like ice cream. Here, have an apple, just bite right into it.”

Moony picked up three apples and juggled them for a moment before sliding one down his arm for the boy to catch. Sirius sat him down on the couch and turned on an episode of something called Cuffy. As he ate his apple pleasantly, Sirius returned to the kitchen and helped Moony lay out the ingredients for hamburger patties.

“Where the fuck did you learn how to juggle?” he muttered. Moony smirked as he rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands.

“Library book and some practice. The kids at school like it.”

Moony tore into the package of raw beef and plonked it into a bowl. Sirius handed him an egg, then took the egg shell from his hands and tossed it in the bin. Their domestic routine, where Moony cooked and Padfoot cleaned, was mindless habit by now.

“Did the play go okay?” asked Sirius, starting to chop onions and tomatoes. Moony nodded, mixing the bowl.

“Yep! Everybody did a great job. A lot of lines were missed, and since someone yerked in the donkey head our Nick Bottom had to wear a big sock on her head, but it was a lot of fun. Glad it’s over, though. Now everyone can focus on final projects.”

“You don’t know how to rest, babe.”

“Sure I do. I’ll rest after dinner while you clean up,” Moony winked, which made Sirius melt like the pad of butter in the pan on the stove.

A few relaxing minutes went by while Moony and Sirius made dinner and the boy ate his apple and watched the telly. The men in the kitchen were watching too, and getting quite involved. Sirius had never seen the show before, but after a bit, he was catching on.

“Bloody hell, Cuff, first you bother Jake at the farm and then you knock him off his ladder while trying to help Mandy! Get yourself together!”

“Language, Sirius,” Moony implored. But the boy was laughing. Until there was a popping sound as he bit into his apple.

“Ow…” he said, and Sirius and Moony sprinted over, practically at apparating speed. There was a tooth in the boy’s palm, and a tooth-shaped hole at the front of his mouth. It had been the chipped one.

“Am I gonna die?”

“No, bud, you’re fine,” said Sirius soothingly. “This is just something that happens to kids your age! You’ll grow a new one in no time. I’ll take that tooth and keep it safe for you. Tonight, while you’re sleeping, the tooth fairy will take it and leave you a present.”

“Why does she want my teeth?”

“We’re not supposed to ask,” said Moony.

Sirius pocketed the tooth, made sure he wasn’t bleeding, and threw away the apple core. As he and Moony returned to making dinner, the boy said,

“My name is Luke. Not bud. Or lad.”

Moony and Sirius beamed at each other.

Later, they were sitting at the small dining table, TV off, enjoying their dinner. Luckily hamburgers were soft, and Luke’s mouth didn’t hurt. Sirius was ecstatic to finally learn his name. He had trusted them enough to tell them! Now that he was talking and playing, he was unrecognizable as the petrified boy only 24 hours earlier. By Sunday, he’d probably be singing Italian operas. That reminded him,

“Hey, Moony,” he said, and Moony looked up from his extremely rare, nearly raw burger, “Sunday at six, we’re hosting dinner. James, Lily, the bugs, Mary and Marlene are coming. Grant should stay, too. You gotta make a stew.”

Moony’s jaw clenched, and his burger nearly burst as his grip tightened.

“I thought we didn’t want that many people…over, right now. Not when…the flat’s such a mess.”

“Well I think that’s something you decided, without me. I would actually like very much if everyone…saw the flat. And I didn’t tell James about it today, if you’re curious.”

“Sirius,” said Moony slowly, “don’t you think that will make it more challenging to…clean up the mess, once all the bits return to their home?”

“I think the bits are much better off staying where they are.”

Moony exhaled through his nose slowly.

“We’re not talking about this right now. Not until Luke’s had his story.”

So they cleaned the kitchen after they each had one more burger, and Sirius and Luke watched an episode of Fraggle Rock while Moony finished grading some homework. Then Moony gave Luke a bath while Sirius went down to the giveaway bin in the lobby and collected some children’s books.

When he entered the bedroom, Moony was tucking Luke in while he ran his tiny finger along the scar cutting across Moony’s nose. It had faded, with the years going by and summer holidays at the beach peppering him with freckles. But it was still a clearly visible white stripe, and Sirius still felt horrible about it. It had been his fault Moony had gotten it, all the way back in 2nd year. Why had he cursed Moony, and on the full moon, too? Sirius has been such a twat, those days.

“What about this one?” Luke asked.

“That was also the pet rabbit. They can be quite vicious, you know. But lots of fun to chase.”

Luke giggled while Moony and Sirius slid onto the bed, sandwiching him. They got under the covers, nice and cozy. A few of Sirius’ favorite candles were burning, Moony must have lit them. Sirius was so content in that moment he feared he might actually melt into a puddle on the floor.

“Which book do you want to read tonight, Luke?”

“I can’t read.”

“That’s alright, Moony can’t read either, I’ll read it aloud.”

“I CAN read, and I can also stand to be around a vacuum, unlike Sirius.”

“Do you have ANY IDEA how terrifying those are?! They’re so loud, and—ugh! Just ignore him, Luke.”

Luke snickered and rested his head on Sirius’ arm.

They read a story about a cat who got rescued by a girl at the beach and then got lost in a sugarcane field and then something called a tsunami. It was called “Popoki,” and had a lot of Hawaiian words Sirius couldn’t pronounce. He had also never cared much for cats. But it was a sweet story about family coming back together. It felt relevant to Sirius that night.

They made sure Luke was snug as a bug in his blankets, blew out the candles, and turned on the star thrower. Sirius slipped the lost tooth under his pillow. He bent down to kiss his forehead, but decided to just brush his curls out of his eyes instead. They said “good night Luke,” and he said, “good night Sirius and Moony.”

In the living room, Moony cast a silencing spell so their argument wouldn’t disturb Luke. He placed his hands on his hips, which Sirius thought made him look really quite bossy and adorable.

“You’ve gone and invited everyone to meet Luke. Excellent. Thank you for making it even more difficult to give him back.”

“Give him back?! Fuck you! Do you even hear yourself?! He’s not an object, Moony! We have no idea the kind of horrors he’s seen. He was ABANDONED yesterday, he couldn’t speak, he didn’t even know what bloody fruit was! He said no one’s hurt him, but who knows what went on before I found him! The tooth he lost was chipped Moony, that’s not normal. I am not letting him go back to wherever he came from. I’m not!”

“But that’s his HOME, Padfoot! Someone is looking for him!”

“He was left outside a pawn shop for hours, I don’t think that was an accident! Who cares where he started out? Would you rather we’d kept you at St. Edmund’s instead of the Potters’, because that was ‘your home?’”

Moony growled. “That’s a really low blow, Black. You think I want him to go back there? He was filthy yesterday, he reeked of terror. But things are really complicated.”

“How are they fucking complicated?!”

“We can’t just pluck him from his life without figuring out who his parents are! It would be illegal, and unfair to them! Unfair to Luke! Speaking of, he’s a muggle, which makes things a touch difficult, don’t you think—and by the way, I’m not an idiot. When you were ‘running around’ today, were you on four legs? Tell me you didn’t show him, Sirius,tell me you didn’t.”

“No, I didn’t…” Moony gave him THE LOOK. “Okay, yeah I did.”

Moony slapped himself on the forehead, which left a cartoonish red welt, and would have been funny if Sirius wasn’t so mad.

“Sirius, are you stupid? Is that it? You’re just fucking stupid?”

Sirius opened his mouth, gearing up to respond, but Moony kept going.

“That was such a good idea to show him Padfoot, babe! Nice one! Now when the police come to get him after his mother has been searching tirelessly for him, he can tell them that he stayed with the man who could turn into a dog! They’ll love that! And when the Minister of Magic finds out about it, like he does everything, he’ll love it too! He’ll love getting to feed an illegal animagus’ soul to the dementors, oh what a treat!”

“Remus John, how dare—”

“Don’t interrupt me! If Luke doesn’t bring up the dog, I’m sure he’ll talk about all the other fun stuff you did. You showed him the bike, eh? Did you go for a ride? Take him up in the air, or keep him on the ground? Doesn’t matter, I’m sure he had a grand old time regardless. And let me guess, you guys must have done a bump of coke together afterwards, right?”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?! Why would you say that?!”

Moony shuddered and blinked at him soberly, as if he was coming out of a possession. He reached for Sirius’ hands.

“Sirius, I’m sorry, that wasn’t fair, I’m not thinking straight, I—I need a cigarette—”

Sirius pulled his hands back. “Fuck off, you’re such a right dick. You’re right, that wasn’t fair at all. First of all, Padfoot’s the reason he started to trust me and have fun. I would never put him in danger, how dare you suggest such a thing. Taking him out on the bike…that’s really fucked up Moony, is that what you think of me? After all this time, you think I would put a child’s life in danger.”

“Sirius, I—”

“Don’t interrupt! You’re speaking fucking gibberish to me right now, stop being so bloody difficult and explain what’s going on in your head. First you’re saying I’m too ‘suspicious’ to take him out in public, which is ridiculous Remus, I’m an adult and I’m not hiding him in here, it’s not healthy! If someone didn’t want to lose him, they probably should have thought about that before ditching him on the curb like a bag of garbage.” Moony winced. “There is—”

“We don’t know why—”

“There’s nothing suspicious about me, you know that,” Sirius continued speaking and Moony stopped trying to interject. “We’ve taken Harry and Evie out thousands of times. You say we have to return him to his potentially abusive household one minute, but then the next you don’t want to! Make sense Moony, I’m not a Legilimens!”

Moony scoffed, and ran his fingers through his hair. His curls were striped with gray, though he was only twenty-seven. The stress from work and the full moons had put some years on him. To Sirius, he was perfect. Right now he was just really pissing him off. They hadn’t fought like this since their Hogwarts days.

“I really couldn’t tell you, Pads. I feel so weird. I really do need to bloody smoke…” He rubbed his eyes for a moment.

“I’m so sorry for what I said. I know that you would never hurt anyone. I’m upset that you showed him Padfoot without discussing it with me first, but…I’m really just freaking out about this situation. Of course I want Luke to be safe, that’s all that matters. And I know you’re mental about wanting kids—”

“What? I’ve never said anything about that.”

“Please, babe. I see how you are with Harry & Evie, how much it hurts when we have to drop them back off. And I love them like crazy too, and the kids at school have made me…”

Moony’s shoulders wilted. He looked at Sirius with so much regret in his eyes that he couldn’t stand to look back at him.

“But we can't be selfish, here. We have to find out where he came from, Sirius, we have to. I don’t know why he ended up on that curb, but we have to make sure that there isn’t a family in agony because he’s gone. And if there isn’t…I know you don’t need me to explain this to you, but we’re two men, we don’t get what James and Lily get. The government would much rather see him deserted at St. Edmund’s then raised by us. I can’t even marry you, which drives me crazy enough already.”

“Moony—”

“And he’s a muggle, Pads, it could never happen, I doubt even Dumbledore could help us. We’d be stuck between both worlds with no support on either side. And let’s say we did just say fuck it, and keep him, and give him all the love and nourishment he could need, and worry about the consequences later. What about the day his parents decide they want him back? They can just take him in a second. We mean nothing to the law. If that happened, I wouldn’t be able to brace the pain of it.”

Sirius stepped forward and hugged him. They held each other silently for several minutes, just listening to each other breathe. He knew Moony’s thoughts were spinning a mile a minute, and he knew that Moony knew he was going through the same thing. The amount of uncertainty and frustration and fear they were both feeling. They knew each other very well. Sirius pulled back and stared into Moony’s eyes with wolf-like intensity.

“I couldn’t brace it either, Moons. So I won’t let it happen. Do you hear me? I’m not going to let you or him get hurt, not ever. We’ll talk to Grant and get the muggle stuff sorted out, or at least figure out what we have to do. If he does have a family out there, and they get reunited, that’s wonderful, and at least we could help him for a little bit…but if he doesn’t, then we’ll be his family, babe. We can protect him. And we’ll just tell everyone he’s a squib, who gives a fuck? He’ll have us…we’ll all have each other.”

Moony smiled and thumbed Sirius’ cheek. He blew a rogue eyelash away.

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

“Well if Moony approves a plan, it must be good.”

They hugged in silence for a bit longer. Sirius felt so safe, pressed against the warmth of Moony like that.

“I’m really sorry about what I said. I want to stop smoking for good this time…but I just get so irritable. I can’t handle my stress if I don’t have a vice.”

“I have something in mind that might help…now that we’re done yelling at each other, wanna fuck?”

Moony gasped in shock. “Jesus, Padfoot, there’s a child on the other side of that door! And…and he’s using the bed!”

“We’ll take the couch. Come on now, I’m flexible.”

Moony was laughing the way he always did when he was embarrassed. He took Sirius’ hand and led him to the couch, sending a stronger silencing charm behind his shoulder.

Then they were snogging like they were teenagers again, and all their worries disappeared. They moved purposefully removing each other’s clothes, used to the routine, but Sirius still grew hot as Moony seductively pulled off his shirt and trousers. Soon they wore nothing but their matching pewter necklaces, with Sirius wearing an “R” and a crescent moon charm and Moony wearing “S” and a star. He shuddered in ecstasy as Moony traced his tongue from his belly button to his collarbone. He grabbed Moony’s waist hungrily and kissed up and down his neck. Then he slowly moved his hand to Moony’s left rib cage, and Moony made a funny moaning sound.

Sirius pressed against the only tattoo Moony had. The story of it still filled Sirius with butterflies, four years later. Moony had gotten “Property of Padfoot” tattooed on his ribs, encased within a big pawprint. He had wanted to surprise Sirius, so he took James to go get it. James relayed to Sirius afterwards that Moony had refused to take his shirt off and only lifted the hem as high as absolutely necessary for the tattoo artist. Then he had clutched James’ hand so tightly that James felt like he was beside Lily giving birth again. Moony cried and swore like a sailor and almost passed out. When it was over, James admitted that he was surprised it had been so difficult for him considering his high pain tolerance. Moony replied that if he ever told anyone he had cried, he would break James’ hand for real.

But Moony hadn’t gotten very far hiding it from Sirius. He had wanted to keep it for his twenty-third birthday later that week, but the day after the tattoo was done, Sirius had gotten some red wine in him and wanted to get freaky. He placed his hand on the spot and Moony yelped in pain, forced to show him. Sirius was so drunk and so chuffed in the moment that he bawled like a baby, and then couldn’t stop crying for several days afterward. Everytime he would stop, something would remind him of the gesture, and he would start again. His birthday party had been a disaster. Days turned into weeks, where Moony, James and Lily begged him to stop crying and Sirius just couldn’t. His coworkers had been very concerned. Even now, Sirius still welled up thinking about Moony doing that for him. He was so against getting tattoos, he was so marked up already. But he had done it for his Padfoot. Sirius might start crying now, if he wasn’t careful…

Chapter Text

22/05/1987

The next day was a Friday, which was always a great day, because Moony had off (it was a progressive school). Usually that meant they only had a few extra hours together in the morning before Sirius left for the garage at ten. But today, they could just lie on the couch, awkwardly tangled up, staring into each other’s eyes and smelling each other’s morning breath for as long as they wanted. Ah, domestic bliss.

Moony was always up at seven on the dot, though. And today, Sirius had already been awake for some time before then. His thoughts were racing, pounding against his skull like fists. What if Moony was right (often the case), and someone was out there looking for their lost Luke? Even worse, what if nobody was? What if Grant couldn’t help them, and they weren’t allowed to keep him, and he had to go to a place like St. Edmund’s? No, Sirius would sacrifice his life before he let that happen. He would just force James and Lily to adopt him, and then he’d belong to him and Moony. The Marauders had accomplished much trickier tasks before, bamboozling a few governmental departments was nothing.

That triggered thinking about Peter again. The poor bloke hadn’t been able to experience anything. At least he had gotten some proper shagging, thank Merlin for that. He had drunk enough to last a lifetime. But he hadn’t grown into a real adult, a true man, like the rest of them had. He had spent his limited post-Hogwarts years working in some shitty Ministry job, saving up for nothing. Never traveling, never settling down. What would he be up to now? Probably still working at the Ministry, because he wasn’t one to push himself too hard. But he probably would have had a family of his own, wouldn’t he? He and Kelly were mental for each other, and Peter told his mates that he was going to propose to her once he could afford a ring. He could picture Peter’s kids now, jumping around with that same sandy blond hair, running their dad ragged. He hadn’t even met Harry, he had died in January 1980. Would he still be so anxious, or would he have gained confidence? Would he still play chess? Would he still join them for full moons? Though he supposed neither James or Peter had come along for too many of those after Hogwarts, they just got too busy. Prongs tried still, but Moony and Sirius refused, not wanting him away from his kids. Would Peter have been a good dad? Of course he would be. He was a good friend, and they were similar skills, weren’t they? Trustworthiness, selflessness, and unconditional support. Was Sirius going to make a good dad? He could barely cook more than a grilled cheese, he relied on Moony to make sure he ate enough vegetables. Why didn’t anyone talk about Peter? Sirius’ thoughts became too much, and his grief overwhelmed him.

Moony’s eyes fluttered open, and he smiled sleepily at Sirius. The bloody prick was just so goddamn beautiful. It didn’t matter that he had gray hair, or premature wrinkles, or hair on his ass. He was his Moony. They fit together perfectly in each other’s arms. They were completely naked and their legs were wrapped up together like pretzels, in a bed much too small for the both of them. Just like Hogwarts.

“Awake already?” Moony asked, petting Sirius’ hair.

“Yep. Just thinking about what we’re going to do today. I was thinking we should go to the beach.”

“Okay, but wear enough sunscreen this time. I don’t want to slather aloe on your back while you cry, again.”

“Don’t lie, I know the crying turns you on.”

“Shut up.”

They made eggs, bacon, and french toast, and Luke woke up just as everything was ready. He had been delivered ten pence in the night by the tooth fairy, and was extremely pleased. They piled an extra plate of fruit for him and then ate on the balcony. Moony cleaned up while Sirius brushed Luke’s teeth and got him dressed. They had been shrinking down their own clothes for him to wear, and as cute as he looked in Moony’s jumpers, it was the most temporary of measures. Sirius knew they’d go to the clothing store tomorrow, and the toy store. He wished he could get Luke a broom, he would have so much fun with Harry and Evie. But that was certainly pushing the don’t-do-magic-in-front-of-a-muggle thing, and Sirius still wasn’t sure if he and Moony would get in trouble for what they’d already done. And if Luke had to get returned somewhere, there would be no point in getting a broom anyway…Sirius shut that thought down immediately. They had Luke in this moment, and that’s what mattered.

They took the train to Southend-on-Sea, because it was a shorter trip than by car, and they thought Luke would enjoy it more. He certainly did—he was dazzled by the hustle and bustle of the station, and pressed his nose goofily against the window for the whole trip. When they arrived at the beach, Moony wouldn’t let anyone move a muscle until they were properly coated in sunscreen. James would be proud.

It was a sunny day, but clouds spackled the sky like polka dots. May was the start of the summer fair, so there were lots of rides and games on the boardwalk. They rode all of the kiddy coasters, and then Sirius went on the scariest roller coaster they had. Moony had to stay back with Luke, but would never have gone on anyway. When Sirius found his boys waiting for him at the base of the ride, he was grinning ear-to-ear, heart racing with adrenaline, hair whipped around like crazy.

Then they played some games, and Luke won a gigantic stuffed octopus, a tall stuffed giraffe, and a stuffed T-rex that towered over the three of them. They struggled to carry everything. Sirius convinced Moony to enter a hot dog eating contest, and he won the whole thing by a mile, taking down 15 competitors and 45 dogs. Luke and Sirius cheered him on the whole time. He won a t-shirt, and looked chuffed, but nauseous. Afterwards, Luke and Sirius ate funnel cake and french fries while Moony had to lie down in the shade to avoid throwing up. But he never did. Like a fucking champ.

They built sandcastles until Moony was feeling better, then they all went swimming. They taught Luke how to swim and splashed around in the shallow shore.

As the sun set, they ate ice cream and watched the fireworks. Luke sat on Sirius’ shoulders. As they walked to the train station, Sirius absentmindedly reached for Moony’s hand, but Moony yanked it back and shot paranoid looks around them. Sirius always forgot he and Moony couldn’t show affection in public. It was horrible. Why couldn’t everybody just chill the fuck out?

Luke and Moony fell asleep on the train, and then Moony gave Luke a piggyback ride up the stairs while Sirius managed to carry all of the stuffed animals. They laid the precious sleeping boy down in the bed, then got in with him. They figured Luke wouldn’t mind.

23/05/1987

On Saturday, their sunburns weren’t too bad, but Sirius ached and itched. They went shopping and bought Luke lots of clothes, books, and toys. Then they bought a car seat, because it seemed very responsible. They got Indian takeaway and took it to the pond, where Luke was fascinated by the assortment of birds and rodents.

“Can you be a dog so we can chase them?” Luke asked. Happy to please, Sirius transformed behind a dumpster, and Luke and Padfoot played until his paws were about to turn to dust. They came home and played some games they had purchased at the shop. Moony was literally vibrating, in need of a cigarette, so he walked to the first floor. Then he took a shower to rid the smell, they gave Luke his bath, read him a story, and put him to bed. He snuggled up to both of them, and the stuffed octopus, in the night.

Sirius couldn’t think of two more perfect days.

Chapter Text

**TW for mild homophobic slur at the start of chapter

24/05/1987

Finally it was Sunday, and everyone was coming over that night. But first, Grant was coming to address the situation.

He arrived at a quarter to ten and gave Moony and Sirius gigantic hugs.

“Oh, you old fruits, it’s been much too long since I’ve seen you! The flat looks great—look at those incredible pictures!—oh, I suppose that’s something special you can do…”

Moony had told Grant about wizardry last year after accidentally using Lumos in front of him while they were all drunk and high. Nobody had arrived to rip them new dicks yet, so they supposed it was okay. Grant was very trustworthy.

“Grant, you look fantastic! Tea?” said Moony, wearing his fancy blue jumper, the one with glow-in-the-dark stars. He had made Sirius dress nicely too, which he thought was odd, since it was their house and just a friend. But anything for his Moony.

“Yes, please. Two sugars and a dash of cream, you know it,” Grant winked. “Sorry, Sirius, don’t mean to be so coquettish in front of you. I promise I don’t have the hots for Remus anymore, not for a long time now. But if you ever wanted to…get together, the three of us…”

“Sounds brilliant,” he replied, and Moony shoved him. The threesome joke was Grant and Sirius’ beloved shared bit, because Moony turned so pink.

“Grant, we can’t thank you enough for coming, I know you’ve been traveling this week. How was the adoption?”

“Oh, it was just lovely! A seven year old girl with hearing loss due to meningitis was adopted by a Deaf couple. It was beautiful seeing them all find each other. And of course I don’t mind coming, Remus. I supposed you’ve called me over for a similar reason?”

“Yes, we need your help figuring out the next steps.”

“You said you found him abandoned on the curb for a few hours before bringing him here?”

“Yes,” said Sirius.

“And he was unclean?”

“Filthy.”

“And he was unable to speak?”

“He was petrified. He trusts us now, but he hasn’t said anything about where he came from.”

“Quite. And where is he now?”

Moony crossed the room and put his hand to Sirius’ lower back.

“Babe, let’s go get ‘im.”

It was tricky coaxing Luke out of his hiding spot. They had assumed he would be excited to meet someone new, as the chipper and outgoing boy he had blossomed into over the past few days. But he had hidden when they said they were having a visitor. It was an excellent hiding place, too—under the guest bathroom sink. A couple that didn’t have a sharp-nosed werewolf among them would have taken much longer to find him.

When they opened the cabinet and asked him to come out, he was shaking with his knees tucked into his chest.

“I don’t like visitors,” he whispered.

“Would you like to tell us why not?” asked Moony.

“Too many visitors come to the house. I don’t like them. They treat my mum bad. The house smells weird,” Luke said.

Sirius felt blood rush to his stomach sickeningly. That was the most information Luke had ever given them about where he came from. He knew it was bad, if he had been left abandoned outside on a busy street for hours, greasy and starving. But what could that mean? What sort of visitors? Something about hearing Luke say the word ‘mum’ made him nauseous. Please don’t go back there. Don’t suffer ever again.

Moony was clearly thinking the same thing, his face fraught with concern. But he shook it off, not wanting to distress Luke any further. Sirius tried to put on a gentle face too.

“I’m so sorry that happened to you. But I promise it’s alright now, our friend is here and he’d like to meet you. You’ll like him, he smells like green apples and he’s quite funny. May I?”

Moony’s arms were extended, motioning to pick him up. Luke shrugged at him and unfurled from his spot under the sink. He crawled forward and Moony lifted him into his arms, balancing him as he shut the cabinet. As they walked to the living room, Luke clung his legs tightly against Moony’s waist.

“Luke, meet our friend Grant,” said Moony, approaching Grant, who was sitting on the couch and watching the moving picture on the side table. It was close up on Sirius’ white ass shaking as he shimmied atop a kitchen counter, taken in 1985. The enchanted tattoo on his left buttcheek, a sunglasses-wearing turtle smoking a blunt, was snorting a line of cocaine in the photo. That had been Marlene’s 25th birthday party, quite the ruckus. Sirius hadn’t seen anyone so fucked up since their eighteenth birthdays at Hogwarts. He and James had made out, as Lily and Moony cheered them on. All he could remember is that the next morning, James described him as 'slobbery.' The AUDACITY! It was a great night. But he should probably move that picture to the bedroom, he thought now.

“Hi, Luke! It’s nice to meet you! Look at us, we have very similar hair, don’t you think?” Grant cooed, friendly but gentle, coiffing his own gold curls. Luke was just trembling, curling away from Grant and burying his face in Moony’s jumper.

“Luke’s a bit nervous. He doesn’t like visitors,” Moony rubbed a soothing circle on Luke’s back. Sirius loved it when he did that to him, like when work was stressful or he got stung by a bee (quite often, actually, with the amount of time he spent playing in the Potters’ garden). He hoped it was making Luke feel better, too.

“I’m sorry you’re nervous Luke, it can be frightening to have someone new in your space. But Remus and Sirius have had me over many times. I just want to ask you some questions, if that’s alright?”

Luke finally nodded, and Moony set him down in the plush chair opposite the couch.

So, Luke,” Grant began, “Sirius told me that he found you alone the other day, outside the shop. Do you know why you were there?”

“No,” Luke was avoiding looking up at Grant.

“Do you remember where you were before? What were you doing? Was your mum there?” Grant asked steadily. Sirius thought it was an awful lot of questions. But Luke started answering them.

“I was with my mum. At our house.”

“What was she doing?”

“Yelling.”

“Yelling at you?”

“No. Someone on the talking box.”

“A telephone?”

Luke shrugged.

Sirius was just standing back, taking it all in, astounded. Luke was being so talkative. And he remembered so much about where he was before. When Sirius had met him, he had been so scared that he was unable to speak. What happened? Why was someone yelling?

Moony headed into the kitchen suddenly and gathered ingredients onto the counter. “Go on, Grant.”

“Oi! What are you doing?” Sirius barked.

“Starting the stew you said I was contractually obligated to make.”

“Oh, right! Thank you. Let me know if you need a hand.”

“Of course. Or a paw,” Remus winked.

Grant smiled, but kept his gaze on Luke. “You’re doing great, Luke! Thank you for talking with me. I just want to know where you came from, so we can make sure everybody’s okay. We all just want to keep you safe.”

“Yeah, we do,” Sirius bent down and gave Luke a shoulder squeeze. He didn’t want to overwhelm him with a hug, but it felt supportive. Fatherly, even.

“Is there anything you can tell me about your mum that might help us find her?”

“I don’t know where we live.”

“Is it just the two of you?”

“No. We live different places.”

“So, is there anyone else in your life that’s constant?”

“No.”

“Do you move around with your stuff?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know your mum’s name?”

“I think it's Penny...”

“Do you know her last name? Or what about your own last name?”

“No.”

“...Okay, thank you, Luke! I got everything I need.”

“Oh, okay.”

Sirius wasn’t sure what to do. “Er, Grant, more tea?”

“That would be lovely, thank you, Sirius.”

He went to the kitchen. Moony was facing the sink, scraping chopped raw steak and vegetables into the crockpot, while humming a Bon Jovi song. “Livin’ on a Prayer.”

Sirius hummed along with him, and Moony jumped a foot into the air, dropping a handful of onion shards onto the floor. He swung around.

“You scared me!”

“Wow, I didn't know that was possible! You seemed really absorbed in your onions. Swot.”

“Swot with a strong sense of smell. These onions blurred out everything else around me.”

“Yeah? Gonna cry while cutting your onions? Huh?” Sirius joked, then pounced forward and squeezed Moony’s hips with a sudden burst of energy.

Moony hurriedly stepped back and glanced at Grant and Luke. “What are you doing? Hardly the time for games.”

He washed the onions off and added them to the pot, then moved onto the carrots, avoiding looking at Sirius. Was he still uncomfortable being affectionate in front of Luke? If he was going to stay with them, everyone ought to get used to it.

“Sorry. I just don’t know how to act right now. My brain is like scrambled eggs. That conversation in there was intense,” said Sirius seriously.

“Yeah, it was. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“I’ll tell you,” said Grant, suddenly in the kitchen on the other side of the island.

“Everybody’s sneaking up on me today!” Moony squeaked, finishing with the celery.

“Nothing gets past you, Remus,” Grant winked. Then he fell quiet. “So, about Luke.”

“What are you gonna do?” Sirius asked quickly.

“I need to file a police report to try and find his mum. It’s the law. If we find her, we’ll assess the situation and see where he’s safest.”

“And what if you don’t find her?”

“Then we’ll see if we can find any other family members.”

Sirius’ heart sank. “And what if you can’t find any?”

“I’m sure you both want to adopt him.”

Sirius and Moony glanced at each other. Sirius wanted to hold his gaze, but Moony looked to Grant.

“Is it possible?” Moony asked.

“Well, you’re not married.”

“And not heterosexual,” Sirius said.

“Yep,” Grant replied.

“What if just one of us adopted him? Could he live with us?” Sirius could hear the desperation blanketing his voice.

“Things are more liberal these days, I suppose, technically…but it’s complex. During the process of his adoption, we will have to completely hide the fact that you are in a homosexual partnership. Otherwise the court won’t allow it. Only one of you would be his legal guardian, if the judge is feeling so inclined. And that’s once it is confirmed that he has no living family.”

“But it’s possible?”

“Well, yes, it is. Don’t be too optimistic, though…well, maybe they won’t be able to find his mum. So while the investigation is conducted, he’s to remain in your care. How’s it going?”

“Great,” Sirius and Moony said in unison.

“Wonderful. Feeding him enough?”

“Oh, plenty,” Sirius grinned.

“Splendid! Now where does he sleep? I know this is a one bedroom flat.”

“We can create a new room for him, with magic, that won’t disturb our neighbors,” Sirius explained.

“Hmm, on the topic of magic…does he know about it?”

“It’s been hard to hide it from him,” Moony said as he mixed ingredients in a bowl. Sirius knew he meant 'Sirius has no self control and so he transformed into a dog in front of him.'

“He’ll have to figure it out sooner or later if he’s going to be our…under our care. And if he goes back…” Sirius swallowed painfully, “then he’ll forget.” Forget about us.

“I will do everything I can to keep him in the best possible conditions,” Grant affirmed. “I won’t let him go back to a treacherous household, even if it’s his mother. But the law can be tricky. I’ll bring this to the police immediately and alert you on anything I know. In the meantime, keep him clean and fed, which you seem to be doing swimmingly. Has he gone to the doctor?”

“I’ll take him tomorrow,” said Sirius.

“Great. Now, all that’s left is another spot of tea.”

“Oh, right, sorry,” Sirius gathered the teacups and filled them with tea, sugar, and milk. He threw in an extra sugar cube for Luke. He probably needed it after that interrogation. Fuck it, they all did. Plink, plink, plink.

“Grant, will you please join us for dinner?” Moony asked as he sipped his tea and poured the bowl into the crockpot. Grant shook his head.

“I’d love to, but I’m afraid I need to get home. I came straight here from Hertfordshire and Marcus will be getting worried. I have a lot of paperwork to catch up on, and Luke’s case is at the top of my list. But it was excellent to see you lads, it’s been too long. Listen to us talk, like real adults. Just yesterday we were little yobs at St. Eddy’s, eh Remus?”

“I don’t know, we both had to mature pretty fast because of everything we went through, don't you think?…I know I’ve been tense since I was young.”

“Well that makes sense, considering the amount of fighting that gave you all those scars,” Grant said gloomily into his tea. They had explained the wizard thing, but not the other thing.

Moony touched the scar on his nose, making a face that Sirius had never seen before. Was it bashfulness?

“It really has been too long, Remus,” Grant cleared his throat. The scar comment had made everyone tense up. “Promise you’ll write? And phone? And pop by for brunch?”

“I promise,” Moony stepped toward Grant, levitating his teacup and bowl in the air. He squeezed Grant tightly and kissed his cheek. “Thank you,” Sirius heard him whisper.

“Of course. That’s what friends are for.”

Chapter Text

24/05/1987 5:59 pm

Sirius was just finishing tidying up the living room when the fireplace huffed, and the four young Potters were suddenly on the rug.

“The village is here!” Sirius cried, and Harry & Evie came running at him.

“UNCLE PADFOOT!!!”

They smashed into his legs with brutal force, knocking him back, and then hugged him tight. Sirius lifted them both and spun them around. Then he put them on his back and ran around the living room.

He raced around and then set them down on the couch, where James immediately embraced him, knocking the wind out of him again.

“Alright, you tosser?” James beamed. His hair was sticking out in all directions as usual and his squared dragon horn glasses sparkled. He looked absolutely exhausted, but still bright as ever.

“Excellent, mate!” Sirius punched his arm. They tussled for a few moments.

“Boys, stop! Really! Nonsense,” said Lily, scowling. Her long red hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she had intricate dangly earrings of a doe. Then she burst into that excellent Marauder’s grin.

“Nah, I’m just kidding. Fight if you want, I don’t care. His nose is already busted.”

“Well I would hope my wife would love me for who I am and not for my nose structure!”

“Of course I do, baby. That’s why I picture your face when me and Sirius shag in my office, every Tuesday and Thursday,” she said quietly enough for the kids not to hear.

“I thought we switched Tuesdays to Fridays, and Thursdays to Mondays?” said Sirius, grinning now too.

“Oh, right. I’m just so ravenous for you that I lose all concept of time.”

“Oh darlin’, you’re a peach, but my heart longs for another…if only you were taller, and had short curly hair, and a meaner face…”

“Please stop,” said Moony as he appeared from the bedroom. He made sure to latch the door behind him. They were going to need to ease Luke into the crowd.

“UNCLE MOONY!” The kids attacked his gangly legs, and Moony scooped them up and held them upside down, stomping around and roaring like Godzilla. The kids squealed and screamed and Harry’s glasses fell off. Moony set them right side up and slipped them back on.

“How are my sweet peas?” Moony purred, straightening their hair. Harry’s was already an inky, spiky mess, and Evie’s was a bright coral reef of tendrils. Hmm, he should take Luke to the aquarium soon.

He was so excited for tonight. His best mates were going to meet Luke! If he would let them. He didn’t want to scare him back into silence, but this was his family. James and Lily were the best parents he knew (okay, maybe he didn’t know too many…and there were the Weasleys and the Longbottoms, and they were pretty wicked, but he was having a sentimental moment here). If it took time for him to trust them, he just hoped they got as much time together as possible.

Moony hugged James and Lily, towering over the two of them.

“Moony, it smells fucking amazing in here,” said James. Lily smacked him on the arm.

“James Fleamont! Really! I can’t believe you’re still swearing in front of the kids.”

“Sorry Dot, you know what Pads and Moony bring out in me,” James blushed. ‘Dot’ had been Lily’s nickname for some time now. Her animagus had pearly white spots all over her coat, mirroring her delicate freckles.

“Thanks, Prongs. It’s beef stew with veggies and potatoes. It should be ready in just a few minutes.”

“Can we warm this up?” Lily pulled a paper-wrapped baguette from her maroon purse.

“Yes, allow me. Thank you!” Moony grabbed the bread, kissed Lily’s cheek, and headed to the oven.

“Uncle Padfoot, can we play chase?” asked Harry from the couch. They were jumping on the cushions.

“Not right now, Harry, it’s almost dinnertime. Remember we played too close to eating, and you got sick?”

“But we had fun!”

“That’s because you weren’t the one who had to clean up the sick, baby,” Lily said as she gently held them still, pushed her son’s hair from his face, and kissed his forehead.

“Dot, are you still ill? Prongs told me you weren’t feeling well,” Sirius called over his shoulder as he fetched her a glass of water. She took it gratefully.

“Oh I’m much better, thanks Pads. I’ve been having tummy troubles lately. I should be able to get through tonight without yacking, though.”

“Ew, mum, yucky!” Genevieve burrowed her head into Lily’s arm.

The fireplace roared again, and Mary appeared, shaking soot from her faux fur coat. Marlene appeared only a moment later and they gawked at each other.

“Thank Merlin we didn’t bonk each other!” Marlene laughed, and the women hugged. The children jumped over the couch, spilling the water everywhere, and swarmed their aunts with hugs.

“AUNTIES!!” They screamed and jumped. Marlene and Mary scooped them up and kissed their faces, leaving lipstick all over them. Then all the adults exchanged hugs and greetings.

Marlene’s hair was freshly permed and she looked beautiful as ever, though a bit tired. Mary looked stunning, with big curly hair and frothy bangs. She was wearing a stylish outfit and everything looked very expensive.

“Jesus, Mary, this watch!” Moony was holding her wrist, adorned with a ginormous gold timepiece, “What did it cost you?”

“Now Remus, I’m insulted,” Mary laughed, “this arrived at my door in a silk box!”

“How’s everything at the magazine?” asked Marlene as Genevieve sat in her lap and got her hair braided.

“Excellent! I’ve heard so many stories of how the magazine has empowered women across the country! I feel so lucky.”

Everyone murmured in congratulations.

“What about you Marls, how’s the ward?” asked Lily, drinking another glass of water and looking a touch green.

“I’ve quit,” Marlene said bluntly. Everyone gasped, as if she had just admitted to a murder.

“How come?” Moony looked anxious as he and Sirius set the table.

“Mungos is archaic. I hate the way they treat me and my patients, there’s still so much stigma. I’ve decided to take my staff and start a pop-up clinic. We can travel around the UK and provide help to more people, without so much restriction from the hospital.”

“That’s great Marlene, congratulations! That’s going to do wonders for people’s lives!” James peeped from the corner, where he was doing push ups while a giggling Harry sat on his back. Harry loved asking James to do that. Sirius thought he looked like he was struggling, and he bet that he could do more pushups with Harry on his back. Should he challenge him?

“Soup’s on, gang!” Moony served up his stew and Sirius piled plates with salad. Everyone was talking happily amongst themselves and salivating as the rich smell of the stew and the bread filled the room. Sirius flicked his wand and their dining table grew to nine seats. Moony poured goblets of wine and two juices, then placed everything on the table.

“Everything looks so amazing, lads! Thank you!” said Mary, and everyone started eating. Sirius felt so pleased having his family under one roof again. He hardly saw the whole gang together since Hogwarts. The emotions he had recently been feeling about those days swelled in his chest again.

“To Peter,” he raised his glass suddenly, and everyone blinked at him for a moment. An expression of longing and melancholy settled onto them. Moony squeezed Sirius’ hand.

“To Peter,” they all said before cheersing their glasses. There was a moment of silence, and everyone had distant and wet eyes. Harry and Evie looked sadly down at their laps.

Sirius noticed Lily avoided drinking her wine, and had barely touched her food. James drank her glass and rubbed a circle on her back.

“Sure you’re alright, Lil?” Moony asked from beside him, noticing the same thing. Grant was right, nothing got past Remus.

“Oh, fine. Just feeling a bit under the weather this week.”

“Pregnant again?” Marlene joked, but James made an odd squeaking noise. Mary gasped.

“Oh my goodness, are you?”

“It’s so early,” Lily tucked a rogue hair behind her ear, “extremely early. We only found out less than two weeks ago. We didn’t want to tell you guys for another few months.”

“I’m gonna be a big brother or sister!” Evie clapped her hands together, spilling her juice. Moony flicked his wrist and the mess was gone in a blink. He leaned over and squeezed James and Lily’s hands.

“It’ll be alright. No matter what happens, we’re so happy to know! What wonderful news!”

James and Lily were beaming, and Lily lifted Moony’s hand and kissed it.

“Thank you, Moony. It is.” She put Moony’s hand to her heart, then released it. “What about you boys, how’s everything going? Anything new?”

“Um…” Sirius was suddenly nervous for some reason. “Well, we do have something to tell you.”

“You blokes are more than just roommates?” James asked, grinning. Lily rolled her eyes.

“Honestly Prongs, no class at all.”

“Well, actually…” Moony was nervous too. “There has been a sort of, er, development, one might say.”

Everyone’s head whipped toward the bedroom door when there was a sudden loud shattering noise inside.

“Puppy?” Evie asked, looking curiously at the door.

Sirius apparated into the room in an instant, looking around frantically. Luke was sitting on the floor, surrounded by a broken lamp and shards of the star thrower.

“Luke, honey, what happened? Are you okay?” He inspected Luke, checking for cuts and bruises, and sighed with relief when he found none.

“I was jumping on the bed and fell. I knocked everything down. I’m sorry, Sirius.”

“It’s alright, don’t even worry about it. As long as you’re okay.”

“You…you don’t want to yell?” Luke stared up at him, eyes as wide as saucers. He raised a shaking hand up to his cheek.

“Of course not. Moony and I will never yell at you, that’s a horrible thing to do. Did…did your mum yell at you?”

Luke nodded.

“Sometimes. She only yelled when I made a mess. But she was very nice, most days.”

Sirius lifted him up and they sat on the edge of the bed together.

“My mum used to yell at me too, and it was really scary. So I know how you feel. But it’s never okay for an adult to yell at a child, okay? Even if they make a mess. I promise that Grant and Moony and I are doing everything we can to keep you safe, forever. No more yelling.”

“Okay. Thank you,” Luke said softly. Sirius hugged him, and the boy sat there, very still. Sirius pulled back after a moment.

“Moony and I have some friends over. They’re our family, actually. We would really like it if you came out and met them. And there are some kids your age, so you can play together. Does that sound good?”

Luke nodded and opened his arms, expecting Sirius to pick him up. He did, and whispered a spell to clean up the mess before they left the room. Sirius shut the door behind him, and when he faced his friends, nobody was trying to hide their shock. Everyone’s jaws had dropped, as if they were letting krill in.

“Padfoot…” James said slowly, “is that…a child?”

“Well it’s not a puppy,” Moony chuckled awkwardly, trying to break the tension. He cleared his throat when nobody laughed, and promptly got to his feet. Sirius walked over to the table, hoisting Luke up so he was more snug on his hip. Moony put his hand on Sirius’ back.

“Everybody, this is Luke,” said Sirius. “Luke, this is Prongs, Lily, Harry, Genevieve, Mary, and Marlene.”

“Why is your name Prongs?” Luke stared at James.

“Oh, it’s, um, just a nickname,” James adjusted his glasses.

“Our daddy can turn into a deer! And so can our mum!” Harry cheered, laughing so hard he snorted.

“Sirius can turn into a dog,” Luke replied, looking sheepishly at Harry. He burrowed himself deeper into Sirius’ body, trying to shrink. Moony squeezed Luke’s shoulder reassuringly.

“It’s alright Luke, don’t be scared. This is our family.”

“So, er, Remus, Sirius,” Marlene asked, stretching each word out. Everyone was talking cautiously at them as if Luke was a bomb about to detonate. “I think we’re all wondering, well…where did Luke come from?”

“Luke, why don’t you show Harry and Evie some of your toys?” Moony instructed. He grabbed the boy from Sirius’ arms and planted him gently on the floor. The Potter kids jumped out of their seats and padded over brightly to the bedroom, following Luke, who moved slowly with his hands in his pockets. The children let themselves in and shut the bedroom door behind them. By the time Sirius had cast a silencing spell, everyone was on their feet now. And talking all at once.

“Who the fuck is that?!”

“Did you steal him?!”

“Did you ADOPT him?!”

“He’s missing a tooth!”

“Sirius found him abandoned on the street a few days ago,” Moony lifted his hands, and his friends all went silent immediately. Mr. Lupin Mode had been activated.

“He was so frightened at first he didn’t speak to us for a full day,” Sirius continued. “But he’s completely warmed up. We’ve gone on so many adventures since Wednesday. Moony won a hot dog eating contest!”

“Yes, but is he yours to, er, keep?” Lily asked Moony.

“We want to, very badly. We don't know where he came from, but Grant is trying to find his mum. If they can’t find her, or any other family, then we can take him in.”

“Is he a wizard?” Mary asked. Sirius shook his head.

“No. But that’s okay, if he does have to leave, we can, um,” Sirius swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat. He hated to say it. “We can Obliviate him.”

James understood, and placed his hand on Sirius’ arm. “Ah, I’m sorry, mate.”

“But we don’t know what will happen!” Mary said loudly, trying to pick the energy up. “If he was abandoned like you say, maybe they won’t be able to find his family. And you’ll be able to adopt him!”

“One of us can, yeah,” said Moony. “Grant said it will be tough, because we’re queer.”

“Don’t worry about that, I’m sure some mischief can be…well, managed,” James smirked like he was quickly plotting a prank in his head. It was dangerous when he had that smirk.

James stood between Sirius and Moony and put his arms around the two of them. “Look at you two, becoming parents! I’m so proud! You’re going to be bloody brilliant! And now all the kids can play together! We have so many old toys and clothes you lot can have!”

“Thank you, but that’s for the baby,” Moony patted James’ arm. “We went shopping for him already.”

“What about when you have to go back to work, Sirius?” Lily worried.

“Moony’s on school holiday only a week after I have to go back. He can go to a daycare.”

“Don’t worry, I got him,” James squeezed their shoulders. “I’ll teach him how to ride a broom. I’m a much better teacher than Padfoot could ever be.”

“But how will you be able to stay on your broom, with your unreasonably large head?” Sirius knit his eyebrows with concern.

“Will you be able to adopt him if he’s a muggle? Has it been done before?” Marlene chewed on a fingernail, like she did when she was nervous. Sirius remembered how bloody and gnawed they had been when she was finishing her Healer certification.

“We haven’t asked, but I’m not going to let that be an issue,” Sirius stood up straight. “The Minister can eat my dick and balls if he has a problem with it.”

“Where is he sleeping?”

“Where will he go to school?”

“You really don’t know where he came from? Was he hurt?”

“He’s fine now, and we’ll figure everything out,” Sirius said with a note of finality. His friends had no more questions after that. They were just showering Sirius and Moony in hugs and congratulations.

“It’ll be okay, honey,” Mary whispered into Sirius’ ear as she wrapped her arms around his chest and squeezed him. “You’ll get him. I just know it.”

Luckily, James’ meandering lecture on the best way to tie Luke’s shoes so they don’t come undone was interrupted by the three children pouring out of the bedroom. They were jumping and laughing. The rosiness had returned to Luke’s cheeks.

“Sirius, Harry told me that he’s gonna become an anim…anima…shapeshifter when he’s old enough, and I want to do it too! Like you and the dog. Will you show me how?”

“Of course I will, Luke. And I’ll be a much better teacher than Prongs could ever be.”

Everyone was in an excellent mood, and Moony brought out the chocolate souffle he had prepared. They ate it with raspberries and milky tea, and Moony forbid anyone from leaving the table until their stomachs were about to burst. Then they stood around chatting while the children played gobstones in the corner. The sound of Luke’s laughter, loud and jingling, was music to Sirius’ ears, and he was so chuffed that he was getting along with Harry and Evie. The dishes were doing themselves in the kitchen while the adults, except Lily, drank wine.

“No Dylan tonight?” Sirius asked Marlene. She had met Dylan two years ago when she came to St. Mungo’s for a Billywig bite. The venom had made her giddy and euphoric, but that feeling had lasted for both of them long after the antidote.

“No, she had to work late tonight. There was a giant order for 2,000 cupcakes due tomorrow, so everyone’s in shambles,” Marlene laughed. Dylan worked at a bakery in Diagon Alley. Sirius knew the girls wished they could get married, for many reasons, one of them being so Dylan could make the most extravagant cake ever seen. Sirius wished she could make a wedding cake for him and Moony, too. They had a bet on which society they thought was going to legalize gay marriage first, and it was up to eight galleons now.

Mary was admiring the photos on the walls, giggling at the altar of the men’s shenanigans. Her gaze fell on the lunar calendar and she turned to Moony with an assuaging smile,

“So, Remus, you’re well? You know, healthy and everything?”

“Yes Mary of course I’m HEALTHY, what kind of question is that?! Do you ask other people that?”

“She’s just checking in,” Marlene swooped in. “Are you having any pain? You look excellent. You’re so tan. I hope you’re wearing sunscreen, though? Skin cancer and all that.”

“Why yes, I’m wearing it, I’m not an idiot.”

“Then what about these?” Lily was holding a pack of cigarettes (fuck! She found the emergency stash!) and tapping her foot, using her patented Mother/Former Head Girl scowl.

Moony hurried over and grabbed the cigarettes, embarrassed, shoving them to the bottom of the rubbish. “I’m quitting, Dot, it’s really going to happen now.”

“You’re being serious, this time?”

“No, I’M Sirius!” Sirius piped up from the kids’ corner. He had transformed back from Padfoot mid Evie’s belly rub just to make the joke. The children erupted in unabashed, hiccupping laughs, falling over each other and rolling on the floor.

The night ended shortly after, when the kids fell asleep in a tangle of limbs. James and Lily each held one of their children, quietly said goodbye, and apparated home. Mary and Marlene gave the men a few more lipstick-coated kisses before leaving, and a few on Luke’s sleeping face. Sirius carried Luke to bed and they all slept peacefully, snuggling, full of food and love. Another perfect day.

Chapter Text

25/05/1987

On Monday, Moony had left for work by the time Sirius was awake. He wished he had woken him up to say goodbye, but he left a note on Sirius’ forehead that he made breakfast for everyone. In the kitchen, Sirius found Moony’s Famous Toast, with triangular slices slathered with at least twelve different toppings. He ate while reading The Quibbler, and Luke came to join him half an hour later.

“What are we doing today?” he asked, after eating twenty triangles of toast.

“I’m going to take you to the doctor, so they can check on you.”

“What’s that?”

“A doctor?”

“Yeah.”

“They’re people who help you when you’re sick.”

“I’m sick?”

“No. They check that you’re well, too, as a preventative measure. Preventative means to fix something before it becomes a big problem.”

“Okay.”

They got dressed and took the car to the clinic. Luke was apprehensive in the lobby, frightened by the sterile environment, and grabbed Sirius’ hand.

It was a bit difficult making an appointment for Luke, as he had no documentation and Sirius wasn’t his legal guardian. He wasn’t proud of it, but he utilized some glamour spells and more than just a few confondus charms. It was for a good cause, okay?! Soon enough, they were in a tiny room with Luke sitting on the paper-covered bed and admiring the dinosaur figurines hanging from the ceiling, waiting for the doctor to come in. A tall woman with a low brown ponytail and purple clogs entered with a clipboard.

“Hello! My name is Dr. Reese. Are you Luke?”

“Yes.”

“And you are…” she said toward Sirius.

“Sirius, his guardian.”

Dr. Reese’s eyes flicked over his tattoos, leather jacket and boots, and eyebrow piercing. But if she was bothered, she didn't show it, and smiled brightly.

“Well nice to meet you both! Luke, I’m just going to check on you to see how you’re doing, since this is your first time coming in, okay?”

She checked his height, weight, and other tests like his eyes and reflexes. Some numbers came through her computer, and she looked at those quietly for a bit. After a while, she asked if Luke would be okay if she and Sirius stepped outside. In the hallway, she lost a bit of the sparkle in her eyes as she looked at him soberly.

“How long has he been in your care?”

“Er, it’s been…well to be honest with you, it’s been less than a week.”

“What agency did you get him from?”

“Um, I…oh shit, Doctor, I’m totally fucking this up. Look, I’m gonna be dead honest with you. I found him, abandoned, and I’m in the process of trying to find his mum. I have a friend in social services doing the investigation and everything. I just want to make sure he’s well, right now. Is he?”

Dr. Reese’s eyes searched his face, and must have seen the despair in his eyes, because she smiled soothingly and laid a gentle hand on his arm.

“Relax, Sirius, I understand. The paperwork that the receptionists drafted up is perfectly acceptable.” Sirius gulped, guiltily. He had completely made that shit up.

Dr. Reese told him that Luke generally looked well, but there were some concerns. He showed signs of having had too much junk food and not enough nutrients. He was quite underweight for his age bracket.

“And how old is he?”

“Based on his size, I would say that he’s five.”

Sirius didn’t know what to think of that. Moony had been five when he was bitten and put in St. Edmund’s, completely unwanted. He didn’t remember anything before that. If Luke was going to stay with them, would he eventually forget his mum? Sirius knew he would still get curious about where he came from, eventually. And he and Moony would help him with that. They would do anything for Luke.

Dr. Reese explained that she added Luke to the system and he should come back in six months or if anything's wrong. She gave him pamphlets on five year olds and their nutritional and educational needs, then sent them off with some stickers and a lollipop for Luke. They held hands while walking back to the car.

Luke wanted to play with the dog, so Padfoot chased him around at the park for a few hours. At home, Sirius wanted to bake cookies, but decided against it after considering what Dr. Reese said. He figured that Luke’s mum had neglected him and only fed him junk food. A surge of anger swelled up in his chest at the thought of that. How could you do that to a child you brought into the world? He and Moony needed to stock him with vegetables and make sure he had lots of exercise. That’s what Padfoot and the park were for. Was Grant looking for his mum right at this moment? Maybe she didn't have the means to take care of him, and that's why he had been left on the curb. Was there ever going to be an explanation? Luke deserved it.

For Luke’s afternoon nap, Sirius wanted to join him, and they laid on top of the covers. It was an unusually hot day in the flat, and Sirius peeled off his shirt to try and cool off. If that didn’t work, he thought playing in the hose downstairs would be fun.

“Sirius?”

“Yes, Luke?”

“Why are you covered in marker?”

The beautiful innocence of the question made Sirius laugh for a long time.

“It’s not marker actually, it’s ink. They’re called tattoos.”

“Do you put them on every single day?”

“No, they’re permanent. Cool, yeah?”

Luke inspected the art that filled the majority of Sirius’ arms and chest. He had a giant stag, a myriad of constellations and runes, angels and devils, Bowie song lyrics, other song lyrics (including a Cyndi Lauper one), Harry and Genevieve’s names, Regulus’ initials, a copy of the last letter Mrs. Potter had written him (that ended in 'I love you, my son'), flowers, turtles, and at least a couple dozen devoted to Moony. “Peter” was tattooed in small script on his neck, and he also had a very familiar rat on his ankle. Luke’s favorites were the enchanted ones, such as the paw prints running along his ribs, Mischief Managed fading in and out on different parts of his body, and the lunar cycle on his left pec that illuminated the current phase of the moon (the first one he had ever gotten).

“Does Moony have tattoos?” Luke asked after giddily watching the paw prints for a while.

“Just one. I’m sure he would show you if you asked him.” Oh god, don’t cry…

“Can I get tattoos?”

“When you’re older. The same time I’ll let you ride the bike.”

“Ooh, can we work on the bike again?”

…

When Moony came home that evening, it was the usual routine. Moony made dinner, Sirius cleaned up, they gave Luke his bath and his story, and put him to bed. Luke did ask to see Moony’s tattoo, and was delighted to learn Padfoot had a name. In the living room, once Luke was asleep, the men laid on the couch and cuddled.

“How was the doctor’s visit?” Moony asked, tracing shapes on Sirius’ arms. He was in a trance, enjoying the moving paw prints, too.

“It was alright. She said that Luke is undernourished, and full of junk food.”

“That’s horrible.”

“I know. And…he’s most likely five years old.”

“Oh,” was all that Moony said, then went quiet. His face was hard to read. It was blank, with only a very faint wrinkle in his eyebrows.

“Are you okay? His being five, does that make you upset?”

“Why would it?”

“Babe, don’t make me say it.”

Moony frowned, and remained silent. Finally, he said,

“It’s fine. He’s not a werewolf, thank Merlin, and he’s not going to be abandoned in a place like St. Edmund’s. He’s not gonna get fucked up like I was.”

“I’m worried he’s already fucked up.”

Moony pat Sirius’ arm. “Look how happy he’s become since being here, honey. It will be alright. He’ll never feel the way we did.”

Sirius curled up in Moony’s arms. “Never.”

Chapter Text

The next few weeks passed by delightfully. They created a bedroom for Luke using Capacious Extremis, next to the fireplace, and moved all of his toys and clothes into it. They asked how he wanted it themed, and he asked for dinosaurs. They also replaced the star thrower, filling it with neon-glowing constellations.

During the week, Sirius took Luke to the park and the pond. They played games, chased each other, worked on the motorbike, and jumped on the bed. They would enroll him in school in the fall, but this year was already a few weeks out from ending, so Sirius was just looking for ways to entertain him. On the weekends, when Moony was home, they went to the beach, watched movies, and taught Luke to read. Sirius felt that he and Moony were really getting the hang of the caretaking thing. They knew his ticklish spots, favorite bedtime stories, and how to comfort him after he scraped his knee in the garden. Luke had blossomed into a bubbly, curious, quick-witted young boy, who was affectionate and whose favorite activity was snuggling Padfoot on the couch as they watched the telly. He was also really starting to enjoy reading, and Sirius knew how proud that made Moony. He had grown so comfortable with them, but still occasionally asked when he was going to see his mum. They just told him that they were looking for her, and Sirius hoped it wasn't weighing too much on the boy.

11/06/1987

The first full moon with Luke under their care was on a Thursday, which was excellent, because Moony had the whole weekend to recover. The process had been the same as every month. The days preceding, Moony was restless, tossing and turning all night and eventually moving to the couch to stay up and read. He was very easily irritated, although this month it was worsened by the nicotine withdrawal. He was ravenous at breakfast and dinner, tearing through his food and quadrupling their groceries. He turned a few shades paler, and though he didn’t mention it, Sirius could tell by the rubbing, cringing and stretching that his joints were throbbing. He had also gone through the entire bottle of painkillers Sirius had purchased last month.

He took Thursday off work. For a long time, he had tried to work on the day of the full moon, just like he had gone to classes in their school days. But he was so miserable and exhausted, and it took him so much longer to recover afterwards, that Sirius finally convinced him to just admit he needed accommodations. When Moony started working at the school in 1984 as a teaching assistant, he nervously explained to his boss and coworkers that he had a muggle disease called chronic gran…granulo…fuck, Sirius still couldn’t pronounce it. CGD. It was a genetic disorder that lowered his immune system, and because he got ill often, he would greatly appreciate the ability to call out for two days each month, “if needed.” Sirius thought it had been a bloody brilliant idea for Moony to claim a muggle disease. Nobody asked any questions, and he had proven himself as such a talented and compassionate teacher that he was granted plenty of understanding. Classic Marauder Charm. Nobody at the school knew about his true condition (as far as they knew), and Moony was constantly terrified that somebody was going to work it out. But they had been lucky, so far.

On the day of, he was nauseous and feverish. Luke wanted to play, ecstatic that he was home, but Moony asked him to let him rest alone in the bedroom. While Sirius made lunch, and Luke played with a bin of blocks in the parlor, the boy couldn’t contain his curiosity.

“What’s wrong with Moony?”

“He’s sick today.”

“Are you gonna take him to the doctor?”

“Oh, um, no…”

“But you said doctors make you better when you’re sick.”

“They do, but…Moony has a kind of sickness where he’ll get better on his own, without the doctor’s help.”

Luke shrugged. “Okay. I hope he feels better soon. Can we eat noodles tonight?”

“Actually, we’re all going to have dinner at the Potters’ tonight, and then you’re going to spend the night there. We’re going in a few hours.”

“Why are we sleeping at the Potters’?”

“No, just you. Me and Moony are leaving.”

“Why?”

“Moony needs some time to himself, and I need to be here to help him. You’ll have a great time though, you can play with Harry and Evie! And Aunt Lily is the best cook in England.”

“Why?! I don’t want to sleep somewhere else! I want to stay with you and Moony!” Luke whined, and began slamming his toys around. Sirius came over to try and calm him, and had to duck to avoid getting hit with blocks.

“Luke, stop it! Why are you acting like this?” Sirius said loudly over Luke’s wailing. Luke managed to fling a block right at his eye, and he yelped.

“What is going on in here?!” Moony boomed from the doorframe, making Luke go quiet. Moony stomped over and stood over Luke with his hands on his hips. Oh fuck, you did not want to be in the line of fire when Mr. Lupin was revving up to discipline.

“Luke, did you hit Sirius?”

“No.”

“I watched you do it.” He gave THE LOOK.

“...Yeah I did.”

“What do you say when you hit someone?”

“Um…I don’t know!”

“You say, ‘I’m sorry, Sirius.’”

Luke shrank, as if ashamed, and he looked up at Sirius nervously.

“I’m sorry, Sirius.”

“It’s alright, Luke, thank you for apologizing.”

“I don’t want you to leave me tonight. My mum left me alone and it was scary. Please can I stay with you?”

Moony’s jaw tightened and he looked very distraught at the sound of that. He chewed on one of his chipped nails. Then he bent down to Luke’s eye level, letting out a soft groan as his knees popped.

“Luke, I really wish we didn’t have to say goodbye to you tonight, either. But it’s just a few hours, and we’ll come get you in the morning, okay? You’re not going to be alone at all, the Potters will take care of you, they can’t wait to see you. It’ll be so fun, you’re gonna play with Harry and Evie and Uncle Prongs! Sirius and I need to be alone. I’m sorry.”

Luke started crying, and Moony picked him up and rubbed his back until he stopped. Nobody was in the mood for lunch after that, so they put Luke down for a nap in his room. Sirius helped Moony walk across the apartment to their own bedroom, and his boyfriend collapsed heavily onto the bed.

“Poor Luke. Stupid bloody abandonment issues. At least you and I get how he feels.”

“I WISH my mother had just let me off easy and abandoned me on the street. Fucking bitch.”

Sirius collapsed too and they laid beside each other. Moony was on his stomach with his eyes closed.

“Feeling alright, Moons?”

“Oh, absolutely brilliant. Gonna keep feeling better and better all night.”

“I’m sorry, baby.”

Moony smiled sleepily. “It’s okay. Just the routine, isn't it? Thank you for being with me tonight.”

“Don’t be silly, princess. You’re my Moony.”

Moony grinned, and rested his hand on Sirius’ stomach. Slowly, he weaseled his hand under Sirius’ shirt and traveled sensually up his torso.

“Whoa, cowboy,” Sirius laughed, feeling ticklish.

“I want to fuck you so badly right now,” Moony purred.

“Oh my god!”

Moony’s eyes shot open and he stared at Sirius like a jungle cat, alert and ready to attack. He pounced on top of him, quickly straddling him, and bent over to suck on his neck, making Sirius’ leg shake like a dog’s.

“I need to be inside of you,” Moony whispered before biting his ear, “do you want to?”

“Of course I do. Just use a silencing spell, will ya? I’m going to howl.”

Moony threw his head back and laughed, that hoarse, perfect laugh, and then removed Sirius’ pants, which was convenient, since they were too tight.

4:30 pm

Moony felt too queasy to floo, and they figured Luke wouldn’t enjoy it either, so they drove the car to the Potters’. There was a flourishing garden in the front yard, filled with fruit and flower trees, and sprinkled with fountains and gnomes. The gigantic red brick house was oozing warm light through the intricate stained glass windows, and above the front door hung a wooden sign that said “The Potters,” engraved with a family of deer.

They let themselves in and the smell of shepherd’s pie engulfed them like a warm hug. Harry and Evie sprinted at full speed and threw themselves at the group.

“Yay, Uncles! Luke! We’re so happy you’re here!” Harry chirped, and hugged Luke. Calmed down completely from his tantrum earlier, Luke was grinning and jumping with him, excited to have a playmate. Sirius picked Evie up and ran around with her in his arms, dipping her close to the floor and spinning her around. She was screaming and hiccupping with laughter. When Sirius put her down in the kitchen, Moony was already there. Sirius knew that the smells and the loud children were overwhelming his senses, but he still looked pleased.

“Remus! How are you feeling? Do you need anything?” Lily left her post at the stove and charmed the wooden spoon in the pot to keep stirring. She reached up and hugged Moony, who inhaled deeply to capture her wonderful smell. She had a tiny belly now, but it wasn’t any bigger than what they all grew to after one of Moony’s elaborate Christmas dinners.

“I’m okay Lil, thank you,” said Moony, petting her ginger hair, “I just need to sit down, I think.”

“Of course honeybee, here, have some water!” Lily accio’d a challis and filled it with water from the tip of her wand. Then she summoned a chair for herself, Moony and Sirius. The kids were already busy in the backyard, doing somersaults in the grass.

The Potter house looked how it always had since James and Lily had kids. The walls were covered in family photographs, and plants hung from the ceiling. Toys were strewn everywhere, belonging to either the children or the cats. Sirius’ favorite was the Scooby Doo pop-up tent in front of the fireplace.

“How are you doing? How’s the baby?” Sirius asked as he ignored his own chair and sat in Moony’s lap.

Lily stiffened but quickly plastered on a smile. “Excellent! There’s actually something Prongs and I need to share.”

“Oh god, he’s pregnant too? Now he’s gonna be even more of a drama queen,” Sirius obnoxiously splayed himself out on Moony to feign despair.

“That’s rich coming from the man who threw a temper tantrum when we announced our engagement,” James suddenly appeared and took Sirius’ empty seat. “Your fit would have given Evie a run for her money, and she’s a toddler.”

While Sirius pouted, James clapped Moony’s shoulder and gave him a brotherly smile. “Alright, Moony?”

“Peachy,” Moony’s head was lolled back and his eyes were shut. “Just need a minute to feel less woozy before I help Dot with dinner. Pads, where are your bloody manners?” He bucked his hips and forced Sirius to his feet. He and James both hurriedly scrambled around the kitchen to help. They always made sure they could see the kids through the window, and only had to rush out once when Harry threw a pebble into the air and let it land on his face.

“So what’s this news you have for us?” Sirius asked as he set the table. “Is everything okay?”

“Oh yes, don’t worry,” Lily put her hands to her stomach and breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s just, well, we got some big news at the doctor yesterday, GIGANTIC news, and…” she glanced behind her, where James was grabbing the pie from the oven, “I’m afraid to say it in front of James, because he keeps passing out,” she whispered.

“What’s going on? You’re scaring us. Are there two or something?” Moony asked, staring longingly at the pie. Sirius could hear his stomach growling.

“Not quite…oh my goodness…three, actually,” Lily bit her lip. James had just enough time to turn around before his knees buckled and he fainted comically onto the floor. Sirius had to grip the table so as not to follow him.

“Three?! Bloody hell, THREE?! Is that even possible?!” he cried.

“Padfoot, you have the dignity of a toadstool,” Moony pinched the space between his eyes. He stood up and approached Lily, looking peaky and surprised, but trying to hide his own shock.

“That’s incredible, Dot! How are you feeling about it?” he asked. Lily shook her head.

“I don’t know what’s scarier. Growing three babies inside of me at once, or trying to please them once they’re screaming and crying all night,” she put her hand to her forehead, suddenly looking a bit ill. “I’m over the moon, obviously, what a blessing…but Harry and Evie are already so much of a handful. It’s going to be quite the adventure.”

“Well, you already take such good care of Sirius, and he certainly acts like a child,” Moony smirked before hugging her. “Congratulations! Nobody will be better at this than you two. It’s going to be nothing but fun. Do the bugs know?”

“Not yet, we have plenty of time, and right now James wouldn’t stay conscious long enough to help me explain.”

Sirius wobbled over and wrapped her in a hug, kissing all over her face as she giggled. Then she went quiet, and after a few moments, sighed heavily into his arms. When Sirius pulled back, her eyes were damp.

“I just really wish our parents were here to find out with us, you know?” Lily wiped her eyes with the dish towel in her hands. “Children deserve grandparents.”

Then they worked together to wrap her in a bear hug. She huffed and rubbed her eyes.

“These bloody hormones make me so weepy,” she fanned her hand in front of her eyes. A gold bracelet with butterfly charms clanged on her wrist. “Oh, Padfoot honey, please don’t cry.”

Sirius sniffled to yank his snot back into his nose. He had gotten a bit emotional at the thought of James and Lily losing their parents so young. “I’m not crying, I just…Luke hit me in the eye with a block earlier and it’s a bit leaky, that’s all.”

James stirred a moment later and chugged about a gallon of water clumsily with his head under the faucet. When Moony and Sirius congratulated him, he fainted again and Sirius barely caught him in time.

Then it was dinnertime, and everyone but Moony tucked into their dinner. Evie was resting her head on his arm. The Potter children didn't know about his condition, and never saw Moony this close to the moon; they were worried about him.

“I hope you feel better soon, Uncle Moony,” she said sadly. He kissed the top of her head and told her not to worry.

As it was mid June, the days were long, and the moonrise wasn’t for a few hours. The children played while the adults continued to chat after dinner. Luke was clearly no longer upset about having to stay over at the Potters’, evident in him and Harry and Evie planning all the fun things they were going to do that night. At eight o’clock, James & Sirius were interrupted in their Quidditch talk by Moony gripping Sirius’ shoulder so tightly he could’ve drawn blood.

“Let’s go,” Moony stared intensely at Sirius, who was then quickly on his feet and throwing on his coat.

The kids insisted on a lot of hugs and goodbyes, but Sirius could feel the heat radiating off of Moony and knew he wanted to leave immediately. Luke held onto them for a long time and Sirius hated to pull him off. The two of them swiftly apparated to Ashdown Forest, and checked that nobody was remotely in the area as the sun set in a tapestry of pinks and oranges.

A bit after nine, Moony was dripping in sweat, and he and Sirius stripped down. They were completely nude, including their charm necklaces back at the flat, which they only took off for full moons. They held each other in their arms, and Moony’s heartbeat pounded rapidly on Sirius’ chest.

“I feel horrible about Luke,” Moony whispered, “I don’t want him to think we’re abandoning him.”

“He’s just fine,” Sirius cooed, “he’s having so much fun with everybody. Think about him and Harry! He won’t even want us to take him home tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Moony sighed and squeezed Sirius tighter, starting to shake. “You’re right. I love you, Padfoot. You’re such a sweetheart.”

“Why thank you, Moony, I love you too. I’ll see you soon.”

Moony groaned painfully and keeled over. He threw himself off of Sirius, stumbling backward. His scars, of which he hadn’t received a new one in ten years, caught the moonlight and shimmered like silver tinsel. Sirius turned into Padfoot instantly.

He had seen Moony transform hundreds of times, perhaps thousands, but it was never easy to watch. Everything was like clockwork. The way his shoulders shifted beneath his skin until they broke open, his limbs stretched, his rib cage burst from his chest and his spine cracked, occurred in the exact same order every month. It was truly horrible to think about how it felt, and Sirius sometimes laid awake at night thinking about it. Moony hissed and groaned, trying not to scream until he couldn't take it anymore, and his voice ripped apart until it was a dark howl that echoed through Sirius’ bones.

But it ended in a few minutes, and then the wolf was ecstatic to be reunited with his pack, the dog. They ran through the forest and howled at the moon, chasing each other in the mud. Though Sirius would do anything to eliminate Moony's pain, he enjoyed the nights of the full moon for how much energy they got to expend. Their thoughts were simpler as animals, more pure, and they rolled around and gave each other affectionate nips, even swimming if they came across a pond. Moony only remembered bits and pieces, like sensations, but Sirius looked back at their nights fondly. But it was a very long night, and he was wrecked with exhaustion the following few days after the allnighter. It was alright though, since he always took the next day off too, and cherished the mandatory cuddle session.

12/06/87

When Moony shifted back the next morning, he was panting from the exertion, and a few tears streaked down his cheeks, cleaning stripes of dirt off his face. He opened his eyes and squinted to see Padfoot curled up at his feet, then ran his trembling fingers through his black fur. He hadn’t hurt himself in a long time, so he didn’t need patching up.

“Mmm, Pads,” he said thickly, as if his mouth was full of syrup, “c’me snuggle wi’ me.”

Sirius transformed and wiggled up to burrow into Moony’s arms. He lifted a mud-smeared hand and caressed Moony’s clammy face. His eyes had fluttered shut again.

“Let’s go back to the flat and sleep, baby.”

“Don’t wanna app'rate right now, dizzy. C’n we lay here a bit?”

“Well, we’re quite naked—”

But Moony had fallen asleep. He snored softly, relaxing his limbs and leaning onto Sirius, who fell asleep a moment later.

They woke up mid morning, and realized how filthy they were. After a quick shower at the flat, Sirius called James on the mirror and they agreed the men should sleep longer before coming to get Luke. James insisted that Luke was having an amazing time tending to the garden with him and the bugs. The kids had begged to play with Prongs last night, and he accidentally trampled some of the squash.

They slept until four in the afternoon before returning to the Potters’, where James had made everyone a huge tower of sandwiches stuffed with meat and vegetables, and a side of chips and fruit. The kids were crawling and jumping all over them, most of all Luke.

“You came back! You’re here! I missed you!” he was pulling at the hem of Moony and Sirius’ shirts. Sirius picked him up and spun him around.

“We missed you too. Of course we came back! We’ll always be here for you,” he gave Luke a hug. Luke gripped him tightly back, and apologized again for hitting him in the eye. Then he hugged Moony and wouldn’t let go for half an hour.

When Lily came home from work, everyone worked together to make pizza for dinner. Moony shoveled down four pies by himself while the kids watched him in awe, relieved that he was feeling better. Then Luke wanted ice cream, and each of the Potters started freaking out, so Sirius went to pick some up. Harry and Luke didn’t want to part ways, so Moony and Sirius ended up sleeping in the bedroom upstairs they used to live in. They all went to the park for a picnic the next day and returned to the flat at seven pm. Luke was bouncing off the walls with energy so they let him stay up for a few episodes of Fraggle Rock before putting him to bed.

In their room, Sirius was massaging Moony’s back as he laid on his stomach with his head in the pit of Sirius’ neck. The lights were off, but Sirius could see the silhouette of Moony’s curls and shoulders in the moonlight pouring through the window. His nocturnal vision had also improved since becoming an Animagus (however, it wasn’t that great, since he had developed colorblindness).

“Today was so wonderful,” said Sirius.

Moony nodded, rubbing against Sirius’ skin. “Yeah. Harry and Luke are perfect for each other.”

“Maybe it’s a good thing they’re not going to Hogwarts together. Poor Mcgonagall would retire as soon as she heard,” Sirius laughed.

“And if that didn’t do it, she’d be gone the moment those triplets step through the door,” Moony chuckled softly, but went quiet.

Sirius was dozing when he felt something wet and warm on his chest. He looked down and could see tears on Moony’s cheek flicker in the stream of light. He was shaking and breathing in little puffs.

“Moony, what’s wrong?”

Moony snorted sharply, like he was surprised that Sirius caught him.

“Hmm? Oh, I’m fine.”

“You’re crying, sweetheart.”

Moony wiped his eyes then put his wet hand over Sirius’ heart.

“I’m just sore. It hurts.”

“What hurts, baby?”

“Everything,” Moony hiccuped into Sirius’ shoulder. “The pain. It never stops. I’m…I’m scared.”

“Scared of what? Talk to me, sweetie.” Moony never cried, and never so openly. He wept at romantic movies and puppy commercials but denied it if Sirius brought it up. And he certainly never talked about his pain.

“Just…I don’t know, it’s stupid, but…I’m not even thirty, and I’m so weak and aching, and it’s only going to get worse. What if I don't…” he choked. “What if I don’t get to grow old with you?”

“Baby, don’t say that! What’s wrong with you?!”

Moony was suddenly sobbing and gripping tightly onto Sirius’ chest. “I’m sorry but it’s true. Is my heart gonna give out before you even go gray?”

“Stop it,” the very combination of words made tears pour down Sirius’ cheeks now too. What a horrible thought. Horrible, horrible, horrible. “You’re not going anywhere, don’t ever say anything like that again. I will take care of you, you know that.”

“That’s not enough, Padfoot. It’s never been enough, no matter how much I wish it was.”

Sirius wiped his eyes then held a shuddering Moony tighter. “I’m not going to listen to you when you say such ridiculous things. Just go back to sleep. You’re fine!”

“This is…ugh, don’t…this is serious. I wish more than anything I could just…I could play with the bugs the way you do, running around with them. It’s so embarrassing. All I want is to be there for them,” Moony was hysterical now, barely coherent through his sobs. He was hiccupping so hard that he was popping up and crashing down painfully against Sirius’ ribs. “And now there’s Luke…I’ll never be able to keep up with him like you can. If he becomes ours…and if something happens to me, he'll think I left him.”

“He could never think that, because it’s not true! Of course you’re there for the kids, you’re their Uncle Moony, they adore you. And Luke will never be alone, you and I won’t allow it. Now shut the fuck up.”

They cried for a long time in the darkness, unspeaking, unable to broach the subject again, until Sirius finally felt Moony’s breathing steady. Sirius wasn’t sure if he could rest after all that. Why had such a precious and innocent young boy been bitten by Greyback all those years ago, why? And why did it have to make him so miserable now? Was it really possible that his condition could end his life prematurely? Sirius couldn’t fathom a world without Moony, he wouldn’t be able to survive it. It was an impenetrable thought, one that lived in the deep pits of his chest, in the dark corners where other tragedies were housed and ignored. The memory of his parents torturing him and Regulus until they blacked out. The abuseful speech of the screaming portraits in his childhood home that filled him with shame and took years to unlearn, that he was still unlearning. The haunting images of the heartache he had caused Moony after he led Snape to the Shrieking Shack in fifth year. The pain of Moony’s transformations and the lurking fear if one day he never turned back. The agony of not being able to marry Moony or be a father alongside him. But now there was Luke, and everything was different, and Sirius needed to be strong for him. If he needed to be strong enough for both him and Moony, that was fine. He could do it. Anything for his family.

Chapter Text

Sirius had to go back to work on Monday, the 22nd of June, and Moony wasn’t out of school until the beginning of July. Luke stayed with the Potters during those overlapping days, and when they came to pick him up in the evenings, his excitement to see them was no match for how much he didn’t want to leave Harry. Once the boys figured out they were going to see each other every day, they complained less, but they were inseparable and sometimes insisted on sleepovers. Sirius didn’t want Luke sleeping over too often because he knew that James and Lily had enough on their plates. Lily was also extremely ill, and so Harry and Evie stayed over at the apartment some nights before they dropped everyone off on their way to work. The three of them yelled and jumped around, then curled up in Luke’s bed, Sirius hearing them loudly whispering late into the night.

Sirius also didn’t want Luke gone too long because he missed him. He had gotten so used to spending every moment with him that there was an emptiness in his chest when he was at work, and he looked forward to spending the evening with him and reading him his story. However, he did enjoy being back with his coworkers and working in the garage. He loved working on broken bikes because it invigorated and challenged him, and his coworkers were hilarious. Everyone there looked like him, in leather and tattoos, and he belonged. The tension the other mechanics had with weeks’ worth of unabashed jokes to share was released, and they filled the garage with their Cockney-soaked raucous laughter for days. They asked Sirius why he hadn’t joined the nights at the pub like he usually did, and he shrugged, feeling as if those nights where he would stay out getting pissed in smoky biker bars was a lifetime ago, though it had barely been two months.

Buck and Griffin told stories of how great it was to spend more time with their kids, and Sirius felt strangely connected to them. But he didn’t say anything about Luke; it was still too early to know if they would be able to raise him for good. But every day that went by, Sirius grew more protective of him and knew how right it was that they were all together. He saw so much of himself and Moony in him, and only cared about giving him the opposite of the childhoods they had endured.

When Moony was done with school for the summer, Sirius would come home and hear about all the fun they were having. They nurtured the eggplants and tomatoes in the garden, went out to the library and the duck pond, and filled out coloring books. Luke became even more fascinated with reading and started stringing together more eloquent sentences, which warmed Sirius’ heart; a mini Moony! Luke also loved to sit on Sirius’ lap while he talked about what bike projects he had that day. Sometimes before dinner they even worked on the bike in the garage together. The July full moon passed without Luke putting up any fuss, because he was so used to being at the Potters’ already.

16/07/87 8:13 pm

“Are you sure it wasn’t too bad? You can be honest.”

“Yes! Yes, it was delicious. Look, clean plate club,” Moony scraped the rest of his plate into his mouth, squeezing his eyes shut, clearly trying not to retch. He winced as he chewed, but then smiled goofily at a very insecure Sirius.

He wanted to get better at cooking something that wasn’t sandwiches, so tonight he told Moony he would take care of dinner and make chicken piccata. Well, the recipe was chicken piccata—the final product had been more like overcooked chicken with undercooked noodles and so much lemon juice that one bite made them all tear up. Moony had eaten the whole thing like a champ, and Luke very politely ate half his plate before asking to be done. Sirius was embarrassed but appreciated them for lying to spare his feelings.

Moony got up from the table and collected their dishes. “I’ll do these, wanna give Luke his bath?”

“I don’t want to take a bath! I want to watch Fraggle Rock!” Luke clapped and swung his legs, shaking the table.

“Hmm, some Fraggle Rock does sound good, maybe the bath can wait…”

“Pads, I’m sorry I haven’t enrolled you at Perkins yet, clearly you still belong in primary school,” Moony rolled his eyes as he made it to the sink. “Sorry Luke, it’s getting late, no TV tonight.”

“But I WANT FRAGGLE ROCK!” Luke grabbed the edge of the dining table and shook it violently. Sirius and Moony gawked at him. He never got so worked up, not since that first full moon. Sirius reached for him.

“Luke, there’s no reason to yell—” Sirius was cut off by the loud crashing sound of all the dishes in the sink exploding, showering the kitchen in shards of ceramics. Moony ducked and Sirius jumped in front of Luke.

“What the fuck was that?!” Sirius spat. Moony stood up slowly, too confused to lecture him on swearing.

“Did—did I do that?” Moony muttered to himself, looking down at his palms accusingly.

“Luke, sweetheart, are you alright?” Sirius inspected him for any cuts. Luke was just staring at the sink while pouting.

“I’m mad,” he said curtly, and Moony slowly turned to look at him, scanning Luke slowly as if seeing him for the first time. Sirius didn’t know what that could be about.

“I’m sorry you’re angry, but we don’t want you staying up too late. You’ve got a big brain in your head that needs to develop properly!”

Luke whined and bounced up and down, “pleaseeeeee can I watch one, pleeeeeease?????” He was using puppy dog eyes and Sirius knew he had learned it from him, every time he asked Moony for something. Using his own ammunition against him. Damn.

Above them, the lights started flickering until they all popped and went black. Moony gasped and hurried over to yank Luke from his chair, plop him onto the couch and turn on the telly.

“FineLukejustone,” Moony said in a blur, frantically using the remote, moving so quickly and awkwardly that he kept dropping it like it was a bar of soap, “Padfoot and I need to discuss something right now.”

He dragged Sirius into their bedroom at a sprint and once he released his wrist to shut the door behind them, Sirius rubbed it.

“Ow, your grip is lethal. What the fuck is going on with you? Are you gonna yerk?”

Moony’s intense hazel eyes bore into him with so much heat that Sirius feared he was going to light on fire. “Pads, I think…holy shit, I can’t even say it…I think Luke may have just used magic in there.”

Sirius’ head whipped from the door back to Moony’s face rapidly until he was dizzy. “...Oh my godric, you’re right! What else could it have been???” His heart started racing with adrenaline and euphoria.

Moony twirled his mustache like he did when he was contemplating something. “I must be mistaken. It’s not possible, it can’t be…obviously he’s a muggle…it must have been just a trick of the light.”

“Trick of the…baby, don’t be so ridiculous! You and I both witnessed him throw a fit right before the dishes and the lights went crazy! Clear as day! I mean, lots of wizards come from the muggle world!”

“But what are the chances he’s one, and you find him?” Moony shook his head and started pacing the room. “I don’t want you getting too excited. Something’s fishy.”

“Too late, I’m already calculating the days in my head until he’s off to Hogwarts! Oh man, I’m so behind on training him for quidditch, the Potters got an unfair advantage—” Sirius ran his fingers through his wavy black hair and bounced on his heels, bursting at the seams with joy, “I mean, he doesn’t even need to be muggleborn, maybe a wizard left him—”

“Do you hear yourself?!” Moony stopped pacing to glare at him. “Why would a wizard drop him in muggle London, and why would you just so happen to run into him?”

Sirius sprang forward into Moony, knocked him onto the bed, and straddled him. “It’s because we were meant to raise Luke! This is fate, I just know it!” Sirius laughed gleefully and kissed all over Moony’s face. He was giggling ticklishly, but pushed him back.

“We at least need to speak with Dumbledore or something,” Moony gently grabbed Sirius’ hips to steady him, “just to make sure.”

“Oh baby, imagine him and Harry at Hogwarts together! They’ll have the map, and the cloak, and will know all the secret tunnels in their first year!” Sirius ignored Moony and shook his shoulders. “It’s gonna be bloody brilliant!”

“Oh godric, that school is doomed,” Moony shuddered.

…

Luke apologized for getting so upset, and was grateful that they didn’t yell at him. For the rest of July, he continued to have bursts of magic erupt from his fingertips. If he was overly excited (quite often), or startled, or grumpy, the objects around him would jump from their place. He didn’t understand what was happening, but he was delighted to make Sirius so happy. Moony was still skeptical, afraid to get excited, but Sirius knew the truth. He had an instinctual feeling in his gut that he had been the one to rescue Luke because he needed them. They needed him. They were going to get to share their magic with him, and teach him quidditch, and send him to Hogwarts where he would be surrounded by friends and adventures.

Everything was so perfect. Until the day it wasn’t.

Chapter Text

04/08/87 6:40 pm

As Sirius walked the steps of their apartment building, he struggled to readjust the gift paper on the present he was carrying so it wouldn’t be so obvious it was a broom. He had splurged and bought the new Nimbus 1700, and was going to call James once he got home so he could arrange for them to come over and practice in their yard. He couldn’t wait to tell Prongs and Dot that Luke was a wizard, they were going to be so pleased! Moony had wanted him to wait until they were positive, but Sirius had no doubt about it, after the amount of broken dishes Luke had caused lately. Carrying the present, his train of thought on how he was going to convince Moony the broom was safe enough was interrupted by the potent and unambiguous stench of pot suddenly drenching his nostrils. He didn’t know anybody on the second floor who smoked, but then again, he hadn’t dealt in a long time.

The smell only got stronger as he approached their flat on the third floor. It was overwhelming as he opened the door, and he could barely see the room through the haze of smoke. He finally made out the shape of Moony, lying on the floor with his back to Sirius next to the record player, records strewn around him but no music playing.

“Baby? Are you HIGH?!” Sirius barked, entering and throwing his things onto the table.

“And drunk,” Moony lifted a bottle of whiskey before sloppily chugging from it, not turning to look at Sirius.

“Why on earth would you do that when Luke is here?”

“He’s not here.”

“Oh, is he at the Potters’? That’s perfect, I was just about to call Prongs!”

“No, Pads. He’s gone,” Moony said lifelessly, then drained the bottle until it was empty.

“What do you mean? Oh, I see…you’re playing hide and seek, aren’t you?”

“Sirius,” Moony said gruffly, shutting him up. “They…they took him away.”

He shook his head, trying to clear his ears so he could make sure he was hearing Moony properly. Obviously he wasn’t.

“Who the fuck is they?”

“Muggle police, social workers, somebody, I don’t know. It was over so quickly.” Sirius could hear for the first time since entering that his voice was phlegmy, like he had been crying.

“I…I don’t understand. You need to get up and tell me what the fuck you’re saying.”

“Do I sound like I’m joking?” Moony snapped, though his voice was weak, and slurred from the drink. Sirius stomped over, frustrated that he was being so difficult. Panic was rising in his throat and he felt like he was going to be sick. Obviously Moony was just lying. He needed to get his ass up and start making dinner. Something mushy, like meatloaf, because Luke had lost another tooth yesterday.

When he approached, he stepped over the scattered records and was about to wag his finger at Moony when he saw him shaking and clutching the bottle tightly in his arms, sobbing quietly. Sirius sat down on the floor in front of him, a metallic and horribly painful feeling of dread pooling in his stomach. Moony was definitely not playing hide and seek.

“Sweetheart…” he said slowly, knowing that if he spoke any faster he would throw up, “tell me. Everything that happened. Now…please…”

Moony finally looked up at him with bloodshot, miserable eyes. “Three hours ago, Luke and I came back from the garden and there were a few men here waiting for us. Social services. We’re not allowed to take care of him without being his legal guardians, so they took him.”

“Wh, what?! Did they find his mum? Was Grant there?” Sirius clawed the rug to stabilize himself. His vision was clouding over with black spots.

Moony shut his eyes and shook his head. He lifted the bottle to his lips, remembered it was empty, and chucked it across the room. It shattered against the wall, but neither of them flinched or cared.

“No mum. Couldn’t find a trace of her. But we still don’t have any rights. No Grant, either. I called him a million times, I checked the compass, I don’t know where he is. I don’t even know where Luke is.”

Sirius keeled over and threw up onto the small patch of floor between them. Moony, with his eyes still closed and his face scrunched up in pain, flicked his wrist and it was gone.

“Gross.”

“You-you-you don’t know where they took him?! Why the fuck don’t you know?!” Sirius bellowed. Moony’s eyes shot open and he dragged himself up, waiting to be at Sirius’ eye level before shoving him.

“Fuck you. It was such a disaster,” Moony’s face was soaked, splotchy, and swollen. It was obvious he had been drinking and crying for the entire three hours since…since…since what exactly?! What the fuck was going on?!

“Luke was screaming, trying to get away from them,” Moony continued, trembling, “I tried to explain that Grant was taking care of it, but they wouldn’t listen. Apparently someone took over his case and it looked suspicious, since we’re not registered as foster parents. I was so angry, and the sound of Luke screaming was so awful, and I swung at one of the cops. He knocked me out, and when I woke up I was alone. I thought drinking and smoking would make the pain go away, but it hasn’t.”

Sirius touched his shaking hands to his own wet face, tears streaking down and dripping onto his shirt. “He’s…he’s really gone? But…but…that’s impossible…he’s, he’s a wizard…” he said weakly, knowing he sounded stupid. But it was the only thing he felt capable of articulating. It didn’t matter that Luke had magic, even though it was a miracle. He was so much more than that; he was thoughtful, and curious, and hilarious, and easily frightened, and terrified of being alone, and had come to trust him and Moony, and now he was going to think they abandoned him, just like his mum. Why did this happen?

“I don’t know,” said Moony, and Sirius realized he said his last thought out loud. “I haven’t been able to get a hold of Grant. I’ve been calling social services too, they're ignoring me.”

Sirius began to hyperventilate, the sickness inside of him transforming into anger. How the fuck could they do this to them? To Luke? He was an innocent child in need of a proper home, and they had given one to him, and yet Luke was ripped away from them for what, because they didn’t have a piece of bloody paperwork?! And now they were going to ignore Moony like the scumbags they were?!

Sirius rose to his feet and slammed his boot against the stack of records beside him, sending them crashing to the floor. Moony yanked on his shirt, but Sirius pulled away and ripped the curtains from the near window, tearing the Gryffindor-colored fabric to shreds in his hands. Then he flipped the couch upside down, but he was still so full of rage and disgust, that he threw all of his force into tearing the stuffing out of one of the cushions.

“Luke—is out there—terrified—ripped away from the people that care about him—and the government doesn’t care!” Sirius screamed and ripped at the cushion, his fingers throbbing as he tried to slice through the upholstery. He finally tore it open and scattered feathers and fluff everywhere, while he yelled in anguish. Moony threw his arms around him from behind him.

“Stop it, you’re destroying the house—”

“I don’t care! I’m gonna rip the heads off of the people that stole him next! I’m gonna kill them! I’m gonna—I’m gonna—” he couldn’t get any words out, his throat was too raw and his chest too heavy. As Moony tightened his grip against Sirius’ waist, he let the remains of the cushion crumble out of his hands, choking on his sobs.

“It doesn’t make any sense. He was right here, this morning…we were gonna work on the bike tonight…he… he can’t just be gone.”

“I know, baby,” Moony whimpered, “I know.”

“You were right, I shouldn’t have gotten so excited.”

“No, you were right. It was fate.”

Sirius glanced up at the wrapped Nimbus on the table. He had been so unfair to Luke, promising to teach him how to ride a broom and become an animagus and go out on the bike when he was old enough. He had gotten his hopes up that he’d be safe with them forever. Both of their hopes up. And now Luke would never trust anyone again. He was disgusted with himself.

He threw Moony off of him and marched over to slam the broom against the wall and watch it splinter in a jumble of paper and wood. Then he kicked the table leg until his foot throbbed. Moony just stared at him.

…

The rest of the night was a blur that turned into the next morning without Sirius realizing. He skived off work, not bothering to call. It was so meaningless, compared to this. He had started drinking too, and continued all night, wanting more than anything to numb the rotting inside of him. His grief was overwhelming, and confusion ached in his head. Now that he knew what life with Luke was like, he could never go back. Not when he cared about him so much. How was it possible that after all the time they had spent with him, nurturing him and earning his trust and easing his fears, that he could suddenly be plucked from them? It was going to destroy him, and he’d never be able to trust anyone again. They had been such a happy little family, and that was how it was supposed to be. Sirius was so ashamed of not working harder to protect Luke from this. He vowed to shield him and Moony both from harm, and he had failed. Where was he? Were they feeding him? Reading to him? Yelling at him? Neglecting him? Every unknown answer was another drink.

Moony was in no better shape. He didn’t speak a word to Sirius, just fluctuated violently between staring blankly at the ceiling, drinking, crying, drinking and crying, and sobbing while curled around the giant stuffed T-rex Luke had won at the May fair. Sirius didn’t have anything to say either.

05/08/1987 9:17 am

Sirius didn’t realize he had fallen asleep until something slammed into his head and jolted him awake. He opened his eyes and identified the flying object as a pillow from the couch.

“What the fuck?” he turned to glare at Moony, who was lying on the torn up couch with a blanket covering him head to toe.

“Phone,” Moony grunted, then flipped onto his side and pulled the blanket tighter over his ears. Sirius groaned, his senses raw with overstimulation from the bottles of booze he had been whiffing. He was at a nasty halfway point between drunk and hungover, and the light pouring through the curtainless window, in combination with the ear splitting ringing coming from somewhere close, was nauseating. Through squinty eyes he saw the telephone anchored next to him, from his spot on the floor. He lazily reached for it, just out of grasp, and finally impatiently pulled it down by the chord, knocking down everything on the table.

“What?” he spat, not bothering to sit up.

“Sirius??? It’s Grant!!! I’m so sorry!!” The frantic voice on the other line was Grant’s familiar Essex twang. Sirius shot up, banging his head on the table and ignoring the throbbing in his skull as he gripped the phone tighter to his face.

“Grant? Oh my god, thank Merlin. What the fuck is going on?! Where’s Luke?!” he cried desperately. Moony heard the name and flung across the living room, clumsily pushing the fallen table items out of the way to sit next to Sirius and slam his cheek to the phone.

“I’m so so sorry that this happened. It’s unacceptable. Luke was at the top of my priorities and I was doing everything I could to locate his mum. Then I had to leave town for an emergency with Marcus’ family, and Miranda, my fucking cunt coworker, took it upon herself to go through my shit,” Grant was speaking a mile a minute, and Sirius had never heard him so angry. “We’ve never worked well together, she insists on taking my cases from me even though I’ve been here longer—”

“Grant,” Moony begged, “what’s happening?” The desperation in his frail voice made Sirius’ heart ache, and he reached out to hold his hand.

There was a long sigh on the phone as Grant tried to compose himself. “I arrived back at work this morning to learn Miranda had flagged Luke’s case. You’re not supposed to house a child if you’re not registered foster parents, and I knew that, but because I was in charge of the case, nobody else needed to know. We were so close to moving forward with your adoption, before everything got ruined. I’m so, so sorry. This is all my fault.”

“They said they couldn’t find his mum. There’s really no trace of her?” Moony squeaked. Sirius was just sitting there quietly, fuming, trying not to scream.

“No. I couldn’t find an address, a job, a bank, a birth certificate, nothing. Luke didn’t know her last name, so it was very challenging. I haven’t been able to locate any record of Luke, either, because I don’t know his full name.”

“They added him to the system at Mayweather clinic a few weeks ago,” Sirius finally said through a constricted throat.

“Yes, I found those records, and that was initially helpful, but I was unable to match anyone to his DNA. I’m afraid to say that he’s not going to be reunited with his mum. This happens sometimes, when people are heavily affected by drug addiction or poverty. There was also no extended family.”

“So, what was going to happen if you hadn’t had to leave town?”

“One of you was to register as an adoptive parent. Which is still what you can do!”

“What?” Sirius gripped the phone so tightly that his hand went white. His heart was thundering loudly in his chest. “We can get him back???”

“Yes. You need to file an official appeal to adopt him, which I am going to help you with every step of the way. It’s tedious, and will take at least two months.”

“Okay, okay, wait,” Sirius sat up straighter, accidentally slamming his shoulders into Moony’s and forcing a yelp out of him. “Where is he right now?”

“He’s at a foster home in Surrey. Lads, I’m so sorry that this happened. I’m going to fix this, I promise you.”

“What do we do to get him back?” Moony whimpered, squeezing Sirius’ hand so hard he thought his bones were going to snap.

“After you register, go through a few home visits and background checks, it’s a go!”

“Which one of us will do it?”

“That’s obvious Moons,” Sirius almost laughed, “you’re a posh primary school teacher, and I’m a tattooed bike mechanic.”

“It’s uncommon, but single men adopting children in this country has been done before,” Grant said encouragingly. “I can send the cases to you if you like.”

“Oh, okay,” Moony said self-consciously. “Yeah, yeah, of course. What happens first? I’ll do anything.”

“Can I come over tomorrow? I’ll get things started today but we should talk in person. Please know that this matters to me more than anything. I can’t believe I hurt you like this.”

“It’s not your fault, Grant. We should’ve known,” Moony said defeatedly, and Sirius ran his fingers through his hair roughly. Okay, this was good. There was a chance. More than a chance, it was happening. They were going to rescue Luke and be reunited with him. Then they were never going to let him get hurt ever again, and he would be theirs to take care of forever, Sirius was determined with a fiery certainty of that.

06/08/1987

When Grant came over, he knocked cautiously and when Moony opened the door, he jumped to wrap his arms around him.

“Remus, I’m so sorry!”

“Grant, it’s okay, we’re not mad at you,” Moony hugged him back, sinking into his arms. Neither of them let go for almost a minute. Then Grant hugged Sirius, and it felt so good to be supported like that. Since Luke had been gone, Sirius felt like he was made of sand, crumbling away in the wind.

“Are you two eating? Sleeping?”

Sirius glanced at Moony, who was glancing at him back. Moony was gaunt and pale, with the full moon only three days away. But he was also crying nonstop and hadn’t eaten more than a turkey sandwich in the past day. Sirius could imagine he looked even worse; his bloodshot eyes stung, his pale skin dry, and his usually silky smooth hair matted on his head. He also had no appetite. “No,” was all he said.

Grant laid them down on the couch, tucked them in, and made beans on toast in the kitchen, humming a Bonnie Tyler song. Then he sat the boys down at the dining table, cut up their plates, and forced them to eat.

“Please, you have to! You’ll feel so much better!” Grant whined, and Moony took a bite just to shut him up. Sirius reluctantly followed, and was actually quite soothed by the flavor. Beans on toast was Lily’s staple comfort food, and she always made it for him when he was at their house waking up from a hangover or full moon, or when he just needed a cheer up.

The food did make them feel better, though not much. Grant pulled a few papers from his blue suede briefcase and clicked open a pen decorated with pink roses.

“Okay Remus, you and Sirius are going to adopt Luke, do you understand? It’s all going to be okay.”

“Yeah,” Moony sniffled, “you’re right,” though he didn’t sound very convinced, “what’s all this?”

“It asks you questions about your life. Things like your employment, salary, relationship status, family medical history. You’ll also need to get some character references from your colleagues, landlord, some friends, the like. I’m sorry about all the prodding, it’s just checks and balances.”

“’S quite alright.”

“You’ll need to go in for a medical examination that we can document, as well.”

Moony sucked in sharply through his teeth. Sirius could feel the restless need for a cigarette radiating off of him. The stress of the whole situation, and now going to a muggle doctor, which he had never done before, maybe not even in childhood.

“Okay. What else?”

“That’s a good start for now, I’ll take that paperwork to build your profile for you. Next will be home visits, and you’ll be able to see Luke.”

Sirius’ heart got too tight in his chest, like someone was squeezing it. “Really? We can’t see him sooner?”

“I’m so sorry, but…no. It’ll just put you in more trouble.”

Moony whimpered and threw his head into Sirius’ shoulder, Sirius carding through his hair.

“Baby, just do the paperwork, that’s the first step.” Sirius wiped away his own tears as Moony went back to writing.

“Lads,” Grant reached out and grabbed their hands, “you’ll get him back, I know you will. I’ve seen it happen loads before.”

Sirius nodded. “We just miss him so much. It’s too quiet in here.”

Grant took a deep breath. “I can change that. Do you have any Elton John?”

09/08/1987 three-ish

Moony had submitted the paperwork and scheduled a doctor’s appointment for ten days from then, with plenty of distance from the moon. Now they just needed to get some character references and anticipate Grant’s call about the home visit. Everything was going to be alright, Luke was safe and on his way back to them, Sirius needed to keep reminding himself in order to get a single breath out. His anxiety over Luke’s wellbeing was crushing on his lungs, but he felt that he deserved it, after putting the child through all of this in the first place. Nothing felt at peace without him there. He and Moony weren’t capable of taking care of each other anymore. He forced Sirius to call the garage and tell them he’d be out sick for a few days, but he had to go back to work soon. If he lost anything else, he didn’t know what he’d do.

Deep in thought, Sirius didn’t even care when he heard a CRACK in the living room.

“Hello? Is anyone home?” James’ call, like a concerned and protective father, was muffled. Neither of them answered. There were scattered footsteps, likely him stepping over all the trash and rubble on the floor on his way over to the bedroom. At the door, there was a hesitant knock before he peered in. He looked so cautious, with wide eyes—a deer in the headlights.

“Hey lads. Are you alright?”

Sirius kept his gaze fixed on the ceiling, and for once, his mouth shut.

“Fine. How are you?” Moony said tersely, almost like a cough.

“Oh, I’m fantastic. I just wanted to check on you, haven’t heard from you in a while.”

Then they both chose to ignore him. Moony was curled up in the fetal position, and Sirius had his legs straight out and his arms folded on his chest, like a corpse.

James crept in and opened the blinds, scalding the dark room in light. “Um, okay…I’m gonna assume you’re not doing well, then. Where’s Luke? Harry’s so excited for tonight, he has a new Acromantula playset he wants to put together with him. I’m honestly worried he may be neglecting Evie a bit because of Luke. But she hates acromantulas…and come to that, so do I!”

Sirius sighed loudly. He wished it wasn’t the full moon tonight. Moony felt terrible enough right now without needing to go through that.

James walked over to Moony and felt his forehead. “You’re really hot.”

“Thanks, but you’re not my type,” Moony swatted his hand away, “try getting some tattoos.”

James huffed. “I’ll have you know that I DO have tattoos! And my wife thinks they’re cool!” He lifted his shirt to show off the giant stag on his ribs and a rune he shared with Sirius, as if they all hadn’t seen them a million times. Then he pulled down his pants to reveal a delicate cupid with “LILY ” in a heart on his buttcheek.

“Oh god, my eyes, they’re melting,” Sirius retched, “Prongs’ white ass is too reflectant.”

“Piss off. What’s up with you two? You’re catatonic! Where’s Luke?”

“Somewhere in Surrey,” Moony said after a long pause.

James stopped in his tracks where he was standing, tucking Moony into the covers. “What is he doing there?!”

“Social services put him in a foster home.”

James stumbled backward, shaking his hands and looking at them like he didn’t recognize them. “Okay, what the FUCK are you talking about?!”

Sirius bit his lip, wanting nothing less than to repeat it.

“Well we were trying to adopt him, and Grant was helping us, but he went away and Luke’s file got fucked and then he got taken away and now we’re trying to get him back. Moony’s gonna be his legal dad.”

“Oh wow,” James collapsed against the bedpost, “oh wow. Oh wow. Oh—”

“JAMES,” they both scolded.

“That’s horrible,” James finally spit out. “He just got taken? People showed up here?”

“Yeah,” Moony said, staring off into space.

“But you’re getting him back? It’s guaranteed?”

“Grant promised us.”

James lowered himself cautiously onto the edge of the bed, “okay, well that’s good then! He’s gone temporarily, while you work out the legal stuff, but he’ll be back. I’m sure he’s in excellent hands at this other home right now. They wouldn’t have sent him there otherwise, yeah?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Sirius still hadn’t moved to look at James once. “It’s really hard, not having him here.”

“Of course!” James said encouragingly. “You made a special connection with him, you care about him, he cares about you. Of course it’s hard.”

“James…” Moony squeaked, sounding uncertain, “...he’s a wizard.”

James’ face went blank, and he shook his head perversely. “I don’t understand. What do you mean?”

“He’s shown magic,” Sirius continued, “over the summer. We wanted to…I don’t know, Moony wants to take him to see Dumbledore or something. It doesn’t matter, his owl’s gonna come regardless.”

“I’m just trying to be responsible!” Moony whined, then stubbornly curled tighter into a ball.

“Wait, slooooooow down,” James removed his glasses to rub his eyes, looking exhausted, then slipped them back on. They always landed askew on his misshapen nose, now. “You found him…on a muggle street…and now you’re saying he’s a wizard…”

“I know what I saw!” Sirius kicked the mattress beneath him. “He’s a wizard! It just means we were meant to find him, and take him in!”

James hadn’t stopped shaking his head for a few minutes. He gnawed on his bottom lip, clearly mewling over where to start. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Moony made us wait.”

“I WAS TRYING TO BE RESPONSIBLE,” Moony groaned and crawled deeper under the covers.

James finally slammed the edge of the bed, seeming to wake up. “This is unbelievable!”

“I know. I can’t believe they just took him,” Moony said softly. His voice had been so feeble, since Luke had been gone.

“I’m talking about you two!” He grabbed a shoe from the floor and chucked it at Sirius’ face. Sirius batted it away and finally sat up to glare at him.

“What the fuck?! Is it not obvious how awful I feel without you hitting me with my own shoe?! Not everybody wants a crooked nose like yours!”

“Look, I know you’re going through something horrible, and I’m so sorry, I can’t even imagine…” James’ breath caught in his chest, and he took a deep breath to compose himself. “But have you forgotten your biggest talent?!”

“James, this is not the time for me to suck your dick,” Sirius rolled his eyes. Moony slammed a pillow onto his own face.

“Not that one,” James said earnestly, “you’re half of the Marauders! Only THE most infamous and clever pranksters to ever walk the halls of Hogwarts!”

“What are you playing at, Potter? Those days ended a long time ago,” said Moony bitterly. “We don’t have time for this.”

“Those—those days—you—you—Padfoot, are you hearing this?! Moony’s forgotten our legacy!”

“Prongs, can you just shut the fuck up and get out of here? We don’t want to hear your stupid jokes, we don’t give a fuck about pranks right now, we just want to mope.”

“But that’s what I’m trying to say!” James walked over to Sirius’ side of the bed and shook his shoulders. “Isn’t it obvious?! You need to steal Luke back!”

“Get off me,” Sirius shoved him off, “you sound like an idiot.”

“Call me Remus Lupin, because I am fucking serious,” James’ face was bright and determined. “You guys are treating Luke like a muggle, which he isn’t! Why are you wasting your time and ripping your heart out trying to adopt him that way, when he’s going to live in the wizarding world?? Soooo, why don’t we just scoop him up and obliviate the social workers so they forget about him? Then there’s no issue!”

“No issue?! Are you joking?!” Moony flung his pillow at James. “First of all, we can’t obliviate that many people, the dangers of that are—”

“We can use the cloak, and go right through the front door!” Sirius was grinning now, feeling mischief flood his senses. Adrenaline and hopefulness were traveling through his veins; he hadn’t felt so alive in days.

“If we use Moony’s compass, we can find him in a heartbeat,” James was beaming at him, a wicked look in his eyes that Sirius had rarely seen since they were teenagers, “and he should be fine to apparate back, Evie can handle it at her age—”

“He’ll love apparating—”

“Shut up!” Moony sat up and screamed, stopping the mischief makers dead in their tracks. “We’re not going to steal him! We’ll get arrested, and then it doesn’t matter what bloody society we want to adopt him in, we’ll be in prison!” His lips trembled, and then he started crying again.

“Moony,” James hurried over to the opposite side of the bed to wrap Moony in his arms. He pulled back to stare intensely into his wet eyes. “I’m not letting you two just give up. Luke needs you to be brave!”

“I’m not giving up, I’m going to adopt him,” Moony whimpered, “Grant said it will only take two months.”

“Luke doesn’t have that kind of time!” Sirius wiggled over to nuzzle in Moony’s neck, knowing it would break him down. “What if someone’s hurting him? We need to know he’s safe!”

“How do you even adopt a child in the wizarding world? I haven’t heard of anyone doing it!”

“And I’ve never heard of a monkey wearing roller skates, but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible!” James jumped onto the bed to join them. “Remus, think about the strength that you and Sirius have. That the three of us have, when we’re protecting the people we love. We’re going to do it together, and we’re going to save him! Because you gave him a proper home when he didn’t have one, and he belongs to you, and that’s all that matters! Not some stupid government policies. I will physically fight the Minister if she doesn’t let you adopt him.”

“Oh great,” Moony rolled his eyes, “Prongs and his scrawny arms are my hero.”

“Are you guys blind or something? Check out these guns!” James flexed his biceps, which made Moony laugh despite his lifelong desire to be brooding. “You forget I was a professional Chaser in my prime!”

Sirius wiped the tears off Moony’s cheeks. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of it first. We can adopt him as a wizard! It’ll be so much easier! Prongs is right, baby, this is a cakewalk compared to half the shit we pulled off in school.”

Moony sighed, and burrowed himself in Sirius’ arms. He was feverish and damp against his skin. “Fine. We’ll go tomorrow. I gotta do something first…”

James made Sirius dinner, and forced Moony to eat some cheese and crackers, after learning they had barely eaten in days. With a flick of his wand, the living room was putting itself back together, after Sirius’ rampage and their neglect of the chores.

“It’s a mess in here, and so are you two,” James tisked, inspecting the both of them, prodding at their limbs. He started to detangle Moony’s curls with his fingers before he shoved him off.

“Stop treating me like I’m one of your kids!” Moony huffed.

“Moony, if you haven’t been eating, that’s really concerning, and as your brother, I need to step in.”

“Pads, are you hearing this? Prongs thinks he’s Madam Pomfrey.”

But Sirius wasn’t listening, instead bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“He’s coming back, he’s coming back,” he whispered to himself, smiling ear to ear.

..

Moony went to take a nap, and James cleaned up the kitchen as Sirius just stared at Luke’s bedroom door from his spot on the couch, zoning out. His initial excitement over their plan to save Luke was crushed by another swarm of guilt.

“I fucked up, Prongs.”

“None of this was your fault, Padfoot.”

“I promised him we would keep him safe. And I failed him.”

James came over to sit with him on the couch. “You told him that you cared about him. Which is what you should’ve done. You had no idea this was going to happen.”

“I mean, in the back of my mind…” Sirius kept his gaze on the door, “I was scared they would take him, but I never thought they really could. We should have done more to make sure we could adopt him. I just got so swept up in the fact that he showed magic, and all I could think about was Hogwarts—”

James put his arm around Sirius’ shoulders. “You’ve always been a little overexcited, I’ll admit, you’re practically a golden retriever after all,” he chuckled to himself, “but the last thing you could ever be is a failure. You were just trying to do what’s best for Luke, and all you can do is your best. So don’t blame yourself, okay?”

“Prongs, when did you get so fucking wise?”

“The day I married Lily,” he smiled, looking as proud to be hers as he had on that day. “She’s taught me all my best advice, you know that.”

“Yeah, obviously you couldn’t think of it yourself,” Sirius shoved him, and James shoved him back, and then they were tussling. They finally stopped when James rustled Sirius’ hair, which he found to be a criminal offense.

“How’s Dot?” he asked once he confirmed his hair was perfectly cascading onto his shoulders again.

“Excellent. Well, still barfing all day, and already feeling a bit uncomfortable, and quite overwhelmed with the thought of having five kids overnight, but other than that, calm as ever.”

“And how are you?”

“Oh, I’m bloody terrified,” James gulped. “Just so you know Pads, the fear that you’re gonna fuck your kids up never goes away.”

“You’re gonna be fine. You’ll only be one away from a full Potter quidditch team, once the triplets are old enough. Maybe Lily will finally let you teach her.”

“We have a better shot at convincing Moony to play.”

“I promise you that’s not true.”

They laughed together, then went quiet, and Sirius embraced his brother in a hug. “Where would I be without you, James?”

“Probably in Azkaban for doing something stupid.”

“Yeah, probably.” He took a shaky breath in James' arms. "I'm gonna be Luke's dad."

"You're gonna be Luke's dad. And it's gonna be bloody brilliant."

James called Lily through the mirror to tell her he was going to spend the full moon with the boys. Then they tucked in for a kip, approaching the long night.

7:45 pm

Moony shuddered in the cold wind. “I don’t like being naked in front of you, James.”

“Come on Moony, I’ve seen you naked loads of times,” James rolled his eyes playfully and winked. He looked so silly, being completely nude except for his glasses. Why James insisted on keeping his glasses on, Sirius didn’t know.

“Then let me rephrase, I don’t like seeing you naked.”

“I do!” Sirius yelled over the burst of wind screaming through the trees.

“Okay, can you two please just shag so we can get over the innuendos? Obviously you have my permission,” Moony shrugged. His shoulders creaked loudly and he moaned, hanging his head in his palms.

“Oh god…”

Sirius hurried over to his side. “Just breathe through it, sweetheart.”

Moony’s shoulders rose and fell rapidly as he hyperventilated. “It’s not that,” he lifted his face to look at Sirius with the same wet eyes and knit eyebrows that he had had for days. “I’m so worried about Luke. What if we can’t get him out of there? What if he hates us for not finding his mum?”

“Luke’s not gonna hate us,” Sirius waved his hand dismissively, “he’s probably very frightened right now, but he’ll understand when we explain everything, when he’s ready, I know he will.”

“O-okay,” Moony said uncertainly, then faltered. He looked at Sirius for a moment longer before starting to cry again.

“I don’t want him to be frightened,” he sobbed, trembling, “poor baby. Out there, alone and confused.”

“I know honey, it’s horrible,” Sirius brushed the hair off of Moony’s sweaty forehead, “but it’s all going to be fixed tomorrow. Right now you need to relax, you’ll hurt yourself if you get too worked up.”

“Padfoot’s right, for once,” James stepped forward and put his arm around Moony, “just stay calm, Moons. Everything’s going to be just fine soon enough. Luke is going to explode with happiness when he sees you. I would honestly be worried about the size of the explosion, if I were you. May cause damage to the building structure.”

Moony chuckled for a moment, but his face sank into misery again. “Okay, okay,” he said weakly, sobbing. Tears slipped down Sirius’ cheeks, too. What a horrible situation. Poor Moony. Poor Luke. He missed him so much, and was terrified for him.

James hugged the both of them until Moony let out an agonizing groan and he keeled over, gripping his stomach. Sirius started to rub his back, but Moony gently shrugged him off.

“Please don’t. Just…I’ll…” his face scrunched up as the words failed to escape him. He tried to wipe his tears but his hands were shaking, and the tendons beneath his skin were wiggling and snapping. Sirius wiped them instead.

“We’ll be here with you all night, baby.”

“Just back the fuck up!” Moony screamed, pushing them both back with force. He moaned and groaned and convulsed until he wasn’t Moony anymore, his howls echoing in the strong wind. James’ mouth fell open as he watched, likely remembering how awful the transformations were, something he hadn’t seen in quite a few years. But then again, Sirius thought, there was no way you could forget something like that.

That night, the wolf was intrigued by seeing the stag again. He wanted to fight, and Prongs had to push him back forcefully with his antlers. Padfoot tried to lighten the mood with playing, but the wolf was more sensitive and ferocious than usual. For years since they were teenagers, most full moons, Moony just wanted to explore and get his energy out. They would nip at each other and Sirius never felt scared. Play fighting was usually enough, but tonight, he was snarling hungrily and tearing his claws through the air. Deep into the night, he swung at Padfoot who was too fast, and the wolf sliced his claws against his own chest, tearing open the skin. Blood gushed out of the thick stripes, and Padfoot yelped. He didn’t know what to do. There was so much blood, he hadn’t seen that much blood in a very, very long time. How was he going to stop the blood? He couldn’t turn back into a human for hours. Prongs was thinking the same thing, scraping his hoof against the mud and making an odd chirping noise Sirius assumed was supposed to be talking to him.

The wolf started licking at his wounds and eventually brushed it off, seeming to be unbothered. Sirius hoped that was a good thing and he was fine. For the rest of the night, they wandered the forest, trying to stay as far away as possible from the cranky wolf without losing sight of him. When the first pastel pink rays of sunlight dyed the sky, Moony started squirming, aggravated. When the sun pierced the horizon, shining hot orange light onto the animals, Moony began to transform back, seemingly just as painful as the opposite way. The claw marks on his chest started bleeding again as his skin tore apart. Sirius had figured out long ago that the scars weren’t visible on the wolf, because of the fur. They were only Remus’ burden to carry. When he was mostly back, and collapsed onto the ground on two feet, Sirius ran forward, shifted back, and caught him.

His Moony, pale as a ghost, groaned like he was going to be sick, and barely opened his eyes while reaching for Sirius’ face. He softly slapped him by accident but then caressed it.

“Sorry,” he croaked, voice barely a whisper from all the anguished howling.

“It’s okay, beautiful.”

Sirius laid him down gently on the ground, and Moony inhaled sharply, realizing the massive gash on his chest for the first time. He reached to touch it, but Sirius slapped his hand away.

“Don’t touch! Your hands are covered in dirt.”

“I…” Moony looked down at his chest with his hands hovering over the slice, “I…I cut myself?”

Sirius’ heart ached. For the first ten years of his being afflicted, Moony had anticipated the reality of waking up the next morning with multiple cuts, bruises, and broken bones. It was guaranteed he’d be beaten up, the wolf desperate to release his trapped frustration somehow. When the rest of the Marauders joined him, he almost immediately became far less violent against himself, once he left the isolation and the shrieking shack. Over the course of their relationship, going out into the woods once they graduated, the injuries decreased until they stopped completely. None of the old scars faded, being magical wounds, but he hadn’t added to the rife collection in quite some time. To see a new one, when you’d gotten so used to being free from them, must have been very alarming. It was for Sirius, who had memorized every inch of Moony’s skin.

“I’m sorry, baby. Let me see what I can do to fix it.”

He pulled his wand from the stack of clothes he left in a nearby tree trunk and maneuvered it above the wound. It was deep, and the edges were jagged and raw. Sirius did his best healing charm, but it didn’t help much. James kneeled down next to Sirius with his wand already extended.

“Enough scraped knees and stubbed toes have taught me how to heal a wound,” he said soothingly, then recited a charm and tapped the non damaged side of Moony’s chest. The slice sewed itself together and faded to a tight pink scar, layered atop older claw marks that had already ravaged the area.

Moony coughed and placed a hand on his healed chest, then put his other hand on James’ forearm.

“Thanks, Prongs.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” James said grimly, eyeing the bruises that were developing on his torso from Prongs’ antlers, “I’m so sorry this happened, Remus.”

“What did happen exactly?”

“You were much angrier than normal,” said Sirius, “we had to fight back….and then you scratched yourself.”

“Oh…” Moony’s eyes went distant, before he finally nodded. He looked like he wanted to say something more, but didn’t.

“You were so upset about Luke…” Sirius trailed off, then regretted it. Think, Sirius, think!

Moony took a shaky deep breath. “Let’s go get him. After a shower and a nap.”

…

5:19 pm

Once they were clean, fed, and properly rested, it was almost the end of the day, and Sirius finally had enough energy to consider how they were going to commence their plan.

“We’ll use the compass,” he began, nursing what must have been his ninth or tenth cup of tea, “then the cloak, go inside, grab him, and apparate back. Easy peasy. Might take ten minutes, tops.”

“And how exactly do you plan to explain where he went?” Moony said hoarsely from the couch, where James had laid a warm towel on his forehead and Moony actually let him. “You two are thicker than I thought if you believe that stealing him is not going to get us into a bigger amount of trouble than we already are.”

“Moony, check this out, you’re gonna love this,” James pulled his wand from his waistband, “you know what this is? It’s a magic wand. It can achieve quite a lot. We can obliviate the people at the house so they don’t remember him, and if you and Sirius want to come straight back with Luke, I’ll go to the muggle social services and finish the job myself.”

“Wow, that’s great James, and check this out!” Moony flipped him off. “We have no idea how many muggles know about Luke. Apparently he’s a big deal, if so many people came here to…” he stopped. Then he shook his head, causing the towel to slide over his eyes. “I’m just saying, I don’t want any risk of him ever being on their radar again, and obliviating a large crowd is a highly difficult task. We have to do it exactly right, or else the muggle police and the Ministry will fight for which one gets to imprison us!”

“Have some faith in us, Moons,” Sirius padded over and readjusted the towel, bending over to peck his cheek. “If we can become animagi at the ripe age of 15, I think we can handle some obliviating.”

Moony rolled his eyes, but his expression softened as he looked at Sirius. “Sorry, I’m just irritable. Even if you and Prongs can be idiots when you put your heads together, I know it’s from a good place.”

“Alright, now that Moony’s gone soft, let’s get moving, lads,” James fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a tiny triangle of silky gray fabric, then unfolded it until it revealed itself to be the full sized invisibility cloak Sirius was so fond of. If they hadn’t had that at school, maybe they would have been only mediocre mischief makers, and the very thought was unacceptable.

“You just carry that with you wherever you go?” Moony quipped.

“There’s no way I’m risking a seven year old or four year old getting their hands on this,” James shivered. “Remus, sweet cherub, can you get the compass?”

Moony got up, went into the bedroom, and loudly rifled through all of his drawers. He had become much less clean since leaving the Hogwarts dorm, and never knew where anything was. He returned with a beautiful golden compass on a twinkling chain.

“Should we go to Surrey first?”

So they apparated to the quaint county, and stood on a street lined with bookstores. Moony’s mouth practically watered at the sight, and Sirius put his hand on his shoulder.

“Focus, babe.”

Moony bit his lip. “I don’t know Luke’s last name.”

“Just…call him anyway,” Sirius said sheepishly. Moony did, and the compass hand spun around lazily. Sirius’ stomach sank as it half-heartedly went around in slow circles. When he looked up at Moony, his eyes were shut tight as he muttered to himself. Sirius grabbed Moony’s free hand and squeezed it, joining him in concentrating hard on Luke, letting the memories wash through him and visualizing his blonde curls and freckled cheeks and his favorite shoes, the sneakers with a snitch printed on them.

A gasp from James compelled Sirius to open his eyes, and the three of them admired the arrow pointing directly north, brimming with so much strength that it was quivering. They hurried in that direction, starting to jog. As they approached forks and turns, the compass jerked them in another direction, and they were running at a sprint within a few minutes. As they chased the pull of the compass, the city melted into suburbs, and pastel-colored houses glowed in the descending orange sun. Eventually, as the journey stretched past twenty minutes, Moony came to a stop and braced against a wall, retching.

“Are you alright?!” Sirius screeched, hurrying over to rub his back. Moony coughed wetly and straightened up, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his jumper sleeve.

“Yeah, sorry. I just can’t keep running,” he pinched the bridge of his nose before taking a shuddering deep breath.

“Okay, I’m ready.”

“Looks like we’re really close,” James gestured to the compass in Moony’s hand, the arrow hitting the east edge metronomically. They stood beside a right turn into a neighborhood, and headed in.

The grass along the sidewalk was tall, unkempt, and pale yellow, with stubborn-looking weeds overwhelming the stalks. The houses were less nice than they had been a few blocks ago. The compass finally went still as they stood in front of a pale blue house larger than any of the rest on the street.

“Looks kinda nice…” Sirius said, not sure if he believed it. The windows were clean, and there were patches of flowers in the front yard bordered with a rusty gate, but something was…off.

“Hey, lads?” James said warily, standing beside a wooden post hanging a carved sign a few feet ahead of them, “when you said he was in a home…is this what you meant?”

Sirius was the last to approach the sign, and his breath caught in his chest when he read

ST. CLOTILDE’S HOME FOR FOSTER YOUTHS

in peeling gold letters. Moony let out a horrified squeak.

“Oh no,” he ran his fingers roughly through his curls, “we thought it was a normal house, with two parents, not a…a…” he clutched his throat, like he was trying to squeeze the words out. He covered his eyes as his shoulders wilted.

“Not St. Edmund’s.”

“Let’s go,” Sirius trudged forward, stepping over the tall gate and marching through the brambles. He was so determined, he almost went right up to the door, before James pulled him back by the collar of his shirt.

“Let’s find a side window,” he beckoned them to follow him, and crept around the side of the house. They found a window oozing warm overhead light, and Sirius tried to go right up to it, but James shoved the cloak into his chest. He threw it on and stood directly in front of the window, leaving disembodied fingerprints on the glass.

It was a large room, with a row of beds lining the walls, and a few dozen boys lounging around. Some sat on their beds, flinging wads of wet toilet paper at each other and the ceiling, while others sat on the floor talking and tossing toys and balls. They seemed a little rough toward each other, but everybody was smiling and laughing, relieving Sirius.

“It’s not like Edmund’s. They look safe. Happy,” he mumbled to Moony and James, who were standing beside the window anxiously. Moony stepped forward and crawled under the cloak with him.

“Where is he?” Their eyes darted around the room. Luke was nowhere to be seen among the brown, black, and red haired children. Suddenly, a mop of gold curls entered—forcefully—getting shoved into the room by a gigantic man with a broad chest and thick beard.

He yelled something, kicking Luke to the floor. He looked clean, but there was a bruise on his forearm, and his cheeks were wet and puffy from crying. Sirius and Moony threw their fists to the window, using all of their willpower not to barge through.

“What’s he saying?” Sirius pulled on Moony’s shirt. He glared at the window and cocked his head.

“Called Luke a melt,” Moony gulped, “and now he’s yelling at all of them about what happens when you won’t…” he cringed, “when you won’t shut up about whatever the hell a padfoot is.”

Sirius watched as the boys’ playful energy deflated from the room, and they all turned ashen and frightened. He could see the man’s neck bulge as he screamed at them, then slammed the door behind him. Luke tried to hide his face from the other boys as he crawled to a bed and curled up like an injured animal.

Sirius’ hands curled into fists as a throbbing anger hardened in his chest. How the fuck had this happened? Why was Luke in this dangerous place, why were any of these innocent boys? He shoved Moony and they stumbled to their feet.

“We need to get in there, now,” Sirius growled, “Prongs, get under here.”

It was impossible for the three grown men to all fit under the cloak, and they almost tore it at the hem. The final rays of light had faded and twilight was upon them by the time they gave up, James wiggling out from under it, panting.

“Okay, I’ll stay out here, you two get inside and get him out. We can meet in the backyard and you two apparate home, I’ll take the cloak to obliviate everyone in there, then head to the muggle social services.”

“I’ll join you, once we get Luke home safe and sound,” Sirius added.

“How are we going to get Luke away from the other boys without drawing attention to ourselves?” Moony looked at him desperately as he nibbled at his fingernails, and Sirius frowned.

“Er…we can just ask him?”

“We’re invisible!!!”

“We’ll be subtle!”

Moony groaned. “That’s your plan?! Is being subtle?! When have you ever once been good at that?! I hope you know that the only reason we’re doing this is because I can’t think of anything better!”

Sirius ignored him, said goodbye to James, and apparated them into the room. In the light, he realized their feet were visible, so he bent at the knees and pushed Moony’s shoulders to force him to squat. They crab walked over to Luke’s bed, trying to avoid the throngs of boys playing on the floor. Everyone looked miserable after the man had yelled at them, and they were obediently and silently cleaning up their meager toys.

On the bed, Luke was holding his knees to his chest and staring out into space catatonically. It was the most difficult thing Sirius had ever done to stop himself from reaching out and petting his hair, wiping the tears off his face, and giving him a kiss on the forehead, like every night after they read him his story. He leaned down, forcing Moony to squat even more.

“Luke,” he whispered, and Luke gasped and shot up, Sirius leaning back just in time. He looked around frantically, chest starting to heave.

“Hello?” he said uncertainly, and a few boys shot confused looks at him, but ignored him.

“Sweetheart, just relax. It’s Padfoot and Moony,” he whispered, and fresh tears filled the boy’s eyes.

“Padfoot? You’re here?” Luke smiled, though he looked terrified. “Please help me. I want to go with you and Moony.”

“Who are you talking to?” a boy said from the floor, sneering at Luke. “You’re such a freak.”

“Haha, look mates, Luke’s talking to himself!” Another boy cackled on his bed. “The melt has imaginary friends!”

The room laughed and pointed at him, and Luke’s hands flew to his red face, ashamed.

“Luke, come on, let’s go,” Moony patted Luke’s back, and he slipped off the bed. They led him to the bedroom door, hoping to sneak into the hallway and apparate to the backyard. But one of the taunting boys stepped on the train of the cloak, pulling it off and revealing the both of them. Everybody screamed, except Luke, who beamed when he saw them and threw his arms around their necks to squeeze them tight. Sirius was so delighted to have him in his arms, he didn’t notice the man was standing over them until he kicked Sirius’ shin. He was fuming, with his thick arms crossed over his massive chest.

“Who the hell are you two?!” he boomed. Moony and Sirius sputtered, but he continued. “How did you get in?! And I found your friend outside. The police are on the way, you bloody creeps!”

“No, no, please,” Moony shook his head desperately, “please don’t. Luke belongs to us.”

“Yeah right,” the man growled, “he showed up here less than a week ago with no legal guardians in sight.” His eyes flicked over Sirius’ tattoos, and the scars on Moony’s face and neck. “I doubt he could possibly be yours, ya filthy poofs.”

“I swear, I’ll kill you,” Sirius lunged at the man, gearing up to punch him. Moony threw his hands around Sirius’ waist to yank him back.

“Stop! Stop!” Luke screamed, while the boys around him brayed and cheered, adding to the chaos. Everything came to a standstill when a whistle pierced the air. Moony yelled and threw his hands over his ears, releasing Sirius, who currently had his hands around the man’s burly neck.

A police officer stood in the doorway, staring the scene down with disgust.

“Get ‘em, boys,” he barked, and two other officers ushered in. They grabbed Sirius’ wrists aggressively and clipped them together with handcuffs. Beside him, Moony was whimpering as he received his own handcuffs, the silver burning on his skin.

The officers dragged them down the hall and into the front room, where a few other boys gawked at them. Luke was hurrying behind them, screaming.

“Moony! Padfoot! Don’t go!” he begged, and Sirius flailed, trying to fight against the strong grip of the officer pulling him by his arms.

“We’re coming back for you, Luke! Don’t worry! We’re coming back!” he yelled, before the breath was knocked out of him as he got a rough blow to the back of his head.

They were pulled outside, where he saw James, in handcuffs, being shoved into the back of a police car. The officers pushed them forcefully in after him, then slammed the door loudly. On the other side of the window, Luke banged his fists on the glass, sobbing. An officer pulled him back and held him around the waist as he kicked and convulsed. Sirius could hear his terrified screams, and he threw his shoulder against the window, trying to shatter it.

As the car drove off, Moony fidgeted and hissed in pain, and James and Sirius were unable to reach his wrists with their own tied behind their backs. James, ever the best wizard at transfiguration that he knew, whispered the spell that turned his handcuffs to tin, and Moony shivered in relief.

“Fuck! We’re so fucked!” Sirius screamed, kicking the seat in front of him. His chest felt like it was going to explode with rage.

“They showed up out of nowhere,” James said breathlessly, “but it’s gonna be fine. We’ll get to the station, I’ll call Lily, and she’ll sort everything out.”

“This is so not fucking fine, James,” Sirius snapped, “we had him, he was in our arms, and we lost him again. And now we’re gonna get our asses handed to us by the rotten muggle police.”

“I can’t believe I let us do this,” Moony shook his head, “it was such a stupid idea. Stupid, stupid, stupid.”

“Shut the fuck up, you couldn’t think of anything better—”

“Well I’m sorry I’m the only one around here with a brain—”

“Oi! Shut it!” The driver barked. So much anger brimmed up inside of Sirius that his fingers nearly sparked. Moony slammed his thigh with his own to stop him from doing something he shouldn’t. Moony was much better at wandless magic than him, and James was alright at it, but he was so mad at this moment, he felt capable of casting a curse with his bare hands.

No one spoke for the rest of the ride, and when they arrived at the station, they continued to be forcefully shoved around and ushered from room to room. They got their handcuffs removed to get their thumbprints scanned and pictures taken, and then they were thrown into a cell.

“Trespassing, breaking and entering, and attempted kidnapping of a child,” an officer read off her clipboard as she stood in front of the bars trapping them in. “I’m no divinator, but things aren’t looking very good for you three.”

“I need to call my wife! I’m entitled to it!” James screamed, and the officer sighed before walking away. The men just sat in silence, unmoving, staring at the stone floor.

“At least we got to see him one last time,” Moony croaked miserably, hunched over with his hair obscuring his face. Sirius ignored him, just shut his eyes and tried to block the pain out. The back of his head was throbbing now that his adrenaline was gone, but there was a deep ache in his chest that he knew would never go away.

He opened his eyes when he could hear voices talking in the distance, and a few sounded familiar. Very familiar. But surely it couldn’t be…

Moony suddenly perked up. “Oh godric,” his nose twitched, “it’s not…”

But it was. Suddenly Albus Dumbledore and Lily Evans Potter were at the cell. Sirius couldn’t believe the sight of the powerful headmaster standing in the dull muggle prison, wearing bejeweled lavender robes and a crystal pendant atop his beard that was whiter and longer than when he’d last seen it. From behind his half-moon spectacles, he stared at the boys warmly, likely taking in how their appearances had changed since they were eighteen. Lily looked peeved but the old man was smiling, like he always was.

“Hello, lads,” he said calmly. All three of them jumped up and clung to the cell door immediately.

“Hello, Professor,” Moony said steadily, “um, what the hell are you doing here?”

“Why, rescuing you, of course. We heard about the incident and came to your aid immediately.”

“James, do you know how scary it was to hear about this? I didn’t know where you were all day, then learned you’ve been ARRESTED?!” Lily scowled, rubbing her belly. She was about four months along now, but already very visibly pregnant.

“I was with my mates, obviously! Like I told you last night!”

“Well you should’ve called me!” she huffed, frowning at him. Her eyes were full of love, concern, and frustration toward her husband, as usual. James whined and reached out to hold her hand.

“How did you know what happened?” Moony whined. Sirius cut Dumbledore off from responding, still fuming. “We didn’t do anything wrong. We were just trying to help him get out of an unsafe situation. They hurt him there, and probably those other boys, too!”

“Yes, Lily explained to me who Luke was,” Dumbledore continued, “and I’m delighted to say that it is indeed quite possible for you to adopt him in the wizarding world. Only one of you, though, unfortunately.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Sirius sneered.

“Did you hear that, babe? We can adopt him as a wizard!” Moony rested his head on Sirius’ shoulder.

“Yes, although his life won’t be easy as a squib,” Dumbledore added. Sirius felt his cheeks pinken.

“Oh, actually…we found out that he’s a wizard.”

“What?! How?! When?!” Lily gawked. “You didn’t tell me?! Did James know?”

“We just told him yesterday. I didn’t want anyone knowing, yet. I didn’t think anything would happen like this…” Moony said miserably.

“Moony!”

The three men’s heads snapped toward the hallway, where Sirius couldn’t believe his eyes. Not only was Minerva Mcgonagall walking in—who hadn’t aged a day since he’d last seen her, and was wearing a black turtleneck and muggle business pants—but she was walking in behind Luke, who was running toward them.

“Luke?” Sirius extended his arms through the bars, desperate to embrace him. They couldn’t get their arms around him, so he stood tightly against the barricade and they all reached toward each other.

“You’re really here?” Sirius sobbed, feeling his soft hair, his smooth skin, the scratchy shirt the home had put him in. He was really standing there, in front of them, smiling up at him with his two front teeth missing.

“I’m really here!” he chirped in the bright, unashamed voice Sirius missed so much. He was never going to let him out of his sight again.

“The night we’ve had, trying to clean all this up…” Mcgonagall muttered, but Sirius ignored her. He just felt the warmth of his family thaw him out. “But it’s all fixed now, right Luke?”

“Right, Ms. Mcgonagall!” Luke giggled.

“What’s going on exactly?” James said, and Sirius finally looked back up at Dumbledore, who was smiling down at them.

“Minerva and I took care of it. Now all that’s left to do is adopt him as a wizard!”

“Professor,” Moony detached from their hug as he spoke warily, “what do you mean, You took care of it?”

“We used the Obliviate charm on everyone at the boy’s home, as well as the social services office that was overseeing Luke’s file.”

“How did you know about any of this?!”

“At risk of sounding arrogant, I have to admit that there are some things I just know,” Dumbledore winked.

“I…” Moony was at a loss for words, something that didn’t happen often. “Lily? Minerva? Please help me out here?”

Mcgonagall stared pointedly at him for a moment, and Sirius thought she was going to kill him on sight for addressing her by her first name. But she just shrugged, something Sirius had never seen his composed former head of house do before.

“I honestly don’t know how Albus knew. He just did,” she said tiredly, as if this happened all the time.

“Let’s just say it’s good to have a variety of friends in many different occupations,” Dumbledore said ominously.

“So what happens next?” Lily asked, her hands on Luke’s shoulders.

“Are you absolutely positive that no muggles know about him anymore? We can’t have this happening ever again,” Sirius added.

“Positive. All there’s left to do is adopt him, and we can discuss that over tea tomorrow. For now, I’m sure you would all like to get home? I think it’s been a long night for all of us.”

“Yeah,” Sirius bent down and reached through the cell to card through Luke’s hair, “let’s go home.”

Chapter Text

When they were magically released from the jail and got back to their flat, Moony and Sirius showered Luke in kisses and tickles until his ribs were sore from laughing. They gave him a bath and a proper meal, then watched Fraggle Rock for a few hours while slurping down hot chocolates. It was the middle of the night by the time they all went to bed, but they didn’t care, they were just so relieved Luke was safe with them. He didn’t share any details about his time at the boys’ home, only withdrawing as they bandaged his bruises. He wanted to sleep in the big bed with Moony and Sirius, and so they snuggled up with him and fell asleep with their intertwined hands on his heart. Sirius slept peacefully for the first time all week.

Dumbledore kept his promise and arrived at their flat the next morning to explain the situation. He still refused to explain exactly how he had known to come rescue them, only dropping ominous hints, and Sirius decided that he was just a kooky, omnipotent old fart who had helped them tremendously. The old wizard confirmed that, since he had repeatedly shown magical abilities, Luke was going to receive an invitation to Hogwarts when he was eleven, a fact that made Sirius’ heart melt in joy and anticipation. He still elected Moony to be the one to formally adopt him because he worked in the wizarding world. When Dumbledore left after a lengthy conversation and a couple of rounds of gobstones with Luke, Moony was tasked with a long scroll of parchment to fill out and present to the Ministry’s Family Affairs Department.

While Luke sat on the floor next to the couch and played with rubber dinosaurs, Moony and Sirius looked at the parchment together. As he read, Sirius idly massaged Moony’s back, and looked up when he noticed him gnawing hungrily on the tip of his pen.

“Honey, if you’re peckish, I’ll make you something.”

Moony pulled the pen from his mouth and used it to scratch his temple. “Oral fixation, ‘cause of the fag withdrawal.”

“Well, if you’re looking for something to put in your mouth, I have a suggestion…” he whispered, nibbling Moony’s earlobe and feeling him tense up.

“Good lord Pads, you’re foul,” Moony rolled his eyes, though he was flushed.

“What’s got you concentrating so hard?”

“Look at this, they’re asking for the surname I’m going to give him. I’m just thinking. Luke Black sounds quite mysterious and charming, don’t you think?”

“His surname is obviously going to be Lupin. Luke doesn’t deserve to be tainted by that family’s name.”

“Oh please, Black is a much better name than LUPIN. Much cooler.”

“But if he’s a Lupin, he’ll sacrifice being cool for bloody intelligence!”

Moony chuckled drily. He chewed on his pen again for a moment before locking Sirius’ eyes with his, a more serious expression on his face. “Well, maybe we could compromise, and hyphenate them.”

“Hyphenate them? Bit of a mouthful, innit?”

“I’ll show you a mouthful,” Moony winked at him and kissed his cheek. Sirius had to grip the table to avoid passing out. “Seriously, Pads. I’ve actually been thinking about it for a long time, before we met Luke…I thought, well, maybe it’s stupid, but…we could hyphenate our names together? Go to the Ministry and change them, to make it official?”

Sirius cocked his head like a curious puppy. “We’d both be Lupin-Black? Sounds like we’re married.”

Sirius’ heart suddenly started racing at the very thought of being married to Moony. To be his husband, officially, in front of everyone. His hand shot out and squeezed his hand, and Moony beamed.

“Well shit, I suppose I’ll do it, if you will,” Sirius tossed his hair over his shoulder and feigned aloofness, just to get a laugh out of Moony. “But with two last names, will the kids at Hogwarts bully him?”

Moony rested his head on Sirius’ shoulder. “I doubt it. Better than ‘Longbottom.’”

They waited to change their names until Luke’s official adoption, so they could all do it together. Over the course of the month, they had a home visit (that Moony did alone, after taking down all the naughty photos and any evidence of Sirius) and sent the Ministry two character references, which James and Lily delivered so fast, Sirius wondered if they had already had them written.

As they worked through the adoption process, the other order of business was getting Luke enrolled in Moony’s school, which began the first of September. He didn’t have Luke directly because he didn’t teach Year 1, but was chuffed to be able to check on him. Luke had initial difficulty adjusting to that much social activity, and fell back into his shyness, but soon started bringing home fun classroom stories.

The tension in Sirius’ shoulders finally started to dissipate as the weeks went by. The terror that Luke was going to be yanked from them again diminished with each success in his adoption, and as the days passed, Sirius felt more affirmed that everything was going to be alright, for good this time.

15/09/87 6:23 am

“Baby, baby, wake up!”

When Moony stirred, he was met with Sirius’ big blue eyes about a millimeter away from his hazel ones. He pushed Sirius’ face away and rubbed the grit from his eyes.

“Pads, your breath stinks. What is it? It’s too early!”

“Look what just came by owl!” Sirius was straddling Moony’s waist, and started hopping on his knees. They swayed on the bed and Moony clutched Sirius’ legs to still him. He yanked the torn envelope and pulled out the letter Sirius had already read. As his groggy eyes flicked over the writing, they widened until they were at risk of falling out of his head.

“Oh my…Merlin…it’s happening!”

“Yes, baby! We’re adopting him today!”

They woke Luke up, got him dressed in his nicest clothes, and made him his favorite breakfast. Then they called their friends, put on their fanciest trousers and jackets, and headed to the Ministry.

The Minister of Magic, Millicent Bagnold, ushered them and their friends to her office and read a few boring pages of ancient magic shit that Sirius kept accidentally tuning out. Moony and Luke participated in a promise charm and then suddenly, Lupin-Black was all of their last names, and he belonged to Moony. He was actually Moony’s son! Sirius couldn’t believe it! They were a proper family, and nothing could break them apart now. Luke had a surname, something that tethered him to someone, unlike before. Everybody cried and then went to the pub for celebratory dinosaur chicken nuggets and endless fudge sundaes.

When they got back to their flat, Luke asked to hang off their bed upside down, so there they were, trying not to be sick after their gigantic lunch.

“So are you two, like, my dads now?” he asked nasally.

“Pretty much. You don’t have to call us that if you’re not comfortable, though,” Moony shrugged, his blood-rushed face tomato red.

“No, it’s okay. I like you guys being my dads. It was just me and my mum before. When am I gonna see her again?”

“Well sweetie,” Sirius said, strained. He felt a bit queasy hanging upside down. “We looked for her, but we don’t know where she is, so we’re not sure when you’ll get to see her.”

“Oh,” Luke said, then went quiet. “I hope I get to see her soon. I miss her.”

Sirius squeezed Luke’s hand. “We hope so too. We’re never going to replace your mum, okay? We just get to take care of you, and help you learn how to use magic, and support you, always. But you don’t ever have to pretend like you don’t miss her.”

Luke didn’t say anything for a while, and Sirius was worried he had made him upset. He was about to sit up and apologize when Luke asked, “Hey, when is my birthday?”

“Your birthday?” Moony repeated, sounding as thrown off as Sirius felt. “Well, we don’t know the exact date, honey, do you?”

“No. But other kids at school know their birthdays. And they have parties at school, and they’re really fun. My mum didn’t give me a birthday party.”

“Well, then we can make it whatever day you want,” Sirius croaked as he sat up straight. Moony immediately followed suit, and when Luke reached out his arms, they both pulled him up off the edge of the bed.

“Well, today was a big day,” Moony tucked a curl behind Luke’s ear, “the Ministry of Magic recognizes us as a family now. So why don’t we make today your birthday?”

“Okay!” Luke burrowed into Moony’s stomach and squeezed him. “I’m glad I live with you and Padfoot now. Less scary.”

“We’re grateful that you live with us,” Sirius joined the hug. “Happy sixth birthday, Luke!”

16/09/87

Sirius’ life was perfect once again. Not only did he have the best boyfriend on earth, but now their names were intertwined, something he hadn’t realized could feel so liberating. Luke wasn’t going anywhere, and he was happy at home and at school. Sirius got Luke’s name tattooed on what little space was left on his chest, as well as the Virgo constellation on his hand in honor of his birthday. His friends were healthy and thriving, and the Potters were about to have three beautiful new babies to absorb all their love. There was just one more thing that needed to be done.

When Grant came over, he was his usual cheerful self, having no idea about any of the conversations they had had the last few months. Moony felt terrible about him getting obliviated, but Dumbledore hadn’t known any better.

“Oh my goodness!” Grant couldn’t believe they suddenly had Luke, somebody he believed to have never met before. “What’s your name, lad?”

“Luke Lupin-Black!”

Grant laughed, which made Moony laugh and, therefore, Sirius too. Sirius was always delighted at the sound of Luke introducing himself, something he hadn’t been able to do that first day he met him, the day everything changed. In the past four months, Luke had become unrecognizable. Though he was still shy with strangers, he was bubbly and confident once he opened up, and knew Grant could immediately be trusted.

“That’s a beautiful name,” Grant smiled. “Remus, I can’t lie, I’m pretty gob smacked right now. Where did Luke come from?”

It took over an hour to explain everything to Grant, including that he had in fact been helping them adopt Luke before they discovered he was a wizard, and had his memory erased alongside everyone else who had been remotely involved in his case. Grant was just shaking his head, mouth hanging wide open.

“I’m sure I would remember if I sought out his mum for weeks, watched him get taken and put in a foster home, and then heard you two got arrested! Actually arrested, Jesus!”

Moony just offered him a comforting pat on the shoulder. “It happened, Grant, you just have to believe us. That’s why we called you over today. To meet Luke, of course, because you’re part of his family. But because we need to report St. Clotilde’s for abusing those boys.”

Grant nodded, a determined look on his face as he sipped from his teacup, from an ornate strawberry set they had picked up at an arts festival in Norwich last January after receiving their drivers’ licenses. “I’ve never liked that St. Clotilde’s. Not as bad as St. Edmund’s, thank Lily Savage, but has always seemed treacherous. I’m so sorry I had anything to do with Luke ending up there. I’ll take this up with the police immediately.”

Within the month, Grant called to let them know that the home had been investigated, shut down, and all the boys had been relocated to foster families. Sirius was relieved that they had done something good for those children, even if they didn’t know them. As Sirius fell asleep that night in Moony’s arms, he tried to figure out what he had done to deserve any of the great things in his life. Maybe suffering through the Noble House of Black had been good for something, after all.

Chapter Text

The rest of 1987 passed by in a blur. Sirius was quite busy with work, and started bringing bikes home to finish them after hours. Luke often joined him and listened attentively as Sirius explained each tweak and replacement.

Luke and Moony spent the day at school together, and when he wasn’t down in the garage with Sirius, Luke helped him cook dinner, with only minimally disastrous results. Sirius couldn’t fathom that he was actually their SON, they were legally his FATHERS! Well, okay, maybe he wasn’t legally Sirius’, but they had the same bloody last name. The fact that so much had changed in the past few months made Sirius’ head spin in a flurry of dizzying joy. They had rescued Luke from a childhood of neglect and uncertainty, and in turn, he had introduced excitement and childlike wonder to their domestic lives.

And things were changing, still. James and Lily were preparing to soon become parents to three babies at once, and the house was in pandemonium. Lily needed to be on bed rest, and James was to his chest in housework and errands; in his sleep-deprived state, he was even more delusional than normal. So on their days off, Moony and/or Sirius would go to the Potters’ or bring the bugs to the flat to babysit. The kids loved being at the flat because Moony and Sirius had adopted three chinchillas for Luke’s birthday, and always brought them out of their cage to play.

“Why the fuck did you get chinchillas?” asked Lily when all the Potters were at the flat, getting ready for trick-or-treating on Halloween night. She was on the couch, rubbing her plump stomach idly and attacking a massive caramel apple.

“Seems like something we would do, doesn’t it?” Sirius replied. “And Luke, Evie and Harry each got to name one. That’s how we got Bobby, Tallulah, and Grape Juice!”

Lily cackled. “You lot are ridiculous.”

For Luke’s first Halloween, they all dressed up as characters from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. Luke shared that he didn’t know of the holiday before then, so Moony and Sirius wanted to give him the best night possible. They trick or treated in the wealthiest muggle neighborhoods so he could receive the jumbo candy bars. The Potters joined them until Lily got too tired, so the three of them ventured on until Luke’s pillowcase was full. Then they sat at the pond and ate candy, chatting and watching the water ripple and frogs croak under the waxing moonlight. Padfoot and Luke ran around, fueled by their sugar highs, and Moony accidentally dozed off until he noticed it was three in the morning.

Sirius’ 28th birthday arrived right after Halloween. He had work, and his coworkers gave him a cupcake and a round of slaps on the back. As he blew out his candle, he couldn’t think of one thing to wish for. When he came home from dinner, Moony and Luke jumped out to surprise him, wearing birthday hats, and slipped one around Sirius’ chin. Instead of cooking dinner, Moony bought Mcdonald’s, which was Sirius’ favorite because it was so greasy and mundane.

21/12/87

With Lily about to pop, Sirius slept with the compact mirror snug in his fist every night. There were several false alarms, where Sirius thought the mirror was ringing and shook a very grumpy Moony awake. Moony hated to be woken up for no reason, so he started taping the mirror to Sirius’ forehead. In the wee early morning hours of the 21st, just before Christmas, Sirius felt a bone-chittering vibration above his eyes that yanked him out of his sleep, and he jerked it free. The Potters were on their way to the muggle hospital, so Sirius awakened a very skeptical Moony.

“Ya sure?”

“Yep, just talked to Papa Prongs on the mirror! St. Barts, stat!” He shook him violently, and Moony struggled to shove him off.

“Okay, okay! You grab Luke, I’ll lay out your clothes.”

“Oh Moons, you’re such a tactical sweetheart!”

At the hospital, they found Mary, Marlene, Dylan, and Lily’s best coworker friend, Bernadette, waiting outside the room. Harry and Evie were sleeping on Dylan and Bernie’s laps, respectively.

“So much crying and panicking and mood swings…but aside from James, it’s going well!” Marlene declared.

“I’m on my way!” Sirius marched toward the door, but Mary pulled him back by his jacket.

“Now Mr. Lupin-Black, you’ll be most helpful staying out of the way,” she implored. Sirius shrugged her grip off.

“You forget that I’m Harry’s godfather! They need Uncle Padfoot in there!”

“Why do they call you Padfoot?” Bernie whispered over Evie’s red curls.

“Just a nickname,” Moony said softly, holding a sleeping Luke against his chest.

Sirius went into the delivery room despite more protests from the group, and he found James combing Lily’s hair as she breathed through a contraction. Sirius kissed her cheek and wiped the sweat from both their foreheads.

“Why are there THREE,” Lily groaned, “one is difficult enough! Fuck you, James Potter!”

“You just channel all your pain and squeeze it into my hand, baby. You can break it if you want,” James offered sweetly. Lily caressed his face.

“That’s a kind offer, but there is no way I’m losing a diaper-changing hand right now,” she managed to grin cheekily.

It was indeed a long night. If Sirius wasn’t inside with Lily, he was pacing the halls at an anxious near-sprint. Eventually the parents were sent to the operating room for a C-section, and after Harry woke up and worried about his mum, Moony and Sirius worked to soothe him. At nine in the morning, James approached the gang splayed out in the hallway, wearing a paper gown over his clothes and a matching hat that somehow tamed his wild black hair. He was smiling deliriously, and opened his mouth to say something, but promptly collapsed at the knees, and Dylan barely caught him in time.

After half an hour, when James had regained consciousness and Lily and the babies had been moved back upstairs, everyone came inside their room, Sirius leading the group. Lily and James were beaming widely at three newborn babies, two in Lily’s arms and one in James’.

“Oh Merlin, look at them! They’re brilliant!” Mary wept. Harry and Evie cautiously approached the bed and waved at their new siblings.

“Meet Ruby, Sienna, and Declan,” Lily cooed. “They’re a wee premature, but they’re perfect. Just perfect.”

“The Potters!” Marlene took a photograph of the family and gave a thumbs up.

“Oh thank Merlin, they don’t look like James!” Sirius fell back into Moony’s arms.

25/12/87

On Christmas morning, after they opened presents (including Sirius gifting Luke a replacement of the Nimbus 1700 he had broken), they all helped Moony with his annual feast. It took all day, and then they brought it to the hospital to share with everyone.

The feast was usually hosted at one of the gang’s houses. Mary lived alone in an upscale apartment in Notting Hill, full of expensive and one-of-a-kind antique pieces. Marlene and Dylan lived in a bohemian cottage in West London with a variety of cats, dogs, and birds. When everyone was at Sirius and Moony’s flat, it was cramped and chaotic. But that year, in the quaint hospital room with yellow walls and stuffed with bouquets, was the best Christmas Sirius had ever experienced. His big family under one roof, and everyone was doing wonderfully.

Chapter Text

14/02/1988 11:00 pm

The flat was quiet except for the occasional squeaking in the chinchilla cage, and the rustling and moaning in the master bedroom. Moony was on top of Sirius, pulsating against him, and Sirius’ hands tightly gripped his back as they celebrated Valentine's Day the best damn way they knew how.

“Oh baby,” Sirius whined, sinking his nails into Moony’s skin, "fuck me harder. God, yes," he was out of breath. He pulled Moony down to bite his neck.

“Fuck,” Moony panted, “fuck baby, I'm gonna bust—” he started making the face that Sirius wished he could photograph and print on a t-shirt.

Suddenly the door creaked open and they froze, eyes widening at each other.

“Dads? Are you awake?” Luke’s gentle, sleepy voice drifted into the room, and Sirius was mortified. Luckily it was dark, and if Luke could see anything, it would only be Moony’s back peeking out from under the covers, but still, YIKES.

There was a pause of silence as neither of them knew what to do. “Y-yes, sweetheart, are you alright?” Moony finally said stiffly, turning his head to look at Luke.

“I had a nightmare. Can I please sleep with you?”

Sirius sat up on his elbows so Luke could see his face. “Of course darling, but we need a minute, okay? Will you please wait on the couch?”

He could see Luke’s silhouette nod, and then the door was shut again. Moony and Sirius turned back to look at each other, gawking. After a few moments they laughed bashfully.

“Will he need therapy because of that?” Moony asked.

“A second later and that would’ve been much worse,” Sirius reached up to place his hand on Moony’s cheek.

“At least we’re not positioned like that time Prongs walked in on us,” Moony kissed Sirius’ palm.

“Which time out of a thousand? I’m telling you Moons, those weren’t accidents, he’s jealous of you.”

Moony rolled his eyes and sat up. “Yeah, uh huh, I’m sure he cries himself to sleep wishing he could have you. Come on now, make yourself decent.”

With their nocturnal vision, they found their pajamas and got dressed. Sirius made the bed and was lifting his wand for a cleaning charm when Moony placed a hand on his back.

“We’re not letting Luke anywhere near this bed until we’ve washed the sheets with bleach,” he implored, then led Sirius to the door.

In the living room, Sirius approached Luke at the couch and found him with his knees tucked against his chest. He was staring at the floor miserably, with wet cheeks. Sirius kissed the top of his head, scooped him up and crossed the room to Luke’s bedroom door.

“We’ll sleep in here tonight, okay? Cozier,” he whispered, and Luke just sniffled.

Sirius laid him down and he and Moony made sure he was snug under the sheets before sliding in beside him. The bed was far too small for the three of them, and the men’s legs hung off awkwardly. But Sirius couldn’t care less, he was just combing his fingers through Luke’s curls and smiling soothingly at him.

“It was just a bad dream, okay sweet pea?” Moony cooed from Luke’s other side, rubbing his back. “It wasn’t real.”

“It felt real,” Luke whimpered, curling tighter against the two of them. “Someone was screaming. It sounded like my mum.”

“What happened in the dream?” Moony asked with a level tone, though he was frowning.

“It was a bunch of people, and they were all shouting, and I could see my mum, and she was shouting too, and I think she was crying. And things were getting thrown around. That’s all I can remember.”

Sirius pursed his lips. The surge of rage he felt whenever he was reminded of what Luke had gone through was automatic, and it coursed through him. He squeezed Luke’s arm to ground himself, and remember that it was over and he never had to face that again. But still, Sirius knew better than anyone that the memories would always be there, haunting him like ghosts.

“Did that happen to you in real life, Luke? At your mum’s house?” he asked softly. Luke stared up at him with the terrified look Sirius hadn’t seen in a long time, and he nodded.

“Yeah, a few times. There was a lot of yelling. But my mum was also really nice. I wish people had treated her nicer.”

Moony nodded. “I’m sure she’s lovely, Luke. She’s your mum.” Sirius could see his lip tremble in the light dancing around the room from the star thrower. If Sirius could guess, he thought maybe images of his own mother were flashing across his brain, and the relationship they had never had. “Even when things get scary sometimes…mums are special.”

“Do you have nice memories of your mum? When she wasn’t upset?” Sirius asked, wiping a tear off Luke’s face with his thumb. Luke nodded, a smile hinting at the corner of his lips. “Then you hold onto those as hard as you can, okay? And when the scary memories come up, you just have to do your best to think about the happy ones instead. It may be tough, and you don’t have to pretend the scary stuff never happened, but it makes things easier. I promise.”

Luke hugged Sirius. “Okay. Thanks, Dad.”

Sirius shivered as he hugged Luke back. That had been Luke’s name for him for a few months now, but it still made his heart swell up and pump a golden warmth through his entire body when he heard it. He felt Moony’s arms wrap around the both of them, and Sirius smiled, wishing they could all lay like that forever.

“Hey, Luke? Moony and I have something we’ve wanted to say to you for a while now. And you don’t have to say it back…but we love you very much.”

Luke only snuggled in tighter against Sirius’ chest. “Thank you. I love you and Moony very much too.”

Sirius and Moony beamed at each other over Luke’s blonde curls. The tiny bed was very uncomfortable, but Sirius had never had a better night’s sleep.

Chapter Text

In 1990, things remained domestic, and they continued to live peacefully by routine. Lily’s thirtieth birthday arrived first in the year, and they had a big party in the yard where Sirius got too drunk and ended up in a few scraps with their housecats (they started it!). Then Moony turned thirty on the tenth of March. His hair was filled with more gray now, but Sirius was positive that he was getting more beautiful every day. Sirius spent hours baking him a thirty layer olive oil cake with strawberry pink frosting, but he kept having to start over because he was rubbish at the measurements. The final product was lopsided and sopping wet but Moony and Luke thought it was perfect.

Evie and James also had their birthdays in March, and Harry turned ten at the end of July. The kids were enjoying themselves at the primary school Moony worked at, called Perkins, and Harry was due to attend Hogwarts the next year. Sirius couldn’t believe how old they had gotten, so fast; how was Harry already a full decade old? That meant he had met Moony, James, Peter, and Lily almost twenty years ago. And it had been ten years since Peter had passed away. He still occasionally wondered what he’d be up to if he were alive.

Luke was about to turn nine in September, and Sirius was quite frankly pissed off. The years had gone by so fast, yet he felt like Luke had been in his life for centuries. He didn’t want his son to get older because he was so adorable the way he was now, and he was all theirs, he didn’t belong to Hogwarts yet. Sirius wasn’t sure how he was going to cope with him being gone nine months out of the year. But he also eagerly anticipated Luke’s arrival at the school, where he’d be a natural star prankster and quidditch player. He liked the role of keeper and beater, and played almost every day in the little league that James had been coaching for a year, alongside the incredibly gifted players Harry and Evie.

As month after month went by, Luke stopped asking about his dad’s systematic illness. He had been quite curious at first, but stopped asking about it when it became clear he wasn’t going to get an answer. Sirius wasn’t sure why Moony was so against telling him the truth, when there was no reason to hide it…but it was something that obviously made Moony upset, and he shut it down every time Sirius brought it up. They had always fought for the title of World’s Most Stubborn Boyfriend, and Sirius was often in the lead (having won the trophy of Most Dramatic eons ago), but he finally decided not to push it any further, and supported Moony as he waited until he was ready.

06/08/1990 four pm

On the day of the August full moon, Sirius felt just as awful as Moony. He had caught a cold at work, and his head felt like it was full of hardened lava. They both laid in bed, miserable, trying not to light the sheets on fire with their fevers.

“I thought wizards couldn’t get muggle illnesses,” Sirius whinged, coughing thickly.

“Maybe you spend so much time around muggles you’re turning into one,” Moony said semi-incoherently with half his face buried in his pillow. Sirius was going to reply with something catty but suddenly needed to blow his nose instead. HONK!

The door squeaked and Luke entered confidently, carrying a tray with a teapot, two cups, and a plate of their favorite biscuits.

“I thought some tea might make you feel better,” he chirped, shuffling over to the bed carefully, trying not to drop the tray that was too big for his little hands. When he got to Sirius’ side table, he set the tray down and began pouring a cup.

“Sweetie, that’s very nice of you, thank you. But it’s dangerous to use the kettle when we aren’t watching you.”

“Yeah, I know, so I just microwaved the water,” Luke shrugged, shaking his springy curls. “It’ll taste the same, yeah?”

Sirius laughed, then coughed. “Well, you might get your British card revoked if you do that outside the house, but I promise I won’t tell.”

He sipped his tea and it was a bit tepid and diluted, but it felt nice on his sore throat, and he thanked Luke again. Their son shimmied over to Moony’s side and poured a cup for him, but Moony just shook his head against the pillow.

“Thanks baby, but I don’t want any right now.”

“Come on Daddy, it’s earl grey, your favorite!” Luke frowned and adopted his classic puppy eyes. “You’re sick AGAIN, and you refuse to go to the doctor. I want to help you feel better.”

Moony slowly sat up, took the teacup, and hesitantly bit into a biscuit, although Sirius knew his stomach was in knots.

“Thank you. I’m sorry Dadfoot’s sick too and can’t play with you today.” Luke had been calling Moony ‘Daddy’ for a few years now, and Sirius was ‘Dadfoot.’ That had come from one night at Mary’s where they were trying to figure out how Luke could identify them with different names, and Lily had suggested it as a joke. But Sirius and Luke had become immediately fond of it, and though Moony claimed it was silly, he wasn’t very good at hiding his grin every time someone said it.

“That’s okay, I’ll play with Harry and Evie tonight. And Uncle Prongs said that the triplets are finally old enough to play chase with us, if we’re gentle!” Luke said brightly, showing off the gap in his front teeth that had developed even after his adult teeth came in. He clambered onto the bed and snuggled up between the two of them, almost spilling their tea onto the sheets.

“Daddy…” Luke started, looking at Moony determinedly. His floppy blonde curls were almost covering his eyes at this point, but he liked them that way. He was heavily peppered with freckles, majority on his cheeks and forearms. Sirius wanted him to stay this cute forever. Moony just smiled back at him, though it didn’t reach his eyes, which Sirius found to be odd. Moony had been a bit distant with the two of them lately.

“Yes?”

Luke took a deep breath, but then his confidence faltered, and he slouched and looked away.

“Er, nevermind. It was nothing…hey, before you drop me off, can we see if ‘Gremlins’ is on the telly again?”

…

The moon rose early that night, so after a movie they promptly dropped Luke off at the Potters’, said hello to the big family, and apparated to the woods. As they stood there, naked, waiting for it to start, Sirius had a massive coughing fit.

“Good lord Pads, you’re gonna hack up a lung,” Moony said only half-jokingly as he rubbed his back, Sirius bent at the waist. “You should go home, staying up all night will only make you feel worse.”

“Moony,” Sirius caught his breath, wiped his mouth, and stood up straight, “you’re really gonna make me say it again? I’m not leaving you alone! I don’t want you to be lonely, and if someone were to run into you…”

Moony scowled and took a step back, tensing up. “Fine. Stay if you want, I don’t care.”

“Come on! Don’t be so cranky, and don’t pin this on the moon, we both know you’ve had an attitude for weeks now. Why are you being such a twat?”

“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t blame on the bloody moon, you don’t know how I feel,” Moony crossed his arms over his chest petulantly and continued to frown. He looked properly angry, and Sirius needed to calm him down before the transformation started.

“Baby,” he said softly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. You just seem on edge these days. Is everything okay?”

Moony sighed heavily through his nose, but his expression softened, and when he looked up at Sirius, he looked insecure. Scared, even. “I’m…I’m frustrated about Luke. Not ABOUT him, obviously…frustrated with myself, because I can’t tell him I’m a werewolf. There’s something in me that just won’t get the words out. He’s clearly desperate to know what’s going on with me, and I want him to know, I do. I hate lying to him. But I can’t…” Moony stopped, suddenly dropping his gaze and lowering his voice, though they were the only people for kilometers. “I just can’t tell him. I don’t want him to be afraid of me,” he finally said.

“Now Moony, I’m sorry, but that’s ridiculous. Have you seen how much that boy adores you? He knows your favorite tea, he insists on reading a story with you every single night—he’s not satisfied if you don’t do all your silly voices—and he can’t lose sight of you when we’re at the park! Of course he won’t be afraid.”

“You don’t know that!” Moony snapped. “It’s scary Sirius. He’s only a child, he won’t understand.”

“Wow. Unbelievable,” Sirius just shook his head, unable to stop himself, “so you’re gonna look at the smartest, quickest, most compassionate kid on earth, and then tell me he won’t understand his dad has a condition out of his control. You know, sometimes I can’t believe you’re a teacher, when you say stupid shit like that.”

The muscles in Moony’s jaw tightened. “If we were married, I’d divorce you right now.”

“Well we’re not, so you’re stuck with me! Now shut up, start thinking logically, and come here!” he opened his arms, and Moony huffed, but slowly approached Sirius, like he was doing it against his will. He allowed Sirius to hug him and pet his hair, and was more relaxed by the time the transformation sprung. It was a long night, and Padfoot kept sneezing, but all was well.

07/08/1990

When Moony woke up, he started coughing so hard that he started choking. Sirius reached out to soothe him, but then he began coughing too, and they were both a disgusting, wheezy disaster for two minutes. Moony finally caught his breath and kneaded Sirius’ chest until he stopped.

“I was right, wasn’t I? You feel like shit,” Moony said hoarsely, and Sirius rolled his eyes.

“Well I’m sorry for wanting to keep my werewolf soulmate company, guess I’ll go fuck myself, you prick,” he responded, voice just as raspy, from howling all night with a sore throat. Moony chuckled roughly, then let his eyes flutter shut. His face fell into a wince, and Sirius instinctively reached out to clutch his shoulder, which only made him cringe deeper.

“Sorry,” Moony said tightly, face scrunched up, “my shoulder’s killing me. I think I broke it.”

“Oh honey,” all the jokiness evaporated from Sirius instantly, “we need to get you to Mungo’s immediately.”

“You know I can’t,” Moony said quickly. It seemed like speaking was difficult for him. “I’m not registered and I don’t know where the fuck Marlene’s clinic is. Let’s just go to the Potters’, Lily can fix it, I’ve seen her mend Evie’s collarbone a million times.”

“Moony…”

“Padfoot,” Moony opened his eyes and glared at him, and Sirius knew the discussion was over. He got up, ignoring the throbbing in his sinuses as he fetched their clothes and his wand, got them dressed, and apparated them to the Potters’. They landed on their backs in the middle of the living room, and Moony groaned queasily. Once Sirius got his bearings, he saw all five Potter children and one Lupin-Black staring down at them curiously.

“Uncles?” Sienna, with her short black hair sticking out in all directions, cocked her head. There was frantic thumping on the staircase, and Sirius could see the flash of a red ponytail.

“Honeys, what was that noise? Oh, Merlin wept…” Lily stepped in front of the children and her hand flew to her mouth. Sirius could imagine they didn’t look too good, exhausted and covered in dirt. She kneeled down to inspect them.

“What happened? Are you two okay? You don’t usually get here this early…” Lily’s eyes frantically scanned the two of them, freckled forehead creased deeply with concern. Sirius slowly sat up, rubbing his temples.

“Wow, what a landing…” he shook off his wooziness and faced Lily, “Dot, Moony’s shoulder is broken, can you please fix it?”

She hurried to Moony’s side and checked on his injury. Moony was clearly trying to hide the extent of his pain, but he was wincing and gripping Sirius’ hand tightly. Lily muttered a healing charm and there was a horrible POP! as his bones moved back into place, causing Declan to shriek. Moony sighed in relief, smiling weakly at Lily.

“Dot, you’re a lifesaver. I thought I'd have to settle for Padfoot’s shoddy healing job.”

“Back to health and the first thing you do is insult me,” Sirius scoffed and turned to the kids, “bugs, are you hearing this? Uncle Moony’s not very nice. This means I’m your favorite, right?”

The triplets erupted in giggles and hugged Sirius, then carefully hugged Moony. Evie and Harry hugged them too, though less chipper, and Sirius noticed they looked nervous. Next to them, Luke was shaking his head, frowning.

“Where were you! Why are you covered in dirt! What happened to Daddy’s arm!” he asked loudly, shaking Sirius’ shoulders. Sirius didn’t know what to say, but in that moment Moony reached out and cupped Luke’s face.

“Everything’s fine, I’m fine. Dadfoot and I just need to get some rest right now before we can head home, okay?”

“Where were you!” Luke repeated, stepping back from Moony’s touch, his eyes darting around his dad’s face, desperate to find an answer on it. Moony just shook his head.

“I…I can’t tell you, Luke. I’m so sorry.”

A look of disappointment settled onto Luke’s face that made Sirius’ stomach clench. “Why won't you tell me?”

“I just can’t,” Moony reached out his hand, but Luke stormed out of the room, Harry quickly running after him. Everyone looked sad, even the triplets now, and Sirius shakily got to his feet and helped Moony up.

“We’re going down for a kip. Everything’s okay, we’re just sleepy,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady as all the children and Lily stared at them. With Moony’s arm around his shoulders, they made their way up the stairs and collapsed on their old bed.

“Moons, you’re a real bastard, you know that? You really think you can go your whole life without him figuring it out? You’re his father, you owe it to him to fucking communicate. Gryffindor the fuck up and tell him or I will.”

Moony avoided looking at Sirius, fury on his face. “I don’t wanna talk about this right now, I’m bloody exhausted, and you look like shit Pads, you need your beauty sleep.”

Sirius made a dramatic event of flipping onto his opposite side to face away from him.

…

Sirius slowly woke up as he realized the wet, warm sensation on his face was in fact real and not part of his dream where a giant dog was licking his face. His eyes fluttered open and found James humming softly, dabbing his face with a washcloth. James smiled at him, which was infuriating to Sirius for some reason.

“Morning! Or should I say afternoon. Don’t mind me, just cleaning you filthy blokes off.”

Sirius glanced at Moony and saw he was still sleeping, the dirt on his face, neck, and hands wiped clean. He scowled at James.

“You’re giving us a fucking sponge bath?”

“Yeah, because I’m nice, you can say thanks ya know,” James whispered, smiling, but it melted into a contemplative look. “Lily, er…told me what happened in the living room.”

“Is Luke still upset?” Sirius whispered back.

“Yeah. He doesn’t understand why Moony’s hiding something from him.”

“I don’t either, and I think he’s being cruel. I mean, it’s not like I’m oblivious to the risks of people finding out. But why would you hide such a huge part of your life from your own child? Luke just wants to support him.”

James shrugged. “Maybe he doesn’t want Luke to view him any differently. Not that he would, but…you know how Moony feels about his furry little problem. The whole world has made him feel like it’s something to be ashamed of.”

Sirius sighed. “I would punch Moony, if I didn’t love his face so much.”

James laughed quietly. “You should take up kickboxing or something, Pads. Guide your aggression into something useful.”

“Or I could keep beating your ass on the pitch outside.”

“Don’t even pretend I’m not better than you. I literally coach it.”

They snickered, and Moony stirred, rubbing his temples.

“Fuck, I feel like I’m hungover.” He blinked at James. “Prongs? What are you doing here?”

“Well you see, it’s my house.”

Moony rolled his eyes, but he reached out to Sirius, who accepted his touch eagerly, despite being mad at him.

“I’m going to tell the kids. Right now. But I need some chocolate first.”

Downstairs, Lily wrapped a blanket around Moony’s shoulders while James handed him a hot chocolate. Then he passed mugs around to everyone else and they all enjoyed their cocoa in front of the fireplace. The triplets had been put down for a nap, but the two elder Potter children joined Luke’s side on the rug. Sirius noticed that Harry was watching Moony intently over the tip of his mug and through the fog on his glasses. He and Luke shared a look, and Luke nodded.

“Uncle Moony, I need to ask you something,” Harry said with an air of leadership, sounding almost identical to his dad.

“I have to tell you all something first, Harry,” Moony said soberly. His complexion was peaky and there was a tremble in his hands, but his eyes were alert hazel embers.

“If it’s alright, I’d like to go first,” Harry cleared his throat, and stared Moony down. “Well, Luke and Evie and I, we’ve all been wondering…are you dying?”

From his spot on the couch, James spit his hot chocolate all over his front. “Harry! That’s not a very nice thing to say. Apologize to your Uncle Moony, please.”

“No, it’s okay,” Moony took a deep breath, and his gaze flicked over each of the three children kneeling in front of him. “You’re all curious, and I understand. I know you see me sick every month, and I’m sorry I haven’t explained myself before, but I’m finally ready. First of all, no, I’m not dying.”

“You’re not?” Luke asked, relieved.

“No. Er…it’s really hard for me to say this to you. I don’t want you to look at me any differently. I’m still the same person I’ve always been.”

“Daddy, please tell us what’s going on?” Luke shuffled forward and planted down directly in front of Moony, placing both hands on his father’s knee.

Moony finished his hot chocolate in one gulp as if it was liquid courage. “Do any of you know what a werewolf is?”

The boys shook their heads, but Evie was nodding enthusiastically. “Yes! They’re big, and live in the ocean, and sing songs to each other!”

“Excellent guess Evie, but those are whales,” Moony said encouragingly, naturally falling into his supportive teacher tone. “A werewolf is a type of magical creature that’s a regular person most of the time, but at every full moon they turn into a wolf.” He faltered and gripped his mug tighter. He was pausing, as if he didn’t want to say what was next, even though he had already jumped. “And that’s what I am.”

Harry cocked his head. “Like an animagus?”

“No, they are completely different. Animagi, like your parents and Uncle Padfoot, can transform whenever they want, and they know who they are. I have no choice when I am forced to transform as the full moon rises, once a month, every month. That’s why Padfoot and I drop you off here when I get ill, Luke. Do you understand?”

“So why can’t I see the wolf, like Padfoot?” Luke shook Moony’s knee.

“It’s not like Padfoot, sweetheart,” Moony caressed Luke’s cheek. “I have a curse. When I transform, I forget everything human about me and turn aggressive. Only Padfoot, Prongs or Dot can get near me, because a werewolf won’t hurt another animal. That’s why they became animagi, to help me.”

“How long have you been a werewolf?” asked Evie.

“I got bitten by one when I was younger than you are, Evie. That was a long time ago. Um, here…check this out.”

He lifted his shirt to reveal the bite mark above his left hip, and the kids ogled at it, Evie reaching forward to trace a few of the horrific teeth indents.

“Do you like being a werewolf?” Harry had risen onto his knees now, looking at Moony with a twinkle in his eye that was not unlike James’ when a prank was underway.

“No. It’s a part of who I am, because I have been this way for most of my life. But it is a very painful transformation, and I wish that I did not have to endure it. Werewolves are also treated poorly in wizarding society, so I have had to be very secretive my entire life. I was incredibly fortunate to get to go to Hogwarts, where Dumbledore made sure everyone would stay safe, but other werewolves don't get that sort of privilege. My family knows, and you’re my family, and I trust you three very much, but nobody else can know, okay? So please don’t tell your friends.”

Sirius watched Moony speak, and he realized that he had maybe been unfair. He hated that Luke had been left in the dark, but the expression on Moony’s face was breaking his heart. Despite being by his side for most of it, Sirius would never be able to truly understand what Moony had gone through his whole life, dealing with such a painful and prejudiced condition. Not being able to confide in anyone, the constant fear of what would happen if the wrong people found out. The chronic pain, the desperation to keep up with his work despite his frequent absences, the scars that people didn’t ask about but always stared at. The hateful rhetoric that the Daily Prophet spewed to ignite fear amongst wizards. Of course it would affect how you saw yourself. Sirius had donated his life to making sure Moony knew he wasn’t alone, that he would absorb half of it, but for the first time, he feared that wasn’t enough. Did he really think his own family would be scared of him?

Evie stood up and squeezed him. “You can trust us, Uncle Moony. We love you. We’ll keep your secret.”

Harry got up to hug him too. Luke stayed silent with his gaze glued to the floor, but he slowly hugged Moony, too.

For the rest of the afternoon, Harry and Evie asked more questions, which Moony answered patiently. Luke remained silent and avoided sitting near either of his dads, and Sirius tried to squash his growing concern that maybe he was actually frightened. That evening, when the three of them headed back to the flat, Luke didn’t want to hold their hands on the way to the car like usual.

“Honeybee, is something bothering you?” Sirius finally asked now that they were alone. Luke crossed his arms and continued straight ahead, not looking up at them.

“Unbelievable,” he said in a very Sirius-esque tone.

Moony stopped abruptly in the driveway, and looked down at Luke, about double his height. “What?”

Luke finally looked at Moony, pouting. “You’ve been a werewolf my whole life, but you never told me. Did you think I would tell your secret or something?”

Moony cringed, then kneeled so he was level with Luke. “That’s not it at all. At ALL, okay? I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to be scared of me.”

Luke blanched. “Why would I be scared? You just said that you drop me off at the Potters’ when you have to transform. You’re my dad. But you’ve lied to me for three years. Every full moon when you get sick, you and Dadfoot both lie to me, and that’s mean!”

Moony reached to pet Luke’s hair, but the boy ducked away.

“Luke, I am so, so sorry,” Moony said nervously. Sirius kneeled down next to him, too.

“Sweetheart, we’re sorry for not telling you the truth, but we had to. When we first started taking care of you, we weren’t sure if you would get to stay with us. We also thought you were a muggle, and so we couldn’t tell you about Daddy’s furry little problem because it wouldn’t have been safe. Then when we adopted you, it was the happiest day of our lives, but…Daddy’s right. We didn’t want you to be scared. We wanted you to be old enough to understand, so we could tell you properly.”

Luke pondered this, scrunching his face up in concentration like Moony did. Then he gripped Moony’s hand.

“I’m sorry for getting mad.”

“You don’t have to apologize, I’m sorry for keeping this from you. Being a werewolf is a part of who I am, and I promise to include you in that from now on. If you have any questions, you can just ask.”

“Okay.”

“You know sweetie, you and Harry and Evie are the first people I’ve ever told.”

Luke’s eyebrows wiggled. “Huh? But you said Uncle Prongs and Aunt Dot know, and Dumbledore. And obviously Dadfoot.”

Moony shook his head gently. “They all figured it out, or in Dumbledore’s case, he just knew. I’ve never been able to tell people myself, in my own time. And so I’m really glad I got to do that with you.”

Luke smiled. “I love you Daddy. No matter what,” he wrapped his arms around Moony’s neck and squeezed his face against his. Moony laughed in relief and squished against him, then stretched his arms around Luke to yank Sirius in and squeeze him tight.

Chapter Text

Monday, 13/05/91, 8:30 am

Remus yawned, trying to perk up before the students arrived. He needed some coffee urgently, he hadn’t had enough time to make some at the house because Sirius was whingeing about his hair being too flat and made it everyone’s problem. He and Luke had ridden the train to school together, then he dropped him off at his classroom like he did every morning. As he walked to his office, he thought about what a hectic week at work it was going to be. He had to go to the supply closet in the basement and make sure there was enough yarn and glitter for his Year 3 class, but first he needed some bloody caffeine. He was so swept away in his idle thoughts, he didn’t notice the principal, Belinda Boyd, standing in front of his office door until he almost ran into her.

“Good morning, Remus! How are you?”

“Oh I’m, I’m lovely, thank you Belinda, how are you?”

“I’m excellent, thank you. Will you please follow me to my office for some chat over tea?”

“Okay,” Remus said bashfully, following his boss down the hall and wondering what she wanted to talk about. Was this because Luke had gotten into a disagreement with one of his classmates last week? Remus would never admit it, but obviously the other boy had deserved it.

When they got to Belinda’s office, much more plush than Remus’, she gestured for him to take the seat across from her desk, which she sat behind. With a flick of her wand, a pink and purple checkered teapot filled two matching cups.

“How’s everything at home?” she asked pleasantly. Remus’ eyes widened to the size of the saucer his teacup was being served on.

“H-home? It’s good…great. Luke is learning how to play guitar.”

“Oh really? That’s lovely! Are you teaching him?”

“Er, yeah…” he lowered his gaze. His closest friends at work knew about Sirius, but he fiercely protected him from Belinda. Being gay was not going to be well received as a primary school teacher. He was shocked he had even made it this far, with this many secrets.

“That’s wonderful, Remus. And things around here, they’re good for you?”

“Oh yes, I love it here,” Remus smiled sheepishly, “teaching makes me very happy.”

Belinda smiled at him, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Instead, they looked cautious, and a bit sad. Her expression caused a ball of anxiety to start growing in his gut.

Suddenly a man entered the room, and greeted Belinda with a loud boom that made Remus jump in his seat.

“Hello Amos, please come in,” Belinda smiled at him, but she continued to look uneasy, “Remus, do you remember our superintendent, Amos Cragglesmith?”

“Oh yes, Mr. Cragglesmith, hello,” Remus tried to be subtle as he wiped his sweaty palm on his corduroys before shaking his hand, “it’s lovely to see you again.”

“Remus. You have a child of your own here at Perkins, don’t ya?” Amos sank down heavily onto the edge of the desk, ignoring his chair and sipping the teacup Belinda poured for him.

“Yes, Luke Lupin-Black, he’s in year 5 with Ms. Brooks, he loves it. Marine biology has been his favorite subject yet.”

Amos chuckled, which shook the entire desk. He was a big man, with broad shoulders and a coarse red beard tied at the top. Remus imagined he’d fit right in with Sirius’ biker coworkers. When his eyes flickered up to meet Remus’, there was an intense gaze in them that made Remus finish off his cup of tea to avoid looking back at him. It wasn’t coffee, but it was soothing.

“Is there, er, something you wanted to talk about?” Remus said slowly, then regretted it, worrying it was unprofessional. It was a very bad sign if the superintendent was there, for “some chat over tea.”

“Yes,” Belinda said with a deeper tone than usual, “It’s the season for performance evaluations, and we’re speaking with all of our faculty.” She leaned over the stack of papers in front of her and put on her reading glasses, bejeweled with rubies, before continuing.

“The marks your students receive, on average, are excellent. Some of the highest in the school. Your colleagues have only kind things to say, and current and former students frequently express how you’re one of their favorites. Your efforts to go above and beyond in creating memorable learning experiences for them do not go unnoticed.”

Remus couldn’t stop the pink that was blooming on his cheeks, or the smile that sprung to his lips. He adored teaching primary school, everyday was something new, and the students were adorable and endlessly curious. And he got to see Luke during the day, before they went home together to their beloved Padfoot. Everything was perfect. Maybe this really was a normal performance evaluation, that normal people had.

“Th-thank you, Belinda, it’s very nice to hear that,” he said softly, “I can’t take all the credit, the students work very hard.”

“However,” she cleared her throat, “you also have the highest number of absences across our staff. Every year, you call out sick approximately three days a month, which is three times more than anyone else. They’re also usually requested on short notice. We can’t help but notice this pattern across your entire time at Perkins.”

Remus’s heart plummeted to his feet. Oh. The ball of anxiety grew bigger.

“Yes, I know, and I’m very sorry,” he bit his lip, “but as I, er, as I mentioned at the beginning of my employment, I have a muggle disease that weakens my immune system, and when I fall ill, I’m unable to come to work. I do my best to request these days off as early as possible.” He stopped there. He had always tried to portray his absences like they were sudden and unexpected, not 100% predictable based on that month’s lunar cycle, so he didn’t usually request them too far in advance.

“Working at a primary school when you have a weak immune system is a little risky, don’t you think?” Amos shrugged, rippling his massive beard that would put Albus Dumbledore to shame. “The kids are always spreading something around, you know how they are about washing their hands.”

Remus gulped. “It’s worth it.”

“Well it’s a little inconvenient for us,” Amos went on, “you see, when you’re not here, we have to pay a substitute, and not only is that expensive, but it’s disruptive for the children.”

“With all due respect, Mr. Cragglesmith, I thought my students’ marks were above the rest of the school? Perhaps it’s not as disruptive as you think?”

Amos’ eyes narrowed, and he smirked. It was a very cynical combination. “That’s a good point, Remus. But still, if you have a compromised immune system, that’s not only a risk to you, but to other people as well.” He leaned across the desk, eyes boring into Remus’. “Every month, you’re dangerous,” he said emphatically.

Remus froze, and sweat prickled his forehead and armpits. He knew exactly what Amos was implying, and that Amos knew he knew. But how did they know? How had they figured it out? As he looked down at his hands, at their mangled, scarred skin, he knew. Because it’s obvious.

“And we don’t want somebody dangerous teaching our children,” when Remus looked up, Amos had straightened up. “We can’t have you passing on your illness. You understand, don’t you Remus?”

“Am I being fired?” he said dumbly. He needed to hear them say it.

Belinda’s lips were a tight thin line, and her eyes scanned his face. Her gaze landed on the scar striping his nose, and he shut his eyes. After how hard he had worked to hide his secret, to not just keep up with his colleagues but excel past them, to make up for all the days he missed. It wasn’t enough, it would never be enough.

“Yes.” Belinda finally said, frowning, while Amos only looked down at him with disgust.

“Um, but, respectfully,” he warbled, “I believe this is discrimination? Firing me just because I have a condition, even though I’ve never missed a deadline or jeopardized my students’ progress or safety?”

“Do you have proof of your condition? A note from a healer, perhaps?” Amos said gruffly, arching his brow and smirking at him. Remus lowered his head, his shoulders wilting in shame.

“No…”

“Well then,” Amos clapped his hands, sending a loud noise through the room that made Remus put all of his strength into not flinching at, “thank you Remus, for all your hard work these years. I’m sorry it has to end like this.”

Remus just shut his eyes again, nodded and tried not to throw up. “I’m sorry too.”

He heard Amos stomp out, and when he opened his eyes, only Belinda remained. Her hand fidgeted, like she wanted to reach out and touch his, but she pulled it back. Probably too disgusted by him to touch him. To touch a monster. Who shouldn’t be around kids.

“I’m so sorry, Remus. I really didn’t want this to happen, none of your colleagues did. But Amos insisted, and he makes the decisions. He thought that new legislation—” she stopped herself. Remus didn’t even bother asking what the fuck she meant by that.

“Am I finishing this year, at least?” he asked, cringing at the desperation in his voice.

Belinda bit her lip and shook her head. “No, I’m afraid it’s effective immediately.”

“What about Luke? Can he stay? Please, he’s done nothing wrong,” he choked on his words and cowered, embarrassed, digging his nails into his palm to stop the flood of emotions trying to gush from him.

“Yes, he can stay, of course he can.” Something about ‘of course he can’ ignited a streak of anger inside Remus, and he shot to his feet.

“I’m just going to pack up my office and then I’ll be gone. I promise I won’t be a danger anymore,” he said bitterly, practically spitting. Belinda looked like she wanted to say more, likely something pitiful and superficially comforting, but Remus just turned on his heel and left. Fuck professionalism.

He stormed into his room and the first thing he did was yank the phone from the wall, jabbing his fingers so roughly into the buttons that they cracked under his touch. Fuck it. That was his replacement’s problem.

He tapped his foot impatiently as it rang. “Bleeding Heart Bikes, what do ya want?” a gruff voice answered.

“Put Sirius Lupin-Black on the line. Now,” Remus barked. He was always polite when calling Sirius’ work, but he didn’t have it in him to do that now. Everything was currently crumbling around him. He inhaled sharply and nibbled on his pointer finger’s nail. He hadn’t smoked a cigarette in almost five years, and didn’t miss it, but damn, he had never needed one as badly as he did right now.

Remus was about to yell, surging with rage at this point, when Sirius finally came to the phone.

“Yeah?” his voice immediately calmed Remus. It was both gentle and protective, like his hugs. God, he needed Sirius to hug him so bad. To whisper in his ear that everything would be alright, even though it wasn’t going to be, not at all.

“Baby, it’s me. You need to leave work early and pick Luke up from school today, three o clock. Got it?”

“Moony? What do you mean? Why isn’t he coming home with you? Where are you?” His voice was suddenly drenched in concern, and Remus could picture his pierced eyebrows knitting together, wrinkling his perfect marble face. Fuck, he was supposed to be mad, he couldn’t get distracted by how beautiful Sirius was.

“I won’t be there, I had to leave work, just do it okay?!” he screamed, then slammed the phone back onto the wall. It rang immediately, Sirius obviously not satisfied with his vague temper tantrum, but Remus ignored it and moved over to his desk. Admiring its contents slowed him down and eased his anger, filling his heart with a painful, metallic sadness instead. Everything was in the place he had left it, had always left it, organized and intentional. The cup holding his pens and quills, dotted with rubber ducks, that he had purchased because he thought the students coming in to see him would like it. The stacks of parchment, categorized by subject and grade level and held under dinosaur paperweights, waiting to be graded. The framed family photo of the Potters and the Lupin-Blacks, taken when the triplets were a few months old. He had chosen this one because his arm could be around Sirius without it looking suspicious. The picture next to it, of just Remus and Luke smiling at the camera, taken at the lake last summer. He opened his desk and listened to the jars holding rubber bands and clips rattle as he dug around. It was less orderly in there, with old slips of paper, bandages, chocolate wrappers, and loose fruit snacks that Luke had spilled. He lifted the expensive quill set that James and Lily had bought him for his first day, that he only used on special occasions. It was cool in his palms, grounding him. Below the box was a picture taped to the drawer, of Remus, Sirius, and their son on his first Halloween. Remus didn’t want anyone else to see it, but he knew it was there, and he looked at it whenever he needed a reminder that he wasn’t alone anymore, he had a family who loved and supported him, no matter what. Even if the wizarding world didn’t. Oh god. He hadn’t looked for a new job in almost eight years. Was it even going to be possible? Any school would take one look at him and ignore his credentials, ignore his heart, only seeing his scars. If he got lucky enough to be hired somewhere else, he wouldn’t last two months before his mysterious absences got traced to the full moon and his ass would be on the curb. He’d probably end up on the bloody registry long before then, and be shunned and locked up. Why had he been so stupid to choose teaching as a career when his condition would be an obvious obstacle, the number of people watching him? Maybe he should just follow Sirius and get a muggle job. But teaching was his deepest passion. The ability to help so many young people learn and grow, when education had saved his life, was so rewarding. And he loved working with magic. He was a werewolf, but he was also a wizard. Why couldn’t he be both? Dear god, why couldn’t they just let him be both?

In another surge of anger and frustration, Remus swung his arm across the desk, knocking down and scattering everything onto the floor. Then he yanked out the drawer with force and flung it upside down, watching the trinkets he had spent almost a decade collecting rain onto the floor like they were meaningless. They were, he supposed. Meaningless. Just like him.

The incessant ringing of the phone was getting too hard to ignore, and he wiped his tears and sulked back over to answer it.

“Hey.”

“Remus John Lupin-Black, don’t you scare me like that again! Do you know how crazy I look right now, calling you over and over? I have customers! What the fuck is going on with you!”

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to get into it right now, please…please just get Luke today, okay? I need to be alone right now. I’ll see you at home. I love you.”

“I love you too honey, but please—”

He hung up, softer this time, and padded back over to his desk. He looked at the mess, sighed, summoned a cardboard box, and flicked his wand so all of his personal belongings marched into it. He left the paperwork and the trash scattered, that was for the school to deal with. He was considering taking a piss on the desk as a final fuck you to Amos when his best work mate, Damaris, ran in.

“Remus!” her eyes flicked over the scene of him with his coat and briefcase on, box in his arms, and paperwork thrown around the room. Then she ran over and threw her arms around him.

“I just heard. This is unacceptable! This is blatant discrimination, and none of us will stand for it! We’ll get you your job back, don’t worry, we’ll make Amos pay—”

“Thank you,” Remus cut her off, pulling her back so he could stare into her frantic eyes, “but it’s alright. I don’t want to be here anymore, if they don’t trust me. If they think I’m dangerous.”

“You’re not dangerous at all,” Damaris kissed his hand and placed hers over his heart, “no more than the rest of us.”

Remus sighed, exhausted. “How did this happen?” he said rhetorically, but Damaris began pulling a newspaper from her waistband.

“You haven’t seen?” she asked nervously.

Remus thought that was maybe the most grim statement he had ever heard. He grabbed the paper from her hands, trying not to wrench it too eagerly. It was that day’s edition of the Daily Prophet, which Remus and Sirius weren’t subscribed to. Remus didn’t have any subscriptions, but Sirius was a customer to a muggle bike journal, Mary’s glamour magazine, and that stupid bloody Quibbler. They disagreed with much of the Prophet’s traditional rhetoric, and figured if there was something they needed to know, James and Lily would tell them. But looking down at the page and its glaring headline, he wished that they did receive the paper, so he could’ve been prepared.

MINISTRY CRACKS DOWN ON WEREWOLVES IN THE WORKFORCE

He scanned the small hint of the article below the large title, eyes darting more frantically than he would’ve liked:

“The Ministry of Magic has released another round of anti-werewolf legislation—”

“—previously prohibited from work in the Ministry—”

"—after sporadic werewolf attacks in Scotland—"

“—restrictions have expanded to include more industries—”

“—prohibited in any work around children—”

He opened to the full page with shaky hands:

“—prohibited in food and beverage services—”

“—prohibited in—”

“—prohibited in—”

“—prohibited in—”

“—tightening regulation about absences—”

“—considering testing all employees with silver exposure—”

“—fear across the entire Wizarding community—”

“—prevention of attacks—”

“—prevention of spreading the curse and other diseases—”

Remus lowered the newspaper and cringed at the sight of Damaris staring at him with wide, pity-soaked eyes.

“Wh-why did you show this to me?” he said pathetically. She gently grabbed his arm.

“Look, Remus, er, I should have told you a long time ago, when I realized the nature of your condition—”

“Please stop,” Remus choked back a sob. So Damaris had figured it out too? And what, she thought that’s what he needed to hear right now? That he was an idiot for thinking he could keep it a secret?

“I don’t want to hear it, Damaris. Thank you for not telling anyone, but it clearly didn’t matter. The Ministry wants me dead. I’m lucky I got to work here for a single moment. People like me don't get what normal people get.”

“You ARE normal, Remus!” Damaris pleaded. “You are! It’s a part of you, but it’s not everything, you belong here—”

“The only place I belong right now is at the bottom of a whiskey bottle. I’m sorry, Damaris. I’ll see you around, I guess.”

Remus shoved the paper in his box and walked out before she could say anything more. He didn’t want to run into anyone else, it would be too humiliating. Amos was probably telling the entire school what he was at this very moment. By the time he got home to his flat, an Auror would be waiting for him with silver chains to throw him in Azkaban, just for existing. So he wasn’t going home. He was going to the pub, to get properly pissed.

…

11:30 am

As Amoreena Thunbergia walked down the London street, she couldn’t help twirling and giggling with delight. Her head was still ringing with the news that she was promoted at the channel, and was going to go on air starting next week! She could picture it now, her strawberry blonde hair perfectly coiffed, her blazer and skirt perfectly pleated, with a professional but enticing amount of skin showing, her teeth sparkling. “Good morning London, I’m Amoreena Thunbergia, here with today’s forecast!” Her parents and sister were going to be over the moon. She was really going to kick start her career, after all the hard work! And she had the rest of the day to celebrate. The channel was done with the morning news by eleven am, and she was going to spend the beautiful sunny day buying herself a new outfit that she could wear for her first broadcast. With a dazzling and expensive brooch, because she deserved it!

She skipped in her heeled boots, laughing to herself. When she stumbled on a loose cobblestone, she realized how ridiculous she looked to everyone around her, and thought if she was going to be a public figure next week, she ought to compose herself. Amoreena straightened her skirt and looked around where she was, finally taking in her surroundings now that some of the adrenaline had faded. She had been on her way to the designer store on the corner, but this was a pretty area, wasn’t it? She stood in front of an old-looking pub, with blacked out windows. Hmm, she had never started drinking this early in the day, but that’s what celebrations were for, right?

As she entered, she immediately felt a bit uneasy, feeling a tinge of anxiety in her stomach. It was smokey and almost completely dark, and smelled like the burn of whiskey and sweat. Her eyes finally adjusted to the darkness and she could determine silhouettes. For being the late morning on a weekday, she was surprised to see so many people, albeit they didn’t look like they had a nine to five job. Gruff looking men and women were scattered across the booths, the pool table, and by the jukebox, staring into their drinks. It made Amoreena feel very weird, like she didn’t belong. But she had already walked in, and newscasters needed to be confident.

She approached the bar, where there were plenty of seats, and ordered a vodka cranberry. How frisky for a Monday! She took a seat on one of the sticky stools, and registered the man sitting next to her. He had streaks of grey in his floppy brown curls, but he was likely just a few years older and, as far as she could tell in the dim light, had a pretty face. In his jumper and disheveled tie, corduroy trousers, and a briefcase at his feet, he looked quite out of place, probably as much as Amoreena did. But he was adorable. And a lovely boyfriend on the arm was exactly the sort of thing a young, beautiful, successful newscaster on the rise needed. So she wiggled her stool closer to his.

“Hi there,” she said warmly, and he reluctantly looked up at her. He didn’t look so good from this angle, and she automatically blanched at the sight, but felt guilty for it, and held his gaze. He had nice features, with freckled skin and plush pink lips and an alluring scar across his nose, but was clearly in a state. His cheeks were blotchy and puffy, stained with floods of tears. His eyes were bloodshot and perhaps a bit glazed over. She glanced down and counted three empty whiskey glasses in front of him, with a fourth in his hand. His shoulders were hunched and he was scowling at her.

“Hi,” was all he said, his voice rough like sandpaper. He looked like he was going through something horrible, like perhaps a breakup. Which was bad news for him, but excellent news for Amoreena.

“What’s your name?” she batted her eyelashes at him, leaning down ever so slightly to let her blouse expose her assets. Her drink arrived, and she slurped from the straw, trying to suggest in her expression what else she could suck on.

“Look, I’ll save you some time, I’m in a really shit mood right now, but even if I wasn’t, I’m not interested.” His words were slightly slurred, like they were fuzzy around the edges.

“Oh yeah? Is there anything I could do to pique your interest?” Amoreena tossed her hair over her shoulder, accentuating her delicate collarbone. The man didn’t look, but only finished his drink.

“Dress up like my boyfriend,” he said casually, waving the bartender over. In barely a blink, there was a new glass of whiskey in his hand.

“Oh,” Amoreena shifted on her stool, suddenly grossed out by how sticky it was, “okay. Sorry, I didn’t…um…I’ll just sit here and finish my drink, now. Sorry.”

The man ignored her, just kept drinking. A few moments of silence went by, and Amoreena sipped her drink, trying to remember why she had even come in at all, her confidence zapped from her. She was just about to leave when she noticed an odd sniffling noise. She looked around and realized the man was crying once more.

His head was in his hands, but he was shaking, and his breath was in jerky little puffs. Amoreena couldn’t help herself from placing her hand on his shoulder. She had been a girl scout, after all.

“Excuse me, sir? I’m so sorry if I offended you, I didn’t mean to. I want you to know that I’m a devout queer ally.”

The man sighed, keeping his head down. “ ‘S not that. I’m just angry, and scared, but mostly really fucking sad, and I thought the drinking would make me feel better, but now everything in my head is way too loud.”

Amoreena frowned. There was real pain flowing out of him, she could sense it, and though it was never too wise to talk to a stranger, she felt a sudden immense need to help this one.

“Would you like to talk about what happened? Talking usually helps things get put into perspective.”

“Oh I can see the perspective, trust me,” the man finally lifted his head, and his face was drenched in a fresh coat of tears. “And it looks like I am royally fucked. I’ll never work again. Sirius will be the breadwinner, it figures, he’s got that fucking inheritance too.” He swayed on his stool, slurring and crying. “And Luke will be at Hogwarts, and I’ll be useless, just sitting around beating off to my meaningless teaching degree. I’ll have to live off hand outs, just like they always said I would.”

“H-Hogwarts? Handouts?”

“I just don’t get it!” he ignored her, sitting up straighter, “how the fuck am I a danger to the children? I’m a good teacher, they like me, my absences have never interfered with their success. Seven years I’ve worked my ass off at that bloody school, I’ve shown my worth, and it’s been fine, nothing has ever happened. What do they think is gonna happen?” He had his gaze fixed on the shelves of alcohol behind the bar, gesturing wildly with his hands, and slurring more as he spoke faster. Amoreena just shook her head.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand—”

“It’s so stupid, an illogical prejudice based on a few bad people. Why don’t they see it? I AM normal, Damaris was right, I am! I manage my condition just fine without the Ministry telling me to go fuck myself!”

“Er, yeah, I suppose the government’s always been pretty backwards—”

“But I know it’s my fault,” the man rubbed his eyes aggressively, and when he pulled his hands away he looked more bloodshot and miserable. “For thinking I had a chance. I’m so stupid, thinking they wouldn’t figure it out. Everyone always figures it out. A muggle disease, nice going Remus, you fucking idiot! I should be kissing Amos’ feet for letting me work there as long as I did. Maybe people should be disgusted by me, I sure am. I’m a monster. No wonder my dad killed himself because of it. He shoulda just taken me with him.”

“Oh my,” Amoreena hugged him, not caring if it was too much, “don’t say that. You’re not disgusting. I don’t know you, but you seem like a very nice man. When you’re not as mad. And sad. And drunk.”

The man laughed hoarsely. “Thanks.”

“I’m serious,” she cupped his face and turned it so he would look at her, “please don’t hurt yourself. You have a boyfriend who loves you, and I’m sure many other people. It’s going to be alright.”

He smiled sadly at her. Damn, he WAS good looking. “I really don’t think that’s true. Things are looking pretty bleak for me right now.”

“You got fired, is that it? Because you have a condition? That doesn’t seem very fair.” She finally noticed the seat beside him had a cardboard box with belongings poking out, a picture frame on the top. It looked like a big happy family.

The man scrubbed his face. “It’s not. But…it’s just the way it is.”

“Well, I don’t think it should be that way. You seem like a hardworking person and I hope you don’t let anything hold you back. Being fired isn’t the end of the world. And you never know, when one door closes, another opens.”

The man frowned cartoonishly, like a little kid. “What?”

“You know, like, maybe this was meant to happen. You’re losing one thing in your life in order to gain room for something new.”

The man sipped his drink, which somehow washed a look of sobriety over him. Or at least clarity. “I guess you’re right. Thank you. Sorry for being such a mess.”

“Oh, please don’t apologize! I’m sorry you’re in so much distress.”

“It’s alright, I’m used to it.” He wiped his nose on his jumper sleeve, which made Amoreena’s nose scrunch up.

“Oh, don’t do that! We should buy you a new sweater. It’ll cheer you up! I was about to go buy a celebratory outfit myself.”

“Oh? What are you celebrating?”

“I just got promoted at work! You’re looking at the new weather girl on Channel 335!” Amoreena beamed and saluted, but immediately deflated.

“Oh Jesus, I’m so sorry, I don’t mean to brag about work after the day you’ve had…”

“No, it’s okay, congratulations,” the man smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “That’s wonderful.”

“Thank you, Remus.”

“How do you know my name?”

“You said it earlier. I believe it was, ‘nice going Remus, you fucking idiot’?”

The man cringed. “Oh, yeah. Well, it doesn’t seem fair that you know so much about me and I don’t even know your name.”

“Amoreena,” she beamed, and he perked up.

“Like the Elton John record?”

“I came first, but yep, the very same.”

Remus smiled, widely this time. “That’s beautiful. Thanks for the invitation to go shopping, but I think I’m gonna stick around here and wallow for a bit.”

“Fair enough,” Amoreena shrugged, gathered her purse, and cupped his shoulder for a moment.

“Promise me you won’t give up?”

Remus’s lip trembled, and he smiled despite the fresh tears in his eyes. He looked rosy, glassy, and wistful; properly drunk.

“Promise.”

And with a flurry of strawberry blonde hair and daisy perfume, she left the pub.

…

3:30 pm

Remus woke up at the sound of keys jingling and feet shuffling. He had no idea where he was, or how he had gotten there. The last thing he remembered was talking to some girl at the pub, though he couldn’t remember her name. He probably very drunkenly monologued in her face, if he could guess. He had gotten absolutely plastered, sitting at the bar for what must have been hours, and recalled throwing up outside. He was less drunk after sleeping some of it off, but now he was just cranky and confused, his head swimmings and the lights too bright.

“Daddy, what’s wrong?” he could hear Luke, and turned toward his voice. There was something soft beneath him, it felt like their couch. Remus blinked a few times and watched their flat swim into view. Oh good, he had ended up at home and not in the middle of Times Square, that was a good sign. That meant maybe he hadn’t been so drunk that he slipped to that woman at the pub why exactly he had gotten fired. He didn’t want one more single person to know his secret, ever again.

Luke was standing over him, his beautiful brown eyes an inch away from his face as he inspected him. He was holding an ice cream cone that was almost finished. “Are you sick?”

Sirius stomped over, fuming, holding his own ice cream. “Look at the sight of you! Are you an alcoholic? Is that why you left work? You look terrible. Oh Jesus, is that sick on your jumper?!”

Remus looked down and saw the mess on his front. “I guess so.”

“Explain!” Sirius stomped his foot, and Remus tried, and failed, not to roll his eyes. Sirius thought he was so tough, but when he pouted he just looked like a grumpy toddler. It was adorable. “Why the hell did you leave Luke at school?!”

“I got fired.”

Luke gasped, and Sirius’ mouth fell open. Both of their ice creams fell to the floor with a SPLAT. Nobody spoke for almost a minute, and Remus decided to curl back up on the couch and face away from them. But only a moment later Sirius wrenched his shoulders and forced him to look at him.

“Why on earth did that happen?!”

Remus accio’d the copy of the Prophet he’d taken from Damaris, and shoved it into his chest. Sirius’ eyes widened at the headline, before he flipped through the pages furiously, scanning the full page and then crumpling it into a ball. He stood breathing heavily for a moment, then stretched out the paper to smooth it out and read it again. His hands shook so badly that he dropped it, and Luke picked it up only to drop it a moment later, quickly, as if it burned his fingers.

“Oh no! That’s horrible! How could the Ministry do that?!”

Remus didn’t bother to look at the paper again, only leaned forward onto his knees and tried to swallow the vomit rising in the back of his throat. He had definitely had too much to drink. “If you push werewolves to the edge of society, you can pretend they don’t exist.”

“Wha—how—this—can’t—but—what—not—” Sirius sputtered, and Remus smacked his back to force a real sentence out of him.

“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT,” he finally boomed. “How did they know?!?!?!?”

“Well the monthly absences every full moon certainly didn’t help. And the scars, probably, I don’t know. They blamed it on me missing too much work because of my muggle illness. But they looked at me with…so much disgust. They called me dangerous.” He still had a bit of alcohol in him, and his words blurred together.

“Oh Merlin,” Sirius threw his arms up, “Oh Merlin, fuck!”

“Can you please shut up? My head is killing me,” Remus groaned, rubbing his temples.

“This is unacceptable!” Sirius bellowed even louder, shaking Remus’ shoulders. “This is discrimination! Illegal discrimination!”

“It’s not illegal if THE MINISTRY JUST FUCKING LEGALIZED IT!”

Sirius just huffed and stormed over to the phone, punching numbers. “If they think they can fire their best teacher over nothing, they’ve messed with the wrong gay—”

“Stop it!” Remus was too exhausted to run to him, so he chucked a pillow and knocked the phone to the floor. “Don’t you dare call them!”

“But they need to be punished for what they did, baby! They can’t fire you for a couple absences, you work harder than anyone, you don’t just keep up, you’re better than them!”

“Did you not see the Ministry’s decision?!” Remus screamed. “Nothing I could do would make them accept me!”

They immediately stopped. They vowed never to yell in front of Luke, no matter what. Remus glanced at him and saw his son’s frightened expression, his blonde eyebrows lifting toward his hairline, his lips curving down, his hands starting to cover his face. He couldn’t bear it.

“They’ve made their decision, babe,” Remus said softly. “If they don’t want me there, I’ll leave.”

“Do they expect people to line up and quit their jobs? This is cruel and ludicrous, it will never take root,” Sirius said sternly, though he had also softened his tone.

Remus sighed. “It already has. And I’m probably the only one out there anyway.”

Sirius came over again and kneeled in front of Remus so he could caress his face. Remus cherished the security of his touch, the tenderness, more than anything. “You love it there. And you work so hard. It’s not fair.”

“It’s just the way it is,” Remus said quietly, avoiding Sirius’ gaze. He hated to admit it, because deep down he knew he hadn’t done anything wrong, but he still felt ashamed. Images of the look of disgust on Snape’s face after he found out his secret flashed in front of his eyes, like they were fresh. Then there was the way Amos and Belinda had looked at him today. He would never forget those looks either.

“Fuck this!” Luke bellowed from his seat beside Remus, and his dads gawked at him. Remus was so frazzled, he couldn’t even muster confronting him about his sailor mouth. Luke crossed his arms over his chest.

“If you’re not going back, neither am I.”

Sirius nodded, the dangerous look of mischief growing on his face that always made Remus nervous. He put his hand on Luke’s knee and shook it.

“That’s right, Luke! Great idea! We’re not sending you back there, not when they’re so prejudiced.”

“You have to go back Luke,” sighed Remus, “you need your education.”

“I’m going to Hogwarts in a year! Why the hell do I need to learn about long division?!”

“That’s enough with the swearing,” Remus implored, “you can save that for Harry. What do you propose instead sweetie, sitting around the flat all day?”

“He can come to the garage with me!” Sirius declared, and Remus glared at him.

“Padfoot, I’ve known you for twenty years, and I’m positive that is the single worst idea you’ve ever had.”

“Well good thing it’s not solely your decision, it’s both of ours. I mean, we can’t put him in a muggle school, he didn’t have a muggle adoption. I’m not risking that.”

Remus took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. He hated to admit it, he never would, but Sirius was right. “I…I can’t think about this right now. I’m still a bit pissed. I need a lie down.”

Remus and Sirius continued to argue about what to do, but they finally agreed that Luke would stay home with Remus while he looked for a new job. He sent out a few applications for offices and shops, knowing that there were very few wizard primary schools, and they would just sniff him out immediately. He had been so lucky to find Perkins, where for a long time they hadn’t minded his illness. He had been foolish to get so comfortable. He tried to keep a happy expression for Sirius and Luke, but he was crumbling under the realization that he had likely peaked at only thirty-one years old.

…

16/06/91

Moony was frying tofu at the stove, with Luke hanging on his back like a monkey, his arms around Moony’s neck and legs strapped around his waist.

“Luke, you’re certainly heavy,” Moony laughed, adjusting his footing. Luke tightened his grip.

“You’re fine, Daddy!”

Suddenly, there was a gentle knock at the door, and everyone’s head snapped toward it.

“Moony, someone’s at the door!” Sirius barked from his position bent over the record player, trying to fix it.

“I know that! Who could it be?” Sirius was too focused on his project, but in his periphery he could see Luke sliding off Moony’s back and hovering behind his legs as they approached the door together.

“Oh my, Professor! What a surprise!”

Sirius shot up from the floor and hurried over to peer over Moony’s shoulder. Albus Dumbledore was the last person he’d guess would be at his door, but here he was, standing on their “Hope You Like Dog Hair” welcome mat. He looked positively regal in his sparkling half-moon spectacles, navy blue velvet robes with twinkling embroidered stars (and a matching pointy hat), stacked charm necklaces, and long white beard that swirled down to his ankles. No one was walking past at the moment, but Sirius could imagine their shock at the kooky wizard if they were.

“Hello Remus! Sirius! Luke! You all look well!” Dumbledore smiled brightly. Sirius tried to do the math in his head of how old the headmaster was at this point. He was white-haired and wrinkly, but glowing youthfully.

“Thank you, you as well! We haven’t seen you since Luke’s adoption!” Moony laughed nervously. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

“May I please come in?”

“Oh yes, of course, I’m sorry, please make yourself comfortable!” Sirius held back a chuckle as Moony wiped his sweaty hands on his sweatpants. He ushered Dumbledore to the dining room table as Sirius gathered four teacups and put the kettle on.

“Sweetheart, you remember Professor Dumbledore, he helped so much when we were adopting you!” Moony sat down across from Dumbledore and pulled out the chair next to him for Luke to climb onto. Sirius brought over a tin of biscuits and sat on Moony’s other side.

“Yeah, of course, you’re—er, kinda hard to forget. Hello.”

“Hello again, Luke. I apologize for the unannounced visit, but there was something I wanted to talk to your dad about.”

“Which one of us?” Sirius asked innocently, and Dumbledore smiled.

“Well, it’s wonderful to see you, Sirius, but it is a matter that concerns Remus. Both of you technically, but mainly him.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” Sirius blushed, “I need to get the tea anyway—”

Sirius prepared the tea as Moony shuffled in his chair.

“Professor, what is it you’d like to discuss? Is everything alright? Luke’s not due for his owl until next year.”

“Oh yes, indeed, I just wanted to check in with you and see how you were doing. I heard that you are no longer teaching at Perkins Primary, I’m very sorry.”

Moony looked at the old wizard sheepishly as Sirius brought the cups and pots over and handed them out to everyone. They each enjoyed lots of sugar and milk and waited patiently for everything to get passed around.

“It’s okay, thank you. Er, how do you know?”

“I was investigating the status of your employment.”

Moony frowned, waving his finger lazily as his tea stirred itself. “Why?” he said cautiously before taking a sip.

“I wanted to see if you would be available to take over the role of Care of Magical Creatures Professor, starting this autumn.” Dumbledore said casually. Moony and Sirius both spit out their tea and wiped their mouths, embarrassed.

“What, you mean at HOGWARTS?” Moony squeaked. Dumbledore was nibbling innocently on a biscuit.

“Why, yes. The position has opened up, and I thought you would make an excellent fit.”

“But sir, what makes me at all qualified? I’ve only worked in primary education! I taught arts and crafts! I don’t know anything about magical creatures!”

“I would beg to differ. You have shown incredible skill in all of your previous experience, and I have not forgotten the generous study groups you led in your days as a student. You frequently came top of your class in the subject, and I have complete confidence that you would construct an enriching curriculum.”

Moony looked shocked, but there was a rosiness in his cheeks that suggested a bit of pride. He drank his tea slowly, trying not to spill it again. “I appreciate that very much, Headmaster. It is an honor that you think I am capable of such a tremendous responsibility. I still don’t know what I’ve done to deserve such an offer.”

“Because you’re so talented, sweetheart,” Sirius squeezed Moony’s arm. “Anyone can see how amazing you’d be, teaching all of those children. You’d be the favorite professor across the school, easy!”

Moony smiled and squeezed Sirius’ thigh. “Thank you, honey. But, Professor, um, what about my condition?” Moony tucked a curl behind his ear, but it sprung back to its position immediately. “Respectfully, I can never go back to that bloody shack, I will not.”

“I understand,” Dumbledore patted Moony’s hand with his, and Sirius admired the chunky and intricate rings on each of the old wizard’s fingers. “Remus, are you familiar with the Wolfsbane Potion?”

Moony’s brows furrowed so deeply that his eyes almost disappeared beneath them. He frowned and shook his head like a petulant child.

“No. What is that?” Dumbledore sat up straighter in his seat.

“That’s understandable. It’s only known among a very small group of people at this time. But the patent is about to be announced next month, because all of the experiments have proven its success. Then the recipe and ingredients will be readily available.”

“Professor, please just say it,” Sirius couldn’t hold himself back, “is it a cure?”

“I’m afraid it is not a complete cure,” Dumbledore folded his fingers together, clanking his rings, “but a cohort of Swedish wizards have crafted a potion that eases the transformation considerably. It does not prevent a werewolf from losing his human form, but he is able to keep his mind, and spends the night tame and sleepy. I have complete confidence that the potion will keep everyone safe, and though complex, our Potions professor will make it perfectly for you every month. Then you can spend the full moon safely in your office, a harmless wolf, and wait for the moon to wane again.”

“Oh wow,” Moony rubbed his temples, staring off into space beside Dumbledore’s teacup and turning an ashen color. “That’s…quite interesting. Professor, er…I couldn’t thank you enough for your generosity. That sounds excellent, but…leaving my family for ten months out of the year…I’m not sure if I could do it.”

“Baby, don’t worry about us!” Sirius dropped his biscuit to put his arm around his partner. “Luke is going next year, you’ll see him plenty! And I…” his throat caught. He didn’t want Moony to leave him at all, but he saw how incredible the opportunity was. At Hogwarts, Moony would be able to impact so many people, and alleviate his monthly suffering. He knew how much teaching invigorated him and gave him a sense of purpose. He would miss him like crazy, but Sirius would have to find a way to cope. He would have Luke. And when he started his first year the following year…well, Sirius would have to figure it out. “I’ll be fine.”

Moony stared knowingly into Sirius’ eyes. “Thank you. But still, I’d like to think about it.”

“Certainly, family is always most important, please think it over,” Dumbledore waved his hand. “However, I will need a decision by the 18th of July, Remus, please.”

Moony stared at Dumbledore intensely and gnawed at his bottom lip. “Professor…this doesn’t have something to do with the Ministry's new anti-werewolf legislation, does it?”

Dumbledore contemplated for a long time before speaking. “Remus, you’re a very gifted and generous teacher. And above that, you have a good heart. The school has an opening, and I think it would be a waste of my power as Headmaster if I couldn’t give you an opportunity when the rest of the wizarding world is so cruel.”

Moony pursed his lips, and Sirius had a prickly sense that he was trying not to cry. He used to be tough as iron, but since adopting Luke had become much weepier. “Professor, if everyone were to find out, it would cause an uproar,” his voice trembled, “parents won’t want someone like me teaching their children. The last thing I want is for Hogwarts as an institution, or your position there, to be threatened just because of me.”

“Remus, if a parent has a problem with your presence around their child, they can speak with me. Hogwarts isn’t going anywhere, and I won’t let any harm come to you. The horrendous prejudice against lycanthropy is archaic and unacceptable, and I will not entertain it.”

“Wow, Professor…” Moony was blushing feverishly now, “That’s really…wow. So you’re sure?”

“Daddy,” Luke laughed, “he’s said that a million times!”

Moony was an insecure wreck all night, and continued to ask questions while Dumbledore stayed for dinner. While Luke and Dumbledore played a few rounds of gobstones, Sirius noticed that Moony had two glasses of wine in addition to his tea. When Dumbledore left, he thanked them for the food, reminded Moony of the deadline to make a decision and wished the three boys an excellent rest of their evening. Then he popped away with a thick CRACK! Moony stood in front of the spot Dumbledore had just been, wringing his hands anxiously.

“Well? What do you think?” Moony finally said, turning to Sirius on the couch.

“Obviously you’re going to take the job! It’s Hogwarts, Moony! That’s the cream of the crop teaching position!”

Moony padded over and sat down next to Sirius heavily, forcing a wheeze out of the cushions. “Pads, I’ll be away from September to June,” he laced their fingers together, “I don’t want us to be apart. Or you to be alone.”

“I don’t want that either, but this is an excellent opportunity, you can’t pass it up. You loved Hogwarts, and you were the smartest person in the whole school, you tutored in every subject. Teaching is your passion, baby, you can’t give up on it. And the Wolfsbane Potion! It’s a miracle, and you deserve it!”

“Maybe we can make that ourselves, here…”

“Remember Dumbledore said how complicated it is? You and I have never been good at potions. What’s the real reason you’re in so much denial?”

“I’ve told you the real reasons,” Moony huffed, “I don’t want to be separated from you and Luke. You two are more important to me than any job. He won’t be at Hogwarts for another year, that’s so much time I’d be losing.

“And…” he continued, before Sirius could respond, “everyone’s going to know. About me. And I don’t think I can handle that.”

“You can claim your muggle disease!”

“Pads,” Moony stared at him placatingly, “I can’t believe I got away with that. Hogwarts isn’t that gullible, and astronomy is a Core. They’ll figure it out immediately.”

“Daddy,” Luke stomped over, “Dumbledore said he’d protect you! He took care of you when you were a student, and he’ll take care of you now.” He grabbed Moony’s free hand. “We’ll be there together, and if anyone gives you a hard time, I’ll fight them!” Luke puffed his chest out.

“As tempting as it is to turn you into a violent vigilante,” said Moony sarcastically, “I don’t think you understand the full extent to which werewolves are despised in wizarding society. It would affect you too, Luke, and I don’t want you to absorb that.”

“Moony, you’re killing us,” Sirius groaned dramatically, “just take the job! You’ll love it, the students will love you, and you’ll have one of the most powerful wizards in the UK on your side!” He nuzzled into Moony’s neck. “Please do this for yourself. You deserve it so much,” he whispered.

Moony pulled his boys into a big hug. “I’m gonna go mental how much I’ll miss you lot.” They all laid together on the couch and fell asleep, clutching each other tight.

Chapter Text

As the new school year approached, Moony revealed to James and Lily that he was going to be joining Harry for what would be both of their first years at Hogwarts. They were horrified to hear what had happened at Perkins, but showered him in congratulations and affirmed that he was going to do an amazing job. Harry almost exploded with excitement after learning that he was going to have his Uncle Moony with him.

“I’ll make sure all my mates take Care of Magical Creatures next year,” he nodded enthusiastically, “it’s not too hard, is it?”

“I honestly don’t even know,” Moony shrugged.

Moony was extremely busy preparing his lesson plans for the upcoming year, conducting extensive research and writing letters back and forth with former professors. He couldn’t believe how much work it would be teaching four houses across five different years (“I finally understand why Mcgonagall was so fucking cranky all the time”). Despite the amount on his plate, the Lupin-Blacks made sure to go on lots of adventures, and avoided the topic of him leaving in just a few weeks. This included piercing Moony’s ears with a needle and a potato in their bathroom, something Sirius was still shocked he was asked to do, but Moony wanted the students to think he was cool. He wore tiny gold hoops, and apparently Luke got jealous that both his dads had earrings because one night they received a call from a frantic Lily and discovered Harry had tried to pierce Luke’s ears with a safety pin in the Potters’ upstairs bathroom. After a lecture, they took him to a professional piercer to do it properly, and he ended up with small moon and star studs.

Luke was quite distraught, crying often even though he insisted he was a big boy now. Moony was struggling as he fluctuated between ecstasy for going back to Hogwarts and being able to teach, and the misery of leaving his family. He babbled incoherently about how he was going to miss out on so much, like the triplets getting older and Luke getting taller. Sirius was trying to hold it together for Moony and Luke’s sake, but the sense of dread building inside of him for the day Moony had to leave was nearly causing him physical pain. He couldn’t fathom not getting to see his Moony every day, his better half, his anchor, his best friend, something he had had the privilege of for the majority of his life. That summer, every lazy Sunday afternoon, every episode of tv they sat down to watch together, every hug and kiss and snarky comment, Sirius committed to memory. The three of them were obviously going to be reunited, there was Christmas and summer. But every day in between would have a void in the apartment that Sirius wasn’t sure how he could fill. A void inside of his chest.

The day before they were to set off, Moony and Harry were given a party in the Potters’ back yard. Moony didn’t want to steal Harry’s thunder but the spunky eleven year old insisted he wanted to share the celebration. James and Lily were a disaster, clutching their son and sobbing loudly. “Our baby’s all grown up! We miss him so much already!” they bellowed, and Harry was rolling his eyes, but embraced their relentless hugs. Evie and the triplets were in no better shape, begging their older brother not to go, and Luke was miserable that he was losing his best friend for a year. There were presents and games and a lot of tears, and Mary, Marlene, and Mr. and Mrs. Dot informed Moony that they would kill him if they didn’t receive a biweekly letter. Then the festivities ended and the next time his best mates would see Moony would be December, which was a long time for the close family.

At the flat, they got takeaway shepherd’s pie and millionaire shortbread, Moony’s favorite. They played games and watched TV and put Luke to bed like normal. It was only in their bed that Sirius allowed himself to sob messily, snot and tears soaking his pillow. Moony was crying heavily too, but Sirius was at a level of hysterics that he could barely even understand what he was saying himself.

“And you’re—and it’s—and my—and Luke’s elbow—and Dumbledore—and the Great Hall—” he was wheezing, Moony rubbing his back and just trying to catch perhaps the sentiment of Sirius’ sobs.

“You said you wanted this,” Moony said softly, and Sirius blew his nose into Moony’s shirt.

“Of course I do. You’re gonna be the sexy professor that awakens everybody’s sexuality,” he sniffled, “and you’ll be so funny and helpful and all the students will appreciate you so much, because you’re amazing.” He clutched Moony’s hands and stared into his beautiful hazel eyes. “You’re the most amazing thing that’s ever happened to me. And I’m sad that you’re not all mine anymore.”

Moony stared back. They were so deep in each other’s eyes, Sirius was trying to drink it all up before it was taken away. “Sirius, I will always be yours. I’m going to be just an owl or a floo away,” he smiled and placed a hand on Sirius’ heart. “And in here.”

Sirius started sobbing grotesquely again. “You’re such a bloody romantic, even though you think you aren’t.”

Moony just laughed and held Sirius closely against his chest. Sirius calmed down a bit, as he always did in Moony’s arms.

“Hey, sweetheart?” Sirius said eventually.

“Yes, baby?”

“I was wondering…you’ll probably hate this idea, but I just thought…well maybe I could…still spend the full moons with you? I can apparate to Hogsmeade and walk up, or maybe just pop through the floo?”

“Pads—”

“I know you’ll be in your office, and you’ll have the potion, but I still don’t want you to be lonely, and I’ll be lonely too, I want to make sure you’re safe—”

“Padfoot—”

“And if you just wanna sleep that’s okay, that’s brilliant actually, I just want you to spend time with you and I’ve seen you everyday since we were seventeen and looking forward to being with you once a month might actually make this bearable—”

“Sirius—”

“And Luke can stay with James and Lily, you know how distraught they’ll be without Harry and maybe it’ll help—”

“Please just stop and listen,” Moony laughed and gently pinched Sirius’ lips together to quiet him. “If you would take a breath and listen for a second, you’d know that I think that’s a lovely idea.”

“Really?”

“Really. You think you’re the only one who’s gonna be missing somebody?” Moony wrapped one of Sirius’ tendrils around his finger. “I don’t want to spend the full moons without you either, you’ve gone and gotten me too used to it. It’s our date night.”

Sirius laughed sheepishly, wiping his cheeks. “Okay. I thought maybe you’d want to do it by yourself.”

Moony kissed Sirius’ forehead. “You know how mental I am for you, don’t you Pads? Even when you’re a silly goose. But…the first one, I would like to do on my own. To see how powerful the potion is, how much of myself I really keep. And if I’m still capable of doing it alone.”

Sirius nodded. “I just want you to be happy.”

Moony kissed Sirius and hugged him tighter. Eventually he started laughing, and his breath on Sirius’ forehead was ticklish.

“What’s so funny?”

“I’m just thinking, if 15 year old me could see me now…he’d be so impressed.”

“For being a Hogwarts professor?”

“Maybe a bit,” Moony tilted Sirius’ head up so they could look at each other again, “but mostly for scoring Sirius Black.”

“It’s Lupin-Black, actually.”

Moony smiled. Then they wiped the last of each other’s tears and tried to fit four months worth of shagging into one night.

The following day, Luke and Sirius took over two hours saying their goodbyes. Luke gifted Moony with paper flowers “so you won’t forget about me” and Sirius was such a wreck, he didn’t even attempt words, just refused to release him from his hug. None of them wanted him to leave, but he had to eventually, and waved goodbye as he popped away in the floo. Sirius and Luke tried to put on a smile as they headed to King’s Cross and joined the Potters to see Harry off on the Hogwarts Express. As Luke and Harry talked privately a few feet away, and Luke sheepishly gifted him with a moving photograph of the two of them that Harry gratefully accepted, James clapped Sirius’ back.

“You doin’ okay, Pads?”

“Yeah. Of course I’ll miss Harry like crazy, but it’s a part of growing up—”

“Sirius,” he interrupted, and smiled knowingly, “Moony’s not gonna be gone forever. And you’ll be able to call him up whenever you want. If you and Luke get lonely, you know you’re always welcome around ours, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Sirius sniffled, “I know. Are you gonna be okay? I know you guys are already counting down the hours until Christmas holiday.”

From beside James, Lily blew her nose wetly into a handkerchief. When she lifted her head, her pale skin was patchy and her eyes a glistening red.

“I can’t believe my baby’s already eleven,” she whimpered, “I hate Hogwarts for stealing our kids for seven years. They’re taking Evie AND the triplets too?! I’m thinking of burning the place down.”

“I’ll bring the gasoline,” Sirius put his arm around her.

...

Moony sent a letter twice a week, and spoke with Sirius and Luke over floo every Sunday evening. He told them how amazing it was to be back at Hogwarts (“HOW IS THE FOOD NEVER ENDING”) and see his old professors again. His classes were going well, and his students were all intelligent and hilarious (“apparently the Weasley twins are this generation’s Marauders, and I must say, I’m terrified of them”). After his first full moon, he described the Wolfsbane potion to them and how awful it tasted but how wonderful it was. He was completely in control and just slept through the night, and his transformation was easier. Sirius tried to give updates on their lives back home, but there wasn’t much to report. They had finally settled on Luke not going to school for the year, and Sirius brought Luke to the garage everyday where he hung out and watched the mechanics do their thing. His coworkers loved Luke and told him crazy stories that made him laugh so hard he shot juice out of his nose more than a few times. They were coping okay without Moony, but missed him terribly, and Moony made sure they knew how much he missed them back. But Sirius could feel Moony’s excitement and joy radiating off of him through the fireplace, and was delighted for his partner. He just couldn’t stand how much he missed the sound of his laughter filling up the flat, his cooking, his touch. He was grateful for the time with Luke, and tried not to think about when he would be going to Hogwarts next September.

On the October full moon, Sirius’ heart raced as he dropped Luke off at the Potters’. Luke begged to come with him and let him join because Moony was sedated, and Sirius considered it, but knew Moony would never. He jumped through the Potters’ fireplace and arrived in Moony’s office in a flurry of ash and green flames. Moony was sitting at his desk grading essays when Sirius stumbled in, and they looked at each other for only a moment before Sirius bounded forward and embraced Moony like he was never going to let go. And maybe he wasn’t.

Moony was a bit stressed because of the amount of work he had, and he wasn’t going to be well enough to work on it for a few days. He told his students that he was ill and gave them two days off with a lengthy assignment, like the previous month. He was certain people were already catching on, and Sirius tried to soothe him. He insisted on an office tour before assuring Moony that he would help him release some of his stress. They were about to shag when Professor Slughorn came in to deliver the final portion of the Wolfsbane Potion, which Moony choked down and Sirius wrinkled his nose at.

“Pity sugar makes it useless,” he croaked.

After Moony triple checked the locking and silencing charms on his door, they did find the time to shag, then cuddled in the bed in his cozy living quarters attached to his office. Sirius played with Moony’s mustache, then his curls.

“Your hair’s shorter,” he mused, wrapping a curl around his finger.

“Yeah, Minnie trimmed it, she said I looked like a delinquent. And she’s not a fan of the earrings.”

“Oh yeah? You hanging out with ‘Minnie’ now? Drinking tea and painting your nails and shit?”

“Yep, and Poppy too. The three of us have tea and homemade crumpets every week. She keeps asking when you and I are getting married, so I’m expecting a ring on this finger by the end of term.”

Then Moony pet Sirius’ hair. “Your hair’s longer too.”

“I’m trying to look more brooding so people will see how lonely I am and I can get a few sympathy shags. That’s fine with you, innit?”

“Oh of course. Makes it easier to tell you this actually, I’ve begun an affair with Nearly Headless Nick and I’m leaving you for him.”

“Sounds fair. Lemme know what he’s like in bed, I’ve always been curious.”

Moony laughed and shut his eyes, smiling. Then he hissed sharply and sent his hand to his stomach.

“Fuck, I almost forgot. I think it’s time to get up.”

“Maybe if I fuck you hard enough right now we can scare the wolf away.”

Moony’s eyes shot open and he laughed nervously. “That’s a really fucking weird thing to say, Pads.”

“My hand is just too fucking sore beating off everyday, I’m falling behind at work.”

Moony was grinning as he rolled his eyes and removed his charm necklace. Sirius could see his fingers beginning to tremble as he took off his gold earrings.

“Well you’re welcome to come here as often you want for a shag, but it’s your responsibility to tell our son what we’re up to, not mine.”

Sirius quickly took off his own necklace and headed into the office, following Moony as he shakily stumbled through the door. He gripped the edge of his desk, groaning.

“You said the potion made it easier.”

“Easier,” Moony said through gritted teeth, “but not great.” He rolled his shoulders back, and Sirius cringed at the popping and clicking. “It’s alright, though,” he turned around to smile at Sirius, “it is better, I promise. Slower, gentler.”

“Okay, that’s good.” Sirius hugged him. “I’m so happy you’re enjoying yourself here. So, so happy.”

“I am, I have so much fun every day,” Moony pulled Sirius away to look at him, “but I miss you and Luke so much. You would tell me if you were struggling, right Pads? I hate that you’re lonely.”

“I’m not lonely.”

“You just said so. Your long hair’s supposed to show everyone how lonely you are so you’ll get a pity shag, I heard you.”

Sirius bit his lip. “It’s hard, not getting to see you everyday. Really hard. But you deserve this, it’s everything you’ve ever wanted.”

Moony kissed his forehead. “Not everything.”

They hugged for a moment longer before Moony shuddered against him and made his way to the hardwood floor. He curled up and took deep breaths.

“Floor’s nice,” he said tightly, “come lay with me?”

Sirius laid down across from him and watched Moony’s body change. He groaned and hissed, but he didn’t scream, which relieved Sirius deeply. The brown wolf was calm, and smaller, just a bit bigger than Padfoot. After the transformation he licked Padfoot’s face and stared sweetly at him, having more humanity in his eyes than he’d ever seen. They curled up and slept through the night, and when Sirius woke up the next morning, Moony was back and watching him sleep.

“Hey handsome,” Moony smiled, “sleep well?”

Sirius laughed gleefully and kissed all over Moony’s face, which wasn’t covered in dirt after a moon for the first time in over a decade. “What a miracle!”

“I know,” Moony laced Sirius’ fingers with his, “it’s wonderful, I’m so lucky. But I feel horrible about the other werewolves, the ones who want to be in the human world and lost their jobs and can’t find a new one. They likely can’t afford the potion ingredients and seeking them out would just expose them. They must be suffering.”

“Yeah, sounds horrible. But since you’ve been away, Marlene’s been taking us to these marches for more equal access to the potion. People bow down to her like she’s Jesus, which I guess she kinda is to them. The savior. They’re a load of fun, and I hope they make change. Everybody’s there, Danny too. We wish you could be there with us. It’s like a pride parade.”

Moony nodded, smiling, though his eyes were wistful. “And Luke? He’s okay? Is his hair longer? Are you reading to him every night? Does he talk about me? I talk about him so much, my students know all about him because I can’t help myself. He’s just so fricking cute, I have his pictures up in my office, you saw them eh?”

“Yes, yes to everything,” Sirius laughed. “His hair is longer yet, he looks like a rock star, and we read every night. He loves going to the garage everyday, my mates even got him a mini leather vest with the logo. He’s trying to be brave, but he misses Daddy a lot. You know my cooking’s rubbish, and he has to brace all of my dad jokes alone, the poor lad. But we’re doing okay, I promise. And yeah I saw the pictures in your office, next to the fucking grindylow tank. Was I right? Are all the students obsessed with you? Especially the girls, I bet. You’re such a stunner.”

Moony rolled his eyes. “How you manage to say all that without a breath and not pass out,” he chuckled. “I’m sure your cooking’s fine, it’s gotten better over the years, as long as you don’t attempt chicken piccata again. And no, I’m not attracting the attention of a bunch of underage girls, thank Merlin. But I think the kids like me, they come to my study sessions, and participate in class. And a few of them have come into my office to chat, I want more of them to, I just want them to know that I’m here for them. I remember how badly I needed to talk to someone when I was a student.”

“What, you couldn’t talk to me?”

“I needed to talk ABOUT you,” Moony scoffed, “come on, keep up.”

Sirius thumbed a circle on Moony’s neck. “I have an idea.”

“Oh no, let me get my helmet first.”

“Shut up. Okay, so Luke misses you like crazy, and you miss him like crazy, so why don’t I bring him round next full moon and the three of us can explore Hogsmeade for the day? If you’re feeling up for it? I know he’d love to see you, and I can’t wait for his third year to roll around before he sees Zonko’s, I just can’t—”

Moony kissed Sirius to shut him up. “When did you start having all these excellent ideas, Pads? Maybe you really are having an affair.”

“The Bloody Baron makes me very happy.”

“Hey, I’m the one shagging a ghost, pick a different magical creature.”

“Well you’re the expert now, tell me, how exactly would I go about shagging a mermaid?”

…

On the day of the November full moon, Sirius and Luke apparated to Hogsmeade and met Moony in front of Three Broomsticks, where he was holding a massive bouquet of paper flowers. Luke knocked him to the ground and embraced him in a bear hug that lasted for minutes. During their lunch of fish & chips and butterbeer, Luke talked nonstop, telling Moony how much he loved the bike garage and that he was going to become a mechanic when he was old enough.

“Sounds like you don’t need Hogwarts, then,” Moony smirked.

Luke looked horrified. “Noooooo, I’m still gonna go to Hogwarts! Somebody needs to control Harry’s ego after quidditch matches!”

They went to Zonko’s, then Tomes and Scrolls, and finally Dogweed and Deathcap where they bought Luke the most mild, nonlethal plant available. He asked about the Shrieking Shack on the hill and after their explanation, he went quiet for a while, only furrowing his brow at the rickety house. It was an hour before sunset and they were sitting on a bench eating Honeydukes ice cream before he spoke again.

“I can’t wait to become an animagus so I can join you on full moons,” he said confidently.

Moony’s chocolate ice cream-smeared lips frowned, a serious expression clouding his face. “Luke, it’s very challenging to become an animagus, and dangerous. I don’t want you attempting it until you’re seventeen. Promise me that, please?”

Luke glanced at Sirius, who nodded. “I promise.”

“Thank you.”

James came to pick Luke up and then Sirius followed Moony back up to Hogwarts, just in time for his potion. Sirius still couldn’t believe how mild the transformation was, after so many years of Moony suffering. In the morning, Harry surprised him with breakfast and hurried to get another plate when he saw Sirius was there. As they ate, Harry told Sirius about all of his new friends, including one of the Weasley children. He had some choice words for some kid named Draco Malfoy who, considering he was Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy's kid, sounded like a real prick in Sirius’ opinion.

The next month was already December, and Moony came home for holiday break. They held their Christmas feast at the Potters’ and celebrated the triplets’ fourth birthdays. As another year came to a close, Sirius was delighted, but knew the clock was ticking away at Luke’s remaining time with him before he went to Hogwarts. He was really starting to hate that bloody school.

Chapter Text

01/09/1992

Luke fidgeted with the heavy satchel on his shoulder. Wizards went on and on about how smart & efficient magic made them, and yet he had to transport all of his shit to Hogwarts the manual way. And why did they send you all your school supplies before you arrived? It didn’t make any sense!

Beside Luke, Sirius lugged his mahogany trunk, wheezing. He stopped and nearly crushed his feet underneath the heavy chest, collapsing over top of it.

“Shit, I’m more out of shape than I thought.”

Luke laughed, and admired their surroundings as his dad caught his breath. King’s Cross Station was bustling with people in business clothes, and he was enthralled by the sight. As he looked around, he wanted to scratch his head with the new wand they had purchased last week at Ollivander’s, before realizing he couldn’t pull it out in front of muggles. He really had his very own wand, finally! He didn’t have to be so jealous of his parents anymore, although he still wouldn’t be allowed to perform magic outside of school until he graduated. The Ministry was such a buzzkill. Harry had already gotten an official warning in the mail during the summer after using Lumos while they were camping in the Potters’ yard. You really had to spend time scolding a bunch of adolescents just fucking around? You didn’t have, like, a dark lord or something to deal with?

“Alright, here we go,” Luke snapped back into the present at the sound of his dad’s voice and saw he was upright and pointing a tattooed finger toward the nearby brick columns labeled ‘9’ and ‘10.’ “Ready to book it, lad?”

“Born ready.”

They raced each other toward the middle column and Luke felt a cold wind across his face as the bricks dissolved around him. When he opened his eyes, the platform in front of them was bustling now with teenagers, some fresh meat first years and others taller upperclassmen, carrying trunks and pets and loading their luggage onto the magnificent red train steaming and glistening on the track. He couldn’t hold back the gasp that left his lips.

“Wow,” he blinked, “it’s just like I always imagined.”

His dad clapped his shoulder assuringly before they made their way to the train and miraculously shoved his luggage into the tight exterior carriage. Something wet and soft splatted on the top of Luke’s head, and he looked up to see Harry’s face poking out of the window above him, with his skewed glasses and stupid grin.

“Hi Uncle Padfoot! Luke, get your arse in here, you git!” he cackled, then leaned back and shut the window before Luke could respond.

Luke couldn’t wait to get to Hogwarts, to finally use magic and wreak havoc and eat the delicious feasts his dad was always in near tears over. He was going to try out for beater as soon as quidditch tryouts opened. He had been waiting years to arrive at the school and use his dads’ map and Uncle Prongs’ cloak, to continue their legacy as mischief makers. It was going to be perfect. Except—

He turned to face his dad, whose eyes were welling up. He wiped his tears away with his leather sleeve, although it didn’t help.

“Well I guess, I guess this is it, then,” he sniffled, “you’re off to a new adventure. You’re going to have so much fun with Harry and all your new friends, and promise you’ll work hard in your classes, even if they’re boring as shit, yeah? Daddy’s not gonna be happy if my disdain for schoolwork rubbed off on you.”

Luke's eyes suddenly stung and he wiped his own tears quickly, making sure no one else was looking. “Dad, I…” he couldn’t put into words how much he was going to miss his dad, how he already missed him. They had never been apart for longer than a sleepover…well, except for those horrible nights at the foster home all those years ago that he refused to think about. The very thought caused a tightening in his gut. It reminded him too much of those lonely days when his mum had disappeared and left him alone in whatever disgusting house they were in, with all those strangers, unsure when she’d be back. He gulped. He never thought about that time, and he wasn’t about to start on today of all days. Not when he had to say goodbye to his favorite person in the entire world.

“It’ll be okay. I’ll see you when you come round for full moons, and I’ll send letters, and—” his voice caught in his throat. “I wish you could just come with me. Maybe Mcgonagall won’t notice?”

Sirius chuckled, lighting up his splotchy face. “Yeah, I think she’d notice. She definitely caught on to the animagus thing, I’m sure of it. Don’t mention that to anybody, okay?”

“Do you think I’m stupid?”

His dad smiled sadly and hugged Luke tightly, squeezing the breath out of him. But he accepted it gratefully and squeezed him back.

“No,” his dad whispered weepily, “I think you’re the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me and Daddy.”

“Dad…” Luke whined, feeling a bit embarrassed, but enjoying the sensation of his dad’s comforting arms around him and trying to savor it. When Sirius pulled away, he wiped his eyes again and sniffled loudly.

“Well, I’m sure you don’t wanna be seen with your old man…I’ll see you at the end of the week on the moon. Have fun, but try hard, okay? Don’t be like me and waste your time in detention everyday. Daddy can’t wait to see you at school, he’s so excited.”

Luke hugged his dad, burrowing his face into his chest. “I love you so much, Dad. I don’t care if you’ll be there for full moons, I’ll still miss you like crazy. I hate that you’ll be all alone.”

Sirius petted his curls. “I won’t be alone, I’ll have the chinchillas. I’ll figure it out, bubs.”

Luke looked up. “I’m serious.” Then he groaned. “Oops. Please don’t say it.”

“I’m gonna say it…”

“Not if I run away first!” he sprinted to the front of the train and hopped up the steps as he could hear the very threatening “No, I’m…” grow more distant behind him. He laughed, but it was only superficial, the heartbreak of not being able to see his dad every day finally starting to really dawn on him. He looked out the nearby window where his dad was standing and sobbing, pulling a handkerchief from his jacket pocket. Luke’s eyes stung at the sight and he headed deeper into the train.

He quickly wiped his face before opening the carriage door with the undeniable sound of Harry’s laughter behind it. He had barely stepped in before his cousin’s arms were around him.

“Everyone, meet my cousin Luke! Luke, meet my best mates.”

A pretty girl with big frizzy hair smiled at him, revealing a gap in her teeth that matched his own. “It’s lovely to finally meet you, Luke. My name is Hermione Granger.” She extended her hand for Luke to shake, and as his hand met hers, he decided she was the most formal twelve year old he’d ever met.

Beside her, a redheaded boy was stuffing an entire chocolate frog into his mouth before speaking. “ ‘ae’s On Easley. Easure oo ee you.”

“That’s disgusting, Ron,” the equally crimson-haired girl beside him rolled his eyes, then smiled at Luke. “Hi there, my name’s Ginny, Ron’s sister. I’m also a first year student.”

“Cool. Think you’ll be in Gryffindor?”

“Definitely. My entire family has been, and I’m the only girl, so I’m certainly the bravest if I can handle six brothers.”

“I bet. I’ll see you there, then.” Luke and Ginny both smiled.

On the opposite bench, a shy brunette boy holding a toad sat next to a platinum blonde haired girl with ridiculous sunglasses that could’ve come from the cover of one of his dads’ Elton John records. “Hullo, I’m Neville, and this is Trevor,” the boy said quietly. When the girl extended her hand, dozens of bangles and charm bracelets clanged loudly on her wrist.

“Luna Lovegood is my government issued name, but I’ve decided to stick with it for the time being.”

“Lovegood? Like the Quibbler editor? My dad loves that mag.”

“That’s my papa! He’ll be so pleased to hear of a happy reader. People can usually be so judgmental.”

“Well my dad’s kind of a nut job, so it’s perfect for him,” said Luke, then bit his lip, worrying that it was rude. Luna just beamed psychotically at him, so he assumed it was fine.

“Take a seat, LB,” Harry instructed, then slung his arm around his shoulders. “This year’s gonna be amazing, I’m so happy you’re here. Finally our team will have a good beater.”

“Yeah, and the pranks are gonna be wicked,” Luke grinned, but Harry’s eyes widened and he shook his head. Across from him, Hermione narrowed her eyes.

“Pranks? I do hope he doesn’t mean for you to participate in, Harry. Mcgonagall already gave you a warning.”

“Ignore him ‘Mione, he’s just a first year, he doesn’t know what he’s saying,” Harry chuckled casually but gave Luke a look that said ‘not in front of her.’

“Piss off, you’re only in second year, twat,” Luke laughed.

“Well you’re not even eleven yet!”

“Really?” said Neville softly, and Luke saw that his toad had made his way to the top of his head. “How did you get your letter, then?”

“I’ll be eleven in two weeks. My dad, er…he talked to Dumbledore who said it was fine,” Luke’s cheeks pinkened. “Er, I mean, he just thought it made sense with my birthday in September. It’s not like I’m gonna get special treatment or anything for being a professor’s kid—”

“Relax, nobody here’s a prick,” Harry patted his shoulder, “but you might not want to boast about being a professor’s son in front of the Slytherins. They’re always looking for a fight to pick.”

“As if I would willingly talk to a Slytherin,” said Luke.

“The same last names might not help though,” said Ron, “it’s not like ‘Lupin-Black’ is common.” That earned him a slap on the head from Ginny.

Luke felt a bit anxious after that statement, worrying that perhaps people were going to think he was a tattle-tale who was going to report everything to his dad. If only they knew about the mischief he had caused when he was a student. But he knew his dad had enough to hide.

As the train emerged into the green Scottish hills, Luke’s anxiety weakened and his excitement grew. Harry bought the whole carriage candies and chocolates from the trolley witch, and they laughed for hours after he choked on a Bertie Bott’s bean and spit it out on Ron’s forehead. As they approached, Hermione instructed them to change into their robes. When Luke emerged from the toilet and saw everyone’s billowing black robes, including his own, he thought they were absolutely ridiculous. Finally they arrived at the school, and his heart started banging rapidly in his chest. He wasn’t sure if it was nerves, adrenaline, or both.

“Don’t worry,” Harry gave another reassuring shoulder squeeze, “it’ll be fun. We’ll see you at Gryffindor table in a bit, yeah?” he said as he and his friends left the train. Luke just nodded, and then only he and Ginny remained.

“Do you ever worry that you won’t get sorted into Gryffindor, even though your entire family has? And, like, they’ll be disappointed?” Luke said sheepishly, avoiding Ginny’s gaze as he fiddled with the hem of his robe sleeve. He finally looked up when she placed a comforting hand on his arm.

“Why would they be disappointed about their child being who they’re meant to be?” she said gently, smiling at him. That made him feel warm inside, but he felt too silly to say thank you.

A gigantic man with a bushy beard led the first years off the train and to a collection of boats on the beautiful lake. It was dark by then, but there were orbs to light their way, and he couldn’t fathom how breathtaking the sight of the stars above their heads was. A magnificent castle came into view and Luke’s breath caught in his chest. The students around him also oohed and aahed, a few laughing in delight. When they entered what Luke assumed could only be the Great Hall, he laughed too. There was no ceiling, only the night sky, yet candles hung above the students’ heads, suspended by magic. There were large, long tables where students sat underneath their house banners. The first years were led to the front rows, and Luke quickly inspected the nearby professor’s table to look for his dad. He found him on the right beside Professor Mcgonagall, who looked the same as when she’d helped rescue him when he was five. His dad was waving and beaming obnoxiously at him, and Luke’s heart fluttered. He had seen him last night, but it was still a relief. Luke wished so badly that both his dads were professors and they could all be reunited for longer than the summer.

At their table, the first years chatted excitedly, and the boy beside Luke extended his hand for him to shake. He had never shaken so many hands before.

“Hi there!” the boy said brightly. He had sandy blonde hair and crooked front teeth, giving him a goofy smile that Luke found extremely endearing. “My name’s Colin Creevey! What’s yours?”

“Hi, I’m Luke.”

“Those are cool earrings, Luke!” Colin pointed at the moon and star studs in his ears.

“Oh, thanks.”

From the seat across the table, a boy scoffed. He had dark brown hair and a sharp, mean face. “You can’t have pierced ears if you’re a boy. I mean, maybe unless you’re a queer.” He leaned forward, smirking smugly. “Are you?”

One hand flew to Luke’s mouth as the other pointed at the boy. “Oh, Merlin, it’s awful! Look, look!”

The boy swatted at his face, looking panicked. “What?! What is it?!”

Luke resumed a casual posture. “Oh, sorry, I thought I saw a hideous bug land on your face, but I guess it just looks like that. My mistake.”

The other boy growled and glared at him as the kids around them laughed. Luke just grinned and turned away, facing the front.

“Hello, hello, welcome all!” Dumbledore boomed from his podium. He wore majestic aqua blue robes with a long train dotted with silk flowers. “What a wonderful treat to see each returning student. I hope you had a wonderful summer and are excited for another year of fun! And I see so many new faces as well. Welcome to Hogwarts, first years, we are so happy to have you! I know that you will make many new mates immediately, but if you ever need someone to talk to, you can always approach one of our wonderful professors, or come find me in my office. Even if you would just like a sherbet lemon and a round of wizard chess. Now, I think we should get on with the sorting, shall we?”

Professor Mcgonagall took the headmaster’s place and unveiled a long scroll that went past the hem of her velvet forest green robes. With each name she called, a scrawny first year approached and sat on a stool where she placed a filthy looking hat on their heads. Luke gulped; he didn’t want to get lice on his very first day.

He was more nervous than he thought he’d be for the sorting. Both his dads had been Gryffindors, so had Uncle Prongs AND Aunt Dot, AND Aunts Marlene and Mary, AND now so was Harry. His entire family. They had so much pride for their house, and always told him he was going to be one too because he was so courageous. Luke felt that he’d be one, because it seemed like it was meant to happen. But there was a terrible fear in the pit of his stomach that he was going to be sorted somewhere else. His biggest fear was disappointing his dads, who had given him so much. If he wasn’t a Gryffindor, would they resent him deep down for not carrying on their legacy? Would they wish they had adopted someone else?

“Brett Bruhl” was one of the first names to be called, and the boy who had insulted him went up to the stool with an air of arrogance. The hat barely grazed his head before he was sorted into Slytherin. The green and silver table cheered and welcomed him, and Luke’s fist tightened. As long as he wasn’t in that house with that scumbag, it was going to be fine.

After that, Luke zoned out, nervously wringing his hands. He only noticed Mcgonagall was calling his name when she screamed it louder than any other name on the list.

“LUKE LUPIN-BLACK, THIS ISN’T FUNNY, I KNOW YOU’RE HERE, COME UP THIS INSTANT.”

Oh shit. How many times had she said his name? He walked up the stairs to the stool, trying not to trip on his stupid robes. He heard a whoop and glanced at his dad, who was giving him a wide grin and a thumbs up. He shakily smiled back, and slowly sat down on the seat.

“Honestly, it’s like your whole family is trying to get me to retire,” Mcgonagall muttered, tisking. “Sorry, miss,” Luke mumbled as he waited for the hat to drop on his head. When it did, it nearly fell over his eyes, which was actually quite nice, as he could stop looking at the huge crowd watching him.

“Hello there,” the hat said in a beckoning deep voice.

“Um, hi,” he said on accident, then cringed. Have you heard anyone else speak back to the hat?! Think, Luke, think! He hoped no one was laughing.

“A Lupin-Black, are you now? I’ve had both a Lupin and a Black before, they were both quite extraordinary cases…and I suppose so are you. Hmm…”

Luke’s brain almost felt itchy, knowing the hat was digging around inside it.

“Seems like you’ve gone through a lot. But I’m sure you’re destined for greatness. Maybe Ravenclaw would set you on the right track, or Hufflepuff will help with your shyness.”

“Please no,” he whispered.

“I’m just kidding with you, lad. What, a thousand year old hat can’t joke? It’s obvious what you are, through and through. GRYFFINDOR!”

The red and gold table cheered, and even Mcgonagall grinned at him. He could hear his dad cheering behind him, and the smile on Luke’s face was so wide, he feared his cheeks would split. He yanked the hat off and scurried to his table, getting drenched in hollers and high fives, Harry immediately embracing him.

Ginny was at the end of the list and joined the gang at their table, receiving her own high five from Luke. Then an enormous feast appeared before them, and when Luke bit into a turkey leg drowned in gravy, he couldn’t stop the moan that escaped. He thought his dad’s cooking was excellent, but this was a completely nother level. His gaze locked with Brett Bruhl at the Slytherin table, drowning something in ketchup and smirking hideously back at him. Luke raised a certain finger at him.

“So you’re Luke, eh? Your dad talks about you all the time. His class is my favorite,” said a girl from down the table with a high ponytail and sparkly dangly earrings. “It’s the most interesting class I’ve ever taken here!”

“Same! I love it. And he’s not hard on the eyes, either,” said the girl beside her, and they snickered. Luke squirmed.

“Um, well, I don’t really want to hear that…” he started, “but thanks? He loves teaching, I’m glad you like his class.”

“Love it. So much better than the previous CoM-C professor,” said the first girl. “But hey, why is he absent so often? He won’t say.”

“Yes he does, he’s sick,” her friend quipped, “but he’s ill an awful lot, isn’t he? Poor thing.”

“I’ll tell you where he goes,” Luke said through a mouthful of mashed potato. A large portion of the table leaned over in anticipation, having overheard.

“He’s busy banging your mum,” Luke said with a straight face, and the table erupted in laughter. Even the girl who had asked was laughing, though blushing. Harry spewed pumpkin juice all over the table and smacked Luke on the back, nearly making him choke.

“Godric, I missed your mental sense of humor, LB. We’re gonna have so much fun,” he said, and when he caught Hermione’s suspicious gaze added, “responsible and academic fun!”

His side of the table’s conversation transitioned away from his dad’s mysterious disappearances, thankfully, and Luke was having the time of his life chatting with all the new people. They couldn’t believe how many portions he ate, and he just shrugged, claiming a fast metabolism. When a muggleborn student brought up her favorite record, ‘Adrenalize’ by Def Leppard, Luke slapped his thigh with glee.

“Oh man, that record’s wicked! My dad plays it all the time!”

A black haired sixth year cocked his head. “Really? Professor LB doesn’t really seem like the rock type.”

“Not my professor dad, my other dad,” Luke said casually, taking a swig of his cranberry juice. When he lowered his goblet, almost everyone at the table was staring at him, wide eyed.

“What do you mean? Like your stepdad?” someone asked. He frowned slightly.

“No, like my dad dad. He works at a muggle bike garage. Could someone pass the rolls?”

“In two different houses?”

“No, in the same house, duh.”

They gawked at him and no one said anything for several moments. “So…Professor Lupin-Black is, like…gay? I can’t believe it!” someone said loudly.

“Wait,” said another, tapping her chin, “the Black in your name isn’t SIRIUS Black, is it? There’s only one wizard family with that name, and they’re infamous. My mum works in family records at the Ministry…Narcissa and Bellatrix have been married off, Regulus is married too, Sirius is the only legally single one…So it’s him, right?” Luke fidgeted. He didn’t know who any of those other people were.

“Yeah, and sorts out ‘cause Professor’s super queer too,” an Essex boy snorted, “I knew there was something weird about him.”

Suddenly the tip of Harry’s wand was pressing against the boy’s neck. “You better shut your fucking mouth before I curse it off.”

“You all need to stop this at once,” Hermione added. “It’s none of your business who he’s with. Ignore them Luke, they’re just homophobic.”

“I’m not! There’s nothing that WRONG with it, if that’s his personal thing,” the boy continued, “I just, I don’t know, isn’t it kinda unsafe for him to be teaching? What if he, like, passes it to somebody?”

“You’ve been sitting here all night and haven’t passed on your stupidity, arsehole,” said Ron, sneering.

“Come on, you guys agree with me, right? It’s weird, I don’t want a—” the boy was interrupted by a bony hand gripping his shoulder, and everyone looked up to see Professor Mcgonagall standing beside him, scowling.

“Mr. Mathers, you will follow me to my office immediately,” she said evenly, though rage was in her eyes.

“Before dessert?” The boy whimpered.

“You’ll be lucky if I let you out of detention before the Christmas feast. My office, now.” And without another word, the boy was ushered out of the Great Hall. Luke gripped the table, feeling nauseous. He wasn’t an idiot, he knew that two men in a relationship wasn’t as common as a man and a woman, and sometimes people stared at them in public, but they just ignored it. He didn’t know kids his age could feel that way. His dads’ relationship was exactly the same as his aunt and uncle, wasn’t it? Did people think it was WEIRD? A horrible feeling was pooling in his gut.

“Are you okay?” Harry put his arm around him, and Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and Neville placed their hands on top of his. Luke took a deep breath and smiled shakily at them, though he felt anything but.

“Yeah, fine. You’re right, he’s just thick.”

“He is!” The girl from earlier, with the sparkly earrings, declared. “A stupid idiot, and we won’t let anyone say something like that again, not to your dad or anyone. We all love him, no matter what.”

Luke just stared down at his lap. “Whatever.”

“So where’s your mum then?” asked her friend, and the ponytail girl smacked her arm. Luke sighed loudly and threw his hands up.

“Dunno, my dads adopted me, I also broke my collarbone when I was seven, anything else about my personal life you all insist on knowing?!”

Everyone went silent. Around him, Harry and his friends were fuming, and Luke’s chest was so full of anger and embarrassment that he could hardly breathe.

“I’m out of here, someone can finish my plate, unless you think it’s contaminated,” he stood up from his seat and hurried out of the gigantic dining hall. He didn’t even know where he was going, the castle was huge and every hallway seemed a kilometer long. But he was determined to find his way to Gryffindor Tower before anyone else could speak to him. He just wanted to go to sleep and forget about this rubbish night.

He was about to attempt a moving staircase when a warm hand landed on his shoulder. He whipped around. “Harry, I don’t—”

He came face to face with his dad. He had a sideways smile, staring down at him with warm eyes. Luke always felt so tiny standing with his dad, he didn’t know if he would ever catch up to his height. And that night he felt smaller than he ever had.

“Honey, what happened? I saw you run out of the hall, Harry followed but I said I wanted to talk with you. Are you alright?”

“Daddy,” Luke’s voice cracked, and he wiped the tears beginning to slip from his eyes, humiliated. “It was awful.”

“What was awful, sweetie?”

“The older students. I, I accidentally slipped that you’re with Dadfoot, and a boy said some really horrible things, and I was too shocked to stop him…” he sniffled. “I’m so sorry that I told people. I should’ve been more careful.”

But his dad only continued to smile soothingly at him. “Let’s sit, darling.”

They took a few steps to the side and sat against the portrait-adorned wall. His dad let out a heavy sigh. “Luke, I’m sorry you had to experience that. Your dad and I probably should have prepared you for the students’ opinions about our relationship, both wizarding and muggle societies have a problem with it. So I want to apologize to you.”

“No, I’m the one who should apologize,” Luke shook his head, “now all of Gryffindor knows one of your secrets, and it’s all my fault.”

Moony put his arm around Luke’s shoulders. “It’s not like my big secret…I don’t tell people outright, but I wouldn’t deny it if they asked. And I’m sure you did the same thing. I’m not ashamed, and I don’t care if students know. I would honestly prefer that to what I’ve been doing. I talk so much about you, and I hate that I can’t talk about Dadfoot, you two are the most important people in my life. You’ve inspired me. So don’t worry, okay?”

“But he was so mean—”

“That’s just how it is. The amount of things we’ve been called over the years…I’m not saying it’s right, but…you didn’t curse that boy, right?”

“No, I don’t know any curses yet. Harry almost did, but Mcgonagall took him to detention.”

Moony laughed. “Good ol’ chaotic good Mcgonagall. Luke, when you have two dads, unfortunately you’re going to come across people’s hateful thinking. But you just have to ignore them. Or you can educate them, but never turn to violence, okay? It would make you as bad as they are.”

Luke rested his head on Moony’s arm. “I promise I’ll never slip about your furry little problem. Never ever ever.”

“I know you won’t, baby.” They sat there for a few minutes. “Hey, bubba, congratulations on getting sorted in Gryffindor. Dadfoot will be so pleased when I write him about it.”

“I’m so relieved. I just wanted to make you guys proud.”

His dad stiffened, which made Luke’s head fall. “What?”

“Dadfoot’s always going on and on about how he couldn’t wait until I was a Gryffindor, and I was gonna be the best quidditch beater on the history of the team, and he had shirts made and everything. I was so scared I would disappoint you if I was sorted into something else.”

His dad pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “Godric, we really are terrible parents.” He clutched Luke’s hand. “Honey, I want you to listen very carefully. Dadfoot and I are so, so proud of you no matter what, and there’s nothing you could ever do that would disappoint us, not one single thing.”

“Even if I was a Slytherin?”

“Even if you were a Slytherin. I’m sorry that we put so much pressure on you, we didn’t mean to, we just have a lot of pride for our house. Hogwarts stirs a lot of house pride, you’re gonna love it…And it’s especially important to Dadfoot, he was the first one in the history of his family to not get sorted into Slytherin.”

Luke frowned. He had never considered that his dads had had their own families when they were his age, though now that he thought about it, of course they did…but they spent every holiday with their best mates. Where were the relatives that the girl in the Great Hall had mentioned, the other Blacks?

“Oh. I didn’t know that. He never talks about his parents...neither do you.”

His dad remained quiet, and when Luke glanced up, his lips were squirming like they had an unpleasant taste. “Er, that’s another conversation for another day. Right now I think we should get back and have dessert, you won’t want to miss it.”

“No, I don’t wanna go back there. I promise I’ll show my face tomorrow, but…tonight, I just wanna go to bed. Will you show me where to go?”

“Certainly, if we can get there. These staircases are a nightmare.”

He followed his dad to the Gryffindor Tower and gave the password he had learned from the prefects to open the obnoxious portrait. Then his dad smiled down at him, and Luke wanted to smile back, but he couldn’t.

“I miss Dadfoot so much already. I wish he could be here with us.”

His dad’s smile deflated, and he looked just as glum. “I wish that too, more than anything. But I’ll find a solution, I promise. Maybe Dumbledore can introduce a Rock Music class?”

“I was thinking a Motorcycle course.”

His dad laughed hoarsely. “Even better. I’ll bring that to the Headmaster right away.”

Luke still didn’t want to part, so his dad offered to help find his dorm. Instead of using Lumos, he carried a ball of flames in his hands. He admired his dad’s wandless magic in awe, wondering if he could learn how to be as good. Luke was so comforted by his dad coming to help him, and wouldn’t admit it to his classmates, but he was grateful he was a teacher there and he could see him as much as he wanted.

When they found his trunk in one of the dorms, he bent down and kissed Luke’s head.

“Okay, it’s time for me to go, I love you, sweetheart. Get some sleep, today was a big day, and a very exciting one! I’ll see you tomorrow at breakfast, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy. I love you too.”

Luke got onto the bed beside his trunk and curled up into a ball. He didn’t care what the other boys would think when they came in and found him. He would pretend to be asleep no matter what, so he didn’t have to talk to them.

…

Luke didn’t realize he had fallen asleep. He was in a haze, caught somewhere between dream and consciousness. The lights blared onto his face and he groaned and covered the ray with his hand. Someone’s silhouette came into view, and he frowned.

“What?”

“Oh, sorry to bother you,” the boy gave a wobbly smile. He had thick brown curls and dark skin, with thick eyelashes blinking at him. “I just wanted to introduce myself, I didn’t know you were asleep. Um, your hand was covering your face.”

“Okay?”

The boy just stared at him. “Oh, sorry, er, I’m Max. Max Patasola. Haha, that was kinda like James Bond.”

“Okay, well hi Max Patasola kinda like James Bond. Can you let me go back to sleep now?”

He was fidgeting and switching the leg he was standing on, Luke thought it was weird. He approached him, yet he was nervous?

“Oh, er, okay. Well I just wanted to tell you something. Two things I guess. First, I love ‘Adrenalize’ too.”

Luke sat up. “Yeah? What’s the best deluxe?”

“Well that’s obvious. ‘Now I’m Here,’ live, featuring Brian May. It was wicked.”

Luke and Max were both grinning. “Totally wicked,” said Luke. “And the second thing?”

“Oh, right, er…well…I just wanted to tell you that, um, what you said at dinner, I can relate to it.”

“What are you talking about, Patasola? Got two dads too?”

“Er, no, got zero actually. You said you didn’t know your mum, and I don’t know my dad…I never met him either.”

“Oh,” Luke’s chest tightened. “Well, I did meet my mum, I lived with her until I was five. I don’t know why I’m not with her anymore, I don’t remember.” He looked around, realizing for the first time that there would be other people in the dorm. There were three other boys, but their beds weren’t close, and only one was in the room, near the bathroom. Luke lowered his voice anyway. “I remember my mum left me on the street, but I can’t recall why. My non-professor dad found me and I’ve just been with them ever since.” He left out the part about how it had always just been the two of them sticking together, living with random weirdos. How many even weirder people came by and harassed her, how much she cried, how little they ate. How lovely her voice was when she sang to him, how much he wondered where she was, if she was okay.

“Oh,” Max repeated. “That’s cool. Sorry she left you. Whoa, that was intense, sorry I didn’t mean it like that—”

“Whatever,” Luke said quickly, “so you never met your dad? Do you know where he is?”

“Nope. My mum has never talked about him, so I can imagine it didn’t end well.”

“Well, er, I’m sorry too.”

Max raised a curled fist. “Parents, huh?” He didn’t know why, he was kinda weird, but Luke liked this boy.

“Yeah,” Luke chuckled and bumped his fist, “parents.”

“Maybe I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow, Luke?”

“Well we’re in the same house and year, so probably. I’m gonna go to sleep now.”

“Cool.”

The next day was a Wednesday and the start of classes. Luke got dressed into his Gryffindor-specific uniform, of a red and gold tie tucked into his grey vest with black slacks, with a billowing black cloak and a house-colored striped collar hem. Luke couldn’t believe how silly he looked, now all he needed was a pointy hat and he’d look ridiculous as Dumbledore. The Great Hall was not nearly as loud as dinner the previous night, likely due to everyone having stayed up celebrating. Luke saw his dad wave at him from across the hall, and he waved back proudly, not caring if the students around him thought it was cheesy.

Eventually owls came to drop off their schedules. Luke and Max leaned as they examined their rolls of parchment, and accidentally bonked their heads.

“Cool, same classes!” Max beamed. “Oh no, Mcgonagall first thing in the morning. I’m a bit afraid of her.”

“I like her,” said Luke, “and I think transfiguration’s cool. Like animagi.”

A prefect walked them to each of their classes. First they had Mcgonagall, who talked about the course outline for what felt like hours before finally teaching them a small spell about transforming a quill to a pencil. Next they had Charms, where Professor Flitwick giggled his way through a simple levitating spell. After lunch was herbology, and Luke was enjoying his day thoroughly. Each of the professors were quirky and it looked like it was to be a challenging year, but he knew he could handle it. However, his final class of the day was Potions, and he was disgusted when he saw his section was sharing it with the first year Slytherins.

“This is so lame,” Luke muttered to Max as they found seats at a cauldron in the back. “I don’t want the slimy Slytherins in here with us schmoozing up their head of house.”

“Good afternoon, students!” The man at the front was rotund with a thick mustache and booming voice. “My name’s Professor Horace Slughorn, and I am delighted to be your potions professor for your time here at Hogwarts! I’d like to begin with some basic classroom guidelines…”

Slughorn went into an enthusiastic monologue about cauldron upkeep and hygiene, that Luke started zoning out during because it was so boring. Eventually they were able to work practically, and they prepared the raw ingredients for a cauldron brew on Wednesday. Luke was the first to get the enchanted dragon eggs to squeal and crack themselves open by clucking his tongue at them, and Brett Bruhl scoffed obnoxiously at the front.

“He only knows how to do that because his daddy’s a professor,” he said snootily to his friends, only pretending to whisper.

“He’s not even the potions professor, are you fucking stupid?” Luke hollered, and everyone’s heads snapped toward him in the back.

“Mr. Lupin-Black! I’m afraid I have to take ten points from Gryffindor for foul language,” Slughorn smacked his talking stick on his desk.

“Professor, did you hear what Bruhl said? I was just defending myself.”

“I will not accept profanity in the classroom. Please get back to work!”

Luke growled and tried to zero his focus on his work station again. But Bruhl wouldn’t shut up.

“You know what I heard? Professor Lupin-Black has a BOYFRIEND. I knew his son was a freak, and now I know why, he’s one too.”

A surge of anger erupted in Luke’s chest, and without thinking he whipped his wand out and pointed it in Bruhl’s direction. But he didn’t know any curses, so he just stood there fuming. Max put his hand on Luke’s arm and pushed it gently until he lowered it.

Class eventually ended with a scroll of parchment due the following week. Luke hurried out of the room, not bothering to wait for Max, and finally caught up to Brett and his three friends. He shoved Bruhl from the back and nearly sent him to the floor before he caught himself.

“What’s your problem, freak?!”

“Don’t talk about my dad again. If I ever hear you talking shit I can assure you I will fuck you up beyond your worst nightmares.”

“Oh no, Widdle Wupin-Bwack is thweatining me? Whatever will I do? Run to my mummy? Oh sorry, didn’t mean to offend you, I know you don’t have one. Just two fake ‘parents.’ Which one of them is even related to you? Obviously not the professor, with all those hideous scars.”

Luke shoved Bruhl back so forcefully that he knocked his head against the stone wall. “Maybe I didn’t make myself clear. You mess with me or my family, you’re fucking dead, got it?” He spit on Bruhl’s shoes then stormed down the hall. He heard rapid squeaky footsteps behind him and ignored Max when he caught up to him.

“That was really intense back there. Do you want me to get a professor?”

“Nope. I need to show Brett Bruhl and his posse that I mean it when I say don’t mess with me. You can come with, if you’re not a pussy.”

Max was silent for a long time before saying, “I’m not a pussy.”

Chapter Text

Luke and Max headed into the Gryffindor common room where they found Harry pinning up a poster on the corkboard. When Luke stomped up to him, he beamed brightly.

“Just the bloke I was looking for! Look, they’re holding Quidditch tryouts at the start of next month, on the—”

“Come with us,” Luke gripped Harry’s wrist and led them to his room. When he threw the door open and saw one of his dormmates inside, he groaned loudly and slammed it closed. “Harry, where’s your room? We need privacy.”

“Damn, chill out, you tryna snog me or something?” Luke just elbowed his ribs and after declaring how much that hurt, Harry led them to his dorm room. It was luckily empty, and as Luke and Max sat down on a bed, Harry shut the door while idly rubbing his side.

“Ouch…okay, what is this about?! And who the hell are you?” he noticed Max for the first time, and Max smiled sheepishly, letting his tightly coiled curls fall over his eyes.

“I’m Max, I’m a first year with Luke.”

“Can you tell me why my cousin’s being so weird??”

Max looked to Luke, who was just fuming. “We need to knock a Slytherin down a couple pegs.”

Harry jumped and clapped his hands. “Oh, yes we do! I’m proud of you LB, already preserving the family legacy…let me show you the map.”

“You have the cloak too, right?”

Harry paused digging through his trunk to smirk at Luke. “I’ve never been so offended.”

Max whipped his head violently to look back and forth between them, opening and closing his mouth. “Okay, would anyone like to explain what the hell that’s supposed to mean? What map? What cloak?”

“Patasola, listen up,” Luke bore an intense gaze that made Max squirm, “you told me something about your dad because you trusted me, and I’m not going to tell anyone. Now, Harry and I are gonna tell you something and if you ever try to tell anyone about it I’m gonna cut your bollocks off and feed ‘em to the giant squid, got it?”

Max instinctively put a hand over his crotch. “I don’t want you to cut my bollocks off and feed them to the giant squid…you can trust me, Lupin-Black, I promise.”

Luke grinned just as Harry found what he was looking for and sat down on the bed next to them. He glanced up and adjusted his glasses.

“You may not wanna sit there, it’s my mate Ron’s bed…”

Luke and Max clambered onto Harry’s comforter and the three of them sat with their knees touching. Harry was holding a blank piece of parchment, and Luke’s heart started racing.

“I’ve heard so much about it, but I’ve never seen it before…is it as awesome as they say?”

“It’s pretty much the most awesome thing to ever exist, yeah.”

Max scrunched up his face. “Hey, lads? Could someone tell me why the two of you are gonna cry looking at an old piece of parchment?”

“This is no ordinary old piece of parchment, mon frere. Check it…”

Harry unfolded the map across their legs. “I solemnly swear I am up to no good,” he said confidently, then tapped it with his wand. Black lines erupted onto the paper and grew into a detailed layout of the castle, adorned with small letters that represented everyone inside. Luke gasped. “It’s bloody brilliant!”

Max leaned in so close, his nose was touching. “Is this, is this Hogwarts? And where everyone is at any given moment?”

“Yup,” Luke and Harry said in unison.

“Where did you get this?!”

“Nicked it from Filch’s office my first month,” Harry grinned, “our dads invented it when they were in school. And now we’re gonna use it to wreak havoc on the Slytherins, right Luke?”

“Right. There he is,” Luke pointed at the Slytherin common room, where the hideous words ‘BRETT BRUHL’ were floating inside the common room. “The tricky part will be doing it anonymously but making sure he knows it was me so he won’t mess with us anymore.”

“What did he do?” said Harry, and Luke grimaced. “Said a bunch of stupid shit about my dads, and I need to shut him up. So what do you think?”

“Hmm,” Harry nibbled on the end of his wand, “if you want it to be anonymous, maybe we should leave something to set off on its own, like a dung bomb?”

“That’s too easy. I want it to be miserable,” Luke said firmly, and his friends blinked at him.

“I don’t wanna say something that may risk my balls getting cut off or anything,” Max started, “and trust me, I hate him too, but you don’t ACTUALLY want to HURT him, right? Because that’ll lead to some big consequences, and you may regret it.”

Luke fidgeted with the hem of Harry’s comforter. “I don’t want to do anything PERMANENT. I just really hate what he said about my dad. It already spread past Gryffindor that he’s gay, and I refuse to let him get hurt, I have to show Brett it’s not okay to talk the way he does.”

Harry put a hand on his shoulder. “We can find something that’ll teach him a lesson, don’t worry, we just need to be creative. Hmm…”

Harry swung himself over the edge of the bed and rifled underneath his mattress, throwing shit around messily until he popped back up with a heavy book in his hands. He moved the map and laid it out, sweeping off some of the dust.

“Madam Pince wants my head because I haven’t returned this from last year, but it’s fine. Ron and I have been looking into cosmetic spells, because Hermione has said she’s insecure about her teeth and we want to help her. Maybe there’s something we can use against Bruhl, like turning his hair white or something.”

Luke flicked the pages to a random spell. “Oh excellent, sensory spells. Because we want him to smell like a meadow of daisies.”

“Don’t be an arse, just try a different page—”

“No wait, look at this,” Max gripped onto the book as Harry tried to pull it into his lap, “this one affects your sense of touch. It’s a spell to produce lotion in your hands, but maybe if we can change it so it’s something a lot grosser, we could really bother him with something like that.”

Luke slapped his friend’s thigh. “Patasola, I love it! If everything he touches turns to shit, he’ll be so pissed.”

They read more about the spell and then compared it to other bits of information from the glossary. Eventually they hit a dead end, so Harry elected they go to the library to read how to make adjustments to the core components of the hex. “Nobody’ll be there, it’s first day of term, so it won’t be too suspicious.”

When they arrived at the ancient, massive library, they immediately ran into Hermione and her stuffed but neatly organized desk of textbooks, quills, and parchment.

“Hey there lads,” Hermione smiled, “what are you doing in the library today?”

“I wanted to see it,” Max said quickly, and Hermione’s brown eyes flicked over him.

“And your name is…”

“Oh, er, Max Patasola.”

Hermione didn’t skip a beat, cocking her head curiously. “Patasola is a very interesting name, that reminds me of the Colombian vampire myth.”

Max tensed up. “Oh, yeah, I’m Colombian, so…” his gaze lowered to the floor.

“ ‘Mione, whaddya doing in the library, it’s first day of term!” Harry croaked. “You should be on the field, soaking up the sunshine, sharing a sherbet with Ron!”

“I admire your alliteration,” Hermione chuckled, then gestured to the books in front of her, “I want to get ahead of my coursework so I have more time for upcoming extracurricular activities.”

“Extracurricular? What, you wanna play quidditch?”

“Harry, you do realize there’s more to life than just quidditch, right?” She rolled her eyes, but didn’t hide her smirk. “I was thinking of starting my own club, and focusing on advocacy.”

“What’s that mean?”

“Well I was quite disturbed by the way your dad was spoken about the other day, Luke,” she said with a level tone, staring him down and making Luke feel itchy and uncomfortable. “There’s a lot of traditional people around here, and I don’t mean just purebloods. It’s important to educate young people on social issues just as much as academic curriculum, and I intend on using my platform to advocate for those who have had their voices suppressed.”

“That’s cool,” Luke said, wanting the conversation to be over and for them to get on with their plotting, “we’re gonna go now.”

“Okay, well if you ever wanted to talk about ways to get involved…Ginny and Luna have joined already, so…”

Luke’s ears perked up. “Ginny? Oh, wicked, um…we’ll see you later, Hermione, bye.”

“Wait, ‘Mione, actually,” Harry rocked back and forth on one of the empty chairs at Hermione’s table, “I was wondering if you knew anything about the Manusicious Creatus spell?”

Hermione’s lips twitched. “Why?”

“Because I want to learn as much as I can while I’m here, just like you.”

“Well, it’s a very reckless spell to mess around with,” she implored, “if you’re not careful, a person won’t be able to touch a single thing without making a terrible mess. It would greatly inconvenience them, and likely cause dire consequences before the counter jinx. They wouldn’t be able to even grab their own wand.”

Harry made a pondering face, stroking his chin. “Mhm, I see. But how does it work?”

“Well ‘creatus’ means to create, obviously, and ‘manusicious’ means hand,” she said matter of factly, idly picking at her nail. “Then you add whatever substance you want to create, like if you needed a water supply, you could say ‘Manuscious Creatus Aqua,”

she motioned her pointer finger as if it were her wand, swirling it and pointing straight at Harry,

“You'd have water flowing from your hands any time you touch a surface, no matter how delicate the touch. Sounds alright, until the whole place floods.”

Luke blinked at her. “Hermione, you’re so smart, how do you know that?”

“I do a lot of reading. That’s mostly what I talk about with your dad, actually. We’ve passed a few novels back and forth.”

“Glad you enjoy that,” Harry smiled. “Thanks for your help, ‘Mione. Have fun studying.”

Hermione huffed. “Harry, don’t mess around with that spell, you’re going to regret it.”

“I’m not messing with it!”

“Then why are you asking about it?”

“I told you, for fun!”

“You’re just talking in circles!”

“Okay, nice to meet you Hermione, bye,” Max ushered them out of the library and started marching toward the Gryffindor common room. “Alright, let’s get this over with.”

“We should learn the counter jinx,” said Harry.

“Why would we do that, Potter?” Luke sneered.

“Just in case something goes wrong and we need to stop it,” Harry lowered his voice, frowning at Luke. “You said you don’t want to hurt anyone, LB.”

“I don’t. So stop saying that. Now, we need to figure out what the substance’ll be.”

“What about water, like Hermione said?” suggested Max, and Harry nodded.

Luke thought about the sorting feast, and Bruhl’s stupid face smirking at him from across the room, smothering his food in ketchup. Hmm. “What about ketchup?”

Harry cocked his head. “Why?”

“I don’t know. People will think he’s weird, and he’ll have trouble making friends and nobody’ll take him seriously, so he won’t want to fight me or risk getting outnumbered.”

“Convoluted logic, but I suppose I’ll allow it…” Max frowned at him, “but I agree with Harry. We should learn the counter jinx.”

“Ugh, fine, we’ll come back to the library tonight and look it up!”

“I can’t do tonight,” Harry shook his head, “Ron and I already have detention. His wand’s broken and he’s been accidentally inflicting some pretty terrible stuff on people…”

“Fine, what about tomorrow then?”

“Ooh, that won’t work for me,” Max sighed loudly, “choir tryouts are tomorrow.”

“Great, then you both just let me know when’s a convenient time for you,” Luke said sarcastically.

But Max & Harry took it seriously; they weren’t going to be available until Friday night. Luke heavily considered finding the counter jinx himself, but something was stopping him. He wanted his friends to help him. The other kids at school were already treating him like a freak; it felt good knowing there were people who had his back.

Over the course of his first week, students bothered him every time he turned a corner. They asked about his dad, if the queer rumors were true—which one of them was his ‘real’ dad—if his mum was dead or not—and Luke despised it. Bruhl and his posse were worst of all, giving him a hard time in class, which was unfortunately not only Potions but History too. Max was busy with his choir lessons, and Luke was suspicious his other roommates didn’t like him, for they hardly spoke to him. Luke didn’t want to bother his dad because he was probably busy with classes, so he just kept to himself. On Thursday, he wrote Dadfoot a letter, pretending he wasn’t lonely.

Hey Dad!

How’s it going? I’m enjoying school so much! My professors are very nice and I think even Mcgonogall likes me. I hope so, because she’s my Head of House!...I’m so excited to be a
Gryffindor. Knowing that you and Daddy were in the same house makes me feel like you’re here with me, cheering me on. And the food is AWESOME!

I’m having fun with Harry; he showed me the map and the cloak. But I promise I’m keeping out of trouble…for now.

I miss you like crazy. Hope you’re doing okay. Wish you were staying longer than just the moon. But I’ll see you on Saturday!

Love you,
Luke

Friday 04/09/1992 2:00 pm

After the final class of the week, Luke was delighted when he got his friend and cousin to confirm that they were free that night. They went to the library and uncovered the spell’s counter jinx, though Luke resented it. What was the worst that could happen? Brett could handle whatever minor inconvenience there was. They planned to do it that night at dinner, and Luke was elated.

...

Friday 04/09/1992 5:48 pm

Remus walked slowly to his office, falling into his recurring limp. He was exhausted from the long day of classes and study sessions and just wanted to finish the work he had left to grade and go the fuck to bed. It was the day before the full moon, and his joints and muscles burned and ached with every step. He desperately needed some sleep, but had to grade essays, not to mention drink his necessary dose of the wolfsbane potion, before he could conk out. It was the start of the school year and he was already this exhausted; hopefully he could handle the next few months.

He had had a complicated relationship with the full moon lately. He had always hated it, feared it, refused to think about it for a second longer then he absolutely had to. But now that he was at Hogwarts, he had the potion, and it eased the burden on his body. More importantly, it became the only time every month that he saw Sirius. He missed Sirius desperately, the sound of his voice, of his laugh, the soft feel of his hair, their skin to skin touch. His smell. Rich and warm and sharply sweet, like a perfect apple pie—he could almost smell it now, and his chest ached with the memory of his partner in his arms…he couldn’t believe it, he was actually looking forward to his transformation…

Remus turned the corner to his office and stopped abruptly when he saw one of his third year students, Sydney Kettle, sitting in front of his closed door. She was scratching the head of a very familiar black dog…Remus nearly jumped out of his skin. “Woah, hi there Sydney,” he stumbled.

The brunette young girl with braces on her teeth looked up and smiled at him. “Hi, Professor! I’m sorry, I know it’s a Friday afternoon, but I could really use your help on a question, I need it for my study session with some friends I have on Sunday. I had no idea you had a dog!”

“Oh, yeah…he’s visiting. No problem at all, please come in.”

When he reached to unlock the door, it was already open. He let Sydney in first, turning to scowl at the floppy-eared, huge black dog who peppily skipped in and made himself comfortable on the rug in front of the fireplace. Remus just pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

Sydney took a seat across from him at his desk, and he prepared them tea and biscuits. “What question would you like to go over?”

She roughly pulled a crumpled roll of parchment from her bag and laid it out sloppily on the desk. “Your sample question on the study guide for next week’s exam, it doesn’t make any sense! There’s no distinguishable physical differences between kneazles and regular cats, I can’t compare them!”

“Oh, that can be tricky, but I can show you some key differences and a handy mnemonic that may help you remember them. May I?” he smiled and leaned over to scribble notes on her parchment. He talked through them as he wrote definitions down, and only stopped when there was a sudden heap of warmth on his thigh. He looked down to find Padfoot resting his head on his leg, staring up at him and wagging his tail. Remus rolled his eyes.

“Pads, that’s enough, I’m with a student.”

“What’s his name? Pads? That’s so cute!” Sydney chirped. “Where did you think of it?”

“Oh, it’s short for Padfoot, and I call him that because…he has pads…on his feet,” Remus said, then laughed drily. “I thought it was clever at the time.”

“What a handsome guy! What kind of dog is he, black lab? I’ve never seen one quite like him…”

Sydney faded off as there was a knock at the door that opened a moment later. Horace Slughorn walked in and beamed, approaching the desk with a smoking goblet in his hand. The smell of the potion was rancid even from a distance, and the silver of the goblet burnt his nostrils. Why did it have to require a silver goblet?!?! Horace wrapped the handle in a tissue before handing it to Remus, who gratefully sipped it.

“Sorry to interrupt Miss Kettle, just wanted to give Professor Lupin-Black his wee healing elixir,” the rotund professor smiled, wiggling his mustache, “helps with the migraine, doesn’t it Remus?”

“Yes, thank you, Horace,” Remus tried not to cringe as he took another sip, “I appreciate your generosity so much. I’ll see you same time tomorrow?”

“Not a problem Remus, I’ll see you then. Have a good weekend, Miss Kettle,” Horace left the room and Remus suffered one more big gulp before resting the empty cup on the table, accidentally knocking it over. Sydney and Padfoot both jumped at the noise, and Padfoot burrowed his body against Remus’ shins.

Remus tried to ignore his obnoxious boyfriend rubbing against his legs below him, and helped Sydney with her questions. Fifteen minutes later she was standing up and swinging her bag over her shoulder.

“Thanks Professor, you’re a lifesaver! Have a lovely weekend, and feel better soon.”

“Thanks for coming in Sydney, I’m here anytime, you have a good weekend too,” Remus walked her to the door and waved as she left, and as soon as the door was shut, Remus whipped around to glare at the dog sitting and staring up at him.

“Sirius, I cannot believe you would just show up here randomly like this.”

The dog whined and continued to stare, and Remus groaned.

“Don’t flash those puppy dog eyes at me. Do not do it, it’s not fair!” They stared at each other for a few seconds. “Okay, okay, I’m not mad, just stop looking so fucking adorable!”

Remus swore he saw Padfoot grin cheekily for a moment before Sirius popped up in front of him, shaking out his wavy hair and leather jacket. He beamed at Remus, whose knees weakened at the sight, although he wasn’t done scolding.

“Hi, baby! Sorry to interrupt, I just had to see you!” He kneeled and wrapped his arms around Remus’ waist. “I missed you and Luke so much, I couldn’t bear it. That flat was so lonely, I swear I lost, like, ten pounds this week from crying. Luke’s room is so fresh, it’s like he never left it, but he did, and I hate it!”

Sirius started crying and Remus hugged him, then pulled him up to cup his face. He stared into Sirius’ sad blue eyes and thumbed the black smear below them.“Baby, are you wearing mascara?”

“I wanted to make my eyes pop for you,” Sirius said, and Remus chuckled lightly before petting his hair.

“You’re so cute. I’m so sorry you were lonely, that’s horrible, I can’t bear it either.”

Remus’ gaze flickered and for the first time he noticed the stack of red and gold suitcases in front of the fireplace in his bedroom, just through the ajar door beside him. “Oh…what’s going on?”

“I’ve decided it’s official, I’m moving into the castle.”

“Pads! Are you crazy?! Hold on a minute, how did you even get in here?!”

“I floo’d into your bedroom like I always do, and you know, you really should do something about it being open to the network...I dropped off my things and came through your office door so I could see you in the hallway. I just needed to see you so badly, I couldn’t wait until tomorrow.”

Remus chewed on his bottom lip. “Sirius, you’re not allowed to be here, do you expect just to hide in this room 24/7? How are you going to eat?”

“Well, remember when we figured out that the house elves used a duplicating charm to replenish the plates in the Great Hall? Well, if you load up a dish—”

“Did you quit your job?” Remus asked suddenly. “What’s going to happen to the pets? Did you at least clean out the fridge?”

A wobble appeared on Sirius’ lips. “Moons…you don’t want me here?”

“No, of course I do! I miss you like crazy, I can’t stand it. But there are consequences to things.”

“I told James and Lily what I was doing, and they supported me, they said families should stick together, so they took in the babies for me. I didn’t clean out the fridge, I suppose I should have, but I’m going to go to work each day, so I’ll just stop by. I locked it up, I’m not an idiot, you know.”

Remus fidgeted with his mustache. It was such a crazy idea…a complete abuse of his position…deceiving Dumbledore, which he had vowed to never do again after the animagus event…but it was Sirius, and he didn’t want to be apart any longer, and it was the full moon tomorrow and his inhibitions were down. “Okay that, that sounds good. I’m grateful that you’re here, I am. Er…I suppose it’s a bit odd, since you’ve already been here.”

“Yeah, I’ve been in your bed loads of times, Professor.”

“Please don’t call me that.”

Sirius smirked coquettishly. “Well, it’s true, innit? I’m actually quite offended that you haven’t taken me to bed yet. We’ve been standing here almost four minutes.”

Remus rolled his eyes, but he felt the blood rush to his cheeks. He gripped Sirius’ hips roughly, squeezing a surprised moan out of him. “Well go on then, let me teach you a lesson.”

…

Friday 04/09/1992 7:15 pm

Luke, Max, and Harry enjoyed their dinner at the Gryffindor table, trying not to blow their cover. Max was violently tapping his foot and Luke elbowed him gently.

“Patasola, if you keep making all that noise, I’m gonna hex you.”

Max pulled his finger out of his mouth. “Sorry, LB. I’m just nervous. I don’t wanna get in trouble. Are we gonna get in trouble?”

“No. It’s gonna be fine. Just stay calm and stop being so obvious.”

“Luke, be nice, he’s doing this for your sake,” Harry implored. “It’ll be fine Max, I do shit like this all the time. You just jostle the Slytherins around a bit and make sure you keep it anonymous.”

“Ugh, finally, there he is.” They watched Brett and his stupid friends enter the Great Hall and take their seats at the Slytherin table. Luke squinted and pulled his wand from his trouser pocket.

“Okay Max, promise you won’t scream like a girl?” he smirked. Max frowned.

“You know, you’re kinda an arsehole.”

That startled Luke. “Oh. Sorry. You can have my dessert tonight?”

“For the week.”

“For the—?! Ugh, fine. Now let’s do this so we can keep eating, shepherd’s pie’s my favorite.”

The three of them leaned in and Luke lifted his wand, hovering it just above the table. He glanced at the professor’s table to make sure his dad wasn’t watching, but he wasn’t even there. Weird, his dad wasn’t one to miss dinner. He furrowed his brow in concentration and gulped. Fuck, Max was rubbing off on him, he was nervous too. His first major spell outside of classes, and he hadn’t even tested it yet. But he didn’t care. Bruhl deserved it, for what he had said.

“Manusicious Creatus Solanum Lycopersicum!” he whispered emphatically, aiming his wand right at Bruhl.

For a moment, nothing happened. Bruhl kept talking to his friends and laughing, waving his hands around as he spoke. But finally he reached for a serving ladle, and thick red liquid oozed from his palm.

They watched Bruhl jump in shock and pull his hand back. His friends ogled at him and Bruhl wiped his hands on his robes. But that only made it worse. His black robes were smeared with red goo, and the more he rubbed his palms, the more he produced. Soon most of the Slytherin table was watching him, and shimmied away from him. Bruhl wiped his forehead, staining his face.

“Oh my godric! He’s bleeding!” somebody screamed, and all the students in the room whipped their heads toward Bruhl. Horrified gasps rippled through the room, and Bruhl tried to duck behind his hands to obscure his blushing cheeks. But that only made him more noticeable, painting his face red.

Slughorn’s robes billowed behind him as he hurried over to the Slytherin table. He gripped Bruhl’s shoulders and shook him.

“Bruhl! Are you alright?! Where is the blood coming from?!”

“I’m not bleeding! It’s…” he licked his finger, “it’s KETCHUP!”

Students started to laugh, and Bruhl shut his eyes. Luke felt Max’s hand on his arm.

“Okay LB, Slughorn’s involved now, I think it’s time for the counter jinx…” he said cautiously, and Luke shrugged him off.

“I wanna see what happens.”

The other Heads of House had gathered around Bruhl, inspecting him.

“Where is it coming from?!” Sprout hollered, prodding at him.

“It’s like his hands are creating it!” Mcgonogall screamed with a similar hysteria, grabbing Bruhl’s palm. Her hand got drenched in ketchup, and she squeaked and dropped it.

“They are!” Flitwick announced. “It must be Manusicious Creatus!”

Bruhl jumped up from his seat, pushing back against the professors and leaving red handprints on their robes. “Get off me! You’re freaking me out!”

Scuttling back, he tripped on the hem of his robes and fell face forward to the floor, slipping out of Luke’s view. He screamed and when Slughorn picked him up by the shoulders, he was clutching his nose, which was gushing a red fluid that definitely wasn’t ketchup.

“Okay, that’s enough LB, seriously,” Harry gripped his arm tightly. “The fuckface broke his stupid nose!”

“Okay, okay, fine,” Luke shoved him off, “S—”

“SICCO!” Dumbledore boomed, sounding harsher than Luke had ever heard the old headmaster. “Horace, please take Mr. Bruhl to the hospital wing. Students, please stay calm and make your way back to your dorms. I’m afraid we will have to cut dinner short this evening, so we can clean up the mess.”

“I know it was you, freak!” Bruhl screamed, pointing his finger straight at Luke, who was still holding his wand up. Oh fuck. He quickly lowered it, but not before Mcgonagall had already made her way over.

“Come on Luke, let’s go,” she said sternly, but the casualness of her calling him ‘Luke’ and not his surname in front of everybody embarrassed him. She might have known him since he was little, but did she have to make it so obvious?

He slid off his seat and followed her toward the exit of the Great Hall. Everyone was silent, watching him, gawking at him. The Slytherins sneered at him and made threatening gestures.

“I said please return to your dorms!” Dumbledore repeated, and finally everyone got up. It was chaotic as Luke left the Great Hall, students talking loudly and blatantly about him. He couldn’t stand it. What had he been thinking? Pulling something on Bruhl was just gonna put a bigger spotlight on him, even if the twat deserved it.

The crowd dispersed as they got closer to Mcgonagall’s office, and it was only then that Luke realized Harry and Max were following them.

“What are you doing?!” he whisper-hissed, and Harry frowned.

“Joining you, obviously. We all did this, we’re not letting you take the blame all by yourself.”

“Idiots,” Luke groaned, “Mcgonagall only asked to see me, you weren’t gonna get in trouble!”

“We’re Marauders,” Harry said matter-of-factly, “and Marauders stick together.”

“Do you think my ears don’t work?” Mcgonagall snapped, unlocking her office door. “Very brave of you boys to own up to your mistake. I would say I’m proud to have you in Gryffindor, if I wasn’t so disappointed in you right now.”

Max squeaked, but they all remained silent as they entered the office and sat in front of her desk. Their head of house took her seat behind her mahogany desk, and sighed, rubbing her eyes under her spectacles tiredly.

“Okay, explain. What on earth were you thinking, hexing a fellow student? Messing with a spell like Manusicious Creatus, even though it always ends in disaster. And in your first week of school, too. What do you have to say for yourselves?!”

“Miss, I,” Luke’s throat was tight. He felt awful that he was dragging his friends down with him. “I didn’t want him to break his NOSE or anything, I promise. I just wanted to make him feel as bad as he’s made me feel, for talking shit about my dads.”

Mcgonagall’s eyes flickered, her face softening ever so slightly for a moment, before returning to a scowl. “Luke, even when you disagree with someone’s views, you can’t inflict harm on them—”

“How can you say that?!” Luke couldn’t hold back. “The homophobic shit he was saying, how can you say that’s okay, when you call my dad your friend?!”

“Do not raise your voice at me!” Mcgonagall said equally as loudly, forgetting her usual poised composure. “Mr. Bruhl’s comments are unacceptable, how dare you accuse me of encouraging it. But for you to inflict physical harm on him in revenge makes you just as bad as him.”

Luke wilted in his seat. His eyes stung, but he was determined not to cry in front of his friends or professor. He felt awful enough about himself already.

“Professor,” said Harry, “with all due respect, I would hex Bruhl a thousand more times for the things he’s been saying. He deserves to be punished for his comments. He’s been harassing Luke all week, and if you’re okay with that, then maybe I’M disappointed in YOU.”

Luke and Max’s mouths fell open. Did he really just say that to their teacher?! Mcgonagall’s face was hard to read, and she and Harry just stared each other down. Finally she sighed slowly out of her nose.

“Go back to your rooms. I am going to contact your parents and arrange to discuss this here first thing tomorrow morning—”

“Please don’t!” Max shrieked, then recoiled. “I don’t want my mum to know.”

“Then you should have thought about that before your actions, Mr. Patasola. You can explain your behavior to them, I’m not doing it for you. Your rooms! Now!”

They walked back to Gryffindor Tower in silence. Finally Luke opened his mouth to speak,

“Lads—”

“Mate—” Harry said at the same time,

“Look—” Max said as well. They went silent again and Luke took a deep breath.

“I’m so sorry, I’m such an idiot. I should have done this myself and never gotten you involved—”

“Luke,” Harry put his hand on his shoulder, “I meant what I said to Mcgonagall. I wish Bruhl hadn’t gotten hurt, but at least now he’ll stop messing with you.”

Luke was overwhelmed in that moment for how much he admired Harry, and loved him. His eyes stung, but he blinked it away quickly.

“Thanks, mate,” he said sheepishly, then turned to his friend. “Max, I feel awful. I understand if you never want to talk to me again. I can talk to Mcgonagall and try to move to a different room, if you’d prefer.”

“Don’t be stupid. You didn’t force me to do this, I agreed to it. I hate Bruhl too,” Max said. “Thanks for showing me that I actually belong in Gryffindor and can do brave stuff. Even if it comes to bite me in the arse. What are we doing next?”

A grin erupted on Luke’s face. “Patasola, I swear, I could kiss you right now.”

“Alright, let’s maybe not do that,” Harry threw his arms around the both of them and started walking again down the hall, “what do you guys say we sneak into the kitchens since we missed dessert?”
…

05/09/1992

Luke was dreading having to show his face in the Common Room or Great Hall, but luckily (or perhaps terribly) was summoned back to Mcgonagall’s office by relentless owls as soon as his alarm clock read eight. He and Max groggily stumbled into the empty Common Room where they found Harry, looking just as exhausted with his crooked glasses and disastrous hair.

“This early on a Saturday,” Harry said through a heavy yawn, “I knew Mcgonagall was brutal, but didn’t think she was a demon.”

They made their way to her office and opened the door cautiously. When they entered, he immediately saw his dads, sitting closely across from Mcgonagall and Dumbledore behind her desk. Moony was dozing off with his head perched on his arm, while Dadfoot was apparently making his professor laugh so hard that she threw her head back, which was surprising to Luke, considering how angry she had been the previous night.

They turned when the door opened, and Sirius smiled. Luke ran over to him and squeezed him.

“Dads!” he chirped and startled Moony awake.

“Hi sweetheart I missed you so much! Congratulations on Gryffindor, I knew you’d do it!” Dadfoot’s rattling laugh was the most comforting sound he had ever heard.

“Thanks! I missed you too!” Luke was beaming. Then he turned to his other dad, who was frowning at him. Luke pulled away.

“Bubs, I miss dinner for one night and Minerva tells me there was a 'behavioral disturbance'?”

Luke’s stomach tightened, horribly embarrassed. “It wasn't a DISTURBANCE," he said quietly, avoiding his dads' gaze as he slid into his seat.

Before his dad could respond, the fireplace on the opposite side of the room huffed and Aunt Dot and Uncle Prongs tumbled onto the wine-colored rug. Uncle Prongs landed on his arse, having a coughing fit and hacking up puffs of green powder. “Jesus Christ, what a ride!”

Aunt Dot was standing gracefully, shaking the soot from her hair. “James, my goodness, you can be a real disaster sometimes.”

“Mum! Dad!” Harry bolted over and his parents embraced him, kissing the top of his head profusely.

“Our baby!” Aunt Dot chirped, but she suddenly jerked him back and shook his shoulders. “I can’t believe we got summoned here for a parent-teacher meeting. Mcgonagall said it was for poor behavior, do you want to tell me what that’s about?”

“Wait a moment Lily, I want all the parents to be here when the boys explain themselves,” Minerva said, and the Potters walked over to the desk, James sitting next to Sirius and Lily beside him.

“Alright, lads?” Uncle Prongs winked at his dads, causing Moony to roll his eyes. What was THAT about?

They paused when the door creaked open again. A tall woman with long brown hair and dark skin entered, blinking at them.

“Sorry, I accidentally floo’d into the office over. I’m afraid I gave poor Professor Flitwick a terrible scare.”

“Hey mum…” Max warbled, and the woman tisked her tongue.

“Bebé, you haven’t even been here a week, what’s this I hear about behavior?” She had the same rounded bone structure and hazel eyes as Max.

“Er, we have to wait,” Max shrugged. His mum sighed and walked over to the desk, extending her hand toward the adults.

“Hi, my name is Mariaceleste Patasola, Max’s mum. I’m sorry my son has been troublesome, whatever he did.”

Dumbledore shook her hand and motioned for her to take a seat. “Hello Mariaceleste, thank you for coming. We’re just waiting for the Slytherin student involved.”

Sirius sat up, ears pricking like he was Padfoot. “You didn’t say SLYTHERIN had something to do with it…”

The door opened once more and Bruhl stepped in, followed by a haughty man and woman he resembled, and finally Slughorn.

“Albus, Minerva, Remus, sorry we’re late. I had been mistaken in thinking we were meeting in my office.”

“Quite alright Horace, please take a seat. Welcome, everyone.”

Bruhl and his parents sat down next to Max’s mum, and Bruhl glared at him. His nose was speckled with red and purple bruising, and a tad swollen. Luke thought he looked hideous, which felt amazing. He flipped Bruhl off.

Bruhl flipped him off in response and then his gaze flickered over to Sirius. His mouth fell open and he inspected him head to toe. His dad was wearing a short sleeved shirt, showing off his heavily tattooed arms. Brett’s gaze landed on his ear and eyebrow piercings, scowling.

“What’s your problem, Bruhl?” Luke spat. “Don’t stare at my dad like that.”

“THAT’S your other dad?” Bruhl snapped his head toward Luke and scoffed. “But he’s so…manly.”

“Shut up, arsehole,” Luke barked.

Dadfoot glanced him up and down. “You’re like eleven, aren’t you?”

Bruhl just rolled his eyes and turned away. His dad scowled at Sirius.

“Don’t address my son like that.”

“Thank you all so much for coming on such short notice,” Dumbledore said casually, brushing past the entire interaction.

“Oh it was no problem at all,” Dadfoot said proudly, and Moony elbowed him. Was something going on Luke didn’t know about?

“I wanted to immediately speak to you about the nature of what happened last night between these boys.”

“Lupin-Black, Patasola, Potter, explain what you did to poor Mr. Bruhl,” Mcgonagall scolded.

Luke groaned. “I used a simple spell you can easily find in a book carried at the school library to mildly inconvenience Bruhl. He bunked it all up by being a clumsy buffoon.”

“You broke my nose, freak!” Bruhl screamed. “You’re lucky Pomfrey’s competent at her job!”

“Broke his NOSE? What the hell happened?!” Moony gestured emphatically with his hands.

“He was saying horrible, homophobic stuff! You just heard him, he called me a freak!”

“YOU PHYSICALLY HARASSED ME!” Bruhl spat loudly.

“I PUT KETCHUP ON YOUR HANDS, DIMWIT!” Luke said louder.

“Okay, okay, let’s not fight boys,” Dumbledore spoke gently with his way of commanding the room, “we just want to understand what occurred. Mr. Potter, why don’t we start with you? What was your involvement with the hex?”

Harry’s face went blank and his eyes wide like he was a, well…stag in the headlights. ;) His dad nudged him with his knee, and Harry cleared his throat.

“I—” his voice cracked. It had grown slightly deeper over the summer and Luke always teased Harry when it cracked like that. But at that moment it felt inappropriate.

“Luke wanted Bruhl to stop messing with him, and I helped him because I’ll always defend him. So we brainstormed and worked on it together.”

“Oh? And would you say mischief has been managed?” Dumbledore said curiously with a bit of snark in his tone. Majority of the room went rigid.

“Professor,” Uncle Prongs said slowly, “what do you mean by that?”

“Oh nothing, I’m just trying to understand what funny business occurred,” Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye.

“Funny? You think this is funny? It’s unacceptable!” Bruhl’s mom shouted. “These boys need disciplinary action before they hurt someone else!”

“And what exactly was the spell the boys used?” Aunt Dot asked. Harry’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

“Manusicious Creatus Solanum Lycopersicum,” Dumbledore enunciated. “As Luke mentioned, the spell causes the receiver’s hands to produce an uncontrollable substance, in this case, ketchup.”

“Now hold on,” Dadfoot barked, “but it sounds like the boys were just attempting harmless fun and things got out of hand. Give ‘em a detention if you like, but they’ve learned a lesson about messing with magic, haven’t they?”

Moony exhaled softly and pinched his nose. “Excuse my partner, Mr. and Mrs. Bruhl, he’s delusional about reality. Albus, the boys will accept whatever punishment you see fit.”

“How do you know my son is involved?” said Max’s mum. “They didn’t say his name. Isn’t Luke the one who cast the spell?”

“Mum!” Max shrieked. “Don’t be rude!”

“Well everyone in the hall DID see you holding your wand after the fact, Mr. Lupin-Black,” said Slughorn.

“Yeah, I did it, you want me to say sorry? Fine, I’m sorry Brett, that you tripped on your own robes, and the thought of two men snogging is too much for your pea brain to handle.”

The energy in the room shifted, and Luke sat up. "That's right, Bruhl's spent the whole first week saying a bunch of homophobic shit about my family!"

"And that will be punished momentarily," said Mcgonagall, "but there is no excuse for encouraging harm against another student."

"Well I would gladly do it again, except next time I'd punch him myself!"

“LUKE!” Mcgonagall huffed. “Your behavior is reprehensible! You..." she scowled, "you are not allowed to try out for quidditch this year!”

“WHAT?!” Luke, Harry, Dadfoot, and Uncle Prongs all shrieked.

“The way you’re acting I should ban you for your entire career at Hogwarts,” Mcgonagall pursed her lips, “to give you a punishment that may cause you to sit and think about your actions.”

“Now come on Minerva, let’s be civil here!” Dadfoot clapped his hands together and pleaded.

“Sirius, get your hands out of my face. Do you have a better idea to discipline your son’s violence?”

“Yeah, detention for a week, not this bloody draconian bullshit!”

“Sirius!” Moony screeched.

“Remus!” Sirius yelled back.

“What about these two? His little posse?” Bruhl said smugly, flicking his finger arrogantly at Max and Harry, whose fists curled tighter against his armchair.

“I think removal of Potter from the quidditch team is only fair,” said Dumbledore. “As for Patasola, it seems as though he will have to be taken off of choir, as that is his extracurricular.”

Harry and Uncle Prongs looked like they were gonna be sick. Prongs shook Moony’s arm. “Remus, can’t you do something?!”

The line between his dad’s eyebrows that signaled he was thinking hard creased, and he rubbed his shoulder, which he did sometimes when…oh fuck. In anticipation of the prank, Luke had totally forgotten that today was the full moon, something he’d vowed never to do after he found out. He had put his dad through this hassle when he was already dealing with enough?

“Er….” his dad looked uneasily from Uncle Prongs to Mcgonagall. “I mean, Minerva, that’s a little unreasonable. They were protecting themselves, and made a mistake, er...” he gulped.

“Luke won’t even apologize!” Bruhl said loudly, and Max winced. “Miss, this is clearly privilege for being a professor’s kid!”

“Shut up!” screamed Luke. “Just shut up! I’m not getting special treatment, how thick are you?! YOU should be apologizing to my dad for all the hateful shit you’ve been saying.” Luke whipped toward Dumbledore. “Everyone’s been awful since they found out, why aren’t you punishing HIM?”

Bruhl leaned back and shrank ever so slightly in his seat. Dumbledore frowned.

“Remus,” he said slowly, “is that correct? Have students been harassing you about the nature of your relationship?”

Everyone turned toward his dad, who was rubbing his temple, looking exhausted. Dadfoot clutched his hand.

“Babe? You didn’t tell me.”

“There’s nothing to tell,” Moony sighed, avoiding anyone’s gaze, “the kids haven’t been HARASSING me. They’ve just been…curious. It’s fine, they’ve likely never met a gay person before, that they know of at least,” he glanced quickly at Dumbledore. “It's going to be an adjustment, and it's for me to deal with, not my son—”

“Moo-REMUS!” Dadfoot groaned and scrubbed his face. “What’s wrong with you?! That’s not okay, don’t justify it!”

“So let me get this straight,” Aunt Dot suddenly interjected, her finger wagging at Dumbledore and Mcgonagall. Oh godric, Luke had been on the other side of that finger so many times, and the scolding that came after was never pretty.

“You’re going to give these boys a severe punishment for a prank that got out of hand,” she gestured to Harry, Luke, and Max, “but not going to punish Brett for his homophobic rhetoric? That’s not right, Albus.”

“You are in no position to persuade the headmaster,” Bruhl’s mom snapped at her, “our child’s nose was broken because of your sons’ recklessness, and frankly, we find it unacceptable that a professor is open about his homosexuality. It’s dangerous for the students to be exposed to that kind of depraved lifestyle—”

“You’re fucking dead!!” Dadfoot stood so quickly that his chair crashed loudly to the floor, making Max jump. Dadfoot lunged at the Bruhls and was almost able to swing at them before Uncle Prongs pulled him back.

“Dad stop! Let him hit them!” Harry shrieked. Max started crying. Bruhl and his parents were sneering at Dadfoot who was cursing them out, with Uncle Prongs too, Mr. Bruhl raising his wand and hissing insults back. Lily, Moony, and Max’s mum were overlapping each other as they spoke quickly to Mcgonagall, Max’s mum still trying to explain why her son wasn’t at fault. Luke just watched the chaos in shock.

“SILENCE!” Dumbledore boomed, and the room went quiet. Dadfoot and Uncle Prongs slowly resumed their seats while still red in the face, Dadfoot picking his chair up and resuming his seat obediently.

“Clearly there is quite a bit of conflict here. I am going to take 30 points from Gryffindor for conducting the prank, and 50 points from Slytherin for prejudiced speech.”

“WHAT?!” Bruhl screeched, and Dumbledore lifted his hand to quiet him.

“And,” he added, “neither Mr. Bruhl or Mr. Lupin-Black will be able to try out for quidditch this year. They will be eligible to join the team next fall term, if they wish.”

Dadfoot huffed loudly, but said nothing.

“As he was only assisting Mr. Lupin-Black in the prank, Mr. Potter will be benched for the fall term, but will be able to rejoin after Christmas break. His teammate Ms. Patel can take over the role of Seeker for the time being.”

Harry held his head in his hands and his parents rubbed his back. Luke felt so guilty, he had to look away.

“Similarly, Mr. Patasola is to be taken out of choir until the spring term, as he was only an accomplice as well. Finally,” Dumbledore cleared his throat, “Mr. Lupin-Black and Mr. Bruhl will have detentions together for six weeks, of which I will let Mr. Filch coordinate.”

“I am NOT spending time with that homophobe!” Luke pointed his finger at Bruhl. “I don’t feel safe!”

“I don’t feel safe with HIM!” Bruhl sneered back. “He actively sought out a spell to harm me!”

“It’s important that we spend time with those who are different from us, in order to learn from one another’s perspectives,” was all Dumbledore said. “You are all dismissed. Thank you for coming, and enjoy the rest of your weekend.”

“Yeah right,” Luke heard Dadfoot mutter under his breath. Everyone but Dumbledore and Mcgonagall stood and ushered out of the room. Bruhl followed his parents as they immediately took off after Slughorn, demanding harsher punishment for the Gryffindors. Bruhl turned back to sneer at Luke, who gave him a crude gesture.

Dadfoot and Moony were the last to exit, and Dadfoot shoved Moony out the door forcefully. “Forgot your spine at the bloody flat, eh? The hell is wrong with you, huh? You're gonna let students get away with spewing some hateful shit, that's really the example you wanna lead?”

“I just want to keep my damn job, Padfoot. Did you forget this is Hogwarts?!” Moony said just as sharply. “Did you expect the archaic wizarding world to ACCEPT me?!”

“But Moony, saying nothing just encourages them!” Uncle Prongs frowned.

“Can’t believe our ten year old son is braver than you,” Dadfoot sneered.

“Well I can believe you’re encouraging him to break another student’s nose! You’re an adult Sirius, you can’t just go around causing mischief anymore!”

“But that brat deserved it!”

“Oh that’s brilliant, I wonder where our son got the idea from!”

“Well it’s better than YOUR influence to be a pathetic bystander!”

“Shut the fuck up!”

Dadfoot huffed. “I’m not going to fight with you today,” he said ominously, glaring at Moony, “but know that I want to punch you in your fucking face.”

“Do it, bitch,” Moony growled. Their faces were an inch from each other, and Luke didn’t like it at all. His parents rarely, rarely fought, nothing beyond what they wanted to watch on TV. And now they were doing it because of him?

“What is going on with you two?!” Aunt Lily jumped in between them and shoved them both backward. “Acting like bloody idiots. You need to figure out what exactly you’re arguing about. Go home, and…” she tapered off, suddenly scowling as she looked between them.

“What? What is it?” asked Luke. Moony sighed and put his hand on his shoulder.

“Luke, let’s go to my office.”

They headed down the corridor away from Harry and his parents, and Luke waved at them sheepishly. What the fuck was happening?

The three of them moved slowly, keeping pace with Moony’s stiff leg. “Daddy, do you hate me?” Luke tugged on his dad’s shirt. Moony shook his head.

“Of course not, sweetie, and I owe you an apology. I'm sorry I didn't stand up for you in there, I--I just panicked. Brett shouldn't have gotten hurt, but I understand your frustration. I thought we had this conversation, you can't fight hate with hate.”

“I know,” Luke said quietly. No one spoke for a few minutes.

“How are you liking school so far, bubs?” Dadfoot squeezed his shoulder. “Other than the Slytherins, of course. Your classes? The food? Your friend seemed nice.”

“Y-yeah, he is nice, he’s called Max. Kind of scared about everything, but I like it.”

Dadfoot chuckled. “You’ll corrupt him soon enough, don’t worry.”

“Sirius,” Moony said sternly, “OUR conversation is far from over.”

Luke noticed his own hands were shaking.

Eventually they arrived at the office, and his dad unlocked the door and let them in. Dadfoot led him to the bedroom while Moony gathered teacups.

“I haven’t been in here yet,” Luke said as they climbed onto the bed, sloshing around on the mattress, as there was nowhere else to sit. He admired the family photos on the walls, and the painting that Aunt Lily had gifted his dad hanging above the bed.

“Cool yeah? Still can’t believe Daddy’s a fancy-shmancy Hogwarts professor now. I miss the days we all lived together in London.”

“Yeah, me too,” Luke said, biting his tongue to hold back the emotion creeping up his throat. His heart was racing.

Moony entered with three cups of tea and passed them out, joining them on the mattress.

“Sweetheart, Dadfoot and I want to share a new development with you,” said Moony, sharing a brief look with Dadfoot. Luke couldn’t stand it any longer, his shame bubbling up inside him. His lower lip trembled and the tears finally poured.

“I’m so sorry!” he bellowed. His dads blanched.

“Honeybee, what’s wrong!” Dadfoot shrieked.

“I’m so sorry,” he repeated, cradling his head in his hands, “I did wanna hurt Bruhl, I said I didn’t but I did, because he said such awful things about you, and I wanted to hurt him for hurting you, and I was so embarrassed, which I’m so ashamed about,” he shuddered, “because I was thinking about myself when I should’ve only been thinking about you, and Gryffindors are supposed to be brave and I wasn’t, and I’ve ruined everything by embarrassing you even further in front of Dumbledore, and now you’re fighting and breaking up and we’ll be more separated than we already are and it’s all because of me—”

“Whoa whoa whoa,” Moony clutched his arm gently, “baby, take a breath, okay? Just slow down for a second. What makes you think Dadfoot and I are breaking up?”

Luke hyperventilated, clutching his chest, his dads rubbing his back. His breathing eventually slowed down, and he wiped his eyes. When he looked up at them, their images still blurry, they were staring at him with frantic eyes.

“You were arguing outside of Mcgonagall’s office, and now you’re saying you have news to tell me…and I know you’re disappointed in me for what I did, and it’s torn you apart, and I’m just…so…ashamed. I ruined everything.”

Moony blew out air heavily, causing the curls on his forehead to fly up. “Luke, you remember what I said earlier this week? You could never disappoint us, not in the future and not today.”

Luke wiped his nose with his hand. “But…but you were so mad at each other. All because of me.”

“We were just frustrated,” Dadfoot tucked a curl behind Luke’s ear, “because we have different opinions sometimes. But Daddy’s right, we could never be disappointed in you, even when mistakes happen. That’s just a part of life, baby. But we’ll always support you, no matter what.”

“Exactly,” Moony smiled, “and Dadfoot and I aren’t breaking up. We bicker sometimes, but that’s what you do when you love someone.” He caressed Luke’s face. “The three of us will always be together, you couldn’t get rid of us if you tried.”

Luke sniffled. “Really?”

“Really,” his dads said in unison. They smiled at each other and Moony put his arm around Dadfoot.

“We wanted to tell you that Dadfoot is going to be living in the castle with me.”

“What?! Since when?!”

“I brought my stuff last night,” Dadfoot grinned. “Took some time to convince Daddy, but I used my boyish charm. Obviously nobody can know about this, except Harry I suppose, because James and Lily know. But Daddy and I aren’t gonna be apart anymore, and you can hang out with us in here as much as you want, although we want to make sure you’re getting the proper Hogwarts experience—”

Luke cut him off, jumping forward and pulling both his dads into a bear hug. He spilled their tea all over the cream colored sheets, but he didn’t care. They were bloody wizards, for god’s sake.

“We get to be reunited again? Really?” he whispered.

“Yep,” Dadfoot kissed his cheek, “told you I’d figure it out, eh?”

…

6:40 pm

Luke headed back to the Gryffindor dorms, only getting minimally lost. He had spent the rest of the day with his dads, but Moony fell more ill, so Luke got out of their way so he could rest. It’s not like he wanted to spend all his time solely with his dads, and never make new friends…but he was just so used to being with them. He was deeply relieved that Dadfoot was going to live in the castle with Moony; he knew they were lonely without one another. He still felt uneasy after the events of the day, unable to defend himself and his friends.

Luke came through the portrait and entered the common room, which was rather busy. Students lounged amongst the cozy couches and chairs, playing games and gossiping. A few students were curled over their parchment, but the homework was light during the first week. Luke hadn’t even looked at his assignments yet; surely that’s what Sundays were for, wasn’t it?

He approached Harry, who was sitting near the window on a plush red pillow. His knees were tucked into his chest as he stared up at the moon rising in the sky. Luke sat next to him on another pillow, crossing his legs.

“Hey,” he said softly. Harry squeaked, frightened, and seeing Luke, adjusted his glasses.

“Merlin, LB, you scared me. You and your dainty little footsteps snuck up on me.”

“Shut up, you’re the one with girly little hands.”

Harry rolled his eyes, though smirking. “You know, you’re gonna need to stop saying that stuff if you don’t want to get a reputation as a misogynist.”

Luke shrugged, not wanting to give Harry the satisfaction of being right, though he was. Everybody at school probably hated him already, after breaking Bruhl’s stupid nose, he didn’t need to look like a twat even more. He was just so angry that things were falling out of his control. He tried to think about something else, turning his gaze toward the moon. It was plump and unobscured in the sky, spilling bright light onto the castle, shimmering on the lake. To someone else, it would be a beautiful sight. But Luke hated when the moon was full. The potion was decent, but would there ever be a cure?

“I’m thinking about him too,” said Harry, breaking Luke out of his fog. He blinked and found Harry looking knowingly at him. “Was he doing okay?”

“Yeah, just peaky, nothing worse than normal,” Luke said grimly, shaking his head, “I left right when he was taking his potion, which looks pretty disgusting. I feel so bad. I can’t believe I stressed him out today, when he wasn’t feeling well. I really messed everything up.”

“Hey mates, what’s up?” Max appeared, and Luke quickly stopped talking. He hoped Max hadn’t heard any of what he’d just said. As his friend took a seat beside them, his gaze flicked nervously between Luke and Harry.

“Is everything ok?”

“Yeah,” Luke gulped, ashamed to say what was next but knowing he needed to. “I’m so sorry I got you kicked off the team, and you off choir. They meant a lot to you two and I’m such an arsehole.”

Harry frowned for a moment, looking down, but his eyes flicked back up and his lips curled up. “It’s not your fault. You didn’t force me to go through with it, I could’ve done the counterjinx too. But I don’t like Bruhl either.”

“Yeah, he’s a tremendous arse,” Max shrugged. “You can’t join quidditch for a whole year, but Harry and I only have to wait until the new year.”

“It was worth it,” Harry nodded, “I hate seeing pretentious pureblood Slytherins strut around here like bloody peacocks,” Harry rolled his eyes. “Malfoy’s a massive prat too and now Bruhl’s just joined him. But now I’ve got you two, and we’ll make them stop.”

“Yeah? You don’t hate me?”

“Of course I don’t, I love you…because I’m making you do all my homework for the next month.”

“MONTH?!”

“Yup. And a word of advice, Mcgonagall likes her parchment loooooo–”

“LUKE LUPIN-BLACK!”

Luke whipped around and jumped at the sound of a loud, shrill scream. Hermione stood in front of him, hands on her hips and fuming.

“Don’t you have something to say?!” she spat, glaring down at him. Luke felt incredibly small and sat up, though he was still on the ground.

“Er…happy birthday?”

Hermione laughed humorlessly. “Nope, that’s on the 19th.”

“Really? I’m the fifteenth; we should have a split party!”

“Don’t know if I’ll be in the mood,” Hermione stomped her foot, “you owe me an apology! I told you not to use that spell or someone would get hurt—and look what happened! Poor Breht broke his nose!”

“POOR BRETT?” Luke couldn’t help but raise his voice, “Madam Pomfrey literally fixed his nose in a single second. I’m sick of hearing this, HE DESERVED IT!”

Students started to gather around, and Luke sighed and stood up. He was so sick of having everyone’s attention. “I’m sorry for doing it Hermione. Okay? We done now?”

Hermione opened her mouth to refute, then pursed her lips, furrowing her brow at him. Finally she breathed a harsh sigh and shook her head, frizzy hair shaking.

“Wow, how genuine of you, thanks. Just don’t do something so stupid again, and keep me out of it. In fact, why don’t you just leave me alone completely.”

The crowd oohed, and Luke’s cheeks prickled with hot embarrassment. “Sure.”

He stomped off to his room and slammed the door shut, shaking it in its frame. He stomped heavily on the ascending staircase and entered his dorm loudly.

“Oi! Can you quiet down,” a boy said from his mattress two beds over from Luke’s, hunched over a book. His name was John Henry, and he was a muggleborn from Cornwall; his mum was a midwife and his dad worked in advertising. Luke only knew all this because John Henry loved to chatter on and Luke was forced to overhear. As the other boy punctuated his book with a slip of paper and laid it on his bedside table, Luke tried not to audibly groan. Would this day ever end?

“Did Dumbledore give you a bad punishment?” he asked plainly. John Henry had a closely shaven blonde buzzcut and big eyes with thick eyelashes. With his skinny frame, Luke humored himself with the thought of him as a fashion model in Aunt Mary’s magazine.

“Mcgonagall banned me from quidditch for the year. Shame too, because I’d be the best beater they’ve got.”

“I’ll stop you there, I don’t know nuts about quidditch,” John Henry played with the hem on his bed curtains, “Bruhl deserved it, though.”

“Thanks, John Henry.”

With that, Luke got ready for bed and tugged the curtains tightly closed, shutting out John Henry’s checker game with their other roommate Tim. Luke was so humiliated from the past day’s course of events, he hoped he’d never have to leave his bed again.

Chapter Text

September moved around Luke quickly, and he was just trying to keep up. Even though he wasn’t playing quidditch, he had plenty of obligations to truck through.

First, there was homework. Luckily Harry had been kidding about making Luke do his homework for a month (or maybe he had been serious, until he got a look at Luke’s abysmal handwriting). Luke was struggling with his own assignments. The content was much more dense and difficult for him than he’d been expecting. He was too embarrassed to admit to his professors that he needed help, so he just fell more behind. His professors tried to give him detention for the missing assignments, but just admitted defeat after Luke explained that he was already in detention every single day. He eventually realized that in the rare moments he did attempt his homework, he couldn’t get very far, because of the sore calluses on his hands from detention.

He was stuck with Bruhl’s stupid face every day of the week for the three hours between lessons and dinner, and Filch sent them all over the castle on odd jobs. Sometimes they polished the large case of trophies, which was tedious, but simple enough; other days they chiseled chewing gum from under the desks, which spoiled his appetite. Luke’s least favorite punishment was cleaning the owlery; they had to get on their hands and knees and scrub the filthy shit off the floor with nothing but soap and lukewarm water. Luke was close to vomiting whenever he was tasked with the disgusting job, and one time, he actually did, which Bruhl would probably never let him live down.

On Friday evening, they were at the Ravenclaw trophies again. Filch had forced them to come back even though they had polished them the day before. The groundskeeper claimed that they hadn’t done a good enough job, and wouldn’t allow them to leave until the whole wall was ‘sparkling like diamonds.’ Luke’s hands burned from the friction against his already torn and bruised skin.

“This can’t be legal,” Luke groaned, cringing at the annoying squeaking noise as he rubbed the glass with a cloth, “we’re just first years. You’re a pureblood, you probably read every Ministry law to fall asleep; this can’t be allowed, can it?”

“That’s hilarious that you think I want to talk to you,” Bruhl snapped, polishing the trophies on the other half of the shelves. “I hate you. It’s your fault I’m forced into this awful detention. My father WILL hear about this.”

“I don’t know why I even tried,” Luke spat, “you’re such an arrogant git. YOU earned this for what you said, don’t think I forgot…”

“Well we both know you can’t get back at me, not with Filch, Mcgonagall, Slughorn, AND Dumbledore watching you closely,” Bruhl’s face scrunched up in a mocking grin. Luke seethed, knowing he was right. He scrubbed the glass even harder, wishing it was Bruhl’s face.

“You’re gonna break the glass with that grip, idiot,” Bruhl sneered. “Here, switch with me and do the trophies. I don’t need Filch forcing us to sweep up glass.”

Luke and Bruhl shuffled sideways to switch spots. Luke blinked at the shelves of gold, silver, and bronze trophies staring back at him from rows and rows up to the ceiling. They looked plenty clean already to HIM.

He took a deep sigh and reached for a random silver trophy. He didn’t usually look at their engravings, wanting to just be done as fast as possible and get to the Great Hall for dinner. But this one caught his eye.

LUPIN

Luke nearly dropped it, and quickly clutched it deeper into his palm. Hadn’t his dad been a Gryffindor, not a Ravenclaw? He turned the cup to read the rest of its markings.

LYALL LUPIN

His breath caught in his chest and he stared at the name for a long time, frozen in shock. Was this his grandfather? He was so desperate to know more about his parents’ upbringing, ever since Moony had mentioned that Dadfoot was the first in his family not to be sorted into Slytherin. Where had they come from? What were their families like? Why had Luke never met any of them? Where were they? Were they all…dead? Or worse, did they refuse to speak to each other?

Luke was so swept away in his thoughts, he didn’t even hear the footsteps approaching until he got shoved roughly into the trophy case. He wasn’t able to read the rest of the engraving before his teeth slammed against the glass and he tasted blood in his mouth.

It took a moment for his head to stop spinning and he was able to turn on his heel and see who pushed him. His mouth ached, but he ignored it. He found himself face to face with Bruhl’s four nasty, hideous friends: Malfoy, Zabini, Crabbe, and Goyle.

“What’s the matter, Loser Lupin-Black?” Malfoy grinned, glaring at him. “Didn’t see us coming? We don’t need to get you a pair of glasses like Potter, do we?” His slicked-back platinum blonde hair was so bright, Luke could see the reflection of the trophies on it.

“Wowww, I’m soooo intimidated, you think I should get glasses?” Luke rolled his eyes. “I’m quaking in my boots.”

Malfoy huffed. “Whatever, freak. You think you’re so tough, but you have your daddy watching over your every move.” He stepped forward and got so close to Luke’s face that their noses nearly grazed. “How dare you claim the noble name of Black. My mother is a Black, and for you to bear that name as if you’re not just a mutt off the street is unacceptable. You and your fake little family better watch out.”

Luke stared blankly back at Malfoy. Then he purposely sneezed in his face, causing the blondie to stumble backward and scream. His friends gathered around Malfoy, helping him to his feet.

“You can clean the rest of this up, freak. And try not to throw up again,” Bruhl threw his rag to the ground and sauntered down the hall with his friends, all laughing and cooing with each other. Luke sighed, resting his forehead on the glass and closing his eyes for a moment. He tried to hold it back, but his eyes suddenly stung and tears slipped down his freckled cheeks. They were being so cruel, calling his family fake.

“Luke?” a soft voice chirped beside him.

Luke sniffled and quickly wiped his face. When he finally managed to blink all the tears from his eyes, Ginny was standing beside him, frowning.

“Ginny,” Luke warbled, cheeks hot with embarrassment. He tried to avoid her gaze, knowing his face would give away his crying. “S-sorry, I didn’t know you were there.”

“I was just walking back from the library. You alright?” She placed a hand on his arm. Luke finally met her gaze. She was so pretty, with bright orange hair and brown eyes that twinkled at him with concern and care. She was smiling softly at him, as if she was frightened he might burst into a full-on meltdown if she wasn’t careful. And Luke wasn’t so sure he wouldn’t.

“Yeah, I just…you didn’t see the whole altercation I just had with the Slytherins, right? It was pretty humiliating.”

“No, I didn’t. But they’re the worst. You have no need to feel humiliated,” she squeezed his arm. Luke bit his lip, and started to cry again. He quickly turned away, but Ginny just squeezed him tighter.

“I’m sorry Ginny,” Luke hiccuped, “Bruhl and his gang just, well, they keep saying my family isn’t real, and I guess it hurt my feelings more than I thought.”

“Whoa,” Ginny’s gaze was fierce, “don’t let those rotten boys get into your head. You have a unique experience, but it doesn’t mean it’s abnormal. Family doesn’t equal blood. I mean, I feel bad for Bruhl, honestly. Your parents chose you, but his poor mum and dad got stuck with him.”

Luke laughed, and wiped his eyes for a final time. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Thanks, Ginny.”

“Of course. And don’t feel bad for crying, okay? You can be yourself around me,” she smiled, “I know everyone thinks crying is so girly, but that’s not a bad thing. Being a girl means being awesome.”

“Yeah, you’re pretty wicked,” Luke grinned sheepishly, blushing. “Thanks for being such a good mate. I know you’re right, I don't know what got into me…”

He glanced at the trophy case. “I just wish I wasn’t completely clueless about where they came from. Look at this.”

Luke plucked the trophy from where it had fallen on the ground and held it for him and Ginny to read.

LYALL LUPIN
Hogwarts Duelling Champion, 1946

Luke scowled. After all that, there was hardly any information at all.

“Oh,” Ginny said cautiously, “is that your grandfather?”

“Probably, I don’t know. My dad’s never mentioned any grandparents.”

“Hmm,” Ginny shrugged, “that’s odd. Sounds like something you might wanna bring up with him.”

“Yeah,” Luke chuckled. “Hey, do you want to go to dinner? These trophies are clean enough.”

“Sure! What restaurant? I’m craving Brazilian.”

“Oh, er…well…”

Her nose crinkled as she laughed, which made Luke’s stomach do a very odd flipping sensation. “I’m just kidding, LB. Don’t tell me you’re as thick as Ron, I don’t think I could take it.”

As they walked side by side toward the Great Hall, Luke realized he felt much better than he had in days.

Luke enjoyed dinner with Ginny, Ron, Harry, and Max. Hermione was still furious with Luke, so she sat on the opposite end of the table, joined by Neville and Luna. Luke knew he deserved it. He had hurt Hermione’s feelings by refusing to say sorry, and he knew he needed to properly apologize soon. He just felt too ashamed, and as the days went by, the self-disgust only burrowed deeper in his gut and made it more difficult to approach her. He also felt awful for breaking up Harry’s friend group, when they had been so kind to absorb him and Max.

After dinner, Luke wrapped two dozen brownies in a napkin and shuffled out of the hall, telling his friends he wanted to eat them all in bed. He walked to his dad’s office and knocked once on the door. In half a second, he was greeted by his dad’s beaming face.

“Hi honey! Come in!” Moony gave him a kiss on the top of the head as Luke brushed past him and entered the small bedroom. “Oh my, I smell chocolate…you didn’t bring BROWNIES, did you???”

“Yup, triple fudge,” he unveiled the goodies after settling onto the bed. “I knew they’d make you both go mental.”

“It’s very important that we eat these ourselves, before Dadfoot gets out of the shower,” Moony smirked wickedly as he sat beside Luke.

“How are classes?” Moony asked, helping himself to two brownies at once. Luke watched him devour them, awestruck, before remembering to respond.

“Oh, fine. Potions is cool, even though I have it with the stupid Slytherins. And I like herbology too, though Professor Sprout screams a lot.”

“Yeah, she’s like that, don’t take it personally,” Moony said. He hummed with delight as he sucked the crumbs off his fingers. “I think these call for some milk. Be right back, bubs.”

Moony padded into his office and Luke could hear him rifle through his tea set. At the same time, Dadfoot emerged from the bathroom, releasing floral-smelling steam into the room. His bare chest was spackled with wet drops, and he wore a towel wrapped around his waist as he leaned forward and rubbed his hair with another. When he straightened up, his face erupted in a grin.

“Hi, sweetheart! Ooh, there's still chocolate left for me in Daddy's wake? I'm shocked!"

Dadfoot hurried to his dresser and slipped on a pair of sweatpants and a shirt before sitting with Luke on the bed.

“How’s living in this tiny room without the ability to enter the castle treating you?” Luke asked, nibbling on a brownie.

Dadfoot shrugged, eating his own. “Well Daddy will tell you that I’m going what he calls ‘deliriously stir-crazy,’ but he doesn’t know what he’s talking about, I’m fine. I love being trapped in these four walls! Right guys?” He pointed at the blank wall across from them. “Thank Merlin that I use the floo to get out and go to work, that’s all I’ll say.”

“Sorry that you’re going crazy,” said Luke.

“I’m not!”

“Oh yes you definitely are,” Moony reentered and handed out three cups of hot milk to everyone, “somehow you’re even more ridiculous than usual. Just last night you started using baby talk with your hairbrush? Remember?”

“I was just thanking it for its ability to coiff and volumize,” Dadfoot huffed, “it’s called practicing gratitude.”

Luke chuckled, pleased to be laughing and relaxing with his favourite people, just like before he and Moony came to Hogwarts. He felt so safe with his dads. Malfoy’s words from earlier were almost completely gone from his head.

“So, Luke…are detentions going okay?” Moony asked, which brought everything back to the surface with a vengeance. Luke frowned and fidgeted with the edge of the comforter.

“Yeah, it’s all good,” he said softly. He wouldn’t dare complain about detention to his dads, when he knew that he deserved them in the first place. There were many things that he wasn’t interested in sharing with them. The fact that he was actually behind in all of his classes because of detention and a lack of motivation to do the homework. How painfully sore his hands were from cleaning. What Malfoy had said earlier about Luke not deserving to be a Black. The trophy with Lyall Lupin’s name on it. He WANTED to spill everything, especially the latter, but was suddenly too timid. He tugged on his robe sleeves to cover his callused hands.

His dads seemed to notice Luke draw in, because Moony cleared his throat. “It’ll be over soon, don’t worry bubs. Detention is a rite of passage.”

Dadfoot leaned forward and shook Luke’s knee eagerly. “Don’t let it get you down, there are so many exciting things about to happen! I can think of one…it’s a very special someone’s birthday in four short days…and we can’t wait to celebrate!”

Luke smiled. He would be eleven in four days, and finally would be the correct age to be at Hogwarts. Nobody beyond Harry’s friends had found out about that, which was a miracle, considering how gossip spread like smallpox in this bloody castle. Luke was still occasionally cornered by a student with annoying questions and comments about having two dads, but things had luckily simmered.

“How do you want to celebrate, bubs? I’m sure you’ll have a party in the common room another year, but I don’t think the Gryffindors would approve of hosting one for a first year,” Moony put his arm around Dadfoot, “plus, your nerdy dads want to be with you this time around. You’re still our baby, and we want you to ourselves as long as possible.”

“Dad…” Luke rolled his eyes but couldn’t help from blushing. “I don’t want anything too big. Maybe we could just have a picnic by the lake. Us and Max and Harry, and Harry’s friends, if they wanna come. Oh, and will you invite all the Potters?”

“Sounds absolutely splendid,” Dadfoot saluted. “Prepare for the most radical picnic of all time!”

Luke spent the rest of the night laughing and snacking with his dads before sneaking back to his dorm just before curfew. He was giddy, full of chocolate and milk, and excited for his birthday. But there was a lot he needed to do before then…attempt some homework, possibly…confront Moony about his father, most definitely…

But over the weekend, he did neither of those things. Instead he hung out with Harry in the bleachers, watching and commentating the quidditch practice so they’d be ready to join the team when their bans ended. He also explored the castle grounds with Max, seeing what they could uncover without using the map, and fed the giant squid some sardines they had fetched from the kitchens. They wanted the squid to be their ally, in case they ever needed to ask for a favor. When Max ushered them back to the common room to do homework, Luke tried, but he just couldn’t focus, unsure where to even start. He felt stupid asking Max for help, so he just tucked it away and read a Zonko’s catalog instead.

On Sunday night, Harry and his friends poured into the common room while Luke and Max sat by the fire. Max was answering ten questions on the basic transfiguration alphabet and formula, while Luke idly flipped through a DADA book.

“Evening, mates,” Harry chirped, approaching them and shrugging off his coat, “what are you up to?”

“Nothing,” said Luke before Max could respond. “Where were you?”

“Library. Right, ‘mione?” Harry called out to Hermione as she swiftly settled into a chair by the window. She ignored him and pulled out a book. Harry frowned and let his gaze fall to his shoes.

“Just apologize to her,” he whisper-hissed, and Luke groaned.

“I want to! But she said she doesn’t want to talk to me again,” Luke whispered back.

“But she said that in the heat of the moment, she didn’t mean it! You can fix it!”

“Excuse me,” said Hermione, who suddenly popped up right between the boys. “Can you please not talk about a girl’s emotions and what she does or doesn’t mean? Harry, seriously! I didn’t expect this from you. But you,”

She pointed at Luke,

“I guess I should have predicted it.”

“‘Mione–” Luke started.

“HERmione to you,” she retorted.

“Hermione Granger, born on the 19th of September…I want to apologize for the way I acted and how I made you feel.”

“So it’s my fault for feeling how I felt?”

“Huh??”

“Is that supposed to be your apology?”

“Er, yes, I’m sorry. I won’t do stupid magic like that again, promise.”

Hermione stared at him for a moment then shrugged. “I guess I forgive you. But please know that that was an awful apology. You’re going to need to get much better at those, you may even need lessons.”

Luke rubbed his eyes. What was she on about? “Okay, well, sorry that was a bad apology. It’s okay if you’re still mad, but I just wanted to say I’m sorry and I’d really like if you came to my birthday on Tuesday,” he said meekly. Hermione laughed drily as he turned to Harry, Ron, Neville, Hermione, Luna, and Ginny.

“I’d really like you all to come!”

They all smiled wide.

“Of course we’ll be there!” said Luna, twirling a beaded tendril around her finger.

“Thanks. It’s not gonna be anything fancy, it’ll just be me, my family, and you mates. What would you like to eat?”

“Whatever you want to eat. Everyone should serve their FAVORITE foods on their birthday!” said Neville. “At least, that’s a tradition my mum and dad and I have.”

“Okay, I’ll have to think of my favorite things…”

Tuesday 15/09/1992

Luke had a pep in his step all day, starting at breakfast, when Harry attacked him with hugs and plates of food. He devoured dozens of hash browns, pancakes, and sausages. Feeling so stuffed he may yerk, he sat through astronomy (nearly falling asleep), charms, and herbology. He and Max played games and whispered to each other throughout their classes, not caring that they were pissing off everyone around them. It was HIS special day!

After lunch, he and Max were full of energy and ditched half of history to run around in the grass, just because they could. But they knew they couldn’t miss any of Transfiguration, their final class of the day. Then he actually DID fall asleep, and didn’t awaken until an incessant tapping noise ripped him out of sleep. Luke hazily realized it was Mcgonagall hunched over him closely.

“Luke?! What is the meaning of this?!”

She straightened up and released the collar of his robe that was wadded tightly in her grip.

“Luke, I am very concerned by your behavior. You haven’t turned in a single assignment. I know you’ve been busy with detentions, and adapting to new school life…but your studies are the most important component of attending Hogwarts. Now you’re falling asleep during class? Are you feeling ill?”

Luke blinked, trying to shake off his grogginess. “Er, I’m sorry, miss. I just…it’s…it’s hard for me? All the content, it gets jumbled in my brain with so many classes. I’m sorry, I’ll try harder.”

“Do you feel that there’s something in particular holding you back?”

“No…it’s just hard for me to ask for the help. I have trouble focusing in class, so I don’t hear what they say and I don’t take notes. And my handwriting is really bad, always has been, even in primary school.”

Mcgonagall frowned. “Well, we need to find a solution so you’re able to complete your work, and thrive in your studies. Your professors just want to support you anyway we-–”

“Look, miss,” he said quickly, “it’s actually my birthday, and so I was hoping to hop off and have a little party with my friends, and family, all that sort. My dads, Aunt Lily, Uncle James…now that I think about it, the guest list is only Gryffindors. Oh, except Luna Lovegood.”

“Right,” although she’d looked a bit peeved that he’d cut her off, Mcgonagall suddenly smiled warmly. “You have a very beautiful family, Luke. I remember when your fathers were in my class. So reckless and rowdy, or Sirius at least. But I was very proud of them, and even more proud of the men they have become. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t delighted that Remus is now my colleague.”

Luke wasn’t sure what she was expecting for his response, but luckily she sighed and continued. “I’ll speak with Mr. Filch, and you can miss your detention today, JUST today. And when it’s not your birthday, I’m going to give you another chance. Get your schoolwork in or we WILL be having an extensive conversation about catching you up. Am I clear?”

“Crystal,” Luke grinned, grabbing his bookbag (which had remained shut for the entire lesson) and hopping toward the door. “You’re the best! See ya, miss Mcgonagall!”

“You will refer to me as PROFESSOR, Luke.”

“Okay!” And with that he was gone.

Luke skipped to his room, dropped off his bag and then he and Max headed to the Great Lake from Gryffindor tower. They found Luke’s dads right on the edge of the lake, setting up a big checkered blanket.

“No peeking! It’s not ready yet!” Moony said frantically, tasking Max with keeping his hand over Luke’s eyes before casting the blanket with a silencing spell. Finally they set both boys free, and Luke opened his eyes and ears to,

“SURPRISE!!!”

Moony, Dadfoot, Uncle James and Aunt Lily, Evie, the triplets, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna were doing jazz hands, each grinning widely and wearing a red and gold striped party hat. Dadfoot held four year old Ruby Potter up to slip hats onto Luke and Max’s heads, then everyone embraced Luke in a flurry of hugs.

The feast was more spectacular than Luke ever could have imagined. All of his favorite foods were arranged on colorful trays; sausage rolls and cream cheese & cucumber sandwiches; macaroni and cheese; mashed potatoes and peas, drowned in gravy; buttered Hawaiian bread rolls; purple grapes and cherry tomatoes, an odd but delicious combination; sour cream and onion potato chips; red licorice; pickles; chocolate-dipped pretzels; and fizzing apple cider. Luke couldn’t believe the sight, and his dads laughed at the shocked look on his face.

“How did you even—how did you KNOW—this is too much!” he gasped breathlessly, “it’s too much food!”

“Do you know how much Evie can eat?!” Sienna squealed from her seat in James’ lap. Everyone laughed and took that as their cue to dig in, stacking their plates with radical combinations and heaps of food.

As they ate, knees and thighs overlapping all over each other, everyone mingled and cracked jokes. Harry properly introduced his friends to his family, and James, Dadfoot, Ron, Ginny, and Neville soon ended up in a passionate discussion about professional quidditch leagues. Meanwhile, Moony and Hermione were recommending Aunt Lily a fiction book they had just read together that she would probably like. Luke chatted with his friends and family (learning things like Evie was hugely obsessed with butterflies at the moment), and their laughter warmed the autumn air. They managed to clear each and every dish platter, then agreed they were so stuffed they’d likely never eat again; all for Moony to pull a massive cake out from behind his back.

“Vanilla ice cream, chocolate cake, and peanut butter frosting,” Moony smiled as he set the cake in the center of the blanket, “hopefully still your favorite? I hope so, because it’s eleven layers.”

“It’s perfect! Thank you Dad!” Luke wrapped his arms around Moony’s neck to yank him to a decent height and kissed his cheek. Moony melted into Luke’s arms and gave him a giant squeeze. With a flick of his wand, eleven Gryffindor-themed candles were lit, and everyone smiled at Luke excitedly.

“Make a good one!” Evie giggled.

Luke made a silly pondering face, pretending to consider his wish deeply. But in reality, he knew exactly what he wanted. He leaned in, shut his eyes, and thought to himself,

Please keep my family this happy and safe forever.

He blew out his candles and everyone cheered and whooped. They ate as much delicious cake as they could before Ron confessed he felt like throwing up. Moony flicked his wand again and said the cake was now safe in his freezer for later.

After cake was presents. First, Luke sheepishly tore away the crimson paper of the gift Aunt Dot and Uncle Prongs handed him.

“Oh my godric,” he gasped, “is this…”

“Yep! Signed by the whole team. I said it was for the future best beater in the world, and they were happy to do it,” James grinned.

Luke admired the Chudley Cannons jersey in his hands, covered in signatures and encouraging words from each team member. He hugged his aunt and uncle, promising to treasure it forever.

Evie and the Potter triplets gifted Luke a movie poster for ‘Gremlins’ they had found at the record shop, since they knew it was one of his favorites. Harry offered a Tempest in a Bottle, a Zonko’s product that held a malicious storm inside a bulbous glass bottle.

“How did you get a Zonko’s product as a second year?” Neville asked. Harry and Uncle Prongs shared a knowing look.

“You never know when it may come in handy,” Harry winked at Luke, and he winked back.

“As a Hogwarts employee, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,” Moony teased.

Luke was stunned to find out that Harry’s friends had brought him gifts as well, even though he had insisted over the past few days that there was no reason for them to. Ron’s gift was a lifetime supply of chocolate frogs. Neville, Luna, and Ginny jointly presented an eternal blooming flower from Noltie's Botanical Novelties on Diagon Alley, that had the ability to shoot water in someone’s face if they got too close. Hermione gave him a chapter book about dragons and knights in a faraway land, hoping he would like it. Luke loved everything, and thanked his kind friends relentlessly.

Max was embarrassed to give his present, saying it was nowhere as good as everyone else’s gifts. He gave Luke a miniature electric guitar keychain, painted pink and embellished with red lightning bolts.

“Like Ziggy Stardust!” Luke, Dadfoot, and Moony chirped in unison.

“Yeah! But look,” Max tapped his want to the small figurine, “Engorgio!”

The keychain erupted into a full-size guitar, and Luke laughed in delight as he inspected its delicate paint work and thick strings.

“I thought you’d find it cool, I don’t know,” Max hid behind his curls, “it’s silly.”

“Patasola, I love it! Absolutely love it! Thank you!” Luke gave his friend a hug. “We only met two weeks ago, but you knew that I loved playing guitar...”

“Maybe I’m just an active listener,” Max giggled. With another flick of his wand, the instrument shrank back to a keychain.

Between all the chewing and laughing, Luke’s cheeks ached by the end of it. Eventually the sun set and the sky was filled with stars and the waning crescent moon. Luke thanked his friends and family over and over again for coming to celebrate with him, and fought to hold back tears. Eventually, only he and his dads remained, and they began packing up the picnic.

“Did you have a good party, bubs?” Dadfoot asked, flicking his wand back and forth to vanish the trash.

“It was amazing! I can’t believe you guys did all this for me. I can’t thank you enough,” Luke gave his dads another hug.

“We just wanted to celebrate you,” said Moony. He unfurled from the hug and tucked a blonde curl behind Luke’s ear. “And there’s one more thing. Our present.”

“Oh no…the party was more than enough,” Luke uttered, “all that food, and Daddy, I don’t even know how you possibly managed to make that cake here at school! Unless you apparated with it from the flat?!”

“Oh Merlin no,” Moony shook his head, “I simply asked the house elves if they didn’t mind sharing the kitchen for an afternoon. They like me, since I bring them records they can listen to while they work.”

“We thought we’d wait until it was just the three of us,” said Dadfoot as he pulled a rectangular box from his jacket.

With a held breath, Luke slowly opened the blue velvet box. A glistening bracelet of thin gold chain sparkled up at him. In the middle was a gold placard with delicate cursive writing that read,

~Lupin-Black~

Luke just stared at it, unable to speak. After a few moments, his dads fidgeted.

“Do you dislike it, honey?” Moony asked.

“No!” Luke yelled quickly. “No, I love it! It’s beautiful…” his eyes prickled, “so beautiful.”

His dads beamed, and leaned forward. “Well good,” said Dadfoot as he and Moony pulled back their sleeves to show the gold twinkling on their wrists,

“Because we got a matching set.”

Luke’s gratitude for his dads overwhelmed him, and he finally allowed the tears to pour down his cheeks, leaping forward to wrap them in a fierce hug. “I’m so proud to be a Lupin-Black, and I’m proud to be your son.”

His dads squeezed him and he burrowed against their chests, feeling safe as could be. “We’re so proud of you, sweetheart,” Dadfoot whispered.

In the past five years he’d lived with his dads, Luke had had excellent, wonderful birthdays (well, except when his eighth landed on the full moon, before Luke knew about the furry little problem, but the Potters still made sure he had a fun night). But his eleventh was the most magical yet. Luke knew fiercely that the Slytherins would never be able to get into his head again. His family was strong and fierce, and perfect just the way it was.

Maybe everything was actually going to be alright. There was just one issue: Max.

Chapter Text

With a new positive outlook, Luke was committed to improving himself all around. It started with the most important thing about Hogwarts, according to Mcgonagall (and the obvious); HOMEWORK.

He started doing his assignments, or most of them at least. He sat down and cranked out his herbology and charms homework in one sitting, which were simple worksheets to fill out once he actually cracked open his textbooks. They were actually wildly fascinating, and he enjoyed reading and finding the answers. After another week working on history, then DADA, THEN potions, THEN astronomy, he was done with most of his assignments in no time, and just had transfiguration. That’s when he realized how truly far behind he would be after two weeks worth of putting it off.

The parchment requirements were brutal, and those were the DAILY notes, not even the essays. He was going to have to take this class slowly.

He chipped away at the work, turning things into Mcgonagall sporadically. But he was getting them in, and that’s what mattered. Every time he handed her a scroll, she smiled proudly and said thank you. It was surprisingly rewarding getting to be on the receiving end of her proud smile. Mcgonagall had already told him once that she was disappointed in him. He hated that, and never wanted to repeat that again.

He still had detention, but Bruhl’s nasty comments didn’t get to him anymore. He just hummed songs to himself to drown him and his posse out. They seemed to take the hint and left him alone other than snooty stares and not-so-subtle comments.

He was starting to feel more comfortable sitting in the Common Room and introducing himself to new people. Shyness had always been a big issue for him, the anxiety of unfamiliar people stemming from the days in his mum’s house where so many unfriendly people came and went. But he was determined to overcome his fears, and soon recognized how kind the students at Hogwarts were.

Meanwhile, he admired his new gold bracelet lovingly, never taking it off, twirling it in his fingers and feeling pride for his name. Everything was lovely.

Well, except, something was going on with Max…

The first thing he noticed was how restless his friend and dorm mate was at night. Luke had always fortunately been an incredibly deep sleeper, but on the nights he was last to bed, he could occasionally hear Max rustling around. He tossed and turned, sounding like he couldn’t get comfortable no matter what, softly groaning in frustration.

Luke felt bad that his friend was having trouble sleeping. Was he anxious about school? Making new friends? Maybe disappointing his mum after the ketchup prank? Luke could relate to that feeling. He planned on asking his friend about it, or even if he would just fancy a glass of warm milk before bed (his dads’ secret weapon back in the days when Luke had nightmares). But then Luke recognized that the restlessness wasn’t the only thing Max was struggling with.

The second thing Luke noticed was that there were some sensitivities, as well. Any time a noise was a bit too loud—someone opening a bag of crisps in the common room, or dropping a book on
their desk in class, or even sneezing—or a light a bit too bright, Max winced, shutting his eyes and tightening his face as if something hurt. He shook it off quickly, likely to avoid Luke seeing. But he did. And Luke was worried that Max was in pain. Luke heard the noises too, but they weren’t loud enough in his ears to bother him the same way.

Additionally, Max was sensitive to the sunlight whenever they went outside. His birthday had been a cloudy day, but Luke noticed that in the sporadic days where the sun was bright in the sky, Max wore his school-administered hat and a pair of sunglasses. He also moved quickly toward the shade, but never commented on it. Luke found this particularly odd. Max didn’t have pale skin that would burn easily; nor were the September days very hot. But he was apparently sensitive to unobscured sunlight, which Luke supposed was a perfectly normal thing to be concerned about. After all, his dads were obsessed with coating Luke’s face in sunscreen to the point of looking like a circus clown during their summer trips to the beach. There was nothing to be suspicious about…right?

But Luke realized that something genuinely perplexing was going on during their meals in the Great Hall. Now, between having a werewolf dad and a personally ferocious appetite himself, Luke was no stranger to demolishing a few plates. But he had started watching Max a bit closer after he found the first few peculiarities. During breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Luke fought to stay observant and not get too distracted by his own delicious, decadent plate. Through the corner of his eye, he watched Max poke boredly at his potatoes and eggs and vegetables, and then absolutely DESTROY a few portions of meat. Crispy bacon in the morning, turkey at lunch, and plenty of chicken legs or sausages or pork chops at dinner. Beef seemed to be his favorite; on the occasional night that the house elves served hamburgers or prime rib, Max tore at it mercilessly, completely bent over with his face hovering an inch from the plate to attack it. Luke also noted that Max preferred his beef on the rare side, almost completely pink. Anyone else may have seen the show and reasoned that Max was simply a growing boy with an impressive appetite.

But Luke knew that sometimes there was more than what met the eye.

Being sensitive to light, okay, fine. Enjoying the occasional steak, totally normal thing to do. Having a touch of insomnia, completely innocent. But the COMBINATION of all three oddities…there had to be something more.

The issue was he had no idea what that ‘more’ could be. He recognized the symptoms of restlessness, sensitive ears, and love of red meat, and considered that his best friend may perhaps be a werewolf. But Luke crossed it off the list immediately. He had been with Max on the night of the September full moon, and Moony probably would have noticed a wolfy smell. Plus, it didn’t explain the sunlight thing. Max’s quirks would have to be justified another way.

Luke knew absolutely nothing about muggle disorders or conditions, and wondered if this was the only reasonable explanation. Maybe he had low iron, and needed to eat plenty of meat protein. Or maybe his family was susceptible to skin cancer, so he was mindful of overexposure to sunlight. Or perhaps loud noises reminded him of something unpleasant. Whatever the reason, though he was desperate to understand, Luke knew that he needed to respect his friend’s privacy, and find ways to support him without making him uncomfortable. He would just have to wait for Max to tell him when he was ready.

Just had to wait…

…

…Unfortunately, Luke had been raised by a Mr. Sirius Black, which meant that he had inherited an embarrassing lack of patience.

09/10/1992

The perfect excuse to confront Max about his symptoms came on the second Friday of October. That day, Luke noticed his friend was much quieter than usual, and had no energy at all. He barely touched his food, even when they served pork sausages at breakfast, one of his favorites. As they went to their classes, Max only spoke when Luke spoke to him first, and responded with one-word answers. He didn’t giggle at all, which was very unlike him. Even worse, he had a sunkenness to his cheeks, as if he was underfed. Luke didn’t like it one bit. If he was struggling, Luke needed to know what he could do to fix it.

Transfiguration was once again their last lesson of the day, and Luke stared intensely at the grandfather clock above Mcgonagall’s head as she lectured. He had been improving his note-taking skills over the past few weeks, but that day, he was too busy looking back and forth from the clock to Max beside him to write anything down. As soon as class was over, he’d be able to sit Max down and ask what was going on. Or die trying.

When Mcgonagall dismissed them, Max was first on his feet, and darted out of the classroom in a flash. Luke groaned, shoveling his book and quills sloppily into his already-disorganized satchel so he could catch up with him.

“Luke, will you please come speak with me at my desk for a moment once you’re packed up?” said Mcgonagall once he was the last in the room, organizing her papers into neat piles.

Luke cringed, but finished packing his bag and took a few frantic steps toward the door. “Er, actually Professor, I really need to run off and find Max. He’s not feeling well, and I need to…get him to Madam Pomfrey. Don’t want him yacking on his nice school shoes, of course.”

“How thoughtful,” Mcgonagall smiled drily, “but I’m sure Mr. Patasola will be able to get started on his way to the hospital wing just fine. You’ll be able to catch him in a moment. I just wanted to check in about your remaining incomplete assignments.”

“Er…” Luke’s eyes darted toward the door, “I’m sorry Professor, I really need to see him NOW,” he shuffled toward the exit, “I’m really worried about him. I promise I’ll stay back after next class. Sorry! Bye!”

And with that he sprinted out the door and down the hallway, guilt already pooling in his gut that was only made worse by Mcgonagall’s frustrated yell after him. He was going to need to make his behavior up to his professor, once he had dealt with the Max crisis; women liked boxes of chocolate, didn’t they?

But this was something he needed to attend to immediately. Luke ran up to the Gryffindor Tower and was fighting for breath by the time he made it to their dorm. He found Max tucking his fresh laundry away. Luckily their other roommates, John Henry, Tim, and Daniel, were nowhere to be seen. Max jumped when Luke slammed the door open.

“Stop slamming! You’ll break our poor bloody door!” Max groaned, settling onto his bed. He rubbed his temples, frowning. “I don’t feel very well today, will you please try to make less noise?”

“Yeah, sorry mate,” Luke shut the door gently and sat on his own bed beside Max’s, “I was just in a rush to find you. You ran off after Transfiguration…were you sick?”

“No,” Max scrunched his nose, “I just had a headache, and felt kinda nauseous. I’ll be fine, I just need some rest. And some food, maybe,” he patted his stomach.

Luke anxiously scratched at his wooden bedpost, suddenly quite nervous. Now that he was in the moment, how was he actually going to CONFRONT him?

“Hey, Max…you’re not…you’re not, like, a werewolf or something, are you?” he tried to sound as casual as possible. But Max immediately straightened up and gawked at him.

“A werewolf?! Why on earth would you ask me that?” he said harshly, bristling. Luke blanched. Clearly he’d hit a nerve.

“I don’t know, sorry…I don’t really know anything about werewolves, but…well, I just noticed that you’ve seemed a little, um, sensitive lately, and now you’re not feeling well. So I just thought I’d ask.”

Max shook his head and avoided Luke’s gaze, staring down at his hands that fiddled with his comforter. “I can’t believe you’d ask me that. Werewolves are dangerous dark creatures,” he snipped.

Luke bit his nails into his palm, trying to keep his composure. “I didn’t mean it like that, mate. It just occurred to me that, well…”

Luke took a deep breath and started again. “You’re really sensitive to sounds, and bright lights, and even the sun. I thought maybe you were just cautious…but you also seem to struggle with sleeping at night, not that it bothers me or anything, it’s just something I noticed. And you also eat a lot of meat and, I don’t know, you like your steaks RAW, and I guess I just wanted to know why.” He glanced up at Max, who was still avoiding looking back at him. “If something is bothering you, I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

Max gripped his comforter, squeezing it roughly in his fingers. “I’m FINE,” he said tersely, his throat sounding tight. “It’s just a cold. I don’t understand why you’re spying on me.”

“I’m not SPYING, I just NOTICED. We go to all our classes together and live in the same room, it’s not hard to pick up on it. Can’t you at least explain the sun thing? I mean, everyone else goes out into the sun, what’s so bad about it?”

Max shook his head more fervently, shutting his eyes. His throat quivered, like something forbidden was trying to escape from his mouth that he was desperate to hold back. “Just leave me alone, LB.”

“But if you’re in pain, I want to help you,” Luke slid off his bed and squeezed Max’s hand, “please let me help you.”

Max tensed up and began to hyperventilate. Luke rubbed his back, trying to help him calm down.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to freak you out,” Luke panicked, “please, just relax, okay? Everything’s fine, mate. Just talk to me, yeah?”

“No,” Max whimpered breathlessly, eyes still shut tight, “no, I can’t. I don’t want to talk about it. If you knew what was going on with me, you’d never speak to me again. It’s horrible.”

“There’s nothing you could say that would scare me off. Believe me, I have a very high threshold for crazy shit. And I won’t tell anyone, I swear that to you. I just want to help.”

Max took a shuddering deep breath. “Luke…I’m…I’m a vampire.”

Luke’s mouth fell open. Max finally opened his eyes to look at him, and Luke promptly clamped his jaw back together. They blinked at each other curiously.

“Oh, that’s…not what I was expecting you to say,” was all Luke could manage.

Suddenly the door burst open. This time, both boys flinched at the slamming sound, and Luke quickly yanked his hand back.

Their dorm mates Tim and Daniel walked in and laid their school books on their dressers.

“Hey lads,” said Daniel, “what are you up to?”

Daniel was a very sweet boy, with rosy cheeks and mousy brown hair that stuck to his sweaty forehead. His mum was a muggle and his dad was a wizard. He had a pet barn owl named Butter who liked to perch on his shoulder, and he loved wearing sweater vests (to be clear, DANIEL liked the vests, not Butter). Tim was also very nice, with messy black hair and a lopsided smile. He was a pureblood but wasn’t a twat about it. As well as John Henry, Luke actually quite liked his dorm mates, which surprised him, considering he’d never lived with boys his age before. But right now, Luke was pissed they’d been interrupted.

“Er…” Max jumped off his bed and slipped his coat on. “I just remembered I actually have to ask Professor Sprout something. See you!”

Luke was so shocked by the reveal he’d just heard, he forgot how to move his limbs, and his feet were glued to the floor until Max was already halfway out the door. He shook off the shock, coming back into focus and hurrying after his friend, not bothering to give an excuse to his roommates.

When he ran into the common room, Max had already reached the portrait hole. How was that boy so freaking fast? Luke hurried after him, but someone jumped in front of his path. He was about to yell at them when he registered the orange hair and pretty brown eyes.

“Oh, hey Ginny,” Luke croaked, his head swimming.

“Hey Luke! How’s it going? I was wondering if you’d given any more thought to joining Hermione’s advocacy club? Our first meeting’s on Wednesday at eight in Flitwick’s classroom, and we’d really like it if you came,” she smiled. “If you join, people will think it’s a cool club, and they’ll wanna join too.”

Luke’s eyes darted back and forth between the portrait hole and Ginny. Max was already long gone, and Luke was trying to figure out where he could have headed.

“Er,” he said distractedly, “sorry Ginny, I actually have to get going right now, but if you want me to go to the meeting, I’ll be there.” He gently moved past her, then abruptly turned on his heel when he realized what she’d said.

“Wait…you think I’m cool?”

“Well, yeah,” she said like it was obvious. “The son of everyone’s favorite professor, and you swear like a sailor, and the thing with Bruhl was pretty badass…” she shrugged. “And you’re our friend, and we want you to be there if you’d like. Max, too.”

Luke grinned stupidly, his heart fluttering. “Sounds good,” was all he managed. He quickly remembered his mission, and waved at Ginny, stumbling backward toward the portrait. “Okay, bye!”

Ginny waved back, and Luke hurried through the common room, only to be hit yet again by someone in his way. He growled and tried to push through them, but they stopped him.

“Where’s the fire?” Harry laughed. Luke rolled his eyes and groaned.

“Harry, I don’t have time, please just let me—”

“Look who’s here!” Harry cut him off and raised his bent arm, where a magnificent snowy owl perched. “Hedwig’s broken wing is finally healed, and my parents sent her today! Isn’t she beautiful?”

Luke sighed and gave his cousin’s pet owl a scratch under the head, where she liked. He always enjoyed playing with Hedwig ever since Harry had received her as an eleventh birthday present. But why did Harry have to be so bloody ANNOYING when Luke was CLEARLY IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING??

“Yeah, that’s great mate, bye,” Luke stormed off.

“Oi! Don’t be so rude!” Harry called behind him, but Luke kept moving, and scurried through the portrait hole without further interruption. He breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that he could finally track down Max and get some more answers out of him.

He blinked, trying to adjust to the bright light of the hallway as he stepped onto the stone floor. He decided to go left and check the library first.

“There you are,” said a sinister, croaking voice from behind him. Luke whipped around, his stomach plummeting to his knees. Well SHIT.

Filch stood there smiling wickedly at him, caressing Mrs. Norris in his hands as she swatted her hideous tail arrogantly.

“Did you forget that we have detention together, Mr. Lupin-Black?” Filch continued. “You’re all mine for another week.”

Luke sighed heavily through his nostrils, his chest burning with frustration. He had completely forgotten about detention, and it was the last thing he needed right now. But fighting it would only get him in more trouble. So he followed Filch down the hall.

The caretaker led him to none other than the owlery, where he found Bruhl already on his knees, scrubbing bird shit. Luke’s face was red hot as he scrubbed at the stains, both from exertion and anger. He hated that he wasn’t sitting with Max at that moment and talking to him about what had just been shared between them. Was he going to be upset with Luke? Was he still not feeling well? Did he need help? Did he need…blood?

So Luke poured all of his stress into his work, and after two hours, the floor and walls were finally clean. He ran off and left Bruhl to deal with the sponges and buckets, not caring how the Slytherin would get revenge.

It was dinner by then, and Luke trudged to the Great Hall. His knees, hands, and back ached from the kneeling and scrubbing. He had completed five out of his six weeks of detention and couldn’t wait to be done. But right now, his thoughts were elsewhere.

Max wasn’t at dinner, and none of his friends knew where he was. Apparently he hadn’t been to dinner at all. Luke never made himself a plate, too anxious to eat.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Harry asked softly so only they could hear. “What’s got you so stressed out?”

“Nothing,” Luke chewed on his fingernail, “it’s all good. I’m just looking for Max and I don’t know where he ran off to. Mind if I borrow the map?”

“You don’t have to ask, it’s both of ours. Take the cloak, too, they’re under my bed,” Harry said without hesitation.

Luke thanked his cousin profusely, then built a plate of sausages and chicken wings for Max for once he eventually found him. He carefully balanced the plate as he went up to Gryffindor Tower and slipped into Harry’s dorm room. Nobody was there, but Luke knew that Harry’s dorm mates wouldn’t really care if he came in looking for something. They expected it by now.

He plucked the map and the cloak from under Harry’s bed. There were too many things in his hands, so he sat down on the floor, placed the food and cloak down, and opened the map.

“I solemnly swear I am up to no good,” he whispered, though he was alone, and tapped the paper with his wand. Immediately, black ink erupted onto the parchment and created the beautiful, intricate map of the entire castle that Luke adored so. He was really going to need to talk to his dads about their process for making it at some point. He had enough that he needed to bring up with them, though, and the map was unfortunately low priority at the moment.

He saw Max’s name scribbled inside the astronomy tower. Ah, of course, he should have known. When Max needed alone time, he liked to admire the stars up there, and usually went early in the evenings before older students snuck in for a shag. Luke gathered his things and exited the dorm once more. There was no reason for him to wear the invisibility cloak, as it was well before curfew, but he wore it anyway.

Luke ascended the tower’s stairs and quietly crept onto the circular deck. It looked over the stunning Scottish hills and the limitless sky, spackled with bright stars and constellations. The tower was empty, except for Max, who was sitting in the dark corner tucked away from the telescope balcony. His back was toward Luke, and he was laid on his side, curled tightly in a ball.

Luke sat down beside Max and removed the cloak, revealing himself. He said nothing, just set the plate down and slid it toward his friend, squeaking it against the wood. Max snorted awake, gasped and quickly sat up, rubbing at his face.

His cheeks were splotchy and red, just like his wet eyes, also puffy from sleeping. He sniffled and wiped his nose, eyeing the food.

“What’s that?”

“You never came to dinner, so I wanted to bring you something,” Luke pushed the plate even closer to Max’s criss-crossed legs, smiling at him. “You said some food may help you feel better, so.”

Max just stared at the food, his expression catatonic. He looked up at Luke miserably, his bloodshot eyes searching Luke’s face. His lip trembled, and suddenly he was crying.

“I’m sorry,” he gasped, “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have said what I did. I, I promise I won’t hurt you. Please, PLEASE, don’t tell anyone! If the Ministry finds out, I’ll end up in Azkaban—”

“Hey, hey,” Luke rested his hand on Max’s knee, “mate, when I said I wasn’t going to tell anyone, I meant it. You don’t have to worry about me spilling, I promise.” He sat up. “What, you’re just a vampire? That’s nothing. I PROMISE I can handle half-breeds.”

Max laughed despite himself, a phlegmy and choked sound. But it was music to Luke’s ears; he had missed his best friend’s patented giggle. “I didn’t mean to tell you,” he said softly. “I didn’t want anyone to know.”

Luke nodded. “I understand, mate. It sounds like a really hard thing to admit to someone. But I just want to support you.”

Max wiped his wet cheeks self-consciously, frowning at Luke. “You’re not…afraid?”

“Of course not,” Luke waved his hand dismissively, “I hate to break it to you, but you’re not very intimidating….it’d be nice to hear more about your condition, though,” Luke shrugged, “if that’s okay with you. I know absolutely nothing about vampires. I didn’t even think they were real.”

Max’s brow furrowed. “But you thought I was a werewolf?”

“Um…my parents and I watched a lot of werewolf movies when I was growing up.” It wasn’t great, but it was all Luke could think of. “Anyway, let’s focus on the topic at hand, we have QUITE a bit to unpack here. How did you become one? Do you drink blood? Does your mum know?”

Max took a deep breath and wrapped his arms tightly around himself. “I was born one. It can be genetic, but people can also get turned.”

“How do you get turned?”

“A vampire has to suck a person’s blood completely dry, and then that person comes back to life as a vampire after three days…” Max faltered. “At least, that’s what my mum told me. She’s a vampire too. I’ve never met another one, though.”

“Really?” Luke asked, regretting the tinge of pity in his tone. “Did she get turned?”

Max shook his head somberly, looking down at his hands again. “No, she comes from a long line of royal Colombian vampires. But she left that world before I was born, and she doesn’t talk to her family anymore. She never tells me anything about it, and gets all prickly when I used to try and bring it up. She’s the only family member I’ve ever met in my life.”

Luke wasn’t sure what to say. He reached out and squeezed his friend’s hand. “I’m sorry, mate. I get how you feel. But you have her, and she’ll always be there for you.” He cleared his throat. “Now, the blood thing…well, have you ever drank it?”

Max’s head snapped up and he looked worriedly back at Luke.

“I promise I’m not scared or anything,” Luke added hurriedly, “I just wonder, like, how do you do it? What does it taste like?”

“I don’t drink blood,” said Max, “not yet. I’ll become a full vampire around my 13th birthday, when the rest of my symptoms kick in. Then I’ll be even MORE sensitive to the sun, and loud noises and stuff. And I won’t need food anymore.” He gulped. “That’s when I’ll need to start drinking blood.”

Luke nodded. “Has Dumbledore explained how he’s going to help you get it?”

Max looked like Luke had just recited the periodic table in Greek. “Dumbledore doesn’t know. I’d never get to come to Hogwarts if he did.”

That isn’t true, Luke desperately wanted to say. He helped a half-breed student before, and kept him safe. But he knew he couldn’t. Luke vowed to never tell a living soul about his dad’s condition, and even though Max had a similar secret, it was still too risky. If he was going to convince Max to seek Dumbledore’s help, he’d have to do it another way.

“I doubt that’s true. But what were you planning to do once you’re 13? What did your mum do when she was a student here?”

“She went to school in Colombia, when she still lived with her family,” Max explained. “She sent me here because she wanted me to get in touch with my magic, and try to have as normal a life as possible. She’s always lived off animal blood, so I guess I’ll do the same.”

Luke nodded slowly, thinking. “Okay…okay, well, we don’t have anything to worry about then! You and your mum will work out a plan for once you’re 13, and when you’re ready, we can go to Dumbledore together! He’ll help you get as much animal blood as you need, I know he will!”

“Luke, this isn’t your burden,” Max urged. “I screwed up, I should have been more careful not to be so obvious. But I didn’t think I’d make a friend so soon,” he tapered off, and tucked a curl behind his ear. “ I’m sorry I avoided you today but I don’t want you worrying about this. I can handle it myself.”

“That’s sweet, but I think you forget that I’m not just your friend, I’m your BEST friend. And that means I’m gonna help you, okay? No matter what. Now go on, eat, you’ll feel better.”

Luke nudged the plate full of food, then flicked his wand to summon a fork. Max hesitantly pecked at it, but soon started devouring it, moaning in delight.

“Sorry,” he muttered, “but it’s SO GOOD. Eating a lot of meat boosts my energy, and fills me up. Especially red meat, where I can taste the iron.” He looked at Luke self-consciously. “Sorry, that’s really gross.”

“No, it isn’t, really,” Luke said encouragingly, “I promise I don’t mind. I mean, my best mate’s a VAMPIRE, how wicked is that?! Even if it’s our little secret, it’s still the coolest thing ever. I want to hear about all your symptoms.”

Max rolled his eyes, but he was smiling now, much to Luke’s relief. “You’re so weird, LB,” he chuckled. “Sorry that you came looking for me during dinner. Did you have enough to eat?”

“Oh, actually, I was so worried about you, I just made you a plate and went straight to the map to look for you. I didn’t even realize I missed dinner too.”

“WHAT?!” Max shrieked. He shoved the half-eaten plate of food at Luke and threw the fork at him. “You need to eat this, not me!”

“But I got it for you! I’m not even hungry!” Luke huffed.

“Luke, come ON, I’ve noticed YOUR appetite too. Dig in!”

“Fine, we’ll share,” Luke cast a duplicating spell to get his own fork, and they tucked in together. It was delicious, and Luke only realized after he’d started eating how hungry he’d been all day, too worried about Max to eat much. He was glad things were out in the open, for both of their sakes.

…

They spent the rest of the evening in the Astronomy Tower, and Max patiently answered each of Luke’s questions. Apparently not only were his ears sharp, but so were his nose and eyesight; when they stood up to look over the balcony, Max could see further than the telescope! And it was only going to get stronger as he approached his 13th year. Vampires aged gracefully once they matured, which made sense to Luke (he wouldn’t ever say it out loud, but Luke thought Max’s mom Mariaceleste had been an absolute BABE). Max was a touch nocturnal, but his insomnia got worse when he was stressed, as he had been for a few weeks because of his anxiety about people finding out his condition. He felt like an outsider, because he wasn’t quite human, yet wasn’t involved in the vampire community at all. Luke wondered to himself if Moony felt the same way; had he ever met another werewolf before?

Luke listened attentively, fascinated. Eventually they grew tired and realized it was ages after curfew, so they slipped under the cloak and headed back to the dorm.

“Hey, Luke?” Max whispered from behind his bed curtains.

“Yeah, mate?”

“Thank you.”

“Of course, Max. I’ve got your back.”

Luke heard Max fall asleep quickly, which was a relief. But Luke was wide awake; he was full of adrenaline and curiosity, eager to learn as much as possible about his friend’s kind.

On Saturday morning, Luke declined Harry’s invitation to watch Quidditch practice, and headed straight to the library after breakfast. He pulled a few books about vampires, set up at a table, and got cracking.

The books mainly said what Max had already told him. Made vampires were created by draining their blood; a simple bite wasn’t enough to do it. Born vampires’ symptoms kicked in at thirteen years, although they had sharp senses and sensitivity to sunlight from birth. They desired red meat as a precursor to the blood that would last them through their maturity. Any creature’s blood was suitable, but human blood (particularly wizards’) was the most filling and delicious. Luke skipped past that part pretty quickly, not because he was scared, but because he felt bad for Max. His friend wasn’t one to even hurt a fly, and in the next two years he’d have to start drinking blood just to stay alive. Luke wasn’t sure he’d be able to do it, if the fate was his.

After their thirteenth birthdays, vampires acquired all sorts of behaviors. They could actually shapeshift into bats for any period of time; though whether or not they kept their humanity differed across the numerous books he studied. Once they hit maturity, they would age slowly and gracefully, and had the ability to live up to four hundred years with proper diet and exercise. They had the ability to die of old age, but otherwise could only be killed two ways; 1), being stabbed in the heart by a wooden stake (preferably ash), or 2) being attacked by a werewolf. Vampires and werewolves were apparently natural enemies, and could smell each other. Luke assumed that Moony didn’t know about Max because he had never smelled another vampire before, and vice versa. A single werewolf bite or scratch was lethal to a vampire, and their blood was similar to poison; likewise, a werewolf would die immediately if bitten by a vampire whether or not they were in their wolf state. Luke supposed it was good to know, but the thought just made him uneasy.

Some common myths were true, others were false. They were allergic to garlic, but had reflections and could enter direct sunlight as long as they wore protection. They had fangs when they drank, but they were able to reproduce. Luke absorbed all of it so he would be prepared for what Max would and wouldn’t be going through.

On Sunday, he went back to the library to see if he could read more. But he realized he’d already scanned through every single book about vampires that was available. He shrugged in defeat and grabbed a book in the restricted section called “Dark Wizardry,” because the word ‘vampire’ had two references in the index.

He wanted to settle at the same table he had yesterday, which had the perfect air flow, but someone was sitting there, so he sat at an adjacent table.

As he flicked through the heavy book, his eyes darted lazily around the different pages, catching snippets of words and meanings. One phrase caught his eye; page 394; “Noble House of Black.”

Luke skidded to a halt. Luckily his pinky had held on tight, and he flipped back to 394 and read the paragraph.

SACRED 28 PUREBLOOD WIZARDING FAMILIES

Abbott…
Avery…
Black…
The Noble House of Black

"The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black is one of the largest, oldest, and wealthiest pure-blooded wizarding families in Great Britain, and one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight (in which families have remained truly pureblood). Many wizarding families in Britain are distantly related to the House of Black. Like the Malfoy and Lestrange families (both of whom are related to the Black family), the House of Black is synonymous with elevated status and wealth. The Blacks are traditionally sorted into Slytherin at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The Black family tree, an intricate and ornate mural, is displayed in the drawing room of the Black family home, located at 12 Grimmauld Place in London, England, going so far back as the Middle Ages.

Notable Black family members:

Walburga Black (1929–), married to Orion Black (1929–1979), mother of Sirius Orion Black III (1959–1975) and Regulus Arcturus Black II (1961–)."

Luke stopped reading, and a horrific sense of dread began to pool in his gut. He couldn’t believe what he’d seen. His dad was…a rich pureblood? But how could that be possible if nobody had ever mentioned it? He obviously hadn’t died at age 16, so why did it say that? Could it be another Sirius Black? Was that a popular name? But Luke knew it somehow had to be true, why else had Moony mentioned the significance of Dadfoot being sorted into Gryffindor?

Suddenly Max was beside him, smiling wide. “How’s it going? What are you looking at?” he said loudly.

The boys got a SSHHH from Madam Pince and Max giggled, but stopped when he saw the look on Luke’s face.

“Mate, check this out,” Luke whispered, turning the book so Max could see it. His eyes and mouth opened in shock and he slowly gaped up at Luke.

“Your dad?”

“Yeah. I had no idea about this…he only mentioned his mum once, a really long time ago, and it wasn’t pleasant. I guess this is why.”

Max nodded, humming quietly. “Yeah,” he whispered, “we both know what it’s like to not know much about where we came from.”

Luke smiled humorlessly. “Yeah, we both know.”

“Oi!” Someone whisper-hissed at them and stuck their face into their conversation, surprising them both. She was a girl their height with long brown hair braided into a french plait, and a ginormous pink ribbon at the end. Smiling at them, Luke could see she had a gap in her teeth like he did, and a few of her teeth were crooked and overlapping. She wore crocheted yellow flower earrings and a matching necklace over her black wizard robes.

“Hey lads, sorry to bother, but do either of ya have a wee pencil sharpener?” she said in a thick Irish accent.

“No, sorry,” Luke said slowly, “do you wanna borrow a quill?”

“Nah, ink’s no good, I’m doodling and sketchin’ over there, see,” she grinned. “But thank you. M’ name’s Brigid,”

she stuck her hand out for him to shake, and a thick silver bangle jingled loudly on her wrist,

“What's yours?”

“I’m Luke Lupin-Black, and this is my best mate Max Patasola,” Luke gestured.

“Oh, didn’t realize we were doing the fancy last names,” Brigid punctuated her giggle with a crisp snort. “Very classy. Mine’s Bisclavret.”

“Bis-clahv-ray?”

“Yep! Good work, sir.”

She peered over their shoulders. “What are you reading?”

“Nothing,” Luke snapped the tome shut, “homework. What are you up to?”

“Finished homework, so doing some doodling, like I said,” she smiled. “Mind if I sit with you guys?”

“Um, sure…” but she was already moving her stuff over. She plonked a rainbow-colored crocheted satchel onto the desk, and a few trinkets rolled out, like a hairbrush, sprayable cheese, and an assortment of loose Looney Tunes bandages. She stuffed everything back inside and laid out a sketchbook and some colored pencils.

“What year are you two in?” she asked, adding some sketches to a page of silly and unidentifiable doodles.

“First,” said Max.

“Me too! Let me guess,” Brigid shut her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temples, sticking her tongue out in concentration. “You are…GRYFFINDOR!”

She pointed at them and spoke in a grand deep voice, like she was impersonating the sorting hat.

“Yeah, how’d you know?” Luke asked.

“Bisclavrets have excellent instinct and an impressive knack for divination,” she nodded, “and, of course, you’re wearing Gryffindor robes.”

Luke and Max glanced at each other, remembering they were indeed both wearing black robes striped with red and gold, and embellished with the Gryffindor crest on the left pec.

“Oh, yeah,” Max giggled so hard that he snorted. That made Brigid laugh, which made Luke laugh, and soon they were all trying to laugh as quietly as they could. Madam Pince gave them a harrowing death glare, and their snickers died off, though their cheeks were still rosy.

“You’re a Ravenclaw?” Max nodded toward Brigid’s blue stripes and Raven’s crest. “Wicked. What’s the common room like?”

“Oh, brilliant,” Brigid’s eyes sparkled, “all these beautiful statues, and windows overlookin’ the mountains, and the ceiling is painted like the dazzling night sky,” she sighed contently. “It’s so calm in there, really helps me focus.”

She caught Luke squinting at her, and fidgeted in her seat. “What’s on with you, Lupin-Black?”

Luke quickly looked away. “Sorry, I just thought…I don’t know…I guess I was expecting all Ravenclaws to be uptight,” he shrugged, “but you and my mate Luna are really, like, funky?”

Brigid laughed joyously, ignoring Madam Pince’s stare. “Aww, thanks Luke! I’m so glad we could help you break down stereotypes. If you’re talking about Luna Lovegood, she is AMAZING and I LOVE her! Don’t snitch, but I’m currently crocheting her rabbit earrings,” she played with the yellow flowers dangling from her ears.

“Yeah, she’s the best,” Luke agreed. Brigid stared at him intensely and cocked her eyebrow.

“Hmm…” she cooed, “Lupin-Black, Lupin-Black, Lupin-Black,” she sang in different keys and silly voices, “ooh, that’s right, your dad’s a professor here, in’ he? Oh, I can’t WAIT to take CoM-C, it’ll be a blast! What’s it like having a dad who’s a fancy professor? Mine’s just a lousy hunter.”

“Hunter? Like, deer and stuff?” said Max, and Luke gulped, trying not to think of Prongs and Dot.

“No,” Brigid’s cheery expression grew dark and somber. She leaned in and lowered her voice, though they had already been whispering. “He hunts werewolves.”

Luke went rigid in his chair, but he tried to keep his face neutral. That was definitely MUCH worse than deer.

“Yeah, I know, it’s gross,” Brigid straightened up, noting the boys’ silence. “I don’t really like telling people. Even though, DUH, my last name literally MEANS werewolf. Marie de France, and that. I just don’t find it very ethical; I mean, they’re people most of the time, do you really need to sell their, like, pelts and fangs?”

Luke shot up in his chair. “Um, sorry, I just remembered that Max and I have to go to detention.”

“We do?” Max frowned up at him, and Luke gave him a pointed look.

“Yeah…we…do…remember?” he said emphatically, and Max finally nodded.

“Ooooh, right, for the, er, dung bombs,” Max said unconvincingly, following suit and stood up.

“Sorry,” Brigid bit her lip, “I didn’t mean to scare you off with the werewolf stuff. I always put my foot in my mouth,” she scrubbed at her face.

“No, it’s okay,” said Luke, “we have to clean the Ravenclaw trophies for Filch, is all.”

“Oh, well my dormitory is right there, could I walk with you?”

Luke’s satchel suddenly felt heavy on his shoulder, and his knees wobbled. NO, the voice in his head screamed. But what he said was, “yeah, sure!"

The three of them stopped at the front desk, where Luke checked out the tome. He needed to confront Dadfoot now, before he lost his nerve. He also needed to confront Moony, but he needed one more thing before he could do that.

They headed toward Ravenclaw tower, waiting for a moving staircase to park them at the proper spot. At the top, Brigid glanced out a window, where the full moon poked behind a cloud. “Tonight’s a busy night for my dad.”

Luke took a subtle deep breath to calm his distress. “Is it okay if we don’t talk about that anymore?”

“Oh yeah, of course!” Brigid squeezed Luke’s bicep. “I’m sorry for scaring you, really, I am.”

“No, it’s all good,” Luke could feel his cheeks prickly and red hot, mostly from embarrassment. He desperately wanted to change the subject. “Hey, my friend Hermione’s hosting an advocacy club meeting on Wednesday in Filch’s, at eight, you should come.”

“Oooh, I’d love to!” Brigid clapped. “Advocacy for what?”

“Dunno yet, it’s the first meeting.”

“Ooh, leadership, I love it.”

They passed the Ravenclaw trophy case before the dorm, so Brigid joined them there. Luke felt guilty, hanging out with her when her dad was a ferocious werewolf hunter; the risks were enormous. But as long as they kept their parents out of the conversation, it should be okay.

When Luke stepped up to the trophy case, without hesitation, he opened the fragile glass door and pulled out the silver cup with Lyall Lupin’s name on it.

On either side of him, his friends gawked. “You’re TOUCHING THE TROPHY CASE?!” Max squeaked.

“It’s fine, I do it all the time for detention,” Luke said as he shut the door, “I’m only borrowing it for the night.”

“Didn’t you have detention tonight, though?” asked Brigid. “Where’s Mr. Filch?”

“I lied,” Luke shrugged. Brigid also shrugged, looking unfazed.

“Lyall Lupin?” Max uttered loudly straight into Luke’s ear, and he realized that his friend’s keen eyesight could read the trophy he held down by his waist. “Who’s that?”

“I think it’s my grandfather, but I don’t know for sure. I’m gonna confront both my dads about their families as soon as I can, and why they haven’t told me about them.” Luke realized he was telling Brigid all this when he hardly knew her; but he felt safe with her knowing.

Brigid wrapped her arm around Luke. “Whoa, that’s intense. I know just what’ll help!”

She pulled a necklace from under her robe. It was a simple copper horseshoe about the size of a pound, on a long chain. She lifted it and placed it around Luke’s neck.

“The Irish are superstitious. Wear my lucky horseshoe for good luck confronting them.”

Luke squeezed it, feeling the cool metal, appreciative for his new friend. “Thanks, Brigid.”

With trophy in tow, the boys said goodbye to Brigid, and she gave them big hugs that squeezed the air out of Luke.

“Brigid’s awesome!” Max cheered as they headed toward Gryffindor tower. “She’s funny and CRAZY!”

“Yeah she’s great,” Luke chuckled.

They fell into a peaceful silence, and Luke zoned out hard about what his plan was for speaking to his dads. He would go later in the day, after lessons, so his dad would be well rested after the moon. Eventually Max nudged Luke with his elbow.

“You doing okay? You look a little freaked out. Are you scared to talk to your dads?”

“A little. I’m not sure why they’ve never introduced me to their relatives, but it’s probably because something bad happened. But I need to know.”

Max nodded. “Yeah. I would love to know my family too. I guess I should ask my mom too.”

Luke nodded, then nudged Max back. “Hey speaking of, I thought about this earlier…have you ever seen your mum DRINK blood? What’s it like?”

Max’s eyes widened and the corners of his lips turned down into a deep scowl. “Yeah, I have. It was gross. Her fangs came out and eyes went fully black, like a bat, and she sucked a mouse dry. She didn’t know I was watching. I was only nine, so the blood didn’t look appetizing. But if I saw it now, it probably would.”

Luke nodded, stroking his chin. “Fascinating.”

Luke went to bed that night feeling empowered. He had been successful in his mission to learn as much as he could about vampires, and he would continue to learn right from the source as time progressed. He had what he needed to get his dads to spill, and all that was left was to follow through. Now, he just needed to be brave; and hopefully he had luck on his side.

Chapter Text

Monday 12/10/1992

Luke brimmed with fierce determination. Everything was falling into place; Filch had sent him and Bruhl an owl at breakfast saying he wasn’t feeling well, and would resume their last few days of detention on Wednesday. That meant he could go straight to Moony’s office and confront him and Dadfoot once lessons were finished. He felt nervous for what he was going to discover, but knew that he couldn't last in the dark any longer.

In his classes, he obediently took notes and even raised his hand a few times (though he was wrong each time, his professors smiled at him assuringly). He was excited to be caught up in almost all of his classes once he was finished with Transfiguration.

But when he walked into that very same class, he realized there was another conversation he needed to have before talking to his dads. Mcgonagall glared at him from the time he entered to when he sat down. She finally took her icy gaze off him as she began her lesson, but periodically glared at him. He raised his hand once, and actually got it right; but he was the only student to do so that she didn’t award house points to. He knew he had fucked up if her wrath meant rejecting the opportunity to gain points for her own house.

Max noticed her unhappy glances toward them, and passed Luke a note.

~I thought you were all caught up!!~

Luke frowned and scribbled one back.

\I was working on it, but got distracted by my best friend happening to be a you-know-what. It took priority.\

Max squirmed, raking his teeth over his bottom lip anxiously. ~She’s gonna mount your head above her desk to show other students what happens when you don’t turn in your homework!~

\Shut up!\

When she dismissed the class, she didn’t even have to call Luke over. He knew he had been putting off their conversation for too long, and regretted running off so many times. It had been rude, and would obviously lead to more trouble—but he HAD been busy with important stuff. Re, the whole vampire thing. Oh and maybe the fact that he was trying to grapple with the discovery that one of his dads was inbred blood royalty and was assumed dead? But he obviously wasn’t about to explain that, so he was done for.

Max gave him a squeeze on the shoulder, and then Luke and Mcgongall were the only people in the room. He stalked slowly toward her desk and sat in the seat directly in front of her, where she sat with her arms crossed over her chest. She stared him down with a scowl. The silence was sickening. Luke hoped the luck from Brigid’s horseshoe around his neck was kicking in right about now, and he fiddled with it in his palm.

“Eer…did you have a nice weekend?” he said.

Mcgonagall tutted, uncrossing her arms. “Mr. Lupin-Black, I am truly at a loss for words. You have repeatedly shown blatant disrespect by avoiding me after classes. And you’ve stopped turning in your past and current assignments, which demonstrates that you don’t acknowledge the privilege that is receiving a Hogwarts education. I don’t want to hear detention as an excuse, other students working with Mr. Filch do not have such a poor grasp on their academic responsibilities. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Luke didn’t know what to say, so he just hung his head, embarrassed. “I don’t have an excuse. Some personal things came up that have distracted me, but I know that everyone else gets their work in, I know that, I really do. I’m really sorry, Professor. I’m going to have everything turned in by Friday, and I’ll stay caught up from now on, I promise.”

Mcgonagall stared at him, searching his face. She sighed, her voice softer.

“I wish I believed you, but I don’t. Considering the incident with Mr. Bruhl in your very first week at school, and now your lack of work ethic, it is troubling…” she paused. “I have to bring this up with your father.”

“No! Please, I don’t want him knowing!”

“I was hoping we would be able to handle this between ourselves, but I am concerned about your behavior, Luke. You committed violence against another student and have neglected to fulfill your basic requirements. You clearly don’t care what I have to say, so maybe alerting Remus of your actions will help you see the consequences at bay.”

Luke groaned. “Please don’t tell my dad, he’ll be so worried—”

Mcgonagall stood up and beckoned him toward the fireplace behind her. “If you wanted to avoid that, you shouldn’t have behaved so egregiously. Come on, now, please follow me. I trust you’ve traveled by floo before?”

Luke nodded somberly and took his place beside her at the fireplace. There was no use fighting back. He had been acting so terribly, it was only a matter of time until his dad found out. The humiliation and guilt was heavy in his stomach.

Mcgonagall tossed a handful of green powder into the fire licking their feet. “Professor Remus Lupin-Black’s office,” she said with her clipped Scottish lilt. Luke was expecting her to jump in, but she gave him a look.

“You’re not running off again–-please go first.”

Luke held his breath and leapt into the green flames.

After a nauseating few seconds where he whipped around like he was inside a vacuum, Luke tumbled out of the floo and landed roughly on his arse. He stood up and shook off the dizziness, and shimmied out of the way moments before Mcgonagall emerged behind him. She landed gracefully on her feet and idly dusted the green soot off her robes, looking around the office that was empty except for the grindylow eyeing them from his tank.

“Remus, are you here?”

There was a shuffling behind the bedroom door. Luke swore he could hear Moony shushing Dadfoot, and hoped his teacher didn’t notice.

“Minnie? And—”

Moony pushed the door open and blinked groggily at the two of them. He was in his red plaid pajamas, with a touch of sallowness to his skin, as well as a red indent mark from a wrinkled pillow stamped on the right side of his face.

“What’s going on?”

Mcgonagall made an exasperated noise. “Oh dear, I’m so sorry, I completely forgot about the moon last night. You go back and rest, I’m sorry for bothering you.”

“I'm fine,” he rubbed his eyes briefly, “is everything alright? The last time we were all together, Luke was in trouble.”

Luke’s cheeks immediately blushed red, which made him cringe. Did his face have to give him away so obviously like that?! He looked at his feet, but could sense his dad fix his gaze on him.

“Well, Remus, I didn’t want to have to come to you, but Luke has recently been acting in a way that disrupts his ability to succeed at school. He has a significant number of missing assignments that he has failed to turn in, and has been behind since the beginning of the year.”

A pause, then, “what?” plainly.

“Is there anything you’d like to say?” Mcgonagall nudged Luke forward. His dad’s eyes were wide and curious, and his mustache sloped sadly.

“I’m a bit behind,” he said quietly, and that was all.

When Moony recognized that was the end of his explanation, he nodded. “Okay. Minnie, thank you for letting me know. I’d like to speak to Luke alone, please, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Mcgonagall stepped forward to kiss Moony’s forehead, which his dad smiled softly at, and Luke didn’t even know how to begin feeling about. As his professor made her way toward the fireplace, she turned back and said, “again, I’m sorry about this. Luke, I’m on your side, but if you’re not going to let me help you, I need to ask someone who can.”

Luke tried to smile at her, but he felt awful. “Thank you, Professor. I’m sorry.”

She nodded curtly and disappeared through the fireplace. Moony sighed and turned to Luke, scratching his mustache.

“Sweetheart, let’s sit in my room,” he said as he promptly turned on his heel. Luke shut the door behind him and hopped onto his dad’s squishy mattress that took up most of the space. Dadfoot was sitting there cross-legged, wearing a matching pajama set, his wand securing a bun that scooped up his thick black hair.

His parents’ faces were hard to read. “Luke, have you been neglecting your schoolwork in Mcgonagall’s class?” Dadfoot asked worriedly.

Luke nodded slowly. “Yeah. I’m trying to catch up, and I was doing a good job! I caught up in all my other classes, it’s just transfiguration. I fell back behind because, well, I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.”

Dadfoot pursed his lips. “Why didn’t you tell us you were struggling?”

He scoffed, anger pulsing in his chest. Dadfoot had some nerve accusing him of holding stuff back, when he hadn’t mentioned a single thing about apparently being a sacred wizard heir. “I don’t want to talk about this right now, it doesn’t matter.”

Moony huffed, looking frustrated. “You’re in SCHOOL, honey! What could POSSIBLY matter more than this?”

It was now or never, the perfect cue. Luke wrenched open his bookbag and in one swift motion tossed the two objects between him and his dads. Lyall Lupin's trophy lay harmlessly in front of Moony’s crossed legs, and the book fell open on the dog-eared page in front of Dadfoot’s knees. They jiggled innocently on the mattress.

Instantly the energy in the room shifted, and nobody spoke for a long while. Moony and Dadfoot simply stared at the artifacts, muscles tense, mouths contorted like they were going to be sick.

Luke groaned. “Go on then! Are these my grandparents? You hid them from me for why?” he snapped, hearing his words slur together but not caring. His dads continued to stare.

Moony picked the trophy up delicately, like it would crumble in his hands. He lifted it until it was an inch away from his face.

Dadfoot pulled the book onto his legs and ran a finger down the middle of the page. “1975,” he whispered under his breath.

“Come on!” Luke hated how whiny his voice sounded, but the frustration he didn’t even know he’d been carrying was bubbling over the surface. “You said you’d stop lying to me!”

Moony took a shaky deep breath, gripping the trophy so tightly that the tendons in his hand jutted against his skin. “We owe you an apology. We knew you’d be curious about your family—I guess we thought telling you would somehow make you live through it, which is our worst nightmare.

Yes, this is my father, Lyall Lupin.”

And then they explained everything. No more secrets. Luke sat quietly as Moony shared how his parents abandoned him after he became a werewolf, how his father ended his life out of shame, how he lived in a boys' home with no friends. He listened as Dadfoot told the story of how his abusive parents tried to marry him to his cousin, invaded his thoughts, and nearly killed him with something called an Unforgivable Curse when he was sixteen, subsequently disavowing him, how his family considered him dead and he hadn't spoken to his brother in decades. He didn’t even say anything when Moony said his muggle mum died only months after they reconnected. When they were finished, Luke stared at his pale hands, their soft skin, completely unscarred, unharmed. They were tattered from Filch's detentions, but how he could he even compare that to the scars Dadfoot's mother had inflicted on him as torture? He had never endured a fraction of the pain that his dads had. He felt sick to his stomach thinking about what they had both gone through; immense loneliness and no parents to support them. Yet instead of turning bitter, they had showered Luke in more love and joy than he had any idea what to do with. They had always made him feel so safe, and repeated their pride for him; it pained Luke deeply to know that Dadfoot was called a disgrace every day and Moony's parents were disgusted and scared by him. Why had he been so fortunate? What if he had stayed on that street and ended up in a place like where Moony had grown up? What if his mum had verbally and physically abused him like Dadfoot’s had? How could he ever earn the generosity that the universe had gifted him? How could he ever make his dads forget their suffering?

He finally looked back up at them, who were watching him steadily, as if they knew he needed a moment to gather his thoughts.

“It was a mistake not telling you this sooner,” said Dadfoot.

“No,” said Luke quickly, “I’m so sorry. When I found the book and the trophy, I figured it’d be bad, but not THAT bad. I wouldn’t want to talk about it either if I had gone through something so painful.”

Moony reached out and pushed the curls out of Luke’s eyes. “But sweetie, you DID go through something painful. Although you ending up in our lives is the biggest blessing we could have ever gotten, it means that something happened to you that separated you from your mum.”

Dadfoot added, “It hurt us so much when you were little and suffered from nightmares about where you came from. All we’ve ever wanted to do is protect you. But we’re sorry we haven’t. It’s hard to admit that we can’t keep you free from the horrors of the real world.”

Luke weaseled into their chests, clutching onto them as if it was the last time they would ever hold him. He opened his mouth to say, “I love you,” but instead what came out was—

“…I don’t think I can go on any longer not knowing where my mum is,” Luke blinked, surprising himself. “I need to know that she’s still alive, and she’s looking for me too,” he said honestly, embarrassed by his own naivete. But Moony nodded.

“We’re going to find her.”

Dadfoot nudged them in encouragement. “That's right, we’ll find a way. We’re wizards for god’s sake!”

Then they all cried until it didn’t feel so necessary. Eventually Moony said, “Now then, you need to complete your homework. You should bring your books over and work here so you have a quiet place to study.”

Oh yeah. That.