Chapter Text
Sirius was ready to go home. He stuck around for dinner in the Great Hall some days, but today he just wanted to go home and eat dinner at his dining table with his Moony. Besides, it wasn’t like Harry needed him; Sirius saw him the night before and he’d been lit up with non-stop chatter about the quidditch tryouts he was organising. They both hoped that Ron would make the cut.
So, when the door to his classroom closed behind the final student of the day, Sirius wasted no time in packing his things, donning his travelling cloak, and flouncing out of the castle with a spring in his step. The weather was starting to change as September came to its close but the walk to the apparition point in Hogsmeade was still nice enough for Sirius to enjoy it. He smiled to himself and hummed a tune from the Muggle stations Remus listened to as he walked.
It had been a good day with nearly every class going smoothly, but the best part by far was watching Neville Longbottom get his patronus. It was hard fought for, but seeing a lion erupt from his wand and stalk around the classroom protectively was all the reward Sirius needed. The dumbfounded look on Neville’s face was just the cherry on top of the cake.
As he reached the apparition point, Sirius checked his reflection in a nearby shop window and cast a few charms over himself. With his skin glowing with the effects of his beauty charms and with every hair in place, Sirius twisted on the spot and popped out of Hogsmeade straight onto the back lawn of the Potter Estate. He pushed the doors open with a grin, already spotting the glow of candles on the first floor which gave away Moony’s location.
Sirius dropped his bag on the floor and ran through the drawing room, kitchen, dining room, and entrance hall until he could race up the stairs. Thanks to his new commute he wasn’t even out of breath as he walked into the room.
“Good evening, husband of mine.” Sirius felt his heart go droopy at the way Remus immediately dropped his book to stand up and smile at him. “Nearly finished with work?”
“Mmm, yes.” Remus kissed him like he always did when he got home from work, but today he stayed pressed close. “You’re in a good mood.”
“Neville got his patronus.”
“He did! I knew he had it in him.” Remus kissed him again, more deeply. “He just needed the right teacher. What form did it take?”
“Guess,” Sirius grinned. The lion form made sense to him now, but he wouldn’t have guessed it before. He’d had his money on a bunny rabbit or a particularly fluffy owl.
“Rabbit?” Moony screwed up his nose, “no, wait. That’s not right. A bear?”
“Nope.”
“A swan?”
“Cute, but no.” Sirius flicked his wand and snuffed out the candles. “I’m hungry, can we play this game over dinner?”
The house smelt amazing, full of roasting garlic and herbs, and something richer which Sirius couldn’t quite make out. He transformed into Padfoot and bounded down the stairs, his nose sniffing the air at every step. Ah, there it was - Yorkshire puddings. He felt a warm hand ruffle the fur on the top of his head and looked up, catching the fond look in Moony’s eyes.
“Hey! Don’t mess up my hair,” Sirius patted his hair down again and smirked at the exasperation on Remus’ face. Winding him up never got old.
Dinner carried on in the same happy fashion. With Remus sitting across from him, scars softened by the warm glow of candlelight, a warm plate of food in front of him, and Harry safe in the arms of Hogwarts, Sirius felt content. It was easy to block out the tension and uncertainty when he knew his family were safe. For a moment, Sirius felt himself leave his body and enter a moment in time fifteen years before. He was helping James and Lily move into Godric’s Hollow and he remembered how his fear had turned into physical nausea, how weak he’d become in mind and body as he watched his brother and best friend move their lives into that cottage to try and prevent their being hunted, how every day without a letter from Remus meant another meal half-eaten, how he looked Peter over every time he saw him just to commit his face to memory. But the strongest memory of all was of seeing James toss a laughing Harry into the air then catch him, over and over. How Lily had laughed and tucked herself into James’ side and let Harry grab onto her fingers. They’d been a picture of happiness, and Sirius - well, Sirius, hungry, weak, broken Sirius - he’d not been able to understand how they could possibly feel happiness when everything around them was closing in on them. He understood now.
“A cat?”
Sirius blinked slowly, forcing his mind back to the present, “hmm?”
“Neville’s patronus, Pads.” Remus cocked his head and reached across the table to link their hands. “You alright?”
“Oh, right.” Sirius squeezed his hand. “Close - it was a lion.”
Remus’ eyes widened in a fair imitation of Neville’s own reaction, but they softened after a minute, and he chuckled.
“A true Gryffindor,” Remus raised his glass of wine and they clinked them together in celebration of the boy who would do more than any of them realised. “I knew he had it in him.”
“He was the last of Harry’s lot to get it. It’s remarkable that he got them to master that charm at fifteen. Do you remember how long it took us?”
“Remember how bad our Defence teacher was?” Remus shot back. “Maybe if we’d had Harry as a teacher we might have got there sooner.”
“Oh, so it’s nothing to do with my charm, wit, and teaching abilities?” Sirius clutched at Remus’ hand dramatically. “You wound me.”
“While I’m sure someone’s happiest memory is staring at your face, I don’t know if it’s Neville’s.”
“No, but it is yours, isn’t it?” Sirius yelped at the kick Remus aimed at his ankle. “Now you really do wound me.”
They bickered back and forth until their plates were scraped clean and dessert, a piece of apple tart to share, was brought out. Sirius pushed the whole piece towards Remus - it was his favourite and he hadn’t had the appetite for sweet things while he was recovering from the Battle.
Before the tart was even halfway finished though, a letter swooped in through the fireplace and landed on the hearth. Sirius rolled his eyes and pushed back from the table. It was probably another letter from Fred and George asking them to test whatever crazy invention they’d dreamed up. But, when Sirius picked the letter up he frowned. The parchment was too thick to have come from their shop and, turning it over, Sirius saw the telltale stamp of the Auror seal.
“Who’s it from?”
“Auror Department.”
“Kingsley?” Remus was leaning back on his chair, a frown etched onto his forehead. Kingsley usually just popped over himself if he had something to tell them and he never sent them official Auror letters.
“Has to be,” Sirius was trying to convince himself. If it wasn’t from Kingsley he didn’t know what it might contain.
Tearing the envelope open with no regard, he pulled out the heavy parchment and sighed in relief at the sight of Kingsley’s familiar handwriting. His breathing picked up as he read the content of the letter.
“What’s it say?” Remus was trying to lean over to read it too, but Sirius snatched it closer. He didn’t know why - it wasn’t like he wouldn’t see it at some point. But the instinct to protect Remus from things that would hurt him ran deeper than any other instinct Sirius had, “Siri?”
Sirius didn’t let up.
“Sirius. Show me the damn letter.”
Sirius looked up and into Remus’ eyes. He could feel his own filling with tears, the words on the paper becoming indistinguishable as he relented the paper to his husband and watched his eyes widen before meeting his own once more, this time full of shared horror.
“T-they can’t.” Sirius shook his head. Nothing made sense. “They can’t do that.”
“Sirius,” Remus whispered, “they already have. We knew this might be a possibility.”
“How can you be so calm?”
“I’m not,” Remus ran a hand through his hair and then tugged Sirius closer so their foreheads were pressed together. A tear dropped down onto their clasped hands and Sirius didn’t know who it came from. “I’m terrified. But at least this time we have each other.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” Remus sighed and kissed him, just a gentle press of lips which Sirius never wanted to end. “We need to tell Harry.”
“Come up to school tomorrow evening.”
“Okay.” Remus whispered. “Can we go to bed?”
Sirius nodded and they stood together, hand in hand, and went upstairs to sleep. Remus was out like a light, the news more of a realisation of a long known fear than the shock to the system it was for Sirius. He stayed awake, sitting upright in bed with a hand running through Remus’ wavy hair for hours before giving up and curling up as Padfoot instead. Like that he was happy to have Remus’ scent in his nose and the heat of his body close - the smell of fear in the air was secondary, and Sirius was asleep in minutes.
Downstairs, the letter lay face up on the table.
‘REMUS AND SIRIUS,
I HOPED THAT I WOULDN’T HAVE TO WRITE THIS LETTER, MY FRIENDS, BUT THE FIGHT HAS BEEN LOST AND NOW ALL I CAN DO IS WARN YOU. BEFORE YOU READ ON, KNOW THAT I FOUGHT AGAINST THIS WITH ALL MY POWER AND THAT I WILL STAND BY YOUR SIDE IN THE FIGHT TO COME.
WHAT FOLLOWS IS DIRECTLY TAKEN FROM UMBRIDGE’S LATEST BILL, SET TO BE PUT IN MOTION SHORTLY.
‘HENCEFORTH ALL INDIVIDUALS INFECTED WITH LYCANTHROPY CAN BE ARRESTED ON SIGHT AND BROUGHT TO THE MINISTRY FOR QUESTIONING WITHOUT WARNING OR PROVOCATION, AND CAN BE HELD AT THE MINISTRY INDEFINITELY. ANY WEREWOLF HOLDING LEGAL CUSTODY OF AN UNDERAGE WITCH OR WIZARD WILL HEREBY HAVE THAT CUSTODY REVOKED AND THE CHILD PLACED WITH A MORE SUITABLE FAMILY. MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES ISSUED TO WEREWOLVES ARE SUBSEQUENTLY NULLIFIED, AND ANY AND ALL LEGAL CLAIMS TO PROPERTY OR FORTUNE ARE VOID. THE LAW REGARDING WEREWOLVES INFECTING WITCHES AND WIZARDS WITH LYCANTHROPY ARE UPHELD, WITH ANY CONDEMNED WEREWOLF FACING TRIAL AND LIFELONG IMPRISONMENT IN AZKABAN.’
STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE. I WILL COME TO VISIT AS SOON AS I CAN.
REMUS - I STAND WITH YOU. STAY AT HOME FOR NOW AND RAISE YOUR WARDS. YOU ARE THE TARGET OF THIS LEGISLATION, DO NOT GIVE THEM A REASON TO ARREST YOU.
SIRIUS - WE MUST DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY. YOU ARE NOW HARRY’S SOLE GUARDIAN. YOU CANNOT LET HARM COME TO YOURSELF. DO NOT REACT TO THIS WITHOUT THOUGHT.
I WILL SEE YOU SOON.
MY FRIENDSHIP AND SUPPORT, ALWAYS.
KINGSLEY’