Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

How you came to be

The silence stretched for miles upon miles.
-Not to be confused by The Silence from Doctor Who.-
With the wind howling away like a werewolf on a full-moon. Chilling anyone to their very core. A lone house in the misty forest was dark. And when I say dark I mean dark. The windows were made of small stained glass with an intricate design covered by the thick cobwebs. You could really tell no one had set foot into this place for years, which was why no one liked this area at all. Apart from the never ending silence. No witch, wizard or muggle liked this small forest. No one built within 5 miles of it. No one thought of the forest or the lake hidden within the depths of the trees.

Except for one sort’ve-man.

He loved the area. He lived in the lone house. He visited the lake almost every day; he talked to it as if it were his friend. And acted as if it did too. Not that he’d tell anyone that.

The sort’ve-man's name was unknown, a mystery you might say. He has been called many names, most never stayed for too long. But one name has repeated over and over many times now. The name - Martin. Simple, but common. You could probably walk down a high street yell ‘Martin’ and at least 5 people would look at you. Take in mind not all of them will be called Martin, but want to know who is yelling and give them a confused and/or annoyed look. Hell, even I know someone called Martin. But our Martin’s last name is much more rare than one might think. Only few people in the world knew of anyone with the last name Emrys. Many people, most long gone by now, who knew of an Emrys would always tell you of how just he/she was.

Some would say he was the Greatest sorcerer to ever live, some might say he was an idiot, but most of them would tell you of how kind he was, how loyal he was right until the very end.

*

Most animals, if they could talk, would tell you to never set foot in that forest. Then turn around and walk straight back into it. If you disregarded the advice that they gave you, as they did, then you would see many animals of all types resided in the cold, windy forest. They lived there despite the bad weather.

‘But why?’

Something never answered, because nobody ever did go into that forest. Only that sort’ve-man.

‘But why?’

Can you stop asking questions?

‘Fine, but only if you hurry up finishing the story of how I got here Merlin.’

Of course my lord. Ahem

The ground crunched underneath his feet as he walked to the edge of the lake, like the skulls of his enemies he once killed a time ago. The air crisp and light with the sun only shining on the lake. Making it seem like it had some otherworldly powers, with the halo of light surrounding it from the reflected sunbeams.
-Well it did, but let's not quite talk about that yet.- Down on his knees he could see the herbs surrounding it easier, collecting the correct ones, adding to his surplus collection of herbs for health, scent, etc (i cant think of more things). Then it all went dark.
Not time of day wise. It literally all went dark. With a shadow towering over him dripping wet.
Martin didn't realise someone was there, (how could he? Someone did say he was stupid after all) until he felt it. Not the magic from the lake telling him he came back, but the drips from overhead. Still staying there picking up herbs.
Why you may ask? Well HE thought that it just turned cloudy and started spitting it down!

‘But that's not what I thought!’

Well maybe HE should’ve announced himself before barging over to the first person he sees! Like any normal person would do!

‘Let's just get back to the story Merlin.’

Martin slowly arose from his kneel, joints cracking and popping as he went. And went to turn towards his lonely home in the not-so lonely woods. He walked and he walked. And entered his house with no worries whatsoever, well that's a lie, he was worried at how he was going to fit all the herbs he found into his herb room (Yes he has a herb room! Who doesn't?!)
When bang! Scratching noises could be heard all throughout the house, echoing through it, making it seem like it was everywhere all at once.
But in reality it was only coming from the window right next to the door. An owl was banging and crashing against it, practically begging to be let in. With a rectangle letter wrapped around its leg.

“Shit, sorry little one,” schwoof bang “I was in a world of my own back then.”
Big beady eyes stared back with little understanding and more wonder at how he came to be.
“Here let me just take that off of you, then I'll give you a treat for all your hard labour for the humans. Okay?” A slight nod of approval later and he was untying the letter. Setting it aside for later. After looking around in his herb room for a bit he found the perfect thing for his new friend, worms.

‘Why did you have worms in your herb room Merlin?’

Of course your cabbagehead brain wouldn’t understand why I have worms in my herb room. It’s for the birds of course!

Anyway, he gave the sweet owl the worm and turned to the letter that was delivered. Although he rarely gets letters anymore, he loves receiving them and reading them.

Dear my good friend Martin,

Things have gotten so hectic in Hogwarts, after You-Know-Who returned everyone had thought my god-son had gone bat-shit crazy. But I knew he was telling the truth, he was always sending me letters about his life when he could to make up for the lost years between us. I need someone to look over him when I’m not there, so if you will help with that endeavour I will be forever grateful. I know it has been over 14 years since I last wrote to you but I hope our past friendship will sway your decision on whether or not to help me. Please write back to me on your decision as soon as you can.

From Sirius x

Chapter Text

Grimmauld Place never did seem like a home, even when he was younger and his parents had to treat him right in front of their guests. So why did it feel like one now? It was just him, Mooney and Kreacher. Kreacher was always rude to people who weren’t of ‘pure’ blood, and he has lived in that place for who knows how long now. So what is making it feel like a home?

Well, he and Mooney did start decorating the place and make it feel more cosy, bringing in more of Mooney’s style than the old Black style. Kreacher absolutely hated that, but he couldn’t exactly disobey the Black family. He did always prefer the older views and class system.

Mooney and him started to go about the muggle world, and ended up going to a ‘cinema’ to watch ‘movies’. He especially liked the detail of the screens, there are no grains blocking the image, no flicker of the projector, just a clear screen, it felt like you were actually there when it was all happening.

They were trying to get Dumbledore to make Grimmauld Place the new headquarters for The Order of the Phoenix to make it less lonely there (not that it was lonely with just him and Mooney, no they went out a lot). And they did have many rooms for them to use, they were more use to the Order than to them. Why waste them?

It would certainly make it way more busy there, but it would be a welcome busy.

Snapping out of his daydream Sirius got up and finally stretched his achy bones. He really should’ve gotten to sleep earlier then he did, he certainly isn't getting any younger.

The walk downstairs was longer than he remembered, the daytime already becoming longer than necessary. Atleast Mooney might be up, but it depends on what time it is.

The kitchen finally came into view. Food. That was the only thing on his mind at that moment, all he needed was food, then he could focus on other things. But a certain Owl of his, well his only Owl, and he shared it with Mooney, would not let him complete his first mission of the day.

The small journey to the window felt as if he had aged about 10 years, his body not cooperating with him due to the lack of sleep he got. The scratching hammering into his brain felt like someone was etching away at his skull, carving out a piece of his skull.

He finally got to the window and slammed it wide open, making it reverberate throughout the silent house. The Owl quickly flew away not in fear, but in anger ‘screech screech’. (I don’t know how to describe the noise That Owl made with words Arthur. ‘Then learn Merlin!’)

“What’s wrong?” The bird’s wings were flapping around wildly, drawing all attention to it. “What’s that you’ve got there? Is that for me? Hmm.. let’s see.”

The cold envelope felt like an iceberg against his skin. Waking him up instantly.

Dear old friend,

I’m saddened to hear that your godson has had a hard time at Hogwarts, and I will aspire to teach at Hogwarts soon. I will try and owl Dumbedore to see if I can speak to Professor Binns to see if he is willing to move on after countless years of endlessly teaching the same thing to the different year groups every single day. I mean he must be tired of teaching the same thing. Right?
I hope that you will write to me more as I always did enjoy reading your letters. I will write back to you soon on whether or not I got the job, I hope I do as I have missed Hogwarts in the years since I left.

Forever, Martin x

“Wow, can you believe that he’s actually going to try and get a job at Hogwarts after all this time for me?” A sharp scratch at his fingers told him that no, the Owl did not care about it, and that he wanted something to eat after his long journey back and forth from here and wherever Martin lived, The Owl new where he did was a mystery, He took off flying before he could tell him the near whereabouts.

Quiet footsteps alerted him to Mooney’s same slow journey out of his respective room to the kitchen.
“Moornin’, what’d The Owl give you this time?”
The rattle of the fridge reminded him of his real motive to stop bedrotting, (‘What does that mean Merlin’ Well if you ever cared to listen to our students, it means to stay in bed all day), and get food.

“Morning, I just got back from Martin.”
“Oh, what’d he say then?”
“He said that he’d try and get Professor Binns to try and move on so he can take his job. I don’t know how successful he’ll be but I hope he can somehow convince Professor Binns. And he also asked me to write a bit more to him. But I think that if I were to send our Owl then he won’t be quite happy about the long journey.”
A hoot of approval reminded him to reward their Owl for his long journey. The pantry was dimly lit, with a musty smell engraved into the walls no matter how much Kreacher tried to get rid of it. There wasn’t much anyone could eat in there, let alone an Owl.

Aha!

A jar of worms, why this was in their pantry he didn’t know. (‘Did you add this just to show that there might be people as weird as you Merlin?’ No, there really were worms in their pantry. ‘How could I forget there isn't anyone weirder than you Merlin?') This was perfect for The Owl, he would love this.

Fluttering of wings reminded him of The Owl’s presence on the dining table, “Here you go, don’t eat them all at once.” While staring Sirius straight in the eye he ate all of them at once. “Or not, that's fine as well.”

Light chuckling filled the room from the other side, “So what are you going to write back to him? Do you think The Owl will let me put a letter in that envelope too?”

“Well, I think I’ll catch him up on what’s been happening for the past 14 or so years. And I think Martin’ll love more letters, but I’m not so sure if The Owl will or not.”

*

Dear Martin,
I know it is a surprise to have my letter as well as Sirius’s, but we decided it best to put my letter in as well. Between the years since we have talked so much has happened to me and to the world around us, I know you don’t often buy newspapers but I think it best to due to the circumstances of the time. He-who-must-not-be-named was defeated by a child, (Harry Potter, he’s famous now and also Sirius’s godson), but just last year returned from wherever he went, BUT no one believes he is back, they all think it’s all fine out but it’s not.

Moving on from the sad topic, I was a teacher at Hogwarts for a year, I had to leave as my monthly terrors had worsened and I didn’t want to endanger the children there in any way. I was the Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher, it was quite fun, but Severus Snape was the Potions teacher and so I had to go to him for my monthly wolfsbane. It was all really awkward due to our history but I eventually got over it, (mostly), but he didn’t. When he covered one of my lessons he taught them about werewolves early. I mean talk about obvious!

Anyway, it was nice to write to you after all these years, be sure to catch me up as well.

From, Remus

–

Dear Martinique,
I hope you have been well over the many years, I thank you dearly for trying to get a job at Hogwarts to look over my Godson. Again, a lot has happened. I think us three, (me, u and Remus), should all meet up, well more like you come over to our house. And no it isn’t what you think, at least that isn’t what thinks. He thinks it’s purely platonical, but for me it isn’t. I have spent many years away from my friends, and it made me realise my true feelings. I love, (yes you read it right, you were surprisingly right about your assumption about us) Remus. He has made my days light up with joy ever since I came out of azkaban. Which strictly speaking isn’t easy to do. The cells there are utterly disgusting. It took me nearly a week to get the stench off of me, and even after that I felt it as if it had been engraved into my skin. Forever there. Never leaving.

But I hope wherever you have been the past few years have been better than mine. I mean, it must be WAY more peaceful without the Daily Prophet telling lies about everything. That is why you left society right? I can never remember things nowadays.

From, Serious Sirius xx