love for Miho!!

by Abehwy

Summary:

When Sirius falls into the veil during the battle at the department of mysteries its not the end of everything. Even if it's the end of everything he knew its the beginning of his chance to make everything better for everyone he loves.

Notes:

• For mihorina.

Sirius felt his body lock up as he was hit by Bella’s spell. Unable to balance himself, with his limbs locked in place and numb at the same time, his body not responding to his thoughts, he fell. But not through the room’s stale air, not to the cold, hard, stone floor. It felt like his entire body was slowly being dipped in room-temperature water. Being clung to then floating, weightlessness and a tepid warmth enveloped him and relieved him of the stiff numbness. It had to have only taken seconds as he watched the battle still going on in front of him. Then everything was still. Even the Death Eaters, Bella looking horrified as the gauzy shimmer passed his eyes. He had fallen through the stone veil. 

Despite the stiff numbness having been gone and replaced with the warm floaty feeling, he was still unable to move or speak as he watched Harry run, heard him scream his name, and beg Remus to let him go. Remus had to be pulling on the wolf’s strength the way Harry was fighting him. He couldn’t even tell his godson he was sorry for abandoning him the way everyone else had before everything faded and vanished. 

When he opened his eyes, he was confused. Why was he opening his eyes? Why was he waking up in the bed of his flat gifted to him by Uncle Alphred and why in Merlin’s name had an owl just dropped the sodding prophet on him? He closed his eyes while taking a deep breath but suddenly wrenched them open, sitting up as fast as he could. The sight of tears filling Harry’s eyes, of him pushing against Remus, whose own eyes had lost all the light Sirius adored as he stared at him, the sound of Harry screaming his name. It was torture; it was heaven. 

He lay back down and closed his eyes again to see his pup’s face just one more time. He wondered if this was how Harry felt in front of a dementor. When Harry had confessed that sometimes he didn’t cast his Patronus, that sometimes he hadn’t even tried in his lessons with Remus, he had been terrified, but then Harry told him why. It was because the more he faced them, the more he remembered. Through those encounters, pushing it till Remus stepped in or he passed out he had seen his mum, everything was covered in a white fog, shapes and colors more than seeing anything but he had felt her hug him and set him in the bassinet, had heard her plead with Voldemort. That even if he was watching her scream and fall to the ground, watching a second green light hit her. It was the only time he got to see her with his own eyes. That confession was followed by hoping he’d see and fight more dementors, the thought of taking a trip to Azkaban, because he wondered if he’d see his dad; he had heard his voice yelling for his mum to take him and run. So maybe, just buried in there, was his father’s face, being held by the man who loved him first. Sirius never had understood, and he never told Harry, but pleaded that Lilly hadn’t seen her husband die, that Harry wouldn’t watch his father die, that no matter if he sought them or not, Harry would never face another Dementor. 

The dementors would never bring a good memory of the man, and if every exposure just lengthened the memory of that night. Harry had insinuated, but he had never asked that James died first. It broke Sirius’s heart worse, because James would have died thinking they were safe, between the wards and the cloak and portkeys left behind. He had no idea how it had all failed, how every backup plan failed. James no doubt died thinking that Lily and Harry were safe. But he secretly wondered if Harry would eventually remember all the way to Voldemort entering the house and would get the closure of seeing his dad, would be able to give them all closure of what exactly had happened that night. 

Opening his eyes again and sitting up, he handed the post owl the 5 knuts he owed and looked for the date. June 18, 1979, 17 years earlier. He read it again and again and cast every charm and spell he could to check the date and end any on the paper or his person. It was true. He had no idea why he was here, but it was his chance; he couldn’t waste it. He immediately rushed to call Andy, Cissa, and Reggie. Thankfully, they were all willing to meet him. 

“Why are we here, cousin?” Narcissa asks. 

“Indeed brother.” Regulus echoes her. 

“I have learnt a lot of things about both sides of this war recently and we can fix them to turn our way. Turn them all to our side, away from both of those megalomaniacs. Or else this will get far worse. And go on for far longer.” he told them 

“What do you mean Siri?” Andy asks. 

“Tom Marvallo Riddle-Gaunt aka lord Voldie has created horcruxes.” he stated darkly. 

Narcissa and Andy gasped, but Regulus seemed unsurprised. He raised his eyebrow at his baby brother.  

“Furthermore, this is a Dumbledore plot as well. Dumbledore did nothing against Grindelwald till he was forced to, they had been lovers, and they had planned the war, Gellert would play the evil dark wizard and Albus the kind benevolent light. Whoever won whoever lost they would be in control anyway at the end of it. But his power would one day weaken. He knew he would need to stay relevant. Who better to turn to a villain than an orphan child in his care, a bastard son of a muggle and a squib, a parselmouth.  Who better to dangle the information on horcruxes, on a secret to eternal life, than a boy who had survived the bombings of muggle London.” frustration laced his voice.

“Oh no, Lucius’ father is trying to get him to be marked, so far Lucius is getting away with saying he doesn’t want to do so before we have a child so his magic is pure.” Narcissa fretted.

“We need to stop them both, I know where one of these horcruxes is.”  he told them

“I know of another I was planning to go when mother and father are gone in two months.” Regulus offered. 

“Good, no going alone, Cissy, one is in the Malfoy home, a diary with TMR on it. Full of blank pages.”

“I will have Lucius remove it, then we can destroy it.” 

“If he made two he would have made at least three. It’s far more powerful arithmetically. He may have even done it five or seven times, we will need the goblins to trace them all.” Reggie added in. 

“Okay, I’lll go with you, Cissa will get the other, we will meet back here”  They all nodded and Regulus told Sirius of the cave, and the trials Kreacher had suffered.

Reggie had intended to drink the poison himself, but Sirius had convinced him to have an elderly mandrake that was to die in a day or two anyway do it, then put the thing out of its misery. They then side along apperated outside the cave and to their meeting place, where Narcissa and Andy waited for them with Lucius. 

“Lucius?” he asked

“He needed to get it, blood warding, and for that we had to tell him what it was and how it would help us.” Cissa explained. 

“Very well, I hope you know a number of others who will be helpful to us.” He told the other man. 

“Indeed, I know a number who did not want the mark but were forced to it or are being coerced, we have a majority in fact. It will not be hard to take over the death eaters and turn the tides back to political fights instead of kidnappings and attacks.” 

“Good,  let’s get to Gringotts so they can make sure there are no more of these as well as destroy them.” 

Once they had a meeting with an experienced curse breaker and explained the situation as well as presented the items, the goblins were well on their side. The ritual to find them would take nearly two months as they were too close to the next moon to properly complete the preparations. So the items were left with the goblins, and they started their own sneaky operations.

Information was fed to the order to make them look inept and dangerous. Information was fed to aurors to take care of things legally. Information was leaked to Death Eaters to place them where needed. It was a complicated deep web of deceptions and ruses and making sure every step was perfect, every word held the right tone to be deciphered, and kept their own secrecy and safety intact. Once the goblins told them the ritual had been performed and all six had been found, recalled and cleansed instead of destroyed, ensuring the soul pieces passed on and did not rejoin the main soul, and the priceless artifacts used were undamaged, they were thankful.

 The goblins also told them Bellatrix had housed one in her dowry vault this ensured her ability to have a vault at gringots was forfeit, and they had taken payment for doing the ritual, holding the items as well as cleansing them in the form of all the gold and goblin made items in said vault as well as the price that should have been paid to the blacks for bringing knowledge the foul thing in their bank was deducted from the amount of gold they took. The few knuts remaining had been sent to the Black family coffers. Now all that was left was Albus, Voldie himself, and the Death Eaters. 

It took a long time to shift the loyalty of both sides and eventually bring the conflict back to purely the wizengamont floor as well as returning the missing and what they could of the dead in secret No one had seen Voldie, he wasn’t going to meetings with anyone other than his most inner circle, and being unmarked Lucius was not one of them, and Regulus though marked, was young and new, as well as slave bonded not willingly bonded. Sirius was just happy Regulus was alive and well, not lost, missing, dead and no one knowing what had ever happened to him. He had a feeling he had been killed by those Inferi in the lake after drinking the nightmares potion in the old timeline. 

Lucius and Narcissa had had their child, and the pressure was increasing on him again to be marked. But then word of the prophecy came to the Death Eaters the month before the Potters and Longbottoms announced their pregnancies. Sirius assured Cissa and Lucy that it would be fine, and told them this would be over after Samhain 1981. The end date renewed the vigor in many.  

On July 31st at 11:55 and then at 11:59 just as the clock ticked over to August 1st Lilly gave birth to twins. A change from what Sirius knew and couldn’t tell if it was good or bad. He still happily accepted James’ offer to be godfather to one but pushed for it to be formal, to be a magical bond; he would not risk being framed and 12 years in Azkaban or his godchild being abused again. With the pressures and worry of the war James agreed. Unlike last time when Alice and Frank were there alone, he was there as well. 7 hours after birth, Henry John Potter and Harold James Potter were named, and Heir Sirius Orion Black took the role of being the youngest, Harold’s, Godfather. The boy was all the features of James but with Lily’s colouring, and Henry was just the opposite. When Peter, 15 months later, turned on them, when word that Peter Pettigrew had exchanged his own protection for the Potter’s location, he waited and planned and fumed. 

On samhain 1981 the allied families finished their rituals early and waited for the call. Voldemort, with only the smallest fraction of a soul and only the cowardly Peter by his side, was no match for the houses of Potter, Black, Malfoy, Crouch, and Rosier. Sirius threw the signal as soon as he saw the cloaked figure and Peter enter the gate. He ran, throwing spells at voldie and Peter and had James out of the house with his wand, another, change this one good. Then the others started to appear and fought with them, much to James’ clear shock.   It had taken only a few minutes, and Peter and Voldemort were down, and Aurora were running down the road. Sirius can come to visit as it was Samhain and James was his brother, Harold, his godchild. He saw Peter and an unknown man and called for backup.  

Peter admitted to the betrayal willingly and saw his brother break. Then Albus came, and Sirius managed to get him to bugger off for a bit though. Regulus told the Aurors of all the other heirs sold to the man by their parents for favor and like others willingly went to magical trials; many of them were cleared and magic cleansed them of the slave bond. 

With all the Potters alive and well, Sirius continued with his life, stopping in to see Harold and Henry every few weeks until he got promoted to the International Hit Wizards or MI7. Before he knew it, it had been years since he had seen the boys. As he looked back at his letters, reminiscing over the years, he noticed that after the first few months, mentions of Henry stopped, so he asked about him. James replied that he’s still the quiet little shadow, healthy and happy, then goes on about Harold’s exploits. It calms him, Lily, must be more involved in little, quiet, Henry’s life and James in Harold’s as Harold had always been the loud one delving head first into everything just like James himself.

 

When his last mission ended, he was excited to go for a surprise visit and is disappointed not to see Henry, but Lilly says he’s spending his birthday with his godbrother Neville. He’s glad the boy at least has friends and the memory. Neville was born just the day before them, so he understands the sleepover and all-day visit. Neville had been one of Harry’s truest and steadiest friends, even if people hadn’t seen them together. He had been far closer to Neville and Luna the last few years than Ron or Hermonie. In Less than a year his grandfather passes away and Sirius has to take over the lordship and the house seats, James begged to hand proxy over to Sirius as it was too hard being head of a department, a father, and going over the bills and minutes, James says he knows he would always agree with Sirius so it’s safe. For the first time, he wonders if he had changed that much coming back, or if James had always been so blindly trusting. This and his work as a hit wizard kept him extremely busy and a few stop-ins for a few hours that seem to always be poorly timed to see Henry or Henry and Lilly are all he gets, though Harold had started sending him letters when he was five and started to learn to write. His next big, long case ends just in time for the boys to be getting their Hogwarts letters. 

 He’s sure there is no way that Henry or Lily would be out on such an important day, so he makes a surprise visit. There're squeals and hugs and joy, and little Harold is far from little now. After they all settle, he asks where Henry is and why he isn’t down yet? Then only one school owl stops in the kitchen, landing in front of Harold. No second owl for Henry. 

“James?” 

James looks nervous and worried, but before he can make any answer, Harold speaks and shatters everything Sirius had thought.  

“Who’s Henry?” ice washes down the Sirius spine.  

“Head up to your room Harold, we’re gonna talk to Sirius a bit.“ Lilly placates and sends the boy off. 

“Lilly? James? Why does Harold not know the name Henry? Does he prefer a nickname? What?” He’s praying to magic that what he fears is not true. 

“Dumbledore came over and warned us Voldemort would come back one day. That we needed to ensure Harold was trained. Magic accepted to name him leader of armies, warrior, but Henry, Henry, he was always quiet and soft, hiding from everything and everyone,  and magic had accepted and named him ruler of the house, Harold was the younger born the minute the day changed, far closer to the death of the seventh month, Harold would clearly be the prophecy child, would need more training and Henry had shown no magic by the time he was three. So we sent him to live with Petunia, hoping to avoid a repeat of my own childhood.” Lilly explained. 

“We dropped him off with a letter, knowing Petunia would not want to see us and went to the bank and disowned him.  As a squib he wouldn’t be able to hold the Potter wards anyway and a non-magical child in a magical home it would be just as bad if not worse then what Lilly grew up with, Petunia is perfectly muggle, and loved children, we were sure she would love and care for Henry and Dumbledore had a monitor charm on him to ensure he’s well. It’s never set off any alarm, not even for scraped up knees or a paper cut.”  James told him clearly trying to justify his actions.   

Sirius was angry and disappointed, he’d had enough work and taken on James’ Wizengamot seats as he thought the man was working as head auror and raising twins, he couldn’t imagine James had disowned a three-year-old when most children didn’t show magic till four! Lilly’s parents said that nothing strange had ever happened in their home until Lily was seven! He let out a slow breath. 

“I am trying to understand, and I need a minute, I want to check on him myself. I’ll be back after I see him.”  He left Potter Manor.

Standing across the street, he watched Petunia play in the yard with an extremely chubby blond baby. When the walrus she called a husband left and the little boy went in, he walked up. 

“Petunia.”

“Black, what do you want?” 

“Lilly and James said they dropped Henry here.” 

“What? Why on earth did they send you here after all these years? Henry is quite an old dog now and has been part of our family a long time. I thought she had sent him as a peace gift. Naming him after our father and all.” 

“Dog?” he asked, confused

“Yes, the dog, on August 1st 1982 I opened the door to put the milk out and there was a basket with a little brindle boxer exactly like we had when we were children. There was a letter from Lilly saying she hoped I could love and raise Henry as if he was my own and assurances he was completely normal, not magical in any way whatsoever. “  Sirius paled and Petunia’s eyes widened 

“A boxer wasn’t what they had left in the basket was it.” she whispered, horrified. 

“No, on July 31st 1980 Lilly gave birth to twins, Henry John and Harold James. I just learnt a few hours ago. When Henry showed no sign of magic by the time he was three they decided to send him to you and left him in a basket with a letter on the stoop sure you wouldn’t want to see them but would take your nephew and raise him as a normal non magical child.” 

Petunia stumbled to the step, face white.

“I never saw a child, never heard of one lost or wandering in these parts. Where did the puppy come from?” She whispered in horror. 

“If you call him I can check for magic.” 

“Henry!”  she called, and up ran a beautiful brindle boxer with a white chest and paws. Sirus flicked his fingers at the dog. And they showed a light yellow shimmer for a second. He got in the trash, something in his stomach making it upset, but he’s a perfectly non-magical dog and in perfect health. I have no idea how he ended up in the basket.” Sirius sat on the grass. 

“I’m sorry Petunia for bothering you.” he said 

“Please, “

“What?”

“Please alter my memory, take away the memory of there being any reason you came other than to check on Henry the dog, that there was a child at all, please.” She begged

“Of course, this is not your burden. Obliviate” 

He erased and wove her memory anew. He had come to check on Henry. Henry had been a puppy born to Sirius’s own dog, who had passed recently, and as Henry was of her first litter, he wanted to check on the dog. As soon as he saw Henry was healthy and happy, he thanked Petunia for her time and left. It made Petunia cry to remember that Henry, a gift from her sister after years of estrangement and resentment, was so old that her son would lose the dog in 2 to 4 years.  

He left swiftly and never went back to Potter Manor. He continued to vote as Potter proxy, and wrote with Harold none of this was his fault, but unless it was about the gamont, he did not speak to James and lilly after he told them petunia had found a puppy not a child in that basket, thought the brindle boxer puppy named after their dad was Lilly’s way of telling her she was sorry and promising to never interfere with her life or contact her ever again. Petunia had been happy, and when he told her there should have been a toddler, not a dog, she was horrified to the point she asked him to obliviate her; he did so of course, including checking she hadn’t lied and there was nothing. Petunia could have done nothing to change things. She found a dog and assumed that it was what was left; it was no fault of hers. 

They had written to Dumbledore, who told them that it did not matter. Henry was perfectly well, always had been. It may not have been with who they assumed but he was fine and what did it matter as he was not magical. Lilly and James accepted this and told Dumbledore he was right and that if it was draining or troublesome, he could cut the monitor they were sorry they hadn’t asked years ago, he had asked if they were sure and they had said yes he then destroyed the artifact that monitored Henry. There was nothing left to do. 

Sirius saw Harold off and back every fall, Yule, and Ostra. He spent a few hours every birthday and came to Harold when he asked. He helped him get ready for dates and all but forgot about Henry existed, like most of the wizarding world had forgotten. Over the years. He saw Harold marry Ginny Weasley, now Potter, something James chuckled about; there would be plenty of grandchildren with a Weasley in the blood now. But Sirius never repaired his relationship with James and Lily, now in his forties, Harold and Ginny not planning on children for a while yet, he let Harold take over the Potter seats and he went back to more international missions. 

It was his 45th birthday, and he was at a muggle bar a few days before he was meeting with the Senior Constable who would be his partner in the Royal Canadian Magical Mounted Police (RCMMP) -Not to be mistaken for the Royal Canadian (muggle) Mounted Police (RCMP)- he would work this Demiguise trafficking case with. So he had dressed appropriately in grey wash denims loosely tucked into brown boots, with an older grungy light blue t-shirt and an un-buttoned Gryffindor red dress shirt under his favorite leather jacket. He had just ordered his second drink when the most delicious little brunette with short finger curls slid up next to him.

The young man was no taller than five foot six and couldn’t have weighed more than 200 lbs soaking wet. His skin was the most beautiful creamy colour he’d ever seen almost like a cup of milky black tea, and between the straight cut denims hanging on his hips so low the studded belt must be decoration as Sirius could see the top of his pants peeking out above his waist, and the burgundy long sleeve crop top that slid even higher when he locked his fingers above his head and bent backwards as if to stretch. The muscles flexing and then vanishing under the soft, slightly scarred skin and gentle layer of fat on his middle. 

“Heya handsome, what brings you The Moose Head tonight?”  the young man asked.

“Birthday. Just turned 46 today.”  He said, hiding his interest the best he could.

“Well happy birthday, then,” the young man led off. 

“Calum white, and you?”  he asked 

“Riley Pots”  Riley offered to put his hand out. 

“Nice to meet you Riley, why are you here tonight?” What an odd name he thought, wondering why it scratched something in his mind. 

“I need a drink, I work in an office so it’s nice to get out and relax a bit after a hard week. Monday I’m meeting an outta towner from across the bay so we’ll see how that goes.”  he chuckled. 

“Well let me buy you a stiff one then.” 

“Nope” Riley popped the p. His tone was already teasing.  

“I think the birthday boy should get drinks bought for him,”  Riley laughed again.

 It was a full sound, genuine. Despite his first Assumptions Riley wasn’t coming on to him, and he had no one watching him, only his ass. So Sirius relaxed. This wasn’t likely some trap or a rent boy. It was easy to talk to Riley. It took him a second when he found out Riley had turned 25 only a few months ago. He was the same age as Harold. Sirius felt like a lurch having looked the young man up a few times, but well he was in Canada and Riley clearly didn’t mind, not like a number of other muggles here weren’t dressed the same. So he let himself enjoy it. A number of drinks and a lot of fun conversation later he found himself tumbling into Riley’s flat. 

“Okay, I can’ let ya sleep in my roommates bed  even though e’s gone, so ya gonna get the chester, kay?”  Riley’s words slipped with the good Gin.

Sirius loved hearing him talk. His accent was a mixture of Muggle British he was used to and the Canadian he’d gotten accustomed to during preparation for the mission, and he used a mixture of Canadian, American, and British slang. Every word out of his lips was like a drop of dark chocolate, interesting, thought provoking, velvet. It leaves him hanging on every word, desperate for the next.

“Lav is back towards the kitchen, on the right, gonna be the only open door kay?” 

“Got it”  he nodded when it was clear Riley was looking for a response.

“All right you need anything, my doors are the only one on the left, knock first kay ? Sometimes I punch first when I get woken suddenly.” Riley warned him, and well Sirius was far more drunk on Riley’s words than the gin so he understood fine. 

“Thank you Riley” 

“Course Callum, see ya in the mornin’ ”  he nodded and walked away to the left, so his own room, it seemed.  

Sirius took off his boots and leaned back on the extremely long Chesterfield and looked around. 

When they entered the flat, he noticed it was completely open. Which made sense, as it made the space feel bigger. To the right of the entry stood the U-shaped kitchen with all the things he expected of a Muggle home; however, the far counter was widened into a breakfast bar with three bar stools. Another door had been to the left, but he assumed it was a closet of some kind.

 Once they passed the kitchen, he was able to see clearly the massive dark wood bookshelf on the left that even had a ladder so that books went all the way to the ceiling that took up an entire wall. Directly in front of them was a wall with two large windows, on the right was the built in exposed brick fireplace surrounded by matching shelves, the fireplace especially one so large was odd for a muggle, but it maybe was one of those luxury details he’d heard of, and he was of course sitting on the large Deep brown chesterfield with a number of blankets and pillows tossed on the side, there was also had two matching chairs, both also pointing to the Fireplace and also having a number of blankets slung on the back. And a low dark wood table and end tables. He got up and walked, wobbling only lightly, to where Riley said the bathroom would be and sure enough, it was indeed the only door open. When he walked back into the living area, he wondered if the chairs and chesterfield were brown because it was classic or just to be non obnoxious as now he wasn’t distracted by the pretty young man, he noticed all the walls were a deep navy blue.   

When Sirius woke up, his back ached and his head hurt, and there was a hot, unpleasant smell to the air puffing above him. He scrunched his nose and opened his eyes, promptly falling off the couch at the sight of the serial killer in front of his face. 

The grey tabby with a white chest and paws had to be the largest cat he had ever seen, even kneazle’s weren’t this big. Then a voice came around the corner. 

“That’s Astrid,  he’s my mum’s cat. He is a Norwegian forest cat,  21 inches long, 15 inches tall, and 24 pounds.  Yes Astrid is a boy not a girl, not like it matters since his balls got cut off when he was three months old. He’s going home in two days.” Riley scratched the cat’s chin, and Sirius finally looked over to see Riley was wearing flannel pajama pants that dragged on the ground and a massive oversized sweatshirt that had a Cambridge University logo on it. 

“Cambridge huh?” he asked, which seemed to confuse Riley. 

“Huh?” He looked down at himself.

“oh, nah, this is my dads, he had gone to Cambridge for architecture and my mum took law, that's how they met. Mum got called one night for emergency placement. Someone had brought me into the police station after I was found crying and injured inside a dumpster. I had a nasty concussion and a broken arm, wrist and shoulder as if I’d been dragged then lifted and dropped in the dumpster...as well as other injuries. “ Riley’s voice had gone dark, distant and quiet in the last part.

“Mum and dad fell in love with me and when no parent could be  found by my footprints and no one had reported a missing child they adopted me, we moved to Canada when I was five.” he said, forcing cheer into his voice. 

“I’m sorry, I’m glad you have good parents now though.” 

“Ya me too.” Riley got him some clothes left behind by some friends and threw his ones from last night into the wash that was apparently the door behind the entry. They went and got breakfast and enjoyed the day Riley showed him around. They were in the magical part of a small mixed Muggle and magical community that was nearly inside the national park. Riley walked him around and showed him all the adorable local shops as well as numerous hiking or biking trails, it wasn’t till dinner when Sirius put on his own clothes and they went to a diner, Riley was wearing another cropped top and jeans hung low, but this had short sleeves showing off the scars on his arms and the sneaky muscle hiding just under the surface of his skin. At this point he realized it was just Muggle fashion, and he’d need to get used to it. After dinner they traded numbers and he headed to his hotel, and Riley headed home. It had been a nice weekend, and now he had a new friend here for his long term post here in Alberta. 

In the morning Sirius woke and got dressed in his semi-formal robes, all black with the insignia that to muggle eyes looked like a British military patch, and headed to the local RCMMP offices. He was greeted warmly by a receptionist as soon as he entered. As soon as she confirmed his identity she led him down the hall to an elevator and up to the second door on the right of the third floor. 

“Here we go Mr. Black, this is the RCMMP office, Senior Constable Pots will be waiting for the coffee pot I’m sure,”  She smiled and left.

“Wait, Pots?” he asked,  but she was walking away already, so he turned around and walked into the office. Sure enough, there in deep blue denims, a forest green shirt and a tan sport coat leering at the coffee maker as he stirred a cup he assumed was the last of the previous pot was Riley. 

“Riley?” he asked at the worst time as Riley choked on his sip of coffee he likely really needed, if he was the Pots Sirius was looking for. 

“Calum!”  he shouted in surprise and confusion. One of the girls in the corner giggled. 

“Umm, sorry. It’s Sirius Black actually,” he felt ashamed, they’d spent all weekend together, and he had used a fake name. If he had used his real one Riley would have pegged him as a wizard, as a coworker and they would have avoided many odd stops now Sirius thought of it they had all been spots where Canadian Magical Parliament’s laws would prevent talk of magic. 

“Um okay Sirius my cubicle is this way,”  Riley waved to follow, they started talking about the mission and plans and what info they each had and folding it together when one of the women came in.  

“Look at you already best friends with your new partner. Pots’ luck. I swear Harry!”  the girl laughed and walked away. 

Sirius froze, Harry. She had just called him Harry. 

“Sorry about Amber.” Riley started 

“Harry?”  he asked, of course, before Riley could answer another person came by. This time, an older man, likely in his nineties as he looked about fifty, and was dressed in a professional full suit. 

“Ya nickname, they think it’s funny that Harry can be a nickname for Riley because they’re so different, and it’s far more British sounding.” He shook his head.

“Okay, sorry. For being odd. I knew a kid named Harry, I lost him.” 

“I’m sorry, it sucks when we lose anyone but kids especially.” He reached across the table and held Sirius’ hand and then went back to work. 

Sirius and Riley had known each other and been working together for about 8 months when Riley came into the office and slouched hard in his chair. 

“What’s wrong? ” 

“My roommate is moving out in a couple weeks, his one year assignment in Africa became a permanent posting. But the lease isn’t up for another year and four months. Even though I can cover the entire rent with my paycheck now, I don’t want to.”  he groaned. 

“That’s too bad.” 

“Ya, I don’t know i’ll need to find a new roommate and cover the rent myself till then i guess.” 

“You know, I’ve been living in a hotel. If you don’t think it would be too much to live and work together, I’d move in with you?” he offered.  

This had Riley’s head snapping up to look at him instantly. 

“You’d be willing to do that?“  Riley asked with an adorable head tilt like a puppy. 

“Of course, it would be nice to not have strangers in my room everyday and a place that’s properly mine.” he shrugged 

“I’m tidy enough, I don’t need a maid. Plus I’d be able to eat your amazing cooking more often” he smiled and teased. Riley was an amazing cook, even if he didn’t think so. 

“Ya, that would be great Sirius, thank you.” 

He loved seeing Riley smile. Riley was so easy to read mostly because a real smile went all the way to his gorgeous green eyes. He could swear to Merlin that when Riley was happy, he glowed. The ethereal light reminding him of the magical emeralds that his grandfather had hand-carved the runes for protection, wisdom and love in for his grandmother’s Courting necklace, Betrothal Bracelet, Engagement and Wedding rings. 

“Thank you for getting me out of that hotel. When is the roommate moving out?” 

“The 18th, so if you wanna come on the 19th to move our stuff in or see the room so you can decide if you want  different furniture you can.” Riley nodded eagerly at him. 

“Sure, the 19th, not like I have more than a few bags right now anyway. And I’ve seen the rest of your place many times. Unless the roommate has a crazy different style I’ll be fine with whatever’s in there besides a new mattress probably.” He chuckled. Riley’s responding laugh made his heart flutter and stomach twist. 

“Awesome! And honestly I don’t know if he even has anything in there he left 10 months ago knowing it would be a year long assignment.” 

Before he could respond, their staff sergeant yelled at them 

“Oi ! Stop fucking the dog Pots! Black! You got work to do!”

Sirius couldn’t help but laugh at the statement. Making Riley chuckle as well, even though he doubted that Riley knew why. 

“Sarge! I would refute that statement! We might be figuring out living arrangements but there’s definitely no fucking the dog” he hollared across the room and shifted into his animagus form, a massive Irish wolfhound who had been mistaken a number of times for a Grimm. 

“Alright, point made Black! Pots remember to fill out the forms before the dog starts fucking you!” 

Riley buried his head in his hands, with the tips of his ears sticking out and neck bright red. But he was still laughing as well. So, he transformed back and sat down. 

“Alright paperwork time, I guess.”  

“Alright lets get to it.”  Riley smiled at him.

 He nodded and smiled back. He really liked Riley, and he was sure Riley liked him as well but they worked as partners, and he didn’t wanna mess that up by being too forward and asking for more than friendship, especially as he was old enough to be Riley’s dad. Riley was almost exactly the same age as his godson, both born in July even. Though that made him realize it was 

 July second and he’d need to put in to head to see Harold for the day, as well as find out Riley’s actual birthday, at the moment all he knew was that it was in July.  

The 19th came fast, and after work, Sirius and Riley had both headed back to his hotel to grab his bags and then apperated to the apartment. The room was a deep green that made him think of Riley’s eyes and the shirt he wore the night they met. The large dark wood four-poster bedframe and chair were perfectly fine, and he found himself not minding the green and gold curtains. It was almost funny how all it had taken to make him like green was a sweet smile, and shining eyes. Not that he had hated the green of the Slytherins since he was a teenager now, but he had never liked the colour, seen himself once again sleeping in a room painted it but here he was. 

It didn’t take long for Sirius to set up the wardrobe trunk in the closet and then throw his own bedding on the bed, slippers on the floor, dressing gown on the chair and toiletries in the water closet. Now it was his own place, he’d have Regulus send him a matching desk and have his wizengamont paperwork sent here. It was a simple room. The walls had been a cloudy blue, but he charmed them a burgundy red, same with the plush formerly brown chair but left the beige carpet. 

“All right all done Riley” he called as he walked into the living room, and saw Riley swaying his hips and he was mouthing the lyrics to Shikira’s new song and Merlin was Wyclef right, watching those hips made him want to speak Spanish. He hoped they didn’t lie, but he’d just become Riley’s roommate and they were work partners despite the sergeant’s joke today. He hadn’t been in a serious relationship ever and he hadn’t had a lover in years at this point either, if he was gonna take the risk of starting something he needed to be sure it was real, it was more, that it was taking steps towards Bonding and making a family, and he wasn’t even sure if he wanted that family to be 2 cats and five dogs or a quidditch team of little raggamuffins, but he better figure it out soon, it may be easy for magicals to wait till they were older to have kids as they lived to 150 to 200 years old but he was 47 in a few months nearly a third of the way there himself. 

Here he went again, thinking of Riley; he shouldn’t. Riley was half his age. Literally. He knew that a young man who was that beautiful, that kind, and that fun had to have other prospects. Now that he lived with Riley, it was likely he’d start to see some of them coming and going. Oh, how that burned in his chest. The idea of someone else holding his hand, kissing his cheek, getting his smiles, and soft touches, wrapping their arms around him. 

“Padfoot what’s wrong?” he heard the voice distantly, and it spiked a pit of anger in him. Why was James's voice taunting him right now? James and he hadn’t spoken in over a decade. James hadn’t sounded that soft in over 2 since his voice had grown hoarse from screaming orders over streets, through buildings, and directions over panicking civilians. 

“Snuffles?”  He jumped at his arm being touched and looked over into those shining emerald green eyes, the veneer of worry and sadness covering them made his heart ache. Why the hell had his mind conjured James’ voice calling him his old marauder name. Riley was right here, and clearly worrying over him. 

“I’m sorry, I just got lost in my head thinking” he apologized solemnly. Tucking his head to his chest and the side, looking away from those eyes that made him feel so many things, that showed him so many things. 

Riley placed his hand on his jaw. He didn’t have it in him to fight the touch he craved but knew he should deny. So he let Riley guide his head back so he was looking directly in his eyes once again. Though there was steel in them, the sadness diminished and the worry was still fully there.

“Snuffles, what’s wrong? You were smiling, nearly laughing so I started getting siller and then you got sad and angry. Did I do something wrong? We need to talk if this is gonna work.” Riley asked gently. 

“What did you just call me?” He tried to change the subject because he didn’t know how to tell Riley of his fears, how he’d just been struggling with how he shouldn’t want the younger man but he did. He did so badly not a roll in the hey he wanted him in his house, as his lover, his husband his consort.

“Snuffles, when I called you Padfoot like your animagus earlier you just got more upset so I wanted to avoid it. I’m sorry.” He watched those beautiful emeralds sink into sadness and hurt again. 

Riley had called him Padfoot. He had seen the animagus and called him Padfoot and Sirius’ messed up mind, his memories of before, the world where his best friend died at 21, he died at 36, the loss of his friends to Voldemort then saving them only to lose them to Albus’ manipulation to their own lies. Losing Harry he knew and loved and would do anything for, that tight relationship unlike anything else. He had lost so much, and now he didn’t know how to feel because he was hurting Riley. The tears started to slide down his cheeks.  

“Oh Sirius,”  Riley wrapped his arms around his ribs, hands resting just below his neck. It felt like the hug was holding him together as if it was the tape on a broken bowl. That comfort, a type he had only ever felt in Harry’s arms before, He fell apart. Riley held him tighter and continued to do so till he slowed and finally they moved, and he felt himself dropped down on something tall and soft. 

He looked around, wiping his eyes and realized he was in Riley’s bedroom. He’d been once or twice when Riley had needed to grab something and they were talking but he’d never looked around much. 

Riley had clearly done a lot to his room more than the others. The walls were smooth blue-grey colour like the sky before a rainstorm. He was quite familiar with seeing in the shade in a mirror and had to try not to laugh at the fact Riley’s bedroom was the colour of his eyes. Above the bed was a watercolour painting of a foggy mountain range and forest in the twilight. The bed had been pushed up against the wall and the curved bed frame was well padded and upholstered in the same colour as the walls, the sea of pillows and blankets on the cloud-soft bed was a mixture of light blues, tan and soft creme. It was nearly a nest as if his friend was a Kneazle readying for kittens or winter. 

At the end of the room beside the closet entrance was a  cream double wide chaise with a Witches Of Scotland Tartan blanket tossed over the back that had a small side table and a number of floating shelves that had pictures or knick knacks on it as well as a few well-worn books. 

“I’m sorry,”  he said finally.

“For what?” 

“I came out to tell you I was done and then I saw you singing Shakira and swaying your hips. I thought you were the most beautiful, tempting thing I had ever seen. But then I shook myself out of it. It’s stupid for me to think such things.  You’re 25, and I’m nearly 47. I could very literally be your father, my god son, the child of my former brother in all but blood  who I grew up with and went to school with is the same age. There’s no way you would ever want me, and it’s wrong of me to want you. You’re my partner and roommate. Now, if you’re disgusted with me and want me to leave immediately I'd understand.” he sighed. 

“James called me Padfoot, our whole friend group had names based on our animagus. James was Prongs, and I was Padfoot, Remus was Moony, and Peter was Wormtail. The guy being a rat should have been a tip off he would never be loyal. After our fourth year we almost never used our real names.”  He drifted off. 

“That's why calling you padfoot upset you, because you were already spiraling and hearing the name upset you.” Riley asked. 

“Ya, in my head, my head was so messed up and I heard James calling me padfoot, and I. I got angry that my mind had conjured his voice up after we hadn’t spoken in over a decade.” 

“Can I ask why you don’t? Please don’t feel pressured.” 

“He gave away his kid.” 

“James and Lilly had twins. Henry and Harold,  I was made Harold’s godfather and Frank and Alice were Henry’s.   But with the war ending and everything going well I took on more work as a hit wizard. Then my grandfather, the lord of the house of black died so I took up his duties. After that James begged me to take his as well, he trusted me but he didn’t have the time being an auror and a dad. So I did it. Every time I visited they said Henry was with his godbrother,  he and Lilly were at a friend’s house, and I believed them. Then I made sure to be there for the day they should get their Hogwarts letters. I knew there was no chance that they wouldn’t all be at the house. But only one owl came, and when I asked where Henry was, Harold asked who Henry was. They had let Albus Dumbledore convince them that because Henry  hadn’t shown magic before he was three he was a squib. As well as disown him as he was the oldest, and they couldn’t risk the family wards trying to connect to him when he came of age and him not being able to hold it. James’ family had never disowned a squib before,  to find that he did so, while we were pushing in the wizengamont to outlaw doing so.” He shook his head and felt Riley rubbing his thumb back and forth over his hand. 

“They said they gave him to Lilly’s sister, a muggle who had treated Lilly like vermin for being magic because she would have loved and adored a baby boy who wasn’t magical. I went to Petunia’s house though. And she’d never seen a child. The basket they abandoned on her step with nothing but a letter as explanation had held a puppy like the one they had had as children before Lily had shown magic when she was seven. James hadn’t even shown magic till he was five, why in Merlin’s name they believed he was a squib just because he hadn’t shown magic at three when both are late bloomers.” He shook his head. 

“I went to see Frank and Alice but that had been attacked only a year after James and Lily. No one had any idea where he could be, and because the twins were born during the war, and the social convention of not announcing twins publicly till they are Five or Seven only eight people alive knew he existed.  They wrote to Dumbledore to ask about him, but he said he was wonderful. The monitoring spell he used never picked up even a scraped knee and so they told him to cut it off then Henry was perfectly  fine muggle and without them. I didn’t like it but there was nothing else I could do. We haven’t spoken since unless it was for Harold, I made sure to still be in his life but I couldn’t look at the man I had called brother after that.” Sirius finished. And Riley leaned against him. 

“Mhmm, I’m so sorry for your loss, they may not have physically died but  the man you knew, your brother, the child you loved even if not your godchild, they were now completely separate. It’s not the same but I wonder at times, when I have these fuzzy dreams of a red curtain, and a soft voice and laughter, sometimes there’s a pair of deer. I wonder. What happened to them.”  he paused 

“The most clear memory I have of warmth before my adoptive parents, is soft and warm blinking at the red curtain as it vanishes suddenly. Then it’s cold, it’s cold and I’m hungry and uncomfortable and then it gets colder. I wonder what happened, I figured it’s whenever they got rid of me. But it was so long it feels like it’s so long between the end of the warmth when the cold and the pain and the touching starts and the dumpster.” Riley starts to trail off, 

He’s sure that this wasn’t what Riley was trying to share, but he just learnt a massive amount about Riley and his past. Sure it may have happened a very long time ago but the things that stick with us that long, that strongly, often are big parts of who we become. His own desire to hold hands and touch and throw an arm over someone that Riley so often leans into is because of the lack of touch he got growing up, even less of it pleasant, so he soaks in as much good touch as he can. It makes sense to him now why Riley was so kind to a stranger, why he was willing to spend his weekend with Callum White. Why he leans into every touch unless they’re doing fieldwork. Why there so many pillows and blankets everywhere.  

He shifts and drags Riley into his lap,  wrapping him up in his arms, and lays his cheek atop his head, and they sit there and breathe. Riley drops his head into his neck, and he feels the soft steady puffs of breath and his own chest pressing into Riley’s. It’s quiet and peaceful. It feels like a moment special just for them. 

“As for the thing about you being older, I knew when I approached you in that bar you were older then I am. It’s why I approached you. But then you sounded sad, like you were resigned to being all alone and sad and tired. So instead of trying to get you out of your trousers and pants and into my bed I decided to just be your friend. And the more we talked, the more time we spent together the more I liked you.  Until you came into the office I was planning on texting Callum and asking if he wanted to meet up for lunch or dinner to talk about his first day with his new job.” he giggled. 

“Wait, so, so you came to me in the bar to hit on me and I friend zoned myself?” he said, completely bewildered. 

“You’re hot as hell Sirius, but it’s the job that’s friend or well roommate zoned you. This is a really important case, and our organizations and teams have been working on this for a long time to make sure we weed out and hit every branch to completely shut it down. If we start a relationship we need to disclose it so it can’t be used against us later, and with a case this high profile it’s possible they’ll split us, maybe even take one of us or both of us off of it.” 

“You’re right.” 

“I would also like to take the time to be friends and partners and roommates and get used to the dynamics and shift. We are gonna have a lot of stress and work and I don’t want either of us to feel neglected or left apart by the other and maybe take undue frustration out on the other.” 

“Friends, partners, flatmates, for now, and when the case is over we talk about being life partners?” 

“Yes, I’d like that” 

“Okay, then that’s what we do.” He confirmed and gave Riley another little squeeze that was quickly returned before they parted. 

“I feel like ordering pasta and a bottle of wine from that expensive Italian place for dinner? How about you?” Riley asked as soon as he pulled back. 

“Yes, I think that sounds wonderful for dinner tonight,” he agreed. 

“That night after  dinner, and a few glasses of wine, they headed to their own rooms to bed and he  couldn’t stop thinking about their conversation. 

He had shared so much more about his issue with the Potters and Riley had hit it right on the head. Even if they were still alive, the people he had known had practically died; they no longer existed. Plus the things he said he got what Riley had tried to say, his parents had abandoned him, or sold him, and despite the very vague and few memories he had he still mourned the loss in his life of the people who gave birth to him and were to love him and care for him much the way Regulus and he had even if he had had Effy and Monty. 

He had forgotten to ask about Riley’s birthday as well. Of course as things were wanted to do as soon as the dust had settled personally, the pot got stirred professionally in their case, an inside agent was nearly made and would take twice the handling to get out. For the first time ever he had to send a letter to Harold and tell him that he wouldn’t make it for his birthday. On the 31st as he was about to head for lunch, he got pulled aside by Amber. 

“Hey Sirius there’s a very handsome young man and a gorgeous young lady here to see you.” she winked at him. 

He was extremely confused but headed towards the reception instead of the employee floo to the magical district, where he was going to grab lunch. 

“Hay Paddy!” he heard the yell before he realized who was in front of him. It was Harold and Ginny. He took off in a run to scoop up Harold as much as he could. It ended up being more of a tight hug then anything else but he was always so happy to see his godson. 

“Harold, Ginny, what are you guys doing here?” he asked excitedly. 

“Well, I wanted to spend my birthday with my dog father, you know?” 

“I’m so sorry Harold, everything just went-”

“Tits up i know, it’s fine paddy honestly i’m surprised it took 26 years to happen.  And well now we get to see you here and not all tense and upset around mum and dad.” 

“I never understood that, mum always said you were the best of friends till the war, closer than brothers.” Ginny asked. 

Sirius just sighed 

“Even I don’t really understand it even if sometimes it feels like I’m the reason.” Harold rubbed the back of his neck.  

“Come on, let’s get something to eat and then we can talk if you really want to.” he said. 

It was only a few minutes before they had some truly amazing curry bowls and a muffalato up around their table.

“Sirius, can you please explain what’s up, between you guys?” Harold pleaded. 

“You were born a younger twin, Harold.”  he stated sadly, much to the shock of the two in front of him. 

“Henry John Potter was born four minutes before you. Frank and Alice Longbottom were assigned as his godparents. And I was assigned as yours. When you were three they decided to believe someone who told them that as he hadn’t shown magic yet he was a squib and that you needed more careful attention training and it would be better for everyone if they sent him away to your muggle aunt. Your parents  lied to  me till the day your Hogwarts letter came and you asked me who’s Henry? It’s not about you it’s just that they lied to me for so long and broke Potter tradition by disowning him as well. Never had a Potter been disowned for anything less than life in Azkaban.” 

“And dad did it to a 3 year old. Just because he hadn’t shown any accidental magic yet.”  Harold whispered in horror, realizing what his father had done. Sirius felt bad dropping this on him now. 

“I thought your dad would have told you, or you would have come across the family record and found out by now, I'm sorry to drop this on you the day before your birthday.” 

“It’s fine Sirius we wanted to know. And I guess now we know why no one has any clue, Henry’s birth wouldn’t have been announced with Harold the day after his third birthday as they had already decided and disowned him.” Ginny placed her hand on Harold’s arm to comfort him. 

“So what have you been up to?” Harold asked 

“Oh, I’m still working on the demiguise trafficking case.” 

“Is your partner good?” 

Now Sirius was happy they had had that conversation as it made it easier to think of Riley only as a coworker in this case.

“Ya, Senior Constable Pots is a dedicated and hard worker,  honestly I'm not sure if he’d have been a puff  or a claw the way he researches every possible detail and lead.” 

“That’s great and you get along well?” 

“Yes, it’s easy to focus on the work with him. Our  cubicles are side by side so we can talk and pass things over as well as lower the partition to spit back and forth ideas and theories.  He’s always focused on the work and is very careful and  focused.  He’s one of the best partners I've  ever had.”  he smiled 

“That’s great paddy.” 

The rest of the conversation headed to what the two of them were up to and how things were back across the pond. Soon he got tapped on the shoulder by a waitress. 

“Sorry Mr.Black but you have been here for five hours I don't  mean to presume but normally you’re picking up dinner for you and Mr.Pots at this time” the waitress said shyly. 

“Oh no! I’m so sorry Harold, I need to check on Riley.” He whipped out his phone and dialed Riley immediately. 

“ It's fine Sirius the Captain told me your godson had come to visit for the day and he has  been on comm helping me. Enjoy your evening okay? “ 

“Thanks Riley.” 

“Of course, if I had a family who loved me enough to take an international portkey twice for one afternoon I’d hope you’d do the same for me.” 

“Of course, thank you, good night”

“Good night” 

He turned around to look at the two rugrats. 

“I’m so glad you came.”

“Were happy we did too” 

The two stood up, and they headed down the street for Sirus to show them some of his favorite places until it was time to say goodbye.

“Hay Sirius.” Ginny pulled him aside. 

“What’s up gin?”

“You know no one will mind if you’re dating a much younger man. I did some research and Constable Pots is a very attractive man. If I thought Harold would be able to get past the green eyes and I thought you were only work partners, I’d ask  your blessing to drag him to our bed. “ Sirius choked on his own  spit getting clapped on the back by Harold suddenly. 

“Paddy, even if he was younger than me, I’m happy for you if you’ve found real happiness, there’s no need to hide your life partners, not just case partners”  Harold told him softly. 

“He’s not younger. His parents are squibs. They had a health scan done on him when they adopted him. His birthday is in the second half of July.“ 

A fact he had just learnt this morning because Amber had dropped off a muffin and said, “Happy early birthday Harry!”  and he’d asked Riley why he hadn’t told him it was almost his birthday but true all the same.

“We’re not. No listen. Riley and I met in a  muggle bar, and he was hot. I very much wanted to take a bite of him but he was so much younger, and it was my birthday so I was sort of maudlin. After a bit I realized no one was paying attention so he wasn’t a ret boy, it was no trap, and other than coming up to me and stretching I had no evidence he was hitting on me. We had a good weekend just being friends till I came to the office and realized we were work partners. When I moved in with him earlier this month I found out he had very much in fact come to me in that bar with the plan to get bedded but I was such a sad sack he decided to just be my friend. He had an amazing time and liked me as a friend, then found out I was his new partner.”

“So you made yourself stuck as a friend because you were moping on your birthday, i kind of respect him for giving up the tail just to mag you wag” Harold snickers. 

“Ha. Ha.” he said sarcastically

“Anyway we talked and were not gonna do anything till we were done with this case.  We don't wanna risk getting pulled off or needing to bring new people in so close to the end so once it’s over we will talk about it again.” he told them 

“Okay Sirius.”

“Okay Paddy, just know we support you besides you being with a man my age is no worse than Uncle Remus who had babysat Aunt Dora.” Harold laughed. Making chuckles go through them all. 

Sirus stepped back from the portkey office after a final hug to the both of them and watched them leave before heading home and collapsing into his bed.  

A few months later for his own birthday, Riley had taken him back to the Moose Head where they met after work, and they shared a few drinks before going on an evening hike and heading home to a hot stewpot and yorksure puddings. Simple and easy and somehow even better than the last birthday as it hadn’t started sad and alone.   

 The next year flew by as the case got to the end, and they put more work into raids, paperwork, court, and finally, 25 months after their collaboration had started, their case was over. 

A week after the case was done and the court statements were all cataloged, he put in for permanent transfer to the office as well as Riley filed the 515-3 Romantic Relationship Disclosure. Wixen may have never cared what was in someone’s pants, but they cared a lot about who was seeing or speaking to whom and when and how. After two years of being those partners that everyone knows are gonna be a couple the moment they are no longer partners, they were able to get new work partners and become life partners instead. They would no longer work side by side all the time, but they had spoken of it and both felt it was good to have some time not in the other’s pocket. 

This, of course, had Sirius asking to meet Riley’s parents. For all he had heard of them, he knew they were squibs, that they didn’t love magic and were distant with Riley, mostly. He’d told him of how he never came for summers or holidays after he got accepted at the Northern Academy of Magic.

This did not go well, though. 

“Sirius, you know my parents, they are both squibs.”  He looked down.

“They loved me plenty, they took me in and kept me and brought me to Canada, they sent me to school, and i ate everyday, but...but Sirius if a case file showed up on my upbringing, just the things i know others saw or heard and had to notice it would be the kelpies closing the case.”  Riley still wouldn’t look at him. 

Sirius paled. The kelpies were a secret band of child protective services. When a magical child was abused and neglected, they were the ones sent to take the kid, erase the adults’ memories of magic and de-age the child. Normally this de-aging was done to the point of memory removal when the kid would only be 1 or maybe two years old. They would then place the kid with a magical family who would adopt them in blood and magic and that child would grow up completely again. A completely new person and blood line. It was extreme, and there were two other levels of a magical child being removed before it went that far. That Riley who knew all the pitfalls of the system and the workings of it all, was sure of their involvement being needed before even the things he did not speak of, the nights of nightmare that he stayed silent. It was horrifying.  

Over the year and a half they had lived together, they had many nights they sat on the couch, Riley curled into his lap or himself curled into Riley’s stomach. Sirus spoke of curses and lashings and the verbal thrashing and tearing down, of how he tried so hard to protect his baby brother, how he felt betrayed when his brother sorted Slytherin not realizing that as much as he had begged for freedom, Regulus had begged to be perfect, to be exactly what they wanted so Sirius wouldn’t be hurt protecting him, so that when Sirius wasn’t around, he would be safe.  

Riley would talk about how all he remembered from before was a blur of cold, hunger and pain. He kept being touched and then hurt. He had told him about the day he was found. How he woke up to pain, pain everywhere and waiting for more to come, to be touched gently just to hurt again, to feel too sick and dirty to eat even if he was starving. How he felt filthy all the time and didn’t remember a bath till after he’d been adopted.  But that day he was dragged from the spot on the floor till he felt dizzy, a pulling sick twisting feeling. Then more pulling till his arm broke but no matter how he screamed and cried no sound would come. Even with all the people around no one looked at the old man dragging him by his arm as he screamed and cried then he turned the corner and let go but before Riley could run he was lifted by his ankle and dropped into the cold hard stinky place and then he fell asleep, when he woke up it was to screaming and lights and pain. The pain from before hadn’t left and the new pain in his head added to it, screaming had done nothing before so he cried instead of screaming, then he was with all the people in funny hats. And his mum and dad came.  

Riley had slipped a few times, things like how when something weird happened he wasn’t allowed to eat, or he wasn’t allowed to sleep in the house. That he went to school and till he “grew out” of the magic nonsense he wasn’t to go back. Sirius knew Riley’s parents hadn’t been good, but he hadn’t realized they were that bad. 

“I love them, and they love me, they just hate magic. Though they could beat or starve it out of me till I went to school, I came back after I graduated with a normal government job as a postal organizer and that’s it.” 

He surged forward to hug Riley. “M’ sorry love,” 

“Don’t be sorry. I just need you to know not to do any magic, or mention it were postal workers and we’ve been working on a massive international mail fraud scam, okay?” 

“Okay if that’s what you want.” 

Sirius hated this, he hated that Harry still loved these people but was it really that different then Cissa or Lucius or Reggie? He had somewhere and someone to escape to and he did and he stopped loving his parents but none of them had replacement parents, these are Riley’s replacement parents. He hated they were that awful, but there had been things said that led to conversations full of tears, nights where they drank nothing but black tea or coffee, hashing out bits of memories from nightmares and what nightmares were memories, what good dreams were memories had them bringing out the firewhisky. 

Once in a blue moon Riley would tell him about the things he remembered from before he was cold. Between sips of firewhisky or beefeater Gin had shared small flashes, little tiny bits. Bits he’d once used to figure out a patronus. Because even at 13 he did not have a memory strong enough, but he had this little foggy dream, of a baby, of two deer, and a forest. And he had his mind and he found a way to make a corporeal patronus anyway. Sirius was sure that this made him the epitome of a dedicated, hard working, unafraid of toil and trouble hufflepuff. Sirius hoped that meeting Regulus, Lucius and Cissa might help him see he could cut these people out, it was okay to love them and miss the good, but they still hurt him. He owes them nothing.

“I don’t want to, can we please not?” Riley shuddered and drooped in Sirius’s arms, resting his weight against his chest, then looking up through dark bangs at him. 

“I don’t want to pretend I’m not in love with you, that I’m investigating mail fraud just so they’re nice, I don’t want to see them when I haven’t in nearly three years, I just want to love you.” Riley said, head falling into his chest. 

“Okay we don’t, but I want you to meet mine, you don’t need to hide anything from them. Ever. “ he started rubbing tight little circles into Riley’s spine in a move he knew would soothe him.  

“Okay” 

The two spent the night sitting on the couch holding each other and drinking a crockpot full of firewhisky spiced hot chocolate till Riley dragged Sirius to his bed and they fell asleep in soft cotton pajamas, wrapped in each other’s warmth and love and tender care. When they woke in the morning, warm and soft, limbs all tangled together, and hair frazzled mess managing to be in both faces they just smiled. They continued to doze a few more minutes till the call of coffee and tea had them getting up. It hadn’t taken long to get ready, grab their bags and head to the portkey office. Then, thankfully as it wasn’t a holiday or event time yet there was little to no line for the portkey office so in all it truly only took them about 45 minutes to get to the British ministry.

Riley was looking at everything. He was sure to him it looked just gloomy and dark, possibly dirty when held in comparison to the glass and red brick of their own four story office. Truly the ministry hadn’t bothered to update anything that hadn’t been required like updated light fixtures or repairs to the floo hall. Even those were however done to match the current look of the place and had dark green tiled halls and archways that made the place feel smaller and darker than it was. He led Riley out to the public areas where he knew Lucy, if not Cissa, Andy, and Reggie as well, would be waiting for them. 

As soon as they entered the main lobby he saw them as well as two unexpected additions. His niece Nymphadora, and her 8 year old son Teddy. He smiled as the tyke ran up to them and scooped him up.

“Hi, I’m John!” Teddy or well, John yelled right by his ear at Riley. 

“Hi John, I’m Riley. It’s nice to meet you.” Riley giggled and greeted the boy kindly. 

The two had a simple conversation about who everyone was that came to meet them as they walked to the others.  

“Riley! This is my momma Dora, and my granny Andy, and grandpa ted! His name is Edward too. That’s why my name is Edward but I’m too big for teddy, and i don’t wanna be Ed, or Ted, or Edward so i use John!  And that’s Grandma Cissa, and Grandpa Lucius, and Grandpa Regulus! Daddy Remus couldn’t come, cus he’s in France but he’ll come home tomorrow!” Teddy said excitedly, bouncing in his arms and pointing at each person as he spoke.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all.  I’m Riley Pots.” Riley quickly introduced himself and then Teddy wiggled to head back to Dora so he handed the boy over. Teddy may be going by John it seems, but in his head the boy would always be Teddy.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well,” Cissa said, stepping forward. 

“Come let’s go to the floo station so we can go back to the cottage,” she directed before walking off and the rest of them followed. 

“So the location is Black Cottage, and the password in honey drop”  Cissa told him and then floo’d away herself. The others all headed off in quick order as well, and when it was their turn, Sirius grabbed Riley and held him close to his chest in the fireplace and floo’d them together. In dizzying swirl and twist, they were stumbling lightly into the entry of Black Cottage. 

The entry way at black cottage was simple, the others had all moved on as it was not a reception room just a floo right by the front door, across from it a closet and boot rack with a few hooks low for Teddy to use on his own when he visited.  

“Let’s get the tour over huh?” he asked Riley who nodded back.  

“So right ahead in the bathroom” he knocked on the door gently before opening it to show the simple bathroom with Toupe walls, a silk toilet, and a small corner shower with the towel bar on the opposite wall, as well as a hook with a hooded duck towel hanging clearly belonging to Teddy.

“Sometimes you come in and need to warm up fast, or wash the muck off teddy so we have a simple single shower here so it’s close.” he explained, then turned around. Immediately opening the next door and holding it open to see into.  

“This is the Guest room if you want to stay here you can but, i’d also be happy if you would stay in my room with me.” he said softly, nearly shy to ask. They had known they had feelings for years and purposely kept out of a relationship and held the boundaries of roommates and friends so their work didn’t suffer and no one tried to have them separated while they were working on taking down a huge Demiguise smuggling ring. The paperwork may have been filed now, and last night they had slept in Riley’s bed, but this was different. This wasn’t a decision made out of exhaustion, emotional pain, with a bit too much firewhiskey when beyond overtired. This was a serious step in their relationship. 

Riley looked about the room the walls were a sage green that looked nice with the Dark walnut bed, desk, and dresser in the room as well as the ivory and sage linens, it had a large window that took up nearly a third of the wall and a side door partially open that was obviously an ensuite. And then looked back at him, smiling. 

“I’d like to stay with you, it’s a lovely room but we’ve spent so long apart, even if we’re doing nothing but being next to each other I still would enjoy it.” Riley said confidently and softly, his eyes sparkling like enchanted gems the way that made his breath catch and heart stutter once again. 

They walked past the stairs, and Sirius pushed open the door.

“This is the emergency office, if business comes up while were here and it requires an immediate floo call, or anything we do so here instead of flooring back to a manor or office this way we have everyone here to help, as well as when were done we can just go right back to what we were doing.” 

The short floo was on the wall as soon as you stepped into the room. Turning to the right revealed an oversized desk pushed against the same wall as the floo, with light cherry cupboards above and around it. A large window that took three quarters of the outside wall, and on the wall that would be adjacent to the stairs was a mural of a forest. 

“That’s the Entrance to the Elf quarters, that extend under the stairs, and like nearly every bedroom are expanded. All the elves connected to the family are welcome to come here whenever they wish, and all are bound willingly in a partnership, they can leave at any time they want.“ he explained quickly. 

“That’s really good. I wouldn’t have expected any less of you Sirius.” Riley smiled, a bit of a chuckle following the soft reassuring words trailing off.

Right, right Riley wouldn’t have ever known about the Blacks reputation from before the end of the war, he had only been a tot when it happened. And with them being such a big force in it’s end it was often laughed that the Blacks were light, even if they were all publicly darker grey. Even if the stigma between light and dark magic had been heavily reduced and things more properly labeled as sacrificial, neutral, and forbidden magic. Plus, they worked on creature and beast investigation; the two had seen a number of slave bound elves. Riley knew well exactly how he felt about such things. 

“Right, Sorry,” Sirius turned around and led them out to go up the stairs. 

“This is Narcissa and Lucius’ room, Draco and Astoria, plus their son Scorpius, and Dora and Remus with teddy of course. Their rooms are all smaller as they don’t stay overnight often. If they do, they just activate the runic expansions.” He explained as he tapped each door, leaving them all closed.

“This one is Regulus, Barty, and Evan’s room. It’s technically the master but I don’t care and they like getting up early to see the sunrise with their morning tea. Plus they practically live here. ” He tapped the middle door right across from the stairs.

“This is Any and Ted’s room, There's is a bit bigger as they visit and stay over more but still has runic expansion for if teddy is staying here with them instead of Remus and Dora. ” he tapped the last one before he pushed open his own door and guided Riley inside. 

“This is our room.” He took Riley’s bags and set them down as Riley walked in and looked around. 

The walls were soft but deep burgundy, as were the curtains and upholstery. The wood on the furniture was a medium brown walnut with gold accents, as well as the bed had creamy white, burgundy, and gold linens and cushions. A number of photos were scattered around the book shelves  and walls, a mix of everything Sirius read for personal amusement and photos of big and small moments that had been close to his heart. He hoped Riley would put pictures and books on these walls as well. 

“I’d like it if you felt comfortable enough to put your own books and pictures as well. When you’re ready, I don’t want to push you to do so till you’re ready, Technically we haven’t even moved into the same room at the flat back home yet so, “ he started to mutter and mumble in his nerves. 

“I’d love to , I didn’t bring anything though so next time maybe or when we get home I can make a couple boxes up and ask one of the elves who’s not busy to bring them for us.”  Riley replied easily and walked to him rubbing his hands up and down Sirius arms softly to settle him.

“I love you Sirius.” Riley said sweetly, and as soon as he looked down at his boyfriend, his lips caught him in a soft kiss. 

Pillowy lips pressed against his own, and the moment the shock wore off, he was wrapping one arm around his boyfriend’s lower back and the other around his shoulders, reaching up to dig his fingers into short, silky silk soft chestnut curls with the other. As they kissed softly, Riley parted his lips slightly and hummed softly, melting into him. He used the slight opening to gently bite Riley’s bottom lip. Tasting the English breakfast tea on his breath and chasing the sweetness of the local honey he preferred to use rather than sugar or cream off Riley’s lips with his tongue. The world faded away as he sunk into the simple pleasure of finally being able to hold, kiss, and taste his boyfriend like this. His boyfriend. As they pulled apart, and just breathed, faces inches apart. 

Riley leaned into his chest, dropping his head into the crook of his neck, and wondered if Riley would be willing to be courted? Or betrothed? Boyfriend didn’t feel like enough, like an important enough word. He’d admit however, it was likely because he had grown up surrounded by other heirs and heiresses who it was expected of. James had bucked tradition and societal expectations that irked even his parents a fair bit by being Lilly’s boyfriend, not courtier, or betrothed, and then having a muggle wedding instead of a bonding. But, well, there’d been a war and bigger things to really be bothered by then a quick dirty muggle wedding. 

“Will you be my betrothed?”  he blurted out suddenly as if he were a gargoyle. Riley jerked back suddenly. 

“What?”  he asked Sirius. Eyes wide, looking and sounding a bit frantic.  

“I love you, have loved you for years. We haven’t gone on anything we call dates, we haven’t kissed, or slept together, or shared a room before last night, this is the first time you’re meeting my family, and you don’t have a family for me to meet. But I pick up breakfast every morning, you make dinner every night and we trade lunches, at least twice a week we go out and do things joined by others or not, we cuddle on the couch, and watch movies and share drinks and popcorn, and Riley, it doesn’t feel like its enough, to call you my boyfriend, your more to me, and I want to use a name that means more. That feels like more. “ he tried to explain. 

“Okay, i understand but, i don’t like being called betrothed, it sounds like we have a contractual obligation. Can we, could we use intended?  I very much intend to bond with you Sirius Orion Black if you will have me. “ Riley told him starting unsure and nervous but by the time he was done he sounded settled and confident. 

“I would love that. It’s not as formal and doesn’t sound like contract obligation, it sounds like what it is i minted for more, i minted you to be my firsts, last, and only. I minted to be yours and you to be mine till the end of my soul. “ he said to Riley laying on the gravely growl to his voice a little thick. 

Riley thankfully agreed with him by pecking him softly but pulling back quicker than a firebolt and giggling. 

“Alright we should go downstairs and actually see your family.” Riley continued to chuckle and turned away to exit the room.  

Riley likely knew that everyone would be in the living room, the only room Sirius hadn’t said anything about earlier but he darted forward to grab Riley and scoop his minted up in his arms. Yes, he loved that. His Intended. He carried him down the stairs and burst straight through the doors to the living room. 

“And this my Intended is the Living room, as you can see  my lovely little brother and cousins are all here waiting for us, and it seems we are even luckier because my baby brothers Husbands are here as well! Everyone, I would like to introduce Riley Pots, who has agreed to be my Intended!” he said loud and proud, enjoying the theatrics and feeling Riley stifle his giggles at the silliness. He gently put his intended down, who then kissed him on the cheek and then spun around to look at the room.   

“Pleasure to meet you Riley. I’m Evan Rosier” Evan walked up to them and held his hand out to shake.

“Pleasure to meet you as well Evan.” Riley taking his offered hand to shake. 

Evan pulled Riley to him in a hug.  And then twisted them making them face Barty. 

“I Imagine you’ve figured out this is Barty by now, as you must already know everyone else.” He motioned to Barty who nodded with a smile, Riley smiling politely back. 

“So. how did we go from the coworker, to the boyfriend, to the intended so fast?” Dora teased 

“Well, Sirius and I met in a muggle bar on his birthday years ago. We had spent the weekend hanging out, and then Monday I found out he was actually my new partner at work. After about 8 months my roommate left and Sirius offered to come be my new roommate. From there things started falling in place but we were working on a large and important International Trafficking case so we kept things within the boundaries of roommates and work partners. When we finally finished things we put in for partner changes and I filed the relationship disclosure paperwork, when we go back we’ll see if they let us work together or reassign us. Sirius asked me to be his betrothed upstairs but I don’t really like that title it sounds obligatory,” 

“Indeed being each other’s intended is far less formal but extremely romantic and sounds far more serious than boyfriends.” Cissa added her two knuts. 

“What’s your middle name Riley?” Teddy called out to ask, much to the chuckles of the adults. 

“I don’t have one John. it’s just Riley Pots” None of the adults missed the slight sadness. 

“That’s silly, why do they call you that?” 

“Because when they found me, all the police officers could understand when I told them my name was Ree Pot.” 

Riley was so focused on Teddy he hadn’t noticed the adults in the room all stiffen as cogs turned. As bits from letters and floo calls were re-categorized, his looks were placed in juxtaposition against another.   

“The Police? But what about your momma and dada?” Teddy asked.

“I don’t know John, I was about 3 when the police found me, I went to a foster home. That’s a house with people who want to take care of kids who need help and a place to sleep for a while. When no one reported a missing child who matched me, my parents adopted me and left my name as Riley Pots.” 

“You don’t remember anything?” 

“No, not really, I remember a few odd things but I was very very young.  I remember two deer, a red curtain, and a baby. The scary old man who hurt me and put me in the dumpster, before they found me. But even those are all very washed out memories. If I saw the old man now I don’t know if I’d recognize him and he was the one who the red hair gave me to, took me from the warm to the cold till he put me in the dumpster.” 

Every word out of Riley’s mouth made the others feel cold. Andy grabbed his arm and pulled him away a step and put up a muffalato. 

“Did you not know this Sirius?” 

“No, we, we don’t talk much about that stuff, that he got his name like that, I never thought to ask why they named him Riley. He was three most of his childhood and nightmares are about the squibs who raised him, or the time in the cold. I knew he’d been hurt by the old man who put him in the dumpster and he remembered a deer and a red curtain, but..” 

“But without the context he told them his name was some version or Ree pot. Any child could have a deer in his nursery or seen them, Lily is far from the only woman with a curtain of red hair.” Andy was shaking her head.    

“Hen-ry Pot-ter. Red hair gave him to the old man.” Sirius whispered.

“Andy, Andy, the old man, he didn’t just take him away and put him in the dumpster. Lilly and James said they put Henry on Petunia’s door step on August first. Riley wasn’t found in that dumpster till December. His parents had a magical check up on him that said he was born in July.” he said, pieces clicking together. 

“What on earth did Dumbledore  do with a three year old for four nearly five months? Before throwing him in the rubbish, likely to die.”  

“Riley's worst nightmares are about the cold, the feeling dirty, and pain, gentle touches then pain, sometimes in one place but more often everywhere all at once, and hunger. Andy what if he was trying to do experiments we all know Dumbles believes that Voldie is coming back even though we know he won't.  But Andy. What if he was trying to find a prophecy bond, or force out Henry’s magic, it wouldn’t be hard for him to find spells some families use to try and force a child to manifest their magic.” 

“The most common are variants of the Cruciatus." 

They turned back in on the rest of the room. Noting Dora taking Teddy away. 

“You know Riley, if you want to find out, just for you. We can do a heritage potion on you easily enough. We could even go to gringotts and have them do a whole tree.” Regulus offered. 

“Oh, umm isn’t that heavily regulated?”

“No, it’s pretty normal here to do it.” Barty soothed 

“In Canada, the only time that’s done is if there’s worry about inbreeding before a wedding. Or they need to find next of kin.” Riley was still worrying his lip between his teeth. 

“It’s fairly standard practice here,  a lot of muggle borns are from connecting squib lines, so most children from non magical homes do it and it’s even something taught in sixth year at Hogwarts.” Regulus again tried to soothe and convince. 

“We, is there a way?” 

“I can have an elf bring a potion and some parchment. It’s not official but if you want to know what happened or who your biological parents were it could help. It’s nowhere near as thorough as a gringotts test but it’ll be easy and fast, just a drop of blood for each generation you want to go back.”

“Okay lets, lets do it.” Riley’s smile shook, and his voice was tight as he swallowed thickly. 

“Love, you don’t need to” he tried to offer, but Riley turned to him with a genuine smile. 

“It’s okay, and it’s not a bad idea to find out. It’s not like it will change anything about us.” he told him. 

“Right no matter what, you’re the gorgeous man I met in a muggle bar and want to spend my life and after with.” Sirius smiled, realizing the truth in the words. Even beyond his worry that he was now sure that Riley was Henry, it didn’t change much other than Sirius would have more information on his birth family and be able to put him in contact with his brother, or his parents if Riley wanted that. 

“Dobby grab a heritage potion and a foot of parchment please.” Lucius said to the air, then stood 

“Well come on we may as well do it in the office instead of the dining room table. “ Lucius rolled his eyes and they all got to their feet and headed to the office where a ritual knife, bulbous potion bottle, and parchment were sitting in wait.

Sirus led Riley to the desk and wrapped his arms around his shoulders and pulled him to his side trying to make him forget about the audience. 

He handed Riley the knife. Quickly, Riley pricked his own finger as he uncorked the potion bottle. Then held it out to Riley, who squeezed two drops into the bottle and then nodded. Parents and grandparents it was. Re-corking the bottle, he swirled it around three times, and then Riley reached out, so he handed it over. 

“Pour it on the paper, and. And it will tell me all right? “

“Unless you were disowned, yes.” he said, trying to stay calm. 

Riley took a deep breath and poured the potion out. 

The parchment absorbed the potion, and then slowly spindly letters Sirius recognized all too well as Riley’s handwriting filled the page with flags, then names, and not names, and colours. The whole room went silent.

 

Sirius grabbed Riley and held him tightly to his chest.  

“You know, you know who they are,  don’t you? Your god-sons wife is called Ginny.” Riley’s voice cracked. 

“I do, she is and I can’t tell you everything, I haven’t spoken to anyone but your twin and his wife in years. But I can tell you what I know.” he whispered 

He saw Regulus transfigured, couches all around them, and pulled Riley-Henry back into a two-seater. 

“Sirius?” 

“This story is gonna start long before you were born okay?” 

“Okay” 

“Riley, I think the story is a bit ahead of this but  it will provide context to know what the tree 

 showing you.”  Regulus interrupted 

Riley nodded at him.

“This is an extremely simple tree, okay? So Red banners show you are magically disowned. The green means squibs, and you see the names of your aunt’s family and are not disowned from their family as she did not share a family name with your mother or consider your mother family when you were disowned.” Regulus paused to look at Riley and make sure he was understanding. 

Once Riley nodded, he continued. 

“The yellow that means this Vernon is a muggle. And the blue means your cousin-in-law is a full witch. On the other side we see Henry crossed out because you do not consider yourself Henry but it is the name tied to this tree. Twin bonds are funny it looks like despite disowning you the twin bond kept you from being cut completely away from your twin but it did sever the bond. Then of course his wife Ginerva or Ginny is a full witch.”  He looked up again at Riley. 

“Okay, thanks Regulus.” Riley whispered.        

“Regulus was right, that’s some context that I’d have missed explaining otherwise.”  He told Riley. 

“Can you tell your story now?” Riley asked. 

“When I was a boy off to Hogwarts I was free of my parents for the first time. And I made friends with James Potter.” He felt Riley tense. 

“We were best friends, practically brothers. When the war started, a couple years before you were born, I learnt a lot of important information and gathered Andy, Cissa and Reggie. We worked inside both camps to end it. There was a prophecy though, one of those silly self fulfilling things that is ignored means nothing.”  

“But then your parents announced your mother was pregnant. And they went into hiding anyway.  It was a shock when twins were born. Though fraternal, you and Harold are the complete opposite. I was asked to be godfather,  and they made me Harold’s godparent. Yours was Frank and Alice Longbottom. Well Voldie, one of our friends Peter turned on James and Lilly,  he told him where they were. And when I saw him I called the others, Voldie was taken down and all four of you lived and were safe.”

“I went back to my life of work. Anytime I visited, they said Henry was with his godparents and brother or visiting your muggle family with Lilly. I didn’t think much of it as my stops were sporadic and never scheduled, till your letters. I came by to see the two of you get your Hogwarts letters and that was when I found out Harold didn’t even know you existed. They said they left you with your aunt petunia because you hadn’t shown any magic by the time you were three, they thought you were a squib and that it would be better for you to be raised with muggles.” he sighed and pulled Riley closer to him to kiss his forehead. 

“I went to Petunia. Who wanted to know why I was looking for her dog? There was no baby in the basket she received. I had no way to track you. And I cut off my friendship with them as soon as I learnt they’d disowned you. The Potters hadn’t disowned a squib in over 4 thousand years, I was furious. Frank and Alice, I hadn’t known this till I went looking; they had been attacked a few days after the Potters. They were tortured till they went insane,  they have no higher brain function and no control whatsoever of their magic. They were the only people who’d have been able to find you and they no longer had the capacity to recognize their own son in front of them , let alone look for you.” 

“Harold was my godson and he did no wrong in this all, so I showed up for him and kept contact, but I haven’t spoken to James or Lily since that day.“  he shuffled to grab the parchment. 

“Harold. He has red hair and hazel eyes and tan skin, he’s married to Ginerva but she prefers Ginny. They don’t want kids yet they plan to wait till they are older.  Your father is James and your Mother Lillian. Her sister is Petunia who married Vernon and they have a son. I have no idea what he looks like. I’ve never met him and I haven’t seen Vernon since I was 19 myself. Looks like he married a girl named Susan though.  Now the yellow means they are related by marriage not blood and the green means that Dudley is a muggle not magical. If we did a more complex one it would tell us also that Vernon is a muggle and if Susan is as well  and would still say if your parents and grandparents were magical muggle or squib.  But this is basic so it doesn’t.”  

“I don’t. Is it bad that I don’t want to know them? I don’t want to be a Potter. I don’t want to forgive them and hear their side or anything. They did worse than throw me out like the trash. They sent me away to the cold first, then I was thrown in the garbage months later. They got rid of me on August first, but I wasn’t found till December, Snuffles.” Riley hiccupped 

“It is not wrong. It would not be wrong if you did. One day, I hoped you would meet Harold and Ginny but they never needed to know. You never need to act like this means anything.” he whispered. 

Then he grabbed Riley’s chin in his hand gently and brought it up to look him in the eyes, cradled his face with both hands and made sure he was looking directly into Riley’s eyes. 

“This also changes nothing like I said.  You are you. You were a baby when I was 21 that means nothing we met when you were 25.  You’re from a British wizarding family, so what I’d find wizards like that in India, but you Riley you are the one I love, have loved for years, I said it would not change anything and it doesn’t. I still love you, I still intend to bond with you, and if neither of us are carriers, I still want to do the ritual to have a child. I still want to find our perfect home or some land and build one in Canada because it’s so beautiful. Nothing has changed except now we know the names of the people who hurt you.”  

“If you want  we can find a family medical history and if you want we can look into your heritage. We never need to speak to  or acknowledge the living Potters at all to do those things. Andy is a private healer and can do all kinds of tests as well as we can go to the goblins if you want my love but only if you want.” 

Riley started to cry. He felt the tears dripping on his neck and Riley shivering.

“Let’s go to bed baby, okay?” he asked 

“Please, wanna cuddle” Riley whimpered.

“Of course. Winky please as many blankets and pillows as you can arrange it like a kneazle nest in my bed please”  he called and scooped up his intended and walked slowly upstairs. 

Once in his room, he used a switching spell to get them in pajamas and laid them both down in the bed. Winky used magic to cover them in another blanket, and he smiled at her as he mouthed a thank you and held his intended tighter. 

“I love you my intended.”

“Not pots, please, don’t, no.” Riley stuttered

“Alright, I love you my intended future lord consort Riley Black. Nothing can ever change that I love you. In this life and the next. I love you. ”  

They didn’t leave the bedroom until the next day. Just lying in each other’s arms. Riley constantly needed to see him, to know he was there, that he wasn’t gonna leave or upset or having second thoughts, it took time but the next morning when Riley woke and saw Sirius watching him, his beautiful stormy blue eyes he was calm enough to feel Sirius magic wrapped around him caressing his own, his own wrapping Sirius he looked in his intended eyes and saw the worry for his well being, the love that hadn’t budged or shifted at all and he breathed for what felt like the first time in ages. 

Nothing was different; they were Riley and Sirius, and they were intending on bonding.  

“Can we get married in the ancient ways under the old gods before we go back to work so I never need to hear that name again?” he asked. 

“Of course we can, my intended, but I want you to want that, I want you to be ready for that,  not to jump into it and rush things.” 

“I know snuffles, I wanted to be bedded by you the night we met. And I am in love with you in so many more ways than I ever thought people could be in love.” Riley’s tone dripped with the sweetness of apple pie.  Real and soft, sweet but not sickly, so full of emotion, like pie. It was the flavors all that complemented each other to make an overall delectable, craving-worthy treat that was never too much.  

“I’m glad to hear that. Am I understanding though your saying I’m right we should wait till we’re ready, take some time and not jump into a bonding in the old ways right yet?” 

“Yes snuffles, you’re right, I love you.” 

“I love you too.” 

He scooted over in the bed to kiss Sirius softly, pulling away to decide he wanted more. It was an amazing feeling, they were together, they were in love, they wanted the same future,  and nothing could take them apart if this hadn’t, nothing ever could. So he was content to lay there basking in their unbound magic, holding the other in their arms and being held in turn, kissing each other over and over again in the softness that filled him with the joy and assurance of their feelings and love even if they hadn’t acted on it. It had grown and grown over the years. The repetition and silly smiles from the joy flooding them like teenagers in a new relationship experiencing it all for the first time. 

Riley couldn’t imagine having a better partner, a better relationship than one that bloomed from friendships and care pasts so similar and different. Their romantic and physically intimate part of their relationship was new, but the emotional intimacy, the security and trust. That was its foundation had been built slowly and carefully, with attention noting and patching every place that failed. Even if they had wanted the outcome to be romantic, there had never been guarantee, and that was part of why they had taken the time to learn and love the other inside out. It could have been minutes or hours they spent together like that when eventually there was a knock on the door.

“Sirius, Riley, Remus have arrived and it’s past lunch, do you want to come down?” It was Andy’s voice so they looked at each other. 

“Ya, we’ll be down a bit Andy thank you”  he called and looked back at Sirius, who was smiling.  

“All right see you soon”  they listened as her steps went away. 

A few more soft slow kisses, they got out of bed. With a few lingering hugs, brushes against the other and more quick but just as gentle and meaningful kisses, they were ready and headed downstairs. 

Sirius had put on grey sweatpants and a baggy black sabbath shirt with the arms cut off and collar stretched so he had taken the hint and also worn a pair of joggers but in navy blue and a soft worn grey t-shirt with a pair of fluffy soft socks. He couldn’t help himself from grabbing Sirius’ hand though as they exited the room, things would be different around others outside their little bubble. He was nervous, but he was excited to meet Sirius' childhood friend. 

Once they were down the stairs and entered the open doors of the living room, it was clear who the newcomer was.  

Remus was on the floor playing a card game with Teddy as the others were sitting at the table. And Remus’ head whipped up to him. 

“Henry! PUP!” he called, then his head whipped to Sirius. 

“You found him when?”  he asked frantically. Riley didn’t know what to do with this. So he shuffled behind Sirius lightly. 

“Come Riley, I want to talk to you about this old book I found on mooncalves.”  Barty walked right in front of who must be Remus and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the room to the office where there was - surprisingly - in fact a book on mooncalves care for them to pour over. 

“Remus,  I’m guessing that your wolf recognized him?” Dora asked 

“Yes , Sirius?”  Remus looked back at him, confusion obvious on his face.

“My intended, Riley was found abandoned in a dumpster by muggle police who placed him with squibs. When Riley showed magic they weren’t pleased. As a Canadian version of the Hit wizards he understands that but as the child it happened to its still a struggle to internalize. Till yesterday all he knew of before was a pair of deer, a baby and a red curtain that pulled away and left him in the cold with the scary old man who made him hurt till one day he was dragged through muggle city and thrown in a dumpster in December.”

“Dear Merlin.” It was like a water to wine charm had been cast, seeing the light of excitement bleed out of Remus’ eyes and watching it be replaced with devastation as he sat back heavily on the couch.  

“Riley does not wish to be known as Pots anymore,  he is the future Riley Black that’s all. He at the moment has no intention of  ever seeing the Potters, not even seeing Harold as a brother, and their twin bond was severed as well. He is not Henry John Potter, a boy abandoned and disowned by our former friend. He is Senior Constable Riley. He’s an orphan who was abandoned, abused and then adopted by people who were neglectful and emotionally abusive. He has since made a life for himself and is one of the most amazing men I have ever met, and my future bonded.” He made sure to speak louder to ensure everyone in the room heard and understood. 

“I’m sorry Sirius, I should apologize.” Remus started to fret. 

“No Remus. Please just let it be. The young man here with me? His name is Riley. He is intelligent, kind, hard working, clever, loyal, and today he is excited to meet my friend.”  He tried to plead with Remus to let this go. One way or another, Riley wasn’t Henry. 

Henry had been disowned from the Potters and magical Evans’ and his twin bond severed; whoever Henry Potter would have ended up as was no more the moment James committed that unforgivable act. Riley was here, and this was his life. As Sirius's intended future husband and lord consort he needed his friend to understand that.  

“Okay, okay whatever you say Sirius.” Remus relented. 

“Thank you.”  

He saw Regulus tap his earring with his wand, likely a call to Barty. Sure enough a few moments later, Riley and Barty came back around with their noses stuck in a book. Humm, he was surprised there was actually a book to  look at not just a half-thought diversion. The two were also talking about goblin trade routes though. Riley looked up at him for a second before looking back at the book.  

“Sirus! Barty found the diary of a goblin named Garnuff who was a trader. He had a mooncalf named Biscuit he loved very much. He took extensive notes on her behavior, likes and dislikes.   Biscuit was kidnapped by poachers in the early 1890s and a Hogwarts student! A Hogwarts 5th year student Sirius!  Went and rescued and returned her to him. I wonder if we could use this journal as a chip with the local goblins to ask for more of their help on understanding creatures. It’s something we can return to them, as well as it shows that there have been wixen who care very much and do see the goblins and their care and love as equal. A 15 year old risked their own life to save a mooncalf for a goblin who they didn’t even know and had only met seconds ago for no reason other than it was the right thing to do.  Sirius if we could find the wix who did this!” Riley chattered excitedly, warming his heart and softening the room’s tenseness.  

“That would be great love, but remember it’s Barty’s book”. 

“Nah I’m glad it might help you with your creature trafficking cases please have it.” Barty chuckled 

“Thanks Barty” Riley looked up and smiled 

The entire room lit lighter, warmer, softer. Sirius felt Riley’s magic spread and watched everyone else smile and calm and wondered if Riley was that powerful. It leaked like this when he was relaxed. He’d been so used to it by now he loved seeing it wash across his family. 

Of course the silence and peace couldn’t last long between his own and Riley’s luck they were well loved by fate and it was again shown when Harold Burst through the door and around the corner yelling 

“I’m gonna be a dad! I don’t even have any clue who could be their dog father!” Harold yelled into the living room. 

The entire room stilled at the shock of the sudden intrusion, and Harold froze looking at Riley. 

“Your parents killed your brother, he’s just  Sirius’s future husband”  Remus had shouted in panic.

That seemed to startle Harold into whipping his head to Remus 

“What!” 

But before Sirius could stop it Harold had already rubbed his emergency call ring, and James and Lilly apperated into the living room. Harold turned on them like a cornered mother wolf in front of her den full of pups. 

“You killed my brother! The brother I just learned about a few months ago!” Harold screamed at the very confused Potters, who then caught a glimpse of the young man Sirius was trying to hide and shuffle into the kitchen. 

“What, Henry?”  Lilly whispered, her eyes tearing up.  

He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or terrified when Riley stood up tall like he does right before giving a junior officer a dressing down. This was Senior constable, lead of the Magical Creature Trafficking task force for the Alberta RCMMP. Not his sweet shy intended who loved nifflers most because they were cute and fluffy and any kind of affectionate lingering touch be it a co-worker's arm over his shoulder or the constant tap-tap of knuckles and shoulders as they walked a little too close together.  

“I have a vague idea of who you are based on context, mam, but I assure you I am not Henry.” he stated firmly and calmly.

 It was sort of funny to see S.Cstb.Potts in sweatpants and a baggy t.

“No, no, you, you look more like family than Harold.  You’re Henry.” James whispered.

“Again, I assure you Mr. I am not. I am Sir Riley, Senior Constable RCMMP of Alberta Canada and Head Investigator of the Magical Creature Trafficking and Abuses task force. Former colleague of English Hit Wizard Lord Sirius Black and currently his intended future husband.” Again the cold, plain way that Riley said it all was strong and forceful but not angry or challenging. 

It was magnificent to see Riley like this but normally the formal robes or uniform made Riley feel bigger, right now he was a very very pretty young man in sweats and one of Sirius’ t-shirts as well as fluffy socks. But the aura Riley commanded respect and acknowledgement, even if it was hard not to see how soft and sweet his intended looked at the moment the surrounding air demanded you listen and respect his words.  

“What on earth do you mean we killed your brother?” Lilly devastatedly asked Harold.

“I got in here and Remus yelled at me you killed him! He’s dead!”  Harold ground out, fire in his eyes. 

“Remus?” James asked their mutual friend, the confusion and hurt clear in his voice and eyes. 

Thankfully Dora spoke up 

“It was worded to shit. We found out some of what happened to Henry Potter. But there is no Henry Potter. Henry was not left on Petunia’s doorstep August 1st . He was abandoned with multiple severe injuries in a dirty dumpster in a muggle city in December with nothing but the thin clothes on his back. Whomever henry potter would have been, or was does not exist. They are a person completely different and the fact that he was disowned, by both sides of the magical family as well as his twin bond severed means that Henry Potter does not and can not exist.”  

Dora spoke clearly as if giving a debriefing to another Auror. After she let that hang in the air for a moment, just as the Potters looked like they were about to speak, she continued. 

“The man has no desire to ever interact with the Potters at the moment, and as the name he was given when he was found is too close for comfort  to the name Potter is now planning on changing his name immediately.” She stopped addressing the group and turned all her focus to Harold.

“Harold. He holds no Ill will against you personally as you were a toddler as well at the time none of it was your own decision. But he is not ready to interact with you. Remus reacted badly as he had made the mistake the Potters did thinking Sir Riley was a Potter when he first saw him as well and just got his own dressing down as well.”

She shot a quick glare at her husband, who looked abashed. 

“I’m sorry for the poor wording in my momentary panic.”  Remus apologized.  

 “Now, as neither of you are welcome here, please leave Mr. and Mrs. Potter.” Sirius made sure to pull out his tone as Lord Black. 

“Padfoot...” James started 

“No. I am on vacation after an extremely complicated, multi-year long case to introduce the man I love and intend to marry to my family.” 

“But we are family, we were basically brothers, and were third cousins” 

“You never claimed your black blood before cousin” Narcissa said softly, but the edge was clear. 

“You stopped being my brother when you became a man I knew nothing of anymore, one who lied to me to get me to take your duties as a lord. One who broke Potter tradition and disowned a child. When you abandoned and disowned that child solely on the words of an old man who believed in a prophecy that has been proven false. When you found out that child was not with petunia and did not care.  The James I called brother put family above everything no matter what, never would he have done such things.” Sirius was tired of this, how on earth did James not see what he had become. 

“Now, leave, before I ask lord Potter to remove you or make the wards do so.” 

“Mum, Dad, go.” Harold said somberly, sure enough with a frown. The two apperated away.   

“I’m sorry, may I ask?” Harold looked right at Riley. 

“Hi, I’m Riley or Harry Pots Your godfathers former work partner and current romantic partner” Riley stepped forward and offered Harold his hand. 

“Harold or Hazzy Potter. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Harold shook Riley’s hand.

“Do you want to join us for Lunch? Call your wife over perhaps? It seems that it has been a big morning, and I’d love to get to know people so important to Sirius.” 

Sirius’ breath was caught in his lungs; he was 100% positive that Harold had figured it out completely. Riley had even offered his nickname. Harry had indeed been born as Henry Potter, but he was not now, nor had been since he was a toddler. They may not be brothers, but they could be friends. Sirius hoped that Harold would take it. 

“I should, I panicked a little when she freaked out and went to her mum’s. I should check on her actually.” Harold trailed off.

“Well then maybe we can have dinner, and meet her tomorrow. Congratulations by the way Haz.” 

“I think we would both love that Harry, tomorrow around six?”

“Of course, see you then.” 

The two boys nodded to each other, and Harold quickly stepped away and headed through the floo to the Burrow. 

“Well now the pixies have been released and tidied up. How about we have that late lunch now it’s nearly dinner time?” Ted’s voice broke the silence the room had settled into. 

This let a cascade of laughs fill the room as the tensions finally burst. It had been one hell of a welcome to Britain but his family was there. Riley was here, and no matter the bombshells that had been dropped, they were together and happy. 

Harold had brought Ginny the next day of course and surprisingly where Haz was the calm to Ginny’s storm Riley shaped the fire. Haz had pulled the two aside and made sure they knew he understood, and that he was extremely happy for them both. 

The Potters had poked a bit, but even the Potters’ money couldn’t find anything there wasn’t there to find. Between magic and bribing muggles they had found that Riley Pots had been found in a dumpster on a cold December night starved, dehydrated, tortured to an inch of his life and left for dead not a basket or wandering lost in the suburbs of London in August. The ministry had no record of either child, of course they had never filed a birth with the ministry because of the war, but the lack of record for Riley and being found in a muggle city treated so horrendously led them to believe that Riley was a muggle born. They even went to the goblins who showed them the tree and where the branch had clearly been violently snapped and and lay on the ground just like the rest of the tree’s branches beside theirs and their sons. Proving that even mother magic herself saw Henry John Potter as Dead. They had no idea how the Blacks had found the missing boy. After that they were forced to stop. There was nothing that linked them and as long as he did not wish it they would never know. 

Sirius and Riley married on Litha it the quietest, most private wedding ever to be held for a Black. They had gone the muggle way and contracted a section of land in Jasper National Park that they would bring in and out everything, no food, nothing that would damage the environment, no generators or such. This all was simple for the wizards but their easy acceptance made the park rangers a mixture of suspicious and happy. They figured they would have a few visits. It was simple to drive some large looking vehicles in and then just conjure the few things they needed. The ceremony wouldn’t be long and there were not many guests so no chairs were needed and the section of park they had rented had a beautiful arch of tree canopies already they could stand under, they bloomed natural local flowers to make sure not to introduce foreign pollens or flower diseases.  

Ranger Daniel and Ranger Alexi rolled up together 3 minutes before the ceremony  as the station had been told that as long as it was only two to four people it was no bother for them to have a ranger crew or two there. The little patch of forest was beautiful. The number of flowers was triple the natural amount but the placement and usage of local flora meant none of it looked out of place or gaudy. There were no candles or lights on the ground; everything was lit completely by the stars overhead.  There were 24 people there all dressed finely but seeming to have no upset at all at the bugs or the first getting all over them nor the low light. There didn’t even seem to be a photographer there. Fairly quickly an older woman with long black hair and a blonde toddler on her hip came up to them. 

“You must be the rangers, thank you for coming to celebrate my cousin and his beloved.” 

“We’re happy to be here, it’s beautiful. And it seems like you’ve gone to extremes to bring out the beauty in the park and stars without changing a thing.” Daniel said, slightly confused.

“Of course part of what makes their bonding so special  is truth. What deeper truth is there to bare your soul and ask the gods to tie you together in eternity then to stand on the ground you were born from and will return to to stand under the stars that birthed everything that ever was or will be.  To stand hearts bare in front of the basics of existence?” the woman said 

It was a lot but also romantic Alexi figured so they both smiled and nodded at her.  

“Oh, I’m Andromeda, and this is my grand nephew Scorpius.” She introduced them and the two rangers looked at each other. They remembered the one groom had been named Sirius; perhaps the star thing was a family tradition.   

Once everyone started to form a semi circle around the canopy arch at the end of the clearing  they joined to watch as from opposite directions, two men in simple white shirts, vests, and trousers walked out blindfolded walking straight to the arch. The two stopped a single pace from each other and reached out their hands, clasping them and then moving to remove each other’s blindfolds. Once the blindfolds were removed,  a man who looked about the age of the younger groom, Riley if they remembered correctly, left a red headed woman and walked up to the two holding a box. 

“Do you Sirius Orion Black and Riley Pots come here together under the stars and the gods willingly, clearly, and out of love not contract or duress.”  The man asked 

“We do” the couple chorused

“With the trust placed in me by you both I Lord Harold James Potter will start this ceremony”  Then the man opened the box. 

The two grooms crossed their arms and held each other’s forearms in a X.  

“ Today I bind my soul to yours, in this life and the next.”  they spoke together 

Harold started to wrap a grey ribbon around their arms. 

“This ribbon is a symbol of the foundation of our relationship, unity, balance and solidity.” Riley spoke 

Then a blue 

“This ribbon is a symbol of the foundation of our relationship, patience, devotion and piece.” Sirius spoke.

Purple was next as they continued to speak in turn, Harold silent the entire time. 

“This ribbon is for humility and responsibility to each other” 

Red

“This ribbon is for sharing our passion and Strength”

Yellow

“This ribbon is for Joy and harmony” 

Green 

“This ribbon is for prosperity”  

“As your hearts were tied now so are your hands, and if the gods so agree and bless you so will be your souls.  A lesson taught to us all from a young age was that the blood of the covenant is far stronger than water of the womb and this ceremony the joining of lives is proof. Together the covenant have joined and bless you and pray you receive the gods blessing in death.”

“We seal this  bonding and our prayers with a kiss” the two said together and then leaned in for a soft and short but affectionate kiss. 

Alexis and Daniel looked around and noticed everyone was looking at the two hands all woven together holding the forearms of each other much like the grooms were and smiling as they lifted their own joined arms towards the couple who were lowering their own at the same pace. When the couple turned to the crowd they held a six strand braided cord in front of them, in their outside hands the inside ones clasped tight and then laid the cord over their shoulders and approached their chosen families. 

“Lord Sirius Black and Lord Consort Riley Black” Harold spoke softly but firmly it was far from a yell but  in the silent night and surrounded by stars in a silent night the gravity and joy in the words was louder than any microphone could ever hope. 

After a while they saw the couple and nodded with a smile, receiving a nod back from both and left. 

“Well that was something wasn’t it” Daniel said

“Sure was it was odd but romantic and sweet” 

“There happy, there’s gonna be no issues for the park, I’m happy so will be the rest of the guys” Daniel laughed.

“Yes. Come on, we gotta check a few other spots to check before we head back to the lodge.” 

They drove off into the rest of the starry night. 

 Barely a whisper came of the wedding, a simple announcement was in the prophet and the Quibbler that they had bonded in Canada under the stars on Litha a few miles from where their home was and a simple announcement in the local paper The Bow Valley News of the date and place of their bonding and best wishes from all their colleagues. 

The simple wedding was perfect for their shared hope of a simple life. The couple headed back to work after a short vacation at home to be together and then back there everyday doing what they loved, helping people and creatures, keeping busy and loving each other and their family in a place that was their home made not of walls but love and bonds with each other.