Harry and Sirius were in the living room of their house, preparing for the Quidditch World Cup. Harry was dressed in simple wizarding clothes with Muggle clothes underneath, a green scarf wrapped around his neck in support of Ireland.
Pyra was happily hopping around with her own tiny green scarf, chirping excitedly as her tail swished from side to side.
Sirius, on the other hand, looked downright ridiculous in bright green robes and an oversized green hat. His grin was so wide it nearly split his face, his excitement radiating through the room.
Suddenly, the fireplace erupted in emerald flames as the Weasleys came tumbling out one after another, all dressed like walking mascots for the Irish team.
Sirius stepped forward, clasping Arthur's hand warmly. The children exchanged cheerful greetings, laughter filling the room.
"I prepared some food for you," came a hesitant voice from the side.
Petunia stood awkwardly at the edge of the living room, clearly nervous. Her hands trembled slightly as she held out a lunchbox, glancing between Harry and Sirius.
Harry crossed the distance in a heartbeat, his expression softening. "Thank you, Aunt," he said sincerely, accepting the box.
Sirius arched an eyebrow, his tone playfully dry. "I'm surprised the house-elves let you do any work."
Petunia managed a small, genuine smile. "Dobby is quite sensible," she said carefully.
Sirius nodded, satisfied with that answer.
The Weasleys, unaware of the worst of Petunia's past treatment of Harry, were cordial. Molly even greeted her warmly and exchanged a bit of polite small talk as everyone bustled about, gathering their things for the trip.
When the others moved ahead, Sirius lingered behind with Petunia, lowering his voice so they couldn't be overheard. "Thank you for the gestures you've been making for Harry," he said quietly.
Petunia's shoulders slumped slightly. She looked down, guilt and determination flickering across her face. "I changed because… I experienced a fraction of what he was feeling," she admitted softly. "I just hope to be… better."
Sirius studied her for a moment, then gave a short, firm nod.
"Kreacher will get you back to your house," Sirius said, gesturing to where the elf appeared beside him and bowed low.
Petunia hesitated. "Can Dudley visit as well, next time?" she asked hopefully as Kreacher approached.
"Of course," Sirius replied with a small smile. "Harry considers him a brother. Call for Kreacher or Dobby if you ever need any help."
Petunia nodded silently, and then Kreacher whisked her away with a snap of his fingers.
"Didn't imagine such maturity from you, Padfoot," came a familiar voice from behind Sirius.
Sirius turned and smirked as he saw Remus Lupin standing near the doorway. "I have always been the heart of the Marauders, Moony," he said with exaggerated pride.
Remus shook his head, amused, before they embraced in a quick, warm hug.
Harry, Sirius, Hermione, Lupin, and the Weasleys arrived at Dartmoor via Portkey.
Hermione staggered, gagging slightly from the rough landing, and Pyra immediately bounded over to her, rubbing against her leg and chirping softly to comfort her.
"I heard Simon bought the land and helped the family that previously owned it," Sirius commented casually as they began setting up camp.
"He even healed the damage done to their minds from the unskilled memory manipulations they suffered. We should have contacted him for the VIP treatment."
Arthur chuckled and shook his head. "This is the authentic experience for the World Cup, Sirius. It wouldn't be the same otherwise."
Sirius gave an exaggerated sigh. "At least I brought the best tents money could buy," he muttered, rolling his eyes.
When they entered the tent, everyone stopped short, awestruck by the enormous, luxuriously furnished space inside. Rich carpets, elegant furniture, and glowing magical lights gave it the feel of a noble's manor rather than a temporary camp.
Sirius stood to the side with a smug grin, clearly basking in their impressed expressions.
Harry walked over, gave Sirius a firm pat on the shoulder, and said dryly, "It seems you are worth keeping around." He flopped onto the sofa with a smirk as Remus burst into laughter at Sirius's mock-offended face.