It was a novel thing, not even needing to pretend to go to the Dursleys' at the start of summer. But Harry didn't have the chance to properly enjoy it; he was up early the first morning of the holidays, anticipation buzzing through his veins. They had a big day ahead, and he needed everything to go smoothly.
Ceri had breakfast ready for all of them, and Harry gave a sleepy half-smile. "When's the first one due?" Remus asked, and Harry checked his watch.
"Eight." They had twenty-five minutes to get there. Remus nodded, and the pair of them ate quickly. On their way out, Remus briefly laid a hand on Snape's shoulder, and the pair made intense eye contact that Harry politely looked away from. Remus walked with him across the lawn, both of them shivering in the early morning air.
"You ready, cub?" Remus wrapped an arm securely around Harry's shoulders, and the dark-haired boy nodded.
"Can't wait til I can do this myself," he grumbled, making Remus laugh.
"It'll be sooner than you think," he promised, and then Harry was being squeezed tightly through a tube, and when he opened his eyes he was stood on the front step of the Pottery. He opened the front door with a grin, which widened at the sight of Theo Nott in the entrance hall.
"Hey, Theo. Settled in alright?"
The tall Slytherin smiled back, the relief in his eyes making Harry's heart clench. "Everything's perfect. Thank you, Harry."
"Glad I can help." Harry couldn't let anyone suffer that sort of fate, let alone a friend of his. "We should have others arriving soon. I'll be at the property line to give the secret when they get here, and then I'll send them in your way, if that's alright? I assume you've met Essie and Tinker by now?"
On cue, the two elves appeared in the hallway, beaming at Harry. "Yeah, they're great. Essie makes a mean omelette," Theo added, watching the elf blush.
"I'll have to stay for breakfast sometime," Harry said, watching the elves wiggle eagerly. "You two have all the rooms and everything figured out, right?"
"Yes, Master Harry!" Tinker confirmed, nodding quickly. "We is ready to show Master's guests to their rooms as they arrive."
"Leave it all to us, Harry," Remus assured, squeezing Harry's shoulder. "Mr Nott and I will help with any questions and such. You just worry about getting them in here safely."
Harry nodded, checked his watch again, then turned back to the front door. "Great. I'll, uh, leave you to it, then."
He hurried down the driveway, headed for the gates. All the portkeys were set to land there, and he needed to be ready for the first.
It was a bit of a convoluted plan, but it had to be, for safety purposes. Snape had enchanted a collection of portkeys to random locations, where the families would then find someone who had their own portkey to the Pottery. If things were safe, they would come to Harry, who would tell them the secret and send them inside. No one wanted to risk accidentally portkeying a Death Eater directly into the sanctuary house, so the multiple steps were necessary.
Charlie was the first to arrive. With him he had a family of four; the youngest daughter wasn't even Hogwarts age yet, while the elder was a third year Slytherin. All four of them looked warily at Harry, who smiled. "No trouble?" he asked, directing the question to the redhead, who gave him a thumbs up.
"All clear," he promised. "I'm off to pick up my next lot, then." And then he stepped back, and apparated away.
With Charlie's assurance that the family had no tracers, glamours or other suspicious magic on them, Harry beckoned them forward, and quietly told them the location of the Pottery. As one, they gasped, the large house suddenly revealing itself to them. "If you go inside, Remus Lupin and Theo Nott are in there with the house elves, they'll show you around," Harry relayed. Both parents flinched at the name Nott, and Harry gave what he hoped was a reassuring look. "Theo's here for the same reason you are. I trust him."
"We can trust Harry, Mum," the third year girl — Juliette, Harry was sure her name was — said firmly, tugging on her mum's robe. "Come on."
Warily, the family started up the driveway, and Harry felt the warmth of their magic in his awareness of the wards. It was a strange feeling, knowing instinctually where on the property everyone was. But he didn't have much time to think about it, as Tonks appeared with the next family. This was a smaller group; just a father and son, who both looked exhausted. "They're clear," Tonks reported. "Been hiding all night, poor sods."
The father took a step forward, clasping Harry's hands. "Thank you, Mr Potter," he gasped earnestly. "I— I can never repay this kindness you've shown me, or my family."
"You don't have to, Mr Whiddon," Harry assured him. "Head on inside, there are people who will get you both settled."
With a wink, Tonks disappeared again, and Harry shared the secret so the pair could go in and get some rest and food. Right on schedule, Fred showed up with the next family; a group of four kids and five adults, all squeezed around a length of rope.
And so it went on like that through the morning, families arriving one by one. Truly, there weren't that many; a lot of neutral or Dark-leaning families had put failsafes and escape plans in place since the first whispers of Voldemort's return, not wanting to be put in a difficult position. But not everyone had that capability, and soon there were eight new family groups in residence at the Pottery, plus Theo. Harry was glad to be saving even that many, though he knew as time went on it was likely to be more. Voldemort would go looking further afield for both victims and soldiers, once his first attempts were through.
Once everyone had arrived safely, Harry went back in the house, smiling at the sounds of life coming from within. Most people were up settling into their new rooms, but some of the earlier arrivals were out exploring. Harry wandered through to the dining room, where the table was laden with food — and Remus was waiting, nibbling on a chocolate biscuit. "All good on this end?" Harry checked, raising an eyebrow. Just because these people were here for sanctuary didn't mean they were all excellent people, and part of him was worried about how they might treat the elves. But Essie and Tinker knew to stand up for themselves, and Harry trusted Theo to help keep the peace.
"So far," Remus replied. "I think they're all just glad to be out of the firing line, for now. Trouble will come once they're comfortable." He grimaced slightly, and Harry mirrored the expression.
"We'll deal with that when it comes to it. Essie, Tinker," he called, and both elves appeared, "would you please ask our guests to come down here? Thanks."
It took a few minutes for everyone to arrive, and Harry noticed several of the adults eyeing each other suspiciously. "Okay, then. Welcome to the Pottery," Harry said loudly, grabbing their attention. "I'm glad you all made it here safely, and I hope everything is to your liking. I'm sure Remus and Theo went over things, but just to make sure everyone's on the same page, I wanted to go over the rules." He made sure to look everyone in the eye for at least a second, to check they were paying attention. They were, even the young children — they knew how serious their situation was. "First off, no fighting. I don't care what grievances you may have had with each other in the past. Everyone is here for the same reason, and that's what matters. Secondly, please respect both my property and my elves. This is my ancestral home, and I'm sure you can understand what that means to me, considering my family history." Several people winced. "The elves are here to assist you, but they are not your slaves. They know what they are and aren't expected to do, and if they refuse a request it's because they know I won't allow it, so take it up with me, not them. Three meals a day will be provided, and I'm sure snacks will be available if you ask nicely. As far as the rest of your time, it is your own — I'm not going to force you to stay within the property, it's up to each of you what you feel safe doing. You may write letters, which the elves will take to the owl-post office, but I don't need to warn you to be careful what you put in those letters." Serious-eyed nods from many of the adults, and even more from the students. Of course, they'd just survived a year with Umbridge; they knew all about mail interception. "You obviously can't bring anyone else onto the property. If you know someone who is in danger and in need of sanctuary, tell one of the elves and they'll come to me or someone I trust."
Harry glanced to Remus, shrugging slightly. "I think that's about everything." The werewolf nodded, so Harry looked back to the crowd. "Just… we're all trying to keep each other safe, here, guys. Help me out with that."
"Don't worry, Mr Potter," one of the adults with the large family said, her brown eyes sharp. "We all know what you're sacrificing to help us."
"What about school?" Mrs Scalby piped up, her hands on her son's shoulders. "What happens when the kids go back?"
"Again, I'm not going to force anyone," Harry said. "We don't know what things will look like by the end of the summer. If you don't feel it's safe for your children to go to Hogwarts, they're welcome to stay here with you." He couldn't promise the school would be a safe haven. He wasn't too thrilled about having to return himself. "Your welcome here lasts until Voldemort is dead; until things are safe for you outside these wards. Provided you don't test my hospitality," he added pointedly. "If circumstances change, we'll figure it out when we get there, but… I'm offering what safety I can. Between us, we should manage to preserve it."
He hoped he could trust these people in his home. They were all hiding from the same evil, and they were too Slytherin to risk angering someone with as much power over them as Harry currently had. "I'll have friends coming by every now and then just to make sure everything is going fine," he said anyway, just to make it clear they would have more supervision than two house elves. "Also the Prophet should be delivered daily, so you can keep up with the outside world. Other than that… help yourselves to food, and you have the run of the house. Though — if you try a door and it's locked, there's a reason for that, so leave it be." There were some rooms that were for family only, and Harry had the wards locked tight on those ones.
At his cue, the gathered crowd tentatively approached the table, and soon everyone had full plates and was chatting away — not happily, but comfortably enough. Harry could tell it would take a few days for it to settle in that they were safe there. He slunk back to the corner where Theo was stood, a plate of his own in hand. "You think you can handle them?" he asked quietly, gaze on the room at large. Theo hummed thoughtfully.
"I know most of them at least in passing. They're not the troublemaking type," he said. "But we'll see how it goes after a few weeks in close quarters. Might have to duke it out with a duel or two, some of them, but I'll keep it non-lethal," he added with a small grin. Harry snorted.
"That's all I can ask." He paused, chewing on his ham and cheese sandwich. "I'm sorry I can't share the secret with Susan. I just… necessary people only, y'know?" It had been difficult enough deciding whether he could trust the Weasley boys and Tonks, but ultimately he had no choice if he wanted to get people there safely.
"I understand. I can still go see her," Theo replied. "I, uh, haven't met her aunt yet. But she knows about me." His cheeks coloured slightly. Harry grinned.
"Good luck with that." The relationship between the Slytherin and the Hufflepuff still baffled him a little, as even amongst the heirs they were fairly reserved. But he could see how strongly they cared about each other.
It was no stranger a pairing than him and Draco, really.
"Do you, ah, know how your father is taking… everything?" Harry breached uncertainly, watching pain flash across Theo's face for a brief moment.
"I haven't felt the family magic rip from my body, if that's what you mean," he replied dryly. "He can't disinherit me; I'm the last of both lines. He'd still rather see the magic live on in a blood traitor than let it die entirely. But past that, I've no idea. If I never see him again, I'll be content."
Considering the war ahead of them, that was an entirely likely possibility.
"Cub." Remus approached, brows furrowed. "We should get going. Unless there's more you need to do here?" He glanced briefly to Theo. Harry shook his head.
"No, no, we're fine." He turned, shaking Theo's hand. "I'll be in touch soon. And I'll let Susan know you're safe."
"Thanks, Harry." A brief, devious smile. "And thanks for giving me a room to myself."
Harry laughed, winking. "Friendship privileges," he joked. Then, bidding goodbye to the rest of the group, Harry let Remus apparate him back home.
That was one burden off his shoulders, at least.
.-.-.-.
At around the same time Harry was welcoming his first guest to the Pottery, Draco was being shaken awake unexpectedly.
Considering the type of people currently in his house, Draco jolted upright immediately, wand in hand. But familiar fingers brushed over his forehead, and his bleary gaze met his mother's keen grey eyes. His heart stopped. "Mum? What's wrong?" Was it the Dark Lord? Were they in trouble?
Narcissa's gaze softened, and she leaned in to kiss his forehead. "Get dressed, darling. Quickly, now. The others will be up soon."
Pulse still racing even as confusion swam in his rapidly-awakening brain, Draco did as bid, not asking any questions until he was shoving his feet into his boots. "Do we need to run?" Already he had a packing list in his head, prioritised by how much time he might have to grab what he needed.
A cold, vindictive smile slid onto his mother's regal face. "Draco, darling, this is our home. We will never run from this place."
She held out her hand, and Draco took it.
Silently, they crept through the halls. Draco wasn't sure where she was taking him — still didn't know what they were doing, in all honesty. But he followed her down the stairs and through the dining room, until she was stood in front of a bookshelf. To his astonishment, she reached out and tapped a book with her finger, and the shelf swung open.
The room it revealed was small, but stepping inside Draco quickly realised what they were there for. Sat on a pedestal in front of him was a large, smooth crystal, swirling like it held mercury inside it.
The Malfoy wardstone.
For some reason, Draco had always expected the wardstone to be somewhere… grander. He'd gone searching for it, in his youth; determined to uncover all the family secrets. His father had told him he would only learn of it when it was time for him to become lord of the manor.
That time was now, Draco supposed.
"Mother, what are we doing here?" he asked, when his mother had shut the door behind them, both squeezed in the small room. The magic radiating from the wardstone was palpable, dragging at Draco's own core like treacle.
"We are here to reclaim what is ours," Narcissa replied primly, rolling up her sleeves. "Your father invited that filth into the manor. But he is gone now, and we no longer need to put up with his guests. His influence."
Draco's eyes widened. "Are— are you sure?" Anything they did now, it would be a statement. It would reveal to the Dark Lord that the Malfoys were no longer securely under his thumb. "What about your Mark?" He'd heard Severus mention more than once that the Dark Lord has ways of reaching him through his Mark, tangling with his magic, bringing him to heel.
"Quite certain," Narcissa assured. "My Mark is not like Severus' — he is valuable enough for the Dark Lord to keep a close connection; I am just a wife," her lips curled in a smirk. "He did not believe me worth the effort of controlling, and that shall be his error." She softened, reaching out to squeeze Draco's hand. "We made our choices long ago, little Dragon. I made mine the moment I saw you look at Harry Potter like he was the greatest treasure in the universe." Draco couldn't help but blush. "While Lucius was around we had a part to play, but that is past, now. I am Lady Malfoy, head of the family until you come of age. And I refuse to cower in my own manor. Between the two of us, I believe we'll have enough power to lock down the wards, and eject our unwanted visitors."
She spoke so casually about booting the Dark Lord himself out from their house, it made Draco gape. "I— is that possible?" He was underage, and his mother was only a Malfoy by marriage.
"This manor has war-wards, and it is understood that war does not always wait for the head of the family to reach majority," Narcissa said. "I have faith that this will work. And if it doesn't… we have other options."
Draco wondered if he perhaps should've packed a bag, after all.
But it was too late now. Squaring his jaw determinedly, he nodded, and together they turned to the wardstone. "Let me do the asking," Narcissa instructed quietly. "You just put the power into it."
They put their hands on the wardstone as one, and Draco gasped faintly, feeling the wards rush through him; echoes of centuries of Malfoys past, tangling with his own magic, judging his worth. He pushed forward everything he had — his strength, his power, even his love for Harry. Anything that might aid his mother in securing their home, proving to the wards that those within were not worthy of the sanctuary of Malfoy magic.
For several long minutes, nothing happened. Then, slowly, he felt it. A rushing in his blood, a vibration in the stones below his feet. His heartbeat pulsing in time with his mother's, in time with the wardstone, all of their magic combining to flood through the house and out all the way to the boundary line. It felt solid, like a shield surrounding the whole property. But the magic felt… expectant.
It needed more than just his magic, to hold such powerful wards.
Instinctively, Draco pulled his wand, keeping one hand on the wardstone. With a spell, that hand cut open from the base of his thumb to the curve of his wrist, and the wardstone flashed bright white as his blood touched the warm surface. The wards gave an extra firm pulse, and then it released him.
He and his mother stood, breathing hard, Draco's hand still dripping blood onto the floor.
"Well done, darling," Narcissa murmured, carefully healing his wound. "I think we did it."
Draco could see the tremble in her arm as she reached to push the door open. If they hadn't succeeded, they would soon be dead.
But it looked like their gamble had paid off. Walking through the dining room, everything was silent. In the hallway, Narcissa cleared her throat. "Dippy," she called out, and a house elf appeared. "Have our visitors gone?"
Watching the elf nod made Draco's shoulders crumple in relief. "Missy Cissa and Master Draco is the only peoples in the house, Miss," Dippy confirmed. A satisfied smile took over the Lady Malfoy's face.
"Wonderful. Clean up any rooms that were previously occupied, would you? I want no trace of them left. Put their belongings in the Lord's office, I'll deal with them later."
The elf vanished, and only then did Narcissa relax. "They're going to kill you," Draco said fearfully, reaching for her hand. "The moment you step foot outside, they'll kill you."
Far from alarmed, that just made her smirk wider. "Have a little faith, darling. I know how to play this game." She brought his hand up to her lips, kissing his knuckles. "This has been long overdue. But it's a start. There is much more work to be done." She met his gaze unflinching. "Your Harry is making good progress, but there are certain moves that can only be made by someone rather more experienced in the ways of these things. And we will aid him however we can. He is family, after all."
Draco's heart squeezed painfully, tight with the strength of his love for this woman. His awe of her strength. "Thank you," he rasped, and her eyes softened lovingly.
"Do not thank me, my darling; I'm only doing what a mother should. And quite frankly, it's about time the name Malfoy had someone truly worthy to uphold it. Really, with the amount of influence your father held, it's quite ridiculous how little he really did with it." That devious smirk returned. "His loss."
Draco blinked at her, not entirely sure he wanted to know what else his mother was planning.
Sirius was right; Black women were terrifying.
.-.-.
Seren Du was empty when Harry and Remus returned — Ceri reported that Snape had been summoned to a Death Eater meeting not more than half an hour ago. Remus cursed quietly, and Harry squeezed his shoulder. "Come on. Let's go work on my schedule for the summer; Snape can go over it with us when he gets back."
Eager for the distraction, Remus agreed, and soon the pair of them were holed up in the living room with tea and scones, a piece of parchment on the table between them.
"We're adding apparition lessons," Remus said first, writing that at the top of the page. Harry brightened up.
"Really?"
"It shouldn't take too long. I imagine you'll get the hang of it quite quickly — you certainly seem to with everything else," Remus added, making Harry blush.
Duelling was of course added to the list, though Remus admitted that would mostly rely on when other people would be around to help. "After watching you at the Ministry, it's clear you can hold your own. We just need to make sure you're ready to face Him as well as his minions." The werewolf's eyes crinkled as he smiled proudly. "You really were marvellous, you know. Your friends too, of course, but seeing how well you fought against Malfoy and the Lestranges, and Death Eaters that have brought down experienced aurors… you're remarkable, Harry."
Harry's cheeks burned hot, and he ducked his head. "Only because of what you've all taught me," he insisted.
"Teaching conditions can only go so far in preparation for the real thing," Remus retorted. "Be proud of yourself, Harry. You're doing incredible things for your age."
Harry cleared his throat awkwardly. "So what else do we need to work on this summer?" He couldn't sit there and just let Remus compliment him. Besides, there had to be plenty more for him to learn.
"Honestly, a lot of it will just depend on how the summer plays out. Between the Pottery and everything else, you may be busier than usual."
'Everything else' was a very broad way of referring to the absolute shitshow that was the Ministry currently. There was no sign of a new Minister yet, and everyone was reeling from the discovery of just how many influential Ministry employees were actually Death Eaters and now either dead or in Azkaban thanks to Harry and his friends. The whole thing was a mess, and it infuriated Harry watching known Dumbledore sycophants try and fill the gaps, praising the headmaster for seeing off Voldemort's attack like he'd been in any way useful for more than about five minutes.
"You say that, but everything else will just have me sat here waiting for the rest of you to get home," Harry pointed out mulishly. He knew it made sense, but that didn't mean he had to like being kept out of the fight when he'd been training so hard for just that. Remus sighed.
"Considering you're still underage, yes, it will. I don't know who the new Minister will be, but if it's another Fudge, you'll have to be even more careful than before," he warned, making Harry scowl.
"So what else can I do this summer?" he asked, not wanting to upset himself with the prospect of another incompetent Minister.
"You can rest," came Remus' immediate response. "Harry, cub, you've had a hell of a year. You need to take some time to relax and recover from it, while you're safe."
"Voldemort isn't relaxing," Harry snapped.
"Perhaps not, but he certainly isn't trying to do everything himself," Remus retorted without missing a beat. "He's got his minions for that."
A pause, then Harry snorted. "Are you saying you lot are my minions?"
Remus' lips twitched amusedly. "I'm saying that you need to give yourself a break. But honestly, minion isn't far off," he teased, and Harry aimed a half-hearted scowl his way.
It wasn't that he didn't want to relax. He did, desperately, after Umbridge and OWLs and the battle at the Ministry. But he couldn't shake that feeling that as soon as he let himself rest for ten minutes, the whole world would fall to shit.
"Summer is the only time I can actually learn useful things without having to sneak around to learn them, Moony," he insisted. "I need to take advantage of it while I can."
"Oh, it's that time of year again, is it?" The voice had Harry scrambling out of his chair, beaming at the dark-haired figure in the doorway.
"Sirius!" He hurried forward, wrapping his godfather in a tight hug. He'd been at Grimmauld since Harry had left school.
Sirius hugged him, kissing his hair. "Good to see you, pup."
When Harry stepped back, he saw the shock of red hair just past Sirius' shoulder. "Hi, Charlie."
The dragon tamer grinned. "Hey, kid." Then he turned to Sirius with raised eyebrows. "That time of year?"
"The time of year where Moony and I have to persuade Harry here that he can't spend all summer turning himself into a duelling machine," Sirius explained, ruffling Harry's hair pointedly. "We aren't letting Dumbledore turn you into a weapon, and we're not letting you do that to yourself, either. Take breaks. Do fun things. Get some fucking sleep, Merlin knows you've not had enough this last year with all your after-curfew adventures," he added, rolling his eyes.
Harry could do nothing but sigh and let himself be herded back to the sofa. "I slept," he defended, though it was feeble. Admittedly, his sleep schedule had not been brilliant lately. "I just— things are getting worse out there. I need to be ready."
"We both know damn well that your preparedness is not the thing holding us back," Remus pointed out. "These things take time, Harry. Time you can't control. It's better for you to pace yourself while we wait than burn out before you get there."
Harry huffed. "I hate it when you're reasonable," he muttered, making Sirius snicker.
"Moony's always reasonable," he teased. He and Charlie made themselves comfortable on the opposite sofa, and Harry eyed them curiously.
It was… strange, having Charlie around like this. Every other time Harry had interacted with him, it was as the second-oldest Weasley brother; now, with no other Weasleys around, he was definitely here in the capacity of Sirius' boyfriend. He had an arm around Sirius' shoulders, the animagus leaning against him slightly. He looked a bit bewildered, too, Harry realised.
"Is this Charlie's first visit here?" he asked, and Sirius nodded. Harry smirked, unable to help himself. "So he's family, is he?" he drawled. "He knows what this place means?"
While Charlie's confusion grew, Sirius blushed brightly. "He's got the gist of it," Sirius insisted. "He also knows he's got full permission to hex you if you're being a little git," he added in a playful growl. Harry's green eyes turned wide and innocent.
"Me? Never." Even he couldn't hold that straight face for too long.
"I grew up with Fred and George, you know I won't hold back," Charlie joked with a wink. "But don't worry, if Harry starts teasing me about you, I'll just give him all the gory details about how we got together." His eyebrows wiggled salaciously, and Harry made a face.
"Gross." Once again, Sirius was blushing. Harry marvelled at the sight; his godfather hardly ever blushed before now! Merlin, he was smitten. "Well, the more the merrier, as far as I'm concerned. Even better if it means Sirius doesn't have to pretend to live at Grimmauld anymore."
"You having this place does explain a lot," Charlie agreed. "I, uh, I know it's a big deal for me to know where it is and everything. So… thanks." His expression melted into a sappy grin as he looked at Sirius, and Sirius beamed back, kissing him quickly.
"Ugh, are they always like this?" Harry joked, glancing at Remus.
"Like you can talk," Sirius retorted pointedly. "Don't be jealous because your boyfriend isn't moving in yet."
Harry glared at him, while Charlie's blue eyes sharpened in intrigue. "Boyfriend? Tell me more," he drawled lightly. Sirius smirked.
"Our Harry," he declared dramatically, "is in love with a snake!" This was said with an exaggerated gasp and wide eyes. Charlie shook his head mock-sympathetically, patting Sirius' thigh.
"It's okay," he assured. "There's one in every family. You just have to learn to accept it."
Harry snickered. "I'm telling George you said that," he joked. "But I suppose, since you're learning all the family secrets — I've been dating Draco Malfoy since fourth year." Charlie's eyebrows show up in genuine surprise. "Really? Even after…" He waved a vague hand gesture, and it took Harry a moment to get his meaning. His stomach squirmed uncomfortably.
"After what happened with his dad?" when I accidentally killed him, he didn't say, though they were all thinking it. "He, uh, didn't get along with Lucius. Neither did his mum. We're still good."
"They're worse than good, they're disgustingly adorable," Sirius grumbled. "And speaking of snakes in the family, where's…?" He trailed off expectantly, looking towards Remus. The humour melted from the werewolf's face.
"Death Eater meeting," he replied, and Sirius cursed quietly.
"How long's he been gone?"
Remus checked his watch. "Little over two hours, now." He ran a weary hand through his hair. "Any luck, he'll be home for dinner. Not that he'll be in any mood to eat."
"Who are we talking about now?" Charlie cut in, looking confused.
Harry bit his lip to stop himself smirking. "You didn't tell him that family secret yet, either?" he asked Sirius, brows raised. That secret was really the kind that deserved prior warning.
Sirius flushed. "I was going to, but there was never a good time," he muttered. He turned back to Charlie, trepidation flickering through his eyes. "So, someone else lives here. Moony's partner."
"I didn't know you were seeing anyone, Remus." Charlie paused, frowning. "And… he's a Death Eater?"
"A spy." There was a small smile on Remus' lips; he was enjoying drawing this out far too much. "You know him, actually."
Harry watched the clues slowly come together, and Charlie's eyes go comically wide. "You… you don't mean Snape, do you?" There was a hint of nervousness to his tone. Remus' smile widened, and he nodded. "Oh." Charlie's voice came out a bit strangled.
"He's not as bad as you think he is," Harry offered supportively. "I mean. Well. He is. He's not a totally different person when he's in private." A quiet snort was all Remus had to say about that. "But it's less mean and more funny. Sort-of." It was hard, trying to explain Severus Snape.
"I thought the two of you hated each other?" Charlie asked Sirius, who shrugged.
"Oh, we absolutely did. But Moony stopped giving a fuck about that about the time we graduated school, so we learned to get along. Eventually. For the most part." He froze suddenly, head cocked slightly. "Speak of the devil."
Remus jumped to his feet. "He's back?" Sirius nodded, and the werewolf was gone.
"Well, we won't see those two for a few hours," Sirius mused, squeezing Charlie's knee. "Don't worry, love; Severus really isn't terrible to live with. You'll get used to him." He glanced to Harry. "What are you up to for the rest of the evening, pup?"
"I should probably finish unpacking," Harry admitted with a shrug. He had been too tired to bother by the time he and Remus and Tonks finished dinner the night before, and hadn't had time this morning.
"Solid plan. I'm gonna give Charlie the tour of the place." The dog animagus got to his feet, tugging Charlie up by the hand. "See you at dinner, kiddo."
Harry watched them go, faintly bemused. There was a spring in Sirius' step that he'd never seen before, a light in his eyes he only recognised from pictures of him before Azkaban.
If Charlie was the one bringing that out, then Harry was glad he was around.
But that wouldn't stop him teasing the pair of them as much as possible.
.-.-.-.
Harry was in bed early, that night; Remus and Snape missed dinner, and Sirius and Charlie were making eyes at each other that Harry did not want to contemplate too closely. Besides, he'd had a long day, and he was exhausted.
The exhaustion fled the instant his head hit the pillow.
A stone room, torches sending long shadows across the small crowd gathered in front of him. Harry sat in his throne, sneering down at the man kneeling at his feet. "You are certain of the address, Rookwood?" he said softly, voice cold. The man nodded.
"Yes, my Lord. It is Amelia Bones' flat, for certain. I— I Imperiused the floo guard for that area, her entry wards should be down."
"Should?" Harry hissed pointedly, fingering his wand.
"Will! Will be down, my Lord," Rookwood corrected.
Satisfaction bloomed in Harry's chest, but he cast a Cruciatus curse anyway; Rookwood would learn to deal in certainties around Lord Voldemort. "Then we strike tonight," he declared. "I will handle this one myself." Rage burned within him. "That insolent blood traitor will regret attempting to stand up to Lord Voldemort!"
Cheers erupted from the small crowd, and Harry got to his feet, eager for bloodshed. Yes, Amelia Bones would learn that those who supported the Potter brat got exactly what they deserved.
Harry awoke with a gasp, skin crawling from the feel of being inside Voldemort's mind. Panic gripped his heart — immediately, his wand was in his hand. "Expecto Patronum!"
The room lit up with an eerie silver glow as Prongs burst from his wand. "Go to Amelia Bones. Tell her; he's coming for you. Your wards are down. Run, now."
Prongs set off immediately, seemingly sending the urgency in Harry's voice. Harry checked the clock; it was almost midnight. Hopefully Amelia wouldn't sleep through his warning.
Harry launched himself out of bed — there was no way he was getting back to sleep after that. He paced his room, thinking over every second of the vision, trying to see if he'd missed anything; was the strike Voldemort referred to just on the Bones', or were they going after others, too? Did he just mean that he was taking back-up with him?
There was a knock on the door, and Harry whirled around to see Sirius nudge it open, stood there in a dressing gown, concern in his sleep-hazed eyes. "Ceri said you had a nightmare."
"Vision," Harry corrected, watching Sirius perk up in alarm. "He's going after Amelia Bones. I sent her a Patronus, but…" His stomach lurched; what if his warning didn't make it to her? What if he was too late?
Sirius swore, hurrying to wrap Harry in a hug. "You did what you could, pup."
"He's going himself, Sirius," Harry said, voice cracking. "Susan's a great fighter, and I'm sure her aunt is too, but… against Voldemort himself?" Those were not good odds.
Sirius held him tighter, smoothing down his hair. "Don't write them off yet," he insisted soothingly. "Come on. Let's go get you a drink, yeah?"
Harry suddenly felt his cheeks heat, embarrassment rising. "You don't need to stay up with me, Padfoot," he muttered. "I'll be fine. Go back to bed. Charlie'll be worried."
Sirius just rolled his eyes. "Charlie knows where I am, I told him to go back to sleep," he said. "I'm not leaving you to yourself when you've just come out of his head, not until you know the Bones' are okay." He pulled back, though one long arm stayed around Harry's shoulders, guiding him towards the door. "You're still my first priority, pup. Charlie doesn't change that. Hell, he'd leave me in a heartbeat if he thought I was putting him over you," he added with a flicker of a smile. "I know we didn't really talk about what it means, me and him, not concerning us. And right now isn't really the best time for it. But you're still my kid, yeah? So let me take care of you."
And that made Harry lose the fight against tears, his heart lurching as Sirius' grey eyes fixed on him. "You silly bugger," he sighed, kissing Harry's forehead. "You didn't think I'd stop being an overbearing fusspot just because I've got a hot redhead waiting up for me, did you?"
The noise Harry made was a cross between a laugh and a sound of disgust, wet with tears, and it made Sirius grin. "You're top of the list, kiddo. For me and Moony both. Only reason he's not up with us is I told Ceri not to wake him; sounded like Snape had a rough meeting. But I can get both of them, if you want?"
"No, no, it's fine," Harry insisted, wiping at his cheeks. "Like you said, nothing we can do. I— should we get a message to Kingsley?" Amelia might need back-up.
Before Sirius could answer, the corridor filled with pale light; a silver badger bounded towards them, stopping in front of Harry and raising its head. "We are safe," it said, in Amelia's voice. "It was a close call. Letter to follow shortly. Thank you, Harry."
Then it dissolved, and with it went the tension in Harry's shoulders.
"Thank Merlin," Sirius breathed. "That's… that's good to hear." Harry nodded emphatically. "Let's go put some tea on. I know neither of us is going to be able to relax until that letter arrives."
As they headed for the stairs, the door to Sirius' room creaked open, and Charlie stuck his head out. "Everything alright?" He was shirtless, but his wand was in his hand, clearly prepared for the worst.
"We're fine, love," Sirius assured. "Just waiting on a letter. Going downstairs for a bit." He stepped away from Harry, cupping Charlie's cheek. "Go back to sleep, you've got work in the morning."
Charlie leaned into the touch, eyes falling half shut. "You sure? Don't need to muster the cavalry?"
A fond chuckle escaped Sirius' lips. "No cavalry necessary," he assured, pressing a kiss to Charlie's mouth. "Go to bed. It'll do you no good to be half-asleep dealing with that new Welsh Green arriving."
Charlie didn't take any more convincing than that, and Sirius shut the door behind him, turning back to Harry. In the dim light, Harry could see him blush faintly, realising they'd had an audience for the whole exchange.
"You really care about him, don't you?" he asked quietly, continuing towards the stairs.
"More than I thought possible, after… everything," Sirius admitted in a whisper. "He's far too good for me. But he made it very clear he's made his mind up, and at this point I'm in too deep to let him go."
Harry bumped their shoulders together gently, smiling. "I'm happy for you, Padfoot," he said earnestly. "Y'know, you promised you'd tell me the full story. And… I think we could both use the distraction, right now."
"Alright, then, you nosy sod," Sirius teased. When they reached the kitchen, two cups of steaming peppermint tea were already waiting at the table, though Ceri was nowhere to be seen. "Sit down, I'll start from the beginning."
So he did, telling Harry all about Charlie's harmless flirting, which had gotten gradually less harmless as time went on, both of them falling for each other even though Sirius was determined not to. To Harry's relief, his godfather glossed over the more… intimate details, but it warmed his heart to hear how insistent Charlie was that Sirius deserved love in his life.
He knew he liked Charlie Weasley for a reason.
So captivated in the story, Harry almost forgot what they'd been waiting for — until the window opened suddenly, and a small brown owl he recognised as Susan's careened into the kitchen, dropping a letter on the table in front of him. Harry reached for it, tearing it open.
Harry,
You saved our lives. Your Patronus arrived a minute before the ward alarm went off — enough time for Aunt Amelia to grab some essentials and summon the emergency portkey. You-Know-Who showed up, but he was too late.
We're with the Longbottoms, now. Neville's gran has said we can stay for the summer; their wards are the strongest we know that aren't under a Fidelius or anything complicated. Aunt Amelia isn't going to let this force her out of the public eye. The flat is probably trashed, though. We'll go back and check it tomorrow with some aurors.
I don't know what kind of vision you had, but thank you. If you hadn't warned us, I know Aunt Amelia would have stayed behind to fight so I could escape. I can't lose her, Harry. She's all I've got left.
Talk soon,
Susan
Harry let the tension bleed out of him, reading the letter over a few times just to reassure himself everyone was fine.
"That's alright, then," Sirius declared, reading over his shoulder. "Augusta won't let them come to any harm. Terrifying woman, she is."
Harry snorted; that was certainly one way of describing Neville's grandmother.
"That was far too close," he breathed, and Sirius squeezed the back of his neck gently.
"Always is. But it's close enough; they're safe." The pair were silent for a few moments, eyes still fixed on the letter. "Want to stay up longer, or are you good to go back to sleep?"
Harry glanced at the clock on the wall; it was almost four in the morning, now. His exhaustion had returned in full force, now the adrenaline was fading.
"Sleep sounds good," he agreed. Sirius looked like he could use it, too.
So much for a nice, relaxing start to the summer.