All in the Family

Chapter 153: Lord Voldemort's Request

They apparently landed in another junk shop, so nobody immediately felt like putting their wands away and instead minorly freaked out to find themselves mostly alone in separate rooms, leaving Sirius' cursing to finally taper off. He couldn't get revenge on his friends if they were dead!

Carefully, highly aware of every move he made, he began slowly disengaging himself from the fern bush he'd knocked over. All around were cabinets full of little lacquered boxes, cases full of gold-embossed books, shelves of orbs and celestial globes, and many flourishing potted plants in brass containers. Finally he heard movement, coughing and someone shifting with great unease, so he abandoned his own similar feeling to run over and see the danger.

Alice had landed haphazardly in a chair, a great ginger wig covering most of her face, and sneezing in rapid succession for the rouge container all mixed together. Sirius sighed in relief and hoped that was going to be the worst of it as he helped get it off and then reached out blindly, seizing the lacy table cloth and getting the edge wet to offer her to get the rest off her face.

"Thanks," she wheezed hopefully for the last time as she accepted his hand and got to her feet, looking properly around with her own misgivings. There was so much stuff crammed around the others could all be buried alive and it would take a year to find them.

They started hearing doors open though and he distinctly heard James start shouting for the others, so Sirius kept hold of her hand and dragged her along to go make sure. She went with him up until he opened the door, and while Sirius stepped out, she stopped and frowned in confusion for the trinket box she spotted. She'd swear she'd seen that in her mothers room before...

The long hallway was littered with yet more standards of luxury, a solid gold bird bath trickling out wine, fragrant perfume bottles on every diamond studded table, and a hand carved jade brush Alice was now twirling in the chandelier light. The place was more grand than their Entrance Hall.

Longbottom and Evans came into sight at the end of the hall, still stretching a bit from their own landings. Sirius opened his mouth, but she yelled back before he even started, "your lot's in there. Don't worry, they won't burn the place down without you."

"As they should," he grinned in agreement. "We should only consider that as our second option when we know what this place is anyways!"

"I've never been here," Alice said slowly, "but I'd swear my auntie has this exact same brush. Can't be that common, can it?"

Longbottom turned then to brush at the hair on Alice's neck, bending over her shoulder to inspect it as well.

Sirius felt a flaring moment of frustration he got to so casually do that and waltzed off. It didn't take much to find the others, as Evans had said, and this room was filled with even more things. There were soft plush couches and glass cases every which way like some cross of a museum and a sitting room. He found Remus smiling in fascination to be holding a fossilized saber cat tooth, he wouldn't believe it if Remus said he'd broken that case by accident. He was also talking to Peter though, and he hesitated as he tried to guess Remus' reaction. Above the waist was a pretty standard public boundary though, and he'd said it was okay last time so he reached tentatively, putting his fingers on the back of his hand, watching carefully, even though he leaned forward like he was going to join in the conversation.

He still pulled back, but Remus smiled at him this time. This was maddening, why couldn't he have left his hand there? James nor anyone would care if they just touched each other!

Peter looked up from the miniature solar system in his hands and felt stunned Sirius was so close at hand and not even glaring at him, just watching Remus with a small frown. 'Better him than me,' Peter instantly decided for whatever the hell Moony was in trouble for, at least Sirius only ever mock threatened him instead of acting on it.