Until We Meet Again (Sirius x OFC)

Part 2 - Chapter 19: Grimmauld Place

I was packing my few belongings into boxes. Then I magically shrank them, so I could carry them easily – I was ready to give up my London flat. The time had come that I didn't need it anymore. I was moving to a place I dreaded more than any other, but probably still didn't dread as much as Sirius did.

Grimmauld Place wasn't that far from my flat. When I had moved in with Sirius back then, he wanted to find a place that was as far away from it as London allowed. But I hadn't paid that much attention when I moved a few years later. I was able to walk, Nyx by my side, and though I wasn't fond of living there, I couldn't wait to see Sirius.

The Order of the Phoenix had formed itself yet again and it was only natural that I immediately dedicated a good chunk of my energy to it. Sirius had allowed Dumbledore to use his inherited childhood-home, 12 Grimmauld Place, as the Order's headquarters. I knew that he had done it because there was nothing else he could do while still being wanted – but I also knew that this was incredibly hard on him. This house had been the place where his family had traumatized him, from all he had told me, and I admired his strength to face it again.

Dumbledore himself had told me where I would find the headquarters – thanks to a Fidelius Charm, the house was now as safe as could be, and with Dumbeldore as the Secret Keeper, it would hopefully stay like that. So, as I was standing between numbers eleven and thirteen, the house hidden in between became visible to me and I cautiously entered, following the given instructions.

Now, I had never been in there before and therefore had a lot of different ideas of what it must look like – the home of the Noble House Black, my family-in-law. When I arrived, it was very much like I had imagined – showy, ancient-looking, cold and full of dark magic. It was not a home. Not at all.

But I only had the chance to get a closer look at the hallway and staircase because then Sirius came greeting me and all else was forgotten. He hugged me tightly, to my relief looking better than the last time I saw him, and we just stayed in each other's arms for a while, mumbling a 'hey'. He kissed me then, a bit too passionate almost, for we were interrupted in a very unpleasant way.

"You filthy half-blood scum!" yelled a voice. "Traitor! How dare you bring such a shame to your family! A half-blood! Freaks! Disgusting!"

In the entry hall of the house, there were a bunch of magical portraits, covered as to hide the faces of the old Black's. But one portrait apparently didn't consider this a hinderance and had started screaming, waking up all the others that were now starting to show their distaste of us, too.

"You are a disgrace to our kind! Blood-traitor with a dirty mud-blood family! I know who you are! Filthy half-breed! Begone!"

I couldn't help but stare at what was presented to me. I knew immediately that this foul woman had to be Sirius' mother. She looked like a madwoman, screaming and drooling in her life-size portrait. I had no doubt that she knew I was with Sirius and that we were here in her house, even though she wasn't in the flesh. Her words didn't exactly hurt me, but they also didn't help make me feel better. They probably all knew who my father was, too, but to some extent I was glad they hated me because I hated them as well.

The screaming had been so loud that Molly and Arthur Weasley came hurrying upstairs from the kitchens and helped Sirius close the curtains in front of his mother's portrait.

When this was done, the Weasleys lead me to the kitchen and then came to greet me as well. Molly and Arthur had moved in here with their younger kids – except for Percy, who was loyal to the Ministry. They had already done a lot of work trying to get the house into a better condition, but there was still a lot to do. I would help them as best as I could, but it would take a while nonetheless.