The Potter Twins and the Deathly Hallows {7}

13. Road to Hell

"Once upon a time there was a railroad line, don't ask where brother don't ask when. It was the road to hell, it was hard times. It was a world of gods and man" - Road to Hell, Hadestown

JAMES

When James and Sirius returned to Number 12 Grimmauld Place it appeared as strong and impenetrable as ever; a safe haven from the political turmoil of the Wizarding world despite its dark history and even darker memories. So long as Grimmauld Place remained a secret from  Voldemort and the Death Eaters, Harry and Haylee would have a safe place to stay, and James and Sirius would continue watching over them, despite their persistence to break away and do things themselves. And yet, the moment the pair Disapparated onto the front steps they knew something was amiss: the bleary-eyed Death Eaters who had been stationed to watch over the courtyard, ever vigilant, were nowhere to be seen: It didn't seem to be in Voldemort's nature to give up that easily. However, despite already being tipped off for potential danger, nothing could have prepared them for the complete and utter chaos which awaited them inside. 

The front door closed behind them, and they prepared themselves for the all-too-familiar apparition of Dumbledore, but instead, they were met with the screaming of Walburga Black, clearly triggered by the livid and inconsolable shouting of Corban Yaxley, his face virtually maroon with fury. "KEEP SEARCHING! AND SOMEONE SHUT THAT WOMAN UP!"

"Masters are not here!" echoed Kreacher, struggling to make his hoarse voice heard above the ruckus. "Kreacher is alone, always! Always alone!"

"Sir! It's Potter and Black!"

Yaxley's face deepened in colour, if possible when he turned to see James and Sirius, and he started shouting, inaudible over the chaos. James raised his wand and began stepping forward to meet Yaxley. 

"NO!" Sirius shouted, leaping forward and pulling his friend out of the way, narrowly avoiding a jet of green light. Battling a furious James, fraught with worry for his children, and continuing to avoid jets of lethal light, Sirius turned on the spot. Darkness engulfed them, and the chaos of 12 Grimmauld Place slowly became muffled as the sensation of compressing bands pulled James and Sirius away, threatening to suffocate them as James continued to battle against Sirius' grip. And then they saw the front door of the ruins of Potter Cottage, and Sirius took in a sharp intake of air, allowing James to fall to the floor, still seething. 

"What the fuck, Sirius?!" he demanded, pulling himself off the floor, shooting daggers at his friend. 

"We were gonna fight at least a dozen Death Eaters on our own, were we?" Sirius shot back, trying his hardest to remain calm. It was a strange feeling indeed: Sirius had always been the rebel, the one who threw caution to the wind, and yet he had let his anxieties get the better of him. Would Harry and Haylee think him as cowardly as they deemed Remus? 

"But the twins," James said, now pacing and pulling at his hair. 

"The twins wouldn't want us getting ourselves killed just to find them," Sirius continued. "We both knew they didn't want us there, we should have known they'd pull something like this."

"But we have to find them!" James persisted. "They need me, they need our help, they --"

"No, they don't," Sirius said quietly. "Harry and Haylee know what they have to do, and you know they wouldn't be keeping it from us if it wasn't important. I know it's hard -- fuck, James, you only just got them back, but you have to trust them. Trust that they can do this on their own because I know they can."