"You can't just barge in there! What if he sleeps naked or something?"
"I can tell you that I know, first-hand, he does not sleep naked."
"But still, it's an invasion of his privacy, Ellie."
"Don't worry, Lily-flower, Cubby's an exception to every rule where Padfoot is concerned. He'll appreciate the wake up call from her. We'll leave them to it and get breakfast, I can smell mum cooking eggs."
James took Lily's hand as he pulled her away towards the stairs, winking back at Ellie as he went, and as soon as they were out of sight, the beautiful girl slinked round Sirius' bedroom door. Shutting it tight behind her, she didn't so much as break a stride as she became Cubby and leapt onto his bed, pouncing on his sleeping form with a wagging tail. Padfoot had woken her up like this so many times that it was only fair he had the favour returned, and being able to be ridiculous like this with him felt good after so long of not being able to communicate.
Cubby pinned Sirius down on the bed where he was lying flat out on his stomach, his arms out wide as if he was skydiving in his sleep. He groaned but made no moves to roll over as she nuzzled her nose into the nape of his neck affectionately, not really wanting to have to force him up. But then, eventually, one of his arms reached back, trying his best to fumble around for whatever had him squished.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, pup?" He grinned, twisting his neck to the side and swiping hair out of his face. Cubby used the opportunity to lick his cheek, "Okay, okay. Get off me so I can roll over and see your face." With an enthusiastic bark which made Sirius chuckle, Cubby rolled to the side and onto her back, flailing her front paws in the air at his side. The handsome boy rubbed his eyes as he shuffled to face her, "I've not seen you for a while, Cubs, have you missed me?" The scruffy brown dog grumbled, "Or have you missed your boyfriend? Padfoot's been pining too, just so you know." She barked in protest this time, "Don't use that tone with me, young lady. We both know well and good that you don't actually like Moony any more than you like Pads. I'm your favourite really."
When Sirius rolled onto his back to open his arms out wide, there wasn't a second before Cubby had dived on top of him, nestling her nose into the crook of his neck as his fingers tangled into her fur.
"I told you." He whispered, and before the scruffy brown dog was replaced in his arms by Ellie, she rolled out of his grip so that they were only lying side by side. The beautiful girl wanted to remain careful about not pushing his boundaries, and Sirius could recognise that, grinning lazily at her, "Mornin' beautiful."
"Mornin' fool." She hummed, batting her eyelashes as she tucked one of her arms under his pillow.
"I'm not complaining, I never would do about you, but why the wake up call?"
"Today's the day that you become an aristocrat, Padfoot. The patriarch of your currently none existent line. Just a young man and his fucking huge estate." Sirius chuckled, "How does it feel to be loaded? How does it feel to own your own stately home- is that even what this Protea House is?"
"The place is huge." He told her, "Three stories set in the middle of acres of woodland. Alphard was always a very private man."
"Bloody hell..." Ellie cursed, rolling away from him slightly so that she could lie on her back and stare at the ceiling, "Does this mean you can only dress in the most expensive robes? Waistcoats and pointy hats too? What about business stuff, can we only discuss the falling exchange rates of galleons and how imports are devaluing British elf-made wine? Or maybe I'm gonna have to learn French and Latin, for how else do purebloods communicate?"
"Through Legilimency and howlers?"
"Well, we were shit at the mind reading thing so that settles that debate."
"Perhaps I'll have to host my first ball during the summer." Sirius continued with the joking, "Or cut my hair so I don't look so unruly."
"Not the hair!" Ellie wailed, bringing a dramatic hand to her forehead, "Not the gorgeous locks of Padfoot Potter. However will he turn the heads of the whole of Hogwarts otherwise? The girls will sob for months."
"Until they hear of my fortune."
"Unfortunately so. I'm afraid you're an ornament to society now, puppy."
"You know, I think that if we ever got married, we could potentially be the richest wizarding family out there. Isn't that quite a scary thought, you're not even of age yet." Sirius mumbled thoughtfully, "Your inheritance is worth, what? Centuries of old pureblood money. Four hundred million galleons?"
"It's a lot more than that." Ellie replied reluctantly. Talking about money this way had always felt wrong, especially when she knew of so many people who deserved so much more than she'd been born to.
"Five hundred million galleons?" Sirius asked, and Ellie shook her head, "Six hundred?" She shook her head again.
"It's closer to seven hundred 'cause mum had her own money from the Dubois name."
"Seven hundred million galleons? That's absolutely insane."
"Now you know why the pressure's on for Persephone Eloise. That money isn't tied to the Gryffins, but the Gryffindors, and as soon as it's mine, that's the role I take on. Youngest Descendent of Godric Gryffindor. Not just Ellie Gryffin."
"Bloody hell, you'd be a billionaire in the Muggle world..." Sirius couldn't quite believe it, and now he truly understood why Ellie had always been so reluctant about moving into her future. If she married, all her family's money, all that money, would be put at risk in the event of a divorce, and people expected a lot from you when you were that wealthy. He'd never been able to comprehend what the Daily Prophet's obsession with the Gryffins was, besides perhaps because of Godric Gryffindor, but now it was all made clear. Pureblood families like the Blacks and the Lestranges and the Malfoys could only dream of being as wealthy as the Gryffins, and in their world, money was everything, "And I mean, I'm worth about one hundred million galleons now, which is a hell of a lot more than I would've got if I had to split with Regulus. So together that makes-"
"About eight hundred million galleons. Between just the two of us..."
"Your dad wouldn't want an heir?"
"I've never wanted children." There was a vagueness in Ellie's tone which Sirius picked up on straight away. She'd not actually answered his question.
"He'd expect an heir, wouldn't he?" Sirius asked knowingly.
Ellie sighed.
"He's not pushy like that, you know he's not. But, yeah, he would." Sirius didn't like the way she couldn't look at him as she spoke, "It'd just have to be one, Gryffins have always been only children, and preferably pureblood too..."
"It's important you do what you want."
"In our world, that's not an option."
"Yes, it is. I left Grimmauld Place, Prongs is very likely to marry Evans and mum and dad haven't ever batted an eyelid about her being Muggle-born." Sirius frowned, "Don't dig yourself into a hole by thinking there's only one path for your future."
"Everyone's circumstance is different, Padfoot, I've known about what is coming for my entire life and that won't change."
Sirius was quiet for a long time. It was obvious that he didn't agree, that he was adamant that Ellie had other ways out, but she knew she wasn't as lucky as him. He'd said it himself, one day she'd be worth near to seven hundred million galleons and there wouldn't be a lot more anyone cared about to do with her after that. There was a reason Cyrus and Adelaide never ventured far from their home, and there was also a reason they were still invited to pureblood events even as Muggle sympathisers.
Before Hogwarts, Ellie had assumed that eventually her and James' parents would sit them down and say that it was time for them to get married - before the messy haired boy fell head over heels for Lily Evans; before Sirius was anyone other than just another Black. She'd played the day over and over in her head, what her and James' wedding might look like, whether their children would have black hair or brown.
But then as soon as they went to school and met their friends, everything changed and she couldn't think of anything worse than marrying him. And by this point, she'd also met all the other purebloods her age too, none of whom she could tolerate besides Sirius, so marriage was off the cards from thereon in. Sirius was like James at the time, the concept just felt wrong, whilst she knew that the Blacks would never let him go through with marrying someone like her either.
Though, Ellie knew she didn't necessarily get a choice like that, not as her Aunt Camille had done as the second born after Adelaide who'd chosen perhaps the most famous pureblood family there was to wed into, and so had accepted a long time ago that an arranged marriage would be somewhere in the future. She would protest it until the day she was stood with everyone expecting her to say, 'I do', but ultimately, she knew that she had no choice. And that was terrifying.
Until the idea of marrying Sirius one day slowly became one that wasn't so uncomfortable.
"We could potentially be the richest wizarding family out there." He'd said, and Ellie found herself contemplating whether that actually meant anything to her. She'd always preached that money didn't hold value for her that way, but it didn't necessarily sound like something to shy away from when you put it like that, "About eight hundred million galleons. Between just the two of us..." That was a lot of money to do a lot of things that they'd dreamed of together.
But that was the problem, they weren't together, and it wasn't even as if they could be with Flora Buchanan in the way.
"Would you marry me?" Ellie blurted without thinking. When Sirius shot up off the bed, she fumbled for a better explanation, "Hypothetically, if I was of age and we could just go and get married tomorrow, no Flora Buchanan in the equation. Would you be my husband?"
"Seriously?"
"Hypothetically."
"But seriously hypothetically?"
"Um, yeah, I guess."
Sirius looked like a naughty toddler caught with his hand in the biscuit jar, stood staring at her from the side of the bed still dishevelled from sleeping. Checked pyjama bottoms hanging too low and long-sleeved top all twisted, he looked as if someone had dragged him through a hedge backwards. Not to mention his hair - longer than Ellie's now, falling just passed his shoulders, but currently wilder than James'. Those stormy grey eyes were swirling dangerously, as if he might just explode with some emotion that she couldn't quite place, and his mouth hung open wide like a fish. Ellie nearly made a joke about it, but it was very clear that this was no time for messing around. Everything had just got intensely serious.
The longer he stood there for, the pinker his cheeks went, and the less capable he became of words, for Sirius hadn't ever thought he'd see the day when Ellie Gryffin asked if they could get married. He too had never wanted to do the whole family thing, but it was different when it was her.
"Yes." He replied eventually, physically shaking his head to jolt himself back to reality, "I'd be your wife and you can be the husband 'cause I'd take your name, Cubs. I'd be Sirius Gryffin so that it's your family line and I'd be the perfect trophy pureblood for you."
Ellie nearly chuckled, sitting herself up on the bed to look at him straight on, but something told her he was being deathly honest.
"And Flora?" She asked carefully.
"Is irrelevant."
"Now, I mean, I don't like the bitch, but that's a little harsh, don't you-"
"Believe me, Persephone Eloise. She's irrelevant when it comes to you. Everybody else on this planet is."
"That's quite a claim." Ellie mumbled, dropping her gaze, only for Sirius to dart back onto the bed and sit directly opposite her.
"I mean it."
"I'm not even of age."
"You will be in June."
"You're saying that you'd marry me next year?" Sirius nodded, "We're not talking hypothetically anymore, are we?"
"I'd be anything you wanted me to be, and then I'd be anything Cyrus wanted of a son-in-law... Laisse-moi être ce que tu attends d'un mari."
"Yes, but what do you want to be? I couldn't take your freedom just for you to be sucked back into the pureblood world you fought so hard to escape."
"But I want it if it's with you. I'd enjoy it by your side."
It wasn't fair. What was I thinking asking him that? Ellie cursed herself. She couldn't do that to him, she couldn't do that to anyone, it was far too big of a burden for someone to carry. Just a few spontaneous words had sparked something she wouldn't be able to snuff out now, for Sirius was as stubborn as they came. They shouldn't even have to be discussing marriage, they shouldn't be concerned with this matter, they were still in school. Ellie had never hated being pureblood as much as she did in that moment.
"I will buy you a ring if I need to prove it." Sirius declared, his fists balling the bedsheets.
"Don't you dare."
"I will."
"You won't."
"You underestimate my persistence."
"Then I wouldn't wear it."
"We've been engaged before."
"That was fake, Sirius."
"Let's make it real this time then."
"Fuck! Would you just stop it?!" Ellie cried, shuffling to the other side of the bed, "I shouldn't have said anything. We can't get married right now. It's not even legal! We're in school, you're with Flora, there's a- there's a war! And we've been fighting recently and everything's a mess... We can't get married, it's not as easy as just saying 'I do'." Ellie sighed, forcing herself to calm down, "We're not even boyfriend and girlfriend, puppy."
Sirius bowed his head, he'd been too forceful again. Lost in the moment, consumed by the hypothetical question she'd asked. How would you do it anyway? A scratchy voice in his head mocked. How could you marry her when you won't even let her touch you? And that was the sick reality of it, that Sirius was no longer the same boy he'd been at the beginning of the school year. He knew what it took to be a husband, a pureblood husband, Walburga and Orion had made sure he knew, and right now, he couldn't offer Ellie what she deserved. What he wanted to give her.
"I've got to give you space..." He reminded himself, "That's what I promised, I'm sorry."
"Don't be, I shouldn't have brought it up."
"But just so you know, I would be. I'd try and be your perfect pureblood husband. I'd do my best to do it all right."
"One day..." Ellie crawled back over to him, "I can't ask you to wait, it's unfair. But if you can hold out for me, Sirius, one day. One day we can try, I promise you that."
"You waited for me for a very long time, Persephone Eloise, I can wait for you through this."
James and Lily could tell something was up when Ellie and Sirius emerged in the living room ready to floo to Protea House. They were standing closer than they had done since they reconciled their differences, and Sirius couldn't pull his eyes away from her. Even the adults could tell that the air around the pair had shifted - or at least Euphemia's smile grew and Cyrus' eyes narrowed suspiciously. Fleamont was always clueless when it came to these types of things.
Just as James was going to ask if they'd made things in their relationship official, Euphemia cut in saying that they needed to leave quickly as to beat Andromeda there. Sirius was to floo first, but of course, he wouldn't let Ellie leave his side and so they went up in roaring green flames together. They were forced into clinging onto each other as if life depended on it when they went stumbling out of the fireplace the other end, for Ellie went crashing into his back so harshly, that Sirius nearly face planted the floor. But they scrambled out of the way quickly for when the others came.
Neither of the pair got any time to even glance around the living room they now found themselves in, for they were greeted with the wailing cries of a small child before Andromeda was at their side in seconds. With a sobbing Nymphadora in her arms, her warning was lost, but then Sirius noticed the other person in the room with them.
"Stop the child from screaming like that. There are silencing spells, Andromeda." Orion Black's voice came booming from where he reclined on one of the sofas.
Sirius went rigid at Ellie's side, and she had to pry her hand out of his to take Nymphadora into her own arms as she tried to help. The toddler thrashed constantly, the flashing green from the fireplace as the others began emerging only upsetting her more, but Ellie bobbed constantly, hushing soothing words into her ear. James and Lily clapped hands over their ears as they stumbled in, Euphemia and Fleamont began to wince, but Cyrus seemed unaffected as he stood as stoic as ever. No one seemed to be able to makes sense of the situation, why Nymphadora was wailing so loudly and what the reason for them remaining squished by the fireplace was, but Sirius had near to shut down, unable to even point out Orion on the sofa.
"Dora, sweetheart, it's me." Ellie tried, tightening her hold on the toddler so that she didn't squirm out of her arms, Andromeda flapping at her side making shushing sounds. At the beautiful girl's voice, Nymphadora seemed to quiet some, leaning away to rub her bloodshot eyes as she took in Ellie's face. It took all of two seconds for her to fling her arms back around her neck.
"Nasty man, Eh'lee." Nymphadora wailed, one of her hands curling around Ellie's hair as hers took on the exact same shade of chocolate brown.
Now that she wasn't screaming, but blubbering into Ellie's neck instead, Andromeda mouthed a relieved 'thank you', falling as close to her side as possible.
"He was here when I arrived, I didn't know- He didn't explain himself, he was just here." She muttered under her breath.
In the quiet, everyone else's eyes had followed Sirius' petrified gaze to the man staring at them all. Euphemia beckoned James and Lily closer, but the messy haired boy moved forward to flank his brother's side instead, and whilst it looked as if Cyrus might go striding forward, it was Fleamont that broke formation first.
"You have no business here, Black." He commanded, wand drawn and tone nastier than anyone had ever heard the mellow man speak before, "I suggest you leave. This is Sirius' property."
No one moved when Orion stood from the sofa, pacing forward a little, but Sirius became impossibly stiffer. Even from the back, Ellie could see how terrified he was, a terror she'd only seen in him when he was before the Blacks. The comfort of all of them stood by his side didn't seem to do anything, not before the man who'd watched him be beaten and bruised without batting an eyelid.
"It's property of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black." Orion's cold voice cut through them all, "I see no one in this room besides myself who bares that title."
"That's irrelevant." Andromeda spat, only for Nymphadora to reach a hand out to grab a hold of her hair too, "Uncle Alphard left-"
"Uncle" Orion scoffed bitterly, "Alphard wasn't your Uncle as soon as you chose to run off with that Mudblood."
And just like that, Nymphadora was crying again.
"Don't you dare speak of Ted." Andromeda demanded fiercely, stepping away from Ellie despite her daughter's protests.
"You brought so much shame upon your mother and father, your sisters, and us. Our honourable name besmirched by your weak and misguided tendencies, only for you to produce this insufferable offspring." Nymphadora wailed louder as Orion raised his voice.
"Is that what I was?" Sirius interrupted suddenly, "Insufferable?"
"You had so much potential, and you wasted it, for what? These Muggle lovers, these poor excuses of purebloods, these liberalists?" Sirius flinched with every insult, "You were always an attention seeker. You acted up on purpose, made fools out of us on purpose, brought punishment upon yourself on purpose. Regulus was never-"
"It's no use comparing me to him, he's not my brother."
"And let me guess." Orion's lips curled evilly, "This moronic-looking Potter boy is?"
"Speak one more word against my sons, Orion." Euphemia warned, her stance mirroring Fleamont's as they squared up against the intruder.
"Sons? You are deluded, Euphemia."
"Is she?" Cyrus cut in coolly, striding closer to Orion than anyone else had done yet. The two men were practically chest to chest, and whilst Orion had height on his side, Cyrus was built stockier, "Sirius is no longer your son, Orion, so I'd like to know why he concerns you so. Why bother coming here? Andromeda holds all the deeds to the house on Sirius' behalf. Make your claims, but you know that you have no legal obligation to take anything into your possession. And you've always been a clever man, so tell me why you believed you'd walk away from this."
"Sirius doesn't deserve this house, this entire estate my brother-in-law was so ridiculously misinformed as to leave to him." Orion declared, "So I shall not leave unless he has agreed to hand over what is rightfully ours."
"No, you misunderstood me." Cyrus held up a dismissive hand, making no moves to reach for his wand, "Why did you believe you'd walk away from this, full stop?"
"You are making no sense-"
"I left my daughter in your care upon your wife's wishes, recklessly so I know that, and I will take part of the blame." Orion's eyes flickered to where Ellie stood still bobbing Nymphadora up and down soothingly. It seemed like he hadn't recognised her until that point, and when she shuffled under his firm gaze, he caught sight of the scars all across the right side of her face, "But Walburga maimed her, made it so when she came falling out of my fireplace unannounced and cradled in Sirius' arms, near unconscious and bleeding out on my living room floor, the whole right side of her was torn open... My only child, my daughter, my heir."
Orion dragged his eyes away from Ellie, remaining steely, but she didn't miss the way his feet twitched uncomfortably.
"Persephone shouldn't have-"
"DON'T YOU SPEAK HER NAME!" Cyrus roared fiercely, and even Nymphadora silenced.
For perhaps the first time in his life, Sirius watched Orion flinch. Actually jolt backwards as he had words bellowed in his face - the icy business man who was never shaken, not even by Pollux. He'd seen his facade slipping slightly when Ellie had gone to Grimmauld Place, the way Orion was so clearly unsettled by her presence and how he almost defended her against the other Blacks. But this was entirely different. Orion feared Cyrus. Perhaps the only person that one of the patriarchs of the Black name had ever cowered under.
But who wouldn't against the type of fury Cyrus was throwing at him? For Ellie's father was far from the warm man he always was now. He wore an ugly sneer and his fingers seemed to be itching to wrap around Orion's throat, who was subtly backing away every chance he got. Though Cyrus wouldn't allow him to move very far, enclosing on him as if stalking prey.
"What happened was unintentional. My wife has a viscous temper and-" Orion shrunk into himself with every word and Sirius found the corners of his lips curling.
"Get on your knees and grovel, Orion." Cyrus spat, "You will beg for my forgiveness, for my beautiful daughter's forgiveness, until you cannot beg anymore. And then you'll slither back to Grimmauld Place with your balls in your hand as you did back to the snake pit when we were teenagers. You are a coward, a pathetic excuse of a man, and you should be ashamed to call yourself a father."
And Orion did. He actually got on his knees before Cyrus as if praying to a god, his head bowed and his hands hovering awkwardly in the air.
"My wife, she doesn't listen, and I told her not to lay a finger on your daughter. I told her, Cyrus, you must understand. I didn't-" Orion's voice wavered as he shook his head back and forth, "Adelaide would've listened to me. She would've understood that I-"
"My wife." Cyrus fired back at him, "My wife despised you with everything she had the first time Sirius came stumbling out of the Potter's fireplace. She knew what you'd done. She knew what you'd let Walburga do."
"But Adelaide knew I wasn't-"
Orion wasn't cut off by Cyrus interrupting this time, instead, his voice seemed to die off. And when his hands shot to his neck, clutching at his skin as his face began to go red, everyone saw the way Cyrus' fist had clenched at his side. Orion was struggling for breath, and it was his wandless, wordless, spell that was doing it.
"Adelaide always believed you weren't what?" Cyrus jeered mercilessly, watching the man before him struggle as he held his clenched fist up for everyone to see, "You forget yourself. Talking about my wife as if she was your friend, as if she cared about you. Smearing her memory with your filthy name and dirty words... I told you, you beg for our forgiveness, or you don't leave this house as you came here. I'd like to see what Walburga would say about me returning the favour of all of Sirius' pain, of all of my daughter's scars. They are both precious to me and you have allowed her to torcher. That is your fault, Orion, I blame you for all of their grief, and it is time that you served penance."
"That is enough!" Euphemia screeched, everyone unable to watch Orion being invisibly strangled any longer.
As Cyrus rounded on the spot to look at her, his spell ceased, and Orion collapsed into a heap gasping for breath. It wasn't until then, that Ellie's father remembered that he had so many eyes on him - his daughter and her friends, his extended family, Andromeda and her poor little girl who was still sniffling. He'd lost himself in his fury, he'd been ready to really curse the man at his feet. But now, seeing everyone so terrified, a horror set in.
Long ago, Cyrus had promised himself that he'd be a stoic man, unshakeable and rarely riled. For after he'd matured passed being a teenager getting into scraps over the girl he fancied, he'd learnt that revenge only gave momentary satisfaction. If he cursed Orion, that didn't erase all that Sirius had endured. If he sent him back to his home barely able to stand, that didn't rid Ellie's skin of scars.
And so, Cyrus rounded back on the man at his feet, looking down his nose at him.
"You leave, Orion." He commanded, "You leave this house and let Sirius rebuild that which you destroyed. You leave Euphemia and Fleamont's son be and forget that he ever bared your name. And you leave whatever twisted fantasies you've created for yourself about my wife behind."
"For- Forgive me." Orion stammered, not daring to look up from the floorboards.
"I am not the one you should be asking for forgiveness from." Cyrus beckoned Sirius to his side with just one gesture, and the handsome boy found himself looking down upon the man that used to look down on him.
"Forgive me." Orion repeated, reluctantly dragging his gaze up to meet Sirius', shame visibly shrouded over him.
"That wasn't very sincere." Cyrus chided.
"Forgive me, Sirius."
"I won't." The handsome boy replied vehemently, and Orion seemed to wail silently, "Now, get out of my house."
And, just like that, the quivering man disappirated on the spot, leaving everyone else in a stunned silence.
"I apologise for my behaviour, Sirius." Cyrus said steadily, both of them still staring at where Orion had been on the floor moments ago.
"S'alright." Sirius shrugged, "Thank you for... For it all, I guess."
Cyrus leaned into his side, dropping his voice low so that the others couldn't hear his next words.
"Don't think I didn't see those looks before we left..." He said, Sirius' cheeks heating pink, "If you promise to look after her there's no need to thank me."
"I promise." The handsome boy grinned, "I lo- Cubby's everything and so much more."
Chuckling slightly and patting Sirius' shoulder, Cyrus nodded in acceptance.
Sirius now held a new sense of respect for Cyrus. The man had defended his and Ellie's honour with a ferocity that could only be admired. With his reckless nature and pent-up anger towards the Blacks, Sirius couldn't see anything wrong in what Cyrus had done. In fact, he'd found himself slightly deflated when Ellie's father had let Orion go practically unscathed. The handsome boy hadn't been lying when he'd told Ellie that he'd be whatever Cyrus wanted of a son-in-law, but now, he'd probably follow the man as if he was some oracle. Regardless of whether his relationship developed with the beautiful girl further or not.
With everyone significantly shaken, Cyrus suggested that him, Andromeda, and Euphemia and Fleamont went outside to put up boundary enchantments to ensure there were no more unwanted visitors, whilst the children began going through the belongings inside. They'd not be able to sort everything out in a day, but they had the whole of the Christmas holidays and beyond to set the house up as Sirius desired, and there was definitely a lot to do.
Alphard had been an eccentric man, and it showed in the way he decorated his house. His metamorphic abilities seemed to be reflected in the way each room had a completely different design - the living room in old fashioned florals, the kitchen white washed, the dining room a garish orange, the library a deep purple. And that was just the ground floor, there was two more of bedrooms and bathrooms still to look at. It really wasn't to Sirius' taste at all, and so much redecorating would need to be done. But it was alright, they had time, for the handsome boy didn't have any plans to move in straight away.
The living room they were in was rather large, complete with high ceilings, huge windows, and an ornate crystal chandelier. Whilst the mismatching flora patterns of the curtains, sofas and scatter cushions drew away from the magnificence of the space, there was still no denying that Sirius had fell on his feet. Plush furniture and even a full size grand piano, there was lots to work with and lots to explore, the hallways weaving all over the place as if the house was an over ground rabbit warren. A rabbit warren that had large echoey rooms as opposed to cramped spaces and tight tunnels.
James and Lily set off exploring the first floor, elatedly hand in hand as they seemed to be constantly now, as Ellie and Sirius climbed to the second floor with Nymphadora in tow, the toddler demanding that she had to walk up all the stairs herself.
This obviously took them a long time, with Ellie holding her hand tightly as she told Nymphadora to use her other hand to hold onto the banister, whilst Sirius trailed behind them with his arms out ready to catch if she went tumbling. Naturally, Nymphadora babbled the whole time, enthusiastic about seeing the pair so soon after last time, her hair changing colours to clearly indicate her moods. She didn't tire easily and made it to the second floor of the house with little fuss, racing off into the nearest room as soon as Ellie had let go of her hand. Sirius only chuckled, chasing after her as she squealed.
The room happened to be Alphard's old dressing room, not huge, but every wall lined with open hanging space for his clothes, a free-standing mirror in the centre. Nymphadora made a beeline for a hat rack accessible at her height, whilst Sirius and Ellie stayed stuck in the doorway.
"I guess this is where you'll get your waistcoats from." She teased, eyes scanning the masses of clothes that his Uncle had owned, "Here, come and try something on."
Rifling through the nearest hanging rail, Ellie flipped passed multiple sets of dress robes before she came across a crimson coloured dressing gown. Made of silk and the cuffs embroidered in gold, she pulled it from its hanger, eyes lighting up brightly.
"A secret Gryffindor lover?" She gasped dramatically, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Do you know anything about the meaning of flowers?" Sirius asked randomly, moving to stand right in front of Ellie when she shook her head, "Proteas have some mythological connection to change and transformation in the Muggle world, which is why, as a Metamorphmagus, you can imagine Alphard would name his house after them. But they also symbolise diversity and courage too."
"Gryffindor courage?"
"Perhaps so."
"Well, that must be who you get your lion blood from, puppy." Ellie's eyes burnt as bright as dying stars when she replied, "Take your leather jacket off and try this on."
She didn't have to ask twice and Sirius shed his second skin before setting it on a coat rack to keep safe. Only once he'd moved to stand in front of the mirror did he put the dressing gown on, chuckling to himself at how ridiculous it looked.
"The man of the house." Ellie smirked, earning herself a very choice hand gesture in return.
Nymphadora startled giggling from where she'd sat herself down on the floor beside the hat stand, clapping her hands enthusiastically as Sirius did a twirl, the crimson fabric flaring out around him. Though, how the toddler could see, was beyond the pair, for she'd placed a cream coloured hat on her little head that was far too big, slipping down over her eyes and hiding her currently turquoise coloured hair away. Ellie was quick to scoop her up into her arms, adjusting the hat so that her face was visible once more.
"A fedora for Nymphadora." She chuckled.
"Your turn!" Nymphadora squealed, clasping her tiny hands around the brim of the hat to keep it in place.
"Ah, yes, Cubby." Sirius cooed, "Your turn."
The handsome boy set out searching for something for Ellie to wear immediately, taking his time to look through all of the racks of clothes before he found the perfect thing.
"That's ghastly." Ellie chuckled as Sirius set a floral patterned travelling cloak over her shoulders, Nymphadora whooping with joy.
"Alphard loved his floral prints."
"What do you think, Dora?" Ellie asked the toddler in her arms, but Nymphadora could only giggle hysterically, "How rude, missy."
"That's so funny looking." Nymphadora gurgled between breaths, her smile so wide it looked like it hurt.
"You're really good with her." Sirius commented, drawing Ellie's attention as soon as his tone turned genuine, "She listens to you and you're patient. You make sure she feels safe, and Andy says she never laughs as much as when you're around."
"You're really good with her as well. She just trusts us." Ellie replied, setting Nymphadora down onto her feet so that she could go and change her hat, "She's such a beautiful soul."
"And you still say you don't want children."
"Not every child is like Dora."
"I believe that any child with you in their life would be."
"Why are you pushing this, Padfoot?" Ellie's eyebrows furrowed, "I'm sixteen."
"I'm not pushing anything." He denied, feet shuffling nearer and hands fidgety at his sides.
"Yes, you are."
"I was just stating facts."
"Suspiciously."
"How can someone state facts suspiciously? They're truth."
Ellie knew what he was doing, he'd crept closer to her than he'd been for a very long time. Eyes clouded over, Sirius was gazing at her like he did so often these days, so much regret boring into her. All Ellie wanted to do was give in, fling her arms around his neck and tell him yes, tell him that she loved him. But she couldn't.
"Padfoot, don't." She breathed, shutting her eyes tight.
"Don't what?" The feigned innocence was right there in his mischievous tone, she didn't have to be able to see his grin to know.
"Don't push it." You're snogging Flora, and I've been snogging Moony, "We can't."
"But if I did anyway?"
"You don't want to."
There it was, the truth again. Ellie called out the pretty lies that Sirius spoke as if she could see right through him. Right now, Sirius couldn't kiss her, or even be close with her like that, no matter how desperately he said otherwise. If and they crossed that line, if Ellie was foolish enough to let them and Sirius pushed himself too far, it would only do more damage than good.
"I do want to." Sirius sighed, a frustration and despair tangled in his tone, "I just- Things are-" His hands were shaky when he tucked rogue strand of hair out of hair face, "I can't explain, but I just can't- can't kiss you, Cubby... Know I want to though."
"I know." Ellie whispered, "You don't have to explain yourself to me if you don't want to, but please don't overlook whatever it is that's going on, Sirius. You need to feel safe and jumping into things recklessly won't help that happen."
Knowing that she couldn't hug him properly without making him flinch, Ellie sent him a tight-lipped smile before going off to settle at Nymphadora's side.
Sirius knew that he'd made things a little awkward, so he announced that he was going to go and look at some of the other rooms on the floor to be able to clear his own mind too. From what he could remember, the second floor was entirely Alphard's, whilst the rest of the house was made for entertaining. He'd seen the dressing room, but there was also the master suit with bathroom off the side, and his Uncle's old study.
Everything on this floor was decorated so much more calmly, in the style of the old house it was as opposed to the garish rooms of the entertaining floors. It was more to Sirius' taste, dark wood and ornate period features - what was expected of a pureblood home with oil paintings hung proudly on walls that probably cost hundreds of galleons or more. The handsome boy could appreciate the grand beauty of the house now that he wasn't blinded by florals or outlandish colour schemes, which made it easier to imagine the space as his own.
He ventured into the study first, a small box room piled high with books and papers on the floor which made it difficult to actually see the desk, though there was a thin path lay out so that you could make it round to the chair. A singular window in the shape of a circle gave a view out over the tops of the trees - the tall pines of Sherwood Forest that only broke briefly for a clearing for the house to stand in. It allowed light to pool in to be sufficient enough to work in, whilst also minimising distractions, for Sirius believed the cramped and chaotic state the study was in was probably distraction enough.
He waded through all the books and paperwork to stand behind the desk, settling himself in Alphard's old chair as his hands smoothed over the well-maintained cherrywood. Surprisingly, the desk wasn't cluttered, but free of anything bar one envelope.
An envelope addressed to him in elegant cursive.
"Padfoot? Cubby? Are you still up here?" James' voice came calling from presumably the stairs on the landing, but Sirius' eyes remained fixed on the envelope.
"Still up here!" Ellie's voice called in reply, followed by the creaking of the old stairs.
But Sirius didn't care for the fact that clearly James and Lily were coming to see what they were doing; he didn't care for their assessment of the first floor. Instead, he opened the letter carefully.
Nephew,
I know the circumstances that you find this letter in are perhaps a bit bizarre. If you're reading this, it means that I've passed in whatever unfortunate tragedy, but you mustn't grieve for my loss. I would've greeted death as an old friend.
Now, I realise that we were never close, regrettably so, but I always recognised your unique spirit and fierce desire to become your own person. Being born into the Blacks is no easy feat, and definitely not suited to everyone. Believe me, Sirius, I understand first-hand. Which is why I leave what I have to you, and your best cousin too, for Andromeda was just the same. I built my fortune for you; worked hard for you; preserved for you; and distanced myself from the rest of the Blacks for you. If I'd have known everything that was mine would've one day gone to them, dished out to maniacal Bellatrix with her unstable eyes, Narcissistic Cissy, and poor little Regulus who was always so easily led astray, I would never rest easy in this next life. They would turn my money dirty and my wealth into nothing.
But not you, Sirius. As soon as I got wind of what my wicked sister had done to your friend and as soon as Orion wrote informing me of your disowning, I knew you'd be grateful. I knew you'd be careful with my possessions and ensure that none of the Blacks touched any of them.
I was cast aside because of who I am, just as you were cast aside for who you are, and there's nothing quite so degrading. So what was mine is now yours, and I know you'll cherish it. You make sure that you secure your future with my wealth, because I want it to facilitate your life away from them.
Well wishes from beyond the grave,
Your Uncle Alphard
'Well wishes from beyond the grave', Alphard was always dramatic, and actually, it made Sirius smile. There was something comforting in knowing that his Uncle had always intended to leave his wealth to him and Andromeda, the fact that the eccentric man had always recognised that they weren't happy in their lives as Blacks. At least one of them actually saw me for who I am. And now, no matter how daunting the prospect felt, Sirius knew that he'd manage moving forward.
He knew that things would get better in his previously miserable life because and be able to make a new one that he was proud of. For as he kept Alphard's memory alive, his Uncle would be watching over him every step of the way.
Or, at least, that's what he hoped.