Harry looked around as he assessed the room he had just appeared in. It was dated and dusty, showing signs of spell damage- but really, he expected it from the blacks at this point. They were infamous for their madness.
He had called Kreacher earlier that morning and informed him of his plans for a visit. Kreacher had proceeded to tell him at what times would only the people he wanted to initially see, be present.
It was a few hours later, when Harry had prepared himself thoroughly, that Kreacher reappeared and proceeded to side-along apparate him into the Black premises.
Now, standing in the library, he was keenly aware of the rare silence below him.
From what Kreacher had told him, only Padfoot and Remmy would be present. The others having all either gone to Diagon for the afternoon or out on Order business.
Deciding 'what the heck?', Harry exited the library and cupped his hands to his mouth.
"Oi! Padfoot Moony! D'you want to see me or not?! I thought for sure that you'd have noticed me by now!!"
He heard a sudden smash and a thud from 2 of the rooms below him before 2 pairs of hurried footsteps moved rapidly in his direction.
Harry bent his knees slightly to brace for impact and grinned widely as he saw Sirius emerge from the stairwell.
He saw no pause, only the widening of his Godfather's smile, as he was enveloped into the man's embrace- a second pair of arms joining the fold only moments later.
"It's so good to see you pup/cub." The two men echoed each others words and Harry grinned contently.
"You too."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They had stood like that for several minutes before finally moving downstairs and into the parlour to chat. Neither man lessening their contact with him, as if afraid that he'd vanish should they let go for even a moment.
They sat closely, within two chairs. Remus perched in one and Sirius still clinging onto Harry in another.
"I know you both probably have questions, so, um, ask away?"
Sirius smiled slightly at his awkwardness before the casual interrogation began.
It was mostly the questions that Harry had been expecting; "Are you safe?", "Where have you been hiding?", "How come we couldn't find you?", "What's this boyfriend of yours like?" And an array of others along the same lines.
Harry answered every question diligently, setting their minds at ease as he endeavoured to continue reassuring them of his safety and happiness.
Sirius actually grew a newfound respect for his godsons boyfriend once he found out that he'd tricked him into agreeing to visit them.
Though Remus quickly told him off and Harry claimed that they were teaming up to pick on him.
A few hours passed in that fashion, light conversation filling the sidle century and a warm content settling in the room as they lost themselves to stories of pranks and teen love life's and the marauder's Hogwarts days.
"Hey pup, did we ever mention that we used to be a band. Your dad, Remmy and myself?"
Harry's eyes lit up in interest.
"No. You didn't. Were you guys good? What did my dad play? Or was he a singer? Was he any good?"
Sirius laughed at his enthusiasm, the barking sound bringing an airy lightness to the surrounding. Joy permeating the air, as Remus hastened to respond.
"James was very good with a lot of instruments and learned quite a few in his time- he was a decent singer too, but Sirius took the role of lead singer. He always was the front man, believe it or not, James was more of a backing vocalist on the band."
Harry listened closely as they spoke, reminiscent looks gleaming their eyes as they recounted the past.
Sirius left his thoughts first and turned to look at Harry.
"Hey pup, what instruments can you play? Other than the guitar, of course."
Harry thought for a few moments before listing off the ones that he'd learned.
"Well, I didn't used to have a lot to do over the summers, so I passed them with learning as many as possible. I think I'm the best at guitar and piano but I can play clarinet, violin, cello, banjo, flute, marimba, ukulele, bass, harmonica and a few others that I'm probably forgetting." He grinned unabashedly as they both gaped at him in impressed silence.
"Wow pup, you really are like your dad, if not more obsessed with it."
Harry laughed at his statement before jokingly answering, "What sort of famous singer would I be if I didn't know a few instruments. The more I learned, the more popular I became, the more friends for life I made and the more money I earned."
Sirius grinned at his cheeky answer before allowing a thoughtful look to pass onto his features.
"Can you play the drums, pup?" His head tilted curiously as he looked on in anticipation.
"Yeah, it's actually the third instrument that I learned, after guitar and piano."
"Pup, that was, uh, is(?) James' instrument." Sirius said/asked as he smiled at his godson, who's eyes had widened upon the revelation of the new knowledge.
"Was he any good? Or did he wing it?" Sirius and Remus shared a chuckle at his question before Remus finally responded.
"He was great, pup. He actually taught some of the others in our year and the years below how to drum, as well."
Sirius took over talking, having calmed his chuckles.
"Yeah, he was the best drummer. I was lead singer, Remmy was base guitar and James was the drummer. We performed a couple of times in our fourth and fifth year at Hogwarts. Nothing big, just Yule and Hallowe'en dinners."
"I didn't know that... My father, Snape, doesn't really talk too much about what you guys were like together in Hogwarts."
"Yeah, well, we weren't great to him. It's understandable. Y'know, I bet you got your musical talent from him. Cant really imagine Snape singing... or playing any instrument for that matter."
The three shared a chuckle at Sirius' words.
"Yeah, my father really prefers listening to things like opera and symphonies- not my style. He puts up with my music and supports my career but really I know he prefers the more classical stuff. You know what they say though, opposites attract."
He smiled at them and Sirius laughed again, his barking hiccough sending the other two into their own bouts of amusement.
"Hey, would you two want to try a song together? See if you still got it?"
A challenging glint entered Sirius' eyes as he quietened slightly and began smirking.
"Oh, we've still got it. No amount of Azkaban could take away my raw talent."
The two smirked and turned to Remus, hopeful puppy-like expressions upon both of their faces.
They continued to plead and all but beg towards Remus for a good 5 minutes before he caved, sighing as he nodded in resignation. He acted put out but they could definitely both see the glint of excitement that had entered his eye.
"Great! Let's head into the old dining room upstairs. I left my guitar in there and it's definitely big enough for drums so it's ideal!"
Sirius bounced out of the room and towards their destination. Out of sight before either of the other two had even began to rise from their seats.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The two entered the old dining room to see Sirius levitating furniture out of the way and placing all of the padded chairs to one side, nearest the door.
Harry could see the electric guitar that he was holding and smiled as he saw the marauder's emblem (their animagus forms +werewolf Remus stood together) and all of their names signed onto its base.
Sirius turned to them excited, quite literally, like the puppy he is.
"Do you think this will be enough space?"
Remus and Harry shared an amused glance as they took in the large space that he'd cleared.
"It'll be more than enough Sirius, and maybe tone down the excitement by just a pinch." Remus suggested as he released his wand from its holster and cast several successive charms.
He conjured a large titanium alloy set of drums and waited until his old guitar came whizzing into the room, only to be caught by his awaiting outstretched arm.
Harry sat down behind the drums and pulled out the accompanying drumsticks before hitting the surface to test the sound.
Once satisfied, he did a little suspense-building intro and turned to the two older men whom had been getting set up while he tested his temporary instrument.
They both shot him boyish grins and he returned the gesture.
"Let's do this." Harry tapped his base pedal.
(A/N Song at top - listen to it while you read this section.)
Sirius- I'm through with standing in line to clubs I'll never get in
It's like the bottom of the ninth, and I'm never gonna win
This life hasn't turned out quite the way I want it to be
Remus-(Tell me what you want)
Harry grinned widely at the two men singing together. Not quite being able to hide his smile at the way Remus said his line.
Sirius- I want a brand new house on an episode of Cribs
And a bathroom I can play baseball in
And a king-size tub, big enough for ten plus me
Remus- (Uh, so what you need?)
Sirius- I'll need a credit card that's got no limit
And a big black jet with a bedroom in it
Gonna join the mile high club at 37, 000 feet
Remus- (Been there, done that)
Harry actually laughed at the extra commentary then.
Sirius- I want a new tour bus full of old guitars
My own star on Hollywood Boulevard
Somewhere between Cher and James Dean is fine for me
Remus- (So how you gonna do it?)
Remus and Sirius were grinning at each other as they moved around while playing and singing.
Sirius- I'm gonna trade this life for fortune and fame
I'd even cut my hair and changed my name
Harry's eyes widened before he grinned at the unrealistic words.
Harry/Sirius- 'Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars
And live in hilltop houses, driving 15 cars
Harry- The girls come easy, and the drugs come cheap
Sirius- We'll all stay skinny, 'cause we just won't eat
And we'll hang out in the coolest bars
In the V.I.P. with the movie stars
Harry/Sirius- Every good gold digger's gonna wind up there
Every Playboy Bunny with her bleached blond hair and, well
Harry- Hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar
Hmm, hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar
Sirius was grinning widely as he realised that Harry sang the parts that James always used to sing.
Sirius- I wanna be great like Elvis without the tassels
Hire eight body guards that love to beat up assholes
Sign a couple autographs, so I can eat my meals for free
Remus- (I'll have the quesadilla, haha!)
Sirius- I'm gonna dress my ass with the latest fashion
Get a front door key to the Playboy mansion
Gonna date a centerfold that loves to blow my money for me
Remus- (So how you gonna do it?)
They were all grinning ridiculously by this point, high off the music.
Sirius- I'm gonna trade this life for fortune and fame
I'd even cut my hair and changed my name
Harry/Sirius- 'Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars
And live in hilltop houses, driving 15 cars
The girls come easy, and the drugs come cheap
We'll all stay skinny, 'cause we just won't eat
And we'll hang out in the coolest bars
In the V.I.P. with the movie stars
Every good gold digger's gonna wind up there
Every Playboy Bunny with her bleached blond hair
Sirius- And we'll hide out in the private rooms
With the latest dictionary, and today's who's who
They'll get you anything with that evil smile
Everybody's got a drug dealer on speed dial, well
Harry- Hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar
Sirius turned to Harry and leaned in slightly as he grinned and continued singing.
Sirius- I'm gonna sing those songs that offend the censors
Gonna pop my pills from a Pez dispenser
I'll get washed-up singers writing all my songs
Lip sync 'em every night, so I don't get 'em wrong
Well, we all just wanna be big rockstars
And live in hilltop houses, driving 15 cars
The girls come easy, and the drugs come cheap
We'll all stay skinny, 'cause we just won't eat
Harry smiled as he waited for the end of the sentence, before joining in again.
Harry/Sirius- And we'll hang out in the coolest bars
In the V.I.P. with the movie stars
Every good gold digger's gonna wind up there
Every Playboy Bunny with her bleached blond hair
Sirius- And we'll hide out in the private rooms
With the latest dictionary, and today's who's who
They'll get you anything with that evil smile
Everybody's got a drug dealer on speed dial, well
Sirius- Hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar
Hmm, hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar
(A/N Song should end as you finish reading)
The members of the OoTP gathered in the kitchen. The residents had returned only minutes prior to the arrival of the others, so they were all gathered in the kitchen when they heard it.
The full thumping of drums and the occasional word or sentence every so often.
"Are we the only..."
"...ones getting..."
"...Déjà vu?"
The twins asked as they stared at the ceiling directly above them in confusion.
"It does seem rather odd, doesn't it?" Mad-eye moody stated as he too looked at the ceiling. Except he was scanning it with his artificial eyes, which had been filled with numerous revelio charms and inscriptions.
"Well, Dumbledore's not here yet, so maybe it's someone new that he's dropped off at HQ before tying things off at his office and coming back?" Hermione suggested as she followed the other's gazes to the ceiling.
Ginny snorted at the others as she made her own conclusions.
"You guys are seriously over complicating everything. It's probably just Sirius and his super loud sounds system. Again."
The others considered her idea for a few moments, before seeming to find it plausible and nodding their own heads in agreement.
Mad-Eye, who had been staring at the ceiling, turned to Flitwick with a stern expression.
"Filius, there's none of that technology in that room at the moment. I saw no e-signals. Perhaps one of your stealthier spell would be of use." The man suggested faux-flippantly as he eyeballed the half-goblin.
"Right you are Allistor, no harm in checking."
The gathered group watched closely as he lifted his wand and cast his spell, "Sonus Imaginem."
The wall of the kitchen became blurry, before clearing into an apparent peeping hole to the dining room upstairs just above them.
They were all visibly shocked by what they saw through the gap.
It showed Sirius, Remus... and HARRY. Singing and playing instruments.
The order watched as they continued to unknowingly perform in front of the group.
The twins listened to the lyrics and quickly turned to Mcgonogall, greatly amused to see the unimpressed expression, once again, coating her normally clear visage.
Ginny and the twins then shared a look before heading out of the kitchen and towards the dining room, intent on watching the show in person.
They became quieter as they approached the door and silently pushed it open to step inside.
The three sneaks moved quietly around all the displaced furniture and eventually just sat on some of the stacked and padded seats nearer to the door.
In the kitchen, the order watch as the trio performed. Only moving their eyes away when they were drawn to the three redheads now sat in the corner, by the entrance.
Mcgonogall allowed a thin smile to spread across her lips as she listened to the music. She may not like the words but she couldn't deny that it was good to see the 2 older boys performing together again, like they used to when James was around.
"I haven't seen them performing together since they were in Hogwarts and James was with them."
A few of the other professors nodded along to her words, having either known the trio or taught them themselves.
Severus listened to what Mcgonogall said and allowed a brief smile to flit across his face until it morphed into a scowl once more and he stepped forward to speak.
"James misses it as well. He misses them."
He was amused as he saw that the vast majority of the group had not noticed his presence, and thus, had jumped about a foot into the air- some even grabbing for their wands.
They all eventually turned back to the image and then continued to listen until the song tapered off.
A smile made its way onto all of their faces, Severus included, as they saw the 2 older men swing their guitars around the straps onto their backs, grinning widely at each other, as the three all came together for a large group hug.
There was clapping in the background and the trio peeked over in the direction that the group knew the redheads were in, smiling at them and spreading out to take their own dramatic bows.
"That was fun, pup." Sirius clapped him on the shoulder as he smiled brightly.
Remus stood beside them, watching contently as they conversed in their excitement.
He was just turning to place down his guitar when he saw a distortion in the wall of the room. He looked closer and could see that it was one of Flitwick's snoopy spells. The order members on the other side of the visage a clear indication to that fact.
He cleared his throat quietly to get the others' attention, gesturing at the distorted wall when Sirius raised his brow in question.
Sirius shook his head slightly at the order members and their antics.
"Hey guys, we'll be down to the kitchen in a minute. Just wait a few, okay?"
Sirius didn't wait for a response as he sent a cancellation spell at the wall and watched the image sizzle away.
He turned to his Mate and his Godson, quirking a brow in amusement at their discussion about the best instrument, as he tapped both of their shoulders.
"C'mon let's go down to face the harpies."
They paused their discussion and nodded in agreement, Harry being visibly more reluctant as they moved to the door.
Remus turned to the surprisingly quiet, red headed trio and motioned for them to follow as well.
"Come on you three, you may as well join us downstairs."
The three agreed and the group began to descend the stairwell.
The two older men and Harry, answering the redheads questions as they went.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dumbledore set his paperwork to the side and leaned back in his chair, rubbing tiredly at his old weary eyes.
He turned ever so slightly and peered at the bright bird that was observing him from its perch.
"Fawkes, my old friend." He watched as a few feathers began to drift towards the ground.
"It seems we are both ageing yet again." A tired smile rose to his cheeks and Fawkes trilled calmly as he bent his head towards the old wizard.
"Why must it be so tricky? Everyone makes mistakes and I will always wish to give another chance to those who need it... but, what of the ones who have already expired their second, even third, chances?" He let his hand gently caress the majestic creatures back.
A chime from one of his trinkets made him straighten and he gathered his outer robe and wand before approaching the fire.
"No use dwelling in uncertainty. I shall return later my friend. The others will be waiting at the house."
Fawkes trilled one final time before Dumbledore disappeared in a flurry of green flames, his words continuing to echo through the office. 'Number.12 Grimmauld Place'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The order waited patiently as Prof.Flitwick cancelled the spell on their end as well and the sound of movement on the floor above resounded through the quiet murmur of lesser conversations throughout the room.
A couple of minutes passed, the sound of the floo alerting them to the arrival of their leader and mentor.
Dumbledore walked into the room and smiled at the gathering, twinkle ever present in his eyes.
He looked around the group and checked back and forth a couple of times as he sat at the head of the table and gathered their attention.
"Hello everyone. I trust we've all been okay since the last meeting. Now, where are Sirius and Remus?"
Severus stepped forward slightly as he responded before anyone else could.
"The man-child and his wolf are upstairs with my son. They should be down here any minute now ."
Dumbledores eyes lit up slightly at the mention of Harry being on the premises.
"Well, let's wait then. I'm sure that our business can all wait until after we've questioned Harry." He looked around the group but the members knew that it was a statement, not a question.
The door to the kitchen opened a minute later and the order watched as Ginny entered, followed by Sirius and Remus. The last to enter were Harry and The Twins.
Harry was sandwiched between the two redheads as they each slung an arm around him, wide grins on all of their faces as they spoke in what sounded like the Portuguese that they had witnessed between Kingsley and George in a prior meeting.
"...apenas dizendo que seria mais lógico focar na mixagem...", started what appeared to be George.
(...just saying that it would be more logical to focus on mixing...)
"...em vez dos resultados finais? Pelo menos até que esteja estável o suficiente para testar e alterar." Continued Fred. They had been working on their Portuguese twin speak ever since the Kingsley incident.
(...rather than the end results? At least until it's stable enough to test and alter.)
"Sério gente, façam o que acharem mais eficaz. Contanto que você continue a ser produtivo, ficarei feliz em aumentar o financiamento da minha parte." Harry responded as he looked between them, clearly impressed by their improvement in the language.
(Really guys, do what you think is the most effective. As long as you continue to be productive, I'm happy to increase the funding from my side.)
"Mais uma vez, não podemos agradecer ..." Fred began.
(Again, we can't thank you...)
"... o suficiente para a loja no Diagon ..." George continued.
(...enough for the shop on Diagon...)
"...Hades." They both finished.
(...Hades.)
The three startled from their quick-fire conversation when they heard a throat clear.
Harry turned to the group at large, a wide smile gracing his face.
That was, until he saw his father.
He quickly untangled himself from the twins and stood in front of Severus.
They held eye-contact for several tense moments before Harry spoke, regret oozing from every word he said, despite the group not knowing what his words meant.
"Отец, мне очень жаль! Я должен был сказать вам, что я не жил со своими ужасными «родственниками». Но что я должен был сказать ?! Привет, папа, я решил жить с этим парнем, которого ты не знаешь. Ой! Кстати, мы занимаемся сексом. Надеюсь, вы одобряете?!?" Harry gradually got louder as he spoke, his father listening in silence as his scowl darkened.
(Father, I'm sorry! I should have told you that I did not live with my terrible "relatives." But what was I supposed to say ?! Hi dad, I decided to live with this guy you don't know. Oh! By the way, we are having sex. I hope you approve?!?)
Severus sighed, letting out an angry breath.
"No. I didn't expect you to say that. I did, however, expect more of an explanation than coming to an order meeting to find out that my son had not been living where he should have been for the past 4 years and had conveniently decided not to tell me. Even going as far as to lie and say that the man he was meeting was just his courier!" Severus had been getting gradually louder as he spoke. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, his fingers coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose in an effort to stave off the oncoming migraine.
"извиняюсь." Harry spoke dejectedly as he responded and Severus sighed as he brought his son into a loose hug.
(Sorry.)
"Just don't do it again. And tell me if there's anything else that I need to know."
He gave his son a strict look as he spoke.
Harry sighed as he pulled away and contemplated telling his father more. He eventually concluded that if he withheld too many secrets then his father would only be madder at him so he should probably tell a few more truths now.
"Отец, ты знаешь, на каком языке, кроме английского, все здесь говорят? Близнецы заставили меня попробовать один из их продуктов, и теперь я ничего не могу сказать по-английски." Harry asked curiously.
(Father, do you know what language other than English everyone here speaks? The twins made me try one of their products and now I can't say anything in English.)
Severus sighed in exasperation and turned to the group who had watched their interaction with fascination.
"What language, other than English, can all of you dunderheads speak? The twins made him unable to speak English so we'll have to find a middle ground."
Severus looked around the group, spotting the sheepish ones who clearly couldn't speak any other language.
"Ah, Severus, my boy. Why don't we cast a translation spell so that whatever Harry says in his chosen language can be understood by all. You know of such a spell, Filius?"
The short half-goblin nodded thoughtfully as he removed his wand.
"I'll just need to know what language he plans to speak in."
The group turned curiously to the teenager and waited as he thought.
Severus thought as well, until he turned back to Flitwick and responded.
"Set it for Spanish, then even if the spell falters everyone should still get an idea of what he said."
Flitwick nodded and began to cast the spell, aiming it in Harry's direction.
/Can you all understand me?/ Harry asked them once he noticed that the professor had finished casting.
The group all nodded and Harry let his eyes travel across the gathered people once more. If anything there were more faces than before. He filed away the identities of the new members for later.
/Well, ask away./
Hermione quickly jumped in to talk and the others settled back as they saw the look on her face.
"What the hell were you thinking? You promised that you wouldn't leave without saying goodbye and I expected that in person. Why did you run from us in Diagon? And I want the truth you smart ass. Are you really dating the guy who's been collecting you from the platform for all these years? How did that happen? Is he wearing a glamour? Is he better looking than his glamour? Do we know him? Have we met him before? Why was Kreacher removing all of the stuff from the music room? Who was the Lord Gren-something that he spoke about? Why come back today? What's going on with you and the twins? And why have I not received my hug yet?"
Harry burst into laughter as he heard her quick-fire questions, doubling over as he clutched around his stomach.
/Oh my maiden! 'Mione take a breath!/
Chuckles went around the teenagers who were all very familiar with their friends' antics. Both of them.
/C'mere/ Harry smiled as he opened his arms towards her and waited for her to move.
She didn't pause as she quickly stood, rounded the long, expanded table and flung herself into his arms.
"You insensitive idiot." She mumbled into his shoulder.
He rubbed her back kindly as he briefly tightened his hold around her. He then moved her to arms length and they locked eyes.
The order watched, confused, as the two stared at one another. Seemingly conversing with their eyes.
(With Harry and Hermione)
Hermione looked around in shock at the changed scenery.
She was standing in an endless white space, that expanded as far as she could see in every direction.
She wasn't scared, she'd been there before. However, she was startled by how sudden it was.
She felt a warmth from behind her and turned to look at Harry.
"Why did you pull me into your exterior mindscape?"
Harry shrugged casually as he watched her.
"How have you been, 'Mione? Really. Tell me honestly, without the others listening."
She smiled at his thoughtfulness. Aware that she wouldn't want to talk about herself in front of the others.
"Honestly? I've been good. This summer has been good."
Harry smiled softly.
"And Ron?"
Hermione sighed slightly at the mention of the third member of the golden trio.
"Ron is... difficult. He acts like he's interested but then he doesn't make a move. Or he talks about others. And the arguments! It's so infuriating!"
Harry chuckled as he listened.
"That's Ron. Look, why don't you make the first move? Force him to get his head out of his own arse. He's my friend but that doesn't mean I have to agree with him all of the time! You're my friend too."
Hermione smiled at him, thankful.
"Thanks Harry."
"Anytime." He hugged her again and they left the mindscape.
(Out of mindscape.)
The group watched as Harry and Hermione both blinked and broke their stare.
The two began to smile and Hermione was visibly more relaxed.
Harry glanced at the group and nodded in acknowledgement before leaning in to place a friendly kiss at the corner of Hermione's mouth.
/Go sit down. I'll get us drinks and then I'll answer your questions./
Hermione nodded with a smile and went back to her seat.
"Okay. But hurry up."
Harry saluted jokingly as he walked towards the fridge.
/Yes ma'am./
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry entered the store room and looked at what his godfather had in stock.
Pumpkin juice, fruit juice, water, milk, lemonade and BlueGin (a strong type of Gin for wizards).
He grabbed some large glass jugs and filled one with water, one with lemonade and one with pumpkin juice. He then walked a bit further in. A little bit further back, he found the glasses and levitated what he thought was probably enough for all of the order members.
He then continued a little bit further, before finding a cellar door.
The second he opened it, he could smell the faint alcoholic scent and was immediately curious.
He levitated all of the jugs and glasses that he was holding to stack together on a side and then cast a 'Lumos' before descending into the slightly dark room.
He saw a torch to his left and lit it with a weak 'Incindio'.
Several other torches came on and it opened into a large and well-stocked wine cellar.
Harry's eyes lit up at the prospect of all the old wines that Sirius probably had no idea were down here. Wines that he now knew about.
/Kreacher./
Harry called as he looked around the large room.
A vague sounding *pop* appeared behind him as the old house elf arrived.
"What be Kreacher doing for Master Greenleaf?"
Harry smiled at the elves demeanour.
/Please cast a privacy ward around this cellar. I want only for Sirius, Remus and myself to have access. Key it to myself and Sirius so that we're the only ones who can allow others access./
"Yes, master. Right away Master."
The elf popped away again and Harry began to peruse the shelves, very much aware that he only had a couple of minutes until he would be missed from upstairs, as the others were more than likely lost in conversation at this point.
He looked back at the stairwell dejectedly, when he heard his name being mentioned.
Taking one last look, he grabbed a Romanée-Conti from a shelf that he had passed earlier on and began to retreat back up the stairs.
"I'm-" Harry paused his speech as he heard his own voice. The effect of the jinx-sweet, from the twins, had obviously worn away while he was in the cellar. Harry couldn't deny that it was a relief.
He looked down at the bottle in his hands once more. No doubt the adults would have something to say about him drinking but at this moment he quite frankly didn't give two flying fucks what they said.
It was 100% going to be a tense conversation and the wine would help him relax. Plus, he knew he liked this one as he had a crate of the Romanée-Conti back at the house. Fen had been treating him and he'd developed a taste for the wine. He knew it was probably an expensive one, if the resigned look on Fen's face had been any indication when he mentioned enjoying the flavour. But, regardless, when he returned from his concert tour in Asia, the previous year, he'd found the crate in their storage. A red bow and flowers attached. It really was all very tooth-rottingly sweet of him.
Harry closed the cellar door behind him and summoned a set of wine glasses form the top shelf of the storage room.
He held the glasses in the air while he also summoned the other drinks and cups which he had previously stacked on the side.
Once he was sure that he had everything, he went through the storage door and back out into the kitchen.
Everyone turned to look at him expectantly and he grinned as he used his wand to direct the drinks.
"Professor Flitwick, you can cancel your spell now. The effects of the sweet seem to have worn off already."
"Thank heavens." Spoke Mrs.Weasley, as she fussed about her older boys, Charlie and Bill. Rare as it was that they could attend any meetings.
The small professor nodded and quickly slashed his wand to cancel the unneeded spell.
"Alright. What does everyone want to drink?"
He looked around expectantly for a moment before turning to the younger group.
"Alright guys, you first. We have water, lemonade and pumpkin juice."
Hermione- "I'll have Lemonade, thank you Harry." He smiled at her and nodded as he directed a cup of it over to her seat.
Ginny-
"Just water, please" She decided as he looked at her in question.
"You sure?" He asked. He had thought she might choose pumpkin juice.
She nodded so he passed her the cup of water, making sure she had a good grip before he let go. He had done hers by hand, as she was closest to him.
Neville-
"Alright Nev, you next, it's good to see you by the way. Here visiting Ron?"
The quieter boy nodded and Harry poured him a glass of pumpkin juice.
He knew from experience that Nev would always choose the sweeter beverage.
"Thanks." Harry nodded that he heard and turned to the twins.
Fred/George-
"You know what? I'm not even going to try with you two." He set down the lemonade and water on the table in front of the mischievous twins and cast a wandless anti-tampering charm across the lid.
"No funny business."
The twins tried to give him innocent looks but he wasn't fooled for a second and only sighed as he poured another glass of Pumpkin Juice. Setting the jug down beside the other two when he was done.
Ron-
"Here you go Ron." He handed him the cup, bumping his shoulder in a friendly gesture as he walked passed his oblivious friend.
"Thanks mate."
Harry frowned slightly at the wording but let it go, for now. He knew the ginger was only being friendly.
Harry turned his attention to the large group of adults who had watched the interaction quietly.
"So, what d'you guys want to drink? I got something for Sirius, Bill, Charlie and Myself. Do the rest of you want what they're all drinking from the jugs or should I get you something else?"
Mcgonogall pursed her lips, then smiled tightly as she asked after some drinks on behalf of both herself and the rest.
"What are our options?" The adults all turned away from where their eyes had diverted to her and back to Harry.
He thought for a second before deciding to do it the easier way.
"Wait a sec, I'll call Kreacher. You should just ask for what you want. Tea, Coffee, Juice. Kreacher!"
Mcgonogall had gone to stop him from calling the nasty old house elf but he had spoken too quickly for her to stop him.
"Harry he probably won't even come.." Hermione's words trailed off as a loud *pop* sounded, announcing the shocking arrival of the house elf that none of them had ever seen following orders before.
"What does Kreacher be doing for Great and Noble Master?" A smile curved onto Harry's face as Kreacher remembered that he'd been told not to address him as Lord Greenleaf, when anyone from the Order was present.
He nodded at the elf in appraisal, causing him to stand straighter, as he followed his instructions.
"Please get everyone the drinks that they want. That being tea, coffee, juice or water. The cups are already here so just use the ones that they already have for their drinks."
The elf bowed his head respectfully before snapping his fingers and getting to work.
Everyone stood still, mouths open in shock, only responding when Kreacher asked them what they would like to drink.
After a few minutes, he finished and once again bowed deeply to Harry before popping away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry moved over to a seat beside Sirius and directly across from Charlie and Bill, grabbing the bottle from where he'd placed it aside.
He had planned to only share the wine with his godfather but, upon seeing them being mothered to death and all tense, he had decided that a little bit of alcohol may do the two older Weasley boys some good.
Harry summoned the set of 4 flutes and placed them on the table. He skilfully opened the bottle of wine, aware that several eyes had once again locked on him. The buzz of conversation was still there, however, so he wasn't overly put off by the minor reduction. A reduction which, rather blatantly, came from the group of ministry workers.
Harry poured the wine into the glasses and handed them to each of the three men as he finished. He then poured himself a glass and sat back in his own chair, swirling the wine gently before taking a sip.
He looked around to see that the three had yet to taste their own.
"If you're not going to drink it, I will. I had thought that the three of you would appreciate it the most. Sirius, obviously, because he's holed up in this house and you two, because your backs are coiled to the point of snapping. I saw how tense you were earlier. Don't let yourself think that I'm not observant when I want to be."
Sirius chuckled slightly and shook his head as he began to sip at his wine, humming in appreciation at the taste.
Harry arched an eyebrow at Bill. The oldest Weasley sibling was still looking shocked between the wine in his hand and Sirius and himself.
"Fine. Thank you, Harry." He tasted his wine. Charlie followed suit, appeased by his brother's acceptance of the offer.
Harry had learnt from early on that, if he wanted to offer something to a Weasley, he had to get the oldest to agree first.
"Mm, this is delicious. What is it?" Charlie hummed as he continued to sip at his drink.
"Whoa whoa, slow down there Weasley. If you keep up that rate of knocking it back, you'll be drunker than a donkeys arse in no time."
Bill laughed at Harry's words and swirled his flute, imitating what he'd seen Harry do earlier. He could vaguely remember that it had something to do with the aroma, from what he'd heard from some of the older curse breakers in Egypt.
Harry interrupted his thoughts as he answered his brother's previous question.
"Well, this bottle is a Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Romanee-Conti Grand Cru."
The Weasleys both gave him confused looks by what he said.
Harry laughed and put his tall glass down.
"It's a vintage red wine called Romanée Conti. They range from anywhere between £6-44,000 a bottle."
"What?!" The two Weasleys looked stunned as they let their mouths hang open, staring at him in shock.
Harry continued speaking, seemingly oblivious to their outburst, as he picked up the bottle to read its label.
"Saying that, this bottle appears to be a tad older than the usual. Probably retailing at a little more than what I estimated, £48/50,000 perhaps?"
Harry smiled as he casually refilled his glass, ignoring the silence in the kitchen as he swirled his wine.
"I love this wine, it's actually one of my very favourites. Derived from a careful selection of Pinot Noir variations, distilled in France, this one in 1936/37. A full flavour of black fruits with a rich bramley texture. Smooth in a way that it just glides warmly over your tongue. Distinctly elevated with black cherry and blackberry accents on an underlying savoury tang of bark, peppercorns and earth."
Harry zoned back into the stillness of the kitchen as he realised that what he had just said may sound strange to the gathered group of, mostly, adults.
"What?" He asked as he looked around at the order members.
It was Hermione that eventually spoke up from the end of the table.
"Harry, I think we're all just a bit concerned about how much detail you know about that wine. It gives some misleading suggestions to the adults here."
He held eye contact with her for a moment before nodding in acceptance.
"Yeah. I guess it would." He sighed slightly resignedly before looking at the wall in front of himself and catching sight of the old clock on the wall.
His eyes widened comically as he saw that it was late afternoon.
"Holy shit, time sure flies when you're being judged. Kreacher."
He called the house elf quickly and smiled upon his loud entrance. Done purely for the sake of the gathered order members.
"Please tell Steph, that I'll be a few more hours than originally intended and that he should head to bed without me, if I'm not already back by then."
Kreacher ducked his head and popped away to the Greyback Manor, to inform Fen of the change in schedule.
He turned his attention back to the group and caught Sirius' eye.
"Hey, pup, when did he start listening to you?" Harry hummed in thought at Sirius' words, considering the answer carefully.
"It was probably around about the time when I first agreed to celebrate Yule with Stephan instead of Christmas. Kreacher apparently respects anyone who observes tradition and I actually found that my previous ideas were completely wrong. Yule is the celebration of the birth of magic and the renewal of of our magical reserves and family magiks. It was quite enlightening. Though sometimes I have to travel at Christmas, for work. And sometimes I go elsewhere to visit friends in other places of the world.Anywho! Why don't we get started? Ask away!"
A variety of emotions had been crossing the groups faces throughout his speech and now it appeared that the majority had just settled for thoughtful.
"You know what, why don't I answer Hermione's questions from earlier, first?"
He received nods from the continuously quiet group and then began to work on how to phrase his answers, still able to perfectly recall what Hermione had asked him in her jumble of words earlier.
"Alright. 1) I wasn't particularly thinking when I left, but I'm glad that I did. 2) I know that I promised to say goodbye in person but I couldn't find the right moment because there were always other people around. 3) I ran from you in Diagon Alley because I wasn't done shopping and would've been stopped. 4) Yes, I am dating the guy that's been collecting me from the platform 9 3/4 for all these years. 5) It happened when we met after I was kicked out of the Dursley's house one evening during the summer before my second year at Hogwarts. 6)Yes, he wears a glamour, its for his own protection, though he doesn't really need it anymore. 7) He's a million times more handsome without the glamour. 8) Yes and No. Some of you know him and some of you don't. Some of you more than others. 9)Kreacher removed the music supplies because I asked him to and I don't know a Lord Gren."
Harry took a deep breath and looked at Hermione in question.
"Is that sufficient for answers, ma'am?"
Hermione shook her head good naturedly with amusement.
Harry leant back in his seat and stayed still for several minutes allowing the group to collect their thoughts.
He finally spoke, after what seemed to be almost a full 5- minutes.
"So, ask away. I have a feeling that this is going to be a long night.."
(A/N: Hey y'all, how are you? I hope that everyone is well and that if you're not 100% then you should get better soon.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter, I was caught by writer's block and didn't know how to program was so this chapter was kind of like more of a filler, of sorts.
As ever, please;
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