Both he and Fang suddenly lifted their heads sharply at the unmistakable crunch of footsteps approaching from outside.
There was a knock at the wooden door, and Hagrid turned around with a broad grin. "Wonder who tha' could be at this hour," he muttered good-naturedly. Wiping his hands on his oversized apron, he stomped across the room and swung open the door. "Oh!" Hagrid straightened in surprise, his bushy eyebrows climbing upward. "Evenin', Professor Dumbledore, sir! And Professor Lupin-and Miss Jasmine! Wha' brings you lot out here tonight?"
From his vantage point near the fire, Sirius froze, his canine body stiffening in shock.
Albus Dumbledore stood tall in the open doorway. He offered Hagrid a gentle smile. "Good evening, Hagrid. Please pardon our intrusion at this hour."
"Nonsense, Professor, yer never an intrusion!" Hagrid boomed cheerfully. "Was jus' puttin' dinner on. Care to join me?"
Dumbledore raised a polite hand. "Thank you kindly, Hagrid, but I'll be dining in the Great Hall tonight. I merely have a small matter to discuss."
Behind Dumbledore, Remus Lupin stepped cautiously into the hut. He had changed in the years they'd been apart-he looked thinner, more haggard, streaks of premature grey peppering his brown hair, deep lines etched in his face. Yet to Sirius, he was unmistakable. He'd recognize his old friend anywhere. Sirius' heartbeat thundered rapidly.
But the biggest shock stood slightly behind Lupin, stepping carefully into the hut as well. Jasmine McKinnon-though Sirius knew all too well that her true name was Potter-walked in after Lupin. She had grown into a strikingly beautiful young woman, just like her mother had been. Although instead of Blonde hair, she had messy brown just like James. She also had a pair of glasses on her face just like her old man as well.
His goddaughter-the girl he had sworn to protect-was standing mere feet from him, unaware of who he truly was. Just like she was when she brought him to Hagrid the first time, thinking Sirius was a sick dog that needed help.
And admittedly, Sirius really did need help.
But when Lupin's eyes fell upon him, Sirius' entire body froze.
The werewolf instantly stiffened. Even after all these years, Remus knew him at a glance-knew Padfoot the instant their eyes met.
Sirius felt dread knotting his stomach. Lupin-his Moony-thought he was a traitorous Death Eater scum who had betrayed their best friends. Sirius' mind raced. Did he need to bolt, right now, shatter the nearest window and run as fast as his paws could carry him into the forbidden forest?
"Padfoot," Lupin murmured quietly, the suspicion and confusion clear in his voice. Sirius flinched slightly, preparing to spring to his feet.
Then, to Sirius' immense surprise, Dumbledore calmly raised one hand toward Lupin, signaling the younger wizard to relax. His voice was gentle, knowing, and calming as he addressed Sirius directly. "There's no need to be frightened, Sirius. Remus and Jasmine are quite safe, and so are you."
Sirius blinked, frozen in confusion and disbelief.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled softly as he offered a sad, gentle smile. "We know the truth, my friend. We know what truly happened all those years ago-with you and Peter Pettigrew."
Hagrid looked utterly baffled, scratching his enormous beard in confusion. Lupin's eyes widened, surprise and hope dawning in them as he glanced sharply toward the Headmaster.
Jasmine merely stared curiously, clearly unsure what was happening or why her professor was suddenly addressing a random dog as though it were a man.
Slowly, carefully, Sirius rose from the floor. His canine form rippled and blurred, fur melting into skin, bones shifting and reforming until Sirius Black stood tall once more.
"Blimey!" Hagrid bellowed in shock from nearby.
...Sirius sat outside Hagrid's hut beneath a blanket of stars, his back pressed against the rough wooden logs. It had been a long, draining conversation inside-one that had left him dizzy and drained.
Amazingly, Hagrid hadn't been angry or upset upon discovering that his "pet dog" had actually been Sirius Black in disguise. Instead, he'd chuckled good-naturedly and patted Sirius firmly on the back, saying, "Well blimey, ye' were a damn good dog, weren' ye? Feel free to stay as long as yeh need, mate."
Sirius couldn't help but appreciate the man's kindness. Good old Hagrid-he hadn't changed a bit since their own Hogwarts days.
Moony-Remus Lupin-and Dumbledore had left just minutes before, needing to get back to the castle before it got too late. Sirius had promised Remus they'd talk again soon, properly this time. They both had too much left to say. Too many unresolved questions and half-healed wounds.
But now, as the quiet settled once more around Hagrid's small hut, Sirius found himself sitting alone, staring blankly up at the stars, his thoughts spinning like a hurricane inside his head.
He was angry.
Not at Hagrid, not at Remus, certainly not at Jasmine, who'd volunteered to remain behind and was currently somewhere inside chatting cheerfully with Hagrid. No, his rage simmered like molten iron, directed squarely at one man-Peter Pettigrew.
The fucking rat had finally been captured. Amelia Bones-the head of the DMLE herself-had had the cowardly traitor securely in her grasp. She'd known the truth, had known Sirius was innocent and that Pettigrew had betrayed James and Lily.
But of course, the universe couldn't let things be that simple. It never fucking was. A fucking swarm of Dementors had somehow attacked Hogwarts, and that spineless, disgusting vermin Pettigrew had managed to slip away once again!
And now, Pettigrew would surely vanish for good, cowering and crawling into whatever filthy sewer he'd scuttled out of, terrified of ever showing his ugly face again now that his cover had been blown wide open.
Sirius clenched his fists tightly at the thought, his jaw grinding painfully.
"Are you alright, Mr. Black?" came a soft, tentative voice from just behind him.
Sirius turned quickly, startled. He hadn't heard Jasmine step outside. His mind had been too wrapped up in his own brooding thoughts. She was looking down at him with wide, worried eyes, one hand nervously adjusting the glasses resting on her nose.
He forced himself to relax, offering her a tired but reassuring smile. "Just call me Sirius. 'Mr. Black' was my father, and he was a right asshole. Trust me."
Jasmine's expression softened into a small smile at his blunt honesty. With a gentle sigh, she lowered herself onto the grass beside him, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.
"It's alright, Jasmine," he said softly, feeling the need to reassure her. "I'm fine-or at least, I will be. Eventually." He waved a hand dismissively, trying to play off just how deeply the whole situation had wounded him. "Things never seem to go smoothly for me. Not ever. I'll figure something out."
Jasmine studied him for a moment, her eyes sympathetic yet hesitant. "It's really unfair, you know. What happened to you, I mean-about how Pettigrew framed you. It was horrible, and I'm sorry for thinking for almost two decades that my dogfather was a monster," she said with a small grin.
Hehe... Dogfather. She definitely had some of her father's humor in her.
Eager to distract himself from the bitter thoughts of Pettigrew, Sirius cleared his throat gently, turning to face his goddaughter more directly. "Anyway, enough about all my issues. I'd like to hear about you, Jasmine."
She looked up, surprised but pleased by his interest. Her expression brightened immediately. "What do you want to know?"
Sirius shrugged lightly, smiling. "Anything, really. Tell me how you've been finding Hogwarts. Do you like it here? Have you made friends?"
Her eyes sparkled excitedly as she nodded. "Oh yes-Hogwarts is amazing, just like Mum always said it would be. And I've made some brilliant friends, Sirius. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil-they're my absolute best friends. We do practically everything together." Jasmine beamed with pride, her expression glowing as she spoke. "Honestly, I can't imagine Hogwarts without them. Definitely best friends for life!"
Sirius chuckled softly, her enthusiasm infectious. "Good. Friends like that are important. James and Remus were always that way for me." Jasmine smiled at him fondly, then suddenly blushed, looking away shyly. Sirius raised an amused eyebrow, sensing he was on to something. "And... any particular boy catch your fancy?" he teased gently, a sly grin tugging at his lips. "Don't worry...if someone needs the shovel talk, I'm more than happy to deliver it. Honestly, getting threatened by a dangerous escaped convict should properly scare the shite out of any boy at Hogwarts who might hurt you."
Jasmine blushed even deeper, biting her lip nervously as she stared down at her lap. "Well, actually... yes, there is someone I'm interested in," she admitted quietly, glancing hesitantly back up at him. "But I don't think he'd need the shovel talk... Or maybe he does due to all the girls surrounding him...?"
"Oh? And who might this boy be?" he asked with narrowed eyes.
"Harry..." she mumbled.
Sirius sputtered, nearly choking on his own breath as he tried to process Jasmine's quiet confession.
"Wait... hold on-" Sirius raised a trembling hand, pinching the bridge of his nose as he exhaled slowly. This conversation was not one he had been prepared for. "Listen, Jasmine," he began again, carefully keeping his voice calm, though alarm edged into his tone. "I understand you two are only technically half-siblings, but... Merlin's sagging balls, you cannot be attracted to your brother like that!"
Jasmine's cheeks flamed scarlet beneath her glasses, and she quickly turned away, clearly embarrassed.
But Sirius pressed onward. "I mean, honestly, Jasmine. You're going to end up just like the Black family at this rate," he insisted earnestly. "And trust me-when you see the family tree literally carved into the bloody wall of our ancestral home, it's absolutely horrifying. Way too many of those branches are... well, touching, if you know what I mean."
Jasmine's face turned an even darker shade of red, and she quickly shook her head, stammering awkwardly in protest. "No-no, Sirius, it's not... it's not like that at all!" she squeaked, eyes wide behind her glasses. "What are you talking about? Everyone at Hogwarts already knows that Harry isn't actually my brother. I-I thought you knew, too! James... he wasn't Harry's real father!"
Sirius froze abruptly, every muscle in his body seizing with shock. His pulse hammered violently in his ears, drowning out every other sound. He stared at Jasmine, speechless, eyes wide in complete disbelief. His mouth opened, closed, then opened again before finally managing to croak out a weak, strangled, "What!?"
Jasmine shrunk slightly under his astonished gaze, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her robes. "Oh... oh, Merlin," she murmured sheepishly. "I-I really thought you knew. I figured... I mean, it was a whole thing for like a week when everyone found out..."
— Harry —
I woke up earlier than usual that Friday morning, making sure not to wake up Hermione, Lyra and Lyna still sleeping in my bed.
Something about knowing I'd be seeing Sona again gave me all the incentive I needed to rise before dawn. I picked her up from Ravenclaw Tower. We slipped unnoticed from the castle into the Forbidden Forest.
Practicing magic in the forest had become a comfortable routine between us. Out there, hidden by thick trees and far from prying eyes, we were free to stretch our magical muscles to their fullest. Today had been particularly intense, both of us pushing ourselves. By the end, we were breathing hard and flushed, sweat glistening softly on Sona's porcelain skin with the front strands of her usually immaculate black hair sticking adorably to her forehead.
After finishing, we walked slowly, leisurely winding our way along the "dangerous" forest, with our fingers laced intimately together.
We couldn't openly express affection like this back at Hogwarts, not without dealing with unwanted whispers and rumors. Technically, as devils, human rules held little meaning for us, but we weren't in the underworld where no one would care if I was in a relationship with my aunt.
"So, it turns out I've awakened a Sacred Gear," I said casually.
"Oh? What can it do? You didn't get a boring Twice Critical did you? I swear, Big G made thousands of those things..." she replied with a small chuckle.
"No, it's definitely not one of those..." I admitted, rubbing my neck sheepishly. "According to Mother, it's an artificial Sacred Gear created by Merlin himself. It allows me to copy and permanently use the bloodline powers of women I... have sex with."
Sona halted abruptly in mid-step, nearly stumbling. She gave me one of her trademark deadpan looks that she reserved exclusively for me when I said something particularly absurd. "Of course," she finally murmured dryly, "of all the Sacred Gears you could awaken, it would be something as perverted as that."
I chuckled openly at her blunt observation. "Hey, I didn't choose it," I protested lightly, squeezing her hand playfully in mine. "But honestly, given my circumstances, I'm not exactly complaining."
She rolled her eyes, though the affectionate glint in her gaze betrayed her amusement. "No, somehow that doesn't surprise me in the slightest. I doubt any healthy man would in your exact circumstances..."
We resumed our peaceful walk. Eventually, I remembered something else I'd been meaning to ask her about. "You know, I was a bit worried about you yesterday," I admitted quietly. "I noticed you, Tsubaki, and Luna all skipped dinner. Everything okay?"
Instantly, Sona's blush returned, stronger than ever. She bit her lip softly, avoiding my gaze as we continued to walk slowly. Her fingers tightened unconsciously around mine, and the tips of her ears turned a shade of crimson I rarely saw.
"Sona?" I gently prompted when she remained silent. "Did something happen yesterday?"
She exhaled slowly, visibly steeling herself. "My sister happened," she finally mumbled softly.
I smirked knowingly. "Given how she was with me yesterday, I can imagine exactly what sort of trouble she caused for you. She seemed REALLY pent up..."
Sona's blush deepened even further. "She stormed into my bedroom-didn't even bother knocking-and she was more... touchy-feely than she's ever been before."
"Define touchy-feely," I pressed gently. "Did Serafall push things further than usual?"
Her blush intensified into a truly adorable crimson hue that reached all the way down her graceful neck. She stubbornly refused to meet my gaze, but the shy, bashful expression on her face revealed everything I needed to know.
