Trouvaille - something lovely discovered by chance
A Slytherin and a Gryffindor are sworn enemies. Families, friendships, relationships, all are infected by house rivalry.
So are James Potter, proud and brave Gryffindor, and Aquila Black, cunning a...
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Sirius had been feeling nothing but unfiltered joy ever since coming to the Potter's. Fleamont and Euphemia had been loving and supportive, and James was bent on doing everything in his power to make sure Sirius was comfortable in his home. If James' parents found the presence of a stag and a dog on their grounds every night weird, they certainly never mentioned it.
As much as he felt at home with the Potter's, he felt a pressing tension in the back of his mind about the happenings at the Black Manor. His letters had come back with no responses, and while he knew that his parents had always favoured Regulus and Aquila more, he knew now that there were no limits as to what his parents weren't willing to do. Or not do. Or let others do.
James had been horrified to open the door in the middle of the night and find his brother leaning on the door with his trunk, bruises littering every part of skin visible, and barely standing upright. James had taken one step forward and Sirius had collapsed in his arms. By the time Fleamont and Euphemia came to the living room, Sirius had fallen unconscious onto the sofa. Euphemia had healed him, given him a place in her house, and made him hot chocolate when he woke.
That was more than Sirius could say his biological mother had done for him, but he had family in that house, too. His brother and sister were still there, and that's why he knew he couldn't stay here for long.
Just one more year, and he would be 17, of legal age, then he would buy a house of his own and then he would save the two of them from Bellatrix's master. Then the twins would concoct some evil scheme to swipe the inheritance from their parents and they would be successful and Dumbledore would defeat You-Know-Who and they would all live happily ever after.
Yeah, um, not happening. But it didn't kill a guy to dream.
Coming back to the present, Sirius was part nervous and part excited to go to Hogwarts. He was nervous if his parents would show up. If they would react to seeing him. Sirius had been wondering one thing ever since he'd left. Had I been too harsh on mother? He'd convinced himself, no, but had he deserved how Bellatrix had reacted? Had he deserved the Cruci-?
It hurt him to think of it, less say it. Even after weeks, whenever Sirius closed his eyes he saw the shard of plate breaking his hand and then a red light shooting toward him.
"Sirius? Are you ready, sweetheart?" The warm voice of Euphemia Potter floated up the stairs. James emerged from the bathroom, running his wet hand through his hair.
"Ready?" James asked, nodding his head once.
Sirius hummed in response, shouting out a 'coming!' to James' mum.
"Now, darlings, we are not coming to the station considering the hustle and bustle, but Blinky will be apparating you there, and not a peek of mischief or running away," Euphemia said sternly.
James laughed out loud and went behind his mother and hugged her plump figure from behind. "Us? Mischief? Never, mum. Right, Siri?"
"Us? Mischief? Never, dad! Right, Siri?" Aquila laughed as Orion held up the broken vase that Sirius, Regulus and Aquila had destroyed sliding down the banister.
Orion had looked around for Walburga, and not seeing her around anywhere, he grabbed the heads of Sirius and Aquila and banged them softly together. The two kids let out choruses of 'ow's', and Orion merely laughed out loud, a full laugh, and mended the vase with a flick of his wand.
"Not a word to your mother, understood?" Orion said, winking at the kids.
"Siri? Sirius?" James prodded him gently.
"Huh?" Sirius replied cleverly.
"Okay, mate?" James asked, concern shining clear in his eyes. He looked so much like Euphemia this moment Sirius wondered if when he was being cruel he looked like Walburga, too. No, Merlin, please no.
Sirius felt warm hands grasping his face. The concern and love shining in Euphemia's eyes almost made Sirius burst into tears right then. "Are you alright, lovely? I can send a letter to Dumbledore asking if you can join the term sometime later?"
Sirius shook his head vigorously. "No, no, no, no, I need to see Reg and Aqi. Thank you for the offer though, mum."
Sirius wanted to believe he hadn't wanted to say it. That he didn't mean to address her as such. But, in all honesty, he was testing out how the word felt on his tongue. He hadn't called Walburga 'mum' in so long, and had no reason to. But this remarkable woman in front of him, who had got up in the middle of the night in her old age and made him a hot chocolate with her own hands instead of using magic or telling the house elf, this woman who had to be held back by her husband to stop from marching over to Grimmauld Place and murdering Bellatrix, this woman who had created a space for Sirius not only in her house, but in her heart as well, Sirius really wanted his tongue to get familiar around the feeling of seeing her and automatically addressing her 'mum'.
Euphemia brought Sirius' face closer to her so Sirius could see the sheen of tears in her eyes. "Sons don't thank their mothers, stupid." And brought him into a hug.
And Sirius thought, yes, this is what home feels like.
And yes, he would love to get used to this.
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please welcome mary steenburgen as euphemia potter!
in celebration of trouvaille (this book surprise!) hitting 7k reads, i give you happy sirius!
