When with Rome {Sirius Black}

30.1 Vernon Dursley

Remus had spent a few nights over at the Potters' household after his monthly transformation. When he had learned about the new living situation with Sirius, he wasn't nearly as shocked as he was when he learned that Sirius and Barbara planned to publicly be friends with each other. He and Barbara had fun catching up when they teamed up against James and Sirius with another pranking war. The Fifth Years had too much fun with their war, however, and ended up making a complete mess of the whole first floor.

After they cleaned up and after James apologized to Angel, who was laughing whilst covered in slime, Remus was to be sent home. Barbara decided that she was going to have a private conversation with Remus about her being an Auror; so she volunteered to apparate him home.

"Since when do you have the license to apparatus, Barb?" Remus asked quizzically.

"Well, that's wanted I wanted to talk to you about, Remy," Barbara started, "because now that I'm an adult in both worlds, I'm capable of doing anything an adult can!"

"That's such a weird concept." Remus thought aloud. "I mean, think about it: you're fifteen and classify as an adult. In the Muggle world one is usually eighteen; and in our world one is seventeen! It just keeps getting younger and the mind is less immature the farther down the age goes."

"True, Remus, but that's not the point." Barbara countered. "The different ages are set because the different human beings age, maturity wise, at different rates. So that's why I'm a lot more mature than James even though we're nearly identical with our personalities. It's because I have different blood in me that makes me more mature and able to get past his stupid five-year-old jokes. It's also why I'm more capable of making better decisions than he is and when to act on something."

"I guess that makes sense; but it's still weird. Imagine a bunch of Vampires calling out adult Muggles on things. I would pay a galleon to see that."

Barbara laughed along with Remus at his thought until they both heard a crack. Instinctively, Barbara pulled out her wand and held it at the ready when a Death Eater sauntered in front of them.

"Now, what's a cute little girl like you doing with a half-breed like him? Making filthy mutts as babies?" Barbara cringed at the Death Eater's voice and the fact that he thought she and Remus were a couple. Quickly, Barbara came up with a ruse.

"I was going to kill him just now, you stupid git! Why don't you mind your own business when I'm on a mission."

Remus looked at his friend in horror, apparently too oblivious at that moment to understand what she was doing. "I thought you hated the Dark Lord! You consider yourself a blood-traitor!"

"Nice job, Remus. I was trying to save our lives." Barbara muttered under her breath. She didn't wait for Remus or the Death Eater to react as she shouted the first spell that came to mind.

"Stupefy!" As soon as Barbara yelled it, the Death Eater blocked it. She pushed Remus behind her to avoid the duel that commenced.

Spells were flying left and right. Barbara eventually put a body-binding curse on Remus so he wouldn't get involved. She didn't want her friend to be in the range of spells as she shielded him by standing in front of him.

"EXPELIAMUS, BITCH!" The young Auror finally yelled; and his wand came flying towards her. As soon as she caught the wand, she grabbed onto Remus and apparatus right back to her home.

After her first encounter with the rogue Death Eater, Barbara had been under house arrest. Dumbledore was afraid that she might be kidnapped because the other side now knew of Dumbledore's secret weapon.

When she was allowed out of the house, the first person she wrote to was Lily asking her if she could come and sleep over. Barbara missed talking to Lily in person and just wanted to talk to her in person rather than through a letter.

She was excited when Lily replied to her letter the next day; but her smile quickly turned into a scowl. Lily's insufferable sister, Petunia, was introducing her boyfriend to her family the next day. Barbara, determined to see Lily before Hogwarts, told her that she and Sirius would come and support her. She alerted Sirius of the plan, a frown on James's fave at the mention of his best friend going but not him. Barbara reminded him that if he didn't improve he and Lily's friendship, then that was his problem and not anybody else's.

"Hold onto my arm tight, but don't cut off my circulation. Remember: don't let go." Barbara told Sirius the next day. They were going to apparate to the Evans' household. Sirius gripped her arm, a tingling feeling passing the both of them.

Barbara landed in the ground with ease, while Sirius fell into the grass and coughed violently for as long as Barbara laughed.

"Not. Funny." Sirius muttered under his breath. Barbara smiled innocently at Sirius.

"Sure. It wasn't funny at all."

She couldn't help but laugh more when Sirius coughed up some grass.

Barbara warned Sirius that he was in for a treat, that Petunia was like the Muggle version of Regulus. "If her boyfriend is just like that I will go completely bonkers. You're here to restrain me from attacking them, Sirius."

"Why restrain what is a promising entertaining show?" He mused to himself as Barbara knocked on the door. She turned and gave him a look.

Sirius held up his hands in defense. "Fine, fine. Keep Batty Barbara on a tight leash. No letting Rome do as the Romans did."

The door opened to reveal Mrs. Evans, who greeted them with a relieved smile. "Thank goodness you're here, dears," she whispered, "Mr. Evans might need extra help restraining me from attacking that sad excuse of a man."

Barbara and Sirius looked at each other, each with a concerned look on their face. When they walked into the living room, Barbara grabbed Sirius's forearm and made a small squeak. She knew that Petunia was probably going to marry him at first glance.

He was a very, very large man with a mustache that resembles a squirrel's tail. He was wearing a boring vest and his appearance screamed overcompensating. He was sitting on a love seat— that he took up himself— with bony Petunia on his lap, snuggling what was supposed to be a neck.

Petunia looked the same as ever. She had a very long neck and very high cheekbones. For some reason, she resembled a horse, in Barbara's opinion.

In order for Barbara and Sirius to fit into the Muddle World and look "presentable," as Petunia called it, they had to dress in Muggle clothes. Barbara stuck to black skinny jeans and a nice jumper while Sirius wore pants and a larger shirt. He originally protested to wearing a large shirt; but the gauzes made any size-fitting shirt not fit him. Thus, he begrudgingly put on a larger button-downed shirt.

Mr. and Mrs. Evans left the five kids in there and claimed that they were going to go out for the day. Mrs. Evans smiled apologetically in Barbara's direction, clearly not able to stay in the man's presence anymore.

Once the adults were gone, the horrid man held his hand out gruffly.

"My name's Vernon Dursley. You must be Barbara Potter." His voice was gruff, and Barbara politely shook his hand. She inwardly cringed as it was sweatier than she thought.

"Correct. Nice to meet you, Vernon. This is my friend, Sirius Black." Sirius held out his hand for Vernon to shake. After they shook hands, Vernon not so subtly wiped his hand on the side of the love seat.

This is going to be a splendid day. Lily owes me her first-born after this...