When with Rome {Sirius Black}

49. Paranoia

As the months continues to pass, the Order seemed to be falling into the gutter. Members were being picked off at one by one as Death Eaters continued to force the wizard community to submit. The paranoia was becoming too much for Barbara as she tightened her grip on where her fiancé was allowed to go. She hated to restrict Sirius's adventure; but the adventures were becoming too frequent and increasingly dangerous. Dumbledore made sure couples went on missions together in fear of being blamed for a lover's death.

Nonetheless, Barbara was still forced to go on missions without Sirius when they related to Vampires.

Valerie kept her promise as a loyal servant to the Order and constantly kept contact with Dumbledore. Vampires discreetly helped Order members on their missions by becoming spies into the Death Eater community. They convinced Voldemort by claiming the muggle community would serve them well as slaves, thus tricking the wizarding community that they were out for blood.

Barbara and the other members knew this would stain the reputation of Vampires as the worst creatures known to wizard-kind. But nobody cared in their present; all that mattered was taking down the harsh reign of hatred.

As the woman thought about her future while cooking for her parents, she thought of her wedding. Its date was approaching too fast for Barbara's taste. She barely managed to squeeze in time to go dress shopping with Lily and their parents. She recalled how she received a patronus in the bathroom from Dumbledore explaining that Sirius and James were in trouble.

The wording made Barbara believe her fiancé and brother were seriously injured, and rushed her parents, Lily, and Lily's parents back to the Potters' to check on the boys. However when she saw the bright red faces and a faltering smirk on the boys' faces, Barbara forced herself to not punch her brother and make Sirius sleep outside for a month.

"We apparated here on one of our first breaks since joining the Order, Sirius. If you don't have a damn good excuse I'm inviting your parents to our wedding."

Sirius gaped at her. "You wouldn't dare!"

"I dare," she flashed her electric blue eyes at him, "so tell me what in the Merlin you two did."

James, in an attempt to calm his sister, pushed Sirius into falling on the couch as he sat down like an obedient dog. He dared not to look at his fiancée in the eyes, fearing the ginger's wrath. The Potter behind the women quickly put a concealment charm on the bags containing the wedding dresses; and then invited the Evans into having tea in the kitchen.

"Barbara," Fleamont called his daughter, "tell your mother and I the story later. We'd like to give our son and soon-to-be son-in-law some two-sense after they deal with you and Lily."

"And Hell!" Shouted Euphemia from the kitchen. Fleamont states off after his wife in a smile and trotted into the kitchen to join her.

Barbara turned her attention back onto the two culprits. They were clearly afraid of her.

She made sure to heighten their fear by glaring at them both with her Royal eyes, not once faltering her gaze as Lily spoke.

"Tell us the truth," Lily said flatly, "and your lives just might be spared."

Sirius coughed awkwardly, trying to suspend the story and thus stall his punishment. However, James informed them of what happened in the early hours of the morning.

She and Lily were told on their "motorcycle escapade", in which James and Sirius caused chaos for Muggle policemen. They had been speeding on Sirius's motorbike and chased by the policemen when they were cornered in a brick alleyway.