November 3rd, 1981

Sirius Black is a fool.

With good intentions but a fool nontheless.

The house of Black was filled with the sounds of a distraught mother, clenching her baby to her chest as the sounds of Sirius's arrest played out on the wizard radio. She rocked back and forth in an effort to calm her distressed baby, long tendrils of sun kissed hair covering her face as she pressed her lips to hey baby's forehead. Her own green eyes shut tight in an effort to still her tears.

"Nicholas- what are we going to do now?" She said quietly, wiping her own tears away with frustration.

The once cool and beautiful autumn afternoon was ruined, as the skies turned grey and rained poured down reflecting her emotions- as Clare heard the news of her husband's arrest.

Two days had passed by since Sirius had come back in a thunderous rage, fearing for herself and her baby as he ranted about the potters and about his friend Peter. She tried to ease his anger- tried to get him to explain to her what had happened; but the only gist she'd gotten was that they were found dead. God, she felt her heart stop in that moment upon hearing about her friends Lily and James. All their worst fears had come true. There was supposed to be no way for he-who-must-not-be-named to find them, they were under the fidelius charm and were going to be safe along with their 15 month old child, Harry.

But they were found.

Sirius had left not moments after he had come back, Clare had begged for him to stay with her and their child but he refused. He said something about Peter and that he must have known something. It was like as though the light dawned in his eyes at that moment as he briefly kissed her and their son goodbye.

But that was it. He didn't say anything else. He didn't send anything else- no owl or patronus. It wouldn't take him two seconds to send a patronus saying that he was safe but he sent nothing their way.

Clare didn't know what to do. He'd left as quickly as he came, in a flash leaving her bedazzled in his exit.

She was terrified for him- worried so much it was all that she could do to take care of her son in an effort to distract herself. But that didn't stop her late at night to sit by the wizard radio to listen for his name. Praying that his name wouldn't be called out in the news- at all.

"-In recent news, Notorious killer Sirius Black- murderer of twelve muggles and wizard Peter Pettigrew has been accused of conspiring with the late Dark Lord. He has been found and captured, given twelve lifetime sentences to Azkaban for every muggle murdered on the night-"

"No!" Clare screeched, throwing the radio across the room. It crashed as it hit the wall, breaking into pieces. She didn't want this to happen- any of it. This wasn't how she'd pictured her life to transition into when she first married Sirius.

He's the love of her life, has been since they'd been dating in hogwarts. They'd practically planned their entire future together- a small wedding, a few kids and a lifetime surrounded by family and friends.

But all of that was shattered in a matter of days since the death of her friends.

She came to a horrifying realisation, her movements shaky as she looked towards her baby. He'd fallen asleep despite the racket, she held him tighter to her chest.

He was no longer safe.

With the You-know-who dead along with James and Lily, Remus being abroad and Sirius now on his way to Azkaban, she would be next.

Her and her baby were targets.

No doubt the death eaters; You-Know-Who's most loyal servants would go after her for his whereabouts, if not that then for the fact she was a member of the order and a muggle born at that.

That automatically meant that her and her son had a big fat target on their front door.

She gave her son one last squeeze before placing him into his crib beside the sofa. With a wave of her wand, a big suitcase packed itself in one of the upstairs bedrooms. She'd summoned her son's clothes, hastily packing them up herself in a small baby bag.

But her eyes pause. Sirius's thick leather jacket was draped lazily over one of the dining table chairs. She hesitated, pulled the jacket to her nose and breathed in deeply.

The smell of leather and woodsmoke drifted up her nostrils. There was a time when Sirius's smell used to bring her ease, but all it did now was make her eyes prickle and make her feel despair. She summoned the suitcase and the baby bag to her, shrinking them both to fit in her pockets before throwing the leather jacket on. She then balanced her baby safely in her arms, covering him in thick blankets.

She didn't know where she was going. She didn't know what she was supposed to do- she was scared for her son's life. She was scared for her husband, who would be spending the rest of his life in prison. Her son would never get to know him. Her brilliant Sirius. Her Sirius.

But looking down at her son and around her house- her home she was filled with determination. This wouldn't be the last she would be here. She will come back one day. Her son would come home- she would find a way to get Sirius home where he belonged.

As she left their little cottage however, she couldn't ignore the tiny voice in the back of her mind telling her that she wouldn't see the front door ever again.

September 1st, 1991

Nicholas woke up with the deep sense of longing in his chest, he didn't even realise that tears were falling down his face as he wiped them away. He'd had the same dream again, of a gentle lady with long blonde hair. In his dreams she was always singing a lullaby, he couldn't see her face but he knew that she was familiar to him. But as he grew older, the lullaby became haunting.

He looked around the small room that he shared with his nephew in the cot beside him. It wasn't a very big room, with four plain white walls and basic furniture it was enough to accommodate the two boys. Nicholas stood up from his bed, wanting to go to the bathroom when one of his new school books dropped to the floor. He winced as the sound echoed throughout the room instantaneously waking the sleeping toddler.

"Shhh! Jake- Shhhh sleep- Go back to sleep!." He whispered over and over again, his small arms reaching in to pick up the Toddler. Nicholas drew the Toddler to his chest bouncing his nephew up and down as he'd seen his older sister Melissa do it plenty of times in the past, trying to calm the toddler down. But it didn't work.

He could briefly hear footsteps as his sister Melissa had gotten up from her own bed making her way down the hallway into their room, clearly woken up by the noise. Jake was still sobbing as she entered the room, chuckling quietly as she spotted a panicked looking Nicholas trying to calm the toddler down.

"You're so good with him Nicky." She said sarcastically entering the room. Nicholas returned her smile with a glare as Jake started playing with Nicholas's black hair. Melissa collapsed onto the bed next to him, rubbing her hands down her face in an attempt to wake herself up.

"He's your kid." Nicholas countered, trying and failing to keep the Toddler from grabbing handfuls of his hair, he quickly passed over the toddler to her trying to save his hair "I don't know how to turn him off. There's no mute button!"

Melissa chuckled before turning to look at the alarm clock next to Nicholas's bed, frowning at the time as though glaring at it will make it turn back an hour.

"It's alright love, gotta start getting you guys ready anyway" She let out a sigh, "You all packed?"

Nicholas looked at the corner of their room, towards his large hogwarts trunk with a grimace. He didn't want to go, despite Melissa's arguments that she could look after Jake on her own and work a full time job he knew it would be difficult for the both of them.

"I don't want to go." Nicholas said quietly, kissing the top of Jake's blond head as he stood up "I don't want to leave you." Jake seemed to sense Nicholas's discomfort as his tiny hands started stroking Nicholas's cheeks instead. Melissa looked at her brother sadly, of course she didn't want her baby brother to go.

For an eleven year old he prefered to be home, being with her and Jake than out in the park with the other kids. It almost scared Melissa as to how much she depended on the eleven year old. But she knew that if she kept him home she'd never forgive herself for stopping him reaching his full potential. Nicholas was intelligent, such a bright boy his teachers always told her. Never got into trouble, or start fights. Nicholas had quickly taken up the responsibility of being Jake's father figure when Melissa's husband walked out of the house. Always on hand to help the Toddler and Melissa with anything around the house, already doing paper rounds to earn a bit of money to pay for food whenever Melissa was too tired from work.

Melissa wiped a stray tear that fell from her eye watching Nicholas coo at his nephew, she forgot sometimes how young he was. With his chin length black hair, tucked behind the ears. His cheeks still full of baby fat that she knew would fall away in the future years, grey eyes that held so much emotion. She'd seen him grow up. She couldn't imagine living without the boy for a whole year. He was so dependable and mature, having moments where his actual age shone through with mischief he'd cause with Jake.

"We'll be fine Nicky." Melissa reassured the eleven year old, placing a kiss on top of his head before ruffling his hair, "Maybe when you come back you can show Jake all the new tricks and magic you've learned at school." That was another thing that surprised Nico, when an older lady arrived at his sisters house one day at the beginning of the summer. The lady named Professor McGonagall had explained to him that he was a wizard, and that magic was real. All the myths about werewolves and talking animals were true and alive, and actually not too far. McGonagall explained that all the weird things that happened to him were just bouts of accidental magic and it wasn't just a mistake that he used to cause lights to turn into fireflies or that he once conjured his nephew's toy dragon to actually spout fire.

"Not supposed to use magic outside of school though." Nicholas replied, stretching his arms above his head "Besides, Jake can cause enough trouble now without the use of magic as it is." He chuckling with Melissa.

"You're gonna be such a bad influence on him when you come back next year." She mused, walking with Jake out of his room. Nicholas followed, a hand over his heart and a look of distress on his face.

"Me? A bad influence? I don't know what you're on about." Melissa knew that if she'd turned around, she'd be able to see his grey eyes sparkling with untapped mischief. They'd reached the kitchen of their small two bedroom bungalow, Melissa sat down at the dining table with Jake on her lap. Nicholas went straight into his habit of preparing Toddler food and cereal for him and his sister, sorting out his sister's coffee and Jake's bottle of milk.

"What kind of stuff do you think you'll be learning?" Melissa asked, brushing stray blonde hairs from her face behind her ear.

"Maybe I'll learn to sprout money from the oven." Nicholas grinned as she rolled her eyes.

"Don't need money you dork. We're doing fine. My sister at work said that there's a chance I could get a transfer to Surrey the following summer with how well I'm doing y'know." Melissa took the bottle offered from Nicholas with a thanks, feeding her son on her lap.

"Surrey's expensive Mel. How are you gonna cope with the bills all the way out there?" Nicholas tried to keep the worry from his mind, knowing that his sister was fully capable of looking after herself and Jake but he knew it would be a struggle without him there.

"We always manage Nick. Can't have you around forever now can we?" She grinned over the top of Jake's head.

"Can't believe you're trying to get rid of me already. I thought I was loved here." He tried to say around a mouthful of cereal. Melissa rolled her eyes, the same grin on her face widening.

"You're such a pain in the ass sometimes."

"But I'm a cute pain." Nicholas retorted pointing his spoon back at her, knowing he'd won.

The Drakes got ready to take Nicholas to King's Cross station. The one thing Nicholas knew about this day was that Melissa was going to get beyond stressed, she hated the idea of travelling for so long from their little house in St Alban's to King's cross. It was an hour long drive, but even then she knew that parking was going to be as difficult to find.

The entire morning before setting off was filled with Nicholas and Melissa shouting back and forth at each other about whether Nicholas had packed all his robes and about whether his owl would feel too confined in her cage. Melissa would call up about one of his books being on the dining table and Nicholas would shout back to clarify if it was a muggle or a wizard book.

So they were already in a hectic mood before they'd even gotten into the car. Melissa had to remove the shelf in the boot of her car to get Nicholas's trunk in. She'd put Jake in the car set behind, with Nicholas's owl on the seat next to him.

The hour long drive had passed by quickly and they'd found a parking spot eventually (After Nicholas kept shouting that he'd found one only to discover that there was a motorbike or a mini cooper in the space, which led to more swearing and rage from his sister). Nicholas was anxious as he dragged his trunk along the floor, with his backpack strapped onto his back. Melissa was holding Jake by the hand and his owl cage in the other as they made their way to the train station.

"So say if someone lives in like Ireland but in the south, do you reckon they'd go to your school or they'd have their own?" Mel asked as she followed Nicholas into the grand station, her eyes scanning the platform numbers.

"I don't know Mel, this is as new to me as it is to you mate." he warily eyed the pidgeons that Jake kept trying to chase, gurgling with happiness "Jake, mate please stop chasing the pidgeons. I don't want them flying at you. You're on your own then." He stepped back as Jake started running at one heading for him.

"C'mon guys, the platform should be this way!" Mel called over her shoulder. Nicholas lifted Jake into his arms and broke into a run away from the rats with wings, following his sister who had somehow manager to get a trolley for his trunk and owl.

"Jake, you're the man of the house now I'm away. Y'know what that means? You can't let Mel give you all those sweets ok. Hush- don't look at me like that." He hissed as his toddler nephew glared at him "You gotta remind her that you can't watch too much tv too, cause it keeps you up at night." Nicholas looked his nephew in the eyes sternly, trying to keep a straight face as his nephew started giggling "Look you're making it hard for me to give you strict instructions as an adult with you not taking me seriously."

Jake scrunched his face up for a moment, as though ready to start crying.

"No- listen. I'm being serious-"

"Nicky c'mon! It's nearly eleven!" Mel shouted again, getting his attention "Right, now that's where platform 9 and three quarters should be." She pointed at a brick wall, Nicholas looked back at her.

"Mel, that's a wall." He readjusted Jake in his arms, the toddler kept fumbling to be put on the floor wanting to chase another pidgeon in front of the wall.

"I know it's a wall. But that's what it says on your ticket!" Mel swore under her breath, running her hand through her frizzy blond hair. "Maybe it was a spelling mistake?"

"Not a very good one then, I imagine a lot of people are gonna be upset." Nicholas pulled his ticket out of his backpack, looking up to check on Jake- "Jake!"

Mel turned her attention to her son, who'd somehow was missing half his body as though he'd melted into the wall. The toddler looked up in surprise to find both Mel and Nicholas running for him, giggling as he ran back further into the wall. Mel shouted in anguish, and picked up the little boy.

"You! Are never leaving my sight again! Forget freedom I'm gonna buy you one of those Toddler leashes!-" Mel stopped shouting for a moment to realise that they were no longer standing on the same platform as before.

"It was magic!" Nicholas beamed up at her, his eyes shining with delight at the bright red steam train before them. He looked up to find the number platform 9 and three quarters right there.

"Oh shit." Mel grinned "Well this is it then isn't it?" Nicholas could tell that despite her tough facade that she'd put on today, his older sister was going to start crying anytime soon.

"God Mel, you make it sound like I'm dying." Nicholas looked around him at all the bustling families trying to get their children on the train. He'd seen a family a few ways away, all with bright red hair and matching pale complexions. Suddenly feeling insecure he tucked his hair behind his ear, realising that Mel and Jake were looking at him.

"You'll be fine." She reassured him. Nicholas tried to smile "You've got a brilliant mind on top of those shoulders, not like your idiot sister."

"Mel, you've got a degree. You're not an idiot." Nicholas wiped at his nose with his sleeve, ignoring Mel waving away his comment.

"Shush, I'm giving you a talk. Look at me- right. No girls. I don't want to get any letters about a girl leaving hogwarts pregnant because of you." Melissa said sternly, Nicholas could feel his cheeks turning pink.

"I'm eleven! Not 18 Mel!" He all but shouted.

"And no drugs! Nicholas Sirius Drake, I swear on mum's grave if you so much as touch one of those marijuana things-"

"I'm pretty sure they have a proper name sis." Nicholas blanched as she used his full name.

"I will never let you come into the house again. Got it? I've had a lot of run in's at the hospital with people who've done drugs and it's proper messed with their heads!" Melissa continued to berate him as Nicholas just nodded along, shaking his head in disbelief "Do your homework! Don't get distracted."

"Did you forget all the good reports I'd gotten last year? Of all things you're worried about my grades?" Nicholas barked out a laugh. Melissa cracked a smile before pulling him into a hug.

"I'll be fine Mel." Nicholas could suddenly feel his eyes starting to prickle and his nose sniffling as he hugged his sister tight around the waist. He breathed in her scent as though wishing he could take it with her to Hogwarts, the comforting smell of the strawberry shampoo she used and lavender fabric softener willing him to calm down. He tried to ignore the panic in his chest, realising that this was going to be the last time he'd see his sister and nephew for a whole year again. He could feel Mel press her lips on the top of his head, before ruffling his hair.

"I know. Just feels like this is that point where you're growing up y'know? Like as if I'm gonna get a letter in a week asking me about puberty and hair growing in weird places and-"

"Mel!" Nicholas hissed, his eyes wide as a bunch of boys his age walked past "You're embarassing me!" Melissa started laughing out loud at the expression on his face.

Nicholas pulled away, grabbing Jake off the floor and hugging him as tight.

"Be good for your mum alright pal?" Nicholas planted kisses all over Jake's face, despite the toddler's protests "Make sure you remind her to relax every once in a while, and I'm expecting weekly progress reports on your art career Jake." He looked over at Mel, a serious look on his face "This Toddler is gonna be our goldmine in a year's time, I'm telling ya."

"I'll write to you guys every day." Nicholas promised, handing Jake back to his sister.

"Just make sure you look after yourself alright dork?" She sniffed, her eyes wet "Work hard, don't get into trouble." she said walking alongside Nicholas as he pushed his trolley towards the train. She kept glancing at the clock, worried that Nicholas wasn't going to get on in time as he struggled to push the heavy weight.

"Me? Trouble? Melissa who do you think I am?!" Nicholas grunted, pulling the trolley to a stop next to one of the train doors "I am the epitome of goodness, it's almost as if I was modelled after Toddler Jesus. That's how good I am."

"I'll believe it when I see it." Melissa watched as Nicholas started hauling his trunk and owl onto the train. He stepped onto the train, leaning out to plant a kiss on Mel's and Jake's cheeks. "I love you dork!" She pulled up Jake's hand, waving it goodbye at his uncle.

"Love you too mel! Love you Jakey!" He was still waving as the train started to move, watching Mel wave him goodbye along with Jake. He refused to find a compartment until their figures disappeared from sight.