AN: Sorry about the Delay but I tried to find a beta twice through a beta service and I did not receive a response from either of them, as well as school and many other distractions such as work and friends. So I am back, but the new semester just started and I'm still sounding it out for workload, so it might be a while until my next update. I also posted it without editing it thoroughly, so please excuse any horrendous grammar mistakes. But on the plus side I made this chapter a little bit longer to make up for it. Enjoy!
November 2nd, 1981
After Kreacher was successfully dealt with, and the wards were readjusted to disallow the elf's entrance and after Dobby had successfully changed the boys diapers, Sirius and Remus decided to lay some plans for the future - the not-too-distant future at least.
They decided to go to Diagon Alley the next morning to get some essentials for daily life such as a non-conjured crib, which would not disappear after a certain number of hours. A conjured crib would last for the night and into the next day before disappearing, so they were covered for now. Also when they were at the alley they would need to pick up some potions and some nappies.
Dobby brought the boys down the stairs by levitating them with his own brand of magic. The boys were ecstatic, they loved being in the air, a point to which Sirius commented, "They're both born to fly! I can't wait to get them on brooms!"
Remus laughed and replied, "It'll be a few years before you can think about that Padfoot." When Remus said "Padfoot," Harry shouted "PAH FOO!" at the top of his little lungs, which in turn caused Draco to giggle and then burp.
"Well I see you're already having an effect on Draco, he's acting just like you!" said Moony through laughs.
"Just wait a few years and you'll be pranked out of your mind. I can see it now! The worlds first pink tutu wearing werewolf, you'll be a hit EVERY full moon!" said Padfoot with a devious smile and glint in his eye.
Remus' eyes widened and he suppressed a whimper and said very quickly, "Look at the time! If you don't want the kids to be crotchety when we go to Diagon Alley tomorrow you should put them to bed, so I'll be off, have a great night."
With that Remus walked over to the babies, who were still floating, and said "See you in the morning," and he kissed both Harry and Draco on the forehead, then left without another word.
Sirius sighed, and walked over to the two boys and said to Dobby, "Let's take them upstairs and tuck them in. They can stay in the conjured crib in the master bedroom, so I can be near if they need me."
Dobby was more then happy to oblige and almost before Sirius had stopped talking, the two babies began to float upstairs again. Sirius then made a mental note to buy a crib when in Diagon Alley tomorrow, because it was a real pain to re-conjure it every so often. (This is a prime reason not to use a conjured diaper for any period of time; it can become quite messy!)
Sirius closed his eyes for a moment, then decided to take a page out of the children's book and go to bed. 'All in all,' Sirius thought while making his way to his bedroom, 'it's been a good day.'
November 3rd, 1981, just after midnight
Sirius drifted off to sleep only to awaken a few hours later by screams from at first Harry, and then from Draco as well. Harry's consisted of, "MAMA! MAMA!" while Draco was just screaming at the top of his lungs. Sirius jumped up and ran over to the crib. He picked Harry up and tried to calm him, it worked partially, but with Draco still crying Harry just would not stop. So Sirius picked up Draco as well and began to try to calm them both. They both were almost asleep again, when Dobby popped into the room and said, "Is Master Sirius needing anything from Dobby sir?" Whether it was the pop or the question, Sirius didn't know, all he did know was that he jumped out of his skin, and this caused the babies to cry once more. He again began to soothe them.
"Thanks Dobby, I do have a quick question. Can you change their diapers when they are sleeping?"
"Oh, Yes Master Sirius, House Elf switching spells are much less volatile then a wizards."
"Have you changed the diapers at all tonight? Because they feel dry."
"Yes, Master Sirius, once for Master Harry and twice for Master Draco. Dobby has also fed the masters so you is not waking up."
"Well, good. Thanks Dobby, keep up the good work." As the elf beamed he popped away again. Sirius then began to murmur to himself, "If I had known parenting was this easy, I would have tried it years ago!"
Once the boys began to drift off to sleep once more, Sirius went back to bed..
November 3rd, 1981, 8:47 AM
The boys were dressed and ready to go…in a sense. Harry had the same outfit that he had worn (to don something means to put it on, and I don't think Harry's dressing himself yet) yesterday, due to the fact that most of his clothes had been destroyed at Godric's Hollow. Draco, on the other hand had the clothes from his old home - so many in fact that Draco's wardrobe put Sirius' to shame.
Sirius walked to the kitchen with the babies to find Remus reading the Daily Prophet,which happened to have a picture of someone familiar on the front page, and Sirius grunted a welcome.
"Still not a morning person I see. Ready to go?"
"Once the boys and I get breakfast, Moony. Would you care for anything?"
"No thank you, I had some at home." Sirius nodded, and called for Dobby.
"What can Dobby do for master?"
Sirius asked for breakfast and while he waited, he and Remus engaged in small talk. After a while Remus asked, "How are we getting to Diagon Alley? Floo is too risky with such young children, because they could shout out anything and end up anywhere, right out of your arms even. Your motorcycle wont seat four and –"
He was cut off by Sirius who said, "Remus my friend, you are talking to someone who has a plan. Quite a brilliant one if you ask me."
Remus blinked and waited for Sirius to explain. When he figured that Sirius wasn't going to tell him unless he asked, he did so. Sirius's replay was one word and a brochure. "This." He handed it over to Remus who examined it.
"A map…of the underground? Sirius do you even know where we are on this map?"
"Of course I do! We're right above that smudge a few inches north of the river. The most convenient stop is the Burnt Oak on that black line, and we stay on it to Charing Cross, near the Leaky Cauldron. It's the little black line that goes up and down," Sirius explained.
"Ok Padfoot, I'll trust you, but just this once."
They finished breakfast and proceeded to walk the short distance to the subway terminal. They got on the train with almost no trouble. Sirius tried to have the teller break a 100 pound note, but she flat out refused and instead he paid with a 20.
They arrived at Charing Cross Road and then walked a bit until Sirius realized they were going the wrong way, so they turned around.
On the way, Remus broached the subject of Lily and James, and how he missed them. But Remus was put off the subject by Sirius' very pained face and of him saying that he didn't want to talk about it, but he didn't fail to mention how guilty he felt.
Remus closed his eyes, tears barely held back, and nodded. They walked the rest of the way in tense silence.
Right before they walked into the leaky cauldron Remus stopped Sirius and said, "I have a feeling I am forgetting something. Ah well, I'll remember it eventually, I'm sure."
As the quartet entered the Leaky Cauldron all noise ceased; not a sound was heard, and every eye was upon them. After a few seconds of this Sirius discretely drew his wand and prepared for a strategic retreat, when Tom, the innkeeper, began to clap and soon the whole pub joined in.
When the applause died down Sirius asked, "Not that I don't appreciate that heartwarming ovation, but why the bloody hell are you clapping for us?"
"We're nay clapping fer ya Black, we're clapping fer litel 'arry Potta!" exclaimed one patron.
Dramatically Sirius said, "Oh, my bruised ego!" causing a great tumult of laughter all around. "Seriously though, how did you know I had Harry Potter? It was supposed to be rather hush hush."
Another round of laughter and many patrons held up copies of the morning's Daily Prophet, with Sirius' picture with a headline of Black to Raise Light's Savior!
"Let me see that!" Sirius commanded as he grabbed a paper.
The article read:
Black to Raise Light's Savior!
By Rita Skeeter
Sirius Black, 21, heir of the House of Black, recently took charge of his godson, Harry Potter, said one ministry official in an off the record interview. There was no comment on where The Boy Who Lived would be growing up, but in all likelihood it will be the Black ancestral manor, somewhere unplottable in the greater London area.
Sirius Black, vaunted War Hero and extremely eligible bachelor, was heard saying that he was going to raise his best friend's son how he sees fit, and no one will dictate how he was going to do it.
This reporter is pleased that the vanquisher of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will be raised in our world by such a man, when rumors were spreading that Potter may have been raised by his Muggle relations.
Everyone here at the Daily Prophet wishes him luck and hopes that Sirius Black will be a good father to the Boy Who Lived.
"Well," said Sirius, "There goes the neighborhood. Lets get shopping, Remus."
Remus smirked and responded, "I knew I was forgetting something..."
Sirius' response was a growl and a promise for revenge.
The two men and two babies entered the Alley and went to Gringotts first to get out a sizeable amount of money. Sirius had left both boys with Remus in the lobby and a strange thing occurred when the goblin asked Sirius which vault he wished to withdraw from. Sirius looked at the goblin funny and asked which vaults he had access to. That question was answered as follows:
1. Vault of Sirius Orion Black
2. 4 Vaults of the Black Family
3. Vault of trust fund of Harry James Potter
4. 2 Vaults of the Potter Family
5. Vault of trust fund of Draco Lucius Malfoy
6. 11 Vaults of the Malfoy Family
When the goblin was finished, Sirius' jaw hit the floor, and after a moment of gaping he chose his personal vault. He extracted a sizeable amount of Galleons, and returned to the surface.
Then the party went straight to Boudicca's Baby Boutique for a few essentials. The first order of business was nappies. The reason this was so important was that Harry had just soiled his, so they settled on the new self-cleaning nappies, which lasted for 24 hours before the charm stopped working. Once the immediate problem was taken care of Sirius and Remus began to look all about.
Both stopped to look at the mahogany magical crib for two, which had a very useful charm for alerting the parent when he or she was needed. A young saleswoman explained that the surge doesn't hurt, it just felt like a nice vibration. She went on to say that the charm could be placed anywhere on the body, and she winked when she said she knew all the best spots.
Sirius' eyes widened and Remus choked back a laugh as Sirius said that his arm would be the best place for the charm. The clerk looked a little put out as she told him to roll up his shirts sleeve, then she cast the charm.
Next they got a pushchair for two, with a braking charm, so if it was let go of on a hill it would not fall down, but wait until the pushers hands were on the bar again. It also had a little cover that could be easily charmed to keep hot or cool air in, while looking exactly like a muggle pram.
The store had many wonderful gadgets but the most interesting by far was the Broom safety seat. This could be clamped magically onto any travel broom to keep the babies on without the loss of the use of any hands. Remus scoffed at these, but when his back was turned, Sirius put one with their purchases with a gleeful smile on his face.
Then he set aside a baby bath that would always keep the water the perfect temperature for the children in it, and keep the soap at a good consistency. This hopefully would make bath time easier for all parties concerned. While looking at the baths, they saw self-cleaning potty training toilets, and picked out one of those as well.
The next section that they shopped in at Boudicca's was the food section. They bought baby food and milk, both of which contained nourishment-balancing potions to make sure that the children always had the perfect amount of vitamins and nutrients. While in that section, they also bought the proper feeding equipment, such as bottles and spoons. From the food section, Sirius made a beeline to a flashing display with the words, 'Does your child love flying? Buy the Air Leash!'
This turned out to be a brand new product that was basically an enchantment for a piece of jewelry that allowed the child float about the person that the enchantment was attuned to. There were several safeties that prevented the child from going too fast or bumping into people or walls. Another feature was that the child could not go more then five meters from the enchanted, and at any time the jewelry wearer could reel in the 'leash.' The sign also said that the product was the culmination of some very important work deep inside the Department of Mysteries ('but we didn't tell you that!')
After purchasing all of these, plus some toys, a changing table as well as five full outfits for Harry, the grown ups went to pay. Remus offered to pay for all of it, as a gift to Sirius and the kids, and Sirius nodded and said, "Feel free mate!" Padfoot tried to hide his smile, but unfortunately for Remus, Sirius had decided to purchase several very expensive products.
Needless to say Moony's offer to pay for everything was quickly rescinded, and he even put up with Sirius' rancorous laughter when he saw the total was well over 2000 galleons.
"What in Merlin's name did you buy that cost that much?"
"Oh, this and that, only the best for my boys, and let me tell you right now, if this is not the best and I just spent almost 3000 galleons, I am going to flip."
"Well then, for the boy's sakes I hope it is the best too."
And with that they brought all of the new purchases home and set them up. By the time they were done, it was everyone's bedtime.
AN: Burnt Oak and Charing Cross are both actual stops on the London Underground, (the map was hard to read, so if I mistook one please correct me,) and correlate to the approximate locations of Grimmauld Place and The Leaky Cauldron, via the map on the HP Lexicon of Wizarding London. Both are stops on the same line, the northern line, and that's one reason why I choose them both, switching trains is always strange especially with a system as complex as London's, I mean there are a dozen different lines that swivel around all of London. START RANT That scar on Dumbledore's knee must be pretty elaborate, and most likely no longer accurate due to the amount of construction done on the Underground in recent times. Also how is that useful for him? I mean is he going to stop in the middle of a crowded terminal and pull his pants (or robes) up and stare down at his scar? Well ok, knowing Dumbledore perhaps, but not bloody likely. END RANT
Review Responses: Thank You to Ashley; Kyra2; HP's Twin; ERMonkey, Burner of Cookies; and Alligator355. I'm Glad most of you liked Kreature's fate.
Slashy Goodness – I have nothing against slash, I read it occasionally, but Harry and Draco will be more brotherly love then any other kind. I don't plan on having any romance for Sirius and Remus, and I'm not a big fan of that pairing. Thanks for the thoughts though!
Angelfirenze – I'm not going to Hogwarts quite yet, but they will start training in a few chapters and so that should hold you over. All of the main characters from the books will be in it, but the friendships will change. Also rest assured Harry and Draco will be in the same house. Thanks!
Brennend – Good point about the grief, but I just think it hasn't set in yet, its only been 3 days since it happened, its still a fresh wound, but you are right, so I added the scene about it. I did mention the Tonks' in the chapter where they are discussing where Draco should go. Since the Lestranges were trying to get custody of a pureblood they would have a better chance then A. Tonks because she was disowned and disinherited for marring Ted. You make some very good points but Sirius is, for the first time in his life serious about something. Life was a game before the Potters were killed, now its not. He is going to be fair to both of the children because of his own childhood, and how Regulus was the favored by his own parents. Right now Sirius needs some serious stability in his life and he is going to do his best to get it. Thanks for reviewing!
RiverView – Thanks for your very kind review after I read it I stopped studying for finals and worked on the chapter a bit more. But then I had to stop and go back to studying for finals . But your review was an inspiration, and thanks.
Thomas-Michael – Thanks again for the email and I'm glad you read it and enjoyed it, I've been working on this chapter here and there for a while, and I hope you enjoy it. Thanks also for being my beta reader. (Ha! I snuck this one in...) Also a little advertisement here, Thomas-Michael is writing a very well written and enjoyable AU tale after POA where Harry and Draco become friends. Its story ID is: 2082954 and called Harry Potter and the Tears of the Dragon. You really should read it!
1/20/05