AN: Spin-off of Book 2: New Beginnings.
Takes place immediately after Book 1: Reveal Your Secrets.
Meant to be read alongside Book 2.

Disclaimer: I own nothing other than my original characters and anything you might not recognize.
Harry Potter and everything that pertains to it belongs to J. K. Rowling.
A mixture of the books and movies will be included in this story.

No copyright infringement intended.

She'd been alone for so long that she'd forgotten how nice it was to have the company of another. Sure, there were the house elves, along with the many creatures that resided on the island, but it wasn't the same. To have a conversation with them would be one sided, and it wouldn't possess that certain spark there was between two beings of the same intellect. Of course, Seraphina wasn't saying that her animals or house elves weren't intelligent, they were, but they were not friends. Her house elves were workers that refused to do anything that wasn't related to making her life agreeable, and her animals couldn't talk back.

However, Sirius Black… where to begin with him? She'd been surprised upon seeing him in person. Those wanted posters she'd seen of him did the man no justice. She'd expected to come face to face with a dark looking man who had been roughened by Azkaban, but no. What she met was a kindhearted man with a warm smile and a tired face, in need of a bath and a haircut, and a bit of food.

He was upstairs now, taking a shower and sorting himself out, and Seraphina was down in the kitchen, sitting on the granite countertop and watching her house elves flitter about the room. They were preparing a great feast, for the arrival of another resident was something to celebrate, and Mitzy had even asked their guest what he'd want there to be on the menu—which was why at the moment, two elves were wrestling with a hulking turkey that did not want to be turned into a roast.

"Are you sure he said he wanted a turkey?" asked Seraphina, laughing at the sight of her house elves. They'd decided to climb upon the back of the turkey to try and tame it, but it only resulted in the turkey taking off through the kitchen, the two house elves clinging onto its back for their lives.

"Yes my Mistress," said Mitzy with a grin, "I's wrote it down too, I did! Mr. Sirius Black be wanting a turkey, stuffed, with potatoes."

"The whole shebang, huh," mumbled Seraphina pensively, the smile lingering on her lips as she hopped down from the counter. "Can't blame the man, I suppose. If I hadn't had a decent meal in years I'd want a shitload of food, too. Anyways, I've got a couple of letters to send, so if anyone needs me, I'll be in the owlery—and why do we call that place an owlery anyways, there are only like, three owls in there…"

Sirius had forgotten how good warm water could feel against his skin; the simplicity of a bath, of a sponge, of soap, became a novelty for him. It had been so long since he'd taken a decent bath, and he was reluctant to leave the claw-footed bathtub, but the water wasn't clean anymore, and the mere sight of all the dirt and grime that he'd managed to scrub off himself made him cringe in disgust. Slowly he stood up, savoring the feel of the warm liquid running down his skin. It had been heaven spending two hours in the bathtub, simply relaxing and letting his sore muscles loosen, but it was time to get shit done.

A set of clean robes were waiting for him, set out by one of the house elves. They were nothing fancy, just simple cotton fabric that fit him loosely, but smelled clean and were soft. They were a much-appreciated change from his prison robes, which were made of a canvas-like material… and were now resting in the trash bin in ashes. Sirius didn't want anything to remind him of… that place while he was on this island, so in a spontaneous burst of wandless magic, he'd set his old robes aflame once he'd taken them off.

He towel-dried slowly, being careful of all the nicks and bruises his skin bore. He was sure that he had a fractured rib too; from when Mooney had thrown him in the air, some days ago on the full moon. Adrenaline had kept the pain at bay until now. The bath had thawed him out, and he was left with a near boneless feeling that made him hyperaware of all the spots on his body that needed a healing touch.

Sirius donned his robes, and smiled to himself as he looked in the mirror. Either Seraphina had a thing for the color white, or she was just fucking with him. His robes consisted of a pair of drawstring pants, and a loose v-neck shirt with long, billowing sleeves. All he needed was a pair of sandals and he was set.

He stared at himself in the mirror, examining his facial features, taking notice of just how very old he looked. He wasn't even in his mid-thirties and already he looked like he could be in his fifties. Oh, Azkaban had been a cruel place that had robbed him of his youth, but he was back now, and the old Sirius was still there, somewhere.

"This might be a problem," he mumbled as he scrutinized his damp hair. It was without tangles now, thanks to the detangling-shampoo courtesy of the house elves, and now it hung in loose curls down to a little past his elbows, soft and shinny and smelling of coconuts and some other fruity monstrosity he didn't even want to know about. "I look like a fucking girl, oh Merlin."

There was nothing he could do, though. He did not own a wand, nor knew where the nearest pair of scissors was. All he could do was brush down his hair and tuck it behind his ears; he'd ask Seraphina if she could do something about it later, but seeing as how short her hair was, it left Sirius with a little seed of doubt. He couldn't judge her too soon, though. Maybe she just kept her hair short because it was the latest fad, or whatever.

Walking out of the bathroom, Sirius stepped into the adjourning bedroom. This was to be his room, and it was just across the hall from Seraphina's room. It was very spacious, with matching wooden furniture painted in white, and various windows that started at the floor and went up to the high ceiling—the whole manor seemed to have windows in that fashion, it seemed, which let a lot of light into the place, brightening it up nicely, making the hardwood floors sparkle. Seeing how it was late in the afternoon, though, the room was glowing with various splashes of oranges and pinks and purples and blues, all colors of the setting sun. One of the windows was open, and through it came a salty warm breeze, the smell of the sea, which made Sirius smile. Azkaban was on an island as well, surrounded by crashing waves and a year-round hurricane that made everything dark and dreary, but this… this was different. He could hear the waves crashing in the distance, but they were calm, like a softly sung lullaby.

Seeing the large, four-poster bed made a yawn escape Sirius, but as much as he wanted to dive into the soft, goose feather pillows and silken sheets, curiosity made him walk out of the room. Seraphina hadn't given him a proper tour of the place upon ushering him into the manor through the backdoor, and he hadn't minded at the time. He'd been more focused on a shower and getting clean, but now he walked leisurely, retracing his steps and observing all the sights that met his eyes.

The manor had a certain charm about it, making it warm and cozy despite its large size. Everything was very clean and tidy, with portraits of landscapes adorning the walls, and crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings. There were also plants—lots and lots of plants, from simple ferns hanging down from the ceilings, to potted flowers serving as centerpieces on the occasional little table placed out in the corridors.

Sirius walked past many bedrooms and sitting rooms, dens and offices, and even a library that had large bay windows that overlooked the ocean, and walls filled up to the brim with old tomes. There was even a music room, filled with various instruments that were just calling out to him, begging him to play them. He made a mental note about that, promising himself that once talking to Seraphina about it, he'd spend a couple of hours in, familiarizing himself with a guitar.

Soon enough he was down in the kitchen, where he nearly toppled over a turkey being ridden by house elves. He was stunned at first, but then a loud, bark-like laugh left him wheezing, tears slipping out of the corners of his eyes. The scene was just too hilarious to not laugh at.

"Aye, where's your Missus?" he called out to the elves in general, a hand on his side. Laughing so hard had felt good, but there was that bothersome twinge of pain, reminding him of his injuries.

A little elf in a blue tea towel walked up to him, and Sirius quickly took note of how the female elves were dressed in pink, while the males donned blue.

"My Mistress be in the owlery," the elf explained, playing with the seashell pendent around its neck. That was another thing Sirius took note of—all the elves were wearing seashell pendants, and judging by the "K" carved into the shell, he supposed that this elf's name began with a "K".

"The owlery," Sirius mused, and then remembered the other buildings on the property aside from the manor itself. "It is east of here, yeah?"

The elf nodded.

"Would Mr. Sirius Black like an escort?"

Sirius shook his head, saying, "I can get there by myself."

"We should call this place the birdhouse," Seraphina told the toucan resting on her shoulder, standing in the "owlery."

The owlery—or the birdhouse, as she'd now dubbed it, looked very similar to a large greenhouse. The building was made entirely of glass, with a retractable roof that was always kept partially open to allow the winged-delivery access. There were trees inside as well, but only those vital to the birds' health, because the idea of keeping her wing-pets in little niches along the walls did not sound appealing to Seraphina.

Brightly colored macaws called the birdhouse their home, along with toucans, hornbills, harpy eagles, and the only owls Seraphina owned; a family of three spectacled owls. They were all tropical birds, and kept for delivery purposes, but there were also the oddities that Seraphina kept around just because, like lorikeets, malachite kingfishers, and the very mean looking pair of double wattled cassowaries that came and went as they pleased via a special door made for them in the back of the birdhouse.

Foxy was the only flying creature that did not call the birdhouse his home—his place was on a perch in Seraphina's bedroom, where he'd spend his days hanging upside down when he didn't feel like going out into the rainforest.

A knock startled Seraphina, and she turned quickly, seeing Sirius Black leaning against the opened doorframe. He was looking about the room in awe, his silvery eyes darting from one tree to another, spotting all the very exotic birds that were staring him down from their homes amongst the trees. He looked good, Seraphina had to admit. He was nice and clean and no longer smelled like a wet dog, but his hair…

"Shit, your hair!" she couldn't help but to blurt out, laughing loudly, startling the toucan on her shoulder, who then nibbled on her earring as if to calm her down. "Fuck—you're gorgeous, mate; ready for the runway, I'd reckon!"

Sirius was not impressed by her teasing, but he had to admit, his hair did look pretty ridiculous.

"Think you can help me chop a few inches off?"he asked, picking up a lock of hair and then letting it fall back on his shoulder.

"A few inches? More like a few feet," Seraphina chuckled, but nodded her head nonetheless, "just let me finish here. I've gotta send a few letters and then I'll handle that mane of yours."

Sirius shook his head, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. A small smile graced his lips as he watched Seraphina talk quietly with the toucan on her shoulder, giving it directions on where to go and who to deliver the letter too. It was fascinating to watch how well Seraphina could communicate with her animals, and it was just one more thing that Sirius found himself liking about her.

"And remember," Seraphina called out to the toucan, who was already darting out of the greenhouse with a letter clamped in its large beak, "give it to aunt Sophie, not uncle Eli!"

With a satisfied nod, Seraphina then stuck her arm out, and with a whistle, called down a scarlet macaw that took perch on her extended limb. "Alright lovely, you'll be sending Izzy two things—I recon you'll get there in a few days, so nothing to worry about. Izzy will most likely keep you until she replies back, so stay a while."

Two letters were handed to the macaw, one for Isabella and one for Albus, both containing a similar message: that Sirius had arrived and that he was safe, and that should there be a change in plans, that she be contacted by Floo immediately. Of course, the letter for Isabella contained a more personal touch with a few random tidbits, while the letter that Isabella was supposed to pass on to Albus contained a more professional feel to it.

"Make sure Sev doesn't get those letters," she called out again, watching the macaw make its exit.

Sirius chuckled. "I take it you and Snape aren't friendly?"

Seraphina crinkled her nose. "Hell no. He's my cousin and I'm obligated to love him because he's family and all that bullshit, but personally, I can't stand the guy."

"We have something in common," Sirius grinned.

"Oh, I know," Seraphina smiled, giving him a knowing look, "Izzy would send me letters while you lot went to school together. You and your friends gave him hell—nice job."

Sirius laughed and shook his head. This woman was just full of surprises.

"Alright, let's see about giving you some semblance of being a man," Seraphina said with a teasing grin, gesturing to Sirius' hair. "I can do this one of two ways—magic, or muggle. Take your pick."

"Magic; it'll be faster."

"You like it fast, eh?" Seraphina said with a mischievous grin, a dangerous twinkle in her sea-green eyes.

Sirius' eyebrows nearly hit his hairline. He could feel his cheeks heating up; was Seraphina actually flirting with him, or were his ears filled with water?

"Personally," Seraphina drawled out, taking out her wand from the pocket of her skirt, "I'd go for the muggle way. It's more… slower, intimate, and you can just get your hands all up in there, which I'm pretty sure would feel very nice."

Sirius's eyes widened, and Seraphina burst out laughing.

"Fuck, I'm hilarious," she giggled, before muttering a spell and directing it towards Sirius' head. His hair was quickly sheared off, the access disappearing magically, and it now rested around his shoulders, as it used to when he was a teenager.

"Uh, thanks," Sirius said awkwardly, running a hand through his freshly cut hair.

"Anytime," Seraphina smirked, sending him a wink as she walked past him.

When he was sure that Seraphina was a well enough distance away from him to not hear him, Sirius let out a long breath, and muttered, "Shit. She's just like me. This could be very good, or very… bad."

Shit, please make it very good!