5/15/2016 There's a major rewrite planned for Freckled Promise and so chapter 3 - 11 have been taken down. If you've been following Freckled Promise (thank you!) keep an eye open for new updates on this story. If you're new, I hope you will enjoy the first two chapters and I will shut up now and let you get to it. ;) Cheers, Citty

Chapter 1: Coming Home

It all began just before she turned seventeen.

She, that is Sophia Juliet Elizabeth Black, had spent her entire life looking after her little brother, Dustin James Black.

Their life had been difficult in good times. Thrown from one foster home to another they had travelled through Australia for almost five years.

And now life as they knew it came to an end.

"Flight EK 934 to London Heathrow is now ready for boarding. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Thank you."

"Well, come on then."

Three months ago a man had shown up on the doorstep to their latest foster family, a man who had been thrown into prison for murder almost ten years ago. It was on that warm day at the beginning of autumn, under a sky that had just cleared from rain that they had reunited with their long-lost father.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please direct your attention to your flight attendant as we review the safety demonstration."

"Muggles are so funny."

Sophie turned her head away from the window and smiled at her brother.

She knew he was excited; he had never been hard to read. The way he sat at the edge of his seat, brown eyes focused on the flight attendant in the front, and teeth biting his cheek, one could have thought he was watching a Quidditch Final. Of course, she also knew that it wasn't the admittedly good looking flight attendant that had him sit on the edge of his seat, rather the perspective that from now on they would live with their dad.

And he was thrilled that after this summer, he would be starting school.

When their dad had last visited them, he had brought Dustin's letter from the famous Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry with him, the very same school that their parents had attended. Starting the first of September, Dustin, as he turned eleven in ten days, would be in first-year, and Sophie, who didn't bother to recall how many times she had changed schools already, in sixth.

And so the two sibling were, after almost five years, returning home to London and to their dad.

The plane accelerated down the runway and with roaring engines took off towards the sky.

Something rustled beside her, as Dustin wrestled a cookie out of the bag in his lap.

"Want one?"

She shook her head and looked out of the window. Soon clouds obscured the houses and trees. As the broken air conditioner buzzed on over her head, she wondered with a distant gaze what life held in store for them.

She thought of her dad. The word still sounded weird in her ears. It had been a long time.

It was odd that all they wished for should just simply come true.

She watched as another night fell over the world. Her eyes remained glued to the window and her reflection stared back at her as she combed fingers through her long hair. After travelling around half the globe she could use a shower. Sophie supressed a sigh when her eyes focused on the world outside again. It was getting darker by the second.

All that they'd been told sounded promising, but she knew life wasn't that simple.

"You look funny."

She turned and found her brother staring at her.

"I was just thinking."

"About what?" Another cookie found its way into his mouth.

"About London and what's coming next," she said running a hand over her tired eyes.

He paused his chewing. "Do you think people are nice in England?"

Sophie smiled. "Course they are, to you anyway."

She rumpled up his hair. Dustin was liked by anyone who got to know him, although his tendency to be an open book had her more than once concerned that his trusting nature would end up getting him harmed.

"What do you think it will be like, living with dad?" he asked and she saw a quick flash of worry pass in his eyes.

"Different, I suppose," she said with a shrug and a smile.

Dustin nodded. "That's good."

Sophie leaned her head back. They were on their second plane ride to travel the world and she was tired. Not only physically, but emotionally, too. It would be nice if life was fair for once, she thought, as she closed her eyes.

"You should sleep, too, you know," was the last thing she said before falling asleep to the sound of the plane's machines, passengers talking, and the rustling of her brother's cookie bag.

"Stop fidgeting," she said impatiently.

"But, we're almost there!" His brown eyes were wide with excitement. "Sophie, we're almost there." He grabbed her arm and shook it vigorously.

"I heard you." She chuckled, shaking her head.

Dustin had been beyond excited since she woke up. On the little monitor over their heads they could see that they were approaching their final destination.

"What if he forgot that we're coming?" Her ten year old brother asked her.

"He only has two kids he hasn't seen in ages, so I think that's unlikely."

"What if he has a mean cat?"

"We'll get a dog."

"What if we don't like it there? What if he lives in a cave?"

"Dustin." Sophie rolled her eyes.

"What if we crash?"

She sighed. "Then, at least, I will be rid of your chatter."

He punched her shoulder and she slapped his hand. Grinning, her brother leaned back in his seat.

For about eight seconds.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts as we start our descent," a woman's voice said over the speaker, and he began jumping up and down again. A lady across the aisle shot them a disapproving look. Sophie turned away and smiled. She watched from the window as the plane left the clouds behind and set for earth instead.

Not long after they were fighting their way through the airport.

"Alright, we're supposed to take the Knight Bus. Let's get out of here and find somewhere less crowded," she said to Dustin, who was running behind her as she navigated their trolley through the crowded terminal.

"I don't know how you know where we're going. I think everything looks the same," Dustin said, avoiding collision with a business Muggle at the last second. "Oh sorry."

"I don't," Sophie said, checking the signs overhead. She turned to him and grinned, "I just rely on you not noticing that we're walking in circles."

He chuckled, but sure enough fresh air hit their faces moments later when they stepped out of the revolving entrance doors. The sun twinkled down on them. London greeted them with the nicest weather.

"Alright, this way." She led him to a side street and pulled her wand out of her cardigan.

"Knight Bus," she said and directed it to the sky.

"How long do you figure we have to wait?"

Instead of answering, however, she grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him off the street, as a violet triple-decker bus appeared with a loud bang out of thin air and stopped where her brother had stood milliseconds ago.

"Bloody-!" Dustin stared at the monstrous bus wide-eyed.

"No cursing," Sophie said as the doors to the bus slid open and a pimpled boy with dirty-blonde hair wearing a midnight-blue uniform appeared.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, rescue to all stranded witches and wizards. My name is Stan Shunpike and – well, hello."

He spotted Sophie and a slight blush appeared on his cheeks.

Dustin rolled his eyes. Recovered from almost getting run over he stepped forward and said, "We need to get to Terrasol Hillside 1."

"Of course you do!" Stan said. "But first may I ask your names?" He winked.

Dustin chuckled. "Well I am Dustin and that's my sister Sophie."

"Excellent."

Dustin exchanged a look with Sophie, who just shrugged.

"Well, Master Dustin, on you hop. My Lady."

Stan jumped out the doors and bowed. When they reached for their luggage he looked up and shook his head.

"No, no. You go on, I'll bring it in for you."

Then he bowed again and waited until they were in the bus, before fetching their belongings.

They passed the driver, an old shrunken man wearing magnifying glasses, who could barely see over the steering wheel.

"Drop it, Stan," they heard him grumble when they sat down and sank into worn armchairs in the middle of the bus.

Apart from them, there was just one man sitting in the back of the ground floor. He had a large black beard and was somewhat dwarf-like looking.

Stan had brought in their bags and asked if they wanted anything to drink; this time, he didn't bow, but rather took off an imaginary hat. They politely refused and he went to stand besides their driver Ernie in the front.

"Is it me or is he nuts?" Dustin whispered.

"Well, he certainly is different," Sophie said, amused.

"If everyone here is so weird, it's going to be fun."

"Or hell."

They smirked, but only for a second and a half, because the bus started back up with a jolt.

Sophie's eyes widened as Ernie's driving skills sent their armchairs sliding and their luggage flying, and she gripped her chair so hard her knuckles turned white. At the next turn Dustin's chair slid past hers and he sat on it, arms stretched out as if riding a surfboard, with a big grin on his face.

A quick peek out of the window showed them that they were no longer anywhere near the airport, and that street lamps and signposts jumped out of the bus' way.

Holding onto her chair for dear life while it completed a ninety degrees turn, her eyes fell onto the man in the back. He hugged a wall lamp like a monkey as if it was the most natural thing to do. Sophie wondered if he was mad or a genius for having found a safe way to travel with this death on wheels.

Rides with the Knight Bus were two things: unpleasant and short. Only a couple of minutes later they stopped in an area surrounded by meadows, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and Stan brought out their luggage.

Sophie stumbled out behind him slightly green, and happy to put as much distance between her and the ride of hell. Dustin on the contrary, followed her not. He bounced with delight up to the driver Ernie and began showering him with questions.

"So why don't Muggles see you?"

Sophie watched as Ernie turned his head towards her brother. His overly big glasses sat on his nose, and she could almost see the veins in his eyes from several feet away.

"Muggles are blind, Master Dustin," Stan answered instead. "Don' see anything, do they?"

"So if you can jump from one place to another, why do you have to drive at all? Couldn't you just jump everybody to where they have to go?"

"Well, -" Stan began, while Ernie just stared.

"Dustin, come on," Sophie called.

Dustin rolled his eyes. "Next time, then," he said shrugging his shoulders and bounced off, "bye Stan, bye Ernie." He turned to his sister and beamed. "That was awesome."

As far as she was concerned she would never ever in her whole cursed life set foot on that devilish thing again. Ever. And Dustin was just as nuts as that Stan-boy if he had enjoyed that ride.

She shook her head at him and looked around. "There it is," she said, spotting a little house further up the hill.

Dustin titled his head and narrowed his eyes. "Hm."

"What did you expect? A castle?"

"No. But there isn't much around here, is there?" He said unimpressed.

There wasn't, just meadows and more meadows and some trees.

"Come on, I'm sure it looks nicer up close."

They dragged their bags over the grass. The cottage certainly did look better up close. It was small with rounded corners and painted ivory white. Oak window frames held the crystal blue shimmering panes under thatch roofing, and some ivy crept up on the far side.

They were almost there when the wooden door swung open and a man stepped out to greet them.

"Dad!" Dustin's bags hit the ground as the ten year old ran to jump into his fathers arms.

When Sophie picked them up and heard her father's barking laugh, a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"Here you are. How was your journey, everything go well?" he asked Dustin, one arm around his shoulders.

"Oh yeah, the Knight Bus was the coolest bit!"

When she had reached the two, her father greeted her with a smile.

"Sophie, how are you? I hope you didn't mind taking the bus. It's so good to finally have both of you here."

He seemed genuinely happy to see them.

"Hi - Sirius," she said. "We're glad to be here, too."

"Well, come in," he said stepping aside. If he had noticed her hesitating he didn't let on. "I know it's not big, I actually just had it built, but it should do."

Sophie put the bags down at the door and looked around. To the left was the living room, which had a beige couch and chairs gathered around a small table, there was a fire place and a dining room table behind those. Large windows provided view down the hillside. Apparently they were in the actual middle of nowhere, but it was a quite nice-looking nowhere. Some trees looked as old as time itself and the golden meadows reminded her of the horse rides her mother had taken her on when she had been little. But above all, it seemed peaceful and quiet; exactly the kind of life Sophie had whished for when they had set out.

Opposite her was the open kitchen, small and white, and to her right five steps led up to a corridor that she figured lead to the bedrooms.

"It looks much bigger from the inside," Dustin observed.

"It does a little," Sirius said, before changing the subject. „You must be hungry. Go take a look at your rooms while I take out the lasagne."

Sophie and Dustin stepped into the corridor to their left. A white sign hung on each of the ash-wooden doors. The first two said 'bathroom' and 'Sirius'.

"Who's "Harry"?" Dustin whispered, pointing to another white sign.

Sophie shrugged. „That's yours," she said and nodded to the door opposite the one with the Harry-sign.

"Yep. That's my name." Dustin grinned. He pushed down the handle and the two peeked inside. Again, a large window framed the wall. Since there was almost no furniture or decoration, the room seemed spacious and very tidy. There was a bed, a closet and a desk.

"I love it," Dustin said.

Even though there wasn't much to love, she had known that he would. After all, it was the first room that he would have all to himself. And Sirius had made sure that there was enough room to personalise the space.

Next to Dustin's room was another bathroom, and the room next to the mysterious Harry's was Sophie's, which was an exact copy of her brother's room.

"Well, what do you think?" their dad asked when they returned to the main room, where Sirius had brought out the plates of lasagne. As they carried them over to the dining table, Dustin said, "well, it's okay, I reckon."

Sophie chuckled.

"I'm kidding," he then told his dad. "It's awesome."

"Well, I'm glad." Sirius' eyes twinkled.

Dustin, even though he had spent only a couple of days in his almost eleven years of existence with his dad, absolutely admired the man already.

Sirius had the elegance and looks of a knight of the Middle Ages. His hair was a darkish brown and fell openly to his shoulders. He was well-built and muscular and if it hadn't been for the lines that told of laughter around his eyes, he'd been quite intimidating.

"Who's Harry though?"

Sophie looked up interested, fork resting in mid-air. She'd thought about it. He couldn't be an inmate, given that her father had broken out of prison and then been cleared of all charges, since they threw him in innocent in the first place. And for he had spent the last decade there, she doubted he had a lot of homeless friends that died to move in with him and his children.

"My godson," he answered. "He'll be back from Hogwarts tomorrow night and move in with us, since we are his last living family."

"Wait, you're not talking about Harry Potter, are you?" Sophie asked.

Sirius smirked and Dustin gasped.

"No way! Not the Harry Potter He's going to live with us?"

"I don't think there are two," Sophie said.

Of course they had heard about the legendary Harry Potter. Not only had Dustin's middle name been given to him in memory of Harry Potter's dad, but even down under, the tale of a toddler defeating the Dark Lord was known by all children.

"Yes, the one and only. And that way you'll also know someone before starting school." He looked at the both of them. "I think it'll be good."

Sophie took up eating again and was once again surprised as she took her first bite.

"This is really good."

"That's probably because I didn't make it," her father admitted. "Molly Weasley didn't want you to make a run for it until you have actually moved in, and made it for us."

"Who's she?" Dustin asked.

"Her family lives just down the hill and behind the other one. That's the main reason we now live in the area – I thought it would be good to be close by."

Before the thought about a possible love-interest for her father could form, he interrupted with "…and mother of seven", which erased the idea from her mind.

"Seven? That's nuts." Dustin said, unable to hide his surprise.

"Dustin," Sophie warned.

"I mean interesting," he said with a look to his sister, "tell me more."

Sirius chuckled and shook his head.

"All in due time. And you'll probably meet her before I get the chance to."

They finished supper with small talk about the highlights of their journey and before long fell exhausted into the pleasantly cold sheets of their new beds. After a two-day journey around half the globe, they fell fast asleep exhaustedly and only awoke late the next morning.

"Morning Dad," Dustin yawned entering the kitchen. He crawled up on one of the bar stools behind the kitchen counter and tiredly blinked up at him.

"Good morning, had a good sleep?"

"Oh yeah, grand." He yawned again. „Where's So?"

„Outside."

„You mean looking at trees? Or is there something out there I didn't see yesterday?"

"Looking at trees. Do you want eggs and bacon for breakfast?"

"Yeah sure, that sound's good. Do we have to go to Mrs. Weasley or can you do them?"

Sirius threw a towel at him and smirked.

While Dustin waited he picked up the Daily Prophet and skimmed over it. "You're all over the paper, dad," he said eyes widening.

"Yep. 'Mass murderer innocent after all' always makes for interesting headlines."

Dustin chuckled and put the paper back. "Sophie doesn't like reading papers. She always says, why ruin a perfectly good day with the news? I guess she has a point some of the time."

His father gave him a strange look, before handing him a plate with eggs and bacon and a slice of bread.

When Sophie returned from her walk around the house she found her brother sprawled out on the couch, laughing with his dad. It was a rare sight and her mouth curved into a smile at seeing him this relaxed.

"So since it is your birthday on the fourth, I thought we'd go get some basic school supplies that day and whatever you want for your rooms. What do you think?" Sirius said.

„Where do we get all that?"

"At Diagon Alley in London. You'll like to go shopping for your birthday there, believe me."

"Alright," Dustin said.

"I'll have to get Harry at seven from King's Cross," Sirius continued. "So until then the day is ours. Anything you want to do?"

"We could play a chess tournament! Sophie gave me a board for my last birthday."

"Alright." Sirius grinned and wagged a finger at Dustin. "But be warned, I am very good."

"Are you really?" Sophie asked and sat down in an armchair opposite the couch, while Dustin went to his room, looking for his chess board.

"Nah. I think I last played when I was in Hogwarts. Sitting and thinking were never top of my favourite things to do."

He winked and she smirked, but bit back a comment.

Sophie won their little family tournament and also the one after that. She had always been one to sit and think, even if not always by free choice. But Dustin managed to beat Sirius in their first match, as his father was somewhat in the dark about the rules of the game, so he had fun, too.

The day went by with playing games and talking. Dustin was excited to hear that he actually was going to live in a castle –Sirius told them that Hogwarts was an ancient castle located somewhere in northern Scotland.

While Sirius grabbed his jacket to collect Harry from the train, Sophie and Dustin put away their games and tidied up the house a bit.

"Harry Potter, can you believe it?" Dustin asked.

She couldn't. Or could she? She didn't know. She supposed it was just one of those things life would do. Sure, they moved to London and naturally, Harry Potters was going to live with them, of course! And guess what, the Dark Lord is actually the weird bloke living next door.

"I don't know," she said. "But I reckon it'll be nice to know someone before school starts."

Not that it mattered to her. But for him, it was nice.

"Yeah. You're right."

And he wandered off, chessboard in his hands, to his room.

"Harry bloody Potter," she heard him mumble.

"No cursing."

"I'll be going, then," Sirius said. "We won't be long since we'll apparate back, but yeah. If you guys want to, you can see if you can pull some kind of dinner off what we have in the fridge. But just if you like."

"Sure, we'll do."

"Okay then, see you in a bit. Bye Dustin!" he called, and then he was gone.

People recognized him all around.

Sirius took a look at his watch. Harry should be out any minute now. Normally he would have gone to the platform to get him, but Sirius really didn't enjoy people's stares much and so he'd written Harry to meet him at the entrance.

And sure enough, a few minutes later the messy raven hair appeared in the crowd.

Thirteen-year old Harry Potter with the lightening-shaped scar on his forehead that the Dark Lord had given him ten years earlier on the day the boy was orphaned, ignored the stares witches and wizards always gave him at public places and only had eyes for the tall man by the entrance.

"Sirius!"

Sirius hugged his godson close and smiled. "Alright Harry?"

"Never better," Harry said grinning.

Sirius chuckled. "Very good. Didn't change your mind about living with your murderer of godfather then?"

"Never," he replied at once.

"Good." Sirius' eyes twinkled down at him, before he reached for Harry's trunk. "Let me take that. Before we go I'd like to talk to you, but not here."

Curious, Harry followed him out the doors. Stars sprinkled the sky above them as they wandered through the parking lot, Sirius with his luggage and Harry with the owl cage and broom in his hands. The thirteen year old could barely contain his excitement about getting rid of his horrible aunt and uncle, and go live with his godfather instead, whom he had met and grow to admire over the past year. Behind a red truck, Sirius stopped.

"Harry, before we go, there is something I haven't told you yet."

Harry put the cage down and looked at him. Because of the serious look on his godfather's face he couldn't help but hold his breath.

"First of, we don't live far away from the Weasleys, so you'll be able to see Ron the whole summer."

"That's brilliant," Harry said, breathing out and smiling brightly. Ron, son of Molly Weasley, was Harry's best friend at school.

"Well. That's one thing and not why we're hiding behind a truck."

"Okay." The nervous knot in his stomach was back.

"We won't be living alone, there are two others with us-and-they'll-be-going-to-Hogwarts-after-the-summer-too-and-they-are–my-children." Sirius said rather quickly and waited for Harry's response.

"Your- I didn't know you had children."

"Yeah… I know. And I am sorry for not telling you sooner," Sirius said, running a hand through his hair. "For the last five years they lived in Australia, since their mother died, and well, they moved back here yesterday." Sirius watched him closely. "So, what do you say?"

"Uhm, cool, I guess. How old are they?"

"Oh right, Dustin, that's my boy, he'll be eleven next weekend and Sophie is sixteen."

Harry nodded at the unexpected news. "Okay."

"Right. So, still wanna live with your old godfather?"

"Yes," he said firmly.

Sirius smiled. "Good, grab Hedwig then and hold on tight to my arm, all right? It will feel weird the first time, but it's going to be fine. Just don't let go."

Harry did as he was told and wondered what was going to happen, until it did. He was yanked off his feet. His hand was glued to Sirius arm as they swirled through a storm of colours. Gravity tore at his every cell and he felt sick very quickly. A blink of the eye later he hit the ground hard and fell to his knees gasping for air. Hedwig shoo-hoed disgruntledly in her cage.

"You alright?" Sirius helped him up.

"What was that?"

"We side-by-side apparated. You sure you don't feel sick?"

"Uhm yeah."

He felt better now that he had both feet on solid ground again. Harry took some calming breaths of evening air and only then began to notice their surroundings.

He recognized the area as the one around the Weasley's Burrow, but they had to be up on another hill.

"Welcome home, Harry." Sirius clapped him on the back and carried his suitcase to the front door.

Home, it echoed in Harry's head. He'd never had a decent home, if one didn't count the school as one, and no one except himself ever did.

Only as Sirius pushed open the door and a boy's voice reached Harry's ears, he remembered that he was going to meet Sirius' kids. The nervousness that the unpleasant trip there had wiped away, returned.

"Dustin, Sophie, please meet Harry Potter."

Harry blinked against the light and a boy came up to him.

"Hi Harry, I'm Dustin, nice to meet you."

He had light brown hair, brown eyes and he smiled.

"Hi, uhm, nice to meet you, too."

Awkwardly he stood there, looking down at him.

"That's my sister, Sophie."

And then Sirius daughter came over to him and Harry thought that Sirius' wife must have been very beautiful.

She, too, had brown hair and striking blue eyes.

"Hello Harry, nice to meet you."

She held out her hand and he shook it.

"You, too."

"We made a pan potato-mushroom something. It shouldn't be too bad," she said to Sirius.

"Alright, Harry, why don't you bring that to your room and we'll set the table."

Harry nodded, took Hedwig's cage and his suitcase and went in search for his room.

"Is that your owl?"

Apparently, he had been followed.

"Uhm, yeah."

"What's its name?"

"Her names Hedwig," Harry told Dustin.

"Hi Hedwig, nice to meet you," Dustin said, grouching down before the cage.

Hedwig hooted happily.

Harry put his suitcase by the end of his bed, clicked it open, took out his broom, and leaned it against his desk.

"Wow," Dustin said, jumping to his feet and eyeing Harry's broom with a mixture of shock and excitement. "Is that a Firebolt?"

"Yeah. It was a present from Sirius."

"Really? Do you reckon he'll give me one, too? It's my birthday next weekend."

"I don't know, maybe," Harry said. "But you won't be able to bring it to Hogwarts, first years aren't allowed to own brooms."

"Mhm." Dustin narrowed his eyes at him. "Nah, I'll ask him anyway. Maybe he doesn't know that."

Harry smiled, "yeah, maybe."

He doubted that Dustin would be successful but if someone didn't take rules too serious, it was the man calling them to dinner.

Harry and Dustin joined the other two at the table.

"Hey Dad. You said we'll go shopping at my birthday, right?"

"Yes, unless you don't want to."

"No, no it's fine, listen, what would you think if I told you the perfect birthday present for me?"

Sophie shook her head smiling.

"And that would be?"

""Well, I just had a chat with Harry and, you know, he told me that you gave him his broom, so…"

Sirius laughed.

"So you thought… well, unfortunately brooms are not allowed in Hogwarts for first years."

"And that's for sure?"

"Afraid so."

"Ah, that's a shame."

Dustin began attacking his plate while the three others bid down their smirks.

"Harry, you can go to the Burrow whenever you like," Sirius started, "you can take your broom, too, since there're no Muggles in the area. Also, next Sunday I thought we'd all go visit, Molly invited us to dinner."

"The Burrow?" Dustin asked.

"The Weasley's house."

"Sure, thanks," Harry said.

"Are we going to meet all their seven children?" Dustin asked.

"No, you won't," Sirius said. "Bill and Charlie, the two oldest, don't live with them anymore. What was it, Bill is in Egypt and Charlie was…"

"Romania," Harry said. "Training Dragons."

"Training Dragons?" Dustin said, wide-eyed. "Are you serious?"

"You hand me an excellent graduation report and you can go train dragons, too," Sirius said.

"That's still nine years away," Dustin said.

"Yep."

Sophie smiled to Harry and he smiled back. He could hear Ron's voice in his ear, 'dude, she's really hot!' and quickly looked back at his plate as not to blush.

"So Harry, how is it in Hogwarts? Is it really a castle? Are there dragons, too? Do you have to learn a lot?"

"Uhm, well yeah, it is a castle. No dragons, except when Hagrid raises one illegally and yeah, sometimes you have to study a lot, especially before finals."

"Who's Hagrid?"

Sirius had to intervene in Dustin's interrogation of Harry when the food on their plates threatened to become cold. He send Dustin to do the washing up and it grew quiet at the table.

"If you two like, you can check out the area tomorrow on your brooms. Harry plays for the house Quidditch team at Hogwarts."

"Do you? What position?" She asked him.

Only then he noticed that she hadn't said a word since greeting him.

"Seeker," he said. "Do you play?"

"I have at one school or another, but when I did I played Chaser. You must be really good when you play for your school team."

"He has a Firebolt!" Dustin called from the kitchen. "You have to see it, it really looks awesome!"

She smiled. "A Firebolt, not everyone's able to handle their speed and steering."

"He had a Nimbus 2000 before, so he's only used to high-quality brooms," Sirius said.

"I've been lucky," Harry said.

He didn't want her to think he was like Malfoy, always needing the best of the best. His broom really was the only thing of high quality he possessed. Everything else he'd ever owned were hand-downs from his cousin. His aunt and uncle, with whom he had lived before this summer, had never spent much of their money on him.

"You are quite young, too, aren't you? To play, I mean. How long have you been on the team?"

"Uhm."

Sirius laughed. "Well, tell her Harry."

"I actually got on my first year at Hogwarts."

Sophie looked confused. "I though first years weren't even allowed to own brooms, how come you're allowed to play Quidditch then?"

"They made an exception."

"You really must be good."

She smiled at him and Harry felt his cheeks burn. He had never been good with compliments.

"I'm… okay," he mumbled.

Sirius patted him on the back and stood.

"You'll see how okay he is tomorrow," he said to Sophie.

They stood to and took their plates to the kitchen.

"I'm looking forward to it."

When Harry entered his room later that evening his life had changed considerably. Never had he to go back to his aunt and uncle's house, the horrible Dursleys, he lived with his godfather Sirius now, right were his best friend Ron lived, and had met two people who could one day be something like a sister and brother to him. As he feel asleep, Harry Potter was happy.

Terrasol Hillside 1 seemed like it was just a house, on just a hill, in just another quite-nice looking middle of nowhere. But its residents were not just ordinary people with ordinary lives and ordinary stories.

The four went to sleep under the thatch-roofing of the little cottage and not one of them could have guessed at the significance of the day that they started to grow together as a family. Not one could have foreseen the adventures life had planned.

"Thanks," she said when Harry handed her his broom.

The crowns of the grasses tickled her calves as Sophie stood with Dustin and Harry in front of their home and held Harry's racing broom in her hand.

The ebony wood of his Firebolt was smooth, the birch twigs elegantly formed.

"It feels great," she said while running her fingers over it. "Okay, let's try it out."

Harry and Dustin stepped aside, the latter holding her own old broom, a Shuffle.

Sophie mounted the broom and kicked off. Wind whipped at her hair and she felt a smile spread across her face. The speed was incredible.

She flew a few screw turns and then directed it up to the sky, speeding to the clouds.

She closed her eyes.

'It feels like escaping everything'? Too bad, Sophia, you will never fly again. Not this year, not the next, not ever. There is no escape. No escape for you ever again.

The shrill voice of a woman faded and was replaced by her brother's scared whisper.

Where are we going?

Away from here, her own voice sounded in her ears. Grab your bag, we're going.

But how?

We'll fly.

Sophie forced her eyes open and with a shake of her head, the memory dissolved.

The broom reacted to the slightest movement and she pointed it down again to race towards the ground. She could see Harry and Dustin watching her and Sirius was there, too, standing in the doorway of the cottage.

Their eyes grew wide when she wouldn't turn the broom back up, but instead kept speeding down. In the last seconds before hitting the ground and breaking every bone in her body she pulled up.

A round later she landed beside them again.

"Wow, Harry. That broom is incredible." She put her hair into a ponytail and handed him back his broom.

"Thanks but – you didn't tell my how good a flyer you are!"

"She's insane," Dustin said, "and that dive almost gave us a heart attack."

"Sorry," she said with a mock-grin. "Shall we go check out the area now?"

Harry mounted his Firebolt and Dustin climbed up behind his sister, then they took off.

They saw the Burrow and only a few other wizard houses. Afraid they would go too far and catch the attention of Muggles they circled the area twice. It was a rolling landscape with mostly more of what they had already seen, woods and fields and the occasional pond. They were out until noon and then they returned to their home hungrily.

"Had a good trip?"

"Oh yeah. Dad, you couldn't have picked a better place," Dustin said.

"That's true," Harry said nodding.

"Thanks," Sirius smiled. "I made sandwiches."

Instead of eating at the table as they had done for dinner the evening before, they took their plates outside and sat in front of the large living room windows, backs leaned against the house and enjoyed the view down into the valley.

"Dad, look, there are deer!"

Dustin's sandwich soon lay forgotten beside him, while the boy observed the wildlife. In the short while they sat outside, more deer showed up, some rabbits, and even a fox.

"This is so cool."

"Didn't you have more wildlife than that in Australia?" Harry asked her.

"I suppose we just lived in all the wrong places," Sophie told him.

She didn't like talking about Australia. Not in a moment when they were enjoying the peaceful quiet anyway.

Harry didn't ask any more questions and she was glad. Somehow he seemed to understand them. She didn't know a lot about him, except from what everybody knew. That he was the boy who survived the unsurvivable curse of the Dark Lord. That the dark wizard vanished the night he tried to kill Harry. That Harry's parents had died and he was sent to live with the Muggle sister of his mother.

And somehow that was how he looked, too. He was rather skinny and had pale skin, big round glasses on his nose and messy black hair that hid the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.

He didn't look like a thirteen year old with the best racing broom in the world, he looked like a thirteen year old with a story.

And so they weren't that different at all.

It was a few days later. Across the hills the roof of another wizarding home shimmered under the morning sun of early July. A window on the second floor stood open and a breeze that had mistakenly went in soon fled the room again, carrying a smell of gunpowder and mischief.

That was how summer had to be like, George thought as he lazily blinked his eyes open. Without raising his head he looked over to the window sill where his mother had put a flower pot in which humming bees were busily collecting nectar. The sun beamed through the open window and he listened to the birds chirping a summer melody.

It was his first week back from Hogwarts.

George stretched his arms and legs. On the other side of the room his twin snored softly. The sound of clinking dishes carried through the open window and he heard footsteps outside.

A fist banged on their bedroom door. "Breakfast is ready," the voice of his brother Percy announced.

George didn't move. Instead he let his eyes travel through their room. Fred and he hadn't bothered to unpack the day before. Their clothes lay scattered over the floor. Only their tidy desk let on that they hadn't been home for long.

Before long he and Fred had no choice but to get up and they joined their younger brother Ron descending the unsymmetrical stairs for a late breakfast. The time until lunch they spent flying their brooms over the orchard in the back of the Burrow.

"A day like any other, hu?" Fred said to George as they landed.

"And no reason to complain," George said grinning.

"Harry!"

They heard the voice of their sister Ginny.

"Either Ginny has weird dreams we should mock her about over lunch…" Fred started.

"…or we have an unexpected guest," George said.

The two leaned their brooms against the shed quickly and hastened through the kitchen.

"I didn't know you were coming!" Ginny said.

"I know," Harry said grinning. "I hope it's okay."

Ginny lead the way, her long red hair swinging with every step.

"Hey Mum, look who I found on the doorstep."

"Harry, dear! Ron didn't say you were coming, it's so good to see you," Mrs. Weasley hurried to hug him.

"Hi, Mrs. Weasley. Ron didn't know that I was coming. I thought I'd surprise him, since we only live over the hill now."

"Harry, dear!" Fred said, imitating his mother and pulling Harry in a bone crashing hug.

"Ron didn't say you were coming!" George said and threw his arms around him before Fred had released him. "It is so good to see you," he pretending to stifle a sniff.

Harry rolled his eyes while Ginny chuckled.

"Really, boys," Mrs. Weasley said.

"So to what do we owe the pleasure of your presence, Harry dear?" Fred asked, leaning against the kitchen table.

"I thought I would come visit my neighbours," Harry said, "though on second thought I might have done better staying away."

"Neighbours?" George asked

Fred raised and eyebrow. "What do you mean, neighbours?"

"Living just over the hill now," Harry said with a proud grin.

"How is it living with Sirius, then?" Mrs. Weasley asked him.

"Oh it's great. Thanks for the lasagne, by the way."

"Oh don't mention it."

"Right! I totally forgot. You live with Shaggy now," Fred said.

"So how's Lassie treating you?" George asked.

Harry just shook his head at them grinning.

"Ginny, go upstairs and get Ron, will you?" Mrs. Weasley interrupted. "How are you getting along with the other two, Harry?"

"Oh, they're great."

George looked from Harry to his mother and back. "What other two?"

But before Harry had the chance to answer Ginny came thundering back down with yet another red-head on her heels.

"Harry! I thought Ginny was joking, what are you doing here mate?"

Ron, tall, red-haired and freckled, looked at him in surprise.

"Well, I thought I'd come by and visit my neighbours. Live over the hill now."

"You do? Brilliant!" Ron gave him a clap on the back.

"Stop interrupting, Ron," Fred said. "Harry was just about to tell us something about Balto and some mysterious tow others?"

"Well, there's him, and me and … his two children."

The reaction was just how Harry had imagined it. The twin's jaws dropped, Ron said "You're kidding", and Ginny just looked at him like a deer caught in the headlights.

"He has children? Since when?" said George.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Fred asked their mother.

"How old are they?" Ginny asked.

"They're eleven and sixteen. Well, Dustin will be eleven next weekend and Sophie is sixteen."

"Sixteen?"

Fred and George looked at each other.

"So, she'll go to sixth grade like us?" Fred said.

"Is she cool?" George asked.

"She's nice, yeah, definitely."

"And nice being the synonym for freaking hot?"

Ginny and Ron grinned at Fred's comment, while Harry tried not to blush when he said, "she's, well, very nice."

"Oh Harry." George wiggled his eyebrows.

"Oh shush, you two," Mrs. Weasley said.

Harry and Ron grinned at each other.

"Ron, didn't you want to tell Harry the news."

"Oh right! Harry, do you know what this year is?"

"Uhm?"

"The Quidditch World Cup Final is in England, Ireland vs. Bulgaria, and Dad has scored tickets through his work at the ministry. Harry- you and me, well, and the rest of my family – we're going to see a World Cup final!"

"And Sirius and his children," said Mrs. Weasley. "It was pointless to tell you before you knew he had children."

While Ron and Harry sat down at the kitchen table and Ron told him everything he needed to know about the Cup, the teams and the results, Fred and George snuck back upstairs.

"Well," Fred said.

"Well," George said.

"That's news."

"Who would have thought?"

"Good ol' Sirius-"

"-has children-"

"-and a very hot daughter."

The twins looked at each other.

"But I suppose we shouldn't take Harry's word for it."

"He is only thirteen after all."

"What do you think about a quick trip somewhere east?"

"Funny, I was just about to suggest the same!"

A few minutes later they landed behind a group of trees and peeked through branches to the cottage a few feet away.

"Mh. Shame that they're inside."

Fred fished a fuzzy little black ball out of his pocket and threw it as far as he could down the hill.

The twins put their fingers in their ears as an echoing crash sounded over the grounds, as if there had been an explosion some distance away. The door flew open and they spotted Sirius, wand ready, looking around.

Fred snickered.

"Shh," George said and they watched as Sirius checked the surroundings and then went back in, shrugging his shoulders.

A boy appeared in the doorway.

"What was it?"

George fetched the latest test version of something the twins called Extendable Ear out of his pocket, an item invented by them to pry on conversations, and the ear crouched over the grass nearer to the entrance. Then they were able to hear everything almost as if they were standing right next to the source.

"I don't know. Probably the Weasley pranksters trying to blow up the Burrow, or your sister wanted to distract from the game."

"I did not." They heard a girl's voice. "And didn't need to either, I just checkmated you."

"Maybe it was Harry?" The boy said.

"What, you think he exploded?" The girl said.

"Sophie."

"He said Harry exploded."

"I didn't."

"Anyway, it's your turn."

A chair scratched over wood.

"I'm going to knock your queen of the board," the boy said to Sirius.

"You can try."

Sirius and Dustin vanished from the door. Before it fell shut, the heard the boy speak up again.

"Can't you go check if it was Harry?"

"Fine, I'll bring back his limbs if he did explode."

Then the door swung open again and for the first time Fred and George laid eyes on their future classmate.

"Harry wasn't joking," Fred murmured.

George nodded.

They watched her stroll over the grass with her hands in the pockets of her jeans. She wore a black, short-sleeved blouse.

"Mh," she said and leaned down to pick up the smoking remnants of their noise-bomb.

Her hair was chestnut brown and shining under the sun and when she looked around George noticed her eyes. They knocked the breath right out of him.

"We should go, as soon as she shows that to Sirius he'll guess it was us," Fred mumbled.

George nodded reluctantly and they silently made their way back through the trees until it was safe to mount their brooms.

Back at the Burrow, Harry and Ron still sat in the kitchen.

"So Harry," Fred said as they entered. "What else can you tell us about the two new Blacks?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, oh wait – she's a really good flyer. I don't know in which house she'll end up but I'm pretty sure she'll make the house team in any."

"Really?" George said. "Mh. What else? Do you know something about their mother?"

"Just that she's dead, not more."

"Where did they live then?" Ron asked.

"In Australia. But again, I don't know more about that either. I just met them myself."

"Australia. That explains at least why they weren't in Hogwarts," George said, thinking.

Harry left before dinner, just as Mr. Weasley returned home from the ministry.

"He looks good," he commented upon entering the kitchen. He tried to put his suitcase down on the cat in the old chair by the door. "Oh, my mistake, Gideon." The cat looked at him displeased.

"I think having a home and a place in the wizarding world does him good," Mrs. Weasley agreed and took his suitcase from him.

"Dad, do you know any more about Sirius' kids?" Ginny asked him.

"Not much, but you can ask them all your questions yourself when you meet them."

"And when is that?" Fred asked.

"We invited them over for dinner next Sunday," Mrs. Weasley said. "Go get Percy, will you, he's been in his room all afternoon, dinner is almost ready."

George followed his brother up the stairs.

Fred banged his fist against Percy's door. "Dinner!" Then, without waiting for answer, he went inside.

"Hey! Are you never going to learn what a closed door means?"

Annoyed, their brother adjusted his glasses and glared at them from his desk.

"No," Fred said. "Whatcha doing? Writing to Penny?"

"Uh, Penny," George mocked and made kissing noises.

"Get out," Percy said blushing.

"When you've showed me what you have there," Fred said and tried to get a look at the parchment on his brother's desk.

Percy tried to shove him away but George snatched the letter from the other side.

"Dear Penny," he read. "I hope you enjoy your holidays. I am a moron and a nerd and I can't believe you're going out with me", he added. George dropped the letter back on the desk. "That's so cute, Perc."

Percy's neck was as red as his hair. "Get out," he said again. "You're just jealous."

Fred and George roared with laughter.

"Jealous," Fred said, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. "Of what? That you finally, after eighteen years of sorry existence, got a girl to snog you? Yeah, that's an accomplishment."

"Boys! Dinner!"

Fred and George left, followed by Percy, who smacked them both over the head as they went. Fred turned to kick him, which lead to more shoving on the stairs.

"Seriously, how old are you?"

"Sorry Mum," the three mumbled in unison and descended the last steps with hung heads. Fred and George smirked at each other when she looked away.

The dining table in the Burrow's crooked kitchen was wrapped in a flower-sprinkled tablecloth. Like everything in the Burrow, the furniture didn't match the rest of the room and everything bore signs of use.

George fiddled with a hole in the cloth as he stabbed the roast with his fork, absently listening to the conversations around him.

He wondered what she was eating right now. Probably something really fancy. On the other hand, he wasn't sure Sirius knew how to cook anything other than rats, off which he had lived when George hat first met him, so… But anyhow, she probably looked stunning whatever she ate.

"Well, I really can't tell you what it is, but I can tell you that you will never again have a year quite like this in Hogwarts."

"I rather wish I was back at Hogwarts to see this," Mrs. Weasley added to her husband's words.

"Dad, come on, what is it?" Ron asked.

"Sorry, it's a ministry secret-"

That got Georges attention and he looked up.

"- but you'll know as soon as the term starts. I believe they will tell you at the welcoming feast. It's big." Their dad's eyes twinkled.

"Come on, just tell us a little bit," Ginny said.

"He just said he cannot," Percy said. "If it's a ministry secret, Dad shouldn't tell. You don't want him to lose his job, do you?"

"Bugger off, Perc," Fred said. "Come on, Dad. We won't tell anyone."

"Ah, I should never have said anything," Mr. Weasley said smiling. "You just have to wait and see."

"But-"

"No more of this, Ronald," Mrs. Weasley said. "Now, another round of dumplings, who wants some?"

"What do you think it is, Dad won't tell us?" Fred asked when they got ready for bed a few hours later.

"I dunno. Looks like we'll have to wait to find out."

George pulled his jumper over his head and threw it to the pile of clothes on their desk.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Well, maybe we'll convince him." Fred threw himself on his mattress and his bed squeaked. "Good night then."

"Night." The lights went out and it was dark in their room.

George sat on the edge of his bed, not feeling tired the slightest.

The moon shone through their window. He wondered if she was still awake. He scooted back on his back and leaned his head against the wall.

It was weird, really. He never thought about girls that much, but since he'd seen her this afternoon, she hadn't left his mind. Her shimmering chestnut hair and those striking eyes.

He closed his eyes, but the more he tried to focus on her face, the more it blurred in front of him. Damn it. Had she really been as beautiful as he recalled, or had it been a trick of the light? Fred didn't seem too bothered, which was weird. Their minds always worked alike.

But he'd rather solve the mystery of their dad's weird hints.

Well, maybe there wasn't something wrong with Fred but with him. Usually that would be what would bother him, too. He'd lie awake and wonder how to get their dad to tell them.

His eyes flew open. Something was definitely wrong with him and he would not call himself a mischief-maker if he didn't figure out what.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on the Harry Potter world, which is trademarked by J. K. Rowling. Everything you recognize is created and owned by J.K. Rowling, and I do not claim any ownership. Everything you do not recognize resulted from my own imagination. The story is not purported or believed to be part of J.K. Rowling's story canon. It is written for entertainment only and I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of it. This disclaimer is effective for every Chapter of "Freckled Promise".

I admire J.K. Rowling and her work and am forever grateful for it.