Just Like Old Times

Jen stopped amidst the bustling people and picked up an old talisman. Harry had brought Jen to Diagon Alley while Sirius, Jimmy and Lily were casting the banishing spell on Sirius' mothers' portrait. Remus and Thom both agreed the three should cast the spell together, as they were the last Black blood. Then the only obstacle would be to first get the witch into the frame, then to drive her back out.

Jen felt Harry's hand protectively steering her along the tables set out on the street, and grinned thinking Harry was truly his father's son. Give the lady the freedom to lead, but never let her forget he's there. Pulling her cloak more firmly about her shoulders, she looked back at Harry. "So explain in small, little words why you want me to give permission to Jimmy and Lily to go to work in a Joke Shop?" she saw her breath on the air as she spoke, eyed the talisman and put it back down. The day had turned out far colder than expected and although the sky was threatening rain it had yet to fall.

James' son grinned at her. "Do I really have too? Sirius tells me you're clever enough to figure most riddles before they've completely been told." Harry had such a great time with Lily and Jimmy at Diagon Alley two days ago; he wanted to spend some time with Jen. Knowing Jen was itching to explore the famous wizarding marketplace after so many years, Harry knew it would take little persuasion to entice her away from Sirius. He also wanted to have a chance to get to know her -and perhaps his parents- better. When he saw Jen looking at him with a face that most definitely needed explanation, he said, "George and Fred would pay them pretty well. The Weasley twins?" Harry explained when he saw Jen's curious expression to the names. "They've established a pretty successful shop, and they could really use the help at this time of year. I know it seems a bit odd, but Jimmy and Lily both want to earn a bit more money. And even if they only work for these last two days, they'd also be able to help out when you all come back for Christmas holiday. I understand you Americans get a few extra days."

"That's quite a stretch, Harry." Jen grinned. "I mean really, there are plenty of part time jobs in Salem."

Harry shrugged one shoulder and looked at the talisman she'd discarded. "I suppose. But George and Fred are curious to get to know them. And any little bit helps, right?"

Looking suspiciously through the corner of her eye, Jen asked Harry, "Why? They were both left with a substantial trust when my Mother died. Why would they suddenly need more money than their allowance would provide?"

It hadn't been long, only about three months that Harry had known Jen, and after the wonderful Thanksgiving feast he already recognized that motherly 'don't try to get away with something' tone. He smiled, wondering if Jen would have looked at him so suspiciously if his mother had lived and wondering further if his mother would have looked at him the same way. "Christmas is coming up. They want to get you and Sirius something really great."

"We don't need great." Jen clutched her cloak more firmly about her chest, fighting the rising wind looking back at the table for another interesting object.

"Perhaps," Harry agreed and picked up the talisman she'd dropped onto the table. He already knew what the twins were planning, and if Jen wouldn't give them permission, he would gladly front them the money. Although he wasn't sure about Jen, he knew what Lily had come up with was the absolute perfect gift for Sirius. "But whether you need it or not, they want to give it to you."

"Why do I not like the sound of that?" Again, she eyed Harry suspiciously.

Harry smiled at her. He was really beginning to grow fond of her. She didn't talk to him as Molly Weasley did, as though he were still a child. She spoke to him like he actually had a brain, but still knew she was older than he and knew better. "I suppose because I know something that you don't know," he almost sang the last.

"You're not helping their cau-" she stopped short staring over his shoulder.

"Jen?" he stepped close to her, laying a concerned hand on her shoulder, unnerved by the sudden panic on her face. He turned his head to see what she was looking at, and saw Malfoy with his Mother. Harry took a breath thinking, just once, can he not intrude? Then turned to Malfoy, stepping slightly in front of his mother's best friend in a protective manner. "Isn't it a bit early for you to be out? I mean the sun is still shining, won't you be burned to dust?"

"You almost look well, Jennifer," Narcissa said around Harry, smiling. "But not quite. Do you really miss my husband so terribly that you've taken to ogling my son?"

"So it's true," Draco said and looked at Jen. Although not exactly sure who she was, he had a very good idea. Thinking Lily definitely took more to her father than mother, he stared straight at who he could only assume was Lily's mother, who appeared shell-shocked, and continued, "Sirius has finally gotten his whore back."

Jen was paralyzed. She stared at Draco as though he were Merlin reincarnate. She remembered hearing Sirius chastise Lily for spending time with Draco, but dismissed it at the time as just a chance meeting. Although protective of her children, Jen was generous in nature and didn't think Lucius's son should be judged only by his father's actions. But the way the young Malfoy sneered at her, she knew her assumption was far from the truth. The sudden memory of the torment Lucius so very happily gave to her made Jen shudder further.

Harry looked at Jen briefly, and seeing her handicap looked directly at Draco and spoke, "Sirius has never taken with a whore. That would have been you're father, and all of his mates."

"And yet," Narcissa sneered. "She has yet to take her eyes from my son. She must truly be harboring deep feelings."

"You're misreading repulsion for admiration," Harry said looking back to Jen, who had still yet been able to compose herself. "It must be shock not only to see that such a horrid man could have a family, but a wife that could stand to bear him a child." As he spoke he was trying to get Jen to look at him squeezing her arm.

Jen finally lifted her head, and shook it slightly as though she'd just waken up. She wasn't sure what had transpired between Draco and Lily that brought Sirius to the point of actually raising his voice to his newly found daughter, but Jen knew she couldn't let it go further. She had the sudden urge to seek out Bill Weasley and find out exactly what he witnessed. Though now was not the time. Deal with Lily first, and when that fails- as Jen knew it would, Lily would never allow anyone to dictate whom she can or cannot see- then deal with Draco. Jen had enough dirt on Draco's father to keep the young man far from her daughter. Feeling the distaste of inbreeding, she looked at Narcissa. "The years with Lucius haven't been as good to you as I'd have thought," Jen said, trying to form the most sinister sneer. "Surely instead of looking fifty one could still see you as forty? Or have you given up on masks?"

"Forever the American," Narcissa glowered. "Only in America does one need to worry so much for appearances." Narcissa scanned her eyes up and down Jen's body, then smirked. "Although I can't say you've fared so well. Two children? And fathered by the prisoner of Azkaban. It's a wonder they don't have a suite reserved for you at St. Mungoes."

"I believe its you," Harry said to Narcissa, though he looked at Draco. "Whose son is the fathered by the prisoner of Azkaban."

Draco glared at Harry. "You don't really think they'll be able to keep my Father locked up there, do you?"

"What life would he be able to live?" Jen looked at Lucius's son. Feeling the undefined panic she hadn't felt since her days at Hogwarts when a Slytherin made a comment she didn't understand. She couldn't help but feel this Malfoy knew something she didn't, and wasn't about to tip his hand. "Your father was never good at being discreet."

Draco smiled at her, and in a fashion very reminiscent of his father stepped closer to her, trying to intimidate. "Who said he'd have to be discreet? Certainly your...pimp...has told you the Ministry has no real evidence against my father. They can't prove him to be guilty of anything." Then he looked at Harry. "But then it's really Potter and that half-blooded freak we've to thank. Who would've thought a half blood werewolf and an idiot scar faced Muggle-lover would provide the foundation to have my father set free?" He smiled widely at Jen; "I really must remember to owl Lupin and thank him for all his hard work." Then turned and escorted his Mother away.

Jen looked at Harry. "I don't like the way he said that."

Nodding, Harry took her hand. "They're up to something. I think we should probably tell Sirius."

"No!" Jen jerked his hand to her chest. "Don't you dare!"

"I beg your pardon?" Harry scowled. "Don't tell Sirius? He needs to know about this!"

Jen shook her head firmly. "No, he doesn't. Honestly Harry, think about it." She looked up into his bright green eyes, desperate for him to understand. "How do you think he would handle it if what those two said is true? If his vindication set the precedent to start setting Death Eaters free?"

Harry blinked at her as understanding dawned on him. "He'd be furious. With me and Remus, wouldn't he?"

"No," Jen responded folding her hand into the crook of his arm, then turned them in the opposite direction of the Malfoy's. "You two did what was right. But Sirius would most assuredly feel he was responsible for their freedom, if the Ministry starts to set them free. And they could be lying. It wouldn't be the first time a Malfoy lied to hurt someone. Does Arthur still work for the Ministry?"

"Mm-hmm," Harry nodded, placing his hand over Jen's tucked around his elbow. "But he works in Muggle relations. I don't think he has the clearance to be any help."

"Damn." Jen dropped her head, shaking it, then suddenly jerked it up and looked at Harry. "You do!"

"I do what?" Harry furrowed his brows. "Have the clearance? I'm just a trainee!"

"Yes, I know that." Heaving a deep breath, Jen began to wonder if James and Lily lied to her and adopted this boy. There was no way he could be their offspring if he was this thick. "And granted it's been a long time since James and Sirius were training, but if memory serves, not only do you train with several Auror's, but you're assigned a Mentor. A Mentor you'd implicitly trust."

For a moment Harry looked surprised, then his face spread into a triumphant grin. "And he'll have the clearance. Not to mention this is definitely something he'd want to know about." He clutched Jen's hand tighter to his arm and began to walk down the street. "He'll never let them get away with anything like this."

Jen quickly dropped her head onto Harry's shoulder, thankful he was in fact James' son. Then lifted it as Harry picked up their pace. "I know I probably shouldn't ask, but if you don't mind at all, who is your Mentor?"

Harry grinned broadly, not looking at Jen but the street in front of them. "Alastor Moody."

########### ########

Lily wasn't sure what had just happened. One minute she was standing with her Brother and Father casting a spell on that bloody portrait in the main corridor, and now she was standing in a different corridor between them. When she tried to speak she found she had no voice, and when she tried to touch Sirius, her hand passed cleanly through his arm. The looks on Jimmy's and Sirius' faces showed they were having similar difficulties.

Sirius looked at them both, trying to convey 'remain calm.' Lily nodded.

But Jimmy was looking past them with furrowed brows. When Lily turned she could see, but not hear, Harry sitting on a bench holding a weeping Lily-not her!-, although not precisely sure where the image was, Lily felt it was in a hospital, though one she didn't recognize. After a few moments, a Haggard looking Sirius stepped from behind a door and looked at Harry shaking his head. Then lowered onto his hunches in front of them saying something. The other Lily fell onto the floor into Sirius' arms, and the Harry looked away.

Suddenly the floor seemed to drop out from beneath her. It felt as though she was falling a great distance, and falling backwards.

She landed behind Grimmauld place looking at a group of six Death Eaters, hse didn't recognize most of them, but there was one she suspected as Draco's mother, being bound and guarded by Remus, Tonks, and Bill, Charlie and Ron Weasley. Lily looked to be sure Jimmy and Sirius were still with her, but flinched at the look on her father's face. He was staring at himself, cradling a very bloodied facsimile of her mother. Another Harry was holding a hysterical Lily a few meters away. The other Sirius threw his head back and although she couldn't hear, she knew the sound he released was as though his heart had been torn from his chest.

Then she was falling again.

Lily landed again, and this time she saw her Mother was trying to pull a wolf- no a werewolf, from a struggling Jimmy. The other Jimmy had been severely attacked and although still conscience, the boy was having a hard time struggling. Her Mother was doing most of the fighting. Out of nowhere a large black dog- Padfoot-joined the melee.

More falling.

Her Mother and Father were holding each other closely, almost dancing. They were in the corridor of Grimmauld place near where Sirius' mother's portrait had once hung.

####### #######

Jen and Harry came through the front door, smiling and laughing as they had been comparing notes on the idiotic behavior of the Malfoy's and how the lunacy seemed to be genetic. The high spirits stopped when they saw Remus and Tonks shouting and shaking Sirius, Jimmy and Lily, trying to get their attention.

Jen stepped up hurriedly, concern replacing her good humor. "What's going on?" She demanded. She saw Sirius, and her twins standing in front of the portrait and their eyes seemed to be transfixed somewhere outside of this realm. Their bodies were rigid. "What happened?" the concerned mother asked more urgently.

Remus shook his head, "I don't know. They were casting the spell, but as soon as she," he pointed at Sirius' mother who was staring at her descendants with an almost smug look, "Stepped into the frame, they all went rigid and just seemed to loose focus."

"How long have they been like this?" Harry looked at the portrait, and raised his wand. "What did that singly evil witch do?"

"Just a few minutes," Tonks answered as she continued to try and shake Lily back to reality. "We were watching them cast the spell and all seemed fine, but then something went wrong!" Tonks was showing early signs of panic.

"I did nothing," The painted witch said. "If that blood traitor had paid any attention to his lineage he'd have known the Black blood flows thick."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Harry pointed his wand menacingly at the portrait.

"Put that down, you silly boy. You can't hurt me," the portrait snarled. "That filth thinks they can banish me? They can't even control their own magic! Three Blacks casting a fresh spell together? Who can tell what blood magic they've released!" the painted woman cackled.

"Where in the hell is Thom?" Jen glared at Remus. "I thought he was going to help you with this!"

"He was!" Remus tried to reply calmly, but his panic was rising quickly. "He got an owl just after you left and had to go home. He said something about the Senate needing him." Then his expression changed curiously wondering why Jen had never told him of her brother's employ. "I know this isn't the time, but why did you never tell us he was a Senator?"

"Because he's not!" Jen looked from Remus to Sirius and stepped closer to her fiancé. Suppressing her anger, knowing now was not the time to be angry with her brother for leaving while such a risky spell was being cast. "He's far too honest." Then ignoring Remus, she thought she had a better chance of reaching Sirius than either of her children in this state; she cupped Sirius's face in her hands pulling it to be even with hers. "Sirius, come back to me." Her hands were gripping his face, urging him to look at her, but his eyes remained unfocused. "Please." She whispered and kissed his lips.

########### #######

They were falling again. But this time they didn't seem to be stopping. Panic was rising in Lily and Jimmy while Sirius was feeling a gut wrenching fear. Not fear of facing a troupe of Death Eaters or trying to pull Moony into the forbidden forest, but fear of those he cared for dying. Had he just witnessed his wife and son's deaths? His mother had been a pre-cog, but he'd never shown any signs of it. For a time he wished he had. Now he was glad he hadn't. "Sirius?" He thought he could hear Jen's voice, but he'd just watched her die. Or had he? Did they see the future or was it some kind of a warning? A threat? "Please." He felt her kiss him. But she wasn't here. No, wait. Sirius thought frantically. He wasn't here. He was there. As were Lily and Jimmy. This was an illusion. Instinctively he reached his arms out to grab his twins as he saw Jen begin to come into focus before him.

######### #######

When the three Black's came back, it was hard for Jen to decide if time had stopped or if it had rushed by them with fury. For a transfixed moment the three stood silently with a wash of emotions from terror to rage paralyzing them. Then time caught up with her.

Harry's reflexes were quick enough to catch Lily as she fainted. When Jimmy saw Remus reach for him he jumped back in fear, then buckled onto his knees retching. Sirius's hands jerked up to Jen's face so quickly she yelped. He held her head so tightly Jen was almost afraid he'd snap her neck. He looked at her with an intensity she'd never before seen. At length, he released her head and wrapped his arms around her pulling her so tightly to him she was having difficulty breathing.

"Sirius?" She choked, trying to ask what had happened, but he'd pressed his face to her neck and was madly clinging to her body.

Gingerly, Harry laid Lily on the floor and turned to see Jimmy dry-heaving through tears. "What happened?" He saw Remus reach down to help Jimmy.

"Get away from me!" Jimmy cried at Remus, pushing the werewolf back. "Stay back!" Another wave of nausea gripped the boy, thinking one day soon this gentle man would kill him.

Realizing Jimmy was suddenly terrified of him, Remus stood and looked to Sirius. He was holding Jen with such desperation he didn't realize he'd pinned her so securely to his body she was loosing consciousness. "Sirius! You're smothering her!" he grabbed at his friends arm. "Sirius!"

"Get a nasty taste of you own magic, traitor?"

As if only that voice could bring him out of his desperation, Sirius looked up, over Jen's shoulder at the portrait. He glared at his mother for what felt like an age, and then turned to Remus. "Gather all the portraits in this house." He looked at Tonks, then Harry. "Help him. I want every portrait of every Black in the backyard before the sun sets. Then I want them set to flame."

Tonks had knelt to help Jimmy, but when Sirius reached down to help his son she stepped back next to Remus.

The wolf was thoughtfully looking at Sirius, and could see the Animagus suppressing determined rage. Something had happened that had thrown the twins into panic and Sirius into almost berserker mode. Remus thought this is something that he definitely needed to know about, but now was not the time for questions.

Keeping one arm tightly locked around Jen, Sirius hauled his son up with other and forced him to look at him. "That wasn't real. It was an illusion, nothing more than a threat from a frightened old Hag."

Jimmy shook his head, shaking tears and sweat from his face. "B-but you s-saw-"

"Nothing real," Sirius stated with finality. He then looked at the portrait. "I'll burn this place to the earth and sow the ashes with salt before I'll allow any of that to happen." Then looked back to Jimmy. "Tend to your sister. I've work to do." His voice held an air of control Jimmy dared not defy.

Quietly, Jimmy knelt and lifted his sister into his arms.

"Wait," Tonks spoke, stopping Jimmy as she stepped in front of him and pointed her wand. "Scourgify."

He weakly smiled at her as the mess he'd made on his shirt and face vanished, and then turned towards the steps.

Sirius looked at Harry, Remus and Tonks, still clutching Jen to his side and showed a hint of the rage simmering just beneath the surface, "Are there still Portraits hanging in this house?"

"Sirius," Jen whispered, as she was beginning to feel a little more than scared. "What is going on?"

He looked at her as though the answer were clear as day. "You're going to marry me."

"I know that, Sirius, but what-" she found herself lost.

"I won't be bullied," he said simply. Then looked at the other three who were still standing waiting for a logical explanation. "PORTRAITS!" he bellowed.

The three jumped and disappeared in different directions.

"Did your bastard children swallow you into their dementia?" the witch in the portrait snarled.

"Enjoy your time, Old Hag," Sirius hissed through his teeth. "For it grows quite short." Then turned to the stairs, still holding Jen tightly to his side.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Jen asked as he escorted her up the stairs. He only shook his head and continued walking. When they arrived at Lily's door he looked at her.

"You need to take them away."

"Away?" Jen looked up at him; the fear she was feeling earlier was rising to panic. "Sirius, You have to tell me what's happened!"

He shook his head. "I can't. But those two need to get out of here. I don't want them here tonight." He saw the panic streaking her face. He cupped her cheeks in his hands and gently kissed her. "Please, Jenny. You're just going to have to trust me."

She looked at him and forced a smile. "You know I do. I love you."

He kissed her again then opened the door.

Jimmy was sitting on the edge of the bed hugging Lily. They were both crying.

"Jimmy?" Jen said and crossed the room so quickly she may have Apparated.

"Mom!" Lily shoved Jimmy away and threw herself at her Mother, wrapping her arms tightly around her, sobbing onto her shoulder. Jimmy was a close second, hugging them both and although he wasn't sobbing as Lily, he was indeed crying.

"Can we go home?" Jimmy asked his Mother over a trembling lip.

"Please?" Lily agreed, still sobbing. "I want to go home, Mama! I want to go home!" It had been years since the last time Lily called Jen 'Mama' and even then it was only when the girl was terrified.

"Yes." Jen was torn between confusion over her children's unexplained actions and rage at whatever had brought the normally strong teenagers to this state. "Of course. We can go now, I'll come back for your things."

"Portus," Jen heard Sirius say softly. "This should land you back in your flat," he said, pointing at a used mug on the nightstand.

"No!" Lily pulled from Jen and grabbed her Father's shirt, jerking him roughly. "You have to come with us! You can't stay!"

"Lily, I have too." He took her wrists and pulled her gently from his shirt, then held her in a warm embrace. "Don't worry." He smoothed her hair down her back as she continued to wimper. "None of that was real. It was just some fancy conjuring to get us scared. I'm not going to let that happen." He took her shoulders in his hands and pushed her back to look in her eyes. "Do you understand me? I'm not going to allow any of that to happen."

"I don't want you to stay," She glared at him, firmly shaking her head showing the stubbornness she'd gotten straight from him. He sighed and smiled at her, pushing her hair off her face. She softened. "I want you to come with us, Daddy."

That was it. That was perhaps the only weapon for which Sirius had yet to find a defense. His daughter calling him 'daddy'. He couldn't get used to it, he probably never would, but the way she said it weakened him to a sniveling mess.

"Lily," Jen came to his rescue. "Your Father won't be far behind." she looked at him and touched his cheek over her daughters shoulder. "But he has to take care of some things." She pulled Lily from Sirius and stepped to the table. Taking Jimmy's hand in one and Lily's in the other she looked at Sirius. "I'll be back," she said softly as she forced her children's hands on the cup and felt the familiar tug from somewhere behind her stomach.

For a lonely moment, Sirius stood in the room looking at the spot where they had vanished. He took a deep breath and turned to the door. He had to do this. He wasn't going to loose any of them. His heart stabilized his courage. He wouldn't loose any of them. Not Jen, Jimmy, Lily, not Harry or Remus. Not Tonks or any of the Weasley's. No. He wasn't going to loose any of them.

He would die first.

When he stepped from the room he saw Remus leaning casually against the wall opposite the room. His arms were folded across his chest and his ankles where crossed. He raised his eyebrows when Sirius looked at him.

Sirius mirrored him, leaning on the opposite wall.

"Are you really going to have us burn all those portraits? Or are you going to jump back into reality and tell me what happened?"

Sirius only shook his head.

"I mean it, Padfoot." Remus narrowed his eyes. "You have to tell me. I saw the way that boy looked at me and I saw his sister faint. I saw you almost smother Jenny and come close to loosing control. And I saw you try to blame your mother."

"Try?" Sirius snapped.

"Yes," Remus stayed calm. "Try. I really hate to be the one to tell you this, but your mother is dead. She's been dead for a long time. I don't know exactly what happened down there, but I can promise you she had nothing to do with it. Whatever happened came from you. Or one of those kids."

Sirius looked down and breathed deeply. He knew Remus was right. He hated it, but he knew it was probably one of the kids suddenly having the door kicked open. He looked back to Remus. "All I wanted to do was get that old bitch out of my house." Then slid down the wall to sit on the floor.

Remus slid down the wall on his side of the hall as well. "I know." he nodded. "Now tell me what just happened."

"I'm not entirely sure. But I think Lily was a latent pre-cog, and when we tried to cast that damned spell the visions came jumping through. I don't understand why the other two of us were sucked into it with her, but we were there. We saw it all."

"Are you sure it was Lily?"

Sirius nodded his head. "Jimmy's magic doesn't run too deep. Jen says he's struggled all the way through school, and Magic just came naturally to Lily."

"What did you see?"

Again, Sirius shook his head. "I can't."

"Sirius." Remus leaned forward a bit, "Tell me. It's going to eat you alive unless you get it out."

"I saw her die." He closed his eyes against the memory of it. "She was beaten and broken. I can't even begin to imagine what had been done to her."

"And Lily and Jimmy?" Remus urged him on, not allowing him to stop.

"Lily was fine. Well, not fine but alive. And Jimmy was-" he stopped short and looked away from Remus, shaking his head.

"Sirius don't sto-" as though someone hit the back of his head with a board, everything slid onto place. "By Merlin." He said softly, and cocked his head. "It's me, isn't it?"

Slowly Sirius looked back to him and nodded his head.

"This has got to be killing you." Remus said softly and thought how Sirius would be surely going mad trying to flush out what to do. "Was it I? I mean was I the one who attacked Jen? What did I do to Jimmy?"

"You haven't done anything to anyone!" Sirius said angrily.

"Okay," Remus said patiently. "What am I going to do?"

Sirius shook his head. "I don't know. I'm still having a hard time putting it together." He started and pressed his fingers to his eyes, fighting back tears as he thought of his wife and son dying. "It's too much." He shook his head, trying to master his emotions. "There were Death Eaters, but the Weasley's seemed to have them under control. That's when I saw Jen's bloodied body. Then you were tearing into Jimmy. Jen was trying to pull you off him. I didn't see Jimmy actually die, but I'm near positive you'd bitten Jenny." He looked up and saw Remus's eyes shining with tears. "I've never given much credit to Divination, but this just felt so real."

"Well," Remus cleared his throat and tried to not sound frightened. "If you had paid any attention to Divination you'd know that what you saw is only one possible outcome. If it was in fact a vision at all."

Sirius looked down again and nodded.

"Then you already know what you're going to have to do," he dropped his head back against the wall and looked at the ceiling. "A fact of which I'm sure is troubling you immensely."

"What fact is that?"

"The fact that that in order to prevent me from murdering your family," Remus sighed at Sirius. "You're going to have to kill me."

######### #######

As promised, after sorting out the twins (which took two sedatives and a sleeping dram), Jen Apparated back to Grimmauld. It had taken her several hours, and neither teen would tell her what had happened. They were both sitting on the edge of panic and as much as Jen hated to give her own children potions, she knew she had to calm them. Once she had them both sedated, she rang Rick to come and stay with them while she went to sort out Sirius. There was no way she was going to stay away from him. Not after the way he looked at her before he started ordering the destruction of the portraits. Jen Apparated to his bedroom because he said he had work to do, and she didn't want to get in the way. Truth be told, she was afraid of what he might be doing. She saw the twin's terror, and felt him almost squeeze the life from her. Then she saw his rage. No, she couldn't stay away. She waited for him in his room.

When she lay down, she intended to rest for just a few minutes.

That unmistakable feeling of somebody watching intently woke her. Sirius was squatting beside the bed looking at her. She had no idea how long she'd been asleep, or how long he'd been waiting for her to wake. She started to edge herself up, looking at him. "Sirius?"

At the sound of her voice Sirius was on her. He attacked her-quite literally- like a dog. For a brief moment she was startled, she had forgotten how feral he could get, but then recalled him getting on her like this before. But they were younger then, much younger.

He pulled her from the bed and pinned her against the wall. His mouth was ravaging her face and neck as his hands tore at her blouse, sending buttons flying. It took him little time to tear away anything that could remotely be defined as clothing from her and was only driven further into his passion as she just as hungrily was pulling his clothing from his body, taking to his body almost as savagely. The world quickly evaporated into only Sirius and his Jenny. He was only aware of her hair tangled around his fingers, her skin pressed so warmly against his, her breath heaving heavily across his skin as he took her, claimed her. She was his wife in every sense of the word except by law. Her fingers were clenching into his back as she thrust her hips against him. Throwing her head back as he took her, her throat crying his name. He wasn't aware they were still standing until Jen slid sideways, pulling him with her onto the table next to the bed. Her thighs were locked securely about his waist and her hands were holding his back so desperately Sirius knew he'd have love marks on his back tomorrow. This was his wife he thought, then he thought of their years of separation knowing she couldn't have been chaste all that time. Sirius drove into her further. Not noticing the position changes. His mind was solely on his wife, his mate. It didn't matter to him who she'd been with during their separation; all that mattered to him was to make sure she understood. She was his. And without the obstacle of Azkaban, she would have none but he. And he wouldn't let her go. Not again.

"Please." Sirius heard Jen say against his throat as she thrust her hips closer to him. "God, Sirius." She dropped an arm back to support her as she fell away from him, supported only by the arm bracing her against the table.

Sirius looked at her face and saw her cheeks traced with tears. "Oh, Jenny." He supported them with one arm on the table and the other wrapped around her waist. His mind saying one thing, his body spoke louder and thrust into her deeply. He pummeled into her only thinking she was his wife and he needed to make sure she understood.

After they both climaxed, violently, Sirius gently lifted Jen and steered her back to the bed. She fell onto it, stomach first, exhausted. For a few moments he listened to Jen's breathing. Her utter completion. Then looked at his wife. The woman he'd just taken. And thought of how he must have hurt her. Lying behind her, he wrapped his arms around her, and tried to love and comfort her.

Jennifer sighed, nuzzling her shoulder and chin against Sirius still active mouth. Then dropped flat, all her strength gone. She murmured happily, lying on her stomach with one arm hanging off the side of the bed. Sirius was lying across her back nuzzling her neck and shoulder. The sheen of sweat they shared virtually bonded their skin together. He was still slightly growling behind her ear. She closed her eyes and smiled, wondering what had gotten into him.

His nipping turned much softer and he gently kissed her shoulder and then rested his cheek on it. Slowly, he slid his hands down her arms and twined their fingers together. "Do you think Harry will ever forgive us?"

"Forgive us for what?" Jen carefully said, trying to control her breath.

Sirius lifted his head and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Didn't you see him?"

She turned her head a bit, trying to look at him, masking the humiliation she knew would come from the answer to her next question. "See him do what?" She dropped her forehead to the bed, dreading the answer.

Sirius snickered and dropped his forehead to her back. "Your head was thrown so far back I was sure you saw him."

Jennifer covered her face with one hand. "Oh my god."

Then he rolled onto his side pulling his lover with him, wrapping his arms around her. He was still snickering into her ear. "I'm sure that vision will be seared to his mind forever."

"Oh, poor Harry," Jen giggled in spite of herself. "When?"

"We were over there." He pointed with his fingers, still twined with hers towards the table. "Kind of propped between the table and the wall. I thought you heard me growl at him."

Again, Jen giggled. "You were doing a lot of that."

"Can't help it." He kissed her neck, and then rested his head there. For sometime they lay there together cuddling quietly. He occasionally nuzzling the back of her shoulder, kissing the nape of her neck. She was contented for a while feeling him pressed to her back, holding her with such affection.

But soon, she began to feel uneasy. She was getting the distinct feeling he was thinking of something other than that of their recent activities. Perhaps what had made him so desperate for her, or maybe what happened with the twins?

"I want you to do something for me," he finally said, almost in a whisper. She didn't like the way he sounded; there was an edge to his voice. She didn't respond, only looked across the room feeling the ball of fear develop in her chest. He kissed her neck and tightened his arms around her. "That spell of yours, when you and the twins disappeared and no one could ever find you? Could you do it again?"

Jen closed her eyes. "It wasn't my spell. It was Thom's." She pulled her hands from him and reached to pull a quilt over her, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. "And the twins didn't disappear, it was just me. No one knew about them, so they didn't have too." She shifted onto her back to look at his face, willing herself not to cry. "And why would I want too?"

"You had the right idea when you cast it." He leaned up on an elbow and trailed his fingers across her forehead, pushing her hair back. "To keep you all safe."

She clenched her jaw to prevent it from trembling. He was looking at her with that little glint that said he'd already made up his mind. Her fear was turning to anger. He couldn't make this kind of decision without her. "I'm sorry," she spat, and abruptly sat up wrapping the blanket tightly around her shoulders. She took strength from the concealment and looked down at him, her fear dripping away with any thoughts of sleep, leaving only anger. "I realize a really good fuck can leave ones mind impaired, but I thought I just heard you tell me to go away."

"It's the only way to be sure." He sat up, keeping his anger in check.

"The only way to be sure of what?" She reached down and snatched his undershirt from the floor, knowing he'd torn her blouse to shreds, and pulled it over her head.

He assumed the twins had told her what had happened, but judging by her behavior, they hadn't. He breathed slowly through his impatience. "The only way to be sure you three are safe."

It took every bit of her self-control not to smack him stupid. Four days ago-had it really only been four days?- He'd been tossing her about the attic convincing her to come back to him, now he was telling her to leave? "Safe from what? What in the hell happened today?"

"Let's just say we saw something horrid and I'm trying to prevent it from happening." He could hear Jen's anger, and tried to maintain his own.

"No." Jen shifted up onto her knees. "Lets not just say that." She balled her fists to control her anger. "Let's just tell Jennifer what really happened."

"Jenny, please." He leaned against the headboard fighting his temper, as he knew Jenny was already incensed and he really couldn't fight with her unless she knew the facts. The facts he did not want to share. "This is hard enough."

"And keeping it to yourself," she snapped, standing up. "Keeping it from me, makes it easier?" She grabbed her knickers and jerked them on.

"It's not that simple." He slid to the edge of the bed and reached for his boxers, still fighting the urge to holler at her.

"It never is with us, is it?" She turned to him with venom, throwing her arms out. "So what was this? One last shag before you sent me on my merry way?"

"No!" he shouted as he stood, his temper rising and self-control diminishing. "You know it wasn't!"

"No I don't!" she stood not backing away from him, despite his rising temper.

"I watched you die!" he shouted. "Alright?" He grabbed her shoulders and jerked her into rough embrace, "I saw you die! I watched myself hold you while you breathed your last breath! I watched Moony attack you and Jimmy! Is that what you want? To hear me say I did nothing while you died?" he gripped his arms tighter around her, holding her against her struggle to break free.

Jen pursed her lips together and nodded her head slowly against his shoulder, than leaned her head back and looked deeply at him; her anger at his presumption not to tell her what happened mutating into anger at his utter stupidity. "I would appreciate you not putting me in my grave until I am actually dead!" she jerked away from him and spun around, grabbing her jeans. "Have you told Remus any of this?" she shouted, hopping around a bit as she pulled her pants into place.

Scowling as he picked his trousers from the floor and stepped back into them, he nodded. "Of course I did."

"Not so hard to tell him, huh?" she said as she opened the door. "Remus!" she shouted into the corridor.

"You're starting to piss me off!" he seethed, buttoning his pants.

"Good!" she looked back at him, zipping her jeans, "It's better than rolling over and playing dead! Lupin!" she shouted again, then turned back to him. "But then again, you dog types are good at that!"

"Can't you see I don't want to loose you again?" he said trying to remain calm, buckling his belt. "Why are you are being such a bitch?"

"Fitting for you, don't you think?"

With an exasperated noise between a growl and a bark, Sirius slammed his fist into the wall. "Dammit, I'm tying to keep you alive!"

"How? By throwing me out? By sending Lily and Jimmy away?" she bellowed at his back, as he pulled his fist from the buckled plaster.

"Well," Remus said calmly from behind Jen. "This is just like old times."

Jen spun on Remus, "Was this your idea?"

"Oh no," Sirius snarled, shaking the loose bits of plaster from his hand. He was ready to try anything for some self-defense, or even a bit of explanation. "His idea was much better! He thinks I should just kill him!"

"Is that the best you two could come up with?" Jen's astonishment burst forth with a hysterical giggle. She knew Sirius to be a bit rash at times, but Remus had always thought things through and this situation- the little she knew of it- was so very obviously a volatile one, she couldn't help but wonder why these two thought only they could find an answer. Jen eyed them back and forth; "Destroy three lives," she waved a hand at Sirius. "Or end one?" her other flung out towards Remus. She looked decisively between them. In utter frustration, the witch stood between these men with her arms out flung and awaiting a rational answer. "Has everyone in England gone mad? Have you both been training to become Death Eaters? Cuz I got to tell ya, if you want to hurt me, this isn't real subtle! Death Eaters can usually find a less obvious way of inflicting pain!"

"I don't think that's called for," Remus said quietly, remaining calm. "However, I do think you two should calm down."

"You asked him to kill you?" Jen snapped, ignoring his comment. "Your friendship has reached a whole new level!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Sirius grabbed her arm and jerked her around. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

Jen snapped her arm from him and shoved him back. "No! I don't! Why don't you fill me in?"

"Enough!" Remus stepped between them holding a hand out at each of them, trying to separate them. "Merlin's ghost! If you're not tearing into each other one way it's another!" He looked at Jen, then to Sirius. "I'd forgotten how you two could fight! Now we all need to just stop and go back to the beginning." He shook his head for emphasis. "Firstly, you two need to calm down!"

A throat being cleared momentarily stopped their fighting. They all turned and saw Harry was standing timidly in the doorway, almost in the corridor looking taken back. "I'm sorry," he started softly, and then looked at Jen. "But I think your brother's in the fireplace."

"Thank God!" Jen's relief was audible. "Maybe he can talk some sense into you!" she shouted at Sirius before heading to the door.

"No," Harry's hesitation slowed her. "It's not Thom."

Jen halted beside him, frozen. "Not Thom?" she said more to herself than any one. Harry watched her slowly turn her head to him, her face contorted and eyes shining with undisguised fear. "Not Thom?" she asked again.

"Which one?" Sirius said from across the room, vocalizing the fear on Jen's face.

"He said his name was David," Harry answered, still looking at Jen's terrified face. She was staring at him, and he thought he saw tears start to form in her eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked, genuinely concerned and seeing her fear he knew there was very evidently something about her family he didn't know.

"Your brother?" Sirius spat as he swiftly crossed the room, then gently pushed Harry back and took Jen's shoulders, turning her to look at him. "How did he find you?"

Jen shook her head and took a deep, trembling breath. "He can be very resourceful when it's important." She looked away for a moment, breathing slowing, fighting back tears, the looked back to Sirius. "I have to answer him."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Sirius questioned her, all anger gone, trying to hide his matching fear.

"No. I'll be fine." She touched his arm, then turned and left the room.

Feeling the fear and trepidation, Remus looked at Sirius. "I didn't know she had another brother."

"She's got three." Sirius didn't look happy. He turned to his dresser to finish dressing, and jerked a drawer open. "And four sisters."

"How is it we didn't know that?" Remus asked completely surprised.

"Who are we?" Sirius snarled at his drawer, throwing clothes aside and then looked at Remus. "We Marauders?" then continued to struggle through the drawer.

Instead of immediately answering, Remus stepped forward and pushed Sirius back, and started sifting through the drawer. "Yes, Padfoot." He pulled a jumper out of the drawer and held it out for his friend. "We Marauders."

"No one ever asked." He pulled the knitted sweater over his head. "They aren't a group of people she's particularly fond of. Didn't you ever wonder why she and her Mum moved to Manchester?"

Seeing the anger on his old friends face, Remus took a few moments and thought back to his days at Hogwarts. He never did ask much about Jen's family, none of them had. In fact he never really gave it much thought. It just seemed so natural for her to be there, they never questioned the how's or why's. "How did you know? Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"I'd been sleeping with her, Remus." Sirius slammed the drawer shut. "And I know it may be hard to believe but we did actually talk to each other. We told each other a lot of secrets." Sirius shook his head and looked out the door. "As for you and James...and Peter, It never came up. And I wouldn't have said anything anyway. Excepting her bother Thom, Jen would have been very happy if the lot of them dropped of the face of the earth."

"I'm beginning to get a bad feeling," Harry said. "Is this something we should be concerned about?"

Sirius looked at his Godson. "The Lennox family is to America as the Riddle family was to England. They make the Death Eaters look tame." He then looked to Remus. "She and her Mother fled that country to get away from them. This can't be good."

"And you let her go down there alone?" Remus barked at his friend, starting for the door. "How do you know she'll be okay?"

"David's not all bad." Sirius followed Remus with Harry close behind. "Jen and I spent a lot of time comparing notes on whose family was more wicked." Sirius made a noise that could've been defined as a snicker. "She won," Sirius stated, stepping in front of Remus, "We can't go busting in on her and David. Yes, he's a major bigot and he makes Malfoy look downright weak, but he has a conscience. A small one to be sure, but he wouldn't do anything to hurt Jenny."

The three hastily walked down the stairs as Sirius tried to fill them in. "Her other brother, Kenton, he's a real piece of work. He used to torture her endlessly. He'd use her for target practice whenever he found a new spell that could possibly be used as a weapon." The anger in his voice was as thick as tar. "And her sisters." He shook his head recalling the stories Jen had told him so many years before. They horrified him then, and now they seemed even worse. "By the time Jen got to Hogwarts there wasn't a curse or spell that she hadn't been on the receiving end of, except Avada Kadavra. And I'm sure the only reason is that their father wouldn't let them try it on one of his offspring."

"What about Thom?" Harry asked.

Sirius scoffed as they rounded the corner to stand just outside the kitchen. "Their father disowned him when they found out he was gay. Not that Thom was any more proud to be a Lennox than I was to be a Black." He leaned an ear to the door and could her Jen's muffled voice. "What time is it?"

"About five in the morning." Harry checked his watch. Then looked at his Godfather.

"That makes it what?" Sirius furrowed his brow calculating the time difference. "8:00 last night in California, right?"

Remus shrugged, "About that, Yes."

"I thought she lived in New York," Harry noted.

"She does. But the Lennox clan resides in Los Angeles, at least on her fathers side."

"Why did Jen and her Mum run away?" After seeing Jen's fear, and hearing Sirius' anger, Harry was becoming very uneasy about the possibilities of what Jen's family could do.

"That's not for me to say." Again, the venom was in Sirius's voice. "And I'll warn you not to ever ask her." He looked directly into Harry's eyes, making it clear not to even mention it again.

Harry nodded and for some reason found himself thinking of his semi-sister Lily. If Sirius were this concerned about what that family could do-had done- to Jen, what would they do to Jen's children? Were they in danger? Would their Grandfather allow his children to hurt his own grandkids? The thought of Lily being in any kind of trouble angered him. "Should we check on the twins?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, Jen wouldn't leave them unless they were well protected, She's been hiding from that family longer than she was hiding from us. We couldn't find her, what makes you think he can?"

"Because David did."

Sirius looked like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water over him. He looked at Harry, who was looking almost as concerned as he felt. Then too Remus, who had that prepared look he got whenever he knew Sirius was about to do something stupid. He turned and pushed the kitchen door open.

Jen was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace with her hand supporting her head. She looked as though she'd fallen back off her knees with one knee upraised, and an elbow resting on it to support the weight of her head. The fireplace was empty.

"Are you okay?" Sirius was kneeling in front of her, urging her to look at him. "What did he want?"

Slowly Jen lifted her head. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks were damp. "Daddy's been making knew friends." She said sarcastically as she looked up at him. "Is Lucius still in Azkaban?"

"Yes," Sirius took her hand in his, "His case is in appeal, but he's still locked up safe and sound."

"David wanted to warn me that my Father is branching out. He's been making some British friends with names like Malfoy, Goyle, Mendez, and Snape. Are you sure he's still locked up? I don't think an alliance between the Malfoy's and the Lennox's would be a good thing."

"Where are Jimmy and Lily?" Harry made a conscience effort to say Jimmy's name first. "Are they alright?"

Jen nodded. "Yes. Nobody even knows about them, the only Lennox that even knows they exist is Thom."

"Draco Malfoy knows they exist." Harry urged.

"Yes, but he doesn't know where to look." Jen looked up at Harry. "Thom and Rick are still bound to that spell to keep me hidden. No one will be able to find them except those we tell."

"But David found you." Harry was growing weary of having to remind them of this.

"But not the twins." She shook her head. "He wouldn't even know to look for them." She stopped and suddenly looked at Sirius. "Your name is Black."

"Yes. As yours will be soon."

Abruptly she stood. "No, it already is! The spell is for Jennifer Lennox, not Roxanne Black! That's how David knew to floo here!" She looked at Harry, then Remus. "Oh my god." Then back to Sirius, who was standing with Remus. "That's how he found me! I never changed my name back!" Then grabbed a handful of floo powder, tossed it into the fireplace and shouted, "Black flat!" and vanished.

########## ###

The moment Jen flooed to her flat she realized her wand was still lying on Sirius's nightstand. She briefly thought of returning for it, but before she could make up her mind to retieve it her brother's voice stopped her.

"You finally made it." Kenton stood in the center of the living area with Jimmy and Lily at his feet. They were bound back-to-back and gagged. Neither was struggling, they both knew better than to fight magical bonds, but both looked as though they'd put up a fight. Their robes were torn, and both looked to have received 'Crucio' more than once. Kenton was just as imposing as Jen remembered he'd been when they were children. All 6'4, 220 pounds of him. He wore a forest green cloak over his tailored robes. His dark hair was cut shorter than she remembered it and his blue eyes were still penetrating. He almost looked militant. "I was beginning to wonder if you would ever show up."

"What do you want?" Jen asked trying to mask her fear.

A different, yet familiar, voice answered that query, "You should already know that." Her sister Jeanne stood from a chair by the table. She wore no cloak, only royal blue robes that were also tailored to show her near flawless curves. Her long black hair was braided loosely down her back allowing a few strands to decorate her fair face. She smiled brightly at Jennifer, but her dark eyes showed only distaste. "All he ever wants is a nice bottle of whiskey and a good fuck."

"I only keep cinnamon whiskey. And as for the other," She eyed her brother. "You won't be finding that here."

"Oh, I don't know," Kenton squatted next to Lily, who looked back at him defiant. "My niece is awfully pretty." He grabbed her face to look appraisingly, "Still a virgin?"

Jeanne snickered, "Oh, Kenny likes virgins."

Lily jerked her head away, and from the look in her eyes, had she not been gagged she'd have spat on him. "And feisty to boot. This could be fun."

The popping of Apparition came moments before another voice. "Get away from my daughter." Sirius's voice was thick with contempt. Kenton stood and turned to see Sirius standing behind Jen with his wand raised.

"Sirius Black." Kenton grinned. "I've been waiting a long time for this." The two had never before met, but Kenton had heard all kinds of stories about Sirius Black. His father had told him that Jennifer had been tied to him in the past, but it wasn't until just yesterday they all realized Jen and Sirius actually had children. He was looking forward to the opportunity match his guile against the only man to ever escape Azkaban. And Sirius had been waiting years to release some aggression onto the man that had spent so many hours tormenting Jen.

"Indeed." Sirius matched his grin. "I reckon this is going to be fun." Sirius kept his eyes trained on Kenton with a widening smile.

Slowly Jen was inching her way towards Jeanne. She didn't have a chance against Kenton without a wand, but was fairly confidant Sirius could best him. Even guessing that Harry and Remus were close by, without her wand she could only fight Muggle style. She hated that. However, somebody had to cover Jeanne.

"All right then." With a quick glance to Jeanne then back to his opponent, Kenton said, "Let's dance."

At once they all moved. Jen ducked out of Jeanne's curse and lunged at her sister grabbing her around the waist, taking them both over the table. Sirius and Kenton simultaneously threw and dodged curses that left scorch marks on the walls behind where the other just stood.

Jen managed to squirm behind her sister, trying to disarm her or at the very least stay away from the wand tip. She could hear several crashes and thumps as stray curses hit odd objects throughout the apartment. "God Dammit!" She rolled Jeanne over, now trying to pin her, "It took a long time to decorate this place!"

"You should have hired a decorator!" Jeanne shouted, trying to worm away from her younger sister. "I've never seen a more pathetic apartment in my life!"

"Not bad, Black," Kenton said dodging a curse, but when it shattered a mirror behind him, the Lennox shook his head in mock sympathy. "That's bad luck. Although that luck curse is already on you. You'll have to do better."

"Now!" Sirius bellowed and shot another curse.

Jen chanced a glance back, giving Jeanne the opportunity to break free, and saw Harry Apparate on the twins and then the three of them disappear.

"No!" Kenton shouted, looking at the now vacant spot on the floor.

"Oh no!" Jeanne looked terrified, "Oh no!" then turned to Jen and shouted, "Crucio!"

"Expelliarmus!" Remus's command managed to disarm Jeanne, but not before her curse hit Jen.

Jen screeched in pain. It had been a long time since she felt that curse. She buckled onto the floor feeling her body explode.

Jeanne spun to see who had taken her wand, and her eyes grew very wide. "The werewolf," she realized alloud. Her eyes flicked to Kenton, who was still dueling with Sirius. "Maybe Dad won't kill us." She smiled.

Jen recognized that tone. She looked up and saw Remus staring at Jeanne, holding his wand at her. Trying to overcome the pain, Jen tried to stand. She remembered her father's fascination with dark creatures, and knew he would just love to have a werewolf in his 'collection'. She saw the hungry look in Jeanne's eyes. A look that reminded Jen how she would be rewarded for delivering Remus to her father.

"Kenny! I think we have something almost as good as what we came for."

Kenton looked at his sister briefly, and when he saw Remus his eyes glinted. Knowing Sirius would eventually lead the Lennox's to Jen, he and Jeanne had spent an extensive amount of time and energy finding out as much about Sirius Black and all those associated with him. Kenton knew his father would be thrilled to finally have a werewolf, not to mention one so close to Jennifer. While dodging one of Sirius's curses, he fumbled in his robes saying, "Pater Praedico." and tossed a small sphere at Remus. "Wolfman! Catch!"

Startled, Remus held his hand out reflexively.

"Remus! No!" Jen fought past the pain of the curse and tried to intercept the sphere, but their hands closed over it together.

They vanished.

Horrified, Sirius turned back to Kenton and raised his wand, but a loud crack startled him before he could cast his curse. He spun around to see Jeanne howl in pain and fall to the floor, clutching her side. Blood immediately began to stain the carpet around her. Sirius turned back to Kenton when he heard the popping of Disapparition then saw a very angry, very pale Rick standing in the hall in front of Jen's room pointing- was that a gun? -At Jeanne. The man looked to have been beaten, with one eye swelling and traces of blood around his mouth.

"Stupid fuck! Point a wand at me?" Rick shouted at Jeanne, "Ya! It hurts doesn't it! You can't counter-curse a goddamned bullet!"

In two strides Sirius was pulling Jeanne up and slamming her into the wall. "Where are they?"

Despite her obvious pain, Jeanne smiled. "She's back where she belongs." Then coughed blood into her mouth.

"Move over." Rick said coldly from beside Sirius. The wizard didn't move but heard a clicking that sounded a bit like a latch.

"Does that hurt?" Rick snarled at Jeanne "I think I hit your kidney. You only need one so its not fatal, but then I may decide the next one should hit somewhere more important." He then shoved the barrel under her chin. "I believe he asked you a question." He seemed to be taking this attack very personally. Rick was as enraged as Sirius.

"You'll never get them back." Jeanne was failing to look menacing. "Even if you do, you won't want her anymore." She did manage a snarl at Sirius, after that.

The popping of Apparition introduced another voice. "Sirius," Harry said. "You can't kill her." With the little information he'd gotten from Sirius, Harry knew the Lennox's were going to try to get at Jennifer and the twins. He Portkeyed the twins to The Weasley's shop then returned to help, but he was obviously too late. He looked around the room and realized Jen and Remus were gone. "We'll need her help to get Jen and Remus back."

"I'll die before I help you." Jeanne coughed again, sounding more strangled.

"You'll die anyway." Sirius turned back on her. "How much you help us will determine how painfully."

"Or slowly. That wound may not be fatal but I do believe even witches can bleed to death." Rick added, pushing on his gun for emphasis. "Although another well placed bullet could hurry that along. Where's Thomas?"

"Like we'd waste time on that faggot." Jeanne was growing paler and struggling to keep her eyes open.

"Sirius, Rick." Harry stepped up and put a hand around the barrel of Rick's gun, pulling it back. "The Muggles will be curious about what all the ruckus was. We need to get out of here before they arrive. And before this woman bleeds to death on Jen's nice carpet."

Rick stepped back, giving a glance about the destroyed room. The walls were still smoking in places where dodged spells had found a target, and most of Jen's furniture and decorations had been destroyed. Jen was going to be furious when she saw this room.

Sirius still held the criminal against the wall. "You are going to tell us where they are." Jeanne's head was slowly dropping and her breathing was growing thin.

"Sirius," Harry grabbed his arm, suddenly urgent. "We are going to need her alive! And if we don't get her some help, she's going to die."

Sirius still glared at Jen's sister. "Where are the twins?"

"With Fred and George." Harry pushed Sirius away from the bleeding woman and laid her on the floor. "They have so many wards around that Joke shop no one will ever be able to find them. Now take this," he tried to hand Sirius the frame they'd used as the Portkey to get them outside Jen's flat. "I've recharmed it. It will take you three to the joke shop. I'll clean up this mess and follow." He stood in front of his Godfather. "And Sirius, don't be rash. Lily and Jimmy are a mess and really need you. And I suggest you get some kind of a Muggle nurse to get that bullet out of that bitch. I don't think many medi-wizards are familiar gunshot wounds."

"What in the hell happened here?" Thomas's stunned voice shouted from the doorway.

They all wheeled around to see Thom standing with a large brown bag in his arms.

"Where have you been?" Sirius thundered at him, and took three great steps toward him. "You were supposed to be protecting Lily and Jimmy!"

"Excuse me?" Thomas roared back, confused.

"He didn't know, Sirius," Rick stated as he walked to Thom and took the bag from him, and then set it on the floor and hugged Thomas tightly. "Jen asked me to fill him in when he arrived. When he didn't show up after so long, I figured they'd already taken him."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" He pushed Rick back, and looked around his sister's completely trashed apartment. "And who are 'they'?"

"Your family," Sirius growled, obviously trying to contain his anger. "They showed up here and were trying to take Jen and the twins. We sort of foiled that plan, but not before your insufferably wicked brother Kenton, threw some sort of sphere at Remus. Jen tried to intercept it but only managed to catch it when Remus did."

"And now they're both gone," Thomas said as a statement, not a question. To avoid the inevitable questions, he went on to explain, "It's a talisman my father insisted all his children carry." He shook his head slightly. "I can't believe he still uses it. At any time it can be used as a Portkey to take you to him. It works both ways. He can call you and off you go, or you can cast it yourself and jump to Daddy's side." His sarcasm was evident, until he noticed Rick was holding a gun. "What are you doing with that?" Then he saw his sister behind Harry and Sirius, bleeding on the floor. "Jeanne?"

"Faggot," His sister sneered through coughs filled with blood from the floor.

"Jesus Christ!" Thom spat stepping towards his sister. "What in the hell is going on?"

"Sirius has already told you all we know," Harry tried to calmly explain, stepping between Thomas and Jeanne. "Jen just sort of flipped out when she figured out how they found her."

"How did they find her?" Thom hollered at Harry. "Nobody could've gotten around my spell! No one!"

"How do you think?" Rick said with disgust. "Exactly like I said they would!" Then turned and looked directly at Sirius. "I told her not to tell the twins about you! I told her all it would do is bring trouble. But she didn't listen to me!" He was actually snarling at Sirius. "No, she said Sirius would never hurt them. What a laugh! Ever since she unfolded that paper all you've brought to this family is pain!" spontaneously he threw his hands into Sirius's chest, shoving him back. "How do you sleep at night, knowing all this is you're fault?"

Harry stepped in front of Sirius before he could respond, knowing how violent it could be. "Don't." he said firmly.

"I'm their Father!" Sirius shouted over Harry.

Rick laughed almost hysterically. "Their Father? Who do you think your trying to kid?" he stepped closer. "Huh? Who do you think explained to Lily why the boys were teasing her at school? Who do you think sat Jimmy down and explained to him what was happening in his pants when he hit puberty? Huh? It certainly wasn't you!"

"You have no right to talk to me like that!" Sirius tried to push past Harry.

"I've been more of a father to those kids than you will ever be!" Rick shot a finger at Sirius over Harry's shoulder. "You think just because you fucked Jen and she gave them your name you're their father? There's a helluva a lot more to it than that!" Thom stepped in front of Rick trying to hold him back from Sirius. "But then you haven't taken the time to figure that out, now have you?"

"Alright!" Thom shouted, stilling the argument. "This is neither the time nor place for this."

A weak snicker from Jeanne turned the men's heads. She'd managed to edge herself up on an elbow. When sure she had all their attention she smiled. "A faggot and a traitor fighting for claiming rights on a couple of bastards." She giggled more loudly. "Dad was so wrong. You are like a bunch of clay pigeons just waiting to be shot down. We don't need help from anyone in England."

Thom stepped away from Rick and crossed to stand in front of Jeanne's head. "Do you really want me to have to shut you up?"

Jeanne looked up at him with a grin. "Take your best shot. Fag."

"Fine." Then kicked his boot heel across her face, knocking her unconscious to the floor. "They should've let Rick kill your sorry ass."

"Thom!" Harry shouted, "we need her alive!"

"No," a new voice creaked. "We really don't" Alastor Moody stepped from the grate in the fireplace and looked at the group. "Although were she alive it would make my job much easier."

Thom turned and looked at the newcomer. "How long have you known about this?" He demanded.

Grimly, Alastor looked at Thom. "Known which? That you're family is quite dangerous, or that Jennifer and Remus have been taken? You should know better than to ask such an idiotic question." Then took inventory of the room. "However, I will give you a bit of leniency."

"Moody!" Harry said crossings to stand in front of his mentor. "What are you doing here?"

Alastor looked at Harry, then past him to Thom and raised an eyebrow in question.

Thom shook his head. "I don't know. He's still training."

Harry looked between his Mentor and Thomas, realizing the two already knew each other judging by their familiarity. "What's going on?" Harry asked, a bit more quietly.

"Quite a bit more than you know," Moody explained to Harry. "But now is not the time to go into details." Flashing red lights started glaring through the windows. "You are going to take Mr. Black and Mr. Scarpaccio to Lily and James." Then looked at Thom. "We will stay and deal with this situation."

"What about this bitch?" Sirius demanded, slightly kicking Jeanne's unconscious body.

Thom laid a hand on Sirius's shoulder. "We can handle her as well." Then turned to his lover. "Go take care of the kids. They're going to need you right now."

Rick nodded. "Don't take to long. They'll need you as well."

Thomas nodded and looked at Harry and Sirius. "You need to get out before the Police burst through that door."

Even though filled with unanswered questions, Harry pointed at the frame and quietly cast the Portus spell. "Rick, Sirius." He held his hand above the frame waiting for the other two to join him. Rick did not hesitate, but Sirius looked at Thomas.

"Those children are mine. Not yours." He said moving to stand beside Harry.

"I know." Thomas said, probably just to pacify the man. "And right now they should be your focus. Not me and not Rick."

Sirius nodded once, firmly, then reached his hand to the frame.

Once the three vanished, Thom looked at Moody. "How did we not see this coming?"

Mad-eye shook his head and looked at Jeanne's unconsciensce body. "We should have."