chapter two ... (WE GO) BACK to BLACK

𓃠

EVERYTHING GETS out of hand almost immediately after everyones favorite father and daughter duo used the Floo to enter into Twelve Grimmauld Place.

Eve can't say her life is boring.

It all started with her feet steadying, then making sure Beetz was set down gently, and then her checking to see if no damn soot stained her perfect babydoll dress to the point of no repair or spell salvaging - and then before Eve even knew it, her father had his wand out. Saul was charging towards someone, a man, and throwing him up against the nearby wall of the drawing room like a rag-doll. Yeah that looks about right... Though Saul made it a thing to keep his business away from Eve, she knew to look the other way. She sighed, then calmly picked up her cat quicker than she had set him down. Then she got a good look at who her father had pinned- Oh. Her blood feels cold and she knows her hands have probably gone clammy. She feels bad for Beetz who, as usual, simply lets her hug him for comfort.

No damn way?

It was him. Her uncle.

Not Dain, and definitely not Oberon (who, if you really want to get all technical, is not so much her uncle the way he is her biological first-cousin once removed... but whatever, he's her godfather, too, as well as her pseudo uncle so she calls him such) but no, the man that her father has in a super ouch position is her mothers brother. The wanted one. The alive one.

Sirius Black.

The universe is messing with her, right?

It's gotta be.

The proof was there however way she wanted to look at it. He looked nearly identical to his wanted photos - except he was wearing clothes a few sizes too big for him. Clearly one of her other uncles had lent him some stuff, but his prison-wrought frame was too thin for any of it. Eve could see the various tattoos that littered his pale skin as well. His hair was a mangled mess of dark curls but at least pulled out of his face with a sparkly pink hair tie. Cecily or Lorelei's most likely. Sirius Black was right in front of her. The first tie to Eve's mother besides her uncle Oberon or her auntie Andromeda that she had ever known.

Sirius met her eyes, probably feeling her stare.

It was impossible to miss the grimace that overcame his features - Eve shrinks within herself. She gets it. She knows what she is and she can't imagine what Sirius must believe whilst looking at his sisters only daughter. In his old house. Practically wearing her face. Then again, Eve remembers the guy did like, murder people so let's maybe not have the judging card out.

"Marvelous," came Oberon's voice as he walks in. He seemed in good spirits; he immediately went over to pull Eve into his arms, pressing a kiss to her temple. Her uncle was wearing the silk button-up Eve had gotten him last fall - she knew it would look good on him, with his sharp cheekbones and perpetual Victorian Era Gloom. Oberon then leveled the men in a weak tussle with a frown, as if they were bickering children. "Well. This scene certainly gets the awkwardness out of the way. Now, we've all met one another have we? Sirius, that your niece there, wave hello, Eve love," Eve does so because why not. "Oh, and Saul, that's Sirius - Sirius, that's your nieces' father. Should we get to the dining room for the celebration-?"

Saul wasn't amused, "Oberon."

"Saul-be gentle. You'll ruin the wallpaper."

"Screw the wallpaper."

"It's vintage," Eve pouts, finally setting down Beetz once again and letting him run off, "Just let him go."

Everyone looks at her. Even Sirius, but Eve simply shrugs at them, "He's obviously not a threat. No one would've let him in, plus uncle Oberon doesn't seem hyper fidgety, and doesn't even have his wand," Eve points to a wand that's on the coffee table nearby and just the overall fact that it doesn't seem to be a problem to anyone but her father that a wanted wizard is in their family home. "And daddy, you're towering over the guy, we all know you can take him - Malecrit, relax."

Saul tightens his grip, "Not until someone explains to me, no British wit involved, what exactly he's doing here..."

This time Sirius speaks, "Well, I was enjoying a very well made scone-"

"Not you, pal," Saul snaps, "Oberon? Explanation."

Oberon relents. "First, let's sit down - Eve, darling, go find your cousins upstairs, yes? I'll have Kreacher send for you when we'll start everything." He rubs her back soothingly, "Oh, but wait - first, a very grand CONGRATULATIONS!" With a snap of his fingers, the hanging decor that Eve hadn't noticed until then, turned into variations of olive, emerald, and silver colors. Glitter even fell on her. The green banners kept shifting like scales on a snake. Eve supposed this was all very Slytherin of her uncle. "I was Slytherin myself as you know - you'll love the dungeons. It's all your style. Best view of any House considering, best common room as well, and I don't say that lightly..."

From her fathers grasp, Sirius makes a scoffing noise. Well. Someone was not agreeing with those statements - Eve frowns as Oberon awkwardly clears his throat. Her uncle Dain finally enters the drawing room, looking calm and cool.

He hugs Eve tightly, "Hello, little love... you're a sight to see as usual." Uncle Dain greets her with the same softness he's given her since she was a baby. He smooths out her hair as he says, "So, it took one of you being sorted into Slytherin for Phineas Nigellus to absolutely lose it? Hasn't shut up all morning, the git..." He laughed a little, then looked up to see Saul still holding Sirius against the wall. Again, still calm as ever. "Hello Saul, mate. Good day so far...?"

"It'll get better when I start getting some answers."

Eve groans, "Dad-"

"Listen to your uncle," says Saul, "Go upstairs."

"Shouldn't I know what's going on-?"

Dain pats her back, "All in due time, love. Tell your cousins to wash up. Dinners almost ready," He steers her out of the sitting room and towards the hall where the stairs were. Eve begrudgingly allows her feet to go up them as Dain tells her, "It'll be worth it. Oberon made sure there is a large and warm marble cake with your name on it - quite literally. Ty went ahead and put icing on it - he tried to spell your name. Try being the word. It's only three letters... Merlin bless my sweet son, it looks a mess."

"Cake is cake," says Eve, a bit pacified.

Her uncle smiles. "Go on."

She stops her ascent on the stairs. "Can you tell me this - did he actually... do it?"

It's a fair question to ask, Eve thinks. The summer before when Sirius Black's name first got into the papers, Eve was already near the Pyrenees Moutains. Far from any presumed danger. She read the paper once, put it down, and paused her Walkman. It was playing The Bangles, Manic Monday. Eve read it again, threw the paper away, started her music back up and then went to go buy herself a slice of cake from the bakery at Beauxbatons. She ate it and stared off to space and did her best to savor the taste and not cry.

Eve's own way of decompressing, if you will...

Saul was on higher alert but then her ordeal happened and he focused on that. Besides, neither Dain or Oberon ever sent word of extreme caution besides: we'll keep in touch. Jaime had sent her owls of: Can you believe it? The bloke actually escaped? Which were followed by her quick and clever response: I'll believe it when I see it to which Jaime had replied No??? Let's not see it!!! Their contact was bleaker after that, uncharacteristically so, but Eve was at fault in that respect. She was too busy in shame over Charmspeaking ten girls into werewolves to worry about her mum's prison escapee of a brother.

Dain went to cup her face. "Your uncle Sirius has been through a lot for very many years. He had to do some things... we all did back then, it was war, but never -" He stops himself to tell Eve very softly, his hand still on her cheek, "Sirius did not hurt a soul. Especially not anyone who trusted him..."

Eve takes in the words. Sirius did not hurt a soul.

"Is he in danger?"

"The Ministry is still looking for him."

"So in other words," She realizes that Dain is saying that her uncle was framed, "They're ignoring the person who really did do it because the Ministry is bunch of tunnel visioned losers."

Dain nods, "We will all have to extra cautious..."

"Does he want to be here?" Eve asks, twisting the rings on her fingers. "It didn't really look like it - and I only saw his face getting pushed into the wallpaper but even I could see that much."

Dain smiles, "Sirius grew up here. He doesn't particularly like this house... But he's got very few other choices I'm afraid." There was a small frown on her uncles lips, "Like I said, he's been through so much. We'll just have to give him some time to figure out what he'll do next, for his own benefit and the family. This is all new to him - the freedom. He's adjusting but... it'll be some time." Dain pulls her in for a hug she needs, "I imagine your fathers harsh greeting is more of the language Sirius is used to getting..."

Eve sees Beetz rush past her, up the stairs.

There's a sudden choir of: "...Betelgeuse!"

He's found her cousins.

"You know where to find me," says Eve, trudging up the ancient steps of the even more ancient home.

⭑

AS IS THE NEWEST tradition - the portraits that used to litter the walls in the corridor of each floor, each a cursed generation of her mothers family, all varying in their viciousness, were all gone and stored in the attic. There were some, like her grandmother Walburga's, that were spelled with a permanent Sticking Charm which made it so removing her portrait was totally out of question. It's why a sheet was usually hung over it but the ever-loyal-to-the-wicked-witch House Elf would take it down - Eve's even tried to draw a mustache on Walburga's portrait several times to no avail. Devil tails and horns, too. Kreacher never lets even a speck of dust land on the likeness of his mistress but he won't bother himself to clean much of anything else...

Oberon made it so it wasn't a scary place for them to grow up in when they visited on holiday every year. It was another agreed upon thing between Eve's father and uncles: Grimmauld Place every holiday. Be there. Something about how this home was supposedly unplottable, which was important to three war-weary men, and though Islington wasn't exactly screaming vacation worthy, it made for a wonderfully traditional Christmastime location for perhaps the most Christmas crazed place in the world. It was all very practical and another thing Oberon sought to make bearable in his pursuit to change the stain on the House of Black. Eve wouldn't trade the memories in this house for anything. It makes Eve sad at times, to think a place like this-one filled with memories of the most spectacular bake-offs, dance parties, and broom riding heists-was once the epicenter for so much unhappiness and suffocation for people like her uncle Oberon... at by the brief look of it, Sirius, too.

On the second floor Eve hears a weird noise coming from one of the bedrooms. It sounds like an animal. She just ignores it; there are still rooms and a few floors they never got to really cleaning - Jaime once found a few Doxies in a cupboard that almost bit them all.

"Miss Marcela..." says a gravelly voice.

Eve spots Kreacher coming down the stairs with a feather duster in his hand. "Oh, no, I'm not... It's me, Kreacher, it's Caoim-it's Eve, Marcela's daughter. Remember?" She greets the strange little worker, "You, um, working hard or hardly working...?" The house elf only stared up at her. "I think I saw a bit of lint on grandmothers portrait on the way up."

"Mistress is not happy with the blood-traitor back..."

Blood-traitor? Oh.

He means Sirius.

Eve scowls, "Well, your mistress is dust - so tough."

Kreacher mutters on, "Mistress would not like to have her precious daughter near the blood-traitors and their constant filth..." Eve rolls her eyes at his insistence of referring to her as her mum. "Kreacher still cares for and respects his mistress greatly. Miss Marcela was to own this house, it's true, and Kreacher has protected everything his masters have left him-"

"Gráinne has heard enough of you, Kreacher," comes another small, but less grating voice.

Eve's face lights up. It's Gráinne.

"Crack on with you. Leave my Caoimhe be, you-"

This is who Eve considers her grandmother if she's being honest. Gráinne is a free little elf woman who used to work for Saul's birth parents - the wealthy Irish pureblood couple, Rhys and Oona Peregrine, until Saul inherited everything and freed her. She decided to help him raise his daughter instead of going off. Every nappy, every colicky night, Gran was there. She usually follows them every holiday, too but lately likes to reside in Cork, over in Peregrine House. Saul says it's because she's getting older...

The sight of her now, Gráinne was yawning, scratching the tuffs of silver hair on her head was a small surprise. Clearly she'd just woken up, if her nightgown and slippers are any indication. Good. Eve thinks she deserves rest for doing the work Kreacher won't bother himself with...

Kreacher curls a lip at Gráinne. "You!"

"Aye, me..." replies Gráinne.

"Traitor."

"Eejit."

Kreacher sneers, "Freedom is a disgrace-!"

"OK. Bye-bye Kreacher," Eve tells him pointedly. The elf is gone with a respect tip of his head to her and a snap. She turns over to Gráinne and beams at her, "Total dosser. Anyway. Have a good sleep, Gran? Were you totally knackered?"

"Oh, yes, Gráinne always sleeps very well ... Gráinne worked a little bit more yesterday while settling in," The elf greets as she walks slowly more into the corridor. She snaps her fingers and a teacup appears. She drinks it slowly. "Did my Caoimhe get sorted after all? Will my Caoimhe start Hogwarts school?" Only Gráinne can call her that name.

Eve tells her, "I'll be in Slytherin."

"Slytherin! Gráinne knows you'll do so well..." Eve crouched down to her height and opened her arms. She needed a hug. Plus Gráinne always smelt of cinnamon for some reason - it reminded Eve of home. The aged Elf snapped away her tea cup and walked slowly into Eve's awaiting embrace and held her tightly. "Ooh, how nice. Is my Caoimhe alright?"

"Of course - I wanted a hug."

"Sweet Caoimhe," Gran pats her cheek. "Did you eat?"

Eve smiles, "I will eat, soon."

"Gráinne knows eating makes you stronger."

"If you say so, then it is."

The elf woman smiles at her, going to cup her face with her gentle, aged hands. "My Caoimhe... I'll hurry up that meal. Gráinne must always make sure her precious girl has eaten well before the night ends. Her dear Saul must eat, too... no skipping meals." She walks around Eve and down the stairs, probably going to see what was holding dinner up. Eve didn't have the heart to tell her there was a scuffle going on downstairs that included her dad...

Eve sighs. She continues her trek to the next floor but stops suddenly at the sight of a mirrors reflection. It's no such thing. What Eve thought is her reflection on a mirror hanging in the hallway, is realized to be nothing of the sort - the girl Eve sees is a little paler, rougher, and her eyes are the color of mahogany. They're dark and surprisingly full of laughter.

It's not a mirror.

It's Marcela.

A moving portrait of Eve's mother, looking seventeen, is hung on the wall. It hadn't been on the wall last christmas... Eve looks it more. Her uncles -Sirius and Regulus-are on either side of Marcela. They all look so young. The Marcela in the moving portrait laughs midway at something her brothers say to her-punching their arms, fondness alight in her dark eyes-before settling back in a prideful posture, posing for the picture.

Eve feels her dragonfly bracelet, or more accurately, the malachite gem in the middle, grow warm...

⭑

ITS ON THE third floor, which was decorated with even more proof of her Sorting, that Eve finds all her cousins. Well one of them. Of course it's Jaime. He was in the room that he claimed as his own when they first started spending holidays here - Jaime, Lorelei, Eve, and Cecily were eight, six, five, and three respectively. (Coincidentally, that was also the years Oberon, Dain, and Saul started affectionaly calling them the monsters...) Tiberius and baby Astrid hadn't been born yet and her grandmother Walburga had just passed on leaving the home in her granddaughter's name...

The room that Jaime occupies mimics that of the Muggle rooms that teenage boys in sitcoms have; except, there are no American football team memorabilia or biker chicks in bikinis - (like one room used to have) Jaime instead, has various posters of Freddie Prinze Jr. and one of River Phoenix with Keanu Reeves that she hadn't seen at Christmas... Eve finds these way more pleasing to stare at, because well, duh. Eye candy.

"Ooh, Freddie and Keanu now? Plus a whole In Memoriam for sweet River..." says Eve, making herself known as she walks in his room. Her smile is bright, "We're so related, James Black."

Her cousin springs from his bed, yanking off the headphones he was wearing. He beams at the sight of her, rushing over, "Right, because I had doubt about that..." Jaime clutched his chest for dramatic effect. "As you can see, I finally watched My Own Private Idaho. It's my new personality for the rest of the year. You were right again, poppet."

"Well - my word is God."

"Says the Charmspeaker." He winks.

"It's Muggle culture. Keep up, pet."

Jaime sighs, "I'll watch Heathers next - promise, lad."

"We'll watch it together. Make it a tradition now, before we leave for school," Eve plops down on his beanbag chair. It makes a noise that tickles her brain in a good way. "I'll be Eve Chandler, of course. You'll be Eve Duke and Lorelei can be Eve McNamara-"

"Uh, I'm more of a Jason Dean," comes a voice from the door. Lorelei stands there, crossed armed. Her voice is hoarse for a girls but many have said it's nice sounding, though rarely anything Lorelei says is ever nice; the same way Eve is ailed with Charmspeaking, Lorelei has a little problem with her magic, it tends to be muddled by her feeling too much of anything - healers at St. Mungo's have to make her a potion every month to help make sure a literal Obsurcus doesn't fester inside her. Again, glory be to the House of Black. Lorelei simply looks at Eve with those pretty, bored eyes of hers, "Just on the case of being an aspiring anarchist. So, yeah, JD to your Veronica Sawyer actually. She suits you much better. You'd be a horrible blonde..."

Eve scrunches her nose. "Well I'm not snogging you."

"Well, duh..."

Jaime makes a face, "Glad we settled that - else we'll really be the House of Black."

Lorelei looks pointedly at her. Eve's cousin isn't known either for being the most tactful person. While Eve fights to mind her words, Lorelei doesn't seem to care to ever soften the blow of hers. "Another gossipy thing the Daily Prophet can write about, I guess."

They read the Daily Prophet.

Of course they did.

Her cousins aren't immune to the writings of the Daily Prophet - which means everyone else in their word must believe it, too. Everyone she'll be off to school with in September. Malecrit. Any hope for a fresh start at Hogwarts was likely ruined by that absolute cow Rita Skeeter.

Eve feels her stomach clench.

Jaime, as usual, noticed her mood and saves her, "Enough about Skeeter. So, poppet, we saw the all decorations turn colors... a Slytherin, huh? I can't see it, but maybe 'cause I bet on you wearing yellow with me and Lor, but alas green is your color - still, how you feeling?" Eve loved her cousin. Truly, she wished Jaime was her brother over the one she shares a mother with but she loved Jaime infinitely more in that moment for passing through the much anticipated topic of her Beauxbatons Expulsion. "We'll be there for you of course but, you nervous at all?"

"Not really," Eve frowns.

"That's good. Maybe it'll hit on the train."

"Yes, like all great panic attacks - the day of is best."

"Well, there's impressions to be made." He jokes.

Lorelei snorts, "Well you'll make one either way. I'd bet my record collection that Sirius is on edge," She says as she leads her head on the doorframe. "Not just because Minister Fudge has the entire Auror Department after him, but now with what's in the paper and the princess being sorted into Slytherin... I reckon he'll be getting some Deja Vu."

Putain de merde - that's what Eve would've said a year ago, up in the Pyrenees based school. When French was the forefront of her language choices and she was watching girls bully someone they consisted inferior.

"How cinematic..." Is what she says now.

"That's been the whole summer," Jaime tells her.

They note her interest and give Eve a quick rundown of their holiday: Oberon and Dain suddenly whisked them up in the middle of the school year once Sirius Black was sighted at Hogwarts. Apparently, those who knew of him, thought Sirius was only after Harry Potter with the intention of killing him to avenge Voldemort. Now, in less cultured terms, Harry Potter is simply the Boy Who Lived-but who is, basically, like if post Johnny Depp-Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves had an immaculate magical miracle baby, sent to them by angel River Phoenix, but replace the drug addictions to the addiction of being in permanent chaos-you'll get Harry Potter. Needless to say, he's is arguably the most famous boy in their world.

(It's odd to hear Harry's name spoken of now, so casually. By her cousins who go to school with him, who know him, who are friends with him. Eve supposes she'll know him, too, soon enough? Jaime gives his glowing approval of Harry, which means a lot in Eve's opinion; everyone loved Jaime but it was Jaime's opinion of someone that mattered to her most...)

Regardless - Sirius was not there to harm Harry last year. Especially since, Jaime tells her, Harry is Sirius' godson. Lorelei goes on to tell her how it was actually a man named Peter Pettigrew who betrayed Lily and James Potter to Voldemort and killed twelve Muggles fourteen years ago to cover it up. But shit happened at Hogwarts and no one could prove it to the Ministry, hence, Sirius' need to lay low and stay with them. (Oh and something about him arriving on a Hippogriff he keeps in the master bedroom.... yeah.) Until Sirius can clear his name - Lorelei also adds that the Expose on Eve and their family wasn't helping with public opinion either...

"Cool it, Lor," Jaime warns.

"I only meant that her mum had the same-"

"Merlin - don't mean anything!"

"Oh, you're so sensitive," Lorelei glares at her older brother. She turns back to her cousin with a softer gaze than she's ever worn, "Eve knows what I meant. Don't you?"

Eve sighs, "I did - but you're still crude."

Lorelei shrugs, "It runs in the family..."

"I thought it was nobility?" Jaime frowns.

"Obviously," Eve drawls, "But look at us, we're all far too pretty. None of us are like, brainless either. There had to be a fault somewhere."

Eve thinks about all of this longer. Downstairs, her father was likely being given the same information her cousins just gave her about Sirius. No doubt the constantly cool and collected Saul Peregrine was the way he always is when he's met with a problem: pragmatic. Eager to act if course but more inclined to take in reason if the end goal was keeping his dimpled-daughter safe and sound...

"You're also kinda right though. Sirius couldn't even look at me when we arrived," Eve confesses, looking at both of her cousins for a moment, "I'm sure your dad put the portrait up in the hall or maybe it was Kreacher, doing it to unnerve everyone - you two must've seen it. I look just like her, don't I? Like Marcela..." Her cousins, albeit hesitant, nod after a moment. Eve just rubs her eyes. "It must give him the creeps."

"It's got very little to do with you I'm sure," says Jaime.

Eve knows he's trying to assure her. "Perhaps."

"Not so fast, brother of mine," Lorelei holds out a hand as her eyes narrow. "It's also not out of the realm of possibility that it's got quite literally everything to do with Eve..."

Jaime glares at her, "You're not helping, Lorelei."

"It's possible as all I'm saying," Lorelei defends her theory calmly, "The bloke doesn't talk to anyone - it could be that he has a problem with all of us. The house of Black... maybe he thinks it was better off in ruins than what our dad is trying to do? Who knows..."

The cousins all stay quiet, taking in the words in the solemn way they always have since they were old enough to understand all the bad their family name came with.

Eve frowns, sitting up, "But I've done nothing to him though. He's never even met me before all this... he must also know my mum left before I could even know her, either. He doesn't know any of us. It can't be that."

"We know. It's got to do with no one. Lorelei is just being Lorelei," Jaime says making his sister roll her eyes. "Honestly. Dad just says to give Sirius some space," Jaime tells them, then he sighs, "When he first got here on Buckbeak - we didn't really know what to make of him. Our dads don't like to talk about back then." That was Eve's father as well. "All we've ever known about him was how he was in Azkaban... then suddenly he was here. It was weird. He wouldn't speak to anyone but Dad. Oberon. He was just holed up on the fourth floor until he came down for breakfast one day..." Jaime glances at his sister. "You remember, right? He just sat down and then Ty offered him animal crackers and some of his apple juice." Lorelei nods at Jaime's words, smiling. "Ever since he gets on with Ty just fine."

Of course he did. It's Tiberius, easy to love Ty.

Eve smiles, "Ty, that cutie."

"He'll even play with baby Astrid as well," Jaime says.

"Where is the cutie baby sweetie pie? Is she napping?" A slight silver of envy moved through her at her own baby cousins nap time. "Merlin, I wish that were me... I'd love a nap."

Jaime laughs, "Aunt Andromeda had her today. Cecily went along, too. Something about a huge sale on cloaks and you know how Ty never misses a chance to go to Diagon Alley, so he invited himself along. But they'll be here in a while for your sorting party..." He grins at her. "We'll need all the ice breakers we can get - seems anyone above the age of ten is too much for Sirius to tolerate at times..."

"So. Monsters. Let's convene - what's the consensus on him?" Eve asks.

"We haven't really talked about it. Personally, I'm alright with him. But lets ask the great grand judge of the soul," Jaime nudges his sister with a grin. "Well Lor? You've always got a lot to say on someone when you meet them. What's the verdict on our long lost cousin?"

Lorelei hums, "I think... he could stand to use a shave."

Eve rolls her eyes. "Very poetic."

"I'm taking a page from you - minding my words."

"I've got a word in mind for you, alright..."

Jaime just bellows out a laugh. Her words make Lorelei grin ever so slightly. It's a small victory for Eve; she minds her words but she'll be clever however way she likes. Even if it's to her older cousin (by one year) who no one can really go against in terms of verbal warfare. Eve's seen her nearly make a gnome cry before. Jaime jokes that Lorelei would scare a Boggart.

They say nothing more on it because Kreacher appears with strict instructions about them going down for dinner. Lorelei rushes off first - saying how she needs to wash up and everything and write back her best friend, someone named Ginny. Jaime stays with Eve, though. Her cousin doesn't hover the way one might think he should; but he knows Eve wouldn't appreciate that. So he says nothing, not about her expulsion, not about the prophet, nothing. The truth is Jaime just understands Eve. Jaime always understands. He wraps an arm around her as they trudge down the stairs, Eve wincing ever so slightly at her mum's portrait again. She forces herself to look away.

There's no good in going back, her uncles always say.

Eve thinks they're right.

⭑

DINNER HAD BEEN blissfully uneventful. Beetz was off in the corner of the kitchen; drinking warm goat-milk Kreacher set down for him and eating away at whatever Gráinne had prepared on the side. Even with Sirius in attendance, choosing to sit next to baby Astrid in her high-chair whilst Dain fed her buttery mashed potatoes and steamed carrots. It was calm until Tiberius somehow managed to swipe Cecily's wand. He began waving it around, making it snow for a brief moment during their meal - flurries littered all around and over them until Eve's dad his own wand to make it vanish quickly. Impressively, Saul did it without even stopping his chowing of a dinner roll either. He winked at her when she caught his eye - cool man.

"Thank you, Saul," Dain sighs. He then pointed the plastic baby spoon he had in his hand at his children. This meant her uncle was all serious with whatever words he was going to utter to them, "Now. My angel loves. Have we not learned anything about your brother? Do you not know the little menace seated beside you?" Tiberius only at the words as if someone were complimenting him. "What do we say about leaving your wand out?"

Without hesitation, the children recited their well known chorus of a single phrase uttered since Jaime came home from his first year of Hogwarts - and Ty's subsequent wand thievery that enabled chaos around the house let them no choice but for it to be a running phrase. Ty has summoned gnomes to be let loose in the house, made his teddy bears dance, and Eve's personal favorite of enchanting their dinner into a feast of cake one supper time. "Never, ever, leave your wand where Tiberius can get it."

Oberon nods in approval. "Good. You all do well to remember it. I'll make shirts if it helps you really know it..."

"Oooh! I want mine pink, papa," says Cecily, excited as a little protege of Eve can be by the prospect of getting any piece of clothing. Eve taught her well. "I took a magazine quiz from Iona Wood-Lupin's shop in Diagon Alley - it says I'm a summer. Pinks, blues, and whites." She looks at Eve. "What about you Eve? Fancy a specific colour?"

Jaime, incredulous, asks, "How'd we get to chatting about shirt colouring?"

Eve tosses her hair behind her shoulder, quite proud of herself in the moment, "I can Transfigure any conversation into clothes."

"Future Head Girl of Hogwarts everyone."

"If you say so, then it is," Eve winks at her cousins amused face. "And to answer you, Ces, I'll have a brown one," She looks at her uncle Oberon as if she expects him to take it all down, "For practical purposes, brown, but also, I took the same quiz last week, too. I'm sooo autumn."

Cecily smiles, asking suddenly, "What about you Sirius?"

Everyone stiffens.

Surprisingly, the quiet attendee answers, "I'm partial to crimson. Still a Gryffindor all the way through. Now there's a good colour scheme," The words make Oberon scoff in good-nature. It makes everyone smile. "But I'm more of a winter, I believe..."

"I see it," says Eve. That makes Sirius smile. He looks much younger when he smiles. She remembers he's not that old though; none of the men around them are. It makes her feel a teensy bit sad again.

Lorelei blinks. "You've all lost the plot."

"Meaning?" Eve asks.

"Meaning you're both deranged."

Eve beams in agreement, "Ooh - Ces, you reckon there is a quiz for that as well?" Cecily burst into giggles which makes Lorelei roll her eyes.

Dain was smiling as he wiped baby Astrid's mouth clean from her eating. "I'll work on those shirt orders. But, back to the issue at hand - wands out? Watch out."

Ty, who was seated next to Eve, simply leaned on her as he grins wide, "I'll get my own wand soon enough, papa," He says, hinting at how he was going to be ten and nearing Hogwarts acceptance age. Merlin. He was not so little anymore which made Eve miss childhood badly in that moment. "Real soon..."

"We're counting the days, son," says Oberon, wincing.

Jaime adds, "And cost of household valuables."

Everyone lets out a laugh. They've got a running joke that if Tiberius was near glass, his mere presence would break it. Dain can't cherish a flower vase too long before his youngest son somehow smashes it. Slightly offended, Ty only sticks his tongue at his big brother in a very Eve-Type Fashion. She feels a little better at herself. Teaching the youth is such a noble cause for a simple gal.

"Speaking of chaos - you all excited about term starting up again?" Oberon asks the kids as the cake starts being passed out. He hands Astrid a sippy cup full of juice which the baby happily takes. "You know, excited as can be without Quidditch this year?" He looks at Jaime and Lorelei specifically. Jamie was on the Hufflepuff team whilst Lorelei was just the biggest fan in their family. She hadn't been able to secure a position on the Hufflepuff team due to her violent tryouts that consisted of every mock game ending up with the Hogwarts hospital gaining patients. "I could've sworn this year would've been your year Lorelei, love."

"Yeah," Eve smiles, "Isn't like, fifth time the charm?"

"Funny girl." says Lorelei, dryly.

"W - Why is there ..." Ty tries to get out with a mouth full of cake, "Not gonna be Quidditch this year?" He wipes his mouth and uses the table cloth as a napkin. The action makes Eve scoot over on her dad as much as possible.

"Gross," Cecily face scrunches at her little brothers messiness, "Tiberius Black, wipe your hands properly - you're getting cake everywhere and on me-!"

Ty scowls, "No, I'm not-"

"Boy, close your mouth. Manners," Dain tells his youngest son, but he smiles though. He looks at Saul and Oberon when he adds, "There's something going on at Hogwarts this year that would negate all games. It's got to do with the Ministry of Magic..." Dain would know, seeing as how he works at there - he's a Muggle artifact identifier, being Muggle-born himself it's a very stress free job for him. "They're being very hush hush on it so we think it best you all hear it from your headmaster once you get back. Eve, love, don't stress about it when you learn - all corners have been checked. You'll be fine."

Confused, Eve only smiles. "Sure?"

She looks to her cousins. Jaime gives her a shrug whilst Lorelei looks equally suspicious. Nevertheless, they all go back to eating their slices of cake. Eve takes another piece, her fourth one, for good measure.

"So are we going to the World Cup tomorrow?" asks Cecily.

"Probably not, love," says Oberon, "Astrid is too young."

"Who invited the baby?" asks Ty, frowning.

Dain laughs when Astrid makes a shrill noise and smashes her baby hand into the cake in front of her, "No one said you could've gone, either. You're too young, too, love. You'd be staying home with me and the baby." That makes Tiberius sulk even more.

In all honesty, Eve isn't particularly a Quidditch fiend. Sports tend to bore her but she loves a good athlete to stare at. This doesn't mean she isn't good at Quidditch - as a Leo, she sorta strived to be good at everything she tried out. Growing up with Lorelei and Jaime, both very good in the sport themselves, it was inevitable that having mock games in their backyard would happen and Eve would be forced to play. Well, she'd want to win and so she does. She just also chalked it up to simply loving to go ride on her broom. Duh, she's a witch.

"I'm going," says Jaime, "Mr Diggory got me a ticket."

Lorelei makes a face at her brother, "We get it. No need to rub it in - your gorgeous boyfriend and his father love you enough to get you a really good seat at the Qudditch World Cup." She pushes back her curls from her face, "Some of us are alone, okay?"

Eve nods in agreement, "Seriously, James, have some heart..." It really was unfair that Jaime, who was already heart-achingly handsome and sweet and all things nice, was just skyrocketed into golden boy status by dating his best friend Cedric - who was, quite literally, the most beautiful boy Eve had ever laid eyes upon. She'd seen him a few holidays since Jaime began school and made friends with him. He's nearly as gorgeous as their other friend that made up their little Hufflepuff trio, Micah Vance. Truly. Boys should be pretty, it's the least they can do for being, well, boys.

Jaime grins, "Maybe if you two smiled more-ouch! I'm only kidding, Lor, ouch - stop whacking me with your spoon you little beast, Merlin..." He rubbed his shoulder.

At that, Cecily quickly looks at her, "I know you're going to have so many boys who'll fancy you." Eve coughs, bewildered at the words. "Really! You'll be the prettiest girl in Hogwarts, I know it." She says it so genuinely that Eve knows her cheeks are probably red. "You'll be fancied more than Cho Chang, she's in Ravenclaw - everyone thinks she's fit."

"Well she is," says Lorelei. "Her hair? It's so nice..."

"Well Eve's is far nicer," Cecily says, making Eve shake her head at her fondly, "Honest! Trust me, once you're there, I know they'll all just drool..."

"Take 'em a bib, princess," says Saul, disgruntled.

Eve laughs, "I'll do that."

"I also give you permission to stun those little twerps if they start saying anything about fancying you - full permission. I'll tell the Headmaster, too."

"Daddy - you're like, sweating?" Eve blinks.

"I'm not. Just... You worry about your studies and all that. No boys. Settle in and get some friends," Saul set his napkin down. He looked genuinely out of place at the moment, no doubt realizing his daughter was gonna be fourteen and possibly dating. Poor man didn't need to know about her snogging the prettier French boys at Beauxbatons last year before she was expelled. Especially not when he looks so faint now. "No boys, Eve. Promise me? Merlin, not yet, please..."

"Oh, just saddle in, Saul," Oberon says sympathetically. He looks at his children. "No, honest. Brace yourself. Yesterday it feels like they were fighting over chocolate frogs - well, they still do," The kids all grin, "But now my oldest is dating and my girls seem eager to follow along... I wish you'd be eager in your studies, like your uncle Saul says!" Lorelei and Cecily only giggle in response.

Sirius chimes in, "If you're to go for anyone, Eve, my godson is there..."

At that, Lorelei cackles in delight.

Eve is positively mortified.

"I can see that happening, actually," says Jaime, grinning at Eve who is shaking her head at him. But his sisters are nodding like maniacs. "Right?" He clicks his fingers. "I'll talk to him for you, poppet. We're all friends with him and the Gryffindors, right, Lor-?" She's beet red with every passing second.

"Jameson Black," Eve hisses.

"It'll be grand-"

Saul's eyes widen. "Wait a minute, Harry Potter-?"

"Yes. He's a good lad." Sirius agrees with Jaime, ignoring Saul's attempt for the conversation topic to die. "If you want anyone near your girl, Saul, it'll be my Harry-"

Dain is as amused as his children but notices the way Eve is stiff as a board, "You lot are embarrassing the girl. I think Eve can decide for herself who can be around her, just fine," He says, giving her a soft look. "Isn't that right, Eve, love?" Ever thankful for Dain in the moment. she nods in gratitude at her uncle. "See? She's very capable, Saul. She'll do just fine - but look at those eyes, that face. Of course you'd have to have known she'd be stealing hearts, Saul..."

Eve's dad is rubbing his temple.

None of this seems to be helping. But the conversation thankfully dies and no more talk about dating or boys Eve has never even met her brought up. From the end of the table she catches Sirius eye; he offers her a slight smile which she returns. He's gotten better looking at her just from dinner. It's progress, right? When Eve faces her cousins - she regrets it. Lorelei is making her brows dance and blowing kissy faces whilst Jaime simply mouths I'm on it... making Eve scrunches her nose at him after she mouth back You better not!

"Ah. No more sweet stuff for you, Ty," Oberon tells Tiberius when her little cousin tries to reach for another piece of cake. He's not that stealthy when he's in front of them. But he's following in Eve's style of being a cake addict... but to be fair, her tastes aren't that far from a small childs. "You'll be jumping off the walls all night if you get another slice. You don't need any wands to have a sugar rush." Her little cousin deflates in his chair.

Eve secretly allows Ty to get more frosting.

"This is why - you're my best friend," Ty whispers over to her, smiling wide. He is eagerly lapping at the spoon she gave him that was full of frosting. Ty tries his best to duck from his fathers view. "My best best bestest."

Eve mock gasps, "More than Jaime?"

"Yes... but keep it secret."

She taps his nose. "Love you, too."

A while later, Saul checks his watch. "Eve, princess. Look at the time already - we gotta go. You gotta pack your things in order to come back for their Diagon Alley trip on the weekend. You gotta decide what you're going to take to school, I know you better. You need a few days." Eve smiles at him. I'm so known. Her dad stands up, nodding over to Sirius. "You and I ... well let's talk more when I drop Eve back off. If that works?"

Surprised, Eve looks between them.

Her cousins seem just as interested.

Sirius nods after a moment, "I'll be here of course..."

Saul nods, a look on his face that Eve's never seen her father wear before. It's got to do with Sirius and whatever her uncles and father spoke about earlier. Saul does Accio to summon their coats and Eve's bag. He helps her with it whilst Dain and Oberon began rounding up the kids and helping Gráinne as they take the leftovers. The elf woman takes it from Dain as hugs the old woman. She smiles at Eve - holding the tray of cake and food - before snapping her fingers and Apparating back to Peregrine House. Jaime comes and along with his siblings they hug Saul and Eve before they walk to the drawing room to use the Floo Network to travel back to Cork.

"Beetz my beloved! We're off..."

A meow rang out.

Betelgeuse rushed on in and Eve crouched down to scoop her cat in her arms. He purred contently, sleepy from all his goat milk. Her cousins all gave their goodbye waves as they stepped into the fireplace.

In magical flames, the Peregrines return home.

authors note: So many words!!!!!! haha forgive me. All very necessary but yes, introducing the Chandler-Black family, the newest and most improved house of black... I really wanted y'all to get the first vibe of everyone close to Eve. We're almost back to Hogwarts (not writing the world cup after all cuz no but they will talk about what happens there dw) and all the very meet-cute stuff will happen. Hehe. I'm so excited.