Chapter 7
Islington Borough(Cont'd)
Alexis stood before a blurry, full-length mirror, tilting her head as she examined her reflection.
“It’s perfect,” Sirius said, beaming as he stood behind her. “Look, we’ll match.”
After she and Sirius left Story & Stone and Remus to finish his work, they made their way to Sirius's favorite thrift store, Turntable, which was only a few blocks away in the opposite direction of the shopping district. She expected it to be dingy and dusty, but the store turned out to be bright and filled with clothing and accessories from the ‘60s through the ‘80s, crates of vinyl, and various housewares.
She tugged at the bottom of a worn, black, oversized leather jacket with silver hardware that she had tried on at her father’s insistence, angling her body to get a better look. “It’s definitely cool, but I’m not sure if this is my style.” Her gaze flickered to his reflection in the mirror, where she noticed the similarity between his leather jacket and the one she was trying on.
Sirius rubbed the back of his neck. “Is it because it’s a motorcycle style? Isn't that in? How could that not be in? Motorcycles are always bad arse." He noticed her raised eyebrows in the mirror. “Oh, right, matching with your dad probably isn't—”
“It’s not that,” she said quickly, her tone sincere, as she brushed her layered hair over her shoulder. She was not embarrassed to match with her father. In fact, his suggestion made her feel closer to him. And she could admit the jacket looked badass. “Just… is it real leather? I feel a bit conflicted about wearing real leather. You know—ethics and all.”
Sirius looked relieved that it was not about being embarrassed to match with him. “Let's see.” He walked a few steps closer to her and examined the tag. “Yeah, it's real leather, love. But consider this: the animal that supplied the leather for that jacket is already long gone. Wearing the jacket now isn't going to change that since it’s... deceased.”
She scrunched her nose at the thought. “But it’s the principle.”
“Right, the principle. I understand principles more than most.” She was not entirely sure what he meant as she watched him saunter back toward the rack, where various leather jackets hung by color and style. “Maybe there'll be a faux leather one in here.”
She appreciated his gesture and observed him sorting through the rack before realizing that if getting the matching leather jacket would somehow bring them closer, she was willing to set aside her ethics. After a few more moments of staring at her reflection, she finally caved. “I still refuse to wear dragon-hide boots.” She removed the leather jacket and walked to the rack where Sirius stood. She handed him the jacket in exchange for her mini backpack, which he held over his shoulder.
“Fine by me. We can draw the line at dragon-hide boots.” He smiled brightly, and she thought that she had definitely inherited her smile from her father. He casually hung the leather jacket over his arm. “Care to continue looking around, or shall we head to the pub?”
She glanced down at her wristwatch. “We might as well head to the pub and wait for Remus. He’ll probably be there soon.”
They walked to the register, and Sirius placed the jacket on the counter. The checkout clerk was a teenager about her age, sporting a bowl cut and a striped T-shirt.
“Hi,” he said to Alexis, completely ignoring Sirius and gazing directly at her chest.
Sirius' eyes darkened as he tossed a few notes onto the counter. “Eyes up here,” he said in a low tone. “You’re staring at my daughter.”
The teen instantly turned red at his words and fumbled, grabbing the money from the counter. Before he could hand Sirius his change, the two were out the door with the leather jacket in hand.
“Here, put this on,” Sirius grumbled, draping the jacket over her shoulders. She could sense he was fuming, which she found amusing and slightly irritating.
“It’s not like I’ve never had a guy stare at me before,” she huffed. She moved to shake the jacket off her shoulders, the inside already sticking to her arms uncomfortably. “It’s hot as Hades out—rather not wear this jacket.”
“I’m not giving you a choice, love.” He looked around and, confirming they were alone, cast another cooling charm over her.
Alexis almost rolled her eyes, but she remembered that Sirius was just trying to be a good father, and because he was a first-time dad to a teen, he probably should be given some latitude with his reactions.
She wrapped her arms around her middle as they walked in the direction of the pub. “I would like to point out that what I’m wearing is perfectly acceptable for someone my age, and if that guy was staring, that is on him, and he should work on not ogling people.”
Sirius looked at her apologetically. “You’re absolutely right, love—you have a point. I overreacted, didn’t I?” He threw his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a side hug. One thing she had learned over the past couple of weeks was that her father was affectionate and did not believe in personal space.
“A bit, yeah. But I forgive you because you’re new at this whole father thing.” She let him hug her a little longer before he let go with his barking laugh.
He led her across a semi-busy street to a corner where the pub sat. She glanced up and saw a sign above the door labeled The Fox Pub. Unlike the thrift store, the pub was dingy and dark, though some natural light came through the dirty windows facing the street. The worn hardwood floors were sticky, and as she walked, her sandals seemed to stick as if gum was on the soles. She followed Sirius to an empty booth and slid across from him.
“This place has the best fish and chips?” Her gaze darted around the small pub. “It smells... stale.”
Sirius burst out laughing. “The stale beer is to blame for that. But believe me, appearances can be misleading—this place serves the most delicious fish and chips.”
Alexis picked up a sticky menu the size of a newsletter and took a look before grimacing and setting it back behind a small, dusty table lamp.
She noticed her father watching her, a sad smile on his face. “What's wrong?” she asked, curious. “Did I do something wrong?”
"Not at all," he said reassuringly. “You just… you remind me so much of Elizabeth. Your mannerisms are nearly identical. The grimace you made is one she had given me thousands of times.” Sirius slid out of the booth. “I’m going to place an order for us. By the time the food arrives, Remus should be here. What would you like to drink, love?”
“A Coke, please.”
She watched as Sirius headed over to the bar and placed an order with the bartender. After a few minutes, he returned with three drinks in hand: her Coke and two beers.
They sat in silence for a minute, a song from some '60s folk band playing in the background, each of them taking a few sips of their drinks until Alexis gathered her courage and decided to ask her father about his relationship with her mother. She was not sure if she was ready to hear the story, but learning how they got together or fell in love might help ease the pain of her loss, a pain that she was struggling to keep behind her walls.
“How did you and my mom get together?” She glanced at Sirius, her fingers idly toying with a piece of peeled wood on the tabletop.
The glass in Sirius’ hand stopped midway as he was about to take a sip. He set the glass back on the table and inhaled slowly before letting a long breath out. “Elizabeth really never mentioned anything about me?” His expression was a bit disappointed.
Alexis offered her father a sympathetic smile and shook her head. “No, she didn’t. I asked about you countless times when I was younger, but she avoided my questions—eventually, I gave up. It was like anything that had to do with her past was hidden somewhere deep inside, locked behind her Occlumency walls. She spoke occasionally about your physical appearance and how you were adventurous and loyal, but she never told me about your relationship.”
Sirius nodded slowly, running a hand through his tousled hair. “I'm not even sure where to begin, to be honest. Your mum and I... we knew one another since we were children. Our families moved in the same Pure-blood circles, so we often saw one another at social gatherings, but we were so young then. She was prim and proper, never wanting to play with me or seek adventures.” He laughed a little and then continued. “By the time we arrived at Hogwarts, I was sorted into Gryffindor, and she into Slytherin, and we couldn't stand each other. However, around our Fourth Year, she began to tolerate me, and by our Fifth Year, we had become friends.”
“That’s when she started meeting you at the Astronomy Tower,” Alexis said, remembering the story he had told her on the first day she arrived at Grimmauld.
“Yes, that’s right. The first time we met in the tower was purely by chance. I had gone there after receiving a nasty letter from your grandmother, and your mum ended up there because of her insomnia. We didn’t talk much that first night, but we continued to meet there regularly and eventually grew close. She was there for me in ways that my best mates couldn't be, as she understood the pressures my family placed on me as the heir to House Black. After graduating from Hogwarts, we stayed in touch despite the war and began spending even more time together.”
He paused, tracing the condensation on the glass with his finger before continuing. “The moment I fell in love with her was like a lightning bolt to the chest.” His hand moved to his heart, and he tapped it. “She was yelling at me for doing something completely reckless—I think it was flying my motorcycle late at night without a Disillusionment spell while Death Eaters were hunting us down. Anyway, we were at a park, and it was windy. Her long honey-colored hair was whipping around her face, and her hands were gesticulating wildly, and she was radiating so much anger that the ends of her hair were crackling with magic. Gods, she was magnificent. I remember staring at her and realizing that I wanted to spend every moment of my life with her, even if it was filled with her yelling at me for an eternity. And that realization was life-altering.”
Sirius paused to sip his beer, and Alexis felt a tear slide down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away with her fingers, cursing herself internally for letting her emotions show. Hearing how her father had fallen in love with her mother shifted something inside of her that she was not even sure she could articulate.
“Did you ever talk about marriage or… or having kids?” she asked after taking a controlled breath.
Sirius set his glass down and leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “War makes many people do rash things, Alexis, because life seems precariously short to them—and often it is. We fell in love during the war, and sure, I was ready to walk down the aisle, but your mum always had a level head, and she was right not to give in to my recklessness. We decided to wait until the war was over and then—”
“She got pregnant with me and disappeared on you,” she finished for him, her voice filled with realization.
“Yes, that’s true. But now I know your mum had her reasons.” Sirius’ expression changed as he reached across the table and covered her hand with his, stopping her from fidgeting with the peeled wood. “When I first learned about you, I was furious with her—for not trusting me to raise you alongside her, for essentially stealing you away and letting me think that she had disappeared or, worse, died like some of our friends during the war. But then I remembered how fearless she could be when it came to protecting those she loved. And I am so thankful that she left and kept you safe because I was rash and reckless and wound up in Azkaban anyway. She had the foresight that I never had and protected you by disappearing to America.”
Alexis wanted to ask him about Azkaban, but she decided that the conversation would probably be better for another day. Hearing her father talk about her mother with so much adoration in his voice was already a lot.
“I wish she'd had the foresight to realize I needed my dad," she muttered mostly to herself. She knew that it was not fair to think that, but Merlin, it would have been nice to have had her father around when she was growing up.
The pub door opened, and Remus stepped through, a smile on his face at seeing her and Sirius in the booth. He joined them as the plates of fish and chips arrived.
“Matching leather jackets, I see,” Remus commented as he slid into the booth next to Sirius and stretched his arm behind him on the back of the booth.
Sirius slid the plate of mock-duck fish and chips to her, then placed the other two plates in front of him and Remus.
“Mhm, Sirius convinced me.” She struck a pose in her seat, giving Remus her most serious model face before her expression contorted into a smile. She placed her paper napkin on her lap and reached for her fork, cutting into the filet.
“Well, you look great in it. And Sirius has always had a knack for fashion.”
She accepted his compliment with another smile. “Thanks, Remus.”
Sirius and Remus dug into their food and smirked when they noticed her perfect manners.
“You can use your fingers, love.” Sirius tore a piece of his fish and popped it into his mouth.
She hadn’t realized how formal she was being, and a blush crept across her cheeks. She set her fork down and decided to eat with her fingers, just like her father and Remus. Her eyes widened in delight as she chewed—the combination of malt vinegar and flaky vegetarian fish was divine. She wiped her fingers on a paper napkin and sucked in her cheeks. “Alright, Sirius, you are correct—this is the best fried food I’ve eaten in a while.”
Sirius looked pleased that he was right, and she could tell it was taking effort not to rub her admission in.
She caught Remus laughing beside her dad as he munched on a chip. "Let's always remember this moment—Padfoot holding back when he knew he was right."
“Oh, shove off, Moony.” Sirius rolled his eyes in a playful huff.
She laughed around her straw as she took a sip of her Coke, loving the banter between her father and his partner. “I’ll definitely remember it,” she agreed as she set her glass down and enjoyed the rest of the meal with the two of them.
August 2, 1995
Number Twelve Grimmauld Place
A loud clang rang out around the house, and Alexis looked up from the mixing bowls and ingredients she had begun putting together to whip up some of Remus’ favorite double chocolate chip scones with Tippy down in the kitchen. Coal, curled up next to the hearth at the kitchen fireplace, lifted his head and let out a hiss at the loud sound.
“We have a doorbell?” she asked out loud to herself. She cast a Tempus with her wand and frowned as she looked at the hovering time. “It’s rather late for visitors.”
“Does Mistress Alexis want Tippy to answer the door?” Her small house-elf rocked back on her heels near the stove.
She shook her head. “No, I can handle it. I think Sirius and Remus are in the library, blasting Queen on the record player. They probably didn’t hear the bell. Please stay here and keep working on the scones, Tippy.”
As she brushed her hands on her apron, she headed up the stairs to the hallway, passing the large black curtain where she swore she heard another languid sigh from behind it, and padded across the floor in her socks to the front entryway. The bell rang again just as she opened the door. A tall, red-haired man in his late forties stood in the doorway, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, holding a brown felt hat in his hands, fidgeting with its brim nervously. Since the townhome was under Fidelius, she knew he was a wizard—only someone who had been told the address could find it.
“Can I help you?” she asked with a polite smile, her hand still on the door handle.
“Is Sirius in?” he asked anxiously. “It’s rather urgent.”
She nodded and stepped aside to let him in. She was about to call Sirius when he appeared on the grand staircase's landing.
“Arthur? Is that you?” Sirius said, surprise in his voice, as he made his way down the hallway toward them, his dragon-hide boots softened by the runner as he walked. “Everything alright?”
“I'm afraid not. There's been an incident,” Arthur said, his gaze darting to Alexis before continuing, “involving Harry.”
Sirius's body instantly tensed, going on high alert as he stopped in front of Arthur. His shoulders stiffened, and his back straightened, a departure from his usual relaxed posture.
“What happened? Is Harry safe?” Sirius ushered Arthur inside, Alexis stepping back to give them more room, but the man shook his head as he continued to fidget with the brim of his hat.
“Thank you, but I need to keep this brief and then get the message to others. I came here first since Harry is your godson.”
Remus suddenly appeared next to Sirius, his hand coming to rest on Sirius’ shoulder, which immediately calmed her father. “What’s this about Harry?”
Arthur hesitated, seemingly anxious about sharing the news he had brought. “Dementors attacked Harry and his cousin, Dudley, in Little Whinging tonight. He saved Dudley and himself by casting a Patronus, but of course, the Ministry immediately caught wind and expelled him. Albus intervened in time to get the expulsion reduced to a suspension, but Harry has a trial in ten days at the Ministry.”
Alexis' eyes widened slightly when she heard Arthur say that Harry could cast a Patronus. This was complex magic beyond what she had learned at Ilvermorny, and she assumed the same was true for students in their year at Hogwarts.
“I’m sorry, did you just say Dementors attacked my godson? And he’s the one in trouble for defending himself?!” Sirius nearly shouted, his voice echoing in the narrow space, but Remus restrained him with a gentle squeeze on his shoulder. “What are Dementors doing outside of Azkaban?! He could have been killed!”
Alexis watched the interaction, her eyes darting between the three wizards, completely surprised by her father's reaction. She had never seen him so angry before. Although she had witnessed his short temper on a few occasions—like when Kreacher deliberately served Remus cold food, or when he stubbed his toe on the baby grand piano in the sitting room, or when he lost an argument with Remus about No-maj soccer. This anger, however, was different—his entire body seemed to vibrate with it.
Now it made sense why Sirius and Remus were on edge and hiding things from her—with Dementors roaming free and attacking teenagers, it was no wonder. A shiver ran down her spine as she wondered what was happening in Wizarding Britain.
“I want Harry here, now!” Sirius said firmly. His hands were in fists, and she could see he was itching to pace, but Remus gently restrained him by gripping his arm. “I don’t care what protective magic is keeping him in that dreadful house, but it obviously didn’t bloody work.”
Remus nodded in agreement. “If Harry had been living with us, this wouldn't have happened. Surely, Dumbledore can see that. Arthur, can we get Harry here somehow?” His tone was calm, offsetting Sirius’ loudness.
Arthur gave them an apologetic look and shook his head. “Not immediately, no. We need Harry to stay with his aunt and uncle for his protection. It's crucial that he doesn't leave their house. Sirius, would you write to him tonight and reinforce that he needs to remain in his family's house? If Harry leaves without protection, all sorts of terrible things could happen to him. You-Know-Who is probably behind all this.”
Alexis maintained a neutral expression, but learning about the Dementors and the dangers Harry faced raised numerous red flags and questions in her mind. Who was ‘You-Know-Who’? Why did her father's godson need protection? Why wasn't Harry living with Sirius? And why on earth were teenagers being attacked?
This time, Remus stiffened. “Alright, we’ll write to him, but please tell us Dumbledore is designing a plan to bring Harry here as soon as possible."
Sirius was so frustrated that he wrenched out of Remus’ hold and stormed down the hallway to the study, his steps thunderous. “I’m going to write Harry now,” he yelled over his shoulder, seething.
Arthur must have been used to Sirius’ anger as he looked at Remus and answered his question unfazed. “Albus has called an emergency meeting for the Order tomorrow to discuss the situation. I suspect you’ll receive an Owl or Patronus from him shortly. We know you wanted to wait to—” Arthur’s gaze flickered to Alexis again “—wait until you were settled with Sirius’ daughter, but…”
“No, of course. We’ll be prepared for tomorrow’s meeting,” Remus reassured.
Arthur simply nodded and then turned around, hastily walking out the door and closing it behind him.
Alexis turned and looked at Remus, her eyes narrowing. “What’s the Order? And why is Harry in danger? And what in Merlin’s pointy hat is going on?”