The Hidden House

The snow falling shone brightly against the night sky outside as Sirius prepared for his Christmas visit to the Potters. They had invited him to stay until New Year, but he knew he would be lucky to make it through Boxing Day. He was still nervous about the prospect of being back in the house that had once been a sanctuary. The shame of being irritated with Harry was still heavy on his mind, and he worried that he might actually snap at him if he wasn’t careful. 

Grace had been helping him over the past few weeks, and he had felt a difference in himself, but he wasn’t sure it would be enough. Feeling calm in the quiet of a Library or pissed in a bar isn’t the same as feeling calm while sober and surrounded by chaos. Still, he hoped it would be all James had promised. He, Lily, Remus, and Harry had all come by for tea the day after he moved into his apartment. Sirius suspected that Lily had coached them on how to treat him as if they needed it because they kept looking at her before they spoke. He wasn’t sure if he was relieved that Lily was looking out for him or irritated that his brothers-in-arms were acting as though he was fragile. 

Either way, he knew he needed to brace himself for whatever may come tonight. With that thought in mind, he picked up the bag he had packed, stepped into his fireplace, and departed for the Hidden House. 

“James, I don’t care how cute it is; you cannot have Harry be the angel on the tree!” Lily screamed from the kitchen as Sirius stepped out of the fireplace. He cast a silent spell on his bag to send it to his room before taking in the sight before him. 

James and Remus had a sleeping Harry dressed up like a cherub and levitating above the Christmas tree. Mistletoe bobbed above James’s head, most likely charmed to follow him around. Sirius decided it would be in his best interest to avoid getting too close to James until that was gone. Remus was wearing a chunky knit sweater and stringing lights around the Christmas tree. It felt so much like Christmas at Hogwarts that, for a moment, he thought he had accidentally used a time-turner. Sirius decided to announce himself by casting a charm at Harry to make a halo hover over his head as he slept above the tree. 

“Sirius!” James bellowed, “Took ya long enough to get here!” The grin stretching across his face belied his words, and Sirius had to dodge a hug before he could get trapped by James’s mistletoe. He opted for a hug from Remus instead before collapsing on the couch.

“I had to let you get all the work done before I arrived,” Sirius said with a smile. 

“You’re a right bastard; you know that, right?” Remus retorted before pulling James down onto the couch with them. For the first time in a long time, Sirius had a distinct feeling that all was well. 

***

Not even the cold air of the garden was enough to soothe the burning of Narcissa’s face. It was almost enough to make her laugh. Another Christmas had passed, and here she was, keeping with her tradition of drinking alone in the garden to forget it all. Lucius wasn’t home and wouldn’t be for days if last year was anything to go off. She knew that he was likely with one of his mistresses, but it didn’t help to dwell on it, so she let the thought fade. 

He looked for any excuse to leave these days. She couldn’t be sure what had set him off today. She had spent months planning every detail to ensure it would be perfect. Draco had finally been weaned, and the elves had him down early. Every reminder of him had been removed from the house. She had even been careful to hire the best chefs to prepare his favorite meals. After last year, she hadn’t tried to host a gathering with their friends or wear any clothing Lucius disapproved of. 

It should have been perfect, but he had still found a reason for rage. He had shown up drunk and angry. Most likely, he had spent the day drinking his way through Nott’s firewhiskey collection. Today he blamed his rage on the silverware she had placed. She had placed the set that he claimed was his favorite, but they were too ornate tonight. She was just lucky he hadn’t thrown it at her. She would take a backhand over hexes and knives. 

She still would’ve considered the night a success if he had stopped there. Instead, he had demanded to see his son. She had done her best to make him forget that he had one; it had been months since Lucius had seen him. He was nearly two years old, and she knew Lucius wouldn’t appreciate his precious heir acting like a toddler. Tonight she was quick enough to cast wards around his room, but that had only served to anger Lucius more. She had taken every blow with the same resolution she had taken all the others. It was worth it to protect Draco. 

The house elves were removing the evidence now that Lucius had finally left. She was taking her traditional walk through the garden to the healing station she’d installed during the war. It was the war that had ruined everything. Before the rise of the Dark Lord, Lucius had been a devoted husband. Her love for him was enough to ignore Andromeda’s concerns about what he might be doing with Bellatrix. Then one day, he had come home with that damned mark on his arm. The darkness in his heart had been growing ever since. 

She thought he might return to being the man she loved when she became pregnant with Draco. He was an heir, the one thing Lucius had cared about since taking the manor over from his father. It had been a foolish hope. As soon as the boy was born, Lucius’s attentiveness ended. Even the war’s end hadn’t been enough to return the husband she had loved so dearly to her. After tonight, she was afraid he was gone for good. 

Narcissa stopped her walk. She didn’t have the energy to heal herself tonight. A quick message to the elves to look after Draco was the only warning she sent before disapparating.

***

By all standards, Christmas had been a massive success for Sirius. He had managed to smile and laugh and play with Harry without snapping. They spent hours gorging themselves, drinking, and laughing until they couldn’t breathe. It was far more than he had ever let himself expect. Still, he had found himself locked in his room, feeling like the pressure building up over the last 24 hours might kill him this time. He couldn’t face it again. 

In a moment of desperation, he packed everything back up and ran to the floo. He was already outside the front door of his flat before he had registered what had happened. The cold air on his face was all he could focus on as he gulped down breaths. It was freezing outside, but the chill felt so good that he didn’t even consider a warming charm. 

His feet followed the familiar trail to the local pub. He didn’t try to stop himself. The idea of alcohol drowning the memories of running from his family’s home was enough to propel him forward. He dragged his hand through his hair as he walked, the tugging grounding him at the moment. As he walked through the door, the familiar scents and sounds were as effective as a drought of peace. 

Once he had a beer in his hand, he made his way to his familiar corner booth, only to find it occupied by the last person he expected to see in muggle Scotland. There was nobody else it could be. Her distinctive black and white hair and air of superiority instantly set her apart as his long-lost cousin. Narcissa Black Malfoy was drinking herself to death in a muggle pub. 

Her ordinarily perfect visage was marred by an ugly red mark that spread across her face. If she didn’t apply bruise paste soon, she would have a black eye. Her hair had been pulled out of her favorite clip and was hanging around her face. Her dress appeared torn around the shoulder, and mud was caked to her hem. Sirius hadn’t seen her this disheveled since they were children. 

“Narcissa?” He asked hesitantly. 

“What?” She slurred. “Sirius? Is that you?” 

“God, what happened to you?” He said before he could stop himself. 

“You never were one to sugarcoat anything.” Narcissa let out a rueful laugh. “Remember when you showed up at my wedding? All full of righteous rage! You and that Evan’s girl practically dragged me out of the house.” Her head drooped as she spoke. It was apparent she had been here for a long time. She couldn’t go home in this state and definitely couldn’t stay. 

“Sorry for the kidnapping attempt. I was just trying to look out for you. Come on, Narcissa, you need to go home. I will bring you, just tell me where to go. You can’t apparate in this state.” Terror filled Narcissa’s eyes as he spoke. 

“Home?! No! I can’t go home! You can’t make me! I won’t go!” Sirius rushed to comfort her before she could make more of a scene. If this drew too much attention, it wouldn’t be good for either of them. 

“That’s alright, Cissa. You can stay in my flat. Let’s sober you up.” She seemed to calm down at his words, at least enough to let him guide her out of the pub and to his flat. 

Once Sirius was sure that Narcissa wouldn’t fall off the couch, he summoned a sober-up potion and a hangover recovery. She was lucky that he never let himself run out of those two potions. It took two full minutes to talk her into taking them, but once she had, he watched a growing look of panic spreading over her face. 

“Sirius? Where’s Draco?” 

“Draco?” His confusion must’ve been evident on his face because she rushed to explain. 

“My son, Draco. Where is he?” 

“You have a son? Narcissa, I found you halfway to alcohol poisoning in a muggle pub. I can promise your son wasn’t there.” He knew that something horrible must have happened to have brought his cousin to this state. 

“Oh, Merlin, what have I done? What time is it?” 

“It’s only 11, Narcissa. It’s not even midnight yet. It’s okay. Tell me what happened.” He summoned a calming drought. She was in even worse shape than he thought. 

“I wish I had left with you when you came to my wedding. You were right. You, Dromeda, your friends, you were all right. I should’ve left.” She couldn’t contain her tears anymore. Years of pain were pouring out of her all at once. 

Sirius decided it would be best not to speak as Narcissa fell apart. He simply healed her face and held her as she cried. It took an hour for her to calm down enough to tell him what had happened. It took all the self-control that Sirius possessed not to hunt down Lucius and kill him on the spot. The only thing holding him back was knowing Narcissa needed him to be there with her. 

“You can’t go back there, Narcissa. You know he is just going to do it again.” He watched as she immediately grew defensive. “I know you love him, and I don’t blame you. I remember what it was like when you were in Hogwarts together. But Narcissa, look what he did because you protected Draco. You won’t be able to keep taking blows for your son forever.” 

“You think I don’t know that?” She yelled. “Do you really think it’s that easy? I have nothing outside of him! He owns everything! He owns ME! I cannot afford to leave him, and where could I even go that he wouldn’t find me?” Panic was rising in her voice again. 

“Narcissa, I will help you. He would never think to look for you here. Nobody even knows that I am here except for James. How long do you think you have before he returns to the manor?” 

“He was already drunk when he left, so I probably have three days before he comes back. It will take him a few days to sober up and realize he isn’t at the manor. But I have nothing, even with him gone and not knowing where to look for me. The second that I am spotted, he will kill me, Sirius.”

“You’re right. Getting you away won’t be enough; we need to get rid of him.” He saw fear growing in Narcissa’s eyes as she processed his words. 

“You are not going to kill my husband, Sirius! I don’t care if you think you are helping me! That is the father of my child. You do not get to kill him!” 

“Narcissa, breathe. I won’t kill him; we don’t have to. He fought for Voldemort. All we need is evidence.” She suppressed a shudder at the name. 

“He claims that he was under the imperious curse, and with the donations he made to the auror’s office, there wasn’t even an investigation. Besides, there’s no way to prove that he wasn’t cursed.”

“Minor road bump. He was recruited for a reason. If we look hard enough, I know we can find proof of him willingly using illegal spells. James still has friends in the auror’s office. He can leave an anonymous tip that would never be linked to you. If Lucius is in prison, then you can negotiate a divorce safely.” Narcissa felt hope blossoming in his chest for the first time in years. 

“Do you really think that James would help me?”

“You remember the Evan’s girl who tried so hard to help you get away from the wedding? James married her. Lily won’t rest until he is found guilty if we ask her.”

“He married her? I thought you were dating her.” 

“Lily? She’s a sister to me. We never even thought about dating. She came with me because she had lost her own sister only a month earlier. She could understand why I was so worried for you.”

“So it was her son that destroyed the Dark Lord?” 

“Yes, Harry. You should meet him, Narcissa. You’d love him.” 

“What if, what if they hate me? I stood by my husband, Sirius. I let him do so many horrible things. I didn’t stop any of them. They have to hate me.” 

“If they hate you, I will help you on my own. You don’t have to worry about that, though. Let us help you, Narcissa. Please.” 

“What about Draco? I can’t risk him while I am looking for evidence.”

“I will come with you! I will help you look, and I will watch your back.” Narcissa’s head was already shaking as he spoke. 

“Lucius has warded the manor. He would know you were there and would go looking for you. It would ruin everything.”

“Go get Draco right now, then. We can bring him to the Potters, and they can look after him while you get the evidence.”

“Would he be safe?” 

“I promise he would be safe. I built a safe house to protect Harry during the war. It’s unplottable. We would take him there, and nobody would ever be able to find him but you.”

“Okay, okay. Let’s do this. We can do this.”

“We don’t have to start now if you’re not ready, Narcissa. You can rest here tonight, and we can start the search tomorrow. You’re tired. You’ve been through a lot. We can wait.”

“No, I’m ready. I made the mistake of not listening to you five years ago. I won’t make that same mistake again.” Narcissa nodded to herself as she spoke. “If I bring Draco here, can we go directly to the safe house?” 

“Yes, of course. I will go there now and warn James and Lily that we are coming. I’ll adjust the wards so that you can apparate directly into my flat so that if you get back before I do, you won’t have to wait on me.” Sirius took Narcissa’s hands as he spoke. “We will look after you, Cissa. We will keep you both safe.”

“Okay, yes, okay. I’ll be back in thirty minutes.”

“We will meet here in thirty minutes then.”

“Sirius?” 

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.” 

“You’re family Narcissa. I’ll always have your back.” He pulled her into a quick hug before adjusting the wards and finding himself stepping through the floo back into the home he had run from just a few hours earlier.