Unspeakables- the reunion
“Do you know where he is?” Regulus checked, feeling utterly wrung out from the conversations he’d been forced to endure over the course of the week. He’d missed so much, Hermione had told them barely anything before and even now he was sure she was leaving significant portions out. Still, Severus hadn't interjected this time, so perhaps they weren't something he needed to be overly concerned with.
Despite trying to tell himself that, he knew that the hurt that his daughter still didn't trust them wasn't going to go away any time soon. It might have been his own fault, but he’d accepted the demand that they hide things from her without too much complaint thinking it was for the best and he hoped she’d eventually accept that. He couldn't bear to think he’d destroyed his relationship with her because he’d been trying to keep them safe. That didn't seem fair, even if she was in this situation because he’d been unable to stand up to his mother. Biting back a sigh, he focused on Hermione and Severus in the hope they had answers.
Slowly, Hermione shook her head. “No, Dumbledore sent him to round up people. The usual crowd, he called it. Professor Lupin was mentioned and ah…Arabella Figg?”
Rolling his eyes, Severus flicked his wand, “Go to Remus Lupin. Tell him to meet me at the home of Hermione Granger. No one is hurt but it's urgent. Tell him…tell him to bring his dog.”
His Patronus nodded her agreement before scampering off.
“Well… that's one way.” Regulus murmured, fidgeting slightly, “Although I’d rather not be hexed in my own home.” He was only half joking, they all knew it was a distinct possibility. Sirius was rash and acted before he thought. And he wasn't likely to take this well.
They were there in under half an hour, Remus knocking on the door with trepidation. “How do we know you're Severus Snape?” he demanded, his heart hammering in his chest. What was going on? Something felt…off. Why was Snape opening the door looking perfectly at ease and not Hermione or her parents? None of this made any sense, especially given his request for Sirius. Snape fucking hated Sirius, and he couldn't comprehend a scenario that would see him asking for him, they had only tolerated each other under duress when Voldemort had come back. This couldn't be worse than that, surely? But then it had to be...Snape had asked for him to be here.
Severus rolled his eyes, “I still brew your wolfsbane. Get in.”
Remus’ eyes narrowed but complied, his eyes zeroing in on Hermione hovering by the stairs as he let out a breath of relief. Whatever was happening, she was alright.
“Hermione!”
“Professor Lupin.” she smiled slightly, although it looked strained.
“Remus, Hermione.” he chided, hugging her, she looked like she needed it. “I’m no one professor anymore.” Beside him Sirius shifted, his eyes roaming around the hallway.
“Kitten!” He looked more than a little alarmed when tears started falling down her cheeks and she moved to hug him tightly. “Kitten, you’re scaring me. What's going on? Is it…” he paused horrified as the thought occurred to him, not sure he could force the words out, “is it Harry?”
The relief was almost overwhelming when she shook her head, but she still hadn't let him go. Running a hand over her curls, his eyes met Remus’ over her head. The look he gave him matched the bewilderment he felt.
“Severus, what's going on?” Remus asked slowly. The man's face was inscrutable as he watched Hermione hug Sirius.
Surprising them all, Severus sighed, his voice missing his usual caustic edge. “I know it is unlikely but if you could refrain from overreacting.”
“Overreacting to what?”
“In fact, Miss…Granger,” Two sets of eyebrows rose at his hesitation and he cursed himself internally, “if you could hold onto their wands, it would probably be best for all involved.”
Sirius stiffened. He’d only just got it back and he didn't trust Snape. Only Hermione's tear-stained face gave him pause. Something was happening but he trusted the little witch, she’d been partially responsible for the fact he was fed this year after all. If she was going to murder him it would have been much easier to do while he was in that cave. Against his better judgement, he handed his wand over, Remus following suit.
“Come…the living rooms this way,” she murmured, her face anxious as she hovered near Sirius’ elbow as if unwilling to be too far away. It set off several alarm bells in both Remus' and Sirius' heads. Neither of them had seen her looking so unsure of herself, and for Remus, who had witnessed her time turner year of hell that was concerning.
Severus went first, his wand in hand as he prepared himself for the explosion that was surely to come. He’d just settled himself in an armchair when Sirius walked into the room and stopped dead.
“Kitten,” he muttered his eyes on the man who had stood, holding his hands up placatingly, “Kitten what's going on?”
“I…I found something's out this week,” she murmured, threading her arm through his, whether to ground her or him, she wasn't sure. ”I didn't know.” she whispered.
Sirius turned to look at her properly, taking in the grey eyes he hadn't noticed before, the wildness of her curls that appeared to match his own and her deathly pale face. “Didn't know what Kitten?”
“They had glamorous,” she murmured, “On all of us.”
None of it made any sense. “What are you saying Kitten?” he checked, the dread of what was coming settling itself in his stomach. He knew who that man looked like, knew who she looked like but Merlin it did not make sense. Perhaps Azkaban had done more damage than he had realised.
“We’re not letting you run this year….Uncle Sirius,” she replied, staring up at him as if begging him to understand.
He distantly registered Remus’ sharp intake of breath behind them but he kept his eyes on his niece's pale face. Fuck. How the fuck had he missed this? “Let us help,” she begged, her eyes scanning his face, “For Harry.”
He sucked in a deep breath, his chest screaming in protest before he swept her into a tight hug, ignoring her surprised squeak. “Kitten, are you trying to tell me that that's my brother over there?” he murmured into his hair. “Because I have to tell you, that'd be quite possibly the most fucking insane thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Tell me about it," she murmured, squeezing him tightly. “I didn't know. I…it was all a lie.”
“Oh Kitten,” he murmured, as he registered the grief in her voice “Are you sure this isn't just the family madness?”
She let out a shaky laugh, her tears starting to soak through his robes, “No.” she whispered. “It really is all fucking insane, so maybe it is?”
He let out a slightly shocked bark of a laugh at her language, “I don't think our family is ever anything else, love, so maybe we just need to embrace it. “
“Right,” Regulus cleared his throat, watching his brother and his daughter closely as he wondered yet again what else she hadn't told them. He hadn't expected them to be so comfortable together. It was…odd...unsettling, especially given how hesitant she still was around him. “If you could let my daughter go and maybe we could discuss the next steps.”
Sirius raised his eyes to look at him but kept a tight grip on Hermione. “Or…you could give me a fucking explanation and Remus and I will decide whether it's safe to leave Hermione here with you.”
Regulus blanched, “You’ll do no such thing!" he hissed, reaching for Hermione, Sirius turned sharply, placing his body between Hermione and her father as Remus moved to his side.
“You're a Death Eater!”
“Not anymore,” Regulus yanked his sleeve up showing his unblemished forearm. Beside him, Marianne watched warily, not entirely sure what to make of the relationship her daughter had apparently already built with her uncle.
“How?” Sirius asked, some of his fight leeching out in his shock.
Marianne rolled her eyes, “Maybe if you’d sit down and listen?” she suggested pointedly, wanting to snatch her daughter back before someone did something rash. It worried her that Hermione appeared to have no urge to move from where she was. Had they damaged things so badly that she was siding with the Uncle she could only have known for a year over them?
Keeping a wary eye on his brother Sirius nodded, moving to sit on the sofa, sandwiching Hermione between him and Remus. Severus rolled his eyes.
“They still have their wands you know?” he pointed out, watching them all intently. This was not playing out how he had expected. Although no one had been hexed yet, so perhaps he shouldn’t complain too loudly.
Sirius shrugged, “I trust that Hermione isn't going to let them murder us and I don't particularly trust him. I can apparate without a wand if I need to”
Regulus tried to force down the surge of fear he felt at that statement. Would his brother truly take his daughter? Or perhaps the more terrifying question, would she go? He sighed, “Will you let us explain? Please.”
“If you must,” Sirius gestured grandly, making Hermione cough so she didn't laugh and her mother and Remus roll their eyes.
“We’re Unspeakables," Regulus stated bluntly, "We had to get permission to tell you, although Amelia is not entirely happy about it. However, here we are. We're about to be working to take down my former Master and we could use your help. Dumbledore cannot know, I don't trust him. Sirius….I…had no choice, you had to know that. You had somewhere to go, but I didn't. All my friends were involved, as was most of the family. I was too scared to go to 'Dromeda in case they hurt her as punishment. Mother…well she wasn't big on allowing us an opinion as I’m sure you’ll recall. I…did what I thought I had to do and then…then he asked for something I didn't want to give and I realised that it was an even bigger mess than I’d first thought. I..sort of threw myself at Croaker. Father had introduced us once and, Merlin bless the man, he helped. We’d only known about the pregnancy for a few weeks when we decided we needed to fake my death, but it came with conditions. No one could know, including Hermione and…gods. It's been horrendous. And now I find out my daughter's been hiding most of the things she gets up to in school because she didn't think we’d understand and….”
“We do not understand,” Marianne interjected pointedly. “She's been involved in things she has no business being involved in!”
“Yes well….it's…not ideal," he faltered slightly at the belligerent look on Hermione's face before deciding that they'd been over this enough over the course of the past week and moving on briskly, "But Mari is going to come out of hiding. I’m going to play the part of a muggle stepfather, we think. But…it's time Hermione took her real name. If we…bring you back it sort of helps with that, actually.”
“How?” Sirius frowned.
“The tapestry. It's charmed obviously, No one could know about Hermione It…Gods it wasn't safe. It had been hard enough to keep Mari off their radar. But no one knows I charmed it….perhaps I didn't and you noticed. Hermione is Harry's friend, it's not outwith the realms of possibility you’d come across her. Marrianne obviously confessed everything and so you took Hermione to Gringotts for verification. You’ll need to do that actually.”
Sirius blinked, “Are you forgetting I’m a wanted felon?”
“Well, we’ll sort that, obviously.” Regulus dismissed.
Sirius let out an incredulous bark of laughter, looking at his brother as if he wasn't sure he was real “Just like that?”
Regulus frowned, “Well no. I imagine it's going to give Amelia a significant headache but she’ll sort it. Hermione's already given her her memories.”
Sirius gaped at him, “I’ll be…free?” he checked.
“Yes. That's the plan.” Regulus confirmed. “But ah….if you could not mention that I’m alive, that would be appreciated.”
“Doesn't it put Hermione at greater risk?” Remus interjected with a frown. “Sirius will be a known Order member. She's friends with Harry Potter. It's bad enough as a muggleborn but as a Black?” he turned to Sirius, “Do you not remember how they targeted you?”
Sirius paled, “Yes,” he agreed, “like it was the worst crime I could have committed.”
“You think they’ll hunt harder if I’m a Black blood traitor than if I’m Harry Potter's Mudblood?” Hermione interjected scathingly. Everyone else in the room flinched, “They're coming for me regardless of my last name.”
“Not if I have anything to do with it, “ Regulus growled.
In a move he hadn't expected Sirius met his eyes and nodded. “We’ll help.” he agreed. “Now, how soon can we get Harry away from those arseholes?”