Trouble
Alyssa was sweeping the floor while Harry held the dustpan when Draco entered. Both looked up, taking in the happy expression on his face, as well as the slight flush in his pale cheeks from running.
"Harry! Papa said we could share a room if you want to and Mama and Uncle Sev don't mind," the exciteable boy said, barely pausing to catch his breath. "There's two beds; it'd be like a sleepover every day!"
Harry's eyes lit up. A sleepover, like big kids have? Plus, he'd get to talk to Draco more. He turned pleading green eyes on his aunt, who still looked slightly startled. "Please can we Auntie? Please? We'll be good, honest!"
Alyssa laughed at that. "Harry, you are an imp of mischief if there ever was one, and it seems like Draco was cut from the same cloth. However, I see no harm in allowing you share a room, provided you two stay out of trouble."
"Yay!" Harry cried, dropping the dustpan to hug his aunt, "Thanks Aunt Lyss."
"Thanks Mama," Draco said, coming forward to hug Alyssa as well.
"Don't thank me yet," Alyssa replied after she hugged the boys, "You still have to ask Sev as well."
"Can we go do that now?" Harry asked, unable to wait.
Alyssa shooed them away with a wave of her hand. "Go, run, play; I'm sure I can manage to clean without you. Knock before you enter the lab though, just in case."
Both boys nodded before turning and racing out of the room, calling "Bye Aunt Lyss" and "Bye Mama" behind them.
Alyssa charmed the dustpan while she swept, still laughing quietly over Harry and Draco's enthusiasm. Those two are going to be the next generation of Marauders; I know it. Merlin help me.
Both boys raced down the steps, stopping in the entryway when they realized that they didn't know where the lab was. Hearing a noise from the room beside them, Harry assumed that it was Uncle Padfoot, cleaning the sitting room like Aunt Lyss ordered.
"Let's ask Uncle Padfoot, he'll know how to find the lab," Harry said, going towards the door and stretching to reach the doorknob.
"He should, it's his house," Draco said pragmatically, following Harry into the dark room.
"Uncle Padfoot," Harry called out, looking around for the man who he thought was in here. The room was dark, the armchairs and sofas covered in dust. It didn't look like anyone had cleaned in here.
"Maybe he's not in here," Draco said, just as a noise from the cabinet on the far wall attracted their attention.
"What's that?" Harry asked, walking over to the shaking cabinet curiously. There was obviously something in there that wanted out.
"I don't know," Draco said, coming forward and eyeing the cabinet warily. He didn't like the feeling that he got and he wanted to leave but didn't want Harry to think he was a coward. The feeling reminded him of something his father had shown him, a year or so ago. It was scary, changing shapes into whatever scared me. He really hoped that wasn't what was in the cabinet.
"Help me move this chair," Harry said, running over and trying to push one of the armchairs over to the cabinet.
"Harry, maybe we should go find Uncle Sev," Draco said nervously, not wanting to know what would happen if the cabinet was opened.
"C'mon Draco, it'll only take a minute," Harry persuaded, pulling the blonde by the arm over to the chair. "B'sides, what if it's a bird or a mouse trapped in there? It could die if we don't get it out."
"I guess," Draco said reluctantly, still thinking they'd be safer going to find Uncle Sev in the lab.
He helped Harry push the chair over, watching as the other boy stood on the seat and raised his hand to open the door. Draco backed up a few steps as the cabinet door opened, not wanting to get too close. He had a feeling that it wasn't a mouse or a bird trapped in there.
Harry fell backwards, landing on his bum on the floor as something rushed out of the cabinet, solidifying in front of him. It was a tall shadow, cloaked in darkness and with a skeletal hand. It was the same shadow that had tried to take his aunt away before, when she was bitten by the snake.
"G-get away," Harry said, standing shakily and backing up, bumping into Draco.
"Harry, run," the blonde boy said, grabbing his friend's hand and running toward the door. The shadow moved faster though, moving in front of the door so the two boys couldn't escape. Draco didn't know what this shadow was, but it was more scary than his father.
"PAPA," Harry shrieked as the shadow approached them again, one bony hand extended toward the boys.
"HELP," Draco screamed, as loud as he was able. He wanted someone, anyone to come and send this thing back into the cabinet. "MAMA, PAPA, HELP US!"
Footsteps sounded in the hallway, coming from several directions. Sirius entered the room first, followed by Remus, Alyssa, and Severus. As soon as the adults entered the room, the shadow shifted again. Since Sirius was the closest, it shifted into a dementor, sucking in a chilling breath.
"Riddikulus," Sirius said, causing the dementor's robe to turn pink. Laughing, he moved towards the boys, letting Remus have his turn.
This time, the boggart turned into a werewolf with blood on its muzzle. "Riddikulus," he stated firmly, causing the werewolf to turn into a puppy dog chasing its tail. He laughed and moved to join Sirius, letting his wife have a turn.
When the boggart focused on Alyssa, it changed into Remus, lying dead on the floor. "Riddikulus," she said, and the boggart changed, showing Remus standing in front of her hale and hearty with a bundle of blankets in his arms. She laughed as well, moving out of the way so Severus could have his turn, destroying it for good.
It focused on Severus, transforming into Harry, lying dead on the floor. Severus calmly said "Riddikulus", and the dead Harry turned into a live Harry, jumping around excitedly and causing Severus to laugh. The others joined in, even Draco and Harry, and it was too much for the boggart, causing it to explode into a cloud of dust that disappeared into thin air.
"Well, that was interesting," Sirius said, looking at the boys who were still shaking slightly in their guardians arms. "Can someone tell me what happened?"
"I'd like to know as well," Alyssa said, looking at Draco and Harry, who were being held by Remus and Severus respectively.
"We didn't know how to find the lab," Harry admitted.
"And we thought Uncle Padfoot was cleaning in here, 'cause we heard a noise," Draco added.
"I was supposed to be, but Severus needed my help in the lab for a minute," Sirius explained, looking from one to the other. "When I wasn't in here, why didn't you go ask Remus or Alyssa how to find the lab? They would have told you or showed you where it's at."
"We didn't think of that," Draco admitted, blushing. It seemed so obvious what they should have done, especially since he had an idea about what was in the cabinet before they opened it.
"I wanted to know what was making the noise," Harry added, not willing to let Draco take all of the blame, "And I didn't think it would hurt to open the door."
"There was a boggart in there Harry," Remus said, "It's a Dark creature that assumes the shape of whatever frightens you the most."
"My father had one of those," Draco admitted, burying his face in Remus's chest as he remembered that day.
"You've seen a boggart before?" Alyssa asked in disbelief.
"Uh huh. It was one of my punishments; I had to stay in the room with that for five minutes." Draco was still shaking, even with Alyssa carding his hair and Remus holding him close. That past experience mixed with this newest encounter had shaken him badly.
"Well, I trust that neither of you will attempt to open any more mysterious cabinets," Severus said, still holding Harry close. The poor boy was shaking as badly as Draco was; seeing the boggart impersonate Death had frightened him.
"Yes sir," Draco said, calming a little as Alyssa rubbed his back soothingly. Harry only nodded.
"I think hot chocolate is needed, followed by a discussion with our two troublemakers," Alyssa said, looking at all of the adults.
"Yes, though it's hardly necessary to punish them for an accident, and it's not likely they'll repeat this one," Remus replied, wondering how many times in the future accidents like this would occur, and nearly laughing at the thought.
Alyssa shook her head, guessing what Remus was thinking and agreeing. Dear Merlin, I'll have more grey hairs than Albus before I'm thirty. She led the way to the kitchen to make hot chocolate for the two troublemakers, wondering if she was insane for even thinking of adding more children to this chaos.