David frowned, he had to sit through a long conversation, with the Adviser, who seemed very interested in buying his cottage in Godric’s hollow, more than actually dealing with the business he wanted to take care of. David had a sneaking suspicion that the place was going to be taken over by the ministry so he had the little issue of selling the place on the condition they had everything of his not damaged to his new location. They agreed, as David felt both guilty and relieved, he didn’t ever want to see the place again to many memories, but he felt he shouldn’t want to sell the place for the same reasons.
‘��� This will change into a check for the home in question the place will be filled out and paid for as soon as it’s cashed, we ask that you wait a week for us to get the finances ready, but know there is a limit to what this will cover, based on current market values and the sail from Godric’s Hollow.
‘Understood,’ David said as he stood up. ‘Thank you,’ and he offered the Goblin his hand to shake as the Goblin gave him a confused look before accepting. David headed off walking down the steps with little issues. He glanced back at the bank as he headed to the Owlery, he glanced over all the owls and not finding anything too interesting, purchased a reliable looking Northern Hawk Owl. He frowned he couldn’t really think of a name to give the owl it was a white and gray owl the coloration giving it a stripped look but he frowned stripe wasn’t much of an owl name.
‘How does Garius sound?’ he asked remembering the name from Hogwarts a History, not sure he mused, the bird chirped, seemingly pleased with the name. ‘Garius it is, now just mind you I have a young Daughter so keep our of her reach for both your sakes am I clear,’ he warned the Owl, Garius nipped at his finger playfully, ‘Glad we had this chat,’
David glanced over his eyes catching the latest brooms on display when he spotted a group of people outside of a magical toys and gifts store. He sighed, as he walked in to see Sirius finishing up his payment, David raised his eyebrows at the sheer volume of bags with Holly holding onto a stuffed animal.
‘Hi David,’ Sirius greeted as he took out his wand and shrunk the bags and they zipped into one simple bag. ‘I um couldn’t decide, and Holly wasn’t much help,’ He smiled nervously.
‘Remind me to never let you go shopping.’ David shook his head but he couldn’t help the smile that grew on his face.
‘Did you get everything you need to be taken care off?’ he asked,
‘More or less now I just need to actually find a house, want to get some lunch, that took a lot longer than it should have at the bank.’ David admitted,
‘I got a feeling it was long and boring,’ Sirius replied,
‘Daddy look, see,’ Holly cut in holding out a stuffed white owl, she released and the bird flew around, she squealed in delight. As she reached out catching the charmed toy, ‘Birdy,’ she noticed seeing Garius for the first time. David smiled but glanced back knowing they were getting a lot of attention.
‘Come on we are going to get something to eat,’ David ushered as she rushed forward the crowd parting for them as Sirius gave a few witch’s a smile as they headed back to the Leaky Cauldron.
The pair ordered and were thankful the novelty of Holly was wearing off as David cut up her food into smaller pieces. ‘I take it everything went over well?’ Sirius asked David nodded as he took a bite of his food.
‘Yeah, I still need to find a house but I have the paperwork set up so it won’t be an issue, they tried to,’ David paused as Sirius already started to look glassy-eyed. David chuckled, ‘You know Sirius your gonna have to deal with this yourself if you ever want to move out of that flat of yours,’ David pointed off.
‘Who are you and what have you done with my best friend,’ Sirius eyed David carefully. After cracking a smile Sirius glanced over at Holly, ‘You know this is not how I figured we would be spending these years,’ Sirius admitted,
‘Really,’ David said watching Holly eat her food and making sure she didn’t have anything too big.
‘Yeah, I mean you getting Married so soon after Hogwarts was a surprise despite the war. I fell so old going back to dating and normal life is going to be a task,’ Sirius lamented, ‘Not to mention other losses,’ Sirius admitted, ‘How are you holding yourself together?’
‘I am looking at her,’ David said as he tore his eyes away from Holly. ‘I am holding myself together for her, Between the last 24 hours so much that I simply took for an undisputed fact has been turned upside down. Speaking of we need to talk to Lupin I fear he already knows and is probably upset we didn’t talk to him on all this.’
‘I am sure he would understand all things considered,’ Sirius tactfully explained, ‘It’s not like you had any means of communication to anyone outside of well me.’
‘True soon as I get back to the hotel I will send him a letter, and when I get my new place set up we are all hanging out with some,’ he glanced at Holly, ‘manageable amounts of fire whisky,’ he replied, Sirius smiled sadly, as he looked at her.
So you plan on getting a job or anything hiring a nanny?’ Sirius asked,
‘Nope, I can live off what I have comfortably for a while, once she heads to Hogwarts I might consider a job at the ministry,’ David admitted,
‘That may not be a good idea mate, kids gonna need her space, I can understand you wanting to keep an eye on her but, she’s going to need to talk to other kids to socialize and all that.’ Sirius pointed out.
‘I plan on working on my dueling skills, and abilities,’ David said taking a bite of his food. ‘I don’t think this war is over Sirius so I am not going to act like it is, he will be back and after Holly, and I can’t have something like that happen, not without trying,’ David pointed out, Sirius glanced over at Holly.
‘I want to help with that, sounds like something worth doing. As well as looking into a job maybe something with Muggles,’ Sirius mused, ‘Weird to be thinking about that now,’ he admitted.
‘Sounds good, I’ll talk to Sally and see if I can’t borrow some books I can look into,’ David said finding something to occupy his mind.
‘Books, your starting to sound like Lupin,’ Sirius sighed leaning back in his chair with a Cheshire grin on his face.
‘I outclass nearly everyone in our age group when it comes to defending against the dark arts. My talent has survived me well, but after Halloween, It has shown me just how little talent really measures up to the likes of Lord Voldemort. Sirius Holly’s future may very well depend on my skills as a wizard, I can’t gamble with her life like that not anymore,’
‘I understand,’ Sirius nodded sweeping the jokes aside, ‘But I say practical studies beats books any day, sparring matches on my days off?’ He smirked,
‘Why wanna get your, arse kicked?’ David challenged,
‘Excuse me I don’t remember it going down like that,’ Sirius pointed, as the pair shared a laugh.
‘So what do you plan on getting into?’ David asked Sirius frowned before shrugging,
‘Not sure thinking something to do with Muggles, you know just to twist the knife in on my mother,’ he chuckled,
‘Well I think we should get going,’ David finally said looking at his watch, they didn’t want to stay till dinner and while Frank would probably ask them to stay using the fireplace was already stretching what David was willing to even as for.
David and Sirius headed into the fireplace throwing in some floo powder to head back to Frank and Alice David stepped forward he blinked as he noticed the living room was in shambles the coaches turned over lamps and pictures shattered pieces along the floor, as David and Sirius quickly armed themselves.
‘Stay close,’ David said feeling for Holly’s head and pressing her close as his eyes scanned the area when suddenly a loud crack was heard upstairs. ‘silentium,’ he tapped his wand on his daughter just in time, the spell would prevent her from hearing anything.
A massive scream hit their ears, as Sirius rushed forward, David picked up his Daughter and quickly tr
ying to find a place he could hide her, His eyes brightened as he pulled open a closet door, and all but tossed her in. He shot the door and magically sealed it as he headed up the stairs just above where he stashed his daughter.
Sirius pulled back at the top of the stairs as David worried he was going to fall back. ‘Come on you can do better than that!’ Sirius cried out as David gave him a confused look.
‘Don’t taunt, and drop them!’ David cried out from behind,
‘It’s him! He killed our Master!’ cried out a voice as David felt his blood go cold. Sirius ducked under a killing curse as David, cursed to himself trying to think of some way for him and Sirius to open this fight.
‘Get out of the way!’ cried out a voice as Sirius elbowed David,
‘Okay I have had enough,’ David leaped off the stairs and started blasting at a teenage with sandy brown hair.
Sirius suddenly popped out of sight as David raised up a wall blocking the top of the stairs, the wall of brick exploded as he sent the destroyed material back into the hole. ‘Where is Neville?’
‘David Potter I will kill you for your hand in his death!’ Bellatrix raged shattering the wall as David found himself dodging a series of killing curses.
‘Sirius your cousin is trying to kill me!’ David shouted not sure where his friend had appirated to.
‘I will kill him!’ shouted a man who David figured was Rodolphus, a heavy set man who was married to the harpy trying to kill him. He flicked his wand levitating as many objects as he could to cover up the now for wands all going for the killing curse, he finally got around a corner, as David felt his heart pounding out of his chest, as his mind went over his options, first choice he could fire a killing curse back with them all grouped up he could hit one of them at least. Any stunning spells would just be waved off so that option was off he couldn’t take them all down that quickly that they couldn’t recover. He smirked, he turned the couch into a boar birds started flying in a massive swarm, drawing the four’s attention to the immediate annoyance. David glanced up at the light fixture and with a flick, a massive rock detached from the wires. The four scattered as one of them started screaming as David figured he got a leg. Bellatrix got to her feet as David sent a stunner at her forcing her on the defense, the younger man got up ready to send spells his way only for his want to go flying out his hand. David didn’t glance as he kept up the pressure up Bellatrix who looked like she wanted to murder him if her prior actions didn’t show that.
‘Your death and the death of your spawn shall herald the return of the dark lord,’ she raged, as David felt his blood run cold.
Her husband got up to raise his wand but David snapped his wrist freezing the man before knocking him, out through the window, shattering glass as he deflected a string of curses that ripped into the animals that David had used as a distraction. David kept his shield up as the magical energy tore into the furniture feathers flying as Sirius sent a spell that exploded the ground under her feet sending the witch flying as well. The youngest got back to his feet with his wand as David coldly eyed the kid up. He raised his wand and sent a series of spells, the kid blocked them but he balked David sent a spell as the glass from the broken window went flying at the kid; forcing the kid back as he suddenly dropped over the boulder falling to the ground as David stunned the kid hitting the man who’s leg was crushed under the same rock shutting him up from his screaming.
Bellatrix sent a spell at Her cousin in retaliation, he ducked under the rail as the curse blackened the spot where his head would have been. David smirked as he glanced up as a small stone dropped onto her head, she crumpled to the ground.
‘You and your transfiguration,’ Sirius shook his head as he pointed his wand at them wrapping the four death eaters up as David collected their wands. Tossing them to the side, as he looked up at Sirius,
‘Did you find them?’ David asked as he considered heading to the ministry of magic.
‘Yeah, I couldn’t find Neville I think they may have to hide him I think they are going to be okay you may want to check them out, do you think I should let everyone know. David glanced back at the four, he set up a few charms to alert him if they so much as twitched.
‘Get going, I’ll check up on the Longbottoms,’ David said, and with a pop, he was gone, David opened up the cupboard under the stairs, he got a very angry look which turned to horror as she saw the four people stunned on the floor.
‘Okays?’ she asked as David nodded picking her up, he tapped her with the wand letting her hear again headed upstairs.
‘Yeah okays,’ David smiled as he hefted her weight, ‘You’re getting bigger,’ he chuckled as he spotted Frank and Alice stirring, he sighed in relief as he walked into the room. Frank twitched as he fought for control of his body.
‘David, oh thank you,’ Frank shivered as he shifted over to his wife who looked very traumatized shaking as she hugged her knees. David kneeled down looking her in the eye, she shifted looking at him as David let a sigh of relief.
‘Now you can thank me, she will be fine contact the Auror,’ David stood up,
‘We had an alarm charm, as soon as they broke in the home offices were already alerted,’ Frank explained as the sound of popping hit David’ ears.
‘Oh boy,’ Sirius complained as the two adults sat on the couch as they got looked over. ‘Just like old times eh David,’ Black elbowed David as a phantom of a smile graced his lips.
‘I can’t believe you two would bring a child into this,’ one of the Medics scolded, as Sirius gave her a grin.
‘Well, to be honest, it was his daughter, not mine,’ Sirius pointed his thumb at David as the blonde witch glared at him.
‘I was on my way back from a shopping trip we stumbled in on this and prolonged time under the Cruciatus can break people, it wasn’t the best decision, but I wasn’t going to let a child go through life without his parents,’ David defended glancing back at the woman. Her expression softened, but she didn’t say anything as she finished patching up Sirius.
‘So are you doing anything tonight?’ Sirius smiled,
‘Filling paperwork,’ the woman shut down as David laughed at his friends strike out. ‘Ah,’ he winced as he felt the skin knit back together. Sirius laughed at his friend only to get an elbow from David. Sirius just laughed harder at the impact as the blonde which shook her head.
‘You two, why I am not surprised,’ said a very stern voice. The two men looked up to see Madam Bones.
‘Good to see they sent the best and brightest,’ David complemented as he stood up to look at the woman in the eye. ‘How is my daughter?’ he asked glancing over to see that both Neville and Hope were being looked after.
‘Fine Mr. Potter,’ She said in a clipped tone. ‘I may need you both to come to the Ministry for questioning, but I feel some time to find a babysitter, may be in order,’ Bones advised, ‘Thank you for Keeping fellow Aurors safe,’ she bowed her head slightly.
‘How are Frank and Alice doing?’ Sirius asked the earlier smile on his face gone in the face of such concerns.
‘Frank!’ called a voice as Lupin burst into the house as Lupin froze then sighed at the sight of David and Sirius as they turned to look at him.
‘Why am I not surprised,’ he sighed looking at the pair as David rubbed the back of his head as Sirius waved him over.
‘Hey, Lupin where you been?’ Sirius called as Lupin’s eyebrow twitched.
‘I have been looking for both of you would it have killed you to send an owl or something?’ Lupin sighed as he walked over to the pair.
‘So what are you doing here?’ Sirius asked the smile on his face fading.
‘Well I was trying to get in contact with David when Sally asked me to check up he heard there was a break in and he was worried, how is Holly?’
‘As well as someone can who does not understand death,’ David sulked into himself. ‘Sorry about not contacting you, I needed to move and I had no means outside of my mirror to send message
s until I just bought Garius,’ he frowned realizing he lost track of it when he stepped out of the fireplace,
‘And this is why we keep owls in a cage during transport so they don’t get lost, honestly David,’ Lupin shook his head but the slight smirk on his face belied the scolding.
‘Excuse me, who are you?’ Madam Bones inquired confronting the man.
‘He’s a friend of Sally’s he was asked to check on us,’ Sirius said standing up. As the Auror glanced over at him.
‘Okay but no more people running in here we got enough trouble keeping the neighbors in the dark as it is,’ she warned,
‘So how are, our favorite Aurors doing?’ Lupin asked as Sirius sat back down, with a huff.
‘They will survive no thanks to the Lestrages, and surprisingly Barty Crouch Jr. of all people,’ David informed, ‘That means court duty as if I didn’t have enough issues to deal with, now I got to find a babysitter and a house,’ David frowned as everything seemed to be stacking up, not mention it was getting fairly late and Hope who he was surprised wasn’t already asking for food will need dinner soon and to be put to bed. This was so much harder without his better half.
‘I could keep an eye out for the day, nothing to worry about,’ Lupin volunteered,
‘Right, thanks, Lupin,’ David smiled already calculating a fair wage for his friend. Sirius frowned a bit as he got up and headed outside. David and Lupin glanced at each other before Sirius walked back in. Lupin and David nodded in realization
‘Sorry about that,’ Sirius apologized,
‘It’s a fair concern,’ Lupin admitted as Holly rushed over to her dad.
‘Up,’ she demands and raised her arms as David picked her up and set her on his lap.
‘As for you Lupin sorry I am staying at a motel not too far from here, but I don’t plan on staying forever,’
‘A hotel is no place to raise a Daughter, any place you have in mind?’ Lupin asked
‘Sally recommend a muggle town, but that’s not going to be an easy transition,’ David sighed.
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