Summer Start

"Are we in trouble?"

Sirius let out a sigh as he looked at the three children, watching as Harry's lip formed a pout. "No, love."

"You should be."

Sirius straightened up where he sat in the train compartment, gray eyes widening at the youngest of his three charges. "Tuni?"

"Well," Tuni sniffled, looking at the ground. Her hands attempted to straighten out her dress while she refused to look him in the eye, and her mouth formed the classic Tuni pout that Sirius had learned a long time ago, which meant someone had managed to get on her bad side. James' youngest tended towards being quite the devious child when that happened.

"If I am, then..."

"Harry," Sirius said, letting out a sigh. "I hate being the adult." He watched the two children he raised screw up their faces while Draco looked up from his book, giving him a definite look indicating that he thought Sirius was acting like an idiot. He felt the corner of his mouth twitch. "If the two of you are nice to each other, I don't have to be an adult and be nice as well, right?"

"That's stupid," Draco said, turning his attention back to his book.

Tuni, whose mouth was open to say something, returned to straightening out her skirt. "Is Grandpa going to be mad at me as well?"

Sirius sighed, then let out a groan. "Do we have to tell him?"

"I can tell him if you can't," Harry said, grinning ear to ear.

"Harry!" Tuni cried out, and then she stood, letting out a sniff. "I'm going to find Ginny, you meanies."

"Would you rather he find out from Aunt Walburga?" Draco asked, before grumbling. "Mother certainly will have heard something by now from Father."

Sirius sighed. "Point taken. Better me than the old hag."

Draco looked up, frowning. "Very mature, Uncle Sirius."

"And you don't have to be sarcastic like your mother," Sirius said, watching as Harry and Tuni cringed at the mention of his mother.

"At least we don't have to call her mother," Harry muttered.

"Or Aunt like Draco does," Tuni muttered.

Sirius sighed, looking out the window. "Tuni does have a point you two. Of course, me lecturing you that your behavior and that of your friends probably..."

"But I'm her older brother," Harry interjected. "Older siblings are supposed to protect their younger siblings, right?"

Sirius turned his head, looking at Harry as the color drained from his face. Tuni noticed, the pout leaving her face as she looked at him in concern. "What's wrong Uncle Sirius?"

"I wasn't exactly a great older brother," Sirius said.

"But," Harry said. "It's not your fault, Mum and Dad..."

"He means Uncle Regulus," Draco piped up, not looking up from his book.

"Who?" Harry turned to look at Draco. "Who is..."

Draco looked up. "Wait? He's not said?" He then looked at Sirius. "You've not told them about..."

Sirius took a deep breath, looking right at Draco as if he were some kind of demon while Tuni looked back and forth between the two, and Harry stared at him, confused, his eyeglasses slipping down. "Stop, Draco. Please."

"Uh, so," Harry swallowed. "I made Chsaer like dad, and Draco is Seeker."

"You're changing the subject," Tuni interjected.

"So, like your dad?" Sirius said. A grin spread across his face, grateful for the change of subject. "Why'd you try out for Seeker, Dra..."

Draco snapped his book shut, glaring at him. "Are you really going to avoid talking about him, Uncle Sirius?"

Sirius sat up straighter. "What? What are you..."

"He was Seeker, albeit for Slytherin. And he's my godfather."

Sirius closed his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. You were born after..."

"I'm aware!" Draco said. "I'm aware I was born after he died! Mother wants me to be like him, like..." He paused. "How he should have been if..."

Sirius felt a flicker of anger. "Cissy shouldn't be telling you these things."

"She says I look like a father but have his personality. He says..."

"Stop," Sirius said, swallowing. "I don't want..."

"I got sorted into Gryffindor because she filled my head with nonsense about him, which only solidified because you..." Draco stopped, still holding the book.

Sirius sighed, closing his eyes. "Bloody Merlin, I hadn't noticed." Why would I?"

"Sirius?" Harry asked.

"What's going on, Uncle Siri?" Tuni asked.

Sirius cleared his throat, "So, what are you reading? I've not seen that book."

"Oh. This?" Draco turned the cover over. "A book Granger lent me."

"Granger?"

"The Muggleborn know-it-all," Tuni muttered. "I don't like..." And then she stopped, stiffening as Draco looked at her in horror, and Harry glared at her.

"Ah," Sirius said. "It's a Muggle book then, I take it?"

Draco nodded his head. "I've read lots of them since meeting her, but I didn't know reading could be so much fun."

"So not like Regulus," Sirius thought to himself. "That was his favorite pastime, but Seeker?" He took a deep breath.

"I thought it was just for studying and becoming a better wizard, and so on."

Sirius flinched, then looked out the window. "Wonder if he thought that." He took a deep breath. "I didn't know, Draco, that Regulus was Seeker. Should tell you what kind of older brother I was, right?"

"I bet Harry wouldn't notice," Tuni grumbled. "Ginny noticed."

"Is this what you are upset about, Tuni?" Sirius asked. He sighed. "Look. This summer, I'll be busy. "So..." He turned his head to look at the children, seeing Tuni and Harry, who were not bothered, but Draco. "Hey. What's the matter?"

"Does this mean I can't stay for the summer?" Draco asked.

Sirius stared, then, "I wouldn't have had you ride with us if..." He paused. I'm just going to ask Orion to keep an eye on you three while I attend to some business I need to take care of. Which, yeah, I'll have to tell him what you've been up to before the old hag does." His eyes narrowed. "And please? Don't mention Regulus to him?"

Draco stiffened. "What? Why?"

"Yeah. Why?" Harry asked.

"Can't I just stay with Aunt Tuni?"

Sirius sighed. I'm going to bring up that old wound already, guys. And wound, I'd say, is an apt description. Orion is well now because he's got you two, well, three in his life to take care of, but Regulus..." He took a deep breath. "Let's just say it took its toll on him. Regulis. He was the baby."

"See, Tuni," Harry said.

"What?" She looked at him wide-eyed.

"I do care."

"What has that got to do with..."

"Enough," Sirius sighed. "Behave and let me take a nap since I've had the conversation with you three that I wanted to."

"That was it?" Harry said.

"Yes."

"We're not grounded?"

Sirius felt the corners of his mouth twist. "You know, I think I'll leave that to Orion." He let out a sigh. "And yet I know he'll be soft on them."

The train finally arrived at Kings Cross, and they disembarked. Waiting for them was his father, grinning ear to ear as he stood there, cane in hand. "I was a bit confused as to why you weren't here already, Sirius, dear boy."

Sirius looked at him bleary-eyed, then said, "There are some things I need to discuss with you." When we get back."

"Sirius wants you to take care of us for the summer," Harry said.

"Ah," Orion said, then, "Can I hope this means you're finally courting someone??

Sirius spluttered. "What?"

"Yes please!"

Sirius looked at Tuni, utterly confused. "Say what?"

"It would mean it's not all boys anymore," Tni said. "I'm tired of stupid boys. And that Granger girl."

"Ah. The smart Muggleborn Harry and Draco told me about," Orion said as Harry and Tuni hurried over to grab his hands to be apparated back to Sirius' flat. "They've had nothing but praise for their friends, you know."

Sirius felt a hand on his sleeve and looked down to see Draco, who looked a tad left out, but then—

"Well, come on, my boy!" Orion called out, waving Draco over. "Sirius can get the trunks."

Draco hurried over, the look leaving his face as Sirius sighed, his father disappearing with the children, leaving him to attend to the trunks. He arrived at his flat, once a bachelor pad and now a place for raising two kids, three if he counted Narcissa's boy. He heard laughter, then, "Hey? Orion and I need to talk, so perhaps we should...

"You should put your things away," Orion said. "And when you're done, I should be done speaking with Sirius, and you can tell me all about this last year." The children tensed, their eyes fixed on Orion. "What?"

"Sirius will tell you!" Harry blurted out, hurrying over to his trunk, while Draco pulled his after, as he would be staying in Harry's room, much as he had shared a room with James, though not for much longer.

"Something happened?"

Sirius let out a deep breath. "We almost lost Tuni. Possibly because of Draco's father, but the boys — Harry and his friends — saved her. I can't quite get into the details, though, beyond the fact that, well, first, I'll need you to watch the kids this summer.

"I'm more than delighted," Orion said.

Sirius took a deep breath. "And I need to talk to you. About Regulus."

The smile on Orion's face faultered. "Please tell me they haven't? I mean, I haven't given up hope.

"No. Uh," Sirius said. "You still haven't? Do you think he might really be alive?

"Strange. When I first told you..."

"I know. I know. I doubted you. And I," Sirius sighed. "I still don't know what to think, but right now, I need him to be alive."

Orion frowned. "You need him to be?"

"I..." Sirius closed his eyes. "I also recollect Arcturs saying Regulus had unfinished business at the funeral, but I think I might know what that is."

"Does this involve what happened?"

"At the school?" Sirius said. "Yes. Dumbledore tasked me with dealing with it. It needs to be dealt with. So he can't come back."

Orion frowned. "He'd be safe and happy, Sirius."

"He may also be the only one, papa," Sirius said.

"So, you're actually going to go looking for him?" Orion said. "Finally?"

"Yes. Do you have any idea where I should start?" Sirius said. "The trail would have grown..." He paused, seeing Draco head out. "Ah. Draco."

Draco stiffened, looking up from the book he was reading. Orion's eyes brightened. "Oh! Is that a Muggle book, I see?"

Draco's eyes widened. "Yes. Granger lent me, has been lending them to me." He turned it over. "Do you know it?"

"Quite a few, actually," Orion said.

"Did he?" Draco said.

"Sirius?" Orion said a confused look appearing on his face.

"No. I think," Sirius sucked in his breath. "Cissy's been telling Draco about Regulus."

"Am I like him? Like she says?" Draco asked.

"Why, I think so," Orion said. "You know, if there are any Muggle books I don't know about yet that you enjoy, perhaps a visit to one of my favorite haunts is in order. Perhaps we could visit that place this summer?" He paused, then, "Sirius. There's your answer."

"What?" Sirius said, then noticed Orion looking at the book Draco held. "I don't know the book, sir."

"Not the book," Orion said. "What do you think, Draco, of picking out your own books?"

"Really? Getting to visit a Muggle bookstore or library?" Draco said.

"Library," Orion said. "Hadn't thought of that."

And then it clicked what Orion was trying to say. Sirius sucked in his breath. "Follow what Regulus loved, and we all know he loved books. But perhaps not books involving magic, particularly since he'd already read and got his hands on. So, any place one might procure Muggle books."

"Granger says they exist," Draoc said.

"Hey, before I leave," Sirius said. "Do you have a picture? You know, right?"

"I think I've got an idea of what you're saying," Orion said. "I'll obtain it as soon as possible."