𝙿𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚔𝚒𝚗 𝙿𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚜 - 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦 | ✔︎

Chapter 10

The rest of that school year wasn't exciting, just filled to the brim with countless detentions for the four pranksters of Hogwarts. The stash from Sirius and Natasha proved to help when the Colour Me Blind Bombs went off during the Ravenclaw and Slytherin match, as every player was also covered in potions that changed their team uniforms.

Fred and George were delighted to see the things Natasha had brought, using it mostly against Filch and Snape. Even McGonagall found herself laughing at the gimmicks they had created, though her detentions with them were anything but funny.

Just as promised, Padfoot, or Snuffles as Remus called him, was waiting by Molly and Arthur Weasley for the arrival of their children, his tail wagging in excitement as he finally saw Natasha step off, hand in hand with Fred and George.

She scratched behind his ears in delight, as Molly hugged her and the twins tightly, going over the details of the Quidditch World Cup with them all. She would drop by the Burrow a week before the game and spend time with the twins.

Using the car Arthur had borrowed from the Ministry, the Weasley family dropped off Sirius and Natasha, the former still in his Animagus form. With a final wave, the car sped off into the sky, as Fred and George's faces were pressed up against the back window, fogging the glass.

As soon as the two were inside, Sirius transformed back into his normal body, scratching at his hair. "Don't tell me you have fleas again Padfoot," Remus' voice called out from the kitchen, and Natasha froze, a grin spreading onto her face.

"Uncle Moony!" she shouted, and Remus' face popped out from the kitchen, his moustache sprouting some chocolate. Sirius grinned at his old friend and pulled him into a hug, the back-clapping between the two becoming slightly awkward as Natasha just stood there.

"Wow dad, where's my hug?" Natasha asked, and she was quickly engulfed in her father's arms, leaving Remus to sport a playful glare as he brought out the chocolate cake he had been making. He had been staying with Sirius apparently in the months after leaving Hogwarts, which meant chocolate had become the resident snack.

Natasha was almost convinced her father was almost smitten for the man, considering how close the two had gotten. They were currently asleep on the couch in front of the fireplace, with their legs in each other's laps.

Natasha just smirked, throwing a blanket that had been knitted by Aurelia over the two, making sure to take a photograph for the scrapbook she was making. She went upstairs to her room, noticing Remus had moved in next to Sirius, and got out her two-way mirror to see if Charlie was free.

He wasn't.

She sighed and flung herself onto her bed. Charlie had been getting busier and busier in the past few months, not able to talk to Natasha at all. She had no other options – she was still underage, her father and uncle were asleep downstairs, and she had no way to get in contact with Fred or George without waiting for Errol or Aurelia's owl to deliver the letter.

So, Natasha did what she did best whenever she was bored.

Talk.

There were a few portraits of her family members shoved up in the attic, including her grandparents Walburga and Orion. They jeered at her whenever they weren't covered up, talking about how she was a disgrace to the Black family name.

But that didn't mean every portrait was like them.

In fact, one of the portraits was her best friend as a child.

The portrait of Regulus Black.

Sure, portraits were only painted memories, but Regulus was always there to talk to Natasha, telling her stories and keeping her company when she had nightmares. He had been cold at first, but the girl was as persistent as her father, soon melting the portrait's hard exterior.

She ran up to the attic, opening up the secret tab she had found as a child, where Sirius had thrown Regulus' portrait once when Natasha was a baby. Though she had grown considerably since her last visit, she was still small enough to fit through the hole, graced with her mother's short stature.

"Uncle Reggie?" she asked, her voice slightly wavering. She didn't know if he'd be in his portrait or not, considering she hadn't visited for a while.

"Natasha?" The girl smiled, standing in front of her uncle's portrait, his young smile and the way his eyes sparkled reminding Natasha of Fred and George when they were younger.

"Hey Uncle Reg, it's been a while," she said, taking a seat in front of the painting. Regulus smiled, though his portrait was only memory, Aurelia had owled him when Natasha was born, and Regulus had sent along a statue of a monkey he had crafted from the sickle he had found as the owl reached him.

"Natasha? My god, how you have grown!" he said, and Natasha smiled.

"And you haven't changed a bit old man," she retorted. Regulus just smiled at his niece; the gold tassel of the clothes he had been painted in clutched in his hand.

"I am anything but old, I will forever be eighteen years old Natasha," he spoke, his boyish grin returning. He looked exactly like her father in his younger years, but he had never discussed the way he died – all Natasha knew was that her grandfather had it made just before he died.

"Well, I'm certainly getting old. I start sixth year after the summer Uncle Reggie, and I still don't know what career to take!" she said, flapping her arms about dramatically. The portrait laughed, as the girl lay down, crossing her hands over her chest.

"Whatever are you doing weirdo?" Regulus asked and Natasha sighed, ever the dramatic type.

"I'm dead now Uncle Reggie. I shall not move now, no more school, no more friends – no more chocolate." She closed her eyes and stuck her tongue out, as Regulus just watched his niece silently.

That was until Sirius' voice rang up from downstairs.

"SPAWN OF SATAN! MOONY HAS GIFTED US WITH FOOD!" Natasha's eyes shot open and she hurriedly waved by to her uncle, before sprinting downstairs.

If there was one thing that Natasha couldn't refuse, it was food.