Fixing Old Traditions | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝑯𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚-𝑭𝒐𝒖𝒓

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summer 1979,
the stag and the
white dog
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Upon her return to Grimmauld Place, she realised she had forgotten her potions, she prayed that nobody was home, as she knocked on the door. Kreacher opened the door, his ear perking up as her saw Aimee, he allowed her inside, holding his finger up to his mouth, he pointed upstairs she crept up behind him as they walked upstairs.

"Mistress, is deeply upset," he spoke quietly, 'what could possibly upset a woman like Walburga?' she thought "Master Orion had passed on,"

"He's died?" she questioned

"Yes, master Regulus hasn't left his room in a week now,"

"I should see him,"

"Mistress," he called her halting her steps, he had never called her that before

"Please don't call me that, just Aimee will be fine," he lowered his head

"Is it true?" the elf asked,

"I'm sorry,"

"You and master Sirius had a baby?" she blinked wondering how he could possibly know unless Regulus had told him.

"Yes, twins," the elf's posture straighten, as he held her hand apparating her to the highest room in the house, he pointed up to the Black family tapestry, her eyes widened as she saw two new relatives.

'Rhea Marlene Black,'

'Phoebe Alice Black,'

"I don't understand, Andromeda's daughter isn't on here why would Sirius' be?"

"Master Orion, has been ill for many years, he's done well to hide it, he never had the chance to change his will," she stared blankly at her daughter's names, wanting to tear their names off. "Master Sirius will inherit everything, this house, their fortune and Kreacher-

"No, he won't Kreacher, I promise you I'll set you free myself,"

"Kreacher loves master Sirius and master Regulus, Kreacher helped raise them. Kreacher will always serve the Noble House of Black,"

She smiled at him, she never considered that Kreacher loved Sirius and Regulus. She had always assumed that his harsh treatment from Walburga and Orion would have been enough for him. It never occurred to her how much Sirius running away affected Kreacher too, he seemed happy that she and Sirius had children of their own.

Kreacher apparated her back downstairs standing outside of Regulus room, Kreacher knocked on the door. Only a faint mumble could be heard from inside, Kreacher knocked again this time his voice was more audible.

"Go away, Kreacher," the elf looked up at her hopeful, that she could get through to him, she smiled at him, opening the door quietly, letting herself in. "I said, go away,"

"Surely that doesn't apply to me," he shot around, almost falling off his bed,

"What are you doing here?" he hurried to squeeze her in a desperate hug

"I've actually been here, the whole time," he creased his brows, then everything seemed to click into place.

"Alecto, I should have known, Evan would never be interested in her,"

"How's it been, since your dad died?"

"To tell you truth, I don't really feel anything, my mother has been harsher than usual," he admitted, she wasn't surprised he felt nothing, neither Orion nor Walburga were parental figures to him or Sirius. "I'm tired all the time, that's mainly because I'm up all night trying to figure out where he could have hidden his Horcrux,"

"You're not still going on about that are you?" she sat on his bed with him.

"I've been reading about them, you conceal part of your soul in a Horcrux, while ever they exist you can never truly die," he explained

"If the Dark Lord made one, then fighting him it just pointless,"

"Exactly, it could be anything from a knut to something meaningful to the person, and I'm going to find it,"

"Just stop talking for a minute," she said, trying to process what he had told her, 'this could have been the information that Dumbledore was looking for' she thought, she noticed the dark circles under his eyes, "You need sleep, we'll talk about this another time," she cupped his face, she laid next to him, spooning him, he smiled hold her hand.

"Is this what you do with my brother?"

"No, he spoons me," he chuckled, squeezing her hand

***

Now that Regulus knew of her identity, he didn't feel so alone. She spent the day with Theo and would stay with Regulus at night, she took her polyjuice potion and sweet to chance her voice, she looked in the mirror cringing at her appearance. As she walked downstairs with him, he kept her close by now that Bellatrix was back.

"Carrows," she called, "your time has come, I've already had my fun with him,"

She gestured for them to head down the hallway, into the basement. Aimee withheld her emotions, upon seeing the person kneeled on the floor before them. With his hands bound behind him, he had blood dripping from his mouth.

"Have fun," Bellatrix said, closing the door behind her, as the door clicked shut, she rushed over to him.

"Hey," she cupped his face, "look at me?" he barely mumbled a word

"James," she said, he turned his face away "James look at me," he flicked his eyes up the concern in Alecto's eyes, made him realise.

"Burke?"

"Yes, I'm going to get you out of here," she lifted him up, Theo helped her.

"There's a window, come on," Theo turned into a fox.

"James, can you turn into a stag?" she asked, he weakly nodded his head, he stumbled like a deer learning to walk for the first time. Once he stood still, she turned into the white dog, they broke through the window.

They ran forward towards the woodlands just past the garden of Grimmauld Place. The white dog halted her stride, the stag and fox ran ahead. Only turning around once they realised she wasn't behind them, the stag hurried back to her, he looked at what she was looking at.

"I can't leave Reg,"

"You have to come with me, they'll know you let me go,"

"He'll be all alone, I promised I'd watch over him-

"Aimee, if you go back there they'll kill you, you have to come with me," he urged her.

The dog's eyes softened as the stag urged her to follow him. She took one last look at Grimmauld Place before she darted away with the stag and fox. This was her and Theo's chance to get out, and they were taking it.

As soon as the fox, dog and stag arrived back at Godric's Hollow, immediately turned from animals into themselves. James hurried to his house to see his parents and Lily, they had been worried about his whereabouts.

Theo hugged his sister, stating that he need to help Jacob and Daniel with finding a more secure place to stay. Aimee saw the light on in her home, she raced towards the door bounding through only to find Remus, there instead of Sirius.

"You're back," he said, she smiled with tears falling down her cheeks, she hurried over to him, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"Finally, I'm home for good, James is fine, he's gone to his parent's house," she told him, not letting go it had been so long since she could hug someone without it meaning goodbye.

"It's great to have you back," she pulled away, hurrying to find Sirius, steam was coming from the bathroom. She snuck inside, the water had been turned off, he reached his arm out for a towel wrapping it around his waist, he jumped back.

"Merlin's beard, you scared the hell out of-" he couldn't finish his sentence, as she threw her body into his, he held her close to him.

"I'm home for good now,"

"I'm never letting you leave again,"