Extended Family

Chapter 58: Seriously

Takes place before Dahlia's birth

"Master Harry!  Welcome!"

"Hi Kreacher!"  Harry smiled and knelt, hugging Kreacher with one arm.  "How's it going?"

Kreacher rolled his large eyes.  "Bad Master is being very irritating lately.  Has taken to pacing and muttering.  Kreacher thinks Master is living up to the Black legacy."

"Oh?"

Kreacher managed to have his eyes roll in opposite directions and grinned manically.

"Oh.  Going mad you mean?"

"Like his ancestors.  As is tradition."

Harry snorted.  "Let's hope not.  You don't actually want him to go mad, do you?"

"Kreacher is unsure if it would be improvement or not."

Harry snorted again.  "I don't either.  He and Amelia haven't been fighting, have they?"

"Not as far as Kreacher is aware."

"I wonder why he wanted me to come visit all of a sudden then," Harry mused.

"Kreacher can only hope bad Master is dying and is giving Master Harry everything," Kreacher said hopefully.

Harry laughed.  "I sure don't.  I better go figure out what he wants."  Harry walked up the staircase and knocked on the closed office door.  "Sirius?  It's me."

The door opened and Sirius smiled.  "Hey!  Thanks for coming on short notice."

"No problem.  You usually wait for our weekly dinners to discuss things so when you asked me to come over, I figured it was important."  Harry walked in and sat at the large desk.  "It's not an emergency, is it?"

"Uh...." Sirius dithered as he took his seat.  "It can be if you look at it a certain way?"

"That's concerning," Harry remarked.  "You're not dying, are you?"

"No, no matter what Kreacher hopes," Sirius snorted.  "No I aim to live forever and so far, I'm doing pretty great."  He grinned at Harry's laugh.  "Or at least live longer than my parents did.  Mother said I was destined for an early grave and well, nothing like spite as a motivator."

"That's healthy.  Oh speaking, here."  Harry handed Sirius a bottle.  "I had some really nice wine on an international game trip in Italy.  I thought you'd like this."

"Ooh, thanks!"  Sirius admired the bottle for a moment before setting it aside.  "Maybe we can open it after we talk."  Sirius reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a small black box and opened it, showing it to Harry.

Harry looked at the small platinum ring with interest.  It was smooth and shone from the light and from magic that was worked into it.  A diamond sat on top and it glittered, the small stones of jet surrounding it giving it a brighter look and feel.  "Whoa.  That's gorgeous."  Harry looked pained.  "But like the last time you tried giving me a ring, I'm not interested in blokes.  And you know, I'm kinda married right now."

Sirius irritably threw a roll of parchment at Harry, smiling while Harry laughed.  "Haha, very funny."

"I thought so," Harry chuckled.  "So...Amelia then?"