⌗ ⌗ ⌗

Over the next few days, Iris couldn't help but notice that there was one person within number twelve, Grimmauld Place, who did not seem entirely overjoyed about the kids' upcoming return to Hogwarts. Sirius had put up a very good show of happiness on first hearing the news, wringing Harry's hand and beaming just like the rest of them; soon, however, he was moodier and surlier than before, talking less to everybody, even Iris, and spending increasing amounts of time shut up in his mother's room with Buckbeak.

Iris could tell that he had been happy to have the company over the Summer, but never fully considered what would happen once school started back. Now that Harry's trial was over and there was barely a week left, it seemed to finally set in for Sirius that they'd soon be gone.

Iris had followed in her godfather's footsteps, taking to isolation. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and the rest of the Weasleys attempted to coax her out of the guest room she was staying in, but anytime Iris communicated with the rest of the house's occupants, it just wasn't the same. She wondered how a part of her had broken so badly she could barely smile or keep up a conversation. Iris helped the rest of the kids clean the musty old house, but she preferred to do it in another room than the one they were all tackling.

She would eat dinner with them, making quiet small talk whenever someone spoke to her, it was often Tonks, before retreating back to her room. The solitude wasn't all bad. Iris had taken up drawing in her alone time, sketching random parts of her bedroom, her friends, or self-portraits. The teenage girl had always had a fairly decent artistic ability, but never explored it until now. Sometimes she would hide in the attic with Kreacher, who, after some TLC, warmed up to Iris just enough that he wasn't an endless fountain of slurs and disgusted looks.

Around noon that particular day, the student's booklists finally arrived. Along with them came two shiny new Prefect's badges for Hermione and Ron, just as planned. Iris could tell Harry was feeling guilty about being disheartened, having expected a different result.

Later that evening there was a knock on Iris' door. She looked up from the spellsbook Dumbledore had told her to read, telling the knocker to come in. The knob twisted and a familiar head of long black hair peered around the door as it opened, eyes scanning the room quickly until the came to rest on Iris, who was sitting crisscrossed in the middle of her borrowed bed.

Sirius gave her a weak smile before saying, "Mrs Weasley is back from Diagon Alley. She's asking everyone to come downstairs."

Iris nodded, flipping the thick book closed and standing from the bed. She walked over to the small oak wood desk by the door, dropping it on the surface with a thud. Sirius glanced over at the multitude of papers scattered across the desk, observing them with interest.

"Those are really good," he gestured at her sketches, "Y'know I used to be something of an artist myself when I was your age... haven't done anything in a long time, but I should show you some of my old drawings."

Iris' interest was peaked at that. She smiled, "I'd like that."

Down in the dining area, Mrs Weasley had hung a scarlet banner over the heavily laden dinner table, which read 'CONGRATULATIONS RON AND HERMIONE — NEW PREFECTS.' She looked in a better mood than Iris had seen her all holiday.

"I thought we'd have a little party, not a sit-down dinner," she told Iris and Sirius as they entered the room. "Arthur and Bill are on their way," she added, a beaming smile never leaving her face.

Remus, Tonks, and Kingsley Shacklebolt were already there and Mad-Eye Moody stomped in shortly after Iris had got herself a butterbeer. Following after Moody were the rest of the kids, and Iris quickly noticed how annoyed George and Fred looked at the party.

"So glad you could make it, Alastor," Mrs Weasley grinned brightly, "Have a drink. We're having a little bit of a celebration, actually..." She gestured at the scarlet banner. "Fourth prefect in the family!" she said fondly, ruffling Ron's hair.

"Prefect, eh?" growled Moody, his normal eye on Ron and his magical eye swiveling around to gaze into the side of his head.

"Well, congratulations," said Moody, still glaring at Ron with his normal eye, "authority figures always attract trouble, but I suppose Dumbledore thinks you can withstand most major jinxes or he wouldn't have appointed you..."

Ron looked rather startled at this view of the matter but was saved the trouble of responding by the arrival of his father and eldest brother. Mrs Weasley was in such a good mood she did not even complain that they had brought Mundungus with them too; he was wearing a long overcoat that seemed oddly lumpy in unlikely places and declined the offer to remove it and put it with Moody's traveling cloak.

"Well, I think a toast is in order," said Mr Weasley, when everyone had a drink. He raised his goblet. "To Ron and Hermione, the new Gryffindor prefects!"

Ron and Hermione beamed as everyone drank to them and then applauded.

"I was never a prefect myself," said Tonks brightly from behind Iris as everybody moved toward the table to help themselves to food. Her hair was tomato-red and waist length today; she looked like Ginny's older sister. "My Head of House said I lacked certain necessary qualities."

"Like what?" said Ginny, who was choosing a baked potato.

"Like the ability to behave myself," said Tonks.

Iris smiled at that. Ginny laughed; Hermione looked as though she did not know whether to smile or not and compromised by taking an extra large gulp of butterbeer and choking on it.

"What about you, Sirius?" Ginny asked, thumping Hermione on the back.

Sirius, who was right beside Harry, let out his usual barklike laugh.

"No one would have made me a prefect, I spent too much time in detention with James. Lupin was the good boy, he got the badge."

"I think Dumbledore might have hoped that I would be able to exercise some control over my best friends," said Remus. "I need scarcely say that I failed dismally."

Iris' lips turned up at the thought of her father with his friends as a teenager. She grabbed herself a plate of food and stuck by the wall, observing everyone else. Ron was rhapsodizing about the new broom Mrs Weasley had bought him to anybody who would listen.

"...naught to seventy in ten seconds, not bad, is it? When you think the Comet Two Ninety's only naught to sixty and that's with a decent tailwind according to Which Broomstick?"

Hermione was talking very earnestly to Lupin about her view of elf rights. "I mean, it's the same kind of nonsense as werewolf segregation, isn't it? It all stems from this horrible thing wizards have of thinking they're superior to other creatures..."

Mrs Weasley and Bill were having their usual argument about Bill's hair.

"...getting really out of hand, and you're so good-looking, it would look much better shorter, wouldn't it, Harry?"

Iris almost laughed at the instant panic that rose on her brother's face.

"Oh — I dunno —" said Harry, slightly alarmed at being asked his opinion; he slid away from them quickly in the direction of Fred, George, and Mundungus.

Iris ate one last bite of a buttered roll before slinking out the door. As soon as she stepped outside the room and closed the door gently behind her, the noise of chatter died down. Iris walked down the hallway slowly, observing the decorated walls. She had never really taken a good look at the house's interior, but she noticed a distinct abundance of portraits of old dead Black family members and a... lovely... display of beheaded house elf heads.

Iris wandered upstairs, walking through the hallways curiously until something caught her eye. A door like all the rest but with a golden nameplate labeled Sirius.

Grinning slightly, Iris moved forward, carefully opening the door. His room was spacious with a large bed that had a carved headboard, a tall window with long velvet curtains, and a black iron candle chandelier. The walls of the room were covered with so many pictures that it was barely possible for Iris to see the wallpaper. He had pictures of muggle motorcycles and bikini-clad girls that made Iris cringe thinking about her godfather as a teenager. It was very dusty, suggesting to Iris that the room had not been used for a long time.

The room was messy, books and parchment scattered randomly across the floor. Iris stepped toward the old desk that sat against one of the walls, her focus being drawn by one thing. Sitting propped up on top of the desk in a dusty wooden frame was a moving picture of the four Marauders.

Iris reached down slowly, picking up the framed photo. Her fingers ghosted over the smiling image of her young father. He had his arms swung over Sirius and Remus' shoulders, with Peter Pettigrew standing on the other side of Remus. Iris nudged the traitor out the side of the photo before refocusing her gaze on the remaining boys. The three teenage boys grinned, waving up at her excitedly. Iris' breath caught and she quickly set the frame back down on the desk.

Iris looked away; it was too painful. She was quickly distracted though by the collage of moving photographs stuck to the wall above Sirius' old desk. Some had obviously been put up with a permanent sticking charm, though many were simply taped. They were almost all of him at different points throughout his life pre-running away. A lot of them were of Sirius and another boy who looked just like him. Iris assumed this was his brother. Many were of her godfather and the other Marauders, or him at Hogwarts.

It was then that one particular photo caught her eye.

Iris did a double take... it wasn't possible.

The photo was one of the ones that was only taped, and Iris quickly pulled it from the wall, bringing it closer to her face. Her lips parted in disbelief.

"No wa—" her whisper of shock was cut off as a sudden bright white took over her vison.

"Can't you just stand still?"

A cheery laugh rang out.

Iris turned, startled. She was at Hogwarts, out on the lawn under one of the larger trees. Something was wrong. Iris looked around, squinting before her eyes landed on three people standing a few meters away.

Her eyes grew wide as her brows furrowed together in complete disbelief.

"Sirius, you know I don't like having my picture taken." It was the same person who had laughed moments ago: a young girl. "James, you better put that camera down right now," she threatened.

It was hard to take the threat seriously when she was unsuccessfully holding back a grin. A young James Potter and Sirius Black stood before Iris, a glimmer of innocent youth still in their eyes.

Iris stumbled forward, staring numbly at her father. It was clear no one could see her, but that wasn't important. She took in every detail of his face, noting the startling resemblance between him and Harry.

James let out a laugh at the girl, "No can do, I'm the designated photographer and you aren't leaving until I get at least one photo out of you two." The girl glared at him and James stuck his bottom lip out in a pouty expression, "Pretty please? Just one, I promise."

She rolled her eyes, "Fine, just one and that's it."

Sirius threw his hands in the air in victory, "Good job, Prongs!"

Then, in a movement that made Iris' eyes nearly pop out, Sirius grinned and ducked his head, swiftly placing his lips onto the girl's. She pulled away with a huff, but Iris could see a smile breaking through as she turned away from Sirius and towards James, who was holding the camera.

Sirius wrapped his arms around her waist and both teenagers grinned at the lens. James lifted the camera, saying in a teasing tone,

"Everyone say pumpkin pasty on three!

One,

Two,"

The photograph slipped from Iris' fingers, fluttering to the floor of Sirius' old bedroom. Her chest felt tight as she stood frozen in shock. Her mind was racing. How did she never know... no one had ever said anything.

"Audrianna..." Iris whispered in confusion.

"How do you know that name?" She whipped around to the voice, the ashen face of her godfather staring back at her.

⌗ ⌗ ⌗

haha and another plot point is revealed

honestly i might make a fic about audrey and mira after i finish this one bc i have lore for days on the shielded

anyway, free reminder that i love you all

xx