The dark shape of the stone manor rose up, a silhouette in the night. Gideon Prewett walked up the pathway, dressed in his gray wool auror's uniform. He was flanked by Tina Scamander and Dorcas Meadowes, who were shadowed by Newt Scamander and Florean Fortescue, and the formation closed by Albus Dumbledore directly behind Gideon. In his fist, Gideon held the search warrant.

"Wands," he murmured, and each of those following after drew their wands, holding them at their sides, ready. "Remember, nobody casts until we've been cast at. This remains peaceful until some evidence that we're the location we're looking for."

Tina nodded. She knew all about protocol - MACUSA was just as strict as the Ministry when it came to protocol for their aurors.

Newt's eyes darted side to side, and lighted on a bright white peacock, whose appearance was opalescent and he started to break out of formation but Tina cleared her throat, "Mr. Scamander," she hissed. "No."

Newt looked longingly at the peacock.

"If this turns out to be the place, we'll confiscate it for you, Newt," Gideon promised.

They'd reached the door of the manor and Gideon drew a deep breath as he climbed the three steps to the door, raised his fist, and knocked.

The knock was a loud, bellowing sound, as though it were echoing through caverns of darkness on the other side. Gideon's hand froze before he could bring it down a second time, feeling as though that echo had travelled through his very body.

The door opened slowly, timidly... and Gideon looked down to see a house elf peering out. The elf's ears went flat and he let out a little squeak of nervousness.

"Good evening, elf," Gideon said. "I am Gideon Prewett, auror for the Ministry for Magic. We would ilke a word with your Master." He held up his auror's badge.

"Dobby's Master isn't being at home, Mr. Prewett sir," Dobby the House Elf said.

"Then we wish to speak to your Mistress."

"Mistress Narcissa is not being at home, neither, Mr. Prewett, sir," Dobby replied. His eyes darted nervously back over his shoulder into the house and then back to Gideon's.

"Then we wish to be admitted, by order of the Ministry for Magic, for inspection of the premises." Gideon held up the warrant.

Dobby made a strangled whine of a sound.

"This warrant overrides your prior orders."

Dobby muttered about having to punish himself later, but he opened the door and Gideon turned 'round to the others. "I'll sweep the house, but this won't be what we're looking for. You lot ought to go check the others. Standard procedure from here."

Dumbledore nodded and led the way back down the walkway, the others following after.

"I'm staying with you," Dorcas said and she followed Gideon into the Malfoy house.

Newt hesitated looking at the opalescent peacock but Tina grabbed onto his arm gently. "Come on, Mr. Scamander," she said firmly, and they disapparated away.

Fabian's lot were at the Greengrass residence - Lyra and her father Gareth stood glowering, their upturned noses and hateful eyes following as the auror and his team searched their home. Fabian assigned Sirius and Remus to watching over the Greengrasses while the others performed dark magic detection spell and looked for artifacts, questioned the house elves (for the Greengrasses had several).

Remus stood seething in the corner of their living room, his arms crossed.

"I know there has to be something on here," he said quietly. "There has to be."

Sirius murmured, "Doesn't she look like she smelled something horrible once and her face got stuck like that?"

"She's the one who attacked Lily at Mungo's over summer," Remus said, ignoring the nasty assessment of Lyra's appearance. "Marlene recognized her."

"Regulus was supposed to marry her." Sirius's word came out flat.

Remus looked at Sirius. It was the first time Sirius had said his brother's name since Christmas. "He was?"

Sirius nodded. "Betrothed at birth. Darling cousins. Keeping the bloodline toujours pur."

Remus hesitated. "Were you... betrothed... as well?"

Sirius's grey eyes moved from Lyra to look at Remus. "I was," he answered. "Everyone in the bloodlines are."

Remus wanted to know, but he didn't at the same time. And he certainly didn't want to ask. He was silent for several long moments.

"You won't know her," Sirius said.

"No?"

He shook his head. "I only barely met her. She was younger than I am - closer to Regulus's age, but the next born in line for the betrothal. Only met her once, briefly myself." Sirius stayed facing forward, not wanting to look at Remus right now. He could almost picture the desperation on his husband's face.

"What was her name?"

"Onied Shafiq." Sirius replied, "She lived in Egypt." He paused. ""She died. Was killed, rather. Her and her whole family... Mother said they turned and became abhorrent blood traitors. So they became good people in the end, I suppose."

Remus was biting his lip, staring straight ahead, too, resolutely not looking at Sirius. "And you were to continue the blood line with her one say, so you would've been raising... a generation of good Blacks, reckon?"

"I guess," Sirius shuddered, "If I ever could've brought myself to have children with her... But it doesn't matter because she's dead and I wasn't going to ever marry her, I made my mind up on that long ago. And I'm with you." Remus looked at him and Sirius looked back at Remus and their eyes locked. "And I got to marry for love. Just like mum and dad." He paused. "The Potters, that is, not my Darling Biological Sperm Donor and Incubator."

Remus's mouth moved, silently repeating these titles.

Suddenly a loud CRACK echoed through the Greengrass's parlor.

It was a patronus.

"Come immediately. Rowle residence."

Remus and Sirius exchanged glances.

Things had started off similarly to Gideon's experience for Edgar Bones. When they arrived to the Rowle house, he'd been impressed by the size of the manor first of all - a huge blocky estate of a thing that loomed over the small town it presided over from a high hilltop. There were loads and loads of everlasting gardens so that once one cross over the line of the property, it was as though summer had returned and the heavy fragrance of floral notes assaulted the senses. There were rows upon rows upon rows of roses - mostly yellow - and all exotic-looking plants of muggle and magical varieties. They'd walked confidently to the door and Edgar Bones had presented a house-elf with the warrant. The elf was old, with tufts of white hair poking from inside of his ears and his eyes were clouded with cataracts. He wore no clothing, not even the traditional flour sack toga, and had a funny limp to one leg caused by a bowing of the bones that indicated multiple, repeated breaks that had never been given opportunity to full mend before being rebroken.

The elf had led them into the parlor, Edgar and Alastor leading the way along.

"I - I - I don't like this place," Peter stammered, looking up at Frank Longbottom, who was clutching Alice Prewitt's hand tightly.

"Me either," Alice whispered, "But it'll be alright, Peter."

"Yeah, Peter, don't worry," Meg added, leaning over and patting his shoulder gently.

Jasper looked nervous, though, even if Meg and Frank and Ali didn't, and Peter worried whether Jasper, who had had more contact with Voldemort and his followers than Meg, might know a thing or two about how it felt to walk into his presence... for Peter's stomach was churning and his face had broken out in a sweat, and he could feel the weight of that choice laying on him heavily... and it seemed only worse with every step forward he took.

Thorfinn Rowle was young, about the same age as the Marauders, with. cocky smirk and eyes that seemed to stare down his nose constantly at everything. He welcomed the group of them with literal open arms, spread wide as though showing them the home. "What a pleasure," he said in a half-laughing voice. "And look at you... with a warrant and everything. The ministry is so formal!"

"Mr. Rowle," Edgar started, "We're here by order of the Ministry for Magic to investigate a report of possible dark magical practices being performed ---"

Thorfinn interrupted, standing up, "Edgar Bones, you, sir, are welcome to come and play my home any time." Thorfinn started laughing.

Moody prickled and drew his wand.

It wasn't quite an ambush.

But it was darn close.

The walls seemed to come alive with Death Eats appearing all around them, stepping in with menace and anger in their eyes. With moments, the entire team Moody has assigned for Edgar was at wandpoint within seconds.

Peter squeaked in fear.

All eight of Edgar's team backed together, naturally breaking into smaller groups - Edgar, Aberforth Dumbledore and Moody; Frank, Alice and Peter; Jasper and Meg; Emmaline and Marlene, who gave one another a look of desperate worry.

"Oh, Edgar - it looks like you found plenty'a dark magic being performed... Too bad you won't be reporting back to the Ministry on it, 'ey?" Thorfinn laughed and the sparks began to fly.

It was absolute chaos - spells going every which way. Though there was no sign of Voldemort himself, a rather impressive number of his followers were present, and more were appearing every moment, and the fight broke out, violent and mean-spritied, and Edgar had only seconds to send the patronus that would collect the others, so that the form was hardly corporeal as it arrived to Gideon and Fabian's teams.

Remus and Sirius arrived first and they burst into the fight with a passion, wands blazing. In the shuffle of the mix, Remus ended up paired with Peter, fighting back to back - which amounted to Remus fighting in circular motions while Peter shot smaller spells under the roaring, crackling magic that was shot forth from Remus's wand. Meanwhile, Sirius had sprinted to helping Marlene and Emmalene - until a spell whizzed through and Meg had fallen to the floor.

"No!" Marlene leaped to help Meg up, and Meg jumped to her feet as Marlene and Emmalene came to her side. Meg threw her hands up over her head as sparks flew, making her duck to avoid the spells coming at her. Sirius slid across the floor to block her from a spell that Thorfinn had just thrown, a shield charm bursting between him and Thorfinn.

"Oi, what'sa matter with you, you bleeding git?" Sirius demanded, "Trying to strike a lady while she's down? Haven't you got any scruples?"

"Scruples?" Thorfinn laughed.

Sirius said, "Yeah, you know -- any balls? Any stones?" He paused, then shot a smart stinging spell directly into Thorfinn's crotch. "The Rowe-ling Stones?" He snickered as Thorfinn doubled forward, grabbing hold on himself as he was dropped to his knees. Sirius laughed, "Immobulus," he hissed, then waved his wand to knock Thorfinn to the side.

If only that had been enough to stop the fight.

Suddenly it was Sirius and Jasper as the three masked death eaters descended upon them, and two others joined in and soon it was five on two. Sirius and Jasper moved until they were back-to-back, pressed so close that they kept bumping as they worked their wands against the strikes of the death eaters.

"On your left."

"Watch it."

"Duck!"

"Got your back."

"Here we are."

"Blimey that nearly got you!"

"Oi!" Sirius said, dodging a spell that seemed to sing as it flew through the air. "I meant to mention to you -- oh, watch it - left side coming 'round -- oofph. Okay. Yes, meant to mention to you - I saw Meg had a sparkle to her finger, huh?"

Jasper ducked. "Really, you're going to - WATCH IT! - you're going to bring this up now?"

"Would another time be better?"

"Than the middle of a fight? Potentially."

"Well my mind is thoroughly distracted by the thought of that diamond weighing down her hand, Jaz.."

"Alright, well, yes," Jasper said, and he grunted as he shot a spell that sizzled the air as the sparks flew across the room.

"Nice one Jaz."

"Thanks, Sirius."

"Didn't you lot just start dating, though? Like literally not even a full two months have passed?"

"We've known each other since Hogwarts, though," Jasper pointed out. "Since the Tourney when she came over from Illvermorny."

"Yeah? You weren't on the Tourney team, though."

"No, but I tried out and Derek Bell introduced us and Meg and I - well, we stayed friends from that time onward. We exchanged a load of letters before they moved to England."

"Did you now?"

Jasper laughed, "Why are you so curious about this, Sirius?"

"It's fucking romantic, Jazzy!"

"Well - she and I talked - when I proposed to her, we were out together in - on the West End - and we were chatting. I didn't plan it, you know, the proposal. Of course not, only a month and a half in - but -- Watch your left."

"Bloody hell. I nearly was singed by that one."

"I know, look at your shirt. It's got a hole straight through."

"What!" Sirius paused and looked down at the side of his shirt and saw sure enough, singed through was a hole still smoking. It was the hot pink Return to Remus Lupin shirt, too. "Those fuckers," he murmured, and he redoubled his efforts, ducking as a spell shot over his shoulder. "Not today Bella!" he yelled and waved his wand back at his darling sweet cousin. "Not today."

"She asked me."

"What!" Sirius barked a laugh, "That woman's got balls."

"I assure you she does not," Jasper smirked.

"Oh dirty, J-man," Sirius snickered.

"Anyway, we were talking and we had the funniest realization."

"What's that?"

"Meg dated James Potter because he looked like me. James dated Meg because she looked like Lily. Lily dated me because I looked like James. And I dated Lily because she looked like Meg."

"That's the most confusing shit I've ever heard," Sirius declared, pausing to work it out.

"Bloody hell Sirius, you're in the middle of a fight!" Jasper turned to shoot a shield charm to protect Sirius as a spell came straight for him. "But you know what? I reckon all four of us ended up with our soulmates in the end, I said, when she pointed it out, and she laughed and said that she reckoned I was right and we both realized we'd just agreed that we were each other's soulmates and that was all we needed. Our eyes met and she said, Let's get married, so I said yes, and I took her in to the nearest jewelry store and we bought the prettiest ring I could afford. Just like that."

"Just like that."

"And I've never been happier."

"I'm glad, Jaz. Of everyone in the world - it's you that deserves happiness most."

"Thanks Sirius. I appreciate you saying that. You deserve happiness, too, my friend. You really, really do."

And there was a cry from across the room that caused them both to look away from what they were doing, both forgetting to watch the spells being cast - and it was that moment in which a spell was cast, exploding the floor at their feet, sending them both falling to the ground as Thorfinn Rowle laughed, looming over them, Sirius's bindings having been removed by another death eater.

"Here we are now," Rowle said, looming over Sirius, his face twisted with amusement. "Let me repay the favor you've done me..." and he shot a spell to match Sirius's earlier attack, causing Sirius to double up and roll in pain. He turned to Jasper.

"Pugnus!" Jasper shouted and a good punch was landed directly into Rowle's face.

Remus Lupin was suddenly there, having seen what Thorfinn had done to Sirius, his face was livid, and he wielded his magic, throwing Thorfinn Rowle and his freshly bloodied nose flying backwards into the brickwork surrounding the fireplace hearth, knocking him unconscious. With a flick of his wrist, Thorfinn Rowle was bound by thick ropes. Remus turned and sent a whip-like rope of white light that knocked the four others fighting against Jasper and Sirius all to the floor, splayed out with stunned expressions on their faces, frozen in place.

"Bind them!" Remus commanded, "Quickly!" and Jasper nodded, scrambling to his feet.

Remus turned to Sirius, "Are you alright?"

Sirius nodded, tears in his eyes, still doubled up.

"Are you sure?"

Sirius looked up at Remus, and through his pain he laughed.

"What the bleeding hell is funny to you right now?" Remus demanded and he waved his wand to block a spell without even looking up, his wand bursting with a shield that covered him and Sirius.

"You just took out five death eaters about as effortlessly as ever..." Sirius began.

"Determination theorem, I suppose," Remus interrupted.

Sirius continued, "Yes, you were so impassioned about protecting my d---"

"DUCK!" Jasper shouted.

Remus threw himself over Sirius as a streak of red sparks flew over their backs - Sirius still laughing uproariously, Remus's chest pressed to his, their eyes aligned, and Remus stared into Sirius's eyes, and Sirius said, "Is it wrong that I'm incredibly turned on right now?"

"Exceedingly," Remus laughed, "Get up," and he sprang to his feet, offering Sirius his hand.

"Alright, but we're recreating this moment later on, Moony," Sirius said as Remus pulled him to his feet.

Jasper looked over, "Will you lot stop flirting and fight? Bleeding hell."

Sirius let out a barking laugh.