THE NEXT DAY WHEN Leo went to the ministry, it was easy to see who had a change of heart about him being there. For starters Cooleridge and Thomas, the two aurors still leading the search for Sirius were actually able to offer him a small glance and a small smile as he walked by their desks to get to his own. Veslin went as far as to congratulate hime on the sentencing that Elladora had received. However when he had first entered the Ministry, he got a fair few of side glances that meant nothing else besides disapproval. He wasn't all that surprised, even though people weren't as outspoken about blood purity, a majority of the people who felt like family should have come before everything else, were the purebloods who had to act like blood purity wasn't important to them.

"Welcome back," Lydia said, smiling at Leo as he dropped his cloak on his chair before he sat back down. "to another day of desk duty." she added.

Leo scoffed, "Lovely," he sighed, "how much longer do you think we'll be stuck here?"

Lydia's smile turned into a frown swiftly, "As soon as Scrimgeour can make sure our reports are as void as they can get." she replied, "But my guess is that it won't be too much longer. They're picking the champions for the Trip-Wizard Tournament today. That'll be all over the prophet and will have everyone's attention."

"Ohh, yeah," Leo said with a sigh as he crossed his arms on his desk, "I almost forgot about that. Surprised they're actually going through with that."

"Too dangerous for you?"

Leo scoffed, "For kids? Yeah. But I would enjoy getting in on it myself."

Lydia scoffed, "I'd like to see you try, the tasks are supposed to actually require skill. Not just luck."

Leo rose a brow, "I've got plenty of skill."

"You have luck." Lydia replied.

"Good luck." Leo said, and pausing for a moment, "And skill."

The two of them, well, Lydia began to get to work. The task for the day was to bring any records that Scrimgeour wanted put away to the opposite side of the ministry to be put into storage. Leo being determined not to participate all that much in that just took what Lydia told him to the storage room of the Ministry. He lost count of how many trips he made across the ministry, but by the time people like Cooleridge and Thomas were packing their things, Lydia was also calling it a day. Which Leo was alright with.

"These are yours to go through tomorrow." Lydia announced pushing a short stack of folders towards him. "I'll do the running around tomorrow."

"What? You are actually sick of this?" Leo question, smirking as he pulled the pile onto his own desk. And without a second glance at them he picked them up and pulled open a drawer that he barely ever touched to drop them inside. Inside the drawer though, was a folded piece of paper that he didn't remember dropping in there. So he pulled it out before shutting it again with his job for the next day inside.

"What's that?"

Leo shrugged a bit as he leaned back in his seat and began to unfold it. As soon as he did and began to see the messy handwriting, he felt a bit sick to his stomach. It was the letter that Amanda, the girl that Patrick Hoode had died helping because Leo didn't want to wait for other auror's to arrive...

It was a nice thought. A simple thank you made Leo feel a little better about what had happened that night. But it didn't make him feel any better about what had happened to Patrick, and there was nothing Leo wouldn't give to go back and redo things, waiting five or ten minutes for a few other auror's to show up could have meant that Patrick had lived. Sure Amanda and her mom were alive now, but Leo had no idea how things would have been different had he waited like Patrick told him to. For all he knew, they still would have lived. And the likes of Elladora may not have ever gotten to England.

"Love note?" Lydia asked, smirking from her desk.

Leo forced out a bit of a scoff, "Yeah, something like that..." he muttered, "would you mind if I headed out?" he asked looking up across the desks, "Could you tell Scrimgeour if he asks that I just had a family emergency?" he added as he folded up the note and shoved it in his pocket as he stood up, not waiting for Lydia to approve of him leaving early.

Lydia pressed her brows together, "Uh, yeah. That would be believable..." she paused, "everything alright?"

"Yeah, yeah its fine. I just am not feeling so great." Leo replied as he grabbed his cloak, he could barely look at Lydia. What if some other time where he just grew impatient meant Lydia would get killed too? It would be his fault, just like it had been his that Patrick was dead. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay..." Lydia replied, her tone was uneasy. But Leo didn't hesitate to turn and swiftly begin to make his way out of the ministry.

Leo made his way through the nearly empty halls of the ministry until he found a empty and waiting telephone booth. And as he stepped into it, he couldn't help but feel the heaviness that he felt growing to be heavier and heavier. How had he gotten lucky? More than once? Not only had Patrick been the one to get killed, Leo got out of that with a few injuries but nothing that didn't heal. And he was the one to get thanked a handful of times by Amanda and her mother. And he had momentarily had Patricks job, he sat in the same desk. All because he managed to make it out alright after he impatiently led himself and Patrick into that house. He shouldn't have. He should have been the one dead, sooner or later his luck had to run out...

When he found himself above the ministry, the sky was dimming as the sun began to get lower in the sky, and the pavement was damp from a shower that they must of had. Usually, he would have went right to the Leaky Cauldron. But instead, as soon as he knew he was in the clear from any muggles, he apperated to the alleyway just beside his apartment building, landing right in a puddle. But he didn't care, he just swiftly began to make his way around the corner and to the front of the building just as one of his neighbors stormed outside, clearly they had just had another argument.

"Don't you live in C-Thirteen?" he questioned as soon as his eyes landed on Leo.

Leo pressed his brows together, "Uh, yeah," he muttered as he started to step past the man to go inside.

"Well, if you could take care of that dog before my girlfriend calls it in that would be great." he replied sharply before turned and walking away, "The bloody thing won't let anyone near it, next option is the police." he added, over his shoulder as he walked away.

Leo watched him for a moment. "The hell..." he muttered to himself before he turned and hurried inside, and climbed the stairs to his floor. And he rounded the corner to his apartment, and sure enough, sitting outside his door was a large black dog.

It's ears were perked up with interest as he rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks. The dog cocked its head to the side and its tongue fell from its mouth, it was almost as if it was smiling at him. Leo glanced down at the floor, and there were muddy prints leading from the stairs that Leo had just climbed and to his door. No where else.

"About time." a girl with pale skin, and dark hair said coldly as she stood in her doorway, earning a growl from the dog. "Is that thing yours?"

Leo felt lost for words at first, "Uh, yeah, he is."

He wouldn't be stupid enough to come here, would he?

"Well you really should do a better job at hiding him. Otherwise we'll all get a inspection from the landlord. We can't even have cats here!" the girl added.

Leo shoved one hand in his cloak pocket and made sure he had ahold of his wand, "You're right," he stated looking at the girl, "I was in such a hurry this morning, must of forgot to make sure he was back before I went to work." Leo added. He had no idea of that was believable, but to a muggle anything could make sense. "Sorry..." he added as he walked towards the dog and with his free hand reached down and took a hold of the scruff of his neck. "look, uh..." he paused looking back up at the girl.

"Katie."

"Right, Katie, I'd really appreciate if you kept this between us and your boyfriend." Leo said, offering her a bit of a smile. Hoping that it was enough to make her agree.

"Boyfriend?" she questioned. "I don't have one. That git is my ex who just refuses to accept that."

"Oh..." Leo replied simply, as the dog began to pull against him. "well, Katie if you could please..."

She sighed heavily, "Yeah, sure, just don't leave him out! He's been there for an hour. Growling at everyone who comes up."

"Right, of course, yeah. Again, sorry 'bout this." Leo said as he momentarily let go of the dog to open the door before getting a tight grip of him again. "He's not much of a fan of people."

Katie rolled her eyes a bit before disappearing in her apartment again.

Leo sighed heavily as he yanked the black dog into his apartment. A bit more rough than he probably had to. Then as soon as he was in and the door was closed, he shoved the dog further into the apartment and drew out his wand.

"Give me one good reason, Sirius." Leo said coldly, the dog stood there for a moment but when Leo didn't budge and lower his want, the dog morphed into the exact person that Leo had expected it to be.

Sirius Black.

AUTHORS NOTE;
Ohhh buddy. I've been WAITING for this. I'm so excited to write the dynamic between these two! Any ideas or anything you'd like to see between them?

Stay classy!

*edited 2/20/21*