Somewhere Safe - Chapter 35

Harry bounced his leg eagerly outside of the Healing Ward. The entire coven was with him, which meant there were too many people to be inside. Madam Pomfrey was scary when she needed to be, no matter what world it was.

"Rose, Iris, and Harry." Sirius Black, the healthy one from this world, called as he strolled down the hallway. "Things have gotten interesting since you got here, Harry."

Harry smiled. Rose and Iris rushed over to wrap Sirius in a hug.

"What's this about a handsome stranger?" Sirius asked.

"My Sirius arrived this morning." Harry explained.

"I guess I haven't earned that title yet." Sirius sighed. "Give it time, Potter, give it time."

"He grows on people." Another voice called from down the hall.

The group turned to see Professor Tonks approaching.

"Hello, cousin." Sirius smiled brightly. "What brings you here?"

"I work here." Andi rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"An owl told me that my brother from another mother popped in for breakfast." Sirius leaned against the wall. "I thought I'd stroll on by and introduce myself. It's not every day I get to meet someone as handsome as me."

"Are you sure he's married?" Harry 'whispered' to Rose.

"I'll have you know I've been married for as long as your parents and most of the time, she likes me." Sirius replied with a Pure-blood tightness in his voice.

He dropped the act to study the group that had gathered around Harry.

"This is the coven I've been hearing so much about?" Sirius went quiet for a moment. His lips moved as he counted the group. A couple of witches got an eye-brow raise or muttered comment, but nothing that seemed strong enough to be good or bad. "Eight, that's impressive for a natural coven. Contracts usually top out at five, at most."

"Nine, you forgot Luna." Luna chimed in. "We're not done complete yet." She paused. "Three more? Maybe five. Three, five, seven, or ten. Prime numbers."

"Ten isn't a prime number." Miranda corrected.

"For now." Luna replied simply.

Miranda opened her mouth to argue further. Hermione placed a calming hand on her shoulder. She shook her head. Miranda let out a frustrated sigh but didn't say any more.

"You've got a thing for twins." Sirius joked.

"Dimensional Doubles." Miranda spoke up. "Hermione and I are the same person from different worlds. Like Harry and Rose, but on a closer genetic level. We've theorized that due to the variation of life experiences that Harry might have a wider gap in relation than originally expected."

"We'd need a blood sample from the Potters to check." Padma chimed in. "I am a twin, but my sister isn't part of the coven."

Sirius stared blankly ahead. They could almost hear the gears turning in his head. He shook the thoughts away and slipped back into his usual self.

"Now that my brain feels like it's going to melt, I have business to attend." Sirius tipped an imaginary hat to the group. "Ladies, Harry, Andi. Nice to see you."

Andi started to move as he did. Sirius shot her a confused look.

"I'm here for a reason." Andi scoffed. "I didn't just come to see you."

"You wound me." Sirius pouted.

The two stepped into the Healing Ward. Harry tried to catch a glimpse inside. There was some sort of privacy ward in place. Anything beyond the door was blurred out like he lost his glasses.

"Do you think they'll be ok?" Harry started to pace the corridor once more.

"I was fine." Hermione spoke up. "So were you. There isn't any reason to think that Luna or Sirius would have any issues."

"Except Sirius has been in Azkaban for years and he's about to meet his much healthier and happier twin." Harry sat on an open seat on the bench. He held his head in his hands for a brief moment before he hopped back to his feet and started pacing once more.

"Oh no." Rose muttered. "I just realized we now have two Sirius Black."

"Does Sirius have a coven?" Harry asked absently.

"Yes." Iris answered. "One wife, two mistresses. We have a few cousins that are the same age as the twins."

"Three is the standard size?" Harry tried to keep himself distracted.

"Not for a Lord of an Ancient and Noble House." Padma added. "A normal wizard has a wife and a mistress. Lords are expected to have at least two mistresses. An Ancient and Noble family should have at least three wives and another three mistresses."

"Why does he only have three then?" Harry asked.

"His brother Reggie helps spread things out." Rose answered.

"Sirius has a brother?" Harry paused his pacing.

"Yes." Iris replied. "A younger brother. You didn't know?"

"We didn't get much time to spend together." Harry shook his head. "With him being an escaped convict and me trying not to get killed all the time."

Everyone, aside from Hermione, stilled at his words. They both looked at the others in confusion.

"Oh, right." Harry said. "You don't know about all of that."

"Harry." Hermione sighed. "You can't just drop that on people."

"Sorry." Harry blushed as he scanned the coven. "I should probably tell you the whole story."

Harry took a breath, then began telling them about his life.

~§~
Inside the Healing Ward
~§~

"At least I know I'll age well." The local Sirius muttered.

"Fuck you." Sirius glared at his double.

For a tense moment, they stared daggers at each other. The two burst into laughter.

"Andi?" Sirius shifted his attention from his double to the witch. "You look amazing,"

"Thank you, Sirius." Andi smiled at him. "You look rough."

"Ruff." Sirius snorted.

"Why are you here?" He asked his kind-of cousin.

"Poppy needed some potions." Andi stopped in front of him.

"And she called you to come all the way from St. Mungo's?" Sirius asked.

"I'm a Healer in your world?" Andi asked with a smile. "I teach potions here."

"Oh, wow. That's amazing." Sirius smiled brightly at her. "And what about dear little, Nymphadora?"

"I don't know how it is in your world, but she'd hex you if she heard you call her that." Andi chuckled. "She's doing well now that she finished her Auror training."

"She was an Auror back there too." Sirius offered. "I got to know your family once things calmed down. Little Nymphadora hexed me quite a few times. She thought it was hilarious when I swore you back into the family and then made you Lady Black in front of the painting of my mother."

"Why would you make me Lady Black?" Andi asked.

"Luna told me we were going to find Harry and weren't coming back." Sirius motioned to the girl.

For her part, Luna was happily reading two of the most recent issues of the Quibbler. One from another world, and one local. She waved without taking her eyes off the page.

"Why didn't you make Regulus Lord?" Andi asked with a slight scowl. "Do you two not get along there?"

"He's dead." Sirius raised his eyebrows at her question.

"Reggie is dead?!" The other Sirius yelled.

"He's alive?!" Sirius yelled back.

"Where is Remus when you need him?" Andi muttered. "Sev would even do in a pinch."

"Sev?" Sirius turned his attention to his cousin. "Do you mean Severus Snape?"

"Of course." Andi rolled her eyes. "You Marauders were thick as thieves."

"Severus Snape was a Marauder?" Sirius spoke each word slowly.

"Flapper, yeah." The other Sirius answered. "Did you know him in the other world?"

"I need a drink." Sirius grumbled.

Luna sprang from her cot. She unlatched the buckle on her pack and stepped back. The leather bag expanded to the size of a refrigerator. Without missing a beat, she opened the pack to show a row of drawers that were common in magical traveling equipment. Luna pulled one open that expanded into a fully stocked bar.

"Muggle or Magical?" Luna asked.

"Where did you get that?" Madam Pomfrey seemed to appear from nowhere.

"Daddy helped me pack my bag." Luna answered easily. "Did you want one too?"