SIRIUS BLACK STOOD IN the middle of Leo's small apartment. He wore dark pants and a dark shirt to match. Leo would have expected him to look a bit more disheveled, he had been on the run for months. But instead, he looked no more disheveled than the last time Leo had seen him during the Blacks last annual family dinner just before the war. Leo was barely ten, and Sirius was already nearly done with another fire whiskey while he ignored his mother and Leos' mother chatting amongst themselves about their cousin, Andromeda. When Leo was younger, he wanted to be like Sirius. He had always hated their families ideologies and Sirius made it sound like it wasn't out of the question to be against them. At least that was what Leo thought, but when it was all over the papers in America that Voldemort was gone, the Potters, minus Harry Potter, were dead— and Sirius had been the one who not only got them killed, but thirteen muggles. Sirius was no better than the rest of the Blacks, as it turned out, Leo really was the only one who managed to get out of the family.

"Oh, come on, Leo, you wouldn-"

Leo flicked his wrist, and yellow sparks shot out of his wand striking Sirius in his chest and sending him flying further into the apartment.

"Wouldn't I?" Leo echoed, "You've got quite a bit of nerve to show up here, Sirius."

"I figured you'd be my best option, I don't see Atticus being too fond of seeing me either." Sirius replied, his voice was hoarse and he hand a hand pressed firmly against his chest as if to stop Leo's spell again.

"I'm not exactly happy about it either." Leo replied sharply, "I'll give you one minute to tell me why I shouldn't take you into the Ministry, Sirius. I'm sure that would get me some great points with the Minister himself."

"I'm sure that Zabini girl would just be so happy for you too." he replied, "Leo, I know you aren't happy with the ministry right now. I heard all about it during your little date through London yesterday."

"You've been following me?!"

Sirius chuckled as he began to push himself back onto his feet. "You really aren't that observant to miss black dog trailing behind you for a few blocks." he looked back at Leo with a bit of a smirk on his face.

"Forty-five seconds."

"Leo, you know perfectly well that there are people in the ministry who can't be trusted." Sirius said sharply, the amusement that had been in his voice was gone now. "The Order heard of your reports, the ones about you know who being back— they're just brushing them under the rug, aren't they?"

Leo narrowed his eyes, "The Order?" Leo echoed, "What would you know about them?"

Sirius sighed heavily, "Kingsley Shacklebolt has ears all over the ministry. There are people in the Ministry who can't be trusted, and you know it-"

"You can't be trusted, Sirius!" Leo snapped back, "You got the Potters' killed! Weren't they your friends? It was a great act you had, all those years, hating your parents."

Frustration mixed with anger covered Sirius's face. "None of what happened to James and Lily was my doing. None of it." he said sternly, anger filled every inch of his face.

"Funny that you're the only one still alive to say that."

"It was Peter Pettigrew. He did it all, and let them take me off to Azkaban. Leo," he paused, "there's an order meeting tonight, come to it. Honestly there would be no better way to infuriate your lovely mother more."

"Sirius, I don't believe a word you're saying." Leo huffed.

"One meeting, is all I ask."

       Leo knew that he was beyond idiotic for actually giving Sirius a chance. If he had any common sense he would have brought Sirius right to the Ministry. He wouldn't have let Sirius apparate with him, however much to Leo's surprise, Sirius brought him exactly where he claimed he was going to. The shaded street just in front of Grimmauld Place.

"Still think I'm tricking you?" Sirius questioned, "Think I'm some death eater?"

Leo watched as the muggle building began to shift and moved aside to reveal a home that had a rusty gold number twelve on the door. "I wouldn't put it past you," Leo replied, pressing his wand against Sirius's arm. In his other hand was the wand that Sirius had managed to get his hands on after escaping Azkaban. "I find it hard to believe that this place would be used by anyone for anything besides a nice meeting place for death eaters."

Sirius sighed heavily, "Well, you're in for a surprise." he replied finally as he began to walk up to the home that Leo hadn't set foot into for years. "I'm sure even you're Zabini friend would vouch for me. Arthur Weasley is like family to her, and Arthur's a good friend of mine." he said as he began to step up to the door.

Without hesitation, Sirius pushed the door open. Revealing a dim hallway that was no different than it had when he was younger. Except maybe perhaps a little more dusty, making it even more grim looking. And up the first flight of stairs, a muffled sound of Walburga Black spouting off her prejudice mutterings. The same ones he remembered listening to her talk to his mother about.

"Sirius, it's-"

         A woman appeared at the end of the hall, standing in a doorway that went into the dining room that looked to be better lit than it had been when he was younger. The woman was short, and she had red hair that was curly and a bit frizzy and fell just to her shoulders.

"Sorry for being late, Molly," Sirius replied, glancing over his shoulder and glaring at Leo. "I got a bit held up." he added.

Leo reluctantly lowered his wand, but kept Sirius's in his other hand even as Sirius began to hold his hand out for it.

"Molly, this is my cousin-"

"Leo Black? Is it?" the woman questioned, and Leo nodded slightly in response. "It would have been nice for a bit of a warning, Sirius." she replied as she walked down the narrow hall and reached out a hand for Leo, but when he didn't put his or Sirius's wand away, she put her hand down again. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Leo. I'm Molly Weasley. Arthur and Kingsley wanted to wait a bit longer before inviting you, they wanted to plan things a bit better. " she introduced herself, glaring at Sirius momentarily. "But I assure you, Sirius isn't any sort of danger." she said, glancing down at the wand that belonged to Sirius.

      Leo hesitated, but handed over the wand anyway before he and a smirking Sirius followed Molly down the hall.

"I didn't exactly know I'd be coming either, Mrs. Weasley."

"Molly, you can call me Molly." she said quickly, glancing over her shoulder before they turned and stepped into the old dining room that had little to no changes made to it that Leo could notice.

         Then sitting around the table that went down the center of the room were three familiar faces; Kingsley Shacklebolt, Arthur Weasley, and Cooleridge. The same auror that had been trying to find Sirius for nearly a year. Cooleridge looked equally as surprised as Leo probably did as he stepped into the room.

"Sirius," Kingsley began, "we talked about waiting until the trail was well done and over with before..."

"Well, seems there's been a change in plans." Sirius replied as he made his way around the table, leaving Leo in the entry way to the room. His eyes though didn't leave Cooleridge, instead the two of them both gave each other a questioning look.

        Had he known the whole time where Sirius was? And that he was apparently a member of the Order? A group that Leo had barely even known a thing about...there had been rumors about it even in America, but he had never really known how much truth there was to all of it. And he definitely didn't expect Sirius to be a part of it...

"Well are you going to have a seat?" Arthur questioned, motioning to a chair at the table. "Seeing as Sirius dragged you here, might as well."

      Leo sighed a bit as he stepped towards the table and took a seat across from Sirius as the sound of the heavy front door opening and closing as someone else entered the home. Leo turned and craned his neck just enough to see a man with light brown hair and scars riddled across his face making his way down the narrow hall.

"So how long has this been going on?" Leo questioned as the man neared the door and Leo turned back to the others at the table, mainly only looking at Arthur, and avoiding Cooleridge's eyes that were watching him closely.

"Just a few weeks," Arthur replied as the new guest entered the room and moved around the table to take a seat beside Sirius. "after the dark mark appeared at the Quidditch World Cup we thought it would be a good idea to start checking in with one another about anything else that could point to you-know-who."

Leo gave a small nod. "And you've all known about Sirius this whole time?" Leo questioned, this time, moving his eyes towards Cooleridge. "I'm sure that's made for an interesting few months at work."

Cooleridge sighed heavily, "Up until the World Cup we were still looking for him," he replied, "but afterwards, after we found out about Pettigrew from both him and Remus, I just played it down a bit with Thomas. He'd still under the impression that Sirius is guilty, but the time just hasn't been right to loop him in." he explained, "We weren't even going to loop you in yet." he added before glancing at Sirius, who offered nothing more but a small shrug.

"We wanted to look in a bit more to those reports from you and Lydia Corner before we said anything to you." Kingsley confessed, "They're hard to believe, you know. It makes sense that Scrimgeour want's them to go away."

"Farfetched, sure. But true."

"We definetely weren't wanting to bring you here until long after Elladora's trial either." the man beside Sirius, Remus, spoke. "The last thing we need is for the wrong people to hear about this."

"The wrong people being my family that's still in town?" Leo asked, "Trust me, I don't think you have to worry at all about me running off to tell them about anything."

Authors Note:

We're about half way done with the first part of Reckless! Which is absolutely crazy to me. Even though this book has been a work in progress for a few years now...ahaha.

Don't forget to let me know what you think =)

ALSO: new casting for Sirius and Remus!
BEN BARNES as Sirius Black
ANDREW GARFIELD as Remus Lupin

Stay Classy!

*edited 2/20/21*