The moment the spinning of the apparition stopped, they were back on each other. Their lips collided in a hungry kiss, their hands fumbling with each other's clothes.
Tonks was pleasantly surprised with how fiercely passionate a kisser he was as she kissed him heatedly while rubbing his cock over his clothes. Meanwhile, Harry did an easy work of her robes and her top, taking them off swiftly.
She stood there in a lace purple bra, and Merlin did her cleavage look spectacular!
"Fuck," Harry breathed, hungrily taking in the sight of her. "You've got one hell of a pair."
Tonks chuckled, and with a smirk, she enlarged her tits further, giggling as she saw his eyes widen.
"This more to your taste?" She teased. Before he could answer, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him toward her, smashing his face into her massive boobs. "Go on. Enjoy all you want."
"Don't mind me then," his muffled voice came as he wrapped his arms around her and began to feast on her bra-clad tits. The lace fabric barely held them, and they jiggled as he kissed and nibbled all over, feeling goosebumps rising along her skin.
His fingers easily unclasped her bra and the fabric loosened, her lovely pink nipples emerging from underneath. Harry's mouth instantly clamped on her right nipple while he began playing with the left one, pinching and rolling it around.
"Oh fuck, that feels good!" Tonks moaned, pulling him even closer as she pulled the straps of her bra over her shoulders and allowing it to drop to the floor.
Harry hummed against her skin, feasting on her tits alternately as he played with both her nipples whenever he was showering the other with his attention. He fondled her tits, squeezing them to his heart's content.
Tonks' tits were perfect even without the resizing, but her inherent metamorph magic gave her an edge that she felt she needed in the bedroom to take the experience from a 9.9 to an absolute 10. She was looking forward to showing it to him once they got down to the real business.
"Seriously perfect," Harry murmured as his lips traced all over her tits, leaving a wet trail of saliva on her skin.
"Really?" Tonks asked teasingly. "Better than Delacour too, hmm?"
"Let's not bring another girl into this right now," Harry told her.
"Good man," Tonks moaned as he began nibbling on her nipple. "Fuck, they're sensitive too."
"Mm-hmm, I can tell," he whispered, and before she could react, he grabbed two handfuls of her arse and lifted her in his arms.
With a yelp, Tonks wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing her gushing pussy against his erection as he carried her over to the couch. He dropped her onto it and resumed feasting on her skin.
He kept his arms around her and this time, he started from her belly, right where her bare skin started. He licked all over her skin as he climbed until her reached the underside of her tits. As he kissed and licked, Tonks kept moaning in pleasure, small gasps of "Oh yesss…" or "Fuck, that feels so good!" escaping her. By the time he got back to her sensitive nipples that had hardened into painful peaks, she was beside herself with lust.
He grabbed her tits once again, squeezing them firmly and popping her nipples even more. The tip of his tongue rolled the left nipple around before he did the same with the right, all the while fondling her tits to his heart's content. It was driving Tonks nuts, and she lay there writhing on the couch, her hair cycling wildly through several colors as her arousal kept mounting.
"Fuck, Oh Fuck! Yes… Yes… Oh Harry!"
Her pussy was inflamed, and her entire body, from the peaks of her tits to her curled toes felt electric. Whenever she thought he was letting up a bit, he would return with even more ferocity and it would spike her arousal even more.
This bastard knew what he was doing, and it was working so damn well!
Harry grinned as he pulled back and saw the sight that she was, with her fair skin matted with his spit and saliva, her tits showing the signs of his tender care, and her nipples hard and red.
"Think I'm brave enough to find out more now, hmm?"
Tonks' response was to grab his collar and firmly pull his face to hers, slamming her lips against his in a needy kiss. All pretenses were gone. She wanted to be fucked, and now!
With a casual flick of her wand, she vanished their clothes.
"Hey! I wanted to enjoy undressing you!" He protested, but she cut him off by kissing him again. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she tugged him toward her, slamming his erect cock against her throbbing womanhood.
"Just fuck me already!" She gasped against his mouth as he pulled back.
Harry stared at her lustful face for a moment and he could not hold himself back from smirking.
"Oh, would you look at that? Greedy, aren't you?"
"You only talk?" She challenged, digging her heels into his back and pressing his cock even more firmly against her pussy. "C'mon, hotshot. Fuck me! Fuck my pussy good!"
Harry's eyes shined with a lustful glint and he reached down to feel her up. She was dripping wet, and the two fingers he pressed against her entrance slid inside with no resistance at all.
"Oh, fucking hell," he grunted lustfully.
"That enough of an answer?" She asked breathily. "Just give me what I want already!"
Harry chuckled and lined himself up with her entrance. He rubbed the head of his cock all over her slit, smearing it in her love juices as he teased her.
"I didn't expect you'd get so hot and desperate so quickly," he mocked lightly. "I mean, none of the girls I've been with were so eager for me to fuck them in such a short amount of time."
"What happened to talking about other girls now, hmm?"
"Fair point," he chuckled.
"Quit fucking stalling already, Harry!" She cried out, impatient. "Just fuck me already!"
Harry pressed forward, and the head of his prick slid inside her with a wet pop. Tonks gasped, and Harry's eyes widened when he felt her inner walls shift. She was manipulating her pussy with her metamorph magic!
She reached out and wrapped her arms around him, pulling his face against hers. Their lips were mere inches apart, their hot breaths mingling as she dug her heels harder into his back.
"Fuck me," she whispered, and Harry obliged.
He pressed forward, and Tonks whimpered as he slid inside her inch after inch. Her inner walls shifted to accommodate him, but there was no denying the pleasure she was feeling as he felt her tugging him close all the while.
"Oh fuck!" She gasped when he was halfway inside her, and Harry grunted at the tightness of her inner walls as they hugged his cock. "Feels good, doesn't it?" She asked with a grin, and Harry could only nod. "Go on then, fuck me good."
He pushed further as Tonks held him close. "Ohh… fuck yesss…" she moaned against his mouth. "So fucking big! Oh fuckk… Oh!"
She gasped when he finally bottomed out inside her, his crotch pressed firmly against her wetness. Tonks' eyes opened wide as she stared at him, her lips set in a breathless grin.
"With a cock like that, no wonder you nailed Delacour down!"
Harry let out a chuckle, shaking his head.
"You're weird. Very weird."
And with that, he set up a rhythm, thrusting in and out of her with hard, fast strokes.
"Fuckkk! Uhh…" Tonks moaned, feeling her pussy walls stretch impossibly to accommodate his incredible girth. He was constantly slamming against her engorged clit, and the pressure was damn electric. The pleasure grew more and more intense as he fucked her, and it was driving her crazy. "Oh fuck yes!" She cried out as he thrust hard inside her, impaling her completely. "Fuck me, Harry!"
Harry lost it. He began hammering away inside her pussy, all pretenses of teasing and tenderness lost as he gave in to his own mounting lust. His hips slapped against hers vigorously, and the wet sounds of sex filled the air. The couch rocked and grunted with the force of their fucking, and every time he slammed inside her, she let out lovely moans that spiked his arousal further.
"Uhhh… fuck… mmm… Ohh yesss… Fuck!" Tonks' voice rose with every thrust, and Harry could feel her inner walls tightening impossibly around his girth. Her voice grew more and more shrill and loud as her orgasm approached, and when it did hit her, it was with all the force of a tsunami.
"Ohhh fuckkkk! I'm cumminggg! Aaahhhh!"
Tonks desperately clung to his neck, her arms tightly wound around him and so were her legs as Harry kept drilling inside her hard and fast, fucking her furiously through her orgasm. He wanted to prolong her ecstasy, and in the process, he triggered his own climax.
"Fuck!" He grunted, and Tonks cried out as he came inside her, hard! He held her tightly to himself, their bare bodies pressed hotly as they rode out the intense waves of their mutual orgasms. Her legs were wrapped tightly around his waist as she pulled him firmly into her pussy, moaning and gasping as she felt load after load of his hot, thick seed splattering against her inner walls.
Their lips met in a hot, messy kiss, their tongues rolling around as they sucked and licked each other filthily. She felt him softening inside her and as he slid out, she felt the hot wetness of their combined juices trickle out of her creampied pussy and drip into the slit of her arse.
"Fucking hell," Tonks breathed when they finally ended their kiss, their foreheads resting against each other, their eyes closed.
"Fucking hell indeed," Harry agreed roughly.
-Break-
Harry's eyes cracked open to sunlight streaming through the curtains. He blinked a few times, his hand reaching across the bed to find nothing but cool sheets. The space beside him was empty.
He groaned and rolled onto his back, rubbing his face with both hands. A satisfied grin tugged at his lips as memories of the previous day and night flooded back.
"Tonks?" His voice came out rough.
No answer.
He sat up slowly, the sheet pooling around his waist. The bedroom was a mess—pillows scattered across the floor, a lamp knocked askew on the nightstand, and various bits and bobs thrown about.
Harry scratched his head and swung his legs out of bed, searching for his clothes among the chaos. They must be somewhere around after Tonks had vanished them the day before.
He had little success, but he managed to find his boxers thrown over a chair. He pulled them on before padding toward the door.
The moment he stepped into the hallway, he heard it. Humming. Some tune he didn't recognize, cheerful and off-key.
Harry followed the sound to the kitchen, his bare feet silent on the wooden floor. He stopped in the doorway, and whatever grogginess remained vanished instantly.
Tonks stood at the counter with her back to him, wearing what could only be described as a nightdress in the most literal sense. The pale blue fabric was so sheer it barely qualified as clothing, and she had only her knickers on underneath. Her dark-brown hair was tousled, sticking up at odd angles, and she swayed her hips slightly as she hummed, completely oblivious to his presence.
Harry leaned against the doorframe, content to watch for a moment. Slowly, he crossed the kitchen in a few strides and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
She yelped, nearly dropping the teacup in her hand.
"Bloody hell, Harry!"
He laughed and rested his chin on her shoulder, breathing in the scent of her hair. "Morning."
"You scared the life out of me, you prat!" She exclaimed, but she was grinning, he could hear it in her voice. She set the cup down and leaned back against him. "Sleep well?"
"What little sleep I got, yeah."
Tonks snorted. "Whose fault was that then, eh? Couldn't keep your hands off me."
"Like you were any better," he shot back, smirking. "Kept begging for more."
"Fair point." She turned her head slightly, and he could see her cheeky grin. "Still, you were the one who insisted on round I-don't-even-remember-the-number-anymore."
"And you were the one who suggested we try that wild trick with—"
"Alright, alright!" She laughed and swatted his arm. "We're both insatiable. Happy?"
"Very." He pressed a kiss to her neck, feeling her shiver. His hands splayed across her stomach, his thumbs gently teasing the underside of her tits, and he noticed for the first time what she was doing at the counter. "What's this then?"
"Tea. Toast. Jam. Butter." She gestured at the meager spread on the counter. "Hope that's enough, because I'm absolute pants at cooking anything else."
Harry chuckled. "I can whip up some omelettes if you'd like."
Tonks twisted in his arms to face him, her eyes bright. "You cook?"
"Well, let's say I know my way around a kitchen." He shrugged. "Picked up a few tricks."
"Well, aren't you full of surprises?" She grinned and gestured toward the stove. "Kitchen's all yours, Potter. Impress me."
He released her reluctantly and moved to search through her cupboards. "Eggs?"
"Freezing cabinet, bottom shelf. There's cheese in there too, I think."
Harry gathered what he needed while Tonks finished making the tea. She carried the cups to the small table by the window and returned to lean against the counter, watching him work.
"You know," she said, "there's something dead sexy about a bloke cooking in my kitchen in just his pants. Especially one built like you."
Harry cracked an egg into a bowl, chuckling. "Sexy, is it?"
"Well, definitely the main bit." She took a sip of her tea. " Most wizards I know can't even boil water without a wand. And that includes my dad."
"I know Sirius can make toast. He bragged about it once."
"Without burning down the house?"
"…Hopefully."
Tonks laughed. "Guess I hit the jackpot then. A bloke who's a beast in bed and can make breakfast? Might have to keep you around."
"Oh, cheers for the honor," Harry said dryly as he whisked the eggs with perhaps more force than necessary, fighting a grin. "Also, you're one to talk. Pretty sure I was seeing stars last night. Three times, it happened."
"Only three? I'm losing my touch."
"Give yourself some credit. This morning too."
She crossed to him and hopped up onto the counter beside the stove, her legs swinging. The nightdress rode up her thighs, and Harry had to make a conscious effort to focus on the pan heating in front of him and not run his fingers over her smooth skin.
"So," Tonks said, teasingly running her fingers along his shoulder, "what's the plan for today? Assuming you're not too knackered from shagging me senseless, that is."
Harry snorted and poured the eggs into the pan. "I can walk fine, thanks."
"Could've fooled me. You were stumbling pretty badly when you came out of the bedroom."
"As if you even saw me coming out of the bedroom," he chuckled. "Too busy humming and swaying your lovely butt around to notice."
She chuckled and bumped his hips with her knee. "For real, what's your day look like?"
He stirred the eggs, watching them begin to set. " Not much going on at Hogwarts. Thought I'd pop by Grimmauld Place to see Sirius."
"Oh, that's brilliant!" Tonks brightened immediately. "He'd love that. Been cooped up in that house for ages, the poor sod. Drives him mad, being stuck there."
"Yeah, figured he could use the company, cheer him up."
"Just watch out," Tonks said, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Knowing Sirius, he'll spend half the visit ribbing you about your shag list."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "My shag list?"
"Oh, come off it. You're Harry bloody Potter. Half the witches at Hogwarts fancy you, wanting a go at this piece of meat, and the other half are in denial." She grinned. "Plus there's that whole thing with Fleur Delacour. A veela, Harry. Sirius will have a field day."
"Yeah, I bet he will."
"He'll take the piss forever," Tonks swung her legs, looking thoroughly amused. "Then he'll pat you on the back for pulling an older woman, and a fucking veela at that."
Harry added cheese to the omelette, then folded it carefully. "Oh yeah? Wonder what he'd say if he knew about this, then."
"About what?"
"Us." He glanced at her, smirking. "Me pounding that tight cunt of yours for hours on end."
Tonks nearly choked on her tea. "Bloody hell, Harry!"
"What?" He laughed. "You started it with the Fleur thing."
"That's different!"
"How, exactly? Older woman with special abilities? Check to both."
"Well—" She paused, tilting her head. "Fine, you got me there. But still."
"And then there's your relationship with Sirius to think about," Harry continued, teasing as he slid the omelette onto a plate. He started on the second one. "Your Mum being his cousin and all."
"We're not that close, with him being away and all," she explained, but she was grinning now. "But… I guess he'd have some opinions about me corrupting his precious godson."
"Corrupting?" Harry laughed. "Oh, you wish. I hardly needed corrupting, if you're calling it that. Already had my fair share of action with women before you even came into picture."
"Oh really?" She asked dryly. "Means there's more than Delacour."
"Wouldn't you like to know?" He teased, caressing her inner thigh, his fingers brushing over her panty-clad pussy.
"I definitely do, yes." Her voice was husky, and Harry turned to see the look of desire on her face. "And I'm sure I'll find out in due time."
Harry merely shook his head, not even remotely interested in knowing whatever was going on in that devious mind of hers.
"Also, about yesterday… pretty sure I did my fair share of corrupting as well."
"Can't deny that at all." Tonks replied as she hopped down from the counter and grabbed plates from the cupboard. "But let's be real, he'd probably just high-five you and demand the juicy details."
Harry laughed. "Sounds like him."
"He's a complete prat about that sort of stuff." She set the plates on the table and turned to face him, leaning back against the counter. Her expression turned thoughtful. "You're not actually going to tell him, are you?"
"About us shagging?" Harry finished the second omelette and turned off the stove. " Nah, it's our little secret. I'll tell the other girls if they ask, though. You know, the ones I'm also having fun with."
"Quite a ladies' man, aren't you?" She teased.
"Whatever," he rolled his eyes. "But yeah, just between us and them. Cool?"
"Yeah." She smiled. "Just between us. I like that."
He carried the plates to the table, and they sat down across from each other. Tonks immediately dug into her food, making a pleased sound.
"Merlin, this is good."
"It's just eggs."
"Proper good eggs." She pointed her fork at him. "You're on breakfast duty every time you crash here."
"Every time I crash here?"
"Yeah, why not?" She shrugged, completely casual, and it did some very nice things to her bust. "This was a blast. We should hook up again."
Harry gave her an amused look, his eyes wandering over her scantily-clad figure. Tonks noticed, and with a grin, she enlarged her tits until they were threatening to burst out.
"Yeah. We should." He went back to eating, his mouth a bit dry.
Tonks smirked, her tits going back to normal as they ate in comfortable silence for a moment.
"What're you getting Sirius?" Tonks asked after a bit, making him look up.
"Haven't decided. Thought I'd wander around muggle London, see if anything catches my eye."
"He'd love something totally daft, knowing him. One of those muggle magazines with the half-naked women, probably."
"I'm not buying my godfather porn."
Tonks cackled. "Prude."
"Practical. I'd never hear the end of it."
"Fair." She speared another bite of omelette. "Maybe something music-related? Mum said he was mad for muggle rock bands back in the day. Drove his mother bloody mental."
"That's not a bad shout, actually."
"I'm full of brilliant ideas." She waggled her eyebrows. "As you found out yesterday."
"And last night. And this morning, if I recall."
"That was technically still night. Sun wasn't up yet."
"Semantics."
She grinned and took another sip of tea. They finished breakfast trading more quips and jabs, and Harry found Tonks a lovely person to be around. She seemed like someone he could genuinely become best friends with, although in their case, it'd mean best friends-with-benefits.
And why not? She was quirky, with a sense of humor that matched his, and was freaking hot to boot. Not to mention the sex with her had been unreal, and even after fucking for hours, he could tell they both wanted more.
When the plates were empty, Tonks stood and stretched, her nightdress riding up again. Harry enjoyed the sight, and she smirked, stretching even more.
"Right then," she said. "Gotta get ready for work. Some of us have proper jobs."
"I'm a student competing in a death trap of a tourney. That's basically more than a job."
"Learning magic and dominating the international competition you call a death trap in your spare time." She headed toward the bedroom, calling over her shoulder. "Not exactly normal student behavior, that."
Harry followed her leisurely, watching as she dug through her wardrobe. She pulled out her work robes before she paused and glanced back at him.
"You just gonna stare, then?"
"Unless you want a hand… and more."
"Help getting dressed? Bit counterproductive, innit?" But she was smirking. "We'd never get out of here."
"And that's a problem because?"
"Tempting." She pulled the nightdress over her head smoothly, completely uncaring of her nudity, and Harry's blood rushed southward as he took in the numerous marks dotted all over her body. Marks courtesy of yours truly. She noticed his gaze and smirked. "I'd love to have some more, but I'm already late enough as it is."
They finished getting ready, moving around each other in the small space. It felt oddly domestic, and Harry tried not to think too hard about how much he enjoyed it.
Tonks grabbed her wand from the nightstand and tucked it into her robes. "Right, I'm off. Need the Floo?"
"Nah, I'll head out the muggle way. Gotta do that shopping."
They made their way to the small fireplace in the living room. Tonks grabbed a handful of Floo powder and turned to face him.
"Thanks for staying," she said, her voice low and teasing.
"Thanks for the invite over." Harry stepped closer, a smirk playing on his lips. "And for, you know, the fun."
"The fun?" Her grin widened, her eyes glinting. "That's one way of putting it, Potter."
"You know what I mean."
"Oh, I do." She reached up, tugging his collar playfully, even though it was already straight. "Up for another round soon?"
"Count me in."
"Good." She rose up on her toes and kissed him hungrily, their tongues tangling. When she pulled back, her eyes were shining with mischief. "Try not to keel over when you get inside Grimmauld Place. That dump's grim enough without your corpse adding to the vibe."
"I'm sure I'll be fine," he replied, chuckling as he caressed her sides. He watched on as she grinned at him playfully and sauntered back.
"And Harry?" She called once she got into the fireplace, stifling a small yawn. "Next time you crash here, maybe we'll squeeze in a nap or two between rounds."
"Where's the fun in that?"
Tonks smirked, her voice sultry. "Good answer. Ministry of Magic!"
Green flames engulfed her, and she was gone.
-Break-
The plastic bag swung from his hand as Harry walked down the road toward his destination. It contained several vintage rock albums he'd found in a second-hand shop. The clerk had given him odd looks when he'd asked for recommendations of bands from the seventies, but the selection had been decent enough.
Number twelve, Grimmauld Place materialized between numbers eleven and thirteen as Harry focused on the secret he carried in his mind. The house resembled its neighbors, but Harry had a feeling that the interior would be anything but. He climbed the worn steps and pushed open the door, which creaked ominously.
"Sirius?" Harry called out, his voice echoing in the dusty hallway. The sight made him grimace as he shut the door behind him.
"Harry!" Sirius appeared from a doorway at the end of the hall, his face breaking into a wide grin. He looked better than Harry had expected—still thin, but his eyes were brighter and his hair was cleaner. He pulled Harry into a tight hug.
"Blimey, it's good to see you." Sirius clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on."
They made their way down the corridor, past an umbrella stand with a troll leg and the moth-eaten curtains covering a giant stretch of the wall. The house smelled of damp and old magic, and he had to concur with Tonks. It felt oppressive.
At least the kitchen was cleaner than the rest of the house. It was a large room with a long wooden table in the center and a massive fireplace that wasn't lit. The place was gloomy, and he felt for his godfather.
"You look good," Harry said with a small smile, dropping into a chair across from Sirius.
"Liar." Sirius said, grinning. "I look less like a walking corpse, which I guess is an improvement."
"I meant it. You look healthier."
Sirius waved a hand dismissively. "Three square meals a day and not being chased by Dementors will do that. Still feel like hell most days, but I'm getting there." He leaned forward, his eyes bright with curiosity. "What brings you by? Not that I'm complaining. Place gets dead boring with just me and that miserable elf for company."
Harry lifted the plastic bag onto the table. "Got you something."
Sirius pulled out the records, his expression shifting from curiosity to genuine delight. "Bloody hell, Harry. Led Zeppelin? The Who?" He flipped through them carefully, a smile spreading across his face. "Where'd you find these?"
"Shop in muggle London. Figured you could use some entertainment."
"Entertainment." Sirius laughed, running his thumb over one of the album covers. "Your mum introduced me to this stuff, you know. Summer after fifth year, she dragged James and me to some muggle record shop. Said we needed culture." His voice softened. "James pretended to hate it, but I caught him humming 'Stairway to Heaven' for weeks afterward."
Harry felt the familiar pang in his chest at mentions of his parents, but he also felt a warmth as Sirius shared the memory.
"Lily had excellent taste in music," Sirius continued. "Terrible taste in men initially, given she spent years turning James down, but the music taste was spot on."
"I'm glad you like them."
"Like them? I love them." Sirius set the records down carefully, treating them like precious artifacts. "Merlin, I can't wait to drive Kreacher mental with these. The old bat hates muggle anything."
He stood abruptly, moving toward the cupboards. "Right, what'd you like? Tea? I might have some firewhiskey hidden somewhere if you're feeling adventurous."
"Tea's fine."
"Tea it is." Sirius pulled out cups, but paused. "Actually, let me get Kreacher to do it. Good practice for him to be useful. And while he's at it, you will tell me all about you sucking face with that French veela. Oh I'm so proud!"
Harry gave Sirius an unimpressed stare as he turned toward the doorway and raised his voice. "Kreacher!"
Silence.
Sirius frowned. "Kreacher! Get in here!"
Nothing. The house remained quiet except for the distant creaking of old wood.
"That's odd," Sirius muttered. "Little bastard usually comes running when I call, if only to insult me under his breath."
He moved to the doorway and shouted louder. "Kreacher! Kitchen! Now!"
Still nothing.
Harry watched as Sirius's expression shifted from annoyed to concerned. "Maybe he's just—"
"No." Sirius cut him off, his voice sharp. "He always comes. Always. House-elves are bound to obey direct orders from their masters." He turned back to Harry, his face pale. "Something's wrong."
"What do you mean?"
Sirius was already moving toward the hallway. "Kreacher is a nasty piece of work. Hates me, hates that I'm the master of this house. He's been serving my family for decades, soaked up every bit of their pure-blood mania." He started climbing the stairs, taking them two at a time. "He'd betray me the second he got the chance. Run off to someone who'd pay him well for information about where I'm hiding."
Harry's eyes widened in shock as he followed Sirius upstairs. "You think he's fled?"
"Maybe. If he's managed to slip out somewhere, found a way around the house elf bond… if he tells someone I'm here…" Sirius reached the landing and started throwing open doors. "Kreacher! Show yourself!"
They searched the first floor together, checking every room. The drawing room was empty, the curtains drawn. The study was thick with dust, untouched. Even the bathroom had nothing but grime and a cracked mirror.
"Upstairs," Sirius said, already moving.
They climbed to the second floor, then the third. Each room was more decrepit than the last, filled with dark artifacts and moth-eaten furniture. Sirius's old bedroom was a shrine to rebellion, muggle posters peeling off the walls. His brother Regulus's room was sealed tight, but Sirius kicked the door open anyway.
Empty.
"Where the hell is he?" Sirius ran a hand through his hair in agitation.
Harry stood in the hallway, thinking. "We've checked everywhere. He's really fled. We should be moving, Sirius. He could—"
"Not everywhere." Sirius interrupted. "We haven't checked the basement."
They stared at each other for a moment before both moved at once, thundering back down the stairs. The door to the basement was tucked beneath the main staircase, almost invisible in the shadows. Sirius wrenched it open, revealing stone steps descending into darkness.
Harry lit up his wand, illuminating the way.
"Got to get some lamps in here," Sirius muttered as they descended the stairs, the temperature dropping with each step.
"Something's wrong," Harry whispered.
"I feel it too," Sirius nodded.
And then they felt it.
Magic.
Dark, foul magic that made their skin crawl and their stomach turn. It was like nothing they'd ever encountered, not even in the presence of Dementors. This was wrongness given form, corruption so deep it seemed to seep into their very bones.
Sirius stumbled on the steps, his hand flying out to steady himself against the wall. "What the fuck is that?"
"I don't know." Harry's voice came out strained. "But it's bad. Really bad."
"I knew these lot were vile, but this is something else," Sirius gasped.
They forced themselves forward, every instinct screaming at them to run. The basement opened up before them, a wide space filled with old trunks and forgotten furniture. The magical pressure was overwhelming here, like being underwater.
Harry flicked his wand, and an orb of light floated in the air, lighting up the entire basement. And there, in the center of the room, was a house-elf.
"No," Sirius breathed. He rushed forward, dropping to his knees beside the elf. "No, no, no."
Harry followed more slowly, his eyes scanning the scene.
The house-elf lay face down on the stone floor, his spindly limbs splayed at odd angles. His skin had turned gray, ashen, like something had drained every bit of life from him. The tea towel he wore as clothing was torn and stained with something dark.
Blood. It was blood. And as Harry looked closely, he saw an ornate knife plunged into the elf's left side right where the heart was.
Kreacher was clearly dead, and it looked like he had killed himself. But why? Why would he kill himself? Did he hate serving Sirius so much that he chose to die instead? No, that didn't make sense.
And why did the magic in this room feel so absolutely wrong?
Harry's eyes scanned the basement, and then he saw it.
Just beyond Kreacher's outstretched hand, lying on the stone floor as if it had been dropped, was a small golden locket.
TBC.
Visit patreon.com/TheBlackEarl to read more of my work. Chapter 36 of this fic is already up over there.
Thanks for reading.