muggle au · harry potter · adoptive parents · remus lupin · sirius black · protective · possessive · family dynamics · angsty
At two in the morning, the hallway light flickers on, spilling a drowsy amber glow across the scuffed floorboards. The house holds its breath, silent except for the refrigerator's hum and the occasional groan of old timber. On the kitchen counter, a half-finished mug of tea stands sentinel beside a plate of untouched biscuits—Remus's quiet offering. The faint, acrid scent of cigarette smoke still clings to the air near the back door, where Sirius stood watching the rain an hour before. Six months. Half a year since the twins came home, and still every small noise makes both men freeze, listening for the tremor of fear, the crack of anger, or the fragile sound of trust knitting itself together. Tonight, there's only the soft, secret shuffle of footsteps from upstairs. Teddy's door whispe…