the_debt_of_time

"That we needed a safe house, and somehow Dumbledore convinced the goblins
to overlook the fact that you're a felon and allow you access to the Black family
vaults and keep it off the books that you've been reinstated as heir to this place?" Remus
offered.
Sirius let out a sigh of relief. "It is nice to have money again." Somehow, though he
was not certain exactly how, Dumbledore had been able to get him access to his vaults.
Not personally, of course—he was still a wanted man. But, once again, he had money.
Thankfully, Remus was not opposed to making the occasional trip to Diagon Alley; his
only complaint being that for every trip he made on Sirius's behalf, Sirius insisted that he
buy something for himself. Never one to splurge on a purchase, Remus usually kept his
spending to the sweet shops, which had an added benefit of adding a little weight to his
frame.
"You've got to appreciate the fact that goblins don't give a shit about Wizarding
laws and who may or may not be an escaped felon," Sirius noted. "As long as they get their
cut. What exactly did Dumbledore give them?"
Remus shrugged his shoulders lightly as they walked into the front entryway of the
old house. "Supposedly, your mother had a few goblin-made weapons and jewels stored in
the vaults. The goblins were very happy to have them returned to their rightful owners."
Sirius scoffed. "Well, goblins are happy, Dumbledore's happy, everyone's happy...
except for me."
Tonks patted him on the shoulder. "Look on the bright side, Sirius. At least you
won't be starving and on the run."
"No." He frowned. "I'll be fucking trapped in a new prison."
He took note of the large picture frame covered with black curtains. Several
members of the Order had come to Grimmauld Place before their arrival, days earlier to
give it a good once-over. The portrait of Walburga had been the first thing they stumbled
upon, and Sirius had been warned of its loud resemblance to the witch. Finding out that
his mother had died while he had been in prison had been one of his best moments since
escaping Azkaban, but now... knowing that she was still there, right on the wall in front
of him, made him feel like a child again.
A part of him was reminded of the way he could so easily rile her up and how
amusing it always was. Another part of him remembered the embarrassing Howlers she