"Yeah, it's more convenient than living in the Muggle world where I can't use magic," Alex explained.
Sirius fell silent for a moment, glancing at Alex with a more serious expression. He'd forgotten that Alex was an orphan. Spending Christmas alone at a pub seemed awfully sad.
After a pause, he said, "Well, how about you come stay with me instead? I live alone, so it'd be nice to have some company. What do you think?"
Alex considered the offer for a moment and then nodded. "Sure, why not? As long as I'm not imposing."
Sirius laughed. "You? Impose? Don't worry about it. I'm not afraid of being disturbed. Just don't expect the place to be too tidy!" He revved the engine, and the motorcycle took off with a roar.
Soon, they were flying above London, the motorcycle completely invisible to the people below.
The freezing wind stung Alex's face, and after a few minutes of enduring it, he cast a transparent barrier to block the icy gusts. Sirius noticed but didn't say anything, keeping his focus on the ride.
They landed in a quiet Muggle neighborhood. Sirius drove through the streets until they arrived at a small villa with a garage. He parked the motorcycle inside, and they stepped into the house.
"Welcome to my humble abode," Sirius said, spreading his arms wide. "I've been living here since I ran away from home at sixteen. It's not much, but it's comfortable."
The house had a small living room with a fireplace, a cluttered kitchen, and a couple of bedrooms upstairs. The backyard was overgrown, letting Alex know it hadn't been tended to in a while. Inside, however, the smell hit him first—a musty odor mixed with stale air. The floor was covered in dust, and the kitchen sink was filled with dirty dishes, some of which had started growing mold.
Alex sneezed as soon as they entered. "Merlin, Sirius! Do you ever clean this place? You could at least use Scourgify once in a while!"
Sirius waved him off, completely unbothered. "What's wrong with it? I live comfortably. Don't tell me you're one of those neat freaks?"
Alex sighed. "Comfortable is one thing, but this is a disaster. How do you live like this?"
Ignoring Sirius' protest, Alex carried his things upstairs to one of the guest rooms. It wasn't as bad as the rest of the house, mostly just dusty. He set down his luggage and opened the window, letting in some fresh air. With a wave of his wand, a gust of wind swept through the room, gathering the dust into a neat pile before he sent it out the window.
"Much better," Alex muttered to himself, satisfied with his quick cleaning job. He glanced around the now livable room, unpacked his things, and then headed back downstairs.
Sirius was lounging on the couch, looking entirely too comfortable in the messy living room. "There's food in the kitchen if you're hungry, but don't expect me to cook for you. Help yourself."
Alex chuckled, shaking his head. "Don't worry, I've got it covered. Just don't be surprised if I clean up while I'm at it."
Sirius laughed. "Do what you want, kid. Just don't mess with my system—I know exactly where everything is in this mess."
Alex rolled his eyes and headed into the kitchen. As much as he liked Sirius' carefree attitude, there was no way he was going to survive in such chaos. A little cleaning wouldn't hurt anyone.
Alex took out his wand and cast several cleaning spells on the house, starting with Scourgify and moving onto Aguamenti to thoroughly rinse the walls, floor, and ceiling. He even drained the water outside and followed it up with drying charms. Once everything was spotless, he finally felt some satisfaction with the state of the house.
Just as Alex finished his cleaning spree, Sirius' voice echoed from downstairs. "Hey, I've got to head out to meet some friends. Don't worry, I'll bring back dinner later. If you get hungry, there are some decent Muggle restaurants around here—there's a good Italian place that does pizza. Just be careful not to let the Muggles see you casting any spells."
With a whoosh, Sirius Disapparated, leaving Alex alone in the now immaculate house.
"Meeting some friends? More like heading to a meeting with the Order of the Phoenix," Alex muttered to himself but didn't dwell on it. Instead, he inspected his cleaning efforts again.
Although the kitchen was now sparkling, the rest of the house was still a disaster zone. Alex sighed and rolled up his sleeves. There was no way he was going to stay in this mess.
"How can Sirius fight dark wizards but can't fight dirt?"
Alex grumbled as he started cleaning again, this time focusing on the living room. He waved his wand and set the pots and pans in the sink to clean themselves. They flew one by one under the faucet, scrubbing themselves with sponges, rinsing, and then drying in a neat line. Alex wasn't satisfied until they had been cleaned three times over.
After the kitchen was spotless, Alex turned his attention to the living room, where the sofa was covered with grime. He tried several cleaning spells, but the stains were stubborn, refusing to budge. Frowning in thought, he suddenly had an idea. Pointing his wand at the sofa, he cast the Evanesco spell but modified it to act as an extraction spell.
Slowly, the stains on the sofa were pulled out, like dirt being sucked through a straw.
"Never thought I'd be using this spell for housekeeping," Alex chuckled to himself.
It worked so well that he continued using the spell on the carpet, the table, and the floor. Within minutes, the entire first floor was as clean as new. He even rearranged the furniture so everything was aligned perfectly.
Next, Alex tackled the fridge. When he opened it, a foul stench greeted him, and he recoiled.
"How does he live like this?" he muttered, tossing out all the moldy, unidentifiable food.