Jem's attention flickers back to Kieren in disbelief, then to Sirius. "Your name is Sirius? What, were your parents some sort of hippie folk?" she says, inching a little closer as she takes the time to really evaluate the boy that her brother's brought home, allegedly, since Kieren supposes one moment he'd been upstairs, the next, there's a boy. "Hasn't told me anything about you."

"That's because things got weird," Kieren interrupts, prying himself from his parents hold to come to Sirius' rescue, wanting to make sure this stops before things get even more interrogative. "It's the same as why I'm alive. I mean, I can't explain it," he rushes to clarify, not wanting to get sent to the centre so they can poke and prod at him. "Only, a little while into this place I got brought to, I wound up human. I met Sirius there," he shares, with a fond smile. "He's my boyfriend."

"What's gone wrong with Simon, then?" his Mum asks, clearly a touch worried. "Does he know?"

"Not yet," Kieren says, a touch unsure about how that will go, "but he will. I don't know how to explain it, I just know that I haven't been here for nearly two years. That I haven't seen you lot in years." It's emotional enough, but truthfully, Kieren's stomach growls at the perfect moment, causing him to sheepishly admit, "and I think I'm starving for a homecooked meal."

"Say no more," Sue says, whisking off to the kitchen. "Sirius, do you eat?"