Black
Eris Barlow from number 23, Cotteswald Road, Tewkesbury had known from a very young age not to ask questions about her father. It was a subject her mother Eleanore barely spoke of, and one their house elf Gerda, was forbidden to mention. When she was younger she had tried many times to riddle some answers out of her mother, but nothing ever came of it. So by the age of 8 Eris had learned to accept that he just wasn't around. The only thing she knew for sure was that she had his eyes, in everything else she was a shorter, darker and far more freckled version of her mother, but her eyes were his.
Eleanore, had always been a very private woman, whilst not unfriendly, she cut the stern figure of intimidation. She was tall, slim, with straight brown hair, flawless pale skin and icy blue eyes. She was still resonably young, terribly beautiful , and naturally elegant, the sort of sophistication Eris herself had never been able to pull of. Eleanore worked for the ministry, in the department for the regulation, control and development of new magic. The most she understood of this was that any new inventions magical or otherwise`went through her mother to be tweaked, pruned, and if appropriate (which in general it was not) publicised.
It was the summer holidays and At 15 Eris was about to enter her fifth year at hogwarts. The book list had come this morning so they had gone to diagon alley for the day. It had been uncommonly busy she thought, the streets overflowing with hectic shoppers , and everywhere they went frantic voices, whispers of the name... sirius black. Eris glanced across at the daily prophet poking out of her mother's bag. BLACK STILL AT LARGE, its top headline blared Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today. "We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm" . The rest of the article was obscured, but Eris could make out the top half of Blacks face, never had she seen such deep haunted and furious eyes as his. The train screeched to a stop and Eris was jolted up as she and her mother jostled their way through the people onto the wet and dirty platform beneath them. The pair punched their tickets and went into the carraige to find a seat.
All in all it had not been an enjoyable trip, Eleanore had been tense and irritable all day, coupled with the masses of people and depressing weather, Eris was glad to find herself on the train home. She often thought that to other witches and wizards it must seem odd, but with the exception of emergencies Eleanore insisted on using muggle transport whenever possible. She said it would help them fit in to their muggle community. Eris was just glad they had apparated to the nearest town and not had to take the entire trip from London all the way back to Tewkesbury. Finally after an hour long ride and a fifteen minute walk, with minimal talk a cold and tired Eris found herself at the front door, shopping bags groaning waiting as Eleanore dug around in her bag to find the key.
Eris sighed "you know mum ,you could just use your wand" Eleanore stiffened but ignored her, she retreived the ancient key and swung the door open. Eris sidled in after her mother and closed the door behind her , she removed her coat and went to hang it on the rack but there was already one there. She stared at it, it looked like it used to be blue but it was now a filthy ragged brown. How odd she thought.
"Your looking well, Nora."a strange voice slithered from the dark of the lounge,bags crashed to the ground, grabbing for her wand Eris spun round pointing it at a shadow rising from the sofa, her throat had closed and she noticed in the panic that her mother had frozen.
"don't worry, I won't hurt you, will I Nora?" Again Nora noone called her mother that. He raised his hands up in mock surrender, and began to step towards them.
Eris backed up "who are you?" she forced, wand raised. She could hear her mothers deep breathing behind her, why did she do nothing?! The man continued towards them, a few more steps and he'd be in light. "i said who are you?!" yelling this time "what are you doing here!" her voice cracked with fear, she felt elanore's hand come to rest on her shoulder halting speech.
The man took another step, light flooded his sunken face. Eris gasped, He was tall and imposing but emaciated, his skin stretched tight in pale waxy palor, and his eye's, his eyes burned with a sort of hunger that both frightened , and intrigued her. She could not believe it, it was him the man who's picture cackled down from every notice board and lampost in diagon alley, who's image littered papers and pavements alike! She supposed he must have been handsome once but years in azkaban had sucked the life out. Eris could barely breath, It was Black!
"Sirius.." there was a longing in her mothers voice Eris had never heard before, a sigh that seemed to caress the very air it travelled. She stared in blind confusion as her mother rushed forward and embraced the murderer in their hall. Eleanore was crying, they held each other as if for dear life. Dumbfounded Eris lowered her wand.
"I'm sorry I took so long." she heard him whisper, Eleanore raised her head, drinking him in. They seemed to have forgotten Eris was there, absorbed in each other. Tears streamed down her mothers face, Black lifted his hand wiping them away with his thumb. Something of a laugh escaped eleanore a smile dancing across her lips, eyes locked with his. Finally Eris could take it no more.
"mum...? what is this?" she pleaded voice nearing on distraught, they broke apart Eleanore looked dazed, Black confused. "He's a murderer! And your.. your.."
"Eris please" Eleanore protested
"No!! Don't please me! Tell me what the hell is going on?!!" Eris could no longer keep the panic out of her voice, Black, mass murderer Sirius Black was standing in their hallway and her mother seemed..... glad? She stared from one to the other waiting for an answer. Black's face was impassive his cool dark eyes tracing her face, Eleanore was at a loss for words, "well?!" demanded Eris again.
A crash came from the kitchen, the sound of small scuttling feet, Gerda heartled into the room pot in hand, her small face flushed and worried, "I erd raised voices miss I....oh my" the little elf caught sight of Black and dropped into a deep curtesy pot falling to the floor, "Master, you've returned, how glad I am that your back" A huge watery grin had planted itself upon her face,moon eyes gleaming.
"Thankyou Gerda" said Black returning an amused smile, "Its good to see you too."
"Shall I prepare some tea for master, or perhaps master is hungry for something a bit more perhaps....."
"Tea would be fine" said Black, "thankyou Gerda.
"Of course master" dismissed, Gerda turned and scuttled out of the room grinning from ear to pointy ear.
Eris gaped in disbelief, This time she directed her question at Black, "who are you?"
Eleanore rushed ford and seized her hand "Eris you must understand he did not kill those people he was set up," she talked faster and faster in a paniced fury willing her daughter to understand "he wouldnt do that, I should have told you Its just.."
"Im your father." Black's deep voice cut across like a knife, for a long time nobody spoke.