AN: Hey guys. Sorry to anyone who liked the old version of this story, but... here's the new chapter. Tell me what you think.
Kristine Black was petite, 5"9, she had strawberry blonde with stormy grey eyes and sharp, aristocratic features that belied her heritage. Kristine was what most people would describe as a warm, happy person. She always had smile on her face. Today, however, her smile was replaced by a fierce scowl, her eyes flashing with fury. Why, you ask? Because she was, once again, arguing with her father and adopted brother over whether or not she could live on her own. Which was ridiculous, of course. She could more than hold her own. Hell, she'd been taking care of the two them since the war had ended four years ago.
"I am 21 years old. I have fought in a war and survived without you two holding my hand. I think I am damn well old enough to live on my own!" she snapped at them. The two shrank back. Then they caught each other's eye and straightened. Sirius scowled at his daughter.
"I am your father and I say you are not moving!"
She sneered.
"Are you going to disown me?" she demanded coolly. Sirius blanched. Harry was his heir, but Kristine was his only child. His and Sarah's. He couldn't – no, he refused point blank – to disown her. He would not do to her what was done to him. He sighed in resignation and slumped back in his chair.
"Alright, you win." He smiled sadly up at her, "You're too much like your mother for me to ever win an argument with you."
Harry scowled at the clear defeat, knowing that he would be losing his sister. Kristine raised a brow.
"Let's hear your argument, Potter. And I want a good one, bub." She commanded. He glared petulantly at her until, finally, he broke.
"You won't come back if you leave! Everyone who's ever left me never came back! I'll never see you again! Not even at Yule! Sirius and Remus are the only ones who've ever come back after they left me!"
Both Blacks stared at Harry, then as one moved to take him in their arms.
"Harry, no! No, no, no, no, no." she breathed, "I'm not leaving you, Harry, I'm just leaving home. I'll Floo every day and visit at Yule and on everyone's birthdays! You won't go a year without seeing me, I promise!"
He tilted his face in her direction, meeting her gaze uncertainly. Sighing, she gripped his chin and forced him to maintain eye contact.
"I am not abandoning you. But I need my space. My own place. We all need to grow up and move on, Harry. In my case moving on means moving away. It's time I made my own way." She told him softly. Closing his eyes, he nodded in resignation. Sirius wrapped his arms around both of them.
"When do you leave?" he asked softly. She lolled her head back to look at him.
"As soon as I decide on where to go."
Kristine stepped confidently into Sanctuary. She had moved to New Orleans, Louisiana a month ago and was now looking for a job. She'd gotten word from a girl up at the local University saying that the bar was hiring. She walked to the bar and smiled politely.
"May I speak to the owners please?"
The man looked up and raised a brow, then called,
"Nicolette!"
A tall blonde woman with guarded blue eyes came out of the back room. She looked to her bartender questioningly. He jerked his head in Kristine's direction. The woman, Nicolette, turned to Kristine, smiling warmly at her. She couldn't help but notice that it didn't quite reach her eyes. She also couldn't help but notice the power thrumming through the air and around the people in the building.
"Can I help you?"
Kristine took a deep breath before speaking.
"Yes, I'm new to the area and looking for a job. I was wondering if you were hiring."
Nicolette's smile became more genuine.
"Yes, we are. One of our waitresses quit recently and we're looking for a replacement. Would you be interested in the position?"
Kristine let out a sigh of relief and smiled more warmly.
"Yes ma'am."
"Come, we will speak to my husband."
Kristine obediently followed the French woman out the back door and into house behind the bar.
"Aubert!" She called softly. Kristine's eyes widened as a man almost as tall as Hagrid came into view. Like his wife, he was blonde and blue eyed. And clearly deadly. However, his kind smile immediately calmed her. She held out her hand to shake his outstretched one, only to have him take her hand and kiss the knuckles. She blinked in shock, then chuckled.
"It's been several years since a man kissed my hand in greeting, Mr.…?" she trailed off.
"Peltier, but you can call me Papa Bear." He answered smoothly. "Nicolette, who is this?"
Nicolette looked startled.
"I do not know her name, only that she is interested in becoming our new waitress."
Kristine smiled sheepishly.
"I'm sorry, my manners seem to have left me. I'm Kristine Black."
The two inclined their heads, their smiles returning.
"Have you ever waited tables before, Kristine?"
She bit her lip.
"Does working a pub count?" she asked nervously. They exchanged a look before nodding.
"Yes, it does."
She nodded.
"Then yes, I have."
"Are you legally able to work in America?"
Once again, she nodded, pulling a stack of papers from her purse and handing them over. Papa took them and scanned through them.
"These look to be in order. Do you have a problem working with people of varied… nationalities?"
"If you mean species, then no." she answered calmly. The bears glanced up sharply at the human.
"Why would you assume that?" Nicolette demanded furiously. Kristine shrugged.
"I can sense the magic around this place and it rolls off you and your employees in waves, I just don't know what it is." She looked disgruntled at this, gaining a chuckle from Papa.
"I'll tell you what, ma petite, you tell us what you are and we may do the same. She pouted at him for a moment before reaching for her boot. She held her hands up in surrender when the pair before her tensed.
"I'm just getting my wand to show you something. Nothing dangerous, I swear."
After a moment, they nodded cautiously, curious. Slowly, she reached down and took her wand from her boot. She pointed it at the coffee table in the middle of the room and levitated it. Papa Bear and Nicolette both raised a brow.
"What are you?"
She grinned.
"I'm a witch!" she told them cheerfully. "I can do more, of course, but I don't want to damage anything, so I settled for levitating the table. What are you?"
The couple exchanged a look, then Papa Bear began to shift into… a giant grizzly bear. She chuckled.
"So that's why you told me to call you Papa Bear. I assume you're shape-shifters, then?" she asked curiously. Nicolette smirked.
"We are known as Were-Hunters."
Kristine quirked a brow.
"Man-Hunters. Should I be worried?" she asked dryly. Papa chuckled.
"Only with my unmated sons. They may decide to pursue you."
She shrugged.
"They can 'pursue' all that want – so long as said pursuit doesn't end with me eaten or manhandled." She told him. He laughed at that.
"You're hired. You start tonight. Come back at five."
Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment, then she beamed.
"Thank you!"
They smiled.
"You are very welcome, Kristine. Do not make us regret giving you this chance." Nicolette warned. She nodded hurriedly.
"You won't, I swear. Thank you so much. And, please, call me Kristie." She added as she left. The two smiled bemusedly at the strange human as she left their home. Things would certainly be interesting.