This is an unfinished glimpse at some time that Amilye and Sirius spent together. Again, back when I was writing I was writing all the time and about everything and then when Amy passed away everything kind of stopped. I really love this story though and more than most of them I'd like to maybe finish this someday.
"What?! He's staying WHERE?!" Amilye shot out of her chair and did a three-sixty, landing her focus back on Dumbledore.
"He will be staying with us at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place."
"How can you do this?! How can you do this to him, do you understand what you're asking him to do?" Sirius let out a sigh of anger and readjusted in his chair, suddenly very uncomfortable.
"Lye, I'm sitting right here."
"I'm not talking to you!"
"Ms. Hawkens, please there is no need to shout."
"I'M NOT SHOUTING!" Sirius stood up and took hold of Amilye's shoulders and guided her back into her seat.
"Just calm down a little okay?" Amilye shot an icy glare at him as she folded her arms tightly across her chest and sat rigidly in her chair.
"Ms. Hawkens, I assure you. Mr. Black was more than willing to offer up his old home for our use."
"Yeah, like he had any choice! For your use. How could he say no?! All you care about is…" Sirius interrupted her quickly.
"Lye, this is going to help everyone. This will give the Order a headquarters, a place where we can work from that's protected. Plus, what could be more ironic than using The Black family home to work against Voldemort."
"Do you not remember Sirius? Have you forgotten everything that house stands for?" Sirius closed his eyes. Amilye's comment was far from the truth. How could he possibly ever forget the memories that haunted him every day? The memories of his family home, the memories of his mother.
The talk amongst all of the students that afternoon was the Unforgivable curses. They'd just learned about them in Defense against the Dark Arts earlier that day. Everyone was a little shaken up but no one seemed to be more upset than Sirius Black. He hadn't said a word since they had left the classroom, and it was now almost an hour past nightfall. The four Marauders were sitting around the fire in the cozy Gryffindor common room. Peter was lying on the floor near the fire gazing into its amber glow, effectively ignoring his immense pile of homework. James and Remus were playing a close game of Wizards Chess and Sirius was bent over a roll of parchment staring blankly at the end of his quill. Peter was the first one to break the silence. He rolled over onto his back, and put one of his arms behind his head and his other over his pudgy belly before he spoke.
"I'd never heard of the Unforgivable curses before." James cocked an eyebrow.
"Where have you been Wormtail under a rock?"
"No…I've just never…" Sirius turned his head away and grabbed his bag shoving his things in it hastily before he ran upstairs to their dormitory. Remus looked up from his game, staring after Sirius.
"AHA! Checkmate Moony, you lose!" James stood up and did a little victory dance as Peter cheered him on enthusiastically. James bowed low to the ground. "Thank you, Thank you. I am the greatest at Wizard's Chess. Well, second to Sirius I guess, but hey, where'd he go?" Remus motioned his hand towards the stairs. "What's his deal? He's been dodgy all day." James sat back down. "Ready for another go Moony?"
"No, you play with Peter. I'm gonna go see what's wrong with Sirius."
"Right, come on Worms. Ready to get your arse kicked?"
"That's not fair Remus, come back! You know I'm no good at this game!" A wicked smiled crossed James's face as he prepared to wipe the board with Pete.
Remus didn't bother to knock as he opened the door to their dormitory. He did however ease the door open as he warily walked inside. One look told him that Sirius was lying on his bed face down. Remus could hear a muffled sort of sniffling noise as he approached. He sat down on his own bed that was next to Sirius's and waited. He knew better than to press Sirius for answers or to bother him with silly consolatory words. If Sirius wanted to talk about it he would. So, Remus got up off of his bed and walked to his dresser to change into his pajamas. He could hear Sirius move behind him. Remus walked to their bathroom to brush his teeth and when he emerged Sirius was sitting up on his bed staring at him with watery eyes. A streak of panic ran through Remus. What was going on? Remus sat back down on the edge of his bed and watched Sirius. Sirius looked down at the floor intently as if there was something terribly interesting on the floor. He looked up to speak a few times but something in his mind must have had other plans because he would look back down at the floor. He finally looked up, straight into Remus' eyes.
"I knew about the Unforgivable curses."
"I did too." Remus nodded at Sirius. So, he knew about the curses, what did that have to do with anything?
"No, I mean…it's just that," Sirius paused and scratched at his ear nervously, "I know what it's like. I mean I know how it feels." The pain in Sirius's voice alarmed Remus. He'd never heard his friend talk like this before. Sirius always appeared to be so strong, so strong willed. Wait a minute, did he just say?
"Who would do something like that? Sirius you should report it to the Ministry you know it's illegal don't you?" Sirius' bark like laughter erupted from his chest.
"Like that makes any difference. Something as trivial as the law wouldn't stop her."
"Her? Her! Who is her? Sirius, I'm…um serious, about this." Sirius smiled weakly at his devoted friend.
"There's nothing you can do Remus."
"That's a load of rubbish. What does she do to you?" Sirius shifted around uncomfortably and was gazing down at his hand.
"Well, she does more than the Unforgivables. What she does most of though; she puts me under the Imperius and uses this nasty black quill. It's ancient, been in the family for years. What it does is it uses your own blood as ink as you write on the parchment and whatever you write appears on the back of your hand, cut into your own skin."
"What do you write?" Remus looked completely aghast.
"I am a disgrace."
"Your mother, it's your mother! Sirius that's insane!"
"Look Remus, please don't tell anyone especially not Amilye. I told her that my family was cruel and evil you know, but I don't want her to know exactly how evil. I mean I don't think anything will happen to her, I wouldn't have invited her to visit over the summer if I thought she would be hurt or anything. Just please, I don't want anyone to know." Remus nodded.
"You don't have a thing to worry about. I won't tell anyone I promise. I know what it's like to have secrets." Sirius heaved out a great sigh of relief.
"Thank you. I know I can always trust you. Thanks man." Sirius rose up and gave Remus a hug. Remus hugged back and pulled away to smile at his friend.
"How about we go back downstairs and see how many times Peter has lost already."
"My bet is six times," said Sirius.
"Six games already? No, it couldn't be." Sirius made that evil grin of his.
"I'll race you down there." The two bolted towards the staircase as soon as the words were out of Sirius' mouth.
Sirius was having a hard time staying awake as he listened to the rumbling of the train on its tracks as they traveled from Cambridge to London. His head was lying pleasantly in Amilye's lap. With one hand, Amilye was reading a book while the other was absently twirling through Sirius' hair.
"Just how evil is your mother? I mean, I just want to know what to expect." Sirius sat up and crouched over, his elbows on his knees. After a few moments though he cast a glance back at Amilye over his shoulder.
"Expect anything. I've never brought anyone home before. I have no idea what she might do." He straightened up quickly and grabbed Amilye's hand and clutched it to his chest. "Whatever you do though," Sirius paused and looked around the car as if to make sure that no one would hear him, "Don't go with her to the attic." A grim and dreadful look crossed his face. Amilye searched his expression for a fault, a giveaway that he was joking, but she found none. Amilye straightened up.
"Why?" In one swift movement Sirius let go of her hand and lounged back in his seat with his arms above his head.
"Ams, I was kidding." Amilye lashed out with a succession of playful slaps to the side of his head. With an eruption of Sirius' bark like laughter he enveloped Amilye in his arms and pulled her close, resting his chin on her head as she snuggled into his neck. "It'll be fine. You'll be fine. It's me she hates, not you. Just be your normal, amazing self and she's bound to like you." Amilye nodded silently as they cuddled together for the rest of the ride to London.
After getting off the train they took the Knight Bus to Grimmauld Square. They thanked Simon Shunpike and his son Stan for helping them with their luggage and stood in the square as the bus disappeared behind them. Amilye gripped Sirius' hand tightly and they walked on to Number Twelve. Surronded by their luggage on the stoop, Sirius reached up to the silver door knocker in the form of a twisted serpent that rested on the shiny black door with no keyhole or letterbox. A few fleeting moments passed and for one bright shining second Sirius thought no one was there. No sooner had he thought this did the door swing open. Amilye stared forward trying to look into the house but it was so dark inside compared to the bright summer day they were standing in that she could barely make anything out. A scuffle at her feet and a scratchy, grumbled voice speaking up at them caught her attention.
"Young Master the disgrace has returned from school with a pureblood to impress his mother. It won't work." Kreacher was bowing low to the ground, his dirty nose touching the stoop.
"What did he say?" Amilye inquired. Sirius shook his head.
"Ignore him. Kreacher, where is my mother?" Kreacher began dragging their luggage inside.
"My Mistress is waiting in the drawing room to greet her unworthy son." Amilye looked aghast but Sirius didn't flinch.
"Thank you Kreacher." Sirius took Amilye's hand and led her inside leaving the luggage with Kreacher. Sirius led her through the dark and immaculate hallway to a set of double doors with handles in the shape of bright gleaming silver serpents identical to that on the knocker outside. Sirius went to open the door but stopped centimeters from the handle. He looked up at Amilye. He cleared his throat and knocked on the door. A sharp "enter" emitted from behind the door. Sirius nodded, untucking his shirt to grasp the handle and open the door. He ushered Amilye in before him and Amilye was glad because it gave her a moment to take everything in. The room was pristine. Everything had a look of having a place, and nothing looked like it was ever moved, yet there wasn't a single speck of dust in sight. There wasn't even a speck of left over soot in the fireplace. The walls were lined with bookcases and cabinets; full of Merlin knows what expensive and unmentionable things. A sofa and a few chairs that looked barely sat in were arranged sensibly and in a chair next to the window sat a woman with a young man standing behind her with one hand on the back of the chair and the other on his hip. Mrs. Black was the single most frightening woman Amilye had ever seen in her life. Her long dark purple sateen dress went from the floor up to the high collar around her neck that was edged with gray lace. Her obsidian hair was pulled on top of her head in a tight bun. Her face was sallow, taught and pulled across her face. Her dark eyes were staring blankly ahead. She wasn't an attractive woman by any means but she had an unnerving elegance. She didn't even turn to look at them as they came inside the room. She simply tilted her head to the left. Sirius shut the door and left Amilye's side. He walked over and kissed his mother's cheek before motioning for Amilye to come over. The young man, Regulus, Sirius' younger brother went to leave.
"I'll leave you three alone." Regulus moved to leave the room. Mrs. Black raised a delicate spindly white hand in protest.
"That won't be necessary," Mrs. Black took in Sirius' Gryffindor tie, the studded dog collar around his neck, his untucked shirt and unpressed pants with one cuff turned up and the other not, and his thick black combat boots. "I refuse to speak with my son until he is properly attired. You might as well just wait until dinner to speak to me." Amilye was almost disturbed with the abruptness at which Sirius curtly bowed his head and turned quickly on his heels and pulled Amilye out of the room. Sirius chuckled once they were back in the hall with the door closed behind them.
"What the hell just happened?"
"Don't worry about it. Let's get you upstairs and out of those clothes." Amilye rolled her eyes.
"That was your mother right?"
"Of course." He smiled his wry grin and grabbed her by the hand pulling her up the stairs past the portraits of similarly looking stoic and elegant Blacks. Right at the top of the stairs Sirius once again used his untucked shirt to open the door in front of them.
"What on earth do you keep doing that for?" Sirius looked confused for a moment.
"Oh! My shirt," he smiled a little more weakly, "Finger smudges on the handles. Everyone almost always wears gloves or uses a kerchief." Amilye arched her eyebrow.
"You have got to be kidding me. Did you really just say kerchief?"
"Welcome to my home. This is your room and there's an adjoining bathroom so you can get ready. I'll come and get you when it's time for dinner or Kreacher will."
"You're just going to leave me in here?" Sirius gave her a quick kiss before heading out the door.
"Yeah, I have to get all gussied up. Plus, I have to check and see if my dad might be here."
"He's not normally here?"
"No way! He's always working."
"Okay. See you down there I guess." Sirius winked and vanished into the hall. Amilye collapsed onto the end of the bed, alone. At least it was a gorgeous room. Everything was in shades of dark rich colors. Everything looked like it was in shades of gray and black but there were also blues and greens that you could notice if you looked closely. Amilye resigned and got her things out of her luggage to get ready for dinner.
Amilye walked out of the bathroom finally pleased enough with her appearance. She walked towards the mirror in her room with a giant portrait of a man above it. She examined her hair again which was up on the middle of the back of her head in a giant bun. She examined her physique in the large mirror running her hands over the smooth satin and silk of her midnight blue dress with its umpire waist and little cap sleeves. She walked back to her luggage and rummaged around for a small bag that held her jewelry. She pulled out a pair of black pearl earrings and a long silver chain with a large circular jade stone set in silver. She walked back to the mirror to examine the jewelry. A booming voice spoke at her.
"What a lovely young lady you are!" Amilye screamed, nearly jumping out of her skin. She peered up at the portrait of the man who was now alert and smiling down at her.
"Thank you?"
"You are most sincerely welcome. Phineas Nigellus, I am at your service."
"Amilye Hawkens. I'm here with Sirius."
"AH! My great-great grandson! Wonderful! Ah, that must be him!" There was a knock at the door and Amilye quickly crossed the room to open it. Amilye's breath caught in her chest. Sirius' unruly mane of hair was swept back. He wore a black suit jacket with short tails, a white shirt with a black and green embroidered vest and a black tie. His black pants were perfectly pressed and his bright shiny black dress shoes gleamed.
"I have never in my life…" Sirius interrupted her with a finger to her lips.
"I don't want to hear it."
"But you look…" Another stern look from Sirius and Amilye pursed her lips together that soon broke into a huge smile. Sirius edged into her room and closed the door quickly behind him.
"I on the other hand, can speak at great length about how incredibly amazing you look in that dress." Sirius immediately reached for her hips and pulled her close to him placing soft little kisses on her collarbone and neck. Sirius was inches away from kissing her passionately when there was a knock at the door. "Hold that thought." Sirius opened to door only to find Kreacher standing outside of it.
"Young Master's brother wishes to entertain his brother and guest before dinner in the library." Kreacher again bowed low to the ground his ugly little snout squat on the floor.
"Thank you Kreacher, we'll be down in a moment." Sirius took Amilye's hand and pulled her out of the room and down the stairs and around a hall and through another set of doors until Amilye thought they were certainly lost, when she finally found herself standing in a massive library. Sitting at a small table near a giant window with the curtains drawn open to reveal the uncharacteristically dingy window, was Regulus, playing wizards chess with a house elf. At the sound of their entrance the elf let out a squeak and jumped from the chair it was standing in immediately to the floor and sunk into a low bow.
"Forgive us Mistress! I was only doing what Master told me!" Regulus burst into a fit of laughter and Sirius joined in the laughter before the little elf looked up. "Oh! It is Master Sirius come home just as Regulus said! Oh, how Leek has missed Sirius!" The tiny house elf bowed fervently a few more times before scampering out of the library.
"Reg, I know you know Amilye." Sirius took the seat opposite Regulus and Amilye began to look around the library at all of its wonders.
"Of course, we're in the same house Sirius it's kind of hard not to know her." Sirius and Regulus became engrossed in their own conversation as Amilye lurked out of sight around a giant book shelf. She peered through the gaps in the bookshelf at Regulus and Sirius. If there were ever a pair of siblings that looked so similar and yet so different Amilye had never seen them. Regulus and Sirius were obviously brothers with their matching shocks of dark hair that fell just right around their elegant faces. They looked the same height when they were sitting but Amilye knew that Sirius was slightly taller. Sirius was taller, bigger, and more masculine than Regulus. Amilye could definitely say that Regulus appeared soft and fairer than his brother, but there was something about his arms and the gleam in his eyes that made Amilye think that he would be the type of person to surprise you with just how strong he actually was.