Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.
For Em, I hope you like it lovely :P
Two Weeks Too Late
It was two weeks before she noticed. She'd been busy, the Ministry was in a mess, the Aurors fighting against an unbeatable force, the politics getting muddier by the day. She'd had a lot on her mind, least of all, making sure her family was safe.
It crept up on her, the realisation that she was antsy, unsatisfied, wanting.
It brought her up short.
Where was he?
Owls fetched back unopened letters, she found no traces of his name on any of the latest Auror reports; and she scanned through them all up to the date of the last time she'd seen him.
His private floo was blocked.
He wasn't answering her attempts to knock against his wards.
He'd disappeared.
She didn't want to believe he could be…
"Sirius, have you got a minute?"
She cornered the laughing man, pulling him none too patiently by the arm to her office, locking and warding it for privacy.
"Have you heard from Regulus lately?" she asked, trying to keep her tone calm and relaxed. The look on his face told her she'd failed rather miserably.
Pain flashed through his eyes briefly before anger flared on his face.
"He's missing. Presumed dead. Not by… It's thought that either him, or more likely, one of his munchers, murdered him. I don't know why. I… he… It is what it is, I suppose. Why do you ask?"
The challenge on his face was noticed by her, but she didn't answer it, silently dropping the wards. She walked back to the door, opening it and gesturing for him to leave.
"Amelia?"
She shook her head, refusing to meet his eyes. Eyes that were so similar, and yet so different to the ones she suddenly craved to see so badly she thought her chest might concave.
Sirius left after a moment's hesitation, allowing Amelia to lock herself away in her office, just in time for her to privately fall apart.
Two weeks… she should have been grieving, hurting, searching… instead she'd been too busy working. What kind of a monster was she?
She cried, tears cascading down her cheeks, unrelenting as pain washed over her.
A knock.
"Madam Bones? There's been an attack. All hands available would be helpful."
Wiping her face, thankful that she'd been allowed a moment in time to herself, for him. Just for him. Now, however, there was work to do.
Life didn't stop simply because the best thing in hers was gone.
"Coming."