"Harry!" Sirius' voice was sharp as he put his hand on his godson's arm. "Leave her be, son."
Harry glared at Addonia one last time, releasing her arms and stepped back from her. To keep herself from perceivable harm, Addonia stepped back as well. "I am sorry, Harry Potter. I would have come sooner to retrieve him if I could have. But if I had not completed my mandatory hibernation, I would have been useless. Sirius Black would have been lost to the Veil," she explained, her hands clasping together.
A sound rang out and a small pile of papers appeared on Kingsley's desk. The man smiled, "Here we are, Sirius, your letters of freedom, a full pardon, a paper that states that all of the Black properties and monies are under your control and that you have accepted your position as head of the Black Lordship." Kingsley signed a few of the papers and they disappeared, but he picked up a large sheaf of them and handed them to a still stunned-looking Sirius.
Kingsley turned to Addonia. "And you, Miss? Where will you go now?"
For the first time, Addonia looked confused. "I...I don't know."
Sirius' eyes seemed to clear. "It would be the honor of the Black family to have you stay with us until you decide where you would like to go from now," he spoke with authority in his voice.
"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed in surprise. "You don't know anything about this woman!"
Sirius snorted and looked at his godson. "I know she pulled my sorry ass from the Veil. That's good enough for me.
"I did not pull you from the Veil so that you would feel indebted to me, Sirius Black," Addonia said in her quiet voice.
"Didn't think you had, Love. I'm sure after sleeping for a century you had much better things to do than pulling me out of a death-like state between worlds. But seeing as you have, the least I can do is offer my hospitality." Sirius said, a slight smirk on his face.
Harry sighed in frustration and confusion. Who was this woman that they all seemed to know and yet he didn't? Was it some Pureblood thing? Or simply a wizarding thing that he'd never been introduced to since he'd been raised by his awful muggle relatives? He noticed Addonia watching him, but she said nothing. "To Grimmauld Place, Sirius?" Harry asked. Sirius nodded, looking tired. A good night's sleep was just the thing.
Sirius held his hand out to Addonia, she stepped closer ad took it, and Sirius' tightened around hers. Her skin is so soft, he thought, as her hand lay in his. She was yanked through time-space to stand in front of Sirius' home, her stomach feeling as though it had been left behind. She felt very nauseous for a few minutes before her stomach settled. "In the many years I've lived, I will never get used to Side-Along Apparition," she said, laughing softly.
Sirius smiled at her in understanding. He held the door open for Addonia, who walked in. Sirius gasped in surprise. Grimmauld Place of ten years ago was nothing compared to the Grimmauld Place of now. Every wall was wallpapered with fresh paper, every floor was spotless, the carpets were slate blue and soft to the feet. Every window had been scrubbed to within an inch of it's life, every mirror was polished and shiny. Portraits were dust-free and shined, and the portrait that housed Walburga Black was covered with curtains, and only whimpers escaped her usual tirades, someone had put a quieting charm on it. Sirius stood there looking over his home in surprise and awe. This was a home to be proud of.
"Kreacher!" he called out. With a loud POP, Kreacher stood there in all his so-called glory. He wore a clean loin cloth and he looked a little recalcitrant until he saw the ring on Sirius' finger. Then he gasped and threw himself to the floor in front of Sirius with reverence. "Master Sirius has returned!" he cried, wrapping his arms around Sirius' leg. Sirius looked rather annoyed and tried to kick him off.
"Wait," said Addonia softly. She touched Kreacher's shoulder gently. Kreacher glared at her until he saw her eyes. When he looked into them, Kreacher's eyes widened and tears began to pour out of them. "The Great Lady! Happy day! Kreacher carries the glory of not just a returned Master, but to offer his humble self to The Great Lady!" and with that Kreacher bowed low before her and began to kiss the tips of her shoes, making Addonia blush.
She smiled and reached down to touch Kreacher between his brows. "Thank you, friend Kreacher, for your hospitality and greeting. But it has bee a very long day and I am certain your Master would like to rest."
"Yes, Lady!" Kreacher said, bowing again. "Would Master Sirius prefer a certain room? All rooms have been redone due to damage to the house during the Great War!'
"Perhaps Master Sirius should take the Lord's chambers, Kreacher?" Addonia said softly. At Sirius' angry look, she spoke to appease him. "You are Lord Black, now, Sirius. I know you did not wish for the title, but would you leave Kreacher to wither here alone? Even you are not so heartless, though I know you wish that you were. To be Lord Black, to truly accept the title, you must make your presence known not just to the rest of the world but to your own homes and manors. That means taking your place in the Lord's chambers. "
"Fine. Please place Lady Addonia in the Blue room, Kreacher," Sirius said, as he trudged up the stairs.
"Would Lady Addonia like something to eat or drink before bed?" Kreacher asked. Addonia smiled at him. "That would be lovely, Kreacher. Perhaps some hot chocolate and something sweet?"
"Kreacher has just the thing, Lady. Kreacher made a chocolate caramel tart just this afternoon," he said, leading the way to the kitchen. True to his word, Kreacher pulled a beautiful, delicious looking tart from the cupboard. He cut a slice and placed it in front of Addonia as he began to make a pot of hot chocolate. Addonia was surprised when Sirius reappeared, his hair dripping from a shower and clothed in only a pair of black silk pajama bottoms.
Addonia's cheeks pinkened and she stared down at her slice of tart. When Kreacher placed a mug of cocoa before her, she thanked him. "I'll take some too, Kreacher," Sirius said, startling Addonia a little. She started to slip off the side of her stool and gasped before Sirius caught her arm, keeping her from falling. When she was steady, she could only say a soft, "Thank you," making Sirius chuckle.
"Forgive me, Love. Did not mean to startle you. How is it that a goddess like you is so skittish?" he asked.
Addonia's blush went tomato-red. "I'm not a goddess. My mother is. So I'm neither entirely goddess or entirely human, but a strange mixture of both. My emotions are just as potent as yours, perhaps more so. It makes them very volatile. So I do my best to tamp down on them as much as possible. It doesn't always work, though," she said truthfully, as she sipped on her cocoa.
"Hmm..." Sirius said, thoughtfully, as he reached over and snapped a piece of her chocolate tart's crust off and popped it into his mouth. "Not bad, Kreacher."
Addonia smiled and finished off the last of her tart, thanking Kreacher. She stood to go to bed, but realized she didn't know the way. "Allow me, Love," Sirius said with a smirk, taking her hand and leading her to the stairs. He pulled her along, to one of the bedrooms, and opened the door. Addonia gasped at the beautiful room. True to it's name, the Blue room was done in shades of royal blue and cream. "Rest well, Lady Addonia. If you have need of my, I'll be there," he said, pointing across the hall.
He searched her face for a moment and grinned, before pressing his lips to hers and grinning against them as his lips muffled a gasp. He pulled away and smiled. "Had to repay the favor, now didn't I?" he said and started for his own room. He didn't see Addonia's hair raise in a crackling nimbus around her head. He didn't see her hand clench or her eyes glow. By the time he entered his own room, Addonia had calmed herself. "Paying back, indeed!" she whispered to herself as she undressed and slid naked between the cool sheets. She sighed softly and was asleep in seconds.
It wasn't until later that she heard the moans and whimpers. She had known the nightmares would come. Just as she knew that it was her responsibility to stay with him while he suffered in them. So she stood, wrapping a silk robe around her body, and went to him.