Chapter 2
"That was a fun night," Sira said with a small smile as she went into her bedroom, followed closely by Scabior. He nodded slightly, trying to agree with her statement even though he didn't believe that it was a 'fun' night. Actually, he thought it was awful. He saw the way that Fenrir looked at her and his wife seemed oblivious to it, like there never had been any feeling, good or bad, that had existed between them.
"It was alright," he said as he sat down on the bed to take his shoes off. Sira had gone into the bathroom to get ready for bed, leaving Scabior with some time to think about what had happened. It really wasn't anything major. He shouldn't have behaved the way that he had, and yet, it felt right that he did. It felt that he was protecting her. Something he hadn't been able to do in years. She never needed his protection after the war because she learned how to protect herself. It made him feel like there was no use for him in her life anymore.
When she came out of the bathroom, he was already changed and laying down in their bed. She laid down next to him, cuddling up to his body. A warm smile spread across her lips as she looked up into his eyes. Gently, he kissed her on the cheek, causing her to giggle softly. She kissed him tenderly as she cupped his face in her hands. An unwanted feeling turned his stomach, causing him to pull away slightly. "Is everything alright?" she asked in a whisper, as her hands began to rub his chest gently.
"I'm just not feeling like it right now, lovely," he admitted, hoping not to upset her. They hadn't done anything intimate in quite a while, maybe a few weeks or months.
Her smile diminished slightly and so did the brightness of her eyes. "Oh," she breathed as she moved away from him a bit.
"Tomorrow, I promise." She nodded and rolled over so that she was no longer facing him. He pulled her close and wrapped an arm around her, trying to give her a little bit of comfort. She couldn't feel it though. "Good night," he whispered as he kissed her cheek. "I love you."
"I love you too," she replied. As his breathing became deeper, she couldn't help herself. She felt that something in their relationship was missing, that her life had become dictated by hollow words and empty promises. Love was just a word they'd recite to each other. There no longer was a feeling behind it. With her growing thoughts, her fears rose along with them and the tears started to roll down her cheeks.
Had she fallen out of love with him?
After several hours of silent sleeplessness, she went downstairs and into the kitchen. Scabior slept easily, which seemed like a foreign thing to her that night. For her, it had never been so easy to stay awake, but her racing mind prevented her from slumber. It was always pestering her. She hoped that a little movement and a little glass of water could ease her mind and settle it just enough so she could get some rest.
When she reached the kitchen, she could see a figure of a man standing on the back porch, looking out into the night. She quickly poured herself a glass of water and went to outside.
Outside, the night was cold and still, the waning full moon looking down on them, providing much needed light. She took a sip of water and stood by the man, who looked at her with a question in his yellow eyes. "Hi," she said gently, as if trying not to break the fragile night. "Are you okay?"
He gave her a quick nod as he returned to studying the night. "I just don't want this day to end," he stated tenderly. "It's been wonderful and overwhelming and it continues to amaze me." He paused for a while, gazing at the moon and the stars while lost in a thought. "I never thought I would be able to see the night sky again." The moon had been full a couple nights ago, a cold orb in the fall sky. He let out a gentle sigh as she took another sip of water. "What has been worrying you?" he asked, halfway catching her off-guard.
"It's nothing really," she lied. She wasn't going to tell him that she was concerned that her marriage to Scabior was going wrong. That wasn't any of his business, and yet, as she looked into his eyes, she wondered if it was actually his business. She had helped him so much and together, they had influenced each other to become better people. Could he read her now like she could read him? Was she an open book to him, who was just waiting to be read? She wondered if it were so. Maybe she would finally accept the fact that he did have feelings for her and that she still had some feelings for him.
No, she thought, I'm married to another man. I don't have feelings for him.
"Sira?"
"I'm alright," she replied. "I just couldn't sleep."
He sighed, knowing that she wouldn't tell him any more information than what she saw necessary to give him. He knew that she wasn't telling the whole truth though. "Are you cold?" he asked as he sat down on the wicker loveseat. She sat down next to him with a slight nod and he pulled a blanket off of the arm of one of the chairs. She wrapped it around herself and tucked her knees up into her chest. Right now, she looked so young and vulnerable. She looked like her structured world was falling down around her and she had no idea what to do. The worry in her beautiful, blue eyes told him that.
She was afraid.
After a while, her eyes started to grow heavy and it became harder and harder for her to stay awake. Unknowingly, she rested her head on his shoulder as her lack of sleep caught up with her. He put his arms around her and held her close when she fell asleep, imagining what it would be like to be able to hold her every night. To be able to wake up to see her face in the morning. To know that he was loved by the person he was in love with.
He knew it could be more than a dream.
After a while, he too fell asleep, still holding her in his arms.
Three knocks on the door were soon followed by the creaking of the hinges. A blonde haired girl a couple of years younger than him grinned up at him and rapidly pulled him into a tight hug. He chuckled as he hugged her back, holding her tightly. "I missed you," she whispered softly.
"I missed you too," he said, the grin still on his face, "but it's only been a couple of days."
She gave him a warm, playful smile as she rolled her eyes. "Well, I still can miss you if it's only been a few days. Anyway, how are you?"
"I've been good. I'm just trying to get used to the fact that my father isn't a complete stranger anymore." She took his hand and led him into the living room. "He's actually really nice and knowledgeable about a lot of issues and things." He sat down on the sofa and she cuddled up next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm pretty surprised." He said with a smile.
"That's great, Anthony," she said tenderly. "I'm happy for you."
"How are you?" he asked, noting how short she was being with him, like he wasn't caring enough about her or that she didn't care about him meeting his father. He didn't know which one it was.
"I'm fine," she sighed. "Dad has been saying rude things about your father though. He doesn't want me to be dating you anymore because of him being out of Azkaban. I think he reckons that Fenrir won't be successful with this 'rehabilitation' that your mom has done and that he'll hurt me if I'm around you accidently… or purposefully."
Anthony nodded, somehow knowing that Mr. Blackwood would do something like this. "I understand where he's coming from. If it were my daughter, I'd probably be trying to do the same thing. I'd be protecting her."
Burgundy dropped her voice to a whisper. "You know that Dad is home, right?"
He nodded as a soft smile grew on his lips. "I figured so," he replied as she let out a quiet giggle.
"Oh, Anthony, you always try to stay on good terms with my father, even though he pretty much hates you."
"Why wouldn't I?" he asked as he kissed her cheek. "Would you like to meet my father?" he asked discreetly into her ear. "You don't have to if you don't want to."
She bit her lower lip as she thought. She wasn't sure if that was the best idea, especially since the words her father said against him had some truth to them. Even though Greyback was different now, who knows if he would revert to his old way? Who knows if he could still be a killer like he was nineteen years ago? She never saw Anthony as a danger to her, but his father was an entirely different story. "Okay," she said rapidly as if she was trying to get it over with as soon as possible. He smiled and hugged her, and she hugged him back, trying to relax a little in his arms.
"Hey, Anthony," Calypso Blackwood said as walked into the room, "you better move away from her. Lark is coming." He nodded and gave a bit of space between Burgundy and himself as Cal took a seat across from them. She had always been extremely kind to him, treating him as if he was her own son. He respected her for that, and that she had a difficult life like his mom had and that she had made the best out of it as she could. Her ice blue eyes looked to Lark as he entered the room, who seemed stressed and irritated.
"How's your father, Anthony?" he asked as he sat down next to his wife and looked him straight in the eye. His emerald eyes held some harshness to them, an edge.
"He's doing well, Mr. Blackwood," he said as he felt Burgundy's eyes watching him intently, urging him to not say the wrong thing. "He hasn't acted any different than the rest of us. He seems pretty normal."
Lark nodded, rubbing his hand before leaning back in his seat. "I did some research on this type of situation and they say that the first three days is one of the most critical periods, after that, things get easier for them. But what I'm concerned with is that no one has tried anything like this before. Who knows if it will work or not?" Anthony knew that Lark was trying to be civil to him, but the look in his eyes still told him what he always had said. Stay away from my daughter. "In an instant, he could be the most savage werewolf in existence again." He paused briefly, considering the idea. "I wouldn't feel guilty about throwing him back into a cell. Actually, I'd be glad. One less criminal to deal with and the world needs less of them."
Some spark within Anthony flared, but he held his retort back. It would only make the fragile respect they had for each other shatter into a million pieces.
"My mom was a criminal, and so were my father and my dad," he said flatly, just to see what Lark would do but trying not to offend him.
"Yes, but they all were pardoned," he explained, the edge slightly sharpening in his voice.
"So won't you agree that they aren't criminals now?"
"They aren't criminals now, but they can become one at any moment," Lark stated. "Once they break the law, they're criminals once again." Anthony nodded, knowing not to say anymore. He just wanted Lark to understand that not everyone who has done a criminal act is a criminal forever. People can change. "Tell your mother that I'll be coming to check on Greyback tomorrow." Lark stood and left the room, leaving only the three of them there.
"You have guts, Anthony," Cal said with a grin. "I don't think anyone else would ever dare to reason with Lark the way you always do. You must get that from your mother." She sighed with a little smirk. "She didn't used to be so uptight, but I guess that's what being an auror does to you. It makes you abide by honor and code, because that is the moral and just thing to do. Your mother always did care about her honor though, even when she said that she didn't, and I can also see that trait in you. It's a good trait to have, but don't let your longing for honor blind you. Honor can make you brave, but it can also make you a fool. And no one wants to be a fool."
He considered her words for a while. She was right about honor, and right about his mother being uptight, but what he wasn't sure if his mother was a fool. Or if even he was a fool. He didn't believe so, but could it be possible? "Do you think we are fools?" he asked calmly, just asking a question, not picking a fight.
"I don't think you're a fool," she stated, "but your mother has started to act foolish. It's like her life revolves around honor and that's all that matters to her. There is no fun in life to her, it's all just work and dedication to that honor. I worry about her. I worry that she will never be able to truly live while she strictly abides by that code to which she so desperately clings." She stood up, sighing a bit. "I better go make sure Lark is alright." She left the room, allowing him to be alone with his girlfriend. He looked into her green eyes and smiled warmly, hoping that she was alright with all of this. He sure wasn't. The confidence that he had in himself and his father had faded a bit, putting a pressure on him. And his assurance that his mother was always doing what was best faded as well.
He felt that he would have a lot of things to reconsider in the days ahead of him.
"Anthony," Burgundy said gently, pulling him from his thoughts. "Don't let what my parents said bother you. You know how they are. Always stating their opinions without worrying what effect they may have on other people."
"They may be right about this," he replied, his smile falling off of his lips. "About my family."
She took his face in her hands, looking deeply into his eyes. She knew how worried he was. "Listen, it's going to be alright. There's no need to worry." He nodded slowly, not entirely agreeing with her, but enough to make both of them feel better. He figured he just needed to keep hope in his family, and in himself. "I'm sure you'll be okay and your father and your mother will too."
He nodded and held her close, hoping that she would be right. Hoping that his world wasn't going to be completely changing. He liked his life the way it was, he truly did enjoy it, but he felt that something was going to happen, something that would change everything. He didn't want it to happen, but he felt like he needed to be ready for it. Somehow.
He just didn't understand why he felt that way in the first place.
