Chapter 4
Sirius hit the floor with a thud, he was tangled his blanket and covered in sweat. He was having dreams, relieving the nights he found out the Maddox family and the Potter family. Remus, Sirius, Lily, James, Mark, Kaylee and Peter were all best friends at school. As soon as Mark and Kaylee were both 17, they got married and not long after, they had a daughter and a song, Riley and Charlie Maddox. Being a werewolf, Remus wasn't officially allowed to be Riley's god father, but they made him her un official god father and he swore that no matter what, he'd do everything he could to protect her. Sirius didn't bother getting back in to bed just yet; he lay there letting the coolness of the floor calm him down.
"If it's not one thing, it's another" Sirius said to himself.
"You have got to stop talking to yourself Padfoot" Remus said from near the door. "You alright?" He asked as he crouched down and looked at Sirius from the other side of the bed.
"Just dandy, thought it would be nice to sleep on the floor" Sirius replied sarcastically. "Did I wake you up?" he asked as he sat up.
"No, I was reading and heard a noise from your room; thought I'd come and make sure you weren't trying to strangle yourself in your sleep like last time" Remus told him.
"Do you do anything other than read" Sirius asked, as he watched Remus sit down on the end of his bed.
"Yes I baby sit you when I'm not reading" Remus replied with a grin. After a moments silence, Remus spoke again. "What were you dreaming about this time?"
"Oh the usual, candy canes and lollipops" Sirius replied, he wasn't in the mood to talk to about it and he hoped Remus would pick up on that.
"Yes because everyone who dreams about muggle candy falls out of bed" Remus replied, raising his eye brows up at him.
"When will it all stop?" Sirius asked, sighing and placing his unshaven face into his hands. Remus knew exactly what he was talking bout. He was talking about the night mares, the pain of watching everyone he loved or cared for either die or suffer, all because of one evil wizard.
"Honestly, I don't know" Remus replied with resignation. Sirius had shuffled himself onto his knees and he was now resting his head on the edge of the bed, looking at Remus. "Spending so much time being Padfoot, your starting to look a lot like him" Remus said laughing.
"Oh shut up" Sirius replied laughing as well and lobbing a pillow at him.
"Ahem!" came Riley's voice from the doorway, "Hope I'm not interrupting anything but someone just walked into the house" she said.
"What?" Sirius and Remus both said as they got to their feet.
"Didn't see them clearly but it was definitely someone" Riley replied.
"Stay up here" Sirius instructed her, but Riley just rolled her eyes and followed them down the stairs.
"You know the meeting isn't until tonight" Sirius snarled when he recognized the person.
"I am well aware of that Black but I have come here for a word with my niece" Severus Snape replied, looking past Sirius and resting his eyes upon Riley.
"There is nothing to talk about thank you Severus, not anymore" Riley replied as she further descended the steps. Sirius looked from Severus to Remus to Riley, completely shocked. Severus started to speak again but Riley cut him off. "Molly will be here soon guys, so I'm going to go have a shower, I hope she brought me some other clothes" she said and turned around and went back up stairs. Severus didn't say a word to Remus or Sirius, instead with a swoosh of his black cloak, he left Grimmuald Place.
"Did you know?" Sirius asked Remus as they headed to the kitchen.
"Didn't have a clue" Remus replied and they spent the time Riley was in the shower, coming up with their own versions of what happened to make Riley despise Severus so much.
"Oh come on, it isn't hard" Sirius exclaimed as they continued there conversation.
"What's not hard?" Riley replied, a smirk on her face.
"Oh nothing" Remus said as he blushed.
"So what's to do around here for fun?" Riley asked, sitting down in a chair across from Sirius.
"Let's see" Sirius started saying while rubbing his hand thru his beard, "Nothing, nothing and um more nothing" he said, going back to drinking his coffee.
"Come on there's got to be something" Riley protested.
"We can't go anywhere and you have pretty much blown up everything the back yard" Sirius replied laughing seeing the guilty look on her face. "Unless you want to hunt Kreacher, but I'm sure Hermione will have something to say about that, and Dumbledore when they find out" he went on. Riley's smile vanished when she realised that she wasn't as free as she thought, yes she had better company, a bed and a proper shower, but she still wasn't able to go out, her cell had just expanded and had a few extra things added.
"I saw a chess board up stairs, you guys could play that later, but Molly will be here soon" Remus told them "Oh chess isn't that boring" he added, seeing the looks of disgust on their faces.
"But when Molly gets here, you and her are going shopping" Sirius informed him.
"Well then you guys can go play chess until we return, we wont be gone long" Remus replied as he started eating his toast and drinking his tea. Riley then had a brilliant idea, but she'd have to wait until Remus and Molly had left. She let out a little giggle, causing Remus and Sirius to look at her.
"Care to share?" Sirius asked.
"You'll find out later" Riley replied, smiling at him.
"I know what that smile means, I invented that smile and I know what it means" Sirius went on, pointing at her.
"What smile?" Riley asked innocently.
"That I'm up to no good smile. That smile was constantly on my face all through out school" Sirius told her. "What are you planning?" he asked, now getting slightly worried.
"Oh look, its Aunt Mol" Riley said, thankful for the topic change.
"Good Morning everyone, sleep well?" Molly Weasley asked them.
"Sure did Molly, its excellent having a proper bed" Riley replied, smiling all innocently, making Sirius snort into his coffee, which earned him a swift kick to the shin, from under the table.
"Are you sure it's wise to leave this two alone?" Remus asked.
"They'll be fine, as long as they don't blow up the house" Molly replied "We'll be back soon" she added, kissing Riley on the cheek and heading out the door, followed by Remus.
"So where did Remus say he saw this chess board?" Riley asked, smiling at Sirius.
"You aren't serious?" Sirius asked her, "Up stairs, room next to yours" he added when he saw her nodding. She got up from her chair and took off out the door, taking the stairs two at a time. For what seemed like ages, Sirius didn't hear a thing from Riley and he began to get a little nervous.
"What is she doing?" Sirius asked but his question was answered quite quickly when the kitchen door swung open, but no one had seemed to have come through it. As Sirius went to get up, he felt something sit on his bare foot.
"Hello good Sir, would you be Commander Sirius Black?" the white King chess piece asked, in a friendly manner. Sirius was dumbfounded, he had never seen the pieces move off the board, let alone speak to him or open a kitchen door.
"Ah yes I am Sirius Black, don't know about Commander" Sirius replied slowly, as he reached down and picked the chess piece up and placed him on the table.
"Riley Maddox informs us that you are to battle, using us, the mighty white" The King told him.
"And where exactly is Riley?" Sirius asked.
"Not sure, I have instructed the pawns to search the house, while the others stand guard outside the door" The King replied.
"Well let's go battle" Sirius said and the King smiled, as he climbed up Sirius' arm and stood on his shoulder. Sirius was strategizing with the other pieces, when the 5 of the pawns, came running back.
"We lost three of our men Sir, she's fast and she merciless" one of the pawns said, panting while he carried another pawn, which had chunks missing from him.
"Where is she?" Sirius asked them.
"Up the stairs, to the right" the pawn with the chunks missing, informed him.
"Alright troops this is it, the big moment" Sirius said, in a formal commander tone. "Let's attack with stealth, she'll never see us coming" he went on and they started descending the stairs, stopping every so often to listen for any on coming assaults. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, a full blown battle broke out. There were loud explosions, chess pieces flying everywhere and commands being yelled from Riley and Sirius.
"Give up Commander Black, you can't win" Riley yelled from behind her little fort.
"Not a chance" Sirius yelled back, laughing loudly. When the final chess pieces, both the black and white king, stood in the middle of the hall way, Sirius and Riley both raised white flags, however the black King, noticed the red stripe of Riley's flag and made a last attempt to win and attacked the Sirius' unsuspecting white King, smashing him to pieces.
"Come on Black, I wouldn't give up that easily" Riley said coming out from behind her fort, which Sirius now noticed, was made from pillows. She scooped up her winning King and placed him on the banister.
"It was a fair fight" Sirius replied, offering her his hand. She was cautious, but stepped over the broken chess pieces, towards him, but she was tripped by the top part of the white king, making her fall right into Sirius' arms.
"We're home!" Molly called, her voice ringing throughout the house, causing Sirius' mother to wake up.
"Filthy, no good son of mine" She started to scream but was stopped when Remus and Sirius had run towards the portrait, closing the curtains.
"Have fun you two?" Remus asked as Riley came down the stairs, her king on her shoulder and her cheeks flushed.
"Sure did, you were right Remus, chess is so much fun" Sirius replied, laughing but he was silently curing them for coming home so soon.
"We might need a new chess set though" Riley told them as she followed Molly into the kitchen, winking at Sirius as she went by.
"I'm just going to go clean up the chess pieces" Sirius started saying "Care to help Remus?" he asked, hoping he would come along.
"Sure, Riley you ok to help Molly unpack?" Remus asked.
"Sure thing" Riley replied and they went off in opposite directions.
"IS everything ok there Sirius?" Remus asked as they went up the stairs to the battle field.
"I think I'm falling for her" Sirius replied, as he bent down to pick up the pieces. Remus just stood there and for once in his life, he was lost for words.