Thorns
The Marauders' Era
Chapter 6: Tell
The next 3 days at Tess' house by the sea would be days Sirius Black would always remember fondly. Looking back on those days, there was nothing spectacular about the days following Christmas with the Rosier family. Sirius spent his time flying with Tess and her mom, helping Tess get a few hours of training in. It was a chance for him to show off—he could tell Tess was impressed by his flying skill, but quickly became unimpressed when he was asked to play keeper.
Sirius decided that he liked Tess' mother Amalia—but in a way, she reminded him of his mother. Although she was much younger than Walburga Black, she had the same blonde hair and attractive regal face. However, Amalia was different, and Sirius could tell that Tess was a lot like Amalia in that manner. Amalia was born into wealth and carried a presence that commanded respect. Though, it wasn't a type of regality that made Sirius feel inferior, like the sense the House of Black gave off. Instead, it was the type of regality that made Sirius felt seen and respected.
Sirius even managed to tolerate Grant Rosier, although Sirius was sure the feeling was not mutual. Grant spent his days sullen and avoiding Sirius, grunting his responses to the boy; which was fine with young Sirius Black. While Grant spent time in the reading room, Sirius found reasons to "explore" the Rosier manor, loudly singing muggle songs—his current favorite being "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by the Beach Boys. Sirius would do this around Grant Rosier who would swear and storm away, giving Sirius a good chuckle for the day.
Lastly, and most importantly, Tess was there. Tess hadn't told her family about him being more than a friend, which was fine by him. When Tess wasn't flying or reading, she spent time with Sirius learning how to play Wizards Chess and listening to the muggle music he loved so much. And Sirius especially liked the moments when Tess' parents weren't around so he could steal Tess for a quick snog.
Overall, 3 days with the Rosiers had been the highlight of his winter holiday thus far.
On his final night at the Rosier Manor before he would leave to spend the rest of winter holidays with the Potters, Sirius heard the muffled sounds of raised voices. Getting out of bed, he padded softly across the guest room and opened the door. Looking down the hall, he noticed Tess in her pajamas, lying on the ground next to an air vent, a look of hard concentration on her face as she strained to listen.
Quietly Sirius walked over and lowered himself to his stomach across from Tess. She glanced up at him and put a finger to her lips, quietly asking him to be silent.
"—heard what she said! He had his wand to her neck!"
"It's time, Amalia," Grant Rosier said harshly to his wife. "It's time she knew—"
"No, Grant," Amalia smacked her hand on the dining room table, unable to contain her fear any longer. "No. You chose this life. Not me, not Contessa!"
"But you knew that I would do this," Grant spat back at his wife with venom. "You knew that I would choose to follow the Dark Lord, like my father and uncle before me, and it's surprising how ignorant you kept her all these years. I'm sure even Sirius Black knows who the Dark Lord is! Contessa's story from her little party is embarrassing for our family."
"How can you say that, Grant? Is that really how you feel?"
Tessa and Sirius glanced at each other, and Sirius inwardly cringed at Grant's words. If anything, Grant Rosier reminded Sirius of his own mother and father.
"Amalia," Grant sighed, sounding both irritated and incredibly weary. "After the Black boy leaves, we'll have to tell her. Not everything, but enough. She needs to know that there is a hierarchy in this world, and we're at the top. She needs to know that if she chooses to betray our kind there are consequences for her and for our family. I've heard through the grapevine that the boy we have upstairs is as good as a blood-traitor—"
"Contessa is barely 13, Grant! So is Sirius Black! Grant, we raised a brilliant witch and there is no doubt that Sirius is incredibly talented, but they are just children, and you expect them to be child soldiers in a war that shouldn't be theirs!"
It was quiet for a long moment. Sirius noticed that Tess' eyebrows were knitted together in concentration as though she were working through some difficult potions ingredient list.
Amalia Rosier was right, Sirius realized. From a young age, he had known about the Dark Lord, and by the sounds of it, Grant Rosier was a Death Eater. While his parents were not Death Eaters, they avidly supported blood purity, looking down on anyone who wasn't part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight or a Voldemort supporter.
The way Grant Rosier referred to Sirius as a blood-traitor made Sirius proud. If standing up for what he knew to be wrong made Sirius a blood-traitor, he would gladly take the title.
From the vent, Sirius and Tess heard the muffled voices continue once more.
"You will not be the one to tell Contessa about your…choice," Amalia said in flat, dangerous voice. "I will be the one to tell her and I will be the one to continuously teach her. Contessa will be the one who gets to decide what she chooses to believe."
"What's there to decide? No child of mine will ever be a blood-traitor!"
"What if she decides that, Grant? What if we don't agree with your Dark Lord's vision? What happens then?"
It was silent for a long moment. Finally, in an equally dangerous voice that matched his wife's Grant Rosier responded, "this discussion is over."
Sirius and Tess scrambled to get out of the hall before Tess' parents found them. Before going to bed, Tess took Sirius' hand and squeezed it before disappearing into her room.
Sirius disappeared back into the guest room, his mind whirling with questions and a mixture of emotions. He knew the argument had nothing to do with him, but the fact that his family was brought up angered him. Even so, he was shocked that Tess' mom would defend him as if she truly cared about him, which he wasn't used to. Also, he was shocked that Tess' father was a Death Eater, which made him wonder about his classmates and their parents. Sirius knew that when he went to the Potters tomorrow, he would have a lot to tell James.
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"Are you still thinking about what your parents said," asked Sirius, noticing Tessa's quiet mood. Sirius watched as Tessa collected pebbles along the Giant Causeway's coast. After breakfast, Sirius and Tess decided to spend time along the shore when they noticed it wasn't raining.
"I guess," said Tessa, shrugging her shoulders, throwing a pebble into the ocean before handing a few to Sirius. "I also didn't sleep well last night," Tessa bit her lip. Tessa was woken early by a strange nightmare and was unable to sleep after that. It was just a nightmare, and Sirius needed to know.
"I didn't think your dad was a Death Eater," said Sirius, shaking his head. "I didn't think he had it in him, he seems like the cowardly sort—no offense."
"Hey, don't tell James, please," asked Tessa, glancing away from the water and at Sirius. "I know you two are practically brothers, but I don't want it spreading around school."
"Yeah of course," Sirius responded earnestly. "Your secrets are safe with me."
"Not my secrets," she said, "my family's."
There was a small popping sound from behind Tessa and Sirius, and both teens turned to see that Amalia had apparated behind them. Similar to Tessa, it appeared as though Amalia got little sleep as well.
"Sirius, dear, I just communicated with the Potter family, and they're ready for you when you are. I've also sent an owl to Walburga, so I hope she won't be too mad." Although her tone was gentle, Sirius could hear the unspoken hint: his vacation with the Rosier family was over.
Sirius rose and held out a hand to help Tessa up. "Thank you for everything Mrs. Rosier. This was probably the best Christmas I had in ages."
"I'm glad to hear that Sirius." Amalia smiled at the kids before apparating away.
"I meant that," said Sirius, when they were alone again. "This was the best winter holiday in a long time. Aside from being called a blood-traitor."
"I don't think you're a blood-traitor," said Tessa throwing the last of her pebbles into the sea.
"Sure I am," said Sirius with a shrug of his shoulders. To be a blood-traitor meant sympathizing with anyone different, and he wasn't about to tell Tessa that his best friend Remus was a werewolf. Sirius sighed internally, realizing he was keeping a lot of secrets.
Before Tessa could respond, Sirius mounted his broom and kicked off from the ground, loudly singing "Wouldn't it be nice," by the Beach Boys once more.
In less than an hour Sirius had packed his belongings, snogged Tessa for the last time during winter holiday, and managed to annoy Grant before he travelled to the Potters' home by flood powder. Grant seethed with anger as Sirius managed mischief, and Tessa couldn't help but laugh as Sirius' arrogant, smiling face disappeared in green flames.
Amalia later found Tessa up in her room, flipping through her Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook to do the homework she hadn't had a chance to touch.
Glancing up from her textbook, Tessa smiled as her mom sat on the edge of her bed.
"So," Amalia started.
"So."
"Sirius Black."
"Yep."
"He's your friend."
"Mh-hm," Tessa confirmed.
"That you sometimes kiss?"
"Only on Tuesdays!" Tessa blurted and buried her burning red face in her textbook. "Mum, I can't talk about this!"
"Why not? I kissed my first boy when I was 9 and had my first boyfriend at 11. He snogged like a bullfrog though, so that didn't last. But I'm sure you don't have that problem—"
"Mum!" Tessa laughed uncomfortably. "We had this talk in July, remember? Before the start of second year? I don't think I can do it again. Please don't make me."
"Alright," said Amalia with a light chuckle, taking in her daughter's pink cheeks as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "We don't have to have that talk. But we do need to talk." Amalia took a deep breath then launched into a conversation that Tessa would never forget for the rest of her life.
Amalia explained there was light magic in the world, and dark magic—and everyone was capable of committing both. However, there was a force that chose to do solely dark magic under a strong wizard named Voldemort. To these people, Voldemort promised fame, protection, and a new world of blood purity. Amalia explained the idea of blood purity and blood-traitors. She explained the idea of muggle-born wizards and witches, and what it meant to sympathize with those who were not pureblooded. Finally, she explained that Tessa and her friends were born into a dangerous time in which they must choose to follow either the light or the darkness within them.
"And father chose evil," said Tessa, when her mother was done.
"He chose power, yes," Amalia answered honestly. No matter how upset she was with Grant, there was still a part of Amalia that would never hate her husband, no matter what he did.
"What did you choose," asked Tessa, her heavy-lidded blue eyes looking up at her mother.
Amalia softened. Gently she moved forward and kissed Tessa's forehead. "I chose you."
"I don't understand," said Tessa, furrowing her eyebrows.
"One day you will," Amalia promised with a light laugh. "One day you'll find that you love something with everything you are, and through that love, you will find your choice."
Immediately Tessa thought of Sirius and his family. His family reminded her a lot of her father in which appearances and status mattered. Sirius seemed so sure of his choice to be different from his family, and Tessa wondered what it was that Sirius loved that made him sacrifice tradition.
Amalia kissed Tessa's forehead once more before she rose to leave and start dinner. "I think you should take a nap before dinner," suggested Amalia, "you look like you barely slept last night."
"I had a strange nightmare," said Tessa, gently touching the vial that hung down to her chest. "It was hard to sleep after that."
Amalia stilled. "Nightmare? What was it?"
The sudden shift in her mother's mood from light to serious sent a slight jolt of panic through Tessa. "It was probably nothing just—"
"What was it, Contessa?"
"I was here, and it was summertime," said Tessa, closing her eyes to remember. "I was lying in your lavender garden watching the clouds, but I wasn't alone. There was this great black dog beside me. He was such a sweet and playful dog too. We ran all around the garden and it was so much fun. Then, the dog started running away and I followed him. Then it was really dark all of a sudden and I couldn't find the dog and I was so scared. Then all of a sudden there was a wand pointed at me and a flash of bright green light and I woke up." Tessa shivered at the memory, not noticing how pale her mother had gone.
"Was this your first dream like this?"
"Yes, Mum, what's wrong? You're kind of starting to scare me."
"Contessa, you listen to me, and you listen closely. This is an order I have for you." Amalia's heavy-lidded eyes had taken on a hard look that told Tessa that her mother was not to be disobeyed.
"Mum…"
"The next time you have a dream like this again, you tell me immediately. If you're at Hogwarts you send me an owl the minute you can, alright?"
"Mum, what's wrong," asked Tessa. "Is something wrong with me?"
"No, my darling no, nothing is wrong with you," Amalia promised, touching her daughter's medium brown hair. Amalia frowned slightly. "It seems that when the Dark Lord touched you, he…awakened something inside of you."
"Something from the Maeve bloodline, right," asked Tessa, remembering Voldemort talking about her mother's family.
"Yes. You come from a lineage of a rare ability. Your great-grandmother had it, it skipped my mum and came to me, but it appears that it would be in you too."
"W-what is it?"
"Do you know what your wand is made of, Contessa?"
"Er, dragon heartstring and silver lime?"
"Yes, silver lime. I should have guessed as soon as Ollivander said it. Silver lime was a very popular wood for a while for its beauty and for the types of wizards and witches it chose. Generally, most of the women related to the Maeve family by blood end up with a wand made out of silver lime." Amalia took a breath before continuing. "Silver lime is a wood that usually belongs to witches and wizards who become skilled legilimency users or seers."
Tessa stilled as her mother's words.
"You might be a seer, Contessa."
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Spring-tem started up again at Hogwarts, and the first two months were a flurry of activity. Classes became a struggle to keep up with as the Slytherin quidditch team held more practices, especially since they would be playing for the Hogwarts Qudditch Cup against Ravenclaw.
Then there was Sirius and Edgar. Tessa's plan was to avoid Edgar as much as possible, but that was difficult during practices. After a particularly tiring practice Edgar managed to corner her just as Sirius came to meet her after her shower. Edgar found out about her relationship with Sirius as he put his arm around her waist and kissed her loudly on the cheek, as only Sirius would do. Since that moment it was Edgar who avoided Tessa.
Sirius was a loose-cannon of his own as well. Always energetic, Sirius divided his time between figuring out hexes to try out on Severus, and ways to prank the first-year students with James. Sirius also spent time helping Tessa catch-up with her classes and catching up with the kisses he felt "robbed" from.
To say Tessa was busy would have been an understatement.
The night before the big game, Tessa and Sirius were up late in an undisclosed alcove near the library.
"Tess, hey," said Sirius with a chuckle. He shook his shoulder where Tessa rested her head. "You have a game tomorrow. As much as I would love to see Slytherin lose, I think I've been resigned to the role of supportive boyfriend."
"Life is so hard for you, Sirius Black," Tessa teased, stifling a yawn.
"Hey, are you having nightmares?" Sirius bluntly asked, noticing the grey circles under Tessa's eyes. Sirius then pushed away from Tessa with a look of mock horror. "Are you using me to stay awake so you don't have to sleep? You're using me for my body!"
"Only because it's so easy," said Tessa, laughing as Sirius continued to look on with mock horror. Sirius' laughter quieted before he nudged Tessa again. "Really Tessa, are you having anymore nightmares? You know your mum wants an owl as soon as they happen."
"I'm fine, Sirius. If anything, the two of you asking if I have nightmares are giving me nightmares. And headaches!"
"Tess…" Sirius said in a low voice, like the warning growl of a dog.
"I've had 3. I've just been busy, so I haven't sent Reginald to my Mum yet. I will after the game tomorrow. I promise."
Sirius sighed as Tessa sat up, pushing her hair behind her ear. "I guess this is good night."
"Get some sleep," Sirius urged as Tessa disappeared into the night, heading for Slytherin's dungeons. Sirius waited a couple of minutes in the darkness, making sure Tessa was gone before he left the hiding place.
Sirius walked straight past Gryffindor towers, all the way to the school's Owl Keep. Sirius sighed, annoyed with his actions. Usually, he was good at keeping secrets and he generally kept himself uninvolved in family affairs, but if Tess kept having dreams about her death and if she was a seer, he wanted answers.
The owls were all awake at that time of night, and Sirius easily located Reginald who gently nipped his finger in happy greeting.
"Hello there," Sirius smiled, stroking Reginald's ink black feathers. Sirius gently inspected the once fractured wing, pleased with both Reginald and himself that it healed nicely. Tearing off a corner of parchment, Sirius quickly scribbled three words on the paper and tied it to Reginald's leg.
Sirius gave Reginald a half-hearted smirk as the black owl looked into Sirius with his great yellow eyes. "You know where to go, Reginald," said Sirius. "Don't tell her who sent it."
As if Reginald understood, he blinked his great yellow orbs once and flew off into the night with Sirius' note secured to his foot.
The three words scribbled by Sirius were: There's been 3.
Author's Note: This story is prone to grammatical errors as I don't tediously edit. FUTURE REFERENCE: you are likely to see major time skips in this story because it will continue on to the First Wizarding War.
Author's Note PART 2: FINISHED my paper guys, but I have 2 more on the horizon...ew. Don't worry, Sirius and Tessa will be back very soon! I have very big plans for them... ;)
Also, I'm quite sure I horribly messed up on some UK/Ireland geography as I haven't been there yet. So, if I have any UK/Ireland readers who want to correct me, please feel free!
In the mean time, I love your feedback! So, please and thank you! :)
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