Chapter 10
A quiet rapping came from the hard dark wood of the door of Grimmauld Place. Remus perked up, only just hearing the knock. Walking down the long narrow hallway from the kitchen, Remus opened the front door. Astounded by who stood in front of him.
"Sofia" Remus exclaimed, never expecting to see Sofia here, it was a few days ago when Sirius chased after her through. Remus had not seen Sirius either, having refused to leave his room.
"Hi Remus" Sofia spoke, stepping inside and she hugged her friends. "You haven't changed"
"Oh now I know that is a lie" Remus brought Sofia away to look at her. "But look at you, even more beautiful than I remember."
Sofia shook her head "Now who's the liar, the years have been rough" Sofia sighed.
"Nonsense" Remus said and stepped aside. "Come on in" He closed the front door and led Sofia to the kitchen dining table. The house was quiet, still too early for everyone else to be up yet.
"I did not think you would come back" Remus noted.
"I wasn't so sure myself" Sofia said, looking around the dining room.
Sofia, of course had aged over the past 14 years, she had looked after herself as best she could. But the life in her eyes was gone, she had had a stressful few years, never having expected to be around Sirius again.
"Sirius hasn't left his room since he saw you" Remus whispered. "How did you know he would be here?" He asked.
Sofia sighed, rubbing her arm. She felt nervous, and cold. "I don't know, I didn't really know he would be here. I knew he lived here as a kid, I knew it was being used for the other, but I had no idea Sirius would be here." Sofia said nervously. Remus nodded, listening to her. "Would I have come if I had known if Sirius was here...I don't know, a lot has happened I guess" Sofia finished sadly.
"You should speak to him, you both have a lot to say to one another" Remus added.
"14 years" Sofia whispered to herself, trying to build up the courage.
After a few moments, Sofia nodded. Walking through the long dining room, she pushed open the door to the hallway. Turning to the stairs, her heart rate increasing, Sofia took each step closely, dust fluttering as her foot landed on the wood. Looking to all the portraits of the Black family that hung on the walls.
Reaching the first landing, Sofia saw a door to her left was slightly ajar, approaching with caution, Sofia pushed open the door fully. Seeing she had stepped into what must have once been a study. Sofia quickly realised what a grand house this once will have been. Looking around the room, Sofia saw the wall, looking at the Black Family Tree.
Walking to the wall, Sofia read all the members of the Black family. Not realising how large Sirius' family really was. As she ran her finger along one of the branches, she came to Sirius' name, sighing when she saw that his portrait had been blasted away.
"Oh Sirius" Sofia whispered, she had always known of his mothers dislike of Sirius, but seeing this, it hurt. No person deserved that, especially as a kid.
Leaving the study, Sofia continued up the stairs, at the second landing she saw had a few closed doors, only hearing snoring coming from behind them. Continuing up the stairs, Sofia finally reached the top landing. Looking at the doors as she walked down the corridor, reading a plank on one of the doors.
"Regulus" She said quietly, known him as Sirius' brother. Continuing down the corridor, she stopped, now at Sirius' room. Running her finger along the brass name plate. Placing her hand on the door handle, with a slight creak, the door opened. The room in darkness but a stream of light from the moon streaking across the bedroom.
Silently stepping inside, her eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness, she closed the door behind her. Eyes glancing over the room, they fell onto the bed, with his back towards her, Sofia saw the body rise and fall slowly, clearly fast asleep.
Walking further into the room she saw papers, books littering the floor. But as she reached the side of the bed Sirius lay on, she saw empty bottles on Firewhiskey on the cabinet and on the floor. Picking up one of the bottles, turning it over in her hand.
"Never learning" Sofia whispered, Sirius had always fallen to alcohol when things were tough. Finally though, gently putting the bottle on the cabinet, she looked at Sirius. The years in Azkaban had not been kind.
Sitting down on the bed, beside Sirius, she reached to his face, gently moving his hair from his face.
"Been a long time" Sofia whispered, and seeing his open shirt, Sofia saw the tattoo's, noticing the largest tattoo in the centre of his chest. Remembering the symbol from the necklace she had given to him almost 20 years ago. Gently taking hold of his hand, running her fingertips over the tattoos covering the skin. "Times sure have changed us" Sofia let go of the hand. Instead of waking him up, she moved to the armchair and sat down.
Watching Sirius sleep, but after a couple of hours, Sofia dropped to sleep herself. The rest of the house bustling with life and noise.
It was dinner time when Sirius first opened his eyes. Blinking away the tiredness, the sun blinding him momentarily. Grunting, Sirius pushed himself to sit up, rubbing his face as he searched for his bottle. Seeing a bottle on the cabinet, sue he had not put it there when he fell asleep. It was then that he saw her, slouched in the armchair, fast asleep. Surely he was dreaming. Rubbing his face again, he pushed himself off of the bed.
"Sofia" Sirius croaked, after realising she was not a dream, and was in fact real. Sofia, always being a light sleeper, sat up straight and she looked at Sirius.
Sofia had been thinking about this moment for a very long time.
They both stared at each other for what felt like hours, but Sofia rose from the chair. Sirius copying and he stepped across the room.
Standing in front of each other, Sofia held out her hand, shaking, she pressed her palm onto Sirius' chest, directly over his heart. Feeling how hard and fast it was beating. Sirius gazed at her face, still as beautiful as when he last saw her. Slowly, he took hold of the hand on his chest, wrapping his fingers around hers.
Sirius" Sofia whispered, voice breaking and the tears falling.
"I'm here" Sirius quickly brought Sofia into a hug. Sofia crying into his chest, clutching onto his shirt.
"Shh...it's okay, I'm here, I'm here" Sirius rubbed her back, his face in her hair.
Sirius gently guided Sofia to the bed, sitting down he cradled her against him. Once the tears stopped flowing, Sirius looked to her face. Stroking her cheeks with his thumbs, her eyes red and puffy but she was still as beautiful.
But Sofia suddenly came away from Sirius, and slapped his cheek with an almighty crack.
"What was that for?" Sirius asked, a hand on his cheek, the stinging pain causing his eyes to water.
"That was for breaking your promise 14 years ago Sirius Black" Sofia snapped and hit Sirius multiple times in the chest. Not hard enough to cause serious damage. But Sofia had a lot of anger and frustration to get out.
"Sofe, Sofe" Sirius grabbed her hands to stop her. "I'm sorry, okay" Sirius pleased with her and saw that she finally calmed down. Sofia taking a few slow deep breaths.
"14 years Sirius" Sofia whispered. "You promised me you would be okay, you promised me you would come back" She cried
"I know I did, and I hate that I hate that I broke those promises. I left you" Sirius said sadly to her.
"I always knew you didn't kill them, James and Lily, you wouldn't. To turn to Voldemort, never" Sofia looked at the bed covers. Sirius just watching her, listening, clearly she had a lot to say. "It was Remus who came to me, told me what happened, said you had turned to Voldemort, that you had killed Peter" Sofia shook her head. "But I didn't believe him, you would never do such a thing. So I went to the house, you weren't there of course. But when I heard the Ministry had taken you, I tried to find you, tell them you wouldn't have don such a thing, you could never murder someone." Sofia sighed sadly. "My father told me everything that happened when the Ministry workers captured you, you just laughed, he said you went insane with laughter." Sofia kept glancing at Sirius, but she had to look away, unable to hold his gaze.
"Dad was determined that you had done it. No one would believe me, I went to the Minister, I tried to get you a trial. But no one listened to me" Sofia said and she clutched her hands together. "They took me, they took me because of my relationship to you, they took me in for questioning." Sirius frowned now.
"What?!" Anger in Sirius' voice.
"They wanted to make sure I wasn't helping you" Sofia's voice cracked. "They hurt me" Sirius shot to his feet at those words.
"Who!" Fury now coming over his body. "Tell me who, I'll be damned if I let them hurt you and get away with it" Sirius paced the bedroom.
"Sirius" Sofia said tearfully, suddenly feeling tired. Remembering those times when it all happened.