Charis gripped onto Ginny's hand, her nervous excitement almost too much to bear – Had she heard Sirius right?
"If that's alright with Carly at least." Sirius said, turning to Charis with bright, curious eyes, he was watching for her reaction, and yet she was totally frozen, what was she meant to say in this situation? Her eyes were wide, her mouth had fallen open and everyone was staring.
"Really?" She demanded, her voice was high and squeaking. "You mean it?"
"Of course I do, Carly, you're as good as mine, I couldn't let you go around with the name Riddle, it's completely wrong for who you are." Sirius said, wrapping his arm around the girl's shoulders.
"S-Sirius-" Her eyes were welling with tears as she gasped with shock and total bliss. "Thank you."
Charis grinned as she walked with Sirius and Albus through the Ministry, word had gotten out about her adoption, to become Carly Black. She couldn't wait.
This was her getting a family, a family who wanted, and loved her, and maybe I wasn't perfect, but she'd never had parents who loved her, she'd never had love, and now so much it just seemed to wipe away anything bad.
That is until….
"He's heard form someone that Charis is with us, and he is not happy." Severus Snape informed the order in one of the many meetings held, everyone was looking around unsurely, and Sirius tightened his hold on Charis. "He's gathering the Deatheaters, and planning a large attack, he sees this as his chance to get to Potter too…"
"So, we've got to watch for Harry and Charis?" Remus asked.
"Not really, see The Dark Lord is still as of yet unaware of the location of the order, and thus is unaware where Charis is, on the other hand he knows exactly where Harry is, and I believe that he is wondering if you are in fact holding Charis at the school, close to Albus." Severus explained to the group.
"So he really doesn't know where Carly is then?" Sirius asked.
"Not really, no. he has his guesses, which would be Hogwarts or wherever the order is stationed, but as I said, he is still unaware of where that is."
Charis closed her eyes and took a deep breath; this day was being splattered all over the Daily Prophet and every other news source in the Wizarding World. How they had found out the order was unaware, which was not a comforting thought, however as she would remain in the Ministry, it was considered safe enough for her to go and find out about the adoption plans.
She was walking by Sirius' side through the cool dark corridors, feeling like she was about to collapse, she was so terrified they might not agree, that she may have to keep being a riddle, when both she and Sirius knew she was a good Black.
They walked into an old courtroom; it was smallish, with only a few people inside, the minister, Fudge, and a smiling woman.
"I am Madame Bones, please, take a seat whilst we give you the results." The woman said, smiling down at Charis, Nervously she took a seat beside Sirius and waited, the Minister and woman spoke very quietly to each other briefly and then Fudge glared at her.
"You are Charis Riddle, as in the daughter of Tom Riddle, other wise known as Lord Voldemort, and Andromeda Black?" Minister Fudge demanded from her, his beady eyes glaring at her, with obvious dislike.
"Yes, I am." Charis replied evenly, even though she felt like she was being tried for murder, not an adoption.
"And why, may I ask, should we allow you into our society, and not throw you into Azkaban right now?"
"HEY!" Sirius yelled, furious. "That's my girl you're talking to right now! And I'll bloody well tell you why you shouldn't lock her up, or take her away form me, because she's amazing! I did wonder if she would have even an ounce of evil in her, and she truly doesn't, she's nothing like the monster she unfortunately has to call father! She's like her mother, before she went missing, and I couldn't be more proud of her."
"Ok, Mr Black, you have me convinced." Madame Bones said, still smiling down at Charis. "I approve the adoption, if you want to sign your names, and Charis, if you would like to write your adopted name down."
It felt like the loneliest walk until she reached the bench, it seemed to take forever, and she could not get there quick enough, and then finally, she reached the bench, almost terrified she looked up at Madam Bones.
"And He can't take this away, just because that monster hasn't signed it. This is real?" Charis asked her, fearing that her father would ruin this for her.
"In extreme cases such as this, we can do this without your parents' signatures." Madame Bones assured her with an encouraging smile.
Feeling relief wash over her as she watched Sirius sign his name, and then hand her the peacock feature quill, and she wrote down 'Carly Black' and then signed it, the scroll glowed golden for a second before wrapping itself up and sitting still on the bench, she placed the quill down and felt something she had not felt before wash through her – hope.
Together they walked out of the courtroom, father and daughter, blissfully happy, to have their family right.
"Carly!" Ginny screamed, engulfing the girl into her arms, after she had dashed forward from the group awaiting them, she looked excited. When she pulled back it was to feel another pair of arms around her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, and suddenly found herself crying, as her father swung her around in his arms.
This was what it is to be loved.
