Part 4: Moo ma & Moo pa
The book shop was quite crowded the following morning. The clock pointed to five minutes past 10. Long queues had formed before the table by which the quidditch legend from the Kenmare Kestrels Mr O'Hare would perform the signing. Lily was browsing the charms' section, pondering what funny thing she ought to make Rol do, preferable from behind a corner where nobody could see her, when it started to get just a little bit irritating to have Sirius tagging after, for who knew what ulterior reason.
"The adult department is over there" she said and pointed.
"I know. We can fetch your book first"
"Why are you following me around?"
"Because! You're my friend!"
"Since when?"
"That hurts my feelings!"
Lily put a book back in the shelf and selected another to look though, thinking that it was best to not encourage Sirius in any way. There was a massive cheer when Darren arrived, ten minutes late, to sign his book. Meanwhile, Sirius was getting quite bored with looking at books. Book shops just made him really dizzy really quickly and he suspected it was the freshly printed ink. Finding a misplaced adult novel did ease the boredom a teensy bit. He got so hazy from the stuffiness and would probably have fallen asleep standing, had it not been from that voice of horrors that snapped him back to life and sent chills down his spine.
"Sirius Nathalie Othello Black!"
Full name. Embarrassing middle names included that just made him want to die like nothing else. It could only mean one thing.
Parents.
He threw away the adult book and turned around with intense unwillingness.
"Hi…"
First, his mother. She swept towards him like a dementor on steroids, fixing him with an icy stare that gave his ears a tint of frostbite.
"Where the Hades were you Sunday?! We waited! Safiria waited!" she shouted.
Heads turned. People wondered who had turned the heat off.
"Erm…"
Second, his father. He was in many ways the opposite of the Mrs. His movement was slower and more calculating, and he was of the variety that preferred the stare-quietly-to-make-them-nervous method of making people talk.
"You promised you would be there!" the Mrs went on to shout. "Did you really think you could weasel your way out of this unnoticeably? If you don't marry that girl you can forget about that trust fund!"
After years of verbal abuse that had damaged Sirius' ears to the point that he was constantly hearing a beeping sound much resembling that of a backing truck, he thought that he ought to sue them for the double of the worth of that trust fund.
"I had homework. I mean detention. I mean homework"
"Oh, the dishonor you keep inflicting on us! Why, I ought to disown you this instant! What are you looking at, girl?!"
Lily closed her mouth, quite terrified. She would have gladly run away, except she had sort of frozen, either from fear or just the cold.
"I'm so sorry, I was just… I didn't mean…" she spluttered incoherently.
"Mother, please!" Sirius demanded, putting an arm around Lily. "Show your future daughter in law some respect!"
His mum looked from Sirius to Lily a couple of time, resembling cuckoo clock with computer error.
"Out of the question!" she said finally regaining her own kind of sanity.
"Come on why not she's super pure!"
"Did you say super pure?" his dad asked, stroking his beard. "What family are you from, girl?"
"Er…" Yeah, Lily had completely lost her ability to think and speak coherently. He mind had long since left. All that remained was her shell.
"This is Gilligan Gwynfryn" said Sirius. "Yes, of the Gwynfryns"
"The Gwynfryns?" his mum gawked. "I didn't know they had a girl of marrying age"
What the hell did that mean, 'marrying age', Lily wondered. Did they live in the middle ages?
"Well, look at her. They kept her in a tower" Sirius plucked at Lily's hair. "Poor darling"
"In any case, what are you thinking? You know our community isn't welcoming of daywalkers!"
"She's not a daywalker! She actually burns pretty badly in sunlight"
Yes, I am going to kill you later, Lily thought.
"Maybe this is a compromise we can reach" his dad said. "As long as she dyes her hair. We'll be in touch"
Then the scary people finally left the building. People started to melt and regain movement and the queue started moving along again. Except the signing time was up and Darren had to leave ten minutes early to much complaining.
"You're an ass" said Lily. "If you think I will play along, Nathalie, you are very mistaken!"
"Nathalie was actually a common boy's name in France up until-"
"Bye, Nathalie" Lily stormed out of the book shop.