Hailey woke up to find Sirius sleeping next to her. She didn't realize how her head had fallen on his shoulder and how his was now rested on top of her head. He had fallen asleep as well and his arm was wrapped around her protectively. She didn't want to disturb his sleep so she stayed there for a little while; taking in and enjoying his warmth. She traced little shapes on his arm, careful not to wake him. It was the first time she had the chance to actually study his face while he slept. Even in his sleep, he still looked handsome. Hailey now understood why a lot of girls fell for him. Even in his sleeping form, he made her heart skip a beat. He looked like an angel…
My angel.
She felt the train stop and that was their cue to get off the train.
"Sirius…"
"5moreminutes…" He mumbled.
"But we have to go now." Hailey chuckled as she slowly got up to get her things.
"Mmmmno…" He shifted his position but his eyes remained closed.
"Come on, angel. We have to go." Hailey smiled as she grabbed hold of his hand and slowly pulled him up. Sirius immediately caught up with the fact that she called him angel and that instantly woke him up. He could get used to that...
Angel…
"Dad!" Hailey came running to a man about in his early 50's and hugged him tightly. The man held her tight and spun her around.
"You're finally home, princess! I've missed you so much…" They both stood in a tight embrace and Sirius could see the joyful tears that were about to leak out from her father's eyes.
"I've missed you too dad!" Hailey chuckled and let go. She walked towards Sirius and almost dragged him towards her dad.
"This is Sirius Black, dad. My...uh…"
"Fiancé?" Her dad's eyebrows shot up.
"Yeah…you could say that." Hailey just laughed but Sirius was beyond nervous. He didn't know how to act or what to say because he really wanted Hailey's dad to like him and first impressions always count.
"Well, Sirius Black…" Her dad's arms were folded in front of his chest and he was staring him down. Not even a glimpse of a smile to be seen. He walked closer to Sirius and he was just inches away from his face. Sirius' heart was racing and he was holding his breath.
"Welcome to the family!" Hailey's dad caught him in a bear hug and slapped his back. Sirius was momentarily shocked but he was able to reciprocate his hug and enthusiasm after a split second of having to register everything that just happened. He let out a sigh of relief and smiled widely at Mr. Whitely.
"It's nice to meet your, Sir." Sirius shook the older man's hand.
"Ahh, call me Harold." They both chuckled.
"Well? Let's go! Everybody's waiting for you!" Harold took his daughter's luggage and placed an arm over her shoulder.
"So tell me about this…magical arranged marriage thingy and why is the ministry so worked up about it?" The two of them were sitting at the back and Harold just looked at them from the rearview mirror.
"We honestly don't know dad. Nobody really knows the parameters. We're basically just…"
"…a pair of experimental rabbits." Sirius continued for her and they both laughed.
"Rabbits that hold extraordinary power." Hailey mimicked Dumbledore's voice and they laughed even louder. Deep inside, Harold couldn't care less about the parameters of the arranged marriage. As long as his daughter was happy with him then he would support her in all of her decisions 100%. They continued to share their stories about school, their friends, their plans, and their discoveries to Harold and it made him happy knowing that his daughter was happy and safe.
After a 15-minute drive, they were now in front of a tall black gate with a very intricate design. Once they have entered, Sirius could see a big white house up ahead.
"Home." Hailey looked out the window and enjoyed the wind whipping past her face.
There was a large garden and a grand fountain in front of the house and once they were near the white house, Sirius' eyes widened. It was even more beautiful and bigger than the picture. It wasn't a house, it was manor.
Once they got out of the car, Hailey jogged up the stairs to the grand entrance, but before opening the doors, she called out to Sirius.
"Come on, slow poke! I'm freezing!" Sirius chuckled when he saw Hailey bouncing up and down, trying to regain her warmth. He knew that she wasn't just cold, but he could see how excited she was to be back home. He stood behind her and watched her open the large double doors. He was instantly hit with the smell of food. Someone was cooking up a feast and it made his tummy growl.
"Welcome to the Whitely Manor." Harold chuckled as he put an arm around Sirius' shoulder and shook him a little.
"I'm hoooome!" Hailey beamed.
"Head's up shorty!" Someone shouted from the second floor and before Hailey could react, there was a small ball flying towards them.
"What the-" Hailey docked but prepared herself for the impact. But there was none. Sirius caught the ball in time.
"Now, now, boys. That's no way of welcoming your little sister and her guest!" Harold shouted but laughed at the same time.
"Just making sure your reflexes are still intact, little sis! Mind giving the ball back?" One of Hailey's brothers appeared from the staircase. And then another that looked exactly like the other brother. It looked like they were playing a game of catch and the whole house was their playing field. Sirius threw the ball at him and made sure he wouldn't hit anything up ahead.
"Aah, I like your aim! But I bet….YOUWOULDN'TBEABLETOCATCHTHISONE!" The boy threw the ball at him in a heartbeat. Sirius was still able to catch the ball but stumbled a bit from the force. Sirius held up the ball and smirked. The two boys just nodded and laughed.
"Good aim!"
"Good reflexes too."
"Aah we like this man." They both said in unison and laughed.
"I'm Johnny."
"And I'm Jimmy." They both held out heir hand at the same time and Sirius couldn't hold back his laughter when he shook their hands at the same time.
"Sirius. Sirius Black."
"So you've met the twins…" Hailey rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless.
"Hey everyone! Shorty's back!" The twins shouted while putting their arms over her shoulder.
They walked further inside the manor and Sirius couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. It was a big house and beautifully decorated with green, red and gold. There were Christmas decorations everywhere and it made the house look like santa threw up all over it. It was also brightly lit and their family pictures were hanging everywhere. Even though the house was enormous, he didn't feel empty unlike the one he had growing up.
He felt like home.
They were about to walk in the living room when…
"Hails!" Brother number 3 walked up to them and instantly caught Hailey in a tight hug.
"Jared!" She hugged him back but immediately regretted it when he started to ruffle her hair.
"NOT THE HAIR YOU MEANIE!" But Jared just chuckled. He turned towards Sirius but before he could introduce himself, Jared put an arm around his shoulder.
"Sirius. I know. My sister told us all about you." Jared chuckled.
"Yeah, in all of her letters to us. Oh you guys should meet Sirius…" Brother number 4 walked in the room and ruffled Hailey's hair as well. He was mimicking Hailey's voice and even that made Sirius laugh.
"You guys…" Hailey was pleading cause her hair was a mess now.
"Is this the famous Sirius Black?" Brother number 4 said.
"The one and only." Sirius grinned. The boy just laughed and gave him a firm man hug with a matching slap on the back.
"I'm Julian. Hailey's most handsome brother." He grinned.
"Don't listen to him, he's an ass," Brother number 5 walked in and playfully hit the back of Julian's head.
"I'M the handsome brother. I'm handsome Jacob." Jacob grinned and offered his hand to Sirius and just laughed at all of them.
"Oh hey, Hails! I missed ya!" Jacob hugged her and lifted her up. But when he put her back down, he ruffled her hair as well.
"YOU GUYS! NGHH I'LL GO FIND MOM. I HATE YOU ALL." Hailey was putting her hair in a messy bun when she stormed out of the living room. She wasn't really mad since it has always been like that with all of her brothers. She missed them so much and she knew that they missed her too.
Hailey found her mother in the kitchen, all worked up and busy with the food preparation.
"Hi mom, I'm home!" Hailey flashed the biggest smile and put her hands up in the sky.
"Oh Hailey, darling, I've missed you too much!" Mrs. Whitely welcomed her daughter with open arms and spatulas at hand. Hailey took in the scent of seasoning herbs and sauces as she hugged her mother tight.
"I know Hogwarts is one of the best wizarding schools out there but I really just can't take it when you leave home for so long!" Mrs. Whitely cupped Hailey's cheeks with her mittens and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"I missed you too, mom." Hailey chuckled.
"I heard you play for Gryffindor?" Julian asked as he placed an arm over his shoulder. He walked Sirius towards one of the many couches and all five brothers gathered in the living room. Some flopped down on the couches and some sat on the carpet. It made Sirius smile to see how close they were with each other and how much fun they get to have every day.
"Yeah! Beater." Sirius grinned.
"Impressive." Julian nodded his head and smirked.
"No wonder you have good reflexes!" Jimmy exclaimed.
"He hasn't been here for more than a few hours and you already tried to bombard him?" Jared said in disgust.
"Wasn't our fault! Hails was too slow, he caught it for her." Johnny said in defense of his twin.
"We all played for the quidditch team at some point. Never actually expected Hailey would try out as well." Said Jacob.
"Never did I. No one did, actually. But she's pretty damn good!" Sirius laughed.
"Well she better be! Don't want us to be ashamed of her now do we?" Jacob replied.
"She got it from us, you know." Julian winked.
"Well what do you expect, she had to keep up with us or else we'd sit her out." Jared said and everyone laughed.
"What team are you betting on in this year's league?" Julian asked and suddenly, silence filled the room.
"Oh Puddlemere United all the way!" Sirius exclaimed.
"YAAAAAASSSSS! THAT'S MY BROTHER RIGHT THERE!" Julian stood up and exclaimed. He raised his hand for a high five and Sirius slapped it hard as he laughed.
"WHAT! Seriously! Puddlemere?! You guys are losers! We, Ballycastle Bats are the champions! CHAMPIONS I TELL YA! Am I right, Jared?" Jacob shouted.
"HELL YEAH! No team better than that! Come on!" Jared replied.
"What? No team better than the…FALMOUTH FALCONS?" The twins exclaimed.
"Oh they're just downright nasty." Sirius shook his head but chuckled.
"I've never seen a team play as dirty as them!" Julian exclaimed.
"Why? You too pussy for some rough game?" Johnny challenged.
"WHO YOU CALLING A PUSSY, PUSSY!?"
"Meow…" Johnny smirked. Julian immediately lunged at Johnny and the wrestling match began. Sirius was overwhelmed with all of the emotions he was feeling. They welcomed him with loving arms and treated him like he was family. He was laughing and joking around with all of them when the sliding door to the garden opened.
"You guys are idiots." Brother number 6 walked in with chopped logs in his arms. He was shaking his head but he was smiling. He dropped the logs carefully next to the fireplace and then looked at Sirius.
"Forgive my brothers, they can be a handful sometimes." He chuckled.
"Why sorry, wise old brother. I did not mean to offend thee…" Jared mimicked an old man's voice and that earned him a smack on the head.
"Ow! Just because you're the oldest doesn't mean that-ow! Stop it!" Jared got smacked again.
"Tell me when they're being too much okay? I'm Jace." He laughed and offered his hand to Sirius.
"Sirius." He took his hand and shook it.
"What are you guys all doing here? Go help mom out with supper!" Jace shouted. All five brothers just looked at him confused.
"Well? Get up and get your ass down to the kitchen! Don't make me hex you all." Jace said with authority. All of them groaned and begrudgingly stood up.
"Yes, dad. We're going…" Julian rolled his eyes. Sirius chuckled and got up as well.
"Oh no, Sirius, you can stay right here. Enjoy yourself!" Jace patted his shoulder and laughed.
"It's fine, I would love to help out." Sirius smiled sincerely. Jace led him to the kitchen and found all the Whitely children inside. It was chaos; everyone was going in different directions, helping each other out, preparing the food and the table, passing objects here and there. They were like a well oiled machine; working together in perfect harmony.
Sirius saw Hailey amidst the chaos and she saw him too. Hailey sweetly smiled at him and motioned him to come over. Sirius had his hands in his pocket and silently made his way through the crowd. Once he was close enough to Hailey, she walked over to him, grabbed hold of his hand and dragged him over to where her mom was cooking.
"Mom."
"Yes, darling?" Her mom didn't look up. She was still busy switching from cooking pot to cooking pot.
"This is Sirius." Hailey still held his hand. The moment her mom turned, Sirius saw Mrs. Whitely's eyes twinkle and he witnessed the sincerest smile he had ever seen.
"Sirius…" Mrs. Whitely looked at him with awe and let out her arms to him. Sirius came over to her and was surprised when Mrs. Whitely hugged her tightly.
"I'm so glad you came! Welcome home!" Mrs. Whitely held Sirius' hands and squeezed them a little.
"You have a very lovely home, Mrs. White—"
"Jane, darling. Please call me Jane." Mrs. Whitely chuckled and just waved her hand at Sirius.
"Do you need help with anything?" Sirius tried to ask but he ended up being pushed away from the workplace.
"Nonsense sweetheart. You go sit over there. I don't want you to be caught up with all the fuss." Jane softly pushed him away and led him to the dining hall.
"Unfaaaair! How come Sirius doesn't get to do chores?" Jared complained.
"Well he's our guest! He is in our home, darling. Make him feel as comfortable as possible. Now go get your father. Supper is almost ready." Jane ordered her son as she went back to the kitchen.
"Lucky ass." Jared rolled his eyes at him and laughed.
The Whitely children were walking in and out of the dining hall to place the food on the table until the whole table was filled with all sorts of dishes.
"Oh thank merlin I'm starving." - Julian
"I hate kitchen work I swear." - Jacob
"Stop whining, you guys are babies." – Jace
"Dibs on the chicken leg!" – Jared
"Dibs on the other one!" – Twins
Harold walked in the dining hall and gave his wife a sweet kiss before taking his seat at the head of the table. Everyone took a seat and settled themselves in. Hailey made a funny face at Sirius before sitting down next to him. The Whitely boys were about to get some food when their mother started to swat their hands away.
"Now, now, children! We haven't said grace yet!" All of them groaned but Hailey just silently laughed at them.
"Hailey, since you just got back, care to offer a little prayer?" Her mother said.
"Make it quick, I'm starving!" Jacob whispered in her ear but Hailey just slapped his leg and motioned him to be quiet.
Sirius wasn't sure what was happening when everyone started to hold hands. Hailey softly held his hand and was surprised when Julian took his other hand. He wasn't sure what to do when they bowed their heads and closed their eyes. Hailey gave him a smile and a look that told him to follow her lead. Sirius bowed his head and closed his eyes when she cleared her throat.
"Father God, thank you for this amazing feast. Thank you for always bringing this family together and for always showering us with your blessings. Please continue to guide us in everything that we do and…thank you for bringing Sirius here with us, to celebrate this special season with our family. Amen."
"Amen." Everyone replied back. All of them started to pile up their plate but Sirius continued to look at the girl beside him. She included him in their prayers despite being a stranger to most of them. He felt so loved and it overwhelmed him.
"Sirius! Eat! Here let me…" Sirius came to reality but before he could react, Jane already took his plate and started to fill it with all sorts of food from the table.
"Oh you should try this, this is my favoriteeeee!" Hailey got a piece of baked chicken from the other side of the table and placed it on his plate.
The site of it all looked like a mini feast at Hogwart's great hall. Everyone on the table was getting food from here and there, each sharing how their day went, their plans for tomorrow and for the rest of the holiday break, their random stories, their laughter, their silly jokes. It was a site of a big happy family and Sirius found himself within the craziness of the Whitely household, feeling like he was one of them.
By the end of supper, Sirius could barely breathe. He was so full and his tummy was hurting from all the laughter. Everyone stayed at the table for a little while just to finish all their stories.
"Alright, everyone. Time for bed! It's been a long day. Let Sirius and your sister get some rest." Harold chuckled and shooed them away.
Everyone got up and proceeded to walk up to the second floor. The second floor of the manor was composed of a long wide corridor where the bedrooms were. The walk to the guest room composed of exchanging good night's with everyone, man hugs and high fives and also good night kisses on the forehead from Jane.
"Well here we are! The guest room." Hailey opened the last door at the end of the corridor. The room was large but simply decorated. He slowly went through the room and noticed that even in the guest room, there were still pictures of their family hanging around and he smiled when he saw all of his things were already brought up and were neatly stacked at the corner.
"My room's just beside yours so if you need anything…you know where to find me." Hailey chuckled. There was a long pause before she broke the silence.
"I know my family's kinda crazy sometimes or maybe even too clingy…but you'll get used to them," Hailey was starting to fumble now. "I hope my brothers were nice…they could be too much sometimes…I could be too much sometimes…" Sirius just looked at her. He was so overwhelmed with their hospitality that he didn't even know what to say. He felt like saying 'thank you' would not even suffice because 'thank you' could not even begin to describe what he was feeling. Hailey felt like she was making a fool out of herself so she decided to just leave him be.
"You must be tired…sorry…I'll…uhh…I'll just go so you could…umm..rest." Hailey turned her back from him but before she could walk away, Sirius caught her hand. He instantly pulled her close to him and then kissed her deeply. Hailey was momentarily shocked but eventually melted in his arms. The kiss was passionate but gentle enough to not scare her. Sirius always made sure that he never stepped out of the line and he would advance only if she wanted him to.
He eventually broke this kiss but his forehead still rested against hers and his hands still cupped her face.
"Sirius…"
"Hailey Whitely…you're one of the best things that has ever happened to me."
This was such a long chapter but I really did enjoy writing this one!
I know it's weird to put it some religion in there, but I really wanted to show you guys how different it was to be in the Whitely household. :) Let us just give respect to that hihi :D
I imagined the inside of their house to be just like Katharine Hepburn's former Connecticut home :) Aaah so beautiful!
Much Love,
Awkward Wild Child