Here's chapter 21, my schedule at work changed, so I'll be posting chapters on either Tuesday or Wednesday from now on. Enjoy!
Chapter 21:
Bellyah Anderson walked around the small home that she and her daughter shared. The two of them had moved in nearly four years before when Lucy was eighteen months old. She'd met Lily Potter the next day when her friend had brought her children over to welcome them to the neighborhood and deliver a loaf of banana bread. Harry had been six at the time, and Ariadne four. The two mothers had quickly become friends. Although they were single for different reasons, Lily because of a death, and Bellyah because of divorce they were both glad to have a friend who knew how difficult it was to be a single mom.
They had grown close over the past four years, and now Bellyah saw Lily as her closest friend, normally she would be relying on Lily to get her though everything that she (and Lucy) had been through for the past month, but she wasn't. She couldn't bring Lily into this, she knew Lily had a friend who was a werewolf but this was something that she needed to work through alone.
A knock on the door made her change direction. "Sirius?" She was surprised at the man's appearance on her doorstep. Besides, it was early morning, didn't Sirius have work?
"I know you might want to be alone, but I just wanted to drop by and see if you needed anything."
"Thank you for the offer, but I can't think of anything." Bellyah said; her response immediate.
"Bellyah," The look on Sirius' face told her he didn't believe what she'd said.
"Not unless you've got a crystal ball that tells me Lucy survives tonight." Bellyah amended her earlier no.
Sirius shook his head, "I don't have that, but I do have something better."
"Something better?" Disbelief was obvious in Bellyah's tone
Sirius held up the bags that were sitting at his feet. "I'll show you, where's Lucy?"
"Her room, she's still sleeping."
"No I'm not." Lucy said quietly, the pink bandages were faded now, but still on Lucy's bite.
"Hi Lucy Goose." Bellyah hid a smile at the nickname Sirius had given her daughter months before. "I've got some stuff for you." Sirius said. He held up the bags so Lucy could see them.
"What stuff?"
"Do you mind if I come in and show her?" Sirius asked Bellyah.
"Sure." Bellyah moved so Sirius could come in.
"What presents did you get me?" Lucy asked, the group of three moved into the parlour and Sirius set down the bags.
"Some magazines for you to read when you're bored." Sirius pulled out a couple of children's magazines, she recognized a couple of them as wizarding magazines for children, but some of them must have been muggle magazines for she didn't recognize the titles. He pulled out a chess board and a packet of wizarding chess players.
"I also bought you some chocolate; make sure it's okay with your mother before you eat some."
"OOooh, this looks like good chocolate." Lucy said quietly.
As Sirius continued to pull items out of the bags, Bellyah could see what he'd done. He'd brought items over where, if they used them today, they would provide memories for Bellyah to look back on with fondness if Lucy didn't make it through her transformation.
Hours later, Bellyah made an early dinner; she and Lucy were expected at the Ministry where she'd make her first, and possibly only transformation. If she lived though the first transformation she'd continue to have to spend full Moon's there until she was nine years old.
Sirius accompanied her to the Ministry and followed her to the department that regulated dangerous creatures. They signed in and a woman came to the front office and introduced herself to Lucy. "My name is Mia." She greeted, "I help children who are werewolves, just like you."
"I'm just a werewolf part of the time; it's not everything I am." Lucy said quietly.
"Well, I'll take you back to where you're going to be transforming." Mia said, she abruptly took Lucy's hand in hers and began walking through a door that said "Employee's only."
Bellyah began to follow her but Mia stopped her "You can't come with her." she said, quickly, then she led Lucy away.
Bellyah stopped in the middle of the office, Sirius stepped up to her, "She's a five year old girl who wants to learn to read, not a dangerous animal." Bellyah said tightly.
"I know." Sirius' voice was quiet.
Bellyah sat in one of the chairs "What do I do until morning?" Her question was rhetorical, she looked up at Sirius, who was still standing beside her. "What do I do until it's time for me to find out if my child lived through the night?"
Early the next morning Sirius Black woke slowly, he could feel Bellyah curled up beside him and for a moment he was confused, why had Bellyah spent the night at…then he remembered. Lucy's transformation. They'd come back to Grimmauld Place as Bellyah hadn't wanted to be alone.
He woke Bellyah and they both quickly got ready to go to the Ministry. They got there in record time and were soon meeting Mia at the front office of the Department of the Regulation of Dangerous Creatures.
"Did she survive?" Bellyah gripped Sirius' hand in hers.
"She is currently alive, but we are preparing her for St. Mungo's Life Flight. Only time will tell at this point."
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