Hello :) Hopefully the wait wasn't too bad. I did try to get this out as quick as I could but writer's block was threatening to take over again :O Thankfully I managed to finish it though :D Right, there are going to be two new characters introduced in this chapter. I won't say too much but I just want to clear up that I don't own either of them. One of them is from the Harry Potter universe and the other is borrowed from a TV show. I'll explain more at the end A/N.

A quick thank you to those who left feedback for the last chapter, I love you all! 3 And with all that out of the way, on with the story!

Perfectly Content
Chapter 28

November quickly flew by, as did most of December, and all too soon it was the Christmas Holidays. On the brisk, snowy morning of the twenty first of December, Sirius was accompanying Mrs Potter on a list minute Christmas shopping trip to Diagon Ally.

Seeing as James had been invited over to Lily's to meet her family and Mister Potter had gone into the Ministry for his final day before breaking up for Christmas, Sirius had been all too happy when the Potter matriarchy had asked him for his company.

The two of them were currently walking through the Ally, Sirius carrying the shopping bags that Mrs Potter had acquired during their shopping trip.

Despite her age, Elnora Potter was a woman who could be described as nothing if not beautiful. Although her face was lined with age her thin nose and warm blue eyes still helped her achieve a somewhat youthful look. Her hair, which was almost snow white, fell to just below her cheeks and was tapered into her neck. It had a windswept, almost puffy, look about it which complimented her narrow face. She seemed to radiate elegance and, unlike his own Mother, had one of the biggest hearts that Sirius had ever known in a person.

"So Sirius dear," Mrs Potter was saying as they passed the Daily Prophet office, her arms linked through his in order to steady herself on the slippery snow. "Have you got all your Christmas shopping done or was it just Harold who left his till last minute?" Sirius smiled at the mention of Mister Potter. Apparently that morning he had realised that he had forgotten to get presents for the interns in his department so he had asked his wife to pick something up from the Ally that he could come and collect during his lunch break.

"Err, mostly." Sirius answered.

"Mostly?" Mrs Potter's eyebrow quirked up.

"Well…" He had been organized this year and bought all of his presents early. He had found suitable presents that he was very happy with for all of his friends bar one. "I've got my friend Ren a necklace, but compared to the presents I have for the others it doesn't seem…" He trailed off, not sure how to finish.

"Like enough?" Mrs Potter suggested, and Sirius nodded. A few weeks ago he had been browsing through a Magical Merchandize catalogue when he had found a silver pendent that had automatically caught his attention. On the end of the thin chain hung a small sterling silver owl, wings spread in flight. It was no bigger than a Knut and from the markings engraved into the charm, Sirius thought it looked very much like a Great Grey Owl.

He had quickly filled in an order form and sent it off, but now Sirius couldn't help but wish he had something else to give Ren. He wanted so badly to impress her, and although he felt sure that Ren would like the necklace, Sirius felt like she deserved more. "Well it seems that you want to get only the best for this Ren…" Mrs Potter's hint was obvious. How was it that she was able to see right through him?

"We're just friends!" Sirius insisted like a small child, but Mrs Potter's sceptical gaze didn't waver.

"Okay dear, I'll take your word for it." She said, and Sirius knew this wasn't over. "How about I help you choose a gift for the young lady? It can't hurt to have a female opinion." At her words Sirius couldn't help but smile at the woman.

"Thank you Mrs Potter." He said, and she smiled, bringing a hand out of her furry hand muff to reach up and cup his cheek.

"That's quite alright." She said before tucking her hand securely back into her muff. Sirius practically towered over her but her kind actions still made him feel like a little boy. "So, what are her hobbies? Does she have any interests that will help us select a present?" Mrs Potter asked as they continued walking.

"Well she likes Quidditch," Sirius said.

"Oh yes?"

"Yeah, she's on the Gryffindor team with me and James." He elaborated. "Honestly Mrs Potter, she's amazing! When we had our first match she was unbelievable. She did this move where she tossed the Quaffle into the air and…" He trailed off when he saw the look Mrs Potter was giving him. "… What?" He asked, and the woman chuckled.

"Oh nothing, it's just that you're reminding me of how James talks about his Lily." She said, and despite the cold weather Sirius felt himself flush.

"We're just friends." He repeated, knowing it was a weak argument.

"Whatever you say, Sirius." Mrs Potter said with a slight smirk. "So are you going to get her something Quidditch related?" She then asked, and Sirius shrugged.

"I don't think so. Remus said he's got her tickets to the next Wimbourne Wasps game so it wouldn't be as special." He said.

"Ahh, I understand." Mrs Potter replied. "And I suppose something along the lines of a nice dress wouldn't feel special enough either?" She mused and Sirius nodded in agreement.

"I just want to get her something that will really lift her spirits. Her owl passed away a few weeks ago and…" Sirius trailed off. "Maybe I could get her a new pet?" He suggested. "Not another owl, I don't want her to feel like I'm replacing her old one but something that will make her smile, y'know? Like a cat or something." Sirius was feeling rather proud of this idea, and when Mrs Potter grinned at him and nodded enthusiastically, he knew it was the perfect idea.

"So tell me about Ren?" Mrs Potter requested as they made their way over to the Magical Menagerie.

"Well, she lived in Sweden for the last nine years. She moved there when she was younger but now she's transferred to Hogwarts. Her parents own The Dozing Dragon." Sirius said as they reached the pet shop. He pulled the heavy door and held it open for Mrs Potter, who walked into the shop with a quick 'thank you'. Sirius followed her in and looked around.

"The Dozing Dragon in Diagon Ally?" Mrs Potter asked, and Sirius nodded. "Oh really? I was going to suggest we go there for lunch. I haven't been there since it was taken on by new owners." Sirius' stomach tightened at the prospect of seeing Ren, so he merely nodded as a witch with thick, black glasses made her way over to them, flanked by a small girl with strawberry blonde hair and freckles.

"Morning," The woman said with a brisk smile. "Is there anything I can help the two of you with?" She asked, and when Mrs Potter nodded encouragingly for him to speak, Sirius began to explain what he was looking for. "Hmm, I think I have just what you're looking for." The woman said when he had finished speaking.

She crouched down and whispered something in the little girl's ear, who smiled before scurrying off. The woman then guided Sirius and Mrs Potter over to a wooden desk where an old till sat, just as the little girl returned carrying a large cardboard box that didn't have a lid. As she approached Sirius could make out a faint meowing coming from said box.

The girl handed the box to the woman, who placed it on the counter. Both Mrs Potter and Sirius peered into the box and were met with a site that made even Sirius' heart melt… and he was a dog person! Eight small kittens were all clambering over one another in an attempt to escape their cardboard confinement.

"Oh how sweet," Mrs Potter breathed.

"They're about five weeks old. Half Kneazle, half cat. They can leave their mother earlier due to the Kneazle in them." The shopkeeper explained.

"What breed of cat is in them?" Mrs Potter asked.

"Ragdoll," The woman answered. "The mother was a ragdoll cat and the father was a tabby Kneazle." As she spoke Sirius saw that seven of the small kittens did indeed have tabby fur, but his gaze was immediately drawn to the eighth kitten. It was snow white, but its ears, nose, paws and tail were all light grey. It had bright blue eyes, and Sirius couldn't help but chuckle as it marched around on its bandy little legs, meowing its head off.

"I like that one." Sirius said, pointing at the kitten that was now climbing over its brothers and sisters, still meowing. When Sirius' hand hovered over the box all of the kittens immediately tried to stand against the walls of the box in an attempt to reach the extended limb. He watched as the little white one propped itself up on its hind legs, only to fall backwards when it let out a particularly forceful meow.

"Awww," The young girl, who had sat herself on the desk, cooed. "She meowed too hard."

"She's a feisty little one that one is." The shopkeeper said. "But she's the spitting image of her mother."

"She thinks she's a lion." The girl said.

"She's perfect." Sirius mused.

Ten minutes later the white kitten was paid for, and just as the shopkeeper was about to pick the kitten out of the box and place her in the wicker basket that Sirius had also purchased, Mrs Potter interrupted.

"Would it be alright if we collected her after we've had a lunch? We're just popping into a pub down the Ally." The woman happily agreed, saying it would give the little girl time to say goodbye to the kitten, and so Sirius and Mrs Potter set off for the Dozing Dragon with the promise to return.

"I'm sure Ren will love her, Sirius." Mrs Potter assured him as they walked towards the pub.

"I hope so." Sirius said as they neared the large, white building. Boy, did he hope so.


Ren let out a small sigh of boredom as she looked out from behind the bar at the empty pub before her. No one normally showed up before midday during the week, not that Ren could really blame them. She would much rather be catching up on her sleep at that moment but unfortunately she had agreed to take the earlier shift so that her Mum could pop into London that morning and buy some last minute Christmas presents.

Taking this shift meant that she was also on Aunty Brenda watch.

Brenda Gallagher was Ren's great aunt, and she was arriving that afternoon in order to spend Christmas with Ren's family. Aunty Brenda was, as far as Ren could recall, the only Gallagher that hadn't married or had children, but somehow this didn't really surprise Ren. Aunty Brenda was an extremely blunt woman who didn't mince her words to say the least. Any child raised under her influence would have probably been a trembling mess by now. The woman had a thick Welsh accent, as did her brother, Ren's Granddad Declan, and her voice was strong and brisk.

Despite her tendency to offend people without even realising it, Aunty Brenda still had a big heart, and Ren wouldn't have put it past her to be the type the type of person to literally kill for her family…

She was due to arrive at half twelve, and she would be staying with them until after New Year. Ren looked at the clock above the till and saw that there was just over half an hour until her Great Aunt was meant to arrive. 'Better make the most of the peace while it lasts.' Ren thought to herself. To say Aunty Brenda was loud was an understatement.

Ren ran a hand through her curls as she slowly walked the length of the bar. On a whim she flicked on the small radio with the hope that Muggle Melody would be playing something worth listening to, and thankfully she was not disappointed.

The slow, melodious, tones of 'Father and Son' by Cat Stevens began to crawl out of the radio, and Ren grinned as she closed her eyes, leaned back against the bar and let the depressingly beautiful song wash over her.

The sound of the pub door opening made Ren jump slightly. She opened her eyes, expecting to see Aunty Brenda waltzing in, larger than life, but was instead surprised when her gaze fell upon a beautiful older woman walking through the door which was being held open by none other than Sirius Black. Ren felt herself start to blush when he caught her eye and gave her a smile, raising his leather gloved hand in greeting as he made his way over to the bar, the elder woman at his side.

Over the last month Ren had reflected over her feelings for Sirius and she wasn't particularly happy with the conclusion she had come to.

Renee Danielle Gallagher had regrettably managed to develop feelings for Sirius Orion (she still wasn't really digging his middle name) Black.

She was angry at herself for letting this happen, however looking back on it Ren didn't recall actually doing much to prevent these feelings occurring, so she couldn't really be that surprised.

The penny had dropped for her when she had awoken the morning after their first Quidditch match.

She had opened her eyes and found herself almost nose to nose with Sirius, and she had simply lay there for the next ten minutes, watching him as he slept. She hadn't been able to help herself, he had just looked so peaceful that Ren didn't want to move out of fear that she would disturb him.

However she had realised that she was being a little creepy, just lying there watching him sleep, so she had gently closed her eyes and snoozed quite happily for another five or so. She had eventually opened her eyes once more, being unable to help herself, and had found that Sirius had woken up and had his eyes trained on her, a serene expression on his handsome face.

Unfortunately the piece had been shattered before either of them had been able to say anything by Lily throwing open the bed curtains and letting out a squeal of shock at the sight of Sirius, before proceeding to shoo him out of the dormitory and down the stairs, which had promptly turned into the slide, resulting in Sirius tumbling down to the Common Room. After Ren had received a lecture from Lily, she had looked back over the previous evening and realised that her feelings for Sirius had definitely developed into something more than just friendship.

And now, as Sirius approached her, Ren had to swallow a lump that had formed in her throat.

"Sirius," Why did she sound so breathless? "I didn't think I'd see you here."

'Great, real smooth Ren.' She couldn't help but scold herself mentally. Sirius looked particularly handsome that morning, wrapped up in a dark blue woollen coat and black scarf. He managed to make Ren, dressed in a black t-shirt, jeans and her knitted grey cardigan, feel rather scruffy, especially next to the woman he was accompanied by.

"Hey Ren," Sirius said when they reached the bar. "We just thought we'd stop by for lunch." Ren couldn't help but notice how when Sirius mentioned her name, the mystery woman's eyes lit up. What was that about?

"Ohh, so you're Ren?" The woman in question suddenly asked. "It's nice to meet you dear. I'm Elnora Potter, James' mother." She added, extending her hand out over the bar, which Ren took.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs Potter." She said with a smile. "I hope the boys haven't said anything too bad about me." Ren joked, flashing a mischievous glance at Sirius as she spoke before returning her gaze to Mrs Potter, who chuckled.

"Oh no, quite the opposite in fact. I've heard only good things about you." She said warmly.

"Well we haven't told you everything Mrs Potter." Sirius said with a smirk.

"Ha, ha, very funny." Ren said bluntly, looking at Sirius. "Right, if you two want to pick a table, I'll bring you some menus over." She added, and ten minutes later both Sirius and Mrs Potter were seated and Ren had deposited their food orders to her father in the kitchen. She was now sat with them at their table, chatting easily.

"So are you all ready for Christmas then, dear?" Mrs Potter was asking, to which Ren nodded.

"Near enough," She answered. "My Aunty Brenda is due to arrive today so I imagine we'll be completely ready when she's here."

"Is she spending Christmas with you then?" Sirius asked, taking a sip of his pint.

"Yep," Ren said, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. "She's staying until New Year."

"How lovely," Mrs Potter mused, and Ren shrugged nonchalantly.

"Ehh, I suppose." She said.

"Not a fan?" Sirius questioned, his eyes twinkling. Ren had a feeling he was thinking about her feelings for her cousin, Grace.

"Oh no, I am!" She quickly made clear. "I love her to pieces, but she's very…" She trailed off, trying to figure out the correct wording. "… blunt, shall we say? She isn't afraid to speak her mind." Ren eventually said, and Sirius nodded in understanding.

"Ah, say no more." He said.

"Ren, dear?" Mrs Potter suddenly asked, and Ren turned to her, slightly hesitant over what the woman was going to say next.

"Yes Mrs Potter?" Her voice was polite.

"Have either James or Sirius asked you if you're available on Boxing Day?" Mrs Potter asked, and Ren shook her head, looking at Sirius in confusement. The boy in question was staring at Mrs Potter. "Well if you are, would you be interested in coming over to the Manor for the day? I suggested a number of days ago that the boys invite their friends over but it seemed to have slipped their minds. I can only hope James remembers to ask Lily today." Sirius did indeed have a guilty look of confusion on his handsome features, and Ren couldn't help but laugh before turning back to Mrs Potter.

"I'd love to come, thank you." She said, and Mrs Potter smiled warmly at her.

"Brilliant," She responded, just as Ren's father appeared carrying two plates. Emmett delivered Sirius' and Mrs Potter's meals to them with a quick word of greeting and was about to head back into the kitchen when Sirius decided to bring up a topic that Emmett could never walk away from; Quidditch.

Ten minutes later Emmett and Sirius were deep in conversation about who they thought would win the League, while Ren sat next to Mrs Potter, chatting about the rest of the Christmas holidays.

"Mum's planning on having a big party here," Ren said when Mrs Potter asked her about her plans for New Year's Eve. "If you and Mister Potter don't have plans already you should come along." She added, but before Mrs Potter had a chance to respond, the sound of the pub door opening followed by a shrill cry of "COO-EE!" interrupted the group.

Ren spun around and saw that Aunty Brenda had indeed arrived, pulling a large pink suitcase in after her.

"Aunty Brenda!" Emmett exclaimed, rising from the table and hurrying over to greet his aunt. Ren followed after him and saw that the Welsh woman hadn't changed much in appearance since the last time she had seen her.

Curly grey hair that bordered on frizzy fell to her shoulder, framing her round face, and oval shaped spectacles sat before her narrow blue eyes. The slightly large woman was wearing her favourite pink rain mac over grey trousers and a white top that had a number of pink butterflies woven into it. The same shade of pink was also painted on her pursed lips, and Ren couldn't help but grin at the familiarity.

"There he is!" Aunty Brenda's Welsh accent was as thick as ever. "There's my favourite nephew!" When Emmett reached her, Aunty Brenda pulled him into a great bear hug, slapping him on the back as she did so.

"It's good to see you Aunty Brenda," Ren's father said. "But I wouldn't let any of my brothers hear you say that, Tony in particular." He added, and Ren chuckled. Out of all of her uncles, Tony would have indeed had a thing or two to say about Aunty Brenda's statement.

"Oh don't be silly man, everybody knows you're my favourite. You're the least annoying." As Aunty Brenda finished speaking, she caught sight of Ren.

"Good God man, you've gotten even taller!" She cried before pulling her great niece into a hug. "No wonder you don't have a boyfriend, no one can bloody reach you!" Ren smiled at the comment that was just so typical of her Aunt.

"It's nice to see you too Aunty Brenda." She said, and the short woman smiled up at her.

"You too, love." She replied, cupping Ren's cheek with one of her pudgy hands. It was then that Aunty Brenda glanced behind Ren and noticed Sirius and Mrs Potter. "Oh hello," She began, releasing Ren and making her way over to the two guests, hand outstretched in greeting. "I'm Aunty Brenda,"

Ren watched as Sirius rose first and took her hand. She couldn't help but wince in anticipation, waiting for Aunty Brenda's onslaught of unintentional insults.

"It's nice to meet you Aunty Brenda. I'm Sirius Black, Ren's friend from school." Sirius was just as charming as ever, and Ren smiled. It was nice that he seemed to be making an effort to leave a good impression with her family. However Sirius' charm was apparently lost on Aunty Brenda, who jumped in surprise the moment Sirius opened his mouth.

"Good God, you're a boy!" She exclaimed in shock. Ren let out a sigh and covered her eyes with a hand. Typical. "I'm sorry love, but the long hair threw me." Aunty Brenda went on to say. "You should really sort that out if you want to avoid future confusion." Ren was looking at Sirius in what she hoped was an apologetic manner, but the boy, who in Ren's opinion was quite blatantly a boy, only laughed.

"I'll take that on board Aunty Brenda, thank you." He said with a smile, and Ren wasn't at all surprised to see that her Aunt wasn't at all flustered by Sirius.

"I'm not joking, good boy, you'd do well to get a haircut." She simply said, sternly, before turning to where Mrs Potter was standing, a kind grin sliding onto her face.

"Hiya, love. I'm Aunty Brenda." She said, once again sticking her hand out. Mrs Potter took it with a smile.

"Elnora Potter," She said warmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, and may I say what a charming family you have." Mrs Potter indicated to where Ren and her Father were standing.

"Likewise Elnora," Aunty Brenda replied. "And you should meet the rest of them, they're a right bunch of little shits." She added before taking a step back, her stern demeanour appearing once again. "Hmm, a Black and a Potter," She observed. "I hope the two of you don't insist on lording it up over others 'cos I got no time for flighty Purebloods." Ren was about to interrupt before Aunty Brenda said something even more offensive, but Sirius beat her to it.

"Well I think we'll all get on just fine, Aunty Brenda, because neither do we." He said, indicating to Mrs Potter and himself. Ren let out a breath and grinned at Sirius. When she caught his eye he grinned back.

"Hm, I like you Black." Aunty Brenda said with an approving nod. "Right-" She turned to her family. "Emmett, Renny-" Ren grimaced at the use of the family nickname in front of Sirius and Mrs Potter. "-Give me a tour of the place, will you?"

Although it was phrased like a question, Ren knew she had no choice in the matter, so when Emmett took hold of Aunty Brenda's suitcase, Ren readied herself to follow them upstairs, saying goodbye to both Mrs Potter and Sirius, seeing that her Dad would probably be the one to come back downstairs and take over her shift.

She said a quick goodbye to Mrs Potter, as well as another thank you for the invitation to go over to Potter Manor on Boxing Day, before turning to Sirius and wrapping her arms around him in a hug. She smiled when she felt his strong arms envelope around her in return.

"Don't you dare cut your hair," She couldn't help but whisper into his ear, feeling a sudden burst of courage, before pulling away and smirking at him.

She turned and followed her Father and Great Aunt through the bar door before Sirius had a chance to respond, but she couldn't resist turning to glance back at him, and when she did she saw that he was watching her with a satisfied grin on his handsome features.

Ren suddenly found that Boxing Day couldn't come soon enough.

Okay, Aunty Brenda is a character from a British TV show called Stella. The show is absolutely hilarious and Aunty Brenda is my favourite character. I couldn't resist borrowing her for Perfectly Content cos' she just fits into my plans for Ren's family perfectly. So yeah, I don't own Aunty Brenda. I just wanted to clear that up in case anyone read this chapter and recognized her :)

Thanks for reading, please review and let me know what you think! I'm going to start writing the next chapter straight away. I've been looking forward to writing the next one for a while so I'll hopefully have it out soon.

Evie x

P.S. PLEASE REVIEW!