Thorns
The Marauders' Era
Chapter 36: Should Anything Happen
Mid-August, 1981
"Suri! Suri, sweetheart, slow down!"
Suri giggled as she whizzed around the room on a child-sized broom Sirius had bought her-the same kind he had bought for Harry for his first birthday.
"Catch me, Mummy!"
Tessa looked up from her writing, tracking Suri with her eyes as the little girl raced about, a foot off the ground, dangerously close to tables that held fragile glass vases. Eventually Tessa puffed out a sigh and smiled, pushing aside the ball of tension in her stomach. She tapped the papers on the table in front of her with her wand, and the writing on the documents disappeared. Standing, she pocketed her wand and went after her daughter.
"Let's go outside, darling."
Tessa opened the back door of her cottage, and held it open as Suri got low on her broom and flew straight out, her long, wild black hair trailing behind her.
"Come on, Mummy, run faster!" Suri giggled with delight as she flew in the green pasture that surrounded their home. Tessa smiled and jogged after Suri, letting the little girl fly free. Eventually she slowed and came to a stop and rubbed her arms against the chill of the early afternoon; autumn would be here soon. She wondered how her little girl could fly about without a coat and with such delight—it was a memory Tessa would hold on to forever.
Suri eventually swung her broom around to look for her mom. Her grey-blue eyes then looked past Tessa toward the cottage and she burst into a big smile. "Daddy! Granna!"
Tessa turned and smiled at Sirius and Amalia Rosier who walked out the back door and into the yard. Amalia pulled Tessa into a tight embrace when she joined her daughter.
"Sirius cleans up well these days," Amalia laughed when Sirius walked up to join them. "I was surprised to see this young man at the train station waiting for me, and not some ruffian."
"I suppose so." Tessa agreed, raising an eyebrow at him in appraisal. Like her, Sirius had decided against traditional wizarding robes for muggle clothing. Today, he wore dark jeans, and an expensive black dress vest over a royal purple dress shirt.
"Amalia, I've always had style," Sirius laughed and put an arm around Tessa's waist. "And I'm still a marauder, that will never change."
"Leather jackets and ripped jeans were hardly fashionable," Amalia sniffed.
"Mum, we still have those," Tessa pointed out.
"And I wear mine almost daily," Sirius added.
"I'm glad some things never change," Amalia smiled, though her tone was light, there was sadness in her eyes, "no matter how old you both look now."
"Granna! Granna look at me!"
Suri flew circles around Tessa, Sirius, and Amalia, her white dress billowing about her in the wind.
"She sleeps with that thing sometimes," Sirius said, his barking laughter winning a laugh from Suri as well.
"I see we'll have another quidditch star in the family," Amalia noted approvingly.
"Granna, watch me fly up and up!" Suri's tongue stuck out as a look of fierce determination settled on her features. The little girl gripped her broom tightly and jerked it upward, flying straight up into the air.
"Suri…"
"Don't worry, Tess, those brooms can't go very high."
Suri continued to fly upward, and Tessa frowned. "Sirius, that's higher than our home!"
"Look at me! Look at—" The little girl's hands sipped from the broom, and a look of shock registered across her features as she fell backwards off the broom and hurtled toward the ground.
"Arresto momentum!" Sirius raised his hand and waved in Suri's direction, and instantly the speed of her fall slowed.
Tessa sprinted forward in time to snatch Suri out of the air and hold her close. Suri's eyes were wide. For a moment she was silent until she started to cry with fright.
"Thank goodness," Amalia pressed a hand to her chest and breathed out a sigh of relief; she followed after Sirius who ran to join his family.
"Suri, you are every inch your father's daughter, you don't think before you do something." Suri continued to cry in Tessa's arms while Tessa fussed, checking her daughter for any injuries.
"Or she's every inch her mother's daughter," Sirius murmured, kissing Suri's head. "Intent on dying well before her time."
Suri's tears began to slow as she looked between her mother and father. Sirius and Tessa stared at each other, neither of them smiled. Tessa felt the ball of tension in her stomach grow taut, threatening to eat her alive. This is how it was most days now. As quickly as she and Sirius could be affectionate, the wind would change, and they would be angry with each other.
"Mummy." Suri touched Tessa's face with her small hand, commanding her mother's attention away from Sirius. Tessa tore her eyes away from the man she loved to look at her toddler. Tessa searched Suri's sweet face, saw her big eyes, bright from her recent tears. Suri continued to stare at Tessa before she smiled—and Tessa smiled back, her body visibly relaxing.
"Daddy." Suri then turned away from her mother and reached out her arms for her father.
"Come here," Sirius murmured when Tessa passed off the little girl. She watched as Suri touched her father's face, just like she touched hers. Sirius's face, recently haunted with the loss of the McKinnon family, seemed to brighten. He offered his daughter his arrogant, confident smile—one that hadn't been seen for some time, and kissed her soundly, making the girl laugh.
"Merlin's beard."
"What is it, Mum?" Tessa glanced at Amalia who watched the three of them as though she saw a ghost. Tessa's tone alerted Sirius, and he raised an eyebrow.
"There's a lot you both have to learn," Amalia murmured, her eyes fixed on her granddaughter.
X
With Amalia Rosier in town, the day passed quickly. Later after dinner, Sirius took Suri upstairs for her bath and Tessa and Amalia sat in the living rom catching up after months without communication.
"You're our first visitor in ages. I'm so happy you're going to stay for Suri's birthday. She's happy too." said Tessa, adjusting an ivory cashmere throw over her legs. She then leaned forward and took up her wand from the coffee table and pointed it at the fireplace, charming a fire to life.
Amalia shook her head, the proper lady, as she sipped delicately from her tea cup. "Contessa…"
"I know, Mum," Tessa sighed. "You hate everything about this, but Sirius and I are too deep into this. We can't turn back now."
"I know," Amalia murmured.
"Mum." Tessa's tone made Amalia look at her.
Beneath her blanket, Tessa reached into her pocket and pulled out a few pieces of folded paper. "Mum, what I'm about to give you, you can't tell anyone, not even Sirius."
"Contessa—"
"Mum. Please."
Amalia pursed her lips together and remained silent. Shortly after her fight with Sirius months ago, Tessa finally told him about her vision of her early death, Tessa sent her mother an owl, detailing the vision. Amalia Rosier, as one could imagine, was not happen.
Tessa did not wait for her mother to reply. She unfolded the papers carefully and tapped her wand on the front. Soon, words spiraled across the page in Tessa's elegant handwriting. Quietly, Tessa passed the papers to her mom.
"I swear, you and Sirius are the most dramatic children I've ever met," Amalia muttered, though she took the papers nonetheless. Her eyes scanned the pages and she frowned.
"Contessa Maeve Rosier this is—"
"Shh!" Tessa held her hands up, beckoning for the older woman to lower her voice. "You can't tell Sirius about this, please, Mum."
"You honestly want me to keep your Living Will from the boy you've fawned over since you were children?"
"Yes!" Tessa's deep blue eyes were wide, urgent. "Mum, Sirius mustn't know! You can see it, can't you? How stressed he is? He's hardly home anymore because things are getting worse with the Death Eaters, and he's always gone—I barely see him, the Potters barely see him. And when we do, he's different! He's the shell of the person he used to be—" Tessa stopped suddenly and pressed her fingers to her lips, feeling tears come. Tessa closed her eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly. When she opened them, her deep blue eyes were bright, glistening with unshed tears-but Tessa Rosier would not cry.
"And when he's home, he's on edge. He's paranoid. He doesn't trust Remus anymore and he hovers over me as if…as if…"
"As if you're about to die?" Amalia raised an eyebrow.
"Mum, not you too."
"Contessa, I'm afraid I might side with Sirius on this. Do you think we will sit by and let you be killed when we can do something to stop it?"
"Sirius is already trying. I'm not allowed on the field anymore…not since the McKinnons were killed." Tessa frowned. The death of Marlene McKinnon and her family sent Sirius over the edge. He was quiet for a couple of days, and spent his time drinking. And when he shook off the sadness, he asked Tessa to step away from actively fighting in the Order and solely take care of Suri. It was the haunted look in his eyes that made her agree.
"This Will, should anything happen to me or to Sirius, please make sure Remus takes care of Suri."
"Remus?" Amalia's fine eyebrows knitted together. "Contessa, I admire your love for your friend, and I will admit that he in an incredibly good person, but Tessa, his condition…"
"Remus will take excellent care of Suri," Tessa shot back, firmly. "Sirius and I named him Suri's Godfather because he loved Sirius and I when we needed it the most. And if I can do anything for Suri for her entire life, it will be leaving her with someone who will teach her to always believe in love. Please, Mum. This is all I ask."
Amalia regarded her daughter. Carefully, she leaned forward from her chair to touch Tessa's face. Tessa closed her eyes briefly when Amalia brushed a strand of her chestnut colored hair out of her face and behind her ear.
"Contessa," Amalia smiled slightly, "there was a time when you hated that name."
"I'm still not fond of it."
"Contessa," Amalia laughed, her eyes held a deep sadness when Tessa opened her eyes to meet her daughter's. "Being a mother is a strange thing, isn't it? Every time I see you now, which is not as much as I would like, you grow more and more into a grown woman, but at the same time, you're still my little girl with summer freckles on her nose and a stubborn jaw."
"You and Sirius are the only ones who like the freckles," Tessa murmured, watching carefully as her mother folded up her will and put it in the folds of her robes.
"In the unlikely event that neither you nor Sirius are unable to care for Suri, I will keep this in mind, and that is the best I can do," Amalia finally conceded.
"Thank you, mother," Tessa breathed a sigh of relief.
"Her royal highness, Lady Padfoot would like to say goodnight to her mother and grandmother." Sirius came down the stairs, carrying Suri on his back. Suri was in a white nightgown and her long black hair damp and freshly combed. Atop her head was a sparkly plastic tiara—and the little girl beamed.
"You both spoil her," Amalia said, though she laughed. At the bottom of the stairs, Sirius took Suri off his back, and she ran toward Amalia, climbing up her the woman's lap.
Tessa snuggled close to Sirius when he sat beside her as they watched Amalia and Suri.
"Suri, do you know you are a very special girl," Amalia asked, loosely plaiting Suri's hair.
"Yes, Granna."
"Who's spoiling her now?" Sirius mocked.
"You still are," Amalia deadpanned. She turned her attention back to Suri. "Do you know what makes you so special, Suri?"
"Mmmm…" Suri put her hand in her chin, deep in thought. Tessa, Sirius, and Amalia all laughed. "My birthday!"
"Yes, darling, that's right." Amalia's deep-blue eyes crinkled at the corners as she stroked Suri's cheek after pushing her hair off her face.
"Tessa, have your noticed Suri show any signs of magic?"
"Magic?" Tessa and Sirius glanced at each other thoughtfully. "No, I don't think so…"
"Neither have I," added Sirius. "But there's still plenty of time for that. I think I was seven when I first started showing any magical ability. My mum refused to let me leave the dinner table until I finished my vegetables, and I was absolutely livid. When she turned her back, a dinner roll went sailing across the room and hit her in the back of the head." He chuckled at the memory.
"What did Walburga do in return?"
"Oh I was fed a vegetarian diet for three months." Sirius scowled. "I still hate brussel sprouts."
"Contessa, you were around the same age," Amalia mused, "I would say you were about six or seven when I realized you were using magic. "
"Was I using magic regularly?"
"About once a month or so, during your dance recitals."
"What?" Tessa sat up. "I don't remember!"
"Yes. There was this girl who you regularly got into little arguments with, what was her name…Lucille Carrow!"
"I was going to be lead in the Christmas musical, but then I tripped over her stupid big feet and twisted my ankle, so she got to be lead instead! I still think she did it on purpose!"
"Breathe, Tess," Sirius laughed as he reached over to unclench the fists Tessa had made.
"So it started at practice," Amalia continued, "Lucille's laces to her slippers coming undone, or her top knot falling—and the night of the show—her beautiful tulle skirt caught on fire."
"It wouldn't have hurt her," Tessa muttered. "It was only a cold fire that effected the costume, not her."
"There's my Slytherin Princess." Tessa swatted at Sirius's arm even as a smile tugged at her lips.
"So you're telling us that Suri is tripping girls in a dance recital?"
"No. I'm telling you that Suri is showing a curiously strong talent for legilimency."
A pregnant pause descended upon the room, and even Suri knew to be quiet as she snuggled under Amalia's chin.
"Legilimency?" Sirius questioned. "But that's advanced magic."
"Not even I have natural skill in it," Tessa added. "Occlumency is a different story, but legilimens…." Tessa shook her head, watching her daughter in her mother's arms. "Are you sure?"
"You forget the women in our family have a strong history of occlumency, legilimency, and sometimes Seer magic. It is possible Suri might not be highly skilled in legilimency, but perhaps her skill is just uncontrolled since she is so young."
"Le-jimmy," Suri tried.
"Legilimency," Amalia corrected kindly. Suri stared at her grandmother and shrugged her shoulders, giggling.
"Wait, how do you know she's capable of it," Sirius asked.
"Earlier when you and Contessa argued after Suri fell from her broom. Your anger at each other was palpable, and Suri touched both of your faces and—"
"And the anger subsided," Tessa murmured.
Sirius ran his hand along his stubble. "I remember when she touched my face," he said thoughtfully, "I saw us—Tessa, Suri, and me—together on a beach."
"I saw the same thing…and I forgot why I was so angry." Tessa's eyes widened fractionally.
"Legilimency," Sirius murmured, watching as Tessa rose and moved across the coffee table to take Suri from Amalia's arms.
"You are full of wonderful surprises, darling," Tessa said as she kissed Suri's dark hair. "And you are also well past your bedtime. Say goodnight to Daddy and Granna."
Suri waved a hand as she tucked her head against Tessa's neck. "'Night Daddy. 'Night Granna."
"Sleep well, little Princess," Sirius said from the couch, his unfathomable grey eyes bright as he watched Tessa and Suri ascend the stairs—Tessa humming an off-key lullaby for their daughter.
Once she was out of sight, Sirius turned his attention to Amalia. His face shifted from adoring father to urgency.
"Amalia, have you thought any more about what I said when I picked you up?"
"You mean what should happen should you and my daughter not survive this war?" Amalia pressed a hand to her long neck, touching her throat as she felt her voice constrict. Amalia swallowed back tears. These conversations about death with the children she loved dearly were almost too much. When she looked at Sirius, though he now sported stubble, and his face had thinned out, she still saw a young boy with long black hair and mischievous grey eyes, looking to be loved for who he was. She saw a boy struggling to remain brave when he thought about losing the things he loved most.
"Amalia, please. Should anything happen, and Suri is without Tessa or me, please, promise me you'll take her and raise her. I can't trust Remus to do it. He's not trustworthy anymore."
"Contessa thinks the world of him, and you know her gift of perceiving people."
"Well this one is wrong." Sirius's voice was so sharp, Amalia raised an eyebrow curiously at him.
"Remus cannot be trusted, Amalia."
Amalia closed her deep blue eyes—the very ones she passed on to Tessa—and took a slow breath in. "Yes, Sirius," she finally said, and she could see the tension leave the young man's body. "If anything happens to you or my daughter—and I hope to God nothing happens—I will take care of your daughter."
Sirius expelled the breath he was holding. He then got up and crossed the room toward Amalia. Carefully he took the woman's hands in his and kissed her forehead.
"Thank you, Amalia Rosier. Thank you."
Author's Note:
I am STILL taking questions for this story! So PM me, or send them in a review-you can ask more than one! The plan is to put them all in one document as an FAQ at the end of this story (coming soon...). So, if you have questions about the writing process, my take on Sirius, anything about Tessa, anything about me-ask away!
:)
Your reviews are love.
x