Chapter Fifty Two
Andromeda Again
Sirius went to Diagon Alley himself, as Mrs. Potter insisted. She said that if he wanted to go see his cousin and was going to see her alone, he might as well go alone, and that James would be fine by himself, that he would go later on, just before summer ended.
Although, realized Sirius as he spun through the Floo, that time was uncomfortably near. It was August 19th – there was barely a week till third year started..and Sirius, in all honesty, wasn't really sure how that was going to work out. James was still not actually saying anything, and he was fairly sure that talking was a vital part of attending Hogwarts.
He landed with a thump into Flourish and Blotts. He stood up, dusted himself off, and strode out of the shop, heart thudding.
–
It was ridiculously difficult, walking anywhere near Floreon Fortescue's. It appeared, that after just a few months of pretending Andromeda did not exist, he had lost the ability to actually realize she did exist.
Actually, it was more like he didn't want to, because he was terrified of what she was going to say to him and what if she'd tell him that he was a horrible human being and she'd never talk to him again or what if she was going to elope with Ted and leave him all alone and move to Sweden or Rome or what if she had already eloped with Ted and she didn't even show up and did he even really want to see her because the last time he had seen her it had not ended well and the last time he had seen any of his family it had ended in fish slapping and –
"Sirius! SIRIUS!"
Andromeda.
Andromeda.
Meda. Meda. Meda.
Oh, Meda Meda Meda –
And abandoning all pretense, Sirius ran straight into Andromeda's arms.
–
He hugged her for longer than he later cared to admit. Later, in fact, he would quite pretend that he had coolly walked up to her and flicked her an infamous smile, and said something like, "How's it been, cuz?" No one except him, Andromeda, Florean Fortescue, and later James, knew exactly what had happened at that point in time.
He had run into her arms and hugged her for a long, long time, trying to plead with her to forgive him and at the same time trying to let her apology leak into him, but he only worked this all out later. At the point, all he'd thought about was her, Andromeda, his cousin, finally.
She smelled like wild roses and mints, he'd later recalled, and she was wearing fresh clean pressed green robes. She was hugging him back, quite tightly, and for a few moments he left everything he was worried about – Mr. Potter's death and James melting away and Mrs. Potter and his own mother – melt quietly into Andromeda's embrace, and for a few moments everything was completely fine.
"He's dead, Meda," Sirius choked out when he broke away. "Mr. Potter – I was staying with him and these men in masks and – "
"I know," said Andromeda gently, pushing him into a chair. "I know, it was in the Prophet. 'Leaving a widow and a son, and rumour has it that young Sirius Black was staying with them as well', I think it was.."
"It was," he agreed feverishly. "And it's terrible, Andi, I have to – I just – I'm trying to keep it together, I'm trying to help them, I'm cooking meals with what you taught me and I pick up house but I'm so – so worried and I don't – and you're mad at me, you hate me, and Bellatrix, and Mum, and oh God, what are they going to do to me next time I see them?"
"Sirius," said Andromeda soothingly. "Calm down, Sirius. Come on, Sirius, calm down. It's going to be all right. It's going to be fine."
It was because it was Andromeda, he supposed, because her word was gospel truth, so he did calm down. Somewhat.
"First of all," she began, "if you've been cooking for them, and picking up house, then you do not have to worry about them. You are doing absolutely more than enough, Sirius. I'm so proud of you."
A little bit of life returned to Sirius.
"I am most certainly not angry at you," Andromeda went on. "In fact, as I have already said, I am deeply proud of you. However, your third worry.." She paused. "Yes, that is quite..valid."
Sirius felt as if an electric shock had run him through. "Why?" he demanded.
Andromeda sighed and spread her hands over the table. "Sirius, you've heard of Voldemort."
"Yeah, course."
"And Death Eaters, of course."
"Yeah, course." Sirius's hands clenched. "Just killed Mr. Potter, would be hard not to hear about them.."
"They want you to become Death Eaters," said Andromeda quickly.
Sirius fell off the chair.
–
An hour and much information later, Sirius was flying through fireplaces back to the Potters' home. He fell hard on the ground, mind reeling.
My parents.
Want me to work for the man that killed Mr. Potter.
What. The. Hell?
And she's going to marry Ted Tonks. Oh God, oh God, oh God..
Earlier, perhaps, Sirius might've been more angry about the Ted Tonks factor. But now, he couldn't quite bring himself to be. All he could think about was the fact that his parents wanted him, and his brother, to work for the man that murdered his best friend's father.
Suddenly, he saw James, darting across the doorway to the kitchen, obviously on his way outside.
Oh no you don't, thought Sirius impulsively.
He ran after him.
James turned back, saw him, and ran faster. Sirius chased him, and for a moment they were back up on their brooms in Hogwarts, flying a million miles up in the air, running drills.
Sirius Black had no broom at this point, but he could be very fast when he wanted to be.
He most certainly wanted to be.
For ages they ran, out the door and cutting through the woods. He chased James for what seemed like hours but was probably only a couple of minutes. Finally, the bespectacled boy ran out of steam, the one with mangy hair picked up speed, and James collapsed in a heap, Sirius pinning him down, in some sort of clearing Sirius had never been to before.
"You – have – to – stop – this," grunted Sirius, holding James down. "You – have – to – talk!"
All at once, James stopped struggling. Sirius let go of him.
James crumpled up in a small sorry heap and began to sob.
Sirius waited.
James took a breath, and then for the first time in too long, James Potter spoke.
Hi! I'm not dead, see? Yeah I updated like twice in the summer, but I'm BACK now! :D
Lots of homework these days, and thus, lots of time to procrastinate. Enjoy reading my terrible rantings about how awful school is and WHY DOES SCIENCE EXIST for the next ten months! Have fun!
Also: yay! A cliffie!
(Side note: I don't really like this ending. I fiddled with the last line for, like, fifty years. Yeah. Review anyway.)
