Chapter 19: Unwelcome
After everyone went home, summer went by slowly. Mid July arrived and I got my usual letter from Hogwarts, containing the list of supplies I would need for the year. But this year, there was something else enclosed with it.
Dear Mr. Lupin,
We are very pleased to inform you that you have been chosen as a prefect for this school year. Your outstanding academic performance has earned you this honor. Congratulations. Please verify that you have received this letter when you reply informing us that you will return to Hogwarts this year. Remember, we await your owl by no later than July 31. See the enclosed list for information on the proper prefect attire.
Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
I was going to be a prefect! I couldn't believe it. I had always worked hard in school, but I had never expected to be a prefect. Actually, I'd never even thought about it. I wondered if Sirius, James and Peter were going to be prefects too. I decided to write them and ask.
A few days later, I got their replies. James said he was, and he'd talked to Lily who said that she and Erin were too. Sirius said he was. Unfortunately, Peter wasn't. He didn't seem to mind, though. Like me, he hadn't been expecting it, so it wasn't a big disappointment for him. I think he could have gotten it too, if he'd just worked a little harder in school. The problem was, he didn't care about his grades. I tried to help him, but it was no use. He just didn't try.
I had made mention to Sirius and Addi of visiting them at their grandfather's house earlier that summer. My intention had only been to see how they would react to my asking, as to try to find out if they'd make excuses to keep me away from their grandfather. However, one afternoon while I was finishing up my summer essay for Transfigurations, Jeremy arrived carrying two letters instead of just the usual one from Addi. After reading Addi's, which was relatively normal to her usual letters, I tore open the other one and recognized Sirius' messy scrawl. It read:
Remus,
You asked if you could visit this summer. Well, you can. You're invited to stay here next week, that is, if you want. I'm inviting James too. I'm not allowed to invite anyone else. If you come there's just a few things you've got to know. You've got to pretend you're a muggle, and you can't let my grandparents know you're going out with Addi. You should also bring some muggle dress clothes (NOT dress robes) because my grandfather is having one of his parties while you'll be here. Let me know if you'll be coming. I understand if you don't want to. Don't expect much. We can pick you up at the station on Saturday if you're coming. Talk to you soon.
Sirius
I frowned as I folded up the letter. I had never thought I'd actually be invited to their grandfather's house. Sirius seemed so unlike himself in the letter, completely indifferent about whether or not I was coming. If he was still living with his dad he'd have insisted that I come or he'd attack me on the train at the start of the following school year with some spell. But this time the decision was up to me. Should I go? I didn't know what to do. I didn't particularly want to act like a muggle for a week and stay at a place that Sirius described as a living hell. On the other hand, it would definitely give me a deeper insight into whether or not their grandfather was, in fact, abusive. I decided to write to James first and ask him if he was going.
Two days later, on Thursday, I received James' reply. He said he was going, and that he thought I should too. He had the same idea that we might find out once and for all the truth about Sirius and Addi's grandparents. Later that evening, I wrote to Sirius and told him that I'd be coming.
Early Saturday morning, I caught the train over to London. At Kings Cross I, met up with James and we took the train to Sirius and Addi's town. We got off the train about an hour later, and searched the train station for Sirius or Addi. We couldn't find them.
"Where do you think they are?" I asked him.
"Dunno, I haven't seen them. Perhaps they're running a bit late," he replied.
"So what do you think about going to their house?" I asked.
"I think it will definitely be interesting," said James. "We've got to pay close attention to everything that goes on. And if we see any sign of that old bastard being abusive I swear I'll never let Sirius or Addi set foot in that house again."
"Did Sirius tell you we've got to act like muggles?" I asked.
"Yeah," James replied. "But I've got my wand and I wouldn't be one bit hesitant to use it if I need to."
"Me too," I agreed. "So, have you seen Lily or Peter lately?" I asked. James nodded.
"Peter was down for a bit last week. And I just flew over to see Lily yesterday. I told her that we were coming here. She said she reckons we shouldn't. She said to come to her house if anything goes wrong. Where she lives is only about a twenty minute drive in a muggle car from Sirius' house." I nodded.
"I've got a feeling it's going to be quite a long week," I said. James nodded.
"And we've only got two weeks until we go back to school."
"James! Remus!" We turned around to find Sirius waving and calling out to us. He hurried over. He looked very different than we were used to seeing him. His clothes were the equivalent of our school uniforms, which he typically hated. Normally, outside of school, he'd be wearing jeans and his trademark leather jacket. His hair, which was normally tied in a messy ponytail, was instead down and neatly combed.
"Hey Sirius," said James.
"Well, you came," said Sirius plainly.
"Of course we did," I said. "Where's Addi?"
"She's back at the house," said Sirius. "We'd better get over to the car go. My grandfather has guests for dinner and he'll be pissed if we're late." James and I began wheeling our trunks and exchanged glances. I could tell he was thinking the same thing I was. Sirius seemed completely different than usual.
In front of the car, which turned out to be a limousine, we met the driver instead of Sirius' grandparents. They hadn't come along.
"I'll take your luggage," said the driver stiffly to James and I. He was a rather short and slightly fat man with graying black hair and mustache. He was dressed in a suit and stood rather haughtily at the rear of the car. He had black penetrating eyes, and I couldn't help shuddering a little when he looked at us. James and I quickly handed him our trunks. We walked over to the door to the rear seat of the car. I reached out to pull it open.
"Stop!" said the driver. He walked over to the door. "There'll be none of that," he said in a rather exasperated tone. "Haven't you any manners? You shouldn't do the driver's duties yourself. It's rather rude."
"I-I'm sorry, sir," I stammered. "I didn't know."
"Very well," he replied, and finally allowed us into the car. Sirius sat in the seat in front of us.
We entered the very tiny town, and from there, on the hilltop, the manor could be seen. At last we pulled through the wrought iron gates of the manor. The driver allowed the four of us out of the car.
"Your luggage will be taken to your rooms for you," he said.
"Thank you, sir," replied James pleasantly. We stood in the drive just in front of the manor, a broad, vast granite building. It had a castle-like appearance with many large windows, only a few of which showed light from the inside. The building was very tall, though only having two main stories, and a third, which appeared from the outside to be more of an attic. A wide set of stairs led to the tall oak door at the front entrance.
"Might as well go in," said Sirius, slowly heading for the door. James and I followed. We had nearly reached the front door when it was pulled open, by a butler.
"Come right in," he said. "Your grandfather is waiting, Master Sirius." We entered the front hall.
"They're already seated in the dining room," said the butler. "Hurry along now. You know your grandfather will be upset if you're late." Addi, who must have been waiting at the top of the stairs for our arrival, descended the staircase. She was very formally dressed, as Sirius was. Observing my khaki pants and tattered maroon sweater, I began to feel a bit uncomfortable. I glanced at James, who wasn't dressed for the occasion either. He didn't seem to have noticed. I could hear muffled talking and laughter coming from somewhere down a hallway.
"Let's go," said the butler impatiently. Sirius led us towards the dining room, rather reluctantly.
"Hi," I said quietly to Addi as she walked by.
"Hi," she whispered, smiling. We entered the dining area, which was a large elegantly decorated room, with a crystal chandelier suspended from the high ceiling and faded tapestries covering the stone walls. There was a huge oak table in the center, surrounded by at least twenty red velvet chairs. At the far end, sat a small group of people, all elegantly dressed and conversing silently, so that only a muffled rumble echoed throughout the room.
"Well, here the two of them are now," said Sirius' grandfather, with what sounded like a rather forced laugh, that echoed throughout, piercing the silence. I shuddered. Observing Mr. Black, as I assumed we should address him, I saw that he was a stern looking man. His eyes were small and beady and his wrinkled sinister face was ghost white and seemed to remain in a permanent glare, though his thin lips were curved into a sort of smirking smile. His hair was deep gray, almost black, and thinning on top.
"Hello Adhara, Sirius. I'd like you to meet Lord and Lady Lambston," he motioned to the man and lady on his left. "And this is Lord and Lady Townsend," he motioned to the man and lady on his right. "And you may recall Sir Charles Wilmington, who visited last summer." He motioned to a rather jolly looking plump man who sat to his right, next to Lady Townsend. "They've kindly accepted the invitation to stay at our manor until the party on Tuesday night." The adults all smiled and greeted both Addi and Sirius warmly. James and I remained a few feet back from them, feeling rather awkward, seeing as our presence hadn't been acknowledged.
"Would you two and your friends please be as kind as to take your seats," said their grandfather. "Dinner's about to be served." We all glanced at each other, before taking seats. I sat next to James, who was sitting next to Sir Wilmington and across from us, Sirius and Addi sat next to each other. Using my better judgment, I remained silent as we awaited the food. About five minutes later, we were served.
"Sirius and Adhara are such wonderful children," Mr. Black said suddenly. "And they're growing up so quickly. It's been such a pleasure having them live here. I'm only saddened on what account they're staying with us."
"Ah, yes I do remember their father Orion well," said Lord Lamston. "Tragedy he had to have that heart attack. He was still so young."
"Oh, it was so awful, when he died," the lady who hadn't been introduced cried dramatically. "These poor things left all alone without anyone to care for them. Luckily Taurus and I were more than willing to take them in, or they'd be living on the streets right now," she sobbed. So that lady was Sirius' grandmother. Estimating her age, I'd have guessed late thirties. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I noticed Sirius roll his eyes.
"And what became of their mother?" asked Lady Townsend.
"Ah, yes, who did Orion marry?" asked Sir Wilmington. I knew from what Sirius and Addi had told me of their grandfather that Sir Wilmington had asked the wrong question. He had hated their mother so much that he disowned their father when he married.
"Ah, Sirius and Adhara's mother. Of course," Mr. Black stuttered. "She was... well..."
"Her name was Fiona Dumbledore." We all turned to look at Addi, who looked panic stricken, as she held her mouth open, as surprised about what she'd said as we were. I noticed Mr. Black's beady eyes fall upon her for a moment in an odd sort of glare, and she shuddered slightly.
"Ah, yes, that's it," said Mr. Black quickly. I noticed his knuckles turning white from gripping the table edge.
"And what became of her?" asked Lord Townsend.
"Oh, she was killed when Sirius and Adhara were very young," said Mr. Black. "Erm... train crash if I remember correctly." Across the table, Sirius was beginning to look furious; his face had gone pale, and he was taking deep breaths to remain calm. I prayed that he would; I didn't want to see the reaction that man had when he was faced with Sirius' attitude.
"So, Sirius, tell me, how do you like school?" asked Lady Townsend, changing the subject. Sirius' grandfather coughed and nearly choked on a piece of fish.
"It's good," replied Sirius.
"That's nice," replied Lady Townsend. "What school do you attend?"
"Clearglen," choked Mr. Black quickly.
"That's wonderful. Clearglen is a lovely school. How do you like it, Adhara?"
"It's nice," replied Addi, forcing a smile.
"And I suppose your friends attend school there as well?" she asked.
"Of course they do," said their grandfather, his beady eyes flickering towards James and I. We nodded.
"Yes, we thoroughly enjoy it," James added. Addi glanced around at the four of our plates. We had all finished forcing down as much as we could of the food. The women at the table seemed to be gossiping, and the men were still on the topic of education.
"May we be excused, Grandfather?" Addi asked politely.
"Certainly. Now off to bed you go," he replied, in a very forced cheerful tone.
"Such kind, well-behaved grandchildren you have," commented Lady Lambston.
"Oh yes," he replied quickly. "Nice and normal kids." I noticed he stressed the word normal.
"Come along," Addi said to us. I picked up my plate and began to leave.
"You! Where do you think you're going with that?" Mr. Black asked. I jumped and nearly dropped the plate.
"I'm sorry, sir?" I said, trembling.
"Why, you little thief! You're trying to steal one of my antique china plates!" he hissed.
"I—I was going to take it to the kitchen for washing, sir," I said nervously. Glancing around, I noticed that everyone else had let their plate remain on the table.
"Nonsense! That's what servants are for. Are you a servant, boy?" he demanded. All eyes in the room were on me. I felt my face turning red. Quickly, I sat the plate back on the table.
"N-no, sir," I replied. Mr. Black's voice was smooth and calm, but he looked as though he was suppressing a desire to kill something, and I noticed that he was gripping the edge of the table so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.
"Remus doesn't have servants," Sirius explained. "He was only trying to be helpful."
"Hmph," he muttered. I felt everyone continue to stare at me. I hurriedly followed Sirius, Addi, and James out of the room. I was still violently shaking as we ascended the stairs.
"Is-is he going to do anything to me? He looked ready to kill me," I asked. There was a pause.
"Don't worry," said Sirius.
"But, I mean he seemed furious. He's not going to do anything, is he?" I asked nervously.
"He'll get over it," said Sirius quickly, brushing the thought aside as we reached the second floor landing. He and James walked ahead, while Addi and I trailed behind. Addi grasped my hand.
"How have you been, Remus?" she asked.
"I'm all right," I replied. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too," she replied, giving me a quick hug. "Don't worry about dinner tonight," she added. "He'll probably forget anyway. Besides, you're not the only one he was angry with. I shouldn't have said our mum's name." Keeping my hand in hers, we hurried to catch up with James and Sirius.
"Why don't we go to one of your rooms so we can talk?" suggested James.
"Okay, but we'll show you your rooms first," said Addi. She led us down a long hall.
"Wow, this place is huge," I said.
"Bigger than my house even," commented James. "Could we go exploring sometime?"
"Sure," Sirius replied. "There's not much else to do around here." Addi stopped and swung open a door on the left of the hallway.
"Here's your room, Remus," she said. I glanced inside. The room was large and had cold stone walls. The three large windows, with designs that reminded me of prison bars, that faced the rear of the house had no curtains, and the late evening sun cast their patterns onto the floor. There was a tiny fireplace with some wood for a fire, a large wardrobe, some old mismatched furniture, including a vanity, several chairs, and a large four poster that reminded me of my bed at Hogwarts. But the room felt cold and remote. It lacked the warmth and familiarity of our dorm.
"Great," I replied with a smile. "Thanks." James' room was next to mine, and looked nearly identical.
"So, where are your rooms?" I asked.
"Mine's just down the hall a bit," Addi replied. We continued walking and entered what appeared to be a newer part of the house. Addi opened a door to the right and allowed us to enter. Her room was smaller, and painted a pale blue. A canopy bed stood in the center. There were two large bureaus, two deep blue armchairs, a large vanity, and in a corner a small desk upon which a tiny, leather-bound book way lying open. Addi noticed this and hurriedly closed it.
"What's that?" asked Sirius.
"Nothing," Addi replied quickly.
"It's your diary," said Sirius, snatching it from her hands and flipping through it. "Hey Remus, Addi was writing about you in her diary."
"Shut up, Sirius," she said, turning red.
"I read Lily's diary once," said James. "She got mad at me."
"And she should have," said Addi, prying the diary from Sirius' grasp and shoving it in a drawer. "You had no right to go through her personal things."
"She wrote stuff about me in it," said James, grinning. Sirius let out an audible groan.
"Please don't start it with the Lily obsession."
"I am not obsessed!"
"Don't argue," I moaned. Sirius continued to give James a look of disbelief.
"Well, I'm not!" James insisted.
"I'm not saying anything," Sirius said, shaking his head.
"You can sit down," Addi said to us. The three of us were still standing in the center of the room. Addi had taken a seat on her bed. Sirius and James each took one of the armchairs, I grabbed the chair from her desk.
"So, what do you think of him so far?" asked Sirius, with slight sarcasm.
"He seems all right," I said. I didn't want to admit that he struck me as rather the abusive type.
"I think," said James. "He's just a somewhat grumpy old man who is extremely over protective of his dinner plates." James and I chuckled, but soon stopped dead. Sirius and Addi, opposite of laughing, were staring at us with wide, surprised eyes and solemn faces. After an awkward moment of silence, we quickly changed the subject. We sat up late in Addi's room talking. Finally, the lot of us we're yawning and barely able to keep our eyes open.
"Maybe we should get to bed," I suggested. The others agreed. We let Addi to herself in her room.
"So, where's your room, Sirius?" I asked.
"Well, why don't we all share a room?" said Sirius quickly. "You know, like school. And like we always do at your houses."
"All right," I agreed. I didn't like the idea of staying in that room alone anyway. We agreed to stay in the room that was James'. No sooner had we decided upon a sleeping arrangement, than we heard the clicking of a lock from the door.
"What was that?" I asked.
"Oh, my grandfather insists on locking us in our rooms at night," said Sirius.
"What?" James demanded. "Why?"
"I guess he thinks we'll try to leave or something," said Sirius. "He doesn't realize that I can unlock it with my wand. Or with a piece of wire for that matter."
The next day, we explored the house because it was raining. For such a large house, there was nothing even remotely exciting in it. Practically every room looked the same, and they were all crammed full of old broken furniture.
The following day, the weather was nice, so we went exploring in the large gardens behind the house. We found that the gardens farther from the house were neglected and overgrown, and quite nice to explore. We spent the next two full days exploring the area, strolling down grassy paths, picnicking and plotting pranks for the upcoming school year under large shade trees. On the morning of my fourth day there, we were just heading out the back door from the kitchen to go exploring.
"Where do you suppose you're going?" We turned to find Mr. Black, his harsh eyes staring at us suspiciously.
"We were just going to go out to the gardens, Grandfather," said Addi.
"Not today. The dinner party starts at four. I've got fifty guests arriving around three. I suggest you all get upstairs and make yourselves look presentable," he said harshly.
"Yes, Grandfather," said Addi.
"No," Sirius flat out answered. "I'm going out to the gardens."
"Like hell you are, boy!" hissed Mr. Black's sickeningly calm voice.
"You can't stop me," said Sirius. God Sirius, don't do this, I thought. Don't get him angry. Before another word was spoken, Addi grabbed her brother's arm and began pulling him away, her eyes pleading him not to argue, and he listened. Obediently, we headed upstairs to dress for the party.
An hour and a half later, we were all dressed in Muggle dress clothes. I had borrowed an old suit from James, and it was a bit too big. The pant legs were several inches too long, and the jacket hung loosely over my small thin frame. Addi stifled a giggle when she saw me, as James and Sirius tried to make improvements by rolling up sleeves and pants legs. Finally, James got frustrated and pulled out his wand. He muttered a spell and instantly the clothes were a perfect fit. Addi marveled at his handiwork and I scolded him for using magic outside of school. Our next issue for concern was James' untidy hair. Both Sirius and Addi insisted that their grandfather would be angered if he attended dinner with it looking that messy. James pleaded desperately for us to leave his hair alone, as the rest of us crowded around his head armed with brushes, combs and hair gel. In the end we gave in to him, as none of our attempts had made the least bit of improvement.
At the party, the entire downstairs was crowded with elegantly dressed ladies and gentlemen who waltzed around, glasses of wine in hand, laughing and gossiping. The sounds of their voices made a pleasant rumble echo throughout the mansion, erasing all traces of its usual desolate silence. Soft violin music played in the background of the party, and the cook and servants bustled throughout merrily, offering hors-d'ourves and refilling wine glasses. James and I, however, felt like outcasts from this pleasant gathering. While Sirius and Addi were endlessly being paraded around by their grandparents and introduced to guests, along with Mr. Black's endless bragging of what nice, well behaved children they were, James and I stood aside, hardly noticed by anyone, except for the occasional gentleman or lady that would greet us with a warm smile before quickly bustling off to speak to some other acquaintance.
The evening dragged on endlessly. James and I occupied a corner of the dining room, making small talk about nothing, really. We decided against discussing anything of importance, for fear that it would be overheard and make a nosy guest curious enough to make mention of us to Mr. Black. Two or three times, Addi and Sirius joined us, but they could scarcely stay longer than a minute or two before being dragged off again by their beaming grandfather, who insisted everyone at the party must meet his "charming grandchildren."
The guests didn't retire to their rooms until well past midnight, and only then were we permitted to return to our rooms. I was exhausted and my feet ached like mad from being cramped up inside muggle dress shoes for hours. I fell asleep almost instantly and didn't awake until late the next morning.
The following day, Mr. Black was too busy seeing off his guests to make us his concern, and so we once again headed off to the gardens. James and Sirius, feeling the need for mischief, as usual, soon grew bored and upon Sirius' suggestion, sped off to the garage to work on making a few 'modifications' on his motorbike. I would have gone with them, but Addi wasn't interested, and so we spent the day together, wandering through the vast gardens, strolling hand in hand down paths aligned with blossoming brightly colored flowers, stopping to gaze at the occasional fountain, or to see refuge from the summer sun's rays under a tall shade tree. We talked quietly, as she rested her head lightly on my shoulder, smiling more contentedly than I'd seen her since we'd arrived.
The topic of her grandparents arose several times, but she'd brush it aside, quickly changing the subject, adding to my suspicion of what happened within the walls of the Black Manor when it was absent of guests. Although I had no evidence on which to prove my judgment, I felt as though the cheerfulness at the party the night before had been uncomfortably staged, by not only Sirius' grandparents, but the servants as well. As it turned out, I would find out the truth much sooner than I expected, and in the worst possible way.
The next day began as nearly an exact repeat of the day before. Addi and I headed back to the gardens, and James and Sirius were still deeply engaged in work on the bike. The last of the guests had set off early that morning, and the house was back to its usual emptiness.
The main cook at the mansion was a short cheerful lady, I guessed of about early forties, who adored Sirius and Addi. Before we had set off that morning, she had insisted on packing a picnic lunch for Addi and I to share.
After spending the cool morning roaming throughout the overgrown gardens, the sun had reached its highest point in the sky and we were both tired and hungry. Seeking shade under a large inviting maple tree, we ate our lunches hungrily. Afterward, we lounged leaning against the tree trunk as the afternoon hours lazily passed by. Opposite of usual, Addi was telling me about Muggle customs.
"Have you ever been to a movie?" she asked.
"A what?" I asked blankly.
"A movie," she sighed. "You know those things we call televisions?... The little boxes with pictures on them that move?"
"Oh, yeah. Those," I said, realizing what she meant.
"Well, a movie is like that, only the screen is bigger. They've got all kinds of them; action, comedy, romance... You've got to see one with me sometime."
"Okay," I agreed. "And sometime you should go flying on a broomstick." I grinned at her terrified face.
"There's no way I will ever touch one of those things!" she exclaimed. "Sirius convinced me to get on one with him once, and he crashed right into a tree while trying to do a loop in the air!" I laughed.
"I can imagine. You should see Sirius play quidditch. He spends more time in the infirmary than the entire rest of the team put together."
"I believe it," she said. "And who knows what he and James are doing to 'modify' dad's old bike."
"We should go see. Unless, of course, you feel safer not knowing." I grinned.
"Well, I figure as long as we don't hear any explosions, nothing has gone terribly wrong," she said. Just then we heard a low rumbling bang in the distance. Both of us groaned.
"Leave it to those two," muttered Addi, shaking her head. "What would they do without people like us, who actually have common sense?" Both of us laughed. My eyes caught on hers and we slipped our arms closer around each other. I smiled and brushed a silky strand of hair back from her face.
"You really are beautiful, Addi." She blushed furiously and I felt our faces moving closer and closer...
"Adhara Fiona Black!" his voice rumbled angrily. The two of us instantly jumped to our feet. Mr. Black appeared from around the corner, looking absolutely furious, his face flushed red and his beady eyes penetrating into me, sending shivers down my spine.
"Yes, sir?" said Addi meekly.
"You---" he sputtered. "You—you stay away from that—that freak!" His hand trembled with rage as he pointed his finger straight at me. I stood, motionless and silent, unsure of how to respond.
"I—I don't know what you're talking about, sir," said Addi, barely above a whisper.
"This! This is exactly what I'm talking about!" he bellowed, producing a tiny leather-bound book from behind his back. I recognized it as Addi's diary. He held it open and shook it in front of her face in disgust.
"You have no business reading my personal things!" she shrieked, trying desperately to snatch the book from his grasp.
"I am your guardian. I take care of you. I pay for your bloody belongings. I put a roof over your head when no one else would, and this is how you repay me?" he breathed venomously. "Now you will treat me with the respect I deserve, and I'll read your things if I damn well please!"
"You're nothing more than a filthy lying selfish coward, and the only reason you keep Sirius and I around is for the money you get paid every month! You don't give a bloody damn what the hell happens to us!"
"How dare you say that you inconsiderate ungrateful half-blooded freak! If I didn't care about you, then why the hell would I be keeping you from getting involved with one of... them!" He finished, pointing at me once again.
"I'll do whatever I want!" shouted Addi.
"Don't speak to me like that, you foolish girl!" bellowed Mr. Black, holding his hand out to strike her. I panicked. Do something! My mind screamed, but I was frozen in place. Frantically, I looked back and forth between Mr. Black and Addi, terrified of what would happen to her.
"Touch her and I swear to God I'll kill you!" came a voice from behind me. I turned to find Sirius, followed closely by James. I felt slightly relieved.
"Stay out of this, you son of a bitch!" Mr. Black spat, once again preparing to strike at Addi. Sirius ran at him, punching and kicking.
"Sirius!" Addi wailed. "Look out!" Mr. Black had Sirius on the ground almost instantly, and quickly advanced on Addi. With a loud smack he struck her across the face and she nearly fell to the ground as well. A bright red handprint appeared across her face, and her eyes welled up with tears. I wanted to help her, to comfort her, to at least do something, but I couldn't. James and I felt very helpless and out of place. Sirius climbed back to his feet.
"Adhara, I won't have you associating with these two freaks anymore," said Mr. Black, regaining some of his calm. "You saw what happened to your father when he mixed with their kind, and married that bitch you had for a mother and I won't have you running off and getting yourself killed!"
"It's my life and I'll do as I please! You have no right to try and control me!" cried Addi angrily.
"Don't you dare talk about our mum like that," breathed Sirius. "You're the bastard who ruined their lives! They'd have been happy without you interfering!" Sirius and Mr. Black broke into an open fighting match, and Sirius was rapidly losing. James and I stood helplessly amidst it all, doing nothing more than watching. Addi sobbed loudly, and I wanted to comfort her, but I was afraid of what that man would do to the pair of us if I tried it. Next to me, James was shaking with fury. I saw his hand slip into his pocket, and reemerge with his wand.
"No, James!" I shouted, grabbing his arm. I couldn't let him use magic. Who knew what kind of horrible things would happen? I caught the attention of both Sirius and Mr. Black, causing the fighting to stop. Mr. Black grabbed both Addi and Sirius by the arm, as both of them tried to fight him off, and began dragging them toward the house.
"You two get the hell out of here," he breathed to us. "Now! And don't ever come back here. And whatever the hell you do, stay away from Addi! Stick to your own kind!" James and I stood speechless, as we watched him drag Sirius and Addi away. I turned to him.
"Oh my god," I breathed. "What the hell do we do?"
"I—I think we'd better leave," said James shakily.
"And what about them?" I asked.
"I don't know," James sighed. "I think we should go talk to my dad about it."
After retrieving our trunks from the house, as quickly as possible, and noticing that Sirius and Addi had been locked in their rooms, James and I headed straight for the train station in town. I spent the train ride explaining to him what had caused the fight; that it was all my fault. Addi had written about me in her diary and he read it and got angry that she was associating with a 'freak'.
By the time we arrived in London, we hadn't calmed down much. We sprinted straight to James' house, luckily to find that his dad was home. We explained the situation breathlessly, being sure to include every detail. He only frowned slightly and said he'd look into it, but there wasn't much he could do in the course of Muggle affairs. He said he'd be quite honest with us, that since Sirius' grandfather was town mayor, there was little authority over him, and it would be quite a difficulty to get anyone of any significance to believe our story.
I spent the last week before school started in Diagon Alley with James. We worried constantly about Sirius and Addi, hoping each day that they might show up at James' to finish out the summer. The week passed slowly, and still there was no sign of them. Never in my life had I felt so helpless and guilty as I did that week. I felt horrible for leaving Sirius and Addi there and leaving, but we hadn't had much choice in the matter.
Finally, two days before school started, Sirius and Addi did arrive, to the great relief of James and I. They both insisted that they didn't blame us in the least for leaving, and that they were fine. It had only been a slight misunderstanding with their grandfather, they explained. He had always blamed his son's death on his marriage to a witch.
"People don't fight like that in a little misunderstanding," argued James.
"It was a one time thing," Sirius would insist. "It won't happen again."
Addi would hardly talk to me when they first arrived. Finally she burst into tears and admitted that she was afraid I'd hate her for getting her grandfather so angry at me. I told her on the contrary; I loved her and was worried sick about her. After plenty of convincing, she finally believed me.