They reappeared in the living room of the flat. Sirius saw a
completely blank expression on Reena's face. There was no visible sadness
or anger, and this is what worried Sirius. He guided his wife to the sofa
and sat her down.
"I don't know why I thought he would be happy for us," Reena began, but Sirius gently shushed her.
"You went in optimistic. You didn't do anything wrong," Sirius said, trying to comfort her.
"Why can't I do anything right? He wouldn't have reacted this way if I'd approached it from a different angle."
"Reena, listen to me. You didn't do anything wrong. Your brother is just acting out of feeling he can't control your decisions anymore. Give his some time to cool down. He'll have to accept it sooner or later."
Reena remained silent with her head hung low. Sirius put his arms around her and drew her close to him. Sirius felt the sadness and anger emanating from Reena.
"Don't worry about Steven. Go and see him in a few days," Sirius advised softly.
"It won't matter, he's not going to listen to me anymore and I can't do this on my own. I never thought this would be so difficult," Reena confessed.
"Your brother is somewhat of a difficult person. Telling Steven news he's not prepared for is like facing a raging dragon while you're unarmed."
"That's not exactly what I meant," Reena said. She was now balled up on the sofa next to Sirius, whose arms were still around her.
"What do you find so difficult?"
"Everything. I just wish this was all over soon."
"So do i. I'm sure it will be over soon enough."
Sirius wasn't just saying this for Reena's sake, but also for his own. He too was tired to being on the run and hiding out. After the desolate conditions in Azkaban, Sirius just wanted to live a normal life with Reena.
"You don't have to lie to me. For all we know, this could go on for another 10 years," Reena said dismally.
"God, I hope not. I don't think I can this much longer."
They sat together in a perfect silence. Neither knew what else to say, so they just kept quiet. After sometime, Sirius broke the silence.
"This has been one of the strangest Halloweens I've ever had. What about you?"
"Yeah, I guess," Reena said with a forced laugh.
"Reena, please don't feel bad. This can't go on forever."
"No, it can't. Do you have to go? Earlier you said you had to find new hideouts."
"I can stay for a little while if you want me to."
Instead of a wonderful Halloween feast, Sirius and Reena ate a couple of chicken sandwiches. After they were finished eating, Sirius began to set out ingredients for a potion. 20 minutes later, he had a pale purple potion in a small vial. He cleaned up the cauldron and ingredients and gave the vial to Reena.
"Reena, drink this," Sirius said.
"What potion is this?" Reena asked, but not suspiciously.
"It will let you sleep."
Reena drank the potion. The reaction wasn't immediate, but the potion worked quickly. Within a few minutes, she was nodding off on the sofa. A few minutes later, Reena was fast asleep. Sirius carried her from the living room into the bedroom and gently placed her on the bed.
"I don't want you to see me go," Sirius confessed as Reena slept.
He leaned down and gave a small kiss to Reena. Sirius disapparated silently into the night.
*
The gray, early morning sky hung over a nearly silent village. The occasional squawks of crows were the only noises that broke the silence. In the gray morning, Reena stood outside her brother's house. She was hesitant to apparate in the house, so she continued to stand outside. Eventually, Reena saw a light turn on in the house.
Gathering all her courage, Reena apparated into the house. Alone in the kitchen, Steve was drinking tea as his sister appeared. He set the mug down on the counter and looked at his sister.
"Steve, can I talk to you please?" Reena asked politely.
"Wasn't yesterday enough?" Steve answered coldly.
"I want to apologize about that and come and explain myself," Reena explained.
"You're an adult capable of making your own decisions."
"Frankly, I don't see what I did wrong," Reena said, her voice becoming more aggressive.
"You don't see what you did wrong?! Reena, I told you I was going to propose to Laura a month before I actually did. I let you take part in every aspect of our wedding. I was very open with you in the way that I didn't keep anything from you. You didn't tell me anything," Steve said in a hurt voice.
"I didn't know Sirius was going to propose to me before he actually did. But you were one of the first people I told when Sirius asked me out and you didn't take that very well," Reena said in her defense.
"When did Sirius propose to you?" Steve asked simply.
"My graduation," Reena answered truthfully.
"That was well over 16 years ago. You didn't think to tell me in all this time that you were engaged?"
"Do you recall how you reacted when I told you I was going to live in London? You were livid, I didn't want to give you another reason to hate me."
Steven thought for a short while before answering. "I was extremely mad, you were only 18 at the time. I had my responsibilities to take care of you. Why didn't you tell me you married before yesterday?"
"I know how you thought of Sirius. I didn't want to tell in case you were to report it to the Ministry."
Steve laughed quietly. "I don't like the guy, but I know him well enough to know that he couldn't have done any of the things they charged him with."
Reena didn't respond. She had an expression of amazement on her face.
"I was partly mad yesterday because I felt that you didn't trust me enough to keep your secrets. Is that the case?"
"I trust you, but the decision to tell people is one that we had to agree on. I wasn't going to tell you if Sirius didn't want me to."
"You're not a little girl anymore, if you feel that you made the right choice, I'll support you."
"Thank you Steve,"
That was all Reena wanted to hear. There was nothing more for her to ask. The closure she had been seeking from her brother for years had finally arrived.
"I don't know why I thought he would be happy for us," Reena began, but Sirius gently shushed her.
"You went in optimistic. You didn't do anything wrong," Sirius said, trying to comfort her.
"Why can't I do anything right? He wouldn't have reacted this way if I'd approached it from a different angle."
"Reena, listen to me. You didn't do anything wrong. Your brother is just acting out of feeling he can't control your decisions anymore. Give his some time to cool down. He'll have to accept it sooner or later."
Reena remained silent with her head hung low. Sirius put his arms around her and drew her close to him. Sirius felt the sadness and anger emanating from Reena.
"Don't worry about Steven. Go and see him in a few days," Sirius advised softly.
"It won't matter, he's not going to listen to me anymore and I can't do this on my own. I never thought this would be so difficult," Reena confessed.
"Your brother is somewhat of a difficult person. Telling Steven news he's not prepared for is like facing a raging dragon while you're unarmed."
"That's not exactly what I meant," Reena said. She was now balled up on the sofa next to Sirius, whose arms were still around her.
"What do you find so difficult?"
"Everything. I just wish this was all over soon."
"So do i. I'm sure it will be over soon enough."
Sirius wasn't just saying this for Reena's sake, but also for his own. He too was tired to being on the run and hiding out. After the desolate conditions in Azkaban, Sirius just wanted to live a normal life with Reena.
"You don't have to lie to me. For all we know, this could go on for another 10 years," Reena said dismally.
"God, I hope not. I don't think I can this much longer."
They sat together in a perfect silence. Neither knew what else to say, so they just kept quiet. After sometime, Sirius broke the silence.
"This has been one of the strangest Halloweens I've ever had. What about you?"
"Yeah, I guess," Reena said with a forced laugh.
"Reena, please don't feel bad. This can't go on forever."
"No, it can't. Do you have to go? Earlier you said you had to find new hideouts."
"I can stay for a little while if you want me to."
Instead of a wonderful Halloween feast, Sirius and Reena ate a couple of chicken sandwiches. After they were finished eating, Sirius began to set out ingredients for a potion. 20 minutes later, he had a pale purple potion in a small vial. He cleaned up the cauldron and ingredients and gave the vial to Reena.
"Reena, drink this," Sirius said.
"What potion is this?" Reena asked, but not suspiciously.
"It will let you sleep."
Reena drank the potion. The reaction wasn't immediate, but the potion worked quickly. Within a few minutes, she was nodding off on the sofa. A few minutes later, Reena was fast asleep. Sirius carried her from the living room into the bedroom and gently placed her on the bed.
"I don't want you to see me go," Sirius confessed as Reena slept.
He leaned down and gave a small kiss to Reena. Sirius disapparated silently into the night.
*
The gray, early morning sky hung over a nearly silent village. The occasional squawks of crows were the only noises that broke the silence. In the gray morning, Reena stood outside her brother's house. She was hesitant to apparate in the house, so she continued to stand outside. Eventually, Reena saw a light turn on in the house.
Gathering all her courage, Reena apparated into the house. Alone in the kitchen, Steve was drinking tea as his sister appeared. He set the mug down on the counter and looked at his sister.
"Steve, can I talk to you please?" Reena asked politely.
"Wasn't yesterday enough?" Steve answered coldly.
"I want to apologize about that and come and explain myself," Reena explained.
"You're an adult capable of making your own decisions."
"Frankly, I don't see what I did wrong," Reena said, her voice becoming more aggressive.
"You don't see what you did wrong?! Reena, I told you I was going to propose to Laura a month before I actually did. I let you take part in every aspect of our wedding. I was very open with you in the way that I didn't keep anything from you. You didn't tell me anything," Steve said in a hurt voice.
"I didn't know Sirius was going to propose to me before he actually did. But you were one of the first people I told when Sirius asked me out and you didn't take that very well," Reena said in her defense.
"When did Sirius propose to you?" Steve asked simply.
"My graduation," Reena answered truthfully.
"That was well over 16 years ago. You didn't think to tell me in all this time that you were engaged?"
"Do you recall how you reacted when I told you I was going to live in London? You were livid, I didn't want to give you another reason to hate me."
Steven thought for a short while before answering. "I was extremely mad, you were only 18 at the time. I had my responsibilities to take care of you. Why didn't you tell me you married before yesterday?"
"I know how you thought of Sirius. I didn't want to tell in case you were to report it to the Ministry."
Steve laughed quietly. "I don't like the guy, but I know him well enough to know that he couldn't have done any of the things they charged him with."
Reena didn't respond. She had an expression of amazement on her face.
"I was partly mad yesterday because I felt that you didn't trust me enough to keep your secrets. Is that the case?"
"I trust you, but the decision to tell people is one that we had to agree on. I wasn't going to tell you if Sirius didn't want me to."
"You're not a little girl anymore, if you feel that you made the right choice, I'll support you."
"Thank you Steve,"
That was all Reena wanted to hear. There was nothing more for her to ask. The closure she had been seeking from her brother for years had finally arrived.