Sirius composed himself and walked towards the bed. Reena saw he had lost a
lot of weight and tiredness illuminated his face. Reena took his hand and
led him right next to the bed. Sirius sat down, still looking at Reena. He
swung his feet on the bed lay down next to Reena.
"Sirius, are you all right?" Reena whispered worriedly.
"Just a bit tired," he mumbled.
Reena still hadn't put out her wand and saw that Sirius hadn't even taken off his shoes. Reena undid the laces and pulled off the shoes, throwing them to the ground. She crawled back to her pillow and turned to face Sirius. By his slow, deep breathing, Reena could tell he was already asleep. Reena tried to go back to sleep but couldn't for a long time.
At daybreak, Reena woke up. Sirius was still fast asleep. She quietly crept out of the room. Reena showed and changed and went back down stairs. She finished some more paperwork before breakfast.
Harry came downstairs an hour later. He wasn't smiling, but he didn't seem upset either.
"Good morning, Harry," Reena greeted cheerfully.
"Morning," he replied, opening the refrigerator. He took out a carton of milk and a box of cornflakes from a cupboard. Reena opened another cupboard with her wand. And 2 bowls floated to the table. Harry sat down at the table.
"Cheer up Harry. It's nearly Christmas. And guess what?" Reena asked in a happy sort of voice.
"What?" Harry asked, shoveling some cornflakes into his mouth.
"Sirius came in last night."
"When?" Harry asked, his voice sounding slightly excited.
"Really late. I think he's going to sleep the whole morning. He seemed really tired."
"Alright," Harry said, eating more cereal.
Early in the afternoon, Reena went in her bedroom to check on Sirius. She opened the door and looked in. Sirius was still asleep. As she stepped out of the room, one of the floorboards gave a very loud creak. Sirius' even breathing stopped and his head raised a few degrees.
"Reena? What are you doing here?" Sirius asked, his voice slurred.
Reena went to the side of the bed and kneeled down so that her face was level with Sirius'.
"Sirius, wake up," Reena ordered as she tapped his face.
Sirius opened his eyes all the way. His eyes darted around the room, then back to Reena's face. The muscles in his own face relaxed.
"Sorry, I forgot I was here," Sirius confessed apologetically.
"Don't worry about it," Reena said gently as she brushed a shock of hair out of Sirius' face.
"Is he here?" Sirius asked hoarsely.
"Yes, he came in yesterday. Sirius, go back to sleep of you need to,"
"No, I need to get up. Do I have any other clothes here?"
"If you want, I can dash back to London and get some."
"That's okay. I'm sure my mother didn't throw away all my stuff," Sirius said, getting up from the bed.
Walking into his childhood room and opening up a closet, Sirius was right. He found a pair of jeans and sweatshirt. He walked downstairs into the kitchen and could see Harry zooming around in his Firebolt in the spacious back yard. Reena called Harry inside. Harry landed in a perfect glide a few feet away from a door that linked the kitchen with the yard. He smiled at the sight of his godfather.
"Harry," Sirius croaked, "how are you?"
"Great," Harry said enthusiastically as he pulled a chair for himself at the table.
"Reena, I don't really care what you give me to ear," Sirius said, directing this comment to his wife who was fussing over the stove.
"Nonsense," she scoffed, "unless you want chicken sandwiches for your breakfast, I'm giving you a hot meal."
Sirius gave her a thankful look. He turned back to Harry, who looked eager for conversation.
"How's life?" Sirius asked.
"Nothing special. A few tests here and there, but my grades are ok," Harry responded in the typical teenage ambiguity.
"How's the Quidditch season?"
"Excellent. So far we've won every game. I'm the captain this year," Harry added with a note of pride.
"What?" Sirius and Reena asked together, shocked.
"You didn't find this fact important enough to share?" Reena asked.
"I dunno," Harry said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
Both adults remained silent. It was at his moment that Sirius and Reena realized what 11 straight years at the Dursley's had done to their godson. Reena took hold of the awkward silence.
"We're really proud of you Harry. Here you go dear," Reena said bringing a plate loaded with food to Sirius. A bowl appeared in front of Harry. Reena brought a pot to the table and filled the bowl with a hearty soup. She filled a second bowl of soup for herself.
"I would have been happy with soup!" Sirius protested as he ate his own food.
"Stop complaining," Harry laughed.
They continued to talk, laugh, and eat. They all stopped suddenly when they saw someone's from appearing in the kitchen.
*Thank you so much for the reviews!!
"Sirius, are you all right?" Reena whispered worriedly.
"Just a bit tired," he mumbled.
Reena still hadn't put out her wand and saw that Sirius hadn't even taken off his shoes. Reena undid the laces and pulled off the shoes, throwing them to the ground. She crawled back to her pillow and turned to face Sirius. By his slow, deep breathing, Reena could tell he was already asleep. Reena tried to go back to sleep but couldn't for a long time.
At daybreak, Reena woke up. Sirius was still fast asleep. She quietly crept out of the room. Reena showed and changed and went back down stairs. She finished some more paperwork before breakfast.
Harry came downstairs an hour later. He wasn't smiling, but he didn't seem upset either.
"Good morning, Harry," Reena greeted cheerfully.
"Morning," he replied, opening the refrigerator. He took out a carton of milk and a box of cornflakes from a cupboard. Reena opened another cupboard with her wand. And 2 bowls floated to the table. Harry sat down at the table.
"Cheer up Harry. It's nearly Christmas. And guess what?" Reena asked in a happy sort of voice.
"What?" Harry asked, shoveling some cornflakes into his mouth.
"Sirius came in last night."
"When?" Harry asked, his voice sounding slightly excited.
"Really late. I think he's going to sleep the whole morning. He seemed really tired."
"Alright," Harry said, eating more cereal.
Early in the afternoon, Reena went in her bedroom to check on Sirius. She opened the door and looked in. Sirius was still asleep. As she stepped out of the room, one of the floorboards gave a very loud creak. Sirius' even breathing stopped and his head raised a few degrees.
"Reena? What are you doing here?" Sirius asked, his voice slurred.
Reena went to the side of the bed and kneeled down so that her face was level with Sirius'.
"Sirius, wake up," Reena ordered as she tapped his face.
Sirius opened his eyes all the way. His eyes darted around the room, then back to Reena's face. The muscles in his own face relaxed.
"Sorry, I forgot I was here," Sirius confessed apologetically.
"Don't worry about it," Reena said gently as she brushed a shock of hair out of Sirius' face.
"Is he here?" Sirius asked hoarsely.
"Yes, he came in yesterday. Sirius, go back to sleep of you need to,"
"No, I need to get up. Do I have any other clothes here?"
"If you want, I can dash back to London and get some."
"That's okay. I'm sure my mother didn't throw away all my stuff," Sirius said, getting up from the bed.
Walking into his childhood room and opening up a closet, Sirius was right. He found a pair of jeans and sweatshirt. He walked downstairs into the kitchen and could see Harry zooming around in his Firebolt in the spacious back yard. Reena called Harry inside. Harry landed in a perfect glide a few feet away from a door that linked the kitchen with the yard. He smiled at the sight of his godfather.
"Harry," Sirius croaked, "how are you?"
"Great," Harry said enthusiastically as he pulled a chair for himself at the table.
"Reena, I don't really care what you give me to ear," Sirius said, directing this comment to his wife who was fussing over the stove.
"Nonsense," she scoffed, "unless you want chicken sandwiches for your breakfast, I'm giving you a hot meal."
Sirius gave her a thankful look. He turned back to Harry, who looked eager for conversation.
"How's life?" Sirius asked.
"Nothing special. A few tests here and there, but my grades are ok," Harry responded in the typical teenage ambiguity.
"How's the Quidditch season?"
"Excellent. So far we've won every game. I'm the captain this year," Harry added with a note of pride.
"What?" Sirius and Reena asked together, shocked.
"You didn't find this fact important enough to share?" Reena asked.
"I dunno," Harry said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
Both adults remained silent. It was at his moment that Sirius and Reena realized what 11 straight years at the Dursley's had done to their godson. Reena took hold of the awkward silence.
"We're really proud of you Harry. Here you go dear," Reena said bringing a plate loaded with food to Sirius. A bowl appeared in front of Harry. Reena brought a pot to the table and filled the bowl with a hearty soup. She filled a second bowl of soup for herself.
"I would have been happy with soup!" Sirius protested as he ate his own food.
"Stop complaining," Harry laughed.
They continued to talk, laugh, and eat. They all stopped suddenly when they saw someone's from appearing in the kitchen.
*Thank you so much for the reviews!!