Unraveled
Chapter Five: Runaway
Nell and Fiona set up house in San Francisco. They fell into a pattern that appeared to be normal to all the Muggles that lived around them. Fiona was enrolled into an international school where she kept to herself and made herself as invisible as possible. She did not have any after school activities. Nell picked her up and dropped her off every school day. Fiona was given a cell phone and told to keep it on at all times.
Nell noticed how much quieter Fiona was. There was hardly any music anymore. The grand piano that Thalia saved up for had to be left behind in Virginia. Fiona's violin remained in its case, collecting dust. Fiona hardly talked at all. In school, she waited to be called on, but most often she was ignored by the teachers and the students alike.
Fiona was in constant conflict inside. She was now a double outsider. She always knew that she did not belong in the Muggle world, and now she felt as if she did not belong in the wizarding world. She was an outsider looking inside two worlds. Neither world she belonged to. Fiona felt more abandoned. Her father walked out on her mother even before she was born. She never knew what it was like to have her father love her. Her grandfather murdered her mother. He was the most vile and hated man in the wizarding world.
Yet, Fiona's excellence in school never faltered. Nell continued to praise her efforts and reward her. She would give Fiona anything she wanted. The only thing Fiona wanted was her mother.
*
Sirius did not know where to start looking. He decided to look at the house that was written at the address on the package to Remus that Thalia sent him. He dressed like a Muggle, wearing black jeans, a black shirt, and a black leather jacket. Remus withdrew from Sirius' bank account at Gringotts, so that Sirius had some money for the journey. Remus converted most of it into Muggle currency. Sirius left Buckbeak in Remus' care.
The Muggle neighborhood that Sirius' family had resided in, reminded him of the Muggle neighborhood where he had confronted Peter for the murders of the Potters. He walked until he found a house with a tire swing in the front yard. There was a "For Sale" sign on the front lawn. He looked at the house. It was small and cozy. Nothing like Black Manor. He recognized the tree that had a tire swing on it as the same tree in the picture that was in his pocket. He was so engrossed at looking at the house that he did not noticed when a woman wearing a sun hat, soil caked clothes and gardening gloves came up to him.
"Sir?" asked the elderly woman with a sweet Southern accent.
Sirius turned to look at her. "Yes?" he whispered.
"If you are interested in the house, you should call the realtor," said the woman. "However, I don't think you should buy that house, Sir. Maybe, the house across the street."
"Why?" asked Sirius without turning to look at the other house.
"That's the Blacks' house. Thalia and Fiona Black lived there. Such a sweet family. Thalia Black was a very kind woman. One of the best gardeners in this whole neighborhood. She died in that house," said the woman. Her tone sounded melancholy.
"How did she die?" asked Sirius in a soft voice. He knew how.
"I can't say. No one can. Not even the authorities. But, what do they know? They were actually questioning and attacking that poor child," said the woman in an angry, defensive voice.
Sirius' head snapped up and faced the woman. "What do you mean?" he demanded as he felt his temper rise.
"The police. They kept questioning Fiona Black. She was the apple of her mother's eye. Always polite and as kind as her mother. I've lived a long time. Most kids her age, these days, have no account for manners. She had the cutest smile on her face. Not anymore. I do miss that girl. Her godmother, the one who owned the house across the street, moved her away from here," said the elderly woman. She was retired and things were too quiet for her. She also felt that the man had something to do with the Blacks. He was obviously English like Thalia.
"Tell me, Sir. Are you by any chance, Mr. Black?" asked the woman with a raised eyebrow.
Sirius looked surprised. "I was always away. I should have been here," whispered Sirius without confirming anything.
"I am sorry. I think Dr. Lawson took Fiona to California. That's where she's from. Look at the roses, Sir," said the woman with a kind smile as she touched the petals. "They are beautiful. Thalia grew them year round. Her favorites were the gardenias and the lilies. She loved the lilies so much that she gave the name as her daughter's middle name. She had some special magic. You do know the legend of how to grow roses, don't you, Sir?"
Sirius shook his head. He reached down to touch the petals. It was not hard for him to imagine Thalia working in the garden. He was sure that there was another one in the backyard.
"Love. That's the magic, Sir. My mother once told me that roses used to be so hard to grow. The ones we have told aren't the ones from before. The ones from before last all year round and the smell of the roses never fades. The roses used to stay perfect for days on end before wilting on the last day. The magic is love. It takes a lot of love to grow roses like those, not science or luck. Thalia had a lot of love in her, Sir," whispered the woman.
"Where is she now?" rasped Sirius as he gently broke the stem of a white lily.
"She's buried in a cemetery, not far from here. I'll tell you where…" said the woman with the voice like honey.
*
Fiona waited for Nell to pick her up from the school. It was Augustine's Academy, one of the premier schools in the United States. She didn't mind it so much because it was a little better than her old school. No one cared that she existed, and that was all she really wanted. Fiona carried herself with as much dignity as possible. Her mother always told her to keep her head up high. Fiona felt awkward because her mother was tall, graceful, and elegant. Fiona felt she was undersized and klutzy. Her hair was also straight, not wavy like her mother's. It was her father's hair. That was only how Fiona saw herself.
Most people saw her as elegant like her mother. She was not tall, yet, but there was still time for her to grow. Her ruby colored eyes were unusually, and not amber like her mother's. Most of the boys in the school thought that she was the prettiest girl there already, but she was also strange and mysterious. All the other students wondered why Fiona was living with just a godmother. Where were her parents?
"Hey, Fin. I'm sorry I'm late," said Nell as she pulled up in a new BMW SUV. Fiona climbed into the car. "So, how was your day? Did you learn anything new today?" asked Nell as she got the car moving again. She wanted to keep things as normal for Fiona as possible.
"Fine. Nothing," whispered Fiona as answers to Nell's questions.
It's been less than three weeks. I can't push her. She'll open up when she's ready, thought Nell sadly. "I was thinking that we should go out and eat in Chinatown tonight. What do you think?" asked Nell. She wanted to get Fiona talking.
"Okay," whispered Fiona. She kept thinking about what Nell had told her. There was a whole other world out there. There was a world where magic existed, but Fiona knew she couldn't belong in that world. Her mother renounced it. Her father still belonged in it. Fiona's thoughts were on the man known as Sirius Black. Someone she hardly knew. What was he really like? Why did he leave? He didn't just leave her mother; he left her as well. He didn't know that she existed. She doubted that he even cared if she did. She was a flawed child from a flawed mother. He didn't love her mother enough to stay and accept what she was. Fiona knew that he wouldn't love her either. It made her sadder.
"Honey, this isn't going to be a permanent place either. You do understand that we have to keep moving," said Nell quietly.
"What?" asked Fiona as she finally turned to talk to Nell.
"We can't stay in one place. I don't want you getting hurt. And I don't want the Muggles getting hurt around us either. You will finish off this semester here before we move on. You're a year ahead, so it's not going to be a problem if we take you out of school for a while," said Nell.
"You mean you're going to have to take me out of school for a while?" asked Fiona.
"Yes. However, you have to be trained in your magic. It's dangerous not to train you because you are already having some problems controlling your powers," answered Nell.
"Mom never punished me after all those weird things in school. Sometimes I didn't even get caught," admitted Fiona sadly.
"Your mother didn't believe in punishing you because she knew that you didn't know what you were doing. It would be foolish to punish you when you didn't even know what you did was wrong. Your mother always believed that everyone had the right to some fairness," said Nell.
Fiona fell silent. Nell had told her that Sirius Black never got a trial. He was just shipped off to prison. Fiona didn't know how to feel about it. She didn't know how she felt about her father. She didn't know if she should hate him for abandoning her.
*
Sirius apparated to the cemetery that Thalia was buried in. He walked around looking for her grave. It took him fifteen minutes to find it. He stopped in front of it and dropped to his knees. He touched the name on the gravestone. "Thalia Morgaine Black," whispered Sirius.
He placed the flower from the house on the grave. He wanted nothing more, but to tell her he was sorry for everything. He was sorry for not believing in her. He was sorry for not being there when she needed him the most. He was sorry for leaving her alone to raise their daughter. He took out the picture in his pocket to look at his wife and daughter again. Sirius was still amazed at the sight of them. His daughter looked like the sweetest little angel. He knew better. Sirius read about how Fiona defied her mother. He thought that was brave of Fiona to defy the daughter of Voldemort. Somehow, Sirius knew that Voldemort wasn't going to be happy with a granddaughter. Sirius was grateful that Fiona was a girl.
In Thalia's diary, Sirius read about how Voldemort held one thing against her: she was female. Sirius laughed at the irony of it. The Muggles were the ones who figured out that it was the father's genetic material that determined what the sex of a child would be. It was Voldemort's fault that Thalia was a female. A trait that Sirius loved about her. Sirius was all right with having a little girl. A young teenage girl. He didn't know about trying to relate to a girl.
Back in Hogwarts, Sirius prided himself for being a ladies' man. He never thought for a second that he would find anyone like Thalia. Sirius didn't know the real reason why she wouldn't give him a chance. He was persistent. Thalia was annoyed with him and accused him of only going after her like a trophy. Sirius didn't know why he had to have her. He just needed her. He gave up pursuing other women. Now Sirius knew that Thalia was afraid of having a close relationship with anyone because she was afraid of losing them. Everything that Thalia held dear, her father destroyed. It started with her mother. Thalia wrote about having a teacher that Voldemort killed right in front of her. Thalia lived in constant fear of her father.
Sirius was surprised to find that Thalia was engaged to Snape. She and Snape became friends. He was the one who helped her the most. It was no wonder that Thalia selected him to be one of Fiona's godfathers. Sirius always thought that Snape was holding more than just that incident back at Hogwarts against him. Snape was standing up for Thalia. She wrote that she viewed him as her older brother and protector.
Sirius suddenly remembered Harry's third year. Snape knew about Fiona and Thalia, but said nothing. He was keeping them safe. Snape was doing what Sirius should have been doing. "Thalia, I hope you can hear me," whispered Sirius. "I was wrong. What can I do?"
A breeze around his shoulders again. It was as if Thalia was trying to comfort him. A sad smile came over Sirius' face. He felt warmer. He could hear her infectious laughter off in the distance. Sirius did not feel so cold and alone at the moment.
"I should take care of her. I promise I won't let him take her. I won't fail this time, Thalia. I can't. I'm sorry. I was so stupid. I was too impulsive. I should have stayed. Thank you for giving me our daughter," said Sirius softly. That was he could say.
He headed back to the Muggle bed and breakfast he was staying at. The staff gave him strange looks when he asked for a room with a fireplace. He threw some powder into the fire, and Remus showed up.
"What happened?" asked Remus.
"I found Thalia's grave. The neighbor said that Nell Lawson was from California originally. I think that they went there. Remus, it's a safe bet that they're living among the Muggles. What is the Muggle way of finding someone?" asked Sirius. "I need Hermione Granger's help."
"She would know. I think Harry might as well. What do you know about Nell Lawson?" asked Remus. Other than her name and her title as Fiona's godmother, Remus didn't know much more.
"She's a Muggle doctor. Her father is a Muggle and a doctor. She decided to follow in his footsteps because her family's always had doctors in it. I don't know how to even start looking in the Muggle world for them. California is the most populous state in the US. I haven't got a clue where they are in California, Remus," said Sirius.
"Hermione might be able to come up with something, Sirius. But, what are you going to do if you find them?" asked Remus.
"What do you mean?" asked Sirius cautiously.
"Your daughter's been without you for her whole life. I don't think you should push things," said Remus.
"I know. I have to protect her. I'll find a way to do it," said Sirius.
"What about her godmother? Can we trust her?" asked Remus.
"Yes. I'll trust Thalia's judgment. She hasn't been wrong yet. It's easier to find Nell Lawson than it is to find Fiona. I don't want her to think that she's alone without her mother," said Sirius. Once again Sirius was putting his freedom on the line. "I haven't been there her whole life, Remus. I have to be there, even if she doesn't know it."
"Do you think she knows anything yet?" asked Remus.
"I don't know. If she does, it's better. I don't want her to hate me, Remus," said Sirius. It was his fear. He didn't want his daughter to hate him.
"I don't think she's going to hate you. She doesn't even know you," said Remus.
"I know a lot about her already. Thalia wrote almost everything down in her diary. I know that Fiona has a sweet tooth. She likes to play the piano, violin, and guitar. She took karate instead of ballet. She also does archery. She loves dogs and horses, but she's afraid of snakes," said Sirius.
"Dogs? Well, that gives you a chance. I didn't think that an heir of Slytherin would be afraid of snakes, Sirius," said Remus thoughtfully.
"She speaks Parseltongue like her mother. She has magic in her, Remus," said Sirius. He would have taken her if she was squib. She was his baby. He was already proud of her. Remus could hear the paternal pride on Sirius' voice.
"It's going to take a lot to win her over," said Remus thoughtfully.
"I won her mother over," said Sirius with a slight smile. He did. It took a while to do that. It was a challenge to win over Thalia.
"Remember, Sirius, she's also part of you. Do you think that will make it easier?" asked Remus.
"I don't know. I suppose not," agreed Sirius. "I'll contact you soon."
Sirius let the fireplace dim on its own. He found himself reading Thalia's diary again. He noticed that it smelled like gardenias. He read a passage about Fiona two years back.
"The news from England sounds good. Sirius' managed to break of Azkaban. It's amazing. I don't know where he's gone now. I think he's probably gone to look for Harry Potter. I hope both of them are fine. It's been so long since I've talked to Sev. I haven't seen him since the day he dropped me off to go to America.
Fiona decided to take archery. I have to buy her a bow and some arrows. The instructor was impressed with her. So, many lessons to pay for. Luckily, there are some dance productions coming up. I can direct some productions for some extra cash. She's turning into Robin Hood. I think Sirius would find it amusing. He'd probably volunteer for William Tell for her. I must go now. I have to get up early and drop her off at school. Nell is due back from San Francisco in the afternoon. I'm going to pick her up at the airport. I wonder how she feels about the news from England…"
Sirius' thoughts perked up at the mention of San Francisco. He turned a few pages back and found out that Nell was from San Francisco and that was where her father's medical practice was. San Francisco was still a large place to search, but at least Sirius had an idea of where Fiona was.
*
Dr. Richard Lawson and his wife, Laura, were preparing some dinner at their townhouse in San Francisco. Dr. Lawson was a Muggle doctor who adored his wife and only daughter. Both women were witches. They were both talented and beautiful women. Tonight, he was going to meet his daughter's goddaughter again. The Lawsons came to Virginia often to visit their daughter and to spend time with Fiona.
"Now, go easy on Nell and Fiona. They've had a hard time," said Laura. "We have to make them feel at home."
"Does Fiona go to school for wizards?" asked Richard.
"No. She was raised as a Muggle, but she's still a witch. Her mother just died. It was You-Know-Who that killed her," said Laura grimly.
"It's unbelievable that anyone would murder their own daughter," whispered Richard. He knew about the dealings of the wizarding world. It was hard for him to understand that Voldemort was evil. It was a hard concept for any Muggle to understand, but after hearing about the murder of Thalia Black, he didn't have any trouble understanding anymore. Voldemort was a man willing to give up anything for power, even his own flesh and blood.
"Nell is worried about her. She's losing weight and not sleeping at night," said Laura worriedly.
"Losing weight? Is she still that skinny little girl I remember?" asked Richard.
"Yes. She's tiny enough as it is," said Laura with a sigh.
"Where is her father? He should be here with her," said Richard, suddenly. He knew very little about Fiona's father. Laura and Nell never explained Sirius Black to him.
"He can't be with her. He's—" said Laura when the door was unlocked. Nell came in followed by Fiona.
"Mom. Dad. We're here. What's for dinner?" asked Nell as she walked in. Her mother hugged her followed by her father.
"You're over thirty and you still ask what's for dinner whenever you come," remarked Richard. "Fiona, why don't you sit down?"
Fiona nodded as she walked to the couch and sat down. Laura looked at Nell who nodded. Richard walked up to Fiona. "We heard. I can't say how sorry I am, honey," whispered Richard. He always thought of himself as a grandfather to Fiona. He placed his hand on Fiona's shoulder. He was also the only man Fiona really trusted.
"Mom, I'll help you in the kitchen," said Nell as she went off to the kitchen without waiting for her mother.
"Dinner will be on soon, sweetie," said Laura. "I made strawberry cheesecake for dessert." She joined Nell in the kitchen.
"See what I was talking about?" asked Nell as she started to cut the vegetables to put it into the pot.
"I saw. Nell, how are you holding up? You look like you haven't slept in days. You haven't let yourself grieve. You just lost your best friend," whispered Laura.
"I can't worry about myself, Mom. Fiona needs me to be strong. She didn't cry after her mother died. She just shut her emotions down," said Nell as she started to cut the vegetables in larger chunks without care. "I can't stop. I c—" she started sobbing. She placed the knife down on the cutting board.
Laura placed her hands on Nell's trembling shoulders. "I know. I know," whispered Laura.
"I promised Thalia that I would protect her in case anything happened. I don't like all this hiding. Her father was not the person Thalia was hiding from. It was her grandfather. I can't even get myself to say his name. How can I be brave enough to fight him to protect Fiona?" asked Nell. She was trembling from stress and fear.
"We cannot let Voldemort scare us, Nell. If he does just that, he wins," whispered Laura as she wrapped her arms around her daughter.
"So, Nell told you about your father and grandfather?" asked Richard with a heavy sigh. Fiona gave him a weak nod. He was worried about her. Fiona was the closest thing he had to a granddaughter. Thalia and Nell were practically sisters. Richard felt sick when he heard about what had happened to Thalia. As far as he was concerned, Voldemort was more than just evil; he wasn't human.
"I feel bad. I was bad that day. I disrupted the chemistry class. I had to bring home a note for her to sign. I wasn't very good. I don't know. Trouble seems to follow me, but Mom never really yelled that often. The only time I remember her yelling was the time I threw the ballet slippers out the window when I was six. I just ran off," said Fiona with a sad smile.
"Yes, I remember. Your mother told us. You ran off declaring, 'No ballet. No ballet. No ballet.' She loved that spark of yours. Children always give their parents a hard time, Fiona. It's just the natural order of things. You weren't bad. You were just trying to express yourself. As for the things at school, those were just accidents. Your mother knew that," said Richard in a reassuring voice with his gray eyes twinkling with amusment.
"Thank you, Dr. Lawson," whispered Fiona as she gave him a weak smile.
He was just grateful to see her dimples. She didn't really smile, so that's all he could see.
*
The next morning Remus summoned Harry, Hermione and Ron to his office. Sirius told Harry he could tell Hermione and Ron about what happened. Ron was more shocked than Hermione. "A daughter? Sirius has a daughter? How did that happen?" asked Ron incredulously.
"How do you think? Didn't you have that talk with your mother?" asked Hermione with some amusement. Ron's face turned red all the way up to his ears.
"Well…of course, I know that. What I meant was why didn't Sirius say anything sooner? Didn't Professor Lupin know?" asked Ron.
"No, he didn't. Sirius didn't even know. He was sent to Azkaban before she was born," said Harry.
"That must have been so hard for Sirius' family. I never thought of him having a family," whispered Hermione.
"That's what I meant before," said Ron.
"His family is hiding from Voldemort," said Harry. Ron and Hermione winced at the mention of Voldemort. They didn't bother to correct Harry anymore. "He killed Sirius' wife," he added.
Ron paled over to the point that his freckles showed up darker. Hermione's jaw dropped, but she closed it again. There was news from outside Hogwarts about the increased attacks by Death Eaters. "I heard it myself. I had a nightmare, but it was real. He did it himself," said Harry slowly.
"What does Professor Lupin need me for?" asked Hermione.
"He needs your expertise with Muggle technology," answered Harry.
"What for? Harry, I don't use Muggle technology unless I'm back home with my parents," said Hermione with a raised eyebrow.
"Sirius' family was living in Virginia, but his daughter was moved to California. Her guardian is a Muggle doctor, but she's a witch. Sirius needs to know where his daughter is. He thinks that they're still in the Muggle world," said Harry.
"Must be hard to be in the Muggle world," commented Ron.
"Well, if she's learning magic, it is. We have to get far enough from Hogwarts and Hogsmeade to be able to use an internet connection," said Hermione thoughtfully. She was referring to how magic interfered with Muggle electronics.
Harry didn't mention Fiona's family. He didn't want Ron and Hermione to judge her ahead of time. He wanted her to have a chance. They finally arrived at Professor Lupin's office to find him patiently waiting for them. He smiled at all of them pleasantly.
"How are all of you today?" asked Remus.
"Fine," said Harry.
"I'd like to see how Muggles find each other," said Ron.
"We have to get far away from the magic to do that," said Hermione.
"Yes, we'll be taking a portkey to the closest Muggle city with the technology you'll need. Professor Dumbledore has approved it. We'll be taking the weekend to do it," said Remus.
The three friends nodded solemnly. For Remus, it reminded him of his days as a student. They reminded him of the days when he didn't have a care in the world. "Don't worry, Hermione. You'll get extensions on all of the assignments that are due on Monday. For all three of you. Professor Dumbledore arranged it," he added. He remembered thinking about due dates for assignments while Sirius and James only cared about planning the next adventure they'd get themselves into. Remus didn't bother to think of Peter.
"Thanks, Professor Lupin," said Ron happily.
"Come along. We must take a portkey to go off the grounds," said Remus.
The three of them had little time to pack and go. Draco Malfoy watched from a distance as the DADA professor and the trio went off. He wondered where they were going, so he slipped on his cloak of invisibility and followed them. He saw them vanish through the portkey. A smirk glided across his face. There was one portkey left on the ground. Potter and Weasley grabbed the same portkey at the same time and took off with it.
Dumbledore must have allowed Potter and the rest to leave, but why? Granger wouldn't just leave with all those assignments due next week. Lupin has to come back to teach the class, and the full moon just passed. Weasley goes wherever Potter and Granger go. The port key must lead somewhere, but where?, thought Draco. He took off his cloak after fifteen minutes. The portkey was a silver spoon on the ground. It seemed to beckon him towards freedom.
It was his only way out. He heard the voices of Crabbe and Goyle searching for him. Then he heard the shrill voice of Pansy Parkinson, "I think Draco went outside. We should go and get him. He's been alone too much." The sound of her voice sent a wave of panic through him. He put the cloak back on.
"I thought he went here," said Pansy. Draco stood still, willing the three of them to move along. He held his breath. The three of them walked near him. "I could have sworn he went out here. Do you suppose he went to go practice flying?" she asked.
"Um…" started Crabbe, but he trailed off.
Idiots, thought Draco. He had to bite his lip to keep himself from saying it out loud. Please don't let them see that portkey. Please.
"Let's go there," said Goyle after some time passed. Draco wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but kept quiet.
"Oh, Draco!" called off Pansy as she went off ahead of Goyle and Crabbe. The two boys followed after her.
Draco stood still longer than he had to. He didn't bother to take off the cloak. Instead, he walked up to the silver spoon, and in a moment he was pulled away from Hogwarts grounds. Little did Draco know he was also being watched.
"Looks like it's starting, Severus," said Professor Dumbledore as they watched the silver spoon vanish into thin air.
"Do you think this is wise?" asked Severus.
"We'll have to see. We must save both of them," said Professor Dumbledore. His blue eyes sparkled with anticipation.
AN: Thalia refers to Severus as Sev. It's a term of endearment. ^_^ Draco's made a break for it, while Remus, Harry, Hermione, and Ron try to figure out where Fiona and Nell are. Sirius is still trying to prepare himself for the eventually meeting with Fiona. It should happen soon. Fiona's personality proves to be more complex than I initially planned. Heck, look at her parents. Think of Thalia's initials before she got married (TMR…^_^). I'm playing with names like JK Rowling does. I was thinking of a strange omake or clip thing like, Fiona at the age of one and a half with her father (if it wasn't a serious fic):
Sirius: Daddy…
Fiona: Padfoot!
Sirius: No. That's what grown ups call me. It's Daddy for you.
Fiona (thinking really hard): Dad…
Sirius: That's it!
Fiona (smiling, giggling): DADFOOT!
Sirius: @_@
Just some random silliness on my part and something I remembered from The Simpsons. I will most likely show the relationship that Sirius and Thalia had. Is Sirius ready for fatherhood? We'll see. Thanks to IvyDragon for editing.
Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, I would be rich. I am poor. Therefore, I don't own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter.