Unraveled
Chapter Ten: Tea For Two
A woman with dark mahogany hair sat at the high seat of the temple. It was a holy day for the Order. Many priests an priestesses traveled great distances to attend the festival known as Bel'ten. It was celebrated the same time as the festive of Hollow's Eve.
The woman was tall and elegant. Her hair was so dark it was almost black. Her eyes were amber and gold. Tonight's celebration was met with such sadness because she had a vision of things to come.
There was a darkness that was coming over the outside lands that threatened to consume them as well. Something had to be done to stop it. The darkness had a name: Voldemort. Many thought that the Order should directly attack, but that was not their way.
From their history, they knew better. The last time the Order involved themselves in something, it caused the fall of a great kingdom and the secrets of the Order to be scattered outward by one of their own priests.
The high Priestess, the woman with the dark mahogany hair, devised a plan. The plan had required the ultimate sacrifice from a woman. Her child. She looked at all of them with grave eyes. Many of the priestesses volunteered for the task. The high priestess thought that the sacrifice was too great for the regular priestesses and novices.
"I have decided who will make the sacrifice," said the high priestess as all the eyes looked onward. "I will be the one."
The rest of them could only bow at the decision. The high priestess had seen the vision of the future. It was drenched in death and green light. That is if the Order did nothing about it.
The high priestess watched from her place at the temple. She saw the child. She was frightened and backing away from the man who had called himself her father. The high priestess could not help, but feel pity for him.
She had spent many years watching this child. This child held the key to the end of Voldemort. She was only half of what it would take to stop him. The other child was safely tucked away in Hogwarts. The high priestess worried about this child and her mother. Her mother was killed by Voldemort, which only served to further anger the high priestess.
*
Sirius looked stricken. He had finally said that he was her father. She looked petrified of him. Her eyes were filling with tears. He wanted to reach out and comfort her, but he was the one giving her distress.
"Now, now, Fiona," said Ryu Ran in a sensible, no nonsense kind of voice.
"I'm sorry, Fiona, but he tricked me," said Nell. It was true, but Sirius didn't even tell Nell she was wrong just for the sake of it. He was too concentrated on Fiona.
Fiona was breathing deeply. Her heart was racing in her chest. "No. No. No. No," she started to repeat over and over again.
Sirius finally took the risk to touch her. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" cried Fiona as she pressed up against the wall. He pulled back at her words. He had never seen anyone act that way before towards him.
While Sirius stood there slightly stunned, Ryu Ran stepped forward and pulled Fiona to him. He was doing it gently. He was doing what a father would do to a scared child. Sirius' shoulders slumped inwardly as he watched them.
After a moment passed, Ryu and Fiona walked back. "All right, Fiona and her father will have tea, while Dr. Lawson and I go for a short walk," he said in an even tone as he kept his hands on Fiona's shoulders to prevent her from running off.
Nell's jaw dropped, but she quickly closed her mouth and nodded. Ryu Ran walked over to her and offered her his arm. She took it and walked off with him, but not before shooting a reassuring glance to Fiona.
Fiona stood absolutely still as if she were a doll again. Sirius said nothing because he didn't have anything to say. They both silently walked off to balcony of Ryu's flat that over looked the bay in San Francisco. There was tea prepared there. Sirius slid out Fiona's chair for her and allowed her to be seated. The least he could do was use the manners that his mother had taught him. His father also used to give him advice on how to deal with children. How Sirius wished he had listened to both of them, instead of saying that he wasn't going to have any. How ironic. His parents kept telling him how much of a pain he was, and that he would not understand it until he had a child of his own. And now, he was sitting across from her.
"Would you like some tea?" asked Sirius in the most pleasant voice he could master without sounding phony. He noticed that she automatically put a napkin on her lap like he did.
"Yes, please," said Fiona softly. Sirius poured her some tea.
"You must be hungry," said Sirius as he took a biscuit from the platter in front of them. He looked at her and studied her again. He couldn't help it because it was hard for him to believe that she came from him. How could something so wonderful come from him?
Fiona slowly picked up a biscuit and buttered it. "Are you Snuffles?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm Snuffles," said Sirius.
"Oh," said Fiona in a small voice. He made her look so stupid. She mentally added dogs to her list of things to avoid.
"There's a lot to talk about," said Sirius softly. "You look like your mother," he added. All he wanted her to do was smile like she had before. He couldn't stand to see her unhappy.
"Don't talk about her," snapped Fiona angrily. "You have no right to."
Sirius' parents would have never stood for such outright defiance. He stopped himself from frown. He had no right to discipline her either. "I am sure that you were taught some manners," he said in a calm tone as he held his temper. Time in Azkaban had taught him how to be patient.
Fiona's shoulders stiffen again. She knew that her mother would have already chided her for not acting appropriately. Fiona also realized that if she wanted to show how well she was brought up, then she would have to use her manners. She didn't have to like him, or even respect him, but she was going to have to be polite.
"My apologies," said Fiona stiffly.
Sirius nodded slightly. He noticed the way she tilted her chin. Yes, she was being polite, but he could still see the undercurrent of defiance that was there. Now that came from him. Sirius was not prepared for a battle of wills. He had a feeling her will was stronger than his. She got that from him and her mother.
"Your teacher seems very good," said Sirius.
"Yes, he is. And he's the one I want to teach me magic," said Fiona. The only thing she was doing that was impolite was not saying "Father" or some kind of title at the end of her sentences. It was a sign of respect, but Fiona was not about to give Sirius that. "I am his apprentice."
"His apprentice? What are you up to?" asked Sirius with interest; he was interested in anything she was doing.
"Just some martial arts. I'm a brown belt. I've been taking karate since I was six," said Fiona.
"Yes, I read about that," acknowledged Sirius. "What about your archery lessons?"
Fiona bit her lip. She didn't expect him to know a lot about her. She felt like she had a disadvantage. She didn't know anything about him, so she decided to turn the tables on him. "No, not as of yet. What about your schooling?" she asked coolly.
"I went to Hogwarts in England. It takes seven years there. If you were going there, you'd be a fourth year by now," said Sirius. "However, I think it's best if you do stick to one teacher who will be able to devote time and energy to you," he added.
"What did you learn to do? How do you change into a dog?" asked Fiona.
"The main areas of magic are Charms, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, and Transfiguration. There are other classes, but they are electives like Muggle Studies, Divination, or Arithmancy. What I did was advanced Transfiguration," said Sirius.
Fiona tried not to look lost or surprised. "It's not that hard to learn. I'm sure you can catch up," assured Sirius.
"Why? Because I'm supposed to be your daughter?" said Fiona bitterly.
"No, because you're your mother's daughter," said Sirius with a soft smile.
Fiona took a sip of her tea while thinking about what was going on. She finally got a good look at him. He was very tall. His hair was the same color and constancy as hers, thick and straight. His eyes were the color of sky blue, an alarming contrast between them and his hair. He was slim built, but muscular. Above all, he was handsome. No other man looked as handsome as he did. It was painful just to look at him.
"I'm short," she muttered softly into her tea.
"What?" asked Sirius.
"Nothing," muttered Fiona.
Sirius seemed to pick up on what she meant. She was only fourteen, but there was still hope for a growth spurt. She was shorter than other children her age, but she was more beautiful than people her age. She also carried herself with more elegancy and maturity than other people, including those older than her.
"You were a beautiful baby, too," commented Sirius.
"How would you know?" snapped Fiona.
He smiled as he pulled out the picture from his pocket. He slid it across the table to her. She took it from him, careful to avoid touching him. She looked at the picture for a moment. "I was a cute baby," she agreed.
There was that ego that Thalia wrote about. Sirius smiled slightly. Of course she was a cute baby; she was his baby. "What's that?" she asked.
Sirius had Thalia's diary on the table. He looked at it and handed it to her. "It's your mother's diary," he said softly.
"I didn't know that she kept one. Then again, there's a lot I didn't know about her. There's a lot I don't know about you. Or myself for that matter," said Fiona.
"Your mother wrote many things down for us to know about," said Sirius solemnly.
"Like what?" said Fiona as she pressed the book against her heart. Something caught Sirius' eye. It was the black crystal that hung from her neck.
"Where did you get that crystal?"
"Mom left it to me when she died."
"I see," said Sirius softly.
Sirius thought that the crystal was strange. Something about it didn't seem right to him.
*
Draco was still trying to find his way. He looked around to see. He saw a woman with brown hair that was up in bun walking with a man who was Asian. He recognized the woman as Fiona Black's guardian. Perhaps, if he followed them he would know where she had gone.
The man seemed to notice him immediately. "What are you planning to do with her lessons?" asked the woman.
"I was thinking we'd start off simply, but work quickly," said the man.
"She wants a piano. Now that she knows, I can get her a new one. I know that I was planning on getting her a keyboard, but it's electric. With the lessons starting, it's not a very good idea," said the woman.
"It isn't. Something not modern then," said the man. "As her teacher, I should get her something that will be of value to her."
Draco watched and heard everything they said. "Excuse me. I have to use the ladies' room, I'll be back in a moment," said Nell as she left the man.
As soon as she was gone, the man looked around and said, "Young man, what business do you have with us?"
Draco smirked slightly. The man was a wizard as well, but unlike any other wizard he had ever seen. The man carried himself with a dignity that even Draco had never seen before. He looked regal and holy at the same time. "You were sent here by Professor Dumbledore from Hogwarts. I can tell by your age and lack of skill. You are still a student," said the man with much amusement.
Draco narrowed his eyes at the man. How dare he presume that Draco was unskilled? "'The young dragon speak not,'" whispered the man.
"Who are you?" demanded Draco in a low tone.
"I am Ryu Ran," said the man with a mere nod of his head. Draco stepped back away from him. He could sense the power that was emanating from. It was unlike any power he had seen before. It was the same aura he could feel off Fiona Black. Draco had never sensed anything like it before. The man's aura was stronger, more noticeable than Fiona's.
"Draco Malfoy," whispered Draco.
"So, that's your name?" asked a female voice. Nell Lawson had returned, but Draco hadn't noticed.
Draco backed away from both of them. He doubted that his cunning would stand up to these two. They were adult, full trained wizards. The man had skills that Draco had never seen before, and he didn't want to risk going up against him.
"Come with us," said the man evenly. Draco found himself complying against his will. He didn't hear the spell for the Imperius Curse uttered, but his body was still following along. Nell watched with fascination because Ryu didn't have his wand out nor did she hear any spells uttered. What kind of power did this man hold? Why was he so eager to impart his knowledge to Fiona?
*
The high priestess was alone watching the pair at the tea. She smiled to herself as the man and the child spoke calmly together. She could tell that the man already loved the child with all his heart. The high priestess had wished it for the child's mother, but that had never happened. Thalia's father was incapable of loving anyone, even his own flesh and blood.
"Milady," said the voice of one of the novices.
The high priestess turned around to face the young woman. "Yes, what is it, Gwendolyn?" she asked her.
"How goes your day, Milady? Is the young mistress doing well?" asked the novice shyly.
"Yes, she seems well. Her father is having tea with her," said the high priestess. It was only she who could see the visions at such a great distance. With such power, came sacrifice. She was strictly forbidden from leaving the isle after her encounter with Voldemort more than twenty years ago.
"Her grandfather has plans for her. The child's promised has arrived. He is a child born of darkness like the child's mother," continued the high priestess.
"What of the other child?" asked Gwendolyn in thought.
"He is safe under the care of the Order of the Phoenix. The time draws near when we must make our formal pact with them, but not yet. Neither child is prepared for the task that is to come," said the high priestess.
Time is relative. I have waited for almost thirty-five years. The end is no where near the horizon. I can only do what I can, thought the high priestess.
"Do you think that the Merlinians will have trained the child under their care well enough to survive?" asked Gwendolyn.
"Yes, but you forget, he has already survived the Darkness before," said the high priestess. "His mother's protection will linger longer than the Darkness thinks. Even if he already has that protection, the child is already trained enough to survive another encounter with him. Also, as long as the head of the Merlinian school remains, the child will come to no harm."
"Our end has not been so fortunate, Milady," said Gwendolyn grimly.
"Nay, we have not, but we have made it this far. There is no turning back now," said the high priestess.
"Can we really trust the Merlinians? They are no better than the non-Magics," said Gwendolyn, unable to hide her bitterness.
"That is because you have never seen the real Merlinians," said the high priestess.
*
The rest of the tea went more slowly. Sirius liked just being with Fiona. He wanted to know everything about her, even the things that wasn't written in the Thalia's diary. "You are a very accomplished young lady. Other than your school and athletics, you also play music. What kind do you like?" asked Sirius.
"I like a little bit of everything. I'm classically trained. Mom wouldn't let me play anything else at home. It had to be Mozart or something like that. She wouldn't let me play jazz or blues at home. Or I had to wait until she went away. It was Aunt Nell who bought me other kinds of music to learn because she loved to play the guitar. She taught me how to play the guitar after Mom taught me how to play the piano and violin," said Fiona.
"I know how to play the piano. My mother, your grandmother, wanted me to be well versed in other things. And she thought that it would keep me out of trouble when I was younger, but when I started at Hogwarts, I still got into some mischief," said Sirius. He was trying his best not to sound proud of causing trouble.
"At least, you did it on purpose," said Fiona softly. "I do things by accident. Like the snakes at the zoo."
Sirius smiled at her comment. "Perhaps, it would be best if you were trained a little bit in your powers. However, what you did was extraordinary."
"Yes, I'm glad," said Fiona with sarcasm.
"What other instruments can you play?" asked Sirius.
"I don't know. I guess I dabble in a bit of everything. I wanted to learn the bagpipes at one point, but Mom said that the neighbors might complain. I think Mom didn't like them, so she talked me out of it," answered Fiona. "I can learn to play almost any instrument."
"Your mother was very musical. She also liked to dance, and that's why she became a teacher. But, I'm glad you showed some initiative and chose to take karate instead. It's more useful," said Sirius.
"Mom didn't think so at first. I tossed the ballet slippers she got me out the window. She was so mad at me. She made me have a time out all day on the Saturday after that. No piano, violin, or reading. Just sitting there and doing nothing," said Fiona with her dimples showing slightly.
Sirius didn't know if he should scold her for her past actions or be proud of her defiance. Just you wait, son. You might get a child like you, then you'll understand and be sorry for what your mother and I had to go through, said a voice in Sirius' head that sounded like his father. Who would have guessed that they would be right? He wanted to laugh at the irony. He probably should scold her for being proud of what she did.
"You shouldn't have not done that. Imagine what your grandfather would have done to you if he heard what you did," said Sirius.
Fiona looked up at him. "Voldemort? I don't call him my grandfather," said Fiona with a shake of her head. Her eyes felt watery, but she blinked the tears back.
"No, not him. I was talking about my father. My father would have never stood for that. You'd probably get a lecture from him. Of course, you were cuter than me as a child. And you're his granddaughter, not his son. You probably would have gotten way with just batting your eye lashes," mused Sirius out loud.
Fiona noticed that Sirius was talking about his father in a sad tone. "He's dead, isn't he?" she asked.
Sirius nodded. "So, is your grandmother. They never even got to see me get married. They never got to meet your mother. They were Aurors, and so am I," he said softly with a touch of pride in his voice.
"What's that?" asked Fiona.
"The family occupation. Aurors are the people who fight the Death Eaters and other dark forces. They are like soldiers. The Death Eaters are the ones who serve Voldemort. They're also families associated with the Dark Arts. The Blacks have served on the Aurors since the beginning," said Sirius.
That was a lot of information for Fiona to process. Before she knew nothing about her father and his family, and now she knew a lot. She had grandparents. "Do you have any siblings?" asked Fiona.
Sirius gave a brief nod. "I had an older brother. His name was Alexander. He died when I was just starting in Hogwarts. He was much older than me," he whispered.
The only people who understood the pressure that Sirius felt from his brother's death were James and Thalia. James helped Sirius get through Hogwarts. Thalia gave him stability after Hogwarts. Sirius' parents put all their hopes into Sirius. They would have died of shame if they hadn't died before Sirius was sentenced to Azkaban. The only family he had left was Fiona.
"Are you afraid of me?" whispered Fiona softly.
"Why would I be? You're my daughter. I'm afraid of other things," said Sirius. He didn't say what his fears were.
"Other people are. They think I'm strange. I'm not normal," whispered Fiona. "I just want to be normal." The last part was barely above a whisper, but she sounded so sad. Sirius want to give her a hug, but he knew that it was too soon to do that.
"What's so wonderful about being normal? I went out of my way to be strange growing up. And I was never really normal myself. Neither was your mother," said Sirius. "I think it's because you're living with the Muggles and comparing yourself to them."
"I'm not even normal around the wizards. They all hate Voldemort, and they're all going to hate me, too," said Fiona.
"That would be foolish of them. You're not Voldemort."
"But, part of me is," insisted Fiona.
"You are also a part of me and your mother," said Sirius. "It's just a small part of you that is Voldemort. Your mother had more of him in her, and she turned out to be better than me."
Fiona bit her lip. If she were a pup, she would have whined. Sirius thought about how Harry was like a fawn or a yearling to James' stag, so Sirius figured that Fiona would be a puppy to Sirius' dog. "Your birthday is coming up," said Sirius, deciding it would be best to change the topic.
"I'll be fourteen in March. It's only October. I just like using it against Aunt Nell," said Fiona.
"Yes, I know that," said Sirius.
"You don't have to get me anything," said Fiona immediately. "It doesn't matter. This is the first birthday without Mom. I don't feel like celebrating."
"This your first birthday with me," said Sirius as he looked to the side. He saw Nell and Ryu walk back in, but with someone else. Someone that Sirius had never seen before.
It was a boy who looked about Harry's age. He had platinum blonde hair and gray eyes. The eyes looked familiar to Sirius. Sirius' eyes narrowed at the boy with sheer contempt, alarming Fiona. "You must be young Mr. Malfoy," said Sirius in a formal tone.
Ryu waved his hand slightly, removing the spell he had over Draco. It took a moment before Draco returned to full consciousness. "What did you do to me?" demanded Draco to Ryu.
"A simple spell. If you know how to use it," said Ryu with a shrug.
"Who is this?" asked Fiona to Sirius.
"This is the son of a Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy. Now, boy, why don't you introduce yourself properly to my daughter?" asked Sirius. He stood up and walked over to Fiona. He was ready to hurt Draco if he tried anything.
"My name is Draco Malfoy, but I am currently working for Professor Albus Dumbledore," said Draco. He said the second part begrudgingly. Now that he said it out loud, he was an official part of the good side.
Sirius eyed him suspiciously. It was hard not for Draco to be a little nervous around the escaped convict. Draco did the only he could do: glare at him. Fiona didn't like either of them, but she had to pick one of them. She picked her father. "Don't do that," she snapped at Draco. Sirius smiled as he pulled her back behind him.
"Look, if I really wanted to, I would have already called for the Ministry of Magic here. You're an international criminal as far as everyone is concerned," said Draco to Sirius, ignoring Fiona.
Fiona was fuming. She wasn't about to be ignored by the blonde pipsqueak. She didn't care that he was taller and older than her. He was a skinny pipsqueak. She could easy knock him on his ass, if she wanted to. Or rather she wanted to, but her manners were still in place and she had to be civil. She didn't know why, but she already didn't like Draco Malfoy.
He was looking at her strangely. "Wait…you're the boy who was sitting on the wall outside of my school!" exclaimed Fiona in surprise.
"Took you long enough," said Draco cheekily.
Fiona didn't like the implication that she was stupid. At first, she thought he was a nice person, but she now knew that she was wrong. "What's going on?" she asked her teacher.
"Things are moving more quickly than expected," said Ryu knowingly.
"How did you get here?" asked Nell to Draco.
"A portkey that Professor Snape arranged for me," replied Draco.
"Who's he?" asked Fiona.
"One of your godfathers," replied Nell.
"What? How many godparents do I have?" asked Fiona.
"Three," answered Sirius.
Fiona thought for a moment, but she realized that only Nell and Professor Snape were accounted for. "Wait…who else?" asked Fiona.
"Remus Lupin. He's a friend of mine. I've known him since Hogwarts," answered Sirius.
"Oh," said Fiona.
Draco was glad to have the attention drawn away from him for the moment. He would have snuck out, but the teacher was looking at him with calm eyes that twinkled with amusement. Oddly enough, the man reminded Draco strongly of Dumbledore. He also seemed wise beyond his years. Draco couldn't help, but feel the beginnings of respect for the man. He could sense the power that came from him.
"Do you have a place to stay for the time being, Mr. Malfoy?" asked the man, redirecting everyone's attention to Draco once again.
Draco shook his head. He was supposed to find a hotel or something to stay in for the time being. He was using his own money for this, despite the offer from Professor Dumbledore.
"My name is Ryu Ran. I am a priest of a holy order of wizards and witches. You can stay with me for the time being," said the man. He said it in a way that gave Draco no choice.
Sirius thought that it was a good decision. He didn't want the young Malfoy anywhere near his daughter. Although, the boy had better manners than Sirius expected. However, Sirius could see the trademark Malfoy smirk on his face. He wasn't sure he could trust him.
"Now that we've settled something, we should all have some dinner," said Ryu Ran pleasantly with a smile.
Nell shook her head slightly. She wanted to see how fun this dinner was going to be. She glanced at Fiona who wanted to just get away from everyone. Sirius who wanted to keep Draco away from Fiona, but he wanted to stay with Fiona. Nell wanted to laugh out loud at the situation, but she kept her mouth shut. Ryu Ran had a look of amusement with laughter glittering in his eyes.
Now, things are getting interesting, thought Ryu Ran with a small smile.
AN: This is going to be one of the hardest stories I ever wrote. It's a complex fantasy story with influences from legends and other books. Who is the mysterious woman? What is her connection with Voldemort? Why does she watch Fiona and Sirius so closely?
By the way, I own the word, "Merlinians." The term will be further explained later. Just to make things clear, Fiona will learn a different kind of magic from what every other wizard and witch is learning. Another thing that might make this story go slowly is the time it takes to develop the characters and dive deeper into existing characters. I had to make up Sirius' past to see how he turned out the way that he does in the books. Also, just bring them together is a challenge. I keep trying to dive into the psyche of each of the characters, my own and J.K. Rowling's.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.