Bittersweet
Sirius swirled the last of the tea around in his cup and looked up at his cousin.
"A Metamorphmagus, huh?" he heard his voice say, as if with mild interest. "That's a pretty powerful gift. Is she around?"
Andromeda Tonks stared at him levelly and sighed.
"She's out with Ted, Sirius, and I've already told you that twice, all right? What's the matter?"
Sirius made an indistinct sound and stared at the clumps of leaves at the bottom of his cup. "I'm just worried, is all. Andry, I don't know what to do. I don't know what I can do."
"You can look after yourself," she answered. "You're not the only one who's worried, I think Bellatrix might have known before she went over, and you know that He wants those with gifts of disguise. He's already looking for Animagi and Metamorphagi, it'll be a matter of time before he comes for my girl and I'm just -"
"Hey," Sirius said gently, leaning across the table and putting a hand on Andry's shoulder as she buried her face in her hands. "Hey, Andry, you know we've got wards all over the house. Voldemort can't get to you here. I promise."
"But before she turned, Sirius," Andry whispered, rubbing her eyes frantically, "before then, Nym knew her. She trusted her, we all did, and I'm just scared that maybe, maybe when Ted and I are asleep Bella might come back, come and take her from her bed. She could Floo here, you know she could. Or Narcissa could, I don't even know if she's turned since marrying that awful man, I don't know whether to trust her or - or what if I accused her and she really wasn't? They're my sisters, Sirius!" As if suddenly realizing something, she looked up at him. "Have you - have you heard anything from Regulus?" Her voice was suddenly quavering.
He grimaced and looked down into his empty cup again. "That would be sort of. . . difficult, Andry," he said, intending his voice to be bitter and harsh. But he hadn't expected the torn whisper that had just come from his mouth. He looked up, eyes suddenly dimmed.
Andry's hands were both over her mouth. "He - he's not -" Her eyes were wide and horrified.
Sirius looked away again and nodded.
"How?"
"I don't know." Now his teeth were clenched and there was a heat behind his eyes, burning, burning, and only water could put it out.
There was a long, long silence. Then Andry held out her hand, determined to change the topic, or perhaps unable to think about what she had just learned. "Give me your cup."
He handed it to her numbly. She stared at it for a few moments and he didn't watch, now studying the table instead. She scribbled a bit on the edge of a napkin and studied it.
"You're in trouble," she said quietly. "Oh, Sirius, this is awful."
"I don't know whether or not to believe that stuff, Andry," he said, his throat dry. "It's just tea leaves."
"Sirius, please listen to me. You've got the cross - suffering, difficult times ahead, but in conjunction with the arrow it could be worse. Sirius, it could mean betrayal."
"Remus," Sirius muttered, and looked away. "He's in the circle. He must be. Dumbledore said that one of us. . ."
"And you're sure it's not Peter?" She was definitely uncertain.
Sirius laughed. "Listen, I don't mean to sound cruel, but I don't know why he was put in Gryffindor. I don't think he has the nerve, and Remus. . .there are some things that the Dark Lord has to offer for people. . .people like him."
"Don't, Sirius," Andry said in a voice meant to be warning but ending up pleading. "You've got the scales, a battle and unsure fate. The circle - a situation where the choice doesn't affect the immediate outcome. And then you have the fire. You're under shadow, Sirius, you're in great danger and you've got to tread lightly."
Sirius stared at her, feeling suddenly sick and wishing that something could make sense.
Sirius swirled the last of the tea around in his cup and looked up at his cousin.
"A Metamorphmagus, huh?" he heard his voice say, as if with mild interest. "That's a pretty powerful gift. Is she around?"
Andromeda Tonks stared at him levelly and sighed.
"She's out with Ted, Sirius, and I've already told you that twice, all right? What's the matter?"
Sirius made an indistinct sound and stared at the clumps of leaves at the bottom of his cup. "I'm just worried, is all. Andry, I don't know what to do. I don't know what I can do."
"You can look after yourself," she answered. "You're not the only one who's worried, I think Bellatrix might have known before she went over, and you know that He wants those with gifts of disguise. He's already looking for Animagi and Metamorphagi, it'll be a matter of time before he comes for my girl and I'm just -"
"Hey," Sirius said gently, leaning across the table and putting a hand on Andry's shoulder as she buried her face in her hands. "Hey, Andry, you know we've got wards all over the house. Voldemort can't get to you here. I promise."
"But before she turned, Sirius," Andry whispered, rubbing her eyes frantically, "before then, Nym knew her. She trusted her, we all did, and I'm just scared that maybe, maybe when Ted and I are asleep Bella might come back, come and take her from her bed. She could Floo here, you know she could. Or Narcissa could, I don't even know if she's turned since marrying that awful man, I don't know whether to trust her or - or what if I accused her and she really wasn't? They're my sisters, Sirius!" As if suddenly realizing something, she looked up at him. "Have you - have you heard anything from Regulus?" Her voice was suddenly quavering.
He grimaced and looked down into his empty cup again. "That would be sort of. . . difficult, Andry," he said, intending his voice to be bitter and harsh. But he hadn't expected the torn whisper that had just come from his mouth. He looked up, eyes suddenly dimmed.
Andry's hands were both over her mouth. "He - he's not -" Her eyes were wide and horrified.
Sirius looked away again and nodded.
"How?"
"I don't know." Now his teeth were clenched and there was a heat behind his eyes, burning, burning, and only water could put it out.
There was a long, long silence. Then Andry held out her hand, determined to change the topic, or perhaps unable to think about what she had just learned. "Give me your cup."
He handed it to her numbly. She stared at it for a few moments and he didn't watch, now studying the table instead. She scribbled a bit on the edge of a napkin and studied it.
"You're in trouble," she said quietly. "Oh, Sirius, this is awful."
"I don't know whether or not to believe that stuff, Andry," he said, his throat dry. "It's just tea leaves."
"Sirius, please listen to me. You've got the cross - suffering, difficult times ahead, but in conjunction with the arrow it could be worse. Sirius, it could mean betrayal."
"Remus," Sirius muttered, and looked away. "He's in the circle. He must be. Dumbledore said that one of us. . ."
"And you're sure it's not Peter?" She was definitely uncertain.
Sirius laughed. "Listen, I don't mean to sound cruel, but I don't know why he was put in Gryffindor. I don't think he has the nerve, and Remus. . .there are some things that the Dark Lord has to offer for people. . .people like him."
"Don't, Sirius," Andry said in a voice meant to be warning but ending up pleading. "You've got the scales, a battle and unsure fate. The circle - a situation where the choice doesn't affect the immediate outcome. And then you have the fire. You're under shadow, Sirius, you're in great danger and you've got to tread lightly."
Sirius stared at her, feeling suddenly sick and wishing that something could make sense.
