Hey, why have some of my reviews disappeared! * cries like a baby *
Thank you reviewers!!!!!!
Oh, you lot like to ask questions don't you?! You're supposed to keep reading, I can't just tell you.
Wintermoon: I think this chapter should answer most of your questions. Thank you for reviewing, glad you're enjoying!
Hermione 'db': Thank you for reviewing my intro page(?!) I assure you that you are the only person who has done so up until now. As we decided no one (but us) would be silly enough to marry a werewolf so yes, Lupin still lives at home in the room Sirius has (although he is now at H'warts) Not sure what you mean about 'S' and 'M', have we had this conversation? I am extremely slow!
Luna Elentari: Thank you for coming back! I'm very flattered by your comments! Well, of course I cannot tell you who Ebony's dad is, but, rest assured, it is not Mr Lupin. Mrs Lupin doesn't want to hear Ebony's name because , like her son, she doesn't think it would be good for Sirius or his sister if he were to try and find her. Trust me, if you read on it'll all fall into place.
Polkat: Er, I'm not sure where your review has gone but it was about Belle Reve right? Well done for knowing that it came from A Streetcar Named Desire (I should prob stick a disclaimer in here- Tennessee Williams owns the name Belle Reve-not me) Just trust me on the mane, it'll come together and from my memory I don't think it was a happy place for Blanche either.
...
Ebony
Sirius lay awake for most of that night. He was sickeningly nervous over the impending visit to his old house but it was Ebony that concerned him the most.
It was a stormy, Spring night back in 1979. Latia Black lay uncomfortably in a bleak hospital ward, her husband was nowhere to be seen. Her son, Sirius, sat by her side nursing her new-born baby daughter. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't bare to watch, she couldn't bear to look at the child that had cost her so much.
Demetris had been livid when he was told of his wife's pregnancy, for two whole months the once happy couple had not so much as glanced at each other. The atmosphere within the family home had been unbearable. After much interference from Sirius the pair began to talk again, but never on the subject of the baby. Demetris never spoke of the baby and Latia only did so to confirm that the baby was not her husband's. There had never been any discussion of aborting the baby. Sirius was under the impression that his father was keen to keep the baby, if only to provide his wife with a constant reminder of her infidelity. It was not clear why Latia had been unfaithful, the Black's had always been
so happy, but who can ever judge the workings of a woman's mind.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
'He's trying to punish me' Latia thought sadly as she turned the back of her head to her children.
Two hours after Ebony's birth Demetris Black finally apparated within the hospital ward. Sensing that his parents wanted to be alone, Sirius carried his sister into a nearby waiting room.
The room was cold and bare, the sound of the Black's arguing echoed through the walls.
'I told you I wanted nothing to do with the thing!' Demetris roared.
'You made me have it!' His wife protested loudly.
Sirius tried hard to block it out. Although he did not approve of his mother's actions he could not hold them against an innocent child.
Looking down at the small bundle in his arms he could hardly believe she was there. At twenty one he had long given up on ever having a sibling.
It didn't matter to him who the child's father was. She was his mother's daughter and that was all he cared about.
The baby, to him, was perfect, her tiny little hands wrapped around his index finger as he lightly stoked her soft, pink cheeks. The colour of her eyes was impossible to make out through their heavy, weary lids but she had a fine covering of black hair over her smooth head. As the child began to stir and cry Sirius rocked her gently, her tiny frame lost in his big, strong arms.
'Shhh' he whispered gently 'Don't cry, come on, there's a good girl.'
It was there, in that deserted hospital waiting room that Sirius and Ebony sealed their first sibling bond.
On returning to Belle Reve the atmosphere had pretty much returned to the state it had held during the first months of Latia's pregnancy. Stormy. Demetis had not yet looked at the baby, let alone held it. Latia followed suit. She would not openly embrace her daughter for fear of annoying her husband. The baby became severely rejected. Demetris gave instruction for her to sleep on the third floor of the house, an area that served as an attic and contained nothing more than cardboard boxes.
Sirius had no choice but to look after the child. He made her bottles, changed her and took her out for walks. His fellow Marauders joked about his over-brotherly relationship with the child.
'She's a bit young, even by your standards!' Remus joked.
'You'll never pull with her around.' James piped up.
Sirius didn't care. The baby was now his number one priority, the lifestyle he had once lived had to be put on the back burner.
Three weeks had passes since the baby's birth and she had still not been named.
'She needs a name' Sirius told his mother as he rocked his sister to sleep in the family living room one afternoon.
Mrs Black flinched and gave a worried glance towards her husband who was reading the newspaper in the corner of the room.
'Her birth needs to be registered.' Sirius went on, ignoring his mothers discomfort.
'I haven't decided on a name.' Latia muttered under her breath, hoping that her husband wouldn't hear.
'Ebony.' Demetris grunted without looking up from his reading.
Sirius and Latia stared at him in bewilderment.
'What was that dear?' Latia asked unsurely.
'We'll call it Ebony.' Demetris repeated in annoyance.
A smile spread across Latia Black's face. Was this it? Was her husband finally accepting the baby? She felt a surge of relief. Finally everything was falling into place.
'That's a beautiful name Demi' she said, smiling across at her spouse.
'Yes' Demetris grunted 'Ebony Black, as Dark as they come.'
Latia's heart sunk. She left the room sobbing as her husband coldly continued reading, ignoring her cries.
From that day forth the name 'Ebony' stuck, mainly because Demetris refused to acknowledge her by any other name. With the name in place life began to get much easier. The baby was no longer unpleasantly referred to as 'it', even though the name 'Ebony' served as a jibe. Demetris began to interact with his wife and son again although he still refused to have anything to do with the child. With the tension eased Latia felt more comfortable tending to her child which allowed Sirius more free time to spend with his friends.
Just as life began to get easier at Belle Reve tragedy struck.
Just seven months after Ebony's birth Demetris Black and his wife were killed. As a life-long Auror, Mr. Black had become one of Voldemorts targets and in the September of 1979 the Dark Lord succeeded in taking his life and he also took Latia out of spite. Fortunately Sirius and Ebony had not been present in the house that afternoon or they too would have been killed.
It was Sirius who found the body.
Not one month after Sonny Potter's death his own parents had been taken from him.
Through the darkest moments of his life it was Ebony that kept him together. He knew that had he not been responsible for his sister's welfare he would have sunk to depression, maybe even suicide. Sirius owed his life to his sister, she had kept him together, pulled him through even though she was not old enough to know it. In a way he owed his life to her father. He never would have imagined it but his mother's affair had saved him, it had provided him with the urge to fight.
After his parent's funeral Sirius vowed to raise Ebony alone. Even his wary friends had to admit he became the perfect father.
'Who would ever have thought it.' James had once joked 'Sirius Black, Chief Instigator of Trouble, has become the model parent.'
Sirius had to admit it. His adaptation to parenthood had even surprised himself. He dressed and fed the child each morning, kept her amused during the day, sent her to sleep each night, he was the perfect parent.
As Ebony began to grow Sirius was there to witness all of her finer moments. He felt her first tooth, heard her first word and watched her first steps. The child was the reflection of her mother, bubbly, energetic but extremely grizzly if she didn't get her own way. She had inherited her mother's dark skin and wavy black hair, however she had the most brilliant, blue eyes that could only have come from her father. It broke Sirius' heart to look into those eyes, they were the only thing that served as a reminder that the child was not his
James began to worry that Sirius' bond with his sister was becoming unhealthy.
'She isn't your daughter.' he warned his best friend. 'You have a life to lead too. You need to find your own wife and start your own family.'
James just didn't understand. Ebony was a full time job, there was no way Sirius had time to lead the life he once had, even if he had wanted too. Due to his hefty inheritance Sirius was in a comfortable financial position, he did not need to work to support himself or Ebony. There was nothing to hold him back, he and Ebony would be together forever.
That was until Azkaban.
The only thing Sirius had that the Azkaban Dementors could feed upon were his memories of Ebony.
They took each and every one of them.
The memories of her first words and steps were the first to go. Followed by the memory of her voice and even the memory of her face.
Sirius had planned holidays with James and Lily, they were going to take Ebony and baby Harry to the beach. Lily and James were gone now but even those useless memories were sucked away. Soon all Sirius was left with were concerns for Ebony and for his godson Harry.
After Sirius' arrest Ebony was taken into a Magical Care Home and was later adopted by a couple who could not have children of their own. Upon his release this was the only information Sirius had been provided with concerning his sister. Dumbledore and Remus had both advised against him trying to contact Ebony. She had been three years old when Sirius had been taken away. It was possible she had forgotten about him. It was unlikely that her new parents would have talked to her about her 'dangerous' brother.
Sirius didn't care.
Surely she had the right to know.
Surely it is important for a child to know the truth about her past.
Ebony would be approaching eighteen now, certainly old enough to make her own choices. Sirius's mind flickered to thoughts of Harry. James's son was only eleven years old when he had learned the truth of his family. He had been angry that he had been told lies concerning his parents. Ebony would surely feel the same.
She had the right to know that another life existed for her, should she chose to accept it.
With his mind fixed on that thought Sirius drifted into a fitful sleep.