Chapter Twenty: Sirius' Fear
Sirius awoke with a start down by the lake. The last thing he remembered, he had changed form and fallen asleep crying in his niece's bed. Now he was standing next to her by the lake. Rather than be angry with her for the sudden movement, he grabbed her and hugged her tightly. Nobody had told him what was going on with her since she nearly died.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again."
"I won't Uncle Sirius. I promise."
"Are you okay?"
"I will be. I feel safer now than I did when I slit my wrist."
"Why would you do something like that Honey?"
"Because I would rather die than deal with Malfoy again."
"I'll kill him. Nobody can hurt you. Nobody."
"You don't have to. He is with the Dementors and Draco's been expelled."
"How?"
"Well, when I slit my wrist, Severus used the Veritaserum on me when I awoke so he could get custody of me. I told the truth and Grandfather had the Malfoys arrested."
"That's good. You scared the hell out of me."
"I'm sorry."
"I thought I was going to lose you."
"Not that easily."
"You sound just like your mother. It scares me sometimes."
"Why?"
"Because your mother used to wish she was dead at times. When things would get bad and she was stuck in the middle. She hated having to pick sides. So when things got very bad and James and I put pressure on her about not being with Eric, she used to wish for death."
"I never knew."
"I know. But it scared me with her and it scares me with you even more."
"Why does it scare you more with me?"
"Because I'm worried that nobody would be able to stop you if you became determined. I knew with your mother, that whoever put the least amount of pressure on her at the time could stop her. Like if James and I put a lot of pressure, Eric or Remus could stop her. If Eric did it, James, Remus and I could stop her. I don't know if you have that and I don't think we are close enough for me to stop you."
By this point Sirius was crying. He felt helpless. He couldn't save Delilah and now he was terrified that he wouldn't be able to save her daughter, her only child, his only connection to her.
"Come give me a hug Sirius."
Sirius walked over hugged her and cried on her shoulder.
"I wish we could both see Mum before she died one last time."
Things started to get fuzzy and Sirius got nervous. Sirius looked up at Clarice and saw that she had a smirk on her face. He realized then she knew what was going on and was actually responsible for it.
"Clarice, what's going on?"
"Shh. I need to concentrate or we'll get hurt...and don't let go of me."
It looked like she was going to Apparate the two of them somewhere. When things became clear again, they were no longer at Hogwarts. Sirius wasn't too worried. Then he saw Clarice standing next to him...and in her playpen.
"Clarice how did you-"
"I'm not sure how, but I've done this before. I've just never come back this far."
"We're at your parents' house."
"I figured. I can recognize myself as a baby."
"What if your parents come in?"
"I don't know. I mean, I just told you, I've never come back this far before."
"Maybe you should bring us back."
"If this is Mum and Dad's house, I want to see them before I do. Maybe talk to them."
"I don't know if that's a good idea. What if they panic and kill us both?"
"I don't think it would be abnormal for you to visit your sister."
"I'm still nervous. What are you going to do?"
"I want to see my Mum and Dad."
Sirius knew it was pointless to fight. She had made up her mind. She was just as stubborn as Eric and Delilah. He was terrified, but would not fight. If he remembered correctly, the time traveling came from the Potter-Black genes. However, nobody realized she could do this...if this passed on to her, than she could do other things as well. Things that Eric could do because of Lord Voldemort. He would just ride it out and see.
"Fine."
As if on cue, Delilah walked into the bedroom. She had long dark brown hair tied in a ponytail at the top of her head. She had very pretty brown eyes, and looked to be no more than twenty-two. She wore pale blue robes that just brought out her hair and eyes more than they stood out already. She looked just like Clarice had imagined. Delilah was shocked to see her older brother and had no idea who his friend was.
"Sirius. Why didn't you just knock on the door?"
Sirius looked like he was going to cry. Clarice felt like she would.
"I was in a rush to see you."
"Are you alright? Did you have a fight with Janice again?"
"No, I'm just glad to see you."
"You act as if you haven't seen me in ages."
At this point, Clarice cut into the conversation.
"He hasn't."
"Hi, I'm Delilah. Obviously my brother has forgotten his manners."
"I know who you are."
"So, what's your name?"
"You see your daughter?"
"Yes," replied Delilah hesitantly.
"I am your daughter when she is fifteen."
Delilah didn't look surprised but she looked as if she might faint.
"ERIC!!!!"
Eric came running into the room to see what was wrong with his wife. Eric was taller than his wife and was wearing dark blue robes that made his eyes shimmer. His auburn hair was just like his father's, only shorter. He was very handsome and Clarice felt like she wanted to have him hold her and tell her everything was going to be okay. Eric seemed to be annoyed at Sirius' unannounced appearance in his bedroom.
"Sirius. Why have you scared Delilah this time?"
"Don't be angry with him, please. I can't stand the idea of you two fighting anymore."
"I'm sorry. We haven't been introduced. I'm Eric Dumbledore. You would be?"
"Clarice Dumbledore...at the age of fifteen."
Sirius awoke with a start down by the lake. The last thing he remembered, he had changed form and fallen asleep crying in his niece's bed. Now he was standing next to her by the lake. Rather than be angry with her for the sudden movement, he grabbed her and hugged her tightly. Nobody had told him what was going on with her since she nearly died.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again."
"I won't Uncle Sirius. I promise."
"Are you okay?"
"I will be. I feel safer now than I did when I slit my wrist."
"Why would you do something like that Honey?"
"Because I would rather die than deal with Malfoy again."
"I'll kill him. Nobody can hurt you. Nobody."
"You don't have to. He is with the Dementors and Draco's been expelled."
"How?"
"Well, when I slit my wrist, Severus used the Veritaserum on me when I awoke so he could get custody of me. I told the truth and Grandfather had the Malfoys arrested."
"That's good. You scared the hell out of me."
"I'm sorry."
"I thought I was going to lose you."
"Not that easily."
"You sound just like your mother. It scares me sometimes."
"Why?"
"Because your mother used to wish she was dead at times. When things would get bad and she was stuck in the middle. She hated having to pick sides. So when things got very bad and James and I put pressure on her about not being with Eric, she used to wish for death."
"I never knew."
"I know. But it scared me with her and it scares me with you even more."
"Why does it scare you more with me?"
"Because I'm worried that nobody would be able to stop you if you became determined. I knew with your mother, that whoever put the least amount of pressure on her at the time could stop her. Like if James and I put a lot of pressure, Eric or Remus could stop her. If Eric did it, James, Remus and I could stop her. I don't know if you have that and I don't think we are close enough for me to stop you."
By this point Sirius was crying. He felt helpless. He couldn't save Delilah and now he was terrified that he wouldn't be able to save her daughter, her only child, his only connection to her.
"Come give me a hug Sirius."
Sirius walked over hugged her and cried on her shoulder.
"I wish we could both see Mum before she died one last time."
Things started to get fuzzy and Sirius got nervous. Sirius looked up at Clarice and saw that she had a smirk on her face. He realized then she knew what was going on and was actually responsible for it.
"Clarice, what's going on?"
"Shh. I need to concentrate or we'll get hurt...and don't let go of me."
It looked like she was going to Apparate the two of them somewhere. When things became clear again, they were no longer at Hogwarts. Sirius wasn't too worried. Then he saw Clarice standing next to him...and in her playpen.
"Clarice how did you-"
"I'm not sure how, but I've done this before. I've just never come back this far."
"We're at your parents' house."
"I figured. I can recognize myself as a baby."
"What if your parents come in?"
"I don't know. I mean, I just told you, I've never come back this far before."
"Maybe you should bring us back."
"If this is Mum and Dad's house, I want to see them before I do. Maybe talk to them."
"I don't know if that's a good idea. What if they panic and kill us both?"
"I don't think it would be abnormal for you to visit your sister."
"I'm still nervous. What are you going to do?"
"I want to see my Mum and Dad."
Sirius knew it was pointless to fight. She had made up her mind. She was just as stubborn as Eric and Delilah. He was terrified, but would not fight. If he remembered correctly, the time traveling came from the Potter-Black genes. However, nobody realized she could do this...if this passed on to her, than she could do other things as well. Things that Eric could do because of Lord Voldemort. He would just ride it out and see.
"Fine."
As if on cue, Delilah walked into the bedroom. She had long dark brown hair tied in a ponytail at the top of her head. She had very pretty brown eyes, and looked to be no more than twenty-two. She wore pale blue robes that just brought out her hair and eyes more than they stood out already. She looked just like Clarice had imagined. Delilah was shocked to see her older brother and had no idea who his friend was.
"Sirius. Why didn't you just knock on the door?"
Sirius looked like he was going to cry. Clarice felt like she would.
"I was in a rush to see you."
"Are you alright? Did you have a fight with Janice again?"
"No, I'm just glad to see you."
"You act as if you haven't seen me in ages."
At this point, Clarice cut into the conversation.
"He hasn't."
"Hi, I'm Delilah. Obviously my brother has forgotten his manners."
"I know who you are."
"So, what's your name?"
"You see your daughter?"
"Yes," replied Delilah hesitantly.
"I am your daughter when she is fifteen."
Delilah didn't look surprised but she looked as if she might faint.
"ERIC!!!!"
Eric came running into the room to see what was wrong with his wife. Eric was taller than his wife and was wearing dark blue robes that made his eyes shimmer. His auburn hair was just like his father's, only shorter. He was very handsome and Clarice felt like she wanted to have him hold her and tell her everything was going to be okay. Eric seemed to be annoyed at Sirius' unannounced appearance in his bedroom.
"Sirius. Why have you scared Delilah this time?"
"Don't be angry with him, please. I can't stand the idea of you two fighting anymore."
"I'm sorry. We haven't been introduced. I'm Eric Dumbledore. You would be?"
"Clarice Dumbledore...at the age of fifteen."