Chapter Fourteen: The Feng Huang.
'Sirius?'
Ursa tapped lightly on the bedroom door, one ear inclined, listening for any sound from inside the room.
'Sirius, are you okay?'
There was no answer. Ursa sighed and looked down at the cat sitting beside the door like a sentry. Cosmic mewed, staring hard at the door.
It had been several days since the Marauders had shown up. Since then, Sirius had all but cut himself off from everybody. Confining himself to his room all day, the only time he ever came out was to use the bathroom or to go down to the kitchen, and even then he barely said a word, eating in silence, and dutifully cleaning up before returning to his bedroom.
This self-imposed isolation had Ursa deeply concerned. This silent, miserable figure was little more than a ghost of the Sirius he used to be. He hadn't said a word for at least three days.
Determination born out of anxiety drove Ursa to try everything she could think of to get some kind of response from Sirius, but to no avail. No matter how many times she knocked, talked to him through the door, and even stuck her head out of her bedroom window in the hopes of getting Sirius to come to his own, he simply refused to acknowledge her. The curtains stayed drawn and he never said a word.
Even Cosmic was unable to get through to him. The window stayed shut and the few times that Cosmic had managed to slip inside when Sirius emerged briefly to go the bathroom, Sirius promptly put the cat back outside, shutting the door on him, something which the little animal was having a hard time understanding. Cosmic sat by the door all day long and refused to leave. The wood bore claw marks where the cat had vented his frustrations the day before.
Ursa knelt down beside the cat, stroking his silky fur.
'Don't suppose you know why he's doing this, do you?' she asked softly.
The cat only blinked up at her, then turned to stare at the door again.
'Ursa.'
Ursa looked up. Andromeda was standing at the top of the stairs.
'He still won't talk to me,' said Ursa sadly as she stood up.
Her mother gave an irate sigh.
'I've already told you, Ursa, if Sirius is determined to keep up this silly behaviour then you shouldn't encourage him by trying to get a response,' she said firmly. 'Just leave him. He'll come out eventually.'
Ursa nodded glumly, following her mother downstairs. Andromeda wasn't impressed by Sirius' decision to detach himself from the rest of the family, and she clearly wasn't in any hurry to coax him back.
Ursa went into the kitchen. Richard was sitting at the table, reading the newspaper. He looked up at her and smiled.
'Good morning, Ursa,' he said.
'Morning,' was the gloomy reply. Ursa silently made herself a bowl of cereal, sat down opposite Richard and started eating with about as much enthusiasm as any Hogwarts student at the start of an hour-long History of Magic lesson.
'Ursa, are you alright? You seem rather down lately,' said Richard, putting down the newspaper.
Ursa slowly looked up from her breakfast. Richard's kind face watched her from across the table.
'I'm okay,' she said, her voice toneless.
'Oh, come now, there must be something wrong,' Richard insisted gently.
Ursa didn't say anything for a moment. She sighed, putting her spoon back in the bowl.
'It's Sirius … he won't talk to me.'
Richard sighed heavily, the ghost of a smile flitting across his face.
'Well, there's no need to be so down about that. Sirius has to learn to follow rules … learn a bit of discipline … as soon as he learns his lesson I'm sure he'll speak to you again.'
'But why won't he talk to me?' Ursa's eyes were wide and confused. 'What did I do?'
'You didn't do anything wrong, sweetie,' said Richard firmly. 'I'm sure Sirius just needs some solitude for a while … to think about what he's done. He has to realise that he needs to take responsibility for his actions, and if he can't take the consequences … well, he needs to figure out the limits for himself and that's going to take a bit of time. Now cheer up. Don't let him get you down.'
Ursa just looked at him.
Richard continued to smile.
Ursa dropped her gaze to her cereal. It had gone soggy and looked even less appetising than when she had served it. Sullenly, Ursa got up.
'Aren't you going to finish that?' asked Richard.
'Not hungry.'
Without another word, Ursa left the kitchen. Back upstairs, she paused briefly outside Sirius' room, but when there was no sound from inside, she carried on down the hall to her room.
She sat down on the bed, thinking. Half-heartedly, she reached for the book on her bedside table. She absentmindedly flipped through the pages, but she soon put it back down. She didn't want to read and she didn't feel like meeting up with Bethany.
She got up and went to the window. The wind tousled her hair playfully as she stuck her head out, peering hopefully towards her brother's window. The curtains were still drawn. Her heart sank. This was the fourth day; surely he couldn't keep this up much longer?
Ursa retreated back into the room and went to the wall that divided her room from her brother's. Pressing an ear to the wall, she heard very little; there were a few faint noises of movement but nothing more than that.
Suddenly there came a knock on her door. Jerking away from the wall, Ursa turned as Richard's voice called, 'Ursa? May I come in?' He opened the door and stuck his head in.
Ursa sat back down on the edge of the bed. Reaching behind her for something to hold, her hand brushed over a soft toy. Pulling it into her lap, she realised that it was her panda; the one Sirius had won for her earlier that summer. Richard paused, eyeing the toy disapprovingly before coming over to sit beside her. He sank onto the mattress.
Ursa held the panda close, ignoring him.
'Ursa.'
Tentatively, she watched him out of the corner of her eyes. The beaming smile seemed slightly strained, but the tone of his voice remained as jolly as it always had been.
'Come on, now, there's no need for all this. It's a lovely day outside. Why don't you come with your mother and I to the park? Get out in the fresh air. It'll do you good.' He gestured to the window. The clear blue sky outside, alight with warm sunshine, did indeed look inviting. Ursa ran a hand over the soft fur of her panda. Some of the glitter rubbed off on her hands. She stared at it morosely.
'Can Sirius come too?'
Richard's face worked hard to keep that benign smile in place.
'Sirius is not invited,' he said in a pleasant but firm tone. 'When he starts acting like an adult, he will be treated as such.'
'He's lonely,' said Ursa softly, more to herself than to Richard. The panda's glass eyes gazed blankly up at her.
'That's his own fault,' said Richard. 'No one's forcing him to stay in his room. He's free to come and join us whenever he chooses. Clearly his choice is to stay away.'
'But … I don't understand why. He's never been like this before. Ever. I've tried to get him to talk to me but he won't answer.'
'Don't go running after him, Ursa,' Richard said sternly. 'Don't go enticing him back before he's learnt his lesson. If he breaks rules, he has to be punished for it.'
Ursa looked up at Richard, holding the panda close, wanting to ask which rules Sirius had broken exactly. It had never been a problem before for Sirius to go off to visit his friends. They all lived pretty far away so their mother gave him some leeway with curfews; why did Richard deem it necessary to change the rules?
Ursa frowned, gazing up into Richard's kindly face. His expression was pleasant enough, but it was as though the smile couldn't quite reach his eyes. Something wasn't right, and she knew it.
'Tell you what,' said Richard, draping an arm round her shoulders. 'I'll treat you to an ice cream; how's that?'
Ursa considered. An ice cream sounded particularly nice. She adored ice cream. Her mouth started watering at the very thought.
'A chocolate one?' she asked softly, knowing how Richard disproved of sweet things. 'With a flake?'
'And sprinkles if you want.' Richard was positively beaming. 'Come on, let's find your mother. I'm sure she'd love one, too.'
Forcing a small smile, Ursa hesitantly took the hand he offered her.
*
Rolling onto his back, Sirius stared up at the ceiling. The room was nicely shaded, but very warm and stuffy. The window hadn't been opened since yesterday. The air was stale.
The thought of going downstairs for a glass of water played on his mind, but he pushed the thought aside.
What was the point?
He couldn't seem do anything without getting into trouble.
It hadn't mattered so much when he'd been the one to get punished for it. Now it was different. A new set of rules had been lain down; rules that Sirius had no intention of breaking.
Sirius had lost count of the number of times that Ursa had tapped on the door, whispering to him. He never answered in the hope that she'd give up. It was better for her if she stayed away. So long as he wasn't in a position where he might break a rule, then she would be safe. It made sense.
Nevertheless, it was terribly lonely. It had taken a lot of self-control not to open up the window just to tell her … what? To leave him alone? That he was okay?
No. He couldn't. You had to play by the rules to win the game. Or, in this case, to keep another player safe. It was like a bad game of chess where the other player has captured all your most powerful pieces, leaving you with only a few pawns whilst gleefully cornering your king.
'Stalemate.' Sirius sighed ruefully.
What was he supposed to do?
Rolling back onto his front, he shifted about, trying to find a comfortable position without much success. Lying around for several days with little to do was doing nothing to help alleviate his worries and his boredom. If anything, it only served to increase them both.
His mother hadn't made much of an effort to talk to him, and Sirius certainly didn't want to talk to her. Dwelling on the events of that night, Sirius found himself feeling more and more resentful towards her. It was so unfair; why wouldn't she believe her own son? Sirius scowled into the pillow, clenching his fists. He'd told her the truth and she point-blank refused to believe him; but, oh no, she'd rather believe that pig-headed Muggle of a boyfriend. Why in Merlin's name was Richard more worthy of her trust? He was nothing but a two-faced, lying, sadistic bully who deserved to be thrown into a pit of starving Quintapeds. Or given as a chew toy to a litter of Manticore cubs. Or be made to poke a sleeping Hungarian Horntail dragon in the eye.
Sirius let out a ragged breath and slumped. It was all very well imaging all manner of satisfying tortures for the live-in tyrant, but Sirius' head was pounding and he was only succeeding in working himself up thinking about Richard so much. It was not helping his depression, and yet, it was as though a part him didn't want to come out of it. Everyone else was leaving him well alone. The solitude had a certain comforting predisposition about it that allowed him to wallow in self-despair undisturbed. It was peaceful; in a depressing sort of way.
Out of the corner of his eye, Sirius glanced up at the window at the pale blue sky, devoid of owls baring letters. Not a single communication had passed between the Marauders since that night. Each of them cut off from the others, and no one willing to believe them. Sirius could feel the anger building rapidly again inside him, like a storm trying to break free. Why are adults so blind, Sirius thought bitterly; they're never prepared to accept a child's testimony on anything serious. That's all we are to them, and all we ever shall be – children; irresponsible troublemakers who make up lies and cause no end of trouble.
Sirius practically flung himself over onto his back, glaring darkly up at the ceiling. Like a receding wave, the anger slowly drained away, replaced once more by the miserable state of mind that had settled on him like a dead weight.
From outside the window, a bird chirped happily, fluttering past the window. Sirius watched it go, wishing more than anything that he could find a way out of this mess, anything to break free of the never-ending circle of secrets and lies. He closed his eyes, wanting to sleep though he wasn't tired.
Suddenly, he heard sounds coming from the hallway. Sirius frowned and opened his eyes. Lifting his head, squinting at the door. Rolling over onto his side, Sirius concentrated and transformed into his Animagus form, Padfoot, and swivelled his large ears towards the door. But too late; three pairs of feet could be heard walking out the front door and it shut firmly behind them.
A low whine escaped his throat. Sirius lay his head back down. He couldn't be bothered to change back. He didn't feel much like doing anything at all. So what if everyone else had gone out without saying to him; he really didn't care.
But Sirius couldn't completely suppress the horrible feeling of loneliness welling up inside.
A plaintive yowl sounded. Startled, Sirius jerked his head up and winced. It was horribly loud. The sounds of furious scratching at the door accompanied the yowling. Sirius turned his head to the sound and growled.
There was a pause.
Scratch - scratch - scratch - scratch!
Sirius wearily lay back down and tried to put his paws over his ears. But that didn't work.
Scratch – scratch – scratch – scratch!
If he keeps that up, he's going to wear a hole in the door, Sirius mused. His mother's scowling face flashed in front of his eyes. Sighing in defeat, Sirius stood up and stepped down from the bed, padding across the room on his four large paws.
The scratching stopped as soon as he reached the door. He stood there for a moment. The cat was perfectly silent. As soon as Sirius turned to go back to bed, however, Cosmic let out a mournful cry.
A stab of guilt made Sirius pause. The cry sounded again. Ever so slowly, Sirius turned to look back at the door. He knew Cosmic had been sitting outside his door all day and night for the past few days. The cat stubbornly refused to go away. He always knew when Sirius felt lonely and need of company. This was one of those times.
Sirius stayed where he was, caught up in indecisiveness. Then, hesitantly, he went back to the door and raised a huge paw. He caught the handle, and the door swung open.
The little black cat was weaving between his front legs in an instant. Cosmic purred happily. Inwardly, Sirius smiled, and, because he was a dog, he couldn't help but smile outwardly too. Lowering his long muzzle, Sirius nuzzled Cosmic gently as the cat rubbed up against him.
To Sirius' surprise, Cosmic suddenly darted away. Sirius couldn't help but feel hurt at the abrupt abandonment, but Cosmic didn't run far. Pausing at the top of the stairs, the cat looked back at Sirius, mewed, and then sprang down the stairs.
Sirius hesitated. Then he recalled that there was no one else was in the house. No one was around to see Padfoot roaming around. Besides, Sirius was hungry.
Concentrating on not tripping over his huge paws, Sirius cautiously made his way down the staircase. It was a strange sensation going down the stairs headfirst. At the foot of the stairs, Sirius looked about him with satisfaction. There was no one to tell him what he should or shouldn't be doing. He was free; for a short while at least. His tongue lolling out of his mouth and his tail suddenly wagging furiously, Sirius bounded down the hallway and into the kitchen.
Transforming back to human, Sirius helped himself to some fruit out of the bowl on the sideboard, a packet of crisps and a small carton of fruit juice from the fridge. Taking a few biscuits from the tin, Sirius thought it might be a good idea to take some food up to his room, that way he wouldn't have to come downstairs so often. Putting a few supplies into a bag, he was just about to leave the kitchen when Cosmic dove in front of him. Almost tripping over him, Sirius stumbled backwards.
'Cosmic, watch it!'
The cat emitted a deep-throated growl, stalking past him. Sirius stared. Cosmic had never growled at him like that before. Curiously, Sirius watched as Cosmic went straight to the largest cupboard and proceeded to pace up and down in front of it. Blinking his great green eyes up at Sirius, Cosmic swished his long tail impatiently.
Sirius frowned.
'I can't open that,' he said grimly.
Cosmic voiced his disagreement with a snarling hiss, showing his teeth.
'I can't,' Sirius insisted.
Cosmic's eyes narrowed. He turned a few circles, then looked back up at Sirius.
Sirius was completely baffled.
'What's the matter with you?'
Seeing his master's lack of understanding, Cosmic went right up to the cupboard and touched his nose to it.
'What? You smell something down there?' asked Sirius in a dismissive tone. 'That's nothing new.'
But the cat kept at it, glancing back up at him repeatedly.
Putting the food back down on the table, Sirius crouched and transformed into Padfoot once more. If Cosmic could smell something odd, then Padfoot would certainly be able to detect it. Raising his nose, Sirius sniffed, fearing for a moment, that he might catch the stench of smoke on the air.
A nasty, yet familiar, smell shot up his nose. Snorting in disgust, Sirius recognised it in an instant. Richard.
Strange. Richard's scent was oddly strong, like he'd spent an awful lot of time in here. Part of the scent seemed stale but was clearly spread throughout the room.
Sirius concentrated, working to make sense of what his dog instincts were telling him. The answer was as perplexing as the question.
Richard's scent was everywhere; not simply on the chairs or on the door handles and across the floor, but everywhere. The walls had been touched, the windowsills, along the base of the wall, in every corner, even the ceiling had a few traces …
Feeling increasingly unsettled Sirius turned and trotted into the hall. Detecting the same scent in moments, he reached the same conclusion. Richard's scent was everywhere a normal scent shouldn't be. The scents of his mother and sister were intermingled with his, but they didn't touch half the objects Richard's did.
What to make of it?
Cosmic's mewling called from the kitchen. He was still poised by the cupboard. Sirius stood for a moment, staring at it. Richard's scent wasn't strong on it, but it was worryingly close, brushing over it several times.
No. What reason did Richard have to open that cupboard? It was full of cleaning things like the disinfectant, perfectly ordinary Muggle stuff. There was no cause for concern, surely.
But then what of Cosmic's behaviour?
Sirius growled in sheer frustration. What are you trying to say? He wanted to ask the cat. I – don't – understand. He can't know about that. How could he? He's a Muggle. So what, he stinks, I know that already.
It was a coincidence, that's all it was.
Cosmic suddenly sat bolt upright, ears pricked. Screeching loudly, he bolted past Sirius and into the hallway. Startled, Sirius suddenly caught the noise that had alerted his cat. Footsteps upon the path, coming towards the house.
Snatching the food bag up in his jaws, Sirius ran out off the kitchen, past Cosmic who was lingering by the front door, and bounded up the stairs. Cosmic followed, his sleek body springing lightly up the stairs.
Sirius shouldered his bedroom door open, dropped the bag, transformed and shut the door as Cosmic slipped inside, closing it at the exact same moment the front door opened.
Listening intently, pressing an ear to the door, Sirius felt very relieved when no one made any move to come upstairs. His mother and sister hadn't noticed anything, nor apparently had Richard. Breathing a sigh of relief, Sirius stowed his supplies away under the bed. Opening the curtains, Sirius slid the window up a little, just enough to allow a light breeze into the room. The cool air blew pleasantly across his face as he lay back on the bed.
Cosmic curled up beside up him, purring the appreciation of Sirius' gentle strokes. He didn't object as Sirius finally reached over to draw the cat up onto his chest, holding the little animal close. Cosmic's purrs rumbled loudly with content.
Some time later Sirius heard someone outside the door. He didn't say anything, silently willing her to leave. He'd relented enough by allowing Cosmic back in, but Ursa was another matter.
Yet Ursa didn't even try knocking on the door this time. After a few moments came the sounds of rustling paper. A folded piece of paper appeared from under the door. Light footsteps receded down the landing as she returned to her room.
Cosmic sprang off the bed and retrieved the note, picking it up with his teeth. Curiosity getting the better of him, Sirius accepted the note and unfolded it. Clearly torn from a Muggle notebook, the paper had been scribbled on in pencil, Ursa's handwriting wavering with the use of an unfamiliar tool.
Siri,
I hope you're okay. I know you probably don't want to talk to me still, even if I don't understand why, but I need to tell you that we're going out to dinner tonight. That includes you. Richard's taking us out. He says it's important for all of us to be there so Mum wants you to come. It's smart dress only. We're going at seven. Please come.
Miss you.
Ursa.
*
At ten to seven that evening, Sirius emerged from his bedroom wearing his best black Muggle suit, to the mild surprise of his mother. Feeling immensely awkward, Sirius nevertheless felt relieved when she greeted him with a smile, no matter how small. However, her smile was nothing compared to her appearance. Dressed in a red sequenced dress with her long dark hair done up in a neat bun, Andromeda looked stunning.
Ursa was wearing a pale purple dress. She offered Sirius a tentative smile as they gathered in the hallway, waiting for Richard to arrive. Sirius tried to keep his eyes on the floor, keeping the wall up between them. Aside from the initial smile from his mother, Sirius didn't look at her either. He was still feeling too resentful to forgive her, but he didn't want another argument so he kept quiet. Disappointed, Ursa was nevertheless glad of his presence. When Richard rang the doorbell she hung back, moving to stand beside Sirius.
Dressed in a black dinner suit, Richard launched into a seemingly endless stream of compliments for Andromeda. She blushed, beaming with delight at the flattery. Ursa politely thanked Richard for commenting on how pretty and grown up she looked. Sirius didn't say anything, though Richard cast a glance in his direction, only just acknowledging his presence. Sirius was quite sure that Richard hadn't really expected for him to come along.
They stepped outside and, instead of Richard's horrible beige Volkswagen, found a shiny limousine waiting for them.
Andromeda's jaw dropped. Ursa squealed in surprise. Smiling, Richard smoothly took Andromeda's arm and led her to the car, the chauffer promptly opening the door for them.
Where are we going, the Ritz? Sirius wondered, trying not to stare at the limo as he climbed in after Ursa.
The journey was very comfortable. The seats were soft and the whole interior smelt pleasantly of vanilla, no doubt there were air fresheners hidden away somewhere. Richard sat with one arm around Andromeda's waist, looking very smug. Sirius sat next to the window, watching the scenery roll past. He could feel Ursa's questioning gaze on him but didn't look.
Sirius pondered vaguely why Richard had wanted him to come. If he were simply looking for an excuse to punish him, he wouldn't go through so much trouble. No, there had to be some other reason. To be honest, Sirius wished he could have stayed home and had an evening with the house to himself, and away from Richard. But something was going on and he wanted to find out what. He needed to know.
Sirius' musings were brought to a halt as the limousine turned into a large car park and pulled up outside a large and beautiful oriental-style building.
The chauffer hopped out of the car to open their doors. Sirius promptly opened his own door and got out, rather than following his mother and Richard. Catching up with them, Sirius duly noted the stern look Richard gave him as they started up the path.
Glowing lanterns were hung over the pathway, lighting the ground in soft pinks and yellows, guiding them to the entrance. A sign written in flowing golden letters named the establishment as The Feng Huang, its name in Chinese written beneath it.
Stepping over the threshold they were immediately greeted by a short Asian man in a royal-blue kimono, his assistant swiftly helping them take off their coats.
'Welcome to the Feng Huang,' said the man, bowing deeply. 'How may I be of service?'
'Table for four,' said Richard. 'Booked for seven-thirty.'
'Yes, of course, sir,' said the man, consulting a large book. He summoned a very pretty waitress in a scarlet kimono to take them to their table. She bowed politely.
'Right this way please,' she smiled, leading them out of the little foyer and into the main dining area.
The large room was lit by a multitude of Chinese lanterns hanging from the ceiling, which was exquisitely decorated with golden oriental patterns. Each of the tables were neatly laid, the crystal glasses sparkling with the light. The guests were clearly enjoying their meals while listening to the soothing music being played by the small orchestra on the far side of the room. The sweet melody sung by the young Asian girl was accompanied by the gentle sounds of a harp, flute, violin and bells.
The waitress showed them to their table. It was by the wall, partially separated from those around it by large dragon-patterned screens.
Ever the gentleman, Richard pulled out Andromeda's chair for her. Ursa quickly took the seat next to Richard, thereby leaving Sirius with the one furthest from Richard. Sirius gave her a small nod of thanks. Ursa smiled grimly. It seemed that she had also sensed that something was up.
Andromeda was still in awe of the lovely restaurant.
'Richard, it's beautiful,' she sighed breathlessly, gazing about the room. 'This must be costing you an absolute fortune, surely? I really feel I ought to contribute – '
'Ah ah,' Richard wagged a finger at her, smiling serenely. 'It's my treat, Ann. Don't worry about prices, my dear … you just chose whatever you want and enjoy it.'
Andromeda gazed adoringly at him as he gently took her hand and kissed it. Sirius scowled darkly and hid his face behind a menu.
Ursa was scanning the menu, frowning.
'What's Abalone soup?' she asked curiously.
'Er …' Richard picked up a menu to take a look. 'It's … er …'
'It's usually got a combination of fish, ham and chicken in it.'
Richard, Andromeda and Ursa looked over at Sirius, but he determinedly kept his eyes focused on his own menu.
'You probably won't like it, Ursa,' he said tonelessly. 'It's got red peppers and celery in it. The Chop Suey's nice; that's got prawns in it.'
Ursa's face lit up.
'Mum, can I have the Chop Suey?' she asked eagerly.
'Well … if that's what you want.' Andromeda was still watching Sirius but he didn't look up. 'Sirius, what are you going to have?' she said, her tone surprisingly gentle.
Lifting his head slightly, Sirius almost met her eyes. The waitress returned at that moment, notepad in hand.
'May I take your order?' She smiled.
Andromeda nodded then turned to Sirius.
'Sirius?
'The Chicken Chow Mein, please,' he said politely.
The waitress wrote down their orders; Ursa firmly decided on Chop Suey and Andromeda feeling brave enough to try the crab. Richard, after much indecision and puzzlement as to what the dishes contained, opted for Hoi Sin Chicken.
While they waited for their meals, Sirius looked around at the wall paintings. His eyes were soon drawn to the wall just behind him.
A wondrous bird had been painted there; its red and gold plumage gleaming by the light of the table lantern. The tail was like that of a peacock's, long and vibrant, shimmering in all the colours of the rainbow.
Out of the corner of his eye, Sirius could see Ursa admiring it too.
'It's a Feng Huang,' Sirius whispered. Ursa's eyes snapped round to look up at him, her face brightening. 'It's sort of the Chinese equivalent of a phoenix.'
'It's pretty,' said Ursa softly. She looked anxious, as though afraid of saying something that might drive Sirius back into his shell again. As it was, Sirius still wasn't sure if it was a good idea to talk with her again. She had no idea what danger there was involved in associating with him, especially with Richard watching. Feeling that he may have said too much already, Sirius returned his attention to the bird. Ursa's face fell and they lapsed into silence.
Two waitresses returned with their meals. Sirius busied himself with learning to master the art of using chopsticks. Ursa imitated him as best she could, but gave up after a while and reverted to a knife and fork, wolfing down her Chop Suey. Richard and Andromeda happily consumed their own meals, engaging in conversation that Sirius took very little notice of.
That is, until they'd finished their dinner.
The waitresses returned soon after they'd finished their meals, clearing the dirty plates away. One stayed to inquire as to what they'd like for dessert, offering them the menus.
Eagerly, Ursa read through the list, eyeing each of the small photographs depicting each dish.
'Lychees?' she exclaimed, brow furrowed. 'Aren't those bloodsucking slugs?'
Andromeda snorted with laughter, covering her mouth quickly with her hand. Even the waitress cracked a smile. Sirius sniggered.
'That's leeches, silly.' He laughed, looking down at the menu. 'Lychees are fruits.'
'Oh.' Embarrassed, Ursa kept her eyes down, then sheepishly asked; 'May I have the strawberry sorbet, please?'
'Good idea, stick with what you know.' Sirius grinned, feeling decisively more cheerful than he had in a long time. 'But I'll think I'll give the lychees and mandarin ice a chance. I'll let you know if I find any slugs.'
'Oh, very funny,' said Ursa, her face pink.
'I'll have the almond junket, please,' said Andromeda, still smiling. She turned to Richard. 'What would you like, Richard?'
Richard's grey eyes blinked slowly at her, a warm smile gracing his face.
'I'll tell you what I'd like,' he said softly. He stood up. Puzzled, Sirius, Ursa and Andromeda watched as Richard nodded to the waitress. She gave a nod of understanding and hurried away. Richard cleared his throat, looking rather nervous all of a sudden. Gently, he took Andromeda's hand.
'Ann … I know we haven't known each other all that long, but I feel as if I've known you for ever. I'd never believed in love at first sight before and you've proved to me that it does exist.' Swallowing, Richard gazed into Andromeda's eyes. 'I really hope I haven't rushed you but …'
There was an audible gasp of surprise and delight from around the room as Richard slowly went down on one knee. Andromeda put a hand over her heart, eyes wide. She seemed to have forgotten how to breathe properly. Richard smoothly drew a small box from inside his dinner jacket, holding it delicately.
'You asked me what I'd like?' he said softly. 'I'd like very much for you to be my wife … Ann, will you marry me?'
Andromeda managed a small gasp as Richard opened up the little box. Inside was a beautiful ring, a slender band of shining gold with a sparkling diamond.
The entire room was silent. The orchestra had stopped playing, the waitress watching from beside the young singer. The other guests had turned in their seats, trying not to be so obvious about it but failing. The manager stood at the entrance, simply beaming.
Nervously, Richard held out the ring.
'Er … if it's too soon, I can wait,' he said, hesitating.
Andromeda finally recalled how to breathe, and with that, her ability to speak. Her eyes tearing up, her face broke out in a joyous smile.
'Yes,' she managed to squeak, nodding. 'I accept.'
'Really?' Richard's face lit up, almost cautiously, as though afraid he'd misheard.
'Yes! I'd love to.'
With a happy cry, Richard wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. Andromeda blissfully kissed him back; oblivious to the wild cheering that broke out, the guests clapping with delight. The orchestra began to play once more, a spirited song filling the air. Pulling apart, Richard carefully took the ring and slid it onto Andromeda's slender finger, before pulling her into his embrace once more.
Amid the celebration, only two people made no effort to join in.
Sirius remained seated, staring in avid disbelief at what had just transpired. Frozen in shock, he slowly became aware of a hand slipping into his own. He looked to his little sister. Her deep blue eyes glinted against the pale skin, blinking in confusion and fear. She mouthed a question, gazing imploringly into his eyes.
A grim expression on his features, Sirius nodded, holding her hand tightly as his eyes were traitorously drawn to their future stepfather.
*
To Be Continued.
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Please review. All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.
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Author's Notes.
MorganD – It's so frustrating not to have adults believe you, even when you're telling the truth. Some people refuse to see you as anything but a child; someone who will easily make up lies and cause trouble. And you're right, things will not be smooth sailing between Sirius and his mother for some time. It's a bit difficult for the other Marauders to help at the moment as they can't see each other for the time being and not being allowed to contact Sirius. That chapter was meant to highlight how alone the victim can feel – how hopeless their situation is when no one seems willing to believe the true extent of the problem they're facing; especially when family, the very people you need to believe you the most, fail to understand. I've tried hard to cover as many aspects of abusive situations as possible, as well the problem faced by children and teenagers in a divorced family when one parent finds a new partner. I had so many ideas when I started writing this I didn't think I'd get everything in but I think I've covered a lot of what I intended to.
As for the Ministry detecting underage magic … well, JK Rowling has been extremely sketchy with the details on how that happens. I did think that it covered wand-cast spells, but then what about Dobby? So I though maybe it's because it occurred in a Muggle home and there was no qualified witch or wizard in the area. But then what about the accidental magic that's cast by children before they're old enough to go to Hogwarts? Until JK Rowling actually makes it clear as to how and what it is that the Ministry detects, I think most fanfic authors will go with what they feel fits. For the sake of this fic, I'll say that it's wand-cast spells (hence why Lily reminded Remus not to use a wand with the Healing magic), in the presence of a Muggle who has no knowledge of the magical world, or if you are under seventeen, that the Ministry will issue a warning (or expel you from Hogwarts in Harry's case of book 5). There may be some kind of surveillance or detection spells all over the place that are monitored by the Improper Use of Magic Office – maybe. A bit of a vague explanation I know, but hey, if JK Rowling doesn't make it clear, we can make up our own rules to suit our fics. ^_^
Sweet A.K – Thank you very much! I hope you'll enjoy the rest of my fic.
Lovevanillacreme – Thanks for reading. Glad you're enjoying it. Ah, but will Andromeda ever discover the truth? I've been pretty cruel so far … *evil cackle*
Christy – I think we've just about hit the lowest point really. How could it possibly get any worse? Hmm, let's see, there's still another six chapters to go … ^_^. You're right about Andromeda's thoughts about Sirius – he's been behaving like a brat towards her 'wonderful boyfriend', because he obviously doesn't want anyone, especially a Muggle, to take the place of his father. Simply put; she's fed up with Sirius' attitude. Ah, you're not the only one to ask about Orion. He will show up later, don't worry.
Songsmith – Upon re-reading chapter thirteen, I do see your point. It does seem a tad much, though I must admit it was a very difficult chapter to write convincingly. Part of the problem they had was that Richard got in first with the 'explanations' so the Marauder's attempts convince their parents that anything sinister was going on was difficult to put across. The parents felt inclined to believe another adult who appeared perfectly pleasant and kindly, if a bit annoyed at the prank the teenagers were supposedly trying to pull on him.
The Marauders felt their priority was simply to get Sirius away from Richard, to help him. Alerting an adult would have been the next (and probably the most sensible) step, but they never got that far unfortunately. Not everyone does the right thing at the right time regardless of the situation. It's not always obvious what the best course of action would be and the Marauders were so intent on rescuing Sirius, they rushed in and the plan failed.
I know that probably doesn't quite 'justify' all the events of that chapter, but I asked for criticism and I'm pleased to have received some. Thank you very much for being so honest; I now have something else I can work to improve. ^_^
WallyTheWhale – *Voltora eagerly grabs her pick axe and joins the mob* Great suggestion! I know Richard's threat is particularly nasty, but since Sirius really cares for his little sister you can understand why Richard would seize the opportunity to gain more control over Sirius. Would you want to risk a brother or sister? Sirius certainly doesn't.
Richard might have harmed Lily if Ursa hadn't entered the room. If there's never a witness to back up a victim's claim, then he can get away with it. He's evil, but not stupid.
Oh, the joy that is parents. It's awful when parents don't believe you, even when you are telling the truth, and then it feels like it'll take a miracle for them to see the truth, even if it's over something stupid. Been there, done that, felt completely dispirited, but it did help when writing this chapter. Might have gone over the top I have to admit, but from Andromeda's point of view, her teenaged troublemaking son, who clearly detests her boyfriend (or should I say fiancé), is deliberately being difficult, he went off when she'd asked him to stay home and watch his sister, was intent on playing a malicious prank, failed to explain his actions adequately and then she caught him swearing. Okay, I don't have kids of my own, but I'll tell you now, my parents would have gone absolutely ballistic if I'd dared to do anything like that! You have to remember, she loves Richard and won't hear a word against him; even if it's from her son. Under the circumstances, I think she reacted as a distressed and angry person would, and the slapping was a spur of the moment 'I'm too worked up and angry to think straight' reaction. Plus parents do sometimes slap a child to discipline them – mine certainly did – and it just felt right at the time I was writing it.
Orion won't return for a few more chapters, but yes he does have a much better relationship with his son. You'll have to wait to see what happens. ^_^ And I'm really pleased that Wormtail is being seen as a 'good guy', he was indeed a friend and trusted all those years ago. I'm planning on writing a short fic about him if I ever get my other projects done; it'll be about his thoughts and feelings on being overshadowed by his popular and talented friends, maybe going into why he turned to the Dark side; early ideas yet. I'm far too busy with my fics for the time being but I'd like to get that one done.
NightSpear – Sirius Torturer #1; now that's a title I shall wear with pride! ^_^ Yes, I have been horribly mean, but trust me, it can't get much worse *cough-cough* I'm really pleased with the way Wormtail turned out. I really wanted to show him as a loyal friend, because, as you said, so many other writers portray him as evil from day one, and I just don't see it that way. If he had always been so dark and twisted why would the Marauders have been friends with him? I was just having a bit of fun with Lily, making her act like an idiot so Wormtail could sneak in the front door. She hadn't played much of a part so I decided to involve her more in the rescue attempt.
Aqua-Hime – Ouch; you really don't like Andromeda, do you? I can see why, she wasn't on my 'nice character list' for some time. Sirius may try to abide by the rules, but then again, will he back down indefinitely or decide to stand up for himself once more? Have to wait and see.
TiniTinuviel – You were reading in the wee hours of the morning? I didn't know you liked it that much! ^_^ Thank you very much for your comments, I really appreciate them.