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Chapter 12

I smiled gratefully, but he didn't seem to have seen it. He was staring unblinkingly out the window. Nevertheless, I pulled the blanket gratefully around my body and I soon dozed off to a comfortable sleep.

The next week, just a mere seven days to Hogwarts, my father gave me another piece of shocking news. He's just invited James over to the house till we go to Hogwarts. He didn't even bother to tell me beforehand. He said he was sorry, he was really busy and forgot all about it. Yeah...so what else is new?

I was standing there with my father, waiting for James to arrive. I wasn't there by choice. My father had forced me out of the cool comfort of my bedroom to stand out there in the sun to welcome James and his father. Why did he have to come over anyway? Oh wait, I know the answer to that.

And just as though it was a blink-and-you-miss-it sort of thing, I thought I saw something black dart out and back into the trees in the forest at the distance. I craned my neck, but the picture seemed normal again. I sighed as a large black stallion trotted into view through the tall iron gates.

The horse stopped the carriage in front of us, and the footman jumped off at once. The door swung open and Mr Potter climbed out of it, his tall and lanky frame bended over. James came out next, eyebrows furrowed and a deep frown across his lips. And right after James jumped out, another came. A boy. He got his feet on the ground and looked up. It was Sirius.

Wait, what was he doing here? Sirius flashed a charming smile and leaned back to admire the house.

"So glad to see you!" My father and Mr Potter shook hands and began saying their welcomes while I sighed despondently at James, who was running his fingers through his hair as though trying to style it. I caught my father glance at Sirius with the utmost contempt. But a split second later, he had looked away and was talking to Mr Potter again.

I stepped forward towards Sirius. "I didn't know you were coming too."

"Oh um... I was staying over at James's for the summer... ran away..." He shrugged. "Y'know..."

"Why did you run away?" I asked, remembering that he didn't quite give me an answer to that question before. But he replied to something else instead.

"I'm sorry... I understand that you were hoping for time alone with James and all-"

And before I could stop myself, I had blurted, "No, no, no. It's perfectly fine. The more the merrier." I shrugged cheerfully.

Sirius rocked on the balls of his feet for a while, his hands tucked into his pockets wearing a smile on his face.

"Later, do you want to see my baby?"

His smile faded, his eyebrows furrowed and he fixed me with a stare. Oops, maybe I should have rephrased it another way. I immediately felt stupid for saying that and I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks. I heard a slight thud. James was listening intently.

"Your baby?" He intoned.

"No, that's not what I-"

"Reine!" Father called me in.

I turned around and noticed that father had already drifted inside with James's father, deeply immersed in their conversation.

"Dad's already inside," I told Sirius. "Come in."

Sirius smiled and I led him towards the large white oak doors.

"Yeah, ignore me..." said a sarcastic voice behind. James trudged behind us towards the hall, his arms folded across his chest. Sirius gaped up at the high golden-lit ceiling where the large glass chandelier hung. The footman also entered dragging two large trunks behind him.

"James, Sirius," called Mr Potter from the living room.

We entered the living room and settled ourselves comfortably in the sofas. The sun was shining bright through the windows, casting a golden antique glow about the earthy coloured sofas and wooden furniture.

"You do know the reason why James is here, don't you?" Asked my father.

"Not really..." I muttered unsurely. Yeah I knew he was coming. Why? My thought was it might be because our fathers wanted us to 'know each other better' as in more-than-friends kind of 'better'.

"Well, Mr Potter, my research head, and I will be going around Asia for the most, about a month, to meet up with some directors from Asian companies, talk about possible affiliations and stuff like that. We will leave tomorrow, so I thought-" he explained. It sounded like as if he was saying it very slowly and carefully, kind of like talking to a five-year-old child.

"You mean you're gonna leave me before September the first?" I demanded, getting to my feet. "I wanted you to be there, father, to send me to the station and see me off!"

He looked uncomfortable. I knew he was very particular about image especially in view of others. But I couldn't care less whether or not a whole crowd was there. I was just angry.

"Can I talk to you outside, Reine?"

Clearly he wasn't expecting this. He put a hand on my back and steered me towards the door and out of the room. We stood facing each other in the hall. My eyebrows were knitted together, my stomach churning in anger, my fingers were clenched in fists. I was confused and angry, how could he do such a thing to me? Doesn't he know how important this is to me?

"It's my career, you have to understand Reine," he said firmly, looking straight into my eyes.

"Understand?" I snapped, my voice trembling. "All my life, all I've been doing is understand!"

I knew our voices could be heard down the hall towards where Sirius, James and his father were but I didn't care.

"Keep your tone down," he warned putting an arm on my shoulder. My eyes were blinded with tears, I couldn't see him properly. He was a watery blur. All I saw were years and years of bottled feelings ready to burst.

"You don't care about me. All you care about is yourself and your stupid career!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "I hate you!"