Sequel to "THORNS"

- Of Earth & Stars -

Chapter 32: The Calm Before the Storm

August 1994

Above the cerulean waves, Suri raced across the ocean on her broom at full speed. Leaning forward, now parallel with the sea, Suri hovered low over the surface of the water, dipping her hand into the cold Pacific Ocean. Then as quickly as she was to the water's surface, she shot up without warning, flying spirals, going higher and higher until the ocean was nothing more than a blue backdrop, the shore a distant memory. Up there, above the ocean, nearly touching heaven itself, the world was silent. The constant thrum of thoughts in Suri's brain slowed to a near halt. It was only when she flew that Suri felt this peace. If only it could last forever.

From somewhere near the shore a bright reflection like sun against glass caught her attention. It was Sirius signaling for her to come back. Taking two deep breaths of pure ocean air, Suri steered her broom toward shore.

"You fly like a maniac," said Sirius by way of greeting as Suri landed gracefully on her feet beside him. Glancing back at her father, Suri arched a dark eyebrow.

"Says the man who owned a flying motorcycle. Also, I need to cut your hair again. It's a tad uneven on the right."

"Pity. I must look my absolute best for the pelicans." Sirius laughed, grey eyes ever mischievous. "Also, I wasn't criticizing your flying, I was merely making an observation. I like your style."

"Just the pelicans? What about those polite sea turtles?" Suri smiled as they began their trek back to their latest beach villa, the third one on the eighth island they moved to in the five weeks she had been with him. Even now, Suri allowed Sirius to lead her back to the villa. While her father's emaciated frame had begun to fill out, his high cheekbones filling out and no longer covered in stubble, his paranoid way of thinking still lingered. He insisted that anytime either of them left the villa they would take a new route back. "For safety," he insisted every time. While she did not have the same paranoia her father did, Suri decided he was right to be cautious. It was better to be safe than sorry.

"Don't let the turtles fool you, Suri girl, they like weird things." Sirius tugged on Suri's high ponytail to punctuate his point.

"Dad," Suri grumbled, unable to hide her laughter as they rounded a bend along the beach. When the villa came into view, Suri's smile threatened to split her face, for on the porch, a tired man leaned against the railing. He locked eyes with her and his lined face broke into a smile as he waved.

"Moons!" In a second, Suri was on her broom, using its speed to cover the last few yards to her godfather. She barely dismounted before she was in his arms, hugging him just as tightly as he hugged her back.

"It's good to see you again, Suri." Remus held her at arms length, giving her a parental glance over. Up close, Remus looked more exhausted and grey since the last time she'd seen him. Worry prickled her skin.

"How are things back home?" Suri asked, just as Sirius joined them on the porch. Remus had left three days after he and Suri found Sirius, insisting Suri and Sirius needed time to bond as a family.

Remus opened his mouth, as if to answer, but over Suri's shoulder he caught Sirius's look—a quick shake of the head. No. Stepping aside, Suri looked between her father and godfather, frowning at their silent conversation. Sensing her indignation, Sirius put a hand on Suri's shoulder.
"At least let the man have tea before you bombard him with the important questions, Suri-girl. Besides, my uneven hair should be your highest priority."

Remus winked and Suri rolled her eyes as she went into the villa to put her broom away and gather grooming supplies. Minutes later, Sirius sat on the lowest stair of the porch with Suri two steps behind him, correcting the slight imperfection on his dark head. Remus leaned on the rail beside them, sorting through a short stack of letters addressed to Suri.

"Amalia thought you'd want these. Most of them are letters from friends."

"Thanks, Moons," Suri said, brushing hair off her father's broad shoulders.

"Anything from that boy, Moony? What was his name? Twig?" Sirius turned his head and Suri made a sound that was a cross between annoyance and mortification.

"Wood, Dad, his name is Oliver Wood. And there wouldn't be a letter from him. He and I never write to each other."

"Never written to each other?" Sirius stood, running a hand irritably through his still shaggy hair. "He snogs you like that and never writes you? Remus? Tell me more about this boy."

"Let's see…" Remus crossed his arms thoughtfully, a smile tugging at his lips while Suri's face grew hot. "He's graduated now, so you wouldn't have to worry about him, Padfoot. He did very well in my class, and from what I hear, Transfiguration. However, it was always difficult to get him to actually engage since he spent most of his time doodling quidditch strategies instead of taking notes. But when you could get him to pay attention, he was a good student. He hardly noticed anything around him, including the girls that fancied him. Come to think of it, his one-track mind reminds me of you, Sirius. Neither of you notice the effect you have on others."

"A dumb jock," Sirius admonished in front of Suri. "How did that happen?"

"Maybe you shouldn't say those things to the one holding a pair of scissors," Suri responded mildly.

"Threats or not, I still need to impart twelve years of fatherly wisdom on you before you return to Hogwarts."

"Yeah, yeah…" Suri packed away her grooming tools and quickly snatched the bundle of letters from Remus who simply chuckled at her. She counted her letters: two from Hogwarts, three from Nate, one from Willem, a postcard from Carly, and surprisingly, two letters from Oliver. She glanced up at Remus who gave her a knowing look as he sipped his tea. All this time he could have given her father fuel to the fire, but he chose to remain silent.

Tucking Oliver's letters at the bottom of the stack, away from her father's view, Suri started on her letters from Hogwarts.

"What are you taking this year," Sirius asked both his eyes and tone wistful.

"Only Advanced potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Transfiguration, and Charms. My other classes were waived so I could continue my apprenticeship in the hospital wing." Suri glanced through the titles of the textbooks she would need to purchase. Then, at the bottom of the list, she quirked a quizzical eyebrow. "Dress robes? Why would I need dress robes this year?"

Remus and Sirius both shrugged their shoulders. "Maybe for graduation," Sirius guessed. "We didn't need them when we graduated, but maybe things are different this year."

"Maybe," Suri mused, setting aside her school list for her second Hogwarts letter. This letter was heavier than the last. After breaking the wax seal of the envelope and pulling out the letter, Suri quickly caught the heavy green and silver badge that tumbled out. Over an engraved snake in an emerald green background was a silver banner that read Head Girl.

"They want me to be Head Girl," Suri said, looking up from her letter and badge in her hands. Remus continued to wear that knowing smile, as though he planned for this all along. Sirius also looked impressed.

"Were you a prefect?" Sirius asked, reading the letter Suri handed to him.

"No. I was nominated, but I turned it down so I could be Pomfrey's apprentice." Suri picked up the pin, shaking her head. "I don't understand why I would be chosen again."

"I do," said Remus gently. "Throughout the last school year you've handled yourself with more pride and grace than anyone else could have done. This didn't go unnoticed by Dumbledore."

"You were always meant to do great things, Suri-girl," Sirius handed her letter back, his expression awed.

"I'll think about it," Suri decided, setting aside her letters for now as the three of them moved into the villa. Truth was, Hogwarts seemed years away since she'd been with her father. It was hard to believe she would be returning home shortly. She wanted to know what she was returning home to.

"So," she asked, "now that you've settled in, Moons, what's going on back home?"

Sirius and Remus shared another look, another silent conversation in under a minute. Finally, Sirius's shoulders sagged in resolution.

"She's as old as we were when we made our decisions," said Sirius, his voice quiet, edged with remorse. "Whatever you need to say, Moony, you might as well say it in front of her.

"Very well. Do you remember Bertha Jorkins?" Remus asked, his expression grim.

"Bertha Jorkins...ah, yes! Not a very bright one, poor girl. Always complaining about something. She was a few years ahead of the rest of us," Sirius supplied for Suri. "What about her?"

"She went missing at the beginning of the summer or late spring, and still hasn't returned. It's all very strange," said Remus. "Since she worked for the Ministry, everyone has a different opinion about her disappearance. Some say she was sacked, others say it might be foul play."

A chill ran down Suri's spine. " Foul Play? By the Ministry or someone else?"

Remus looked at her with a conflicted expression, and Suri held back a sigh.

"I'm seventeen in two weeks, Moons. I can handle it," Suri said calmly.

"Truly spoken like the offspring of Tessa and Padfoot."

Before Suri could reply, Sirius interjected, his tone still serious. "I think in order for you to understand our concern, Suri-girl, we're going to have to tell you about the First Wizarding War. The stories you might not have learned about in your history lessons."

In response, Suri walked over to the kitchen table, pulled out two chairs and sat in a third. Crossing her legs she spread her arms to the two chairs, like a queen inviting her court to dine. "I want to know everything."

X

Hours later, the sun dipped below the ocean, turning the sky into a brilliant display of gold, orange, pink, then eventually purple until it was dark. Suri sat on the cold sand, facing the dark sea, processing everything Remus and Sirius had told her about the Order of the Phoenix. What started as a recounting of a magnificent portion of history eventually became a lament for old friends and members, then eventually the golden days of Hogwarts when Sirius and Remus were schoolboys. At this point, Suri took her letters and slipped out of villa, leaving her father and godfather to laugh and mourn. Bringing her letters onto the beach with her, Suri welcomed their distraction from her racing mind.

Willem said he excited to see her and the rest of their friends. Nate of course, was miserable in France, and Carly was having so much fun travelling around South America with her family that a postcard from Peru was all she could manage to everyone. Oliver's letters sent a warm rush through Suri as well as a sense of dread. In Oliver's first letter, he was energetic, his excitement jumped from the page as he wrote about choosing Puddlemere United and asking how she was. Suri felt herself blush when she read the last bit of the first letter: "I guess I think of you more than I ever really thought about anyone". In his second letter, dated three weeks after his first, Oliver was more reserved. He apologized if he had been forward. He also apologized, he wrote at his sister's insistence, for talking too much about quidditch. He ended by hoping he'd hear from her that summer "but if not, I get the message." Suri wished she could Apparate across the ocean to wherever he was and congratulate him. She'd tell him all about Fiji and flying over the ocean, and tell him she loved hearing him talk about quidditch because she loved it, too. Her stomach dropped knowing she'd hurt Oliver's feelings with her silence.

"The sunrise is better than the sunset here."

Suri glanced over her shoulder as Sirius padded across the soft sand and sat beside her. Noticing Suri's pensive expression, Sirius nudged his daughter. "Solving the world's problems, are you? Is it the letters or what Moony and I talked about today that bothers you?"

"The letters," Suri answered, running her hands through her hair. "I'm not that worried about what you and Moons talked about. I've decided; if we're going back to a time when the Order of the Phoenix needs to come back, I'm fighting for it."

Sirius chuckled, looking across the ocean. "That's very brave of you. But..."

"But what?" Sirius's expression was unfathomable before he turned to her. For a moment, he simply searched her face, as though he was trying to read her.

"Moons told me about your Legilimency notebook. He mentioned how you've studied Dark Magic in order to understand your gift better but..." Sirius shook his head, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. "Suri you've been trained by forbidden books and your friend from Slytherin. Maybe because you didn't have your Mum to teach you—"

"You think I can be swayed. You think I could choose to fight against the Order?" Suri, in spite of herself, heard her voice rising angrily. "How could you think that? Did you question Mum's Occlumency or visions? Did you think she was dabbling in Dark Arts?!"

"Actually yes, I did question her because I saw her start to lose herself." Sirius spoke just as harshly. "Not only am I worried you didn't have someone to teach you right from you, you know damn well what your mother's gifts gave her!"

And there it was; the fight left Suri. She didn't need legilimency to know her father didn't truly believe she would be swayed. It was on his face as plain as day—he was afraid she would end up dead like Tessa.

The crashing waves filled the silence between them. Then, quietly, Sirius spoke. "The Maeve tendencies for occlumency, legilimency, and Seer abilities are nothing I can speak as length about. Your mother would have known what to say. I just need you to be very careful, Suri-girl. You have the capability of doing good things, and also, there is weakness and hatred in your bloodline. I don't want you getting sucked into something that will harm you."

"I make my own decisions." Looking from the ocean, Suri faced her father, willing him to hold her gaze. "Call if the Rosier-Black bloodline, call it your headstrong temper. Whatever it is, I decide what I do."

"I know you do, love, and don't let anyone take that from you."

"That will never happen." Suri linked her arm through Sirius's and put her head against his shoulder. Neither of them spoke about the chasm of sadness between them. Neither of them spoke about missing Tessa. Neither of them spoke about Suri leaving in a couple short days while Sirius would remain for an indefinite amount of time.

Finally, Suri broke the silence. "I feel like everything will be different when I go home. If the Ministry of Magic is as corrupt as you and Moons believe, it's hard to say who's trustworthy."

"Trust yourself, first," Sirius answered with certainty. "Trust your instincts. You're a clever girl, if you feel like something is dodgy, listen to that. Trust your best friends—well...be careful around your friend Avery. Be wary of anyone from his family circle. They were all Death Eaters or some of Voldemort's most loyal supporters. If all else fails, you can always reach out to me, and I will be there for you if you ask."

"Stay safe." Suri leaned against her father. Worry rolled through her stomach like the waves during a storm. She knew her father was a clever man, but she had now witnessed his impulsivity. She worried he would do something to get himself caught.

"I'm always safe, Suri-love."

Suri tried to memorize her father's scent when he placed a kiss on her head. He smiled like the ocean air and whiskey, and she willed herself not to cry. "I don't want to leave you."

Sirius pulled back just enough to search his daughter's anxious face. "Having you here these past five weeks have been some of the happiest days I've had in a long time. I look forward to the day I'm a free man so we can permanently be a family, even if it means just one week before you decide to move out on your own because you've reached that age. Until then, enjoy being young and don't worry about what Remus and I talk about. It'll still be here once you've finished your studies. For now, focus on being Head Girl, but leave some room for trouble. Make the most of your last year. It's what I would do."

X

"There she is! The girl who doesn't return letters!"

The sound of Nate Avery's arrogant voice in her kitchen instantly made her grin. Dropping her backpack in the foyer, Suri quickly made her way into Nate's arms. It was impossible to tell who held each other tighter.

"You knew I couldn't write to you."

"I know. I just have a summer's worth of provocation stored up for you. You know how I feel about my family. I passed the time thinking of all the ways I would annoy you." Nate broke into a charming grin to counter Suri's frown. They assessed each other—Suri noted Nate's stubble the way he likely noted her lightly tanned skin and appearance of more freckles.

"You look well," Nate's hazel eyes shining with something Suri couldn't quite name. Words lingered between them, as if he was holding back more things to say. He wasn't the only one.

"You look tired," Suri answered. They fell silent again as the secrets from this summer hung between them. Suri pushed back Sirius's warning to be careful with what information she shared with Nate. "Nate, those bags under your eyes—"

"It looks like your trip suited you," Nate continued, too brightly, glancing at his wristwatch. "We've got a couple hours before we need to meet Carly and Willem at the campgrounds, hopefully those two pick a good camping spot."

"If we have a couple hours still, then I'm going to shower." Twenty minutes later, dressed in a terry robe after her shower, she walked back to her room, starting when she found Nate sprawled under her duvet, fast asleep.

His presences didn't bother her. Quietly, Suri moved around her room, gathering clothes to change into. Before heading back to the bathroom, she paused to watch Nate sleep for a moment. When he slept, he looked like the boy he was when they were first years, cocky, but with an innocence the past six years had taken from him. Suri felt a rush of affection for him as well as concern; not only did he look vulnerable, the circles under Nate's eyes appeared darker. Goosebumps raised on her arms and Suri turned away, uncertain if they came from knowing he was keeping secrets that he could share, just as she did, or because his exhaustion reminded her of her fourth year. Maybe it was both.

X

Nate apparated them to the edge of the campgrounds, and from there, they took a portkey (a piece of discarded wall decor) into the camp. By the time they arrived, though they were early, the campgrounds for the Quidditch World Cup were already filled with thousands of fans setting up their tents and pre-gaming for the event.

"How are we going to find those two in all of this?" Nate gestured wildly to the people around them. "I can't tell who's a muggle and who isn't!"

She and Nate were dressed in muggle clothing, like many other witches and wizards travelling to the game. Of course, Nate would manage to remain expensively dressed, even leisurely. Suri had chosen to wear black cut-off denim shorts, a black camisole, and in support of Ireland, a dark green flannel shirt tied around her waist. With an excited smile, she reached for Nate's hand and tugged him forward, the spontaneity she found in Fiji still with her.

"We're bound to run into them at some point! Let's make the most of looking for them!"

Nate and Suri snaked through the camps that had clearly become divided between Irish and Bulgarian supporters. Though it was still morning, but the time they made it into the Ireland support camp, they each had a pint of beer in their system, offered by other campers excited for the night's festivities.

"NATE! SURI!"

Nate and Suri turned to see Willem and Carly waving wildly at them from a vacant space. When they united, there was a flurry of hugs and exclamations as the friends were excited to be together again. Carly shared that she finally passed her apparition exam last week after the second time, and Willem had spent most of his holiday hosting family from the United States. Suri told her friends she would be Head Girl this year.

"We'll be untouchable!" Nate said with a wicked smile. Nate and Carly were both prefects, and Willem, with his excellent grades and ability to persuade anyone, Suri had to believe that Nate was right, their seventh and final year at Hogwarts would be a breeze.

Suri unpacked the tent and unfolded it with the help of her friends. She stepped back as they all brandished their wands to magically pitch it. Just a few more days until her seventeenth birthday, Suri reminded herself with mild impatience, then the Trace would be gone forever.

Once pitched, the green and grey tent looked big enough for only two people from the outside. But when they all stepped in, the small tent revealed four rooms, a sitting room, a kitchen, and a full bathroom.

Nate went to the kitchen and came back a moment later with a bottle of firewhiskey and four shot glasses. He poured each of them a generous amount of the amber liquid.

"To Ireland!" He raised his glass and amber liquid sloshed onto his hand.

"To our last year at Hogwarts!" Carly added.

"Ireland and Hogwarts!" Suri and Willem repeated and they all drank. Suri winced as the liquid hit the back of her throat and she put her glass on the kitchen table.

"Done already," Nate teased, pouring himself another shot.

"Someone still needs to check us in with the campground manager and I don't want to be pissed when I do it!"

"Good idea," said Carly, accepting another shot of alcohol from Nate. "Hurry back!"

Suri left her friends to their alcohol, leaving their tent. She smiled at nearby families as young children raced around on toy brooms while their parents fretted. It reminded her of Sirius. She was surprised by the rush of homesickness she felt for her dad. It made her nervous when he accompanied her to the airport in Fiji, even as a dog, and she hoped he was staying safe and not doing anything stupid to get himself caught.

"Suri!"

Suri heard her name shouted from two tents away. Turning, her stomach flipped when a young man with rich brown hair waved at her. He was undeniably handsome, and she doubted he knew it.

"Oliver!" Suri smiled, trying to read through his smile. She wondered if he was still upset that she never wrote back.

They they were close enough, Oliver opened his arms and Suri stepped into his arms. She couldn't help but smile when his hug lifted her from the ground before setting her down. He had always been taller than her—he wasn't as tall as her dad or Moons, but he was stockily built with years of athletic training.

"I'm sorry I didn't write to you, I was away on holiday during the entire summer and didn't get a chance to write to anyone. I really liked your letters, though. Congratulations on choosing Puddlemere United!"

"Ah it's nothing," said Oliver, but something shifted in his brown eyes. Before Suri could place it, he continued to smile. "Thanks for remembering. I'm excited to show them they made a good choice by signing me on, even if it's for their reserve team."

Suri reached out and squeezed Oliver's arm. "Reserves or not, it's not every day that someone tells you they'll play quidditch professionally. Do I ask for your autograph now or later?"

"Very funny," Oliver smiled, even as he rolled his eyes.

"Ollie! There you are—oh Suri! What a surprise." Stepping out from the nearby tent was a beautiful blonde young woman with the same brown eyes as Oliver. It was his older sister Laurel.

"Have you had a nice summer?" Laurel asked when Suri joined the Wood's tent. Her smile was guarded as she looked from her younger brother to Suri. "You look well."

"Hi Laurel. Er, yes, I had a good summer. I was just congratulating Oliver on joining Puddlemere United."

"We're all very proud of him. He deserves only the best," Laurel said, and Suri narrowed her eyes at the blonde's frosty tone.

"Laurel," Oliver hissed angrily and Laurel rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she muttered and disappeared into the tent. Suri was sure she caught a glimpse of Oliver's and Laurel's fights growing up. Once it was just Oliver and Suri in front of the tent again, Oliver looked sheepish.

"She's upset with me," Suri stated. "Because I didn't write to you." In her opinion, Laurel's anger was more dramatic than necessary.

"Don't mind her. She gets like that when things don't go her way."

Suri raised her eyebrows, wanting to know what Laurel could have possibly wanted to go her way when the flap to Oliver's tent moved again and this time Mr. and Mrs. Wood appeared. Unlike Laurel, Mrs. Wood's dimpled smile was still kind.

"Ah, Laurel said you had company, Oliver. Suri, it's good to see you again." The woman surprised Suri was a warm hug. Suri patted her back awkwardly. Mr. Wood kept a respectful distance and only nodded in kind greeting.

"It's good to see you too," Suri smiled diplomatically. After Laurel's cold greeting, she was on her toes. "Have a good summer?"

"Thank you for asking, it was," Mrs. Wood replied. "But we were looking forward to the World Cup since the beginning!"

"Me too," Suri beamed. "This is my first time coming to an event like this! My friends and I actually have a tent not too far from here."

"We've got the whole family with us," said Mr. Wood, "it's been nice to meet some of Oliver's friends from school, too. We had the pleasure of meeting Harry Potter! Have you met him yet, Sarah?"

"I have met Harry, yes," Suri answered, noting the way Mr. Wood called her by the wrong name.

"Suri. Her name is Suri, Dad." Oliver corrected his father. He shook his head, as if Harry no longer had an effect on Oliver after they had played quidditch together for three years.

"Sorry about that, lassie," Mr. Wood apologized. He had the same Scottish accent as the rest of his family, aside from his American son-in-law who must have been in the tent with Laurel. "Suri is quite a unique name."

"It is," Suri agreed. "Though I'm told it was one of the better choices than any of my dad's suggestions." She immediately realized she said too much. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wood exchanged a concerned look. To the rest of the world, her father was still a criminal, and not the innocent man knew and loved.

"Well, what do fathers know?" Mrs. Wood surprisingly broke the tension. She swatted her husband lightly on the chest. "If it had been his choice, Laurel would have been Wynda and Oliver would have been Bothan."

"Those are very fine Scottish names!" Mr. Wood admonished, but still he smiled adoringly at his wife. "I'm sure you would have had a fine English name if your name wasn't Suri."

"My grandmother told me my mother had to strongly oppose the name Elvendork," Suri stretched the truth. It was actually in one of her mother's memories she saw in the pensieve that revealed the struggle to name her—Sirius refused to take naming her as seriously as Tessa did. Tessa had wanted to give Suri a regal name as well as a name from the solar system; she was a fan of the way the Black family had constellation names, hence her middle name Ariel—the brightest moon in Uranus.

"That is bad," Mr. Wood winced.

"Will you be staying for a while, Suri, should I put on some tea for you?" Mrs. Wood offered.

"I really shouldn't, I have to check in with the manager. I was only really stopping to congratulate Oliver for continuing his quidditch career."

"Isn't it something," Mr. Wood brightened at this. "We're proud of all his efforts and we know he's going to be great."

"Oliver was an amazing player," Suri said to his family, smiling at the way Oliver ducked his head humbly. "I enjoyed playing against him while I was still active on my team."

"You played quidditch?" Mr. Wood asked, appreciation in his tone. "Slytherin, right?"

"Right. I quit at the start of my fourth year...it was time to hang my robes up and be Madam Pomfrey's apprentice." Suri studied her trainers but she could feel Oliver's eyes on her. While her story wasn't necessarily a lie, she knew Oliver had heard the rumors that circulated her sudden withdrawal from the sport.

"I suppose it might have been for the best," Mr. Wood mused, "especially with all the changes going on this year at Hogwarts."

"Changes? What changes," asked Suri, keeping her tone from sounding too eager. "I'm Head Girl this year, and all I know is that I need to board the Express a half hour earlier than usual for a meeting to discuss all of this."

"Head Girl?" Oliver's eyebrows went up, clearly impressed.

"Surprised that a Slytherin made the cut?" Suri teased, sticking out her tongue at Oliver.

"If it was any other Slytherin I would have thought Dumbledore had lost his mind. You're a great choice!"

"What an honor," Mrs. Wood complimented.

"Ah, I probably shouldn't have said anything," Mr. Wood frowned. "I wasn't even supposed to tell my family."

Oliver folded his arms across his broad chest. "Maybe you can tell her just the gist of it?"

"I can't really say," Mr. Wood repeated. He then regarded Suri thoughtfully. He then lowered his voice. "Step into the tent for a minute, won't you?"

Suri followed the Wood clan into their tent, which was surprisingly spacious, similar to her own. However, while Suri's tent reminded her of a well-kept hotel, the Wood's tent was both spacious and homey all at once. Laurel sat at the dining room table with her husband. Her gaze was still frosty whereas her husband didn't seem to share her chill.

"Good to see you, Suri," greeted Laurel's husband.

"You too..." Suri smiled, trailing off when she realized she didn't remember his name.

"Jameson," Oliver supplied in a whisper, standing next to her. Suri smiled gratefully.

"I work for the Ministry in the games and sporting department," Mr. Wood started. Naturally, Suri thought, understanding Oliver's quidditch love a little more. "And all I can say is quidditch is cancelled this year at Hogwarts for another event."

"Quidditch is cancelled?" Suri's mouth opened slightly. "It has to be some event for them to cancel an entire year of quidditch!"

"It really is," Mr. Wood agreed vaguely. "I trust you won't tell a soul, Suri? You've proven yourself trustworthy already."

Laurel made a sound; Oliver, Mrs. Wood, and Jameson all looked at her wearily.

"I promise," Suri agreed, doing her best to ignore Laurel.

"Good."

"Will you be staying for that tea, after all," asked Mrs. Wood as she moved to the kitchen.

"I'm afraid not," Suri apologized. "I really should go."

"Oliver, why don't you walk her to the manager's office," Mrs. Wood offered. "It's not far, but a young lady shouldn't have to go by herself."

"I'm sure I'll be fine," Suri said, already starting to head for the exit. "I don't want to interrupt this." Suri waved at the Wood family. They were a picture perfect image of what she had always wanted in a family, and it made her heart ache to be around them.

"Nonsense. We've raised Oliver to be a gentleman. Anyway, dearie, you're welcome to stop by our tent if you need anything, alright?"

"Thank you, Mrs. Wood. I'll see you around!" Suri exited the tent, followed by Oliver.

"Sorry about all of that," Oliver apologized. "They can be a chatty bunch."

"Don't apologize for that, your family is great, really."

"They really like you," said Oliver.

"Even Laurel?" Suri had a hard time believing that.

"Well...she'll come around. She's just the overprotective type," Oliver shook his head. "They were a bit wary of you, I'll admit that. With your father being...you know. I told them you're nothing like him. Honestly, it was Laurel who supported me through that and really rooted for you."

"She's just upset that I never wrote back," Suri answered softly. "Look, Oliver…" Suri and Oliver paused their walk to the manager's office. Oliver's brown eyes looking into hers somehow warmed her from her toes up. They never really talked after that day on the bleachers. Suri looked at Oliver's lips, remembering how they felt against hers and heat pooled into her lower stomach. "I really like you, Oliver. And I feel really awful that I never wrote back. If I could turn back time, I would."

Oliver searched her face. Finally, as though finding what he was looking for, he held out his hand and Suri put hers in it. His palm was warm and calloused. "I really like you too, Suri. Listen, I—"

Oliver never had the chance to finish his thought when a loud group of Ireland supporters, singing and chanting divided them, having picked up other campers to join their merry band. Suri felt someone trip over her foot. Reflexively, she reached out to steady the person-a young woman a bit taller than her.

"I'm so sorry!" The young woman with light brown hair and baby blue eyes giggled apologetically. She looked to be about two years older than Suri.

"Alright there," asked Oliver, joining the girls. He looked at the new girl. "I know you. Lisbette, right? Lisbette McClain!"

"Oliver! Oliver Wood?!" The young woman called Lisbette squealed and threw herself into Oliver's arms. Suri stepped back, assessing the situation, feeling a flair of envy blossom in her chest.

"Suri," Oliver beamed, "this is Lisbette McClain! She grew up close to my family's home. She's a…"

"You can say it, Ollie. I'm a squib." Lisbette looked momentarily bashful. "But it's okay. I go to Uni now and I quite enjoy it. I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"Suri Rosier-Black," Suri answered. There was a brief pause as Lisbette took a minute to register her name. Then recognition flickered in her baby blues. "Oh...pleasure." She turned back to Oliver, giving him a long look from head to toe. "Really, it's been too long. How's your family?"

Suri didn't like her tone. Lisbette was obviously flirting with Oliver, anyone with eyes could see that-unless they were Oliver Wood. Was he really that unaware. Suri took another look at Lisbette's long athletic legs, narrow waist and willowy figure and felt inadequate all over again.

"Ollie, it's been so long, and you look good. Really good." Lisbette giggled, looking over Oliver with a cheeky smile. She then briefly turned to Suri again. "Oh, I was the only one Ollie ever allowed to call him "Ollie" when we were growing up. D'you remember? You also called me "Lizzie". We used to make up rhymes because our names rhymed too-Ollie and Lizzie are small and busy-you have to tell me everything I've missed!"

"It's been what...eight years since your family moved into the city? A lot has happened since then," Oliver chuckled with nostalgia. Lisbette giggled and touched his arm as though he was the funniest man in the world. Suri refrained from rolling her eyes, biting her tongue to swallow back the fire in her throat and chest. She had seen enough.

"It was good meeting you, Lisbette, I have to go...don't want to intrude on Ollie and Lizzie busy time."

"Alright then, take care," Lisbette smiled. Oliver looked bewildered as Suri started to walk away.

"What? Suri-"

"I need to check in. I'll find the manager's office on my own. You catch up with Lizzy. It's been a long time, Oliver."

Oliver narrowed his eyes at Suri's sudden change in mood. Before he could say anything, Suri stalked off before he could see how humiliated she felt.

She thought about Oliver and gorgeous Lisbette as she checked in with Mr. Roberts, the muggle who owned the campground. His wife and young children were in a backroom, his wife pulling cookies out of the oven to sell and his children making the displays in the office look organized. Mr. Roberts himself appeared somewhat scattered, and Suri figured it was the cause of one too many memory charms placed on him in the last couple of days since the wizarding community had chosen his campsite. Suri thanked Mr. Roberts when he handed her the receipt for her stay and headed back to her camp, thankful she didn't have to see Lisbette throw herself at Oliver.

By the time Suri got back to her camp, her friends were buzzed with alcohol. Suri poured herself a shot of nearly gone firewhiskey, planning to join in on their level of intoxication.

"Took you long enough!" Nate greeted as he charmed shamrocks to fall from the ceiling of the tent, disappearing before they ever reached the ground.

"Sorry, I got caught up with Oliver Wood."

"Oliver Wood," Carly wiggled her eyebrows. "What's that dumb jock doing now that he's graduated?"

"He's signed on with Puddlemere United reserves." Suri didn't bother to defend him.

"Very impressive, I'll give him that," said Willem. Suri knew him well enough by now to know that he was genuinely impressed, but his somewhat inebriated state of mind made him sound more arrogant than he really was.

It was Nate who gave Suri a debaucherous grin. "Any details you care to share, Rosier-Black? Did you finally get your quickie with the quidditch star and get him out of your system?"

"You're disgusting, Avery." Suri rolled her eyes at Nate and charmed a full bottle of firewhisky over to them. She sauntered over to the sitting room and plopped into a leather chair. Nate poured her another generous shot. "Even if I did, I'm not a kiss and tell kind of girl. Not like you."

"Touche, Rosier-Black, touche," Nate responded, hazel eyes narrowed like a cat. After Gemma Farley broke up with him, during the last three weeks of the last school year, he had made a name for himself as a ladies' man. But Suri knew, it was more than just other girls Nate met with in abandoned hallways. She wondered if it continued into the summer.

Suri sipped her drinks until her head started to swim. She imagined Lisbette touching Oliver's arm, and she remembered Oliver was about to tell her something before the pretty muggle girl bumped into them. Whatever he had to tell her, she was sure he was telling it to Lisbette.

Nate turned to her, his words slurring together already. Suri has seen Nate drunk loads of times before, but not this drunk.

"Maybe it'ss jussst not meant to be with him."

"I guess not," Suri downed another shot. She lost track of how many she'd had. It was barely the afternoon and she was drunk. Getting up from her seat, she went to the kitchen to find food and water. Being as drunk as her friends sounded like the perfect escape, but she didn't want to be so drunk that she couldn't pay attention to the game later that night.

"Finally you admit it," Carly squealed. She always got too loud when she was pissed. "Maybe now you can actually date someone with substance!"

Suri's decision to drink less than her friends would prove to be the right choice. Not even she could predict what would happen later that night.

Author's Note—

Well, let's pretend I didn't take forever to update haha. If you're an old reader, you have TikTok to thank for bringing me back. I saw a heartbreaking Sirius TikTok and it ignited my passion.

More importantly, SOME NOTES:
1. I denounce the author of Harry Potter and her statements against the trans community. Hatred has no place beyond a plot point for a story. All of my readers are welcome here; this is a safe place for you. If you are part of the Trans community or LGBTQIA+ community, please know I stand with you and support you. You are welcome here.

2. Hopefully I continue working on this story!

Drop a review, favorite, and/or a follow to let me know you're here! Thanks for reading; I'm so glad you're here!

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