Interlude 8: Sirius Black
Long Time No See
A large smile graced Sirius' lips as he stood on Andromeda's doorstep, even as his heart pounded in his chest. It had been years since he'd seen her; he had a right to be a little nervous. She'd cut off all ties with her family, so he had no guarantee that she'd want him at her house. Perhaps she wouldn't give him enough time to explain that he, too, had defected and been blasted from the family tapestry.
With that in mind, he knocked.
In the time it took Andromeda to come to the door, his palms began to sweat. Still, he was relieved when it was his cousin who opened the door and not her husband. Her eyes widened when she saw him standing there, and Sirius' smile brightened. He couldn't control it. Andromeda had long been the only family member he trusted, and he hadn't realized how much he missed her until she was in front of him again.
He itched to reach out and hug her, but he forced himself to hold back.
"Hello, Andromeda."
"Sirius," she breathed, rushing forward to wrap him in a hug. "What are you doing here?"
He squeezed her tightly as he answered, "Visiting you of course. I, uh, ran away from home a couple of years ago, but I just now figured out where you live. I wanted to come."
She pulled back from him, a large smile on her face.
"I'm glad you're here."
Her eyes looked him up and down as if inspecting him for signs of malnourishment or neglect. He didn't have any of those. His time away from his parents meant that he was better than ever, and he unconsciously straightened his posture as she watched him to show this.
She gave his shoulders one last squeeze before letting go of him.
"Come inside," she said, stepping aside to let him past her.
A curious girl of about five stood several feet inside the door, staring at Sirius with wide eyes and a gaping mouth.
"Nymphadora," Andromeda said gently, stooping down to the girl's level. "This is your cousin Sirius."
Her mother's words didn't lessen Nymphadora's confusion over his sudden appearance, but she nodded in response regardless.
"Why don't you go play?" Andromeda suggested, motioning towards what must have been the sitting room. "Sirius and I need to talk for a while."
Nymphadora didn't argue with her mother, though she made the retreat to the sitting room slowly and with more than a few looks tossed over her shoulder. Sirius watched her go with as much curiosity towards her as she was showing towards him. He hadn't known Andromeda had any children, and he wanted to know more about the girl who was getting a chance to grow up away from the Blacks.
"This way," Andromeda said, tugging on his sleeve to get his attention before leading him to the kitchen.
The house appeared to be as spotless as Grimmauld Place, but Sirius wasn't terrified of touching something and ruining it like he was there. Instead, there was something comforting about the space. Sirius could tell that the kitchen was well used, not just for cooking but for eating as well. It was a place that exuded warmth, and Sirius knew how thankful Andromeda must have been for it after the childhood they had shared.
"Did you really run away from home?" Andromeda asked, her voice wavering.
"Yes," Sirius said with a nod. "I haven't been home since Christmas holidays in my third year. I live with my mate James now."
Andromeda stared at him for a moment before sighing.
"I always knew you'd follow me eventually, but I didn't think you'd manage it before you'd left Hogwarts."
"I'm disappointed that you underestimated me so much, Dromeda," Sirius said with a grin, crossing his arms against his chest and leaning back in his chair. "There's only so much screaming one can take before you have to get out. James' parents were willing to take me in, so there wasn't much choice."
Andromeda's smile was soft as she tilted her head to the side.
"I'm glad you have them then."
Something flashed in her eyes, and her smile lessened.
"How is Regulus?"
Sirius groaned and rolled his eyes.
"He's still at Grimmauld Place worshipping the ground our parents walk on. You really think I managed to get him to leave with me?"
Andromeda bit at her lip, a habit that used to get her in trouble when they were younger. She had no second thoughts about indulging in it now.
"No, I imagine he would have been a hard sell, but I do hope you tried. Regulus wouldn't hurt a fly unless someone else told him to, but his greatest pleasure is pleasing people. You know that. With the war and our family… Well, I worry what he'll get up to one of these days."
Sirius scoffed.
"If he gets into trouble, that's his fault. I can't chase after him forever fixing his messes, Dromeda. He can take care of himself."
Andromeda's bottom lip was white from the pressure of her teeth, but she nodded.
"Anyway," Sirius said, leaning forward over the table, "I didn't visit to talk about Regulus. How are things with you?"
For the next hour, they spoke about Ted and Nymphadora. It was as warm and wonderful as Sirius had always hoped Andromeda's life would be once she disappeared from his. He even got to play with Nymphadora, and he found in her the sort of cousin he had always wished he had. As much as he loved Andromeda, Nymphadora was something else entirely.
He never did work up the courage to tell her about the boy he liked as he had hoped to, but one day soon, he would. He was sure of that. He just had to work up his courage first.
Word count: 980