This Time - Chapter 6
(Authors Note)
So this may seem to be a longer chapter than normal because there are about 5 trillion lines of dialogue of explanations that need to be gone through. Bear with it, even if it gets a bit tedious. Please continue to review, fav and follow, it means a lot. Hope you enjoy!
"So I guess I owe you an explanation." Sirius mutters to me.
We've been in the van for nearly four hours now. Not being driven anywhere, just sitting in the bleak darkness. Andromeda isn't here. They took her out about half an hour ago, she hadn't even stopped crying.
"This might be a good time." I say. I've appeared to be remarkably calm considering the situation. Inside, I'm terrified. Lily got caught up in this and she's done nothing wrong. Neither have I, to my knowledge anyway, but she has no links to Sirius other than through me.
"Well... where to start I guess." Sirius says, slowly as he ponders how to phrase the reason for our current predicament. "You know I don't like talking about my family, but I'll have to. It's because of them we're here."
"I take it you don't mean the kind souls like Andromeda when saying family?" Lily asks.
"She is a member of my true family, made up of so few of those who grew up in the extended family. I've told you what I do for a living haven't I?"
"Accounting, you said." I answer.
"Yeah, I do the account for an old friend of parents; old as in he saw sense and broke ties with them quickly. His names Albus, he works in Oil Industry. My family do too, to a great extent. They came up with the expression 'Black Gold', the name of their company, and they have lots of both."
"Alright, that finances the goons who attacked us, but why are they after us in the first place?" Lily asks, the panic still clear in her voice after all these hours.
"They aren't after us all. I'm really sorry, but you both were in the way at the time. They were after Andromeda and I, more specifically her."
"Why?" I ask.
"We escaped the family, us and others. Black Gold operates in the Middle East and Caucasus region, and it's where the family is based too. When I say escaped, I mean it literally. I fled home and came here. Andromeda fled and came here too, before going south. There are others, I know my brother Regulus is in Bucharest, or was. A cousin of mine, Narcissa, is in Buenos Aires."
"So they want you back?"
"Essentially. They let us be unless they have reason not to."
"So what have you and Andromeda done?"
"Andromeda fled, not just from the family but from money. She was arranged to marry, a rich Azerbaijani oil broker, the kind of man Andromeda despises. I... well, the family feel I've brought shame on them."
"How?"
Sirius turns to me, "because of you. I'm supposed to marry a rich woman, have lots of children and grow the family. Not only am I doing the opposite, the idea that a Black is interested in the same sex is shameful to them."
His words leave me hollow.
"So I'm to blame?" I ask, my voice dragging slightly. Even in the dark, I can feel Lily's eyes on me, her breaths silent, watching what happens next.
"Of course not. They came for Andromeda anyway."
"Yet they got you too, because of me?"
"No. Don't think like that, they chose today, her birthday, because they knew we'd be together."
"You said it yourself; they would have let you be without me."
Sirius pauses, and then sighs. "Remus, we can discuss this later. It's not your fault, not at all. But right now, I want to get her back."
"Then I guess we should get moving." Lily says, abnormally brightly.
The two of us turn to her. She waves at us.
"How did you get out of the bindings?" Sirius asks, incredulously.
"A lot of fumbling and an old kinky boyfriend." Lily replies, shuffling over to us and undoing our bindings.
"You still surprise me, after all this time." I tell her, rubbing my wrists.
"I do aim to please. Now." Lily replies, before barging against the door of the van. It flings open on the third bash and we step out.
"Where are we?" Lily asks.
The ground rocks slightly beneath us.
"I think we're on a ship." I murmur, as the ground rocks again.
"Probably headed to the Islands of the Forth, they'll have a plane of some kind there to take Andromeda back."
"Why did they take her out before us?"
"Probably to tell her off and try and guilt trip her into cooperating." Sirius says.
"Well then let's go find them." I reply.
"You both should stay here, they'll get violent to try and keep her."
I face Sirius and kiss him. "They threatened you and kidnapped Lily, they can just try and hurt me."
Lily stands behind us. "I've had to deal with strong men before. Just aim for the balls and they go down like crying children."
Sirius laughs before taking a set of metal stairs up to a doorway. Entering it, we enter a posh looking corridor. Carpets with fancy patterns line the floor and the walls are wood panelled. The sounds of people, lots of them, come from one side of the ship.
"I think we're on a cruise ship." Lily says.
"In which case, Andromeda will be away from the tourists, so this way." Sirius continues before rushing down a corridor. Lily and I follow closely, taking each turn he does, every doorway he marches through, until we reach a bulkhead.
Two men in suits stand there, and upon seeing us, one charges forwards. The other knocks on the bulkhead door, and begins to yell. "They got out, the other three!" The man who has charged forwards is buffeted back as Sirius sprints and collides with him. He crumples against the bulkhead door. The other man looks shocked for a second, but before he can react Sirius floors him with a punch. Rubbing his knuckles, he turns to look at us. One man is on the floor, the other staggering backwards towards a wall. Sirius rams his elbow into the head of the one on the floor knocking him down. The other man has recovered. He runs at Sirius, but I charge into him. His head makes a horrible crunch against the wall, and he slumps down.
"I think they're both unconscious..." Sirius says, looking down at them both.
Lily prods one with her foot. "I'd agree." She then proceeds to open the bulkhead door in front of us. It opens onto another corridor which ends with another door. The corridor is empty. "I guess whoever they knocked too wasn't there." she says.
"Or went to tell someone else." I reply. We advance down the corridor, Sirius leading, and open the other door. An office now sprawls before us, and this time it's not empty.
Andromeda is sitting in a chair, her arms tied to the sides, tears streaking down her face. Her cheeks are red, the faint line of a handprint on one. One man stands behind the chair, his face scarred. Another stands in front of Andromeda, all muscle from the looks of it. A third man, older, grey haired and definitely not the average grunt, stands looking out of the window.
"Pleasure you could join us Sirius." he says, his tone gravelly.
At seeing the man, Sirius goes pale, but stands his ground. "Good evening father. Would you kindly release my cousin from your custody now? I think she needs to go home."
Sirius' father laughs. "Sirius, you never knew where home really was. Where did you think we were taking her?"
"To hell are you taking her back there. Why can't you just let her live her own life, why can't you let all of us just be who we want to be?" Sirius spits, his fist clenched.
"She is coming home with us. She can live her own life, once she repays the family for giving her the life she's lived."
"So you're going to force her to marry so you can get some more money and grow the company. Is that all you care about, the business and your legacy."
"I care about the family, something which you do not understand, and are no longer a part of due to your recent 'fraternizations'."
"At lease Remus cares. Something you never did."
While all this arguing is going on, Lily and I are standing behind Sirius. I want to help him, to back him up, but what can I say?
"I told you I do care."
"About the family, something I don't want to be part of."
"That boy will never care about you; I doubt he even knows what you've done."
Sirius just stares at his father, eyes dark and full of rage. His clenched fist is now shaking with anger.
"I don't care what he's done." I say. My voice is shaky, reflecting my confidence, but I have to say something. "How dare you attempt to say anything against him! He has been a better man in the time I've known him than you have been in the last 24 hours. You can't judge him when you've kidnapped four innocent people who have done nothing wrong."
"How dare you even speak to me you faggot scum." Sirius' father shouts at me.
That's the only words he can say however, as Sirius has launched himself at his father, knocking him to the ground. Punch after punch swings into his prudish face until the two grunts throw Sirius off. They move to bear down on him but Lily and I stand before them.
Sirius' gets to his feet and wipes some dust off of his suit. He presses his hand against his face, eyes murderous.
"You're going to be very sorry that you did that."
"Not as sorry as you're going to be." Sirius threatens. The two grunts step forward, raising fists.
"Rob, Andy, stand back." Sirius father says, turning back to us. "I'll make you a proposition Sirius. I'll let Andromeda go, on the condition that you break off whatever you and this man," he gestures to me, "think you have. You'll return to the Headquarters and family compound outside Baku with me in a few days."
My heart stops. Sirius goes pale once more, and turns to me. His eyes are scared, unsure of what to say. Taking a breath, despite my heart longing me to say the opposite, I turn to Sirius' father.
"He will. He and I are done as soon as she has been let go and is out of your sight."
I lay my hand on Sirius' shoulder, "It's for the best Sirius, for her. It's the decision you've got to make. You'd never forgive yourself otherwise."
Andromeda resumes crying, eyes looking up at me. Lily stands there, stony faced. Sirius is still silent, but his father nods in approval.
"Andy, untie Andromeda and let her go with these two. Sirius is staying with us."
"I need to go get my things from home first." Sirius says, numbly.
"Then Andromeda will stay with us till then. We are flying out of Glasgow airport, two days from now at 9am. Be there with everything. We will give you Andromeda then, and you will fly with me back to Baku."
"Okay." I say, "lay a hand on her until then, there will be consequences."
"Back out of this deal, then there will be consequences."
"Understood."
"Two days, the airport in Glasgow."
Sirius's father motions us out of the room. Sirius hugs Andromeda, who afterwards clutches me in a tight embrace. She's still crying, so I comfort her before turning to leave with Lily and Sirius.
That evening...
The ship was still in the harbour, so we got out easily enough. Sirius has been quiet all day since then, contemplating what was going to happen.
"I'm sorry I put you in for that, but I knew what would happen otherwise." I say, trying to console him. "Had you not chosen Andromeda you would have never forgiven yourself."
"I know. But I... I can't bear to lose you." He practically whimpers to me.
The door bursts open and in comes Lily.
"You won't have to. I've got an idea."