Hello my readers. This is officially the last chapter before they get back to Hogwarts so I apologize if it feels a bit rushed; my anticipation to get them back is making me go a bit fast. But never fear, for there is a possibility that I will come back to this and either rewrite it and repost it or I might just add another one shot about it.
Speaking of one shots, I added another one. It really isn't from another person's point of view, it is literally just a chapter that didn't flow but is important to future events in the story. It is called Unstoppable. I would love it if you would check it out and leave a review. If you haven't read the other story titled She's My Hero, it is highly suggested you do so.
I have decided as an attempt to bring more people into the story that I will change the character listed as the one most mentioned in the new chapter. Hopefully, this will not cause problems for people who have already put this story on alert, but it might cause some problems for people that use the search options. The title will never change so I suggest just remembering that. I just wanted to warn everyone.
Please, please, please leave a review. I know I have said that I will keep on posting even without reviews but a review makes a writer happy. A happy writer writes quicker. A quicker writer will finish sooner and post a new chapter. Reading a new chapter makes the reader happy. So if you want to be happy, kindly leave a review.
And now I present to you the fourteenth chapter of A Black and White Story.
The sun had just risen on December 31st, sending natural light through the floor to ceiling window at the end of the hallway. It has snowed the night before so now there was a frame of perfectly undisturbed snow on the small ledges of the window. The entire house was silent, something that was a rare occurrence in the Potter house. The rowdy children had been silenced by dreams of purple centaurs and giant snitches becoming pets.
Mrs. Potter walked up the stairs; the sound of her walking across was muted by the plush carpet. She rapped her knuckles on the girls' door gently, "Ursula, Elyse, get up, it's time for breakfast."
Her prodding was met with silence. Smiling to herself, she opened the door. Ursula was barely on the bed, half her limbs sprawled this way and that, partially hanging off the bed. Mrs. Potter smiled when she saw the small girl. She had kicked off her blankets in her sleep and she was shaking slightly.
Silently walking through the room, she grabbed the red blanket and placed it back over the shivering girl. Ursula subconsciously grabbed the blanket and snuggled into the soft fabric. She mumbled something before she rolled over, her face turned slightly up so she could still breathe.
"Sweetheart, breakfast is ready." Mrs. Potter said softly, gently shaking Ursula's shoulder.
"Sleep good. Awake bad." Ursula muttered before hiding underneath the blanket.
Mrs. Potter chuckled and looked over at Elyse, she was practically hidden underneath the blue blanket. The only sign that the girl was even there was the tiny bit of red that stuck out from the top of the blanket.
With one last look at the girls, the woman shook her head and walked back out of the room. Everyone deserved a little sleep on their birthday.
When she got back down to the kitchen she found Harold sitting at the table reading the Prophet and sipping on a cup of coffee. He had discovered the drink on their trip to New York in 1947 and he had been addicted ever since.
"The kiddies up yet, Eva?" He asked.
She shook her head and busied herself by placing charms on the food to make sure that it stayed fresh and hot.
"They are still sleeping. They were exhausted after last night," She said.
Harold snorted, "What were they doing, playing exploding snap? Quite exhausting if you ask me."
Evangeline gave her husband a look but her face turned to worry when she saw the cover of the newspaper. The skull was floating above a house and there was a photo of a family moving a little bit lower on the page. Her heart sank,
"Who is it?"
Harold sighed and folded up the paper, "Andrea Shifton. She was on her way to visit her sister when she was ambushed; never stood a chance. She has two kids at Hogwarts; a Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff." He said in a grave voice.
His wife put a hand to her chest and gasped, "Not Caden's wife! Their anniversary is in-"
"Three days, I know." Harold's dark blue eyes were missing the twinkle that they had the previous night. Caden Shifton was one of the last Aurors he helped mentor before fully retiring from the force. He had been to the wedding and they still sent letters to each other fairly consistent rate.
"She's not even a muggleborn!" Eva said in shock.
"Voldemort doesn't give a bloody damn! He's sending a message and we got it loud and clear. None of us have the reaction he thought we would have. He thought we would go running back with our tail between our legs! As if? I've heard rumors that-"
"Shh," Eva shushed her husband. She put her hand up and seconds later, the sounds of multiple footsteps started walking around upstairs.
Mrs. Potter took a breath to calm her nerves and to pull herself together, "I will go get the presents that arrived last night. It seems that our resident Blacks are quite popular."
When Sirius, Ursula, James, and Elyse stumbled down the stairs that morning, James stopped them at the bottom of the stairs. He held his hand up to them and he walk in front of them.
"What is it?" Sirius asked.
He looked back at them, his brows furrowed, "My parents aren't in the kitchen. They are always in the kitchen."
They slowly made their way through the kitchen. There was a steaming cup of coffee sitting on the counter while Mrs. Potter's apron was draped over a chair.
"They were here." James whispered like a detective. He moved across the kitchen stealthily. Ursula rolled her eyes when her brother and Elyse followed his actions. Deciding if she can't beat them, join them, she joined in on the game.
"Harold, hand me another one," They heard James's mom say in a hushed voice.
James looked back at them confused. They slowly looked around the edge of the door, James's head on top since he was the tallest, followed by Sirius's, then Ursula's, and finally Elyse's. A bright flash blinded them as two people shouted,
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
James dramatically feel backwards and covered his eyes with his hands over his glasses while Elyse did the same. Sirius and Ursula just stood and blinked rapidly, trying to see something besides bright white lights that covered their vision.
"What on Earth…?" Ursula trailed off when she saw the state of the living room. It had changed since the first time she saw it the day after Christmas. The holly that lined the top of the ceiling was replaced by bright colored streamers. A giant cake on a table stood where the Christmas tree had resided and there were presents stacked around the cake. Along the banister, there were balloons tied to the rail in even intervals.
"Happy birthday dears!" Mrs. Potter pulled the twins close to her and held them to her in a motherly fashion. She kissed the tops of both their heads before she let them go.
"I hope you don't feel uncomfortable, but seeing as you aren't home for your birthday this year, we thought we would celebrate anyway!"
Ursula and Sirius were still is shock. Their family had never done anything like this before. The elder woman noticed their expression and her face began to fall,
"I'm sorry if this a little bit too much it's just that-"
"It's perfect." Ursula said in a breathy voice.
Mr. Potter's eyebrows furrowed, "What do you mean?" He asked, pushing his glasses up as he placed the camera on a small side table.
"No one ever did this for us before." Ursula started to explain.
"We're in shock." Sirius finished.
At that moment, Mrs. Potter looked like a gaping fish. Her mouth opened and closed and her eyes were wide as she took in the embarrassed twins. Tears of sadness for the twins that apparently never had a true family formed in her eyes. She gathered them into a hug and pulled them flush against her body.
"You are never not going to celebrate your birthdays again, I swear on my mother's grave." She said.
She let go of them and wiped her eyes. She cleared her throat and turned to look at her husband, "Go wake the other two. I'll get them started on breakfast and then we will get started with the birthday festivities."
That was the best birthday either twin had ever had.
Mrs. Potter had served them gourmet food the entire day. It was made from scratch, by her. Not by a house elf that hated their guts.
Mr. Potter put some enchantments on the backyard so they could fly around in the afternoon. He let the twins borrow a Nimbus 1990, a brand new broom he had gotten as a gift from an old friend. The twins took turns practicing on the broom for more than five hours.
When they went back inside once it got dark, they got to open presents. It was the largest amount of presents either had received on their birthday. Normally, they got the regular stuff; new robes, a book or two. This year, from James he gave them five free passes to use his invisibility cloak, each. There was a stipulation though; they had to be causing mischief. The twins scoffed at that, as if they needed to try. Peter gave them a dozen chocolate frogs each, for that was their favorite candy. Ben got Sirius a book titled A Thousand and Two Believable Excuses. From him, Ursula got a small locket that when it opened, had a picture from the night they exchanged gifts.
Remus got both of them notebooks that would allow them to talk to each other when they were separated in class. Remus said he was working on charming more notebooks but they took a lot of time to make and he thought that they would like theirs now. Ursula and Sirius smiled happily thinking of all the pranks they could plan in class now without getting caught.
Elyse's gift had to be their favorite, though. Her mother had picked these up before they went to Godric's Hallow and they had been sitting in her trunk that whole time. She got the twins a bunch of muggle clothes. Ursula and Sirius loved them immediately and actually ran upstairs to change into their new outfits. Their mother had never let them wear real muggle clothes before. They usually were in robes of some sort and the clothes they wore underneath were usually dress black clothes made by wizards; not muggles.
Mr. and Mrs. Potter had given them each a framed picture. The picture was the one that had been taken right after they got off the boats their first time at Hogwarts. Mr. Potter had some friends there so he was able to get the original from them and copy it. In addition, Mrs. Potter had given Ursula a long strand of cream colored pearls. They had been Mrs. Potter's when she was a young girl and seeing that she didn't have any daughters and since she doubted James would ever want them, she gave them to the girl that never had a real mother.
The only down side to the night was when Remus's mom came to pick him up. Apparently, her mother had come down with a horrible disease and she might not make it through the night. No one wanted Remus to go since he already looked under the weather and exposing him to such a deadly disease seemed stupid. But Remus assured them that he would be alright and that he would right them in a couple of days.
"Just be careful mate, we don't want you dead." James said, giving a threatening look that clearly said, "Die- and I kill you."
Remus gulped before nodding and leaving with his mother. The clocks in Ben's head were turning, the grandmother that had been sick last time was his father's mom. Now it was his mother grandmother? And thinking about it, his uncle/godfather had fallen ill two months ago.
While the other's said goodbye to Remus, Ben had to wonder,
"What is wrong with his family?"
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