A/N: I am never calling George "Georgie" or Fred "Freddie." I will kill myself if I do that in this story.
I keep dropping more hints as to the ending. And I think I should stop. Hm. At the end of the story, just read over a couple of chapters, and then you'll realize that I'm just throwing it in your face. Also, I just realized something. Question for you- what do you think the title (The Scribe's Resurrection) means in relation to the story? I never really explained that.
AND! To those of you who have favorited/ story alerted TSR, thank you! Sometimes I feel like I'm completely alone in writing this because I don't get many reviews (and thank you, Mani, for your constant reviews. they make me happy.) So, thanks for reading. It means a lot to me.
I should really stop talking but, eh, this is a part of the story. Something that Selena has passed down to Alrescha is her determination. They both know how to get what they want, and they won't let anyone mess it up or take it away from them.
I kind of don't like this chapter. Except the bit about Selena and Sirius.
The Scribe's Resurrection
Part Five: Chapter Thirty-Three
July 16, 1995
The kitchen was one of the main gathering areas of Grimmauld Place, just because the room was so large. It also helped that the kitchen was always well stocked. It was the only place in the house that dust never found a place to land. This night, Sirius, Selena, Tonks, and Remus had just finished a very late dinner, and Remus had walked Tonks to the door and watched her Apparate into the night. Upon his return to the kitchen, his two friends broke into song.
"Tonks and Remus, sitting on a broom! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage. Then comes a baby in a baby carriage!" Sirius and Selena giggled.
"Oh ha ha, very funny." Remus gave them a sardonic sneer.
"You know you like her, mate." Sirius clapped him on the back.
"She's nice-"
"He's absolutely smitten, Sirius!" Selena took him by the cheeks and pinched him. "Our widdle Moony's growing up!" The two jokesters caught each other's eye and started laughing anew.
"You both are mad. Completely barking."
"Aw, Remus, she's a wonderful woman. Got her into the Auror Academy myself with Alastor's help. She's young and fun and vibrant!"
"And you're boring, dull, and goofy. Opposites attract- perfect match!"
"Admit it. You do like her, right Remus?" Selena prodded.
"Well, yes."
"Oh ho!" Sirius half-hugged Remus, throwing back his head to give his signature doggish laugh. He'd been worried, he had.
"Knew it," grinned Selena.
"But-"
"No buts, Remus. She likes you a lot. I taught her- I remember what she was like."
"Yeah, go on, mate, get your girl. What would James say if he were here?"
"He'd probably tell my arse to get moving and stop whining."
"There you go!" Sirius' face lit up. "Oh, I'll be back- I think there's some mulled mead in the basement." Sirius departed with a bounce in his step.
"Selena," Remus mumbled. "I don't think she even deserves someone like me- look! I'm shabby and old-"
"We are the same age, Remus. You are not old. And as for shabby, you're just worn. Everyone from the First War is like that. You just show it in your body-"
"You know that's not what I mean. I'm a werewolf, a definite monster…"
"We loved and always love you."
"You and Sirius and James are different. This is someone who wants to be close to me, and if we got married-"
"Thinking about marriage already, Moony? You must really like her!" Selena mocked. Remus glared.
"I'm being serious."
"I know, I know."
"If we got married, what then? What about the moon cycle? What about children?" Selena studied her best friend's disposition.
"If you love her, it won't be an issue. I know a couple- the woman is a werewolf- and they have three healthy children."
"That's them! What if something happens to her while pregnant? What if the child becomes a werewolf and hurts her?" Remus hung his head. "It's better to not even chance it."
"Remus, I know I'll never understand what it means to be a werewolf, but I know every single thing about feeling like you should risk your own happiness for the sake of others. If you're having these thoughts, I know you love her already. But let me tell you it'll break you apart. And it's not ever going to go away, whether you marry her, date her, or leave her. But don't waste your time thinking of what could've been. It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. We, me and Sirius and Lily and James, we worried ourselves sick over you. We love you and want you to be happy. Please don't seal yourself off and go to a dark place. If it works out with her or not, don't waste your life not knowing. It'll hurt- trust me, it'll hurt- but don't-"
"I found it!" Sirius held up a deep brown glass bottle like a trophy. Selena smiled, turning to get some glasses from the cupboard. Sirius initiated conversation with Remus.
But don't be like me, thought Selena. Just don't be like me.
July 18, 1995
Lunchtime
It all began when Alastor Moody gruffly slapped down the mail on the table while Alrescha and Ron were setting the table for a late lunch. He'd picked it up from Selena's house. A piece of mail, stamped by the Ministry, found its way into Alrescha's hands.
"Oh, Mum, the letter!" The girl exclaimed. Selena gestured to her daughter to come sit next to her. Ginny took the plates from Alrescha's hands.
"What is it?" Ron asked.
"Probably none of your business, Ron," said Fred, rounding the table to look at the letter.
"When is it then?"
"My appointment's for August fifteenth." Alrescha skimmed the letter, beaming. "I can't believe they're giving me a chance."
"Me neither," came a gruff reply from Sirius. Selena gave him a look; Remus shook his head at them.
"What is it?" Everyone at the table looked up at Mrs. Weasley who was setting food on the table.
"Yeah." Ron folded his arms, looking at Fred.
"Alrescha is being tested to see if she can be approved to have a WWN Extensor Operation," Selena said slowly.
"What?"
"Bloody hell," Ron whispered.
They told them everything, of course, but Mrs. Weasley couldn't and wouldn't agree. Alrescha and Selena versus Molly Weasley was a sight to see, even if the latter had lost before the battle had begun. The problem was that Molly saw Alrescha as antoher Hermione or Ginny, to be protected as she saw fit. The disagreement had begun at the beginning of lunch, and no one dared to leave the table, even when Selena and Molly commenced cleaning. There was too much awkwardness and tension to leave.
"Selena, I don't think it appropriate for Alrescha to sit in on any part of Order meetings!" Alrescha was being allowed, by Selena, Moody, and Dumbledore, to sit in on no more than fifteen minutes of each meeting. But Molly thought that was fifteen minutes too much. "She's not even of age for Merlin's sake."
"Which is why I, her mother, will decide. If you have a problem with my parenting decisions, please Molly, tell me!"
"I never said-" Mollly blushed. "All I'm saying is that she's too young."
"We're all too something."
"It's dangerous, Selena! Don't you think you should consider the fact that she could be targeted?"
"Alrescha knows that, Molly-"
"Mrs. Weasley, I want to do what I can for the Order-"
"Which is staying safe at home and at school!"
"I will be quite safe, Mrs. Weasley. I'm not going on World Tour or even a broom trip cross country! The point is that I want to help! With all due respect, you know as well as Mum or Tonks or Dad or I or anyone else that this is our fight as well as yours! And frankly and not to be mean, but I'll ignore every attempt you make to stop me." Alrescha's cheeks had gone red with the fervor of talking. She stopped to catch her breath. She'd been practicing all day, and her voice was somewhat hoarse. Mrs. Weasley stared at the mother-daughter pair, speechless.
"I can't protect her forever, Molly," Selena said softly.
"Well." Molly let out a sigh. The pair of them behaved oddly anyway. And in all honesty, Molly Weasley absolutely loved Alrescha and George dating. She considered her part of the family already, like Harry and Hermione. "I guess as long as Dumbledore approves, then."
"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley." Alrescha smiled.
"Oh, let me brew you a tonic for that sore throat." The tension in the room dissipated.
July 23, 1995
Late Night, around 3 AM
When the Weasleys came to live at Grimmauld Place, the days took a turn. There was much more laughter in the house, and Alrescha was extremely grateful for that. The days had been drab and boring and monotonous, cleaning up pieces of the house bit by bit. Now that there were more people to restore Grimmauld Place, Alrescha had the company she wanted. There were jokes and laughter and voices now, not that strange haunting echo whenever someone murmured aloud.
Alrescha didn't know how to feel about Grimmauld Place; it was slowly revealing itself to her, though. The bedrooms were the only thing Alrescha could get through, before the Weasleys came, with Sirius and Selena helping from time to time. Although, she hadn't touched the fourth floor, with the exception of her own bedroom. Sirius' teenage room as well as Regulus' was on that floor, right across from hers. She couldn't go in either room- she wasn't ready. And furthermore, she didn't know which she wanted to go in first. So she just left the rooms as they were and resorted to finding out about her family by exploring the rest of the house.
All of the rooms, no matter how decrepit, held a story. When she finally got a hold of Kreacher, Alrescha thought, she'd ask what those specific relics from each room meant. Her adoptive father, Sirius, turned his nose at Grimmauld Place and didn't want to pass down anything- good or bad- to Alrescha. Alrescha saw his hate for the place, and that was part of the reason why she was happy the Weasleys had come. His constant depression was enough. The fact that he drank too much, the reality that even Selena couldn't make him happy- the truth was that he continuously broke the hearts of all those around him. He'd make snide remarks, bring the mood down once he entered a room, and not talk, save for one-word responses and Order meetings.
Alrescha was hating Grimmauld Place. What it was doing to Selena. Selena did not sleep in the same room as her husband, and she could often be seen just staring into space. Alrescha knew what that look was- it was from the days that Sirius was in Azkaban. Alrescha wanted to slap Sirius Black, to ask him if he understood that Selena had waited oh-so patiently for him to come home, and that it shattered her heart into a million pieces when he didn't look at her. Alrescha couldn't understand how he could smile when Remus came over, but not when Selena hugged him. How could he have so much passion in Order meetings but not when he was having dinner with his own wife? Alrescha knew, she was allowed to be there during meetings now. How could he be so cavalier when he was drunk but not when he spoke to Selena? Alrescha overheard them late at night.
The record was almost finished recording the music that Alrescha had composed. It was a song for Selena. It was a sweet, haunting song. The guitar ceased playing, and the song was over.
Alrescha decided that her first project, the first thing that she would set to rights with her voice, would be her parents' marriage. They were so in love- she knew that. But Sirius was hurting the person he loved most, just because the past was so painful. It seemed like he lived there, trapped in the past. She wanted him to stop, or at least treasure his present.
August 6, 1995
Alrescha sat across from her adoptive mother and her godfather Remus, the twins to her right, and Sirius to her left at the head of table. A swirl of conversation permeated the dinner table, and Selena, Remus, and Sirius were deeply consumed in their talk. The twins were avidly talking Quidditch with Harry, Ginny, and Ron, with Alrescha interjecting periodically. It was the first night with Harry there, and Alrescha felt quite at home now.
All of a sudden, a very old, decrepit house-elf sidled in, cursing about mudbloods and blood-traitors. Alrescha assumed this was Kreacher, with whom Sirius was doing battle. Even though she'd been living there for almost a month, she'd never really seen him. Before walking past Alrescha, Kreacher snarled quite nastily at the twins, causing everyone in the room to set their eyes on him.
"Kreacher!" Sirius addressed him. Kreacher stood between him and Alrescha.
"Mistress wouldn't like it, all these- Yes, master?" Kreacher looked around the table, and finally his eyes rested on Alrescha, who was looking at him, as everyone else was.
"Kreacher, I-"
"Miss?" Kreacher had a sudden surge of recognition, and he bowed deeply at Alrescha's chair, smiling widely. "Kreacher always knew the child of my master Regulus wasn't dead, Kreacher knew it. And Mistress said Kreacher'd do well to forget about Mistress Darcy and her baby, that the Dark Lord had gotten to you. Are you well, Miss-"
"Alrescha," the grey-eyed girl said. "Alrescha Polaris Black."
"Miss Alrescha." Kreacher bowed again.
"I'm fine, thanks. You?" Alrescha felt a lump rise to her throat, very aware of the fact that everyone in the room was very very confused. Other than Sirius, Remus, and Selena, no one knew that Regulus and Darcy were Alrescha's biological parents.
"Quite alright, Miss. And your mother?"
"She's well." Alrescha cleared her throat. "I think, Kreacher, that you should be a dear and busy yourself with the cleaning. My father wouldn't like for the house to be dirty."
"Of course, Miss. Straight away." Kreacher dismissed himself, and an eerie silence settled at the table. Kreacher had never taken orders so well. Alrescha, feeling eyes on her, peeked up at Sirius. His arms were folded, eyes closed. That strange vein in his forehead was enlarged- his anger was rising. Alrescha couldn't help it- she let out a noise that like a sob, or maybe just a long sigh, and stood up.
"Dinner was lovely, Mrs. Weasley." And with that, Alrescha turned around, practically running out the room, closely followed by George and then Fred Weasley. Her footsteps were heard tupping up the stairs, and finally a door slammed somewhere upstairs; two loud pops indicated that the twins had Apparated into her room. Everyone's faces turned to Sirius and Selena.
Sirius' fists slammed on the table, and he rose from his chair.
"Sirius," Selena said slowly, reaching for his hand. He batted it away, causing everyone to become even more confused. Sirius had never exhibited that kind of behavior towards Selena.
"No." He tramped out as well, and after a while, a loud crash was heard, as if something broke from upstairs. Remus put his arm around Selena as she inhaled deeply.
"I'm sorry," Tonks whispered. "I'm confused." Remus gave her a look, to which she gave him a return look and a shrug, meaning 'I'm just saying.'
"It's alright. It's just… Being in this place is making it very hard for both of them. Alrescha… Isn't ours. We don't have children of our own."
"She looks-"
"Like someone from the House of Black, yes," Selena finished the sentence. "Her father is Regulus Black, Sirius' brother and former Death Eater. Her mother is Darcy Knox, the famous songstress from the late seventies. Sirius… hated his brother. Darcy and Regulus were supposed to be married in the January before Alrescha was born, but after Regulus went missing, Darcy had to go into hiding. Voldemort found Darcy, and knowing full well that she had a parasitic plant on her heart and was pregnant, tortured her. Her House-Elf Muffy rescued her and brought her to my house… Darcy was my oldest friend… And I birthed Alrescha, and then Darcy died. She's buried next to my parents… Alrescha and Darcy aren't on the Black Family Tree, because one has to be married in order to be put on it. It's blatant when you look at Alrescha that she looks just like them both, Darcy and Regulus." Selena paused. "She loves her parents very much… Alrescha was excited- thought she could find out more about her father once she came to Grimmauld Place, and Sirius just can't stand anything about it. He almost disowned-" Selena silenced herself, sighing. "Excuse me." Everyone at the table understood she meant to talk to Sirius. She hobbled out the room, climbing the stairs.
Saturday, August 12, 1995
Nighttime at Grimmauld Place
"To celebrate Harry's acquittal, would you mind if I sang?" Alrescha looked around hopefully. The music room had been finally cleared, the piano restored to its former glory along with the gramophone. Besides, Alrescha needed all the practice she could get.
"Yeah! I've never really heard you," exclaimed Harry. It was decided; Alrescha hopped up from the table and scurried off to get dressed and get her records.
---
There was a knock on Selena's door. She wondered who it was, so late at night.
"Come in." The door creaked, letting in the dim light from a lone candle in the hallway. Sirius stepped in.
"You busy?" He asked. "Er, I'll come lat-"
"No, no I'm not!" Selena was sitting at the desk in the corner, pouring over books, quill stalled in midair. She waved her hand, and the materials put themselves away. Sirius cleared his throat and closed the door after fully entering.
"Alrescha's singing is really something, like larger than life," he began. "I really don't know how she gets her lyrics." He was referring to several of the songs Alrescha sang- he knew they were about him and Selena because she'd said so. Alrescha was never afraid to say who a song was about. She'd even had one dedicated to Remus. But the ones about Sirius and Selena really got to the grey-eyed man. Especially the song where Selena had to excuse herself from the room because it was too sad- she came back later, when Alrescha sang a song about George. Even that one caused everyone to be silent and uncomfortable. Alrescha just made everything seem so unbearably sad, yet no one knew that she felt that way. And especially now that all of them knew Alrescha was not Selena's child, it was strange.
"Some of the lyrics are Darcy's, some of them from me or my mother, but most of them are just words she made up or heard."
"Hm." Sirius scratched his head, shuffled his feet, looked around the room. He was fidgety- he sighed again. Selena waited patiently, wondering why he was nervous. "Strange how she knows so well. I- I'm sorry. You know that, right?"
"I know."
"I just can't stand being here. At all. I can't walk out into the sunshine or breathe fresh air…" Sirius glanced at the windows that projected a moonlit night. "It reminds me of everything I've failed at, and I can't forget it. It hurts so much to be here, Selena."
"I know." Selena hung her head, looking down at her fingers in her lap. She felt his pain- she felt it every day.
"What was it that Alrescha sang? I am waiting, waiting for you to come home."
"And I watched them burn, when will I learn?"
"If I wait, it doesn't mean you will return," Sirius completed the verse. "You waited so long, and I'm acting like this. There was a time when you would've boxed me over the head for acting like this. I keep asking myself what happened to us."
"Me too." She wished she could tell him that she saw how hurt he was, how hurt they both were. She couldn't get angry at him anymore. She just felt so depressed when she looked into his eyes. His guilt, his anger, his sadness- they shared it all. She lifted her head and looked over at him.
"I love you," he whispered. "I love you so much."
"I love you too." In a rather forward movement, Sirius crossed the room and took Selena's shoulders. He paused, staring at her face.
"I forgot how much I liked your nose ring."
"Sirius…" Selena shook her head. "You're insane-" She was cut off by his lips. Her head got hazy, and when they broke apart, she found herself on the bed without her nightgown.
"I've still got it," murmured Sirius. "You don't know what hit you."
"Oh, shut up," giggled Selena, kissing his chest tattoo.
Tuesday, August 15, 1995
As much as she did not want to admit it, Alrescha was, for lack of a better word, nervous. What if the panel of Ministry judges deemed her voice too weak? If they turned her away, what else would Alrescha do? Hold her tongue and take her O.W.L.s without complaint? She couldn't and wouldn't do that. She'd go back again and again.
"Don't play it safe- give it your all, Rescha," Sirius said. "The passion in your voice should be more than enough to approve the operation."
"What're you going to play?" Tonks asked.
"These two." She handed her cousin sheet music. The metamorphmagus nodded, her blonde, curly hair bouncing.
"They've got to give you credit for writing these yourself! They sound great." The grey-eyed girl nervously smiled.
"Here you go, dear." Mrs. Weasley set a plate of food in front of her. Alrescha felt nauseated. "Erm, maybe just some toast and tonic then."
"Yeah." Maybe the only thing that was keeping Alrescha thinking clearly was George holding her hand under the table. Every so often, he'd rub his thumb over the back of her hand. The Twins couldn't go with her to the Ministry, but to have them there at the table made her happy.
"Don't worry, Alrescha. I'm sure you'll be brilliant." Harry patted her shoulder. Ron nodded vigorously from across the table while Hermione read over the sheet music.
"Feathers? What kind are they?" Remus wondered. "In your hair-?"
"Phoenix, augurey, and peacock," she automatically replied. "My favorite birds."
"Eat!" Mrs. Weasley urged. "You'll feel better later." Alrescha took a small bite of her jam-covered toast.
---
Photographers from the Daily Prophet snapped pictures as she sang, and Recorders from the Music Department put her performance to seeing-record, to be seen and given out with the next day's issue of the Prophet.
Alrescha ended and bowed, her head spinning. Everyone clapped, and she was given back her wand and allowed to wait in the back room while the press waited outside during the delegation.
"Mum!" Alrescha tramped over to where Selena sat on a chaise by an end table.
"I could hear you from in here!"
"How was I?"
"Amazing."
"Really?! I hope I get approval. Mum, I was so scared- photographers kept snap-snapping their cameras, and I was trying to focus on the panel…"
"You were fine." Alrescha put her head on her surrogate mother's shoulder.
"I hope it was good enough." Selena couldn't understand all of Alrescha's self-doubt. Her voice was much stronger than Darcy's, and Alrescha's countenance influenced more people than she knew. That was why the key people of the Order found no qualms about it. Selena pinned the self-doubt on Alrescha's humility.
"Ms. Black, Miss Black." The two rose and returned to the panel. They stood in the center of the room, right where Alrescha had been before. Alrescha held her breath.
"Alrescha Polaris Black," the Chief of the Panel addressed her. "We of the Ministry have decided in favor of your decision to have the WWN Extensor operation. In January, your operation will take place. You will receive an owl within the week. Congratulations."
"Thank you, sir." Alrescha clasped her hands together while Selena embraced her thoroughly excited daughter.
"Keep it up, Miss Black. I haven't heard a set of pipes blow like that in decades." Alrescha was positively beaming, and tears were springing into her eyes.
"Thank you! That means a lot to me." The press was allowed to return into the main room, and the cameras snapped and flashed again, along with the reporter's cries to Alrescha to answer questions. But she couldn't hear any of that- only a ringing in her ears and a slight, sweet voice singing in her head.
Ending Note:
Omfg, Sirius is a drunkard sometimes. I just noticed. Even back when he was throwing fits about Alrescha being in his house when she was a baby, he drank. Hm. Moving on.
Alrescha sang two songs while in her interview thing. The songs she sings are important to me, just because I've got an entire playlist on my computer dedicated to The Scribe's Resurrection and the things Alrescha sings. The songs themselves hint to the end of the story.
One of them is "Let the Flames Begin" by Paramore (which I don't own). This is one of the songs "for the Order." A sample of the lyrics: "What a shame we all became such fragile, broken things… A memory remains- just a tiny spark. I give it all my oxygen to let the flames begin... Somewhere weakness is our strength, and I'll die searching for it. I can't let myself regret such selfishness…This is how we'll dance when they try to take us down. This is how we'll sing it. This is how we'll stand when, they burn our houses down. This is what we'll be. Oh, glory."
Another one of the songs she sings is "Eyes on Fire" by Blue Foundation (another thing that is not mine. This song is "from Selena, to Sirius" and "from Alrescha, to George." The main section that really speaks to me is as follows: "I won't soothe your pain, I won't ease your strain. You'll be waiting in vain- I got nothing for you to gain."
So yes. And if any of you are wondering what Alrescha sings like, she's got a very strong voice with a lot of "soul" in it. Darcy's voice was strong, yes, but it was very haunting. Alrescha's intensity is what makes her good, I think. Darcy just revitalized the music industry with not-so-forward lyrics that made you think. I think I'm talking too much.