Disclaimer: I still do not own Harry Potter.
Hey! Thanks so much for the reviews! As you know, today will be the last chapter until Wednesday. I hope you enjoy it, and thanks to those who wished me well on my vacation!
Chapter 35: Reunion of the Black Sheep
Sirius Black was nervous. Very, very nervous. It was now the middle of March, and today was a day he had anticipated since he had been cleared of all charges against him. Today, he would be seeing his cousin, Andromeda, for the first time in years.
Sirius and Andromeda had sought solace in each other growing up. Neither of them truly felt like a part of the Black family because of their differences. They could be outcasts together, and at the boring, dull dinner parties and the awful Black family reunions, they always found time to spend together. That was, until Andromeda's name was obliterated from the family tree. After that, he could only see her in secret. At sixteen, his own name had been blasted when he ran away from home. Andromeda had fallen in love with a Muggle-born by the name of Ted Tonks, and the announcement of her engagement to him was the straw that broke the camel's back for her parents.
Now Andromeda had a beautiful daughter by the name of Nymphadora. She was a Metamorphmagus, meaning she could change her appearance any time she wanted to. Sirius remembered her as a very young girl, for that was the last time he had seen her. She had always been close to her "Uncle Siri." To her he was the fun-loving adult who pulled pranks and laughed when she changed her appearance and hair to very unique colors. She was now training to be an Auror, and he was extremely proud of her. He shuddered to think about the betrayal and devastation that must have gone through her young mind when she was told he had gone to prison for murder.
Today, a sunny Saturday, Andromeda, Ted, and Dora would be coming to the house, and it would give them time to catch up. Sirius was nervous because he didn't know how the reunion would go. After all, things could hardly be normal when you'd spent almost thirteen years believing that someone you dearly loved had killed so many people.
"Don't worry so much, Padfoot. I'm sure things will be fine," Remus reassured when he finally got his worried friend to open up about his concerns.
"Yeah, I hope so, Moony. I hope so," said Sirius, tapping his foot impatiently. "I just hope they get here soon."
Ding-dong.
"That must be them," Sirius said, running to get to the door. Upon opening it, he wasn't quite prepared for the sight that met his eyes since it had been so long. Standing in the doorway were the very three people he had wanted to see again.
Andromeda was a very beautiful woman. It was true that she didn't believe in the Black family morals, but the way she held herself was definitely a Black trait. She had great elegance and poise, and her beauty was indescribable.
Ted was a very handsome man, with brown hair and blue eyes. He wore a kind smile, and you could just tell by looking at him that he had a good heart. Nymphadora was beautiful as well, and she had bubblegum pink hair today.
Andromeda and Sirius just looked at each other, examining each other's countenance. They said nothing for a few moments, just stood there and thought of all the times they'd had in the past. Finally, she held out her arms to him, and Sirius tentatively (he hardly did anything tentatively) walked into them. As they embraced, they relaxed, and the hug grew stronger. "Oh, Sirius," Andie whispered, and as they broke apart, Sirius could see tears glistening in her eyes.
"Andie," Sirius said, holding on to her hand. "It's so good to see you again."
"Likewise," she answered, discreetly wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
"Uncle Siri?" said Dora, using the nickname she had always called him. "Is that really you?" She looked at his face in shock; the haunted look from the years in Azkaban was still prominent in his gray eyes. He looked so different from the practical joker she had known as a child.
Sirius pretended not to notice the pain in her face when she saw this. "Yeah, it's me, Nymphadora," he said gently.
"Don't call me Nymphadora," she said automatically. She always hated it when anyone called her that name.
Sirius chuckled softly. "Sorry, Nymphie, I couldn't resist."
Ted shook Sirius's hand. They smiled at each other, and Ted said, "Welcome back, Sirius."
"Thanks," Sirius said. "Come in, all three of you. I'm sure you'd like to see Remus again."
"Yeah, I remember him," said Dora. All three of them had met Remus when Sirius had brought his friends to Andie's house back in 1981.
They went into the living room, and Remus and the group made their introductions. Dora and Remus exchanged a smile, and she couldn't help but remember how funny the Marauders had been.
Drinks were served by Remus and Sirius immediately, and they all sat down and began to talk. "So how have you been?" asked Sirius. He intended to keep the topic off of betrayal or Azkaban for as long as possible.
"Oh, I've been great," replied Andie, smiling. "As you know, Dora here is doing Auror training five days a week."
"Is that hard?" Sirius asked. "I know it was rather hard when I did it back in the day."
"Yeah, it's rather gruelling," Dora answered. "There's no war going on right now, of course, but ever since those Death Eaters escaped in the summer, the trainers have been like drill sergeants. It's really important to learn how to fight and how to defend ourselves."
"Yeah, that's true," said Remus. "What else do you like to do in your spare time?"
"Well, this," said Dora, grinning. With that, she changed her appearance so it looked exactly like Sirius.
"Whoa there!" said Remus, amazed. "I remember you doing that as a little girl."
"Oh you do, do you?" said Dora in Sirius's voice.
The real Sirius sat laughing in his chair. His little cousin always knew how to make him laugh, even when it was a nerve-wracking day. "What're you trying to do, confuse my friend over there?" he chortled.
"That would be about right," said Dora, changing her appearance back to herself with the bubblegum pink hair.
"That's a really fascinating skill to have, isn't it?" said Ted. "It'll really help Dora when she's done with the training. Once she's a fully-fledged Auror and actually assigned to different cases, she can look like anyone she wants to."
"Hey, remember this?" said Sirius. "Speaking of tricks?" He promptly stood up and turned himself into the big, shaggy black dog. Dora had always loved this; she had often teased him about how much he looked like a Grim. Sirius-the-dog went over to her and licked her face, just like he'd done back then.
"Sirius, get off my daughter!" Andie laughed. "She'll get dog saliva all over her!"
Sirius started to bark. Dora had always loved the sound of that as well, and wanted him to do it whenever he came around. Emotions soaring over her, her eyes filled with tears as memories of her uncle engulfed her. She buried her face in Sirius's fur, unable to believe that after all these years and after hearing what terrible things Sirius had allegedly done, he was innocent. Her beloved uncle was innocent.
Sirius turned back into a human and hugged her. The two of them said nothing, just embraced like he and Andie had done.
Everyone sat back down. "So how's Harry?" Dora asked. "I haven't met the fellow yet, of course, but I've heard all about him. The letter you wrote to me before certainly said a lot of positive things."
"He's a wonderful boy," said Sirius fondly. "And whoever decided they were going to put his name in that goblet for the Triwizard Tournament really underestimated him if they thought he'd get hurt. He's done magnificently so far. Moony and I are so proud of him."
Sirius and Remus had told themselves they wouldn't breathe a word about the problems Harry had had, even though Andie and her family were trustworthy. They just knew Harry wouldn't want anyone else to know.
"That's wonderful," Ted said, a smile on his face.
"He's a mixture of James and Lily," said Remus proudly. "He has a very kind heart, and also doesn't mind partaking in a spot of mischief once in a while."
"Does he have your temper, Sirius?" Andie joked.
"No, not quite," Sirius laughed. "His friend Ron Weasley does, though."
"Yeah, I've heard of the Weasleys," Andie said. "Molly and Arthur are a lovely couple. How many children do they have? I've forgotten."
"Seven," Remus said. "Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George still attend Hogwarts; Percy just graduated last year, and Bill and Charlie have been out for a while."
"Wow, what a big family," Ted exclaimed. Looking at Andie, he said, "I don't know if I would be able to handle that many children."
Andie grinned. "I doubt I'd be able to either. One's enough, thank you very much!"
Tonks scowled good-naturedly at her parents. "Oh, you," she said, grinning.
"You never know if you can handle more," said Sirius. "But Fred and George so remind me of how Prongs and I were."
"Yeah," Remus agreed.
The five of them continued to share stories of old times and talk about the things that had happened recently. Then, on a whim, Remus, Ted, and Dora decided to go out for a coffee so they could leave the two cousins alone. They could just tell that the two needed time to talk on their own, without anyone else disturbing them.
Once the three of them had gone, Sirius and Andie sat on the couch next to each other, simply staring into each other's eyes. Sirius knew the subject of Azkaban had to be dealt with at some point, no matter how much he didn't want to discuss it. He could tell Andie had questions, but she was keeping quiet so as not to upset him. "It's okay, Andie," he reassured her. "You can ask."
"I'm sorry," was the first thing she whispered as she kept staring into his haunted gray eyes. "I'm sorry that after all, I was like the rest of the wizarding world. You're my favorite cousin, I wasn't supposed to betray you like that by turning against you and believing you did all those horrible things. I could see how much you, James, and Lily loved each other and that you would never even think of betraying them."
"You didn't betray me, Andie," Sirius said softly. "I can't fault you for believing what the rest of the wizarding world did. It made me angry at first, but if everyone's saying a certain thing, and telling you that same thing for years, it's hard not to believe it."
"I didn't want to at first," she admitted. "I even talked to Albus, I was sure there was some kind of mistake. But he said all the evidence was against you."
"He was right about that, it was," Sirius sighed. He gently put his arms around his cousin. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to see Dora grow up. You know how much I would have loved to see that. You must have been so upset with me, I can't even imagine."
"I can't deny that I was very angry with you for a long time," Andie confessed. "I mean, I thought you and I were the outcasts together, the black sheep of the family, and then you turn around and end up just like them! That's what everyone was telling me, and after having such a bad home life ..."
"I know, it was very difficult to believe I hadn't turned my back on our friendship," Sirius said sadly.
"I just thought you'd put on a very convincing act to fool us all," Andie said.
"Andie, you know I'm not that good of an actor," Sirius said. "Prongs always said I was like an open book; I can't handle my feelings very well."
"I know, and I was stupid to think that," Andie said. "Can you ever forgive me, Siri? If I was thinking straight, I would have fought tooth and nail for you. I would've gotten you out of that horrible place. Do you still have nightmares about it?"
"Yes, I do," Sirius said honestly. "And I see James almost every night, blaming me for what happened. Moony keeps telling me that Prongs would never blame me, and I know he's right, but it's still really hard. But yes, I can forgive you. How could I not? You're the only sane one out of all of us. After Azkaban, I suppose I could be insane now too."
"Oh, Siri, don't put yourself down like that," Andie urged. "I know the rest of them are raving bonkers, and it's like we're the only two sane people in the Black clan. Toujours pur, indeed." She spat the words as if they were venom.
"Yeah, I hated that damn motto," Sirius growled. "Remember those stupid family reunions and dinner parties? We had to dress in those fancy dress robes and listen to those damned purebloods prattle on and on about how superior their blood was and about how everyone else was inferior to us. And Regulus was so subservient, he listened to everything Mum and Dad said. I tried so hard, Andie," he snarled suddenly, his face morphing into one of complete anger. "I tried so hard to teach him not to eat up everything they drilled into us. But he was their little pet, always believing them and being brainwashed by their fucking morals."
Andie didn't react to him saying the bad word. She just took his hand and gently looked into his sad eyes again. "You blame yourself for his death, don't you?" she asked quietly.
Sirius sighed. He'd never admitted this to anyone before, not even his friends. It was true that he did, in a way. Regulus had gone to Voldemort, and then backed out when he realized he had trapped himself into something he didn't want to do.
"You do, don't you?" Andie said. "Sirius, it wasn't your fault what Regulus did. He was the one who made the decision to join the Death Eaters."
"But I left the family," Sirius said in anguish. "I feel like I didn't coax Regulus to come with me enough. I did ask him to come to James's, I told him we'd accept him, but he said no. I was so mad and so sick of damn Grimmauld Place that I just left. I should've tried harder to get him to leave!"
"You did what you could, Siri," Andie soothed. "Look at me. Please believe me, it wasn't your fault. I never blamed you for it."
"I know you didn't. But it's still hard not to think about the person he was when he was younger. We always used to do things together, he and I. It was just when my beliefs started to change that we began to grow apart."
"I know."
The two of them sat in silence for a while. Then Andie asked softly, "What was it like in Azkaban?"
"Awful," Sirius sighed unhappily. "The dementors brought up every memory I wanted to forget. Adelina, dead in my arms, James, his lifeless eyes staring at me, Lily and her pleading gaze, Harry crying for his "mama" and "dada", chasing after Peter and him getting the best of me, me leaving the family, my name getting blasted off the tapestry, all those foul things. How could I not have seen it, Andie? I'm so stupid! How could I not have seen that Peter was the one all along? It sickens me to think that in 1981 when we all came to your house, Peter was already in cahoots with Voldemort."
Andie shuddered at the name; Sirius knew she wasn't used to hearing it.
"He fooled us all, Siri," she said gently. "None of us knew or suspected he could ever go bad. Peter was always a quiet boy, always in the shadows."
"I should've paid attention to the motto that it's always the quiet ones you should watch out for," Sirius said miserably.
"Please stop blaming yourself, though," Andie insisted. "It's not healthy to be beating yourself up over it all the time. You'll drive yourself insane."
"Yeah, like Azkaban didn't already do that to me," Sirius said fiercely. "I already feel insane sometimes. Being stuck in your own head for twelve years certainly isn't a pleasant experience."
"I know, little cousin, I know."
The conversation had come to a close, and the subject was not mentioned again. They knew that in due time they'd have to get past the demons of the betrayal, but just for now, they were comfortable with being back together again.
They began to talk about other things, like Dora's years at Hogwarts. She had adopted a lot of Sirius's mischievous ways, and Andie reminisced about some of the owls she'd received from Hogwarts letting her know her daughter had been given a detention yet again. Sirius's mood became brighter, and he chuckled at his little cousin's antics.
Pretty soon after that, Ted, Remus, and Dora came back, and they could tell that the two cousins had had an emotional conversation. But they had grown closer because of it, and Andie was so glad to have her Sirius back again.
The three guests stayed for a little longer, and then it was time for them to leave. Sirius promised to see them again soon, and that next time he'd go over to their place. Tonks changed her appearance once again to make Sirius and Remus laugh; this time, she was looking like an old woman with gray hair.
After she changed back she embraced Sirius lovingly, saying, "See you soon, Uncle Siri. Welcome back to the family."
"Thank you, Dora," Sirius whispered emotionally. "I'm glad to be back."
"See you folks," said Ted, smiling jovially at all of them.
"Goodbye, cousin," said Andie, also pulling Sirius into another warm embrace. "We'll see you soon."
"Goodbye, Andie. Take care, and don't get into too much trouble. You too, missy," he said jokingly to Dora.
"Oh, you know me, I never get in trouble," Dora grinned.
"That's not what I heard, Nymphadora," Sirius laughed.
"DON'T CALL ME NYMPHADORA, SIRIUS!" Dora yelled, but a grin was on her face. Everyone laughed.
Once the door had closed, Sirius and Remus sat down on their couch. "Well, that went better than I thought," said Sirius, looking relieved.
"Told you it would," said Remus. "That family's always loved you."
"It was so good to see little Nymphie again," said Sirius fondly. "She's really grown up."
"Yeah, she has," said Remus, smiling.
"I hope life continues to treat them well," Sirius said, sighing contentedly.
"I'm sure it will, Siri. I'm sure it will." Remus said.