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Chapter 3: Dorea
"No, stop! It's me you want, not them, please let them go!"
"Sorry dear cousin, but I cannot do that. CRUCIO!"
Bellatrix and her fellow Death Eaters pointed their wands and James, Remus and Peter screamed, falling to the floor at Black manor. I whipped my wand out but then my Dad disarmed me and kicked me in the stomach, causing me to keel over on the floor. Before I could even try and pick up my stranded wand, I felt one of my Dad's hands pulling me up by my hair and then slotting around one my arms. Lucius Malfoy was grabbing the other, gripping me and pulling me back. Another more slender but just as harsh and cold hand clutched itself around my face, long red-painted nails digging into my cheeks.
"You're right," said my Mum coldly, sounding insanely like Bella then, "It is you we want. And we want you to decide now. Either come back and show your loyalty to the Dark Lord's cause; or end up like your little blood-traitor, half-blood, and half-breed scum you call your friends are going to be. Or maybe like her." She shoved my face in the direction of our display cabinet to reveal Sophie's head for all to see. "If you do come back, I'm sure lovely Bellatrix will persuade the Dark Lord to save your friend's lives-"
"Don't do it Sirius!" shouted James "Forget about us, don't do it!" He started screaming again when Bella fired another Cruciatus curse at him.
"That's enough!" Everyone turned to see someone in a black robe and cloak, with the hood up enter the room. I couldn't see anything apart from his eyes, which were bright red, and enough skin around his chin to know that he wasn't wearing a Death Eater mask. His voice was like snakes spitting venom. The man revealed a bony hand from under his cloak and pulled off his hood to reveal… Regulus…
"He's not worth it Mother. Even if he does join the Dark Lord, his heart inside will always be pure filth. He'd only end up betraying us again"
This wasn't happening! This could not be happening!
Regulus pointed his wand straight at James' throat.
"Say goodbye to your 'brother'."
This wasn't happening! This could not be happening!
"No, Reg, no please, please, don't do it, I beg you, PLEASE-"
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
James' body fell limp.
I screamed…
Then I woke up.
I hadn't sleep well the first night; or the night after that; or the one after that. I kept horrid having nightmares like that, making me wake up about 3 or 4 times every night. Even after I wake up, it seems like they haven't gone away because I can see the cuts and bruises on my arms, back, stomach and legs (even though they had now been treated), and my eyes are still a bit red and weary, and I feel like I want to vomit.
My one salvation so far has been when I have managed to become Padfoot and run around the Potter grounds. It sounds cheesy, but I always have this sense of freedom when I'm a dog. I love the wind ruffling up my black fur. It was the only time I really got by myself. Other than that, and sleeping, James practically never left my side. I loved being around him and I knew he was worried and only looking out for me, but it frustrated me; so much so I thought I was going to snap at him. I don't want him to be over-protective like this, and I don't want him to become so mad at my family, that he'll do something he'll regret. That's why I haven't told him about the nightmares.
A little after I woke up after that particularly bad nightmare, I got a knock on the door. It was Dorea.
"Good morning, did you sleep ok?" I shook my head. I'd got such a bad headache, I felt almost hung-over. I really wish Dorea wasn't here to see me all sweaty and disgusting. It was bad enough on the first night. She sat on the edge of the very comfy bed. "Did Jamie ever tell you what my maiden name was?" I shook my head.
"Black"
I could have easily fallen out of the bed. "No way! Seriously?"
She nodded. "My parents weren't quite like yours, but they believed in the Pure-Blood supremacy alright. I stopped believing in it the moment Charlus and I became friends. It was in my 3rd year, I think. I had to keep our friendship a secret. I was always asked over to the Potter manor ever since, but it wasn't until my 5th year that I took the plunge. I snuck out of the New Year's party at home and came here. Do they happen to have fireworks now?" I shook my head – those parties always were so bloody boring! She let out a tiny chuckle, just like James does.
"I thought not. I was terrified they would catch me (I wasn't brave like you and James and Charlus), but they didn't. So I used my Slytherin cunning streak, got a bit more rebellious and did that for 10 years. After I left Hogwarts, I got into Auror training with Charlus behind my parent's backs. They thought I had some secretarial job, and even then, they didn't like it. Female Blacks aren't allowed to have jobs. Do you have any sisters by any chance?"
"No, but I have 3 female cousins."
"So you're familiar with finding "suitable" suitors? I was incredibly lucky that my parents couldn't actually find anyone for me! Even after all that time! I think it might have been the job that put people off. They're supposed to be married young in the Black family aren't they."
"Oh yes. They married young all right, though not all 3 cousins of mine followed the rules," She shot her eyebrows up at me. "Whilst Bellatrix and Narcissa had "respectable" matches, Andromeda got disowned, just like I will be now. She fell in love with a guy named Tonks – he is a Muggleborn."
Dorea sucked in a breath. "Oh, wow! She's very brave."
"Yeah, she is." I made a mental note to write to her at some point.
"Anyway," said Dorea a little dreamily, giving a small cough, "On with the story? Well, after 10 years, I was getting braver, I of course had fallen in love with a "Blood-traitor" and I was working to put Dark wizards in Azkaban with the same man. I remember New Year's Eve that year very well indeed. That was when I... got together with Charlus as you young people say." Her voice broke a little bit "And that very same night, I was caught. I told them everything of course. Charlus had given me the courage to do that. And I did what you did. I ran; I ran here because it was the only place I could go. And Charlus took me in and looked after me. Actually, he did more than that; he gave me the ultimate protection against my family." She twiddled with the bands on her ring finger. "He proposed to me that very day."
I smiled. For the first time since that day, I genuinely smiled. "Don't tell James I said this, but that was a lovely story." She smiled back at me.
"I have always thought of and loved you as a second son Sirius, and so has Charlus; and look at you and Jamie, you're like twin brothers! I guess we always wondered when you become an honorary Potter." I started shakily crying again. Dorea nudged up next to me. "What's wrong dear?"
"Sorry. I don't really know how to put it into words. I'm incredibly grateful and happy that you're doing this for me when I don't deserve it. I'm also a little bit annoyed with myself that I didn't do this before it got this bad."
I hadn't even registered Dorea's arms around me. They pulled me close to her, rubbed my back and started to cradle me; like a mother does to her child.
"I felt like that at first. And it is perfectly normal to feel that way. But I want you to know that you are anything but a burden Sirius; and neither is Sophie. She's lovely isn't she?" I nodded.
"Just think what would have happened to her if you were no longer at the Black's? You saved her life Sirius, and you more than deserve being a part of this family. We're just very happy to have you here and be a part of it. Oh and can I tell you a secret?" she leaned in closer to my ear and whispered: "On the night Charlus and I really fell in love, I wondered whether there would be a Black in Gryffindor someday. Turns out I was right." She smiled warmly at me. "You were the first Sirius, and I darn well hope that you're not the last."
If anyone wants to read a little more about Charlus and Dorea, then you should read "Tales of Shaftesbury Avenue". There is a one-shot somewhere in there about them and that night :-)
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