Author's note: Sorry for not updating for several days, life is distracting me to write. lol. The italic words were still Renee's thoughts. =)

claire: i still dont figure out what to do about that, but i'm now having ideas about it *wink

Naomisingerkitty: can't reach you, but thanks for informing me about the chapter 7 and 10! already fixed it.

Enjoy reading

Chapter twenty four: Sirius Black

Renee woke up with the peering sunlight at the window. She looked around the room, books and parchments were scattered on the floor. Renee sat on the edge of the bed and stared on the parchments.

"That was a weird dream" Renee thought loudly as she stretched her arms. The dream was about the dog became an escaped convict and mum…

She snorted and walked sleepily downstairs thinking that was definitely a dream; Renee was still on her wrinkled nightgown, fluffy slippers and messy hair, but she don't really care on her appearance right now, all she needed right now was coffee. She was never an early riser and coffee was the first thing she needed to have today. Renee dragged herself to the kitchen, where she could now smell the aroma of the coffee. Ah, Toby must have brewed something for me. Her eyes were half open as she went straight on the coffee maker and poured coffee on her cup. Ah, it smells so wonderful…the aroma…

Renee stared on the table take a step back, her back was already on the sink. A man with curly hair was sitting on her chair, sipping his coffee and staring back at her.

"Good morning" the man said and smiled at her.

The surprise girl blinked several times before she could react. So that was not a dream.

The dog I've rescued was really Sirius Black, an escaped convict at Azkaban.

"Err…good morning" Renee said on her ragged voice and sipped on her coffee, trying to make her brain work faster now. An escaped convict is inside our house, casually sipping coffee on his hand. What's next, the minister of magic knocking on our very door? Well, that could really happen…but…

What was the world gone into?

Renee sat opposite of him and consciously stared at him. As the caffeine was already on her system, she finally noticed Toby was cooking breakfast, the aroma of bacon and eggs were now on kitchen making her stomach slightly grumble for some reason. Sirius was still pale as she could remember him last night (as I thought a dream), and scars from his last mission was visible on his arms.

"How are feeling today?" Renee asked the man in front of her. Toby was now serving his cooked food on the table.

"I'm now okay…still a little sore. Thanks to your abrupt response the other day" He winked at her, showing his perfectly aligned teeth. Renee lowered her head on the coffee, hiding her blushing face with her messy hair. It made Renee conscious with her appearance for some reason. He knows how to dazzle people, dang it.

The two began their small talks as they begin to eat. Renee didn't dare to wake Isabel up, nor did Sirius; Isabel was not an early riser like her. Whoever wakes her up will saw their death early. They talked about school and Renee learned that he was friends with Harry's parents. How he and his friends always do pranks on Hogwarts. She told him her friendship with Harry. He has this big grin on his face, so proud of his godson.

I wonder if he knows about Snape, he didn't mention anything about him though. He was actually nice, now that I slowly knowing him now.

"Don't you know anything besides trying to corrupt my daughter first thing on the morning?" Isabel said, as she went straight on kitchen to get her coffee. It was then he was telling how they made a map of Hogwarts. She was now wearing her muggle casual clothes.

"Morning" Sirius and Renee both mumbled. The two looked at each other and grinned and realize each other's tone of voice. They didn't dare to speak to her unless she has her daily dose of caffeine on her body.

He seems to be known Mum some time now, knowing how dangerous she could be on the morning without coffee.

"So…what are the plans now?" Sirius spoke as she sat next to me with her second cup of coffee in her hand. Ah, I nearly had forgotten the problem in hand. How they perfectly planned the ambush but did backfire in some point.

"I'm going to the order meeting. You stay with Renee" she looked at her mother, pissed off with the thought of leaving her with like a child.

"Don't complain. We already have enough problems. You too, Black" she barked. Renee signed and rolled her eyes and smiled sympathetically on Sirius, who seems to be also pissed on being left alone at the house.

It was after breakfast that Renee went upstairs to change to her normal 'muggle clothes'. It was kind of embarrassing for her that Sirius (he already mentioned not to add 'sir' to his name. he don't like any formalities) saw her on her night clothes, not to mention my bird's nest hair.

Isabel motioned Renee to follow her to the basement. The place was still the same as she left it. Now that I think of, it was like the dungeons on Hogwarts. Isabel went her way to the other room, which they kept as an extension of the library. Now, it was empty. The only thing what was here were candles in each corner of the room, and a small thin cushion on the middle.

"This is where you will train yourself in controlling your ability" she spoke in her serious tone as she light up the candles on the room. She motioned Renee to sit up on the cushion.

"What will I do here?" she asked after sitting on the thin cushion, intrigued to the set up. It was like on any muggle horror movies.

"Do you know why do have visions in anything you touch?" she ignored her question. Renee shook her head, but still eager to hear the reason.

"It was like our magical power. It was bottled up for almost sixteen years. So the tendency was it burst out any minute it was triggered, like emotions" she explained.

"Like accidental magic" Renee continued her explanation, it was already clear now why do I have those bloody moments.

"Yes. Like accidental magic on your younger years. In controlling the ability to predict, you need to have a stern control on your mind" she paced slowly in front of her on the furniture-less room.

"That was the reason why I put you first on occlumency lessons as a warm up exercise" warm up? That bloody training was a warm up?

"What I want you to do here…is to make a vision" Renee blinked several times, unsure of what she had heard.

"Making a vision…as in a voluntary one?" Renee asked unbelief of what Isabel had said.

She pulled out an apple from her robes and placed it in front of her. It looks very fresh, with that bright red color.

"I want you to close your eyes and clear your mind. Yes, do close your eyes now…visualize the apple in front of you. Use all your senses, visualize how it looks like, how does it smells, the texture of the apple on your fingers, and the sound it gives you if you bite it" Renee tried what she had told.

Her voice was soothing as it echoes on the room, which makes me focused more. I tried to wipe anything on my mind, pushing all the memories that trying to pry on my concentration. Now I know why she said that occlumency was a warm up exercise. It was actually helped me a lot in clearing my mind. I visualize the apple in front of me. It was a perfect shape of an apple. Its bright red color skin was smooth, making my finger squish as I imagine my finger run to it. It was delicious looking…it was…

"Once you visualize it. Visualize that you will see what will happen to it. Feel your power being release. Slowly release your power…"

"How will I release my power?" Renee blurted and can't help to interrupted her.

"You will just have to feel it" she looks sternly at her, not pleased for being interrupted.

It was harder than I thought. A slight distraction destroys my concentration. I could hear everything on the room. The flicker of the lights, the soft steps my mother gives when she exited the room, even the faint voices from above…I could even hear from here.

It was lunch when Isabel came back to check her in. Renee hasn't got any improvement in those hours. But Isabel says it takes a lot of practice to make that right. She called her out for lunch; I didn't even notice the time.

Isabel went to the meeting after eating and Sirius stayed as planned. Renee went back on the basement to get some practice. Sirius was still sore because of his wounds that he went straight to his room to get a nap. She went to the basement, taking the quite house as an advantage in getting into work. The apple was no longer being found on the room, mum maybe took the apple out there. It became harder, thinking that the object was no longer in the room, but she practiced harder. It took her a lot of effort before she could make the visualization complete again on her mind.

Renee laid on the cold room, mentally exhausted on hours of training. She groaned to herself as she could feel the impending headache coming, that feeling of that power was definitely easier said than done. Renee stood up clumsily; her legs and butt were numb because of hours sitting on the thin cushion. She grabbed one anti-pain potion on the cupboard, twitching slightly on the bitter taste and headed upstairs.

Sirius was already on the living room, his eyes glued on the television. He's eyes were telling her how bored he was already on the house, as he flicked channels on the remote. I can't blame him though; mum left him on the house babysitting someone. He senses the girl's presence and motioned her to sit beside him. Renee consciously sat beside him and looked at the afternoon show he was watching.

"I hope I didn't make you feel alone on the house. Mum was asking me to do trainings…hope you don't mind" Renee said sympathetically on him. He turned on her surprised but he did smile on the least.

"No I didn't mind. That's Isabel for you, making you train on the middle of Christmas break" he snorted and shook his head in disbelief. Renee chuckled and nodded on agreement. That was definitely mum.

"But you were left here…"

"It's alright. It's not that I could go rooming around in my condition" he said with a smile. I felt bad for him, being convicted for a crime you didn't do was hard…let alone suffering form it for almost fifteen years on Azkaban.

Renee stood up abruptly and looked at him. An idea came to her mind.

"You know what? Why don't we make a stroll outside? The air outside was really refreshing" she beamed at him.

"But your mother said…"

"She didn't tell about walking around the area was prohibited. And you could transform in your animagus form" Renee urged him to stand up and smiled encouraging him.

"Alright, But for just a few minutes" he said and signed in resignation.

"Wait me up, I'll just take my coat and my wand" Renee bolted on her room and took the necessary things. When she came down, Sirius was already on his coat and with a paper bag on his hand.

"Best if we bring some food" he grinned and Renee smiled back at him as she took the bag on him. He morphed into his animagus form and they were ready to go.

It was true, the air was refreshing outside. Renee inhaled slowly taking in all the fresh air she could get. She looked at the black dog and could see the giddiness on his eyes.

"I told you so" she grinned on the dog and he wagged his tail on agreement. Renee just chuckled and made their way to the sidewalk.

It was only a short time when the two reached the park. She signed contently and sat on her favorite spot, a bench below the tree with a nice view of the playground. He runs a few yards away from her, stretching his stiff limbs. Renee chuckled at the sight of him, if I didn't knew more; I would see him as a normal dog that being deprived in taking a walk by his owner.

Sirius jumped into the bench and sat beside her, also signing contently on the peaceful view. She put out the sandwiches and laid one in front of him.

"It's my favorite spot here on town" Renee leaned on the bench and looked at the branches of the tree above them. I remember how this tree is so full with leaves on spring.

Sirius barked at me. I wish I could know what he means by that.

"I wish I knew legillimency so I could read on your mind what you're saying. I don't know dog language, sorry" Renee smiled apologetically on the dog. He wagged his tail and barked again with much excitement.

"I guess I will just think you say 'no problem' on that" she chuckled on him. I must have looked so stupid for talking to a dog. She looked on the kids playing. It was a peaceful sight, seeing kids innocently playing…taking no care to what happens to the world around them.

I wonder when it was the last time I played like that before. Innocence dissolve from me much earlier than the other kids, it was even before learning I was magical. I mean living without a father was the good factor in it. And mother didn't even help about it; she doesn't tell me anything about him…zero, nada. Not that I blamed her about it, talking about the father issue was quite a soft spot for her, or any family issue for that matter. The only thing that I learned about my relatives was they were killed before I was born…and she didn't even tell me the reason. She has those sad eyes when I asked her about it one night. And then she drank half of the alcohol stock on the cabinet after I made it on my bedroom.

After that I didn't dared to ask anything about any family thing, ever.

Sirius whined beside her, cutting her trail of thoughts. The sun was almost setting already. We need to get back to the house before mum gets back. Renee stood up and he jumped from the bench, wagging his tail, Sirius was a good companion after all, animagus or not.

"Lets go before the queen comes back" Renee grinned on him and he barked on agreement.

"You're an animagus. How come you suck on transfiguration?" Renee rolled her eyes and chuckled on the man beside her. The two were on the living room with her books and parchments around them. Renee had asked him to help Sirius on her homework, though she was quite sure that she was capable on doing those.

I just want Sirius not to get bored on the house.

"Having an animagus professor in transfiguration doesn't mean it has connection on the subject" he said.

"Yes it does. It has the combination of…" Renee began to start her lecture, even though she could see Sirius was not entirely listening to her. I really don't know if I will be annoyed to the man or just laugh at it. But the atmosphere was so light, like the two have nothing to worry about besides on the clattering books and parchments on the table.

Mum sure is late but she just came back just before dinner time. She came back using the fireplace on the basement, still wearing her usual black wizard robes.

"Homework?" she nodded and Isabel raised her eyebrow in surprise.

"Yes, homework" Renee said and Isabel began to frown but didn't speak about it again. It doesn't need to be said, she already knows I'm going back on Hogwarts after the holidays. She sat opposite of them, looking on the clattering parchments on the table.

"What happened on the meeting?" Sirius asked. Mum handed him the newspaper instead. Renee peeked on the newspaper while he read the headline. The article said that the body was found on the forbidden forest.

"So they saw the body already" he said and signed.

"It was the Aurors who found him. They thought it was attack by some kind of animal" she shrugged. Renee looked at her in disbelief, not trying to make her imagination work as she said some animal attack him. It could be gruesome to my liking.

"We need reinforcements about this. And Albus already agreed to make 'him' help" who is 'him' mom preferring to?

Who ever he was, Sirius didn't like him. Sirius stood up angrily and glared at Isabel.

"Him? He's a death eater! A death eater will always be a death eater! You shouldn't have trusted him!" he angrily shouted. Renee was shocked to his sudden anger. Isabel just sat there, calmly staring at the angry man. It was surprise how could she handle to be calm in this situation like this. It just made me remembered how she handled me when I was angry about the Hogwarts letter thing.

"I am a death eater, Sirius" she pointed out.

"You're a special case. And him…that git…"

"I'm not a special case Black. Albus trusted him which could be enough proof that he was on the light side. He was the only one who could get information we need when I don't have the capacity to do it. Now, please don't be an immature brat" she said calmly, though Renee could see the anger in her eyes.

That made Sirius shut up. He sat back on his spot and mumbled to himself.

"And I thought you've already grew up. I've always known Renee was mature than you" Isabel signed and rolled her eyes. Renee shot her a death glare, hoping she could stop provoking him.

"So…could you just tell me who is this person would be. I mean, all of this was happening because of me" she asked, trying to take her focus on her as she could still hear curses and inappropriate remarks beside her.

"Severus Snape" Renee couldn't believe what she had heard.

He's a death eater?

"No death eater will set foot inside this house" Sirius sternly said.

"This is my house, the last time I've check Black. I could invite anyone for that matter. Even the dark lord" I know that was just exaggeration, but I could see the seriousness on Mother's face. The both adults were now glaring at each other that Renee couldn't do anything.

This is getting serious than I thought, Renee signed and gazed warily on the two.