AN:
I tend to procrastinate. I can't apologise for who I am, so I'll apologise for making you wait.
This chapter is dedicated to paulaa90, SilveryWind and saku hyuuga. Thank you.
§
Disclaimer: Harry Potter? Not mine. Cover art? Not mine.
Pairing: Sirius/fem!Harry
Warnings: None for this chapter.
THREADS OF TIME
Chapter 6
"Zest is the secret of all beauty. There is no beauty that is attractive without it."
~ Christian Dior ~
Sirius turns around to ask Isobel about her new owl (and make a joke about his missing bag of money), but his question dies on his lips when he sees her fast asleep against the armrest on the other end, her mouth slightly open.
Harry too is asleep, snuggled against her robes. His hair, so like James, is sticking up at all awkward angles. One of his fists has bunched her robes, and Sirius finds the whole scene, for the lack of a better word, cute.
When she's asleep, her face looks much more relaxed. Her brows aren't furrowed the way they are when she's awake, but it doesn't seem like her sleep is all that peaceful. Sirius knows that it's not just tonight, though.
If the bags under her eyes are any indication, she seems to sleep lousily every night. It makes Sirius feel slightly guilty about making her sleep in the living-room, but she hasn't really complained yet. She seems to be the type to grin and bear everything, unlike James or Lily. James would have thrown a fuss; Lily would have demanded equality and better treatment.
With a sigh he gently pries away his godson, and takes him to his room. He changes the baby's diaper and then changes Harry from his baby-robes to a red onesie he finds in the cupboard. Sirius has no idea why Isobel had to buy onesies of so many different colours during her shopping spree last week.
When he sets Harry in his crib, the toddler wriggles slightly, as if disturbed, before turning sideways and snuggling into his stuffed dragon toy. Sirius smiles down at the baby, covering him up with his 'blankie', before dropping a kiss onto his forehead.
Harry is all he has left of James now.
Sirius takes out the pillows and duvet from the cupboard in Harry's room, before heading to the living room where a slightly restless Isobel sleeps. He manages to put the pillow under her head without disturbing her. He still remembers how she gave him boils the first time he woke her suddenly.
Once he's tucked her in, he hesitates over dropping a kiss on her forehead, which has a scar just like Harry's. He really shouldn't. She's technically a stranger. There's so much he doesn't know about her, though he has learnt a lot about her from living together for a week. For one, she's finicky about cleanliness, giving Harry two baths a day, if it's her day to give him a bath. And for some reason, she likes walking around the house barefoot.
Despite those little things, she still is a stranger.
More importantly, if James' and Lily's will is to be believed, she really is their daughter. Which means whatever little attraction he feels for her is wrong. Just because she looks eighteen doesn't mean she's fair game to him.
He pats her head awkwardly, brushing the hair of her bangs before dimming the lights wandlessly. That's a nifty trick that has always had any bird he's bedded swooning at his feet. Wandless magic has its perks.
He removes all his clothes and changes into a fresh pair of boxers in the communal bathroom, and when he goes back into his room, leaves the door slightly ajar. He does have a monitoring charm on Harry's room, but nevertheless, he leaves his door open, as he has, for the past week.
OoOoO
A scream rips through the still night, and Sirius is up. He's out of his bed even before he can process what is happening. His Auror training seems to have kicked in.
"SIRIUS! NO!" Isobel yells, and he already has his wand out.
But it's only a false alarm; she seems to be having a nightmare. The duvet is tangled between her legs and she is on the floor. Her robes are open, and seem to be smothering her.
She's whimpering softly, and he doesn't know what to do. He turns on the lights and sits next to her on the floor. He tries to wake her up.
"Isobel, love, wake up."
He shakes her shoulder. Her skin is clammy, and her face looks deathly pale. Is this what she goes through silently each night?
She finally comes to, but seems to have forgotten where she is.
"Siri? You're alive? I'm so s-sorry, I-I couldn't do anything," she says in a rush, throwing herself into his lap, bawling. He hugs her tightly and rocks her, trying to soothe her. He's glad that he has charmed Harry's room so that his godson gets a good night's sleep without hearing external noises every day.
He whispers sweet nothings into her ear, as he rocks her, rubbing circles into her back.
"Hush, love, it's all right. There's nothing wrong, see. Hush, don't cry."
She takes in a shuddering breath and stops crying, and says in a thick voice, "Merlin, what a nasty nightmare."
"Isobel?" he asks, uncertainly.
She moves off his lap and sits on the floor, rubbing her eyes.
"I want water."
He conjures a goblet of water and gives it to her. She gulps it down greedily.
"I'm sorry I woke you up. I won't do it again," she says, looking sick.
"Are you fucking kidding me? Does this happen every night?" he asks, feeling his temper rise.
She looks away, refusing to meet his glare.
"My affinity is ward magic. I can sense those privacy wards you usually erect each night," he bites out.
"I said I'm sorry, right? Now bugger off."
She tries shoving him, but is so pathetically weak that he doesn't budge.
He takes in deep breaths, trying to count backward from ten. That's the method Remus taught him a few years back. When his temper is back in control, he speaks.
"Have you thought of using a Dreamless Sleep Potion?"
"I-er-no. No."
"We're buying a stock of that first thing tomorrow morning. Or rather, today. And from now on if you erect wards, I'm going to dismantle them."
She scowls at him. He's glad to note that there's some colour in her cheeks now.
"You can't tell me what to do. You have no authority over me."
"You've done such an awful job of looking after yourself that from now on, you're under my care," he says, wondering what his mother would say if she heard him say those words. She'd be forced to acknowledge the fact that he is indeed responsible.
"Bugger off."
"Definitely. Right after you change out of those robes."
She throws another scowl at him, before stumbling and getting up. He starts folding the duvet and fluffing the pillows while she's gone. She comes out of the bathroom some ten minutes later, dressed in a bright orange t-shirt and pyjama pants.
"Are you trying to blind me?" he asks, incredulously. It's apparent that her fashion sense is officially rotten.
"I'm sorry, was what I was wearing supposed to please you?" she asks, her tone acerbic. Ouch.
"You're going to sit down and tell me how long you've been having these nightmares," he says, gesturing to the spot next to him on the sofa.
She sits down, but doesn't say anything. He waits.
He's about to ask her again, when she speaks. "Almost every night."
"What are they about?"
She shakes her head and leans back into the sofa. He studies her reactions and the way her face changes as she considers what to tell.
"It's usually about the final battle..." she trails off.
"But tonight it wasn't?" he prompts gently.
Her head snaps to the left to face him, and she stares at him with her wide green eyes.
"How did you know?"
"You called out my name, love."
"Oh," she says, her eyebrows furrowing completely. It's like she's talking to herself internally.
He lets her be.
He's almost about to ask her if she saw him 'dying', when she speaks again.
"I wish you'd wear a shirt. It's very distracting."
He grins at her slightly flushed face. He pushes his questions aside for the time being. He likes how she reacts to seeing him shirtless. It's so much fun.
He winks at her. Her face turns even redder, if that's possible.
She pouts and takes her wand from the floor. She summons his Beatles t-shirt that she was wearing the other day and thrusts it at him. Reluctantly, he puts it on.
"Sirius?"
"Yes, love?"
"Would you mind terribly if I used your bed tonight?" she asks, her eyes wide. They're such a pretty shade of green. It sort of turns his thoughts into static.
They're slightly greener than Lily's eyes. Lily's were a forest green. Hers is more of a jaded green, the same as Harry's.
"Why not?" he replies, almost entranced.
OoOoO
When he wakes up, it's to the pleasant smell of apples and coffee. The smell of coffee is from the kitchen. The smell of apples seems to be coming from the pillow.
"Mornin'," comes a greeting when he enters the kitchen. Isobel grins at him, as she tries to feed Harry. Surprisingly, Harry opens his mouth whenever she brings the 'rocket' next to his mouth.
"There's a pot of coffee on the counter, if you want some. And I thought we'd have omelettes for breakfast. I could make you cheese omelettes, if you'd like that," she says cheerfully.
Merlin, if this is what he could wake up to everyday, he doesn't mind sleeping on the couch indefinitely.
"Didn't the alarm ring?"
"No. I turned it off after I took your bed. I woke up because I guess Harry was pulling on our bond, or something? Anyways, at around seven, I woke up and just had this feeling that Harry wanted something. But he didn't cry, you know? He was there staring at the door, like he wanted me to come in. Merlin, I'm rambling, aren't I? I guess it's the coffee. That's why Mione never let me have more than two mugs."
Sirius feels an amused smile form on his face as the girl keeps talking.
"How many did you have?"
"Five," she says, almost petulantly, before turning to face Harry to coo at him. Harry giggles.
Sirius drops a kiss on Harry's head before going to the counter.
When he sits down at the table with a mug of coffee in his hand, Isobel starts speaking again.
"By the way, I think that that Kremshaw book is wrong. I'm pretty sure that female's taken a bribe from Magikquo to promote their brand. I mean, look. Harry has six teeth. He doesn't need this semisolid muck anymore. I think we need to introduce him to proper food, like vegetables. I was thinking we can start with steamed carrots made into small pieces. That should be easy for his baby teeth, won't it Harry?" she ends her long monologue by making faces at Harry who tries to pull her hair.
There's one more thing Sirius now knows about Isobel - that she gets too keyed after mugs of coffee.
"Listen, we have to visit Gringotts today and get a copy of James' and Lily's last wishes about what they wanted at their funeral. We can probably inspect the vaults another day."
She looks up, her lips pulled into a taut line and nods. "Yeah, we can do that another day."
She keeps looking at him, that same undecipherable emotion in her eyes. At long last, she says, "Why don't you go have a shower. I'll give Harry a bath in the sink."
Harry looks up when she says his name, and Isobel kisses him on the nose. She has never looked more like Lily than she has in that moment.
She looks fucking beautiful.
He shakes his head, feeling more confused than ever. His best friend, someone almost his brother, just died. Shouldn't he be grieving more? He knows he has a tendency to drink his problems away, and yet, since Halloween, he's only been pissed once.
It's when he's inside the shower that he realises why the pillow smelt like apples. Apparently Isobel's bought a shampoo for herself, though it's the same brand that he uses.
Sirius lets out an amused sigh and turns on the shower.
OoOoO
Sirius is busy eating his omelette while trying to entertain Harry when there's an impatient tapping on the window. After picking Harry up from the table and placing him on the floor, he goes over to the window to let the snow-white owlet in.
He gently unties the roll of parchment from its thin leg and unrolls it. Should he read it? Would it be a violation of Isobel's privacy?
"Ah, perfect! Hedwig's here! Just open the parchment and see if it's from Remus, okay? If it is, then it means she's delivered her trial letter properly and now has come back home safely. Give her some owl treats and a bowl water, yes? She's such a good girl."
Sirius turns around to give the woman his most sardonic glare. She's apparently still in a caffeine induced rush. He decides to buy decaffeinated coffee powder from now on.
Hedwig hoots, probably in indignation that she was tested.
But Sirius doesn't pay any attention to it. The witch looks bloody adorable, standing there with her hair all wet and dripping. She probably shouldn't have worn a white shirt, especially one that looks a lot like his. It cooks up certain imagery in his head that he'd rather not have of James' daughter.
For example, how would she look in just that shirt, without the jeans she is wearing underneath?
"Is that my shirt?"
She stops wiping her hair with a towel and looks at him with her eyes wide. A blush creeps up her face steadily, and Sirius can't look away. It's not normal, the way he feels around her.
"Yeah, I needed a shirt, but I hadn't bought any. And when I went into Diagon last week in a t-shirt and these jeans, some old hag glared at me. So a shirt might look more formal, but I don't have any. I'll buy one once I get into my vaults today, okay? And by the way, I spent 160 Galleons, 10 Sickles and 4 Knuts yesterday. I'll reimburse you for that. And for all that you've spent the last week on me. I've kept a record of all our expenses. And the grocery bills - "
Sirius finally interrupts, his amusement having run its course, "Breathe, love. Reimburse me whenever you want to, and if you don't want to reimburse me, I'd be fine with that too. Just do whatever you think is fine."
As he says it, he realises that he already trusts her with things like money and wealth. She isn't a gold-digger like some of the girls he dated back in Hogwarts.
She takes a deep breath before grinning at him. He's about to grin back at her, when something nips his finger.
The witch laughs.
"Looks like Hedwig wants her treat now, Siri. She hates waiting. The treats are under the kitchen sink," Isobel says, as she walks towards Harry.
Something inside him clenches at the way she calls him Siri, like she's known him for years. And in her defence, she has, indeed. Till now, there were only three people who called him with such familiarity, of which two are dead.
Hedwig hoots again.
"Why can't you get me the treats? You're in the kitchen," he shouts out.
"I think you should be thanking me for making you omelettes and should probably let me eat mine in peace."
Sirius turns around and sticks his tongue out at her, as she stands next to the kitchen counter with Harry on her hip.
"Hey, Harry! Wanna see your Bella knock some manners into your dogfather?"
Harry giggles.
She flicks her wand so fast he almost doesn't see it. A pack of owl treats comes hurtling at his head like a Bludger, and he's forced to dive to the side.
Harry starts laughing delightedly as Bella just smirks at him.
Hedwig nips his finger once more, drawing blood.
OoOoO
They're walking back from Gringotts, wary about who they might encounter. Or at least, he is. Isobel looks preoccupied with the letters she's holding in her hands.
"You alright?" he asks her, shifting Harry in his arms as they enter Florean Fortescue's.
He already cast an Unmemorable charm, a charm which makes them almost unnoticeable unless they want to be noticed, on the three of them before they entered Diagon Alley, but he anyway scans the area for any known Death Eaters before entering the shop.
He casts a glance at the female walking by his side, who doesn't seem to have heard him. He puts his hand on the small of her back and steers her gently to an empty table.
He can feel the bones of her vertebrae through the layers of clothes she's wearing. She's a little too thin.
He helps her out of her coat and she sits down absentmindedly, just to start reading those letters again.
What is there in those letters?
Fortescue's son, Florean Jr., hurries over to them to ask for their order as he brings a high chair with him. And that reminds Sirius that they have to buy that for Harry. Making him sit on the dining table isn't a very safe thing to do.
Isobel finally looks up as though she has just noticed where she is. She looks at him questioningly.
"We'll have two hot chocolates with vanilla flavouring and mint topping," he says, as the confusion clears from her face.
"Do you also have ice-creams at this time of the year?" she asks, the twinkle in her eye too similar to James'.
"Of course, ma'am. We have ice-creams all year round. What flavour would you like?"
"A small scoop of vanilla, a small scoop of chocolate and a small scoop of strawberry should be fine, thanks."
"In which case make it one hot chocolate-" Sirius starts, but she interrupts.
"No, no. We'll be having two hot chocolates and three scoops of ice-cream."
Once Jr. leaves, Sirius turns to her with his eyebrows raised.
She grins at him, shoving the letters inside.
"I thought Harry should have his first ice-cream, hmm?" she says, leaning over to flatten Harry's hair as the baby bangs his fist on the tray of his high chair.
Ice-cream in the month of November.
He can almost see James nodding his head approvingly, just as Lily shakes his head disapprovingly. And if Isobel is being the James of this co-guardianship, should he be the Lily?
But screw that, he wants Harry pampered and spoilt. James and Lily must have known that he'd make a terrible parent. Why did they leave their son with him of all people?
"You never cease to amaze me, Potter," he says, as she smiles at him. The light from the window hits her just right, accentuating the slightly auburn highlights of her hair.
She's the most fascinating witch he's ever met.
OoOoO
They've just stepped out of Fortescue's, with Florean Jr. falling all over her. It looks like someone's got a small crush, and Sirius doesn't like it.
He attributes his feelings of protectiveness to the fact that she's his best friend's daughter. There's nothing going on here. Really. He's just worried that Isobel let herself be 'remembered' by the boy.
What would James or Lily say?
Isobel, on the other hand, is way too busy congratulating Harry on liking chocolate better than strawberry, and she's smiling so broadly that he can't help but smile, even if his thoughts are on his dead best friend and his dead wife.
"I have to meet the undertaker now. Do you want to come with?"
"Merlin, no. I'll just go collect my robes when you do that."
Harry shifts in his arms, holding out his tiny pudgy arms for Isobel to carry him instead. She moves closer and takes Harry from him, and damn, he can smell her. She smells like apples and - is that lavender?
How can someone smell so innocent and enticing at the same time. Was this girl dosing his morning coffee with Amortentia?
Sirius holds back a groan as he remembers Sluggy's Sixth Year class. The one where Sluggy let them all take a whiff of Amortentia. He remembers exactly what he smelt back then. Apples, lavender and Quidditch polish.
And here is this walking and talking doll of perfection standing next to him, who has scored two on three on his Amortentia list.
He needs to talk to Remus as soon as possible.
They should probably go out for drinks. Tonight, preferably.
OoOoO
When Sirius enters Madam Malkin's an hour later, he can't find Isobel.
Madam Malkin rushes forward to gush at him.
"Are you looking for that lady you came with the other day, Lord Black? She left not more than thirty minutes back. If she's wearing the Potter Wheel, is she Lady Potter? So it is true that James and Lily Potter were killed? And is she the Isobel Potter Skeeter wrote about? I-"
Sirius cuts her off, knowing what a terrible gossip she is. But he has to be polite, seeing as she's the most efficient seamstress in London. He almost misses the days when Auriga used to shop for him in Paris.
"Madam Malkin, it's not my place or duty to introduce someone, especially a lady, to society, without her explicit approval. She will soon make her identity public, that's all I can tell you, for now."
Malkin drinks it up, and after telling her for the ninth time that he isn't interested in her winter collection of robes, he makes his way out.
He's about to make use of the tracking charm he'd placed on her boots the day after her run-in with Bellatrix, when he hears a tinkling laugh from somewhere down the street.
He looks in that direction and sees her holding a camera and taking pictures, and wait, is that Harry on a toy broom?
He hurries over to them, and is surprised when Isobel turns and takes a quick picture of him.
"That was so worth it, Siri. You looked horrified!" she exclaims, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"That's because no one ever takes a picture of me when I'm not posing," he growls playfully, as Harry zaps past his knees.
"I've seen your pictures back in my world, you always toss your head back like you've pulled a muscle in your neck," she says, smirking.
Sirius can't but help feel annoyed. After all, he'd spent an entire Saturday afternoon in Fourth Year, perfecting that pose.
"You just don't have the eye for appreciating works of fine art, Ms. Potter," he says, as Harry giggles and tries to fly towards Isobel's head.
"Harry, love, stop that, you'll only fall off," she says gently, as she lifts a protesting Harry off the broom. The broom hits Sirius on his shins rather painfully, and he winces.
"You got me the same thing as a present in my world. There was this half-torn picture I found in your room there. It was of me zooming on the toy broom, with my mother laughing in the background and chasing me about... And I think that's the last picture someone ever took of me as a child. I just thought Harry should have more pictures of himself, growing up, hmm?"
Is it just him, or are her eyes a bit too bright - bright from unshed tears?
"Come here, love," he says, as he moves towards her to give her a one-armed hug. He holds the toy broomstick with his other hand.
She buries her head into the crook of his neck and she doesn't seem to be crying, but she seems to need his hug. Harry looks a bit miserable too, so he puts his other arm around her as well, encasing Harry between the two of them.
They stand locked in an embrace in the middle of Diagon Alley for a long time, till Isobel drops the camera and nearly breaks it.
It's a subdued party that makes its way to Rickman Apothecaries and Breweries to buy Dreamless Sleep Potion.
OoOoO
"Moony!" he exclaims, as his haggard looking friend steps out of the fireplace. The full moon is a couple of weeks away, but Remus looks worse for wear.
"What's the real reason for asking me to come over, Sirius? I know it's not just for pizza," he says, throwing a shrewd glance at Sirius as he sits down on the sofa.
Remus knows him all too well.
He wrings his hands and looks at the floor, not wanting to look at Remus when he asks what he wants to ask.
"The funeral's on the thirteenth and Isobel is the first born..." he trails off, not knowing how to finish what he wants to ask.
"And someone has to teach her the ritual for Grace?" he asks, gently. That's what prompts Sirius to look up.
Sirius nods his head.
"And you want me to teach her?"
"Umm..."
"Fine, humour me. Why can't you teach her?" He has a sly look in his eyes, and that's what Sirius had not been wanting to encounter.
"Moony..."
"I'm just curious. Is this to forcefully make me a family member to her, or is it to ensure you can Bond with her someday?"
"Remus..."
"I'm not saying I won't do it. I just want you to explicitly tell it out. Because you seem to want to deny it."
"There's nothing to explicitly tell!" cries out Sirius, knowing he's trapped. How does he just come out and tell that he is sexually attracted to Isobel Potter?
"My nose never lies, Sirius."
"Fine, I'm attracted to her, alright? Sexually. And only sexually. You know it would be a direct violation of the code for teaching the Ritual of Grace because my feelings are anything but familial. So will you just fucking teach the bint the ritual?" he bites out, clenching his fists tightly.
"Now, was that so hard to admit?" asks his friend, a slightly smug look on his face.
But Sirius ignores it, trying to tell himself that his feelings for Isobel are only sexual, nothing more. He is a self proclaimed commitment-phobe. His attraction to Isobel, not just physically but also emotionally, is because she's new around here. Once he gets used to her - maybe even beds her - he'll have scratched that itch off. But he can't do that to James' daughter; he can't let her be another notch on his bedpost. She deserves better. So what he'll do is -
His inner musings are cut off when he senses Isobel entering the building. Remus senses her arrival too, because his smug smile turns into an outright smirk. Remus! Smirking! It must all be Isobel's fault, corrupting his usually innocent and gentle friend.
"I'll tell her I'll be coming over for classes tomorrow," he says, still smirking.
Sirius doesn't get a chance to answer as the front door is thrown open and she calls out, "I'm home with pizza! Hope you guys like Hawaiian!"
OoOoO
§
End note:
Rickman Apothecaries and Breweries was opened in order to honour Alan Rickman, who immortalised Severus Snape on the screen. He'll be remembered, always.
Announcements:
1) I'm borrowing this idea from MsRoseAlanaHorton - Readers who have reviewed each and every chapter are entitled to a spoiler, which can be redeemed every seven chapters.
Once I post the 7th chapter, if you've left seven reviews, you can ask me for a spoiler from chapter 8. Or, you can save up your spoiler and ask me later, when you feel like it. For a spoiler after chapter 14, you need to have reviewed chapters 8 to 14. That sound okay?
Guest reviewers can also participate by using a unique name and leaving behind an email id, if you want to.
People in the running, so far, are: paulaa90, Nataly SkyPot, Padfootette, Skendo, Elfin69 and Samantha.
2) A Google+ page for this story is in the works. How many people would be interested in checking it out?
3) I haven't replied to your reviews yet. I promise, I'll reply by Tuesday, at the latest. Until then, thank you so much for reviewing, favouriting and following. You make my heart soar. :)
Guest review replies:
Firstly, thank you ALL for being lovely enough to leave a review. :) Would you like it if I left these replies on the public Google+ page I'm thinking of creating for Threads of Time? (Let me know, because I plan to come back a few months later and remove these replies and ANs, to create a seamless reading experience.)
Guest and Donia, thanks for reviewing. I'm a sucker for Sirius/fem!Harry stories too. ^_^
Avalon! Hi again! Haha, chill. I have two people in mind for Snape - Benedict Cumberbatch and John Mayer. I can't decide, though. I think I'm leaning towards Cumberbatch, at the moment. :)
Sasha: Sirius has blue-grey eyes. When he performs magic that draws energy from his soul, his eyes turn black - as in completely black - the cornea, the pupils, everything. Reason: 'The eyes are the window to the soul.' Hope that clears it up for you. :) Jonathan Rhys Meyers, hmmm...
Vera, what? When did I ever write that? :O
Tauriel: When I finally get the time to draw fanart, my first picture for this story is going to be titled Sirella. ;)
Samantha, I completely agree with you. *nods grimly*
Crystal: You're right. I meant to say Potters' Cottage in my earlier reply, not Manor. However, Potter Manor is not canon, it's fanon. It's never mentioned anywhere in the books or on Pottermore that the older Potters ever owned a place called Potter Manor. And also, thanks for reviewing. :)
AN:
Reviews are love.
I'll try my best to update this story by March 13th, 2016.
Thank you for reading.