My Weasel

Chapter 46 -Black Family Tree-

I find it odd how nightmares can so easily creep into one's mind, tugging at your emotions and leaving them disturbed. The horrible images seeping there way into your nerves while blocking out any other senses. Yet with dreams, we often forget them by the time our eyes reopen, the previous fantasies and wonders vanished completely.

These were the thoughts that often came after I would spring up from my bed, beads of sweat rolling down my forehead and my entire body shaking with terror. Nightmares were an old friend of mine, waking me from my sleep since I was only a child. They started out miniscule but over the course of the past couple years they had developed, now more than ever. Particularly, the one tonight was the worst I had ever experienced, simply because it was a possibility of the future.

The dark lord had stood beside me, stroking my inked skin so cautiously. I could practically feel the dark magic radiating off him, encompassing the air around us. His face was twisted up in a psychotic grin, one that made death look away in fright. Glancing down, I saw my hand was firmly grasping my wand, knuckles turning white. Suddenly, my skin burned ferociously, the dark lords magic working its way through my mark.
The ink twisted and turned, the snake and skull coming to life on my forearm. The magic continued to course through me, causing my wand to move upwards. It gradually got higher to the point  where I was holding it out as if to cast a spell. Turning away from the sheering pain, I looked across to where my wand was aimed. There, in the middle of the room was Sirius, looking at me with pleading eyes. I attempted to lower my wand but it was no use, the magic had forced its way up to my lips now. My mouth parted, the curse rolled off my tongue, a green light emitting from the tip. I watched in horror as the killing curse struck Sirius straight in the chest, taking his life so quickly. All the color drained from his face and he was left a ghost of the man he once was. The dark lords icy hands wrapped softly around my shoulder, his vile breath fanning across my ear.
"Well done Delilah."

At those words I had woken up, grasping at my sheets and opening my eyes wide. I could still feel his touch lingering, making the blood in my veins turn cold. It felt as though he was still in the room with me, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

Now, I had been seated in the exact same position in my bed for the past hour. All I could do was keep rigid, replaying the nightmare on a loop. The tremor in my hands had gone down slightly, allowing me to flex them ever so softly. It was as if I was numb, trying to regain the feeling in my body once more. With each moment that passed, my limbs calmed, allowing me to shift towards the edge of my bed. Perched on the side, my head hanging in my hands from pure exhaustion, I could do nothing but sigh.

Standing up on wobbly legs, I carefully walked towards the door, exiting my room. It was earlier in the morning, the sun barely visible in the sky . The floor boards creaked under my weight as I made my way to the stairs. I had nearly reached the top step when the muffled sound of  footsteps could be heard from a nearby room. Tip toeing to the nearest door, I noticed it was slightly cracked, a figure within the room. Leaning closer into the doorframe, I realized it was none other than my father.He was standing in the center, scanning his eyes over the wall.

"Delilah?" Sirius asks, noticing me lingering outside the door.

"Oh sorry, I tend to wander around a lot." I shrug and enter the room.

"It's alright, this is the Black family tree." He says with bitterness in his voice.

"Am I on here?" I question, running my eyes over the wall.

"No, and thank Merlin you aren't." Sirius chuckles dryly.

"Someone did a number in your portrait." I run my hands over the scorched image, his name clearly printed below.

"That was my mother, your grandmother. She was a very cruel woman." Sirius sneers.

"Such a shame I didn't get to meet her." I tease and see Sirius's lips twitch into a smile.

"She would have hated you, you're the spitting image of me and your mother." He barks out a laugh.

"Is my mom on here?" I question.

"No, your mother was not considered a Black." Sirius responds, frowning.

"I know you said we weren't going to talk about her yet, but can you at least tell me her name?" I look at him hopefully.

"Aurora Rees." He says fondly, looking at me out of the corner of his eye.

"That's beautiful." I whisper, replacing the thoughts from my nightmare with her name.

"She was beautiful, just like you." He reaches out a hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear .

"When can you tell me more about her." I lean into his palm, glancing up at him with pleading eyes.

"When this war is over, so that I can do it properly without any distractions." Sirius smiles, looking longingly into the distance.

"That's fair." I respond, a minor sense of disappointment in my chest.

"So what where you doing wandering around?" Sirius changes the topic, looking at me curiously.

"I couldn't sleep." I yawn, covering my mouth.

"Nightmares?" He questions and I immediately snap my head up.

"How did you know?"

"I used to get them frequently, living in this house will do that to you." Sirius chuckles.

"Guess it runs in the family." I smirk.

"Yes I suppose so, what was your dream about?" Sirius looks at me inquisitively.

" I died." I lie quickly, not wanting to reveal my true nightmare.

"Oh yes those are typically not the nicest dreams." He says apologetically.

"It's alright, I'm used to it ." I shrug.

"Well if you need anything just know that I'm he-"

"SNAKE?!" Fred Weasleys voice cuts Sirius off.

"Oh what does he bloody want." I groan while Sirius laughs quietly.

"I think you should go check on that, besides I think I've bored you with all this family talk." Sirius smiles.

"Yes because you, the notorious mass murderer Sirius Black is boring." I sarcastically respond.

"SNAKEEEE?!" Fred's voice echoes throughout the house again.

"You better go before he sends a howler." Sirius  snickers while I begin to exit the room. Waking out the door, I stop halfway and turn back around to face him.

" Hey um I just wanted to say thanks... dad." I smile and watch as Sirius grins broadly.

"Anytime... daughter." He responds, still smiling. Turning back to walk down the stairs, I realize my mind is back to normal, along with all my limbs. The only trace of the nightmare at all were the dismantled bed sheets back in my room, long forgotten.