Crookshanks | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 104

The next day, both Sirius and Molly tried to pretend as if last night's argument had never happened. They spoke lightly and politely to each other, avoiding eye contact as much as possible. It was a good thing that the severe cleaning of the house was distracting them all.

     Molly had gathered the children to Doxycide the curtains of the house, and dusting the dodgy halls. Although no matter where they went to clean, Kreacher would sneak up behind them, trying to save Walburga's heirlooms before they could throw them away.

     Jenna followed them into the hall in her cat form, watching them while sitting on an armchair nearby. She was taking another night duty at the Ministry, so she was getting all the rest that she could take.

     "What do you want?" George suddenly asked, raising a suspicious brow at Kreacher.

     Kreacher's huge eyes darted onto George. "Kreacher is cleaning," he said evasively.

    "A likely story," said Sirius, walking inside the hall.

    At the sight of Sirius, Kreacher flung himself into a ridiculously low bow that flattened his snoutlike nose on the floor.

     "Stand up straight," said Sirius impatiently. "Now, what are you up to?"

     "Kreacher is cleaning," the elf repeated. "Kreacher lives to serve the noble house of Black —"

     "— and it's getting blacker every day, it's filthy," said Sirius.

     "Master always liked his little joke," said Kreacher, bowing again, and continuing in an undertone, "Master was a nasty ungrateful swine who broke his mother's heart —"

     "My mother didn't have a heart, Kreacher," Sirius snapped. "She kept herself alive out of pure spite."

     Kreacher bowed again and said, "Whatever Master says," then muttered furiously, "Master is not fit to wipe slime from his mother's boots, oh my poor Mistress, what would she say if she saw Kreacher serving him, how she hated him, what a disappointment he was —"

     "I asked you what you were up to," said Sirius coldly. "Every time you show up pretending to be cleaning, you sneak something off to your room so we can't throw it out."

     "Kreacher would never move anything from its proper place in Master's house," said the elf, then muttered very fast, "Mistress would never forgive Kreacher if the tapestry was thrown out, seven centuries it's been in the family, Kreacher must save it, Kreacher will not let Master and the blood traitors and the brats destroy it —"

     "I thought it might be that," said Sirius, casting a disdainful look at the opposite wall. "She'll have put another Permanent Sticking Charm on the back of it, I don't doubt, but if I can get rid of it I certainly will. Now go away, Kreacher."

     It seemed that Kreacher did not dare disobey a direct order; nevertheless, the look he gave Sirius as he shuffled out past him was redolent of deepest loathing and he muttered all the way out of the room.

     "— comes back from Azkaban ordering Kreacher around, oh my poor Mistress, what would she say if she saw the house now, scum living in it, her treasures thrown out, she swore he was no son of hers and he's back, they say he's a murderer too —"

     "Keep muttering and I will be a murderer!" said Sirius irritably, and he slammed the door shut on the elf.

     "Sirius, he's not right in the head," said Hermione pleadingly, "I don't think he realizes we can hear him."