Pawns & Players - Sirius Black

-53-

I leaned over the sink, closer to my reflection, and stare at myself hard. I don't know what I see. I don't even know what I want to see. - Nina LaCour

"Mrs. Mia, Mr. Potter" The girl smiled exaggeratedly, walking into the kitchen.

"You're a convincing child kiddo, but you can't use my office to make a deadly poison again. Mia would kill me" The old man was chopping vegetables, pulling one of his usual laughs.

"Oh no don't worry, I have no Azkaban worthy blackmail this time" She placed the photo held tightly between her fingers onto the counter as they both approached to look at it. "Do you know who he is ? Who any of them are ?"

Their heavy breaths could be seen even by looking from the outside while their movements slowed down. 

"Do you see that woman there, she was my best friend. We went to Hogwarts together. We don't talk a lot now but I heard she had a child" Her eyes were hit by an instance of sadness as they led to the other side of the photo. "He was her younger brother" she pointed at the man next to her mother.

"A muggle, and one of the best people I've ever met. He used to complain about Aime, his sister, being gone all the time at Hogwarts and him not being accepted in the Wizarding World, that's how our army started" He started cockily, looking up in recollection of his old memories.

"What he means by army is, we mostly went out to eat and made one minor change in a blood supremacist law, but that was enough for us. As teens and young adults, we were convinced we were the coolest"

"What happened to him ?" A clear confusion was placed on her face but her voice was much steadier. 

And why would her mother ever be there ?

"He died a few years ago. Ten or so if I'm not wrong" They were both obviously trying to escape the actual question. What was he doing next to her ?  

Mrs. Potter placed her palm gently on her shoulder, looking her softly in the eyes. "They loved each other so much, she was kind of a rebel. Most people there were in their twenties or even thirties. She was sixteen here, the people were trying to convince her she was too young but I don't remember meeting anyone as determined as her. That's where they met" 

She loved imagining her as a blank and evil person. The less human she seemed to her, the easier it was to ignore any resemblance. The more she learned about her, the less she wanted to know more and the more she wanted them to continue.

"His death must've surely been devastating for her but they had broken things off decades ago when she joined the people who later on killed him-"

"Fleamont" She gave him a warning look. "Enough" 

"No, it's okay. Thank you"

"But listen honey, people can love many people in their lives. I'm sure your mum and dad also-" 

She had never loved him, she hadn't even tried to hide it. He didn't love her either, and neither of them loved her. 

The woman in front of her continued comforting her for a few more minutes, she had lost her but one sentence was enough to bring her back.

"I see so much of her in you"

The woman continued on for a bit more on how she used to be a great person, and it hit her. 

She was exactly like her, and she would end up exactly like her.

"I think James is calling me. But um- thanks" Quickly gripping onto the photo, she paced upstairs rapidly and shut the door of her room behind.