scars- r.lupin

Chapter Nine

(Summer before Sixth Year)

"She really kicked you guys out?" James said in disbelief, sitting on his bed as Sirius stood by his desk anxiously. "Where is Thea?"

"I don't know she ran off," Sirius nearly shouted before he sighed. "I know I can find her, but what then? Where do we go? What are we supposed to do?"

"Sirius, you guys can stay here. You're already practically family, my parents love you. And my moms always wanted a daughter," James reassured.

"I can't do that to you guys," Sirius argued,

"Yes you can, and you will. I'm going to tell mom right now, you go find Thea."

Thea found herself in the unknown, but most of the world outside of Hogwarts and the house she grew up in was the unknown. She sat, drying her tears, hugging her knees in a small field. The long grass had made her skin itch, but she didn't mind. Anything felt better than what her mother did to her.

"Thea?" Sirius asked, approaching his sister and sitting next to her. She didn't say anything, she didn't even acknowledge he was there. "Are you okay?"

At those words, her eyes began to water again and she turned to face him, the right side of her face printed by a distinct red hand print on her cheek. "She called me a disgrace. A traitor, she said she hates me."

Sirius had never felt so angry in his life. His jaw tensed and he felt a fire grow in his belly. How dare she lay a hand on her? How dare she say those things?

"I hate her," he spat, "I hate her Thea. And you should too. Say you hate her."

"I don't. I don't hate her Sirius," her voice cracked, "Merlin, I wish I did more than anything but I can't. I want her to love me. I want to be enough for her. But I never have been, she's always been ashamed of me. The way I look, my stubbornness."

"Fuck her Thea. You don't need her. You never have, you know that. All she's ever done is weigh you down and treat you like shit. You are not shit. You're better than her, you are better than me. If I ever see her again-," Sirius started, but Thea laughed in midst of her tears.

"Thank you Sirius," she said while laying her head on his shoulder, feeling tired. "What are we going to do?"

"We are staying at James for a while, after that, I don't know," he admitted. "But we will figure it out. You ready?"

Thea nodded her head, and the two stood up, brushing off grass and what not off their arses before heading to the Potters'.

"Oh dear," Mrs. Potter said, shocked to see the state of the two Black children, specifically the hand print on Thea. "C'm here, let me take care of that."

She guided Thea to the bathroom, where she took out a magical first aid kit. As her hand came closer to Thea's face, she flinched.

"I won't hurt you," she assured Thea, "no one should ever touch anyone like that, especially their child." Thea's eyes began to swell with tears, and James' mother looked worried. "Am I hurting you?"

"No ma'am," Thea smiled, tears still in her eyes, "not at all." A few moments later, a little magic ointment had completely taken care of her cheek, and she smiled as she was guided to James room.

"Look, your face look so much better," James beamed.

"Are you saying I looked ugly?" Thea asked jokingly.

"Well you are related to Sirius," James responded, causing Sirius to dramatically gasp. "Anyways, the elves are preparing rooms for both of you. The house is so big, we have plenty of rooms anyways."