𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦 ; 𝑜.𝑜.𝓅

nine

Lorelei woke in the night with a startle. Beads of sweat fell down her face as she sat up, flashes of Cedric still lingering in her mind.

She stared at the wall, realizing where she was. Lorelei fell back down onto her back and took a deep breath, "Just a dream." She quietly said to herself.

Only it wasn't just a dream. It was very real. And she relived it every night. She thought sleeping was when she could finally be at peace with her thoughts, but even that betrayed her.

Lorelei slept until 7 in the morning. She got up and changed into a new pair of clothes that she had packed into her back, brushed her teeth and hair, and walked downstairs quietly.

When she arrived to the kitchen, Sirius was already up and attempting to cook food.

"Oh bloody hell!" He exclaimed, accidentally burning his hand on a pot.

"You could always just use magic for that." Lorelei said from behind him.

He whipped around to her, "Good morning."

"Morning."

He glanced back at the burnt food, "Wanted to make you breakfast but uhh, I don't think that'll be happening. Have a seat though and I'll make you a cup of tea."

Lorelei sat down in the nearest chair by the table. Sirius didn't ask how she wanted her tea, he just made it and sat the mug down in front of her.

"Where is everyone?"

"Out and about. Sleep well?"

"Fine."

"Don't lie."

Lorelei glanced up at him, "I slept about 3 hours. No less than normal."

"That's not normal." Sirius said with a sigh. He sat down at the opposite end of the table, "If you don't mind me asking, where have you gone since it happened?" He asked. Lorelei took a sip of her tea, but was caught off guard by the taste. He studied her reaction warily, "Alright?" He asked.

"Yes, just different. What's is it?"

"Earl Grey and lavender honey. Someone very dear to me use to make her tea like that since the day I met her. Figured you could use that comfort right about now."

She took one more sip of her tea before speaking again, "I went to Russia. I studied there during my 5th year, did a lot of traveling."

"You didn't study at Hogwarts at all?"

"Only during this past year. My parents were always sending me away."

"Are you close with them?"

Lorelei scoffed, "No. My father hardly treated me as his own and my mother merely tolerated me. I'm as good as dead to them. Strangely enough, I don't mind it."

"I'm sorry." Sirius said sincerely.

Lorelei looked at him from across the table, and saw the same look in his eyes that she saw the day before. Hurt, sadness, and guilt.

"You spent 12 years in Azkaban, yes?"

He nodded, "Yes."

"Yet you don't seem to be angry with what happened. How do you deal with it? Losing someone you love and then being blamed for it?"

Sirius traced the edge of his mug with his index finger, "It takes time. I was lucky enough to be welcomed back by people I love. But... you are also being welcomed by people who love you."

"You hardly know me."

He stood up from his chair, "Come with me."

Lorelei followed him down the hall, and she took note of the dirty green walls. He led her into a room that was even more green than the rest of the house. She looked at the walls, seeing small pictures with names.

"The Black Family Tree." Sirius said, as Lorelei walked around.

She walked to the more recent part of the tree, "Why are some pictures burnt?"

"Those are the ones that have betrayed the family." Sirius replied, "As you can see, I am burnt out. My mother did it when I ran away."

She looked up at his name, seeing another name by him, "Diana Vespertine-Black? You were married?"

He nodded sadly, "I was."

"Althena Vespertine... Diana is her sister." Lorelei concluded.

"Older sister, that is correct."

She looked at a branch that was connected to Sirius and Diana that read Aurora Black. She quickly turned to him, "You had a daughter? Where is she?"

He slowly sat down in the chair behind her with a nod of his head, "Not far." He replied, trying to mask his shaken voice.

She turned back to the tree, and found Narcissa and Lucius, which branched to Draco. She carefully touched her hand to the wallpaper, "I'm not here." Lorelei commented. She turned back to Sirius, "Why am I not here?" She asked, her voice growing louder and shakier.

"You are there."

She turned her head back to the tree, and felt her heart drop. She slowly looked back up to Aurora Black. Her mouth opened lightly as she stared at the name. Lorelei felt her breathing speed up and her legs become weak.

"They never treated me like their own." Lorelei started, her words barely loud enough for Sirius to hear, "Because I wasn't."