Forget-me-not // Sirius Black

Prologue

I solemnly swear I'm up to no good.

August, 1971

Summers are always hard. Dry, messy and way less layers of clothing than Niko would usually prefer to wear.

But summers are bright and filled with fragrant blossoms and sparkling ocean and ice creams. Summers are filled with the brilliant smiles on the face of his mama and sister when his dad finally visits home. Summers are filled with head pats and rare smiles from his father who usually scares people off with his rough look and bitter scowl.

Niko looks at the slightly fluttering leaves of the only big tree in their front garden. The sound of laughter and clattering metals slowly became distant as he got lost in thoughts, only snapping out when the leaf finally fell- swirling and swirling until it finally hit the ground after the most impatient six seconds of his little sister's life who shouted three times "why is it falling so slowly??????"

He felt gentle hands caressing his hair and looked up to see his mother looking down with a sweet smile on her face that made her look ten years younger- the smile that is almost permanent since the start of the summer- when dad came back from a months long mission.

"Something on your mind?"

It took a while for Niko to recall what he was thinking. But he shook his head, finding it not relevant enough to tell.

"Your dad is making pizza in the kitchen."

"Is that what all the noise is about?" Niko asked and heard his mama chuckle.

"He's trying" she said and the sparkle in her eyes would be visible from their front gate if Niko was there. He has seen it many times, whenever mama talks about her hometown, whenever Grace adorably sings that particular song that mama hums all the time, whenever Niko gets all grumpy over not letting him help in the kitchen and getting told he's a disaster in the kitchen just like his dad, whenever she talks about dad and how they met and how he's apparently adorable when he does literally anything, whenever dad kisses mama and tells her he loves her very much.

"I love papa's pizza." Grace declares with both her clay covered fist raised in the air.

"I love you too Gracey" Came a voice laced with laughter from the next room.
"Come on the pizza is ready."

It took five minutes to chase his sister around the house to make her clean her hands but his dad was smiling the whole time, twirling grace around in the air and fake-scolding her for making his old dad run around.

Niko nibbled on the last slice of pizza which tasted so good. Niko always wonders how his dad managed to be more than a decent cook and treating the kitchen as a war zone at the same time. Grace fell asleep mid dinner and dad carefully carried her back to her room.

"You should go to bed too. Big day tomorrow. Are you nervous?" Niko heard his dad ask as he cleaned up the table.

"Not nervous. I just..." Niko hesitated. He looked at his parents who were waiting patiently for him to finish his sentence.
"I don't know what I'll do if I miss home too much. What if I can't make friends? "

Niko always wished he could be like his parents- all confidence and charm. His aunt's gentle pat on his back and the words I can never figure out whom did you take after to be so timid etched on his mind.

"Honey". Back to the world. "you might feel like that now...and it's okay. You will miss home. It's not a bad thing. You will make friends and learn and have so much fun. "

Iona had always gushed about how Hogwarts felt like home. Niko always wondered what it would be like. He had only known one home and he wondered what it would take to know and being tied to a place so intimately you consider it home.

Home. You always want to come back to it.

In a minute his cheeks were squished between his parents faces as they kissed his cheeks muttering "good night" and Niko giggled, forgetting all his worries as he kissed their cheeks back.

Home.

It would be hard to feel this comfortable anywhere but here. But Niko trusted his parents' words.

Later on his bed he twisted and turned as he realised he was kind of thrilled - to experience something every witch and wizard have described as one of their most amazing years. He was thrilled to experience the buzz of platform 9¾ and adrenaline pump through his veins as the castle makes itself visible at the horizon of the black lake. The anticipation was making him nervous and excited at the same time. He realised his throat has gone dry.

Putting his slippers on he realised he should've packed them. They were new and a soft shade of blue- just like the flowers that grows by riverside which Niko absolutely adored. His dad bought them last month, matching ones for each of them. His mother smiled and called him a sap. Walking down the stairs he could hear his parents talking in the living room- they often stay up late and chat till late night over steaming mugs of hot cocoa.

"- but he said it's more likely it will shape into something very bad. Everyone could feel it. It might not stop in a year or two."

That voice. Niko has heard it, sure but often not aimed at him. It is the kind of tone his father uses when he speaks with his colleagues in distance where he doesn't want them to listen or when him and mama talks about grandma who is already very rarely brought up in a conversation.

"I've heard he doesn't even look like a human." Iona said.

"It is true. I've seen him Iona. I've never seen anyone look like that. His eyes looks like they belong to a venomous reptile and his voice - it's very very unsettling. Odd thing is no one knows about his past? Is he actually a human? Where was he before a decade or so ago?"

What were they talking about? A person who doesn't look like a person? That isn't very uncommon in wizarding world. Goblins and elves are often found in magical lands. Why are they so worried?

Niko purposefully walked a bit louder to make them aware of his presence so he could avoid the awkwardness of them finding out he was listening. He heard them abruptly stopped talking and looking over at him.

"Everything alright?" His dad asked and his tone was back to what Niko was used to. Cheerful and not frightening at all.

"wanted water" Niko muttered as he yawned and pointed towards the refrigerator.

That night Niko dreamt about a man with the eyes of a reptile and voice like Grace when she sees a cockroach. The man took away all his snacks and threatened him that he'll take away more if Niko doesn't give a speech in front of all Hogwarts students. Truly evil.