OUTCAST | SIRIUS BLACK

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

WASN'T VOLDEMORT AVAILABLE FOR MARRIAGE?
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Seraphina gasped in delight when Andromeda placed her two year old daughter, Nymphadora, in Sera's lap and the toddler's hair turned from the light brown hair of her mother into a fiery red colour. "She is a metamorphmagus," Seraphina realised in awe as she looked into a pair of eyes that were as blue as her own. "That is brilliant."

"Dora is truly one of a kind," Ted smiled fondly at his daughter. "Although, I admit I was a bit shocked the first time her hair changed colour. Seven years at Hogwarts didn't prepare me for that."

"I think there are a lot of students at Hogwarts that don't even know what a metamorphmagus is. It's a rare gift," Seraphina said. "Does she only copy others' appearance or does her hair change colours any other time?"

"When she is happy it turns pink," Andromeda told them. "And when she is angry it turns red."

"Are you sure you aren't a metamorphmagus, Sephy?" Sirius teased. "One that is just angry all the time?"

"Ha-ha," Seraphina said dryly. "Very funny." She turned to Andromeda, "Can I leave him here with you?"

"I already have one moody toddler that makes a mess in my house, I do not need another," Andromeda joked before turning a bit more serious as she looked at her younger cousin. "Unless you don't have another place to go. Because then I am sure I could make some room-"

"Don't worry, Andy," Sirius assured her. "I will stay with the Potters until the start of Sixth Year and next summer I will be of age - so I can live on my own-"

"If you think Mrs Potter will allow you to live on your own before you have graduated, you are delusional," Seraphina snorted, bouncing her leg up and down much to Nymphadora's delight. "So you don't have to worry Andromeda, he is well taken care of."

"I am happy you can go back to Hogwarts in autumn," Andromeda told Sirius. "While I at least was of age when my parents disowned me, and therefore could be on my own, it would have been nice to have a certain home to go to. If I hadn't had Ted, I don't know if I would have made it."

"Hogwarts has been more of a home to me than Grimmauld Place ever has," Sirius confessed. "I'm glad I can go back there too. Not only because I get food three times a day and somebody cleans my room."

"So, Seraphina, are you a Gryffindor too?" Ted asked her.

"Oh no," Seraphina shook her head. "I am a Slytherin."

"I did think you look familiar," Andromeda stated. "It must be the hair - I probably saw you in the Common Room your First Year. Before I graduated. But I don't think we ever spoke."

"No, we didn't. I've talked to your sister a little though. Narcissa," Seraphina confessed and for a moment Andromeda's demeanour seemed to change before she managed to cover it up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry," Andromeda told her. "It's just - I haven't seen or heard anything about either of my sisters since I left."

"Bellatrix is still a deranged bitch and Narcissa is still a stuck up bitch - there, you are caught up," Sirius told them bluntly.

"Bella was always - she was always-" Andromeda tried to find the right words.

"Sadistic? Crazy? A maniac? Deranged?" Sirius offered.

"Something like that," Andromeda nodded. "But everything got even worse when she married Rodolphus Lestrange. He gave her a way in to become a Death Eater and she only got worse after that - which I didn't think was possible. Narcissa on the other hand - she was never a good person per say, but at least she didn't completely agree with Bella's ideals. I miss her sometimes. I haven't heard anything about her in years."

"I think she is about to get engaged to Lucius Malfoy," Seraphina said.

"Lucius Malfoy?" Sirius shuddered in disgust. "Wasn't Voldemort available for marriage?"

Andromeda and Tonks both flinched a little at the mention of his name. Seraphina just rolled her eyes, "Malfoy may not be a good person, but he is not the worst. He is one of them, but not the absolute worst."

"He is a Death Eater," Sirius reminded her. "They all are-"

"Okay, let's speak about something a bit happier," Andromeda said. "Do the two of you have anything fun planned before school starts?"

. • ⚯͛ • .

Seraphina and Sirius spent the rest of the day at the Tonks cottage and when it was time to leave, Andromeda led them out to the door. "Don't be strangers, you two," she told the two teenagers and gave both of them a hug. Seraphina noticed that Andromeda whispered something to Sirius and she had enough decency to not try to hear it.

"If you don't again, I am sure Dora's hair will turn permanently red," Andromeda joked. "She is really fond of you already, Seraphina. You are really good with kids."

"I have two nephews around her age," Seraphina said, "so I have some experience."

They said their final goodbyes and then they made their way back to the village where there was a small tea shop owned by a witch with a fireplace connected to the Floo Network. "Sooo, did you like the surprise, or did I completely misread everything?"

Sirius surprised her by stopping and pulling her into a hug, "I loved it. Thank you. I think I needed that."

"I'm glad I could help," Seraphina told him. "We - James especially - were getting worried about you. So now when you are feeling a bit better you can go back to flirting with everything that walks because James almost had a heart attack when you ignored those girls at the grocery store."

"I didn't not flirt with them because I was feeling down," Sirius confessed. "I just didn't feel like it."

"You didn't feel like it?" Seraphina scoffed. "Who are you and what have you done to Sirius Black?"

"It might be difficult for you to believe, but I am serious about what I told you, Sephy," Sirius said, looking into her eyes intently and Sera was suddenly very aware of the fact that his arms were still wrapped around her waist from the hug.

"This is coming out of nowhere, Sirius," Seraphina said. "We have known each other since we were twelve-"

"I never thought you were interested in me before - well before we kissed," Sirius told her. "And when I told you I wanted to kiss you all you said was 'we can't. Not 'I don't want to'. So until you tell me that you feel absolutely nothing about me, I won't give up."