(2) Patrimony (H. Potter)

Chapter One

It's a queasy tugging feeling that Rhiannon will remember of apparating. Even after the first time she has come to find that her own Mist teleportation is a lot better and something she is going to stick to. Apparating feels like having her insides twisted and tugged and moved. It's unpleasant and she is nearly sick the second they appear in a dirty and dark hallway. She leans over and closes her eyes. Trying to calm herself down. Dumbledore places a hand on her back, patting slightly. When it passes, she leans up and glances around, pulling a face. It reminds her of the orphanage. The dark and dreary atmosphere and décor. The wallpaper is faded and peeling away.

"Where are we?" She asks, turning to look at Dumbledore.

"12 Grimmauld Place.." Dumbledore informs her. "London" A dark-haired, rather scruffy-looking man leaves a side room and approaches them, his eyes flickering between the two of them. But he doesn't look surprised. He looks like he was expecting this. Rhiannon glances at him, shifting back a couple of steps. She doesn't know him.

"Dumbledore" He greets and then looks at Rhiannon, taking her in. His eyes linger on the torn and threading jumper. The jeans with tears in them that were not design choices, are marked and stained from years of wear and tear. "And you must be Rhiannon..." She nods in agreement, still unsure of him. There is something about him that is telling her to trust him. Despite his harsh and gruff exterior, there is a deep kindness in his eyes, great pain and haunted despair, but definitely kindness too. She's seen that look in her own eyes when she's looked in a mirror. All of it.

"He's agreed to allow you to stay with him" Dumbledore informs Rhiannon, she glances at him.

"And who is he exactly?" She asks and then looks back at the dark-haired man.

"Sirius Black" He offers and holds out his hand, she glances at it before she steps forward to take it. He places his free hand over the top of their joint ones and gives her a welcoming smile. Rhiannon swallows a little, feeling a swell of unfamiliar emotion in her. A feeling of belonging and welcome.

"Feels so formal" She mumbles as she pulls her hand free so she can swing her arms at her side. Her eyes scan around the interior of the house to avoid dealing with that feeling inside her.

"Why was I the one asked to look after her again?" Sirius asks Dumbledore as Rhiannon glances over the portraits on the wall.

"You were the only one that agreed to take her" Dumbledore reminds him. "Her name scared a few of the others off"

"Grindelwald had a daughter" Sirius muses. "Still find that hard to believe" Rhiannon turns back to them and lets out a breath.

"Why now?" She asks. "Why did you bring me here now?"

"There is a rumour spreading through the Ministry that you and Harry are close," Dumbledore tells her. "That you've been writing to one another...And they are making moves to intercept you and your mail. And will likely be a lot harder on you because of your heritage than they would be on Mr Weasley and Miss Granger" She raises an eyebrow. "Have you been communicating with him?"

"Well, yeah" She admits. "But we don't talk about stuff like....you know, old Voldey" She rolls her eyes slightly. Sirius appears amused for a moment before he schools it. "We actually talk about muggle stuff....complain about how annoying they are, how annoying it is living with them and not being able to use magic, or you know...boring stuff, really....we actually talk about cake a lot..."

"Cake?" Sirius asks her, and she nods.

"I don't know why, it's just tasty and we both like it" She answers with a shrug before she turns to Dumbledore. "What about Attila?" She asks him.

"Your mother has gone to retrieve him from Durmstrang" He assures her, Rhiannon pulls a face at the mention of her mother. "He will join you later..." He motions for Rhiannon to move closer to him. Which she does. "Talk to your father, he's worried about you," Dumbledore tells her quietly, she nods, assuring him that she will. He touches her arm before he then apparates away, leaving Rhiannon alone with Sirius. She lets out a breath and turns, only to find that she and Sirius are not as alone as she thought. There is a house-elf standing at the bottom of the stairs now.

"What is that thing? It's hideous and weird." She asks pointing at the house elf who turns a glare at her. Sirius turns to her and then smirks.

"That's Kreacher" Sirius tells her. "He's the house elf"

"That's a house elf?!" She asks and gives Kreacher a disgusted look. "It looks like something a muggle would have surgically removed"

"Kreacher, will you show Rhiannon to the upstairs guest bedroom?" Sirius tells the house elf who grumbles and starts up the stairs. Sirius smirks and shakes his head watching them go. "Rhiannon" She stops and turns to him. "You are welcome here" He assures her, stepping closer to her. "If you need anything" He reaches out and takes the cuff of her jumper between his fingers, staring pointedly at the seam tear at her wrist. But there are many other tears and holes in it. "Anything..." He adds softer. She clears her throat. Uncomfortable with the call out on the state of her clothing. She gets it. She's an orphan. She's still not gotten her father's estate from the Ministry. Now she assumes that's because she is friends with Harry and less about Grindelwald.

"Do you have tea?" She asks, Sirius gives her a slightly confused look. "I wouldn't mind some tea" He softens and nods.

"I can make some tea" He answers and releases her sleeve. "Sugar? Milk?"

"Yeah, both" She answers and gives him a thankful smile before she follows after Kreacher. Sirius' eyes soften. He can see something in her. Perhaps a bit of himself. Though he wasn't an orphan he was pretty much abandoned by his family. Left to fend for himself. He was lucky, he had good friends around him. Rhiannon has no one.