Sky Full Of Stars *Sirius Black Love*

36

Skylar continued walking alone to her apartment. Partly surprised that she wasn't followed by her two friends.
Snow was packed on the streets of London and shops were readying themselves for the holiday crowd. Skylar's shopping was done and owls had already been working on her deliveries. Muggles lined the streets with bags and boxes stacked in their hands. She wondered if they were worried about the deaths as much as she was. Muggle news didn't reach her at school, it barely did when she was home.

Liam was either going to be excited that she was home or furious with her. He told her to stay at school but she couldn't. She needed normality and was desperate for her brother's support especially right now. She wanted to order takeout on Christmas and laugh with him again.

Closing in on her apartment she saw the streets were designed in Christmas decorations. Each small house was strung with lights and she could see inside the windows where large green trees were covered in ornaments. Skylar and Liam usually decorated together, another thing she was looking forward to participating in.

Walking up her apartment stairs she saw her neighbor who was the bartender at the Leaky Cauldron. She waved to her but the lady didn't wave back.
"Everything ok?" She asked

The lady who's name was Marcel closed her door and didn't reply.

Skylar didn't let it bother her too much, she knew how busy the holidays were and chucked it off as she was tired from a long week.

Skylar pulled her key out and opened her apartment door. When she walked in she noticed how lifeless it looked. The curtains were closed, the familiar smell of nutmeg and cinnamon didn't attack her senses like it typically would have around this time.
Liam would usually have some sort of baked good waiting for her when she got home, tradition for them. He liked to keep up with their customs, feeling it was important for their small family to have set traditions they followed. His OCD wouldn't allow him otherwise.

Skylar walked inside and placed her bag down by the door. She went to her old room and saw it wasn't touched. Her clothes were still in the same spot she left them and her bed was made completely. Liam didn't go in her room when she wasn't here so this was normal at least.
She walked out of her room and went to his. She knocked in case he was home, when he didn't reply she opened it. His room was...a mess.

Letters scattered over his desk, trash cluttering the bin that was over flowing. She saw empty bowls and plates with food that was molding. The room smelt like rotted food, something her brother never typically left around. She grabbed his plates and bowls and brought them to the sink. Behavior that wasn't like him, but she figured he was over worked and hadn't had the time to clean up after himself.

After an hour of cleaning the apartment she sat by the window she usually took residence at and waited for him to come home. A normal time for Liam would be 5:00pm and it was passed that already. Skylar could feel her heart racing when she was hit with memories of the last time he was running late. She believed that those men were here to hurt her to get her brother to follow along with whatever they needed. She found herself more worried as the hours passed.

12:30am
Liam still wasn't home. Skylar accepted the owl who brought his Christmas gifts by and placed them in the spot where their tree would normally go. The two of them would typically go to chop one down together the day she got back from school but that didn't happen today.

The front door started unlocking, Skylar jumped from the chair that had been warmed by her for hours now and stood excited by the entrance.
Liam walked inside and threw his bag across the room. He didn't notice the small girl waiting for his attention.
When he did, Skylar saw his face go from
Exasperated
Excited
To anxious. Extremely anxious.

"Skylar" he said. His voice was overworked, he sounded he was under pressure and was a ball waiting to explode

"Hi" she said smiling

"You can't be here" he said, face filled with anger "I said to stay at Hogwarts"

"I wanted to see you" she said, smile fading quickly

He ran up to her side and grabbed her shoulders
"Why don't you listen?!" He yelled

She stood silent

"You need to leave" he said letting her go and grabbing her bag. He shoved it into her hand and pointed to the door "get out now"

"B-But" she felt her lip quivering "I missed you"

"Get out NOW" he yelled

"I don't want to" she said pain lacing her words

He grabbed her by the shoulder again and shoved her out of the door. He didn't look at her before closing the door in her face. She sat by the door, fighting a sob that was working it's way into her system.
"L-Liam please let me in" she said shaking the doorknob. Her set of keys were left inside and being out of school she couldn't magically get inside the building
"Please...please let me in I want to come home...I'm having a really really hard time right now and I need you"

He didn't answer her back. He didn't open the door. He left her outside in the cold weather wondering what she did wrong.
Unknown to her, Liam was on the opposite side of the door with eyes swollen from tears.

Skylar didn't know where to go next. She couldn't get back to Hogwarts without the train or a floo system. If she could find one she could just go back to the Headmaster's office and stay in her dorm room for the rest of the holiday. She didn't want to leave her brother. So she sat outside until her fingers turned blue and her teeth threatened to break from her chattering.

Skylar got off the ground and looked back at her apartment once more before leaving her only home. She knocked once but she received no reply.

Skylar started walking, she didn't have a second home to go to. Her only home, the only one she ever needed wasn't available for her. She thought of places close by that she could go, the Leaky Cauldron was always available but the way the bartender treated her when she saw the female earlier made her think otherwise.

4:45AM
She knew of one house that was close to her own. One that she felt she could trust going to. One that housed two people who wouldn't turn her away.
She walked to where she knew the Potter's resided. She knew where their house was only because of James' constant invitations over. He gave her directions every year, in case she ever wanted to spend time with him and his friends. Skylar didn't know then how important that information would be for her.