The Disgraced of the House of Black - A Multi-Character Fanfiction - Part One

126. Totally Apart

Althea had already reached the kitchen and was talking softly with her mother and father when a sudden shrieking rose up from the hall.

"FILTH! SCUM! BY-PRODUCTS OF DIRT AND VILENESS! HALF-BREEDS, MUTANTS, FREAKS, BEGONE FROM THIS PLACE! HOW DARE YOU BEFOUL THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS-"

"I'll help," Eliana said with a sigh, following Sirius back up the stairs to deal with the portrait.

Both began wrestling with the curtains as Sirius roared, "Shut up, you horrible old hag, shut UP!"

"YOUUUUU!" she howled, catching sight of both Eliana and Sirius. "BLOOD TRAITORS, ABOMINATIONS, SHAME OF MY FLESH!"

"I said - shut - UP!" Sirius shouted again.

With one final heave, he and Eliana got the curtains closed.

Panting slightly, Sirius turned to face where he had seen Harry, Ron, and Hermione out of the corner of his eye coming up.

"Hello, Harry," he said. "I see you've met my mother."

"Your-" Harry began in shock.

"Dear old aunt," Eliana said with false fondness.

"We've been trying to get her down for a month but we think she put a Permanent Sticking Charm on the back of the canvas. Let's get downstairs quick before she wakes up again," Sirius said.

"But what's a portrait of your mother doing here?" Harry asked in confusion as they made their way down the stairs.

"Hasn't anyone told you?" Sirius asked in surprise. "This was my parent's house. But since Eliana and I are the only Blacks left, and they preferred leaving it to a man, it's mine now. Well, mine and Amara's. We offered it to Dumbledore for headquarters - about the only useful things either of us has been able to do."

They had come into the kitchen by then, and Harry, who had expected a warmer welcome from Sirius, was not disappointed with Amara's. Catching sight of him, she instantly smiled, setting aside the dinner she had been preparing as she rushed over to him, instantly embracing him.

"Oh, Harry, it's wonderful to see you," she said warmly.

She had lost her hollow cheeks and malnourished appearance somewhat in the last month and now glowed with health, and she was still as radiant as ever.

"Dinner will be ready soon," she promised. "I'm sure you're starving."

Sirius joined her in her cooking, and Harry couldn't help but smile as Sirius' mild bitterness and irritation he had been displaying thus far dissolved away as Amara both made him laugh and laughed along with him. Soon, he was as cheerful and enthusiastic as Harry was used to seeing him.

"No, Sirius," Amara said with a laugh, catching hold of his wrist before he added the wrong spice to the stew she had been making.

"But I like this one," he said in confusion, turning it over to make sure he had read the label correctly.

"I know you do, but I've already added more than enough," Amara said, catching hold of the spice and putting it away before he could overpower the other spices. Gently hitting him on the forehead with the rag she'd been using to grab the hot pot, she said, "Now, go check on the bread for me."

"As you wish, Mrs Black," he replied in a devilishly soft voice, his smile the same charming one Amara had known since their days at Hogwarts.

She smiled softly as he gently kissed her. Pulling away, Sirius went to the oven to do as she asked as Amara glanced after him with a fond expression.

"For the last time, Mundungus, will you please not smoke that thing in the kitchen, especially not when we're about to eat!" Molly yelled, glaring at him as he approached where Amara was at the stove, stirring the stew.

"Ah, right. Sorry, Molly," he replied, putting away his pipe.

"How's it coming, need any help?" Molly asked.

"Nope, it's going fine," Amara replied with a small smile. "Just waiting for everything to finish cooking." Turning her head, she asked, "How's the bread, Sirius?"

"Perfect, Ami," he replied. "Can I have the mits?"

Tossing them to him, Amara let out a laugh as he failed to catch and both hit his face. Sending her a soft glare, Sirius picked them up and opened the oven, drawing out two large loaves of thick bread.

Setting them down, he asked, "What else do you need, love?"

"I think that's it," she replied. "Just need to set the table and get everyone sitting at it."

Although the comment was intended for Sirius, Molly instantly began barking orders. Amara closed her eyes, drawing in and releasing a long breath as Sirius took hold of her shoulders.

"She's just used to it, she's just used to it," Amara muttered to herself, causing Sirius to smile.

Opening her eyes again, she smiled and lifted the stew from the stove and brought it over to the table as Sirius retrieved butterbeer for everyone and the bread.

"Get some butter too!" Amara called.

"I've got it," Eliana said with a small laugh, going into the pantry.

Once they had all settled down to eat, Amara between Sirius and Eliana, Remus sitting on Ellie's other side between her and Althea, the usual dinner antics began. Tonks, a young auror who had joined them, began entertaining Ginny and Hermione by transforming her facial features, particularly her nose.

Remus fell into a discussion with Bill and Mr Weasley about goblins and how they would fit into the Voldemort situation while Fred, George, Ron, and Mundungus rolled around with laughter at some story one of them was telling. Harry and Sirius were talking as well as Eliana and Amara.

Althea, however, couldn't help but feel completely separated from it all. She was sitting next to no one with only the men discussing goblins, a subject she didn't care much for, nor know anything about. So, she quietly ate her dinner, feeling more miserable than she knew she had any right to feel.