Rough Waters |Sirius Black

Chapter Two

Fortunately for Nixie's aching heart, she did not have to wait long for the full moon to come. She only had to wait a day after she received the news from cousin Conch. However, the twenty-four hours felt like twenty four years for Nixie. She didn't sleep in anticipation of waiting for the full moon to take to the sky. Her pale orange tail, swished beneath the waves impatiently as she continued to watch the moon waiting for it's reflection to hit the water. Meri waited with her daughter, unsure of what Nixie was going to do once she was on land. 

It was one thing to learn that Sirius had escaped Azkaban, but to find him before the Ministry did, Meri worried for her daughter. If the Ministry suspected that she was aiding a fugitive, Nixie would find herself in a great deal of trouble. But Nixie didn't seem to care one bit about the trouble that could possible come to her, Sirius was the only thing on her mind.

Twelve year nearly thirteen years had gone by without hearing his voice or his laugh, without being able to see him or feel his touch. Nixie was on the brink of losing her sanity just knowing he was out there and she couldn't see him.

As soon as the moon hit the water, Nixie darted out of the water as quick as she possibly could, but she reached another barrier as nearly twelve years of not using her legs caught up with the woman. She waited for her tail to dry off before her legs reappeared, it was an odd sensation to feel both legs and to see them again. She had become to accustom to her tail that it took her the longest to even wiggle her toes.

Standing was a whole other challenge as her legs felt weak as if they would snap under her at any given second.

Meri's experience helped a great deal as she helped Nixie to her feet and then helped her to the Dover household. Nixie could feel her legs tingling with every step, similar to the feeling she had whenever her feet would fall asleep when she was younger.

When they reached her father's home, Nixie didn't want to sit down, but she had no other choice until she regained the proper feeling in her legs once more.

"Listen to me, Nixie.' Meri said as she wrapped some clothing around herself and then threw a blanket over Nixie. "You do understand that you don't have the slightest clue as to where Sirius is right now. I don't want you running about bringing attention to yourself. We don't even know how long it's been since he escaped. Conch didn't know all the details. For all we know, he might have been captured-"

"Don't say that!" Nixie told her mother sternly. "Don't even say that, Mum."

"I know it's not what you want to hear, trust me, I don't like being the one to say it, but we have to be realistic. You also have to understand that he's been away in Azkaban for twelve years. He may not be the same Sirius you knew those years back. Prison might have changed him and it could have very well changed him for the worse."

"I don't believe that. I don't believe that for one second." Nixie shook her head. "Sirius is strong, he's stubborn too..I don't think anything could have broken his spirit, not even a hundred dementors."

Meri sighed before sitting down. "Nixie, I know you love him,  I love him too as if he were my son, but we don't even know the full story of what happened that night. It may very well be true that he had some involvement-"

Meri stopped talking instantly as the look Nixie gave her was absolutely lethal.

"He didn't do it." Nixie hissed. "He would never have done something like that. I don't care what anyone says..whether it was Dumbledore or Remus...Sirius would never do something like that."

Meri couldn't argue with Nixie anymore, knowing fully well that nothing was going to get through to the woman's head. She was one hundred percent devoted to Sirius and nothing would change that. 

A few minutes later, still not in full control of her legs, Nixie lowered herself to the flow and scooted herself over to where stacks of newspaper and letters had piled up near the bare and cobwebbed covered fireplace.

"What are you doing?" Meri asked her.

"I guess after Dad passed they never canceled the subscription to the Daily Prophet." Nixie said holding up the old newspapers. 'There's enough papers here to wallpaper the entire village."

Meri walked over and sat down beside Nixie as she sorted through the letters and papers.

"There's so many letters from Remus..' Nixie sighed. "Merlin, I feel like absolute shite-"

"Nixie, tensions were high at the time and I'm sure he was aware that you entered the water eventually. It was a stressful time. Hell, it still is."

"I wonder what happened with Remus..I only heard brief mentioning that he was struggling to find work..goodness I feel like I cursed him."

"You didn't and you will probably see him soon. Once he finds out you're back on land, you two can talk it out."

Nixie nodded as she picked up the letters and made a pile, knowing she was going to read them later.

Meri picked up one of the dusty newspaper and grimaced instantly as she saw Sirius' face smack dabbed on the front. It was dated from months prior, causing the woman to frown before looking at her daughter. Nixie was still sorting through others before Meri cleared her throat grabbing Nixie's attention.

"What is it?" Nixie asked curiously.

Meri said nothing before handing the newspaper over and remained silent. Glancing over the front page, Nixie let out a noise that was a mixture of a squeak and a gasp. There on the front page was her husband, but he certainly didn't look like the Sirius she had last seen. Of course, he had grown older and at first, it had caught her off guard, she expected to see young, fresh faced Sirius. But the man on the cover, was covered in dirt and grime, a maniacal look in his eye. His hair normally messy but his in the picture was to the next level.

Nixie's breath became staggered as she tried to inhale deeply. Her mother waited for Nixie to say something first.

"What have they done to him?" Nixie whispered.

"Azkaban is no day at the beach, dear." Meri said. "The dementors are ruthless and to be surrounded by other criminals, we don't know the horrors he's seen before that picture was taken."

Reading over the article, Nixie read that Sirius was a danger not only to the wizarding community but to the muggle community as well. The media depicted him as a monster which only angered Nixie more before she balled up the paper and tossed it away from her into the fireplace.

Pushing herself way beyond her limits of the evening, Nixie left the room, using the wall as support.

"Nixie?" Meri called out, wondering where her daughter had ventured off to.

A minute or so later, the woman returned with her old wand in hand.

"Nixi-"

"Incendio!"

A jet of orange and red burst from her wand and hit the fireplace igniting the paper on fire as Nixie stood fuming in the doorway of the kitchen.

Breathing heavily in rage, Nixie lowered her wand to her side and watched as the paper crumbled and disappeared into the flames.

"Well, that was certainly one way of handling it." Meri mused to herself. She furrowed her brow as Nixie made her way over to the front door of the home and left outside.

"Uh Nixie?!" 

Before Meri could even begin to stand up, she heard the loud crack outside. Making her way to the door, she saw that Nixie was gone.

"Go get him, sweetheart."