Rough Waters |Sirius Black

Chapter Thirty Six

"My poor mistress." Kreacher wailed passing through the home. Nixie stood in the doorway of the kitchen and living room, watching as the house-elf sulked about. It was obvious Kreacher was not a fan of any of the newcomers in the Black household. When he wasn't cursing everyone in the room, he was attempting to escape Buckbeak, who definitely did not like the elf and Nixie was pretty sure that Sirius had instructed the hippogriff to try and eat Kreacher at any given opportunity.

Kreacher would look at the portrait of Walburga, and attempt to calm her down with soothing words and tone. Whenever Nixie and Remus were around, the elf did not refrain from lashing out something nasty in their direction which would set Sirius off.

Sirius wasn't known for his temper, but it was obvious to Remus and Nixie that being back in his childhood, with his mother's portrait screaming out all the time, and Kreacher being absolutely horrid to the people he cared about, was taking it's toll on the man.

"Filthy half-breeds tainting my mistress's home!" Kreacher looked at Nixie. Nixie ignored him with a slight eye roll but Sirius was fully prepared to blast the house-elf into oblivion.

Nixie grabbed her husband's shoulders to refrain him from attempting to kick the house-elf across the room.

"It's not his fault." She said. "It's what he was taught to believe,Sirius. Leave him be."

She gently guided him to the kitchen and sat him down in a chair.

"You let him get you all sorts of worked up." Nixie said as she rubbed his shoulders trying to calm him down. "You have enough to worry about with the Order, don't let Kreacher get to you too."

"I wouldn't let him get me, if you would let Buckbeak get him." Sirius grumbled.

"Now, now," She chuckled. "We wouldn't want Beaky to get a stomach ache now, would we? Besides, I can't imagine Kreacher would taste good."

Sirius grinned but still seemed slightly irritated. 

"Can't you just drag him to the bottom of the Black lake?" Sirius asked her raising a brow.

"Maybe. What I would give to just be in the lake right now." She said before rubbing at her eyes.

"When's the last time you were in the water, Nini?" He asked turning to face her.

"Oh, you know....that day, before that other day." She scratched the top of her head.

"Nini." He said in a warning tone.

"I'm fine. I'm fine."

Nixie was hoping that with Harry due to arrive that it would put Sirius in a better mood. She hated to see him stress and upset, and his stress, on top of her not feeling the greatest was not helping her at all. She knew she needed to get to the water as she was beginning to feel feverish, but she did not want to miss out on greeting Harry upon his arrival. 

On the day he was supposed to arrive to the Grimmauld Place, members of the Order were gathered to discuss their next move. The Ministry wasn't having any part of claiming that Voldemort was back, leaving the group having to plot out each move carefully. Harry wasn't in the greatest of spots, and Nixie worried over him greatly. She thought of Lily and how the woman would have handled the situation and couldn't help but smile to herself for a second as she thought of Lily attempting to destroy Ministry verbally and physically.

Standing at the stop of the stairs, Nixie leaned her head against the wall, enjoying the cool sensation of the cold wall. She let out a small sigh before rubbing her temples that ached.

"You should go." Sirius' voice came from behind her.

"Sirius, I'm fine." She told him. "I can wait until after the meeting  is over and then I'll leave."

She looked at him to see the concern on his face.

"Nixie, I don't need you being stubborn-"

"I know my limits." She interjected. " Better than anyone else. I can last through the meeting and then I'll head out."

His hands ran over the sides of her face as he frowned.

"You worry too much sometimes." she smiled trying to lighten the mood.

He chuckled. "I was too reckless back in school, and now I worry too much."

Nixie moved her hands up to the collar of his shirt and began to straighten it as she met his eyes. "You better get it together."

She smoothed out the wrinkles of his shirt near the shoulders.

"Now make sure  you try and behave while Severus is around please.."

"I owe that man nothing!" Sirius replied gruffly.

"I know, " She said quickly trying to keep him relaxed. "But it's only going to make things so much more stressful for Harry if you're upset. Besides,  I have a wicked headache right now and if you're all yelling, well,  I might have to kill someone."

"Or throw them in the Black Lake?" Sirius mused.

"Or that." She laughed.

The two headed downstairs as more members of the Order arrived.

While Nixie had hoped and silently prayed that things remained civil between Severus and Sirius, it was not the case as soon as the men were face to face.

"Oh dear." She covered her face as the two men glared at each other along with snide remarks directed towards one another. She turned to Remus who seemed just as frustrated with the whole situation.

"Seems like we're back in school again." She said to him quietly.

"Some things never change." Remus said with a slight shrug.

"We should lock them in a room and-"

"See who comes out alive?" Remus looked at her wide eyed.

"Well, I was going to say let them just sit and talk it out, but you're right. Someone would die...my money is on Sirius winning."

Remus snorted. "A little bias there, Nixie."

"Just a little. Sorry, I go for the one with the cute face and arse."

"Nixie!"

Sirius' hands slammed upon the table after Harry arrived as he entered rage mode with nearly all the adults arguing.

"Alright, looks like we're up." Nixie sighed. "Better calm him down before he tries to kill Severus again..."

"By the looks of it, if we don't step in, he might succeed this time." Remus said.

The two looked at each in slight hesitation, as if they were contemplating whether to interfere or not.

"Alright, alright. I'll do it." Nixie sighed walking over to where Sirius was and moved the man out to stop him from arguing with Severus any further.

"Sirius, please, enough. You need to calm down." Nixie continued to hold the side of her head as Sirius wanted to go back into the room. With Harry on his way to his hearing, the group had to await the results, and Nixie was growing weaker and angrier by the second.

Sirius argued with her to go back in but suddenly she snapped at him, her teeth sharp and eyes dark. The man fell silent before her face returned to normal.

"Sorry." She apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to do that...I just..."

"Get to the water, Nini."