Rough Waters |Sirius Black

Chapter Seventy Seven

Sirius went to hold Nixie's hand to calm his nerves as it was time for everyone to start opening gifts. All the adults had agreed to let them share the news with Harry first before they began opening presents and the two were excited but nervous at the same time. As he held her hand, he found her palm to be as sweaty as his, causing him to smirk as she looked over at him with an apologetic look.

"Sorry," she said quietly. "I'm just nervous. I'm sure he'll react fine but there's always that possibility, you know?"

"It's going to be fine, Nini."

"You say that, but your palm is sweatier than mine!" She said to him.

"Well, if I didn't have to wear this jumper-"

"For Kelpie's sake, just take it off already!" She huffed with an irritated eye roll. Sirius waggled his brow at her.

"I always like hearing those words come from you," he said, bringing her to blush before she pushed him away from her. 

Harry walked over and sat down before the two, noting that Sirius was in a much better mood once he removed the jumper. The man's legs began to bounce up and down and he had a wild smile on his face as he continued to withhold the good news. Harry looked over to Nixie, hoping that she would give him some sort of hint, but she only gave him a wink before she placed her hand on Sirius' knee to calm him down.

Everyone was gathered in the living room finally to exchange gifts and enjoy the rest of the evening, but Harry had grown too impatient wanting to know what the good news was. 

"So what's the news, Sirius?" Harry said in a whining tone, hoping they would finally spill the beans. Sirius looked to Nixie, leaving Harry to look at Nixie as well, believing she would be the one to tell him.

"Why are you both looking at me? It's your news to tell," she told Sirius. "Not mine."

Sirius grinned. "I would have thought it was our news to tell."

"Oh, you just tell him, Harry's about to burst!" Nixie pointed out Harry's pained expression as he continued to look back and forth between the two. His eyes were begging one of them to say something. 

Sirius finally gave in as he leaned forward towards Harry. "My name has been cleared by the Ministry, Harry."

Harry felt his heart skip a beat as his godparents smiled at his wide-eyed reaction. Everyone in the room continued to smile with the two adults as they knew where the conversation was going but Harry was still in his state of shock as Sirius continued.

"So, I know you've been living with Nixie and me as it is, and you've always had the option if you wanted to return back to the Dursleys'"

"Never!" Harry shook his head profusely. That wasn't even an option in his head when it came to having to choose between his godparents and anything else.

Sirius chuckled along with Nixie. "Well, there's also the fact that you're nearly grown, Harry, but if you'd like, Nixie and I were going to give you the option of having us officially adopt you."

They could see Harry enter a further state of shock as he just stared at Sirius, his eyes would glance over at Nixie to see if her expression changed but she only continued to smile at him.

"I mean," Sirius continued. "It wouldn't really change anything. It would just be official that we were your guardians and such...OOOMPH!" Sirius was caught off guard as he was tackled into a tight hug. 

"I think it's safe to assume that Harry's answer is a yes," Nixie laughed, however, she was prevented from saying anymore as Harry pulled away from Sirius and launched her into another hug.

"Yes," Harry told her. "Thank you."

"Oh, there's no need to thank us," Nixie told him softly as she hugged him in return. "We didn't even have to discuss it once Sirius found out."

She continued to hold onto him, remembering the first time she had held Harry when he was only a day old, and back when she had seen him years later in the cave. She could hear him sniff as the boy was doing his best not to cry before everyone in the room. Especially as the room became quiet as everyone was enjoying the sweet moment. 

Sirius leaned in and ran his hand over Harry's head, whispering to him that it was alright, if he was going to cry, no one in the room was going to judge him.

However, Harry was saved as Fred decided to interrupt the moment.

"So are we not opening presents or..."

As everyone began exchanging presents, Harry was just overwhelmed with excitement as he sat in between the two, discussing the adoption.

"I'll just be coming back to the Grimmauld Place after Hogwarts?" He asked looking back and forth between the two.

"No, Harry," Nixie told him. "We're not staying at the Grimmauld Place anymore."

"But it's headquarters-"

"And it'll remain as such," Sirius said. "But we do not have to remain there. We're going to be moving into a lovely home by the water."

Harry looked to Nixie. "Your father's home?"

She nodded. "But now it's your home too. It's our home. Sirius and I made sure that your room is all set there. It should be big enough but if it's not, you can always trade out with one of the other rooms, it-"

She stopped talking as Harry looked as though he were about to become misty-eyed again. "Harry, what's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

Harry wasn't even sure what to say, the fact that he had guardians that actually cared if his room was too small for him. He lifted his hand under his glasses and wiped at his eyes.

"You didn't say anything wrong. I just...I'm just really happy. I can't thank you two enough."

"You don't have to thank us, Harry," Sirius said. "It's going to be great! Nixie and I have been making sure that everything is going to be perfect for when you move in."

"That's why you two weren't around when I showed up here," he said.

"Well...that and Buckbeak was putting up an absolutely fit," Nixie said. "It's bad enough I have to deal with this one being dramatic," she pointed to Sirius, " but a dramatic hippogriff, is just a whole other playing field, Harry. You're going to have to help me out with both of them."

"I will!" Harry grinned.

The three turned their attention to where Fred had handed over his gift to Eleanor, to reveal an ornament of tiny knitted mittens. Molly smiled proudly as Eleanor questioned when Fred had learned to knit so well.

"I got some help," Fred admitted.

"It's really sweet," Eleanor said. "They're a bit small, though."

She laughed as she attempted to put them on her hands.

"Well, they aren't made for your hands, silly," Fred snorted. "Why don't you tell everyone our good news."

Sirius and Nixie's eyes widened at the same time, as Molly became completely frozen in place and Remus allowed his teacup to fall to the floor, shattering loudly.