Power

Chapter Twelve

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Vivian asked quietly.
No.
"Do you want me to send Jeremiah over here?"
No thank you. I can handle them. Please don't let Athena fall in your pool again.
"That was all Jeremiah, I swear."
Sera smiled. I'll see you later, love.
Vivian hugged her. "Ready, sweetie?" She asked Athena, who was hanging onto Sirius.
Athena kissed Sirius and ran over to her mummy. Sera knelt down and wrapped her beloved daughter in her arms. Bye-bye, now, dearest. I'll see you tomorrow. Have fun with Aunt Vivvy.
"Yes, Mummy, I will." Athena kissed her with a grin. "I'll miss you."
I'll miss you too, darling. Stay away from the pool, okay?
Athena giggled. "Yes Mummy. I love you." She kissed her again and released her.
Vivian extended her hand to the child and the two walked out.
Seraphina turned to Sirius and gave him a stern look. I need you to behave yourself. If you think that I don't smell Firewhiskey on you you're wrong. Go ahead and give me your wand.
"No."
Yes. I'm not risking a duel in my house.
"Let me see Peter hand you his first."
Peter's timid and weak. He won't do anything.
"I would kill him if I was more emotionally minded."
You're very emotionally minded, Sirius.
"That's right."
Wand, Sirius.
"After Peter gives his."
I'm going to have to ask you not to drink around Athena. I'll give you today, because I know this must be extraordinarily hard and she isn't here, but in the future, please keep track of how much you consume.
"I know. I'm sorry. I won't do it again, I promise. When's P-Peter going to get here?"
As soon as I summon him. Are you ready?
"No. I wish I was dead."
Nobody's making you do this, darling. I'd really rather you didn't.
"Somebody has to teach that little shit a lesson. I'm ready."
Are you certain?
"Yes--Wait, can I see if Remus wants to come?"
Whatever you want, dear. She said, because she knew what he actually meant.
He meant that Peter killed Remus' best friends too. Besides, Remus' presence would soothe Sirius.
Sirius disapparates.
It's been a good while since Seraphina had the house to herself.
It wasn't as though she had anything to do alone.
But in the silence that followed Sirius' disapparation, she found herself thinking about Tom.
She sat down and stared at the floor.
She missed him.
She wanted a conversation with him.
She wanted a hug.
She wanted a kiss from him.
She wanted him to tell her he loved her.
She'd even settle for listening to him talk about how much he despises Dumbledore, despite how much she admired the old fool.
She would go to her Penseive once these 'Marauders' left.
Well, she'd wait for Sirius to go to bed.
She stood when Sirius returned with a brown-haired man.
You must be Remus. Seraphina smiled as a hostess does. I've heard so much good about you, it's nice to finally meet you.
"This is Voldemort's wife." Remus said to Sirius.
"Shut up, mate. I know. She's my aunt."
"Athena's mother?"
"Yeah."
"Oh."
Remus gave Sera a curt nod.
It didn't phase her.
I see your friend hasn't been drinking. She says, to guilt trip her nephew.
"Call Peter, please."
She slips into Peter's mind. He's with Severus.
She tells him to come and watches as he scrambles to obey.
He's coming.
Second later, Peter apparated into her living room. "Seraphina." He knelt before her like a whimpering coward.
Stand up. She commanded coldly.
She hated Peter.
She had no reason to, other than that Sirius did.
He might not have trusted her judgment, but she trusted his.
Peter stood.
"Hey, Wormtail." Sirius said casually.
"It's been a while." Remus added.
Seraphina had the pleasure of seeing the look of pure terror on his face before he turned to his former friends.
"P-Padfoot.... Moony." Peter squeaked.
Now would be the time to get on your knees, coward.
Peter obeyed her, dropping to his knees and clutching at their hands. "Please. Please. You don't know what it's like."
They both jerked their hands away and took a disgusted step back.
"Let's talk about what you did, shall we?" Remus asked.
"The Dark Lord... he has power that you couldn't begin to understand--" Peter pleaded.
Sera sat down and watched. It was like a Muggle television drama.
"Couldn't begin to understand! My brother was a Death Eater! My parents beat the shit out of me because I wasn't! My uncle was Lord Voldemort, you moron!" Sirius yelled. He lunged forward, but Remus held him back.
"Do you think James and Lily would have sold you out, Wormtail?" Remus asked, his hand gripping the back of Sirius' leather jacket.
"I..." Peter said.
"Remember how James and I beat the shit out of anyone who shit talked you? Remember how Remus and Lily stayed up all bloody night to help you study for you stupid tests?" Sirius said quietly.
"S-Sirius." Peter pleaded.
"Get your filthy hands off of me."
"Are you going to kill me?" Peter looked to Remus, the voice of reason, apparently, in the group.
"No."
"We're just going to torture you." Sirius added.
"Um, what?" Remus asked.
Sirius pulled out his wand.
Sera stood quickly. Sirius, I said to give  me your wand.
"What are the Unforgivable Curses, again?" Sirius asked Remus.
Seraphina was not about to allow her nephew to shred his soul like that.
Crucio.
Remus stared at Seraphina, practically oblivious to Peter's screams. He was taken aback by her nonverbal spells.
She hadn't even drawn her wand.
"Sirius..?" Remus said.
Seraphina stopped the spell and Peter curled up on the ground, crying.
"Do you want to stay here for the night, Moony?"
"I think I'm gonna go have a drink."
"Didn't think you drank."
"Well, only twice counting today." He gave a frightened little laugh.
If Sera was reading the newcomer properly--and she was--the first time was when James and Lily died, when Sirius went to Azkaban--when he was all alone.
"I'm not lugging your unconscious ass back here, Lupin."
"Don't worry about it, I'll be the one lugging you."
Sirius threw and arm around his old friend's shoulder and the two of them walked out.
Get out of my sight, Peter Pettigrew.

Vivian took Athena back to her mother. The child immediately asked where her Bubby was.
Seraphina awoke the next morning to Athena slamming her bedroom door open as she ran in. "Mummy! Mummy!"
Sera sat up quickly at the panic in her daughter's voice. What's wrong?
"Bubby. Bubby." She cried.
Sera got out of bed, her heart hammering. What?
Athena grabbed her hand and pulled her from the room and into Sirius'. "I told him to wake up but he didn't." Athena sobbed, terrified.
Seraphina scanned the scene, her eyes moving to the nearly empty bottle in Sirius' hand. She approached her nephew and removed the bottle. Seeing he was breathing and looked okay, she turned back to her daughter. He's okay, darling. He's simply very tired. He'll be up after a while.
"Do you promise?" Athena sniffled.
Cross my heart.