Augury [Harry Potter Fanfic]

h. three

"Sawyer! Are you listening?" Snape barked at the girl, who suddenly raised her glance from the abnormally interesting surface of the wooden table.

"Of course I am, sir," she replied softly, rather unlike herself, as it's been since the summer's begun. "You were speaking of the circumstances with the giants."

"And?"

"And you're getting off the subject to annoy me, anything else?" Sawyer snapped at the professor, whose ears were suddenly tinted in slight pink.

"Well, how about we get on with that?" Molly encouraged them to drop the rivalry. "I'm sure that the rest will be here soon, and we don't want more fights."

"Yeah, I reckon we've had enough," Sirius mumbled, and the door suddenly made a creaking noise, signaling that the rest of the order has arrived.

"Oh, great, they haven't missed much! I'll get them quick," Mrs. Weasley rushed off, leaving a rather awkward bunch behind.

Dumbledore seemed as unbothered as ever.

"So, um." Bill cleared his throat. "Any of you know how much a polar bear--?"

"Just enough to break the ice," Sirius and Sawyer replied at the very same time. Surprised, they turned to look at each other, before a wide grin took over their faces, almost identical.

"Still weirded out by the fact he's your dad," Cedric Diggory said, still looking pale and much skinnier than ever before. His encounter with the Dark Lord hasn't done him well.

"You said it, son," Amos Diggory laughed heartedly, and Snape bitterly looked them over.

"Two thick heads with no manners, I don't see much surprise."

"Your insults are getting lamer and lamer, Snivellus," Sirius said harshly. "Age's been catching up to you, has it?"

"Can't you keep out of fights for five minutes?" Remus frowned as he entered. Mundungus Fletcher nodded gingerly, as though trying to make them feel bad, but Karkaroff sighed.

"I'm surrounded by idiots."

"You said it, son," Sawyer sighed.

"You're one of them idiots," Cedric laughed at Sawyer's automatic response to Karkaroff's words.

"You too, Puffie boy."

"You used to be nicer."

"I don't remember anything like that," she smirked with a casual shrug.

As the members of the Order of Phoenix took their seats, all turned to Dumbledore, waiting for him to continue discussing the matters with the giants-- and where they stand on every of the other matters.

It didn't make any of the people in the room feel better at the end of the meeting.

::

When she stood up as he sat down next to her, Remus lost it. Fist hitting the table, he yelled for the first time in Merlin knows how long.

"God damn it, Sawyer Wilde, you're a Black in all of your arrogant, fixated, extremely childish mind! Stop fucking dodge me!"

Silence fell on the dinining room as everyone watched the two, most gaping at Remus.

"I feel like I should be offended," Sirius noted after tense silence, attempting to break the ice.

"You bloody should, your stupid traits have gotten to her," Remus snapped quite uncharactistically for himself.

Sawyer grabbed a hold of herself, and shuffled away before anyone really noticed it.

She found herself staring at nothing when Kreacher joined her. "Mistress Sawyer is okay?"

"Yeah, Kreach. Thanks," she replied rather quietly.

"Kreacher's heard the werewolf yelling at Mistress, would Mistress like it if Kreacher avenged?"

"No, Kreach, it's really okay. I just keep making mistakes, and you shouldn't go and blame others for them."

"Mistress cares for the one that's raised her."

"Of course I do, Kreach. Just like you care for my Grandmother so deeply, even in her death."

"Kreacher tolerates you much more than most Masters, but you have dirty blood in your veins."

"I know," she sighed heavily, slipping to the floor. "Thanks for making me feel like at least someone in this world gives two shits about me."

Kreacher said nothing, and hesistated in his next move.

"May Kreacher sit next to Mistress?"

"Of course," she sighed again, patting the spot next to her. Kreacher sat next to her, his ugly face looking almost good in the partially illuminated hall as he looked at the face of the only, he reckoned, living person in the world he cared for.

"Mistress Sawyer," he hesitated. "Is there any chance Master Regulus is living?"

Sawyer sighed once again, shutting her eyes. "You were still there, Kreacher. You've seen him desprate for water, reaching into the lake. You've seen those horrible corpses that Riddle's been playing with reaching out to grab the living thing in the cave. You've seen him dragged down beneath." She opened her eyes, and her eyes seemed to have a tint of red for a few moments as Kreacher peered up at her. "I wish I could say that there was a chance for him, but there was not."

Kreacher seemed rather upset, blinking his big eyes at the floor, before nodding to himself.

"Kreacher knew this would be the answer."

Sawyer rested a hand on his head, patting lightly. "I'm proud to Say Regulus Black was my uncle, you know? He questioned everything anyone has done, and he cared for you. You know you were key factor in his actions?"

"Kreacher made Master die," he muttered, before a wail escaped his mouth. The house elf jumped to his feet, grabbing a table and starting to bang it against his head, wailing and screaming out "Kreacher made Master die!"

"Kreacher!" Sawyer called in alarm, already hearing her grandmother portrait screaming about disgrace, standing up to grab his hands and stopping him from huring himself further. "Stop it, Kreach!" she spoke, and the house elf froze up. "It's not a command, it's a request," she added rather softly, and he slumped in her arms.

Sirius was the first to arrive, looking rather alarmed, followed by Remus, Tonks, Fred and George, and just after, the rest all streamed in.

"What the bloody hell happened?" Ron wondered, and not even Mrs. Weasley was bothered.

"Nothing," Sawyer said simply, "everything is a-okay."

"MUDBLOODS!"

"I'll go shut her up," Sirius groaned.

"Master Sirius," Kreacher spoke with hostility and the black haired man froze in his place.

It's been quite some time since he's been called that by the house elf.

"I'll do it," Arthur said, nudging Remus. "Come on."

Everyone slowly streamed away, leaving the two last living Black family members with the house elf who's sworn his loyalty to the house.

"Yeah?" Sirius asked rudely, not quite understanding the situation. Sawyer released her grip on the house elf, who slumped down.

"Kreacher is sorry for treating Master badly."

"At's... okay?"

"Kreach, you don't have to push it," Sawyer grinned. "You're trying."

"Kreacher is also sorry for being the one in fault for Master losing his young brother. May Kreacher leave now?" he asked Sawyer, who nodded, before Sirius could tell him otherwise.

"What the hell is that house elf talking about?"

"That's quite a story now."