Rough Waters |Sirius Black

Chapter One Hundred Nine

As much as Molly wanted everyone to remain at the Burrow, it was best for everyone to return to their daily routine as much as possible to keep themselves safe. With Voldemort and his Death Eaters ruling the Ministry, they couldn't raise suspicion or bring attention to themselves because they all knew they were being watched in some form of fashion. Nixie and Sirius were the ones who had to keep the lowest profiles as the Death Eaters were certain that Harry would try to make contact with his godparents first before anyone else. With the alliance with the mermaids, it was true that they would probably be able to gather information as long as the news hit the water. 

Sirius was still not over the fact that Nixie had been attacked, even though Nixie seemed to be doing pretty well for herself. He assumed that she was just trying to put on a brave face for everyone around her but he wasn't aware that Nixie was far more concerned about himself than she was herself. She had seen the fear in Sirius' eyes, the fear of actually losing her and not knowing what to do all over again. In Azkaban, he had a glimmer of hope that Nixie would still be around for him when he was released and she was. But if he had lost her in the sense of her being killed, there wasn't a second chance. 

He didn't talk much since the night of the wedding, which anyone who knew Sirius, knew that something was wrong if he wasn't talking. But he showered her with affection, kissing her, hugging her, and touching her just by resting a hand over hers if they were sitting close to one another. It was as if that he had to keep reassuring himself that she was still there with him and that she wasn't just going to suddenly disappear. 

Nixie knew exactly what he was feeling because she had gone through the same thing when they had been reunited after Sirius had escaped Azkaban and she had felt the same way when he had nearly died in the Department of Mysteries. She had to keep reassuring herself that he was there and he was going to remain there. She held onto him extra tight during the nights and kept an eye on him to make sure that if she just turned her back for a second that he wouldn't be gone. 

Times of war didn't wreak havoc on the body physically but mentally as well. It brought up all fears and it exposed the insecurities that even the strongest couldn't conceal. Returning to the Dover household seemed to be the best thing, for now, the members of the Order agreed to remain in touch with one another but they needed to keep separate as well.  

Meri was coming incredibly close to climbing out of the water so she could see her daughter. She had nearly bitten her nails off right to the point where she was biting down to the knuckle with nerves. Arthur had reassured her that Nixie was fine after the terrible event but the mother wanted to see her daughter for herself and come to her own conclusions. The only other person that she assumed knew Nixie better than herself in that moment was Sirius and she had yet to see him either. 

She waited at the surface for any sign of them and finally, one morning, she spotted Sirius making his way down to the water's edge. An excited cry escaped from her as she was so relieved to see her son-in-law, she motioned him to move faster as all Meri wanted to do was wrap him in a hug and then wrap Nixie in a hug when she saw her. 

"Sirius, are you alright?" She wanted to hear from him as he approached her and stood right at the water edge to where the small waves were washing up near his shoes. He nodded but she could tell by his expression and his lack of words that Sirius was not okay. The mermaid let out a sigh before pulling him down by the shirt and pulling him into a tight hug.

"Sirius, there is no strength in keeping strong when you need someone to be strong for you. Put aside the brave face for a moment and just let it all out."

The man looked at her for a moment and then suddenly, he allowed himself to break down once more.