ᴅɪsᴘᴇʟ ᴍʏ ʙᴏʀᴇᴅᴏᴍ | ᴍᴀʀᴀᴅᴇᴜʀs' ᴇʀᴀ

Chapter 24: Midnight Deal

Forest of Dean, noon

Beata scowled at her father ─ he didn't change at all since their last and only meeting. The same gray skin, sunken eyes, unnatural thinness and long faded hair. He reminded Remus on his worst days. Putting his brain to good use, Sirius started to suspect where Beata's unhealthy fear of werewolves came from.

"What do you want?" Beata asked indifferently. It was odd to see her in mood like that ─ no mockery, no sarcasm; she looked as if she was under Confundus.

"We need to talk, daughter," the man answered hoarsely. Gwendolyn, sitting in the next chair, just snorted, expressing all her attitude towards 'daughter'.

"TALK?!" Sprinkles immediately roared. Black let out a sigh of relief ─ Beata was okay. "Oh, now you wanna talk, you cowardly stump?!"

"Beata," Gwen said firmly.

"What?"

"I share your opinion about your father, however, true lady─"

"I don't care about your etiquette, grandma!"

"Beata! Be polite with Gwendolyn!"

Sirius almost burst out laughing. Father obviously thought that Sprinkles flared because of unexpected events. How was he supposed to know that this was totally Beata's style?

"I'll show you politeness, worthless animal!" Beata growled, stepping toward her father and sweeping all before herself.

The exquisite carved casket flew off to one side and crashed into the sideboard, smashing vintage glass and all that was behind it.

"You LEFT! Abandoned us!" Beata raged. "Didn't even deign to ask about my life! Not once! Even when I personally came to you – you just slammed the door in my face!"

"I wasn't in best condition, it was a full moon and─"

"I don't give a shit! You could've at least written me a letter! Anything! Don't call me daughter, you miserable─"

"I think that wasn't the best idea," Black said thoughtfully while in the background Beata broke the wall with a chair, trying to hit her father.

"Do you mean, Mr. Black, that I invited her parent here?" Gwen's eyes watched tensely the movement of elegant porcelain figurine which Sprinkles started to wave in the air.

"Exactly. You should've prepared her or something... Bind her, for example, or poison."

"I've been shortsighted, Mr. Black. I had no idea that she had already met Arthur. You clearly know her better than I do, no matter how unfortunate it is to admit. How can we calm my granddaughter?"

"Beata will calm down only when blood will flow. Don't even look at me! I was already on the line of fire this morning."

"If we were talking about some other girl, I'd call you a coward, Mr. Black," Gwendolyn flinched as Sprinkles cracked antique floor clock on Arthur's head. "But in our case, it's more of a common sense."

"At least someone believes I have it," Black murmured.

In the meantime, Arthur moaned, clutching his head. Sirius knew perfectly well that such little things couldn't hurt werewolf, even in human form, but still sympathized with him.

"Come on, Black," Beata was breathing heavily. "Look at him with compassion and I'll break that pine with your head."

Black just rolled his eyes in response and shook his head.

"Calmed down?" Gwendolyn asked mockingly.

"For today," Sprinkles collapsed on the miraculously-preserved chair and stared contemptuously at her father. "I'm listening."