antidote - sirius black

twenty six

"Fate can bloody fuck off!" Vera mumbled to herself as she strolled through the empty corridors. She was monitoring the halls of the east wing. She should have been doing it with another prefect but she pulled some strings with dear ol' Albus and she was allowed to do them on her own. She was quite capable of protecting herself.

She was only recalling the events that took place earlier that day. "Soulmates!" She scoffed, "her mother couldn't have given birth to her a couple hours later?" Contrary to the Marauders belief after she stalked away with an exuding aura of anger yet held a calm facade, from the group with a small fake smile and a quiet and polite goodbye. She was not angry at Sirius, nor any of the boys for that matter. She was angry at her mother. Up until the very point of Sirius' disownment. Vera was brought up with the knowledge that she would one day marry the eldest Black boy. Her father had wanted to let the pass grudges go and unite the two most powerful and prominent families within the Sacred Twenty-Eight. Her father firmly believed in divination. Unlike most of his pure blooded peers.

Her father wanted Vera to marry Sirius since she was mere babe. Said they were soulmates given their birthdays, his belief only solidified when he had a dream. A dream that changed everything for Vera.

10 years ago

Vera was playing with Winkle when her father came into her room. She had just turned six a month ago. Her room was decorated in Christmas decorations. The only room in the house to have any decorations at all actually. Diana White, mother and matriarch of the family thought Christmas was stupid and thought the only purpose of the holiday was to make other people jealous. Vera's father, Malcolm, never one to say no to both his wife and his daughter compromised and decorated just Vera's room. But left the rest of the manor untouched and bare of Christmas Spirit.

"Winkle could you excuse us for a moment?" Mr White always spoke to the house elf with upmost respect. The only one in the house not to was Diana, but it was hard to change the ways in which she was raised to believe. Malcolm was raised in a family of respect. Respect for everyone and everything including house elves.

"Of course Master White" and with that Winkle popped out of the room leaving no trace.

"Vera", he sat on the floor beside Vera and patted his lap gesturing for her to sit on his lap, "come here I have something to talk to you about."

At the time Vera did not worry she was only seven years old. "Yes father." She scooted over to her father and plopped into his lap.

"Now, what I am about to tell you, you must promise not to tell your mother. Only tell people you trust completely!" He said sternly before backtracking, "not that your mother is not trustworthy but let's just keep this our little secret alright?" To which Vera nodded her head, enthralled with the idea of knowing a secret that her mother did not know.

"You have a destiny my dear flower." He tapped Vera on her nose and tucked a rouge piece of red hair behind her ears. "Something that I wish you did not have to be destined for is going to happen and I am not going to be here to help you. However there is going to be a young man in your future, and I need you to let him in. Vera", the use of her real name caused Vera to realize the severity of the situation. "He is going to come at the worst of times and it is going to seem like everything is stacked against you. But I need you to remember flower, that good things can happen to you, and you deserve the happiness that he can bring you."

Vera ignored the last half of her fathers message, stuck on the part where he might not be there to help her, "why would I need another man when I already have you? Where will you go? Why won't you be there? Silly father, nothing is going to happen to you", Vera chuckled at how funny her father was being. He was going to live forever! He had to!

"Hush Vera," Malcolm quietened his daughter, "I will not be here forever, and for that reason I have something I have to tell you that you must remember. It may not matter to you now, however you will know when the time has come upon you. No matter how much I wish this was not your fate I know I can do nothing to change what is destined amongst the stars. Now I was away for a full week last month correct?" He continued without waiting for a response from Vera, "and I was back the day before your birthday? Well I was visiting a very special person." He paused and looked Vera directly in the eyes, " I was seeing a divination practitioner, specifically oneiromancy."

Oneiromacy? Vera knows what it is. She read about it in a book once. But why would father be seeing a person for dream interpretations?