ᴅɪsᴘᴇʟ ᴍʏ ʙᴏʀᴇᴅᴏᴍ | ᴍᴀʀᴀᴅᴇᴜʀs' ᴇʀᴀ

Chapter 47: Blackshire

Sirius knew this would begin even before they crossed the threshold of Blackshire. Damn it, he knew it before all the girls at once opened their mouths, noticing an ancient mansion ahead.

"Easy! This is an Indian carpet!" Black dragged Beata away from the patterned treasure, lifting her into the air.

"It's pretty!"

"What is it? Statuette?"

"Look, Sirius, if I only knew that..."

Enthusiastic female voices surrounded Sirius. Even Emily glanced at a pair of incredibly expensive knick-knacks. Lily jumped from one thing to another, chirping about baroque, rococo, impressionism and other nonsense.

"Sirius?" a voice flashed across the huge hallway, forcing everyone to shut up.

Sirius turned around and his lips stretched in a smile.

"Meda? You're still here?"

"We had to stay─"

"Mommy, look! Aunty has funny shoes!" Nymphadora Tonks with orange hair jumped to Beata and, loudly laughing, pointed her finger at the grinders.

"What is it?" Beata asked, lowering her head down and squinting.

"It's a child," Emily echoed, unbuttoning her coat and giving it to Remus.

"A child?"

"It's something like a human, only very small and underdeveloped. You have more in common than you think."

Andromeda lifted her eyebrows in polite amazement, then figured something out in her mind and made some conclusions.

"Hey! What's your name, princess?" James slid the last few feet of the marble floor on his knees and easily picked Dora up. "My name is James and I'm happy to see you!"

"I'm Dora and I hate my name!"

They busily shook hands and immediately began to make faces, communicating completely silently.

"James, obviously, has more in common with children than you do," Emily snorted.

"I didn't know they can talk at that age," Beata looked incredulously as Nymphadora pulled James's ear. "And walk. And think."

"Maybe I should show you where they come from," Black said, leaning to Beata's ear.

She yelled from surprise and automatically swung at him with a nearby vase. A fight ensued, during which the carpet was hopelessly ruined.

"I'll make tea," Andromeda sighed, throwing a look full of reproach at Sirius.

When everyone finally sat down in the round Indian living room ─ Dora was seated on Lily's lap ─ Andromeda dragged her brother into the kitchen.

"Are you crazy?! The real killers are walking in England and you are hanging around unprotected. Unescorted!"

Through the opening they saw Dora trying to braid Beata's hair, Sprinkles dodged and grumbled.

"Traitors can be among the escort. And where should I go? Where should they go?" Sirius waved a hand. "Lily's parents, Marlene's, you're hiding them from girls, not me!"

"And Remus? He's a werewolf!" Meda's voice faltered, but she immediately proudly lifted her nose, desperately trying to seem brave.

"Exactly! He needs a shelter and protection from Fenrir. You want me to put him outside the door of my own house? Not gonna happen!"

At the mention of his own house, Andromeda's face fell.

"Please, Meda, don't be angry," Sirius made puppy eyes. Andromeda snorted and flicked his nose.