Shakespeare ❆ Sirius Black [1]

Chapter Thirty

Dinner was awkward to say the least. When she first arrived home, Nadia was greeted by her mother with a small hug of welcoming but soon after Catherine had retreated to the kitchen while Nadia and her father moved to the living room, Nadia already insisting she gather up some new books to take back with her once the second semester started up.

Now the family of three sat at the dining table, and the only sound passing through the room was the scraping of their utensils on the plates as they ate. Konstantin's eyes continued to glance between his wife and daughter, unsure of whether he should say something to break the awkward silence or whether that would only make matters worse. He tried speaking with Catherine from the moment Sirius and Nadia had left their home that day over a month ago, but she was stubborn and refused to believe that a Black could be a good person, despite what both he and Nadia said on his behalf.

"Did you meet the parents of the girl who Nadia will be staying with?" Catherine suddenly asked, her eyes turning to her husband as he jumped in surprise of the sound. Nadia looked at her father too, curious as to what his reply to the wrongly posed question would be.

"Oh, yes, yes, lovely people." Konstantin instantly replied, he would tell Catherine that Nadia was staying with a boy, but definitely not right now when things were so tense. And James had mentioned there would also be girls around as well as many other people, he trusted his daughter. Although he did almost get a heart attack when he thought she was in a relationship. Something he now knew to be a lie fabricated with the intention of protecting this Nicholas' secret. While some parent would find that story hard to believe, Konstantin did not doubt his daughter to be capable of coming up with such an idea to help a friend in need.

"Good, good, and how many people will be there?" Catherine asked curiously this time looking at both her daughter and husband. She couldn't pick Nadia up because of work, but still wanted to know the answers to where and who her daughter would be spending time with.

"Eight of us." Nadia mumbled before scooping up some more food from her plate and bringing it to her mouth.

"And Sirius is one of those people?" This was what Nadia was waiting for. Her father had warned her that her mother's mind hadn't changed on the topic, and she did not expect the opinionated woman to stay silent for long.

"Yes, he lives there." Nadia said defiantly, putting down her fork as she focused her eyes on her mother ready for whatever she had to say. She never fought with her parents before, but on this she would not budge. Not only was her mother completely wrong, but she would also refuse to let her dictate who Nadia could and couldn't be friends with.

"I'm sorry? You're going to the Black's house?" Catherine's fork almost fell to the floor due to her shock of the news. But that couldn't be possible, not only were the Blacks not lovely people, as Konstantin had titled them, but they wouldn't have even bothered to speak to a muggle, much less let one's daughter into their home.

"No, I'm going to the Potter's which is where Sirius has been living for the last year. Something you would know if you bothered to listen to me." Nadia spoke heatedly, using this opportunity to finally give her mother some details which would make the picture in her head more accurate.

Konstantin shook his head, remaining quiet during the conversation. He would interfere only if it started to get out of control like the last time. On that occasion he did not speak up until it was too late and regretted it very much. He only wished that the two would be able to talk it out and make peace. Christmas was in two days and if the two continued to fight he could not imagine it being a very good one, even with the presence of Catherine's parents who always managed to liven up even the dullest of situations.

"Do you not even bother to question this boy? Do you not doubt his motives for being friends with a girl like you?" Catherine asked in disbelief unable to understand how Nadia could so easily trust someone like Sirius after the last Pureblood she had made friends with.

"Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt." Nadia said, and Konstantin tried to hide his smile by taking some more food. Of course she would use a quote to her advantage. "And in this case, if I shunned Sirius away just because he was a Pureblood or because of who his relatives are, please note that I do not refer to them as his family because they are not, I never would have made such an amazing friend." Nadia explained with conviction.

Konstantin found it quite ironic to watch the two women. He had always known Nadia to be passionate and protective of her loved ones, something she had definitely gotten from Catherine. And now she was using that same passion and love to defend a friend from the woman who had taught her to do such things herself.

"And that does not seem suspicious to you at all. This boy was raised among the Purebloods who stand against anything connected to Muggles, and by some miraculous chance his opinions divert from everyone else's?" Catherine raised her eyebrow questioningly.

"We are human beings, capable of making up our own minds and opinions." Nadia replied while withholding a scoff from escaping her lips.

"Aren't the Potters Purebloods too? Somehow I don't believe Sirius' mind changed that much." Catherine said sarcastically as a scowl overcame her face.

"Mother, not all Purebloods are the same, and by claiming they are you sound just as ignorant as you believe all of them to be." Nadia exclaimed in exasperation before continuing. "James, who yes is a Pureblood, is head over heels in love with Lily who is a Muggleborn, and guess who is one of the biggest supporters of the idea of the two of them being together; Sirius! When a student called Lily a Mudblood who do you think one of the first people to jump to her defence were; Sirius and James! Do you really think that if they had the opinions you believe they do I would be friends with them? Or they with people like Lily or me for that matter?" Nadia asked, beginning to sound desperate as she tried to make her mother see the truth.

"They are good, and kind and generous. They accepted me as soon as they met me and have been my friends from the moment we met on the train during the ride to Hogwarts. They don't care about who someone's family is or about blood purity. And do you want to know the difference between them and Tatiana is? They let me be myself. They don't have a problem with my Muggle quotes or my passion for reading. They accept that part of me along with all others." Nadia finally finished her speech and a silence fell upon them. Neither Catherine nor Konstantin knew what to say, especially after she compared her new friends to her old one. It was obvious Nadia would defend her friends to her last breath, now more than ever.

"Excuse me, I still have some work to do." Catherine finally said as she stood from her seat and took away her plate, her actions making Nadia's eyes widen in disbelief. Was she really not going to say anything and just act like all of Nadia's words went over her head? Her mother walking out of the room and making her way to the office made it clear that, yes she was.

"Just give her time, she'll come around." Konstantin reached over and took hold of his daughter's hand in support as he sent her a small smile once she looked in his direction.

"I just don't know what to do to make her believe me and trust that I know what I'm doing." Nadia gave out a small sigh as she looked at her father with a sad expression. It was like her mother was making her chose between her friends and Catherine's support.

"Keep doing what you did now. Keep trying, she'll see it sooner or later." He advised her and Nadia nodded her head in understanding. She couldn't just give up without giving it her best effort. "I'm proud of you sweetheart." He added on. Konstantin wasn't choosing sides, he could understand his wife's worry and hesitancy to accept Nadia's choice of being friends with Purebloods again, but he knew his daughter, she wouldn't be saying such things if she ever had a sliver of doubt about them being true.

"Thanks dad." Nadia said with a smile as she stood from her seat and moved over to her father so she could give him a tight hug. It meant a lot to her that he supported her in his own way without really getting into the middle of it all.