Tenebrous ❆ Sirius Black [2]

Chapter Seventeen

Nadia often read tragedies and sad books. But lately she had grown an aversion towards them. She still loved Shakespeare, and she still loved reading. However, reading about death, grief and tragedy had started to be too much. Enough of it surrounded her in real life.

She could read about death every morning in the Daily Prophet, she could see it every night in her dreams, and she could experience it through the pain in the faces of her friends and the people she knew as they kept losing the ones they loved.

She was seeing it right now as she watched Lily weep. She had been crying all throughout the service and even after as they gathered at her house for the wake. Right now Camille and Remus crowded around her, comforting and supporting her as much as they could. However, Nadia found this surprising as she had expected James to be glued to her side.

Her eyes scanned over the room, but no matter where she looked, she was unable to find him anywhere. She saw their friends who had all come to support Lily, even Nicholas and Henry came, while Adam and Eliza has come only to the service, having to go back home to Gwen right after. She saw Petunia, Lily's sister, and Vernon standing in one of the corners. But nowhere did she see James.

"What is it love?" Sirius asked from her side, his hand wrapped around her waist. Looking down at her he had noticed her searching through the room, but he wasn't sure what for.

"Excuse me for a second, I'll be right back." She told him quietly, pulling away from his side and making her way out of the living room. Nadia made her way out into the hallway, looking through the open doors of multiple rooms in search of the messy haired boy. But as she saw the porch light on, and the shadow of a single figure sitting outside, she walked towards the front door and out of the house.

There he sat on the wooden swing, his eyes looking out into the empty road in front of him. James didn't even notice someone coming out of the house, or moving over to him. He was only brought out of his thoughts once he felt the swing move as Nadia sat down beside him.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked in slight surprise as his eyes looked down at her.

"I could ask you the same thing." Nadia pointed out questioningly. She knew there must be a good reason he had left Lily's side, and she felt the need to check on him and see whether he was alright.

"I just... I hate seeing her like this." James gave out a heavy sigh and looked back to the road, running his hand through his hair before leaning on his knees. Seeing Lily so heartbroken was crushing him, all he wanted to do was make her smile again.

"I know, we all do." Nadia whispered sadly, her hand taking hold of his own supportively. It was never easy seeing someone you care for be in pain, and she couldn't even imagine what it was like for James. Nadia was convinced her own heart would break if she ever saw Sirius in such a state.

"I just don't know what to do. I don't know how to help her." James squeezed her hand as his voice slightly cracked. A small frown came over Nadia's face.

"Hey, look at me." She said, turning slightly so she was now fully facing him as he once more looked down at her with a questioning look in his eyes. "The best you can do, and all she really needs from you right now is for you to be there for her. To let her know she's never alone."

"I know." He nodded his head. Of course he knew that. He just felt like it wasn't enough, he wasn't sure whether he was doing everything he could. A small silence fell over them for a moment as Nadia continued to sit beside him, staying for as long as he needed her to. But soon, James broke it again. "I never got to ask for his permission." He mumbled, making Nadia's brows furrow in slight confusion.

"Permission?" She didn't quite catch on to what he had meant by that.

"To propose; to marry Lily." He explained shortly. Nadia was slightly surprised by that. She didn't even know it was something James planned on doing. He didn't seem like the type to hold to such traditions.

"He would have said yes, of course he would have. He loved you, and anyone who knows Lily can see how happy you make her. There was no reason for him to say no." Nadia spoke confidently, truly believing her own words. She remembered their sixth year holidays, back when Lily and James weren't even together yet, and her father already seemed to have a certain liking towards the boy from the stories.

"You really think so?" James asked hopefully. He knew he would never know for sure, he would never get that answer, but it still gave him some hope to believe Lily's father would have approved of him.

"I do." Nadia said with a small smile on her face. She did believe it. James was good for Lily, and she for him, only a blind person would be unable to see it or disapprove of their relationship.

"Thank you Nadia." James smiled a small smile as his arm wrapped around her shoulders, bringing her into a side hug, her own arms going around his waist as she hugged him back. "How would I ever survive without you?" He asked with a small chuckle. And it was true, Nadia was always there for him, or any one of her friends. He knew a lot of things would be different for him right now had she never come to Hogwarts.

Their small moment was suddenly interrupted as the front door opened again. This time it was with so much force that they jumped apart in surprise, both their eyes snapping towards whoever it was that was exiting the house, only to see Petunia and Vernon rushing outside in a frenzy.

"Come on Petunia, don't do this! At least not today, please!" Lily's voice called out as she rushed after her sister. Unsure of what was happening, James and Nadia stood from their seats and made their way over to the two Evans sisters just as Petunia turned to glare at Lily.

"Don't you understand you freak? This is all your fault! It was your kind, atrocities like you that did this!" Petunia turned on Lily, not even holding back as she yelled at her sister angrily. James was instantly by the red head's side, bringing her closer to him as his arm wrapped around her waist in a comforting gesture.

"Petunia please, we shouldn't fight; we're all we have left. We're sisters, we're family." Lily tried to remain calm, her tears slipping down her face as she listened to Petunia's hurtful words which only continued despite what she had said.

"No. Not anymore." Petunia spat. "You think being what you are is so great? It's not! You're a burden! You just bring trouble wherever you go! If you were just normal, none of this would have happened! If you were normal mum and dad would still be alive!" Her sister's words made Lily flinch back while Nadia and James could only glare at the foul woman.

"Alright! That's enough! It's time for you two to leave!" Nadia was the first one to speak, fixing Petunia and her husband with a cold glare. Petunia had no right to say any of those things, none of which were true. And Nadia wasn't about to let her stick around and continue to hurt Lily. That was the last thing she needed right now.

"Who do you think you are to send us away?" Vernon raised his voice as he stood in front of Nadia, making her blue eyes snap towards the burly fat man.

"I am someone who can hex the living daylights out of you. It's up to you to decide whether it's necessary." Nadia's voice had turned dangerously calm, and the angry look in her eyes made Vernon take a step back from her.

"Come on Petunia! You shouldn't have to be around these people at a time like this." Vernon spoke with a look of distaste on his face as his eyes shifted between all three of them while he pulled Petunia away and into the street, quickly disappearing within their car and driving off.

With the couple gone, Nadia now turned to Lily too. By now she was tucked into James' arms as he held her while she cried, reassuring her that none of what Petunia had said was true, that she was not to blame. The two shared a look over Lily's shoulder. This was the best James could do right now, and he planned on doing it for as long as she needed him. He planned on being there for her and never leaving her. For the rest of their lives.

Published: 13th October, 2019