Paisley Higgs | (Sirius Black)

Chapter 9- Death Eater Cult Gathering

After sitting in my room for an embarrassing amount of time plotting all types of horrible scathing words to fling at Sirius the next time he showed his stupid smug face, I finally ventured down stairs.

The warm smell of spices floated up the ventilation and through the house. I smiled to myself as I lept down the stairs two at a time. Yes, I was still out of my mind with stress that Sirius was going to potentially kidnap me and make me go to some loud sketchy concert that evening, but even my brooding has its limits. There's nothing like mom's homemade gumbo to get your mind off things.

I heard Mom's elegant drawl echoing from the kitchen, and at first, I thought Dad had come home early, but then I realized she was on the phone.

"Yes... oh that sounds lovely!" Mom trilled, flicking her wand at the gumbo boiling on the stove, phone mashed against her ear with her shoulder. The twirly phone cord stretched out from its connection to the wall, crossing the length of the kitchen making it resemble a half formed spider web, or some sort of James Bond-esque obstacle course. While mom checked on the hush puppies, I plopped down at the kitchen table and began fiddling with a napkin. Matty taught me how to fold them into origami rabbits once, but anytime I tried to do them on my own, they just looked like roadkill.

Mom, whose multitasking skills knew no bounds, acknowledged me with a knowing sparkle in her eyes whilst she flicked her wand to pour rice in a pot. "Of course... Yes... yes, six o'clock, did you say?" Her eyes flashed to mine. I froze. "Sounds perfect—Mhm... Yep I'll make sure she's ready... Alrighty, you take care—you too, dear! Mhm... bu-bye."

She untangled herself with practiced elegance, hanging the plastic phone on the wall mount with a satisfying clunk then smiled like she knew all my secrets.

Which was a legitimate possibility.

My stomach swooped forebodingly.

She continued smiling at me, probably thinking that I'd say something eventually. Which, I did. "You're gumbo's boiling over, mom." I pointed behind her to the indeed, over bubbling pot.

"Drats!" She spun around, and flicked her wand at the gumbo pot like it was naughty child, then turned to me, less smily. "Paisley, you'll never guess who I just got off the phone with."

I shrugged and tried to look really interested in napkin origami. "Mrs. Hernandez?"

I wasn't looking, but I could feel her annoyed face. Mrs Hernandez was our old neighbor back in Texas. Besides the fact that she lived in a different time zone, she didn't like telephones—she was worried that the FBI was listening in on all her conversations.

"Mrs. Potter," she corrected.

Oh boy. I gulped, hands losing their grip on the napkin. When Sirius said he was good with parents I assumed that meant he'd swagger up to the front door and try to sweet talk my mom and dad into letting me go... The fact that he'd obviously convinced Mrs Potter to do his bidding was both brilliant and infuriating.

"Oh... cool..." I said dryly, playing dumb once again. "Sooo... When's dinner going to be ready?"

Mom didn't answer, but she did sit down at the table, taking the napkin roadkill rabbit out of my hands. "Paisley..." She sounded tired. As if I made her tired. "Why didn't you tell me?"

I was pretty sure she was referring to the concert. Problem was, that on the off chance she hadn't been chatting with Mrs. Potter about my going to this alleged concert, mentioning it would open a new can of worms...

So instead of talking myself into a pickle, I shrugged, not meeting her eyes.

She sighed, hands reaching out for mine. I wanted to pull away. But I didn't. "Paisy... I'm worried about you..."