What Is and What Should Never Be | Sirius Black

20. The Clash

A/N: I'm sure you can tell which dialogue is not in English. Enjoy!

SUMMER BREAK is the peek of relaxation for me. No Debbie, no Sirius, no worrying about people (except my sister looking through my things), and I can finally relax before the chaos that is seventh year. We go south for July, and in August I'm begging not to leave, but at the reminder of the Clash concert, and Tina telling me that Remus and his family are coming, I reluctantly head along.

When they arrive for the visit, my sister is bouncing off the walls. She's never this happy to see me, but that's because Remus is the favourite sibling - her words, not mine.

Our house isn't big, so Remus and I take the couch to sleep, and only when his parents leave do we get to share my bed. He only kicks me once, and my dad and step mum are laughing at me the next morning, having heard the thud I made against the floor in the middle of the night.

"Lorraine!" I call in a huff as I'm rushing away from my sister. "Tell Tina she can't come!"

"Why not?" My sister cries in her perfect English accent. I just caught her reading the letter Janie sent me, which only fuelled my annoyance because I hadn't even gotten around to opening it before her greedy little eyes were reading over the words.

"You're too young!" I shout in our native language, so Remus can't understand and she gives me a glare.

"Mum! Can I go with Rem and Des!" She's following me down the stairs.

"NO!" I shout. "No one wants you there!"

"Desdemona!" My dad snaps at me and I slouch over to where he is in the living room, ready for my scolding.

He's by the fire place with a copy of the Daily Prophet in his hands. The headline is once again talking about the war and I shiver at the thought of it.

But he's not here to tell me to be nice to Tina, because standing beside my dad are two boys with black hair - one long and one unruly. I blush at the thought that they just heard me shouting at my sister, and the fact that Sirius somehow looks more attractive after only a month away from him.

I give a 'hi', anyway, and Tina comes crashing into my leg, ready to continue our argument.

"Oh." She looks between the two of them. "Who are they?"

"Friends." I say, switching back to English.

"Remus' friends?" She says in a sassy voice and I give her a look.

"Our friends." I emphasis and turn back to the boys. "James, Sirius, this is my sister, Valentina."

"Nice to meet you." James says with a smile, but she looks at them distrustfully as she does with all new people. But give it a minute, and she'll warm up to them.

I tell her to go get Remus from upstairs, not in English, and turn to my dad.

"From school?" He says and I affirm, Sirius and James looking a bit awkward just standing there. "Are they staying the night?"

"Don't know." I admit and repeat the question in English for them. "You two staying over?"

"Er - I think my parents want me home after." James says and I turn to Sirius.

"Doesn't matter to me." He shrugs and I nod.

"It is a little early." My dad looks at his watch. "Lorraine? For when are you taking them?"

My step mum walks in from the kitchen, a bit confused to see two new people standing in her living room.

"A few hours." she says and turns to me.