Tenebrous ❆ Sirius Black [2]

Chapter Seventy Seven

Nadia truly hated being home alone in the evenings and at night. Not because it was scary or unnerving, but because being alone in the late hours meant that Sirius was out with the Order. And everytime she worried, even if it was just a simple meeting, and even worse when she knew he was out there fighting. She feared that one night, it wouldn't be him coming back but instead someone else, coming to tell her he couldn't come back.

Tonight was one of those night, if not even made worse by the gnawing feeling that continued to stir within her. Sitting in their living room with Lear napping away tucked into her side while Tybalt slept on the back of the sofa behind her, Nadia tried to focus on her book. She really did. But every time she would read a line it would quickly evaporate from her mind, forcing her to read it once more.

She tried to convince her that she shouldn't worry this much. He wasn't alone, he had people and friends to watch his back. And he had returned all the times before. Surely he would return this time too. He promised he wouldn't leave her anytime soon. And she knew Sirius enough to know it was a promise he intended to keep.

However, then she heard it, the sound breaking through the silence which surrounded her. A frantic knocking came from the other side of the door. It made her heart leap into her throat as she jumped from her spot, her book now thrown aside and completely forgotten. Her sudden movements startled the animals around her, Tybalt jumping down from his perch and running down the hall, most certainly angry with her for disturbing his sleep.

But Nadia didn't care to think of whether the bedroom was closed to prevent the cat from sleeping on their bed and pillows. Instead, she rushed to the door, swinging it open to find Henry standing on the other side, looking up at her with wide eyes.

"What is it? What happened? Where's Sirius? Is everyone alright?" The questions spilled out as soon as she spotted him, her heart unable to calm as she waited for his reply. But he didn't reply to each of the questions, knowing one thing mattered most.

"You need to come to St Mungo’s." Henry said quickly, and Nadia's blood ran cold. The way he said it, the look on his face, just the fact that Sirius himself wasn't here to come get her. Nadia knew something was wrong.

And so she grabbed her keys from the hook beside the door, moving as fast as she could, trying to ignore her shaking hands as she locked the door and moved across the hall. Placing the keys in a small mail-box like container hanging by Mrs Garner's she was almost deaf to the clanging sound as the metal hit the bottom. By now Mrs Garner knew what having their keys left to her meant. They only did it when they left in a rush, for an unknown time. Nadia knew Nipsey would be thrilled to check on the pets and make sure they had food in their bowls during her and Sirius' absence.

"Come on." She rushed back to Henry, unwilling to wait before she grabbed hold of his shoulder, her wand already in the air as she apparated them to the hospital. Unprepared, Henry stumbled for a moment, but while he regained his balance Nadia was already rushing to the front desk, questioning the mediwitch behind it on Sirius' whereabouts.