Tenebrous ❆ Sirius Black [2]

Chapter Eighty Three

"It's atrocious! It is a crime! He must be stopped!"

"James, will you shut up?!"

Nadia and Sirius shared a look between themselves, momentarily pulling the phone away from where they held it between them, both leaning as close to it as possible so they could hear Lily and James on the other end. However, there seemed to be little point as James was evidently giving into his dramatic ways, tuning out Harry's gurgles and mumbles which could have been heard at the beginning of the call. The beginning in which James was still listening as Nadia shared the news she had overheard while at work.

"This is going to go on forever." Sirius shook his head, his words making Nadia send him a pointed look, silently reminding him of the fact that she had to wait for almost a half an hour before she called the Potters because his own reaction was quite similar.

"Of course it's going to go on forever. If anyone should have that job it's you Lils." James vented out some more, although with that point, both Sirius and Nadia couldn't help but agree. The job would have been perfect for Lily, and were she not in hiding perhaps Dumbledore would have offered it to her instead.

"Well James, it's not like I can teach Potions class at Hogwarts in this situation." Lily pointed out knowingly before adding. "And hey, maybe when this is all over I could teach something else, or we could travel, take Harry to see places all over the world." She suggested, knowing it might be what it takes to cheer her husband up.

"Still, Snivellus as Potions Master? The only thing he'll teach is how to be a bully." Sirius shook his head in disapproval, making Nadia shake her head. She knew she had to put a stop to this before he started again and then both she and Lily had two dramatic idiots on both their ends. And so in a quick motion, she pulled the phone away from Sirius and moved away so he could no longer hear the other end of the line.

"Hey!" The Black grumbled out, as if he were offended by the action.

"Go feed Tybalt and Lear, and check that Lady Hoot hasn't brought in anymore mice." Nadia instructed, her voice letting it be known that there was no room for argument with the demands. On the other end of the line, she could hear Lily telling James to do the same with Harry, although in her version she was making him check that he wasn't flying on his broom unsupervised.

"Still inseparable from his gift I hear?" Once it was finally the two of them alone, Nadia spoke into the phone a small giggle escaping her as she remembered the letter Lily had sent them after they received Harry's birthday present back in July.

"Oh yes, Jame is already planning his future playing for one of the big Quidditch teams." Lily chuckled, soon continuing on. "Harry adores it. If you were here I'm pretty sure he'd love you two more than he does us just because you gave it to him."

"Well, I do like being thought of as the cool godmother who gives great gifts. Just wait till next Christmas, I already have plans. And the birthday after that, and after, all the birthdays." Nadia stated proudly, listening to Lily laugh in amusement on the other end of the line.

"For some reason that scares me." The redhead replied, thinking that if their gift was anything like the last one, she'd have even more things to worry about when Harry received it. The speed at which he was whizzing around the flat on his little broom was already enough to make her red hair start turning grey. "And don't make me think about the next birthday already, he's growing up so fast."

"Next thing you know, soon enough at this time of year you'll be packing his things and accompanying him to King's Cross." Nadia continued to tease, listening as Lily gave out a gasp.

"You are a cruel woman, Nadia Volkov." Lily scolded Nadia, making her laughter ring through the flat as she couldn't contain it, drawing a bit too much amusement from annoying her friend. Although she too found that she too couldn't even think of such things yet. And as if Lily knew as much without it being said, she spoke up again, slightly shifting the conversation. "I can't believe it's been years since we left the school, I still remember the day you moved into our dorm room."

"I remember you, Marlene and Mary orchestrating everything without my knowledge and only then informing me of the decision." Nadia laughed as she thought back to the first semester of their sixth year. When she had first stepped foot onto the Hogwarts Express she could never have expected all that would come during her two years at the school. Or after...

The two continued on retelling the memories they had gathered at the school, their minds thinking of all the adventures they had lived through within the walls of that castle. Often times, James added a few of his own, now having returned with Harry asleep in his arms, while on her end, Nadia could hear Sirius trying to get Lear to stop chewing on one of his shoes.

"I miss you Lils, you and James and Harry. I can't wait for you to come back." Nadia said after their last anecdote finished and a small silence lapsed over them. While they had stayed in touch, having phone calls almost every day, Nadia still missed having them around, and all of them being together. In the last year their group of friends had scattered apart, the war and troubles plaguing them distancing them in one way or another.

"We miss you too, but you'll see. We'll be together again soon." Lily said, and by the tone of her voice Nadia could just imagine how she looked on the other end. Completely serious and determined, believing in her own words with no doubt in her mind of it.

"You're right, soon enough I'll be giving Harry his presents in person." Nadia let out a small laugh, letting her own mind believe the words and imagine all the possibilities. More Christmases together and birthdays to celebrate once they saw each other again. And no matter how soon or late it may be, she was already looking forward to it. If waiting they would get to be together again in the future, then she was willing to wait for as long as it takes. Just to see them all again some day soon.

But despite all the hope, Nadia could not see what was drawing near... What would shatter that hope once and for all. Soon...

Published: 01st July, 2020