"There is no evil in sorcery. Only in the hearts of men."
- Merlin
Almost everyone in the wizard community know who the Weasley Family is; an old line of purebloods with red hair, freckles and enough children to start their own Quidditch team. But S...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧
"I had to leave," Sirius mumbled, holding onto her for dear life and Seraphina didn't hesitate to hug him back. She could feel his shoulders shake and her heart clenched just by thinking about how broken he seemed.
A hundred plausible explanations for his sudden arrival and his state rushed through her mind. She suddenly remembered the letter he sent her a few days ago about how things were getting worse at home and the picture became a bit clearer.
"Hey, it's okay, you are safe now," she promised him, rubbing circles on his back through the wet fabric of his thin jacket. She casted a glance over his shoulder to see a trunk lying on the ground with pools of water forming at the top.
"Sephy?!" James called from the other room. "Who is that at the door?" Footsteps echoed through the hallway and when he realised who it was, James said, "Padfoot?"
Almost reluctantly, Sirius let go of Seraphina and now, more up close, she could clearly see his red trimmed eyes underneath the wet hair that fell over the upper half of his pale face.
"What happened, mate?" James asked, pulling Sirius into a hug. "You look dreadful."
"James," Seraphina scolded, slapping him on the shoulder. When thunder roared James screamed again, earning a quiet chuckle from Sirius. "Get him into the house," she ordered him before walking out into the rain to pick up the trunk. If only the boys hadn't been standing behind her, she could have made it much easier by using magic. Instead she struggled with getting the heavy trunk into the house.
The rain was truly pouring down because the ten seconds she spent outside was enough for her hair to become wet and large spots on her clothes to become a few shades darker. After closing the front door, Seraphina followed the two boys into the dining room.
"Please forgive the intrusion," Sirius apologised to the Potters, water dripping from his clothes and hair onto the ground.
"Oh, dear," Mrs Potter gasped when she saw the shivering boy. She quickly stood up and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, "You are completely drenched. We need to get you into some warmer clothes before you get a cold, Sirius."
Mrs Potter lead him out of the dining room and into the living room, leaving Fleamont Potter to turn to the remaining teenager, "What happened to him?"
"We know exactly as much as you do, dad," James told him.
"He brought his trunk with him," Seraphina said quietly, which was very unlike her. "I think he might have run away from home." Without waiting for the response from the two Potter men, Seraphina walked into the next room where she found Mrs Potter wrapping a blanket around Sirius' shoulders as he sat down in one of the chairs by the fireplace.
"I apologise for just barging in," Sirius apologised again. "I didn't know where else to go-"
"There is no need to apologise, dear," Mrs Potter told him as she used a towel to dry his hair. Seraphina could see the way Sirius grimaced at the way his precious hair was getting wet. "But what in Merlin's name possessed you to run around outside in this kind of weather?"
"I-" Sirius swallowed like it hurt to speak. "My mother - she disowned me," his voice broke at the end. "I couldn't stay in that wretched house anymore. I had to leave," he muttered. "I had to get away from them."
Tears started to form in Seraphina's eyes at the pain in his expression and voice. It was no secret that Sirius' home situation wasn't ideal, and judging by his letter it had only gotten worse. But she never expected this to happen.
Without hesitating Sera sat down at the armrest of the chair and hugged him. She had no idea what to say, because what could she say? 'I'm sorry' didn't seem fitting and 'Everything is going to be alright' felt llle meaningless words of comfort.
"Your mother disowned you?" Mrs Potter asked in disbelief. As a mother herself she couldn't understand how anyone could ever harm their own child.
"What a cow-"
"What an old hag-"
"Fleamont! James!" Mrs Potter chastised her husband and son. "We do not use that kind of language to describe anyone. No matter how - wretched she might be."
"Don't worry, Mrs Potter," Sirius smiled at the older woman, albeit it was a bit forced. "And I promise that I will find another place to stay. Maybe the Leaky Cauldron-"
"Absolutely not!" Mrs Potter and James exclaimed at the same time. Then Euphemia added, "You will stay here until the start of term."
"I don't want to intrude-"
"Nonsense. You are not intruding," Mrs Potter told him. "I will get Polly to prepare a guest room and make some hot chocolate."
"Thank you so much, Mrs Potter," Sirius said gratefully. "I will pay you back-"
"No, you won't," she told him, leaning down to press a motherly kiss against his head. "Family don't pay back. Now, Fleamont, get Sirius's trunk up to his room and James, find some of your dry clothes for Sirius to borrow. He is a bit taller than you and a bit more brawny, but it's only until his clothes have dried."
"Of course, mum," James said, looking a bit offended. "I just hope elf-sized and scrawny clothes fit Padfoot's perfectly toned body."
Seraphina laughed at that, a smile spreading across her face. She looked down at Sirius and found him looking at her already, a genuine smile spreading across his face.
Mr and Mrs Potter both left the room shortly after James, leaving Seraphina and Sirius alone in the living room. "Nice hair," she told him.
"I could say the same," Sirius retorted. "But don't worry. You look stunning anyways," he winked and she almost could have believed he was fine if he hadn't still been red-eyed and pale.
"Don't even try," Seraphina told him. Then she used her fingers to comb through his hair, straightening it up a little bit. Sirius's eyes didn't leave her for a second as she brushed a few strands away from his face, "There, all better."
A pop alerted them both to the arrival of Polly who bowed, "Master Black, your room is ready. And Polly has left some hot chocolate on your bedside table."
"Thank you, Polly," Sirius thanked the house-elf.
"I will let you get settled," Seraphina told him, not noticing the flash of disappointment on his face when she stood up.
