A Change of Sceneries: One-Shot Collection (New Awakening Universe)

The Truth

THIS IS A STORY FROM THE NEW AWAKENING UNIVERSE. IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT YET, I RECOMMEND YOU TO.

Sirius found an empty bench in a secluded area of the park and sat Chara down before kneeling in front of the crying, yet silent, child. 

"Here, let me take a look. Raise your chin a little, sweetheart." He said and she did as asked, holding her breath.

Sirius removed the blood soaked handkerchief and muttered a cleaning spell to get rid of the blood and an antisepticizing spell before closing the wound. Sirius was no healer, but one of the parts of the Auror training included basic healing for an emergency in a battlefield.

"There. Good as new." He said taping the tip of her nose. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" She looked down and shook her head. "Are you sure? That was a pretty nasty fall." He said with a raised eyebrow. 

"My hands. B-but j-just a leettle." She said quietly, her accent pronounced. Sirius gathered her hands in his; the left one was bleeding a little from a deeper graze. The animagus quickly repeated the previous sequence of spells and the small girl watched as her skin was healed. "Thank you."

Sirius squeezed her hand before getting up and sitting beside her. "You're welcome, pup. Now let me scourgify your dress." She stared at him in confusion. "Clean it with a spell." 

She looked down at her dress and turned green. The collar or the previously light pink dress was red with blood. Chara swayed on the spot and her eyes unfocused.

"Whoa." Sirius caught her in time. "Chara? Puppy, what's wrong?" He said cupping her face with his hands and she flinched as if she’d been burned. The girl was pale and sweating. 

Sirius was just getting more and more alarmed with each second. She was too quiet, easily startled, flinched when people touched her, ran away when he asked is she's been hurt in the past and now looked positively sick on the sight of blood. He quickly cast a cleaning spell on her dress and pulled her into his arms. Where were James and Remus? They were the tactful Marauders. Sirius had no idea how to raise a child, let alone a possibly traumatised one! 

Chara struggled to get away from her father's arms but he was holding her too tightly. She then managed to mumble "sick" in time for him to release her. She vomited her whole lunch and retched until there was nothing left in her stomach.

Sirius held his daughter's hair, his alarm over her reaction suppressing the urge to be sick himself. Once he was sure she wouldn't vomit anymore he picked her up and settled the small girl on his hip, holding her with one arm and cleaning the sick with a wave of his wand. The Auror turned to his daughter who was resting her head on his shoulder, eyes closed but tears still falling from them.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Sirius asked worriedly sitting down with his daughter sideways on his lap. Chara started to cry harder. "Hey, now, what's wrong darling? Shhh, I'm here. Daddy's here." He mumbled nonsense until her sobs turned into sniffles. “Want to tell me what’s wrong?” Chara shook her head and fiddled with her hands. “How about we play a game?” She perked up at the idea. “I ask you a question and you have to answer me truthfully in return you get to ask me a question, which I will answer truthfully as well.”