Blackbird

Chapter 33

"Sirius, I told you, you didn't have to do this."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "When have you known me to do what I have to?"

He had a point, and thinking about it made her smile, if only briefly. That must have been what Sirius was looking for, as he instantly relaxed.

"Is it much further?" Andromeda asked, trying not to sound impatient. Sirius shot her a glare anyway.

"I have an exam in Arithmancy tomorrow," Andromeda said defensively.

His glare changed to a sigh of exasperation. "Andromeda, there is never a good time to think about schoolwork, but your Birthday is the one day it's punishable by law."

Andromeda sighed. "Tis a sad world we live in, where taking our studies seriously is a criminal offense."

"And James and I are the enforcers," Sirius grinned.

"The world is full of horrors."

This time it was Sirius who burst into laughter. Andromeda couldn't help but smile in response. It was nice to be the source of laughter for someone. She hadn't been that someone in a while. Granted, she'd always been more comfortable around Sirius than most people, even before they'd both turned out to be blood traitors.

Except that she, unlike him, hadn't done anything very blood traitorous lately.

Finally, Sirius stopped just outside the forbidden forest. Andromeda stopped with him, glancing around. Unfortunately, she couldn't see anything. The trees looked the same as they always did.

"Is this what you wanted to show me?" she asked, "Because I could have waited until my next Care of Magical Creatures lesson for this."

Sirius shot her another glare. "Just give it a moment, will you?"

If it had been anyone else, or it had been any other time, she might have refused. But after the day she'd had, she was too tired to fight him.

In all honesty, it had actually been a pretty good birthday. Narcissa had thrown her a party in the common room earlier that day. She'd even managed to get a cake for the occasion. Andromeda had even witnessed her smiling and laughing as they ate it. She'd also led them everyone in singing her Happy Birthday. Of course, their direct interactions with each other were still a little awkward, but she was closer to having her baby sister back, and that was better than any gift anyone could have gotten her.

But what Sirius had come to show her was a close second. She gasped as a golden unicorn slowly trotted out from among the trees. It was a foal, of course, but it looked bigger than most. If she wasn't mistaken there was white flecks scattered throughout its body and white wisps on the tips of its mane. It was in that transition between child and adult, and it found itself mixed up somewhere in between. She knew what that was like.

The unicorn ran right up to Sirius and butted its head lightly against Sirius's chest. He laughed before pulling a few sugar cubes out of his pocket, which the foal eagerly gobbled up. Even after it was done it allowed Sirius to stroke its main. Andromeda stared in shock. Older unicorns, of course, were suspicious of men, but the younger ones were more open. This still seemed extreme though.

"Andromeda, I'd like you to meet Junior," Sirius said, laughing a little at her awed expression.

"You named a unicorn, Junior?" She laughed at the ridiculousness of it.

Sirius shrugged. "I wanted to name him Sirius Jr. and James wanted to name him James Jr, so Remus suggested this compromise." Andromeda rolled her eyes. Though she had never been close with Sirius's friends, she had spent enough time around them to be able to picture that scene perfectly.