Squib - In the Noble House of Black

14- A Lovely Christmas

(A/N) Chapter title is sarcastic. This is a long and dark chapter.

December 22th, 1975

Summer ended peacefully, and Hogwarts started so Maia was back to sending letters back and forth with Sirius, but this time she also exchanged letters with Regulus, Frank and Alice. This caused an issue when Iola was over at her flat and an owl flew through the window with letters attached and Maia had to pretend she didn't know why and had to sneak away to get the letter off.

Autumn passed well, but Maia could see that the circles under Iola's eyes grew bigger each day and her energy shrank. It was bad when Iola left for her hospital check up and an hour after she should've been back, Maia received a phone call instead. Maia picked it up and Iola sounded distant, even from the phone while they spoke.

"They want to keep me tonight and probably tomorrow night as well."

Maia started panicking, "Why? Is it that bad?"

"They said I need to rest more and want to monitor some things, maybe a new medication, I don't know."

"Haven't you already tried everything?"

Iola signed from the other side. "I don't know, but at this point I will take any and all help. I just wanted to make sure you knew. I know you have work in the morning so I have another friend from work who can take Louis then."

Maia nodded before realizing that Iola couldn't see her, "Yeah, okay, just please get better soon." The last part was her trying to convince herself that everything would be okay.

It was not going to be, "Maia, based on my track right now, I don't know..." She just trailed off as shivers went down both spines and neither knew what to say.

"I'll see you when you get home," Maia was finally able to say.

Maia had never visited Iola when she was in the hospital. Iola never wanted Louis to see her like that unless it was absolutely necessary. They had created an unspoken pact.

December 24th, 1975

Sirius went home that Christmas. He had received a letter saying that he was required home. Since arriving on Platform 9 ¾, his parents had said not one word to him and had spent all his holiday so far in his room, food had been brought to him. He thought about talking to Regulus, but each time he was a step away from his door, he turned around.

After his conversation with Maia about reconciling with Regulus, it was always on his mind. One night at Hogwarts, it ended up with him in the astronomy tower after midnight.

He was just looking out over the expanse of the grounds. He had grown to learn more of the forest on the full moon nights, but right now it was a waning crescent, barely even there. He saw Regulus in the hall today. With Snaps, Crouch and Rosier. Sirius didn't even know if they were doing something bad, he couldn't stay there so he ran the other way.

He heard footsteps coming towards him and he realized he was going to be caught out of bed, he didn't care. What was another detention?

"Sirius?" The girl with dark red hair asked as she came around the corner.

"Lily? Oh, hello. What are you doing here at this time?"

"I could ask the same of you, but I'm on my patrols." Ah, Prefects.

"Mmh, I'm just thinking", he placed his head back into his knees, curling up more. Lily didn't immediately give him detention, instead she came and sat next to him. "What are you doing?"