Cursed Child Years 1-4 | Marauders Era

102 | Greengrass Ball

Greengrass Ball

CW: Adeline's speech that are in italics are spoken in French.

Monday 7th August, 1974

One more hour. He kept telling himself. One more hour and then let the panic settle in.

Sirius was pacing around the Potters' living room. It had only been two weeks. Two weeks since the Black family holiday and no word from her. Sirius couldn't be bothered to care about the consequences of leaving Grimmauld Place of his own accord. He needed his best mate—he needed James.

He always seemed to know just what to say to calm his nerves. Sirius needed James' toothy grin, nervous fidgeting and big doe eyes. James knew when to be firm with Sirius, when to be gentle and when to be honest. Being hauled away in his room for the past two weeks with nothing but Regulus - and sometimes even his baby brother was too busy with his own life - but Sirius needed a distraction.

"You're going to leave tracks in mum's rug," James commented from his place on the plush sofa.

Sirius let out an airy chuckle before halting to a stop in the middle of the overly large room.

"Siri, she's going to be fine. She's strong, brave and brilliant. She can handle-"

"I know what she can handle, James," Sirius sighed, pulling at the ends of his hair. "I'm just- fuck! She's not responding to my owls, or any of yours. I've tried Andy and she hasn't heard from her, I even asked bloody Bellatrix and she hasn't heard from her either."

James didn't bother to hide the grimace on his face from that last sentence. "Look mate, she ran away from her parents and-"

"Cousins," Sirius corrected.

"Cousins," James sighed. "El can handle herself."

It wasn't that Sirius didn't believe that Elizabeth couldn't take care of herself, he knew for a fact that she could. He'd helped heal her wounds growing up, terribly, but to the best of his capabilities of his seven year old self. He'd seen Elizabeth beaten, bruised and bleeding and she'd bounced back from it. She took every hit that life threw at her, every hex and slap she just shrugged it off and moved on. He'd held her as she sobbed on his shoulder from the pain, but she always bounced back from it.

But that was all then, when they were six and seven and Elladora was as close to a loving mother as she'd ever be. Before the war had wormed its way into their parents minds and tore families apart. Before Elladora had gone to Azkaban, before Elizabeth had lost so many of those she loved - most likely to her friends and her parents.

Sirius had every right to be worried because these days... these days Elladora wasn't right, mentally. He'd overheard conversations between Walburga and Orion when they arrived back in London from France, about the deranged poisoner. Elizabeth had always said how Elladora, in her own twisted way, cared for all her children. She'd never raised her wand or a hand to any of the four. However these days, it was clear that Elizabeth was at the bottom of that list and that Elladora was slowly drifting away.

The day they'd left France, Sirius had pulled Elizabeth aside and made her swear to him that she'd write everyday to let him know she was safe and still breathing, she'd promised without any hesitation and he knew she kept her promises. He hadn't received a single letter, a floo call or a fire call, not even a message through Regulus or Bellatrix. No one had heard from her since the holiday.

Today, however, was Adeline's birthday. Sirius knew that Elizabeth wouldn't miss the chance to wish her favourite, of many cousins, a happy birthday. So, Sirius had snuck out of Grimmauld Place in the middle of last night - not before leaving a quick note for Regulus, since they weren't at each other's throats constantly anymore - and he'd payed the driver of the Knight Bus to drive him to the Potters.