fatal love

Chapter 32

After just two days with the Potters, Sirius had realised the whole holidays would be bittersweet. Being with James was amazing, of course. James had been so excited to finally have someone his own age to hang out with at home that he'd never stopped thinking of things to do, and obviously Sirius never said no. They played one-on-one Quidditch, planned jokes for when they were back at school, and Mrs Potter even let them set off Filibuster's Fireworks in the garden.

The bitterness that tugged in Sirius' stomach came with James' parents. They were the complete opposite of his own, or indeed any parents he had ever met before. Mrs Potter had smile lines around her eyes, and never wore heels to appear taller or more intimidating, like all the Black women, despite her short stature. When he and James were making too much noise, she didn't get angry, she just sighed and smiled fondly. When she touched her son, it wasn't to grip his arm, but to ruffle his hair.

And Mr Potter was similar. He didn't hide in his office all day, and sit silently through meals. He helped his wife cook every evening, asked James about what Hogwarts was like; not just his grades, but how was his first Hogsmeade trip, and had he had any luck with Evans yet. He was always grinning widely, just like his son, always positive and inviting.

The weirdest part, however, wasn't how they treated James - it was how they treated him. From the instant he had got off the train, they had treated him like a second son. Mrs Potter had asked him his favourite meal, and cooked it his first night. They'd let him sleep on a mattress in James' room, even though there were plenty of spare rooms, just because he and James had asked. They were always smiling at him, they laughed at his jokes, they wanted to hear about his time at Hogwarts just as much as they did James'.

It was so completely contradictory to any family dynamic Sirius had ever seen before. And it was so wonderful. The whole family seemed so happy, just to be together, and even for Sirius to be with them. Every hour Sirius spent with the Potters, the more a small, traitorous part of him wished he wasn't a Black, that this could be his home, and that he wasn't just a guest here.

He pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind. Because he knew, despite all the crap he put up with at home, that he was lucky to be part of the House of Black, and luckier still to be the Heir. There was no greater family in Britain. But it didn't stop the sharp pang in his heart that he felt whenever Mr Potter clapped him on the shoulder as he passed, or when Mrs Potter brushed hair out of his face, ever so gently. The Black ring on his finger had never felt so heavy.

Sirius woke on Christmas morning to James shaking him awake, and that never happened.

"How early is it?" he groaned.

"Six! That means six hours of Christmas are already gone! So get up, we have presents to open!"

Sirius grinned, and allowed James to drag him downstairs, banging on his parents' door on the way and yelling at them to wake up. James pulled Sirius into the living room, where the Christmas Tree they had helped to decorate was twinkling in the corner.

Sirius had never decorated a Christmas Tree before - Mother always had Kreacher do it, so it looked perfect for guests. This one was a mess, with baubles and handmade decorations dangling haphazardly, and far too much tinsel weighing the branches down.

And underneath it was a huge pile of presents that hadn't been there the night before. Mr and Mrs Potter came down the stairs, still in their pyjamas.

"Alright," Mr Potter said, grinning broadly, "presents first, then breakfast. Euphemia, you go first."

Mrs Potter smiled, choosing a present from the pile with her name on it. She opened it delicately, revealing a beautiful pair of gold teardrop earrings, and she thanked Mr Potter lovingly, kissing his cheek.