A Sliver of Change | S. Black

Part 2: Chapter 20

Part 2:

Chapter 20 –

August 3rd, 1976

"Sirius!" Lia yelled up the stairs of the manor, "I said to be ready five minutes ago!"

Lia huffed when couldn't hear the sound of footsteps, sitting down on the bottom stairs to wait for him.

"Patience is a virtue, my darling," Octavia pointed out as she stood in front of her daughter. Lia looked up at her mother, rolling her eyes at the hypocrisy of her words.

"I just want to go and grab more ingredients from the apothecary for a potion I'm working on, not wait all day for Sirius," Lia explained, breathing out an exasperated sigh.

Octavia placed a soothing hand on her daughter's shoulder, "I sent Mellie to grab him Lia, he should be here any moment."

Lia nodded, about to say something before a pop of smoke exhausted in front of her and revealed Mellie.

"Mellie told Mr. Black to hurry up mistress," Mellie grinned while pointing at herself, "sir was still sleeping so Mellie knocked him out of his bed."

Lia smiled at Mellie, holding her fist up for a bump, a gesture that Lily had showed the elf the last time that she was here.

She saw her mother roll her eyes as the two's fists connected, Mellie giggling at the gesture.

"Mellie likes Ms. Lily for showing her how to fist a bump," Mellie stated.

Lia and Octavia chuckled at her incorrect words, both agreeing with their eyes that they didn't care to correct her. The three chatted for a few more moments before Sirius came trudging down the stairs, an innocent grin on his face.

"I'm ready to go," he declared, pecking Octavia on the cheek, "Good morning Mrs. Potter... Mellie." He glared at the house elf. Mellie grinned back, apparating out of the room and to who knows where.

Lia sent Sirius a look as she grabbed on to the hand that he held out for her, "You were supposed to meet me here twenty minutes ago," she deadpanned.

Sirius had enough shame to at least glance at her sheepishly, "I was tired," he explained.

Rolling her eyes, she grabbed his hand to drag him to the floo, shouting a goodbye to her mother behind her.

"Be safe kids, and don't tell James that I let you two go alone today," Octavia shouted behind them, "or he'll never stop hounding me about letting him go to Diagon Alley alone and next thing you know he'll come back with handfuls of pranks from the joke shop."

Sirius laughed behind her, whispering to Lia in agreeance, "he already talked to me about sneaking there to stock up on things."

Lia shook her head at their antics, grabbing floo powder from beside the fireplace and yelling, "Diagon Alley!"

Stepping through, she glanced around at her surroundings, patiently waiting for Sirius to join her. When he finally did, he wiped the dust off his coat, shaking his hair to rid any remnants of coal. Lia giggled and brought her hand up to help him out, relishing in the feel of the silkiness in her fingers. Sirius glanced at her in thanks, his eyes staring deep into her own, that she felt as if he could see her soul.

The two stared at each other for a few moments, Lia's hand still in his hair, but when Sirius leaned closer, Lia pulled back, knowing that what he wanted to do next wouldn't be good for either of them. She saw Sirius' face drop, and not wanting him to think that he did anything wrong, she said, "when, not if, remember?"

Taking a few seconds, eventually Sirius nodded his head and a smile lifted on his face. Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, he led her to the direction of Mr. Mulpepper's Apothecary.