A Sliver of Change | S. Black

Part 2: Chapter 32

Part 2:

Chapter 32 –

May 18th, 1977

"You can do it Sirius," Lia encouraged, shifting in her spot on a couch in the Room of Requirement, "just think about your happiest thought."

She watched as he clenched his teeth before closing his eyes and releasing a deep breath. His wand raised, shaking in his hand as he yelled out, "Expecto Patronum!"

She smiled as silvery wisps flew out of his wand, not enough to form a figure, but better than it was before.

A clatter to the floor drew her attention away, and she saw a frustrated Sirius run his hand through his shorter hair, his other hand clenching at his side.

"I can't do it!" He shouted out, punching the wall beside him.

Lia sighed, standing up to walk over to him and placing a hand on his back soothingly.

"It's a hard spell Sirius," she explained, forcing his head towards hers, "we shouldn't even be learning it until next year."

Sirius huffed a breath, his eyes digging into hers, "then why can you do it?" He asked accursedly.

Lia raised her hands in surrender, backing up and saying, "because mum showed me when I was younger. She said that it had taken her a long time to be able to do the spell correctly because she had no happy memories from her childhood. But once she met dad, it just came easily to her."

Sirius shook his head, walking towards her and placing both of his hands on the side of her face, giving her a defeated look that broke Lia's heart.

"Can you please show me one more time?" He asked her, his thumb rubbing her cheek.

Lia smiled at him, nodding her head instantly before placing a kiss on his lips and stepping back. She reached for her wand out of her back pocket, taking a deep breath and letting a happy memory roll through her.

She thought about the day that she had met her friends, all of them so nervous yet eager to start their lives at Hogwarts. She remembered Peters shyness, Remus' loneliness due to fear of his wolf, Lily's keenness to be the best because of her muggle status, Marlene's attitude that she put up front to hide her true self, Alice's timidness towards all of them, and finally Sirius' need to be a part of a family. A true one.

She thought about how over the years they had done just that, formed a friendship that would last them all a lifetime and how they worked together to get over eachothers fears. She thought about the love they held for eachother, and that's when Lia felt the magic pull through, begging her to be released.

"Expecto Patronum," she yelled out watching as her Albatross flew across the room, its wings flapping and spreading light all over.

She heard Sirius chuckle from beside her, his eyes watching the animal with awe, "beautiful," he whispered.

Lia nodded her head, turning to face him.

"You just need to let yourself think of a happy moment," she explained, "a moment where you have never felt happier in your life."

She saw Sirius frown before he moved to pick up his wand, closing his eyes for a few moments again before raising it.

She could see the difference in him this time, could practically point out the magic radiating off him, and she knew that he would be able to form an animal with whatever memory he was thinking off.

"Expecto Patronum," he yelled out, opening his eyes to see if it worked.

A large black dog jumped around the room, chasing the little white wisps that floated everywhere. Lia snorted at the animal, finding it ironic that his patronus was pretty much himself.