❝ STEPPING, I'M STOMPING, I'M ALL GONE. ❞ ☓ 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭
this book has been fully re-edited and its original name being "his destructive little wildfire" but as it was created in 2021 and was hor...
"deleine, i'm not worried about my hand. i'm worried about yours."
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xxii. i must not tell lies 4776words.
"DON'T YOU SEE THE PROBLEM HERE?" Marelia's voice echoed through the dimly lit room as she watched Sirius pacing back and forth like a caged animal. His restlessness was palpable, and the frustration in her tone only seemed to spur him on further.
Sirius ran a hand through his tousled hair, his brow furrowed as if trying to find an answer in the creases of his own frustration. Marelia sighed heavily, her chest rising and falling with the weight of her words. "If I don't do this now, I won't get the chance later, Pads."
Her voice softened as she pleaded with him, desperate for him to understand. She wasn't just asking him as a friend; but her cousin. This was deeper, more urgent. "Please. Let me do this. Not just for me, but for Madeleine."
Sirius stopped pacing, his eyes locking onto hers. He shoved his hands into his pockets, clearly torn. The younger version of Sirius Black, all defiance and reckless bravery, was struggling to make sense of her words. "You're barking mad if you think I'm just gonna let you go off and—" Sirius started, but Marelia cut him off, shaking her head, her frustration mounting.
"This isn't just some mad adventure, Sirius! You know that!" Marelia snapped, her voice cracking at the edges, betraying the emotion she'd tried so hard to keep in check. "It's her life, Sirius. Madeleine's life. You know exactly what's at stake here—this isn't me trying to be some hero."
Her tone deepened, becoming almost a whisper, weighted with desperation. "This is about saving her. My daughter's not even one yet. I have to make sure she at least makes it that far." Tears shimmered in Marelia's eyes, and for a brief moment, her resolve wavered. But she held it together, just barely. Her gaze was fixed on Sirius, pleading, willing him to understand.
Sirius shook his head fiercely, unable to stand still, pacing like a caged lion. The worn wooden floorboards creaked beneath his boots as he stormed back and forth, his frustration bubbling over.
"Marelia, you don't have to—"
"I do!" she cut in sharply, her voice thick with urgency. "Just... do this for me, Siri. Please! I can't get Cissy to help, not with him around. And if I can't even get you on my side, then Andy's my last hope." Her words were blunt, raw, like a knife cutting through the tension.
Sirius stopped dead in his tracks, turning to face her, his expression conflicted. His wild grey eyes met hers, and for a second, it felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. The flickering light from the fireplace cast long shadows across his face, making him look older than he was, tired beyond his years.
