Shooting Star

Chapter Ten

We went to church the next morning. Natalie normally would have pretended to be sick, and my parents would have seen through it and made her come anyways. Today, though, she acted much more enthusiastic than normal, trying not to let them know she was hungover. She glared at me more so than usual. I wanted to tell my parents what had happened, since she was going to be such an ingrate.
But I didn't. I can be a nice person, when I try.
Mum and Dad has asked if we wanted to go to church, and I had said yes. I wanted Sirius to know God's love, thinking it might make him happier.
We went out to eat afterwards, as we always did. Natalie didn't eat much. My parents associated it with her dislike at sitting at the table with me, and I didn't say anything.
As we were walking out the door, I accidentally stepped on the back of Natalie's shoe. "Don't touch me, you bloody freak!" She said loudly, turning around.
Sirius pushed me behind him, his arm in front of me. "Do you want to say that again?" He asked threateningly. He towered over her, almost as much as he did me.
Her eyes were wide as she backpedaled.
"That's what I thought." He held his arm out to me. "Shall we?"
I took his arm.
He opened the car door for me and gestured. I smiled. "Ahh, look at that! Sirius Black can be gentlemanly! I think I might faint."
"Go ahead. That's the part where I catch you and then we kiss, riding horseback into the sunset."
I laughed and got in. Mum sat in the back with Sirius and me, Dad drove, and Natalie sat in the passenger seat. She refused to sit back here with me.
"I've got more music to show you. Come with me." I smiled at Sirius.
"Good. I have more for you too." He smiled.
"How'd you like it?" I asked in my bedroom.
"Lunch or your music?"
"Church."
"Oh. It was good, I guess."
"All right. What did you really think?"
"That's all shit."
"Why?"
"Have you met me, Eliza? Have you heard what my family's done? What I've done? God can't love me."
"Exactly." I smiled. "But He does. Don't you see? He loves us despite what we've done. Your family doesn't define you, either."
He looked down, swallowing and blinking hard.
I think he did believe it, he just didn't trust the priest enough.
Then he played his favorite song.

I don't think he's an alcoholic. Why? Is there something I don't know? James wrote back.
Nope, just checking. I'd answered.
I sat in bed that night, reading the book Lily had gotten me. I heard the door open, and turned to see who it was. Sirius came in. "Hey." I smiled. "What's wrong?" My smile dropped and my eyebrows furrowed.
He came and laid on the bed beside me, putting his head on my chest, his body shaking with silenced sobs. I hugged his head to me, kissing his temple, and stroking his hair a little bit.
"I'm okay." He said after a minute, sitting up. "I'm sorry." He adverted his eyes.
"You're all right. What's wrong?"
"You'll think it's dumb." He warned.
"No I won't."
He sighed. "I had this dream that Lily and James were married. They had a kid and a cat and everything. And then You-Know-Who came and killed them. I went to James' and he's okay. I know that was stupid. But it felt so real."
"Do you want me to call Lily and make sure she's okay?"
"If you don't mind. How are you gonna do that?"
I smiled a little bit and took the muggle phone from the table beside my bed and dialed the number. Sirius watched as I put it to my ear. "Hello?" A groggy voice said. They sounded kind of irritated at having been woken up, but they also sounded a bit concerned for the same reasons.
"Mr. Evans, hi. I'm really sorry I woke you, but I need to talk to Lily. It's urgent."
"Eliza?"
"Yes sir."
"Is everything okay?"
"Yes sir."
I heard him waking Lily up. "Hello?" She mumbled into the phone.
"Hey. Sorry. Sirius wants to talk to you." I handed the phone to him.
"What do I do?" He asked.
"Just put it to your ear and talk like normal." I smiled a little bit.
"Hello?" He said into it.
"What the hell do you want, Black?" I heard Lily say.
"Nothing. I just wanted to be sure you were okay."
"Of course I am." Her voice softened. "Why? Did something happen?"
"No, not that I'm aware of. Sorry I woke you."
"You're fine. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine--"
"Wait, are you at Eliza's? Is she okay?"
"She's fine--"
"Why are you there? Are you sure everything's okay?"
"You worry too much, Evans. I just dropped in."
I didn't hear what she said after that, but he handed it back to me. I hung it up and put it back.
"I just thought that that was some weird decoration." Sirius said.
"Nope." I smiled. "Come here. Lay down."
"I'm not going back to bed."
"It's okay, Sirius. It was only a dream." I said gently.
"I won't go back to bed." He said, his breathing speeding up.
"Okay." I said. "We won't go to bed."
"You go to bed." He stood up.
"Sit down. I'm staying up."
I eventually fell asleep with my head on his lap.
I woke up and we were exactly as we were when I fell asleep. His arm was draped over my shoulders, and his thumb brushed over my cheek. I sat up, rubbing my eyes. "Sirius, are you--"
"Yes." He interrupted, kissing me.
"You didn't even know what I was going to say." I said breathlessly.
"You were asking if I was okay. Yes, I'm okay."
"Okay.." I said doubtfully.
An owl came to my window and gave a letter. I put some money in his pouch, and he flew off. Sirius stared at the letter.
"What?" I asked.
"My mother sent me a howler." He glared at it.
"You oughta open it. It'll happen one way or another." I wanted to scream. I hate his fucking mother.
He opened it.
The letter took a deep breath before starting to screech in the same voice as the portrait at his house had.
"HOW DARE YOU BRING A FILTHY MUDBLOOD INTO MY HOUSE?!" It shrieked. "YOU UNGRATEFUL BASTARD. WE RAISED YOU AND PROVIDED FOR YOU, AND YOU REPAY US WITH FAILURE AND TAINTING OUR HOME? YOU WORTHLESS SON OF A BITCH!" It continued to shriek insults.
When my parents bursted in the room, I was crying, and Sirius was stoic, staring at the floor. My parents stared at the letter, eyes wide.
The letter finally burned up and fell in ashes on my floor. I stared at Sirius.
"Well. She got one part right." He said.
"Sirius--" I began.
"She is a bitch."
I laughed, because that's what he needed me to do. I looked at my parents so they would laugh too.
"I'll get the broom and dustpan." Mum said, eyes damp.
Dad looked at me. Sirius continued looking at the ashes. I looked to Dad, and then walked over to Sirius, wrapping my arms around his waist and putting my head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, putting his chin on the top of my head.
My mum came back, and Sirius let me go. "I'll do that, Mrs. Taylor." He said, stepping around me to take the broom.
"Oh, no. I'll get it." She gestured him away.
"I'll do it. It's my fault it's there." He tried again. His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat.
Mum set the broom down and hugged him. To my surprise, he hugged her back and started to cry. I ran to Dad and hugged him, crying harder than Sirius. I wasn't sure what made me run to him, but..
I forced myself to calm down. "It isn't fair." I whispered to my father.
"I know." He answered.
My dad walked away as I picked up the broom. Sirius backed away from my mother, and she took the broom from me. I looked at Sirius, and he looked down. I went over to him and slipped my hand into his, reaching up with my other hand to brush away a tear.
"I'm sorry." He said. "She shouldn't have called you that."
"Shut up, Sirius." I said. He blinked at me. "Does it look like I care? I'm a mudblood. I know. She was right about that. What she said about you was wrong."
"No she wasn't, Eliza. You and I both know that."
"Sirius," my mum said. "That isn't true. You're invaluable."
"Thank you, Mrs. Taylor." He said quietly. He wouldn't argue with her, he'd just refute what she said in his head.
Mum shut the door behind her when she left.