The Motherland who Ran Away

SIX

Her mother's grave was worn, though it was only a few years old. Ireland had done it on purpose, in an attempt to make her think it had been longer than it really had.

"Well, Mom," she sighed, "I didn't think Dad was that much of an idiot. He- doesn't understand my curse. He can't. He can't even know about it." Her voice trembled and her hair flapped in the frigid wind. She looked like the only mourner at a funeral. She let one of her tears splash on the headstone. She watched the liquid become an watery sheen on the rock. She turned away, and caught sight of a figure in the distance. The silver beard told her it was Dumbledore.

"Ireland," He said gently. "Your father is very worried. Walk with me?" Ireland glanced down at her mud caked knees and the dirt that dusted the hem of her black skirt. She stood, as a silent sob wracked her body. She walked with Dumbledore.

"My father was prone to outbursts of anger. Muggles caught my little sister playing with magic and forced her to try and recreate it. She could not, and they hurt her. My father saw, and went after them. He was imprisoned and died in Azkaban. My sister could not control her magic, and it exploded out of her in dangerous bouts. One time, it killed my mother. I fell into a depression. Suddenly, a man came into my life. Grindelwald. I was blinded by love, I could not see him for the man that he really was. Until Aberforth snapped me out of it. I went after him, and Aberforth joined us in a duel. Arianna was curious and tried to help. When the spells subsided, there she was. Dead. We never knew who cast the spell," Dumbledore was crying too now.

"I'm sorry," Ireland said, knowing that those were the exact words that she hated to hear the most.

"When I see young people resisting their parents, it pains me, because I lost mine before I could truly appreciate what they had done for me," he sighed, looking at her with heavy eyes.

"Sir..." she began.

"Please call me Albus," he smiled, his smile still as bright as ever.

"Albus," Ireland corrected, "I would love to. But when I was a child, I was cursed. Cursed to kill those I loved the most."

"And I will work as hard as I possibly can to remove this curse. In the meantime, do me a favor, Miss Black," Dumbledore and Ireland stoped outside of Grimmuald Place. "Love your father while you still can." With that, he apparated away. Ireland's hand migrated to her neck, where the rune was scarred into her flesh. No stupid curse could stop her. She was the daughter of Sirius Black, and nothing was going to stop her.

She opened the door, and ran into her dad's arms. "I'm sorry," she whispered. He patted her on the back awkwardly.

"It's okay, Ireland," he whispered back. "Where did you go?" He asked, pulling away from me.

"To visit mum, and I walked with Albus," she said quietly, touching my neck again. She decided against telling him. He would worry to much. There were only so many secrets she could spill, only so many bites of her past she could give away. For now she asked her dad where Fred was.

"In your room," Sirius said. "Don't make the same mistakes your mother did."

"What, breaking up with the woman I got pregnant?" Ireland retorted, her fire lit once again. Sirius day down and sighed.

"It's time I told you what I never have told Jenny," He said mournfully. "I didn't know your mother was pregnant. We met up, both having news to tell each other. Peter, that rat," he snarled, "made me break up with your mother. He claimed to love her. But I knew that he abused her. And then, your mother got tired of it, and scared. She left Hogwarts."

"So... you never stoped loving mum?" Ireland asked, looking at her dad with renowned love. He shook his head. "So you understand having to leave people for their own good?" He nodded.

"I'll warn you, Ireland. Leaving people for their good isn't always as helpful as it seemed," Sirius spoke, looking aged, despite the fact that he was still fairly young.

"I know." She kissed his forehead delicately, and he shut his eyes, weary. Ireland left him there on the couch to sleep as she made the trek up to her room to speak with Fred.