❝We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on... that's who we really are.❞
After the tragic death of her parents in a car crash, Francesca Knight starts up a bakery, Sweet Dreams, to provide for her litt...
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Sirius awoke on the stiff mattress of his hotel bed. Slowly opening his eyes, he peered around at the room before him. To his left, a matted red sofa sat by a dirty sliding glass door, which led to a balcony. In the middle of the room were the bed and a boxy television positioned on a cracked granite countertop. To his right, there was a small table and chair, as well as a beaten-up mini-fridge.
Sirius caught a glimpse of the bandages over his knuckles and realized how much pain he was in. Instantly, he remembered what happened the night before: the fight with Remus, the motorcycle accident, and Chessie.
"Chessie,"he said aloud. It was evident to him now that he had messed up.
He struggled to sit up but finally managed to drag himself out of bed and onto the small wooden chair. His fingers found the cord of a black phone set on the nightstand, and he decided to order himself breakfast. While he waited for the delivery, he examined himself in the mirror that hung crookedly on the wall. There was a large cut on his right cheek, dabbled with a sticky ointment. Carefully, he pressed his hands on his ribs. They were still bruised pretty badly. Several other cuts dotted his forearms, but for the most part, he was patched up from last night.
Finally, he heard a knock and hobbled his way over to the door. He took his breakfast to the scratched wooden table and surveyed it. There were a few strips of bacon, a small glass of orange juice, and a rather large cinnamon roll. Wincing in pain as one of his cuts brushed against the table, he began to eat.
Once he had finished with his meal, Sirius made his way to the bathroom to clean himself up. He took a quick shower, doing his best to avoid his wounds.
Hastily drying his hair with a spare towel, Sirius pulled on his still-wet clothes and headed out the door. He didn't bother to lock it after him.
Sirius made his way down the grungy hallways of the hotel. Carefully brushing past the door, he ducked behind a small building outside and transformed into a large black dog.
Pain surged through his body. Just as fast as he had transformed, Sirius transformed back. In his state of fatigue, Sirius was rendered unable to shift into his Animagus form. He'd never experienced that before.
Composing himself, he found his way back to Main Street and started off to the bakery.
Sirius swept a hand through his damp hair and took a deep breath. He pushed open the door, greeted by a warm blast of air and the smell of baked goods. He spotted the girl from last night at the counter, her back turned as she was fiddling with the lid of a small paper box.
"Hey," Sirius said, approaching the counter.
The girl turned, her loose golden braid falling behind her back. Immediately, her eyes widened at Sirius.
"It's you," she muttered, glaring at him.
A shiny gold tag on the front of her apron caught Sirius' eye. Sarah. "Yeah. Hey, is your friend here?"
Sarah glanced down at the counter. "I'll go get her."
Sirius muttered a "thank you" and watched as the girl disappeared behind a door. Although he didn't mean to pry, he found himself following their conversation in the kitchen.
"He's back?" Francesca asked.
"Yes, he's back. He wants to see you." Sarah sighed, motioning to the front of the bakery with her hands. He could see her through the doorway. "I can ask him to leave if you want."
Sirius heard a series of pots and pans being moved in the kitchen.
"No, that's alright, Sarah. I'll just go see what he wants."
Francesca appeared at the counter, holding a carefully folded apron in her hands. "You wanted to see me?"
Sirius nodded slightly. "I'm sorry for what happened last night. I don't know what I was thinking." He ran a hand through his hair. "I was drunk, and after I crashed... you just reminded me of someone."
Francesca's eyes narrowed and she carefully eyed Sirius. She walked around the counter, now standing in front of him.
"It happens," she said flatly.
"I have a problem, though," he began again. "I don't think I'll be able to keep paying for a hotel room. I don't have any money. Not to mention, I lost my wand, so magic's out of the question."
Brief recognition flashed across Francesca's face at the mention of a wand. "Well, I have a spare room upstairs." She quietly offered, quickly adding, "I suppose we could work something out as long as you help out around the bakery. I'm sure Sarah and I could get you a new wand once shops open this week."
Sirius took this into consideration. It was the least he could do, especially since she had saved his life. Plus, it was extremely generous of her to offer, particularly because of how he had acted last night.
"I can't thank you enough." He flashed her a grin, hoping to lighten the mood.
She handed him the apron. "Your shift starts now."
