Nyctophobia - Sirius Black

Chapter 19

Ruby honestly didn't expect the dog to stick around more than a few days. Unbelievably smart or not, he was still a dog. He was still a stray. And strays felt no loyalty to anyone. She wouldn't be surprised if the dog was nowhere to be found when she came one night, although she was happy when every day the grimm-like dog was waiting for her.

Ruby worked sixteen hours a day in the grueling heat of the coal mine. Then she would come home and eat. She could read for half an hour before she needed to fall asleep. She fell instinctively into a routine.

Before she had gone to Hogwarts she couldn't work the long hours because she needed to be home before their father so she could cook. Now she could work much longer, but it exhausted her.

Sirius didn't like how much she was working. He was positive that it wasn't healthy, and he knew it wasn't safe. The only good thing about it was she usually didn't argue when he put more food on her plate. She had quickly grown used to him insisting that she ate more, and started cooking more accordingly.

It had only been four days since Ruby had stumbled on Sirius. It had only been six days since he was disowned, but he often found himself worrying about his brother who was all alone with their parents. Regulus was alone now, and he would be stuck in the pureblood mania his older brother had just escaped.

"Prometheus." Ruby said suddenly, looking up from a book on Greek mythology she was reading. Sirius looked at her questioningly. "I'll call you Prometheus." If a dog could raise an eyebrow, Sirius just had. "I can't just call you the dog. So Prometheus it is."

Really? Sirius thought. Why that of all things? Where is that even from? Well, it's better than Snuffles. He shuddered at the name a first year had given him when she found him running on the lawn.

I'll call you Theus for short." She said, standing up. She shelved the book, and walked up the stairs to the attic. Sirius followed. He wasn't really paying attention, and tripped on the stairs, tumbling down. He whimpered as his side hit the stairs particularly hard. He was pretty sure from the crack that it was broken.

Ruby ran down the stairs to the animal that lay at the bottom. It didn't take as long to establish the magical link so she could heal him. The dog leaped up and licked her cheek in gratitude. She grinned, and scratched him behind the ears. "Come on, Theus. Let's go to bed." Sirius was more careful going up the stairs this time, and made it to the top without injury.

Ruby was up at dawn the next morning, and Sirius woke as soon as she did. It was a habit he had developed to avoid being woken with a bucket of water poured over him by Prongs. He grinned when Ruby made a little more food and ate some herself. Ruby rolled her eyes at the grin on the dog's face.

"It's only because you're so persistent." She scowled playfully, pointing her finger at him. He just grinned wider, and she smiled back. "Okay, Theus. I'll see you when I get back from work."

Ruby was tired when she finally got home from work, but she still tiredly greeted Prometheus. They ate quickly, and made their way to the living room.

Ruby thought it was a little too cold, so she magically lit a fire with her magic. She grinned at the dog's wide-eyed expression. She sat in front of the fire and Sirius put his head in her lap. She petted him as she wrote an essay for Charms.

Ruby didn't usually dislike homework, but she didn't really have time to do most of it. She was already working sixteen hours a day. It didn't really leave much time to do anything else. She sighed, trying to keep herself awake long enough to finish the sentence. She pushed the parchment to the side as she fell asleep.