Dearest Sister

Nine

nine

Waiting for Alyss to come and mediate was perhaps the hardest thing to do as an awkward silence befall the room. A young man, radiating anger hid the smallest shard of hope that his favourite teacher had no part in the scheme to kill his friends and an older woman, holding onto the possibility that her student would believe what she had to say.

These were tough times on the both of them and the hybrid had been pulled into it whether she liked it or not. But seeing as the Talisman Original was the mother and best friend of the two...there was no doubt she would have included herself anyway.

Minerva noted the small cot near the corner of the room and a small spark of pain shot through her body. Because of a foolish old man's schemes, the young orphaned boy would have to endure so many hardships.

"Is he..?"

"Harry's okay. As okay as a baby whose parents were just killed could be." Sirius muttered as he stared down at his hands, balling them into fists.

The professor studied his face, seeing those small details that defined the young man as her dear friend's son. She had met with Orion several times, but having the mother and son side by side...

The Black heir's face was softer than his father's and his grey eyes held a bluish tint in them that Orion did not have. His expressions were a lot like Alyssandra's, flickering from emotion to emotion and his unwavering loyalty was all her.

"Sirius I need you to believe when I tell you-"

"I have your tea, Minerva and your coffee, my love and I have some milk ready for Harry, should he wake." The Original Talisman murmured as she walked in with a small tray.

She placed it on the table that separated the two lounges, Minerva and Sirius sitting opposite each other. The blonde sat beside her son before she looked at her best friend, "Do you mind if my... brother were to join us?"

"Please." The Core witch looked to the Mikaelson in the doorway as she gestured to the left armchair between her and the young Core wizard.

Alyss settled herself next to her son, crossing her legs and taking one his hands in hers. His shoulders drooped slightly, basking in her comfort and he let out a deep breath.

"What's happened, Minnie? I understand Death has touched your world and my Siri was close to those taken. Now there is a parentless child in my home and I want to know why."

Minerva closed her eyes and took a sip of her tea, "Albus has faked a prophecy-"

Elijah raised an eyebrow, thinking of the own he had faked with Niklaus.

"-detailing that Harry here would save the Wizarding World."

Sirius's grip on his mother's hand was borderline painful and the blonde was positive that if she was not what she was, he would have broken her hand.

"But, Alyss, he wants to sacrifice the boy and take that horrific glory for himself. That's why he planned for your son to be locked away, labelled as a murderer and a traitor."

The Core witch leaned over to catch the Black wizard's eyes, hoping to prove to him her sincerity, "Albus knew that you would never allow such a thing, Sirius. You would never let him use Harry the way he wanted to. Like a weapon. A tool. A puppet."

Minerva delicately placed her cup back on its saucer and reached across the table to put her hand on his, "He wanted you out of the way and I can never be more thankful that your mother came for you when you needed her most. I couldn't bear to think of what horrid things would have been done to you in that prison."

Sirius swallowed as he stared deep into his past Transfigurations Professor eyes. Her gaze held the truth and the need for him to believe her. And he did.

He smiled slightly, it crooked and watery, "Good to see you too, Minnie."

The older witch rolled her eyes affectionately as a small smile of her own pull at the light wrinkles on her face.

"Issah!"

Alyssandra's eyebrows flew up and her head whipped around to look at the giggling baby. He was kicking at the air, his hands grabbing at nothing.

Small smiled spread across all three faces in the room, their hearts lightened by the innocence of a child without a care in the world.

The blonde stood with a final squeeze of her son's hand, before walking over to the small cot to find a baby smiling up at her with a toothy grin.

"You're family now, young Harry. No harm will come to you as long as I breathe," she picked him up and turned to meet each pair of eyes that watched her, "Always and Forever."