𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕕 | ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝟚 𝕠𝕗 ' 𝕙𝕠𝕨 𝕔𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕙𝕖 ' HIATUS

xxxix

Sirius only nodded, not knowing what she was talking about, but he was used to her nonsense rambles and had mistakingly allowed himself to get his hopes up each time. Thinking maybe she would remember him, Ellie, Harry, or just anything.

" What do you mean you've lost it?" he asked not knowing why, he wasn't helping her by encouraging the rubbish thoughts. Maybe it was just so she would touch him for just a little longer, he was a selfish piece of garbage.

She sighed, her eyes still on the ring, " I'm missing something," she looked over to the stuffed wolf that lay on the sofa, " Someone,"

Sirius blinked, he had never noticed it before, he hadn't even seen it. He turned his bewildered gaze to Evelyn and then back to the wolf, where had she gotten it from? Had she always had it? It hadn't been with her the night she came or had it?

Hope erupted through Sirius's chest as she stared longingly at the wolf, " Where did you get that from?" he whispered, not daring himself to speak any louder for the strange fear of shocking her back into a stupor.

She didn't answer him immediately, but she turned back towards him and looked into his eyes. He felt his heart skip a beat, he felt like a thirteen-year-old boy talking to his crush, what the hell?

Her brown eyes softened, " I want some music," she said, " Do you like music, I feel like you do,"

It felt as if the cherubs that occupied cloud nine shoved him back down to earth and he landed on the top of an old car, " Er," he said taken aback, " We don't have anything to play music,"

She frowned, " What about that?" she asked pointing towards the piano.

Sirius blanched, " It's been years since I've played, " he mumbled.

Evelyn grinned, " C'mon," she said, interlacing her fingers with his and then dragging him over to the ancient grand piano, " You can play anything you feel comfortable with,"

Begrudgingly, Sirius sat down on the bench next to his wife. She watched him expectedly, her eyes bright. He couldn't say no to her.

The pureblood lifted the slab of wood to reveal the old keys that hadn't been touched in decades, " Now, like I said, I haven't played in years. . . "

She shook her head, " It's okay,"

With a deep breath Sirius wracked his brain for a song he could remember, his tutor had been a half-blood, much to his parent's displeasure, and out of spite Sirius had chosen every muggle song he could get his hands on to learn.

He grimaced as he hit the wrong key but with a reassuring smile from Evelyn he kept going and soon it all came flowing back to him. He was far from perfect, hell, far from good, but she seemed to enjoy it and that was all that mattered.

A dreamy smile stretched across her face as he played, " I feel like I've heard this song," she said softly.

Sirius didn't lok up from the keys, " It's called Garden in the Rain, it's rather old actually," he said.

Evelyn beamed, " I like it a lot," she said watching as he played, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder, " I like you too,"

He felt his heart skip a beat, " I like you too, Ev," he whispered, allowing his own head to rest on top of hers.

As much as he loved her, as much as he wanted to be around her, it was hard. He didn't think anyone could understand how much it pained him to even be in her prescence, to know she was so close yet so far away, to know he didn't hold her heart anymore.

But he promised Ellie, and he couldn't break it.

He couldn't break another promise.

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