Scars

Chapter Nineteen-Love and Forgiveness

Sirius sweetly carries my trunk out as we head toward the Potters waving happily and a little frantically. "The victors of the quidditch cup!" Mr. Potter yells unabashedly and we all beam before we're bombarded with hugs.

"Are you all okay? No broken bones this time around?" She examines the boys first, then gently runs her hands over my arms before framing my face. I glow under the attention and shrug.

"No broken bones. We're all fine." I promise and she smiles as her hand slides over my hair.

"Good. You all nearly gave me and your father a heart attack when we heard about what happened." She looks over us all as we shuffle a bit in apology while remaining happy that she treats us all like her kids. She thinks of all of us like her kids.

"Thanks to Mane, she was the only one who got hurt." James shoots me a little side-eye for it as I roll my eyes.

"Yes, and as brave as that was you could stand to look after yourself better. Although it's good to know our boys are well looked after." Mr. Potter says with a lingering look to Sirius and I's clasped hands. I turn beet red instantly as he raises an eyebrow at me.

"I hope you boys look after her just as well!" Mrs. Potter chastises and both boys look to me with playfully suffering looks.

"Trust me, we've had a talk about it and we're now sure we all have each other's backs," Sirius says before tugging me a little closer with a dreadful look over his shoulder. "I've got to go." He sighs and lets me take my case.

"Oh, alright, sweetie, but take these alright? And they'll be more coming." Mrs. Potter hands him a small parcel no doubt filled with cookies before she hugs him and pecks his hair. Sirius hugs her just as tightly, then hugs Mr. Potter.

"Remember you can always pop over for as long or as short as you want. Even if it's just for a break." He says with a solid hand on his shoulder as Sirius nods. Both James and Sirius aren't too much shorter than Mr. Potter while we're all taller than the short and plump Mrs. Potter. As they embrace, I see them for the first time as young men facing an uncertain future. One more uncertain than the other. Sirius turns to me and I smile.

"I'll go with you," I say and his forced smile brightens a bit.

"You sure about that, love?" He asks and I don't miss the look Mrs. Potter gives Mr. Potter.

"I'm sure. I'll be right back?" I ask the Potters and they nod while James stares darkly at who I assume is Sirius' mother on the opposite side of the tracks. Sirius and I walk towards her and a younger boy who must be Sirius' brother. I'd seen him around Hogwarts, but we'd never talked. Sirius doesn't speak of him either. He takes my hand and tightens his grip on me as we near them then stop in front of them both.

His mother is tall, skinny, with a long nose, and thin lips. Her hair is dark just like Sirius' but her eyes are an eerie black which both stand out from her pale skin. She's in a long, fitting, black dress as if in mourning with a forest green shawl over her shoulders. She's reminiscent of a vulture leering over a carcass even it won't deign to eat. "Mother." Sirius greets her and she nods once in acknowledgment.

"Sirius. Who is this?" Her eyes scan me before flicking to the Potter's and back to me. Sirius sighs.

"This is my muggle-born girlfriend Arell Ackley," Sirius says with a little puff to his chest and a wink to me. It's hard to stop a smile when he's just called me his girlfriend, but I'm definitely hesitant as Regulus shakes his head, and his mother's eyes narrow at me. Despite it probably being futile, I extend my hand not holding Sirius' towards her.

"Pleasure to meet you, ma'am," I say and try to emulate the polite expression Sirius had at Slughorn's party. Her long nose wrinkles at my offering, but then her face blanks when she sees the mark still bright red on my arm.