Chapter One Hundred And Twelve: Father And Daughter Bonding Time
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"What's wrong, you seem distracted?"
Lina looked up from her homework to stare at her father. Despite Sirius's requests, this was the fourth time Lina had sunk out to spend time with him. The last time was her birthday. "Boy trouble" she sighed, she and Cedric were still acting awkward around each other.
"Oh," he said and made a face that made Lina laugh.
"I'm not expecting you to say anything don't worry" Lina reassured.
"No, no I can do this" Sirius said and readjusted his position on the floor, he was wearing the new clothes Lina had bought him "who is it?"
Lina smiled, she appreciated the effort Sirius was making. He had missed so much, who was she to deny him this. "His name is Cedric," Lina said and moved from her position on her stomach to sitting crossed legged opposite Sirius.
"That boy" Sirius muttered.
"Dad," Lina said.
"I didn't say anything," Sirius said holding his hands up, there was also a small smile on his lips, he would never get tired of hearing his daughter call him dad "so what exactly is the problem?"
"He's my best friend and I'm scared that he won't feel the same way as me. Just when I shafted to get over that and ask him to the ball I found out he was going with someone else" Lima said giving a brief explanation.
"Who did you go to the ball with?" Sirius asked.
"Oh, this boy from Beauxbatons but nothing's going to happen there, I doubt we'll even stay friends" that was true, after the ball Lina had barley spoke to Francis, rumours spoke how he had moved onto a girl from Durmstrang.
"And Cedric had a girlfriend?" Sirius asked.
"Unfortunately" Lina mumbled, "I'm not going to steal him away or anything."
"You should," Sirius said shocking Lina, her eyes bulging slightly.
"What?" She squeaked.
"Sometimes you have too" Sirius shrugged, although he hadn't spent much time with his daughter he quickly groaned that she had a kind but strong heart and what he was suggesting wasn't in her nature. "I did it with your mother."
"You have got to tell me how you and mum met. Uncle Remus never told me."
"Alright, you're old enough now" Sirius looked like he was deep in thought "where to begin. Well, to start we met on the train to Hogwarts, she knew James before we even started school. Prongs and I, along with Moony and the traitor were sharing a compartment and she came barging in, yelling at Prongs for not coming to find her. We were eleven years old but I just knew there was something about her that gravitated me towards her."
"Love at first sight?" Lina asked eagerly.
"Yes, it probably was that, even if I didn't realise it. Over the years we became friends, she was best friends with Lily, the two girls were always together, they each, in turn, pushed the other to Prongs and me, and would always tease each other. It wasn't until our fifth year that we got closer and pleasant conversations became flirty."
"What about your first kiss?"
Sirius chuckled, his face lit up, it was nice seeing him like this, he looked more like he did in old pictures. "We were drunk. Towards the end of fifth year, after exams, of course, Moony, Prongs, traitor and I along with Marlene, Lily, Dorcas, Alice and a friend called Frank all went to the Three Broomsticks. Marlene challenged me to a shot contest. I can't remember how much alcohol we had that night, all I remember is us stumbling into the castle long after everyone else had left and the next thing I knew we were kissing."
"How romantic" Lina said.
"We didn't talk for the rest of the summer, because we didn't want to ruin our friendship."
"What happened next, obviously you two ended up together because hello," Lina said and pointed to herself.
Sirius continued his story with more warmth in his voice than Lina had ever heard before "a month after we returned for our sixth year Marlene got a boyfriend. I knew I had feelings for her but seeing her with neither boy made me realise I was in love with her."
"So what did you do?"
"I told her" Sirius shrugged "she was...shocked and immediately ran away."
"Seriously how was I born?" Lina asked in disbelief.
"We'll get to that...actually maybe not," Sirius said as an afterthought "your mother would have killed me."
"Alright then," Lina said playfully rolling her eyes "how did you get to that point if she literally ran away from you?"
"I was persistent. Marlene wanted to avoid talking about it and I didn't" Sirius started to chuckle "one time I followed her to ask her out and she accidentally threw me across the courtyard."
"Oh yeah I know this story, Professor McGonagall told me it," Lina said, laughing lightly as she remembered.
"I can't believe Minnie," Sirius said quietly but Lina caught it.
'Minnie?" She questioned going off track slightly.
"It's what we called McGonagall," Sirius said fondly "she liked us too much to object."
"Why do I feel like that is only half true" Lina scoffed crossing her arms.
"Anyway back to the story," Sirius said clapping his hands together.
"So what happened after mum accidentally threw you?"
"Well it took another month but she broke up with her boyfriend, which she said had absolutely nothing to do with me. I told her I still liked her and she agreed to go on a date with me. The rest, as they say, is history" at that statement Sirius looked sombre, history went that Marlene died.
"I miss her" Lina whispered and held onto her necklace.
"Me too," Sirius said, he got up from where he was sitting and instead sat next to Lina "I don't regret any of the times I spent with Marls, not the drunken kisses, arguments, having you at such a young age and I definitely don't regret telling her that I loved her despite her being in a relationship. You say you love Cedric, and I don't doubt that, but if you really do then you need to tell him before it's too late."
"And if he doesn't feel the same way?" Lina asked scared.
"Then you know" he shrugged "you can get closure and move on. But if you don't say anything you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
"You know you're a lot wiser than Uncle Remus made you out to be," Lina said teasing her dad.
"He also said you took the longest in the bathroom doing your hair at school."
Sirius crossed his arms and frowned, the expression was exactly the same one Lina made "I'm not answering that."
Lina laughed the sound bouncing off the cave walls. The pair fell into a comfortable silence and Lina went back to her homework, Sirius helping her with it.
