The Game

Sirius Orion Black

Rapping, suddenly their was a rapping on the front door.
Delilah sat up groggily in bed hoping the interruption was just a dream but the rapping continued.
She stumbled down the stairs and the knocking got louder and more frantic.
"Okay, okay! I'm coming! Hold your horses!"
She hissed.
Gripping the door knob she pulled the large oak door open to reveal a very distraught, bloody faced, crying, Sirius Black. His cheek bones were more prominent and she wondered when the last time he had a proper meal was. His beautiful raven hair was shaggy and unkempt like he had been pulling at it. And his eyes were bloodshot from crying.
Delilah's eyes widened in horror at the sobbing boy before her and she quickly ushered him inside.
"Sirius...?"
She asked tentatively reaching for his shoulder.
"They....they....they.... were.....and I-I-I couldn't, so he...he"
Sirius could hardly talk he was still crying so much.
"Sirius. Slow down, it's okay you're safe."
Footsteps were heard upstairs and James Potter appeared with disheveled bed head and puffy eyes.
"What's going on.... Sirius?"
His eyes widened and he hurried down the stairs.
"What's wrong mate?"
"He- they- I couldn't.... didn't know where else to-to go."
He was wiping at his bloody nose now as he continued to sniffle and cry.
Delilah guided him to the couch and sat him down.
"James, go get Mom. Sirius you stay here I'm going to get a wash cloth for your face."
James nodded and made his way back up the stairs and Delilah went into the kitchen.
When she got back to the couch Sirius was hunched over with his head in his hands and still hadn't seemed to calm down. She wanted to hug him and tell him everything was going to be okay but she didn't know if he would welcome touch at the moment.
"Sirius..."
Delilah said tentatively kneeling in front of him and lifting his chin, placing her other hand on his knee, staring into his beautiful grey eyes.
"You don't have to tell me what happened, but just let me look at your face, okay?"
Sirius nodded still sniffling.
She gently pressed the washcloth to the cut on his cheek and he hissed from the sting. Delilah started to retract her hand, but Sirius gripped it with his and held it in place. She gently began to clean the cut and wipe his bloody nose. By the time she was finished Euphemia Potter had come down in her silk robe, sitting next to the sniffling boy. She placed her hand on his back soothingly.
"Sirius, dear? What happened?"
He raised his head only calmed down just enough that he had regained the ability to speak. He recounted the worst night of his life to the Potters and they all listened silently, their hatred for the Black family growing. He told them how his mother had finally snapped when she had seen the Potters owl and asked if he was still hanging out with those blood traitors. He had responded like he always did by shrugging her off. She had gone on to say that he needed to check his attitude because they were expecting a visit from the Dark Lord soon, and that he would be asking Sirius to prove himself to join his ranks. Sirius had told her, he would never join the Dark Lord if his life depended on it and Walburga had gone ballistic. Shouting about what an ungrateful low life of a son he was and how he was to weak to join the Dark Lord anyway. All the yelling had alerted his father who had come down and joined in to berate him. Sirius finally snapped when they drug the Potters into it, saying how the Dark Lord would kill them first and they would deserve it because they were filthy blood traitors. He had stood up and defended them, but that only enraged his father who then swiftly back handed Sirius across the face cutting him with his ring in the process. This had enraged Sirius who stood up ready to fight back, when his mother performed the cruciatus curse on him. Sirius shivered at the memory saying that if turning was a fraction of the pain he had felt, he felt even worse for Remus. When he had finished the gruesome tale, the Potter family was silent. If what Sirius had said was true, a war was beginning. Euphemia told James to go and prepare the guest bedroom and Delilah to get the boy a cup of tea to help him sleep.
"You're one of us now, Sirius." Euphema said rubbing the boys back.
Ten minutes later Sirius laid restless in the guest bedroom when Delilah entered with a cup of tea.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"Do you need me to get some medicine for your face?"
"No, it's fine. For now I don't want the physical pain to subside. It distracts from well... the fact that I belong nowhere now. Although I suppose maybe I never have."
"Don't be ridiculous. You belong with us. And I don't just mean my family. Me, James, Remus, and Peter have always been your family. I know we but heads and I know I never say it, but I care about you Sirius. I'm glad you came here, I wouldn't want you to spend another minute in that house with that- woman."
Sirius let out a dry chuckle.
"Thank you Delilah."
"Anytime."
Delilah turned to leave but Sirius stopped her.
"Delilah- wait-I could you maybe...stay with me? Just until I can get to sleep. I won't try anything I just don't want to be by myself right now."
Delilah gave him a soft smile and nodded closing the door behind her.
She crawled into the bed next to Sirius and turned to face him. She was still pretty tired, so by the time her head hit the pillow she was already half asleep.
"Delilah?"
"Mmm?"
"Do you- do you think I'm weak?"
Delilah scooted closer to him and began stroking his face.
"No. I think it took immense strength to leave. If my entire family believed something? I don't know if I'd have the strength to disagree with them. You're the strongest person I know Sirius Black."

Sirius began to tear up again and Delilah moved closer to him under the covers, enveloping him in her arms. His head resting on her shoulder, while she lied on her back, their legs intertwining. Delilah's heart sped up at the overwhelming smoky sweet scent the boy emitted and had to try very hard to get her heart rate back to normal, worried that he could hear it trying to beat out of her chest.
"Thank you."
He mumbled into her hair.
"Anytime."
The two drifted off into a wonderful nights sleep in each others arms.