Mortem . Sirius Black

chapter one hundred and thirty-six

September 15th - Ailani's Shop 

After getting her first tattoo in Paris, Nephera had been wanting a second one for quite some time, and what better time to do it than at nine in the afternoon on a random Wednesday in muggle London. Ailani had come with her, and they were currently discussing what the Slytherin had learned from Nott, which wasn't much if she was honest, "A cabinet? So what, that could be another word for wardrobe," 

Nephera, who was looking at the woman tattooing the back of her hand turned away from the intricate bone design and to her friend, "Yes but, Merlin, I don't know, doesn't that ring a bell? The word?" she asked 

The tattoo artist was looking between the two women curiously. In the forty-five minutes that the brunette had been sitting in the chair, she had said a number of weird things and words. Not to mention the fact that she was getting one of the most painful parts of her body tattoed, and she was barely flinching, "I'm sorry, but- what are you talking about?" asked the woman, pausing her job for a brief second 

Ailani and Nephera exchanged a look, "Lines, for a play," replied the Hawaiian witch, "We're staring in one," 

"And they let you have tattoos?" 

Nephera smiled warmly, trying to lay suspicion off of her and Ailani, "We just cover them up with makeup, is this nearly done?" 

"No, not yet, we've got another hour or so to go," replied the tatto artist, "It's fine if you need a break, the back of the palm is very painful," 

"It's fine, high pain tolerance and all that," 

With that, the woman picked the needle back up and resumed her job, while the two witches in the room continued talking, "I could just go ask him, good ol' Borgin owes me a favor anyway," mused Ailani, checking her nails 

But the brunette shook her head at that, "Don't, when James, Pete, and Fabian tried asking about it, Borgin all but levitated them out of the room," she flicked slightly as the tattoo artist moved to her pointer finger 

Ailani slumped back into her chair, obviously upset about the fact that she wouldn't get to do any fieldwork, "Got it, I'll look through my books, see what I can find," she sighed, "Where are the rest of them? I doubt Sirius is willing to leave you out of his eyesight," 

A laugh bubbled up the Slytherin's throat, "Diagon Alley, they're out for drinks, and it was hard to convince Sirius that no one would pop up and attack me," she laughed 

"You told Remus right? About the fortune teller at Mystery and what the fae said?" 

Nephera ignored the weird look the tattoo artist gave her, obviously the woman was seriously questioning what kind of play they were supposedly rehearsing, "Not about all of it. I left aside the whole three lions and two snakes thing. Didn't think he'd take too kindly to know that-" 

Ailani finished the sentence for her, "The stars were telling tales about him?" she raised an eyebrow 

"Exactly," snarked the girl, "What is it with high ladies and speaking in tongues?" 

Ailani, though, wasn't laughing, "I know how you don't like to think about it..." 

"What? The loss, heartbreak, and betrayal I'm expected to experience? Or maybe the fact that my friends and I are apparently at the center of this entire thing?" 

"That," said the Hawaiian witch sternly, not liking being interrupted, "Any luck in interpreting it or anything?" 

Nephera didn't reply, simply observing the design on her hand. Sirius had many of them, all over his torso and arms, and most had some sort of meaning. Her favorite one was the delicate panther design on his right ribcage, she often traced over it whenever they were lying in bed or on the couch together. He had one for all the marauders, as well as a wizarding tattoo of the moon that reflected its phases.