Charley Effie Black

Chapter 5 - I Think He Did Actually

Charley and Scutum walked up to the green park bench. A black shaggy dog sat beside it, looking around. Scutum barked and ran forward to the black dog.

"S***! Scutum, no!" Charley yelled.

The black dog and Scutum started wrestling until finally, the black dog turned into Sirius Black.

Sirius had a bright smile as he pet Scutum with tears of joy in his eyes. Scutum barked happily and wagged his tail.

Charley watched as Sirius pulled out a small sack from his pocket and handed Scutum a treat. Charley smiled at the encounter.

"I got something for you too," he told Charley. He dug in his pockets again and grabbed a key. He spun it around in his fingers and handed it to her.

"What's this?" Charley asked, running her finger over the key.

"Well, I assumed you knew what a key was," Sirius replied.

Charley rolled her eyes, "What does it go to?"

"Our house," Sirius stated.

"Is this Moony's?"

Sirius nodded.

"You're not staying there are you? Moony goes all the time."

"You're holding his key," Sirius simply stated.

"He has t-"

Sirius held another key in his hand.

Charley pursed her lips.

"Char, it's our house. Not his."

Charley nodded, "What am I supposed to do with this key?" She asked.

Sirius shrugged with a small smile, "Visit, explore, take what you want, invite friends over, whatever you want."

Jayde nodded as she played with the key.

"Hey, don't you have a boyfriend?" Sirius asked.

Charley turned bright red in embarrassment. "So you have been stalking me?"

"No! I uh... I heard it on accident."

"How do you hear something on accident?"

"I was at Dais- Your mum's grave and you and Remus showed up, so I watched."

"Sounds like you were stalking," Charley joked as she pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Sorry, I'm just processing right now," Charley mumbled, lighting the end of her cigarette.

"No judgement here," Sirius chuckled as he held out his hand, "Just as long as I get one."

Charley smiled and handed him one, lighting the end of his too.

Sirius let it hang loosely in his mouth. He missed the feeling of cigarettes. He forgot how addicting they were.

July 2, 1976
Sirius and Daisy laid on the lawn of Potter Manor together, smoking a pack of cigarettes carelessly as they gazed up at the stars.

Sirius grabbed the last cigarette as Daisy burnt out her last one, accidentally letting it burn too much and burning her fingers.

"Reggie likes looking out at the stars," Daisy quietly said after sticking her hand in Sirius's ice water, he smiled as she shook her hand off after. Her voice was caught in her throat and her eyes were filled with tears at the thought of Regulus Black.