𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦 ; 𝑜.𝑜.𝓅

tweleve

12 Grimmauld Place

Sirius didn't want to admit it, but he thought things would fall back to how they were almost 15 years ago. 

But Lo- no, Aurora, was nearly 18 now. He had missed most of her growing up, and things just weren't the same. It was just her and him in the home for the rest of the day when he told her. The rest of the Order was on a mission, and they were expected to return two days later.

The one thing that broke his heart when he looked at her, was how much she was like him in the worst ways. 

She grew up not knowing love, and when she finally found it, it was taken. She was blamed for the death of someone she loved. At least she wasn't in Azkaban. He could see that there was no real life in her eyes. No happiness, despite knowing that she isn't a true Malfoy.

She looked so similar to him. It was like looking in a mirror at himself when he was broken from losing Diana, James, Lily... the list could go on. But she had something that gave him hope. She had the entire Order backing her, she had Augustus, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Zoya, and the rest of the Weasley family. 

"Sirius?"

He snapped out of thought and looked at Aurora, "Yes, darling?"

"Tea's ready." She said. 

That was the other thing. His own daughter calling him Sirius. He knew she wasn't just going to fall into the pattern, but it still felt foreign. 

He walked to the kitchen and saw that she was pouring tea into two mugs. She got out the lavender honey, and made the tea just as he did for her previously. They decided to sit out in the garden, where most of the plants were dying. 

"I've never been good with plants. Your aunt Althena said she'd take care of them, but bloody hell, I think she might be worse than I am." He said as he looked at a dead flower. 

Aurora sat down, "I might be able to help. I did quite well in Herbology last year."

Sirius smiled, "Your mother was wickedly gifted in Herbology and Alchemy. She was a Hufflepuff and us Marauders would try to sneak her into the Gryffindor common room."

She let out a small laugh, "You called your group of friends... The Marauders?"

"We did. What's wrong with that?" Sirius asked, matching her small smile. 

Aurora shook her head and took a sip of her tea, "It's very... dramatic. I suppose it suits you, though."

He went quiet for a few moments before saying calmly, "I'm not dramatic."

"Yes, of course. Because no non-dramatic person would name their group of friends The Marauders."

"It wasn't just my idea! Since Remus is a werewolf and he transformed on a full Moon, James, Peter and I all learned to transform into animagus to be with him. I was a large black dog named Padfoot, James was a stag named Prongs, and Peter of course was a rat named Wormtail. " 

"Then I suppose you all were dramatic."

Sirius' laughter died down, "Oh your mother... Godric, she was a force to be reckoned with. I always had my head up in the clouds, I was reckless and often careless in some ways. Your mother was always grounded and was able to see the beauty in things, something her and Lily Potter shared."

Aurora thought back to when her and Cedric would go to the tree by the lake. The carving... "Diana Vespertine and Sirius Black... she was the one who created the tree at Hogwarts?"

"The Whomping Willow? Yes."

"No no, the other tree. The one by the lakes. That was you and Diana's spot."

"Yes... yes it was. You know about it?"

She nodded, "Cedric showed it to me. I remember seeing the carving in the tree and wondering who it could be. I always felt a certain warmth when I was there. I thought it was just because I was with Cedric, which I think is also part of it, but also because... it was you and mother's place."

Sirius wiped a small tear that was about to fall from his eye, "Things were supposed to be different for you, Aurora. You were supposed to grow up with us, know nothing of loss and pain, but only love. It almost hurts to look at you because it reminds me of how much I screwed up."

"Don't say it hurts to look at me." Aurora said a bit firmly, "I always heard that from Lucius when he was angry with me, which was often."

She heard a frustrated sigh from him, "I'm sorry. I should be thankful, though. You don't act like any of them."

Aurora traced the side of her mug, "Althena... how was she bit? She told me she was a Vampire."

"She hasn't told anyone. I suspect the experience was traumatizing."

"I would imagine so." Aurora distantly replied, her eyes trailing to the tattoos on his hand. She smirked, "I see I know where I get my craving of tattoos from."

Sirius matched her smile and looked at his hands, "My time in Azkaban was quite lonely, did all this to pass the time. Even let some inmates tattoo me... I didn't think anyone else would be seeing these." He said a bit light-heartedly. 

Aurora's mind traced back to her best friend. 

Augustus. 

She let out a sigh, "Merlin... how is Augustus? I feel awful for leaving him..."

"He's alright. He brought your cat with him to Hogwarts. We would have had it stay but cats and Vampires don't mix for some odd reason."

Aurora stood up from her seat, "Excuse me. I'm going to write to him."

"Be sur–"

"I know." She cut off walking back inside.