Roses All The Way Down【Sirius Black】

ⅩⅩⅩⅩⅠⅠⅠ. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

"Alohomora," Lily murmured into the darkness. Virginia repeated the spell back at her waving her wand and causing the padlock on the floor to open. She smiled proudly down at it. "How does it feel to leave in two hours?"

"Sickening," Virginia confessed, "what if I get expelled? I don't want to go back home permanently... but I have to risk it for my Grandmother, because she would do it for me."

"I think it's very brave Ginny," Lily said with a smile, placing her hand on her shoulder, "no wonder you're in Gryffindor."

"Thank you for your help Lil, I could never have survived here without you. I mean Dorcas was I guess my first friend but you were the first one I really bonded with. And-"

Lily moved her hand to cover the other girl's mouth, the side of her mouth coming up into a small smile, "shh Gin, this isn't goodbye."

But it certainly felt like it, for no reason at all.

Sirius, Johanna, Alaric, Remus and James were already assembled on the Quidditch Pitch where they agreed to meet. James and Remus had gone down to the Slytherin Common room with the Marauders map and escorted Johanna back with them before picking up Sirius and Alaric. Virginia had been given the invisibility cloak and she scurried down after them.

She took a deep breath and removed the cloak. All five of the others were already hovering on their brooms - Remus being the only one who looked a little wobbly. She could have used her broom as well but she didn't want to add theft of a school broom to her list of charges. Her wings protruded from the back of her sweatshirt, which she had sliced two big gouges in the back of. She grinned at them shakily, "ready to do something really foolish?"

Remus, Sirius and James smirked back and chorused, "always." Alaric and Johanna just looked confused. The six of them rose high into the air and Remus pulled out his wand to cast the last spell he could before they left school grounds. Now they could only use their wands for the emergency spells Lily had taught Virginia and the rest of them already knew. They followed the strand of the spell through the air. They had to stop three or four times for Virginia to rest her muscles and for the others to walk off their stiffness.

At around 2 in the morning - they arrived at the Nunnery. Virginia stared down at the walls, they had never looked quite so opposing before. They landed in the back of the small garden, the five stashing away their brooms while Virginia concealed her wings.

"You remember what room right? I only have a vague idea," Sirius checked, leaning over to her and whispering in her ear. It made her jump slightly. Due to both nerves and how tantalizingly close he was to her. She nodded.

The crew walked up the stairs, cringing at every creaky step. James looked terrified, like he half expected an angry nun to bludgeon him with a cross at any moment. Remus looked fascinated and Johanna just bored. When Sirius recognized the door, he grabbed Virginia's hand and dragged her towards it. She felt warmth run up the length of her arm but she shook off her feelings, she had more important things to deal with than her love for that idiot boy. She slowly opened the door with one hand to see her Grandmother's sleeping form, illuminated by the moonlight through the window.

Alaric walked in behind Virginia and nudged the lady. She sat up with a grin like she had expected them to arrive that very night.

"Ah another strapping young man," she looked past Alaric to see Remus and James, "well I suppose a total of three and then we must count little Sirius." He looked mildly annoyed at his title, "I think the only one of you fit for my Granddaughter... especially considering you're the one she loves..."

Virginia's eyes went wide and she bent down to scoop up her Grandmother. She could stand most of the way but she leaned her against her body, "she's delusional, let's get her to a hospital."

"I vote St. Mungo's," Johanna inserted randomly, "I know Sirius only invited me out of some misplaced pity but I'm right. If we take her to a muggle hospital, Ginny's parents might drag her all the way back and it will all have been for nothing." It still seemed odd that Johanna knew the ins and outs of Virginia's family almost better than Sirius did, and he had actually met them.

"The cranky brunette is right," her Nana pointed at Johanna, who looked slightly miffed by her title.

Sirius shrugged. Remus's eyes went skyward and they could all see him mentally readjusting the plan. He leaned down towards the woman, "Ms. Waters... would you prefer to travel by broomstick or wings?"

"Broomstick," she answered evenly like she had just been asked a quite normal question, "with that one," she jabbed her finger at Sirius, "we have much to discuss."

"How about Alaric takes her, he's the most skilled on a broom and the most likely not to drop her," Virginia said, not just in an effort to stop that from happening but also because she had complete faith in him. Alaric smiled slightly at her, the six students and one old lady began to walk down the stairs.

There was a small sound behind them that they didn't quite register until a screechy voice called out, "Virginia? Mom?"

Aunt Eve was staring down the hall, holding up a candle and narrowing her eyes at them. Virginia could practically hear her heart beating in her chest.

She looked helplessly at Johanna. Again mildly freaked to remember how much she knew about her.

"Run," Johanna murmured. Nobody moved. "Run!" She reiterated loudly and this time everyone listened, scrambling down the stairs. Virginia fell behind quickly, as she attempted to support her Nana. Sirius and James appeared on her either side. Sirius picked up Nana's arms and James her legs. They moved to the side and instructed Virginia to go first. She scrambled down the corridor and into the garden. Everyone was already climbing onto their brooms. Alaric rushed forward and helped Virginia's Grandmother onto his behind him.

Virginia grabbed Alaric's arm, "go, go, go! St. Mungo's now!" He did as she said, immediately rising into the air. Remus, who was in possession of the gold donations, also began to fly.

"Ginny?!" a gaggle of exhausted aunts descended down the stairs. She had forgotten how many siblings her stupid mother had ended up having. Five of them were fanned out in the lawn.

Sirius grabbed Virginia's hand, leaning down and whispering in her ear, "we really have to go Sweetheart, I don't want a bunch of angry nuns set off after us."

Virginia stared at her family and felt herself freeze, "this is it."

He tugged on her arm but she didn't budge. He grimaced and waved his hand, indicating for everyone else to leap into the air. James hovered in the air above him, one hand clutching Sirius's broom.

"My family will never forgive me for this... I can't go back home... not if I don't want to be actually disowned..." she didn't register as Sirius dragged her to the broom and pulled her up onto it. They took off and she still muttered to herself, something about losing her parents.

A/N

Sorry for the late update today... I went on Q and then ended up falling down a rabbit hole of Ace/Aro quizzes lol.