The change of an almost empty house wasn't really welcome, it unsettled the young woman at first. But she found a new routine to follow. During the three weeks that separated her from the first round of test to get into Auror training, and the two weeks to the second round after she passed those, she would spend every other day preparing for it, and the rest of them keeping Sirius company and helping him clean up the house still. Charlotte didn't realize that these visits were as comforting to him as to herself until she bailed on him. She had missed a usual Saturday visit, but the Order was meeting for diner on the Sunday.
« Charlotte, you're alright ! » Sirius exclaimed with a relieved smile when she and her parents came through the headquarter's door.
But his face closed off quickly, and the girl didn't even have time to respond that he had turned to the kitchen stairs. Not everyone had arrived yet, and while Mr and Ms Martin got settled at the table Charlotte followed Sirius who was supervising the cooking.
« Hey, I'm sorry if I got you worried yesterday... » She started, in case it was the reason for his sudden mood swing.
« No, it was selfish of me to expect you to keep me company so often. » The dark haired man replied swiftly. His expression softened. « You have your own life. »
« It wasn't like that, I like coming here. I just...couldn't seem to get out of bed. »
« Oh, it was one of those days. » The lines of Sirius' face showed worry again. « I'm sorry. Are you okay ? »
« ...Trying to be. You know you're making all this a bit easier as well, right ? » Charlotte replied.
He didn't add anything, but the corner of his mouth turned upwards and he squeezed her shoulder.
Daily life shifted a bit more when Charlotte got into the Auror training program. It comprised Defense Against the Dark Arts (practice, no more theory !), Dueling, Security assessment (aka traps and poisons detecting), Potions, Camouflage & Spying, Transfiguration, Psychology : the art of gathering intel but spilling none, Flying, and such. It was in equal measures exciting and exhausting. But the witch still visited 12 Grimmauld Place as often as she could.
« Were you at Sirius' ? » Charlotte's father asked one evening she got home a bit late.
« Yeah. » The girl nodded. « Why ? »
« We'd rather have you there than hanging around lately, you know. » Her mother continued.
« Sure, it's probably one of the safest places. » She smile understandingly.
« There might be a reason why you are so comfortable there, and around him... » Her dad looked seriously at her across the kitchen counter on which she tiresomely leant.
Charlotte's curiosity arose.
« Honey, we have something to tell you. » Her mother exchanged a decisive look with her husband before speaking again. « It's going to feel really disturbing to hear after all these years, but we are not your biological parents. »
« Sirius Black is your father. » Her - until now - father picked up. « We took you in when he went to Azkaban. »
Charlotte's mind stayed blank for a few seconds, then started racing. Finally, the way she had felt displaced for her whole life made sense. But she couldn't say that to the parents in front of her. In fact, she was so afraid to let out some cruel truth about knowing deep down she didn't fully belong there out of surprise she felt the urge to get out. She went out into the chilly London air, needing to walk it out.
Before she could realize it, her steps led her to the path of 12 Grimauld place. She starting running the remaining blocks still distancing her from the Order's headquarters. Decidedly, she conjured the concealed building, climbed the few steps and passed every security measures through the door. Once in the corridor, she did not even need to call him out, Sirius was going down the stairs, probably to the kitchen.
« Charlotte ? Back already ! » He looked positively pleased, before taking in the girl's panting and messy appearance as he climbed down the last steps. « Is everything alright ? »
« They told me. »
« Told you what ? Who ? » Sirius asked.
« My...parents. They told me about you. » Charlotte added while getting closer to him, but refraining to hug him at the last moment at the thought he might not want that at all.
So it was him who closed the gap between them when he understood what she meant, and squeezed her tight like only a father would.
« That's right, you're my girl. » Sirius simply declared, making the girl sob at the realization that a heavy secret, like a shadow feeling of being out of place, had lifted off.
They held each other for minutes, until Sirius separated a little in order to wipe the tears off her face.
« Do you want to eat something ? » He asked.
« I don't know. » Charlotte replied, still too deep in her feelings to think of basic needs.
« Well, let's get down, I'll fix something up and you'll eat if you get hungry. » He told her in a surprisingly natural fatherly tone.
« I want to know my story. Our story. Why did you... » She made up her mind in an instant about asking this bluntly, but her voice died out before she could manage to pronounce the word « abandon ».
« Of course. » Her father replied, with a smile but the saddest eyes she had ever seen on him.
YOU ARE READING
Chasing
FanfictionWhen Charlotte transfers from the girls only Beauxbâtons Academy of Magic to Hogwarts, it brings big changes to her life. Not only does she enter at the same time as the famous Harry Potter, but her path will cross those of many interesting characte...
