What Sirius never said

Chapter 68

Andy and Sirius bonded for life the minute music was mentioned. They spent the rest of the meal avidly discussing the magical bands they both listened to and then over pudding they branched into muggle bands. I was hard pressed to get a word in edgeways.
It wasn't until late into the evening when Judy threatened to send Paige to bed that Adam glanced towards our end of the table. "Fire pit?" He asked and I nodded gratefully, standing and making my way round the table and out of the double doors onto the patio before either of the boys realised I had gone. I caught up with Sophie as she took a step onto the stairs and linked my arm through hers.
"So then. How was your first family holiday meal?" I asked her.
"I had no idea it was going to be like that" she laughed. "Chaos is about all I can say to describe it".
"Yeah, we're erm, a little comfortable in each others company. We get excited when we get together".
"I could see that" she laughed. "Where are we going?" She added when we reached the fork in the path. I pointed left through the reeds to a small arrangement of logs set around a fire pit. Adam had reached it first and with the help of Paige, was piling driftwood into the centre of it.
"Those two get on quite well don't they?" Sophie asked as we stood and watched them.
"Famously so" I agreed. "It's always been Adam and Paige. Me and Andy teamed up so quickly that they had to, but it's honestly so lovely to see. She looks up to him like I've never seen and he in turn looks after her so well" I paused to watch as Paige started hitting Adam round the ankles with a stick, laughing wildly as she went. "It doesn't help that they're both a little feral" I added. Sophie laughed. She was so quiet and soft spoken that I wondered how she would take to Paige, who was anything but. But the minute we stepped off the path and onto the beach, Paige rushed over with a shell she had found and presented it to Sophie like a treasured gift. Then Paige pulled her down onto a log next to her and they started whispering about something. Adam siddled up to me. "Should I be worried about that?" He asked, tilting his chin towards the conspirators.
"No more worried than I should be about that" I answered, tilting my head to indicate Sirius and Andy meandering down the path, still in deep discussion. Adam laughed.
"Yeah, you've got way bigger problems.... Do you want to do the honours?" This final comment was about the fire pit, so I stepped forward and lit it with my wand. I watched as the wood caught. The fire light danced off the surrounding faces - off Adams face, framed by his dark curls, as he sat himself down next to Paige; off of Paige's green eyes, shining bright with excitement, and off the top of Sophie's blonde head as she leant down to hear what Paige had to say. I saw Andy's green eyes watching the fire as he continued his discussion with Sirius. These were my people. My nearest and dearest. Those I loved most in the world. I was happiest here. I settled on a log between Sophie and Sirius, leaning back and just appreciating the circle of friends, enjoying the heat on my face. I zoned out for a bit and eventually focused back in on Sirius and Andy's conversation in time to hear Andy state "yeah, the Beatles were good, but Freddie Mercury just can't be beaten. Honestly! I just... I wish dad was around to have heard him" a lump formed in my throat. But the worst of it was when Sirius asked "is he not?"
How could Sirius not know?! The whole circle froze. My eyes went instantly to Andy. Andy, whose eyes were bright, the smile had slipped off his face.
I was about to jump in with an 'I'll tell you later', but Andy shook himself and spoke.
"No. My dad's dead" I caught my breath. I hadn't heard Andy say that in years. How could Sirius not know? My eyes went to Paige next. She had huddled in close to Adams side and was listening intently. I hadn't heard her say those words at all, but I knew how the fact had affected her regardless. She looked strong though, like a little ball of iron, her jaw set, her eyes daring anyone to interrupt her brother. Sophie sat mute, watching the conversation with a look somewhere between sadness and intrigue. I guess she didn't know either.
Andy started talking. "Dad was.... Dad was the best. He was such a good dad. He was the kind of dad that would give us broomstick rides around the house, or levitate quills for us to catch, or make dens for us in the sand. He was unequivocally the best kind of dad." I could picture it in my mind's eye. I remembered Colm giving us piggyback rides and releasing snitches for us to catch. "He was an auror" Andy continued. "One of the best. He had a knack for finding people. Especially people who hurt muggles. And often many years later. He was about as good as Alastair Moody. He was tipped to be the next head of the department. Not that he would have taken it. But he was evidently a threat to some people. Specifically Voldemort..." The fire light played across Andy's face as he paused in his story. Nobody said anything. My mind flashed back to those days. "It was two years ago now. Two days before the Christmas holidays. Professor Tweedle came to wake me up in the middle of the night. She told me..." He took a deep breath before continuing in a monotone voice. "She told me dad had been hurt at work and I had to go home quickly. I've never packed so fast in my life. I stopped long enough to wake Trudy. Tell her what I knew. But that was it, I was straight into the fire. Came straight home. And it was too late. None of us saw him. He'd been killed outright by a dark wizard. One of voldemorts supporters most likely. He was on the trail of something. We don't know what, though I think his colleagues knew more. And that was that". Andy stopped talking and I realised I was crying. Silent tears were rolling down my cheeks. Those days had been dark for all of us. After Andy's hurried words I had had to stay at Hogwarts not knowing what had happened. I had told everyone all I knew. And then, when mum and dad had picked us up from kings cross for the holidays, I had seen it in their faces. We had gone to the funeral just before returning to school. It was a horrible affair. Happy, as funerals go, but so sad to have lost him when we did. Colm had been so important in our childhoods. The image of Andy standing strong beside his mother at the graveside still haunted me whenever his smile slipped. Paige had buried her head in her mothers skirt and refused to talk to anyone until Adam took her away. When we returned to school, Andy asked me to tell everyone, so he didn't have to. I did, but it broke my heart every time. My reverie was broken when Paige spoke up.
"His was one of the first deaths of the new wizarding war. Before anyone really realised what was going on. So not many people knew. Not many people noticed".
"But we did" Adam gave her a squeeze. "And we will remember him. Do you remember the time he brought back a snargaluf plant for your mum?"
"Or the time he released all of the gnomes back into the garden" Andy laughed.
"Do you remember his old work stories he used to tell us?" Paige joined in. "As ghost stories. He got in so much trouble with mum".
I couldn't help but laugh. We fell into a time of remembrance for Colm Cleverly. We remembered the good times together, in a way that we hadn't done since he died. Laughing together at the times we shared. It felt so good to share, and gradually, as time went on, I felt the weight on my shoulders start to lift. One glance at Andy's face told me that this was a good thing, that he had needed this. Maybe I had too.
I didn't notice time passing until Paige fell asleep in Adams arms. I looked at my watch.
"Blimey, 12 already" I breathed out.
"I'll take her to bed" Adam yawned.
"I'll help" Sophie offered. I zoned out again as they organised carrying her, watching the fire intently. The flames had died down quite a lot as we talked, but the red embers still blazed angrily.
Finally I stood up, yawned and stretched. "We should go too" I commented to Sirius.
"Is this not when the gossiping starts?" He asked, looking round at Andy. He was answered by matching glowers from both me and my best friend.
"Point against Sirius" Andy noted, making imaginary notes on his hand.
I watched as Sirius gulped and looked at me nervously. I couldn't help but grin.
"Come on" I nodded my head in the vague direction of our cottage. "Let's go. Night Andy".
Sirius stood up and followed me out of the fire light, still keeping a respectable distance until we were sufficiently far away, then he took my hand and we strolled together along the sand.
"You know he can probably still see us right?" I asked Sirius. He dropped my hand.
"He knows about us Sirius" I reminded him.
"I know but... I'm still getting used to this whole people knowing thing" Sirius replied nervously. I glanced over at him.
"You okay?" I asked. He nodded, but I watched as he looked out across the beach, taking in the view of the moonlight bouncing off the waves. We stopped walking.
"This place is incredible" he said. I pulled his arm up and cuddled underneath it.
"It really is" I agreed, watching his face.
He turned to look at me, saw me watching, so I kissed him.