The Unclaimed Daughter of Sirius Black

Chapter 4

"Siera?" George pulled his wrist from her grip gently and put both hands on her shoulders, leaning down slightly so that they were eye to eye. "Was there something you wanted to tell me?"

She nodded.

"Well go on then, tell me. I want to hear it."

That was all she needed to open the floodgates, just like that she told him everything. How she'd been having such a hard time sleeping because she's been worried to the point of sickness about her mother. She hadn't responded to a single one of the owls she sent. It wasn't unusual for her mother to be distant, but she never went completely silent. 

"Maybe she's just been really busy lately?" George suggested.

Siera shook her head, "No, that's not it. Somethings wrong. I felt it when I left her. This time was different. This summer the way she was acting... some days it's like she wasn't even there. She won't take care of herself anymore. All she does is drink, smoke, and cry. If I tried to help her she'd lash out. I thought maybe once I was gone, she'd get better. She always says she's better off without me there." Siera choked back a sob.

"I just, feel like she needs me. I can't explain it but I do. I can't sleep, when I close my eyes I just imagine how she's probably wasting away, alone, and in pain."

"I understand." George used the hands on her shoulders to pull her against his chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face into his robes. For a few minutes he just held her. She cried quietly and after a while looked up at him. 

"You're the only person I can tell, George. I...I'm not ready to let the rest of them in. Not yet."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"I've got a plan."

Siera sniffled and let out a half-hearted chuckle, "Oh no, that's never a good sign."

He just grinned and took her hand in his. "Just follow my lead."

As they entered the common room Hermione and Ginny made a beeline towards them, nearly identical looks of determination on their faces.

"This is it, Siera, run! Fred, grab Hermione!" There was a moment of chaos as George leapt over two first years studying in front of the fire, tackling his sister onto an armchair. Fred had managed to grab Hermione by the waist and lifted her, kicking and screaming, into the air. Siera ran as fast as she could to her room, locking the door behind her and breathing a sigh of relief. She was safe until dinner.

She was a little apprehensive as she entered The Great Hall. Her friends all sat next to each other at the table, talking boisterously. Fred saw her enter and waved her over. He scooted to make room between him and George.

"Don't worry, we talked to them," George said.

"We?"

"Don't worry he didn't tell me any of your secrets. I'm a little hurt actually. You tell George everything. You don't even care about me."

"Oh, that's not true Fred!"

"It's okay, I know he's your favorite."

Ginny giggled, "Oh that's for sure."

Siera kicked her friend under the table. Hermione laughed at them and shook her head. "You didn't think she'd forget that, did you?"

"I had hoped."

Hermione grabbed the pitcher of pumpkin juice off the table and poured some into a glass before handing it to Siera, "here, I know it's your favorite."

Siera took a sip and smiled. "Mmm, delicious. Thank you, Hermione."