Rough Waters |Sirius Black

Chapter Four

Nixie eyed the man before her, her head tilting to the side in wonderment as she recognized him right away by his eyes.

"Remus?" she said in a light voice. "Is that really you?"

"I know, I'm looking a little rough these days, aging is not a graceful process on my behalf but-"

Nixie walked forward and wrapped her arms around Remus in relief, so thankful to see and hear a familiar voice after so long. 

Remus seemed surprised by her sudden movement, probably not expecting a hug especially after the way things had left off between the two, years prior.

"I can't..I can't believe...what are you doing here?" Nixie said pulling away from him and looking up at the man in curiosity. 

"It was a shot in the dark to come see if you had surfaced at all, I figured the news would find you eventually. I was sure you would be back on land sooner. I came around months ago but you weren't around and the house was still sealed up. I thought I would try one last time." Remus told her.

Her eyes fell over him, he had the same wispy brown hair that a light breeze loved to tease, however, over the years even though the man was only in his early thirties, he was starting to grey at the sides. The bags under his eyes revealed his tiredness and stress which had yet to leave him even after all those years. He always stood taller than her, but Remus' stance left him crouched over giving him an even more exhausted look.

Nixie stepped aside and welcomed him inside the home.

Meri eyed him carefully as the two looked at each other, Remus initially began to feel awkward until Meri offered him a smile.

"It's good to see you again. Even under these bizarre circumstances." she told him.

Remus settled at the kitchen table across from Nixie and placed his folded hands on the table before letting out a heavy sigh.

"A lot has happened since we last spoke." he began.

"I know..." Nixie looked away in shame. "It's my fault really. I didn't tell anyone my plan to leave to the water."

"I figured you did once you didn't respond to any of my letters. I stopped by here and well..you were gone. I could only assume that's what you decided to do. Did you read any of my letters?"

Nixie frowned as she peered over to where the pile of letters were stacked on the kitchen counter.

"Unfortunately, I haven't had much downtime for reading, Remus. Not since I...well..I'm sure you figured out what brought me back to land."

"Yes but I thought you would have been back sooner."

"I wasn't in these parts of the water." Nixie confessed. "I went..I went really far from here. I only came back just a couple of days ago and to hear from my cousin, Conch that he..."

She buried her face into her hands.

"I suppose you're here to tell me that he's been caught and sent back then?" Nixie asked him, refusing to drop her hands from her face as she felt all her emotions building up in her chest.

"No, I'm not here to tell you that, Nixie. I'm here to tell you the complete opposite."

"Wh-"

"You were right."

Nixie froze in her seat for a few short seconds before she lifted her head up and dropped her hands to her lap.

"What did you say?"