Black [Theodore Nott]

Chapter 24

"Professor!" Carina gasped.

"Good evening, Miss Black, Miss Goldstein." Dumbledore greeted them with a smile, "As I said, there is nothing wrong, Miss Black, nothing to worry, I just had to speak with Thomas, here, and explain some changes."

"Changes?" Carina asked with furrowed brows.

The sound of footsteps came from the stairs. Was there another surprise guest? Carina thought. Carina raced to the stairs, wanting to see who it was that came from upstairs. Carina froze when she saw the person that descended the stairs. she had dropped the bag she was still holding and her mouth fell ajar.

Dumbledore joined Carina before the stairs to meet the person again.

"I see you have washed and changed, Sirius."

Sirius ignored Dumbledore as he stared at his daughter. He forced a chuckle to hide his sob, but his eyes started to glisten and tears formed. Sirius approached Carina and stopped a few feet before her.

"I hope that the bath didn't make me look like stranger, now – or do you prefer the greasy, dirty – ooff!"

Carina ran up to her father and wrapped her arms around him, she buried her face in to him and small sobs came from Carina. Sirius wrapped his arms around his daughter and brushed her black hair with hand.

"There's no need to cry, Carina." Sirius whispered to her, but Carina continued to cry in her father's arms.

Behind them, Maisie stood in full shock as she stared at the man in their home, with her was Tom, Charity and Dumbledore with smiles at their faces as they watched the father and daughter reuinite.

"How?" Carina asked. "How are you here – wait!" Carina got out of her father's arms, "This is you, right? Not some... some..."

"Yes, Miss Black, it is Sirius." Dumbledore said. "I have explained everything to Thomas and Charity, and about the arrangements that will soon happen, Sirius..." Sirius nodded at Dumbledore. "I shall be on my way then, goodnight."

Carina did not care about Dumbledore leaving; all that mattered was that her father was there with her. Sirius knelt down to look up to Carina. He wiped her tears with his thumb.

"I'm home, sweetheart, I'm home."

•†•

Charity had prepared a huge dinner for the family, but mostly to get Sirius to have a bit of meat in his thin frame. Sirius sat at the other end of the table whilst Tom sat across from him, and beside Sirius was Carina. There was an awkward silence in the room, silence that no one wanted to face.

"Here you go, Sirius." Charity smiled and placed a plate of chicken before Sirius.

After placing the last of her cooked meal, Charity settled down at the other side of her husband and Sirius did not waste any time on eating. Carina and Maisie chuckled at the sight of Sirius diggin in and started eating as well. Carina noticed as her father gnawed at the chicken bone like a dog. He must've been in his Animagus form the whole time he came back from the tropic land, Carina thought.

Sirius finished gnawing on his chicken bone and went to get another. He caught Carina's stare and he simply grinned.

"A habit I guess." Sirius joked, "I had to stay in my Animagus form when I was at Hogsmeade – don't worry, I was a good stray."

The supposed joke did not lighten the weigh of worry in Carina.

"So... you're Sirius Black?" Maisie spoke for the first time since she saw the man in her home.