Serendipity (Fred Weasley HP)

Chapter Nine - A Black Christmas Part 2

Sirius smiled and hugged her back then guided her over to the side of the tree that faced away from the castle just in case anyone looked out the windows. "Happy birthday Hal, I'm sorry I missed so many... and I suppose Merry Christmas as well." He said gruffly and slumped against the tree, pulling her down with him.

Halley smiled with tears pricking in her eyes but she didn't want to keep crying every time she saw him. "Thanks, dad, it's okay, I know it wasn't your fault. Happy Christmas." She handed him the thick blanket she'd stolen from the common room. "I'm sure you need this right now." Sirius wrapped it around himself and it lessened his shivering considerably.

"Thanks, I've been sleeping in caves trying to keep out of the cold as much as possible. Also, I appreciate the food and drink, it's kept me from eating any more rats." Halley frowned and she wished she could do more but while he was a wanted man she couldn't very well hide him in her dorm.

"Did you have a good birthday?" Sirius asked and wrapped an arm around his daughter, huddling under the blanket and sharing as much body heat as possible.

"Yeah, I got some really nice things, apparently I have a bigger sweet addiction than I thought because almost everyone bought me sweets and chocolate and I'm almost certain it won't last a month." She smiled and cuddled into him, surprised by how normal this actually felt, how familiar and safe it was.

"Your mum had a huge sweet tooth, I'd go to the cupboard and there would never be anything left for me. She even had a loose floorboard in her dorm room where she hid sweets so no one else could steal them." He laughed which turned into a cough. Halley noted that while he did look a little less like a corpse than last time, he still looked sickly and she wasn't entirely sure how long he could last on the run like this.

"I've got something for you, it's nowhere near what I owe but it's a start." The dark-haired gentleman pulled a chain from around his neck, on it hung two wedding rings. "I'd hidden some things before I was captured that I didn't want anyone else getting their hands on. This one's mine, this one was your mums." He held them out for her. Sirius' gold band was thicker and had more scratches and on the inside, it said 'I love'. Melissa's band was thinner and shinier and on the inside, it said 'you' with a tiny paw print engraved next to it.

Halley wrapped her fingers around the cold metal and clutched the small bit of history close to her chest. "I love it, thank you." Halley slipped the chain around her neck and tucked the rings into her pj's.

"I also have a present for Harry, I was there watching the match and saw what happened to his broom and I thought he could do with a new one. I'm sorry I couldn't get you something as fancy as this but..." Sirius looked away and sighed deeply, regret and pain clearly etched into his lined features. "Truth is I don't really know you, I don't know if you fly or what you do and don't like, I missed out on all of that."

Halley shook her head and held his hands, trying to warm them up more. "I get it, I don't really know you either, but it doesn't matter to me how much you spent on the present, this means more than anything you can buy in a shop. I just want my dad back, I want us to be a family. One day we will prove you're innocent and then we'll have all the time in the world to talk and learn about each other." Hal hugged him closer and didn't want to let go through fear of him vanishing again. "I just got you back, I'm not letting anyone separate us again." She mumbled and Sirius smiled through his tears and ran a hand over her hair.

"Gran told me what happened... she said you were the secret keeper for Harry's parents and about Pettigrew, but I know the details are wrong I just know it, you're not a traitor or a murderer." She said firmly and looked up at him with his own eyes.