Tenebrous ❆ Sirius Black [2]

Chapter Eighty Eight

While Nadia loved her friends dearly, and she was grateful for their care, there were times when she wished they'd stop checking up on her so much. It wasn't that she did not wish to see them, that she did not wish to ensure that they too were alright and faring well after everything that had happened. However, sometimes, their worry could be overbearing. Camille would do whatever she could to get her away from her boards, papers and clues, finding her weeks long search as reason for concern, as many others did.

Nadia could understand. After weeks she had started to lose hope, people around her returned to their normal lives and started moving on while she was still stuck in her desperate place. Even Regulus had been forced to go back to Russia. Hiding every time someone came over to check on her (aside from Marlene who had been quite happy to see him, only wishing for it to be caused by different circumstances) proved to be harder with every new time. However, he had copied all of Nadia's findings, even those they had by now deemed dead ends and employed Ksenia's help once he arrived home.

Also, forced to go back to work as she could no longer be absent, and had no plans on breaking the promise she had made to James so long ago, Nadia spent the rest of her free time searching, as much as she could. However, while most visits unsettled her as she was forced to put it to a pause, this time Nadia found a small spark of happiness as she watched the sweet little girl sitting on the floor of her living room and playing with Lear. Especially as the poor pup, even Tybalt and Lady Hoot, were more than aware of Sirius' absence, all three missing him as much as she did.

"Mummy, can we get a puppy too? You can give him to me for a Christmas gift." Gwen looked up towards her mother and father, sitting on Nadia's sofa, her eyes full of hope that they'd say yes.

"Well darling, maybe you should write Santa about it and see what happens." Eliza said with a small smile, sharing a look with Adam. Once Gwen got an idea in her head, she wasn't willing to let go of it easily. So they both knew the puppy discussion was one they'd have to have sooner, rather than later.

"Nadia, do you have paper and colours?" Gwen was ready to get to work instantly, her newest wish firmly visualised in her mind. Nadia couldn't stop the small smile from appearing on her face as she reached towards the shelf behind her, ready to hand the girl what she asked for, however, Gwen rushing into her lap and leaning towards her ear stopped her short as she listened to her whisper another request. This one making Nadia's smile widen even more.

"Come on, I'm sure we can find some in the plants." Nadia said, knowing that with a bit of magic she could get the third item as well. Taking Gwen by the hand, she lead her out of the room and towards the bedroom where she kept the plants to brighten up the room that she saw as nothing but dark in the last few weeks now that she had it all to herself. Walking away, they left behind a confused Adam and Eliza, whose only answer to the question of what was going on was Gwen telling them it was a secret.

Leading Gwen into the bedroom, Nadia walked over to the plants, wand in hand as she uttered an enchantment, one that anyone around Gwen should know well by now. And within seconds, a white dandelion grew within the dirt. Gwen happily clapped her hands, reaching for it as soon as Nadia plucked it out.