𝙍𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙤 {𝙎𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙪𝙨 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠}

Twelve

Raina laughed as she jumped off the couch. "I'll get it," she said, grabbing a rag and wiping the flour off of her face as she opened the door.

"Sirius?"

Standing outside of the door, stood Sirius, snow flurries stuck in his hair as he stood there. Tears down his cheeks, his trunk sitting next to him.

Raina suddenly felt very embarrassed, standing in front of Sirius without any make up on, hair in a messy bun, flour all over her clothes.

"Hi." He said quietly, not even talking a second glance at her appearance.

"Did you say 'Sirius?'?" James asked, brushing flour out of his hair as he walked next to Raina.

James stopped when he saw his crying best friend.

"Padfoot, you alright mate?" He asked worriedly.

"I-I was just wondering if... I could stay here for the night?" He shuddered, new tears in his eyes.

Raina and James looked at each other with concerned looks.

"Of course, mate, come in." James told him, leading him in.

Raina picked up his heavy trunk and brought it into the living room, while Euphemia and Fleamont made their way over.

"Are you alright, dear?" Euphemia asked. "Can I get you some tea?" She asked, running to the kitchen.

"No, thank you, Mrs, Potter." He said softly, sniffing.

"What happened, son?" Fleamont asked Sirius.

"My mum." He said quietly. "She was yelling about not being a real Black. Asked me why I couldn't just be more like Regulus. I was sick of it. The favoritism. The abuse. I-I had to get out. I didn't have anywhere else to go. I'm sorry if I'm being too much a burden-"

"Oh, nonsense, dear." Euphemia told Sirius, placing her hand on his cheek.

"Our home is your home."

Sirius weakly smiled at Euphemia. "Thank you Mrs. Potter."

"Please dear, call me Mia." She told him.

Sirius gave her another smile before nodding his head.

"Come on, mate." James said. "You can sleep in my room tonight."

Sirius sniffed one more time before getting up and following James. Euphemia shook her head sadly as she watched to boys walk off.

Sighing, she stood up and made her way through the kitchen on her way to her back yard when she said to Raina, "Clean this up."

Raina stood there, mouth slightly opened. All of it? By herself? Raina decided there was no point in arguing, so she grabbed a rag and started wiping.

***

Raina laid on her bed as she slowly flipped through her notebook, filled with spells, as she heard three taps on her window.

Tap, tap, tap.

Raina turned her head to see Regulus' black owl, flying outside her window, holding a small black box with her feet.

"Nyx?" She asked, not expecting her so late. Nyx let out a small screech, and Raina got up to open her window.

Nyx flew into her room, dropping the box on Raina's bed as she flew to sit on Raina's chair.

Raina looked at the little box confusingly, then looked back at Nyx. Nyx let out an encouraging screech at Raina to open the box.

Slowly, she reached her hand over to the box and opened it, revealing a beautiful silver-banned ring that curved into a snake, holding a green gem in the center.

Raina let out a soft gasp. It was beautiful. She slipped it on her right ring finger, and it fit perfectly.

Raina looked at Nyx, and she swears, if owls could smile, Raina swears she was.

"Tell him I love it." She told Nyx. Nyx let out one more happy screech before affectionately nipping Raina's finger, and flying out of her window to return back to Regulus.

Raina closed her window and slipped under her covers, propping her head up on her pillow as she stared at the beautiful ring. She felt bad. She felt bad because she never went back to Diagon Alley after the incident. She would be sure to apologize to him next time she saw him.

And so Raina allowed her eyes to flutter shut, as she was greeted by her dreams.