Part One / Chapter Two
It was a week before Venus was to arrive at Hogwarts for her fifth year.
Tonks had slipped Venus a note that morning, saying that she had Order duties. It was fantastical hearing about a secret society dedicated to Voldemort's downfall. Andromeda would explode if she found it her daughter was involved. That evening, Andromeda threw the door to Venus' bedroom open and stood there, like she'd just been struck by lightning. Venus just stared at her. Scared and confused. Andromeda held a letter in her hand, the Hogwarts imprint shown through the strips of the envelope.
"Is that the supply list? They came later then they usually do," said Venus, walking over to grab the letter from her Aunt. Andromeda swing her hand away from Venus and clutched it against her chest, like it was her baby. "Okay, you're acting odd."
"Venus, honey. Don't be angry but when your letter arrived, it accidentally opened and the parchment accidentally slipped out but," continued Andromeda, taking the letter and pulling it out of the envelope. Venus' eyes nearly shot out from the sockets when she saw it. A Prefects Badge. Venus was made Prefect for Gryffindor. This was something Venus had longed for since she was in first year. "Honey. . . You made Prefect!"
Her and Aunt Andromeda burst out screaming, Ted bolted up the stairs, his wand at ready. The two continued to scream until Ted pulled Andromeda away from Venus. She had to owl Constance, her best friend. Really her only friend. Venus usually bored people with her observations from classes or her reading, but Constance, on the other hand, was fascinated at Venus' words, the way she explained things and how much passion she put into her work. This most likely attracted Constance toward Venus because Constance was exactly the opposite. She dreaded doing her own schoolwork, hearing someone else do it was much more calming, and much less nerve racking.
Venus kept her quill in her book, and turned toward her desk but her book wasn't there. Her heart dropped. She looked on her bed, in her dresser, in her closet, on and inside her nightstands, on her windowsill. She tore through her bedroom, but her book didn't turn up. That was her favorite muggle book, with her favorite quill and the only photo she had of her mother. She needed to find it.
And the last place she had it was at 12 Grimmauld Place.
Venus wanted to punch herself in the face. She was in such a hurry to leave that she left the most important thing behind. She stood up and walked slowly toward the fireplace, looking around to make sure Uncle Ted and Aunt Andromeda weren't around. She grabbed a handful of floo powder and said her destination. She appeared in the fireplace again, only she was met by multiple wands poking at her face. Two redheaded adults, and Mad-Eye Moody cornered her in the fireplace.
"Bloody hell!" Venus shrieked, shoving their wands away from her. The group stepped away from her, revealing Sirius standing behind them, looking intently at his daughter. "I left my book. I just came to get it back, I won't bother you, anymore than I already have."
Everyone in the room was taken aback by the girls snarky comment. None of them knew who she was. Most of them. Remus stepped in front of her, shielding her from the adult's wrath. Sirius just watched, a glass of wine half drunken in his palm. He didn't flinch at everyone's sudden attack on Venus. He shook his glass a little and took another sip. Remus escorted Venus from the room, all of the adults still eyeing her with suspicion. She smiled up at Remus. He didn't see but Venus didn't care. The man was the only one there who was nice to her. The only one who actually made an effort to talk to her, besides her cousin.
"Thank you," Venus said. The girl looked up at Remus and back down, fiddling with the rings on her fingers. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around Remus' waist and took shelter in his chest. It was a hug that Venus longed for, from a father. She was well aware that Remus wasn't her father but he acted more like it than Sirius did. "Sorry. I just really needed a hug right now, sorry."
"No worries," chuckled Remus.
Venus mustered up a small grin, until a figure appeared behind Remus. It was Harry. Crap. How long had he been standing there? Venus felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment. She'd been caught hugging her previous Professor at the house of her deadbeat father, during a meeting to take Voldemort down. Now that Venus was thinking about it in her head, it sounded a lot more comical than she'd imagined.
Venus left in a lurch, leaving Harry and Remus downstairs in the hallway by themselves. She opened the door to the bedroom and the white feather to her quill flowed aimlessly through the air. The device stuck between her book that laid on the bed. She grabbed it and her eyes looked at the nightstand. The note she'd left was gone, meaning either Sirius took it or burnt it into ash. She blinked and turned toward the door. But someone was already standing there, it was Hermione Granger. Why is Hermione Granger in her father's house? She'd fathomed that she was here with Harry, and in the company of their other best friend, Ronald Weasley.
"Oh. Hi. Hermione," said Venus. Hermione bore a confused look on her face, as well did Venus. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question, but it's clear that neither of us wants to share the answer," she said. As always. Hermione was correct. "Erm, Can I ask you a question, Venus?" She nodded. "In your letter, did you—um— did you—"
"Did I get a Prefect badge?" Venus interrupted. "Yes, I did."
"Oh, well, that's great! You really deserve it," said Hermione. Venus could hear the strain in her voice, she wasn't happy for Venus in the slightest. She wasn't mad, she'd be acting the same way. She just nodded her head aimlessly, hoping she didn't look like a bobble head.
"Thanks. Sorry you didn't... get it," Venus trailed off. It was getting awkward, the two girls just stood on the bedroom together. Looking at either their hands or the floor. "I should probably. . ."
"Yeah—" Hermione interfered, glad that Venus had broken the silence. "We can go down together. So, are you planning on taking N.E.W.T. classes next year?"
"One hundred percent," answered Venus. The two girls laughed as they reached the bottom of the stairs. The two girls had always been at each others necks, school wise, but they're never actually spoken outside of classes. It was nice. Hermione was nice.
"Ron also made Prefect as well. Shocking I know," said Hermione. Venus was indeed stunned, she didn't believe Ronald Weasley made Prefect. The boy who slept during class, never on time, barely passing classes with a two hundred percent. "They're celebrating for him actually, let me introduce you!"
Before Venus could reject Hermione's offer, she was being dragged into the Dining Room. Where a banister hung from the ceiling reading 'Congratulations Ronald!' and a cake centering the dining table. Hermione's fingernails dug into Venus' shoulders, she felt like she was being set up. But Hermione was just trying to be cordial with the girl.
"Hey guys! Venus got Prefect as well!" Hermione cheered. Everyone stared at the two girls, Venus wanted to sink into the floor. She felt everyone's eyes piercing through her, like she was an imposter. Tonks eyes lit up at the news and she began applauding, slowly everyone else began clapping. Not as fast and cheerful as Tonks' but Venus didn't really care for anyone else in the room.
Sirius looked up from his wine glass and smirked into the cup. Venus felt her heart skip a beat. Was her father proud of her? He didn't have to say anything, his words poured through his face. He continued sipping on his wine, until he noticed a photograph on the ground. Venus was too preoccupied introducing herself to everyone else in the room. Even the adults that nearly killed her earlier.
Venus looked back at Sirius who was observing the photograph he'd found on the ground. She opened her book and searched through the pages. The picture of her Mum was gone and in the hands of a drunk Sirius Black. Now, Venus was now forced to talk to him. She respectfully parted from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and walked toward Sirius, his eyes didn't leave the photograph.
"You look just like her," he finally spoke. He flipped the photograph around, it was photo of her Mum, in a flower garden holding onto her pregnant belly. Just months before she died. "You have her skin, you have her eyes, you have her hair. Merlin, maybe you guys are even the same height." Sirius shot up from his chair and walked closer to Venus. No one around them was paying attention, they were too busy congratulating Ron on making prefect and nabbing at the cake on the table, Mrs. Weasley swatting their hands away.
"You take from her. You do, Venus, you really do. You took more from her than you excepted, even her life," said Sirius coldly, placing his empty wine glass on the dining table. "I can't look at you, without seeing her. I can't talk to you without hearing her, I can't be near you without feeling her. You— you took her from me! You killed her!"
Sirius' yells stopped the party that was happening behind them. Everyone watched quietly. Some of the adults reaching for their wands at the words killed and took. Venus hadn't said anything. She just looked down at her book and quill. She reached down to Sirius' hand and snatched the photo. Sirius opened his mouth to continue scolding Venus, but she interrupted.
"You're wrong. I didn't kill her, I didn't ask for her to die for me. Much less, being born. You were the one that decided to keep me, you let her give birth, you didn't try and stop it," Venus said to her father. She was normally a quiet one, she never spoke up, she never interjected a conversation, much less talked back when someone was yelling at her. She herself was taken aback by her sudden confrontational behavior. But this was different. This was about her Mum. "So, Sirius, if we're really looking at the big picture here. You killed her. You killed your wife, and you killed my Mum—"
Venus felt a sharp sting on her left cheek, her head was shoved to side at the impact. The slap echoed throughout the dining room. She left out a small gasp, slowly caressing her reddened cheek. Mrs. Weasley began berating Sirius, he said nothing. He looked down at his hand that was reddened from the impact on Venus' cheek. A metallic taste took over the flavor of mint toothpaste in Venus' mouth, blood trickled down her mouth splattering her shirt, she didn't realize how hard he'd hit her until the stinging came back.
"You should go, Sirius," said Hermione, blocking Venus from his view.
"I agree. Before I take my wand and stick it someplace that isn't quite comfortable for most men," Tonks growled, her hair was now a blazing orange. Now everyone was staring at Sirius. All he did was grab a spare wine bottle and leave the room. The Weasley woman beside Venus consoled her quietly, talking to her in a hushed voice.
"Who the bloody hell is this girl?" asked one of the twins nudging at his brother, his attempted whisper failing, as Venus heard what he had asked. Venus looked up, tucking the photo into a page in her book.
"I'm not shocked that he never mentioned me," said Venus, stomping to the fireplace and taking a fistful of Floo Powder in this hands.
"I'm his daughter."And with those parting words, Venus fled back home with a heavy heart and a bloody lip.
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【 AUTHORS NOTE! 】:
Sirius, that wasn't very cash money of you. 🤨