July 27, 1980
The Black - Scamander Residence
She yearned for him profoundly when she awoke up and saw that he wasn't sleeping next to her. Or it was more like she had awoken because her beloved wasn't resting next to her. The comfortable mattress was dipped slightly from where his body once rested upon it, dent clear as day, but the place was pretty much deserted. Artemis stirred from her rare and much needed, deep and peaceful slumber. The space beside her on the white mattress completely void of any shred of warmth. Instead, an ice shadow, a blanket of coldness taking over it as her warm hand reached out to smooth over it. Her lips curved downward in disappointment as her hazel doe eyes peered around the dimly lit bedroom. She turned to the window seeing that the visible white shining dots were still gleaming onto the carpet of midnight hues of blues that covered the entire sky.
It was still well into the night.
Her brows furrowed as her eyes turned toward the door that was left ajar, golden light illuminating from the crack, she slowly heaved herself up, a hand quickly coming up to rest atop her rather enlarged stomach.
Goodness, she felt like a bleached whale, She thought. As she had often joked around with Lily. Sirius, as always her special knight in shining leather, swiftly came to her rescue. Dismissing away any and all insecurities she must have.
But oh well. It was the many trials and tribulations of pregnancy that she had to go through.
She swung her swollen feet off of the bed and onto the chilly wooden floor. Standing up, she wobbled slowly to the door, yawning as she scratched at her head. She no doubt looked like a mess right now. The sound of her naked feet tapping over the cold floor was the only sound that could be heard throughout the silent haven as she wandered outside of the room, and through the hallway. She came to a sudden stop at the kitchen her eyes locking onto the still figure of someone sitting atop a stool.
The figure's lean posture was hunched over the kitchen counter, a whiskey glass held tightly in his hand, a bottle filled with intoxicating amber liquid sitting right next to him, the pale orange hues raining over the tensed muscles that were peaking through his black tank top. His form was rigid, a hand resting over his face, his breathing flat. He seemed to be at his weakest point right in that very moment.
Her mouth went dry.
Not again.
She gulped harshly, desperate to satisfy her throat.
"Sirius."
His head snapped up, coming to turn around in the stool, clearly startled. His wide gray eyes meeting with her hazel ones. Now, in another circumstance she would've burst out in a fit of giggles at his comically wide eyes, But not this time. No.
Not this time.
"You're awake!"
"And you aren't asleep." She deadpanned.
She inhaled in a deep breath, trying to compose herself. God, pregnancy made her extremely vulnerable and highly emotional at the worst of times.
"Sirius... You promised." Her voice turned quiet at the end.
He slowly shook his head, the luscious locks of black hair that escaped the tie's hold, framed his sharp face.
"It's just the one, love." He meekly said.
She sighed softly, her hands coming to rest on her wide hips. Her back was killing her.
Sirius quickly turned around in his seat, opening his arms out for her. She didn't hesitate to wobble about to him fast, coming to a stop between his legs. Her hands locked around his neck, leaning into him as his calloused hands began to lightly rub at her back from under her shirt, beginning to give her some light relief. Consolation she so desperately craved.
She didn't miss the irregular thumping of his heart sounding from his chest.
"Sirius."
"Hm?"
"You're worried... Again."
He paused, still as ice, as a deathly ringing silence hung over them.
Finally, after what felt like hours, but in reality was only mere seconds. The tense silence was broken by Sirius. "How do you expect me not to worry?" His voice was quiet, yet Artemis could hear the strain in it as clear as day. Oh, there were many things to worry about. From the prophecy, to Voldemort's rising power, to their safety. A number of things to fret about. Things that jeered at them ruthlessly.
"I-"
"How're you so sure it won't be like last time?"
Her body went rigid, her long fingers becoming cold as ice, as she clenched her clammy hands.
"It won't— I'm—"
"How're you so sure with everything that's been going on!-"
"Sirius—"
"How're—" This was beginning to take a toll on her.
"Sirius! Please!" He sighed, his head hung in guilt as she hid her face in his neck, her body starting to shake uncontrollably, her emotions unstable.
"I'm sorry —" Sirius was never one to easily apologize.
"Can we just go back to bed, please?"
"Sure, love."
With that, Artemis slowly pulled away and gently grabbed both of his large hands into her small thin ones. She pulled him up to his feet and together, they both descended down the hallway hand in hand and into their shared bedroom, the glass cup and bottle long forgotten. And in they went to their shared bedroom where the stars melted into a stream of darkness, the night occupying the bed till they were both swimming in it.
And right beneath it all they fell asleep.
Keeping their worries at bay in the back of their minds.
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August 18, 1994
The Burrow
The Weasley Residence
Carina Artemis Black-Tonks violently jerked awake, the sound of her name harshly being called, — along with her backpack hurled at her mercilessly with great force — pulled her out of her peaceful slumber and her equally peaceful dream, where she was running in a big snow-filled field alongside her father in his animagus form.
She would have to draw that one later, She mused.
Long lashes fluttering, her gray eyes groggily looked up and were met with a pair of big bright blue eyes. "Come on, get up!" Her bestfriend who she wished she did not know at all in that moment, a tall and lanky shaggy ginger-head boy with ridiculous amounts of constellations made of freckles littered across his— gross, she thought. — face, named Ronald Bilius Weasley, urged her awake.
"Ew, dude, your breath seriously stinks." She made fake gagging noises as she shut her still puffy and bleary eyes, trying to turn away from him whilst pushing his hands that were still shaking her shoulders. Feeling nice despite being rudely awoken up; the girl didn't have the energy in her to chase him away and tackle him down while throwing punches his way.
He scoffed at her.
"As if yours doesn't!"
"Not as much as yours!"
"Come on, get up will you?! It's today!"
She gasped and jolted upright in the bed, her mouth forming a comical O, "MERLIN'S SAGGY BALLS, IT'S TODAY?!"
"BLOODY HELL YEAH!"
"FUCK YES!" She squealed.
She ignored the 'language!' that was shouted from downstairs by none other than the beautiful Mrs. Weasley who was currently preparing breakfast for them.
With a beaming smile, she flung out of bed and wrapped her flailing wild arms around Ron who yelped and stumbled back almost prompting them to fall backwards if Carina hadn't balanced them both in the nick of time.
They both chuckled lightly, Carina stopping shortly and slightly smirking at Ron who furrowed his brows at her suddenly becoming uneasy.
"What're you smirking at me like that for?"
"..."
"..."
"RACE YOU TO THE BATHROOM!"
"WAIT NO! CARINA!"
She won.
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After having went to the bathroom, coming out feeling refreshed, the girl headed down the creaky stairs of the burrow with Harry and Ron — who was grumbling underneath his breath at Carina who hogged the bathroom all to herself — and into the tiny kitchen where Mrs. Weasley was stirring the contents of a pot — that gave off a wonderful smell — on the alight stove.
Mr. Weasley, who was checking a sheaf of large parchment tickets and the eldest Weasley brothers; William (Bill) and Charles (Charlie) Weasley — were already sat at the long, scrubbed wooden table.
Carina and Ronald were surprised — whereas Harry was confused — to see that Charlie had returned and was sitting at the table as they thought that he was still way; doing his adored work with dragons in Romania. The mentioned young man turned towards the three teenagers as they tricked down the last of the stairs, going over to the table. His tanned, broadened, good-natured freckly face beamed at Carina who had given him a big smile first upon laying eyes on him.
The girl went to sit beside the man she thought of as a big brother. The red-headed man who always held her up on his hip when she was, but a young girl staying at the Weasleys for her sleep-overs and play-dates. The young man who— this time with Bill — always encouraged both; her and Ginny, to tease their younger brothers back whenever they refused them to play Quidditch with them in the back-yard. The young man who always spoke of his adventures with dragons in Romania to her, exaggerating bits and pieces of his stories for her once child-like mind. The young man who always rushed her over to his mom when she injured herself with her wild antics; scrapping her knees and elbows along the ground as she fell from the big tree in the backyard that she tried to climb. The young man who, for every time he travelled, gave her a dragon-shaped origami that rested in the small wooden chest on her desk back home along with plenty of other shaped papers. Before she could converse with Charlie, Mr. Weasley — who perked up when the teenagers entered — had suddenly stood up from his seat and spread his arms so that they could see the clothes he was wearing more clearly.
The old man with thinning red hair was wearing what appeared to be a golfing sweater and a very old pair of jeans that were slightly too big for him and were held up with a thin and brown, chipped at leather belt.
"What do you think, kids?" He asked them anxiously, "Do I look like a muggle?"
"Yeah," Harry said, smiling, "Very good."
"The mugglest of muggles, Mr. Weasley." Carina grinned at the old man who merely sighed — though an amused smile was playing on his lips as he sat back down.
"When did you return?" She asked, smiling mirthfully at Charlie, noticing fresh new scars and blisters on his muscular arms.
"Jus' last night." He grinned. She was asleep by then.
"Glad you're back." At that, he ruffled her black hair making her whack at him playfully, "I'm glad to be back."
From the other end of the table, Harry watched them closely with curiosity.
"Where's Per-Per-Percy...?" Asked George, failing to stifle in a huge yawn as he descended down the stairs and took his seat at the table. Ron grumbled a 'who cares' whilst Carina answered him. "Locked up in his own room, busy as usual," She waved a hand, "Writing his important business report for the Ministry of Magic."
Ah — Percy Weasley, the boy with the horn-rimmed glasses and the rotten apple of this family. He claims to be busy working. Locked up in his own room, obsessed with producing a report for the Department of International Magical Cooperation trying to standardize cauldron thickness to combat the — flimsy, shallow-bottomed, endangering products that flood the market — Which they all thought was stupid and thus, they ignored him and stayed out of his way. He wasn't coming with them to watch the Quidditch world cup for this reason.
And they were content with that as the pressy boy always managed to turn anything bleak.
George nodded at her answer as he plopped his chin on his hand, trying to stay upright, his bleary eyes looking forward barely staying open. Fred then stumbled downstairs and he looked on as his mum heaved the large pot over to the table and started to ladle porridge into everyone's bowls.
"You two Apparating?" Fred asked looking over to his two eldest brothers, watching as they both paused eating and shared a look. Harry blinked. The green-eyed boy heard of Apparating; another magical way of travelling. Knew that it was disappearing from one place and reappearing in another, but he had never known any Hogwarts student to do it.
Meanwhile, Carina subconsciously shuddered on hearing the word Apparating. She hated this means of travel. Didn't have a good relationship with it as she remembered back to the many times it made her nauseous and caused her to throw up on her aunt's heels.
"I'm afraid not." Bill said as Carina almost gasped — frowning, she asked, "Why not!?"
" 'Cause Billy here's been called to work," Charlie answered her, "And I will be spending the next couple of days with friends before I head back to Romania."
Carina pouted at him. And before she could say anything, Fred opened his mouth. "Why can't we just Apparate?" Said Fred grumpily, eating his porridge bitterly.
"Because you're not of age and you haven't passed your tests, yet," Snapped Mrs. Weasley. "And where are Hermione and Ginny?" She bustled out of the kitchen and hurriedly went to get the (probably gossiping) girls out of their room.
"You have to pass a test to Apparate?" Harry asked.
"Oh yes," Began Mr. Weasley, tucking the tickets safely into the back pockets of his jeans. "Eventually, you and the others will take the apparition lessons during your sixth year and will get your license as soon as you turn 17," He paused to swallow a spoonful of porridge. "The other day, the Department of Magical Transportation had to fine a couple of people for Apparating without a license."
"How hard is it?" Harry asked again.
"It depends. Apparition isn't easy, and when it's not done properly it can lead to nasty complications. The people I was talking about had went and splinched themselves."
Everyone around the table except Harry winced. Carina was already dreading her Apparition test.
"Er... — Splinched?" Asked Harry who was clearly confused.
"It means a body part was left behind." Carina answered Harry who immediately grimaced; having the vision of a pair of legs and eyeball resting around a pavement somewhere.
"That's right," Said Mr. Weasley who spooned large amounts of treacle onto his porridge, "So, of course, they were stuck. Couldn't move at all. Had to wait for the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad to sort them out which meant a fair load of paperwork, I can tell you, with what the Muggles who had spotted their body parts lying around."
"Were they okay?" Harry's eyes were wide, clearly startled as Carina quietly snickered into her spoon full of porridge.
"Yes, but they've got a heavy fine, and I doubt they'll be trying it again in a hurry. You just don't mess around with Apparition. There are plenty of adults who don't — They prefer brooms. Slower, but safer."
"But Bill, Charlie and Percy can all do it." Harry said, "Can't you?" He turned to Bill and Charlie who only smiled.
"I had to take it twice, actually." Said Charlie, grinning, "One time I accidently apparated right on top of a grandma just doin' her shopping." Carina and the twins giggled loudly.
"Yes, well, you passed it the second time around, so it's fine." Commented Mrs. Weasley as she marched back into the kitchen amidst the hearty sniggers around the table. "And Percy only passed it two weeks ago." She eyed the twins.
"Obviously, yeah," George snarked, "He's been apparating downstairs every morning since, just to prove that he can." — There were footsteps walking down the passageway and Hermione and Ginny came in full view into the kitchen taking their seats at the table, looking as pale and drowsy as ever.
Both Carina, Harry and Ron snorted at Hermione's even wilder hair.
She only just scowled heavily at them, picking up her spoon as she did so.
Just then, Mrs. Weasley who was finally sat at the table, began arguing with Bill about his earring and hair.
— William Weasley. A man who came as something of a surprise to the family of red-heads. Bill Weasley was a head-boy at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry and is also working for Gringotts, the wizarding bank. He was tall, with long ginger hair pulled back into a low ponytail. The earring he was wearing was a long silver chain with a fang attached to it, dangling from it. And with his clothing, he would not have looked one bit out of place at a rock and roll concert.
"That fang earring looks just horrible. Really, Billy, what do they say back at the bank?"
Oh no...
She loved that woman with all her heart, she really did, but she also hoped that Mrs. Weasley would sometimes just shut up.
— "Mum, no one at the bank gives a damn how I dress as long as I bring plenty of treasure in." Said Bill patiently.
"And your hair," She started again, stirring her porridge. "It's getting too long, so silly, dear. I wish you'd let me give it a trim...— " Carina gasped loudly, purposefully dramatic.
"Cut that beautiful mane!?" The table burst into giggles except for Molly Weasley who rolled her eyes. "How could you suggest such a thing, Mrs. Weasley?!"
"Don't you dare." The girl then turned to grinning Bill — reaching over and swinging her index finger at him and said warningly (playfully), "I like it. It's cool."
Ginny nodded in agreement, "Honestly, Mum," She said, "You're so old-fashioned. Besides, it's no where near as long as Dumbledore's...— "
— "GEORGE!" The middle-aged woman suddenly bellowed, and the whole table jumped.
"...What?" Said George in an innocent tone that would only deceive a fool. And they were no fools. "What is that in your pocket?" Inquired Mrs. Weasley.
"Nothing!"
"Don't you lie to me." She pointed her wand at George's pocket and said, "Accio!" She yelled the summoning charm.
— At once, several small, brightly colored objects zoomed out of the Weasley boy's pocket; he tried to make a grab for them but missed miserably, and they sped right into Mrs. Weasley's outstretched hand.
They were Ton-Tongue Toffees. Candy that made your tongue over four-feet long. They had used it testing it on Harry's Cousin — Dudley Dursley — when they went with their father to grab Harry from his aunt's and uncle's place. Carina wanted to go with them to fetch Harry, but seeing as she heard from them how they had gotten trapped inside of the Dursley's fireplace; she was glad she didn't. When they returned, Mrs. Weasley began reprimanding them at once — After accidently hearing from Mr. Weasley who was angrily scolding the twins and who wasn't planning at all in the slightest to inform her of the incident. The mother was beyond angry at her twins. Especially after she discovered the huge stack of orders when she was cleaning their room. Great long price lists for the products they've invented. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes; they've dubbed it. Aspiring to create the biggest joke shop the whole of Wizarding world had ever seen.
And Carina was rooting for them. Secretly leaving behind pouches filled with galleons — from her fortunes resting safely in the big safe at the wizarding bank. All thanks to her father and mother, along with Andromeda and Ted who added onto it every week — in their jackets and, Mrs. Weasley's robes too.
"I told you to destroy them!" Said Mrs. Weasley furiously, holding up the toffees that Carina planned to steal back for the twins.
"But we spent six months developing those!" Fred shouted at his mother as she threw the toffees — all their hard work — away.
"I told you to get rid of the lot! Empty your pockets, go on, both of you!!!" It was an unpleasant scene all around; the twins had been evidently trying to smuggle as many toffees as they could out of the house as possible. "A fine way to spend the six months! NO WONDER YOU DIDN'T GET MORE O.W.L.s!!!"
Mr. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Ron, Carina and Ginny all continued to slurp on their porridge unbothered except Harry and Hermione who were frozen, still like statues, in the unfriendly atmosphere.
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After having a quick hearty-filled and rather sleepy breakfast — paired with Mrs. Weasley's shrieking at the twins — with the Weasleys, she went back up to the attic — Ron's room, to which she shared with him and Harry who were downstairs right at the very moment and wouldn't dare to barge in on her.
The girl had managed to successfully smuggle a few Ton-Tongue toffees back to the twins who thanked her profusely; "Aah! Thank you, child!" —
She knelt down in front of her trunk and brought out an assortment of clothing to choose from, laying them all neatly down onto the bed. She hummed with one hand on her hip, the other rubbing her chin in thought.
Black overalls? Nope.
Sweaters, jackets? Nah, Her body was warm enough anyway.
In the end she settled for a simple black t-shirt with the words Moon Child on it, tucked into the light jeans, paired with lace up boots. Tying her hair up into a messy ponytail, she paused in front of the mirror. Her eyes surveyed herself in a scrutinizing matter.
Growing up, Carina often wondered why she looked different from her adoptive family. Ted, Andromeda and Nymphadora. Young Carina always observed the blatantly obvious similarities between the Tonks and, especially with the Weasley family with their trademark ginger-red hair, along with a couple of other shared features between them. But yet, she imagined how she had felt as a young little girl. How she felt starkly different from the rest of her adoptive family. Of course though, Ted and Andromeda had dropped the bomb— that she was, in fact, adopted — on her when she was at the ripe age of only seven. A day, now in the past, that was filled with plentitude of bitter-sweetness.
Now taking notice of the bandaged right forearm, directing her attention to it. She slowly backed up and sat down on her bed, as it creaked beneath her weight, holding her right arm. She grabbed the new white bandages and carefully peeled the sticky materials back to reveal a hideous scar running diagonally up her forearm.
She grimaced at the sight.
Madam Pomfrey did say it would leave a scar, but it was still healing.
Merlin, curse that tree.
Now, she wasn't ashamed of it, no. The teenage girl quite liked scars actually. She thought of them as some cool chests, encapsulating stories inside of them. She almost considered leaving it bare.
Almost.
But she couldn't help, but feel the slightest bit inse-
No.
Shaking her head, ridding them of the intrusive thoughts, she rewrapped her arm and swiftly stood up grabbing her backpack and stuffing it with necessary things. Her essentials. Her aunt — Andromeda — had placed an extension charm upon it to allow the bag to hold numerous of things in it. She double-checked every nook and cranny of the bedroom and around her twin-sized bed to insure she hadn't forgotten anything. The last thing she placed inside of her bag before she zipped it closed was the enchanted map of Hogwarts — The Marauders Map —
— "You okay?" Hermione's voice rang from the doorway.
She jolted, surprised having not seen or even heard Hermione standing there.
"Merlin's beard, Hermione!" Hermione's face furrowed in concern at her.
— "Yeah why?" She sighed out.
"It's just—"
"Come on, girls!" Arthur's voice rang from downstairs cutting off Hermione which Carina was internally grateful for.
"Everything's peachy, 'Mione." She beamingly smiled at her bushy-haired friend, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Now, come on!" Carina quickly said, passing by Hermione and trotting down the stairs with Hermione hot on her heels behind her.
Time for the new year.
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8-5-21
•┈(pssst.)
Updated and rewrote that chapter just because I hated how short it was.
I mean it's still short, but not as short :'3
And a big Ty all for the votes & follows. I know I say this, but it really does mean a whole lot to me!
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