ღ chapter twenty two
( summer haze )
JAM STAINED FINGERS, lips tinted with strawberry juice, Juliet Black was enjoying a warm summers day out in the veranda of the Black manor, when a familiar owl the size of her fist sailed through the air, dropping an envelope in her lap, and perching on the table next to her. Wiping her fingers on a napkin, she scrambled to open the letter.
Dear Jules,
How has you summer been? It's been busy here at the Burrow. Anyways, I'm writing to say that dad has gotten us all tickets to the Quidditch world cup on the eighteenth of August (two weeks from now!), and that of course, you're invited, though I understand if you would like to spend some time with your father instead. Miss you!
Yours truly,Ron
Jules screamed loudly, causing Sirius to appear in the veranda with a pop, looking concerned. "Everything all right?"
He looked far healthier, a little more than a month of Cordelia insisting he ate more, and a nice two dozen showers and some shaves doing him some good. He'd filled out a little more, and gained some weight, and even if he still didn't look like the man in the pictures, he didn't look like a shell of a human being anymore. This man laughed, smiled, sat next to Jules until she fell asleep every night, and had brought sparkle back to Cordelia in multiple ways, including the Valentine heirloom ring that now twinkled on her finger.
The proposal had been just the three of them together. Sirius had attempted to make dinner, but had burned it, which meant that Mrs. Weasley had sent over a full course meal, so everything was perfect. Sirius had asked Jules permission beforehand, and she'd gotten the ring altered for him when she met up with Calliope at Diagon Alley for a bit of shopping to make it look less old-fashioned.
Cordelia had cried tears of happiness as soon as she saw Sirius on one knee, and had screamed yes before he could even ask properly. The wedding was rushed; Sirius had proposed two weeks ago, and the wedding was a week from today.
"Ron got me a ticket to the Quidditch World Cup," Jules beamed. "It's in two weeks."
Sirius immediately looked relieved. "Oh. That. Molly wrote about that weeks ago to ask permission, of course Delia and I said yes. Have your friends written about being able to stay for a week after the wedding? We have more than enough space."
"Four for four," Jules grinned. "Are you excited?"
"Very," Sirius smiled, plopping into a chair next to Jules, only to hear hissing. He stood up, confused, only to spot Juno, who had been curled up in that very spot. Jules suppressed a giggle, pulling the cat into her own arms to leave space for Sirius. "What classes are you taking?"
Jules rolled her eyes at the mention of school, setting down the book on Switching Spells she had been assigned to read over the summer. She'd done well in her exams, well above average, but no where near Hermione, and she was definitely not looking forward to the workload fourth year would bring. "The standard ones, along with Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, and Divination."
"I took Muggle Studies, Arithmancy, and Divination, mainly because your mother took all three," Sirius chuckled. "We were friends long before I fell in love with her. My deepest regret is not confessing my love sooner."
Jules smiled softly, curling her knees into her chest. "I hate Divination, but I saw something curious in the crystal ball," she mumbled. "Marlene Mckinnon."
The color drained from his face. "You saw Marlene?"
"I recognized her from the photographs mum keeps in her room," Jules continued. "She was just standing there, waving at me. It was so weird."
"She was one of my closest friends," Sirius mumbled. "If James, Remus, and Peter were my brothers, she was my sister. She's the one who gave me advice on how to go out with your mother, and we picked her to be your godmother, only for something unimaginable to happen the very next year. You were the flower girl in her wedding."
"Stevie?" Jules said softly. "She was Marlene's wife?"
"In the magical world, yes. The muggle world is not very accepting of queer men and women."
Jules bit her lip at that. "It's not fair."
"Unfortunately, the world isn't fair Jules," Sirius murmured. "I know firsthand how cruel fate can be."
"AUNT MARY AND her family are here," Jules called out, as the doorbell rang. She dashed down the steps as fast as she could, nearly slipping on the marble. Cordelia emerged from one of the sitting rooms, which had been taken over by wedding planning, looking rather frazzled.
"I'll get it," Cordelia sighed, flattening her hair down with her palms, before opening the door to be pulled into a hug by Mary Macdonald.
Mary was curvy, but still relatively thin, white teeth dazzling in a smile that contrasted with her freckled, bronzed skin. She had wild curls that were struggling to escape from a claw clip that looked like it was hanging on for dear life, and there were small creases in her skin from what seemed like a lifetime of smiling. Mary hugged Jules tightly, nearly picking her up from the floor even if they were the same height.
Her husband, Winston, was American, and his soft, unsure greeting, nearly made Jules giggle. "This is Aster," Mary grinned, pushing a girl around the same age towards Jules.
The girl smiled widely. "Aster Mckinnon-Monroe. Mary's my godmum, but she and Uncle Winston practically raised me, if you were wondering why we look absolutely nothing alike."
"Aster is transferring to Hogwarts from Ilvermorny, she's in your year," Cordelia explained. "Mary and Winston are moving to London from New York City. We can head to the kitchen, the chicken in the oven should be done."
Sirius emerged from the stairway, hugging Mary tightly, and greeting Winston with a handshake. "Prison tattoos?" she joked, poking the inky shapes on his arm. "Kidding. You look good, Sirius."
"Look at you," Sirius chuckled. "You've picked up an American accent..."
His voice trailed off as his eyes fixed upon Aster, who nearly flinched underneath his gaze. It wasn't easy for Sirius and Cordelia's close friends to remember that Sirius truly was innocent. "It can't be, Aster?" he asked. "You were as tall as my knee the last time I saw you."
"Hi Uncle Sirius," she said softly, rocking back and forth on her toes. She also had an American accent from growing up there, but it had a soft, English lilt to it, a product of Mary's influence. "You've got a beautiful home."
Cordelia gently set a hand on Jules's shoulder. "She'll show you up to your rooms, I just remembered I need to swing by and collect Harry from his aunt and uncle's."
"Petunia?" Mary asked, making a face as Cordelia nodded. "Oh that awful woman, poor thing, Harry must hate living there."
"Dumbledore insists he stay there for at least half of summer," Cordelia grimaced. "He's been spending the rest of it with the Weasley's, you remember Molly, and Arthur, for the last couple of years, with a week or so at our place."
Jules started up the staircase heading to the west wing, where most of the guest bedrooms were located. "You two are in here," she smiled, pointing out a room for Mary and Winston. "Aster, you'll be in the east wing, there's a handful of spare bedrooms there, including Harry's, and my own."
"What's he like?" she asked, as they crossed the walkway to the east wing. "Harry Potter?"
"Kind of an idiot, but my best friend nonetheless," Jules laughed, pushing open the door to her own room. "This is my room. My friend Hermione is arriving soon, so she was planning on squishing in here if you'd like to join us, but there's another room across the hall if you'd like that. Harry's room here is the one right next to that, it's the one with the knocker shaped like a snitch."
Aster gazed at the room with a smile on her face. It was rather big, and had a small balcony with French doors from which light streamed. Juno, Juliet's cat, was lounging lazily in his bed on the floor. There were books spilling from the shelves, photos and knicknacks cluttering a cozy, yet spacious room. There were an obscene amount of candles on any surface available, and the bed was covered in a bedspread hued a soft green, white sheer curtains fluttering in the canopy. It was a very fitting bedroom for Juliet Black.
"It's so pretty," Aster smiled. "I can put my stuff in the other bedroom for now, I'll decide what to do when your friend gets here."
"They should all be arriving now," Jules said brightly. "Hermione and Ron should be here any minute by floo, Mum apparated to go fetch Harry from his aunt and uncle."
Jules barely caught the sound of two familiar voices, and grabbed Aster's hand, pulling the girl with her. Taken by surprise, Aster followed her, all the way downstairs to the sitting room which actually had a fireplace connected to the floo network. They had kept it disconnected for a while, but had temporarily connected it to let Ron and Hermione over. They didn't want any surprise guests; Sirius was supposed to be on the run, not cozied up in a mansion.
"Hermione!" Jules beamed, throwing her arms around the girl, who returned an affectionate smile. She was far more tan, freckles dotting her nose and cheeks, a rosy glow flushing her cheeks bright pink. She'd grown taller, but they all had, Jules was already as tall as her mother, and Hermione was only an inch or two shorter.
Hermione flushed a bright pink. "Hello. You have a really nice house."
Ron nearly picked Jules up when he hugged her. He had always been the tallest of their group, gangly and slim, with long limbs, fiery hair, and a pout that could rival Sirius, who was equally dramatic. "This bloody house is huge," he gaped, staring. "Rich girl," he teased, swatting her arm. She stuck her tongue out at him.
"This is Aster, a family friend," Jules introduced, the girl shyly waving. "Aster, this is Hermione Granger, and Ronald- sorry Ron, Weasley," she grimaced, rubbing her shin where Ron had kicked her.
"Aster Mckinnon-Monroe," she smiled, shaking Ron and Hermione's hands politely, just as the front door popped open, Cordelia and Harry stepping through. Jules embraced Harry tightly, before stepping back to allow Ron and Hermione to greet him as well.
"Did you get the birthday cakes we all sent?" Jules asked, winking at Harry, who had written to her about Dudley's diet.
"Those gave me something Dudley didn't have," Harry joked. "Something that wasn't rabbit food."
Harry's eyes met with Aster's, and she blushed bright pink, causing Jules to try and hold back a giggle. "Harry Potter, meet Aster Mckinnon-Monroe."
"Hi," Aster managed, waving at Harry shyly, and nearly tripping over her own feet.
Cordelia's head popped through the doorway. "We're eating out in the garden."
( AUTHOR NOTE )
took a small break between the two
acts, but i'm back!!