Finally Making Friday

Sirius hesitated in front of the doorstep, then grimaced to himself and rested his hand on the doorknob. It had been years since he had done this, he realized silently. Fifteen long years since he had seen her…and she still confused him.

Dumbledore had put her in this neighborhood with instructions to watch over Harry, and with strict instructions not to be found, after James and Lily died. He hadn’t seen her since then, but something here was wrong. This was not a house that would belong to Arabella Figg, 31 and with a very amused perspective of the world. But then, he reflected gloomily, a lot can happen in fifteen years. His eyes grew dead. A lot can happen.

But Arabella couldn’t change this much; it wasn’t her. This house was reminiscent of an old lady, with a thousand cats and a strong smell of cabbage coming in through the door. Sirius wondered briefly if Dumbledore had given him the right address, but dismissed it. Dumbledore would know where Arabella was, even if she were on the moon.

He shook his head as he turned the knob, knocking softly as he opened it. He looked like a fool, standing here outside the doorway. And it wouldn’t do for a Muggle to see him; no, it would not do. As it was, he would have to convince Arabella.

Sirius stared in horror at the inside of the house, which DID smell strongly of cabbage. A gray kitten mewed around his legs, the hair on its back standing up. Cats never liked him; probably had something to do with his Animagus form.

"Mrs. Figg?" he asked uncertanily, not yet wanting to call her Arabella. "Mrs. Figg?"

A creaking could be heard from somewhere upstairs. "My, do we have visitors?" a creaking, wheezing old voice asked. "Hang on there, sonny, I’m a leetle slow on me old leg, but I’ll be right down."

Slowly and painfully, a wizened old woman Sirius was sure was not Arabella made her way down the stairs, looking carefully down at the stairs and never at him. White hair was curled in her head, and glasses covered her eyes. She wore a floral print dress and a white sweater, another pair of glasses on a chain around her neck and walked slightly bent over, carrying a cane.

"Who’ll that be?" she asked, still not looking up as she carefully placed her foot on the step.

Sirius licked his lips. It was time to reveal himself; this was his last role of the dice. If she wasn’t Arabella, he was put in a very dangerous situation. If she was, then he could explain himself.

"I’m Sirius Black," he said, staring up at her.

The old woman gave a jump and stared down at him in a very un-old ladyish way. Her eyes were piercing gray; thunder brewing on stormclouds.

"Well, it’s about time," she snapped, and suddenly her voice was no longer that of an old woman either, regaining youth and colors. She shook herself impatiently, standing up straight, and pulled out a wand from her pocket. Muttering something under her breath, she held out the wand and shook it, just the teeniest bit.

The room seemed to ripple around her wand, and slowly the smell of cabbage and cats rippled out, replaced with fruity candles. Sirius watched, amazed, as dirty green carpet rippled out to be replaced with blue-green tile floor. But most amazing was the change in Mrs. Figg herself. Her form rippled upward into standing straight up, and her old ladyish clothes rippled back, replaced with a vivid purple robe, tied at the waist with a gold scarf and huge gold hoop earrings. No longer was there white curled hair; it was now free black waves that fell to her back.

She shook the wand again, and the now wrinkled disguise she sent into a vase filled with flowers of blue and violet. Sirius was staring at her with amazement.

"It feels so nice to get out of that," she said with a large smile. Then her smile changed to a frown abruptly, and she put her hands on her hips. "Sirius Black!" she said severely, stepping towards him. "Every Friday night, we used to play cards. James, Lily, Remus, you, and me would always come and play cards! Then on the night James and Lily died, nobody came anymore! Do you have any idea how hard it is, trying to play Rummy by yourself? Just because Lily and James died, and you were in Azkaban, that was no excuse to not come over and show a decent card playing skills!"

She was inches away from him now, her face displeased and hands on her hips. Then abruptly she sniffed and turned away with a flip of her hair, walking towards the now-spacious living room/kitchen. "Well come in!" she shouted over her shoulder. "I have to make hot tea!"

Sirius followed her in slowly. "Arabella, Voldemort’s come back," he said urgently. "We have to plan…"

Arabella whirled suddenly and he took a step back as she took a step forward. "I knew he would," she spat out at him. "And I know you wouldn’t kill James and Lily and I knew that Peter would. Honestly, I think all of you are blind! All these years, and anyone could have looked at you and James to see you would never kill him, and anyone who knew anything about Voldemort knew that he would come back…and you’ve been in Azkaban, and Lily and James are dead…" she trailed off, anger mixing with sorrow in her voice.

Sirius’s eyes became dead; shutters closed behind his eyes. "For thirteen years," he said softly. "Azkaban. Hell."

Arabella whirled on him suddenly. "And you’ve been in Azkaban…" breaking off, she stepped towards him and grabbed his head, pulling his face down savagely as she kissed him thoroughly, pulling in closer to him, seeking and giving comfort in the kiss. Sirius pulled her in gently, holding her tightly in his arms.

"Fifteen years," Arabella whispered as she let him go, leaning against his chest softly. "And I never won a card game."

Sirius laughed, stroking her hair gently. Arabella stepped away suddenly, stepping lightly over to a mirror hanging on the wall. "See, you’ve smeared my hair and my lipstick," she said disapprovingly, reaching for a purple and gold purse and pulling out a tube of red lipstick, reapplying it in the mirror. "And Lord knows how many people we’ll have to contact tonight…"

She faded off, pulling out a brush and combing her hair. "Better. You need a brush yourself," she told him disapprovingly, handing him the brush and pushing him in front of the mirror. "If you’re going to see anyone else, you are going to take a nice hot shower. You know you still have clothes here?"

Sirius stared at her, holding the brush bewilderedly. Arabella rolled her eyes. "Now, I’ll make you a nice cup of hot tea," she said soothingly as she took his arm, leading him off a hallway to a bedroom decorated in blue, purple, and silver. "You can change in here and the bathroom’s in there," she pointed to a bathroom visible through the door in the room. "I’ll have your hot tea ready, then we can sit down and talk, and then we can go see old friends."

Standing back at arm’s length, Arabella surveyed him, then flashed him a white smile. She stepped forward impulsively and gave him a quick hug before pushing him into the room and shutting the door. "And don’t use all my strawberry soap or use all the hot water!" she called before shutting the door.

Sirius grinned as he looked around the room he had slept in several times. Opening a closet, he pushed aside dresses until he found his old clothes, pushed away into a back corner. No matter what happened; Arabella’s house always felt like home.

"Home," he murmured aloud to the empty room.

"Yes, Arabella is home."