Abby's Side

March 23rd was Abby and James' birthday. Abby bounded out of bed and raced down to the common room, where she was greeted by Sirius and an enthusiastic "Happy Birthday!" to go along with a sweet, cinnamon-flavored kiss.

"Thanks," Abby grinned, lacing her fingers through his and letting him lead her down to the Great Hall. Classes were ominous for the day, but nothing could stop the glow of Abby's 17th birthday. At the end of the unseasonably warm day, Sirius scooped her into his arms near the lake and kissed her passionately.

"I'm older than you!" she laughed breathlessly as the last sunlight faded from the grounds.

"For only a few days," Sirius replied, rolling onto his stomach as the temperature dropped. Abby's face was healthily flushed from running, spinning, and laughing, and Sirius was glad to be a part of her life.

April 5th dawned a miserable day. It was cold, rainy, and Sirius felt sluggish from the moment he woke. Luckily, it was a Saturday, and he could laze about as he wished. A tapping at the window in the crowded common room stirred him from a doze he didn't even realize he'd fallen into. The owl made its way straight to him, dropped a miraculously-dry letter on his chest, and zoomed back out into the storm.

Sirius blearily rubbed his eyes and sat up, squinting even with the light of his wand at the messy scrawl.

Sirius,
Today is your seventeenth birthday. You made
it--and you broke with your parents. Congrats.
Now you feel the effects. Regulus has just been
declared the rightful Black Heir, but I have
altered my own will. My health is fading, dear
nephew, and I am afraid I shall never see you
again. As I have already been removed from
that disgusting tapestry myself, I feel no shame
or regret leaving you a respectable amount of
gold. Dote on that young lady of yours. Don't
deplore my failed health.
Sincerely,
Your Uncle Alphard

Sirius sat bolt upright, startling Abby, James, and Remus. Another owl was let into the room; this one, Sirius recognized as one of his parents'. As soon as he ripped the letter from the owl's leg, it squawked and took off. It took a great effort, but Sirius stopped shaking in anger long enough to read the letter.

We have disowned you publicly. While you bear
the last name, you bear none of the respect.
You have been removed from the tapestry. You are
not welcome. Goodbye, Sirius.

Abby crawled into his lap as he wadded up the letter and threw it into the fire. His stomach was knotted with a strange feeling, one of regret he somehow couldn't shake. Abby wrapped her arms around his waist firmly, and when he realized he wasn't getting rid of her, Sirius wrapped his arms around her as well; he rested his cheek on her hair and breathed deeply. He knew what he had to do once summer began, but he said nothing to Abby and James.

On June 15th, Sirius walked into the slightly run-down flat he had found not far from Godric's Hollow. It wasn't quite what he'd wanted, but at least it was in a safe area and not crime-ridden like the only others he would be able to afford. A bed and a window were all he had really requested, especially since he was always welcome at the Potter's. Sirius slugged through the summer seeing Abby once a week, and could not have been happier to end his rent and return to Hogwarts.

Sirius and James were subdued the entire fall term. Very few pranks were pulled, and James finally managed to get Lily to go out with him on a steady basis. Three weeks before graduation marked the dreaded exit exams known as N.E.W.T.s.

The seventh years couldn't even find the energy to cheer after their final exam, but Sirius and Abby staked a claim by the lake the next day. Sirius was asleep in basically no time, and Abby watched him sleep with his head in her lap, running her hands through his hair. She knew she was lucky, and slept fairly well that night as she remembered how he'd treated her so well.

Abby woke with the sun the day of graduation, a sick feeling of dread inexplicably taking hold of her. She recognized the tapping at the window and let an owl in. The owl was frantic, barely holding still as she removed the letter. It zoomed unsteadily out the window as Abby gazed at the letter in horror. Nothing was on the envelope, and she sat on her bed and carefully opened it.

Abby,
If you are reading this, it is probably too late.
This letter is my last to you, and has to be all
too unforgivably short. You and James are
the last two Heirs of Gryffindor. You've never
been told because of the great danger this
knowledge places you in with the darkness
that grips our world. Don't flaunt what you
are, Abby!! Let Sirius protect you. I love you,
Abby.

Abby fled downstairs, tears blinding her vision. She slammed into something solid, but the something steadied her and held her close. Cinnamon reached her nose, and she sobbed even harder as Sirius rocked her. The crumpled letter was blurred by her tears so much that it was completely illegible. Sirius knew what was going on; James was currently in a state of shock so thorough that he was silently laying with his head in Lily's lap, eyes gazing blankly at the fire.

"Ssshhh, Abby," Sirius said softly. He gently kissed the top of her head, wishing he could do something to help her get through the day. No one needed to say it; the twins already knew. Their parents were gone. The 18-year-old Gryffindors were left orphans on the day they were to graduate from Hogwarts. The common room bustled around them as time seemed to stand still. Abby was lightheaded from all the crying, but couldn't stop. Sirius gently pushed her away and lifted her chin.

The grief in her eyes struck him as his own, and as he brushed the salt off her cheeks, Sirius could feel his heart breaking. So he did the only thing he could think to do--he kissed her. The soft, sweet, innocent kiss Abby needed, with the passion Sirius needed to hold on to. Something neither could claim anymore finally washed from their longing grips.

Abby gazed at him, suddenly surprised at what she saw. He had somehow, sometime, finally managed to grow up; even the way he held her had changed. She found comfort in his soft whispers, and new strength in his embrace.

Sirius brushed her hair from her face, then half-carried her out of the common room. "Abby," he said hoarsely, lifting her chin. "Abby, please, let's just get through graduation. Then we can worry about the rest of life. Please, Abby. We have to help each other."

Abby nodded, still gazing into his eyes almost listlessly. "I have to know," she whispered. "What made you change so much?"

"You, Abby," he replied softly, bringing his forehead to rest against hers. "It's always been you. I just was too thick to realize it for so long."

Somehow, Abby and James made it through graduation. Sirius pulled her into a secret clearing in the woods, and held her close while she cried some more. A few tears escaped his own control, but he screwed up his courage and fought them down for her sake. When she finally quieted, Sirius lifted her face and wiped it with the sleeve of his robes.

"I told you that we'd worry about the rest of life after graduation. I meant it." With a deep, calming breath, Sirius dropped to one knee and pulled a tiny box from a hidden pocket. "I think that ring is on the wrong finger." Abby stared at him, her heart in her throat, as he gently switched the promise ring to her right hand and met her eyes again. "Abigail Cassandra Potter, will you marry me?"

When Abby finally found her voice, she realized she couldn't hold back. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES! Sirius, YES!" she cried, throwing her arms around him and knocking him over. He laughed and managed to slide a gorgeous ring onto her finger--a heart-shaped diamond set in gold between a tiny birthstone for each of them.

They shared a kiss that made Abby's head spin and seemed to freeze time itself. The light played off their dark hair, and when they finally broke apart, it lit up their faces. Abby slipped her left hand into Sirius' hand, and let him lead her back to the rest of the group. James gave them an odd look, but Lily (who had one arm wrapped around James' arm) smiled.

Sirius twisted the ring so the jewels were hidden and sat down on James' other side. Abby kept her hand in his and rested her cheek against his arm. "I'm going to miss all of this," Sirius said suddenly, looking around the grounds. A feeling wrenched at Abby; she was going to miss Hogwarts as well.

James nodded, then shook his head as if to clear it. "Weird, innit?"

"Too much so," Remus agreed from behind them, leaning forward in the seat so he could better converse with his friends. "Have you all decided what you want to do with the rest of your lives yet?"

"Auror," James and Sirius replied together.

"Me, too," Abby agreed after a moment.

Lily was looking thoughtful. "I thought about being an Auror, but I haven't decide-"

James' cry of surprise cut her off. Abby had raised her left hand to brush her hair out of her face, and the diamond had caught the light. Before she could pull her hand back, James had grabbed her wrist and twisted the ring back around. He looked from Abby to Sirius, then grinned.

"I should've known!" he said triumphantly.

Lily smiled. "You two definitely have something special."

Abby bit her bottom lip and smiled up at Sirius. The glow on Abby's face was well worth everything Sirius had been through, and he kissed her quite thoroughly, much to James' faked chagrin. Lily, however, gave him a silencing kiss, and the friends talked until time to go to the Hogsmeade station and board the Hogwarts Express.

Abby was still in a state of shock, and sobbed quietly almost the entire trip to London. Sirius did all he could, holding her close with his eyes closed. Horrible visions flitted unfiltered and unwelcome through his mind until he felt sick and forced his eyes open again. Abby felt him breathing hard, and looked up at him.

The look on his face was one she wished she could wipe away. She kissed him softly, then wrapped her arms around his neck, shifted in his lap, and buried her face in the crook between his neck and shoulder. Sirius found that he really liked the way she did that, and with a soft sigh rested his cheek on her hair. It was time to face the reality of the world beyond Hogwarts.