A Change Of Seasons

Sirius awoke the next morning with a start, groaning as each and every one of his muscles seemed to ache from even the slightest movement like attempting to get out of his bed. His still sleepmuddled mind was trying to remember something, but for the moment whatever it was eluded him, which was quite a strange sensation to him considering normally he was very much so the 'morning person'. He sat on the edge of the bed for a bit, his head in his hands, while trying to remember exactly what had happened last night, but the details were still a bit fuzzy to him.

He remembered then that the boys were away, they were spending the night at their friend James's house, and he hoped everything had gone well there. He had a feeling though that everything had because if not, they certainly would have rung him up during the night otherwise, and he didn't remember receiving any phone calls, so he took that as a good sign.

Thinking back on Harry and Draco caused him to now remember writing that letter to Arabella Figg, asking her for help, or atleast, some advice, hoping desperately she would perhaps have some answers that he didn't. He had remembered posting it off at the postal office, and then feeling a bit sorry for himself, driving round Coxley looking for a place to eat. That's when he remembered the Italian Restaurant, and one Terra Argent.

Their dinner had gone off without a hitch, if not at first a bit awkward. Afterwards they danced a bit he now recalled, and almost with a slight blush remembered how good it had felt to hold someone close to him again, it had been over 15 years now since he had last held anyone, and she had made the perfect dance partner. Oddly enough, he couldn't really recall much of the conversations they had had last night, although he recalled clearly that after the dance they had shared quite a few drinks, and suddenly something else came to mind, something that during dinner had been slightly nagging at him, yet he couldn't put a finger on. His mind still unsure of the facts, he groaned again at the aches his body was giving him, and he realized thinking was definitely not going to be an option at the moment.

"Well this is a fine how do. You planning on sleeping all day Alan David Brandon? Come on man, it's nearly noon! I've got a late breakfast for you allready on the table sleepyhead." someone said with a small laugh from the doorway, startling Sirius out of his thoughts to look up at the voice completely surprized.

"Te-Terra? Wha-what are you doing here?" he stammered, and hastily turned his head so she wouldn't see the slight blush creeping up his cheeks, considering the fact that suddenly he realized he wasn't exactly wearing anything.

Terra laughed again, a sweet tinkling laugh that made Sirius turn back to her, his blush all but forgotten. She was leaning against the doorframe now, her blue eyes sparkling at his sudden shyness. "You certainly had little problem last night with that Alan, or did somehow we forget that?" her voice said still with a hint of laughter, and apparently not a'toll offended of the fact that he apparently had forgotten.

"Err, well, it's just that...I'm not quite use to err...waking up with...someone...staring at me like...that...." he stammered again, and yet again as he looked at her another blush began to creep up.

Terra just stood there shaking her head and gazing up towards the ceiling. "Oh do come on Alan, get up allready. Memory withstanding, you do have to eat you know, and I am vain enough to admit that I am quite a good cook, and hate to see a good meal wasted. Oh, and the boys rang, they'll be home round 3ish and that everything went spot on, and not to worry, whatever that means." She said and turned round headed back towards the kitchen.

Sirius couldn't believe this was happening to him. Not just that he could barely remember last nights dinner, but the fact that he apparently had spent more then just an evening at dinner with this woman, apparently doing alot more then just talking for which he couldnt' even remember a'toll, boggled his mind. The drinks he'd had shouldn't have done it, he'd drank far more then that before, even if it had been muggle alcohols, which on a whole, weren't even nearly as strong as some of the 'good' wizarding liquors he'd had in the past. No, the drinks wouldn't have done this, of that he was sure, so obviously something else had a play in this, but as to what it could be, he hadn't a clue.

Afraid that she would actually come back in to get him if he didn't show up in the kitchen soon, he quickly checked the foyer to make sure it was clear, and ran to the opposite bathroom, locking it just in case. *A shower's just the thing I need to clear my head. A nice hot shower hopefully will help. It's got to anyway, I have got to remember! Think Sirius, think!* Turning on the taps to adjust the temperature to how he liked it, he immersed himself in the steaming water, not so much to clean his body, but to clear his mind.

As he stood there in the shower, he allowed himself to use a method of memory 'retrieval' that he hoped would work. A form of wizarding 'meditation' that cleared the mind of everything round cept for the things he wanted to focus on, that of course, being yesterday. Or rather, from the moment he had pulled up his car into the lot of the restaurant, till this morning when he woke up. Unlike muggle meditations, this would allow him to almost view the scenes as if he was seeing them through a memory pensive, and luckily it wasn't a spell, charm or any other form of 'detectable' magic.

As he got out of the shower a bit later, a very odd look was on his face, and his 'brown' eyes were almost their 'normal' black with remembrance. Not even bothering to check if the woman was out there waiting, he went acrost the foyer to his room and got dressed, trying to think of exactly what he was going to say. He walked into the kitchen finally 20 minutes later to find Terra sitting at the small dinette table reading the paper.

"If it's cold by now it's your fault you know, I did warn you!" she said looking up from the paper at him with a smile, but seeing the expression in his eyes, and on his face, the smile quickly faded. "Alan? What's wrong?"

"You know." Sirius said moving into the kitchen to stand next to her. It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"I-I dont know what you mean Alan. What...what do I know?" she said worriedly. Her manner hadn't changed, but Sirius could see a moment's flicker of hesitation in them, and that was enough for him.

"Dont lie to me Argent, or whoever you really are! Who sent you eh? Was it Lucius? Voldemort? That rat Pettigrew?" Sirius raged at her, and though his body might have changed, his manner certainly hadn't. People found out all too well what Sirius Black could be like when he was angry, including magical portraits. 12 years in Azkaban certainly hadn't helped him curb his angers, and right now he had more then every reason for his outrage.

"Honestly Alan, I..I've no idea what on earth you're talking bout!" she said getting up and backing away from him quickly. "If..if this about last night..." she began, but Sirius cut her off.

"That was your plan was it? To follow me, seduce me...then once you're done pleasuring me to turn me and the boys over to them? I'll kill you first you know, I'll see you in hell before I allow you to turn us over to the likes of Voldemort!" and with that he made an attempt to grab her by the arm, ready to drag her wherever necessary inorder to get the truth out of her.

Before he knew it however, with an agility that surprized even him, she slipped away from him, behind him actually, and the next words he heard were all too clear, "Petrificus Totalus!", and instantly he was down on the floor, locked within a full body bind, and to say the least, completely surprized.

Terra was down on the floor next to him then, wand in hand, and nearly in tears. "Oh Sirius, I didn't want to do that. Honestly I didn't, but you always did have to make things so bloody difficult!" she said in an exasperated voice. "But I do suppose under the circumstances it's highly understandable on your reactions. It was me own fault, I was never as good in charms as Lily was, despite how I tried, and memory charms were always me worst downfall." she muttered, then sighed.

"I know I have alot of explaining to do Sirius, but I promise you, I"m not with Lucius, nor Voldemort, so if I let you go promise me that you'll behave. I know you cant answer me, so just blink twice if you will allright?" she said peering closely into his eyes, and saw he did indeed blink twice, so she did release him.

Not saying a word, just staring at her now, his rage duly subsided, he got off the floor and sat down at the dinette, Terra taking a seat next to him. He really didn't know what to make of all this, he wasn't sure he wanted to try even, so he let her start off.

"What gave it away anyway?" she suddenly asked, though she pretty much suspected the answer.

"Last night, in the parking lot. You're right you know, you're pretty horrid with charms, memory ones that is, no offense. I didn't think on it during dinner, I thought I was only thinking you said it cause the rest of the night you didn't. And then I woke up not remembering anything nearly, so I knew something was wrong."

"I'd hoped you would have thought it was just the drinks actually." she said with a weak chuckle.

"Sorry m'dear, but this is Sirius Black you're talking bout. Isn't a muggle made liquor I haven't been able to handle in my life." he said grinning. "However, this morning I did a remembrance meditation, and that simple 'mistake' of yours last night is what got you. You didn't say it after the drinks sweetheart, but before them, and if you were a muggle, how could you have known I was 'Mr. Black'? So logically that led me to think the worst. I apologize however, and am relieved to find that isn't the case." he said giving her a small smile.

She smiled back, glad to know the tensions both had felt were now subsided. "I suppose I owe you the truth, though I hardly know where to begin."

"Allways good to start at the beginning I'm told." he said chuckling.

Chuckling as well, she nodded, and began. "Does the name Taryn Silver ring up any bells?"

Sirius thought back for a moment, positive he'd heard that name before, and suddenly remembered from where. "Of course! Taryn was that girl from Slytherin, probably the only nice Slytherin I've ever met actually. If I remember, she was friends with Lily before something happened, though right now I cant remember what it was." he said frowning.

Terra sighed, not a'toll surprized Sirius wouldn't remember. "Sirius...Taryn was..is rather..me."

Sirius looked at her now with open mouthed shock, this woman before him wasn't anything like the Slytherin girl he'd remembered! "But-but how? I mean, she-you weren't ever blonde and blue eyed. If I remember correctly, and I know it's not that bad a memory really, you almost looked a bit like, well...sorry to say it, but like..."

"Like Severus Snape?" she said timidly.

"Well, frankly, yes. Though her err..your hair wasn't anywhere greasy and mucky like his always is, and definitely you didn't have Snape's morbid personality."

Terra chuckled, "Surprizing really considering things. Sirius, I looked like him for a reason, I'm his cousin. His mum and my dad were sister and brother, although me dad never had the passions for the 'dark side' like his sister and brother in law, and glad enough for me he didn't. I only ended up in Slytherin because me family's always been in Slytherin, even if some of them are good, not because I was evil you know." she grinned.

"Well I never thought you were, why'd you keep it hidden though about Snape?"

"I didn't, you just never paid attention, but that's understandable, you were a year older then me, and hardly paid attention to anyone outside you're little 'marauder' circle, unless of course in your 6th and 7th year they were shaggable. And back then you'd never even look at a Slytherin girl that way, I knew that much." she said with a wry chuckle.

"Well, not that I want to remember that part of me life so easily, fraid that's the truth there. I do remember though you were friends with Lily, how'd that happen?"

"I was always horrid at charms, and in me 6th year, Lily's 7th of course, she heard me crying me eyes out in the library over some charms work. She knew I was a Slytherin, but I guess she didn't feel threatened by me or anything. Lily never could turn down a person in need could she, and she offered to help me out. From then on, we became good friends."

Sirius grinned, Lily was just like that, always helping people out, and in charms especially since she excelled so greatly. "But you left, Hogwarts I mean, and we never found out why. Lily seemed quite upset bout that if I recall."

Terra nodded, and Sirius could see her eyes cloud a little over. "It...it was me dad that caused it. Or rather, what he refused to do. Did you ever wonder where Sev got his excelled potion skills from? Well, me dad is the reason. Me dad was the best in potion making there was, and since Sev really never liked his own father much, believe it or not, Severus really does have a good side to him when he wants to, he spent an inordinate time at my house, studying under me father. It was the potion making skills that caused me father's death in the end." she said sighing deeply.

"You dont have to tell me if you dont want to Terra, I wont mind." Sirius said feeling a bit guilty and taking her hand in his.

"No, it's allright, the past is the past, cant change it can we." she said holding back her tears. "Anyway, me father, being the best there was at the time in that area, was of course an interest of Voldemorts. He wanted to use me dad's skills, but I'm sure I need not tell you for what dark purposes. In the end, my father refused to take the mark, and Voldemort killed him. During that time, me dad seemed to know he was going to die somehow, and had sent me mum away while I was safe at school. She came to get me though when she found out me dad was killed, bout 3 months before the end of term, and of course, I had no choice but to go with her. With me dad dead, and the possibility Voldemort might come after us, she took me away from the wizarding world."

"So that's why you made all the changes then." Sirius said softly.

Terra, or rather, Taryn, nodded, tears still fresh in her eyes. "Yes. With Professor Dumbledore's help, mum and I underwent a complete 'transformation', only ours doesn't need potions or anything else like you do now, which by the way, you really need to refresh soon, your hair and eyes are turning back to normal. I assume you're using a 'Reforma Potion' for you and the boys transformations. I hope the boys are allright with that and remembered to bring the potion vial with them?" She said worriedly.

Sirius assured her that he had made sure that before they left they had brought a vial with them, so she continued her story.

"Anyway, it was me own idea on the names. Terra of course being another form of the 'earth' element on which me real name, Taryn is formed. Argent of course another name for 'Silver'. Simple, yet not too confusing for two people allready scared at the time. The blonde hair and blue eyes of course the total 'opposite' of the 'real' me, black haired and black eyed like Severus."

Sirius nodded knowing all to well what that was like. "Ironic though I should end up here, with you here. Still though, how did you know it was me...rather, us?"

At that Taryn grinned. "Just because me mum and I had to 'run' back then and live a muggle life Sirius, doesn't mean we lost touch with the entire wizarding world you know. Dumbledore and me mum were able to keep in touch all these years, and although mum passed on a few years ago, I maintained a link with him. It was he who owled me bout you coming here, after remembering this is where we'd chosen to live all those years back, and informed me of your plans, asking me to keep an eye on you all just in case. It was a 50/50 chance you'd bring the boys to the public rather then state school, but it was a chance I'm glad you took. Though I didn't know what you'd all 'look' like, for he told me that you'd be 'changed', I knew as soon as I saw a single man with 2 boys that it had to be you, who else could it be? Coxley isn't that big a town to get that kind of odds you know." she grinned.

"So you've been following us round all this time then? I wish I'd know that sooner, then I wouldn't have hesitated to get 'reacquainted' with an old friend!" Sirius said laughing then.

"Oh you! I certainly dont recall us being friends Sirius Black, and dont even try that tactic! Besides, I haven't exactly been following you Sirius, just when I was able to keep an eye on you I did, though mainly on the boys while at school. It really was pure coincidence that we both were at the restaurant last night. I happen to like that place, I'm a sucker for a good italian meal sometimes. Still though, I"m not going to say I'm not glad at how this turned out, perhaps it's all for the best anyway. Or...or is it?" she said a bit shyly now, her mind returning to last nights activities.

Sirius didn't say anything, only for the moment gazed at her and reflected upon this odd turn of events. Though now he knew the truth bout Terra Argent, or rather, Taryn Silver, he no longer cared that she was a Slytherin, she was a woman. Attractive certainly, intelligent definitely, and even if she was a relative of Snape's, well if Remus could find good in Severus, then he certainly was willing to give it a go with Taryn. All in all, this could work out better then he hoped for. Noone would think the wiser for him being with her, hell half the available townswoman at this point were beginning to make 'eyes' at Sirius after finding out he was a widower. Getting to know the boys 'school counselor' would take him off the market, although it was one other major issue that brought him over in the end.

Smiling coyly now he said, "Well then Ms. Silver, or rather Ms. Argent, since I've gone and missed my breakfast, and the boys will be home soon, perhaps you would stay for supper? And then maybe even dinner? I'm quite a good cook actually, or so the boys say, unless of course you have other plans?"

Terra/Taryn chuckled, "Hmm, let me check me calendar. No, dont believe I have any other plans for this Saturday afternoon, nor evening. I do believe I shall accept your kind offer, though at some point I will need to pop round me own house to freshen up and get a new change of clothing if that's not too much a problem?"

Sirius shook his head. "I dont believe that should be. As to the boys, for now I'd rather keep this between us, far as you being a witch and all, if that's allright. I dare say they wont be thrilled I"m 'dating' someone in or out of their school anyway. Things are hard enough as it is lately, I dont want the complications of them knowing that you're anything but a normal, everyday muggle." he said thinking back on things now and sighing.

Taryn didn't comment on the sigh, she had more then a suspicion why he was doing it after watching the boys as she had so closely these last few months. She knew where things were apparently heading, but if Sirius wasn't ready to discuss it with her, she wouldn't ask, atleast not yet. She was content in the knowledge that Sirius didn't hate her, and truth be told, though she wasn't going to admit it to him, she had secretly liked him ever since she had first met him as Lily's friend, all those years ago. How ironic yet again that sometimes things seemed to come full circle, and that she would now be the one in Sirius's bed. And if nothing else, that somehow she would be the last person to share it with him, and that maybe, just maybe, childhood fantasies do come true.

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2002-03-03 9:08:37 PM