Singed Flower

⚘Singed Flower⚘

Chapter 1

*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

Sirius Black, professional player for the English National Quidditch team, had been passed from chaser, beater, and keeper to his current position of seeker. He had been stunning in all roles, but it appeared the seeker had been one of his favorites, and he’s been performing this position for the last three years.

          While this game was not part of the Quidditch World Cup, since the magnum event will be taking place on prior six months after this one, it was still important, since it meant the beginning of the season, the excitement was barely contained in the public, by the way the crowd screamed and yelled Sirius Black’s name.

          He had made a way to a special place in people’s hearts, he was gorgeous, charming on the field, with the perfect amount of humbleness to balance his arrogant personality, a great player, and as if that fact wasn’t driving enough to him, Sirius was a National Hero, a symbol of resilience, defiance and justice.

Also known as Sirius the Black Wind, nickname was adopted after conducting countless airborne attacks against Death Eaters during The First Wizarding War. The songs and praises about Lily Evans, James Potter and Sirius Black are sung and told these days, there is simply no way their contribution to Voldemort’s destruction could be forgotten, and while people had given Lily a great deal of the credits, the rest was not left behind, especially to the ones who died during the conflict.

          However, today was a day for celebration, and in Sirius Black’s mind there was no place for remembering old days, he still deals with the aftermath of nightmares and post-traumatic stress, and he was not bringing to the table memories and recollections from a war that they had long won, or so he thinks as he greets the spectators with a loud and yell as he gives the whole field a lap around, which only ends up agitating the public even more if that was possible.

          Once he hovers high enough to reach the Minister for Magic’s private seats, he finds Lily, James, their children, and of course, his wife and soulmate.

 Ah! Petunia, Petunia. Petunia Black. She always looked beautiful, but today she was striking on that baby blue dress that touched the floor between its long layers, her hair seemed to be melted gold falling cascade around her shoulders and back. She discreetly looks down with a gentle smile as she carefully nudges their son forward.

Reginald Black proudly waves the flag from side to side as soon as he notices his father is looking at them, he also screams praises, but these get lost between the screams of the rest of the multitude, still, Sirius blows a kiss for his mother and a wink with a wave of his hand to him.

          ‘’Ah, this man never learns’’ Lily says with a frown, with a wave of her hand she lifts up a shield just in time before her private box is struck with a hundred if not thousands of flashes from reporters who are eager to take a bite of Sirius private life, who will make sure to starve them to death before ever giving them Petunia or Reginald, or Arabella’s name.

          Even as Sirius had declared years ago, he married his rightful soulmate, who happened to be the most beautiful princess he had ever seen, fruit of that marriage was a son (back then his lovely little girl hadn’t been born yet). Lily was furious for the statement, since now there were rumors about the Black family being involved with some exotic and unknown royalty, when in reality, it was Petunia’s nickname, her muggle sister.

          Lily worried about the safety and privacy of Petunia and her nephew and niece, after all, even if she was married and living in the magical side of England, Petunia would be always vulnerable to biased attacks because of her upbringing, Voldemort was defeated, but the prejudices and disgust against muggles, muggleborns could never be erased, Sirius did not make it an easy task with how eccentric he was, dragging unnecessary attention towards them.

          At the same time, Lily does not seem to understand how much Sirius will die to make public his relationship with Petunia, to appear in public without fears or concerns; a dream that he cannot make true. ‘’Let him be, he’s excited for the game’’ Petunia interjects when she sees Lily’s mood turning slightly sour. ‘’He would never put me in danger’’.

          Petunia seems to forget what happened 13 years ago during the war, she either has a bad memory or a big heart to forgive, Lily hasn’t and for the same reason, she was known as the Red Death. ‘’Ow! I missed Uncle Black’s entrance!’’ Harry complained, carrying a huge bucket of popcorn that hide his face, behind him James followed him bringing more candies, food, and beverages.

          ‘’You can see him at least once a month, what’s the difference seeing him here or during dinner?’’ Lily asks, between amused and slightly exasperated, she helps her son with his cargo and leaves her seat for Harry, it has a better view.

          ‘’It’s not the same! Uncle always greets us during the games! They won’t believe me at school when if I tell them that I know him!’’ Lily smiles, relaxed again about her son’s silly worries. Harry was the son of the Minister of Magic, and the Chief of the Department of Aurors, why wouldn’t people believe he was also the godson/nephew of the famous Quidditch player Sirius Black?

          ‘’Well ladies and gentlemen’’ James says with a wide smile, aware that his wife’s humor may not be the best when it comes to Sirius and his displays during games.  ‘’Let’s take a seat, the game has already started!’’ Harry and Reginald cheered from their own seats, flapping around the respective flags of their team, they had probably been Sirius's number 1 fans ever!

Lily looks over them with fond eyes, the taste of peace is glorious.

…

The game goes smoothly. Sirius moves side to side on the field like a hawk ready to take his prey. Petunia couldn’t hide her smile behind her hand anymore. Sometimes she cannot believe a man like Sirius could ever look at her in the way he did, since the first time, choosing her over all the other women that were around him, many powerful, rich, and beautiful witches.

          After all, Sirius Black was not only a quidditch player, but he was also considerate one of the ten important most important figures nowadays in the Wizarding world, according to the magazine Witch Weekly. ‘’Ah! Heavens…!’’ She felt Lily’s hands rubbing her back in circles comfortingly after the little jump she did on her seat, thankfully her daughter remained asleep and undisturbed in her arms. ‘’I hate when he flies backward and upside down!’’ She has lived in this world for more than a decade, and still she can’t keep her heart calm when her husband is reckless!

          ‘’He says it gives him extra speed, he used to do that all the time when playing at our games back on the day, it got us disqualified the first time but we still won that game!’’ James explained happily and Petunia couldn’t help but feeling a little jealous. This was such a wonderful and breathtaking world. The only thing she remembers of herself at sports in middle school is the shot of a soccer ball straight to her face. Not exactly glamorous.

          ‘’Stop overthinking’’ Lily says. ‘’Believe me, he’s the lucky one’’ Petunia doubts it, she can’t bring much to a relationship with a wizard, it was difficult to keep it up and there were moments in which she understood why it was so frowned upon in mixed marriages.

          ‘’…Needless to say’’ She responds naturally, she knows perfectly the distaste existing between her sister and her husband, she doesn’t want to make this a bigger deal than it was.

          Petunia by this day recalls the screams and curses all over the hall outside her room on St. Mungo’s, her hands still pierced together by a chain, and her body pierced with three daggers in a row around her chest. Lily’s voice filled with pain and accusation towards her husband years ago. My sister is dead because of you! You and your stupidity brought her to this! I told you not to marry her! I told you not to get close to her!

          Petunia remembers whimpering, probably trying to speak on behalf of Sirius. She was never forced into this marriage, she perfectly knew what she was getting into, when Sirius asked her after he found her dying, buried in the snow with her heart beating weaker and weaker every second it passed. You can divorce me later if you wish, but please, Petunia, I beg you, let me save you first.

          Though it wasn’t necessary to defend him, Sirius was yelling back at Lily with the same intensity. She was safe with me! I kept her safe! You should have asked me before transferring her from my safehouse to whatever shitplace you chose! She wasn’t your sister anymore! She was my wife, we were having a baby! Petunia was too exhausted to say a peep to let them that she was not dead, at least not yet.

          ‘’Hey, hey! Come on! That’s illegal! Why is no one kicking her out of the field? She deliberately pulled his broom! That’s illegal!’’ James shouts out raising a hand.

          ‘’He’s gonna be just fine’’ Lily minimizes. ‘’This definitely not the roughest move he has suffered against in a game’’ She half wants to put Petunia’s mind at ease and maybe the other one was just bitter. It wouldn’t be the first time her brother-in-law is taken to the hospital for a lesion while playing. ‘’Wait for pay back, she is regretting that’’ In the end, the love for her sister always wins.

          As the results were to be expected, they won, and the image of Sirius standing on his broom while holding high the snitch to the rest of the world to see is the  cover a dozens of newspapers and magazines for the next weeks to come by.