ink - sirius black

ghosts and impulsive idiots

February 16, 1977
11:58 am
Queenie's Apartment

As Anneliese hugged Queenie tightly, she knew that there was no way she could verbally express the overwhelming amount of gratitude she felt towards Goldstein.

The older woman had been there for her in a time where she didn't feel safe going to anyone else. Her arms had been open with advice and peach pastries and comfort unlike any sort of mother could have ever given her.

The two blondes were both crying whether they wanted to show it or not.

Anneliese knew that her voice would come out choked if she tried to speak, so she just thought instead.

Thank you so much for everything, Queenie, she thought, even her mind somehow managing to sound teary. Thank you.

"You're welcome, dear," Goldstein whispered in response, hugging her tighter with one last squeeze before letting go.

Anneliese stood in front of the seemingly innocent glass bottle of gumdrops that Dumbledore had selected as the Portkey after breaking apart.

She couldn't quite believe herself and what she was about to do.

Queenie was now leaning against the wall with a slightly sad smile, tears still in her bright green eyes from her and Callaway's emotional goodbye. Sirius had moved over to her and was talking to Goldstein in a low tone so that Anneliese couldn't hear.

Well, Callaway was now too busy giving Dumbledore a death stare to do much else.

The petty annoyance that Anneliese had felt towards the headmaster and all of his cryptic, mildly patronizing sayings before their discussion yesterday had been manageable. She had been able to deal with it, because at least he was better than Sayre.

But now, all she felt towards him was pure hatred.

The old man had the audacity to tell her that he was worried about her resemblances to Tom Riddle when he was Anneliese's age and then expect her to be completely fine with it as though nothing large had happened and he was telling her something as impartial the weather of the day.

It was enough to make her blood boil not just for herself, but also for her and Sirius's sake.

There was enough importance behind his words as the headmaster of Hogwarts that it could have critically endangered the relationship that Dumbledore himself had tried to emphasize and tell the two teenagers was important to Anneliese's future.

Why am I doing this? Callaway asked herself with stubbornness. This is such a bad idea.

In reality, she knew exactly why. By all means, the points that Sirius had been making to get her to come back to Hogwarts were very valid and very worthy of consideration. Telling her why everyone would miss her had done one trick.

But him looking at her with those wide grey eyes had really been what tipped the scale.

Sirius is making me soft, Callaway internally groaned. Is this a good or bad thing?

Looking across the room to make sure that she didn't throw up by looking at Dumbledore's old face anymore while thinking, Anneliese smiled softly at what she saw.

Sirius and Queenie both had their heads leaned into the side slightly, discussing something in very quick sentences that Anneliese could barely see their lips moving from.

"I mean, I honestly can't believe that she's going back," Black confided. "There's no way in hell I would be able to after what I thought would be waiting for me."