Chapter 15

It was a cold, dark night when Adria finally opened the door to her home, more than thankful that she was finally home for the evening from a much too long, very stressful day from work. She was finally off for the holidays, the last shift she had before Christmas and it was a dreadful one too, a Christmas party had called for cakes and cookies, brownies and tarts. The whole lot, and May, Mildred and Adria all had to help out as best as they could.

The money was amazing, it was the most a customer had ever paid.

It was a rare night of just her, Sirius and Jude and she was more than excited to see her boys, something good from a bad day. Arden wanted to take trip to see her aunt and Benji didn't want her to get the train alone in case she ran into anyone from the wizarding world, he knew he wasn't much help but he would fight for Arden until his death and thought it pointless to stay and worry about her the full time she was gone. They would be back for Christmas, spending it with Adria and Sirius and Jude, but Arden's aunt did a lot for her and Arden never wanted to forget that.

Alina and Lia wished to stay at Alfie's, Adria made a note to call them later seeing as they had yet to retrieve their things from her dad's home and Alfie took them over today, making sure to be with them as they looked through the house and had to take in the familiar scent of Douglas. Alfie promised a sleepover with them when they entered the bakery late in the afternoon for treats for their night.

"Adria?" the girl heard coming from the kitchen and put one of the living room lights on in passing so that the house wasn't engulfed in complete darkness. She was surprised that Jude hadn't greeted her yet, but she didn't let it bother her as she passed into the dining room, her shoulders slumping when she finally leaned against the counter in the kitchen, looking at Sirius at the kitchen table, "oh so you're fine then, huh?"

"Wha- babe, what's wrong?" Adria asked, sitting down her bag on the counter whilst Sirius kept his head in his hand, trying to hydrate himself with a large pint of water to rid the pounding headache he had received from stress and lack of rest.

Adria wasn't the only one who had a stressful day at work, in fact, Sirius was sure it was the worst day he had ever had at the garage he worked at. It was simply terrible, so many customers coming and going in a rush, all irritated and none willing to cooperate. It was simply impossible for all of them to have their cars fixed by Christmas day, but telling them all that was a different story.

No one cared.

He had to work later than he usually did, but he didn't know Adria had to do the same.

"I come home late and where is my family, huh, nowhere to be seen!" Sirius exclaimed, standing from the stool, "no note, no nothing to say where you were, what the hell am I supposed to think, Adria?!"

"Sirius, calm down!" she exclaimed.

"Calm down?!" he shrieked, "do you know how horrible it was for me to go over to Mrs Sullivan's house and ask, oh where is my child that no one picked up from nursery, oops silly us!"

"Sirius-"

"He thought we had forgotten about him, but it's your job on Thursdays to pick him up!" Sirius exclaimed, "if I knew you weren't going to be here then we could've got Alfie, but no you're always so bloody terrified of Alfie getting Jude. Well it's one time, and it's much better than him going to someone's house when we don't know about it!"

"Sirius, please!" Adria shouted, "it was a mistake, okay? I made a mistake, May needed all the help she could get with this big order and I had to stay late, I couldn't just leave. I'm sorry, I should've known better, but I do make mistakes, alright?!"

"We have a phone, Adria!" Sirius' voice boomed around the kitchen, and with every moment passing her frustration built and the tears welt in her eyes, "merlin, use your common sense it's not very hard to pick up the phone and call, what if Jude wasn't picked up, what if he didn't get to play with Jackson all day but a complete stranger grabbed him? what if you weren't working late and you had been attacked, by anyone!"

"I can look after myself Sirius-"

"Clearly not if you can't even think to call home!" he didn't mean to hurt her, but his irritation had gotten the best to him to the point that he was shouting louder than before, "Jude was so worried, and bloody hell so was I, and I had to pretend that it was alright for Jude who had to go to bed scared about where his Addy is!"

"You're acting like this isn't the first time this is happened but I don't know what to do, Sirius!" Adria shrieked, "I shouldn't have to worry about my toddler brother getting home safely, neither should you, it was a mistake! I know it was a terrible mistake but it happened and do you really think that the teachers would let him go with just anyone?! They have my work number, they have yours and Alfie's too and I got absoloutely no phone call. You're getting so worked up and mad over something we can talk out, and you're acting as if you don't make mistakes either!"

"You could've been dead, Adria," he spat, a frustrated hand running through his hair, "you could've been lying injured in the dark and I wouldn't have known, do you know how fucking scary that is for me?!"

"Do you know how scary it is for me to see you like this?" she whispered quietly, her eyes wide and her emotions rising. She hated that they were arguing, it was the worst times and she knew that she couldn't get truly mad at him because it was fear, and stress and even love and it wasn't his fault.

She made a terrible mistake and even thinking of it set her off but she hated him raising his voice. She hated raising her own voice.

"I have worked all day nonstop, I am tired and sore and I just wanted to come home and see my two boys." She reached for her bag that seemed to pull her down, and with a grumble of annoyance, and her irritation levels peeking she moved to leave the kitchen.

"Bloody hell, Adria, put the bag down-"

"Oh, for goodness sake, Sirius!" Adria snapped, letting her bag dropped to the floor and turning with a look of pure annoyance. It was very evident that Sirius was rather shocked by her voice rising but that didn't stop him from getting defensive, "I am not some weak child who needs you to pick up everything for me, I'm a big girl I can handle a bag!"

"Well I'm sorry if I'm a little on edge, Adria!" Sirius' voice was as loud as hers was, "but you are carrying my fucking child and I can bet you're probably the clumsiest person in the world!"

"Oh, don't start me, Sirius!" Adria rolled her eyes, shaking her head, "clumsy, really? You think I'm going to just trip over nothing because I'm carrying a fucking bag?!"

"Well you're a bit careless in all departments, aren't you?" he shouted, shaking his head. The words coming out of his mouth was hardly the truth but he was under too much stress to think clearly, "you can't even think to phone home either, never mind carry a bag!"

"Are you seriously still going on about that?" she huffed, ignoring the hurt she was feeling. She knew that she was an emotional person but she also knew that her feelings were heightened in the particular moment and all she wished for was for them both to apologise and for him to hug her, she wanted her Sirius and arguing was the last thing she ever wanted to do, "you act as if you're this perfect angel, as if you haven't made mistakes before Sirius."

"What like leaving my three-year-old brother defenceless when he could've been kidnapped?" Sirius spoke, "or not calling your worried sick boyfriend when we're in the middle of a fucking war?!"

"Stop yelling at me!" she exclaimed, her arms flailing around, "Sirius- I get that it's been a stressful day-"

"Yeah, it's been very stressful actually!" Sirius nodded, banging his fist on the counter but very immediately regretting it when Adria jumped, "not only was work the most dreadful thing in the world, but my girlfriend didn't come home and the three-year-old who is basically my child wasn't here and could've been anywhere, yeah it's been pretty fucking stressful, nice observation!"

"Sirius please calm down," she whispered, blinking away the tears she stubbornly wouldn't let spill.

Sirius scoffed humourlessly, shaking his head whilst Adria's shoulders slumped, "I need some air."

"Sirius-"

"Don't," he shook his head, "maybe you should go see Jude, he was worried too."

"Sir-" he slammed the door before she could even finish speaking and that was when the tears streamed down her cheeks almost instantly. She covered her hand over her mouth as she let out a sob, hearing the engine of the motorbike Sirius had been working on for months until it sped away and Sirius had left.

She felt terrible, and guilty but she knew that she wasn't the only one at fault. They could've handled that differently, talking normally and making sure that Jude would be safe no matter what. Her day at work was so hectic that all focus went into everything she had to do, nothing else crossed her mind when it should have.

She knew she made a terrible mistake but Sirius was completely out of hand.

She climbed the stairs with a tired sigh, already talking off her shirt in order to change into her pyjamas - well, Sirius' hoodie - so that she was at least comfy. She fell onto her bed soon after getting changed, not ready to sleep knowing that Sirius wasn't home and almost felt her heart break when the soft patter of feet was heard.

She knew it was late but she didn't think Jude would be in bed just yet, "hi baby," she whispered, lifting him onto the bed with her. He curled up beside her, playing with her hand whilst he hummed.

"Is Pad mad at you?" he whispered, lifting his head to stare at Adria who was fighting back more tears.

"He's just a little stressed from work right now, baby," she smiled, lifting him onto her lap, "I'm sorry for not picking you up today, work was so bad!"

"It's alright, you have to bake lots to get me toys," he grinned, sitting on her whilst she lay on the bed, "Pad came and got me and we went and got pia."

"You got Pizza?" Adria grinned, "I bet Pad had a great time, he loves Pizza."

Jude nodded enthusiastically, though his smile turned into a frown, "I heard you and Pad shouting, Addy, does this mean Pad is gonna leave us like daddy?"

Adria tried not to let it show that she was hurting at his words, but she merely pulled him closer and hugged him. She wondered how it was possible for her to even forget to get him, it was many last days for their small family. Sirius' last day of work, Adria's too and Jude's last day of nursery.

"Pad is never gonna leave us, baby, and daddy didn't either, I promise," Adria whispered. She kissed every inch of his face, her hand on his head keeping him close to her, "Pad loves you very much and daddy does too but daddy is just invisible right now. You can always talk to him and he is always listening and Pad will be home soon, he just - he was just too warm in the house and needed to cool down a bit, alright baby?"

"Alright," Jude finally nodded.

"Let's get you back to bed." she smiled, holding him close before lifting them both off the bed and down the hall to his room.

She didn't know how she ended up on the couch, flipping through the few channels of talk shows and money games that she didn't care about. She wasn't even remotely watching them and when the clock struck eleven she was getting even more worried about Sirius' whereabouts, every time she thought of him she felt as though her tears where returning and she wanted to cry again.

But at exactly quarter past Eleven, the door open and quickly closed and not even remotely making his way into the living room, Sirius climbed the stairs of their home to go to bed. Adria merely sighed, switching the tv off and throwing the blanket over the edge of the couch before quickly climbing the stairs after him.

He was facing the other way as she walked into her bedroom once again, his bare back on display from where he was changing for the night, ready to go to bed but she would never sleep on an argument, she could. So, she walked over to him and her arms wrapped around his stomach and her lips kissed his shoulder blades whilst he tensed at her touch.

"I thought you would be mad at me," he whispered after a few minutes of her with her head against his back and her arms tightly around him, "I didn't want to make you more upset so I just came up here."

"I was upset that you left," she spoke honestly, her warm breath hitting off his cold body, "but I get that you're stressed and I get that it was a bad day for you. It was a bad day for me too and I swear I wasn't thinking right, I was just focused on getting everything done. I know I shouldn't have forgotten about Jude and the fact that I have is just...so horrible. I'm sorry for putting you through that worry, Sirius, especially at a time like this, especially when you're so stressed from work."

He turned them around quickly so that he could face her, his hands gripping her tightly and his eyes on hers intently, "I'm sorry for snapping it you. I blew it out of proportion and I just didn't want to ever think of anyone hurting you or Jude, I never want to take away the title of dad away from Douglas for Jude but I'm as good as any for him, we are all he has as his guardians and having to go to Mrs Sullivan's house to get him, to face that I took all of that anger out on you.

But I shouldn't have because we have both been pulled into this new life as guardians for a toddler when we are only teenagers, and I couldn't think of my life without Jude there every morning and I never want to but we are still only young, and having to think of these things is something we are still learning to do.

I was scared today, and I took it out as anger and shouting and I'm so sorry, I'm sorry for scaring you and hurting you and for storming out because I shouldn't have and the fact that I did when we could've talked it out is something I'll make up to you for, but please let's just never fight or argue again," Sirius laughed softly, his forehead resting against hers whilst she leaned against their bed.

"I like the sound of that," she nodded, her arms around his neck whilst she stood flush against him, "no fighting, no arguments, just peaceful talk. Course it's a bit unrealistic cause we're both terribly stubborn but I suppose we can dream."

He smirked as he kissed her, "new plan, we never go to bed without sorting an argument. We argue over the stupidest things Addy, we both know that but at least let's sort it."

"Sirius, I can barely go an hour without talking to you after an argument," she giggled, pulling him down in order to kiss him, "we can relax now. Christmas is only a few days away which is wonderful and we both don't have work."

"We can have many long lies," he grinned, pulling her with him and onto the bed, "we can have so much more time together. You know from eight at night to maybe six in the morning, we are all alone together."

"You're right, Mr Black," Adria nodded, leaning on her elbow in order to look at him and soon pressing her lips to his, "I wonder what we could do."

"Well the possibilities are endless but I have something in mind, actually," he bit his lip when she gave him a cheeky smile, ducking her head in order to meet his lips whilst his hand slipped under his hoodie that she wore.

"You know before we actually...don't get any sleep," Adria smirked, earning a laugh from Sirius, "where did you go?"

"Where do you think?" Sirius chuckled, "I went to James and Lily's and Lily basically gave me an earful about how I was completely out of order. Tried to get James to take my side but he was playing peacemaker cause he "loves us both equally" or something like that."

"I bet it was tough to hear your husband say that, huh?" Adria teased, pressing kisses to his skin whilst his hands roamed her body.

"Oh yeah, broke my heart," he nodded, "I also felt terrible at Mrs Sullivan's house."

"Why?"

"She is so oddly nice," he shook his head, "she was giving me tips on parenting and telling me not to let it get to me so much because even at her age with four kids, she's managed to forget about them all at least once."

"Well I can't say that isn't...reassuring," Adria laughed softly.

"Yes, yes, it was all good," he nodded, moving so that he was hovering over her, "now enough talking, yeah?"

She wrapped one arm around his neck, "one last thing."

"What's that?" he asked, his head titled and soon finding himself in a kiss.

"I love you."

He couldn't help but smile against her lips one more time, soon speaking, "to the moon and back?"

"And a stop within the stars."