Even after all these years, Leah could hear the arguing.

It was 1969, the year that everything changed. Leah was nine at the time, and Shelby was barely seven. The Reeves family had spent the day in town like any other Sunday. They made their rounds in the farmers' market, enjoyed a delicious brunch at the local café, and chatted with a few friends at the town square. This Sunday, however, was different from the others, for the Reeves children were taken to their annual checkup with the healers.

Leah was acquainted with the healers, having gone every year since the day she was born. She knew what was expected of her, and she knew to be on her best behavior in order to be rewarded with sweets and stickers. So she should have suspected something when their visit lasted almost an hour longer than usual. She should have been more than disappointed when she left the healers with no lollies in hand.

It wasn't until they arrived at home that she realized the change in air. That was when they started arguing.

Screwing her eyes shut, Leah stuffed down the tears that threatened to fall. She held Shelby tightly to her chest. Their arms were wrapped around each other, but it brought small comfort to the fear that surrounded them like a raincloud. Still, it was better than nothing. At times such as this, small comforts went a long way, and Leah was willing to do anything to calm the raging winds that stormed into the Reeves household.

They were hiding in Ainsley's room. Their eldest sister stood silently by the doorway. Ainsley was like a castle guard with her stony expression and unwavering focus. She pressed her ear against the door, listening, straining to hear the sharp voices that floated up from the kitchen.

Leah couldn't hear what their parents were saying. She didn't know what was happening, why it was happening. All she knew was that it couldn't be anything good. She didn't miss it when Ainsley's eyes flashed over to them, to Shelby, whose hands were pressed against her ears in a vain attempt to tune out the shouts. Leah swallowed down a gulp, tightening her grip on Shelby. She rested her chin on her shoulder, gritting her teeth when the tears started breaking out again.

Leah didn't know how much time had passed. The sunlight that had been poking through the curtains slowly dimmed, darkening until the room was pitch black. Rain began to pitter-patter down, a steady rhythm that did little to capture the essence of the fighting battle downstairs. Unlike the arguing, the rain was peaceful. It was a soothing song in the midst of chaos, a steady heartbeat that served as a reminder that everything would be okay. The night would soon come to pass, and the sun would rise again. But the rain wasn't enough. Minutes passed, and soon, hours did too. It didn't take long to realize that it wasn't going to stop.

The arguing wasn't going to stop.

Ainsley sighed and gave up her position beside the door. She moved through the dark, towards Leah and Shelby who sat on her bed, and switched on the lamp. Light flooded the room, not grand or radiant but somber and cheerless. It was a warm light, but it couldn't penetrate the ice barriers. It couldn't stop the cold.

Leah watched Ainsley as she pulled back the covers. A golden glow framed her figure and if not for the contrasting shadows, she could have been an angel. She was tall, slender, and for once, her hair wasn't pulled in a tight updo. It spilled across her shoulders, cascading down her back like a tumbling river. She smiled at Leah when she noticed her puppy-like stare, but her eyes betrayed her.

"What are they saying?" Leah whispered.

Leah watched as Ainsley took a deep breath, shutting her eyes. Her insides withered like a flower when a shout broke through their silence. Leah winced, curling in on herself. She crawled deeper underneath the blanket.

Shelby shifted beside her. "Ainsley, I'm scared."

"It'll be over soon. You'll see."

"Do you promise?"

Ainsley nodded. She held out her pinky finger. "I promise."

Moving to climb onto the bed, Ainsley looked between Leah and Shelby, who wordlessly made room for her. "Do you two want a story?" she quietly asked as she settled down between the two.

Shelby nodded, snuggling closer to Ainsley. She clung onto Ainsley's arm as if it was a stuffed bear.

Ainsley reached over to her bedside table, grabbing a book—The Tales of Beedle the Bard. She quickly flipped through the pages, and Leah watched as the vivid drawings flew past her eyes. She wasn't surprised when Ainsley finally found the page she wanted: The Wizard and the Hopping Pot. It was always the first story Ainsley always told, and Leah knew it by heart. She knew the spots where Ainsley liked to dramatically pause, and she memorized how the rise and fall of her voice would release each word, each sentence. Leaning back, Leah yawned.

She sunk down into the pillow and listened to Ainsley's voice. She struggled to keep her eyes open. Fatigue swept over her at full force, and the pictures in the book turned to a blur of colors. The sound of her parents fighting became faint in the back of her mind. Leah squeezed her eyes shut, burying her face into Ainsley's side.

She didn't understand it. They never fought. Something had changed when they came home from town that day. Something beyond the missing lollies and chocolate. It must have been something to do with the healers. Something to do with Shelby and how long her checkup took. But what?

Leah frowned. She bit down on her lip. Thinking back, there was one word that they kept saying. What was it again—a squid? But what did squid have to do with anything? She had never seen one in person, and she knew Shelby hadn't either. Was it an insult?

Hot fury washed over her. If it was an insult, she was going to march to town and demand the healers to take it back. She would have fought if it meant that her family could go back to normal.

But it was never quite the same again.

It was a new normal. A new way of living. It was the first instance where Leah realized that she needed to toughen up and harden her skin. Because what went on at home, stayed at home.

And Shelby stayed at home.

That was the rule. That was the one secret that haunted her nights. The one thing she dared not break. What went on at home, stayed at home.

And in 1993, present-time, Leah found that her secrets had finally caught up to her.

Leah looked down at the muggle newspaper. Her hands shook. She didn't need to look to know that Sirius was watching her. She could feel his eyes. They saw through her every time, but this time, he was left in the dark. Unknowing. Scared.

They had found an alleyway to spend the night in. It was small, quiet, and dark. Not even the light of the moon could shine down on them. Leah leaned against the brick wall and sighed. She nursed her arms in her lap. They still throbbed after her fall, but it was a dull pain. Half the time, Leah didn't even realize that she was even hurting. After further inspection, she and Sirius had concluded them to only be bruised, not broken, thankfully. Leah tilted her head back to look at the night sky. Tossing the paper to the side, she reached a hand up to wipe away the tears that had welled up in her eyes. She hoped Sirius hadn't seen them.

A little stream of water trickled down from the gutter of a nearby building, dripping down to create a puddle. Leah listened to the tapping sound as she envisioned the night they found out. She remembered Ainsley's disguise, how she kept telling them that everything would be fine again—how she lied. She remembered the nervous look in Shelby's eyes. Shelby, who was never frightened. Shelby, who was never skittish. Shelby, who was willing to walk to the ends of the world with her. After that night, she had changed. Everyone had changed.

Leah brought her knees to her chest. She glanced over at Sirius, who patiently waited for an explanation. But how could she give one to him? What went on at home, stayed at home. If she told him, she would be dishonoring her family.

Leah hesitated. Frowning, she scrunched up her face. There was a loophole though... What went on at home, stayed at home—but what happened when that home was destroyed? Did the rule still apply when there was no home?

Or was it void. If there was no home, then there was nothing to hide. No more secrets to be kept. No more rules. No more hiding.

No more anything.

Was that what she wanted?

Leah took the leap before she could change her mind.

"She's a squib," she spat out. "She has no magic."

It was a strange thing to say, but Leah felt the relief spread through her like a wildfire. It was nice, releasing something into the wild after holding it in for so long. How many years had it been—twenty-three going onto twenty-four? But now she had to face the consequences.

Somehow, the quiet got quieter. Her words lingered like a memory, a broken promise that bit into skin like frost. It was the bad sort of nostalgia, the one that made you think too hard and remember all the small, painful details. The kind where you wanted to tear your hair out and crawl into a hole, never to be seen again.

Leah searched Sirius's eyes, waiting for an answer. Her fingers curled into fists, and her skin tingled in anticipation. He didn't say anything. He just sat there, watching her with those silver-gray eyes, thinking.

For once, Leah wanted him to say something. She wanted for him to have an opinion, test her patience until she exploded. And for once, Sirius Black had nothing. No words, no opinions, no thoughts. Nothing.

Leah tore her eyes away. She looked back down at the paper. Her blood churned.

Why had she changed her name? Why had she changed from being Reeves to Reed? No wizard or witch was going to suspect her for having the same name as them. No muggle was going to know about the wizarding world. It didn't make sense.

She read the headline again. PRIME MINISTER SHELBY REED WARNS OF TWO PRISONERS.

She wanted to scream. Prime Minister. Since when? Since when was Shelby the Prime Minister? How was she Prime Minister? It was impossible and yet, the words were right there. They burned her.

"I don't understand."

Leah looked up at Sirius. Her breath was caught in her throat. She swallowed it down. "What is there to understand?"

"No one knew about her?"

"No one." Leah nodded. "Just me, Ainsley, and our parents. Plus, a few select family and friends."

"You guys didn't even announce her birth?"

Leah laughed darkly to herself. She twirled a strand of her hair. "We're a very secretive family," she murmured. "You should know, Sirius. You're a pureblood."

"But... you didn't tell anyone?"

"No," Leah said. She tensed, and doubt crawled underneath her skin. She frowned, cocked her head to the side. "Well... there was one time. It was an accident. I didn't mean to. It just sort of happened. But that doesn't matter! He swore to keep it quiet. He promised."

Sirius went quiet. "Peter?"

"Peter." Leah confirmed. She flinched at the look Sirius shot her. "He was my best friend. You can't blame me."

"I know." Sirius met her eyes evenly. "He was my friend too."

Leah let out a breath. She nodded once and fiddled with her hands. Despite everything, she found herself able to relax.

"What was she like?" Sirius asked.

Leah smiled. She closed her eyes, picturing Shelby's chocolate eyes and smile. "She was the best sister I could have asked for," she said. "She's not like Ainsley. She never told you what to do or what you did wrong. There was no one constantly watching over her shoulder, and she was always free to do whatever she pleased. Anything she wanted was hers. She had the whole world in her hands." Leah opened her eyes. She stopped breathing when she realized that the tears had welled up again. She swallowed. "There was no rule that could stop her."

"I wish I could've met her."

"You would have gotten along," Leah said.

"You think so?"

Leah glanced at him. "You make it sound like she's dead."

Sirius shrugged. "Sorry," he murmured. "I just don't think she'd want to meet me right now. Not with her being the Prime Minister and all."

Leah frowned. "Maybe she can help us."

"You know that's not how this works."

"Why not?" Leah said. "She's my sister. Why wouldn't she help?"

"She's the Prime Minister!" Sirius threw his hands in the air. He sighed. "Leah, she's going to tell Fudge. She has to tell Fudge! It's her job! She has a bounty out for us."

"I know, but—" Leah shook her head. "I'm going to her," she said. "I've made up my mind. You can't stop me."

Sirius didn't say anything. He looked away.

"Are you with me?"

Sirius blinked in surprise. He opened his mouth, closed it. He shook his head. "No," he said. "I have to go to Hogwarts. For Harry."

"Then, it seems we have reached the end of the line."

"I guess so."

"It's for the best."

Sirius held her gaze. He nodded. "We'll find each other again," he said. "There's only so much two runaway criminals can do."

Leah chuckled. "Maybe not too soon though," she said. "I won't miss you."

"Oh, woe is me." Sirius laughed. "I won't either. My nose can finally heal."

"Unbelievable."

"Me or my nose?"

Leah stared at him blankly. "The fact that your nose even has the ability to heal."

"You wound me," Sirius said. "I think I'm pretty unbelievable."

"You are," Leah said. "I just wouldn't take it as a compliment."

Sirius smirked. "Very funny."

"You know," Leah said before she could stop herself. "You aren't half bad."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. He crossed his arms. "Is that a compliment?"

"Absolutely not."

"Just checking."

Pushing herself up onto her feet, Leah rolled her eyes. She breathed in. "Okay," she said, changing the subject. "I'll take first watch."

"Are you sure?" Sirius said. He started to stand. "I can if you're—"

Leah shook her head. "I'm sure," she said. "Get some rest."

Leah didn't wait to hear his answer, transforming into a blackbird. She flew up into the air, finding a spot on a power line where she could overlook the alley.

One more night. Then, she would leave Sirius.

One more night. Then, she wouldn't have to deal with him anymore.

One more night. And she could finally find her sisters.

Leah smiled softly to herself. That didn't sound half bad.

<><><> 

I bet y'all didn't expect that. If you did, then kudos to you because you have mind reading abilities. 

Leah and Sirius are splitting up! Although I don't want to leave Sirius behind, Leah needs to figure out some of her many problems on her own and without someone who has the ability to make her angry so easily. This means that when Sirius and her meet up again, maaaaaaaaaaybe she'll be more cooperative in their relationship. 

Anyway, I can't believe summer vacation is almost over. I'll be returning to school in less than a month, and I AM NOT READY. PLEASE, I NEED MORE TIME TO DO MY OWN THINGS AAAAHEDOJSKAHODSJ 

Have a good day! XD