~ I'm blind from the tears that fall like rain

So lost ever since you went away. ~

***

Felicity was up in her room, choosing what dress to wear since Stefan had said that they had to go on an official dinner that night. She had initially refused saying that it would be better if only Esther and Stefan went, but he declined and insisted that she was part of the family too.

Knowing that these were the few times when Stefan would try to make an effort for the family, she had agreed.

She was just placing everything back in the cupboard when the bell started to ring. Once, twice, thrice... She was quite annoyed at the impatience of whoever was outside and leaving what she was doing, she went downstairs.

Esther had opened the door by now and both of them were surprised to see Sirius standing there.

"Esther, who's there?" Stefan too came out of his room.

An unnerving feeling gripped Fel when she saw that Sirius looked nothing like his usual self, his eyes were red as if he had cried and he was in a very disheveled state.

"It's just... He's a friend of Felicity's," Esther replied reluctantly then turning to Sirius she spoke, "Sirius, dear, why don't you come in?" She too had noticed his state and was quite worried deep inside.

"I... I'm sorry Ma'am but... Felicity, you'll have to come with me."

His voice was hoarse and came out quite choked which made her even more anxious.

"You know very well, Sirius that..."

He interrupted her, the plea written clearly in his grey eyes, "Uncle... He's not... Just come with me, please."

The color drained from her face at that, "what happened to him?"

Sirius didn't answer but the expression on his face was enough to clarify that the situation was much worse than they had thought.

Stefan was standing there quite confused at what was going on. He didn't know why but Sirius looked familiar to him, the boy reminded him of Alphard Black, Esther's previous husband and he didn't want his assumption to turn out correct. He didn't want anything that linked his wife's past near them.

Esther nodded recovering from the shock, "go, Fel. I'll handle everything here."

At her statement, Stefan spoke up, "you can't send your daughter with him, Esther, what are you doing?"

She turned to face him with a grave look in her eyes, "I know what I'm doing. I'll explain everything. She has to go."

At her approval, Felicity and Sirius rushed to the motorbike and got on it as quick as possible. Sirius revved up the engine and they sped off.

After they were gone, Esther sat down on a nearby chair clearly exhausted, with her head in her hands.

"What was all that about?" Seeing her so exhausted made him regret asking that. However, he bent down on his knees to be face to face with her, "are you alright?"

"No," she shook her head.

He gently took her hands in his, "who was this Sirius? And why was he asking for Fel to come with him?"

Tears were threatening to pour out from her eyes but she held them back, "he's her cousin. Alphard's nephew."

"So... You mean to say that you told her everything?"

She only nodded in reply.

"But when? How?" Stefan asked.

"I'm sorry, but it's her right to know," she replied, "I told her in the summer break of last year, when you were gone on a business trip. I'm sorry, Stefan, but I couldn't keep lying to her."

"And what has happened now?"

"I don't know," she held her head in her hands again, "but Alphard's not well. He had been very ill when I last saw him; the day I had taken Fel to meet him. And by how Sirius was so worried today, I think... I think something bad has happened to him."

He kept silent. He knew that such a situation was bound to get Esther anxious. After all, she loved Alphard, he had been her first love and Stefan was well aware that she hadn't forgotten him even now after years of being married to him. He couldn't change that aspect of her and he had accepted it.

"Esther, I'll take you to see him, I promise. But not tonight," he stood up, looking at her with mild sympathy in his eyes, "please, it's a very important dinner and we can't miss it. But I promise you, I'll take you to him and that would be the first thing I'll do tomorrow morning."

She nodded, drying up the tears which had fallen, "thank you, Stefan. Thank you so much for all you've done for me."

A shadow passed through his eyes as if he was deep in thought but the words he spoke to her were purely sincere, "I have always loved you, Esther. And you will always be my first priority."

***

Felicity was thoroughly anxious. Throughout the way to Magnolia Crescent, she had kept asking Sirius what had happened to her father yet gotten no response at all.

She feared that whatever happened was quite bad that's why he couldn't bring himself to tell her. And the mere thought of it was burdening her by ever passing second.

At last, they reached the destination. The door was open since Sirius had forgotten to lock it in his haste, and she rushed inside as fast as she possibly could.

Just like Sirius, when she saw Alphard on the bed laying rather lifelessly, her voice got stuck in her throat and she felt paralyzed.

Unable to move, unable to reach out and check whether he was alive or not, she was standing at the doorway, staring ahead as if she was immobilized.

Sirius didn't know what to do, he knew that Felicity had realized the bitter truth, he was aware that she knew Alphard had gone forever. But he couldn't bring himself to do anything to console her.

He was just shocked that even though the horror was evident on her face, not a single tear had rolled down her watery eyes. She was just standing still like a statue.

"Tell me... Tell me that this is some kind of stupid joke," finally she spoke in a muted whisper.

He shook his head, "it's not..."

Her voice rose to an alarming extent as she turned to face him, blue eyes burning like embers, "tell me this is just a prank! He's not dead, right? He can't die!"

She was shaking and he was terrified to see her thus. "It's... It's not... Real. Please, Sirius... Please tell me this is not real," she pleaded, clutching on to his arms tightly as if she was afraid that she would collapse if she didn't hold on to him.

"It is real... Uncle Alphard... left us."

That one sentence was enough to make her feel like the whole world had come crashing down on her. As if all her supports had crumbled and she was nothing but a hollow shell.

"No... No..." She let go of him and knelt down beside Alphard, begging him to wake up. Sirius couldn't bear to watch any further, he couldn't hold back his tears and he couldn't get rid of the horrible emptiness inside him.

It was then that hearing the commotion, the residents of the neighboring house arrived and came in at finding the door open. They too were shocked to see Alphard and even though Alphard had never socialized much in the neighborhood, still the neighbors were quite sure that he had been fine the previous day. Mrs Figg who lived next door said that she had seen Alphard watering the plants in the morning and that he seemed quite alright.

The words flew past Sirius, he was hearing them but not exactly listening. All he could think of was that everything had finished, both for him and for Felicity. The man they had looked up to as a father was gone and there was nothing but a horrible emptiness left, a hollow which no one else could fill.

Felicity didn't know what happened next, the neighbors took charge and called up the mortuary service. A funeral was arranged and Alphard's body was taken away. Sirius was slightly more conscious of the surroundings then she was as he had taken the responsibility upon himself.

Soon there was no one in the house left but Felicity and a while later, Sirius returned with a sad haunted look on his face, telling her that the neighbors had taken care of everything and the funeral was arranged for tomorrow. He also told her that he had informed her mother and she would soon reach there.

Felicity just looked up at him as if she hadn't heard a single word he said. Her eyes were blank and her face depicted remorse. Yet not a single tear had escaped her blue eyes.

Sirius feared that she was holding the sorrow inside of her too much and he knew that in such a state not crying wasn't the best option. But no matter what he said, she just sat there like a statue, staring ahead of her as if her eyes were trying to find someone but couldn't.

Her eyes were trying to find Alphard, hoping he would come back. But deep inside, she knew it wasn't possible. For no one has the power to return from the dead.

***