Chapter 170: an unfaithful reunion (3)

The tension in the air was thick as we sat down for dinner. The house was small but warm, the wooden walls sturdy against the cold mountain air. A fire crackled in the hearth, casting flickering shadows across the room. My aunt sat at the head of the table, her expression unreadable, while Sirius sat beside me.

It felt surreal having him here, in my home, sitting at my table, as if the years apart hadn’t happened.

Sirius barely touched his food. His golden eyes kept flickering toward the staircase, his fingers drumming against the edge of his plate. He was waiting.

"Where is Aster?" he finally asked, his voice quiet.

I set my spoon down and exhaled. "Give him time," I said softly. "This is a lot for him."

Sirius looked down at his hands, his jaw tightening. "I just... I don’t know how to approach him."

"You don’t need to rush anything tonight," my aunt interjected, eyeing him carefully. "He’s a smart boy. He’ll come when he’s ready."

Sirius nodded stiffly, but I could see the restlessness in him—the desire to speak, to explain, to do something.

And then,

Footsteps.

Slow, hesitant footsteps descending the wooden staircase behind us.

I turned, my breath catching in my throat.

Aster stood at the bottom of the stairs, his silver hair a mess from his earlier stress, his sharp blue-gray eyes staring directly at his father. He was dressed in a loose tunic and trousers, his arms crossed over his chest as he lingered by the steps.

For a long moment, he said nothing.

Then.

"Are you my father?"

The words were simple, but they carried a weight that made my heart twist.

Sirius inhaled sharply. He stood so quickly his chair scraped against the wooden floor.

"Yes," he said, his voice raw with emotion. "I am."

Aster studied him for a long, tense moment. His gaze flickered over Sirius—his dark hair, his broad shoulders, the regal way he carried himself even now. There was no doubt that he was Sirius’ son, from the way he stood to the fierce fire in his eyes.

Aster glanced at me briefly before turning back to Sirius.

"Why did you come here?" His voice was calm, but underneath it, I could hear the unspoken questions.

Why now? Why after all these years?

Sirius exhaled slowly. "Because I had to know if you were alive. I had to see you, had to see your mother." He hesitated before adding, "I’ve been looking for you both for a long time."

Aster’s expression didn’t change, but his fingers twitched slightly at his sides.

"You didn’t know about me?"

Sirius swallowed. "I only found out the day I killed my father," he admitted, his voice strained. "He told me with his dying breath that Astra had been pregnant when she disappeared. I searched everywhere. I wanted to believe, but..." His hands clenched into fists. "I thought I lost you both."

Aster’s gaze remained steady, though something flickered in his eyes—something uncertain.

"You really killed your father?"

Sirius nodded. "I had to."

Aster was silent for a moment. Then he exhaled sharply and stepped forward, pulling out a chair across from Sirius. He sat down, his movements slow and deliberate, but there was a tension in his shoulders that hadn’t been there before.

Sirius watched him as if he were afraid Aster might disappear if he blinked.

"You don’t have to talk to me if you’re not ready," Sirius said carefully. "But I’d like to get to know you. If you’ll let me."

Aster looked down at his plate, pushing his food around with his fork.

"You’re not what I imagined," he admitted quietly.

Sirius blinked. "What did you imagine?"

Aster hesitated, then gave a small shrug. "I thought you’d be... taller."

A short, stunned silence followed. Then...

My aunt let out a sharp laugh, unable to contain herself. Even Riven, who had been watching quietly from the side of the room, smirked slightly.

I pressed my lips together, biting back a smile.

Sirius, for the first time that night, grinned. It was small and brief, but it was there.

"I used to be taller," he said, leaning back slightly. "Your mother just made me shrink over the years."

I rolled my eyes. "I did not."

Aster looked between us, something softening in his gaze. It was subtle, but I saw it.

For the rest of dinner, the conversation was hesitant and awkward, but it was there.

It was a start.