SOON after Raven collapsed, Marialite went shopping for food.
According to Sirius, much like him, Raven ate just about anything. However, he did have a slight preference for meat, so Marialite bought some steak especially for him. When she got home, though, Sirius didn’t seem all too pleased about her purchases.
“You don’t need to go so far for him,” he complained in a huff.
“But, isn’t he your friend?” Marialite replied. “I’d feel terrible if I didn’t cook him a proper meal.”
“He’s not my friend…” Sirius sighed.
“Either way, he seems to be important to you. Am I wrong?”
Even though Sirius had done pretty much nothing but complain about Raven since he showed up, he was very quick to carry him inside the house and lay him down somewhere more comfortable after he passed out.
…Although he did suggest dumping him in the garden if Marialite was opposed to lending him the sofa (which, of course, she wasn’t).
Sirius’ jade-green gaze shifted to give Marialite a dubious look before he answered her. “He used to be my guard. His command of magic is hilariously bad, but he’s a magnificent sprinter. So, he was tasked with aiding my escape.”
“Does that mean he was with you when you ran away?” she asked.
“Indeed. However, we were eventually separated. I thought he was dead,” he added solemnly.
“Thank goodness he found you.”
Marialite had no doubt that Raven had a harrowing story to tell, too. He looked just as weak and malnourished as Sirius did when she first met him.
Apparently, Raven was also fond of apples, so Marialite decided to make some apple compote—a simple dessert made by dicing some apples, then mixing them with sugar, lemon juice, and water in a saucepan.
The sugary scent of apples and lemons wafted through the kitchen, and it seemed to stir Raven from his deep sleep. He opened his eyes, but they were still completely rolled back, as though he were only half-conscious.
“Mmm… Somethin’ smells really good…” he mumbled sleepily.
“Oh, Raven. You fainted, but…are you all right?” Marialite fretted, looking over her shoulder from the kitchen. “In fact, is he even awake?”
“I don’t think so,” Sirius sighed. “Hey, Raven! WAKE UP! You’re embarrassing yourself in front of Lady Marialite!”
In the next moment, something truly astounding occurred.
Before Marialite could even get a word in edgewise, Sirius grabbed the top of Raven’s head and violently clutched a fistful of hair. Raven’s eyes immediately snapped wide open, and a terrified tremble seized his limbs as he shook Sirius off.
Then, he backed away so fast, that he ended up plastering himself to the ceiling. Marialite blinked.
“Eeeeeeek!” he screamed. “I don’t know what happened, but please spare me! I’ll do anything! Just don’t kill me!”
“Who said anything about killing you? Although, if you don’t pull yourself together, I just might,” Sirius growled.
“Noooo! I don’t want to di—” Raven suddenly froze, his wide eyes fixed on Sirius. “Wait… Lord Sirius? Is that you? And…why am I clinging to the ceiling like some kinda spider?”
Apparently, he’d finally found his way back to reality. He was clearly in shock, but even so, he landed on his feet without so much as a wobble. Then, when he met Marialite’s gaze, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“…Who are you?”
“My name’s Marialite. I bought you some steak earlier. Would you like some?” she asked, quickly brushing his suspicion aside.
“Really?! Steak?!” His eyes shone with excitement, and the word “please” was written all over his face.
“Yup!” Marialite grinned. “Sirius told me you love meat, so I thought it might cheer you up. For dessert, I’m making some apple compote, too.”
“Comport? What’s that?”
“Compote. You make it by cooking fruit in a sugary syrup. You can eat it just like that, or bake it in a fruit pie,” she explained.
“It sounds amazing…” Raven marveled. She could almost imagine drool hanging from his mouth. “But…is it really okay for me to eat something that fancy?”
“I thought the same thing, but apparently, Lady Marialite wants to treat you. You should be grateful for her kindness,” Sirius demanded bluntly.
“Maybe you should just be kinder yourself!” he snapped back with a pout on his lips. Raven must’ve been around fifteen or sixteen. His voice had broken, but his face still had a round sort of youth to it.
“By the way, Lord Sirius…when did you get so big?” Raven continued, scanning him from head to toe. “You’re taller than me now, and you’re actually really scary when you’re angry…”
“I have Lady Marialite to thank for that. Thinking I was an orphan, she took raising me into her own hands,” Sirius said, his tone much softer than a few moments ago.
He gently took Marialite’s hand and squeezed it. The look he gave her was about the furthest thing from familial love, although Marialite didn’t seem to realize it. Raven’s jaw twitched.
“…I never pegged you for the affectionate type,” Raven remarked, bemused.
“What do you mean? Sirius is always like this,” Marialite said, her voice colored with surprise.
“Whaaaat?” Raven frowned. “I mean, he’s never been an outright bully, but…let’s just say he was never soft on anyone.”
“When I first met him, he was certainly very wary,” she conceded. “Still, I sort of wish I could have met him back then.” It was more of an offhand comment to herself—because she was genuinely curious as to how Raven remembered him.
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Raven muttered with a strained smile, hanging his head.