FicWad

Stay alive

Heaven holds a place for us tonight

I am paralyzed

Close your eyes

Drive away the cloud that hides the light

And leave the pain behind

Dead alive

Find a way to bury all the lies

~ "Hollow" by Breaking Benjamin

Fate seemed to be nothing but like a cruel mother, pretending to nurture and care for you. Only to be slowly poisoning you when you had your guard down.

Scarlett paused for a moment, leaning against the sink area of the kitchen as she placed down her nearly boiling cup of tea down on the counter beside her.

It had been years since Lily and James passing; but it still stung like it had only been yesterday. Scarlett remembered the dread that flowed shockingly through her veins that night...that utterly horrid night.

She felt nausea come over her that suddenly made it hard for her to breath when she first discovered James. His body lying so horrifyingly sprawled on the stairs.

Scarlett nearly collapsed right then and there; the sight utterly too much for her to handle. She couldn't believe...couldn't fathom why Sirius had done such a thing! To their friends! His brother!

The wailing of their son Harry could be heard from upstairs, breaking her from forgetting about Lily. It was almost like he was calling to her it seemed.

"I'm sorry, James…" She gulped from behind her hand that covered her mouth as she managed to lunge over his body while making her way up the stairs. Her heart had raced like never before; she felt such despair when she thought of what she might soon discover.

"Lily!" She screamed, falling to the ground when she finally discovered Lily lying in front of the crib. She stroked her friends beautiful long, red curls as she felt tears flow like a waterfall.

How could this have happened? She thought...she thought they would be safe. Sirius promised her...promised them…he was their secret keeper. It just didn't make sense. Sirius would never do such a thing...yet here they were, slain like lamb.

"Scar?" She finally heard one-year-old Harry sniff, snapping her out of her intense mourning for her fallen best friends.

Scarlett sniffed, wiping tears from under her eye with a trembling hand as she tried to crack a smile. She had to, for Harry she must show strength.

"Harry, oh Harry! Are you alright?" She finally managed to say. Scarlett quickly rushed over to the crib, scooping Harry into her arms as she wiped his tears from his cheeks.

Those eyes...Lily's eyes...she thought to herself; urging herself to fight back more tears. She couldn't bare to look into them any longer.

Chills ran sporadically down her spine as she clenched Harry tightly to her breast as she stroked his soft black hair...James's hair…

"Don't cry, don't cry…" She cooed softly, more for herself then little Harry.

"Scarlett, what are you doing here?" She heard a familiar voice ask.

Stunned,she looked up quickly. Her grip growing even tighter on baby Harry when she saw who it was.

"How could you Sirius?!" She nearly screamed, tears still refusing to fall.

Sirius started down solemnly at the sight of Lily's dead body, nearly speechless.

"It's not what you think...James and I...we changed plans!"

"What the hell do you mean you changed plans? You were their secret keeper, Sirius! They trusted you with their lives! Their only son is now left without parents! What do you want me to think?"

Sirius gulped before answering, slowly moving closer towards Scarlett when he saw how close she was to outright losing it.

"I wasn't their secret keeper...Peter was. We thought it was best to keep that a secret. The weak bastard... he gave them up, Scarlett! You must believe me!"

Scarlett gulped, clenching Harry tighter than ever. She was at loss for words, completely stunned by this new information. She couldn't understand...didn't understand why Sirius and James would keep such a secret from everyone so close to them.

"I would never betray Lily and James, Scarlett! I would rather die!" Sirius boomed loudly, reaffirming his innocence to Scarlett.

"Then...why did he do it, Sirius? Why would Peter do such a thing?" she whispered hoarsely, glancing down at the now peacefully sleeping Harry.

Sirius slowly walked towards her, stroking Harry's cheek as he took in the sight of Lily. "We should leave, I can't be in this place any longer. I can almost feel them...hear them...their screams…" he muttered solemnly, shaking his head rapidly for a brief moment; so desperately trying to rid his mind of the screams.

She nodded in agreement, "Apparate us out, please...James is on...I couldn't bare to walk over him again…" she occluded.

And with that, they were suddenly outside of what had been Lily and James home. Scarlett gulped, desperately trying to pry her eyes away from the sight of the daunting home.

"Hagrid!" Sirius finally exclaimed as there stood none other than the towering Rubeus Hagrid.

"Good, yer got lil' Arry!" he shouted as he approached the couple.

Scarlett nodded sadly, placing a finger to her lips to infer he was sleeping.

"Hagrid, let Dumbledore know Scarlett and I have custody of Harry. Lily and James...they made us the godparents and guardians of him before they…" Sirius choked, unable to say the word.

"I'm serry ya two, I have strict orders from Dumbledore himself...Harry is to live with his muggleborn aunt and uncle. There ain't nothin I can do about it...I'm surpossed to take him now, you see…"

"Dumbledore can't be serious! We're his godparents! What the bloody hell is he thinking?" Sirius fumed.

"Sirius...if that's what Dumbledore wants...we must respect those wishes…"

"What about James and Lily's wishes!"

"They would understand...I don't want to give him up either Sirius but...what else can we do?" Scarlett murmured, placing a soft and light kiss on the sleeping Harry's forehead.

"Well...if you must, take my motorcycle...I insist!" Sirius pleaded, pointing to a motorcycle that was parked towards the gate entrance. "It's enchanted by magic, it flies. You'll get wherever you need to go much faster."

"Thank yer Sirius...Lily and James...good people they were...it just isn't right…" Hagrid gritted, small tears forming below his beady eyes.

Scarlett nodded, silence seemingly her best weapon in preventing herself from completely losing it in a time like this.

"Scarlett...Harry...needs to go now…" Sirius mumbled, extending his arms out to receive baby Harry from her arms.

She gulped, fearing greatly for the child's life as she gently placed him in Sirius's arms. She felt her heart sink lower, the pain of seeing Harry tossed off to Lily's non-magical family was utterly indescribable.

She could only pray he would have a good life wherever he was to go...and someday he would return to this world of enchantment. Where she would most certainly be waiting for him.

She felt Sirius take her hand into his, cupping her cheek with his strong hands. Inferring he wanted her to look directly into his eyes.

Ice blue eyes met intoxicating grey ones. For just a moment, no words were needed between them. Sirius pulled her into his chest, only then did she allow the tears she clung so desperately to earlier fall.

She trembled like an earthquake in his arms, the shock was too much. Scarlett had tried, tried so desperately to keep herself from falling apart tonight. But now...there was no holding back the tsunami of emotions she felt escaping her tight grasp.

Scarlett felt Sirius's lips meet her forehead, she felt him slowly pull himself away. A sure warning sign there was something else he needed to say.

"I need to find Peter, Scarlett. I need to find him, I need to understand…" he murmured, giving her still shaking hand one last kiss.

"Sirius…" was all Scarlett could manage to say, choking on her own words, barely able to speak.

"Go home for now, be safe. I'll be home soon...alright, love?"

She nodded, and with a flash of light he was gone. Never in a million years would she have guessed that would be the last time she would see her husband as a free man.

Scarlett nearly choked at the very memory, trembling as if it had happened all over. The trauma at the remembrance of that night never seeming to release its grip on her soul. She shakily tried reaching for her tea cup again, raising it to her lips she grimaced in disgust. Her memories seemed to have distracted her for longer than she thought.

Pouring the cold tea down the drain, she suddenly heard a knock at the door.

"Now who on earth could that be?" she asked herself as she made her way to the front door. Slowly opening the door, she gasped when she saw who it was.

"Sirius…" she whispered, her jaw dropped. Her hand covered her mouth as she gasped loudly in shock.

Scarlett couldn't believe her eyes, there he was. Dog form and all, just as shaggy and black as ever. Panting heavily as those same grey eyes stared up at her, seeming dimmer than the last she saw them.

Within an instant he transformed, pushing himself quickly into the doorway while he changed back into his human form.

Scarlett stared in pure shock when she observed the man he now was. He still wore his dirty and torn Azkaban uniform. Sirius looked so thin and frail, haunted and tormented.

"I thought you were...how did you-" she stuttered, absolutely at loss for words.

Sirius slumped down the side of the wall in the doorway, utterly exhausted.

"I finally...finally got enough strength to go back to my animagus form...damn dementors couldn't detect me." he grunted, "I've missed you...I've missed your pretty face, love…"

Anger suddenly emerged from deep within Scarlett.

"Don't give me that utter crap, Black! You left me here! Alone!" she shouted, her fists clenching and unclenching as she debated if she could get a good punch in.

Sirius chuckled as he began drifting in and out of sleep.

"I've missed that too…" he managed joke groggily.

Scarlett clicked her tongue while shaking her head. Murmuring a simple levitation spell she tried her best to fight back tears of joy while moving him smoothly to the bedroom.

She couldn't believe...after all these years...he would come back to her. None the less a convicted felon!

Damn you, Black! she scolded in her mind as she carefully laid her husband to rest on the bed.

"I've missed you too, bastard…" Scarlett muttered softly as she flicked her wand quickly, ridding him of his condemning clothing. She stroked his hair so lovingly, utterly breathless at how he came back after all these years. Such long years...so lost she was without him.

Yet, never would she admit that to him ever. But, here he was again...crashing so abruptly into her life as he always did. And she would never let him go again…

Author's Note: Hey there! Thank you so much for reading this story! Decided to give this another try! PLEASE NOTE! This is a epilogue and insight to the sequel I have planned out for my main story "The Blackest Dawn"! Wanted to show my readers the direction I am going in! MUCH MORE TO COME! Thank you so much everyone for your support! AND PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! I love them! Let me know what you think! Thank you so much! :) ALSO PLEASE CHECK THE BLACKEST DAWN OUT! THAT ONE WILL BE FINISHED FIRST! But I wanted to show where it will be going! Thanks so much! LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! Thanks so much!