Stranger From the Past

Willow Creek

"What are you doing here?" they asked at the same time.

Sirius almost hit himself. His question was unnecessary. It was obvious to any sighted man what Becky was doing, since she was standing in front of the vacant house amongst countless trunks and cartons.

"You're moving in?" He stated the obvious.

Becky nodded. "You're in the neighbourhood to visit a friend?"

Sirius cleared his throat awkwardly. "Actually, I live here. Number 13 Willow Creek."

He watched as her eyes widened in surprise.

"So we've become neighbours," she said softly. "I swear I did not know you're here."

He could not tell if she was pleased with the prospect. "Meaning you would not have rented Number 9 if you knew I live here?"

He waited, expecting her to give a flabbergasted protest. Instead, she remained calm.

"I don't know," she told him quietly before adding with an air of resignation, "I bought the place."

Sirius smiled. So she owns this house. "We'll be seeing more of each other then," he said and gestured towards her trunks and cartons. "Need my help to get your stuff inside?"

"No, thanks. I can manage," she answered a little too quickly.

He nodded, turned and made his way slowly back to his own house.

*

Becky was still staring at the ceiling two hours after midnight. Her body was exhausted and screaming for rest, but her mind was buzzing and refuses to relax. Images of her brief encounter with Sirius earlier that day were keeping her awake.

Sirius. Sirius. Sirius.

The man she had loved for so long.

================ FLASHBACK ==================

"I don't believe Sirius would kill Peter and James! There must be some mistake!" Becky cried in horror when she heard the news.

An official from the Ministry of Magic was at the Pettigrews' house to relay the news that Peter had been killed by Sirius, who apparently also blasted thirteen other Muggles who were unfortunate enough to be out on the streets at the fateful moment.

Peter's mother, Margaret, was sobbing hysterically, in the arms of Charles Pettigrew.

"Hush, Becky! This is not the time to be wilful," her mother Rebecca chided.

"He suffered such a tragic death!" Margaret continued to wail. Peter's body was said to be blasted into bits - the only piece that was large enough to be identified was a finger.

"That cold-blooded b*stard! To think we allowed Peter to be friends with him!" Charles yelled in a mixture of pain and fury for the death of his only son.

"Sirius is not a cold-blooded murderer! He'll never be! He loves James dearly and he loves Peter too!" Becky's eyes were welling up, more for Sirius than for her half-brother.

CRACK!

Becky lost her balance and fell to the ground, a palm pressed to her left cheek that was stinging from her father's forceful slap.

"Not one more word from you!" he directed his anger at her. "It's your brother he murdered!"

Becky glared at her father in defiance, as she slowly got to her feet.

The Ministry official, who had been watching the scene awkwardly, gave an empty cough and told the Pettigrews that he would take his leave.

"I'll send you out," Becky offered quickly, making her way to the door before anyone could protest.

As soon as she stepped outside with the official, she grabbed him by the collar, causing the man to gasp. "Take me to him. Please," she pleaded. "I need to see Sirius."

He pried her hands off his clothes and threw her a strange look. "I'm afraid that's not possible, Miss Pettigrew."

"I'll not be in the way, I promise! I just want to see him before the trial!" She sounded as hysterical as Peter's mother now. "I want to hear from him that he didn't do it!"

"I can't do that. No visitors are allowed at Azkaban."

Becky shook her head to clear it. She must have misheard him. "Sirius can't be at Azkaban. His trial is not over yet," she muttered.

The official regarded her gravely. "There's no trial, Miss Pettigrew. Black will be in Azkaban for life."

"No trial?" she echoed in horror. "How can the Ministry sentence someone to Azkaban without a trial?"

The official's expression grew hard and cold. "If you'd excuse me, I have other Ministry matters to attend to."

Becky's knees buckled and she sank to the ground. It's a nightmare. All this is not real. She stayed on the front pouch of her house for a long time, crying her heart out.

============== END OF FLASHBACK ===============

Becky reached out for an edition of the Daily Prophet she had received two weeks ago - the one that had turned her world upside down once again. She stared at the cover story for what was probably the hundredth time.

Sirius Black was innocent and given immediate release from the wizard prison, together with five thousand galleons from the Ministry as compensation for the twelve wasted years of his life.

Becky remembered her heart leaping with joy when she first started reading the article, and how her mood did an about-turn as she scanned the rest of the article

Peter was still alive. He was the one who engineered James' death and framed Sirius for it. It was too bad her parents and stepmother were no longer alive to learn the truth - of what a scumbag Peter really was. They had all died one after the other in the past decade, and Becky decided to spend most of her inheritance on this new house and hopefully, a new life.

But her family's past was catching up with her again. Sirius would never forget what Peter had done to him. Becky felt neither pain nor pity for Peter who according to the Daily Prophet, would be administered the Kiss on the very next day. She would not shed a single tear for that traitor. She had no more to spare after mourning for Sirius Black.

*

A few houses away, Sirius was also tossing and turning in his bed. Images of a blue-eyed blonde floated in his mind. He had almost forgotten about her after his first few years at Azkaban. The dementors had taken away most of his happy thoughts and he was left with the memory of Peter's betrayal and the loss of James and Lily. Memories of Becky had flooded back to him in a rush, ever since their reunion today. There was something distinctly different about her now - a maturity that had never been present. Gone were the seductive teases and uncurbed adoration the girl had showered upon him. Instead, he was now faced with a woman who seemed uncomfortable and awkward in his presence. She was only eighteen when they last met. In fact, their last meeting took place the same morning of James' death and Sirius' capture. They had spent the previous night together at Sirius' rented place.

Her parting words had been "you'll agree to make me Mrs Black some day." He had laughed at her remark - one that she used to make often, and pressed his lips to hers for the last time.

The last time indeed, he thought in mixed bitterness and sadness. She probably doesn't want to see me again. Not years ago when she thought he was responsible for her brother's death. And certainly not now when it had become a reality and indisputable fact after Sirius and Remus caught Peter in the Shrieking Shack, with the help of Harry - James' son, and two of his friends.

***