Elsewhere

Elsewhere: Prologue

She knew that face from somewhere. She knew it, but it felt like a switch in her mind had just been turned off, closing her memory to the past. She questioned herself, trying desperately to place that familiar face. It was lined as if a storm had hit it full on, like tides had rushed up against it.

It was somehow beautiful. She brushed stray hair off her face, bewildered, because nothing bothered her now; she didn't let it. Caring hurt too much, just as thinking about her past life did. She couldn't even recall that life now without a strained frown. It was as if too much pressure was being applied to her face by an invisible presence, as if by... no. Forget magic. She repeated this mantra twenty times until the concept of magic even existing seemed completely incomprehensible. She often did this, the words 'magic', 'love' and 'Harry' most often included in the subject of her mantra. She didn't dare think about Harry very often.

She saw a lot of strangers in the world she inhabited - a world full of people who walked past her day by day but never really saw her. Her red hair didn't set her aside from anyone else. It had in the past, but not now. Now she was another one of the crowd; one of the Muggles one walked past on a regular basis that seemed like extras in a film.

This stranger was special. She could tell by the way he walked and the way she imagined he would talk. She knew he was no Muggle; she had trained herself to spot those who were out of the ordinary and make her small self particularly inconspicuous when they were near. However, this was the first time she was certain she had spotted a wizard.

This stranger had known Harry - and ever her, at one time. She could just let him walk by; walk on, like the rest of the world had after Harry's death. Nobody would know the difference. He would never know that he had been watched like he was the most important thing in her world, purely because she knew that he was linked with Harry.

Or she could talk to him, and a world of pleasure and pain would open to her again. But this would be the most tremendous act of courage she had undertaken in ten years of total anonymity. She liked anonymity; it made her safe.

The man saved her from her inner conflict by turning around, his dark eyes all-seeing. His gaze rested on her for a second before he looked on. However, he suddenly stopped dead and met her eye again. Slowly, recognition dawned on his face

His voice was almost a whisper. 'Ginny Weasley?'

She flinched at the name that she hadn't heard for so long; it carried connotations of a life far from the one that she lived in. Bravely, she nodded in confirmation. The wizard's face went chalk-white. His voice was hoarse when he spoke again.

'Ginny...do you remember me?'

'Yes. Sirius Black.' His name escaped her lips and she was hit full on by memories of a past life. Her first memories were of her parents speaking his name in a hushed whisper; of them pointing at newspaper articles with his picture on the front page. Their faces had always been contorted with disgust, hatred and fear. Then...at Hogwarts, she supposed, but couldn't remember that clearly. She had been very young. Then the trial...and Harry had been cheering with his face lit up. She remembered him hugging her and yelling, 'He's free, Gin!' after the verdict had been delivered. Then, seeing Sirius, his face so different from the newspaper articles - after the verdict, his face looked alive. Like it had come to life in the instant he was set free. After that, there were visits to the Weasley house...her parents would sit with him and remember old times, nostalgic smiles on their faces. Then at Harry's - she stopped herself thinking about this.

'Ginny?' He repeated her name in a disbelieving tone. 'Ginny, it's been so long...'

She didn't meet his gaze. 'I had to go away.'

He gave an involuntary grimace as if a memory had caused him pain. 'Can I talk to you about it?'

She looked away now. 'Sirius...I don't know if I can bear it...'

'Please.' His voice was urgent. 'Just to catch up. Nobody knows where you'd gone...'

'That's for a reason, you know.'

'I know.' His face quirked into a half-smile. 'Come on, just a cup of coffee? Strictly Muggle-talk.'

She almost flinched at hearing the wizarding term spoken aloud. 'Sirius, even your name is magical.'

'Look, for a chance to talk to you I'll make the effort.'

She smiled slightly at him, affected by his desperation. 'I just don't know if I can bear it...'

'Ginny, please. I need to talk to you.' He bit his lip.

'What's so important?'

He looked around. 'Not here.'

'Where?'

'Coffee shop down the road. There are things you need to know.'

'I thought it was strictly Muggle-talk.'

Sirius waved his hand impatiently. 'Ginny, can we do this in the coffee shop?'

She gave in to her sense of curiosity - something she had previously thought extinct.

There was something very urgent about his expression and she wanted to find out what it was.

'Let's go.'

******

Sitting in such a...Muggle coffee bar with someone who was so strongly linked with magic in her mind was an odd contradiction. Sirius epitomised all she'd been running from and looking at him, talking to him, even just being with him felt strange. He looked at her and it was obvious that he wanted to ask her many questions. But he started off with the mundane ones.

'So what have you been doing since you left?'

Ginny shrugged. 'I worked at a jazz club for a while, serving drinks. I met some friends there. I've always been interested in sewing and weaving - there was something about it that enraptured me, even as a child. I didn't need to do it magically; there was something satisfying about making it slowly by hand. When I showed my new friends some of my work, they told me to take it to the market at Portobello Road and sell it to a woman there who sold rugs and so on to tourists. She sold some of my things, and eventually I saved enough money to buy my own little shop. I still run it now.'

She blushed, feeling uncomfortable about speaking for so long about herself. Sirius nodded and waved a casual hand at a waitress, who brought them coffee. He looked at her again and his expression became more searching.

'Why did you leave?'

'Well you know the catalyst... his death nearly killed me. Most of my family was gone. There was nothing to live for in that world any more. I needed a new start. That's the truth.'

Sirius nodded, sipping coffee from his cup. To anyone else, he would have looked like just another Muggle businessman. To Ginny, he looked like bright light in the dreary world she lived in. All around them, Muggles talked and went about their daily life. Businessmen talked in urgent tones into their mobile phones, teenagers skateboarded on the street that they overlooked and young mothers tried to calm their crying children.

None of them had any idea of the significance of Sirius turning up so unexpectedly. Ginny marvelled at it. It seemed to her like everyone should know what had happened; something should change for everyone. But they were unaware, living their Monday morning like it were any other.

'Ginny, a lot has happened since you left that world. I can't really discuss it all in a public place; anyone could be listening, but I'll give you some background. Remus Lupin is running Hogwarts, Fudge is still Minister of Magic. Fudge is still a blitheringly incompetent git. He hasn't really changed in the slightest. Well, I say that...we've all been affected by what's happened, of course. Many of us have more grey hairs that we should.'

Ginny noticed that Sirius' hair was very nearly as jet-black as it always had been, although some charcoal and grey had crept in.

Frown lines crossed his forehead in several places. They hadn't done much to mar his looks - Sirius had always been attractive and always would be, whether young with his famous 'devil-may-care' attitude or older with a slightly more sombre look about him.

'Things have worsened since you left. There are so many tragic stories like your own now.' Sirius bit his lip. 'It's getting to the point where people aren't having children; they don't want to bring them into such a troubled world. You probably remember what happened after Harry died-'

'Don't mention his name. I can't bear it.'

Sirius wordlessly nodded. 'Before that, the world seemed content to live...well, relatively normal lives. The Dark Lord was around, of course, and people were dying, but when he did...it was like a beacon of hope had been extinguished for people. He symbolised hope and truth - when...when it happened, many lost faith. Realised how serious the situation was. The Dark Forces took advantage of this and gained more and more power.'

Ginny tried to keep her voice steady, tried to be neutral. 'What is their position now?'

'Well, they aren't in power, but if nothing changes, they sure as hell will be. I'll do whatever it takes to prevent that and I know that all on the right side will, but oppression is getting stronger daily.'

'What are you doing? Working for the Ministry?

Sirius gave a wry chuckle. 'Bloody hell, you have been away. They're all crooked, Ginny. The only thing that stops a revolution is a core of exceptionally powerful Wizards on the Good side who keep everything running on the surface.'

'Anyone I know?'

'McGonagall left Hogwarts and joined it. It was obvious that they needed her and she and Lupin work closely together. Some regard it as a scandal that she isn't Minister of Magic as it's obvious that she's the real power behind the operation. But in some ways, the wizarding world is very backward - we've never had a female Minister and there are some old wizarding families that'd kick up a fuss.'

Sirius gave a scornful snort. 'Don't get me started on that. Anyway, also in the core is your brother Bill, who I assume you keep in contact with.'

'We talk on the phone occasionally - I only talk to him on the condition that he doesn't mention the world I left. It sounds cold, but I just can't bear it.'

'What changed today?' Sirius looked at her, his eyes warm with concern.

Ginny thought. What had changed? After ten years of solitude, ten years of complete isolation of all that she had known, something had changed that day...something beyond her understanding. Something fundamental in her mind.

'I was tired of hiding.'

Sirius nodded wordlessly, and for a second Ginny felt that he could understand. She certainly wasn't the only one who had felt loss.

'So...what exactly is your job, if you aren't a part of the Ministry?'

Sirius looked into his coffee cup. 'I suppose you would call me an Auror, although they don't really call them that any more. Too much reputation attached to it; the Dark Forces kill Aurors. They make them a priority.' He laughed dryly. 'I suppose I'm probably at the top of their list. I can just see them having a list, actually. Colour-coded...anyway, I digress. I can't really talk about my job much, but I fight the other side by whatever means necessary. That's all you can know.'

Ginny nodded, feeling curious. From his manner she could tell that there were clearly significant things that he couldn't tell her.

Sirius' mobile phone went off and he swore under his breath. Looking frustrated, he picked it up.

'Yes?'

The other person was inaudible to Ginny, but Sirius looked exasperated.

'It's an emergency? Couldn't you get Riley in? Adrian Deogal? I see...yes...okay, meet you in ten outside HQ.'

He looked apologetically at Ginny. 'I'm sorry. It's an urgent call from work. I can't avoid it.'

'That's okay.' Ginny felt oddly disappointed. Sirius flicked a hand at the waitress and she brought the bill. He paid with a Muggle credit card...she marvelled at how well he blended into the Muggle world.

'Ginny, I need to see you again.' His voice was direct. 'I must discuss some things with you. There's so much you don't know...please?'

Ginny was inwardly struggling with herself. On the one hand, this was exactly what she had deliberately avoided for ten years. On the other...learning more about the world she had left behind was almost addictive. She needed more.

What do you have to lose?

'I will. When?'

'Tomorrow?'

'That's soon.'

'Yes, it is.'

'...What time?'

'Ten in the morning. By Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park, near the Rotten Row side to the south. There are places within walking distance from there where we won't be overheard.'

Ginny nodded. Sirius caught her eye.

'I really appreciate this, Ginny.'

She smiled at him. 'Go before I change my mind.'

With a final brief look over his shoulder, he was gone, his long black coat billowing behind him. Within seconds he had melted into the London crowds.

******

Ginny walked slowly back to her flat. Her mind was spinning with confusion and curiosity. What had Sirius meant about having more to tell her? Did she even want to know? Why was she doing this? It'd been a normal day until Sirius had walked in and turned the sense of normalcy that she'd tried so hard to maintain upside down. She absent-mindedly fiddled with her keys for a few minutes before finding the right one and letting herself in.

Her flat was small and modest; there was no need for anything elaborate. The sight of a slightly dark room greeted her. Deep red cushions matched the curtains of the same colour and she had embroidered some dark blue tapestries for the walls.

The ceiling was low but she had a large balcony that was ideal on hot summer days. It was her refuge in the corner of London. She couldn't afford air conditioning, so she'd open the large French windows and sit on a chair out there, sewing or reading for hours on end, listening to the radio. Her flat may not have been expensive or even very modern, but it was her sanctuary. It had everything that she needed.

She heard the key in the door, and turned, knowing immediately who it would be; the one person she'd ever given a copy of her keys to.

'Ginny!'

'Hi Linda, how are you?'

'Not bad. You look tired, darlin'. Not getting sleep?'

Ginny sighed; she was sure she looked exhausted. 'I'm okay, don't worry. Just a little stressed.'

'What's up?'

'Just stuff at work...' She was deliberately vague, always conscious of the fact that Linda knew very little about her previous life. She knew Ginny had had a fiancé, but other than that all she knew was that she had made a new start and wasn't ready or willing to talk about it. Linda wasn't the type to ask unwelcome questions.

'Need me to cover for you?'

'No, it's okay.' She shrugged. 'Thanks anyway.'

'Sure.'

'What about you? How's work? Jeremy?'

Linda grinned mischievously. 'Work is great and Jeremy is now Gerald.'

'Really now?' Ginny smirked. 'And I'm assuming Jeremy didn't just change his name...'

'Not unless he had a personality change and an entire body transplant for good measure.' They exchanged a smile.

'So how'd you meet him?'

'He's a regular at the bar. Loves the jazz. I know I normally don't mix business with pleasure, but Gerald is sure worth it...'

'I hope you aren't doing anything that I wouldn't do...'

Linda simply gave Ginny an innocent look. 'Moi? Never...'

Ginny smirked; she was Linda's best friend but the two were polar opposites in some ways. Looks were one of them. Linda was exotically yet unconventionally pretty, with jet-black hair, pale skin and deep green eyes, whereas she was the classic redhead, in her opinion.

'Babes, I'm worried. You look like shit. What's wrong?' Linda sat down next to her and immediately began her stretches - she was a dancer by day and worked at the jazz club where Ginny had used to work nightly, which was how the two had met.

'Nothing much...I just keep thinking about him...'

Linda stopped her stretches; Ginny rarely talked to her about her past life.

'What about him?'

'Just him. Everything about him. I can't forget that...maybe I don't even want to forget.'

'Why?'

'The memories...by holding on to them it feels like I'm closer to him.'

'Having good memories is okay. You don't want to live in the past, though.'

'It's so easy to...'

'What's easy isn't always right.' Ginny knew that Linda knew something about this; she'd had a harsh upbringing and had struggled to make ends meet ever since. One thing she particularly admired about Linda was how she never dwelt on the past, just endured to make the future more bearable, despite the odds that were stacked against her. She'd never taken the easy route; indeed, she'd never even been offered it.

'I know...' They sat in silence for a few minutes, looking out over the North London rooftops. Ginny wasn't only thinking about Harry. She was also contemplating the following morning at ten in Hyde Park...

******