Tears in Heaven

(Disclaimer: I own nothing.)

Tears In Heaven

Chapter Four - A Thousand Miles

Making my way downtown

Walking fast

Faces passing

I'm home bound

Staring blankly ahead

Just making my way

Making my way

Through the crowd

Hallie was sitting in the armchair before the fire when Remus came in. She got up when he closed the door. "Is everything all right?" she wondered.

He gave her a questioning look. "Er - yes, why?"

"Oh, you - well, you just left so quickly that I thought something was wrong..."

He came over and gave her a big hug. "No, it's all right," he said. He looked her squarely in the eye. "Everything will be fine. It'll all work out." She forced a smile and nodded. "Goodnight, Hal. Try and get some sleep, okay?" She nodded and watched as he retreated to his room.

While fiddling with her hands while sitting in the chair once more, she unconsciously started to play with the golden band on her ring finger. Later that night, still lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the door slowly open.

~*~

And I need you

And I miss you

And now I wonder

If I could fall into the sky

Do you think time would pass me by?

'Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles

If I could just see you tonight

Joey suddenly awoke feeling a sense of knowing within him. His heart was beating ecstatically yet painfully as well. With slightly labored breathing, he swung his legs off the side of his bed and crept out of his room. The decorative candles that were hung on the walls lit his way and cast dancing shadows around him. A feeling of wariness swept through him as he approached the staircase.

Once he was seated at the steps, he saw the outline of his mother on the armchair before the fire. Like many nights before, she just sat there, staring at the scorching flames. It was then that he saw the door slowly open. His heart skipped a beat as someone stepped in.

~*~

'Cause I need you

And I miss you

And now I wonder

If I could fall into the sky

Do you think time would pass me by?

Oh 'cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles

If I could just see you tonight

Sirius quietly closed the door behind him and gradually moved towards the armchair where he saw a figure sitting. He felt a sense of nervousness creeping through him and shivered in spite of himself.

"Hal-," he started, but cleared his throat and tried again. "Hallie?" The familiar word seemed to slip from his lips as easily as if there had been no break in their being with one another. Nevertheless, a strange feeling still swept through him when the word left his mouth.

He felt his heart skip a beat and his breathing become shallow. The figure in the armchair slowly rose.

Then she was standing before him.

His mind swirled and he blinked to focus. It was as if he was brought back in time. He was lost again the sea of sapphire blue that he always used to dive into, but now, he found it too deep and looked away.

Hallie swallowed and felt her eyes go round. "Sirius?" she whispered.

She saw him look up and took a step back at his expression. There was almost a pleading look upon his face. "I escaped, Hal," he said in a small voice. He swallowed and took a step forward. "Hallie, I just wanted to -," but he stopped speaking when she took another step back.

"What're you doing here?" she asked. "You might get caught, someone might -"

"No one knows I'm here, except you," he replied softly. This silenced her. He stood there for a few short moments and started to retreat backwards. "I-I think I shouldn't have - have come." He tried to swallow the lump that formed in his throat and rapidly blinked to clear the tears that were starting to form in his eyes.

Of course, he was afraid of how seeing Hallie again would be. Would she turn him away? Would she call the Ministry? But seeing her just staring back at him with a somewhat frightened look upon her face hurt him much more than her calling the Ministry. She had never been afraid of him, and she had never turned away.

He didn't mind that he'd risked his life to come here. It wouldn't have mattered to him if there was that single chance that he might not even be able to see her. Even if he barely had an opportunity to glance at her, he still would have done it anyway, just because that one in a million chance existed.

"I just wanted to see you," he whispered.

Now I, I don't wanna let you

Know I, I drown in your memory

I, I don't wanna let this go

I, I don't

He turned but a short moment passed as he made his way back to the door and he felt something grasping his arm. "Sirius - Sirius, don't go," he heard her say. He spun around to look at her and couldn't help that sense of hope grow in him. Their eyes met and he saw that hers were brimmed with tears. "I just - I didn't think - I didn't think I'd ever see you again," she told him in a trembling voice.

Making my way down town

Walking fast

Faces passing

I'm home bound

Staring blankly ahead

Just making my way

Making my way

Through the crowd

He tenderly touched her cheek. She closed her eyes and the tears fell down her face. It was enough to break him and he wiped the crystalline drops away. "I missed you," he said softly, and embraced her tightly. Her arms came around him and he rested his cheek against her head. She buried her face in his shoulder and he smiled, running his fingers tenderly through her hair. He knew he was trembling, but he couldn't discern his shaking from hers.

His homecoming wasn't romantic in the least, yet he couldn't help but have a sense of warmth creep through him. When they held one another like that, it was as if nothing had changed - no time had passed since they were last with each other.

For a longer moment, they stood like that, and then Hallie pulled away to look at him. She took his head between her hands and smiled amid her tears. "I can't believe you're here, Sirius, I've missed you so much," she whispered. He just smiled, his words lodging in his throat where a lump of tears resided. He pulled her to him again.

And I still need you

And I still miss you

And now I wonder

If I could fall into the sky

Do you think time would pass us by

'Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles

If I could just see you

If I could fall into the sky

Do you think time would pass me by?

'Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles

If I could just see you

If could just hold you

Tonight...

(Courtesy to Vanessa Carlton

For "A Thousand Miles)

~*~

Joey stared. His heart seemed to pound in slow motion, a loud drum sound that echoed. He truly thought that everyone one a mile away could hear it. That man, that man with his mother...why didn't he guess? The picture in Harry's room...it all fit.

But Sirius Black? - Sirius Black was his father?

It was almost impossible to believe. Why hadn't his mum or Remus told him? He now understood why Billy ran off the way he did the previous night. His mind swam as he thought of his brother. What was Billy doing right now? Was he okay?

His eyes filled with tears and he angrily brushed them away. It should have been him the Dark Lord took - not Billy. His brother even warned him that something like this would happen, but he hadn't paid the warnings any heed. Now look where it had gotten him. He touched the stone in his pocket and swallowed.

Everything was happening so fast. Billy was gone. Sirius Black was home...and Harry. Harry was staying with them. Joey couldn't help but feel sorry for his new friend. What a blast he must be having, Joey thought to himself sarcastically. He shook his head and focused on the scene before him.

The two were talking quietly and he saw that this stranger made a bright smile appear on his mother's face. He hadn't seen a smile like that in a long time. It was as if - during the past few years - Hallie had given up on something so dear to her, that it dulled who she was. She had given up on something that was so much a part of her that when the faith was gone...she wasn't herself - she wasn't Hallie Forester anymore. But that smile Joey saw upon her face just now, that blissful without a care smile seemed to set a feeling of warmth within him as well. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

His gaze roamed to Sirius Black - his father. Was this man really his long lost dad? He dreamt so many times on what his father would look like, and it was rather funny, Sirius looked much like the man in his dreams did. The black hair - though not as neat as he thought it would be - was just the same as his own, and rather charming. The way Sirius' eyes were so dark - so mysterious...it arose a feeling within Joey that the boy was afraid of. Why he was afraid, he had no idea, but he was scared nonetheless.

He stood up and slowly made his way down the steps, wanting to get a closer look at his father. My father, thought Joey in amusement. It was funny to think of those words. His father...he had never really thought of what it would be like to have a dad. Yes, Uncle Remus was just as good a dad as he ever thought he could have, but it wasn't the same. Sirius Black was his father - truly and really his father.

The step creaked under him and he swore, then quickly looked up. Both the new man and his mother were staring his way. Sirius got up and brandished his wand, but Hallie took his hand in hers and stared at Joey with wide eyes.

"Joey!" she exclaimed in surprise.

Damn, I'm caught. Joey smiled innocently. "Er - hello, Mum, and - uh - sir," he said.

Sirius' heart stopped and his wand clattered onto the wooden floor. He slowly turned to look at Hallie, his eyes wider than he thought possible. "'Mum'?" he whispered, almost inaudibly.

Hallie bit down on her lip and stared from him to her son. "Joey, come here," she said softly, motioning him towards her. He stood there for a moment, his smile slowly fading from his face.

He heard himself say, "Who is he?" and mentally kicked himself. He knew perfectly well who the man was, and yet he was asking like an idiot.

"He's - he," Hallie bit down on her lip again and looked from Joey to Sirius and back again. Damn, I hate being on the spot like this, she thought to herself. "Come here, Joey," she said again. The boy slowly ventured forward, feeling the eyes of his father boring onto him with shock.

That boy...thought Sirius, feeling faint. He steadied himself on the armchair and Hallie stepped forward to help. He pulled away and shook his head, rubbing his eyes. That's one of the boys from my dream, he remembered. The boy's sapphire blue eyes and the look of a loss in his eyes were so familiar that it sent a tense feeling through him.

The boy slowly crept forward, keeping his gaze on Sirius and went over to his mother who put her arms around him. "Sirius, this is Joey," Hallie said almost nervously, "and Joey, this is Sirius."

Joey looked at the man and took a step back, further into the warmth of his mother's embrace. "I know who he is. He's Sirius Black." And then to Sirius he said, "You escaped Azkaban a few years ago." A haunted expression seemed to pass like a quick shadow over Sirius' face and he averted his gaze. When he returned it toward Hallie and Joey, he saw her gaze was filled with concern.

There was a short silence. "Hal, do you have something to tell me?" asked Sirius, looking at the nervous expression she kept giving him. Joey looked at her. They were almost the same height, though she was still a little bit taller than he was.

"Mum, what's wrong?" he whispered to her, stepping back.

She took his hand in hers and looked at Sirius. "Sirius, this is my son."

~*~

Draco sat in his cell and heard his father and MacNair take Billy away. As he sat there, he wondered what the boy was here for? Surely the Death Eaters didn't need anything from a fourteen-year-old. And if they did, certainly they would have gotten the other twin as well. What was his name? Oh yeah, Joey.

A while later, he heard the door slam open and voices approach. He stood up.

"Fine then, we'll get it out of you some time, boy, don't think we won't. You will stay here for the time being." There was an audible 'thump' and the cell door slammed shut. The footsteps advanced and Draco saw his father's figure in the dim light of the torches in the dungeon. "Get up," ordered Lucius, and the boy obeyed.

The cell door opened and Draco followed MacNair and Lucius out of the cell. Before he left, he caught a quick glimpse of Billy lying motionless in his cell.

"Why is he here?" he asked his father once they were out of the dungeons.

There was a short silence. "He did something to Lynette," came the reply.

Draco was puzzled. "Are you sure it was him?"

Lucius stopped in his tracks and turned to his son with a glare. "Of course I'm sure. I've my sources at Hogwarts."

"Who?"

A malicious grin spread across the older man's face. "You really don't know?" he wondered with an undertone of amusement. Draco shook his head, a slight frown appearing upon his face. Lucius laughed and continued walking once more.

Draco watched after him, then he slowly followed. He was sent to his room right after dinner. Later, his father came him to check on him. "Is everything all right here?" wondered Lucius. The young man walked over to his window and sat there. "All right then," muttered his father. The door slammed shut. It was then that he heard whispers coming from the hallway. Draco crept over and put his ear to the door.

"I already told you! He doesn't trust me! Heaven knows I've tried but -" this voice sounded familiar.

"Well, obviously not hard enough!" exclaimed a voice Draco recognized as his father's.

"As I understand it, Lucius, I am not under your control," came the reply. "Don't start speaking as if you own me, because you don't."

There was a short silence. "Just wait. We'll see who owns who when it's spring."

A soft gasp could be heard. "You're not - you can't be -"

Lucius chuckled. "Ah, you understand now, do you?" Another laugh. "Just wait until your Ritual, Gayle Avery, just wait."

Draco's eyes widened. "Gayle?" he whispered.

Footsteps told him that they had walked away, but after a short moment of silence, there was a soft knock at his door. When he didn't respond, the person outside said, "Draco, I know you're in there, and I know you heard everything. Let me in."

With a scowl, he stood up and opened the door a crack. His eyes widened once more when he saw tear tracks down her cheeks. She pushed her gold/auburn hair away from her face. "Can I come in?"

"Why should I let you?" he asked, frowning.

"Because I need to talk to you," she said unsteadily. Gayle pushed the door open knocking Draco away. She then closed the door and stood looking at him.

"Sure, come in, make yourself at home," muttered the boy, standing. "What do you want?"

"I know what you think," she replied.

He glared. "Oh, no you don't."

She nodded. "I do."

He shook his head and rolled his eyes as he made his way to the window. His gaze wandered to the moon. Know what I think? Well, if only she'd enlighten me...because I don't even know what I think!

"You think I'm a cheat, and I am. You think I'm a - a liar, and I am. But I had to do it, I had to, Draco," he heard her say.

He looked at her. "Gayle -," he started.

"They've got Owen in our dungeons -"

"Who's Owen -," he wondered, but she went on.

"He's only five, and it's all my fault they took him away. They told me - they told me I had to do it or they'd - oh, Draco - or they said they'd kill him too! Just like Keilan!" He was shocked to see tears falling from her eyes. "I never wanted to hurt you, you know that right? I never wanted anything to happen to you! We used to be friends! But I couldn't - Owen...he's five!" He blinked. Was Gayle becoming hysterical? "I didn't know what else to do! And Dad - he's so stupid! He didn't care! And he - damn him! He's so stupid! He just had to go off and get himself killed. Then he left Owen and me all alone and - and," but Draco went up and grabbed her roughly by her shoulders.

"Get a hold of yourself," he said gruffly, shaking her slightly. "You're hysterical." She pulled away and wiped her tears from her face.

"I-I'm sorry. I just need you to understand."

He raised his brows. "Gayle, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Her head snapped up as she tried to look up at him. "What?" she breathed, almost desperately.

"I don't know what you're ranting about," he repeated somewhat cautiously.

"But - but you were listening - and - and the Ritual - the Circle!" she exclaimed, but he shook his head. "Of course you know Draco! I just - but I just...Your Ritual! The school...the attack - it was - Draco, of course you knew it was your Ritual!"

Draco felt the blood drain from his face. "What?" he whispered, but he knew.

"The attack...it was your test...the first test of your - of your loyalty in the Ritual," she said softly, gaping at him. "Oh - oh, God...you don't - you really don't know!"

He slowly shook his head. "What was your part in it?" he asked, suddenly angry. "What did you have to do with it?" But she was staring at him with wide eyes. "Damn it, Gayle! You were - you were the one trying to -," his eyes radiated fury that she took a step back just as he came towards her. "I can't believe - I can't...how could you?"

She was crying again, but he didn't care. "Draco, I told - I told you why," she stuttered helplessly. "Owen - Owen, they took him from me. They said - said that they'd kill him like they did Keilan."

He glared at her mercilessly. "You betrayed me."

Gayle shook her head, her eyes wide as saucers. "No - no! I didn't - please, Draco - I told you. I had to do it, they made me!"

"They didn't use the Imperius Curse on you, did they?" he roared.

"N-No, but-but Owen."

"Who the hell is Owen!"

"My brother! He's my brother! They took him when Dad died! They said I had to help them or they'd kill him! I had to do it!"

Draco had never felt so angry in his life. He was shaking with restrained fury...but it wasn't towards Gayle - at least not all of it. Inside, he was truly humiliated. He had failed, and he hadn't even known it. Driven by shame and humiliation beyond him, he couldn't control his temper. The air cackled with magnificent power and Gayle backed up against the door.

"I can't believe you, Gayle," said Draco in a deathly calm voice.

"Draco, it wasn't my fault! I had to do it for Owen! He's only five! They took him from me!"

But he just shook his head again, looking at her calmly. "Get out."

"Draco -," but he cut her off.

"Get out."

Giving him one last helpless look, she turned and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

~*~

Though he knew it, Joey couldn't stop the feeling of utter and complete shock from arising in him. "Oh - oh..."

Hallie turned to look at Sirius' reaction to find that his eyes were wider than she had ever seen them before. A fleeting thought crossed her mind, Oh, God...they might fall out...

It was then that he fainted.

Joey stared at the man lying limp in his living room and thought, That's my dad. In somewhat of a daze, he helped his mom carry the man over to the couch.

"Joey," Hallie started, and stopped when he looked at her with his sapphire blue eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. He averted his gaze without response. What was he supposed to say? "I didn't know how to tell you and - and Billy. I didn't know how you both would react. I'm so, so sorry -" but she cut herself off when Sirius stirred.

Sirius blinked his eyes open and was confronted with large sapphire orbs looking at him in concern. "Sirius, are you all right." He slowly sat up and felt someone helping him. His eyes wandered to Hallie who looked at him in worry.

"Uh - yeah - yeah I'm fine," he replied sounding uncertain. "Er - Hallie?"

"Yes?"

"You have a son?" he asked softly, turning his gaze to the teenage boy next to Hallie. He saw her swallow and avert her gaze.

"No, Sirius," she whispered. Joey turned to look at his mother in surprise. When she looked up, it was at the man sitting up on the couch. Tears brimmed in her eyes. "We have a son."

There was a long moment of silence and after a while, Joey couldn't take it anymore. "No, Mum, Billy!"

She looked away again. "Yes, and Billy, Sirius. Joey and Billy are twins."

Sirius didn't know whether to laugh or cry. His feelings seemed to be knotted together and he couldn't pull them apart. He looked up from fumbling with his hands and saw that the boy - no, his son was looking at him almost desperately. Without thinking, Sirius went over and embraced him tightly. Joey just let him hug him for a moment, rigid with shock, but then his own arms went around his father and he buried his head into Sirius' shoulder.

Hallie's eyes met Sirius' and he smiled.

~*~

Billy slowly opened his eyes but quickly closed them again once the pain kicked in. He tried to lie there, barely breathing so he wouldn't hurt, but it was to no avail. In a quick moment, he sat up and leaned against the wall of the dungeon and waited for the pain to subside. Once it did, he found that it was slowly slipping away and he could breath regularly again.

A while later, he heard the dungeon door open. Footsteps notified him that someone was coming his way and he curled up in the corner, dreading who was coming for him. However, he was surprised when it was neither MacNair nor Lucius.

He noticed it was a girl as she swished her cloak and brandished a key. The auburn color of her hair was reflected as gold in the torchlight. "What's your name," she said quietly.

The boy cleared his throat and said in a hoarse voice, "Billy - Billy Forester."

He heard her sigh. "You're the one who has her, aren't you?"

Knowing what she was talking about, he shook his head. "I don't."

Her eyes widened. "What? Of course you do! You turned her into a stone with that potion of yours!" He just shook his head again. Her eyes narrowed in frustration and he heard her mutter, "Nitwitted fools...can't even get the right...just get both instead..." she stopped and looked at him for a moment in contemplation. "Billy? You're brother has the stone then, am I correct?" He bit his tongue. Should he tell her? When, after a few short moments, he didn't answer, she took the key and opened his cell door. He backed up further against the wall. "I won't hurt you, but stand up."

"You're that Slytherin girl with Malfoy," he said accusingly.

She grinned and brandished her wand. "So?" He blinked at her and stood up. "Follow me," she ordered, and led the way out.

He watched after her in confusion. "Where are you taking me?" and in spite of himself, a tone of fear crept into his voice.

She turned around to look at him with a small smile. "Out of here, of course. Don't you want to go home?"

"Well, yes...but why are you helping me?"

At this, she frowned slightly. "That is none of your concern. Now hurry, we don't want to be caught."

~*~

Harry woke up and felt as if a cloud of grief hung over him. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, stretching. After getting dressed, he slowly crept out of his room and went down the steps.

His eyes widened and he felt as if his heart stopped inside him. Sirius? He thought wildly, What's he doing here? Someone walked in from the kitchen carrying a tray of tea. Hallie dropped it in surprise.

"H-Harry!" she exclaimed. Sirius stirred and blinked his eyes open. Her eyes drifted to him and he sat up. She looked back to Harry and his eyes brightened when he caught sight of his godson.

"Harry!"

Hallie looked at them in bewilderment. "You both know - but how -?" Sirius came over and hugged Harry hello.

"It's okay, Hal," he said softly, smiling at her reassuringly. She nodded but bit down on her lower lip.

"Sirius, what are you doing here?" wondered Harry, looking up at his godfather with wide eyes.

The older man grinned; the haunted look earlier retained in Azkaban slowly drifting from his gaunt face. "I used to live here, with Hallie," he replied. Harry looked at his godmother in surprise.

"You guys were - uh - well, are - are you married?"

Sirius caught Hallie's gaze and his heart felt crushed when she looked away. "No," said Sirius in a soft voice. Harry caught the solemn tone and searched the man's face. A fleeting shadow of regret and sadness swept by. Sirius forced a smile. "How've you been, Harry?"

Harry pushed his thoughts to the back of his head, deciding he'd talk to Sirius about it later. "I've been all right. Hallie and Remus rescued me from having to go home with Aunt Petunia for the holidays, though."

Sirius grinned and looked at Hallie. "So you confronted the Horse, did you?"

She laughed softly. "Yes, and she was atrocious!" She looked to Harry with a compassionate smile. "Poor dear, you have to live with her..." The boy just shrugged.

Remus came down the steps and grinned. "Hi, Sirius," he said.

Hallie looked up at him with wide eyes. "Remus!"

Sirius took her hand in his and squeezed it in comfort. "It's all right, Hal," he said to her softly. She looked at him in confusion but when he let her go and walked to his old friend, she resolved to speak with him another time.

"You came," said Remus.

Sirius grinned in triumph with a boasting, "Ha!" which received him a swat at the back of his head.

~*~

"Quickly, now, Billy. They have spells everywhere," she said in a hushed voice.

He followed her and increased his speed. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Gayle, but it doesn't matter. Come on, through here."

They were in a dim passageway and soon, Billy saw that they were in a long corridor. Gayle walked to one of the doors and knocked. "Draco, open up," she said. Billy's eyes widened. Ew, Draco Malfoy?

"Go away, Gayle," said a voice on the other side of the door. He sounded irrepressibly angry.

"Would you like me to get caught with Billy Forester out here?" she asked defiantly. The door immediately swung open and Gayle pushed past him. Billy saw Draco come into the hall and catch sight of him.

Draco frowned but hurriedly grabbed the younger boy by the arm and pulled him into the room. He looked at Gayle with a fierce glare. "What the hell do you think you're doing? If they find him out of his cell, they'll -," but she cut him off.

"Trust me," she told him softly.

His glare intensified. "You've given me no reason to. Since the very start you were betraying me. Why the hell should I trust you?"

"I-"

Draco turned to Billy. "See this window here?" he asked, cutting Gayle off.

Billy nodded. "Yeah?"

"I'm going to sneak you out that way. I can only go with you so far, then you'll have to go the rest of the way yourself. Got that?"

"Why-"

Gayle cut in and said, "Draco, you don't understand!" The sixth year boy rounded on her.

"I don't need to! Everything is pretty clear to me. I've started my Ritual, and you've succeeded in helping me fail, and now everything is over. I probably won't be able to finish the damn thing. After tonight, I'm going to be dead and it'll be your fault!"

Billy's eyes widened. "What're you talking about?"

Draco looked at him carefully. "Don't worry about it." He turned to the window and muttered a spell.

"Draco, Billy's brother has Lynette captive. That's why he's here."

Billy turned to her. "How did you know about that?"

She looked at him then quickly averted her gaze. "I was there, remember?"

He nodded. "But how would the Death Eaters..." but he slowly trailed off, suddenly understanding.

He was about to reply, but Draco cut in. "I can't believe you! Why are you suddenly turning on everyone? This kid's here all because you decided to tattle about that bitch Lynette. Look at him, Gayle! He's dead on his feet!"

With tears in her eyes, she looked at Billy who became self-conscious. Did he really look as bad as he felt? His robes were torn to rags and covered in the muck upon the floors of the dungeon. Being tortured by the Torture Curse probably didn't make him look any better either.

"I'm fourteen," said Billy in a quiet voice, referring to Draco's earlier statement of him being a 'kid'.

Draco ignored this and continued on muttering spells towards his window. "Draco," said Gayle, "I told you why I did all this. My little brother will be killed if I don't do what the Death Eaters say. I have no choice." He stopped muttering and abruptly turned to look at her.

"No choice?" He shook his head and smiled, but it was malicious and without humor. "I bet this 'Owen' is someone made up so that you won't feel guilty. You always were the precious little liar."

Her eyes widened and suddenly burned with a furious fire. "How dare you," she all but growled. "How dare you accuse me of that. Keilan was real, wasn't he? I am not making Owen up! He was born after you left and I was left all alone having to care for him when Keilan and Dad were killed! Mum died at birth, but she would've been no help at all. I cannot believe you're accusing me of lying about something - someone so important as Owen is."

"I don't care, just leave me alone." Draco turned on her and said, "Come here, Forester." The boy slowly ventured forward. "I'm going to lower you down there, don't move from the spot you land on. I'll be there after you're down, understand?"

"Yes, but why are you helping me?" Billy asked.

The other boy impatiently said, "Because you have to get out of here. Wingardium Leviosa." Billy was raised into the air and was carefully placed down on the ground. Soon, Draco was beside him. "Remember, don't move," he whispered. Billy watched as he muttered counter curses and cleared a temporary path through the lawn's harmful spells. "Follow me," said Draco.

~*~

Gayle turned around just as the door slammed open. "Where is he," growled Lucius, his eyes glimmering with ferocity.

Her eyes widened as she glanced at the open window. "Who?"

He glared at her and advanced, grabbing her roughly by the shoulders. "Where's the boy? Where did you take him?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" she lied.

"You'd better tell me you little wench or something's going to happen to baby Owen," he said angrily. Someone cleared their throat behind them and Gayle saw MacNair standing there.

"Wait outside the room for a moment, MacNair," commanded Lucius. The other man nodded and slipped out of the room. Once he was gone, Lucius turned to look at Gayle who had brandished her wand.

"Don't you come near me, Lucius," she said, holding it out before her.

He just shook his head, a mocking smirk on his face. "The Master's got a new assignment for you, Avery," he said.

She glared at him. "I'm done doing assignments. My Ritual's coming up. Draco's was my last one!"

Lucius just shook his head again. "Well, he wants you do another one. This one's more important." He turned to leave, but stopped and gave her a look. "And you'd better pull through, otherwise you can kiss Owen goodbye." She gave a cry of dismay and lunged at him, but he sent her reeling backwards with a curse. "You're meet Severus Snape downstairs. He's on trial like you are."

He closed the door behind him and saw MacNair waiting. "What was so important that you had to interrupt me?"

MacNair shifted uneasily under Lucius' ferocious unwavering gaze. Inside, Lucius felt that something was wrong, horribly so. MacNair cleared his throat. "Er - Gayle's brother? Owen? He - he's dead."

Lucius' eyes widened. "What?!" he yelled.

The latter gulped. "The boy couldn't take the curses and he just - he just died."

Lucius paced and ran a hand through his hair. He glanced at his son's door and gave a meaningful look at MacNair. "Don't tell that to the girl, you understand me? We need her." The man nodded and Lucius turned to go into Draco's room again. "Gayle, get up. I told you Severus is waiting." He waited to see any signs of her hearing what MacNair had told him, but there were none. She nodded and left the room. He sighed in relief and shared another look with MacNair.

~*~

That night, Hallie crept down the steps, knowing that Sirius would be where he always used to. He turned to smile at her in the firelight as she came towards him. "You want to know whether I did it," he said softly. He saw her swallow and then nod. His gaze wandered back to the fire. "Come sit next to me," he told her. She went to him and sat in the space on his right.

They sat there for a few moments and soon, Hallie couldn't take it anymore. "Sirius-"

"Yes, Hal, I did do it," he said.

Her eyes widened and she moved in the seat to look at him clearly. He looked at her, his eyes darker in the dim room. "No - no, Sirius, you didn't, I know you didn't!"

Involuntarily, he smiled. "How do you know that?" he whispered.

Tears fell from her eyes. "Because - because I know you - you're not like that - you wouldn't ever, ever hurt anyone." He sighed and wiped away her tears. "They lied, Sirius, that - that horrible Mr. Crouch, he was wrong."

She couldn't stand just looking at him and him looking at her. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she hugged him tightly. He sat there, rigid in surprise; then, he slowly put his arms around her and held her tightly back.

It was strange for him. He wasn't used to much affection as to his being away from all human contact for so many years. His heart seemed to swell with happiness and he brushed his lips against her cheeks. She sniffed and slowly pulled away.

"Tell me what happened, Sirius," she whispered.

The lost and sorrowful look he had seen in Remus' eyes was clear and apparent in hers as well and he found himself getting lost in the depths of her sapphire blue orbs. He swallowed and she took his hands in hers.

The words spilled from his mouth and he found that telling the tale seemed to take a weight from his shoulders. When he got to the part where Peter betrayed Lily and James, he saw Hallie's eyes widen until he thought that they would fall out. He couldn't even believe it himself, but over his years on that lone island, surrounded by dementors, he found himself feeling hatred beyond anything he had ever felt before towards Peter Pettigrew. He shook his head.

Sirius looked up from fumbling with his hands to Hallie who was looking at him, her hand over her mouth. He looked down again feeling unusually weary.

"Oh, Sirius," she cried, and hugged him tightly again. She buried her head into his shoulder and he felt the moisture of her tears seeping through his robes. He wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, pulling away to look at him clearly. He brushed away the tear tracks upon her face.

"Don't be," he said, looking at her tenderly.

She shook her head. "I wish it was me who went through that, Sirius. You're too good."

More tears spilled from her eyes and he kissed them away. He felt her tremble slightly in his arms and looked at her. A blush arose in his cheeks. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-," but before he could finish his sentence, Hallie had taken his face between her hands and kissed him. A smile formed on his lips and he held her to him.

~*~

Draco looked back and saw the younger boy stumble. He stopped and helped Billy up. His breaths were labored and beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. "Come on, Forester," he urged. "We're not far now." Billy swallowed and nodded. The other looked behind him in the direction of Malfoy Manor and couldn't help the tingle of fear creep up his spine. "Almost there," muttered Draco. Soon, they were before a large mansion much like his own. "This one, right?" Billy nodded and Draco knocked on the door loudly.

Inside, Hallie jumped away from Sirius and they looked at one another with wide eyes. She pointed to the kitchen to which he quickly ran. Hallie then went to the door and opened it. She gasped when she saw her son standing on the doorstep.

"Er - Ms. Forester?" asked Draco. Suddenly, Billy's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed. Hallie went forward and caught him.

"Oh my God," she whispered. She looked up to look at Draco, but he was already racing down the street back home.