𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐒 -𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙙𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙩 ʰᵖ

𝟭𝟯. ❝𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙖 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙❞

       

ROXANNE

                  IN THE FLEETING MOMENTS, Roxanne and Theodore lingered a mere few feet away from the Whomping Willow — an anxious reluctance anchored them. Their curiosity yearned to unravel the mystery behind Granger's use of the time-turner; the unknown future awaited. Roxanne clung to the proximity of her father; the fear that he might not clear his name, that she might never see him again, clutched at her heart. The haunting possibility of his return to Azkaban loomed, a fate she couldn't bear. Yet, a wave of relief washed over her—her fervent desire for his innocence proved true, shattering the delusions that had haunted her when she was a child — the heartbreak she experienced back then.

The return from the tree brought Snape, Pettigrew bound— an odd choice, for what if the rat transformed and escaped? "What happened to Snape?" Theodore inquired as the peculiar assembly of the group of sixth gathered on the grounds.

       "Harry stunned him," Weasley responded with a slight grin. Amidst the chaotic aftermath, Sirius smiled, seemingly imprinted by Potter's actions, masked a deeper sentiment.

       "Roxanne, could I speak to you for a moment?" Roxanne nodded as they slightly distanced themselves from the group, and absorbed her father's words. "I wanted to tell you that whatever happens tonight, I never for once didn't think of you when I was in Azkaban. The thought of seeing you again was the only thing that kept me sane, I believe," Sirius began, evoking a poignant sadness on Roxanne's face. Her hope rested on his name being cleared.

Their eyes, mirrors of each other, locked in a silent exchange. Meeting her father, a long yearning, was now a reality. "I know you've been raised by the Malfoys, and that they are your family. But when I clear my name, would you like to live with me? I want to be a father to you, more than ever."

Roxanne, caught in a whirlwind of emotions, struggled to articulate her response. Her longing to know her father and live as a true family warred with the responsibility and guilt tethering her to the Malfoys. "I - I don't know what to say. For all these years, I believed you to be a murderer — and now it's not true. I don't know what my aunt and uncle are going to say or think. I don't want to disappoint you or them," she confessed, the disappointment in Sirius' eyes tugging at her heart.

       "I understand, Rose. I hope in a matter of time, you'll change your mind. You're my daughter, and no matter what happens, nothing will change that," Sirius reassured. A shift in Roxanne's desires emerged. She was his daughter, bound by blood and family. How could she decline to live with him? He wanted it as much as she did.

       "I'd like to live with you if that's alright with my aunt and uncle — don't get me wrong. I'd love to live with you," Roxanne expressed, bringing a radiant happiness to Sirius, brighter than when they emerged from the Willow.