The Ice Queen [s.b.]

It Was Always Going to be This Way - 74

October 31st, 1981.

The morning of the thirty-first starts out sweet and soft like Anna had been accustomed to.

Sirius wakes her up with kisses and transforms into Padfoot, licking her face to wake her up.

She giggles, scratching behind his ear. "Morning, Love," she says in her hoarse morning voice.

"Good morning, Princess," he replies as he transforms back, kissing her intensely.

That's when a knock sounds on the door.

"We should get it," Anna groans through the kiss.

"I don't want to, though."

She moves away, "It could be Remus. It could be important."

It's not Remus. But it is important.

It's James.

"Something's going to happen," James says quickly. "I had to come tell you in person. Don't trust anyone outside this room except Lily, Alice, Frank, Remus, and Peter. Something's going to happen tonight. I don't know what. Just be careful. And Anna, Lily wants me to tell you it's 'orange protocol', whatever that means."

They hug quickly, giving short nods, and then James disappears.

That night, Sirius is agitated. Really, really agitated.

"I have to go check on them," he blurts. "I love you, okay? So much. I love you so much."

Anna nods, "Be careful. I love you, too."

Sirius leaves.

First, he goes to Peter's house. That's when he realizes he made a mistake. A very, very grave mistake.

Peter's the spy.

All along, it was always Peter. Little Peter, his brother.

He goes to the Potter house, heart beating harder than it ever had.

And there he is, James Potter dead in the kitchen.

Somehow, he lets the rage carry him up the stairs to go find Lily. She's dead in the nursery.

But young Harry James Potter is just crying away in his crib.

Sirius sends a man called Hagrid via patronus. Hagrid's the gamekeeper at Hogwarts, but Sirius hadn't ever had a relationship with him. That's what makes him perfect.

He gives him Harry and his motorcycle to go find McGonagall and Dumbledore.

Then he goes on a mission.

In the middle of a town in Oregon called Portland there was a street called East Bernside Street. That's where he knows Peter Pettigrew to be.

There are twelve muggles nearby.

"Pettigrew!" Sirius barks. "You were my brother!"

People stop to stare.

Peter has never looked like a rat more in that moment. "And you were mine, Sirius."

"How can I convince you to join my side, Pettigrew?" Voldemort asked.

"I want something," Peter replied.

"How could you- how could you kill Lily and James?" Sirius asks, whipping out his wand. "They were nothing but good to you. We all were. How could you betray us?

Peter scoffs, "Because he offered me something more."

"What is it you want, my child?" Tom Riddle muses, waiting with bated breath.