𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐑 ✭ascendance to power

14. I solemly swear

Sniff

Rubbing the sides of her arms, Aaliyah tugs the light-brown cardigan closer to her freezing form. She rubbed her cold nose tip, as she waited for a certain dog by their usual spot.

After a lot of begging, Poppy let the brunette to discharge from the hospital wing, much for Severus' dismay. Her schoolbag was crammed with a few chocolate filled croissants. Persuading Binky in these past years had aided her coaxing skills with the kitchen elves whenever she needed to get some food.

She shifted on the grass, her patience growing thin and her worry for the black dog amplified. Aaliyah's ears perked up when she heard a woof from her side. In an instant Snuffles jumped on the witch, the sudden impact making her fall on her back. Aaliyah chuckled, as the black dog started to lick her face. It soon retracted itself, barking playfully as its tail wagged.

The Gryffindor rummaged through her bag for the food, "Hope you like it"

The canine immediately attacked the food, gorging it all down, this didn't help with Aaliyah's guilt but she decided to not think about it as she stroked the dog's head.

They both sat like that for a while enjoying the nature, and also because the witch had a free period. Her head snapped towards the dog's direction in concern after hearing it whimper. Snuffles poked its head towards the injured leg, a way of asking if she was okay. Her heart melted seeing those gloomy eyes, and she couldn't stomach lying to a dog, "I'm fine"

The hound nudged the side of her face and walked a few steps away, only to look back and beckoning her to follow him. The brunette obliged. They walked towards the Willow and Aaliyah picked up a wooden stick.

The trick was to sneak up slowly towards the tree stroke it to temporarily stop its movements, she learnt this having had spent most of her time in the shack when she wanted to have some me time. Snap, she looked down at the twig the hound had stepped on, before she knew it the trees bough smacked her middle, sending her flying back before her back made hard contact with ground as she groaned in pain. Snuffles barked as it rapidly approached her fallen figure, she sent him a quick thumbs up indicating that she was alright.

She got back up, groaning, as she walked through the passage towards their destination. After reaching the Shrieking Shack, she walked in to see that Sirius had transformed back into his human form.

Sirius sniggered, "Really kid, you mindlessly followed a stranger to a place where nobody can find you. It's quite dangerous and lets not forget very much stupid" he remarked as he slid down to sit on the floor while the brunette followed his action, sitting on the opposite side "seeing that I'm a mass murder and all"

"What are the chances that we both are mass murders, whom you so foolishly believed" she responded sarcastically.

Sirius broke out a faint, pride filled smirk "That seems to be the pattern these days" his jaw twitched as he thought about his former friend whom he had so foolishly believed. "You have to trust me" his demeanor immediately changed, sounding more desperate.

"I didn't kill those people. I was framed by someone whom till I recently believed was dead. I could never-, I have a daughter a-and Id never do that to her"

Aaliyahs brows furrowed by the revealed information, "You have a daughter?"

Sirius searched Aaliyah's eyes, before he exhaled looking down "Yes I do, and I'd never do something like that to her, to mon ange." He looked back up,
"I think the only reason I never lost my mind was to be back with my daughter, to touch and hold her and the fact that I knew I was innocent. Then  Fudge, came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me he pulled out a picture of the Weasleys from their time in Egypt his paper. And there was Peter, the rat who betrayed Harrys parents, on the front page on this boys shoulder I knew him at once how many times had I seen him transform? H-he was also missing a toe and Peter had cut off his thumb And the caption said the boy would be going back to Hogwarts to where Nova and Harry where.

It was as if someone had lit a fire in my head, and the Dementors couldnt destroy it It wasnt a happy feeling it was an obsession but it gave me strength, it cleared my mind. So, one night when they opened my door to bring food, I slipped past them as a dog Its so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused I was thin, very thin thin enough to slip through the bars I swam as a dog back to the mainland I journeyed north and slipped into the Hogwarts grounds as a dog. I've been living in the forest ever since except when-"he smiled at the end of his sentence

"Except when I get to meet you, with those doe-eyes and Clem's nose I just knew you were her, you were my Nova but I guess you're not" he shrugged disappointedly but why aren't you, he thought.

Aaliyah looked at him, mouth slightly agape not knowing how to react or take in such information.

"Have you seen her? My daughter?" Sirius asked desperation seeping through his hoarse voice.

"I-Im so sorry" her eyes welled up, her sentence had two meanings, one was her guilt finally kicking in whilst another was not knowing how to tell a father that she didnt know, she just didnt about his daughter and her whereabouts.

"But I promise you" the brunette steadied her voice "I'll find your daughter and kill that son of a rat"

"How do I know you'll keep up to that?" he jokingly asked.

"Well then I pinky promise you" she put forth her little finger, "And I never break a pinky promise"

Sirius hid his astonishment, instead he tittered at how serious she actually sounded by her last sentence, he mimicked the action "You promise?"

"I solemnly swear"