Time Astral | Sirius Black

23||The Remembering

April 24th, 1996

Alasia groaned in frustration when her latest attempt to summon water bubbles failed.

She'd been reading a grimoire bought by Zoya for hours now, days actually. Since she'd been here for more than 24 hours now.

She'd gone downstairs a few times, only to run back upstairs from the smell of ale and reeking men. All wizards, not one muggle among them.

To think she'd been one mere months ago, when Rhen hadn't protected her from the drugging potions.

She wondered where he was now. Only hoping the brunt of Prime's frustration about her escape wouldn't go towards his son.

She couldn't fathom how she'd ever detested Rhen. He was a fairly good human at heart. And killing was something they'd both done. She'd never judge him on that. Except if he doesn't feel remorse after doing it. Which sometimes, she did feel angry about.

But then again, if she had a mother or father who'd been cold hearted like that, she'd still take years to escape from them. It's still parents, no matter how terrible.

She banged her head on the ruddy old desk she was provided with in her room, even though she'd paid in sickles – silver coins, she was told – for it.

They'd visited Gringotts, her and Zoya Malfoy had been shocked to see the amount of wealth in her vault. The Goblins, which Zoya had strictly prohibited Alasia from touching their faces – which she'd nearly done, had a similar reaction to that of Ollivander when she'd removed the hood.

But unlike Garrick, they needn't ask the discretion of the dwarfs, it was their policy. One they'd been maintaining for a while. And even if they would, it was only two of the Goblins who were aware of her being alive.

It was still an adrenaline rush for Alasia. How each person would do nothing but gasp after seeing her face. Knowing she was alive. Who was she? Who was she to make them fear her this much?

She had a faint idea. Sirius Black's lover. James Potter's very close friend. Lily's Potter's maid of honour. Harry Potter's godmother.

But except that, she had no idea about her identity. Who were her parents? Why could she do wandless magic when no one else could? Why did she have this scar on her face? Why did she have this tattoo on her arm?

She'd realised about the tattoo though, it was Orion's belt. Which contained the Dogstar, Sirius. She must have been smitten in love, for making a tattoo for the man. There was another tattoo, on her neck. A serpent. She'd screamed when she'd found it moving.

The men downstairs had coming rushing up and had explained it was a moving tattoo. She assumed with her magic returning, this tattoo's would've, too.

Didn't make it any less creepy, though. The snake roamed all over her body and she'd be surprised all over again to find it on her leg one day and then on her belly the other.

Giving up, she threw the grimoire across the room and dropped on the sorry excuse of a bed they'd given her.

Her eyes refused to close for a long, long while. And when they did, she drifted to a nightmarish sleep.

'Yes, Sirius. But you're a Black.'

'And you're one of them, too. A werewolf. Someone Voldemort has been looking to recruit.'

'Are you saying I'm the spy?'

'As you are saying it's me.'

'Because it IS you.'