Time Astral | Sirius Black

55||The beginning of a Battle

Hell broke loose. 

Sirius aimed a hex from the floor at the enormous blond Death Eater who was causing most of the chaos. The man gave a howl of pain as the spell hit him in the face: He wheeled around, staggered, and then pounded away after the Weasleys who fought beside each other.

Alasia scurried towards the next hallway, ignoring the bangs issuing from behind her, the yells of the others to come back, and the mute call of the figures on the ground whose fate she did not yet know. . . .she skidded around the corner, her shoes slippery with blood; Snape had an immense head start. And she knew for a fact Harry would go after him. She only hoped the fact that she knew Snape was the half-blood prince and did not tell him wouldn't make him disown her altogether.

Sirius could hear nothing but his own pounding feet, his own hammering heart as he sprinted along the next corridor, firing spells at every Death Eater he could see - hoping he didn't lose sight of his wife just in front of him.

He skidded around another corner and a curse flew past him as he dived behind a suit of armour that exploded. Nodding at Alasia, they burst through a tapestry at the bottom and out into a corridor where a number of bewildered and pyjama-clad Hufflepuffs stood. 

"We heard a noise, and someone said something about the DarkMark —" began Ernie Macmillan from what Alasia remembered.

"Out of the way!" ordered Sirius and they seemed to finally realise whom they were talking to. 

"ALASIA SERPENS!" One yelled. "SIRIUS FUCKING BLACK!" Yelled another.

"Stay inside," Alasia commanded them. "Your headmaster is dead, and there are death eaters in the school. If you value your life, stay the fuck inside."

They left them there, not having enough time while sprinting toward the landing and down the remainder of the marble staircase. He took Alasia's hand midway when she had to stop to take a break - his heart was going to burst out of his chest from worrying about her belly. 

Alasia gasped, sitting down on the step she was standing on when a sudden pain enveloped her. Sirius' face contorted into the most aghast expression she'd seen and suddenly his eyes were teary. "Fuck, no you're not telling me  -"

"I am fine," She spoke sternly. "Better than it. Leave,"

"If you think I will leave my wife in such a condition -"

"Sirius," She took his face in her hands and his hair fell beautifully over his face as he frowned sadly. In pain just by witnessing hers. "I will be fine."

"Allie - "

She shook her head at him. "Go," Alasia asked of him. "Go after our godson. I will stay here and look after Granger and Weasley."

"Alasia - fuck no - "

"They matter a lot to Harry, love." She carressed his face gently in the middle of the school. "He'd be wrecked. I promise I will find you. I will come after you."

"Please," Sirius was willing to beg. 

She knew exactly what he meant. "Go," Her eyes twinkled with love and he kissed her desperately before he ran away.

The oak front doors had been blasted open, there were smears of blood on the flagstones, and several terrified students stood huddled against the walls, one or two still cowering with their arms over their faces. The giant Gryffindor hourglass had been hit by a curse, and the rubies within were still falling, with a loud rattle, onto the flagstones below. 

Alasia grabbed Ron and Hermione, asking them to stay where most students and professors were and it was ultimately decided - they were standing over Dumbledore's still-warm corpse.

Alasia had hated him beyond measure, had promised Grindelwald she'd make sure the world was ride of him but there was still no preparation for seeing him here, spread-eagled, broken: despite being an arsehole one of the greatest wizard Alasia had known.

Dumbledore's eyes were closed; but for the strange angle of his arms and legs, he might have been sleeping. There, she saw Sirius bending down to get a kneeling Harry up and her heart broke for Dumbledore might've been evil in her eyes but Harry didn't witness that side of him ever.

When she reached them, Harry held something in his hands that made her pause dead in her tracks. The locket of Slytherin. Only, it wasn't. That thing he held was no Horcrux. 

With utter struggle, she bent down and looked at the note Harry was glaring daggers at, a few tears streaming down his muddy face. 

To the Dark Lord, I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more.
R.A.B. 

She looked at Sirius and they both had similar heartbroken expressions. Dumbledore took Harry to the cave. He fucking took her godson to the cave where she saw Reggie die - that bastard - 

And it had been for nothing. She had already destroyed the Horcruxes. Perhaps it was time now that Harry be made aware of that fact.

She helped Harry stand as Ginny Weasley came barreling at him asking him to get to the hospital wing. She looked at Sirius and he nodded at her to let him go. The Order was here and Harry would be safe wherever he went. 

She heard something along the lines of Bill Weasley being mangled by Fenrir but she gave hide nor hair about it at the moment when she saw the silhouette of the death eaters near Hagrid's hut. But she was so sure they had apparated. 

That's when she noticed Draco Malfoy wearing a cloak, walking right towards her. 

"Sirius," She whispered. "Draco is here. The Death Eaters have not left."

Sirius turned around to watch Snape and Yaxley get into a duel, Draco must've left without them noticing. He nodded at the boy who had now nearly reached them and inclined his head towards the side - asking him silently to meet them there, where no one would witness this. 

With a muffling spell, Alasia spun to glower at the young Malfoy. "You dared." She spoke gently, but it was enough. More than it, in fact when Draco suddenly fell to his knees with his hands on his face. Shame, and only shame on his face.

"I had no idea. . . " He cried, the sound anguished. "I didn't know - Please - you need to believe me, I had no . . . I was aware only of one of them - I didn't know - "

Alasia handed her wand to Sirius as she gripped Draco's shoulders. Sirius listened to her unspoken request and knelt in place of her, taking Draco in for a weird side hug. He wasn't good with emotions, especially didn't want to be with Lucius's son but Alasia wanted it. And she would get it. Draco was his sister's son anyways.

Draco took comfort in whatever it was Sirius was offering and suddenly, he realised what his wife had meant when she told him of how broken Draco was. 

"You will listen to me," She said but it was no question. He nodded between sobs. "You will have to leave soon, I am aware of it. I am also aware that what Snape did was not to save you - it was something else entirely. He's a part of something neither I nor you are aware of. Stay cautious when it comes to him. When the time comes, I will teach you Occlumency - stronger than even Snape. You will learn to control your mind, and then you will run away."

At that, Draco looked up - alarmed. "I cannot - "

"Your mother will be protected," Alasia said and somehow, as if that was a burden Draco himself wasn't aware he had, his shoulders slumped comically. 

"But -"

"He won't kill you, Draco," Alasia said in an almost motherly manner. "He won't be able to."

After what felt like aeons, Draco Malfoy nodded. Stood up and wore his cloak. But before he left, he bowed to Alasia Serpens Black.