Why So Sirius? {HP Fan Fiction}

Chapter Seven: Her Story

"Someone needs to straighten that woman out" I mumbled under my breath, a dangerous glint in Iris's eyes suddenly caught my attention. "Impossible" Iris sighed, leaning her back on the damp stone walls that kept us captive. "No regular death eater could ever be straightened out. Bellatrix on the other hand is beyond regular. She is connected to the Dark Lord by the hip." Before I could respond, a screeching sound echos down the hall of the floor. Replacing the screech was the pondering sound of footsteps. Iris and I listened intently, to caught up in the moment to make any movement. With each second, the foot steps reached closer and closer. Iris suddenly scooted backward into the dark shadows of my cell, blending in completely looking unnoticed. A tall, fit man stopped at my cell, flashed me a gruesome scowl and dropped something between the bars. "Better savor it" he growled and moved on to the next cell. My eyes starred down at what looked like a piece of molded bread. Iris let out a breath of relief. I reached out for the piece of bread, observing it curiously. Most of the crust was covered in a dark green mold while the middle had mini black specs. "Bugs" Iris said with a sigh. "Better eat it before the bugs consume it first." I cringe my face in disgust. Being sentenced to Azkaban and brought to the Punishers completely made me oblivious to my aching stomach (not that this piece of bread would do much anyways). "I'd rather lick the bottom of my foot" I groaned, handing the piece of bread to her. "Go on... you need it more than I do." 

Iris instantly shook her head. "Oh no... I'm fine... Just fine" she began. "You, Sirius... Either eat..." Iris inhaled a deep breath and moved her eyes to her beaten up hands. "Or die." 

"Let me die then" I said proudly. "My name will never be cleared, so whats the point? As long as I know I am innocent, that is all that matters. I'd rather die innocent, then guilty." 

"No one if left to die" Iris said, mimicking of what I told her earlier. "And for sure, no one is left behind." Iris took the bread, broke it in half, handed me a piece and bit into her proportion. 

I couldn't help but feel delighted. Someone cared... Someone gave me a second glance. Some believed my innocence. I accepted the bread and took a large bite of it. The taste was dry and bitter and left a throw up taste in your mouth. "You get used to it" Iris chortled, picking at her bread. "After a while, you get immune to the molded taste and just enjoy what you get." 

"Its going to take one hell of a time for me to become immune to this" I joked, flicking my tongue. 

"You have all the time in the world if I'm not mistaken" Iris stated with a wiggle in her brow. 

"And sadly so does she" I mumble, nodding my head over to Bellatrix. After her wild shinanagan melt down, she decided to just ignore Iris. 

"Whats your story with her, if you don't mind me asking?" I added in an undertone. 

"Well..." Iris curled her legs into a pretzel style and gazed up at me. "It was a while ago. She wanted to go to the Longbottoms household. I, being the minion I was, followed along with her. I never wanted to... I was actually afraid to death. But showing Bellatrix fear was something I could not afford. So, I bundled up my courage and tagged along with her. When the Longbottoms refused to talk, Bella lost it." Iris paused for a moment, gulping thickly. She blinked rapidly, almost looking as though to fight back unwanted tears. "I...I tried to stop her. She cursed them. She tortured them... So much pain... There eyes.... I refused to.... She made me." 

"Made you what?" 

"Join her. I had no other choice but to curse them with her... The Aurors came eventually... Bellatrix made a brake for it. I didn't make it... They sentenced me without a trial. The facts were already in order. I used the Cruciatus Curse and that was it. Automatically sent to a death eaters palace..." 

I stayed quiet. I knew of what Bellatrix did. The Daily Prophet was very useful, indeed. But Iris? Nothing was said of her. "...Death Eaters don't regret" I simply said, not sure if I should respond. I bit down on my bottom lip anxiously. "What made you?" 

"The truth may just be worse than a lie" Iris said, "I did not sign up, Sirius. No one did." 

"Then why worship him?" I hissed. 

"I had no choice. My parents were loyal death eaters, Sirius. I was raised in a pure blood family with parents who worshipped the evil and spat on the good." 

Her story reminded me of myself. Everything from the pure blood family to the worshipping of the evil. 

"I did not want any part of him. I wanted to step out of my parents shadow and be free of him. To be free of the evil that lurked before me. Instead, I received the oppoiste..." 

I beamed at her intently. "By that you mean?" 

"He cursed me... He used the Cruciatus Curse on me until I gave in." Iris shut her eyes tightly, small droplets of tears raining down her sunken cheeks. Her dark long eye lashes batted them away desperately. She opened her mouth to begin again, but I shut her quickly. "No more" I retorted soothingly. "The story can wait until your ready."

"I am ready" she protested, balling up her fist. "I have not spoke with anyone about this. I want you to know." 

I nodded slowly. Fighting with her would get me nowhere, so I let her continue. 

"It took me a while to give in. My parents called me a disgrace to the family name. They thanked the Dark Lord for torturing me. Just to make it worse, the Dark Lord welcomed them... They let them join in on my suffering. All three of them... Mother, Father, and him all struck me. I was at the end of my being... Until my brother, Luyten, stepped in. He saved me... he too was a death eater. And for saving me, the Dark Lord..." 

" -- Killed him" I finished off her sentence with a shake of my head. 

"The one and only Avada Kedavra curse" she said in a shaky voice. "My parents did not care. They let him kill my family. They loved him more than they loved us." 

"I know how that feels" I muttered. "I came from a family of purebloods... Proud and arrogant they were... I ran away, had enough. A disgrace to the family name I was... To them that is." 

"Out of honesty..." Iris whispered in a low, weak voice. "You are not the disgrace. You are the hero. I am the disgrace. I gave in to the one feared by all. Even though we just began a friendship, Sirius... I am proud of you. Keep that in mind, will you? For me?"