Black & White - A Harry Potter Fan Fiction

Chapter 9-2

Peter Pettigrew's remains were buried in the cemetery of the village his mother had lived in up to her death. The Ministry staff, sulking because they had been dragged out of bed at dawn, listlessly waved their wands to move piles of soil as they dug up the coffin.

Sara watched them, her back against the wall of the small stone church, a cigarette convulsively tight between her fingers.

Frank provided documentary evidence by taking pictures of the whole affair.

Sirius was innocent.

A small part of her was so happy, she wanted to cry. Another part of her was a throbbing clump of pain threatening to shatter her to pieces. She held onto the church's wall to keep it all together, but everything conspired against her.

Even her memories. One after another reminded her of some moment she had lived with Sirius. A fight in the Hogwart's halls, their first date, that time he had been injured by the Deatheaters and she had thought she was losing him, the first time she had seen his apartment.

But the most powerful of all memories was Lily and James' wedding. The church she currently leaned against was similar to the one Lily and James got married in, and the thought was enough to plummet her into the memories of the day that had changed everything.

For once, she hadn't had to slip away from Hogwarts, like when she had gone with Lily to choose her wedding dress or the time she had sneaked out to go to their engagement party. She not only had Professor Dumbledore's permission—she travelled with him in one of the school's coaches. Dumbledore was invited to the wedding too.

Sara was excited. It was the first time she attended the wedding of a friend instead of some distant relative she knew nothing about. She was happy for Lily—she and James looked so happy together and deserved to enjoy that special day, even if all the rest was falling apart. Very little news reached Hogwarts, but what they managed to read in the Daily Prophet was enough to make their hair stand up.

Lily and James had chosen to get married at Godric's Hollow's church, in the village they were going to live in. The reception was to be held at an old mansion with a big hall not far from there. It had been uninhabited for a long time, but the owners had agreed to rent it for one day. From what Lily had told her in her letters, they had worked very hard to restore it in time.

The elegant dress she had bought for the occasion—which had cost half her savings—wasn't suitable for a long journey from Hogwarts. That was why she had worn simple Muggle clothes and carried a garment bag. She intended to change before entering the church. Once at Godric's Hollow, Sara and Dumbledore took different paths. She stopped at the local pub, slipped into the restroom, and changed her clothes. The small mirror over the sink wasn't ideal for putting on makeup, but she did her best. She didn't want to make a fool of herself near Lily's girlfriends.

When she walked through the pub again, several regulars turned toward her. Embarrassed of her attire, highly unsuitable for a pub, a flush crept up her neck and heated her cheeks. As she exited, she checked her reflection in the door's glass. The dress looked right, even if she felt a little ridiculous in high heels. She wasn't used to them. At least the church wasn't far.

The guests started to gather in the churchyard. Sara recognized several faces, but she didn't know anybody well enough to talk to. She felt a little out of place, but she was there for Lily. Her friend wanted her to be present, and that had to be enough. However, going inside the church with the bag containing her clothes wouldn't do—it would have ruined the effect of her clutch matching her dress and shoes. She waited for the other people to enter the church, then she inched up to one of the planters. After a glance behind her, she hid the bag between the planter and the church's wall. She would have to retrieve it later.

Outside, the sun was shining It was a mild May day, but the church inside felt cold, as was typical of old stone buildings. Sara clutched her shawl on her shoulder and choose a place in the last row.

"Look who's here."

Sara turned. "Remus, how nice to see you!"

"Lily will be happy you managed to come. Why don't you sit with us?" Remus gestured toward the front rows. Sara followed the line traced by his hand. Peter was near the entrance and was showing the guests which side of the church to sit in. James was already standing a few steps away from the altar. Near him there was Sirius.

"I'm not sure it's a good idea." Sara turned her gaze on Remus again.

He looked amused. "Do you plan to avoid Sirius all day?"

"Not exactly. It's just that I promised Lily I'll do my best not to fight with him. Today, at least. Probably I shouldn't—how can I put it— push my luck."

"Got it. As you prefer. If you change your mind, you know where we are."

Remus went near the entrance door to greet more guests and Sara slipped into the last row. Lily and James' friends kept arriving and filled the little church. All of Lily's girlfriends were there, some with a plus one, others alone. A group of three girls walked down the aisle toward the exit, their arms intertwined, and giggling. When they passed Sara, she managed to catch a shred of their conversation and had a hard time not turning to watch them.

"The groom looks pretty good today. Lily did well with him."

"I'm more interested in his best man. He truly is a hottie! What I'd do to him."

The third didn't seem so randy. "Come on, we're in a church. Can't you just refrain until the reception?"

The comment didn't produce the desired effect. "Sirius came with someone?"

"That's the good news! He's here alone."

Their laughter drifted away while they went out to the churchyard, probably to wait for Lily's arrival. Sara looked at the altar. Sirius was still near James, unaware of the girls' schemes. He was charming, with his elegant suit, tie, and freshly cut hair. He said something to James, who patted his shoulder. James looked very good, too, but Sirius was on another level. He had always been.

Before Sara could avert her gaze, Sirius turned in her direction. He looked surprised for a moment, then lifted his hand to wave at her. Sara wondered if he wasn't waving at someone behind her, so she turned to check. When she looked back again, Sirius had an amused smile. Sara shook her head and waved back.

Maybe it wouldn't be difficult to get along with him.

"Boss, they're done." Frank Parker's voice distracted her from her memories. "Why are you smiling?"

"Uh? I'm not smiling." Sara pushed away from the wall and got closer to the Ministry staff. They had exhumed the coffin containing Pettigrew's finger. "Fine, let's go back to the Ministry. We have work to do."