Not Alone After All

Chapter XVII

Laura and Harry had just found out that Sirius Black was actually Harry's godfather, and he was pretty shaken up.

They had also had an encounter with Malfoy, causing the two to go separate ways. Harry ended up keeping the cloak as Laura kept the map, for she needed another passage, another way of getting inside the castle without being seen. She couldn't follow Harry and his friends, because someone was probably waiting for them at the castle entry, and the last thing she wanted right now was more trouble.

She followed the map as it told her to get inside the Shrieking Shack, which already gave her the creeps. If the map was right, it would lead her to the Whooping Willow, and she just had to find a way to get through that hard-boiled tree without dying, to get into the Hogwarts grounds. And seeing as Moony had created said map, it was probably never wrong.

Laura opened the door with a shriek. It was an old building, and it was said to be haunted, so her heart was beating as fast as drums. She took a last glance at the map and threw it back into her robe pockets. She needed to look around where she was going, and she definetly didn't want to get attacked by anything.

Just as she closed the door, Laura heard a noise behind her, like footsteps. She slowly turned around and saw.... a dog? It was a black dog, seemingly old, or maybe just dirty.

It was only then she realised. This was not a dog. This was an animagus. This was Sirius Black. It made enough sense. Where else would Sirius Black hide? He knew the castle grounds like anyone else, he had created the Marauder's Map. Laura tilted her head to the side, half curious, but half terrified of what Sirius Black might do. Did he even know her? He had gone to Askaban when she was barely weeks old, did he even know she existed?

"S-Sirius?" She managed to get out.

The dog whined. It immediately ran away, up the stairs and into a room. Laura hesitated, but soon followed him inside.

Laura looked around, not seeing a dog anymore. She jumped when the door shrieked and it revealed a grown man. He had a long beard, but not the type that had been taken care of. It looked as if he hadn't shaved in years. His hair was also very long, and his clothes were dirty and ragged.

But when Laura looked into his eyes, she could not see a killer's eyes. She didn't see the eyes of a man who had killed dozens, the man who had killed her own parents. She saw kind eyes, shimmering grey eyes, and she didn't know if they were shimmering with the sunlight or if it was because he had tears threatening to drop.

Laura flinched back when Sirius took a step forward. He suddenly stopped, realizing how terrifying he must look after 12 years in Azkaban. Sirius took a step back, raising his hands to show her he was not armed. Again, how would he, after more than a decade in prison?

"Laura, please," he begged. "Don't be scared of me, I'm not the bad guy here," he tried.

"That's not at all what a bad guy would say," she retorted, making Sirius smirk.

"You've got your father's wit," he nodded. "I'm impressed."

She didn't answer, not sure what to say and what fo respond. She didn't ever remember meeting Sirius Black. To her knowlodge, she was born on the day her mother died. He couldn't have met her. Only if.. if he had been there the on that same day.

"You've grown so much. The last time I saw you was back at your parents house, on that God forsaken night. You were no bigger than a watermelon." Laura slightly cringed at his comparison.

"Why - how - what are you doing, Sirius?" She asked, going directly to the point. Laura had so many questions, and she didn't know which ones to ask first. Sirius sighed.

"Sit down, I'm going to explain everything," he told her, approaching her again. Involuntarily, she took another step back. Imemdiatly, she wished she didn't have, seeing the hurt in Sirius' eyes. But what could she do? The man had escaped Azkaban, a prison he wa sin for having betrayed and killed her own parents, and now he was standing in front of her.