A Woman Of Ice

C- Eternal Glory

The next day, Diana sat by the fireplace in her living quarters, which had to be separate from the students', naturally.
  "I miss you, more than anything else in the world, Diana," Sirius Black sighed.
  "I know, Dad. I know," Diana promised with a sad nod.
  "Oh, don't cry for me, darling. Okay? We'll see each other in person soon enough. But for now, this will have to do," Sirius smiled. "We're fine. Diana, we're going to be alright eventually, I hope you know that," he promised sadly.
  Diana nodded. "I know."
  "Good," Sirius smiled.
  "I just wish, so bad, that I could just reach out and hug you," Diana whimpered softly.
  "I know, and as do I my darling Diana. We'll be together soon enough; I just need all of the heat on me to die down. I promise I will never abandon you," Sirius Black promised.
  "You'd better not," Diana sobbed. "I just got my father back."
  "And you will always have me, Diana. Even when I am not there, I will always love in that beautiful good heart of yours," he smiled.
  "I'm not that heroic, Dad," Diana sobbed. "I've failed you. You were accused of mass murder when in fact, you didn't do a damn thing; I'm the opposite," Diana cried.
  "Diana...." Sirius frowned sadly. "I do know that. But.... I also know how tremendously good you can also be. It's not always about being heroic, but.... you truly do have a good heart, Diana. The fact that you feel so badly about what happened more than proves that. Don't you worry," Sirius assured her.
  Diana nodded, tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Dad. For believing in me."
  "I'm your father; I always will," he nodded, the years showing on his face.
  "How do you do it, Dad?" Diana asked.
  "Do what, sweetheart?" he asked.
  "How do you still smile? You were in Azkaban for twelve years; a single day in that place can break even the strongest of criminals. It's a wonder you can function at all," Diana rationalized.
  "Because, dear. I have something to live for; you," Sirius beamed. "Being lucky enough to have you for a daughter outweighs even the greatest of hardships."
  Diana smiled. "You really believe that?"
  He nodded. "Yes, I truly do. With all my heart."
  "Dad," Diana sighed. "Something bad is coming our way. Don't ask what I know, or how."
  Sirius stared more gravely and grimly. "What sort of 'bad', Diana?"
  "You don't need to worry about that part. All you need to know is that you need to stay as far away as you can from Scotland, and the rest of Europe as well. It won't be safe for you," Diana forewarned.
  "Diana.... what is happening?" Sirius persisted.
  "Dad, I told you, I can't tell you. Just trust me, please. You need to stay far away, no matter what," Diana begged.
  "You can tell me. What is it?" Sirius asked.
  "No, I really can't. I'm sorry. Just please, do as I say," Diana pleaded. "I don't want to put you in danger; I don't want to lose a father, and more importantly, Harry definitely doesn't need to lose a god-father."
  "Come on. Tell me," he continued.
  "For the last time, I can't. Believe me, Dad, if I could tell you, I would. But I can't. You need to get far away from here, and luckily.... I've been doing some research lately. I think I found something that might help keep you safe," Diana answered.
  "Diana. It's okay. I'll be fine; you worry about you, and Harry, and the rest of your friends, alright? I will be fine," Sirius swore.
  She nodded hesitantly. "Sure, Dad."
  "I love you," he reminded her.
  "Love you too," Diana repeated. "Goodbye."

And Diana knew, as his face faded from the burning and now shapeless flames, that that was the last she'd speak to him for who knows how long.

****

Diana Black entered the Great Hall as the students were entering names into the Goblet of Fire, smirking as if she knew a very important secret, which she did. She chuckled lightly to herself as she saw the Weasley twins grappling on the floor, as old men. The entire room had grown tired of them by now, and had gone back to whatever it was that they had been doing.
  "Diana," Harry nodded.
  "What are you doing here?" Hermione Granger asked.
  "Well, I'm here to enter my name, of course," Diana grinned.

   "What?" Hermione asked. "You can do that?"
  Diana nodded. "I'm technically a student; I'm a student-teacher slash apprentice here. And having Killer Frost inside my body's aged it a bit; I'm technically seventeen. Watch," she smiled, stepping through Dumbledore' age line. "See?"
  "Oh no," Ron Weasley murmured.
  "You can't!" Harry Potter cried.
  "I think I can," Diana shrugged.
  "Diana, don't do this, you could die," Hermione warned.
  Diana scoffed. "I can't believe you're still using that one."

  "Look, it wouldn't be any fun if I couldn't. I'll be fine. Either way, I don't care what happens," Diana sighed, her hand hovering over the flames with a slip of paper in it. "Oh, come on. Don't act like you haven't thought about it. Even if I were to actually die, you wouldn't particularly regret it at the end of the day. Luckily for you, you probably won't have to find out soon. I'm practically a god, remember?"
  "Diana!" Fred Weasley called.
  She stopped, and turned to face him. "What now?"

  "If you died.... I'd always regret it," Fred responded.
  Diana sighed. "Of course you would."

And with that, she lightly dropped her name into the Goblet of Fire.