/Lioness\ Sirius Black

[sixteen]

• present •

Harry woke up in a dark room. He looked around in fear, no being able to see anything to feet in front of his face. He walked forward hesitantly but only made it a few steps before the lights came on. The room was big and white, very bright but still seemed shadowed.

All around him were the bodies of everyone he cared for. Astara, Sirius, the Weasleys, his friends, everyone. All had pools of blood around them, all dead.

As his green eyes widened at the horrific sight, Harry heard a dark chuckle behind him.

"You could have stopped it..." a high voice hissed, "You could have saved them all..."

Harry shot out of bed, panting and drenched in sweat. He quickly grabbed his glasses and pulled back the covers. He put on his slippers and, softly, walked down the hall to Astaras room.

Harry opened the door and looking around at the dark room. The walls a pale lilac color with some original pieces of art work. Her bed was on a wood platform instead of a bed frame.
Her back was facing him and the plush covers were pulled up so all he could see was her big curly pale blonde hair.

"Tara?" He whispered and it didn't take long to get a 'Hmm?' in response.

"Can I stay with you?" Now hearing himself out loud, he must have sounded like a child. But his aunt still turned over so she was facing him and wordlessly opened her arms to him, keeping her eyes closed.

She hugged him from behind and he let out a sigh. Was it weird for a 16 year old to cuddle his aunt/godmother after having an nightmare? Maybe. But Harry never had this growing up. He never had someone he could talk to, go to after having a nightmare, or even hug!

They stayed like that before both of them opened their eyes. Someone is in the house. Both Astara and Harry got out of bed and stood up facing the door. Astara pulled her godson behind her as her bedroom door knob rattled. Her sliver wood wand was pointed at the door and her hair turned to straight, black hair. Fear.

The door flung open with a bright light. When the light died down, there stood a pinked haired woman, Alastor Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt and some others Astara didn't know. The pink haired woman using her brightly lit wand to light up the room.

"Professor Moody?" Harry said as he peaked out from behind his aunt, "What are you doing here?"

"Recusing the both of you."

"From sleep?" Astara asked annoyed as she just wanted to sleep. That's all she wanted.

Seeing as they weren't taking no for an option, she decided to let them take her.

She shooed them out of the room and quickly pulled on some jeans and grabbed a brown fluffy sweater. Astara would not be going anywhere in her pjs. They all walked out of the cottage.

"Where are we going? The letter said I was expelled." Harry asked Mad-eye as they continued walking.

"You haven't been, not yet."

"The letter said-"

"Dumbledore has persuaded the minister to suspend your expulsion, pending on a formal hearing." Kingsley said from beside Astara.

"A hearing?"

"Uh-huh."

"Don't worry, Harry," The pink haired woman started, "We'll explain everything when we get back to headquarters."

"Shh! Not here, Nymphadora!" The woman who Astara was now standing next to, Kingsley on her other side, turned to Mad-eye angrily. "Don't call me Nymphadora." Her hair turned from hot magenta to red, making the older metamorphmagus realize who she was.

Astara leaned over to her and cheekily whispered, "You must be the Tonks Remus talks about in his letters. He speaks a lot about you but, you didn't hear it from me." She watched a small giggle as Tonks' hair turned to a even brighter pink at the news.

Mad-eye ignored them and hit the bottom of his cane on the ground. One by one, all of their brooms flew to their hands. Astara's was a Moontrimmer, a sliver wood handle that matched her wand and metal kick stands.

"Stay in formation everyone. Don't break ranks if one of us killed." Mad-eye hissed at them. They all mounted their brooms and flew off into the night.

***

The group of wizards and witches dismounted in a park surrounded by a black metal fence. Mad-eye opened the gate as a garbage truck drove by. They all crossed the street and Astara looked at the apartments in front of her; everything seemed like a normal muggle city. Also, where were they? This place almost felt... nostalgic.

Alastor looked at the building for a second before tapping the bottom of his cane to the ground three times slowly. They watched as the buildings moved apart and showed another apartment. Windows pushed back into place and a terrace popped out. The muggles inside didn't notice anything which was happening.

Moody turned to them and said, "In you go, you two."

Astara grumbled about being treated like a child but still followed after the others so she was in the back. The front door creaked open and they walked down the dark hallway. Everything was dusty and covered in cobwebs with a little wall lantern. It felt very old Victorian style.

Mad-eye, Tonks, Kingsley and the others walked in the first door and just as they did, Astara's hope and savior walked out, closing the door behind her so they couldn't see in.

Mrs. Weasley.

Astara had worked in the Muggle Artifacts department of the ministry so she worked with Mr. Weasley and ended up meeting his lovely wife who she had a lot in common with. But at that point they hadn't had Ron or Ginny so she didn't get to meet them.

The older woman smiled at the two of them and said, "Harry, heavens you're all right!" She pulled him into a bear hug before pulling back a cupping his cheeks. "A bit peaky. But I'm afraid that dinner will have to wait until after the meetings finished." When Harry went to argue, she quickly cut him off.

"No no. No time to explain. Straight up the stairs, first door on your left." He walked up the stairs hesitantly, looking back at his aunt for a second before walking all the way.

Molly turned to Astara with a broad smile and pulled the younger woman into a tight hug. "Astara! How lovely to see you again, darling!" She pulled back and studied the woman's face for a second, her hair already changed back to poofy, curly light blonde. "I swear you get younger every time I see you!"

Astara giggled at the complement, her cheeks flushed, and said, "You look wonderful, Mrs. Weasley."

"Oh please! Don't make me feel old yet." Molly said with a sight chuckle. The door behind the ginger woman opened and closed behind the person coming out.

"Molly, dear, what's the hold u-" A deep male voice said but cut himself off once he saw the fair haired woman. Astara stared at man with wide pale green eyes.

Standing there in all his glory,

was Sirius fucking Black.