Inglorious Bastards [Theodore Nott]

Chapter Twenty-Six

Sirius Black did not know how but he managed to escape the infernal island and come to shore alive. No man nor dog can survive the crashing waves of the North Sea that surrounded Azkaban. But he did. He survived the storms, the waves, just like he survived his imprisonment for the past twelve years with three things in his mind: His daughter, Harry, and Pettigrew.
Laying on the dark sand beach, Sirius tried his best to steady his fast-beating heart. His muscles ached, his head ached, and his body was freezing, even with his Animagus' black fur. Willing himself to his feet, Sirius dragged himself to the nearby cave and finally fell out of his dog-form. He fell on the cold stone ground, but as he did, his hand never let go of the two treasures he had left of his family. His and Emmanuelle's wedding bands held the pearls that were meant to be a present for his daughter on her third birthday.

"Carina." He got back to his feet. He limped his way to the mouth of the cave and looked up the night sky, looking for the constellation that would take him home. The Carina constellation. The Keel of Argo. It was Emmanuelle who gave their daughter the name Carina. His late wife wanted their daughter's name to be meaningful, and it was fitting as the Carina constellation would often be found in the night sky in the direction of home. Carina was their home. And he would do whatever he can to get to her.

Sirius smiled when he saw the familiar pattern of the constellation. All he needed to do was to follow it, and he will find Carina. But for now, he needed to rest. Returning to the darkness of the cave, Sirius laid down and to regain his strength. By the time he has enough energy, he will make his long run back home.

"It took you long enough to get here. I was getting worried that Poseidon has taken you."

Sirius did not need to open his eyes to know who it was. He sighed when he realized he will not get his rest with this woman present, but he was also glad that it was she who found him. Then again, she always knew where he was. She was his Moirai after all.

"Fuck off, Viv." Sirius sighed. "Let the man sleep... if you must know, I just swam across that blasted sea."

"I know. I've seen it." Vivian Solomon cast the Lumos Charm and had the ball of light hover above them. Directly over Sirius' face.

Annoyed, Sirius opened on eye and finally got a good look on Vivian. The Moirai-Witch hardly aged for the past twelve years. Yes, she did mature – got rid of the baby-fat – but she was still the same: raven-colored hair cut short, high cheekbones, red-full lips, slightly pale skin, and wore her iconic white robes. Vivian Solomon, the Moirai-Witch, the Descendant of Madam Solomon, the pain in Sirius Black's arse. But now, his only chance of survival.

"You still look like a posh-little-shit." Sirius greeted her.

"You smell like a dog." Vivian retorted.

There was silence between the two adults, but then that silence ended when they both burst out laughing and shared a hug.

"For the first time, I'm actually glad it was you who found me." Sirius whispered.

"I never stopped fighting for you, Sirius." Vivian said.

~*~

BLACK STILL AT LARGE

The rain couldn't have made it more dramatic. It was as if it felt what Carina was feeling at the moment and decided to show some remorse. Carina stared blankly at the article on the Daily Prophet, the words of the headline have already imbedded in her eyes that when she looks at something else she could still see it until it would slowly fade away. But, what made it even more frightening was that just below the headline was the image of the man. The photo of Sirius Black repeatedly thrashed and screamed, trying to break away from the Aurors that held him. The last time Carina saw the man was at an old headline photo when Tom and Charity told her who her real parents were, she asked it to be hidden away – afraid of her own father's image. But now, that same photo was staring back at her, screaming, thrashing, showing the madness the man had inside him. You have your father's eyes, Carina remembered the estranged witch's words. They say that the eyes were the window to one's soul, was she as mad as Sirius Black?