Chapter 1 – Halloween 1981

Halloween, 1981

"Sirius, where are you going?" Tawny cried, tears streaming down her face. Less than an hour ago, they had learned that their best friends, James and Lily Potter, had been murdered. Their killer, none other than the greatest, deadliest, dark wizard who had ever lived, Lord Voldemort. Headmaster of Hogwarts, and leader of the Order of the Phoenix, Albus Dumbledore had sent his patronus to deliver the message. Not only had their friends died, but their one-year-old son, Harry, had survived the attack, killing his parents' murderer in the process.

"I have to find him, Tawny! He betrayed them! He can't just get away with this!" The 'him' Sirius was referring to was one of Tawny and Sirius's closest friends, Peter Pettigrew. Originally, when James, Lily, and Harry went into hiding, Sirius had been chosen as their secret keeper. His job, was that he was the only one allowed to know their location. After accepting the position, Sirius began to think that he was the obvious choice. Lord Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters, would have easily guessed that James and Lily entrusted their safety with him, and would do anything to break him to get their whereabouts. Thinking about the safety of his fiancé, Tawny, and the safety of his best friends, Sirius chose at the last minute, to give someone else the job: Peter Pettigrew.

"He chose Voldemort over James and Lily! That traitor!" After hearing about his friends' deaths, Sirius concluded that Peter was the only person that could have been responsible for leading Voldemort to them. Furious at his former friend, guilty about his decision, and devastated at the loss of James and Lily, he wanted to seek out the person that betrayed them all.

"Voldemort could've tortured him, Sirius! We don't know what happened!" Tawny said, taking his arm, hoping to stop him. Sirius angrily wriggled from her grasp.

"He should have died rather than give up James and Lily! I would have! You would have! He should have too!" He threw on his coat and began marching to the door. Tawny pushed past him, throwing herself against the door.

"If he really is league with Voldemort, he won't hesitate to kill you, Sirius!"

"Please, Peter is a coward, and a rat! The moment he sees me coming he'll be begging for mercy rather than trying to kill me. Not that he could anyway."

"Please!" Tawny begged, clutching his face in her hands. "Don't go, Sirius. I just lost James and Lily. I can't lose you too." This time she spoke more softly. With every word, Sirius could hear her voice breaking. "Please…"

"I have too." Said Sirius, speaking calmly for the first time. "I love you." With that, he stepped back out of her reach and apparated. Tawny's back hit the door and she slid to the floor. Hugging her knees, she broke down. Hot tears streamed down her face as she sat grieving over the loss of her friends, and worrying if the man she loved was going to come home to her.

Tawny lost track of how long she had been sitting in front of her front door. All she knew was that waiting for Sirius felt like an eternity. Her head ached from crying, and her eyes stung with tears, but she refused to move until he came back.

CRACK – Tawny jumped up the moment she heard it. Flinging open the door, she expected to see Sirius walking up the garden path. Instead, she felt another wave of distress wash over her as she saw, her friend, Remus, approaching her. His eyes were bloodshot and his body pale. He was still recovering from the full moon a few days before as well as dealing with the grief. "Remus!" Tawny choked, running into his arms.

He didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her, doing his best to console her. As she cried into his shoulder, he too couldn't help but let a few of his own tears fall. Neither of them noticed the cold, autumn night air and held each other tightly. No more than a minute after Remus appeared, another CRACK alerted them someone else had arrived. Turning around, they were surprised to see Albus Dumbledore walking towards them. He dropped his head, taking a deep breath before meeting them.

"Tawny," he began, reaching out to clutch her hand, "Remus, I'm glad you're here. There are many things I need to tell you both." Tawny nodded, telling them to follow her inside. After they took their seats into the living room, Dumbledore conjured a bottle brandy and three glasses. He offered two of them to Tawny and Remus who both refused. Tawny's stomach was in knots. Brandy would not help her.

"As you both know, James and Lily Potter were found dead in their safe house in Godric's Hollow. Harry, however, survived the attack, coming out of it with only a scar."

"Where is he?" Tawny asked, thinking of Harry for the hundredth time that night. The moment she heard about James and Lily, her first thought was to her godson. What had happened to the precious little boy she loved as if he were her own?

"Hagrid is bringing him." He paused, taking a sip of this drink. "I assume you would like to take him. If not, I can arrange for Hagrid to bring him to his aunt and uncle's –" Tawny agreed before Dumbledore could finish. Tawny knew Harry's only living relatives were Lily's muggle sister Petunia, her horrid husband, Vernon, and their son, Dudley, who was not much older than Harry. When Lily appointed Tawny Harry's godmother, she made her promise that in the event of her death, if Tawny was still living, she would raise Harry rather than Petunia.

"I thought so. Hagrid will be here shortly. But before her arrives, I have something else important to tell you." He said calmly. Tawny swallowed hard and clinched her fists so hard she thought blood might start spewing from marks her nails were leaving on her palms. "Sirius has been taken to Azkaban."

"WHAT!" Tawny and Remus shouted. "Why?"

"He has been charged with the murder of thirteen people, including, Mr. Peter Pettigrew."

"He didn't do it! Sirius would never kill anyone!" Tawny yelled, rising to her feet. "Yes, he believed Peter turned James and Lily over to Voldemort, but the others – he wouldn't!"

"There are witnesses –"

"They're lying!"

"The ministry believes Sirius to be a servant of Lord Voldemort's and that he was the one who lead him to the Potter's this evening. They are also under the impression that Mr. Pettigrew came to confront him, and in an act of violence, killed Peter and twelve others in the vicinity."

"They're wrong!" Tawny stood over Dumbledore, shouting. Dumbledore, un-phased by her, remained calm in his seat. Remus, tried to pull her away from the headmaster, but was unsuccessful. "Sirius loved James and Lily more than his own family! He would never do anything to hurt them, or Harry!"

"Tawny, I too find it difficult to believe that Sirius would be capable of such accusations. But, I do not have any evidence to prove that Sirius is an innocent man. The ministry knows that Sirius was their secret keeper. They have witnesses that put Sirius at the scene of the thirteen murders, as well as what is left of Mr. Pettigrew, his finger. The evidence does not favor him."

"I'll testify on his behalf –"

"The Minster has declared that Sirius will be imprisoned without a trial."

"He can't do that!" Remus declared, getting angry as well.

"Unfortunately, Remus, he can." Dumbledore sighed, and set his glass down on the table beside him. "I will do everything I can to help Sirius, but I cannot make any promises that he will be set free. With Peter dead, Lord Voldemort defeated, and witnesses to the crime, it will be difficult, if not impossible to help Sirius." Tawny felt the tears welling up in her eyes again. To Tawny, knowing that Sirius was alive and going to suffer in Azkaban was almost worse than if Dumbledore had told her he had died. Remus wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her to his side. She could hear him sniffing, trying to be strong for her.

The roaring of an engine, persuaded them to return outside. On the street in front of them, Hagrid had pulled up on Sirius's borrowed two-seater motorcycle. Wrapped in blankets in a sling across his chest, Tawny assumed was Harry. "Oh, Harry!" She cried, rushing to Hagrid's side. Now resting in his enormous arms, she could see Harry laid fast asleep. His messy black hair, had been patted down by the mass of blankets around him. On his forehead bore a newly formed, bright red scar in the shape of a lightning bolt. Stretching out her arms, she said, "Give him to me Hagrid."

"I'm not sure tha' I should give 'im ter yeh." Hagrid said, pulling Harry into his chest.

"What do you mean? I'm his godmother!"

"Tha' is wha' Sirius said too. But he could o' hurt those people."

"Don't you tell me you believe for a second that I would hurt Harry, or Sirius! We love Harry as much as we would our own child! Dumbledore wouldn't have told you to bring him to me if he thought he wouldn't be safe!"

Hagrid looked to Dumbledore, who gave an assuring nod. "I'm sorry, Tawny, I jus –" He sobbed loudly, placing Harry into Tawny's arms. "I jus can' believe they're gone. James and Lily, they were family, yeh know? And with wha' the ministry is sayin' about Sirius… I jus dunno wha' ter believe."

"Tawny, Harry is going to need you now more than ever. Everyone in our world will know his name. He'll be known as the boy who defeated Voldemort. You'll have to help him handle the fame. Keep him safe, and protected. I don't think this is the last time we will see Lord Voldemort." As Tawny gazed down at the sleeping boy in her arms, she felt nothing less than the urge to protect him. Lily and James had given their lives to keep him safe, and somehow, someway they were able to do it. Tawny would not let their sacrifice be in vain.

"How is he alive?" Remus asked, watching Harry over Tawny's shoulder. "How could he fight Voldemort and win?"

"I have my suspicions, but I am not sure just yet."

The four talked for a few more minutes before Dumbledore disapparated, and Hagrid rid Sirius' bike off into the night. "I always thought that if it came to this, I'd have Sirius at my side. Remus, I don't know if I can do this on my own." Tawny said, looking up at him through glassy eyes.

"You don't have to. I'm not going anywhere."