His Word

By Kiana Unei





Okay- the time passed between when Wesson escaped from Azkaban and the previous chapter is two weeks. Just to let you know.

Also, Because the plot had turned, I figured this would be better off as a sequal.

J K Rowling owns Harry and his world.





Chapter XVII:

Ginny







"From the Ministry?" Mr Weasley asked, noting the hardened expression on Black's face as he shoved the letter none too gently into a pocket of his cloak. The man shook his head, ignoring the dark strands of hair that shifted into his eyes with the movement. Taking a last look at his withdrawn guest, Arthur made his way quietly back into the kitchen.

"Bloody terrific," Sirius grumbled, massaging his face with a hand. "Tomarrow I'm shoved back into Azkaban, but, oh, no, you couldn't let it end there, could you? No, NOW I've got to find that bugger Wesson, and somehow free a goddess . . ! I wonder what I've done to deserve this. Did I mess up in some previous life?" He sighed heavily. Wesson had probably sold the Crest already; Sirius'd have a hell of a job trying to find it again. Maybe if he went to NeuroTech, and forced the man to tell him to whom the artifact now belonged . . . He'd have to escape Azkaban again- in four months it might be too late.

"How old are you?"

Sirius started, then looked quickly around to find the Weasley girl hanging upside-down from the stairail.

"Don't know." He wondered breifly if he should, as the nearest adult, tell her to get off before she hurt herself. "How old do I look?"

The girl shrugged, a dificult feat to manage whilst hanging precariously over a staircase. "Dunno. When I saw your picture you looked about fifty-" Sirius winced, grimacing. "-now, though . . . I dunno. Thirty- eight? Thirty?"

"Let's go with thirty." Sirius decided, even knowing that he couldn't possibly be that young.

"Okay." The girl swung her legs around so she was seated on top of the rail, then slid off. "Got any kids?"

"No."

"Married?"

"No."

"Ever been in love?"

". . .Once. Long time ago." Sirius turned away, intently studying the dish of cranberries.

"What happened? Oh, wait- sorry, dumb question." She hopped up onto the chair next to him, kicking at the table's support leg. "Harry says you're Scottish. Where you from?"

"Scotland."

"I KNOW that!" She pulled an exasperated look. "WHERE in Scotland?"

"Don't remembre." Sirius ran a hand through his hair, feeling stupid. Knowing that he was innocent had let him remembre who he was, yes . . . but details from his life had been remouved with an almost surgical percision thanks to the effects of the Dementors.

"Oh." She stared quizzically at him for a time, then said, ". . .You don't sound much like a Scotsman."

"Erm, I've been living in England since . . . for a long time." Damn, there's another detail missing.

"Ginny!" Mrs Weasley's voice echoed from the kitchen. "Take out the rubbish, would you?"

"Mum! Make Ron do it," the girl protested.

"Ginny, now! We'll be eating soon."

"O. . .kay. . ." she heaved a downtrodden sigh, then strolled from the parlour, dragging her feet as though she were being led to the gallows.

Sirius chuckled quietly to himself, thinking that perhaps having a child or two wouldn't be such a bad idea . . . if he could ever find anyone stupid enough to want to marry the likes of him. Well, maybe somebody blind . . . Sirius shuddered, seeing the prison photo of himself burned unhappily onto the insides of his eyelids. How long would it take before he looked better? He still hadn't looked in a mirrior since before Azkaban, and had no intintion of ever doing so again.





* * *



"Thanks, Ginny, dear," Mrs Weasley said absently as her daughter heaved the sac of rubbish onto her shoulder, overemphisizing her obvious disgust. "Where have you been? I figured you'd want to see Harry." She gave the girl a sly grin.

"Oh, just talking to Mr Black." Ginny tugged on the handle of the kitchen door, then again when it refused to budge.

"And . .?"

"He's nice." She threw her weight into it, and the door opened with a loud BANG.

"Mum, isn't dinner ready yet?" Ron had come sniffing into the room.

"No. What are you and Harry doing?"

"Nothing."

"'Nothing'?" She gave him a Look. "Oh, well- just as long as you aren't doing anything dangerous."

"Nah, just playing badmitten with Pig."

Mrs Weasly began a reply, but the peircing scream of a girl cut through the air like a cold knife.

"GINNY!" She snatched up her wand and charged through the kitchen door, out into the night.

It had stopped snowing, but the ground was couvered still with it. The first of the season. The air was deathly silent; even Ron's chickens held their metaphoricle toungs at the tangible stench of darkness.

"What!? Where is she!?" Sirius Black flung open the front door, and shoved through the row of hedges seperating the garden from the street. In the silvery light of the splinter of a moon, the world had taken on an eathereal appearence; trees twisted like many broken fingers, clawing at the sky for relief, shadows snaked across the ground, dancing in strange and wild movements, and the undergrowth of the garden seemed alive- the spirits of many dark, hulking beasts. And, lieing in the centre of them all, was the sprawled form of Ginny Weasley.

Mrs Weasley dropped to her knees beside the girl, feeling her forehead. "Ginny? Can you hear me? Ginny?"

"Pulse is weak," Black mumbled hurridly. "What happened?"

"I-I don't know!" the woman gathered up the broken girl, being careful not to hurt her. "Ron, get your father! Quickly!"

Ron took off across the lawn, and Sirius got to his feet as well. "I'm going to get Harry. Make sure he's all right."







A/N: More soon- sorry it's short.