Cover image was drawn by me.
Aminta Rivers had never really thought about death. At least, not death itself.
It had always been what came after death that fascinated her. Was it nothingness? Heaven or hell? Simply hanging out with others who died? Who knew. Certainly not all those books filled with theories and speculations about the afterlife or lack there-of that she had read in her time as a Ravenclaw in Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Aminta Rivers had never thought about death itself until she was out of school and fighting a war.
She joined the Order of the Phoenix barely a year after finishing her studies. Albus Dumbledore had approached her and told her that she would be a valuable member to the Order. Believing that one more person couldn't hurt in winning, she agreed.
While she was contributing to this war, she had to work with others. She didn't have the best socialising skills, but it worked nonetheless. She gave her opinion and ideas, constructed strategy and plans with the other Order members, helped with the protection and evacuation of muggle families. She often had to go out in the field.
Of course, while she was protecting families, her own muggle one was murdered by Death Eaters when she was 19 years old, including her 8 year old sister and older brother. She soon learned that it was caused by the Muggle hunts Death Eaters practised. it was a game to them.
While fighting in battles, she was often paired with people that where around her age or in their twenties, for they where the quickest. At least, that's what she told herself. It was a reasonable explanation. But maybe it was because of their not so reasonable insistence on going out on to the field.
Because of this, she had gotten the pleasure to get to know James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, Lily Evans and Sirius Black. Those 5 where almost always in the same squad, rarely seen apart.
Aminta had instantly bonded with Lily over the fact that they where muggleborns and considered less by the death Eaters and pureblood supremacists. She had then, of course, gotten to know Lily's fiance and friends. This included Sirius Black.
At first, Aminta couldn't understand why Lily Evans-soon-to-be-Potter could get along with Black. She soon learned that, despite his open disregard for sensible rules and reckless behaviour, Black had a heart of gold and was rather clever, coming up with ideas and strategies that, when fleshed out, could become a fantastic plan. Or how he could keep on sassing and laughing at enemies without losing concentration in a battle. This, she admired of him.
She might not know it at first, but Sirius had also started to admire Rivers for her ability to keep a clear head and a calm demeanour in battle, how she could either be emotional and warm or aggressive and cold, or how she managed to snap back at people with a witty reply without missing a beat, or that one time she stopped a particularly stupid and slow Death Eater from killing her by simply stating facts and more 'useful' ways to kill her, stalling while she found a way to put him down.
After many near death experiences and battles fought side by side (which they both later agreed to call dates), as well as a lot of teasing from both Lily and James, Aminta and Sirius stopped calling each other by their surnames and started doing a little more than just holding hands.
They never married each other, but they might as well have.
When Aludra and Adhara Black where born the 3rd of March, it was the greatest day of their lives. It was even more so when Harry Potter was born a bit more than 2 months later in July.
Despite being in the middle of a war and feeling far to old for twenty year olds, everyone was filled with hope for the twin daughters and Harry's peaceful future if they won the war.
Sadly, the Potters had to go into hiding under the Fidelius Charm to stop Voldemort from killing them, for he was after them. According to everyone, Sirius became their Secret-Keeper. He was the only one who could give their location to someone else.
For months, Aminta, Remus and Peter didn't get to see them. It was safer for Lily, James and Harry if no one except themselves and their Secret-Keeper knew where they lived now.
At least, they thought it would be safer until Voldemort himself stepped into their supposedly hidden house and murdered Lily and James Potter, right before being defeated by little one year old Harry while trying to do the same to him.
Everyone knew that it was their Secret-Keeper's fault, for he was the only one who could have given the information to Voldemort.
And everyone realised that it was Sirius Black's fault that two lovely people where gone and their son was orphaned.
Everyone learned that Peter had supposedly gone after Black in revenge, trying to put down the now known Death Eater and follower of Voldemort. They cornered each other on a muggle street.
Peter had shouted at Black, asking him why he had betrayed James and Lily, before Black made the entire street explode, killing Peter and 12 muggles with one curse. It was messy, bloody, and horrifying.
The only thing they found of Peter Pettigrew was his finger.
Black was taken to Azkaban, laughing madly at the bloody devastation around him. Created by him.
Aminta looked at the photo of the father of her daughters in The Daily Prophet.
She should've seen it, she told herself. She should've noticed what he was.
But no matter how many times she read that article, she could never truly believe that it was her Sirius' fault that 15 people where dead in 24 hours.
Aminta Rivers had never really thought of death itself until the only family she had left was torn apart because of the father of her two daughters.