A/N: She meets Sirius in this one!
Finally, confronting a bit of her past. Hope you guys enjoy it.
Disclaimer: All characters but Liz belong to J.K. Rowling.
The song is Just a Ride by Jem.
Just a Ride
Life, it's ever so strange
It's so full of change
Think that you've worked it out
She took a deep breath and entered the kitchen.
From the looks and sounds of it Molly Weasley had been shouting at someone, "… Percy" She stopped short. Everyone turned to the door to see who had arrived this late. She heard Molly's breath catch in her throat. Arthur cleared his throat, and she heard someone mutter, "Well I'll be damned." Other than that there was an awkward silence. Remus broke it, "Good evening everyone. Sorry we are a little late, we got caught up." Silence again. Liz shuffled awkwardly.
Then bang, right out of the blue
Something happens to you, to throw you off course
"Liz, is that you?" asked the same voice that she had heard mutter. She turned to see who it was. "Bill! Bill…" before she could say anything else, someone had pulled her into a hug. She laughed as she let go and looked up to see him. "Wow, you sure cleaned up well. Look at you. How have you been? Like the hair," she winked. Bill laughed. "It has been long since I last saw you Lizzie." Liz rolled her eyes, "Bill, you are no longer the eight year old I used to baby-sit. Stop calling me Lizzie, you know I don't like it." Bill laughed and hugged her again, "It's just so good to see you."
"It's good to see you too."
"Elizabeth."
Liz looked to the floor when she replied, "Arthur."
"Chin up, young lady." With that he lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. To her surprise, Arthur's eyes were twinkling with happiness. She hugged him. "Oh Arthur, I've missed you."
"I suppose I have too," he said. But you could hear the happiness in his voice.
And then you breakdown
She let go and turned to the older woman, who had now shifted to the side. "Molly," she breathed. Liz took a step forward, but something in Molly's eyes told her to stop right there. "Molly, I am so sorry," she said softly. "So sorry." And took a step forward. Molly let out a dry sob and rushed forward to hug her. "Don't you ever walk out like that, Elizabeth. You hear me. Don't you ever disappear again," she fiercely whispered. "Never," Liz whispered back. "Never again."
Don't you breakdown
They let each other go after a moment and Molly laughed.
Liz smiled and looked around the room, "Hey, where is Charlie?"
Molly answered, "He is in Romania studying dragons." Liz laughed, "Well least all those fairy tales with dragons and princess might prove to be of some use."
The three older Weasleys laughed, "Elizabeth when was the last time you had a proper meal?"
Liz rolled her eyes, "Oh Molly, don't start again. I eat enough. It's my metabolism and you know that." Molly laughed again, "You haven't changed a bit."
"You say that as if it's a bad thing," Liz grumbled. Bill threw an arm around her shoulder and said, "Hey. I still love you." Liz rolled her eyes and stood on her tip-toes to give him a kiss, "My hero."
Listen to me, because
"Don't I get a hug?"
It's just a ride
It's just a ride
No need to run
No need to hide
Her heart skipped a beat as she turned to him. She looked at him and stifled a gasp. He had changed. His cheeks had sunk in, his skin was sickly pale and waxy, his hair was longer than she had ever seen it and it hung in clumps, a weeks long beard lined his once strong, now bony jaw. He was painfully thin. Even his voice had changed, hoarse and scratchy due to lack of use. But the eyes, the grey stormy eyes, those were still Sirius Black's eyes. "Jeez Sirius, have you heard of a hair-cut," she drawled. He cocked an eyebrow, "No but have you?" he asked eying her hair that had grow in the past years. "Least mine is stylish," she said and slightly stuck out her tongue. He laughed his bark like laugh, the genuine laugh that she had always managed to draw from him. "C'mere you," he said and pulled her into a hug. The fact that they had just been playfully teasing each other was forgotten and the hug was as serious as it could get. They held each other tightly, for a long time.
It will take you all around
Sometimes you're up sometimes you're down
"I hate to interrupt you guys, but I have to ask. Who are you?"
Liz and Sirius, embarrassed at acting this way in front of the kids, awkwardly let go of each other. Smiling, Liz turned to the speaker, "Well Fred or George, is it, I guess you don't remember me. I'm Elizabeth. I used to baby sit the lot of you when you were kids."
"Wait, you are Elizabeth Grey?"
"The one and only, George."
"Dad and Bill are always talking about you. Mum too."
"You must be Ron, eh. You were only a year old the last time I saw you. Had a nasty diaper rash, you did." At this Ron turned a brilliant shade of red, to the very tips of his ears and rest of them burst out into laughter.
"Molly weren't you pregnant with another baby," said Liz as she turned to Molly.
"That would be Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley as she started to set the table again.
"Here, let me help you."
"Nothing doing, you sit down and get to know everyone."
Liz saw a young girl, with red hair at the table, "You must be Ginny."
"Yeah. I heard all about you from dad and Bill. Where have you been all these years?"
It's just a ride
It's just a ride
"Now Ginny, manners. No need to ask things that don't concern you," snapped Mrs. Weasley, as she placed a bowl of salad on the table. Liz smiled, "That's okay, Molly. I'm going to have to answer their questions sometime."
"Yes, but not tonight."
Liz let that pass, and looked around the table. "You must be Hermione, the smartest witch of your age, eh?" The girl blushed and mumbled something. "Oh come on Hermione, we all know that it's true," said Ron. Hermione blushed again and Liz smiled, "Remus was telling me all about you and Ron and Harry." With that she turned to the boy that she had been dreading to meet.
Don't be scared
Don't hide your eyes
There he was, sitting next to Sirius. He looked so much like James, the same hair, the same jaw, the same nose; even though he was sitting she could tell that he was almost the same height James had been when he was fifteen, but his eyes. Looking into them was like looking into Lily's soul. Liz rapidly blinked back the tears and cleared her throat. "I know you must be sick of hearing this, but you look remarkably like your father, except for you eyes. They are your mother's." Before she could stop herself, her eyes darted to the scar, the only physical reminder of the night that changed their lives forever. She realized that her gaze was making him uncomfortable, she smiled and continued, "I knew your mother before, at and after Hogwarts. She was the best friend I ever had. And your father, well, he was like a brother to me."
Harry was about to say something but Molly served dinner.
It may feel so real inside
But don't forget
It's just a ride
"Gosh, I am starving," Liz said to no one in particular as she filled her plate with some stew. She smiled as Remus slid into a seat next to her.
Liz looked at Nymphadora who was entertaining Hermione and Ginny by changing her noses for them, "Not that I mean to sound rude or anything, but I don't think we have met before." Nymphadora smiled and replied, "I guess we haven't but I sure have heard of you. I am Tonks, Nymphadora Tonks. It's nice to meet you." Liz's eyes widened. "You are Andromeda's daughter? Well then we have met before, I'm sorry, I guess you don't look like you did back then."
"We've met? Wow, I don't remember. I've just heard mum talk about you. Dumbledore mentioned that you would be joining us."
"Well, it was just once. You were eight then. We," she pointed at Sirius and herself, "were walking in Hyde Park once and your mother had brought you out for a walk. We spent the entire evening together, and then when Remus joined us, you turned all your attention to him and we were left forgotten," everyone laughed and Tonks blushed, "You both got along very well."
A gale of laughter from the middle of the table drew Liz's attention. "How's it going 'Dung?"
"Eh, pretty good. How 'bout yeh, Liz?"
"Not bad myself."
The rest of the dinner was relatively quiet, with Liz just listening to snippets of conversations, just getting used to the feeling of being around so many people again.
"Nearly time for bed, I think," said Molly on a yawn.
"Not just yet, Molly," said Sirius. Sirius looked at both Liz and Harry, "You know I'm surprised at both of you. I thought that as soon as you guys would get the chance you would start asking about Voldemort."
Truth you don't want to hear
It's too much to take
As soon as Sirius had said that, the atmosphere in the room changed rapidly. In seconds the atmosphere had turned from sleepy and relaxed to alert, even tense. Remus, who was taking a sip of wine from his goblet, slowly lowered it, looking wary. Liz raised an eyebrow, "I just didn't think that the dinner table was a place to talk about Voldemort."
"It didn't stop you back then. As soon as I would get back from a mission or a meeting that you had missed, the first thing that you'd do was ask me how things are."
"That was different, back then it was just the two of us-"
"Enough you two don't start already," interrupted Remus.
Liz rolled her eyes and Sirius cocked an eyebrow and turned his attention back to Harry.
"Well," Sirius asked.
"I did," even his voice was like James', "but Hermione and Ron said they weren't allowed in the Order, so --"
Don't like to feel out of control
So we make our plans ten times a day
And when they don't go our way
We break down
And then just like that an argument broke out between Molly on one side and Sirius and the kids on the other. Soon it ended with terribly angry Molly (for losing the argument) escorting a fuming Ginny (for being left out) back to her room and Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred and George being told a much edited version of the details of Voldemort and his actions and whereabouts. It ended with Harry wanting to join the Order but the idea was shot down, not by Molly but by Remus, and soon everybody turned in for the night. After Liz had said her goodnights, hugged the 3 oldest Weasleys, smiled at the kids and Tonks, she climbed up to the 2nd floor with Remus and Sirius. They were silent.
Yeah we breakdown
Don't you breakdown
Liz agreed with Remus wholeheartedly. Harry was too young, the world out there too dangerous. Liz hadn't been around for the past 14 years, but from now on she was going to make sure that Harry didn't undergo any pain unless absolutely necessary. She was going to make it up to him. She needed to talk to him, ask him to forgive her. She needed to talk to all of them, it was obvious that they had welcomed her, some ever forgiven her but they needed to understand why she had left. The kids needed to know what she was. There was so much that needed to be done and so little time. She was shaken out of her thoughts by acute awareness of Sirius' hand on her shoulder, "Laye, you with us?"
Listen to me
It's just a ride
It's just a ride
No need to run
No need to hide
She focused on a part of his face, fake smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."
"About?"
"Where did Lupe go," she asked, using her old name for Remus, avoiding the real question.
"He turned in, said goodnight but you were in your own world," opening the door to his room, he motioned for her to enter, reluctantly she did.
"So how have you been?" he asked again, closing the door behind him and sitting down next to her on his bed.
It will take you round and round
Sometimes you're up sometimes you're down
"Not bad. I just became a surgeon."
He nodded pride evident in his voice, "I heard. Congratulations. So how have you really been?"
She sighed, knowing that he would see right through her, "It's been... something, these past fourteen years." That was a part of the truth, wasn't it. She wasn't going to tell him how much she had missed him, how much she had thought of him, how hard it had really been. Well not yet anyway.
"It has, hasn't it?" He let that pass, "So what were you thinking about?"
"What if I said I didn't want to tell you?"
"I'd ask again. Laye, what were you thinking about?"
"Amends." She blurted out, "I was thinking about how I'm going to make amends with everyone. With Harry, with Remus, the Weasleys, and you," she added softly.
"Me. What do you mean?"
It's just a ride
It's just a ride
Don't be scared
Don't hide your eyes
"What do you think I mean, Sirius? I'm thinking about how I'm going to apologize to all the people that I left behind, how I'm going to explain it to Harry, how I'm going to make it up to all of you."
I understood that part, Laye," she smiled when she heard that. Sirius had always called her Laye, never Liz or Elizabeth or Lizzie. She remembered the first time she spoke to him, being the Sirius Black she had always seen him around. She had run into him a corner after meeting McGonagall for her career advice. He had seen the Auror pamphlets in her hands and raised an eyebrow. He, like many, had thought she was too short, too weak to be in combat. But when he found out that McGonagall herself had suggested the career he had seemed impressed.
It may feel so real inside
But don't forget
It's just a ride
"Why are you smiling?"
"Just that no one has called me that in a long time."
"Yeah, I haven't called anyone that in a long time either."
She smiled again. And stood up from her seat on the bed, "It's late. I'll see you tomorrow Sirius. Goodnight."
"Night."
Slowly oh so very slowly
Accept that there's no getting off
So living, just got to go with it
'Cause this ride's never going to stop
When she had her hand the door knob he said softly, "And Laye, just so you know, you don't need to make amends with me. I understand why you had to walk away. I'm the one who should be sorry."
Knowing that the last statement would spark a longer discussion, maybe even an argument, Liz just nodded and left the room.
With a sigh Sirius fell back on the bed, and in her room Liz too flopped down on her bed.
Both were in for a long night.
It's just a ride
It's just a ride
Don't be scared
Now dry your eyes
It may feel so real inside
But don't forget
It's just a ride
A/N: I hope it was good. Well, let me know. Review, please.