The night was cold and dark. So cold that in years to come she would still remember the chill in the air as she waited for her beloved to return. Jade looked around her, out of the back door, watching as the clouds moved in over the half-shaped moon making it eerie to watch. She smelled the rain in the air as she heard footsteps behind her. Her dearest friend, Sierra. She had come to be with her while she watched and waited for him to return. But something in the clouds told her that time may never come. Sirius Black may never come home.

Jade had tried to persuade Sirius to let her keep an eye on him while he went to check on Peter that night. But things were going way to fast around her and he persuaded her to stay, telling her it was too dangerous. This situation was spinning out of control. Sirius was frantic. He was sure there was something wrong. Something made him uneasy and it had done since he had swapped over from being the Secret Keeper and suggested Peter. Jade knew of his fears, but she had been persuaded to stay. She struggled to keep her composure as the tears started to fall. I should have gone with him. I shouldn't have stayed here. It was then she saw the light. The green, eerie light that seemed to flood the sky , reaching across the darkness like an ominous serpent. The Dark Mark.

"Sirius!" she screamed.

How could this happen? Why Lily and James? Why can't everything just go back to the way it used to be? Jade questioned herself over and over again as she raced out of the door and into the cold, dark night. She knew which direction the Mark was coming from, and whose house it would be hovering over. She needed to be there. She needed to find Sirius.

But she was stopped at the gate, both by a worried Sierra and a serious-looking Remus Lupin. He stared at her silently for a moment and then asked her anxiously. "Where is Sirius, Jade? Where is he?"

"He went to find Peter. He told me to wait. I promised him I would wait but, oh Remus. What has happened to him?"

He embraced her into a tight, comforting hug. "I'll look for him. I think we both know where he went, Jade. But why?" Remus said, his voice etched with concern.

Jade sighed as she and Sierra walked from the scene, watching a tearful Remus make his way to the Potter's house as it began to pour rain. She just hoped Remus was able to find Sirius. Until then she had to wait.

That night Jade sat in her living room and just stared at the wall. Sierra was sitting across from her on the couch. The look on Jade's face disturbed her.
"You okay?" she asked, concerned for her long time friend.
When she didn't answer her, Sierra stood up and then kneeled in front of her, taking Jade's hands in hers. Jade looked up reluctantly.

"I'm sorry. Did you say something?" she asked.

"Hon, look at you. Are you sure you're okay? Is there anything I can get you?" Sierra asked.

"Yeah I'm fine." Jade said.

"Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor or something?" she asked.

"Yes. I'm sure. Remus will bring Sirius back and everything will be ok." she said, trying to convince herself. She looked at the clock. It read 2:45 a.m. She stood up, taking one last look at the front door, hoping beyond all hope that Remus would bring Sirius to her.

"I'm going to bed. You know the way out." she said heading down the hallway.
Sierra sighed. She knew Jade was hurting. They all were.

Days later, rumors and facts were going around that the Potters were gone, as was He who must not be named, but their only son Harry had survived. The culprit was named as Sirius Black - the Potter's best friend, who betrayed them to his Master, Lord Voldemort. The Daily Prophet announced that Sirius had also hunted down Peter Pettigrew and blasted him away in front of a street full of Muggles. Jade didn't recognize the madness in the face of the man she loved as she looked at the paper that day. They said he had laughed when he killed Peter but she couldn't believe it. They had arrested the wrong man. She was certain. She glanced across at Remus, who had stayed these past few days to support her. She saw the doubt in his eyes, though he tried to hide it. Maybe he believed Sirius could kill his friends. Maybe they didn't know each other as well as they thought.

Jade walked through the house and her eyes landed on an old group photo sitting on the coffee table. It was the picture that had all taken together on the last day at graduation at Hogwarts. They were all happy and waving. She was standing to the left in Sirius arms around her with Lily, James, Remus, and Peter. They had all been such good friends since then. 'I wonder what he's up to.' she thought suspiciously. She always had her doubts about him, but she had never told Sirius. She wished she had now. Jade put the picture back down, tears wanting to fall.

Then it hit her. Waves of nausea and dizziness mingled with her sadness. She grabbed the chair beside her, but it didn't help in the slightest. She called out, seeing Remus walk through the door towards her as she lost her balance before she fell.

Remus convinced her a couple of days later to get checked out at St Mungo's with all the stress she'd been under, and her ill health. She found out afterwards that she was pregnant. The first thing that hit her mind was that Sirius wouldn't find out that he was going to have a son or daughter. How was she going to manage that? Raising a child by herself. She didn't know. She just hoped the future would bring her happiness instead of the sadness she felt now.

It had been 12 years since everything happened that fateful night with James, Lily, and Sirius. It was the summer time around the end of June and what Jade read in the Daily Prophet stunned her. "SIRIUS BLACK STILL AT LARGE" . She sat in the green grass out in her back yard reading the article. The sun shined brightly as it was just another typical summer day. 'How did he manage to escape?' she thought to herself, adjusting her position on the ground. The Ministry of Magic questioned her about his whereabouts, but she had no clue where he would be. She just made sure that her daughter Annabelle wasn't asked any questions. Annabelle didn't have a clue that her father was a prisoner. Jade wanted to keep it that way. She knew the kids would probably ask Anna if that was her father, but of course she would deny it. At least Jade hoped she would. There was nothing wrong with Sirius being her father. She was just ashamed of the past and didn't want to tell her daughter that her father was in Azkaban. Then a thought popped into her mind. 'Why hasn't he contacted me? Why hasn't anyone told me about his escape?' she wondered to herself. She were suspicious about why they hadn't told her. After all she was his wife. She stood brushing herself off. With the paper still in her hand she made her way to find out all she could from one of her best friends - Remus.

After apparating outside the gates, Jade walked onto the grounds of Hogwarts. She couldn't believe she was back here again. Things hadn't changed one bit. Hagrid's hut was still at the end of the hill. The pond was shimmering as the sun shined down onto it. The chatter of students all around the grounds. She smiled to herself, remembering the days she was here with all her old friends. She walked up the familiar steps and down the familiar halls. They had a more bright and friendly feeling to it. She stopped in front of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class room where Remus had taken a position as a Professor at the beginning of the year. But to her surprise she walked in to see him packing his things away. She felt angry for a moment. He had kept this from her, and now he was just leaving without telling her.

"Why didn't you tell me he escaped?" she asked, sitting the paper down in front of him on the desk. "I'm his wife. I do have a right to know."

Remus looked from the paper clipping to her. "I didn't want you to get hurt, Jade. He has to stay in hiding."

"So you helped him escape?" she questioned.

"I have nowhere near that kind of power. You know that." Remus said standing.

"So how do you know he's in hiding?" she asked.

He sighed. "We mustn't talk here. There is always someone listening."

Jade smiled inside herself. "Those were the days," she muttered.

"Exactly. Ears are everywhere." Remus said, peering around him. "I have to leave now. Come and walk out with me and we'll talk there."

They walked back towards the grounds, Jade assisting in levitating Remus' belongings.

"You have to get me to him." she said, staring straight at Remus. He looked at her awkwardly.

"I can't do that right now. I don't even know where he's at." he said walking around the desk and standing next to her.

"Fine. Then just give him this. It's the least you could do." she said, thrusting a letter towards Remus. He took it in his hand and shrugged.

"If I see him." he said, chewing his lip.

"I know you've seen him, Remus Lupin! Don't play stupid with me. I know you know where he is."

"No, I don't!" he exclaimed.

"If you're lying to me, I'll make sure you stay a werewolf forever." she threatened.

"I am telling you the truth. I will make sure if I see him that he gets this letter. Now, if you don't mind, I have to get going, Jade. Besides, I don't think Anna wants to find you here either. You remember how it was with your parents."

Jade smiled and hugged her friend. "Thank you, Remus."

"For what?" he asked curiously, tucking the letter away in his robes.

"For just being a good friend when I need someone." she said kissing his cheek.

"That's what I'm here for." he said hugging her back. "Now scat."

"Just another thing…" she started. He looked at her. "What happened to Peter Pettigrew?" Remus' face grew serious.

"It was his fault they are dead. That's all you need to know right now." he said. "And if I get my hands on him, he is as good as dead."

She sighed as she walked towards the door then stopped. "Will you tell Sirius I want to see him no matter how dangerous it is?"
Remus only nodded and smiled. With that she headed out the gate and down the drive to apparate away.

When she arrived back home, Jade drew the curtains over the window because the sun was shining too brightly into her bedroom. She walked over to the closet and grabbed a dusty box off the top shelf. She opened it, seeing old newspaper clippings that she had collected over the years about Sirius. She sighed placing the new one inside. 'Peter is as good as dead if anyone finds him.' she thought angrily. Jade smiled at a picture of a young Annabelle that she had on her bedside table. 'Just like Sirius.' Just then Sierra came to visit, poking her head around the door with a smile.

"So, what did Remus have to say?" she asked.

"Nothing much. Peter Pettigrew is alive and he's the one that ratted on Lily and James."

Sierra was shocked and hurt. She wanted to hurt him in the worst way she could think of. Jade was reading her emotions.

"We all want him dead." she said, putting the box back up.

She saw that something was bothering Sierra as she watched her from the closet. Sierra immediately walked out of bedroom, then the house. Jade sighed. She couldn't blame Sierra for having all kinds of emotions again. About a million were going through her. Her daughter Annabelle came to her mind. She had made herself a promise. Find him again and bring him back to meet their daughter that had been growing up without a father.