Hey, this is the first chapter in the second work in my series 'Letters'. I hope you enjoy it.
Summary: Sirius Black has just escaped from Azkaban. When he shows up on her front stoop, Leanna Black, his wife, invites him inside where he meets his two daughters for the first time. After they've gotten on the Hogwarts Express, Sirius heads to Hogwarts to watch over them and his godson Harry Potter. But what happens when aurors come to search Leanna's home for any signs Sirius may have been there? They find a box of letters and bring them to Minister Fudge. Minister Fudge orders the arrest of Leanna Black, and immediately goes to Dumbledore to show him. And when Dumbledore suggests they read the letters to see if Leanna is telling the truth about not helping Sirius? Well no one seems to care about the invasion of Leanna's privacy, nor her daughters' and all their friends and relatives. It wouldn't be the first time the wizarding Ministry had ignored the laws. But if the letters are able to prove her husbands innocence, does Leanna really care about her privacy?
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters in any way, shape, or form. That honor belongs to J.K. Rowling. I do, however, own Leanna, Brielle, Bagel, and any other characters you do not recognize. This plot is also my own.
Leanna Black went through all the jackets in the closet. Why couldn't she find any of her jackets. Her fingers landed on soft, black leather. Her eyes widened, and she pulled out the large jacket. It was her husband's, from when he used to ride his motorcycle. Leanna shrugged the jackets on and pulled it close around herself. If she concentrated hard enough, she could almost smell Sirius' aftershave on the jacket.
Sighing, Leanna picked up the bag of rubbish she had collected from her daughters' room. Brielle and Cassie were notorious for the messes they made. Leanna reached out and turned the doorknob. She stepped outside and slammed into a tall, skinny body.
"Woah, there," the man said, reaching out and steadying Leanna with both hands. "Merlin, Anna, watch where your going."
Merlin. The man had said Merlin. What in the name of Rowena Ravenclaw was a wizard doing on her front stoop? Wait, Anna? Only her husband had ever dared call her that for fear of being hexed, or worse.
"Sirius?" Leanna asked, looking up at the tall man. And it was. This far too skinny man had her husband's eyes and nose, and hair. His face was slightly sunken in from too little meals, but it was definitely her husband.
"'ello, love," Sirius grinned down at her. And it was his voice, no matter how hoarse and scratchy. Leanna dropped the bags and through her arms around her husband. Sirius' own arms went around her waist. "Took me awhile to find you," Sirius muttered into her golden hair. "You moved houses."
"The girls were being bullied," Leanna replied into Sirius' filth-covered T-shirt. "And I got a new job at the primary school over here, so we moved in."
"The girls?" Sirius asked, looking at Leanna with wide eyes. "You mean little Cassie? Wait, that was plural."
"Yes, well..." Leanna started. The headlights of a car illuminated the couple for a mere second. It was enough time for Leanna to realize they were still standing outside in the open air where anyone could see them. "We should get you inside," she said. She grabbed Sirius' arm and pulled him inside, all but forgetting about the rubbish she left lying on her front stoop.
"What did you mean by girls?" Sirius asked once the front door was shut and locked.
"It was right before Cassie turned eight," Leanna sighed. "Her best friend's parents died in a car accident. I adopted her." Leanna wrung her hands. Brielle was the sweetest girl in the world, and she wouldn't give her or Cassie up for the world.
"I have two daughters," Sirius said. He leaned back against the wall and ran his fingers through his hair, just like he used to when they were younger and he got nervous or upset. "I have two daughters that I've never met." Tears started to leak from his eyes, and Leanna wrapped him in her arms. "I'm sorry," he moaned into her shoulder. "I'm so sorry."
"Sh," she hushed him. "I know. I know." And they stood there, holding each other for what seemed like hours, but was really only minutes.
"Mum?" a soft, sleepy voice interrupted. Both Leanna and Sirius jumped apart.
"Cassie," Leanna breathed. How was she supposed to explain this to her daughter? Sirius seemed one step ahead of her though.
"Hello, Cassie," he said, so softly Leanna wasn't sure he had spoken at all, but there he was, kneeling on the floor in front of their biological daughter. "You have my eyes," he whispered hoarsely, and a fresh wave of tears started streaming down his cheeks. Tears for the daughters he had never known, tears for the wife he had missed for almost twelve years, tears for the life he had been stolen from.
"Daddy?" Cassie asked. And then, she was down on the floor in front of her father, clinging to the filthy T-shirt Leanna had just pried her hands off. Both father and daughter clung to each other, sobbing for the life they had never known.
Leanna felt tears come to her own eyes. Light footsteps came running down the hall, followed by the heavier thudding ones of the family dog. Brielle popped her head out from behind the wall that separated the entrance hall from the hallway leading to the bedrooms.
"What's going on, Mum?" she asked, her voice slurred from sleep. Sirius and Cassie both looked up at the sound of her melodic voice. "Who are you?" she asked the adopted father she had only ever heard about in stories, forgetting about being polite in her sleepiness and confusion.
"Brielle?" was all Sirius could manage, staring at the brunette eleven-year old with wide silver eyes.
"How do you know my name?" The tone the young girl took was almost accusing.
"Brie," Leanna broke in, trying her hardest to ignore Sirius' heart-breaking, longing stare at the daughter he hadn't even known about. "This is Sirius, your father."
And just like that Brielle collapsed to her knees in front of her father, side-by-side with her sister in all but blood. She reached a small, tanned hand out and rested it on Sirius' cheek. Sirius reached up with his own, much larger one and grasped it in a firm grip.
"Hello, Daddy," Brielle managed to say before she fell into her adoptive father's arms, holding on for dear life.
"Hello, Brielle," Sirius whispered into her hair, hugging both of his daughters against his chest. Leanna could hold back no longer. She took one, then two steps forwards and knelt next to her husband, wrapping her arms around both her daughters and the man she loved. "I'm home," Sirius said, the never-ending flow of tears streaking the filth caked onto his face.
The small family sat like that for several minutes before they were interrupted. A large, slobbery, pink tongue lapped at Sirius' face in greeting.
"Merlin," Sirius yelped, jumping back. His two daughters broke into fits of giggles. Sirius reached a hand out and ran it through the large, black and brown dog's fur. "You have a bloody Newfoundland."
"Yeah," Leanna laughed, the joy of having her husband back and her family complete overwhelming her. "Chris gave him to the girls as a present last May."
"His name is Bagel," Cassie supplied as Sirius scratched the large dog behind the ears.
"Hello, Bagel," Sirius said, grinning at the obviously very content dog. "My name is Sirius. I hope you don't mind me being here because this, here, is my family." Bagel barked happily and licked a slobbery path up the left side of Sirius' face. The man laughed with pure joy. "I have a family," he laughed. He looked at Leanna with love shining in his eyes. "We have two beautiful daughters and a dog. A dog." Sirius laughed again and jumped up. He picked Brielle and Cassie up in his arms and spun them around in excitement.
"Daddy!" Brielle squealed, holding on tightly and laughing her head off, Cassie not far behind her. Sirius refused to lose his grin even as he put his girls down.
"I need a shower," he said, looking at each member of his family in turn. "Then, we're all going to sit together, we'll eat some food, and you'll all tell me everything that's been happening."
"And you'll tell us how you escaped," Leanna added.
"Of course," Sirius agreed. "It's not as amazing as I'm sure you think though."
"You're the first person to ever break out of Azkaban," Leanna snorted. "I'm sure however you managed it was impressive." Sirius grinned widely at his wife. Merlin, he never thought he'd see her again. "Cassie, why don't you show your dad to the bathroom," Leanna instructed. "Brielle, you can grab him some clothes. Chris left some in the guest bedroom when he, Dorcas, and little Riley stayed over for Easter.
"Alright, Mum," the two girls agreed instantly. They each grabbed one of their father's hands. "Come on, Dad!"
Leanna smiled as they turned down the hallways towards the washroom and the guest bedroom. She had her family back. Smiling happily to herself, Leanna walked into the kitchen and opened up the fridge. Her eyes landed on the eggs and milk. There was nothing like some waffles and ice cream for a happy occasion. She pulled out the ingredients for the waffles and began mixing.
It took Sirius a full forty minutes in the shower to wash all the grime from his body. By the time he was done, the tile flooring of the shower was a murky brown from all the filth. Groaning, Sirius turned off the warm water and stepped out onto the bath towel he had lain on the floor. Grabbing a larger blue towel, Sirius began to dry himself off.
The clothes Brielle had brought in were soft and comfy even if they hung off Sirius' skinny frame. Sirius had never been a large man muscle wise, and his time in Azkaban had not helped. Brielle had brought him a pair of sweatpants, an old Stones T-shirt and a large, green sweatshirt. Sirius moaned as he pulled them on. He had almost forgotten the feel of well-maintained fabric.
Sirius pulled open a drawer and pulled out a new toothbrush and a half-empty tube of spearmint toothpaste. His mouth tasted disgusting. His two weeks on the run had not been kind to him. He at least had a tooth brush and bi-weekly showers while in Azkaban. As it stood, it had been close to a month since Sirius last showered.
Teeth clean, Sirius began the daunting task of combing his hair. After leaving Azkaban, he had managed to shear it off to his shoulders, but it was still a tangled mess. It took a good twenty minutes and an entire bottle of the muggle detangling spray Sirius had found under the sink before his hair was presentable. He would ask Leanna to cut it back to its former length, down to his chin, after they had talked and all gotten some sleep.
Sirius smiled as he heard his three girls talking together. He turned the corner into the kitchen and was instantly covered in little girl. Laughing, Sirius lifted each girl into an arm and set them down next to each other at the small kitchen table. Sirius sat on the other side, across from Cassie.
"Here you are, love," Leanna said, placing a plate of waffles in front of Sirius. He moaned at the smell. He couldn't remember smelling anything lovelier. Leanna placed a plate in front of each of her daughters and then herself. Before sitting down, she grabbed a tub of vanilla ice cream.
"You are the best person to ever exist on this planet," Sirius said gratefully as he scooped ice cream onto first both of his daughters' waffles and then his own.
"Of course I am," Leanna replied cheekily, scooping ice cream onto her own waffles. Both she and Sirius were shocked by how easily they slipped into their old banter. "Now, care to tell us how you escaped Azkaban?"
"Of course," Sirius answered, resting his hand on Bagel's head, which happened to be in his lap. He took a spoonful of waffle. "It all started when Fudge was taking his biannual rounds around Azkaban. He was holding the paper, and I was really bored."
"Why do I have a feeling this paper is the entire reason you broke out?" Leanna groaned, rubbing her face with her hand.
"Because it is," Sirius responded with a cheeky grin. "Now, hush. It's story time. As I was saying, I asked Fudge for the paper, and he gave it to me. I really just wanted to do the crossword, but the picture on the front caught my attention." Here Sirius paused for another bite of waffle. "On the front page, was a picture of the Weasley family. I'm sure you remember them."
"Of course," Leanna said with a tight scowl. "I am not talking to Molly Weasley as of several years after your imprisonment." Sirius did not miss the upset look on his biological daughter's face.
"Right," he said, distracted for only a moment. "On the youngest son's, Ron I believe it was, shoulder, a rat was sitting. A rat missing a toe on its front paw." Sirius stopped talking as Leanna's eyes widened.
"Pettigrew," she whispered under her breath. "That little rat. I thought he had blown himself up."
"Mummy," Cassie interrupted. "Isn't Peter Pettigrew dead?"
"No, Cass," Sirius sighed. "He cut off his finger and blew up the street to make it look like he died."
"Why would he do that?" Brielle asked curiously.
"To make himself seem innocent," Leanna nearly snarled. She was going to kill that rat herself!
"Exactly," Sirius said. "And he's in hiding now as the Ron Weasley's pet rat." Leanna's eyes became even wider. She knew where this was going.
"He'll be at Hogwarts this year," she said in shock, her face rapidly losing its color. "With our daughters." Her breathing quickened. "And Harry, oh sweet Merlin and Morgana, Harry!"
"Exactly," Sirius said. "If even the slightest hint of Voldemort coming back is heard, can you imagine how much danger all three of them will be in?"
"I though Voldemort was dead," Cassie squeaked, her voice rising. "Mummy, you said he was dead!" Leanna reached across the table to grab a hand of each of her daughters.
"And for now he is," she said softly. "But he could come back. It's entirely possible."
"You won't let him hurt us will you?" Brielle whimpered, tears of fear welling up in her chocolate eyes.
"Never," Sirius swore. "That's why I broke out. To keep you safe."
"You didn't even know I existed," Brielle bit out with a tiny whimper. Sirius reach over his wife's arm to grab her hand.
"You're right," he said softly. "And I'm so sorry I was never there to watch you grow up, but I am now, and I will protect you all with everything I have." Brielle smiled a watery smile at her father and squeezed his hand.
"I love you, Daddy," she said.
"And I love you too," Sirius promised. And he did. Even though he had only known about his daughter for a couple hours, he truly loved her. He turned to look at Cassie who was looking at him with wide, hopeful eyes. He reached out and ruffled her blond hair, just like her mother's. "I love you too, Cassie," he said.
"Me too," she replied in her soft voice.
Leanna smiled at each of her daughters before squeezing their hands and letting go.
"What do we do now?" she asked, looking up at her husband.
"You stay here," he replied, taking her hands in his own when he saw the protest bubble up in her eyes. "People will suspect you of helping me if you come with me, love. I'm still a wanted murderer."
"I forgot for a moment," Leanna murmured under her breath, tears springing unbidden to her eyes. "Everything was so normal just now."
"I know," Sirius sighed. He smiled sadly at his wife. "I'll keep them safe, and try to find Pettigrew. I'll grab him, and bring him back here. Then you can take him to the Ministry for questioning. I'll be free, and we'll all be safe and happy as a family."
"Okay," Leanna agreed, one tear falling from the corner of her eye. "We can do that. We'll make it work."
Sirius grinned widely and lifted Leanna's chin up for a quick kiss to the lips. Brielle and Cassie were both sure to make loud, obnoxious gagging noises. Sirius laughed loudly.
"Why don't you lot tell me everything that's happened in the past twelve years," he prompted. "I don't even know my daughters' birthdays!" Bagel woofed happily in agreement.