I do not own Harry Potter or any of the things/people associated with it. Nor do I own the song. It is "All the Pretty Little Ponies" by Catherine Raney from the Flika soundtrack. I do however own Lizzie, Mimi, and Astera.
For those of you who were reading my HP/Charmed crossover I just want to say I'm sorry I deleted it. I just hit a brick wall that didn't want to move. IF you liked the idea of a HP/Charmed crossover just wait. If this doesn't take off I've got an idea that deals with the Maurder Era of the story.
But anyways I hope you enjoy!
The heels of Lizzie's boots made an echoing sound as she followed one of the few human guards down the stone halls of Azkaban. As she promised Remus before she left home that morning her cloak was still on completely covering her body keeping her hidden from the eyes of the deranged and insane occupants of the many cells of Azkaban.
She pulled her cloak tighter around her body trying to chase away the chill that had settled in her bones since she entered the prison. God she wanted to feel the sun on her back and her daughter's comforting weight in her arms. As they went deeper into the prisons Lizzie couldn't help but regret not listening to Remus' advice. I mean he had never strayed her wrong before.
"Please Liz I'm begging you don't do this. You don't need to see him."
Lizzie busied herself by rocking Astera trying to get the little girl from crying. She didn't want to see the look that she knew would be on her friend's face. That look of pure hatred, it almost made her sick.
"I have to Moony…I have to know why he…," she couldn't even finish her sentence, "I just need to know why."
Remus frowned at his broken friend as she held her child close singing a soothing lullaby to her trying to make her go to sleep. Astera had been fussy for the last week, ever since that night when Sirius left to go check on Peter.
He cursed Sirius Black's soul straight t to the fiery pits of hell for being the cause of such a good woman's heartbreak. He'd never understand why his ex-friend threw everything away. He had some of the best things in the entire world. Friends whom would have died for him on any given day, a loving wife, and a beautiful baby girl.
"She missed them," Lizzie spoke softly stroking one of Astera's black curls, "James, Lily, Harry…Sirius. She doesn't understand why their not here."
Remus looked down at her goddaughter with sad blue eyes. She was holding on tightly to her mother with all her one year old strength. The grey eyes she had inherited from her father were puffy and tear filled. It was almost if she too felt the loss of their loved ones just as deeply as the adults around her did.
"I have to know why Moony. For me, for Astera…she'll ask questions one day and I promised myself a long time ago that I would never lie to her about anything." Lizzie finally looked up at him with tears in her eyes, "Please try to understand…,"
Remus nodded as he sat down beside them pulling her into a much needed hug, "I do Lizzie. I do."
Lizzie was pulled from her thoughts when she bumped into the guard who had made a sudden stop. He was standing in front of the very last cell in the solitary ward.
"You have fifteen minutes Mrs. Black," he spoke gravely giving her a sympathetic look, "That's all I can give you."
Lizzie smiled a little, "Thank you."
He nodded before unlocking the door and stepping inside.
"You've got a visitor Black," all sympathy was gone from his voice as he spoke harshly before steeping back allowing Lizzie to walk through.
Sirius eyed her suspiciously for a moment before she pushed back her hood allowing her black hair to flow out in its normal curly waves.
"Lizzie," as soon as her name left his lips he was on his feet.
Lizzie stared at her husband with her dark brown eyes for a moment just taking him in. After all this would probably be the last time she would ever get to see him.
In the last week he had been there his once shinny black hair that she had loved to play with was matted and hung in her face; he was looking much to thin and tired. All together he looked nothing like the man she had married barely two years ago. He looked like a stranger.
'He is a stranger,' Lizzie reminded herself.
"Fifteen minutes Mrs. Black,"
Lizzie nodded to him but kept her eyes locked on Sirius. Who was only looking at her as well. As soon as the guard was gone Sirius took it as his opportunity to speak, "Liz I-,"
"How could you Sirius? After all we've been through, how could you?" tears were building up as her fists unconsciously clenched by her side, "James was your best friend…Lily was like my sister! And Harry……he's just a baby!"
"Lizzie-,"
"Do you know where they sent him?" Lizzie asked pure venom dripping from her voice, "Petunia and her husband! Muggles who hate everything we are! Everything we stand for! They'll torture that poor sweet baby."
"Elizabeth,"
"Did you even think of Astera? Your own DAUGHTER. She's barely eating or sleeping since you left!" the tears were rolling down her cheeks, "She keeps crying for you."
This time Sirius did not say her name. In fact he did not say anything to her at all. He tightly gripped her wrist pulling her close to him before crashing his lips on top of hers.
Lizzie tensed for a moment before melting into his familiar embrace. Her mind was screaming at her to pull away, to slap him, to hate him. But as her heart beat that frantic dance it always did when Sirius kissed her, it was also breaking right in half. She could never hate Sirius Orion Black, even after he murdered her friends and innocent bystanders. She still loved him unconditionally. And that hurt worse then hating him.
Finally Sirius pulled away to lay his forehead against hers his eyes looking right into her own, "I didn't do it."
Lizzie blinked, "What?"
"I was worried after I checked on Peter," he spit the name out venomously, "He wasn't home but there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right so I went to check on James and Lily. By the time I got there it was too late."
"Bu-but you killed Peter," Lizzie's voice and body began to shake as realization sunk in, "And those Muggles…,"
Sirius shook his head, "When I finally found the little bastard he was in the street screaming about how I betrayed Lily and James to Voldemort. Then HE cast the curse killing those Muggles."
"He cut off his finger to make it look like he was killed." Lizzie spoke softly the pieces of the puzzle finally fitting, "Let me guess he escaped though the sewers right?"
Sirius nodded with a solemn look on his face.
"They can't keep you here then. You're innocent!" Lizzie was shaking her head, "You can't stay here."
Sirius smiled a little, "I don't think they're going to believe me love. After all I was laughing like a mad man when they arrested me."
"What the hell was with that anyways?" Lizzie asked with a stern look, "I can hardly see anything remotely funny in that situation."
"Peter! Mousy, timid, Wormtail of all people! No one would have expected him in a million years. I thought it was…,"
"Remus," Lizzie finished his sentence.
Sirius looked ashamed as he nodded.
Lizzie sighed, "I'm going to talk to Dumbledore. Surly he can help. You have to come home."
"Astera's not doing well is she?" he asked purposely ignoring her statement, he didn't want to get hers or his hopes up.
Lizzie nodded sadly, "She keeps asking for Harry and you. I don't know what to do."
He pulled her into a tight hug, "Tell her how much I love her every day until I can do it myself."
"Which you will," Lizzie interjected with fierce determination before softly kissing her husbands cheek, "I promise."
Sirius gave her a small smile, "I believe you love."
"Mrs. Black you time is up," the guard announced before reentered the cell making the two split apart.
Lizzie paused at the door to look at her husband with tears in her eyes one last time, "I love you Black."
He gave her a small ghost of the famous smirk that use to make the girls at Hogwarts go wild, "I love you too Parkinson."
With one last sad smile Lizzie returned her hood to it's earlier position before walking out the cell. Sirius watched her go until the door was closed obstructing his view. Deep inside he knew that he would never see his wife again. But as he feel into a fitful sleep he never imagined that it would end like it did…
When Lizzie finally returned home it was rather late. Hanging up her cloak in the closet she ventured upstairs to her nursery highly unsurprised to see her old Nanny Mimi rocking a sniffling Astera. Mimi had practically raised both Lizzie and her older twin brother Thomas after their mother died when they were two. When Lizzie had announced she was pregnant a year and a half ago Mimi had insisted on helping her and Sirius out until they got the knack of it on their own.
At first the two still very rebellious purebloods had refused the older woman's help. But after the first night of Astera's painful cries they had relented.
"Elizabeth dear you're crying," Mimi stated in a hushed panic, "Sirius did he-,"
"Can I have a moment with my daughter Mimi?" Lizzie asked her arms outstretched for Astera, "Please?"
Mimi nodded as she handed the baby to her mother. She watched for a moment as Lizzie smiled down at her daughter rocking her back and forth in her arms. With tears in her eyes Mimi tore herself away from the heartbreakingly beautiful site to go fix a late dinner.
Lizzie didn't notice her leave as she held her baby girl close. She was still easily amazed that she and Sirius were able to create something so amazingly perfect. They had given this little creature life. A life she'd look back on and smile at instead of resent. She was going to be loved by both of her parents for everything she was. They would never try to make her be something she wasn't.
And Sirius would be there to see her grow. Even if it was the last ting she did, Sirius was going to see his daughter grow into the beautiful woman she was bound to become.
Astera cooed earning her mother's attention again.
"Ssshh baby girl. You need to go to sleep," Lizzie spoke softly.
"Dada," Astera cried.
Lizzie sighed as she sat in the rocking chair by the window, "He's not here right now Ash but he'll come home. I promise. Until he does you have to be a good girl and listen to mommy. Now lets go to sleep."
Astera let out a little cry meaning 'I don't wanna,'
Her mother suppressed a giggle, "God you are you're father's daughter no doubt about it." She then began to sing the only lullaby she could remember her mother singing to her and her brother.
Hush a bye In your bed Blacks and bays Can you see the little ponies
Don't you cry
Go to sleep my little baby
When you wake
You shall have
All the pretty little ponies
Momma said
Baby's riding off to dreamland
One by one
They've begun
Dance and prance for little baby
Dapples and greys
Running in the night
When you wake
You shall have
All the pretty little ponies
Dance before your eyes
All the pretty little ponies
Will be there when you arise
By the time Lizzie was done singing Astera had fallen asleep in her mother's arms. Chuckling to herself she carefully stood up to place the baby in her crib. After covering her with the soft purple blanket she kissed her soft cheek.
"Your daddy and I love you so much Astera,"
"Isn't that just too sweet," a familiar sickening voice cooed making Lizzie spin around to see Bellatrix Lestrange standing in front of the now closed door.
Lizzie frowned at her husband's cousin, "Get of out of my house Lestrange, now."
Bellatrix smirked, "Now, now, no need to be hasty after all we are family." She tried to get a good look at the sleeping Astera only to have Lizzie block her view, "Is that my sweet baby cousin? We never did get any invites for her Wiccaning."
"There never was any invites," Lizzie growled through her teeth keeping her eyes on the dark haired woman, "Everyone that mattered was there."
Bellatrix was clearly amused by Lizzie's growing frustration, "On to the matter at hand. I have a proposal for you Lizzie dear."
"And what might that be?" Lizzie wanted nothing to do with any part of a proposal coming from Bellatrix or the people she associated with.
"Give me those powers of yours that your mother passed on to you and," Bellatrix raised her wand to Astera, "Your precious little baby can live to see another day."
Lizzie could practically feel her heart stop in her chest. She knew Bellatrix well enough to know that that was a dead lie. If she really did give her mother's family's powers she had been blessed with then there would be no stopping her or the things she stood for.
If Voldemort was really dead as they said he was Bellatrix with her powers would easily be able to bring him back. If he were merely powerless she could give him enough power to put him back into his prime.
Astera wouldn't live for long if that happened, nor would many people that Lizzie knew and carried for.
"Ok. I'll do it," Lizzie whispered bowing her head as her right hand reached out to Bellatrix while her left dropped down to lightly touch her baby girl's tiny hand, "Just promise that no harm will come to Astera."
Bellatrix grinned wickedly obviously pleased to know she won, "Of course. I won't harm a single hair on her little head."
She reached out for Lizzie's hand only to be hit with a powerful blast of black energy sending her flying out the window. But not before she was able to hit Lizzie with a curse.
Lizzie let out a blood curling scream as she fell to the floor on her knees still lightly touching her baby girl's hand. Astera by now was screaming at the top of her lungs but Lizzie couldn't find the strength to get to her feet. She felt like she had thousand pound weights chained to all of her limbs keeping her forced into this position, unable to comfort her baby.
"ELIZABETH!" Mimi yelled as she began to rush up the stairs.
Everything was getting so dark and fuzzy; she could barely hear Astera anymore. Memories of her mother and brother, of Hogwarts, the Marauders, Lily, Sirius, Harry, her life in general began to flash before her eyes. With one last bit of strength Lizzie was able to move so she could look into her baby's eyes.
"I give you everything," she whispered just as Mimi busted through the door.
A bright light filled the room momentarily blinding Mimi. When it subsided and the woman was able to clearly see again Elizabeth Maria Cromwell-Black was dead. Tears rolled down Mimi's face as she gently picked up the bawling Astera trying to shush the crying baby. But it wasn't possible when her own cries were just as desperate as the babies. She knew exactly where the beautiful baby was going to have to go. The place that Elizabeth had vowed she'd never step foot in. The little girl would be raised with the same ideals her parents had hated so much.
As she walked out of the room to call Remus she paused at the doorway,
"I'll protect her Elizabeth, I swear I will."