This was a dream that I had one night and I tried to put it into writing for you.
Beyond The Veil
He could hear someone screaming his name as the veil fluttered on either side, dark velvet clouding his vision. Noise screamed round his head as blackness overtook him, its subtle hold pulling him further into its depths. Figures and numbers raced round his head, none of it making any sense, his eyes were unfocused and his limbs felt heavy, so heavy, he just wanted to sleep.
Light suddenly burst upon his bruised eyes, the light's pull was stronger than the darkness. Shapes were coming into focus, blurred, saying his name.
"Sirius!"
His heart gave a painful jolt and he felt his throat contract, he hadn't heard that voice in such a long time.
"James?"
He croaked. Everything was coming into focus and he was lying on firm ground. He stretched out his hand and felt James pull him to his feet.
Tears were pouring down his face but he didn't notice them. Lily's face came into view, peering over James' shoulder, her face split by a smile. He was almost knocked off his feet again as James pulled him roughly into a hug.
"Sirius! We thought you'd never make it!"
Sirius blinked questioningly as James pulled back, then realization began to dawn, he was dead! Looking around wildly all he could see was the vast expanse of white. Cloaking them all in its serenity and hiding its deadly secrets.
"You took so long, we thought you'd gotten lost." Lily stepped forward, her smile now faulting, "Aren't you happy to see us?"
"Harry," he whispered. He had failed him, he had failed them all. Broken, he started sob, it wasn't supposed to be that way!
"Sirius!" James' voice cut across his weeping sharply, "It was your time! You couldn't change that! None of us could." James' voice was laced with regret and sorrow and he grabbed Sirius' shoulder, giving him a firm shake.
Sirius had dozens of questions but he couldn't get his mouth to work. Where was this place? Did they know what was going on? How could this be Death?
As though reading his mind, Lily answered his questions, "This is the waiting room Sirius" At his puzzled gaze she proceeded to explain, "This is the place for people who aren't ready for Death, for people who are waiting." Lily had tears in her eyes but James gave her a hug and took over the job of explaining.
"Everyone has a set time to die, yours was now, ours was fourteen years ago. We're here because we're waiting for them to die," James gestured with his hand and Sirius didn't need to ask who James meant by 'them'.
"Will it be their time soon?" Sirius whispered, Lily nodded, tears now back in her eyes, "Yes Sirius, it'll be their time very soon." But Sirius didn't miss the suppressed joy in her statement and he felt a sort of calm come over him. He didn't need to ask anymore questions, he already knew the answers.
James pulled Lily back into an embrace as Sirius felt a pull at his back, James and Lily's faces were streaming with tears but they were smiling, "We'll send Moony along when he comes," James managed to cry out. Their faces were already being swathed in white light but Sirius felt no regret in leaving them, it was their right to wait.
The pull became stronger, pulling Sirius away from everything he'd ever known, lifting him higher until he was flying through expanse. It was as if a bubble was swelling in his stomach, Sirius felt wild with happiness, he was soaring! His body fell away as easily as dead skin, lost to the dark depths below, leaving only Sirius' soul to traverse the death plains. Sirius was free. No more hurt, no more tiredness. Everything was passing as if in a dream. A dream of light and song.
It could have been a few minutes or a few years but time passed unnoticed in the plain until Sirius was finally set to rest on the walkway. Smooth stones paved the way and light led his feet. A fine mist surrounded the walkway on either sides and it was suspended as if in midair but there was no gravity in this place. Only the pull of death and the desire for the beyond held the souls to the road.
Sirius felt no need to hurry, souls rested at the side of the road and Sirius was overcome with joy when he recognised some that he had met before the veil. It made no sense, he had hardly known them in the past life, the shadow life. But in this place it was like they were all connected, they existed as one and their troubles had disappeared as one.
But even on the walkway there were dangers, gaps in the road where paving stones had been ripped up would catch the unaware and send them to the dark depths below. And there were more than one road, side roads branched off the first and Sirius felt the pull of the roads, the dark desire and power that they promised. They were there to claim the weak and evil. But Sirius knew his road, as though he had walked this path before.
Looking back, Sirius saw the way was blocked, there was no going back in the plains. But they would catch up, his friends would follow his lead until they were joined again. Looking ahead, Sirius felt his soul give a leap, this was where he belonged, through the arch the Phoenix song filled his very being.
He was home.
A/N I hope you enjoyed this and that it meant something to each and every one of you.