So another chapter for this slightly tragic story.
I'm sure some of you miss Draco and he will return in the fourth chapter. However, he will be far from friendly.
But it has to get worse before it gets better you know?
Review and make me happy :)
Chapter 2 : Monastery
Time.
So evasive and traitorous, but it had been kind to Alexa.
The accusing voices in her head began to quiet down three months into her journey, when she reached China, more precisely a certain monastery at the Song Shan. Foreigners were not welcomed in there but Alexa had left a strong impression, the kind that only a Dark wizard can leave, and they fearfully and respectfully let her in. Days had passed without her saying a word; she did not know their language and they had not known hers, but she felt no need for verbal communication.
She got up before sunrise and practiced their physical exercise routine, then turned to manual labor; cleaning, cooking, working in the gardens, anything that they had silently asked her to do. She had many hours to ponder, to analyze and to make inner observations, to take in the great view and to watch other people; but she could not help but feel she was being watch by someone else as well. Even though he seemed to fit into the scenery perfectly, speaking the language fluently and knowing the ways of the place, his features gave away his origin, and it was certainly not Chinese.
She was sitting down cross legged in a peaceful spot, eyes focused on the tree covered mountain beneath her, and her breaths deep and ordered when she noticed a presence near her. The foreign looking man came her way and bowed slightly in front of her, asking in perfect, British accented English if he could sit with her.
"Gladly, sir." She replied, more out of surprise than politeness for she did not hear English in many months.
He joined her, sitting in silent and admiring the view; they were both near each other, but at the same time, at an entirely different place. "You're a witch." A blurted out finally, and Alexa immediately tensed.
She gave him a long stare, scanning him thoroughly and trying to sense his magic; it was weak but it was certainly there. "You're a wizard." She stated.
"I was a wizard." He said in a sad voice, his expression thoughtful and distant, as if clouded in memories. "Why would a young witch like you stray so far from Britain?"
"I could ask you the same question." Alexa remarked.
"Then I'll answer your question and you will answer mine. Is it a deal?" the man raised an eyebrow, his dark grey eyes locked on hers and she nodded in approval. "I was running away, and I found sanctuary here."
She scanned the man, trying to recall what about him seemed so familiar. His head was shaven, like all the men in the monastery, and his skin was fairly tanned; she figured he had looked entirely different when he still lived among wizards. "When?"
"Eighteen years ago, maybe nineteen," he answered unsurely.
"First Wizarding war." Alexa said knowingly.
"I see you know your history." He replied with a gloomily smile.
She returned an equally dark smile. "I was part of it." she said vaguely and he watched her, waiting for her to continue. "I was part of the Second Wizarding war."
"Second?" the man cried out, looking confused. "I guess news don't travel so far as to this Monastery in China." Alexa wondered which side he had supported, but refrained from asking. "How did it end?" he asked in a mere whisper.
"Harry Potter killed the Dark Lord." Alexa summarized the situation.
He watched her alert, suspicious, "Only his followers refer to him as the Dark Lord," he said dryly. "And I doubt he really is dead."
"I was never a follower, though my family was an enthusiastic supporter," Alexa said, without a hint of shame, "I'm just used to refer to him this way."
"So you're running away because your name is stained by your family's actions?" he raised a curious eyebrow, his lips pressed tightly into a small smile.
"On the contrary, I'm running away because of my actions, who ironically earned me immense amount of respect." She said bitterly and he watched her puzzled, "I fought for the Order." She explained.
His eyes lit for a moment. "The Order? Reformed?" he asked with excitement.
"Indeed. And stronger than ever." Alexa said with the slightest pride in her voice. She saw the wild joy in his haunted face, and his high cheekbones stood out even more and for a moment a certain picture in the newspaper popped in her memory; confusing her.
He was silent for a long time, and she could sense he wanted to ask her something but suppressed the urge. She decided to take a risky guess. "Do you want to know about Sirius?"
His eyes widen in surprise and she chuckled at his bewildered expression. "Clever girl." He said quietly.
"You look like a Black." She said amused, "I didn't make the connection at first, because you are believed to be dead, but the resemblance to your brother is great."
"Tell me about him." He requested, almost pleaded.
"You know he was sent to Azkaban form murdering Peter Pettigrew and many other Muggles, as well as accused for betraying the Potters." Alexa said and he immediately cut in.
"That's a load of bullshit; my brother would never betray James and Lily," he spat angrily.
"He escaped at Harry Potter's third year in Hogwarts and the country was terrified," Alexa continued her story, "He and Young Potter had an interesting encounter at the Shrieking Shack, along with Remus Lupin currently a teacher at Hogwarts, and Peter Pettigrew, who apparently was very much alive." The men seemed quite shocked at the news. "Pettigrew was an Animagus, as well as James Potter and Sirius Black. He hid for years as the pet rat of the Weasleys, framing Sirius for the murder and the betrayal of the Potters."
"I always loathed him," the man growled, "He was a leech, following the ones with the power and popularity."
Alexa nodded, "Sirius was supposed to be the Potters secret keeper, and he believed the Death Eaters would go after him. So they chose Pettigrew as the secret keeper, assuming the Dark Lord would never suspect it and instead chase Sirius, in vain." Alexa's voice was getting very dark, "It was probably the climax moment of his pathetic life when Pettigrew gave the Dark Lord the location of the Potters house."
The man greeted it teeth so forcefully she was afraid they were going to break any second. "Once Harry Potter was informed of the true story he and Sirius developed a very special bonding. Harry viewed him as something between a father and an older brother, looking up to him." Alexa paused, watching the man smile weakly, "Sirius lived in hiding in your house at 12 Grimmuald Place, which became the Order of the Phoenix's headquarters."
"I'm sure the older Black's portraits loved the idea." He remarked sarcastically.
"You have no idea," Alexa said, rolling her eyes. "Sirius Black was killed in the battle of the department of mysteries, three years ago, by Bellatrix Lestrange." Alexa delivered the news morbidly.
"My brother is…dead?" the man stuttered, looking lost, "Bellatrix, that demonic bitch…"
"She's dead." Alexa said coldly, "I killed her."
He seemed unnerved, but the elegance of his features remained; something about him painfully reminded her of Malfoy. "Your aura, I could feel it the moment you stepped into the monastery." He looked at her with unreadable expression, "You reminded me of HIM in the beginning, though clearly there is no resemblance."
"I would have done great in his ranks." Alexa said dryly, "I have just the right character. But I despise the idea of being a servant, and my parents had to be avenged."
"What's your name?" he suddenly asked, realizing they were talking for so long without introducing themselves.
"Alexa Augusta Kaiser." She replied quietly.
"As in the daughter of Adolf and Agnes Kaiser?" he cried out.
"Indeed." She looked away while answering.
"They were amongst his most loyal followers." He said in confusion.
"And they were betrayed by the Dark Lord," she said in a low hiss, feeling the rage pumping through her veins, "This is how he repaid his best men."
"Are you sure his dead?" he asked cautiously.
"The Horcruxes were destroyed, if that what you mean," Alexa assured him, "Potter found the letter you left in Slytherin's locket."
The man smiled cunningly, "Seems like the boy met all the great expectations from him."
"Certainly." Alexa confirmed, "I was honored to fight by his side, though we shared a fair amount of disagreement just about…everything."
The man chuckled at her comment; when he laughed he looked like an entirely different man, handsome of full of live. "Then way did you run away?"
"I did terrible things in the war." Alexa said emotionlessly, "That was my role, to be as ruthless and diabolic as the Death Eaters were; I do think I outdone them." Her blue eyes darkened as she spoke and her voice held a metallic quality, "I ran away from the guilt and the memories, and the nightmares that haunt me every night. I ran away from the begging voices in my head, the pleading faces and the undeserved glory that awaits me in Britain."
"If it was any other delicate looking girl telling me this story, I would probably thinking she was lying or at least exaggerating. However, I have no doubt your words are true, Alexa." He said grimly. She gave him a gentle smile, pleased he was not questioning her reliability. "How about the rest of my relatives? Had someone survived?"
"Narcissa Malfoy nee Black was killed by her husband in an act of rage and insanity," Alexa informed him poignantly, "Andromeda's daughter was killed by Death Eaters in the final Battle. For all I know you only relative is Narcissa's son, Draco Malfoy."
"Malfoy. Probably doing his time in Azkaban, or had he bought his way out of there again?" he asked her bitterly, an unpleasant expression on his face.
"Actually, Draco Malfoy left the dark side and joined the Order shortly after I did." Alexa said to his great surprise.
"Do you know him well?" he inquired, curious.
"We grew together as children, then sorted to Slytherin house, though we were bitter rivals." Alexa smirked at the memories, "He made a very brave decision that changed the course of the war and saved Potter's life, more than once. He is much more a Black than a Malfoy." Alexa mentioned with satisfaction.
"You seem fond of him." The man smiled with amusement.
"I am. We were close." Alexa confessed, her palms clenched into fists.
"You left so much behind." He remarked and she felt a sting in her heart; it was almost hard to breath.
"Well, you might consider going back as well, Regulus," Alexa commented, "I believe Potter will be more than happy to see you, as well as Malfoy; you're his last living relative."
"The news you bring me do make me doubt that this is where I belong," he said thoughtfully, looking at the wild nature around them, and the high, stony walls of the monastery. "But I've stayed here for too long. I can't imagine myself returning to crowded, polluted and noisy London." He said laughingly, "If you ever wish to return, I suggest you won't linger here for much longer."
Alexa nodded, knowing he was right; this place offer peace for the restless and the haunted. But it had nothing more to offer; the large gap in her heart, in her soul, would not be filled with the quietness of the monastery. It was fairly easy to prefer a guilt free conscience and a careless mind over her life a witch, but was it truly what she wanted?
"There's a great magic in this place, too," he broke the long silence, and she felt as he could read her mind, "The Dark Mark…had disappeared completely a year after I arrived here. This is why I was unaware of his return." He explained pensively, "If you are already here, I might as well teach you."
She looked at him with great interest. "It's called Chan, or Zen by the Japanese." He continued seeing she was willing to hear, and seemed enthusiastic to share his knowledge. They sat on the edge of the cliff, the entire world at their feet, and talked until the sunset and then some more, into the night. And it was the first time of many that he would teach and she would eagerly listen, and then they would practice what he taught her. he never ceased to talk about what both of them left behind, not for a moment letting her forget that there was more than a clean conscience and peaceful sleep, and maybe also, reminding himself. Nearly a year afterwards Alexa had left the monastery, forcing him to promise he will return one day as well.
