Warning: This chapter is going to be very sad. I am not liable for any spilt tears because of this chapter. I am only half-kidding. Read at your own risk. I'm sorry in advance.
Chapter 7: Honor, Pain, and Sorrow
I had never been so nervous in my entire life. For the fifth or sixth time that night, I opened the black velvet box I had bought earlier that day. It wasn't just a box. Inside was a small, silver engagement ring. Elizabeth was away touring a Scottish castle since the day before, and wasn't scheduled to return until eight o'clock that night, so I had the perfect opportunity to purchase the ring.
I had my proposal to Elizabeth planned out perfectly. Tomorrow was November 3rd, Elizabeth's twenty-first birthday, and it was going to be a very eventful day. First, I was going over to James's and Lily's for lunch, because James had told me it was necessary to come that day, that he had to tell me something that couldn't wait, and had to be said in person. Besides, I had a favor to ask of my best friend. If James allowed me, I planned to borrow his broomstick and fly Elizabeth around London on it. Then, I would land in a secluded spot, and we would eat a romantic picnic dinner. After dinner, I was planning on proposing to Elizabeth, the love of my life.
Suddenly, the door to my bedroom flew open, and my cousins, Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy, burst in uninvited.
"BELLATRIX! NARCISSA! WHAT IN BLOODY *#!&* ARE YOU DOING HERE!" I bellowed. I hadn't seen my cousins in years. I knew perfectly well that they had become death eaters just like their husbands, and they knew perfectly well that they were not welcome in my house.
"Why, Sirius!" exclaimed Narcissa, pretending to be hurt. "Is that any way to talk to your favorite cousins, whom you haven't seen in years?"
"You're no cousins of mine!" I snarled.
Narcissa didn't get a chance to reply, because she and I both noticed Bellatrix staring at the velvet box in my hand. Before I could stop her, Bellatrix snatched the ring from my hands. Quickly, I reached for my wand, only to find it gone and in Narcissa's hands.
"Ooh, Sirius, What's this?" Bellatrix asked, mocking me. She opened the box and chuckled evilly. "Who's the lucky lady? Or should I say, the unlucky lady?" Bellatrix laughed again, much louder this time, and Narcissa joined in.
"That's none of your business!" I growled. "I wasn't planning on inviting you to the wedding anyway. Now, give me back the ring, and leave here immediately!"
"Now, hang on a minute, Sirius!" Bellatrix laughed. "We haven't accomplished what we came here for."
"And what was that?" I asked furiously.
Bellatrix smiled. "The Dark Lord is gathering many followers, Sirius. Soon, he will be too powerful for anyone to defeat. He wants you to join him, Sirius."
"NO!"
"What. Did. You. Say?" anger was boiling up in Bellatrix like a volcano waiting to explode.
"I said, no." I repeated sternly, more slowly this time.
Bellatrix let out an anger roar. She flung the velvet box into my lap. "You'll be sorry, Sirius! You have resisted the power of the Dark Lord, and it will not go unnoticed by him!" Bellatrix screamed and disapparated out of my house. Narcissa quickly followed.
At the time, I thought nothing of Bellatrix's threat. Bellatrix had threatened me dozens of times before, and she never followed through. Now, I wish I had paid more attention. I wished I could have done something, not become a death eater, of course, but did something to prevent the upcoming events that would occur within the next twenty-four hours. But, I didn't, and I will now regret it forever.
"Sirius, I'm home!" Elizabeth called from the front entry way less than a minute after Bellatrix left.
"I'll be right there, love!" I called back and quickly slide the ring underneath my pillow again.
Elizabeth was tired from her long journey, so we curled up on the couch and watched a movie. When the movie ended, we went straight to bed.
The next morning, Elizabeth and I woke up around the same time. "Happy birthday, beautiful." I said with a smile.
Elizabeth smiled back. "Thanks." She said, and gave me a gentle kiss. I got out of bed, and Elizabeth started to follow me.
"Oh no, you don't!" I said. "You're staying here. I'll be right back." I left the room and softly closed the door behind me.
I soon returned with a two trays full of pancakes, eggs, bacon and toast. I gave Elizabeth her tray, and then climbed back into bed to enjoy my breakfast.
"I'm excited to see what you've planned for me tonight, Sirius." Elizabeth said with a smile as she began to eat. "I just wish we could spend the whole day alone."
"I'm sorry, Lizzie, but I promised James and Lily I'd eat lunch at their place, and your friend from school invited you on a shopping trip. They're really looking forward to having us. Tonight, though, we'll be completely alone, and it will be the best night of your life. I promise."
Elizabeth smiled and kissed me. "I'm sure it will."
At eleven o'clock, I got ready to leave for James's and Lily's. I was running late, so after throwing on my coat, I gave Elizabeth a quick kiss. "I love you more than the amount of stars in the sky."
Elizabeth smiled. "I still love you more."
I laughed. "If you say so." I said, and disapparated.
When I arrived at James's and Lily's house, Lily and James both gave me a hug.
"How nice to see you, Sirius!" Lily exclaimed. "How's Elizabeth doing?"
"She's wonderful, Lily. Thank you for asking."
"Say, when are you going to ask that girl to marry you anyway?" James joked.
I blushed. I'm not usually a blusher, and that was nothing to be embarrassed about. I couldn't explain it. "Well… actually…" I laughed nervously, and began reaching into my pocket. "I'm asking her tonight."
James eyes grow wide, and he began to laugh. Lily glared at him. "There's nothing funny about that." She said sternly. "I think it's wonderful."
"I do too!" James argued. "I'm happy for you, mate, really. You did well."
"Do you want to see the ring?" I asked.
James looked as though he didn't care either way, but Lily squealed with delight! "YES!"
I opened the velvet box, revealing the ring. Lily gasped. "Sirius, it's beautiful." She cooed. "But not as beautiful as mine." Lily leaned over and kissed James on the cheek. James pulled her closer to him and kissed her very passionately on the lips, making me feel a little awkward, like I didn't belong there. I wondered if my friends felt the same way when I kissed Elizabeth.
"Well, I suppose I should fix lunch." Lily said. "The two of you can wait in the living room, and I'll let you know when it's ready.
"James, can I ask you a favor?" I asked once we were seated.
James smiled. "Of course, mate."
"May I borrow your broom, just for tonight? I was hoping to fly Elizabeth around London."
James winced, hesitating. His broom, a Windracer 300, was the best of the best at the time, and it brought him a lot of pride. Finally, he answered. "Normally, I wouldn't lend out my Windracer to anyone. However, since you're my best friend, and you're using it to propose, I suppose it would be alright. But, you must take very good care of it.
"Oh, I will." I promised. "Thanks so much, mate."
James smiled. "No problem."
Just then, my cell phone buzzed. I knew it was a text from Elizabeth, because she was the reason I had the phone, and no one else ever called me. If my friends wanted to contact me, they would send their message by owl.
"May I answer this text? It's from Elizabeth, so it may be important."
James nodded, so I checked my messages.
Sarah just cancelled. :( Said something came up.
"Oh no. Elizabeth's plans were cancelled." I explained to James. "She sounds really disappointed."
James frowned. "That's too bad. She could come eat lunch with us, if she would like."
"Thanks." I said. "I'll tell her."
I'm sorry. You can come eat lunch with us, if you would like. I hit send, and set my phone aside. A minute later, it buzzed again.
No I'm fine. Have fun. :) love you
Frowning, I replied, Alright. Love you too.
A few minutes before noon, Lily called us into the kitchen. On the table were three plates full with casserole. The casserole had chicken, vegetables, and pasta covered in a creamy sauce. I couldn't identify what exactly was in the sauce, but it was delicious.
"Sirius, we have some good news to tell you." Lily said when we sat down. "James, would you tell him?"
James smiled. "Lily and I are having a baby!" James said proudly.
I smiled along with him. "Congratulations, mate! You must be very proud."
"You should be too." Said James.
"If you don't mind… why? I mean, I'm happy for you, but why should I be proud?" I asked.
James smiled. "Lily and I have decided to make you the godfather."
I nearly choked. "Me?" I gasped.
"Do you see anyone else?" asked James, teasing me.
"Are you serious? Me, a godfather?"
Lily smiled. "Yes. James has no living relatives, and I'm not as close to my sister as I used to be, so we both thought you would be would be a good role model."
I struggled not to laugh. Five years before, if someone told me James was going to be a father and was making me the godfather because he thought I was a "good role model" I would have called them crazy. Now, it was happening.
"James, Lily… I don't know what to say. I… I'm honored." I stammered.
They only smiled at me. "It's no problem, Sirius. We wouldn't choose anyone else."
I wondered how a day could be any better. I was going to be a godfather, and I was going to propose to the woman I loved more than anyone else. As I left James's and Lily's house, my spirits were soaring. I believed nothing could bring me down, but I was wrong.
When I arrived back at Number Twelve, Grimwald Place, I knew something wasn't quite right, but I just couldn't put my finger on it.
"Elizabeth, I'm home!" I called.
There was no answer. "Lizzie?"
There were no lights on, so I went into the kitchen to turn some on.
"Elizabeth?"
There was still no answer. Where was my beautiful Lizzie? Over and over I called her name, but there was no reply. When I went into the living room, I froze. I couldn't move, I couldn't think, I couldn't even breathe, because lying lifeless on the floor was Elizabeth. She was as pale as a ghost, and wasn't moving, yet there was no blood. It was like someone had put my life on pause. Suddenly, they pressed the "play" button. My legs felt like jello, but it wasn't until I reached Elizabeth that I collapsed. Burying my head in her long hair, I broke down in cried. I don't know how long I cried before I lifted my head and screamed.
"WHY?" I screamed, half- yelling and half-crying. "Not Elizabeth, my angel, the love of my life! How could this happen?" I was so grief-stricken, I didn't realize I already knew the answers.
When I had refused to become I death eater, Bellatrix told me I would be sorry, but I ignored her. I thought the worst thing she could do was kill me, or Voldemort would be so angered, he would kill me himself. I never thought they would go after Elizabeth. But they did, and now she was gone. Being a helpless muggle, she didn't stand a chance. It was all my fault.
As I laid there, I reflected on my life with Elizabeth, and thought of the future we would have had. Now, she would never know how much I loved her. We would never get married. We would never have children and send them off to Hogwarts, and we would never grow old together. Suddenly, I wished I was the muggle she had deserved. I even wished that she had left me when I told her I was a wizard eight months previous. Yes, it would have been heart breaking, but not nearly as heart breaking as the pain I felt then.
I don't exactly remember what happened after that. I was so grief stricken, I couldn't think clearly. I have no idea how much time had passed before there was a knock on the door. I ignored it. Soon there was another knock, and a voice.
"Sirius, please open up." Begged James. "We want to see if you're alright."
"NO I'M NOT ALRIGHT!" I cried. "Go away!"
There was silence for a few seconds, then James said softly, "Sirius, please…"
"I SAID GO AWAY!" I sobbed.
James refused to listen. Instead, he and Lily apparated into the room.
Lily gasped, began to cry and buried her head on James's shoulder.
"Sirius… what happened. Please… talk to me." Squeezing Lily on the shoulder, he came and knelt by my side. I knew I couldn't hide from James any longer, so I attempted to tell James the entire story.
"Yesterday, Bellatrix and Narcissa came to try to get me to join the death eaters. When… when I refused, she told me I would be sorry. I thought she might come after me, but I… I never thought she… she would do this." by the time I finished my story, I was crying just as hard as ever. I felt like I had died, too. In a way, I did.
A week later, we held a funeral for Elizabeth. I contacted Elizabeth's parents, claiming Elizabeth had been killed in a hit-and-run accident. It was a small service, with only a few of Elizabeth's and my close friends, and her family. During the funeral, I confessed I was planned on proposing to Elizabeth the night she died, and I blamed myself for her death. However, Elizabeth's parents didn't blame me. Instead, they thanked me, for bringing their daughter so much joy.
I miss my beautiful Elizabeth Laura Clearton. She meant everything to me. I will never forget her. Her gravestone reads
R.I.P Elizabeth Laura Clearton
Born on 11/3/58 and passed away on 11/3/79
Twenty-one years of age.
Daughter, sister, and fiancée-to-be
