Chapter 10

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to," Prudence said and bit her bottom lip. "I just—"

Althea grasped Prudence's trembling arm and prepared for Side-Along Apparition. "This isn't the place," she said and prayed her own trembling legs would get them safely to Northfield. "Hold on."

Sirius rushed forward once the pair entered the entrance hall. Prudence let go of Althea and folded her arms.

"My quarters?" Althea offered.

"No," Prudence said, shaking her head, "follow me."

Prudence quickly walked up the staircase and the couple followed after. Althea tightly held Sirius' sweaty hand throughout the corridor. Silently, they followed Prudence who walked three steps ahead into Althea's adolescent bedroom. Prudence motioned for them to sit upon the bed. Althea placed her large white hat beside her and clasped her shaky hands in her lap. Sirius, his head bent, seemed to stare through the floor. Prudence, chewing her bottom lip, paced before them. How did you discover, Althea wondered as Prudence stopped her pacing. Sure, they had been lax and often candid in their evaluations and opinions of Sirius (how could they not), but they did it with the intention of creating a favorable view because—it seemed—Prudence had taken an interest to him. If she were to return to Hogwarts, such stories were to ease her mind and subtly convince her that Sirius wasn't the bogeyman that would threaten her. The couple had taken every precaution to hide Sirius's true identity, and they were very careful in separating Sirius from Stephen. How did Sophie, who knew Sirius, not recognize him, but Prudence did? What did that little girl know?

"Don't be cross with me," she said, looking as though she was about to burst into tears. "This house is just so fantastic and I wanted to know its secrets. I went exploring…and I found the attic."

What felt like ice water washed over Althea's insides—Prudence must have discovered her trunk. Prudence's inquiries about Sirius were not due to Snape's meddling, but were due to what she discovered in Althea's old Hogwarts trunk. Photographs, gifts, love letters—Althea's stomach churned with uneasiness. What little girl wouldn't be fascinated with such a discovery? Althea swallowed the bile that rose into her throat. How did such a little girl break those charms? Sirius covered his face with his hands and sighed.

"I forgot to recast the charms," he muttered and ran his fingers through his thick black hair.

"She would've discovered eventually," Althea whispered and took Sirius's hand in hers. "It's best we tell her now."

Sirius brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers.

"Prudence, please sit," Althea said, but Prudence shook her head.

The young girl walked to the nightstand and opened the drawer. She frowned slightly as she shuffled through papers and objects until she found something small and quickly clasped it in her hand. She walked toward Althea with her hands behind her back.

"I'm sorry," she said, holding out her hand for Althea.

Althea took the thick, smooth rectangular paper from Prudence's shaking, sweaty hands. Althea's eyes widened as she held her wedding photograph. She turned over the photograph and read in Sirius's handwriting:

Althea and Sirius Black: a grand wedding affair attended by no one.

Barbados, June 1980.

"I'm so sorry," Prudence said as Althea continued to look at the photograph. "I shouldn't have—"

Althea held up her hand. I wasn't yet twenty, she thought as the two—Althea dressed in a white minidress and Sirius in a beige linen suit—stood in front of hibiscus shrubs. Althea had taken one of the red hibiscus flowers and placed it in her hair. The Althea in the photograph held her makeshift bouquet at her side and smiled weakly as Sirius—who grinned and shook with laughter—slipped his arm around Althea's waist and snuck a kiss. As if you weren't gagging for it, she thought and laughed quietly.

"You're a keen storyteller, Sirius," Althea said and showed him the photograph.

Sirius took the photograph in his hands and inhaled a sharp breath. "You know my little secret."

"It isn't a little secret," Prudence said as she stood before him. "When I realized it—last night—you changed. It's why I fainted," she explained and looked Sirius directly in the eye. "You're Sirius Black, aren't you?"

Sirius nodded slowly.

Prudence stepped before Althea. "And you're…the Muggle Studies professor."

Althea nodded.

Prudence frowned thoughtfully. "You're not like what they say," she said, wringing her hands in front of her. "You're—"

"I was falsely imprisoned," Sirius interrupted, sitting forward. "You have to believe that, please. I never did those horrible things, I swear to you. I would never hurt you, Prudence," he said with desperation in his voice. He reached out for her hand, but thought better of it. "I would never hurt you."

Prudence inhaled a shaky breath. "I've gathered," she said and looked from Sirius to Althea. "I'm so sorry. You've been so good to me. You trusted me and—"

Althea reached out for Prudence's hand. Althea's expression was earnest. "Prudence, I so want to tell you everything, I swear to you, but you are so young—I don't say it to cause offense—please know that someday, I will tell you everything, I promise you. You will know every circumstance, every opinion, every feeling in my heart," she said, placing their clasped hands to her chest. She could feel the words for almost thirteen years she longed to say behind her lips. "I'm sorry that I've deceived you," she said and tenderly squeezed her tiny hand. "I shouldn't have put you in a position like this, and I hope, you can forgive me."

Prudence nodded. "It's all right now, and I won't tell, I promise."

Sirius shook his head. "No, no, it isn't," he said, solemnly looking at Prudence. "You deserve to know what happened."

Althea caught her breath.

Sirius furrowed his eyebrows. "What I did this last year—I should've gone about it a better way," he said and rubbed the side of his face. "But I thought I had no one and for good reason…and I was so obsessed…I wanted justice." He held up his wand and transfigured a squashy pink chair for Prudence.

"Thank you," she murmured as she sat.

"Will you help me tell her?" he asked and gently squeezed Althea's hand.

Althea nodded. "Of course."

"Right," he breathed, his hands massaging Althea's hand. "God, I never thought—where do I begin?"

"October?" Althea suggested.

Sirius shook his head. "Earlier."

"Earlier?"

"Yes, much earlier," he said, his eyes pleading. "It is the only way she could understand."

Althea, with slight hesitation, nodded.

Sirius inhaled and exhaled through his nostrils. "Prudence, if there is one thing you must believe, you must understand that I loathed everything Voldemort stood for…my family," he began to explain and licked his lips, "thought he had the right idea about things."

Prudence remained silent—her lips slightly parted.

"They were obsessed with blood purity," he said and swallowed bitterly, "and the Dark Arts. Gran is right when she says that nothing good—"

"No," Althea interrupted.

"They're not my family," he said, staring into Althea's eyes. "I'm glad I was disowned."

Prudence let out a small gasp.

Sirius directed his attention once more to Prudence as he continued, "I was so fed up with their lies that I ran away from home."

Prudence sat forward. "You ran away from home?" she asked—her expression betrayed the concept was quite foreign to her.

Sirius nodded, and Prudence stared—wide-eyed—at him. "Wanted me to become a Death Eater, but no amount of, " he said and swallowed, "coercion could change my mind. I'd had enough."

"How old were you?"

"Sixteen," he said and Prudence sank back in her chair. "At seventeen, I joined an organization to defeat Voldemort."

"Did you join?"

"She was just as good as," Sirius answered with a small smile. "A Healer was of tremendous help to us. Death Eaters didn't like it when their victims lived."

Prudence looked upon Althea with the same awe-filled appreciation as she did when Sirius described his escape from Voldemort.

"We were such a small group, though," he said and leaned forward. "Not many people wanted to join our group, and by October of '81, we were outnumbered twenty to one."

"Twenty to one?" Prudence breathed.

Sirius nodded. "Most were too afraid to fight," he explained. "It meant your family was a target, too."

"God," Prudence whispered, looking at the couple.

"By that point, the war was all but lost, and my first obligation was to protect Althea and those I loved…. We were to go into hiding, but before, I had to complete one last mission," he explained and sighed sadly. He looked to Althea—his eyes wet with tears. "I'll never forgive myself for leaving you alone that night—for not telling you about that one last mission. I should've stayed—"

"No," she said and stroked his cheek. "I loved them just as much as you." Althea inhaled and, not turning away from Sirius, spoke, "I was alone in our cottage when I was attacked."

Prudence gasped.

"I was taken from our home and tortured," she said and Prudence let out a soft sob.

Sirius handed Prudence his handkerchief. "When I returned, I saw the Dark Mark over our home, and I knew what happened. I'd lost everything," he said, and wrinkled his brow as he flexed and extended Althea's fingers. "I was so reckless. I had nothing to lose—everyone I loved was gone…and I wanted to be with you. I had one last thing I had to do before I…I had to find the filth that betrayed us."

"And you did," Althea whispered.

"And I did," he said and bit the inside of his cheek. Sirius's demeanor turned inward. "I cornered him in that street, but he had it all planned. He knew that after what he'd done, I would find him, but before I could confront him, he exploded the street behind him and disappeared," he explained and shook with rage. "He left me with my wand in my hand, surrounded by dead and dying Muggles."

Prudence covered her mouth with the handkerchief.

"It didn't matter," he said, refusing to look at Althea or Prudence. "For twelve years, I thought I'd killed you. I deserved Azkaban."

"No!" Prudence said, slamming her fist against the chair.

Prudence's outburst jolted them from their somber reverie. Althea swallowed hard as she looked upon Sirius. Sirius allowed his hair to cover his face and he sniffed.

"No," she repeated quietly.

Sirius opened his mouth, but did not speak. Instead, he slowly closed his mouth and squeezed Althea's hand.

Prudence shifted in her chair. "What happened to you?" she asked. "What did you do?"

Althea refused to look at Prudence's face. "I was half dead," she said, looking to Prudence's white shoes with grass stains about the toes. "Sirius was already in Azkaban when I was questioned by the Ministry. I didn't believe for one moment my Sirius was Dark, let alone second in command to Voldemort, but the officials wouldn't listen. They were convinced he'd sent the Death Eaters—"

"That is remarkably stupid!" Prudence said, sitting forward. "You love one another!"

Sirius laughed bitterly. "The Ministry didn't care."

"No, they didn't," she said, finally feeling the courage to look into Prudence's eyes. "I pleaded for them to give him a trial, but I was threatened with Azkaban—"

"But—"

"Don't judge her," Sirius said, holding Althea's hand tightly. "You have no idea how much she's sacrificed—"

"Sirius, please," Althea warned and looked toward the ceiling.

"I wasn't about to," she replied quietly. "I would never judge her."

Sirius nodded. "Sorry," he murmured, his thumb stroking the back of Althea's hand.

She twisted the handkerchief in her hands. "I wanted to know how you escaped," she continued, almost strangling the handkerchief. "Why wait so long?"

"Oh, right," he murmured, his face twisted into a painful expression. "How I escaped…"

Althea let out a heavy sigh. "You're going to have to tell her."

Sirius looked upon Althea pleadingly.

"It's the only way it'll make sense."

"Maybe we should get Moony—"

"You frightened the entire Gryffindor student body," she said, letting go of his hand. "You owe her that much."

Sirius leaned close. "I don't want to," he whispered into Althea's ear.

"Did you tell your godson?" she whispered through gritted teeth.

Sirius nodded faintly.

"Then tell her."

Sirius sighed. "I don't want to upset her."

Althea pulled away. "Upset—" she began, but stopped at Sirius's desperate look.

Sirius Black did not want to reveal his Animagus form to Prudence. His Animagus form that brought her comfort and protection—all those things a father would provide. She does trust us very much, she thought and nodded with understanding.

"Just the basics, then?" she offered, taking his hand.

Sirius nodded.

Prudence looked at the couple with peaked interest.

"Shall I begin?"

"Yeah, whatever," Sirius said dully.

Althea gently bit her bottom lip as Prudence waited for her speak. "You remember that book I lent you…the one about werewolves?"

Prudence nodded.

"Do you remember what it said about the transformed on the full moon?"

Prudence scratched the tip of her nose. "It said a lot."

Sirius laughed quietly.

"It did, didn't it? I'll have to think of a better question," she remarked and screwed up her eyes in thought. "Could I, in my present state, visit with Professor Lupin on a full moon?"

"No, he'd eat you."

Sirius let out an inappropriate laugh and Althea violently nudged him.

"Indeed, but do you remember if there was a way I could visit with him during a full moon?"

Prudence furrowed her eyebrows. "You could be an animal."

"Good," she said with a small, encouraging smile. "Do you remember what that is called?"

Prudence shook her head.

"Animagus," Sirius said with a small smile. "You could be an Animagus."

Althea nodded. "When a wizard chooses to become an Animagus, he would be able to spend the full moon with a werewolf," she explained, interlocking her arm with Sirius. "The werewolf transformations can be unbearable—especially if one doesn't have access to Wolfsbane—and an Animagus could make the transformations somewhat tolerable."

Prudence's expression transformed from concern to surprise. "Are you an Animagus?"

Sirius placed his forefinger to his lips and nodded.

"What are—"

"In due time," Althea said and squeezed Sirius's hand. "Sirius, my love, would you like to tell her the rest?"

Prudence sat forward and bit her bottom lip in anticipation.

Sirius pulled away from Althea. "He was our friend and, I thought, such a good friend as to become an Animgaus for Remus," he said, resting his hand behind Althea. "If I'd known he would've exploited—"

"You were just a boy, my love," Althea said to calm him.

Sirius's expression became dark. "It was how he escaped," he continued the anger palpable in his voice. "Transformed into the rat he was and scurried into the sewer. He then spent the next twelve years as the pampered pet of a Wizarding family while I rotted away in Azkaban."

Prudence sneered with disgust.

"Indeed," he muttered. "I only discovered the truth last summer when I spotted his photograph in the Daily Prophet…all that was left of him was a finger, and there he was, a plump little rat missing a toe," he continued and shook his head. "That fat f—"

"Sirius."

"Filth," he corrected, "became so complacent, and it was only by the stupidity of our dear Minister of Magic as he made his rounds of Azkaban that I discovered his whereabouts."

"Hogwarts," Prudence breathed.

Sirius nodded. "I immediately set about my escape," he said, a crease formed between his eyebrows. "Dementors can't sense animal emotions, and I had enough magic left in me that I was able to transform. I'd become so thin, I slipped through the bars and swam to shore."

Prudence's hands grasped the arms of the chair. "Did you find him?"

Sirius nodded. "And I'm sorry that I scared you to do it."

"What happened?" she wondered, frowning. "Wouldn't you be free?"

Sirius sighed sadly. "He got away…again."

Prudence's bottom lip trembled.

"But," he said and forced a cheerful smile, "those I love know the truth."

"Still—"

"You're right," he said, sitting up. "It's not fair to Althea."

"How so?" Althea asked.

Sirius flicked the wilted daisy upon Althea's hand.

Althea's lips quivered into a smile.

"And it's definitely not fair to you," he said, smoothing the hair from his face. "You shouldn't be burdened with this. You're so young—"

"I don't care," Prudence said, sitting up. "It isn't a burden. It's the truth."

Sirius leaned forward. "You believe what we've told you?" he asked. "What I told you?"

Prudence nodded. "You're not what they say," she said, rolling the handkerchief into a ball, "and you could've hurt me loads of times—"

Althea's heart quivered in her chest.

"You're innocent," Prudence finished.

Sirius let out a quiet, small gasp. His eyes bright with tears, he grinned as he looked upon Prudence. The hardened look of Azkaban seemed to have faded in that moment and he resembled more of that young man in the photograph he held. Althea did not hesitate and kissed his smooth cheek.

"She knows," she whispered excitedly into Sirius's ear, "and she understands."

"She doesn't know everything," he whispered, looking into Althea's eyes.

"She knows you're innocent—"

Sirius smiled and pulled an envelope from his breast pocket. Althea saw the flash of the Hogwarts seal and grinned. It's how it should've been, she thought as Prudence peered at the envelope. That we give you your letter.

"This came for you today," Sirius said, handing Prudence the letter. "Looked rather important."

Prudence gasped.

"It was in a letter from Dumbledore," Althea said and winked. "Must've realized you were here."

Prudence eagerly unfolded the letter and her eyes quickly scanned its contents. "Genevieve received her letter two weeks ago!" she said, looking up from the letter. "We thought I wasn't to go!"

"You're a remarkable witch," he said, leaning closer. "You have to go."

Prudence looked at the couple—her expression pure joy. She and Sirius brought Prudence this joy. Prudence returned to the letter and gently chewed her bottom lip. Althea felt small tears of happiness well in the corners of her eyes—she blinked quickly. How absurd for the Professor of Muggle Studies to cry at such an event!

"Tomorrow, we'll go to Diagon Alley," Althea said, grinning. "We'll make a day of it, I think."

Prudence looked up from her letter—a small crease between her eyebrows. "Will you go…in your disguise?"

Sirius laughed nervously. "I wouldn't want to chance it," he said and squeezed Althea's hand. "No, go and enjoy your day with our Althea."

Prudence sighed contentedly as she looked upon the couple. "Thank you," she said, folding the letter.

"Do you think we told her too much?"

Althea sat at her dressing table, the warm glow of the crystal lamps softly illuminated her face in the mirror. Was it reckless? The couple had been very candid in the events surrounding Sirius's arrest and false imprisonment. She was so very young, and Althea was unsure if Prudence truly understood the gravity of such a revelation. Prudence was now privy to the truth of his innocence and the veiled circumstances of her birth. Althea studied Sirius who sat behind her upon the bed. Dressed for dinner, his hands resting behind him, he looked at ease—his expression soft. He tossed the hair from his eyes and grinned as he noticed Althea staring at him.

"I don't think so," he said as Althea placed the back upon her earring. "She doesn't know as much as Harry."

"She doesn't need to know," she said, standing.

Sirius smiled crookedly as he took her hand. "Of course," he said and kissed her fingers. "You…haven't told the old woman, have you?"

"That Prudence knows that Stephen and Sirius are one in the same?" she replied as she adjusted Sirius's tie. "No."

Sirius laughed lowly. "Excellent."

Prudence and Afina were giggling in the corner of the informal dining room when the couple entered. Prudence quickly stopped at nudged Afina.

"What do you think, Auntie?" Afina asked, nodding toward Prudence.

Althea smiled at the frock created by Afina. "Very lovely," she said, admiring the pink embroidery along the hem. "You would do well at Hogwarts, you know."

"I reckon I would," she said, but pulled a face. "Gran has arrived."

Gran, in stately sapphire robes, walked forward to the end of the table. "Everyone."

Althea fought the urge to groan.

As the Althea received the entrée, Gran spoke to Sirius, "I thought you had business to attend to and wouldn't join us this evening."

Sirius smiled. "I wouldn't miss dinner with you," he said and took a bite of lamb.

Gran frowned slightly and cut into her lamb with more vigor.

Sirius chuckled to himself.

"I'm taking the car to London tomorrow," Althea said and smiled at Prudence. "Have a bit of shopping in Diagon Alley."

Prudence grinned.

"Althea Rosemary—"

"I can assure you that we won't be seen," she said and slyly looked toward Sirius. "Our dear Sirius was kind enough to reinforce the Invisibility Charm."

Gran paled.

"Invisibility Charm?" Prudence said, her eyes widening with excitement.

"You'll see," Sirius said and smirked, "or you won't."

"Sirius," Althea said as Gran's lips thinned, "don't tease her."

"Sorry," he said and winked.

AN: Thank you so much for reading! What is in store for Althea? Diagon Alley and an old friend.