Sirius could feel the hangover throbbing in every inch of his body. The pain mostly focused its energies on his head, especially behind his eyes. But it was nearly five in the morning and he really should've been home long ago. If only he'd not passed out on his way there, maybe he'd have done better getting there sooner. But the cool October air made him even drowsier when it mixed with the alcohol. Never the less, he managed to slip into bed beside Claire without disturbing her.

It seemed to him to have only been a few minutes when his sleep was disturbed by shrill, panicked cries. He sat straight up, nearly making himself sick in the process, and turned over to Claire, who was still sleeping hard, but crying out in her nightmares. He waited for a moment, wanting to see if she would calm herself without him needing to wake her up. She moaned out, her face twisted in fear, 'No!' She begged, her arms swatting. 'Please!'

Sirius started to shake her gently, and Claire's arms flailed hard against him. 'Stop! Leave me alone! Remus, please!' She gasped. Sirius released his grip on her at the sound of that name. This was not the first time at recent she'd called out for her former lover. He thought for a moment, then firmly took her shoulder's in his hands and sat her up, effectively waking her.

"You're fine." Sirius said, matter-of-factually. Claire's dark hair was matted to her face with sweat, her breathing ragged.

"Sirius?" She questioned.

"Yeah, doll. You're at home. You're fine." He said again.

"I was having-"

"Nightmares. Yeah. You've been having a lot of them recently." He said, his voice again emotionless and raspy.

"And you've been drinking again." She replied, her voice hurt. She curled herself up, her arms tucked around her abdomen protectively.

"Yeah, and?" He said, moving abruptly from the bed and standing near the window.

"I don't have an 'and'. You've been drinking, again. You drink a lot. It seemed like you were stating facts." She bit back. "So I thought I'd join in."

"Claire." Sirius cautioned. He glanced over his shoulder, then back outside into the morning light.

"Yes?" She replied

"You know, deep down, it's him. Don't you?" He ask.

"I know who is what?" She questioned.

"The traitor. The spy. In the Order. Surely you know it's Remus." He explained. He didn't bother to turn around, he knew well the look she'd have on her face. There would be hate and hurt there. He didn't need to see.

"No." She replied. "I don't 'know' that. None of you 'know' that. What I know is that he'd die for any of you. He's a good man." Sirius could hear the tears in her voice. Still, he didn't turn around.

"He's a werewolf." He reminded her.

"That suddenly matters to you?" Claire demanded.

"It should've all along. You know that he is promising them a lot to join their ranks. Remus could gain more than the Order can offer if they win. It makes sense. It adds up."

"You come up with this on your own, did you?" Claire spat at Sirius. Her stomach was in knots, and she felt the small, fluttery kicks of their baby waking up.

"Peter brought it up. But James and I have noticed things, too. And others." Sirius said quietly.

"Peter is an idiot." Claire mumbled.

"Just fucking stop it, already." Sirius sighed. "There is no point in keeping this up."

"Stop what?" She moved to the side of the bed and palmed her wand, then brought her hand back to her side.

"Acting like you're not still so in love with him."

Claire blinked over at Sirius. She knew she was, of course she was. That wasn't the issue, and she'd never pretended to not be. Sirius knew that when he entered their arranged marriage. The air was stale, and at first, she was afraid. Then, after some time, she spoke.

"And?"

She instantly regretted the simple reply when Sirius grabbed a small china figurine from a shelf within reach and hurled in against the wall on the opposite side of the room from the bed. Claire did not fear he'd hurt her, but then, she'd never seen this side of him, either.

"Is that even my child?" It didn't sound like a question, but it still made Claire want to vomit.

"Fuck you, Sirius. You know it is." She snarled. Tears slid down her face.

"Oh? Do I?" He whirled around, and found she had her wand pointed to his chest.

"You can say what you want to, Sirius, about me. But this child did nothing wrong. And neither did I. I didn't lie to you, and I didn't cheat. You knew, this entire time, I loved him. The entire time. I cannot help that. I never wanted this." She confessed. "And neither did you. And I will NOT let you insult this child. YOUR child." She did not lower her wand, even as she watched his stormy eyes flicker over her, observing her. He moved toward the door, and she adjusted her aim to follow.

"You should go see your brother, we're moving them into hiding soon." He said, leaving the room and slamming the door behind him.

Her eyes so inflamed from crying that it hurt her to blink, Claire sat stiffly next to Walburga Black, her eyes on the floor. Everything was so far gone she didn't see any hope left at all in her world. She belonged to the woman next to her, anyway. There was no use fighting. The speaker for the Wizengamot continued down the list of accused followers of the now fallen Voldemort. Names that didn't surprise Claire at all to hear, and a few that did. Including Sirius', all sentenced to Azkaban for association. Walburga reached over and patted Claire's slightly swollen hand with her own cold, bony one.

"There, there, child. It's nearly over now." She gave a fake comfort. Claire did not even bother to react to the contact. She felt as if her mind was broken. Nothing made sense. Sirius seemed jealous when last she saw him. Angry even. And he did seem to want her to believe Remus was the fraud. But those were all things he'd do if it was just about her. This was about James. Her sweet older brother, who Sirius claimed to love so much. He, and his young wife, were dead. Their son with estranged muggle family.

The Wizengamot continued to speak for some time, but Claire didn't hear a word of it. She couldn't think about anything. It was almost as if she was lost in a fog. Then she heard the door creak open. One by one the witches and wizards who had been named in the opening were brought in. Some being levitated in cages, others in chains. All of them looking ragged and disturbed. Sirius himself was in a cage, curled up in a ball, eyes unblinking as they settled him on display before the courts. "This is your last chance. You, Sirius Orion Black, have been sentenced to life in Azkaban Prison for your part in the murders of James and Lily Potter as well as first hand murders of several muggles and Peter Pettigrew. Do you have anything to declare?" The speaker, an old witch with a tight, snow white bun on her head, demanded.

"Yes." Sirius said, sitting forward, putting his hands on the bars of his cage. There were several in the crowed who gasped, but Claire simply looked up where he hang in the air.

"Speak, then." The witch demanded once again in her firm, cold voice.

Sirius cleared his throat, looked around the room, then back to the speaker. "I want a divorce."

DRAMAAAAAA!
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