Prologue
It was had only been a few days since He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was defeated, but the black cloud that hung over England for the last few years seemed to have instantly lifted and brightened the spirits of the thousands who were haunted by it. For the time in years, people lined the streets of wizarding London, shops were starting to reopen and music could be heard nonstop since the news was announced. To many, the end of the war was the most wonderful thing that could happen, but to the select few that knew James and Lily, it was nothing but bittersweet.
Adriana sat in a small park along Diagon Alley with her three year-old daughter, Alexandria, for the first time that she could remember. It was chilly out but that didn't stop the people who had been cooped up for ages from wandering the streets, just to enjoy being outside without fear. The young girl was entertained with a magic jack-o-lantern that was charmed to change faces while her mother watched her happily from the bench.
Between the hustle and bustle of the busy street, Adriana didn't hear the pop behind her, jumping when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Sirius, you scared me," she gasped, "what are you doing here?"
Adriana noticed the manic expression on his face with wide eyes, studying his disheveled long hair and dark bags under his eyes. Without a word, he scooped up the young girl and handed her back to the mother. "You need to leave," Sirius demanded in a whisper, "They think I was James' secret-keeper, but it was Pettigrew. They're going to arrest me, but not before I murder that rat."
The two girls stared at the man with wide eyes, for different reasons. The young girl was too young to understand anything but the frightening tone in her father's voice, while the older was terrified at his words. Adriana stared back at him speechless, trying to piece together words. "Sirius, you can defend yourself," she whispered as calmingly as possible, "you don't have to do this."
"I have to. I have to defend James and Lily," he said, shaking his head furiously. "He killed them, Adriana, kill them!" Alexandria jumped in her mother's arms, frightened by his tone. The expression on his face soften at her actions, staring at her with sad eyes. "You're going to have to run, Adriana. They'll look for her. The Ministry will be looking for me, for her. And the Death Eaters. You know my family, Adriana, you have to run."
Adriana shook her head, trying to stop the thoughts running through her head. Although they two hadn't been a couple in over two years, it didn't stop the worry she felt for the man who was once her everything. "Okay," she whispered, "I'll go to my parents summer house in America, nobody uses it."
Sirius reached his hand out for his daughter, running his hand through her hair and kissing her on the forehead. "I love you so much, Ri," he whispered to the girl, "Remember me. Remember I'm innocent. I'll come back to you."
Once he reluctantly pulled his hand away, the two old lovers gave each other a small nod that said everything that need to be said. "Stay safe," Adriana whispered to Sirius, before apparating home. Once gone, the manic and angry expression returned to Sirius' face before he turned on his heels into the busy Diagon Alley.
Hello, thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more if you want to follow Alexandria through her rocky journey through Hogwarts! As a disclaimer for this chapter and the rest of my story, I only own my OC characters and nothing created by J.K. Rowling.