Arc II: Part III
September 27th of 1983:
The following day Alexa woke up to her mother's soft voice and her hand gently caressing her cheek. "Wake up, sweetheart." She said, smiling.
Alexa slowly opened her eyes and straightened herself to lean back on her pillow before looking at the watch resting on the nightstand. It was only seven o'clock in the morning, a Saturday. On weekends, she usually wakes up much later. Alexa yawned loudly as she stretched in her bed, trying to hide under her blankets.
"Mom...It's Saturday!"
"I know, sweetie, but I have something to tell you...Come down and meet me in the kitchen. "She replied, kissing her on the cheek. Then she added, looking at Padfoot," You too, enough drooling!" before leaving the room.
Alexa stayed silent for a moment in her bed, looking straight toward her, waiting for her brain to connect with the other members of her body while her head buzzed. The dog, who she noticed had slept in her room, stretched his back on the carpet before leaving the room first as the smell of her mother cooking reached their noses. She sneered at him before throwing away her blankets, jumped out of bed, put on her slippers and robe before heading to the kitchen when she found her mother already dressed waiting for her. The moment she saw her arrive, she jumped from her seat and came to hug her, looking excited, then pushed her to her seat, then sat next to her, an arm around her daughter's shoulder, beaming widely. As to say, the exact opposite of what Alexa expected after skipping class yesterday afternoon unless it was a trap.
"Uh...What is going on?" Alexa asked.
Her mother didn't answer right away. Instead, she buttered a toast she stuffed in her daughter's mouth before answering.
"I have some good news!.. Yesterday afternoon" She stopped a moment to pour Alexa a glass of milk before continuing." I went to the shop where I ran into an old lady who was talking with the owner."
"Hmmm...An old lady chatting with a shop owner? That's very suspicious, mom..." Alexa said.
"Shhh" Her mother shushed her, putting a finger on Alexa's mouth, who was chewing her Toast. " As I was saying, the old lady, who by the way is adorable, said she was retiring at the end of the month, in other words, next Friday."
"We should throw her a party...What did she do for a living?" Alexa asked.
"She was a nurse." Her mother replied, her eyes sparkling.
Her mother's last words echoed loudly in her head before she processed what that meant and choked on her Toast. Her mother patted her back, helping her to breathe again before Alexa threw herself on her mother, wrapping her arms around her and showering her face with kisses.
"Mom! That's wonderful! Congrats!"
"Isn't it?!" her mother replied, unable to hold her tears. "I can't believe how lucky I got! At first, I went there only because we ran out of milk, and you know how I'm afraid you could stay so tiny for the rest of your life..." tickling Alexa, who giggled, fighting her back. " I heard them talking; I didn't want to be rude and bother them, but at the same time, I wanted that job so much, so I stepped in and didn't regret it! Mrs Stein was very excited and relieved as she felt bad for retiring and leaving her colleagues one nurse short."
"And she said yes?! Please tell me she did!" Alexa said.
"Not right away...She asked me to meet her later in the afternoon at the clinic she worked in, so I stayed around, and at the hour she told me, I went to meet her there and she introduced me to the Director...After what I understood, they both started working there right after the war, and something between a Brindelbart and Bubledor, I didn't follow everything...Anyways, I told them I was a nurse at the Hamburg-Eppendorf Hospital and had a solid background before dramatically having to move here because I'm a loving mother." She said, winking at her, "They made some calls and quickly approved my application, so starting Monday, no more staying at home!"
Alexa couldn't be happier and relieved from a weight in her chest since they arrived in the region. Her mother loved her job, and she knew she had been sad quitting it so Alexa could go to the Academy and didn't know if she could take it back again someday.
"Sweetie, I have to go out for a few hours," She said." We've been waiting for an entire month now for someone to set a landline here, and the agency closes at noon. I'll take the opportunity to call dad and tell him about the news!"
"Ok! I'll be here; I have to work on my charm essay!" Alexa said, wincing after drinking a sip from her milk." Anyway, congratulations again, mom! My super strong mom!"
"Strong? You think?" Her mom asked as she curled her thin arm.
"The last time you carried me to my bed, I was five!" Alexa said." Dad's doing it now!"
"No, sweetie, you must have been dreaming...You were already in your bed when I came back." Her mother said.
"Oh...I was exhausted, so I guess I didn't even notice going to my bed." Alexa said, trying to remember.
"Finnish your essay and try to have some rest...I have to go now, see you later!" She said, kissing her before leaving the kitchen.
"See you later," Alexa said before jumping from her seat and started shouting. "AND KISS DAD FOR ME... I MEAN, DON'T KISS THE PHONE...JUST TELL HIM I LOVE AND MISS HIM"
She heard her mother laugh from the door before shutting it behind her, then Alexa sat down to finish her breakfast. The dog jumped on the chair in front of her and helped himself with some scrambled eggs near him under Alexa's eyes, thinking about the way he had made himself home and how no one seemed to care nor come looking for him anytime soon. Alexa got up and went to the fridge to fetch some orange juice; her back turned at the dog while talking to him.
"We should really find you a name, a cute name...I'm tired of calling you dog!" Alexa said before her blood ran cold when she heard a man's voice reply.
"How about Sirius?"
With the orange juice bottle in her hand, Alexa started shaking while turning around slowly. The place that until now was occupied by the black German Shepard was now occupied by a man in his twenties, with long black hair and two cold, grey eyes locked on her. His legs were on the kitchen table while pointing a wand at her, smiling. The man nodded at the chair she had just left, gesturing her to sit.
"Sit down, Alexa; you and I need to talk."
Alexa didn't move an inch; from the corner of her eye, she looked at the kitchen's door; she could throw the orange juice bottle at him and take the opportunity to run away. The problem was not only her legs refused to move, but the man seemed to have read in her mind as the kitchen's door closed. So, she slowly approached the chair and sat in front of him.
"Hands where I can see them." He said, and Alexa obeyed, putting her hands on the table.
The man smiled again and said, "Thank you for making this easy for both of us. I appreciate it."
Alexa tried not to panic; she breathed slowly, then with a shaking voice she tried to avoid, she asked." Who...Are you?"
At her question, the man's smile vanished from his face and answered with a cold voice that curiously didn't fit with him. " My name is Sirius Black, the most dangerous and wanted criminal in the world; I escaped from Azkaban, where I was imprisoned for treason, mass murder, dark magic use and for being Voldemort's right hand."
Alexa looked at silently for a moment, the man introducing himself as Sirius Black was scanning her with his cold eyes while her heart started racing. Then, receiving no answer from her, he cleared his throat and started talking again.
"Now that the introductions have been made, I have an offer I would like you to hear," Black said.
"Why?" Alexa finally asked quietly.
"I beg your pardon?" Black asked, as taken by surprise.
"Why me? What are you doing here? If you're a criminal, why did you help me?" Alexa asked
For some reason, Alexa didn't feel any fear now, and the man facing seemed to think that he failed his intimidation attempt, now that the effect of surprise had gone. The man bit his lip, looked away for a moment, then looked back at her and answered.
"I've been on the run for months, and winter has arrived, so I need a warm and quiet place where I can stay" He stayed leaning against the back of his chair.
"For real?" Alexa asked.
"Yes, I had just arrived in the region when I found you and won the Jackpot! A simple-minded girl, naive and so easy to manipulate..." he said, the added coldly." Anyway, I said I had an offer...Or two options. The first, I kill you right now, and patiently wait for your mother to come back and deal with her too..."
"Why?" Alexa asked, smiling at him.
"Why?...For the house! As I said, I need a warm place for the winter," he said.
"Oh sure...Sorry, I'm simple-minded and stupid...So instead of killing both my mom and me the first night when we thought you were just a stray dog, you've waited today, when she found a job and people who would come and ask questions if she suddenly disappeared? Unless you intend to murder anyone who comes near the house...Very discreet. Not to forget my father." Alexa said.
"I don't speak German, so I didn't understand…Anyway, I waited to watch on you to see if anyone would come snooping around. But, now that I know you're a misfit with no friend..." Black said.
"Sure, and the academy would not come to see if something was wrong in case I suddenly stopped going to class," Alexa said, and black, whose face has slightly turned red, was about to reply when someone knocked at the door.
Alexa beckoned him to shut up and left the kitchen. She crossed the living room, headed to the door and climbed on the little stool to look through to ox-eye, who was on the entire side of the door. A short blonde woman wearing a long black coat waited anxiously. Alexa came down from the stool and slightly opened the door. The woman smiled at her; her eyes reddened as if she had cried recently.
"Guten morgen, I am Mrs Neumann." She gently said.
"Guten morgen, how can I help you, madam?" Alexa asked.
"I hope so; you must be Alexa Acker, right?" Mrs Neumann asked.
"That's me, yes," Alexa said.
"I am Kaia Neumann's mother, your friend from the Academy." Mrs Neumann said, smiling.
Alexa's eyes opened widely before she slammed the door at her and walked backwards from the door, heart racing...Was it a trap? Didn't have any limit? Would they have come to pick her up directly from her house now?
Outside, the woman, if she was really one, started to drum on the door, and Alexa felt something brush her leg; Black was a dog again, visibly attracted by the noise.
"NO! PLEASE! IF SHE'S THERE ...JUST...TELL HER I'M WORRIED...TO COME BACK HOME! SHE WON'T BE GROUNDED...I PROMISE...JUST TELL HER TO COME BACK HOME., "cried the woman outside.
Alexa looked at the German Shephard and whispered, " am I going to find her dead body in my closet or anywhere else in the house?"
The dog moved his head from left to right, and Alexa walked slowly, carefully to the door as if the door could swallow her and gently said. "I'm sorry, Mrs Neumann, your daughter, has never been here; we are not friends, and I have no idea about where she could be."
The woman stopped pounding on the door and answered." Oh...I thought you were close...I heard her talk with Janna and Yuna the other day about surprising you."
"No, you've made a mistake; good luck and... Don't come back again, or I'll call the police!" Alexa shouted.
"Yes...I am so sorry I didn't want to scare you!... Just if you hear or have a way to contact her, tell her to come back home; we live in front of the bakery, the house with the green door...You can come to find us at any time"
"Alright...If I hear anything, I will." Alexa said.
"Thank you very much, sweetie...And I am very sorry if I scared you. Thank you again, and have a good weekend" Mrs Neumann said before sobbing away.
Alexa rushed to the window from where she saw the blonde woman leave the garden before closing the curtains and going back to the kitchen, from where she had just seen the dog's tail disappear. She took back her seat.
"Well, that was a surprise...I was more expecting an Owl from the Academy for skipping yesterday..." Alexa said.
Black took a letter from his jeans pocket with the Academy's crest on it and tossed it at her. "It came this morning; the owl landed on the wrong window," he said before stuffing his mouth with a chocolate muffin. "Your mom is great...These are as good as Mrs Potter's."
"Thank you..." Alexa quickly read her letter and winced at the two detention hours she had earned. " So, would that be enough to spare us?"
He frowned at her before choking on his muffin and thumbed up Alexa when she handed him a glass of water he clumsily drank, sprinkling water on his face. "Spare you?" he asked.
Alexa put her elbows on the kitchen table and rested her chin on her hands." Yes, about your master plan to murder me, my mom and half the village. So you could hide for winter without attracting any attention."
Black stared at her for a moment before bursting in laughter, almost falling as he swung his chair backwards. He caught back his breath and calmed down, whipping away his tears before talking back to her.
"Well...It sounded a lot scarier in my mind...Consider that I have a change of heart"
"Thank you; I'm not ready to die yet...And dreams to fulfil." Alexa said, reaching for a muffin.
Black raised an eyebrow at her and asked with an amused voice, "Dreams to fulfil?"
"Yes, I want to be..." Alexa said before he banged his fist on the table.
"SHUT UP!" Black shouted at her. "I don't want to know; it doesn't matter."
"Why?" Alexa asked.
"Dream is a word too big for your mouth...A weak, insignificant person like you who allows her dignity to be stumbled on isn't worthy to say that word, nor deserve the family you have as you can only be a constant disappointment." Black said, before raising his hands to protect himself as Alexa had suddenly thrown herself at him, enraged, make them fall on the kitchen's floor and began to punch, scratch and bite him, until she screamed in pain holding her fist after hitting the tilting as Black had disappeared under her and now stood behind her.
"CALM DOWN! NOW!" Black ordered her before pointing at the chair she had knocked over, attacking him," Sit down, do not make me!" he added, taking out his wand.
Alexa stayed on the floor, glaring at him darkly before finally standing up and sitting down, avoiding looking at him. He nodded and sat down too and passed his right hand through his hair.
"Well, maybe you are not completely a lost cause...I won't apologize because I meant every word I said, only I admit having perhaps poorly expressed myself," Black said and held up a finger to shut Alexa when she made to reply," shut up, I'm a criminal and youre a kid, remember?"
"What I meant is that before talking about dreams, you first have to be aware of a non-negotiable condition," Black said.
"What condition?" Alexa asked.
The man lowered his wand and handed it to her, nodding at it, inviting her to take it from his hand. She hesitated before accepting it and pointed it at him, who replied with a kind voice.
"A dream come true from the moment you decide to commit your life to it. However, reaching it is very difficult as you must deserve it. You must commit yourself to a long path where only your boldness, courage and determination would carry you through. Stop giving up to fear or let those stupid girls pick on you for a start and give yourself the means to live up to your ambitions." Black said.
She stared at him silently as his words echoed in her head; for a moment, she felt a fire start burning in her heart until she felt a cold invading her. "But...I'm not...Every time they come at me, I freeze, and I don't even know how to defend myself, and no one wants to help me; I see the other kids just look the other way, lots of them make fun of me!"
"And you will always find someone to try his or her luck with you because many only find their pleasure in tormenting others or watching them fail; this is sadly how the world works," Black replied calmly. "And I would like to help you..."
"How could you, and ...How should I trust you?" Alexa said, her hand closing tightly on the wand.
"You're the one holding the wand...You could petrify me; it's a first-year spell level to neutralize me and contact the German ministry of magic. There are 100.000 Galleons on my head, enough to cover all your years at the Academy and even buy a house after you graduate...I promise not to resist. Or you could give me back my wand and choose to trust me. I'll stay here, and after school, we would go to that forest and practice until you make something out of you." Black said.
They stared silently at each other. Logic told her to petrify him and call the authorities; only she refused to do it...Because that would be surrendering to fear, something that now, after the few words he had said to her, believed to be where her nightmares and weaknesses found their origins. Instead, she slowly lowered Black's wand and let it drop on the table before rolling it towards him. Black nodded and put it back in his pocket. Only Alexa still had more to ask.
"I'll accept to trust you...Only, I need to know...And I'll need the truth." Alexa said.
"Sure..." Black said.
"Is it true? Did you really kill people and escape from prison?" Alexa asked.
Black sighed before answering. "Even though I have been involved and could be blamed, I didn't kill anyone myself even if I wish I had killed one person in particular."
"What does that mean? Are you innocent or...no?" Alexa said.
"Have you ever heard about the name 'Voldemort'?" Black asked.
"No... Should I?" Alexa asked.
"I guess you know why you are not in Durmstrang, right?" Black asked.
"Because my mom and dad are muggles" Alexa said.
"Exactly...There is an ideology classifying wizards into three categories in the wizarding world. Pure-blood, Half-blood and Muggle-borns." Black said before pausing to drink some juice before continuing, "Some Pure-bloods, the ones who were born in magical families like me, strongly believe only them are worthy of using magic and consider ruling on the rest of the magical and muggle community as a birthright. However, under a few conditions, they tolerate half-bloods if they agree with their idea of how the world should be...A little more than a decade ago, a dark wizard appeared and wanted to overthrow the magical world to establish a regime where pure-bloods would be on top of the world, and the rest either dead or under his service. So, a war broke out, and he eventually got defeated. After his downfall, and even before, the ministry of magic did its best to arrest and kill his followers."
"But why did you..." Alexa said before Black interrupted her.
"Before his downfall, Voldemort started tracking my two best friends to kill them...We were warned about a spy on our side that informed Voldemort about all my friend's movements and activities. So, using a complex charm that hides a piece of information inside someone's soul, called secret keeper, they went into hiding...At first, I was supposed to be the secret keeper; only I thought I could outsmart him and told James and Lily to secretly choose Peter Pettigrew instead of me so that I could be a diversion. But Peter was the spy, and he betrayed us...As soon as he became the secret keeper, he betrayed us and revealed it to Voldemort."
"Voldemort went to Godric's Hollow, killed James and Lily, only when he tried to kill Harry, something must have happened, and his spell backfired at him, and Voldemort got destroyed. The next day, I cornered Peter in the street near his flat. I won't lie to you; I went to kill him. But he started screaming I betrayed James and Lily, and one second after, he blasted the entire street behind him before disappearing. He can turn into a rat the same I could turn into a dog...Then I got arrested and locked up in a cell...Only a few months after, I seized an opportunity and escaped and have been on the run since." Black said.
After telling his story, they both remained silent as Black looked deep in his thoughts as if in a few minutes he had relived the most painful moments of his life, and Alexa tried to find the words until she reached his hand, startling him.
"Mr Black, I'm really sorry," she said, surprising herself as she heard her voice imitate the softness her mother had towards her when comforting her.
Black smiled. "Thank you...But, I think you can call me Sirius now."
Alexa chuckled before saying, "Do you realize that less than an hour ago, we were talking about you murdering my family and me?"
Sirius burst out laughing, a laugh that sounded more like a dog's barking, and Alexa jumped on him and put her hand on his mouth to shut him as she heard the front door's lock, announcing that Mrs Acker was back home. Sirius transformed back to a dog, jumped down to the floor and left the kitchen. Alexa followed him out to greet her mother and helped her get rid of her coat and boots.
"You're already back!" Alexa said, looking curiously at her mother sad face." Is everything fine?"
"Yes...But, sweetie, I talked with dad and unfortunately, he won't be able to visit before Christmas. He is very sorry...He said he loves and misses you a lot and that he can't stop thinking about you." Mrs Acker said, kissing her softly on the cheek.
That hit Alexa hard; she missed her father and was excited to see him soon. She missed him but understood the difficulty of the situation. She refrained from crying of her mother, instead patted her back, smiling at her. "It's ok, mom...We just arrived, and we knew from the beginning that it would take some time before we could be together again."
It was her mother who started crying, "Sorry, I refrained from crying since I hung up the phone in the cabin." she then held her daughter's head, pressing her cheeks softly. "The good news is that they'll come to install our landline on Monday morning, so we'll get to talk to him every day!"
"This Monday? that fast?" Alexa asked.
"Yes, I told them the hospital had to be able to contact me in case of emergency," Mrs Acker said
"But isn't there always another nurse on duty when you finish your shift?" Alexa asked, frowning her eyebrow before her eyes opened wide." OHHHHH, you LIED!"
"No, I didn't! Moms don't lie...partly...Anyway, did you wash the dishes after breakfast? Didn't you say something about a charm essay?" Mrs Acker asked, an eyebrow raised at her.
That took Alexa by surprise; she had completely forgotten about it while she got busy talking to Sirius, so she smiled at her mother and replied" PARTLY!" before running away to her room.