Chapter 20

"Do you believe in truth?"

"Yes"

"Beauty?"

"Yes"

"Freedom?"

"Yes"

"Love?"

"And above all I believe in love!"

Anne smiled at her husband, "the only one who ever managed to get me pregnant, love, is you." Sirius jumped up from his chair and hugged and kissed his wife.

"Now something else," continued Sirius. "Have you and Severus been lovers? Because he said something about that."

Anne looked at Severus, who quickly looked away. "Yes, we have. After Remus and I broke up."

"And have you also slept with him?"

"Yes, I have."

"I was afraid you were going to say that…" said Sirius faintly. "Especially after your escapade with him a few years ago…"

"I'm sorry Sirius, but when you were in Azkaban, I was afraid I would never see you again, and sort of fell in love with those two gentlemen. But every time I slept with them, an image of you popped up in my head. I missed you so terribly, I couldn't love someone else anymore, I was so relieved to hear you had escaped that I ran to the first person I could think of that moment who happened to be Severus.

"After a week I began looking for you, then I met Linda after fourteen years, and she told me Remus was teaching at Hogwarts, and that you were there too. I wrote a letter to Remus, and I have been at Hogwarts that year. In the year after it, I've been following you. Yes, I knew you lived in that cave, Dumbledore had told me. That summer I came to you and… well, you know the rest of the story," finished Anne. Everybody in the office was quiet, and watched breathlessly at Anne.

"Anne, that was the most impressing story I've ever heard until now," said Sirius.

"So that was the reason you broke up so suddenly!" said Remus.

"Yes, that's why. I hope you're not mad at me?"

"No, I can't be mad at a lovely woman as you," said Remus, which caused mad looks from both Linda and Sirius." What? She's lovely, isn't she?"

"Yes, but it is the wrong moment to say this, Remus," replied Sirius.

"Anne, I still have one question left," said Remus.

"Bring it on."

"Did you really love me when we were lovers?" asked Remus.

"Oh yes I really loved you. But after a few years my memory of Sirius became too painful, and I started to love you less and less every day. Don't get me wrong, Remus, I still love you, but in a completely different way than that I loved you then and in a completely different way than I love Sirius," said Anne.

"So I can conclude you didn't really love me?" Severus asked, a bit disappointed.

"No, I loved you as much as I loved Remus and as much as I love Sirius. But I broke up with you because of the same reason as I broke up with Remus," replied Anne.

"I see…" said Severus.

"You really loved that slimy, greasy-haired bastard?!" yelled Sirius.

"Yes I did, I loved him as much as I love you now, Sirius!" shrieked Anne. "What else could I do? You were in Azkaban, and a life without love is like not living at all! I thought you would know that Sirius Black!!!" Anne stood up and stormed out of her office.

"Now look what you've done, Sirius! Now you're satisfied?" Linda snapped at Sirius, before running after Anne.

"She got me wrong…" muttered Sirius.

"Then what did you mean? She left Severus and me because she still loved you. She has been looking for you for two years long, she came back to you because she loved you above all. She could have married everyone else! Be grateful she still loves you. Nice way to pay her back, I'd say, Sirius!" said Remus and left the office too.

"You know, Sirius, he has a point there, I mean…" began Severus, but Sirius cut him off.

"I don't want to know what you mean! I have to talk to her, I hurt her far more than she deserved."

"She didn't deserve to be hurt if only you knew how much she suffered when you were imprisoned, Sirius. If only you knew…" said Severus, and he left to go back to his dungeons, leaving Sirius alone.

"Yes leave me, like everyone always does..." said Sirius sarcastically to himself.

A/N: it was the truth… that's all I can say right now, I guess…