A/N—Seriously, if you are reading this right now you may want to stop until the revisions are done. Beginning in this chapter I completely deleted one character who is often mentioned throughout the story. I am phasing out the character of Maria and if you continue reading certain parts of the story will not make sense to you. Continue on if you wish, but please do not review telling me that the story doesn't make sense.

Cruel Beauty

Chapter Nine
To Be Free

It shouldn't hurt me to be free
It's what I really need
To pull myself together
But if it's so good being free
Would you mind telling me
Why I don't know what to do with myself--Emilianna Torrini

Velena left me alone for much of the summer, and that was fine by me. I appreciated the freedom that came with my solitary state and knew better than to press my luck by even so much as acknowledging her absence.

For the first time since living with Velena I took to being rather lazy. If I read, it was solely for pleasure—I even made a point of reading trashy adventure and mystery novels that Velena would have burned had she discovered them. I listened to music for hours on end and during the day would put on a bathing suit and lounged about out in the sun, getting a tan. The action even made me smile, no doubt if Velena saw me she would lecture on how undignified it was to be out in plain view like this in a bathing suit—I don't think she even knew I owned one. I bought it without her knowledge. Well, I think I bought it without her knowledge; she could always have had someone following me.

During all of my free time I concentrated only on becoming a "normal" eleven-year-old. Almost twelve, I thought with satisfaction. I wondered briefly if Velena would even be around for my birthday in August, but then thought better of it. The real birthday present would be to spend it alone. Or with Draco…I kind of missed him, really. Our conversations were, well, nice. We weren't friends or anything, but he was something. And at times, something is better than nothing.

We had been owling each other consistently so far throughout the summer, and as I looked aimlessly up to the sky as I tanned outside I saw an owl making its way down. Just on time, I thought with a smile.

I opened the letter as the owl waited for my usual response. Some days we would send each other as many as ten letters, so I gathered that he was just as desperate for any sort of human interaction as I. From what I heard, Draco's father and my aunt worked together on…well, whatever she was up to.

His letter was unusually short:

Ginevra,

Have you read the papers today?

Draco L. Malfoy

I stood up, stretched, and walked casually into the house. After finding parchment I scribbled a response and handed it to Draco's owl. After the owl took flight I strolled back outside to continue the bliss of lying in the sun.

After a few minutes, though, I was interrupted by the presence of Draco himself.

He held my response in his hand and appeared to be annoyed. "What do you mean you don't read the papers?"

I squinted up at him, blinded by the sun. "I'm eleven," I said with a shrug, "what do I care for the news?"

"Well I'm thirteen and I've been following the news since I was old enough to read. And I don't care if you read the papers or not—you should still have heard of this!"

I rolled my eyes and pulled myself up into a sitting position. "If I did read the papers I most certainly would not read the Daily Prophet, which I have no doubt is your news source. You realize they are completely unreliable and biased, don't you? The Ministry all but owns that paper."

"Regardless, there is no way this news is unreliable. It's true, my father said as much."

Well, if Lucius Malfoy said it was true, it must be, I thought sarcastically. "Fine, then, don't keep me in suspense—what is this big news?"

Draco pulled a paper from behind his back and showed me the giant headline, "Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban," he said needlessly, since I was currently reading the big, black letters.

I raised an eyebrow in interest, "Black escaped? He's the first ever, isn't he?" Draco nodded in confirmation. I stood and we walked together into the house. I sat on a sofa with Draco next to me and skimmed the entire article.

"He's related to me, you know," Draco said in an uninterested tone.

"How so?"

"My mother, she was a Black before she married my father." He gave me a pointed stare, "The House of Black is also, distantly, related to the Weasleys."

"So I suppose that makes us related, then?'

He shrugged, "Most of the old families are."

"It's a wonder we aren't all hideously deformed," I commented. "So what are you saying, then?"

"I wasn't saying anything." He looked down at his manicured hand with newfound intrigue, "Your aunt has been away much the past few weeks, as has my father."

I caught onto his meaning. Had Velena and Lucius had anything to do with Black's escape? It was plausible. "He was the outcast of the Black family, though, was he not?"

"I think he redeemed himself," Draco countered softly.

I knew what he was implying immediately. Everyone knew the story of Sirius Black. Well, everyone who was in our world anyway. Those who grew up in the families like the Evansoles and the Malfoys knew the history of the war. They knew the real story behind how You-Know-Who was at the Potter's house that fateful Halloween.

You-Know-Who had wanted the Potter's dead—that was no secret. It was not, however, widely known that how he found them eventually was through the traitor of the noble House of Black, their friend Sirius. I learned of this in one of my many lessons from Velena, Draco no doubt came across it in a similar lesson from Lucius.

The outcome of that night, though, casts many doubts. Because it led to the downfall of You-Know-Who some think that Black and the Potter's knew what little Harry could do. Some think Black truly was a traitor to You-Know-Who and he and the Potter's sacrificed themselves to see the end of Him.

To others, though, Black to this day remains a, well, not a hero, but a tragic figure of sorts. If he really did give up his best friends to You-Know-Who then he was one of the most loyal ever. Personally, I think he was You-Know-Who's lackey. I mean, just look at what he did after—he killed his other friend in the middle of the bloody street. That action kind of rules out the former theory in my opinion, but whatever. People will always talk and speculate, I suppose.

"So, planning to experience a family reunion anytime soon, then?" I asked mockingly.

Draco shrugged. "Rumor has it that Sirius Black had a scandalous affair with your aunt a while back. So I thought that I would prepare you for a visit."

"You honestly think he would come here?"

"If he thought Velena would protect him…why not?"

I shrugged. "Well, she's not here and I certainly wouldn't welcome him with open arms."

"I wasn't suggesting you would. Anyway, I doubt he would come here. But I thought you should prepare for the possibility."

I stared at him for a moment. "How did you get here, anyway?"

"Floo," he stated simply, "I assume you do know how to work the Floo Network?"

I scowled at him, "Of course. Does your dear father know you escaped the noble House of Malfoy?"

"He isn't around to care anymore."

"Finally killed him, did you?"

Draco rolled his eyes skyward, "Since when did you develop a sense of humor?"

"Since I was left to myself for the entire summer…When did you decide to stick your wand up your arse?"

Draco shot me a disgusted look, "That was certainly vulgar, Ginevra."

I shrugged, "Haven't you heard, Draco dear? Half my genes come from a vulgar, distasteful family. I'm afraid I'm bad blood—I suppose you'll be stuck marrying Pansy Parkinson instead, then."

"Hold your tongue," he said immediately, "I just ate lunch."

"My humblest apologies, Malfoy," I replied without much sincerity.

"Yeah, well…I best be getting back to the Manor before Mother takes notice of my absence. Just…keep an eye out—I meant what I said, about Black coming here. As advanced in magic as you are in your own mind that still doesn't qualify you to take on a rogue fugitive."

I gave him a mock salute, "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Owl me later?"

He nodded, and after grabbing a fistful of Floo Powder he disappeared into the flames.

After Draco left I made my way back outside with a book tucked under my arm. Readjusting my sunglasses, I laid back down on my stomach to continue the noble task of sunbathing.

As I was just settling into the book I felt a shadow come over me. I looked up—prepared to be thoroughly annoyed if it was again Draco—and saw a shaggy, black dog staring back at me. I sat up and stared at the dog in wonder. Where had it come from? We most certainly didn't have neighbors anywhere near so it is not as if one of their dogs could have simply wandered off.

"You are a very ugly mutt, aren't you?" I sneered at the dog.

The dog, in return, growled.

I jumped back in surprise. Smart dog, though. "Perhaps if you'd had a proper bath you wouldn't be so dreadful."

The dog whined and pressed its nose up against me. I scooted back. "I'm not a 'dog person' so please refrain from touching."

The dog kept its distance.

I stood up. A dog in the house would really hack off Velena… "Come on," I waved to it, "I'll get you some food."

The dog trotted after me and when we entered the kitchen it hopped up on a kitchen chair and sat obediently at the table. I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. No dog was that well trained…There was something weird going on here.

I pulled my wand out and pointed it at the dog. "There's something strange about you," I told it.

The dog looked down at the floor. Now the damn thing was avoiding my eyes! Velena had made me read a book about wizards and witches who could change into animals…I was beginning to believe this was one such instance. And if that's the case, I just invited some strange into my home.

"Show yourself," I growled at the black animal.

The dog did nothing.

"Show yourself or I will call the Ministry right now. I know you're not a dog…and when the Aurors get here they'll take you to…Azkaban!" So the Azkaban thing was a rather empty threat. I doubted the punishment for strolling around as an animal was that—if indeed to was anything at all. They'd probably just get a slap on the wrist and told that you shouldn't fool people into allowing you into their homes.

Nevertheless, the dog now appeared to be panicked. Or as alarmed as an animal can look, anyway.

My threat seemed to work as the hairy creature morphed into a skinny, brow-beaten man. A hand unconsciously made its way to my mouth. That was the same man on the cover of the Daily Prophet that Draco had shown me! Oh no—it was Sirius Black!

I kept my wand on him, but felt rather fearful. Draco was right; I couldn't take on a mass-murderer with the spells I knew. I was advanced above my class at Hogwarts but this was clearly out of my league!

I even found myself embarrassed that my hand was unable to even hold my wand steady. I was turning into a frightened little girl…Velena would be so ashamed.

"If you call the Ministry," he said in a low, threatening tone, "I will kill you before they have the opportunity to arrive. Drop your wand."

I nearly rolled my eyes at him. "I may be young but I'm not quite that stupid. If you leave right now I won't tell anyone I've seen you."

Sirius Black narrowed his eyes at me, "I may be old but I'm not senile. The second I leave you'll be flooing the Ministry to tell them exactly where I am. You have no reason to protect me."

"Then why are you here? I live in the middle of nowhere—why would you come here?"

To that, he apparently had no answer because we stood in silence. Draco was right…Velena did have some sort of affair with the man. Good Lord—must she be such a slag? Still, though, with a shower and clean teeth he really wouldn't be half bad looking.

"Velena isn't here," I continued, "and I certainly have no assistance to offer you. I am no friend of the Ministry, if you leave now I swear I'll tell no one."

"I was not searching for Velena," Black countered, "I actually thought I'd get the 'assistance' I require from you."

"Me?" I repeated in surprise. "What could you possibly need from me?"

"You go to Hogwarts, do you not?"

I shrugged, if he wants to ask a stupid question I'll be damned if I'm going to answer.

"So you know Harry Potter, then."

"I know of him," I allowed, "but we are by no means bosom buddies. I'm a Slytherin," I continued with a shrug, "and he's Gryffindor's golden boy."

"Where is he?"

I rolled my eyes, "Did you not just hear me? I am not friends with him! Like I have any clue where he would spend his summer holidays…if you hadn't contributed to his parent's death he'd probably be with them. As it is…I don't know, probably with other family, I suppose."

Black looks rather mad now. Perhaps it's not the best idea to taunt him with the murders of his former best friends. Oh well, no use crying over spilled potion.

"Look, how I about I give you some food and some money and you can continue your search for Potter elsewhere."

"I have to find him," he muttered to himself, "but first I have to find the rat. I need to kill the rat, and then find Harry." As if just remembering that I am alive, he looked up at me, "Where is the rat?"

"Pardon? You'll have to try a saner sentence if you want an actual answer."

"Peter Pettigrew—I need to find him."

"Well, the last I checked he was dead. But that could have changed…dead people come alive quite often these days."

"He isn't dead. He is with your family."

"He's with Velena?"

"No! He is living with the Weasley's, you insolent girl."

"You catch more flies with sugar," I replied snidely. "If he is with the Weasley's then why don't you go try bothering them?"

"You are a Weasley," he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Hold your tongue. I am an Evansole." Hey, like I said before…Velena is normally always watching. No doubt she has some sort of magical surveillance in the house—it can't hurt to show a little Evansole pride for her benefit.

The serial killer took no notice of this, though, and just continued to give insane orders. "Your brother, call him."

"Which one?" I asked with a glare.

"Any! They have a pet rat—I want that rat."

"You want to steal their pet rat?" He nodded vigorously. All right, I know that Azkaban does something to your brain…but this is just ridiculous! "If I get you this rat will you leave with your little prize?"

"That rat is not a rat, the rat is—fine, yes, I will leave once I have the rat."

I shrugged; if it would get him out of my house then I really didn't care. However, this whole episode with my brothers will undoubtedly be…awkward, to say the least. What the hell am I even supposed to say? 'Hey, remember how you abandoned me to the clutches of our evil aunt…yeah, well turns out I am still alive and, by the way, can I borrow your pet rat for a split second?' Right, that'd go over smoothly.

Nevertheless, I grabbed a fistful of Floo powder and tossed it into the fireplace. When an insane escaped convict demands you take a pet rat, it's probably best to comply.

A/N—Right, so the story is obviously changing a lot to anyone who is happening to read this again. For that one person, I took to heart the advice given to me about the second half of this story being weak and I realized I couldn't strengthen the second half without changing the first, mainly the character of Maria. Maria was Ginny's "motherly" figure who actually died and had betrayed her. The whole thing with her went way to fast—she gained Ginny's trust in like two seconds and died just as quickly. I no longer care for the character and have decided the phase her out, working in the plotline of Sirius Black instead. I thought it'd be interesting to try and go along with canon a little bit and see what would happen if I had Sirius come in contact with Ginevra. So…anyway, there's my explanation. I will be working to revamp the story to fit this, but it may go slowly.