She pulled her lime green robe tighter about her. Some believed, and those fled as soon as work ended, traveling safely through the Floo network or apparating back to their homes. She could just as easily, but not yet. For the last three years, she had slowly walked those darkened streets each night, and she would not stop, not until....
"Come home, we're waiting. Won't you just please come home?" She whispered as her eyes wandered along the street, hoping.
How long could she stay? The disaster that currently made up the Ministry not to mention the idiot running Hogwarts into the ground.... But if they left....
She was approaching a more populated area of the city now, and she slowly shed her robes, a long, black Muggle style dress beneath. She paused for a moment, about to start across the street when she saw.... well, not really saw, more sensed, something in an alleyway a few steps away.
She moved forward slowly, half afraid it was some sort of trick although why anyone would be interested in her.... There was something though, a small shimmering blackness.... A shadow?
"Love?" she whispered, knowing as the words slipped out, it couldn't be, was all wrong to be him but.... Her steps increased involutarily, though.
Suddenly there was movement, definately movement. The shimmering blackness grew larger as she started to run forward now, something crashing to the ground as the shadow faded away.
She dropped to her knees, reaching out quickly, her mind automatically slipping back into healer mode as she slowly rolled the man, she could tell that it was definately a man now, over onto his back.
"Sirius?" she whispered, her suddenly numb fingers reaching out and touching his face. Cold, why was he.... It was a warm night. She reached out, covering him with her robe, gently touching his face. Out of here, they had to get out of here before anyone came. "Love, wake up."
"'Gaina," he murmured, his eyes slowly opening. Hazy, blackness swimming at the edges of his vision.
"Let's get you home, Love. I've been waiting for you," the blonde witch whispered. "You're very, very late, you know."
She reached into the pocket of her skirt, fumbling for her wand, barely able to surpress the urge to cry or laugh, she wasn't sure which. Now how was she going to tell him about.... Much, much too late for the announcement she had planned before.
"'Gaina." The blackness was almost overwhelming now. He forced a numbed arm to move though, reaching out and taking her hand, drawing her down, pulling her into a gentle kiss.
"Love," She reluctantly broke the kiss a moment later, remembering all too well what a kiss like that had led to before. There would be time for.... When she looked down, though, his eyes were closed, an unnatural stillness.... "Love?" She reached out, frantically checking.... If this was one of his jokes.... "Sirius?" Nothing, nothing, nothing. No pulse, no breathing. Nothing.
