Chapter XXIX - The Unexpected Prisoner
The lioness Patronus was now familiarized with Remus' Azkaban cell since she had been coming everyday for the past week. The trial date had finally been established and Ellie and Remus were spending the last afternoon before it in each other's arms. He kept saying how weak he felt, she kept repressing that strong desire of telling him about the baby.
"And tomorrow..." he said.
"Dumbledore will be on our side." interrupted Ellie "You have nothing to worry about." When it was time to leave, she kissed him and said "tomorrow you will sleep in my bed. I promise."
And with this promise, she, and her lioness, left.
This time, there was no Dementor at the door to lead the way and, although she thought it a good thing at the beginning, she found herself lost in the corridors after no more than 5 minutes. Azkaban was like a giant maze. Unable to return to Remus' cell, or to find the way out, she was passing by corridors of cell after cell with prisoners screaming or just moaning in agony, when-
"Lost, are you?" said a voice that made Ellie jump a foot in the air.
"No," she said, turning to the prisoner who had talked "I was just-"
"Having a stroll, I guess." he interrupted. He had tangled black hair and a sardonic expression. And then, suddenly... Ellie recognised him.
"Sirius...?"
This time it was the prisoner who jumped a foot in the air.
"Who are you?" he asked in a hoarse voice.
"Funny that you are the one who changed, but I'm the one who recognised first, Siri." There was a long silence. Then "Ellie...?"
She nodded.
"It is you!" he screamed in maddened joy. "Hey!" he shouted to nowhere in particular. "Ellie is here!" And he laughed so loud that Ellie's lioness began to hiss and spit at him. "So..." he said after calming himself down. "How are you?"
"You're... different."
"I'm mad!" and he smiled so wickedly Ellie was convinced that it was so. "I'm a murderer now, didn't they tell you?" and his eyes were glittering with a strange rage.
"Sirius... How can you..."
"Be so cold? These walls make us cold. Cold and stone dead." And a long heavy silence fell between them.
"Siri..." she said, breaking the silence "did you really-"
"No." he said simply, suddenly very serious.
Ellie had seen a Fidelius Charm break very recently and was very impressed by Sirius' voice.
"Than, how-"
"How indeed!" he said laughing so hard this time it started scaring her. She was almost glad when a Dementor appeared. Sirius immediately recoiled like a snake to a corner of the cell, swearing in a low voice.
"Th-the way out, please." said Ellie.
The Dementor turned, leading the way. Ellie looked one last time at Sirius and wished hard that the trial was over soon.
The lioness Patronus was now familiarized with Remus' Azkaban cell since she had been coming everyday for the past week. The trial date had finally been established and Ellie and Remus were spending the last afternoon before it in each other's arms. He kept saying how weak he felt, she kept repressing that strong desire of telling him about the baby.
"And tomorrow..." he said.
"Dumbledore will be on our side." interrupted Ellie "You have nothing to worry about." When it was time to leave, she kissed him and said "tomorrow you will sleep in my bed. I promise."
And with this promise, she, and her lioness, left.
This time, there was no Dementor at the door to lead the way and, although she thought it a good thing at the beginning, she found herself lost in the corridors after no more than 5 minutes. Azkaban was like a giant maze. Unable to return to Remus' cell, or to find the way out, she was passing by corridors of cell after cell with prisoners screaming or just moaning in agony, when-
"Lost, are you?" said a voice that made Ellie jump a foot in the air.
"No," she said, turning to the prisoner who had talked "I was just-"
"Having a stroll, I guess." he interrupted. He had tangled black hair and a sardonic expression. And then, suddenly... Ellie recognised him.
"Sirius...?"
This time it was the prisoner who jumped a foot in the air.
"Who are you?" he asked in a hoarse voice.
"Funny that you are the one who changed, but I'm the one who recognised first, Siri." There was a long silence. Then "Ellie...?"
She nodded.
"It is you!" he screamed in maddened joy. "Hey!" he shouted to nowhere in particular. "Ellie is here!" And he laughed so loud that Ellie's lioness began to hiss and spit at him. "So..." he said after calming himself down. "How are you?"
"You're... different."
"I'm mad!" and he smiled so wickedly Ellie was convinced that it was so. "I'm a murderer now, didn't they tell you?" and his eyes were glittering with a strange rage.
"Sirius... How can you..."
"Be so cold? These walls make us cold. Cold and stone dead." And a long heavy silence fell between them.
"Siri..." she said, breaking the silence "did you really-"
"No." he said simply, suddenly very serious.
Ellie had seen a Fidelius Charm break very recently and was very impressed by Sirius' voice.
"Than, how-"
"How indeed!" he said laughing so hard this time it started scaring her. She was almost glad when a Dementor appeared. Sirius immediately recoiled like a snake to a corner of the cell, swearing in a low voice.
"Th-the way out, please." said Ellie.
The Dementor turned, leading the way. Ellie looked one last time at Sirius and wished hard that the trial was over soon.