After the child left, Sirius tried carefully to place who she could be. There were few families that could afford the luxury of a Fidelius Charm since good Secret Keepers were scarce. That must have been how she escaped the horrors of the mass executions and warfare that had been going on. But the question still remains of who she really is. Maybe her necklace will help. In the meantime, that bed looks rather cozy...

"No one can hurt me, can they?"
Nem, édesem. I will always keep you safe.
Zoltan had always been with her. Even before living with Gran, Lila knew that she had him. He was warm against her skin and made her feel secure. She never showed him to anyone or took him off. Zoltan always told her who was nice, who not to talk to, and when to run away. He talked more to her at Gran's, but mainly to comfort. Lila never felt the loss of parents since she had him. He always took care of her. She did not need anyone else. Mindig biztos.

Awaking refreshed from his nap, Sirius was still wondering about the child. He knew the questions about her would torment him until he gleaned the truth, so he put them aside for the moment. After filling his flask full of water, he slowly walked to the room where his favorite storytelling chair was. At the unspoken signal of sitting down, children emerged from all directions and gathered around. Even the nearby adults stopped their conversations to listen.
Feeling energetic, Sirius wove the tale of Rumplestiltskin as carefully as one would a volatile potion. He loved watching the children's faces as he lamented on the poor girl's situation, and then launched into the horridness of the dwarf's features. The story almost became a spell, taking the children to a kingdom far away. It was a pity to break the enchantment with the fateful words of "happily ever after." There was a brief silence at the end of the story followed by a flood of questions about the girl's father and what would have happened if the dwarf had taken the child. In the midst of his miniature admirers, Lila seemed untouched. She just was sitting patiently for the next story with her necklace hidden from view between her delicate hands. After most of the questions died down, Sirius took a long drink of water from his flask, deciding which story to tell next. He loved Brothers Grimm, but the original versions of the stories could be a little too gruesome for these children. So, he opted to tell about his own story.
"Once upon a time, a good king and queen lived in a happy kingdom. They had a baby boy, and loved him very much. They entrusted his godfather to watch out for the child when they were busy. Unfortunately an evil sorcerer was jealous of their happiness. He wanted to be king and rule. The evil sorcerer knew that he would have to kill the good family in order to be king. So, he found a way to slip past the guards and get into the royal bedchambers. He killed the king and queen while they were sleeping. Then he searched for the baby prince. When he saw the child, he tried with all of his might to kill him as well, but the boy's godfather had been standing watch and stopped the evil sorcerer. The godfather drove the sorcerer from the land, forever banished. In the castle, the boy grew to be a good king and married a good woman to be queen. And they were happy together to the end of their days."
Not too far from the truth. Ok, so I like to be the hero better than being the duped fool. As hard as he tried, Sirius found it hard to lie to himself. Upon reflection he realized that the story had been worse than even Rapunzel when she gets knocked up and forced to wonder around alone. His stomach told him of the hour without bothering to look at his watch. "Well, children, I think I see the adults waiting for me to finish talking so that you can have dinner. I'll tell you more stories tomorrow, I promise."
With that reassurance, the children happily fled. Again, Lila lagged behind. Sirius spied the woman who was keeping track of Lila and told her with a nod that he would watch the child for the evening. Lila gave him a shy smile when he held out his hand. "Did you like my stories, little one?"
"Oh, yes sir. Very much. Why didn't you say 'happily ever after' at the end of the last story. You always said it before. Did they not live happily?" Her little face was serious as her big eyes begged for the truth.
"Well, Lila, that is a difficult question. But, I have to say that no, they did not. Before the second age of terror, they were the happiest couple in the world. Now, I know this because I am the godfather in the story. I always tried to protect my godson, but it did no good. I would think that my godson is dead, because he was captured. All I could do was help his wife bring their two children here, where it is safe. After leaving the children here, she went after her husband. I have not heard from either of them in many years. I keep an eye on the little boy and girl who are now a few years older than you. Sadly, they hardly remember their parents."
"But, Grandpa Black, they'll get rescued from the prison, right? And then they will find their kids and live happily ever after, right?"
"I don't know, Lila. This is real life, not a story. I hope beyond hope that they will live happily ever after, but until then I sit and tell stories. Now, would you like to tell me a story while I fix dinner? I think I can find the makings for a good stew around here somewhere."
Lila nodded. She was still a little worried about the good king and queen, but she loved good food.



Dictionary:
édesem = my sweet
nem = no
mindig = always
biztos = safe

Big ice cream sundaes to Gengi (w/ extra sprinkles), Vortigan (fat free coffee), and Writegirl (all the toppings you can handle). Hope you enjoy the new chapter!