Present Day
Alexia sat in front of the fireplace at Number 12 Grimmauld Place and was caught and flipped through the photograph album that lay in her lap. The pictures were of happier times. She wiped away tears as she stared and pictures of her and her friends on their graduation day, Lily and James's wedding day, and in the back a small picture of herself and Sirius. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even know she wasn't alone in the room.
"Ms. Black, are you okay?" Hermione asked in a timid voice.
"Yes Hermione, I'm okay." She replied putting the album on the table next to her, "And please call me Alexia or Lexi if you wish."
"I'm sorry Alexia, it's just umm, this just arrived for you." Hermione said holding in her hand a red envelope which Alexia knew by sight as a howler.
"You might want to leave the room for this." Alexia said as the envelope began to smoke. She opened the top flap and the voice of her father filled the house.
"YOU TRAITOR!!! HOW THE BLOODY HELL COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME. DO YOU REALIZE HOW YOUR ACTIONS HAVE RUINED ME?? I PRAY THAT YOU ARE MISERABLE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. YOU ARE DEAD TO ME!"
She sighed as the red envelope tore apart and landed in her hand. As she walked to a trash can to dispose of the pieces Remus entered the room. "That was expected wasn't it?" he asked
"He's a jack ass." Alexia replied, "I'm glad to be rid of him."
"How long were you and Sirius planning on keeping this secret from me? If he was still alive would I even know that you two had gotten married?" Remus asked
"Remus I don't know. If it's any consolation he hated keeping this from you. Especially since you didn't know the truth about Peter being Lily and James' secret keeper. It was me who made him keep this secret. I was scared of my father, what he would do to me. He would have found me and beaten me to death."
"You don't think he's going to do that now?" Remus asked raising his voice
"He doesn't want anything to do with me now, he probably thinks I'll suffer now that Sirius is dead." Alexia said
"I could have helped you. If I had known..."
"If you had known things would have been different. I know Remus, don't you think I've been rethinking how this could have played out since Sirius died? I wish things were different, that I didn't have to hide all those years. But when he was in Azkaban, would you have really been there for me? I was the only one who knew the truth, do you really think you could have protected me when everyone else thought it was my husband who helped kill Lily and James?"
"How could you think I would betray you? Alexia have you gone mad. If you knew the truth you could have saved Sirius from all this!"
"Thank you so much, Remus. Make me feel even worse than I already do."
"It's the truth, whether you hear it from me or anyone else. You might as well say that you killed Sirius instead of Bellitrix!" Remus said, "You had the power to set him free years ago but you chose to stay silent. Who knows what could have happened if the ministry wasn't on his back."
Alexia looked at him in shock, "I deserved that." She said "Especially since you think I stayed quiet all these years. Which I didn't entirely, I told my father that I was pretty sure Sirius was innocent. Do you know what happened to me after that? I was beaten so hard I could barely move. I spent about a month in St Mungo's just to recover from that. And when I came home he swore that if I mentioned it again he'd finish what he started. So either way one of us would be dead!"
"What on Earth is going on in here?" Molly Weasley asked as she entered the room.
"Nothing Molly, its okay." Remus replied.
"I thought I heard yelling, the children are back and I don't think they need this sort of thing." Molly lectured
"Molly everything is fine. Remus and I had to sort some things out. We should be okay now." Alexia said
"If I hear another raised voice I'm going to ask you take this somewhere else. I will not have this type of behavior here." She said walking out.
"Like this is her house." Alexia muttered
"Alexia I had no idea he threatened your life." Remus said sympathetically.
"Many people didn't. Only Sirius and Dumbledore, and when they both found out about what happened to me. Well I was told to keep quiet." Alexia said
"I'm sorry about what I said before. I just wish it was different."
"I know. It's so hard. Some days I feel like I'm empty inside-that I have nothing to live for, and then others, I just want vengeance on Voldemort and Peter."
The sound of footsteps cause Alexia and Remus to look at the door to who had entered the room. "You are not empty inside Alexia, he lives inside you just like my parents live inside me." Harry said to her.
"Harry I'm sorry you had to hear all that." Alexia said approaching him.
"It's alright, you answered questions I was afraid to ask. I wish I had known about you before." Harry replied
"You don't know how much I wish that myself Harry. I pray that you never have to go through the fear of having some one you love hurt you so bad that you have to keep secrets from other people you love."
Harry nodded showing his understanding. "Can you tell me about him? How you became friends? Things I don't know about him that he'd want me to know."
"Later tonight Harry, I will. I don't mean to put you off like this. It's just been very hard the past couple of weeks. I can't do simple things around here with out turning the water works on. I promise though, tonight I'll give you as much as I can. I owe you that much." She replied.
"Thank you Alexia." Harry said, "By the way Mrs. Weasley sent me in here to tell you that dinner is almost ready.
He left the room followed by Remus. Alexia closed her eyes tight and took a few deep breaths. "God help me tonight. I cannot do this on my own, but he has a right to information about me." With that she joined everyone else at dinner.
Alexia sat in front of the fireplace at Number 12 Grimmauld Place and was caught and flipped through the photograph album that lay in her lap. The pictures were of happier times. She wiped away tears as she stared and pictures of her and her friends on their graduation day, Lily and James's wedding day, and in the back a small picture of herself and Sirius. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even know she wasn't alone in the room.
"Ms. Black, are you okay?" Hermione asked in a timid voice.
"Yes Hermione, I'm okay." She replied putting the album on the table next to her, "And please call me Alexia or Lexi if you wish."
"I'm sorry Alexia, it's just umm, this just arrived for you." Hermione said holding in her hand a red envelope which Alexia knew by sight as a howler.
"You might want to leave the room for this." Alexia said as the envelope began to smoke. She opened the top flap and the voice of her father filled the house.
"YOU TRAITOR!!! HOW THE BLOODY HELL COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME. DO YOU REALIZE HOW YOUR ACTIONS HAVE RUINED ME?? I PRAY THAT YOU ARE MISERABLE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. YOU ARE DEAD TO ME!"
She sighed as the red envelope tore apart and landed in her hand. As she walked to a trash can to dispose of the pieces Remus entered the room. "That was expected wasn't it?" he asked
"He's a jack ass." Alexia replied, "I'm glad to be rid of him."
"How long were you and Sirius planning on keeping this secret from me? If he was still alive would I even know that you two had gotten married?" Remus asked
"Remus I don't know. If it's any consolation he hated keeping this from you. Especially since you didn't know the truth about Peter being Lily and James' secret keeper. It was me who made him keep this secret. I was scared of my father, what he would do to me. He would have found me and beaten me to death."
"You don't think he's going to do that now?" Remus asked raising his voice
"He doesn't want anything to do with me now, he probably thinks I'll suffer now that Sirius is dead." Alexia said
"I could have helped you. If I had known..."
"If you had known things would have been different. I know Remus, don't you think I've been rethinking how this could have played out since Sirius died? I wish things were different, that I didn't have to hide all those years. But when he was in Azkaban, would you have really been there for me? I was the only one who knew the truth, do you really think you could have protected me when everyone else thought it was my husband who helped kill Lily and James?"
"How could you think I would betray you? Alexia have you gone mad. If you knew the truth you could have saved Sirius from all this!"
"Thank you so much, Remus. Make me feel even worse than I already do."
"It's the truth, whether you hear it from me or anyone else. You might as well say that you killed Sirius instead of Bellitrix!" Remus said, "You had the power to set him free years ago but you chose to stay silent. Who knows what could have happened if the ministry wasn't on his back."
Alexia looked at him in shock, "I deserved that." She said "Especially since you think I stayed quiet all these years. Which I didn't entirely, I told my father that I was pretty sure Sirius was innocent. Do you know what happened to me after that? I was beaten so hard I could barely move. I spent about a month in St Mungo's just to recover from that. And when I came home he swore that if I mentioned it again he'd finish what he started. So either way one of us would be dead!"
"What on Earth is going on in here?" Molly Weasley asked as she entered the room.
"Nothing Molly, its okay." Remus replied.
"I thought I heard yelling, the children are back and I don't think they need this sort of thing." Molly lectured
"Molly everything is fine. Remus and I had to sort some things out. We should be okay now." Alexia said
"If I hear another raised voice I'm going to ask you take this somewhere else. I will not have this type of behavior here." She said walking out.
"Like this is her house." Alexia muttered
"Alexia I had no idea he threatened your life." Remus said sympathetically.
"Many people didn't. Only Sirius and Dumbledore, and when they both found out about what happened to me. Well I was told to keep quiet." Alexia said
"I'm sorry about what I said before. I just wish it was different."
"I know. It's so hard. Some days I feel like I'm empty inside-that I have nothing to live for, and then others, I just want vengeance on Voldemort and Peter."
The sound of footsteps cause Alexia and Remus to look at the door to who had entered the room. "You are not empty inside Alexia, he lives inside you just like my parents live inside me." Harry said to her.
"Harry I'm sorry you had to hear all that." Alexia said approaching him.
"It's alright, you answered questions I was afraid to ask. I wish I had known about you before." Harry replied
"You don't know how much I wish that myself Harry. I pray that you never have to go through the fear of having some one you love hurt you so bad that you have to keep secrets from other people you love."
Harry nodded showing his understanding. "Can you tell me about him? How you became friends? Things I don't know about him that he'd want me to know."
"Later tonight Harry, I will. I don't mean to put you off like this. It's just been very hard the past couple of weeks. I can't do simple things around here with out turning the water works on. I promise though, tonight I'll give you as much as I can. I owe you that much." She replied.
"Thank you Alexia." Harry said, "By the way Mrs. Weasley sent me in here to tell you that dinner is almost ready.
He left the room followed by Remus. Alexia closed her eyes tight and took a few deep breaths. "God help me tonight. I cannot do this on my own, but he has a right to information about me." With that she joined everyone else at dinner.