Chapter 3 – Escape from Azkaban

Sirius stared up at the girl, unable to speak for a few moments.
 "What are you?" the girl repeated suspiciously. "I saw you become a dog, you're obviously not human. What kind of demon are you?" Sirius still sated up at her, mouth slightly ajar.
 "I'm not a demon," he said, recovering himself. "I'm an animagus. Haven't you ever seen an animagus before?"
 "What's an animagus? Are you insane too?" the girl said, fear clouding her eyes.
 "Not that I'm aware of," Sirius said, revelling in someone to talk to. "An animagus is a wizard who can transform into an animal at will."

 "Wizard?" the girl said. "You've got to be kidding. Who are you really?"

 "Sirius Black," Sirius replied, eyeing this girl warily.

 "Buffy Summers," the girl replied, extending a tanned hand through the bars, which Sirius edgily shook.
 "You're not a witch?" he asked quizzically. "Then what are you?"
 "I'm the slayer," Buffy answered, eyes flickering with pain.
 "As in the vampire slayer?" Sirius said disbelievingly. "Well, if you are, then what are you doing in here? Shouldn't you be out ridding the world of evil, or whatever it is you do?"

"I was framed for murder," the girl replied, unflinching this time.
 "Join the club," Sirius muttered with a bitter smile.
 "But you said you were a wizard?" the girl insisted. "For real?"

 Sirius nodded.
 "I don't know how you don't know about it," he said frowning. "There's a whole Wizarding world, hidden from muggles of course. Non magical people," he added at her confused look. He paused for a moment then proceeded to explain the magical world to her, and in turn allowing her to explain the complicated place that was Sunnydale.
 
 "So you're innocent too?" Buffy said, her face lighting up. "This Wormtail guy framed you for killing your best friend, and now he's after Harry Potter?"
 Sirius nodded, clenching his jaw.
 "Then we can get out of here," Buffy declared. "I have to stop Faith and you have to protect your godson."
 "And how do you suppose we do that?" Sirius asked sarcastically, with his bark like laugh. "Don't you think I would've got out by now if I could have?"
 "Well, now you've got me too," Buffy said boldly. "I've got my strength, and you've got your whole magic thing."

 "Trust me, you won't hold onto your strength for long," Sirius said knowledgably. "They take it from you; they take everything they cane, until you're just a body, without anything inside but hate and pain." His eyes deadened for a moment, until Buffy spoke again.
 "Then how comes you can still do the transformy?" Buffy replied. "I'm innocent, and while I have that, they can't take anything away from me." She stared at him for a minute and their eyes met.

 "Look, I don't trust you, and I'm pretty damn sure you don't trust me," Buffy said bluntly. "Neither of us knows whether the other is a killer or not, but right now, we're all each other has. I need your help and you need mine. Are you in or out?" Sirius bit his lip, looked at the girl again, and then nodded firmly.
 "Right," the girl said, jaw set. She left the window, and Sirius moved forward to peer into her cell. He watched her as she approached the bars, and held them firmly, and then attempted to move them apart. She pulled them and they gave a little, but that was as much as she could manage.
 "Good plan," he said sarcastically. She glared up at him.
 "Traces of that drug they gave me are still in my system," she explained, narrowing her eyes. "I've been given it before; I know what it feels like. Give me til this evening, and I'll be back on form. She moved out of his eyesight and sat down in the furthest, darkest corner.

Later that day, Sirius sat with his back to the wall, thinking about the blonde girl in the cell next to him. there was something about her, some kind of spark that led him to believe that she was telling the truth, besides what his sense of rationality told him. She was special, he knew that much. His thoughts were interrupted by creaking from the front of his cell. He looked up, and there was Buffy, pulling his bars apart, making a gap through which he could escape.
 "You actually did it?" he asked pointlessly, marvelling at her tiny frame bending steel like it was plasticine. She looked at his briefly, then stepped away from the bars when there was a gap large enough for him to scramble through. Once out, they ran together down the hall, ignoring the yells and screams that erupted from the cells they passed. They reached the steel door, and exchanged glances. It was fitted with a heavy lock, which Buffy bent off with one attempt. Pushing it open, the two ran through, then stopped and Buffy fell to the floor, covering her face with her hands.
 "No, Angel, no," she moaned. "Please stop it, just stop." Sirius looked up briefly, and then closed his eyes. Two dementors stood before them, both sucking at the air, pulling the happiness from their souls. They glided forward, and Sirius knew their intention, to administer the kiss on the, to remove their souls.

Sirius transformed quickly into his dog form, and ran forward to Buffy, lifting her over his back. He ran past the dementors, pushing out the fear and pain that filled him, and saw doors ahead of him. He ran, ran faster than he ever had before, despite Buffy lying on his back, he skidded through doors, avoiding dementors, all the while calculating his escape route. And finally he saw it, a barred window, large enough for them to fit through and barred window that showed the moon, large and full, shining silvery on the ground. He threw Buffy off his back and licked her face frantically, attempting to revive her. He knew the dementors would be coming in droves, and they had to escape before that happened. Buffy was roused, and quickly registered what had happened. She leapt to her feet and Sirius barked at her, and then ran to the window.
Buffy took the hint, and pulled at the bars, separating them once again. She leapt through them, rolling over as she hit the ground, and Sirius backed up to run at them. Looking behind him, he saw the dementors coming, thousands of them, and he ran and leapt clearing the window, and landing on the hard ground. He followed Buffy who was already running, and they reached the coast.

 "We'll have to swim," Buffy informed him, and ran into the sea, diving in once her feet could no long touch the floor. Sirius followed suit, using his four legs to propel him forward, and keep up with Buffy.

He exulted in the feel of the cool salt water on his fur and the slivery moonlight dancing on the waves.