AN: My sincere apologies for the delay everyone. But a good story takes time and I'm going to do my best to just make this story wonderful. I despise writers blocks! Don't you wish that the best ideas came to you in a second?
I'd also like to thank…..
AgentofDeception
TiGgEr5 ( hope you like this chapter. Can you guess what will happen later on? )
Crystal (Thankies )
Windmaster
Sirius' Sweetie ( I want to kill his parents too )
SnufflesTheLlama ( I'm sooo glad you liked it! )
Thank you all!!!!!!!
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Heat. Warmth. Sanctuary. It was burning. A welcoming rush of heat that he felt through his frozen body. He felt limp. As if he was floating in the air. But Sirius didn't care. It was warm now and that's all that mattered.
He then came to the conclusion that he was awake. Though he didn't want to open his eyes. It felt just right the way he was. He felt peace. Relaxation. It was so alien to him, and he greedily lay on his back enjoying every passing second.
"Awake young one. Awake."
"I don't want to," Sirius protested. But he obeyed and forced his eyes open. He immediately shut them tight after getting a blinding light in his eyes. He then brought up his hands to his eyes and opened them.
There was a glow of light over his eyes. Red, yellow, and orange colors. He shifted his gaze to his left and his heart skipped a beat. He was staring at fire. He squealed and scooted to his right and felt his hand getting a little hotter.
He twirled his head to the right and squeaked when he saw that his hand was in fire. He immediately recoiled and examined his hand. His eyes went wide when he saw that there were no burn marks on him. Strange. He passed his fingers over his hand and felt nothing wrong.
He tentatively starred at the flames and reached his hand out to touch it. He passed a hand through it, and the flames merely danced on it. He stared at the flames in curiosity and then looked at his surroundings. But there was really nothing much to see.
He noticed that he was laying on something soft and cushiony. It was a blood red color, as was his whole surroundings. It was a tight place actually. His head could hit the thing over his head if he shifted himself upward. But the place was long enough for his body to lay out.
He started to feel uncomfortable. There were no holes in the walls and everything was red. The fire reflected orange and yellow colors, but that was it. Not to mention that the fire surrounded his entire body and the outskirts of the tight, small place. It was also getting a little too hot.
He shifted uncomfortably where he sat and stared at the ceiling. "Hello?"
he said quietly in a hoarse voice. "Hello?"
Suddenly, the cushiony thing he was sitting on started to shift. He slid forward, backwards. Side-to-side. "Hey!" he called. Then, not only did the thing he was sitting on start to move, but so did the rest of it. He was roughly turned upside down and twirled all around.
He tried to cling to something, but there was nothing to hold onto. He continued to smash into his surroundings, and then there was a moan. The thing stopped and he listened. Another low moaning sound was heard. Then the flames went out.
Sirius stared at the darkness all around him and waited. The thing shifted again, but this time, the walls all around him started to separate. Slowly, and the moans grew louder. As light crept in, he looked out to see where he was. He saw trees, and then he flung himself out of his spot and hit the dirt in a thud.
He pushed himself up quickly and ran.
/ Sirius! /
He never heard his name being called, so he continued to run. He ran out of the clearing and out into the trees. He skipped and bobbed side-to-side. Running past the trees. The cold air rushing into his face, though his nose, and into his lungs.
/ Sirius stop! /
"Huh?" he stopped running and looked behind him. "Seraph?"
Seraph bounced into view from behind a tree and came trotting towards him. "Seraph!"
/ Are you alright Sirius? /
" Now I am," he laughed. "I'm glad to see you." He looked at Seraph, "What happened?"
/ I was going to ask you the same question. I can tell you that I did take you out of the water. /
"Thanks Seraph. I owe you one."
/ You can start by going back to the Venotha. /
"What's the Venotha?" he asked confused.
/ You were just there./ Seraph said. / But you probably just ran out without even taking a glimpse of him. /
"Him?" Sirius asked. He raised his eyebrows. "That thing I was in was a living animal?"
/ Not an animal. / Seraph corrected. / Follow me. / He turned and headed back to the direction were Sirius ran from.
"Why do we have to go back?" Sirius asked.
/ So you can apologies for running away and give your gratitude to the Venotha. /
Seraph answered.
"Why do I have to thank him?"
/ After I pulled you out of the lake I ran straight to the Venotha and asked for his aid. He is no ordinary creature Sirius. He is a god. One of the ancient guardians of the forest. /
"A god?" Sirius said in awe. "A god of the forest?"
/ Yes. He is very old and wise. He has lived in the shelter of these trees since the very beginning. We know each other well and he did me the favor of bringing you to health. /
"Now I feel stupid," Sirius said scratching his head. "Don't worry! I'll straighten this out! Sirius Black always corrects his mistakes!," Sirius said pointing to the sky smiling. He glanced to his left and noticed Seraph staring at him strangely.
"Never mind," Sirius said and continued walking. They saw the clearing ahead of them out of a hole Sirius had made in the trees from his getaway. He grinned at it sheepishly and stepped into the clearing with Seraph. That's when he felt warm air around him. His eyes came wide in disbelief as he just realized that it wasn't snowing in this clearing. When everywhere else, it was.
"Wow," Sirius breathed. In front of them stood a very old, tall plant. About 100ft. up in the air. It looked similar to a Venus Fly Trap, but way bigger. Old brown leaves lay dangling on the sides of its stem and swayed. The dark green head of it now turning slowly downward at them. It was huge in both diameter and length.
/ Great Healer of the Forest Venotha / Seraph greeted and bowed his head.
Sirius snapped out of his frozen state and quickly bent low in a bow. His eyes looked sideways to see Seraph up again. Who nodded his head to the Venotha. He came up and looked at the Venotha, drew in a breath, and looked at it without fear. "Great Healer of the Forest Venotha," Sirius began, "I apologize for my actions from before and I wanted to thank you for saving my life."
The Venotha stood quietly and examined Sirius. Taking every bit of him into his memory. Sirius could sense it starring at him, but wondered if the god even had eyes? He didn't know that the god was peeking into his soul and considering what kind of person he was. It then gave out a moan and swayed its head. The same moans he had heard before. Was it talking? If it was, Sirius certainly couldn't understand a word.
/ Do you understand him Sirius? /
"No," he whispered. Thick dark brown vines then slid out of the ground and attached themselves around his feet. It then started to slither up and around his legs, thighs, and hip. Sirius watched its progress uncertainly and then gulped when the vines tightened their grip around him.
Then his feet left the ground and hovered a moment before continuing moving upwards. Sirius watched the Venotha's head as it started to get bigger and bigger as he got closer. He held the vines attached around his body and moved his head to get a glimpse of the ground. He saw Seraph with his neck bent back looking up at him. Sirius then felt the vines carrying him halt.
He turned his head forward and came face-to-face with the god. Then an old hoarse voice spoke to him.
"You have a good soul I see. I've seen your past… I see your future. I know your deepest secrets… I know your desires."
Sirius starred at the Venotha with wide eyes.
"Strive to become a man young one. A man with intelligence, bravery, dignity, honor and faith. These traits will guide you later on."
I will become all those things. You don't have to tell me that. Sirius thought to himself.
"But I know that you already know what kind of being you have to become."
Can he read my mind? Sirius asked himself.
"I am old, as old as the forest itself. I have seen many things. I've seen these trees grow from small seedlings and have seen the creatures who have inhabited this forest grow and prosper from it. I have seen dark and gruesome things. Have seen the wonderful and beautiful things. Every positive comes with a negative. Nothing is free. Nothing is impossible. Keep that in mind."
All too quickly he was being steered down to the ground again. The god's head grew smaller and smaller as he descended. He watched every inch of it. Taking in what he had just been told and trying to make something of it. Sirius then looked down again and felt his feet hit the ground. He stumbled a little, but the vines held him up. The vines around Sirius's body then came loose and slid back into the ground. Sirius watched as they disappeared. As he came to look up at the Venotha again he was surprised to see that it had vanished.
"Where'd he go?" he asked looking around.
/ We never know. He is a god. He could be anywhere. /
"Right," he said. He turned around to leave and Seraph followed.
/ Were you frightened? /
"Me?" Sirius asked surprised. "Oh course not! That was actually bloody awesome! I got to meet a god! He was cool. What he said was a bit strange, but still cool." He started to walk backwards. "Can he read minds?"
/ There's lots of things a god can do. That may be one. /
"Are there other gods out there?" He turned around to give a final look at the warm clearing when he saw in surprise that it was gone. It was now snowing there. He stopped to make sure his eyes weren't playing a trick on him.
/ Yes. / Seraph noticed he was walking by himself and turned around. / Sirius? /
" I'm coming." He turned around and continued to walk. "Can I meet the other gods too?"
/ They already know you. /
Sirius stopped in his tracks thinking about that. He stared at the swaying trees around them and felt the wind. He shivered and shook his head. Too many things had happened today to him that were just plain unheard of.
"By the way, where was I? I was surrounded by fire. Was I in his mouth?" Sirius asked.
/ Yes. /
"I was in its mouth?" he asked shocked. "He could have swallowed me!"
/ He wouldn't have. He doesn't eat humans. He was actually trying revive you. /
"True," Sirius agreed. "What does he eat?"
/ I don't know. /
"Hmm." Sirius thought about what the god had told him. Nothing is free…Nothing is impossible. I've seen your past…I see your future. Sirius shivered at that. The god knew his future? After just meeting with Sirius the god knew his whole life? Impossible. But he is a god.
Sirius wondered what his future would be like. Would he be rich and live in a mansion like his parents? Would he be a bum who lived on the streets? Course not. He was too bright for that. Or would he work in the ministry? Be a professional Quidditch player? He smiled at that one. A professional Quidditch player. With James by his side.
Seraph watched as Sirius smiled to himself. Wondered what he was thinking about. So he voiced his question. / What are you so happy about? /
"Hmm?" Sirius asked. Still smiling and looking at Seraph from the side. "Oh, about Quidditch. Actually, becoming a professional player when I grow up." He beamed, "I'll be the best player ever! Soar above a shouting crowd and be the best! That'll be me and James. Actually, I sound a lot like him right now. He'll probably be the seeker, and I'll be the…." He pondered that thought.
"I don't know. A beater the knock the other team's butts off their brooms, or the seeker to defend our goal? I might even be captain. Nah, too much trouble and worrying. The captain of the Gryffindor team practically yanked out his hair when we lost to Ravenclaw last match. Imagine if it had been Slytherin."
Seraph watched Sirius start to daydream again and decided to look ahead. He thought of everything that had happened when Sirius had come home for the holidays. He had been assaulted by his father, nearly drowned in the lake. What would be next?
Sirius sneezed and wrapped his cloak around him tighter. Snowflakes adorned his dark, long eyelashes and stuck on his long raven hair. Sirius looked all around the surroundings. There was barely any grass on the ground. There were mostly just sticks that stuck out of the ground. There were no signs of animals either. The wild dogs weren't out. Too cold. The trees held tons of snow in them. The forest itself held a new feeling to it. He watched every new thing that had changed. The forest had never looked more heavenly than it did in the winter.
"The forest is beautiful," Sirius said in awe.
/ Yes. But beauty can also bring deadly things with it. /
"I believe you," Sirius breathed.
They had finally reached the edge of the forest and stepped onto the other side. They stood there in a daze. Watching the mansion in front of them with its light shining out of the windows. Thinking of the misery it holds and its inhabitants.
Seraph, to stuck and glued to his thoughts, didn't notice a ball of snow being thrown his way. It collided with the side of his face and got him out of his thoughts. He shook the ice out of hi eyes and squinted at Sirius who was laughing on the ground.
"Ho…I got you there mate," he laughed. Holding his stomach. Seraph smiled mentally and sprang at Sirius. Who slipped and slid over the snow. They wrestled some more. Both laughing at the others antics. They had lost track of time. Too content playing outside in the snow. The only thing that made them go in was the fact that the night grows colder as it progresses, and Sirius couldn't stay out too long.
They sneaked into the house as they had done so many times before and into Sirius's bedroom. Sirius collapsed onto his bed and nearly fell asleep. But Seraph had nudged him to get his attention.
"What's up Seraph?"
/ Sirius, / he sighed, / I had a really good time today. I got to see you again. I got to hear your stories of your days in that new school. Your friends. But between last night and today…. /
Sirius studied him. Sure it hadn't been a smooth welcome back home, but he got to see Seraph. That's the only reason why he was here.
/ Sirius, I'm not sure if it's alright for you to keep coming home. /
Sirius quirked up his eyebrows at him.
/ The truth is, your parents aren't like true parents. They're… they're…evil. I don't think it's safe enough for you to come back home. /
"What are you saying?" Sirius asked. Alarmed.
/ I'm saying I don't think you should ever come home. Never ever again. /
"You know what your saying right!?!" Sirius shouted. "If I do that then I"ll never see you again." He was chocking on himself. Preventing himself from crying by what Seraph was telling him.
/ Yes Sirius. But I just don't want you to get hurt. /
"It was my fault that my dad hit me! I asked for it. I promise I'll never provoke him again! Honest! Don't say that! I'm fine here. Why do you think I'm still here?"
Seraph watched him.
"Because of you," Sirius whispered.
Seraph watched. Amazed at what he had heard. Emotions he had never felt before washing over him. To be cared for by someone like Sirius. He couldn't speak. He didn't know how to response. They never showed him what to do in this situation.
Sirius then settled back onto the bed. Knowing he wasn't going to get an answer. He turned over so that his back was facing Seraph and closed his eyes. Seraph then felt alone. Crushed. He didn't like what his emotions were making him feel right now just by a simple move. Seraph didn't know why, but he crawled over the Sirius and snuggled by his side. He didn't feel as bad as before. Sirius smiled. Silently, they promised each other to forget everything that had happened that night, and to never speak of it again.
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AN: What do you think? Finally I finished! Guess what. I'm leaving to drive to Texas in about 5 min. So I got 4 min. to update this so all my lovely readers could enjoy it for the weekend. Hope you liked it!
