Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not the characters, not the places, just the plot. Everything else belongs to JK Rowling and her associates.
Chapter Three: The Disaster
After Dumbledore's sudden departure, the room remained silent and strained. Huddled together on the couch, were James, Lily and Harry, as if being together would block out what had just happened. Remus and Peter sat together on the other side of the couch, also huddled near the Potters and looking worried. In the armchair next to James, sat Sirius with Sabrina in his arms. They sat together in silence, all thinking about what Dumbledore had said. After a few minutes, Lily realized that Harry had fallen asleep and went to put him to bed, with James following behind. Peter then felt the need to write a letter and Remus soon retired to his room, leaving Sirius and Sabrina alone in the living room. There they sat for half an hour, while the whole house remained silent around them. For what seemed an eternity, they sat lost in separate thoughts. Then Sabrina spoke her mind aloud.
"What do you think will happen to us, Sirius?" she asked in a very worried tone. She lay her head on Sirius chest. He squeezed her hand affectionately before responding.
"I don't know, Butterfly," he responded truthfully. Her eyes began to droop, but she did not let herself fall asleep. She had too many thoughts and emotions and worries racing through her head to allow a peaceful rest. Sirius, sensing her weariness, insisted that she go to sleep. Still sore from her encounter with the crucatius curse, Sirius lifted her in his arms and carried her to her room. He laid her down on the white comforter, but she did not allow him to leave. He lay on the bed with her, running his fingers through her black hair and gazing into her green eyes.
"Siri?" she asked as she closed her eyes.
"Yeah?" he asked in response.
"Are you– are you afraid?" she asked with a tremulous voice. Silent tears began to roll down her cheeks. He wiped her tears with his right hand and pulled her closer to him, allowing her to cry into his shoulder.
"There's no reason to be afraid," Sirius assured her, kissing her cheek. "We're perfectly safe now. As long as we're here, no one can hurt us," he said. Sabrina agreed silently and pulled the covers over both their bodies. "I love you," he said after a few moments of silence. She smiled and kissed him.
"I love you more," she answered.
"Not possible."
The next morning, Albus returned, bringing with him four keys and a piece of paper to go with each. He offered the four keys to James first.
"Chose one, James," he said. James looked timidly at his wife and son before choosing one off the end. "4 Godric's Hollow," Dumbledore said. He then presented the remaining three to Remus. He picked the key to house number 9. Peter chose the key to house number 2. Dumbledore gave the remaining key to Sirius and Sabrina and said, "Number 10." Sirius nodded decisively. "Now, there are a few precautions that you must take. This Hollow is a safe ground, but if anyone living there were to reveal it's whereabouts, you will no longer be sheltered. The Longbottoms will be in number 5. You are not to become friendly with any of the residents that you don't already know. You are to magically lock all doors and windows at all times. Now, although you are all friends and will obviously be in the same sort of danger, only the Potters must remain in their house at all times. The others are allowed to roam free if they wish, although it is not suggested. Also, a special floo network has been set up between all residences of Order members. This works the same way as the regular floo system, except more private. You may use this at anytime. Now, if you would please transport to your appropriate houses, I can remove all traces of your time spent here," Dumbledore said. Lily and James went first, via floo powder, Lily holding her son tightly in her arms while James lugged a large trunk which contained all their belongings. Sirius and Sabrina, each holding the handle of a trunk in their hand both apparated to the exterior of a rather grim looking house. The once pale yellow paint was faded and peeling and the front had been over run by vines and the patched red door stood proudly on the tattered front porch. Above the doorbell was a tarnished number 10, with the zero turned sideways so that it looked like an eye. Sirius placed the key in the hole and turned it to reveal an interior as deteriorated as the exterior. He took Sabrina's hand and they walked over the rotting threshold together. Inside there was very little. A small couch and a tiny wooden table barely managed to furnish the space.
"It's a fixer upper all right," Sirius said with a laugh. Sabrina surveyed the room with a frown. "Oh, come on Sabrina. A splash of color and this place won't be so bad." But the lack of decor wasn't why she was frowning. As her eyes scanned the room, she couldn't help but feel that they shouldn't be there. Deep in her mind, where sight doesn't affect a first impression, she knew that they should leave. "What is it?" Sirius asked.
"I don't know, but it's something bad," Sabrina answered.
"Don't worry, Sabrina. Dumbledore wouldn't have sent us somewhere unsafe. Let's just get settled in, shall we?" Sirius walked into the bedroom and Sabrina followed, still not able to shake her bad feeling. The small house consisted of a living room/ dining room/ kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom. While Sabrina put sheets on the bed, Sirius unpacked the picture frames, making sure to place them on the window sill so he could see every one of them. He looked at each picture before placing it, every now and then putting his right hand in his pocket and twiddling with something. Sabrina noticed this, but didn't say anything. Once the bed was made and the picture frames placed, Sirius laid down on top of the comforter. Sabrina smiled and sat on the edge next to him. Taking her hand, he pulled her down on the bed as well. She nestled into his arms and closed her eyes. "Sabrina?"
"Yeah Siri," she answered, her eyes still closed. She heard a soft snap. When she opened her eyes to see what it was, he was sitting up, holding a small, black jewelry box. Inside was a sparkling silver ring. Sabrina couldn't believe her eyes. She could hardly breathe.
"Two years ago, I gave you a ring, much like this one, and said that I loved you. But at that point I was too young and not ready to settle down. I promised, however, that when I was ready I would let you know. Well, time changes things. And people. You are the source of my happiness and my life. After two years of thinking it over, I've made my decision and would like to ask you a question. Sabrina Edwards, my Butterfly, I love you and would die without you and whether you say yes or no, that fact will remain the same. Will– will you marry me?" Sirius looked Sabrina straight in the eye throughout the short monologue. Tears welled in Sabrina's green eyes, making them look like drops of morning dew on a green leaf glistening in the sun. Unable to find the words, Sabrina nodded before kissing Sirius. Sirius removed the promise ring and replaced it with the silver band. Engraved around the outside were the words I love you most. Sabrina pulled Sirius into her embrace.
"I love you, Sirius Black," she finally managed to say. He kissed her cheek before responding.
"I love you more, Sabrina."
"But I love you most."
A few weeks went by before the wedding. It was a very small ceremony held at the Potters on June 26th, which happened to be Sirius' birthday. All the members of the order were invited and the couple was congratulated countless times. After the ceremony, the guests were encouraged to join the reception, which was held in the back garden. During the reception, a small birthday party was held for Sirius.
"Genius, man," James commended his friend. "Having your wedding on your birthday. You'll never have to worry about forgetting your anniversary!"
"Well, some men are smarter than others, my friend. Now, if you'll excuse me, there are presents to open," Sirius said, pushing his way towards Sabrina.
"And now, if I could have every one's attention, please, the Marauders and the Marauder's wives," Sabrina said with a smile in Lily's direction. She waited for the applause to end before continuing. "We would like to present Sirius Black with his birthday present. Now, as all of you know, recently I was taken captive by Voldemort and Sirius came to my rescue. But in the process of rescuing me, he lost his broom. So his friends and I put our heads together and found what we believe to be a pretty good replacement. Remus, bring it out!" Sabrina yelled towards the side of the house. Remus appeared a moment later pushing a large motorbike. It was black with the exception of the word Sirius and the diagram of the constellation, Sirius, which were both done in white. Sirius's jaw dropped at the sight.
"Happy Birthday, Sirius!!!!" Everyone yelled at once.
"Happy Birthday, Sirius," Sabrina said, giving him a kiss. Soon night had fallen and the party had to stop, due to the inability to see anymore. So the newlyweds jumped on the back of Sirius's new motorbike and drove to their own little house for their honeymoon.
Only three months later, the Marauders were blessed with another dose of happy news. Sirius was going to be a father. But along with all great news comes a little bit of bad. Dumbledore stopped into the Potter residence to deliver a bit of depressing information.
"Well, it turns out that someone has revealed the location of Godric's Hollow. You are no longer safe. However, there is a way I can keep you out of Voldemort's view. It is a charm. You," Dumbledore said, looking at James and Lily, "will choose a secret-keeper. The location of your whereabouts will be kept inside that one person. But choose carefully, because if that one person decides to reveal your secret, then the charm is broken. I will send you the charm by phoenix as soon as possible."
"Thank you Albus," Lily said. Dumbledore nodded before disapparating out of sight. No one said anything, but James looked at Sirius. Sabrina caught the glance and knew in an instant that James had already chosen his secret-keeper.
The next morning, James's head appeared in the fireplace while Sabrina was preparing breakfast.
"G'morning Sabrina," James said. "Happy Halloween, by the way.?"
"Happy Halloween to you too, James. Shall I get Sirius for you?"
"Yes please," James's head said. Sabrina went into the bedroom and woke Sirius up. He groggily got up and sat on the couch in front of the grate. "I've just gotten the instructions for the charm and Dumbledore insists that we perform it straight away."
"Good," Sirius said. "But last night I had a fantastic idea. When Voldemort finds out about this charm, he'll go straight for me. Why not throw a twist in the track and use the last person he'd expect..."
"Wormtail! That's brilliant! Let me run it past Lily right quick," James said, his head disappearing. A few minutes later, his head reappeared. "Well, shes not as convinced, but she agreed. I'll go and ask him if he's up to it. Thanks Padfoot." And with that, James left.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Siri?" Sabrina asked timidly.
"Positive," Sirius said as he yawned.
Before long, it was dark. Sabrina cleared the dishes from dinner with one wave of her wand and then went to lay down on the couch. She sighed and closed her eyes. "Is there something wrong, Butterfly?" Sirius asked. When Sabrina didn't respond, he laid her head on his lap and stroked her hair. "I know you're worried about Lily and James, but you needn't be. Wormtail may not be the bravest chap, but his heart's in–"
"How can you say, that, Sirius? You know that Peter gives in if you even threaten him. How can you expect him to be that brave against Voldemort? I can't help but worry!" Sabrina said, sitting up and looking at Sirius with tears in her eyes.
"Shhh... I know," Sirius said, holding her close. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll go and check up on Peter. I'll be back in a few minutes," Sirius said. He kissed her softly before grabbing the keys to his motorbike, unlocking the door and going outside. Sabrina laid back down and closed her eyes as she listened to the purring of the motorbike die away.
Sirius's many worries were blown out of his mind as the wind blew through his hair. He landed his bike only a few moments in front of number 2. He parked the bike and walked briskly up to the front door. He knocked, but as he did, the door swung open. It wasn't even locked. Sirius knew that even someone as dim as Peter would have known better than to leave his door wide open. He was the secret-keeper for crying out loud. Sirius involuntarily took out his wand. The interior of the house was just as it would have been any other day. No sign of a struggle, Sirius thought. Everything was as it should have been, except for Wormtail.
"Peter?" Sirius called quietly. There was no answer. Sirius checked every room in the house, which didn't take long, but Peter was no where to be found. "That's odd," Sirius said to himself. Just then, there was a loud sound, like an explosion. The earth rattled and everything fell off of the shelves around Sirius. He fell to his hands and knees. Unsure of what was going on, he tried to stand up, but just as he did, there was another explosion, returning him to the floor. Sirius had to get out of the house. He crawled on hands and knees towards the door. Just as he reached the door, a third explosion could be heard, bigger, louder, and more earth shaking than the other two combined. Sirius ran to his motorbike and sped off down the road to number four. He almost fell off of his bike at the sight. Where the Potter's house should have been was a pile of wreckage. Wood was strewn everywhere and what looked oddly like Harry's crib was shattered, lying near the top of the pile. Sirius immediately jumped off his bike, not even bothering to turn it off or set it upright. He ran towards the house, pulling up boards and pieces of scrap wood, trying to see if his friends were alright. He dug and dug. He pulled up a piece of the smouldering couch and saw it. James' face, grey and lifeless, frozen in a look the look of bravery Sirius would always remember. He knelt down next to the body of his best friend. Silent tears fell from his eyes.
"Sirius!" yelled a booming voice. It was Hagrid and in his oversized arms was a baby.
"Harry," Sirius said with some relief. He moved towards Hagrid. "Thank Merlin you've found him!" Sirius reached out for his godchild, but Hagrid didn't give him.
"Sorry, Sirius. I got me orders to bring 'im to Dumbledore," Hagrid said.
"Here, take my bike. You'll get there faster. Harry needs to get away from here as soon as possible," Sirius said.
"Are ye sure?" Hagrid asked.
"Positive. You need it more than I do right now. Besides, I don't need it where I'm going," Sirius said with a ghost of a smile playing across his lips.
"Thanks, Sirius. I'll return it to ye as soon as I've delivered Harry. Good bye," Hagrid said. He pulled the bike upright and sat down, the bundle of blankets containing Harry lost in his vast arms. Sirius waved to them as they took off and he began to walk back home. As he passed the Longbottom's house, he noticed that their door was standing wide open, just as Peter's had. He looked across the street and saw the same thing. Every door on the street was open. Sirius began to run, then sprint back to his house. His door, too, was wide open. He raced into the house. The furniture was in disarray and there was no sign of Sabrina. Knocking an upturned chair out of his way, he ran to the bedroom. Here too, the room was a mess, but lying on the bed, her blood seeping over the white comforter, was Sabrina.
"Sirius," she said weakly. He raced to her side.
"Come on, Sabrina. We've got to get you to a hospital. The Potter's are gone. Peter's gone. We've got to get out of here!" Sirius said urgently.
"It's too late, Sirius. There's nothing you can do," Sabrina said, her eyes slowly beginning to close.
"NO! DON'T LEAVE ME!!! SABRINA!!!" Sirius yelled. Her eyes opened just slightly as she held him in her emerald gaze. She lifted a hand to his cheek and pulled him closer. He took her hand in his and she closed her hand around his.. She pressed her lips to his and kissed him weakly. She smiled ever so faintly.
"I love you," she said.
"I love you more," he replied, squeezing her hand tightly, as if she would disappear if he let go.
"Not. Possible." With those last words, her eyes shut against the world and her hand went limp.
"No. No," Sirius said. He sat next to her, the dead body of his wife and unborn child. The dead body of his happiness. The dead embodiment of his hopes and dreams. His dead soul, lying there on the bed, encased in her pale face. As he sat crying over his lost friends, family, and future, he remembered the dream that Sabrina had that one night, so long ago. Her words resounded fresh in his mind as if she had just said them. I saw Peter peddling information. If it was a vision, it won't come true for a long time, because it was short and unclear. Peter. Peter was the reason all of this had happened. Peter had betrayed the Potters. He had given away the location of Godric's Hollow and caused the death of at least three members of the Order. But he wouldn't get away with it. Sirius would make sure of that.
