:Okies! Hi guys! I just want to thank you all now for sticking with my first fan fiction (since I have like 2 or 3 chapters left) No words could express how deeply grateful I am that random people and some of my closest friends are reading my work and are enjoying it. So thank you so much! Mwaz! I would like to take this moment and thank two people: prongsthedestroyer and KatrikaStar (or whatever ID she might be going by now) I have had the pleasure of making friends with these two girls and they are such major sweeties. My heart goes out to these two. Dios te bendiga a todos (this means "May God bless you all) Luv always, hpluva2000.
Disclaimer: I don't own nothing except Anastasia (shifty eyes) Pssst, kidding, I do own all of this (gets hit by Jo Rowling's coffee mug) Ow! Dammit! Ergh, fine, only Anastasia's mine(gloom)
Oh…please don't hate this chapter, it was kinda vital and something is going to come and get you by surprise. I mean, like REALLY surprise you. And then you're gonna be like "wtf" so just bear with me, okay. It was all I could really come up with:
Chapter 15: Azkaban/Memories Best Forgotten
Sirius and Anastasia sat in the corner of their cell in Azkaban. A shiver ran up Anastasia's spine; she never felt so horrible in all of her life. She knew the effects of one dementor, but with hundreds of the foul things swooping about the place took quite a toll of Anastasia's body, making her feel weak and miserable beyond all belief. She sat huddled with Sirius who was in meditative thought.
"Anya," he asked.
"Yeah?"
"You know what this place does to a person, right?"
"Of course."
"Well, I was just wondering," Sirius said dolefully, "what's your worst memory?"
Anastasia stared at Sirius; she wasn't expecting this question to be thrust upon her so suddenly. And of all places! But Anastasia decided that maybe it was time to swallow her pride and reveal her past to Sirius.
"I never told you about my family, have I?" she whispered
"No," Sirius said.
"Well, that's because I don't have one," Sirius stared at Anastasia in shock, "Don't look so surprised," she snapped, "I have a very good reason for not mentioning them," she gave a shuddering sigh and continued, "My mum was a French dancer named Antoinette LaAnge. She came to London with her dance troupe and it was in the London Opera House where she met my father, Ben Summers."
"Ben Summers?" Sirius mused. The name stirred something in his memory, "Ben…Ben…Benjamin Summers? The ex-Death Eater who was convicted for murdering his wife and…."
"…Daughter." Anastasia finished for him tearfully.
Sirius mouthed life a fish out of water, "But…but…"
"I know. I know, Sirius. This is exactly why I couldn't even use my real name at Hogwarts." (SURPRISE!)
"WHOA!" Sirius cried as he got to his feet and turned to face…whoever this was sitting in front of him, "You mean to tell me, that after all these years, Anastasia isn't even your real name!"
"Well, actually it's my middle name," she said casually, "my first name is Roxanne."
"Roxanne?" Sirius said doubtfully, "Hmmm…Roxanne Anastasia Summers. So…what? Do I call you Roxanne now?"
Anastasia aka Roxanne laughed out loud but then she gave a gasp and clutched at her chest at the sudden pain that ruptured in her heart, "God, it even hurts to laugh in this damned hell hole." she thought bitterly. Sirius bent over her to see if she was alright, but Anastasia waved him off, "No, no. I'm fine. Listen, the reason why I never told you my real name is because I'm supposed to be dead, Sirius."
"But why, Anastasia? How in the name of Heaven did you survive?"
"Well, I was seven years old. My mum decided to stay in London after she met Dad. We had a semi-normal household, but my lazy father kept a house-elf to clean up after his mess since mum was always at the Opera. She used to take me to there when she would perform. All of the ballet dancers were so sweet to me; they used to tell me stories…dark stories of the North," Anastasia paused to reflect upon these words, "My favorite was of Little Lotte and her Angel of Music," she looked at Sirius happily, who was still wearing his half mask.
"Anyway, one day, when mum and I were coming home after a performance, daddy dearest was waiting for us when we got there…drunk no less," she said grimly, "He met us at the door and asked mum where we were all day; she told him the Opera House; he didn't believe her. Dad was always the suspicious, jealous type. Then he grabbed mum by the hair and threw her to the ground. Whenever she tried to get up again, he'd just slap her down again," Anastasia began to choke up, "I-I tried to stop him but he just threw against the wall. That must've triggered mum off cause she pounced on him like a wild animal. I've never seen anyone ever row like that." Tears we're slowly winding a path down Anastasias face, "There…there was blood…everywhere. They were punching and kicking and screaming! And then that bastard flipped mum off of him, pinned her to the ground by the throat, and pointed his wand to her face. He bent down to kiss her and she-she spit right in the big red face of his!" Anastasia buried her face in her palms and her shoulders wracked with violent sobs.
"THE DAMNED DISGRACEFUL WRETCH KILLED HER!" Sirius knelt beside Anastasia and took her in his arms to comfort her. Anastasia chocked in Sirius' shoulder; the misery of her mother's murder added on to the misery of her prison made her feel like she was going to die, like she wanted to die, but then she remembered…she was already dead. After Anastasia seemed to have calmed down, she went on with her story, "That son-of-a-bitch knew that the Ministry would be on his ass quicker than a Comet two-sixty. He came up to me and pulled me up, twisting his fingers into my hair and dragging me out of the corner, screaming at that we we're leaving. I was so frightened I started praying and hoping that something would make him let me go," a shadow of a smile fluttered across Anastasia's grim countenance, "Then I heard him scream and I saw that his clothes we're on fire. That was the first time I showed any signs of magic."
"I wasn't thick enough to just stay there, so while dad rolled around on the floor trying to put out the fire, I ran out the back door into the woods. I ran till I couldn't see anymore. I woke up in the local muggle orphanage. I was still fatigued by the whole affair that I began screaming and crying about dad killing mum with his wand. Luckily enough, a witch that worked in orphanage threw the nurse out of the room and talked to me. I explained everything that happened and then she handed me and edition of The Sunday Prophet."
Anastasia grimaced as she recounted word for word what she read that day, "Suspected Death Eater, Benjamin Summers of downtown London was arrested Saturday evening on two accounts of murder. The bodies of Summers' wife Antoinette and daughter, Roxanne were found amid the rubble of the house that was burned to the ground. Summers was found, barely alive. He is now in Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries in private ward being treated with severe burns. Summers is currently in stable condition; date of trial to be announced. Turns out, it was the body of our house-elf they found. Her body must've been burned so badly, they thought it was me." Tears leaked out of Anastasia's eyes as she curled into a fetal position and rocked back and forth as she sobbed once again.
Sirius stood before her, frozen from head to toe, "Anya, why didn't you tell me?"
"Why?" Anastasia asked incredulously, "Why? Isn't it obvious? This isn't just something I tell anybody, Sirius. God, even Lily didn't know! And now, I'm telling you my darkest secret inside of a cell in Azkaban. Why don't you tell me your darkest secret, Sirius? Why don't you tell me your worst memory?"
Sirius stared at Anastasia fearfully. She certainly didn't sound like herself anymore, "You want to know my worst memory?" he whispered. Anastasia only nodded, "My worst memory is when I thought I lost you. The day of the masquerade." Anastasia blinked. She winced slightly as she remembered the pain of the dagger that stabbed her in her stomach, the scream that sent shivers up her spine, and the look on Sirius' face when he tore off his mask and held Anastasia close to him as she nearly bled to death.
She wrapped her arms tighter around her legs and buried her head in her knees. Anastasia began rocking back and forth again as she whispered hoarsely, "Sirius. I…I'm going insane, Sirius"
"No, Anastasia please don't talk like this," Sirius said wearily as he bent low to embrace her.
Anastasia jerked away from his arms as she snapped at him, "Shut up, Sirius! You know I'm going insane. I can see it in your eyes. You're scared of me!" she shrieked as she pointed an accusing finger at him, "You can't stand to be in the same room with me anymore. You hate me, don't you Sirius? You ha-"
With a cry of anger, Sirius pulled Anastasia off the ground ripped her dove mask off of her face and crushed his mouth against hers to shut her up. Anastasia heard him groan with pain at the feeling of passion that was forbidden with these walls. Anastasia began to sense a sharp pain inside of her stomach as well. They broke the kiss before the pain overtook them.
"This isn't fair, Sirius." Anastasia murmured softly.
"You're damn right it isn't fair!" Sirius spat at her, "When is anything fair anymore? I mean look how far fairness has gotten me! I'm an accused mass murderer sentenced to a lifetime in Azkaban without trial and now I have a wife that's going crazy. All's fair in love and war isn't it?" Anastasia stared at Sirius as he seethed with anger.
"You said 'wife'."
"What?" Sirius said angrily.
"You said 'wife'," Anastasia repeated, "You called me your wife."
"Well of course!" Sirius snapped as he grabbed Anastasia's right wrist and held her hand and his hand in between both of their faces, "You see these rings?" Sirius said indicating their wedding bands, "This means that we are bound to each other forever. That you are my wife and I am your husband. And," Sirius said lowering both of their hands, "that I love you and nothing will ever change that."
The loud clanging of their cell door opening snapped the two out of their own little world and they turned to see (surprise!) Barty Crouch and a few dementors.
"Dammit!" Anastasia thought bitterly, "When will this bastard ever leave us alone?"
"Sirius Black," Crouch said coolly.
"Mr. Crouch." Sirius replied back, his gaze unwavering.
"You're going to have to come with me."
"And what for?" Sirius snarled.
"Why, for your sentence, of course." Crouch said cheerfully.
"My sentence?" Sirius said, confused and bewildered, "If I'm not mistaken, Barty, but I'm serving my sentence right now. A lifetime in Azkaban, is it not? I highly doubt, I can get any longer a sentence than that."
"Oh, no, my dear, sir." Crouch said, chuckling slightly, "Your particular crime calls for something much worse."
The little color that was in Sirius' face instantly drained. Anastasia seemed to instantly be brought back to sanity.
"No!" she cried, standing defiantly in front of Sirius, "No, Barty, y-you can't. Not Sirius, please! Not my husband!" Sirius looked at Anastasia, his eyes burning with emotion. He now understood how Anastasia felt when he called her his wife. She was her husband, "Please, Barty. You can't do this! Sirius didn't do it, Barty, I swear!"
"Do you have any proof of this?" Mr. Crouch said as he cocked an eyebrow. Anastasia swallowed hard. Fear was spreading through her like wildfire, "I thought so. You two," Crouch said to the two dementors, "please take Mr. Black to the courtyard." The two hooded creatures entered the cell and towered over Anastasia and Sirius. She grabbed Sirius' tightly as the dementors tried to take him.
"No! I'm not letting you go, Sirius! They're not going to take your soul!" One of the dementors placed his clammy hands on Anastasia's head and her head instantly filled with sounds and echoes of screaming. Incessant screaming that made her skin crawl. Anastasia began screaming, but she couldn't even hear herself over all the wailing of the voices in her head.
It was suffocating her. She couldn't breath. Anastasia gasped and groped for air, but nothing came. Only a shout of "Let go of her!" could be heard over anything else. At last, the dementor took his hand off of Anastasia's head and she collapsed to the ground in a fit of gasps, sputtering, and wheezing.
She looked up fearfully as the dementors dragged Sirius off and the metal bars of the cell clanged close. Anastasia scrambled up and ran to the door, "No, please, come back! Sirius! Barty! Barty, wait! WAIT!" Mr. Crouch stopped and turned back towards Anastasia's cell. She sighed deeply and said, "I'll make you a deal."
:Cliffhanger! Mwahahaha! (spots angry readers with torches and pitchforks) Whoops, uh, gotta go guys! (runs off):