Hope you guys are liking the story so far! Please review! I'll also be revising previous chapters as I continue to write. If you have any questions or ideas for the future of this story, please don't hesitate. I'm very excited to develop Sirius and Ariana's characters, particularly since each of them have been through significant trauma in their own rights. Here's chapter 7!

Chapter 7

They flew for hours. Sirius wanted to put as much space between them and the dementors as possible. He silently thanked Moony for teaching him that dark arts shield charm so long ago. It didn't hold long, but seeing it be intercepted gave him all the warning he needed to get the hell out.

He hadn't meant to grab Ariana like he did, but the threat of being back in the clutches of Azkaban's most terrifying guards greatly outweighed any concern he had about being polite.

She didn't say anything for the entire duration of the flight. In fact, he suspected that her shivering was more to do with being on Buckbeak than the chilly winds gusting ahead of them. Part of him felt a little guilty, but a stronger part insisted that their safety was non-negotiable.

They didn't stop until early evening, finally settling on a thick secluded forest. It was far enough away from any neighboring towns and Sirius hoped it would provide them some cover until morning. Buckbeak landed with a thud, trotting to an eventual stop as he waited for his riders to disembark. The former prisoner slid off of his trunk, offering up a hand to Ariana. The girl declined it however, sliding carefully off the hippogriff without a word. She eyed the creature cautiously, as neither Buckbeak nor she seemed to know what to do with the other.

Unsure what to make of the silence, Sirius decided on setting up camp instead. He pulled out the tent bag that Remus had provided him, thankful for the extension charm placed on the pack. He handed the tent to Ariana, instructing her to find a flat area and pull the red rope. He wandered over another twenty feet or so to start placing charms and enchantments around them. He certainly didn't want to be caught off guard by any dementers, wizards or worse, death eaters while they slept for the night.

Meanwhile, Ariana had placed the tent bag on the ground, eyeing it with a bit of curiosity. A small red strap stuck out from the top of the bundle, but she hardly understood how that was supposed to put together an entire tent. She glanced back at Sirius, who was still casting various spells into the air. With a shrug, she pulled on the red rope. Within a second, the tent expanded off of itself. It bent and unfolded right before her eyes, finally standing a good six feet tall.

She blinked, a bit impressed that it was fully set up in a matter of moments. Still, the tent hardly looked big enough for two people and she was extremely reluctant to be smashed up against Black for the entire night. In fact, she had had enough physical contact for a while. A few stray memories still danced around in the back of her mind, despite spending most of the trip trying not to relive every single one of them. She shuddered and pulled the front flap of the tent back.

To her astonishment, the interior of the tent was much larger than what the exterior alluded to, no doubt the work of magic. The center room split off into two separate bedrooms as well as a small dining room, easily over a thousand square feet.

"Brilliant isn't it?" Sirius called, following after her. "I always loved these things."

Ariana did not reply, simply nodding and heading over to the bedroom on the right. Growing a bit frustrated with her silence, the wizard followed her.

"What's a matter with you? You haven't said a word all day." He said, but she gave him no response. The dog animagus huffed, but turned around to leave her be. "Well, I'm going to get us some food for dinner. Stay inside where it's safe. I won't be long."

More so than anything, Sirius needed a minute to not think. He didn't know how to be a father to a teenager, much less one who had grown up with the Malfoys. She had seemed slightly more trusting of him back at Remus's family cottage, but now she hardly even looked him in the eye. He once again wished he had thought further ahead to what he was getting himself into.

He marched out of the tent, past Buckbeak who was tied up for the night and currently feasting on whatever small rodents he had snagged while his two riders were setting up camp. Sirius absentmindedly hoped he was eating Wormtail.

He continued outside their protective enchantments, deciding that some space would indeed do him well.

He didn't regret rescuing her of course, not for a second. He just wasn't good with the silence. Hell, he'd rather her scream at him than not say a word. He managed another fifty feet or so before he grew tired of his continuous thoughts. He closed his eyes and thought about his animagus form. His body shifted accordingly as he transformed into an enormous bearlike black dog.

It was not the first time he used his animagus form when confronted with too much on his mind. As a dog, his thoughts were simple. No longer were the concerns of being an adequate father or staying safe from dementors at the center of his mind. Instead, one clear focus remained and that was food. The enormous dog sniffed the air, scouring for any sign of prey nearby. Smelling something off in the distance, he trotted along the forest ground with ease.

Padfoot had proven to be an exceptional hunter since his escape from Azkaban. Of course when one is facing starvation, there are only two options: Find food or die. The dog had taken the former. It did not take him long to track down a couple rabbits foraging for food. It took him even less time to complete the kill like the predator he was. Normally, the dog would just eat the meat raw and continue about his evening. However, this was different. He now had someone added to his pack. It had been a long time since he was a part of a group. Long ago it had been him, the werewolf, the strag and the rat. Padfoot growled. Traitorous rat.

Nonetheless, Padfoot knew that the food would have to be split between him and the new pack member. That would require his human form and he shifted accordingly.

Sirius cursed, kicking a nearby tree. Even as Padfoot, he was conscious of Ariana. So much for letting go of his human thoughts. He slumped against a nearby tree, glaring at the dead rabbits as if it were their fault. For what seemed like the hundredth time already since he rescued Ariana, he wishes Marlene was here. She would know what to do about their daughter. She'd know how to bring Ariana out of her shell. After all, she had done so with so many other people at Hogwarts.

He chuckled as remembered Marlene constantly dragging Alice Prewett around Hogsmeade to find something for the girl to wear for her first date with Frank Longbottom. Or her fierce protectiveness of Lily when she found out just what Severus had call her. She was sweet yet fierce.

He still remembered the first time he had truly noticed her, back in fifth year. Being in the same house and the same year, they obviously knew the other. Not to mention, the Marauders had been the center of attention during that era. Everyone wanted to know what they were getting into next, what teacher they would drive insane and what unlucky Slytherin would be their next target.

Sirius at the time had what seemed a constant gaggle of girls eyeing him from afar, or at least that was how Prong had put it. The star Quidditch seeker likely had his own herd, but they were definitely not as pronounced due to his constantly longing for Lily Evans. Marlene was never a part of the fangirls trailing after the Marauders, which was fine by Sirius. He couldn't be bothered in the least with a bunch of girls squealing over anything he did. In fact, he probably wouldn't have even taken notice of Marlene had she not bailed him out in front of McGonnagall.

He had been ditching potions recently. Slughorn had taken to talking about the Black family's esteem around him like that would magically make Sirius join his stupid little slug club. If anything, it deterred the Gryffindor from showing up to class at all. He would've been fine if he had the bloody map, but Prongs had insisted he use it that day to track down Lily. Thus, Padfoot did not see McGonnagall on her way back to her office until it was too late. Within seconds, the professor was giving him an earful about ditching classes - how she had memorized his schedule he would never know - and threatening several detentions.

Marlene, who was currently on her way back from potions, had spotted the two and thought to help.

"Oh Sirius, there you are!" she had smiled like they were old time friends, "Professor I hope there's no trouble. You see my brother Michael tripped down the stairs, so Sirius skipped potions to help him to the infirmary. I only just heard from Lily and I'm headed there myself."

Professor McGonnagall had looked horridly suspicious, but let Sirius off with a warning. Once she turned the corner, the wizard had chuckled at his luck.

"Thanks for the escape," He had told the girl, a bit impressed that she so effortlessly pulled it off. "Perhaps you should have been in Ravenclaw, McKinnon."

"Well I suppose the sorting hat thought my daring rescue skills were better suited to the lions." She teased, rolling her eyes. "Now come along. You can make it up to me by giving some of your Zonko's stash to Michael. It's his first year and he can't go to Hogsmeade yet."

"I suppose I could spare a couple sugarquills and dung bombs." She smiled at that before heading off to join the girls for dinner.

Perhaps it was the fact that she wasn't trying to impress him or grovel at his feet that caught his interest. Perhaps it was the way she could effortlessly cover for him. Hell, maybe it was just the girl's gorgeous confident smile, but Marlene McKinnon soon became a name that Sirius would never forget.

He smiled sadly at the memory. It had been over twelve years since he thought back to that day. Since the dementors were so eager to feast on his happy memories, he had forced himself not to think of them at all if possible. Thus, his life with Marlene had been locked far far away. Even thinking about her now both caused him to smile and his heart to break.

She was always pulling him out of trouble or on rare occasions joining in. What would she think of his current situation? Sirius thought that maybe it was a good thing that she never had to see him sink this low, never had to be fed the lies of his disloyalty. The thought did little to ease his grief.

Marlene loved Ariana dearly though. She wouldn't want him to be hiding off in the forrest while their daughter sat alone in the tent. Sirius wasn't sure if she would smack him upside the head or wrap him in her arms and tell him everything would be alright. He sincerely wished for both at the moment.

After quickly dressing down the rabbits, Sirius stood up and began making his way back to the tent. If there was one thing he knew about his wife, it was that should would never want him to stop trying. He had know idea how to get Ariana to open up to him, nor did he have half a clue about being a father, but he would try nonetheless.

It took him longer to get back on two legs than four, but Sirius managed to still get back before the sun set. Buckbeak greeted him with a grunt before curly back into his sleeping position. It seemed the hippogriff was a bit tired from their flying and looking forward to so much needed rest. Sirius pulled back the entrance flap of the tent and slid inside.

"Ariana? I got us some dinner." He called out, hoping that the girl would greet him. He was rewarded with silence. Sighing, he set down the rabbits in a bucket by little stove and headed over to the girl's bed chamber. "Come on now, you've got to be hungry."

He pulled back the curtain concealing her side of the bed, but the space was empty.

"Ariana?" he asked, looking around faster. "Ariana!"

But Ariana was nowhere to be found.