Disclaimer: Sorry, don't own it.
Beyond the Veil- Chapter 2- The White Fox
A woman stood on the other side of the room, her arms wrapped around herself protectively. Her gaze was filled with fear and suspicion as well as curiosity.
Sirius struggled to stand and she stepped back slightly.
"Don't come any closer." She whispered urgently. She fully realized then how ruggedly handsome the man was with his masculine stance and mysteriously alluring features.
He seems so confused and, Oh Merlin, he's hurt.
Sirius realized that he wasn't strong enough anyway and fell back with a groan of defeat.
The woman came closer; she stared at him with childlike wonder.
"You're hurt…" she murmured with concern as she sat down gently on the other side of the bed.
Sirius looked up at her worried features.
"I , I didn't mean to startle you." He said gently.
Genuine concern, one of the things I've too soon forgotten…
Taking a deep breath, her scent filling his senses, it was unusual but pleasant; a smell mixed of sweet apples and pine.
Her ebony locks fell around her face as she curiously moved her hand to brush his hair out of his face.
He's so real, I can feel him so near me, all I need to do is just reach…
As her fingertips glided across his face they set his skin aflame.
How long had it been since a single touch could set his senses ablaze such as this? A long time it had been thinking back on it, but never like this. Sirius thought.
Her tenderness amazed him, had she not just been fearful of him a moment ago?
Sirius suddenly found her lips tremendously tempting. His gaze then fell to her slender neck, falling lower to the velvety seeming skin above her bosom.
She became aware of his staring and brought her arms to cover her chest uncomfortably.
How long had it been since a man has looked at you like that. Far too long she knew, but those men never stared the way he just had.
"I'm sorry" he whispered shamefully pulling his eyes from her alluring skin.
A nervous smile played across her face and she stood, stepping back slightly, keeping her gaze on him.
He was able to see her complete form. Her skin was creamy pale and a great contrast to her waves of deep black curls. The tresses fell down the small of her back.
Her dress was the very shade of sea foam even if faintly dirty. It hung gracefully on her slim figure. The front of the dress lay unbuttoned to the waist, revealing a pastel slip.
She timidly began to fasten up her dress and he saw some of the buttons were missing.
His staring continued and he knew she had seen him and looked away.
"You look familiar…" she mumbled moving closer to him again. He knew he could say the same for her but her face could not be placed with anyone he was acquainted with intimately.
"Sirius" he said, his voice somewhat cracking at the sense of her nearness.
Her eyes went large, "What?" she inquired, again taking a step closer to the bed.
"Sirius, my name is Sirius, Sirius Black" he said with more certainty.
I hope I don't frighten her, he thought, half expecting her to scream once she realized he was the convicted murderer everyone was terrified of.
She mumbled his name, searching her thoughts. Sitting down on the bed again, this time less unsure she opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it and closed her mouth.
"Hogwarts? Yes, that's it, you went to Hogwarts , I'm sure of it"
Sirius nodded, he saw something flash from behind her eyes, like memories of happier times came flooding back at the mere mention of Hogwarts, he knew he felt that same rush whenever someone spoke to him of the school.
"Proud Gryffindor" he said as he lay there grinning, too weak to sit up.
"Was a Ravenclaw myself" she said smiling brightly.
But the look of happiness soon faded to one of surprise as she toughed a pale hand to her cheek, she hadn't smiled in the longest time.
Sirius seemed to realize this but then his thoughts were pulled away from the woman in front of him and back to the pressing situation at hand.
"Where am I?" he questioned. She looked uncertain but spoke "I'm afraid im not even sure myself," she then looked away "the explanation would only confuse you as much as it still does me."
"Am I dead then?"
"No, but we're not alive either" she sighed gloomily.
"Then what is going on?" he asked anxiously.
"I'm sorry, I know I'm not helping but I can take you to someone who can explain tomorrow"
He nodded in understanding knowing he would have to be patient until then.
Eying her suspiciously, he asked her "You're not a supporter of Volde--"
"Shhh" she hissed, eyes wide with shock.
"Good" he smirked.
"Such terrible things he's doing" she whispered solemnly after a extended silence.
"Well let's just hope he goes away for good this time around" Sirius spoke hopefully.
"This time?" she inquired.
"Yes when Harry finally finishes him off" he said with pride for his godson.
"Harry, who is that?" she said clearly interested.
"Harry Potter, where have you been, he's the boy who lived…the one who defeated Volde—, I mean You-Know-Who when only a baby!"
"When did this happen?"
"14 years ago"
"What year?" she inquired; dread filling her delicate features.
"1983, have you no recollection of time!?" he regretted his harsh tone immediately.
Her eyes began to water and her hand rested gently over her heart "15 years" she mumbled to herself.
"15 years? What was 15 years?" he asked softly.
"I've been here..." she said almost incoherently.
"Here as in where?" he asked forgetting she had told him she didn't know.
"If I knew, I would tell you" she said apologetically getting upset.
"I'm sorry, I am just so confused, I'm aching all over and all I can remember was falling through--"
"—the veil" she finished.
"You saw what happened?"
"No, I fell through it too, 15 years ago…" she said solemnly.
Gathering all his strength, Sirius sat up and reached a hand out to soothingly wipe away a tear that trailed down her soft pale cheek.
"15 years eh?" he said grinning, not nearly as bad as 12 years in Azkaban, but lonely none the less.
His heart went out to the woman; no one understood loneliness like Sirius Black.
"Couldn't have been that bad, you're still young" and in truth she still was.
"No, no, not anymore," she answered staring down at her hands miserably. " I was 21 when I fell in"
"Are you calling me old?" Sirius joked, pretending to be offended, trying to cheer her up.
"No, I just, what, I don't understand"
"I'm only 36 myself" he said in an obnoxiously proud way
She smiled at his kindness "Well, I guess your right, its just half of my life is wasted, I've lost my…"
"…youth" he finished. He knew exactly how she felt, as if she were deprived of her life too early.
"When I was young I always imagined by now I'd be married and would have, well…"
"Yes?" Sirius asked his face inched nearer in interest.
A subtle pink shaded her light cheeks "…children." She finished.
She didn't know why she was so flustered and embarrassed by the word, but saying you wanted babies weren't something you usually say in front of a handsome man you hardly knew.
She smiled sorrowfully looking down at her hand in her lap.
His sympathy for her was genuine; her life had been halted right at its peak. He had wanted to be a father and husband and he knew those ships had sailed for him as well.
He still had a tiny sliver of hope but pushed it away, seeing as how he was 36 and in hiding from the law still.
"Tell me, Sirius, have you seen anyone on the other side by the name of Nouvelle Reynard?" she asked. Her expression was full of hope, as if her very being depended on the answer.
Sirius stopped to search his thoughts but then responded "Not that I can recall, there was a woman in the Daily Prophet with the name Nouvelle a while back, but her surname was Vulcepula I believe, husband died…"
"How!?" she cried clutching his arms in alarm.
"Death Eaters" he replied sadly.
She stared at him numbly as he tried to think of a way to comfort her.
"She and her daughter escaped though," he added warily. "Who was—I mean, is she?"
"My sister…" she whispered, tears trickled down her cheeks.
"I'm sure they're fine" he comforted.
"It isn't that, I just miss her so terribly…oh, look at me" she muttered, "Blubbering like a bloody twit." She sniffled and straightened posture as she brushed away her stray tears.
Sirius's heart ached with sympathy for the woman.
Sniffling again, she then asked "Her daughter, Nouvelle's daughter, did they say how old she was or her name?"
"Gwynneth, I think…" Sirius said hesitantly.
The woman let out a faint sob again, "She named her after me and she always said my name was so dreary." She said through a reminiscent laugh.
"So, Gwynneth, you do have a name?" Sirius joked; he was a bit more at ease with her, having seen her in a vulnerable state.
"Its Gwynne, really, Gwynne Reynard" she blushed, giving her name to him seemed such and intimate act.
"Gwynne" he whispered, almost to himself. Her name flowed from his lips like sweet nectar.
Her cheeks flushed again and she looked away.
"I never fancied it much either" she stated as she fiddled with the ragged hem of her dress.
He was surprised to say the least, his name was odd but Gwynne was, dare he say, a superb name.
"Blimey!" Sirius practically shouted, "Gwynne is a striking name, what would make you say such a thing?"
"I don't know I suppose it reminds me of my mamma, she would always tell me what it meant," she imitated another woman speaking "You must know, Treasure, I named you Gwynne for a raison d'être, it means fair, which you most uniquely are; my fair little fox..."
Sirius's mind stirred at this, Fox, where was that mysterious white fox? His eyes darted around the room but finally met with the Gwynne's eyes, the same silver eyes of the fox itself.
"The fox, you, you're the…"
"Yes, that was me…I didn't mean to be deceitful, it was just a precaution, incase you were…, well, dangerous." Gwynne said still playing with the fabric of her dress.
"I understand, there is no call for apologies, you were only being cautious." Sirius said calmly.
A long stillness passed over them and Sirius could tell she lived a very lonesome existence here. Wherever here was.
She stood and brought him an old pillow that lay on the floor by the bed.
"So how long have you been an Animagus? Sirius asked, propping himself up to allow her to place the cushion behind his head.
"For quite some time I suppose, not since after I've been here if that's what you're wondering," She sat back down, "You were right, I have no recollection of time here…"
"I apologize; I didn't mean it like that…"
She smiled, accepting his apology.
"How long did it take you, to learn I mean…"
"So very long it seemed, but there is nothing much else to occupy time here but learn, the library at Hogwarts was very helpful, even if it's not up to date." Gwynne stated solemnly.
"Hogwarts, we're near Hogwarts?"
She saw his eyes lighten with enthusiasm, she could imagine after the confusion he had been through, the relief it would be to finally hear something you understood.
"Hogwarts as it was, long ago, like a dream or a memory of someone's"
All he could do was try to comprehend as she rambled on about how sometimes she wondered if this all was just a dream. Sirius began to speculate the same she was undoubtedly beautiful enough to be conjured up by his mind.
"Can you take me there?" he asked, only anxious keep his mind from drifting to disgraceful thoughts.
"Well I guess I could tomorrow, when it's safe, I was originally taking you to Hogsmeade, so I suppose so."
"How is it not safe?" he inquired.
She just stood and ignored his question, hoping he would trust the fact that he wouldn't want to know.
"You ought to rest if you're injured, morning will come soon enough."
Sirius opened his mouth to say something but she had already gone out of the room.
The door she had exited lead outside, he could see it was dusk.
How far have I been moved from that strange curtain? He pondered waiting for her return.
Gwynne returned after a few moments; a woven basket around her arm. She wiped her soil covered hands on a rag she had tied around her petite waist.
Sirius propped up the pillow behind him and sat up. She came over to the bed and sat down.
The basket was filled with multicolored marigolds and poppies, unusually beautiful, just like...whoa! he had seen plenty of attractive women, so what made this one any different?
"Well if you won't sleep, then perhaps you can help me?" said Gwynne as she grabbed a handful of flowers and placed them in his lap
"And what is it fair maiden commands?" his stomach clenched at his cocky tone, he never seemed to be able to control his obnoxiousness, or so Lily always used to tell him.
Gwynne only laughed at this and began to twine the blossoms together.
"So you think you have wit, ey?" she joked, "your drollness has earned you labor" she smiled mockingly, then motioning for him to copy the way she intertwined the colorful blooms.
"Very well" he said in mock defeat and followed her actions.
"You know the house colors, of course, so be sure to pair the colors correctly." She said as she wove together a crown of golden marigolds and crimson poppies.
Gwynne laughed as she saw that Sirius was fairly puzzled and had to start over mumbling, things such as I'm bloody colorblind.
"What is this all for?" Sirius asked seeming a bit frustrated.
"I bring them as a sort of thanks or payment, if you will, for the usage of books, food, and such. Ladies Rowena and Helga are delighted by them."
"As in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff?" Sirius questioned looking at her as if she were mad.
"Indeed." Was all she replied.
"And Godric and Salazar, are they there too?" he asked in amazement
"Not Salazar, well, look, you'll understand tomorrow." She said, quietly continuing her weaving.
He tried to understand and be tolerant with his confusion but patience was not one of his greater virtues.
Gwynne spoke up then, her silver eyes shimmering with mirth, "So Sirius Black, what brought you to this wonderful place beyond the veil?"
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