Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.
A/n: Whoot, this story finally got one thousand hits! Thanks to everyone for reading and hopefully I will get to hear from more people reading this...please, please, please review (c'mon people I'm beggin' this time) but of course thanks to my great reviewers, you guys rock!! Happy Holidays!
Chapter 13: Dead, Decieved and Detained
Elizabeth stopped at the dog, glaring down at it with her wand still held securely at her side. The dog stared up at her with his big grey eyes with his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. Elizabeth shook her head as she stared down at the goofy looking dog.
"Come with me." She said as she continued to walk towards her house. The dog walked next to, nuzzling his head into her leg every now and then and she would push him away with a suppressed laugh. She held open her front door for the dog, who walked in with his head high. Once the door was closed and securely locked the dog transformed into a grown man, who stretched as he got to his feet.
"I was starting to cramp up." Sirius said.
"You hungry?" Elizabeth asked timidly, sticking her wand back into her jean pocket and throwing her jacket on her sofa.
"Yeah, starving." He followed Elizabeth to her kitchen, watching her hips sway and her hair shine in light. Elizabeth waved her wand; all the ingredients to make a turkey sandwich flew out of her refrigerator and prepared themselves. Sirius laughed as he watched her "make" the sandwich. She handed him the plate with a broad smile.
"So should I be worried? It isn't laced with arsenic or anything is it?" He asked picking up the sandwich.
"No." She said defensively. He chuckled and took a big bite out of the sandwich. Elizabeth slid onto the counter top, watching Sirius devour the sandwich at her kitchen table.
"I want you tell me again." Elizabeth said, as she placed a cup of milk on the table for him and sitting in the chair next to him. Sirius didn't have to ask to know what she was talking about.
"They changed their minds at the last second after declining all of Dumbledore's offers to be their secret keeper. They told me they didn't want me to share their burden. So they changed to the last person anyone would suspect to be their secret keeper." Sirius told her, "But he was also the last person any of us suspected of being the spy." Sirius reached over to take her hand in his, "Peter gave them to Voldemort, not me." Elizabeth choked back tears; Sirius rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, "When I found him in the muggle town, he blew up the street after he cut off his own finger then transformed into a rat and scurried into the sewer. And they took me away." Sirius diverted his eyes from hers, "Only five of us knew he was an animagus; one of them was dead, one was thought to be dead, two believed him dead and one was his suspected murderer. They never believed me." Elizabeth wiped away her tears.
"But why are you here?" Elizabeth asked, "Why are you after Harry?"
"I'm not." Sirius said appalled, pulling his hand from hers.
"But you broke into Gryffindor Tower."
"To get him." Elizabeth looked confused, "That's where Peter is hiding." Sirius had a maddening glint in his eyes, "He's the Weasley boy's rat."
"What?" Elizabeth gasped, "It can't be; right under Dumbledore's nose?" Sirius nodded. Elizabeth got to her feet, shuffling to the counter.
"I know it's hard to believe." Sirius said standing behind, but not wrapping his arms around her like he wanted to, "But you have to; please believe me."
"I just can't believe it." Elizabeth said, turning to look at him and pressing her back against the counter; Sirius's face fell, "All these years that rat was running around free and alive." Sirius stepped closer to her, trapping her in between him and the counter.
"What made you change your mind?" Sirius asked her suspiciously, "You wanted to kill me a few weeks ago." Elizabeth looked scared.
"H…Harry saw Peter on the map." Elizabeth said quickly, trying to push him away from her, "And I remembered what you said." Her eyes left his and roamed his body, as he seemed to be getting closer and closer to her. Elizabeth pressed her hands to his chest, pausing for what seemed like an eternity before she pushed him away from her, "I want to help you." Elizabeth said, side stepping around him, "You can stay here."
"I can't stay here." Sirius said, "The Dementors and the Ministry are looking for me."
"Then this is the best place for you." Elizabeth added.
"But if they find out you're housing me…"
"It doesn't matter and they wont find you. I'll make sure of it and so will…"
"Remus?" Sirius added with doubt.
"I'll figure some way to tell him." Elizabeth said, "Would you like a shower?" He nodded, "Bathroom is down the hall and I'll find you some clothes."
Sirius made his way to the bathroom and Elizabeth apparated to her old house. She couldn't believe that she still had them; who would have known they would come in handy someday. Elizabeth dug through the boxes in her bedroom closet; it was the box in the very back of the closet. She picked up the last box in her way, reading her own scribble on the outside of it…Wedding Stuff. Elizabeth plopped down on another box, sinking into it, while she stared at the box. Elizabeth sighed struggling to her feet then pushing the box to the side, grabbing the box she was looking for before apparating back to Hogsmeade with out a glance at any of the other boxes.
Sirius finished his shower and toweled off then wrapped the towel around his waist. The house was pretty empty, she had just the basics, just what she needed to live in it; it wasn't homey, not like her other home. Sirius wandered along the fireplace, noting the half-inch thick layer of dust; Sirius stopped to look at the only picture on her mantel. He had forgotten about that picture. It was the first day of seventh year; they were all together, laughing and happy. Sirius couldn't remember the last time he felt as happy as he looked in that picture. With a loud pop, Sirius quickly put the picture back down and turned to see Elizabeth dropping a box labeled Sirius's Stuff.
"Here's some of…" Her eyes bugged out her face when she saw him half naked in her living room.
"My old clothes." Sirius finished her sentence as he walked towards her. He saw her gulp and begin to shift her weight from foot to foot, "I can't believe you still have all these." He said as he began to sift through his clothes from his previous life.
"Well, I have a lot of things there that I shouldn't have kept." Elizabeth said quietly, "I only have one room here." She said after a deep breath, "I'll make up the couch for you."
"Thanks." Sirius said as he followed her towards the back of the house. Elizabeth grabbed blankets, sheets and pillows while Sirius changed in the bathroom.
"Oh, they still fit." Elizabeth said, tossing the last fluffed pillow onto the couch for him.
"They're a little baggy."
"Well, you've lost a good deal of weight." Elizabeth said looking over him with a warm expression, "I'm going to go to bed. It's late."
"Yeah. You look pretty tired." Sirius said. He grabbed her arm as she walked passed him, "Thank you." He said adding a small kiss to her cheek.
"It's my turn to take care of you." Elizabeth smiled, before continuing to her bedroom.
Sirius waited until the light under her door went dark before he apparated out.
She left the boxes out that she sifted through to look for his clothes. They were all labeled with different times from their past; she really did have things she shouldn't have kept. The boxes held memories that brought back both pain and happiness for them both. Sirius squatted next to one box that caught his eye. He lifted up the cardboard flaps, on top of all the white sat a small midnight blue velvet box.
A/n: This story is on a roll but I'm also trying to figure out how many more chapters there will be because I think this story is nearing the end; I have the next chapter written but I don't have the chapter after it written, I'm a little stuck but I'll work through it don't worry. Thanks for continuing to read this and I hope to hear from more of you guys this time; please review.