Sirius moved away from his cell door, his eyes restlessly flitting across the floor. He didn't want James to see his anxiety. It was more than anxiety that made his heart hammer in his chest, made the sweat on his face turn to icicles. It was more than anxiety that turned his stomach upside down and inside out.
James turned to look at Sirius, his eyes never leaving Padfoot's face. Black avoided James' hard stare. Instead, he began to scan his cell, a place that had been his home for twelve years. It was true that he hated the gray, slick walls that had entombed him, but leaving them, leaving what he had known for so long, was terrifying.
In here, he was just Sirius Black, nothing more or less. In here, he didn't have to prove anything to anyone, but outside, he was known as a mass murderer, and traitor. He was hated and feared; people trembled when they spoke his name. To some, like Bellatrix, that fear was an addicting drug, but for Sirius, it was a constant shame. Not only that, but where would he go? Who could he trust and how would he live? These questions and more swirled like a dust storm through the barren landscape of his mind.
"James, I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I have your strength. The world does not want me," Sirius stated.
James quickly crossed the small space between he and his friend.
"Sirius, you have Harry who NEEDS you. Since when have you ever cared what the world thought of you? As for not having my strength, I'm a part of your mind. I'm not real. All the courage you see in me is already inside you. You have a chance to right the wrongs of the past, but this chance will not last forever!"
"What if I can't protect Harry, as I couldn't protect you and Lily? What if I let you down again?" Sirius replied. He lifted his eyes to look James in the face.
"You never let me down the first time Sirius. Others were culpable, but if you don't leave now, you will have failed me in the worse way possible. Pettigrew is too close to Harry, and could strike at any time. If you don't want me to die, to truly disappear, then you must do all you can to protect my son. I live on in Harry!"
Sirius knew James was right, but that still didn't stop his fear from tearing up his mind.
Sirius turned to face his cell door. His Dementor guards had still not returned. The rays of evening were falling; if routine was to be followed as it had been for 12 years, then the Dementors would be back soon.
"This is your chance Padfoot. You must leave now!" James said, as he ghosted up to Sirius' side.
"Will you walk with me until I get to the entrance?" Black asked.
"Of course I will. I'll be with you until you reach the shore on the other side. What are friends for?" James replied. A large smile crinkled up James' face; it had been years since Sirius had seen his friend smile like that.
Sirius sighed, and every doubt, every fear, every painful, dark memory slipped away from him. He was going to leave it all behind in his cell. He knew that with James at his side, that he could make it. For once, peace settled gently on Sirius Black's heart.
With that knowledge, he changed into Padfoot. He felt stronger, wilder; adrenaline coursed like a rushing river through his body. He quickly slipped through the bars of his cell, and never looked back as he loped away.
Sirius made his way down the levels, passing cell after cell of despair. Not one word was said as he slid by. He trotted past Dementor after Dementor. Each one he walked by, chilled his bones, and brought the darkness of his mind to the surface, a darkness that threatened to swallow his strength and courage. Whenever this happened, James would touch Padfoot's fur, giving him a stroke of warmth. This restored Sirius' strength.
He walked out of each cell level unchallenged; not once did a Dementor or the occasional wizard take notice of him.
Finally Sirius made it to the entrance. He waited at the door. The wizard guard next to the door assumed he was another wizard's pet that had been brought to work, and that he wanted out to relieve himself. Padfoot acted the part, squirming and whimpering. The guard, knowing that he would probably be the one who would have to clean up after the dog, quickly opened the door to the prison, kicked Padfoot out, and shut the heavy door with a resounding boom.
Sirius was stunned at how easy that had been. He felt as if he were once more the daring boy of his youth, that he was once again a Marauder. A thrill of recklessness ran through him. He was free. His heart beat wildly with his joy. He had escaped the one place that no one had ever escaped from, and he had escaped with his soul intact.
Padfoot ran down to the shore, heedless of the slippery gray stones under his feet. He leapt up into the still, gray air. He managed to stifle his impulse to bark wildly, instead tearing up and down the beach to express his joy.
"Padfoot, you haven't escaped yet! It would be foolish to be caught now!" James reprimanded.
Padfoot slowed down, walked over to James and settled down on his haunches. Both friends looked out over the sea. The gray water lacked any life, dull and unenthusiastic. It was going to be an easier swim than Sirius had expected. Padfoot looked up at the sky. It was dark, but not dangerous, showing no signs of a storm. It hugged the surface of the water. For Azkaban, it was a good day for a swim. The waves lapped on the shore, sucking up the sand and rocks of the island, and dispersing them out to the sea, as if the briny fluid was ready to send Sirius on his way.
Padfoot looked to his friend; James stared out over the flat, dull ocean. In the distance, the uneven line of the opposite shore sat, beckoning to the pair.
"I'll see you on the other side my friend!" said James, as he began to float over the desolate waves.
Sirius watched him go, his heart leaping up in his chest in excitement and joy. He steeled himself. He was going to make it across. He was not going to fail James a second time.
Padfoot jumped into the ice cold water, running into the waves as they met the shore. Soon he was paddling, his head barely above the surface. He paddled until he was tired and then paddled some more. His muscles soon ached, and the taste of the salt water dried out his mouth. Hunger and thirst nagged at him, and yet he continued onward. The pains of his body were overruled by the power of his mind.
Ahead of him lay freedom. Ahead of him lay Harry, and the promise of the future. Ahead of him, a pure white stag of light led the way across the sea to the far distant shore.
The End.
A/N: Thanks to all the people who have read and supported this story. I really appreciate it. If you have any feedback or comments on it, please feel free to leave me a review! Thanks again!