They would never suspect it. She was too broken, he too distraught. The security was lax, only because for any two normal human beings no security would have been necessary. But Sirius Black was no normal human being, nor was Celaeno Venatici, and thanks to the work of the Death Eaters they were now bonded by a power that was greater than anything dark wizards knew how to deal with. He bided his time. He had to, after all. They wouldn't regret killing her, and him, if he was caught. Swallowing, he peered out the room. He glanced back at the transparent wall. She was conscious, good, but the fear in her mutilated form was palpable. Hating the people who had done this to her with a fire that could have motivated him to do anything, Sirius pushed past the wards and entered her room. Looking at her, he breathed in deeply and prayed that she would be strong enough to forgive him. "Promise me," he managed, "that you'll get better. Promise me that."
– 04 – 04 – 04 – 04 –
She looked up at him with wide eyes, the expression on her face a clear reminder of his promise to her, his promise to keep her safe.
"I'm getting you out of here, Mira. We're going to get out."
She recoiled, terrified of him despite the voice in her head that screamed for her to trust him. She couldn't trust him. What if this was another of their games? What if they had him under a curse? She couldn't be used again, not by him. She didn't know what would happen to her if he ever used her. Not when he was the only person she could trust.
He ignored her gesture, reaching out. Jerking away, she screamed in pain and held herself tightly, moving away from him as she twitched in agony. She was more scared of him than she was of pain, he thought in resignation. He sat, looking at her levelly and saying softly, "I'm going to wait for you. I promised I'd keep you safe, and I promised myself I would get you out of here. So I'm going to sit here and wait until you're ready to trust me. If the Death Eaters come, so be it. I will get you out of here."
He knew she trusted him; it was them that she was terrified of. In pain rather than in fear, she turned and gagged, blood and bile pouring from her mouth. "Can I help you?"
She didn't say anything, but continued vomiting. He jumped forward, wand at the ready. Then he thought better of using his wand. After all, the Death Eaters might be able to sense it. He didn't want to be discovered until it was too late for the Death Eaters to do anything. Reaching out to rub her back, he felt tears fill behind his eyes as she leapt away from him, choking on something rising in her throat as she struggled not to scream. She turned into the corner, retching again, but she resurfaced quickly this time, watching him warily. She was not going to let herself get hurt again!
He sat, unable to hurt her more by pushing her, and he lost track of time even more as he watched the ghostly figure avoid his probing gaze. Of course she would be afraid of him, he had expected that. He had not expected her to prefer pain to his assistance. That had been unthinkable to him.
The sounds started, and he froze. He had to act, now, whether she was ready for it or not. Bracing himself, prepared to hurt her now to save her later, he swallowed thickly and stepped forward.
She screamed when he touched her, her bloodless face blanched by terror and her large eyes monstrous. He grabbed her roughly, gentling as she fought him like a madwoman. Stroking her, soothing her, tears streaming over his cheeks as he whispered foolish nonsense to her, he held her in a vice-like grip and murmured, "Mira, Mira, please. It's just me. Just Sirius. I swear it. You're brother, remember? It's me. I love you. Don't fight me. I'm going to get you out of here. Just stay, we're going to get far away from here and nothing's going to happen to you."
The sounds that came out of her mouth were hysterical, her body convulsing as she collapsed into his arms weakly. James, Sirius thought desperately. He had to get to James'. The Potters would know what to do. They would take her to St. Mungo's; he had no idea where he was going except that he needed to get her out of here. Forgetting that it wasn't what he was supposed to do, ignoring the alternating sobs and screams of Mira Celaeno, Sirius stood weakly. His heart ripped and shattered as she convulsed, screaming and beating at him, and he held her tightly. He had to convince her to trust him, or she would hurt herself. "You love me, Mira. I love you, more than anything right now. Just stop fighting me and I swear on James, Remus, and Peter that nothing will happen to you. A Marauder's vow, I'm serious, please Mira. Let me get you away from here, somewhere safe. I won't let anything happen to you."
Pressing his lips to her forehead, he winced as she tore away from him, falling to the ground and screaming in pain as her mutilated body hit concrete. Dropping down besides her, chest heaving as he bit back his own sobs, he pressed his lips to her forehead again, more insistently this time, and held her gently. "I won't hurt you. I would never touch you like that. Just – please – let me get you somewhere safe. I'm taking you to the Potters and to St. Mungo's. You'll be safe. I swear it."
"Promise me."
"What?!" Sirius yelped, shock momentarily stilling his tears. Those were the first words Mira Celaeno had said since she had been taken from his room days ago.
"Promise me you'll stay. That you –"
"What?" Sirius demanded, all but screaming as he clutched her desperately and he did scream as her eyes rolled back into her head and her body began to convulse. "Mira! Merlin, no, no, no. Hold on Mira, I won't let anything happen to you."
Lifting her up, feeling her blood seep onto his arms and into his robes, he sobbed as he removed his wand. Powerful enough a wizard to apparate with the girl despite his condition, Sirius found himself metres away from the Potter's house. Their trunks shrunken in his pocket, as he had been suspicious enough to pack them a week earlier, he found himself unable to move. Feeling as though his legs had filled with lead, Sirius attempted to move, forcing himself to step forward as he willed Mr. and Mrs. Potter to emerge. Not James, he didn't think could face his best friend now, but he needed Mr. and Mrs. Potter.
Thoughts of magic gone from his mind, he marvelled as Mr. Potter peered outside, exclaiming wildly as he saw Sirius stumble forward. Mrs. Potter followed her husband soon afterward, rushing toward Sirius and catching the shaken boy as Mr. Potter lifted Mira Celaeno from him. Falling into Mrs. Potter's arms like an invalid trying to walk, Sirius managed painfully, "St. Mungo's. She needs St. –"
"We know Sirius, we know," Mr. Potter said hurriedly. "So do you. Come on, Mrs. Potter will Floo with you, I'm apparating with her."
"No!" Sirius all but screamed, lunging out of Mrs. Potter's arms and crumbling like a rag doll as she caught him around the waist. "I stay with her. Promised – I said – Not leaving –"
Understanding the boy's desperation, Mr. and Mrs. Potter apparated straight away, their status gaining them instant entry, though the mangled body of Mira Celaeno did nothing to slow the process. Grabbing Sirius by the shoulders as he forced the boy to sit while she was taken away, Mr. Potter looked at him carefully. "Sirius, you have to tell us what happened. For your sake and for hers."
"They tortured her," Sirius recited like a drone, numbed by pain and sorrow now that Mira Celaeno had been taken away. "They did things to her – I didn't know you could do that to a human being without killing them."
Even numb, Sirius felt the biting pain of sorrow and he broke down, face falling into his hands as he sobbed. Rubbing the young man's back and ignoring his own tightened jaw at the sight of such terror in a boy he knew so well, Mr. Potter summoned a healer with his free hand. "It's okay, Sirius. You did well; you did everything you could for her. Let the healers treat you and Mrs. Potter will take you home."
Grabbing Mr. Potter's hand as the man stood, Sirius looked up at his best friend's father. "Tell her mum."
"That's where I'm going, my boy. It'll be okay."
"I can't go back there now. I won't."
Stopping and kneeling before Sirius, Mr. Potter couldn't help but smile as the healer handed him five shrunken trunks. "Nobody can get you back now. You'll stay with us, Mrs. Potter won't mind, James will be thrilled, and I won't let them get their slimy hands on you again. Don't worry anymore. We'll take care of everything."
He stepped out, running into his wife and wrapping his arms around her as she shuddered, "My brother's here, with Cela's mother. Waiting. Remus and Alice finally got through to the Ministry yesterday and told them what was happening. Nobody's seen or heard from Sirius or Cela until now. It's been nearly a week, Andrew."
"The kid's hysterical, Eli."
"He saw everything. That's the word from Remus, that Sirius was watching the entire thing. He said he heard some of it, and Alice knows what happened somewhat, but Sirius was right there and couldn't do anything about it. They tortured him too, though he may not think of it as his own torture."
"Of course he wouldn't. You saw him, love. He went into hysterics when we tried to separate them. I didn't think he would go so far for a Venatici."
"They raped her, Andrew. Or a spell as bad. She's been messed up, badly. There was very little of the cruciatous; I think they wanted her fully aware of what was happening."
Andrew Potter's jaw tightened as he stroked his wife's hair. "They're evil, we've known that. Sirius did what he could. Look, you stay here. I'll get Remus and Alice and take them back before James and Lily notice us being gone. You come back with Sirius. The boy's with us now."
"Of course. I never thought he wouldn't be. I'll be home soon."
Fury and sorrow boiling at the thought of what had been done to a girl he thought of as his niece, Andrew Potter entered the room where his brother-in-law sat, hands fisted in his hair as Remus and Alice sat in subdued silence. Jumping to their feet, the two looked at him expectantly, reassured by his weak smile and attentive as he grasped the other man's shoulder. "She's going to be okay. Sirius took care of her."
"So I've heard," the other man managed hoarsely. "I won't accept that until I can see her. Her mother's mad with grief. Prewett took her to get some coffee, trying to calm her down. It won't work. She won't calm until she sees Cela."
Kneeling before his surrogate brother, Andrew Potter said firmly, "She's got the best care. She'll be fine. And our house is always open, you know that."
The man nodded, hugging his friend tightly and saying, "Get the kids out of here. They've done enough; they deserve the relief."
"So do you, but I will. Get some rest, it won't do her any good to exhaust yourself. Promise me you won't exhaust yourself."
Laughing bitterly, the man waved Andrew off and watched as Mr. Potter took the two by the arms and led them back to Godric's Hollow.
– 04 – 04 – 04 – 04 –
"Promise me you'll be okay. I'm sorry I didn't think of it earlier. I'm sorry I didn't get you out of there sooner. I'm sorry this had to happen. I still don't know what I promised, but whatever it is, please be okay. As long as you're okay I can't ask for anything else. Promise me you'll be okay. Promise me that you'll get past this, that you'll be stronger than they expect you to be. Promise me that you'll survive long enough for us to put this entirely behind us. Promise me!"
Dark eyes filled with tears, eyes that completely missed the young woman watching with tears in her own emerald eyes. Sob breaking through, as though from the very depths of his soul, he managed desperately. "I love you, I love you so much. Don't leave me. You're my family, you're everything. I need you. I need you to come back and say everything's going to be okay. You have to be okay! I can't deal with it without you! I need you there. My everything, you're all I have left! You can't leave me! Promise me. You said that you wouldn't leave me, now keep your promise! Dammit! Promise me you'll be okay. That's all I'm asking."
– 04 – 04 – 04 – 04 –
She lay there, still as her dark eyes stared up at the ceiling in the dark. There was no one there. Nobody knew she was awake. That was how she wanted it. She didn't want them there, not yet. In the cold, dark silence she felt safe. Nobody would get her here. She felt secure, and only one thing could have made her feel more so. Hugging herself in the darkness, feeling tears creep past her guard, she whispered brokenly, "You promised me. Just come back and I promise I'll – I promise."