I do not own Harry Potter and please read the note from Chapter 1 for Ignorance is so Not Bliss.

I thank you so much for your support. We will just have to see if the Admin actually listens to what these people say or do what they have done to me before in the past. Just boot me without checking, for it has happened before.

People as one person pointed out, this site is actually pretty decent, but it's the administrators I don't like. Essentially they don't check their complaints. I post on mediaminer(dot)org for example under the name Simply a Lady. The most recent time I was thrown off here, the site administrator there named Fanilla actually approached me and let me know to fix one aspect of my story from Inuyasha A Ghostly Love.

It seems the same people who had gotten me booted here, were trying to get rid of me there as well. The difference is Fanilla actually checked and she knew something was up when half the reasons they gave her, were not even involved in the story to begin with.

Same goes on Adultfanfiction(dot)net, where I also post as Alysia Storms, Dark Avenger who is the admin there checks as well.

And yet I get booted here with no reason at all and I find out from the people who got me booted?

Anyhow sometime tomorrow, I will start posting Ashes more then likely on mediaminer and as someone recommended I will give HPFandom a shot as well. But that might be a bit later.

Pretty much during most of this chapter imagine the song Mama from the Spice Girls. Think of it as Isabelle's theme song from everyone else

Chapter 53

Ashes of Grief

Sirius sighed as he stepped out of the bedroom that had belonged to Harry and Gabrielle. Having placed an unconscious godson there, the old ex-convict was feeling tired and very much the pain of what had happened.

Walking down the hall of Godric's Hollow, the wolves and everyone who had been at the wedding were in quiet and mournful silence.

"How is he?" Ron asked sadly. It has been several hours since the battle, and Fleur with Bill's aide, once Ginny and Gabrielle had released their connection had removed her sister's body to get it preserved and prepared for a funeral not only here in the Potter family plot, but also so that Alexandre and Isabelle would be able to come and bring the rest of the Delacourts.

As this was happening though, Remus and Tonks were not only watching over Ginny, who was still sleeping. But both were working on the wards to not only strengthen them. But to keep the red headed woman from attempting to flee back to her Master.

Nobody was really sure to be honest of what was going on at the moment...

"He's sleeping now..." The Animagus replied. His own dark eyes rimmed red with grief, even if he did not know Gabrielle, from where he had been he had known the young woman was good for Harry. "Ginny...and the baby?"

"Ginny's asleep Padfoot..." Remus responded as he pulled his friend into a tight hug. "As to their son, Tonks is going to stay and watch over him and the apparent new mother to be until I go and get Madame Pomphrey."

"Let me come with you..." Sirius stated.

But before Remus could say anything, Ron placed a hand on the older man's shoulder and shook his head. "As much as I am glad to see you Padfoot, Harry needs you here more, then at Hogwarts."

"But...?"

"No buts...Padfoot." The old wolf said gently. "Ron's right. Although I can grieve and sympathize with Harry, right now more then anyone you are the only one at the moment who can understand what he is going through. He needs you...stay...stay until the rest of Harry and Fleur's family come..."

Somehow those few words mean a lot to the other man and he nods his head. With Remus heading off alongside Ron, the house would still be secure. For as they were regrouping after the battle, and as Sirius was comforting Harry, Fleur as the next one now related to the Potters had given permission for a new Fidelius charm to be cast.

Bill doing so, it was agreed that Remus would be the secret keeper. Because of his status as a shifter, despite the allies he may have and the orders he had given. Voldemort or any of his cronies was less likely to take him on to return to this home without amassing a large force to subdue him.

Watching as both men left and apperated, Sirius turned to find the pride of shifters staring at him with a mixture of sadness, curiosity, and pain. All of them felt guilty for not protecting their wolfling's mate from the death she had suffered. Waiting for a punishment, that was sure to come once Alexandre and Isabelle arrived, with the Delacourt family. They simply gave little mournful stares towards the rooms where Harry and Ginny slept as well as where Fleur was casting the necessary spells on her sister's body.

It was only an hour or so later as he sat between two shifted wolves who instinctively let the wizard scratch them as a human would a bet between the ears, that the fireplace flared to life and an older woman with silvery hair tumbled out of the fire place.

Closely followed by a dark haired man, who reminds Sirius much of himself when he was younger in his stance and carriage.

The tearful blonde and gray haired man that followed and were helped by the other man to their feet could be none other then the parents of Harry's wife and sister-in-law. It was at that moment the silvery haired woman asked a question that needed to be answered. "Where is my wolfling?'

"Asleep..." Sirius responded sadly as he stood up, not even really thinking that others may still believe him guilty of what he may have supposedly done years ago. "Names...Black...Sirius Black... Harry is my godson."

As Alexandre and Isabelle, both nod their heads in acceptance sensing nothing is wrong, for his scent may be similar to that of a canine primarily. But the fact that he smells so strongly also of Harry and family, that as the two others begin to say something against him. Alexandre silences them with a single stare as Isabelle approaches the escapee...

"Harry has told me about you." The woman smiled gently. "Especially considering he thought you to be dead... How is it you are alive?"

Looking up into the woman's eyes, Sirius finds an open curiosity and grief in them over the recent events. But he also finds something that he had seen in one other person...

A mother's unquestioning love...

"Lily would have adored you, you realize." He said softly as he stood up. "As to where I was I guess one could believe I was dead...it's hard to explain."

Accepting his answer for now, Isabelle takes his arm and to pull him away from all this pain. "Come with me and do not worry about Harry... Alexandre will be there should he wake. He also knows the loss of loved one..."

Guarded somewhat despite everything Sirius, nods his head in acceptance. The older woman smiled gently, her warmth so much like that of the way a mother should be...how Lily's was before her death. He can see now why Harry had been taken with her kindness and her love.

"You know who we are don't you?" The older woman stated with a kind acceptance. Guiding the escapee outside to where they could sit and talk in peace.

"Yes...where I was I could watch..."

"Just not interfere?"

"How?"

Isabelle patted his arm gently as she looked at him. "It's in your eyes, young one..." She implied as she places same hand to his cheek in a reassuring way. "Eyes full of so much pain and self doubt. You feel like you seem to keep failing them and everyone around you don't you? You think you are a failure."

Despite her words no matter how kind, they were, Sirius broke down. No one, not even Remus, once they had resumed their friendship had understood the guilt that Sirius felt at the loss of James and Lily. At not being able to keep his promise to raise Harry, or even now that he felt he failed his godson in not escaping in time to save Gabrielle from her death.

Collapsing to his knees in front of the kindly woman, Sirius allowed himself to cry. Being the Black that he was, never had he really been allowed to release his emotions save for anger, vengeance, and fear. It was part of his upbringing after all...

As this was going on, Alexandre watched alongside the Delacourts. Both parents still sad and upset had listened to what Isabelle was speaking of with the escapee from Azkaban and realized one thing.

No man who felt so much pain could be guilty of harming another soul to the point of death willingly...

It was at that moment that Remus and Ron returned with Madame Pomphrey. The school nurse and Order member was puzzled to all the secrecy that these two had asked of her. But when she had given the oath, the two told her of what had happened, and she nearly cried in sadness and pain for Harry who was now a widower.

Hearing though of what Gabrielle had done in her final stages of life, she understood immediately and had gathered her medical supplies that she knew would be needed. So upon her arrival the first thing she asked was where was her patient?

With Ron guiding her to where his sister was being looked over by Tonks, Remus found himself greeting Alexandre. The two men talking in sadness and regret over the loss of one of their own, the two alphas discussed the emergence of a missing pride member of sorts. Well missing member to Remus...

Gathering them all around, the old wolf told of the events that had transpired that fateful night years ago. As the wolves and the Delacourts listened to the actual events of that night as seen from the views of not only Harry's fractured memories.

But also from the memories of the man being comforted by Isabelle outside...

When the old wolf had finally finished speaking of the past, the ones who were listening had a new respect for Sirius that would surprise even him. The wolves were chatting amongst themselves, that he would make an excellent member of their pride and were pestering Alexandre about it.

And the Delacourts?

The veela woman who was Fleur and Gabrielle's mother clutched onto her husband's hand with understanding as he did hers. Despite their doubt in what had just been told to them, they understood what they were told combined with the heartbreaking image of him with Isabelle.

Sirius Black was indeed an innocent man.

And all though he was merely an ambassador, when the funeral was done, Mr. Delacourt was going to see about using his connections. And using them to get the truth about what happened that Halloween out and into the open...

No man deserved to be on the run for something he did not do...

All in all, as the Delacourts were escorted to their daughter to not only grieve, but to help prepare the body. The small group of people worked to clean and to change the Hollow once more.

As per a wolf's life, they will mourn and they will remember. But they also will move on...

Harry will need every single one of them, in order to so.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Darkness of death shadows the hope...

The flames flickering growth becomes uncertain...

Will it rise again and grow strong?