A/N: Here it is! Sorry if it sucks... I was carving pumpkins :)
June 15, 1994
"Fredricks!"
Rachel turned from her conversation with Tonks to address the… wait a second, the Minister of Magic?
"Minister?" Rachel replied. "What on earth are you doing at Hogwarts?"
"I was simply here to supervise the execution of a hippogriff—"
"—well that's just mean," Tonks grumbled.
"Oh, Trainee Nymphadora Tonks! Okay, it will all be fine," Fudge muttered incoherently.
"Minister? Maybe you should calm down…" Rachel said.
"Calm down? Do you not understand what's happened?" Fudge exclaimed.
"No, I don't!" Rachel shouted back, silencing the old man. "I was just doing patrols and training Tonks here and you come running up to us like you've got a giant acromantula chasing you! Care to debrief me or will you continue mumbling like an idiot?"
"Why, I—" Fudge paused and let out a huff. "Very well, then. I'll have you know we recaptured Sirius Black and resentenced him to death. He was to be executed."
Rachel's mouth had gone dry. It took all of her willpower to speak. "Yes, and the problem?" she asked as calmly as she could.
"He seems to have broken out of his holding cell," Fudge clarified.
Rachel stared blankly at him.
"Find him!" Fudge suddenly screeched.
"Whoa, okay, geez!" Rachel exclaimed, rolling her eyes and muttering something about anxiety.
"Yes! Now this is some serious action!" Tonks exclaimed.
Rachel didn't reply. She couldn't. Her mind was working overtime trying to figure out how to let Sirius escape. She couldn't be the one to arrest him and send him to his death. It would kill her. And she simply couldn't do it. How could anyone ever ask that of her?
"Rachel?" Tonks called. "Let's get a move on!"
Rachel's head snapped up and her attention turned to Tonks. "Right…" Rachel replied. "Let's go then." She'd have to figure it out along the way.
The two ran through the grounds of Hogwarts, keeping their eyes peeled and with their wands at the ready. Rachel hoped to Merlin she could save him. She certainly didn't want to arrest him. Her and Tonks rounded a corner and suddenly, Tonks stopped short.
"Success," the younger woman muttered.
Rachel averted her gaze from her trainee and looked ahead. Her eyes widened when she saw him.
Bloody Sirius Black standing there all proud with a hippogriff. Oh, how she wished she could kiss him.
But Rachel couldn't even move. It seemed that her feet were frozen on the spot. Her eyes stayed focused On Sirius, Harry, and a bushy-haired girl that Rachel vauely recognized. After awhile, Tonks stared at her uncertainly, unsure if she should do anything without her mentor's approval.
"Go!" the girl suddenly shouted.
With that, Sirius seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in and jumped up on the hippogriff. In no time, he had taken off and Harry and the girl had disappeared.
"Rachel!" Tonks shouted. "That was going to be my first moment of glory! There goes that…"
"Tonks, let me teach you something," Rachel said. "When you're trying to approach a fugitive or a criminal, the best approach is a silent one. Don't let them know you're there until the big pounce—that's the only time they should see you: when you catch them."
"What in Merlin's name are you doing?" Rachel heard Fudge's voice yell.
Rachel looked over at the Minister. "I'm giving my trainee a lesson, Minister," Rachel explained.
"That's not what I mean!" Fudge replied. "Where is Black?"
"Oh, Merlin knows," Rachel answered. "I do know he's not with me."
"You incompetent!" Fudge shouted. "I'll have your job swept out from under you like a rug!"
"Ah, ah, ah," Rachel said. "You won't want to do that, Minster."
"And why's that?" Fudge asked challengingly.
Rachel sighed. "Lestrange, all three mind you, Mulciber, Rosier, Karkaroff—need I continue?" she replied, counting off name after name. Names of Death Eaters she had single-handedly arrested after the Wizarding War.
Oh, and Fudge was positively fuming. It was splendid.
"That's what I thought," Rachel said. "Good day sir."
Rachel turned and walked off, Tonks following behind her. While Rachel felt triumphant, her mind was elsewhere.
She just couldn't shake off that annoying little smirk Sirius gave her before flying off. He never changed.
July 31, 1994
Rachel sipped her tea as she sat on the couch, reading a book. She wished she could send Harry a present for his birthday, but the boy didn't even know who she was and would no doubt find it creepy. So obviously, Rachel had decided against it.
Suddenly, Rachel was startled by a loud bang on her window. She looked up and saw an owl peeling itself from the glass, flapping its wings madly.
Rachel stood up, frowning, and strode across the floors of her flat. The flat felt odd after Sirius had been imprisoned, but Rachel couldn't bring herself to move out of it. Somewhere deep inside, she still felt hope that the Wizengamot would see their mistake and free him and they could continue their life as normal.
Obviously, that didn't happen.
Rachel opened the window and allowed the small barn owl to fly on and rest on her owl perch and snack on some owl treats in a small bowl. Rachel untied the letter from the bird's foot and sat down. Her eyes scanned the envelope. Her name was written on it in a messy scrawl that could only belong to one person. Sirius.
Quickly, Rachel tore open the envelope and pulled out the folded piece of parchment inside. She unfolded the letter and read it.
Dear Rachel,
Yes, I would say that that was a really late reply, however, I took longer to reply, so I win. Don't be so shocked, this isn't the first time that I did something better than you. And don't scoff in that way that you do whenever you think I'm speaking bollocks. I know you just did it.
Anyways, I guess you know by now that I've broken out of Azkaban… then got resentenced… and then, evidently, I broke out again. Believe me when I say that it took all of my willpower to not whisk you away with me on the hippogriff, but I didn't for two reasons: 1) that would've been putting you in danger and 2) the hippogriff wasn't accustomed to you (yes, this does count as a reason).
So that's that. I suppose life goes on, but for now, I'm on the run. Don't try and look for me, but you can send me letters. That owl is smart—it'll find me again. Just wanted to write to you again because, well, I've missed you. I mean, who am I kidding? I love you; obviously I missed you. Hopefully, this running around stuff will be over soon and I can keep that small promise of mine and turn my amazing fiancée into my amazing wife.
Stay in touch,
Padfoot
Rachel felt her face stretching into the widest grin known to mankind. This was possibly the most comforting news she'd had in along time. Sirius was okay, at least for now.
But Rachel wasn't worried. They'd figure it out along the way.
August 29, 1994
"You've got to be kidding me?" Rachel asked.
Dumbledore gave his former student a small smile. "No, I fear not," he chuckled. "As much as you may hate it, I need your help, Miss Fredricks, especially in these times and with the sudden revival of the Triwizard Tournament."
"Yeah, but…" Rachel trailed off. "I don't want to babysit a bunch of kids," she finally said.
Dumbledore laughed. "Miss Fredricks, I advise you to tell yourself the truth," he said. "You and I both know you don't like this position change because you refuse to do field work ever since those traumatizing four years of hunting down Death Eaters. But listen here: there are going to be many students and many things to fear this school year. Experience like yours is needed to watch over and protect everyone at Hogwarts."
Rachel sighed. How on earth could she say no to the old man? "All right, fine," she grumbled. "Thanks, I suppose." Rachel was probably the only person that hated promotions.
"You are very welcome," Dumbledore said. "And I think you may enjoy this year. Who knows? You might even get to talk to Harry a bit."
"Yes, I suppose. At least you didn't make me the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," Rachel said. "By the way, who is taking that post this year?"
"Ah, how convenient this should be," Dumbledore said observingly. "It is none other than your former mentor."
Rachel's face fell. "Great. A whole school year of 'Constant vigilance, Fredricks!' No thanks."
Dumbledore smiled. "I thought you might enjoy that tidbit of news."
Heh, okay, that's that then :)
-Grammar/spelling?
-How was Sirius's letter?
-Favourite line?
Thanks for reading! :)
