Hello! Updating a day early just because of shift patterns this week!

This is the final chapter to Marked. And we skip ahead a few years.

Epilogue

Tuesday 2nd November 1982

He'd been in Azkaban for a year.

He wasn't sure how he knew it had been a year, it was just a feeling.

It had been a year since James and Lily had died.

A year since he had screwed up.

A year since he had last seen Harry.

Sirius curled up in his cell, as far away from the bars as possible.

Why hadn't he received a trial? Why hadn't he been questioned? Didn't they know of his history with the Death Eaters trying to kill him? Why would they believe he was one of them? Was it because his family were vocal about their support for Voldemort? Was it because Dumbledore and Remus thought he had betrayed everyone? Did they not know him? Didn't they remember what Bellatrix Lestrange had done to his chest during his sixth year? He'd covered up the scars with tattoos, especially the word she had carved into him, but did that mean he was willing to forgive and forget and join their side? Had they really forgotten all what he'd suffered at the hands of his biological family? Did they really believe he was capable of betraying James, his brother? Why?

Those thoughts ran through his head every single day. The presence of Dementors only accentuated his despair. Usually he turned into Padfoot to cope with their presence but today he felt he deserved to be in their embrace.

His stupid idea had doomed them all.

James and Lily were dead and it was his fault.

He'd trusted the wrong person.

Why didn't I just take the job? I wouldn't have broken. I finally had the chance to save James and I failed him. He never failed me. Not even when she had me.

The 'she' in question was in a cell a few doors away from him. Occasioanlly he heard her screams of insanity but she was getting quieter these days. Perhaps the Dementors were finally having their toll on her? The problem was, was Bellatrix Lestrange had always been insane. She'd tried to kill him several times during the war after his graduation, always taking great pleasure in targeting him specifically.

She still wanted him dead.

Even now in Azkaban she spoke of it: of bringing about his death.

Thank god she's locked securely away.

The Dementor's drew closer to his cell, feeding on the despair wallowing off from him.

Memories flashed in his mind's eye and he let them take him.

She was leaning over him in the carriage on the Hogwarts Express.

"I wonder what blood-traitor blood tastes like?" She licked his face.

Another memory invaded.

"How about I torture you into insanity and scar your body before I remove your head? How does that sound, cousin? Would you like that?"

"Fuck off, bitch."

"Ohh, I bet he won't be so feisty once I'm finished with him…"

Images changed before his eyes. He was aware he was screaming in despair.

The whip from her wand landed on his back again leaving large welts in his back with blood pouring steadily from the wounds.

He was groaning in pain, whimpering with every breath he took.

"Crucio!" she screeched.

His body twitched as the whip descended once more.

Fog covered his eyes and then parted again.

She was leaning over him, her dark eyes staring at the wounds on his chest.

He shivered. He didn't like her expression.

He was so weak. He could feel his body failing.

"I wonder if the blood will still taste the same?" she crowed.

Sirius couldn't stop screaming as she licked the blood off the carving on his chest once more.

And then it happened…

He was in Godric's Hollow.

Their house was in ruins.

There on the stairs was the body of James Potter. His eyes were open. Sirius knelt down and closed his eyes. He hated seeing his brother like that. "I'm sorry, Prongs. Sorry for everything. For believing I could save you… when I couldn't. I'm nothing. I'm useless. Why did you save me? Maybe I deserved to die before you so this wouldn't happen to you…" He was babbling but he didn't care.

Tears leaked out of Sirius' eyes and he cried in despair.

Light flashed in front of his eyes and the memory changed.

Lily was dead. Her red hair covered her beautiful face. She shouldn't be dead. But she was and it was his fault...

From that moment on, upon the anniversary of his capture, Sirius subjected himself to the effects of the Dementors.

He deserved it after all.

He hadn't been able to save them. They must have hated him in their final moments.

Despair rocked him into darkness.

July 1993

He couldn't believe it.

Sirius stared at the paper Fudge had given him on his inspection. The front page had Pettigrew on it, sitting in his Animagus form on the shoulder of one of the younger boys. His breath stilled as he concentrated hard at the moving photo of the wizarding family. His eyes ran over the article once more. One single sentence drew his attention over and over again.

The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt, returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, which five of the Weasley children currently attend.

Hogwarts.

Pettigrew would be at Hogwarts.

Where Harry was.

Harry.

His godson.

Slowly Sirius tore the picture and the article from the paper and placed it in his pocket.

He had to save Harry.

His godson was in terrible danger.

If Voldemort rose again… Pettigrew was in a position to give him Harry.

He had to save him.

Sirius swallowed.

He had no other choice. He had to. He'd spent twelve years in Azkaban for crimes he had not committed, choosing to stay in the prison because he thought he deserved the punishment for what he had done to James and Lily.

But now he had a reason to live again. For the first time in years he began to think clearly.

Harry was the priority.

I can make it up to Prongs and Lily by saving their son. I won't fail them again.

A day later Sirius Black escaped Azkaban prison.

-End-

And so we have come to the end of 'Marked'. Who was expecting the epilogue to flash forward like this? I think this is a good way to end this fic. Sirius was saved by James and Lily (and Remus) but he couldn't save James and Lily himself a few years later. I think it would eat at him. And he'd feel guilty. We all know Sirius used his animagus form to help survive Azkaban with his sanity intact... so I figured there would be at least one day he would feel he deserved to suffer.

And then I wanted to end this story on a lighter note by having Sirius escape Azkaban so its probably not the ending people expected to this story but I quite like it myself.

So... coming up next for me in writing... well some of you may be aware I am posted a fic called 'Twisting Time'. It is a time-travel one with Sirius being the character who is sent back. This is likely to be quite a long fic and I am enjoying writing it so far... This will be my priority fic from now on though I may post in other fandoms occasionally.

Thank you for the support and the reviews! Thank you to everyone who enjoyed this story!

the-writer1988