Chapter 4

As they days passed, Sira's emotions steadied and her mind calmed with the help of Scabior. She noticed something though, something about him that concerned her. He seemed to have changed just a little, not much, but enough so she could see a difference. He was just a bit quieter, a bit more cautious around her and almost a bit somber, like he was in a mildly depressed state. She was finally happy in her parents' house again but he just seemed a little less than happy, he changed her good mood a little bit, but she never asked him what was wrong and just acted like nothing was amiss.

Other than Scabior's mood, everything was perfect. The house was cleaned and repaired and was in livable condition. It was spotless, too. She was joyous and she was doing what she had wanted to do for the longest time, she was living with Scabior in their own home, together as a couple. It made her feel complete, more complete than she had ever felt with him. She was actually living again, it seemed.

She stood at the window on the far wall of the living room, her blue eyes gazing out into the bright world. It was still cruel out there but at least, in here, she was safe. Her dark-brown hair was pulled back into a bun, all except for a few strands that hung on the sides on her flawless face. She wore a dress that was the color of light cream. The dress was her mother's, but it fit her like a glove. At the hollow of her neck, hung the necklace that Sirius gave her. Footsteps hit the hardwood floor as she turned to face the noise, the sunlight causing her hair to shimmer. "'ello, beautiful," Scabior breathed as she gave him an attractive smile. Her eyes gazed at him as she leaned against the window; he seemed to be back to normal. He slanted his head to the side. "Aren't you gonna come to me or do I 'ave to come to you?" he asked, his playfulness rich in his voice, it was even in his eyes. She shot him a smug look and crossed the room to him, where he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling them near to each other.

"I'll always come to you, Scabior," she said softly as she looked intently into his eyes. He let out a low, but soft and gentle, chuckle as he studied her.

"You know, I like the dress that you're wearing but I could do without the lace selves," he said, "and the length. It just seems like too much." She shot him a baffled look as her hands caressed his face. "You're still beautiful in it though. You're beautiful in everything."

"You better think that I'm beautiful in everything," she retorted lightheartedly. Her lips brushed against his and she felt his body relax with her touch. "If you didn't," she whispered, "I'd be concerned." She pulled away a little as his hand pressed against the back of her head. His mouth met hers as she leaned into him, wanting the closeness. His touch held his desire but it also held the feeling of satisfaction. Even now, even though she had felt his touch hundreds of times before, it sent a warm tingling through her skin. He pulled away and gazed into her eyes as his hand ran down her spine to her waist.

"I don't mean to be nosy or anything, lovely," he stated quietly, "but isn't tonight the night that you 'ave to be with the Death Eaters?" She nodded her head a little bit.

"Yeah," she sighed, "but I don't want to." He chuckled softly again as she dropped her eyes. "I know I have to though."

"You better not wear the dress then," he whispered into her ear as she shot him another puzzled look. He always seemed to surprise her. "You don't want it to be ruined, right?" She rolled her eyes as she flashed him a rambunctious smile as she dropped her hands from his face and pulled out of his arms. Longing flared in his eyes as she shook her head at him as she headed out of the room. She heard his footsteps follow her as she raced up the stairs, her hands gathering up her dress as she giggled lightly.

Once at the top of the stairs, she turned and went into her parents' room, their room. He arrived seconds later, throwing the door closed behind him, as she smiled at him. Her body turned away from him, so her back was to him, as she pulled the single clip holding her hair up out, allowing her hair to tumble down. She shook her head, causing her hair to gleam in the warm light. Her hand pulled her loose curls to the side as she turned her head to look at him over her shoulder, desire burning in her eyes.

He crossed the room to her and his lips automatically found the side of her neck. Her dress loosened slowly as Scabior undid the zipper. His arms pulled her body near to his as her hand reached back and touched the side of his face, weaving itself into his hair as she gradually threw her head back, allowing his mouth as much of her neck as it wanted. Her other hand found his arm at her waist and clung to it, gently tightening her grip on him. "Scabior," she panted as her heart pounded in her chest. He pulled her even closer to him with her words.

"Scabior," she hissed more urgently, causing him to reel back a little. She moved away from him and turned to look at him. "Now's not the time," she whispered as she headed over to her dresser and opened the middle drawer, "but tonight is." She smiled at him. "I promise." He nodded and turned away from her, looking defeated, as he moved from her.

The warm air of the night brushed through her hair as she strode alongside of one of her fellow Death Eaters. He was new and she had barely known him. All she really knew about what they had in common was that they had the same mission tonight. They were to look for the Order of the Phoenix as they arrived at the house that Harry Potter was being kept at and give the other Death Eaters a signal once they had the boy. Her blue eyes looked down the street to a sign that said 'Privet Drive.' They were both dressed in muggle clothing; she was wearing dark-wash jeans, black, leather boots, a blood-red tank top, and a black jacket. On her hip, her wand was perfectly concealed along with one of her knives. She wore all of her knives, just in case.

She glanced at her partner for this mission. He was older, the age of most of the other Death Eaters, and had short, brown hair and brown eyes that she described as the color of mud. He wore jeans, too, but of a lighter was and a black t-shirt. "This is the street," she muttered as they both stopped walking. He looked at her quickly and then scanned the surroundings for anything.

"It should be about time," he whispered as she looked into the dying light behind her. The sun was just about to set. She shifted quickly into a wolf and gazed up at her partner until he started walking down the drive, she followed beside him with a gliding stride. As soon as they neared the house, she trotted into the yard, looking like a happy-go-lucky dog on a stroll. She circled the house, searching for the best place to wait until the Order arrived. She slunk into the thick bushes, hiding quickly and quietly in the leaves.

The sun was just a thin line on the horizon when figures of people formed in the front yard. From what she could tell, there were thirteen of them. Then they popped into view as their Disillusionment Charms lifted, she knew most of them. There was Hagrid on a black motorcycle with a side car attached to it, Mr. Weasley, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mundungus Fletcher, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Fred and George Weasley, and Mad-Eye Moody. The other two, she didn't know, it looked like another Weasley and she had no clue who the girl was. They all headed quickly to the door. Please don't let Moody see me, she thought. Please don't let him see me. He'll blow my cover, I'll be exposed.

She tried not to focus on Moody as he led the group to the house. Tonks went over to Remus, taking him by the hand and gazing at him with a look that said that she was in love with him. Sira knew that they were married now, because of the Death Eater meeting. They all filed into the house and, once the door close, she backed out of the bushes. She threw her head back and barked three times, loudly and staccato, and then howled.

Her eyes watched the sky, waiting for the signal her partner was supposed to send into the sky at her call. She waited but it never came. Her hackles rose as her lips curled into a snarl. Idiot! She growled in her mind. Rapidly, she shifted from wolf to human and drew her want from her hip. Her grip on her wand was deadly as she raised it straight into the air, sending a ball of green sparks shooting up into the sky. The first part of her task was done, now all she had to do was search the house after they left.

The quicker we get this over with, the better, she snarled to herself as she shifted back into a wolf. Her body sank down onto the ground as she watched the house, furious and disgusted. Her thoughts turned to Scabior. She sighed as she thought of him; of the way he would hold her and the way he would support her. She wanted to be with him for the rest of her life and she knew that he felt the same but they agreed to wait on their marriage. It wasn't the only thing she wanted; she also wanted to be done with the war so she could spend as much time as possible doing the things she wanted to do.

She had lost her desire to fight and now she had new desires. To her, she felt like she no longer needed to fight and she had no real fire to go and risk her life for a cause that she finally realized that she didn't really care about. She didn't care if purebloods had the rule over the muggles or other magical beings. She didn't care about striking down anyone who stood in her way to receive what she wanted. Being a Death Eater seemed almost pointless to her right now. It didn't make any sense. At least she had Scabior, that was all that really mattered to her.

Then her thoughts shifted to Cal and Lark. She didn't want to admit it but she was jealous of what they shared. It was a perfect relationship and they were perfect for each other. They loved each other the exact same, they supported each other, and, most importantly, they made each other's lives so much better. They had a life planned out and soon, they would be sharing it together, until death do they part. They were to be wed on the eighth of August, less than two weeks away.

Her attention returned to the house as the door opened and people started filing out of the house. Only, now there was fourteen people and seven of them where Harry Potter. She let out a low snarl as she watched then head to their brooms or thestrals or, in Hagrid's and one Potter's case, the motorcycle. She knew that there was only one Harry and the other six were imposters. Out of the seven Potters, one was Fred, one was George, one was Hermione, one was Ron, one was Mundungus, and one was that girl that she saw earlier. Then, once they were all ready, they were off into the sky, off into the night.

A howl cut through the air, her howl. She cried to the moon, crying the start of the mission and the coming of the end of it. Her hackles rose straight up as a shiver went down her spine. Her words to Harry last year echoed in her mind. She wished him to be safe and yet, she wanted all of this to end. Good luck, Harry, she thought. Let no one be harmed tonight and, if you are captured tonight, come quietly. It's the only thing we can do. She shifted back into a human and walked out onto the sidewalk. She looked around, searching for her partner and she found him.

Rage filled her and she sprinted toward shim, he was walking away, trying to have nothing to do with what just happened. "HEY!" she barked as she stopped. He turned towards her, fear entering his eyes. "Where were you?" she asked in a growl as her eyes grew wild with her fire. "You were supposed to give the signal!"

"I-."

"The signal was three barks, evenly spaced and exactly, exactly the same, followed by a long howl," she snarled murderously. "How you miss that?"

"I didn't hear it," he mumbled as he dropped his eyes from hers.

"You liar!" she shrieked. "The whole block could hear it! You know what the Dark Lord will do to you? You will be punished and, just so you know, the Dark Lord hates liars." He looked stunned, as if he had just made a big mistake. She was livid and in disbelief that someone so new was so unwilling to serve the Dark Lord. "Just for that go complete our mission by yourself." He didn't say a word as he walked towards her, his head hung low. As he walked past her, she threw her chin up and vanished from the spot, still in total disbelief. She knew the Dark Lord would not be angry with her but he would be angry with his new Death Eater.

Her hand turned the door knob and pushed open the door of her house. She closed it behind her and leaned against it. She sighed as she calmed herself down. Once she was, she rubbed her face with her hands and slowly walked down the hall. Her footsteps were soft but still sharp on the hardwood floors. She treaded up the stairs and turned to go into her and Scabior's bedroom.

Finally, she started to wonder where he was as she opened the door to see him standing beside the bed with his shirt in his hands. He looked at her and smiled as she crossed the room to him, placing her hands on his bare chest as her longing burned in her eyes. She needed something good tonight for how her part of the mission went. Slowly, she slipped her jacket off of her shoulders and let it fall to the ground. Her breaths became deep as he held her in his arms, stroking her hair, and gazing longingly at her.

"Oh, Scabior," she breathed as her lips brushed against his neck as her hands cupped his face, running from his hairline to his jaw. He had a little bit of stubble on his face, he needed to shave again. His lips met hers quickly as her hands weaved into his hair. His kiss held his burning desire but he held himself back, unsure if she really wanted to do this right now. He pulled away and looked into her eyes.

"I hope you don't mind the stubble, beautiful," he whispered. She smiled at him provocatively as she continued to gaze at him. Her hands ran down his neck to his chest to his lower abdominal muscles, just above his pants.

"Scabior, I don't mind," she hissed seductively. "No, not at all." Her smile widened as her lips started to kiss his neck. He pulled her closer and she let out a little laugh, a little laugh that held her pleasure and her wanting. She needed him right now, he was all she needed.