Chapter 1

I do not own any of J.K Rowling's characters.

I awoke with a start, my body sitting bolt upright.

I couldn't remember the exact details of what I had been dreaming about - all I do remember was that it was dark and it had made me break out into a cold sweat. I sighed as I leaned back on my pillows, willing my heart to calm down. It was still dark outside but the faint noise of muggle traffic rumbling outside my house in Eaton Park, made me assume it was early morning. This house was one of the many properties my family owned and was the one I chose for my own residence after my parents were thrown into Azkaban. My childhood memories of this place weren't all that bad as we haven't spent much time here. It was also conveniently close to the Ministry of Magic.

I slowly rose out of bed and got dressed before making my way down to the first floor dining room, spotting that breakfast had already been laid out for me on the long dining table. I smiled as I sat down, Meepy never failed to amaze me with her ability to just know what time I would be up.

"Morning Miss" came her squeaky voice as she trotted into the dining room carrying a teapot and the newspaper. Although I was now an adult she still called me "Miss". I found it endearing, and sort of an homage to not only how long she had been in my family but particularly of how long she had been by my side.

As she poured me a cup of tea I took the newspaper and looked at the face on the front page blinking back up at me. I gasped as the shock hit me like a lightning bolt.

"Escape from Azkaban!" The main title read and underneath was a picture of a man I had never exactly forgotten the look of but had not seen for a long time. Sirius Black.

Escaped from Azkaban? I had never heard of anyone doing that before.

How did he escape?

I'd be lying to myself if I said that I didn't think about him every day but these thoughts weren't necessarily good thoughts about him.

So why did I feel a slight pang of excitement at the thought that he may have escaped to find me?

Ugh, grow up Meghana I scolded myself. Sirius Black is just a huge mistake you made years ago.

"Everything ok, Miss?" Meepy's squeaky voice brought me back to the present.

"Yeah, just got a bit of a shock" I laughed nervously.

"From Master Sirius' escape?" she asked.

I looked down at her frowning slightly, it was strange hearing his name out loud. She immediately bowed her head, her ears flopping forward. "Sorry Miss, Meepy didn't mean to speak out of line."

"No, you didn't, don't apologise," I mumbled placing the newspaper down, Meepy was obviously sensing my scattered thoughts. I sighed silently hating myself for getting worked up about this.

"I'm sure you are safe Miss." Meepy said softly as though comforting someone ill "They say he's been talking in his sleep about Harry Potter. "He's at Hogwarts, He's at Hogwarts" Miss, they say Master Sirius repeats in his sleep" She went on eyeing me cautiously.

"What?" I said sharply looking down at her again "How do you know that?"

"Meepy hears from another house elf who heard it from the Minister for Magic, Miss!" she squeaked her eyes growing wider "They says that Master Sirius wants to finish the job the Dark Lord couldn't complete!"

I frowned again digesting this information as I picked up my teacup and sipped it thoughtfully. That logical part of my brain that still held onto the hope that everyone had got it wrong about him was making its way to the front of my mind. Sirius hated the dark arts and he adored Harry.

I shook my head as I placed the teacup back on the table in front of me. I looked at the picture of Sirius in the newspaper still blinking up at me through his matted dark hair.

"I don't know Meepy," I said quietly. "Do you really think Sirius was working for Voldemort?"

She squealed involuntarily at the mention of Voldemort's name even though she had seen him as many times as I had in the past, thanks to my parents' insistence that Death Eater meetings were to be held at our home.

"Meepy cannot be sure Miss." She said not quite meeting my eye and she turned quickly scurrying away leaving me deep in my own thoughts.

Much later that day, I sat at the long staff table at the start of term feast watching patiently as the new students were sorted into their houses. It wasn't long before the memories of my own sorting came flooding into my head.

I remembered standing in the crowd of other first years nervously looking up at the staff table and the sorting hat which stood on a tall wooden stool.

"Evans, Lily!" Professor McGonagall called.

I watched as the girl I had spotted arguing with another girl on Platform 9 3/4s walked forward. She was pretty with long red hair that swished side to side as she walked forward on trembling legs to sit down on the rickety stool. Professor McGonagall dropped the Sorting Hat onto her head, and barely a second after it had touched her head the Hat cried, "Gryffindor!"

I heard someone behind me let out a tiny groan and looked around and faced a skinny, sallow-looking boy with overlong black hair. He was watching Lily take the Hat off and hand it back to Professor McGonagall. He looked grim as she hurried towards the cheering Gryffindors; she glanced back at him, a sad little smile on her face. I followed Lily as she approached the table and noticed Sirius Black move up the bench to make room for her. I smiled slightly as I saw the look Lily gave him. She folded her arms and firmly turned her back on him. Clearly, he had already been making friends I thought to myself.

The roll call continued. After Lupin, Remus was sorted into Gryffindor, I jolted as Professor McGonagall called my name "Megera, Meghana"

At the sound of my name whispers immediately started to echo around the hall. My family's reputation had obviously preceded me. I heard the word "Slytherin" a few times and phrases to the effect of "family tradition". I didn't know why I hadn't thought about this before. It was no secret that my family were famous for being proud pureblooded dark wizards.

I took a deep breath and walked up to the stool trying to ignore the whispers around me. I hopped up and sat on the stool, my vision suddenly blocked out as the Hat began to talk to me.

"Hmmm Megera, the youngest of the lot" I squeezed my eyes shut at the sound of the name. "But you…very different from the rest." The Hat continued. "Ambitious, yes, but you wouldn't do well in Slytherin… no… so where to put you?"

My heart started thumping hard in my chest. Did the Hat just indicate that I was not a Slytherin?

"You're very intelligent so I think the only option for you is RAVENCLAW!" The Hat bellowed the last word and I felt the Hat being pulled from my head. I jumped off the stool and made my way to the Ravenclaw table, smiling at the other Ravenclaws cheering for me and patting me on the back as I sat down, my heart still beating hard in my chest. As the noise level dropped and became silent, I watched as the boy I had heard groan, Severus Snape, moved off to the other side of the Hall, to where the Slytherins were cheering for him. He spotted me watching him and I gave him a small smile, which he returned. I turned away as I saw my Uncle patting Severus on the back and looked over at the Gryffindor table spotting Sirius who, to my surprise, was looking at me, a small grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. I grinned back at him before turning back around and wondering if he was thinking the same thing as I was - what were our parents going to say when they found out neither of us was sorted into Slytherin?

"Welcome!" said Albus Dumbledore, loudly pulling me out of my own head. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast …"

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued. "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."

He paused before continuing on with a warning about the Dementors and I looked over at him as he paused again looking very seriously around the hall. I noticed that nobody moved or made a sound.

"On a happier note," he continued, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. Firstly, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts."

There was some scattered, rather unenthusiastic, applause. I turned to look down the table at Remus Lupin who looked particularly shabby next to all the other teachers.

I had not seen Remus in a long time and he looked a world older than his actual age. My eyes moved to Severus who was also staring along the staff table at Remus, his expression twisting his thin face beyond anger and resembling something more like loathing. I frowned slightly as I wondered if Severus was still hanging on to his old schoolboy resentment. I turned my gaze again to Remus whose attention was on Dumbledore and I made a mental note to catch up with Remus after the feast.

My mind wandered off again as Dumbledore announced Rubeus Hagrid as the new Care of Magical Creatures teacher and before I knew what I was even thinking about the golden plates and goblets before us all filled suddenly with food and drink.

After the feast had ended and the students had all made their way to their dormitories, I stood up and made my way along the table to greet Remus.

"Megs" he smiled at me warmly as I approached "You haven't aged a bit." He chuckled.

"Stop it!" I said, rolling my eyes. I knew he was referring to the unfalsifiable theory that the members of the Megera bloodline stay looking young as an ancestor of ours stole part of the Philosopher's Stone from Nicholas Flamel and drank so much elixir that it altered our DNA and was passed down through the bloodline. I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly. Of all of Sirius' friends, Remus was my favourite and I was genuinely happy that he was here.

"How have you been? What have you been doing?" he asked, peering into my face as we broke apart.

I launched into my usual, well-rehearsed speech whenever anyone asked what I did, about working at the Ministry and my place in the Wizengamot. He sat and listened to me, a look of adoration shining in his eyes which I felt I did not deserve.

"But never mind me, how have you been?" I said, smiling at him. His news was not as elaborate as mine and I felt my heart breaking for him as he spoke about being out of work a lot and hardly making ends meet. I knew he didn't want my pity so I stayed silent and we spent another half an hour catching up until the subject turned to Sirius Black. I knew it would eventually. It was the elephant between us both.

The last time I saw Remus, we had both agreed, although it broke our hearts, that we had both been fooled by Sirius and that there was no other explanation. I had believed it back then because I was young and anger clouded my better judgement. But, as time had gone on, something had shifted. Sirius was my everything, at one point, and I truly thought I knew him inside out. How could I think him capable of the things they accused him of?

"They say he is the only one to ever escape Azkaban," I said quietly, studying Remus' face for a hint of anything that would give away that he knew something I didn't.

"I don't know how he managed it to be honest," Remus said not quite meeting my eye but looking genuinely bemused.

I sighed "Has he tried to contact you?" and asked reluctantly not really wanting to know either answer.

Did I want Remus to tell me he had contacted him?

Or would I be disappointed if he hadn't?

"No," Remus said, turning to me "Has he you?"

I shook my head and looked down at my hands, my eyes lingering for a beat on the diamond engagement and wedding rings I couldn't bring myself to take off.

"I don't know what I would do if he did" I said more to myself than Remus. I looked up, noticing he was also looking sadly at the rings on my left hand before I said quietly "Well, it's getting late."

He nodded and added "It really is great to see you again, Meg"

I smiled at him "You too Remus."