Chapter 2

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

Maybe it was because Sirius was constantly on my mind that I was surprised that Halloween had come around so quickly. The school had gathered for the Halloween feast, and I was chatting pleasantly with Remus as we ate dinner. After the feast was over and many of the students had started to make their way to bed, a young Gryffindor student came running up to the staff table looking extremely pale and panting slightly.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir, you have to come quick, It's the Fat Lady - she's gone!" he gasped.

Dumbledore jumped up out of his seat and followed the student immediately without question.

I exchanged a puzzled glance with Remus before we too, jumped up and followed Dumbledore with Minerva and Severus following close behind. Once we reached Dumbledore outside the Gryffindor Common Room, I instantly noticed over the top of the crowd that The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait and that the empty canvas had been slashed. Strips of it littered the floor and great chunks of it had been torn away completely.

What the hell happened to her? I thought as I stared at the wreaked canvas.

"We need to find her," I heard Dumbledore say. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

"You'll be lucky!" came a voice from above me and I looked up to see Peeves the poltergeist, bobbing over the crowd looking delighted.

"What do you mean, Peeves?" said Dumbledore calmly, and Peeves's grin faded a little.

"Ashamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through a landscape on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful," he said happily. "Poor thing," he added, unconvincingly.

"Did she say who did it?" said Dumbledore quietly.

"Oh, yes, Professorhead," said Peeves. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." He grinned at Dumbledore. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black"

My stomach dropped at the sound of his name. He had done this? He had been in the castle? I glanced at Remus who was staring at the back of Dumbledore's head, his expression unreadable.

Dumbledore asked all staff to search the castle after he had brought all the students to the Great Hall to sleep. My mind was reeling with theories, each as impossible as the next. I had tried to talk with Remus before he went to search the 7th floor but he had quickly brushed me off, which made me a little suspicious.

An hour went by and there was no sighting of Sirius. As I walked slowly along a corridor on the 4th floor, I spotted Remus just ahead of me.

"Remus!" I called and he turned around, his face falling as I quickly caught up with him.

"Meg- I really don't think right now it is a good time-" he said quietly but I quickly pushed him into an empty classroom "-and if it's Sirius you want to talk about again, I will not hear it," he said in a low voice frowning slightly.

"Why?" I said, bristling at his tone before hurriedly shaking my head and asked "How did he get in?"

"I don't know," Remus said simply.

It was my turn to frown now. "You were one of his best friends."

Remus peered at me for a beat and then a sad smile crept onto his face. "Meg, you know as well as I do that you knew him better than any of us."

And before I could reply he stepped around me and walked out leaving me standing alone in the classroom.

I thought I knew him, but my entire perception of him had changed the night he betrayed Lily and James.

Sirius Black was not found in the castle and although security had been consolidated, life went back to normal. A couple of weeks after this I was sitting in my office marking essays before going down to dinner when a loud knock made me jump.

Sighing, I called irritably "Yes?" and went back to marking.

The next thing I knew, a photo from Lily and James' wedding was staring up at me. I had not seen this photo before, James was waving at me, beaming with Lily hanging off his arm, her face full of happiness. Sirius was standing next to them, his face exactly how I remembered it, so handsome and full of laughter and, standing next to him, gripping his hand and looking up at him as though she could never be convinced to let him go, was me.

I blinked hard, forcing the tears to retreat as I looked up at Harry, who did not look happy at all. He was breathing heavily, his hands clenched into fists and his face flushed.

"You knew him," he said slowly.

"Harry-" I began not really sure of where I was going to go with this.

"Did you know he was going to betray my parents?" Harry said. His voice shook as though he was trying really hard to remain calm "Or were you in on it too?"

I frowned, shocked that he would even suggest that. Lily was like a sister to me, she was one of the people I loved the most. "Your Mum was my best friend," I said sharply.

"Just like Sirius Black was?" Harry said harshly. "I heard Professor McGonagall and the Minister talking. They said he is the reason my parents are dead and yet there you are holding his hand!"

"Harry, none of us knew what Sirius was going to do. I know what that photo must look like but … it was taken more than twelve years ago." I said gently, refusing to look at it again.

Harry's face softened slightly and he sighed.

"Do you know what I hear when the Dementors come close to me, Professor?" Harry said, finally lowering his voice "I hear my Mum pleading with Voldemort. I hear him killing her."

I felt sick. I could feel a lump in my throat as I thought about Lily.

"And it's because of Sirius Black that I hear that!" He said his voice rising again.

"Harry, I don't know what to say." I said, eventually shaking my head slightly "I can't imagine what that's like."

Harry looked at me for a beat looking as though he was thinking hard. "I heard them say my parents made him my Godfather."

I swallowed as I looked at Harry, his face full of anger, looking at me as though daring me to lie to him. I nodded, biting my lower lip.

There was a long pause as I watched Harry's face grow dark and he mumbled "I want to kill him."

"Don't be ridiculous -." I said softly. He looked mutinous but I continued before he could retort. "I'm sorry you found out like you did but -."

"Doesn't anybody understand?" Harry interrupted furiously "Wouldn't you want revenge?"

I understood completely how he was feeling, but instead of agreeing with him, I gave him a stern look and said seriously "Harry, you mustn't go around seeking revenge on a man like Black. Everyone is trying to keep you safe."

Harry promised me he wouldn't go looking for Sirius and he said goodnight before he left.

I looked down and picked up the photo Harry had left and although I had never seen the photo, I remembered the moment it was taken. I remembered how happy we all were and my heart longed for this life again as I impatiently brushed away a tear that had escaped my eye.