Traitor ⭒ Peter Pettigrew

Chapter Forty Four: Portraits

"I miss that place." Aries reminisced.

"I would sell my soul for Effie's pancakes right about now." Sirius licked his lips.

"Well considering the dementors almost took your soul."

"Didn't come with a guarantee of pancakes though... just a lifetime of nothingness."

Aries frowned slightly, she tilted her head. "Was Azkaban really bad?"

Sirius turned away from her but nodded, he took a deep breath. "It was... I got lucky, because I was able to turn into the dog, but others in the cells next to me went crazy within days."

"If you knew you were innocent, why didn't you leave sooner?"

He turned back towards her but his eyes stared at his knuckles. "I thought he was dead, and if he was dead no one would believe me."

Aries bobbed her head, he was right. She didn't even believe him when he came with Remus let alone if he came to her by himself.

He clapped his hands together. "But it doesn't matter now, I got out and at some point he'll be inside and I'll be free once more. Help me with this."

He pointed at a large canvas covered with what was a velvet red curtain, but it was mounted in dust.

"Do you think it's another screaming portrait?" Aries asked.

"Might be dad this time."

"I bloody hope not." she muttered as he pulled it away.

"Oh shit, that's really old." Sirius said, they both stared at an unmoving family portrait.

Aries remembered the countless times she had to stand for the portraitist, Raphael Dumas, to finish the painting, she had been told he was the best in the world, and had travelled from the south of France especially to work with the Noble Black family.

Her hands grazed her shoulders, in the portrait her mother had her hand on hers, although Raphael hadn't painted her digging her nails deeply, leaving the marks for weeks. She had always managed to find the same place.

She was in the middle of her brothers, Regulus had his usual glower,  Sirius looked bored.

"Mother had used the cruciatus curse on me after this was done." he told her, "She said I had a slouch and ruined it."

"I hate the cruciatus curse." Aries shivered.

"What's that- oh cool! A portrait." Leo said, walking into the room. "What's the cruciatus curse?"

Sirius began to speak. "That my friend-"

"It's nothing." Aries quickly said, giving a small glance to Sirius. "Just a spell, you know we have loads."

Leo furrowed his brows at his wife.

"Yeah," Sirius said, catching on. "You know good old spells and stuff."

"Oh, okay." he replied, still looking at Aries, he then pointed back at the door. "Remus said he's ready and we're going to... Die again alley?"

"Diagon." Sirius grinned as Leo sighed a breath of relief.

"Oh thank god, I thought I was gonna have to die."

"Before you go," Sirius said, patting down his robes, he pulled out a Gringotts key. "Bill said you never picked up yours."

He handed her the silver key, the letter B was carved into the bow.

Leo turned his head. "What's that?"