England's Bloody Rose

Iolanthe Potter Chapter #4

"You weren't as unbroken as you thought you were Sirius," Amelia informs him gently, "Frank and Alice would worry about you with Moody constantly. Why do you think people were so relieved you got married? People thought you finally fixed yourself up."

"I knew," Sirius was unsurprised, "but I was still whole. I was still okay. But the moment you told me Lydia was gone, I broke. She wasn't my wife, but she was my anchor. My sister. The one person who got me through life. Gone."

"You really think of me like that?" Lydia asks Sirius softly. 

"Yes," Sirius blushes, "100%"

"We all remember how that went," Amelia says, "you were inconsolable."

"I was," Sirius unabashedly responds, "but I could have made it out. I could have. If only Frank and Alice made it out."

"We die," Frank says horrified. He can't imagine leaving Neville alone. However, before anyone else could wallow, the film continues.

"They got worse than death," Amelia agrees, "and poor Neville. He can see them, but they'll never recognize him again. The cruciatus is truly a horrible curse. Their minds will never be the same again."

"No," Alice breathes, scared for her son. She and Frank had been married for two years already, and they'd been struggling with having children. Clearly, Neville is their only child, and they waited so long for him. To hear that her mind will be so far gone that she wouldn't be able to recognize her own child broke her. Why them? What did anyone here do to deserve these fates?

"My poor children," Augusta sobs, Euphemia hugging her, "why my babies?"

"After Lydia died," Sirius continued the story after a few seconds to regain composure, "I did everything I could to live up to her. To her legacy. I fought for the aurors, wrapped death eaters, killed so many people, and I rose through the ranks. You know how the story goes."

"Five years after the Lydia Potter's death, the Grim Reaper becomes the youngest ever Head Auror," Amelia recites the headline, "and three years after that you became the youngest ever head of the DMLE."

"Way to go Siri," Lydia cheers for her friend, "looks like you got a nickname too. The Grim Reaper."

"You think it's because of Padfoot?" Sirius asks quietly, "I mean I am a grim."

"Probably," She whispers back, "after all, they seem to know I'm an animagus."

"Exactly," Sirius sighs, "in the interim, I have twins, Dorcas and I break up because of reasons I am legally forbidden from sharing, and I end up raising three kids and half raise Neville as well."

"I get it," Amelia says, "it was a lot."

"It is," Sirius corrects, "and all along, I've been living my life in Lydia's legacy. I couldn't bear to break off from what we had planned to do. Had Lydia been around, I would have enjoyed being an auror. But she isn't, and I spent a decade trying to live a dream I couldn't reach. It didn't help matters that the living embodiment of Lydia lived with me, and don't go repeating this, but I couldn't look Iola in the eyes for three whole year. Three! I couldn't look at my own child's face, because she resemble her mother too much."

"Oh Siri," Lydia hugged her brother, "you don't have to do that. Not for me and not for anyone."

"You took my advice," Amelia suddenly recognized, "you went to therapy."

Chuckles could be heard. It shouldn't have been funny. After all, it was proof that someone was so scarred they needed help. But with the circumstances they were in, it was the only thing they could bring themselves to do.

"I did," Sirius looks at Amelia, "I told you that I was willing to try and get better for you. I understand that you have your own issues, and that you can't be with someone who is hoarding their own. So I took your advice and got myself a therapist. I edited some of the details of course, she was a muggle, but Lindsay -that's her name by the way- really helped me work all of this out. I'm not better, but I'm working on it."

"I'm glad to hear that Sirius," Amelia smiles at him, "I shouldn't have reacted so rashly. earlier. I'm sorry."

"It's okay Amy," Sirius smiles back, "but that's why I retired. Lindsay said I was trapping myself in the past, and in order to move forward, I should try and get a different job. She said a new environment would help me heal."

"I'm really glad Sirius," Amelia tentatively begins her next question, "what are you going to do now?"

"I've been thinking about an old idea of mine," Sirius admits, "Lydia and I had played with it before we realized how bad the war was, and felt responsible to step in."

"Oooh, oooh," Lydia begins to aggressively poke Sirius, "is it the-"

"Shut up and we'll find out Prongsie," Sirius says harsher then he meant. This whole talk about future him's mental state has been taking a toll on him. It was highly humiliating to have all these people snooping in on what seems to be a pivotal conversation between him and Amelia. Lydia knew Sirius too well though, and simply rubbed his back.

"Too much Siri?" she asks, "I can stop if you want." At Sirius's nod, the energetic girl turned herself off. Sirius was one of the only people she would ever reign herself in for.

"What was it?" Amelia anxiously questions.

Sirius pulls out a mirror, and tells Amelia, "You recognize this?"

"Of course I do," Amelia rolls her eyes, "it's the two way mirror you and Lydia used to use."

"Lydia and I made these in our third year," Sirius explains, "it's the same year we began working on the map, and the same year we began the animagus process."

"You did what?!" Professor McGonagall shouted aghast, "I'd only just begum teaching that concept."

"Calm yourself Minerva," Professor Sprout told her friend, "those two are extremely clever. I'm sure they were fine."

"Impressive invention Sirius and Lydia," Professor Flitwick comments, "dare I say that's what you use during detentions where you are separated?"

"Yes," Lydia answers unashamedly, "Siri and I don't like being apart for too long."

"Well we invented many more things," Sirius elaborates, "and we always wanted to open a workshop. So I'm going to work on that for this year, and begin preparations beginning All Hallows Eve next year."

"And I hope you keep me informed," Amelia inches closer, "or I'll break into your house next."

"You won't have to break in," Sirius retorts, "you're always welcome." The scene ends with the two kissing, and eases into the Potter Living room in the 70s.