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SECRETS OUT
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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
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MORNING OF OCTOBER, thirty first everything was fine. Sirius and I had woken up and started our first rounds of patrolling. While James and Lily stayed safe in their house. So far everything was good. Nothing had drastically changed since the announcement of the prophecy.
The brisk chill of the late afternoon sent a shiver down my spine, while Sirius and I walked down the streets of Diagon Alley— hand in hand. And that peaceful mood slipped— Something seemed off. Not only were there no death eater spottings this entire week but there wasn't anyone even here. Not a single child running around and looking for sweets; or a mother looking to buy a present for their kids. Nothing, nobody.
"Somethings off." I mumbled, looking around and through shop windows, "is Diagon closed today or something? Where is everyone?" I asked, squeezing Sirius' hand tighter out of instinct.
"Darling, no need to worry, I'm sure they are all just getting ready for Halloween. You know, all those muggle traditions." He reassured, kissing my temple lightly. The thought of the holiday had slipped my mind in the chaos of order business. Of course no one was here, they were all getting their consumes ready.
Letting out a sigh of relief, I placed my head onto his shoulder— letting myself relax into him while his body heat radiated off onto me.
"I can't wait to visit James and Lily tonight." I chirped, referring to how the two of us had been invited to dinner at the Potters home..well actually their safe house.
"Me too love, speaking of that, aren't we supposed I be cooking something-" before he could finish his sentence I clapped my hand over his mouth, shushing him.
Putting my finger up to my lips, I motioned for him to stay quiet before I removed my hand from his mouth. Pointing in the direction of Knockturn Alley where a cloaked figure had just entered.
Following the figure, the two of us made our way through many twist and turns. Only once did I get a glimpse of the person— but not enough to fully make out who they were; because all I saw was a whip of blonde hair that was so vaguely familiar to me. Yet I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
Eventually we lost sight of the man, before turning back to the direction of our flat.
"Do we know anyone with blonde hair?" I asked, turning to Sirius with a worried expression.
"No one but Peter." He stated, slinging his arm over me, and pulling me closer to his chest as we walked through the many streets of Diagon— until we came to a stop in front of the store our flat was located on top of. This was home.. well as much as home would be.
The figure I had saw couldn't be Peter. Although the boy had been distant, I knew he would never harm anyone intentionally— and there was certainly no way of him being a death eater. I nearly chuckled at the thought.
Nearly an hour passed since the incident in Knockturn, as I was almost done getting ready to head to the potters house— for dinner.
Looking in my mirror I admired the casual outfit I wore. A nice pair of black joggers; and a striped long sleeve shirt. Since part of me knew this was most likely not a very formal dinner.
"Hun? Are you ready to go!?" I shouted, hearing a faint muffled 'yes' in reply from somewhere downstairs. Quickly throwing my bag over my shoulder, I stumbled down the stairs— meeting a casually dressed Sirius who stood in the middle of the living room. He looked great.
He lifted his arm out to me, and taking it— I immediately felt myself being morphed and stretched as my body attempted to squeeze through a small opening. Until the two of us landed outside the Potters residence.
But something was wrong.. there were no lights.. no music..and the door was a jar. Something Lily never did, especially concerning their recent safety threat.
"Sirius.." I breathed, gripping onto his arm.
"I know.." he mumbled, holding on to me just as tight while the two of us steadily made our way through the door— and searched the entirety of the downstairs. There was no mess.. no food.. it looked as if they hadn't even been expecting company.
But the moment I took my first step up there stairs, my breath hitched at the sight of feet hanging down. The shoes I had gifted James for his eighteenth birthday sitting on the mans feet. Then I stepped farther, and in the dim light I saw it—
James potters lifeless body, laying on the floor.
A heart-aching sob escaped my lips, that caused Sirius to run to my aid— only for him to stop in his tracts at the sight as well.
"Hes..Hes-" I couldn't even get the words out, I was in to much of a panic to understand— how could he be dead? James Potter was never meant to die.
"Oh my Merlin! Lily!? Harry!?" I shouted, running past James' lifeless body— and down the long hallway of the second floor. Only for another sob to escape me at the sight.
Lily Potter sprawled out on the floor, next to Harry's crib.. her forest green eyes emitting a kindness, even in death as she laid there— the body of another girl I shared my life with.. another girl I told my secrets to was taken away from me within a matter of months.
Then a low cry broke my gaze from the red heads limp body— shifting it to where baby Harry sat, still alive, in his crib. A fresh scar in the shape of a lightning bolt printing against the skin above his eyebrow.. branded for life.. oh how I hated how he would be reminded of this day.. forever.
A crash from outside broke my trance on the boy, causing my eyes to dart to a figure standing in the yard. The same figure from Knockturn.
"Sirius! We have to go, we have to follow him!" I shouted, sprinting out of the room, and down the stairs where I found him gasping into his hands at the kitchen table.
"Who?"
"The man outside! He did it! Why else would he be here!?" I continued, and without hesitation he followed me. He followed me through the neighborhood; the forest, he followed me, as I followed the man who murdered our best friends.. the man who didn't even know what was about to come for him.
When the three of us had reached a clearing in the forest, the man stopped. Holding his hands above his hands in a sort of surrender as he turned around. Not allowing his face to be revealed.. that was until he pulled the hood of his cloak off. Making both Sirius, and my breath hitch in our throats at the sight.
One of our closest friends,
"Peter!?" I seethed, finding myself in a bit of shock. The quiet boy, the shy one, the one I spilt my feelings to when I had no one else. The one I trusted with my secrets..only to find out he was just a dirty little rat, literally.
"you did this? You fucking murdered them? Why? Why Peter!?" Sirius shouted at the boy, why would he do something like this why? Why.. was the only question I could come up with.. why would he..
How could he? How could he do this to not only them, but us? To Sirius, to me, to Remus! Oh merlin, "you bloody traitor! I hope you rot in hell you filthy, disgusting rat!" I spat, attempting to run at him, only for two arms to wrap around my waist.
My voice was deathly low as I continued, "They trusted you.." I breathed, "they fucking trusted you!" I repeated, this time louder so the blonde boy could hear me, "They made you their secret keeper.. thinking you would actually keep it!" I hissed, feeling a hand place itself on my shoulder.
But the boy didn't show any regret, none as he brought out a knife from his pocket. Sliding it along his hand before quickly chopping off his own finger, and letting it fall to the ground before him. Why would he?
The only words escaping his lips being a pitiful 'I'm sorry' before a spell was sent my way— hitting me square in the chest. All my senses, all my surroundings fading into nothing as I became unconscious.
"Hi I'm Lily!" The ginger quipped, offering her hand to me. She was cute, with her red hair falling to her waist, and her piercing green eyes that had a glint of authority behind them.
"I'm onyx!" I replied, taking her hand, "I guess we are dorm mates?" I joked, looking around the empty dormitory I had yet to decorate.
"I guess we are.." he giggled, flipping down on the bed next to mine.
Something told me this girl was going to be a big part of my life; and I just couldn't wait to find out why.
The chilly breeze brushed along my skin, while the grass caused an itch to form. It wasn't the most comfortable place, so fluttering my eyes open— I took in the sky above me. Suddenly letting all the memories flood back as a broke. Sob escaped my lips.
With no clue how long I had been knocked out, I felt drowsy with confusion.
Feeling a presence beside me, I turned my head, finding a still knocked out cold Sirius laying there. Attempting to wake him up, I poked at his side, to no avail. Then I pushed him slightly— watching as his eyes began to flutter open; and the events of last night flooded back to him as well.
"Onyx where are we- oh my.." his breath hitched, causing me to look at him in confusion. Until I myself, let my gaze wander from him and to the area around us. The sight was was horrific, causing me to gag in my mouth a little just from the thought of what happened.
We were surrounded, not by the living.. but my nearly twelve dead bodies and a single finger. All appearing to be muggles from their fashion. What the fuck was happening..how did we get here.. what do we fucking do.. we're all the thoughts running through my brain at this moment.
But the thing that stood out the most, was the mark in the sky.. the death mark.. green fumes in the shape of a skull with a snake slithering from its mouth.
This looked bad, this looked so terribly bad.. and there was no fixing it now, there was no escape from the blame we were going to receive.
Sirius and I, we had just gotten ourselves in some serious Trouble.
"What- what do we do.." I breathed, my calm breaths quickly turning into panicked ones as I anxiously looked around for a solution, for anything to make this mess disappear. Anything.. to wake up from this nightmare we were trapped in.
Anything..
But nothing worked.. nothing happened when I squeezed my eyes shut and wished for all this to go away. Nothing happened when I crossed my fingers, nothing could bring Lily and James back, To bring Peter here so I could smash his face in..
"Stay there! Do not move!" A man shouted from somewhere behind us. And suddenly, the bodies weren't the only thing surrounding the two of us— now there were more than fifty ministry workers all packed around. Threatening to hex us if we dare to move. I was terrified, completely stunned. This was it, this was the end of everything..
"Sirius.. I love you." Was all I was able to get out before a woman grabbed me from behind, and placed shackles over my wrist. While another man did the same to Sirius across from me.
"No please! It wasn't us! Plea-" I shouted, the sobs and cracks in my voice being cut off when a hand was clasped over my mouth— muffling every plea, every cry that escaped my lips.
With one last look at Sirius, I felt myself melt into those Grey Irises once again.. getting lost in the storm behind them. His eyes were the same shade as the winter coat I always wore when it grew cold, the color of the sky when storms roll in. My favorite color.. it had become something so beautiful.. so familiar to me— that even the thought of letting it go pained my heart. So with one last quick glance— I took them in, I savored ever last detail of those stone eyes, and copied them into my brain. So that no matter how many scars he receives or how drastically different he becomes.. I will recognize him, just by staring into those familiar eyes..
And in that moment, I let all my love transfer through our state; Telling him I would be there, that this goodbye was only temporary. And in the end.. I would always be here.. because like I said.. we are forever..
Goodbye for now my love..
The feeling of the metal ripping against my skin was excruciating. The pain that seared through me at every pull of the chains and tug of the rope.. I felt like a prisoner— because I was one. Somewhere inside me I knew I deserved to be here.. I knew I deserved the life sent my way.. but not this.. not this harsh. This wasn't meant for me.. this was meant for Peter..
Why was I sentenced to this? Why me? Why Sirius? What did we do...?
Bloody hell what would Remus do?
What did Harry do..
The poor boy would grow up without his parents, even then— he didn't have his godparents either.. and he would be accustomed to assuming Sirius and I are monsters.. that we were the ones who murdered his parents.. when really— it was the boy we least expected..
The one who fell in love with the wrong man. The man who led him to make all the wrong decisions.
AUTHORS NOTE
Giving you guys a third chapter today, I spoil you. Anyways I'm way to excited to hear your reactions to this! 👩🏼🦰
If you don't fully understand what that last sentence means. It basically is saying that when Peter fell for Mulciber, that he drug him down and pushed him to join the death eaters. This is not saying that Peter is not 100% responsible for his disgusting behavior, because he is. but instead it gives him sort of a back story as to why he did it. All because he was so in love with Mulciber he just couldn't say no. Instead of just randomly betraying his friends.
Also this kind breaks my heart, because Remus is doing his mission when Lily and James get murdered. And then Sirius goes to Azkaban. And it's so heartbreaking to think that Remus came back and had absolutely no one left. Just like suddenly all this friends were gone. Like..wtf JKR. Reason #103782 on why I hate that bitch 👵
Harry Potter is officially written by Dobby.
Love,
Milly