The Godmother

7. soft kisses, gentle hands

SHE KEPT HER EYES ON THE DOG. It sat panting by a corner. Though its fur made it look wider than it was, Elizabeth could tell that the dog was skinny and malnourished. Its hair looked sticky and gross. Not only did it need a haircut but three baths and some disinfectant, possibly an exorcism would make it clean and smell better.

She carefully took a step forward, being a silent and stealthy as she could so as not to scare the dog away. The dog was still panting and looked overly tired. Elizabeth took another step. The dog didn't move. Slightly confident, Elizabeth strode forward. Bad move. The dog took off around the corner.

"No!", Elizabeth screeched as its tail bolted behind the wall.

She ran to the wall and turned the corner. The dog was limping yet still creating a fair distance from Elizabeth. It trotted past the doors to the Great Hall and outside to the courtyard. Elizabeth ran after it.

"Professor! There's a dog!", a student cried. Elizabeth rushed past the student who was pointing at the dog who was racing faster than a cheater despite its thin stature.

It rushed down the courtyard steps and strategically ran towards the forest. Elizabeth didn't care. She didn't notice. She just ran.

It was a good thing she was running as her heart was beating so fast, if she had have been standing still, she'd have been in the height of a panic attack. She ran and ran, letting her legs take over her body.

Faster and faster she ran down the hill, past Hagrid's house and into the dark forest.

The dog disappeared in the fog of trees. It was pitch dark. Elizabeth's eyes weren't used to such blackness.

She could hear the trees whispering dark secrets and the panting of the dog. And suddenly, the panting was gone.

The trees whispered. Shhhhhhhhhh... Elizabeth was scared now. Had the dog gone? She turned around but realised that she was too far in. She was surrounded by darkness. She felt the shadows eating her. The trees were encouraging them. Shhhhhhhhh...

She only theorised. She only hoped- prayed. She let her conscience get the better of her. She allowed herself to fall into a trap that she warned herself against. It was her own fault that she was stuck in a forest after dark.

Violent delights only brought violent endings. Maybe this was it? Maybe her end was meant to be violent afterall?

Shhhhhhhhhh...

The air around her changed. It was more quiet. The trees wanted her to know something. They screamed a secret. Shhhhhhhhh...

Elizabeth slowly moved her hand into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out her wand. Little by little. Bit by bit. She felt the tip release from the back seams and she gradually pointed her wand in front of her.

She prayed it wasn't a creature or something dark that belonged to the night. It wasn't a full moon. Acromantuala's were in hibernation. She wasn't ready to die. Not unless it was for Harry.

With an uneasy breath, Elizabeth whispered, "Lumos."

She opened her eyes. She store. She tried to breathe but her lungs had collapsed into a heap by her feet.

Words defied her. Her heart was an overflowing vat, pumping and churning like a washing machine.

"S- Sirius", she breathed.

He was there, standing a foot away from her. Except he wasn't. His face looked like a melted wax figure. His eyes were far into his dark sockets, pocketed by malnutrition. His cheek and collar bones stuck out. His clothes were ragged and dirty, ripped as though he'd had a fight with a lion.