Siriusly, Time is of the Essence III

Chapter 20

Final chapter in this book! It will be a while before I can start up the next one so, enjoy! Let me know what you think!!!

It was quiet now that the children were gone again and the holidays were over. Mr. Weasley was fully recovered and back at the Ministry, Molly was at home. Remus visited quite often, but mostly I left him and Sirius to their own devices. I busied myself with letters to Faith and Sandry, who told us was was going on at Hogwarts. Owls were being watched, so we had to use my method for sending letters.

Meetings were few and far between, even when Dumbledore started staying with us because Umbridge and Fudge finally tried to have him put into Azkaban for having an army at Hogwarts. Everyone was living their life and trying to get recruits for our Order and hunting out the Death Eaters. I felt so alone. It didn't help that the longer I was inside and unable to stretch my wings, the sicker I started to get. This house was suffocating me. It started getting to the point that food started tasting like ash and smoke.

I stayed in my bedroom, resting. Sirius was so worried, but I couldn't move very much. Everything started spinning. Albus said he was going to send for Severus, in the meantime, Sirius should try to get me to eat something. "I don't want to." I moaned, pushing it away.

"Lynnie, please, just try." Sirius begged. He pushed my lips open gently with the spoon, but I just couldn't eat it. I started choking on the ash taste and Sirius hurriedly held me up as I coughed it out, the plate spilling onto the floor.

"Black." A cold voice made me smile weakly. "What is going on here?" Sirius moved away, allowing Severus to get close as he moved to talk to Dumbledore. "How long has she been like this?" He asked as he lifted my eyelids and checked my teeth.

"She started puking a few days ago." Snape looked at the bit I'd coughed into the napkin, scowling.

"You were right Albus."  He helped me lay back down as he fished in his pocket.

"What?" I groaned, coughing a bit.

"Lynnie, honey." Sirius started to say.

"You've been poisoned." Severus stated, ignoring the daggers that Sirius aimed his way as he looked at various bottles. "Luckily, you are a gryffin," He said, settling on a green one. "Here." He lifted me back up, "Black, support her back." Sirius climbed up behind me and held me up. I got a wiff of the green liquid and jerked away. "Gwen." He held me firmly by my jaw as Sirius held me just as firmly from behind. "Drink it." He ordered, tipping the vial down my throat.

The taste of peppermint and chocolate and I felt much better as a warmth spread down my throat. Sirius asked, "What now?"

"Gryffins don't take well to poison. They have a defense against them, whatever poison is touching will turn to ash or smoke. However, it doesn't do much if they swallow some of the ash. We have to purge it from her system." With that, I felt a familiar crawling sensation crawl up my throat as saliva built up in my mouth. A bucket was urgently pushed under my chin as I started the purge.

"We shall start looking for the source." Dumbledore said and Snape followed him out.

"Thank you." I called, much better now.

I heard them talking as they started down the hall. "We have a situation at the school." Severus started as Sirius started cleaning up. "Potter seems to believe you are in trouble at the Ministry of Magic." He said. "Umbridge is-"

"They're gone!" Phineus panted in his protrait as Severus and Albus continued on.

"What?!"

"The children- they lead Umbridge into the forest, I think they're headed to the ministry. He said something about someone having Padfoot in the place where it's hidden. That dreadful nickname you had at school-"

"The prophesy!" I gasped, shooting out of bed, only to loose my balance.

"You need to rest." Sirius started, catching me.

"No!" I felt fire burn in my eyes. This was it. "I'm going. Try and stop me." I looked to the doorway where Severus was before I was gone in a flash of light.

The Ministry was abandoned and cold. I struggled to think of where the children might be as other lights surrounded me. Sirius, Tonks, Mad-eye, Lupin, Shacklebolt, everyone was there as I turned about franticly, searching. It was then when a familiar looking dog popped up, barking his head off. "Sandry!" I scooped up the ear ring as it grew in my arms, turning into a full sized bloodhound. "Follow me." I called as I followed the pull towards the other ear ring. My children were here. There would be a pound of flesh to pay when I caught them.

Everything lburred into shadow as we followed the path, apparating. Suddenly, there we were. I found Faith's captor first and grabbed him away from her, throwing him against the wall and binding him while I held Faith to me, quickly apparating to find Sandry. "Get your hands off my godson.!" Lucius turned with a start to face an angry Sirius, who promptly punched him in the face and the prophesy was lost as it hit the ground with a shatter as the battle started.

I had Faith and Sandry trapped between Remus and I as a silver snake hurled curses at me. I pulled sandry out of the way and tripped Faith so they landed on the ground, putting a protective barrier around them. I steadily got closer and closer to my opponent, easily getting him away from my children. "You!" Came a male voice from inside the silver skull mask as my eyes flashed brightly and lightening danced around my fist.

"Me." I grinned evilly as, in his shock, he left himself open for a nasty headache when he woke in Azkaban.

"You always did have a shocking personality." I spun around to find another opponent.

"Do I know you?"

"I know you." I felt more than saw his smirk as he lifted his wand. I reacted quickly and lunged forward, only for him to dodge and laugh. I shot hexes and curses, but he dodged or blocked every single one. Finally, I got him with a rebound, and his mask flew off with a clatter as it hit the hard stone. A hand clutched the side of his face as he looked up at me from under black hair, a chocolate brown eye glared up at me as he smiled evilly. "You've still got it." How did I know this man? How could I?

"Who are you?!" I faultered and he blasted me away.

"Better go save your love." He sneered and before I could get a better look at his face, he disapparated.

I looked up to see the scene from my dream. It was playing out before my very eyes. Sirius was battling Bellatrix, trying to protect Harry, his glasses reflected the light of the viel as it fluttered in a nonexistant wind. I could hear voices calling out to me as the silvery substance waved and shimmered. Sirius laughed as I struggled to get up and run. No! This couldn't happen!

I pushed myself to the limit, changing halfway into a gryffin, giving myself wings and making my bones lighter. "Come on! Is that the best you've got?" He laughed at his cousin as I finally launched into the air and a red beam of light flew toward his chest, which he'd left open arrogantly as he confidently battled his evil relative.

"No!" I cried, landing infront of him just in time, as I shoved him with a twist of my wing. "I will not loose him! Not again! Not ever!" I growled, taking the blast bruntly. In my momentum, I was flung into the side of the viel, my back hit the pillar and I felt bones snap as I was twisted away and landed on my stomach. I had to save him. I had to. I couldn't breathe. He had to live and be pardoned. Was he alive? He had to get to know his children. Where was Harry? He had to be there for them and Harry. He had to be the father that James couldn't. He just had to be alive. He just had to.

Vaguely, I heard people shouting my name, muffled. He had to live. He had to live just as I had to live. We had to survive. We had to. We must. We must.

"Mummy, Mummy come back to us." I heard someone crying in the darkness. "Mummy, we need you."

"Sandry?" I looked around. Where was she? Where was my child? "Sandry?" I asked again, trying my hardest to pierce through the inky black.

"Mommy, please!"

"Faith?!" She  was here too? "Faith! Sandry! Where are you?"

"MOMMY!!!!"