Embers | S. Black

Prologue

October 31, 1981

    "Hey, be careful! I don't want him falling off that thing!" Lily shouted over the laughs of James and Sirius who had been teaching Harry how to ride the broomstick Sirius had bought him for his birthday earlier that year.

    "Oh come on, Lily, loosen up, he's a natural!" Sirius exclaimed. Just then, Harry shot up from the ground and toppled over him giggling the entire time. Sirius looked from his place on the ground and gave the woman a goofy grin before James ran over to stop the one year old from crashing.

She sat back down on the couch, two glasses of wine in her hand, "I swear it's like watching over three 1 year olds..." She sighed, rolling her eyes.

    Amara took the glass from her as she chuckled at her worries, "Yeah, just be glad they're all cute." She looked over at the boys and began laughing at their antics, "He really is adorable, Lily."

    "Sirius is really good with him," a mischievous smile appearing on her face, "have you guys thought about....?" she trailed off, suggestively

    Amara glanced at her boyfriend, Harry now sitting on his shoulders, giggling loudly, then turned to look at her friend, "Sirius wants to, but..." she stopped to think of how best to explain the situation.

"You don't." Lily finished for her, regretfully

"It's not that, I just think he has to grow up a bit more. Honestly, we both do, neither of us is done wreaking havoc just yet." She tried to joke, but it was the most truthful answer she could have given. She looked back at the man that had stolen her heart, the curls just above his shoulders bouncing around, the grey eyes that shined even from afar, the bright smile that gave her butterflies each time she saw it, "They would be cute though, wouldn't they?" She said, now imagining what their kids would look like.

Lily laughed at the woman's indecisiveness, "The curls alone would make anyone swoon" She said sarcastically, grabbing Amara's own curly hair in her hand and played with it.

The signal to leave the impromptu dinner came when Harry began falling asleep on his broom. Sirius said goodbye to the all three Potter's multiple times before Amara pushed him out the door, "Come on Sirius, they're clearly exhausted, let them sleep while the baby's sleeping." She said, now outside the secret house.

"I know, it's just, I don't know when I'll see them again." He said, regretfully. He put his arm around her, guiding them just outside the barrier of the house, "The boy's energetic though, huh?" He added, more enthusiastically.

"Clearly from James' side," She commented.

Sirius stopped just outside the fence, grabbing her hand to turn her around to face him, "James asked me to check on Wormtail," He told her apologetically

"Now? Can't it wait until tomorrow?" She asked, clearly tired and wanting to go home.

"It'll be quick, I promise, I'll meet you at home." He assured her.

She didn't understand why, but her stomach tossed at the thought of leaving him, "Just be careful." She told him, holding his hands a little tighter.

He smiled down at her and pulled her into a hug, "I will," they stood embraced in the middle of the leaf covered street for what felt like hours. As he pulled back, he kissed the top of her head, "I love you."

"Me too," she responded softly, letting him go. She watched him walk to the hidden motorcycle by the bushes, and when he mounted it, apparated to the apartment they shared.

Amara decided to wait up for him, so she grabbed a book and sat on the couch, though it didn't take long for sleep to overcome her. The sun hadn't even begun to come up when she awoke the next morning. A series of loud bangs on the front door rousing her from the deep sleep. Confusedly, she made her way to the door. Dumbledore stood on the other side, face pale, behind him Remus barely stood, eyes red and shaking.

"Amara," Dumbledore stepped into the entrance of the house, "I'm afraid I have some bad news. Voldemort has found James and Lily."

She looked at him dumbstruck, she didn't believe him, "No, you're mistaken. I was just over at theirs, they were fine." Though, the pit forming in her stomach told her otherwise. He gave her a look that told her everything and then she moved her eyes to Remus, who couldn't stand to look at her, "No... Albus... No, I have to go see them." She pushed her way to the door quickly, avoiding the tears from forming in her eyes.

Before she could reach the door, Remus grabbed her by the waist, "They're dead, Amara, they're dead," He cried, holding her up as she collapsed.

Tears now fully flowing down her face, she tried to push her way through him, but found no strength to do so. Just then she realized something. Sirius. He hadn't come home yet. Her worst fears came to mind as she spoke, "Sirius, he went to check on Peter, he-he never came home," she tried to explain. Remus held her tighter as Dumbledore revealed Sirius' betrayal. She didn't believe him, she couldn't. This was the man she loved, James' best friend. He would rather die than betray his friends. As his explanation dragged on, she stopped crying, stopped listening, it was too much too fast. She felt numb at the thought of Sirius spending the rest of his life in Azkaban. They were supposed to share that time together, it wasn't supposed to end like this.

"I have asked Hagrid to get Harry," Dumbledore tried to explain further, but stopped when he noticed her change of demeanor.

She turned to look at him, eyes wide, full of hope, "What? But you said Voldemort-"

"I said Voldemort killed James and Lily, Harry, however, survived." He cleared up, softly, "I have asked Hagrid to bring him to his Aunt's house, where he will stay until he is ready to come back."

"You can't do that! I'm his godmother, I should be taking care of him!" She demanded, loudly.

"Amara... I wish that were the case," he told her regretfully, "The only reason Harry was able to survive Voldemort's attack was because of Lily's sacrifice, that type of magic only runs in blood. As long as he is with someone who shares his blood, he cannot be touched. He will be safest with his Aunt."

"Please, Professor, I can protect him. I promised them I would," She pleaded, her eyes threatening to let loose again.

"You must understand, the Death Eaters will be looking for him and anyone who has information about what happened tonight. I cannot willingly let you take him when I am assured of his safety elsewhere," an apology pouring out through his eyes as he looked up through his half-moon glasses, "In fact, I think it wise you leave Britain, It is not safe for you either."

A knot was forming in her throat from the resistance to let the tears flow freely. She didn't speak in fear of breaking down again, instead she nodded her head, refusing to look at either man. At her agreement, Dumbledore left the house, only stopping to put a hand on her shoulder as he left. Remus stayed behind to make sure she took his warning to heart. He pulled her closer, allowing her to let out her emotions in his chest.

Amara felt more pain in a span of 30 minutes than anyone should experience in their lifetime. She thought about James and Lily and the fear they must have felt the moment of their death, their bodies lying in their, now destroyed, home. They had sacrificed themselves to protect their son, fought for his life with no regard for their own. Harry would now be an orphan, he would never truly know his parents. It hurt Amara the most to know that she was not able to keep her promise to them, to protect Harry. Then, her thoughts shifted to Sirius. He would now be in a cell in Azkaban, awaiting the torture of the Dementors. Her heart refused to let her believe that he had turned the Potters in to Voldemort, there had to be another explanation for what happened tonight. In her mind, he had just been given a life sentence unjustly. Her body felt numb as she thought about all the people she cared about dead or gone from her life, and yet, she cried, because at that moment, there was nothing else she could do.