Little Phoenix (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

22. Ghosting

Nic had been avoiding everyone since that day. She was still ignoring everyone as October rolled around. It was a bright Saturday when she decided she wanted to go visit Sonata. When she got there, she began to pet the beautiful bird. "Nicki?" a voice behind her said in surprise. Turning, she spotted Cedric.

"What?" she snapped, turning back to Sonata.

"Nic what's been going on with you?" he asked, turning from where he had just sent his owl off with a letter to his father. "You're avoiding everyone, even Tyriq and Hermione. Even Ginny said you won't talk to her or Harry either. What is going on? We're your friends!"

"You wouldn't understand," Nic retorted, beginning to leave.

"You sure about that?" Cedric countered, blocking her escape.

"How could you?!" Nic yelled, finally losing it. "You actually have a father to send a letter to! You have a mother who can say everything will be okay! You don't see your father die every time you go to sleep! You don't..." She broke off, not being able to go on as she began to hyperventilate.

"Nicki," Cedric began, feeling guilty, but she turned from him and jumped off the tower. "NICKI!" Cedric shouted, shocked, but when he looked over the edge, he didn't see her. All he saw was a flaming Phoenix soaring towards the Forbidden Forest. Cedric backed up before looking back over the edge. "Merlin," he cried before running off towards Dumbledore's office to tell him what had happened.

Nic, however, had flown deep into the forest and landed in one of the higher branches of a tree. Instantly, a low growl met her keen ears. With a squawk, she lost her balance, fell off the branch, and began to fall to the ground. On accident, Nic changed back to her human form, causing her to hit the branches on her way down before hitting the ground with a thump. The growling stopped and a figure loomed over her. Her eyesight was blurry and hazed from the bright sun in her face, but she did notice long, matted hair and sunken eyes.

The man looked like a skeleton. That was her final thought before all faded to black. Sirius crouch over her in worry, guilt eating at him as he saw his goddaughter hurt before him. He quickly began looking around for her wand so he could help her. Finally he found her wand on the ground next to her and muttered a few spells under his breath. Soon she was as well as he could make her. Setting her wand beside her, Sirius changed back to his dog form and sat at attention to make sure nothing happened to her.

When Nic woke up a few hours later, the dog was still sitting at her feet, watching carefully. With a groan she sat up, causing the dog to turn around and look at her. It was a large black dog, but it was very thin as if it was being underfed. With a sympathetic sigh, Nic reached into her pocket where she had a bag of sandwiches. Somehow all her worries and pain she had been feeling recently faded away as she was helping him.

Looking unsure, the dog tilted its head before it suddenly shifted. "Sirius Black," Nic whispered. Much to the convict's surprise, there was no fear in her eyes. Taking the sandwiches, he devoured them as Nic kept staring at him, several thoughts rushing through her head. After he had finished, the two just sat, trying to read the other one.

"You're not afraid of me," Sirius remarked, his voice a croak.

"My father trusted you," she replied. Instantly pain flashed over Sirius' face and he looked away. "Do you deserve it?" Her voice shook slightly as she added, "People say that you are after me and Harry and that you killed thirteen people. They say you're mad. Are they right?"

"They also say that I betrayed James and Lily," Sirius replied quietly. "I didn't, I wouldn't."

"So then why do they think you did?"