Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. It is all trademarked by the wonderful JK Rowling. Actually, I kind of do wish I owned Remus… but that’s another story.

I felt this story had to be written, after the untimely demise of one of my all time favorite Harry Potter characters. HOW COULD SHE DO IT??? Sorry. Anyway, this story is going to bring Sirius’ death into full circle. For me, anyway. I figure if he’s got someone to be with, he’s going to be okay. Warning: There are mega OotP spoilers at the end. Then again, I haven’t even written the end yet, and most of the people who are crazy enough to read fan fiction after OotP have read it. Okay, I’ll shut up. READ!

~ Love from the Werewolf Queen ~

“Things don’t have to be this hard, Black. Just tell us you murdered those people and we’ll let you free.”

Sirius Black’s malevolent brown eyes stared up at the faceless people in front of him. “You lie.”

“Of course not.”

“Give me a trial.”

The faces only laughed at him. Cold, mirthless guffaws that mocked him. His heart sank even lower. He was facing years upon years stuck in Azkaban for something he didn’t do.

His mind wandered onto different things. Things he suddenly couldn’t control. What had happened the night he’d been wrongfully convicted? It seemed like it was such a jumble. Then it hit him. It was that rat, that bastard… Friend? FRIEND? He wasn’t a friend. He was the Dark Lord’s right hand man. How could he do it? How could he?

“Just tell us, Black, and you’ll get a shorter term. How’s that?”

“I’m not going to say it because I didn’t do it.”

“Eyewitnesses said you did.”

Sirius narrowed his eyes at the faceless morons in front of him. Eyewitnesses? Everyone on that street died in that blast. How could he explain when Wormtail had escaped into the sewer and there was absolutely no way of tracking him down? How could anyone know?

“I didn’t do it.”

“We’ll see about that. Stupefy!”

Sirius woke up later in a cold, dark jail cell. He was in Azkaban. The one place he dreaded more than any… That was…

The Dementors were going to suck the life out of him. They were going to make him remember every single thing that happened to him in the course of the past year. He was going to relive every painful moment.

“Take my bike. I’m not going to be needing it.”

“Let me take Harry, please…”

“They’re gone…”

“James and Lily were in there!”

“I won’t grieve for you. I love you.”

“I love you, Sirius.”

The mere memory of her voice tugged at his heartstrings. Cold tears coursed down his cheeks and he wiped them away angrily. He couldn’t let the Dementors get to him. They couldn’t take his life force. He had to remain angry… Happy… Anything. Any kind of emotion was better than emptiness.

That’s what it had been like before he met Cassie. More tears dripped down his face. Cassiopeia Reye. He was so in love with her that he couldn’t even begin to miss her.

Why am I here? Why couldn’t I just be with Cassie?

He buried his head in his arms and felt cold misery pull at him. He couldn’t let them have her. Cassie was his memory. He had to get out so he could go see her again.

But there was no way. There was absolutely no way to escape this hellish domain. He stared through the bars, gazing off into space. Someday, he’d get out and he’d find Harry Potter, his godson. He’d visit Cassie again. Someday, he’d be out in the open, free world. Away from the Dementors, away from the bars.

He’d get revenge on Peter Pettigrew if it killed him.

It was just then that Cassie’s voice visited him.

Don’t let hatred and anger cloud your vision, Sirius Black. You still have life left.

His eyes shone with tears and he stared up into the ceiling of the small, dark cell. He had only one thing left. Hope.

And that’s where Cassie’s memory came in.