SOIRÉE, SIRIUS BLACK

23 - tears streaming down her face.

OCTOBER 31, 1981
TW: MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH

At the start of the year, Florence had never understood why someone did not behave. Why not do what your parents expect of you? Why not marry the person they want for you? She never understood why they couldn't plaster on a fake smile and fake niceties to please those around them. But now, she understood. She understood it completely because some things are worth not being the perfect person everyone wants you to be. She truly understood why.

Because without him, she didn't know where she would be right now. If she would have even had the guts to leave. She didn't know what side of the war she would've landed on.

But there was also the burden of it all being a lie.

He never was on the good side, he was on the side of what the witch was running from. The side he had once begged her to leave.

Florence read fairytales like they were her bible when she was young. She loved the ending where the prince and princess would run into the sunset together.

Then, there was the brutal truth that there was no true happy ending in the cards for her. Tears streamed down her face as she realized the person she had loved with no regret was a death eater, a traitor, a murderer convicted to a lifetime in Azkaban.

She remembered him frantically running over to Peter's house to check on him. She never expected him to murder the innocent. And the part that felt like her heart was stolen from her chest was she still held Sirius Black with such admiration and love that the guilt ate away at her.

How can you still care? She thought. He obviously didn't.

I guess some stories don't get their happy endings, Florence thought miserably.

The girl was in shambles on the floor of their flat. The flat Sirius and Florence had bought together. Tears streamed down the blonde's face as she remembered the talks about their future late at night, how could she have known it was all a lie?

As Florence heaved out a heavy sob the door of the flat swung open. Her tear-stained face looked up to see none other than Peter Pettigrew.

"Oh, Peter," Florence sniffed pulling herself up off the floor to greet him, "I'm so sorry about Black. I just heard, you alright? Want tea? I'll make tea." Florence walked into the kitchen over to the faucet of water with a tea kettle, her back turned away from Peter as he followed.

"Yeah, he is a no-good traitor," Peter mumbled.

Florence flinched slightly as she set the kettle down on the stove, "Yeah." She mumbled wiping a stray tear from her eye.

"But, I will be honest with you. He is not the traitor you think him to be." Peter spoke moving closer to Florence.

Florence froze slightly, "No?" She asked nervously.

"No." The boy whispered, "not a traitor to you, or the Potter's." He started to circle her.

Florence backed away slightly, "Pete, you okay? You're making me nervous."

"He ruined my plan," Peter said a look of fire in his eyes Florence had never seen before.

"I think you're tired," Florence smiled softly turning away when the kettle started to whistle, "Stay the night, will you? We could all do with some sleep."

"No, I can't stay. I have to flee and hide, I'm afraid, can't have anyone asking questions. They believe me dead, you know? Did you hear that part?" Peter asked, he now had his wand in his hand twirling it between his fingers.

"No," Florence whispered looking at him as if he were a new person. "What are you getting at exactly, Peter?"

"You're Sirius' girl. He ruined the plan by coming after me!" Peter raised his voice, running a hand through his hair that had been thinning, his newly pale face now looking flush.

"Pete..."  Florence started, her eyes scanning the room for her wand, it was in the bedroom. "What did you do?"

"Someone had to go down for it, I couldn't you see? He was there it was perfect." Peter smiled maliciously.

"You framed him, he wasn't a traitor. You are." Florence said, feeling calmed that Sirius wasn't the traitor but then a feeling of rage bubbled in her stomach looking at Pettigrew.

"Maybe." Peter said moving closer to the girl, "But, he is still one. He joined the wrong side, the weak one...both of you did. You should never have left your family, stupid girl."

"Pete, stop, I don't blame you! It is fine, yeah? Just please leave, I'm tired." Florence lied trying to say anything to get him to leave, "I won't tell anyone you were here, I've never snitched have I?"

"I almost believe you, Flo." Peter said raising his wand at the girl, "But I can't risk it."

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

A flash of green light shot out of his wand hitting the blonde directly in the chest. A look of surprise made its way onto Florence's face as she looked at Peter in a mix of sadness, anger, and disappointment. Those were the last words Florence heard as her body hit the floor.

"What a tragic way to go," Peter whispered a tear streaming down his face as he left the girl in the kitchen.