Chapter 30: Trust

It had been a week since the Greyback incident and Willow had taken to avoiding James, Remus and Peter whenever possible, spending her time between the library and occasionally popping in to see Lily who was still in hospital under observation, hopefully, she would be released soon, if not today.

At the moment Willow was sat in the library studying when three shadows fell across the page she was reading.

"When I'm done Isabella, I promise I'll come and play gobstones with you, Lacretia and Mary. So can you three, please leave me be." She said without glancing up.

"As interesting as that sounds," James Potter's voice said. "That's not what we came to talk to you about."

She glanced up to find James, Remus and Lily stood before her and groaned, she should have known she couldn't avoid them forever. James was like a dog with a bone, once he had something, he just couldn't let it go.

Lily immediately slipped into the seat beside her.

"Oh Willow," she said, sounding tearful, "why didn't you tell us about Greyback? We could have gone to Dumbledore, sorted everything out."

Willow sighed and closed her book before turning to look at all three of them.

"While I appreciate your concern for me," she said. "And your help the other night," she added glancing at James and Remus. "You don't understand what was going through my mind. I refused his offer at first, and then Lily got hurt, badly. That's when I knew I didn't have an option that he wasn't messing around. That this was real."

She took a deep breath before continuing.

"I love Sirius with all my heart, I truly do. But I am not willing to risk his life, or anyone else's just for the sake of telling Dumbledore. He may be able to stop Avery, but he can't stop Greyback. You don't know Greyback like I do; he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. I am not willing to put the people I care about lives at risk. Look at what happened to my father, look at what happened to Sirius and you Lils," she said turning to Lily, tears in her eyes. "You think I want that to happen again? I'm better off being alone."

With that she rose from her seat, shouldered her bag and headed out of the library. James, Remus and Lily watched her go before turning to one another.

"We have to tell Sirius," Lily said. "Even with or without Willow. He needs to know."

James and Remus nodded in agreement.

"But how?" Remus asked. "You know how unstable Sirius can be when he gets angry. Who's to say he doesn't flip out and try to kill Avery?"

"Well," Lily said rising, "If it comes to that, we'll just have to do our best to stop him."

Sirius sat on his bed, reading his Herbology textbook. He had taken to getting on with his homework rather a lot to distract himself from thoughts of Willow.

It had been just over two weeks she had broken up with him and she still invaded his thoughts. He still loved her, he always would do.

Sighing in frustration, he flipped his book shut and slid of his bed. He was fed up of this empty feeling he had, he wanted to know why Willow had broken up with him, she had never really given him a proper excuse, and Sirius had decided that now was the time.

He had just crossed the room when the dormitory door opened and James, Remus, Peter and Lily piled in, all looking slightly flustered.

"Where the hell have you been?" James demanded, glaring at him.

Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"In here." He said.

James eyed him before turning to Peter.

"I thought you said you checked in here, Peter." He said.

"I did," squeaked Peter. "He must have been in the bathroom or something."

James rolled his eyes before turning back to Sirius who had now folded his arms and was looking at the four of them expectantly.

"May I enquire as to why all four of you are so desperate to find me?" He asked.

All four of them exchanged a look before James broke the silence.

"It's about Willow." He said.

Sirius felt his heart clench and panic flooded through him.

"Is she alright?" he asked. "She's not hurt is she?"

"No," James told him. "Although she did come close the other night," he added as an undertone causing Sirius' eyes to narrow.

"It's about why she broke up with you." Lily informed him.

Sirius blinked.

"What about it?" he asked, keeping his voice light.

Lily chewed her lip nervously and glanced at James, Remus and Peter. Remus took over the story at this point.

"You remember Fenrir Greyback?" he asked.

Sirius snarled at the name.

"What about him?!" he demanded before his eyes widened. "Has he hurt Willow? I'll kill him."

He started towards the door but James, Remus, Peter and Lily blocked it.

"You're not going after Greyback," James told him firmly. "You're going to listen."

Sirius pursed his lips and folded his arms.

"Fine." He said harshly.

Remus once again took up the explanation.

"Well, Willow was contacted by Greyback. Basically, he threatened to hurt all her friends if she didn't break up with you." He told him. "At first she refused, but after what happened to Lily, she felt guilty, and so, decided that she should break up with you." He looked at Sirius whose eyes had widened in surprise. "She didn't want too, but she didn't have a choice. She couldn't bear to lose you, not so close to having lost her father."

Sirius ran his hands through his hair, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"She broke up with me to protect me?" he asked.

All four of them nodded.

"Willow loves you," Lily said. "You can see that every time she looks at you, and it's the same every time you look at her. You survive off each other. It's been killing her, what she did. But she didn't see another option." She reached out and touched his shoulder. "She loves you so much, she'd rather you hated her and lived than loved her and died."

Sirius just nodded.

"I think I need some time alone." He whispered.

James, Remus, Peter and Lily exchanged a glance before James nodded.

"Take as much time as you need," he said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "We'll be down in the common room if you need us."

Sirius nodded and watched as his friends turned and left the dorm before sinking onto the nearest bed, his head in his hands.

This certainly put things in a new perspective.

Professor Century's door was open and he was sat at his desk reading what appeared to be essays. Raising a fist, he knocked on the door. Professor Century's head moved upwards and he blinked several times before sitting back in his chair, a concerned look in his eyes as he surveyed him.

"Everything alright, Mr Black?" he asked as Sirius entered Professor Century's office.

Sirius nodded and sank into a chair across from his Professor.

"I wanted to talk to you," he said before clearing his throat. "I know the real reason why Willow broke up with me."

Professor Century shifted, leaning forwards and looked at Sirius, his eyes filled with kindness.

"And?" he asked.

"I don't know," Sirius replied. "I love Willow, I do. But, I've come from a family background that, well, it isn't the best family to come from, hell, it's the worst family to come from."

"I know about your family past, Mr Black." Professor Century said. "I came from a similar one myself. My parents, well, they didn't appreciate anyone who wasn't, well, the same as them. They believed themselves to be of a higher ark, and looked down on those, who weren't as pure."

Sirius noted the disgusted tone in which he spoke of his parents and suddenly felt as though an understanding had passed between the two of them.

"The question you have to ask yourself, Mr Black," Professor Century continued. "Is not whether or not you can trust Miss Briar, but if you trust her. Because," he added at Sirius' confused look, "if you trust her, then you need not fear whether or not she can be trusted."

Sirius nodded thoughtfully.

Did he trust Willow?

Well, she's managed to keep the fact that Remus is a werewolf a secret. A small voice in the back of his head commented.

But can you trust her? Another voice commented. How do you know she's not going to break your heart again?

You don't, the first voice replied. But we trust her, and we love her. And, frankly, that's all that matters. Besides, she was trying to protect us, doesn't that mean something?

Sirius nodded, smiling.

Of course it meant something, it meant she really loved him. That she cared about him. She wasn't his father, she didn't feel the need to act as though he was invisible and she certainly wasn't his mother. She didn't act as though she hated him, she didn't try and curse him, she didn't spout foul things about his friends to him or to anyone else, she didn't insult him and she certainly didn't try to hurt him.

Willow was the opposite of everything his family stood for. Sure, James, Remus and Peter had been his family and James' parents had taken him in, but they couldn't love him like Willow did. They couldn't hold him and tell him everything would be alright – well, they could, but it'd be slightly weird – they couldn't make him feel wanted and safe the way Willow did and they certainly couldn't whisper the words "I love you" and make him feel the way he did when Willow did it.

Willow was everything to him, he knew that in how much it had hurt when she had dumped him. He still wore the ring, and he still had every intention of giving her the other ring. Willow was everything to him, and she had been willing to put up with Greyback, just to protect him and his friends.

He loved her.

"I'm guessing you've got your answer." Professor Century said softly causing Sirius to look up to see him smiling at him.

Sirius nodded.

"Yeah, I have," he said, rising from his seat. "Thanks, Professor. For everything."

Professor Century smiled.

"No need to thank me, Sirius," he replied. "I'm just happy to help."

Sirius nodded once more before running off to find Willow. He had to tell her.

Sirius watched his younger self run out of the door and smiled to himself. He may not have thought it at first, but falling into the veil was the best thing he'd ever done. He had never seen himself so happy.

He sighed and settled back into his seat, glancing at the photo frame on his desk. In it was the picture of him, James, Remus and Lily. It had been at Harry's first Christmas and he held the little boy in his arms, grinning down at him while beside him Lily watched smiling, her head resting on James' chest who had an arm wrapped round her as he too smiled at Sirius and his son. Remus sat the other side of Sirius and he too was smiling as he watched Sirius interact with the child. It was the picture he carried around with him since it had been taken, it was always in his robe pocket or somewhere on him and he was glad he had fallen through the veil with it.

He smiled as he watched Harry grab onto his finger and his picture's face lit up at it before sighing and running a hand through his hair. While he had changed his future, hopefully for the better, it was a shame he couldn't change everyone future.