PAST

Antlia Avery stood silently while a house elf put the finishing touches on her hair. The six-year-old stared into the mirror in her bedroom. Her green dress glinted subtly under the harsh light of her bedroom in the same way that her father's eyes shone when he was sad. Antlia had only ever seen his eyes like that once. When her mother died.

The house elf finished with her hair and slipped away silently. Antlia reached up slowly to touch the intricate braids formed using her hair. She watched her reflection in the mirror do the same. Her hand followed along the braids before moving down her face to smooth down her dress. A tear traced its way down her face. She hadn't looked this pretty since her mother's funeral.

"Antlia, are you ready?" Her father called from outside her door, tearing her gaze away from the mirror. She quickly brushed away her tears. Even at her age, the young girl already knew not to cry in front of her father. "It is time to go."

"I am ready, Father." Antlia opened the door to her bedroom to reveal her father standing outside, dress robes crisp and clean. "Whose house are we going to today?" The weekly dinners were something her father loved, a place where he could talk to others who shared his veiws. This was the first one that the Averys had attended since her mother died. After a moment of "weakness", as he called it, when his wife and Antlia's mother died, he pretended that nothing happened. Slowly, all traces of Cassiopeia Avery disappeared from the Avery house. All that was left of her for Antlia were her memories.

"The Black's." Arcturus Avery said stiffly. "Come now. We don't want to be late." He led his daughter to the car that would take them to the Black house, letting her secure herself in it. Directing the driver where to go, he settled back in his seat and the ride continued in silence until they reached the Black House.

The driver help Antlia out of the car as her father stood in front of the house appearing before him. "Come, Antlia. We don't want to be late." The pair walked into the house full of purebloods. Not one person was anything less than pureblooded. The dining room door swung open to show Walburga Black and her husband sitting at the table.

"Arcturus. Welcome." Walburga said shrilly. "Antlia, run along now. Sirius and Regulus are upstairs." Antlia nodded dutifully and went up the stairs. She wrinkled her nose when she saw the row of house elf heads that lined the stairs. Her mind flashed to the house elf who had styled her hair this morning. She could never imagine stuffing Teely's head.

When she reached the top of the stairs, Antlia paused. She choose the door that said Sirius' Room, as she could hear the sounds of what she assumed were Sirius and Regulus. Pushing open the door, Antlia was proved right. Two boys, obviously brothers, were sitting on the floor with a toy broomstick between them.

"Who are you?" The eldest of the two asked when he caught sight of Antlia standing in the doorway. His eyes bored into Antlia, and she stared back.

"My name is Antlia." She said hauntingly. "Who are you?"

"My name is Sirius Black," The boy said proudly. "And this is my little brother Regulus." The younger boy continued to play with his toy, ignoring the older children.

"Sirius Black." Antlia concentrated on Sirius. Her eyes squinted as she took in every detail about him. "How old are you?"

"I'm six years old!" Sirius grinned. "How old are you?"

"I'm six too." Antlia responded, her face's expression beginning to echo Sirius'.

Before the conversation could continue, the shrill voice of Walburga Black called for the three children to come down and eat. The dinner that followed was stiff and awkward, the children eating in silence as the adults discussed their views.

Antlia Avery met Sirius Black that day, and the two became each other's comfort at the dinners where they listened in silence.

First Year

Antlia Avery sat alone on the train to Hogwarts. Her father didn't even come to see her off, he sent Teely. She had looked for Sirius on the train, but he had been siting with a group of boys who were loud and energetic. She had greeted him, but left before he could invite her to sit with them. Antlia read her a Transfiguration textbook, enjoying the peace that being away from her house gave her. It was a strange feeling.

The Sorting caused all sorts of nerves for Antlia. If she wasn't in Slytherin, her father would disown her. One of their only interactions in the past year had been him sitting her down to tell her. She followed Professor McGonagall into the Great Hall.

"Avery, Antlia!"

Antlia stepped forward and let the professor put the hat on her head. "Interesting." The hat mused as it whispered in her ear. "Smart, yes, but oh, you are an Avery aren't you? I remember when your father came to me, so secure in his house. He was right in where he should be sorted. But what about you? Better be, SLYTHERIN!"

Antlia took off the hat and walked silently over to the Slytherin table. Sitting amid the cheers of the others, all Antlia could see was the expression on Sirius Black's face. He looked crushed, that his only friend that understood what it meant to live in a Pureblood family was a Slytherin. Antlia knew that Sirius was not going to be a Slytherin. He was too brave, too rebellious. And she was right.

When "Black, Sirius" was called, the house shouted out the name of the house that was an enemy of Slytherin. Gryffindor.

As Antlia and Sirius grew, they no longer were the best friends that they were. But they were still the two that sat together at Christmas Dinners, the two that comforted each other when the expectations of their families came to be too much. Sirius and Antlia were always there for each other, until one day they weren't. The day Sirius finally left. The day he escaped, leaving Antlia trapped in a gilded cage.