As the years went by... (Katrina)

Lilith was sitting at the small lake, watching photo of her parents once again. She was extremely sad today. Anniversary of her parents imprisonment was closer and closer. Summer was almost gone and many of her friends, including Kain, were soon going to school, while she was still stuck at the place. She felt alone again, so she went here, one of her favourite places, and while watching the photograph, she wondered what her parents would be like, if they could be here with her.

The bloody bastards would think she was dead by now if she was lucky. She'd ran, weak on magic but fueled by rage. She shouldn't have survived the jump she made and she nearly didn't. But that was days ago. Now Katrina was streaking down streets in the cover of the shadows, racing towards Morgan and Remus' home. She wasn't entirely sure where they lived, never having been there but the address had been on owls they'd gotten. She reached the start of a forest and allowed herself to slow down. She wouldn't be seen in the foliage. Yet as she padded through the trees a familiar scent swept past her nose. A scent she had known for only a few days. Yet even as she allowed the thought of it being Lilith to cross her mind, she proceeded hesitantly.

It led her to a lake; its sole occupant that of a little girl. It was her, she was sure. She could see that, feel it. So many emotions welled up in her then and she only wanted to run to her and take her in her arms. But she couldn't risk shifting back and Salazar only knew what her daughter would do if she saw a giant cat come running at her. So against her instincts she approached slowly, timidly even, letting Lilith take notice of her in her own time. Katrina could wait, she'd waited so long already.

Lilith was completely lost in her thoughts and dreams. She made her own dreamy world very long time ago and coming back was easy. She loved it there. With her parents, with life other kids had. But unexpectedly, she was disturbed. She knew it had to be animal, because people rarely walked into those parts of forest. And her suspicion was right. She could see large cat, clearly exhausted, approaching her. Lilith hesitated for a few moments, but hid her fear carefully. She knew that showing she is afraid could be only for worse than for better. She silently watched the animal, waiting for what it will do. In her life she never felt in danger as much as now. She never really approached animal in here. She didn't expect it will happen today.

Lilith only sat and watched her and something akin to a smile spread across the feline's face. She was so much like her father in that moment, like that time long ago in the forest. The resemblance had her shoulders sagging and she got closer to her daughter, close enough to touch. Carefully as not to startle her, she rubbed her head against her face and she could feel her eyes tear up. She did not stop herself then from familiarizing herself with Lilith. Katrina walked around her once, twice, each time practically wrapping herself around her.

The cat was closer and closer, but Lilith didn't move an inch. There was not much she could do anyway. But actions of the animal surprised her. Somehow, fear slowly started to leaving her and almost definitely left, when she looked the cat into her eyes. They seemed so familiar to Lilith, yet she couldn't remember where she saw them before. Still holding photo of her parents in her hand, she reached towards the cat with the other hand. "Hello," she said, unsure of what was going to happen, but not entirely scared of it.

She pushed her head under Lilith's hand for a moment. She got a flash of the picture in the corner of her eye and slightly backed away from Lilith so she could shift back. She didn't know what she must've looked like to her but she didn't want to know. She stared at her daughter warily, a small smile on her face as she sat on her knees. "Hey," she responded, her voice hoarse from disuse.

Lilith jumped slightly as the cat backed away, which she didn't expect at all. When the animat shifted into a woman, Lilith's eyes widened and were imidiately full of tears. The woman was different than at the photo, but she would recognize her everywhere. Her hair were much longer now and struggle from prison was written all over her body, specialy in her eyes. Those so familiar eyes. Lilith knew now, where she saw them. She dreamt about them for her whole life. She dreamt about this moment. "Mum?" she sobbed in whisper, scared that if she speaks louder, her mother will disappear as fast as she appeared. "Am I... am I dreaming?" she asked, tears streaming down her cheeks now.

Her smile turned watery and she pulled Lilith into her arms and held her tight. Her face was buried in her hair, her tears disappearing into it. "No," she whispered. "No, it's real. I'm here, love; I'm here." She too never thought this moment would happen. For all she knew she could be back at Azkaban hallucinating. But the warmth of her daughter's body was too real. She was there, in her arms. Katrina kissed the top of her head, reluctantly letting go after some time just enough to see her properly. Her hands traced the sides of her face as she took her in. "Look at you." A small laugh leaving her only to be choked off by more tears. "My Lilith."

"Mum!" Lilith was crying now, enjoying being in her mother's arms, feeling she never experienced before. She held her close and was refusing to let go. "How did you get here? Did they let you go? Where is daddy?" Lilith had so many questions. She wanted to know so much and she felt like her mum will disappear every second that she won't pay attention. She was afraid even to blink.

Her smile widened at the questions. "Let me go?" she chuckled lightly through the tears. She stroked Lilith's hair. "No, I broke out." Her eyes hardened that she had been put in that situation in the first place. Her hand stopped its path down Lilith's hair at the question about Rabastan before resuming it's downward pattern. "Your father... your father is still there." A heavy sigh left Katrina. "He couldn't leave with me."

Lilith saw the sadness in her mum's face. She didn't blame her for running away. She didn't really care. Her mum was with her now and that was all that mattered. "And is he okay? Are you okay? Will you stay?" she asked again with hope in her eyes. She always dreamed about her mum being there to hug her before she leaves to Hogwarts for the very first time. And right now, this dream seemed much more real than ever before. "I missed you so much, mum," she said, starting to cry all over again as she hugged her mum tight.

"He's fine, he's a strong person. And I will be fine." She smiled gently. "Of course, I did not come all this way just to leave you again." It was said fiercely. Not towards Lilith but to herself. She wouldn't let anyway take her away from her child again. God have mercy on their souls if they tried. Katrina said nothing as she returned her hug, putting all her feelings into it. After a whilst, she stood, helping Lilith up as well. It occurred to her that she knew next to nothing about her daughter. "Do you want to go for a walk? You can tell me all about the last ten years."

Lilith got up and excitedly nodded at her mum as they started to walk. She held her mum's arm, still refusing to let go. "But won't daddy miss you now?" she asked worried about her dad as she looked up to the woman who gave her life more than ten years ago. She was beautiful. The most beautiful woman in the world. "Not much was going on all those years. I have a few friends. Godparents are nice to me, but they don't like when I go to the forest for a long time, which I do every day," she smiled devilishly. "Chandra is nice to mee too. She is like my younger sister. But Kain, Kain is my best friend! We met in the forest, we watched the sunset together many times. He understands me and is nice to me. And his parents are in Azkaban as well, so he knows what it's like. And am I boring you?" Lilith spoke more quickly than ever. And said much more than ever. But she wished to have this talk for so long.

Katrina laughed at her excitement, sending her an amused grin. "You could never bore me, princess." She smiled wistfully. "I've no doubts he will but when you were born he told me he'd feel much better if we were both safe and able to watch the stars." She smiled down at her. And it seemed as if Lilith's life was all they had wanted for her. "The little trouble maker aren't you," she chuckled. It was nice to hear that Morgan and Remus' daughter was so close to her own. "Kain? Thinking about boys already?" She teased, tapping her daughters nose lightly. It didn't really surprise Katrina that Lilith would find comfort with someone who knew her same pain. Truthfully it made her happy that she had a friend to share that with. She couldn't imagine how hard it must have been for her with her and Rabs being locked away.

"It's not like that momma!" Lilith laughed as her mum teased her. "Kain is just my good friend. We are simply best friends. He is going to Hogwarts this year. I hope he will be in Slytherin, because I am sure I will be there too. I want the same house as you and dad, I am Slytherin with all my heart!" she danced around. She wanted her mum to be proud of her. And she wanted to share those moments with her. "Mum? When you said daddy wants us to be free and watch the stars together, will you stay until the sun goes down?" she asked with hope in her brown eyes. She felt like even if her mum is staying, she definitely won't be staying in the same house. It would be the first place where they would look for her after all. "And, can I tell aunt and uncle you are here?"

She knew too that her daughter would be in Slytherin, yet she wondered what it meant to her; to be a snake. She did not want to cloud the moment by asking, she would save that for another day. "Of course I'll stay," she said staring into eyes that were so much like her own. "You can tell them, I wanted to talk to them actually. I think I'll go back with you, but I can't stay long." Katrina gave her an apologetic smile.