A 21 year old witch stood in the dark street on Halloween night, tears glistening in her green eyes as she held a trembling three old girl in her arms. She watched as the man before her was subdued by a team of Aurors.

"Wren! Wren, please!" the man shouted, his curly, black hair falling over his eyes as he fought to look at her. "Wren, I didn't do it, please, you have to believe me!"

She closed her eyes as a tear slipped down her cheek. When she opened them again, she looked at the head Auror. "Please, may I speak to him?" she asked desperately.

The Auror looked her over doubtfully before his eyes softened. "Make it quick." he ordered, keeping a hold on the cuffs on the man's wrists.

When they were standing face to face, the man looked down at her with tears filling his own gray eyes. "Love, I didn't do it. You know I'd never-"

"I know, Sirius. I know you'd never betray James and Lily." Wren cut in, shifting the little girl into one arm so she could rest her hand on her husband's cheek.

"Then tell them!" he begged, leaning closer and causing the Auror to cautiously tighten his hold on the cuffs.

"I tried, Sirius!" she shouted desperately, her hand falling back to hold her daughter. "I tried, but there's no evidence! No one really knows what happened tonight! I believe you, but there's no evidence! There's nothing I can do." she ended in a whisper, her throat closing in grief. She had truly tried everything in the short amount of time she'd been given.

"If they could just listen to me-" Sirius started.

"I love you." Wren cut in, seeing that the Aurors were getting anxious to leave. There was nothing more she could do, but she could make sure he knew she believed him and loved him.

A tear fell down Sirius' cheek as he stared into her sharp green eyes, the ones that normally held the determined fire that made him fall in love with her.

"I love you, too." he whispered. The movement of the little girl's head against Wren's shoulder made his eyes shift to stare into her big, green eyes, her hair was short and bluish gray for the moment.

"Daddy." she spoke, lifting her hand toward him. He wanted nothing more than to take his daughter into his arms and hold her close before they took him away, because he had the feeling he'd never be able to again. But with his hands cuffed behind his back, he couldn't do that. Instead, he leaned down and kissed the top of her head, his tears falling into her hair. When he pulled back, he pressed his forehead into the toddler's, looking down at her face and trying to burn it into his memory.

"I love you so much, Annabelle." he whispered to his little girl. A quiet sob escaped Wren's throat before she could stop it and she stepped forward to wrap her free arm around Sirius, holding her little family close for probably the last time in a long time.

"Please remember me." Sirius whispered into his wife's hair, not sure if he was talking to Wren or their daughter.

"Always." Wren promised, pressing her face into his neck.

"Alright, that's enough. You're off to Azkaban by orders of Bartemius Crouch Sr." the Auror announced, pulling Sirius from his family before he was ready. He pulled at the cuffs, his body instinctively fighting to get back to his wife and child.

Annabelle wiggled in her mum's arms, her hands reaching for her dad and tears filling her eyes. "Daddy!" she cried.

"Annabelle!"

XXX

Hi! This was the Prologue for my story House of Courage, which I so far plan to be the first of a trilogy, following my character, Annabelle, through Hogwarts and through the second war. Since I have to cram nearly ten years into three books, they will be semi-long books with mostly-long chapters. Most of this story is background and character building, but I will try to make it interesting.

I hope you liked the Prologue and give this story a chance! Let me know what you thought!