Welcome back ladies and gentlemen, as we all know Potterverse is still very much not mine. This, however, is what I had planned for the original ending of Oh Captain, My Captain which was meant to end at book three instead of book five (well technically seven seeing as how there was an epilogue). Anyway, thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoy!
Sirius Black was sat in a hard wooden chair awaiting his doom. After finally confronting Peter, regaining Remus as a friend and meeting his thirteen-year-old godson for the first time – well the first time he could actually have a conversation with him and not just gurgle and spit up on his leather motorbike jacket – Sirius was trapped, again. Only this time seemed much more dismal than the first. A Dementor's kiss. Sirius shuddered. He quite liked his soul and didn't have plans for it to be sucked out of his mouth any time soon, but that seemed in vain now, now that he was trapped in the office of a Hogwarts professor awaiting the Minister of Magic and that bloody awful smelling git Severus Snape with their fleet of Dementors.
Sirius let his head fall into his hands and sighed. Tonight sucked royal hippogriff. Just as he was falling back into depression a knock at the door brought him out of it. No, not just any knock. It was a secret coded knock of two short knocks, a pound followed by another short knock and a slap on the wood. Sirius knew that knock.
"…C-Cummings?" Sirius called out, a part of him thinking he had totally lost it now. Finally his sanity was no more. Really, how could his old newbie knew where he was, that he was in danger and lastly remember that stupid secret knock?
On the other side of the door the witch smiled, her coppery chestnut hair disheveled from running, tumbling, crawling and just plain sneaking her way through Hogwarts to find who she was looking for without getting caught. "Hullo Captain."
Sirius' jaw dropped. "But, what are you…how did you find me?"
Cummings' smile grew wider as she replied, "Squadron Leader tipped me off to your exact location since the Ministry won't tell me a thing. They think I might be in cahoots with you." She informed him pressing her ear up against the door to hear him better.
Sirius frowned, not understanding why the Ministry would keep her in the dark if she was working for them. "I haven't seen you in thirteen years, why would they think that?"
"Because I trust you Captain. You're innocent."
The certainty in her voice was unwavering but Sirius still had to ask, "Did you…"
"Nope, not for one second," she replied without hesitating.
Sirius felt his lips form a soft smile. "Cummings—"
"Time for soggy eyes and girlie moments later, Captain, we've got to get you out of here." Cummings said standing back from the door as the faint echo of footsteps sounded from down the long corridor.
"Right," Sirius nodded pulling out of the sentimental moment.
"Stand back." Cummings instructed pulling out her wand. She raised it, pointing towards the door, silently said the spell and waved her wand. In an instant the corridor was filled with a loud boom and the cracking of wood as it flew everywhere. Cummings stood there staring at where the door used to be, dust settling. "Huh, thought that would've been a little quieter."
"Alohamora would've worked." Sirius commented walking out of the room dusting the splinters of the door off himself. He looked like a shadow of the man Cummings knew, Baxter would be disappointed that Sirius' looks took such a dive but he still had the same fiery spirit that Cummings adored.
"If I remembered the wand movement…" She trailed off muttering, the sound of footsteps down the hall coming closer and faster. Apparently they heard the explosion.
"You're my hero." Sirius stated looking at the ex-Hufflepuff.
Cummings' eyes found Sirius' stormy grey ones, their eyes connecting for the first time in twelve long years. "I've always been your Hero, Captain." Sirius stared at her confused whilst she turned her head to look down the corridor. "Though as nice as it is to hear you actually say my first name for a change we really have to go."
If possible, Sirius was even more confused but his brain was slowly figuring it out. "Wait, what?"
"Dementors are on their way. I told mini Cobra Commander and the bushy headed girl –Herman? – I'd rescue you and meet you outside so you can get away on your escape vehicle….or, well, animal." Cummings explained misreading what Sirius was confused about.
"Right, let's go." Sirius said shaking his head, and reminding him to shove it in Remus' face at a later date that he finally found out his newbie's first name. Plus there were some shiny galleons in it for him.
Luckily they made it out of the corridor before the doom squad – as Cummings had taken to calling them – arrived with their fleet of Dementors. They heard the echoes of an irate greasy-haired ex-Slytherin claiming that Harry Potter was behind this somehow. Sirius smiled, Snape was never that smart. Luckily, with Cummings leading the way and just a direction or two from Sirius the pair of them made it out to the meeting point without running into anyone. That is if you don't count the sleepwalking Hufflepuff that Cummings had to 'aw' at because it reminded her of being back at Hogwarts with Beverly Saint Christopherson who had the same problem.
It was just about time for Sirius to leave, he'd already said thank you to the bushy-haired friend of Harry's and had a small meaningful talk with his godson before her turned back to his rescuer.
"Hero Cummings," Sirius said trying out her name. It was definitely new but he'd get used to it. Eventually.
"Sirius Black," Cummings stated, "whoa that's weird to say out loud. I call you Captain in my head as well." She smiled shaking her head a little. Sirius chuckled and mounted Buckbeak with a final goodbye to Harry. Just as he was about to leave Sirius turned back to Cummings. "I'll be seeing you, Cummings." He told her with a small nod.
She smirked, her apple green eyes lighting up. "You bet Merlin's fanciful glow-in-the-dark knickers you will."
"Thank you." Sirius replied sincerely.
Cummings nodded and replied with one word that she meant wholeheartedly, "Anytime."
