The Enemy Of My Enemy

Sirius Black was innocent. Unfortunately, the one person who could prove this would like nothing more than for Sirius to be locked up for the rest of his life. But when Severus Snape realizes that young Harry Potter's life may be in danger, the two have no choice but to team up as their world is flipped upside down.

Chapter One

His throat was raw from screaming.

Yet nobody seemed to be listening.

Sirius Black desperately paced the small cell. A mattress had been carelessly placed in one corner. A rusted toilet sat in the other. Sirius walked back and forth, shivering as the Dementors swept by. Each time they did, he shouted that he was innocent.

Nobody listened.

This routine had gone on for a week.

One week…

One week since two of his best friends had died…one week since another best friend coldly killed twelve innocent people…one week since he had watched his godson fly away with Hagrid.

It didn't feel like a week.

It felt as if he had spent a lifetime in this blasted prison.

He was starving, dehydrated, and exhausted.

He shouldn't be here.

He was innocent!

Couldn't they see? Couldn't they see that he needed to get to Harry?

And yet, it seemed that nobody did.

No matter.

If they weren't going to let him out, he'd let himself out.

This bit of determination caused the next few hours to pass by more smoothly. None of the Dementors seemed to notice that a large dog had taken the place of the frantic man in Cell 13. They floated past without a second glance.

Sirius was just able to squeeze through the bars, biting back a whine as he did so. The rust on the metal tore at his fur. Still, he was finally able to enter the corridor. One of the Dementors floated within several inches of him. Sirius froze but the Dementor carried on.

In the end, it was easier than he had anticipated.

He kept to the shadows for good measure and walked quite slowly. He made it to the door at the end of the corridor and was able to push it open. A cold blast of wind hit him in his face and he nearly yelped. He was standing on a cliffside, overlooking a choppy sea. He wasn't sure where he was but there didn't seem to be any other land.

It was quite dark. A blanket of stars overlooked the sea. Still, he was able to see several jagged rocks jutting out of the foamy tide.

He took a deep breath and jumped. The water was as cold as ice; yet somehow was still better than the Dementors' presence. For a moment, Sirius allowed the waves to carry him. He bobbed up and down, sucking in deep breaths whenever he was able to do so. He finally began to swim, kicking his four legs with all of his might.

After a quarter of an hour, he was holding back a scream. Every muscle in his body was burning and there was still no land in sight.

Just when Sirius was sure that he was going to go under for the last time, he spotted something. It seemed that a box was floating in the water.

Sirius' heart lifted and he swam over to it.

It took him a few tries but he finally managed to climb on top of it.

The box wobbled back and forth but eventually steadied.

Sirius let out a small sigh of relief before noticing that it was a rather peculiar box.

His heart sank as he realized that it wasn't a box at all.

It was a coffin.

Sirius slowly lifted his head.

There seemed to be an entire line of coffins drifting in the water, bobbing up and down with the tide.

He suddenly realized what Dementors did with the people that didn't make it.*

But he had!

The small thought was enough to make him feel a glimmer of optimism.

He had made it.

The first person to ever escape from Azkaban!

Haha, if only James could see him…

And just like that, the optimism was gone.

'Stop that,' Sirius thought, 'You need to carry on.'

James and Lily were gone.

But their son wasn't.

Their son needed him.

He needed their son.

Sirius carefully sat down. The coffin wobbled but didn't tip.

He honestly had no idea where Harry was.

Dumbledore would know.

Then again, the students at Hogwarts might not take kindly to an escaped convict strolling through the corridors, on his way to the Headmaster's Office.

Remus would know.

And Remus might believe him.

Might.

The thought was like a wretched hiss.

What if he didn't?

Sirius suddenly realized that it didn't matter.

The moon was full.

No, he couldn't go to Remus.

For a number of reasons.

Then who could he go to?

Marlene was dead.

Alice and Frank wouldn't recognize him.

Moody would kill him on the spot.

He went through the list of remaining Order members and became quite discouraged. It would take a lot to try and convince them of his innocence.

An idea occurred to him. A horrible idea.

'No,' Sirius thought, 'Not him.'

But there was nobody left.

As much as he hated it, Sirius had begrudgingly thought of a destination.

After an hour of floating along, Sirius finally spotted land. He leapt from the coffin and swam over. He violently panted as he heaved himself up onto the bridge. His legs fell out from beneath him and he let out a soft whimper. The wind tugged at his wet fur and he shivered.

His entire body seemed to rise and fall as he tried to catch his breath.

After several minutes, he lifted his head and glanced around at the brick buildings. He was in a quaint little city.

Sirius staggered to his feet—all four of them—and glanced at the shop signs.

Ah, so he was in Norwich.

He let out a small sigh. It would take him three days to walk to his destination.

Sirius glanced around before limping into a back alley. He hid behind the rubbish bins and quickly changed form. His body—his actual body—seized with pain.

But there was no time to check on his wellbeing.

He took a deep breath and twisted on the spot.

He felt as though the world was closing in on him. Walls were pressing on him from every angle. A weight was crushing his chest. He really hated Apparating.

He landed on his back in another alleyway, though this one was grimier.

Sirius quickly jerked and transformed back into a dog.

The stars were dimmer now.

Nevertheless, he used them as a guide to his destination.

oOo

Daily Prophet: Special Edition

November 7th

Sirius Black Is The First Convict To Escape From Azkaban Prison

Severus Snape wasn't the least bit surprised as he read the headline.

It was almost midnight, yet he couldn't sleep.

He had just prepared himself some tea when the special edition of the newspaper had whizzed through his mail slot.

He now carried the paper over to the chair in the corner of his den. He sat down and brought the mug of tea to his lips as he calmly read the first part of the article:

Three hours ago, Dementors from Azkaban Prison have reported that Sirius Black III has managed to escape. Black is considered to be armed and dangerous. The Ministry for Magic is conducting a full search throughout the U.K.

When asked for a statement, the Minister replied that she was stunned…simply stunned.

Severus snorted and muttered, "Clearly, she doesn't know Black."

The only thing that surprised him was that it had taken Black an entire week to escape.

He jumped as a strange noise filled the room.

Something was scratching at his door.

Severus' wand was out in an instant.

He apprehensively crossed the den.

Even before he turned the doorknob and whisked the door open, he knew what he was going to find on the other side. Sure enough, a large dog was sitting on his doorstep. Its black fur was sopping wet.

"You're a bloody fool," Severus softly said.

The dog pushed past him and, surprisingly, Severus let him. His wand tingled in his hand, as though begging him to curse the mangy mutt. It took all of his willpower to refuse, even more so when he blinked and saw that a man was standing in the middle of his den.

"'lo, Snivellus."

Sirius Black looked horrible.

His skin was pale and gaunt, his eyes were sunken, and he looked as though he had lost a good deal of weight in a short period of time. His hair was wet and tangled, akin to the dog's fur.

He looked exhausted.

And there was something else…

The spark that had always been in Black's eye was gone. The mischievous smirk that had always been plastered on his face was replaced by a worried frown.

It was a pitying sight.

Nevertheless, Severus felt a small tinge of glee as he held his wand to Black's throat.

"Don't kill me," Black croaked.

He had lifted his hands into the air.

"Please," Black whispered, "Hear me out. Will you hear me out!?"

Black uttered the last part with such desperation that Severus couldn't help but to be a bit shocked.

He regained his composure and hissed, "Give me one reason why I should listen to you."

Black stared at him for a moment, looking defeated.

Then:

"Harry."

Whatever Severus had been expecting…that wasn't it.

What did the boy have to do with this?

Hadn't he caused enough damage?

"I need to see him," Black croaked, "I need to be with him. He…he's my godson, after all. I shouldn't have given him to Hagrid. I…I was in shock."

He looked down and mumbled, "Still am."

Severus stared at him in awe before whispering, "You just broke out of a maximum security prison and sent the entire wizarding world into a frenzy…so that you could be with your godson?"

Black nodded and Severus burst out, "Are you out of your mind?"

Black flinched.

Severus realized that he was still holding his wand to Black's throat. Several sparks had shot out of the end, burning Black's skin.

He didn't bother lowering it.

Instead, he hissed, "Do you really think that the Ministry is going to hand a baby over to an escaped murderer?"

"I'm innocent," Black hastily said, "Please, you have to believe me."

"I have to?" Severus repeated.

"Use your Occlumency powers," Black begged, "Use your Veritaserum. I…I'll do anything. Please."

Severus couldn't believe it.

Sirius Black was begging.

Begging like a dog.

Severus slowly lowered his wand and softly said, "As it so happens…I do believe you."

Black's eyes widened and he whispered, "W…what?"

"I know that you're innocent," Severus admitted.

The fact that somebody would think that Black would betray James and Lily was absurd.

And then there was the fact that…

"I saw Pettigrew at a meeting once," Severus quietly said, "He was hidden behind his mask but there was no mistaking him."

Black stood in stunned silence for a minute or two.

Then, he angrily said, "And you were just going to let me rot in Azkaban?"

"As a matter of fact," Severus coldly said, "I sent a letter to Dumbledore informing him that you might be innocent."

Black's hardened features softened and something changed in his eyes.

He was barely audible as he asked, "You…you wanted to get me out?"

Sirius Black was actually showing a glimpse of gratitude.

The world had come to an end after all.

"Don't be ridiculous," Severus snapped, "I didn't care about you. But I was going to sit by as that treacherous rat escaped."

Black relaxed and cheekily said, "Ah, good. For a moment I thought that I was going to have to apologize."

Severus felt a surge of anger.

He lifted his wand again and growled, "Why start now?"

"Get that out of my face," Black quietly said.

"It's not in your face," Severus taunted, "It's in my hand."

"Get what's in your hand out of my face!" Black exclaimed.

The two glared at each other for quite some time. Nevertheless, Severus couldn't help but to notice that a small spark was in Black's eye. Could it be that he was actually enjoying this?

Then again, Severus thought, there was actually a part of him that was enjoying this as well. In a strange way, he felt a sense of normalcy wash over him as he sneered at the Marauder.

He could tell that Black was feeling the same thing.

The feeling quickly passed and Black gravely said, "Where's Harry?"

"Lily's sister's," Severus quietly said.

"No!" Sirius gasped, "Not Petunia."

Severus nodded.

He had also felt disgusted upon hearing the boy's fate.

"But she hates magic!" Black burst out, "So does her husband!"

His voice had escalated.

"He…he can't stay there," Black cried, "I need to get him out."

"Good luck with that," Severus wryly said, "Dumbledore was quite insistent."

Black blinked before saying, "Well, I'm his godfather. I should be the one to decide where my godson lives. What did Dumbledore say about your letter anyway?"

"He hasn't replied."

Severus had to admit that the lack of a reply was rather concerning. Granted, Albus Dumbledore was a very busy man. But certainly, he could have found the time to respond to a letter about an innocent man being imprisoned?

"I have to see him," Black cried.

"It's midnight," Severus pointed out.

"Perfect," Black earnestly said, "We'll be able to easily sneak in."

"We?" Severus repeated.

Black blanched and mumbled, "I just thought…"

"You thought that we could work together?" Severus whispered, stunned.

Black didn't answer but his face said it all.

"I suppose that the rumors are true," Severus mused, "People really do go mad within a few days at Azkaban."

Black hesitated and continued, "I know that we have our differences—"

"We hate each other."

"—but we have one thing in common," Black continued, "Harry."

"That's enough for me to not kill you," Severus snapped, "It's not enough for me to erase seven years of memories."

"I'm not saying that we should become mates," Black retorted, "Blimey, I shudder at the very thought."

Severus sighed and a ghost of a smirk passed Black's face.

He continued, "But if we want to protect Harry…we need to work together."

"Who says that I want to protect him?" Severus coldly asked.

"He's Lily's son," Black promptly replied.

How dare he?

"He's Potter's son," Severus spat.

"He's also Lily's son," Black patiently said, "The last thing left of her."

"You manipulative bastard," Severus growled.

He had to hand it to Black.

He knew just what to say.

Besides, he had already told Dumbledore that he would look after the boy. Not that Black knew this, of course. Severus briefly cursed the fact that both Dumbledore and Black knew what his weakness was. Was he really so transparent?

Fine.

He would get Black to Dumbledore's office.

But not for his sake.

Not even for the boy's sake.

For the sake of the woman that he couldn't save…

"Alright," Severus muttered.

Black looked genuinely shocked.

Once again, Severus saw a ghost of a smile.

Black straightened up and cried, "Well, what are we waiting for?"

"It will be unwise to go now," Severus replied.

"Why not?"

Severus gave a start and cried, "Look at you. You're about ready to collapse!"

"Am I?"

Black glanced down at his body. He had grabbed onto the wall several minutes ago and was now leaning all of his weight onto it. His legs were now shaking—his whole body was.

He looked up and confusedly whispered, "I…I didn't even realize…"

"You've been running on adrenaline," Severus explained, "And it's about to run out."

Sure enough, Black's legs gave way.

He fell to the floor with an exhausted grunt.

"Perfect," Severus huffed.

This was just what he needed.

The woman he loved was dead.

The man who made his skin crawl with hatred was being wrongfully framed.

The man who made his skin crawl with hatred was asking for his help.

And even worse…

The man who made his skin crawl with hatred had just taken it upon himself to pass out in his den, meaning that if any Dementors happened to pass by, Severus would be accused of harboring a fugitive.

"Son of a bitch," Severus growled.

What the hell did he do to deserve this?

A small voice spoke in the back of his mind:

You told Voldemort about the prophecy.

He angrily urged the voice to shut up.

He then crouched down and checked Black's pulse.

Oh, good. He was still alive.

Severus had half a mind to leave him on the floor.

In the end, he heaved Black up onto the mangy couch.

He sniffed and angrily sighed.

As if this day couldn't possibly get any worse…

Now, his den smelled like wet dog.

Author's Note: I know how weird it must be to think about Sirius Black and Severus Snape working together. But with a few tweaks, they both actually have a lot in common. And in a strange way, they might understand each other better than anyone else. If you think about it, you have to know your enemy to beat him. Think of the amount of times that Sirius and Snape probably went at each other, whether they were dueling each other or simply trying to outwit each other. They had to know each other to know what the other one was going to do. So, if your enemy becomes your ally, you've actually got a pretty cool connection; especially if these two have so many parallels. Most people don't think that it's possible for these two to come together. But I still say that, in the right situation, Sirius and Snape could be even more in sync than Sirius and James were. If only because they know each other so well.

Anyway, I know that the books once mentioned that there's a graveyard at Azkaban but I thought that the coffin idea was creepier. Actually, I can see there being a graveyard for show and then the Dementors just dropping the coffins into the water.

Also, don't mind the Sherlock Holmes reference. ("Get that out of my face.") I've always wanted to use it with Snape and Sirius and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.