First Sign of Trouble

Fugitives don't have life easy, especially when they're trying to look after an orphaned three year old under fire from Death Eaters and Aurors alike.

Disclaimer: I also do not own Harry Potter or any Harry Potter characters.

Chapter One: Misfortune's Visitor


Azkaban Prison, 1982

Sirius had lost all track of the time. He was told he was having a visitor today and he couldn't imagine whom from. In an old habit, he had attempted to wipe some of the grime from his clothes and comb through his tangled hair with his fingers.

The dementor in charge of his cellblock opened his door and a lithe young man stepped into the dingy cell. Sirius stared at him through blank gray eyes; his mind didn't recognize the person before him.

"Sirius." The man dipped his head slightly in greeting before assuming a defensive posture with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Sirius straightened wearily, his joints groaned in protest. "Moony." Remus looked awful, Sirius could see at least see that in the dim light. There were bags under his eyes and his robes hung loosely from his thin frame. "Did a full moon just pass?" It was a logical question because Sirius had only seen his friend so bedraggled after a transformation.

"Don't call me that!" Remus hissed, Sirius assumed he was referring to the old nickname. "I've only come here to clear something up. We are not friends. I'm not sure we ever were. You betrayed the only people who ever opened their homes to you, and you let them die."

"No Moony. It wasn't like that. Honest, you have to believe me. No one will listen!" Sirius grimaced at how hoarse he sounded.

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because it's me! It's Padfoot. You know me!"

Remus shook his head and turned to leave. "No. Padfoot is dead. He died the day James and Lily did. I hope you're happy Sirius, you've betrayed anyone who ever once cared for you and those who aren't dead because of you have been pushed to the very brink of sanity because they live with the ghosts of friends instead of real living ones."

Sirius stood up, a remarkable feat, and reached for Remus. The dementor outside the door swooped into the cell and Sirius shivered away against the wall. "Don't give up Moony."

Remus turned around, his face distorted by anger. "You ruined my life and countless others. And for what? For power? Is that what you wanted?" Remus' yelling became mingled with the screams of the other prisoners.

Sirius took a step away from the wall and grasped Remus' shoulders. "I never wanted anything. I. Am. Innocent." Sirius' gaze bore into Remus.

The dementor placed a mottled hand onto Sirius' back and pulled him back, leaning over the young man. Sirius recoiled and backed away towards the far wall, his whole body quivering and terror plain in his eyes.

Remus left the cell quickly as he could. Azkaban was not a happy place, it was a place for the criminally insane to rot away and die in their misery.

Remus returned his visitor's pass to the guard station and stepped into the boat waiting on the rocky shore. A gust of autumn wind blew his long hair into his face. Ignoring the ferryman's stares, Remus wrapped his thin cloak tighter around his body and tried to shake the image of Sirius' pleading eyes.

Sirius had never been a good liar and Remus had almost always known when his best friend was lying but that one look, it was almost enough to make him think his former friend was innocent.

Author's Note:

Okay, here's the very short first chapter of the sequel to Life as We Know It. This is just to see if anyone is interested in a sequel and if they are, I might be motivated to continue past chapter four. I can promise that the ensuing chapter will be filled with flashbacks, shifts from the main characters (Remus and Sirius), to secondary character (Bill, Draco, Harry ect…)

Review if you're interested-oh! And do go read the first story please, it's pretty short, only twelve chapters.