17
"NOOO!" A voice from behind Bellatrix screamed. Bellatrix turned and ran. Sirius Black was slowly falling toward the veil, when he felt a hand grab him and pull him out, away from the veil. Sirius fell to the floor of the Department of Mysteries at the British Ministry of Magic. He looked up into a pair of emerald-green eyes on a face he didn't know. "It's OK Black; you're in safe and capable hands." A male voice said. Sirius passed out and didn't know anymore. The next thing he knew, he was lying in a hospital bed at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He tried to turn his head, but he couldn't see anything. Then he heard a voice. "Welcome back to the land of the living Black. You have a tendency to get into some deep shit don't you?" The voice said. This one was female, but had the same accent as the male voice he'd heard before. Sirius opened his aching eyes to see a dimly lit room and a young woman sitting in an armchair beside the bed. She looked eerily familiar, but Sirius couldn't place her. Sirius tried to sit up to get a better look at the woman. She got up and put her hand on his chest, pushing him back against the pillows. Sirius was surprised at the touch and its effect on him. His heart started racing and pounding in his ears. The woman didn't seem to notice that as she looked at her watch, with her hand still on his chest; at least Sirius hoped she didn't notice. "If your heart beats any faster I'll have to sedate you." She said with a glance at him. 'Drats" Sirius thought. 'She did notice.' "And would you be so kind as to keeping your thoughts to yourself as well. I don't have the time, nor energy to block you out all the time." The woman said exasperated. Sirius blushed because of both the direction his thoughts were taking and because her tone and actions seemed so familiar. "Who are you?" Sirius asked. The woman looked at him, but before she could speak Madame Pomfrey's voice called out. "Miss Caeliflamma, will you come and look at this man's head injury please." The woman stood up and looked at Sirius. "I'd better go. Poppy doesn't like dealing with bloody injuries from curses and such." Miss Caeliflamma said. Sirius stewed that name over and over in his head. "And my name is Kat. I'm James Potter's cousin from the United States, if you remember me." Kat tossed over her shoulder as she left. Sirius stared after her. It'd been over fifteen years since he'd last seen Kat Caeliflamma, James Potter's cousin from the States. She hadn't aged at all. She still looked like she was 19 or 20. "Ah, Mister Black. It took quite a while for you to come and see me after you were cleared. I remember the last prank you played on your last day. You ended up going home a few days later than everyone else." Poppy Pomfrey, nurse of Hogwarts, said smiling. Sirius grinned cockily at Madame Pomfrey's statement. "I remember too." He said before Harry Potter, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks tore the curtains surrounding his bed open. The next thing Sirius knew, he was pounced upon by Harry's enthusiastic hug, Remus's slap on the back and Tonks just falling over onto the bed. Sirius couldn't help but laugh. He looked passed his friends to see Severus Snape talking to Kat. He took the opportunity to examine Kat. Her black hair was cut short and her face was tighter and her cheekbones prominent. Her emerald eyes brilliant, beautiful, and very tired. "KAT! TIGER, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" Shouted a male voice. Sirius recognized it as the male that had helped him in the Department of Mysteries. "Josh, will you be quiet for once in you life." Kat groaned as a man entered. His white hair fell into his ice blue eyes. Josh put his arm around Kat's shoulder. "Come on, Tiger. You need a break. Let's play a little b-ball game." Josh said as he pulled her toward the exit. Sirius tried to sit up. Kat turned and pointed at him. Sirius slammed into the pillows. "You even try to get up; I'll have your hide for a rug." Kat said, her eyes leaving no room to argue. As she left, Sirius looked pleadingly at Madame Pomfrey. "Oh, I'm afraid I agree with her. You shouldn't be up and about just yet." She said flustered. "I heartily agree with Lady Kat and Madame Pomfrey's assessment." Albus Dumbledore's voice said from the doorway. The headmaster of Hogwarts and one true fear of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named smiled down at Harry, who was sitting in Kat's vacant armchair. Remus was standing by the headboard and Tonks was on the floor. Dumbledore looked at Harry and smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. "Perhaps Mister Potter will enjoy the rather vicious variation of basketball, Lady Kat and her friends came up with. Why don't you go and try it. I'd like to talk to Sirius and Remus alone." Dumbledore included Snape, Madame Pomfrey, and Tonks in his request to leave. Harry left protesting all the way until Rona Caeliflamma; Kat's younger sister came and took him to the game. Albus Dumbledore sighed and turned to the remaining Marauders. "I need you to do something…" He began.
AT THE GAME IN PROGRESS
"Come on, Severus. Play. You know you want to." Josh taunted Snape by tossing the ball between his hands. Severus looked bored and annoyed. "I merely came here to ask that you keep it down out here. It may be summer, but that doesn't mean teachers don't have work to do." Snape snarled. He didn't like being taunted, especially in front of Kat. "Oh leave him alone Josh. He's just chicken to play a Muggle sport, no matter what it is." Kat said stepping onto the court that Josh had magically conjured. She was dressed in loose black trousers and a tank top. She smirked over at Severus and took the ball. She took a shot and the ball swished through the net. "Three points to us." Josh said copying Kat's smirk. Severus Snape glared at Kat and Josh as he refused to take part in the game. His black robes billowed around him as the wind picked up. He watched as Kat and Josh maneuvered around the court, baffling the pureblooded witches and wizards. Later when they're broken up into teams, Kat and her team beat Josh's team by a landslide. So the teams were in no hurry to leave. This allowed the students who knew what basketball was and could play to come up and talk to the players and allowed those who didn't know the Muggle sport to ask questions. Kat drank her water bottle dry as she talked with a few Muggle-born students. "Kat, will you come to the hospital wing please." Professor McGonagall called from the doorway to the Entrance Hall. Kat nodded and finished her conversation before entering Hogwarts proper. "What's up?" Kat asked coming within speaking distance of Professor McGonagall. "Professor Dumbledore has finished speaking with Mister Black and Mister Lupin. Madame Pomfrey was tending to Mister Black when he became unconscious. She would like you there to help." Minerva McGonagall said as she led Kat into the hospital wing. Kat sighed and hurried to Sirius Black's side. "Ahh, you can't keep your hands off of him, just like you couldn't when we were in school." Severus Snape's voice sneered. Kat paused in her tracks. No one noticed Sirius had woken up as Madame Pomfrey was pouring potion down his throat. Kat turned and spotted Sirius struggling to get away from the potion pouring onto his face. Kat smirked and turned to Snape. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize that caring for a patient was interpreted as a desire for a romantic interlude. I'm sure he won't mind closing the curtains for a little 'bedroom fun' and time to 'talk' as its put back home." Kat said her voice void of emotion. Her eyes, however, spoke many things. Snape was rousing her temper, and that was dangerous in these tight quarters. She had no room to maneuver if he attacked her. Kat then felt Snape's mind reaching toward hers. Kat swiftly blocked him, causing him to fly backwards just as Professor Dumbledore walked in. "And now perhaps you won't try to do anything to Lady Kat. She's quite infamous in the United States as hitting first and asking questions later." He said as he helped Snape stand. Kat noticed Remus, Sirius and Harry trying to hold back laughter. They failed miserably. Kat joined in, snickering. "Listen to the Headmaster Severus. I'm not someone you want as an enemy." Kat said as she walked out of the wing. Sirius and Remus burst out laughing. Snape glared at them. "I'd take it as a kindness if you two would stop that." He snarled. "Sorry Snivillus. It's just amusing to see you put off by a female." Sirius said through his laughter. "Sirius, guess what." Harry said running into the room. Sirius looked over his fifteen almost sixteen year old godson. He noticed Harry was a little thinner and was smiling more. Sirius couldn't help but remember James as he looked at Harry, who was the image of James, except for his eyes. "You look tired. Have you slept?" Sirius asked, including Remus, who also looked peaked, in the question. They both suddenly looked guilty. "What shall I guess?" Sirius asked, changing the subject back to Harry's news. "Kat took me, Ron, and Hermione up in her friends' helicopter. It was amazing. Ron was freaking out and Hermione was panicking." Harry said in a single breath. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. What's a helicopter?" Sirius asked. Remus looked confused, as did Sirius. They heard a soft chuckle from the doorway that Snape had just exited. Kat entered as she laughed. "A helicopter is a Muggle world way of transporting things and sometimes people. It's a plane that can hover and land in a small designated area, unlike the jets that need a runway." She explained. She saw that the others were still confused so she sighed and gave it to Harry to explain. She headed to Madame Pomfrey's office and leaned against the doorjamb. "Mister Black is able to leave now." She stated. Poppy started and looked up from her papers. "Are you sure?" She asked. Kat cocked her eyebrow and nodded. "Fine. I shall release him to visit terror on this school once again." Poppy groaned; she was not looking forward to the visits that would come as a result of Sirius and Remus together again. "I'll keep 'em in line." Kat said as she left the office. She found Remus and Harry begging for Sirius to be let go. "Fine, fine, fine, He's allowed up now." Kat said throwing her arms up in mock frustration. She shook her head in amusement as she watched the three males draw the curtains around and shut her out. She heard them trying to help Sirius get dressed, but he kicked them out in exasperation. "I DON'T NEED HELP!" He called from behind the curtain as Harry and Remus were shoved out and fell to the floor. Kat laughed. Behind the curtain, Sirius pulled on the first new clothes he'd had in a long time. The clothes fit perfectly. He like the dark blue trousers and white shirt with the floor length navy robes that he'd been given to wear. The shoes, well, boots really, were comfortable as he laced them up. "How do they fit?" Kat's voice from the other side asked. "Fine, thanks." Sirius said coming out from the curtained off area. Remus whistled and Harry applauded. Kat just smiled. Sirius was slightly disappointed at this reaction. He'd been hoping for a little more. "Come on, mate. You must be starving." Remus said slinging an arm around Sirius's shoulders. As they left, Kat heard Sirius's trademark, bark-like laugh. She rolled her eyes and muttered. "Men." Kat stood and noticed that the wing was empty. She shrugged and began cleaning up. "Hey Kat." Zekk, her twin said entering the wing. Kat nodded as she put everything away. Sirius had been the last patient to be discharged. "Here, I'll help." The siblings worked in silence, seeming to know exactly what the other wanted in a single moment. Snape watched as his former best friend and former crush interacted. Zekk had been a follower of Lord Voldemort when Kat had disappeared. He'd turned traitor and left to search for her. Then Severus was still loyal to the Dark Lord. He'd thought Zekk was stupid to have left. He too had forgotten the power of love. The love of his sister had saved Zekk. Then again, Zekk had never really been enthusiastic about getting rid of Muggle-borns and Muggles. The twins had disappeared for about twenty years before they'd come back to Hogwarts. Snape had been shocked to see them at the Triwizard Tournament, but they'd been there. They'd changed as well. Kat was leaner and harder. Zekk was completely closed off. Kat was even worse; she seemed to not even exist. Snape came back to himself just in time to see Kat's head turn toward him. Snape quickly left and went to his office in the dungeons.