Disclaimer: All characters and places belongs to J.K Rowling!

Remus was sitting in the library, totally immersed in the book he was reading – The Triwizard Tournament – A History. He both felt a little sad that he never would see one, in the same time as he was relieved; at least two of his new friends (James, Sirius and Peter) would absolutely want to take part in it and he was deathly afraid of losing any of them which was a risk since many people had died in those tournaments.

He was so taken by the book so he didn't notice that the library slowly was emptied and he and Mr Bulstrode was the only ones still there. He was awoken from his trance by a gentle dab on his shoulder and flinched slightly at the unexpected touch but then he looked up and saw the librarian stand over him.
"Soon curfew, Mr Lupin." Mr Bulstrode said with a smile. He was a very strict librarian and wasn't overly fond of children actually, but he had taken liking to the young werewolf. "Time to go back to your common room."
Remus nodded and gave the book to the librarian before leaving the library.

He decided to take a short cut – he and James had found it a month ago and it made the way back to Gryffindor Tower much shorter – and opened the secret door behind one of the armours after making sure nobody else was there to see him. Remus couldn't help but smile, just like always when he thought of his friends. He had been friends with them in three months now, and it had been the best time of his life. He had never had friends before, and it was the best thing ever. Even though he couldn't help the scared feeling in his stomach. He was dreading the day they would find out about his lycanthropy – because they were smart, especially James and Sirius, and they would find out eventually – and leave him, but until then he was going to enjoy himself.

Soon he reached the other entrance to the short-cut, or for him, the exit. Pulling it slightly open he prepared himself to push it up the last bit, because this one you have to open with body-force from the inside. Suddenly he heard a cold and very familiar voice, and stopped in his track.
"I would appreciate if you stopped telling Mother about everything I do, Cissy." The voice says and Remus easily recognizes it as Sirius'. But it didn't sound like it normally does, instead the voice is cold and ill-natured.
"Aunt Walburga asked me to, cousin, and I'm going to keep doing it. You must be rightfully punished for being a traitor to the Family." Another voice answers and Remus guessed it was Sirius' cousin Narcissa in 5th year. He knows he shouldn't listen, but something keeps him there, even if he probably should go back into the tunnel and wait for them to finish their conversation.

He peered outside through the small gap he had opened already and saw Sirius and Narcissa stand there, looking at each other with cold gazes. Sirius' with his black, styled hair and grey eyes, usually filled with laughter but this time almost empty of feelings, and Narcissa, with her light blonde hair, also styled, and cold blue eyes.

"I've already received a hundred of letters from Mother, and the rest of the Family. I think they've got the point." Sirius pointed out with low voice. Remus knew that all too well. Sirius got letters constantly and mostly he ripped them up after reading them, pale in his face, sometimes looking hurt and sometimes angry or nonchalant. At least he didn't get so many Howlers any longer. He had gotten three this term, and it hadn't even been four months.
"No, I'm going to keep Aunt Walburga and Uncle Orion informed. And I'm sure Regulus knows by now that you're a traitor."
Sirius' face paled a little and he suddenly looked hateful. He took a step closer to Narcissa and Remus held his breath to see what would happen. Sirius had only briefly mentioned that he had a brother, and this really felt like an invasion on Sirius' private life. But he couldn't move now.

Sirius took a step closer to his cousin, and his face suddenly dropped all anger and hate. Instead he looked cold and scheming. A grin took place on his face, but not the mischievous Remus was used to, but an almost cruel one. For the first time Narcissa looked slightly unsure, she didn't understand why Sirius so suddenly had changed his mind.
"Listen closely, cousin dearest." Sirius said, his voice almost hissing but still loud and clear and with a right out cruel steak. "You won't tell Mother, Father, or anybody about what faults I do at school. Nor will your beloved Lucius or any of your friends or acquaintances. If I hear anything about more letters to my parents or the Family about me, I will personally make sure to get you disowned." He threatened. Remus couldn't help but shudder. He had never heard his friend sound like that, and he couldn't help but admit that it was scary, to see this side of Sirius.

Narcissa paled a little but stared at him defiant and a little condescending and also a little surprised. It was easy to see that she hadn't been prepared at this. Sirius laughed, a horrible sound, and then he smirked evilly.
"Why so surprised, cousin? I'm still a Black after all even if I'm a Gryffindor." He asked and Narcissa frowned.
"So how are you going to stop me?" she asked, mocking him. Remus thought it very unwise of her. A mad Sirius wasn't something to take lightly, and a crazily evil one was even worse. "You're not very popular right now, are you?"
"True. But I'm still the Heir, and therefore I've got higher status than you. When I'm Head of the Family I can do whatever I want about your heritage and the fact that you're not disowned yet. But since that's quite a long time in the future, what about that I tell Aunt Druella and Uncle Cygnus about your and Lucius'… nightly activities?"
Narcissa paled. In the Black family it was a deathly sin to do things like that before marriage, both for girls and boys. Her parents would kill her and then they would kill Lucius too (A/N – Normally I wouldn't have to say this, but since this is the Black family: Narcissa isn't speaking literally. I doubt that they would actually kill her or Malfoy the between old [we've got three Malfoy men that I know of: Abraxas, Lucius and Draco] for that).

"How did you know?" she hissed lowly, but Remus extraordinaire hearing heard her anyway even if he doubted that anyone else would have. He watched when Sirius' smirk grew wider and he looked extremely smug.
"I didn't. But you just confirmed it. Thank you very much for that blackmail material, Cissy." He smirked and bowed mockingly. "Do we have a deal? You won't tell anyone about anything I do at school, and I won't tell at you and Malfoy." He offered his hand in a very formal manner and after a moment Narcissa shook it, glaring at Sirius with hate in her eyes.

Sirius once again looked cold and gathered and gave her one nod before she glowered at him and turned around, her blonde hair flying, and marched away toward the Slytherin dungeon. Sirius held his callous face until she was absolutely gone and then he looked around before walking toward the wall. Remus' eyes widened when he understood that Sirius was on his way into the secret passageway where he was, but he couldn't do much. He had no chance on getting away before his friend came in here, so he sighed and waited.

Sirius opened the entrance and stepped in before his eyes widened and he stared at the brown-haired boy.
"Remus?" he whispered. "How long have you been here?"
Sirius suddenly looked utterly defeated and slid down on the floor and hugged his knees. Remus hesitated before sitting down next to him.
"I saw everything." He admitted. There wasn't really any reason to lie. Sirius sighed and looked down in his lap, seemingly not wanting to look at Remus.
"I thought so."
They just sat there for some minutes, quietly. None of them looked at the other and none of them said anything. Remus wasn't quite sure what to do. He admitted willingly that it had been rather unpleasant to watch his friend like that, but he couldn't really blame Sirius. With his family, it seemed very possible that threats and blackmail was the only way to stop people from getting you in trouble. And he knew that Sirius did not need more trouble.

"I guess I am like them, after all." The black-haired boy said after a while. Remus winced at the unexpected sound and looked at his friend in confusion. What was he talking about? "I mean, I threatened to get Narcissa disowned if she didn't obeyed me. Sounds like something worthy of a Black, huh?"

After a moment Remus understood. Sirius was afraid of being like his family. When the other boy first had gotten Sorted into Gryffindor he hadn't been happy over it, and had been a quite good Black, but it hadn't taken a long time until Sirius began to see the faults of his family's ways (much thanks to James and his family's letters) and tried to distance himself from them.
"Sirius…" he began, unsure of how to say this. "You're… you're not like your family. Yes, you threatened Narcissa, but that was the only way to get her to leave you alone. You're not a bad person for doing the only thing you could to protect yourself." He began hesitantly. "I think you're a very good person, who just have to use bad means sometimes because they're his only option. What would've happened if Narcissa hadn't stopped?"
Sirius shrugged and dragged his hand through his hair.
"Don't know. Probably I would've been up for an even worse punishment. This way they maybe can calm down a little before I return."

Remus nodded and put his hand on Sirius' shoulder and smiled slightly.
"You see? You had no choice. Believe me, I wouldn't be friends with you if you weren't a good person. And neither should Peter, or James. Really not James. I think that James' friendship is the only thing you need to know that you're not bad. And you are his best friend."
Sirius looked up for the first time since he sat down, with a look of hopefulness in his eyes. Like he didn't dare to believe him yet, but badly wanted to. And really, Remus had a point. James would never ever even acknowledge a bad wizard, even less a Dark one, except when he hexed or pranked them.

Remus gave Sirius a one-armed hug and Sirius leaned into it, searching for reassurance that Remus wouldn't leave him for this. Not that Remus would ever do that. He loved having friends way too much to risk losing one over something like this.
They sat there for another few minutes and then Sirius spoke again.
"You won't tell anyone about this? Not even James?" he asked and Remus smiled softly.
"Not even James." He replied, and couldn't help but feel a little proud and happy that he knew something about Sirius that James didn't. "I promise."
Sirius nodded gratefully and they got on his feet and then dragged Remus up on his too.
"Let's go back to the Tower, huh?" he wondered and Remus agreed.

They walked back in comfortable silence and did never say anything about this ever again, but neither ever forgot.

No. Remus thought fondly when he watched Padfoot play with Prongs in the snow during Christmas holiday in year 7. The Animagi-forms they had learnt for his sake. Sirius really wasn't a bad wizard, and would never be.

Padfoot barked and came running toward him, and Remus laughed when he fell backward in the snow with Sirius onto him, licking him in the face.
"Pads!" he scolded, still laughing, and to no avail. "Stop it!"
A scared squeak came from the rat that had been sitting on Remus' shoulder and now risked to get underneath him. Padfoot stopped long enough for Wormtail to get out of the way before licking Remus in the face once more, tail wagging eagerly.

Prongs came up to them too and Wormtail quickly climbed up onto him and took his usual place between the antlers meanwhile Prongs buffed on Padfoot until the big wolf dog got off Remus. He nuzzled Remus for a moment before attacking the dog once again and Wormtail couldn't do much but throw himself off the stag. Remus caught him and laughed when the stag and dog continued wrestling in the snow with loud barks, snorts and a dog's and stag's versions of laughter. He felt a wave of affection for his wonderful friends. How could he have been so lucky?

Sirius was neither bad nor Dark. Sirius was a very good wizard, and a very good person.

Review!

And I don't know what else to say, so... Au Revoir, I guess.