To Hunt a Traitor
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. However, since Rowling discarded my favourite characters I picked them up and took them into my care to give them the love and attention they deserve...and occasionally give them reason to need that love and attention no matter how much they deserve it without needing a reason.
Summary: Returning to Hogwarts to hunt down Peter, Sirius meets old friends who are more loyal than he feels he deserves and makes new ones in his hunt for the traitor.
Warnings: This series contains strong bromance, can't stomach boys being extremely close without it being sexual, then this is not the series for you and you should hit the return button.
Special thanks to my dear friend Kitty; both for your endless patience checking my grammar and for your friendship. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for you.
This story is part of a series called A Bond of Family. If you are interested in reading the entire series, then the chronological order can be found on my profile.
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Crouching low behind one of the bookshelves, he held himself quiet as a shadow appeared on the far side of the library; illuminated by the soft light of the patroller's lantern.
Distracted as he had been, he almost hadn't picked up on the approaching footsteps soon enough to hide and knew it had been a mistake to have shifted for this venture.
But he hadn't been able to help himself from gazing at the familiar environment with human eyes, half lost in memories of happier times and as a result it had almost gotten him caught.
He wasn't even quite sure what he was doing there, a trip to the library not having been on his scouting list of the night as he sought for ways to lure out the traitor.
Folding into himself even further as the footsteps stopped momentarily, he waited as the expected wand light shone through the bookshelves suddenly; the footsteps slowly completing the hourly round before quickening again as the patrolling teacher continued his rounds.
Muscle memory held him in place just a little longer, instinctively aware that the footsteps hadn't faded away yet and he remembered that sometimes a teacher would pause just around a corner to listen for wayward students.
And indeed the footsteps picked up a minute later, fading away slowly as the patroller continued his rounds and Sirius slowly rose to his feet again.
"This sure brings back memories of you lurking around in the dark," a soft whispering voice right behind him startled him and he whirled around while raising his arms to try and protect himself instinctively from whatever magic they'd throw at him; only to come face to face with a familiar pale ghost hovering at eye level, gazing at him with an unreadable expression.
"Peeves...ple..." he froze as a loud metallic bang echoed through the library as a large candle holder fell down, evidently having been knocked over in his turn and the distant footsteps immediately hurried back.
"Through here," the Poltergeist shook his head as if to clear his thoughts and hurried over to the fireplace to open a hidden passage and instinctively Sirius followed him, letting the hidden door close behind him; leaving them both in the pitch-dark.
A strange sense of déjà vu washed over him as memories of a similar event rushed forth, intensified as a small candle was lit, lightening their surroundings just enough that he could see Peeves before him.
"Stay here," the Poltergeist whispered, hesitating momentarily before he placed the candle on the ground and disappeared back through the wall; making Sirius tense and he had to force down his immediate flight instinct.
He was fairly sure his old friend had no intention of turning him in if he hadn't immediately alerted the teachers upon first seeing him and wouldn't be hiding him now, but he still couldn't will his muscles to unclench as life had taught him the hard way that even close friends could betray.
A train of thoughts he hurriedly shut down before it could overwhelm him as now was not the time to let his hatred for Peter pull him into doing something stupid, not when it had already cost him so much the first time he had allowed it to do so.
He could hear faint voices through the wall, not clearly enough to identify the speaker but enough that he could hear Peeves taunt the teacher in question; sneering at them even until faint footsteps disappeared again and several moments later Peeves reappeared through the wall.
The Poltergeist stared at him for a long moment, his black eyes shining with the same unreadable emotion from before as he picked up the candle. "Follow me."
Following Peeves through the narrow hallways with a single candle as a source of light brought forth more memories he had believed long lost; making him take a shaky breath as he tried not to lose himself in the memories trying to assault him.
"In here," following the Poltergeist to a narrow doorway, he found himself shying away from the bright light as the pale ghost entered another familiar chamber filled with small beds on the first floor.
"The elves' quarters?" he asked from the safety of the dark, not able to bring himself to enter the brightly lit room.
"The elves are all already up and working so no one will disturb us here," Peeves blew the candle out and seemed surprised that he hadn't entered behind him. "It's safe; no one will hurt you here."
"Why are you helping me?" He couldn't help but ask, remaining right where he was.
"Why would I not?" Peeves seemed surprised at his question.
"Don't you know what they say I've done?"
Sirius automatically tensed back as the Poltergeist scoffed and reached for him, but found he couldn't move further back as he had backed into a side wall; flinching and closing his eyes in anticipation of the pain to come.
Something cold but soft caressed his cheek instead of the expected pain and he snapped his eyes open to find himself face to face with the Poltergeist once more; black eyes staring at him warmly.
"There is not a world in which you would ever be guilty of what those foolish wizards have accused you of doing."
It has been so long since anyone had tried to come near him without the intention to harm that the caress felt foreign and he couldn't stop his body from trembling and leaning towards the half forgotten gesture of a touch not aimed to harm.
"Everyone really should have known better than to ever believe any of it."
"How can you be so sure it's not true? That I didn't...didn't..." Sirius couldn't even finish that sentence in his mind and tears welled up in his eyes, unable to comprehend there was someone who actually believed in his innocence while all the evidence suggested otherwise.
"I know you, Siri, I've always known you," the same cold fingers caressed away the tears he couldn't stop from falling at the soft words and familiar nickname. "The mere suggestion that you would have ever betrayed the Potters is absurd."
"It is my fault that he's...that they're both gone. I should have known...I let them down and they are dead because of me," he pulled away from the Poltergeist, angrily wiping away the tears that wouldn't stop falling even as he let his anger take over, finding it easier to deal with than the never-ending sadness that overwhelmed him if he so much as thought of James or Lily. "I suggested they use Peter...it's all my fault. I should have killed him when I had the chance."
A thunderous expression washed over Peeves' face and the Poltergeist clenched his pale fists. "He was the one to betray them...that explains everything. You were the one who went after him, knowing he was the one to betray them."
"I...yes," telling the truth of what had happened that day to someone willing to listen was surreal, especially when he realised the Poltergeist believed every word and he found himself wondering if he was dreaming and would wake up any moment now to find himself back in his cell.
But he realised he wasn't sleeping when Peeves cursed and threw the candle he was still holding across the room. "I will kill him!"
"Get in line," Sirius growled. "I'll be the one to do that."
"You are not a murderer," Peeves' shoulders deflated as he turned back to him.
"I have killed before."
"In self-defence or because you knew more people would get hurt if you didn't aim to kill, but never out of malicious intent. And although you have every reason to kill the rat, it is not who you are," Peeves said.
"I don't care, he betrayed my family; they are dead because of him. James..." he choked on the name, unable to continue as he bit his lip. "James and Lily...he..."
"Pettigrew will pay for what he did," Peeves promised, cutting through his broken sentence easily. "I knew he was a weasel."
"What?" Confused, Sirius stared as the Poltergeist pulled on his obnoxious hat in anger. "Did you know he was a traitor?"
"No, but I have known he was bad news ever since that Prank. I might have sworn to keep the secret, but that does not mean I have ever forgiven him for letting you take the fall for it. I should have seen the full truth of the weasel he was."
"You couldn't have known he would betray us all," Sirius swallowed. "If anyone should have seen it, it should have been me."
"How could you have?" Peeves let go of his hat again to look down at him. "After everything you have been through together, who would have ever expected him to betray any of you?"
"I don't know, I just feel that if perhaps I had looked a little closer...if I had paid a little more attention then perhaps James and Lily would still be here," wrapping his arms around himself as a cold shiver washed over him, Sirius stepped away from the Poltergeist to try and keep himself focused. "But he will pay."
"We will need to find him first, though."
"I know roughly where he is."
"No doubt here at Hogwarts or you would not be here," Peeves floated closer towards him and although he was now sure his old friend wouldn't hurt him, he still couldn't prevent himself from flinching even if Peeves didn't seem to notice.
"But knowing he is here will not help me lure him out, there are billions of rats at Hogwarts and she will not be able to detect an Animagus that small unless he stands out in his behaviour," Peeves sighed. "And if she hasn't been able to detect him so far, I will not be able to recognise him either."
"I will, I have seen him transform too many times to count, I would recognise him anywhere."
"That is how you know he is at Hogwarts, don't you? You have seen something to confirm his whereabouts?"
Taking out the crumpled piece of paper he had carried with him since getting his hands on it, Sirius held it out to Peeves.
"The Weasleys?" Peeves' eyes narrowed as he took the black and white picture from Sirius to examine it more thoroughly. "The rat..."
"Is Peter," Sirius confirmed.
"Hiding in plain sight," Peeves' eyes widened. "He's near James' boy, that's why you escaped now, after all these years."
"I'm the only one who knows the truth; I can't...if anything happens to Harry... I have to stop him before he can hurt him."
"First you need to stop and rest," Sirius tensed as cold hands gently took hold of his shoulders, flinching as they tried to push him down onto one of the closest small beds and Peeves' eyes widened as he abruptly pulled back as if burned.
"Siri..."
"I...sorry," embarrassed, he let himself drop down onto the bed, unable to look up to the Poltergeist as he knew his reaction would cause questions and he was not mistaken.
"Who hurt you? Who dared to...I thought..."
Letting out a shaky laugh, Sirius fought to prevent the tears from gathering in his eyes once more at the pure rage in his old friend's voice; rage not aimed at him, but because of him. "It's not...they couldn't, not...James' protection still holds strong. After everything I've done, he's still protecting me in some way."
"Thank magic," Peeves deflated visibly in relief; gazing at him in hesitation for a brief moment before his eyes fell onto Sirius' pale hands; reaching out to raise them by the tip of his fingers and revealed his scarred wrists into the light. "But even so, they still managed to hurt you in other ways."
"It's not important," pulling away, Sirius shook his ragged sleeves down to hide his wrists again.
"It's important to me!" the Poltergeist argued. "Anyone who dares to try and hurt you should pay."
"Then let me go to find Peter; no one has ever hurt me more than he has," Sirius bit out, meeting those angered black eyes head on with determination even as he had to fight back the tears threatening to overtake him. "No one ever can."
"I will help you in any way I can to find him and make him pay."
"I can't ask that of you," looking away from Peeves, Sirius looked down at the soft plaid he was sitting on, wondering just how Peeves had lured him out of the dark corridor and into the light without him noticing.
But his thoughts were cut off as cold fingers gently tipped his chin up so that he was forced to look back up to his old friend.
"Who said you had to ask? You are my friend, Siri, and I want to help you in any way I can," those same cold fingers caressed his cheek again and this time he automatically leaned into the gentle touch, desperate for it no matter how much it scared him at the same time.
"But first, you must eat as you are much too thin."
"I can't, if they find me..."
"They won't," his old friend interrupted him calmly. "You will be safe here for now."
"What about the elves?"
"Do you really believe any of them believes you are guilty of anything? Did you honestly think I ever would?"
"Everyone believes so, why wouldn't you?"
"Then they are idiots," Peeves spat out. "Anyone who knows you should know better. No one sane at Hogwarts would ever believe in your guilt, I have never believed in your guilt, Hogwarts hasn't and neither do any of the elves. We know better than to believe such lies."
He stiffened as something seemed to occur to him and slowly lowering himself to Sirius' eye level. "Lupin is a teacher here now."
"He is?" A tiny smile crossed his lips at the idea that at least one of them managed to fulfil their dreams.
"Started this year. Dumbledore brought him in, in case that you would find your way here. To help stop you," Peeves hesitated. "Apparently you have been talking in your sleep for quite some time about 'him' being at Hogwarts. They think you mean James' boy."
"He thinks I am out to hurt Harry? That I would hurt my own..." pain tightened his chest and he found himself unable to breathe all of a sudden.
He wasn't quite aware of having sunk to the ground until coldness surrounded him as the Poltergeist was embracing him in an attempt to comfort him; bringing the realisation that the incapability to breathe came from the hysterical cries trying to wreck him apart.
But he couldn't stop the sobs from coming as he realised he truly had lost all and everyone.
He had always believed that Remus hadn't been allowed to visit him; to come demand answers and learn the truth of what had happened. That his old friend had simply been forced to believe a truth he couldn't disprove without being able to actually see him.
He had never even suspected that Remus hadn't even tried, that he had believed in his guilt without question. That after everything they had been through, he truly believed he was capable of betraying James.
And wholeheartedly believed that he was capable of hurting their son; his little innocent boy.
Was he really such a terrible human being that Remus would believe he would ever want to harm his own godchild; an innocent child?
"No, you are anything but a bad person," Peeves whispered in his ear.
"Then why...why would he believe I'd ever want to hurt Harry?" Struggling against the Poltergeist' strong grip, Sirius choked out, "That I'd ever hurt James..."
But he had never been a match for the Poltergeist' superior strength even at his strongest and didn't stand a chance now as that strong grip only tightened and although the strong hold held him captured in a way that should terrify him, it instead made him feel warm and cared for and all the fight left Sirius' body as more tears spilled out as Peeves pulled him even closer.
"Why are you being so nice to me, I don't..."
"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Peeves growled. "You deserve every bit of kindness there is in this world. You didn't deserve any of what was thrown your way and you certainly aren't a bad person."
"Then why does everyone believe in my guilt so readily? Why would Remus believe I would ever harm James if I'm not a bad person? That I would ever want to hurt Harry."
"I don't know. I really don't know how he could have ever believed it; anyone who has ever known you, knows there is no one in this world you loved more than James. Even if you had a single malicious bone in your body you still wouldn't have been capable of harming James."
"But they do believe it," Sirius whispered, fighting new tears.
"People are idiots," a new, high-pitched, voice softly told him, startling him into trying to jerk up, but Peeves' embrace held him in place as a fairly familiar small house-elf with shining brown eyes looked up to him. "Wes knows better than to believes Siri would ever betray his Jamsie."
The confirmation of another old friend that not everyone believed in his guilt set tears off once again, but he didn't fight them as he simply folded into the tiny arms wrapping around his neck.
He wasn't quite sure how much time passed as he cried; trusting the two surrounding him to keep him safe until his tears eventually dried and he shifted away while wiping away the last traces of his breakdown.
"I'm sorry."
"There is nothing to be sorry about," Peeves hovered close as the little elf gave him a tissue.
"Thanks, Pippy."
"Siri remembers me?" The little bat-like ears shot up in happiness and she smiled, sending a completely different pang through his heart as he was reminded of a different little elf's smile; one he missed terribly still.
"Of course I do," he managed to bring out after a moment as he successfully fought back new tears.
"Wes remember yous too," she softly patted his hand, seemingly understanding his inner tumult. "And Pippy means what she says. None of us believes yous is guilty."
"Thanks," he wasn't quite sure how to express how much it meant to him that they believed in him, but she seemed to understand regardless as she squeezed his hand.
"Yous need food. Tiffy woulds have been horrified to sees how thin yous are," the little elf moved to the kitchen, clearly intend on getting food for him and not noticing the stab of pain her words left. "Yous wash up."
"Keep it simple, he looks like he hasn't eaten in weeks!" Peeves called out after her, getting an affirmative in return and Sirius simply stared at the door the little elf had disappeared through for a long moment when Peeves softly squeezed his shoulder.
"She is right, you know? Tiffy would never have believed in your guilt either and if I knew that elf as well as I did, then I daresay she would have tried to storm Azkaban itself to get you out."
"It would have gotten her killed," swallowing thickly, Sirius turned from the Poltergeist to compose himself. "Not that I didn't get her killed anyway."
"If I had been able to leave Hogwarts, I would have done the same thing."
"Jump in front of a lethal curse to protect an idiot?"
"If the idiot was you, then yes, but I more meant storm Azkaban to get you out."
"Don't...don't you ever dare die for me, no one...," he had to cut himself off as he became aware of the growl leaving his lips; but made no apology for his harsh tone. "I won't let anyone ever die for me again."
"Some people are worth dying for," Peeves smiled ruefully, not the least bit intimidated by the glare directed at him. "Would you not have done the same for her, for me...for James?"
"In a heartbeat," he knew he was acting hypocritical, but couldn't care less; not after Tiffy, Lily and James, after his parents had died because of him.
For even if James had kept telling him it wasn't; he still felt it had been his fault their parents had been killed as it had been him the Death Eaters had been after that day.
"I can't," he finally breathed out after several moments of long silence. "I can't bear losing anyone ever again. Not because of me."
"Then I will do my very best to stay alive," Peeves softly brushed away a few tears Sirius hadn't even realised had fallen. "Besides, if I were to die, who would protect you from getting into trouble?"
"Dad would say trouble is my middle name."
"And here I always thought your middle name was idiot," reaching out to pull him into a loose embrace, the Poltergeist smiled as Sirius choked on a laugh. "Pippy was right, though, you could do with a shower."
"A shower?" Turning his head to stare at Peeves, Sirius wasn't quite able to understand what he meant. "Prisoners are not allowed more than a cup's worth of water every day."
"You are not a prisoner any more," Peeves gently took his hand; pulling him up to lead him towards a door he hadn't noticed yet. "Do you want a bath or a shower?"
"No...please, not again," terror gripped Sirius as he realised the Poltergeist meant for him to be submerged in water and he froze, heart clenching as his brain shut down.
"Breathe...just breathe," Peeves' even voice and cold hands pressing down onto his shoulders were the first thing Sirius became aware of and he automatically tried to follow the Poltergeist' orders, slowly regaining a breathing pattern he hadn't even realised had changed.
He recognised the actions from trying to talk Remus down from a panic attack enough to realise he had one himself, though he wasn't quite sure what had triggered it.
"What happened?" He managed to ask once he regained his breathing.
"You freaked out," there was anger in Peeves' entire being as he led him away from the door determinedly, but Sirius instinctively knew it wasn't directed at him and followed him.
"I thought you wanted me to have a shower?" Sirius wasn't quite sure he would manage to put his head under any water without freaking out, but he did know he would like to be clean for a change.
"No shower or bath," Peeves glanced back at him as he led him forward by hand and Sirius flushed as he realised just what he had a panic attack about, but luckily his old friend didn't request information. "We're going to a sink so you can freshen up with a flannel while I find you something else to wear."
"I am wearing something," glancing down just to be sure, he could indeed see he was wearing the familiar dirty prison robes as always.
"That are not clothes," Peeves left him standing next to a closet, searching through it for a long moment before pulling out a bundle of robes. "Some of these should fit you well enough. It's not what you'd normally wear, but at least it will be clean."
"I can't change clothes," Sirius shook his head. "If I'm captured and I'm wearing different clothing, they will know I've had help. I won't endanger any of you like that."
"Then we will have these rags washed and you can put them back on once you leave."
"I can't stay here," Sirius protested even as he accepted the bundle of clothes. "It's too dangerous, what if they discover me?"
"I'll be on guard just in case, but you'll be perfectly safe here for a while as you recover somewhat. Or at the very least have had several meals," the ghost looked him up and down pointedly, but Sirius couldn't find it in himself to even remotely care about what he looked like.
"I have to hunt down Peter."
"You can do that after you've had a few decent meals, I'm afraid to breathe too deeply in case it'll blow you away."
"You don't breathe at all," he couldn't help but point out, feeling strangely accomplished as the Poltergeist grinned back at him.
"Shows how afraid I am," he teased as he pushed a couple of flannels into Sirius' hands as well, indicating to a different door. "Go clean up and change, but take all the time you need."
Letting himself be pushed through the door to reveal a long row of low sinks, Sirius did as he was told and although he didn't bother with his hair, not daring to put his head under water and risk triggering another attack, he at least felt mostly clean again as he scrubbed himself clean and dressed in the soft robes.
Pippy stole the bundle of dirty clothes he held the moment he left the little bathroom and as they guided him towards the kitchen, his eyes fell upon a normal sized bed stacked against the far wall behind the rows of normal beds. One put there specifically for him as it hadn't been there before and he had to swallow back a lump at the trouble they were going through for him as he followed Pippy and Peeves into the kitchen.
Many high pitched voices greeted him warmly and he found himself surrounded by both familiar and new faces, none of them judgemental or even wary of him being there, instead simply happy to see him as they led him to the fireplace on the far end of the kitchen and he was put into a chair by about a dozen of them as the rest buzzed around with placing food on the five tables.
"Is it morning already?" He questioned Peeves between two bites of the porridge Pippy all but demanded he eat.
"It's just after seven, you have been here for a little over five hours now," he answered his unasked question. "You'll be safe here for a few days, though it would be wise to hide in their quarters during the day."
Accepting defeat as he knew his old friend wasn't going to just let him leave again, Sirius nodded and allowed Peeves to guide him back to the large bed after eating half of the porridge and having the opportunity to brush his teeth for the first time in years before letting the ghost bully him into the soft bed.
"I don't know if you remember, but the elves spun a net of magic to the door of their quarters so no one will hear their little ones during the day so you don't have to remain quiet," Peeves smiled down at him as he marvelled at the cloud-like softness surrounding him, the ghost all but tucking him in and hovering on the edge of the bed. "I'll remain nearby so if you need anything, call me."
"I...thank you," reaching out to squeeze the cold black hands, Sirius hoped the Poltergeist knew how grateful he truly was even if he would never be able to express it properly. But perhaps he did see something in his eyes as Peeves simply squeezed his hand in return.
"Sleep Siri, I'll be here."
Trusting his old friend, Sirius allowed his eyes to close and surrendered himself to the clouds around him to try and actually sleep for the first time since arriving at Hogwarts.