What Have You Done?
I disclaim all that is recognized as JK Rowling's work (or anything else famous for that matter). I don't own it or profit from it (though I do rather enjoy writing the fanfics).
One-shot about the full moon where Sirius tells Snape what Remus is and where to find him during their 6th year. It's told from the POV of one of my AU's main characters (who happens to be in the past from the Golden Trio's era so she knows the future of the Marauders). References are made to the main story, but I think you'll be able to keep up with this short bit quite easily. If not, well, I guess I'd read the main stories then (this is from the time period covered in between Blind Secrets and Making Promises). Review and Enjoy!
Remus gave a sigh. It was more of a groan really, but it had been very quiet. Remus, Lily and I were in the library, after all, and we were certain that Madame Pince would not be pleased with our current choice of subject matter. After a very long discussion, the three of us had decided that we needed to do as much research about the connections between life, death, souls and magic if we were ever going to find a way to reverse the effects of Avada Kedavra. As a result, much of our research had to do with dementors and inferi. I had found one book that contained the barest mention of horcruxes, but it had been in a footnote, but I hadn't thought it a good idea to enlighten the other two about what they were.
Our sixth year was well underway, or at least it felt like it. In truth, it was only the second week of November. But if we were ever going to get ourselves into the Department of Mysteries, let alone the Spell Inventions Division, we would need to be as devoted to our studies as we were to our research. Hence the long nights in the library and Remus' groan.
He groaned a second time, though this time it was louder. I frowned and looked up at him to see he had set his quill down so that he could rub his head in his hands. He was pale at the moment, with deep purple circles forming under his eyes.
That's right, full moon's tonight! How could I have forgotten that…?
"Remus, are you alright?" Lily whispered, having noticed the look on his face as I had, though she didn't know about his being a werewolf yet. Remus hadn't been comfortable telling her so close to her finding out about Harry being her son after his accidental arrival in the past, never mind that that had been nearly three months ago.
"'S just a headache," he mumbled without removing his head from his hands.
"Why don't you go see Pomfrey?" Lily suggested, sparing me a worried glance. "You really don't look well."
"We've got that test in Ancient Runes next week and we just found this new lead."
"And you won't be successful in either if you aren't better," she replied with a shake of her head. "Tell him, Keena."
I looked up at Remus as he gave me an annoyed expression. "Sorry, Moony, but I think she's right. It's not as though this won't wait for us and besides I think we all deserve a break."
Lily snorted at that while Remus rolled his eyes before giving me a pointed look.
"Tell me the truth, Keena McIntosh," he said seriously. "Do you really think that or does Padfoot?"
I smirked at him. "If I happen to get some extra time with Sirius, who am I to complain?"
"I still don't understand how you can stand being around the four of them constantly," Lily muttered, shaking her head.
"You're one to talk," I replied defensively, though I think my smile ruined the effect. "Seeing as you've been dating my foster brother for…what is it now? Two and a half months?"
She turned just a shade shy of her radiant red hair, giving me a glare to match as from somewhere in the library Madame Pince shushed us.
"Not to mention," Remus added with a touch less sarcasm than he would have had he not been in pre-lunar pain. "That you spend nearly every day with not one, but two Marauders right at this very table."
"Yes, but you and Keena are so much more…" she paused for a moment, searching for the right word. "I suppose mature will have to do. Aside from that, when I'm with James, it's just me and him. Throw Sirius or Peter into the mix and he turns into this…this…"
"Arrogant bullying toe-rag?" Remus and I suggested at the same moment.
She blushed again. Madame Pince shushed again.
"I've said it that often, have I?"
"Oh, no," I answered waving my hand at her. "Only about as often as you yell at Orion and Nickie for snogging in the common room."
"Now, be fair Blacktip," Remus said importantly. "I've yelled at you and Padfoot just as often as well."
"But I notice you don't yell at her and Prongs, Moony. Is that favoritism?"
"James and I have never—!"
"SH!"
"No, that's Prongs paying me to not yell at him—"
"He bribes you?"
"You accept bribes?"
"—as well as for keeping an eye on his quote 'innocent baby sister', though that I try to avoid seeing as watching you and Padfoot is like watching a pair of my siblings a little bit."
Lily and I both winced.
"Thanks for that, Moony," I grumbled. "Wait till I tell Sirius."
"What is all this noise?" the three of us jumped and turned to face Pince as she glared down her nose at us.
"Just a friendly discussion," I replied softly. "It got a tad heated."
"We're very sorry, Madame Pince," Lily whispered, quickly moving to shove her books into her bag as Remus and I did the same with our notes. "We'll leave straight away."
"Humph," she said before stalking away to find other loud students.
Later that evening, about a half hour from moonrise, Sirius and I were occupied at the top of our favorite tower. It over looked the forest and the lake and was at the top of one of Hogwarts' many secret passageways, making it a fairly unknown location. We had paused for a moment and were just looking out at the view before us when I remembered what Remus had said.
"Did you know that Prongs pays Moony to yell at us when we're in the common room?" I asked bluntly, though I doubted he'd care much.
"I'm not surprised by it," he laughed, kissing the top of my head. "It's a conspiracy, remember?"
I rolled my eyes. "You say that every time someone walks in on us or interrupts us, but how could that many people be in on it?"
He shrugged, gazing down at me with a half smirk.
"You can doubt it all you want, Keena, but how else d'you explain Wormtail choosing that exact closet to hide in? Or Moony remembering his Potions homework needed doing that one time we were in the dorm? Oh and what about that time Prongs came up with that prank the other night just when we were about to leave?"
"Prongs always comes up with pranks," I answered with a shrug. "Wormtail was being chased down by Slytherins so of course he picks the closet closest to the Potions room. And Moony…" I trailed off, not really having an excuse for Remus not having his homework done before he usually had it done. Not to mention he'd left the dorm without his notes or his Potion's book. "Alright, I'll give you that one, but not the other two."
He grinned at me in triumph. "So I can prank Moony back?"
I thought it over for a minute. "Give it another week or so, you know the wolf's sense of humor isn't as…forgiving."
He rolled his eyes at me. "Course I wouldn't prank Moony tonight, Keena, I do want to have fun."
Further conversation was irrelevant until quite suddenly we heard some snickering. We broke apart to see Snape, Malfoy and two or three other hulking Slytherins standing over us, wands out.
"Would you look at that, boys?" Malfoy drawled, turning to face his goons. "A prime example of a blood-traitor and his mudblood wench. Reckon we ought to show them why mixing blood isn't such a good idea?"
Snape sneered while the others laughed in agreement. Malfoy turned back to us to find himself face-to-face with Sirius' wand. Before he could react, Sirius fired off a disarmer. Malfoy's wand flew out of his hand and the pureblooded prat went flying backwards, crashing into the others, though Snape dodged out of the way as the rest of the Slytherin party went careening down the stairs.
Snape shot off a curse that slammed into the wall I had been leaning against moments before. He cursed and ducked as I aimed a stunner at him before he got off a shot that hit me in the ankle when it should have gotten me in the chest. I dropped my wand as I reached down to grasp my broken ankle. Sirius, distracted from my cry of pain, didn't see the disarmer Snape cast at him and before he knew what was happening, Snape's wand was at his throat and he was shoved up against the wall.
"What's got your knickers in a twist Snivelly?" Sirius growled, only succeeding in Snape digging the wand further into his throat. "Upset we stole the tower from you and your little boyfriends?"
"You are in no position to challenge me, Black," Snape hissed, kicking my wand two feet further than where I could reach it. "Finally, I have the proof that you are the weaker."
Sirius' eyes flashed with a dangerous anger as he glared at the scum in front of him.
"You think ambushing my girlfriend and I makes you stronger than us? You wouldn't know strength if it bit you in the arse. Hell, we've fought stronger fighters than you, you pathetic git," he stated proudly, but I could only stare at him in confusion and shock. Aside from the Death Eater recruiter we'd had to fight at Grimmauld Place to get Sirius free, the only strong fighter we'd gone against was Moony during violent full moons.
"Really? Why is it I don't believe you?" he said coldly.
"Sirius," I whispered, suddenly afraid of where he was taking this.
"You know the Whomping Willow, don't you? Why don't you take a branch—"
"Sirius, don't—"
"—and poke the knot at the hollowed out passage? Then we'll see whether or not you believe me."
Snape's glare slipped to curiosity for a split second. "What will I see?"
"Sirius!"
"I'll give you a hint, eh?"
"Sirius shut the hell—!"
"It'll only be there tonight," he finished and realization dawned on Snape's face.
He stood staring at Sirius a moment longer before pulling his wand back and taking a step away, though he still aimed at Sirius' head.
"Snape, no," I pleaded, my eyes wide. "Don't listen to him!"
"Go ahead, Snivelly," Sirius goaded. "Or are you afraid of things that go bump in the night?"
With a final glare, Snape turned and rushed down the stairs.
"NO!" I shouted after him, but he didn't return.
I scrambled forward to reach for my wand but Sirius beat me to it before he turned and lifted me up and supporting me. But I pulled back away from him, slapping him full force in the face and causing him to stagger backwards.
"What the bloody hell—?"
"YOU BLOODY FOOL!" I shouted, snatching my wand out of his hand and turning to limp towards the stairs.
"What? Keena, it's only Snape!" he shouted back, trying to help me again but I shrugged out from under his shoulder as I began my adrenaline rushed descent down the stairs.
"No, Sirius! It's not only Snape!" I replied, wincing in pain every time my ankle was forced to support the rest of my body. I maneuvered my way around the thankfully unconscious Slytherins on the landing between staircases.
"What are you talking about? Where are you going?"
"I'm going to find James, damn it! I can't get to the bloody tunnel on this leg!" I shouted before pausing as I heard footsteps racing towards us.
James skidded into sight, the map clutched in one hand his wand in the other, Peter arriving just behind him.
"You were late," he panted. "Moonrise is in five minutes so we checked the map and—"
"There's no time for that!" I interrupted. "Go now! You have to stop him!"
My foster brother's eyes widened in confusion and panic. "Stop what?"
"Snape! Sirius told him about Moony!"
"WHAT?" James roared, his eyes smoldering as he looked from me to Sirius. "HOW COULD YOU DO—?"
"Never mind that now!" I cut him off a second time. "Go before it's too late!"
He needed no second prompting as he tore away from us, not even sparing Sirius a glance when he called after him. Peter stood in front of us, gaping at Sirius in total shock.
"Wormtail, go get Dumbledore," I commanded, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Tell him what's happening. I'm going to head to the Hospital Wing if he needs me."
He nodded and took off running himself, leaving me alone with Sirius.
"Let me help you," he muttered. "Please."
I determinedly looked away from him.
"C'mon Keena! It's only Snivvy! Don't tell me he doesn't deserve it after all the times he's hurt you!"
I wheeled around to face him, my glare harsh enough that he actually took a step back.
"Doesn't deserve what? To be murdered?"
"Murder? No! Scared out of his mind!" he sounded shocked that I'd even suggest it. "Why would he deserve murder?"
"I don't know, Sirius, but don't you know where Moony waits for us now? We've taught him how to get out of that tunnel when the tree's not moving! And even if Snape deserved a scare, does Moony deserve to be the one to do it?"
As I spoke, Sirius' face drained of all color as my words sunk in.
"Merlin I didn't think—"
"Obviously," I snarled. "Or you might have thought about how Moony would feel if he did kill somebody, even if it was Snape."
"Oh Merlin, James won't be able to transform in front of him! If he's too late…if he's too late, Moony could get him too!"
My own face paled at that thought. What if I'd sent my brother to his death?
I turned away from Sirius and picked up my speed as I limped towards the Hospital Wing, praying to whatever higher power there was that James and Snape would both be there, unharmed, by the time I arrived.
Unfortunately, the only one in the Hospital Wing when we arrived there a few minutes later was Madame Pomfrey. She came out of her office at the sound of the door opening and looked between the two of us in slight confusion. I took a step forward and the confusion cleared off of her face as she strode into the wing and prepared my bed.
"Mr. Black help Ms. McIntosh over here," she commanded without turning.
Again, I shrugged away from Sirius' arm.
"I made it this far without your help, Sirius Black, I'll be damned if I can't make it to that bed on my own," I growled out, barely noticing Pomfrey stiffen at my tone. "Has Dumbledore been here yet?" I asked as she turned to face us, confusion on her face again.
"No, he has—"
"I am here now, Poppy."
I turned to see Dumbledore entering the wing. Peter scurried in behind him before he resumed staring at Sirius, though now he looked more angry than shocked. Dumbledore himself looked like he couldn't decide if he was more angry or disappointed as he looked at Sirius for a brief moment before he came forward and helped me the rest of the way to my bed.
"Is what Mr. Pettigrew told me true, Mr. Black? That you knowingly sent a fellow student to a werewolf's den?" his voice and face were both deceptively calm, but there was no everlasting twinkle in his eyes. Sirius hung his head in shame. "And you allowed him to do so, Ms. McIntosh?"
"Excuse me? I what?" I was shocked. "I tried to stop him!"
"Yet you failed."
"Sir, she did try—"
One look silenced Sirius.
"Mr. Pettigrew, I suggest you return to Gryffindor Tower. Mr. Black, Ms. McIntosh, you shall each remain here while I go and see about Mr. Potter and Mr. Snape. Have her ready to come to my office when I return, Poppy."
And he was gone.
"What the bloody hell was that all about?"
Pomfrey shot Sirius a look for language.
"Why was he mad at you?" he pressed on, ignoring the annoyed nurse.
"I honestly don't know," I answered, very uncomfortable with the entire situation. "But regardless, I hope he comes back with the other two before something happens."
Pomfrey clucked her tongue before one quick flick of her wrist left my ankle feeling good as new. She looked up at the two of us and shook her head.
"You know, I once told Mr. Lupin that he was lucky to have found such trustworthy friends. Apparently, I was mistaken," she paused, allowing us time for her statement to sink in. "You're all set to leave when the headmaster returns, Ms. McIntosh."
And with that, she returned to her office.
It wasn't long before Dumbledore returned with Snape and James, each glaring at the other and each with a few bruises on their faces. James' robes were torn, but nothing else seemed out of place.
Pomfrey came out of her office again in order to fuss over James as she made his reserved bed while Dumbledore held a quiet, but obviously serious conversation with Snape. When Dumbledore straightened up, Snape looked slightly frightened but otherwise alright and he even presented Sirius with a look of utter loathing before Dumbledore gestured for the two of us to follow him out of the wing.
The walk to his office was both too long and too short. It was too long because I still didn't really know why I was in trouble, but it was too short because I was sure I was about to be punished for something I hadn't really done. We entered the office where he gestured for us to sit down in front of his desk. Fawkes swooped over to me and sat on my leg and I automatically began to stroke his feathers.
"Mr. Snape has told me that you, Mr. Black, informed him that a werewolf is present in a secret passageway located beneath the Whomping Willow. He has also informed me that he knows the werewolf's identity by dint of Mr. Lupin's ill demeanor every month combined with the fact that it was Mr. Potter who was forced to rescue him. Regardless, Mr. Snape now has seen where Mr. Lupin transforms every month. What's more, he's seen Mr. Lupin in his transformed state."
Sirius didn't look up as Dumbledore spoke, the shame of his actions rolling off of his body in waves. But Dumbledore wasn't done.
"Your actions tonight, Mr. Black, nearly cost not one, but two students' lives. Had Mr. Lupin attacked Mr. Snape he would have killed him. Do you know the penalty for a werewolf that kills another wizard?"
Sirius raised his eyes only to flinch under the headmaster's stare. He shook his head.
"A dementor's kiss. No trial. No exceptions. And it would also bar any other werewolves from ever attending Hogwarts again, even if they were a student already when bitten. You should consider yourself extremely lucky that Mr. Potter intervened, else you can rest assured that you would be heading for Azkaban for life had any of this near tragedy occurred."
Sirius gulped and looked away from the headmaster again, unable to meet him in the eye.
"And you, Ms. McIntosh," he said, turning to face me, eyes narrowed in anger and disappointment again. "Your inactions are twice as bad as Mr. Black's actions. They speak volumes about your character."
I inhaled sharply at his accusation and before I knew what I was doing, I found myself standing in front of the headmaster. Fawkes gave an annoyed squawk, but perched himself on my shoulder instead.
"It was inaction, was it, when I told James to stop Snape and Peter to come and get you? It was inaction when I screamed at the fool beside me for what he did? It was inaction when I tried to get him to shut up before he got the words out of his mouth at the top of that tower?"
"No," he replied coldly. "It was inaction when you failed to inform me about this catastrophe before it happened."
"You know I can't tell you about the future, sir. I only stop deaths and none were to occur tonight. I made that arrangement with you, sir, seven years ago. Or I will make it in fourteen years depending on which viewpoint you'd like."
He regarded me for a moment in cool consideration.
"Mr. Black, you are to serve one month's worth of detentions and are hereby disallowed from playing Quidditch for the Gryffindor team. You may try out again after the holidays pending your behavior until that time. Ms. McIntosh, you shall serve two month's worth of detentions and I will be writing to your foster mother."
I paled at the threat. "Please sir, Mrs. Potter has enough to worry about without hearing about this. Don't punish her for something you think I should have done. She's still grieving for da—for Mr. Potter."
He gazed at me for a moment before nodding his head. "Very well, but the detentions remain. Any detentions that the two of you receive while under this punishment shall be added and completed after this initial set is over. I expect the both of you to apologize to Mr. Snape and Mr. Lupin before this week is out."
He dismissed us not long after that and I found myself wishing I had better defended my case. Sirius, for his part, didn't say a word the entire way back to the common room. That suited me just fine; I was furious with him.
The next morning I got up early enough to avoid the other girls' questions and headed for the Hospital Wing where I knew Remus would be by now, meaning James and Peter were likely to be there as well.
I entered the wing quietly to see James and Peter conversing softly next to Remus' bed where he currently lay asleep. From the doors, I could see a few new scratches on his bare arms and there seemed to be a large bump just above one of his eyes. I sighed unhappily; he hadn't self-mutilated ever since we had begun joining him for full moons just over a year ago.
I reached James and Peter and they stopped their conversation so that they could each give me a searching look.
"How is he?" I whispered, fiddling with my hands.
"Pomfrey said he's worse for wear at the moment," James answered quietly. "She thinks it's likely to do with the wolf having actually seen two humans and being unable to get to them. And apparently the first thing he asked her when she went to get him this morning was whether or not he'd done something terrible last night."
I took a deep breath before letting it out slowly.
"So he knows something went wrong then."
James nodded, frowning.
"What happened at the top of that tower? What was Sirius thinking?"
"Snape and a few others walked in on us, fishing for a fight. It boiled down to Snape having the upper hand and he was gloating over it and…well, you know Sirius. He didn't like Snape calling him weak. I tried to get him to stop but…" I trailed off, shrugging and shaking my head.
"Why didn't you cast a silencer at him?" Peter asked curiously. "We just did those last week as a nonverbal."
"Didn't have my wand and unless I have the ability to do wandless magic all of a sudden, there was nothing I could do other than what I did," I sighed. "And it wasn't enough."
Remus gave a groan just then and we all grew silent as we waited for him to wake up. His blue eyes opened slowly and it was a few moments before he focused on who was around his bed. He looked over the three of us a few times before sitting up suddenly, his breathing accelerated with wide eyes.
"Where's Sirius?" he sounded close to panic as he looked wildly from me to James to Peter. His eyes found the screens that were drawn around where Snape was still presumably sleeping and his heart rate seemed to climb that much faster.
James and I exchanged looks, which only seemed to serve to make Remus even more nervous but it was Peter who ended up answering him.
"He's back in the dorm."
Remus let out a relieved sigh and leaned back before the tone of Peter's voice caught up with him. He looked up at us in confusion, frowning.
"What's wrong? What happened last night?" he asked, glancing down at his arms before looking back at us. "All I can remember is…anger and disappointment."
I glanced at James before turning to face Remus. "There was a fight last night between Sirius and Snape. It happened about five or ten minutes before moonrise."
"That's not so bad, though, I mean, it isn't as though it was in his control," Remus answered, clearly editing what he was saying as he glanced back towards Pomfrey's office and lowered his voice.
"I don't think you understand, Remus," James replied softly, his hazel eyes flickering towards me for a moment.
"What's to understand?" Remus said slowly, noticing how James didn't call him 'Moony' as he usually did.
James glanced at me again, looking to see if I would be the one to tell Remus that our rival now knew his most devastating secret. I could only bite my lip and look away from my brother. How could I tell Remus news like this when I should have been able to prevent the situation from arising?
"Remus, mate, someone…someone's found out."
Total silence.
Remus was gaping open-mouthed at James. Shock was slowly giving way to betrayal and he closed his mouth after several moments as he digested the information. Finally, after what felt like an hour of silence, he spoke, one hollow question.
"Who?"
The one word was so loaded. It held all of his hurt, anger, broken trust. His terror and disappointment. But it wasn't a question about who now knew, because that answer could only be bad. By the expressions on the other two's faces, I knew that we all could tell that Remus was asking which of the four of us had let him down so severely. We could also tell that he already knew.
From the look on his face, I knew James would be physically unable to speak the name of his best friend as the traitor.
Just then the doors to the wing opened. It wasn't a loud entrance, as though the one coming in didn't want to be noticed. But it didn't work; the silence was too loud. We all looked up at him, staring as he looked at the ground in shame.
"Sirius," I whispered, looking away from them all with no desire to see what emotion was prominent on Remus' face or if my boyfriend looked up at the sound of his name.
But I did hear Remus' strangled gasp and I squeezed my eyes shut as he addressed the betrayer with the question Sirius had no doubt been asking himself for the past twelve hours at least.
"What have you done?"
That's that for this! If you liked it or would like to see what happened next (possibly from a different POV?) leave me a review and I'll add a chapter 2 to this bad boy. Meanwhile, look for an update in the main story! It's coming as soon! Happy summer!
:-D