The sky-high building stood, resilient, amongst the crashing, deadly waves and cold, salty wind. The sense of dread filled the air, draining it of any happiness and giving the impression that it would never be felt again. That would be the Dementors, Remus thought as he pulled his travelling cloak more tightly around himself. He was trying to block out the howls and cries that could be heard from inside Azkaban as he walked along the corridor to the stairwell.

His Patronus glimmered as it trotted along beside him, doing little to blot out the despair and sadness that visitors of the prison would always have to endure while visiting their loved ones, but for Remus it was different; the dread he felt was centred inside of him, in his broken heart.
It was the 31st of December 1981, exactly two months after it had happened. Since James and Lily had been murdered, and then no less than two hours later, Peter had also been killed. And it was all his fault. Sirius. Sirius had abandoned and betrayed his friends and by doing so had destroyed everything that Remus had loved. Remus was alone now, and he reckoned it would always be that way.

He hadn't wanted to come visit Sirius, it had taken it two months to work up the courage and not get angry every time he thought of him, and now, as he looked at the black, grimy walls of the prison, he was already starting to regret it. He wanted answers mostly, he wanted to know why it had happened, he wanted to lay his eyes upon the man responsible for ruining so many lives, for taking so much away from Remus' own.

Remus climbed the stairs while his Patronus leaped up them ahead of him. Seeing the shimmering, blue-tinged wolf was inflicting more pain than it took as it reminded Remus of Sirius as the black, shaggy dog that he had willingly learned how to become so that he and James and Peter could join Remus when he became a werewolf once a month. That same friend, that had so openly been willing to help him was obviously also just as willing to betray his friends to Voldemort.

He was on Sirius' cell's floor now, anger grew in Remus with every step he took, every prisoner in their cells jeered and yelled at him. And then he had arrived, he stood at the bars of the cell looking in at the thinning, bedraggled young man that Remus had once called his best friend. He was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Remus cleared his throat and Sirius turned his head slightly and, noticing him, turned his head back so that he was staring at the ceiling and his expression was shrouded in darkness.

"Remus."

"Black."

"Are we no longer on a first name basis then?" Sirius asked sounding upset but strangely calm.

"I should think so," Remus said stiffly, "Are you just going to lie there?"

Sirius sighed and folded his arms. Remus observed him, tight lipped, his jaw set.

"Nothing to say for yourself then?" he asked Sirius, his tone was dangerously low.

"Nothing you would believe." Sirius replied.

"Oh really?" Remus said, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, really."

"Try then. Say something." Remus said, ignoring Sirius' obnoxiously casual tone.

"Why? It took you 2 months to come, you obviously believe what they're all saying."

"You sold Lily and James out to Voldemort. And then you killed Peter, Sirius! Not to mention all those Muggles. There were witnesses, everyone saw what happened." Remus said, his voice growing louder and angrier.

"Why did you come?" Sirius asked, sitting up, his face still hidden in the shadows.

Remus shook his head, "I don't know. I thought I could somehow find out why you would do this. How you could do this."

Sirius thought for a moment and then he spoke "I didn't."

Remus' throat tightened and he spoke almost in a whisper, "That's not going to work on me."

"Then leave!" Sirius yelled. He stood up and grabbed the bars of his cell so that he was face to face with Remus. And Remus could now see him clearly. Azkaban was clearly getting to him, his dark hair had grown long and lank and he had dark bags under his eyes which had a wild yet damaged beyond repair look to them.

"Oh, I will," Remus said simply, "You're going to sit here, and pay for what you did, and I'm going to leave and move on with my life. I came here to tell you that, to tell you that this is the last time you will ever see me."

"Good!" Sirius roared, he was laughing maniacally now, "Leave! Get out!" he shook the bars of his cell. Remus gave him one last look, then turned and started walking back towards the stairs.

"Wait," Sirius said quietly. Remus sighed and turned around.

"What?" he asked, "Are you going to tell me the truth?"

Sirius smiled, but it was still tinged with a sort of wildness, "I will tell you what happened and you won't believe me."

"We'll see about that," Remus said and walked back to the cell so that he was, again, standing face to face with Sirius.

"You know how I was the Secret Keeper?" Sirius began.

"I know how you didn't keep the secret." Remus said angrily and Sirius smiled again and shook his head.

"Dumbledore suggested that they changed the Secret Keeper, so they did," Sirius told him and Remus raised his eyebrows but Sirius continued, "He said that they should change it but keep pretending it was me, just as an extra way to protect them. They made Peter the Secret Keeper and told no one so that it would be believable."

Remus felt as though he could almost believe it, "So...you didn't break the Fidelius Charm? That would mean...not Peter!" he said aghast.

"That slimy git; went and told Voldemort the first chance he got! That's how Voldemort knew where to find them." Sirius said and he was no longer smiling.

"But, you still...you killed him? And all the Muggles?" Remus asked, the story sounded as though it had an element of truth to it, but it was also just too easy, too simple.

"No! That wasn't me! I swear," Sirius sounded almost as though he was pleading now, "I mean I was going to...to kill Peter, I admit, but he was ready and he deflected the curse and it rebounded on all those Muggles and then, the git, he chopped off his finger, turned into a rat and scuttled away, leaving me to look like I had done it!"

But this had been too much, Remus didn't believe this, he couldn't, it just sounded too well put together and he shook his head. Sirius saw him do it and sighed.

"I knew it, I knew you wouldn't believe it." he said sadly.

"I don't, I just don't and you know why?" Remus said and he was angry now, "Because you made it up, you've had so much time to come up with and convince yourself of this story that even you believe it, but it's not true and it doesn't sound true!" he was yelling, "And this was a waste of time!"

"Then go." Sirius said quietly, he turned and walked back to his bed and was engulfed in the shadows again.

"They were your best friends," Remus said, "They were our best friends. And now...I have no one. But neither do you, and thank God for that." his words cut Sirius, they were harsh and cold. "I thought I knew you." Remus carried on.

"You do," Sirius said, "You see; you do, you know me. You know I would never do this." he sounded desperate.

"Well, I obviously don't then. Goodbye Sirius Black." Remus said and started walking away again, but this time he didn't turn back, and if he had been walking just a fraction faster, he wouldn't have heard Sirius's farewell, which was a practically inaudible whisper.

"Goodbye Moony." And as Remus walked away, he wiped a single tear from his cheek and continued walking down the stairs, when he got to the second floor a tiny purple, furry ball bounded across the corridor and landed at his feet. He bent down to pick it up just as a little girl of about 8 came running.

"Is this yours?" he asked her, his voice wavering slightly as he still struggled not to cry. The little girl nodded and smiled up at him, her dark blue eyes sparkling. Just then a witch and a wizard appeared from around a corner, they were arguing.

"No Ted," the witch said, "I don't care that she's my sister, I'm not visiting her again!" Remus handed the furry ball which appeared to be breathing softly, back to the little girl.

"Come, Dora." the wizard said and smiled apologetically at Remus as the girl ran to the couple, obviously her parents, her short, bubblegum pink hair shining in the gloomy light.

A/N: Annndddd I threw in Tonks at the end otherwise it would have been unbelievably and unforgivably depressing. I truly hope you enjoyed it.
Pretty please with two cherries on top review, favourite, anything if you enjoyed it.

Love and Bertie Botts Beans,

-I