AN: Ok, so a second chapter to develop characters etc. I do hope people are enjoying, let me know if you are! :)

The mess hall was loud, Sirius stood in line with a tray in his hands as he gazed absently off into space, his mind dwelling once again on the vision of the man he had once considered a friend. A man who had turned traitor and condemned him to a life in prison. His chubby visage haunted Sirius' every moment, awake or asleep, he was unable to escape. His head still rang with the remembered echoes of the bomb, his hearing still hadn't adjusted and sometimes he suffered from awful tinnitus. He had been incarcerated for only a few days now and he had begun to attract too much attention from the other inmates, the guards grinned knowingly whenever they witnessed one of those they named the 'big lads' watching Sirius. He couldn't help but be aware of their gazes. The big lad's were a motley crew of huge men with very little hair, they were usually seen in the exercise court surrounded by smaller men who looked so beaten and downtrodden that Sirius could almost have pitied them if he didn't know they were here for a reason. He kept a wary distance from these people, easily avoiding any confrontation but he knew that his time was running out and he may be forced to do something drastic to defend himself. He got his lunch and found an empty table to sit down at, he stared at his food in mild disgust, it didn't even really look edible. With a heavy sigh he picked up his knife and fork, not forgetting to use his napkin (even if it was made of flimsy paper). Before he could bring the first bite to his lips he felt a huge shadow loom up behind him and stifled another sigh, this one of irritation.

Slowly Sirius turned in his seat and found himself looking up at a large man with close-cropped hair and a wide grin revealing a set of stained teeth. "Alright there, newbie? My friends and I were wondering if you would like to sit with us." He offered in a voice that was surprisingly soft for one of such large size.

Sirius looked back down at his lunch before returning his eyes to the man. "I'm sorry, I'm not here to make friends." He said firmly.

"I'm not offering." The man said, his voice going hard. "You'll come sit with us because we've taken a fancy to you, if you don't want to get hurt I'd pick up my food and come with us if I were you."

Sirius closed his eyes briefly, as if silently praying before they sprung open again. "No. I'm fine, thank you." He felt a huge hand come down and land on his shoulder, he turned his head slowly and looked at it. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." He said in a voice so soft it was barely even audible. By now all eyes had moved to the scene, the weight of the stares was almost physical to Sirius and he had to fight hard to avoid becoming angry. He felt like a circus freak.

"You aint got a choice, boy. You'll come with us even if we have to drag you!" The huge man growled.

Sirius moved swifter than lightening. His arm shot upwards, the flat of his palm connecting with the man's nose. He screamed and stumbled backwards, Sirius stood up and struck the man's knee with his boot sending him crashing to the floor. Blood poured from his broken nose, his eyes streamed with tears of pain and he was now clutching his dislocated knee and wailing horribly. "I warned you not to touch me!" Sirius hissed furiously, eyes glittering like the stars in the night sky. He lifted his eyes to the group of guards who stood by the entrances to the mess hall before flicking back to his opponent. "Never put your disgusting hand on me again or I'll break your fucking head next time!"

The man made a strangled noise as he rose to his feet, causing Sirius to step back a pace until the backs of his knees struck the bench behind him. He almost lost his balance but regained it just in time to duck a wild swing from that ham-sized fist, he heard it whistle as it displaced the air above him and he struck out with a short, hard punch to the man's gut. He doubled over with a wheeze before straightening out again, Sirius was breathing hard already, he was not only a little out of shape but he was still wounded from the beating he had received when he had first been imprisoned. He moved slowly, each foot falling precisely as he tried to guide the man away from the table to give himself more room, as he circled he let his eyes flick towards the guards who were watching rabidly, eyes sparkling in the shadows of their peaked caps. He growled in frustration before returning his attention to his attacker, he regretted his momentary lapse when that huge fist finally connected with his jaw, forcing him to stumble backwards with a sharp gasp and into another pair of strong arms which slid around him and held him in a half-nelson.

Remus watched the group struggle, Sirius had been caught and was now being held still as the man he had attacked punched him repeatedly in the stomach. The room echoed with cries, jeers and cheers, he could see many people, even guards, taking bets on who would win. He shook his head and turned to the man he had been asked to shadow. "Shouldn't we break it up?" He asked.

The guard lifted an eyebrow and shook his head. "Nah, it'll play out and then we'll just stick Black into Solitary confinement for a couple of days."

"But he didn't start it, not really! He was just defending himself!" Remus said in astonishment. "I really think that we should do something, they might kill him."

"So? It'll be one less piece of shit we've got to look after." The man shrugged dismissively. "And any way, he made the first punch."

Remus turned back to the fight and bit down uncertainly on his bottom lip before sighing. "I can't stand here and watch this happen." He said and began moving over to the group of prisoners, his fellow sighed and followed him reluctantly. "Oi!" Remus called sharply, causing eyes to move in his direction. "Stop that now!"

The big lad's looked up in surprise before abruptly backing off, Sirius fell to the floor with a strangled grunt, he lay there, bleeding from his mouth and his eyes shut tightly in pain. Remus moved to his side, eyeing the prisoners warily as he crouched and began checking Sirius over. "You've got broken ribs, a few minor cuts and bruises but no serious damage has been done. You'll live."

Sirius opened one of those startling eyes. "T-Thanks…I know what-what damage…has been done…not s-stupid…ow fucking shit!" He groaned and rolled onto his back as Remus straightened and held out his night stick in case one of the others decided to overcome their shock at being stopped. It was strange hearing that posh accent come from those split lips, Remus smiled and shook his head as he bent once again and began helping Sirius to his feet.

XXX

Sirius sat on the low palate bed in the Hospital Ward, he watched the guard as he rummaged around in the first aid box for the things he needed. The doctor was absent, out having a nice quiet lunch in his office, Sirius supposed. He was topless, his ragged prison issue shirt lying at his side covered in slowly drying blood. He watched the young guard lift out a small kit especially for stitching minor but deep wounds, he drew out a needle and began disinfecting it. "You certainly know your stuff." Sirius commented lightly, brushing hair from his eyes with one hand, the other was placed firmly around his burning ribs. It was hard to talk but for some reason he couldn't help himself, he had always been a bit of a sucker for brown eyes and this guard had the most beautiful liquid chocolate coloured eyes Sirius had ever seen.

"My father is a very well known doctor; he taught me a lot of things." Remus replied absently as he wiped a cloth of mild antiseptic over a particularly deep wound in Sirius' side. "Hold still, this is going to hurt."

Sirius looked away as the needle was pushed through his flesh, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly as pain assaulted his senses. He closed his eyes and let it wash through him, enjoying the way it made his senses buzz and reminded him that he was still alive. "A doctor, huh? Bet that was fun."

"Yes, it was. He took me to his hospital a lot when I was younger and I got to watch him work…he always assumed that one day I'd follow in his footsteps." Remus smiled helplessly as he remembered his father's surprised face when he had told him he wanted to become a prison officer.

"Must have come as quite a shock to see his son doing this kind of shitty work…ow…" Sirius winced helplessly, hissing air through his teeth as his fingers clenched on the metal pallet bed beneath him.

"Stop being a wuss." Remus replied mildly. "Yes, he was a bit surprised but supported my decision."

"Sounds like a good man." Sirius muttered, still breathing slowly and painfully. "Good parents are hard to come by."

Remus finished his stitching and straightened up, he looked at Sirius for a long time in silence before smiling softly. "All done here. Next time try to avoid picking fights with the other inmates, it will only land you in more trouble."

Sirius looked down at the stitches in his side. "He must have grabbed a knife or something when I wasn't looking." He said absently as he picked up his shirt. "Thanks for your help but next time it might be better for you if you don't get involved, I'm a convicted murderer after all."

"I won't stand by when someone is in trouble, no matter what they've done. You're not here to be bullied and tortured, you're here to serve time for your crimes. You may have done evil things but I believe in redemption."

Sirius looked down at his bloody shirt and frowned. "Redemption? There's no such thing for me."

"Everyone has the right to a second chance." Remus insisted quietly, looking at Sirius with sympathy.

Sirius looked up at him through his matted hair, he eyed Remus with a critical gleam in his eyes before smiling bitterly. "I'm too far gone for second chances. I blew it all when I failed to avenge the death of my best friend." He stood up and shrugged into his shirt, hiding the brutal patchwork of bruises that covered his pale skin. Remus felt a brief pang of regret, Sirius' body was beautiful his skin soft and he let his eyes move down to the trail of dark hair that led to his groin before reminding himself that this man was a murderer and looking away. Sirius paused, looking at the guard from the corner of his eye and wondering if he had imagined that little pink flush on his cheeks. "Well, come on then, we can't stay in here all day…I think I've got to do some time in Solitary confinement, right?"

"Oh! Yes, yes of course." Remus shook himself mentally, berating himself for his monetary lapse of control. He escorted Sirius out of the Hospital Ward and into the dimly lit prison area once again, as they walked he watched him surreptitiously. Sirius moved with an inherent grace that made Remus slightly jealous, he felt like a bumbling fool next to him, as if his own limbs were made of stone while Sirius was made entirely out of air. His hair, despite the matted blood, fell into those stunning eyes and occasionally he brushed it away absently while he limped along in Remus' wake.

They passed a few occupied cells, Sirius casting looks over his fellow prisoners as if judging their strength before moving on. Many of them hissed and made rude comments, some laughed as he passed by but he held his head high and ignored them.

"Hey there, you're a nice piece of arse…if you ever get lonely remember me."

"I wouldn't mind breaking that in."

Sirius winced as someone wolf whistled, he bared his teeth in obvious agitation. "I'm going to be trouble when we get to the showers." He whispered to himself, barely even aware he was speaking.

Remus looked at him and bit his bottom lip. "I'm sorry…I wish there was some way I could help."

Sirius pushed hair from his eyes again, smiling a little sadly. "Don't worry, I can handle myself. It may put me back in Solitary but at least my dignity may remain intact for a while longer. Your boss was right about one thing, if I'm not careful these men will destroy me. I can't let my guard down for even a second."

"You'll be safe in confinement, there's always a guard on the door and none of the other prisoners are allowed near it." Remus said in a pathetic attempt to make his charge feel better. He didn't quite understand why he was trying to comfort him, Sirius Black was, after all, a man who had blown up a whole street and killed many unsuspecting innocents, but he couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow when he looked at him. He must have once been extremely popular, with his good looks, skills and obvious intelligence he would probably have had lots of good friends. Why had he ruined it all? His career, his friends, his chance at a life? Remus was rapidly becoming ever more curious about this man. It was a dangerous cycle to be on but he couldn't help himself.

"Oh yes, I'm sure confinement will be like a holiday." Sirius replied sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. "Shut away in the pitch black with nothing but your memories to keep you company, sounds like great fun."

Remus smiled wryly. "Yes, I suppose it's not the best solution but I will speak to my boss about maybe getting you some extra protection when you come out."

Sirius turned to him and looked at him with such intense curiosity that Remus felt a little wrong-footed. "You're a strange one." He said softly, his eyes glittering as the light fitting above their heads flickered violently. "Why do you care so much about me? It's not as if I'm even worth the time or effort…if you wanted to you could just throw me to the wolves. These fools would happily eat me alive and even your guards wouldn't mind watching them do it. What makes you so different? Why would someone as kind as you work in a shit hole like this?"

Remus adjusted his hat, removing it and running his fingers through his hair as he considered the question. "When I was little I was…" He paused and looked away for a long moment before his eyes came back to rest on Sirius. "Abused by a man…" He licked his lips, fighting off the awful memories and closing his eyes briefly. "He did it because he had a grudge against my father who had refused to treat him for some disease and ultimately insulted him. He was a very dangerous man and he took me from my parents for a while, luckily my father managed to find me before he could kill me. The man was arrested but he later escaped his prison. I never want to see another child hurt because monsters like that have escaped." He smiled and Sirius was surprised to see the pain on his young face. "So I decided I would help guard these prisons and hope that no one will follow in my abusers footsteps." He shrugged and put his hat back on, his eyes avoiding Sirius'.

"I'm sorry." Sirius said lamely, wishing that there was more he could do to ease this man's pain. He lifted a hand and it hovered in the air before him for a moment before he let it drop back to his side, he looked away and frowned at the floor. "Really, I am."

"It's all in the past now. I'm doing what I can to help in the only way I can think of." Remus sighed softly and began walking on again. "I don't mind talking of it, it's a little like therapy."

"I think we all need that from time to time." Sirius muttered in reply with a bitter smile on his lips. "Did they ever catch the guy?"

Remus shook his head. "No, he's still out there somewhere…unless he's dead…"

"What was his name, did you ever find out?"

Remus gave him a long, hard sweeping look before his smile fell from his face. "Fenrir Greyback." He said in a cold, dead voice.

Sirius stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening behind his fringe. "Greyback?" He whispered softly.

"Yes…" Remus frowned at Sirius' odd reaction. "Why?"

"I know that name. I met him once, when I was in Russia on a-a mission…He was running a child trafficking ring that was busted by my friends and I. Unfortunately he escaped. He works for the organisation that murdered my best friend."

Remus felt a frozen hand close over his heart before he forced his legs to move him forward. "Oh." He said in a shaking voice. "I had kind of hoped he had died." He turned and walked on in silence, Sirius following at a slightly slower pace, a dark, brooding frown on his face.