Disclaimer-
The characters, plot and places of Harry Potter are the property of JK Rowling.Author's Note-
I apologise for this chapter having taken a little longer than I had planned. At first the muses would not work for me, and then they did, but they needed chopping and changing and what is left is what follows, that I hope you will ENJOY… :)TO REMAIN BEHIND
By Templa Otmena
Chapter Three- The Old Crowd
'Remus J Lupin could never have been this infuriating!'
Sure, Sirius mused as he silently fumed, there had always been some aspects of his friend's manner and character that had been mildly annoying, but never so mind numbingly… infuriating!
The wizard in question, not altogether ignorant of his friend's grievances, in Sirius' opinion, was sitting across from the Animagus at his kitchen table. He sat there lazily stirring his hot chocolate with a spoon. The chink of the dull china made ignoring his friend that much harder and Sirius rapidly abated. He decided to disregard the notion that it was his bad mood that caused him to feel so foul this morning. No, he silently seethed… this was all Remus' doing… first to the left, and then to the right, and then five times to the left, chink clunk clunk, then five times to the right, five to the left, clunk chink clunk, and five to the right, one… two… three…
THUD!
The table rattled and the cup haphazardly shook, spilling most of its contents over onto the little saucer. Ignoring the fact that he too was covered in a fair amount of his own decidedly hot drink, Sirius watched his friend. Caught mid-stir Remus was utterly still. He did not move and did not seem to even breathe. Moments passed. Or were they seconds? Sirius did not know. But, all too quickly his triumphant grin gave way to a wary grimace for he began to suspect that he might have not been entirely justified in his outburst. However, as his friend raised his eyes that held that all too familiar condescending gleam, his expression descended back into its deepening scowl.
'Really, Sirius,' Remus drawled, 'you ought to be more careful…'
The hand that the Animagus had brought down hard upon the table curled into a tightly clenched fist that he hastily removed from sight without much conscious thought. Sirius watched as Remus made a show of inspecting the damage done, punctured by several tuts, before rising from his seat, turning his back on him and making his way over to the sink to… wash up. Sirius tensed.
'Not altogether ignorant indeed…' he grudgingly thought and watched as Remus rinsed, soaped, washed, rinsed, scrubbed, soaped and rinsed the tiny cup and saucer.
Sirius Black was not an impatient man by any means. He was quick to temper but could find fun in almost any venture, situation or circumstance… once. Twelve years in Azkaban had changed who he was and no doubt who he would become but he still retained himself. He loved his friends dearly and passionately and Remus' odd practices, as he and James had dubbed them when referring to their friend's bizarre (in their opinion) desire to experience and partake in all things Muggle, was a characteristic that Sirius normally enjoyed for it was open game for teasing.
It did not work any more though.
Remus would have been reading a random book on… Physics or some other inane Muggle issue and would be lamenting on how much the Wizarding world was missing out on; Sirius would scoff and jump at the chance to enact the pompous-wizard stance and James… James was on both sides, but not really though. The young wizard was laughing at both of them as their conversation became more feverish and the issue more obsessive. He would add a comment here and there that would be so unrelated, and to be frank, stupid, but nevertheless it would set Sirius and Remus off on another heated discussion.
Sitting at the table, Sirius knew that he and Remus would get back to that comfortable place and he was happy for that… but right now it just didn't seem right. It was not because James was not there to partake in their fun, although his absence eternally tore at the hearts of them both, but because there was simply no time.
It had been a day now since Sirius rather dramatically landed on Remus' doorstep and staggered (with much help) into his friend's abode. Truthfully, the Animagus did not remember much of his flight from Hogwarts or his arrival at the small stone cottage in the midst of the North York Moors. It was all a blur as his thoughts had controlled him and finding his old friend had been his only objective.
Remus had led him inside and than… nothing. He had slept fitfully, not able to find any true rest but relishing in an unconscious abyss. The darkness had consumed him, despite it being light without. No visions had come to him, as they so very often haunted him, but he had felt the evil encroaching and the press of hours had been heavy on his mind, but for the life of him Sirius Black could not have risen.
Eventually, upon waking, he had spied a weary looking figure draped rather uncomfortably over a chair by his bedside. It had taken the wizard a moment to recollect where he was and Sirius could still painfully recall how his heart had thundered against his ribcage before recalling his surroundings. Remus, perhaps having detected movement, had stirred from the light nap that he had been taking, as though he had merely blinked. He had smiled and then drew his chair closer to the bed.
'Good Morning,' he had said.
Sirius remembered that he had furrowed his brows in confusion, and perhaps indignation. It was not often that on-the-run convicts whom had not been seen for over nearly a year and presumed guilty for twelve before that, appeared on one's doorstep, and here Remus was, acting as though it was an everyday occurrence. To add to his offence, Remus seemed to smirk at his friend's silence and had risen and announced that it was breakfast time and had quit the room. Sirius had sat there for a moment, dazed, but had soon recovered himself and made to follow Remus downstairs, not for the first time wondering at the enigma that was his friend.
His affection had dwindled, however, upon learning that by 'Good Morning' Remus had been referring to the next day. It hurt Sirius' pride to realise that he had slept through a full day and night, especially considering the purpose of his journey here and this had certainly not helped his mood.
Sirius snapped out of his dazed thoughts as his friend reclaimed his seat across from him. Sirius closed his eyes tiredly and ran a hand over his face. His foul mood wasn't getting them anywhere, no matter how much Remus might have been provoking him.
A pressure on his shoulder made him open his eyes to find that Remus had reached over and grasped him, concern glistening in his grey eyes.
'Sirius…?!'
The wizard blinked again, his eyes suddenly feeling overwhelmingly watery. 'I'm all right Moony…' he released a choked chuckle, perhaps to mask a sob. 'It's just been a long and rough night… the other night…'
Remus smirked. 'You deserved the rest Padfoot, heaven knows how far and long you traveled… how on earth did you find me…?!'
'I don't know. It took a while, I can assure you. And Buckbeak…' The wizard broke off and looked around him, as though expecting to spy his faithful Hippogriff companion within the immediate vacinity.
'Don't worry,' Remus assured him, releasing Sirius' shoulder, 'he's just through there.' The wizard indicated a door leading away from the kitchen on the opposite side to the lounge room. 'I've fed and watered him and the last time I checked he was sleeping.'
Sirius nodded his thanks and the two friends again fell into silence. After having known each other for so long at time such a lapse in conversation should only have been comfortable and companionable, but Sirius could not relax. He was here for a reason but now that it came to it he found that he could not speak of it. Vaguely he recalled how Harry must have felt the other night when he had had to tell Dumbledore all that he had seen and knew. The comparison sickened the Animagus because, although the subject matter might be the same, Sirius did not have anything near his godson's excuse for his reluctance to relive all that had happened. What had happened to his feverish necessity to get to Remus' and set things in motion? The fear that had driven him seemed to have dissolved into a quiet wariness and it felt that, to broach the subject would make it all true, like some absurd superstition.
At the heart of it, though, Sirius knew that he was ashamed. He should not have slept. Had he reached Remus', recounted everything and set to work straight away he would have been fine. He would not have had time to be caught in endless daydreams that saw him standing and staring up at the door of the hospital wing, behind which his godson lay, injured, scared and hurting.
Ironically, however, it was the fact that Sirius had left Harry when he needed him most in order to make this journey that broke through the wizard's lethargy. He had a duty and if Harry's suffering was ever to count for anything he had to fulfil it…
But it seemed, as was very often the case when with Remus, that his input was not required.
With a flick of his wand that he had drawn from the belt of his trousers, Remus brought a chunky pile of paper to rest before the two of them on the kitchen table.
'While you were sleeping I compiled as much information as I could find on the old Order.' Another flick of his wand sent the top half the pile flying as though caught in a strong wind before they landed beside the main pile on the table. 'The names that Dumbledore gave you helped set me off on the right track.' The piece of parchment that now sat atop the main pile was littered with names, old and new. Sirius recognised most of them, but a few he was unfamiliar with. 'There are some that will not need to be informed and I have had a few ideas on who else we might contact,' he smiled wryly, 'and I'm sure that Dumbledore has a lot that he might say.'
But Sirius could not share in his friend's grim mirth. He could only stare at the man before him.
''Wha… When?! How did you learn all of this?!' He breathlessly asked.
Remus raised an eyebrow and actually grinned. 'I'll admit, Padfoot, that you were by no means in the best of sorts, but I managed to latch onto the heart of the matter, although there is still a lot that needs explaining, and a lot that we have yet to do. I have only just begun…' He returned his attention to the piles that sat before him and flicked his wand for the last time to return them to how they were before quietly continuing, not looking at Sirius. 'I didn't actually start until yesterday evening. I was worried about you.'
Sirius just stared at him. He was finding it hard to process any of this.
The silenced stretched between them. Remus' quiet admission seemed to have gone unnoticed, but understandably so given Sirius' lost expression. Finally it was he who spoke.
'What happened, Sirius?!' He asked without looking up. 'What has happened to Harry?!'
A pause.
'Voldemort has arisen again.'
The voice was hollow and the words choked.
Remus briefly closed his eyes and made an effort to breathe in. 'I feared as much.' Now he looked up to Sirius, his familiar eyes open, wide and searching. 'I trust, then, that I have not been too wide off the mark in the work that I have begun?!'
Sirius closed his eyes and smiled. 'By no means.'
They lapsed into silence again, just as tense as the one that had proceeded it.
'What happened, Sirius…?!'
The Animagus sighed tiredly, before beginning the long and dark tale of all that had occurred a day or so ago. 'Could it only, really, have been that long?!' He vaguely wondered.
Just as Dumbledore had provided Harry, Remus allowed Sirius to speak without comment or interruption. It did make the experience far easier that way, without having to be burdened by another's thoughts and inquisitions. But as the Animagus delved deeper into their despairing history he found that he could not act so detached and that he needed his friend. 'He came so close, Remus… so close to being taken from us. Had it not been…' Here Sirius did stop abruptly and quickly glanced up at Remus who was watching him closely with concern. His friend weakly smiled back at him and drew in a shuddering breath.
'Well… it is well that you arrived here as promptly as you did. We have much work to do.'
Relief and gratitude swept through Sirius. He could not have spoken of that moment that Harry had lived. Not now. He was still desperately trying to reconcile what had happened, never mind the intricacies of the reverse spell effect. He tried to voice this but one look from Remus silenced him. There was no need to thank him for understanding, just as there was no need to tell Remus what Harry had been witness to after the two wands had connected.
Remus made a move to pick up the bundle on the table and Sirius followed him and then stopped and looked to his friend for an explanation as to why he had suddenly stopped.
'But… let us have a drink first, I'll put the kettle on…'
Clenching his jaw and holding back a rather undignified groan, Sirius collapsed back onto his chair.
'Merlin! He is infuriating!'
To be continued…
Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. They give me direction and inspiration, both of which are always very much needed ;)…!
Animagus-Spirit-
Thank you for your kind words :) This chapter did not turn out to be as long as I thought it would be… which is for the best as I can warble at times… most of the time ;) Glad you're liking what's coming :)Glamenessence-
Your review floored me and I cannot thank you enough… this head won't be able to fit in this room soon… ouch! .:rubs bump on blown-up forehead:. ;) I'm a big fan of flashbacks when in the right time, place and circumstance and I really tried to get that one to work and to be relevant and I was very happy when I read your feedback. And it is always nice to see a live James… tis why I enjoy writing them .:sigh:. ;)Mystic Catface-
Valid reason you may have, mellon nîn, for not updating… but University no longer, at present, holds you in its laboratory-like thralls… I expect updates galore this Christmas… consider these words marked! That fateful night really wrote itself. There are some issues that will be addressed in later chapters I'd imagine… we'll see ;)This Parrot has ceased to be-
Lol, turns out that I was in a writing mood after all… strange how that happens…! Thank you for all of your comments in both areas of our online life ;) they assist me immensely and guide me and instil confidence where and when needed.Well, that's it for the time being… if I do not get another chapter out before hand (a
crazy notion that I very much doubt!) I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Be safe and take care… :)