Chapter 10 – Lectured
Sirius Black watched the downpour of bricks blankly, like a complete idiot. In truth, he was too flabbergasted to even consider rage; and then, when the reality of having been ripped off finally settled in his mind, he felt more amused than vexed.
The first problem with Lucy Dawlish was that she possessed some demonic skill to continuously distract and astound him. The second (small, but possibly even more annoying) problem was that he could not bring himself to hurt her, not even a bit, not even didactically. And the third problem was that her last display of savvy arrogance had made him curious – way too curious to see the situation unfold, to see if she would manage to break free without him…
Why would you care, though? He argued with himself as he stole down the stairs, disappearing in a dark corridor. If anyone in this castle had an ounce of sense, they would surely be here within a heartbeat to find out why half of the Western Wing has just collapsed…
She'd tell Fudge about you first thing tomorrow, and you can't allow that. So you find her, you get your wand, you Obliviate her. End of story.
What…? If you think she'd want to do anything with you, you deserve to be back in your fucking cell. That woman hates you, and if you continue daydreaming about her like an idiot, there is no way in hell you're going to get out of here.
Sirius slammed his fist into the nearest wall, closing his eyes as the clash of the impact reverberated through his bones. Pain was something calming, something relieving, something familiar. Good. A language he understood, unlike that wobbly, slippery feeling he got around that woman; far too pretty and far too interesting. Lucy Dawlish had woken something in him that had been asleep for more than a decade now – only, he knew that it would no longer be so easy to get what he wanted. On the contrary, though, it was easy, very easy to forget that he was not his smooth and handsome young self anymore…
"Get a fucking grip on yourself," Sirius muttered between his teeth. He had to keep moving… eyes alert… ears sharp…
He was barely aware of the moment of his transformation; Padfoot was needed so Padfoot came, as an extension of his thought. It felt like developing a third arm when the other two were full, or suddenly growing an eye to the back of his head: his senses were suddenly becoming sharper, perfectioned versions of themselves. He no longer felt the coldness of the walls beneath Padfoot's thick hide, and he could have avoided Sanguini's men with his eyes closed… and all those terrible stirrings and pains and strains and complications trapped inside his skull were suddenly reduced to simple, first-hand commands. Run. Hide. Find Remus.
Drag Lucy Dawlish into a puddle thrice as deep and six times as smelly as the previous one and continue to dip her until she loses her allure…
The dog sneezed. The air was so dusty here, probably due to confinement. That would just not do – his nose was something he needed…
His legs carried him further and further still… and at one point, he suddenly picked it up. It was there. Right there. Remus's scent. Faint, altered, smelling thoroughly of fear and the wolf inside, but it was there, and he followed it greedily, winged by the sudden triumph of discovery. He would find him before that woman does, and free him, and get everything done alone, and see how snarky she can get in the face of that one!
It was almost too classic, really – the humid, grey-green walls of the dungeon, the tepid, velvety darkness, thick and soft like a cloud… well, on second thought, it was decidedly too classic. Somehow, someplace, there had to be a trap – they wouldn't know, though, unless they walked right into it. In truth, the dog (and the human within) was outright curious what the bloodsucker had in store for them.
Remus's scent was even stronger down here, and the dog heard the hiss of his breath as he realised someone was approaching. Moony was very close now, perhaps minutes away; his sharp senses lurked a shade behind the human ones, occasionally gaining terrain as stimuli surfaced. Sirius had always been fascinated by the last few hours before the transformation – the blurring of the barrier between man and wolf. How do you feel, Moony? He would ask at times; countless times. – Wobbly. – Okay, but WHAT do you feel? – My fingers itching. But that is probably just a primary reaction to your face.
Well, that is probably the proper primary reaction to have at the sight of my face these days, Sirius mused as he turned back to his two-footed self again. He snapped his fingers lightly, and they stroke fire; a pale blue flame that flickered and danced on his palm like a phantom from the underworld.
Remus was half-sitting half-lying in the back of his cell. There was a puddle of something dark and sticky around him, and Sirius hoped for Sanguini's sake that it wasn't his own blood – because if it was, then he would have to grab that bloodsucker and wring his neck with his bare hands, and that was not a very poetic way to die.
"Oi, Moony," he called softly. "I hate to disturb your beauty sleep, but we're off."
The man's eyes snapped open – unfocused at first, but quickly becoming wide and alert.
"You?"
"Oh no, don't pinch yourself, I'm really that gorgeous…" Sirius laughed darkly. "Been waitin' for someone else, haven't we? Sadly, your lady friend is quite preoccupied with me now. She thinks I'm a mass murderer, or something." Sirius settled comfortably in front of the cell and crossed his legs. "Why is it that you always get the cream of things, hmm? I go on Order duty, I get Moody's rap about endangering the existence of my ass if I keep my wand in my pocket. You go on Order duty, though… you get a hot chick, a nice wooden cottage and a convenient alcoholic sidekick. I really hate you, you know."
"I…" Remus shook his head. "How did you find me?"
Sirius tapped the side of his nose. "You stink."
The faintest smile rushed through Remus's face. "I'm glad you're here, Siri."
He winced. That name… no one had spoken that name in thirteen years now. It was terribly unsettling. Why were people so intent on embarrassing him these days? And why was Remus looking at him like he was supposed to answer, or something…?
"Lucy told me you had a bad leg," he said instead.
"I fixed it."
"How?"
"I managed to keep my wand," said Remus. "And Lucy's, too. I can even cast spells in here… it's just that I can't break out. Not for lack of trying, as you may imagine. Sanguini's charms are strong, and I don't get their functioning. Nothing works… maybe Apparition would, but the entire property is jinxed against it."
"Hmm..." Sirius frowned, letting the cogwheels of his brain set in motion. "What did you try? Break it? Blast it?"
"Both."
"How about melting it?"
"Doesn't work, either. The curses don't even seem to reach the bars. I've never seen anything like this… it's almost like Sanguini's mocking me. Look, you useless piece of shite – you can't do a thing against me! There must be a trap somewhere… I just don't know the rules, and it's very hard to play like that."
"Try and give me a wand."
"You think it would work?"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "No clue. But if we continue to mope around in our respective corners, it certainly won't. Where's milady's wand?"
Remus pulled it out from under his cloak. "Watch out," he said. "Bit stubborn. Almost Blasted me instead of the lock."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Sirius muttered.
They both expected some magical barrier or alarm, but the wand slid neatly between the bars, and Sirius's fingers clutched it with relief. His next sensation was that of unease, though; holding the wand felt just as wobbly and unsettling as holding its owner.
All right, he thought. This was not the moment to show off – he simply pointed the wand on the locket, and spoke the command:
"Alohomora!"
Nothing.
"Relaxo!"
Nothing.
"Diffindo! Confringo! Expulso! "Ferrum disserito! Reducio! Ignis! God-damn-it!"
"Told you," said Remus. "Listen… I'm stuck here for good. Go look for Lucy… I'll vouch for the fact that you're the nice sort of mass murderer… and get her out of the castle. Quickly. I'll… manage." He grabbed hold of his own knees, pulling them up to his stomach and hugging them tight, as if that was the only thing holding him together. "Moony is just a few moments away and I think I might throw up in any second. You really need to go."
"Not gonna happen."
"Siri…"
"No – shut up!" He growled. There was it again. That name. Why couldn't it stay in the past where it belonged? "You're being thick as a troll. If I leave you now, you'll never break free. But Moony might." Sirius stood up, his nose almost touching the cold iron. "Moony is hungry, and he will try to get me. Then we'll see whose magic is stronger…"
"That's a very… very bad idea," said Remus weakly. There was a soft tremor running down his spine, and through his limbs. Soon, he would start to shake uncontrollably, Sirius knew – and then, he might throw up for real before Moony would kick in.
"Yeah, terrible. I don't have anything else, though." Sirius eyed him across the bars. "And no. Don't waste your breath. I'm not leaving without you."
"Now who's thick?" Remus's lip twitched; then another wave of tremor ran through him, and his eyes darkened. "Sirius," he whispered. "When I… when Moony breaks outta here… if he does… you'll follow, right?"
"Why do you think I'm wasting my breath here?"
"Okay… great." Remus's voice was hoarse. "It's just… Sirius… you must not let me bite her… Got it? You must not let me lay as much as a finger on her or I'll kill myself. Okay?"
"Save your drama, my furry friend – milady's ivory skin shall remain intact," Sirius said with a flourish.
"No, but really. Siri… if you have, like, a choice… between me lacerating someone limb by limb or, like, I don't know, bumping her elbow… you'll prefer the first possibility, right? Promise me…"
"Alright, got it. When's the wedding?"
"She's my friend," Remus retorted. "Well… for the time being," he added softly, when he thought Sirius was no longer listening.
Sirius was always listening, though; and his eyes narrowed at that statement. It was probably the rarity of the situation – he had very seldom seen Remus getting girlfriends, let alone friends with benefits. It just came with his condition. Surely, though, if any woman could handle a werewolf, it was Lucy Dawlish…
Imagining her with Remus woke another long-forgotten thing in him; some wicked, greedy-fanged beast that roared to life in his belly while Remus's shrieks were melding into Moony's throaty howl in the background, and filled his entire being with flame and heat…
Sirius turned slowly back to face the wolf, and as their eyes met, he understood what that fealing was –
Jealousy.
The word had long lost its meaning to him, yet now, it suddenly resurfaced from his cerebral set of abstract concepts – he knew from past experience that such a thing existed, and he also remembered how "jealousy" was supposed to make him feel. Now, though, that the strange hot-and-cold sensation itself filled him from head to toes, he did not know how to handle it. It was similar with anger, though, and he definitely remembered how to be angry. Oh, he did. So maybe, just maybe, jealousy was meant to be released in the same way as anger…
But that did not matter now.
"Hey, Moony –" He grinned at the wolf. "Wanna play catch?"
The wolf growled, eyes narrow and menacing.
"C'mon, you can do better than that." Sirius thrusted himself upon the cell door, his forehead touching the iron. "Get me, furball!"
He did not move an inch as the wolf crashed into the bars with the full might of its force. Sanguini's magic didn't stop it, the joints rattled, and the cell door moved a little bit forth, then back.
"Come on, Moony," Sirius urged him, waiting for the vampire (or worse) to walk on them in any moment. No one did, though, which was awfully suspicious, but he had other things to worry about for the time being. For example, that darn door. If a hungry werewolf couldn't break through it, then who could…? They were running out of time…
"Moony – hey, Moony!" Sirius grinned at the wolf through the bars. "Y'know what? I shagged your girlfriend!"
The wolf snarled at him, baring all its razor teeth. It couldn't possibly understand what he said, but maybe the message itself went through… the monster roaring within, and his sheer triumph…
"Oh yeah, I did! And guess what – SHE LIKED IT! AND I'LL DO IT AGAIN IF YOU REMAIN IN THAT FUCKING CELL – OR, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS, HAH!"
The wolf slammed into the bars with a previously unseen force; the hinges screamed in pain and the very earth reverberated with the force of the impact.
"YEAH!" Sirius screamed. "I DON'T GIVE A – GOT A PROBLEM WITH ME, EH? THEN FIGHT ME, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"
Through the span of the next few moments, many things happened at once. First, there was some rattling, unearthly noise; then there was dust – dust everywhere, and Sirius was falling back down to the unseen depths of the dungeon's darkness. Then instinct kicked in, and when the wolf harked after him, it only found Padfoot lying in the dirt. That didn't stop him from painfully scrunching his backbone, though.
It worked, the dog realised as the dust settled down and the wolf sneaked up the slippery stairs. We're off.
Up next: find that woman and give her a bit of a fright.
It had been somewhat too easy. All of it.
Black had not even put of a fight; he'd merely continued to stare at her wide-eyed and strangely offended as the bricks fell; and no one seemed to follow her as she ran, either. The only sound around was the constant booming of the bass down the ballroom, where the party still went on. Was she dreaming, or had The Hobgoblins truly made a punk rock cover of that Celestina Warbeck hit…?
Bet Remus wouldn't like that one, either, Lucy thought as she sneaked down the main staircase. From the air, she had observed that the castle court joined a large, open space behind the building's left wing, framed by an orchard and an ancient-looking fountain that chattered happily. Behind the gardens, there was a small passageway leading to the nethermost regions of the castle. If she could break through that door…
Lucy took a deep breath, put a new Disillusionment Charm upon herself, and walked swiftly down the courtyard, careful not to bump into any of Sanguini's guests. The full moon was now high up in the skies, casting silver stripes upon the walls; and Lucy knew that she would no longer find Remus anywhere, even if she were to look.
Only the wolf.
She had to try nevertheless – she'd promised herself that she would. Even if her heart was thundering like a Weird Sisters riff… even if facing a werewolf was the worst of her fears…
She reached the gardens without an incident – preoccupied as she was, she did not fail to recognize the contrast between this setting and the ones Muggle comics usually associated with vampires and their castles. The trees were high and abundant, and they were well tended to. They also happened to be full of Bowtruckles and Pixies.
Lucy noticed that the garden itself was a giant maze; an intricate clockwork of adjoining paths that rewarded the walker with the view of the central fountain approximately every three minutes if they went the right way. In the last such round, Lucy halted, taking in as much of the view as she could. The path that led to the dungeon door was supposed to be behind that fountain, to the North-East…
"Peaceful, isn't it?"
Sanguini was strolling along the adjoining path. His cloak billowed in black torrents around his feet, though, which created the impression that he was merely gliding through the air.
"This is my favourite spot," continued the vampire without blinking. "Especially when the moon is full." His lip twitched, baring his decidedly nonhuman teeth for a moment. "Now-now, don't panic. I can smell your blood. It would not be very wise to turn your back on me right now – I'm rather famished, you understand."
Lucy stared at him for a few moments, considering her options – then, she muttered "Finite!" and became visible again. She felt like her heart could break through her ribs in any moment and explode into a rainfall of blood – but the only feeling her face betrayed was slight bewilderment.
Calm, the ghost of Ronan's voice insisted, control.
Occlude.
"Why?" She asked, because she could think of nothing else.
"Why what?"
"Why don't you… you know… attack me, or something?"
"You are my guest," said Sanguini, as if he was explaining the alphabet to a five-year-old. "I do not harm my guests."
"You have already harmed me. And Remus."
"It was never my intention to do so, which explains why you are still alive. Although... you have to understand that you are putting me into a very uncomfortable situation." The vampire folded his hands with astonishing delicacy. "That is not because you've attempted to steal from me; you are neither the first, nor the last… but rather because it should be very easy for me to seal your fate. It should be, but it isn't."
Lucy frowned. "You can't decide if we're a threat?"
"A threat?" Sanguini laughed quietly. "Oh no, certainly not. As for my personal reason, you're merely making me curious. The werewolf, too, but you especially."
"Me? Why me?"
The vampire's eyes were red, very red; but other than that, they were suddenly just like Albus Dumbledore's. "What do you need my key for?"
"I don't need it. I want to give it to someone else."
"And why couldn't that someone else come to steal it from me instead?"
"They could if they wanted, and you would probably be in for a few surprises," said Lucy truthfully. "And…" She swallowed. "Well, you know – we're not the only ones looking for that key of yours. Someone else might come for it, and he will not ask nicely. I mean, he'll be considerably less nice than us."
"Are you threatening me?"
"I-I'm not really in a position to threaten anybody," said Lucy, forcibly accelerating her tone. This was a vampire, acutely aware of every little stir in her blood… yes, that would do it. If he would mistake it for fear… "This is only a little warning. He – he will promise you things and envision things. He will make it all sound like your key is a small, but necessary sacrifice for all the greatness he has to offer you. But that guy… he is a liar. Notoriously. I can promise you that much. My kind – well, we are all kind of generally terrible towards magical creatures. Yeah… all wizards are terrible… but some wizards are more terrible than others."
Pity he wouldn't catch the reference, she thought. There, she had done it – she had moved her hand, and she was now clutching Black's wand again. Tight. Now she'd only need to aim it…
"You are being honest," Sanguini observed. "That is certainly remarkable." He crossed his arms as they continued to walk in the precise direction Lucy had intended to. "I am aware of that wizard," he said then. "Some say he returned, some say he didn't… I know that he did. Otherwise, he could not have asked me to take care of you and your werewolf friend."
"Did he, now?" Lucy inclined her head.
It is just a threat. An empty threat. It had to be. Sanguini could not be controlled by You-Know-Who – this had to be some plot of Black's. On a second thought, it was not even sure that He had returned…
That Prophet article had been very clear, though.
"Ah, he did. Not directly, of course – I spoke with a servant of his. He asked for a swift and quiet method, which is surprising enough as it is. I have considered biting you or feeding you to my pets – both might work. See, you are supposed to disappear without a trace. Yesterday, I gave the matter a little thought… the whole situation is rather unfortunate. I figured I might let you choose."
"How nice of you," said Lucy without thinking. She forcefully swallowed the bile that had suddenly rose up to her throat. There was one way, only one way out of this, as it seemed…
Avada Kedavra. The spell is Avada Kedavra. Wand movement: a sharp form of lightning. And you have to mean it.
No, she couldn't do it. Shit, she could not… there was no way she'd have enough power to cast that spell.
And would it work on a vampire, of all creatures? Is a vampire even technically alive…?
"…I thought as much. But it would be brutal… too brutal," Sanguini sighed, and shook his head slowly, like some ancient sage. "Not to mention that it would be an act of unnecessary commitment, which I would under no circumstances advocate, nor perform."
"What?" Lucy would have been less surprised if Sanguini had turned into a winged pink unicorn and exploded into an avalanche of Bertie's Botts. "You're not going to hurt me? Against You-Know-Who's orders?"
"I do not take orders from anyone. And why would I? Anyone who carries a Centaur's bow is a remarkable person, and I support remarkability. I do, however, intend to teach you a lesson tonight, about the nature of things."
"The nature of things?" Lucy frowned.
"I see how you look at your friend," said Sanguini, almost warmly. "I have lived for a long time… and I have certainly seen that look more than a few times, and I have also seen the numerous tragedies it has caused."
"What do you mean?"
"Mean? Oh, I do not mean anything. But your Remus is such a good friend, is he not? He would do his best to protect you under any circumstances, correct?"
Lucy smiled despite herself. "Correct."
"Which means that he would never hurt you, am I right?"
"No – no, he wouldn't." Lucy forced the words out of her mouth. She thought she was beginning to see where this was going.
Sanguini smiled, which was, for some reason, a lot more terrifying than his previous wrath at their capture.
"Excellent! Now listen carefully – all my lessons are simple, and this is probably the easiest of them all. It is a pact of sorts: a pact with two equal sides. Me, and you. Here is how it goes… I will let you both go free. Together. No questions asked, no hardships, no second thoughts – I merely ask two things of you. First: never show your face here again. See, I would find myself in a rather bothersome situation if the Dark Lord were to learn of our little agreement…" Sanguini's lip twitched.
"Yeah…"
"Great! Then second…" Sanguini's eyes were distant. "Never forget what you will have learned tonight, if you are still alive when the Sun comes up."
"If I am alive…? But you just said…"
"It is past time someone showed you what a werewolf truly is, sweetheart," said Sanguini in a paternal tone. "Quickly now, quickly! Shoo!"
That moment, she saw it.
The two yellow eyes outside the dungeon door, burning with menace.
(to be continued)
Author's Notes
Sirius's POV is tricky, to say the least. Hope I did him justice, but you should know one thing (which is very true for further instalments as well): I do not intend to idealize him in any way...
Thank you for the astonishing amount of views! I'm incredibly happy to have readers - to be honest, I'm more than a little anxious about this story, as it is very different from what I usually do (or at least, it feels different). So if you liked it (or not!) please consider letting me know.