Author's note: HI! Thank you to my new followers, fans and readers! We broke 2000 views, which to me is fantastic! Thank you all so much for taking time to read my story! I'd love to hear what you think, even if you leave an anon or guest review. It would mean a bunch to me. I'm a people pleaser, and I want to write this both for me and you, so let me know any ideas you have. And to the question SilverWolf1978 asked, you'll find that out in the OoTP continuation of this plot, if you choose to follow it (and I hope you do!)
Love to you all! Happy Reading!
~DMM
Ivy sat still as Remus darted for the door. His face had lost all color when she told him she'd fed a dog breakfast, but he hadn't gotten angry. He simply asked her how the dog acted, and when she told him the dog reacted to her like he knew what she was saying he darted for the door. It scared her to death, to think she'd fed such a hardened criminal breakfast, and it was even worse considering how she was dressed. She could feel herself shaking from fear and panic. After about ten minutes he came back into the house and sat down hard at the table. Ivy tried not to cry, she waited for him to yell at her.
"As far as I can tell, he's gone. Just... please tell me if you ever see any sign of the mangy son of a bitch, any sign at all. If you smell that smell again. I put wards up but..." he stop talking as Ivy let out a sob and nodded along with what he was saying. He moved over to where she was sitting and squatted before her, holding her upper arms in his hands. "Please don't cry. You didn't know. I don't mind you feeding any other stray animal in the world. Just not that one. I'm not angry with you Ivy. I'm extremely relieved he didn't hurt you or take your wand." Ivy nodded again and wiped her tears away. Remus pressed a kiss into her forehead. He stood up and walked over to the sink and set the dishes from breakfast to washing themselves.
"I really didn't know, Remus. I'm so sorry. Why... Why would he come here?" She was still trying to stop crying and shaking in her seat. Remus didn't say anything at first. He stood very still for a moment in thought.
"I suppose he was looking for me. I don't know if that means to kill me, ask me for help, or what. I do know that he'll not be able to make it back here without setting off several alarms, so that isn't a worry. I'd kill him on sight, so he really should think before coming back." Ivy nodded, but her mind was twirling away. She had a question gnawing at her, but she was scared to ask. She decided that she needed to know the whole story with Sirius... Now was not the time though, she decided she'd ask him later. Tomorrow was the full moon, and she needed to figure out the plan for them about that. There were twelve full moons a year, after all. And twelve times a year for the rest of their lives was a lot of time.
"Remus, what is the plan for tomorrow?" Her voice was shy, like she was scared to talk about it. Remus raised an eyebrow and let a puff of air out. He shook his head and shrugged.
"I hadn't actually thought too much about it. I actually usually just take my potion, curl up on the bed and sleep it off. I think I can probably still do that, and you can join me as... does your wolf have a name, Ivy? Did your Dad tell you?" Ivy looked confused, and she shook her head. "Oh. Sometimes the wolf in people communicates. Did your Dad call you a random name, like you may have told him a name and not known about it?" Ivy shook her head again.
"Well, that is something I may be able to help you with. If you want, I mean." His voice was a bit hoarse and had gone deeper, and though it was just a side effect of the moon's cycle, Ivy felt her heart speed up again. Her eyes hurt a little, and his smell was overpowering her. All that combined with how he was treating her, even after she'd messed up and fed Black. She stood up took him by the hand.
"I'd like that." She stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. "I also think you need to come back upstairs with me." He looked at her questioningly, then smiled and pulled her into a kiss. Ivy let herself melt into him, knowing they'd be back to being awkward near-strangers when the pull of the moon passed. But for now, she was happy enough to loose herself in his arms. They could work through everything else for twenty eight more days until the moon came again.
Padfoot had been running for at least three hours, almost straight. He phased back into the battered prisoner and sat against the overpass below the muggle highway, out of sight from anyone. He was panting, and dipped a hand into the stream running through the gutter and splashed some on his face. He had come so close to getting captured, or even killed at the hands of one of the only two people he had left in the world. He knew if Remus had seen him he'd fire off hexes faster than Sirius would be able to spill an explanation. Not that he'd not deserved it. It was all his fault, even if it wasn't him who turned Lily and James over. If he'd believed more in his friend than the paranoia of the war this wouldn't have happened. James and Lily would be here, he wouldn't be under this bridge. He may have even sampled the witch he'd met's cooking with the dignity of sitting at a table.
Sirius closed his eyes. I hope that woman is making Moony happy. She was beautiful. He deserves it. Do they have children? Sirius shook his head. Moony didn't want children. But then, the Remus I knew didn't want a wife either. I guess I don't know him anymore. Sirius got lost in his thoughts. He'd run as hard as he could to get away. He'd only wanted to check on him, make sure there was someone taking care of him. One of the few things Sirius knew on the run is when the full moon fell. It wasn't risky to look at the sky. He hoped she knew how to patch Remus up, but judging by the scars running down her left leg, she had knowledge enough.
Sirius let himself doze against the concrete until he felt the air chill around him. He blinked back awake in the dim light under the bridge, he was on his was to Surrey. Number Four, Privet Drive, to be exact. He didn't have much of a plan after that, but much the same as with Remus, he wanted to check on the boy who'd been taken from his arms nearly twelve years ago. Lily's sister had been horrid to her, and all Sirius knew of her was that she mad Lily cry horribly the day before her wedding by telling her she'd never support Lily's marriage or magic. He hoped deep in his heart that Petunia had grown up and was good to Harry, but somehow he doubted that was the case.
He transformed into the dog once again and shook himself to wake up a bit better before trotting up the embankment and running along the road, far enough away that no drunken or mean souls could swerve over and hit him with their vehicle. He trotted down the road for about an hour when a smell caught his nose. Somewhere bread was baking, and the eggs he'd had earlier were long gone. He stood still and felt for wind to see what direction the smell was coming from. He sniffed at the air and turned off the road and headed down the hill into a village.
He followed the smell to the open back door of a muggle cafe, and decided to try and play his 'down on my luck dog' routine that had feed him thus far. He settled down on his haunches and pawed at the door, letting out sharp whines. After a moment a woman in a white shirt with a black apron came to the door and frowned at him. She didn't look cross with his presence so much as at his condition.
"Are you hungry boy?" she squatted down to Sirius' level. "I have some left over bangers and some rolls from yesterday. They're not the fresh ones you're probably smelling, but they'll do in a fix. Sit tight." She went back into the cafe and returned with a tray of rolls and bangers. She sat the tray down on the step by the door. "Don't leave with my tray please." She closed the door and went back in.
The woman didn't return. Sirius wasn't sure how to thank her, but he left her tray (a real dog would've probably carried it off for the flavor on it). He had a while to go before he reached the suburbs yet.
Hiding in the bushes he'd had to chase three kneazles out of, he watched the house. An extremely large woman in a skirt suit so tight over her fat rolls it looked as if it would burst had went in about an hour before. She had an equally fat bulldog at her heels, but he was too lazy to seek Sirius out. There was silence from the house for a while, then Padfoot's ears perked up on his head. Dishes were crashing. He knew he couldn't risk looking in the window here in such a populated area. He sat up and watched carefully when he heard yelling. One voice sounded like a voice he'd known years before. There was more banging and yelling.
Suddenly a large figure rose and flew over the back of the house. Padfoot's grey eyes grew wide. It was the large woman from before, screaming and soaring as she inflated to three or four times her size until she was as round as a globe. The Ministry would surely be here soon to clean up this magical mess, and Sirius was no fool. He darted from his bush and ran down the lane to a play ground and hid in the shrubbery. He was panting from running and panic. That was close, and he wasn't sure what had happened to Harry. Twelve years had done nothing to dampen his love for the child, and he wanted to burst in there and make sure he was happy. But I've buggered that up too. Sirius swallowed his tongue back in and stopped his panting. He settled down into the shrub for a rest.
After about ten minutes a boy came walking down the sidewalk, face red from anger. He was muttering to himself and the sight of him made Sirius' heart stop. He looked so much like James it actually made the dog's eyes well up with tears. He didn't know what to do. Here he was, Harry Potter. His Godson. He was obviously running away, he was dragging his Hogwarts trunk down the street with him, angry tears were spilling down his cheeks. In the distance a squeak of fright sounded and Harry and Padfoot both turned their heads. The woman from before was still floating away, over rooftops. Padfoot winced at the magic, but Harry smiled.
Maybe I can just pad over there and see him up close. I could make sure those people didn't hurt him. If I could just get a little closer to him... Padfoot emerged from the shrub toward the boy. His fur bristled with nerves, without him realizing it. He must have looked threatening; as he was bristled, matted and dirty. He took a few slow steps toward Harry when the boy caught sight of the dog and he was staring at the business end of Harry's wand. He took another careful step forward when a Knight Bus came whizzing up and blocked their view of each other.
Harry spoke with the conductor for a moment, and then peaked around the bus to where Padfoot had been standing. By now, he had hidden safely back in the bushes and watched the boy step aboard the bus and hurry off. Padfoot let out a puff. At least Harry was safe for now, even if everyone thought he was the threat.