The First Piece of the Puzzle

As the sun began to creep over the forest's trees a soft breeze rippled through the curtains of Sirius's four poster bed. He turned over; burying his head into the plush pillow, willing himself not to wake. The breeze surfed coolly over his exposed foot, leaving him with no choice but to lift his head a fraction and peer groggily in the dark.

How strange, he thought, as he sat up slowly to look through the curtains. The window besides Remus's bed was open, allowing the cool February air to enter the dormitory. He shivered slightly and dragged himself out of bed to close it. Lest we all freeze to death, he thought to himself. As he padded softly towards the window he remembered hearing the tapping of an owl's beak in the dead of the night on this very window pane. Had it been real or had he dreamt it? It wasn't the first time he had heard tapping in the dead of the night and more often than not it had been Remus' owl delivering a letter from home – generally bearing the news of another sick aunt. But why would the owl deliver a letter in the dead of the night? Wouldn't it make more sense to deliver it when the other owls did during breakfast? It would, he reasoned, unless the content of the letters would be best read away from prying eyes.

Sirius pulled the window shut and sighed; he was wide awake now, there really was no point in trying to go back to sleep. Peter and James' snores were audible through the drapes of their four posters. He wouldn't be doing anything wrong really, he reasoned, just a bit of snooping never really hurt anyone. He was an expert at it after all; much to his mother's disdain.

He pulled Remus's bedside drawer open slowly and, with swift precision, combed through its contents. Nothing seemed to hold much value apart from a smart leather bound diary. Sirius couldn't help but snort in the darkness; typical, he thought. The diary was bound shut, as though the pages were glued together. The sun was rising far too quickly for his liking. Any minute now Remus would be up; now was not the time to figure out how to open the diary. Sirius skirted every nook and cranny of Remus's belongings to no avail, until it dawned on him.

He peered through the curtains to find Remus sound asleep. He slipped his hand under the pillow cautiously and, sure enough, his fingers touched upon a sheet of parchment. Sirius held his breathe as he slid the paper out from under Remus's head, fraction by fraction. Heart banging against his rib cage, he padded over to the window to read the minuscule writing.

Dear Remus,

How are you my son? We miss you. I do hope you are ok.

I did not mean to use such harsh words, but telling your friends is just not an option we can consider. We love you and want what is best for you. You are such a logical and reasonable child; you have dealt with so much. Please, don't give up now. Everyone wants what is best for you.

If you feel you cannot cope with such lies, maybe distancing yourself could be considered? But we would rather you integrate fully; make the most out of this blessing that Professor Dumbledore has offered.

We love you Remus, stay calm, dont hurt yourself.

Love, Mother

Every word confused him further and further. What could this imply? Secrets? Isolation?! He was jerked immediately out of his thoughts when he head Remus stir. With no time to replace the letter to its original place, Sirius stuffed it into Remus's drawer and bounded back onto his bed without a sound.

Andromeda sat in a corner of the Slytherin common room, reading and re-reading a letter she had just received from home. It was a cold February morning and she was not looking forward to parting with the room's warmth. She had spent most of the Christmas holidays listening to her mother and aunt droning about her coming of age and the ball they were to hold in her honour. She had loathed the family balls since she was a little girl and her mother had made her wear those suffocating dresses. Therefore, she had decided to treat the subject of the upcoming ball with an air of disinterest, in the hope that her mother wouldn't keep nagging her about it. She was nervous enough as it was. Yet, much to her distaste, her mother had far from let it rest.

Dear Andromeda,

We have not heard from you in far too long. We hope you are not getting yourself into too much trouble. Your father and I worry about you! Narcissa informed us that you have been given quite a number of detentions in the past months. Although, she also added that you were wrongly punished.

As you know, your Aunt Walburga and I have been having lengthy discussions regarding your coming of age. We have reached the conclusion that you are quite capable of finding a suitor worthy of you by the time your coming of age ball rolls around in the summer. On the other hand, should you be unsuccessful in this new venture we would have no choice but to pair you with a suitor of our own choosing.

I trust you are very excited about this.

Love,

Mother x

Each word fell with a dull thud in her stomach and soon after her heart sank to join them. She felt as though she had just been hurled into someone else's life with no way back. Her eyes diverted to the letter clasped in her hand, "you will find a suitor soon enough I trust". A lingering threat hung in that simple statement. She was very aware of the politics of marriage within pureblood families. This wasn't about love; it was about joining two pure families through matrimony.

Andromeda didn't quite consider herself to be a romantic, neither was she constantly swooning over young men the way Narcissa did. Yet, she still hoped that one day she would find someone who she would want to spend the rest of her life with. She was a popular girl, namely due to her being outspoken and beautiful; however she had never encountered anyone she enjoyed spending more than a week with over the time she had dated.

With a heavy sigh she tossed the letter into the fireplace. Better get a move on, said a snarky voice in her head. Deep down she knew it was true. She'd rather choose her own suitor then have her mother pair her with an obnoxious prat or worse, a dull heir to a family name whose purpose would only be the joining of two prominent families. Don't you just love the politics of marriage, she thought with great distaste.

Andromeda made her way blindly out of the common room and along a passage leading to the dungeons where the next Potions lesson was due. Her eyes began to well with tears at the thought of being paired with the likes of Nott or worse, Carrow. She brushed away her tears roughly but not soon enough, as she walked headlong into an oncoming student. The young man's books tumbled to the ground with loud thuds.

"Oi watch it!" said a familiar voice

She was about to walk off when she paused and turned. Ted Tonks stood their grinning foolishly at her. His smile vanished in an instant when he saw how distressed she looked.

"What's wrong?" he asked frowning.

She bent down to pick up his books, wishing with all her might that she could avoid giving him an answer. He squatted beside her and helped her gather the books, peering at her intently. Andromeda sighed as she handed him his books and straightened up. They were alone in the corridor yet she still thought it unwise to disclose her family's affairs with him. It was most likely that he would mock her or take the matter lightly. He was a muggleborn, what would he know of the complications of pureblood families? Yet the three consecutive detentions they shared had a considerable effect on the friendship between them.

"What are you doing down here?" she asked.

"I'm tutoring a fifth year for his OWLs Potion exam," he said, with a curious frown on his face.

"Oh that's nice of you," she replied simply.

"Yes, I am nice if you haven't noticed," he teased.

She smiled and rolled her eyes when she saw the goofy grin spread across his lips. She was about to walk off when he reached out for her arm.

"Hey, you haven't told me what's wrong," he said softly.

"I know," she said simply, "It's just that-"

Andromeda didn't know what to say or how to begin explaining it to him, and the tingling feeling she was getting from his hand resting on her shoulder wasn't helping either. They had become friends over the past months thanks to the detentions they landed themselves in. They had also bumped into each other at Hogsmeade a few times. Although she enjoyed spending time with him, she felt she had to thread with caution, lest her friends or Merlin forbid her sisters realise that he's muggleborn.

"Look," he began leaning in to look at her. He was a head taller than her yet he was determined for her to look him in the eye. "I understand that you might not want to tell me because you think I won't understand," She looked up at him cautiously, "but I can assure you, I'm not as daft as I look," he added with a smirk.

She smiled up at him but wrapped her arms protectively around herself. He was much taller than her and something about his eyes made her feel very aware of herself. Nevertheless, with a final sigh, she began to open up about her family, their expectations, and the upcoming ball. It all came out in a rush of despair and relief; and against all odds Ted listened without making one comment. Her potions lesson was soon forgotten as they sat on the floor of the deserted passage, Andromeda ranting and Ted listening.

Lucius slid into a narrow passage concealed behind an elaborate tapestry, and leaned back onto the cool wall, waiting. Not many knew of this passage, mainly due to the fact that it led right to the Slytherin common room. Lucius had come across it during his fourth year whilst roaming the castle with a sixth year girl, looking for a secluded place for a snogging session. The memory brought a flicker of a smile to his thin lips as he reminisced the endless nights they had spent entangled in secluded areas around the castle. He had been young indeed but nevertheless sly. The girl had given him valuable information about the affairs revolving around the Ministry elections of the time. Information that allowed Lucius' father to thwart the leader he opposed, earning himself a generous sum from the newly elected Minister of Magic, as well as his trust.

"Interesting choice…" said a soft voice from beside him.

Lucius jerked himself out of his thoughts and illuminated his wand to reveal Rita Skeeter taking in her surroundings. Her shirt, he noticed, clung tightly to her bosom, leaving very little to the imagination. She was a shapely girl, and it was the first time he had ever appreciated a school uniform on a girl.

"So why here?" Rita asked, jerking him out of his thoughts yet again. "Did you lure me here under the pretense of an emergency?" she smirked, taking note of his wavering eyes.

"As much as it would please you, I'm afraid that it isn't the reason" he smirked; he had been unconsciously looking forward to the playful banter they exchanged during their encounters.

"So what could possibly be so important-" she began, mocking him with a glint in her eyes.

"I need you to do something for me," he said, or rather, commanded.

"Oh darling you know I don't do favours," she laughed mirthlessly.

Lucius straightened up,; he was not one to be refused by anyone. Yet it he had learnt that he would have to play her games. He took a step towards her, closing the space between them, pushing her back into the wall.

"How about we reach an agreement them?" his voice a mere whisper.

"Do you really think you can seduce yourself into this?" she asked, grimacing, although her flushed face told him otherwise.

"Oh I don't mean to," he smirked moving away from her, to lean on the opposite wall. "Why would I voluntarily put myself on the yearly issue of your precious journal?"

"Don't think you can live up to the colourful reputation the girls have whispered over the years?" she said, with a wry smile.

"Oh I have no doubt that I can exceed it by far," Lucius replied with certainty. "But I have information that you may desire more."

"Regarding…" Rita began, raising an eyebrow.

"Now now, so impatient" he tutted taking a step towards her, he was mocking her back. "I do believe I brought you here to help me."

"And what kind of help do you need?" she asked, folding her arms, unknowingly pushing her bosom up.

"I've been receiving a number of anonymous letters from a girl…"

"Ah so that's what's been distracting you," the girl smirked, noting the momentary wisp of confusion gracing his features. "You have the little kittens distraught darling, they do so crave their tomcat's attention," she teased, taking a step towards him and reaching out to touch his cheek.

"Because you don't…" he added sarcastically, taking hold of her wrist sending tingling waves up her arm. She hated to admit how infatuated she was by Lucius Malfoy. It was inevitable really, they were two of a kind. However, she too knew his game.

"Oh but we aren't talking about me now are we," she smirked twirling his tie with her other hand, his long hair brushing her face.

He straightened up and slid the tie out of her grasp, letting go of her other hand in the process. "I want to know who they're from."

She huffed, "Let's have a look then," she said.

He handed her a letter and allowed her beady eyes to scan it once, twice, three times.

"Well we definitely know it's a girl…" she began.

"Most likely pureblood" he pointed out.

"Certainly from a good pureblood family," she pressed.

"Quite dainty"

"Very idealistic too"

"I've ruled out around a dozen," he said, handing her a scrap of parchment with a list of names.

"Hmm yes, definitely not," she contemplated. "Why is it so important that you know who they're from though?"

"Curiosity," Lucius replied simply

"Or the fact that you don't like being toyed with," she smirked, knowingly.

"One day I might have to kill you," he said softly.

"If you kill me, who will make you look like a saint when you wear a devil's cloak?" she smiled, with malice, as he rolled his eyes. "Do you write back to her?"

"Not always," he replied.

"I'll try snoop around," Rita smiled, caressing his face. "The troubles you put me through…" she sighed in mock distress.

"Oh don't worry, I always pay my debts" he smirked, twirling a finger round a lock of her blonde hair. "But remember, one whiff of this in your paper and you'll wish you hadn't visited that deserted girl's bathroom during the last Halloween feast."

Her eyes widened partially in fear and partially because she was impressed. She had been certain to be as discreet as ever, especially on that particular night. What she had gotten up to was particularly legal.

"Is that a threat?" she smirked, hiding her anxiety.

"Not if you keep you end of the agreement."

"Oh I will," she smiled. "but how will you repay me?" she asked, her infatuation getting the better of her, "I have a few ideas if you're lacking in them."

"Oh I'm sure you do," he smiled, "but that's not my way of paying my debts," he teased, "that's leisure."

"What is it going to be then?" she asked.

"A scoop for your end of year journal."

It was possibly one of the coldest February nights in around a decade. The cold air hung around the castle like death, its chill penetrating to the bone. Most of the students sat around warm fires, huddled up in blankets or retired for an early night. The second year Gryffindors however, were not so fortunate. They sat along the outskirts of the Astronomy tower in pairs, peering through their telescopes. Professor Sinistra was in a foul mood and had not allowed them to pair up with their friends. Lily was patiently helping Peter out with his chart, explaining each marking kindly to the confused boy, while James and Alice worked silently on their chart.

"Whoever thought it would be a good idea to do lessons in this bloody cold ought to be strangled," grumbled Marlene, extracting a near blue hand to mark a movement on the chart she shared with Sirius.

"It's madness," he added, his teeth chattering.

"Here have a look," she said, "we need to mark Venus in relation to the moon."

"Got it," he said marking the chart.

She took the telescope and peered again, "No that's Sirius, Venus is further right."

"That's impossible I'm sitting right here," he smirked.

"Really?" she said, exasperatedly, yet smirking all the same. It was possibly the first time they had spoken to each other civilly. "Where's Remus?" Marlene added curiously.

"He had to go home by Floo," said Sirius, simply.

"That's odd," she said, confused. "I'm almost certain that I saw him speaking to Madame Pomfrey earlier this evening."

Sirius gave her a perplexed look.

"Wh-"

"Everyone else was at dinner," she explained, "I wasn't really hungry and I needed a cough syrup, when I got there it was empty, but I'm sure I saw Remus in her office as she came out, maybe he took the Floo from there," she shrugged nonchalantly.

Sirius frowned and looked through the telescope. Whatever Remus was hiding from them must be quite big. He would rather not disclose his suspicions with anyone other than James and Peter. Hence they continued working in silence on their chart, frozen to the bone.

"By now you should be done with tonight's chart," called out Professor Sinistra. "Compare it to the other charts we have charted over the course of the past month."

The class surly extracted the rest of the charts and spread them out in front of them. Marlene pulled out an extra roll of parchment and together they began taking note of the changes.

"Can I have a look at your first chart?" she asked, "I think I have a star missing on mine."

Sirius frowned, searching his bag. "I can't find it, I must have lent it to Remus, he went home last m-"

His eyes widened as the facts came rushing in all at once.

Could it be? Sirius thought, his heart racing. It would make sense, he reasoned. There's only one way to find out.

He jumped up and rushed over to Professor Sinistra to explain that he was feeling quite queasy. The Professor, although suspicious, excused him from the rest of the class. He rushed to his bag, heart banging in his chest, eyes following his every move. He gathered his things quickly and slung his bag over his shoulder, giving James an apologetic look before rushing down the tower stairs.

He must have flown down every corridor and staircase he found as within moments he was walking along the Magical Creatures aisle in the library. He pulled out a heavy book, plopped himself down on the floor and began to read. Each line confirmed his suspicions further. When Madam Pince came to usher him out, he snapped the book shut and raced up to Gryffindor Tower.

"How could we have been so stupid!" he muttered.

He must have been walking blindly as in no time he was skidding round the corner, entering the wing leading to the Fat Lady, and crashing headlong into Peter and James.

"Where were you?" asked James, getting up slowly, taking in Sirius' expression of excitement mingled with apprehension.

"Told you he went to the hospital wing!" cried Peter, brushing the dust off his clothes, as James helped Sirius up.

"I wasn't" said Sirius, catching his breath. "I figured it out," he panted.

"How?" asked James.

"What are you on about?" asked a perplexed Peter.

"Remus," replied Sirius and James.

"Well…"added James.

"Well we all know Remus leaves every month to go home," began Sirius.

"But he doesn't really go home…" continued James

"Exactly," he pressed, "Marlene spotted him with Madam Pomfrey tonight too."

"And he always comes back so peaky," said Peter.

James gave Sirius a piercing look, there was one more piece.

"He always misses Astronomy on a particular night," stated Sirius

"No!" said James clapping his hand to his forehead in disbelief, "How could we have been so stupid! It's so obvious!"

"What's obvious?" asked Peter, desperately.

"Remus is a werewolf," they whispered.