A/N:Thank you to all those who reviewed the last chapter, I was happy to hear you enjoyed the dip into Sirius and Liz's history.
This chapter turned into a little bit of a monster, but I am mostly happy with it - but I was afraid if I didn't post it, I would fret more over it and you all would not get it for another month. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask! :)
In other news, it has been almost 4 years since I started writing this story. Real life, writers block and other assortments of things have gotten in the way of me finishing it, but I wanted to thank everyone who has stayed with the story so far (especially those of you that reminded me I needed to get off my butt and write!). If not for you, this story would still be in chapter 3 probably. So thank you all, and on with the chapter!
Disclaimer: If they are Harry Potter characters I do not own them, however I do own this story so please do not copy or attempt to post this somewhere without my permission. Thank you.
Chapter 24: Written in the Stars
Nodding to the dock guard with his lantern swinging from the top of a wooden staff, James walked alone toward his ship. The only light in the bay was the moon and the lanterns placed on the ships. He carefully avoided the unloaded cargo and fishing nets spread along the old boards then ascended the boarding plank to his ship.
James paused partway up, his gaze lingering on the letters painted on the hull of the ship. The Phoenix. In the light the moon cast on the hull, James studied the name for a long moment. Eventually, he made his way to the upper deck.
James' shadow stretched across the deck as imposing as a ship on a clear horizon. He heard only the soft beating of the water against the ship and the breath of the wind as it wrapped around his shoulders. James inhaled the warm, salt smell.
He paused at the mast, leaning against the cool wood. On the surface he felt calm; the agitation that had sent him away from the ship seemed to have faded. James shut his eyes against the glaring light of the moon. And yet there remained a small part of him that wanted to fling everything away and watch it smash into pieces as it met the wall. James opened his eyes, and his gaze fell on a silhouette of a woman against the opposite rail. He knew the curve of her shoulders, the way the red hair clung to her even in the breeze. James pushed himself away from the mast and went to her.
James stopped just behind Lily. She did not turn to face him, but instinct told James that she knew he was there. He resisted the urge to simply wrap his arms around her and pull her against his chest. She didn't speak, but kept her face turned toward the sea, toward the horizon and sky where silver flecks of stars winked at him. James tilted his head.
"Watching the stars?" Silence greeted his question. He shifted a little closer. "Every star has a story," he murmured, remembering a time not long ago, on a night very much like this one, where he had held her on the steps of the ship and spoke to her of stars. James pointed past her shoulder, indicating two stars. "Those two have an intriguing one."
There was a soft exhalation of breath, almost like a snort. James raised an eyebrow though he knew she could not see him.
"Don't believe me?" Again she didn't answer, but she did shift slightly until her back was pressed against his chest. "One was a princess. Nothing new there, there's always a princess. She was the most beautiful woman in the land. The other was a pirate. Dashing, of course."
He waited for a laugh, but none came. James dropped his arm and his hand rested on the rail next to hers. "She longed to travel the sea, but her father wouldn't allow it. So she snuck onto a merchant ship to experience it herself. But the ship strayed too far into the ocean. The pirate attacked the ship and took the crew and the goods.
"The pirate gave the crew a chance to become pirates to stay alive, and the princess took it. But she hated him, for all the people he'd murdered and for his arrogance. For he was arrogant, as pirates often are," James murmured. "They made each other miserable for weeks and then…" James paused, his hand drifting over hers, warming it with his own palm. Lily didn't flinch away.
"Then they weren't making each other miserable anymore. And when they stopped trying to make each other miserable, they fell in love."
James stopped. Lily shifted, allowing her head to rest in the crook between his neck and shoulder. His free arm automatically wrapped itself around her stomach, holding her against him as he rested his cheek on the side of her head, inhaling the scent of her hair.
"They fell in love," he repeated softly. "But eventually, the English caught up with him. And when they discovered the lost princess, they promised him the noose." He felt Lily's body tense against his.
"But the princess could not stand by and let it happen. She told her father she was also guilty of piracy and if they were going to hang the pirate, they must hang her too. Her father begged her to retract her words, but she refused. Unless, they let the pirate go free.
"The king was forced to agree, he could not watch his daughter hang. Instead of leaving the pirate completely free, he marooned him on an island. He was left alive, but completely alone."
James felt Lily's body shift to pull away from him, but he kept his grip steady and she stilled. "He survived for a year with the life he'd been given," James continued, his voice only for her. "Then, one day, a ship came toward the island. A small boat was lowered and a single person rowed to the island shore. The pirate watched it from a distance and saw what appeared to be a young boy step onto the shore.
"The pirate went to meet the sailor, but when the boy turned around the pirate realized it was the princess."
Against his chest, he felt Lily's heartbeat quicken. "They lived the rest of their lives on the island together, and when they died their souls became the two stars. Clustered together in the night sky, forever."
The waves against the ship became the only sound on the deck. Lily turned her face, tilting it so her eyes found James'. He could see the streaks from dried tears.
"So there is a happy ending…" she murmured. James' hand pulled hers from the rail, fingers intertwined, and pressed her palm to his lips.
"My patience with you is nearing an end, Black." Bella stood above him, hands on her hips. She was dressed in the same dark material as she wore every time she had descended to the dungeon. McNair was nearby, twirling an iron rod in a kettle of coals.
Behind Bella, Dora was pressed against the corner not looking at Sirius. Bella had not sent Dora away as she had done in the past when she came to extract information from Sirius. Always, she had ordered Dora away with one of the pirates. Sirius did not see her until after the session was over, normally when he drifted back from unconsciousness. This time, however, Bella had entered the room with wildness in her eyes. Her mouth was pinched in a sneer when she walked through the door to see the two prisoners sitting near one another. Sirius remembered thinking he should move his head from where it was resting against Dora's shoulder, but he hadn't moved fast enough.
So now she stood in the back corner, asked to stay by the leader of the coven who now towered over Sirius with her teeth bared. Sirius shifted, or as much as he could against the two men holding him down against the cold floor. He winced as one of the pirates adjusted his grip to his bruised shoulder, digging his palm into the purple skin.
"Perhaps," he gasped, "you should ask…better questions."
The boot into his ribs was not a surprise. Sirius took a deep breath, holding it in against the dull ache in his side.
"I grow weary of your humor."
"And I grow weary...of your…repeated questions," Sirius snapped without thinking, his voice hoarse.
Bella pulled away, her eyes narrowed into slits. Then she spun away and pulled the iron rod from McNair's grip. She knelt down, bringing the tip close to Sirius' face. From the short distance, he could see it was not merely a rod, but a branding iron with a capital P on the end. The P was smoking. Sirius tried to shift away but the two hands pinned him firmly to the floor.
"Did you know the English government marks all the pirates about to be hung for their crimes? It came from the belief that in branding their skin it would brand their soul, so when they stood for judgment God would know to send them to the deepest pit of hell." Bella twirled the rod in her fingers.
Sirius swallowed. His chest rose and fell quickly. He could still feel every bruise, wound, and laceration on his body. They throbbed with each new heartbeat and made his head foggy. Sirius blinked through the haze, focusing on the face before him.
Bella paused in her inspection of the branding iron, leaning close to Sirius' face so her breath caused beads of moisture to form on his cheek. "You can't hide them forever."
Sirius turned his head to meet her eyes. "Who says they're hiding?"
There was a moment when the iron touched his flesh that Sirius didn't feel anything. But the moment after was complete agony. The burning, the eating away of his flesh may have only been just above his breast, but it felt as if the tearing, white hot inferno was eating away at his muscles, his bone, his very blood. The smell of burning flesh clung to his senses and Sirius heard a voice cry out. It took several moments before he realized the stretching in his jaw, the hoarseness in his throat meant the sound was coming from his out body. His back tried to arch off the ground, to get away from the metal meeting his flesh, but he couldn't move.
"Stop, stop!"
He heard a woman's voice over his own and a moment later the iron was removed. It clattered to the ground as Bella dropped it to the stone and the two sets of arms released him. Sirius rolled onto his side, burying his cheek in the straw and trying not to smell the putrid odor coming from his own skin.
When he pried his lids open, he saw Dora with her back to the wall, Bella facing her. Words were being spoken, but he couldn't make them out. Sirius shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Then he tightened his hand into a fist, pulling up straw as he heaved himself up against the wall.
Bella turned back to him, behind her Dora's face was flushed. Sirius gaze went past Bella to the former wench, whose hands were wrapped in the folds of her skirt. Feeling how his own hands shook, Sirius wondered if Dora was hiding her nerves from the female pirate. Sirius slipped one hand under his shirt to secure his ribs as he used his other arm to position himself on the wall.
Bella knelt down and held Sirius' chin in her hand, lifting his face so his eyes met hers. She tilted her head down at him, watching the rapid rise and fall of his chest and the dried blood that Dora had not managed to clean off his chest and hairline.
"This could all be over if you just answer my question," she said, her voice a silk scarf wrapping slowly around his neck, waiting to tighten and strangle him. Sirius tried to move his face away, but she tightened her grip on his chin. "All the pain, the suffering, all of it could end. Just tell me where James Potter is, and it will all stop."
On his breast, just above where his heart still beat, a red P was burned. The smell of burned flesh filled his nostrils, threatening to make him sick. Sirius wet his lips.
"Do you really think that if I knew where they were," Sirius spoke slowly, enunciating each word with effort, "I would ever tell you?"
McNair moved toward him, the straw hissing with his advancement. He stopped at a motion from Bella.
"If you don't, then I will draw my answer out of you until you beg for death."
"Not much incentive, really," Sirius muttered, "seeing as either way I'm a dead man."
Bella settled on her haunches, and drew a finger over her jaw in the same fashion that she had the first time they'd met. Her fingers skimmed over the still healing scratches on his cheek that her nails had left. "What if I gave you your life instead?"
Sirius gave a laugh that lacked any effort. "I would call you a liar."
Bella shifted her hand to trace his other cheek as she leaned closer until her face hovered near his. "If you tell me what I want to know I will let you keep your life. I'll even maroon you on an island inhabited by lovely women and rum. All you must do, Sirius Black," she coaxed, her breath hot on his lips, "is tell me the location of James Potter."
Sirius' hand flew up and caught Bella's wrist in a surprisingly tight grip, jerking her hand away from his face. The pirates in the background shifted uneasily, but waited for Bella's signal. Sirius' hand tightened around her wrist, a growl on his lips.
"Go to hell," he told her.
Bella wrenched her arm free, eyes flashing. She stood abruptly, but did not move away from him.
Sirius twisted his face away from her hiss, eyes falling on Dora. Bella's insults continued, but they faded into the back of his mind as he kept his eyes on the woman near the door. She had wiped away the grime from his face and had coaxed him out of the fevered nightmares that had started. He understood now why Remus loved her. Sirius swallowed dryly, trying to focus his thoughts and failing.
The blood on his hand and face had dried, but though they itched terribly, Sirius could not bring himself to wipe a palm across his face. Bella snarled at him and Sirius shook his head, though he didn't know why.
He missed Bella's eyes narrow and her turn to look at Dora, who stared back silently. Bella's lip curled and Dora's brow creased. A cold tremor ran down Dora's spine, the instinct in everyone that told them to run flared. But there was nowhere to go; two pirates stood blocking the door and McNair was within arm's length. Dora released one hand from the folds of her skirt and pressed her palm to the cold stone.
Bella dropped down, grabbing Sirius' jaw in a tight grip. "So easy sacrifice your own life." She dug her fingernails into his cheek and jerked his head to look back at Dora. "What about hers?"
Everything moved too fast. Sirius reacted without thinking, throwing off Bella's grip and surging to his feet. A wave of dizziness slowed him down and then he was slammed into the stone wall, two sets of hands holding him up. His vision went spotty, then cleared to see McNair holding Dora around the waist with a knife at her throat. There was a bruise forming on her jaw and there were several cuts across McNair's cheek that mirrored the nail marks on Sirius'.
Sirius lunged forward and was slammed back into the wall. His back smarted and he pulled at the hands twisted into the material of his shirt.
Bella stood in front of him, her breath coming in quick gasps but there was the slightly crazy smile on her lips. Sirius froze.
One of the first things Dora had warned him about was the coven assuming a connection between them. It was what had gotten him captured, and they had been careful to never be caught too close. They were simply a prisoner and a servant making sure he was alive for the next session of questions. But if their nearness at Bella's entrance had not made the coven more suspicious, their combined reaction had. Sirius dropped his gaze away. A meaty hand grabbed his jaw and forced his head back up to look across at Dora.
"Tell me what I want to know." The threat was silent, but a quick breath from Dora as McNair shifted the knife made it clear.
Sirius stared across the room at Dora. The mysterious wench from the pub was gone; the mistrustful woman had disappeared and left behind the young woman his best friend loved. Thinking of Remus made his stomach twist. He thought of James, Remus and Lily coming for them, they had to be coming because if they weren't…if they weren't coming that meant it was up to him and this moment. McNair's grip tightened and Sirius saw a trickle of red on Dora's too pale neck. But that made him think of James with Riddle's blade at his throat, and Crouch saying there would be more. Except they didn't know where James was, and if James never came here then he could be safe, then he and Remus and Lily could be safe. But Dora and Sirius would not be, and how would he explain that he watched Dora die to Remus, watched and did nothing? Just as they had stood and watched Riddle put his blade to James' chest and stood there because James had asked it. What had James asked before he left, Sirius wondered, had there been an order about this sort of circumstance? Probably not. Sirius blinked, trying to reign in his scattered thoughts, sifting through Remus, James, Lily, Liz until it was just Dora and him standing across from one another in a damp cell.
Sirius wet his lips, ignoring the coppery taste that was too familiar. "No."
The words fell like lead in the room. Bella's eyes darkened with fury as she spun around. She made a gesture with her hand and Sirius tensed. McNair tightened his grip on Dora's arm and then shoved her to the ground. Dora caught herself with one hand. She knelt over, her hair falling in a veil over her face as her free hand reached up to brush her nicked throat. Sirius could feel his heartbeat again.
Bella whirled on him, fisting a hand in his shirt as she shoved him harder into the wall. The pain almost made him pass out. Bella leaned over, pressing her cheek against his to speak into his ear. "Perhaps, Sirius Black, you are not as noble as you would like to believe."
She left him abruptly, stalking out of the room. The men let Sirius sink to the floor, clamping only one arm in chains before exiting and locking the door.
Sirius released a heavy breath, but he felt no relief in the exhalation. He turned his head to look at Dora. She was sitting up against the opposite wall now, a thin red streak on the base of her throat stood out in the dim light. She stared across the room at him with empty blue eyes. He opened his mouth, but she twisted her head away, stopping just before it became a full shake of denial.
Sirius swallowed hard, a bitterness welling up in his mouth. The skin above his chest flared with renewed pain. He wrapped his arms around his middle, as much to ward himself against the pain as to fend away the image of Dora who had become the distant woman who had first stepped through the door.
Sirius dropped his bloodshot eyes, staring at the fresh brand over his heart.
The first thing Lily noticed when she woke was her cheek resting on something firm and warm. She tried to move backwards, but a tight pressure around her waist prevented it. The warm object made an unsatisfied grumbling noise. Lily stilled, raised herself up on an elbow and looked at the form beside her.
James was reclined against the pillows, his hair mussed and falling haphazardly on his forehead. His shirt was rumpled and one arm was hooked around Lily's ribs. A smile softened Lily's features and she relaxed against James' side. Lily turned her face, pressing her nose against his skin and inhaling. He smelled of wood, salt, ink and sweat – uniquely James. Lily released her breath.
"You make it difficult for a man to sleep doing that," a voice murmured in her ear.
Lily jumped, bringing her head up so quickly she almost hit James in the chin. "You were asleep."
"I was," he affirmed, keeping a firm hold on her. He ducked his head to press a soft kiss to her temple. "But you" – he kissed her left eyebrow – "woke me up." He kissed the tip of her nose.
The right corner of her mouth quirked. "Your aim is dreadful, Captain Potter."
"Tactical, I prefer tactical, Miss Evans." James smirked and caught her lips with his own.
A moan caught halfway up her throat and under the soft press of his lips, hers parted. Lily slipped her hands around James' neck, pulling him closer until his body pressed hers into the bedding. James tilted his head; his free hand pushed the red strands off her face.
When he finally broke the kiss, James was breathing heavily. He let his face rest in the crook of Lily's neck, enjoying the feeling of her quick pulse against his skin. He placed a kiss on her collarbone. "Not a terrible way to wake up," he considered.
She poked him hard in the ribs and he tightened his hold. "A lesser woman may take that as an insult."
"Luckily, you are far from a lesser woman," James replied easily. He felt the brush of Lily's lips against his neck in a rewarding kiss, and smiled. He dropped pressed his face against her cheek and kissed his way up her jaw to her lips. James wasn't sure if the contented sigh was from him or her, but he didn't really care.
Lily broke the second kiss with a yelp, a sharp pressure digging into her lower back. James raised himself up on his elbow as she frowned and dug in the bedding. A moment later, her hand emerged holding one of the log books. It was probably one of many left over from the night before. She smiled wryly, holding the book between them.
James stared at the black book, the content haze fading rapidly. He pulled the book from her grip and turned, settling back into a sitting position against the wall. Lily followed, crossing her ankles and watching as James turned the log book over in his hands.
"I almost forgot." James snorted to himself, then waved the book at her. "Ridiculous, right?"
Lily caught his hand, linking their fingers. "Not so ridiculous," she told him. When he continued to stare bleakly at the book, she continued, "When Sirius gets back, he'll probably berate you for not relaxing more. He'll wonder why there's still rum left and why I look as if I haven't been kissed recently." The light tease made the corner of James' lip twitch
"You're probably right." The smile was a little strained, but it was still a smile. "He'll finish the rum off the first night, and probably kiss you just to make up for any lost time." With a tug on her hand, James pulled her into his lap. The log book slipped onto the bedding.
Lily lifted an eyebrow. "I think I will leave the reunion kissing to Liz."
James released a breath, but didn't voice any doubts he may have harbored about Liz. Lily kissed his forehead, trying to melt away tension.
"You missed," James informed her, before kissing her chastely on the lips. When he pulled back, Lily ran a thumb along his bottom lip. James tilted his head. "There's rum in the cabinet."
Lily pressed her forehead against his. "Don't you want to save that for Sirius?"
The smile grew a little less forced. "His is in the drawer with the gold."
Lily smiled and made to move away. James watched as Lily left the bed, taking the log book with her. He grumbled a little under his breath, running a hand over his bangs to try and flatten them.
Dropping the logbook on the desk, Lily paused to look at the map stretched across the surface. She had studied the map, the coasts and markers that James had placed along each port that was mentioned in the books. He had gone as far as to indicate where some of Moody's men had claimed Riddle or Lestrange was rumored to have been spotted.
Lily ran a hand over the clump of dots running along the coast. The map rustled under her caress and she tilted her head to look at the other papers lying nearby. A drawing in particular caught her eye.
James had followed her from the bed and Lily felt him wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her loosely against his chest. Lily picked up the drawing and frowned.
"What's this?"
It was a rough charcoal sketch, surrounded by similar sketches that had been scratched out or smeared. This one looked like a slanted eye, the two curves and the circle in the center for the iris.
He looked over her shoulder. "A tattoo." Lily turned slightly in his arms, her frown deepening. "Crouch's crew had the same tattoo as the pirates that burned out the merchant ship. Lestrange's friends who fought us in the bar did as well."
Lily vaguely remembered Remus' insistence concerning a tattoo shortly after the battle with Crouch. But the conversation had quickly detoured into suspicion about a coven and tending to James' injury. She had never had the opportunity to ask about the tattoo's significance.
"Is that normal?"
James shrugged a shoulder, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Some crews and covens share a tattoo; it's a way to show loyalty."
Lily lowered the parchment, running a finger over the slant of the eye. "That would mean Bellatrix and the others would have the same tattoo."
"Probably," James murmured against her skin. "Not that it truly matters."
"Why not?"
James released a breath. "Because a pirate is not going to willingly show you their ship's mark. It's a secret among the crew, a way to weed out traitors or spies. If Bellatrix has the tattoo, she's kept it covered so no one would know."
"It seems like an odd mark. An eye." James didn't reply. Lily tilted her head to look at the map again.
She blinked, closing her eyes and then letting them refocus on the dots. She followed the paths and slight charcoal marks James had made. Her eyes lingered first on the X marked port where Dora had first disappeared and then the island where Sirius had gone missing. Her eyes darted between the two and then to the surrounding ports that arched away from them. Lily frowned.
"James…"
"Lily, it's just a tattoo. Sometimes the pirate's flag ties into it, but unless we find a member of the coven and make them show us their arm we wouldn't ever know –"
"No. James, look at this."
She felt him shift. "What?"
Lily indicated between the map and the sketch. "What do you see?"
"Dots."
"James."
"I'm serious." Frustration brought an edge to his voice. "I've been looking at the damn thing for so long, all I see are dots."
Lily refused to let him sink back into a frustrated depression. She pulled out of his grip and snatched a piece of charcoal from the edge of the desk. She held the map down as she drew between the dots.
"Lily, what–"
"Trust me." Though Lily didn't lift her gaze from the map, James fell silent. The charcoal left a faint black arch. She adjusted her grip and connected the next cluster of dots in a bowl shaped swoop.
"Now look."
James frowned over her shoulder. The arched lines did not follow the exact path of the ports, but they held the same shape of the cluster. The ends of each arch met so it looked almost like an oval that had been compressed. James' frown deepened and his gaze flickered to the tattoo. No, not an oval, an eye.
"An eye," James muttered, looking at the drawing again. "Without the iris…but the shape is almost the same." He shook his head abruptly. It was ridiculous, why would Riddle's path or territory be in the shape of a tattoo his former coven now wore? Unless Riddle's pirates were wearing the tattoo long before their leader's demise.
"Son of a bitch," James murmured.
Lily's brow was furrowed. "Except these two points don't fit." She indicated the two ports marked with an X. One of them she knew to be Looe Island. Diagonal from that mark and on the coast was Liz's port. Each of the ports was close to the hand drawn lines, but stood somewhat apart from the other ports Riddle had visited.
"All that's missing from the tattoo is the circle," Lily said, more to herself than James. She drew a line connecting the two points, then she drew a crude circles using the two points. The circle was somewhat lopsided on the top where few ports were marked, but otherwise it completed the image of an eye.
"The coven spent more time in these two ports. If there were a third point, a third port Riddle or Lestrange frequented more often, that could be his hideout. It would have to be up here and then the iris would be complete." Lily ran her hand along the upper part of the circle. The charcoal stained the pads of her fingers black. "James?" Lily half turned, but James was staring at the lines on the map.
"Son of a bitch…" he repeated. "That…that wily bastard."
Lily reached out to touch his shoulder, but James whirled and caught her face between his hands. He placed a hard kiss on her lips, making her squeak. "You are brilliant," he said emphatically.
Lily giggled, "Thank you, but do you know any of those ports?"
"No." But he was smiling.
"Then how are we going to narrow–"
James released her mid-sentence and snatched up the map, rolling it messily before grabbing his boots. He stumbled across the room, trying to pull them on. Lily followed.
"I don't know. I have no bloody clue. But this," he shook the map, his smile wide, "this is something. This is a direction." James stuffed the map in his belt and rushed out of the room.
The door slammed shut. Left in the cabin, Lily released a breath and sat down on the edge of the desk. Suddenly, the door flew open she found herself grabbed and kissed again.
"Bloody brilliant," James repeated, then disappeared again.
Moody stared at the parchment James had laid on the table. His hand toyed with the edge of his flask, the cool metal proving to be more of a temptation than normal. James stood across the table, arms over his chest and foot tapping an impatient, and unconscious, rhythm on the floorboards. Moody resisted the urge to berate the younger man, or give him a sound smack to the back of the head, especially when James began gnawing on the corner of his lip.
The pirate captain returned his gaze to the map, eying the smudged charcoal.
"Riddle's headquarters has to be somewhere along that line," James repeated, taking a step toward the table.
Moody ignored him, running a finger along the outermost edge of the design. James was correct in one thing: it did look remarkably like an eye. An interesting coincidence. Moody snorted to himself. If he believed in coincidence.
"You said you would help if I could bring you something more," James reminded him. Moody thought about pointing out the free supplies he'd provided the younger man, about the warm meals he'd let the crew take in his pub, about how James had sought him out in the middle of the night. "This is more. It has to be there somewhere."
"And if it's not?" Moody felt the need to ask.
James frowned. "Sirius is running out of time."
"Not going to help him if you go to the wrong port," Moody warned.
James bristled, but when he spoke, his voice was even. "Riddle frequented these ports with consistency and purpose, his attacks were likewise executed. These two ports he visited the most frequently, and his coven has continued the pattern. There must be one other place he returned to if it wasn't one of these ports. The pattern indicates it is along this coastline." James took a slow breath. "Lily's not wrong. I'm not wrong."
Neither man spoke for a long moment. Then Moody heaved himself out of his chair and hobbled over to the corner of shelves. He pulled out several maps, shoved a few back, then drew out a leather-bound book. He threw his pile on the table, gesturing for James to move the map aside.
He unfurled one map, traced the coastline with a scarred hand, then grunted and shoved the map to the ground. Moody performed the same act two more times before the grunt was one of approval. The map was old, ripped on the edges with much of the lines faded under the pressure of time. But it presented a far more detailed scope of the section of coastline Lily had discovered. James leaned over the map, brow furrowed.
Moody tapped one of the ports. "Too busy, that one as well. No pirate, even Riddle, would travel to some of these. Too close to the king." He scratched at the map's surface with a fingernail in thought. James reached a hand forward and Moody slapped it away.
Ignoring the glare James threw in his direction, Moody flipped open the old book, journals and sketches from when he had been younger. Inside the softened cover, were the writings of a young mind, drawings of the towns he had visited and charts of maps he had studied before he had become captain. The end of the journal was written in indistinguishable scrawl after his hand had been mutilated.
"A few of these are possibilities, lesser known hubs for pirates, smaller ports that would not draw too much attention from the crown."
But James was shaking his head. "He wasn't hiding. The first port, that was where he could hide, Looe Island was his retreat. He didn't need a hideout, he needed a home. Somewhere he could retreat to keep his gold, and not have to hide at all."
James ran a finger down the coast and then paused at a small inlet that was almost indistinguishable. Despite the fact that it looked like merely a curve in the coast, there was a marker indicating a port. James looked at his map, but the inlet was not there and there was not point marking a port.
"That one," James muttered. "What's that one?"
Moody frowned, the pages of his journal rustled as the covers slapped together. With his one good eye, he squinted at the inlet James indicated. "I've never known the name. It's a lost settlement, owned by a duke nigh on a decade ago."
"A duke?" James' gaze darted between his map and Moody's. "It's not marked on the map."
"Aye, that's why it's lost," Moody grumbled. He flipped through his journal. Every piece of news that had fallen on his young, and eventually scarred, ears he had written on the blank pages. "He owned the whole inlet, no merchant or military ships could get in. Eventually people stopped hearing from the settlement. Assumed it caught a fever."
James studied the inlet. It looked innocent, a fading line of ink that appeared no different from any other part of the coast. His stomach twisted and James' jaw tightened. It looked no different, and yet somehow he knew it was what he had been looking for, what was the backdrop of every new fitful nightmare, where Sirius and Dora waited.
"Why no merchant or military ship?"
Moody indicated the ridges of the inlet. "Only one way in and out, barely enough passage for a ship. The place is impenetrable, blocked from the sea by cliffs, only one road in from the sea or land. No ship could sneak up on them, they'd be cut to bits. Only a fool would try to invade that inlet."
"Mark me for a fool, then."
Moody looked up sharply. James had straightened from the table, hands hanging at his sides. He looked years older than his score and handful years. He wasn't looking at the maps any longer, but at Moody.
"You're only going to get one chance. There's probably only time to check one port before you should give up on ever seeing Sirius alive." It was as much of permission as he was willing to give, not that James really needed his permission at all.
The lines around his mouth were taunt as James returned his former captain's gaze.
"And you'll need a plan to get in there."
"I'll work on it." James snatched up his map and tucked it in his belt. His hand hovered for a moment over Moody's map before the old captain nodded, and James took that one too.
"You're going to improvise…that how you stopped Riddle?" Moody gave in to temptation and took a long drag from his flask.
"No, that was luck," James answered honestly. Moody almost cursed at the twinkle he could see burning in his protégé's eyes.
"I hope you've kept some of that in reserve, boy."
Dora had not moved since Bella had left them in the cell, since Bella had threatened her life and he, Sirius, had done nothing to save her. No, Sirius reminded himself, he'd done worse than nothing – he'd said no. He'd said he would do nothing to save her, and that was far worse.
Sirius had watched her as the hours passed, as night faded into daylight and then drifted back toward twilight. Dora had sat in silence, her face turned away from him. The last time he had felt this alone had been two decades ago.
He had tried to talk to her, apologize. But the words never made it out of his throat, and Dora's reminder that the "walls had ears" reverberated in his mind. Perhaps it was better this way, for Bella to think there was no connection between them, that Sirius did not care what happened to the other prisoner.
Perhaps it was better, but right now Sirius didn't give a damn about what was better.
And there it was again, that selfishness Remus had accused him of, the selfishness Liz had thrown back in his face, even if she did not say the actual words. Hell, even James had alluded to it before. Sirius couldn't really deny it, he liked his life, he loved his friends, and he would be damned if anyone was going to take that home away from him.
Even at the cost of her life? A small voice questioned him. Sirius looked at the silent form across the cell. Yes, he admitted bitterly, even at that cost. Sirius didn't think he'd ever hated himself as much as he did at the moment that thought crossed his mind.
Now, hours later, he still had not spoken and Dora had not turned towards him. Bella had not returned, no food was brought, and the sun was dipping below the horizon. Sirius looked out the grate window and saw the first few stars appear in the sky. Without realizing it, the corner of his lip twitched upward.
"James used to tell us stories before we went to sleep in the orphanage." Sirius didn't realize at first that it was his voice that had filled the cell, that it was his lips moving around the words. When he did, he tried to swallow the words away, but it was as if his mouth had mutinied.
"There was always a pirate and a princess, always a princess who fell in love. There were battles and evil men with thick mustaches; thieves who stole and gave to the poor, scrawny boys who became kings." Sirius paused. "Stupid stories really. Probably weren't even true…"
He shifted against the wall, too exhausted to even hiss at the pain such movement caused. His shackled arm reached up and rubbed at the fresh burn on his chest. The pad of his finger traced the marred skin, getting used to the disfigurement.
"I used to tell myself stories to fall asleep." Sirius froze, turning his head slightly. Dora had moved and she now sat with her back against the same wall, her face still turned away from his. "There was a prince and a princess and they traveled the seas."
Sirius cleared his throat. "What did they see?"
"Everything," Dora murmured. "Mermaids, wizards, magic swords, famous kings and beautiful queens."
"No pirates?" Sirius dared to ask.
"No, no pirates." Dora turned her face towards him. He could see the dry blood along the skin of her throat. It wasn't a deep enough cut to do more than sting and possibly leave a slight scar. Sirius turned away, adjusting his gaze to the grate. It was black now, flecks of white spread along the cover of night.
"Sounds far more exciting then James' stories, boy could only talk about pirates." Sirius tried to scoff, but found he could not. He chalked it up to exhaustion rather than lack of desire to mock James' stories. "I swear all the stories were the same and not a lick of them true."
"You said that already," Dora pointed out softly.
Sirius looked down at her. Dora's gaze held none of the accusation it should have, the bitterness that should have marred her features. Sirius would have understood if she had yelled at him, if she had called him a bastard or kept her distance. He almost said it aloud, almost gave her the permission. He might have if she had not put her hand on his free arm, slipping her hand into his. She squeezed once and he could feel how her limb shook against his. She was as terrified as he was, terrified of what had happened and what could happen.
"Well it's the truth," Sirius muttered, only a little petulantly.
This time the quivering against his shoulder was from Dora's laugh. She rested her head against his shoulder and Sirius tried not to wince at the contact.
There was a long moment of silence, until Sirius could bear it no longer. Again, the draw of being so close to another human being was his undoing. He couldn't pull away from the welcomed contact and he rested his cheek against Dora's head.
He remembered the first moment he had realized he could not sleep alone. James and Remus had gotten sick a year after Sirius had arrived at the orphanage. They'd been separated from the rest of the boys and for the first time, Sirius was forced to sleep alone in the small bed. He had tried to tell himself a story, but he was never as good at it as James. He'd stolen pillows from the younger boys and packed them around him, as if there were two other bodies sleeping nearby. He did not sleep for two days. Finally, he'd stood out in the rain for an afternoon until the head of the orphanage dragged him inside and, terrified he would catch a chill, had bundled him off to the sick room with James and Remus.
Sirius shifted his head, and Dora's short hair clung to his cheek. He was careful to keep the bloody part of his face away from her hair. The tremors in her hand had stopped.
"Dora–"
The hand squeezed, cutting off the words. Sirius let the apology rest on his tongue, then swallowed and squeezed her hand in return.
The cell was silent and Sirius thought Dora had fallen asleep until he heard a soft voice from against his shoulder.
"Tell me a story?"
"James is far better at them then me," Sirius told her. There was silence, as if she was waiting for him to continue. His gaze strayed to the grate again. Just beyond, he could make out the stars.
"I remember one…" It was barely a murmur between his split lips. "About the South Star and his brother, the North Star." Sirius wet his lips, feeling the warm body shift closer. How had James always started the story?
"They were princes long ago. The North Star was the oldest and the least likely to get into mischief…"
James set another bag of flour against the rail of the deck. Running the back of his hand across his forehead, he watched Hagrid, weighted down with four similar cloth sacks, make his way up the gangplank. He almost knocked John off, turning to apologize and making John have to duck and dance away.
The captain looked up the deck, noting Remus who was taking inventory of the weapons and gunpowder they had available. Lily and Liz were helping tie down the rigging. James watched Liz tighten her knot and smile; the wind picked up and the knot held. James almost smiled, too.
"Daydreaming, Potter?"
James leaned over the rail, eying Moody who waited near the crates about to be loaded on the ship. Moody gestured with one hand, and James descended to the dock.
"We'll be shipping out within the hour," James said, glancing toward his crew. They were moving quickly, trying to get the extra supplies Moody had provided on the ship and prepare the Pheonix for an upcoming battle.
"One ship, a handful of men and two women," Moody counted as if James hadn't spoken. "You'll never make it out of there alive, much less save Sirius."
James bristled, but the retort died when a heavy hand rested on his shoulder. Moody turned him half around. James found himself looking at a large ship being loaded with the same intensity as his own. He could make out several of Moody's men and on the deck Shacklebolt stood giving orders. James looked questioningly over his shoulder.
"Shacklebolt knows the coast well. Another ship of good pirates won't hurt your chances." James blinked, looking between the ship and Moody. The grip on his shoulder tightened. "They'll follow your orders, no contest."
James' mouth opened, but no sound came out. He licked his lips, then cleared his throat. "And you?"
Moody laughed loudly, causing several of the other men on the dock to jump. He slapped James' shoulder. "Boy, I am too old to be scouring the seas in search of battle."
The corner of James' lip turned upward, a sign he didn't truly believe the old captain's words, but he was not going to get into an argument about it. Moody patted James' shoulder, "Just evening the odds," he belayed James' urge to thank him.
Instead, James nodded sharply. The loading was almost complete and so he placed a hand between them. When he had walked away from this man the first time, he had not done it right. Moody grasped his hand, tightening his grip to pull James forward a bit.
"Constant vigilance," James said before Moody could offer the warning. The old captain's eyebrows rose and another laugh escaped.
He was still laughing when James turned and boarded his ship.
The lock on the door fell out of place, the grind of metal against metal jarring Sirius and Dora. Sirius lifted his head, eyes flickering toward the window. The sky was gray beyond the grate, heralding rain. The door squealed as it swung open, banging against the stone wall.
Dora released the grip on his hand. Sirius straightened, pushing himself up the wall into a standing position.
Bella walked through the opening, pausing a few steps into the room, hands on her hips. Her lips were curled in the semblance of a smile. Sirius narrowed his eyes.
"Mr. Black, you have a guest," she said, drawing out the final word until it was more like a purr.
Sirius' gut clenched, and for a brief moment he expected James or Remus to be thrown through the opening. Bella moved from the doorway and a figure walked through, followed by McNair and another burly pirate. Sirius' eyes widened.
"Jack?"
The oiled blond strands stuck to Jack's cheeks as he smirked. Dora looked between the two men, a frown on her lips. Bella watched Sirius. Sirius' gaze flickered over the features, older, but still recognizable.
"Black." Jack tucked his thumbs in his belt and leaned forward slightly. "You look worse than usual." Jack grinned as if he had made a witty joke.
Sirius licked his lips slowly. "Still better looking than you."
The grin dropped from Jack's lips. "Not for much longer."
Sirius tipped his head, the ghost of a smile at the corner of his mouth. "The light isn't so good. Why don't you get a little closer and we'll see," he dared.
Jack smirked then, resuming his stance. Behind him, McNair and the other pirate shifted, as if they were uncomfortable with doing nothing. "Potter says hello, by the way."
Sirius felt his jaw loosen slightly, he fought to control his reaction, but by the flicker of a smile on Bella's lips he'd failed. At his shoulder, Dora tensed.
Nodding toward the bruises on Jack's face, Sirius asked, "Is that from where he said hello?"
Jack struck, his fist connecting with the side of Sirius face. Normally the strike would not have stunned him, but as he was, Sirius stumbled into the wall. He shook his head, trying to clear the spots from his vision.
Neither Bella, nor the other pirates moved.
Jack was breathing hard, even though the actual strike had not taken that much energy. "He's looking for you," Jack said smirking. "Trying to find Riddle's hideout and come to your rescue. Pitiful. He's like a kicked puppy, I almost feel sorry for the bastard."
"You're a liar," Sirius ground out. He spat blood on the stone.
Jack laughed, ignoring the audience as he stepped a little closer. "He came to Moody, asked him to help find a heading so he could sail to your rescue. That was days ago. He might have figured it out by now, or maybe not." Jack shrugged. "I never thought he was as smart as Moody gave him credit for."
The insult rolled off Sirius' shoulders, he'd heard worse. But his eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of Moody. "Moody," he murmured.
"Moody's retired, didn't you know? Old man wanted to run his own pub, enjoy his riches. Me, I miss it. The marauding, the stealing, the killing." Jack took another step. "I heard you'd retired, too."
"Pardoned," Sirius snarled out softly, his words carrying only to Jack and Dora.
Jack snorted. "Don't you miss it? The stealing? The killing?"
Sirius didn't answer.
Jack smirked and pulled on one of his sleeves to reveal the arm not riddled with tattoos. This one held only one. The ink of the eye was bright, as if it had not truly become part of the skin yet.
Jack tilted his head, one finger rubbing at the tattoo. "Potter must really be lost with out you, if he came crawling back to Moody." The pirate nodded toward Bella, who had come to stand at his shoulder. "That's probably the only reason you're not dead yet."
Jack's next sentence cut off with a gurgle and yelp as knife appeared embedded in his side. Bella twisted the blade and a whimper escaped the suddenly panicked face of the pirate.
"Thank you, Jack," Bella said smoothly, "you've been very helpful."
She never looked at Jack, even when she withdrew the bloody knife and let Jack drop face-down onto the floor. She watched Sirius the entire time.
Dora did not make a sound, but Sirius felt a sudden his breath catch in his throat when the knife appeared. Wide eyes watched the life drain from Jack's face, and then the body slump to the damp floor. He swallowed, trying to control the shock as he lifted his gaze to Bella.
"I don't leave loose ends," she said, slowly. Sirius stared at her. She kicked the body. "Get this out of my sight."
McNair grabbed the feet and dragged, the fabric hissed along the stone before the body disappeared into the corridor.
Bella walked close to Sirius, coming almost chest to chest with him. She wiped the knife on his shirt, keeping her gaze on the blade during the task. Sirius didn't move he felt as if he'd been turned to stone.
"Undoubtedly Potter will come, but I'm an impatient woman. Perhaps I will go where he feels safe and take him there. Or perhaps I will wait. I haven't decided, yet." She smirked up at Sirius. He refused to drop his gaze and look at her. She tucked her knife in her belt, turned sharply, striding across the room.
Bella stopped at the door. She turned her face to look over her shoulder, lips curling. "I will kill him, Sirius Black. And when I do, you will watch."
The door slammed on the echo of her promise and Sirius felt his knees finally give out. He felt Dora's hand on his arm before his knees hit the floor. Bile rose in his mouth as Sirius stared at the bloody smear – all that was left of Jack. He could hear soothing words in Dora's voice from somewhere near his shoulder, but he couldn't quite make out what the words were. His ears roared with screams and cannon fire, goodbyes never spoke and grudges shouted too loud.
Sirius ran a hand over his face before fisting it in his hair. Something wet ran down his face and clung to his lips. It tasted salty.
A/N: Exciting? Confusing? Revealing? Gave you warm fuzzy bunnies? (Somehow I'm doubting the last one ;)) Please review and let me know what you think!