Chapter Thirty Six: Sirius Gets Some Answers:

It had been a month since the end of the war, the death eaters who refused to surrender were dead or on the run and it would not be too long before they were all captured. Sirius was in a thoughtful mood and the reason was his cousin who had entered the room. He had called Narcissa here because he had finally figured out who had put him in Nurmengard. He did not blame his cousin, in fact he felt safer with her here now. She had acted out of love and honor and he did not fault her at all.

"It took me a while to figure out that it was you that put me in there." Sirius said quietly to Narcissa. "As I am a bit think it took me far longer that it would have Remus or even Severus."

"Are you very upset with me?" Narcissa asked him, "you know how it looked, you had betrayed innocent people, your friends and had killed twelve innocent people along with Pettigrew. I had to act fast and getting you out of their was the only way. Even though you appeared guilty you were family and I was not going to let you go to Azkaban."

"Thank you, you showed more mercy than I would have." Sirius said to her. "I am honored to call you family."

"I am honored to call you family even if you are what does Severus call you the family dog?" Narcissa said a teasing smile at her mouth.

"Well I am a cute dog, now tell me why did you marry someone dumber than me?" Sirius asked Narcissa. "You could have had the best, I know he is rich and all but there are those even richer."

"That is true, but I love him, I loved him in school, he was good to me. I think I really fell in love with him on how he treated Severus." At the grimace from Sirius she added "don't do that Severus is very smart and fully Slytherin as you and your friends found out too many times to count. Lucius treated this little poor urchin with respect and tutored him. They have been true friends ever since."

"Lucius tortured Dobby." Sirius countered.

"You did not treat Kreacher as good as you should of as a child." Narcissa replied, "and you were a bully in school do not deny it. You hated Severus because he stood up to you and though he never ousted you or your friend publicly you got what you deserved in detentions and such."

"I hate it when you are right." Sirius said, "I don't hate Snape, not really but he still annoys me!"

"Well you are two old dogs and want to be top dog, it can be a pain to watch at times." Narcissa said.

"Well I am the pureblood and he is not." Sirius said smirking slightly.

He sat back in his chair and took the cup of tea that Abby brought in with tea cakes and biscuits. Narcissa was a smart wise woman who had raised her son right. Her husband had the problem of having served Voldemort but he had redeemed himself handsomely in the battle and aftermath. A few of his death eater friends had followed him and renounced Voldemort, Rookwood, Crabbe and Goyle, Notts and Avery had all denounced Voldemort and were even now helping round up any who still tried to stay true to Voldemort even though he was dead. Draco was a smart young man and he owed it Sirius knew to his mother, Sirius sipped his tea and smirked.

"Sirius don't you dare do anything that I will have to punish you for." Narcissa warned him.

"You know me Cissy, do I ever do anything that deserves punishment?" Sirius said looking as innocent as he could.

"Well Molly was not happy with you last week when I came to see you." Narcissa replied, "she is not a witch to mess with Sirius."

"She keeps trying to mother me." Sirius pouted.

"Let her, take it as an honor." Narcissa replied.

"How come you and her get along but Arthur and Lucius do not?"

"Same reason you and Severus like to fight." Narcissa said coolly, "you men think with what is between your legs not between your ears."

"Touché, " Sirius replied.

Before Narcissa could respond Lucius came up the stairs looking very upset. He had a very good reason as his hair was not its normal slivery blond. It was a dark green and Lucius glared at Sirius clearly very upset. Moody came out of the library with a book and looked up at Lucius and studied his hair intently. He smiled and looked at Sirius who raised his tea cup slightly in salute. Narcissa was trying hard not to laugh and so far it was working, her husband with green hair was a sight to see indeed.

"You dare do this." Lucius snarled at Sirius.

"Yes I did." Sirius said calmly.

"Kin I ask why?" Moody asked Sirius.

"Of course, he decided that my bed was the best place to have a shag with his wife." Sirius replied. "Consider this payback." Sirius said calmly.

"Hey Sirius I have a question for you…" Harry said as he came up the stairs and nearly ran into Moody. "Oh sorry uncle Al." Then he saw Lucius, "going for a new look Mr. Malfoy?"

"No I am not you insolent little whelp!' Lucius snarled.

"Do' ye dare call Harry names Malfoy!" Moody warned him.

"Who did this?" Harry asked grinning.

Lucius glared at him hating being made fun of like this, however he did deserve it. Severus came downstairs and saw Lucius and glared at Sirius. He took out his wand but Moody held his hand up to stop him from casting a hex. Severus turned to Lucius and tried to turn his hair back to its normal color. It didn't work and Lucius' hair stayed dark green. Severus put a hand to his nose pinching it slightly closing his eyes as he did. He looked up and sighed, he had hoped he could get along with Sirius but him doing things like this was making that very hard.

"May I ask why you did this?" He asked Sirius.

"Well last week you remember when Lucius took Narcissa into my bedchamber for a bit of fun?"

"I do."

"Well this is payback, I doubt he will ever do that again." Sirius replied, "it's not like you would to something worse if you found him in your bed with my cousin!"

"Well um." Narcissa started to giggle and Sirius's and Harry's eyes got wide.

"Mrs. Malfoy, no virgin ears!" Harry said covering his ears.

"Well we always wanted to in our head of houses bed." Narcissa said, "that was my idea."

"But your bed was mine." Lucius said smirking then he got serious taking his wand out of his cane. "Turn my hair back, you had your fun."

"Um I cannot." Sirius said.

"Why?"

"Well it has to wear off."

"How long?" Lucius hissed.

"A few hours or so." Sirius replied. "Bet you will never do that again."

"Well your room is as close to the head of Gryffindor's bedchamber as any of us will ever get." Severus replied.

"I put up wards to keep people out!" Sirius said.

"Good luck with that." Severus replied.

Moody cleared his throat and came into the room ending this talk at once. Lucius came in and sat with his wife and Harry sat by Sirius and Moody. Harry knew all about what Narcissa had done as Moody had spoke to him before Sirius confronted Narcissa. Harry had been upset and then as Moody explained it to him he realized that Narcissa had done what she thought was right. Besides now was not the time to shatter fragile alliances that had been made.

"So now did you manage to get Sirius away from the street?" Harry asked Narcissa.

"Well I was nearby, shopping, I came just before the Aurors." Narcissa said, "I saw all those people dead and Sirius standing wand out. I stunned him and hand him locked up in Nurmengard. I believed him guilty, I had seen the bodies."

"You never told me this." Lucius said, "but then I think I understand, you thought if he was a death eater I would break him out and he would go on killing am I right?"

"He thinks!" Sirius smirked.

"Sometimes I can think." Lucius said quietly, "though I was pretty thick staying with the dark lord."

"Well you are not now." Harry said. "You risked your life to stop Voldemort."

"I had to, it was about honor." Lucius replied.

"Well the war is over and the headmaster finally rid me of that bloody cuff." Severus said.

"Why did you not cut your leg off?" Lucius asked him.

"One I like my legs and two I could not, he made it so I could not." Severus replied.

"He must really care about you to do that." Lucius replied softly.

"Yes he does, annoying horrible but wonderful old wizard that he is." Severus replied.

He took a cup of tea and sipped at it thoughtfully. The war was over and he realized he was alive and free and had real friends now. Severus looked over at Harry and reached for his wand but a look from Moody stopped any harmful hex he had planned. Instead he reached for a tea cake instead.