Disclaimer: I do not own anything other than the story line . All rights belong to J.K. Rowling

Chapter Thirty Seven: A Sirius Resolution

She wished she could see him. She had memories of course, but those were jaded. Of all the things that had been taken from her, she missed her sight the most. It would help so much to be able to see the expression on his face, to know what he was feeling without having to be so invasive.

That approach was taken from her, however, so she did the best she could. She didn't know if she could make up for a lifetime of foul treatment, but she was determined to try. What had possessed her to act the way she did? When she was younger, she was never like that. Sure, she wanted to have the best of things, who didn't? Yes, she was pure blooded, and she counted herself among the fortunate to be so, good bloodlines and all.

But lately, she had begun to rethink things. After all, Draco had been a pure blood himself, and look at what a monster he turned out to be. He had callously tortured her and his own mother with a ruthlessness that she had never before seen.

Then there was Harry. Despite the hours of verbal abuse she had heaped upon him and his friends, he still came to rescue her. That in itself would have been enough to make her question her decisions, but there was more. She had spoken to Harry himself since, and as incredible as it seemed, he held no harsh feelings toward her.

She knew that she had taken him by surprise when she had kissed him, and she drew a small amount of comfort from that fact. She had shown him a little bit of the real girl in that kiss. Not the old one that was such an insufferable bitch, but the one that actually used to care how people felt.

And then, along comes, of all people, Colin Creevey. At first she didn't want anything to do with him. When she first awoke in a strange place, unable to see, and bitter about everything, she had rejected him. She had attempted to push him away, like she had pushed away each and every person since she had met Draco.

But he was persistent. He refused to leave. When she would turn over and try to ignore him, he would simply ramble on about anything and everything. When she would scream at him because he was annoying her, he would calmly tell her that it was okay, and he would be quiet for a while, but he wouldn't leave. He would sit there and stroke that back of her hand, or her cheek, or her arm, but he wouldn't leave. Secretly, she was thankful for it. It had been the only warm and gentle human contact she had had in a long time.

When she would cry because of all the hurt she had endured, he would cradle her head and softly whisper to her about all the goodness in the world, and how it was enhanced, simply because she was in it.

She asked him once, why he did all this. He simply answered that she needed him, and as long as she did, he wasn't going anywhere. She was going to make some flippant reply, but that stopped the words dead in her mouth. How did you belittle something like that, when it was obvious how sincere he was?

So thus it was that she slowly began to become dependent upon his presence, how she started to perceive him in a totally different light. This was a person that she had tormented every day of their existence at Hogwarts, someone who she went out of her way to make miserable, and yet he stood by her side and was both her protector and confidant, her companion and her guide through this journey of self discovery, her servant and her master, and now her best friend and her lover, for love him she did, she knew that now.

And now, in his period of need, she was going to be there for him, to be all those things that he had been for her and more. He had loved her for a long time, he had admitted that to her last night. She had simply been too blind to ever notice it before. Now that she knew, she wasn't going to give it up for anyone or anything. Come to think of it, she now had the best of everything, for now, for the first time in her life, she had a real and abiding love.

She listened to his breathing, deep and even in his sleep, and smiled to herself, knowing that she had helped him start on the road to recovery, just has he had those few short weeks before.

Please wake up, 'Mione, I need you so much. I don't have much hope anymore. Please wake up.

Ron jerked awake as he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. He looked around, hoping it was Hermione, but instead his eyes fell upon the tiny form of his new found second cousin, Willomena Weasley.

"Hi Willow," he smiled, hoping she hadn't seen the disappointment in his eyes as he realized that she wasn't Hermione.

Something seemed to flicker momentarily across her face. Was that pity? Whatever it was, he wasn't going to find out today. "Ron, I need to tell you something important."

"What is it Will?" he asked, trying not to sound impatient. "What's wrong?"

"It's about Mr. Lupin. He's in a lot of danger. He's walking into a trap."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Look, Cassandra, that's my friend, she's part seer, she saw him being trapped by someone. She said that it was Peter, and that he had a silver hand. Do you understand what she's talking about?"

It was as if a light went on inside his head. His eyes got really wide, and then he got a very serious expression on his face. "Yeah, I think I do. Look, I need to get out there real quick. Feel like taking a ride with me?"

"Sure, anything."

"Good." He pulled his wand. "Accio Broom!" A moment later his Cleansweep came flying in to hover next to him. He leaned down and gently kissed Hermione on the lips before standing straight again. He looked down at her affectionately, and whispered "I'll be back soon, love." Then he looked at Willomena and said "Let's go."

They mounted their brooms and flew out the door and into the long night.

The smell of death was all around, overwhelming to the senses when he tried to sort things out, so he ran. It felt good to run. He hadn't been able to run for so long. He couldn't even remember when he had last been able to do so. Breathing was good too. It had been so long.

Then it came, wafting upon the currents, subtle at first, but gaining in power. A familiar scent, a familiar feeling. One of warmth, one of fun. One of glorious moments of freedom, running through the forest side by side. So long ago it was, but the memories were there, vague and blurred, but there.

He sped towards the scent, and a new feeling came, a new scent. This one brought memories of colors and faces, changing and not changing. Pinks and purples, and noses and lips and smiles. Happy memories, these, happy and recent.

He sped towards the scents when he came up short. A new feeling now, another new scent. Badness, wrongness in this scent, but familiar. Oh, how familiar it was. Rage it inspired, rage and hate and a burning hunger. Death, death and destruction it spoke of. Pain and suffering and sorrow and betrayal. Yes, betrayal, that was what it spoke most loudly of. Rats and men and poisonous, treacherous, stinking betrayal.

He sped along towards the scent now, filled with an all consuming need for vengeance and bloodshed.

He was here, Lupin could tell, he could always tell. Where was he, the little blood traitor? Where was he hiding? He should have known better. He couldn't hide from a werewolf.

Following the traitor's scent he came around a large rock by Hagrid's hut. There he was! Oh precious day, there he was! Little Peter Pettigrew was quivering over by the pumpkin patch.

Lupin ran at full speed and took a flying leap at his prey. Peter tried to duck, but was not entirely successful. Lupin slammed into him and bore him to the ground.

He drove his teeth into the unprotected flesh of Peter's side. He ripped flesh as he tore a chunk from Peter's side. Peter's scream echoed through the grounds.

But then something happened. Peter threw up his hands into Lupin's chest. Pain exploded through Lupin. Pain the likes of which he had never known. With a howl Lupin fell off of Peter. He tried to regain his feet, but it was hard. His strength had seemingly left him.

Peter hit him again, this time with a backhand across the side of the head. Lupin whimpered and rolled away desperately trying to regain his feet. Peter slammed into him again, this time in the hindquarters.

Lupin's hind legs gave way and he went down. Peter smiled a feral grin and grabbed Lupin by the back. Smoke started to pour off of him, and Lupin let out a miserable howl.

He was in him moment of triumph, and nothing was going to stop him now, but he hadn't taken into the account the bubblegum haired witch that had just stepped out of the shadows, a look of utter rage on her face.

"PETTIGREW!!!" she screamed, brandishing her wand.

He twisted his neck to see who it was, but as he was doing so, he heard the growl. He turned back, just in time to see a great black dog bearing down on him. He gave off a shriek, and tried to get out of the way, but it was no good. The dog slammed into him, bearing him backwards and away from Lupin. He tried to struggle to his feet, but the dog held him in place.

He looked up and saw the dog's face, and he blanched. All the color drained out of his face and he started to cry. Through his tears he saw a bubblegum haired witch with her wand pointed directly between his eyes.

"Bombardo!" was the last thing Peter Pettigrew ever heard.

Tonks looked up as she heard someone approaching on broomsticks. Coming down towards them were a witch and wizard, both with flame red hair. After a moment she realized that it was Ron and someone else that looked awfully familiar, but not someone she recognized.

As they touched down Tonks realized that Lupin was still there, and horribly hurt. She rushed to his side, wishing to heaven that she had more than just the basic medical training that all aurors received.

Ron took in all of this in a moment, his eyes settling on the large black dog standing placidly over Wormtail's body. "Snuffles?" he whispered. The dog looked him in the eyes, and then transformed into a black haired man.

"YOU!" the little witch said, quickly stepping in front of Ron, her wand drawn and pointed at the man's heart. He gave a little chuckle when he saw it.

"Well, aren't you a sassy little tart?" he said. "Well, Ron, aren't you going to introduce me?"

"Uh, Willomena Weasley, this is…"

"I know who he is, Ron," she said never taking her eyes off the man. "Sirius Black, wanted criminal and mass murderer." Her eyes burned with rage.

"Will," Ron whispered in her ear. "He's okay. I know him. He's in the Order."

Her eyes widened at this, and she slowly turned her head so that she could look her cousin in the eye. Seeing no deception there, she slowly lowered her wand.

Ron grasped her hand in his, and making sure that it didn't come back up, went on. "Sirius, this is Willomena Weasley, my second cousin on Dad's side. Her Dad's an accountant, but don't mistake her for weak. She's the strongest fire witch I've ever seen."

"Well, my pleasure to meet you, Willomena," Sirius said. "Now, since it seems that somehow I'm back, where's Harry?"

"That's a long story…"