All Right Now

The peregrine falcon was resting outside the window of Flitwick's office. Leandra Black wasn't going to let Sirius be alone this time. She crowed weakly, scrapping her curved beak against the glass. Sirius had yelled through the window not to worry, that it was okay, but she couldn't believe it. He told her not to leave, to stay there and that everything was going to be all right.

There was the sound of heavy wings flapping. She turned her head sharply round, her eyes immediately finding the source. It was hard t believe what she was seeing. Levels below, was a Hippogriff, carrying two children on its back. It was Harry Potter and Hermione Granger!

The Hippogriff flew up the tower gracefully and speedily. Potter pulled back on the creature to bring them to a stop. The falcon flew off her window perch. She called out to the children eagerly as she circled them.

"It's Ms. Black!" Granger said shrilly, clinging to Potter as he steered the Hippogriff towards Sirius's window. Sirius looked out, his jaw had dropped. He leapt out of his chair, hurried to the window and tried to open it like he had when Leandra first arrived. But it was locked.

"Stand back!" Granger called to him and she took out her wand. "Alohomora!"

The window sprang open.

"How- how - ?" Sirius said, staring at the Hippogriff.

"Get on – there's not much time," said Potter. He gripped onto the Hippogriff firmly on either side of his sleek neck to hold him steady. "You've got to get out of here – the Dementors are coming. Macnair's gone to get them."

Sirius placed a hand on either side of the window-frame and heaved his head and shoulders out of it. In seconds he had managed to fling one leg over the Hippogriff's back and pulled himself onto the creature behind Granger.

"Ok, Buckbeak, up!" said Potter, shaking the rope. "Up to the tower, come on!"

The Hippogriff gave one sweep of its mighty wings and they were soaring upwards again. The falcon playfully teased the Hippogriff, looping around him as they both ascended. The Hippogriff enjoyed the playfulness; it nipped its beak after her.

The Hippogriff landed with a clatter on the battlement of the West Tower. As Potter and Granger slid off him, the Tower's hatch was flung open and Corvus climbed out of it, his face flushed and his chest heaving.

"Mum!" his eyes caught sight of the falcon first. She transformed back into her human form, smiling ear to ear. Her son hurried towards her, she caught him with open-arms.

"Corvus! You did it!"

"You were – with – him?" he breathed. "With Sirius?"

"I was waiting outside his window, I couldn't do anything and – and oh my goodness Corvus, how did you three do it! Oh it doesn't matter!"

"Are you bleeding?" Corvus asked as he took his hands off her. His hands had some blood on them from the wound on her back. She waved a hand impatiently at his question.

"Sirius, you'd better go, quick," Potter panted. "They'll reach Flitwick's office any moment, they'll find out you've gone."

The Hippogriff pawed the ground, tossing his sharp head while its eyes were on Leandra. He wanted to play in the sky again.

"What happened to the other boy? Ron?" asked Sirius urgently.

"He's going to be okay – he's still out of it, but Madam Pomfrey says she'll be able to make him better. Quick – go!"

But Sirius was still staring down at Potter. "How can I ever thank - "

"GO!" Granger and Potter shouted together. Leandra quickly gave Corvus a kiss on the cheek before moving towards the battlement's ledge. Corvus reached out to her, frantically.

"What? You're going with him?"

"It's all right, Corvus, I'll be safe," she smiled at him. She looked over at Sirius and added, "We'll both be fine."

Corvus looked up at Sirius and their eyes locked. Both of them squirmed under each other's gaze. Corvus watched with horror as Sirius opened his mouth –

"Yeah, okay, good idea," Corvus let go of his mother's hand and waved. He spoke slightly louder than he usually did. "Better go now though. So,bye!"

With one final smile and a wink, his mother practically skipped over to Sirius and the Hippogriff. It was almost as if she was going to get on the creature's back as well, but she turned into a falcon instead. She cawed loudly as she soared up into the sky first. Before Sirius wheeled the Hippogriff around, to face the open sky, he looked to them. Corvus kept blinking and trying to find other things to look at to break eye contact.

"We'll see each other again," he said to them all, then to Potter specifically, "You are – truly your father's son, Harry…"

Sirius squeezed the Hippogriff's sides with his heels. The creature took off into the air, determined to keep pace with the falcon. All three of them became smaller and smaller as the children stared after them.

Then they were gone…

X
X

Corvus felt his legs shaking; they felt like rubbery strings that dangled, not like they were supposed to support his weight. He held onto the wall of the battlement, Granger checked her watch. "Harry! We've got exactly ten minutes to get back down to the hospital wing without anybody seeing us – before Dumbledore locks the door - "

Corvus groaned, but he followed Granger and Potter as they slipped through the hatch and down a tightly spiraling staircase. As they reached the bottom of it, they heard voices. They flattened themselves against the wall, Corvus tried to keep his rasping breathing quiet so no one would hear him. His vision was swarming dangerously and his head felt too light.

While Potter and Granger listened in on whoever was passing, Corvus tried keeping from passing out. He trusted the two of them to lead the way to the hospital wing without thinking. His awareness didn't snap back until they came to the right corridor at last. The door to the hospital ward opened, Dumbledore's back appeared.

"I am going to lock you in," he heard him saying. "It is five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck." The Headmaster backed out of the room, closed the door and took out his wand to magically lock it. Panicking, Granger and Potter ran forwards. Corvus sauntered out, his walk a little crooked. Dumbledore looked up, and a wide smile appeared under his silver moustache. "Well?" he said quietly.

"We did it!" Potter said. "Sirius has gone, on Buckbeak…"

Dumbledore beamed at them. "Well done. I think - " he listened intently for any sound within the hospital wing. Corvus folded his hands behind his head, his elbows stretched out. It was a trick he once learned to regulate breathing. "Yes, I think you've gone, too. Get inside – I'll lock you in - "

They slipped back inside the hospital wing. It was empty except for Weasley, who was still lying motionless in the end bed. As the lock clicked behind them, Potter and Granger crept back to their own beds. Corvus took one of the nearest beds available.

"Did I hear the Headmaster leaving?" Madam Pomfrey came striding back out of her office. Corvus buried his face in a pillow. "Am I allowed to look after my patients now?"

Madam Pomfrey was in a very bad mood. She gave Potter and Granger plenty of chocolate. When she examined Corvus she was a little baffled. "For goodness' sake! You're barely conscious," she said as she took his pulse. "Whatever got you in this state boy?"

Corvus barely lifted an eyelid. Oddly enough he figured he should not tell her that he'd raced through the entire castle to get to the highest point. And before that he'd been running about some more. She brought a tall glass and a jug of cold water to his bedside. A few pieces of chocolate were placed there too, since she knew Dementors had been involved that night. She went to make sure Granger and Potter were eating the chocolate she had given them as well.

Suddenly there was a distant roar of fury echoing from somewhere above them.

"What was that?" Pomfrey said in alarm. Now they could hear angry voices, growing louder and louder. Madam Pomfrey stared at the door. Corvus hurried pulled himself up in the bed.

"Really – they'll wake everybody up! What do they think they're doing?"

Corvus tried listening to the voices, he was closest to the door and they were drawing nearer. "He must have Disapparated, Severus, we should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out-"

"He didn't Disapparate!" Snape roared, now very close. Corvus grabbed the glass by his bedside and quickly poured water for himself. He was going to need some strength for this. "You can't Apparate or Disapparate inside this castle! This – has – something – to – do – with – Potter!"

"Severus – be reasonable – Harry has been locked up - "

BAM

The door of the hospital wing burst open. Corvus nearly spilt water down his front as he drank. Fudge, Snape and Dumbledore came striding into the ward. Dumbledore alone looked calm. Fudge appeared angry. But Snape was beside himself.

"Out with, Potter!" he bellowed. "What did you do?"

"Professor Snape!" shrieked Madam Pomfrey. "Control yourself!"

"See here, Snape, be reasonable," said Fudge. "This door's been locked, we just saw-"

"They helped him escape, I know it!" Snape howled, pointing at Potter and Granger. He then spotted Corvus, who was pouring himself another glass. "And him too!"

Corvus's eyes widened and he took a small sip of his water. "Calm down, man!" barked Fudge. "You're speaking nonsense!"

"You don't know Potter!" the Potions Master shrieked. "He did it, I know he did it!"

"That will do, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly. "Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?"

"Of course not!" she said, bristling. "I've been with them every since you left!"

"Well, there you have it, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "Unless you are suggesting that our students are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further."

Corvus got the distinct feeling that Dumbledore was enjoying himself. Snape stood there, seething, staring from Fudge, who looked thoroughly shocked at his behavior, to Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling behind his glasses. Snape turned about, robes swishing behind him as he stormed out of the ward.

"Fellow seems quite unbalanced," said Fudge, staring after Snape. "I'd watch out for him, if I were you, Dumbledore."

"Oh, he's not unbalanced," said Dumbledore. "He's just suffering from a severe disappointment."

"He's not the only one! The Daily Prophet's going to have a field day! We had Black cornered and he slipped through our fingers yet again! All it needs is for a story of that Hippogriff's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughing stock! Well… I'd better go and notify the Ministry."

"And the Dementors? They'll be removed from the school, I trust?"

"Oh yes, they'll have to go," said Fudge. "Never dreamed they'd attempt to administer the Kiss on an innocent boy… completely out of control… no, I'll have them packed off back to Azkaban tonight. Perhaps we should think about dragons at the school entrance…"

"Hagrid would like that," said Dumbledore, with a swift smile. As he and Fudge left the ward, Madam Pomfrey hurried to the door and locked it again. Muttering angrily to herself, she headed back to her office.

There was a low moan from the other end of the ward. Weasley had woken up. Corvus saw him sit up, rubbing his head and looking around. Corvus finished his glass of water. He lay down again, determinedly turning his back to Potter and his friends. He never fell asleep quicker in his life.

X
X

Talk was already being generated by breakfast that morning, mainly due to the fact that Hagrid stumbled into the Great Hall singing about Buckbeak's great escape. Then the Daily Prophet was delivered to several students, and on the front page was the Minister of Magic, solemnly explaining how Sirius Black had slipped through their fingers again.

So the Great Hall was already vibrating with scandalized excitement when Professor Snape strolled by his House's long table. He wasn't entirely sure how he was going to do it, but he knew there was no stopping him. The Headmaster had turned the other cheek to yet another humiliation done to him.

"Good morning, Professor Snape!" Xiomara Brazda called cheerfully. She was sharing her Daily Prophet with Milvina Fox and another one of her girlfriends.

"Ah good morning, Miss Brazda," Snape stopped to stand over the girls, smiling as pleasantly as possible whilst his mind was focused on sweet revenge. "I see you're reading up on last night's mayhem…"

"Yes, it's so scary to think he escaped again," Brazda replied. "And again the Ministry has no idea how. It's very embarrassing."

"To be fair, Miss Brazda, the Ministry might have successfully captured Black last night had it not been for a certain – complication involving Professor Lupin."

"Professor Lupin was involved?" Her dark eyes looked hungry for the exclusive insight.

"Oh I wasn't suppose to say anything – it must be because I'm so tired – after spending the entire day yesterday brewing the Wolfsbane Potion – but in the end it was for naught, couldn't find Lupin in time, he got himself caught in the moonlight and…"

Brazda's mouth fell open. Milvina Fox gasped, "Professor Snape are you saying –?"

"Lupin's a werewolf?" Brazda breathed.

Snape made a grand, false gesture of regret for spilling the truth. The girls were speechless when he gave a surrendering shrug, "I daresay the cat is out of the bag now. But perhaps it's for the best, allow me to explain, girls…"

X
X

Potter and his friends were still asleep when Corvus woke up the next morning. He could've slept longer, but he was starving and it was the grumble of his stomach that woke him up. He also had to go to the bathroom because of all the water he drank.

After seeing to his bladder, Corvus made his way to the Great Hall. There was a wonderful aroma of hot breakfast food beckoning him. He was about to pass through the doors when he nearly collided into Professor Snape on his way out. Both of them froze, Corvus was seized by a brief panic. A muscle twitched unpleasantly at the corner of Snape's thin mouth. His eyes narrowed at him dangerously, but then his face twisted into a cruel sneer.

He stepped past Corvus, barely grazing shoulders with him, and he stalked towards the dungeons. That sneer hadn't been a good thing. Corvus had a shrewd suspicion that the Potions Master had set something into motion.

The Great Hall was abuzz, especially at the Slytherin table. All of his housemates were talking loudly, there was an anxiety in their flutter of voices and quite a few of them looked petrified. People actually started to get out of their seats to dash over to other tables; passing along whatever news they were horrified over.

"Corvus!"

"Blackstone – over here!"

Corvus looked down the table. The number of people shifting around at the table had disorientated him, but he found his friends sitting together. They were urgently waving him over. Corvus quickly made his way to them, sitting down across from a very pale Louis.

"Lupin's a werewolf! Snape's just told us!" he revealed, his voice quaking a little. Anwar looked startled too, but not a visibly so as Louis.

"He was loose on school grounds last night," Anwar said. "Snape said it's been a secret all year, but that he felt morally obligated to warn students now after that."

Corvus looked to Max, who wore the only calm expression. "He didn't mention that Lupin's been on Wolfsbane. Lupin resigned this morning, Snape waited for him to leave the Great Hall before telling us."

"He told you guys?"

"He told the whole table!" Louis exclaimed. "This whole year we've been sitting in a room with a werewolf!"

"Louis, he's harmless," Max told him sternly. But Louis was still too shaken to listen to reason.

"Do you reckon he was chasing someone outside before he gave up and headed for the Forest?"

Max sighed exasperatedly.

"If someone or something was hurt, we'd have heard about it," Corvus assured. Louis's eyes widened at him.

"Corvus where were you last night? Were you there? Is that why you didn't show up?"

"No… I was at the nurse's," Corvus told a sliver of the truth.

"What happened?" asked Anwar.

"Did he attack you on his way out to transform?" said Louis wildly. Max restrained himself, but Corvus noted his azure eyes darkened considerably.

"No, Louis, I wasn't in any way involved with Lupin's transformation last night," Corvus told him, speaking very clearly. Finally Louis could relax a little in his seat. "I was in the hospital wing because of… Peeves."

"Peeves?" Anwar repeated skeptically. "How'd he send you to the hospital?"

"He distracted me," Corvus made a story effortlessly. "Pulled my robe over my head so I couldn't see, I was going down the stairs, I fell, got a few bruises. Pomfrey didn't want to let me out until I had a whole night's rest under her care."

"We should get back at Peeves for that," Anwar said casually, picking up his knife and fork again to eat.

"Hey Corvus," a girl's voice called from a few seats down. He looked over to find Tracey Davies leaning over the table, smiling at him. She playfully twisted a strand of her ash-blonde hair. "Did you hear the news about Lupin then?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Is that what everyone's talking about?"

She giggled, covering her mouth coyly. Corvus felt his lips tug into a smirk too, he felt a little good about himself having made a girl giggle. Tracey recomposed herself to speak again, very cheekily, "Shame though that MacDougal wasn't out admiring the full moon, huh? I bet Lupin would've liked the snack…"

"Are you barking mad?" Louis exclaimed shrilly. He was as pale as a sheet and now he was looking at Tracey as if she was a monster too. Tracey's smile disappeared into a nervous frown. "How could you wish that on someone! Holy Merlin, Mo-Mo's ghastly but you can't want her to be fed to a werewolf for it!"

"Besides, I reckon Mo-Mo would wreck havoc on Lupin's digestive system," said Anwar casually. His snide joke seemed to ease Louis, he could grin again.

"Reckon you're right, Anwar."

"By the way, aren't you the girl who pretended to be Blackstone's girlfriend?" asked Anwar in a bored tone. Corvus watched Tracey's face turn a little red and she stuttered something under her breath. "Did you do it because you're sad and pathetic, or just disturbed in the mind?"

Corvus's jaw dropped. Louis burst out laughing. The poor Slytherin girl, who'd only wanted to flirt a bit, buried her face in her hands, got out of her seat and ran out of the Great Hall. Corvus couldn't help but snigger along with his friends at her departure. After laughing a few more minutes, Louis settled and started to look scared again. "What now Louis?" asked Max, half-smirking.

"Last night, Millie and me were thinking about taking a midnight stroll by the lake, it was going to be romantic," he told them. "I'm so glad we decided to just continue snogging by the fireplace…"

X
X

The castle felt almost deserted by the afternoon. Everyone who could was taking advantage of the last Hogsmeade trip of the year since the weather was so inviting and exams were finally over. But Corvus didn't feel like going, the conversation was bound to revolve only around Sirius Black, Lupin being a werewolf or Buckbeak's escape. Personally he was spent on all three topics.

Max wasn't too keen on visiting Hogsmeade either. Corvus could sense that something was weighing on his friend's mood as well, but he wasn't giving anything away as to what it was. "Do you want to practice you-know-what?" Max asked him as they sat outside by the lake.

Corvus shook his head. He was too exhausted still. He was looking across the lake at the bank where Potter and him had watched the swarm of Dementors. That night could've ended in a thousand different ways, but it had ended up with him feeling humiliated, Pettigrew escaping, Sirius on the run again and his mother off somewhere with him. He never imagined his mother was the type to just run off with someone. When was he going to see her next? Were they safe?

"Peeves didn't send you to the hospital wing, did he?" Max said abruptly. He was smirking knowingly. "You love having run-ins with Peeves, it means anything's game."

Corvus laughed. "It is amusing."

"So? Were you involved?"

"Involved in what?"

"You know what. With Sirius Black."

Corvus silently marveled at how perceptive his friend was. Slowly, he nodded. Potter had his friends in on the loop, and if it weren't for Max's help Corvus probably wouldn't have worked things out in the time for last night to occur. Checking around to make sure they were out of hearing range to everyone, he leaned in to quietly recount everything that happened the day before.

When he'd finished, Max's lips were pulled into his usual half-smirk. "Wow," he breathed. "We were right about everything!"

"I know."

Max sat back on his forearms, very pleased with himself. "We could become Aurors or something."

"I'm not entirely sure the Department of Magical Law Enforcement will be impressed with our extracurricular activities." They sniggered.

"How was time-traveling like?"

"Totally wicked."

"I bet. I can't believe that McGonagall gave Granger a Time-Turner. I've always wondered if I could get one through Snape," Max said thoughtfully.

"Again, our extracurricular activities - they aren't appreciated by most authority figures."

"You should've got me to come with you to the Whomping Willow," Max told him. "I'm sure if there were more people there Pettigrew wouldn't've escaped."

Corvus shrugged. "True, but its over now and really, if he was stupid enough to hang around like he did after faking his own death, I'm sure Pettigrew will get himself caught again."

Max nodded. Corvus could see he was trying to decide what he wanted to ask next. Suddenly his azure eyes lit up eagerly, "What was it like? Seeing Sirius Black?"

His smile faltered, and he looked down to pick at the grass. "He was a bit of a mess… probably due to Azkaban."

"So you spoke to him?"

"Huh… yeah, I guess."

"And your mum came, yeah?" he continued. "Did that mean, or what, that it's true what they say about them? That –er – you know, he's your fa - "

"No, he isn't." That heavy feeling was weighing on him again. He didn't want to look at Max. He didn't want anyone seeing him right now. He picked at more blades of grass. It should be all right. He hadn't had a father his whole life. Sirius Black was never his father. "My father's dead and gone, always has been. Sirius and my mum – I dunno, they're just whatever I guess."

"Oh."

X
X

Corvus was nearly falling asleep on the lake's bank. Lying on his back, he let the sun soak into him. He didn't feel like he needed to move again for ages. Max was very still as well. He probably had a lot more questions, because Corvus noted how he hadn't asked anything about Potter's Patronus yet. He knew Max wanted to. He'd been silent since Corvus answered his last question about Sirius.

"Look," Max said quietly. Corvus lifted his head. First all he noticed was the giant squid waving its tentacles lazily above the water. He wondered if this was what Max was pointing out, but Max then nodded to the side.

Potter, Granger and Weasley were approaching them. All three of them wore bright, smiling faces. This irritated Corvus instantly. Potter and his friends had no idea what last night meant to him. It wasn't just a fun, little adventure. Those three might feel happy with themselves, But Corvus… he wished he hadn't been involved.

"Hello," Granger greeted sweetly. Corvus sat up, fixing them with a scowl.

"Huh… we wanted to know if we could speak to you for a second, alone," Potter said, his eyes dancing to Max's direction and back.

"Why?"

Potter and his friends exchanged lost looks. "We wanted to ask you about – er – about…"

"Your mother," Granger chirped. "We wanted to just ask how she is… and if, well, if everything went well…"

"And if she has a new pet dog?" Weasley finished off. He seemed so proud of himself for coming up with that code. Corvus made a derisive noise.

"A new pet dog?" he repeated tensely. "Sure… she got it at Britain's biggest doghouse, you know Weasley, your place."

The Gryffindor trio looked flabbergasted. Weasley was the first one to turn angry and he made to grab for his wand, but Corvus already had his aimed at the ginger boy. Granger looked sick with worry, Potter had a flicker of anxiety too, but he held himself together to stand next to his friend. "Shut up! And anyway, what's your problem?" he demanded.

Corvus coolly got to his feet. He thought about telling Potter what his problem was, that last night was a freak coincidence and it didn't mean a single thing had changed between them. But then Corvus remembered that the silent treatment would be most effective in this case. With a final snide smirk at the Gryffindor trio, he turned to leave for the castle.

Max cautiously glanced at the Gryffindors before leaving as well.

X
X

It was comforting to know that Potter and his friend couldn't reach him in the Slytherin commons. It was mostly deserted, except for a few first and second years. Corvus and Max took over the armchairs by the fireplace. It was like he couldn't decide what to feel. He was frustrated, detached and then anxious. He kept thinking about what he'd asked Sirius Black. How he ran away… And then he thought about all the times that night could have been fixed. If Potter hadn't spent so much time shouting about his dead parents… if Potter had let them kill Pettigrew…

They were staring into the fireplace. Max didn't say anything. When was his mother going to contact him? Where were they anyways?

There were footsteps coming from the girls' dormitory. Corvus turned to check whom it was. Out came a girl with golden-blonde hair and brown eyes. It was Daphne Greengrass, and in her hands she held a letter – the letter from Sal's Guys.

"Is that her?" asked Max quietly. He'd looked over too. Corvus nodded. Max went back to nonchalantly observing the fire, but Corvus kept his eyes on Daphne. He owed her a lot for all the help, but she would never know this. She seemed a little surprised to find Corvus and Max in the commons during a Hogsmeade trip. She walked over.

"Hello, Daphne," Corvus greeted first. It was nice to have to speak to someone new, someone who unlike Max knew nothing about his current stress. "Have you met Max Love yet?"

"No, I mean, I know you, but-but we never met."

"Hello."

"Hello," she replied, laughing a little. "Anyway, I came to speak to you, Corvus."

"About what?"

"About your home-gardening friends."

Corvus laughed a little this time. He looked to Max, who had a ghost of a grin as well and he gave a swift nod to Corvus to go.

They left the commons, Corvus letting Daphne pass through the portal first like a gentleman. He had long ago pegged a storage room on the fourth floor as a very good place to hold private conversations. The very first Salesmen meeting took place there, when it was just Max and he and they had no name.

They walked in silence towards the Entrance Hall. He hadn't explained that they should wait until they got to storage room, so as they walked through the dungeons, side by side, Daphne felt she should come out with whatever she had on her mind. She cleared her throat. "I want to be a part of it."

"Excuse me?"

"After I got your letter, I skipped the Hogsmeade trip to think about it, and - and I like home-gardening too," she said confidently. "I bet I can help your friends a lot… I mean I know they recently got rid of an old friend, a good choice I thought. He seemed like a stupid jerk."

Corvus grinned. "You have no idea."

"So you – er – your friends have extra room," she went on. "Think of how easy it would be. I could get them anything they want, Herbology wise. The prices will be next to nothing, if I'm taken in. Their home-gardening would flourish with me, I really believe it will."

"When I said they were into home-gardening, I should've said they treated it more as an occupation rather than a hobby."

"I know that."

He arched an eyebrow.

"If you're friends don't want me, then I honestly have no incentive to help them with their home-gardening."

This was how they were going to play. Corvus tried not to laugh. They came into the Entrance Hall. Coming from upstairs was Lupin, carrying his old suitcase and the empty Grindylow tank Corvus had once scrubbed clean. He was leaving Hogwarts. At seeing Corvus, Lupin slowed to a stop, smiling faintly.

Corvus grimaced a little. Lupin probably wanted to say goodbye to him.

"Daphne? Can you meet me on the fourth floor?" She nodded, her eyes skipping to Lupin quickly before hurrying upstairs. Once she'd disappeared, Corvus approached Lupin.

Lupin was studying him, looking amused.

"What?"

He nodded to where Daphne had left, "Just noting how similar you are to Sirius when he was at school."

Corvus's face felt hot.

"The Headmaster told me how much help you were last night in rescuing Sirius," Lupin said quietly. "The whole night you kept your cool rather well. The whole year you did, by the sounds of it. You had every reason to mistrust me and expose me, but you didn't. Thank you."

"It's nothing. Snape seemed to've wanted to do that himself."

Lupin smiled wryly.

"Your mother's very proud of you, Corvus, I am too," he told him. "You helped save a lot lives and you were the first to give me a chance to explain everything in the Shrieking Shack."

"Yeah well, I should've done more to get Potter and his friends to shut up and listen too," Corvus muttered. "Maybe then we could've got everything in order before it-it got ruined."

"Nothing was ruined, Corvus," Lupin said quietly. "The truth was uncovered, Sirius was saved from a terrible fate. And your mother, Corvus, she got peace of mind. You did wonderfully last night."

Last night hadn't left him feeling wonderful. But for Lupin's sake he gave a feeble shrug and looked up at him again, "I suppose."

Lupin forced a grim sort of smile. He looked to the open doors leading out of the castle. By the looks of it he wanted to get out. He shifted the Grindylow tank slightly so he could shake Corvus's hand.

"Well, goodbye, Corvus. It was a pleasure teaching you, really."

X
X

Daphne was waiting on the fourth floor like she agreed to. She was leaning against the wall, rereading the letter in her hand and when she heard Corvus approaching, she looked up. "You're not afraid of him? You're not afraid of Lupin?"

"No, why should I be?"

"Snape says he's a werewolf."

"He is," he confirmed. "But do you see a full moon, Daphne?"

"No… but everyone still acts like he's a monster…I'm not afraid of him either," she added.

Corvus gave her a measured look, wondering if she was just saying this to impress him.

"He didn't harm anyone last night, by the sounds of it he made a mistake," she continued. "Werewolves are human more times during the year than not… and Professor Lupin was the nicest teacher here, second to Flitwick probably."

Corvus couldn't find a lie in her. He didn't want to hurt her feelings by telling her no. But surely the others would be against sharing their earnings with a new girl. "Listen, Daphne, I'm going to be honest with you. The chances that they'll say yes to your demands are very slim."

"Then there's no chance for them to order things through me."

"Come on, it would be like you were a part of them. They're very nice guys, my friends. They'll even throw in bonuses for you, like for Christmas and stuff."

"I don't care about the money."

"You don't care about the money?" he scoffed. "Well then you really wouldn't fit in with my friends, they adore money. They especially enjoy making money."

"That's not all they're about," she said, crossing her arms. "We are Salazar's Salesmen. We will cater to your every need. No matter how unseemly they may be. But all for a fee."

"That's written on the boy's bathroom wall, isn't it?" Corvus sneered. "Quite suspicious of you to be quoting it."

"Ha, ha," she replied dryly. "Everyone knows that motto."

"Do they? I'm hardly up to date anymore with the hearsay…"

"Well, they do, and to everyone else it might sound like it's just for the money. But to me it sounds like Salazar's Salesmen are in it for the thrill, for the challenge and the money is just a nice bonus for them, you know, for when Christmas comes along."

Corvus blinked at her. That was some nerve! That little speech nearly gave him chills, it reminded him of when the Salesmen wrote that piece of graffiti, years ago. It had been one hell of a thrill, the first of many. He was shocked that he'd never heard about Daphne Greengrass before. He'd only ever vaguely noted her presence. "Aren't you friends with Pansy and that Tracey Davis girl?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm just trying to understand something."

"Understand what?"

"You."

Her brown eyes widened a little. Corvus was pleased to see that he could take her off guard too, since so far it's only been her doing it to him. "W-well what does Pansy and Tracey have to do with me?"

"Pansy and Tracey are giggling, gossipy girls," Corvus explained, "the exact type of people that my friends detest. They'll know who you associate with, and it will reflect poorly on you."

"Oh… well," Daphne said quietly, "there aren't that many girls in my year. My year in general has slim pickings, you might've noticed… the only decent one really is Theordore Nott, do you know him? He's nice, and clever, nothing like the other guys. But it gets boring just to stick with one person, he gets bored too and sometimes the others aren't too bad." Again he studied her. She was intriguing, and genuine. He bit his bottom lip. "I don't need an answer right away," she said finally after a pause. "And really I can be trusted… ask anyone in my year, I don't really have friends, just people to past time with."

He sighed. "Alright, write them another letter with your idea. I can't guarantee anything, and whatever the answer, don't take it personal. Can't really say – "

"As long as you promise they'll really give it consideration," she told him. "Don't let them just say no because I'm a girl or – or I talk to Pansy and Tracey. I want them to really consider me and my offer."

She was looking him straight in the eye. She had no idea what she'd done, his mind was miles away from that drab he was torturing himself over a few minutes ago. Corvus was already thinking of ways to convince the other Salesmen to cut Daphne a fair deal. He nodded.

O..o

o..O

hey, i know i said i'd post a new chapter by the 31st buttttt things have come up, so it might be until the 8th, but ill try my hardest i swear!!! don't hate me!!!!