Chapter 37: The Demons in Black

Sirius' birthday was the same day they went and looked at a new flat. He had found a listing in one of the muggle papers, and while Gen thought it was unusual that he hadn't tried to find a place near James and Lily, or even Remus, she went with an open mind.

It was a Saturday, and the tension from the break-in the month before had been pushed aside by the both of them while they started on this new adventure. Living that week with Sirius had been interesting. Gen learned more about him in that month than she had in a month of being his partner in training.

The apartment was located on a quiet side street of London. As they walked up, sounds of children out enjoying the summer sun greeted her ears. She smiled gently as they passed the houses across the street.

"This is it," Sirius said, pulling her to a stop. Gen looked up and saw a lovely, older building with large windows. It looked more like a house, but Gen didn't mind for how charming it looked. "It would be the second floor."

"It's adorable," she said, smiling.

"It's similar to your old rent," Sirius replied, looking down at her. "Shall we?"

When the owner showed them upstairs, he unlocked an older, white door that opened up into a beautiful, well lit room. It had dark hardwood floors, and pristine white walls. They bounced the late morning sunlight all around the room. Gen walked in, a smile plastered on her face.

"This here is the sitting room. If you turn left, that's the kitchen," the man directed. Gen looked through the wide doorway to see a quaint kitchen with a bathroom off to the side. The kitchen was complete with a window overlooking the street, and a row of white cabinets. Gen walked forward, examining the counter tops and the ceiling, feeling everything as she went. The tile backsplash was a soft teal and blue, and as she stood at the sink and looked out the window she ran her fingers over the smooth, cool porcelain.

"If you come to this side, there are two bedrooms," the older gentleman continued, calling Gen back from her reverie. She smiled, leaving the view and joining her hand with Sirius'. The man crossed through the sitting room to two open doors. "Here is the master bedroom."

He entered the door on the right, where the dark hardwood and stark white walls continued. The room was large, and Gen followed Sirius inside. Her hand escaped his as she looked around the room, glancing over at the wardrobe.

"Think all your clothes can fit in here?" she said with a smirk, looking at Sirius. He made a face at her.

"What do you two do for work, then?" the man asked. Sirius turned, and smiled politely at him.

"We work for the Ministry of Justice," he lied. Gen nodded, and the old man looked at Gen.

"There's an American working in the ministry?" he asked. Gen laughed.

"I work on special projects. A liaison, if you will, from my government to yours." The lie came naturally, and as the old man shrugged she smiled. She walked towards the bathroom in the bedroom, catching her reflection in the mirror. After inspecting the toilet and the sink, she glanced at the bath tub shower combination.

"Oh, that looks fun," Sirius murmured, his hand snaking over her waist. She shook her head despite the smile on her face.

"Let's go see the other room," she said, leaving him to his imagination and bath tub. She went from one room to the other, smaller bedroom. It was still charming, and if they wanted to take on another roommate it was a room she would feel comfortable subletting.

"How urgently do you need a place?" the old man asked. Gen met his gaze and thought.

"I would like to move as soon as possible. We're currently living somewhere that is, in my opinion, way too much money," she answered. The older man smiled.

"This is a fair price," he said, unable to pass up the opportunity.

"It is!" Gen agreed. "I think it's very charming. And I love all the natural light."

"I really like this place," Sirius said from the doorway. He was leaning his broad shoulder against the frame. "It feels, I don't know," he paused, contemplating his words, "comfortable."

"I have a question," Gen ventured. "Do you allow pets?" The old man nodded.

"I have two cats downstairs, and the chap upstairs has got a bunny or some sort," the man answered. "I don't mind pets in here, as long as you take care of them."

"Oh, great! I was hoping you wouldn't mind a dog living here," Gen answered. She caught Sirius rolling his eyes at her as he turned away, walking back into the sitting room. The man followed her eyes, and stepped towards her, holding out his hand.

"Here, dear," he said, placing the keys in her hand. "I'll leave you two to talk it over. Take as much time as you need, and drop the keys in the letter box if you decide not to take the place." She smiled at him gratefully, and followed him out of the room. She walked towards Sirius, who was standing with his arms folded over his chest, staring out the large windows of the sitting room. She admired him in the sunlight, rays catching off his dark hair. She took a place beside him, looking out at the leaves as they danced in the breeze and out over the side yard. Stepping forward, she pulled open the window in front of them, and the wind blew into the room around them.

"That's better," she said. Turning back towards Sirius, she rested her weight against the window sill.

"What do you think?" he asked. She smiled.

"I really like it," she said. She glanced around the room they were in, completely at ease.

"It feels like home," he said. Smiling, Gen looked up at him as he walked over to her.

"Yeah," she agreed. "It does, doesn't it?" His fingers found her face, and eased their way back towards her ear, his rough palm running over her cheek. She leaned into his hand, and closed her eyes for a moment.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too, Gen," he responded. She felt his lips press against hers, and she wrapped her arm around him as they kissed. His lips moved against her in the most delicious way, and she could feel her skin warming, the heat spreading from her face down over her body. He lifted her from the window sill and up, so her feet dangled in the air and his arms were tight around her back. He pulled away, looking up at her.

"This is our place?" he asked. Gen smiled brightly, and nodded.

"This one is ours."

"You make me really happy, Gen," Sirius said, his lips finding hers again.

You make me impossibly happy, she thought, tightening her grip around his shoulders. When he pulled away again, she was greeted with his own, large smile.

"You make me happy, too," she answered, her voice sounding small but content. Sirius put her back on her feet, and she looked around the flat one more time. She turned the keys over in her hands, and then held them out to Sirius. "Happy birthday!"

Sirius laughed, and wrapped and arm around her shoulder.

"Come on, you," he said, pulling her back towards the door. After stopping off downstairs to see when they could move in and getting an extra set of keys, Sirius and Gen headed down the street, hand in hand.

Gen and Alice were hurrying to Headquarters, trying not to be late but seem inconspicuous at the same time.

Whatever that means, Gen thought. She pushed through the door, Alice a few strides behind her, and darted up the stairs. Kingsley stood at the door, and he smiled warmly as the two girls came before him.

"Cuttin' it close, you two," he said, opening the door for them.

"We know," Alice sighed, her hand at Gen's back and pulling her towards the two closest open chairs. The group was small today, but that was because it wasn't a regular Order meeting. They were to go on a mission, a band of them. Moody was talking to Lily, Frank, Remus and Peter, while Marlene and Gideon Prewett were talking quietly by the window. Gen walked up to Moody, listening intently.

"…only thing we know is that they were there. We don't know if they are still, but we can't let them keep raiding the small towns." Moody nodded to Gen, and her mouth twitched in acknowledgement.

"How many witnesses have there been?" Peter asked. Gen studied him for a moment, his hair sticking up in the front. He had thinned out since they had left Hogwarts, and knew that Peter dearly loved his job with the Holyhead Harpies. He and Andrea were no longer seeing each other, though that didn't really surprise Gen.

"Six," Moody answered. Peter nodded in understanding, his arms going over his chest. Gen turned her eyes back to Moody.

"That's everyone, Alastor," Kingsley said from the door, closing it behind him. The group came together, and Gen felt Alice by her side.

Dementors had been sighted in Backbarrow, and hadn't been particularly forthcoming to the witches and wizards that lived there. Gen had never heard of it before, but that didn't matter so much. Several of them had been rescued, and luckily, no one had been kissed yet. Gen felt the uneasiness in her gut, and she could feel the same energy coming off of Alice. Gen had very limited contact with dementors, and each time she had faced them in training she had been with Sirius. He was away with James, on another Order mission, investigating something that he couldn't talk about. Gen found Lily's eyes from across the group, and they locked in brief understanding. Gen didn't look in that direction for too long, however, as Lily was standing beside Remus and he and Gen hadn't spoken since the day she overheard he and Sirius arguing in Sirius' old flat. She pursed her lips at the memory, and watched as Moody placed a broken tea pot in the center of their small circle.

"We're going by portkey?" Marlene asked, her dark brow furrowed in confusion.

"We have no way of knowing where the lot of you will end up," Moody said gruffly, as if the answer had been obvious. Gen caught Marlene roll her eyes at the man, and chuckled to herself. The group stepped forward and, with Moody counting down, all reached out and touched the teapot.

Gen was lurched as if by a hook inside her gut, and she was sucked into a grey and blurry vortex, her eyes barely open as the sensation made her feel like screaming. Suddenly, the ground was rapidly approaching, and she did her best to move her arms in wide circles to slow down the force of gravity. She landed with a thud on the ground, knees buckling beneath her force and her hands caught her fall against the ground. Taking in a breath to steady herself and try and prevent herself from vomiting, she heard the lid of the broken teapot clatter against the rest of the ceramic, and she looked up around her. She felt assured when she saw several of her companions in similar or worse positions, including Peter and Alice, who were lying flat against the ground. She walked to Alice, and held out her hand.

"If I never travel by portkey again it will be too soon," Alice muttered as Gen pulled her to her feet. Gen nodded.

"I know, that sucked," she said. She did a mental check, brushing her hands against her jeans. The sun was setting, though she could barely tell with the dense line of trees before them. Normally, Gen enjoyed nature and the beauty of an old forest. But, as she collected herself she stared at the wood before them, the uneasy knot in her stomach gave a tight throb.

"Gen!" Moody barked. She turned to her mentor, and he looked over her face. She avoided his gaze after a few moments, following the party towards the shops ahead of them. Alice fell in step beside Gen, each giving each other a somewhat concerned look.

The plan was to spread out around the small area, and Gen and Alice took up an outdoor table at the hotel. The air was warm and the sky was clear as the sun set, but neither of them felt like themselves. They ordered a few drinks, and Gen caught Alice scanning the area for the rest of their party. Lily and Remus had gone into the bakery half-way up the street, Marlene and Peter were each sitting on a bench by the river that ran between the main portion of town and the woods. Moody and Kingsley had said they were going to visit with a few of the magical families to get a better sense of what had been going on. As the night progressed, more and more people returned to their homes. The waiter tending to Alice and Gen didn't seem to mind that they were one of the last few groups on the patio, and conversed with them in a friendly manner.

"So, you two are just passing through?" he asked, his well-tended black beard not thick enough to hide his charming smile. Gen gave him a smile back.

"Yeah, we're heading home after a week camping," she replied. He gave her a curios look, but didn't comment on it. Alice gave Gen a look that she couldn't decipher, but didn't pay her any mind.

"Did you have a good trip?" he asked, pouring some iced water into Alice's glass.

"Yeah," Gen replied, "though my friend here got a little scared two nights ago." The waiter chuckled.

"I don't blame you, miss," he said. "Wouldn't catch me sleeping in those woods." Alice looked up at him.

"Why?" she asked.

"Old stories about them being haunted," he said with a small shrug. Gen let out a laugh.

"You believe all that stuff?" she asked, trying to encourage an answer from him.

"I could have sworn we were being watched," Alice countered.

"There's all sorts of tales like that," the waiter replied. "People go in there for too long and they come back feeling like there's nothing happy left in the world." Gen and Alice stared up at him, waiting for him to continue. "I've heard people talking about some horrible monster, one that can make you feel cold, and alone. One that can suck your soul right out of you."

Gen took a deep drink of her water, sweat beading on the back of her neck.

"Sounds like a load of crap to me," she said with a curt laugh. The waiter nodded.

"Yeah," he replied. "Let me know if you need anything else." He walked off, not appearing to be bothered by what he had told them. Alice and Gen looked at each other again. At least they were both certain that they were in the right place. Gen took out some of her muggle money and put it on the table, rising and heading off the patio. Alice drained the rest of her water and then followed suit. They were the only two in the street, and the only others Gen could see were Order members. She didn't see Moody or Kingsley anywhere, but counted everyone else. It was dark now, and she could barely keep still, her fingers wagging against her thigh, shifting her weight repeatedly. She crossed the road to the stone wall along the river, looking down at the rushing water.

"You're agitated," Alice said.

"Yeah," Gen replied. "I hate waiting for things that I know are going to happen."

"You know they're coming?" Alice asked. Gen looked at her best friend, noting the concern in her eyes.

"Can't you feel it?" she asked, her voice low. Alice paused, looking away from Gen and across the water at the looming trees. It was so dark they could barely see anything, but Gen could hear the rustle of the leaves in the breeze. She took her eyes off the trees, and took a deep breath.

And that's when she felt it.

It was subtle at first, but she could feel it in her fingers.

She was cold.

She let out a breath and saw it fog up in front of her face, and slowly, her mind darkened. The anxiety she held on to before that moment swelled into real fear. Gen realized what was happening, and she looked up in to the sky as a dark shadow flitted over the ground at her feet.

"Gen," Alice breathed. Gen saw three dementors flying above them, crossing in front of the sliver of a moon. Alice raised her wand, but Gen stopped her.

"No! Don't. You don't want the Ministry having to track down a bunch of muggles because they saw your patronus," Gen said. Alice stopped, looking at her.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Alice asked. Gen looked at the bridge in front of them, and then up into the woods. She gritted her teeth.

You're moronic, Gen Proctor, she thought, before turning and running into the woods after the dementors.

"Gen!" Alice cried, but Gen didn't turn around. If she could draw them back into the woods, then it would give the rest of them time to make it to the tree line without having to use magic in front of anyone, or harming any innocent people. She climbed up the hill, deeper into the forest, lighting her wand to guide her path. The forest floor was strewn with fallen branches and a thick layer of dead leaves from falls past. She glanced up at the sky, catching glimpses of the things she chased, but nothing came before her.

She slowed to a stop, voices distant behind her. She knew her companions would be with her soon, but realized the extent of her foolishness for coming in here alone.

"Come on, you bastards," she hissed. The cold feeling hadn't left her, and was growing in intensity as she stood in the between three trees, panting. Her breath was forming little clouds in front of her face again, and she thought she could see a figure settle in the trees beyond her. She tightened her grip around her wand, holding it out in front of her.

The hairs on her arms were standing straight, and she was trying her hardest not to shiver. The pool of light from her wand seemed to be growing dimmer, and she strained her eyes to see beyond the black surrounding her.

She then realized that the dark around her wasn't just from the night.

She was surrounded by cloaked and hooded figures. Her heart caught in her throat as the sounds of their rattling breath seemed to echo in her ears. She could feel her energy fading from her, weakening by the second as her mind flashed with terrible images of her father losing his hand, Alice and Frank running from the morgue at St. Mungo's, tears streaming down Lily's face, and Sirius falling back as death took hold of him. She fought off the images, determined not to succumb to the sorrows her mind was creating as the dementors fed off of her happiness.

She thought of the way Sirius ran his hands through her hair, and how he looked at her in the morning when she woke up. She remembered but a few days before, standing in the sun drenched sitting room, still void of furniture, when he picked her up and kissed her. She felt the smile cross over her face.

"Expecto patronum!" she shouted, and her sparrow shot from the end of her wand, illuminating the cloaks flying back from in front of her. She spun, directing the tiny but luminescent bird at the others surrounding her.

Then, from above her, she felt the ice cold presence of a dementor, sucking in the memory that she had rushing through her veins. Her wand fell to her side as another creature neared and pulled out more of her life force. The light of her sparrow faded rapidly, crashing to her knees when the two released her.

"Gen!" she heard someone cry. Her head felt heavy, and the cold had seeped into her very bones. She clenched her hand around her wand again, but couldn't find the strength to do anything when another dementor came eye level with her. The black shroud over its face didn't hinder the sharp inhale she heard, body stricken in its hold. She felt as though she would never see the sun again. That a barren, frosted wasteland waited for her on the other side of this creatures grasp.

Suddenly, she was released and she fell forward on to her elbows. Fighting to sit back on her feet, a bright light burst forth as a shield, and a great bird chased her captives away.

As the patronus turned in the air, she felt warmth rush over her. The bird flew low, crashing into another dementor and forcing it back into the tree tops.

There was something distinctive about the type of bird, but Gen couldn't place it.

"Gen," said a feminine voice beside her, wrapping their arm around her middle and pulling her up to her feet. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Gen didn't answer. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the large bird. Its wingspan was impressive, but she knew that wasn't why she recognized it.

She gasped.

It was a bald eagle.

She looked around, seeing Lily holding her up, and Gideon behind her, casting his own patronus forward at a dementor that had tried to come near him. Not seeing anyone controlling her national symbol, she looked around the other side.

There, diagonally in front of her, was Remus Lupin.

He stood his ground firmly, his face lit by the unearthly glow of his patronus, directing it as it charged two dementors. Gen stared at him, and then felt Lily pulling her away.

"Get her out of here, Potter!" bellowed Moody. Gen looked up, some of her strength returning to her.

Gen sat on the couch in her living room, completely mystified by what she had seen. Moody and Lily had personally seen her home, and then Moody had sent Lily to find Sirius.

Moody stood in front of her, his anger palpable.

"And here I was, thinking that you were the smarter of my two trainees," he said. Gen looked up at him, only half aware of what was going on.

"I'm smarter than Sirius," she said feebly.

"Oh, really? You think he'd go running off into the woods after three dementors?" Moody barked. Gen didn't tear her eyes away from him.

Yes, she thought, but held her tongue.

"I'm not sure, sir," she answered eventually.

"He wouldn't! You abandoned all your training to what? Make a statement?"

Gen's face went red. The anger filled her throat.

"I was protecting those people!" she yelled, rising from the couch. She clutched the blanket around her, but her heart was racing. "As if we would have been able to fight them off while trying to protect an entire town. Admit it! I did you a favor!"

"You might think you're smart, Proctor," he spat, "but you have a lot of growing up to do. Not only did you prove that you have learned nearly nothing under my eye, but you abandoned Alice in the middle of a town that was about to be attacked. You left your partner behind for some stupid stunt, leaving her to clean up your mess!"

"Alice is perfectly capable – "

"Don't you start!" Moody shouted, his eyes burrowing into hers. "What if she had been harmed? What if she hadn't found us when she did? What if Remus hadn't gotten to you as quick as he did to save your sorry arse?"

"Why does that matter?"

"Because sacrificing your life for any of this is not what we're about!" Moody yelled. Gen's retaliation stuck in her throat, faltering at his words. "That's exactly what he would want."

At that moment the door flew open, Sirius and Lily rushing in.

"Gen!" he said, running forward and embracing her.

"She's a bloody fool, Black," Moody spat. Sirius looked at him, and then back at Gen.

"What happened?"

"Nothing," Gen replied quickly.

"Don't lie, Genevieve," Moody warned. "She ran off to fight the dementors by herself, leaving behind the rest of us and Alice without a word. We got to her as they were sucking the life from her. She owes her soul to Remus Lupin." Moody stalked into the kitchen, his angry energy apparently unable to be contained any more.

"What?!" Sirius cried, looking from Moody to Gen. "Gen, what the hell were you thinking?"

"She wasn't!" Moody shouted, coming back into their line of sight. "And I'll tell you one thing, missy: if you can't see the wrong in your actions then you aren't fit to be an Auror. I'm putting you on probation for three weeks! And don't even think about showing up to any Order meetings!" The man turned with a sense of finality, and passed through the open door. Gen stared after him.

"Shit!" she shouted, pushing the blanket off her shoulders, and walking from the sitting room.

"Lily," Sirius started, his voice straining to be calm, "thank you for coming to get me. I really appreciate it."

"Of course, Sirius," Lily said. Gen walked to the window in the kitchen, staring out into the inky black. "Why don't you two come by for dinner this weekend?"

"We'd love to," Sirius responded. "I'll see you in the morning, Lil."

Gen heard the door close softly, and waited for the oncoming storm.

"When are you going to get it through your thick skull that this isn't training anymore?" he asked, his voice still strained.

"I know it isn't training anymore," Gen answered, happy her back was to him.

"Then why are you acting like these things aren't going to kill you?!" Sirius shouted. Gen jumped as his fists slammed against the counter top.

"Why is everyone acting like the threat of death is such a surprise?! I knew what I was getting into when I signed up for all of this, and I'm taking it all as part of the job," she answered, rounding on him.

"Then you deserve to sit here for three weeks with nothing to do," Sirius said. His eyes were like the icy air that had suck into her soul hours before.

"Well at least I'm suspended for bravery!" she shot. Sirius' mouth opened in disbelief.

"You're fucking kidding me, right? What you did wasn't brave, Gen. What you did was stupid!" he answered.

"Why? Because you wouldn't do it?" she challenged.

"No! Because not stopping to think about how everyone in the situation with you is going to be affected by your one utterly idiotic action is!"

"I wasn't going to die! I trusted everyone with me!" she said, walking from the kitchen and heading to their bedroom. Sirius caught her elbow, his face contorted with rage and disbelief.

"What? Just because it was dementors and not Death Eaters you thought you could take it upon yourself to be the hero and protect the innocent people of whatever place you were in?" he demanded. He continued before Gen could say anything. "This isn't every man for himself, Gen. What if it is Death Eaters next time? What if it's fucking You-Know-Who? Then what? Are you going to run after him with just your wand and hope that Remus Lupin catches up to you?!"

Gen yanked her arm away from Sirius, his words stinging her. She had tried to push Remus from her mind – not because she held any emotion for him, but because she couldn't deal with her confusion. The couple was silent for a long time, Gen angled her body away from him, and Sirius staring in anger at into the kitchen.

"You need to understand that the people we fight are going to take advantage of every mistake we make. There are a lot of people we need to protect, and you'll be gone in no time if you keep doing this," Sirius said, his voice calm now. "You're smart and capable, and if they get the chance they will kill you for the threat you pose to them. Working together is the only chance we have to win. It's the only chance we have at surviving."

Gen didn't look at him, and instead turned and went into their bedroom. She climbed in under the sheets, her overwhelmed body trying to find comfort in the chaos of her thoughts. She lay like that for hours, but pretended to be asleep when Sirius finally came in.

She felt him lower his weight beside her, going slow as not to wake her. He propped himself up on his elbow and ran his hand down over her hair. She felt him kiss the top of her head, and then wrap his arm around her.

"I love you, Gen," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I don't want to lose you." Tears welled up in her eyes, and she rolled towards him.

"I'm sorry," she wept, the fear she felt earlier overcoming her.

"It's okay," he whispered, pulling her to his chest. "It's all right. Don't cry."

"I was so afraid," she said, her eyes shut tight against his skin. "I saw you die."

"What?" he asked.

"When I was surrounded by them, images flashed in my head and one of them was of you dying. It was horrible," she sobbed, remembering the lost expression she had seen in his eyes.

"Gen," he said, "it's okay. I'm not going to die."

Thanks for reading.