Chapter 55: So Secretive
It soon became obvious that Voldemort had made Harry his primary target. He had tried to kill them as they left the hospital. There was a lot of discussion about what to do to keep Harry safe. "We hide." Lily spoke softly in a private meeting with just them and Dumbledore. The three of them were in James and Lily's sitting room. Lily and Dumbledore sat on the armchairs.
James was standing with Harry in his arms. "I'm not hiding." He rocked Harry gently. "I'm fighting."
"Fine." Lily nodded. "I'm taking Harry and we're hiding. Without you."
"Lily..." he started but she cut him off.
"No. I'm thinking about Harry, not your ego." She stood up and took Harry from him. "I want you with us. I'm thinking about our son's life. Voldemort is threatening to kill him. To kill our son."
James stood still. "We'll hide." Nodding slowly and folding his arms. "What do we do?" He asked his former headmaster.
After a long day at work, all May wanted to do was eat and have a bath. It was her day off tomorrow and she going to spend it working for the Order. Walking into her's and Sirius' flat, she was greeted with the wonderful smell of food cooking. "Mmmmm, something smells good." She hung her coat up and threw her bag on the floor.
"Roast dinner for us both." He carried two plates of food into the sitting room, placing them on the dinner table. "A bottle of white wine." He opened the bottle and poured them a glass of wine each. "How was work?" He asked as they sat down and began eating.
"Tiring." She sighed as she reached for the glass of wine, taking a sip. "We're getting more and more casualties everyday. It is rather heartbreaking. Two children died today." She sighed heavily again and began eating. "Have you heard from Jamie?"
He shook his head. "No. But Dumbledore has called a meeting tomorrow. He said if you're working, don't worry about it. It's not very important."
"Okay. I have a late shift tomorrow. So I will give it a miss." She sighed as she ate her food. "This is good." She smiled and continued eating.
"Thanks. I thought you deserved a cooked meal. Especially with all the hours you are working." He reached over and held her hand. "I put new flowers on Lizzy's grave today." Removing his hand from her own, returning to eating his dinner.
"I saw them. They were beautiful." She smiled softly. "I know it's only been a few months since we lost her. I think we should turn the nursery back into a spare bedroom."
He listened to her. "Why now?"
She sighed heavily, placing her knife and fork on her dinner plate. "I think we're ready to let go of that part of our life." She wiped her mouth with the napkin. "We can put the cot in the manor or give it to James and Lily."
"They already have one. Helped James put one together the week before Harry was born." He smiled and finished his dinner. "Right, I've got to pop out to see Peter. He's been having a hard time since his dad died."
"Oh ok. Do you want me to come?" She asked curiously as she waved her wand, sending their empty plates to the sink.
He shook his head. "He asked me to come. No one else."
"Oh." She nodded and stood up. "I'm having a coffee. Do you want one?"
"Yes, please, love." He opened a packet of cigarettes, putting one in his mouth and lighting it. It was only recently did she allow him to smoke inside. He stood up and opened a window. "I hope this all blows over," he muttered to himself, staring out of the window.
"What's that?"
He sighed heavily and turned to face her. "I went to see Remus again today. He was very aloof. He barely said anything."
"So?" She brought out two mugs of coffee. "Remus has always been quiet."
Sirius shook his head. "This is different. Ever since we left school and joined the Order, he has been acting strange. I think he is on the other side."
"What?!" She shouted at him, putting the coffees down. "He would never!" She glared at him. "Why the hell would you think that? He's your best friend!" She scoffed and shook her head. "Why?"
"We never see him! He's so secretive!" He took a drag of his cigarette, blowing out smoke before he continued talking. "He has never acted like this before. Well, except before we didn't know what he was. After that he was fine. Ever since we've left school, I've barely seen him. I don't trust him any more, May."
She laughed and shook her head. "I don't believe you! You're an absolute git!"
"I'm the git?!" He stubbed out his cigarette and walked up to her slowly. "Remus has been the git! When was the last time you saw him properly?"
May thought for a moment. The last time she spoke to him properly was her wedding day. "Stop it! Stop trying to make me think that he is untrustworthy. He's our best friend!" She stood her ground and shouted at him.
He was now raising his voice. "He is meant to be! But a best friend is meant to be there for you! For us all! Where was he when we lost Lizzy?!"
She slapped him hard. "Don't you dare! Don't you dare use our daughter in this argument!" She slapped him again. "I can't believe you!" She stormed out of the room.
"May!" He growled and followed her. She was putting her coat on and grabbing her keys. "Where are you going?"
"Away from you." She opened the door and left in a temper, slamming the door hard.
When May returned home, she put blankets in the sitting room and left a note for Sirius, telling him to sleep in there from now on. He knew their marriage was on the rocks but not this bad. He sat in the kitchen on the counter with a cigarette between his fingers. May was in bed as she had an early shift the next morning. Sirius had been sleeping on the sofa for a week. She still had not forgiven him for what he had said about Remus. He stubbed out the last of his cigarette and jumped off the counter. "I'm going to see James!" He shouted to May, who said nothing. She must be fast asleep. He sighed heavily as he pulled on his leather jacket. He needed the air more than anything. His own wife had not spoken to him for days and it annoyed him. He went outside to his motorbike, which he had bought a few months ago.
He rode to James and Lily's flat, which was an hour away from his and May's place. He arrived. He looked up at the building and saw James and Lily's sitting room light still on. He sighed heavily. Did he really want to go up to his best friend, who also happened to be his brother-in-law, and admit that his marriage was failing and that he did not trust Remus? Sirius climbed off the motorcycle and gave another sigh. Right, he was not going to say that he and May were having trouble with everything.
He walked into the building and went to their door. He gently knocked on the door. He was just about to turn around and go when the door opened. "Hey Pads." James smiled at the sight of his best friend at his door. "Come in. We're busy but it would be nice to have some company."
"Thanks mate." He smiled and walked into the flat. He thought he walked into a warehouse. There were boxes everywhere. "What are you doing?"
Lily came out of the bedroom with Harry in her arms. "Oh Hey Sirius. May not with you?"
"Nah. She's sleeping. She's working early tomorrow." He smiled and took Harry from Lily. "Hello there my nephew and godson." Settling the four month old baby in his arms. "Getting more and more handsome every day."
"So, what are you doing here?" James asked him as they walked into the sitting room.
Sirius sat down with Harry and sighed. "I just need to talk to you." He sighed again. "It's about Remus. I don't trust him."
"What?!" James shouted at him, causing Harry to cry. "Damn it." He took Harry from Sirius and rocked him slowly to calm him down. "Why would you think that?" He and Lily sat on the other sofa.
Sirius sighed heavily and ran his hand through his hair. "I just have a feeling. We never see him and he's very secretive too. I think he is with the Death Eaters. Just think about it. He's a werewolf and Voldemort is recruiting the werewolves."
"Don't be daft." James scoffed. "Remus would never go along with the Death Eaters." Rocking Harry, who had drifted off to sleep.
Lily shook her head. "Have you told May this?"
He nodded. "I'm sleeping on the sofa." He sat back on the sofa. "She's annoyed with me for believing it."
"I am too. I trust all of you." James handed Harry to Lily and stood up, moving to sit next to his friend. "Please don't doubt anybody."
Sirius nodded slowly. "All right." Still nodding and looking around the room. "What are you doing with all these boxes?"
James sighed heavily and looked over at his wife, who nodded. "We're going into hiding. Just until Voldemort is destroyed. We don't want Harry to grow up in fear." He smiled a little at Lily. "So, we were going to ask you to come over tomorrow. But we'll ask you now."
"What?" He looked between the two of them.
"We're going into hiding and we want you to be our secret keeper." Lily explained as she lifted her son onto his shoulder. "You and May are the only people we know that are good enough for this. But James will not let May be put in that kind of danger."
Sirius stood up and started pacing in front of them. "No. You were right to choose me. But I'm too obvious. They would immediately come after me." He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. He thought for a moment. "Peter! No one will suspect him." He stopped pacing and sat next to Lily. "We could be under the pretence that I am your secret keeper but Peter will be the true secret keeper."
James smiled a little. "I like that idea. We'll keep it to ourselves."
"And from May." Sirius added. "The less she knows, the safer she is."
"Good idea." James nodded. "Right, we'll do it tomorrow. We'll tell Dumbledore that we have decided to choose you and we can tell Peter the truth and begin the spell." The three of them agreed and began planning where the young family would hide.
A/N: Short chapter but obviously necessary. :) Enjoy.
Responses from chapter 54:
warewolf-princess558750: You'll have to wait and see what happens. :)
Forever Siriusly Sirius: Thank you very much. I wrote May's reaction so many times and each one of them were different. So I hope the reaction was real enough and believable.
Guest: Well... With all stories, the hero must receive some pain. My hero, or heroine, felt pain through the loss of a child. If you be patient and actually wait for the story to end and you will find the ending either satisfying or pointless. Don't count your chickens before they are hatched. So, wait and see, you find you prefer the ending more than the story now.
Charlotte Blackwood: Thank you. :) Hope you enjoyed this story. :)
