The last month had been so wonderful that Jasmine could hardly believe she had found herself out on a cold night such as this one- The anniversary of the loss of her sister, searching in the dark. She shivered at the chill in the air as she hurried along the well worn path to the Whomping Willow- Not worrying over the sound of distant howling that split the bright night sky. The moon shown down around her, making it unnecessary for her to use her want for light. Normally she hated the full moon and everything it stood for, but tonight she was thankful not only for the help it provided, but for keeping Remus out of the way. She tightened her grip on her wand once more, and screamed into the night. "Sirius?" Her voice echoed out over the grounds. She knew others were looking, but only at the castle perimeter.
"Show yourself!" She demanded, her voice shaking. She was unsure if she was scared for just that filled with hate- But he'd gotten too close to Harry for her liking. Hogwarts was meant to be safe. "Sirius!" She screamed again. The bushes near the every edge of the forest shook, and she shot a stunner from her wand without a second thought. Three rabbits darted from the shrubbery, and she sighed, slowing her self but continuing toward the wood where she suspected he'd ran off to.
"Sirius!" She called again. "Show your face! It is the very least you could do, you son of a bitch!" Her words echoed once more, and she started to feel exactly how poor of a choice coming out had been. But rage is a powerful motivator, so she pressed on. Another snapped twig, and again she shot a stunning hex in the direction of the noise- This time hearing a small whimper and the sound of something hitting the cold ground. She parted the overgrowth and saw she'd hit a large, black stray dog- One of the several that roamed the woods. She recognized right off the bat that this was the wrong breed to have been Sirius' animagus form, and felt horrible for hitting the innocent creature. She sighed and countered her hex, scratching the matted animal behind the ears.
"After the rabbits I scared, hmm boy?" She said as she watched him limp away. "Sorry! I thought you were someone else, I promise!" She called, knowing the animal could not understand her, but still she felt badly she'd hurt the poor creature. She sat down on a nearby log and sighed, looking up at the bright, starry sky.
"Any help here, really." She said out loud, mostly meaning to Lily. A single star shot across the sky in the direction of the castle. "Yeah, I know, I shouldn't be out here." She replied, as if her sister were right before her.
"Too right." A voice said behind her, causing Jasmine to leap up, her breath held tightly in her chest, wand drawn. Severus Snape stood behind her, his own wand drawn but not aimed at her, as hers was to him.
"What are you doing out here?" She ask bitterly. She looked the man over- She'd once knew him fairly well. He'd been their neighbor when she was quite young- The first magical friend either she or Lily had. He was the first to realize she, too, was a witch. Not just Lily. But it was a lifetime and several horrible choices ago- And she had never quiet gotten over his betrayal.
"I might ask the same of you, Mrs. Lupin." He replied coolly. "Don't you realize there are werewolves and murders in these woods?"
"I'm not afraid of Sirius Black." She spat. "And as for werewolves, I think we both know I have nothing to fear. You however..." She laughed. "If he's out of the house, I wouldn't get too close." She smiled back at him, and he scowled. "Why did you follow me, Severus?"
"There is something in your bloodline that causes you women the worst decisions- I had to make sure you didn't get yourself killed out here." He replied bitterly. "You really should be inside. Black is long gone by now. Even he would not be so stupid to stick around once the alarm was sounded. I could walk you in." He suggested.
"I can find it just fine, thanks." She said, snorting as she walked past him. "And do be careful, Professor. There are werewolves in the wood, after all." She called back as she heard a familiar howl break through the air. "How well do you trust your potions skills?" She turned and headed quickly for the castle, not caring at all for any reply Snape may have. She hated that snark in him, his bitterness. It had been so long ago that he personally killed his own goodness with poor choices of his own, it angered Jasmine he'd dare say a word about her or Lily. Especially to her face on the anniversary of her sister's death.
She came back to castle just a few short steps ahead of the Potions Master, who no doubt knew that it was no longer safe in the Forbidden Forest. He took toward the Headmaster's office, while she continued on the path toward the Great Hall. Once inside, she moved quietly along the edge of hall, taking care where she stepped as there were sleeping students lying all over in little clusters, all snug in sleeping bags.
"Jasmine!" Professor McGonagall scolded. "Where on Earth have you been?"
"Er- I don't understand, How can I possibly be in trouble?" She replied with a grin, but she could tell that the older witch was not amused. "I have been... Advised... By the Ministry... That there could be a target on my back as well, you know... Take the whole family out- So I thought..."
"How incredibly reckless!" McGonagall hissed quietly, but with such harshness that Jasmine flinched. "What about Harry?"
"Minerva please. I think I can take Sirius. He doesn't even have a wand..." She pointed out. McGonagall sighed and walked off, shaking her head. Jasmine grinned again. Somethings about Hogwarts would never change for her- including McGonagall's constant exasperation of her. It had only been an ongoing seven year theme for the two of them when she was a student- Jasmine had no clue why she expected it to be any different now- Even if she was married to one of McGonagall's all time favorite students.
Jasmine felt useless, sitting in the Great Hall, wide awake when all the students, and truth have it most of the staff, were dozing. She closed her eyes and thought back, to when she'd sit in the kitchen and listen to James and Sirius talking about all the various schemes they'd gotten away with in school- She knew they also met Remus in the mornings after his transformations- So Sirius knew about the Shack- but where else was there somewhere he could hide? Or use as a way in? She tried hard to remember back to the idle conversation- Hoping there was some clue... Then she remembered. Honeydukes. She broke off into a dead run for the staircase.
Sirius panted as he slid down the back alley wall, gasping really as he tried to regain his breath. He could hear someone calling- More like screeching his name in the distance- And then the howl of a wolf- this one only too familiar. He'd only just made it back out of the castle, and he knew the search would likely stay on the grounds rather than follow him through the underground to Hogsmade. He hoped he'd have a moment to regroup. The rags that hung from his body clung to him in the cold night air as he was covered with sweat from his rush to get out of the school- and he tugged at this as it would help him to breath.
The village all around him was quiet- As it always was at night. The younger children had done their trick-or-treating and were long since home in bed, the older ones all away at school. The stores in the village always closed up around eight o'clock or so- and the pubs around ten, so no one was out stirring. Once he was able to calmly breath without panting, he shifted once again, down into his canine form.
He'd never given much thought to the pack of wild dogs that had roamed around Hogwarts for years- But he was now very grateful they were here and he could easily blend himself in when he needed to- he only needed to keep his head low and let the others sniff him out before they paid him no mind. Quietly, he began padding down the alley to be in search of a safe place to weather the night out. There were so many things running through his mind- Like why Remus Lupin's howl was the one he swore he heard- He assumed he'd still know it, and it did sound the same. And who was the woman screaming after him? Her voice was not one he knew, but no one else was out searching after him in such a way, so he doubted she was with the school staff.
Sirius was also beside himself with fury- He'd been so close to getting in to the murderous bastard he could taste it. And yet, he was no closer now than he had been in prison. The dog wandered the streets and Sirius pondered the night. Then a light caught his attention- Someone moving on the opposite side of the street from where he was now ducked under an awning in front of a shop, crowded low in the shadows. A witch was moving slowly and cautiously along, shining the lit tip of her wand around as she moved through the sleepy little village. Sirius sniffed at the air- and suddenly, as if a load of brick had been dropped upon him, he understood. Jasmine Evans.
Of course, Sirius knew that people thought he was out for Harry, and possibly her, so naturally she would be looking for him first- it suited the Jasmine he knew, even as young as she was then, so how different could she be now- fiery and independent- if not a bit reckless. She carried on her though, someone else's scent- one that almost made him want to laugh- if not furthering his questions. For why that would carry over to him from her was yet a mystery.
He had no doubt in his mind she would know to be looking for him- and exactly what his animagus form looked like. But he could only make himself so small against the wall as a dog, and he could not disapperate. He had no choice but to hold still until-
A bright blue stunner slung him against the wall with a yelp. The wall behind him was stone, and the faint light of the full moon faded quickly as the black dog slumped down in a hair heap.
The light of the morning sun poured through the windows of the shack in such a way, that though it was difficult to see at first, but Sirius knew instantly where he was. He blinked heavily into the blinding morning glow pouring in the windows and cracks in the wall- What he was not so familiar with, however, was the wand at his throat. He attempted to push himself up from the dust of the old, rotting floor- But he quickly found himself bound. "Jasmine." He croaked, a dirty, crooked smile spreading across his dirt marred face.
"Don't move." She commanded, her voice shaking only slightly.
"Oh, Jazzy." He croaked, letting himself fall back down. "My, how you've grown."
"Shut up!" She demanded, reaimming her wand. "I could kill you right now, and they'd pay me for it." She spat, but Sirius could see through the red hair that had fallen her eyes, she didn't seem to put too much truth in her words. Her emotions swam openly there- It did not matter how strong she tried to seem.
"Yes," He said, rocking himself to sit up. "You could. And no one would blame you- In fact, they'd paint it beautifully. I can almost read it now, 'Younger Sister Avenges-' But Jasmine jabbed the tip of her wand under his chin, causing him to turn away only slightly, yet he laughed still.
"I said to shut up." She commanded again, through her teeth.
"Jazzy." He whispered. "Why haven't you killed me?"
"BECAUSE I NEED TO KNOW WHY!" She screamed in return. "I need to know and if they take you away I won't ever know."
"Where is Remus?" Sirius ask, unblinking.
"Why did you do it?" She repeated, calming herself. But Sirius sat, unmoved, in the floor.
"Shouldn't he be here?" He repeated, as if he was oblivious to her speaking at all. Jasmine snorted- unsure of herself. But she sat herself on the floor, wand unfaltering from her mark, but brought herself to be face to face with him, and she took a deep breath.
"Sirius. I need to know why you killed my family." She repeated calmly. Sirius' wild, stormy grey eyes searched her emerald green ones.
"I didn't." He whispered. "I mean, it's not my fault. We thought- I thought- I thought what I did would keep them safe."
"Then who?" She demanded.
"PETER!" He screamed, making her jump for a moment.
"You killed him, you insane son of a bitch!" She yelled back, more confused now more than ever.
"No." Sirius smiled. "I mean, I tried to. I wanted to. Still do." He replied, his voice perfectly still as if he'd not been excited at all only seconds before. "I plan to."
"He's dead, you bloody psycho." She mumbled.
"Nope." He replied casually. "Where is Remus?"
"The castle. Sirius. Focus. You killed Peter. Can you really not remember?" She doubted his sanity even more now, but something in here was fascinating her.
"The castle. With Harry." Sirius repeated.
"You don't get to talk about Harry." She snapped, grabbing his face with her free hand. "Explain yourself before I loose my patience." Sirius lost his glazed look and focused down at the witch before him.
"When we moved them into hiding, we knew someone was a spy. You were at school. I was secret keeper- We were sure it was Remus. Voldemort promised so much to the werewolves, it only made sense." Jasmine snorted angrily, but Sirius kept talking. "Peter convinced me that it would be better to switch- and You remember how he was- He always seemed so devoted. We just never knew to who. And," A tear slid down his face almost absentmindedly. "And I got there too late. And I am sorry." He blinked wildly, and shrugged his shoulder to clear any access emotion from his eyes.
"But they found his finger." She repeated.
"He cut it off, shot a killing curse at me and several witnessing muggles- And the rat scampered away..." He wiggled his fingers in the air to emphasize his story, looking even more insane now.
"Why should I believe you?" She questioned.
"Why'd you bring me here instead of turning me in?" He replied. "Jazzy, Jazzy, Jazzy." He shook his head. "And its... Lupin? Now?" He wondered. She cut her eyes.
"Can you prove it?" She demanded. "Can you prove these claims?"
"Potentially. Peter knows I'm after him, he's going to be hiding more. I ask that big orange kneazle to help me, you know- Cats and rats. No luck yet." He clicked his tongue against his teeth. Jasmine rocked back onto her feet from where she'd been sitting on them in the floor. She rose and paced a bit.
"Listen-"
"I know. You don't believe me." He said, shaking his head. "But I can prove it."
"I don't know-"
"Let me go, and if I don't have him by summer's end, I'll walk myself into the school and surrender. I swear, Jazzy. You can kill me personally if you'd like. Just give me until then."
"And tell Remus what?" She demanded. "He will know."
"Praetervolo." Sirius replied. "It cleanses odors away. James discovered it because some things make him feel so sick before the moon."
"If you're wrong..." Jasmine said, her wand pointed at the binding around his wrists. "I will kill you. Personally." She gave him no time at all before she left him, feet still bound, behind in the house.
"Heaven have mercy on poor Moony." He mumbled to himself, tugging at the binding on his ankles.
"Where have you been all morning?" Remus ask in his quiet, pained voice. Jasmine snuggled in close to Remus, who was lightly bandaged around the ribs and on one wrist.
"High alert." She replied lightly.
"Did you go looking for him?" Remus ask, a bit of anger behind his question.
"Of course." She grinned, burying her face in his shoulder.
"Jasmine." He said, a bit louder, making himself wince.
"Hmm?" She hummed, not peaking from her place.
"Please don't do that again. You can't keep doing things that could get you killed." He sounded so worried, upset. Jasmine sat up.
"What?" She questioned. He gently ran a hand down her cheek.
"I love you." He replied, his eyes fluttering shut in exhaustion. "Come on. Sleep." He gripped her close to him and it was not long at all before his still breathing turned to gentle snoring. Jasmine sighed. She was no good at keeping secrets from Remus, never had been. But this one, if true, would be a huge game changer. It would turn not only their world, but Harry's upside down. If Sirius was innocent, he'd have enough claim to get Harry away from her awful sister. She swallowed her guilt and shut her eyes tight, every fiber of her being hoping she'd made the right choice.
Well, I hope everyone is enjoying it so far. A little preview- Next chapter will be ALMOST exclusively flashbacks. Thanks for reading! Be sure to comment!
