Chapter 48: Imperius, Sirius

Off the residential street, the air was more alive with talking and passing cars. Calamity moved from the wall and weaved through the crowd, doing her best to keep her eyes low, but alert. The bar in question was a muggle spot a few blocks away in a cul-de-sac. It had the musty decor that fit the wizard aesthetics, but was just a bit too non-magic for anyone of good breeding to know about.

She spotted it down the street as an older muggle woman pushed the door open, letting the sounds of laughter and chatter fall out into the street. The cars didn't seem to turn down this way often, and there were only some bushes outside the pub, and some older worn down apartments and alleyways on either side. When she was just two feet away from the entrance she felt her feet stop. She tried to push forward, but her feet would not move. Apparently, Mad-eye had taken it onto himself to put some extra protection on it. Another muggle, this one a younger gentleman with sandy hair, paused next to her.

"Alright, then?"

"Oh, yes," Calamity said in an embarrassed tone. "Just... worried my old boyfriend will be in there. Gaining my strength."

"Good luck with that," chuckled the muggle. Then he entered the door with ease, letting the chatter and laughter escape again before the door cut it off once more.

Calamity heard the hiss of her name. Turning she found Sirius peaking from the bush cautiously. He nodded his head for her to come to him, then his head disappeared once again. When she made her way there, she found he was sitting in a small opening in the middle of the bushes, just big enough for an adult and a half. It was very snug. He was sitting on his knees, a dirty window above them providing the tiniest amount of light.

"What are you doing here," asked Sirius looking her over hurriedly. "You should be in 's your wound? Did Snape make it worse? I told them potions wasn't the same as healing."

"I was going to ask you the same thing," Calamity hissed back.

Sirius grinned guiltily, "My wound is fine and I wouldn't let Snape near me even if I were a breathe away from death."

"What are you doing out of the house," demanded Calamity.

Sirius looked moodily at the ground. "Needed a walk, but they've charmed the pub and I don't know the password." He looked up at her again hopefully. "Do you?"

"No," Calamity replied. "Even if I did, you really think it's wise for a wanted man to go strolling into a pub."

"I reckon the muggles wouldn't recognize the new and improved me."

"I reckon you're wrong,"Calamity smirked.

Sirius sighed and leaned his head back to peer up at the window above them.

"I feel useless," he muttered. "Everyone's gone on missions, gotten information for Dumbledore, taken Harry or delivered him to his hearing, and now he and his friends will go back to school in a week or two. All I've done is wait about the house." He made a disgusted face and added,"That horrible house."

"Sirius, you don't have to stay here," Calamity reminded him. "You can go somewhere else for hiding."

"I don't want to be hiding," Sirius said, looking around to make sure he hadn't been too loud. "I want to help."

"How?"

Sirius pouted.

"It won't do anyone good if your caught and given the kiss. You and I both know that's what Fudge would love to do- catch you and improve his image with all this talk of You-Know-Who returning. He'd love to be able to catch you, say you killed Cedric Diggory and take your soul. Then what will Harry do? He'll have no one."

"He'll have Moony and the whole order," Sirius muttered. "I should be out fighting."

"He won't have his Godfather who he loves very much. That's your job. Lily and James made you his Godfather to protect him in more ways than just fighting deatheaters."

Sirius was silent for a few moments, carefully considering this.

"Now I know how Prongs felt when he was in hiding," sighed Sirius moving from his knees to a crouching position.

"Like a git?"

"Probably not as much of a git as I am. Let's go back to headquarters."

"Good choice," Calamity said with a smile.

She kisses his cheek and began to make her way out of the bush when she felt Sirius grab her ankle and hiss, "wait."

There was a group of rowdy thirty-something muggles walking towards the pub, waving and play fighting with one another as they walked.

"They're just a group of boys," Calamity whispered.

Sirius shook his head and made a shushing gesture.

A few steps behind was an older man, almost unnoticeable next to the rowdy bunch. He walked at a regular pace, pushing his rounded glasses up his nose every few steps, before they would return down his nose again. Sirius gestured for them to go around the pub the other way. She followed him quietly, moving swiftly.

On the other side, they could see the man again, standing very still, a dazed look on his face. His glasses were sliding gently down his nose, but this time he didn't move to correct them. Calamity grabbed her wand from her pocket, a slight warmth to it. She looked around the scene and spotted him, just as he began to move slightly closer to the sidewalk- a figure in the nearby alleyway with his wand out and pointed at the dazed man.

"I can't hear him," Calamity said, watching closely as the man's lips moved.

"Extendable Ears," Sirius muttered. "Fred and George made them. Bloody useful."

Sirius was holding a long, flesh colored piece of string. One part was inserted in his ear, and the other was snaking onto the street and closer to the muggle. He listened carefully, brow furrowing more and more in concern.

"He seems to be alone, but I can't be sure, but he's giving the muggle instructions. It's like... I think he's used the Imperius Curse. He wants him to go into the pub and describe every person he sees, especially anyone sitting with..." Sirius listened intently, then his eyes widened. He whipped out his wand and hissed, "Stupefy!"

Calamity saw the figure in the alley fall back as the red light hit him. The muggle stood looking dazed for a moment before looking about as if he only just realized where he was. He checked his watch, pushed up his glasses, and hurried away as if late to something. The figure in the alley didn't move.

"Stay put," Calamity told Sirius, who opened his mouth as if he were about to protest, but she added, "cover me in case there are others."

He nodded, ducking low again, wand at the ready.

Calamity snuck around to the alley, sticking as low and close to the wall as her injury would allow her. In the alley she found the figure was a heavy set man in an emerald green cloak and mask. Calamity pulled the mask back. She didn't recognize him, but she tried to take note of the details to tell the Order later: small dull closed eyes under a short bristly haircut that fell low on his forehead, short, long gorilla arms, probably not too tall when standing. She pointed her wand at him, muttering "Incarcerous."

A rope wrapped around him as he mumbled to himself, coming out of his stupor.

"Rennervate," she muttered, bracing herself for what she knew would come next.

His lids flew open and he struggled, moving about like a worm in his rope. He kneed her right in the leg and she let out a hiss of pain before pointing her wand at him.

"Who are you," she demanded. "What do you want here?"

The man's small dull yes moved to her and narrowed. "Who are you? What right do you have to interfere with me here?"

Calamity narrowed her own eyes. "Using any unforgivable curse is against the law."

"So is stunning and tying up an innocent bystander."

"We heard you do the curse. Who sent you?"

The man's face pulled into a nasty grin. "I know you, you're Dumbledore's American. You'd do best to go back to your own country and mind your business."

"I'll ask you once more," Calamity said calmly pointing her wand right between the man's eyes. "Who sent you and what do you want here?"

"He's stronger than ever before," snarled the man. "Even the Boy Who Lived won't last long. He will destroy the boy and all who try to fight against the coming change."

"Stu-" Calamity began but her spell was cut short as the man wriggled again, this time using all his force to throw his elbow into her leg. She lost balance and toppled to the ground, her rope disappearing as her eyes watered with pain. There was a shot of purple and then red light from Sirius across the street, but the man grabbed his wand and with a final nasty look he disapparated.

Sirius rushed over, muttering a spell to help ease the pain in her thigh.

"Let's get back and write to Dumbledore," he said looking at the blood spot appearing on her leg. Sirius helped her up, wand still in his hand.

It was a slow walk back, which they did in silence, Sirius deep in thought and Calamity focusing all her energy on ignoring the pain in her leg. At the Order, they hurried inside and into the kitchen, where Sirius pulled a chair over for Calamity to put her leg on.

"You need your bag," he asked.

"No," Calamity muttered. "Just those bandages in the cabinet please."

He handed them to her and sat, watching as she wrapped her leg and explained what he had missed.

"Sounds like Goyle," said Sirius leaning back thoughtfully. "They must know that pub is where Order members go or at least some people friendly to Dumbledore. He told the muggle to look for Mad-Eye."

"They seem to know a lot more than us," Calamity said. "It's not a good start to a war."

"Dumbledore keeps saying we are on the defensive right now, but he is trying to get on the offensive side. He seems to think they don't know what they need to."

"And what's that?"

"Something about that note you brought back, but he's been tight lipped about it."

"Of course," Calamity rubbed her temples with her hands

"Calamity?"

"Yes?"

He smiled sheepishly across the table and for a moment he looked almost identical to the young man he had been in Hogwarts, trying to tell her he was sorry for being a git, even though he wasn't use to having to explain anything at all. She threw the extra bandage roll at him. "Just stop trying to kill yourself, eh? You're going to get me in trouble with the ministry, not to mention Moony."

A/N: Sorry for the long delay for chapter 47 & 48! I got a puppy named Padfoot who has been taking up all my time living up to his name. Don't forget to review!