Requiescat in pace, Alan Rickman.

Chapter 15

August 15th,1990-The Burrow, Ottery St Catchpole, Devon, England

"George Weasley, get back here!"

"Fred, I'm going to strangle you!"

The Twins cackled with delight as they ran away from Lee and Patricia, who were both covered in singed feathers. Bill gave them a passing glace as they ran, molting, through the kitchen and then went back to the forms that were scattered all over the table. Albert Greene blinked.

"Does that happen a lot?"

"Hmm?" Bill asked. "Only when all four of them are here. Usually it's just explosions."

"Oh." Albert looked at the form Bill was working on. "You'll want to put Professor McGonagall's name on that one. I'm not the best reference with wizards."

"Alright."

Lee and Patricia collapsed under the tree that Fred and George had climbed up. The ground around them was covered with the feathers that had grown on them when the potion they had been working on exploded. Patricia wasn't sure how that had happened; they had checked everything over before they started and gotten Mr. Black to make totally sure that everything was safe.

Lee coughed. "Let's never do that again."

"Agreed."

Fred looked down over the edge of a branch. "Is it safe to come down?"

"Maybe," Patricia yelled up to him. Fred and George took that as a 'yes' and climbed quickly to the ground, dropping to sit either side of their friends.

"I can't believe summer is almost over," George groaned. "School starts in two weeks!"

"At least we're done our homework," Fred pointed out.

"You're welcome." Patricia smiled.

"Ravenclaw," the boys muttered.

They sat under the tree until Mrs. Weasley called everyone for lunch. Charlie and Ron came tromping in after the rest of them. They had been out flying and Mrs. Weasley yelled at them for getting dirt from the broom shed all over the floor.

The meal was one tick away from complete chaos like all meals at the Burrow were, but they got though it without any major mishaps. After lunch the soon-to-be-second years were clearing the table when Benvolio, Patricia's snowy owl, flew in through the open window. He landed on the chair in front of Patricia and handed her the paper he held clamped in his beak.

"How did you manage to hold on to that?" Patricia asked as she took the paper from him. Benvolio hooted. Patricia unfolded the paper and read the short note in Remus's handwriting:

Taking Sirius to St. Mungo's. Stay at the Burrow if I don't pick you up. –Remus

"What is it, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked, seeing the frown on the girl's face.

"Uncle Remus had to take Mr. Black to the hospital," Patricia told her. "He wants me to stay here if he doesn't get to pick me up. Is that alright?"

"Yes, Patricia, that's fine." Merlin knows if the house would be standing. "You can sleep in Ginny's room if you have to stay overnight."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley. Hopefully that won't be needed." It was. Four o'clock came and went, and though Lee's dad came to pick him up Remus was nowhere to be seen. Mr. Greene had left a long time ago. Patricia was settled into the unexplainable extra bed in Ginny's room by eight. The nine-year-old looked at her over the top of her book.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Patricia sniffed, trying to stop the tears that were threatening to fall. "I'm just worried." She had sent Benvolio off after he'd had a bit of a rest with a letter asking Remus what had happened. A letter that the owl had returned with. Mr. Weasley had said that they wouldn't allow owls into Saint Mungo's unless there was a life-threatening situation, but she was still afraid that something bad had happened to Remus and Mr. Black.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Ginny said. "Do you mind if I turn the light off?"

"Go ahead." The room was plunged into darkness. Patricia pulled the quilt up to her chin and stared at a crack in the ceiling until she fell into a fitful sleep.

August 16th,1990 (Early morning)- St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries First Floor - Creature-Induced Injuries, London, England

"You can't say that's a terrible idea, Moony."

"I can't, but this isn't the time or the place, Sirius. You were bleeding out three hours ago."

"So?"

"You're an idiot."

"No I'm not, I'm Sirius."

"Then you're a serious idiot. Look, there's a healer. Do you want me to ask him if I can put a silencing spell on you?"

"…no."

"Then we can wait to talk about this with everyone involved."

August 17th, 1990- Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, London, England

Sirius picked at his bacon and eggs to stop himself from scratching his arm. The Healers at Saint Mungo's had finally figured out what combination of potions to use to flush the poison out of the bite and were able to steal the wound, but it still itched like crazy. They said that the itching would stop in a few days, but in the meantime he was stuck trying not to scratch and cursing doxy-spider-who-knows-what-the-hell-else hybrids with every other breath.

Shouts of "HALF-BREED FILTH! CREATURES AND TRAITORS BEFILING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS! BLOOD TRAITORS BESMIRCHING OUR GOOD NAME!" from the painting of Walburga Black made it clear that Remus was back, and he'd brought Patricia with him. Sirius wondered for a moment if he should go help them wrestle the curtains back over the painting when the screeching stopped and several sets of feet began making their way to the kitchen.

"Thank you so much for your help, Padfoot," Remus said dryly.

"You took care of it," Sirius pointed out. He looked behind his friend. "And who are these lovely ladies?" Patricia rolled her eyes.

"You're right, Uncle Remus. He's fine."

Bathsheda cautiously followed the other two into the kitchen. Remus and Patricia had both assured her that Sirius Black wasn't dangerous, no more than he'd been in school anyway, but Patricia was a child and Remus Lupin was Remus Lupin. He and his friends didn't seem to know what the word meant.

"Have you eaten yet?" Sirius got up from the table and went over to the pan keeping warm on the stove. Patricia shook her head and he dished up plates for them.

Patricia diligently ate her breakfast and listened with one ear to the conversation that the adults were having. She tried to yawn while swallowing a sip of tea and drew their attention through the resulting frenzied coughing. "I'm fine!" Bathsheda handed the girl her handkerchief and Patricia dabbed at her eyes. "I vote yes."

Remus blinked. "Are you sure?"

"Were you really listening?" Bathsheda asked. Patricia nodded.

"And I've read enough, professor. Lots of people at school kept asking me why I wasn't dead, so I looked some things up." Actually, she looked a lot of things up. She had turned into Madame Pince's favourite student because she took out so many books and still managed to return them in perfect condition.

"I don't want to move to Greece or Bulgaria. England, the Nest, is home. So yes, I'm sure, Uncle Remus." Remus nodded slowly. Sirius patted him on the back.

"Don't worry, Moony, no one's going to be leaving anywhere. I'll get the paperwork started, and finished, tonight. Don't tell anyone."

"Of course not!" Bathsheda exclaimed, giving Patricia a hug. "Merlin help us if the Malfoys get wind of this."

There was a cough and they all turned to see the house-elf standing in the doorway. Sirius opened his mouth but ended up completely speechless when he realized that he was smiling.

"Kreacher is proud of his master," the elf said in his deep voice. "Master is finally acting like a proper Black!"