Chapter 63

Voices in the Dark

"Remus is late! Remus is never late, the world is going to end! I haven't even been able to come of age yet!" James banged his head on the table.

"Stop being so dramatic, James. Mum refused to let Dad apparate me so we came the normal way even though we had planned on being able to apparate, therefore we're late."

"Oh, so it's your mom's fault?"

"No it's Dad's, he didn't mention it ahead of time."

"It seems like it usually is your dad's fault."

"He doesn't really think things through very often. Kinda like, Sirius"

"Hey now. I wouldn't wait thirteen years before telling my wife I'm a wizard."

"Fifteen, and the only reason you wouldn't is because you couldn't stand to not use magic for that long."

"And because I'm not that stupid."

"My dad isn't stupid. He just doesn't think ahead."

"He really doesn't sound anything like you."

"I'm more like my mum."

"I can tell. Where is your dad anyway?"

"He wanted to go look at pets. He's wanted a cat for a long time, but we can't afford it. So he just plays with them."

"And the fact that it would hate you right."

"Ya, that too."

"Maybe that's why your owl glares at you all the time." Sirius offered having heard about it from James.

"No Romulus glares at everyone."

"Oh."

"Do we want some food?" James asked, mostly Peter and Remus already knowing Sirius' answer.

"I'm not hungry." Remus said while Peter said yes.

"Okay food for everyone I'll be back."

Remus rolled his eyes, he knew James wouldn't let him get buy without eating. The truth was he didn't have the money, but he knew James wouldn't have let him pay even if he did.

Sirius stood up and walked around the table to Remus. Before Remus could say anything Sirius pushed back his hair and examined a new scar.

"How did you see that from over there?" Remus asked trying not to blush.

"I have good eyesight. Did your dad clean this?" He asked.

"No my mum did."

"She's really good for a muggle."

"She went to nursing school."

"What's that?"

"Healing."

"Oh, is she a healer?"

"No, after I was born she decided she didn't want to work and my Dad's job was good enough that she didn't have to."

Sirius let go of Remus' hair and sat down beside him.

"What does your dad do?"

"Well before he met my mum he was a public speaker for a group I'd really rather not talk about. Now he's a journalist for a muggle newspaper."

"Do they make a lot of money?"

"Not really, we are just used to not having a whole lot, so we don't need a whole lot."

"Ya, it's probably worth it to have your mom at home." Sirius wasn't looking at Remus anymore.

"Does your mother work?"

"Unfortunately no. It would be nice to have her out of the house more often."

Remus didn't have a response for this, thankfully James came back with the food so the subject changed to food.

After that they went shopping. James bought Remus something from almost every store. Naturally there was nothing Remus wanted from the Quidditch shop but he made up for not spending anything on him there by buying him a lot of sweets at the candy shop. Remus tried to refuse to take it but when they left the shop he somehow found it in his pocket.

Halfway though the day James started buying things for Sirius too, as Sirius for some reason wasn't buying anything. He said he had the money but just didn't want to be caught with it, and since none of them could tell if he was lying James compromised. He bought him stuff, but he bought him little things that would easily be hidden. Sirius didn't seem to like this but he didn't complain as much as Remus did.

They ended up getting kicked out of four different stores because they were playing around with the merchandise and Remus made them swear they would never tell his dad.

By dinner time they were having so much fun that Remus' dad didn't even recognize Remus when they passed each other in a store.

They ate dinner with Mr. Lupin at an ice cream shop. Remus was quite hyper after the dessert, though that wasn't surprising. He had a very low sugar tolerance.

"Moony? What are you singing?"

"I don't know." Remus giggled. Sirius shook his head.

"At least sing something we all know the words of."

"But where's the fun in that?"

"Where indeed."

Remus' dad was watching his son with an surprised look on his face. He'd never seen Remus act like this, he was glad, but it was strange. Remus was always so reserved, has been his entire life. These boys could bring out a side of him his parents didn't even know he had.

"Where haven't we been yet?"

"To the sun!" Remus said pointing up.

"Moony, if you want to go to the sun be my guest. I though would steer clear of it. It would destroy my completion." James said. Remus started laughing so hard that he fell out of his chair.

"I swear we didn't drug him, Mr. Lupin."

"I am starting to wonder."

"He gets like this every once in a while, I knew we shouldn't have let him have fudge ice cream." James said, shaking his head.

"I think it's funny." Sirius was peaking under the table watching Remus.

"What's worse is that he thinks he's the mature one." James gave Sirius a smirk

"No, what's worse is that he is the mature one."

They both laughed at Sirius' comment. Remus finally managed to sit back up, still chuckling. He laid his head on the table and put his arms around his head to hide his chuckles.

"I'm serious, guys, where should we go next?" James asked talking more to Sirius than anyone else.

"No you're not, he is." Remus said pointing at Sirius. Sirius gave him a glare that made even sugar high Remus shut up.

"Don't make me give you a new scar, Remus"

They all looked at him, it wasn't often he used Remus' actual name, and even less often he threatened him. James and Peter he threatened all the time, but not Remus.

"Sorry, won't happen again. I promise." (A/N and so do I A/N) Remus knew he deserved that, that joke was almost worthy of getting him kicked out of the Marauders, another one like that and he had a feeling they might just be willing to do it.

"It better not."

"Wellllllllll," James said trying to break the mood "Let's go to the Caldron Top, I want to get some ingredients." James stood, not taking no for an answer.

"Do you mind if I meet you there? There's somewhere I have to go." Sirius asked dropping the subject so they all could just forget it.

"We can go with you. That's kinda what we're here for." James said a little confused.

"No it's okay." Sirius turned to half sit on the table so that Remus couldn't see his face and gave James a look that said 'just go with it.'

James got it. "Okay, if you're sure. You won't take too long will you?"

"Nah, just have to pick something up that's all." Sirius turned and ran off.

"Where's he going?" Remus asked.

"I'm not sure, but where ever it is I'm sure it's not somewhere we need to be."

"Should he really be going alone? I mean with what's been going on?"

"Nothing is going to happen in Diagon Ally, it's probably one of the safest spots in Britten, other than Hogwarts, St. Mungo's and the Ministry of Magic."

"Oh."

"What's been going on?" Mr. Lupin asked.

"There's this guy who's started attacking people, for no real reason at all. Mostly muggles and muggleborns but usually not in public." Remus answered.

"I don't get it, they really aren't all that different than us, not really." James said as they started to walk towards the potion shop.

"You really don't have anything to worry about, Mr. Lupin. The chances of being attacked are slim to none." Peter added noticing his worried look.

"Right, and there's even less reason to worry about Sirius." James reminded Remus.

"I know, I know."

SBSBSBSBSBSBSBSB

Sirius ignored the people around him, if you could even call them people. They looked like the undead. It wasn't the first time Sirius had been in Knockturn Ally so he was able to push past without too much trouble. Blacks never had a problem here, no matter who they were.

He walked farther than most people were willing to go, the farther you got from Diagon Ally the worse the people, and the shops, were. It didn't take long before he got far enough that there were dead bodies just lying around. The people around here were crazy and violent, you didn't last long being around them, unless you were a Black.

By the time he got to where he needed to go he was in the part he liked to label as Not-Even-Malfoy-Safe.

He walked into a store, normally stores in this area were for murderers or assassins or just plain maniacs. This store not so much, the only reason it was in here was because it was the best place to keep from getting caught by the Ministry of Magic. This store sold thousands of illegal or extremely rare items. Chances are they're stolen but some of them are bought as you can sell items to the shopkeepers. The merchandise ranged from illegal dark objects to torture devices to jinxed muggle objects. You would walk though the store and one side would be muggle pens that turn into goo when written with and the other side would be poisoned iron maidens. It was a very diverse store.

It was the only store that Sirius could find that would sell books on becoming an animegi, and all the ingredients needed for the potions, to underage wizards and actually had the original Ministry approved books (obviously stolen as the ministry reclaims all books when no longer being used so no one can sell it like this.) Sirius really didn't care how they got it, but he wanted it and was willing to pay for it. His parents would never even notice the large sum of money disappearing.

"Ah, a young Mr. Black. Welcome can I help you?"

"Why do you bother selling the little stuff? Anyone willing to come this far isn't looking for melting pens."

"Anyone who comes this far already knows what they're looking for, so Mr. Black what are you looking for?" The owner ignored the question and turned it back to him.

"I'm the one that sent you the letter three days ago."

"Ah yes, the animegi materials. I don't know why someone your age wants it and frankly I don't care but it you have the money I've got the merchandise."

"If I've got the money? Do you know who I am?"

"Of course Mr. Black, but I also know that you are twelve and not exactly in your families good graces if you know what I mean."

Sirius glared at him.

"You have overstepped your bounds do not think that I will not hurt you just because I am not the vile creatures they are."

The man looked a little scared. "Of course. I will bring it right out."

Sirius wondered what that would have looked like to others. A twelve year old boy intimidating a middle aged criminal; it must have been a sight to behold.

The man came out quickly and Sirius payed for his items, refusing to pay the full amount due to the hassle the man gave him. He didn't argue, having already been put in his place.

As soon as Sirius walked out the door he shrunk the items and stuffed him in his pocket with the things James had bought for him and looked around him. The ally was dark with the shadows of the buildings surrounding him.

"You are rather manipulative for a Gryffindor." Sirius heard a voice from behind him.

"That skill could be quite useful to me."