SECOND TO GO- *TWO*
Sirius sat at Lupin's table, deep in conversation with a piece of plasticine.
"Err... no. I've never heard of Edea in my life.. she says she knows me... how odd!"
Lupin looked up from his chair by the fire, "That's one of the largest lies i've ever head coming out of your mouth."
"Yeah, so what do i say?"
"Just tell the poor kid you know her."
Sirius groaned.
"Why don't you want to?" Lupin moved closer, squishing the piece of plasticine beneath his hand.
"Moony.." Sirius frowned, "It'll only make him ask more questions. Right now he doesn't need more questions. I don't know why she's teaching anyway, you know she always swore never to become a teacher."
"I thought she was fully employed as an Auror of the ministry anyway."
"She is." Sirius held back a grin. "I saw her once, dragging in one of the Lestranges into the cell opposite me. She never even noticed i was there."
"Oh didn't she?" Remus asked with a glint in his eye.
"No." Sirius's jaw dropped. "Did she say something to you? She always wrote to you."
"She stopped for a few years. Disappeared into the land of muggles. I hear she made a good deal of money by singing in pubs and bars around the country." Remus got up and fished round in some drawers. "But yes, she always wrote, telling me what she was up to."
"Did she ever..."
"Ask after you? No. Last i heard she had some sort of living arrangement with Snape."
Sirius fell off his chair. "SNAPE?! WHY SNAPE?"
"He offered, it was just a convenience thing." Remus shugged. "Write to him, then we can take Arabella to Hogwarts with us."
"She okay?"
"Still in shock from seeing you grin at her." Remus grinned slightly. "Oh Padfoot, when will you learn."
"Do you think Harry remembers?" Sirius mused, whilt twirling his quill around his fingers.
"Who? Pah-fuuf and Dayah?"
"Uh huh." Sirius smiled, "He always could say Moony. Remember that? He used to scream it out when you and i walked in."
"My ears are still ringing."Remus commented dryly.
***
Harry woke up early the next morning. He'd awoken froma fabulous dream, Quidditch with his father and Sirius. He was actually quite sad that it had finished. Seeing that Ron was sleeping, he pulled on his robes and quietly slipped out of the dormitory and out of the portrait hole.
He headed down to Hagrid's hut, where a warm glow was coming from the windows. He was awake, probably feeding some new monstrosity he'd bred over the summer. Cautiously he opened the door.
"'Arry!" Hagrid beamed, "Good te see yeh."
"Hi Hagrid." Harry looked with interest at a small box on the table, "New creature?"
"Tha's none o' yeh business." Hagrid said a bit huffily. "If yeh must know, it's for Dumbledore."
"A baby three legged dog?"
"S'not a creature." Hagrid said in a hushed voice. "Well, not yet... Yeh want some tea?"
"Er, no thanks." Harry pulled his robes around him. "I just wanted to say hello."
"Ah, yeh get woken up by the light, eh?"
"Sometihng like that."
"I was up. Had teh fix Professor DuCruet's bike for her." Hagrid pointed at an oily cloth on the floor. "I'm not just good wi' creatures ya know, don' look so surprised!"
"She cycled to Hogwarts?" Harry said somewhat incredulously.
"NAh, not a bike, a motorbike." Hagrid suddenly realised he'd said too much and quickly changed the subject. "Hows yeh classes going?"
Harry wasn't falling for the diversion. "Why does she have a motorbike?"
"Left to her, old friend didn't need it no more." Hagrid started busying himself with the oversized teapot. "Yeh sure yeh don' want some tea?"
"Yeah, i should really get back, its breakfast in a minute, and Hermione will start worrying."
"Alrigh' I'll see yeh in my lesson." Hagrid waved as Harry sprinted up to the castle.
***
Harry had forgotten about the mysterious motorbike, he was too busy laughing as some joke Fred and George had pulled on Malfoy. At present, his hair was sprouting four leaved clover.
"You know, they're really going to get in trouble." Hermione said bossily.
"So? They enjoy it." Ron buttered some toast. "It keeps mum on her toes when she gets letters from Dumbledore."
"I still think its wrong. Even if it IS on Malfoy." Hermione mumbled, looking up as the daily owls flew in. Harry saw Hedwig soar down with a piece of parchment in his beak.
"Hey, Hedwig." Harry stroked her back as she helped herself to his juice. "Snuffles replied." He motioned to Hermione and Ron who moved closer to read the note. "Dear Harry, nice to hear from you. Hope Snape's not giving you too much trouble. I'm heading back to Hogwarts with Lupin and Arabella, so you might see us before Hedwig gets to you! In answer to your question, yes i do know Edea. It's a very long story which starts in Hogwarts and ends with Azkaban. Painful subject. Do me a favour and don't bring it up with her, she might lash out! See you in the very near future, Snuffles."
"Whoa." Hermione exclaimed. "He's turned all businesslike, thats so not like him."
"Maybe he just doesn't want to talk about it." Ron munched on a piece of toast. "But you can always ask Lupin, because if she knows Sirius, she's bound to know Lupin, right?"
"That's the general idea." Harry nodded, "I wonder what happened." He glanced up at the professors table where Edea was deep in conversation with Snape. She was gesturing with her hands and to be frank, Snape looked enraptured.
"I wonder if Snape has something to do with it." Ron said darkly.
"If he can get one over Sirius, of course he has." Hermione snorted. "Come on, we need to get to History of Magic, we're learning about Salem today."
"Excuse my apparent lack of enthusiasm, won't you." Harry rolled his eyes.
***
Lupin, Sirius and Arabella were talking to Dumbledore in his office.
"I'm glad they found you Arabella." Dumbledore smiled, "I have a matter of some importance to discuss with you."
"Of course. It has something to do with the Dark Lord?"
"Indeed it has." Dumbledore looked at Lupin and Sirius, "I'm sure you wish to see Harry, you may do so whilst i talk to Arabella, he has my permission to leave whatever lesson he may be in."
Sirius and Lupin nodded, heading out into the corridors, Sirius as his animagus form, trotting behind Lupin, they rounded a corner and 'BAM'. Lupin ran headfirst into someone. Sirius couldn't help laughing, which came out as a wheezing bark.
He stopped laughing when he saw who Remus was helping up. In fact, he whined nasally.
"OH. MY. GOD." Edea raised an eyebrow. "YOU!" She pointed at the dog, who wore an "Who, me?" expression. "Sirius!"
"Don't say it too loudly." Remus choked out, "And you call yourself an auror!"
"No, thats what the ministry calls me." Edea waved away the comment, "WHAT are you doing here?"
"GRRRRRRRRRRRR!" Sirius growled at her.
"Moony?"
"Business, had to talk to Dumbledore." Remus sighed. Looking from Sirius baring his teeth, to Edea, obviously not in the best of moods.
"Sirius, just be yourself." Edea rolled her eyes. "Please?"
Sirius transformed with a pop, leaning against the wall. "Hi." He said quietly.
"Going to see Harry?"
"That's the idea." Sirius nodded, the epitome of coolness.
"History of Magic." Edea stated, "He'll be pleased you came."
"I know." Sirius muttered. "Should have gone to see him earlier, just didn't have the time."
"Don't kill yourself about it, Padfoot." Remus shrugged, "I always hated History of Magic too."
"I should go." Edea looked down at her books in her arms. "Lessons and things."
"You dont think i know, but i know you think i dont know, and i do know it." Sirius suddenly blurted out.
"Uh?" Edea turned back, "English translation preferble, i don't speak Sirius-Gibberish."
"You used to." Sirus looked away. "I know about Snape."
Edea laughed. "I rent SPACE from him. okay? SPACE, i don't live there. YUCK. i had to drop my old stuff somewhere." She said as she walked off down the corridor, "Really, Sirius, what do you think i am?"
Sirius glared at Remus, "YOU TOLD ME SHE LIVED WITH THE GREASY...." He whispered harshely.
Remus threw up his hands, "Well it looked like that."
"I just made myself look like a prat!" He saw Remus's odd look and added, "MORE than usual."
"And you're suddenly worried about that?"
"YES."
"Oh, padfoot." Remus rolled his eyes as Sirius transformed back into the dog, and Remus opened the History of Magic classroom door. "Uh, professor Binns? I have permission from Professor Dumbledore to talk to Harry on some matters, may i?"
"And of course the actual witches did not seem to.... REMUS!" Professor Binns looked up from the students, "Of course, of course."
Harry got up smiling and dumped his books in his bag before closing the door behind him,
"HI guys!" He grinned, "Do we want to go somewhere..."
"The commonroom, i think." Lupin gestured to Harry to lead the way. Whilst Harry told them about the holidays and how Dudley had come worst of with some older bullies at his school. Sirius barked delightedly, running round them weavin round legs until they reached the portrait hole.
TBC
Sirius sat at Lupin's table, deep in conversation with a piece of plasticine.
"Err... no. I've never heard of Edea in my life.. she says she knows me... how odd!"
Lupin looked up from his chair by the fire, "That's one of the largest lies i've ever head coming out of your mouth."
"Yeah, so what do i say?"
"Just tell the poor kid you know her."
Sirius groaned.
"Why don't you want to?" Lupin moved closer, squishing the piece of plasticine beneath his hand.
"Moony.." Sirius frowned, "It'll only make him ask more questions. Right now he doesn't need more questions. I don't know why she's teaching anyway, you know she always swore never to become a teacher."
"I thought she was fully employed as an Auror of the ministry anyway."
"She is." Sirius held back a grin. "I saw her once, dragging in one of the Lestranges into the cell opposite me. She never even noticed i was there."
"Oh didn't she?" Remus asked with a glint in his eye.
"No." Sirius's jaw dropped. "Did she say something to you? She always wrote to you."
"She stopped for a few years. Disappeared into the land of muggles. I hear she made a good deal of money by singing in pubs and bars around the country." Remus got up and fished round in some drawers. "But yes, she always wrote, telling me what she was up to."
"Did she ever..."
"Ask after you? No. Last i heard she had some sort of living arrangement with Snape."
Sirius fell off his chair. "SNAPE?! WHY SNAPE?"
"He offered, it was just a convenience thing." Remus shugged. "Write to him, then we can take Arabella to Hogwarts with us."
"She okay?"
"Still in shock from seeing you grin at her." Remus grinned slightly. "Oh Padfoot, when will you learn."
"Do you think Harry remembers?" Sirius mused, whilt twirling his quill around his fingers.
"Who? Pah-fuuf and Dayah?"
"Uh huh." Sirius smiled, "He always could say Moony. Remember that? He used to scream it out when you and i walked in."
"My ears are still ringing."Remus commented dryly.
***
Harry woke up early the next morning. He'd awoken froma fabulous dream, Quidditch with his father and Sirius. He was actually quite sad that it had finished. Seeing that Ron was sleeping, he pulled on his robes and quietly slipped out of the dormitory and out of the portrait hole.
He headed down to Hagrid's hut, where a warm glow was coming from the windows. He was awake, probably feeding some new monstrosity he'd bred over the summer. Cautiously he opened the door.
"'Arry!" Hagrid beamed, "Good te see yeh."
"Hi Hagrid." Harry looked with interest at a small box on the table, "New creature?"
"Tha's none o' yeh business." Hagrid said a bit huffily. "If yeh must know, it's for Dumbledore."
"A baby three legged dog?"
"S'not a creature." Hagrid said in a hushed voice. "Well, not yet... Yeh want some tea?"
"Er, no thanks." Harry pulled his robes around him. "I just wanted to say hello."
"Ah, yeh get woken up by the light, eh?"
"Sometihng like that."
"I was up. Had teh fix Professor DuCruet's bike for her." Hagrid pointed at an oily cloth on the floor. "I'm not just good wi' creatures ya know, don' look so surprised!"
"She cycled to Hogwarts?" Harry said somewhat incredulously.
"NAh, not a bike, a motorbike." Hagrid suddenly realised he'd said too much and quickly changed the subject. "Hows yeh classes going?"
Harry wasn't falling for the diversion. "Why does she have a motorbike?"
"Left to her, old friend didn't need it no more." Hagrid started busying himself with the oversized teapot. "Yeh sure yeh don' want some tea?"
"Yeah, i should really get back, its breakfast in a minute, and Hermione will start worrying."
"Alrigh' I'll see yeh in my lesson." Hagrid waved as Harry sprinted up to the castle.
***
Harry had forgotten about the mysterious motorbike, he was too busy laughing as some joke Fred and George had pulled on Malfoy. At present, his hair was sprouting four leaved clover.
"You know, they're really going to get in trouble." Hermione said bossily.
"So? They enjoy it." Ron buttered some toast. "It keeps mum on her toes when she gets letters from Dumbledore."
"I still think its wrong. Even if it IS on Malfoy." Hermione mumbled, looking up as the daily owls flew in. Harry saw Hedwig soar down with a piece of parchment in his beak.
"Hey, Hedwig." Harry stroked her back as she helped herself to his juice. "Snuffles replied." He motioned to Hermione and Ron who moved closer to read the note. "Dear Harry, nice to hear from you. Hope Snape's not giving you too much trouble. I'm heading back to Hogwarts with Lupin and Arabella, so you might see us before Hedwig gets to you! In answer to your question, yes i do know Edea. It's a very long story which starts in Hogwarts and ends with Azkaban. Painful subject. Do me a favour and don't bring it up with her, she might lash out! See you in the very near future, Snuffles."
"Whoa." Hermione exclaimed. "He's turned all businesslike, thats so not like him."
"Maybe he just doesn't want to talk about it." Ron munched on a piece of toast. "But you can always ask Lupin, because if she knows Sirius, she's bound to know Lupin, right?"
"That's the general idea." Harry nodded, "I wonder what happened." He glanced up at the professors table where Edea was deep in conversation with Snape. She was gesturing with her hands and to be frank, Snape looked enraptured.
"I wonder if Snape has something to do with it." Ron said darkly.
"If he can get one over Sirius, of course he has." Hermione snorted. "Come on, we need to get to History of Magic, we're learning about Salem today."
"Excuse my apparent lack of enthusiasm, won't you." Harry rolled his eyes.
***
Lupin, Sirius and Arabella were talking to Dumbledore in his office.
"I'm glad they found you Arabella." Dumbledore smiled, "I have a matter of some importance to discuss with you."
"Of course. It has something to do with the Dark Lord?"
"Indeed it has." Dumbledore looked at Lupin and Sirius, "I'm sure you wish to see Harry, you may do so whilst i talk to Arabella, he has my permission to leave whatever lesson he may be in."
Sirius and Lupin nodded, heading out into the corridors, Sirius as his animagus form, trotting behind Lupin, they rounded a corner and 'BAM'. Lupin ran headfirst into someone. Sirius couldn't help laughing, which came out as a wheezing bark.
He stopped laughing when he saw who Remus was helping up. In fact, he whined nasally.
"OH. MY. GOD." Edea raised an eyebrow. "YOU!" She pointed at the dog, who wore an "Who, me?" expression. "Sirius!"
"Don't say it too loudly." Remus choked out, "And you call yourself an auror!"
"No, thats what the ministry calls me." Edea waved away the comment, "WHAT are you doing here?"
"GRRRRRRRRRRRR!" Sirius growled at her.
"Moony?"
"Business, had to talk to Dumbledore." Remus sighed. Looking from Sirius baring his teeth, to Edea, obviously not in the best of moods.
"Sirius, just be yourself." Edea rolled her eyes. "Please?"
Sirius transformed with a pop, leaning against the wall. "Hi." He said quietly.
"Going to see Harry?"
"That's the idea." Sirius nodded, the epitome of coolness.
"History of Magic." Edea stated, "He'll be pleased you came."
"I know." Sirius muttered. "Should have gone to see him earlier, just didn't have the time."
"Don't kill yourself about it, Padfoot." Remus shrugged, "I always hated History of Magic too."
"I should go." Edea looked down at her books in her arms. "Lessons and things."
"You dont think i know, but i know you think i dont know, and i do know it." Sirius suddenly blurted out.
"Uh?" Edea turned back, "English translation preferble, i don't speak Sirius-Gibberish."
"You used to." Sirus looked away. "I know about Snape."
Edea laughed. "I rent SPACE from him. okay? SPACE, i don't live there. YUCK. i had to drop my old stuff somewhere." She said as she walked off down the corridor, "Really, Sirius, what do you think i am?"
Sirius glared at Remus, "YOU TOLD ME SHE LIVED WITH THE GREASY...." He whispered harshely.
Remus threw up his hands, "Well it looked like that."
"I just made myself look like a prat!" He saw Remus's odd look and added, "MORE than usual."
"And you're suddenly worried about that?"
"YES."
"Oh, padfoot." Remus rolled his eyes as Sirius transformed back into the dog, and Remus opened the History of Magic classroom door. "Uh, professor Binns? I have permission from Professor Dumbledore to talk to Harry on some matters, may i?"
"And of course the actual witches did not seem to.... REMUS!" Professor Binns looked up from the students, "Of course, of course."
Harry got up smiling and dumped his books in his bag before closing the door behind him,
"HI guys!" He grinned, "Do we want to go somewhere..."
"The commonroom, i think." Lupin gestured to Harry to lead the way. Whilst Harry told them about the holidays and how Dudley had come worst of with some older bullies at his school. Sirius barked delightedly, running round them weavin round legs until they reached the portrait hole.
TBC