part sixteen
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hehehe no brace i have no brace.. ahh how sweet life is.
oil picture is finished its a cross between a werewolf and a hippogriff against a blood red sky, it'll be up on Liberi F. soonish, ie when its completely dry, if you want to see it, it'll be up around next saturday at http://www.geocities.com/jade_kenobi/ and will also be on Halutirius when i get that up and running.
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"What do you mean it wont let us get back to Hogsmeade??" Sirius shreiked incredulously, holding the old tattered newspaper portkey in his hand.

"They've blocked the whole surrounding are, nobody can use protkeys to places other than the ones thay the death eaters use." Remus said pensively, "Very clever of them."

"We're not here to congratulate those.... half-lifes on their brain capacity, we're here to get OUT of this place." Anna said forcefully to Remus, who looked particularly subdued after that comment.

"Oh just give them the middle finger." Edea snarked, sitting down against a tree.

"Yeah, that's really going to help you." Sirius rolled his eyes. "Why dont you go the whole way and throw them your wand too."

"Anti apparition wards too." Remus was testing the surroundings with various sparks flying out of his wand. "They've really thought this out."

"Lets people in, but not out, so you're lulled into a false sense of security." Edea nodded, "Wow."
****



Dumbledore's office was in silence, all that could be heard was the faint drumming of fingers upon wood, which came from Snape's corner and Fawkes ruffling his feathers.

The tension in the room could be cut with a knife, and was reaching snapping point. It took one more sigh from Harry to break it.

"I've HAD IT." Severus Snape suddenly stood up, and almost kicked the chair across the room. "I dont care what i am and am not supposed to do... i know the Malfoy Manor better than any of them..."

"Severus... please." Dumbledore stood up, looking at Snape with calm eyes. "This isn't the time."

"Damn your timing." Snape's eyes narrowed, "I have a debt to settle." And with that, he left the office and could be heard pounding down the stairs."

"What does he mean?" Harry looked up, "Is this still about my dad saving him from Remus?"

"No, no." Dumbledore said gentle, "This goes much much deeper."

"Do you really think...?" McGonagall was eyeing Harry beadily. "Headmaster.. i dont think you should be the one to tell him."

"I doubt Sirius would want to tell anyone. If Professors Snape and DuCruet have kept it quiet for such a while..."

"Will someone PLEASE tell me what is going on?" Harry said a bit louder than he intended.

"Harry..." Dumbledore began, taking no notice of Professor McGonagall. "I'm not entirely sure i should be telling you this, so i would like you not to spread this around..."
****



"You think we have a chance to just out-run the barriers?" Remus asked the group.

"Right now.. not likely." Sirius looked around, "We dont know the lands round here, they're out here looking for us.... Hell knows where they are right now."

"I'm surprised they havent found us here."

"Check the ground." Anna pointed down at some weird symbols in the earth.

"Protection and holy symbols." Edea murmured tracing one. "Weird,"

"Helpful." Remus shrugged. "Someone must have drawn these who knew about the manor, and the dementors..."

"And all the spells and counter charms.." Snape finished for him as he walked freely into the glade.

He was greeted by a handful of rather unfriendly, steely looks.

"What are you doing here?" Sirius spat. "I cant even get away from your stench when i'm running away in a really not good situation."

"What i am doing here." Snape said menacingly, "Is saving your prideful arse, lord knows why i'm even bothering..."

"Shut up." Anna shouted at them, "Both of you. This is no good. How do you even THINK we can get out of here when you are bickering between you about something that happened years ago that bears no significance to the situation?"

"She has a point." Remus mumbled. "I think you should let it slide, Sirius."

Sirius let out a groan, then shut up, and just glared at Snape instead.


"Death Eater approved Portkey." Snape said simply. "Take ahold, it leaves within the minute."

Reluctantly, everyone touched the mouldy newspaper clipping.
****



"Where the hell are we now?" Sirus picked himself up of a cold marble floor, trying to make out some surrounding in the dim chandelier light.

"Oh. No." Edea shook her head, "You right ba..."

Remus silenced her with a look, "Severus?"

"Welcome to Snape Manor." Snape said with the most Unwelcoming demeanor he possessed.

"Rather decadent isn't it." Anna said, looking at one of the statuettes in an alcove. "You have litle house elves running round in armies too?"

Snape didnt reply, he clicked his fingers and a small slightly pink-tinged house elf appeared. "Elf, i want you to turn off the anti-werewolf and animagus curses i have on this building."

"Yes, sir!" The elf squeaked, curtseying to her master, "Would Sirs and Ladies like refreshments?"

"Later, have them ready in the drawing room." Snape said, taking of his travelling cloak and hanging it inside a cupboard hidden in the stone walls.

"As much as i hate saying this..." He started. "I'm probably doing better by showing you around first." He stared pointedly at Sirius- "If you dare touch the wines in my cellar..."

"I know i know." Sirius rolled his eyes. "Infinite hexes, castration, the usual."

"I need a drink." Edea said firmly, and stomped off in the direction of the kitchens.

"is she always like that?" Anna asked curiously watching the retreating figure.

"Mostly." Remus shrugged, "Not normally as stressy."

Sirius glared at the group before trudging off after Snape, up the stairs and round the corner,

"This is where you will stay, until i have clear orders from Dumbledore that you can return to Hogwarts." He gestured to a lavish room, fire blazing away in a corner fireplace.

Edea sauntered in after them, holding a glass of red wine in her hand. "Oh, this place."

"You've stayed here before?" Remus asked, already knowing the answer. "Oh.. of course."

"Severus, what's all this noise?" An elderly woman with a hooked nose and yellowing teeth had walked in, a sneering young boy following her. "Lucifer was trying to sleep."

"Mother..." Snape put on a forced smile. "How lovely to see you again.. these are.. er..."

"We're his best friends." Sirius suddenly grinned, seeing the potential for mischief.

"Oh really." Mrs. Snape the Elder grimaced at him. "i was unaware that my son cohorted with mass murderers."

"Isn't the world strange!" Sirius said with a mock thoughtful expression. "I can see who ol' Sevvy has inherited his utterly stunning looks from."

Snape shot Sirius a deathly look.

"What are you doing in my home?" The young boy said arrogantly to Sirius, "Daddy, what is HE doing here."

Sirius looked confused for a second, then it hit him... "Daddy didn't tell you then?"

"Sirius, leave it." Remus hissed.

"You will curb your tongue young man." Edea said stonily at her child. "I dont seem to remember such a loud arrogant mouth on my son when i last visited."

"You should have stayed away." Mrs.Snape narrowed her eyes. "Stirring trouble."

Sirius, meanwhile had crouched down to look at the boy, whilst everyone else was watching the growing catfight between Snape's mother and Edea.

"You like Quidditch?" Sirius asked tentatively.

"Yeah!" The boy's eyes lit up, "Daddy doesnt want me to play, he says i should devote my time to studies and stuff, but i've got some books under my bed..."

"What team?"

"Royston Ravens sound pretty cool."

Sirius nodded, "They slaughtered the Cambridge Calyphers three hundred to sixty five."

"Daddy told me about you." The boy looked down apprehensively, "He said you took mummy away."

"I would have had a bit of a problem doing that," Sirius smiled weakly, "I was in er... in prison."

"Daddy said you were with Mum before. And you lived with the werewolf."

"His name's Remus, try to call him that, its not his fault." Sirius whispered. "Tell you what, i have an idea."

The boy's eyes twinkled, making Sirius grin slightly.

"Holidays, before you go to Hogwarts, come over to stay... when we like.. have a house. I can tell you all the stuff me and your mum and my old friends did to your dad when we were at school."

"I dont think Daddy would want..."

"I dont care what your Daddy wants. Your mum loves you, remember that, okay?"

"I know."

Meanwhile the two women were escalating to volumes nobody would have dreamed of.

"YEAH? WELL WHY DONT YOU GO BACK TO THAT... THAT...."

"COME ON... SPIT IT OUT!" Edea shrieked, throwing Remus off her arm, who was trying to restrain her.

"YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING LITTLE SWINDLER... I SAW YOU FOR WHAT YOU WERE...."

"STOP IT... NOOOOOOW!" Snape shouted, silencing the commotion, Edea snarled at him and before he had a chance to stop her, she disapparated from the room. Sirius looked up, scowled at Snape and disapparated after her. It was obvious where she had gone.
****



Harry was playing a strained game of chess with Seamus when a flustered Hermione came in, desparately straightening her robes, she said nothing but hurried up to her dorm. Harry shrugged, maybe she had just been told she'd got less than eight out of ten on a homework or something.

Seamus had just check mated his king when Ron burst through the potrait hole, also looking slightly worse for wear, leaving a merry Seamus to congratulate his chess pieces, Harry followed Ron up to their dorm.

"Ron?" Harry asked, as Ron flumped down on his bed.

"Hermione." Ron said, grinning. "Astronomy tower."

Harry let out a laugh. "You didn't!"

"We did."

"RON!" Harry smiled for the first time in days, just seeing Ron look like that, was so funny... He HAD to tell Sirius, when he got back.

TBC

sorry it took so long, i was grinning to much to think about writing. but i wrote anyway.