The evening was drawing to a close when Perseus the owl winged his way into Arcanus Black's study. Sirius' father eagerly took the missive the bird bore in his talons, happy to hear back from his friend. He unrolled the parchment and frowned. Instead of a cordial letter of friendship was scrawled the words:

Will come tomorrow. I beg of you to keep your silence until then. -- Lupin

Arcanus frowned, unsure of what to make of the hastily scribbled message. It didn't sound like Cliff at all. He continued to mull over the puzzle as he wandered down towards the kitchen of Black Castle. Arcanus had never had house-elves. He didn't hold with the idea of enslaving magical creatures, so he'd always employed wizarding folk in his household for an honest wage, as had his father before him.

When he entered the kitchen, a slight, spry older woman was demonstrating the skills of bread-making to one of her two assistants. The two women turned around when the master of the house entered their kitchen.

"Mister Black, sir!" the older woman exclaimed, "I dinna realize ye'd be down this evening. Somethin' I can do fer ye, sir?"

Arcanus raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Maggie, I need to speak to you for a moment."

"Certainly, sir. Run along now, Rose, and go see tae the fire in the Master's room while he's down 'ere."

The young woman nodded. "Yes, mum. Good evening, sir." Arcanus smiled at her, and she hurried from the kitchen.

"Maggie MacKenzie, you haven't called me "Mister Black" or "sir" since I was a lad. What's gotten into you?" he teased.

Maggie snorted indelicately. "Well, I 'ave tae set a good example for the help, Arcanus. What's on yer mind tonight, laddie?"

Arcanus grinned fondly at the woman who'd had a significant hand in raising him, then saved him from himself when his young wife had passed on. "I've got a guest coming tomorrow, Maggie, an old friend from school. Can you throw together a tea and supper for us?"

Maggie drew herself up in a great show of indignation. "Tomorrow!" she squawked, "What d'ye mean, comin' down 'ere on sech short notice? D'ye think I'm a witch, 'er somethin', then?" She winked outrageously at her employer. "Aye, lad, I'll see to it that you and yer friend are well taken- care-of. Is it someone I know, then? I might be able to throw together a favorite dish for the two of ye."

"Aye, Maggie, it's Cliff Lupin. Remember him?"

"Ah, yes, that delightful little Welsh boy. So glad yer gettin' together with him again. As I recall, he's terribly fond of my Beef Wellington and plum puddings. Ye'll have a proper feast, so ye will. Wha's prompted this, then, Arcanus?"

Arcanus sighed. "Nothing untoward, I hope. Sirius and I ran into Cliff's son at King's Cross today. Seems like a nice lad; I think he and Sirius are going to get on famously at Hogwarts. But the lad's mother...well, she treated her son terribly. I know Cliff, or at least, I did. He's a good man, and I can't believe he's aware of how his son's being treated. I feel for the lad, and I want to make sure he's properly cared for."

Maggie's face took on a grave aspect. "Be careful, Arcanus," she warned. "There were a lot of rumors bandied about in my day about tha' family. Ye know the name of their estate?"

"Hmmm, yes. Castle Blaidd Lloches, if I recall."

"Aye, lad. Ye know wha' it means?"

"No, I don't speak Welsh."

"Well, I do. Enough of it, at least, tae know what that means. Blaidd lloches means "wolf's refuge." The woods around the estate are rumored to be inhabited by werewolves. The old lords always had a truce with the packs, but I heard that ended with Cliff's father. I dinna know if that has any bearing on the boy's situation, but 'tis somethin' ye'd best be on yer guard about."

Arcanus nodded. "I will, Maggie. Thank you for the information."

Maggie shot a shrewd look at Arcanus. "Will ye share a cup o' tea with me, lad? I'd wager we're both a little lonelier tonight now that young Sirius is off tae Hogwarts."

Arcanus smiled ruefully. "Am I that obvious?"

"Ah, laddie, he's yer son. I know wha' it's like tae send yer firstborn off tae Hogwarts."

"Thank you, Maggie. It'd be a kindness."

Maggie pinched his cheek affectionately with her wizened fingers. "Tis never a burden fer me tae spend time with you, Arcanus. Ye know I love ye like one of me own."

Arcanus chuckled and rose to his feet, seizing the startled woman in a bear hug. "Ah, Maggie, you make my heart light. And I hope you know I love you like my own mother, rest her soul."

Maggie tousled his hair. "Aye, laddie, I know. Now put me down, ye great lummox, and I'll get the tea."

Arcanus laughed outright. "Yes, ma'am."

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Sirius wasn't sure why he was awake. He was lying burrowed under snuggly warm blankets in a delightfully soft bed, and around him, only the soft sounds of his classmates' breathing broke the stillness that shrouded Gryffindor tower. By rights, he ought to be unconscious, especially after such an exciting day. He lay still for another moment, his senses stretching out, seeking whatever it was that had roused him. It was so slight that he almost missed it. But there it was again, a slight hitch in breathing coming from the bed next to his.

Remus.

The hitch morphed into a strangled sob.

Sirius scrambled out of bed as quietly as he could and tiptoed across the intervening space. He silently lifted one edge of the drapes enclosing Remus' bed. What he saw then made his concern for his new friend skyrocket. Remus was hunched against the heavy wooden headboard, shivering uncontrollably. He had the corner of his pillow stuffed into his mouth to muffle the convulsive sobs that wracked his slender frame.

Without a second thought, Sirius clambered into his friend's bed and crawled up until he could reach the other boy.

"Remus?" Sirius whispered as he placed a tentative hand on Remus' shoulder.

Remus' response was immediate and electric. His eyes tightly shut against the river of tears pouring down his cheeks, he hadn't detected Sirius' approach. As soon as Sirius' hand made contact with his bony shoulder, he yelped around the pillow and shot to the other end of the bed, his eyes wild and frightened.

Sirius turned worried blue eyes on his friend. "It's alright, Remus," he crooned soothingly, using much the same tones as he would with a half-wild, frightened pony on his father's Highland estate. "It's only me, Sirius. Remember? Your friend?"

Slowly, the remnants of the night terror cleared from Remus' golden eyes, and he came out from behind the pillow, still uncertain as to whom he could trust.

Sirius extended a hand. "I bet you've had a bit of a nightmare, eh?" he asked gently. "That happens to me, too. My da always stays with me 'til I fall asleep again, and it makes me feel better to have him there. Would you like me to stay with you for a bit?"

Remus looked heartbreakingly vulnerable as he hesitated, then finally decided that any port in a storm would be welcome. Eyes lowered in embarrassment, he returned to the head of the bed and crawled into Sirius' proffered embrace.

Sirius swallowed hard. Remus was still shaking, and his muscles were drawn tight as bowstrings. Whatever fright had plagued his new friend this night was deadly serious. Sirius wiggled the two of them around until they were under Remus' blankets, himself seated up against the headboard, and Remus clutching desperately to his pajama-covered chest.

Sirius rubbed Remus' shoulders and back, murmuring nonsense into his ear and trying to relax him. It was some minutes before Remus' trembling eased, and his breathing evened out. His muscles lost their tension all at once, and Remus collapsed limply against his new friend. By this time, Sirius was well and truly worried for his friend's well being.

"Remus?" he whispered. "Are you okay now, or should I go for Evan or Professor McGonagall?"

Remus tipped his face up towards his friend and shook his head quickly. "No," he replied hoarsely. "I'm okay now. Sometimes it takes awhile. Better with you here, though."

Sirius' fingers tightened spasmodically on his friend's shoulders. "Sometimes??" The young Scot was incredulous. "This happens often?" Suddenly angry, Sirius silently dared Remus' nightmares to go a round or two with him. They wouldn't stand a chance against him in his current state.

Remus flushed and refused to meet Sirius' eyes, sure that the other boy thought him a sissy for being so affected by his nightmares. "Yeah," Remus mumbled, "it happens every few nights. I can deal with it."

Sirius' sapphire eyes flashed. "Not if I have anything to say about it," he breathed savagely. "My da always says that it helps to have someone around to fight off the bad dreams. So I'm staying right here, and you won't have to deal with it alone," he whispered stubbornly. To back up his words, he slid down until he was firmly ensconced in Remus' bed, his eyes daring the boy currently using his chest as a pillow to send him away now.

Remus smiled tremulously at Sirius' expression. "Okay, you twisted my arm," he teased weakly. "Sirius?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

Sirius smiled. "Anytime. What are friends for? Now go to sleep. We've got classes in the morning."

"Yes, Mother."

"Prat."

Remus giggled, then snuggled against his friend and surrendered to a slumber that was filled with only happy dreams.

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It was some hours later, but still dark, when Remus' preternaturally keen senses prodded him awake with an uncomfortable feeling that he was being watched.

And he was. There was a translucent, white... thing sitting in mid-air, holding a bed pillow and leering down at him wickedly. Remus' first reaction was to squeak and dive under the covers, which, of course, roused Sirius.

"Remus?" he asked fuzzily. "What in the world...?" Sirius' rhetorical question was incredulous.

The thing cackled. "Awwwwwwww, ickle firsties frightened?" it taunted. With that, it dove toward Sirius and pressed the pillow over his face.

Remus heard Sirius' strangled yelp and peeked out to see his friend being apparently smothered by whatever demon had invaded their bed. Something dark and fierce and...dangerous sprang loose within the young Welsh boy. With a sound that was more growl than shout, he yanked the pillow from Sirius' face and snarled at the thing still holding tight to the plump cushion. His eyes flared hot, bright gold.

The thing gasped and abandoned the pillow, scrambling backwards through the air in its haste to get away, mumbling something about girls being easier to scare before it bolted straight through the wall.

Sirius gasped with relief. "Wow, Remus, what was that?? And thanks, by the way."

Remus glared after the retreating ghost. "I don't know, but I think it's headed for the girls dorm."

Sirius blinked, then started shouting to raise the alarm.

"Come on, lads, wake up! We've got a nasty ghost in the tower that just headed off to scare the girls!"

Peter protested sleepily. "Leave off, Sirius! Go back to sleep."

James bolted out of bed. "Nasty ghost, you say?"

Remus nodded. "It tried to smother Sirius."

James' face went grim. "I've heard of him. His name's Peeves, and he loves to try and scare the students."

Faintly, they heard a startled shriek from the direction of the girls' dorm. All seven boys scrambled out of bed and thundered down the stairs to the doorway to the girls' rooms. They were Gryffindors, after all, and a Gryffindor did not leave his Housemates to the attacks of a mad ghost. The scene when they burst into the first-year girls' room made them all stop in their tracks.

Four girls were huddled on a bed, trying to avoid Peeves as he swooped at them. The fifth girl, a tall, green-eyed child with sleep-mussed red braids, was dashing after him, waving her arms and trying to shoo him off.

Peeves suddenly dove and scooped up an armload of books, then perched high in the air. Cackling, he began to hurl the texts at the hapless Gryffindor girls.

The boys made to spring to their aid, but Red-Braids beat them to the punch. Eyes snapping with irritation, she seized a sturdy shoe from the floor and started batting the flying books away.

"That's enough, you horrid thing!" she shouted at the poltergeist. "Get out of our room!"

James turned to Sirius and grinned. "I like her already," he quipped as the rest of the boys watched in bemusement, slowly figuring out that their ride to the rescue had been unnecessary.

By this time, Evan had crashed into the girls' dorm, alerted by all the noise. "Peeves!" he barked. "You cut that out, or I'll report you to the Bloody Baron!"

Peeves squealed in alarm, dropped the rest of his pilfered books, and dove through the floor and out of Gryffindor Tower. His panicked cries of, "No, no, don't tell!!" echoed in his wake.

Evan sighed in relief and exasperation. "Sorry, girls. And boys. I forgot to warn you about our resident poltergeist. He doesn't normally come into the dorms, but sometimes he likes to try and scare the first- years during their first night here." He grinned at Red-Braids. "I can see that you handled yourselves well, though. Very nicely done! It's Lily, right?"

The girl nodded.

"Well, Lily, I'll be sure and drop your name to our House Quidditch captain. Our Beaters graduate next year, and it looks like you'd be a dab hand at that position."

Lily blushed.

Evan cleared his throat. "All right, you lot. Back to bed. The night's almost gone, but you can get in another hour, I think. Oh, and boys? Don't make a habit of barging into the girls' dorm at night, eh?" He winked at the first-year boys and shooed them back to their own dormitory.

Sirius didn't even consider getting back into his own bed. He simply crawled in and curled up behind Remus. He didn't miss Remus' happy sigh at the renewed contact before they both dropped back off to sleep until they needed to get up for classes.