(Don't own anything. (Not even a brain!))

Chapter 4

The Decision.

When Sybill Trelawney declared that today was a bad day to teach students (according to her predictive powers), her students declared her the best professor in the world!

Sirius decided to spend the morning with Harry. They went out to Hagrid's hut and found him unpacking a new batch of pixies.

"Stay well back Harry, they can nip you badly." Hagrid warned.

Sirius looked questioningly at the little people, screeching up at him.

"Umm… Hagrid? What are these for?" He asked.

Harry was busy. One of the beasts had got loose of Hagrid's make shift cage and had jumped on Harry, firmly attaching itself to his nose.

"Why, they're for the first years to play with!" Hagrid beamed at Sirius. "I thought it might be nice to give them away as pets! It could be their 1st year project. Looking after a pixie! I wish someone had thought of that when I was at school!"

Sirius looked dubiously at Hagrid.

"Aren't these treated as pests?" He asked.

"PESTS!" Hagrid almost blew the roof off his hut with the roar. "They aren't pests! They're just playful! Aren't you my beauties?" He cooed at the now half empty cage.

Harry hit Sirius hard on the arm. He was now covered from head to toe in the fiends.

"Get these things off me!" He spoke forcefully with his jaw clamped together. You just can't tell where Pixies have been!

Quickly Sirius started brushing them off Harry, growling at the ones who dared think of biting him. Hagrid got his broom out and started sweeping them into an organised pile.

"Come on now my pretties! Playtime's over! Back to the cage!"

~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~

Sir,

The identity of the animagus is Sirius Black. Please advise on…

 "No, no, no. That's not good." Pat said to herself. "Okay…

Sir,

I believe I have discovered the identity of the animagus. Please send…

"Still not right." She muttered to herself. Looking at the wastebasket full of crumpled manuscripts she sighed.

Something caught her attention out of the window and, keeping in the shadow, she saw Sirius, Harry and Hagrid.

'What's going on now?' She wondered. Looking at Sirius she thought for a second he was wearing…

"Earrings?!?!" She exclaimed. "What the…?" She peered closer. "Pixies!" She cried out. He and Harry were involved in some sort of…. Pixie Hunt??

She watched them put one after the other in a sort of box. Then they stood around the box for a while. Pat could tell there was something wrong, they were making exaggerated gestures at each other. She watched fascinated as they started going around the box in circles… again, and again, each circle slightly larger than the last.

All of a sudden Harry waved something in the air. Hagrid ran over to him and put the last Pixie in the box. She turned to look at Sirius.

Sirius was applauding Harry and laughing. Running over to him he placed his arm around Harry's shoulders and yelled so loud that Pat could hear him through the window.

"HERE'S HARRY POTTER! HE CONQUERS OVER TROLLS! HE DEFEATS EVIL WIZARDS! AND HE THRASHES PIXIES AND PUTS THEM IN A BOX!!!! THREE CHEERS FOR HARRY! HIP HIP!"

He stood there for a moment, still declaring that Harry was the ruler of all things magical. All the time Harry squirmed red-faced laughing at Sirius. Godfather and Godson laughed until they could laugh no more. Harry looked warily at Sirius, in anticipation of the right moment… "TAG!" he yelled and ran off. Sirius sat up and looked up at Pat's window. Smiling to himself he got up slowly, stood, tapped his foot a few times and then gave chase.

'What should I do?' she thought.

Her attention wandered to last night where they had shared butterbeers and talked about the staff at Hogwarts. She had pretended that she wasn't an Auror, and he wasn't a suspect. In her mind they had spotted each other over a crowded room. Instinctively they had approached each other and found that they had similar tastes. Her gaze wandered over to her desk where the present still sat, wrapped beautifully in paper of the darkest blue. She walked hesitantly over to it and, using a penknife, carefully unwrapped it so she didn't rip the paper. Her face lit into a smile.

"Butterscotch!" She laughed. "How did he realise that was her favourite?"

She noticed another little box inside. Opening it she gasped. Her butterfly clip! And… what's this?

"A ring." She whispered. It was a silver ring, polished to perfection. Two small rubies created the wings of a small butterfly with a small sapphire as the head. She sat on the bed stunned at the generosity and faultlessness of his gift.

She had decided what the letter was going to say. She could do no more. Sitting at her desk, she wrote ferociously.

~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~

Sirius met Pat as she came out of her room later on that day. He noticed something different in her. Walking up to her to say hi…

He was flabbergasted when she kissed him.

It started softly. She put hardly any pressure against his lips; it was as if she was made of air. Then she deepened the kiss, sucking gently against his lower lip, and... He could smell the lavender in her hair, and taste the butterscotch on her lips. His arms, which at first hung loosely at his side started to comprehend what was happening and wrapped themselves around her waist. His hands gently stroked the length of her back… and down. He cupped her buttocks, and in one fluid movement lifted her. Her legs wrapped themselves around his waist. She moaned long and slowly. His eyes fluttered open and for an instant he thought… No… Yes! He kicked open her door, and walked in, avoiding the shocked faces of Neville, Ron, Hermione, and (A/N oh yes readers!) Harry. He backed up against the door hearing the soft click as it shut.

'What am I doing?' He thought.

He broke off the kiss tenderly. Looking into her confused eyes he whispered.

"What was that for? Not that I'm complaining."

She smiled patiently.

"It was a Thankyou." She motioned to her desk and the opened box.

He grinned seductively.

"If that's what I get for a small bag of butterscotch, how would you thank me for a big box?" He crooked his eyebrow.

She smiled.

"That's for me to know…." She paused.

"And me to find out??" He asked inquisitively.

She laughed and opened the door, motioning for him to go out.

"We'll see! We'll see!"

He began walking out of her room.

"Oh! Hang on a moment!" She said, and ran to her desk. Pat handed him an envelope. "My owl hasn't arrived yet. Would you mind sending yours for me?"

"Anything for you Pat." He winked at her. "But you'd better save the thankyou for a rainy day!"

~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~

 The shadow watched the scene.

"Mehtweiv off!" they commanded to the bowl. It was an intricate piece. It was gold with banded chains of jewels weaving around it. The silhouette closed the box it was contained in.

So the Auror likes Sirius does she?

"Well I'll put a stop to that."

~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~

He was walking on air! He was floating higher than Harry in Quidditch!

"Damn!" Sirius had forgotten all about the audience he had seen during the kiss. He set off towards the Gryffindor common room. Approaching the Fat Lady he was surprised to see Harry talking to Dumbledore, and even more shocked when he saw that Harry had a large bruise on his forehead.

"Shhhh!"

Dumbledore turned around and saw Sirius. "Both of you had better come with me."

They reached Dumbledore's office and he offered his usual round of sweets.

"Now, Harry. Tell Sirius what you just told me."

Harry shifted his eyes to the ground. He shuffled his feet, and reluctantly said.

"I saw you and the Auror. I think she's got some sort of spell over you. We've looked up possible spells. Here's a list."

Sirius looked over the page of charms, spells and curses. He looked at Dumbledore who raised his eyebrows at him enquiringly. Sirius sighed.

"Harry, I'm not under a spell. I'll be the first to admit that she does have a certain… effect on me." Harry looked at Dumbledore in panic.

"But it is controllable." He added quickly. "It is nothing for you to worry about."

"Didn't look like you were controlling yourself when I saw you!" Harry cried out.

Sirius turned to him.

"Harry…."

Dumbledore motioned for them both to sit down.

"What happened to your head Harry?" Sirius pounced on the silence to ask.

"My broomstick, I ummm… crashed it. Nothing to worry about." Harry looked shifty.

"What do you mean, nothing to worry about?" He looked between Dumbledore and Harry. "What is it that you aren't telling me?"

"Apparently the broomstick had some sort of enchantment on it." Dumbledore explained. "As soon as Harry flew it… well the broomstick tried to take him outside the grounds."

"WHAT?!?!" Sirius yelled. "Where was it going to?"

"We don't know. Harry managed to get it close enough to the ground so that he could jump, we haven't seen it since."

Sirius sat down, grimaced, stood again, took out the crumpled envelope Pat had given him and sat again.

"What's that?" Harry pounced on the letter.

"Oh, just something Pat gave me to send by owl."

"So, she's making you send her evidence to the ministry is she?" Harry cried.

He turned the envelope around showing Sirius who it was being mailed to.

The Ministry of Magic.

From Miss p. Carver, Auror.

"Harry… give that to me." Sirius asked.

Harry started tearing at the envelope.

~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~

Pat had been summoned to Dumbledore's office. Ron had come to get her, and was walking in front of her when they entered.

"Harry! Whatever that contains it is not for our eyes to see!"

"But if it contained something about you! I couldn't let you go to Azkaban again."

Sirius was stood facing Dumbledore's desk, Harry was stood behind Dumbledore's chair holding…

"My letter?" She asked. Ron coughed.

"I… ummm… got her for you." And made a hasty exit.

Pat walked further into the room and calmly sat on the chair.

"You don't trust me, do you Harry?" She asked. "Well it's in your hands now, do what you will."

Harry edged closer to Dumbledore's fireplace.

"Ahhh." Pat said. "You aim to burn it do you?"

Harry turned to her.

"The thing is Harry. If you do burn the letter I intend to write it again, and send it myself."

Harry looked upset. He was nearing tears.

"You'll take him away! You'll take him to Azkaban!"

"Harry." She softened her voice. "Why would I give a letter containing anything about Sirius to Sirius?"

"I had thought that you would already have read it, Sirius. That proves me wrong." She turned to Harry. "Go right ahead. Open it."

He opened it and read the contents, then gave the letter back to Sirius.

"I still don't trust you!" he said contemptuously, and walked out of the room.

Sirius read the letter.

Sir,

I have a few suspects but no evidence concerning the animagus case. It may be that I will have to stay on longer than anticipated. Not only to look for the animagus, but also to look after Harry Potter. Please send to me some items…

Sirius didn't need to read on.

"You have no evidence?" He asked quietly.

"No." She stood up. "I've checked these over and as far as I'm concerned they're fake." She threw pieces of paper into his lap. He looked at the pictures Filch had given her.

"As you are Harry's Godfather I'm going to need your help and cooperation. You might want to tell me some things about your past…" Sirius stiffened. "…but for now…would you mail a letter for me?"

A/N

Thanks to everyone for reviewing so far.

Mrs Grim, Siriuslyinlove, and Martha and Squirrel Thanks for continuing to read the story.

Jest017 and kbear, welcome to my world and thanks for reviewing.

Kbear, Krusty is a shortened baby version of my name that (unfortunately) stuck!!

Love to you all.

Krusty.