KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK...
Sirius woke up with a start. It was well after midnight, and someone was pounding on his bloody door. "What the hell..." he muttered, rolling off the couch. Somehow, he had not fallen asleep in his bed, again. He could not get to bed like a normal person anymore. Every time he got in bed, he wound up tossing and turning for hours. Memories haunted him the most at night. It was better to just wait until he passed out on the couch.
Muttering darkly, he stumbled towards the door. He was still wearing his pants from the day before. "The one bloody time I fall asleep at a normal hour and someone has the nerve to wake me up..." he grumbled softly.
He threw the chain up, then opened his door a crack. Before him stood his old flame, a haggard look on her face and still wearing the clothes from that day. "Ara, what the hell is it? Do you know what time it is?"
She just looked at him, trying not to stare at his bare chest. "No, Sirius, I have no idea that it is one in the morning! I want to be in bed right now as much as you do, but other events must take precedence. Open your door and come with me."
"Bloody hell! The first time I fall asleep at a normal hour and you drag me into your nonsense. Why, Ara? No, don't tell me. I don't want to know." Sirius did not wait for her to reply, simply shut the door, or tried to.
He could not shut the door all the way, for there was a delicate looking boot jammed in it. Pushing the door back open, he was suddenly confronted by a very angry witch holding a wand. "Sirius Black, you will come with me now, regardless of whether or not I have to drag you." Arabella raised her wand, pointing the end at his head for emphasis.
Sirius just shook his head. His wand was not within his reach. There was no point in fighting her. "What is so important at 1am?"
Exasperated, she looked at him tiredly. "It's come to everyone's attention that you are not coping well with Harry's death."
"Should I be? The last two generations of Potters have died because of me. Is anyone supposed to be able to cope with that?"
She had no answer for him. "Please, Sirius, come with me," she said softly. It was almost a whisper, a request couched in a voice softer than velvet. She had not spoken to him like that in a long time, not since they had been closer than friends. "Please."
Sirius sighed, slowly and deeply. "I do as my lady commands." Arabella noticed the soft glimmer in his eye. She remembered that look well. "Doth my lady give permission for me to garb myself properly?"
Arabella nodded softly. As he shut the door to get his robes, she found herself half wishing she had said no. Ignoring that part of her mind, she waited impatiently.
Finally, Sirius opened the door. Even without sleep and in mourning, Sirius looked handsome. He had his wand tucked into the cord belt he wore. Wordlessly, the two began to walk down the corridor.
"So, milady, where art we going?" he asked with a cynical smile.
Too tired to play games, Arabella replied, "we are going to see someone."
"Who?" Though he asked, Sirius did not seem to be curious at all. It was like he was asking out of politeness.
Arabella looked away, quietly answering, "Someone who can help you cope with Harry's death."
Sirius stopped dead in his tracks. "Damn it, Arabella! I don't need to see a bloody shrink!"
Arabella had been a step or two a head, and she spun to face him. "I'm not taking you to see a 'bloody shrink', Sirius Black!" She replied huffily. "I am taking you to see someone who might be able to help you. Are you going to be pigheaded enough to refuse me so I can drag you there, or are you going to use common sense and come with me?"
Half chastised and half furious, Sirius met her gaze. "I will come," he said simply, and they began to walk again.
After a full ten minutes of walking up stairs, the two walked down a corridor Sirius had never seen before. To find such a hallway was no small feat, as all the Marauders knew Hogwarts better than they knew themselves. Yet he had no recollection of this particular corridor. They walked, Sirius going faster and faster in an attempt to keep up with Arabella, making lefts and rights on branching corridors and ends of hallways. Within five minutes of such walking, Sirius was thoroughly confused and would not be able to find his way back if he tried. Yet Arabella seemed to know exactly where she was going.
Finally, they reached a closed door. There, Dumbledore stood waiting for them. "Hello, Sirius. So good of you to come this late at night. However, the utmost discretion is necessary, as you will of course understand soon. Before we enter this room, I must ask two things of you. First, you must remain quiet. The students below not only need bedrest, but they must not know what occurs here. This brings me to the second. You must not reveal what you see and hear tonight to anyone, regardless of how benign the person seems. After the deaths of Lily and James, I'm sure you understand that at least."
Sirius just looked at Dumbledore. What was the old bat trying to pull? "I agree."
"Well then, shall we?" Dumbledore slowly opened the door, which slid silently open until it was wide agape.
Hesitantly, Sirius walked into the room, his hand casually resting on the wand he had tucked into his belt before opening the door to Arabella. Behind him, Dumbledore shut the door. "All clear," he whispered into the dark room…
Sirius woke up with a start. It was well after midnight, and someone was pounding on his bloody door. "What the hell..." he muttered, rolling off the couch. Somehow, he had not fallen asleep in his bed, again. He could not get to bed like a normal person anymore. Every time he got in bed, he wound up tossing and turning for hours. Memories haunted him the most at night. It was better to just wait until he passed out on the couch.
Muttering darkly, he stumbled towards the door. He was still wearing his pants from the day before. "The one bloody time I fall asleep at a normal hour and someone has the nerve to wake me up..." he grumbled softly.
He threw the chain up, then opened his door a crack. Before him stood his old flame, a haggard look on her face and still wearing the clothes from that day. "Ara, what the hell is it? Do you know what time it is?"
She just looked at him, trying not to stare at his bare chest. "No, Sirius, I have no idea that it is one in the morning! I want to be in bed right now as much as you do, but other events must take precedence. Open your door and come with me."
"Bloody hell! The first time I fall asleep at a normal hour and you drag me into your nonsense. Why, Ara? No, don't tell me. I don't want to know." Sirius did not wait for her to reply, simply shut the door, or tried to.
He could not shut the door all the way, for there was a delicate looking boot jammed in it. Pushing the door back open, he was suddenly confronted by a very angry witch holding a wand. "Sirius Black, you will come with me now, regardless of whether or not I have to drag you." Arabella raised her wand, pointing the end at his head for emphasis.
Sirius just shook his head. His wand was not within his reach. There was no point in fighting her. "What is so important at 1am?"
Exasperated, she looked at him tiredly. "It's come to everyone's attention that you are not coping well with Harry's death."
"Should I be? The last two generations of Potters have died because of me. Is anyone supposed to be able to cope with that?"
She had no answer for him. "Please, Sirius, come with me," she said softly. It was almost a whisper, a request couched in a voice softer than velvet. She had not spoken to him like that in a long time, not since they had been closer than friends. "Please."
Sirius sighed, slowly and deeply. "I do as my lady commands." Arabella noticed the soft glimmer in his eye. She remembered that look well. "Doth my lady give permission for me to garb myself properly?"
Arabella nodded softly. As he shut the door to get his robes, she found herself half wishing she had said no. Ignoring that part of her mind, she waited impatiently.
Finally, Sirius opened the door. Even without sleep and in mourning, Sirius looked handsome. He had his wand tucked into the cord belt he wore. Wordlessly, the two began to walk down the corridor.
"So, milady, where art we going?" he asked with a cynical smile.
Too tired to play games, Arabella replied, "we are going to see someone."
"Who?" Though he asked, Sirius did not seem to be curious at all. It was like he was asking out of politeness.
Arabella looked away, quietly answering, "Someone who can help you cope with Harry's death."
Sirius stopped dead in his tracks. "Damn it, Arabella! I don't need to see a bloody shrink!"
Arabella had been a step or two a head, and she spun to face him. "I'm not taking you to see a 'bloody shrink', Sirius Black!" She replied huffily. "I am taking you to see someone who might be able to help you. Are you going to be pigheaded enough to refuse me so I can drag you there, or are you going to use common sense and come with me?"
Half chastised and half furious, Sirius met her gaze. "I will come," he said simply, and they began to walk again.
After a full ten minutes of walking up stairs, the two walked down a corridor Sirius had never seen before. To find such a hallway was no small feat, as all the Marauders knew Hogwarts better than they knew themselves. Yet he had no recollection of this particular corridor. They walked, Sirius going faster and faster in an attempt to keep up with Arabella, making lefts and rights on branching corridors and ends of hallways. Within five minutes of such walking, Sirius was thoroughly confused and would not be able to find his way back if he tried. Yet Arabella seemed to know exactly where she was going.
Finally, they reached a closed door. There, Dumbledore stood waiting for them. "Hello, Sirius. So good of you to come this late at night. However, the utmost discretion is necessary, as you will of course understand soon. Before we enter this room, I must ask two things of you. First, you must remain quiet. The students below not only need bedrest, but they must not know what occurs here. This brings me to the second. You must not reveal what you see and hear tonight to anyone, regardless of how benign the person seems. After the deaths of Lily and James, I'm sure you understand that at least."
Sirius just looked at Dumbledore. What was the old bat trying to pull? "I agree."
"Well then, shall we?" Dumbledore slowly opened the door, which slid silently open until it was wide agape.
Hesitantly, Sirius walked into the room, his hand casually resting on the wand he had tucked into his belt before opening the door to Arabella. Behind him, Dumbledore shut the door. "All clear," he whispered into the dark room…