A/N: I don't own anything you recognize, no need to sue me im just a broke
high school student with a fixation for Harry Potter! Please R/R
Unsung Heroes
Timber End was a small gray town outside of Hogsmeade. It didn't hold the bustling shops or expansive houses of Hogsmeade, nor did it have the well to do, aristocratic inhabitants. It was a poor section, many of the old wooden buildings were either dilapidated, or just barely kept together by magic. Windows were boarded up and shutters were falling off but it made no difference to the villagers who went about their daily lives, happy for the blessing that they had boards for their windows.
A single, unkept dirt road twisted through the town but it was barely visible and almost flooded out by the torrential down pour that was cascading from the skies. A shaggy black dog slinking low to the ground, made its way along the road, his paws sinking into the thick mud of the pathway. His ears were pressed down to his head, which he swung from side to side, searching.
All the houses were just outlines of gray against the inky black of the night, lighted only by the occasional flash of white lightning. He had been following the faint, yet familiar scent since he got into the town. It grew stronger as he trudged along the path and he knew it wouldn't be long before he could get out of the terrible storm and perhaps unthaw by a fire.
At last the dog came upon the last building along the road and stopped, peering through the rain at the small wooden framework. It was not the worst house he had seen on his way up from Hogsmeade, it could be classified as one of the more well kept ones. It seemed to tilt to the left, just enough for you to notice and take a second look to be sure your eyes weren't playing tricks on you. The dog inhaled and threw the smell of wet grass and rain, he could now clearly pick up the scent he had been searching for.
He barked, looking into one of the windows of the second floor, circling himself and barking again, louder this time. When he received no answer he began to howl, low and mournful, rising in volume until his canine eyes saw the small light in the downstairs window and slowly, the door opened. The dog wasted now time. It lied down on its belly in the wet grass and shook the water from its fur as it swiftly transformed into the form of a man, crouched down on the ground wearing patched up robes, that were muddy and soaked through.
Remus Lupin stepped out onto the lawn, the drops of hard rain blurring his senses and dying the fabric of his black cloak darker as he watched the man stand and flick back his long dark hair in a canine gesture. He had changed since the last time they had met, he was still far too skinny and his back still seemed to be burdened with some invisible weight, but his shoulders had become broader and his eyes had lost a bit of their hollow coldness.
"Hello Padfoot." he said and watched something flicker in Sirius Black's eyes and he smiled. It looked as though for a moment, the same flamboyant and passionate man he once known was standing before him again with a feral grin which always meant trouble. Lupin stepped foreword and embraced him, all the painful and wonderful memories of the Marauders rushing back as Sirius clung to him tightly. "Hello Moony, old friend. I hope my appearance here isn't too much of a shock or inconvenience or anything." Remus laughed softly and released him, "Come in, you must be freezing."
Sirius followed him into the house and shivered slightly with the sudden change in temperature. He glanced around the room quickly as Remus lit some candles with a quick, "Incendio." There were two worn brown couches and one armchair placed in front of a small hearth. A single rug lay on the floor and piled upon it were chopped up logs of wood for the fire, with two pokers leaning against them. On the mantle piece sat a bottled potion and a single picture. He recognized himself, patting James on the back with a grin as he held Harry in his arms. Lily stood them with Remus smiling happily. Peter had taken the picture nearly 13 years ago.
"Dumbledore sent me an owl yesterday morning and told me you'd be arriving soon. How is Harry holding up?" Remus asked as he headed into another room. Sirius sighed, "Not too well I'm afraid. He went to the Dursley's this morning...I wish you could have seen his eyes Remus...I cant even begin to tell you."
When he had listened to his godson speak in Dumbledore's small office the night before his heart nearly shattered, not because of the words that brought the harsh truth and reality of what was on the horizon, but because of the look reflected in those emerald green eyes. He had seen that look in the eyes of another that he had pledged his blood and dying breath to protect. Lily's eyes held that same look of pure terror and lost hope in those hectic last few days of her life. And now he was seeing it again in the eyes of the child that he loved as his own son. But he had to correct himself, Harry was no longer a child in mindset. He was a man, who had faced so much more than any one should in his few years and faced much more in the years ahead.
Sirius was jarred from his thoughts as Remus came back, holding a stack of neatly folded clothes under one arm, and a forest green woolen blanket in the other. "You can tell me in a minute," He said, holding the clothing out to him. Sirius took them with a grateful smile, "Get out of those clothes, my floor is wet enough with all the leaks. You can just throw them in the bathtub, the washroom is the first door on your left, and watch out for the buckets on the floor." He said, pointing down the small hallway.
Sirius nodded and disappeared from view while Remus headed to the kitchen cabinet, clicking his tongue and moving bottles aside before pulling down his last supply of Ogden's Fire Whisky. As he had just finish pouring the last of the alcohol he heard a heavy thud, followed by a splash of water and Sirius' cursing.
"The bucket?" Remus asked. "Yeah, sorry." Came the reply. "Just throw some towels down and put the bucket back where it was." Remus smiled and looked at the empty bottle. He would definitely be needing more whisky. When Dumbledore sent him an owl he was surprised to find it wasn't accompanied by some tropical songbird that Sirius loved to send his letters by, but after reading he learned of just why there had been no happy letter from Sirius in the past few months and he began to await the arrival of his friend.
~~**~~
Severus raised a brow at the Headmaster. "Excuse me?" he asked, leaning foreword, not quite sure he had heard correctly. He knew that Albus was going more and more senile with each coming year but he never imagined that it would get so bad as this. "With all do respect Albus....that can't be done." Dumbledore just smiled and took a lemon drop from the container on his desk, unwrapping it with long careful fingers. "Severus, I'm afraid you have no choice. I will not have you and Sirius carrying out a schoolboy grudge which may endanger the delicate balance or trust and friendship that we must harbor if we wish to defeat Voldemort." Snape was dumfounded, he stared angrily at the wizard seated before him in the ornate wooden chair. His eyes were tired and his long facial hair was not brushed and raggedy. Clearly he had not slept well the night before, as none of the staff had.
"I shook hands with him Albus! Is that not enough, you can not possibly to go ask me to go stay with Black /and/ Lupin!" Snape hissed clenching his fists into the chair, "It's an outrage!" Dumbledore regarded him for a moment before leaning foreword and steepling his fingers, as if getting ready to punish a disobedient child. "Severus, this has gone on long enough. You can not possibly hold this out any longer, there is nothing that Remus has done for you to be upset with him about. Can you not just try and put aside these foolish grudges and cooperate with them? Things will run much smoother. You're holding on to memories of the past, they are not those people any more. They have changed, as you have and I'm sure that Sirius is equally vehement about you staying there but you all need to spend some time together and that is my decision." He said with a wave of his hand, showing that no words or pleas would alter his decree.
Severus scowled, the lines running from his nose to his mouth becoming deeper. "When shall I leave." He spat. Dumbledore smiled, obviously pleased with himself and his little arrangement. "Tomorrow , Severus. I shall write a letter to them both informing them of your arrival and I shall warn Sirius just have as I have warned you. If I were you I would begin packing and get a good night sleep. I shall keep in touch."
With an angry glare, Severus rose fro the chair and stormed from the office, black robes billowing dramatically in his wake. He threw open the door with a bang and stalked down the stairs, not bothering to close it. There were many things in his life that didn't present themselves as being even remotely fair but this was by far the worst.
Please r/r tankies mucho!
Unsung Heroes
Timber End was a small gray town outside of Hogsmeade. It didn't hold the bustling shops or expansive houses of Hogsmeade, nor did it have the well to do, aristocratic inhabitants. It was a poor section, many of the old wooden buildings were either dilapidated, or just barely kept together by magic. Windows were boarded up and shutters were falling off but it made no difference to the villagers who went about their daily lives, happy for the blessing that they had boards for their windows.
A single, unkept dirt road twisted through the town but it was barely visible and almost flooded out by the torrential down pour that was cascading from the skies. A shaggy black dog slinking low to the ground, made its way along the road, his paws sinking into the thick mud of the pathway. His ears were pressed down to his head, which he swung from side to side, searching.
All the houses were just outlines of gray against the inky black of the night, lighted only by the occasional flash of white lightning. He had been following the faint, yet familiar scent since he got into the town. It grew stronger as he trudged along the path and he knew it wouldn't be long before he could get out of the terrible storm and perhaps unthaw by a fire.
At last the dog came upon the last building along the road and stopped, peering through the rain at the small wooden framework. It was not the worst house he had seen on his way up from Hogsmeade, it could be classified as one of the more well kept ones. It seemed to tilt to the left, just enough for you to notice and take a second look to be sure your eyes weren't playing tricks on you. The dog inhaled and threw the smell of wet grass and rain, he could now clearly pick up the scent he had been searching for.
He barked, looking into one of the windows of the second floor, circling himself and barking again, louder this time. When he received no answer he began to howl, low and mournful, rising in volume until his canine eyes saw the small light in the downstairs window and slowly, the door opened. The dog wasted now time. It lied down on its belly in the wet grass and shook the water from its fur as it swiftly transformed into the form of a man, crouched down on the ground wearing patched up robes, that were muddy and soaked through.
Remus Lupin stepped out onto the lawn, the drops of hard rain blurring his senses and dying the fabric of his black cloak darker as he watched the man stand and flick back his long dark hair in a canine gesture. He had changed since the last time they had met, he was still far too skinny and his back still seemed to be burdened with some invisible weight, but his shoulders had become broader and his eyes had lost a bit of their hollow coldness.
"Hello Padfoot." he said and watched something flicker in Sirius Black's eyes and he smiled. It looked as though for a moment, the same flamboyant and passionate man he once known was standing before him again with a feral grin which always meant trouble. Lupin stepped foreword and embraced him, all the painful and wonderful memories of the Marauders rushing back as Sirius clung to him tightly. "Hello Moony, old friend. I hope my appearance here isn't too much of a shock or inconvenience or anything." Remus laughed softly and released him, "Come in, you must be freezing."
Sirius followed him into the house and shivered slightly with the sudden change in temperature. He glanced around the room quickly as Remus lit some candles with a quick, "Incendio." There were two worn brown couches and one armchair placed in front of a small hearth. A single rug lay on the floor and piled upon it were chopped up logs of wood for the fire, with two pokers leaning against them. On the mantle piece sat a bottled potion and a single picture. He recognized himself, patting James on the back with a grin as he held Harry in his arms. Lily stood them with Remus smiling happily. Peter had taken the picture nearly 13 years ago.
"Dumbledore sent me an owl yesterday morning and told me you'd be arriving soon. How is Harry holding up?" Remus asked as he headed into another room. Sirius sighed, "Not too well I'm afraid. He went to the Dursley's this morning...I wish you could have seen his eyes Remus...I cant even begin to tell you."
When he had listened to his godson speak in Dumbledore's small office the night before his heart nearly shattered, not because of the words that brought the harsh truth and reality of what was on the horizon, but because of the look reflected in those emerald green eyes. He had seen that look in the eyes of another that he had pledged his blood and dying breath to protect. Lily's eyes held that same look of pure terror and lost hope in those hectic last few days of her life. And now he was seeing it again in the eyes of the child that he loved as his own son. But he had to correct himself, Harry was no longer a child in mindset. He was a man, who had faced so much more than any one should in his few years and faced much more in the years ahead.
Sirius was jarred from his thoughts as Remus came back, holding a stack of neatly folded clothes under one arm, and a forest green woolen blanket in the other. "You can tell me in a minute," He said, holding the clothing out to him. Sirius took them with a grateful smile, "Get out of those clothes, my floor is wet enough with all the leaks. You can just throw them in the bathtub, the washroom is the first door on your left, and watch out for the buckets on the floor." He said, pointing down the small hallway.
Sirius nodded and disappeared from view while Remus headed to the kitchen cabinet, clicking his tongue and moving bottles aside before pulling down his last supply of Ogden's Fire Whisky. As he had just finish pouring the last of the alcohol he heard a heavy thud, followed by a splash of water and Sirius' cursing.
"The bucket?" Remus asked. "Yeah, sorry." Came the reply. "Just throw some towels down and put the bucket back where it was." Remus smiled and looked at the empty bottle. He would definitely be needing more whisky. When Dumbledore sent him an owl he was surprised to find it wasn't accompanied by some tropical songbird that Sirius loved to send his letters by, but after reading he learned of just why there had been no happy letter from Sirius in the past few months and he began to await the arrival of his friend.
~~**~~
Severus raised a brow at the Headmaster. "Excuse me?" he asked, leaning foreword, not quite sure he had heard correctly. He knew that Albus was going more and more senile with each coming year but he never imagined that it would get so bad as this. "With all do respect Albus....that can't be done." Dumbledore just smiled and took a lemon drop from the container on his desk, unwrapping it with long careful fingers. "Severus, I'm afraid you have no choice. I will not have you and Sirius carrying out a schoolboy grudge which may endanger the delicate balance or trust and friendship that we must harbor if we wish to defeat Voldemort." Snape was dumfounded, he stared angrily at the wizard seated before him in the ornate wooden chair. His eyes were tired and his long facial hair was not brushed and raggedy. Clearly he had not slept well the night before, as none of the staff had.
"I shook hands with him Albus! Is that not enough, you can not possibly to go ask me to go stay with Black /and/ Lupin!" Snape hissed clenching his fists into the chair, "It's an outrage!" Dumbledore regarded him for a moment before leaning foreword and steepling his fingers, as if getting ready to punish a disobedient child. "Severus, this has gone on long enough. You can not possibly hold this out any longer, there is nothing that Remus has done for you to be upset with him about. Can you not just try and put aside these foolish grudges and cooperate with them? Things will run much smoother. You're holding on to memories of the past, they are not those people any more. They have changed, as you have and I'm sure that Sirius is equally vehement about you staying there but you all need to spend some time together and that is my decision." He said with a wave of his hand, showing that no words or pleas would alter his decree.
Severus scowled, the lines running from his nose to his mouth becoming deeper. "When shall I leave." He spat. Dumbledore smiled, obviously pleased with himself and his little arrangement. "Tomorrow , Severus. I shall write a letter to them both informing them of your arrival and I shall warn Sirius just have as I have warned you. If I were you I would begin packing and get a good night sleep. I shall keep in touch."
With an angry glare, Severus rose fro the chair and stormed from the office, black robes billowing dramatically in his wake. He threw open the door with a bang and stalked down the stairs, not bothering to close it. There were many things in his life that didn't present themselves as being even remotely fair but this was by far the worst.
Please r/r tankies mucho!