A/N: I don't own anything you recognize, I'm just a broke high school
student so there's no reason to sue me :O) please r/r
True Colors Chapter Three
Remus pulled his robes closer around him as he stepped out of his room and maneuvered carefully around the buckets, still on the floor. The steady drip of the leak in the ceiling was echoing behind him as he made his way into the living room. Sirius was sprawled out on the couch, one leg hanging off the side and his mouth wide open. His rhythmic snores told Remus he had been fast asleep for a while and probably would be for a while.
He decided to let his visitor sleep for a little while longer and made his way into the kitchen. His canine-like senses picked up the smell of the early morning dew and he inhaled deeply as he searched through the pantry for some breakfast food. As he passed the window he paused to take a glance at his reflection. His choppy auburn hair fell almost to his shoulders and was usually tied back in a small ponytail. His bangs however, were still too short and fell across his forehead. His amber eyes were heavy with sleep and he splashed some water from the sink on his face and continued on his quest for food. He decided on some muffins and jam and was fixing a plate of them when he heard the soft hoot of an owl, barely audible over Sirius.
He crossed to the living room and drew up the blinds to see his puffy brown barn owl sitting on the window ledge, three letters and the Daily Prophet attached to its leg. "Good Morning Silence." he whispered, opening the window and holding his arm out for the owl to step onto. He quickly untied the letters and dropped them on the side table by the couch before bringing the owl into the kitchen and handing it one half of a muffin.
Silence clicked her beak happily as Remus slid into a chair and spread his mail in front of him. Judging from the seals, he noted that the first letter was from Dumbledore, the second from the Ministry, and the third was in the tidy scrawl of a woman that looked vaguely familiar. He used a kitchen knife to break the seal on the one from Dumbledore and slid the neatly folded parchment out onto the table.
Remus,
I hope this letter finds you (and Sirius) well. I'm sure by now you have been filled in on all of the odds and ends of what has been going, and that Sirius has elaborated on my last letter to you. The old crowd has been summoned and they will be arriving soon to join us in our efforts. Arabella Figg has been notified as well as Mundungus Fletcher. I believe they are both on their way to Hogsmeade to meet with those of us already here. We can not count on the Ministry for any help for there is a small number of us who know the truth.
As you and I both know there is a long, ongoing, and in my mind quite juvenile grudge being held by Severus against you two. Though I think the time you spent at Hogwarts has somewhat cooled his bloodlust as far as you are concerned the open hostility he shows to Sirius can hardly go unnoticed. For this reason I decided it would be best if the three of you spent some time together, perhaps it will be enough for all of you to see that you are different people who have grown and matured from the days you spent at the school.
Severus has been warned repeatedly by me that he is to keep his tongue in check and I ask you to tell Sirius the same. A balance of trust and obligation to one another must be achieved if we wish to emerge victorious from the no doubt long and drawn out battle that seems to be inevitable.
I apologize for the short notice, Severus will be arriving this evening. Please make Sirius aware that no hostility will be tolerated.
Sincerly,
Proffessor Albus Dumbledore Headmaster
He sighed and folded the letter back up. The situation would have been rather humorous had it not been for the fact that he would be caught in the middle of it. Dumbledore worked in mysterious ways and often times his most outrageous plans that were destined to fail turned out to be a stroke of genius on his part. This one however, was impossible. Sirius and Severus being within yards of each other had never yielded positive results. At least in Severus' mind he had settled the score with Remus when he "let the word slip" that he was a werewolf. But the war had never really been with Remus, he was just a pawn and a middle man. The real war was and always would be with Sirius.
Remus reached over to the basket of fruit he kept on the table and pulled out a ripe apple. "Well, I might as well clue him in now." he muttered to himself as he wound his arm back and threw the apple onto Sirius' sleeping form. There was a grunt in response and Sirius rolled over onto his stomach with a barely audible mumble, adjusting the blankets over his head to protect himself from any more attacks.
"Sirius, Albus sent me a letter." Remus stated as he left the kitchen, lit brightly by the early morning sunrays and into the dark living room. He nudged Sirius in the side, noting that even though he had gained weight, his ribs were still visible through his skin. It was an improvement from the half-starved ghost of a man he was last year. "Up." he commanded.
One chocolate brown eye opened and regarded Remus' face for a moment before he muttered that he was listening. Remus sunk into the overstuffed armchair by the fireplace and across from the couch. "Arabella and Fletcher are on their way here. I think Dumbledore expects us all to be his own private legion of aurors."
"You always wanted to be an auror, and I already know that, I'm the one that summoned them." Sirius yawned as he sat up and stretched, arranging the blanket over the back of the couch. Remus smiled slightly and nodded. "Well..." he trailed off not knowing how to break the news to Sirius without provoking his explosive personality, "Albus wants someone else to stay here...just for a short time I'm assuming, but Severus will be arriving this evening and-"
"Excuse me?" Sirius inquired shortly, staring straight into Remus' face. "I must not have been listening, I though you just said that Snape was coming here." Remus opened his mouth to say that he had heard right but thought better of it and began to choose his words carefully. He was treading on thin ice as it was.
"Albus thinks you two need to resolve your issues, I'm sure that Severus doesn't like it any better than you do, but you have to accept him as being on the same side as you. You have to give him all of your trust." Sirius just laughed at that, pushing himself off the couch with a bit of a crazed laugh, he rain his hand through his long shaggy black hair muttering, "Ridiculous. Absolutely Ridiculous. We shook hands at the castle, was that not enough?" he asked turning on Remus who shrugged. "I'm guessing that if you and Severus shook hands it was far from friendly and Dumbledore probably forced you to."
Sirius' smirk told him he had been right, neither one of their prideful personalities would allow the two men to put aside differences to shake hands and actually mean it. "The old man really pulled one over on us. I must admit I would have loved to Severus' response when Albus told him to behave." Sirius said, heading to the kitchen and swiping a muffin from the plate.
"I bet he was livid. Exiting in a mass of swirling robes and cursing anything that stepped in his way," Remus laughed, "I bet he's on the warpath." Sirius returned with half a muffin hanging from his mouth while he wiped the spilled jelly off of his shirt, "He has reason to be, but he should be happy. It'll give him an excuse to brood and stamp around like a hippogriff all day." Remus smirked knowing that that description was probably accurate.
"So are you going to be civil to him?" he asked. Sirius swallowed the last of the muffin and picked the crumbs off his friend's robe. "Yes mother, I will play nice with the greasy scumbag. I'll try not to have you put us in time out."
"I'm Serious."
"So am I."
Remus raised a brow, wondering if he was referring to the all to overused play on his name or his intentions but on second though decided that he really didn't want to know. "I'm going to go get some firewhisky...try not to level the house while I'm gone." he joked.
"I'll try, no promises though."
~*~
Severus sat with his back straight against the expensive Victorian chair and nursed his glass of scotch down, shaking it slightly to rattle the ice, before placing it on the table beside him. The sitting room of the Malfoy manor was ornate and dark, but not drab. All the furniture was crafted in black cherry wood, a neatly polished desk sat by the window. Scores of loose papers and folders covered its surface and were stacked up neatly on the sides. Two large picture windows overlooked the misty landscape and rolling green hills. The heavy curtains were a deep shade of green like a serpent. Pictures of the Malfoy ancestors hung on the wall, all looking prestigious and serious.
Lucius sat across from him with his scotch in hand and a small smile on his face. "So what brings you here that's of such urgency?" he asked, cutting through the thick silence of the room. Snape picked up his scotch again, just out of the need to be busy with something. "I wanted to tell you what a fool you were for what you did the last time we met." He said seriously but his friend saw right through it and laughed.
"A nice thank you would have sufficed." he replied and Snape smirked. "I think not. I'm quite aware that The Dark Lord is questioning my loyalty, if you ally yourself with me you're just bringing the same upon yourself." Lucius downed the rest of his drink and sighed. "I doubt that Severus. My loyalty has never wavered. I've been smart."
Severus saw the veiled inquisition just from the tone his voice took and he stared hard into his face. "As have I old friend, as have I." Lucius nodded solemnly, his eyes narrowing, as if inspecting his face for any sign of traitorous markings. "Well that's good. I pity the poor fool who thinks he can turn his back on family." A family it was, as disfunctional and chaotic as it seemed. Snape nodded in response and the thick silence settled over their heads once more.
True Colors Chapter Three
Remus pulled his robes closer around him as he stepped out of his room and maneuvered carefully around the buckets, still on the floor. The steady drip of the leak in the ceiling was echoing behind him as he made his way into the living room. Sirius was sprawled out on the couch, one leg hanging off the side and his mouth wide open. His rhythmic snores told Remus he had been fast asleep for a while and probably would be for a while.
He decided to let his visitor sleep for a little while longer and made his way into the kitchen. His canine-like senses picked up the smell of the early morning dew and he inhaled deeply as he searched through the pantry for some breakfast food. As he passed the window he paused to take a glance at his reflection. His choppy auburn hair fell almost to his shoulders and was usually tied back in a small ponytail. His bangs however, were still too short and fell across his forehead. His amber eyes were heavy with sleep and he splashed some water from the sink on his face and continued on his quest for food. He decided on some muffins and jam and was fixing a plate of them when he heard the soft hoot of an owl, barely audible over Sirius.
He crossed to the living room and drew up the blinds to see his puffy brown barn owl sitting on the window ledge, three letters and the Daily Prophet attached to its leg. "Good Morning Silence." he whispered, opening the window and holding his arm out for the owl to step onto. He quickly untied the letters and dropped them on the side table by the couch before bringing the owl into the kitchen and handing it one half of a muffin.
Silence clicked her beak happily as Remus slid into a chair and spread his mail in front of him. Judging from the seals, he noted that the first letter was from Dumbledore, the second from the Ministry, and the third was in the tidy scrawl of a woman that looked vaguely familiar. He used a kitchen knife to break the seal on the one from Dumbledore and slid the neatly folded parchment out onto the table.
Remus,
I hope this letter finds you (and Sirius) well. I'm sure by now you have been filled in on all of the odds and ends of what has been going, and that Sirius has elaborated on my last letter to you. The old crowd has been summoned and they will be arriving soon to join us in our efforts. Arabella Figg has been notified as well as Mundungus Fletcher. I believe they are both on their way to Hogsmeade to meet with those of us already here. We can not count on the Ministry for any help for there is a small number of us who know the truth.
As you and I both know there is a long, ongoing, and in my mind quite juvenile grudge being held by Severus against you two. Though I think the time you spent at Hogwarts has somewhat cooled his bloodlust as far as you are concerned the open hostility he shows to Sirius can hardly go unnoticed. For this reason I decided it would be best if the three of you spent some time together, perhaps it will be enough for all of you to see that you are different people who have grown and matured from the days you spent at the school.
Severus has been warned repeatedly by me that he is to keep his tongue in check and I ask you to tell Sirius the same. A balance of trust and obligation to one another must be achieved if we wish to emerge victorious from the no doubt long and drawn out battle that seems to be inevitable.
I apologize for the short notice, Severus will be arriving this evening. Please make Sirius aware that no hostility will be tolerated.
Sincerly,
Proffessor Albus Dumbledore Headmaster
He sighed and folded the letter back up. The situation would have been rather humorous had it not been for the fact that he would be caught in the middle of it. Dumbledore worked in mysterious ways and often times his most outrageous plans that were destined to fail turned out to be a stroke of genius on his part. This one however, was impossible. Sirius and Severus being within yards of each other had never yielded positive results. At least in Severus' mind he had settled the score with Remus when he "let the word slip" that he was a werewolf. But the war had never really been with Remus, he was just a pawn and a middle man. The real war was and always would be with Sirius.
Remus reached over to the basket of fruit he kept on the table and pulled out a ripe apple. "Well, I might as well clue him in now." he muttered to himself as he wound his arm back and threw the apple onto Sirius' sleeping form. There was a grunt in response and Sirius rolled over onto his stomach with a barely audible mumble, adjusting the blankets over his head to protect himself from any more attacks.
"Sirius, Albus sent me a letter." Remus stated as he left the kitchen, lit brightly by the early morning sunrays and into the dark living room. He nudged Sirius in the side, noting that even though he had gained weight, his ribs were still visible through his skin. It was an improvement from the half-starved ghost of a man he was last year. "Up." he commanded.
One chocolate brown eye opened and regarded Remus' face for a moment before he muttered that he was listening. Remus sunk into the overstuffed armchair by the fireplace and across from the couch. "Arabella and Fletcher are on their way here. I think Dumbledore expects us all to be his own private legion of aurors."
"You always wanted to be an auror, and I already know that, I'm the one that summoned them." Sirius yawned as he sat up and stretched, arranging the blanket over the back of the couch. Remus smiled slightly and nodded. "Well..." he trailed off not knowing how to break the news to Sirius without provoking his explosive personality, "Albus wants someone else to stay here...just for a short time I'm assuming, but Severus will be arriving this evening and-"
"Excuse me?" Sirius inquired shortly, staring straight into Remus' face. "I must not have been listening, I though you just said that Snape was coming here." Remus opened his mouth to say that he had heard right but thought better of it and began to choose his words carefully. He was treading on thin ice as it was.
"Albus thinks you two need to resolve your issues, I'm sure that Severus doesn't like it any better than you do, but you have to accept him as being on the same side as you. You have to give him all of your trust." Sirius just laughed at that, pushing himself off the couch with a bit of a crazed laugh, he rain his hand through his long shaggy black hair muttering, "Ridiculous. Absolutely Ridiculous. We shook hands at the castle, was that not enough?" he asked turning on Remus who shrugged. "I'm guessing that if you and Severus shook hands it was far from friendly and Dumbledore probably forced you to."
Sirius' smirk told him he had been right, neither one of their prideful personalities would allow the two men to put aside differences to shake hands and actually mean it. "The old man really pulled one over on us. I must admit I would have loved to Severus' response when Albus told him to behave." Sirius said, heading to the kitchen and swiping a muffin from the plate.
"I bet he was livid. Exiting in a mass of swirling robes and cursing anything that stepped in his way," Remus laughed, "I bet he's on the warpath." Sirius returned with half a muffin hanging from his mouth while he wiped the spilled jelly off of his shirt, "He has reason to be, but he should be happy. It'll give him an excuse to brood and stamp around like a hippogriff all day." Remus smirked knowing that that description was probably accurate.
"So are you going to be civil to him?" he asked. Sirius swallowed the last of the muffin and picked the crumbs off his friend's robe. "Yes mother, I will play nice with the greasy scumbag. I'll try not to have you put us in time out."
"I'm Serious."
"So am I."
Remus raised a brow, wondering if he was referring to the all to overused play on his name or his intentions but on second though decided that he really didn't want to know. "I'm going to go get some firewhisky...try not to level the house while I'm gone." he joked.
"I'll try, no promises though."
~*~
Severus sat with his back straight against the expensive Victorian chair and nursed his glass of scotch down, shaking it slightly to rattle the ice, before placing it on the table beside him. The sitting room of the Malfoy manor was ornate and dark, but not drab. All the furniture was crafted in black cherry wood, a neatly polished desk sat by the window. Scores of loose papers and folders covered its surface and were stacked up neatly on the sides. Two large picture windows overlooked the misty landscape and rolling green hills. The heavy curtains were a deep shade of green like a serpent. Pictures of the Malfoy ancestors hung on the wall, all looking prestigious and serious.
Lucius sat across from him with his scotch in hand and a small smile on his face. "So what brings you here that's of such urgency?" he asked, cutting through the thick silence of the room. Snape picked up his scotch again, just out of the need to be busy with something. "I wanted to tell you what a fool you were for what you did the last time we met." He said seriously but his friend saw right through it and laughed.
"A nice thank you would have sufficed." he replied and Snape smirked. "I think not. I'm quite aware that The Dark Lord is questioning my loyalty, if you ally yourself with me you're just bringing the same upon yourself." Lucius downed the rest of his drink and sighed. "I doubt that Severus. My loyalty has never wavered. I've been smart."
Severus saw the veiled inquisition just from the tone his voice took and he stared hard into his face. "As have I old friend, as have I." Lucius nodded solemnly, his eyes narrowing, as if inspecting his face for any sign of traitorous markings. "Well that's good. I pity the poor fool who thinks he can turn his back on family." A family it was, as disfunctional and chaotic as it seemed. Snape nodded in response and the thick silence settled over their heads once more.