I don't mind restrictions

Or if you're blacking out the friction

It's just an escape

(its overrated anyways)

The hardest part is yet to come

When you will cross this

Country alone

-Blacking out the Friction Death Cab For Cutie

One of the situations Severus Snape never felt he would find himself in was willingly helping Sirius Black. The other was covering for a Gryffindor.

Oddly enough, at the moment he was doing both.

Black was in shock, not unconscious, but not really all there in the mind. But then, was he ever? Flitwick and Sprout had rushed over to him, pushing away the remnants that had been the large table. Helping the man sit up, they found that his back was badly scraped, splinters littering his skin. His robes were tattered through, torn from the breaking wood. Snape hurried over.

"What in Merlin's name happened?" Flitwick squeaked, standing knee-deep in the shards of wood.

"An accident," Snape muttered briefly, spared from any further explanation when the door, which Snape had left slightly ajar, was pushed freely open and in walked Remus Lupin. Shock was clearly the first thing to show on his features before flying over and kneeling down beside his best friend.

Black suddenly found his voice. "Oh, don't worry Remus, just a little a scratch." The grimace on his face, however, betrayed his words.

"Lupin, if you would be as good as to help me escort Professor Steve down to Madame Pomfrey?" The voiceless man nodded rapidly, and quickly took one of Sirius's arms while Snape grasped the other. Hauling the wounded Black to his feet they started out of the room, leaving behind a very worried Sprout and Flitwick.

***

The note was crumpled into a ball in his hand, which lay still on the bed he sat on. He was vaguely aware of Ron asking him a question, but he was dwelling on the words on the paper. His move. What did that mean? A death every hour until he gave the Keepsake up? Would his mystery correspondent finally appear before him? He wasn't sure if he wanted them to or not.

He was shaken from his thoughts by the entering of many people into the infirmary. Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall were first, followed by the unconscious Dean on a stretched. Behind them came the rest of the Quidditch team. Seamus was on his feet immediately.

"How is he? Is he going to live?"

"Yes, yes, if you all leave!" Madame Pomfrey shouted, pointing at the door. Everyone took the hint. Except for Seamus.

"I'm not leaving until you answer me. Is he going to die?" He was well aware that there was no tone to his voice, only dead and hollow words.

The nurse seemed to struggle with answer for a moment. "I don't know," she told him frankly. " But I can't help him if you stay here and distract me." Her voice was softer now.

"Go on, Mr. Finnigan," McGonagall finished. "Back to the Tower. It's for the best that you do."

Seamus nodded slowly before shuffling out of the infirmary, giving one last glance over to the still form of his best fried. Then he left.

***

The halls were, thankfully, devoid of student activity for the most part. Snape had filled the mute Lupin in on the situation as they had made their way to the Hospital Wing. He had merely nodded lightly in response.

Sirius was taking the whole thing very lightly, making jokes about well-earned battle scars on the way. While his seemingly endless chatter irked Snape to no end, he had a strong feeling the man was keeping it up for his friend's sake. For some unknown reason that angered the Potions Master even more.

Before long, the awkward trio reached the Hospital Wing, just as Seamus Finnigan was despondently leaving it. He was silent as his three professors halted in front of him.

"Well, hello, Seamus!" Black's strained voice greeted him jovially.

"P-professor Steve I am so incredibly sorry! I had no idea that that was goi-"

"Calm down, Seamus, I know. I don't blame you." The bleeding man looked down at his shorter friend. "Although I suppose Moony's going to have to help you work on your control and restraint."

"Lord knows you'd be no help there," Snape snapped unexpectedly. Sirius, however, gave a winning smile and retorted, "Oh, Severus, you don't have to pretend to hate me. We all know of your undying love for me."

"Oh," Severus deadpanned. "Have you found me out? Damn."

The faux professor gave a roaring chuckle, while Lupin shook his head and Seamus stood in front of them uncomfortably.

"Really though, Mr. Finnigan," Snape turned to his student. "He has a point. You should schedule a time to meet with Lupin. He can help you."

"Erm...alright."

"And soon."

Lupin turned to face Sirius and began mouthing something. Sirius translated. "He says if it's getting this out of hand you'd better come by his classroom in a few hours. Could you?"

"Yes."

"Alright then. Well, I am in unimaginable pain right now so if you wouldn't mind just letting us through? Thank you, and good day Mr. Finnigan."

***

The halls of Hogwarts were oddly all similar. Seamus, having decided he didn't want to face the whole of the Gryffindor House just yet, had taken to strolling through the corridors of the school, a nervous habit of his. Somewhere on his trip, however, he had lost track of where he was he going. It was coming time for him to meet Professor Lupin his rooms and the paintings were being quite counter-productive, leading him circles when he asked for directions. Finally, he had given up asking the art-life for help and had begun walking on his own. Heavy thoughts weighed down his mind.

"Well hello there!" An oddly familiar voice suddenly called out to him. He turned around, but saw no one standing there, and then once again forward, which was also vacant. "No, you fool, up here!" Turning in the direction of the voice, which happened to come from the wall, Seamus was surprised to find himself standing to next the portrait of Fredrick Hundley-Delving.

"You! I thought you were destroyed!"

"Well, I was," Delving nodded. "But, paintings can be restored you know. A rather vile process if you ask me." The figure of the man gave visible shudder. "I must say though, I am surprised to see you have lived this long."

"Such soothing words."

"I only meant...that is...well, how have you been able to stay among the living all this time?"

"Oh...this," absentmindedly, Seamus pulled the Keepsake out from its place underneath his clothes.

"Ah! I see someone has found my old journal! I must say I am surprised."

"Yes, yes, everything surprises you. Excuse me, but I have to get going, I'm to be late for meeting with Professor Lu-" with an intake of breath, his words were cut off. A familiar pain began filling his head, as the world around him slowly went gray and faded into nothing. Screams surged through his mind, but he couldn't tell if they were his or not. They didn't sound as though they were coming from his own voice, though. Someone older. The screams grew louder and they pain more intense until suddenly...they stopped.

He was crouched on the floor where he had been standing. Delving was look down on him most curiously. Something knowing was playing across the portrait's features.

"A vision?"

Seamus could only nod before tearing down the hall. Somehow, he knew, he had to go see Lupin immediately.

***

Remus Lupin was thumbing through a rather ancient book when a soft knock came upon his office door. He was alone in the room, as Sirius was still being held in the Hospital Wing by Madame Pomfrey. He stood up from his chair and strode over to the door, expecting to be met with Seamus Finnigan.

He was surprised then to see Erron Finnigan's small face glancing up at him. He held a haphazardly ripped piece of parchment in his hand. Lupin raised an eyebrow at his visitor, but held the door open and allowed him in.

"You wanted to see me, professor?"

Lupin raised an eyebrow and slowly shook his head. Erron extended the note he held.

Mr. Finnigan- It is imperative that I see as soon as possible in my office. Thank you- Professor R. J. Lupin

"An owl brought this up to me a few minutes ago. An eagle owl. It wasn't yours?" Erron's eyes were wide with surprise, which quickly turned to nervousness. "Well then...who wou-" He was cut off by the shattering of the largest window in the room.

"Ah, so good of the two of you to wait for me," the voice that greeted them was snide and cocky. The person that spoke however, was hidden behind a cloak of a deepest green, nearly black. "I'm afraid that brother of yours, tiny Gryffindor, is going to learn his lesson one way or the other. Crucio!"

The spell was not directed at Erron, but at Lupin, who doubled over in silent pain. He bit hard on his lip, drawing blood, but he was unaware of anything except the pain he was in. It couldn't go on for long, even at that moment all sorts of alarms would be raised in the castle, signifying the used of an Unforgivable.

Then the pain stopped.

"You know," the voice drew out, "it's really no fun when you can't hear their screams." Lupin was still bent over, taking in breath in deep gasps. Erron was frozen in his spot. The attacker walked closer to them. "Lucius may have stolen your voice, werewolf, but I can give it back." A hush set of foreign words, an unknown spell, ushered out from the strangers voice. Pain once more erupted in Lupin, confined this time to his throat. A slight groan came from a mouth that had spoken no words in months. "That's better. Now, let's try that again, shall we?" The professor didn't even have time to look up before he was once more hit with the Cruciatus.

***

There was no longer any question in Seamus's mind as to where in the castle he was. Tearing through the halls, he drew closer and closer to the Defense corridor. The screams he'd heard kept echoing louder in his mind until he realized something.

They weren't remnants of his vision. The screams he was hearing were genuine. And he was coming upon the source quickly. He reached the Defense hall soon, and as soon as he did, the anguished screams halted, making time almost seem to stop. The door to Lupin's office was ajar. Seamus hesitantly approached it.

He could hear a slight panting inside, someone breathing heavily as though they hadn't taken a breath in years. The boy slowly pushed the door open.

His professor was collapsed on the floor, out of breath. As Seamus entered the room, he looked up at him and opened his mouth, but immediately, his rolled up in his head and fell unconscious. A stream of blood came from his lip. As Seamus hurried to check on him, his eyes landed on something that lay on the floor in-between them. Another letter addressed to him.

Stupid Gryffindor. You've run out of time. I do hope you weren't terribly attached to that younger brother of yours, as you probably won't see him again. Alive, that is. Perhaps you should have warned young Erron not to trust hastily written notes delivered by an eagle owl.

Oh, and remember- Dancing Monkeys.

Dancing Monkeys? What?

The silliness the letter had ended on, however, did nothing to diminish that panic that rose in his mind. Erron? Gone? And Lupin unconscious on the floor and bleeding. Still holding the letter, he bent down to check on his teacher. The man's breathing was back to normal, and he stirred as Seamus shook him.

"Professor Lupin? Wake up!"

A groan escaped the man's lips, causing the student to jerk up. Another followed, puzzling Seamus. Mutes...couldn't make any vocal noises, could they?

"Mr. Finnigan?" The voice that greeted him was hoarse, rough as though it hadn't been used in ages. But then...it hadn't, had it?

"Professor Lupin? You can...talk? What happened? Where's my brother?" Dozens of questions were racing through Seamus's mind, all more urgent than the last.

"He's...gone." A coughing fit surged through the professor's body, and Seamus was haunted at the blood that poured from Lupin's mouth to his awaiting hand.

"You're...you're sick..."

"No, I'll be fine. Did you find the letter? He...he dropped a letter for you before grabbing Erron."

"Yes, I've got it," he held it up for Lupin to see.

"You don't seemed surprised by it," the older man drew himself to a sitting position, placing one hand on Seamus's right shoulder for support.

"No," Seamus found his eyes searching out the ground. "I've...I've been getting them for awhile." He paused. "I've caused some horrible things, Professor."

"That can wait, Mr. Finnigan. What does the letter say?"

Seamus almost smiled. "It says 'dancing monkeys.'"

Seamus hadn't been aware of being caught on a fishing line, but he felt it the moment the hook pulled him down through the floor and away to some unknown place.

***

Sirius was becoming increasingly bored in the infirmary. His back was fine. It had only taken Madame Pomfrey five minutes to heal. Of course it had taken her thirty to get to him, as she had been struggling over Dean Thomas's bleeding body. The boy was still in the unclear.

Snape was still there, or rather, there again. Madame Pomfrey had sent him down to his potions lab to brew up a rather strong concoction for the Gryffindor boy. And Snape had done so unquestioningly.

"Well what do you know," Sirius had commented as the Potions Master had begun to hurry to the dungeons. "He has a heart after all." Snape had merely glared in response. After he had returned, the dark man had sat in a chair across the room from the others, as though awaiting orders.

"Really, Poppy," Sirius tried again. "You've got you're hands full, I'm only taking up space. I'll just head down to my own chambers for a few hours and come back up here before dinner so you can check up on me."

"No. Sit. And do stop disturbing me."

Muttering underneath his breath, the animagus contemplated transforming and hurrying out of the room. But the nurse would probably send Snape after him, and that wasn't a pleasant thought. To pass the time, he began humming under his breath, absent-mindedly kicking his foot into the empty air.

"You are even more of a child than I had previously thought," Snape's voice announced to him. "So impatient, just like always."

"Pipe-down, greasy git. No one pulled you're chain." Snape raised an eyebrow at his choice of words. "Never mind, muggle expression."

"Why are you in such a rush to leave, anyway? Can't spend five minutes away from your little werewolf?" His tone was snide.

Sirius only shook his head. "I pity you, Snape, I truly do."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"To look so disdainfully on friendship...you are a pathetic person indeed."

"Watch your mouth, Black," the Potions Master warned him lethally.

"Don't like to hear the truth, Severus?"

"Shut up!" Furiously, Snape forced himself from his chair and rushed out of the room, leaving Sirius to smirk in his success, until he caught Madame Pomfrey glaring at him.

"What? He started it."

"You know, Professor Steve," she spit the name out venomously, "I believe I will let you go for sometime-"

"Finally!"

"-to help Severus prepare some more of that draught for me."

"What? Poppy, you can't be serious?"

"Oh I assure you, I am. Now go."

Sirius crossed his arms and glared back at the woman. "I refuse."

"Well, as long as you're staying here for awhile, I might as well clean those wounds for you." Sirius didn't like the tone her voice held.

"Fine. I'll go be a good boy and help Snape." He spit the name on to the floor as though it were a foul-tasting thing.

To him, of course, it was.