Chapter 40: A Slimy Job.
A few days before Christmas of that year, Dumbledore called me into his office.
"Sirius, I have a job for you." I nodded, wondering what was going on. I usually got my clearance form McKinnon.
"Thomas McKinnon and his wife were murdered last night." I sat down, shocked. My trainer? My friend? McKinnon, who always seemed in charge? Now victims of Voldemort?
"What happened?" Dumbledore shook his head.
"No one knows. But it seems that, as his second in command, the head of the department passes to you."
"What?" I was not hearing this. Me? Head of the Department of Magical Intelligence? This seemed unreal.
"Congratulations." Dumbledore said, shaking my hand.
"But how-" I was interrupted when the door opened and who should walk in but Severus Snape. He gave me a disgusted look.
"What is he doing here?" We both asked at the same time.
"Now listen here, you two. I called you both here for a reason. I want no fighting, no arguing. You must pay attention, do you understand?"
"Yes, sir." I muttered, giving Snape a death glare, which he returned full.
"Yes, sir." Snape intoned.
"Sirius, as you know, Severus has been spying for us for some time now. And lately, several of the more influential members of Voldemort's group have been questioning his loyalty."
"Too bad for you, Snape." I growled. Dumbledore shot me a warning look.
"Sirius, we need Snape in his present position. If these supports succeed, then one of our most informative lines are gone. Snape is the one who tells us just who exactly to send you after."
"So what do you want me to do about it?" I growled.
"I want you to make him your next target."
"What!?" I hollered. Snape looked worried.
"Tell me, Severus, have you heard of a man called Cerberus?"
Snape snorted, "Of course, who hasn't? He's bumped off enough Death Eaters, he's got the Dark Lord himself after his skin." I shuddered involuntarily.
"Do they have any theories about his identity?"
"Oh, there are thousands. Everyone from Pettigrew to well, you, sir."
"And who does he go after?" Dumbledore prompted.
"He goes after the dangerous ones, it seems. The ones that won't or can't be taken alive."
"Voldemort's more loyal servants, you might say." Snape shrugged.
"You might."
"I've got it!" I jumped up and began to pace. "You want him targeted, so they'll not suspect him. Because only the dangerous ones get targeted." Dumbledore nodded. I stopped pacing and ran my finger through my hair.
"But sir, how do I miss? I've missed one, only one. Why would I miss Snape?"
"You miss? My God!" Snape's eyes widened. "You're Cerberus?" he looked both horrified and fascinated.
"I am." Then I turned to Dumbledore. "But how do I make it look good?" Dumbledore smiled.
"That would be your job. Just please, do not actually kill him." I made a face.
"Alright, alright." Snape looked less comforted, then frightened out of his life.
"Alright," I thought quickly. "We'd need a witness. Someone to back up your story."
"But he can't recognize you." Snape said. I nodded.
"Could use a facial altering charm. Or I could just kill him." Snape and Dumbledore glared at me, "Alright, alright. The charm, it is then." Snape narrowed his eyes under the greasy hair.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, sir?" he asked Dumbledore. I made a face at him.
"Sirius," Dumbledore said warning, "I am sure, Severus." Snape sighed.
"I'm meeting with Ronmand tonight at the Leaky Cauldron. Black can show up then." I nodded.
"What time?" He shrugged.
"The meeting's scheduled for seven."
"How long will it take?"
"An hour, most likely. He likes to eat first."
"Seven thirty it is then." I got up, and with a nod to Dumbledore, I walked out. Snape followed me.
"If you kill me, Black, I will haunt you forever." I grinned.
"You already haunt my nightmares, Snape. No matter how tempting it may be, Dumbledore said don't kill, so I don't kill. Alright?" I growled.
He glared at me, and turned on his heels. I growled low in my throat as he left.
That night, I was nervous as we sat down to eat.
"Sirius, what is wrong?" Mari asked for the fourth time that night as I was brought down to earth from where I'd been thinking about the recent events.
"Hm? Nothing, darling, why?"
"Because that is the third time I've asked for the potatoes." She said, glaring at me. I handed her the bowl, and she took it. But she didn't take her gaze off me. I glanced at the clock.
"Are you waiting for something?" She asked. Seven twenty. I'd better go. I hated leaving my wife like this, but I got up.
"There's something I have to do, love." I went around to kiss her on the cheek.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"Got a job to do."
"You have a raid?" she looked disappointed. I shook my head.
"Nah, nothing like that tonight. This is just something I have to do." Then I went out into the hall. Mari followed me.
"Well, at least take your coat." She held up the leather jacket I loved so much. She frowned at its weight, but luckily didn't ask. I kept my guns in one of the inside pockets. I slipped it on.
"How late do you think you'll be?" I smiled.
"It shouldn't take too long." I gave her a kiss on her forehead, and she smiled.
"I love you." It was a ritual we had every time I left the house. We'd always tell the other we loved each other. She'd learned very quickly, that every time I left, I might never come home. She'd helped in the hospital some, and she'd seen wives who were told their husbands weren't coming home. She never wanted to go through that, and neither did I.
"Love you more." I whispered.
"No, I love you more."
"Never." I growled in her ear and she giggled. Then with a kiss, I slipped out the door.
I apperated outside the tavern. With a quick muttering of Latin and a wave of my wand, I could see in the frozen ice, my hair become browner, my face shorter, and my eyes darker. When I was satisfied, I pulled the door open and hurried inside out of the chilly winter wind.
One quick glance showed Snape in a far corner, two men seated across from him. I groaned, two? Well, maybe I could kill one and leave the other. That way, they'd at least know it was I. I slowed my walk and made my way to Snape's table. He saw me first, but didn't say a word.
In fact none of the other men saw me until I was leaning over their shoulders.
"Interesting, isn't it?" I said, quietly, slipping into an Irish accent. I was good at those, first from my mum, then Erin and now Mari, it was one of the accents I was prefect in. They jumped, startled. Snape, for all the credit he was due, which isn't much, was a good actor as he glared at me with anger in his eyes. Though that might not have been acting.
"Can we help you?" One man asked, stiffly polite.
"Yeah, yeh can help me. Yeh can help me by steppin' outside." I pulled my wand out just enough for them to see it, and not cause a panic.
"And just who do you think you are?" The same man asked in a voice that should have come from a spoiled three year old, not an adult.
"I don't tink I know. I know. 'N' I tink yeh do too. " I hissed. "Now get your arses out tha door, or I will be forced ta do my business in here. 'N' trust me, yeh don't want tha." I gave them an enticing smile. Snape was the first to get up, the men followed him and I trailed behind. I noticed several patrons had noticed us, but one glare from me sent them back to their drinks. They wouldn't be a problem, I could be sure of that.
They turned as soon as we were out in the street. We were in the muggle area, though the night was so cold, there wasn't a muggle in sight.
"Now what do you want?" the man asked again. I shrugged.
"Not much. I've got a mission ta perform. Unfortunately for yeh, my good fellows, yeh were the very wrong place at a very wrong time." They exchanged nervous glances.
"What?"
"Well, yeh see, my real target is Snape here, but this is an added pleasure, it is." I grinned and pulled out my gun. They took a step backwards at the sight of it.
"Cerberus!" Snape hissed.
I gave a mocking bow. "Glad to be of service." Then I raised the gun. But the man on my right made a dash for it, running in the opposite direction. I turned and swiftly fired. The man dropped, and my last two targets were staring eyes wide.
"My God…" Snape whispered.
"Good idea, Snape. Maybe your partner should start sayin' his prayers too." I leveled my gun at them.
"Look, Snape here is the spy. I'm just an agent." He cowered.
"I know." I said, and then turned the gun on Snape. I knew just where to fire that would wound him, not seriously, and would keep him alive. I went for the shoulder. Snape fell back, clutching his wounded arm and staring at me, shock and hatred burning in his eyes. I gave him a smirk. Then, there was a noise behind me. Voices, and people talking.
"Damn!" I swore and pulled out my wand. I turned back. I groaned. In the moment I'd been distracted, the man had apperated. Oh well, I needed one alive anyway.
"Black," Snape hissed. "You, You!"
"It's not mortal. You'll be fine." I told him, waving it off. He growled then took a deep breath.
"He told me they were planning an attack tonight." He hissed, speaking low so I had to strain to hear him. " A girl, a muggle girl. Said it would make Black mad."
"Name?" I whispered, praying it wasn't one of the two that I held dear.
"O'Connell." He hissed back.
"No!" My roar echoed down the street. "They'll be back soon." I told him, and then I was gone.
I reappeared outside our home. With a quick wave of my wand, my features were back and I dashed up the steps. But the door was locked. I knocked, there was no answer. Fear overtook me.
"Mari! Mari, open the door! Open the door right now!" I could see her through the glass, hurrying to unlock the door. She pulled it open and I pushed past her.
"Sirius? What is it?" I glanced around. Her parents had just come into the hall. I turned back to Mari, panting.
"Close that door. Close it and lock it." she stared. "Now, Mari!" she did as she was told. I turned to her parents who were staying with us." Go lock every door and window you can find. If you see anyone outside, even if they look like they're passing by, tell me immediately." They stared at me for a moment.
"Now!" I hissed and they fled, doing exactly what I said.
"Sirius, what is it?" I waited till her parents had returned to the living room and assured me they were all locked.
"Death Eaters." I told her. "Coming for you."
"For me? why?"
"Because you're my wife." I told her, pulling her close. "But no one, not one is going to lay a hand on you. Over my dead body, they will!"
"That can be arranged." I spun around, holding my wand up. The owner of the slow oily drawl stepped into the flickering candlelight of his wand, even as the other lights in the house were extinguished.
"Clemon Montressor." Damn! I thought. He was the only one, the only one of my targets to escape. But I pushed that aside, and put on my front. " I thought you weren't in league with Voldemort. Isn't that what you told investigators? Was it only last week?"
"Oh, do shut up, Black." Montressor snarled. He paced slowly around the room.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him, my wand still raised for attack.
"I think you had it more or less correct." He grinned and waved his wand. "Expelliarmus." My wand shot out of my hand. I felt naked without it.
"Get out." I told him. Then he pointed his wand at me. No, he wasn't going to… not here. Not in front of Mari.
"Crucio!" my world exploded in pain. I fell to my knees, trying not to scream out loud, but I couldn't hold it in, I couldn't. When he let me go, I collapsed, breathing heavily.
"Sirius!" Mari shouted. She hurried to my side and helped me sit up.
"You are brave. I'll grant you that, foolishly brave." He smiled at Mari and touched her face. "You didn't know you'd married a fool, did you?" she glared at him, fire in her eyes. "It's shame you're a muggle. You are quite pretty." She spat in his face. That's my girl, I thought.
But he wasn't so impressed. "Why you little brat!" he slapped her hard and she fell. I growled and leapt to my feet.
"Do not touch my wife." I warned him.
"Or what?" I grinned, much like a Cheshire Cat.
"You don't want to know." He smiled then raised his wand again. But he didn't point it at me. He whispered a spell and sent it straight at Mari. She cried out in pain and clutched her stomach. Her round belly, right where the baby was.
With a roar of anger, I leapt at him. His wand was knocked away as I hit him and we scuffled on the ground, each trying to reach it. he managed to knock me on the head and daze me for a second and he grabbed the wand. Then he kicked me hard, sending me against the wall. Something hard jammed into my ribs and I remembered. My gun!
Reaching
into my pocket, I grabbed my gun and pointed it at him. He laughed.
"You're going to kill me with that?"
"I can try."
He laughed, "Then I'll see you in hell, Black." But as he raised his wand, I had the last word.
"You first." Then I pulled the trigger. He fell, and he didn't get up.
I gazed at him for a moment, then crawled over to Mari. She was holding her belly and gasping for breath.
"Siri," she moaned. Her mother was holding her hand and whispering to her.
"Shh, it's alright." I pulled her to me and held her close. "Can you hand me my wand?" I asked her father. He looked horrified. "Please?" he glared at me and folded his arms. Mrs. O'Connell groaned and handed me the and. I waved it and sent up the sign for someone in peril. Then I rocked Mari who was sobbing.
Not a minute had passed before several people tumbled into my door. Frank, James, and Moody all burst in.
"Sirius! What happened?" James asked taking in my in- laws, the body on my carpet, dead by a gunshot, and my sobbing wife.
I nodded to Montressor, "Broke in and tried to kill Mari. I couldn't let him, so I shot him." I told them. James was looking oddly at the gun, lying on the floor where I'd dropped it. "Mari got hit by a curse. I dunno."
"Here, let me see." Frank said, gently. I released Mari who clutched at me more tightly.
"Shh, it's alright." I comforted her, "Frank is just going to see what he hit you with. It's alright." Stifling her sobs, Mari nodded and allowed him to place her on the sofa and examine her.
Moody was examining the body. "You shot him, 'eh?" I nodded. "You're a good shot, kid." James frowned
"Are you alright? They didn't hit you with anything?"
"Cruciatus." I whispered. "But I'm fine now. I can handle it."
"You sure?" he asked, his eyes searching my face. I nodded.
"I'm sure."
"Sirius?" Frank called.
"Yeah?"
"May I speak with you?" I nodded and joined him, out of anyone's hearing.
"Sirius, this may be hard for you." He sighed, "The curse hit the baby. " I swear, for a second, my heart stopped beating. I took a deep breath, swallowed, and glanced back at my wife.
"Are you sure?" he nodded.
"Should I tell her or do you want to?"
"I will. Does she have to go to the hospital?" Frank nodded
"I would recommend it. Take her to St. Mungo's." I nodded. Then I approached her.
"Mari?" she looked at me as I knelt by her side. Taking her hand, I kissed it softly. It tore me apart to have to tell her this. It tore me apart that this happened. The bastards had gone after my baby! My child! I calmed myself.
"Mari, we're gonna take you to the hospital. Alright? You'll be fine, they just want to check on the baby."
"Sirius," she whispered, "the baby. They hurt my baby!" I stared at her. How did she know?
"How do you know?"
"I can't feel its heartbeat. I can't." she sobbed. I slipped my arms under her and lifted her up. James looked on sympathetically.
When we arrived at the hospital, Mari was taken from me and wheeled into the emergency room. She refused to let go of my hand until they pushed her through the doors. Then I watched as they wheeled her down the hall and away from me.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. Turning, I was surprised to see Remus.
"Moony? What are you doing here?" he smiled, then displayed a bandaged right arm.
"Full moon. Addi insisted. Why are you here? Is Mari alright?" I nodded, then shook my head.
"Oh, I don't know."
"Sirius, sit down." James told me, helping me to a nearby sofa. I'd forgotten he was there. So was Lily and Addi.
"When did you get here?" I asked them.
"I came with Remus." Addi told me, sitting beside me and slipping an arm around me.
"And James called me as soon as you got here." Lily told me. The sight of her belly, round and full, reminded me and I dropped my face in my hands.
"Sirius, what happened?" Addi asked, pulling my face up. I closed my eyes.
"We were attacked. I got him, but not before he shot something at Mari. She said she can't feel the baby." I heard Lily gasp, and I knew Remus and James were exchanged looks.
"So you brought her here?" I nodded. I noticed a doctor entering through the same hallway Mari had vanished down. I bit my lip and buried my head on my knees. James sat down next to me, Lily on the seat next to him, and Remus stood.
"She'll be alright, Siri." Addi reassured me. I closed my eyes and let out a whimper.
" Mr. Black?" I looked up. A doctor was standing in front of me. I was on my feet in an instant.
"Yes? Mari, how is she? What's wrong? Is the baby all right? Is Mari?" I attacked him with questions. The doctor smiled and relief flooded my mind.
"Yes, she's fine. The baby took the hit, but surprisingly, everything seems to be fine."
"What?" I gasped. " It's not hurt? Not dead? It's alright?"
"Almost as if nothing happened. That is one powerful child you're going to have." He said, smiling. I smiled and collapsed with relief back into my chair.
I glanced at my friends and noticed James staring intently at the floor, avoiding my eyes.
The next few months passed without many incidents. James was also attacked, but luckily no one was home at the time. Even Voldemort seemed to be taking a break from his life excitement and random killing sprees. I was let off. I hadn't had to make a kill in weeks, a breath of fresh air to me. In fact not much happened at all until July 31.