I've been busy lately so I didn't do the usual footnotes. Sorry ^^; but I
did mention some of them at the end. Also, I must apologize again about
taking far too long too.
--
chapter seven
--
In the village of Middleton, which was a few miles south of the Scottish/English border, things were generally grouped into two categories: Normal and Abnormal. A Friday night in the pub spent drinking with friends was normal. A man living all by himself in a cottage outside the village? Abnormal. And when this man suddenly had visitors when he had formerly refused all advances of hospitality by the residents of the village before? Extremely abnormal. Which was why most of the town was gathered in the Swishing Feather, the town's only pub, on Friday night discussing what Mrs. Undling had seen as she came back from a visit with her sister.
"Two men and two women, all of 'em strange-lookin', sittin' pretty as you please in that Lupin man's livin' room," recounted Mrs. Undling, the wife of the mayor. "And my Bess, dear thing, she swore that she saw another man sittin' on the porch with young Mr. Lupin. Said he looked frightful: all long hair an' bony. And that he was holdin' Lupin's hand like a lover."
"Mayhap our Mr. Lupin is a pouf, eh?" One of the men at the bar, who was the village blacksmith, spat on the floor. "Wouldn't surprise me in the least. Always somethin' queer 'bout that one ever since he came to this here town."
A general murmur of agreement went around the pub, most of the inhabitants looking generally unhappy with the situation at hand.
"Unnatural," someone said, sneering.
"Positively disgraceful," said another.
"Well if Mr. Lupin is in fact a queer, and he's happy, then I wish him the best," remarked Jack, the barkeeper, his voice ringing clear through the whole pub. "That man's always got such a sad look about him. If he's happy now, then we shouldn't pry. T'aint none of our business what sort of lad Lupin prefers, and we shouldn't make it our business."
Another round of murmuring went around the pub, but this time it was more thoughtful and not nearly as unhappy or uncomfortable as before.
"Jack's right," one man said, lifting his glass. "He ain't hurtin' no one, not really."
"Let the poor man be," said a woman from the edge of the bar.
All eyes seemed to be on the blacksmith, who grumbled something about an "unnatural man" before muttering his agreement. And so the village of Middleton passed their verdict on the strange young man living outside of town. Little did they know that the subject of their conversation was, in fact, sitting at his kitchen table at that moment feeling absolutely miserable.
--
Remus stared into his cold cup of tea, which he'd made hours ago but hadn't touched. Sirius had been gone for almost three days, and Remus had begun to give up hope of his return. When they had fought as boys, Sirius would stalk off and sulk for a few hours, only to then return later and beg forgiveness from Remus, who (not having been mad in the first place) would happily forgive and forget. Their last major row had been the night before Lily and James had died. Remus had confronted Sirius about his constant mysterious disappearances. At the time, he had suspected Sirius of being the spy, but now that Peter had confessed, Remus knew the truth. Sirius had been working overtime with the Aurors and couldn't say what he'd been doing no matter what the circumstances are, in case Remus was the spy.
Too many misunderstandings, Remus thought moodily and looked up at the clock on the wall with a bleak expression. And it almost cost us all our lives.
A heavy scratching at the back door startled Remus into knocking over his cup of tea. The liquid spread, staining the threadbare white tablecloth, yet he didn't notice or care. Instead, he unlatched and opened the door, half-expecting it to be a trick and find Death Eaters on his doorstep. Instead of Lucius Malfoy and his cronies, however, Padfoot sat on the wooden porch with his tail wagging slightly and large brown eyes full of pleading.
"Oh Padfoot," Remus whispered, dropping to his knees and letting the dog shower him with slobbery kisses. He buried his face in the dog's thick shaggy fur and breathed in deeply, the wolf in him noting the smells that were familiar: wet earth, trees, and cinnamon. Cinnamon? Remus wondered, but he ignored that particular detail as self-righteous anger began to bubble up, making him release Padfoot quite suddenly.
Remus stood up shakily as Padfoot bounded into the house, the huge dog turning around to wait for Remus to join him, his great big tail wagging happily. As soon as Remus closed the door, Sirius appeared in Padfoot's place, a tired smile upon his face.
"Where have you been?" Remus demanded, pulling Sirius to his feet. In reply, Sirius captured his mouth in a searing kiss, but let go just as suddenly as Remus grew stiff in his arms.
"Remus?" he asked, looking confused. "Are you alright?"
"Alright?" Remus repeated, staring at Sirius as though he was mad. "You dissapeared into the woods for three days. You left me. And you think I'll be alright?"
Sirius took a step forward, but Remus moved away, standing by the sink, his face set in an angry frown. Carefully, Sirius tried, again, putting his arms around his lover from behind, resting his chin on Remus's shoulder. "I went to Hogwarts," he admitted, looking repentant. "I had some things to talk to Dumbledore about, and it took longer than I thought."
"I was worried," Remus said softly, giving Sirius a half-hearted glare. "You could have owled me, or used the fire-"
Sirius shook his head, squeezing Remus tightly. "I didn't think it would take as long as it did. Besides," he added, looking sheepish. "I thought you might still be angry with me. I was quite an asshole the other night."
"That you were," Remus said, drawing a mock-hurt 'hey!' from Sirius. "But you know I never stay mad at you for long. I forgave you the minute I watched you run off."
"I am sorry, Moony," Sirius said quietly, looking his lover in the eyes. "I just get so frustrated. Harry's my godson and James entrusted me to look after him. But now I can't."
"That's why you have me, Dumbledore, and the Weasleys," Remus soothed, turning around and taking Sirius's hands in his. "And I promise we'll do our best until you can take up your duties again."
Sirius sighed and rested his head against Remus's, looking into the fireplace. "I offered my mother's house as headquarters for the Order," he said suddenly as he watched the flames. "Dumbledore agreed. We're supposed to move in there by the end of the week."
Remus looked down at Sirius, startled. "Why, Sirius? You swore you'd never set foot in that place again."
"I know," Sirius looked up at Remus with a half-hearted smile. "But I have to face my demons sometime, and it's the perfect place. Everyone knows that miserable hag disowned me-who would suspect that she actually left me the house in her will."
"What about that house-elf of hers?" Remus asked, thinking of the few stories he had heard of Sirius's days in the Black manor. "Kratchs or whatnot?"
"Kreacher," Sirius said, shuddering. "Stupid, nasty old thing. I suppose he'll have to stay though. I don't know what I'd do with him otherwise. Can't throw him out; he'd go spilling my whereabouts to the Malfoys or anyone else."
"We'll manage," Remus said, yawning slightly. "But all that can wait till morning. How about some dinner,and then bed?" he asked, looking at Sirius. Sirius raised an eyebrow and gave Remus a sly look, who blushed as he realized the double meaning of his words.
"I-I didn't mean-"
"Relax, Moony," Sirius laughed, poking Remus in the side playfully. "I know what you meant. Dinner sounds wonderful, and I could use a few hours of sleep. Of course, if you were offering the other thing, I wouldn't say no," he added teasingly, laughing as Remus began to stutter and blush again.
"Er, well, n-no, I don't t-think that's an option r-right now," Remus said, turning away to hide his bright red face. "Dinner, though, yes, and bed. Separate beds. Maybe I'll just sleep down here, in case-"
"Relax, Moony," Sirius said, laying a hand on Remus's shoulders. "I was just teasing. Let's get some dinner. Then you'll go to your room and I'll sleep on the couch. And no arguments about that-I don't mind the couch and you know it."
"O-okay,"
--
"So, this is it then?" Remus asked, looking down at the canine form of Padfoot beside him. "Number twelve, Grimmauld Place."
Padfoot gave an affirmative bark and looked over at Professor Dumbledore, who was dressed in a Muggle Hawaiian shirt and shorts and looked extremely comfortable.
"Very well then," he said, his eyes twinkling as Remus gave him yet another sideways glance. The old wizard raised his wand and then began to perform the complex series of charms that would unlock the long-empty house. Remus kept an eye out for any Muggles who might wander through while Padfoot paced uneasily around the two men, occasionally nudging his cold nose against Remus's jeans. Absently, he reached down to scratch behind the dog's ear and received a licked hand in return. Finally, Dumbledore performed the last of the charms and the shabby black door opened. From inside came a foul burst of stale air, making Remus gag slightly. But Dumbledore merely waited a moment before stepping inside, and Padfoot and Remus following one step behind.
It was completely dark in the hallway, however Dumbledore took care of that with a wave of his wand. The ancient lamps along the walls sputtered to life, casting a dim glow over the hall. The wallpaper was peeling from the dirty walls and small clouds of dust rose with every step, making Remus's eyes water. The chandelier was covered in cobwebs, as were most of the furniture and the portraits on the wall.
Behind him, Remus heard a faint pop as Sirius transformed back into human form. The man gave a low whistle, looking around.
"This is disgusting," he said. But before he could continue, an ear- splitting terrible scream that echoed through the hallway. Immediately, Sirius and Remus clamped their hands over the ears while Dumbledore looked around, startled.
"Traitors! Filth! Vile half-breeds! How dare you shame the house of my fathers!"
"Shut up, you miserable old hag!" Sirius shouted, looking towards a portrait on the far wall. Remus caught a glimpse of a horrible-looking old woman; her eyes wide and bugging with anger, shaking her fist and screaming at them. Her face a grotesque sight.
"Abomination, blood traitor, shame of my flesh! Be gone from this place!" the woman shrieked. "Scum, filth, vile betrayer! How dare you-!"
But the rest of the woman's words were cut short as Dumbledore waved his wand and a shimmering wall formed around the portrait, effectively blocking off the sound of the old woman's voice.
"Your mother has quite the temper, Sirius," he said, his eyes twinkling. "How could I have forgotten her rather.impressive character?"
"Stupid old hag," Sirius muttered rebelliously and shot a furious glare at the old woman, who continued to shake her fist at them and screaming silent obscenities. Disgusted, he shut the moth-eaten velvet curtains over her screaming portrait, shutting her off from their view as well.
"Well, shall we explore the rest of the house?" Dumbledore said cheerfully, looking back at Sirius and Remus. Together, the three of them walked through the whole house; battling two boggarts, a flock of doxies, and a ghoul as they explored. In the master bedroom they came upon Kreacher, the Black's ancient house elf, who was poking about with a rag and muttering to himself. When he saw Sirius, however, his mutterings grew louder even as he bowed low enough that his nose touched the threadbare carpet.
"Kreacher is surprised to see Master," the elf said gloomily, and then continued in an undertone, "Master is an ungrateful, wretched boy, breaking poor Mistress's heart-"
"That woman didn't have a heart," Sirius spat, now glaring angrily at the house elf. "Stand up straight. This place is filthy. What have you been doing for ten years, Kreacher?"
"Kreacher lives to serve the noble house of Black," the elf muttered, bowing again. "Kreacher is obeying Mistress's orders, oh what would Mistress say if she saw Master here, consorting with filthy scum and defiling her beautiful house-"
"Shut up, you," Sirius snapped and cast an apologetic look to Dumbledore and Remus before returning his attention to the house elf. "And get used to 'filthy scum', Kreacher. There'll be a lot more of us soon enough."
"Yes, Master, of course Master," Kreacher said, his nose still pressed flat to the ground. "Mistress swore he was no son of hers, the horrible little brat. And a murderer too. Oh what would Mistress say-"
"Oh stuff it," Sirius said irritably and moved towards the bedroom door. "He's gone round the twist. Might as well leave him. He can't do much of anything anyway."
"Of course," Dumbledore said mildly, following Sirius out of the room. Remus cast one last curious glance at the muttering elf before following Dumbledore and shutting the door behind them
Finally, when they had explored a bit more of the house, they returned to the entrance hallway, where Mrs. Black had finally quieted down and fallen asleep. With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore removed the silencing charm and said softly, "Best not to make much noise in here. This will do nicely, Sirius. Thank you for the suggestion. Professor Flitwick and I shall perform the Fidelius charm this evening and seal you inside. I'll send Molly Weasley and her children over tomorrow to help clean up."
"Thank you, Professor," Remus said, nodding to the old man. Sirius nodded as well, though he kept shooting angry glances at his mother's portrait.
"Good night then, gentlemen." Smiling, Dumbledore left the house and the multitude of magical locks clicked into place after him, efficiently sealing Sirius and Remus inside.
--
In the village of Middleton, which was a few miles south of the Scottish/English border, things were generally grouped into two categories: Normal and Abnormal. A Friday night in the pub spent drinking with friends was normal. A man living all by himself in a cottage outside the village? Abnormal. And when this man suddenly had visitors when he had formerly refused all advances of hospitality by the residents of the village before? Extremely abnormal. Which was why most of the town was gathered in the Swishing Feather, the town's only pub, on Friday night discussing what Mrs. Undling had seen as she came back from a visit with her sister.
"Two men and two women, all of 'em strange-lookin', sittin' pretty as you please in that Lupin man's livin' room," recounted Mrs. Undling, the wife of the mayor. "And my Bess, dear thing, she swore that she saw another man sittin' on the porch with young Mr. Lupin. Said he looked frightful: all long hair an' bony. And that he was holdin' Lupin's hand like a lover."
"Mayhap our Mr. Lupin is a pouf, eh?" One of the men at the bar, who was the village blacksmith, spat on the floor. "Wouldn't surprise me in the least. Always somethin' queer 'bout that one ever since he came to this here town."
A general murmur of agreement went around the pub, most of the inhabitants looking generally unhappy with the situation at hand.
"Unnatural," someone said, sneering.
"Positively disgraceful," said another.
"Well if Mr. Lupin is in fact a queer, and he's happy, then I wish him the best," remarked Jack, the barkeeper, his voice ringing clear through the whole pub. "That man's always got such a sad look about him. If he's happy now, then we shouldn't pry. T'aint none of our business what sort of lad Lupin prefers, and we shouldn't make it our business."
Another round of murmuring went around the pub, but this time it was more thoughtful and not nearly as unhappy or uncomfortable as before.
"Jack's right," one man said, lifting his glass. "He ain't hurtin' no one, not really."
"Let the poor man be," said a woman from the edge of the bar.
All eyes seemed to be on the blacksmith, who grumbled something about an "unnatural man" before muttering his agreement. And so the village of Middleton passed their verdict on the strange young man living outside of town. Little did they know that the subject of their conversation was, in fact, sitting at his kitchen table at that moment feeling absolutely miserable.
--
Remus stared into his cold cup of tea, which he'd made hours ago but hadn't touched. Sirius had been gone for almost three days, and Remus had begun to give up hope of his return. When they had fought as boys, Sirius would stalk off and sulk for a few hours, only to then return later and beg forgiveness from Remus, who (not having been mad in the first place) would happily forgive and forget. Their last major row had been the night before Lily and James had died. Remus had confronted Sirius about his constant mysterious disappearances. At the time, he had suspected Sirius of being the spy, but now that Peter had confessed, Remus knew the truth. Sirius had been working overtime with the Aurors and couldn't say what he'd been doing no matter what the circumstances are, in case Remus was the spy.
Too many misunderstandings, Remus thought moodily and looked up at the clock on the wall with a bleak expression. And it almost cost us all our lives.
A heavy scratching at the back door startled Remus into knocking over his cup of tea. The liquid spread, staining the threadbare white tablecloth, yet he didn't notice or care. Instead, he unlatched and opened the door, half-expecting it to be a trick and find Death Eaters on his doorstep. Instead of Lucius Malfoy and his cronies, however, Padfoot sat on the wooden porch with his tail wagging slightly and large brown eyes full of pleading.
"Oh Padfoot," Remus whispered, dropping to his knees and letting the dog shower him with slobbery kisses. He buried his face in the dog's thick shaggy fur and breathed in deeply, the wolf in him noting the smells that were familiar: wet earth, trees, and cinnamon. Cinnamon? Remus wondered, but he ignored that particular detail as self-righteous anger began to bubble up, making him release Padfoot quite suddenly.
Remus stood up shakily as Padfoot bounded into the house, the huge dog turning around to wait for Remus to join him, his great big tail wagging happily. As soon as Remus closed the door, Sirius appeared in Padfoot's place, a tired smile upon his face.
"Where have you been?" Remus demanded, pulling Sirius to his feet. In reply, Sirius captured his mouth in a searing kiss, but let go just as suddenly as Remus grew stiff in his arms.
"Remus?" he asked, looking confused. "Are you alright?"
"Alright?" Remus repeated, staring at Sirius as though he was mad. "You dissapeared into the woods for three days. You left me. And you think I'll be alright?"
Sirius took a step forward, but Remus moved away, standing by the sink, his face set in an angry frown. Carefully, Sirius tried, again, putting his arms around his lover from behind, resting his chin on Remus's shoulder. "I went to Hogwarts," he admitted, looking repentant. "I had some things to talk to Dumbledore about, and it took longer than I thought."
"I was worried," Remus said softly, giving Sirius a half-hearted glare. "You could have owled me, or used the fire-"
Sirius shook his head, squeezing Remus tightly. "I didn't think it would take as long as it did. Besides," he added, looking sheepish. "I thought you might still be angry with me. I was quite an asshole the other night."
"That you were," Remus said, drawing a mock-hurt 'hey!' from Sirius. "But you know I never stay mad at you for long. I forgave you the minute I watched you run off."
"I am sorry, Moony," Sirius said quietly, looking his lover in the eyes. "I just get so frustrated. Harry's my godson and James entrusted me to look after him. But now I can't."
"That's why you have me, Dumbledore, and the Weasleys," Remus soothed, turning around and taking Sirius's hands in his. "And I promise we'll do our best until you can take up your duties again."
Sirius sighed and rested his head against Remus's, looking into the fireplace. "I offered my mother's house as headquarters for the Order," he said suddenly as he watched the flames. "Dumbledore agreed. We're supposed to move in there by the end of the week."
Remus looked down at Sirius, startled. "Why, Sirius? You swore you'd never set foot in that place again."
"I know," Sirius looked up at Remus with a half-hearted smile. "But I have to face my demons sometime, and it's the perfect place. Everyone knows that miserable hag disowned me-who would suspect that she actually left me the house in her will."
"What about that house-elf of hers?" Remus asked, thinking of the few stories he had heard of Sirius's days in the Black manor. "Kratchs or whatnot?"
"Kreacher," Sirius said, shuddering. "Stupid, nasty old thing. I suppose he'll have to stay though. I don't know what I'd do with him otherwise. Can't throw him out; he'd go spilling my whereabouts to the Malfoys or anyone else."
"We'll manage," Remus said, yawning slightly. "But all that can wait till morning. How about some dinner,and then bed?" he asked, looking at Sirius. Sirius raised an eyebrow and gave Remus a sly look, who blushed as he realized the double meaning of his words.
"I-I didn't mean-"
"Relax, Moony," Sirius laughed, poking Remus in the side playfully. "I know what you meant. Dinner sounds wonderful, and I could use a few hours of sleep. Of course, if you were offering the other thing, I wouldn't say no," he added teasingly, laughing as Remus began to stutter and blush again.
"Er, well, n-no, I don't t-think that's an option r-right now," Remus said, turning away to hide his bright red face. "Dinner, though, yes, and bed. Separate beds. Maybe I'll just sleep down here, in case-"
"Relax, Moony," Sirius said, laying a hand on Remus's shoulders. "I was just teasing. Let's get some dinner. Then you'll go to your room and I'll sleep on the couch. And no arguments about that-I don't mind the couch and you know it."
"O-okay,"
--
"So, this is it then?" Remus asked, looking down at the canine form of Padfoot beside him. "Number twelve, Grimmauld Place."
Padfoot gave an affirmative bark and looked over at Professor Dumbledore, who was dressed in a Muggle Hawaiian shirt and shorts and looked extremely comfortable.
"Very well then," he said, his eyes twinkling as Remus gave him yet another sideways glance. The old wizard raised his wand and then began to perform the complex series of charms that would unlock the long-empty house. Remus kept an eye out for any Muggles who might wander through while Padfoot paced uneasily around the two men, occasionally nudging his cold nose against Remus's jeans. Absently, he reached down to scratch behind the dog's ear and received a licked hand in return. Finally, Dumbledore performed the last of the charms and the shabby black door opened. From inside came a foul burst of stale air, making Remus gag slightly. But Dumbledore merely waited a moment before stepping inside, and Padfoot and Remus following one step behind.
It was completely dark in the hallway, however Dumbledore took care of that with a wave of his wand. The ancient lamps along the walls sputtered to life, casting a dim glow over the hall. The wallpaper was peeling from the dirty walls and small clouds of dust rose with every step, making Remus's eyes water. The chandelier was covered in cobwebs, as were most of the furniture and the portraits on the wall.
Behind him, Remus heard a faint pop as Sirius transformed back into human form. The man gave a low whistle, looking around.
"This is disgusting," he said. But before he could continue, an ear- splitting terrible scream that echoed through the hallway. Immediately, Sirius and Remus clamped their hands over the ears while Dumbledore looked around, startled.
"Traitors! Filth! Vile half-breeds! How dare you shame the house of my fathers!"
"Shut up, you miserable old hag!" Sirius shouted, looking towards a portrait on the far wall. Remus caught a glimpse of a horrible-looking old woman; her eyes wide and bugging with anger, shaking her fist and screaming at them. Her face a grotesque sight.
"Abomination, blood traitor, shame of my flesh! Be gone from this place!" the woman shrieked. "Scum, filth, vile betrayer! How dare you-!"
But the rest of the woman's words were cut short as Dumbledore waved his wand and a shimmering wall formed around the portrait, effectively blocking off the sound of the old woman's voice.
"Your mother has quite the temper, Sirius," he said, his eyes twinkling. "How could I have forgotten her rather.impressive character?"
"Stupid old hag," Sirius muttered rebelliously and shot a furious glare at the old woman, who continued to shake her fist at them and screaming silent obscenities. Disgusted, he shut the moth-eaten velvet curtains over her screaming portrait, shutting her off from their view as well.
"Well, shall we explore the rest of the house?" Dumbledore said cheerfully, looking back at Sirius and Remus. Together, the three of them walked through the whole house; battling two boggarts, a flock of doxies, and a ghoul as they explored. In the master bedroom they came upon Kreacher, the Black's ancient house elf, who was poking about with a rag and muttering to himself. When he saw Sirius, however, his mutterings grew louder even as he bowed low enough that his nose touched the threadbare carpet.
"Kreacher is surprised to see Master," the elf said gloomily, and then continued in an undertone, "Master is an ungrateful, wretched boy, breaking poor Mistress's heart-"
"That woman didn't have a heart," Sirius spat, now glaring angrily at the house elf. "Stand up straight. This place is filthy. What have you been doing for ten years, Kreacher?"
"Kreacher lives to serve the noble house of Black," the elf muttered, bowing again. "Kreacher is obeying Mistress's orders, oh what would Mistress say if she saw Master here, consorting with filthy scum and defiling her beautiful house-"
"Shut up, you," Sirius snapped and cast an apologetic look to Dumbledore and Remus before returning his attention to the house elf. "And get used to 'filthy scum', Kreacher. There'll be a lot more of us soon enough."
"Yes, Master, of course Master," Kreacher said, his nose still pressed flat to the ground. "Mistress swore he was no son of hers, the horrible little brat. And a murderer too. Oh what would Mistress say-"
"Oh stuff it," Sirius said irritably and moved towards the bedroom door. "He's gone round the twist. Might as well leave him. He can't do much of anything anyway."
"Of course," Dumbledore said mildly, following Sirius out of the room. Remus cast one last curious glance at the muttering elf before following Dumbledore and shutting the door behind them
Finally, when they had explored a bit more of the house, they returned to the entrance hallway, where Mrs. Black had finally quieted down and fallen asleep. With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore removed the silencing charm and said softly, "Best not to make much noise in here. This will do nicely, Sirius. Thank you for the suggestion. Professor Flitwick and I shall perform the Fidelius charm this evening and seal you inside. I'll send Molly Weasley and her children over tomorrow to help clean up."
"Thank you, Professor," Remus said, nodding to the old man. Sirius nodded as well, though he kept shooting angry glances at his mother's portrait.
"Good night then, gentlemen." Smiling, Dumbledore left the house and the multitude of magical locks clicked into place after him, efficiently sealing Sirius and Remus inside.
--