Author: Elora Dark, email: eloradark@hotmail.com
Title: The Trials to Come
Rating: R for language
Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling (because if I were I would not have killed Sirius in the first place), nor do I make any money from this story. All characters, except Roan Draven, belong to Ms. Rowling.
Chapter 2: Reprimands and LycanthropesWith a much controlled 'pop', Roan apparated in a tree covered lot near Grimmauld Place. She looked around to see if any lights were on in surrounding houses and more importantly if any Order members were closing in. Seeing nothing she ran straight up the walk between numbers 11 and 13, concentrating on number 12. It appeared right before she slammed into the wall. She grabbed the door knob and rushed into the house.
As soon as the door closed, the drapes surrounding Mrs.Black's enchanted painting sprung open. "Half-breed blood mongrel, filthy traitor of the Dark Lord, may blood curses rain down on your head…Werewolf!" the painting screamed its insults as Roan calmly placed her cloak on a nearby coat rack.
"Lovely to see you too , Mother Black! Sorry to hear that you haven't come up with anything new to scream at me. I mean, really…You've sunk to stating common fact, everyone in this house already knows I'm a werewolf!" Roan bellowed back at the painting. Mrs. Black looked slightly taken aback, usually people ignore her insults. Roan smiled showing now very pointed teeth. "Oh…and I've figured out how to rid your presence from this house for good." Roan said in a deviously low voice.
Mrs. Black once again resumed her screaming, "Filthy half-breed magics will never remove me from my own home!"
"Hmm, Lets just see about that shall we?" Roan raised her wand and pointed it directly at Mrs. Blacks vulture like frame. "Impediment un flamentia!" Roan called. The painting shot from the wall and fell to a pile of ashes at Roan's feet.
"How in the hell did you figure that out?" Sirius asked as he came limping down the stairs.
"Harry, actually. He's been reading a lot into of Dark Arts surrounding death," Roan said slowly turning to face Sirius. "So did I beat them?" Roan asked, eyebrows raised.
"Well…" Sirius began.
"No and If. You. Ever. Apparate that close again I will personally make sure you are forbidden to leave this house." A dangerous voice answered her.
"Severus, I've been meaning to thank you for making that extra strength wolfsbane draught," Roan said brightly.
"Very cocky aren't we? The moon rose, what forty five minutes ago. At least Lupin has the sense to lock himself in the basement. But You? You go apparating all over England…did you go to Potter?" Snape said looking from Roan to Sirius.
"I wanted to see my godson, Severus." Sirius forced his voice to remain polite, "She was doing me a favor." He finished, stepping between Roan and Snape.
"I think she's done enough, ah, favors for you." Snape whispered, leering at Sirius and then Roan.
Roan suddenly collapsed clutching her abdomen in pain. "Help me into the cellar, damn it!" Roan moaned, her voice straining as the familiar pain of bones and joints breaking, stretching and healing immediately shook her frame. Sirius opened a small door in the side of the staircase as Snape pulled Roan, one hand attached to a convulsing ankle, the other around his wand. He pushed Roan's rapidly transforming figure down the stairs, rather than risk being attacked by Remus. She collapsed in a shuttering pile a few feet from Remus's naked form.
A few moments later twin howls, sounding eerily like human screams of pain erupted from the cellar as Roan and Remus completed their transfiguration. The walls of 12 Grimmauld Place being reinforced with magic, there was no worry that the muggle neighbors would hear the howling.
"They should calm down in a few minutes. I had to make that potion extra strong, being that Draven's lycanthropy isn't exactly as natural as Lupin's," Severus muttered not exactly speaking to Sirius. Sirius remained indifferent, but secretly cursed himself for not being strong enough to transfigure and join the werewolves. He turned away from the cellar door and retreated to his room.
Sirius emerged the next morning to find the cellar door open. He cautiously poked his head in the door frame and saw the shredded remains of two dress robes. "Sorry about your robe, Remus, I'll buy some new ones. I'm not used to being confined." Roans voice floated through the quiet din of Black manor to Sirius's ears. Sirius turned away from the cellar and followed the stairs leading down into the spacious kitchen.
"Good morning, Padfoot!" Remus called brightly.
"Would you like a cup of coffee, love?" Roan asked smiling. Sirius nodded and walked to a chair at the head of the table.
Both Remus and Roan looked like they had been through the battle of their lives. Roan had a split lip, large blue and purple bruises covering most of her once pale skin, a nasty gash that caused her to keep her right eye in a constant squint and nasty red bites on her shoulders and neck. And, Sirius noted, her new shirt which she had been so proud of purchasing in a muggle shop with muggle money, was now in tattered shreds. Her back was also covered in deep red gashes. Remus looked little better, except perhaps that he had several scratches covering his handsome face. A surge of anger and jealousy filled Sirius; the two had obviously had more than a dog fight. "Calm down, old man, you know they can't control themselves. I doubt they even remember what happened. It's not like you and her have anything." Sirius thought furiously.
Roan passed him a steaming cup of coffee and smiled, not looking him in the eyes. "Guess she remembers what happened," Sirius thought "Why haven't you two cleaned up yet?" he asked into his coffee cup.
"Didn't want to wake up any of the paintings." Roan answered.
"Well, plus Snape has our wands and he's either gone for the day or, more likely ignoring us." Remus stated, frowning slightly.
"Speaking of Severus, when did he enchant his door with a burning curse." Roan asked, raising her left hand, which aside from having another bite on it was bright red as if she'd held it under scalding water.
"Two day ago when I was informed the Weasley's, all of them, Granger, and Potter would be joining us… well they should be here any moment," Snape sneered, looking over Remus, Roan, and Sirius.
"Bloody Hell Severus! Do you have to come sneaking out of the shadows?" Roan asked, dramatically clutching her chest.
"Just because I don't spend hours screaming at paintings or hurtling up and down the stairs, does not mean I 'sneak'," Snape spat, tossing Roan and Remus their wands.
"You could have informed us that guests were arriving before I sent Roan to Little Whinging yesterday." Sirius said, glairing at Snape.
"He did it so he could hold something else against me at the meeting." Roan muttered.
Snape smiled at her, "I try not to hold grudges, Draven. I merely want Dumbledore informed of the rash actions of a potential Hogwarts professor." Snape said turning away from the trio.
"You know, Potions Master, I never got to tell you but… you were always my favorite Professor. Especially after you stopped your Slytherins from sending me muzzles and choke chains." Roan called to Severus's back. He paused in his retreat, "I don't know what your talking about!" he shot angrily over his shoulder. Roan smirked.
Remus and Sirius raised their eyebrows, expecting Roan to explain. "Well…I was sent to the Shrieking shack like you were, Remus. But I didn't have animagus friends to keep me company, I bit and scratched myself so badly I would be in the hospital wing days after the full moon. Someone saw me enter the passageway under the Whomping Willow and with my sickness and absences every month, they put two and two together. The next morning of my return owls dropped everything from howlers to leashes on my plate. That horrible Mildred Bulstrode was behind it, I could smell that fetid perfume she used to douse herself in on everything. I lost most of the few friends I had, except Bill and Charley Weasley, they would bring me candies and my homework when I was recovering in the hospital wing." She finished.
"So which one did you like more?" Remus asked smiling mischievously.
"I loved both of them, but we were never more than friends. Afraid of what would happen if…I , you know." she said blushing slightly.
A knock reverberated through the stone walled kitchen. Sirius shot up, "Harry's here!" he looked truly pleased.
"Shit, I look a mess!" Roan hissed swallowing the rest of her coffee as she ran up the stairs, doing a complicated flick of her wand that sent the mugs to the sink where they were washed and then sent flying into a cupboard.
"That girl is forever causing a racket in this house! Honestly I don't know who's worse, her or that clumsy girl, Tonks." Mrs. Wealsey, was always complaining about the girls but her voice betrayed her annoyance. "Well at least she's figured out how to get rid of that awful painting," Bill said as he followed his mother into the kitchen. They were followed by Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and a few moments later Harry who paused on the last step.
Harry stood shaken. He looked at Sirius and did a slight nod of the head as if all his doubts about the mirror had been wiped away, seeing Sirius had still felt like a dream to him. But there he was just a few feet away. His long black hair, dark eyes, thin face, it wasn't a dream. Sirius limped to Harry and they stared at each other a few seconds longer, then Sirius pulled Harry into an embrace. Sirius ruffled Harry's already disheveled hair. "Wonderful to see you, Harry, I thought this would never happen again." Sirius said , ushering Harry to a seat.
"What would never happen again, Sirius?" Harry asked smiling in a dazed sort of way.
"Why seeing you! Everyone back here! Even without Kreacher's mutterings, the house sounds too much like my parents." Sirius said.
"What happened to Kreacher?" Hermoine said, looking slightly alarmed, as if Kreacher's head had joined his mother's.
"Tonks gave him clothes." Sirius said with a short bark like laugh.
"But I thought Kreacher didn't consider her family." Harry asked.
"He didn't, not until that day. She was furious, said she gave him the most disgusting sock she could find. He acted ecstatic, kept bowing and muttering how he could return to Narcissa and her pure blood family." Sirius said smiling.
"Remus, dear what happened to you?" Mrs. Weasley's shrill voice silenced the room.
"Nothing, Molly. It was a full moon, Roan , well myself for that matter, is not used to being with another werewolf during transfiguration." Remus said backing away from Mrs.Wealey who had her wand raised to help heal the many wounds Remus had acquired. "Harry, well I think I'll save a true welcome until after I've cleaned up a bit!" Remus said patting Harry's shoulder.
"Roan's a werewolf, too?" Harry asked sitting down next to Sirius.
"Yes, didn't you see that horrid brand on her hand?" Hermione said looking all of a sudden very upset.
"Yes, but I thought it was just another tattoo or something," Harry answered.
"Oh, no Harry. There are a lot of wizards who, well hate half-breeds. If one is ever caught by those idiots while transfigured, or whatever it is they do, they're given a mark." Hermione continued in her all knowing tone.
"A mark?" Ron asked, now enthralled in the conversation.
"A mark showing others what they are. The horrible thing is that the Ministry doesn't have any laws protecting half-breeds, particularly werewolves, when they are transformed." Hermione finished looking scandalized.
"She can't even apply for a job with the Ministry because they say that if a werewolf has been given a mark it's because they're a danger," Sirius said looking angry.
"Well, that was after my first inquiry, Sirius, I got arrested in Transylvania for running with a pack of undocumented werewolves. It was the Transylvanian Aurors, or whatever they call them, that branded me. And then I lost my temper at another inquiry and gave Umbridge a broken nose. Spent five days in Azkaban for that one. All hopes for a Ministry career went out the fucking window," Roan said, reemerging and looking almost normal, except for the bites on her neck and shoulder. Sirius smiled at her and waved a chair open for her.
"Dear, why don't you ask Severus if he'll whip something up for those bites?" Molly asked , magiking large platters of food onto the table.
"Well, Molly, I would but Severus would rather watch me drink essence of silver at the moment," Roan said smiling innocently, "and besides they're additions to my rapidly growing collection of scars."
She sat opposite Sirius and Harry, who were once again deep in conversation. Every once and a while Sirius would say something like, 'You're almost taller than your father' or 'That stubble makes you look older, mate.'
"So, Roan, Bill tells me you were quite the beater." Ron asked after his third helping of breakfast.
"Um, I don't know. Being a werewolf gives me extra strength, kind of an unfair advantage," She said, looking sideways down the table at Bill.
"You would have been even better if you hadn't left the team." Bill said.
"Fred and George came the year
after Charlie left and they were the best beaters
Gryffindor has ever seen." Roan said matter of factly.
"Why'd you leave the team?" Hermione asked.
"The cup game ran late, Gryffindor against Slytherin of course. I forgot about the full moon, at least until I saw Professor Snape running onto the field seconds after Bill caught the snitch. He was furious, said it was bad enough I had bit him, but to put my whole team in danger was the most appalling thing he'd ever seen. He was right, I quit the next day... My bites don't transfer lycanthropy but I refused to take the chance that I might hurt someone." Roan said shrugging her shoulders.
"Remus, I'm glad to see I didn't leave any lasting damage," Roan said, changing the subject quickly as Remus reentered the kitchen looking once again clean shaven and handsome.
The remainder of the day passed uneventfully, which was welcome to Harry and Sirius as it gave them a chance to talk about what happened just six short weeks ago. Roan taught Ron and Hermione how to destroy the rest of the paintings, while she tackled a boggart that had take residence in a medicine cabinet. Hermione let out a shrill cry as she came upon Roan and the boggart . Her cry brought Sirius and Remus running into the bathroom. The boggart had taken the form of Remus, laying on the floor covered in blood. With a 'pop' it turned into Sirius, his neck having been ripped open. With another resonating 'pop' the boggart finally turned into Voldemort. "Ridikulus" Roan bellowed, the boggart Voldemort tripped over its robes and blew apart when Roan laughed at it. "Calm down, Hermione. You have to overcome your fears sometime." Roan said stepping indifferently passed the still shocked girl. She avoided both Remus and Sirius's eyes.
***
"Well, off to bed with you lot!" Mrs. Weasley called as soon as she had the dinner plates cleared.
"Mum, it's barely ten o'clock," Ron said.
"I don't care what bloody time it is, The Order is having an urgent meeting, out!," Mrs. Weasley said ushering out everyone but Sirius, Remus and a very nervous looking Roan.
"Now wait a minute woman!" George said, who had arrived before dinner with Fred.
"In case you've forgotten," Fred continued putting his hand up to stop Mrs. Wealsey from pushing them any further, "George and I,"
"And me!" said a disgruntled looking Bill.
"Are members of the Order," said George.
"And as such, have the right to be in on the meetings." Fred said.
"Not this one! Senior members only. Now off with the lot of you!" Mrs. Weasley, who was shorter than all her children and Harry, stood and pointed determinedly towards the stairs. With much grumbling the brood left the dining room.