A difficult road is ahead…


~3~

A ray of sunlight made its way through a break in the curtains, landing on Renae's face. The warmth of the rays made their way deeper and deeper into her skin, until it was uncomfortably hot. "Ah," she rubbed her eyes before opening them, "oh, shit!" Her muggle clock on the nightstand said it was nine o'clock.

"Sirius." She leaned up on her elbow and put her hand on his bare chest, gently shaking him, "Sirius, wake up." He grumbled incoherently. "Sirius," she shook him harder. Still no reaction. Maybe this will wake you up!

She kissed him, and an arm wrapped around her, flipping her over onto her back. He deepened the kiss, preventing her from voicing surprise. When their lips left each other, she looked up into his eyes, giggling. "I should have known you were faking," she chuckled.

"But you didn't," he grinned. He went to kiss her again, but she slid her head aside, his face landing into the pillow beside her. "What was that for?" he asked as she laughed.

"If we get started on that again, you'll be even more late."


"What?"


Renae rolled him off her. "It's after nine."




****

"Oh, shit, James will kill me!" Leaping out of bed, his feet got caught in the sheets and he landed on the floor with a dull thud. Renae's laughter filled the room. "Ha, ha, that hurt you know!"


"Sorry, it's just," she began to giggle, "you look so funny sprawled out on the floor, your bare ass in the sunlight!" She doubled over with laughter as Sirius grabbed a handful of the sheets. "I think you're whiter than the curtains!" Sirius grabbed a pillow off the floor and threw it, hitting her in the side of the head.

"Oww!" Quickly, he covered his lower half and stood up. "Ah, now I didn't say I didn't enjoy the sight," she protested.

The inviting grin on her face forced him to smile. "Oh, really?" He jumped back up on the bed, but before he could pounce on her yet again, a voice bellowed from the fireplace.

"Renae?"




"Shit, it's James!" Sirius dove off the other side of the bed, landing on the floor, the sheets falling on top of him. She leaned over and grabbed one of the sheets.

"Coming James!" Sirius watched as she wrapped herself in the sheet and headed towards the fireplace. Thank Merlin the couch is in the way. Then he remembered where he left his clothes. Oh, no.

****

Renae wrapped herself in the sheet and walked over to the couch. James' face was in the fire, looking rather upset. "Hi, James," she gave him a smile, "long time, no see."




He eyed the sofa in front of her. "I was going to ask you if you knew where Sirius was, but," he noticed Sirius' clothes all over the cushions, "I've already found him." She grinned sheepishly as James smiled at her. "I knew it would happen sooner or later, too bad it wasn't sooner." Her jaw dropped as James laughed. "Sirius, come out, I know you're there…and probably naked from what I can see!" James bellowed from the fire.

"Not entirely!" Sirius shouted as he walked up beside her, also wrapped up in a sheet.

"Thank Merlin, the last thing I needed was seeing you full monty!"


"I can still give you a view!" he joked, beginning to unwrap the sheet. Renae grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Please, spare him," she laughed.

"Yes, listen to the woman!"


"Shut up, James!"





"Alright, in all seriousness, why the hell are you still there? Dumbledore's been expecting you, and you didn't give him my cloak!"


Sirius stammered a bit. "Well, I borrowed it first, and…"


James interrupted him. "Explain later, we need you here, now! The Longbottoms didn't come in last night."




A look of panic crossed Sirius' face as he began grabbing his clothes off the couch. "I'll be there in twenty minutes!"


"Alright," James gave her a wink, "Bye, Renae!"


"Bye, James," she grinned as his face disappeared.

Sirius flew around the room, throwing on his robes as Renae put on her dressing gown. He was about to go out the door when she called to him. "Ah, Sirius, are you forgetting something?" He turned around to see her holding up his boxer shorts.

"Damn," he muttered, walking over and grabbing them.

~~~*~~~

Sirius, fully dressed, followed Renae out into the corridor. "I'm sorry I have to leave like this."


"Sirius, it's okay. I understand."


Pulling her to him, he gave her a knee-weakening kiss. "I'll write to you." She giggled, enjoying being in his arms.

"You better," she said as she smiled and kissed him again. With that, he ran down the corridor and around the corner. She stood there for a moment, staring down the empty corridor.

"I see you had a pleasant evening, Wallis."


She turned around to see Snape, his arms crossed like usual. She made sure her dressing gown was on tight. "You should have made you presence known," she scowled.

Snape sneered. "What, and miss that touching scene?"


"Still need to watch Sirius to get your kicks?" His smile fell. You seem to have forgotten, Snape, I still know how to piss you off! As she was telling herself this, his sneer returned.

"If that's all the kicks he gave you, then perhaps you aren't paying him enough," Snape said sardonically.



Now she was the one pissed. Oh, the hexes she'd love to throw at him, if only she had her wand. "Watch yourself, Snape, I don't think Aleanor would approve of you comparing her prices!" she grinned as his face turned red with anger. Before he could close the distance between them, a voice called over to them.

"Oh, good, just the two I needed to see," McGonagall walked up to them, eyeing Renae's dressing gown, "I do hope you will be changing into something more appropriate?"


"Yes, Minerva," she answered, suddenly feeling quite naked.

"Good," she turned to Snape, "there will be a meeting in the staff room in an hour," she looked back at Renae, "I expect to see you both there."


They nodded and McGonagall continued down the corridor. As she turned a corner, Snape grabbed Renae's arm.

"You ever speak about Aleanor like that again, and Black will be able to carry your remains in a matchbox." His glare was deadly, and for a moment she felt her heart stop. He let go of her arm and followed McGonagall.

~~~*~~~

"One minute late." James sat at his desk, emptying a cup of tea before picking up a new cup and filling it. Sirius threw his cloak on his chair.

"Sorry, Prongs," he answered sarcastically, "I didn't realize you were timing me."


James quickly stood up, handing him the hot cup of tea. "Here Padfoot, you look awful."

"Thanks," he said as he drained the cup, "I needed that. So what's going on with the Longbottoms?"


His friend's face fell.

"Dumbledore went out to Little Hangleton about ten minutes ago. That's the last place we heard from them." Sirius knew the situation was bad if Dumbledore was out looking for them.

"What about their boy?" Sirius remembered their son was about the same age as James' boy, Harry, his godson.

"They left Neville at his mother's. We've told her all we know."



Sirius ran a hand through his hair. No matter how much he didn't want to admit it, he knew that if they found them, it wouldn't be good. "Merlin, Prongs," he looked at his old friend, "he's not going to stop until he gets to us all." Sirius watched as James picked up a picture up from his desk. For a moment James stood there, staring at it.

Sirius knew exactly which one it was, the same one James always picked up, the picture of Lily and Harry. Suddenly, thinking of Renae, he understood what James must have been thinking every time he looked at that picture.

"Let's hope we stop him before it comes to that," James answered, a sound of acknowledged defeat in his voice, though he would keep fighting this battle for his family, as Sirius would for Renae.

~~~*~~~

Having quickly put herself together, Renae ran to the staff room, walking in to find she was the last to get there. Snape grinned as she closed the door behind her. "About bloody time, Wallis."


"Shut it, Snape," she snapped as McGonagall quickly stepped between them.

"We all know how you two feel about each other," she put a hand on each of their shoulders, "but I'm afraid both of you will have to put your differences aside!" The glare she gave them stressed her authority. It had not been that long since she was their teacher, and her ability to put them in their place was a strong as ever.

"Yes, Minerva," they mumbled in unison, still glaring at each other.

McGonagall slowly dropped her hold of them. "For those who do not know, Renae Wallis is here to fill in my position until Albus' return." Renae smiled at her old professors, feeling like she was very out of place. Why am I so nervous, I'm a teacher for heaven's sake! Her thoughts were interrupted by McGonagall continuing, "Now, the reason I called you all here this morning…



~~~*~~~

Sirius flopped onto his couch. The past few weeks had been a nightmare. The Longbottoms had finally come back in, with the help of Dumbledore. They felt they had gotten close to Voldemort's location, and may have, the way they barely got out of there alive. Thank Merlin they only had physical scars to show for it, they would heal. Sirius had feeling, however, that next time it would be worse. Something told him that all their lives were going to be torn apart before this war with Voldemort would end.

Grabbing a handful of powder from a jar on the mantelpiece, he threw it in and called Renae. Shortly afterward her face appeared in the fire. "Hi Sirius! What's wrong?"


"Can I come over?"


"Of course you can. You know you don't need to ask."


He did indeed know, but still didn't feel right, walking in whenever he pleased. "Thanks, I'll be there in a few minutes."


"Alright," she smiled, making him feel a little bit better. That's exactly what I need right now!

He threw a change of clothes and a bottle of rum in a bag before Apparating into Hogsmeade and walking his way up to the castle. Sometimes the walk helped to calm his nerves. With each step he could hear the slush of the rum in his bag. Renae had never been much for rum, but lately she had taken a liking to it, mostly due to his bringing it on nights like this. Entering the castle, he groaned. He had walked right into the last person he wanted to see.

"Back again, Black?"


"Snape, go get your jollies somewhere else," he said, continuing towards Renae's room.

"Wallis must be quite the playmate for you to keep stringing her along."


He turned and walked over, grabbing Snape by the collar of his robes. "Don't you ever talk about Renae like that again. Unlike you, I have someone to love," he grinned as the colour in Snape's face left, "yes… I know she hasn't spoken to you for nearly two years now. I wonder why?" Sirius threw him back into the wall and proceeded to Renae's room.

****

She put down her book as she heard the passageway to her chamber open. "Sirius?"


He walked in and dropped his bag. "Mind if I stay?" Several times he had stayed the night, being careful to slip out either before breakfast, or during classes. Once, McGonagall caught him, but only mildly scolded him before advising him to keep a low profile.

"You know the answer." He gave a weak smile. "Do you want to talk about it?"


Sitting next to her, he kissed her, long and soft. "No, right now I just want you next to me."




His eyes were so sad; Renae could only imagine what he must have been going through. She had found herself worrying about him more and more everyday. Being an Auror was a difficult job, and it was taking its toll on him. Each time he came to stay with her, to escape his thoughts, it took longer for the life to return to his eyes. Renae was afraid that one day, she would no longer be able to rekindle it. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him passionately.

~~~*~~~

The months passed by quickly. As term ended, Renae found herself staying at Hogwarts over the summer. It had become a daily ritual for her to sit at the Head table for breakfast, reading the Daily Prophet, praying there wouldn't be any bad news about Sirius. Several times she had gone to St. Mungo's to see him, each time his injuries were worse. How Lily survived everyday like this with an infant, she had no idea.

Today, she sat sipping her coffee, ignoring the stare Snape gave her and opening the paper. Reading the front page, she dropped her coffee.

American Archaeologist found dead

Aleanor Delaney, a top archaeologist with the American Ministry, was found dead last night outside her parents' London flat. James Potter, Ministry Auror, has confirmed that Delaney was the victim of the Killing Curse, at the hand of one of You-Know-Who's Death Eaters. Potter refused to comment on a possible motive; though it has already been rumored she was targeted due to her resent discovery, which the Ministry has classified. Miss Delaney's parents were last seen yesterday morning, preparing to visit their son and his family in America; they had no comment on their daughter's death.

She looked over at Snape. He must not have heard. He had been gone a lot lately, and last night he had come in very late. She only knew this because she had been out walking the corridors, her usual activity when she couldn't sleep. Leaving the Entrance Hall, she heard the oak doors opening, and peaking around a corner to see which student she would be giving detention to, she was surprised to see Snape walking in.

Despite how much she loathed him, she knew he had to know. Even the slimy git was bound to have a heart, right? Quietly she stood up and sat beside him. "What do you want?" he quickly growled. She handed him the paper.

"Have you read the paper yet?" He grabbed it out of her hand.

"No, why?" he snapped. She nodded for him to read it. As he unfolded it, she watched his face turn ghostly white. Quickly he folded it back up and left it on the table as he walked out of the Great Hall.

She sat there wondering about his reaction for a while. She remembered how Snape and Aleanor were in school, after third year, they were almost inseparable, at least when Lucius Malfoy wasn't around. It never seemed to bother Lily, but it sure used to grate Sirius' nerves, not to mention Malfoy. Renae was very sure that was the only thing Sirius and Malfoy ever agreed on, they hated Aleanor and Snape's relationship. It was hard for Sirius to hate Snape, when Lily's best friend was in love with him. The Marauders had to make sure Aleanor wasn't around when they made Snape the butt of their jokes.

Oh, shit, Sirius!

She ran to her room to write to him, she knew this would hit him as well. Though he never showed it to anyone else, she knew he didn't take death very well when it was so close to those he loved. Lily must be a wreck as well. Sirius is right, we're not going to get through this…and if any of us do, at what cost?

**~~~~~**

Harry felt the world slowly swirl back around him. Setting the violet on his desk, he saw that only five minutes had past since he had picked the flower up off the floor. Surely those memories lasted longer than that!

Reaching for a cup of tea, he looked at a framed picture of his parents. He enjoyed getting to see his father through their eyes. He always liked to see him, even though it made his heart ache. Harry stared at the flower, deciding whether or not to pick it up, and relive more. His hand hovered over it….