Chapter 6
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(Scene: Lupin walking the dog)
Lupin took Sirius for a walk. He declined the offer of using Cassiopeia's leash and collar. After the two went a few blocks as master and dog, the black beast scrambled to some nearby bushes once reaching the park.
"It's good to stretch my legs once again." The tall, dark haired man said in his deep booming voice. He approached his best friend with a huge grin plastered to his face.
"Sirius!" Lupin rushed towards his friend and wrapped him in a large brotherly embrace. The kind of embrace you would give someone if you thought they were dead and would never see them again. "How is this possible? You have so much to explain. Do it fast."
Sirius Black ran his long fingers through his thick mane of hair and gave a nervous bark-like laugh. "We have two choices here. Either I could explain to you the mysteries behind the veil and what happens when an alive person falls behind it, or we could discuss the issue at hand and discuss my 'resurrection' at a later time."
"Is it such a long story?" Remus asked his brother. Sirius nodded in the affirmative. "What do you know of the death-eater and how in the world did you meet up with Hermoine's cousin of all people. Why don't you return with us to Britain?"
"Maybe it would be easier if I told you some of what happened in regards to the veil. At least the part where I was purposely placed in America where I would meet Cassi."
"You were supposed to meet Cassiopeia? Then why did you not reveal yourself as the man you are? Why are you acting as a dog? Why do you not contact Harry?"
"It's complicated. First off, I'm not allowed to contact Harry. That was part of the rules. Second---"
"Wait, what do you mean rules?"
Sirius sighed. This was going to be hard to explain. Perhaps Lupin will just accept what he says without asking him to reveal too much. "I had to agree to follow certain rules in order to return to the realm of the living."
"So, you were dead?" Lupin asked.
"No, not exactly. Look, I don't want to go into the details. We don't have time for that, I'll explain later. For now just trust me. You do trust me?" He looked Remus in the eyes and saw complete trust. Reassured he continued.
"There are certain rules I must follow. One is that I may have no contact with Harry, at least until after the defeat of old Volde. Second, I am not to return to Britain. You know as well as I that my name is still not cleared. Third, I am not to reveal my identity to the one that took me in for at least four months."
"You almost blew that one earlier then when you contacted me." Remus wisely pointed out. He was answered with an annoyed snarl from his friend.
"It was a moment of weakness. She did just go through a horrendous tragedy. I wanted to be there to comfort her in anyway possible."
"So is that why you are acting like a little love sick puppy?" Remus teased the un-amused man before him.
"Look, the situation I'm in.is.complicated. It's important that I keep up appearances. As long as I am with her she and I are both safe."
"It doesn't sound too complicated to me. It sounds like you, the great Sirius Black, has finally met a woman that captivates him. Exactly who are you keeping her safe from. She isn't exactly hunted now is she?"
"You are trying my patience. Besides, she is just a muggle. She couldn't possibly understand our world and the inherent dangers involved with simply being associated with me."
"Listen to yourself, Black. 'Just a muggle,' that doesn't sound like you at all. Besides, from what I hear she's not just a muggle. It sounds like she and I have something in common."
Sirius looked thoughtful. "Perhaps, but we must head back. She worries when I am out of her sight for too long."
"Haha, I would pay a king's treasure to see her reaction when she finds out her dog is really a grown man. You don't sleep in her bed do you?" Remus asked suspicious.
"Good God wolf, when I turn into a dog, I'm not exactly thinking like myself, now am I?" Sirius began his transformation back into the black dog deciding to avoid answering the question.
"I think you have plenty of your mind when you are in your dog form." Remus told his now animal friend. His comment was met with an annoyed growl. "That's exactly my point. You understood what I said; you know exactly what is going on."
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(Scene: Order of the Phoenix Headquarters)
"I do not understand why Lupin went to America." Snape pondered aloud to Arthur Weasely. He had arrived at the headquarters half an hour earlier and was waiting for Dumbledore to report give his latest report. Arthur had told him about the death-eater incident in America and that Remus was the one that went to check it out.
"Oh, well you see. I think that Remus was curious about America. I mean, who wouldn't be? I believe after he checked up on the incident he was going to meet up with Hermoine and make sure she was okay. She's staying with a wonderful muggle cousin of hers!" The excited red haired man proclaimed to the annoyed man who's face was in a sneer of puzzlement.
"I agree that the incident needed to be checked out. You said Hermoine tried to contact him the night before though. Why was he the only one that went to America. It is dangerous. Is he in such a hurry to join his friends in death?" Severus did not even try to hide the distaste in his voice for the rash actions that those Marauders were all guilty of having.
"Now that you mention it, I suppose it is a little odd. None of us should really investigate on our own. If anything happened to Remus I am horrified to think of the effect that would have upon Harry."
"Does Dumbledore know about this?" He was answered in the negative. "Then, we will inform him of this as well as my other tidings. I feel I may be needing to take a trip to America to investigate this incident personally."
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(Scene: The apartment upon Remus & Sirius' return)
The three 'humans' were eating the Chinese food that arrived while Lupin was walking the dog. Sirius was sitting on the floor of the kitchen near his master's feet with his muzzle on his paws looking rather pathetic. Occasionally he would lift his head to eat some meat that Cassi would offer him. Remus and Hermoine had to stifle their amused laughter at seeing this and knowing full well that the woman was feeling a grown man.
"So, Remus, where are you staying at?" Cassi asked the man across from her.
"Oh, I'm staying at a nearby hotel."
"Which one?"
Remus bit his lip, he really hated when he had to lie. "I haven't checked in yet. I was planning on doing so after my visit."
The woman looked at him skeptically. "Really? Where are your things?"
Hermoine thought fast and intervened. "You know how those airlines work. They lost his luggage." Cassi's face took on a tone of sympathy.
"I hate when that happens. I understand how frustrating it is to feel stranded without any of your belongings. Why don't you just stay here? Hermoine is staying in my roommate's room, but you are more than welcome to the couch. It folds out into a bed."
Lupin was surprised by the offer. He really had not intended to stay. He had planned to apparate back to England. But, if Sirius was going to be staying here, he wanted to spend as much time with him as possible before pretending he didn't know he was alive. So, he made his decision and smiled. "Thank you for your offer, I believe I will take you up on that."
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TBC
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(Scene: Lupin walking the dog)
Lupin took Sirius for a walk. He declined the offer of using Cassiopeia's leash and collar. After the two went a few blocks as master and dog, the black beast scrambled to some nearby bushes once reaching the park.
"It's good to stretch my legs once again." The tall, dark haired man said in his deep booming voice. He approached his best friend with a huge grin plastered to his face.
"Sirius!" Lupin rushed towards his friend and wrapped him in a large brotherly embrace. The kind of embrace you would give someone if you thought they were dead and would never see them again. "How is this possible? You have so much to explain. Do it fast."
Sirius Black ran his long fingers through his thick mane of hair and gave a nervous bark-like laugh. "We have two choices here. Either I could explain to you the mysteries behind the veil and what happens when an alive person falls behind it, or we could discuss the issue at hand and discuss my 'resurrection' at a later time."
"Is it such a long story?" Remus asked his brother. Sirius nodded in the affirmative. "What do you know of the death-eater and how in the world did you meet up with Hermoine's cousin of all people. Why don't you return with us to Britain?"
"Maybe it would be easier if I told you some of what happened in regards to the veil. At least the part where I was purposely placed in America where I would meet Cassi."
"You were supposed to meet Cassiopeia? Then why did you not reveal yourself as the man you are? Why are you acting as a dog? Why do you not contact Harry?"
"It's complicated. First off, I'm not allowed to contact Harry. That was part of the rules. Second---"
"Wait, what do you mean rules?"
Sirius sighed. This was going to be hard to explain. Perhaps Lupin will just accept what he says without asking him to reveal too much. "I had to agree to follow certain rules in order to return to the realm of the living."
"So, you were dead?" Lupin asked.
"No, not exactly. Look, I don't want to go into the details. We don't have time for that, I'll explain later. For now just trust me. You do trust me?" He looked Remus in the eyes and saw complete trust. Reassured he continued.
"There are certain rules I must follow. One is that I may have no contact with Harry, at least until after the defeat of old Volde. Second, I am not to return to Britain. You know as well as I that my name is still not cleared. Third, I am not to reveal my identity to the one that took me in for at least four months."
"You almost blew that one earlier then when you contacted me." Remus wisely pointed out. He was answered with an annoyed snarl from his friend.
"It was a moment of weakness. She did just go through a horrendous tragedy. I wanted to be there to comfort her in anyway possible."
"So is that why you are acting like a little love sick puppy?" Remus teased the un-amused man before him.
"Look, the situation I'm in.is.complicated. It's important that I keep up appearances. As long as I am with her she and I are both safe."
"It doesn't sound too complicated to me. It sounds like you, the great Sirius Black, has finally met a woman that captivates him. Exactly who are you keeping her safe from. She isn't exactly hunted now is she?"
"You are trying my patience. Besides, she is just a muggle. She couldn't possibly understand our world and the inherent dangers involved with simply being associated with me."
"Listen to yourself, Black. 'Just a muggle,' that doesn't sound like you at all. Besides, from what I hear she's not just a muggle. It sounds like she and I have something in common."
Sirius looked thoughtful. "Perhaps, but we must head back. She worries when I am out of her sight for too long."
"Haha, I would pay a king's treasure to see her reaction when she finds out her dog is really a grown man. You don't sleep in her bed do you?" Remus asked suspicious.
"Good God wolf, when I turn into a dog, I'm not exactly thinking like myself, now am I?" Sirius began his transformation back into the black dog deciding to avoid answering the question.
"I think you have plenty of your mind when you are in your dog form." Remus told his now animal friend. His comment was met with an annoyed growl. "That's exactly my point. You understood what I said; you know exactly what is going on."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Scene: Order of the Phoenix Headquarters)
"I do not understand why Lupin went to America." Snape pondered aloud to Arthur Weasely. He had arrived at the headquarters half an hour earlier and was waiting for Dumbledore to report give his latest report. Arthur had told him about the death-eater incident in America and that Remus was the one that went to check it out.
"Oh, well you see. I think that Remus was curious about America. I mean, who wouldn't be? I believe after he checked up on the incident he was going to meet up with Hermoine and make sure she was okay. She's staying with a wonderful muggle cousin of hers!" The excited red haired man proclaimed to the annoyed man who's face was in a sneer of puzzlement.
"I agree that the incident needed to be checked out. You said Hermoine tried to contact him the night before though. Why was he the only one that went to America. It is dangerous. Is he in such a hurry to join his friends in death?" Severus did not even try to hide the distaste in his voice for the rash actions that those Marauders were all guilty of having.
"Now that you mention it, I suppose it is a little odd. None of us should really investigate on our own. If anything happened to Remus I am horrified to think of the effect that would have upon Harry."
"Does Dumbledore know about this?" He was answered in the negative. "Then, we will inform him of this as well as my other tidings. I feel I may be needing to take a trip to America to investigate this incident personally."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Scene: The apartment upon Remus & Sirius' return)
The three 'humans' were eating the Chinese food that arrived while Lupin was walking the dog. Sirius was sitting on the floor of the kitchen near his master's feet with his muzzle on his paws looking rather pathetic. Occasionally he would lift his head to eat some meat that Cassi would offer him. Remus and Hermoine had to stifle their amused laughter at seeing this and knowing full well that the woman was feeling a grown man.
"So, Remus, where are you staying at?" Cassi asked the man across from her.
"Oh, I'm staying at a nearby hotel."
"Which one?"
Remus bit his lip, he really hated when he had to lie. "I haven't checked in yet. I was planning on doing so after my visit."
The woman looked at him skeptically. "Really? Where are your things?"
Hermoine thought fast and intervened. "You know how those airlines work. They lost his luggage." Cassi's face took on a tone of sympathy.
"I hate when that happens. I understand how frustrating it is to feel stranded without any of your belongings. Why don't you just stay here? Hermoine is staying in my roommate's room, but you are more than welcome to the couch. It folds out into a bed."
Lupin was surprised by the offer. He really had not intended to stay. He had planned to apparate back to England. But, if Sirius was going to be staying here, he wanted to spend as much time with him as possible before pretending he didn't know he was alive. So, he made his decision and smiled. "Thank you for your offer, I believe I will take you up on that."
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TBC