Chapter Twelve; A Problem Shared.

'So that's Pet's new boyfriend?' asked James, closing Lily's bedroom door behind him.  'Where'd she find him? Local pig farm?'

Lily snorted with laughter.

'A pretty fancy pig farm apparently.  Pet says Vernon's got money.  I deduced from her pathetic simpering that he's going to take over his father's company when he retires.'

'Ooh, lucky guy,' Sirius drawled unenthusiastically.  'What's the company?'

Lily shrugged, sitting down on her bed.

'Not sure.  I think it's called Glummings … Glunnings … or something like that.'

'Gruntings?' Remus suggested, prompting another laugh.

'It wouldn't surprise me, Moony, it really wouldn't.  He came round for dinner the other day; his table manners are on par with a wild pig's!  No, to be fair to the pig, Vernon's are worse.  And he drones on and on – loudly.'

Indeed, Vernon's grumpy voice could be heard from downstairs in the kitchen still complaining about 'that ruddy beast' that had stolen Petunia's gift, while Pet and her mother were trying to clean up his trousers.

The Marauders were crowded into Lily's small bedroom; Lily, James and Sirius sitting on the bed, Peter on the desk chair and Remus perched on the windowsill, stroking Kali, Lily's tabby cat.

'So, come on, what have you all been up to?' asked Lily eagerly.

'Not much,' said James.  'Went to my cousin's wedding; nothing exciting.'

'Oh really?' Lily raised an eyebrow, her pretty face suddenly etched with suspicion, eyes sweeping round the room at them all.  'So I take it none of you would happen to know anything about strange ghost hounds running amok on the Cornish moors?'

Sirius started whistling, apparently fascinated by the flowery curtains.  James assumed a mildly confused expression while Remus looked innocently curious.  Peter, however, began to fidget, grinning guiltily.

Lily produced a copy of the Daily Prophet from under her bed, the ghost hound article circled, and shoved it into James' face.

'Oh, that ghost hound,' he said meekly from behind the paper.

Lily dumped it on his lap and folded her arms.

'What were you all thinking?'

'And what, may I ask, makes you think it has anything to do with us?' protested Sirius.  'There could well be a wild ghost hound out there.'

'Apart from the fact that Remus lives by Bodmin Moor, this ghost hound,' Lily stared pointedly at Sirius,  'mysteriously appeared after a previous article regarding werewolf fears, then just as mysteriously, there was no trace of such a beast after that one night of attacks?'

'Yeah, apart from that,' quipped Sirius.

Remus chuckled at Lily's exasperated sigh.

'Face it guys, nothing gets past Lily.'

'That's because she's a highly suspicious little madam – I mean, perceptive and er … extremely intelligent, and did I mention understanding?' Sirius smiled innocently back at Lily's sour expression.

'Sirius Black, flattery will get you nowhere.'

'I beg to differ.'

James draped his arm round Lily's shoulders.

'Aw, you were worried about us, that's so sweet.'

'I'm worried about the four of you getting caught,' she said bracingly.  'I do wish you'd be more careful.'

'It was in a good cause,' Peter said.

'I know, I know, but you really shouldn't transform where people could see you – what if you're discovered?  Look, you're in the Daily Prophet barely six months after succeeding in the transformation – '

James sighed patiently, picked up the newspaper and held it up in front of her.

'I can't see any of our names in here.  As far as anyone else is concerned, there is a strange ghost dog; no rogue Animagi and no werewolves.' He smiled in Remus' direction, who grinned back cheerfully.

Lily groaned, having the sinking feeling that she was rapidly losing her argument.

'Yes, but … the point is, you did this to help Remus – '

'Which we did; behold the evidence,' said Sirius, tapping the newspaper.

'When he's transformed,' Lily finished pointedly.  'Not to terrorise the local Muggle community like that.'

James, Remus, Sirius and Peter all exchanged a look.

'This is coming from the person who has requested our presence here, specifically for the highly advanced attributes that we possess?' said Sirius blandly.  'And is totally illegal and has nothing to do with a lycanthropic plight – merely to 'terrorise' certain targeted Muggles?'

'Pot … kettle,' said James.

'Glasshouses … stones,' added Remus.

'Yes, alright!' Lily rolled her eyes.  'Fine - I give up!  I won't worry about you then, see if I care when the Ministry comes knocking on your door.'

'If we're going down, we're taking you down with us!' declared Sirius dramatically.

'You can't deny that without you, Lily, they may not have succeed so soon,' said Remus.  'The research you did was invaluable.'

'Guilty by association,' crowed Sirius gleefully.  'Anyway, you swore by the Marauder's Honour; you can't break your word.'

'Ignore them,' James whispered in Lily's ear.  'I know you worry, but we are careful.  Not that we don't appreciate your concern it's just – '

'There's no fun without a little risk,' interjected Sirius.  Peter kept nodding vigorously in agreement.  'Or with a physical embodiment of a conscious reminding us about discretion after every prank we pull.'

Lily turned her pleading eyes to Remus.  She opened her mouth, paused, sighed, and then said, 'There's no point asking if you'd talk some sense into them – you're just as bad as they are.'

Remus grinned mischievously.

James smiled. 'Too late, Lily, he's been converted.  You've got no hope.'

'Noooo,' Lily moaned.  'Remus, you were the only one with any common sense!'

'Soon cured him of that,' Sirius muttered to James, who sniggered.

'It depends on whether or not I listen to it,' said Remus, stroking Kali.

'No, it depends on whether or not you're listening to James or Sirius,' said Lily, deadpanned.  'I give up. I'm not going to waste my time worrying over the four of you any more.'

A chorus of cheers rang out much to her annoyance, but after a moment she smiled and laughed with them.

From downstairs, Petunia's nasal voice could be heard in the hallway.  Lily got up and went to stick her head out the door.

'They're getting ready to go,' she whispered gleefully to the Marauders.  Their faces lit up.

They waited patiently for Petunia and Vernon to leave the house, watching at the window.  They made an odd looking couple; a skinny whippet and a hippopotamus as Lily put it.

Deciding to give their victims a five-minute head start, the Marauders eagerly discussed the last minute changes to their plan.

*

The Rose Garden was a quaint little café in town.  Round tables stood outside, shaded with pale green parasols.  A light breeze blew pleasantly through the ivy-covered trellis framing the small court.

The waiters, dressed smartly in black trousers and white shirts, served their customers with a polite manner, making for a welcoming atmosphere.  The café wasn't too busy this early in the day but a number of regular patrons were enjoying an early lunch.

Petunia and Vernon sat in the cool shade, Vernon shifted uneasily, complaining that the plastic seats weren't comfortable – although it was more likely due to his backside only just fitting between the armrests.

Petunia, with her bony elbows on the table, actually seemed genuinely interested in his ramblings about his father's 'wonderful company' and how Vernon fully intended to expand and make a fortune when he took over in a few years.

'Fascinating,' she sighed dreamily.  'I think it's simply wonderful that a man can be so … enterprising, so focused on the future.'

'Well, can't go wasting time fooling around,' said Vernon gruffly, looking pleased.  'Unlike some people – there are idiots out there that'll never make anything of themselves.'

'Absolutely,' Petunia quickly agreed, reaching out to touch the dewy petals of a single red rose that stood in a tall, thin vase in the centre of the table.  'There are just so many more important things to be getting on with.' She smiled coyly.

Vernon reached over, gently taking her hand in his.  Petunia smiled blissfully, batting her eyelashes.

A shadow fell across the table, blocking the warm ray of sunshine Petunia had been enjoying.

'Can I get you anything?' inquired a pleasant voice.  'Are you ready to order?'

Petunia barely gave the young waiter a sideways glance, haughtily picking up one of the menus.  Vernon cast a contemptuous look over the boy, noting with disgust his slightly too-long brown hair.  The boy smiled kindly, his blue-grey eyes sparkling, pencil suspended over the notepad.

'I will have the salad and prawns,' said Petunia with the air of a snooty entrepreneur, handing back the menu with a careless flair.

The waiter didn't appear to have acknowledged the rudeness, scribbling down her order.

'And what would my lady like to drink?' he asked, still smiling.

'Tea.'

'Milk?  Sugar?'

'Milk, semi-skimmed, not too much, and no sugar,' she replied stiffly.

'Very well.  And for sir?'

'The same.  I'll have sugar in my tea.'

'Certainly.'

The waiter leaned over to take Vernon's menu.  Petunia glanced up at his face just as he turned and walked away.  Petunia frowned.  She twisted round in her seat to look again.  But the waiter had vanished.

'Something the matter?' said Vernon.

Petunia peered suspiciously at the other staff serving the customers around them.

'Petunia?'

'Oh, it's nothing,' said Petunia, swivelling back round.  'I just thought I'd seen that waiter before.'

'Do you know him?'

No,' she said firmly. All the same, he'd looked vaguely familiar.

A few minutes later, the waiter came back with two cups of tea, a jug of milk and a bowl of sugar.  Petunia squinted at his face but he disappeared again before she could take a good look.

Vernon didn't appear to have noticed anything.  He carried on talking in his loud booming voice as he spooned two lots of sugar into his cup.  An elderly couple at the table next to theirs cast annoyed glances in his direction.  Petunia threw them a patronising glare.

Then something else caught her eye.

Vernon was leaning back, taking a noisy slurp of his tea, but the little silver spoon in the sugar bowl was stirring the granules by itself.

Petunia's eyes widened in shock.

Vernon set his cup back down and carried on talking, not even noticing the spoon animatedly scooping more sugar into his tea.

'Er … Vernon,' Petunia hissed, not wanting to cause a panic.

'Hmm?'

Petunia nervously pointed a shaking hand at the spoon.  Vernon looked down at his cup.  The spoon lay lifeless in the bowl.  Vernon picked up his cup.

'Oh, yes, it's getting cold,' he said, raising it to his lips.

Petunia winced.  Vernon paused, his eyes narrowing.  Next second, he spat out a mouthful of tea across the table, and slammed the cup down, gagging and spluttering.

'Vernon, are you okay?' screeched Petunia, frantically grabbing a handful of napkins.

'That tea is foul!' he croaked, snatching the napkins and mopping himself up.  'Absolutely disgusting.  I won't be paying for that, I'll tell you now.  Where's that waiter?'

While Vernon stormed off into the café to find someone to complain to, Petunia took a napkin and started to dry off the front of her now tea-spotted, yellow summer dress.  Casting a wary eye over the other customers, she slowly leaned across the table and tentatively poked the sugar spoon.  She jumped as it fell out of the dish.  It clattered then lay still.  Feeling ridiculously self-conscious, Petunia sat back in her chair.  The elderly couple were staring at her.

'What are you looking at?' Petunia snapped irritably, folding her arms.

Vernon returned a few minutes later, extremely agitated.

'Disgraceful,' he muttered darkly.  'An apology!  If that's the best they can do – '

His complaints were cut short as he made to sit down, for the chair slid swiftly backwards of its own accord leaving Vernon to fall heavily onto the ground with an indignant yelp.  Petunia leapt up off her seat to help him up, blushing furiously as sniggering and laughter broke through the background noise.  Certain that it was being solely directed at them, Petunia helped Vernon to sit up with as much dignity as possible.

The waiter was suddenly by their side, offering a hand.

'Are you alright, sir?' he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.  'Here, let me help you.'

It took both the waiter and Petunia to haul Vernon back onto his feet.  Vernon, angry and embarrassed, rudely waved the waiter's assistance aside, brusquely smoothing his jacket out.  Undeterred, the waiter drew the chair back over.

'Here, sit down.  That was a nasty fall.  Are you sure you're all right?  I could – '

'I'm fine,' growled Vernon, sitting down heavily.  There was a strange warmth on the seat which made him pause.

The waiter hurried away, promising that their meal would only be a few more minutes.  Trying to regain her elegant posture, Petunia shook out a rose-coloured napkin and laid it over her lap.

The napkin slid off her lap to the floor.  With a sniff of annoyance, Petunia picked it up and put it back on her lap.  It lay there for only a moment before abruptly falling off again.

Feeling slightly disconcerted, Petunia picked it up again, wondering if she were sitting in a draft.  Just to be sure, she moved her chair round slightly, closer to Vernon.  Placing the napkin on her lap, Petunia held it there, making sure it wasn't about to slide off.  Satisfied, she let go.

But the napkin suddenly flew up off her lap with such force Petunia gave a squeal.  Vernon and a number of other people jumped, turning round to stare. Flushing a deep scarlet, Petunia leant over and snatched the napkin off the ground.  She shook it vigorously and forced it down onto her knees.

'Petunia?' Vernon squinted curiously at her as she forcibly held it down.  The napkin didn't move.  Slowly, Petunia relaxed her grip.  When the napkin continued to lie still, she breathed a sigh of relief.  Vernon looked perplexed and had just opened his mouth to ask if she was alright when –

'Here we are!'

The cheerful young waiter was back.  Smiling broadly, he presented them with their meals and a generous helping of salad.

'Bon appetite,' he chirped, and walked away.

Finally approving of something, Vernon picked up his knife and fork and shoved a large forkful into his mouth.  Petunia delicately picked her own cutlery up, poking at the salad with her fork.

A strange squeak came from the salad bowl.  Petunia's eyes widened to the size of the plates as a pointed, furry face with bright beady eyes poked out from under the lettuce, whiskers twitching.

'AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!'

Petunia screamed at the top of her lungs, leaping two feet up off her chair, swatting at the sleek rat as it sprang out of the bowl.  Vernon's bellow blasted through the air like a foghorn.  What felt like an earthquake shook the table as Vernon leapt up; then came the worrisome sound of tearing fabric.

Vernon clapped his hands over his backside, feeling a sizeable hole in the seat of his trousers.  The missing fabric was stuck fast to the seat he'd so swiftly vacated.  His face went a nasty shade of puce as a roar of laughter broke out behind him.  The elderly couple were pointing and laughing like they'd never seen anything so funny.  The old woman was clapping delightedly.

Unfortunately, Petunia's horrific squealing had suddenly managed to convey the cause. 

'Rat!' she shrieked,  'Rat!  Oh my god, it's a rat!'

In seconds the entire café was in an uproar.  Women screaming, crying 'Rat!' or 'Mice!', panicking, pushing and shoving to get away. 

The grey rat scampered round the tabletop, searching for a means of escape.  From amid the panicked shouts, a piercing whistle sounded.  Help was on the way.

Scurrying to the edge of the table, the rat prepared to jump. 

Whack!

A tablemat slammed down on the table with such force, the rat leapt in fright, almost toppling over the edge of the table.  Spinning round, the rat was confronted by an exceptionally angry Vernon brandishing the mat at it.  He swung at the rat again with a roar of disgust.  The rat squealed as it was sent flying …

More people screamed as the hapless rodent landed scrawled on the hard patio.  Rather dazed, the rat wriggled frantically, found its feet and bolted, Vernon aiming a kick at it as the little animal fled.

There was thunderous growl and a fresh wave of petrified screaming.  Vernon turned to see a monstrous black dog racing towards him.  Growling furiously, the animal leapt up, slamming its huge paws against Vernon's chest.  Both fell heavily to the ground, knocking over chairs and another table.

The dog leapt over Vernon, spinning round for another run.  Vernon, with a huge effort, rolled over in an attempt to get up.  He froze at the sight of a large set of sharp teeth bared not four feet away.  Snatching up a fallen knife, Vernon lashed out at the dog.

'Get back you beast!' he bellowed.  Then his jaw dropped in recognition.  'You!  You thief!  I remember you!'

He swung the knife again.  The dog let out a plaintive yelp as the knife smacked it on the side of its muzzle.  Vernon's momentary feelings of victory faded rapidly.  The knife wasn't sharp at all, it was only a butter knife … and being smacked with a blunt instrument did not impress the animal at all.

Pale eyes blazing with fury, the animal lunged, batting the knife aside with his huge paw as Vernon tried again to defend himself.  The long jaws closed round Vernon's arm as he let out a truly terrified cry.

From the entrance to the Rose Garden, two teenagers pushed their way through the hastily departing patrons, and froze, staring in abject horror.

'Merlin's beard!  What's got into him?' exclaimed Remus.

Lily hesitated, looking frantically about her.  The café's customers were still panicking, fleeing from the dog as it continued its attack.  Some people had stopped, frozen, watching with fear, too afraid to try and help the teenager as he fought to fend off the dog that held his arm in its jaws, tearing at it in a rage.  There were shouts, calling for a Dog Warden.

'James!' Lily shouted.  'James!'

'Right here!' came a breathless voice from the air beside them.  There was a protracted silence, then: 'What the hell is going on?'

'Padfoot just went for him, that's what!' cried Lily.  'Do something – stop him!'

There was no answer, but a number of abandoned chairs were violently shoved aside by an invisible force.

Petunia hadn't moved far; she was rooted to the spot, screeching incessantly for help.  Vernon was still bellowing and still the dog didn't release his hold on Vernon's fat arm, snarling and shaking his head, tearing at the sleeve.

A sudden pressure was exerted upon the dog's scruff, pulling roughly.  A low voice hissed, 'Padfoot, stop it!  What's the matter with you?'

Wondering vaguely where the voice had come from, Vernon was inexplicably relieved to see the young waiter rush in to seize the feral creature, and, with incredible strength, haul the animal away.  The sleeve of Vernon's jacket tore off completely; the dog proceeded to shake it like a dead animal, snarling, its pale eyes blazing.

Without even a word of explanation, the waiter dragged the dog off, giving it a sharp slap across the muzzle.  The animal dropped the ragged scrap of material, gave an irritable snap, but loped along beside him.  The crowd drew back as the animal ran towards them.  Racing out of the Rose Garden, the waiter ran with the dog, joined by a red-haired girl moments later.  In seconds, they'd disappeared down the street.

*

'What was all that about?'

James slammed the door, the sound harsh in the otherwise silent house.  Mr. and Mrs. Evans had gone out by the time the Marauders had made it back, dragging an uncooperative Padfoot in the front door and up the stairs.

Lily was cradling a very dazed rat in her hands.  Remus hadn't said a word since he and James had dragged Sirius out of the Rose Garden.  He quietly settled himself on Lily's desk chair, cool eyes surveying an extremely sullen Sirius who was sat on the bed, having transformed, if not reluctantly.   He refused to look at any of them.

James was not in a particularly good mood.

'Well?' he demanded.  'What happened out there?'

'Nothing,' said Sirius shortly.

'Nothing?' James repeated incredulously.  'I wouldn't call mauling a defenceless Muggle nothing, Padfoot.'

Sirius didn't look at James, or indeed move at all.  He stared out of the window, gaze fixed on some distant point.

It was easy to tell when James was really mad.  After the first minute or two of enraged shouting, his voice would gradually become deadly quiet.  The tone of his voice was an increasingly bad sign as he continued.

'Correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember discussing that your part of the prank, at that particular stage, was simply to get Wormtail out of there … preferably before someone swatted him off a table with a placemat and almost got crushed by a stampede of people scared out of their wits by a seemingly rabid dog.'

Still Sirius refused to look at him.

'There was nothing to stop you stealing a dish off the table … tripping a waiter … knock over some chairs … you could have pissed on his leg again for all I care.  But not once, not for a second, did I think you'd just attack someone.'

Sirius' expression hardened, his eyes flickering distractedly, but that was all the reaction James' words got.

Face etched with cold fury, James strode over to Sirius and shoved him hard on the shoulder, forcing him to turn and look.  Sirius hissed, as though in pain.  His eyes were blazing once again with that cold fire they'd seen when he'd gone for Vernon, glaring up at his best friend.  Lily and Remus exchanged nervous glances.

'What is the matter with you?'

'It's none of your business, James,' Sirius snarled.

'It's my business when you lose control for no apparent reason.  You could have really hurt him, Padfoot; that was not the point of the prank.'

'So what?' Sirius shrugged.  'Why should I care?'

'Because I know you better than that, Padfoot.  You may have a temper but you rarely lose it for no reason.  Check that, you never lose it for no reason.  Now what's wrong with you?'

'Nothing.'

'It's not nothing.'

Sirius folded his arms and didn't say anything.  James grimaced, frustrated.

'This is so unlike you, Sirius,' said Lily softly.  Sirius' eyes flicked in her direction but he looked away almost immediately.  Handing Wormtail to Remus, Lily got up and went to sit next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.  Sirius considered shrugging her off, or at least moving away, but didn't.

'Sirius, please,' said Lily, her eyes round with anxiety.  'If there's something wrong, you can tell us.  We may be able to help.'

'I doubt it,' Sirius muttered irritably.

'Why?'

It was odd, but for such a simple question, it seemed to have completely stumped him.  Something flickered in Sirius's eyes, his gaze wandering aimlessly.  James and Lily exchanged concerned looks.  Sirius slumped in defeat.

'He just … annoyed me,' he mumbled.

'Annoyed you?  That's it?  What – '

But James fell silent at a pointed frown from Lily.  She turned back to Sirius.

'How?'

Sirius frowned, confused.

'I – I don't know.  I just … I felt like – like he deserved it.  And he did, didn't he?  You saw him, didn't you, Lily – bullying those little girls earlier.  What kind of git thinks it's okay to pick on other people like that?'

'And you did a wonderful job of teaching him a lesson – ' She felt Sirius flinch at those words, his eyes fixed on his lap.  'But I don't see why it had to go that far.'  She cocked her head to the side, emerald eyes searching his face.  'There's something else that's bothering you.  Do you want to talk about it?' she asked gently.

There were a few moments of silence.  Sirius slowly raised his head.

Remus didn't have to say a word, for Sirius could see in his eyes how he felt about this.  There was disappointment more than anything, but his cool gaze also held a question; one that Sirius didn't want to answer.  This wasn't anybody's problem but his.  Remus' gaze fell, as though he knew what Sirius' decision was almost before he'd made it.  Sirius sighed.

'Look, I'm sorry about what happened, okay?  I don't know what got into me.'

'That's not the question I asked,' Lily reminded him. 

Sirius shifted uncomfortably.

'I didn't like the guy's attitude, all right?  You know people like that irritate me something chronic.'

'You've never tried to bite their arms off before,' said James blandly.

'I wasn't trying to bite his arm off!' Sirius snapped.  'I just … wanted to give him a scare, that's all.'

'Well, if that's the truth; mission accomplished.  I'd say he was wetting himself.'

'It is the truth,' said Sirius forcibly.  He could feel his temper building; wasn't sure if he could keep it under control.  He took a deep breath, and then said, 'Stupid Muggle deserved it.  Why are Muggles like that?'

'Hey,' Lily fixed him with a mildly stern glare.  'My family are Muggles; Petunia aside, they're pretty nice people.'

'Okay, there are exceptions but most of those that I've met are total gits,' Sirius growled.  'Always thinking they're right, never wrong.  Sticking their noses into other peoples' business and dictating ideals on others.  Acts all kind and caring to one person, then treats someone else like dirt.  He's so two faced I'd like to – '

'He?'

Sirius stopped abruptly in mid-sentence.  Lily raised an eyebrow. 

'You said 'he',' she said slowly.  'So this is about someone in particular?'

Sirius didn't say anything, suddenly feeling uncharacteristically nervous.

James frowned, brow furrowed in thought.

'Hang on, this isn't anything to do with your mum's Muggle boyfriend, is it?  What's his name - Ralph?'

'Richard.'  The sudden hardening of his voice carried a clear note of anger.  When he didn't say anything more, Lily carefully asked what Richard was like.  Sirius' face darkened.

'I can't stand the git.  He's a manipulating prick who fawns like a lovesick puppy over my mum and has practically claimed my home as his own.  I just wish he'd sod off and leave us alone.'

Lily patted his hand sympathetically.

'Oh, Sirius I know that can't be easy, seeing your mum with a new man, but – '

'No, there are no 'buts' here,' said Sirius.  'He isn't right for her.  I hate him and he blatantly hates me.'

'Come on, he can't be that bad,' said Lily, but clearly she'd said the wrong thing.  Sirius rounded on her.

'Lily, you haven't met the git.  Believe me when I say I would gladly move in with Snape if it meant I could spend anytime at all away from Richard.'

Lily considered that for a moment, rather taken aback.  James looked stunned.

'You really hate him that much?'

Sirius fixed him with a patronising glare.  'If I knew Snape's address, I'd already be on my way.'

Lily managed a wry smile, but she sounded very worried.

'Sirius, if you honestly feel that strongly about Richard then you really ought to talk to your mum.  Does she know how you feel about him?  She wouldn't want you to be this upset.'

Sirius gave a derisive snort.

'Oh yeah, she blatantly knows I loathe his guts, that's no secret.  There's no way I can talk to her about him; she thinks he's some heavenly angel fallen to earth and I'm just the sullen teenager lurking in the background.  Besides, I'm in deep trouble already what with St. Richard barging into my room and finding 'evidence of devil worship',' Sirius drawled. 'Mum threw a fit.  Richard is dead set against anything even vaguely magic related, so the odds of Mum ever getting round to letting him in on our family secret are less than slim to none.  I can see that going down like a lead balloon; 'Oh, by the way Richard, we're wizards – surprise!'  He'd have a witch-hunt organised in less time than it took Roderick Plumpton to catch the Snitch.'

'Hang on, she hasn't told him that you're magic?' said Lily.  'Why not?'

'He's a Muggle,' said Remus simply.  'He has no knowledge of our world.  It's a very dangerous thing to reveal to any Muggle.  Especially when so many have such a biased view of us – thinking that we're all evil and we worship devils, summon demons and generally do bad things.  It's very difficult to get people to change their point of view because no one likes to admit to being wrong.'

'To be honest, I don't know where my mum stands.  I was starting to think that she would have gladly tied me to a stake the way she blew up when Richard thought I was part of some satanic cult.  She went and locked all my Hogwarts stuff down in the lab.'

'What, all of it?' said James, wondering if he'd heard that correctly.

'Every last quill.  Ursa was there at the time so her stuff's been locked away too.  Neither of us can even do our homework unless we're under strict supervision and the git isn't around!'

'I don't believe it,' Lily sounded deeply shocked. 

'Had a hard time getting my head round it – I think it's caused permanent damage.  I've actually found myself wishing I could do my stupid Potions essay.'

It was almost comical the way everyone's eyes widened in unison.  James' jaw dropped.

'Wow,' he whispered, stunned.  'This is serious.'

The fact that Sirius made no effort whatsoever to make a lame pun regarding his name only gave the other Marauders greater cause for concern.

'So, long story cut short, I've been having a simply wonderful game of 'Happy Families' this summer,' said Sirius morosely.  'I had to sneak out to come here.  Mum had to go to the main laboratory this morning, some emergency, and left Richard to 'baby-sit' Ursa and me.  He tried to stop me coming here but I sneaked out behind his back.'

James swore softly under his breath.

'Think you're going to be in trouble when you get back?'

'I was hoping I could sneak back into the house without him realising that'd I skipped out.  He ordered me to stay in my room and as far as he knows, that's where I am.'

'What about your mum?'

'She probably won't be back for ages.  Anyway, she's never bothered about my coming and going … not that she notices half the time, chained to the cauldron as she is.'

'What if Richard catches you coming back?' Remus spoke up. 

Sirius swallowed, running a hand distractedly through his hair.

'I won't let him,' he said nonchalantly.  'I can get in and out the house without getting caught; I've done it before.'

James sighed.

'Padfoot?'

'Hmm?'

'Why are you lying to us?'

Sirius frowned.

'What?'

'I can tell when you're lying, Padfoot.'

Sirius kept his mouth shut.  He simply looked at James, who didn't look angry any more; instead he seemed troubled, concerned.

'Has he caught you before?  Sneaking into the house I mean?' asked James, peering intently into Sirius' face.

When Sirius didn't meet his friend's gaze, James sighed.

'What happened?'

Remus sat up but didn't say anything.  Sirius could feel a strange churning in his stomach.  Should he tell them?  Could he tell them?  Was it really such a big deal?

'He slapped me across my face,' he said quietly.  Then he swore silently to himself – damn it, he'd said it now.  The words had just fallen out of his mouth.

There was a stunned silence.  Sirius kept his eyes focused on his lap, wishing they'd stop staring at him.

'He … he attacked you?' whispered Lily.

Sirius shifted uneasily.  Why on earth had he said that?

'Look, he probably had a bug up his butt because I'd come back in the early hours of the morning.  He flies off the handle over stupid things.'

'Sirius, he physically struck you across the face?' Lily's eyes were alight with a cold fire.  She sounded appalled and furious.  'How many times – how often has that happened?'

Sirius was starting to wonder if telling them about Richard was a mistake.  His gaze shifted between each of their anxious faces, before settling back on his lap.

'Twice,' he muttered reluctantly.  He could still feel their eyes on him, obviously sensing that there was more.  'And he banged my head against the wall, okay?  Happy now?' he added, a touch of anger creeping back into his voice.

'Hardly.  Sirius, that's more than a 'spank the naughty child' scenario, that's abuse!  What else has he done?'

'Nothing!  That's it!  Apart from a few warnings.'

'Warnings?' James repeated.  'Or threats?'

Sirius glared.  Sincerely wishing that this conversation would just end, he felt his stomach drop unpleasantly as a soft voice spoke up.

'He nearly broke your arm, didn't he?'

Sirius stared at Remus, mouth agape.  James and Lily turned to stare incredulously.  There was a small popping sound and Peter transformed back to human, sitting down heavily on the floor at Remus' feet, staring between them, looking a little scared. 

'What … how do you … you knew about this already, Moony?' said James, sounded half stunned and half confused.

'I didn't know, Prongs,' said Remus carefully, ignoring the infuriated expression on Sirius' face.  'but I did think that the bruises on Padfoot's arm were a good indication.'  He looked almost helplessly at Sirius.  'I'm sorry, Padfoot, I know I said I wouldn't say anything, but if it's going too far – '

'You had no right to say that,' Sirius growled.

'I only said it because I'm your friend,' said Remus gently.  'We're your friends.  Believe it or not, but we do care about you … and if Richard has been hurting you – '

'Oh, come on!  He'd only done it once!'  Sirius protested.  He hadn't meant for it to sound as though he was defending Richard, but the Marauders clearly took it that way.  Lily looked pained.  James was getting angry again and Peter just sat fidgeting like he wanted to say something but wouldn't dare say a word to break the silence.

'Sirius,' said Remus, in a harder tone than before.  'If he can do it once, he can do it again.  He threatened to hurt you, you said so yourself.'

'Why didn't you tell us before now?' asked Lily, aghast.

'I didn't think there was anything to tell,' said Sirius.  'There didn't seem any point.'

James' face darkened alarmingly.

'Padfoot, you can be such an idiot sometimes.  Of course there's a point!  You can't let that bully get away with hurting you like that – what if he's done it to other people?'

A horrible realisation dawned on Sirius at these words.

'Ursa …' he swore under his breath, eyes wide.

'He's hurt Ursa?' Lily's voice wavered fearfully.

'I – I don't know … she's never said anything.'

'Doesn't mean that something hasn't happened,' Remus said quietly, but pointedly.

'That git, if he's so much as laid a finger on her I'm – ' Sirius jumped up off the bed.  'I'm going back – I've got to see if she's okay; I left her alone with the git!'  A distinct note of panic was clear in his voice now. 

'Sirius, wait!  Don't just run back there all worked up like this, try and calm down.' said Lily, taking hold of his arm.  Breathing heavily, Sirius was really starting to feel sick.  James was right; what if Richard had hurt other people … hurt Ursa?  She was only thirteen.

'Lily, if he's hurt her …'

'Sirius, please, you won't be of any help to her unless someone knows what's going on.  You have to tell your mum; she'll believe you, I'm sure she will.'

'Not bloody likely,' said Sirius.  'I don't have any proof.'

'I've got an idea,' said James.  'I could ask my parents if you can stay with us for the summer; that'll get you away from Richard –'

A momentary flare of gratitude and relief flooded Sirius' mind, but it didn't last.

'Prongs, thanks, but I can't leave Ursa on her own again – I can't!'

'I'm sure I can talk my parents into letting her stay, too,' said James, although he sounded a tad unsure. 

Nevertheless, Sirius was thankful.  It was almost a relief now that they knew.  They may not be able to help, but it was a comforting thought to know that they were behind him.  He excused himself and left the room.

Heading downstairs Sirius was just about to open the front door, when Remus came down after him and pulled him aside.

'Padfoot, remember what I said; if you need help, don't hesitate to ask us for it.  Anything you need, or want us to do, you only need to ask.'

'I know, and thanks,' said Sirius. He moved towards the door, but Remus held him back for a second.

'I really mean it, Padfoot.  You need help; we'll be there.  Don't cut yourself off from us like that again, you hear me?'

Surprised at the forcefulness of Remus' statement, Sirius stared at his friend.  Remus was completely sincere.  He truly meant it … and his words were not lost on Sirius.

Managing a grateful smile without any effort at all, Sirius slung an arm round Remus' slender shoulders and gave him a brief, one-armed hug.

'I yell, I expect you to come running, right?'

'Right,' Remus smiled.  'Go on.  You'll let us know if you're not okay, won't you?'

Sirius nodded, pulled open the front door and hurried away down the street. 

*

Damning the erratic nature of the Knight Bus' journeys, Sirius ran down the road like his tail was on fire.  His four paws pounded heavily on the pavement as he weaved through the milling crowds in town, towards the housing estates.

Was Ursa okay?  What if Richard had harmed her?  Was there any chance that he'd done it before?  Surely Ursa would have said something?  The thoughts plagued Sirius relentlessly, adding speed to his flight, determined to get back home swiftly.  He wasn't sure what he was going to do if he found Ursa hurt.  Maybe she was fine, after all.  Sirius prayed that was the case. 

By the time Sirius had reached his street, he'd made a decision.  He was going to tell his mother everything.  Sod it if she didn't believe him outright but maybe, just maybe, it would be enough to cast a shadow of doubt in her mind, to question Richard's behaviour towards Sirius.  If she would only accept the possibility, then he'd be halfway there.

Heartened by the thought, Sirius slowed down as his home came into sight.

Richard's beige Volkswagen was still parked in the driveway.  Panting heavily, Sirius crouched low to the ground, edged forward, and slowly poked his muzzle round the gate.  Trying desperately to focus his poor sight on the windows, Sirius found it hard to tell if anyone was in the living room. 

Where was Richard likely to be?  Sirius' thoughts flashed back to seeing Richard wandering around in the hallway that morning.  What had he been doing anyway? 

Taking a chance, Sirius burst out of hiding and scampered down the side of the house.  The hedge growing at the edge of the fence made for a convenient bolthole.  Diving under the cover of the leafy branches, Sirius transformed once more.  The greatly improved vision was such a contrast to his dog form.  Squinting through the leaves at the kitchen window, Sirius felt another stab of frustration.  He couldn't see anyone in the kitchen.

Right, first things first; get back inside.

Crawling beneath the window, Sirius made it to the far wall and stood up.  Stepping onto the edge of a large garden pot, Sirius climbed up and reached for a handhold in the brickwork.  A few years ago, he'd discovered a very useful method of getting up to his window; so long as his mother never thought to move the huge plant pot, he had a perfect route.  A few crumbling bricks were tedious handholds at best, but Sirius managed to hoist himself up just far enough to fling up his other hand to grab the edge of the roof.

With practised ease, Sirius quickly grabbed hold with both hands and heaved himself up.  Hooking a leg over the guttering, Sirius scrambled up.  He was probably making more noise than he knew he ought to, but the thought of Ursa sent him climbing up to his window in record time.

The window was still open, just as he'd left it.  Sticking his legs through first, Sirius slid through the gap and landed on his bed.

Slam!

The window abruptly slammed shut and Sirius jumped about a foot, emitting a yelp of fright.  He spun round, eyes wide.

There, standing just to the side of the window, a cold smile on his face, was Richard.

Sirius felt his heart take a horrific leap up into his throat.

'Where have you been?' asked Richard quietly.  He didn't sound angry; if anything, he sounded pleasantly interested.  However, his steely grey eyes were hard, gazing at Sirius with a disturbing kind of rapture.

'I do believe I told you to stay in your room,' he went on.  'Yet when I came up a few hours ago to check on you, I found your room empty.' He smiled.  'Where were you, Sirius?  Off meeting with your little coven, perhaps?'

'It's none of your business,' Sirius growled.  He was shaking slightly, his palms sweating.

'Oh, but I think you'll find that it is,' said Richard smoothly, still smiling in a paternal manner.  'When I tell someone to do something, I fully expect their cooperation.  You have disappointed me, Sirius, you really have.  I honestly thought you knew better than to disobey me like this.' His smile broadened.  Sirius was breathing in short, rapid breaths, moving away slightly as Richard took a step towards him.

'Don't make this difficult, Sirius,' he said.  'You make mistakes, you receive punishment; that's what you need to learn.'

Sirius' eyes darted to the door.  Should he run?  No sooner had the thought crossed his mind that Richard moved to stand between him and the door.

'Now, now, don't go trying anything foolish.'  His voice hardened, as did his face.

'Where's Ursa?' Sirius demanded.  'Where is she?'

Richard raised his eyebrows.

'She's not here.  Ursa asked if she could go to see a friend and I happily gave her permission to do so.  You, on the other hand, did not seek my permission.'

Sirius made to rise from the bed, but Richard took two swift steps forward, grabbed hold of the front of Sirius' sweatshirt and shoved him backwards.  Startled, Sirius cried out as his head came into contact with the window ledge.  A blinding pain shot through his head.  Screwing his eyes shut in agony, Sirius was jerked roughly forward, Richard pulling him close to his chest.  His foul breath blew across Sirius' face like an evil wind, his voice low and dangerous.

'You know, I'm almost glad that you didn't learn first time round,' he hissed gleefully.

Sirius was shoved roughly back onto the bed, gasping in pain.  Eyes snapping open, Sirius barely managed to move an inch before Richard had thrown his entire weight on top of him. 

Sirius started to panic as one of Richard's huge hands encircled his throat, the other pinning his chest down.  Feeling as though his legs were being crushed under Richard's weight, Sirius couldn't help but whimper in a combination of pain and fear.

Struggling to breathe, Sirius swung his fist at Richard's face.  There was a satisfying thud and Richard jerked back.  Growling furiously, Richard let go of Sirius' neck and seized his arm.

With a frightened yelp, Sirius felt his arm go numb as Richard twisted it, applying pressure to the elbow joint.  Certain that it was going to break, Sirius desperately fought to move, but couldn't.  Panting hard, he felt tears of pain sting his eyes; he screwed them shut and stopped struggling.

Abruptly, Richard got off him.  His arm falling limply to his side, Sirius lay still, breathing heavily while the pain coursed through his shaking body.  His legs didn't feel as though they were even there; the prickling of pins and needles swarmed over his skin.  Opening his eyes, Sirius squinted up at Richard.  He knelt down at the edge of the bed, so that his face was on the same level as Sirius'.

'That was but a taster,' he informed him coolly, 'so I give you fair warning.  You break your silence on this matter and I will see to it that you will regret ever questioning my authority.  Do you understand?'

Shaking uncontrollably, Sirius whispered, 'Yes.' He hated himself for sounding so weak.

Richard smiled with grim satisfaction.

'Well done, you remembered.'

He stood up.  Sirius didn't dare move.  Biting his tongue to keep from making another sound, he waited for Richard to leave.  He didn't.  He just stood there, arms folded across his broad chest, seemingly very satisfied.   He gave a sigh, like he'd just had a relaxing massage, rolling his shoulders back.

'Well, beneficial all round, wouldn't you agree?' he chuckled, turning and walking away without waiting for an answer.  Just as he reached the door, he added:  'I must remember to talk to Ann about my concerns; whether such disobedience should forfeit any privileges of freedom.  I'm sure she'll see it my way.'

And, with that, he left.

Sirius released a shaky breath, wincing as his entire body throbbed.  Lying still for almost ten minutes, Sirius gradually reached down to rub some of the feeling back into his legs. 

There was a warm, wet sensation on the pillow.  Slowly, he reached up to touch the back of his head.  Gently, he brushed his fingers over a large bump.  Hissing in pain, Sirius withdrew his hand sharply.  His fingers were covered in blood.

Sirius stared at them.  The crimson liquid staining his fingers shone brightly as the afternoon sun caught it.

For a long time, Sirius didn't move.  Every part of him ached.  He closed his eyes, trying to regulate his breathing without much success. 

Shadows gradually slipped into the room as the sun began to descend.  Still, Sirius had barely moved.  Each movement took too much effort with little results.  In an attempt to apply some pressure to the wound, Sirius had pulled a sock out of his drawer by the bed, folded it and placed it under his head.  The thick material had soaked up a fair amount of blood.  Hopefully lying on it would give enough pressure to stem the flow of blood. 

Drifting in and out of an exhausted and restless sleep, Sirius wasn't sure if the frantic scrabbling sound was real or a figment of his imagination.  A plaintive mewling coaxed him back into full wakefulness.

Blinking hard, Sirius forced himself to sit up a bit, leaning back against the bloodstained pillow and headboard.

Two large green eyes blinked at him from the window.  Cosmic patted the pane with his front paws, scrabbling furiously and crying.

Stretching out a hand, Sirius took hold of the window and slowly pushed it up.  At the barest sign of a gap, the cat instantly stuck his nose through, wriggling.  Giving the pane another shove, it slid up and Cosmic dropped down onto the bedspread.  His eyes gleaming in the semi-darkness, Cosmic mewed softly and rubbed himself up against Sirius.  Lying back down with a grunt of pain, Sirius drew the little animal close, allowing the cat to lie half across his chest, rubbing his furry head under Sirius' chin. 

The walls of the room were starting to turn a beautiful yellow as the sun fell closer to the horizon.  How late was it now?  Shouldn't Ursa be coming back soon?  Or had she asked to stay overnight at her friend's?  Sirius felt guilty for wishing she'd come back so he wouldn't feel so alone, but her being here would put her at risk.  A forceful churning of his stomach prompted Sirius to roll over.  Cosmic watched his master anxiously.

'I can't take much more of this,' Sirius whispered miserably to the cat.  'I hate to say it … but I wish I hadn't come back at all.  Maybe I should have taken Prongs up on that offer …' he trailed off. 

Prongs … Wormtail … Lily … Moony …

They knew.  They'd wanted to help him earlier; he hadn't wanted it then but he sure as hell needed it now.

Sirius sat up so quickly he cried out and put a hand to his head.  The blood had been clotting for a while now; the blood on the pillow was drying out.  But the pain remained.  Cosmic, eyes blinking up at Sirius, mewed and batted his side with a paw.

Chiding himself sternly, Sirius forced himself up off the bed.  Parchment, paper; there had to be some still lurking about.  Opening his wardrobe, Sirius rummaged around in the pockets of his jeans and trousers.  Success; an old scrap of parchment.  Almost tearing it in his haste, Sirius pulled it out and renewed his search efforts.  Thank goodness he'd never once in his entire life, cleaned his room out properly.  An old crumpled swan quill made its belated appearance as Sirius turned an old coat inside out, rummaging through the pockets.

The only problem now was ink.  Sirius smoothed out the parchment on his desk and took up the quill.  He paused, thinking.  Cosmic emitted a grumbling yowl from the bed.  Sirius cast him a baleful look. 

Slowly, he reached up and rubbed at the bloody scab on the back of his head.  Cosmic mewed in distress, springing off the bed and batting frantically at Sirius' legs.  The warm blood seeped over his fingertips and Sirius grimly rubbed some to the nib of the quill.  Quill to parchment, he wrote a short message in his own blood.

S.O.S.  Trapped.  Hurt.  Help!

His hand shook as he underlined the last word, but there was a sense of relief and hope as he finished it.  Feeling a tad light-headed, Sirius grabbed a clean sock and placed the pad to the wound.  It stung but he gritted his teeth and bared it.  That would have to be enough.  But how to get the message to the Marauders?  He didn't have an owl and he couldn't leave the house to see if Mrs. Fennel happened to have one at her house.

Sirius' gaze fell upon the black cat at his feet, blinking up at him.

Could that possibly work?  Cosmic wasn't stupid, but could he find his way to Prongs?  Did Sirius really have any other choice?

He bent over and scooped the cat up in his arms.  Rolling up the parchment, Sirius tucked it into Cosmic's purple collar, sticking it through a loop in the material.  Hoping that would hold it there, Sirius held the cat close.

Cosmic, sensing his young master's misery and distress, rubbed against his cheek and gave him a lick with his little pink tongue.

'Cosmic,' Sirius whispered, a clear note of urgency in his voice,  'I really hope you can understand this because I really need you right now …'

*

As the sun gave a last flare of golden light across the sky before night could chase it away, a little black cat scampered down the driveway of its home, pausing only for a second to look back at the upstairs window, before racing away up the street and into the oncoming darkness.

*

To Be Continued.

*

Please review.  All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated. 

*

Author's Notes. 

NightSpear – I had a lot of fun writing these last few chapters; how can I resist poking fun at Vernon Dursley? ^_^   And I guess that last scene answers your question about Richard hurting Sirius, and Ursa.   Yes, sorry, but one chapter a week it has to be.  I need time to get going on my next fic.  I don't want to go for months without posting anything.

Lin-z – Thank you!

Christy – Unfortunately, you were absolutely correct on your first comment.  Not very nice to get beaten up like that, but as you guessed, it was a likely consequence of Sirius sneaking out.  And I'm glad that you understood why Sirius skipped out, I would have felt the same way; frustrated and rebellious.  Hee hee, I took so much pleasure in torturing Petunia and Vernon these last two chapters.  Who wouldn't?

WallyTheWhale – Ah, I'm glad someone asked about Mrs Fennel.  I did work out a back-story for her but it just wasn't important to the storyline so I never had an opening to explain it.  The reason why only her and her daughters are mentioned it because her 'husband' was never around for her.  When Irene Fennel is first introduced, I wrote that she was a 'young mother', envisioning her to be about twenty-five.  As her daughters are six, that means she would have fallen pregnant at about nineteen.  The way I see it, is that she told her boyfriend the news and he did a runner, not wanting to commit to a family at such a young age.  Irene didn't want to abort the pregnancy so went on to give birth to twins, later moving into the same neighbourhood as the Blacks.  She and Andromeda became friends, as there aren't that many witches and wizards in the area.  Then when Andromeda and Orion started fighting a few years later, Irene would often have Sirius and Ursa round her house, thus she had developed a good friendship with them and their mother by the time Orion moved out.   Anyway, that's her story; when her character strolled into my head, she came with kids, no husband, a kindly nature and a determined frame of mind that helped her cope with two children on her own.  I never intentionally made her like Mrs. Weasley but now that you've mentioned it, she is a bit like her.

I'm not familiar with lifetime movies, but if they're really cheesy, then I wouldn't feel inclined to watch them anyway.  Still, considering they're based on true stories they might be worth a look.

Urgh, I felt like dirt having Andromeda use Sirius' pet-name like that, but it just slipped out when I was writing that bit and I could image the look of indignation and hurt on Sirius' face; so I couldn't help it, it was cruel, but it fitted, so in it went.  And it took me a while to word Andromeda's sentence so that Sirius could 'justify' his leaving the house.  Loopholes are great, so long as you can work them out.  ^_^ 

Ugly guy Vernon Dursley and beanpole Petunia – one nasty couple, and unwilling participants in a Marauder prank!  And it's hard coming up with a prank that didn't involve magic, unless it was the Cloak and their Animagus forms.  But I had fun!

Calimora – Thank you very much!  I sincerely hope you'll enjoy the rest of it.  ^_^