Chapter Eighteen: No Choice.
James!
I think I've found him! There's a Muggle who lives about ten miles from me, who put an ad in the paper, saying he found a stray dog a few days ago, so I phoned him up. From what he said it sounds like Padfoot. Soon as I've finished this letter I'm going to head over there. I managed to find a photo with Padfoot and me in it, just in case he asks for 'proof of ownership'. Send Athena back immediately and I'll let you know.
Love Lily
*
Moony!
Lily thinks she may have found Padfoot! Some Muggle picked up a stray dog a while ago; she's gone to see if it's him. Keep your fingers crossed.
Hope you're feeling better after that last full moon.
Prongs
*
Dear James
I'm really sorry – no joy. It wasn't Sirius. The Muggle was a nice old man; he was quite sympathetic about me 'losing my pet', but the dog he found is a black collie cross; definitely not Padfoot. Still, I've been checking in the local animal shelters, but no large black dogs have come in recently. I'll keep trying.
Love Lily
*
Moony
False alarm. It wasn't him. Lily's still checking the animal shelters but no luck there either.
Dad still hasn't heard any news from the Ministry, other than that they're still looking. He's been gone for a week now – where is he? He can't have dropped off the face of the earth. He has to be out there somewhere.
I hope he's okay, wherever he is.
James
*
Ever since Reginald Alder had come barging into his office a week ago, ordering him to the Interview Rooms, with little in the way of an explanation, Orion Black had not been in the best of moods.
Upon being informed by Sanders that his son was missing, Orion had immediately requested control of the investigation. His superiors said no. Quite apart from being understandably distressed by the situation, Orion had not expected to be turned down due to the fact that they believed him to be a suspect.
With a flaring temper and a few swift Floo calls later, Orion and Andromeda had managed maybe two minutes of civilised conversation before all hell broke loose.
While Andromeda knew in her heart that Orion would never snatch their son away from her, the turmoil of emotion and stress needed an outlet and so it promptly lashed out at the nearest and most convenient target. In response, Orion flew into a furious rage, accusing his ex-wife of spending too much time with that 'ruddy Muggle' instead of her children, to which she answered by scathingly pointing out how little time he'd ever spent with them.
Sanders then summoned Orion back to the Interview Room, bringing their petty fight to an end. But the damage had already been done. Orion and Andromeda barely spoke to one another, using other people as a means of letting each other know how the search was progressing. It was terribly awkward for all involved.
Orion had not been particularly cooperative during the questioning by members of his own department. He had remained firm that he had no idea where his son was and that he had never considered taking either of his children away from their mother. Orion's colleagues where obviously in silent agreement that this line of inquiry was bordering on ludicrous, but there was pressure from their superiors to follow set procedures, so the questioning continued.
Over the past week, everyone who may have had some clue as to Sirius' whereabouts had been questioned, more than once. The Floo Network was being monitored and the Knight Buses were on the alert for the missing teenager.
Orion poured himself a large brandy and sat down heavily on the couch. His bloodshot eyes roamed the darkened living room, the flickering shadows dancing on the walls. Tilting his head back, Orion downed the brandy in one gulp. The bitter liquid burned his throat as he swallowed. Orion had never been one to drink excessively, but it had a calming affect, making him feel at ease. It chased away the doubts, the anxiety, and the fears; for a short time at least.
Orion had been ordered to take some time off work. His superior had informed him that she believed he needed to get away, even if only for a day or two. It would do him some good if he could relax a little before he became 'too worked up and obsessive' about the case. Orion had refined from telling her where she could stick her brazen assumption, and regretfully went home. He felt mentally drained and, despite his silent objection, he couldn't deny that he needed a break.
Stupid woman, he thought, swirling the brandy round in the glass. Orion took a sip this time, savouring the taste as he turned his baleful gaze from the glowing fire over to the window. The sky outside was pitch black, the hammering of rain on the window mingled with the sound of the crackling flames. Feeling unsettled and fidgety, Orion abruptly but the glass back down on the table. It was no good. How on earth could he be expected to relax when his son was out there somewhere?
Many of his colleagues had expressed their sympathy towards him, along with several members of different departments as the news spread. But sympathy wasn't going to get Sirius back. His superiors had commanded Orion to stay away from the investigation – he wouldn't be able to cope with it in a professional manner, they said. It was much too personal for Orion to be able to think straight.
They were wrong. Orion was thinking plenty.
In between the questioning sessions, Orion had diligently used every contact he had within the Ministry to obtain any information on the search, as few people in his department were willing to divulge much without permission from their superiors, who were in agreement that Orion be treated no differently than any other suspect. Orion had found the sympathy bearers especially helpful; many of them had children of their own and were anxious to help ease his concerns as to what was going on.
Unfortunately, the results weren't as rewarding as Orion had hoped.
So far, all they had deduced was that Sirius had vanished sometime between seven in the evening and eight the next morning. His sister, Ursa, had been the last to see him after he had fallen ill. None of the neighbours had seen or heard anything, Sirius' friends had all been questioned a number of times, all of them insisting that they hadn't heard from him either. Two officers, disguising themselves as Muggle law enforcers, when it was revealed that Andromeda's Muggle fiancé knew nothing of their world, had questioned Richard. But all to no avail. Sirius hadn't left a note, he hadn't mentioned anything to anyone about going off somewhere and he hadn't taken anything with him. With no sign of forced entry to the house, the logical conclusion was that Sirius had left of his own accord.
Taking another sip of his brandy, Orion mulled over the possibilities in his mind again.
Could Sirius have run away from home? For what reason? As far as Orion was aware, Sirius didn't like Richard, Andromeda's fiancé, but that didn't sound like reason enough. Lots of divorced families experienced some friction when someone new came into the picture. It wasn't a major issue, surely. Orion scowled his displeasure at the thought. He would rather try to pull a tooth out of a rabid Nundu's mouth than admit to his true feelings on the matter. If Andromeda was getting married again, that was her business, not Orion's.
Orion put the brandy glass a little harder than he intended; the alcohol slopped out of the glass and spilt over the table. Grumbling, Orion jabbed his wand irritably, the mess drying up in moments. Now was not the time to dwell on that, he told himself sternly. He should be more focused on his missing son.
He leaned back in his chair, forcing himself to concentrate.
The kidnap scenario had been the one he'd held onto the longest, because there was always a chance of the kidnappers demanding a ransom for the victim's safe return. Just one problem: why Sirius?
A possible solution was Andromeda. Her research team had experienced several break-ins these past few months. Their work was supposed to have been top-secret, but somehow that information had been leaked out. Perhaps, Orion reasoned, whoever was behind the break-ins had decided to take it a stage further.
Orion closed his eyes. He sincerely hoped not. If these two incidents were connected …
No. They couldn't be, he kept telling himself. No matter if it appeared to be a fairly plausible explanation, there was one major flaw with it; no one had contacted them to demand a ransom. Too much time had passed for that scenario to be of any logical merit.
Orion did not want to consider the possibility that some madman had just snatched Sirius off the street as a random target.
His hands began to shake. Orion took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes. He'd seen a few murder scenes during his years of service. One in particular stood out in his mind.
Just a few months before Sirius' birth, Orion had been called out to the back streets of London in mid-December. A light snow covered the pavement of the alleyway where the tiny body had been found. A little girl, no older than eight, had vanished a few days previously. A homeless person had discovered the hex-covered body, half hidden in a rubbish-skip; he'd recognised the marks as hex wounds and had contacted the Ministry rather than the Muggle police.
Orion had never been so deeply shaken by such a tragic sight. The image of the child's blank staring eyes against the deathly-white skin stood out so much more clearly in his mind's eye than the actual experience. Those pale eyes had held Orion's gaze, asking but one question. Why?
A month later, the girl's uncle had been charged with the abduction, rape and murder of the child. But what good did that do for the family that then had to come to terms with it and carry on without their beloved child?
Orion had never been able to shake that memory from his mind, nor did he want to. It was a permanent reminder of many things; what kind of monsters there are in the world. It struck him as ironic that so many wizards kicked up such a fuss over the threat of werewolves and giants and other such beasts, when it was humans that accounted for the most horrific and evil acts ever committed. A werewolf or a giant acted on pure instinct, they behaved as nature created them to be; but a human can make a choice, it can plan, calculate; a human knows what it's doing … what pain it is causing. The self-righteous wizards who denounced the 'monsters', campaigning for their destruction were hypocrites.
It was a reminder of what Orion worked for, why he did it. Why he spent so much time away from his own family – to help protect other families from such tragedies. They had been too late to help that little girl; and Orion swore, as he returned home that evening to his pregnant wife, that he would never allow that happen again, not if he could do something about it.
But never, in a million years, did Orion stop to think that, one day, his own family might experience the same horror the girl's family endured that Christmas. It was one of those things that happened to 'somebody else'. Truth was, everyone was 'somebody else' to everyone else in the world.
Covering his face with his trembling hands, Orion tried to block out the hideous mental images of that alley, only this time, the child in the snow wasn't that little girl; it was Sirius.
The rain fell harder, lashing against the windows. The wind howled, sending the trees of the nearby forest swaying. A bolt of lightning tore through the sky with an almighty crash. Thunder rumbled overhead.
So pre-occupied with his thoughts and haunted memories, it was a while before Orion detected another sound amid those of the raging storm.
Orion slowly looked up. Frowning, he listened carefully. There it was again. A tapping noise, slightly louder than before, was coming from the hallway.
Someone was at the front door.
Heaving himself up from the couch, Orion went out into the hallway, removing his wand from his belt as he went. He could hear the knocking clearly now. Orion scowled. If it was one of those damn Daily Prophet reporters again … He had hoped hexing that last one with walrus tusks would have been enough to deter them, but apparently not even a summer storm was going to keep the most determined of reporters away.
Gripping the wand firmly, Orion stomped over to the door. He'd had enough of this. He grabbed the handle, yanked it open and raised his wand.
He opened his mouth … but no sound came out. Losing grip on his wand, Orion stood frozen.
Sirius, soaked to the skin, stood anxiously on the edge of the doorstep. His pale blue eyes flicking from the wand to his father's pallid face, he offered a small, nervous smile.
'Hi Dad,' he whispered hoarsely against the wind. Shivering uncontrollably, he staggered. In an instant Orion had his arms around him, drawing him inside out of the pouring rain as another roll of thunder rumbled overhead.
Slamming the door on the storm, Orion held his son tightly, allowing Sirius to lean on him. His clothes were soaked through. His long scraggly hair was plastered over his face, water dripping from it as fast as the falling rain outside. Barely conscious, Sirius was struggling to stay on his feet. Orion lifted his son into his arms, quickly took him into the living room and laid him on the sofa.
Closing his eyes, Sirius slumped like a rag doll. Orion honestly didn't know if he'd fallen asleep or fainted. Orion worked quickly, casting a number of spells; the fire in the grate flared, the flames leaping higher, the couch sluggishly slid across the floorboards closer to the warmth. Just as he waved his wand and Sirius' wet shirt was stripped off his body, Orion stopped. Frowning, he leaned over his son for a closer look.
There was a dark mark, like a faded bruise, encircling his neck. Similar marks were visible across his chest and stomach, a few turning a nasty yellow-green. His gaze slowly travelling back up to Sirius' face, Orion spotted another mark, this one clear evidence of a cut just under his hair, as though something had struck him hard to the side of his head.
Tentatively, as though to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him, Orion gently brushed Sirius' hair off his face. His fingertips touched the wound lightly, but almost immediately, Sirius stirred, a grimace of pain flashing across his pale features. Orion quickly withdrew his hand, and snapping himself out of his reverie, conjured a thick blanket, wrapping it around his son's shivering body, hiding the wounds.
Gazing about him feverishly, Sirius tried to speak. 'Dad?' he croaked, his eyes half open.
'I'm right here,' said Orion, moving to crouch beside Sirius. 'Are you alright?' he asked, his voice shaking. His son's face was horribly pale, the dark bruising standing out in sharp contrast, drawing Orion's unwilling gaze once more.
'Cold,' Sirius mumbled, shivering more violently.
Putting a hand to his forehead, Orion was not surprised to find it sweaty and warm.
'Wandering around in a storm,' he muttered distractedly, casting another spell. 'You'll be lucky if you don't get pneumonia …'
'Sorry,' whispered Sirius, closing his eyes once more. He sounded absolutely exhausted.
'Ssh,' said Orion softly. 'Go to sleep. You'll feel better in the morning.'
Sirius didn't reply, but it was a while before his breathing became slow and regular. Orion stayed beside him through the night, leaving only to fetch a book on Healing magic. Between checking Sirius' temperature regularly and casting whatever Healing magic he thought might help, Orion pondered what to do next.
He had been on the verge to alerting the Ministry, but stopped, reminding himself that fire lost its heat when used for Floo travel and messages. No, his priority was to take care of his son. The Ministry could wait.
Brushing Sirius' hair off his face, Orion's memory took him back to that murder scene. The pale face of the child blurred in his mind once more, merging with the one before him. Blinking hard, Orion gently took Sirius' icy hand in his, thanking whatever powers that existed in the world that his son was alive.
Finally moving the armchair right next to the couch, Orion settled himself down, eventually falling asleep beside his son.
*
When he awoke the following morning, Orion could not find the words to describe the immense relief and joy that welled up inside him when he laid eyes on his son, still quite pale, but offering a tired and contented smile as he tried to wriggle out of the tightly wrapped blanket, making light-hearted complaints that he was too hot.
Watery sunshine pouring in the window illuminated the small room, the storm having passed. The fire had gone out. Orion heaved himself up out of his chair, stiff from his awkward position, but quickly reached for his wand and book.
'How are you feeling?' he asked, kneeling down beside Sirius.
Sirius shifted about, freeing an arm from the confines of the blanket.
'Better,' he said, his voice croaky.
Orion felt his forehead. Sirius squirmed.
'Dad -'
'I'm only going to take your temperature, don't fuss.' Orion rolled his eyes, taking a thermometer and holding it out. Sirius reluctantly opened his mouth to accept it. Sirius had never been one to cooperate when he was ill.
When Sirius was six and he'd had dragon-pox, he'd snuck out of the house to play with the neighbourhood Muggle kids and had ended up being violently sick in the play park. One of the children had run over to Sirius' house to tell his parents what had happened, but Sirius still had to be bodily removed from the climbing-frame because he stubbornly refused to go home. Orion had not been amused at the time, carrying a screaming six-year-old down the road, only to get home and be met with a Ministry representative and a Healer who feared that the Muggle children might have caught dragon-pox. All of them had had to be checked over and Memory Charmed. Orion shook his head at the recollection; thanking his lucky stars that Sirius had rarely fallen ill. He looked down at his teenaged son, removed the thermometer and read it.
'Thirty-eight,' he said. 'Still a little high, but that's better than last night.'
'I feel fine,' Sirius insisted in the middle of a yawn, attempting to sit up. Orion stopped him with a pointed stare.
'You are not fine, Sirius. Anyone who takes to wandering around in the middle of a thunder storm without so much as a coat on is asking for trouble; usually in the form of pneumonia.'
Sirius frowned, blinking uncomprehendingly up at his father. Orion stared.
'Sirius, do you not remember how you got here?' he asked incredulously. Thinking hard, Sirius slowly shook his head.
'Not really,' he said. 'I remember getting wet, but that's about it.'
'Right,' said Orion, standing up. 'You stay right where you are while I make you some tea.'
'Tea?' Sirius threw a glance at the window. 'Isn't it still early?'
'A cup of tea,' Orion clarified.
'I'd prefer coffee,' Sirius said hopefully.
'Caffeine won't do you any good, you need rest,' said Orion over his shoulder as he strode out of the living room.
He returned a short while later with a teapot full of herbal tea, and some dry clothes. Sirius gratefully put them on, visibly appreciative of the fresh, clean clothes. Keeping the thick woollen blanket round him, Sirius accepted the steaming mug of chamomile, tentatively took a sip and pulled a face.
'It's good for you,' said Orion pointedly, before Sirius could comment.
'My taste buds disagree,' Sirius muttered under his breath, though he took another sip.
Orion smiled indulgently, but it waned quickly as he watched Sirius closely. So far, Sirius had offered no explanation for his disappearance, or his abrupt re-appearance, or the marks on his body. But Sirius didn't seem in any hurry to do so, especially as Orion's shape eyes caught the winces of pain his son made when he moved, though he tried to hide it. Orion felt a stab of guilt, remembering how ill Sirius had been the night before. It seemed harsh, but Orion nevertheless felt compelled to exercise a little parental authority.
'Sirius, where have you been?' he asked, quietly but firmly.
Sirius nearly spat his tea back into the mug. Coughing, Sirius hastily recovered and forced a smile that didn't reach the sudden frantic look in his eyes.
'Where've I been?' he repeated nervously. 'Oh, um, nowhere …'
Orion stared in bafflement. Shivering slightly, Sirius hastily avoided his father's gaze.
'Sirius? Are you okay?' Orion leaned forward, gravely concerned. Sirius didn't look up, pulling the blanket tighter around himself.
'I'm fine,' he said, speaking to his lap. His hands were shaking, and not with the cold.
Orion leaned forward, peering into his son's face. Hesitantly, Sirius' pale blue eyes looked up at him from under his long black hair.
'Sirius, I'm not mad at you,' Orion spoke softly, not understanding why Sirius was behaving like a caged animal all of a sudden. 'I'm so happy that you're safe. Everyone's been so worried about you. How … how did you get here?' he asked, suspicion creeping into his voice. 'You can't have used the Floo or the Knight Bus; we've been monitoring them since you … went missing.'
Sirius licked his dry lips, and then took another sip of his tea as though to give himself time to decide how to answer.
'I walked,' Sirius murmured, lowering his gaze and clutching his mug tightly.
'Walked?' Orion repeated incredulously. 'But, Sirius … for over eighty miles? Without being seen?'
Numbly, Sirius nodded. He could feel his father's penetrating stare on him, wishing he knew what to say. The safety and warmth he'd revelled in upon waking and finding himself in this safe haven, was abruptly in danger from the dark memories Sirius had been trying so hard to suppress, to block out of his mind. It felt wrong to bring it here of all places. But wasn't that why he'd come? Sirius closed his eyes, against the onset of a headache. It hurt just to consider it. He couldn't make sense of his thoughts … there was too much …
Sirius gave a start as Orion slowly sat down beside him, putting an arm around his shaking shoulders.
'Sirius I don't know how in Merlin's name you could have managed that, but I'm glad you're safe.' Orion brushed Sirius' messy hair off his face, but Sirius determinedly avoided meeting his eyes.
'What happened to you? Your mother's frantic – she thinks you've been kidnapped. We all did. You just vanished into thin air; no one had any idea where you were, and we were so scared that something had happened to you.'
Jerkily, Sirius shook his head.
'No,' he whispered, forcing the words out before he could change his mind about telling the truth. He took a deep breath. 'I – I ran away.'
The arm around his shoulder stiffened. His father said nothing; waiting for an explanation, but not daring to push for an answer.
Sirius was struggling to get a grip on his thoughts, steeling himself for what he wanted, what he needed to say. He had to make his father understand, he had to know, Sirius needed him to believe …
Breathing faster than normal, Sirius closed his eyes, and suddenly, words came spilling out of his mouth, tumbling over each other in his haste to explain. His shaking voice full of fear and self-disgust, Sirius barely listened to what he was saying; his mouth was seemed to be on autopilot, releasing all the pent-up emotions that had building up for long as he spoke of returning home on the Hogwarts Express, meeting Richard for the first time, the day at the fair, the night he'd come home late to find Richard waiting for him, his mother's ban of everything magical … and the beatings.
Sirius' hands were shaking and sweating, and his stomach was churning but he kept going. Now that he'd started, it felt easier to continue. He couldn't afford to stop now. He was vaguely aware of Orion sitting frozen beside him in uneasy silence, listening but not daring to interrupt, for which Sirius was grateful.
It was quite some time before Sirius had talked himself into silence, finishing off with the last confrontation and his sudden impulse to run … to get away …
'I couldn't stay there any longer … I needed to get out … so I did … I got up and climbed out the window … I didn't know what I was doing really – I just wanted, 1 needed, to get away … and I just kept going …'
'So you came here?' said Orion, his voice low.
Sirius closed his eyes, still not looking at his father.
'I wasn't sure where I was going to be honest. Didn't really think about it. I wanted to be as far away from him as I could get.' Slowly, Sirius looked up, his blue eyes hollow and frightened, like those of a caged wild animal. 'I don't want to go back.'
Orion sighed, a horrible twisting in his gut. He had a nasty suspicion about that ever since he'd woken up this morning. The silent plea in his son's gaze made him hesitate, but not for long.
'Sirius, you can't stay here,' said Orion, regretfully.
'Why not?' said Sirius, with a hopeful half-smile. 'I won't cause any trouble, I promise.'
'It isn't that.'
'I can clean the house,' Sirius offered quickly, 'and I can cook. I won't be lazy and mope around the house – '
'Sirius.'
The firmness of his father's tone silenced Sirius in an instant. The hopeful smile faded.
'Sirius, you know very well that I would love to have you stay with me,' said Orion. 'But you can't. I don't have legal custody of you.'
'Isn't there a way you get it?' asked Sirius. 'Make the court change their mind or something?'
'Those sort of procedures take time. I can't just nip off to the Ministry and have it sorted out by dinnertime.'
'No one has to know I'm here,' said Sirius. 'You said so; everyone thinks I'm still missing.' He paused, his expression anxious. 'You – you haven't told anyone, have you?'
'Sirius, you can't stay here – the Ministry is under the impression that I kidnapped you. If someone finds you here, the courts may very well decide that I won't be permitted to see you or Ursa at all, and what good will that do either of us? And in answer to your question, no, I haven't. But I have an obligation to … and so do you.'
'Me?'
'Yes.' Sirius' hope faded under the stern look his father now gave him. 'You have to let your mother know where you are.'
'What? No, I can't.' Sirius shook his head.
'Sirius, she at least deserves to know that you're safe. She's been absolutely frantic. And from what she's told me, Ursa can't sleep at night, not knowing where you are.'
Sirius dropped his gaze, blinking hard.
'She'll want me to go back,' he whispered.
'If she does, then neither you nor I can say otherwise.'
'But Dad, I can't!' Sirius cried desperately. 'Richard's crazy! He'll kill me if I go back!'
'Sirius, calm down – '
'I'll calm down when you've heard me out! Look!' Pulling down the neck of his shirt, Sirius showed Orion the fading marks encircling his neck. 'See these? You want to know how I got them? That crazy Muggle attacked me because I stood up for Ursa and myself. He tried to strangle me and he punched me in the stomach so hard I threw up … I really thought I was going to die … I was terrified … that's why I ran away that night; I can't stay under the same roof as a lunatic who thinks it's okay to do this.' Sirius' voice shook as his father stared at the bruises, a strange blankness in his eyes, like he wasn't really seeing anything. 'Please don't make me go back.'
A few moments passed in uneasy silence. The only sound was Sirius' ragged breathing as he waited for his father's decision.
It seemed like hours before Orion finally pulled his gaze from the healing wounds on his son's body and met his stare. Sirius felt the hope inside him wither away. His father didn't need to say anything. The answer was in his eyes. Sirius blinked hard, turning away.
'Sirius, I'm sorry,' said Orion, the bitterness in his voice adding salt to the mental wounds. 'If your mother wants you home then you have to go. I don't have a choice.' Sirius didn't turn around. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat but it wouldn't shift. 'But I promise you I do what I can. I'll see what I can do through the legal system to investigate this Richard fellow. I'll find a way to get you out of there, I promise – '
'Dad, please …'
Hearing the quiet desperation in his voice, Orion teetered for a moment between obeying the law and doing what he wanted to do. But Orion had lived his life by obeying the laws, which was perhaps the reason why Sirius rarely followed rules. He didn't understand. But maybe in time he could forgive Orion for it.
'I'm sorry,' said Orion, having no other words to express it.
Sirius didn't say another word. His last hope was gone.
There was no choice for either of them.
He was going back.
*
To Be Continued.
*
Author's Notes.
MorganD – You know what I really like about having you review my fics? You give me such helpful advice and fair criticism without sounding in the least bit harsh or rude about it. You tell me the truth about the mistakes I make and give honest reasons as to why, which I really appreciate.
Okay, first point; about Andromeda not telling Richard about being a witch yet accepting a marriage proposal. Anyone remember Seamus Finnigan in book one, chapter seven? "I'm half and half,' said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mam didn't tell him she was a witch 'till after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him." That comment just made me think that that kind of situation must come up once in a while between Muggle and magical familes. (Granted, it's a bit of a worry as to how that marriage worked out; there's never any mention of Seamus' father in the later books.) But yes, I do confess that there should have been a bit more discussion about it.
I do agree that there's a bit too much 'Muggle' stuff going on. It's just trying to keep track of everything, making sure there's nothing blatantly magic going on under Richard's nose and trying to keep the story going – my poor brain cell is all tired out. Too much to remember! (Makes me wonder how J.K Rowling manages; she must have a great memory, or a mountain of notes to constantly refer to!) Anyway, I'm glad that you're still enjoying this fic, despite the mistakes and contingency errors – still, if someone doesn't point them out, how can I improve?
Many thanks to you MorganD. ^_^
Christy – When I plotted the whole fic out, I wanted to have a father-son chapter without any of the other characters muscling in; hence the lack of Orion in the last chapter. Hmm, never considered the brooms being picked up on radar. I suppose we just assume that they're 'cloaked' by a spell of some kind, or else the Ministry deals anyone that does spot a broom flying through the air. Still, it's a shame that we don't see a bit more of the Muggle world in the books, other than Privet Drive (and what a miserable place that is!) Well, though Andromeda doesn't want to link Sirius' disappearance with her research, Orion is thinking a bit more clearly and has considered it. But now that Sirius has turned up and admitted to running away, it's no longer relevant to the current situation.
NightSpear – Yep, Orion was the best bet for Sirius' destination. Though having his father believe him is sadly not helping an awful lot. If I keep this level of Sirius' torture up I may find a lynch mob outside my door before long. *Voltora wisely decides to find a good hiding place … just in case*
Black Rose9 – It's awesome to have you review again and again! ^_^ Enjoy the chapter!
TiniTinuviel – Thank you! Well, you guessed right with Orion, you just had a lot of other ideas too. ^_^
WallyTheWhale – Of course I missed you! I was wondering where on earth you'd gone! Normally I get a review from you within a few days, but you just vanished like Sirius did! Great to have you back again!
Ick, centipedes! What do they need all those legs for? Spiders are bad enough with eight! Secret fic reading, eh? My family knows I read and write fanfiction and they don't tease me, they just get on my nerves when they tell me I ought to be writing 'my own stuff'. If I had an idea for an original story I would!! They don't understand my Harry Potter 'obsession'. It's so much fun and I get such a buzz when I receive fantastic comments from people like you. I've even tried to get my mum to read some of my fics, but she doesn't seem interested so I don't bother now. *sigh* Okay, rant over, back to your review.
LOL! Captain Cheesy! I can't stop laughing at that! And you were correct, Sirius went to Orion's but sadly it didn't work out as well as he'd hoped. I feel awful doing this to him! His father does believe him, don't get me wrong, but Orion's view is that by law Sirius must return home to his mother, or else Orion will be in deep trouble and accused of kidnapping his own son, and the situation would go drastically downhill and Orion will be unable to help. (Was that a sentence?? Me tired, need sleep. Got to go to work tomorrow.) He's only doing what he thinks is right.
See, Andromeda isn't all bad. She's a caring mother when it comes down to it, but she's had more than enough hassle with the Richard-Sirius conflict so don't expect her to be too welcoming in the next chapter.
Yep, Sirius did travel as Padfoot. It made sense as so few people know of his illegal power. Actually, by the time scale, it's roughly the middle of August. If term starts at the beginning of September there's only two or three weeks left to go.
It was really odd writing a chapter without my main character in it. Very bizarre. But enjoyable. I couldn't wait to write it when I began plotting the fic out.
Zorro x – Aw, I'm sorry, but one chapter a week is my rule; and I don't intend to bend it for any fic that's twenty chapters or shorter. (The length of my next multi-chapter fic is scary, that one will definitely have twice-weekly updates.) I love cliffhangers! It's wonderful to get people review, or rather screaming at me in a vain attempt for an earlier update. *evil cackle*
Prongs4 – Oh, unfortunately for Sirius, he's going home next chapter. Don't expect Richard to put out the welcome mat.
Sophocles – LOL! Well, I'm kinda hoping that you haven't 'snuffed it' yet and will still be able to read the remaining chapters; it's really not that long a wait! Though I could be really evil and decide to postpone updates … I'm kidding! I wouldn't really. ; ) Glad you like so much you'd consider that!
Nie Starwhistler – Yeah, he couldn't mope around for too long; something had to give. I'm really very pleased that so many people have commented on my 'nice' portrayal of Peter. I've had the idea for a short fic based on Peter for a while now but wasn't sure if it would go down well. Seeing the good responses so far, it may even be the next fic to go up. (My next major long fic is unlikely to be posted for ages, so there are several short pieces in the works.)
Quiteona – Although I don't actually verify it in the fic, Sirius did transform and travelled to his father's house in his Animagus form; hence why there were no sightings of him. Only four other people know he's an legal Animagus so who's going to look twice at a large black dog? You've got a lot of questions and they will be answered in due course. Sorry, I would have e-mailed you but I only checked my reviews about an hour before posting this chapter, so it seemed a tad pointless as you'd find out the chapter title here anyway! ^_^
Sirius' sweetie – Well, I guess this chapter answers a few of your questions. ^_^ Glad you like it!
Enna seawave – Thank you. I hope you'll enjoy the rest of it.
Yoda – Hey Yoda! *big hug* No idea if you've got this far yet, but you're getting a comment anyway. I did get your e-mail but I haven't written back yet. I will write soon, promise! And I'm really pleased that you like this fic so far; you'll get to read the bulk of it without having to wait for an update! ^_^
Semmel – Wow! Semmel, I'm extremely impressed! Though I did hesitate as to whether or not to confirm the contents of your e-mail, I can't just resist since you've worked so hard to figure it out. You are about 90% correct! One statement was not right, and the reasons for it shall become clear in a later chapter (not that there's many left!)
You came up with some great ideas about where Sirius was and why, though now I feel like kicking myself for not bring Ursa into the conversation between Sirius and his father. *Voltora promptly kicks herself* Ouch. Okay, and Sirius did transform into Padfoot to get away, and yes he wasn't in a great state so it did take some time for him to travel a fair distance
Your final results were highly amusing!
You know, a very small part of me is feeling disgruntled that someone's figured the bulk of it out, but hey, it took you a while! And you still don't know which of your 'statements' is incorrect. It could be any one of them. Ah ha! *evil smirk* Hey, I have to try and keep you in the dark for a little while longer. ^_^ And since no one else has figured it out yet, I grant100 points to your House, Semmel!