Hey it's been longer than expected since I last updated, but with all the problems with the reviews I wanted to wait until that was sorted since I kept getting about thirty of the same review delivered to my mailbox.

This fic is becoming a lot longer than anticipated, thirty chapters already! There will probably be about another five so I hope you keep enjoying it! I've already got the sequel planned in my head, and I really want to get this written so I can write that because I'm really looking forward to it! Anyway here's the update, hope you like and give me some feedback!

Thanks to:

Christiana

ScruffyWes- yeah I figured I'd give Buffy a break, I mean her birthdays are worryingly bad normally.

Sierra-Falls- not so much a Freudian slip as a typo! Sorry, the killing was supposed to be liked lol. And perhaps it was a little anticlimactic but a lot of people wanted them to go back to England so I just obliged.

Draco-FutureBF

Becks89 – I NEED a TYE update otherwise I am going to pass out and die and not be able to update this fic! But thanks for the review!

Miss_kitty

Miz

Wllw979- hehe the singing would've been cool!

Chapter 30 – Passwords

With Buffy's birthday gone, January quickly rolled into February. The weather was still cold and it was windy but the sky was bright and clear. Buffy and Sirius remained in their routine at the Shrieking Shack and just when they were just impatient for some action, it found them.

Buffy was in the kitchen heating some water so she could have a bath when she heard a familiar scratching on the door. She opened it and the cat walked in, raising its tail haughtily. It stared insolently at Buffy until she poured it some milk in a saucer. 

 "Sirius!" she hollered up the stairs and the cat glared at her with its yellow eyes. "The cat's back." Sirius padded downstairs and followed Buffy into the kitchen.

 "It dropped that," Buffy said pointing to a piece of paper the cat had left by the door and Sirius picked it up. It was slightly gooey with cat saliva but he read it regardless.
 "Passwords," he read out loud. "Scurvy cur, oddsbodkins, pogrebin, spellotape." He looked up at Buffy with a huge grin.
 "Do you know what this is?" he said, barely masking his excitement and Buffy shook her head. Sirius picked her up and twirled her around in a circle, causing her to giggle.
 "He brought me the passwords for the common room," Sirius said excitedly. "That means I can get in and find Peter!" Buffy grinned and hugged Sirius.

 "That's great," she exclaimed and Sirius kissed her forehead. He moved over to the cat, where it stood watching them and transformed into his dog form. Eagerly, he bounded forward and licked the cat, which stood there, purring softly. Buffy watched them and then picked up and examined the precious piece of paper. The handwriting was scrawled and hurried. Sirius changed back and the cat walked out of the kitchen leisurely.

 "I'm going in tonight," Sirius said determinedly. "I can get in the same way as before, they can't have found it and then I can go into the common room, find Harry's dormitory and then get the rat." Buffy nodded.
 "You know I'm coming with you right?" she said and Sirius looked at her. Her jaw was set resolutely.
 "But we could get caught if you come," Sirius said bluntly.
 "I have slayer stealth," Buffy replied. "And you can't stop me coming. You came with me in Sunnydale on patrol." Sirius stared at her for moments longer and then nodded. 

At about midnight that evening, Sirius and Buffy prepared to crawl into the tunnel that lead to Hogwarts.

"The tunnel comes out at a tree," Sirius explained before they went in. "I'll go first, touch a knot on the trunk which will stop the tree attacking us." Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Then we'll have to cross the grounds, being as far away from the dementors as possible. They'll sense you if we'll too close, sense your emotions. Try to control you emotions." Buffy nodded; it wasn't as if she was scared of the dark or what lurked there, she'd faced it enough. "Then we'll get into the school, head up to the Gryffindor common room, get in and go up to the boy's dormitories and find the one where Harry is and Ron Weasley." Buffy nodded. She kissed Sirius and he kissed her back. Throwing her a quick smile, he transformed and scrambled down the hole into the tunnel. 

They got into Hogwarts as planned, sneaking across the grounds and avoiding detection as far as they knew. Buffy barely had time to marvel at the fact that she was inside the castle. Quickly, Sirius led Buffy up to the Gryffindor area, which was also painless except for a near miss involving Filch who was patrolling the corridors. They managed to avoid him and reach the common room.

When they arrived, the knight in the picture before them awoke with a start.
 "Stand and fight like men!" he roared at them and Buffy looked round worriedly to check no one had heard. She did a double take when she realised that the portrait had spoke and moved. The knight lifted the visor on his helmet and also stared when he saw Buffy.
 "Begging you pardon fair damsel," he cried and Buffy smiled despite herself. "How can Sir Cadogan be of assistance?"

 "Well, I wanted to go in there," Buffy said, batting her eyelashes.

 "I am afraid that's impossible, fair lady, unless you have the passwords," Sir Cadogan replied, resting on his sword.

 "But I do," Buffy replied and she pulled out the scrap of paper and read them all off. The knight listened patiently and then nodded, nearly falling over with the weight of his helmet.
 "Certainly enter," he cried. "May your beauty be never tarnished!" Buffy raised her eyebrows, but the portrait swung forward and left a hole which she clambered through and Sirius jumped.
Once inside he transformed back. The common room was deserted, the mismatched chairs empty, the fire out and the ashes cold. It was dark when they entered but as they crossed the threshold, the candles on the walls lit up in unison. Quickly, Sirius ran round the room, blowing the candles out and Buffy helped him out. Their eyes adjusted to the dark quickly and Buffy could make out two staircases leading off of the common room.
He beckoned to her and they crept up the spiral staircase Sirius indicated. They came to a door which Sirius pushed open gently. With a glance around the room he closed it and shook his head at Buffy. They continued up to the next door.

Sirius pushed open this door also and casting another glance around, pushed it further open. Looking in, Buffy saw a boy sleeping peacefully, a boy she recognised as Harry. Sirius crept into the room silently, pulling out Faiths knife as he did and Buffy followed him. They passed Harry's bed, Sirius glancing at his godson through the gap in his curtains with longing. They passed the other beds, looking for the ginger boy that they knew to be called Ron Weasley. The other three beds in the room had gaps in the curtains which they peered through to know avail.

There was one bed left and Sirius approached the bed, reached out to the curtains and then stopped.
 "What are you doing?" Buffy hissed furiously.
 "If a student closes the curtains around themselves on their bed then only they, or their head of house can open them," Sirius whispered back. Buffy raised an eyebrow and took the knife from Sirius' hand.

 "Screw that," she muttered and sliced into the velvet hangings. They tore loudly and Buffy winced but she cut a hole in the curtains. Sirius took the knife and approached the hole, looking for the rat he knew to be Pettigrew. Ron Weasley murmured something and Sirius jumped but the boy simply rolled over so he faced him. Sirius relaxed until he saw the boy's eyes opening slowly, snapping open when they locked on Sirius'. For a split second they stood, eyes locked and then the boy yelled.

 "Run!" Sirius yelled and he transformed.
Together he and Buffy ran down the spiral staircase, candles lighting behind them. They crossed the common room, leapt up through the portrait hole, pushing the picture open. They tore down the corridor, aware of the noise of commotion approaching them. They skidded out the side down and charged across the grounds.

Buffy was aware of her heart pounding in her chest but she gave no thought to controlling her emotions as they sprinted across the grounds.
Reaching the tree, Sirius scrambled past the wildly waving branches and to the knot which froze the branches for Buffy to tumble down the hole. They ran along the passageway and finally climbed out into the living room of the Shrieking Shack.


For a while all they could do was stand and pant, the exertions and fear making them breathless. Sirius changed back and slumped onto the sofa. Shortly, Buffy joined him.
 "Don't worry," she said before he could speak. "We'll get him." Sirius nodded fractionally.
 "We were so close," he muttered. "I couldn't see Peter though, and hopefully he didn't see me." Buffy nodded and snuggled into his shoulder. He put his arm around her and they sat peacefully for a while.

"This place is starting to grow on me you know," Buffy said after a while. "This house I mean." Sirius smiled.

 "It's better than the house I grew up in," he commented. "Now that was horrible."
Buffy kissed the side of his neck and he retaliated by tickling her ribs. She squirmed and giggled, and found herself lying on the sofa kissing Sirius furiously.
  "Let's go upstairs," she said softly, when she could catch her breath.
 "Are you sure?" Sirius asked gently and Buffy nodded. He stood up and gathered her up in his arms, and carried her upstairs.

Buffy awoke late in the next day with sunlight shining on her eyelids. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw Sirius watching her sleep.

 "Hey there," she said softly. "What are you doing?"

 "Just watching you sleep," Sirius said with a smile. Buffy returned him with her own smile.
 "You're not evil, are you?" she asked him.
 "Not that I'm aware of," he replied with a shrug. "Just don't read the Daily Prophet."
 Buffy smiled and shifted herself into his arms.
 "Let's just sleep all day," she said tiredly, closing her eyes. Sirius smiled, kissed her temple and laid his head next to hers.