Chapter 27 - Learning Humility

Remus ran up to his dormitory while Mur waited uncomfortably in the Gryffindor common room. He reappeared with a rather tattered looking piece of parchment with little moving dots all over it. Mur couldn't help but be impressed.

"Wicked! Where is he?"

Remus pointed to the lower corner where a little dot labeled 'Sirius Black' was standing still in the same room as a pacing dot labeled 'Argus Filch.' "He's been caught," Remus said, unnecessarily.

"I am not above obliviating the caretaker," Mur said as they headed toward Filch's office. Remus just shook his head. Knowing Muriel, she wasn't above hexing Dumbledore, either, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

"- ought to hang you from your ankles in the dungeons until you squeal – " they heard Filch's tirade as they turned the corner, and both stifled a chuckle, though it wasn't any laughing matter. Muriel was sure that the only reason Sirius wasn't screaming back at the irate squib was that he was still under the silencing charm.

The office door was open, and she stuck her head around the corner. Filch was pacing in front of his fireplace while Sirius sat opposite his desk, looking murderous. Neither one noticed her. She pulled her head back to confer with Remus.

"Maverick taught me an illusion charm that might just work," she whispered. Of course, he'd only ever owled her instructions, and she'd never really bothered to practice it, but surely she could make do. Remus was still shaking his head, but he agreed to help. She stuck her head back around the doorframe, ignoring Filch's continuing rants.

"Illuseoures Warrington," she muttered. Sirius noticed the head in the fireplace before Filch did, but he didn't move.

"FILCH!" Warrington's slightly disproportionate head hollered, sounding a lot like Remus. The surprised caretaker didn't seem to notice anything odd, however, as he jumped and turned to the fireplace.

"Peeves has broken half the vials of dreamless sleep potion that I've been saving for Madam Pomfrey! Find the Bloody Baron and get down here now!" the illusion barked. Filch didn't even look at Sirius as he strode out the door, far before Muriel was ready for him. She didn't have time to remove the illusion and cast an invisibility charm before he was upon them.

He snarled angrily as Remus wiped the map and looked up sheepishly. Mur thought fast. "Sorry, Sir," she began, "but Professor Tantry says Peeves has been in his office, too. He sent us from detention to come and get you."

This was a good enough story to explain their presence, but it didn't explain the guilty look that lingered on Remus' face as he tried to thrust the map into his pocket. An instant later Filch had snatched the map, given them each detention, and strode angrily away.

"Well, that could have gone better," Remus said dryly. Muriel didn't answer. Her eyes were already glued to Sirius, who was standing silently in the doorway, a resigned expression on his face.

"Finite Incantum," Muriel whispered, hardly daring to meet his eyes. He still didn't speak.

Remus decided that they had best settle this between themselves. He turned to go. "Hang on, Moony. I want an explanation for that silencing charm." Remus was relatively sure that Sirius had never used that tone of voice with him before. It sounded like he was talking to Snape.

"I know you too well," Remus replied mildly, turning back to him. "You would have said something that one of those stinking Slytherins would have reported to your mother, and it would have made you even angrier."

"He's right, Sirius, and what if one of them had told Regalus? You don't want him to think we don't appreciate what he did." Muriel was also using a voice Remus had never heard her use. She was pleading.

It seemed this was not lost on Sirius, who closed his eyes briefly before replying. "You're right."

They walked sullenly back to the Gryffindor common room. When they arrived, Muriel was surprised to see that the younger students vacated the best chairs by the fire for them. She'd thought that sort of thing only happened in the Slytherin common room. The Ravenclaws never did any such thing, and she couldn't imagine the Hufflepuffs doing it either. Perhaps Gryffindors and Slytherins were more alike than anyone cared to admit.

She pondered this as Remus dropped into a chair that looked like it was made for him. Sirius sat down a little less dramatically, for once, and looked up at Mur. She couldn't bring herself to smile, although for her the news of their new bank vault had brought nothing but relief.

It was an uncomfortable moment. Finally Sirius held out a hand and she took it, sinking onto the couch beside him and letting him wrap his arms around her. She blushed a little as he leaned back, pulling her with him. It was going to be so hard not to remember last night every time he held her. "Looks like it's going to be alright, Mur," he whispered.

Then she smiled and sat up to look at him. "It's going to be better than alright. It's going to be perfect." She saw his eyes darken and smiled even more. "Not because of the money, Sirius. Because of you."

He looked remarkably confused for such an independent person. With a quick glance at his lips, she leaned over slowly and kissed him. What she'd meant to be reassuring quickly became something more. It occurred to her briefly that she was going to have to keep a close watch on that in the future.

She lost herself in his soft lips as his hand came up to caress her cheek. Neither of them knew how long it had been when they heard Remus coughing in anything but a discreet manner. Presumably they'd missed the less obnoxious attempts to alert them. They pulled apart to see James and Lily smirking at them indecently from the portrait hole.

Mur expected Sirius to get up and greet his friend, but he didn't move. A slow, familiar grin was spreading across his face as James started shaking his head. "You're in our chair, Padfoot," James accused playfully.

"Go find your own place to snog," Sirius responded. Without another word, he pulled Muriel back toward him. Before he kissed her again, he did manage to look over her shoulder and catch his best mate's eye. "Oh, and congratulations," he said quickly.

This earned him some well-deserved time out of the spotlight while everyone in the common room fussed over Lily's new engagement ring. Everyone but Muriel, of course, who was quite content to spend the rest of the evening in Sirius' arms. Lily could come over and show her the ring later.

It was much later, when the common room had cleared and Remus had stoked the fire at least twice, that the marauders finally started a hushed conversation again. Remus sat back down, looking at Peter, who'd arrived in silence and pulled over a chair, sensing his friends' melancholy. "Come over here, Wormtail, I need someone to snog," Remus whispered, trying to keep the laughter out of his voice.

Sirius had fallen asleep. He awoke when Mur lifted her head from his shoulder and started to shake with silent laughter. James and Lily, on the other side of the fire, giggled with their hands over their mouths as Peter scowled. Muriel was the first to recover. In spite of his joking, she knew how Remus must feel. She walked over to kneel before his chair.

Before anyone could speak, she pressed her lips to his. It was a chaste kiss, but she knew it would work. She formed the words in her mind.

"You're too good hearted for a dark witch like me, Remus. But there will be someone. Don't give up until you find her, and when you find her, don't ever give her up."

Then she pulled away, smirking at his wide eyes. "Don't forget," she whispered. He nodded, then cast a fearful glance at Sirius, who was watching with an amused expression. The rest of the night was spent talking of weddings and job offers. Lily and James intended to be married right away, but Sirius and Muriel were going to wait until she finished Auror training. No one commented when Mur told them she wasn't joining the Order of the Phoenix with them, though Lily looked worried.

"I've taken orders from Dumbledore for 7 years. I'll fight the way I want to fight from now on," she whispered. Sirius was the only one who nodded in understanding.

He walked her back to Ravenclaw tower in silence, but took her hand when she turned toward the portrait. "Thanks for looking after Remus," he said quietly. There was no trace of anger, but she had known there wouldn't be.

"He's a good person. Probably a better friend than I deserve." Sirius nodded. "Good night," she whispered.

"G'Night." Sirius watched her disappear behind the portrait. He took his time going back to the common room. Things were certainly going to be different come June, but he was ready. With that girl on his side, there was nothing in the world he couldn't face. He smiled and shook his head. Thank Merlin he'd turned her head into a pumpkin all those years ago.

AN: Well, there you have it. The end of the school days for the marauders. I've got a short epilogue coming to this story, which I'm posting with this because it took me so long to get this chapter up. Thanks again for reading and reviewing, I've really enjoyed hearing your comments, and trying to fix all the grammar mistakes you've caught for me, though I hope there haven't been too many. Thanks again! - Brandy