A SLIGHT CHANGE
CH. 9- ENCOUNTERS
DISCLAIMER- Not mine.
AN- I was thinking about waiting a week before posting this, you know, just to be evil. But, I'm not very good at being evil. I'm kind of a good person. So, here it is. Chapitero 9. Chapitero… cool word.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
This is bad, this is bad, this is oh so very bad. I stood, rooted to the wood floor of the entranceway. I could feel my hands shaking and hear my own heartbeat. He's back. Voldemort's regained power and now he wants both Sirius and Harry, along with everyone who ever meant something to them. No. I will NOT let him take away the people I love.
"I'm coming with you," I told Remus as he shoved his wand into the pocket of his robe.
"What-? No, you're not."
"Yes, I am. No matter what. If you Apparate right now, I will track you down in my Animagus form. I will find you and I will help you defeat Voldemort. I'm coming with you, Dad."
"It's too dangerous."
"I don't care!" I cried exasperatedly. "He's not going to kill the people I love."
"So you'd rather him kill you?" Severus asked.
"It's better than him killing Harry or Sirius." I sighed. "I want to help. Let me come with you. Please."
"Merlin…" Remus raked a shaky hand through his graying sandy hair. "No. Stay here."
"Dad, wait-" But they'd already Apparated. "Damn it." I scrambled upstairs and into my room, searching for pen and paper. I had to leave a note for Mom so she won't freak out and call the police. Geez, I've got to find Remus. Okay, the note's done. I ran back downstairs and transformed in the bathroom. There was still a red stain on my fur from where Sirius had bit me. My necklace still hung around my neck and I decided that I would be a good luck charm. God know I'm going to need it.
I head laughter coming closer and tried to hide in the corner, having no such luck. So much for a good luck charm.
"Lor, where are you going?" Sirius asked, his face full of concern and confusion. You idiot, I can't talk.
I put my paws on his chest and licked the side of his face before rushing outside and beginning my search. Remus was an easy hunt. I figured out that he has a distinctive smell. Kind of a lemony scent. Too bad he's farther away than I thought. But he must still be in California, I can tell. Please, still be in California.
I stopped several times to let the kids pet me and to regroup. I survived on dropped food and rain water. I'd been searching nonstop for 9 days and still had nothing. The full moon had come and gone and now I was really worried about Remus. He's always so weak after the full moon and now it's even worse because if the Death Eaters found him in the aftermath of his transformation, he's a goner. I really hope Sev is taking good care of him.
On the 11th day, after resting for an hour or so, I tried to find his trail again. This time, I caught a whiff of a familiar scent, but it wasn't Remus's.
"Idiot!" I thought. "They're after you!"
I followed Sirius's trail for about a mile before I found the black dog lapping at an abandoned ice cream. I gave him a warning bark before head butting him in the side.
"What do you think you're doing?" I demanded.
"Looking for you! What do you think you're doing?"
"Looking for my dad! I want to help him. I have to."
"Well, I'm coming too."
"No, you're not, Siri. Go back home."
"No."
"Damn it, Sirius! They're after you, not me! You'll get killed!"
"And you think I don't already know that? You're just a kid, Lor. A war isn't the right place for you."
I was about to respond when I found it. The lemony smell. Dad… I ran into the woods and nearly jumped for joy when I caught up with the "Aurors." Remus and Severus were talking to Mr. Weasley and Tonks was asleep, leaning back against a tree. Dumbledore was reading what looked like a letter when he spotted Sirius and me.
"What are you doing here?" He whispered urgently.
"I came to help when I ran into this moron," I told him once I changed back into my human form.
"Lorelai!" Remus rushed over to me and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. "I told you not to come. Why didn't you- Sirius?"
"Hi."
"Do you have a death wish, Black?" Severus sneered. "Because what you're doing is suicide."
"Can it, Snape." Sirius turned back to my dad. "I came after Lorelai and when she found me, she said that she was coming to help you so I came with her. And I plan on staying."
"Fine." Remus looked at me. "But, you have to leave."
"What? How come he gets to stay? He's the one they're after!"
"You're fifteen years old!"
"So?"
"You're too young to be here. Go home. Go back to your mother, your sister, and your friends. You don't belong here."
"Neither do you! You're still weak from the full moon."
"No, I'm not. I'm fine. Go home."
"I'm not going home. It took me eleven days to find you and I'm going to stay here with you. I can fight! I know the Unforgivable Curses!"
"Do you really think those will defeat Voldemort?"
"Let her stay." Dumbledore stepped forward and put a hand on my shoulder. "If she believes that she's ready to fight, then let her. She wants to protect her friends, although one of them is so stubborn, I see no reason to want to protect him," he said, eying Sirius. "Let her prove herself."
"Prove herself?" Severus repeated. "What does she have to prove to us? We already know she's a powerful witch for her age. She knows more than Hermione Granger, for Merlin's sake! What more does she have to prove?"
"That I'm not a little kid anymore," I told him. "That I don't need anybody to take care of me like I'm a kid and that I can fight just as well as you can."
"We know you can, Lorelai," Remus said softly. "You don't have to prove anything to us. You don't need to stay here."
"Quit trying to talk her out of it, Remy," Sirius said in a bored tone. "She's here whether you like it or not. And I know you don't." He yawned. "So, when do we fight?"
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The sun was pounding down on me while I tried to take an afternoon nap, and I could feel it heat the metal of my necklace, burning into my skin. Sleeping was basically one of the only past times one can find while waiting day after day for nothing to happen. Sirius tried to make a deck of cards using some old parchment but gave up before finishing even one suit. Then Tonks, Siri, and me played Truth or Dare, but that soon became dull once we figured out that we weren't very creative. Remus and Sev spent their time talking ad cuddling while everyone else was dozing off or trying to entertain themselves.
I slowly opened my eyes and caught a glimpse of a snowy owl perched on my leg.
"Hello, Hedwig."
The owl gave a cluck of recognition and affectionately nipped my finger as I untied the parcel from her leg.
"Thanks, girl." Giving her a piece of leftover toast, I let her rest on my knee.
"Who's it from?" Tonks asked, reading over my shoulder.
"One's from Harry and the other's from my mom."
The letter from Harry was just asking how I was and if I found Remus yet. I smiled when he signed it with "I love you. -Harry". But the one from Mom was completely different. I'm surprised she didn't send a Howler. It was more or less scolding me for running off without telling anyone. She also complained about Sirius leaving, also. In the end, she took on a more concerned tone, wishing that I would come home to where I was safe. I replied to them both, saying I was fine, and that I had found Dad, and that I would continue to write if anything happened.
I gave Hedwig another wedge of toast before sending her off.
"Wanna do something?" Tonks asked, chewing on her thumbnail.
"Like what?"
"Twenty questions?"
"All right. You go first."
"I'm thinking of a person."
"Is he a movie star?"
"Yep."
"Brad Pitt."
"How'd you know?"
"He's the only movie star you know. You always pick him."
"Oh."
I sat up, looking around at my companions. Seeing these older people surrounding me made me feel like a little kid again, something that I was trying to show I wasn't by staying here. I had the sudden longing for my mom, but decided that that was silly. I was fifteen years old now. I didn't need the constant nagging of a mother to make me feel secure.
"Lorelai, I'm bored," Sirius whined, plopping down next to me.
"Hey, Siri, wanna play Twenty Questions?" Tonks asked him.
"Brad Pitt," he mumbled. "Hey, Lor, when did Remy and Snape get back together?"
"About two weeks ago."
"Oh." He glared at Sev, who was smiling at something Remus had said. "I don't like him."
"Jealous?"
"Of course not. I have Tina. But, something about Snape makes me uncomfortable. We used to pull pranks on this guy in school and now, Remus is falling in love with him."
"No, Dad's already fallen in love with him."
"I just don't like him."
"Well get used to him. He's a nice guy once you get to know him."
"I really don't feel like getting to know him."
"Come on, Sirius. He's trying to be nice to you because he wants to come off as a good guy. You should try that."
"Yeah, right."
"It's your choice."
"Well I choose to be a son of a bitch."
I rolled my eyes and turned to Remus, who had fallen asleep on Sev's shoulder. I smiled. He's really happy.
"Let's go for a run," Sirius suggested.
"Fine. Anything to get you to shut up." We changed into our doggie forms and, with one final glance at the happy couple, began to explore our surroundings once again.
The feel of the shade that the trees provided, the hundreds of scents that wielded together to form that one distinct scent of forest, and the sound of my feet crunching the sticks beneath my paws were all oddly relaxing. I enjoyed chasing butterflies and squirrels with Sirius and romping through the various streams and creeks that wound through the forests. But most of all, I loved the freedom of being a dog. The ability to search every nook and cranny in trees or dead logs, and being able to spend hours chasing one stealthy rabbit. Just being able to be your own master. The independence of it all was welcomed.
"Do you hear that?" Sirius asked, stopping dead in his tracks.
"Hear what?"
"Shut up and listen."
I focused on hearing what Sirius had detected and a faint sound drifted to my ears. Voices. Two male voices at first before several others joined in. the first male voice sounded vaguely familiar. A silky drawl, I couldn't quite pinpoint it.
"Let's go closer," Sirius dare, rambling over to a patch of trees surrounding a plain field in which the voices were coming from.
"I know they're here!" The silky voice insisted.
"And how do you know?" Though the second voice was high-pitched, it sounded venomous. "Is it a gut instinct?"
"Somewhat, yes."
"Come here, boy." The voices became whispers that I yearned to hear. I ventured closer, snapping a twig in the process.
"Shit," Sirius breathed.
"What was that?" The second voice demanded.
"I don't know, my Lord." My Lord… Voldemort. "Shall I go check?"
"Yes. Go check."
I turned to run away but Sirius's voice halted me.
"Stop. Act like a dog."
A tall man with silvery blonde hair emerged from the clearing. Lucius Malfoy. He looks just like his son. In true doggy-like fashion, Sirius and I rambled over to him. I let out a short bark and nosed his hand, which he immediately pulled away.
"Rotten mutts," he spat. "Get!" He made a move to retrieve his wand and I froze. "Leave, now!"
Sirius whined.
"Go!"
We turned around, tails tucked between our legs, and sulked away. As soon as we were out of sight, we darted back to camp, running as fast as our four legs would take us. We found them, geez. It's scary! I heard Voldemort's serpent voice!
When we reached the camp, we began barking frantically.
"We don't understand you," Severus stated, looking annoyed.
I transformed first. "We found 'em. Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy are there. Others, too, but we didn't see them."
"You know where they are, then?" Mr. Weasley asked. "Do you remember?"
"Yeah. Geez, it was scary. He pulled his wand on us."
"Holy fuck!" Sirius bellowed after transforming. He was white as a ghost with wide, blue eyes.
"Shut up, Sirius!" I scolded. "They might hear you."
"I think I'm going to be sick." He moved over to an isolated spot and I grimaced upon hearing the sounds of retching and vomiting.
"Is he all right?" I asked Dumbledore.
"He'll be fine. Now, tell me, what did you hear?"
"Not much. Only Malfoy telling Voldemort that he knew we were here. It was a gut instinct. Then I ruined it by stepping on a stick. A friggin' stick! I ruined it. Our perfect chance."
"Stop blaming yourself, dear. It's not your fault. You said that you remember where they were?"
"Yes, sir."
"Would you like to be our spy?"
My pace quickened with excitement. "Yes, sir!"
"That's not safe," Severus objected. "Malfoy has already seen her. He might recognize her!"
"Now, now, Severus. He might just suspect her to be a stray dog wandering back to where she spotted humans. To a dog, humans mean food."
"I still don't think it's safe."
"Sev, I'll be fine," I assured him. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."
His mask slipped and his face was overcome with worry. "I think it'd be better if Black went with her."
"As you wish." Sirius returned and mock bowed, receiving a death glare from Sev. "I'll make sure no one touches her."
"Every day the two of you shall go to their meeting spot and listen to what they're saying," Dumbledore briefed. "But be sure that you go at a different time each day. Do not have a routine time."
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Now, who would like some tea?"
AN- Sorry, it's short, I know. But next chapter is long, depressing, sad, and altogether happy. Kinda tough, but it's really good. I'm biased so shoot me.
CH. 9- ENCOUNTERS
DISCLAIMER- Not mine.
AN- I was thinking about waiting a week before posting this, you know, just to be evil. But, I'm not very good at being evil. I'm kind of a good person. So, here it is. Chapitero 9. Chapitero… cool word.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
This is bad, this is bad, this is oh so very bad. I stood, rooted to the wood floor of the entranceway. I could feel my hands shaking and hear my own heartbeat. He's back. Voldemort's regained power and now he wants both Sirius and Harry, along with everyone who ever meant something to them. No. I will NOT let him take away the people I love.
"I'm coming with you," I told Remus as he shoved his wand into the pocket of his robe.
"What-? No, you're not."
"Yes, I am. No matter what. If you Apparate right now, I will track you down in my Animagus form. I will find you and I will help you defeat Voldemort. I'm coming with you, Dad."
"It's too dangerous."
"I don't care!" I cried exasperatedly. "He's not going to kill the people I love."
"So you'd rather him kill you?" Severus asked.
"It's better than him killing Harry or Sirius." I sighed. "I want to help. Let me come with you. Please."
"Merlin…" Remus raked a shaky hand through his graying sandy hair. "No. Stay here."
"Dad, wait-" But they'd already Apparated. "Damn it." I scrambled upstairs and into my room, searching for pen and paper. I had to leave a note for Mom so she won't freak out and call the police. Geez, I've got to find Remus. Okay, the note's done. I ran back downstairs and transformed in the bathroom. There was still a red stain on my fur from where Sirius had bit me. My necklace still hung around my neck and I decided that I would be a good luck charm. God know I'm going to need it.
I head laughter coming closer and tried to hide in the corner, having no such luck. So much for a good luck charm.
"Lor, where are you going?" Sirius asked, his face full of concern and confusion. You idiot, I can't talk.
I put my paws on his chest and licked the side of his face before rushing outside and beginning my search. Remus was an easy hunt. I figured out that he has a distinctive smell. Kind of a lemony scent. Too bad he's farther away than I thought. But he must still be in California, I can tell. Please, still be in California.
I stopped several times to let the kids pet me and to regroup. I survived on dropped food and rain water. I'd been searching nonstop for 9 days and still had nothing. The full moon had come and gone and now I was really worried about Remus. He's always so weak after the full moon and now it's even worse because if the Death Eaters found him in the aftermath of his transformation, he's a goner. I really hope Sev is taking good care of him.
On the 11th day, after resting for an hour or so, I tried to find his trail again. This time, I caught a whiff of a familiar scent, but it wasn't Remus's.
"Idiot!" I thought. "They're after you!"
I followed Sirius's trail for about a mile before I found the black dog lapping at an abandoned ice cream. I gave him a warning bark before head butting him in the side.
"What do you think you're doing?" I demanded.
"Looking for you! What do you think you're doing?"
"Looking for my dad! I want to help him. I have to."
"Well, I'm coming too."
"No, you're not, Siri. Go back home."
"No."
"Damn it, Sirius! They're after you, not me! You'll get killed!"
"And you think I don't already know that? You're just a kid, Lor. A war isn't the right place for you."
I was about to respond when I found it. The lemony smell. Dad… I ran into the woods and nearly jumped for joy when I caught up with the "Aurors." Remus and Severus were talking to Mr. Weasley and Tonks was asleep, leaning back against a tree. Dumbledore was reading what looked like a letter when he spotted Sirius and me.
"What are you doing here?" He whispered urgently.
"I came to help when I ran into this moron," I told him once I changed back into my human form.
"Lorelai!" Remus rushed over to me and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. "I told you not to come. Why didn't you- Sirius?"
"Hi."
"Do you have a death wish, Black?" Severus sneered. "Because what you're doing is suicide."
"Can it, Snape." Sirius turned back to my dad. "I came after Lorelai and when she found me, she said that she was coming to help you so I came with her. And I plan on staying."
"Fine." Remus looked at me. "But, you have to leave."
"What? How come he gets to stay? He's the one they're after!"
"You're fifteen years old!"
"So?"
"You're too young to be here. Go home. Go back to your mother, your sister, and your friends. You don't belong here."
"Neither do you! You're still weak from the full moon."
"No, I'm not. I'm fine. Go home."
"I'm not going home. It took me eleven days to find you and I'm going to stay here with you. I can fight! I know the Unforgivable Curses!"
"Do you really think those will defeat Voldemort?"
"Let her stay." Dumbledore stepped forward and put a hand on my shoulder. "If she believes that she's ready to fight, then let her. She wants to protect her friends, although one of them is so stubborn, I see no reason to want to protect him," he said, eying Sirius. "Let her prove herself."
"Prove herself?" Severus repeated. "What does she have to prove to us? We already know she's a powerful witch for her age. She knows more than Hermione Granger, for Merlin's sake! What more does she have to prove?"
"That I'm not a little kid anymore," I told him. "That I don't need anybody to take care of me like I'm a kid and that I can fight just as well as you can."
"We know you can, Lorelai," Remus said softly. "You don't have to prove anything to us. You don't need to stay here."
"Quit trying to talk her out of it, Remy," Sirius said in a bored tone. "She's here whether you like it or not. And I know you don't." He yawned. "So, when do we fight?"
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The sun was pounding down on me while I tried to take an afternoon nap, and I could feel it heat the metal of my necklace, burning into my skin. Sleeping was basically one of the only past times one can find while waiting day after day for nothing to happen. Sirius tried to make a deck of cards using some old parchment but gave up before finishing even one suit. Then Tonks, Siri, and me played Truth or Dare, but that soon became dull once we figured out that we weren't very creative. Remus and Sev spent their time talking ad cuddling while everyone else was dozing off or trying to entertain themselves.
I slowly opened my eyes and caught a glimpse of a snowy owl perched on my leg.
"Hello, Hedwig."
The owl gave a cluck of recognition and affectionately nipped my finger as I untied the parcel from her leg.
"Thanks, girl." Giving her a piece of leftover toast, I let her rest on my knee.
"Who's it from?" Tonks asked, reading over my shoulder.
"One's from Harry and the other's from my mom."
The letter from Harry was just asking how I was and if I found Remus yet. I smiled when he signed it with "I love you. -Harry". But the one from Mom was completely different. I'm surprised she didn't send a Howler. It was more or less scolding me for running off without telling anyone. She also complained about Sirius leaving, also. In the end, she took on a more concerned tone, wishing that I would come home to where I was safe. I replied to them both, saying I was fine, and that I had found Dad, and that I would continue to write if anything happened.
I gave Hedwig another wedge of toast before sending her off.
"Wanna do something?" Tonks asked, chewing on her thumbnail.
"Like what?"
"Twenty questions?"
"All right. You go first."
"I'm thinking of a person."
"Is he a movie star?"
"Yep."
"Brad Pitt."
"How'd you know?"
"He's the only movie star you know. You always pick him."
"Oh."
I sat up, looking around at my companions. Seeing these older people surrounding me made me feel like a little kid again, something that I was trying to show I wasn't by staying here. I had the sudden longing for my mom, but decided that that was silly. I was fifteen years old now. I didn't need the constant nagging of a mother to make me feel secure.
"Lorelai, I'm bored," Sirius whined, plopping down next to me.
"Hey, Siri, wanna play Twenty Questions?" Tonks asked him.
"Brad Pitt," he mumbled. "Hey, Lor, when did Remy and Snape get back together?"
"About two weeks ago."
"Oh." He glared at Sev, who was smiling at something Remus had said. "I don't like him."
"Jealous?"
"Of course not. I have Tina. But, something about Snape makes me uncomfortable. We used to pull pranks on this guy in school and now, Remus is falling in love with him."
"No, Dad's already fallen in love with him."
"I just don't like him."
"Well get used to him. He's a nice guy once you get to know him."
"I really don't feel like getting to know him."
"Come on, Sirius. He's trying to be nice to you because he wants to come off as a good guy. You should try that."
"Yeah, right."
"It's your choice."
"Well I choose to be a son of a bitch."
I rolled my eyes and turned to Remus, who had fallen asleep on Sev's shoulder. I smiled. He's really happy.
"Let's go for a run," Sirius suggested.
"Fine. Anything to get you to shut up." We changed into our doggie forms and, with one final glance at the happy couple, began to explore our surroundings once again.
The feel of the shade that the trees provided, the hundreds of scents that wielded together to form that one distinct scent of forest, and the sound of my feet crunching the sticks beneath my paws were all oddly relaxing. I enjoyed chasing butterflies and squirrels with Sirius and romping through the various streams and creeks that wound through the forests. But most of all, I loved the freedom of being a dog. The ability to search every nook and cranny in trees or dead logs, and being able to spend hours chasing one stealthy rabbit. Just being able to be your own master. The independence of it all was welcomed.
"Do you hear that?" Sirius asked, stopping dead in his tracks.
"Hear what?"
"Shut up and listen."
I focused on hearing what Sirius had detected and a faint sound drifted to my ears. Voices. Two male voices at first before several others joined in. the first male voice sounded vaguely familiar. A silky drawl, I couldn't quite pinpoint it.
"Let's go closer," Sirius dare, rambling over to a patch of trees surrounding a plain field in which the voices were coming from.
"I know they're here!" The silky voice insisted.
"And how do you know?" Though the second voice was high-pitched, it sounded venomous. "Is it a gut instinct?"
"Somewhat, yes."
"Come here, boy." The voices became whispers that I yearned to hear. I ventured closer, snapping a twig in the process.
"Shit," Sirius breathed.
"What was that?" The second voice demanded.
"I don't know, my Lord." My Lord… Voldemort. "Shall I go check?"
"Yes. Go check."
I turned to run away but Sirius's voice halted me.
"Stop. Act like a dog."
A tall man with silvery blonde hair emerged from the clearing. Lucius Malfoy. He looks just like his son. In true doggy-like fashion, Sirius and I rambled over to him. I let out a short bark and nosed his hand, which he immediately pulled away.
"Rotten mutts," he spat. "Get!" He made a move to retrieve his wand and I froze. "Leave, now!"
Sirius whined.
"Go!"
We turned around, tails tucked between our legs, and sulked away. As soon as we were out of sight, we darted back to camp, running as fast as our four legs would take us. We found them, geez. It's scary! I heard Voldemort's serpent voice!
When we reached the camp, we began barking frantically.
"We don't understand you," Severus stated, looking annoyed.
I transformed first. "We found 'em. Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy are there. Others, too, but we didn't see them."
"You know where they are, then?" Mr. Weasley asked. "Do you remember?"
"Yeah. Geez, it was scary. He pulled his wand on us."
"Holy fuck!" Sirius bellowed after transforming. He was white as a ghost with wide, blue eyes.
"Shut up, Sirius!" I scolded. "They might hear you."
"I think I'm going to be sick." He moved over to an isolated spot and I grimaced upon hearing the sounds of retching and vomiting.
"Is he all right?" I asked Dumbledore.
"He'll be fine. Now, tell me, what did you hear?"
"Not much. Only Malfoy telling Voldemort that he knew we were here. It was a gut instinct. Then I ruined it by stepping on a stick. A friggin' stick! I ruined it. Our perfect chance."
"Stop blaming yourself, dear. It's not your fault. You said that you remember where they were?"
"Yes, sir."
"Would you like to be our spy?"
My pace quickened with excitement. "Yes, sir!"
"That's not safe," Severus objected. "Malfoy has already seen her. He might recognize her!"
"Now, now, Severus. He might just suspect her to be a stray dog wandering back to where she spotted humans. To a dog, humans mean food."
"I still don't think it's safe."
"Sev, I'll be fine," I assured him. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."
His mask slipped and his face was overcome with worry. "I think it'd be better if Black went with her."
"As you wish." Sirius returned and mock bowed, receiving a death glare from Sev. "I'll make sure no one touches her."
"Every day the two of you shall go to their meeting spot and listen to what they're saying," Dumbledore briefed. "But be sure that you go at a different time each day. Do not have a routine time."
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Now, who would like some tea?"
AN- Sorry, it's short, I know. But next chapter is long, depressing, sad, and altogether happy. Kinda tough, but it's really good. I'm biased so shoot me.