Put it on Me

Where would I be without my baby
The thought alone might break me
And I don't wanna go crazy
But every thug needs a lady

"But it's raining, Sirius!" Vala protested.

He stopped to smile at her. "You're dirty aren't you?"

"Well yeah, but-"

"You want to get clean, don't you?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then let's go!" and he continued to pull her out the cave.

"Not like this!" she defied, ripping her hand from his and placing them on her hips. She wasn't about to hand over everything she'd fought for. She was bound to Saxon, and now that she'd escaped him, things were going to change. Freedom was hers and if she didn't want to run in the rain then there was nothing anybody could say or do to make her.

Sirius faced her. His head tilted slightly to the right and a smile graced his lips. Amusement, and a light that all the years of Azkaban could never steal, danced in his eyes. One hand behind his back, and the other held up for her, he seemed to imitate a delighted, yet reserved butler. "Trust me," he whispered, his eyes locked on hers.

She hesitated; it wasn't a command at all… it was a request. He wanted her to come with him, and if she declined… well, he wouldn't hold it against her, but he'd certainly be put out. Never kick a lying dog, she thought, taking his hand.

And he stole her away into the night.

~+~+~+~

The tracker lurched through Hogsmeade, listening carefully. Generally he had good hearing, and occasionally he perked his ears, but it was all in vain; you couldn't hear a tramp on a spring bed in this mess. He trudged through the rain, less gracefully than he would have liked.

The rain was thinning, but not much. And he knew all too well that once the rain had parted a thick fog would cover the land, and further hours would be spent in restlessness. At least, he reasoned, you can track in fog. He didn't mind fog too much. True, two teenagers could be having sex ten feet to his right and he'd never know, but they wouldn't see him either. In fact, he'd have the upside because at least he could hear them; they'd be so caught up in each other that they'd never even consider a third party.

Fog's good, he eventually concluded. It gave him effortless cover while allowing him to track unsuspecting victims.

Merlin I hate fog, he gloomed; it gave him too much time to think and before he knew it he was on topics as irrelevant as the fog.

He peered down the street and it might as well have been fog, he couldn't see a damned thing.

~+~+~+~

The trip down had been delightful enough. Vala had loosened up after tripping into Sirius, and together they laughed it off. At first she thought they were headed for the village, but at the bottom of the hill Sirius had pulled her in the opposite direction and to a clearing.

The rain smacked against a small, round pool of water. "I thought it might be full," he said. Gently, he dropped her hand and moved closer to the edge. The rain covered him, and if she stood five feet back she might not be able to see him at all, but what she could make out he was crouching down next to the water and sticking an arm in it. Pulling his arm out, he shook it off--not that it did much. She thought she saw him smile, and then wave her forward.

She stepped towards him, her feet sinking only a bit against the rocks, which held a steady path against the river of mud. The surface of the pool was blurry by the slapping rain, and though the water was crystal clear and she doubted it was very deep, she couldn't see the bottom.

Sirius waded into the water, it rose to mid-thigh on him, and held his hand out for her. She stopped, silently staring at the hand. He looked to her, and she was struck by what he'd said. Trust me, she repeated in her head. I trusted you once, she thought, you said you'd never leave me… And you did. Don't break this promise too. Inhaling deeply, she took his hand.

~+~+~+~

The tracker glanced around, curious where his wanderings had led him. Being in the rain for a few hours, his mood was light and thoughtful. He'd cast a charm on his robes, so he was quite dry. Another charm took care of the frigid air, and with nothing else to think about, he was quite bored.

"Ah," he said, looking to his left. "The Shrieking Shack."

He stepped up to the fence, resting his hands on the splintering wood. He spared a thought for his brother.

"While I was at Durmstrang learning the Dark Arts and watching my back, you were at Hogwarts," he mused. "Learning Defense and making friends."

Romulus gazed at the Shrieking Shack. "I never could decide whether I hated or pitied you for your Lycanthropy… But sometimes I wonder, what did I miss?"

~+~+~+~

Vala dunked Sirius. "Urk, wash that hair of yours!" she hollered, rubbing her hands into his head.

He made a comeback, plunging from the water and grinning as he took her down into it. Playfully, he rubbed her hair to wash the vegetables and sauce out. Soon he let go and she popped up, gasping for air.

"You git!" she screamed, lunging herself at him and pulling both of them into the shallow depths of the pool. Sirius banged his back against the rock, but he had revenge on his mind. Pushing against the bottom of the pool and thrusting himself upward, he managed to not only surface, but stand up. Vala, propelled against him, also found her feet. To keep her from falling backward, Sirius caught a hand under her.

Her back arching, Vala giggled. She tossed her arms around his neck and threw her head back in laughter. Sirius' smug smirk shifted to a soft smile. As the laughter died away from her lips, she gazed up into the deep brown eyes of her warm-hearted friend. Searching. Searching for something…

His eyes were soft and welcoming. They reassured her and she knew in her heart that if he should so happen to say anything at that moment, regardless of what it was, she would believe him. She bent her head to better peer into his eyes. Around them, the rain began to subside, but they never even noticed.

The same eyes that made her trust him made her love him. But it was a different kind of love. It wasn't the love she felt for Remus, and it wasn't the love she had for Fae and Grant… It was something else.

And in his eyes, she found what she felt. Above the trust, above the love, she felt understanding.

His head bent forward and their foreheads pressed against each other, the last of the rain dripping down their backs. They closed their eyes, savoring the moment.

He moved; it was a slight movement, but it was enough to wake her. His eyes were open, and they were bearing into hers. He was searching for something, and whether he found it or not, he moved his lips closer to hers.

He could feel her breath against his lips when she sighed.

"Sirius," she whispered, loosening her arms on his neck and setting them against his chest. "I can't do this."

Confusion leapt to his face. Hadn't she felt it too?

"I'm married," she said, looking away. "Come on," she sighed, pulling away from him and climbing from the pool. "Let's get back to camp."

Sirius followed behind her, confusion and explanations zooming his mind. It wasn't so much the idea of being turned down by women, believe or not he'd been turned down a good many times in his life, but most of those women were playing a game… He knew he'd win in the end. And that's what it was--a big game. He lost a few and he won even more, but this one was different… This one he wasn't so sure about.

~+~+~+~

The rain let up and Romulus was on the prowl again. He'd spent enough time staring at the Shrieking Shack, pondering over the past. Instead of heading back to the main village, he decided to try his luck on the other end of the Shrieking Shack.

Just as he was about to turn back, he spotted a couple. A thin woman slinking up a rocky path and a slim man wandered behind her like a sick puppy.

"Well what do you know…" he mused quietly, rubbing his chin. "Miss. Amoureux has a male friend."

He spun in a whirl of black robes and cloak, and made his way back to the village for supplies. He'd counted on Vala and maybe even a friend--but another man? Now he hadn't thought of that. Remus had certainly got the creativity of the bunch, and even then there wasn't a large supply of it.

Mentally, he made a note to return later when they might be asleep.

~+~+~+~

Vala entered the cave, and walked towards the back near Buckbeak. She didn't know the creature much, but she knew it enough to trust it not to gauge out her eyes, or worse--kiss her. She was tearing up inside and she needed some time to think.

She slumped against the beast, buried her face in her hands, and cried. Buckbeak, only accustomed to Hagrid's wailing, turned an eye on her. Hippogriffs are very intelligent creatures, and he didn't need to be told that the woman's wretched sobs were somehow different. However, he wasn't sure why.

He nudged her with his beak, asking her what was wrong but also assuring everything would be okay. The tears didn't even break for a brief laugh as it usually did for Hagrid. Buckbeak looked to Sirius, and seemed to ask him to try something.

The shock dropped from his face as he stepped closer, setting himself down next to Vala and against Buckbeak.

"Vala," he whispered, touching her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

She choked on her tears, and wiped at them in embarrassment. Nothing could tear the shame from her eyes as she glared at him. She never could forgive a man who made her cry--not even her father. All too late, she realized she'd never had a chance to forgive him, and dropped her eyes. She stared at her hands. "I have to leave," she said quietly.

"Where will you go?" he asked gently.

"Back," she replied, raising her chin to look at the entrance of the cave. "Back to Malfoy Manor and back to Saxon."

"But you can't!" he protested.

She turned to peer at him. "And why not, may I ask?"

Her eyes had given him a warm rush, but now they only held coldness. "I…" he lost the key of understanding and now her mind was a locked door. "I don't know," he finished lamely.

They both dropped the connection.

"Life was so much easier at sixteen," she voiced.

He shot a glance at her, waiting for her to emphasize.

"On that night I left you told me you ran away when you were sixteen," she added.

He nodded, and supported, "I did."

"Well, I remember it."

He shot a sidelong glance at her. "What do you mean?"

Vala sighed. She knew he wouldn't understand. "You're only five years older than me, Sirius… When you were in your sixth year I was in my first. With the separation of three grades and separate Houses, you aren't bound to remember, but I thought you might make the connection now."

He frowned, still not quite catching her point. "So we were at Hogwarts together for two years…" he shook his head. "I'm still not getting it."

"Figures. You were just as thick-headed then as you are now," she half-insulted, but still speaking the truth. "Only concerned with your knit of friends and the occasional female. If, of course, she was charming enough to catch your eye, which was a compliment in itself."

"What are you talking about?" he finally asked, turning to her. Just as soon he remembered himself and looked away.

"What I'm talking about is that you were devilishly popular and never let it phase you. You never cared about the little man."

"That's not true. I saved several lower classmen's necks when they were being bullied," he pointed out in defense.

"Yeah, when your friends weren't doing the bullying," she countered. "And I saw what you did to Snape."

"That git deserved everything he got," he growled.

"Do you really think so?" Vala glance at him, more calmly than before but with a stern curiosity. She vaguely reminded him of Remus--he'd often given Sirius the same look. "He returned back in my seventh year with a streak meaner than a cornered snake, and he struck at the slightest."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"All I'm saying is things have changed since then. You ran away from home when you were only sixteen and in reward you got to live with your best friend. Do you have any idea how many people envied you? You were tough and rebellious--not to mention half the student body got weak in the knees when you passed by."

A slight grin slipped him.

"We were taken by you," she continued. "You were everything any of us ever wanted to be. And then when we heard you'd invested in a motorcycle, why that only intensified our fantasies. You had power, Sirius, a type of strength I never did."

He looked at her. He still wasn't sure where things were going.

Vala sighed sharply. She could always spell it out for him to see, but that'd be too easy. His family life had been rotten, or so she guessed because she never heard a single story about his family coming after him and dragging him home in tears, but then, why would she? That'd take away from the mysterious magic he emitted. He'd also spent twelve years of his life in Azkaban, but you know… everything else had been so simple. Everything just came so easy to him, and deep inside her she was somewhat glad to be ahead of the game--even if it was covered by enormous waves of impatience and bitterness.

"What I'm trying to tell you," she said, "Is that when you ran away you became a legend. So many people looked up to you, and when you ran away it only made you more dashing and daring… Do you remember last night?" she finished inquiringly, throwing him off course.

"Yeah, you ran away yesterday night…" he trailed hopelessly.

"You asked me how old I was."

Another grin slipped through. "And you fainted."

She threw up a hand impatiently and huffed, "Can't you take anything seriously?"

"Yes, sorry. As you were saying?"

"I'm twenty-nine, Sirius, not sixteen," she pointed out obviously.

He stared at her as if to say, I've noticed.

"I can't run away and expect everything that ever went wrong in my life to simply evaporate," she emphasized. "I have to face my problems and think up reasonable courses to take." She turned to him. "You were a kid, you had the choice to run away, I don't."

A reflective silence fell. Sirius finally understood.

At length, he asked, "You've only got tonight?"

She nodded glumly.

He stood up, dusted his robes off, and held out a hand for her again. "Come on then."

She looked up at him. "What?"

"You've only got tonight--don't you think we should make the best of it?"

She stared, but took his hand. "Where are we going?"

He simply smiled, leading her to the mouth of the cave. Carefully stepping out into the rain-swept night, he said, "Just… trust me."

(A/N: hehe… I love this song. I was going to upload this chapter earlier, but I spent the weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks where I received a killer sunburn and sore muscles. Got to fish for the first time, ride in a boat, drive a wave runner… Major wipeout, man. This chapter is dedicated to my best friend Emily because she introduced me to this song and her mommy has aloe vera for my sunburn. Heh. Bewelo kisses!)