Ch. 3
Sirius stared at Luna a moment longer. She was strange in a naive kind of way. He wondered about her sanity a little before, but decided that she wasn't insane, she just had a different way of looking at things than other people. Her peoms had an essence to them. The poem lingered in your mind as the words slowly unraveled thier meanings. He liked her. she smelled like Hogwarts, like magic and ink and wadded old parchment. Like students and the Great Hall and mowed lawns. then there was some other smell that even enhanced dog senses couldn't put down. It was like the smell of ice, crushed leaves, tears, heartbreak. All her smells, especially the mysterious one, intrigued him, drew him nearer, asked a question that could only be answered with another question. He knew his thoughts didn't make any sense, but when you're alone for months at a time, you begin to think, make theories, ask those unanswerable questions.
Sirius got up and shook off the water before pulling on his shirt. He had to go back to Grimmauld Place. He had seen what he had come for, and now he was leaving. He said good-bye to Luna, who looked like she wanted to say something, but decided against it. He transformed as he walked and began an easy trot. He would apparate once he reached the boundary. You could tell when you reached the boundary of Hogwarts, because a charge of energy that was there before disappeared. Sirius knew this from his many escapades as a boy. Going into the Forbidden Forest was just another rule the Marauders broke.
When Sirius reached his home, he sat next to the fire and fell asleep. The soothing warmth gave an aura of comfort. His fluffy chair was so soft, and the blanket so cozy... When he woke up, Kreacher was walking up the stairs, cackling.
"We is so smart! The cleverness of us! Master going to be pleased! Yes, yes! Ha ha!" Kreacher's laugh was low and dry. Sirius had the feeling that Kreacher wasn't referring to him as 'Master'. He got up and swooped upon the elf.
"What did you do, you vile little monster?! What DID you do!!!" Sirius said, picking him up by the scruff of his neck. He shook him to emphasize his interagation. Kreacher cackled.
"You is too late, evil man! Harry Potter is being dead. Killed as we speak, he is. You is too late. Master is defeating him in the Ministry, he is. Too late!!!!" Kreacher was pleased with himself for betraying his own family. Sirius threw Floo powder in the flames and yelled, "The Ministry of Magic!" at the top of his lungs. Moments later, he crashed through the fire into a marble fireplace. He ran, changing into a dog as he went. He caught the scent, then stopped, his mind catching up with his body. He went to the nearest flame, found the little pot of powder, and called on reinforcements, one after the other. Soon a small group stood before him. He began running and changing again. The scent got stronger. Students, quite a few, amellingof Hogwarts and there was that smell. She was here.
He ran into hte department of mysteries. They had all gone in one door... seperate ways in the hall of prophecies... There's one, stunned. Someone will takecare of him. Harry... Left, right, middle, pant... Sniff. That way? No. This way. Change back. Death Eaters. Stupefy! 'Bye, 'Bye, Death Eaters. More. HARRY! Battle! Jelly legs. Stun. Petrify. Stun again. Ouch. Uuuuhn...
TBC
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You must beg long and hard and I shall write more. Only then shall I update. On your knees! Ugh, that didn't sound right. Even if you don't beg, I'll write. I'm not one to care about public opinion. If it's not useful critiscim, you're jealous. ; )