(13)Moonrays & Mermaid Scales

Remus laughed nervously. "OK, what did I do?"

"It's rather what you didn't tell me," Merida informed with a somewhat silky voice similar to her father.

"& that would be.....?"

"Oh honestly! As if you didn't know....Professor!" Merida got up & marched in side.

"Wait a minute, Meri---Miss Snape!" Remus hurried after her. "What happened?"

"Nevermind....Professor!"

"Whoo hoo! Looks like someone's in the dog house!" Sirius barked a laughed.

"Shut up!" Remus ordered.

"Come on, Moony! What did you do?"

"I don't know!"

"Sweetheart, I'm not surprised at you at all, given your reputation," said Merida. "But Professor? How could you?" She left the Marauders gaping in the kitchen.

"I think the proper question is: Padfoot, what did YOU do?"

"Nothing!"

"Why does she call you Sweetheart?"

"No reason!" Sirius snapped. Remus only crossed his arms, unbeleiving. "OK! Fine! You want to know how I've been getting in the castle? Merida made Padfoot her pet! Called him Sweetheart! We did everything together! Unfortunatly, that included a bath! There! You happy?"

Remus gaped for an eternity. "Sniv's daughter was the one letting you in? I wish he could have heard this---A BATH? WHAT? SIRIUS BLACK! SHE WAS ONLY 12 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME!!!"

"Hey, I didn't do nothing!" Sirius defended. "I was a dog at the time & she pulled me in! But, I can't say I didn't enjoy myself to some extent! She looks a lot like her mom!"

Remus began counting backward from 10. He reached 0 & continued into the minuses! ".....minus 8! Minus 9! Minus 10!......Minus 33! Minus 34! Minus....OK I think I'm fine now!"

"You think?" Sirius groaned. "You could be wrong, you know! Why not minus 100 hundred! Or minus 1000?!"

"Shut up or I will enter the minus one millions!"

"Eat your chocalate!" Sirius ordered. Remus clicked his fangs together in annoyance. "Now, what I'd like to know is how she found out about Padfoot?"

"No idea!" Remus shrugged. "I can't believe that's how you got in! The castle was sealed shut. I sealed the 7 hidden ways & you still made it inside!

"Actually, I got locked in! Not locked out!" Sirius half-smiled for a moment. "Merida was the one letting me out in the end! I had the hardest time trying to avoid you. That rat almost exposed me. I was chasing him all over the castle. Then, somehow he made it outside & disappeared & I was still locked inside Hogwarts."

"That was the worst year of my life," said Remus. "I was always on edge. Always worrying about Harry & expecting to turn a corner & find Harry dead. I never even gave Peter a second thought!"

"I know!" Sirius sighed. "& just to let you know, that still hurts a bit!"

Remus closed his eyes & sighed. "I know."

"Let's not talk of this again?" asked Sirius. Remus nodded slowly. "Best to leave it in the past. Now," Sirius stretched back in his chair. "before she left, Randalla had told me Randaf is Charmone's right-hand man."

"Oh, great!" Remus groaned. "More Vampires!"

"Just keep your cross on you! ON you, not in you!" Sirius laughed.

"Shut it, you!" Remus glowered. "She knocked me over! The edges of that cross are sharp! So, where does Lord Charmone 'hang out'?" Both burst out laughing for a moment.

"Hang out! It always makes me laugh!" Sirius barked playfully. "Hey, here's one! Serve a Vampire a steak sandwich!"

"That's not nice!" Remus laughed.

"It comes from Landau! What do you expect?" Sirius giggled.

"I guess so!" said Remus. "So, when do we go?"

"Well, that's the problem, we don't!" Sirius declared as if the matter was settled.

"What are you talking about?" Remus exclaimed. "Where Charmone is, Randaf is bound to be. Randaf murdered Harry!"

"I know, don't speak of it!" Sirius pleaded. "But you didn't hear me! I said WE!"

"Oh no! NO!" Remus snapped. "There's no way you're doing this on your own! The world isn't about you! I want a peice of Randaf, too!"

"Then I'll bring you one!" Sirius offered.

"Fine! Be a jerk! I'll go by myself!" Remus made to storm away but Sirius stopped him. "Let me go, Black!"

"NO! & don't call me Black!" Sirius yanked Remus back & flung him into a chair. "You're doing it again! Just like in Harry's 3rd year! Not giving me a chance to speak!"

"Fine!" Remus groaned. "This had better be good!"

"Yeah well, it's NOT good!" Sirius snapped. "So just shut up & listen!"

"Whatever!" Remus retorted. "Why don't you want me with you?!"

"I do!" Sirius replied irritatedly. "But you can't come simply because of where Lord Charmone is! Remember that path of hardened moonlight I told you about? Well, it leads over a great cliff at the north side of the forrest & into Moon City! That place is based only on moonlight even if it's as bright as day! It's a Lycan protection thing. You! Can't! Come!"

"Actually, I can!" Remus said in a more natural tone as he pulled out the mermaid scale Kerrel had given him. "Remember what she said? 'This will shield you in places that would otherwise be unavailable to you!' I'll bet it'll sheild me from the constant moonrays in that place!"

"That's a pretty big bet, Remus!" Sirius crossed his arms. "It might protect you from the trapped moonlight that they use but it won't protect you from the real moon!"

"I'll just stay inside," said Remus. "& when a full moon comes, I'll just end up doing the Lycans here a favor! But tell me, how can moonlight be trapped?"

"Well, how do the muggles use lightening in everything?" Sirius pointed out. "Whatever muggles have that use electricity the Vampires have, using moonlight!"

"Well, then, let's get going!"

"Impatient little pup aren't you?" Sirius smiled. "But have you noticed the position of the sun? It'll be dark soon! We'll go tomorrow! In the meantime, sort out your marital problems!"

Remus raised a fist to punch Sirius out cold but decided he wasn't worth the effort. "I'm not a puppy!" he grumbled under breath as he stalked away.

Early the next morning, Remus found himself alone in the house. Merida was nowhere in sight for she had been avoiding the Marauders indefinetly. Sirius had left a note saying he was in Feradeck, the small town not 15 minutes away down the road. Remus cut straight through the trees & fields in stead of taking the windy road.

Remus passed a hole with steel bars covering the top, criss-crossed to form one-inch spaces. He heard a faint yet desperate fluttering of wings & then someone softly crying. Stopping to investigate, Remus found a girl about 7 years trapped inside. She was sitting in the darkest corner & only her bright yellow curly hair gave her position away.

"What are you doing down there?" Remus pulled off the steel grate.

"I was shoved in here!"

"Well come on!" Remus reached a hand in to grab her. "I'll pull you out."

"I can't!"

"Yes you can!"

"No!"

"Why not? I won't hurt you!" Remus reached in farther, trying not to slip in. "I'm Remus. A....friend...of Siri----Lord Bris!"

"Rikku!" she said. "So you're that werewolf pet of his!"

"I'm not a pet!" Remus groaned. "Just ignor what Randalla says! How would you know her anyway?"

"She's my sister!" Rikku replied.

"I see!" Remus watched the sun slowly rising over the hill. "Look this place will fill up with sunlight. Can you do a sun shield?"

"No!" Rikku sniffled a bit. "& I can't get out now! It's to late!"

"Then I'll cover you up & let you out tonight!" said Remus.

"Why would you do that?" asked Rikku.

"I'm not part of this war!" Remus said simply as he got up to look for something to cover the hole. He turned around & stared into the face of Landau. "Did you put her in there?"

"Put who where, Alpha?" Landau snarled. He moved in warily to investigate. "Ah, a little Vampire! No, I didn't put her there but I'll compliment whoever did!"

"Shame on you!" Remus snapped. "She's just a little girl!"

"One less bat to worry about!" Landau groaned. "We should leave!"

"Go if you must but I'm hiding her!" Remus pulled out his wand to make a covering.

"Watch yourself, Alpha!" Landau pinned Remus to the ground.

"Exitos!" Remus sent Landau flying. "You stay away from Rikku!"

"Ah so you're Randalla's sister?" Landau snapped at Rikku. "She thinks I killed your family!"

"You did!" Rikku snapped back.

"Did not! But I don't care!" Landau declared.

"Either leave or help me!" Remus demanded.

"I don't take orders from you, Alpha!" Landau retorted.

"Alright! Fine! Then what do you propose we should do?"

"Leave!"

"What about Luna?"

"What about her?"

"Well, how do you feel, not knowing what happened to her?" asked Remus. "I'm quite sure Rikku's family are worried about her!"

"Oh please!"

"Think about it, Landau!" Remus ordered. "Now, if you'll excuse me! I, for one, am not going to leave her to turn to ash in the sun! From where I come from, Vampires & Lycans look out for each other. They gaurd us in the moonlight & we gaurd them from the sun!"

"Slavery!" Landau muttered.

"NO! It's not slavery!" Remus tried to explain. "It's an honor! Something which I believe you & your pack know nothing about!"

"Don't insult my pack, Alpha!" Landau growled.

"My name's Remus! Not Alpha!" Remus retorted. "Rikku, change of plans. Fly into my coat & I'll keep you from the sun! It's going to be a bit hard with this idiot here but just ignor him!"

"Why should I trust you?" asked Rikku.

"Do you want to die in the sun?" asked Remus. "I'll keep you safe!" He placed his coat over the hole & wrapped it around a small bat when Rikku decided to fly up. Landau snarled at the moving form inside the wrapped up coat. "Stop it! You're scaring her!"

"You shouldn't do this!" Landau declared.

"She won't hurt anyone!" Remus sighed, irritated.

"Give her to me!"

"NO!" Remus declared, storming away, clutching his bundled-up coat tightly.

"You're messing with things you shouldn't!" said Landau as he followed.

Remus grabbed Landau by his free hand. "STOP! Following! Me!" He threw Landau aside. "Lord Bris isn't the only one with a wand, remember? I'm sorry I don't share you veiws about Vampires so just get used to it!"

"You'll end up getting yourself killed, Alpha!" Landau picked himself up. "Lord Charmone will never believe you!"

"Go find your puppy!" Remus ordered as he slipped a hand inside to straighten out Rikku's crumpled up wing. He felt two sharp pricks in his index finger. "OUCH! Don't bite Rikku! I'm just trying to help!" Remus pulled his hand out but he wasn't bleeding. Rikku had only nipped him. She couldn't drink his blood for it was poisonous to Vampires. "Don't do that again, Rikku! It's a good thing it takes more then one bite to get infected with Vampirism, unlike Lycanthropy!"

"Hey Moony! What do you have there?" Sirius was just stepping out of the bar.

"Rikku," replied Remus. "& get this, she's Randalla's sister!"

"I didn't know Randalla had a sister!" said Sirius.

"She's only a little girl, so don't get ideas!" Remus replied dryly.

"Ideas? What ideas?"

"Be quiet!" Remus said. "What are you doing down here?"

"I saw Randalla again," said Sirius. "She not to happy now that we know what she is. She's still inside."

"Well, let's give Rikku to her!" Remus headed into the bar & approached Randalla cautiously.

"What? Come to finish the job?" Randalla asked heatedly.

"I found your sister!" Remus handed her his coat.

"Rikku?! What did you do to her?!" Randalla demended.

"Nothing! She was trapped in a hole," Remus explained. "Someone pushed her in last night."

"Landau!" Randalla glowered.

"Actually, no!" said Remus. "He had nothing to do with it! & he's not the one killing off your family either!"

"Oh & I suppose he told you that?" Randalla snapped.

"Yes he did!" Remus replied. "Must be some other Lycan in his pack!"

"So who was it then?" Randala asked as if Remus should know.

"How should I know? I'm not part of this war!" Remus sighed. "Just keep a better eye on your sister! I'll expect my coat back later so I'll see you in Moon City?"

"You can't go there!" Randalla stared at Remus as if he were crazy.

"Yes I can, thanks to Kerrel! The one I've come for is there," Remus explained. "At first, I thought he was Lord Bris, but I was wrong. But I recently found out he's really hiding under Lord Charmone!"

"You stay away from my father, werewolf!" Randalla ordered.

"Your...father? I should have known!" said Remus. "Maybe you should ask him if he knows who really killed most of your family. But don't worry! I've nothing against him. He's safe from me. Just like your sister!" Remus left Randalla to think about that.

"So how'd it go?" asked Sirius.

"I think she's thoroughly confused now!" Remus said with a smile. "First, a werwolf saves her little sister. Then she finds out Landau never was around her family. Next, I tell her I'll see her in Moon City to get my coat back!"

"Yeah, I can see how she'd be very confused!" Sirius laughed. "I'll get Merida & then we can go. Merida's here somewhere!"

"I wonder what I did!" said Remus. "More importantly, what do you have to do with it?"

"I don't now!" Sirius shrugged. "Merida? What did we do?"

"You really don't get it, do you?" asked Merida. "Very well! I overheard the two of you yesterday in the bathroom. But I understand completely. You two have been together a long time. But I really wish you had told me about that first!"

Remus stared blankly but Sirius finally got it & burst out laughing. "No! No! We weren't doing THAT!! Randalla knocked Remus over & his cross speared into him. I was just trying to pull it out!"

"& I'm supposed to believe this?"

"I'll prove it!" Sirius led Remus & Merida into the back room. "Remus! Take your pants off!"

"EXCUSE ME?!"

"Just do it!"

"NO!"

"Remus---!"

"I said no! Why do you want me to do that anyway?"

"Just to show her something!" Sirius reached for Remus's belt.

"Hey!" Remus slapped his hand away.

"Come on! Take them off!"

"Not until I----eesh!" Remus suddenly felt a shiver. So did Sirius.

Merida had waved her wand & now both of them were stripped! "Now what is it you want me to see?!"

"I don't know!" Remus smiled sweetly at Merida then glowered at Sirius. "Sweetheart?!"

"Merlin's sake!" Sirius rolled his eyes. "Come on Merida! This isn't funny! I'm cold!"

"So freeze to death!" Merida snapped.

"Fine!" Sirius pointed to a spot on Remus's lower leg that was shaped like a cross. "See that scar! That's where the cross went in!"

Merida studied the scar for a long time before deciding it was about the same size as Remus's cross. "So....Sweetheart! When you said you'd pull it out....you weren't refering to....you know?" Remus sputtered a laugh & knelt on the floor in hysteria.

"Not yet!" Sirius promised with a glance to Remus.

"Not ever!" Remus gasped for air. "Meri, Sirius & I aren't like that at all!" Remus was overcome with a fresh wave of laughter.

"I...see!" Merida smiled sheepishly & left feeling rather stupid. Well you can't blame me for thinking that! Knowing how Sweetheart can be!

"Alright, let's get dressed & get going!" Sirius picked up some pants off the floor.

"No! No, those are MY pants!" Remus made a grab for them.

"Really? I knew I'd get into your pants one day!" Sirius tried stepping into them.

"Give them back!" Remus snatched them away just in time. "Perv!"

"Perv? Get into bed & I'll show you the meaning of that!" Sirius teased. "Now your bed or mine?"

"How 'bout the couch?" Remus snapped.

"You wound me, Moony!" Sirius pouted.

"So what?" Remus growled. "Out of all the charges Azkaban charged you with, why in Merlin's name did they miss the one crime you did commit & CONTINUE to commit?"

"& what crime is that?"

"Oh, molestation! Porn! A complete ho & might I add pedophile?"

"Why don't you just say sex offender?!" Sirius shrugged. "& since when was I ever a pedophile or molested anyone?"

"Well, your always after me ever since Sniv put it into your head!" Remus explained. "& sharing a bath with Merida when she was only 12?"

"I told you, that was an accident!" Sirius declared. "& besides, I was as a dog then so no harm done!"

"Whatever!"