Chapter 5
It was monstrous. A gargantuan spider, with huge black pincers dripping with a poisonous venom. Roseline stumbled backwards as the spider drew closer, its pincers clicking gleefully in anticipation. Roseline could hear more noises, more creatures in the undergrowth. She backed away, not knowing where she was going or what she was doing, only knowing she had to avoid this monster for as long as possible.
Suddenly, she saw a large black shape crashing through the undergrowth towards them. Oh great, she thought bitterly, there's more than one. As the thing emerged from the undergrowth she turned her back, and waited. But instead of hearing more spiders, or feeling the sharp pincers rake her spine, she heard something quite different. Sounds of a scuffle, a muffled yelp, various crashes and a low, menacing growl. Wait- a growl? She spun around and looked in shock on the strange scene before her. A huge, bear- like black dog was battling with the spider, biting it, knocking it, and driving it away from her. The dog seemed to have the upper hand, but the spider was still doing plenty of damage, as the dog was already bleeding in several places, and had taken some nasty hits. However, just as it was starting to look as if the spider might win, the dog went in for the kill. It locked its jaws onto the spider's soft underbelly and held there. The creature's movements gradually grew weaker, until it lay on the ground twitching slightly.
The dog now turned its attention to her. It faced her and jerked its head away into the trees, then turned and started to head in that direction. It took a few steps, then stopped and looked back at her. It jerked its head again. It seemed to want her to follow it. Well, she thought, it's not like I have much choice. She shrugged and set off after the dog. As soon as it saw she was following, it sped up. Roseline was amazed how quickly it could travel with all those injuries.
Ten minutes later, they reached the edge of the forest. She made to leave the trees, but the dog barred her way and shook its head. Then it transformed – into Sirius Black. He immediately clapped a hand across Roseline's mouth, cutting her off mid-scream. He grasped her wrist with his free hand and led her out of the trees. Then he took his hands away.
"Sirius!" Roseline gasped. "But you- how- what?"
He sighed, and up close Roseline could see that his injuries had not disappeared. His skin was torn and bleeding and he was developing a black eye.
"What do you want to know first?" he asked in a steady voice.
"How did you find me?"
"I was outside walking beside the lake and I heard someone scream. So I transformed and went to help."
"But..... why? And how did you know it was me?"
Sirius looked at her indignantly. "What do you mean, why? Sure, I may be pissed off at you, but that doesn't mean I'd let you get killed. What sort of person do you think I am?"
Despite the situation, Roseline smiled at the look on his face. "But why were you out here in the first place? I thought you were going to the common room."
Sirius looked decidedly uncomfortable. He was fidgeting, and his cheeks had developed a slight red tinge.
"I- I, er....." He began lamely.
He took a deep breath.
"Oh fine. I felt guilty about yelling at you, and I was looking for you. I knew you'd probably be out here, I've seen you here before. When I heard the scream I recognised your voice."
He was staring determinedly at the ground. Roseline was impressed. Sirius was a very proud character, and she knew how difficult it must be for him to admit he'd been feeling guilty about their argument.
"I'm sorry, Sirius," Roseline whispered, and she put her arms around him. "Really, I am. With all my heart."
Sirius returned the hug. "It's nothing."
As they drew apart, Roseline looked at him, half exasperated, half amused. "Honestly Sirius, it is not nothing. You should be in the hospital wing."
He shrugged, and winced as he did so, but the look of disgust on his face when she mentioned the hospital wing remained in place.
"Hey," said Roseline suddenly, remembering something. "Are you an animagus?" She knew it was a stupid question, as she couldn't see how there would be any other answer to his transformation, but she still found it hard to believe.
When she looked back at him, she found herself looking at the great black dog again. She laughed, and Sirius reappeared.
"Does that answer your question?" he asked.
"Well, yes, but you're still underage. You can't be registered." She was watching him closely. "You could be arrested."
Sirius looked away, and when he spoke his voice was quiet. "Yes," he said softly. "I could. But not many people know, and the ones who do are in no position to say anything."
"I know," said Roseline. "And I am in a position to tell."
Sirius whipped around, his face pale. "No," he croaked, "You can't....Please...."
Roseline's expression softened. "Don't worry," she said. "I won't. But I'm interested in how you managed it. It's hugely difficult without help."
Sirius glanced at his watch. "I will tell you, but not now. It's too late; you need to get back to the common room."
Roseline raised an eyebrow. "I need to get back to the common room? What about you?"
"Oh...yeah, right....I forgot. Let's go." But he still made no move to go.
"Come on, Sirius. You may not be used to obeying the rules, but I'm not going without you. Come on."
A smile flickered across his handsome face. "All right, all right, I'm coming. Let's go."
It was monstrous. A gargantuan spider, with huge black pincers dripping with a poisonous venom. Roseline stumbled backwards as the spider drew closer, its pincers clicking gleefully in anticipation. Roseline could hear more noises, more creatures in the undergrowth. She backed away, not knowing where she was going or what she was doing, only knowing she had to avoid this monster for as long as possible.
Suddenly, she saw a large black shape crashing through the undergrowth towards them. Oh great, she thought bitterly, there's more than one. As the thing emerged from the undergrowth she turned her back, and waited. But instead of hearing more spiders, or feeling the sharp pincers rake her spine, she heard something quite different. Sounds of a scuffle, a muffled yelp, various crashes and a low, menacing growl. Wait- a growl? She spun around and looked in shock on the strange scene before her. A huge, bear- like black dog was battling with the spider, biting it, knocking it, and driving it away from her. The dog seemed to have the upper hand, but the spider was still doing plenty of damage, as the dog was already bleeding in several places, and had taken some nasty hits. However, just as it was starting to look as if the spider might win, the dog went in for the kill. It locked its jaws onto the spider's soft underbelly and held there. The creature's movements gradually grew weaker, until it lay on the ground twitching slightly.
The dog now turned its attention to her. It faced her and jerked its head away into the trees, then turned and started to head in that direction. It took a few steps, then stopped and looked back at her. It jerked its head again. It seemed to want her to follow it. Well, she thought, it's not like I have much choice. She shrugged and set off after the dog. As soon as it saw she was following, it sped up. Roseline was amazed how quickly it could travel with all those injuries.
Ten minutes later, they reached the edge of the forest. She made to leave the trees, but the dog barred her way and shook its head. Then it transformed – into Sirius Black. He immediately clapped a hand across Roseline's mouth, cutting her off mid-scream. He grasped her wrist with his free hand and led her out of the trees. Then he took his hands away.
"Sirius!" Roseline gasped. "But you- how- what?"
He sighed, and up close Roseline could see that his injuries had not disappeared. His skin was torn and bleeding and he was developing a black eye.
"What do you want to know first?" he asked in a steady voice.
"How did you find me?"
"I was outside walking beside the lake and I heard someone scream. So I transformed and went to help."
"But..... why? And how did you know it was me?"
Sirius looked at her indignantly. "What do you mean, why? Sure, I may be pissed off at you, but that doesn't mean I'd let you get killed. What sort of person do you think I am?"
Despite the situation, Roseline smiled at the look on his face. "But why were you out here in the first place? I thought you were going to the common room."
Sirius looked decidedly uncomfortable. He was fidgeting, and his cheeks had developed a slight red tinge.
"I- I, er....." He began lamely.
He took a deep breath.
"Oh fine. I felt guilty about yelling at you, and I was looking for you. I knew you'd probably be out here, I've seen you here before. When I heard the scream I recognised your voice."
He was staring determinedly at the ground. Roseline was impressed. Sirius was a very proud character, and she knew how difficult it must be for him to admit he'd been feeling guilty about their argument.
"I'm sorry, Sirius," Roseline whispered, and she put her arms around him. "Really, I am. With all my heart."
Sirius returned the hug. "It's nothing."
As they drew apart, Roseline looked at him, half exasperated, half amused. "Honestly Sirius, it is not nothing. You should be in the hospital wing."
He shrugged, and winced as he did so, but the look of disgust on his face when she mentioned the hospital wing remained in place.
"Hey," said Roseline suddenly, remembering something. "Are you an animagus?" She knew it was a stupid question, as she couldn't see how there would be any other answer to his transformation, but she still found it hard to believe.
When she looked back at him, she found herself looking at the great black dog again. She laughed, and Sirius reappeared.
"Does that answer your question?" he asked.
"Well, yes, but you're still underage. You can't be registered." She was watching him closely. "You could be arrested."
Sirius looked away, and when he spoke his voice was quiet. "Yes," he said softly. "I could. But not many people know, and the ones who do are in no position to say anything."
"I know," said Roseline. "And I am in a position to tell."
Sirius whipped around, his face pale. "No," he croaked, "You can't....Please...."
Roseline's expression softened. "Don't worry," she said. "I won't. But I'm interested in how you managed it. It's hugely difficult without help."
Sirius glanced at his watch. "I will tell you, but not now. It's too late; you need to get back to the common room."
Roseline raised an eyebrow. "I need to get back to the common room? What about you?"
"Oh...yeah, right....I forgot. Let's go." But he still made no move to go.
"Come on, Sirius. You may not be used to obeying the rules, but I'm not going without you. Come on."
A smile flickered across his handsome face. "All right, all right, I'm coming. Let's go."
