Disclaimer : All characters belongs to J. K. Rowlings. All were kidnapped in the dawn, and are not used to make money. They will be returned when I'm done.

See, don't own so don't sue, unless you're interested in my teddy bears collection...

Besides this work will contain : mpreg and people out of character since I am definitely not JK Rowlings, and some strange sentences since I'm French. Still here?

So, on with the show...

The sale

Chapter seven – A plea for help and a parental visit

The two running boys made a very good time to Dumbledore's office. They stood before the gargoyle, realizing lately that they didn't know the password.

Just when they were about to desperate, the door opened, and here stood Dumbledore, on his way to investigate what was happening near the carriages.

He was so surprised to see the both oh them, panting for breath in front of his office, that he didn't reacted when Severus, still dragging Sirius by their linked hands, pushed him back on the moving stairs.

"Boys? Would you mind telling me what is happening? What are you doing here?" he asked at his office's door, gasping a little when he spied their linked hands.

"We'll explain in your office." offered Severus with a stony expression. Sirius said nothing, just shivered and stepped closer to Severus. With a nod, the Headmaster opened his door, allowing entrance to the two teens and looked as they settled into two chairs close enough to touch, still holding hands.

He stayed silent as he sat behind his desk, surprised even more when he saw Severus turning towards Sirius and asking him gently "you want to explain, or you want me to do it?"

Sirius tried to smile, but it ended as a grimace, as tears began to fall from his eyes. "You" he managed to say through his crying. Severus just sighed and drew Sirius into his arms, allowing him to hide his face in his shoulder.

The Headmaster was stunned speechless, as he saw Severus comforting Sirius.

Meanwhile, the Infirmary.

Madam Pomfrey was taking a last survey look in her pristine infirmary. Everything was in order. Suddenly, she heard a loud noise and her door was opened.

She turned and saw Remus, walking in with a small smile of excuse.

"Mister Lupin, I know this isn't your time of the month... Good Lord; look at you! Look at the state you're in! What happened to you?"

As Remus began to explain, Lily jumped from his arms. Madam Pomfrey shrieked "What is that? Get that fox out of my infirmary!"

Hagrid bent as he entered, pulling on the rope attached to James' neck. Madam Pomfrey ran to Hagrid. "Hagrid, please, take this fox out of my infirmary!" Her eyes bulged as she saw the stag, and she fainted.

Hagrid caught her and put her on the nearest bed.

As soon as his back was turned, Lily and James retransformed into themselves and, seeing Mac Nair in the doorstep, they began to discuss the situation loudly.

"If I ever put my hands on Snape!" threatened Lily.

"You'll have to stand in line. I wouldn't be adverse to wring his slimy neck myself!" gritted James.

"No killing. But we must get back to him. And I don't speak of making his hair change color at random... We need something big. And public..." mused Remus.

"At least, we made him drink some of his spiked juice!" cheered James.

"Too bad this wizard had to transform him back!" added Remus.

Lily nodded.

Upon "remarking" Mac Nair, she turned to the now awake nurse, thanked her foe her help and dragged her fellow Marauders towards the exit, leaving Hagrid to explain to Madam Pomfrey that the fox and the stag were, in fact, Lily and James, victims of a Slytherin prank.

In the moving stairs of Dumbledore's office, the three teenagers snickered.

"You think he bought it?"

James rolled his eyes and Remus sighed "Yes! We are nothing if we are not good actors."

They quickly sobered with Lily's next remark "I hope they made it!"

"I'm sure they did."

James knocked on the door "Let's see." before the Headmaster granted them entrance.

Dumbledore had just finished reading the contract and listening to Severus' explanation of Sirius' actions when the trio knocked on the door.

The Headmaster allowed them entrance and listened to their story. During all this time, Sirius had moved only enough to look at Albus Dumbledore.

Leaving the infirmary and chuckling to himself, Mac Nair made a mental note to warn Severus of the Gryffondors' retaliation plans.

He was met by Regulus who took him to a deserted classroom, where he met Mrs. Black and a red eyed wizard to whom he explained the dog incident on the platform and the whole following animal mess by a prank one of his fellow Slytherin made. He agreed to take a look around the school with his friends to try and find Sirius.

With a sigh, Dumbledore stood up. For once, his eyes missed their twinkling.

"I can't see a solution right now. I have to go to the Feast. I'll warned your head of Houses. You will stay here, I'll charm the door and floo system to open only for me or Madam Mac Gonnagal. The House Elves will bring you some food." His eyes twinkled a little. "And I assured you the pumpkin juice will not be spiked."

The teenagers laughed a little but it was very strained.

"Don't worry, we'll find a solution. The least I can say, is that when you're in trouble, you're really in trouble!" He shook his head sadly and departed to the Feast.

At the Feast, everybody wondered why the seats of the Marauders, as well as Severus' usual one stayed empty. The Headmaster spoke of an incident with an Animalia potion. He left at the end of the Feast with Madam Mac Gonnagal.

The Slytherins were barely containing their laughter.

While the Feast was on its way, the Marauders and Severus were sharing sandwiches and pumpkin juice, Sirius never leaving Severus' side and occasionally touching him, as if to reassured himself of his presence. Lily, James and Remus were exchanging amused glances.

When Sirius felt asleep on his shoulder, Severus whispered. "All right, spill. What are you laughing at?"

"It's just that Sirius accepted you as a friend."

"And?" Severus' eyebrow rose.

James sighed. "As you might have noticed..." Remus began to laugh quietly. "Sirius loves to touch the people he considered friends."

"I didn't notice at all. What gave you that idea?" deadpanned Severus.

Lily snorted. Remus was still laughing, muffling the sound by trying to stack his whole fist into his mouth.

Lily placed a hand on James' shoulder. "We'll never get anywhere if you continue like this. I'll do it." James shrugged. "Try and calm Remus."

She then turned to Severus. "I know you care about him, and that you will not use what I'll tell you to hurt him." Seeing Severus opening his mouth, she went on "Let me finish."

At his nod, she breathed deeply. "I first met him when I was eight. I was playing in a park near my house. We sympathize at once. At six my mother ran into the park, completely panicked. She began to lecture me on my carelessness, when Sirius interrupted her. He asked her why she was shouting at me. She turned to him and frowned. I think that what get to her was that he asked politely. She told him that she was furious with me because I hadn't told her where I was and wasn't back in time. She was so furious that she slapped me on the hand.

That's when Sirius exclaimed 'Oh, you're her sister!'

My mother kneeled in front of him, and their conversation went this way:

'What make you think I'm her sister?'

'Because you slapped her, that's what brothers and sisters do'

'No, I'm her mother'

'You can't be'

'Why?'

'Because you slapped her'

'Your parents don't slap you when you're bad?'

His answer nearly made me cry. He explained that each time his mother saw him, she made a 'funny face' and changed direction, and that he hadn't saw his father till their last reception, and it was to have him locking him into his room. He even told about how Regulus was always trying to trip him or slapping him... God, he was so serious saying that..." Lily rubbed her face.

"My mother was ill at ease, but she told him to go back home, that perhaps his parents were worried. He shrugged but obeyed anyway.

We saw each other from time to time. He even smuggled me into his home for two weeks. Nobody noticed."

James then took his turn. "I met them when we were ten. It was during a school picnic... Three or four boys who were picking on her surrounded Lily. I didn't knew what to do, seeing as they were older than us... That's when Sirius jumped on the leader. He fought like a wild cat, biting, scratching, spitting... The boys left. Sirius' clothes were torn and he had a black eye. I urged him to go and ask his parents to cure him, he answered that they didn't care.

As I was unbelieving, he took Lily and me to his home. I saw with my own eyes his mother looking at him from head to toes, laughing and telling that that it was good for him, for the mistake he was..."

Remus sighed. "My turn, I guess... He was the first to befriend me. He even gave me some of his clothes when he saw that I had so few. I tried to refuse, but he told me that his parents only gave him some clothes, the food and shelter because they were afraid of their peers' reactions if they didn't... It's a wonder he didn't became bitter or turned bad with a family like his..."

"That's when we swore to always be his friends, and to protect him." added James.

"We even agreed between ourselves that we would give him all the hugs he missed as a child" quipped Lily.

"We never understood why he kept spending the summer with them, though" said Remus.

"Because" everybody jumped, for they hadn't know that Sirius was awake, "I didn't want to take the chance that they would take you away from me..."

He then remarked his pillow, blushed redder than a clown's nose and stammered some kind of excuse.

Severus shrugged and squeezed his hand. "Hush! I won't eat you. You needed to sleep. You slept. No big deal."

"Thanks" Sirius murmured.

The whole group waited in silence for the return of the Headmaster.

Half an hour later, Albus Dumbledore and Minerva Mac Gonnagal entered the office. Their faces were grave.

Madam Mac Gonnagal spoke first. "I'm afraid you'll have to spend the night here. All of you."

The teenagers looked at her like she had spoken in a different language.

"Why?" queried Remus.

"I can't" said Severus "There is no reason for my absence. It would be suspicious."

Madam Mac Gonnagal sighed. "Mrs. Black and Lord Voldemort were seen leaving the grounds before the Feast. We believe they might be in contact with some students."

"As for you, Severus, we can't take the chance that your comrades interrogate you. Besides, you know too much, including where they are. To keep it secret, we have to keep you together. The less people to know, the less risks there are." Dumbledore twinkled to the teens. "Besides, I already told everybody that your parents were visiting you tonight for family business."

Everybody turned to Severus who was thinking intensively. Suddenly, he jumped out of his chair, shouting "Yes!"

Seeing everybody looking at him with wide eyes, he blushed and explained: "My father is a lawyer. He will find the solution!"

Lily, James and Remus beamed at him.

Sirius threw himself into Severus' arms, hugging him and repeating thank you like a litany. That's the situation Severus' parents found their son in when they flooed into the Headmaster's office this evening.