A/N: Hi everyone! A million thanks for not giving up on this story, despite the long delay. Here's a longer chapter than usual to appease my precious readers & reviewers!
Desperate Times, Drastic Measures
Remus, April and Harry gathered in Sirius' quarters on Friday night.
Remus' entire frame took up the full length of the long couch. He was extremely exhausted but his bloodshot eyes were still wide open. Lines etched across his forehead and his brows knotted together with worry.
April occupied one half of Sirius' other couch, a two-seater. She was deep in thought, fingers unconsciously toying with the necklace she always wore.
Harry sat on the floor, leaning forward with chin settled in his upturned palms, as he watched his godfather wear down the carpet with a grim expression on his face.
At long last, Sirius stopped pacing and fell heavily into the seat beside April. "We're getting nowhere. There isn't enough time," he said aloud in frustration.
Harry was getting worried. "How many dementors are there actually?"
"We do not know for sure, Steiner sounded Fudge out and it seemed there are little over fifty of these freaks around." Sirius' tone made it clear that he did not believe this. He closed his eyes and gave an involuntary shudder as he remembered his days at Azkaban and when he was on the run from the Ministry. There must be hundreds of them, seeing how he seemed to always spot a dozen wherever he was.
Remus slowly got into a sitting position. "We need to do something drastic. One or two lessons are not going to be enough for the kids."
April nodded her agreement. "We can change that. Cancel all classes and let them practice the Patronus Charm from dawn till dusk for the next few days."
"We're trying to keep this low-key and not let the Dark Side know we're aware of the attack," Remus reminded her. "Everything has to look as normal as possible."
"But I think April has a point, Moony," Sirius defended his girlfriend. "What's the use of pretending everything's bright and sunny when we're obviously ill-prepared to defend ourselves? At this rate, we'll all get our souls sucked out and become walking zombies after Wednesday."
"But if word gets out -"
"We can stop word from getting out."
"Padfoot, you don't mean -"
"Yes, I do," Sirius replied with conviction. "We have to stop all communications with the outside world. Do you think we can convince Dumbledore to agree to that?"
"Desperate times call for drastic measures," April quipped. "I can go along to help persuade Albus if necessary."
Remus got to his feet and let out a weary breath. "I'll have a word with Dumbledore first thing tomorrow morning. If I fail to convince him, you two can have a go." He turned to Harry. "You'd better head back to your dormitory. It's almost curfew time. I'll walk with you part of the way."
The boy stood up and lightly dusted the carpet flint off his robes.
"You can stay here for the night if you want," Sirius told his godson. "I'm sure Dumbledore and McGonagall will not object."
Harry was tempted, but he knew that his godfather needed a good rest more than anything right now. "Maybe next time. I'd better head back before Ron comes looking for me."
Sirius merely nodded and watched Remus lead Harry through the exit. As soon as the door closed, he allowed his tired and aching shoulders to slump and let out a frustrated breath. Then, he felt April's hands resting on the curve where his shoulders meet the sides of his neck. He sighed contentedly and allowed himself to relax into her touch as her fingers kneaded the tension away. "Mmm." he mumbled in appreciation. "This feels really good."
"If Albus gives Remus his approval tomorrow, you should rope in all the teachers to help with the training. I'm sure Moody and Arabella will be happy to chip in as well," she suggested. "The two of you are putting too much pressure on yourselves. Just because you're the Defence Against Dark Arts professors, it doesn't mean you have to shoulder all the responsibilities of taking on the Dark Side."
"How's Dumbledore doing with the adults?"
"Everyone is fine, save for Trelawney and Hagrid. Trelawney seems to have problems finding happy thoughts. Hagrid is still trying to get used to his new wand." She noticed Sirius' worried frown and quickly added, "But with Albus training them personally, I don't foresee much of a problem. They should both be ready by Wednesday."
Sirius slid April's hands from his shoulders and wrapped both arms around her, gathering her close. She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes, soaking in his presence.
He cleared his throat. "Our meeting tomorrow -"
"Let's postpone it. Once we get Albus' approval, we'll need the weekend for lessons too."
Sirius felt both relieved and disappointed by her quick reply. Relieved as she had voiced out what he was about to request, and disappointment over her not-so-subtle lack of eagerness for his intended surprise.
"Perhaps we can still squeeze in an hour or two. I just want to show you a place," he stated.
"Didn't you say we're running out of time? Every minute counts."
He grudgingly agreed before another thought struck him. "How about spending the night here?"
April pulled away and gave him a reproving look.
"Hey, it's not what you think! You can take my bed while I make do with the couch," he grinned mischievously. "Or we can snuggle together on this couch like we did the last time."
She considered for a few moments before shaking her head firmly. "We both have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. I'm supposed to go hunting for enough chocolates to feed the entire school."
"Please?" he looked at her with Padfoot's puppy-dog eyes. "I don't want to be alone tonight. I want you nearer. Not an entire floor and a dozen corridors away."
She bit back a protest as her resolution crumbled. "In that case," she smiled, "you'd better be prepared to spend the night on the couch. The bed is mine."
*
Ron gave another yawn. His eyelids felt heavier by the second. "Can we carry on tomorrow?" he pleaded.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Really, Ron, I would have thought you'll put in more effort since you know the seriousness of the situation. You have to master this!"
"Oh yeah," the redhead responded with sarcasm. "I don't have the same happy thought that you do."
"What do you mean?" the girl demanded irritably.
"You probably just have to think of your darling Viktor Krum to conjure your otter."
"What are you -"
"Quit it," Harry interrupted. "Let's not get side-tracked. Ron, you're doing well now. You just have to find the right happy thought to conjure a thicker cloud of mist."
"I've tried everything," Ron muttered.
"Did you try thinking of the moment you heard you're in the Quidditch team?"
Ron nodded.
"The first goal you blocked?"
"Yes."
"When we beat the Ravenclaws?"
"Yeah."
"How about what you saw in the Mirror of Erised?"
Ron considered for a moment. "That's not real," he finally concluded.
"Yeah," it was Harry's turn to mumble this word. He did not know what else to say. "How about when Hermione recovered from being petrified?"
"Or -" Hermione cut in, "when you realised that Harry and Ginny both survived the attack in the Chamber of Secrets?"
"Or when Dumbledore praised you in front of the whole school for a mean game of wizard chess in our first year?"
"Or when you got your first Firebolt from April -"
"Or when we succeeded in helping Sirius -"
"Or when Malfoy was turned into a Ferret -"
"Malfoy screaming at the top of his lungs over his little ride on the spider?"
"Whoa!" Ron exclaimed, suddenly feeling more confident. "I have a lot to be happy about. Looks like I'm one lucky guy!"
His friends beamed at him.
"What are you waiting for?" asked Harry.
Hermione joined in. "Pick one happy memory and try again!"
Ron blushed as he raised his wand. Screwing his face in concentration, he took a deep breath. "Expecto Patronum!"
This time, a thick silvery mist, resembling no particular form, shot out of his wand.
"You did it!" Hermione threw her arms around Ron and gave him a fierce hug. Harry did likewise.
"So how did you do it? What were you thinking of?" she asked.
The red in Ron's face began to deepen.
"What?" Harry queried.
"Actually - actually, I was thinking of how - fortunate I am to - er - to have two best friends like Harry Potter and Hermione Granger."
Harry and Hermione stared open-mouthed at their friend for a long time, at a complete loss for words.
*
"Sleepyhead, it's time to wake up!" April whispered into Sirius' ear.
When he did not stir, she raised her voice. "Sirius Black, get up you lazy dog! SIRIUS BLACK!"
Again, there was no response. She was about to shake him roughly by the shoulders when another idea came to her. Grinning to herself, she bent over and blew into his ear. This time, she did get a reaction from him. Still asleep, he turned on his side and brought his ear further from her. Undeterred, she bent over him again and blew harder into the same ear.
"WHAT THE HECK!" Sirius yelled irritably as his eyes flew open and a hand reached out to scratch away the ticklish sensation in his ear. His dark orbs narrowed when he noticed April sitting on the carpet beside the couch, doubling up in laughter.
"Don't you have anything better to do?" He tried to look annoyed but was failing miserably.
She stood up. "I'm hungry. Are you going to get up and ready in five minutes or do I have to go for breakfast by myself?"
"What's the time now?"
"Almost seven."
"It's Saturday, for Merlin's sake! Let me sleep for another hour and then we can eat in here."
"No way!" she tried to drag him off the couch so suddenly that he fell onto the carpet.
"OUCH!"
"Sirius," she grinned sheepishly. "I just thought we should be in the Great Hall this morning in case Albus has any announcement to make. You know, if Remus has spoken to him already."
All traces of sleep suddenly left him. He leapt onto his feet and made a dash to his bathroom. "Give me five minutes! I'll be right back," he called over his shoulder as he promptly disappeared from sight.
April shook her head in amusement and started to put away Sirius' pillow and blanket when she heard a knock. Without a second thought, she walked over and yanked the door open.
Remus was standing at the doorway and his jaw dropped when he saw her.
It suddenly occurred to her what he must be thinking, seeing her in Sirius' quarters so early in the morning. Her cheeks reddened and she managed to find her voice, "Sirius asked - er - he - he did not want - to be alone last night so - I slept on his bed while he took the couch." She noticed Remus' raised brows and felt a rise of anger. "That's the truth! Look! That's his blanket and pillow. That's where he spent the night!"
"Alright, I believe you," the werewolf reassured her.
April decided to change the subject. "So what brings you here?"
"I wanted to tell Sirius about Dumbledore's answer. Good that you're here too."
"So what did Albus say?" she asked eagerly.
Remus looked around the room. "Where's Sirius?"
"In the bathroom," she said impatiently. "So did Albus agree?"
"Why don't we wait for Sirius and then I'll let you both know at the same time?"
She studied his expression carefully before nodding her consent. He did not look as tensed as he did the day before, so she could easily make an educated guess.
"Sure thing. I can spend some time catching up with my best friend."
"Best friend?" he echoed, surprised. He knew he could never be her lover, and if she regarded him as her best friend, that was definitely more than he had hoped for.
"Of course! I can always tell you anything," she replied, before getting a little worried as she registered his surprise. "Did I say anything wrong?"
"No! That's not it! Of course that's fine!" he hastily answered, giving her a quick hug. "In fact, that's more than fine. I'm just very glad that I have two best friends now - you and Sirius."
She beamed at him. "Sirius will be out any moment now. After you tell us the good news, we can all troop to Gryffindor Tower to share it with Harry."
Remus' expression suddenly turned darker. "You know, I often think if Harry's parents are still alive, he'll be the happiest kid in the world. James and Lily will make great parents. Sirius, as we all know, will be the doting godfather who'll spoil him rotten."
"And Lily and Uncle Remus will probably be the only sensible adults in his life, from what I've heard about Sirius and James - well, Sirius in his younger days anyway." She held back a wince as she thought of the dark years of Sirius' life that must have left a permanent and significant mark in his life. "Remus?"
"Yes?"
"Can you promise me one thing? I know you'll do it anyway, but I just want to hear it from you."
He looked at her encouragingly.
"Sirius has enough unhappiness to last him a lifetime," she swallowed hard, "can you take care of him if something else bad happens and he has reason to be unhappy again?"
"Why are you bringing this up now?" he asked, with a mixture of concern and suspicion.
April was glad she had expected this query and prepared a ready response. "The battle against Voldemort and his lackeys has just begun. We can't be sure that everyone will escape unscathed."
Remus paled visibly. "You're afraid that you may -"
"No, Remus. I'm not afraid of dying. I'm more afraid of how Sirius will take it." She felt a sob coming, but was determined to keep it away. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. I keep asking myself if it's wrong and selfish of me not to stay away. I should not be letting Sirius depend on me emotionally."
"He hasn't been this happy for a long time."
"I may be doing him more harm than good."
"April? Is there something you're not telling me? I thought you just said you can tell me anything?"
She shook her head and pursed her lips into a stubborn line.
Remus sighed softly as he seated her down. "I've been doing some thinking of my own recently too, and I wonder if you'll be happier if you've not come to Hogwarts and met all of us."
Confusion and hurt flooded her dark eyes. "I told you, Remus! I told you that night on top of the Astronomy Tower! You guys have changed my life. And I meant for the better."
"I remember," he paused to consider how to put across his point tactfully. "I noticed a change in you since that night. When you first came here a few months ago, you were a lot more cheerful. Ever since that night, or perhaps it took place earlier than I've noticed, you seem to have this dark melancholic cloud hanging over you."
"I do not!" she almost shouted in her anxiety to refute him.
He shrugged, not wanting a confrontation.
April gazed nervously in the direction of the bathroom, making sure that Sirius was not within earshot. "So can you promise me, please?"
"About Sirius?"
She nodded quickly, keeping her imploring eyes on him.
"Why? I want to know why you're making this request now."
"I've told you! Anyone of us can die in this battle! And it could be me!" She bit her lip and remembered to keep her voice down to a whisper. "Remember I told you that I was scared? I said that the more attached I feel to Sirius, the more I'm afraid to lose him. But now, I realise that I'm subjecting him to the same cruel vulnerability."
Remus could tell that she was hiding something from him, but knew it was fruitless to probe further. "I promise," he said solemnly and April let out a breath of relief.
At that exact moment, Sirius strode into the room, drying his wet hair with a thick bath towel. Looking at his long-time friend, he asked, "What are you promising?"
***
Another cliffie? ;)
starangel2106: I get it now! *looks sheepish* 21 June is the date OotP was released. Some also regarded it as the day of Sirius Black's death.
Ms. Padfoot: The kick-ass will probably take place two chapters later.
Diosa Alexia: It does look like she'll leave Sirius, doesn't it? I've promised in Chapter 6 (tribute to Sirius) that three special characters will not die in this fic and I've not changed my mind since. The others, however, will be left to my mercy!
nunnya buiznes: To tell you the truth, I dread writing action scenes. I take a long time to figure how to do them! Oh no, I can't promise you a happy ending. Life has its ups and downs, right?
Lisande: The longer each chapter is, the longer I'll take to update! LOL. I'm taking your advice of not making it easy for the students to learn the Patronus Charm. Thanks!
tenniStar514: Sorry to keep you waiting. The good news is, I've already started on the next chapter.
ANNE( v )79: Thanks for your faith in me!
OutofAzkaban: I want Johnny Depp too! Hmm, it's okay then, since you gave Sirius to me, I'll not fight over dear Johnny with you! *wink*
Annoriel: There's a scientific reason as to why the sky is blue - can't remember the exact details but it has something to do with some light reflection that makes it seem so, though it really isn't blue. And I think the chicken comes first cuz the Bible says God created animals and there's no mention of him creating eggs! LOL. As for your other questions, you have to read on to find out!
potts: Wow! You gave me 16 reviews for FBOFW at one go. Thanks! And yes, there's a considerable age difference between Sirius and April - 9 to 10 years. Actually, I've written an exchange between two characters that addresses this issue, but I've yet to post it. Be patient! ;)
Nevtassere: Thanks for your encouraging comment. There are lots of HP fics that are better than mine.but you have to keep reading & reviewing FBOFW ok? :)
black-cat-on-the-wall: I can't tell you, my dear! That'll spoil your enjoyment of this story! LOL
Golden Moon Phoenix: Thanks for adding me to your list of favourites. :) I'll probably not leave this story till the very end, so time will reveal the answers to your queries!
Fairy Lights: Thanks, thanks, thanks!
Summerkins: So we're both evil! See you in the Slytherin common room then! ;)
padfoot1979: I'd like being the detentions mistress too.
uNoeWho: Thanks for your patience :)
Sallymander: April is not exactly that close to Harry. I think she'll be fine as long as Dumbledore, Sirius and Remus are not hurt in the fight. But that doesn't mean I'll kill off Harry either, so there's no need to worry about that boy.
peachgirl1608: The answer to your query: 20s
ForgottenHope: Thanks for your review of Chap 13. Have you reached this chapter yet? :)
Lil Lupin: Glad you liked them.
LILRKCHK: No, I don't want to spoil the suspense! Good try, though. LOL
wow!: Hi April! I like your name, as you can tell! Drop me a note when you reach this chapter, okie?
moe: I was diligently updating my other two stories. I know this is a lame excuse. Actually, I kept FBOFW in the cold storage cuz I can't get over my dread of what's coming. And also cuz I have to read the horrible Book 5 to write my Chapter 44.
padfoot-dreamer: Oh yes, MANY cookies for you! You're such a sweetie for reading & reviewing up to Chapter 37!
Katani Petitedra: Forget about the clues. It's easier to be patient and wait for my next few chapters instead!
supersaper3: Glad to know that you like this fic and my OC too!
Velith: Thanks for adding me to your favourite list!
Madison Black: Welcome back! :)
SailorSakuraChi: Thanks for adding me to your list of favourite authors. I'm crazy about Sirius too! BTW, are you Japanese? Just a guess since you obviously like Sailor Moon ;)
fra: The proposal is coming up in Chapter 44, if everyone survives the dementors!
love-that-dog: I read your review three times (no kidding!), and I know exactly how you feel. Actually, I did not read Book Five very thoroughly cuz I knew about the death before I bought the book, and was filled with dread & misery (about the death) and resentment (against JKR) the whole time I was reading it. I have to force myself to re-read the book soon, and then I'll feel miserable and angry all over again :( I'm writing fanfics on Sirius to hold on to him too. And I told myself that it's ok if JKR doesn't want him, cuz I do! Let me know when your fic is up and I'll drop you a review.
*
Please remember to drop a review before you leave this page!
Here's what you'll read in the next chapter: Sirius blows his top (don't worry, dear Remy is not at the receiving end), and April & Snape develop a peculiar relationship.
While waiting, you can always read my other two fics - 'I Can See You' (Moony, Padfoot & Prongs) & 'Stranger From The Past' (Padfoot & later Harry).
Do let me know if you would like an email to inform you when I next update. Alternatively, you just need to include me in your 'Author Alerts' list.
