Do I really need to say this again? J K Rowling IS Harry Potter. If you recognise anything from any movie, TV show, book or whatever else, it's probably because it is from them. If you want my 'full' warning, you can check out either 'Dormant Power' or 'Beginning of the End'.

If you've read both those fics, then you know how my version of it ends…but how did it begin? Again, only some names are mine, everything else is not! I've based this from the Marauders perspective so…well you'll know the story when something happens to a certain someone, even though I don't write about it in this one! Also check out 'The Apprentice', it has some info you won't find in my other two stories (wink, wink!).

No idea about the dark rituals…I'm just assuming that there are! Voldemort could have tricked them by saying it's a cure, thus getting them on his side or something. As to why he'd send them to spy; obviously Voldemort would know about the Aurors being posted. Why wouldn't he try to thin their numbers a little?

Chapter 16 – The Slow Healing Process

"What do you reckon he heard?" James asked, after Sirius had left to try to talk to Remus.

"No idea, Prongs. Whatever it was mustn't have been something Moony wanted him to hear."

"Brilliant observation, Wormtail! What else can you predict for me? Maybe that Lily will beat me in our NEWT's!"

"Oh, be quiet! No need to get all sarcastic on me, James. I was only answering your question."

"I know, I know. It's just…this is kind of like when he sent Snivellus to follow him. You remember how long it took for the two of them to become friends again."

"James, how would you feel if your best friend just betrayed a secret you wanted no one to know?"

"Look, I'm not saying that, Wormtail. I'm just saying that whatever it was, I hope it won't tear all of us apart. Besides, without Moony, who'd have done all the notes for our History classes!"

Peter grinned, "or put most of the charms on the map. Hopefully they'll sort it out, and maybe tell us what the hell just happened."

At that point, Sirius came slinking back into the common room.

"Merlin! Sirius, what happened to your arm?"

"Moony" he answered.

"Then, he talked to you" James said.

Sirius nodded, "yeah, he did."

"And?" Peter asked after a long silence, to which Sirius simply replied, "he hates me."

James scoffed, "oh come off it, Padfoot. He doesn't hate you…"

"You want to bet! You didn't hear what he told me. He was incensed! I shouldn't have even bothered trying to speak with him" Sirius said as he slumped in defeat on the couch in front of the fire.

James and Peter looked at each other and gave a silent nod. They both then walked over and sat down beside Sirius, who had a blank look on his face.

"It can't have been that bad…" Peter began.

Sirius snorted before interrupting "oh believe me, it was. He's never going to talk to me again."

James couldn't believe what his friend was saying. "Sirius, listen to me. If Moony could forgive you for nearly getting Snivellus killed, he'll forgive you for this."

"I wouldn't be so sure, Prongs. You have no idea what I've done to him. This is loads worse than what I did back then."

That surprised James. He most certainly hadn't been expecting Sirius to say that.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Peter asked.

"I…I don't think I should."

"But how can we help you if we don't know why the two of you aren't talking?" Peter countered.

Sirius sighed, before looking at his arm for the first time. James followed his gaze and winced. He knew what a broken arm felt like as he had copped a bludger in his third year.

"I'll go and get Lily. She should be able to fix that up for you. After all, she is taking Healing."

"Thanks Prongs" Sirius replied. He didn't feel like going to the hospital wing.

James came back a short while later, with a quite confused Lily behind him. She looked at Sirius and quickly flicked her wand at his arm a few times. Sirius felt a sharp pain as the bones shifted, before it vanished altogether. He looked down and slowly moved his fingers and felt no pain whatsoever. Sirius then looked up at Lily and muttered a quick "thanks" before closing his eyes.

"Sirius, what happened? Who did that to your arm?" she enquired.

Sirius sighed, but before he could open his mouth, the portrait swung open to reveal Remus. He still had that you-really-don't-want-to-mess-with-me-right-now look on his face, but he didn't look as livid as he had been before…just.

"M…Moony? Are you all right? You don't have to tell us, of cour…"

"No, I'll tell you. After all, he already knows" Remus cut in, his eyes narrowing as they trailed over Sirius.

Remus then sighed before telling the others everything Trent had told him. To say they were shocked would be an understatement. Sirius, of course, knew what had been said, and he had the excellent idea of keeping his mouth shut, trying his hardest to not be put off by feeling Remus' eyes penetrating through the back of his head. James, Lily and Peter listened in silence as Remus explained the message that the Death Eaters left for him, and why they did it.

When he came to the part about Regulus, James himself was nearly shaking with anger about what Sirius' younger brother had done. James then told the others about Trent somehow knowing that the werewolves were there. Neither of the group could come up with a single explanation for how he did it.

Remus had separated himself from Sirius, and only sat with him during classes. At meals, he would sit at the opposite end of the table, while he would leave the common room if Sirius came into it. Sirius was deeply troubled by it, as Remus hadn't done this even after fifth year (he had instead just refused to talk to, or even acknowledge the presence of, Sirius, but still remained in their little group). James and Peter tried to cheer him up, but Sirius still had this painful look on his face whenever he saw Remus walk away.

He and James had the hardest time trying not to curse Regulus every time they saw him, and it was only Peter and Lily's insistence that what Remus would think of them if they actually did it that prevented them from drawing their wands. The same thing was happening with Remus every time he and Severus crossed paths. Only instead of Peter and Lily calming him down, it was Trent's words of 'it wasn't his intention' that kept ringing through his mind whenever he felt his hand twitch to reach for his wand.

In wasn't until four days later that Sirius was able to stay in the same room as the young werewolf without him leaving. Sirius hadn't tried talking to Remus since the night he broke his arm, mainly because of the loathing look Remus gave him every time he caught his eye.

Sirius had slumped into the lounge in James' common room after Remus had left, informing Peter and James that he wanted to go to the library. Both wizards moved over and sat down either side of Sirius who let out a long sigh before closing his eyes.

"We should really teach your brother a lesson, Padfoot."

"How, James. By trying to kill him? In case you haven't noticed, Moony isn't exactly talking to me right now, and I reckon he'd want to do that to him."

"He hasn't hexed you into oblivion either yet" Peter quipped.

"Shut up, Wormtail."

"No Sirius, Peter's right. There has to be a way to get Moony to talk to you. At least he stays in the same room as you now."

Sirius snorted, "great, that's a fantastic way to make me feel better, Prongs."

"Stop being a prat, Sirius. Remus doesn't hate you, all right. You'd know if he did" Peter retorted.

James looked highly amused while Sirius was stunned. "You…you've never called me that before. But you're right, I just hope he forgives me before the year's over."

"So do we, Padfoot. Our group just isn't the same right now" James mused.

Remus made his way towards the library before an idea struck him. He didn't want to talk to his friends, but he thought a chat with Trent might help him a bit. He waited in one of the hallways, and soon saw Trent coming down on his patrol.

"Mr Lupin? What brings you here?" he asked in surprise.

"I…I need to talk to you. It's about Sirius."

Trent nodded before silently leading the young wizard into a classroom. After locking the door and casting a silencing charm, he waited for Remus to begin.

"Why did you say that it wasn't Snape's intention?"

"I thought you wanted to talk about Sirius?"

"I do, but I want to know this first."

Trent looked at Remus curiously before sighing. "Very well. I didn't know the full details, still don't I guess. I overheard him and Macnair talking just before Christmas, and he told Macnair that he was disappointed with what had happened, and that he only wanted to scare you."

"Then why hasn't he told me that? Why does he keep goading me?"

"I can't really answer that, Remus."

"Well, why do you think he hasn't then?"

"I honestly don't know. Macnair told him afterwards what better way to scare you than what actually happened. He then started laughing, with Snape joining in, but it was rather forced. I got the impression that he doesn't really like his father that much."

Remus didn't look convinced, but let the matter drop when he then told Trent about Sirius. "I know what happened. Why did you lie?"

Trent looked at Remus, and found his eyes holding quite a degree of accusation in them. He sighed before thinking about how to best answer Remus' question.

"I did not think the Headmaster would like me telling him that a student had just been attacked by three werewolves. Centaurs attack adults, and since Sirius is of age, I felt it was a viable excuse. I did not expect you and James to believe it, however."

Remus nodded. "He heard everything."

Trent sighed again as Remus continued, "I…I just can't believe he'd betray me like that!"

"Is 'betrayal' the right word, Remus?"

The young wizard snapped his head around and looked at Trent like he had two heads.

"Of course it is! He heard me say I wanted to hear what you had to say alone, yet he stayed where he was. Unless 'betrayal' has a new meaning, I think it is the right word" he hissed at the Auror.

"Define 'integrity' for me."

"Integrity? Well, it means to be honest, at all times."

"Let me tell you my definition. Integrity is when your character is tested. Stay true and never be ashamed of doing what is right. Did Sirius lie to you when he told you?"

"He was going…" Remus started, but the Auror cut him off.

"Answer the question, Remus. Did. He. Lie?"

"No, he didn't. But that doesn't make it right!"

"I never said it did, but Sirius thought otherwise. Would you have told them what I told you, in time?"

Remus slowly nodded his head.

"Then has he really betrayed you?

"Deceive might be a better word, but it basically means the same thing" the young werewolf admitted. His voice then took on some anger. "He still shouldn't have been there! We told him we had detention with you! Why did he decide to follow us!"

"I don't think I'm the person you should be asking."

"I know, but I'm not talking to him at the moment" he retorted.

"That is unfortunate."

"Unfortunate? Unfortunate that he betrayed me!" Remus asked in disbelief.

"No. It is unfortunate that two friends are not talking to each other. This is exactly what Voldemort wants" Trent replied, choosing not to correct Remus' use of the word 'betrayal'. He didn't want to anger him more than he already was.

Remus looked confused. "I…I don't understand."

Trent smiled grimly before responding "to have friends doubting each other. To have them break apart from one another. It makes his job of terrorising everyone much easier if you don't know who you can trust in these times."

"Are…are you saying that…that I shouldn't trust you, either?"

Trent closed his eyes, thinking about his answer. He opened them and stared into Remus' eyes, hazel meeting brown.

"That is your choice, Remus. I can give you advice, but it is up to you whether or not to listen to it. I trust you, and your friends. Whether or not you choose to trust me is your decision. Do you still wish to be friends with Sirius?"

Remus nodded.

"Then tell him what you just told me. Tell him that you still want to be friends, but you aren't sure how long it will take to be able to fully trust him again. It's in times of darkness that you learn who your real friends are, Remus."

Trent then removed the charms from the room, and walked outside leaving Remus alone to ponder what they had talked about. Remus elected to head back to Gryffindor tower to sleep on it before deciding what he should do.