Hey guys. Meha here. My computer was in the shop getting fixed FOR GOOD. So I'll be updating alot more now, and well...here ya go. Latest installment. Love ya lots, and read to the very end for the shoutouts. Ta-ta. Love and cookies, Meha.

Sirius stood in front of the shack's ajar door, wondering. She had to have gone in there, he rationalized. Question being: was she still in there? Well, better find out. He pushed the door open wider, and peeked in before entering. No one.

The cobwebs—magically placed there to ward off anyone who somehow found the courage to make it past the door—had been pushed away, and its silky threads fell across the half-termite eaten wooden wall.
He didn't bother calling her name in case someone was around. Sirius didn't need "them" (whoever 'them' was) knowing he was here. Looking ahead down the hall, though it was dark, he could swear there were two different sets of shoeprints in the floor's inch-thick settled dust. What the hell did she get herself into? Sirius thought. Dammit, Lin, where are you? He walked slowly down the hall, carefully stepping so that his shoes didn't make the slightest sound, and the creaky wooden floors didn't give him away.

--Craaaccckkk! Too late.

He looked down. In the dim, straining his eyes, he could just see his foot stepped over a dry twig, now snapped in half under his shoe. "Shit," he muttered under his breath.
He opened the door to a wider room. The drabbest of rooms, with a torn cough where the stuffing was pushing through the slashes, a shattered window broken down the middle, and torn cutains with loose threads flying in the weak, but biting, chill. And there was a closet. One that his eyes would usually flicker over without a second's thought—it was so beaten down, it was a surprise the door st ill properly shut—if it hadn't been for a piece of unusually bright cloth sticking out of the door's hinge, caught between the nail and the wood.

"What the hell..." Sirius stood in front of the door, and reacehd for the knob. A breeze creeped through the cracked window, and a chill ran up his arm and down his spine.

And before he could turn the knob, the closet flew open what seemed like voluntarily. And hit--nay, slammed--his shoulder. Hard. "F—" Sirius's other hand flew to his shoulder. A shooting pain shocked him before he could develop a thought. But somewhere, behind the pain, in the back of his mind, he registered that someone was yelling. Not just yelling. Shreiking.

"Linda" Sirius whispered, peering into the blasted closet that had just smashed his shoulder. Linda was sitting in there, screaming her head off, not even noticing it was Sirius. "Lin. Lin," he tried to calm her down. But she just kept on wailing. "Lin. Linda. Shut up," he ordered firmly. She did. "Lin," Sirius, whose tone was incredulous, hardly believing that this always-calm-always-in-charge-of-herself-and-nerves girl was just screeching her lungs out, asked, "What are you doing in there?"

She let out a dry sob, and looked at him hard, while she was nearly shaking. "I heard someone behind me."

Sirius fought back a grin that tugged at the corner of his lips. "So you hid in a closet?"

Linda stepped out, closed the door. Poor thing, Sirius thought. "Is he gone?" she asked, latching onto his arm. Usually liking the feel of a girl on his arm, he couldn't help but wince in pain.

"Oh, it's nothing," he said by way of answering her worried and curious expression. "Just beaten down by a rogue closet door. And I don't know if he's gone or not, or if there was a 'he' to begin with."

Linda pulled at his sleeve. Sirius grabbed her hand to stop her. "There was. There was."

He could tell she was really shaken up, and he didn't know what to do, how to calm her down. Checking around the hall corners, he simply answered, "Well, whoever he is, I think he's gone."

Sirius'd turned back to Linda, and found her wandering around the room slowly, randomly yet hesitantly reaching out at things: the busted sofa, the torn curtains, the deep, agonizing, fingernailed scratches engraved in the wooden, blood-stained floors. It was obvious she realized what this place was, who it was for. She looked stricken, as if the hidden part of her disbelief had been extinguished. Sirius decided it was time for them to leave.

He wrapped his good arm around her shoulders comfortingly. "Fancy getting out of here?" But just as they made their way towards the front door, it flew open, and a dark figure stood in the doorway, seemingly leering at them.

Linda screamed.
Then Sirius screamed.
And Remus jumped back. Wait...Remus?

"You—bloody—wanker," Sirius bit at him, when he realized it was Remus who stood at the doorway. "What the hell are you smoking? You don't just come out at people like that."

Remus's breath was ragged. "And on nights like this, you just don't disappear on people. I turned around and you were gone. Where the hell did you go?"

Sirius, narrowing his eyes, replied, "Oh, just to the pub to get a mug of butterbeer, you prat. Where do you think I went?"

Ignoring him, Remus turned toLinda, standing beside Sirius. She still looked a tad shaken up, but was quickly composing herself. "Are you alright?" he asked, more gently, taking a step closer.

She nodded. "I'm fine."
"You scared me."
"I know. Sorry."

"Well," Sirius interrupted, assuming his charming tone again. "This is all lovely, and I hate to interrupt this lovefest, but I'm bloody cold, and itching for something warmer than my frozen-damp clothes. Let's get a bloody move on, eh? And let's use the 'back door' because I'm not going back out there," he gestured towards the night outside.

Remus knew by 'back door,' that he meant the secret passage underground, whose door could be found in one of the back rooms of the shack. "Yeah, we really should be getting back." They left.

He waited until he was sure they were all gone before coming out of the adjacent room. He hadn't expected the other two to come, having planned on only her being there. He'd have to wait for another time, when they could be alone.

That's right. It's time for the Authoress to give her shout-outs:

Kelly—LoL, I leave those evil cliffies for you. LoL, And I'm so diggin' this SRD business. SCD, SRD, Voldy, etc (Whose the "etc.?" You'll just have to wait and find out...). The villians of this fic are so recognized by you. LoL.

Sam—I know, it's different at , one link for the story, another for the reveiws. A lot more organized. Woot, woot.

April—Meharamashamayewmoohoomoo? Is that your idea of a Feeney call? LoL. Thanks for the reply, darlin'. Always funny to read your comments. And don't worry, I'll keep your Englishman lookin' just fine.

Shell—I wanted to comment on your new word. Well it's new to me. "Spiratic?" Awesome. I'm gonna start saying that! LoooL.

Kaitlyn—Holler, wassu? LoL, you called Lily an "assclown." Hah. I'm gonna start saying that, too. ::High fives K:: Just because we rock. With an 'awk' as you say. LoL.

Lyr942—Don't worry, I'm posting a lot more now! Thanks for bumping.

Keeks—Hey there, Sweetie. I like how you caught that "yet"-ness about Sirius's situation concerning Mel. ::winks:: More to come.

Vick—Of course I didn't think you were going to abandon me. You rock too much, and I'm so glad you're here! ::hugs::

Kristen--::smacks upside head:: You wallflower, Why are you hiding from me? I don't see you nearly enough. I-M me if you're ever on AIM. (Same goes for EVERYONE) I'm ahem605 on AIM.

Megz—Woot, you're here. STAY here. We have loads more to go. And I so understand about evil internet problems. ::Glares at own comp:: BELIEVE me. I know.

Amanda---Eeeeeeeee! I'm still so happy you're here. I missed you so much. And I LOVED reading all your comments, they made my DAY. And LooooL! to the whole "Sirius, can I have your babies?" bit. LoL.

MISSERS—No more cookies? That's not even funny, Missy. I'm serious. ::Folds arms:: You shouldn't joke about that. ::lip quivers:: I'm okay, I'm okay. And YES, you are my freaky darling. I still love you!

Riss—I love reading your comments. And trust me, I am working hard on trying to make Sirius hotter for future chapters. ::wink, wink::

Pia—Hey there! Stick around, I wanna talk to you. Glad you're here, and thanks for the reply. LoL, you noticed that Sirius drying his hair thing? Yeah. I love when guys do that.

Laurel—Holler! Cookies? Why THANK YOU VERY MUCH! And for that, I'll share them with you. ::offers:: ::They both sit around munching on cookies:: ::Meha offers a drink:: Got milk?

Thanks to EVERYONE for reviewing, honestly it means the world to me when you do, and I love reading the comments. ::Kisses:: Mwa!

-Meha