A/N: I feel horrible. Not only have I not updated anything since November, I haven't updated this story since July. I'm so sorry. Kind of. No excuses, really, except that I was being lazy. I've decided that I'm no longer going to promiseconsistently regular updates...I'll try my best, though. Anyway, on with the story. Oh, and in caseyou don't remember, I'm not making any money...because number one, I don't have a job and number two, I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER. Now, enjoy.

Chapter Nine

Remus stumbled but managed to keep his balance as he and Sirius were roughly shoved back into their cell. Sirius turned around to snarl at their guards, only to have the huge door slammed in his face. He cursed as he heard their cruel laughter on the other side. "That's right, laugh!" Sirius growled angrily, "You won't be laughing when we get out of here, you brainless little fawning sycophantic freaks!"

"Calm down, Sirius," Remus said with a relieved sigh as he sank to the floor, leaning against the rear wall. "Getting angry won't do us any good. We've got to – got to think of something. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know," Sirius said despairingly. He paused, listening to their guards walk away after locking the door. "I don't know. We can't stay here, that much is obvious. But – we're sixteen. Fighting the Death Eaters in Hogsmeade was one thing. How are we supposed to resist torture and-" Sirius couldn't even get the word out.

"And rape? We will," Remus said quietly, "because we've got to. Because following Voldemort would be the worst kind of betrayal. We'd not only be turning our backs on our friends, but also on ourselves. And because, if we did join him – we're not killers, Sirius. Neither one of us is. And if we did become Death Eaters, we'd have to kill people. Probably even people we know."

"Maybe even James or Peter," Sirius murmured as he dropped down next to Remus. "We'd hesitate…or run."

"And no one lives long when running from Voldemort," Remus agreed. "Especially if they're a Death Eater. Which, aside from the fact that we'd be waving a not-so-cheery goodbye to everything we believe in and everyone we care about, is precisely why we'll resist his treatments."

"Because we've got to," Sirius said, running a manacle hand through his dirty, tangled hair. "We've got no choice. But how do we survive it?"

Remus stayed silent. He didn't have the answer to that question. He did know one thing, though. Maybe it was fear of what might come to pass in the near future, but there was something that Remus couldn't let pass. Remus shifted a little closer to his friend – a difficult feat, as his hands were still chained together – and whispered, "Sirius?"

Remus looked up at the other boy as Sirius turned to face him, a question in his eyes. "Yeah?" Sirius asked. In response, Remus leaned in, pressing his lips against Sirius'.

"Hey Potter!"

James jumped in surprise at the sound of someone other than Peter calling his name. His surprise increased when he stopped in the corridor on his way to the Library and turned around to see a red haired beauty walking towards him, her face a melting pot of emotions. Most of the other students had been giving him and Peter a wide berth ever since their scene at breakfast a few days ago. They didn't really mind, as they were both angry with their fellow students. But still, it was beginning to get…lonely. He and Peter were great friends, but spending so much time together only served to remind them that their two best friends were still missing.

"Something I can help you with, Evans?" James asked, somewhat impatiently. He really wanted to get to the Library - after their talk with Dumbledore, James and Peter had decided to do a bit of research of their own in the hopes that they might find something useful – something that might help them bring their friends back. School being back in session, they'd been forced to visit the Library only during breaks between classes and after meals. James and Peter hadn't wanted to miss class – partly because they couldn't help but hope that one of the Professors might mention something helpful, and partly because they both needed something to do; but also because they knew that when Sirius and Remus returned, Remus would want them to catch him up in their coursework. Somehow, the two boys had come to equate going to class with being faithful to what Remus would want them to do, and hoping that he and Sirius would come back. So far, they'd been unsuccessful in their search, but James wasn't about to let that stop him.

"No, I -" Evans paused and glanced down at the ground, her cheeks flushing slightly. She balled her hands into tight fists and took a deep breath before looking directly at him. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I know it won't do any good, but – I am. I'm sorry for the way everyone's been treating Black, I'm sorry for what's happened to him and Lupin, and I'm sorry that I didn't do anything to help."

James tensed and clenched his jaw in anger. If Evans thought that saying she was sorry was going to do a damn bit of good, she was incredibly, horribly wrong. James forced himself to relax, remembering that getting angry at her was pointless – she and the other Muggleborns had been suffering prejudice at the hands of some of the more outspoken Death Eater supporters in the school, though it had somehow escaped the professors' notice. Evans hadn't done anything wrong. Besides, she was at least being nice to him, which was an improvement over the way she'd treated him before this stuff with Voldemort had started.

"You're right," he said, unclenching his jaw. "It won't do any good."

Evans flinched imperceptibly before looking back at him. "Look, Potter," she said. "I just – I'm sorry. And I wanted to know if – may I walk with you?"

James stared at her in shock for a second, before coming to his senses. He shrugged. "Sure. I was just going to the Library."

Evans nodded, falling in to step next to him. They walked in silence for a few moments before she asked, "Is there any news? Has Professor Dumbledore told you anything?"

"Not much," James said sadly. "All he's said is that he thinks they're alive (A/N: Keep in mind that James and Peter aren't supposed to discuss what Dumbledore said about the Order.)."

"Well that's – something, at least," she said with a half-shrug and an encouraging smile. "If Dumbledore thinks they're alive, they definitely are."

"Yeah," James said dispiritedly. Silence fell once again as they walked on. They came to a stop outside the Library a few moments later, and James glanced at Evans before saying, "Well, thanks for talking with me. I guess I'll just – I'll see you later."

"Right," Evans said. But she didn't move as he turned to open the doors. Just as James was about to go in, she said, "Wait, Potter."

He turned back, looking at her questioningly.

Evans took a step forward, her left hand fiddling with her long, wavy hair as she placed her right hand on the door. "I was wondering. I noticed you and Pettigrew spending a lot of time in here, and I had a feeling you might not be doing homework because, well, you only do it if Lupin makes you, and – well, I thought you might be trying to find something to help them, and I just sort of figured that three heads are better than two. So I guess…if that's what you're doing – I'll help. If you want me to, that is."

James just looked at her for a moment before moving aside and holding the door open, telling her, "Yeah. Yeah, we'd like that. Pete's in class right now, but he's supposed to meet me here when he gets out. So, yeah. I could use the help."

Evans ducked her head slightly as she entered the Library, saying, "Right. Well, let's get to work then. And you can call me Lily."

A/N: If you liked it, tell me. If you didn't, tell me why - but no flames.