he lowered the kitten to the ground gently. it took a tumble off his hand and sat there a moment. dazed as to what just happened. before it stood again on shaky legs and took somemore drunken steps away from him. before circling back and crashing into his ankle.
a smile split his face as the kitten mewed pathetically again and he picked it up. bringing it up close to his face to get a good look at it as he leaned back into the couch. one hand able to fit snugly around its belly. it reached out and pawed clawlessly at his chin. swiveling its tiny black head about the room. taking in its new surroundings.
"hello there." Sirius grunted to the kitten. putting it onto his lap. and the kitten immediately tromped off onto the blankets that were piled on the side of the couch. finding a manky blueone that was downfilled and coming apart at a couple places along the seams. little white feathers leaked out of it. and the kitten began batting at one. throwing it about.
chuckling. Sirius found his wand and gave it an easy swish and flick. the feather rose immediately into the air and hovered. held just out of reach of the little kitten as it scurried to follow. trying to bat it back down. he lead the kitten back and forth over the couch. chuckling as the little black ball of fur traipsed and fell about.
a couple of times Black had to snatch out and grab the kitten before it toppled off the couchside.
then there was a clatter from upstairs and the sound of something heavy breaking. the kitten stopped midstep and its little ears swiveled about. its tiny head pointed at the ceiling as it mewed softly.
"Oi!" Sirius called jestingly. he put a knuckle beneath the kitten's chin and it immediately latched on with its tiny white teeth. wrestling him. "keep it down Moony!" he said to the ceiling.
there was a soft huff as if in answer from upstairs and the fourfooted galloping of Lupin around the room.smiling to himself.
then Sirius' eyes fell to Snape's bag and his face slackened.
what would Lupin think when he came down and found Snape missing? Sirius was rather certain that his own feelings about Snape's leaving – no matter how he explained them to Lupin – would not be suffice enough for him to have let Severus leave. it didn't matter what he could tell Remus. when it all got boiled down. it was the fact that Severus had left on his own accord. and in barely better condition than when he'd been brought in. the only consolance to that being that he was able to stand for a bit.
Blackcould just imagine the rage Lupin would get into. which – needless to say – would not be a healthy move considering it would be in the fortnight of being a werewolf. and what if Snape died? sure. Sirius wouldn't mind so much. but Hogwarts. especially Dumbledore. somehow they'd link it back to him. Sirius.and he'd be expelled. or possibly even sent to Azkaban for murder. and that possibility was more than he could stomach.
Black sighed heavily. plucking the kitten up and setting it in his spot as he rose. having to wrestle his finger free for a moment.
then he pulled himself upstairs. hearing a heavy snuffling at the door as he came to it.
"hey Moony." Sirius said as he approached. "I'm gonna step out for a sec. I'll be right back though. Snivellus' still sleeping like a good little prat." he rather thought he'd been pretty convincing as he said this. "I'm gonna come in now."
he pushed the door open slowly. hearing claws backing away from the door. and when he squeezed himself in. he found the great gray werewolf standing up on its hind legs. at least four feet taller than Sirius.
his massive front paws were curled towards his scarred chest comfortably. and he cocked his head dolefully and came forward. sniffing at Sirius' hand avidly. Black smiled and patted him on the head.
"Lily came by and dropped off our present." he said as he walked about the room. gathering warm clothes as he went. he stepped lightly over a broken vase without a fleeting glance. "it's a kitten."
Lupin stopped following him and cocked his head. looking confused.
"yeah. I know." Sirius said as if he'd read his mind. "he's a little thing. no bigger than my hand. you can see him in the morning. otherwise I think you might scare him like this."
Lupin gave a snort in agreement. little flecks ofsnot dropping onto the dusty floor.
"oh and uh. Lily says happy christmas by the way."
Lupin barked softly and followed it with a grumble.
"you can tell her when we see her again." Sirius said with a chuckle. pulling on his hoodie and then his peacoat from a large peeling wardrobe.
Lupin nuzzled into his side with his snout.
"I'm going to Hogsmeade." Sirius lied. "I need more cigarettes." he pulled open the top drawer of the dresserbeside the wardrobeand put his hand on the Marauder's Map that was sitting there.
Lupin gave a resentful growl and made a circle about the room. stamping hard on the ground with all four paws.
"yeah. yeah." Sirius dismissed him. hoping Lupin wasn't paying too close attention as he rifled through the drawer. disguising the mapcarefully with his wide Hogwart's scarf before pulling them both out. letting his arm drop casually to his side.the map properly conceled andhe headed straight for the door. "see you in a bit." he said as he closed it behind him.
thenexpelling a sigh.went down the stairs. and after giving the kitten a reassuring pet. stomped out into the snow.
"lumos." he muttered as he left the golden glow of the house. and a three foot circle of light immediately surrounded him. cast by his wandtip. he followed Lily's shoeprints out into the middle of the yard before they disappeared. then held his wand out in front of him. and flung his scarf over his shoulder uselessly. intent instead on the paper beneath. he put his wand to it "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." he said in a hushed whisper. and as if brown ink were being spilled on it. the map revealed its introduction and name he'd had a hand in thinking up and writing.
not pausing a moment. put his wand between his teeth and worked to pull back its righthanded folds. pulling the last rightsideleaf back. he revealed a small rather welldone drawing of twisted tree that Lupin had illustrated. in unmoving letters beneath itit said WOMPING WILLOW. a little distance away from it was another drawing of a crooked house that read SHRIEKING SHACK. a flapping banner read REMUS LUPIN over the top of the house. and he found the fluttering banner with SIRIUS BLACK rather easily outside its front door. he looked about that area and was quick to spot another wobbly banner reading SEVERUS SNAPE seemingly only a halfinch away from him.
he looked up rather expectantly to find Snape standing in front of him. but saw only darkness. then slowly. he made his way in the direction of where the trembling banner was on the map. litte black shoeprints appeared under his banner. going very slowly in the direction of Snape's. but the walk soon became aggrivating. Sirius having to step. sink. then pull his foot up high. before he could step out with the other foot. and sink again.
this is never going to work. by the time I get there he's going to be a bloody icecube. he told himself. andpulling his wand from his teeth and giving ita definitive flick. he stated "lumos maxima!". and a brilliant light replaced the now seemingly dull one from before. a vivid contrast of snow and wood burned painfully into his eyes until his pupils adjusted and he saw the dark trees before him. andamusty blackmound appeared slightly off to his right. looking alien in the landscape. and realizing what it was. he stomped towards it hurriedly. and found Snape lying facedown in the snow.
Sirius hastily pocketed the map andputting hiswand back between his teeth.turnedSnape over with a grunt. his wet clothes making him heavy. and with his wandlight almost as bright as day would have been. found that his sallow skin had turned gray. his lips blue. and the bandaging around his eyes gone. the crusting about his lids was blackened and wet. giving him a remarkebly grotesque look. though Sirius scoffed silently that it didn't make much difference.
Severus felt like ice in his hands. his arms and legs falling limp as Sirius hoisted his spiny frame up into his arms with a groan. Snape's head lolled freely. his icecrusted hair flapping stiffly against his slack face.
"c'mon ya bloody Snapecicle." Black breathed in great puffs. turning back to the Shrieking Shack. "you're not dead yet." and as he tromped back through his path in the snow. he prayed seriously that he wasn't.