A/N – I am so glad that you all liked my flash backs! This chapter is going to be totally different because there will be NO flashbacks whatsoever! This might also be the shortest chapter in my fic…maybe…..we'll have to see about that! LOL! Anyway, please enjoy!

The Cold Room

Part 2 – 18

It was cloudy that night – snow covered the vas amount of grounds that surrounded Hogwarts, making the ground look rich with diamonds of the most pure sorts. This was the scene that met Sirius Black that morning – he was still in his animagus form and he was looking much better than he was before just weeks before when he had escaped from Azkaban and had also been hiding out in the forest.

He sat on the porch of Hagrid's hut, he had eat some leftovers from the night before that Hagrid had set out for him and Fang (who really didn't mind sharing Hagrid or the food), and was now just watching. He didn't know long it had been till he saw a man. This man had brown hair and his robes were quite patched. Sirius gave a bark, and not thinking about what would happen, made a run for it.

Right towards the man…

Remus saw the Grim-looking dog come running towards him and suddenly got a picture of his friend doing the same thing to him when they were students at Hogwarts themselves; however, when the dog came to a stop, rolled over onto its back and gave him a look, Remus knew who it was.

"Sirius?" he bent down and rubbed the dog's tummy. The dog gave a whine and wagged its tail. Remus smiled a little; Sirius had this thing about being rubbed on the tummy when he was human, it just came natural when he was a dog.

"Hell' 'here Remus!" Hagrid came stropping up to them. Remus stood and smiled at the half-giant.

"Good morning Hagrid? How are you?"

"I'm fine, you don't look too sick,"

"No, this is one of my better days, considering it's the week before the full moon, Remus said.

"Ah, I see you've met Snuffy," Hagrid laughed at the black dog who look quite put-out because no one was paying attention to him.

"Yes, just came running up to me, some dog's don't and I understand why, but this one seems to not care in the least," Remus smiled. The dog gave a look as if he was glaring at the Professor.

"Found 'he little bugger las' week; 'e really needed some 'ood in 'im," Hagrid said.

"Ah, that's good, tell me, where did you find him?"

"He was diggin' for somethin' under me porch," Hagrid replied.

"Dog's do that," Remus replied. Snuffy let out a bark, as if he was agreeing with them.

"he sure does look smart, wouldn't ta thought it, but 'e seems ta understand what yer talkin' about and ye don't even realize it!"

"Well, just like there are Smart Slytherins and Stupid ones; there are smart dog's and stupid dog's," Remus said.

"Heh, I gotter go, nice ta see ye Remus; come by me shack sometime an' 'ave lunch with me!" Hagrid said before going on his way. The dog gave a bark but decided to stay with Remus.

Remus looked at the dog; "Snuffy! Where does he come up with names!"

Snuffy gave a bark; Remus sighed and gave a glare.

"You could be more careful you know, don't go and do anything stupid!" he said. Snuffy gave him a look that most likely said "You're kidding me right?" before he licked the man's hand and then took off after Hagrid.

For Remus; that last week before the full moon passed slowly, and he got more sick that usual for some amendable reason. He hardly cared either, he always got sick before the full moon, but Severus had to substitute all of the Defense classes, and he also had to teach his own potions class. But he took pleasure in the fact that he gave the students more homework than Professor Lupin ever did!

When Lupin finally got the incentive to make an appearance at the dinner table with the rest of the Professor's, he wished that he hadn't bothered. He had been taking the Wolvesbane potion all that week, and maybe that was what made his sickness even worse! But he did eat something and he did make an effort at conversation with Minerva.

"Remus? Are you feeling any worse today?" she asked.

"Not really, about the same as any other time this week," he replied with a sigh.

"You should go back to bed," she muttered. Remus gave a nod and stood, intent on going to his rooms.

In fact he only got to the entrance hall before he suddenly got the feeling that he had to go to the shrieking shack that night. He didn't know why, but something in side of him told him that he had to go there for his transformation that night.

Remus Lupin walked through the chilling snow – it was growing dark and soon the moon would rise, he had to be safe in the shack before then, but he wasn't worried, the Wolvesbane potion made sure that he had control during this time, that way he wouldn't go after any humans while he was a Werewolf.

All too soon, he got to the Whomping Willow, which had been planted in his first year in order to hide the secret passage that went to the Shrieking shack. With a long stick, Remus hit the hidden knot in the tree that froze it's limbs, then with a feeling of nostalgia, he entered the passage, he had to bend down in order to fit, but that was just fine with him.

By the time he got to the main room of the shack – he felt the transformation coming on; he quickly took off his robes and clothes, he laid his wand on top of his clothes – he wasn't worried about his clothes getting ruined, he knew that he would be in charge that night.

"Remus?" a voice that was cracking, but one that he knew, made Remus turn around.

"Sirius? Are you going to be with me tonight?" Remus asked.

"Only if you want me too," Sirius replied, his hair was caked with snow and almost as oily as Snape's.

"I would like it, I've missed this, us together," Remus replied.

"It took us forever to get it right," Sirius smiled.

"Yes, had to come up with that spell that gave you antlers when James couldn't un-transfigure them," Remus smiled.

"The moon is almost up – I'll leave so that you can have the privacy you want," Sirius said as he turned away.

"You still know me, even after all of these years," Remus whispered.

"How could I forget?" Sirius asked, and then he stepped out of the room, turning into Padfoot as he did so.

Remus sat on the cold floor of the parlor – he could feel the pull of the moon, and he feared the pain behind that pull. The moon was the essence of his curse, the Orb that he would forever be haunted by. All of his life, Remus had to deal with his fears – he had to face the pull that tempted him to become that creature which was feared by the great human world.

Remus closed his eyes as the transformation began. Bones breaking and then reforming into that of a wolves – his nose and mouth forming into a huge snout with glistening yellow, and very sharp teeth; His once normal blue eyes taking on glints of copper. His body growing hair where before there had been none.

Once it was complete – he howled, Padfoot came in then; he wagged his tail and then two went about reforming their relationship.

The mentality of Dog's is one thing that Muggles nor Wizards and Witches alike will ever figure out; this mentality came out in Moony and Padfoot just then. The smelled each other in places that were only appropriate in the dog's world. They licked each others muzzles and they played.

They ran about the shack as fast they could, racing each other; then they would tackle each other down to the floor and wrestle. Padfoot couldn't remember the last time he had done that, Moony was also having fun, and that was saying something for the Werewolf who could only ever remember the lonely full moons he had spent before this one.

Before either knew it, the sun had risen, and Moony had become human once again. But he had no scrapes or bruises; he also had a smile on his face. Sirius helped his friend get dressed.

"Thank you, you know… for being with me last night," Remus said, straightening his tie.

"I missed those times too – it was even worse in Azkaban, I couldn't remember any of the good times…"

"I know, and I am sorry that I didn't believe you – I…didn't know what to think," Remus replied.

"Please, it's all water under the bridge; there was no reason for you to believe me," Sirius replied.

"I believe you now,"

"I know, and now you have to go back, I'll go with you, I've been around with Hagrid quite a bit, no one will think anything of it," Sirius smiled and then he popped back into Padfoot. The two made their way into the hidden passage, and emerged onto the snowy grounds.

Once they were safely away from the Whomping Willow – Remus threw a stray stick, Snuffy went after the stick and brought it back to Remus, who threw it again. They spent a nice morning out on the grounds before Remus went into the castle and up too bed.

No one thought any better of the interaction between the Professor and the stray black dog.

A/N – This wasn't supposed to be a very important chapter. But I like this one because it is the first meeting between the two long lost friends. The magicked parchment doesn't count because they weren't talking face to face. I also like this one because this is the one moment in time where neither of them had to worry about anything. They were happy because they had each other! I think that so far, this is my very most favorite chapter!

Ta,

Poppy