ALWAYS THERE

Chapter Four: Always There

Any and all reviews welcome, even if they seem like a waste of your time I'll cherish them and take all advice and suggestions to heart. Thanks.

Ramzes- Sorry! I already wrote this chapter before you reviewed… It wasn't in the cards for me to write Sirius's recovery.

This chapter is dedicated to Ramzes, Kate, and Pistashimo-my three reviewers! I love you all!

This is the last chapter. Sorry it took so long. My elderly lap top was talking back to me. Here we go:

end of author's rants

Summer of 1996- soon after Harry's fifth year.

'How could Sirius be…be…dead? He just…can't be…I just got him back.' Remus was in an extreme state of shock. Nothing made sense to him anymore- the only question he had was,'Why? Why Sirius, why now?' It didn't stand to reason that, after only just discovering his friend's innocence, after only recently helping him begin piecing his life back together, he was gone. It wasn't fair: the ministry imbeciles lived on, not noticing, and the average people simply walking on the street continued in their lives- shopping, gossiping, and making a living- as though nothing had happened. And, to them, nothing of any significance had. Life went on, even as Remus wished he could stop everything and everyone to mourn the loss of such a good person. 'Why did she have to kill him? Why not kill…?' Remus stopped himself before he finished the thought. He wouldn't wish death on anyone, and wishing such wouldn't bring Sirius back.

'But if it could?' said the wolf in Remus, 'would you give up a different innocent soul to have him back?' Remus tried to shake the wolf from his mind, but he couldn't this close to the full moon. 'If you could, you'd give up someone, anyone else. Preferably one of those idiots working in the ministry.'

Remus, having become too restless to simply sit here, torturing himself, grabbed his shabby, ancient broom, and flew out the window. He breathed the cool night air, trying to release his heart from the strain of losing Sirius yet again. Without meaning to, he steered his broom to the Ministry Magic office.

Remus entered the building, heading directly to the department of mysteries. He decided not to close the door that he came through, so the wall couldn't spin, but none of the other doors would open until it was properly closed.

It took several tries, but eventually Remus opened the correct door. Tears that had threatened to spill his whole flight finally fell at the site where Sirius had died heroically in battle. Remus sat down in front of the arch and got ready to spill his heart out to it, bracing himself for hearing nothing in response. Hermione had told him that Harry and Luna had heard voices from the veil, so why wouldn't it be feasible that he could speak to Sirius?

"Sirius, if you can hear me, I need you to tell me that you're there." His only reply was a soft flutter from the formerly still veil. "I'll take that as an answer. Sirius, please I need to just see you one more time, hear your voice. If you could talk to me I'd appreciate it." The veil moved a bit more that it had before and then stilled once more. Remus spent the next four hours talking to it, and each time he spoke, it moved. In the end, it helped, but wasn't anywhere near enough.

Just as he was disappointedly getting up, a ministry official burst through the door. "You're not allowed to be in here!" she screamed at Remus breathlessly.

"I was just leaving," Remus stated calmly.

"Let me help you leave!" The woman walked up to him and grabbed his arm, intending to pull him to the door, but Remus's feet remained firmly planted. "Were you leaving or not?" she snapped.

"I was, but I won't if you drag me like some rag doll. I will walk out, if you wish to accompany me, I have no objection, but other wise I'm not moving."

Once more, she gave a hopeless tug at his arm, but then gave in. They started walking back to the entrance, but before they got half way there, the ministry official's curiosity got the better of her. "Why are you so insistent on walking out?"

"I thought perhaps you'd appreciate having as limited contact as a werewolf as possible." As soon as his words registered, she stopped right in her tracks. He relished this moment guiltily. The true reason was his pride was one of the few things he had left, and he wanted to keep it in tact.

"You-you're a w-werewolf?" she stuttered, alarmed.

"Yes ma'am," he muttered, continuing walking.

She quickly caught up to him and demanded, "Why do you care what I'd think of it?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Because you're a blood thirsty monster," she whispered venomously.

"Why is everyone always so blunt with werewolves?" Remus muttered more to himself than anyone else. "I'm not a monster at the moment, even though I will be in a week and a half."

"You are always, don't even try to deny it."

Merely shaking his head, Remus continued towards the entrance. "I know a great many people that would disagree with you."

"Are they people, or are they werewolves, vampires, giants, and trolls?"

"I strongly object to being categorized with trolls."

"Why is that?"

"They don't have enough brains to out-weigh a peanut."

"Oh, you're hilarious. Keep going." She gave him a slight push to emphasize her point.

"I wish I could change your mind."

"On kicking you out of here? You're lucky I'm too tired to file anything against you, you're lucky I don't arrest you for trespas-"

"I meant on the whole issue with werewolves. I have no intention to stay here another minute, especially now that you're here because I'd get an earful of biased, werewolf-bashing comments."

"Be quiet, you freak."

"And why should I be? If I'm such a monster, why shouldn't I attack you, never mind remain silent?" At this, she looked so terrified that Remus sympathized with her and dropped the whole devilish act. "Listen, I won't attack you, I'm just making a point."

"Monster! Even implying that you'd attack me! You may look human, but you have no sense of tact or of- of kindness, or-"

"You couldn't be bothered to show me a trace of tact or kindness." By now, they had reached the doors of the ministry near which Remus had left his broom.

"What were you doing here, anyway?"

Turning to her, he didn't see some official with a burning desire to kick him out; instead he suddenly saw the schoolgirl she had once been. Recognizing her, he smiled, "I could ask you the same thing, Sarah."

"WHOA! Wait, how do you know my name?" There was no doubt that she was shocked that a werewolf knew her name and had addressed her by it.

"Are you telling me that you don't remember me at all?" Remus leaned towards her mockingly, deciding that he'd toy with her just a little.

"No, I've made a point of not being in contact with your type at all."

"That's a pity because I remember back in your sixth year of school. You confided a few things in me that you couldn't even tell your friends."

"Liar," she accused, trying to think whom she could possible have confided so much in.

"Like how you had a crush on Nick?" Remus continued as though she hadn't said a single word.

After this statement, it seemed as though she'd frozen permanently with her mouth open. The uncomfortable silence stretched for several long minutes before, "Remus?" Chuckling softly, Remus grabbed up his broom, but before he could mount a hand grabbed his shoulder. "How long have you been a werewolf?" Her voice contained only sympathy- it was now absent of any loathing and she seemed only slightly apprehensive of touching him.

He turned to her, and just before he took off, smiled and said, "It will be thirty-one years in a month from tomorrow." With that, he was in the sky, soaring away, only vaguely hearing her call after him, "Since before I knew you?"

Remus didn't know it, but that meeting that night would change Sarah forever. At first, she would sulk, thinking only that he had tricked her out of spite. Then, she would take out her diary from when she was sixteen out of her mother's attic, read it, and remember how kind he'd been to her. Sarah would soon afterward lead several werewolf rights movements for many years after that.

As Remus soared through the sky, he looked up through the clear night to the stars. There, Sirius shone down, the brightest of them all. Remus smiled as he realized that as long as his star still glowed brightly, Sirius would never be forgotten. 'And,' he concluded as he landed outside his and Sirius's apartment, 'stars live very long lives.' That easily, Remus could suddenly feel Sirius's presence all around him. With new confidence, Remus prepared himself for the long battle ahead against Voldemort. Something told him that without Sirius, everything would change. Walking intio his apartment, Remus knew that Sirius would always watch over him- would always be there.

THE END

end of story; beginning of author's rants

Advice of the chapter: Never argue with people who don't know what they're talking about. You can't win if you do, and you've already won if you don't. No, that didn't tie in with the chapter. Too bad, it tied in with my life so it counts for something.