Title: Saishū Yume
Author: Ex-Professor Remus Lupin
Rating: R
Genre: Action/Adventure/Alternate Universe/Romance
Era: None
Pairing(s): Remus/Sirius, Severus/Harry
Summary: It starts, as a simple kidnapping. It will become an adventure unlike any other as a group of mismatched heroes find themselves drawn into a war for not only their lives, but also their very souls.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Author's Note: I was utterly shocked and amazed when I saw the positive response to the last two chapters of my fic. I had not expected that at all. I also managed to make one of them into a Severus convert for my army (just kidding ). But seriously, I had not thought that I would get so many reviews, especially for my Eileen fic which I am proud to say, I thought was a complete waste of space. I only got the one review telling me that I was an asshat because I wrote Tobias as a muggle-born instead of as a muggle... (Rolls eyes at the stupidity of this person who took there time to say I got that wrong but didn't stop and tell me what they thought). Yes, I made a mistake. Yes, I'm sorry. Yes, I will fix it so get off my back. So yes, for the people that actually sit and read these things, I will not hinder you any longer as I'm sure you are anxiously waiting to see what happens next.

Once again, Reviews are always appreciated...constructive criticism is preferred over a flame because if you flame me, I will hunt you down and flame you right back...(growls threatening)
-
Chapter Sixteen
Return to Gryffindor
-
Dora watched with growing tediousness as Weasley paced about the tiny cell, his armor clanking loudly with each step, grating her nerves. Her hands rested comfortably on her knees as she sat, leaning against the wall, head tilted forward enough so that her navy hair fell easily into her eyes. She had long since given up on getting out of the cell and now; she had no interest in it.

Why had she gone with them? She should have just walked the entire way to the Forbidden Forest instead of being an idiot. It would have been far better if she had. She might have actually made it there instead of rotting away in this cell.

Weasley rushed the door suddenly, crashing against it loudly. Dora pressed her hands over her ears and gazed down at her feet, cursing under her breath. It was then, staring at her boots, that she saw it – the only thing the guards had missed when they had searched her – her lock pick. Fishing carefully for the metal piece with her middle and forefingers, she removed it and crawled past the now panting Weasley to the door.

"What are you doing?" Weasley demanded loudly.

"Getting us the hell out of here," she answered cheerfully, feeling the lock out and inserting the tool.

"What? How?"

"Those Gryffindor soldiers are fucking stupid," she ignored Weasley's grumble of protest and continued, twisting the lock pick carefully with her fingers and listening to it through the metal. "They missed the pick I had in my left boot. Consider it a fucking miracle."

The lock snapped open and Dora made a sound of triumph as the door swung open with a creak of rusted metal.

"Excellent, you will be commended for this later," Weasley said, striding past Dora's still hunched figure out into the hall.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," she mumbled, standing up and putting away the pick. "What do we do about weapons?"

"The armory isn't too far from here, we can get something from there, and then I must find the prince," Weasley replied as they started down the hallway, it was then that the guards noticed them.

"Fuck," Dora said loudly as she watched the second guard start toward them, sword drawn and ready to cut them down. She closed her eyes, preparing herself for a deathblow.

There was a loud crack, like a gun going off and then the sharp clash of metal with metal. Opening her eyes hesitantly, she was shocked to see Sirius using a double-ended sword to push the first soldier away from her and Weasley. The black mage, Severus, appeared to have already dispatched the other with a swift blow from the crystal held at the top of his staff in what looked to be a silver dragon claw.

As the mage collapsed into the wall, panting heavily, an elven dragon knight stepped in front of him, burying the end of her spear into the soldier's body. Twisting the weapon violently, blood, bright as crimson, splashed onto her bare legs. Turning swiftly, she leapt into the air, feet seemingly finding purchase on the stone before she fell down onto the other soldier, knocking the woman off her feet. The spear buried deep into her throat with a dull thud of metal on stone.

"Where the hell are we?" Sirius demanded, looking around the room. Gray eyes finally landed upon Dora and they widened in surprise. "Dora? What the hell?"

"Wotcher, Sirius," Dora said happily, grabbing her fellow Marauder around the neck and squeezing the life out of him in joy.

"These are the dungeons of Gryffindor," Severus said, his voice deep and rasping. He coughed suddenly and grimaced. "I came down here during the play to get a feel for how this place worked. I figured it was an opportune time to do so when the guard was so low."

"Shit," Sirius growled, unwinding Dora from his neck. "Where would they have put Remus?"

"Probably upstairs in the royal chambers," Weasley answered looking confusedly at the thief. "Why?"

"He's in danger, we've got to find him," was the answer as Sirius took off sprinting down the hall toward the door.

"What is this nonsense?" the knight demanded as he helped Severus back onto his feet, letting the young mage lean heavily onto him.

"We were on the Red Rose. Cornelius has drawn Eidolons from your prince to use as refined weapons. He completely obliterated the Burrow. He also mentioned that since his son was of no use to him, when they returned to Gryffindor, he is to be executed," Severus growled.

"Is this really true?" he asked, looking at Sirius in the hopes that this was just some sort of horrible joke. "But, he conversed with these things, why would they abandon him."

"Yes it's true and I don't know," Sirius replied slowly, pulling the door open.

"I've got to get to the Forbidden Forest," Dora broke in, grabbing Sirius' arm as the others moved quickly past him and up the stairs. "I'll see you later, 'kay."

Nodding, Sirius watched her run up the stairs after the others. Following, he saw that she had headed through another door, which left them with the stairs at the end of the hall. Nodding grimly, he followed Weasley – now supporting Severus – and Ginevra. Weasley had at some point taken one of the broadswords that the other Gryffindor knights had been using and he was holding it awkwardly in his left hand.

-

It only took thirty minutes for them to find the royal chambers. A wide, expansive wing, they split up, checking each room for the prince. Ginevra had taken the east wing, Sirius the west, leaving Weasley and Severus to examine the north wing. Sirius walked slowly down the hallway of the west wing, opening doors into expansive closets and storage rooms, guest rooms and other strange things that he found useless and completely out of place in such a dreary castle.

He came to the last door and before he could open it, he paused and took a deep breath. It seemed he needed the extra air as he pushed open a door into what he could only guess was a royal sitting room. Lying, asleep on the couch was, "Remus," he breathed, the air rushing from his lungs as he walked into the room.

Calling the others was momentarily forgotten as he knelt down by Remus' side and calmed his nerves. Reaching out carefully he brushed a long strand of hair from the prince's face, his fingers lingering across the line of his jaw.

"A magical sleep," Sirius jumped, looking back at the door feeling as if he had done something illegal. Severus was leaning against the doorjamb, looking worn, but otherwise in fine shape. Considering what the mage had said back in the Burrow, he doubted it would matter if he had caught him. Nodding, he turned his attention back to the prince's sleeping form.

Dressed in fine white robes and looking as pretty as the night Sirius had first met him, he couldn't help but compare the prince to Juliet from the play. His hands were folded easily across his stomach and he appeared every bit to be the fair lady Capulet. Sirius sighed, placing a hand over Remus' and bowing his head.

"I'm sorry," he whispered softly.

"We need to get him to a healer," Severus said carefully, fearful of disturbing this touching reunion. Instead, Weasley did so, rushing into the room, blue eyes blazing as he took in the sight before him.

"No!" the knight fell to his knees. "I have failed!"

"Shut up human, he is only sleeping," Ginevra snapped, coming into the room, her own eyes filled with fire. "We must get him out of here now."

"How did you get here?" everyone turned, Severus readying his staff and Ginevra her spear as General Granger stepped into the room, her own hand upon the hilt of her sword.

Sirius gazed at her for a moment, and then with a sigh, he turned back to the prince.

"Are you really going to kill him?" he asked softly.

"Impossible," Granger stepped forward, brushing past a stunned Weasley so that she was standing beside Sirius at the prince's side. She gazed down at his sleeping form, her face turning from shocked to angry within the space of a few seconds. "His Majesty is going to have him executed."

"No," Weasley breathed.

"Yes Ronald!" Granger snarled, turning upon her fellow knight. "You are as blinded by your loyalty as I was! Our king is deranged! He listens to Regulus far more than he does his trusted general. People have died – at my hands – because of it!"

She turned on Ginevra and the female elf lowered her spear at the anguish in the general's eyes.

"Forgive me," dropping to her knees before the elf, Granger unsheathed her sword and laid it at Ginevra's feet and bowing her head forward. "I have done terrible crimes in the name of my king; I beg you deal swift justice."

"There will be no more useless deaths," Ginevra whispered.

"Enough people have died for your king, get up, and help us," Severus growled, stepping forward and shaking Granger's shoulder harshly. "You are a paladin. Heal him if you can."

Nodding, the general stumbled to her feet and returned to her prince's side. Sirius smiled encouragingly at her as she lifted her hands over Remus' chest, closing her eyes in prayer. Reaching within herself, she sought out her strongest magic to break this sleep. White light flared beneath her fingers. Sirius' grip on Remus' hands tightened. The magic died and the prince slept on.

"Please," he whispered, taking a deep breath. "Work. I'll do anything."

Brushing her hair from her eyes once more, Granger rubbed her palms together and tried again. White light burned brightly beneath her palms as they rested on the prince's chest, it pulsed steadily, and then, with a magical pop, turned a deep red. Flaring once, it faded away into nothingness.

"Forgive me, my prince," Granger said brokenly, shaking her head as she stepped away, tears threatening to fall down her face. "I can't. The magic won't work."

"No," Sirius breathed.

He rested his forehead against Remus' chest; still grasping the prince's clasped hands in his right. This wasn't supposed to happen. The spell was supposed to be broken and everything would be okay.

"Oh please, are you that simple to not see what Regulus did, that idiot romantic," Sirius lifted his head up to see a black mage standing in the door. A man somewhere in his late twenties like Regulus stood there, his eyes a deep hazel color and wild black hair that seemed almost windswept as he leaned heavily against the doorframe. "Hello Severus."

Severus, black eyes narrowed slightly, nodded imperceptibly to his fellow mage.

"James," he said slowly. James grinned cheekily at Severus as he walked into the room. At once, Weasley and Granger had placed themselves between this new black mage and their prince.

"So very simple what he's done," the mage explained, stopping before the two knights, his hazel eyes on Remus' sleeping form the entire time. "Just like in those ridiculous faerie tales that he's so fond of; I really must get him out of that, its getting annoying. Of course, he knows the prince has a fondness for them as well."

"Why are you here?" Sirius growled though he remained at Remus' side.

"Because this is stupid," was the mage's reply. "Regulus likes to fuck with people and this is his way of fucking with you. He especially liked fucking with you."

"Why?" James shrugged casually.

"I doubt it's my place to tell you that now is it," he answered lightly. "I'm sure you'd rather get the hell out of here."

"Tell us how to wake him up," Ginevra said suddenly, her voice surprisingly tight. "He does no deserve this fate."

James turned to her, cocking his head to the side in amusement.

"True loves kiss, well maybe not true love, but only you can do it," he said simply, looking pointedly at Sirius, who flushed. "I told you, Regulus likes fucking with you. You have best hurry the Gryffindor soldiers will be here and while they won't harm me, they won't cease to attack you."

Weasley looked sharply at Sirius, and Sirius, still staring at James in shock, nearly jumped when the knight said quite loudly, "Well, get on with it then!"

"What?" he demanded.

"Kiss him," Granger replied. "James said it was you."

"I'm not his true love!" Sirius snapped, shaking his head.

"But you are in love with him, correct?" he looked at the black mage irritably, still shaking his head.

"No, I can't be," he grumbled.

Severus growled and stepping forward, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"Look! You can bitch and moan about your feelings later! Regulus obviously changed the spell so that you have to be the one to break it! Now kiss him before I turn you into a pile of ash! If you get me killed, I swear to God that I will haunt you until you die!" at the end of each sentence he had shaken Sirius slightly and the thief, jerked away from him, looking at him as if he had been kicked.

Sighing, he glanced at Remus, wondering for a moment if he really wanted to do this and cursing Regulus for playing this stupid joke at his expense. Swallowing, he leaned forward and pressed a soft, chaste kiss to the prince's lips, feeling as awkward as he had the first time he'd kissed him.

The hands beneath his twist, almost imperceptibly and he felt the chest beneath him move with the deep intake of breath. Sirius started up, looking into opened gold eyes soft with sleep and confusion.

"Sirius," Remus said softly.

"Hey," Sirius said.

"A touching reunion, but I'm afraid I must cut this short," the door was now blocked by a Gryffindor soldier. Granger straightened, her hand falling to her sword hilt, ready to draw the weapon. It was new, having her on their side, ready to fight with them instead of against them – especially against her own soldiers. Weasley and Ginevra looked just as prepared for a battle.

Sirius helped Remus to sit up, pushing the loose strands of sandy brown hair out of his face and fingering the white ribbon that held back the majority of the strands.

"Nice," Sirius said finally smiling.

"Ah, shut up," Remus snapped, grinning as he swung his legs off of the couch and sat up, looking at Weasley, Ginevra, and Granger as they stood down the solder while a black mage stood nearby, looking on almost disinterestedly. Severus was leaning heavily upon his staff.

"You three get out of here!" Granger yelled, looking back at them, "We'll handle him."

"You're coming too, Sev'," Sirius said, as he wrapped his left arm around Remus' waist and helped him stand up. The mage sent a glare toward him, but using his staff for support, he stepped forward. Sirius grasped his arm, propping him up gently in the process.

"We need to get down to the dungeons," Remus breathed softly. "There is a road that we can take that will lead us to Slytherin."

"No," Severus said harshly, grabbing onto Sirius' arm violently so that his nails dug into the flesh, leaving white crescent marks. "We must get to Ravenclaw; your uncle must be warned. The royal Pegasi can get us there far quicker than walking."

"Fine, we go to the stables," Sirius muttered, glancing back uncertainly as Weasley took a blow for his general. Walking slowly, he led them out of the room through the back door into the servant's hall.

"This way," Remus said, inclining his head slightly to the left.

-

It was nearly dark when they arrived in the stables, the dusty smell of horses and birds mixing inside the dark area as they made their way inside. Remus pulled away from Sirius' support to approach the nearest Pegasi, standing inside a stall on the left side of the door. Reaching out toward the animal, a narrow, chestnut colored head appeared, nuzzling against his palm as soft brown eyes contemplated him carefully.

"Pegasi," Severus said slowly. "What types do you Gryffindor ride?"

"Unlike the Slytherins, we prefer the Aethonan over the Thestrals, but that may have to do with us believing them to be unlucky; my mother rode a Granian," Remus answered carefully as he reached for the harness hanging from a hook nearby and set about putting it onto the chestnut.

"I take it he's yours?" Sirius asked as he watched Severus go to find his own steed.

"This is Romulus," Remus said happily, "he has been with me since I was eight."

Sirius shook his head at the strange name as he stepped up to the stallion, reaching out his own hand to pet it. Romulus pulled away from him, snorting in irritation as he scowled at it. The prince simply laughed at him and pulled the last buckle into place.

"He doesn't like dogs," he explained with a smile. Sirius' scowl deepened for a moment and then, with a laugh of his own, he looked about the stable.

"So which one do I get?"

"Most of the Pegasi we have in here are rather skittish or far too young to be ridden by a fully grown rider so we'll have to find something else for you," the prince said, as he flicked open the latch to the stall and led Romulus out onto the straw covered floor. The Pegasi, sensing that it would be flying, rustled the folded wings upon its back. Sirius gazed at it, wondering how this giant of an animal was going to fly. He had never liked horses.

"How about her?" Severus called from the other end of the barn where he stood, clasping the reins attached to a mare chestnut. He was gazing into another stall. Remus led Romulus and Sirius over to this stall and he looked inside.

Standing proudly inside the stall that Severus had been looking into was a gray Pegasi, smaller and narrower than the two Aethonans. Her mane, a deep, ash gray, fell down her neck and she rustled her wings impatiently. Remus gazed at her for a moment, smiling.

"This," he explained, "is Athena, my mother's Pegasi."

"I can't ride her," Sirius said looking worriedly as Severus took the reins to Remus' Pegasi and reached for the harness belonging to Athena.

"You'll have to, she's the only fully trained Pegasi here beside Romulus and Hera," he motioned to the mare standing beside Severus looking just as irritable as the mage.

Sirius muttered something and it was then that he noticed Remus gazing confusedly at him. "What?" he asked.

Remus shook his head.

"Nothing, just a thought," he answered easily. "We must hurry."

-Author's Note:...I feel the need to vomit after that does of sickeningly sweet romantic fluff. Excuse me a moment. God! I'm going to need to start figuring out how to not make this into a fluffy drabble because I would be forced to shoot myself if this story turned into that.

Next Chapter: The second trip to Ravenclaw is far more than what the group expected...