Chapter Eleven

I'm SOOO sorry! I didn't mean to leave this so long. I've been to hospital twice, dislocated both my hips, lost my job, been signed off work permanently and basically everything has gone to hell in a handbasket.

Anyway, I am back. I'm updating here with this, and the mostly cannon-ish PX390 (Peorth Algiz 390) had an update yesterday and will get a second, Halloween chapter, on the 31st. Take care everyone, enjoy spoopy week!

Remus froze at the sound of the quiet knock at the door. Sirius had slipped back into human form in the night, but he hadn't woken since the screaming. Remus had stayed awake. He held his breath, but Sirius did not stir. He slipped out of the bed and tucked the blanket up around Sirius and tiptoed to the door. His father was waiting on the landing.

'How is he?'

Remus sighed, 'I haven't seen…' He shook his head, 'I have seen him hurt, I've seen him drunk and all manner of other things.'

'Come and have some tea, lad. Fabian's nipped out to check in with the Ministry.'

Remus glanced over his shoulder at his childhood bedroom door.

'I shouldn't leave him.'

Lyall smiled sadly, 'You're no use to him if you don't rest.'

Remus wanted to argue, wanted to insist that there was a way he could just fix everything. Except if anyone knew about caring for people, it was Lyall. Slowly, he nodded.

'I suppose we'll hear him.'

'Most likely.'

Sat at the scrubbed kitchen table, watching the tea pot brew and presented with a plate of homemade crumpets and butter from the farm down the lane, Remus almost felt as though he could breathe. Almost.

Lyall sunk into the chair opposite and poured them two steaming mugs. He was a man of few words and said nothing as he passed Remus his mug. He knew his father was waiting though and gulped down a searing mouthful.

'I spoke to Mam a bit, after the thing with Severus.'

Lyall nodded.

'Sirius and I had been, well, fooling around a bit, before that. When I stopped speaking to him that Spring Term he fell completely off the rails. That was the Christmas he escaped his parents if you remember?'

'I do lad.'

'He went back to calling me Lupin then. And he's done it every time we've had a big falling out since. He's doing it now.'

'Have you spoken since you moved out?'

Remus pushed his fingers through his hair, 'No. Not properly. We haven't seen each other since – ', a lump welled up in his throat and he swallowed it dryly, 'Not since…'

'– Not since the McKinnons.'

Both Lupin men leapt to their feet, wands swinging to point at the door, though the jerk of his injured wrist made Remus growl.

Sirius leant against the kitchen door frame, his chest moving raggedly from the effort of coming downstairs. That didn't stop the twitch at the corner of his mouth that was a shadow of his old cocky smirk.

'Morning,' Sirius considered this and tried again, 'It is morning?'

'Aye, Sirius. Come and sit lad.' Lyall stepped out from the table to make room for Sirius, busying himself with a pan and the milk.

Remus fought the urge to help Sirius, arguments had been started over less before, and while he was struggling, he seemed much more with it than he had been the day before. He lowered himself gingerly into the chair and put the first aid kit on the table between them.

'I thought you might want this. For your arm.'

'And a few other things, by my ken.' Lyall muttered, garnering a filthy look from Remus, which he ignored, 'What will you eat Sirius?'

Sirius shook his head carefully, 'Nothing just – '

Remus stood, firmly, and crossed to the sideboard to cut bread, 'Have you got bacon Da?'

'Aye. I'll put some on.'

Remus caught Sirius' silver eyes flash in his direction as he shoved the bread under the grill to toast. He ignored this spark of rebellion, weighing irritation at Sirius' incorrigibility and pleasure at Sirius feeling well enough to be difficult. Remus turned and leant against the worktop, fixed Sirius with a look and cleared his throat.

Sirius still hadn't quite met his eyes, but his gaze flicked up towards Remus' face. Remus folded his arms.

'Ribs?' Sirius' voice was cracked still, and hoarse. From the screaming – a quiet, cold part of Remus thought.

'Yes.'

Lyall poured the contents of his saucepan into a stoneware mug and plonked it down on the table, the sweet smell of cocoa filling the air, 'I've to feed the beasts,' he informed them gruffly and stomped out the back door.

Sirius was already struggling out of his jumper and shirt again, and Remus paced carefully across the floor, kneeling easily on the floor in front of his ex-lover. Sirius turned slightly in his chair so Remus could see the mess that had been smooth, tattoo-less skin.

'You have to take care of yourself as well, Lupin.'

Remus put his wand down on the flagstones with a click, 'Stop that Black, or else.' A completely empty threat. Sirius chuckled hoarsely.

The wound was very infected. The jagged lines inflamed and oozing. Remus had taken Ancient Runes at NEWTs as well as OWLs, the same as Sirius, but this was beyond him. He could make out the shapes, and recognised the whole as being a magical design, but that was all he could work out.

'When did you do this?' Remus surprised himself at how calm he sounded.

'Mmm, I –' Sirius hissed between his teeth as Remus pressed a cotton ball soaked in Dettol to his ribs, '– I don't know. Remus?'

'Yes?'

'How long has it been?'

One hundred and thirty-two days, Remus' mind supplied, 'Four months, Sirius.'

'Four… oh. Then…' Sirius hesitated, his hand snaked down to his own thigh, pressing against the celestial clock tattooed there, 'Since January. Just before the lunar eclipse.'

'Half of these new ones, Pads, I can't read them.' Remus looked up into Sirius' face, 'Can you?'

Sirius leant back in the chair and squinted down at his ribs, 'Just about, yes.'

'Can I use my wand?'

Sirius snorted, 'If I had an ounce of magic left, I wouldn't be in this state. Have at.'

Remus shook his head, 'Drink your hot chocolate.'

'I'd really rather…' Sirius' voice tapered out at the withering look Remus gave him, and finally relented. He picked up the mug obediently, supporting it with both hands while Remus turned his wand on the mess.

It was slow work, cleaning the infection away, and drawing the edges of his skin back together. He was halfway done when Sirius carefully put the mug back down.

'Remus?'

'Yes, Pads.'

'Can you just vanish what's left of that one?'

Remus let out a breath he hadn't known it was holding, 'Evanesco,' he murmured, syphoning the charcoal blackness from Sirius' skin. He knew the freezing stillness that had come over Sirius, the wolf's hearing picking out the racing thump of his heart in the quiet of the house. Sirius was in pain, and he was afraid.

Remus waved his wand, conjuring bandages around the healing wound, 'Anything else?'

Sirius shook his head, 'Nothing drastic.'

'Fine. Breakfast then.'

He waved his wand towards the grill and stove, bacon and toast piled themselves onto a plate which zoomed over and landed by Sirius' elbow.

'Show me that arm.' Sirius' voice was steady now, almost firm.

Remus sighed and pushed himself up to sit in the chair next to him, 'If I let you, if, you drink the hot chocolate and eat. Deal?'

'Fine.' Sirius pulled his own clothes back on and waited expectantly.

It felt like a long time since Sirius had patched him up, fingers calloused from brooms and curse-breaking and now prison walls, but still comfortingly familiar in the way he just got on with it. Other people fussed at the cursed wounds, with their jagged edges and depressingly obvious bite marks, not Sirius. He cleaned the wound, muggle-style, a light grip with his spare hand holding Remus in place.

'This needed stitching.'

Remus shrugged, 'I've been a little busy.'

Silver eyes finally met amber, 'No shit Moony.'

James had not wanted to sleep. If he hadn't spent the past four months in a magically induced coma, he certainly wouldn't have slept. But the effort of getting to the manor and clearing enough of the magic away completely drained him. The horrors of what had been done to his son and brother were too much to bear and he passed out on the sofa.

When he woke, he reached for his wand, even before his glasses. The war, and the final attack on Godric's Hollow had taken their toll on him. He knew, even before he properly opened his eyes that Lily and Harry weren't in the room, but as he stood up, the sound of her voice reached his ears.

'So I'll be there when you arrive,

The sight of you will prove to me I'm still alive,

And when you take me in your arms,

And hold me tight,

I know it's gonna mean so much tonight…'

The house had a crackly intercom system Fleamont had created years earlier, based on Muggle design but powered by magic. Lily had left it on so he would hear her. He smiled at her singing, presumably to Harry.

As he stood and stretched his arms above his head, he took stock. He felt much better for the sleep, he was hungry, his legs still didn't feel right, he really needed a pee. Wand in hand he headed for the loo just off the hall, and with that done, went in search of Lily.

She wasn't hard to find, having taken over the kitchen. Harry was settled in a kind of makeshift highchair she had crafted from some of his mum's sari material and a dining chair, giggling at Lily's dancing as she swirled around the room. A little, Muggle, travel radio was sitting by the sink, playing Queen now. James leant in the doorway, enjoying this last little moment of peace.

'Hello.' Lily had spotted him and smiled. She was, like him, still wearing her borrowed clothes from Sirius' extensive wardrobe, the green coat carefully laid over the back of another chair. James had no idea where the corduroy skirt had come from, but he liked the mustard colour of it.

'Hello you.'

With more effort than he would like to admit, James pushed away from the door frame and came into the room proper. He kissed her and bent to kiss Harry, who screwed up his face and pushed James away.

Lily laughed, 'Harry and I went to the village for supplies. I picked you up a razor.'

'Thanks, I really, really need to shave this beard off.'

She nodded, 'Yes. Sorry, but yes.'

James laughed.

'Go on, go wash and shave and I'll get you some breakfast together.'

He tried to nod, but suddenly there was a lump in his throat and then Lily's arms were around him. He held her tight and they were both crying. It only lasted a few moments. There was too much to be done.

'Right,' said James, 'Can you send a Patronus to Remus while I get sorted? Let's check in, then we can plan while we eat.'

Lily nodded and reached for Orion's wand.

There were shapes moving at the edge of his vision all the time. Faces, and bodies he recognised, or thought he did. Wisps of black smoke, shapes in the mist. Strangely it was precisely these hallucinations that let Sirius accept that he really was in Remus' Dad's kitchen.

That and even his imagination was not good enough to conjure such a convincing illusion of bacon.

He was glad to see Fabian, they had always got along well. Too well, sometimes. But as the Prewett twin had put it, he was a fag called Fabian and Sirius was never serious enough. Any relationship was doomed. After Hogwarts though they had made it up, Fabian had been pleased for Remus and him, and he and Gid had fought beside the Marauders more times than any of them could count. And now, here he was helping break Sirius out of Azkaban.

The news from the Ministry was brief. Once Lyall and an independent medi-witch from St. Mungo's both said Sirius was fit to stand trial, his appeal would be heard by the full Wizengamot. The witch was coming that afternoon.

Fabian looked awkward, and Remus was starting to fidget so Sirius cleared his throat, 'Alright Fabs,' he had to stop and try again, his throat was still horribly torn, 'what's the worst of it.'

Remus had stood and was rummaging in a cabinet that held all the healing supplies.

Fabian glanced at the werewolf, and then back at the convict, seeming to eye them up.

Sirius grinned, 'I couldn't fight a kitten, and he's still injured, I reckon you're safe.'

Fabian gave a little smirk, 'Fine. Because you are technically a convict, you'll have to be given back to the dementors custody for the trial.'

Sirius tried to keep a calm expression on his face, even as his heart accelerated so much it might explode in his chest. Then Remus' hand was on his shoulder. Sirius looked up, meeting Remus' beautiful golden eyes. Remus nodded.

'Yeah,' Sirius said, turning back to Fabian, 'That sounds about right.' He hoped the hoarseness of his voice covered the fear he felt.

'They also reckon you're some kind of genius Occlumens, Legilimens or both.' Sirius briefly wondered if Remus knew how tight his grip on Sirius' shoulder had just become. 'So, they want you under Veritaserum, and some other things.'

Sirius felt the laughter coming and did not bother to try and stop it as it bubbled out. Sound he was bent double in the chair, cackling until he coughed blood from his torn throat. Fabian had leapt back from the table, staring at Sirius. It just made the situation all the more hysterical. Remus sat in the chair next to his, pulling it close and rubbing his back as he hacked, and even Sirius had the common sense to know the wet sucking sound his chest was making wasn't good.

Breathing heavily, he slowly managed to straighten up. Fabian was still staring at him as though he was mad. Sirius grinned, tossing back the potion Remus wordlessly pushed into his hand. It tasted cool and smooth, like runny icing, a delight Sirius had only discovered when Lily had handed him the bowl after baking a cake. The way it coated his throat felt awful.

'Fabian.' Remus said calmly, 'He's fine.'

'He's hysterical, no offense Sirius.'

'None… ooof, none taken.' Sirius shoved a hand through his hair or tried to. It was badly matted, his mother's was the same. Long and luscious, but so easily matted beyond repair. He yanked his hand out, 'They want to poison me, so they can be certain the Veritaserum will work. Yes?'

Fabian sighed, 'That isn't what they are saying officially.'

'But unofficially?' Remus did not sound happy.

'Unofficially, yeah, pretty much. They'll feed you potions to strip your magic, and to confuse and befuddle you. I wouldn't be surprised if someone suggests Imperius too.'

Sirius started to snigger again, he couldn't help it, it was just too hilarious.

'Stop that.' Remus snapped.

Sirius bit into his lip, ignoring the blood and trying to focus on the pain to stop the mania that he could feel rising within him.

'I'm swapping out with Gid, in about an hour.' Fabian was still eyeing Sirius warily, 'But I might take a walk if…' He trailed off.

'We'll manage just fine lad, off ye pop.' Lyall stomped in through the back door. He held the door for Fabian and waited until he was well up the garden path before shutting it firmly.

Remus raised an eyebrow at his father, lacing his fingers firmly through Sirius', 'How much did you hear?'

'Ach.' Lyall waved his wand at the kettle, sending it back to the hob to boil, 'Enough to agree with Sirius.'

Sirius looked up, surprised, 'Agree with me on what?'

'That they cannae be going around doing the same old shit the other side did and still reckon they are on the side o' angels.'

Sirius grinned, the more Scottish Lyall became, the riled he was. It was nice to think Lyall was on his side.

The older Lupin cocked his head at them, 'So, what law is it that ye've broken and yer worried they'll get out of Sirius?'

Sirius glanced at Remus, for permission.

'Oh, for fuc – fine, yes alright.'

Sirius stood, and then fell into Padfoot.

He sat on the flagstone floor and wagged his tail at Lyall. Then stood and changed back, fluidly moving back to two legs.

Lyall blinked. He looked so like Remus, processing the information and working out what it meant.

'All of ye?'

They nodded.

Lyall sighed and shook his head, 'Moony,' He pointed at Remus, 'That one I kenned before. Sirius is Pads –'

'Padfoot.' Sirius interjected.

'Aye. James ye call Prongs, and wee Pete is Wormy.' He held up a hand, 'Don't tell me, I want to guess. For the moons if I ken right?'

Sirius nodded, 'In the summer between fourth and fifth. There's always good thunderstorms at James' parents in the summer.'

'And this is what ye are afraid of coming up?'

Remus looked at Sirius, 'Among other things. Sirius' life story shouldn't be something they can just pull apart in public.'

'My grandfather or mother could be there. It wouldn't go well.'

'Ach, let the Blacks air their dirty washing in public for a change.' Lyall grinned, 'And if there are any of your family there, they could do with the good publicity of you being innocent right now. Bellatrix Lestrange and company did not cover themselves in glory.'

Sirius nodded, 'Yeah, I saw her.'

The appearance of a shining doe Patronus in the middle of the kitchen floor made them all jump, especially when she spoke with Lily's voice.

'I've got James, we're at the house. The Floo is up, but we've locked it into just a few places, yours included Lyall, thanks. Can you check in please Remus, James is worrying.'

As the doe disappeared, Lyall looked from the place it had been, to them and back again.

'He's a stag? Away wi' ye, I was thinking a hairy coo.'