Chapter Thirteen

AN: Hello! How is everyone today? Congratulations to all the US readers out there, I hope the next part goes easier for you all. Stay safe, take care.
We are getting close now, the medi-witch is here to check on Sirius. Deep breath, here we go!

Remus knew what was coming, that did not change how much he hated it. There was one place in his parents' house that could be considered fortified enough to hold Sirius. It was the reason he was still holding Sirius, unmoving on the sofa. The black haired Animagus in question was lying between Remus' legs, curled into his chest and asleep. It was proper sleep, much less fitful than in the night. It gave Remus time to assess.

He was annoyed with himself for crying. For laying all that on Sirius. Though at least he knew now why the wards on the flat hadn't reacted to him, the flat was his. Remus looked down at Sirius' head, cradled against him. His hair really needed cutting, they'd talk about that after the medi-witch. He was so thin, Remus couldn't bear to think what state of the food in Azkaban was like, or how little of it an already difficult eater like Sirius would have managed. Though, as his mother had once pointed out, Sirius wasn't picky, he had just had a complicated relationship with food since early childhood. Another joyous side effect of growing up in Grimmauld Place.

Still, his weight was reassuring, calming even to the wolf that had paced a path raw inside Remus' chest in the past four months. At least temporarily, they were all safe. He could feel the tension eke away, draining out of his muscles and letting him breathe deeply for first time in longer than he cared to think about.

Sirius stirred, murmuring quietly in his sleep, '… je suis innocent, ero innocents, eímai athóos, soy inocente, dwi yn… bugger.'

He pressed his face back into Remus' chest and sighed, settling again.

'Ddieuog, cariad. You are innocent, that's right.' Remus whispered into Sirius' hair, supplying the forgotten word. 'And we are going to get you out of this mess.'

The carriage clock on the mantel piece chimed quietly, half-twelve. Remus squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, and then stroked Sirius' hair gently.

'Sirius? Cariad, I need you to wake up now.' He gave his shoulder a little shake.

He knew Sirius was awake from the way he had frozen, completely still like a dog on the hunt, even his breathing halted.

'Where are we?' Sirius croaked.

'The same place we were when you fell asleep. In Rowan cottage, on my Da's sofa.'

'Right…' Sirius slowly unfroze, reaching for Remus' hand to tangle their fingers together, 'It's coming back, I just need a moment.'

'You're fine.' Remus gave his hand a little squeeze. 'How do you feel?'

'Urgh.' In his exhaustion, under the hoarseness, Sirius' posh, plummy accent had reasserted itself, 'Empty.'

'We'll talk to Da about getting you some restorative potions.'

'No.' Sirius' voice was firm. He sat up, blinking, 'No. The less magic I have the less excuse they have to deny the appeal.'

'Sirius, I'm not sure –'

'I mean it. They are going to strip whatever powers I have left to try me anyway. A day or so with a little magic won't change anything.'

Remus frowned. Purebloods like Sirius almost existed on magic. Lyall had once speculated that was part of what drove prisoners in Azkaban so mad, the sapping of something so vital to them as their magic.

Sirius eyed him, 'Is it time?'

He nodded, 'They'll be here soon.'

Slowly, carefully, Sirius unfolded and stood. Remus followed, 'I'll be with you the whole time.'

Sirius turned, staggering slightly, 'You don't have to.'

'Yes. I do.'

The door to the cellar stairs was in the hallway, and Remus tried to not look too wary. The wards were down, so Remus opened the door and called down, 'Da?'

'Aye lad, you can bring him down.'

Remus went first in case Sirius tripped and fell. The door at the bottom was wrought iron, its black surface inscribed with magic to strengthen it. Inside, the room had changed since Remus' last stay. His father had set up a camp bed, a little table with an oil lamp, and the old armchair from his study. The walls had been smoothed over, hopefully with magic, Remus would have been very annoyed to discover his father had gone to all the hassle of reskimming the walls.

Sirius leant in the doorway, almost managing to affect his usual nonchalance, even though Remus knew it was because his head was spinning.

'Well, this certainly is an elegant suite.'

Both Lupin men rolled their eyes, even though they knew Sirius meant no harm.

Lyall nodded, 'Aye. It'll certainly do for the likes of you, Sirius.'

'Yes, of course.' Sirius pushed off the wall and made his way, weaving slightly, to sit on the bed. 'You'll lock me in?'

'Sirius-lad –'

'No.' Remus cut across his father, 'And I will be here.' He turned to his father, 'Athair, tha mi ag iarraidh na leabhraichean mu Dementors.'

'You know, there's no point in speaking Gaelic so I don't understand when the word Dementor is still Dementor.' Sirius smirked.

Lyall pointedly ignored him, 'I'll bring some lunch too. And more chocolate. Make sure he eats.'

Remus nodded and settled himself into the armchair.

Sirius watched him as Lyall went back up the stairs, 'What are you doing Moony?'

'Taking care of you.' Remus smiled, 'I would've thought you'd know what this looked like by now.'

Sirius smiled and folded sideways onto the bed, 'Normally you are a lot more fucked off with me.'

Remus sniggered, 'You sound ridiculous.'

'Do one Lupin.' Sirius smothered a laugh that changed into more of the wet hacking that had been happening intermittently since Azkaban. Remus was really hoping whoever Gideon brought would be able to help with that. Wounds, injuries, and that kind of thing the Lupins were well prepped to handle, but sickness, not so much.

Hope would have known what to do. Remus allowed himself a childish moment of longing for his mum. She would have held them both and made Sirius a tea or set up a potion for Lyall to finish when the time came. She would have known what food Sirius might have managed. And more importantly, she would have known exactly what to say to put them back together. Yes, he had held Sirius all morning, and most of the night, but what if Sirius didn't want him back? What if they made it through the trail and everything and Sirius… left?

Remus pushed the thought aside as Lyall appeared again, a tray floating in front of him. There were two of the big soup bowls, and a pile of griddle bread. Remus nose caught the scent of chicken and vegetable. Even Sirius raised his head.

'Do I detect your famous Cock-a-leekie soup, Lyall?'

'Dunnae push it Sirius.' Lyall grumbled as he passed Sirius a bowl and half the griddle bread wrapped in a cloth. The tray he brought to Remus and put a pile of three books on the table by his elbow.

'Tapadh leith, Athair.'

'No need to thank me lad.' Lyall dropped his voice, 'I'll be up the stair if you need anything. Rowena knows this might be difficult. Your pal Fabian set off down the road to meet that brother o' his and the healer.'

'Right.' Remus nodded and took a deep breath. 'We'll shout if we need help.'

They were just finishing up their lunch when Gideon stomped down the stairs, in the dragon hide boots that matched Fabian's. Sirius went still, for less than a heartbeat. Remus couldn't tell if he was imagining it, but for a moment it felt as though the temperature in the cellar dropped half a degree. He watched Sirius carefully. It used to happen a lot when Sirius was young. It was something to do with his magic. When he was on the defensive, and that cold, pureblood mannerism came over him you could feel the literal chill in the air. Not that Sirius should have any magic left right now.

'Remus,' Gideon nodded to him, 'Sirius. Good to see you.'

Gideon smelt wary, even if he managed not to sound it. Remus stayed seated.

'And you, how is everything?'

Gideon nodded, 'All fine on my end.'

Sirius carefully put his bowl on the floor. He wasn't really watching Gideon, but the shadow coming down the stairs behind him.

'Dorcus!' Remus felt genuinely happy to see her.

She grinned back, 'Hey Remus.'

Sirius smiled, though the shadows under his eyes and hollows of his cheeks ruined the effect slightly, 'Alright love?' The was real warmth in his cracked voice though.

She nodded, 'Yeah, I'm good thank Sirius.' She glanced between them, 'There's a whole official speel thing.'

Sirius glanced at Remus. He nodded, 'That's fine. I'm staying.'

Gideon cleared his throat, 'Remus, this is an official Ministry investigation…'

'If I were his wife, you'd let him stay.' Sirius almost growled, but whether that was a side effect of his throat or some suppressed emotion Remus couldn't judge.

'Well… yes, I suppose.'

'Good.' Remus said, leaning back in his chair, 'Then we all agree that I can stay.'

Dorcus hid her smile as she bent to put her healers' bag on the floor, 'Right, now we're all done with that. Mr. Sirius Orion Black, lately of Flat B, 19 Old Compton Road, Soho, London?'

'I am he.' Sirius rasped.

'Gideon, could you get Sirius some water please?' Dorcus asked primly.

'I'm not supposed…' Gideon glanced at Sirius again, 'Sure.'

Dorcus crouched in front of Sirius, 'Mr. Black, I am the Wizengamot assigned healer. I am here to assess your physical and mental state to decide whether or not you are currently capable of providing evidence in your appeal trial. If you are not, your trial may go forth without you. Have you understood everything I've said?'

Remus waited for the sarcasm, the eye roll. It did not come.

Sirius pushed himself up as straight as he could and spoke in the clipped formal tone that Remus always associated with his heir persona.

'I have understood and accept.'

She smiled, 'Alright, that's the formal part done for now. How are you feeling?'

'Uch,' Sirius folded over to cough again, 'Peachy.'

'I don't like the sound of that cough, how long has it been like that?'

'Not –' He dragged down another breath, 'Not certain. I thought it was from not smoking to start, then when the snow came…' Sirius shrugged.

Dorcus made an awfully familiar sound. They had all heard it before, disgust. She made it when Sirius had bent his latest squeeze over the Common Room table, snogging their breath away. She made it when James jinxed Snape's hair to drip actual slime. She made it when Marlene had broken her leg fighting Death Eaters, and the bone pushed through the skin. She made it now, thinking about Azkaban.

Gideon ducked back into the room, carrying a copper jug of water. He poured a cup and offered it to Sirius.

Sirius took it, 'What you put in it Gid?'

'The usual, Veritaserum mixed with arsenic.'

Sirius chuckled as Dorcus took his pulse.

'I don't find it very funny. What injuries have you treated already Remus?'

As he listed everything he could think of, Dorcus waved her wand, over and over. A quill moved by itself across the parchment by her leg.

'Tattoos, unless they are really infected as technically Sirius' own problem.' She gave Sirius a hard look, 'And the less I know about them the better probably.'

He nodded, 'Agreed.'

'Remus says you were hallucinating. Are you still?'

'Yes.' He sounded so certain.

'Do you know where you are?'

'I know where I think I am.'

Dorcus leant back on her heels, and Remus couldn't help his eyes being drawn to her withered arm. Yet another victim of this gods-awful war.

'Do you understand what they're accusing you of?'

Sirius raised his head again, giving her a long and level look, 'The same thing they've been accusing me of since I was eleven Dorcus. Belonging to him.'

She gently placed a hand on his knee, 'We're nearly done Sirius. I need to take a sample of your blood, and there's just one more question.'

He rolled up his right sleeve, revealing some of his older tattoos. Dorcus had seen them before but Gideon whistled low between his teeth as she used her wand to draw the blood into a crystal vial.

'Do you even know what half of them do?' Gideon asked Remus quietly.

He smiled, 'I studied Ancient Runes at NEWTs with Sirius. I know about… sixty percent of them.'

'And you sleep in the same bed as him?'

Remus caught his eye, 'You haven't seen mine Gid.'

Gideon looked surprised and then let out a booming deep belly laugh. Dorcus jumped, but it was Sirius who held Remus' attention. Strangled by the damage to his throat, it sounded all wrong, but his barking laugh joined Gideon's to bounce off the cellar walls.

This caused yet more coughing and all three men received a firm telling off from the firm witch.

When Sirius got his breath back, Dorcus nodded to her quill, 'Last question?'

'Go ahead.'

'Have you, Sirius Black, performed or attempted to perform magic since you left Azkaban?'

Sirius rolled his eyes, 'With what wand?'

'Answer the question Sirius.'

'I have not attempted to perform magic, I have no access to a wand to perform magic anyway.'

Remus knew his own face would give nothing away, but it always caught him off guard how good a liar Sirius truly was. Or how easily he could twist the truth until it snapped by itself perhaps.

Dorcus nodded and looked to Gideon for a hand up, 'Alright then. I'm going to leave potions and instructions with Remus, and Mr. Lupin. But honestly, I don't see any reason not to go ahead.'

Sirius flumped backwards on the bed, sitting up and talking for so long having taken its toll. He lifted one hand to wave as Gideon started up the stairs.

Dorcus paused at the bottom of the stairs, 'Remus, could I have a word?'

'Of course.'

He followed them up to the hallway. The radio was playing in Lyall's study at the front of the house, so the three of them turned in to the kitchen.

Remus positioned himself in the doorway, blocking the path back to Sirius. He crossed his arms across his chest, 'So, what's the verdict?'

Dorcus put her bag down on the kitchen table, 'I'm fairly certain he has some kind of pneumonia, I'll leave you something for it, and if that doesn't clear it up you can follow it with Pepper Ups.'

Remus looked between her and Gideon, 'What aren't you saying?'

'I'm worried about his mental health.' Dorcus pushed a braid that was working its way loose of her ponytail out of her face with her good hand, 'He's never been the most stable person Remus.' He tried to speak but she kept going, 'Everyone in the Order, or who was at school with him knows it. And he got progressively worse after…' To her credit she didn't look at Gideon, 'Well, after you two broke up. And after Marlene. Azkaban won't have improved anything.'

'But he can recover. People recover from Azkaban.'

'Ye-es, but Remus, Sirius' baseline sanity isn't exactly where ours is.'

Remus could feel his fingers digging into his arms hard enough to bruise now, 'There is nothing wrong with him.'

Oh yes and Dorcus heard the growl in his voice too, 'I'm just saying, don't expect miracles from him. You'll need to keep an eye on his magic too, I'll leave you some potions to keep it suppressed –'

'There will be no need for that lass.' Lyall said from behind Remus. Remus sidestepped to let his father in.

'Mr. Lupin, I'm Dorcus Meadowes. I'm a healer and I'm afraid there is a risk that –'

'Do ye ken that I am an expert in Magical Creatures, especially incorporeal ones?'

'Yes, of course.' Now she did look at Gideon.

'Mr. Lupin, Lyall, Sirius isn't stable. That means his magic, when he starts to regain his powers, will be unstable. It's dangerous.'

'See here laddie.' Remus swallowed, laddie was not a word anyone wanted to hear coming out of his father's mouth, 'Sirius Black's a guest in my hoose. He has been tae hell an' back fae the sake a' yous all and tae fight in this fucking war. He'll no be treated with fear or mistrust in my hoose. He will be treated wi' respect an' kindness fae as long as he needs it. D'ye ken me?'

There was silence following this pronouncement. Remus idly wondered how much of that the very English people had understood.

Gideon nodded, 'Of course, I completely understand Mr. Lupin.'

'Aye, good. Now lass, leave the potions there on the table then I'll gi' ye my view. Remus, go see to Sirius and I'll set Mr. Prewett here up wi' a cup o' tea.'

Remus nodded, and did exactly what his father told him.

AN: My Lyall is Scottish, and when he's riled he has a tendancy to slip into Scots. For anyone a little lost "tae" means "to", "fae" means "from" or "for", "yous" is a plural you like y'all, "ken" means "know" or "understand". When Remus calls Sirius "cariad" that's Welsh for "love". Remus calls Lyall "Athair" which is Scots Gaelic for "Dad/Father", and he asked him for books about Dementors. "Tapadh leith" is the formal Gaelic for thank you. Oh, and Sirius is saying "I am innocent" over and over in different languages, like he did in Azkaban, which gives you an idea what he is dreaming about. I hope my smatterings of languages all make sense!