Chapter Sixty-Two: A Curse Breaker and Two Mirrors

Things were tense. There he admitted it. Sure everything was fine when it was the four of them but whenever he caught himself alone with Remus it's like neither he nor Remus knew how to speak anymore, let alone speak to one another.

Sirius really thought things were ok and would be ok. Especially when after Remus explained things he had been quite adamant with Sirius about not going after the Slytherins. Remus had even made a joke that if he didn't want to go flying out a window without a broom he should stay put. Sirius still didn't believe his cousins had nothing to do with it, and like always it was clear Remus wasn't telling them the whole story. Still, with Remus' angry comments still at the forefront of his mind he had agreed, at least until after exams not to do anything.

He also was sure something was going on with Professor Blatvnik. But now that they all knew it was the Slytherins that caused Remus to wind up in a coma, no one believed him. Sirius insisted reminding them about his weird interaction with their Professor but James pointed out that Professor Blatvnik could have just been irritated and suspected Sirius.

"Imagine that! A Professor not liking you Sirius." James had joked and in response, Sirius had several choice phrases to throw at him. He knew he was right, was sure of it, much more sure than he was about anything else, especially Remus.

For a while, things went back to normal, sort of, at least when it was the four of them together. Remus made witty comments and avoided questions and so forth. They all went to see the last Quidditch game of the year together, James dragging Remus saying he best get used to it since he'd have to go to all of them next year.

They all recovered together after yet another Gryffindor loss by gorging themselves on Honeydukes sweets. They went to Hogsmeade multiple times and sat by the lake several times and they all even studied together. But as the twentieth of June drew nearer Remus became more avoidant.

Sirius had left the fight with Remus weeks before, maybe just a tad bit upset and James had calmed him down in the dorm room. He had explained everything that happened to James, and if his best mate wasn't on the same page as him about Professor Blatvnik at least he was about Remus.

"Then you quit asking questions." He had commented after Sirius had calmed down enough to actually listen to reason. He was going to argue with James that ignoring it wasn't a solution, not when Remus seemed so sick, hurt, and upset afterward. But then James had said that he would stay on top of it and they would follow Remus in the invisibility cloak, and Sirius had knocked him down he had hugged him so abruptly.

So they spent the time Remus spent ignoring them forming a plan. They had decided they would trail Remus all day on the twentieth in the invisibility cloak, which was an awfully boring prospect since he'd probably be studying the whole time, but it was a necessary sacrifice.

Peter, however, was not part of the plan as Sirius was still cross at him for being so spooked as to pull him away from the secret passage within a passage. It wouldn't have been a big deal if they had been able to find the bloody thing again. But because Peter had been so scared and upset Sirius hadn't made a proper mental note of where it was. After the four of them spent hours of hours upon looking they finally had to give up.

It wasn't like Sirius was ignoring Peter or being mean to him he just didn't particularly want to talk to him about Remus or his family or any other serious matters, not until he decided Peter was forgiven for losing what might have been a way for Remus and Sirius to stay in Hogwarts over the Summer. Plus as James pointed out they weren't entirely sure Peter could stay in the cloak with them without giving them away to Remus.

"He's not exactly graceful. Just yesterday he nearly tripped us all under the cloak and almost got us caught by Filch." James had pointed out good-naturedly. Sirius had to admit it was a good point not to include Peter in this but he liked his reason better. After all, Peter hadn't got them caught and it made for a good laugh after they were all safe.

Other than Remus slowly pulling away and Peter being a big git, things were alright. James had taken to studying with Remus who he said was an incredible teacher, and definitely much more interesting to listen to on History of Magic than Professor Binns. Sirius would have joined them, Remus had even asked if he would be which made Sirius quite happy, but he had a very important job to do.

Ted Tonks, who he had to admit wasn't a complete wanker was occupied with his NEWTS which meant Sirius had been spending a lot of time, without Bellatrix knowing, with Drommie who was very pregnant and needed to be kept as calm as possible about her own NEWTS and everything else.

Sirius was happy to help, sure if he showed Drommie how much help he could be they might let him live with them, or at least let him visit a bunch. Anything more than a few letters and the occasional picture would be better. He didn't bring it up with Drommie though, not again, instead, they talked about a lot of other things. Sirius was a little disappointed at finding out Ted's parents would be little Nymphadora's godparents but Drommie pointed out how young he was and he understood.

After all, he didn't want to raise a baby anytime soon which he made sure to impress upon Drommie who just laughed in response. Of course in his mind being godparent didn't mean getting the baby and the responsibilities. It just meant spoiling the little twat and getting all the glory. It was definitely a title he could live with, as long as nothing happened to Drommie and even Ted he supposed. He didn't know how he'd handle things if Drommie died to which she had laughed and pointed out how healthy she was and that she'd probably live longer than Sirius.

When the NEWTS were done for all the seventh years Sirius got to celebrate with Ted, who was decent enough, he supposed, and Drommie who let him sip firewhisky in honor for her, feeling like she did well on her exams, even if she currently could not drink. Sirius enjoyed hanging out on the astronomy tower with them and decided he needed to make it a place where good memories happened, no longer the place where he remembered McGonnagal's grave face as she told them Remus Lupin was in a coma.

So after much convincing, and having all but to pry the textbooks from Remus' hands, they finally, with only two weeks until Summer vacation, made it to the tower. They all spread out blankets and just talked, mostly about their exams they had taken and the few still hanging over them, but also about all that had happened throughout the year. It seemed to fly by so fast and yet Sirius could swear he had known his three friends his whole life.

They just kept talking and talking, because if they didn't the too-quiet moments would fall, and not just between Sirius and Remus. Heavy moments of silence would fall between everyone, made worse and worse the closer to summer it got. Sirius found it unbearable at the moment, as once more the heavy silence threatened to choke them all.

"Next year I'm going to find that secret passageway and obliterate all the Slytherins both on and off the pitch."

"Aren't you forgetting the part where you actually join the team?" James asked in that tone he had when rousing himself from the many depressing topics that surrounded them. Because it wasn't just summer and it wasn't just Remus, the deaths were getting really bad and frequent. Voldemort who had seemed like a nutter only a few short months ago now was becoming a very real threat to a lot of people. Several students had already lost relatives to his reign of terror, and everyone was just now starting to realize that this war Voldemort was bringing was going to last much longer than they had all feared. Sirius gave James a strained smile, all of them clinging to the too few simplicities at being at Hogwarts and away from it all.

"That's a give in Potter." He gave a small laugh but his gaze grew serious once more, a sort of hard determination in his eyes that made James look older than he was. In fact, only Peter never seemed to get that look in his eyes nowadays, and Sirius both envied and hated him for his ignorance and ability to simply not worry about things.

"I'm going to join the team. But that's not my biggest goal anymore."

"What is?" Remus asked sounding a little nervous, Sirius just hoped he didn't catch on to their plan to tail him in four days.

"I'm going to do whatever I can to fight Voldemort."

"But you're just a child." Peter pointed out getting looks of disgust from both James and Sirius.

"We know that Voldemort has children fighting probably most of the Slytherin house are going to be fighting over summer and I bet at least some of them are causing trouble even from Hogwarts. Look what they did to Remus and I bet they are behind the two poisonings." Another heavy silence fell. They didn't talk about Remus being held hostage by the Slytherins, they knew he wasn't telling them names, and he got really uncomfortable whenever it got brought up. But Sirius was focusing on the other part of what James said.

"But Professor Blatvnik and that one-seventh year. You can't deny that was weird!" James sighed heavily and gave him that look that meant he thought Sirius was being ridiculous.

"Yeah but Remus already explained it could have been about anything. Besides a poisoning hasn't happened in months. Face it, Sirius, this whole time everything has probably been the Slytherins." James urged and Sirius looked at Remus who wasn't looking at any of them, staring at the nearly full moon with a rather haunted expression on his face. Sirius knew he was just looking anywhere but at him yet something about the sight sent a shiver down his spine. Again he felt something was nagging at him but he shook it off, focusing on his irritation at James trying to make him feel crazy, instead.

"But anything could also be the poisonings. Adults do bad things James especially ones who are in power." Remus' gaze snapped away from the moon and he was looking at Sirius sadly. He flinched realizing how his comment had come across. Yet another silence ran between them and he wanted to scream at them all.

"Summer is two weeks away. We haven't talked about it yet…" James began awkwardly.

"Because it won't do any bloody good!" Peter who was sitting next to him flinched and scooched closer to James who just looked sad.

"Only two months," Remus whispered as if that would fix something. Sirius nodded to him, only two months. He felt sick, more because of Remus than him, but two months wasn't that long.

"I'll write a whole bunch."

"Yeah but Remus won't" Peter hadn't meant it to be an insult but Remus hung his head in shame like it was one.

"Just tell us your address Remus I'll send my family owl and make him wait around until you reply. Even just a few sentences will do just enough to ...tell us you're ok. Then I'll fill in Sirius and Peter alright?" Sirius knew James had been about to say, enough to tell us you're alive and was glad his friend had more tact than that. Remus actually seemed to be considering it.

"Look I'm sure my marks are fine so there's no reason to worry. Seeing an owl will just upset my dad. They want me focusing on studies, not friends, remember?"

"Remus I will go mad if I don't hear from you all summer."

"Me too!" Sirius agreed with James quickly followed by Peter nodding vehemently. Remus shifted slightly the moonlight making him look paler than usual, or maybe he was getting sick again or something. Now that Sirius thought about it he realized Remus hadn't eaten a whole lot at dinner, about half of what he usually ate.

"There must be something." Sirius sighed, he couldn't talk to Drommie about it but he could and had talked to his uncle who he had kept informed throughout the year. He had only received one or two letters back from his uncle who traveled all over the world due to his job. But as summer came close the urgency of Sirius to hear his uncle would be nearby, again grew. If Sirius' mother was just going to ignore him he had half a mind to simply leave and stay with his uncle all summer, or at least as long as he could pull it off.

"Well at least think about it. I'm serious Remus we need to know you are ok."

"James you aren't serious I am." He responded half-heartedly and they all laughed just as half-heartedly before deciding to head back to their dorm under the invisibility cloak. No one, it seemed, really wanted to talk much anymore.

The dark mood followed into the next morning until Sirius received a letter and a package from his uncle.

Dear Sirius,

You know I would love to have you overall summer but we mustn't anger your mother too much or we'll both feel the consequences. I do think I can arrange for at least a few weeks, which is why I'm not writing you any details of my life-changing journeys as you must come and hear for yourself in person.

Plus I am far too lazy to write it all down, I think your poor uncle Alphy may be allergic to writing. Pity, guess I can't take that position in the ministry your mother is trying to force me to take. I suppose I'll just have to rely on my "demeaning job's" large sum of money instead. No, I have not just brought up money to brag as you see by now since you have inherited my tendency to open packages first and letters last, really my dear boy your mother just doesn't understand us open packages, first gentleman. Anyways you will have seen I have given a rather large sum of money to you to celebrate the end of the year in style.

You know I frown upon not saving galleons but as it so happens a certain annoying sister of mine would confiscate them from you if she found them so you best either spend them in one go or have a very good hiding place. Now, you are probably wondering why my letter is going on so long when they are usually a sentence or two, it's much easier to write from the comforts of home which yes I have returned.

I'm also missing my favorite nephew and can't wait until we get together and have a wonderful adventure as I'm sure you'll be in need of after dealing with my older sister for so long. To get to the point of the package, besides the money, you are probably wondering why I have given you two mirrors. While I am sure you will soon be getting into that age where you are concerned with your appearance the mirrors are much more than simple vanity.

I pondered your question about your mate who can't receive or use owls. It was quite a conundrum for me but there has never been a puzzle I couldn't solve and I wasted away for a few days, an exaggeration but of course until I reached a solution. You see you now have in your possession a two-way mirror I trust no further explanation is necessary. I hope it will be of some help and do be careful with it boy as it cost an arm and a leg and they aren't the easiest thing to come by. This one involves a story about a sphinx, a rather peculiar witch, and a walrus of all things. Intrigued? I hope so, what sort of uncle would I be if I had not wonderfully epic journeys to boast to you of.

Wishing you the best of luck with your mother who better not ever see this,

Your by far favorite uncle,

Uncle Alphard

"What are you beaming about?" James asked sounding rather weary at the good mood Sirius was now in, over what seemed to be two mirrors and a small amount of money to all of them besides Remus.

"My uncle is a genius he is!"

"What? Your Uncle Alphard?" Remus asked who definitely wasn't feeling good this morning, having even slept in.

"Yes, my amazing uncle the curse-breaker and single-handedly the one who currently has the title for the person who is the best at pissing off my mother." He knew he sounded downright giddy, but the fact that he could stay in touch with Remus was absolutely incredible.

"Your going to earn that title awfully soon mate." James pointed out with a laugh, cheered up slightly because of his good mood.

"A lad can dream." He grinned at James who grinned back at once more things felt right again, at least for the time being.

"He sent you so much money," Remus exclaimed softly looking in the box with Peter. Remus went red when he realized his statement was overheard by three people who clearly didn't think that. Sirius shooed the two away and held up the two mirrors.

"Tadah."

"I still don't get it mate. He sent you mirrors?"

"They aren't just any mirrors they are.."

"Two-way mirrors Sirius wherever did you get those?"

"Piss off Lily you stole my thunder."

"If you didn't want anyone commenting on them you shouldn't be waving them around all over the place then."

"This will allow us to communicate with Remus then!" James shouted just now understanding the implications. Remus colored a bit but didn't seem to have the energy to tell them not to shout out his situation so the whole Gryffindor table can hear.

"Why not just use owls?" Lily asked still sounding upset at being told off. Sirius cut in quickly before James could accidentally tell more information than he was sure Remus wanted LIly to know.'

"Because this is cooler obviously." Lily shot him a dirty look but stalked off, seeing that Remus wasn't feeling good and dropping the matter, at least for now.

"This is incredible. Right, Remus?" His poor friend nodded giving them a tired smile looking like he hadn't gotten any sleep, which was entirely possible knowing him. They spent the rest of the breakfast arguing over who would get to use it.