Elena awoke the next morning curled up against the snoring Sirius Black, and poked him sharply in the ribs.
"So much for keeping watch, sleepyhead."
"Piss off. I'm tired."
"We need to find something to eat."
"I'll eat you if you don't leave me alone."
"Yeah, good luck with that."
"I won't need it."
"Will you not?"
"Most definitely not. I could take you blindfolded with my arms tied behind my back and no wand."
"Well then, I hope you're not attached to your legs."
Their playful banter filled Elena's insides with a warmth that hadn't been kindled for a long time, as she ripped the sheet out of his grasp, rolled it up and held it out impatiently for him to tuck it back in his shirt.
"Fine, fine, I'm getting up."
"It's about time!"
"Alright, alright, chill out dwarf, what are we going to do now?"
"Steal a wand."
"Okay…how?"
"I hadn't got that far!"
"What a great and detailed plan you've created, Munroe."
"I will claw your eyes out while you sleep."
"I'd like to see you try!"
"Is that a challenge? I wonder if your precious girlfriend'll still want you when you've got two massive holes in your face."
"My precious girlfriend?"
"Yeah. I take it you've got one, or had one, before you were framed for mass murder and all that-"
"No, not really…? Why d'you think that?"
"I don't know, you've got that air about you. Like you were handsome and you knew it. Drove girls mad, didn't you?"
He's too busy coughing in disbelief. "Was handsome?"
"Mate, you're like a skeleton."
"Well you're not exactly runway model yourself."
"At least I don't have fleas."
"At least I don't have boundary issues."
"At least I'm not…a boy!"
"That was a quality playground insult Miss Munroe."
"Be ready to say goodbye to your eyes Black."
Sirius laughed as he stood up and stretched, head brushing the roof of the tool shed.
"So what are we actually going to do?"
"If you're such a genius, why don't you come up with a plan, then?"
"I have a plan."
"Oh really? And what is it?"
"Wait for you to come up with a plan."
"It's practically revolutionary-"
"Ha, ha."
"Well I'm not going to come up with one. You're going to have to do it."
Sirius started to respond, looking outraged, and then stopped.
Elena shivered.
A horrible cold steeled over the pair, and they fell into a stunned shocked silence as long, almost inaudible, rattling breath, over their heads.
Dementors.
Run.
Sirius kicked the rotting wooden door and it flew off its hinges, so they burst out of the shed and sprinted across the grass.
"Come on! Faster!"
Elena raced after Sirius as he yelled, but her muscles cramped and seized from months of no exercise and she tripped, sprawling, breathless onto the grass.
The Dementor swooped down, and she shied away as its clammy, disgusting fingers clasped her chin and forced it upwards. Horrible images flashed through her head, slipping off the edge of the cliff with a scream of pure fear, her mother collapsing onto the carpet, her boyfriend's blood blossoming out of his head like a grotesque flower, spiky, gnarled, twisted-
STOP!
Something clambered up onto her chest and barked, snarling, growling at the Dementor, and Elena could just see Sirius through her half-closed eyelids. The cold lessened slightly, and Elena could have cried with relief, but there was no time, because Sirius was tugging at her wrist, jaws biting into her skin.
Elena struggled to her feet, staggered forward and transformed.
The Dementors swerved back, confused, and the pair wasted no time in speeding across the field, down the rocks to the beach and into an alcove where the waves swept in and splattered them with salt water.
They stopped, still for a moment, the cat and the dog, sheltered in the cave, and when there was no sign of the Dementors returning, they shifted back to human again. Elena kept her composure for less than a second before huddling up against one of the rocks and breaking into loud, painful sobs.

Sirius watched her for a moment, looking almost angry with her, and then sat too, making sure to give her space.
"You alright?"
"Thanks for saving me," was her only response as she attempted to pull herself together, wiping her eyes and taking a deep breath, though her lip wobbled. "Sorry."
"What've you got to be sorry for?"
She shrugged. "You should've run. They wouldn't have found you. You could've gotten away."
"What, you think I should've left you behind? What kind of man do you think I am?"
"I don't know, one who's hopefully interested in staying alive."
"But not at the expense of you dying!"
"Why not? Why do you care? We've only known each other for like, a day!"
"Would you have gone back for me?"
"Well, yeah-"
"So why can't I?"
"Because you've got someone to go back to!" Elena was breathing hard, eyes passionate, shining with tears. "Because you've got someone to save, you've got someone you needs you, you've got someone who cares that you exist! You've got someone to live for, Sirius, and I don't!"
There was a pained silence, were the only sounds were Elena's choked breaths as she stifled back tears and the crashing of the waves as they ravaged the sand. Sirius shook his head as if to clear his ears of water, took a step forward, looking torn, then crouched and hugged her. She began to cry freely then, the warmth of the contact painfully familiar and yet unfamiliar at the same time.
"You have got something to live for, Munroe."
"Mhm?" She sniffled, wiping her nose on the back of her hand. "What?"
"I need someone to make the plans! Do you really think I'd survive ten minutes on my own without your incredibly detailed and thought-out plans?"
"Oh shut up." She punched him weakly on the arm, and he fell back onto the sand, mock crying.
"Oh no…thou hast wounded me…I am dying, I must be dying…tell my family I love them…"
"Drama queen." Elena snorted as she stood up, straightened the stolen and crumpled t-shirt and held out a hand to pull him to his feet. "Mention I cried and I'll rip your throat out."
"Duly noted."
Faint with hunger, the pair transformed and made their way up the cliff again and returned to the town, impatient to eat and glad to have a purpose for the first time, for Sirius, in years.

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