Chapter 12

Remus woke up groggy but feeling better than he had for a long time. Sunlight was shining from the windows making the makeshift clinic look friendlier than the last time he was awake. His memories were hazy but he remembered bits and pieces. The main thing he knew was that he wasn't in pain.

His body ached as he sat up and looked around.

To his surprise, sleeping in the armchair beside him was Hermione. On the bed to the right was Ron. Both looked to be sleeping in last night's clothes. It concerned him that they were there but it also comforted him.

He opened his mouth to wake one of them, but all that came out was a soft croak. He hadn't used his voice in a while.

"Do ya want some water?"

Remus almost jumped as he found the source of the voice. It was the young blue haired girl.

She stood there wearing a dark brown jacket and jeans with holes in them.

"I'm Lyla," she said with a smile, "but everybody calls me Ly. Here have some water."

He knew he shouldn't accept drinks from strangers, but if Ron and Hermione were able to sleep, the situation must not be too bad. It also didn't leave him much of a choice as the girl, Ly, was putting a straw against his face.

He took a drink. Water. And he took another drink. Soon the cup was finished.

"After all those bizarre concoctions you've had I don't blame you for drinking the whole glass." Ly said softly taking the cup away.

Remus cleared his throat.

"Harry?" he whispered.

The girl just laughed, "'Ol Doc? Yeah he's here. Ya must be special for him to come during the school year. He even strangers in with him."

She looked pointedly at Hermione and Ron still fast asleep.

"Where am I?" He asked looking around.

Ly fidgeted a bit.

"How do ya up to a walk? Ya need to move around you've been in bed so long. Doc says it aint good for ya."

Remus sighed.

"Can I see Harry?"

Ly huffed.

"Well that's were we would be walking to." She stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Remus' inner teenager wanted to roll his eyes.

Setting his feet onto the cold floor he looked at her.

"Well let's go!"

Potter.

The snakes are behind you.

We must speak. Plan.

Send note when and where.

We are impatient.

D.M.

Harry crumpled up the note his mind whirling. He was unsure what D.M meant that the snakes were behind him. Of course he realized that D.M. was Draco Malfoy. The owl was a dead give away for that. But when he said snakes did he mean his classmates, his friends, or the whole Slytherin house? What did this mean? What did it mean for the war?

Grabbing a pen and paper he quickly scrawled.

D.M.

Will arrive back later today.

Meet will be tomorrow.

Unsure if this is hoax, meeting will be on lion turf.

9 p.m.

Don't get caught.

H.P.

He quickly gave the letter to the scary owl and watched it fly away.

A throat cleared behind him. Harry jumped and whirled around his wand hidden in his sleeve.

Remus looked so much better. The honorary uncle stood slightly unsteady, but still strong and curious.

"Harry," he said roughly as Harry embraced him.

"Remus," He said in the werewolf's shoulder, "I was so worried."

"Sorry to have worried you Harry," he murmured back.

They stood there for a few minutes until they awkwardly broke apart.

"So, where is the healer I have to thank." Remus said with a smile. "I feel great.

Harry shuffled and Remus could hear his heart rise.

Giving Remus a nervous smile, Harry shrugged.

"I guess you have a lot to explain. What have I missed?"

Harry shoved a chair at Remus.

"Have a seat, you're healing and it's a long story."

Sirius loved entertaining, the more people in his crazy mother's house, the better. Sirius however hated entertaining when his godson was currently missing. Everybody was asking him questions expecting him to know things, and comforting him, and all he wanted to do is get out of the bloody place and find his godson. The only comfort he had was Hermione's note. At least Remus was found and they were all together. An adult was with them for once.

With a weary sigh he put his coffee mug in the kitchen sink and walked into the living room.

The kitchen was too crowded and he needed space.

What he really needed was to get out of this hellhole, but clearly that wasn't an option.

He paced the living room, trying to think of what to do. According to Molly, Ron's hand on her clock was locked between Unknown and Traveling for the last 4 hours.

Sirius was just about to head up to his room when suddenly there was a knock at the front door.

All the people in kitchen took no notice as their voices continued to murmur; however Sirius Black froze.

Nobody had knocked at his door for years. Everybody always used the fireplace.

The knock came again as he crept to his front door.

"I told you we should just take the knight bus to Hogwarts," He heard a voice sounding a lot like Hermione mumble from the other side of the door.

"No. Harry was right to come here, at least all the order will be here and we can get this all over at once."

That was Remus' voice for sure.

Sirius whipped open the door, wand at the ready.

"Who was your first kiss," he said wand pointed straight at Harry as he stared at Remus.

"Lily Evans." Remus said with a smile.

Sirius laughed and pulled a horrified Harry into a hug.

"You kissed my mum?!" Harry whispered towards Remus.

Sirius let go of the teenager and gave his friend a hug.

"Don't worry Harry it was her hand. Pissed your dad off a bit. That was when she hated him."

Harry walked into the house, shooting both the adults a mistrusting glare.

"Don't give me that look, young man, you have no idea how much trouble you are in!" Sirius scolded back as he followed his godson.

Ron and Hermione shared a smirk, until Sirius turned around and said,

"The amount of trouble all of you are in."

And sure enough, in the doorway of the kitchen stood Professor Severus Snape with his hands crossed against his chest.

Ron refused to look at his mother in the eyes.

They all had been separated after the adults realized that Remus was not telling anybody where they were. He made up some story about a tropical island that nobody believed of course. It was brilliant at the beginning but as soon as Snape took Harry, Professor Dumbledore took Hermione, Tonks with Remus, and his emotional mother with him it took a negative note. He had not seen the others for four hours. His mother was getting more upset by the hour.

She sat across from him weeping quite loudly.

"You left no note, no nothing, I had no idea where you were. Do you know how long I watched the clock?"

Ron swallowed.

"I haven't slept in two days!"

"I-"

"Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"Mum, I'm sorry but I-"

"The least you can do is tell me where you all were?"

"Mum I told you we were in Northern Ireland."

Ron didn't need to look up to know he was getting 'the look'.

"Do you take me for an idiot Ronald?"

Ron sighed feeling immensely guilty.

"Harry says you were in Surrey. Hermione says you were in Scotland. Remus says that you all were on an unplottable tropical island. And now you are telling me Northern Ireland. So tell me Ronald which one is it?"

Ron looked up at his mother's angry face.

"I'm sorry mum I can't say anymore."

It had been four in a half hours before Snape had given up with a glare. Harry was prepared for questioning but he was not prepared for Snape. His professor had been brutal and threatening. Going from promising to dumping a truth serum down his throat, to breaking into his mind.

He only stopped his violent interrogation when Harry had compared him to Vernon. After that he was a brutal assault of questioning. When Harry gave him nothing for four and a half hours, he stormed out with the promise to be back.

So Harry waited.

The door opened quietly.

"With all due respect Professor I am not telling anymore." Harry said not looking at the door.

"Not your professor." His godfather said with a quirky smile as he sat down across from him.

"Sirius!"

"I heard you had quite the questioning from Snape."

Harry snorted.

"I almost felt sorry for you. Probably would've if you hadn't made me worry so much."

Harry swallowed, "Sirius-"

Sirius waved his hand dismissively.

"Its o.k. Harry. We have bigger things to talk about anyways."

Harry looked at the Daily Prophet in Sirius' hand for the first time and then looked out the window with a sigh.