Chapter 6: The truth about Sirius

And so, Ali and Remus became a couple. Kat had never been more happy to see Ali so happy, but seeing them made the nagging truth in the back of her mind bigger and more annoying than ever. She missed Sirius so badly.

Over the next few weeks, Kat slid deeper and deeper into solitude, shutting herself off from the rest of the world, throwing herself into work, spending her free time holed up in her room, sitting on the window sill and staring into space. Ali would come into the room and find her singing quietly, not acknowledging anything.

One day, both Ali and Remus came back to the tower to find Kat sitting on the window sill singing, the window open and cold spring air rushing in. Ali turned to Remus.

"We've got to do something. I can't let her sit there like that getting more and more depressed. It's making me feel so guilty"

Remus pulled her into a hug, calming her.

"I know, it's painful for me to see her like this as well. Let me try talking to her"

Remus crossed over to Kat and sat on the window sill. He noticed how blue Kat's lips were turning and suddenly realised how serious this had already become. He took one of her hands and almost dropped it in surprise. It was as cold as ice.

"Kat?"

Kat slowly turned her head towards Remus.

"Kat, listen. You need to tell us what's wrong otherwise we can't help you. Ali and me, we're scared Kat. Every time we come here, you're sitting alone freezing to death at the window sill but we don't know why. Please Kat, come back to us"

A flicker of recognition flashed across Kat's cold green eyes but then faded as she turned her head back to the window. Remus sighed and let go of her hand, watching as his friend drifted back to a world of her own.

"We've got to get Madame Pomfrey. Not only is she in a very serious state of depression, but if she spends another hour sitting by that window sill, she'll pass out from hypothermia. Her lips are blue and her hands are ice cold"

Ali rushed off to find Madame Pomfrey while Remus managed to wrap a blanket around Kat. Her face had gone pale and her lips very blue. Remus didn't know what else to do apart from sit with her to make sure she survived. While Remus was thinking what possibly could have driven Kat into depression, she spoke.

"Do you think Sirius is ok, Remus?"

This simple question took Remus so by surprise he almost fell out the window. And then he realised. Why Kat watched the sky every minute she had spare. Why she sang the very song she had been singing the day she first met him and Sirius over and over again.

Kat was lonely.

"Yes Kat, I do think Sirius is ok and I also think that if he could come back to Hogwarts to see you again, he would"

Remus didn't know why he had added that last part but it seemed to stir something deep inside Kat and she got up and crossed to the chest of drawers next to her bed. She pulled out her picture album and opened to the picture of her, Ali, Remus and Sirius on the day they had met. She sat back down and started to trace her finger around the picture.

Suddenly, Ali burst through the door with Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall behind her. McGonagall cried out when she saw the state Kat was in while Madame Pomfrey immediately began to help Kat onto her bed.

"Ideally I'd like to treat her in the hospital but she's too weak. She'd pass out before she got there"

While McGonagall went to tell Dumbledore what had happened, Remus pulled Ali over to one side.

"Its Sirius. That's the reason she's allowed herself to slip into depression. She's lonely"

Ali narrowed her eyes at Remus.

"No Remus, that's silly"

"No Ali, think about it. You were away when the whole thing happened so you don't know the full story. Me and Kat, we had planned a get together, just the three of us, to explain everything to you, but Kat slipped away before we got the chance. Anyway, what song did she only sing whenever you found her sitting on the window sill?"

"I don't know the name, it's a song her father taught her when she was little. She sings it whenever she's sad because it cheers her up"

"Exactly, it's the same song she was singing under the tree when we first met. You kept on telling her to be quiet because the Slytherins were laughing but Sirius kept telling her to sing. Why? Because he liked her. And now she's made a connection with that song to Sirius and so she's singing it so she feels connected to him. But it's having the opposite effect. Each time she remembers Sirius, she becomes sad so she sings the song to cheer her up, but by singing the song, she's remembering Sirius and this is making her even more sad, but she doesn't want to stop because she thinks it'll break the connection – she thinks she'll lose Sirius"

Ali looked at Remus like he had gone off his rocker. What the hell was he on about?

"I still don't believe it"

Remus was now running out of things to say. Why couldn't Ali believe him?

"When you were out getting Madame Pomfrey, she asked me if I thought Sirius was ok. I'm not lying Ali, why would I lie to you?"

Ali looked at Remus long and hard. Belief swam in his eyes and for a brief moment, she believed it too.

"Ok, but I still want to know the whole story. From you and Kat"

Remus smiled and gave her a hug. Finally they were getting somewhere. Suddenly, Madame Pomfrey ceased all activity and hurried over to Ali.

"She's ok; no permanent damage was done by the cold. She's still freezing but she'll warm up eventually. Leave her under the blanket and under no circumstances can she get up. Not until she is stronger. I'll check in again in about an hour. I think the two of you should stay with her for a while, so she's not alone"

Ali and Remus both gave a huge sigh of relief. Madame Pomfrey left and Ali immediately went and sat on the floor next to Kat's bed. Remus sat next to Ali and held her hand. Ali looked into Kat's cold, glassy eyes and saw just how unreachable her friend had become. She gave her a smile just before Kat closed her eyes, shutting herself off once more. Remus could see how close to tears Ali was and pulled her into a hug.

"Why didn't I see it before Remus? Why couldn't I have just believed her about Sirius? She is my friend after all. Do you think she'll ever forgive me?"

Remus looked into Ali's eyes.

"Yes Ali, I think she will forgive you. You two, you're like twins. Both joined at the hip, would do things together all the time. As for believing her about Sirius, well, I don't know. I suppose I would have had trouble believing her if I had been in your position so don't beat yourself up about it. When Kat's better, we'll tell you everything, I promise"

Remus gently wiped the tears off her face and kissed her. Ali wrapped her arms around his neck and didn't let go until Kats sighing brought her immediately back to her friends' side.

"I wonder if she can hear me."

"I'm sure she can Ali"

Ali took Kats hand again and took a trembling breath.

"I'm sorry Kat, sorry for not believing you, for letting you slip away, for everything"

This seemed to revive Kat and she opened her eyes and smiled at Ali.

"Hey"

Ali smiled, tears of joy now running down her face. She gave Kat a hug while Remus went to find Madame Pomfrey.

"You scared me half to death! Don't ever do that again!"

Kat smiled again and sat up, drawing the blanket round her. Ali sat on the edge of the bed, an awkward silence forming between them.

"Sorry Ali, I didn't take being lonely very well. I found that shutting myself off helped but after I had, I couldn't get back"

Ali smiled.

"Well, I'm glad you're back now"

The two girls hugged each other but had to stop when Madame Pomfrey came in to check on Kat, who was then deemed fit and healthy once again.

"Right then, I think it's time for the truth about Sirius to finally be told"

The three sat on the bed and began talking. By the end, Kat was happy and Ali now believed that Sirius was innocent.

"Kat, I'm so sorry for not believing you. I guess it was all just a big misunderstanding. I should have known that Sirius was just as much my friend as he was yours and that he would in no way turn into a killer. All I had to do was look at how much he adored you to see that"

Ali spoke the last sentence with a cheeky tone in her voice, making Kat furiously blush.

"Shut up. He did not 'adore' me, we were just really close!"

This time it was not Ali but Remus who gave a slight laugh of disagreement. Kat looked at him and Remus could not hide the glint in his eye nor the smile that was slowly forming on his lips.

"Oh come on Kat, you saw that tree carving! You cannot deny the fact that Sirius was crazy about you. You know what he said to me in the second year? He said, 'Remus, what do you think of Kat? Because being her friend for a year has made me realise that she is the nicest girl I've ever met and that in its self has made me realise ... I love her"

Ali's jaw dropped while Kat's eyes widened, her cheeks turning bright red.

"What!?"

Remus laughed.

"You heard me. Sirius loves you!"

Kat stared at Remus in disbelief before a huge smile displayed on her lips.

"Remus, thank you!"

Kat flung her arms around Remus' neck and hugged him but a sharp cough from Ali told her to watch it. Kat sighed and rolled her eyes before letting go of Remus and turning to Ali.

"Oh Ali, calm down, I'm not going to steal Remus from you, you're the one he loves, we're just friends, we can hug you know!"

Ali smiled, showing she was happy. Kat then got a quill and some paper and started to write.

Dear Sirius.

I'm with Remus and Ali at Hogwarts. I just wanted to tell you something and that is that, I, um, I love you too.

From Kat Smith.

Kat then sealed the envelope and put it on her desk, saying she would deliver it tomorrow. However Remus said he would take it to the owlery now and send it. Kat thanked him and Ali also went with him. Kat climbed back into bed and fell into a deep sleep. Ali and Remus climbed the stone stairway to the owlery and Ali watched as Remus called an owl and fastened the letter to its foot.

"Take this to Sirius Black"

The bird gave a knowing hoot and took off, its silhouette getting smaller and smaller.

"I wonder how they know who to take it to and where to find them?"

Remus looked at Ali.

"I don't know"

Ali smiled and took Remus' hand so as to walk back to her room but Remus pulled her into a hug, gently tipping her head back with his hand and kissed her passionately. Ali stood up on tiptoes so Remus would not always have to duck down, wrapped her arms around Remus' neck and the two stood there, the wind whipping around their ankles and through their hair. When they broke apart, Ali looked into Remus' shining blue eyes. She moved forward for another kiss but he placed his finger on her lips ever so gently.

"Come on, it's getting late, we should go back"

Ali reluctantly followed him, never letting go of his hand.