Disclaimer: It isn't mine. All J.K. Rowling's.

A/N: Okay, so no one's come after me with pitchforks and torches, so I assume whoever's reading this is enjoying it ¬_¬

Chapter Three

Hallo, Prepotence

"Get on with it, then."

Harry looked back at Miller, whose eyes were carefully averted from the cellar entrance. The man was shaking now, all bravado having dissipated. Harry stepped away from the trap door, his stomach churning. Looking down at the exhausted man in chair, images of blade and other objects he cared not to think too hard about flashing across his vision. His eyes roved over the lacerations the captured man's body with a dark new understanding.

"What has he don't to you?" Harry asked, voice unintentionally hushed Miller looked away, over Harry's shoulder to stare out the window behind him, shifting slightly on his chair.

"What hasn't he done to me would be a simpler question to answer," the man winced, "Just…please do it. The longer you wait to begin, the worse it will be. For the both of us."

Harry straightened abruptly, clenching his fists, "Don't assume—"

"That you don't want to hurt me?" Miller gave Harry an apologetic smile, "You're too easy to read, boy. The priest could see the same in you, I'm sure. You're his next apprentice, aren't you?"

"I am."

"Then I'd be careful. If you don't hurt me like he would have hurt me, were he here, you could be in a lot of trouble for disobeying him. I don't think dropping you from his teachings would be your greatest worry, either."

Harry slumped back against the wall, dropping whatever pretence he had left, even though it hadn't hidden his nerves from either this man he didn't know or Father Remus, apparently. He stared down at his clenched fists in frustration.

"I'm sorry." he muttered, "I didn't realise that I would have to do something like this."

"Then you're a fool."

Harry looked up sharply at the bound man. After all, he was the one being punished – who was he to speak to him in such a way? But when he met the older man's eyes, he only found sorrow there.

"I'm not as foolhardy as you think." Harry insisted, "I knew that if I got into the Church, this was the kind of thing I would have to face up to doing one day, but I misjudged when I would have to face it."

Miller coughed, wincing as his bindings scraped against his skin. Harry bit his lip when he saw blood as the older man coughed.

"Surely," Miller said once he had regained some composure from choking on his own blood, "You could do this easily now, if you have always known you have to anyway. Punishing me now is no different to punishing some other sinner in the future."

"I never planned to punish anyone."

"Just do it. I deserve it." Miller was sounding desperate now, his hoarse voice straining, "I started a fight – I broke the law!"

Harry began to pace back and forth before the criminal, scratching his chin, deep in thought. After a moment of gazing outside at the rain, he stood still and turned back to the man, firm in his decision.

"I will not punish you." he said resolutely. Miller looked as though he was about to start panicking, so he added quickly, "If Father Remus finds out then I'll accept the punishment for lying to him, but I refuse to hurt someone who is probably innocent."

"I started a fight." Miller responded, staring blankly at the ground. Harry frowned, feeling slightly irritated that his good deed was being ignored. He stepped forward, before realising he was becoming aggressive for no reason and cleared his throat, glancing again at the trap door.

"You want me to hurt you?" he asked quietly.

Miller looked up at him, his eyes hard.

"No."

"Then I won't."

Outside

His fists clenched as he listened silently to the exchange inside the dilapidated building. He had had a mind to go in there and force the ungrateful boy to kneel alongside the sinner himself.

"So this is where you got to."

Remus started and turned to see Sirius heading through the trees towards him. He joined the priest under the narrow shelter, shaking his head like a dog and spraying Remus with rain water.

"What are you doing up here? You know James and the rest are waiting for you." Sirius said with some annoyance, ignoring Remus' glare at being soaked, "I don't appreciate being used as James' messenger, so come along and hurry so I can give him a piece of my mind when we get back."

"Why come, then?" Remus asked with a sigh, his ears straining to hear inside the hut. Sirius opened his mouth to answer, but stopped and narrowed his eyes suspiciously when he noticed where Remus' attention was focused.

"I thought you were going to let that guy go." He said, jerking his head in the direction of the door, "What are you doing? Is he still in here?"

"I…" Remus hesitated, glancing at the door, "I brought Harry to finish my work. I want to see how he reacts."

"You let a boy have access to that room?" Sirius asked with a low whistle, "You're...that's harsh."

"Why do you say that?" Remus asked coolly, stepping from under the shelter and beckoning for Sirius to follow. The instant he did he was drenched, the rainwater soaking through his hair and robes, making them cling to his body. "I was expected to do such a thing – and more – at his age."

"You were a special case and you know it." Sirius snorted, lifting a hand to open the door.

"Don't."

Sirius paused, his hand on the handle, and looked back at Remus who continued to stand in the rain, watching him with narrowed eyes. "Why? I just want to see what a good job your boy is doing."

"He's not." Remus admitted, "He is doing nothing. He won't."

Silence ensued as Sirius shifted his weight, suddenly uncomfortable. "What are you going to do to him?" he asked quietly, "I know I tease him, but he's a good boy really, he—"

"Nothing, Sirius." Remus interrupted impatiently. He beckoned to his companion, "Come. This rain is only growing worse. We'll drown before we arrive if we linger any longer."

Sirius hesitated, his hand still on the door, his expression one of doubt. Remus sighed.

"He will still be coming to The Grail. I will do nothing to the boy."

Yet, Remus thought bitterly as Sirius nodded and followed him back through the trees, away from the house where the boy was disobeying him as they went. His fists clenched and unclenched spasmodically. So, the boy thought himself above Remus' expectations? Better than the Church's laws?

Better than the Church?

Better than Remus himself?

If it was possible for a man to remain uncorrupted by the Church, it would be through that boy that Remus would find out how. He saw his disdainful glances during services, hastily supressed from both himself and Remus. The priest would bring him to The Grail and would make sure that the boy knew his place. But he hoped the boy would resist.

He would break him.

He would enjoy breaking him.

And he would enjoy being broken.

Next day

Harry laughed as Mother's grip on him tightened and forced her to release him. She stepped back, her eyes glistened as she looked up at him fondly, a small, sad smile creasing the lines around her mouth. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could see Sirius tapping his foot impatiently and Remus trying to quiet him in hushed tones. Harry ignored them, determined that he would say an apt farewell to the woman who had diligently raised him and to the kids alongside whom he had grown up.

"I won't be gone forever," Harry assured the elderly woman, laying a hand on her shoulder, "I'll be back once my training is over."

"I know." Mother replied, glancing over at the priests, "I know, so enjoy yourself. Don't think about this place too much – you'll love The Grail."

"It's much more exciting than this place." Sirius sighed, shifting his weight edgily, ready to leave as soon as Harry was finished at the orphanage. Harry restrained himself from throwing the man a heated glare, feeling Remus's gaze on him – he hadn't been able to look the young priest in the eye since the previous day when he had been ordered to carry out that prisoner's punishment. Strangely enough, Remus had not asked about it when he had come back for him and had said nothing to Miller, either, making Harry almost certain that he knew of his abstinence. He was waiting in fear and trepidation for the priest to confront him about the direct disobedience and had been thoroughly surprised when he had been told that he was definitely to go with Remus to The Grail to begin his apprenticeship with the Church.

Pushing his worries from his mind with some difficulty, Harry turned to his fellow orphans, opening his arms. The younger ones and the girls hurried forwards to embrace him, almost knocking him over and making him laugh again, telling him that they would miss him and that he couldn't leave them there alone. He shook a few of the older boys' hands before turning to one in particular, his smile fading quickly.

"Draco." Harry nodded shortly.

"Harry."

Harry didn't like the smug smile that was spread across the other boy's face and was about to say so, when Sirius let out an exaggerated sigh and stepped forward to grasp Harry' arm and start to tug him towards the door.

"No offence," the Archdeacon said with a charming smile aimed at Mother, "But we're on a tight schedule. We're expected at a welcoming banquet tomorrow in three nights and if we don't leave now, we're not going to make it on time."

#Harry made to object, but closed his mouth when he saw Remus nodding in agreement. Instead, he wrenched his arm from Sirius's grip to heave his trunk to the door. Turning to give his family one last wave goodbye, Harry led the way outside to where an old stagecoach was waiting, four large horses waiting patiently with their driver up front. He heaved his trunk into the covered baggage compartment at the rear where Sirius's and Remus's were already stored and looked once more to Mother, who gave him an encouraging nod, lifting a greyed handkerchief to her eye briefly. Harry looked away after seeing her proud smile and waited whilst Sirius let Remus into the coach. As Harry climbed in last, the driver hopped up outside, taking up the reigns.

"Ready?"

Harry took a seat opposite the two men and looked at Remus before giving a short nod. Remus smiled back jovially and knocked on the roof of the coach whilst Sirius slammed the door closed and called out to the driver to 'get going'. Harry leaned back on the comfortable seat and silently appreciated the soft swinging motion of the carriage, rather than the usual bumping that other coaches gave. He supposed it was due to the new leather braces attached to the chassis that were popular around the Province recently.

Harry remained silence as the coach rumbled slowly through the everyday crowds of Hallow, through the markets, past the High End, where the bankers and more upmarket retailers had set up business, and beneath the stern eye of the Church in the centre. The Priest and the Archdeacon commented every so often about a certain Noveant they may have spotted outside, or about the simple coach in which they were travelling, but neither attempted to draw the boy into their exchanges – much to his thanks; there was no chance of Harry becoming emotional over the place, but he was decidedly chagrined to be leaving Hallow behind. He had, after all, been in Hallow since his birth up to the present, so leaving the bustling and cobbled Parish was quite the milestone.

It took them little under an hour to reach the outskirts of Hallow, where they passed through several farming villages and hamlets. Men and children alike looked up when they heard the coach approaching and men and children alike averted their stares when they saw who occupied said coach and bowed their heads until they were out of sight. The two preachers mentioned nothing of the Noveants' behaviour as though it were expected and continued to talk aimlessly of the weather, agreeing that it looked likely to rain.

Sure enough, just as their carriage swayed past a wooden signpost that signified their leaving Hallow and starting on the Spine – one of the main connecting roads that wove its way between the main Parishes of Prepotence – Harry laid his hand on the window as rain drops began to adorn the glass. He craned his neck, looking back at his home, staring at nothing in particular and thinking of everything in particular as the rain grew so heavy so quickly, it soon drowned out the sound of the sixteen hooves pulling the carriage outside. Harry let out the breath he had not known he had been holding and slumped back in his seat. Had he been expected to feel somehow different once he had finally crossed over the border of his home Parish? Well, if he had, he was sorely disappointed as he silently observed that he did not, in fact, feel at all different for being outside of Hallow, than he had whilst being inside of it.

Swallowing, Harry managed a cursory glance at his elders seated opposite him. He had not taken the time to worry – until now – about how he was supposed to act around the men. Was he supposed to speak only when spoken to? How was he expected to behave for the long journey to the capital and how was he expected to behave once they were actually there? Judging by the way Father Remus and Archdeacon Sirius were bickering, Harry assumed they were not overly concerned with proper decorum once they were out of the public's eye. With the old, stone houses and the bleak, grey faces of Hallow gone to be replaced by the towering, close-knit trunks and the heavy, lush leave leaves of the forest surrounding the Spine, all cordial and stern pretences vanished as Remus slapped Sirius's hand away as the Archdeacon reached over to tug on the Priest's hair.

"Come on." Sirius was saying with what could only be described as a devilish grin, "You can't tell me you're not even curious."

Remus cast Sirius a thick scowl, "Yes, I can. I am not even curious. Why in the world would I want to see than man after everything?"

"To prove to him," Sirius answer, holding up a silencing finger when Remus scoffed, "And to yourself, that you're a man who has successfully dedicated himself to God despite what he put you through."

Harry watched curiously as Remus closed his eyes briefly before redirecting his gaze outside.

"How do you know if he's still alive?"

Sirius rolled his eyes, "He was fine the last time I saw him—"

"What?" Remus snapped. Sirius held his hands up in a display of innocence whilst Father Remus stared at him in a way that made Harry's skin crawl and the hairs on his arms stand on end.

"I didn't go looking for him." Sirius explained hastily, "He was there at the last meeting I had with James in The Grail. He asked after you. Seemed quite interested in how you were doing…"

"I'm not sure why," Remus muttered coldly, "But you seem to be under the impression that I give a damn."

Harry's fingers automatically clenched into straining fists at the blasphemous curse as he stared at his mentor. Remus only glanced at him sparingly for a sparse moment before letting out a tired sigh and returning his gaze to outside again. Sirius laughed jovially, patting the Father's thigh. Remus slapped him away for the second time.

"Don't look so shocked, boy." The archdeacon chuckled, "We're only men and men curse. Don't think we don't hear you Noveants turning the air blue when you think we're not around."

Harry could only blink as he looked back and forth between the two men who were the most feared in Hallow – the sternest when it came to the teachings of the Church. Sirius' amused smile soon turned to a more characteristically cruel one when Harry failed to speak.

"You can't act so green when we reach The Grail, kid." He advised in a low voice, "Trust me, you'll be eaten alive if you put your choirboy ethics on show."

Harry scowled, unable to disguise his strong distaste for the man and spat, with more venom that he had initially intended, "Trust you? I don't see how having morals should be considered as weak within the Church."

A long, stiff silence polluted the coach after Harry's outburst. The boy held the archdeacon's stare, but his palms itched as he felt the Father's eyes on him. After a moment, a grin split Sirius' face, but before he could speak and more than likely incense either Harry or Remus further, the priest bowed his head humbly.

"I apologise if I have offended you." He murmured. Harry was mollified and must have made it too obvious, because Remus' expression turned hard when he looked back up at him, "I apologise, but I won't say that I'm not going to do it again. I am perfectly fine with saying sorry each time my tongue slips, but know this," Father Remus tilted his head a fraction to the side, his eyes like ice that made Harry freeze beneath the cold stare, "Whether I apologise or not, I am neither remorseful nor am I sincere. In this matter I agree with Sirius. You must leave your boyish views of the Church behind you and continue on by accepting the cynicisms of your elders. When we reach The Grail, I have no doubt, judging by your reactions, that you will have to rethink your image of the Church."

Sirius snorted appreciatively at the astounded expression Harry wore. Remus merely returned to watching the forest passing by the window.

"My image of the Church is one shared by all Noveants and—"

"No," Sirius laughed, "It's not. Ask any of them behind closed doors and they'll all have the same image of the Church, sure. But it's not yours, boys. Far from it. The Grail is far more relaxed that Hallow, I'm going to enjoy watching you trying to adjust."

"The world is split into those who pretend they are of good intention before the eyes of God and those who see through their act and pretend they don't see it." Remus looked at Harry coolly before continuing, "And those like you. Those who are like clueless children until the day they die, by choice. But don't mistake my tone for disdain, boy. It is with those like you that I can begin to recreate the Church into one led by men who are truly God fearing."

"That's his idea of a compliment." Sirius interpreted, jabbing a thumb in Remus' direction with a small smirk. Harry looked between them, thoroughly confused by the odd turn the conversation had taken.

"What do you mean, recreate the Church?" Harry asked slowly. Remus smiled, the cool aura vanishing in a second, leaving Harry wary.

"Nothing of any significance." Remus replied, a hint of bitterness detectable in his voice, "I apologise for divulging some of my more offensive ideas – and that apology, I assure you, is sincere."

The Spine, Road to The Grail

As they had begun their journey in the early hours of the morning, so it took a while for it to grow dark in the forest. Sirius had fallen asleep a mere ten minutes after Remus had had a few choice words with a nervous Harry and was currently snoring softly with his head leant against the window, on which the rain was still pattering lightly. Remus had been balancing a thick book on his knee, a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles perched on his nose, but ceased in his efforts to continue to read, muttering that it was too dark. He turned to Harry as he closed his book.

"Tired?" he asked pleasantly. Harry started, having been staring blankly at his own hazy reflection in the glass beside him. Remus smiled a weary smile and shifted uncomfortably in his seat as Harry nodded silently. "I am, too. I dislike travelling. If I'm correct, we should be close to an inn by now that is usually used on this leg of the journey to The Grail."

"Will we sleep there?"

Remus nodded just as the coach jerked to a sudden stop, causing Sirius's head to bounce against the solid frame of the window, the hit waking the man violently. Remus laughed softly, setting his book down on the seat between them and standing to open the door. He gestured for Harry to follow as Sirius muttered under his breath, rubbing his head irately.

Once outside, Harry' gaze landed on a small structure set between the trees, a stable built a little ways away, to which their driver urged the horses once all three men were out of the coach. Harry squinted through the rain at the inn as they made their way towards the entrance. It was larger than he had first assumed, as much of the building was hidden behind thick oak trunks. Sirius thumped a fist on the door twice and they had only but wait a moment before it swung open to reveal a large woman in a tight grey dress, clutching a faded red shawl around her shoulders. The sound of low voices and the smell of warm food leaked from the entry, making Harry' mouth water and raising goose bumps along his arms. He clutched his cloak tighter around him, thinking back on their meagre lunch of bread and cheese and water.

"Hullo, Fathers." the landlady greeted Sirius and Remus, dipping into a shallow curtsy. She straightened up, thoroughly ignoring Harry, and stood back, saying, "Come in, come in out of the rain. Am I right in assuming that you'll be wanting a room for the night?"

"Right you are, Louise," Sirius grinned, throwing an arm around the woman's shoulders as he kicked the door shut on the increasingly stormy night, "Now, don't be a stranger, do you have my usual stock here?"

Harry looked around the room as Louise answered that, of course she did, whilst casting an apprehensive look at Father Remus. The inn was large, welcoming and cast in a soft orange glow from the great fireplace on the opposite side of the room. Men, women and a few children sat were scattered at sturdy tables, all with generous plates of meat and potatoes in front of them. A few lone men were seated at the bar, each cradling a mug of something warm. Harry assumed it wasn't alcoholic, seeing as alcohol was illegal, but then he wasn't sure. He had never been to such a place in the middle of nowhere – perhaps they thought they wouldn't be caught in such a remote location. Harry looked at his feet when the new company started to attract curious glances from those already there.

"Don't be nervous because of me, dear Louise." Remus said reassuringly to the woman, "I am not brave enough to stand in between Sirius and his favourite sin."

Louise laughed nervously whilst Sirius grinned. He turned to Harry and patted him on the back with so much gusto, Harry stumbled forward a step, much to the amusement of Louise.

"This is Harry," Sirius introduced him, "Remus's new trainee deacon. Harry, this is Louise – the best damn cook on the road between here and The Grail."

"I'm sure he tells all the women that." Louise smirked as a squat, beady-eyed man approached them and shook Sirius's hand enthusiastically, before offering a bow of the head to Remus, who returned the gesture demurely.

"And this here is Jonathon," Sirius added with a wink at the man, who chuckled, tucking his thumbs in the braces he wore tight over his shoulders, "Supplier of the golden goods."

"Nice to meet ya, lad." Jonathon nodded to Harry, who noticed that the landlord had several teeth missing. Harry nodded back weakly to both innkeepers, looking to Remus questioningly. The Priest smiled back with some reserve in his expression and turned to the man and woman.

"We do require a room, Louise." he said with a glance around the room, "We're only stopping for the night and will need to be back on the road by dawn."

Sirius moaned and rolled his eyes, "By dawn, he means late morning."

"We'll also require a warm meal before we sleep, breakfast on the morn' and food packed for the day tomorrow, if that isn't too much trouble." Remus glanced around the room for the second time, his gaze causing some of the other travellers to look away, "I see you're busy."

"No trouble, Father, of course." Jonathon said, shaking his head, "Did you come by coach or by horse?"

"Coach." Remus answered, tilting his head in the direction of the door, "Our driver has taken it around to your stables to put the horses up. If you could have our trunks brought up to our room as soon as possible, I can pay you in advance, since I doubt I will have time tomorrow morning."

Jonathon's and Louise's faces both lit up brightly at the mention of early payment and their demeanour towards Father Remus warmed instantly. Harry looked on, silently amused, as Jonathon summoned a boy a little younger than himself by the name of Griffiths and ordered him to fetch their luggage and bring it up to room five. Sirius took Jonathon over to the bar, releasing Louise to instead hook his arm over the innkeeper's shoulders, talking in conspiringly low tones. Harry looked after them curiously, but Remus recaptured his attention by placing a hand on his arm.

"Come, let us wash before we sup." the Priest said softly.

"Do you need me to show you up to your room, Father?" Louise asked, glancing over at her husband and the Archdeacon, who let out a loud bark of a laugh, attracting a mixture of entertained and apprehensive stares from the other punters. Remus shook his head, assuring her that he knew where his room would be, unless they had managed to move it since his last visit. Louise laughed and let them go, obviously relieved to be free of Remus's presence. Harry couldn't blame her – the Father carried an intimidating air with him that was only heightened when one got to know his stern, unforgiving character. His smiles and warm manners did little to disguise the ice in his blue eyes.

Through a set of doors on the other side of the inn, down a hallway with several doors and up a set of steep, wooden stairs to another hall scattered with doors and lit with loose fitted sconces, was their room. Remus led Harry to the first door at the top of the landing and opened the door, going in and making his way to the window immediately to heave the window closed on the opposite wall. The sill and the floor beneath the window were dark with the rain that had been allowed to pour in.

"They never close the windows." Father Remus sighed, turning to examine the room. Harry did the same, stepping in to look around and take in the twin beds pushed up against the dark, stained wall. A small table with a mirror propped against the wall behind it was on the other side of the window. Harry returned his gaze to the two small beds before glancing at Remus, chewing his lips hesitantly. The Priest seemed to read his mind and smiled.

"Don't worry." he assured a nervous Harry, "One of those is yours and the other is Sirius's."

"Where will you...?" Harry started, but trailed off with the assumption that the answer to his unspoken question, most likely, wasn't his business, but Remus smiled again.

"I won't be sleeping here tonight. I have business in a town a little ways away from here, but I'll be back before we set off tomorrow morning, bright and early."

Harry wanted to ask who he was going to meet, but by the way Remus's smile quickly faded, he gathered that it wasn't his place to ask. Luckily, before the atmosphere had a chance to grow awkward between them, Sirius appeared in the doorway, followed by Griffiths and two other boys of the same age, one with shocking red hair and freckles that covered his face and arms and another blonde with a large birthmark on the side of his neck that disappeared under his shirt, all hauling a large trunk each, puffing audibly. When they dragged their luggage into the room to set it in the corner, they stood, seeming to be waiting for something.

"Come on, boys," Sirius said loudly, pressing a copper coin into each boy's hand and ushering them out of the room, "We're weary from out travels and I must say – a nice, hot bath wouldn't go amiss."

The boys nodded silently and made to leave, but Remus stopped them before they could disappear. "Forget that bath, at least until after we've eaten." he told them, sending Sirius an exasperated look, "I don't suppose Harry wants to sit here and watch you wash yourself."

"Well, you never know." Sirius smirked with a sumptuous wink at Harry, who balked. The boys nodded, ever silent, and disappeared, closing the door behind them. Sirius stretched, holding his arms out above his head before striding over to his trunk, digging in his pocket for a key with which he promptly opened his luggage, throwing open the lid. Remus busied himself opening his own trunk whilst Sirius started to throw various garments onto the bed. Harry watched with some curiosity as Father Remus did the same thing, but in a tidier manner as Sirius yanked his cassock off and pulled a dark blue, collarless shirt on over his head, leaving the buttons done up before running a hand through his black hair, mussing it up even more. Remus rolled his eyes at the hurried, slapdash way in which his colleague had changed and carefully pulled the white tab from his collar of his cassock to set it on the table. Sirius rolled his eyes at Remus's slow process of changing and rocked on the balls of his feet impatiently.

"It's easier for us to enjoy a meal in public out of our clergy uniforms." Remus explained to Harry, who was waiting for them so they could all head down to eat, "It makes men uneasy when they see our white collars."

"But don't they already know who you are?" Harry asked with a sceptical frown.

"A man's mind is simple to pacify." Remus answered cryptically.

"They must assume that we're off duty once the collar's gone." Sirius suggested before baring his teeth nastily at Harry, "That only makes it easier to catch them when they're up to no good, when they assume we're turning a blind eye."

Harry nodded silently, casting Remus a sideways glance. He wasn't so sure that many here would let their guards down with this certain priest around – even this far out, people obviously knew who he was. It seemed that Father Remus's reputation preceded him. Remus was busying himself with the last few buttons of his cassock and let it slip from his shoulders, revealing his torso. Harry's eyes immediately travelled to his waist and felt bile rise in his throat unpleasantly.

A rope, adorned with hundreds of shards of glass – much like Miller's bindings – was tied around Remus's waist, so tightly that with each small movement the man made whilst folding his cassock, the glass cut into the open wounds already there, blood seeping onto the rope slowly. Remus seemed to catch Harry staring from his peripheral vision and gave him a brief, grave smile, but said nothing. His hands went to his back and he untied the rope, slowly prying the torturous accessory from his flesh, wincing as he did so, to set it on the table beside his priestly vestments. Harry's eyes didn't seem to want to look away from the priest's scars of self-harm – he knew that Father Remus preached of daily punishment and that comfort was sinful, but he had assumed that the context was to be taken generally, to mean that living a simple life was better than a lavish one. According to the sight before him, Harry realised that Remus took his own teachings more literally than anyone.

Harry looked to Sirius, not knowing to do or say, but the Archdeacon was already watching Harry, his expression unreadable. It seemed that Sirius already knew of the bodily harm Remus inflicted on himself. Harry turned back to the priest, not knowing what he was going to say, but his unknown words were caught in his mouth when something else happened to catch his eye.

Was that...?

Remus pulled a white shirt on and Harry blinked, shaking his head slightly – he must have been mistaken. Why would the strictest Priest of Prepotence be wearing an inverted cross on a chain around his neck? The symbol of Satan, no less? He must have seen it too quickly at an odd angle that made the cross appear different. Remus was giving Harry a look that made him want to skip supper and hide in their room, but he was mollified when the Priest bent to rummage once more in his trunk to yank out something heavy and throw it over his shoulders – a dark, forest green travelling cloak, lined with dark fur and equipped with a hood that looked as though it might double as a cowl if pulled far enough forwards. Of course, he had a meeting to attend elsewhere. Harry relaxed a fraction, deciding that Remus must be leaving right away, but blanched when he was struck by the thought of being alone with the Archdeacon.

"Right." Sirius said, clapping his hands and rubbing them together, "Let's go."

The three headed back down into the warm light of the fire. Some turned their heads to look at them, but soon looked away, finding themselves quickly disinterested. Before Sirius had the chance to head to an empty table, Remus caught his arm and leaned in close, his voice dangerously low.

"Don't do anything to show us up." he hissed, holding Sirius's gaze determinedly, "You have Harry to look after and you're already in enough trouble with James as it is."

Sirius looked to the ceiling with an exaggerated sigh before patting Remus's hand which still grasped his arm firmly. "Fine." he agreed, "We will sit here obediently while you go off and have fun at your meeting."

Remus narrowed his eyes, but released Sirius, using the same hand to instead rake his fingers through his hair, pushing it from his face before pulling his hood up. The Priest looked between Sirius and Harry, looking as though he wanted to say something else, but he sighed and shook his head, pulling out a heavy coin purse from his pocket and approaching Jonathon by the bar, where Sirius and Harry heard him make their payments and offer extra to borrow a horse for the night. They watched as Remus lowered his cowl and swiftly exited the inn, stepping out into the wet night.

Sirius raised an amused brow at Harry's curious expression and led them to his chosen table. They sat in a mutual silence for a few minutes until Louise appeared, asking what they would like to eat and drink.

"Your delicious steak pie would perfect." Sirius grinned charmingly, "For the both of us. And a cold pitcher of water, if it's not too much bother."

Louise looked surprised, "You don't want some beer to warm your belly, Archdeacon?"

Harry' gaze flickered up from where he had been sketching his fingers knots in the wooden table, to Sirius, who didn't miss a beat, only calmly refusing the landlady of her offer. Archdeacon and beer were two words that simply did not – should not – belong in the same sentence. Louise curtsied and left them. Harry glanced around the room, at the pitchers held by most of the men, with a newfound understanding.

"Alcohol is illegal."

Sirius continued to watch the fire. Another log caught and was soon engulfed in the flames, burning brightly. He looked up at Harry and nodded, giving a smile that contained more than a hint of sarcasm.

"Yes. Well done. Your wealth of knowledge astounds me, boy."

"There are men committing sins before you and you do nothing?" Harry asked coldly, well aware that his tone was about to get him into trouble. Sirius leaned back in his chair, clasping his fingers behind his head idly.

"I'm turning a blind eye. Anyway, if I were to punish every man who sinned, there would be no men left."

"But they are actively breaking the law and you don't care—"

"Careful how you go, boy, or I'll see to it that Remus gives you a good whipping."

Harry shivered involuntarily and closed his mouth. Sirius's irate frown dropped and he gave Harry an inquisitively raised brow instead.

"You saw Remus?" he asked. Harry nodded mutely, the image of that glass-filled rope flashing before his mind's eye, making his stomach churn again. "What did you think?"

Harry paused, thinking carefully before he answered, "It looked painful."

"I'm sure it is." Sirius nodded thoughtfully, "Did it disturb you, seeing the way he hurts himself?"

Harry made no answer, but Sirius didn't seemed to notice, returning his gaze to the fire.

"He has scars on his back, too." Sirius said with a heavy sigh, "Used to whip himself but had to stop when he almost put himself in an early grave."

"He nearly killed himself?" Harry gulped feeling himself growing paler by the minute.

"Well, not on purpose." Sirius shrugged, as though that clarified the matter, "He doesn't want to die before he has proved himself to Him. And to himself, I suppose."

Harry blinked, unsure of what he meant, but Sirius just smiled and gestured to an approaching Louise, who set two large plates of steaming pie and potatoes before them. A young woman quickly followed with their water and two empty mugs, and promptly left them to their meal, but not before casting Harry a shy smile, blushing faintly. Harry looked down at his plate – never had he had so much food placed before him without having to divide it up into enough to feed twenty other hungry mouths. How was he supposed to eat so much on his own? He picked up his fork and soon discovered that doing so was surprisingly easy.

A/N: Wow, that was a long chapter, huh? I can't seem to stop when I'm writing this story…why don't you reward me by dropping a review?