IT'S SATURDAY, SATURDAY, UPADATING ON SATURDAY, EVERYBODY'S LOOKIN' FORWARD TO BADASS REMUS! At least I hope you are, 'cause he's feeling EXTRA badass tonight! ;)

I know, I'm cruel to keep stringing you along. Perhaps Chapter 16 will make up for it – who knows? I have writer's block at the moment, so please forgive me if this chapter is shit. I know it's a rubbish excuse, but apparently once your exams are finished, your teachers stop being nice and start giving you homework again. But anyway, enough of my complaining. I have such a hard life, I know. ;)

DISCLAIMER: I own no part of the Harry Potter books, films, etc. Everything belongs to JKR/Warner Bros.

All bits from the book(s)/film(s) are in bold

The Meaning Of Family

Chapter Fifteen

'Molly! Arthur! Open up!'

No answer.

'Molly, open the door! Molly!'

Still, nothing.

'Molly? Arthur? Molly, please open the door!'

Still, there was no answer. Horrible, fearful thoughts crept into Remus's mind. What if Peter had got to them already? What if he had crept out of Percy Weasley's room and murdered every single one of them while they were asleep? After all, it wasn't like he was averse to murder, he had proven that much already. Had he realised? Had he known that Remus and Dumbledore were after him? Yes, he must have – he wasn't squealing and writhing in Diagon Alley simply because he was new and not used to the Weasleys, he'd been trying to get away, trying at all costs to get away from Remus, his old friend, the only person in the world who knew for a fact that Sirius had not betrayed the Potters to Lord Voldemort.

And Remus had been too stupid and blind to see it.

Fuck.

'Molly! Arthur! Somebody please just open the fucking –'

'What on earth are you doing, Remus?'

'Molly!' Remus cried, surprised and a little more than relieved to find her still alive. 'Is everybody alright?'

'Yes,' she muttered, watching him suspiciously. She sighed. 'Look, Remus, not that we aren't pleasantly surprised to see you here, but –'

'Who is it, Molly dear?' her husband called from somewhere in the kitchen, presumably having just come down the stairs to investigate the racket that Remus was making on the door.

'Just Remus, Arthur,' Molly called. 'Look,' she said, turning back to Remus, 'it's lovely to see you, dear, but it's just rather late, you know, and we were asleep.' She gave him a pointed look, accompanied by a rather forced smile.

'Good to see you Re-Re-Remus,' Arthur said, stifling a yawn. 'Is it morning already? I thought I'd barely dropped off to sleep…'

'I need to see the rat,' Remus said quickly, determined not to be sidetracked in his search for Peter.

'What?' Molly said, a little taken aback.

'The rat,' Remus repeated. 'I need to see the rat that you bought Percy yesterday in Diagon Alley.'

'But – but Remus, why on earth would you need to see Scabbers?' Molly cried, now very worried. 'He's just a rat, for goodness' sake!'

Remus closed his eyes, trying not to show his exasperation. 'I just,' he said firmly, 'need to see the rat.'

'Remus, it's one o'clock in the morning!' Molly argued. 'Now you can stay tonight if you wish but I really must insist that you let us all get some sleep!'

'Come on, Remus, we'll put you up in Ginny's room again,' Arthur began, but Remus shook his head frantically.

'I have to see Peter now!' he cried desperately.

There was a silence, and it dawned on Remus what he'd just said.

'What?' Molly's tone was like acid, and she was suddenly glaring at him.

'I – Scabbers, I meant Scabbers –'

'Are you still insisting upon chasing down a dead man?' Molly hissed, her voice low and dangerous.

'I – no –'

'Because if you are, Remus, I'm going to have to tell Dumbledore that you need –'

'What are you saying, Remus?' Arthur asked quietly. Molly whipped round and glared at him, but he ignored her. 'Does this have something to do with what Dumbledore said about Pettigrew having been an Animagus?'

'He is an Animagus, Arthur, and he's here, you have to give him to me before you all put yourselves in danger!' Remus cried, desperation entering his voice at the thought of what might happen should they waste any more time. He glanced over Molly's shoulder, attempting to see past her into the dark house. She looked at him, and her expression was suddenly softer and pitying.

'You're clutching at straws, Remus,' she said gently. It was Remus's turn to glare.

'I am not clutching at straws,' he protested.

'Yes you are, Remus. You're so desperate to find evidence that Sirius isn't guilty that you're allowing yourself to believe the most impossible theories, and I don't blame you, Remus, I really don't, but you have to stop living inside your head. You need to come to terms with the real world and accept the truth.'

'It is the truth!' Remus whined, sounding like a small child trying to convince his parents that he honestly hadn't broken their favourite lamp. Why wouldn't they believe him? Why were they so determined to accept that Peter was dead, that Sirius was the one who had betrayed Lily and James? How could they even think that? How was it plausible? How was it possible? It seemed to Remus that they ought to be the ones to stop swallowing far-fetched stories and believing everything they heard. He sighed and turned away, unshed tears of frustration stinging his eyes.

'Mother, what's going on?'

Remus whipped round as he heard the unmistakable voice of Percy Weasley floating through the kitchen and towards the front door. He was standing behind his father, looking puzzled, Scabbers the rat frozen in terror on his shoulder.

Remus lunged.

''M so sorry…'

'Didn't mean to hurt…'

'Can't help…'

Sirius tossed on his 'mattress' (which consisted of a pile of dirty grey rags) as he tried to shut out the semi-conscious moans of guilty prisoners. He felt that the word 'hatred' might be a bit of an understatement in describing his feelings for this place, but so far he hadn't the strength to come up with a better one. The thing that rankled him most was the injustice of it all – he had to listen to half-starved madmen sobbing and crying out in their sleep every night, he had to feel all his happy memories being drained away, all because of a crime he hadn't even committed. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed. He didn't think he would ever be cheerful again. He didn't know how long he could last in here. He was allowed no visitors, no letters, no outside contact – in short, nothing from Remus. How the hell was he supposed to go on without Remus? He felt disgusted with himself as he realised he couldn't even picture Remus's face anymore.

He felt the same despair he had felt upon leaving Remus to go to his mother's, only about ten times worsened. It was so unfair. When the hell was Dumbledore going to get his act together and clear this whole thing up? After all, Dumbledore was now his only hope, since Peter was now dead, or so he'd been informed by one of the newer inmates – although, he reflected, the man could simply have been mad. It didn't take much to lose one's mind in here.

On the one hand, Sirius hated these feelings, he hated being so angry; on the other hand he clung to them because they were the only emotions he had. If he let them go, he'd be numb. Blank. An empty shell. He couldn't let that happen.

He was determined to get out of here. He couldn't simply sit around and wait for Dumbledore, who, it was clear, had already taken too long to sort the whole thing out. Perhaps, contrary to popular belief, he wasn't one of the cleverest men in the world, but simply one of the luckiest. Either way, Sirius couldn't rely on him any longer, he had to get out, to break out. If he had to starve himself thin enough to slip through the bars of his cell then so be it. He just had to get out.

That one, stubborn conviction was the only thing that kept him going. It was as if someone had lit a fire inside his head, and the Dementors couldn't destroy it. It wasn't a happy feeling, it was an obsession… but it gave him strength, it cleared his mind. I will get out. I will escape. Somehow, I'll get out. I'll find a way.

It was as though he were sticking two fingers up at the Ministry of Magic for landing him here in the first place, at the Daily Prophet, who had printed nothing but the news of his arrest and 'peace at last' for months – even at Dumbledore, who seemed to think that Sirius's freedom was less important than his own affairs. And, of course, at the Dementors, who kept trying to suck out his every happy thought or memory, though he had none left. His obsession was the only thing he had left. It was the one thing they couldn't take away.

'REMUS, STOP!'

Remus paid no mind to Molly's frantic cries as he struggled to keep a grasp on the squeaking rat, almost crushing Percy underneath him, knocking the boy's glasses askew.

'Remus, please! You're hurting him! Please!'

He was unsure as to whether Molly was referring to Percy or the rat, but the thought was irrelevant and so he did not allow himself to entertain it. All that mattered was the rat.

Struggling to keep a one-handed grip on the writhing, flailing creature, he pulled his wand from the pocket of his robes and pointed it at the rat.

There was a flash of blue-white light, and for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in midair, his small black form twisting madly – Percy yelled – the rat fell and hit the floor. There was another blinding flash of light and then –

It was like watching a speeded-up film of growing tree. A head was shooting upwards from the ground; limbs were sprouting; next moment, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands.

Molly, Arthur and Percy stared in horror at the figure standing before them, unable to believe their eyes.

'Re-Remus…' the man muttered, wringing his hands and looking terrified at the presence of his old school friend, 'w-what are you d-doing? How on earth did you find –'

'Stupefy!' Remus yelled, pointing his wand at the man, who shot across the room and crashed, unconscious, against the kitchen sink. Molly let out a whimper.

Without a word, Remus strode over to Pettigrew and grabbed his arm; Arthur, sensing that he was about to Disapparate, called out, 'Wait!' At Remus's quizzical look, he added, 'I'm coming with you.'

'But Arthur –' Molly protested. Arthur turned to his wife and pressed his lips tenderly to hers. Remus looked away and Percy, still sprawled on the floor, did not notice – his eyes were fixed on the unconscious man who, not five minutes ago, had been his new pet rat. His expression was one of mingled horror and disbelief.

'Get Percy to bed,' Arthur murmured. 'He's bound to be upset by this, he'll need you there. I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise.'

Molly nodded and even managed a smile, though her eyes were slightly watery. Remus, looking on, was reminded of the wife of a soldier about to go off to war – trying to be brave while unsure of whether she would ever see her husband again. He had little time to muse over this, however, as Arthur walked swiftly over to him, took Pettigrew's other arm and nodded to Remus, who nodded back. With a resounding crack, they disappeared from the Weasleys' kitchen.

Molly looked around. The serenity of night had been restored unbelievably quickly. Aside from one of her sons, still on the floor, there was very little evidence of what had just gone on. To anyone walking into the kitchen right now, the night's events might never have happened.

Three cheers for Remus (finally)! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip HOORAY! God, this chapter took me AGES. Alright, let's kick those bad guys' butts and get Sirius freed! (I'm sorry, I've had very little fresh air today, I think I'm going crazy.) Reviews would be greeted with far too much enthusiasm. I look forward to them. :P