Mad-Eye

Sirius had already shifted by time Mad-Eye got there. He was apprehensive at best about this arrangement and was sure Mad-Eye wasn't fully committed to the idea either. So Padfoot laid waiting at the top of the stairs, his chin resting on his paws.

The door opened and slammed closed again. "Sirius!" Mad-Eye yelled into the house. "It's time for your walk, ya' filthy animal."

Padfoot rolled his eyes and padded down the stairs, his plaid collar and lead in his mouth.

"Oh no. I heard about your outings with Remus and Tonks. We're using my collar and lead." Mad-Eye pulled a leather lead and metal choke collar from his coat pocket.

Padfoot shirked away but let Mad-Eye put the collar on him.

"Now let's get this over with."

He couldn't help but agree.

They started down the street and came to the corner where he and Remus had met the group of schoolchildren. They were there again today.

Padfoot barked once so they children would see him. They all grinned and Padfoot wagged his tail.

He tried to stop so that the kids could pet him and rub his ears. Mad-Eye had other ideas. Padfoot nudged one of the children and then gagged as the collar cinched closed around his throat.

"Keep it moving!"

Padfoot whined as Mad-Eye led him away from the children. He tried to give Mad-Eye a dirty look, but Mad-Eye said, "You're lucky you're coming out of that house at all. We're out in the open where anyone could see you. One of those children could belong to someone who'd do you in. Did you ever think of that?"

He had not, in fact, thought of that. Mostly because it was absurd.

As the walk went on, Sirius considered more and more asking Dumbledore to take Mad-Eye off of the schedule. Remus could come that Tuesday, or he could miss one Tuesday out every three weeks.

They passed the pond in Regent's Park, where Padfoot tried to slow down to watch some ducks; Mad-Eye choked him with the collar.

He tried to turn down a different path so they could walk past the college; Mad-Eye choked him with the collar and made him keep going straight.

When they left the park, he tried to speed up so they could get home sooner and he could make a healing potion to fix what he was sure was serious damage to his throat; Mad-Eye choked him with the collar.

Padfoot couldn't help but think Mad-Eye was enjoying the choking a little too much.

"Mad-Eye!" a familiar voice called to them, about a block from the house.

Remus approached them from a side street.

"Morning, Mad-Eye. Sirius." Then he noticed the choke collar. "Uh, where's the plaid collar Dumbledore bought?"

Padfoot seized this opportunity to get back at Mad-Eye.

"Oh, I wasn't going to have him dragging me all over London."

Padfoot walked between Mad-Eye's left leg and his cane.

"Honestly, Moody?"

Padfoot walked in front of Mad-Eye to his stand on his other side.

"I'm too old for that nonsense."

Padfoot walked back behind Mad-Eye and between his leg and cane again.

"I just can't help but think this is going to backfire horribly."

"Sirius! Stand still!"

Mad-Eye yanked hard on the lead, not noticing they tangled mess Padfoot had created, and pulled his own feet out from under himself.

For a moment, there was silence. It took a second before Mad-Eye realized exactly what had happened; he had a momentary lapse in his constant vigilance and was now lying on the pavement.

Then he started swinging his cane. "You filthy son of a...!"

"I think I'll take it from here, Mad-Eye," Remus said, disentangling him from the lead. "Why don't I take your Tuesdays from now on?"

Padfoot beamed. This couldn't have worked out better if he had planned it.