You're in a for a big chapter, good luck!
The next few days went without incident, but then, Remus called her to his office, and he sounded rather upset.
"What is it Moony?" He gave a grim laugh.
"You have no idea how appropriate that is, Gingerbread."
Erin frowned. "What'd you mean?"
"This." He held up a wad of parchment. "It's-"
"The Marauders Map." Erin finished. "Did you get it from the twins?"
Remus frowned. "No, Harry had it."
"Oh, the buggers must've lent it to him."
"Wait." Lupin frowned. "You knew a student had this and you didn't take it?"
Erin put her hands on her hips. "They reminded me of James and Sirius! They never cause too much harm, Moony."
"Too much harm?! Erin, If Sirius got his hands on this, it could be a map to Harry!"
Erin fixed a glare on her friend. "That depends if you think he wants to murder Harry. Bedsides, our dear Padfoot already knows all of the secret passageways of the castle."
"You aren't taking this seriously." He frowned.
Erin sighed. "I don't want to argue anymore, Moony. You have the map. Now you can search for Sirius on it."
Remus sighed. He laid the map on the table and tapped it with his wand. It came to life, and Remus started studying it. Erin growled, exasperated, before stalking out of her friend's office.
Weeks went by like clockwork. Remus and Erin's relationship was still strained due to their differing opinions, but he was still there for her when she found all of the rumors about her fiancé troubling. Dumbledore even offered her some time off, seeing her distress, but she declined, saying that the work kept her sane.
The exams were coming up, and Erin was busy writing hers. She never made it too hard, instead trying to make it fun in light of all of the stressful testing. Gryfindor beat Slytherin in the Qudditch Cup, and Erin got to watch with Remus, seeing just how talented a seeker he was. It reminded her of James, and for once in a long while, she was happy, albeit with a subconscious rub of her side, where her Quidditch induced scar was, every once and awhile.
She gave her exam, which mainly consisted of giving definitions of muggle technologies, and naming the artists of certain muggle songs she played. Needless to say, all of her students got along pretty famously.
Erin was just cleaning up her office when Lupin charged in, holding the map in the air with a mad look in his eyes. "I'm so sorry!" He gasped, setting the map down.
"What? Why?" Asked Erin, startled.
"I've been wrong, the whole time! Sirius isn't a murderer! He was framed."
"By who?" Erin asked, eyes wide.
The werewolf's eyes darkened, and he pointed roughly at the map. Erin glanced at where he indicated, and gasped. "It was Peter." She could see his little dot, along with Ron's, Harry's, and Hermione's getting closer and closer to...
"The shrieking shack!"
"Exactly."
On the map, another dot came into view. "Sirius." Erin breathed. It wasn't just a name, and it wasn't just a voicing that her fiancé had come into play. It was a revelation, a relief, and an exclamation of joy. "He's trying to kill Peter. Wait..." She got a weird look on her face. "Ron has a rat, Remus. It's lived for 12 years...oh my gosh. Remus, Scabbers is Peter. I've lived with that scum for how many years, sneaking him pieces of cheese..." Her small, usually docile face screwed up in hatred. "If he doesn't hurry, Sirius won't get a chance to kill Pettingrew." She snarled, bolting out of the room, Remus hot on her heels. "I'll do it for him."
The sky darkened as if it, too, was enraged at such a betrayal. Pettingrew. He framed Black. He killed Lily and James. He tore little Erin's life in two. It was her chance for revenge. She tore across the field, stunning the Whomping Willow with a powerful blast from her wand. She tumbled into the hole, followed by Moony. Because that's who they were right now, Moony and Gingerbread, gunning after their Padfoot, just like old times.
Erin didn't get angry often, not properly, anyways. When she did, it was something to behold, and it often had something to do with those she loved, or her students. This was no exception. Her tiny body was tense with rage and her eyes fixed unflinchingly ahead. Behind her, Moony didn't make a sound. They emerged into the shack, Erin studying it for just a moment. It hadn't changed a bit. She shoved herself up and then helped her friend out of the hole. She heard a faint shuffling upstairs.
Suddenly, there was a yell. "Up here! We're up here. It's Sirius Black!" There was a small thud upstairs. Moony pushed her backwards with a look that clearly said, 'Me first.' Despite herself, Erin rolled her eyes. Always the gentlemen, wanting to protect her. They thundered up the stairs, the girl's heart beating so fast from fear, anger, adrenaline, and the small part of her romantic self which hadn't already been eaten away.
Moony busted the door open with a shower of red sparks. From behind, Erin heard him shout 'Expelliarmis!' Her breath caught in her throat, and suddenly, her boots were glued to the ground. "Where is he, Sirius?" Lupin asked. "He was the one, wasn't he? You switched, without telling me. I couldn't see it. But she..." His head turned in Erin's direction slightly. No one in the room could see her yet, and Remus didn't directly point her out, obviously understanding the reason's behind her petrified state.
"Professor!" Harry's voice came from the darkness. "What's going on?" Poor Harry. He had no idea. Erin wanted to tell him, but she was still frozen.
From the little light ahead, she saw Lupin relax, lower his wand, and help Sirius up, embracing him.
"I don't believe it!" Cried Hermione. Lupin turned to her slowly, a tightness to his posture that seemed queer to Erin. "You! You, and him!" Lupin was trying to calm her down. "I didn't tell anyone. I've been covering up for you."
"Hermione! Listen to me, please. I can explain!" Said Lupin desperately.
"I trusted you!" Came Harry's bellow. "And all this time, you've been his friend!"
"You're wrong." Said Lupin. "I haven't been Sirius's friend, but I am now. Let me explain."
"No!" Hermione screamed. "Harry don't trust him, he's been helping Black get into the castle, he-"
"Hermione." Erin's voice came forth from her body almost without her consent. It wasn't really quiet, but it wasn't loud either. It was strong, and it cut through Hermione's hysterics instantly. She padded up the last few stairs, coming into view from the thick shadows. She was determined to not look at him. Her heart was beating a mile a minute in her chest, pounding to get out. She knew she wouldn't be able to control herself if she suddenly looked at him, so she didn't.
"Aunt Erin?" Cried Ron, confused.
"Gingerbread?" Came Sirius's voice in a soft whisper, though it was rough and scratched. In his voice you could hear his heart, in the way that all of his emotions were flung into that one word. His face went slack as he gazed at her, his Gingerbread.
She was still as beautiful as he remembered, her fiery hair waved down to her shoulders, and her hazel eyes still flashed with a vigor. His heart seemed to still in his chest. He couldn't ever think about her in Askaban; she was his happy place, and they stole her from him every time his tattered soul crawled back to her expected safety. Ever since he had escaped from that place, he had indulged in his memory of her like an alcoholic would a good whiskey. The smallest details of her he would sit for hours and enjoy; her eyes, her smile, her laugh. He had dreamed of this moment for so long, like an obsession, pondered the many ways they could meet. He had not expected this. Her voice had wafted from the doorway, and suddenly, he was turned into a different man. A broken, torn, raggedy man, but a man nonetheless. It had been a long while since he'd felt like anything other than an animal.
Erin, however, could hardly recognize his voice, and in that moment, she couldn't face him. The poignancy of his gaze she guessed from his character, and she felt that the sudden idea of him would be too much for one moment, so she didn't turn to him, but instead looked Hermione straight in the eye.
"Calm down Hermione. You really need to let one of us explain."
"But he's a werewolf!" She finished. Erin had a strange urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. Lupin looked strangely calm.
"Hermione." Said Erin again, her voice oddly serene. "You're right, of course, about Remus being a werewolf, but you're wrong about the other things."
Ron tried to get up, but fell back in pain. Lupin made toward him, concerned, but Ron shouted at him. "Get away from me werewolf!"
Her swirling emotions had, up till now, contained themselves by necessity. "Ronald Weasley!" She barked, causing the boy to jerk in surprise. Her voice almost sounded like his mother's when she was angry. "That is never an acceptable tone to use on anyone!" He nodded quickly, not thinking. She advanced towards him, brushing past Lupin and Sirius. The latter flinched as she passed by him, only inches separating the two, but Erin made no indication that he was there. "How's your leg?"
Ron blinked, not expecting that. "Um...it hurts." Erin rolled her eyes, pulling out her wand.
"Episkey." Ron gasped in pain as the bone snapped back into place, mending.
"How's that." She asked grumpily.
"Better." He squeaked, not ever seeing the small woman so dangerous.
Erin stood up, took a deep breath to steel herself. She couldn't just ignore him, not any longer. Her stomach was a mess and her nerves in tatters, but she couldn't pretend he wasn't there. Biting her lip, her eyes slowly rose, turned, and looked into those of her fiance. Never had so small an action caused such an effect in her. Her lip trembled, her eyes watered, and her legs felt like jelly. His eyes, his sickly yellow eyes, had grabbed hers, softening, begging her to notice him.
Her lips turned upwards in a shaky smile. "Sirius?" She took a shaky step towards him. He was so gaunt, so waxen. He looked like he could be dead.
"It's me, my love." He rasped, embracing her tightly. The three younger occupants of the room all exchanged horrified glances, none more prominent than Ron's.
"I knew it! I knew you could never kill them!" She cried into his shoulder. He held her tight and rocked her back and forth.
"What's going on!" Cried Harry. "Have you both been helping him?" The two reunited lovers didn't respond, too enraptured to be in each other's arms. Erin was shaking, eyes wet but smiling dazedly. Black was running his fingers through her hair, with a gentleness that did not match a murderer.
"If you'd let me explain, Harry. I have not been helping Black, and neither has Erin." He separated the three wands, and threw them back to their owners. "There. You're armed, we're not."
"What about Professor Motterly?" Croaked Hermione.
"I think she's rather occupied at the moment." Added Lupin with a small smile. The said witch had walked her tired fiancé to the bed and set him down, sitting beside him, holding his hands and crying. Crookshanks jumped in-between them, purring. Erin laughed weakly and pet his head, Black looking up at her affectionately.
Harry paused, obviously wondering if it was a trap.
"If you haven't been helping him, how did you know he was here?"
"The map. The Marauders Map. I was in my office examining it."
"You know how to work it?" Harry said suspiciously.
"Of course I know how to work it." Said Lupin impatiently. "I helped write the thing. I'm Moony. It was my friends nickname for me at school. I was watching you three to see if you were going to go visit Hagrid, and I was right. You might have been wearing your invisibility cloak."
"How do you know about that?"
"The number of times I saw your father disappear under it. Anyway, the important thing is, when you came back, you were accompanied by someone else. I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought the map was malfunctioning. He couldn't be with you."
"No one was with us!" Cried Harry.
"Yes. Someone was. Or rather, something." Said Erin calmly, her eyes puffy, hand clasped in Sirius's.
"Do you think I could have a look at your rat." Said Lupin evenly.
"What? What's Scabbers got to do with it?" Cried Ron.
Erin snorted. "Scabbers? Scabbers? I suppose the name fits that crusty old traitor."
"What's going on!" Ron cried, more confused than ever.
"Your rat, Ronald." Demanded Erin.
Slowly, Ron pulled Scabbers out of his robes, the rat thrashing. Lupin and Erin leaned in for a closer look.
"What's my rat got to do with anything!" Squeaked a frightened Ron.
"That's not a rat." Croaked Sirius.
"He's a wizard." Added Lupin.
"An Animagus," chimed in Erin, all three friends working as one to get the point across. "...by the name of Peter Pettingrew."
A stunned silence gripped the group of three.
"You're all mental!" Gasped Ron.
"Ridiculous." Squeaked Hermione.
"Peter Pettingrew's dead!" Cried Harry. "HE killed him, twelve years ago!" He pointed at Black, who's face twitched. He stood up, but Erin moved in front of him, as if trying to protect her lover from any more emotional scarring.
"I meant to!" Growled Sirius. "But little Peter got the better of me!" He pushed past Erin, gently moving her towards Lupin as a last act before rage took him. "Not this time though!" He lunged for the rat, Ron squealing in pain as Sirius fell on his still sore leg.
"Sirius! No!" Cried Lupin, trying to pull his friend away. "Wait!"
"Sirius." Piped up Erin. "We can't do it just like that. We have to explain it to them." Her eyes softened. "I know how you feel. I want to kill him too." This made Ron look up at her, startled. Hermione and Harry were shocked, though to a lesser degree, that this woman would want to harm anything. She didn't seem the sort.
"We can explain later!" Snarled Black, trying to throw his friend off.
Erin jumped towards her two friends, putting herself in between Ron and Sirius. "Sirius, they have a right to know." She stated softly, pressing him back wards, her gentle grip achieving more than Lupin's vice-like one. "Ron's family has had him as a pet for years. And Harry..." she placed a gentle hand on Black's face. "You owe him and explanation, my love. You know you do." Lupin had long since let go of Sirius, the man placated by Erin to the degree of almost melting into her hand.
"All right." He acquiesced softly. "You win, dear. Remus, tell them everything you please, but make it quick." His eyes turned to flint, something which Erin guessed he had acquired after those long years in Azkaban, and something which frightened her. "I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for."
"You're nutters, all three of you!" Gasped a shaky Ron. "I'm off."
Erin turned and tapped her wand gently on the bedframe, giving the boy she knew like a nephew a stern look. "Ronald, you're going to hear us out."
"But there were witnesses!" yelled Harry. "People who saw Peter die!"
"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" Said Black Savagely, his eyes trained on the rat once more.
"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter. I believed it myself, until I saw the map tonight."
"The map never lies." Added, Erin softly, keeping a motherly eye on her trembling fiancé. "Peter is alive, Ron's holding him."
Harry and Ron exchanged looks like they knew the three adults in the room were crazy.
"But Professor Lupin, there are only eight registered Animagi in this century. Pettingrew isn't one of them. I saw McGonagall on the registry, and...and yours, Professor Motterly."
"Right again, Hermione, but the Ministery didn't know about the three, well, at the time, four," He nodded to Erin, "...unregistered Animagi roaming around Hogwarts."
"If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus." Growled Black, still watching Scabbers. Erin didn't dare impose on his line of sight, but she gave a sort of exasperated sigh, as if Sirius's impatient antics were as normal to her and as troublesome as the rain. "I've waited twelve years, and I'm not going to wait much longer. And don't give me that sigh, Gingerbread, you weren't holed up in Azkaban." Erin tensed slightly, and Lupin aimed a reproachful look at his friend. Hermione thought what he had said was terribly rude, and the other two immature boys didn't catch anything at all. In the end Erin rolled her eyes and looked to Remus, a tired look in her eyes that said, 'Get on with it.'"
"All right, but you'll need to help me, Sirius. I only know how it began."
The door suddenly creaked open by itself, and Lupin went to examine it.
"This place is haunted!" Cried Ron.
"No it's not." Said Lupin. "The shrieks and cries the villagers used to hear were from me. That's where all of this starts." Slowly, Lupin recounted his tale of Dumbledore planting the tree and building the shack for his use on the full moon, telling them that he was dangerous while transforming then, though now the potion Snape brewed him could let him keep his mind. None of the students looked like they knew where this was going. "But even through the pain, I was happy." He went on. "I had four friends, four very great friends. Three in my own house, Sirius Black, Peter Pettingrew, and of course, your father. Erin was in our group too, despite being separated from us by a difference of house. Now, they couldn't fail to notice my monthly absence. I made up all sorts of stories. I told them my mother was ill and that I had to go and see her. I was terrified they would desert me when they found out what I was. But of course, like you Hermione, they worked out the truth. Erin was the first to figure it out. She approached me before the others. I was so afraid she was going to tell me off, desert me, tell the other students." He smiled apologetically at Erin, who smiled knowingly back. "It was silly of me. Erin was one of the kindest witches I have ever known. She accepted me, convinced me that the others would do the same. And, they did. They didn't desert me at all. Instead they did something for me that would not only make my transformations bearable, but the best time in my life. They became Animagi."
"My dad too!" Said Harry, astounded.
"Why of course! It took them the best part of three years to figure out how to do it. Your father and Sirius were the smartest students in the school, and Erin of course. Neither of the boys were very keen on studying. She did most of the research on it. And they were lucky she did. The transformation can go horribly wrong. It's one of the reasons the Ministry keeps such a close watch on it. Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could turn into an animal at will."
"But, how did that help you?" Asked Hermione.
"They couldn't keep me company as humans, but they could as animals. A werewolf is only a danger to people. They sneaked out of the castle every month under James's invisibility cloak and transformed. Peter, as the smallest, sneaked under the flailing branches and hit the secret knob on the tree that freezes it. They would then join me here. Under their influence I was less dangerous to others. My body was still wolfish, but my mind was less so."
"Oh, hurry it up, Remus." Spat Sirius viciously. He was staring at Scabbers with a terrible hunger. Erin made a strange face before sitting herself on the bed, staring forwards. Sirius took his gaze off of the rat for a small moment to study her. "Erin?" He asked. She didn't answer, just fixed him with a look everyone knew meant more to the two than words. Sirius made a face back, Erin rolled her eyes, and then smiled.
Lupin glanced at the two before continuing on. "I'm getting there, Sirius. Well, highly exciting opportunities were now open to us. Soon we left the shack and roamed the school grounds and the village by night. Sirius and James, and even little Erin, transformed into such large animals they were able to keep a werewolf in check. I doubt any student knows more about the grounds and Hogsmead than we did."
Erin snorted. She glanced at Ron. "Well, those twins..." She chuckled.
Lupin smiled. "Yes, the Weasley twins do seem to have a familiar aptitude for trouble, don't they?" A growl came from Sirius, and Lupin continued. "Anyway, that's how we came to write the Marauders Map, and sign it with our nicknames. We called Erin Gingerbread, but she wasn't a part of the Map, in fact, she hotly disagreed with it's creation at the time." He gave her an apologetic stare. Even Black didn't complain about the pause. It was a sore subject with their friend. "Sirius is Padfoot, Peter is Wormtail, and James was Prongs."
"But what sort of animal..."
"That was really dangerous! What if you'd gotten away, and bitten someone!" Cut in Hermione.
"Ah, the thought that still haunts me. And there were near misses. Many of them. We laughed about them at the time. We were young, thoughtless, carried away with our own cleverness. Except Erin maybe. I still to this day think the main reason she journeyed with us was to keep us from doing anything really dangerous." Erin just smiled, halfway in her own world.
"All this year, I've been fighting to tell Dumbledore that Sirius is an Animagus, but I couldn't. Why? Because I was too cowardly. I didn't want him to know I had betrayed his trust, and his trust means everything to me. So, I convinced myself that Sirius wasn't using his ability as an Animagus to get into Hogwarts. In a way, Snape was right about me all along."
"Snape!" Cried Sirius. "What's Snape doing here?"
Lupin sighed. "He's here, Sirius. He teaches. Anyway, all year he's been telling Dumbledore not to trust me. He has an old grudge against Sirius and I when Sirius played a prank on him that almost killed him."
"It served him right." Sneered Black. "Trying to get us expelled."
"Now, Sirius. Severus had his reasons then, as he does now. That doesn't mean you get to ridicule him. He's been helping Remus with his transformations lately, which is quite a great thing, considering how you and James treated him."
Sirius opened his mouth to talk, but Erin raised up a sharp hand. "No. Don't even try to justify it." He didn't. Neither did Lupin.
"That is right." Sneered Snape's cold voice. He pulled off the invisibility cloak, pointing his wand right at Lupin. "Don't even try."
Hermione screamed. Sirius jumped, putting himself between the newly appeared wizard and his fiancé. "I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow." He drawled, throwing it aside. "Very useful Potter. Thank you. I happened to see your map when I went to your office to bring your monthly potion to you, Lupin. And lucky I did. You are helping Sirius Black."
"No, Severus, let me explain."
"Two more for Azkaban tonight." He crowed, eyes gleaming.
"No! Severus, please!" Erin stepped forth, holding Sirius's hand tightly. "Please listen, stop this."
"Ah, you. I thought your soft spot for your little criminal might come into play. You never did seem to be anything if he wasn't holding your hand." Erin blinked, not quite expecting that.
"AARH! TAKE THAT BACK!" Cried Black, lunging for Snape. Snape held up his wand, pointing it right between Sirius's eyes.
"Give me one reason. One. I'll do it."
"S-Sirius. Sirius, come back here." Erin pulled him back towards her, away from Snape.
"I know you think you have just reasons, Severus. Let me just inform you that if you do one thing to harm Sirius-"
"Erin." Said Lupin warningly.
"-I can't control my actions. Love is a very powerful thing, you know."
Something strong flickered across Snape's face, but no one knew exactly why.
"Hmm, making that number three, are we?" His voice was weaker.
"No." Said Sirius. "You can take me back to Azkaban like the heartless, stubborn worm you are, but don't ever touch Erin."
"Gladly." The man sneered. "Vengeance is sweet."
"I'll come quietly to the castle as long as this boy takes this rat with us." He jerked his head to Ron.
"Up to the castle?" He growled. "It seems to me all I have to do is let the Dementors have you."
Sirius's face contorted in fear.
"NO!" Shouted Erin, lunging towards the black robed man. "NO!" Her shrieking was terrible to hear. Lupin had to restrain her.
Snape was loving this. "They might be so pleased to see you that they'll give a little kiss, eh?"
Suddenly, Erin broke free of Lupin. "YOU BASTARD!" Before Lupin, or anyone could stop her, she whipped out her wand and leveled it at Snape's chest. Everte Statum!" Snape was instantly thrown against the wall, where he fell to the ground unconscious, blood trickling down his forehead. Everyone in the room stared at the small witch, who was trembling with dispersed rage.
"Nice one, Gingerbread."
Erin was now holding her head in her hands. "Oh god, oh god, oh god. Dumbledore's going to sack me!" Sirius held her tight, which seemed to calm her down. He was, in fact, the thing she had been fighting for.
"I want some real proof." Stated Harry Suddenly.
"All right." Said Lupin. "Ron, give me the rat, please."
"Come off it! This isn't Peter Pettingrew."
Suddenly, the sniveling voice of a distressed Professor Motterly cut through the air. "Please, Ron. Please believe us. You know I'd never do anything to hurt you or Hermione and Harry. We're telling the truth, and If Scabbers isn't Peter, he won't be harmed."
"But how do you know it's him?"
"His finger!" Yelled Sirius. "The night he was killed he cut it off before he transformed. He yelled in the street that I'd betrayed Lily and James, killed everyone within twenty feet, and then hid in the sewers with the other rats!
"Please, Ron." Erin Begged. "Give him to us!"
"Wait, just wait. I should have let Snape take you if you were just a murderer like you said!" Said Harry.
"Harry, don't you see? We thought Sirius betrayed your parents and Peter went after him, but it's the other way around. Peter betrayed them, and Sirius went after him."
"But, before you showed up, he said he killed them."
"Harry." rasped Black. "I only meant that I as good as killed them. I convinced them to switch secret keepers, from me to Peter. I thought Voldemort would never suspect him, a talentless thing, to be the keeper. I went to check up on him the night your parents died, but he wasn't in his hiding place, and there wasn't a sign of a struggle. When I got to your parents house, and I saw what Peter had done, what I'd done..." His voice cracked, and he turned away to Erin, his eyes glistening.
"Enough, Ron give me that rat." Demanded Lupin, a strange steel to his voice. "It wont hurt him if he's just a rat."
Finally, Ron relinquished Scabbers to Lupin, the thing wringing around wildly. "Ready, Sirius?"
Sirius and Erin nodded to each other, and Erin held up her wand, Sirius's hand over hers. "Together?" Asked Lupin.
"I should think so." Replied Black, looking at Erin fondly before setting his fiery eyes on Scabbers.
"One, two, THREE!" A blue-white light came from both of the wands, wrapping around Scabbers like a robe. Suddenly, He was dropped, as his rat body gave way to a very short, very plump man, sniveling and whining like an animal.
"Well, hello Peter." Said Lupin pleasantly.
"S-Sirius. Remus. Erin. My old friends."
Sirius grabbed Erin's wand, but she tightened her grip on it and fixed him with a stare not unlike Molly Weasley's when her sons misbehaved. Sirius froze.
"We were talking about the night Lily and James died. Did you hear?"
"You d-don't believe him do you. H-he tried to k-kill me."
"So we've heard." Whispered Erin frigidly.
"He-I knew he was going to break out of Azkaban and try to kill me. With the dark powers He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named probably taught him.
Sirius let out a deep, mirthless laugh that made Erin shudder. "Voldemort?" Erin, Ron, Hermione, and Peter flinched, Peter most of all. "Teach me tricks? What's the matter, don't like hearing your old master's name?"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Squeaked Pettingrew.
"Mr. Black, er, Sirius?" Asked Hermione. "If you didn't use dark magic to get out of Azkaban, sir, how did you?"
Sirius looked at Hermione intently, but not in an angry way. It was as if he couldn't remember a time when he was called Mr. Black. Maybe he couldn't. " I hid from the Dementors using my Animagus form, where their mental attacks didn't harm me as much. I was so malnourished, that one day, I just slipped through the bars! As a dog, I mean. After seeing that clipping, and knowing Pettingrew would be so close to Harry..." His eyes were murderous. "Knowing that he could strike as soon as he could be sure of allies...I fled here, to Hogwarts grounds, living around the village. Unless, of course, I came to watch the Quidditch games." He looked to Harry. "You fly like your father did." A moment seemed to be shared between them as Black begged Harry with his eyes. They weren't the eyes of a killer. "Believe me. Please, believe me, Harry. I never betrayed James and Lily."
Harry nodded.
Peter fell to the ground. "NOO! Sirius, please!" He cried.
"Enough! I have enough filth on my robes without you touching them." Growled Sirius.
He turned to Lupin. "Remus, please, Remus." Lupin ignored him, rolling up his sleeves.
"I apologize, Padfoot, old friend, for thinking you were the spy."
"So do I." Said Black grimly. "That's why I didn't tell you about the keeper change." He, too, rolled up his sleeves.
"I assumed so." Said Lupin. "Shall we kill him together?"
"I think so."
"No!" Peter cried. "No! Erin, dear sweet, Erin. You wouldn't let them hurt me would you? You wouldn't. You don't want them to murder me!" Erin stumbled away from the groveling man.
She tried to speak, but her words only came as choked out blocks of anger and pain. "No. I won't save you. I was always busy doing that. Helping you out. And look what you did to repay that. No, I think I might even help..." She took in a steadying breath. "And I certainly won't stop them."
He turned to each child in turn, begging for help. He finally turned to Harry. "Harry, you look just like James."
"HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM! Bellowed Sirius. Erin flinched as the windows seemed to rattle, though agreeing with every word.
"James wouldn't let me be killed." He pleaded. Lupin and Sirius grabbed him and threw him to the floor.
"Do you deny what you did?" Growled Sirius.
Suddenly, the man bust into tears. "He would've killed me! He would have killed me, Sirius."
"Then you should have died! You should have died rather than betray your friends!"
"You should have realized Peter, that if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would." Sirius looked at Erin, and they exchanged meaningful looks. Slowly and deliberately, Erin handed him her wand. In unison, Remus and Sirius pointed their wands at Pettingrew. Hermione looked away.
"No!" Cried Harry. He was now standing in between the wands and Pettingrew.
"Harry." Said Black slowly. "This piece of scum is the reason you have no parents!"
"I know." Gasped Harry. "We can take him to the castle, hand him over to be taken to Azkaban. But don't kill him."
"Thank you!" Cried Peter, throwing his arms around Harry's legs.
"Get off me!" Growled Harry, kicking him off. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because I don't reckon my dad would have wanted his friends to be killers." No one made a sound. Slowly, Lupin and Black lowered their wands. "If anyone deserves Azkaban, it's him."
Lupin bound Peter up, Erin helped Ron to his feet, and Snape was suspended in the air, still unconscious, but floating slightly behind. Ron and Lupin chained themselves to Peter to keep him from escaping. Sirius's arm was slung around Erin's shoulders, holding her close and placing a kiss on her forehead every few minutes, as if he was afraid she might vanish into thin air before all of his love could be communicated. Crookshanks followed behind Hermione, tail held up triumphantly, finally having caught its rat. It was like this that the strange troop started out of the Shrieking Shack.
It was awkward business, squeezing everyone back through, especially considering that Peter was not as compact as he was on the way in. However, Sirius never let go of Erin's hand, even when it was single file.
For the most part, everyone was silent, but then Black suddenly started talking to Harry. "You know what this means? Turning Pettigrew in?"
"You're free." Said Harry. Erin couldn't help but glow inside at that thought. He was free, they could have a life together. She smiled and bit her lip, a look Sirius noticed as he glanced back at Harry. Erin met eyes with him as he squeezed her hand.
"Yes." Smiled Black. "But I'm also, I don't know if anyone ever told you, I'm your godfather." Erin blinked at what he was suggesting. Harry, living with them. At least Leona would have some company.
"Yeah, I knew that." The response was a tad discouraging.
"Well...your parents appointed me your guardian," said Black stiffly. "If anything happened to them..." No response. Erin hoped to heaven it was because he was stunned with happiness, but she couldn't see his face. "I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle. But...well...think about it. Once my name's cleared...if you wanted a...different home..."
He was struggling with his words, Erin knew, because of his nervousness.
"What-live with you?" Blurted Harry, and Erin inwardly flinched. "Leave the Dursleys?"
"Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to," said Black quickly, and Erin felt horrible for him. "I understand, I just thought I'd-"
"Are you insane?" Said Harry, behind Erin, his voice rough and excited. "Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? What can I move in?"
Sirius turned right around, startling Erin into a stop. "You want to? You mean it?" The hope in his voice, in his eyes, was so strong.
"Yeah, I mean it!" Said Harry. Sirius smiled, fully and wholly, a smile that reached his eyes and warmed Erin's heart.
She gently rubbed his hand with her thumb. "And as for a house, I believe I have just the thing."
This time it was Sirius' turn to look towards her hopefully, a silent question in his eyes. She just smiled and nudged him on back down the path. Nothing else was said for the rest of the way out, everyone left to their own hopeful thoughts on the future.
Harry was stunned that he would get to live with someone who actually loved him. And he would get away from his horrible aunt and uncle. Erin was delighted that she could have a full family now, a proper one, just like she had always wanted. Sirius was thinking the same thing, about how he could marry her, have a family. Honestly just the thought of being in her arms again was enough to make him giddy.
They finally made it out of the narrow tunnel, and up onto the surface of the earth. They moved along in continued silence, as the castle grew nearer. Everything seemed peachy until-
Moonlight suddenly bathed the area, appearing from behind a dark cloud. Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron stopped, Snape bumping into them. Sirius and Erin froze, holding out arms to stop Harry and Hermione from going any further.
"Oh, my!" Gasped Hermione. "He didn't take his potion tonight! He's not safe!"
"Run." Black whispered. "Run. Now."
Harry leaped forward, to help Ron, Erin presumed, who was indirectly chained to the transforming Lupin.
Black finally let go of Erin, grabbing Harry by the chest and throwing him back. "Leave it to me!" He yelled. "RUN!"
Lupin was transforming, turning into a wolf, and as he did, the light in his eyes disappeared, replaced with an insatiable hunger.
But, as he was transforming, so was Sirius and Erin, into a bear-like black dog and a dhole, or red wolf, respectively.
Lupin wrenched free of his bonds, Erin and Sirius leaping on him at the same time, trying to pin the animal down amid the flashing of claws and teeth. At the same time, Pettingrew escaped, being disarmed by Harry. When it was clear he was outgunned, he turned into a rat and scampered away.
Erin was thrown off into the air by a muscular arm, landing on a rock and not moving, while Sirius tried to restrain the werewolf on his own. Lupin invariably flung him off too, and galloped into the forest.
"Sirius, he's gone, Pettingrew transformed!" Harry yelled.
Though battered, and bloody, the wolf-dog struggled up and ran after the werewolf.
Erin, on the rock, lacked the strength to keep up her form, and transformed back into her human self. She heard footsteps and a hand on her arm.
"S-Sirius...help...Sirius." She groaned, trying to fight back the black. It reached in upon her consciousness, and the last thing she remembered before it took her was a howl in the distance.