Disclaimer: characters and settings are the brainchildren of J K Rowling, bless her cotton socks.
ooOOoo
Chapter 60: Hot Tempers
Harry tried to talk to Luna when they got back to the castle.
"Don't you talk to me right now, Harry Potter. I'm too angry with you," she said. She didn't sound particularly angry. Her voice was low and soft and rather attractive in a silky way, but there was a slight flare to her nostrils and her upper lip still had that stiffness to it which had nothing to do with British pragmatism.
Harry wisely found a separate study table in the library and they did their homework apart and in silence, to Madam Pince's contentment if no-one else's. On the way into the library, Harry's eyes had bugged at the sight of Hermione and Draco sitting together glaring tiredly at a small mountain of open books. Harry might have gone and sat at the table with them, but he was almost sure that he was hallucinating. He chose to sit in the same alcove as Luna instead. He cast the occasional hopeful glance across at Luna from time to time, but her mouth never softened. Occasionally he would pretend to need a book from a section near her and use that as an opportunity to open up a conversation.
There was so much Harry wanted to discuss with her, starting with Simon and ending with the hiding place for the Sickle, but she wouldn't even meet his eyes. After the tenth or so abortive effort at communication, Harry decided there were no more books he needed – especially from the Magical Mystery Tourism section – and gave the evening up as a bad job and went to bed. The table where Hermione and Draco had been sitting was empty, so Harry decided it must have been the stresses of the day turning him insane.
ooOOoo
Down in the Slytherin sixth year dormitory, Draco sat back against his pillows and reread for the third time the letter he'd just drafted using the typeset spell common to anonymous ranting correspondents throughout the Wizarding world: the brand of correspondent who sent letters in to editors and signed them "Concerned Citizen, Bramstoke on Trent". Luna had given him the spell. He smiled as he considered the potential reasons she'd become proficient at it. The smile faded as he realised he wasn't concentrating on the important matter at hand: he had to make sure this letter was precise and right, in wording, in message, in context, in trust. If he didn't, well… the best that could happen was nothing. The worst would be the slow death by torture of his family – or the only members of it he cared for.
This had better be worth it, he thought grimly, and pushed his hair back out of his eyes. Millicent's spell tended to wear off quickly. He noticed belatedly his fingers had ink on them; he'd probably just smeared it through his hair. He groaned. But, he reasoned grudgingly, on the larger scale of things hair probably wasn't at the top of the list. Close, maybe, but not the acme of reasons for living.
He frowned. Maybe that last line of the paragraph should be changed from late to delayed.
He started from the top.
Attention, Righteous-Thinking Wizard Families!
Concerned Pureblood families have noticed the falling birthrate within our population. Our lives are long, but at what cost? A solution may be in your hands. Our team of keen and vibrant research mediwizards wishes to test home remedies for life-enhancing potions to help bring forth the next generation. (Draco was proud of that bit – it sounded like someone was trying to steal some home remedy for the next Wizarding Vitalagra) If you, O patriotic Pureblood, have in your cunning (just to prove it was a Slytherin writing this) found methods to counter this societal blight, please send them by return spell. Simply tap this missive with your wand and speak the keywords: 'Late Gemini, Flashy Leo'. Remuneration for successful products will be great.
Discretion is, of course, part of our ethic. If the recipient of this letter desires out of modesty to remain anonymous, identity can be protected by identifying the source of the remedy as a 'ghost' researcher. (And the proper recipient should be able to name a dead researcher – or Potions expert – as the source of the potion if things got hot.)
We and future Pureblood generations thank you in advance.
Disaspora Magi
No, he'd leave it as 'late'. In all probability he would live to regret putting his initials to the letter in such a fashion. But if this plan came off, at least he would live.
Draco yawned, tucked the letter away (after carefully wiping off any magical fingerprints, of course) and went to check his hair wasn't stained.
It wasn't. Reassured by this small show of luck, Draco fell asleep quickly.
ooOOoo
The next morning was Saturday. Rather than wait around for Luna to start talking to him, Harry went up to the paddock with some food for Sirius.
He needn't have worried – Dumbledore or Remus had alerted the house elves and Sirius was just finishing bacon and eggs when Harry arrived. Simon was keeping him company in the stable.
Sirius waved a loaded fork. "Want some?"
"No, thanks. I've got a bacon and egg toast sandwich." Harry took out the food he'd wrapped in a napkin, trying not to snag it on the sickle. Hopefully they'd get the hiding place sorted out today; it felt a little bit like carrying around a bottle of Combustion Potion – were Combustion Potion made from diamonds, thus hideously valuable. "I guess it's mine seeing as you've already eaten."
"Go ahead."
Simon sniffed at Harry's sandwich. Harry pushed the long nose away. Simon sighed.
"I tried giving him some bacon. He spat it out." Sirius nodded at a small piece of mangled pinkish-brown stuff on the floor which might once upon a time have been bacon.
"Horses don't like meat," Harry said.
"After yesterday I'm ready to believe they prefer blood," Sirius said. But he grinned, and patted Simon's knee.
Harry raised his eyebrows. "You don't mind him being in here with you?"
"Frankly it's nice to have the company. Oh, he snores a bit, but then so do I. He didn't complain about being woken by me, unless that was one of the times he was outside eating grass. And horses are gassier than dogs, but I've got to admit they're not as smelly. People who live in glass barns shouldn't throw stones."
Harry was still a little bemused by how well Sirius was taking yesterday's attack. "How are you feeling? Your leg?"
"It's pretty good. The cast is beginning to itch already. It should start flaking off tonight. I'll be able to move back to the castle under my own steam after that. If I can be bothered. It's strange being forced out of the thick of things again. Restful instead of resentful. I'd almost forgotten what that's like." He forked up another mouthful of toast and eggs and chewed peaceably.
"So you're not too worried about Simon?"
Sirius smiled and looked up. Simon's head was so close Sirius was looking up the vast nostrils. He reached up and scratched under the horse's jaw. "No wand, no Padfoot, no standing up… I'm about as unthreatening as it gets at the moment. We're getting along famously."
"Hmm." Harry was waiting for the other shoe to drop. He decided to change the subject. "Luna knows who you are."
"Oh, she won't go around telling people," Sirius said, his eyes developing shadows.
Harry had seen that expression before. Sirius was keeping something from him. He mulled it over, then, on a whim, asked, "So what did you two talk about while I was off fetching Professor Lupin?"
"He's 'Professor Lupin', is he?"
"Well, he's not Cuddly Uncle Remus. Yes, he's 'Professor Lupin'," Harry added a little angrily. Guilt over nearly getting his godfather killed didn't quite erase the resentment he'd brought back from twenty-one years ago. "And you're wriggling out of the real question." Harry hadn't initially been that curious, but he'd grown sick of people deflecting him over the years – and he'd grown out of being naïve enough to let them. He was sick to death of secrets – secrets had nearly got him killed. And he wasn't above being manipulative: years of hanging out with Fred and George, not to mention the last several weeks in Malfoy's company had given him wedges into acquiring information he wouldn't have learned from the drearily blunt Dursleys. Harry was no longer above emotional blackmail – on very rare occasions, of course. "You know I've had people using me as a political football or a convenient if unconsulted shield against Dark Lords, and of course that's made me really, really fond of being treated like a halfwit who can't work out which foot the left shoe goes on, so if you and Luna are hatching up something that concerns me without considering my views on the matter, you'll just be sticking true to Fudge and the rest of the mainline Wizarding world. So well done. Of course," he added, because he needed to be fair or, at least, Slytherin-fashion, seem to be fair, "unlike some people I met back in time I don't think the world revolves around me. So if it's something private that doesn't involve me then forget I asked."
Sirius' expression slid into amused with a sprinkle of vinegar. "Was that spontaneous, or have you been waiting to say that for a while?"
"Spontaneous. But truth often waits for its own time." He thought of a tarnished silver cup hiding a Golden Sickle.
Sirius tilted his head back a fraction, pale eyes chilly, and Harry realised he mightn't like arguing with people who made eye contact from a higher level. Hmm. Harry stored that away for future consideration, part of him wondering if he was destined to be a People Mutterer. "Very deep," Sirius said softly. "And possibly zen. And I don't like being treated like a halfwit either. So don't think you can manipulate me."
Harry, who had been told about some Eastern magical philosophies by Hermione, narrowed his eyes. "Zen for children: what goes around comes around. If you don't want to answer the question just say so. Don't think a verbal attack lets you off the hook."
Sirius looked down and stabbed his fork into the last of the toast. It made a screeching noise on the plate. A small muscle jumped in his jaw, and the horse shook its ears and grimaced.
"It wasn't regarding you."
"Oh. Okay." Harry forced an anger he hadn't realised was coming to the boil back down to simmer. Luckily Simon hadn't sensed anything. Or maybe the greedy horse was too busy trying to – "Hey, give me back my sandwich!"
He grabbed the end and tugged. Half came away. Simon grimaced at the taste of the bacon, ears twitching like mad, but didn't spit anything out. He hadn't actually managed to get any of the bacon in the sandwich – the rasher had stayed within the half Harry had saved. Harry sighed and broke off the edges of the bread, which probably had horse spit on them, feeding them to Simon even though it would probably only encourage the ruddy breakfast-thief in future snatch-and-grab raids on innocent sandwiches. Simon lipped them up eagerly and without any apparent shame.
"So that's it? No more badgering?" Sirius asked.
"Oh, I don't think I need to badger anyone." Harry gave a narrow stare at the scars on Sirius' cheek. "Why should I when they don't learn anything from real badgering?"
Sirius' hand shot up to the scars and he winced. "I still can't believe Snape managed a transformation like that. It's not meant to be possible. Animagus or nothing."
"So the badger was a figment of your imagination?"
"Huh. If Snape was going to turn into a badger, it would make sense it would be a badger that would leap up and attack me." He paused. "Look, I talked to Luna. Not about you. Not precisely. If you're really sure you want to hear it I'll tell you, but you won't believe me."
"Why not?"
"Because Luna showed a side to her personality I'd never suspected. And it wasn't very nice."
"Did she go kind of thin-lipped? Her upper lip especially?"
"Yes, actually."
"Oh, I know that look. What did you do to bring it on?"
"Me?" Sirius bristled. "I didn't do anything but get attacked by Voldehorse here –"
"I thought you'd forgiven Simon?"
"You can't hold a grudge against a horse. Animals don't have morals. But it doesn't stop you making a judgement on its personality for your own safety. If you're going to run around with psychopathic animals you should know what you're dealing with – that's why Hagrid gets on so famously as Professor for Care of Magical Creatures."
"No, he thinks they're all little darlings in need of pampering. It's his colossal size and strength that stop him from being dinner."
"Well, perhaps. But as far as I'm concerned, this horse is on a short fuse. Especially with strangers."
"He wouldn't hurt me."
"He'd defend you, Malfoy or Luna to the death, I suspect. In fact I think that was why he went insane yesterday. He thought you were threatened. Which is – philosophical rubbish aside – why I could never hold a grudge against him."
Harry looked out the door. It was easier to check for anyone coming up the hill than look at Sirius for a moment. It was tricky, being reminded so honestly of how much Sirius loved him, especially when that came right on the heels of the memory of Sirius in the past kicking Severus the badger… and then Harry with his wand in Sirius' face, threatening to kill him…
…And meaning it.
As if following his thoughts, Sirius said, "Would you really have done it?"
"What?" Sirius wasn't psychic, he couldn't possibly know that Harry was thinking –
"Kill me if I'd kicked that badger again."
Mist was clearing over the Forest. Sun gleamed off the turrets of Hogwarts. It looked like it would be a lovely day. Maybe Luna had cooled off enough to give him a riding lesson. He'd flicked through the Horse Mutterer book again the other day, and he wanted to try out a few things with Simon… and now he was avoiding the issue just like Sirius had done earlier.
"Probably not. But if you'd hurt him again I would have definitely done something very nasty. I don't know how nasty, though. He attacked you when you threatened me, not when you were so busy insulting him. He was my friend and you, you weren't. You'd cracked his ribs and maybe if you'd kicked him again you'd have broken them properly. Yeah, I know I would have done something really bad to you if I thought you'd done that."
"You were pretty angry."
"I guess I was," Harry said mildly, remembering the way he'd been shaking afterwards. That only ever happened when he got really furious.
Sirius coughed. "Well, Luna… You sure you really want to hear this?"
"I don't think you can surprise me."
"Even when I say she threatened to give me a serious amount of pain?"
"Er… what?"
Sirius looked smug, reminding Harry of Draco for an instant. "There. You're surprised. When you left, she was sitting next to me. She folded up a blanket to put under my head, and I was thinking, gosh, this is so nice that someone's around me and they know who I am and they're not screaming and calling for the Aurors or Voldemort, and then she smiles, but it's with a sort of… tightness."
"Upper lip especially tight? Sort of very still, like she's thinking of words she's not sure she should say just yet?"
"That's the one. I'm sure I've seen it before, just not on her."
"I've seen it loads on her." And it had unnerved him, yes, but Harry wasn't surprised to hear Sirius had had it directed at him. Probably for ticking Simon off.
"Well, she's got this look. And then she stares down at me – ever noticed how strangely silver her eyes are? – and puts her hand over the break in my leg – not touching it, just… holding it above, and she asks me if I've been putting anyone in danger by running around as Snuffles. And if I've been spying on anyone – I think she mentioned Draco and Neville. I said no. And then she asked me why I didn't come out and be honest about who I was. Hogwarts could use an extra wand, she said. I replied that I didn't want to incriminate Dumbledore, who'd been using a dog Animagus to advantage by sending me out to patrol the barrier. I think she accepted that."
"Are you sure it wasn't a coincidence, her putting her hand there?" But it sounded weak even to Harry.
Sirius shot him a scathing glare. "I thought you didn't want me to treat you like a halfwit?"
"Yeah. Sorry."
"So you're shocked?"
"Yeah." Harry looked down at the straw. It was very clean. Luckily for Sirius, Simon was house trained. "Yeah, I'm shocked. It doesn't seem much like Luna."
"Oh, you'd be surprised," drawled a cold voice from the doorway.
It was Draco. He had his wand drawn.
What was wrong with the proximity ward he'd put on the fence? Harry hadn't heard a thing and the little light he'd keyed to it and hung over Sirius' bed wasn't flickering. Damn it. Harry carefully kept his hands where they were. It had been a while since he'd seen Malfoy this angry – even longer since he'd had that rage directed at himself. And right now Draco looked ready to hex him and Sirius into oblivion.
"Draco, I can explain…"
"Save it, Potter. I've heard enough. Stand up, you." He twitched his wand at Sirius. Simon, for his part, twitched an ear uncertainly.
"I can't."
Draco's mouth twisted into a smile. "No? Well I bet you can run if I set fire to you."
He lifted his wand.
And Simon moved before Harry could, sliding himself in between Draco and the two Gryffindors.
By the time Draco ducked under his neck, Harry had his wand drawn. "Draco, hear me out. His leg is broken. That's why Dumbledore has him stashed up here. This looks bad, but –"
"Dumbledore knows?"
"Yes, he –"
"Wait a minute… where's that smelly old doormat that's been following you around?"
"Er…"
Sirius, who had been silent so far, spoke now. "Draco…"
"That's Malfoy to you, murderer."
"I'm not a murderer."
"According to my father it wasn't through lack of trying," Draco breathed.
Sirius wasn't foolish enough to point out how Draco's father was less than a moral paragon. The stable might have gone up in flames.
However, it might just do that the way things were going.
"Dumbledore knew, didn't he?" Draco shouted angrily. Simon, upset, turned to give him a nip. Draco grabbed the headcollar with his free hand and held the horse's head still before the bite could land. "Don't you dare, Simon, he whispered, not taking his eyes off Harry and Sirius. His pale face was going scarlet. "I'm allowed this. I'm owed."
Simon shook his head, but Draco didn't let go.
"He's been harbouring him all this time! Who else has he let in? Who else has he been endangering us with?" he yelled.
Simon shook his head again. To the same lack of effect. Draco's knuckles were white on the headcollar but it didn't seem like he knew he was even holding the horse. Or perhaps part of him did, a calculating part that knew Harry wouldn't try cursing him in case he hit Simon.
If so, he was right.
Harry swallowed. Draco looked almost insane. He couldn't blame him – Slytherins had natural human paranoia magnified and Draco would see this – Harry sitting with Sirius Black this side of a barrier only Draco, with Simon's help, had crossed – as a personal betrayal. No wonder he'd made the connection with Snuffles: it was the most obvious way Sirius could have suddenly appeared. He'd been here all the time. Luna had figured it out. Now Draco had, too, and he didn't seem very happy about this revelation. To put it mildly. He looked as angry as Snape that time three years ago in the Shrieking Shack; all they needed now was Pettigrew and R–
"Expelliarmus!"
Remus. Thank Merlin, Harry thought as Draco's wand went spinning away.
There was a hoarse squeal of rage from Simon. Only Draco's hold on the headcollar stopped the horse from charging at the werewolf.
"Keep that beast under control," Remus said evenly, although his expression was set dangerously tight.
Draco glared poison at him. Simon pawed the ground and shook out his mane, which was still a little crinkled. No-one was about to laugh at that.
Remus lifted his wand and Simon, eyes blazing, tried to throw Draco back.
Draco clung. His eyes widened as he realised what spell Remus was going to use, and his fingers unclenched.
"Obliv-"
"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted before Lupin could finish the spell and wipe Draco's memory. Remus' wand flew out the door. "Malfoy, don't let Simon go, if he kills anyone he'll have to be put down," he added quickly, as Draco first went white then red. But he grabbed Simon just as Simon was about to leap forward. Simon, head firmly held, spun in a circle and the muscles in the black hindquarters bunched –
"Remus, get back!" Sirius shouted, half rising then going white with sudden pain and falling back.
He needn't have bothered – the werewolf dodged a split second before Simon's back hooves pummelled the air.
"Fucking hell!" bellowed Remus from the other side of the wall he'd ducked around. Narrowly escaping having your chest crushed would probably make anyone swear.
"Now, Remus, settle down. You too, Draco," Sirius said. "The horse is upset and you two pointing wands is just going to make him worse."
Draco glared at him over Simon's back. He was hanging on to the headcollar and hadn't had a chance to get his wand back yet. Simon had finished his circle and now was straining to get out the door to Remus. Draco pulled the horse into another circle. Harry was knocked back by Simon's hindquarters and nearly landed on Sirius. He stopped himself from jostling the broken leg by bracing his arms either side of Sirius.
"Sorry – you okay?"
They were nose to nose. Sirius, who was trying not to wince (because the bed had rocked and it must have hurt him), nodded. "Yeah. It's not me he's trying to kill today."
Harry grinned. "Just the rest of the world."
"Go and rescue Draco. He's not such a pill considering what his family is."
Harry picked up a spare leadrope and Draco's wand before it could be trodden on and, waiting for Simon to finish his latest circle, grabbed the headcollar from the other side. He quickly snapped the clip under the jaw.
"There. Now we can try to –"
"What 'we' Potter? Piss off," Draco panted.
Harry ignored that. "Simon, settle down. Good boy, Simon." Simon shook his head and stopped. Having two nearly full grown young men hanging onto his head must have been a strain to move, even for a big horse. He pawed at the ground angrily, digging a furrow in the straw. Harry, conscious of his feet in their sneakers, made sure he wasn't going to have a hoof break his toes.
"Sirius, why for once in your life couldn't you have listened to me?" Remus snarled. "We should have taken you into Hogwarts. Now –"
Simon's ears went back again and he tried to rear.
Sirius said, "Remus, please. Not now."
"Professor Lupin, your wand went that way," Harry said. Damn it, Simon had nearly thrown him off. "But it would be a really bad idea for you to go and get it right now."
"Harry, that horse…" Remus took a deep breath. He must have known Harry wouldn't accept any argument against Simon. "Malfoy shouldn't have seen Sirius, you know that."
"Well now he has, and maybe it's for the best."
"You've got to be joking – remember when Snape told everyone I was a werewolf?"
"Ah – I see. Slytherin bias. Your true colours are showing, Professor Werewolf, and they're red and gold," Draco sneered.
"Draco, shut up for just a couple of minutes," Harry hissed.
"You too, Remus," Sirius called. "I know you mean well, but I don't want you Obliviating anyone."
"If everyone can –" Harry broke off as Simon shook his head. But the horse was calming down and it was mainly for show and because it was getting sick of having two young men hanging on to its head. Harry let go of the headcollar and passed the leadrope to Draco. "Here. Professor, don't pick up your wand."
Remus had been reaching. He stopped.
"Now, I'm going to take Simon outside and tie him up behind the stable so he can't see what's going on in here. And then we're going to talk. All right?" He glared at Draco, who had opened his mouth to argue. "All right?"
Draco nodded tightly.
"Good. Here's your wand. Professor," he called out to Remus, "I'm going to take Simon out. I'll lead him around to the right. Can you move off to the left, please?"
Harry led out the horse. Simon followed, reluctantly if obediently, flattening his ears at Remus and wrinkling his muzzle. Lupin had the sense to let this go without making eye contact and backed out of kicking range in case Simon decided to lash out.
Simon didn't, although he was still in a nasty mood when Harry left him tied to a piece of string threaded around a post. Harry didn't dare tie the leadrope directly to the post itself – if Simon got a fright and tried to escape, he could damage the stable or – much worse – himself.
For a moment Harry considered staying with Simon. There were enough problems thanks to Voldemort and an incompetent government. How he was supposed to sort out two nominal adults and an enraged Slytherin sixth-year was anyone's guess.
He gave Simon a friendly slap on the shoulder which was ignored. Simon's ears were busy twitching around to listen for approaching werewolves.
Harry sighed.
Add one violently defensive stallion to the mix. Stir. Bake.
Sounded like a recipe for Hogwarts Crumble.
Back inside, Remus and Draco both had their wands in their hands. While they weren't actually pointing at anyone, there was a definite air of 'Yeah, I can hex you into humility whenever I choose, Werewolf/Malfoy (delete appropriate word). But I'm not going to because I'm being very polite. You wouldn't like it if I wasn't polite. No, you wouldn't.'
Banging their heads together would probably be counterproductive. Although it would give Harry a sorely needed moment's satisfaction.
Sirius, fingers laced across his stomach, met Harry's eyes across the little stable. There was a flicker of understanding.
"Hello, Harry. I'd magic you up a seat but I don't have a wand."
"That's okay. So… did I see you in the Library with Hermione last night, Malfoy?"
"Don't try to change the subject," Draco said coldly. "You've been harbouring a dangerous murderer. Dumbledore knows about it. So does the werewolf, apparently."
There was a growl from Remus who looked like he hadn't been getting much sleep lately.
"Oh, that's very nice," Draco sneered. "Beautifully worded – witty werewolf repartee, I suppose? Did you know he was an Animagus when Potter here was worrying about him coming into Hogwarts to finish off the job he supposedly started? Didn't he try to attack Weasley with a knife?"
"I wasn't, I was –"
"Although I can't believe I'm saying this because it sounds like I'm defending the Weasel, did you know Black here was an Animagus when Weasley was attacked?" he asked Lupin.
"Yes," came Luna's slightly breathy voice from the doorway, right behind Harry, making him jump. Damn, why hadn't he at least looked down the hill? To cap things off, she had Trudi with her. "I've been wondering that one, too. Well? Did you know?"
"Miss Lovegood, Miss Ricci, how long have you been standing there?" Lupin asked, totally avoiding the question.
"Just got here," said Luna as Trudi stared at Sirius. "Where's Simon? Simon!"
"Tied up around the back," said Harry. Unnecessarily, as Simon had whinnied at the sound of his name.
"Good idea. He doesn't like dogs or werewolves."
"If I'd forgotten, I was reminded when he tried to kill me just earlier," Remus said dryly.
"He's very protective," Luna said approvingly. "Hello, Mr Black."
Draco butted in: "Hang on, hang on, hang on… you mean you already know about him? About how Snuffles is his Animagus form? And he's been here all this time, following us around listening in on our conversations, spying on us, tattling to the we- oh, sorry, Professor Werewolf, if you will – and –"
"I wasn't spying on you," Sirius said.
"Well what else do you call sneaking around in disguise like that?"
"I call it trying to keep an eye on you. Trying to stop you getting into trouble. Trying to do my bit for Hogwarts. And trying not to get identified as Sirius Black, escaped prisoner, because that would be counterproductive and not in the best interests of Hogwarts. Er, Trudi, I'm not a murderer, by the way."
Trudi had been looking askance in that dangerously Slytherin way, suggesting she was weighing things up and finding that on balance she didn't like Sirius.
"He's not, you know," Luna said. "Is he, Draco?"
"Well, no, Pettigrew's still alive," Draco admitted, although it looked like saying the words hurt his teeth. "And it wasn't Black who betrayed Potter's family…"
"But your father told you about how he tried to kill Professor Snape?"
"Yeah." Draco paused. "Who told you?"
"I've known for a while. Not as many total secrets in Hogwarts as people like to think. Thousands of limited secrets. I didn't want to go blabbing it about. But after Simon kicked Snuffles and broke his leg and I helped get Mr Black back up here, I decided enough was enough. I'm rather glad you've found out, Draco. It's very annoying keeping secrets, remembering which ones are total, which are limited, and which are common gossip; and really, it's all quite counterproductive. Now that you know you can think up all sorts of clever questions to ask Mr Black about helping to defeat You-Know-Who."
Luna had in a handful of seconds told him he was right and he was clever, and thus smoothed Draco's ruffled feathers.
And Draco knew it by the cynical if amused glint in his pale eyes.
"Did you know what sort of reckless idiot Gryffindor he was? Did you know that he was at school he was called Siri-arselicker Black? And Blaggard? I asked about him once – we're cousins, you know – and Mother laughed and said he was an object lesson in all that's pathetic about Gryffindors."
Sirius, already pink, flushed further.
Draco's eyes gleamed. "Did you know Lupin was going to Obliviate me?" he said conversationally. If the cat that got the cream could speak, that was the kind of tone it would use.
Luna's eyes went wide. Trudi's narrowed. "Really?" "You're kidding," they said.
"Uh-huh." Draco, now a martyr, was playing it to the hilt. All he needed was a halo. Perhaps they didn't come in green and silver. "Luckily Simon saved me. He went for Lupin."
"He's the best of horses," Luna said with misty pride.
Trudi nodded. "I always knew he was brilliant. He's ever so patient, but he can still chase off monsters. Remember the vrikolaki?"
Remus stiffened at the 'monsters'. "Yes, I'm sure he's a fine example of what it means to be a horse. But that's besides the point – unless you want to consider how he tried to kill Sirius… The point is that now Draco – oh, sorry, Mr Malfoy, if you will," he added sarcastically, "knows about Sirius. And it's best if the students don't know about who Snuffles really is."
"Why not?" asked Trudi.
"Because they would be frightened. Hogwarts has enough trouble now without everyone losing confidence in the headmaster and staff."
Trudi and Draco exchanged a look. "It's not like we have any now," Trudi said honestly.
Sirius laughed. He stopped when Remus glared at him. "Sorry," he muttered.
"It's true," Draco said. "So are you going to Obliviate all of us?" He folded his arms.
Trudi raised an eyebrow. There was some unfathomable challenge in her expression. "He can Obliviate me if he likes. I don't mind."
Luna opened her mouth to protest, but shut it as Draco said, "That's very magnanimous of you, Trudes."
Trudi smirked. Harry didn't have a clue what that was about, but hoped someone would tell him – soon, before his brain exploded from all the secrets he was supposed to be keeping straightened out.
"I'd like to talk," Sirius said. He was still a little pink. "To say something. If that's all right with everyone. I mean, it's not like I'm involved or anything. And I'm quite used to people deciding my fate without asking to hear my side of the story."
"Makes a change from what I saw when you were a student," Harry muttered, knowing full well Sirius was referring to his farce of a trial but unwilling to let that stand. Now wasn't the time to bring that up.
Sirius affected to ignore this. "I don't want anyone getting their minds tampered with. I'm quite happy to have a few more people know about me, to be frank. All this hiding in my Animagus form is getting stale. Luna – you've got a point about Hogwarts needing all the wands it can get. I've fought Death Eaters as a dog; I'd like to finish off the job as a man. I'd like to walk into the Great Hall, sit down with you lot for lunch, and not stress every time I turn back into a wizard because there's a chance someone will walk in and catch me out. I'm looking at the bright side of this. My secret's out. Even Draco's said I'm not a murderer."
"No, but it's not like –"
Fortunately Draco's reply was cut short by Luna.
"There's a lot to be said in praise of passive-aggressive behaviour," she said. "You've wanted to be out in the open for a while, and now it's going to happen without you needing to take any blame for it. How interestingly philosophical. Do you believe in Free Will or Determinism?"
"And I never said you weren't a wannabe murderer," Draco pointed out.
"No, you didn't," replied Sirius, who was still avoiding looking at Luna. "You left that out when you were saying all those nice things about me just then. Thanks for the vote of confidence. You really are a Black."
Harry squeezed his eyes shut. "So… what? We tell everyone in the castle?"
"Sounds good," said Sirius.
"Sounds suicidal," Remus snapped. "Dumbledore spent last evening stopping a riot in Hufflepuff. Slytherin has already seceded. Now you want to leap up and say, 'Hey, remember me? Everyone's favourite Azkaban escapee? Who's up for a game of hide and seek?' How is that going to go down? Like a cold bucket of sick, that's what."
"Always with the eating sick jokes," grumbled Sirius. "Bet if I'd been a rabbit Animagus you wouldn't make them…"
"No, rabbits eat their own dung." But Draco was fingering his wand, not really thinking of what he was saying, it would seem. "And Professor Lupin's right. It would be too disruptive. It's not that most people are stupid, it's that most people are too lazy to think for themselves. They'd rather jump on someone else's opinion, and opinion of Dumbledore is quite low. Not just in Slytherin. The Slytherin Republic is based on a real need, not a whim like the Hufflepuffs were indulging themselves in."
"Oh? What need? A need to take over the school?" Remus asked cynically.
Draco's grey eyes flashed. "A need to make sure we aren't going to be used as pawns. Particularly when it comes to cannon fodder. All the other Houses have at least one teacher in their corner; we, who don't have any, have decided to be self-reliant in terms on our welfare. That is why we seceded."
"The teachers have discussed the issue – we have taken your lack of a Head of House into serious consideration. The whole staff is on your side, Draco. Not just the other three Houses."
"You'll excuse me if I believe that when I see it. Sir. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and other such fattening platitudes. But this is beside the point. Which is, uncomfortable as it is to admit it, that we need to put up with Dumbledore's hypocrisy a little longer. Who else knows?"
"Hagrid and McGonagall," Sirius supplied. "Oh, and Ron and Hermione."
"That's it?" Draco eyes widened. "Gosh. That's not bad for secrets at Hogwarts."
Sirius looked down at his hands. Harry could tell he was pleased. "Well, it's not something I boast about. Natural modesty."
"Natural sneakiness. Wasn't your brother a Slytherin?" Draco shook his head. "I suggest – and by 'suggest' I mean 'you will do this or I will blackmail you for seven generations' – I suggest you inform the rest of the staff –"
Harry frowned. "What? Trelawney as well?"
"Er, no, maybe not. Well, I never really considered her staff," Draco confessed. "All right. All the staff barring Trelawney. And we've got to tell Millicent Bulstrode, too. Possibly the Prefects. Definitely the Head Boy and Girl. It'd be a bit rude not to. Break it to the school gradually. You'll need to up your public image – it's not the best," he added, his eyes focussed somewhere in the realms of PR. "I'd suggest a proper shave for starters and a trim…"
"Oh, I don't know," Luna put in. "The pirate look is always fashionable."
"Only when he looks like a successful pirate. Not the Ancient Mariner," said Trudi, who was still eyeing up Sirius doubtfully. "All he needs is an albatross around his neck. Showing him to everyone when he looks like this could be a disaster. That's if we want everyone to accept him, of course. If we don't, then having him popping out from behind a curtain and shouting 'Avast, ye scurvy dogs' could be fun."
Sirius looked wounded.
"I think we should call those people in to have a meeting with Dumbledore," said Luna. "He can explain why Mr Black looks so disreputable. Or should we have the meeting up here?"
Sirius looked almost as outraged as Simon on a bad day.
"No, too obvious that something fishy's going on," Trudi said. "You'll have everyone coming up to see what was so interesting. Unless you want to move somewhere else," she added to Sirius.
"No, I rather like it here. When people aren't pointing wands at me," Sirius replied. "I'll have a shave. If someone could bring up a mirror, I'd appreciate it."
"No, you wouldn-" Luna began, then seemed to regain a few rudimentary ideas on tact and shut up.
Sirius glowered. The dark shadows under his eyes were far too pronounced for Harry's liking. He yawned.
"You need to sleep," Remus said. He squatted down by the bed and tucked the blanket underneath the makeshift mattress.
"Thanks, Mum."
"You're a bad son, you know that."
"No bedtime story?"
"Once upon a time there was a very stupid Animagus. He thought he was invincible right up to the bit where he was trampled to death by an insane horse. The end."
"That's the worst story I've ever hea-rrrrrghhh."
Mouth open, snoring softly, Sirius was asleep.
Trudi was shaking her head. Draco was still off in his own little world of swaying public opinion. Perhaps crowds lifted hands like fluttering birds in thunderous applause in his mind. This may have been why Trudi had to call his name twice before he curved back into orbit around reality, blinking, brow faintly furrowed with the residue of calculation.
Luna shot Harry a look. He nodded to her, gesturing with his chin out the door.
They were just about to leave for a private talk, when Lupin stood. "I'll go and see if Dumbledore is free. Mr Malfoy, Miss Ricci, do I have your word you will say nothing about Sirius' presence until we are in an appropriate setting? By that, I mean Dumbledore's office. Not the Great Hall."
"Of course," said Trudi.
Draco nodded. "Potter? You coming back down now?"
"In a minute. Luna and I are going to make sure Simon's settled down okay."
"Oh, is that what you call it?" Draco arched an eyebrow. "Come on, Trudi. We're not wanted. Professor? We'll go with you. We can all make sure everyone does what he or she is meant to."
Remus nodded. If he was offended by being patronised in such a way, he didn't show it. "Harry…"
"I'll be fine. So will Sirius. Simon was defending him too, you know."
"I don't know. That's the trouble. Luna, Harry… at some stage you're going to have to consider that animal's potential for violence. And take steps."
"We have. That's why there are so many wards around the paddock. They keep out the other students. Don't you think it's odd Simon's been left alone so long? It's because Dumbledore set the wards himself."
"Ah. I should have guessed. I never sensed any wards."
Harry should have guessed, too. Maybe that was why the proximity ward he'd set hadn't lasted. Hopefully it hadn't compromised the pre-existing wards. He'd ask Dumbledore later.
"That's how good they are." Luna beamed. "Come on, Harry."
She was smiling again. Maybe Harry had been forgiven for mucking around with the spell in Simon's chest.
Her smile vanished as soon as they were out of the door, leaving her face tired and paler than usual.
Nope. Not forgiven.
Simon whickered at the sight of them.
"Hello." She gave him a kiss on the nose (Simon, not Harry, and Harry tried to stifle a jealous glare at the undeserving horse) and untied the leadrope. They led Simon down the hill to a fallen tree. Best to give Remus and the two Slytherins a lot of time to walk down the other side of the hill and away; out of sight, out of mind as far as horses were concerned.
Simon grazed at the end of his leadrope, contentedly working on filling his belly. Harry and Luna sat on one of the fallen branches, listening to the birds, watching the foxgloves sway gently, glossy bells shivering as the breezes touched them with chilly fingers. Some of the roots of the tree were still intact, so although it was lying along the ground it had managed to push out fresh green leaves this spring. Blackbirds, still engrossed in their dawn chorus, sweetened the sounds of the leaves rustling and grass being torn up and chewed. Occasional soft thunks of a hoof being shifted punctuated the singing with dull bass notes. Harry looked up as a crow flew overhead, cawing.
It was a beautiful day. The sky wasn't often this clear shade of blue.
He tried desperately to think of something to say to Luna. Something to make things right again.
There was no Girlfriend Mutterer Book.
That one would net the writer a fortune – all the Galleons in Gringotts, and then people would be dipping into the Muggle world for money to pay for all the copies that would sell.
ooOOoo