Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing the characters for my own amusement, they are not mine.

The Brotherhood

~~~ Chapter Six ~~~

Harry crouched behind a bush near the outskirts of the small town that they had stumbled upon. Sirius had gone in, under the invisibility cloak, to steal some food and perhaps a map. Neither of them liked stealing, but they had to do it to be able to survive.

They had thought that they might have been able to go into a muggle town without facing suspicion, but it wasn't so. The first time they had tried, they passed a store selling televisions, and every single one of them was on a station that had the news on, and both of their photographs were shown. They had quickly hurried out of there after seeing that.

Peering around the bush, Harry watched the small store into which Sirius has disappeared, hoping he came back fast. He was always nervous when Sirius went off like this, because who knew what could happen while he was gone? Sirius had insisted that he was the one who do the thievery, rather than Harry, saying that he didn't want his Godson to be a criminal, even if the world considered him one. However, Harry had managed to convince Sirius to get them both new clothes, and they were able to get cleaned up, so when someone saw them, they didn't instantly think that they might be criminals.

Harry suddenly heard footsteps coming toward him, and seeing no one, he figured it was Sirius, so he wasn't surprised when Sirius suddenly appeared beside him, clutching several cans of food.

Harry quickly opened the backpack which Sirius had stolen early on, and Sirius dumped the cans in it.

"Did you find out where we are?" Harry questioned.

Sirius nodded and pulled a map out of his pocket. He quickly unfolded it. "Now, where did you say the Weasley's lived?"

"Ottery St. Catchpole," Harry replied at once.

Sirius nodded and promptly located in on the map. "Okay, and we are about here," Sirius said, pointing to a place quite a distance from the first location.

"Looks like we've got a big trip ahead of us," Harry commented, frowning.

"Well, I might be able to apparate us some of the way. I'd apparate us all the way, but you can only apparate to places you've been before, and I've never been to Ottery St. Catchpole," Sirius murmured, also frowning at the long distance.

"I've been there. Maybe you could teach me to apparate," Harry suggested.

Sirius looked over at his Godson, a pondering look on his face.

"I don't think I'm that good of a teacher. And with our luck, you'd probably ending splinching yourself really bad and we'd be stuck somewhere for days," Sirius shook his head after several seconds of thought.

Harry frowned. For hearing stories about how reckless Sirius was, he seemed to be very cautious about everything. He had immediately vetoed the idea of Harry becoming an animagus when Harry suggested it, although Harry had reminded him that he was older than Sirius was when he had become one. Sirius had only shaken his head and said that it was a whole different circumstance, which Harry had to agree with, although he had done so grudgingly.

"So we walk?" Harry said, sighing.

"I'll practice my apparating skills again," Sirius agreed.

Harry flung the backpack onto his back and the pair stood up and headed for the cover of the forest.

The pair had been walking for about two and a half weeks now, and Harry was tired of it. Although, it was better than being in Azkaban by a long shot. He wished, though, that they could find someplace to settle down and hide for a while instead of walking, but that was unlikely to happen. They had to keep moving to avoid everyone who was searching for them. And Harry had yet to send that bouquet of flowers to Ginny, although, she probably knew they had escaped by now, like everyone else.

"Sirius,"

"Yea?"

"How long do you think it will be until we get to the Weasley's?" Harry asked.

"I'd say a week, at least. Why?" Sirius answered, glancing over at his Godson as they walked.

"No reason," Harry replied. He really hoped that Wormtail was still hiding with the Weasley family, even though Ron wasn't there anymore, because if he wasn't this whole trip would be a waste.