Doing good – Amelia Bones stretched in her chair, feeling her muscles crack, one really should avoid sitting down for eight hours straight poring over papers, but work had to be done. When she slumped back down in her chair and was facing the door again she saw a hooded figure blocking her vision. She let out a startled shriek and grabbed her wand fixing it solidly on the figure in front of her. It registered in her mind that she could be dead right now and she wondered how the person had entered her office without her noticing anyhow, magical wards did not grow bored. This knowledge calmed her slightly, there was not anyone she knew of who was not behind bars that may want her dead as she was pretty sure Sirius Black was not all Fudge was claiming him to be.
Still, he was the first man on her mind as she stood, wand still trained at him, the hooded man did not even look up. She had seen every demonstration he had pulled except the one of Lucius but believed him and wanted Fudge to talk to her but he had locked himself away, and she guessed she could not blame him for hiding considering. Still, it was annoying, because it meant the world dropped like a ton of bricks down on her. She did not think her life was in danger but she knew how powerful Sirius Black was and really did not want to encounter him. She waited for the man to introduce himself or at least inform her as to why he was here and what he wanted with her but he seemed to be waiting for a prompt, for some reason he felt as if he was judging her.
She glared at him, she was not going to ask, it was up to him to explain himself, he was the one intruding on her personal space after all. She made the pointing of her wand at him a little more pronounced, hoping it was someone it would do some good against him. "Oh put the little stick away madam, it will do no good against one such as me." Now she did not know Sirius Black very well, but knew enough to be assured this was not him. However he spoke with such confidence, such assuredness that it must be someone with the same level of power, or thereabouts. For one to talk about wands in such a derogatory way he must have the power to back up his strong words and not need one, though she had the compulsion to test him.
With no warning, and hoping he did not take offense she sent a hex at him designed to make him spasm on the spot. It was colourless and she did not even need to say it as it was not all that powerful, but the man caught on. He raised a hand and seemed to catch the beam of light, he twirled his hand and in the next moment a black rose was twined round long, pale fingers. He sank to one knee and offered it to her with a flourish, "for you my dear lady," he purred and she saw no other option that to take the flower in a stupor and lay it on her desk. Well that certainly proved he was not all talk, but she did have to wonder who he was if he was not Sirius Black.
As if he had heard her question he threw back his hood and she was greeted by a man with a pale face and deep violet eyes, framed by fine blond hair. She had read about him in the paper two days ago, in fact, he was the reason she had so much work to be getting on with now. She never thought she would actually meet him although Rita had said that he said he was onto the ministry for their crimes against his familiar. "Lord Black," she nodded her head respectfully in greeting, not wanting him to be offended and end up killing her although if he could stand Rita... She got a reciprocated nod and some of her nervousness dissipated. It would be incredibly foolish of this man to kill her and the Lord of the most noble and ancient house of Black could not be a fool.
Lord Black did not waste time in small talk and niceties. "I am sure you have read the papers and know the dastardly actions that have been taken on my familiar as of late." He drew out a file from his robes and threw it onto her desk, "this is the proof. I wish for you to reopen the case, as Fudge seems to have curled in on himself with the whole matter. You have seen his demonstrations with the death eaters and the constant proclamations of Peter Pettigrew being alive. Fudge does not need to do anything, just take whatever actions you believe to be right." He looked into her eyes and she understood with a jolt he was leaving this up to her, no threats or anything, this was to be her decision. He wanted to see what side she was on.
She did not take the sides of people; she took the side of the righteous and just. It just so happened that this usually meant she was taking the side of the people she worked with because they were the law enforcers and if someone broke the law that generally meant they were bad news. But it was not the case this time, the one in the wrong was her boss. It was not an easy thought for she had been working under him for a long while but he had to be brought to justice, he could not hide forever. He continued to do what was wrong to cover up his own mistakes but was failing because Sirius was having none of it, and neither, it would seem now, was the Lord of his house whom she hadn't known until a couple of days ago was a different person.
She felt pride and happiness at being trusted with this. The Lord of the most Ancient and Noble House of Black was trusting her with an important decision and trusted her to make the right one, trusted her to turn from the corrupt Fudge and support his family. She thought of all Sirius had gone through and now she was 99% sure he was innocent too. She'd get a lot of support, there were many who thought like her. The Lord could have gone to another who had just as much influence as her but he had chosen to come to her because he trusted her righteousness. He seemed like a perfectly nice gentleman and quite a man to look at too.
She really did not have a choice, even if he was not smiling at her in that innocent and imploring manner. She wondered if he had a small child or frequent interaction with one, only someone who had a small child could pull off such a look. She pressed the button on her desk that put her on the intercom so the whole office would hear her. "I have found a file that has informed me that Sirius Black never actually received a trial, I am reopening the case." The smile he was sporting as she said that was infectious, it was just so genuine. With her finger off the button she said in a gentler voice, "I promise justice will be brought."
It was either the right thing to say or a very big mistake as his eyes grew darker, to a dark green and a feral smirk crept across his face. he was still looking at her but did not seem to see her sitting there and seemed to be more staring right through her and into space. "Yes," he muttered quietly, still staring ahead with that glazed look over his eyes, "I will serve out just desserts." Amelia was not sure whether he was aware he still had company and resolved to just be still and silent and wait it out. He must feel very strongly for his family, but the Black family had always been famous for that, blood always ran thicker that righteousness and justice now the white sheep of the family had been wronged so badly, she should have expected such a reaction.
Still, whoever that smile was meant for, be it Fudge or Pettigrew, she wanted to be nowhere near the vicinity. In the corner of a darkened room in a little house half covered by trees and bushes where no one could find or think to look, Fudge sat with his knees drawn up to his chest, slowly rocking back and forth in the dark. No one could find him here, not the press, not the death eaters he'd employed like a fool, hopefully not even Sirius and Regulus Black or the new Lord he'd seemed to have acquired. Rita's latest paper sat read and strewn across the floor with the newer papers of the Daily Prophet, each one about the reopening of the Black trial. He was unwashed, unshaved and starving, but he did not care anymore. He had given up.
He had known that it was wrong not to give Sirius Black a trial but it made so much sense that he was the murderer at the time that he had not thought. But he had known the end was coming the moment Lucius Malfoy appeared in his office with that penseive playing above him. The only reason he arrested the man was because he was afraid Sirius would come after him, besides, it was clear to him that Lucius Malfoy was indeed a dangerous man. But he did the opposite of what he should have done after that. He did not admit his mistake, he did not want the world to know of his slip up of arresting the wrong man and it was clear that the man was after revenge which meant he must have gotten the wrong man, so he put more effort behind finding him.
It was such a cowardly and death eater like move, like murder, it was murder in a sense. He let his pride cloud his judgment. Like when one commits manslaughter and they should have left it at that, but instead, because another innocent saw you do it you have to kill them too. Then his family can all vouch that they saw him with you last so you have to silence them too, and then you have to blackmail some neighbors. It just escalates and escalates until there is no way you can possibly turn back, so you can only think to do more and more. He was almost glad that his efforts had become fruitless in the end, almost glad Sirius had been just too good for him, too fast, too strong, too clever, he was glad the good side had won.
He had done so much against the man, and his brother when he learnt that Regulus Black was still alive, or come back to the world of the living or something like that. He was sorry for what he had done; no one would believe him and would ask why he had not sought to rectify the matter. But he was too far gone by that point, and it was only now when he had fully and completely and unarguably been brought down to his lowest and lost so spectacularly that he let events catch up to him and magnitude of the evilness of his transgressions sink home. Sirius Black was right to want to seek revenge, to even what to kill him and if the time came he was unlikely to even resist because he was well in his rights to do so.
He knew that he should be doing something more productive than rocking here. He could issue the order to look for Peter Pettigrew but even though this was a reasonable excuse for once, he could not bring himself to do it. It was not that he did not want the real traitor found or was still clinging onto the faint hope that the world would still side with his false allegations against Black. No, he just did not feel as if he still held the authority to issue any sort of order. No, someone else would issue than order or Sirius would sort that problem out all by himself too, he would not be at all surprised if he was dropped in his lap too. He respected the man for that, and how well he had help up against the whole ministry.
Just like when he had bested him in wordplay when he had been in prison, now, he had bested him and the whole ministry by staying out of their clutches and enacting just desserts himself for so long. Oh yes, he respected him and was in awe of him and he wished fate had played out differently and that he had not done all these things against him. Not because he was afraid Sirius would come after him, although he was afraid of that, but because he honestly wanted to be friends with him, get to know him and maybe learn his wandless magic trick. He honestly wanted to know the man, because he was noble, had a parental side, was ruthless, but not without good reason and was incredibly smart and powerful.
He let out a long sigh and leant back against the wall, letting his eyes close and his eyes close. It had been a regime of sleeping and crying alone in this corner for two weeks now, thereabouts. He had barely slept, as in truly slept. He had had naps then and again but it had been a while since his body had actually had a night's sleep. He realized that it must be like this in Azkaban, always cold, always lonely, always uncomfortable, always lost in a well of depression and regrets, unable to sleep. He was haunted too, one did not need the dementors to lose one's happy memories and soul, all one needed was stupidity and power and prestige. That was all it took for him to be reduced to this sleep deprived, sobbing wreck.
All one needed was money and influence and pride to think they are invincible. It happened to the death eaters now rotting in Azkaban and now it had happened to him. All it took was for someone who was seemingly beneath you to rise up and strip you down to your basest forms. And he was sorry. He was really, truly sorry for what he had done to the more or less innocent man, he had been innocent before he was arrested and now he was heading an huge revolution, with allies, he had earned them too. He had saved Harry's life and was looking after him now, and thinking about it, that was another transgression of his. He had not thought to check on him, like every other muggle and magical newly adopted or fostered child was.
He was hungry; he had an appetite, but lately had not been able to keep things down for long. He knew he should have something light like a yoghurt or milk and build his strength back up but he had neither the will nor the strength to take care of himself in anyway. He was skinny and he had eaten various things in the time he'd been here. On the mornings he was not feeling too awful he would stumble the 10 paces to the kitchen and grab a tin of soup or something and drink it cold, liquid things he could keep down. He knew his behaviour had made him ill but a week and a half ago he had just acquired a new reason to refuse to take care of himself.
His left hand now sported no wedding ring, his wife had left him. Charlene, his beautiful, loving, wonderful Charlene had left him. He respected the reasons that she gave him, that she could not stay with a corrupt monster like him and he respected that he guessed. Some part of him was glad that the reason was not another male, his transgressions were a noble reason, something she would definitely go for. With a job like his that demanded so much of his time and attention it was hard to find someone who was willing to live it with him. But he had found her, young, beautiful, loving, a strong sense of justice obviously, faithful too. It was almost too good to be true, but it was real, with her and his job he had everything he ever wanted, and he fucked it up.
Of all the things his idiocy and ego had made him do so far, this was the worst punishment karma could dish. He deserved it, he deserved everything and more, he knew, and no amount of penance would justify him but it didn't stop the pain. "I'm sorry," he whispered so quietly as he rocked there he was scarcely sure he heard himself, "I'm so, so sorry." It was not as if Sirius Black could hear him, or Regulus Black, or little Harry Potter, or Charlene, but he kept muttering it even so and eventually managed to find himself in that state that was not quite awake that has passed as sleep for him in his state for two weeks. He continued to rock and mutter in that new state for a few hours before jumping back, quite suddenly too, to full awareness once more, now silent.
He did not hear anyone approaching. "You're a mess," mentioned a male voice from the doorway to his shelter. He knew there were things he should be concerned about. He did not know who this man was so he could mean him harm and here he was completely defenceless. He thought he was hidden, no one knew where he was hiding from the public; they thought he had just locked himself up in his office, so how had this stranger found him. He knew he should look up or acknowledge him in some way but he could not bring himself to move from the foetal position he had assumed almost a fortnight ago. He agreed with the stranger, he was a mess, he deserved no more. "I never believed when I found out where you were hiding that I'd find you like this."
Fudge would usually say something cutting to that like, "I'm sorry to disappoint," or... or... he could not think, his mind was nothing but mush now, he had not been giving it sustenance or rest after all. As things stood he stayed silent. "Are you not going to ask who I am?" The stranger asked and although Fudge knew that he should, he still gave no response. "Look up." There, an order, but he did not so much as shake his head. He was determined not to say anything either, if his voice still worked at all, but he was sure this man had worked that out for himself. He heard a deep sigh, "I cannot believe I am doing this."
He did not bother to try and work out the meaning behind that resigned tone. Then suddenly he smelt something sweet beneath his nose. The stranger was kneeling before him and was holding out a mug of tea before him, it did register that it did not seem to have taken a moment for him to make it and bring it to him. He did not break his silence to comment on it, although he did take the tea and obediently sipped from it. The stranger stayed crouched on his haunches in front of him, waiting until he had finished. It was the first thing he had drunk all day, and instantly he felt a lot stronger, he moved his lips for a moment before he decided to speak.
He looked up slowly, red rimmed eyes meeting deep violet ones. They were set in a pale face, surrounded by thin blond hair. He did not know this man but his eyes were burning with fury, he knew his transgressions, "who are you?" He croaked, his voice was weak from sobbing until it was broken and unable to do much at all anymore. At least he was not shaking as much anymore, though he was still quite ill.
The stranger did not answer him straight away. "I will ask the first questions Fudge," he informed and the shadow of the minister gave no protest. "Now how about you tell me why you let yourself get into this state?" He obviously did not answer quickly enough for his liking because he cut in, "are you scared of Sirius Black seeking revenge?" He gestured to the papers lying around.
The minster shrugged and then rasped, "regrets."
The stranger seemed taken aback, "by what you did to him?" He nodded. "So much so you have fallen into this state of illness." He let out another sigh and left the room, moments late he entered with some chicken soup, heated, and a couple of slices of bread thickly spread with butter. "This will not do, while you have little authority, you are still the minister and you could be doing a lot more useful things than slowly dying in misery and illness alone here. Besides, you dying will help nothing, so you are going to listen up and do exactly what I say. You are going to let me help you and then you are going to issue the search for Peter Pettigrew, the case of Sirius Black's innocence has already been opened, I think he will be declared innocent within the week."
"Good," he muttered, "that's a good thing."
"Now eat that." It took a little bit of prodding but eventually the soup started to make its way to the broken man's mouth. He waited patiently waited until he had finished and then hooked his hands under the smaller man's arms and hauled him to his feet. With the care of a grudging peer he started to drag him/lead him towards the bathroom. He helped him out of his outer clothes and then pushed him into the bathtub. "You must have been sitting there for weeks, you absolutely reek." Fudge was still rather weak but he got the idea and washed his front while the fair haired man did his back and hair. Once he was clean enough in the stranger's eyes he helped him into nightclothes and led him to the bed, not the corner on the wall.
"You have got to start taking care of yourself," he ordered. "The only way to lay these regrets to rest is to do something about it, try to rectify them, do something about them, make it up to Sirius Black somehow, or you will just continue to be a shivering wreck. As much as I dislike you, you are no use to anyone dead."
"There is nothing left to live for," he hiccupped, "I betrayed all I stand for, the world has turned against me, my wife..." he trailed off before coming back full force, "she LEFT ME!"
The stranger did not look that sympathetic but did not hold the hostility he'd had a couple of hours before when he'd first arrived. "Now you listen to me, when I was sixteen my girlfriend had a little bit too much to drink, kissed another and I broke up with her. She was drunk, it was a mistake, she loved me and I broke her heart. I told her I wanted nothing to do with her and she believed that I would not care if she died. Three years later she was killed in a death eater raid, and despite not talking to her in that time, I cried for four days straight. I imagine breaking up with a wife for 17 years is more traumatic than losing a girlfriend of 17 weeks, but still, you cannot be allowed the luxury of mourning any longer."
Cornelius did not bother to ask how the man knew how long he'd been married for. He just accepted whatever the stranger brought; he was like Dumbledore in a way, seemed to have a kindly side but was also incredibly smart and just exuded power naturally. "What is there left to live for?" When one shows such wisdom of matters that did not even seem to concern them, those of less knowledge often turn to them with similar questions. He knew it was a question only he could answer, but this man had shown him so much guidance already, he yearned for more assistance before the sleep pulling at him won. His desperation must have shown in his voice and his tired eyes, the man gave another sigh of acceptance.
"The answers I can give you depend on the reasons you are giving up," he mentioned. "If you are giving up on life because your wife left you then do not, it is idiotic. Just because she is no longer married to you does not mean that she no longer harbors any affection for you at all, you will only end up hurting her more. If you are giving up because Sirius has won, well, as long as you are still alive and not officially resigned you still have a job to do. He is in the right, like you should be, you tried to beat him, you failed, so join him. Issue a search for Peter Pettigrew, urge him to be introduced back into society, offer him compensation and a formal apology, you will be surprised at how far it can get you, you know."
"An apology will not be enough, he probably still wants to kill me, I know from his acts against the death eaters he has captured so far, he has little mercy."
"He has little mercy for those who do not repent, a lot like a God you could say. It is true you have a lot of transgressions against him directly and he does not take kindly to that, but think about it? As you have already given up and the worst he can do is kill you, you really have nothing to lose. You are only sixty five years old man; you have a good eighty years ahead of you if you look after your health, you could find love again, or win you wife back. pull yourself together and try to set tings too straight, seeming as Sirius has already won and after breaking out of Azkaban has not rally had a hard time enacting his revolution, made you look like quite a fool really, so you are not too late. Either way, you never know until you try."
"I'm scared," his voice was growing fainter now.
"And you would be a fool not to be," he stranger said with a nod. "Sirius Black is a very powerful wizard who has a lot against you, but you cannot just die here, you have to do something, or he really will come a put you out of your misery permanently, I will place every galleon, sickle and knut I own on it. Do what I have told you and then retire."
"Retire?" This roused him slightly.
"The world is against you, Cornelius Fudge." He said it in a plain voice, he was not trying to be mean, he was simply stating a fact. "They will follow you if you order the search for Pettigrew although I am sure Sirius will take care of it himself soon as I have said. However, you cannot just step back into the role of minister, people will not take kindly to it, you will have very little support and authority, rendering your position rather pointless. Give it to someone who can be trusted like Amelia Bones or Arthur Weasley, then when Sirius is in the open, I suggest you try and convince him to take it. After the war, this world needs a firm hand to bring it back on track. While he has a rather harsh approach you cannot say it is ineffective."
"They will follow Sirius?"
"Britain will have very little choice. Still, it is better to have a strong leader with zero tolerance now who is working towards a more peaceful world than to rejoice in the peace until Voldemort gets a new body and leads the ministry instead. Whether or not you do anything, Sirius will win, he will get what he wants, Amelia will find him innocent, Pettigrew will be found and he will bring about your downfall, whether or not it kills you, is your choice. Sleep, recover, eat, drink and think about what I have said if nothing else."
"What is your name?"
"I can't tell you, well I could, but I shall not."
"I want to know how you found me and why you helped me."
"Trust me on this, so do I. To the latter at least. I shall tell you this, I am Lord Black."
"Is that not Sirius?"
"Well, look at me and tell me what do you think?"
"I think I just asked a stupid question."
To his surprise the man before him just shrugged. The minister was asleep in moments and with a few swishes of his hand the place was cleaned up. Amelia was on his side, and now phase two could be marked complete, with a smirk, he apparated as if he were never there.
Sirius felt the mirror in his pocket grow warm and he pulled it out to see Remus staring at him with a nervous expression. "Good afternoon Moony, do you have news for me?"
"A couple of things. Dumbledore saw me today, he said the minster contacted him, said he was going to try and join your movement, issue a search for Peter, not stand in your way as you bring about you revolution. Dumbledore said he looked awful, he was as skinny as anything, pale too, like he'd just been really sick. He would not stop saying how sorry he was, and I am not sure how good an actor Fudge is but I trust Dumbledore, and he said he looked pretty genuine."
"Well then why do you look so worried? That is good news!"
"Well, actually, that concerns the other thing I was going to ask you about. I know it is early of me to ask this but I was wondering if you would come over tonight. I mean I know you have Harry to look after and we are not as strong as we used to be, and I have been taking wolfsbane but as it is my wolf's 'birthday' I am not sure it will be as effective. To tell you the truth I would just like someone with me like old times and without Prongs or Wormtail, I just thought..."
"Oh yes, it is full moon tonight, I forgot, I guess I have not been needing to keep track of the moon phases anymore. I have left Harry before, I do not want to, but I think he understands, all I am doing is hunting down those who would hurt him. I will leave him with Regulus, he will be fine for one night, why not give our good old days another try?"
Remus smiled, "thank you so much Padfoot, you have no idea how much that means to me."
Sirius just smiled in response, "yes Moony, I really think I do."
Sirius did not leave Harry as much as he thought he did. Yes he left the house often but it was usually when Harry was asleep so he never knew. It was not like he left the kid unsupervised, Regulus was always here, and when Reg was with him, Kreaher was capable of taking care of him for a few days at least. Harry rarely woke from nightmares anymore, and to his knowledge had not done while he and Reg were out yet. So at 7 o clock, an hour before Harry 's bedtime, with a slightly heavy heart, but mainly anticipation and slight excitement he kissed Harry's forehead and said goodbye to Regulus who was much less happy about him leaving.
"Where are you going?"
"The shrieking shack."
"Oh... Remus?"
"He wants things to be like old times."
"And you are going to give it a go then."
"He is like a brother to me," he said, not noticing the minute flinch Regulus gave, or passed it off as something else, "he deserves this chance."
"Just be careful Sirius."
"As long as I stay in my dog form everything will be alright, I have been doing this since I was a fifth year student, I will be fine. I have not been in my animal form for a while, I have not needed to, I think I will enjoy tonight. I will be back tomorrow." He leaned in to give his younger brother a peck on the cheek which he accepted grudgingly and apparated to where he was to be meeting Remus. The man was already there, waiting for him, he was excited. Sirius turned into a dog and patiently waited, laying on one of the battered sofas until moonlight filtered through the window and triggered the change. It was just as horrific as he remembered, a painful howl ripped from Remus' throat and he was left whimpering, but he calmed as soon as he saw the dog.
Padfoot lightly jumped from the sofa, licked Remus' snout and then took off running down the shack, howling for Moony to follow him. The game of tag lasted almost the entire night, neither needed to rest all that often and neither got bored of the game. It was as if they had never gone a full moon without seeing each other even though it had been years and it seemed as though the wolf remembered him of its own accord. Even though it was only the two of them, they were both canines and it did not seem to matter. Neither of them had any recollection of exactly when the night ended, but they did not wake up naked and human in each other's arms until the sun was high in the sky signaling noon of the next day and neither moved for hours after that.