Magnolia Crescent

Chapter Forty-Five

The Moonlight's Calling

Sirius sat behind his desk, staring down at scattered parchment and paperwork. He slammed his fists on the wood, swearing that Nott was involved somehow but without any evidence, there was nothing he could do.

"I take it being on the opposite side is not any more pleasant?" Lupin asked, strolling through the Defense classroom. He set his goblet down on the desk, still smoking.

"So, that time of the month, huh?" Sirius asked and Lupin frowned at his colleague.

"Don't get smart. I hate this damn ailment and comments like that are just weird," he snipped, looking at the sun low in the sky.

"Well, to be honest, after today, I could go for a run," Sirius noted, standing from his desk and stretching. Lupin practically went wide-eyed at the remark.

"You can't let me out. I could hurt someone," he whispered, horrorstruck.

"We both know that keeping yourself locked up in that house is not good for your health," Sirius chided. "You look twenty years older than me and I spent over a decade in Azkaban. You're going on a run with me tonight, end of story. It will do your body good."

"I can't, Sirius. I could hurt someone," Lupin replied with wide eyes.

"Lupin, the wolf has had a potion. You are in more control than ever before. Besides, restricting the werewolf is taking a toll on your body. You need to be able to run around and I can keep an eye on you," Sirius refuted.

"Sirius, that was a dumb idea. And it's even more so with three other international schools on the grounds. If I bit someone…" Lupin trailed off. Sirius stood up and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Remus," he said, grabbing his other shoulder. "You will not harm anyone while I am here. I know the risks and I will keep you far away from the school. Besides, I've already talked to Dumbledore about it and he agrees," he added simply.

"WHAT?" Lupin shouted, staring at him in disbelief. Sirius moved back to his desk and pulled out a book on werewolves.

"You know I am right. We've got everything in place. And best yet, I won't be the only one out with you tonight," he replied, a slight smile on his face while Lupin's look of shock turned into confusion.

"Since when did you start covering bases at all?" Lupin asked. Sirius leaned back in his chair, hands clasped behind his head.

"Just run, Lupin. Stretch out those muscles and let's create some good times," he said with a smile. Lupin frowned, seeing that he couldn't argue anymore on the matter.

Sometime later, Harry paced a forest clearing. Sirius stood nearby, packing some new snow on the ground. The Whomping Willow towered in the distance, outlined by a slowly setting sun.

"Thanks for coming," Sirius noted, smiling down at his godson who was doing his best to simply keep warm. "You know the drill, right? Don't get too far away and if you lose the path, just follow the footprints. Lupin has had some potion so he shouldn't be antagonistic at all. Even more so when we are dogs," he added. "All the same, no unnecessary risks, got it?"

"Oh come on, James? What could go wrong?" Sirius heard himself asking James when they had been younger.

"Right, and if he starts moving towards the school?" Harry asked.

"Howl, he'll respond to it. Now then, you won't be doing this often. But since it's a holiday break, I figured you should get some practice in," Sirius said.

"Do you think I should register?" Harry asked, looking at his godfather.

"Maybe after you graduate," he replied casually. "Or until after Voldemort has been pushed so far into the dirt, he could never get out," he grunted to himself.

"Won't they, you know?" Harry asked, grimacing.

"Not a student, no. If they catch you, all they can do is require you to write it down and let you off with a warning. You're too important to people to lock up so that gives you a bit of leeway," Sirius replied calmly, taking a deep breath of cold air.

"What about you?" Harry asked.

"Me? Heck no, I've got my wand back and I am keeping my secret. But I don't want – nor expect – you to take my risks, okay Harry? Besides, what's two years to a guy like me?" he asked.

"Your happy memories?" Harry replied.

"The Dementors, Harry, may look like death but they are not. It's more about emotions, almost a forced depression. When you feel it weigh down on you harder and harder, it gets easier to forget the good things. It's easy to want to just get it all over with. While the Dementors can rob you of your soul, they can't kill you in the physical sense of the word."

"Oh," Harry said, looking at Sirius and shifting as if he suspected there was more his godfather's understanding than just his explanation.

"That, however, does not make them any less dangerous. But if you have to be around them, in most cases Azkaban will be the safest. When they are hunting is when you have to worry," Sirius explained.

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Harry asked.

"To pass time and distract me from the cold," Sirius answered with a grin. The sun was slowly setting and reflecting off the snow while the moon slid into it's spot in the sky. Sirius closed his eyes, recalling a moment of their youth.

James, Remus and even Peter raced through the snow. The night air was brisk and draining. Behind closed lids, he could remember the crunch of fresh snow beneath his paws, the forest oddly alive with sounds as they rushed through it. And then Prongs was beside him, antlers purposefully catching snow laden branches and sending it through the air in flurries. Playfully enraged, he nipped at his heels, chasing his friends through the night. It was a beautiful memory.

"Ahooooooo!" an animal called. Sirius turned sharply, watching the deep of the forest for a moment. Silently, he slid into his canine form and Harry quickly followed suit.

Moony stepped out onto the snow and Harry began to flinch. But Moony only howled and raced off into the forest. Padfoot felt adrenaline flood his system and he tore off after his friend. The werewolf crashed through trees while Padfoot leapt over a fallen log. Harry trailed behind them as he was still smaller than his godfather.

The night passed effortlessly with the small group romping through the snow and the woods. Spiders and beasts scattered in their wake, burrowing deep inside their holes at the sound of Moony's howl.

Suddenly Padfoot stopped and though Harry tried to follow, his long legs tripped him up and he crashed into a snow bank with a sharp yip. He poked his head out of the bank, snow coating his head. With a quick shake, he sent it flying. After it cleared, he noticed that Padfoot had turned to watch a small frozen pond nearby.

Moony had stumbled upon it and slipping around the ice, trying to regain his balance. Harry glanced at Padfoot with an amused look while Moony tried to claw the ice and keep steady. But his claws merely left gouges in the ice and his legs fell out beneath him, causing him to land on his belly and spin. Both canines looked at each other and promptly started a very dog-like laughter, rolling in the snow.

Harry couldn't breathe and ended up sneezing out snow while Moony slowly crawled to the shore. Padfoot got back to his feet and walked around the lake to avoid Moony's mistake. After a bit more running, Harry felt his chest growing tight and his tongue lolling out of his mouth. As they raced through the woods, they even came across Fluffy running through the snow as well. The time blurred and everything seemed to become nothing more than a giant dream. In no time at all, Padfoot was howling, drawing in Moony and racing towards the castle again.

Harry surprisingly managed to keep in step. He had never spent so much time as a dog and as he raced back to the castle, he realized that his whole body was aching. With his legs carrying him at a blazing speed, they headed back towards the castle. Just about the time they reached the Whomping Willow, the sun peaked over the horizon and Lupin collapsed on the ground.

His fur began to fall out and his body writhed and returned to human form. Padfoot stood by, whimpering sympathetically until Lupin finally fell limply. Sirius took a step forward, returning to human form and pulled out his wand. With a small motion, a blanket materialized, wrapping around Lupin while he was lifted into the air.

Harry shifted back as well, yawning in exhaustion. He glanced sleepily at the sun, following Sirius under the tree and to the Shrieking Shack. It was surprisingly warm, with a small fire crackling in the hearth. There was a comfortable silence over the room.

"That was amazing," Harry finally breathed. Sirius glanced back his way.

"We used to do it all the time. Really did wonders for Lupin's mood and health," Sirius replied.

"I didn't hurt anyone, did I?" Lupin asked, pushing the blanket down as he stirred.

"Well, I bruised a rib from laughing too hard. You tried to skate across a pond," Sirius told him, chuckling once more. Lupin stood to his feet, stretching his tired muscles.

"Good," he sighed, glancing around and saw Harry. Lupin was still wrapped up in a blanket with clothes folded on a nearby chair. "So, Sirius, you have had all night. What is going on?" Harry turned away to let him dress.

"I think they want Harry in the tournament. Not on the vain hope that he gets killed; no, something is most likely going to happen at the very end. But what, hmm?" Sirius mused.

"Well, I do know for a fact that someone has been raiding Severus's potion stock," Lupin said matter-of-factly, glancing at Sirius.

"Yes, that's part of my little plan," Sirius said, trailing off sheepishly. His eyes widened, staring at Lupin. "I think we need to start working on a new project," he said suddenly.

"Another one?" Lupin questioned, slumping into his chair. "Don't you have enough on your damn plate?" he demanded.

"It's a minor one, something to wash away polyjuice. If they haven't changed the final contest, they would have no witnesses. Which means that if they could impersonate one of the contestants, they would have Harry at their mercy," Sirius concluded, slamming his fist into a palm.

"So, you think that this potion will be enough?" Lupin asked, looking at Sirius. His expression wasn't nearly as dubious as before.

"No, we may just force his hand early. So we need to make sure Harry is strong enough to hold his own in a duel. And that means a crash course."

"Oh boy, more work. I guess not having Quidditch this year doesn't mean I will be given a break," Harry said, shaking his head.

"Well, I guess we need to start hunting. I will have to sit down soon enough," Lupin said, letting his head hang forward.

"It's a theory. I will look into other possibilities, but I have a feeling this is the most likely. All the same, I will ask Hagrid if he can keep an eye on things and make sure nothing slips in the back door. This is going to kill what little free time I have left, but…" Sirius trailed off, realizing that his companions had dozed off on him. He chuckled, glancing at Harry.

"He looks just like you, James. But he takes up after his mother a lot more," Sirius muttered to himself, settling in a chair while his eyes drooped.

"Probably a good thing. I would rather you be my best man," James' memory echoed from years past. Sirius swallowed hard. "So, Sirius, what do you plan on doing with your life? I've got my eyes set on professional Quidditch."

"I want to be a duelist," Sirius mouthed back. "Getting married doesn't seem all that fun." The memory began to fade away.

"Sirius," Lupin called, beginning to wake up. "Who, what in the world are you talking about?" he asked, blinking wearily. Sirius was staring at Harry sleeping in his chair. He could almost see James and Lily hovering behind as if they were back in Godric's Hollow.

"I had a thought," Sirius said suddenly, breaking off his illusions of the past.

"Hm?" Lupin sounded, half asleep once more.

"My house has a personal library and I know the Weasley's have sold off theirs over time. But I have no idea if James and Lily had anything. Worth looking into," Sirius mused.

"Oh, dandy, you're in one of those moods, rambling on about stuff. Sirius, just get some damn sleep," Lupin griped, waving him off lazily before dropping his head back to the chair. Within a minute, he was snoring softly.

Sirius rolled his eyes at the comment, leaning back in his chair while sleep finally caught up with him. "I wonder how long it would take to burn that damned painting?"