Chapter 24
LB
Wearing my snow boots, winter coat, scarf and hat, I made my way towards the train station with my friends. The snow and the wind were heavy today, making it difficult to see the students in front of us. Angelina had her arm locked with mine as we walked through the deep snow, with our heads bend low. Once we reached the train, we stopped underneath the overhang of the station. Shaking my head to shake off the snow, I looked to the others that did the same.
"I'm going to miss you." I said as I hugged Angelina. "All of you." I looked over her shoulder to the twins, Lee and even Alicia.
"Are you sure you don't want to come over for Christmas?" Angelina asked again.
"I'm sure, I always celebrate it alone with my uncle." I smiled and went to hug Lee. The twins were waiting expectantly when Lee joined his girlfriend and Alicia. I went to hug George, but they both enveloped me in a tight twin hug, lifting me from the ground. "You two are crushing me." I grunted in their shoulders. They both put me down gently, a silly grin on their faces.
"Sorry." They said, each holding my hand. They gave it a squeeze before letting go. "We're going to miss you."
"On one hand, I'm going to miss you too. On the other hand, I'll finally have some peace and quiet." I grinned up at them. The twins clutched their hearts, gasping slightly. I stood on my toes and kissed their cheeks. "Now off you go, before the train leaves." The twins looked at me with a goofy grin, before they simultaneously winked. They waved at me as they stepped on the train one by one, the twins the last to board. They looked at me, like they didn't want to leave me behind. I waved to them once more before they headed inside. Once the train was fully out of sight, I turned into Loki and trotted back to the castle, almost invisible in the snow.
LB
"Hey, Crooks. How did you get in here?" I asked as Crookshanks leaped up on my lap purring. I was sitting with my back against the couch in front of the fire in our private chambers. The cat, of course, didn't answer and just curled into a ball on my lap. "Uncle Moony?"
"Yes, cub?" He looked up from his desk.
"Do you think he knows that I'm an Animagus?" I asked looking away from the ginger to the werewolf.
"I don't know." He frowned. "Why do you think that? And who's cat is that?"
"It's Hermione Granger's cat. She says no one can pet him expect her, and well... me. And the way he looks at me." I looked back at the cat and cocked my head to examine him. "It seems like he wants to tell me something."
"Hm." I heard him shift from his seat and the next moment he was sitting down next to me in the ground. He hesitated as he lifted his hand towards the cat. Crookshanks lifted his head and looked to Moony with his large red-yellow eyes. The two of them had a little stare off before the cat nudged his flat snout to his hand. I grinned when I saw his shoulders relax and petted the cat's head softly. "He is peculiar." He mused. "There is something about him that I can't put my finger on." He said as he took a sniff.
"Does he smell like something more than a cat?" I asked, as I sniffed the air myself. "Hermione already tested him on being an Animagus."
"No, it's not that." He shook his head. "But there is something familiar."
"Maybe it's just me." I shrugged as I petted the cat.
"Maybe." He mumbled, but I knew that wasn't what he was thinking.
LB
In my Loki form, I trotted around the empty castle. Exploring every crook and cranny I passed. It was fun exploring the castle when there was almost no one around, no chance of getting caught. I was just heading down the stairs after spending the night in the tower with Harry, Hermione and Ron when I saw Crookshanks again.
The cat was heading towards one of the exits of the castle. I glanced around and when I saw that the coast was clear, I followed the ginger cat out. When I squeezed myself in a hole in the wall that led out of the castle, I saw the cat standing still in the middle of the grounds. Was he- was he waiting for me? Before I head time to think about it more, the cat was on the move again. I trailed behind the cat, trying to disguise myself in the snow, but if Crookshanks really knew I was following him, it didn't matter. I followed him until we reached the edge of the forbidden forest. The cat was sitting just under the trees where there was no snow on the ground, his gaze directed at the dark gloomy forest.
When I saw a dark shadow move around, I flattened myself to the ground, trying to hide myself as much as possible. I thought about running back to the castle, but the way Crooks acted, I needed to know what was going on. Crooks miaowed at the shadow in the forest and the shadow stilled. If it wasn't for those large yellow eyes, I wouldn't have known it had turned his head. The eyes came closer to the edge of the forest. I dug myself even deeper into the snow, my ears on high alert and my heart pounding fast in my chest.
Crookshanks miaowed again and I heard a growl from the forest. The growl was deep, but the cat didn't seem fazed by it, he just sat there looking at the shadow. It sounded like they were talking to each other with miaows and growls, but I couldn't understand a word. After about ten minutes, and freezing paws even with the fur, the cat miaowed again and suddenly the yellow eyes spotted me in the snow. I jumped up on four legs and went to run to the castle, but the large shadow leaped out of the forest. With two large jumps the shadow pounded on me and pinned me to the ground, lying on my back. I was staring at a large, scruffy, thin, black dog, his yellow eyes locked on me.
"Black." I growled; the eyes of the dog grew large as he didn't expect to be recognized or at least to hear me speak. His grip loosened from the shock, and I wiggled myself out of his grasp. "Leave, or I'll call the dementors." I said and turned to run back to the castle.
"Wait!" A sudden voice filled the air. And even though it was more of a question, than a demand, I stopped. I stopped at the voice of my father, at the voice of an alleged mass murderer. I turned and saw not the black dog standing there, but the man. A shadow of the man he used to be, the man from the pictures and the stories Remus had told was standing there. He was still wearing his prison clothes, ripped and dirty from being on the run. His hair reached over his shoulder blades, his eyes hollow and he had sunken jaws. He was skin over bones, and from seeing him standing there, I was surprised he even had the strength to push me in the snow a few minutes ago. "Who are you?"
"What are you doing here?" I countered, and my eyes followed the cat that came closer to the escaped prisoner. He walked between Black's legs with a purr.
"The cat seems to think you're safe." He mused, and I growled in response. He put up his hands in defence. "I'm not here to hurt you."
I literally barked out a laugh. "I know." I narrowed my wolf eyes on him. "You're here to hurt Harry."
"Harry?" He sounded surprised. "No, I'm not here for Harry." He looked over his shoulder in worry. "I have to go. The cat-"
"Crookshanks."
"Crookshanks?" He looked down at the cat between his legs and he miaowed back at him. "Right, Crookshanks. He thinks you can help me. I promise I'm not here to hurt Harry, I would never." He looked to the sky. "I can't stay here in the open like this. Please, meet me in the Shrieking Shack in three days. I'll wait until midnight." He turned back into his black dog form, into Padfoot. Crooks trotted towards me and nudged his head against my leg. I looked down at the ginger cat, still stunned from seeing my father in front of me for the first time ever. When I looked back, Black was already back in the forest, his yellow eyes on us as we walked back to the castle.
When I entered the castle, I transformed back into my human form, and I leaned against the wall. My legs, my arms, everything was shaking to the core. I slumped to the ground as I trembled. Crookshanks purred between my legs before jumping on my lap. The castle was cold, and it didn't help with the tremble I had from meeting my father. I didn't know how long I sat there on the cold stone floor, but suddenly there was a hand on my shoulder.
"Alec?" I looked up to see Harry crouched down in front of me. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." My voice sounded a little hoarse. "What are you doing here?"
"I can ask you the same thing." He smiled but a frown was still in place. "It's really late, let's get you back to your chambers." He held out his hand. I nodded before I took it, and I let him pull me up. When I shifted, the cat jumped off from my lap and Harry looked surprised to see him. "Crooks? Hermione has been looking for you for ages."
"He seems to like my company." I said as we walked to the corridors, the cat trailed next to me.
"You are good company." I looked to Harry who had a blush on his cheeks. I smiled as I looped my arm through his.
"You're not bad yourself." I chuckled a little when he blushed worsened. I saw the shimmer of the invisibility cloak in his robe but didn't mention it as we walked through the castle. I couldn't ask what he was doing, otherwise he would ask me what I was doing.
When we reached my chambers, I turned to Harry. "Thanks for walking me back." I kissed his cheek. I leaned down and petted Crookshanks. "Now, you go back to your owner, before she loses her mind." I smiled as I scratched his ear. "Now, follow Harry upstairs, you hear me." The cat looked at me with round yellow-red eyes and miaowed. "Good." I nodded and stood back up. "Good night, Harry."
"Night." He chuckled. "See you at breakfast tomorrow?"
"No, not tomorrow." I shook my head. "It's Christmas and Remus and I always spent it together. But I'll see you at breakfast the day after. But there may be a present under the tree for you."
"There might be one under yours too. And as I won't be seeing you tomorrow. Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas." We smiled at each other before Harry walked away followed by the ginger cat.
I pushed the door open and saw Moony sleeping on the couch in front of the fire. He was sleeping on his stomach, one arm fallen of the edge of the couch, touching the floor. Right next to his hand was an old photograph. I crouched down and picked up the photograph and flipped it around. It was a picture of him, James and Sirius. I fell on my butt and leaned against the couch as I stared at the photograph. The tremble came back again as I focused on Sirius. What was I supposed to do? He wants to meet me, not because I'm his daughter because he has no idea, but because Crookshanks trust him, a cat! I can't tell Moony, not when the full moon is so close, not when he's been looking at an old photograph of them. I craned my neck to look at him, and on the first glance you wouldn't think he had been crying, but I could smell the salt from tears around him. I stood up and covered him with a blanket. I placed the photograph on the coffee table and leaned over to kiss his forehead.
"Night, Moony." I heard the clock chime behind me. "Merry Christmas."