p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center"June 23sup style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 13.23px; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 0;"rd/sup, 1994 (Full moon)/p
hr style="margin: 0.875em auto 1.2525em; border-style: solid; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; width: 359.25px; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15.12px; background-color: #ffffff;" /
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Seren had quickly shut down, retreating back into herself when she realized Sirius wasn't going to let her out of the room he'd locked her in. she had no wand, she was cold, scared, starving and trapped with a man as unpredictable as one could get. Since he'd brought her here he'd not said a word to her except for to tell her he'd brought her food, usually stale bread or whatever he'd fished out of the rubbish from the Three broomsticks./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"She was a prisoner again, only this time it wasn't for the amusement of others, it was because the man who had taken her blamed her for his friends suffering…guilty by association solely because of a name./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Laying despondent on the dusty floor of the room she only stirred when the sound of a commotion downstairs drove her to curl further into herself as the sound of muffled screaming filled the dirty old shack./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Thunk, thunk, thunk…' she could hear something being drug up the stairs before another door slammed and new voices emerged from somewhere in the lower levels mere moments later./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Pulling herself into one of the corners of the room she hugged her knees to her chest as more feet ascended the stairs, she felt small in the abnormally large, high ceiling room. Hearing the floorboards of the landing creak she only pressed herself further back into the corner as the guests made their way to the room Sirius seemed to occupy./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""R-, You…-ay?" she vaguely recognized the voice as Harry's, and while she wanted to be angry at him for being stupid enough to follow Black, she was too fatigued,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Not…d-g" the conversation was to far away for her to make out any full sentences, that's when the sudden slam of a door made her jump, drawing a small whine from her as those painful nights at the Rosier Manor came rushing back again at full force./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"All she could hear was the cracking of whips, the dragging of knives across her skin and the sharp, unforgiving effects of unforgivable curses as the feeling of her head being forced underwater returned with the realization that tonight, if she had counted the days correctly, was a full moon./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Stop…Please, stop." she whimpered into the empty silence as another set of muffled footsteps ascended the stairs and she could hear the 'click' of the locking mechanism on the door as it swung open. Seren only tried to make herself smaller./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Seren?" watery green eyes peered at the figure in the darkness as a bright light blinded her, the figure looking at the shaking young woman in the corner of the dirty, dusty room as he advanced further./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He'd found her./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"A soft hand against her cheek seemed to draw her back from the edge as he checked her over for injuries, eyes resting on the fading bruise where Sirius had choked her with a frown. "Are you all right?" Seren threw herself at Remus, wrapping her arms around him as tight as she was able as his fingers combed through her greasy, tangled hair, feeling her fingers dig into the fabric of his jacket./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Why didn't you come sooner?" his fingers still worked through tangles of messy dark brown hair, "I'm sorry…I couldn't risk someone following me. there's too much at stake." He whispered, placing a soft kiss to the crown of her head, "can you tell me what happened?" his fingers ghosted over the bruises on her neck and he noticed how quickly she flinched away./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""H-He ambushed me in my room after I left your office." Remus frowned, he'd have known that if he hadn't been so caught up in grading, his heart had sunk into his stomach as he realized two dots on the map had been moving that night. "He knows who my father is..."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Can you look at me love? I need you to focus on breathing." Terrified green eyes tried so hard to focus on him in the dim, nearly non-existent light of the room,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""He told me he'd make me forget you." he hushed her again, rubbing his hand in small circles on her back./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""He's not going to hurt you, I promise." Remus helped her get to her feet; a struggle given she hadn't eaten anything but the scraps of food Sirius had brought back from Hogsmeade. Just enough to survive./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"She felt pathetic as she limped along behind him, "You're alright. I'm right here." He soothed her nerves as they neared a room she recognized, he placed a finger to his lips, signaling for her to be quiet. Remus, brandishing his want, blasted the door open with a silent spell before sprinting into the room, Seren's eyes catching a glimpse of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Sirius black who's dark eyes glinted malevolently in the dark as he caught her gaze./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"She tucked herself just out of sight on the other side of the door, her eyes catching sight of a bloodied Ron collapsed on the floor, and Harry, poised to strike where he sat atop Black's chest./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Expelliarmus." All eyes watched as Harry's wand flew from his grasp, as did two Hermione had hold on as Lupin pushed further into the room, seized wands in his hand. Blacks eyes flicked from Seren to Harry and finally to Remus./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""So, the mark wasn't a fake." Sirius wheezed with a barely visible smirk from his spot on the floor, "Where is he, Sirius?" Watching from the shadows, Black's bony finger drug through the air and landed on Ron, finally working up the courage to step into sight./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Seren!?" She only briefly looked at Hermione who wore a look of betrayal, "Why…?" she only shook her head, "But then…" Remus looked at Sirius, as if her were trying to read his mind, "Why hasn't he shown himself before? Unless…" He seemed at a loss for words, as if he was seeing something beyond his former friend, something all involved parties seemed to be missing./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Unless…he was the one. Unless you switched…without telling me?" Sirius fixed Remus with a solid look before giving a slight nod of his head./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Professor!" Harry interrupted the conversation, "What's going on?" Seren's murky eyes flicked between Sirius and Remus, also wanting to know what was happening. Remus lowered his wand, eyes fixed on his former friend. Taking a few steps towards the supposed murderer, he extended a hand and pulled him back to his feet as Hermione's cat fell to the floor, Embracing him as if he were his own brother./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Remus?" Seren's voice shook as she watched the display, as Black's sunken eyes met hers again, "A schoolgirl, Remus?" his voice was hardly judgmental, "Never would have imagined you the type." He motioned for her to come closer, seeing the apprehension in her eyes as, much like a child, she stepped towards him, only to hide herself behind his taller stature./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""It can't be!" Hermione shouted, Remus let go of Sirius, turning her gaze to Hermione who had raised herself off the floor and was no pointing accusingly at him with wild eyes, "You! You…"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Hermione."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You a-a-and Him!"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Hermione, Calm down." There was a lot to process, the thudding Seren had heard earlier must have been Ron, the three third years looked at a complete loss for how to handle the situation infront of them, "I didn't tell anyone, I've been covering up for you!" Seren looked curiously up at Remus now, "Hermione, listen to me, please." Seren flinched back as Remus' shouts filled the once quiet room, "I can explain!"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I trusted you!" her eyes flew quickly to Harry, "And all this time, you've been his friend!" her head swam, had Lupin been helping black all this time? No, that was impossible. "You're wrong." Remus corrected, "I haven't been Sirius' friend, but I am now. Let me explain."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""No!" Seren grit her teeth as Hermione screamed, she rose her hands to shield her ears, "Harry, don't trust him, he's been helping black get into the castle, he wants you dead too, he's a werewolf." It was as if a searing hot knife had been plunged into her skin at Hermione's words, they stung, especially coming from someone Seren had thought was her friend./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Hermione's now remorseful eyes fell to Seren who only tucked herself back into hiding behind Remus, her eyes now cast to the floor as a ringing silence filled the room. Remus looked astonishingly calm despite his secret having just been blown./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione." Remus said "Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and I certainly don't want Harry dead." His expression was stoney as he reached for Seren's hand to give it a small squeeze of comfort./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Are you alright?" he whispered, earning a small nod in response as the odd display lead Hermione to another conclusion, "I won't deny however, that I am a werewolf." Ron was making a valiant effort to get up again but easily fell back with a whimper of pain. Stepping away from Seren, Remus moved towards him, concerned, but Ron gasped. "Get away from me, Werewolf!" Lupin stopped dead and Seren felt a pit settle in her stomach as heavy words filled her mind./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""How long have you known?" Remus recovered quickly, turning to look back at Hermione, "Ages." Whispered Hermione, "Since Professor Snape set the essay."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""He'll be delighted." Remus replied coolly. Tension in the room was high. "He assigned that essay hoping somebody would realize what my symptoms meant. I'm just surprised you didn't figure it out before that." His eyes fell back to Seren who now stood far away from the rest of the group, Sirius seemed the only one surprised at this revelation./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You're…?" Sirius' voice held both concern and a hint of amusement, She nodded guiltily, feeling sick with how cowardly she was right now, but remembered it was easy to feel powerless when the odds were against you./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I would never hurt him..." she whispered. Sirius' eyes flicked over to Remus again, "Then…the two of you have…?" Remus gave another nod before focusing back on the bushy haired witch, "Did you check the lunar chart and realize that I was always ill at the full moon, or did you realize that the boggart changed into the moon when it saw me?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Both." Hermione muttered quietly, Remus forced a laugh, "You're the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I'm not." She whispered harshly, "If I'd been a bit more clever I'd have told everyone what you are."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""But they already know." He informed, "At least, the staff do."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf?!" Ron gasped, "Is he mad?!" Seren felt her eyebrows knit together./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Some of the staff thought so." Said Remus, noticing the shift in Seren's mood from where he stood near the grand, four poster bed./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""So that's it…?" her voice sounded broken, "You really do learn people's true colors when all the cards are out on the table." Ron's eyes flashed quickly over to her, guilt written clear across his face, "You're not the same, you didn't try to—"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I'm exactly the same…" she whispered in disgust; "the only difference is that you three can relate to me because we were students…the only real diffrence is that i've seen, and felt what the world out there really looks like for people like us..."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Seren?" Remus looked concerned, the briefest flash of gold in her eyes made him break out in worry, Hermione and Harry shared in a similarly guilty look, "It's different."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""It's not!" she growled, "Dumbledore had to work very hard to convince…certain teachers…that I'm trustworthy." Remus crossed the room again, reaching for Seren's hand to try and calm her down/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""And he was wrong!" Harry shouted, "You've been helping him all this time!" the three third years suddenly understood what it was Sirius had been alluding to when he'd chastised Lupin earlier in the conversation./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"A feeling of pins and needles washed over Seren as shouting once again filled the room, tonight was the worst possible night for this to have happened. Sirius suddenly crossed to the fourposter bed and collapsed backwards onto it, hiding his face with a shaking hand, Crookshanks leapt up beside him and crawled into his lap./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Ron pulled himself away from Sirius towards one of the other covered pieces of furniture./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I have not been helping Sirius. If you'll give me a chance, I'll explain. Look." Remus separated Harry's, Ron's and Hermione's wands and threw each back to it's owner. Harry caught his, stunned. "There." Remus proceeded to place his own wand back into his belt./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You're armed, we're not. Now, will you listen?" No one seemed to know what to think, the first thing to cross everyone's mind was that it was a trick, "If you haven't been helping Black." Harry started, a furious look on his face, "How did you know he was here?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""The map." He responded Honestly, "The Marauder's Map. I was in my office, examining it."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You know how to work it?" Harry asked suspiciously, Seren's own eyes flickered back to him, curious to know the answer herself, "Of course I know how to work it." there was that tug on the corner of his lips, he was desperately trying not to smile, "I helped create it. I'm Moony, that was my friends' nickname for me at school."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You wrote—"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""The important thing is—" Remus quickly cut harry off, trying to keep them on track, "I was watching it carefully this evening, for two reasons. I knew that you, Ron and Hermione might try and sneak out of the castle to try and visit Hagrid before his Hippogriff was executed."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""And the second reason?" Remus ignored it, as if the answer were obvious, "it seems I was right in my assumption of you three." Remus began to Pace, cloud of dust kicking up at his feet./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Seren's body was starting to ache as the moon began to peak over the horizon, "You may have been wearing your father's old cloak, Harry,"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""How do you know about the cloak?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""The amount of times I saw James disappearing under it." an impatient grin flashed across his face, "the point is, even if you're wearing an invisibility cloak you still show up on the Marauders Map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later you left Hagrid and set off back towards the castle, but you were now accompanied by somebody else."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""What?" Harry seemed surprised; they hadn't left with anyone… "No we weren't"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I couldn't believe my eyes." Remus continued to pace, kicking up more dust and drawing a sneeze from Seren. He flashed her an apologetic look, "I thought the map must be…malfunctioning, how could he possibly be with you?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""No one was with us!" Exclaimed Harry./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""And then I saw another dot, moving quickly towards you, labeled 'Sirius Black'. I saw him collide with you and I watched as he pulled two of you into the whomping willow."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""One of us!" Ron shouted, anger evident on his face " No, Ron." Remus Corrected, "Two of you." he finally ceased his pacing, his eyes moving over Ron. "Do you think I could have a look at the rat." He asked, his tone even. "What?" Ron looked shocked and surprised at the question, "What's Scabbers got to do with it?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Everything." Remus' voice was stern now, "could I see him, please?" Ron's hesitation was clear but eventually he put a hand inside his robes. Scabbers emerged, thrashing desperately. Ron had to seize his long, bald tail to stop him from escaping, Crookshanks stood up on black's legs and made a soft hissing noise./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Remus moved closer to Ron, he seemed to be holding his breath as he gazed intently at the rat in Ron's hand, "What?" Ron asked again, holding Scabbers close to him, looking scared. "What's my rat got to do with anything?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""That's not a rat." Croaked Sirius suddenly, "What do you mean? Of course he's a rat!"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""No, he's not." Remus' voice was quiet again. Seren, growing more and more confused and irritated by all of this, couldn't help the frustrated, angry growl that escaped her, Remus' eyes flicked to her in worry, catching the irritation in her voice,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Calm down, Love." The term of endearment had not gone unnoticed by the parties in the dusty old room./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"No one could blame her for being so frustrated, Sirius had gotten the wrong idea, thinking the girl had been leading his friend on, biding time so she could give Remus to Greyback. He'd forgotten about the Prophet article that had released just after his escape from Azkaban, forgotten that she had been through a version of hell all her own at the hands of his former school mates turned Death eater's./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" However, seeing Remus' affection for the dark-haired witch had corrected Sirius' train of thought and he felt a pang of regret for attacking her as he had, for telling her his friend could do better, for threatening to erase her memory of Remus,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"br /it had been the third day of her stay at the shrieking shack with him when he'd seen the mark on her neck, marred by a vicious, hand-shaped bruise of his creation. Had he noticed the mark days earlier he would never have done such a cruel thing if he'd known how special Seren was to Remus he never would have acted as his parents had with him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" Sadly, he'd been unable to allow her to leave, she knew where he was and could ruin all the plans he'd made to enact revenge on the man he had once called his friend, so he'd locked her in that room and listened to her cry and plead to be let out before casting a silencing charm over the room. He felt remorse for subjecting her to forced isolation and he would have to apologize properly once this was all over./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" Ron's voice cut through the silence again, "If he's not a rat, then what is he?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""He's a wizard, an animagus." Muttered Black, "By the name of Peter Pettigrew."/p
hr style="margin: 0.875em auto 1.2525em; border-style: solid; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; width: 359.25px; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15.12px; background-color: #ffffff;" /
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Seren had quickly shut down, retreating back into herself when she realized Sirius wasn't going to let her out of the room he'd locked her in. she had no wand, she was cold, scared, starving and trapped with a man as unpredictable as one could get. Since he'd brought her here he'd not said a word to her except for to tell her he'd brought her food, usually stale bread or whatever he'd fished out of the rubbish from the Three broomsticks./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"She was a prisoner again, only this time it wasn't for the amusement of others, it was because the man who had taken her blamed her for his friends suffering…guilty by association solely because of a name./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Laying despondent on the dusty floor of the room she only stirred when the sound of a commotion downstairs drove her to curl further into herself as the sound of muffled screaming filled the dirty old shack./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Thunk, thunk, thunk…' she could hear something being drug up the stairs before another door slammed and new voices emerged from somewhere in the lower levels mere moments later./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Pulling herself into one of the corners of the room she hugged her knees to her chest as more feet ascended the stairs, she felt small in the abnormally large, high ceiling room. Hearing the floorboards of the landing creak she only pressed herself further back into the corner as the guests made their way to the room Sirius seemed to occupy./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""R-, You…-ay?" she vaguely recognized the voice as Harry's, and while she wanted to be angry at him for being stupid enough to follow Black, she was too fatigued,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Not…d-g" the conversation was to far away for her to make out any full sentences, that's when the sudden slam of a door made her jump, drawing a small whine from her as those painful nights at the Rosier Manor came rushing back again at full force./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"All she could hear was the cracking of whips, the dragging of knives across her skin and the sharp, unforgiving effects of unforgivable curses as the feeling of her head being forced underwater returned with the realization that tonight, if she had counted the days correctly, was a full moon./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Stop…Please, stop." she whimpered into the empty silence as another set of muffled footsteps ascended the stairs and she could hear the 'click' of the locking mechanism on the door as it swung open. Seren only tried to make herself smaller./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Seren?" watery green eyes peered at the figure in the darkness as a bright light blinded her, the figure looking at the shaking young woman in the corner of the dirty, dusty room as he advanced further./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He'd found her./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"A soft hand against her cheek seemed to draw her back from the edge as he checked her over for injuries, eyes resting on the fading bruise where Sirius had choked her with a frown. "Are you all right?" Seren threw herself at Remus, wrapping her arms around him as tight as she was able as his fingers combed through her greasy, tangled hair, feeling her fingers dig into the fabric of his jacket./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Why didn't you come sooner?" his fingers still worked through tangles of messy dark brown hair, "I'm sorry…I couldn't risk someone following me. there's too much at stake." He whispered, placing a soft kiss to the crown of her head, "can you tell me what happened?" his fingers ghosted over the bruises on her neck and he noticed how quickly she flinched away./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""H-He ambushed me in my room after I left your office." Remus frowned, he'd have known that if he hadn't been so caught up in grading, his heart had sunk into his stomach as he realized two dots on the map had been moving that night. "He knows who my father is..."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Can you look at me love? I need you to focus on breathing." Terrified green eyes tried so hard to focus on him in the dim, nearly non-existent light of the room,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""He told me he'd make me forget you." he hushed her again, rubbing his hand in small circles on her back./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""He's not going to hurt you, I promise." Remus helped her get to her feet; a struggle given she hadn't eaten anything but the scraps of food Sirius had brought back from Hogsmeade. Just enough to survive./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"She felt pathetic as she limped along behind him, "You're alright. I'm right here." He soothed her nerves as they neared a room she recognized, he placed a finger to his lips, signaling for her to be quiet. Remus, brandishing his want, blasted the door open with a silent spell before sprinting into the room, Seren's eyes catching a glimpse of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Sirius black who's dark eyes glinted malevolently in the dark as he caught her gaze./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"She tucked herself just out of sight on the other side of the door, her eyes catching sight of a bloodied Ron collapsed on the floor, and Harry, poised to strike where he sat atop Black's chest./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Expelliarmus." All eyes watched as Harry's wand flew from his grasp, as did two Hermione had hold on as Lupin pushed further into the room, seized wands in his hand. Blacks eyes flicked from Seren to Harry and finally to Remus./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""So, the mark wasn't a fake." Sirius wheezed with a barely visible smirk from his spot on the floor, "Where is he, Sirius?" Watching from the shadows, Black's bony finger drug through the air and landed on Ron, finally working up the courage to step into sight./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Seren!?" She only briefly looked at Hermione who wore a look of betrayal, "Why…?" she only shook her head, "But then…" Remus looked at Sirius, as if her were trying to read his mind, "Why hasn't he shown himself before? Unless…" He seemed at a loss for words, as if he was seeing something beyond his former friend, something all involved parties seemed to be missing./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Unless…he was the one. Unless you switched…without telling me?" Sirius fixed Remus with a solid look before giving a slight nod of his head./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Professor!" Harry interrupted the conversation, "What's going on?" Seren's murky eyes flicked between Sirius and Remus, also wanting to know what was happening. Remus lowered his wand, eyes fixed on his former friend. Taking a few steps towards the supposed murderer, he extended a hand and pulled him back to his feet as Hermione's cat fell to the floor, Embracing him as if he were his own brother./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Remus?" Seren's voice shook as she watched the display, as Black's sunken eyes met hers again, "A schoolgirl, Remus?" his voice was hardly judgmental, "Never would have imagined you the type." He motioned for her to come closer, seeing the apprehension in her eyes as, much like a child, she stepped towards him, only to hide herself behind his taller stature./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""It can't be!" Hermione shouted, Remus let go of Sirius, turning her gaze to Hermione who had raised herself off the floor and was no pointing accusingly at him with wild eyes, "You! You…"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Hermione."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You a-a-and Him!"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Hermione, Calm down." There was a lot to process, the thudding Seren had heard earlier must have been Ron, the three third years looked at a complete loss for how to handle the situation infront of them, "I didn't tell anyone, I've been covering up for you!" Seren looked curiously up at Remus now, "Hermione, listen to me, please." Seren flinched back as Remus' shouts filled the once quiet room, "I can explain!"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I trusted you!" her eyes flew quickly to Harry, "And all this time, you've been his friend!" her head swam, had Lupin been helping black all this time? No, that was impossible. "You're wrong." Remus corrected, "I haven't been Sirius' friend, but I am now. Let me explain."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""No!" Seren grit her teeth as Hermione screamed, she rose her hands to shield her ears, "Harry, don't trust him, he's been helping black get into the castle, he wants you dead too, he's a werewolf." It was as if a searing hot knife had been plunged into her skin at Hermione's words, they stung, especially coming from someone Seren had thought was her friend./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Hermione's now remorseful eyes fell to Seren who only tucked herself back into hiding behind Remus, her eyes now cast to the floor as a ringing silence filled the room. Remus looked astonishingly calm despite his secret having just been blown./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione." Remus said "Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and I certainly don't want Harry dead." His expression was stoney as he reached for Seren's hand to give it a small squeeze of comfort./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Are you alright?" he whispered, earning a small nod in response as the odd display lead Hermione to another conclusion, "I won't deny however, that I am a werewolf." Ron was making a valiant effort to get up again but easily fell back with a whimper of pain. Stepping away from Seren, Remus moved towards him, concerned, but Ron gasped. "Get away from me, Werewolf!" Lupin stopped dead and Seren felt a pit settle in her stomach as heavy words filled her mind./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""How long have you known?" Remus recovered quickly, turning to look back at Hermione, "Ages." Whispered Hermione, "Since Professor Snape set the essay."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""He'll be delighted." Remus replied coolly. Tension in the room was high. "He assigned that essay hoping somebody would realize what my symptoms meant. I'm just surprised you didn't figure it out before that." His eyes fell back to Seren who now stood far away from the rest of the group, Sirius seemed the only one surprised at this revelation./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You're…?" Sirius' voice held both concern and a hint of amusement, She nodded guiltily, feeling sick with how cowardly she was right now, but remembered it was easy to feel powerless when the odds were against you./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I would never hurt him..." she whispered. Sirius' eyes flicked over to Remus again, "Then…the two of you have…?" Remus gave another nod before focusing back on the bushy haired witch, "Did you check the lunar chart and realize that I was always ill at the full moon, or did you realize that the boggart changed into the moon when it saw me?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Both." Hermione muttered quietly, Remus forced a laugh, "You're the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I'm not." She whispered harshly, "If I'd been a bit more clever I'd have told everyone what you are."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""But they already know." He informed, "At least, the staff do."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf?!" Ron gasped, "Is he mad?!" Seren felt her eyebrows knit together./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Some of the staff thought so." Said Remus, noticing the shift in Seren's mood from where he stood near the grand, four poster bed./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""So that's it…?" her voice sounded broken, "You really do learn people's true colors when all the cards are out on the table." Ron's eyes flashed quickly over to her, guilt written clear across his face, "You're not the same, you didn't try to—"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I'm exactly the same…" she whispered in disgust; "the only difference is that you three can relate to me because we were students…the only real diffrence is that i've seen, and felt what the world out there really looks like for people like us..."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Seren?" Remus looked concerned, the briefest flash of gold in her eyes made him break out in worry, Hermione and Harry shared in a similarly guilty look, "It's different."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""It's not!" she growled, "Dumbledore had to work very hard to convince…certain teachers…that I'm trustworthy." Remus crossed the room again, reaching for Seren's hand to try and calm her down/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""And he was wrong!" Harry shouted, "You've been helping him all this time!" the three third years suddenly understood what it was Sirius had been alluding to when he'd chastised Lupin earlier in the conversation./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"A feeling of pins and needles washed over Seren as shouting once again filled the room, tonight was the worst possible night for this to have happened. Sirius suddenly crossed to the fourposter bed and collapsed backwards onto it, hiding his face with a shaking hand, Crookshanks leapt up beside him and crawled into his lap./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Ron pulled himself away from Sirius towards one of the other covered pieces of furniture./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I have not been helping Sirius. If you'll give me a chance, I'll explain. Look." Remus separated Harry's, Ron's and Hermione's wands and threw each back to it's owner. Harry caught his, stunned. "There." Remus proceeded to place his own wand back into his belt./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You're armed, we're not. Now, will you listen?" No one seemed to know what to think, the first thing to cross everyone's mind was that it was a trick, "If you haven't been helping Black." Harry started, a furious look on his face, "How did you know he was here?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""The map." He responded Honestly, "The Marauder's Map. I was in my office, examining it."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You know how to work it?" Harry asked suspiciously, Seren's own eyes flickered back to him, curious to know the answer herself, "Of course I know how to work it." there was that tug on the corner of his lips, he was desperately trying not to smile, "I helped create it. I'm Moony, that was my friends' nickname for me at school."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You wrote—"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""The important thing is—" Remus quickly cut harry off, trying to keep them on track, "I was watching it carefully this evening, for two reasons. I knew that you, Ron and Hermione might try and sneak out of the castle to try and visit Hagrid before his Hippogriff was executed."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""And the second reason?" Remus ignored it, as if the answer were obvious, "it seems I was right in my assumption of you three." Remus began to Pace, cloud of dust kicking up at his feet./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Seren's body was starting to ache as the moon began to peak over the horizon, "You may have been wearing your father's old cloak, Harry,"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""How do you know about the cloak?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""The amount of times I saw James disappearing under it." an impatient grin flashed across his face, "the point is, even if you're wearing an invisibility cloak you still show up on the Marauders Map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later you left Hagrid and set off back towards the castle, but you were now accompanied by somebody else."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""What?" Harry seemed surprised; they hadn't left with anyone… "No we weren't"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I couldn't believe my eyes." Remus continued to pace, kicking up more dust and drawing a sneeze from Seren. He flashed her an apologetic look, "I thought the map must be…malfunctioning, how could he possibly be with you?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""No one was with us!" Exclaimed Harry./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""And then I saw another dot, moving quickly towards you, labeled 'Sirius Black'. I saw him collide with you and I watched as he pulled two of you into the whomping willow."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""One of us!" Ron shouted, anger evident on his face " No, Ron." Remus Corrected, "Two of you." he finally ceased his pacing, his eyes moving over Ron. "Do you think I could have a look at the rat." He asked, his tone even. "What?" Ron looked shocked and surprised at the question, "What's Scabbers got to do with it?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Everything." Remus' voice was stern now, "could I see him, please?" Ron's hesitation was clear but eventually he put a hand inside his robes. Scabbers emerged, thrashing desperately. Ron had to seize his long, bald tail to stop him from escaping, Crookshanks stood up on black's legs and made a soft hissing noise./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Remus moved closer to Ron, he seemed to be holding his breath as he gazed intently at the rat in Ron's hand, "What?" Ron asked again, holding Scabbers close to him, looking scared. "What's my rat got to do with anything?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""That's not a rat." Croaked Sirius suddenly, "What do you mean? Of course he's a rat!"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""No, he's not." Remus' voice was quiet again. Seren, growing more and more confused and irritated by all of this, couldn't help the frustrated, angry growl that escaped her, Remus' eyes flicked to her in worry, catching the irritation in her voice,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Calm down, Love." The term of endearment had not gone unnoticed by the parties in the dusty old room./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"No one could blame her for being so frustrated, Sirius had gotten the wrong idea, thinking the girl had been leading his friend on, biding time so she could give Remus to Greyback. He'd forgotten about the Prophet article that had released just after his escape from Azkaban, forgotten that she had been through a version of hell all her own at the hands of his former school mates turned Death eater's./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" However, seeing Remus' affection for the dark-haired witch had corrected Sirius' train of thought and he felt a pang of regret for attacking her as he had, for telling her his friend could do better, for threatening to erase her memory of Remus,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"br /it had been the third day of her stay at the shrieking shack with him when he'd seen the mark on her neck, marred by a vicious, hand-shaped bruise of his creation. Had he noticed the mark days earlier he would never have done such a cruel thing if he'd known how special Seren was to Remus he never would have acted as his parents had with him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" Sadly, he'd been unable to allow her to leave, she knew where he was and could ruin all the plans he'd made to enact revenge on the man he had once called his friend, so he'd locked her in that room and listened to her cry and plead to be let out before casting a silencing charm over the room. He felt remorse for subjecting her to forced isolation and he would have to apologize properly once this was all over./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" Ron's voice cut through the silence again, "If he's not a rat, then what is he?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""He's a wizard, an animagus." Muttered Black, "By the name of Peter Pettigrew."/p
