This wasn't a good idea, but it was the only one he had. Remus John Lupin let out a sigh as he walked onto the Hogwarts Express with a sad smile on his scarred face. He ran his hand over his face and looked around. It was the same compartment that he and his friends used to joke around in while on their way to Hogwarts.
Remus let out a shaky sigh. The full moon had been the night before and he needed to sleep but he wanted, no, he needed to see Harry. His late best friend's son, the boy he hadn't seen since he was a baby. He ran his hand over the bench sadly. So many memories were just him sitting here with his friends. He let out a sigh and put his suitcase in the overhead compartment.
He let out another sigh before he sat down and allowed his eyes to close.
Sirius Black, currently walking around as Padfoot, the dog, moved his head around scared. People can't know even that he's a dog. Even though he was on the run he could not help but feel nostalgic. He wished that he could go back to his carefree days with his friends again. Padfoot trotted onto the train. He was looking for Wormtail. He knew that Wormtail was not there yet, but he had to make everyone see and take care of that rat. Padfoot smiled inwardly when he heard the kids filling the station.
'Ok, where's that rat?' Sirius thought, walking into a compartment. However, when he looked around, he realized that it was the same compartment that he and his friends had once sat in. When he looked up, he stood there frozen. In front of him was Remus, asleep.
He closed the door and jumped onto the bench across from Remus. He laid his head down and hoped Remus would wake up. He needed to tell him.
After a while, Sirius grew impatient and jumped off the bench and licked Remus awake with his tongue. 'Wake up, Lupin.' Sirius thought as he kept sniffing Remus with his wet dog muzzle. He looked at the door when he heard kids walking onto the train. 'I don't have time.' Sirius thought, taking a deep breath before he turned back into himself.
"Remus, wake up," Sirius said quietly, shaking his friend.
After what felt like an hour Remus opened his eyes. He jumped up quickly and pushed Sirius onto the bench, face-first.
"You!" he yelled. "You," Remus said again when Sirius didn't say anything as he tried to break free from the werewolf's grasp. Remus let him go, however, as he felt tears on his clothes. Sirius was crying. Why would the murderer cry? Remus rubbed his hand over his face confused. He turned around in the small compartment and faced the window.
"Remus?" Sirius asked, standing up slowly., "Let me explain. I didn't do anything, please. Liston to me please He held out his hands in a gesture of peace.
Remus shook his head and looked away.
"Please," Sirius added. Remus glared at him. Sirius could see Remus' eyes change to yellow. He knew this was dangerous, but he had no choice.
"You betrayed them," Remus said, voice dangerously calm. Sirius sat down and ran his hand through his long hair.
"It wasn't me," Sirius said slowly. "I didn't do anything," Sirius said with a sigh. Remus shook his head.
"I don't believe you," Remus said, looking to the door when he heard more kids walking onto the train and laughing. Remus sighed and sat down. "If you didn't do it, then who did?" Remus asked, pulling out his wand and aiming it at Sirius. Sirius took a deep breath.
"It was Peter, he tricked me. I shouldn't have gone after him," Sirius said slowly. "I know you don't believe me but…" Sirius cut off when he heard kids walking towards their compartment.
"Why is he after you?" Sirius heard a boy say as the door opened. Sirius's eyes widened.
"I don't know! But who isn't…after me," the second boy said. Sirius stood up when he realized that it was the boy from the newspaper holding Wormtail. However, his smile grew wide when he saw Harry. He knew those green eyes anywhere.
"Harry?" Sirius asked, looking down with a sigh. "It wasn't me!" Sirius said looking up and holding up his hands. "Your Sirius Black?" The ginger-haired boy cried to the girl next to Harry. The girl nodded slowly and looked over to Harry who looked over Sirius.
Then a confused look appeared on Harry's face making him lower his hands. 'He doesn't know. Why doesn't he know?' Sirius thought when he saw the friends all pull out their wands. 'Brave kids.' Sirius thought. "
"Close the door and get out of here," Lupin said to the kids. Harry closed the door and shook his head. "Fine," Lupin said shaking his head. He opened his mouth to say something when the rat in the ginger-haired boy's hands jumped out and ran under a bench.
"Scabbers," the ginger gasped and ran past Remus and Sirius. He got down to his knees to get the rat from under the bench.
"What's going on here?" the girl asked, wand still aimed at Sirius. Remus took a deep breath.
"Black, here, decided to show himself after he escaped Azban just to tell me that he didn't kill anyone or betray Harry's parents to Voldemort," Remus said looking down at the boy who was trying to reach down under the bench. Harry's eyes grew dark before he almost attacked Sirius, but the girl held him back.
"I, um. I didn't do anything. It was Peter Pettigrew. We were friends when were in Hogwarts, Lupin, and Harry's father, we can turn into animals because of…" Sirius stopped when he saw Remus shake his head. "Anyway, Peter is the rat that your friend is trying to pull from under the seat," Sirius said pointing under the bench.
"But people can't turn into animals," the boy said voice muffled from the bench as the train started to move. Sirius looked at Remus who winched but only he saw it. He hoped anyway.
"They can. They are called Animagi, I can turn into a dog. I can show you," Sirius said rubbing his hands together nervously. Remus looked at him and nodded slowly. Sirius took a deep breath and turned into Padfoot. He then started to pant.
After a few seconds, he turned back into himself.
"I need to explain to you — mostly you, Harry," Sirius said, looking behind him to see the other boy still trying to get Wormtail from under the bench.
"Leave it, Ron," the girl hissed as Harry sat down next to Lupin. Lupin's eyes grew wide at Harry making Sirius smile. The boy, Ron, rolled his eyes not noting this as the train as the train started.
"Ok," Sirius took a deep breath before he began his story. "As I said we were friends back at Hogwarts. Loved to pull pranks. We decided to turn into animals because of reasons that's not my story to tell," Sirius began sharing a look with Lupin. "Then after we finished school, Voldemort began to rise so we formed a group to fight him, we all joined but trust was failing," Sirius paused to look at Lupin. "Anyway, Voldemort was after your parents, but you know that, Harry. When they went into hiding, they made me the Secret Keeper. Meaning that I was the only one besides them who knew where their house was," Sirius took a deep breath. "A day before Halloween they switched me for Peter because I was too obvious. That was a mistake cause Peter was working for Voldemort, he told him where they were and killed them," Sirius took another deep breath and ran his hand through his long black hair.
"I went after Peter. I wanted to kill him for betraying your parents. I should have ignored them. He yelled out saying that I betrayed James and Lily and then cut off his figure and blew up the street, turned into a rat, and ran," Sirius looked at Harry whose eyes grew wide.
"Scabbers is missing a toe," Harry said sharing a look with Remus who was sadly looking at Sirius.
When Sirius was done, the wands around him were still aimed at him but Sirius saw sadness in everyone's eyes.
"But he's my pet," Ron said, holding the squirming rat in his hands.
"He's not, Ron," Harry said as he tried to take the rat from his hands. Ron screamed when Harry got the rat in his hands.
"Let's see if you're right, Black," Remus said, standing up, his wand in his hand. Remus took a deep breath and aimed his wand at the rat who ran under the bench again. Remus rolled his tired eyes and pulled the rat from its tail and shook his head.
"Peter," Remus said to the rat who looked up at him with his beady eyes. The rat tried to wiggle out of Remus's grip, but it was no use. "Give it up." Remus said shaking the rat who started to squeak. Ron started to cry out, but no one was listening to him.
After a few more minutes the rat turned into a short, fat man who started whimpering. Sirius pushed Harry behind himself.
"Remus, Sirius!" the fat man cried, getting down to his knees. Sirius shared a look with Remus. "My old friends!" he called. Remus rolled his eyes. Remus pushed Peter against the window and looked at Sirius.
"You betrayed James and Lily to Voldemort, didn't you?" Remus asked,
"I didn't mean to," Peter cried making Sirius roll his eyes.
"You didn't mean to?" Sirius asked, looking at Harry who was sitting down next to his friends. They all had shocked looks on their faces. However, Harry looked confused. "Moony, do you have him?" Sirius asked him. Remus nodded.
"Yes," Remus said, pulling Peter out of the compartment. "Be careful," Remus said before he closed the door.
"So, you didn't kill anyone?" the girl Hermione asked, petting her cat that was in her lap. Sirius nodded slowly.
"And you're my Godfather?" Harry asked, tilting his head. Sirius nodded sadly. "I'm not mad at you if that's what you are thinking about. It wasn't your fault," Harry said, looking around him. The sun had set but the rain hadn't stopped. "We are almost there," Harry added with a bright smile on his face. Sirius returned the smile.
"When this is cleared up, do you want to stay with me?" Sirius asked. He hoped Harry would say yes. He missed out so much on his Godson's life and this would be the best way to be with him. "I understand if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle."
"Are you crazy? Yes!" Harry said with a bright smile on his face. Everyone knew that this was going to be the best year yet.
A/N: POA AU: Sirius meets up with Remus on the train to prove himself to him.
FFn/Ao3: Captain Voxland/A03: 3CaptainVox7!
House: Hufflepuff
Class: DADA
Standard
Prompts: [Location] Hogwarts Express, [Dialogue] "It wasn't me!"
Word count: 1850
warnings: N/A