Vivian

Cold, so freezing cold.

Fucking hell.

My stomach twisted unpleasantly as I tried to break out of the daze. Fuck, how cold. Chills were running through my body and wouldn't stop, so it was quite hard to pay attention. Someone grabbed my arms and was talking to me, but I couldn't make out the words or the face. I twisted my head left and tried to focus. The stone arch hung over me, the whispers coming from behind it like the sound of spilt sand. Ambrose Chandler was leaning over the dark-haired man on the ground next to me, waving his wand over his body.

"Hi honey," I mumbled.

"Shut up, you idiot," he said forcefully, but without venom in his voice. "He's not back yet."

Someone was still leaning over me and I felt warm hands on my shoulders giving me a pleasant shiver, warmth spreading slowly over my body.

"Vivian?" Pushing myself up, I tried to sit, but my head exploded with pain and a fountain of colours behind my eyelids. "Easy now," said the voice above me.

I slowly opened my eyes again and looked at the scarred face of the werewolf. He immediately offered me two vials of potions, which I drank without asking. I've walked through the veil enough times that I knew what he was giving me. Anyway, my healer was sitting a few feet away, bent over the unconscious body of a man. He knew what I needed.

"Thank you." He helped me to my feet, clasping my arm and pulling me slightly upward, the dizziness and headache finally ebbing away. "You're not pointing your wand at me anymore?"

He looked surprised and then embarrassed.

"Sorry, I didn't know what to expect from you. My name's Remus Lupin."

I squeezed his hand with a lopsided smile and turned to Chandler, Lupin right behind me and clearly worried, focusing our attention on the unconscious man on the ground.

The man looked dead.

I couldn't name it better. Sunken eyes, pale lips, bluish skin. If it weren't for his chest rising and falling steadily, he might be mistaken for a corpse.

Sirius Black, supplied my tired mind kicking finally into gear. It was Sirius Black, the most wanted wizard in Britain. There was something about his jawline and his long, straight nose that made my stomach turn for a second. His cheeks were unshaven, his hair dishevelled. The shadows under his eyes and the lines around his mouth were even more pronounced when he lay unconscious. His clothes were typically muggle - jeans, a T-shirt, a leather jacket. There was a hole in his shirt where I had recently seen a sword stuck in his stomach. He must have been a few inches taller than me, broad at the shoulders, but more lean than muscular. Pieces of pale skin that could be seen through ruffled clothes or the sleeves pulled up by my healer were adorned with black tattoos - Isa and Gebo on his stomach for strength. Higher I recognized the rune of Algiz, only his was inverted, so according to him, he did not need protection and even higher was the rune of the All-father - Ansuz, symbolizing wisdom.

There was something about him. I couldn't name it, but I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach. Weird.

Chandler was leaning over him and mumbling spells with his wand out. His medical bag was gutted; potions, herbs, powders, and ointments lie around him in vials and boxes. He gave me a sidelong glance, giving me the dirtiest look he could muster. I smiled under my breath. The earth will go round the sun and Ambrose Chandler will be the biggest dick in the world; that will never change.

"How long have we been away?"

"Thirty minutes at most," Lupin whispered in my ear, staring over my shoulder at the dark-haired man. He pressed a piece of chocolate into my hand as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You'll be better off eating it."

"Thanks."

Not wanting to disturb the healer, I went to get my wand still stuck in the stone on the podium, the barrier disappearing, and I noticed the kid was gone.

"Where's Potter?" I turned to Lupin.

"He chased after Lestrange."

"She freed herself?!"

"Apparently," he muttered, dissatisfied. "Harry has a temper. And he has been under a lot of stress lately. Life hasn't been easy. And Sirius is his only family. He was afraid he would lose him too." Nodding my head in understanding, I looked back at my healer and Black. Some colours returned to the man's cheeks, and his fingers tightened from time to time on the black wand in his hand, however, he didn't regain consciousness.

In the silence that continued around us, I tried to return to the time spent behind the veil. Why did I come back to remembering Cadfael's death? I didn't like it at all and looking at Sirius Black's unconscious body, my anxiety only grew. I couldn't help feeling that the man at my feet would have more influence in my life than I might have expected. After all, his life now belonged to me.

"Will you hand him over to the dementors?" Lupin's insistent voice snapped me out of my thoughts, focusing my attention back on the man.

"Should I? Is he guilty?"

I had a feeling he wasn't. Otherwise, he wouldn't protect Potter, and Lestrange wouldn't want to kill him. Nor was there a Dark Mark on his forearm, and Potter wouldn't spit his lungs out screaming in despair after he fell through the arch. Anyway, the hope on the boy's face when he saw a chance to save Black was definitely not fake.

"No," he replied without hesitation.

"Was he proven guilty?"

"No." Again, there was no hesitation in his voice. "There was no trial."

"WHAT?!" My voice echoed in the hall and Chandler looked at me reluctantly. Black was three years on the run and hiding, twelve years in prison, so fifteen years ago the one sentencing him to Azkaban was... "Head of Wizarding Law Enforcement. Barty Crouch," I said with anger boiling in my stomach. I took a deep breath, trying to suppress my own feelings, though my fingers spontaneously clenched into fists with rising fury at the sound of that name. How I hated that man, only the Norns knew. "Bastard."

"Dumbledore's here too, King and Tonks took the remaining Death Eaters and locked them up." Lupin trod down the path in front of me, walking left and right, nibbling the sleeves of his already frayed jacket quite nervously. "We have to get out of here. Someone will come and wonder what he's doing here." He pointed his chin at the unconscious Black, and for a second, I saw how much he was worried. And it wasn't just that Sirius Black was wanted by the entire Ministry of Magic and apparently a member of the Order of the Phoenix. There was something else, some link between him and the werewolf, that I couldn't quite pin down.

"You know, this is a pretty good time for clearing him of charges," I said casually, measuring him carefully, the idea hitting me full force.

"Nobody will listen," Lupin said just as carefully as he finally stopped in front of me, eyeing me intently.

I just smiled lopsidedly.

Before the man could add anything else, though, Kingsley burst through the open door, sweaty, grimy, his robe ragged on his sleeve, and I could tell by his clenched fists that something was wrong. Before he would speak, however, he measured me from head to toe. King knew me well enough that he saw I wasn't doing very well. He worried but didn't say a word to me about it. For now.

"Dumbledore is fighting Voldemort in the atrium," he blurted out, stopping in front of us. "We can't get past the elevator door, the portraits just tell what's going on."

Fuck.

"Harry?" Lupin mumbled, the fear clearly on his face.

"He's with them."

I didn't know why, but something heavy was hurling down my stomach. I had a bad feeling. A very, very bad feeling. Sitting on the edge of the podium, I tried to collect my thoughts.

The transitions between worlds have never been pleasant, and were usually only in one direction, with no return ticket for anybody who tried to do the same as me. However, the vision of Sirius Black lying in the mud, dressed in my best friend's robes, didn't want to leave me, so I closed my eyes for a moment and focused on Cadfael's face. They were actually quite alike, at least on the outside, with long black hair, stubble on their cheeks, and a clear jawline. Their eyes were different; Black had eyes like liquid mercury, but Cadfael's eyes were solid brown with flecks of gold, so characteristic of his kind. Why has this memory surfaced now?

Gods, I hadn't thought about Pellinor in a long, long time.

My fingers began to beat a rhythm on my thigh, the way they always did when I felt tension building in my shoulders. I needed a cigarette. A quick pat on the pockets, however, didn't help, because my robe with a packet of cigarettes hung in my office, abandoned on the chair. So I stood up with a heavy sigh, trying to regain at least some of my peace. It was obvious it was going to be a long night.

"Where are the rest of the Aurors? And Rufus?" I turned back to the men disgusting something over my head, twisting my hands into my hair and tying it in a knot at the back of my neck. King just shook his head and turned finally to the unconscious form of Black with a deep frown.

"He's alive?"

Ambrose at that moment honoured us with his presence, wiping his hands on his robes and tidying up the bag with a wave of his wand. He was even taller than Kingsley, broad-shouldered, bald, with a mouth that had one too many encounters with someone else's fist. But he was my healer and the best in his field, so I didn't rush him or get in the way.

"He's alive," he grunted. "Take him somewhere quiet. When he wakes up, give him this." And he threw a few corked vials into my hands. Taking his bag and heading for the exit, he merely threw over his shoulder: "You owe me."

"Don't go too far," was my response. "You may still be needed."

King just sighed as he ran his hands over his face, but Lupin looked as if he was about to murder my healer. His eyes flashed red as King laid a soothing hand on his shoulder.

"Everything's under control," my friend said in a calming voice, which apparently reassured the werewolf a little.

So with a wave of my wand, I levitated the unconscious man towards the door and down the hallway out of the Department of Mysteries.

"Where are you going with him?" Lupin tried to jump out in front of me, but King immediately stepped in among us in a reassuring gesture, raising his hands.

"Remus, you can trust her," King said in his deep voice, eyes boring into the werewolf meaningfully. "You have my word. Vivian won't hand him to the Ministry."

"I don't know her." There was a wand in his hand again, eyes nervously sweeping me from head to toe. Well, a man with trust issues wasn't anything new to me, seeing that we met moments ago. However, I didn't have the strength or the patience to argue and convince him of my intentions. I wasn't going to explain myself to him either. Black's life belonged to me for now, until the binding spell was broken or Black paid his debt. Of course, I wouldn't hand Black to the dementors or the Ministry, knowing full well what would happen to him. There was also a marvellous opportunity presenting itself to bring Fudge down if Black could be cleared of the charges.

"But I do," said my friend, a little more forcefully. "And you know, you can trust me."

I was grateful to King for interceding for me, and not for the first time. I didn't have the strength for discussions, although my thoughts were running miles per minute.

Voldemort was in the Ministry.

He finally showed up, probably impatient with hiding all year round. No, not impatient. He wouldn't have got this far had he been impatient. So why was he here today? What was so important that he risked coming to the Ministry and revealing himself? Harry Potter? He couldn't get him at Hogwarts, so he did it in the middle of London? Why? How did Potter and his little gang even end up here? Why did they leave the secure castle, run away from school, and end up here? How did they get in through the barriers, spells, alarms, runes and stone wards? How did the Death Eaters enter? How did they know these kids would be here today?

So many questions and unfortunately no answers.

"Why did Potter even come here?"

Remus grimaced at Kingsley and then back at me.

"He had a vision that Sirius was being held in the Ministry by Voldemort."

"A vision," I replied flatly, now glancing between the men to see if they were serious.

"Harry is somehow connected to Voldemort and when his mind is relaxed, as in sleep, he has visions of what Voldemort is doing or feeling."

"Visions," I repeated, still too stunned at the news, to react, but it changed in a second. "Are you kidding me?!"

We had just come to my second office, to the plain dark door, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Apparently he has decided to take matters into his own hands," King replied, putting his hand on my shoulder, however, I pushed it away at once. Concerned, he just pressed his lips together into a thin line and continued talking. "He contacted HQ, but no one was there except the house-elf. Dumbledore had left the school, so the only available Order member was Snape."

"Snape?" I asked dumbly, unable to believe the boy's stupidity. He had Loki's luck, that's for sure. "The Potion Master at Hogwarts?"

"Kingsley!" Remus hissed a warning, eyes darting nervously between us two.

I just looked at the man with pity and a ting of irritation. Kingsley and I had known each other for sixteen years, he was one of the few people in the world whom I trusted with my life. He had my back, always. He was my best friend, almost like the big brother I never had. He put up with me when I was at the bottom when my magic was out of control and I hurt others. He looked after me when I broke my bones, stitched me up after each fight, and dragged me out of every hole I hid from the world. I owed him my life, my sanity - shaky as it was - and freedom, how limited it was too, with the seals of the unbreakable oath burned into my left forearm. King had been with me from almost the very beginning of my new life in this world, along with Amelia, guiding and teaching me through it. He was my mainstay. Most of all, he was on my side. The mere thought of that fact filled me with great relief and confidence, and irritation and fatigue were relegated to the background of my mind.

"Vivian Lake is the most extraordinary woman you ever meet in your life and the best place for you to be right now is on her side," replied my friend, with a gleam in his eyes, shifting between me and Lupin. I tried to contain the warm lump in my throat at his words and the little smile wandering across my lips. "Because Vivian is joining the Order of the Phoenix today and finally helping us with that clusterfuck, which is just gaining momentum," he said confidently, squeezing my arm tighter, his demeanour changing instantly to that of an Auror used to giving orders. I looked at those words into his dark eyes. I wasn't convinced that joining some small resistance movement when the ministry was doing nothing made any sense at all. But King was sure that now everything would change when the truth about Voldemort's return came to light and Fudge could no longer deny the facts. Should he be demoted, or better yet, thrown out of office, a new Minister of Magic would be elected. Next in line were Rufus Scrimgeour and Amelia. I would definitely be betting on Amelia. "It's you that can make a difference, Vi. Not us. Only you with your amazing magic that no one else has."

"What magic?" Lupin piped in, clearly confused at the way the conversation was going. "Who are you, again?"

"Auror. What about Snape?" I changed the topic immediately, trying to redirect Lupin's attention to something else, something more interesting than me and my magic.

"Nothing important," the man shot immediately, standing quickly in the doorway of my office. I didn't feel like dealing with some worrying guy who couldn't pull himself together, bleeding out his fear and insecurity on me. I clenched my fists inwardly, asking the gods for patience. "I'm not leaving my best friend with some strange woman!", he finally exclaimed and grabbed my hand with the wand.

He jumped back just as quickly, as there was a soft thunder in the corridor and the smell of ozone filled the air. Lupin pressed his back against the far wall, clutching his wounded hand as the zigzags of lightning faded from my skin. Inhale, fuck it, and exhale. With my back straight as a board, I turned to the werewolf, sidestepping Kingsley, who jumped between us immediately.

"Touch me again and I will break your fingers and you will never hold your wand again."

My voice carried across the empty hallway, and Lupin stared at me like some new species. Brown eyes wide, mouth open, shoulders and back tense. His gaze shifted immediately to King, his fingers gripping the wound even tighter.

"I'm not leaving him."

For a second, I admired his determination. The feeling, however, passed as quickly as it came.

"Harry Potter and Albus are fighting somewhere upstairs in the Atrium with Voldemort. If I were you, I'd do everything in my power to help the kid and not waste time with things that are beyond your control." My words made Lupin grimace, and his gaze went to King, hoping for some support. But my friend didn't seem to want to help him in any way, so Remus gaze landed back on me. Jaws set and eyes blazing in a way that made my skin crawl for a moment. But I pushed it away, buried the feeling deep down, knowing this was not the time for a fight. I wanted to make a point. "What will you say to your friend when he asks about Potter? I hope the kid'll survive, I'm sure as hell not going to tell Black that Potter died when you didn't move your ass to help him."

That made him move, eyes wide with realisation at my words. Throwing a second glance at Kingsley, without a word, he finally retreated from the corridor to the elevator and moved up with a screech of metal.

One down, one to go.

Sirius' body landed softly on the mattress, still pale and unconscious.

"I'm going after Remus. See how we can help upstairs," Kingsley announced in his deep voice, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Peachy, as always," was my brief response. "Why didn't you tell me about the Order?" I gazed at my friend reproachfully.

"You weren't interested," he shrugged. "I didn't want you to think, that I wanted to drag you into another commitment with the seals on your arm still intact." He sighed tiredly, plopping on the chair next to me. "I know you, Vivi." I groaned at the nickname. "Your work at the Ministry was important, but now everything's in the open. They can't deny Voldemort's back, and I think it would be better if you knew about everything, too. Talk to Albus, learn the entire story." He looked meaningfully at Black, stretched on my mattress, and then back at me. "I know how your head works, Vi. If you have all the pieces of the puzzle, then maybe you can figure out how to end it all."

"End?" I huffed. "For sixteen years I've been trying to figure out how to get rid of these seals. Now I have to worry about your little war?"

"You took Grindelwald spells apart. You figured out how to charge the oldest runes in the Ministry and Hogwarts. Not to mention all the new charms, binding spells and rune magic you do," he listed, looking into my eyes meaningfully and giving me one of his rare smiles. "Besides, it's your war too."

"Oh, no! You'll not get me into this!" accusingly, I jabbed my finger at his chest. "That's why I didn't get involved in this whole circus. People notice that my magic is different and they'll start asking questions. They'll start to be interested. You don't even know when, and some smart guy will connect the dots and just start to complicate things. It's bad enough, that all the Auros give me a wide breath."

I trod the path from the desk to the bed, already nervous. If anyone could figure out who I was... No. No way in fucking hell. It would be a disaster.

"Apart from the people who took the oath, I'm the only one who knows your real name. I figured out the truth after four years. And we saw each other every day, back then. We even lived together for a while." King stood in front of me, his big hands on my shoulders, rubbing up and down as I sighed and rested my forehead against his chest.

"What am I going to come up with that Albus hasn't thought of yet? He's thinking about everything, still planning ahead."

"Maybe he missed something," King whispered against my hair, his arms tightening around me. I felt like in the arms of a warm bear, safe and comfortable. And that didn't happen often. I melted in his embrace, inhaling the familiar scent of his aftershave. "Find out as much as you can and try to piece it together. He doesn't tell us about everything." My friend peered down at me with a soft smile. "There's something bigger going on. But we need to stop Voldemort from taking over and destroying everything."

"You know the fastest way to a man's heart is through his ribs?" He laughed softly at the words, his chest rising with each sigh. "My advice: go for the throat."

"This may not be the right solution."

"You want to catch Voldemort alive?!"

"No. I mean, I don't know if he can be killed at all."