AN: Happy Holidays if you celebrate.
Chapter 16: A Blast From the Past
Bern, Switzerland
If you asked Remus Lupin about the last time he saw Sirius Black he would've given you a vague answer. Same with James Potter and everything else about his life. Fact of the matter was, there were a lot of holes in his life since he decided to start traveling eleven or so years ago.
The last thing he really had a recollection of was talking to Peter.
Peter was one of his oldest friends.
Inwardly, he shuddered a little bit thinking of the man. He didn't know why they had parted on decent terms—though he had a vague recollection that wasn't the case.
"You're the perfect one to experiment on, Remus."
"What are you talking about, Peter…"
Experimented on what? That was just nonsense. Peter Pettigrew was probably the most unqualified person to experiment with anything. He ended up working as a shop clerk for Eeyelops Owl Emporium for Merlin's sake. And he was even afraid of the owls there. Always saying how he was afraid they were going to eat him—maybe when he was a rat they would, but he thought it was ridiculous he'd actually work in an owl shop of all things if that was the case. Though, one of the OWLS he barely did scrape by in had been Care of Magical Creatures so it sort of made sense.
"Moony?"
It was Sirius Black. He hadn't seen the man in over a decade. Sirius looked ridiculously thin and a bit worn though he dressed in elegant robes as always. He wondered briefly if he was staying at the lodge. His family certainly had the money to from what he remembered.
He vaguely remembered Sirius's wife who was a relative of his. His cousin. Once removed, he rolled his eyes at that. Purebloods.
It had been a huge wedding. Sirius hadn't been able to invite any of them but James to it. Peter's family though pureblood was not good enough for the Blacks. And Remus was just a halfblood and had his own furry little issues.
Not the sort of person to be attending such a high society wedding. Not that he wanted to attend. He had vague memories of seeing pictures of the whole affair laughing and the sheer ridiculousness of how Padfoot had been forced to dress.
Padfoot didn't think it was funny.
"I can't help it my family is stuck in the bloody nineteenth century."
"At least they didn't make you wear a hoopskirt like your cousin."
"First cousin once removed or second cousin," Sirius said. "Don't gross me out even more than I already am. I am so supposed to think of her as my wife now anyway."
"I still can't believe you went through with it."
"I didn't have much a choice," Sirius said a haunted look came over his face.
His eyes had that haunted look now, except there was something different about them. Something that Remus couldn't quite pinpoint. "It's been awhile, Padfoot." He finally said.
Sirius rolled his eyes, "You moved to bloody Switzerland."
"For the past couple of years," Remus said with a shrug. "I've been around…you know."
Padfoot nodded. "And you work in an enchanting shop, I didn't think Charms were your forte. I thought you were a Defense Against the Dark Arts guy."
Remus rolled his eyes. Padfoot did have a point though. At one point he had been wanting to pursue a mastery studying the Dark Arts, specifically dark creatures but he had given up on that a long time ago.
Given up on a lot of things really.
He just couldn't stand it anymore. There was something that just told him he had to get away from Britian.
"It's steady work," He said, "Besides I had an O in Charms too and there is some crossover work."
Sirius rolled his eyes, "You had Os in everything, Remus."
He was the brainiac out of the bunch. Or the one out of all of them that actually liked studying.
"So did you," Remus said with an eyeroll. "And James. Though both of you would never admit it. How is he by the way?"
"James is dead," Sirius said the haunted look becoming more apparent. "He died in the war about a decade ago."
"I…I…didn't know," Remus said.
"Really, you don' t remember reading anything about Harry?"
"I really don't keep up with the news in the UK," Remus said. "And I was in Laos about a decade ago. Who's Harry?"
"Well, that explains a lot." Sirius said.
"Augusta tells me you're trying to get that crazy ass bitch out of jail," Amelia said deciding just to be blunt as hell with Lucius.
No need for him to try to sweet talk her or whatever it was he had planned on doing when he invited her for lunch. She'd take the free lunch though.
"Augusta wears a dead bird on her head," Lucius said. "Do you think she knows that Gryffindor's mascot is a lion? Fitting since they eat their own."
"Lions do not fucking eat their own," Amelia said.
"Well, they do in Gryffindor house. Though I suppose a vulture could eat their own if they're dead."
"You're avoiding the question," she said. "Are you representing the crazy ass bitch or not?"
"Everyone has the right to a defense, Amelia." Lucius said, "Surely you learned that in law school. You being a do-gooder should've soaked that shit up."
"You said it was shit." She pointed out.
"Just putting it in terms that you would understand, but that crazy ass bitch as you coined her is entitled to legal representation."
"She already had a trial. She was convicted and laughed her ass off about it." Amelia said. She hadn't been a prosecutor in those days, but she had sat for that trial and it was just disturbing.
She could only imagine what that lunatic was like now ten years in fucking Azkaban. She bet it wasn't pretty. She hoped that Dursley bitch liked being in a neighboring cell to her. Maybe she should see if she could get them as cellmates. She wasn't that cruel….then again Dursley was a fucking child killer.
"You have a particular devious look on your face," Lucius said to her.
"That's because I'm thinking of whose rooming next to that crazy ass bitch of a sister in-law of yours."
"Oh, anyone interesting?"
"She's your client, I'm sure she can tell you." Amelia said smugly.
"Amelia."
"Lucius, I know you're a slimy snake. But really, Lestrange?"
"She's Narcissa's sister." He said with a shrug. "I told her I'd look at her case for peace of mind. After all, Narcissa had one relative who was unjustly sent to prison without a trial."
"Yes, but everyone remembers Bellatrix's fucking trial."
He gave her a look, "There can be oversights in trial, Amelia, surely you are aware."
She glared at him.
"I noticed no one checked to see if she potioned or under the imperius curse."
"You know that's not enough from your own experiences."
He smirked, "Oh, I'm very aware. What if I told you that Bellatrix might have something very similar to what I have to offer…"
She glared at him, "You're fucking with me."
"Am I?" He said, "Really, you only think he created one."
Fuck. If what Lucius said was true it was highly probable she was going to have to work with him to get the crazy ass bitch out. Fuckity. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Lucius smirked.
"Don't even think I'm buying this without any proof," she said.
"Oh, I'd be more than happy to obtain you a memory. However, I believe my client needs to be in better accommodations."
"Absolutely fucking not," she said. "She stays in the maximum ward. You and I both know she's crazy."
"You want proof though with her fragile mental health…"
Amelia glared at him, "I will lose my fucking head if I let her loose you and I both know it. Augusta is out for blood and Cornelius likes her enough to listen…sometimes."
"But…"
"Oh, I am aware." She said, "Trust me, I am aware. I remember that thing you gave us."
She shuddered as she remembered that ugly little book Lucius gave them in exchange for his freedom.
That ugly book had housed Riddle's fucking soul. A fucking horcrux.
Her family might've been a light, but she still heard of those fucking things. Abominations to human kind. And she knew there was likely more than one based on the fact that Riddle's appearance alone.
So, she knew there were more out there. And it made since that his crazy lieutenant would be given one.
And it needed to be fucking destroyed.
"You need a drink," He told her.
"Always when dealing with you," she said. "I need some fucking proof before I do anything."
"And like I said her condition is too volatile now to even do anything."
Amelia grumbled, "Moving her is going to be difficult."
"Don't you have an infirmary or something there? Oh wait, I forget Black is having to stay in a facility for at least six months because proper medical care was never provided."
"Black was a fucking misnomer," she said even though he wasn't.
In theory she could move Lestrange to solitary confinement or something akin to that and keep the dementors at bay. It wasn't ideal, but she knew Lucius had a point about the woman not being any use to them in her current state.
She'd miss Lestrange having to breathe the same air as a muggle though…
"Thinking through things, Amelia?"
"Obviously," she said rolling her eyes. "I'll get back to you in a few days. I don't want this to fucking get out though."
"Clearly," Lucius said.
"And Lucius if you're toying with me after this, I'll make you share the cell next to a fucking muggle as well."
Peter Pettigrew had tried to avoid Azkaban at all costs. It was one of many reasons he had decided to live as a rat for the past decade.
There were other reasons as well of course, but he wouldn't say those reasons to most people. He knew never to admit such things.
He scowled thinking how it was because of his bitch sister's daughter that he was now in jail. Just had to get the entire house mad at her and got herself turned into a rat. Yep, that was Emma's spawn.
He hated Emma. He never understood why Mummy and Father kept her in the family despite knowing she was a squib. Yes, he understood that with a decent marriage maybe she could keep the bloodline going like Mummy did, but Emma was no Mummy.
And had his spawn.
It was so obvious now. Not that he should've been that surprised. Those two had been all over each other then again his sister was always a whore.
He never really did investigate her brat though by that time the war had gotten to the point he had other things to concentrate on—like his future.
Betraying Lily and James had been a necessity. There was only so much mobility he could do in the Dark Lord's web on his own. He might've had the bloodline, but he never really had been much of a fighter, always a lover.
He smirked thinking some of his conquests. Conquests that apparently determined that he would be given the kiss.
Blast them.
Blast them all.
He would not go down without a fight despite what Bones told him. His attorney didn't seem that hopeful either, but he had his secrets.
He was sure they'd be interested in some of the Dark Lord's experiments to get people to step in line, to alter reality.
He smirked thinking about Bellatrix Black.
Poor, poor, Bella. Fucking bitch. She deserved what happened to her. Should be honored. Well, was honored. Not that she knew.
He inwardly laughed.
She and fucking Sirius thought they were better than everyone else, well, he showed them. Just like he showed James and his fucking wife. And that fucker Lupin.
He inwardly grimaced thinking of how he was the "pity friend". He wasn't stupid. And he was well aware of how Sirius pretty much cut him out of his life after he married that fucking shrew.
She got what she deserved.
That bitch thought she was so high and mighty, well, she now was nothing more than the dark lord's whore.
He smirked thinking all the time she had seen her on the dark lord's lap sometimes completely naked doing whatever he wanted.
Pity that the Dar Lord's preferences leaned towards woman, if even that. He still couldn't believe it when he had heard what the dark lord wanted her in part.
Though he supposed Black wasn't a bad looking woman. Or used to not be that bad of looking of a woman. Then again, he really wasn't one for women. Her husband though had been very pretty back in the day until he grew up.
Sirius had never wanted him like that though. Even when they were kids. The one time he had even tried something he was quickly pushed off and rejected. He wasn't even sure Black had known.
Probably not he was such a blockhead.
Especially after…well, he was reprogrammed.
He laughed thinking of his role in all of that and the fact that Black still was none the wiser that he was even married to that loon or that he'd be residing with the loon shortly.
He guessed that was one thing he could look forward to. Tormenting Bellatrix had always been fun.
Chapter 17 Preview: Someone dies.
