FIC: Mischief Managed (Part One)

[grimmauld_fics]

Title: Mischief Managed (Part One)
Author: krabapple
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Rating: R, for one section; PG for the rest
Disclaimer: I own nothing you might recognize.
Summary: Everyone deserves a little happiness, even Sirius Black and Remus Lupin.
Author's Notes/Warnings: Alternate Universe (AU) set during Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts. Also known as "Sirius Black and the DADA Professor." No real warnings, everything's pretty vanilla, but watch out for cheesy canon references. Speaking of canon, some lines and passages, most notably Lupin's boggart lesson, have been taken directly from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. If you recognize it, I probably lifted it. Quick wash beta, so all mistakes still definitely belong to me. Written for the sirius_loving challenge.

This thing stands at approximately 43 pages and 18,034 words. Cut into two parts due to length.



"I can't believe he hired him, that daft, old, half-mad, candy eating, Merlin-fucking, son-of-a-bitch!"

Lily cast a glance out the kitchen window, to see that Harry was currently stomach down on the grass in the garden, his Transfiguration homework completely forgotten in favor of his sketchpad and some charcoal. She closed and locked the window before any more of Sirius' ranting could possibly be heard by her thirteen-year-old son.

She then gave Sirius a look that reminded him sharply that this was the woman who had taught Ginny Weasley the Bat Boogey hex. He subsided for a minute, watching her put on the kettle.

When she was done with kettle, Lily turned around, back to the counter and said, "We trust Dumbledore to know what he's doing."

Sirius looked at James and said, "You can't possibly think this is a good idea?"

James' eyes were serious behind his glasses, but he shrugged. "I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea, no." Before Sirius could even draw breath to start again he added, "But I do agree with Lily about trusting Dumbledore. I'm sure he has his reasons."

"Such as?"

"Perhaps he thinks Remus will be able to stick it out in the post for more than a year," Lily suggested, fetching mugs and teabags from the cabinet.

"Or maybe he wants to try to lure Remus out as a traitor; having him right under Dumbledore's own nose might not necessarily be a bad thing," James said.

"No one ever proved Remus was the traitor." Lily thumped the kettle back down on the stove with a little more force than necessary.

"No one ever proved he wasn't," Sirius pointed out.

"You would have been the one to know, Padfoot," James reminded him gently.

Sirius grimaced, his mouth drawing into a tight line, but he didn't say anything more.

There was silence for a minute, and Lily handed each man a mug of tea, then sat down at the table herself.

"I still don't like it," Sirius said.

"He's thirteen, Sirius. He's at Hogwarts, and there's no safer place than that," said James.

"Except for last year when Voldemort's damn teenage diary tried to kill him and Ginny. Or the year before that with Quirrell and the Philosopher's Stone business."

"He's thirteen," Lily repeated. "We can't watch him every second. Do you remember what you were like at thirteen?"

The truth was, Sirius did remember, and that's what scared him most of all.

"Voldemort is trying to rise again," he said instead of answering Lily's question.

"We know," Lily said, and James reached for her hand across the table. Their fingers entwined, and Lily squeezed a bit. "But we can't protect Harry if we're not alive to do it, either."

"Besides," James added, "we beat Voldemort once before; we can do it again."

"You mean Lily did, and she can again," Sirius repeated the old joke between them. It had been Lily's spell, Lily's magic that had protected Harry, herself, even James that night in Godric's Hollow. They had come out of it battered, bloody and broken, but alive; Lily herself had not woken for three months after the attack, but when she had, it was to the news that Harry had survived Avada Kadavra. Even twelve years later, no one knew which member of the Order had betrayed the Potters before the Fidelius Charm could be cast.

But everyone had their suspicions.

James smiled. "True enough. Dumbledore will keep an eye on Harry, as he always does. And look on the bright side: Moony always was brilliant at Defence."

Sirius stubbornly shook his head. "That's not enough," he said. "One of us should be at Hogwarts, too."

"What are you going to do, Sirius? Ask for a job at Hogwarts so you can be there?" James asked.

"You could be Filch's assistant," Lily teased. "I'm sure he'd find plenty of work for you, the hated Sirius Black." She and James laughed.

"Well, now, I don't know about that," Sirius said. "But there's got to be something . . ."

At that point, Harry burst through the kitchen door, grey smudges on his glasses where he'd been constantly pushing them up, and asked his mother what they were having for lunch.

Sirius subsided, and settled for a nice luncheon and then an afternoon playing chess with his godson.

***

However, not even Lily Potter's famous turkey sandwiches were enough to stop Sirius Black from the self-appointed task of keeping his only family safe, and not long after, Sirius found himself standing in the middle of Dumbledore's office, demanding a job. A little to his surprise (but not much), Dumbledore gave him one gladly, and even told Sirius he was doing the Headmaster a favor by taking the position; it had come open late, and Dumbledore wasn't quite sure how he would fill it. Professor Sinistra's sister was ailing, and the Professor had asked at rather the last minute to take a year long sabbatical. Sirius didn't entirely believe the story, but he was relieved enough to get his way that he didn't question things too much.

He was to be Professor Sirius Black, temporary instructor of Astronomy.

Sirius had never doubted Dumbledore had a wicked, and rather dark, sense of humor.

James had laughed so hard and for so long when he heard the news that he doubled over, and didn't stop until Lily landed a firm smack on the back of his head. Lily herself seemed remarkably unsurprised, and when Sirius received an anonymous delivery from Flourish and Botts with half a dozen astronomy texts inside, there was little doubt in his mind who had sent them. Harry's excitement, however, could hardly be contained, and it was his opinion that Sirius valued the most.

So on September 1, 1993, Sirius Black found himself levitating a trunk and the rest of his luggage down the narrow corridor of the Hogwarts Express, trying very hard not to hit Hermione Granger on the back of the head with a particularly sharp-edged suitcase. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were walking ahead of him, alternately levitating and dragging their own luggage, and talking excitedly about this year's Quidditch chances and their summer holidays. As they had been rather late boarding the train, every compartment they passed was already full, and when they reached the last one, they found it only had one passenger inside.

"C'mon, I'm sure he won't mind," Hermione said, already easing her luggage through the door she'd opened. Harry and Ron followed her, with Sirius bringing up the rear. The man seemed to be sleeping, so they stowed their belongings away carefully before taking seats, Ron next to the sleeping man, with Harry, Hermione and Sirius on the other side of the compartment.

Sirius hadn't been looking at their traveling companion too closely, except to notice his state of unconsciousness, and also the state of his dress. The man was fairly tall, but not as tall as Sirius; his cloak was pulled up all the way to just under his eyes, so Sirius couldn't get a good look at his face, but the cloak was either second-hand or very much worn by the original owner. Here and there patches showed through even in the dim light of the train compartment, and the man's shoes were of an old style, and very clearly scuffed and well-used. Even still, Sirius felt a slight thrill of recognition slide through him as he sat down next to Harry, as if static electricity was raising the hair on the back of his arms.

"Wonder who he is," Ron remarked.

"Professor R.J. Lupin," Hermione primly replied. Sirius felt the electricity jolt into an actual shock; he knew without even looking again that Hermione was right.

"How'd she know that?" Ron asked Harry. "She knows everything!"

Hermione pointed. "It's on his bag, Ron," she said, and everyone in the compartment looked up at the same time to see a battered looking brown satchel with a monogram of "R.J. Lupin" on the stainless steel clasp.

"Oh," Ron said, having the grace to look sheepish.

Harry seemed to be taking in the stranger with a good deal of consideration. Finally he said, "Seems like he might be a rather dodgy character. What do you suppose he's teaching?"

"Defence Against the Dark Arts, of course," Hermione answered before Sirius had the chance to. "It's the only open position at the school, aside from the one Sirius filled."

"Oh," Harry said, and he and Ron exchanged a look that made Sirius hide a grin behind his hand.

The compartment quickly lapsed into silence as Hermione dug out her Charms text and Harry and Ron set up a game of chess. Sirius, too, brought out one of the astronomy texts Lily had sent him, but his eyes kept roaming over the top of the book to take in Remus.

How he hadn't known immediately who their fellow passenger was, Sirius didn't know. He supposed time, age and distance had been mitigating factors, but Remus' body language remained the same; the way he slouched against the window with his cheek pressed to the glass was exactly the same as it had been every time they had ridden the Hogwarts Express together and Remus had fallen asleep, including the time fifth year when Sirius, Peter, and James had found the position too enticing and slipped a dozen ice mice down the back of Remus' collar. Or the way Remus' cloak was pulled up to his eyes - he had always slept with the blankets covering his nose, from the time of their Hogwarts days until . . . well, until. His hair was still the same brown, partly glowing a bit golden in the light of the compartment, and there was a liberal amount of silver threaded through now, though Remus was no more than thirty-three. That was another small symptom of the lycanthropy, Sirius knew, and Remus had been growing just a couple of silver hairs at his temples the last time Sirius had seen him. Remus might actually have possessed the same cloak as the last time Sirius had seen him, and that thought made Sirius turn away, his eyes sliding back down to his book with something like guilt and shame.

The train ride wore on, and Remus did not wake. Sirius left the compartment early, just a little before the train reached Hogsmeade, on school business as he said to the three children, but really so he wouldn't have to face Remus' eyes as he woke up. Sirius wasn't sure if he would feel sadness or anger upon seeing Remus' unfocused brown eyes, and he didn't want to find out, not this soon.

***

Having successfully avoided Remus Lupin at the Feast, on the way to Gryffindor tower to settle Harry in, and on the way to his own quarters, and upon having a completed lesson plans for all of his classes for the entire week, Sirius Black walked into his first period class on the first day of school, feeling rather confident.

He walked up to his desk, turned around to gaze at his students, and promptly panicked.

With twenty pairs of eyes looking at him, twenty students gazing at him with nothing short of rapturous attention, parchment out and quills at the ready, listening intently to any bit of knowledge and wisdom he might impart to them, all Sirius could think was: Holy Shit.

He cleared his throat, and out came the first thing he could think of to say. "Er . . . anyone here know where the Dog Star is?"

***

Three days later, Sirius was in the staff room, pouring himself a rather large cup of coffee and drinking it black. He had the upcoming period off, and he was going to need it to recover from the group he'd had the period previously: seventh year N.E.W.T. level Ravenclaws. Four days of teaching and all Sirius could think was how thankful he was for first-years. Them, he understood.

Sirius turned around from the coffee pot to see McGonagall, smiling as if she were the cat who swallowed the canary. He grimaced, and Minerva laughed.

"I'm sorry to see you suffering, dear boy," she said, "except that I also feel that sometimes we have earned our lot in life due to the repercussions of our past behavior."

"I never thought you were one for revenge, Professor."

"Sirius Black, this is not about revenge. This is about justice."

Sirius had to chuckle at McGonagall's smile. "I hope I never tortured you quite like this, Minerva."

She laughed. "I do say you found other ways to do just that, Mr. Black." She paused, and continued in a softer, more serious tone. "Show them what's what, Sirius, and they'll settle down. And remember, even those seventh years are no match for you; you were one of the brightest pupils I ever had. You shouldn't have any problem with them."

A little to his surprise, Sirius felt a bit touched. "Thank you, Professor. I'll take that as a compliment."

Minerva smiled, and picked up her robes so she could attend to her next period class. She put them on briskly and then said, "Oh, that was a compliment, but it was also the bane of my existence. Only someone as particularly bright as you could have caused such creative and spectacular trouble. There were days I wished you were quite a bit more stupid, I have to admit."

Sirius smiled and almost said But it was Moony who came up with all the really creative mischief, before he stopped himself. Instead he said, "Thanks for the advice," just as the warning chimes rang.

McGonagall left the room just as Severus Snape swooped into it. Sirius scowled and poured himself more coffee. He had had almost as little to do with Snape since his arrival as he had with Remus; to be sure, he still hated the bastard, and hated even more how he treated Harry in class, but he also knew that it was Snape who had watched out for the boy on more than one occasion, and if that didn't exactly earn Snape Sirius' friendship, or even civility, it at least earned Snape his silence. Besides, Sirius knew he was here as much by the good grace of Albus Dumbledore as he was by anything else, and if he wanted to remain, it was best for all concerned if he didn't stir up trouble with other faculty members.

Thankfully, Snape was just as content to leave Sirius alone as Sirius was have nothing to do with him, and the two sat in a rather stony silence for several minutes, Snape marking papers and Sirius reading The Daily Prophet.

At about ten minutes into the period, there was a commotion outside the door. To Sirius' surprise, the door opened and he heard Remus' voice say, "Inside, please." Sirius watched as Remus' class -- third year Gryffindors and Slytherins, by the look of it -- filed in after their professor. Harry smiled at Sirius upon seeing him; Sirius smiled back discreetly. He and Harry had agreed that Sirius was not to follow Harry around or sit in on any of his classes or otherwise disturb his daily routine in any kind of way. In other words, Harry had made it quite clear he did not want to be doted on. Sirius, for the sake of peace, did the best he could to follow directions.

As Lupin went to close the door, Snape said "Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this," and got to his feet, stalking toward the door, his black robes billowing out behind him. At the doorway, he turned on his heel and said, loudly enough for the entire room to hear, "Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is there to whisper instructions in his ear."

Sirius watched as Neville flushed a deep scarlet, and as Harry's glare practically burned a hole into Snape's robes. Sirius himself bit his lip, hard enough to draw blood, in an attempt not to interfere. Snape's behavior was inexcusable and cruel, but it was Remus' class, and Sirius knew Hogwarts well enough to know that it was not acceptable for him to interfere, no matter how much he wanted to. Indeed, Alice and Frank Longbottom had been members of the Order, and friends of Sirius and the Potters, before the Death Eaters had gotten to them. The Longbottoms deserved much more than their fate had allowed them, and so did Neville; the thought of Snape sneering at the boy made Sirius' blood boil. At least Harry had the good sense to keep quiet; Sirius saw how badly he wanted to defend his friend, but he would not disrespect either teacher, even as much as he hated Snape in private.

Remus, however, merely raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly. "I was hoping Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation," he said, "and I am sure he will perform it admirably."

Sirius couldn't stop his eyebrows from going up at that, nor at the way the simple comment completely disarmed Snape, who merely curled his lip and stalked out of the room, slamming the door shut.

Remus turned toward Sirius, "You are welcome to stay if you like, Professor Black, but my students and I will be using the staff room for most of the period, and we wouldn't want to disturb you."

These were the first words Remus had spoken to him in twelve years. Sirius lowered his eyebrows and said, "I'd like to stay, thank you." He genuinely did, of course; he would have the perfect opportunity to look after Harry and observe Remus' behavior at the same time, and it was a chance he couldn't pass up.

Remus nodded at him, and then turned back toward his class. "Now then," he said, beckoning them toward the far end of the room, where an old wardrobe stood rocking slightly on its feet, and there was a distinct banging coming from inside every few seconds. A few of the students stepped back in alarm.

"Not to worry, everyone. There's a boggart in there. Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces. Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks - I've even met one that lodged itself in a grandfather clock."

Sirius closed his eyes, remembering that, indeed, Remus had met a boggart in a grandfather clock. It had been in their first flat; the clock had been left by its previous owner, and the Muggle movers Remus had hired refused to touch the thing, thinking it was haunted. It had taken a good three-quarters of an hour for Sirius to even pry the damned thing open, and it had taken Remus about half a second to dispatch the boggart. Sirius had long joked that Remus had gotten the far better end of that deal.

"This one moved in yesterday afternoon," Remus was saying. "I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice. So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a boggart?"

Hermione's hand shot up in the air, and several of her classmates groaned softly. "It's a shape-shifter," she said. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us the most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," Remus said, and Hermione glowed. "So the boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears."

Remus looked at Neville, who had made a small sputtering sound. "This means that we have a huge advantage over the boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?"

Sirius watched as Harry's eyebrows knit together in thought, and then saw him smile, all the while expertly ignoring the bobbing Hermione next to him. "Er - because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?"

Sirius grinned at this assessment, doing his best to hide it behind his paper.

"Precisely," said Remus. "It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a boggart make that very mistake -- tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening."

That experience, Sirius knew nothing about.

"The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires a force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing. We will practice the charm without wands first. After me please . . . Riddikiulus!"

"Riddikiulus," the class said together.

"Good," said Remus. "Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville."

Sirius watched Neville's face drain of all color as the wardrobe shook again. Remus gestured with his hand, and Neville came forward, though he looked like a man sentenced to the gallows.

"Right, Neville. First things first: What is the thing that frightens you most in the world?"

Neville's lips moved, but no noise came out.

"Didn't catch that Neville, I'm sorry," Remus said. Even his smile looked kind.

Neville bowed his head a bit, then said, in barely more than a whisper, "Professor Snape."

Much of the class laughed, though Sirius noted with pride that Harry did not. In fact, Harry's hand formed into a fist for just a moment, before relaxing again. Neville smiled in apology, but Remus looked thoughtful.

"Professor Snape. Hmmmm . . . Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?"

And a bloody old hag she is, Sirius thought, having heard the stories of how the boy was treated, as if he was never good enough, certainly not as good as Frank had been.

"Er - yes. But I don't want the boggart to turn into her, either."

"No, no, you misunderstand me." Remus smiled again. "I wonder, could you tell us what kind of clothes your grandmother usually wears?"

"Well . . . always the same hat. A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress . . . green, normally . . . and sometimes a fox-fur scarf."

"And a handbag?" Remus prompted.

Neville nodded. "A big red one," he said.

"Right, then. Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?"

"Yes," Neville said uncertainly.

"Good. Now, then, I'd like you all to form a line, Neville first. Everyone will take a turn facing the boggart; I want you to think of what you are most afraid of, and then think of a way to make it comical. Think hard, and be creative. When it is your turn, you will face the boggart, and it will shift into your worst fear. Raise your wand, say the charm and concentrate very hard. With good luck, we shall be able to defeat the boggart inside the wardrobe. Everyone ready?"

There was a murmur of enthusiastic affirmations as the students formed a rather neat and orderly line. When that had been completed, Remus leaned forward and whispered into Neville's ear, giving him instructions. The students seemed puzzled by this, but Sirius, who could very much guess what was coming, had to hide another large grin behind his paper.

"Neville, we're going to back away," Remus said aloud. "Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward. Back up, everyone, give Neville a clear shot."

"On the count of three, Neville," Remus said, pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. "One, two, three - NOW!"

A jet of sparks shot from the end of Remus' wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. Hook-nosed and menacing, Professor Snape stepped out, his eyes flashing at Neville.

Neville backed away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly. Snape was bearing down upon him, reaching inside his robes.

"R - r - riddikulus!" squeaked Neville.

There was a noise like a whip crack. Snape stumbled; he was wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, and he was swinging a huge crimson handbag.

There was a roar of laughter from the students, and Neville was wearing a stunned and pleased look on his face. Sirius' grin grew even wider.

Remus called the next student forward, and the next, going on down the line. Sirius was aware of the atmosphere in the room; it was comfortable, easy, but electric -- the students were clearly enjoying themselves, and Remus was, too, and Sirius could not help but wonder how in the world this was so easy for Remus.

Suddenly, it was Harry's turn, and Sirius grew apprehensive, a cold knot settling in his belly. Sirius saw Remus step forward, almost ready to spring, as Harry raised his wand. Harry, though, looked fiercely determined, his eyes flashing behind his glasses.

The boggart, having turned into a huge spider for Ron, gathered itself up and started to shift. Time seemed to move slowly for Sirius, and he saw the boggart change, turn into a limp arm, a broken leg, a flash of red hair and the scattered pieces of crushed glasses so like Harry's.

Before the scene had even really formed, Sirius heard Remus shout, "Here!" and hurry forward. Suddenly, a silvery-white orb was hanging in the air in front of Remus -- the moon, Sirius knew -- and Remus said, "Riddikulus!" causing the moon to burst into a thousand pieces before the class, tiny wisps of smoke, before it disappeared entirely.

The class burst into applause, and even Sirius felt a "That was brilliant, Moony!" well up before he clamped it tightly down. Harry, however, was looking stunned and disappointed, and Sirius knew his pride had been hurt that Remus had not let him use the charm on the boggart. Sirius also knew from the look on Harry's face that he must not have seen what the boggart had turned into for him, or had not seen enough of it to comprehend it and frankly, Sirius was glad for Remus' intervention.

Sirius had been afraid that Voldemort would materialize as Harry's boggart, but the truth was that much more horrible. There was no reason for Harry to know that his worst fear was the death of his parents. Sirius felt a shiver go down his spine as he heard Remus, somewhat distantly now, award various points, mostly to Gryffindor, and assign homework.

The class left the staff room talking excitedly, Remus following. Before Remus left, Sirius managed to inadvertently catch Remus' eyes, and he was taken aback by the sadness he saw there.

Remus nodded at Sirius once, and exited the room, leaving Sirius with much more to mull over than his errant and overenthusiastic students.

***

It was the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year, and Sirius was feeling slightly guilty as he pushed his way into the Hog's Head. Harry had been denied permission to come to Hogsmeade, on the grounds that it was too dangerous for him to leave the castle, even under the eye of Sirius and some of the rest of the staff. James, Lily and Dumbledore had all presented a united front on the matter, and though Sirius agreed with them, he also understood Harry's disappointment.

So Sirius had made a trip down to Hogsmeade himself, making stops at Zonkos and Honeydukes for Harry, not that he needed to have bothered, he had thought upon watching Ron and Hermione carefully budgeting their collective money and making purchases for Harry along with treats for themselves. Sirius had sidled past them in Honeydukes, making sure to drop a few extra Galleons in Ron's pocket; if the boy was going to share what little he had with Harry, Sirius couldn't help but make sure there was more than enough to go around.

Sirius quickly found Peter, who was waving from a seat at the bar. Sirius had also made plans to have a pint with his friend, whom he saw less and less often now that he was at Hogwarts, and he was actually happy to be in the stuffy, humid air of the bar, in the company of an adult he had know for over twenty years.

"Merlin on toast, man, what have those children been doing to you?" Peter asked with a smile as Sirius chucked his coat and ordered a beer.

Sirius smiled. "It's not the children, it's the marking," he said. "I'm telling you, Pete, it never ends." He paused. "I don't look that bad, do I?"

Peter laughed as the bartender produced Sirius' pint. "Always the vain one. Some things never change."

Sirius smiled good naturedly. "How are you, Wormtail?"

Peter shrugged. "Can't complain. Job at the Ministry is good; quiet work, pay is decent. Same old, same old, really."

"C'mon, you make it sound like living death. Seeing anyone?"

"Aside from James and Lily who have me round for dinner twice a week now that both Harry and you are gone?" Peter laughed. "No, not really."

"What about . . . what's-her-name . . . Shelly, from accounting?"

Peter pulled a face. "Didn't really go anywhere. A little clingy if you ask me. Not my sort."

There was silence for a few moments as each man drank his beer. "How is Hogwarts, anyway?" Peter asked.

Sirius thought. "It's . . . good. Drafty castle, grumpy professors, Dumbledore. The same old Hogwarts. The students were a bit rough at first, but things have settled down."

"What did you do to them, Sirius? Cast sticking charms on their seats?"

"Actually . . . let's just say I placed a few dungbombs in strategic places. Once they realized exactly who they were dealing with, they also realized they couldn't out-mischief the master." Sirius grinned while Peter laughed.

"How's Harry?"

"He's excellent. Disappointed he couldn't come to Hogsmeade today, but otherwise fine. I have my suspicions that he skips Divination more than he should, but so did I, so I feel hypocritical talking to him about it."

"Everyone skips Divination more than they should," Peter replied. "It's a time-honored Hogwarts tradition. And with that woman Trelawney there . . ."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Mate, you don't know half the horror of accidentally having to sit next to her at a meal, or getting cornered in the staff room."

Peter laughed and shook his head. "I can't believe you're a professor there. You, teaching."

"Well, I don't think it's my life occupation, exactly, but it's not a bad way to spend a few months," Sirius smiled.

"I still won't believe it until I see it," Peter said. "And how is . . ." Peter trailed off.

He didn't have to finish the sentence, Sirius knew exactly who Peter meant. He considered how to answer the question. He doesn't look like he eats enough. He's a bloody brilliant teacher, and he doesn't even know it. I don't think he owns piece of clothing that isn't less than ten years old. I miss him every single day, and I see him all the time. Sirius settled for, "He's . . . Remus. A little more gray hair, looks a little older, but he's still . . . him."

Sirius felt Peter looking at his profile. "Does he worry you?" Peter asked.

Sirius barked a bitter laugh. "Remus has always worried me."

"You know what I mean."

"I know what you mean. He . . . seems fine. Okay, not doing anything devious that I know of. I don't talk to him much, but . . . he gets along with most of the rest of the staff; he seems to work hard. The students love him. Harry treats me to hours and hours of lecturing on how brilliant Professor Lupin is."

"Harry likes him?"

"Harry seems to be his biggest fan."

Peter shook his head. "I don't know Sirius . . . doesn't that worry you?"

Sirius finally turned to look at Peter directly. "What do you mean?"

"I mean . . ." Peter paused. "I mean, what if he's using Harry somehow? Getting close to him . . . he could make the boy susceptible, tell him all sorts of things. You know how trusting Harry is."

"I. Yes. Harry's usually a pretty good judge of character, though," Sirius said.

"I know he is. But we all thought we were, too, remember?"

Sirius didn't reply.

"I'm just saying . . . I'd be careful about how much time Harry spends with Remus, how attached he gets. I'd hate to see Remus using Harry for his own ends," Peter finished.

Sirius nodded. "So would I, Peter. So would I."

***

With Peter's words ringing in his ears, Sirius set off to find Harry as soon as he got back to the school, and ended up discovering him in the last place Sirius wanted to find him.

Sirius heard Harry's voice drifting out of Remus' office. "Why --" Harry began, and Sirius felt his heart stop before he told himself that Remus' door was wide open, and that he certainly wouldn't be attacking the child when anyone could wander by and see.

"I've been feeling a bit off-color." Sirius recognized Remus' voice. "This potion is the only thing that helps. I am very lucky to be working alongside Professor Snape; there aren't many wizards who are up to making it."

Sirius frowned before he remembered: Wolfsbane. There was a new potion to tame a werewolf, that allowed a person with lycanthropy to keep their human mind during the time of the transformation. It was common knowledge amongst the staff that one of the conditions of Remus being on the faculty was that he take the potion; Snape must be the one brewing it for him. Not that Sirius had privately thought Remus needed to be forced to take the potion. In fact, Sirius was quite sure Remus was grateful for it.

"Professor Snape's very interested in the Dark Arts," Harry said.

"Really?" Sirius heard the slight amusement in Remus' voice, but he doubt Harry did.

"Some people reckon . . ." here Sirius heard Harry pause. "Some people reckon he'd do anything to get the Defence Against the Dark Arts job."

Sirius heard Remus swallow audibly, then say, with feeling, "Disgusting. Well, Harry, I'd better get back to work. I'll see you at the feast later."

"Right," Harry said, and Sirius could hear Harry's chair scrape against the floor. Sirius decided it was time to collect the boy himself, so he turned the corner and appeared in the doorway.

Remus was seated behind his desk, and Harry was, as Sirius predicted, standing to leave. Harry looked surprised to see Sirius, but Remus didn't. He merely looked up at Sirius and said quite easily, "I was just showing Harry here my new grindylow. He'll be studying it this week in my class."

"That's fine, Lupin. Harry, I think we should go now," Sirius said. Sirius saw something flicker briefly in Remus' eyes, and Harry looked ready to argue, his face clouding at being ordered to leave.

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Remus said gently, "Go on now, Harry. I'm sure you'd rather spend your free day with your godfather than with me."

Remus' tone, and the way the Harry's anger drained away at it, made Sirius grind his teeth. Still, he managed a decent tone of his own to say, "I'd certainly hope so. Come on, Harry. I brought you some things from Hogsmeade, and I'm sure Ron and Hermione will want to see you when they get back."

Harry walked toward the door, but turned around before he left to say, "Thank you for the tea, Professor Lupin." Remus nodded, and then Sirius was practically whisking Harry back down the hall toward Gryffindor Tower.

They were barely out of earshot of Remus' office before Harry started in. "What was that for? Professor Lupin was only being kind to me when he heard I couldn't go to Hogsmeade."

Sirius sighed. "Harry . . . it's complicated. I just don't want you spending more time with Professor Lupin than you have to in class."

As Sirius predicted, Harry bristled at this. "Why not? He's brilliant and the best DADA teacher we've ever had, loads better than anyone else!"

"I don't trust him, Harry. Please try to understand."

"But you trust Snape?" Harry practically spat the name, and Sirius became a bit alarmed at his tone. "You and he and my dad hated each other when you were at school!"

Sirius stopped walking so that Harry would have to as well, then gently took the boy's shoulders and turned Harry to face him. "I don't like Snape, that's true, Harry, but I trust him with your safety."

"And you don't trust Professor Lupin? Why not?"

"Harry . . . there are some things you don't know about Professor Lupin. I'm not saying he's a bad person, but." Sirius sighed. "I only want you to be safe. Please trust me, Harry."

Harry still looked doubtful, but he nodded slowly. "I just. What if Professor Snape is trying to poison Professor Lupin with that potion?" he blurted.

Sirius shook his head. "That's not what's happening, Harry. Professor Lupin . . . he was right. That potion is medicinal; it helps him not to be sick. Do you understand that?"

Again, Harry nodded reluctantly. Sirius blew out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Good. Let's go find Ron and Hermione, see what they brought you back from Hogsmeade."

***

By the time the next Quidditch game rolled around, Harry still hadn't quite forgiven Sirius for asking him not to spend time with Professor Lupin, but their relationship was at least approaching normal status.

Sirius grinned, thrilled to be seeing Harry playing Quidditch, even if it was in the pouring rain. James and Lily had come out to see the match; they usually used slight glamours to appear as incognito as possible, but there was never any holding James back from seeing his son play on the Gryffindor team, especially when said son was the youngest House seeker in a century.

They watched the game enthusiastically, cheering madly with Ron, Hermione, and the rest of Gryffindor. Lily suddenly pointed, and Sirius knew she had seen that Harry had spotted the snitch even before the announcers. Sure enough, Harry was climbing higher and higher into a windy and storm-swept sky, and Sirius couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear that the weather really was too dangerous in which to be playing Quidditch.

That fear seemed all too founded when, suddenly, they saw Harry start to plummet from the sky, going far too fast to possibly be in control of his broom. Sirius felt rather than saw Lily rush past him, pushing her way through the crowd to the field, James following closely. He saw Dumbledore raise his hand, guiding a clearly unconscious Harry and his broom to the ground as the crowd gave up an enormous, collective gasp. Then Sirius was pushing his way through the crowd, too, simultaneously trying to keep an eye on what was happening with Harry and look for James and Lily.

Sirius was at a dead run on the pitch when he saw the small knot of adults that meant Harry must be at the center. Sirius pushed his way into the knot, finding James and Lily, and coming to a halt next to them, in time to see Harry beginning to sit up rather groggily, and a familiar voice saying, "Here, Harry. Eat this, it will help. Really." Sirius watched Remus pull a bar of Honeyduke's Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa out of the pocket of his cloak, break off a piece, and offer it to Harry.

Lily, who had dropped to her knees beside her son, looked up at Remus briefly, then nodded. "It's okay, Harry. It will help."

Harry took the chocolate from Remus' fingers, his hand shaking as he broke off an even smaller piece of the chocolate and popped it into his mouth.

Finally Sirius blurted, "Why are you letting Remus give him chocolate? And why are you giving him chocolate in the bloody first place?" Sirius saw Harry's eyes widen, but he didn't care.

Remus looked up at Sirius gravely. "Don't you feel that?" he asked.

Sirius was about to ask what, exactly, he should be feeling, when he noticed that the air, which had already been chilly, suddenly felt cold, the kind of cold that was sharp and biting, the kind you felt in your bones. Sirius shivered, and opened his mouth to ask, again, what was happening, when he suddenly heard an echo of Remus' voice, though this time, it wasn't coming from in front of him.

Don't you know that I can't be with someone who doesn't trust me?

Sirius, abruptly lost in the sorrow in Remus' voice and a well-worn image of Remus holding a suitcase in front of the door of their flat, felt a warm hand clasp him on the shoulder -- James' -- and bring him back to the Quidditch pitch.

Sirius closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "But why . . . why would Dementors be here?" he asked.

"Because Bellatrix LeStrange has escaped from Azkaban." Dumbledore's voice was grave, his face serious, as he came to the front of the small group.

Distantly, Sirius heard Lily gasp.

"They think she's going to come . . . " James cut himself off, glancing down at his son, who was chewing on chocolate and taking in every word being said.

"Indeed," Dumbledore confirmed. "Though they should not be this far onto the grounds, and the Ministry will not be happy to hear my thoughts on the subject. Professor Lupin, I'd like to thank you for your quick and clear thinking on the matter; I'm sure it was beneficial for Harry." He looked down at Harry. "Now, Mr. Potter, if you are feeling up to walking, I rather think a trip to the infirmary is in order."

Harry nodded, and James helped his son up, wrapping an arm around Harry and letting the boy lean on him.

Sirius watched as the small family walked toward the castle, Lily and James on either side of Harry. He would let them have their time together, and visit later.

When he turned around, it was to see Remus watching him. Sirius remained silent, and passed Remus without speaking on his way back toward the stands to help the other faculty quiet the restless and concerned students.

***

Remus was quietly marking sixth year papers on counter-hexes by the soft glow of candlelight when there was a small rap at the door of his office. He looked up, ready to politely invite the visitor in, and saw Lily Potter.

Lily smiled slightly and asked, "May I come in?"

Remus put down his quill and nodded. "Of course; please have a seat." He gestured to the battered chair across from his desk.

Lily sat but didn't speak, so Remus asked, "Would you like some tea?"

"I'd adore some, thank you, Remus," she said, so Remus fussed about for a few minutes, heating the kettle and pouring hot water through a strainer of tea leaves before handing Lily a cup.

"Thank you," Lily said again. "James and Sirius are having a bit of a boys' night upstairs, so I thought I might come and visit with you for a while. There's only so much fighting over chess a girl can take." She smiled.

To his surprise, Remus smiled, too. "Is there anything I can do for you in particular, Lily? Or would you prefer I call you Mrs. Potter? I don't want to be forward."

Lily raised an eyebrow at that. "Don't want to be forward? Remus, we've known each other since we were first years; I think calling me by my first name is not an issue of etiquette."

Remus smiled. "I don't want to assume anything."

Lily sighed and put her tea down on the edge of Remus' desk. "Remus, we were friends long before I could even stand the sight of James Potter and Sirius Black. Please don't think I've forgotten that."

Remus nodded, but didn't say anything for a moment. "If you want to ask about Harry, Lily, you can. He's quite the bright student, especially in my subject; top of his class, he is -- is probably the top of the entire school, come to it, though his handwriting could use some improvement." Remus smiled.

"I didn't come here to ask after Harry, Remus, though I'm happy to hear all of that. He adores you, you know; every other word out of his mouth or in his letters is about how brilliant you are and how amazing DADA is this year."

Remus smiled proudly. "Well, I'm glad about Harry, but I can't imagine there are other members of your family who are pleased to hear my name invoked quiet so often."

Lily shook her head. "You're just as bad as he is, you know that?"

Remus didn't ask; he knew who he was.

"Stubborn lot, the both of you." Lily sighed. "I hear Harry asked you to tutor him privately, help him fend off the Dementors that are encroaching on the school grounds."

Remus nodded. "I'm not surprised Harry is particularly affected by them; we all are, in our own ways, but Harry has true horrors in his past his classmates can scarcely imagine." Remus stopped. "I'd be happy to teach Harry the charm, of course, but I hear the idea has already been sacked by other parties."

"Not by all relevant parties, though." Lily picked up her tea again. "I think it's a fine idea, and James does not object; it's Sirius, of course, who takes issue, but he's not Harry's parent, and he's been outvoted many, many times when it comes to Harry's upbringing."

But Remus shook his head. "I don't want to come between any of you, and certainly not between you all and Harry." He paused. "I appreciate the support, Lily, I really do, more than you can know, but . . . well, I'm just not up to the pitched battle it will be with Sirius. Our relationship is tense enough as it is without throwing that into the mix. Besides, if Harry is really serious about learning the Patronus Charm, you or James or Sirius know more than enough to teach it to him."

"Knowing it is one thing, imparting it is quite another, Remus, and you know it. None of us are natural teachers, not like you."

"And yet, Sirius is here doing quite a decent job with Astronomy, if rumor has it correctly." Remus' eyes danced a bit in the light.

Lily herself almost laughed. "Sirius Black, a professor."

"Indeed. A calling to teach might not be what brought him here, but he's making it through rather admirably."

"Remus . . ."

"I know he's here because of me, Lily. Please don't say otherwise. I've known from the moment I heard he was on the staff." When Lily started to speak, Remus raised his hand. "Really. It's all right. I know how he feels about Harry, and I know how he feels about me."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Do you now?"

Remus looked confused.

"I don't know if anyone, Sirius Black included, knows how he feels about you," Lily elaborated.

Remus blushed and his jaw set at the same time. He remained silent for a moment. "He and James and Peter were my friends; they accepted me; they didn't . . . treat me like a dark creature. I haven't forgotten that."

"But they did, the moment things got tough," Lily said, but Remus shook his head.

"It's complicated," he said.

Lily sighed. "I'm not going to get anywhere with you, am I?"

Remus smiled a little at that. "No, can't say that you are. It's been a long time . . . and maybe I'm too set in my ways now."

"Too set in your ways to come visit us at Christmas?"

"Lily . . ."

"You can stay over for the hols, for part of them, or just for the day. Whatever you're comfortable with, Remus. But I'd love to have you visit, and Harry would be delighted."

Remus shook his head. "I can't, Lily."

"Can't, or won't?"

"A little of both." Remus sighed. "But, even if I wanted to . . ."

"Which you don't . . ."

"Lily. Even if I wanted to, the night of the full moon is Christmas Eve."

Lily took a deep breath, but Remus put up a hand to stop her. "Even with the Wolfsbane, it's not pleasant. There's no way I'd be recovered enough for a visit."

"Your pack would be there."

Remus shook his head, and smiled a bit sadly. "My pack disbanded years ago, Lily." He took a deep breath, and forced the sadness out of his smile. "But I do appreciate the offer. I'll be fine here at Hogwarts, but I do wish you and your family a very Happy Christmas."

Lily knew a dismissal when she heard one, even a polite one, so she put her mug down and stood up. "Thank you for the talk Remus. It was lovely to see you; thank you for the tea."

"You're quite welcome, Lily," Remus said.

Lily turned in the doorway on her way out and said, "Don't be a stranger, Remus."

***

James let out a monumental groan. "I thought the days of staying up all night Christmas Eve and putting together toys was over," he said.

Lily smiled. "That's what you said after the bicycle, and the first racing broom, and the Hogwarts Express train set . . ."

"And the easel and the oil paints and the magic palette," Peter continued.

"Don't forget the enchanted sketch pad, the never-wears-down pencils, and the puzzle with the flying pieces," Sirius finished.

"Hey, that sketch pad was a tricky piece of magic," James said. "And I don't remember any of you lot helping."

Lily laughed and rolled her eyes. "As I recall, dear, darling, love of my life, I was the one who finally reasoned out the correct charm for that pad," she said.

Sirius and Peter laughed when James looked up. "This from the woman who wanted to give the boy books this year," he said.

"There's a perfectly wonderful new set on Defence that I think Harry would like," Lily protested.

The men all groaned.

"Oh, sod off, the lot of you," Lily grumbled good naturedly. "I don't see what's so special about charming some balls to fly through the air."

James stopped consulting his notes and looked at her with the same horrified expression also on Sirius and Peter's faces.

"Oi, Evans!" Sirius exclaimed. "This is a complete Quidditch set charmed to play an entire match, 2,748 different matches, to be exact, and only one player needs to play! It's like playing an entire match by yourself. You can play your position, and the rest takes care of itself. It's, it's . . ."

"It's a thing of beauty," James supplied.

Sirius sighed reverentially.

Lily looked around at all three of them, rolled her eyes, and sighed. "Don't even think about asking me to do the charm on the snitch."

James and Peter exchanged guilty glances. "It is the most complicated charm," James said.

"Just look at the directions for it," Peter added.

Lily raised her eyebrows. "You all are grown men, Hogwarts-educated, with twenty N.E.W.T.s between you. Figure. It. Out."

"You're no fun at all," Sirius said.

Lily rolled her eyes, and collected mugs. "I'm going to go make some hot chocolate. Anyone care for some?"

Various permutations of "me" and "I do" filled the room.

"Good, because there's plenty. I had bought extra since I thought . . ." she trailed off, and glanced at Sirius. "Anyway, I thought we'd have more company, but you lot are it. We'll be trying to finish the stock until next Christmas." Lily smiled a bit, stood up, and went into the kitchen.

There was silence among the men in the living room, only the crackling of the fire audible over the slight thrumming of the bludgers James had already charmed.

Predictably, it was Sirius who spoke first. "What was that about?" He looked at Peter, but Peter shrugged.

James sighed. "Lily invited Remus to visit for Christmas. Don't wake Harry up, Sirius!" he added when he saw Sirius' face grow dark and his mouth open.

Sirius closed his mouth, and it was Peter who spoke. "Is she mad?"

James sighed again. "No, I don't think so. Not really. She . . . well, she's always felt rather badly about the way things turned out, and now that Remus is at Hogwarts . . ." James shrugged. "I think she wants to mend old wounds."

"Some wounds can't be mended," Sirius said, before he could stop himself.

Peter and James just looked at him. James glanced away first, when he saw Sirius begin to flush.

"Doesn't matter anyway. Remus wouldn't come even if he could, and he couldn't; full moon is tonight," James said.

There was silence again, as Peter fidgeted with a bludger, and James with the goal posts. Sirius looked into the fire, lost in his own thoughts. He thought briefly of being Padfoot, of running in the small patch of wood behind the Potters' house with Moony, of being breathless and of snuffling Moony's thick fur, of stopping to drink in the creek, and of Moony's big brown eyes.

Sirius was pulled out of his contemplation by Peter's voice. "I don't think it's such a good idea for any one of us to . . . get close with Remus again." Peter blushed when Sirius' gaze turned on him, but he continued. "Don't you think . . . there were all the times he was away, and he disappeared for good right before . . . and he never came back, never showed up again until this job at Hogwarts. Don't you think . . . don't you think that's strange?"

Even Sirius, who knew more of the reasons why Remus had left than anyone, nodded slowly. Dumbledore's orders. I can't tell you Sirius; it's too dangerous. Of course I trust you, can't you trust me? It won't be like this forever, just until we defeat him. I can't be with someone who doesn't trust me. Don't you understand that?

"A real friend wouldn't have left. Only someone . . . ." Peter didn't have to finish.

The three friends looked at each other grimly until Lily came back with the hot chocolate and James cajoled her into charming the snitch for Harry.

***

The first Hogsmeade weekend of the new year was set for the first Saturday upon the students' return from Christmas hols, and though Harry could not leave the castle (the restrictions becoming more and more necessary with Bellatrix on the loose and Dementors guarding the grounds), he and Sirius still managed to spend a lovely Saturday afternoon playing exploding snap and doodling on various pieces of paper in Sirius' rooms.

But upon their way to return Harry to Gryffindor Tower, they met a horrible sight.

Several students were crowded around the portrait hole, making it difficult to see, but even above the din of the crowd, the crying and shouting of the various surrounding portraits could be heard. As Sirius pushed his way to the front of the crowd, keeping Harry firmly behind him, he saw that the Fat Lady was missing -- and that her own portrait was torn to shreds.

"She's hiding . . . she's hiding. Oh, oh, it was awful!" wailed one of the women in a nearby portrait.

"What happened here?" Sirius demanded.

"Bellatrix LeStrange, that's what happened here!" shouted a knight from a portrait below. The crowd gasped, including Harry.

"She was in the castle?" Sirius asked, alarmed.

"Not only was she in the castle, she was trying to get into Gryffindor Tower!" the same knight confirmed. "When the Lady wouldn't let her in, she used her bare hands, her own nails, to start scratching the canvas! As if that would get her entrance!"

Sirius' face went white, and he reached to grip Harry's arm tightly. Before he could gather his wits to ask another question, a hand was placed on his shoulder, and Sirius whirled around into the face of Albus Dumbledore.

"I have found the Fat Lady, and she confirms the good knight's story." Dumbledore turned to face the slope of the stairs, so he could see the assembled students and even the faculty that had come, such as McGonagall and Snape. "I think that Gryffindor Tower should be evacuated; Gryffindor students can spend the night in the Great Hall while the faculty searches the school grounds. I do not believe that Mrs. LeStrange is still in the castle, but we must be cautious."

He nodded to McGonagall. "As head of House, Professor McGonagall will handle the evacuation and the set up of the Great Hall." McGonagall nodded back.

"The rest of the faculty and staff, with the exception of Hagrid, who will assist the Professor, are to meet in the staff room so we can assemble a proper search party."

Sirius immediately opened his mouth to protest, that he needed to be there to watch over Harry, when Dumbledore's hand on his arm stopped him. "I'm sure Professor McGonagall can see to the care and safety of all the students, Professor Black. I have every confidence in her."

Sirius bristled, but remained silent. Finally, he gave Dumbledore a curt nod.

"Come, students, professors. There is much to be done," Dumbledore said, and the faculty started to head down the stairs with him, the children to gather around McGonagall to receive instructions.

Sirius turned to Harry and saw huge green eyes set in a grim, white face. "Harry, you're to do as Professor McGonagall says, straight away and with no questions asked. Is that understood?"

Harry nodded.

"Good. I'll be along as soon as I can to look in on you, but for now, your Head of House is waiting." Sirius gave Harry a small, comforting push toward McGonagall, who caught his eye and nodded once.

Sirius watched until Harry was within an arms reach of McGonagall, then started down the stairs to meet with the other faculty.

***

It was nearly midnight before the entire grounds had been searched visually, with spells, and with word from the forest creatures. Sirius was the last of the search party to come back to the castle, determined to find Bellatrix if she was to be found. He had even turned into Padfoot, hoping to pick up her scent, but to no avail.

It was with a weary step and a grim face that Sirius came into the Great Hall, eyes flashing up to see the enchanted ceiling displaying a dark night, clouds swirling around in thick wisps around the stars.

Sirius checked on Harry first, who seemed to be sleeping soundly, sleeping bag pulled up to his chin, glasses still on his face. Sirius leaned down and gently removed Harry's glasses from the boy's nose, carefully folding them within easy reach next to Harry's bag. When he was convinced that the boy was safe and sleeping, Sirius stood up from his crouch, scanning the room for Dumbledore.

Dumbledore was on the far side of the hall, conversing softly with McGonagall. Snape, Remus and Flitwick were off to another corner, the closer corner, whispering.

Abruptly, Sirius decided Dumbledore could wait, and stalked over to where Remus was standing. When he got close enough, the conversation among the three men ceased, all of them turning to look at the newcomer.

Sirius didn't even spare a glance for Snape or Flitwick. Instead, he stepped close enough to Remus to see the green flecks in the man's eyes, the slight scar on his chin from when he had taken a tumble down the castle steps fifth year, the way the silver in his hair was creeping into his fringe.

"If I find out that you let that madwoman in the castle or if I even have good reason to suspect it, or if I even get a hint of a rumor of a dream where you and she are conspiring to put the students of the school in general, and Harry Potter in particular, in mortal danger, I will kill you dead before you even have time to think about going for your wand, and I will hang your body from the Whomping Willow so that the entire wizarding world knows exactly what I do to traitors."

And with that, Sirius turned on his heel and marched out of the Great Hall, not even willing to give a report to Dumbledore, whose eyes followed him out of the room.

***

It had been a few weeks since Bellatrix had gained entrance to the castle, and though things had been quiet, the staff doubled their patrols of the castle, especially after dark. Sirius was on his assigned patrol near the library one night when he abruptly, and surprisingly, ran into Harry Potter.

Harry, having been caught out after hours red-handed, quickly stuffed something into his pocket, and at least had the good grace to look a bit ashamed of himself.

"Harry, it's after curfew," Sirius started.

"I know," Harry said.

Sirius sighed. "It's too dangerous for you to be wandering the castle alone, no matter where you were going, especially with Bellatrix LeStrange on the loose."

Harry nodded. He had a large streak for mischief, that was sure, but he was also almost always sincerely contrite when (and if) he was caught. The blend of James and Lily, Sirius supposed.

"Harry, I'm going to take ten points from Gryffindor, and you are to serve two detentions for me next week; I have some equipment to sort through that needs to be cleaned by hand."

Harry groaned a bit, but otherwise remained silent.

"I'm also going to have to ask you to turn out your pockets."

"But Sirius . . . Professor Black . . ." Harry started to protest.

"Turn them out, Mr. Potter, and give me what is inside of them. Please don't argue."

Harry reluctantly reached into the pocket of his sweatshirt, and pulled out the contents.

Sirius was in no way prepared for what Harry handed to him.

"What is this?" Sirius asked, though he knew perfectly well what it was -- he himself had been one of the people who made it.

"Just a bad bit of parchment," Harry said, resolutely.

Sirius sighed. As he did so, red ink started to bloom on the paper. Mr. Prongs would like to remind Mr. Padfoot that he is not a prefect, and that he should keep his nose out of other people's mischief-making. Sirius sighed again, but wryly wondered what Mr. Prongs would say in his current incarnation about his son being out after hours with the Marauder's Map.

"Harry, you have to know that I know what this is," Sirius said, and tapped the Map with his wand, muttering, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Harry watched with a bit of awe as the Map bloomed open under Sirius' command. When Sirius caught his gaze, he nodded. "I did think maybe it was you and dad and Peter who made it."

"So why didn't you come to me with it?"

Harry shrugged. "Would you have gone to your dad with it? Or my dad's dad?"

Sirius bit his tongue. "That's no excuse, Harry. What if this fell into the wrong hands? Did you even think that in Bellatrix's hands this is a map straight to you?"

Harry visibly deflated. "No, Sirius."

"I didn't think so." Sirius paused. "Where did you get this, anyway? Last I knew, Filch had confiscated it from us."

Harry smiled a bit. "Fred and George. They found it once while doing a detention for Filch in his office. They gave it to me, said I might have some use for it."

Sirius contemplated the Map in the hands of the Weasley twins and couldn't decide if he was amused or horrified.

"Well, I'll be keeping it for now." At Harry's expression, Sirius added, "You do understand why, don't you Harry?"

"I . . . yes. It's just that . . ."

"It's just what, Harry?"

"It's just that . . . the reason I was out in the first place . . . I saw Peter on the Map."

Sirius' brow furrowed. "Peter Pettigrew?"

Harry nodded. "I thought maybe he was here visiting you, but I didn't see him in your rooms or in your office. He was coming this way, so I thought I would meet him. But . . ."

"But what?"

"Well . . . the Map said he was coming down this hallway straight at me; we should have bumped into each other, but . . . I didn't see him. The map said he just went by, on down the hall. That's when you came."

"What do you mean you didn't see him?"

"I mean, the Map said he was there, but he wasn't. The hall was empty, except for me, until you turned round the corner."

"That's . . . impossible," Sirius said.

Harry shrugged. "Maybe the Map was lying."

"The Map never lies," Sirius replied automatically, then stopped. Peter had not been up to visit him; indeed, Sirius hadn't known Peter was in the castle at all. Would he have been visiting Remus, of all people? Or someone else? And why wouldn't Harry see him in the hall? Unless . . . and as soon as the thought occurred to him, Sirius felt as if his whole body had been dunked into a frozen river, and his breath caught in his throat.

It must have shown on his face, because Harry suddenly said, his voice full of worry, "Sirius?"

Sirius' eyes found their focus again, and fixed on Harry's face. "It's fine, Harry. Go on back to your room. We'll set up your detentions tomorrow."

Harry looked dubious, but nodded anyway. "All right, Sirius. Good night."

"Good night, Harry," Sirius said, and watched until Harry disappeared down the darkness of the hall.

He looked down to see that the Map was still open; he looked closer, and saw that Remus Lupin was still in his office.

Sirius turned around, and found the stairs.