Fate

Chapter 2 - It Happens For a Reason

It wasn't everyday that Remus caught Sirius in the library, much less actually reading a book while he was in there.

It was still a rather dumpy room, full of cobwebs and dust. Most of the larger creatures had been removed, but Remus still didn't dare to go into the farthest right corner. Who knew what was hidden underneath those stacks of Dark Magic books. Grimmauld Place had been a nesting ground for all kinds of terrible and sometimes just annoying creatures, so Remus had learned to spot things to stay clear of.

Sirius seemed very concentrated on something as he flipped through book after book that he was piling on the table in front of him. His brow was furrowed and he skimmed through each page rapidly, as if looking for a specific word or phrase.

Remus was about to ask Sirius just what exactly he was doing, but stopped himself as he saw how concentrated his friend was. It had only been a few days since Sirius' miraculous return, but Remus was already noticing the slight change in him. Like the fact that he was jumpy all the time, or that he couldn't go 10 minutes without worrying about Harry (well, Remus thought, I guess he always did that), or the sudden quiet spells that would happen to him during the day when he would almost retreat into his own little world.

It worried Remus more than he would admit. Loosing James, loosing Peter (the rat!) and loosing Sirius now twice, he wondered if perhaps fate was playing a cruel trick on him and he wasn't really meant to have friends in this life.

Sirius started scribbling something down on a parchment near him and Remus squinted to try and see what it was without getting any further into the room, but was unable to make anything out.

"Sirius?" he finally said anxiously.

His best friend looked up quickly, startled, but relaxed when he saw who it was and forced a smile on his face.

"Yeah?"

Do I even need to ask? Remus thought as he walked closer to where Sirius was seated. "What are you doing?"

He saw Sirius' lip twitch a tiny bit and he took a deep breath and said quickly, "Have you ever heard of the Gitres?"

Remus frowned a bit, searching his memory. "No."

Sirius' face darkened even more and he looked rather put out.

"Why? What are they?" Remus asked, cautiously sitting across from his friend at the table.

Sirius held his head in his hands as he looked back down at the book open in front of him. "I'm not really sure...it's weird, though, I can't find a reference to them anywhere, in any of these books."

Remus was sure he looked completely confused. "Then where did you hear of them?"

There was silence for a moment before Remus heard him softly mutter, "Behind the veil."

It was certainly not the answer Remus had been expecting, and he knew he didn't hide the shock from his face. "They were behind the veil? You talked to them, got their names?"

Sirius leaned back and stretched, a calculating look on his face. "They said they were kind of like the 'Fates', you know those people in the old tales of gods and goddesses?"

Remus nodded, urging him to continue.

"I couldn't actually see them, I mean, I saw their eyes and I heard their voices and I spoke to them...but it was weird...they didn't have any bodies...nothing there, just darkness..."

Remus felt a chill go through his body and he wondered briefly if Sirius was telling the whole truth. They were both silent and Remus was content to stay so until Sirius told him more. He was almost at a loss for words about how to help his friend with this problem.

Finally, Sirius spoke so softly that Remus almost didn't hear.

"They saw Lily and James..."

He could have sworn his heart skipped a beat. "You saw-"

"No," Sirius cut him off. His voice choking up with emotion and Remus saw a few tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. "No...I could have though...they were going to let me but I..."

"You knew Harry needed you more," Remus finished for him, realizing the answer to a lot of questions he had.

Sirius blinked back the tears and once again started back into the books. Remus recognized this as Sirius' tactic to end a conversation he didn't want to continue. Respecting his wishes, and considering what Sirius had just told him, Remus quietly got up and left the room.

He paused just outside of the door and looked back at Sirius who was concentrating just as fiercely as he had been before, scanning and scribbling.

James...why did you have to leave?

----

"Potter! Weasley!"

Both Ron and Harry snapped to attention, halting their conversation about the Gryffindor Quidditch team as Professor McGonagall snapped at them, her eyes wide with exasperation. She gave them a very pointed glare but thankfully didn't take off any points and continue talking.

"Now, as I was saying, this week's Hogsmead outing will be slightly changed for the 6^th years."

Everyone stifled a groan and Harry and Ron both felt their face drop.

"Instead of having it on Saturday, Friday classes will be cancelled and the outing is changed to Friday."

A loud cheer sounded even before she finished the last word and Ron turned to Harry with excitement.

"Excellent! No NEWT's Potions class with that greasy git!"

Harry couldn't help but grin as everyone packed up their supplies and left the room, chatting as they decided what they were going to do with their extra day. Only Hermione didn't seem to share in the excitement.

"Bloody, Hermione, try not to act like your cat just died!" Ron said with exasperation, seeing her calculating and somewhat downcast expression.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Harry offered as they turned the corner on their way to the great hall for lunch.

Hermione gave Ron a glare before turning to Harry and answering his question.

"I was just thinking, why would they change it? I mean, nothing's happening on Saturday as far as I know..."

Harry frowned slightly as he understood what she was saying. It was rather odd. He had never known a Hogsmead day to change before, but perhaps the leniency came with being an upper classmen. He voiced his thoughts to her but she just shook her head.

"No, this is different...I mean, 7^th years can go to Hogsmead on whatever they want, so that's the upper classmen privilege. And on top of that, how can teachers afford to loose a whole class period? I mean, we're preparing for NEWT's and everything..."

They entered the great hall and Harry's eyes scanned the front table seeing only a few teachers sitting there. Among them sat Remus who seemed to be in deep conversation about something with Dumbledore. Harry, Ron and Hermione had seen a lot of Remus during the past few months of school as his current assignment for the Order was to regulate more types of protection for Hogwarts. He was currently staying at Grimmauld Place with Sirius. Warmth spread through Harry as he thought of his Godfather, who, not 3 weeks ago had amazingly returned from the dead. Harry had only seen Sirius a few times since then, but they wrote letters back and forth constantly. It seemed both of them were now terribly afraid of loosing each other since it had already happened once.

Remus and Dumbledore seemed to sense Harry's gaze and they both looked up, offering him small smiles before starting to whisper to each other again.

Harry turned back to Ron and Hermione's bickering while gathering some sandwiches on his plate and pouring himself some pumpkin juice.

"Just because you don't care about your grades, Ronald, doesn't mean that everyone here is as lazy as you!"

Harry rolled his eyes. He didn't see why they didn't just snog and get it over with. It was getting kind of old through all these years.

"Five galleons that they hook up before the end of the year," an amused voice said on his other side.

He turned, smiling as he saw Ginny Weasley sitting there, a wicked grin on her face as she observed her brother and Hermione bicker.

"I'm giving them a week before I shove them both in a broom closet and lock it," Harry added when her eyes moved over to him and they both chuckled at the thought.

"Oh the possibilities..." she said wistfully, sipping her juice. "Too bad Fred and George aren't here anymore. I'd LOVE to see what they'd do."

They both laughed loudly, different images springing into their minds as they thought of the now graduated Weasley Twins. Their laughter attracted Ron and Hermione's attention and they both looked over, slightly angry because of the argument they had been having.

"What?" Ron said, exasperated.

"Can't you two just snog and get it over with?" Ginny said bluntly, repeating Harry's earlier thoughts.

Ron and Hermione both blushed deeply and Ron glared at his sister while Hermione mumbled something about Ancient Runes and gathered up her bag, dashing for the door.

Harry started chuckling softly but was cut off by Ron whacking him on the back of the head.

----

"Your certain, Sirius?" Dumbledore's eyes were wide with disbelief as he faced the two younger men before him. Both Remus and Sirius looked rather nervous, but in Sirius' eyes there was something akin to hope.

He hadn't seen that in a while.

"It has to do with time, Albus," Sirius insisted again. "It was minutes that I spent in the veil, but months passed here. About a minute after I fell in, I could hear Harry screaming for me and Remus holding him back, trying to comfort him, but that was only a few seconds, if that, after I fell in." he locked eyes with the headmaster. "Time."

"Sirius, we're not even sure if you were supposed to be able to get out of that place. For all we know you could be in serious trouble," Remus warned him.

"I wasn't supposed to get out," Sirius countered, "but I did, and that's what's important. It means that can happen again."

"I'm still not quite sure I understand," Dumbledore interjected. "Sirius, you say that this room has something to do with time, but that is one of the most complex forms of magic ever created. How could you possibly hope to manipulate it?"

Sirius waved him off, "I haven't quite gotten that far yet, but it can be done, I know it. I mean, all it took was a little light to set off those...whatever they were, it should be easy enough to get back in there and figure out what we can do."

Dumbledore sat down in his chair, a full day's exhaustion kicking in. "Sirius, medaling with the very fabric of time in space is something I discourage anyone from doing."

Remus made Sirius sit down and relax but it was clear that the old marauder was not going to give up so easily.

"Albus, if there's even the slightest chance..." He pleaded. "It would change the war around!"

"Indeed," Albus said leaning forward. "Or have you forgotten what stopped Voldemort the first time?"

But nothing seemed to be taking Sirius down. "Have you forgotten what that caused to a poor boy's life!?" He seemed furious as he thought of it. "I would think you of all people would understand how it hurts-"

"Sirius," Dumbledore said firmly. "Sometimes the past happens for a reason. It isn't our place to change it."

"No!" Sirius slammed a fist down on the table making Remus jump and Dumbledore's eyebrows rise slightly. "I can't accept that! I will never accept that!"

Without another word, Sirius transformed back into Padfoot and rushed out of the door, down the spiral staircase. Remus glanced uncertainly up a Dumbledore and found the old man in deep thought, gazing at a small model of the universe that was suspended on one of the nearby shelves.

Remus stood slowly, preparing to leave, but Dumbledore's voice stopped him.

"He's never really gotten over it, then?"

Remus' face fell as he thought of his best friend. "No...no he hasn't."

Dumbledore turned to his old student and surveyed him carefully through his half-moon spectacles.

"Do you think he could do it?" Dumbledore asked him in all seriousness.

Remus hesitated, recalling Sirius' joyful face as he told Remus of his idea, comparing that expression to what he had worn on that fateful day when he was sent to Azkaban. The haunted look had almost disappeared.

"I want to...I want to so bad..." he almost felt tears prick his eyes. Oh what would it be like?...no, no! He shot the thought down. "But it's not going to happen...it couldn't..." he looked up into Dumbledore's eyes. "Could it?"

Dumbledore said nothing, merely turned his head and continued to watch the model.

He was still watching it when Remus left.