Just Like Old Times

The closest place to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Sirius could think of clearly was the Shrieking Shack, so that was where he apparated.

He stood for a moment in the downstairs hallway, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He looked about instinctively. Something felt wrong in the old house. Something wrong that wasn't Jen. It was already well past midnight so the light was very dim, though the full moon cast various shadows on the walls through the boarded up windows. Then he made for the secret tunnel, chalking the sensations up to frayed nerves. That is, until he heard the howl of a wolf he knew quite well.

Remus was here! It made sense. If Jen was at Hogwarts, the logical place for Remus was in the shack on a full moon. Once he was able to focus on his friend he could clearly hear the pained howls. For a moment he wondered how he'd missed it when he first apparated. Although he wanted to get to Jen as soon as possible, he simply couldn't leave Moony without first making sure the wolf was safe. He transfigured to Padfoot, and raced upstairs to the old room.

He nudged the open door with a paw and saw Moony pacing around the room. The wolf was obviously agitated and his mind was not all there. He hadn't even noticed Padfoot enter. Padfoot let out a little yip to get his attention. The wolf immediately turned on him growling and preparing to lunge, the withers on his back standing straight. Padfoot matched the growl, and the wolf barked at him. A bark of recognition. Moony was soon shouldering the large dog, forcing him back out the door. The dog resisted, and tried to push back into the room. Again Moony growled and nipped at Padfoot's neck, trying to force him out. The dog bit back.

Moony let out an all- consuming howl and then began to bark fiercely at Padfoot, trying to chase him out. Padfoot backed away slightly, beginning to understand. Moony didn't want him here, the wolf wanted Sirius to be at the castle. He continued to force Padfoot back, herding him towards the tunnel. When he finally had Padfoot at the trapdoor, Moony whimpered and whined, scratching at the door to the passage. Padfoot looked at him curiously, cocking his head then barked and scratched the door as well. With another whine, Moony pushed his head against Padfoot's side and scratched at the door again. The dog barked and nipped at Moony's neck, again.

Satisfied the dog understood, the wolf retreated back to his room.

When Moony was safely back up the stairs, Padfoot transformed back. For a single moment, Sirius considered staying with his friend, but the way Moony had acted he was fairly confident someone had gotten Wolfsbane to him. He turned to the tunnel and raced to Hogwarts.

############ ##########

Minerva McGonagall was waiting for him in the entrance hall. She was dressed in her usual deep green robes and tartan hat. Her normally stern expression was traced with a hint of fear.

Sirius sprinted his way to her. He was out of breath and he absently brushed the damp hair from his sweaty brow. "Where is she?"

With a curt nod, the Professor turned to lead him towards the hospital wing. "You do realize that she has been hurt, Sirius."

The younger man matched her quick pace impatient to get a bit more information. "Could you be a tad more specific?"

"No," she said plainly. "However, I will tell you that earlier this afternoon Professor Dumbledore received an owl asking permission for Ms. Lennox and Mr. Lupin to receive medical attention here. They would be arriving with another Medi-witch, hopefully before the moon rose. Which did not turn out to be the case. I don't know the specifics, but the agents sent to retrieve Mr. Lupin and Ms. Lennox arrived too late and then It was impossible to have Mr. Lupin anywhere near the castle." She took a long breath, and then continued, "We were to expect their injuries severe enough that Poppy would not be able to care for them alone." She briefly glanced at Sirius before continuing, "Madam Colon arrived with Jennifer about six hours ago, and judging by the direction from which you came, you must know that Mr. Lupin is currently in one of his old haunts."

"Yes. I've seen him." Sirius was sure he heard a hint of annoyance in her voice. "How bad is Jen?"

Professor McGonagall only shook her head. "I am not equipped to answer that with any clarity."

"Then be unclear," The growl slipped out underlying his desperation, and he pulled his emotions into check. "Please, Professor. I need to know."

She stopped and looked him straight in the eye. She didn't want to alarm him further, and knew she couldn't give him the appropriate answers, but she had to tell him something. "I saw her come in with the Medi-witch. I don't recall seeing injuries that severe outside of wartime. I don't know how she survived." She carefully watched Sirius as he searched his memory and his expression grew darker. "All those horrible thoughts racing through your head right now, all those terrible things you're hoping didn't happen to her?" she watched Sirius nod. "They did, all of them."

He shook his head and turned from her doubling his speed to the infirmary.

"Sirius, wait!" she called as she tried to catch him.

He pointedly ignored her concern as he reached the door to the medical wing and threw it open. Hogwarts' Headmaster was sitting at a table with a witch Sirius had never before met. "Where is she?" he demanded the Headmaster.

"Ah, Sirius." Dumbledore stood and looked at him with the same hint of fear Sirius had had seen in McGonagall's eyes. "I'd like you to meet Illyana Colon. She's been so good as to come to your aid." The witch stood and held out a hand.

He looked at the witch only briefly, then dismissed her importance. He turned back to Dumbledore. "Where is she?" He was becoming quite angry at having to ask the same question over and over.

"She's being treated." The witch answered firmly, her voice thick with a Hispanic accent. The woman was small, just above five feet tall and she didn't look to weigh much more than ninety pounds. Her robes were of a deep blue with sleeves that only reached her elbows. Her very dark hair was pulled to the back of her head into a loose bun. Stray strands were falling about her face as though she'd been working for a very long time and either hadn't noticed her hair falling apart or hadn't had time to fix it. Her skin was a deep bronze and her eyes were such a dark brown they almost seemed black. Her round face showed signs of fatigue, with lines etched across her forehead, dark shadows beneath her eyes and she held her lips tightly together. She seemed a bit older than he, but not by much. "When we have her settled back in her bed you may see her. But not before then."

"What? Why?" Sirius took two large steps forward, in an attempt to intimidate the Medi-witch. His pitched his voice low to carry a menacing growl. "You can't possibly think you can keep me away from her! She's been missing almost five days, she's been hurt and she needs me! What else is there to discuss?"

"Poppy is bathing her and dressing the wounds we were able to treat," she said with her thick accent, not trying to hide her concern. "When she's finished, Jenny will be brought back here and given another healing dram. After that you will be able to see her."

"I will see her now," he stated. Keeping a tight cap on his anger was becoming more difficult while these people all around him refused to answer his needs.

"Sirius," Dumbledore gestured for him to sit at the table with them. "I think it would be wise if you and Madam Colon spoke for a while. I believe you may do more harm than good if you go rushing in to see your dearest in this state. For both your sakes"

"This woman knows nothing!" Sirius glared at the witch. "Jennifer is my wife!" He took another step towards the witch. "If not by law by everything else in the world that holds meaning!"

Madam Colon did not so much as flinch when Sirius made his move on her. She squared her shoulders and pierced his eyes with her own look. "I'll have you know Jenny has been brutalized over those five missing days and I will not allow you to hurt her further." She took a step towards him pointing a finger. "It's taken me the better part of this night to get her to even respond. I will not have you undoing what little I've managed to accomplish." Sirius took and involuntary step back as the Medi-witch took another aggressive step towards him. "Her wounds travel far deeper than her skin. No matter how strongly you may feel for her, and I feel for her state as much as you, any kind of an outburst would surely push her further into the little oblivion she's created in her mind," her tone was firm as steel. "There are but two reasons why I've even permitted your presence. One is because Professor Dumbledore has assured me you will do as your told, and two," her eyes softened a bit before she continued, "I know how strongly Jen feels for you. She will need that kind of comfort and support."

The room fell silent as Sirius took in all the witch had said. His emotional state was teetering between rage and despair, and he knew he wasn't at his best. In five days he'd scarcely had any sleep, hardly eaten and was reaching his wits end. Everything this witch had said was true. He was behaving rashly, even by his own standards. He nodded his head in submission and held out his hand. "Of course. My apologies." Madam Colon took his hand and gripped it lightly. "My only explanation is that I'm tired and quite honestly, scared."

She tried to smile, but could only muster a shadow of one above her concern. "That's good, you should be scared. But keep that fear away from Jenny. She'll need you to be strong." Then stepped back to the table and sat.

"If you will excuse us," Dumbledore stood, watching Sirius take a seat at the table across from Madam Colon. "Minerva and I should be elsewhere." He looked at Sirius and laid an affectionate hand on his shoulder. "Jennifer has always been strong, lad. She will come through this." The Headmaster turned and left with McGonagall on his heel.

"Madam Colon," Sirius hesitated not sure where to begin the discussion. He wanted to know every single detail about his beloved and yet couldn't seem to get over the edge.

"Illyana, please."

"Illyana," Sirius stopped himself again, this time with surprise. "Illyana from Brazil? That Illyana?"

"Yes, I suppose so," she nodded with a weak snicker. "I'm guessing you know as much about me as I know about you? Although I thought you knew Thomas had arranged for me to be here. When Bill Weasley abducted me from my home he told me Thomas had explained this all to you."

Sirius took a deep breath and raked a hand over his head. "He did mention something about it, but I was more concerned about getting Jen and Remus out of there than who their physician would be once we did." He tried to sound patient, but knew he failed. "Illyana, please. It's been a very long week and I'm likely to explode. What's happened to her?"

"Before I tell you, I must remind you too retain your temper. It will do no good to Jen if you're a rampant madman." Over the years she'd spent a great deal of time discussing this man with Jen. She knew how deeply Jen loved him, but she had no idea how deeply his feelings ran. She knew all the details of their relationship, including the brawls and tempers the two shared. Up until his incarceration, Illyana knew Jen wanted to be with the man more than anything, and was devastated when he was accused of, and then locked away for murdering three of her closest friends. When Jen moved back to The States after the Twins were accepted to The Salem Academy, she'd managed to stay in close touch with her, but hadn't had the chance to speak with Jen over the last few months. All she currently knew about their relationship was what little Bill Weasley had told her; That Sirius was innocent, and had proposed.

She looked at him sternly, and seeing him nod his head, she began, "There's no way to tell in what order these atrocities happened, not that it much matters. Someday she'll need to speak of it and the more you know the better equipped you'll be to help her through it."

Sirius furrowed his brow and pursed his lips as he nodded for her to go on. His fury and fear was leaking through as impatience.

"She's been raped," Illyana felt it best to get that one out first. "Repeatedly." She waited to see his reaction, and when she saw his eyes widen, she held her tongue. She needed to know if this man would be an asset to Jen's recovery, and the way he handled this would be a good sign as to how he would handle the rest.

Sirius took several long breaths through his nose, clenching his jaw shut.

Illyana watched him work through to a control she guessed he didn't often use. When she was sure he would keep control, she continued, "She's been whipped raw. It's going to take several treatments but I believe we will be able to minimize the scarring." She saw his lips begin to twitch, but he held onto his temper. "A good portion of her body has suffered severe burnings. At first we thought them to be from flame, but on closer inspection, I discovered the burns to be the product of scalding."

"Scalding?" his voice was a low, menacing growl.

She nodded, trying to keep her own emotions in check. "A liquid, I'd have to say some sort of a potion. The scars are too deep to just be water. The burns are several days old, but the effects are still fresh. I'm guessing these were the most painful of her...torments."

Sirius clenched his fists on the table in front of him, his knuckles turning white from the force of his own grip. After a moment, he pinched the bridge of his nose tightly. He pursed his mouth and slightly shook his head.

Illyana watched him closely. She could actually feel the anguish seething from his pores in much the same way that tears leaked from some people's eyes. He was doing his best, however the witch was afraid of pushing Sirius over the edge. He was close to that edge now. "Would you like me to stop?" she softly asked.

He shook his head, shaking a tear down his cheek. "This won't be easier later."

"No," she agreed. "It won't." This strength of will does him credit, she thought before continued on, "She's been beaten. Five of her ribs had been broken, one of her kneecaps was smashed, and her left arm was fractured in four different places. The bones are easily enough healed. Those we took care of straight away." Sirius looked up at her and she saw his eyes had reddened considerably. She reached a soothing hand to him and lightly brushed his arm. "The small finger on her right hand was torn off."

"Torn?" His voice cracked over the word.

Nodding, she explained, "Not cut off, but torn. As if somebody grabbed a hold of that finger and ripped it from her hand."

Sirius slammed his fist on the table, and seeing Illyana lean back in her chair, he composed himself. "Sorry," he said, not at all meaning it.

Again, the Medi-witch nodded. She knew all about this man's temper and his possessiveness of his loved ones, and was actually relieved she hadn't had to call for back up to control him. But he was a boiling pot under pressure, and eventually he would need release. "Also, she can't speak."

He shook his head, eyes unblinking, entreating further explanation.

"I believe this is the effect of another potion. Her vocal cords have been paralyzed. I'm sure we can find a counter potion," she explained. "But I'm waiting for Severus Snape. Jennifer's told me more than once that the only person that could brew a potion better than she could was Severus."

"Snape? That's just great." Sirius raked his hands through his hair and looked around the dimly lit room. "Anything else?" he asked, with profound anger.

"Dehydration, and she hasn't eaten in several days. I'll be examining her again to be sure we haven't missed anything, but she's been through enough for one night. I'm not a Mind-healer; I can only help her with the physical trauma. However, Poppy and I are in agreement that what she needs most now, is rest."

A soft knock on the door announced the head of a student peering into the room. "I'm sorry, Ma'am, but Madam Pomfrey sent me to tell you she's ready now."

"It's alright. Tell her I'll be along in a few moments."

The timid young girl disappeared.

Silently the two looked at each other closely, and Sirius realized he trusted this witch. "How could I let this happen to her? She's going to be my wife. I'm supposed to protect her."

Illyana took both his hands into her own. "You didn't let any of this happen to her. She was taken by force and brutalized. We can't go back and undo any of this; all we can do now, is help her to recover. I've known Jenny a long time and she will get through this, but only if we help her. You need to put all this guilt and anger aside until she's stronger." She gently squeezed his hands. "Now is the time for love and comfort. Now is the time for her true family to rally around her and give her the strength she so desperately needs."

"Can I see her now?"

"No," the Medi-witch responded firmly and before he could protest continued, "I'll be going to help Poppy bring Jenny back from her bathe. In the meantime, I want you to go to the lavatory, shout some obscene curses, shatter a few mirrors or maybe break a few knuckles punching a wall. Then wash your face, and then perhaps heal your hands." Illyana tried to smile, but it was lost in the pain she saw on Sirius' face. "I want you to compose yourself," she explained. She stepped close to Sirius, and softly laid a hand on his cheek. "Please, Sirius." And for a moment allowed him to see she shared his pain. Waiting for him to briefly let his eyes shine on her, she continued, "By the time you do all that, you will have lost some of that pent up emotion that's all over your face and we'll have Jenny tucked safely into bed." She stood, pulling him up, but held him back as he turned to go. "There will be a day of reckoning for those that did this to her, of this, I swear." Sirius saw a glimmer of the anger this woman had so efficiently controlled. "I know the anger you must be feeling and I promise you there will be a time for you to express it."

They stood staring into each other's eyes, committing to each other they would seek out and take vengeance on those responsible.

"Now off with you," Illyana finished the discussion. "I've work to do."

######### #########

Carefully, Jen blinked her eyes open and immediately regretted it. The room was so bright it pierced her eyes, sending a shooting pain through her skull. She clamped her eyes shut feeling the razor pain echo from her skull through her entire body over, then ricochet back into her head. By reflex, she tried to raise her hand to her brow, but found she lacked the strength.

It took some time for her to be able to keep her eyes even partially open, without allowing herself to panic. She spent the next several minutes trying to adjust to the brightness of the room. When she finally managed to get her eyes open far enough her vision was blurred, as though she was looking through water. She squinted and blinked, trying to focus. She felt the hot trail of tears on her cheeks, only adding to her blurred vision.

She was lying on her back, propped at an upward angle, although could scarcely feel the bed or pillows beneath her. She was trying to figure where she was or how she came to be there. All she could remember was something about a fire. She again pushed back any panic and tried to focus on the fire. Where was the fire?

A low grumble came from beside her. Somebody was sitting beside her bed, resting his head on a folded arm beside her hip. He was also holding the hand she had failed to move.

As her eyes adjusted, she realized the room was not nearly as bright as she'd thought. She could vaguely smell the light oils used to burn few lanterns that were lit along the walls casting a dim, yet warm glow in the Hospital wing. 'Hogwarts hospital wing' Jen realized with a start. What in hell am I doing here? She blinked her eyes a few times still trying to remember. The fire. She forced herself to try and focus on that and realized that a fire didn't feel right. But it was hot. So hot, I was burning. Jen forced herself to keep her eyes open and tried again to focus.

In the comfortable gloom, She looked down at the dark matt of hair beside her and knew it was Sirius who slumped onto the side of her bed. That, at least, reassured her. She flopped her head to one side and saw Remus sleeping soundly in the next bed. Yes. She thought. There was a full moon and he had no wolfsbane. He's recovering. With considerable effort, she tilted her head the other way and saw Harry sitting on the opposite bed leaning against the headboard with his head tipped back, fast asleep. Lily was curled beside him sleeping with her head on his lap. Jimmy lay across the foot of the bed with his feet slightly touching the floor. He was flat on his back with his hands folded gracefully over his stomach.

Looking at the three teenagers on the bed, feeling Sirius beside her and knowing Remus was close by brought a pang to her chest that spread warmth through her body. She couldn't help but try to smile. That small gesture, the simple stretching of the skin around her mouth sent scores of pain lancing through her face.

Harry was awaken by Jen's sharp intake of breath and carefully edged Lily off his lap. He quietly slid off the bed and knelt bedside Jen, with a tentative smile. "Try to relax," he said softly, trying to sooth her. "Don't try to talk." Harry could see the fear, confusion, and pain welling in her eyes; fear was prevalent. "You're safe now, everything's going to be okay." He reached down and lightly shook Sirius's shoulder.

Sirius raised his head and blinked groggily at Harry.

"She's awake," Harry said.

The older man looked up and saw Jen looking frightened. He clasped her hand tighter and felt it trembling. He shifted from his chair onto the bed beside her. "It's okay," he said softly, almost a whisper, "You're safe. You're at Hogwarts." Then lightly began to stroke her forehead.

She looked at him, still very frightened, then to Harry, who tried to look calm and reassuring.

Then the twins woke up.

In an instant they were both at Jen's side; pressing her with questions, touching her, hugging her, kissing her. Her trembling had turned to outright shaking when the twins began forcing themselves on her.

Sirius looked at Harry, "Get Illyana and Madam Pomfrey." Harry nodded and disappeared. Then Sirius turned to the twins, "Calm down!" trying not to raise his voice. He looked back to Jen. In an effort to calm her resurging panic, he squeezed her hand. "It's alright, your safe now."

But Lily and Jimmy were still fawning over her, trying to get her attention which only led Jen to a more panicked state, wondering why her children were so distraught.

She looked to each of their faces, fighting the searing pain pressing on her skin. Then focused on Sirius. Surely he would be able to explain. He brought her hand to his chest as he scolded the twins to calm themselves and Jen noticed a vacancy on the end of her hand where her finger once was. Her body began to shake with more force. She didn't know what had happened, though her children and Sirius were clearly alarmed. She could feel it as well as see it. She chanced a look a Jimmy and Lily and saw their faces flashing from relief to fear. Her shaking increased. What had happened?

Sirius saw her confusion and said, "No, don't worry. You're going to be fine." Without thinking, Sirius used his hands on her shoulders, trying to keep her steady on the bed.

That comment alone shook her, for she could hear the doubt he tried to hide in his voice. Her entire body began too shake because she didn't yet know what had happened, she tried to speak and again her voice failed her. She tried to rise. With her mind reeling as Sirius tried to restrain her, she finally broke into panic. Her eyes rolled back into her head as her confused shaking turned to fierce thrashing.

"Get them out of here!" Illyana snapped impatiently when she, Madam Pomfrey and Harry burst into the room. She shoved Harry at the twins and threw her fingers towards the door. "Now!" As Harry tried to pull the Twins back, Illyana pushed Sirius aside, and Poppy rounded to Jen's other side.

Jen's body was violently convulsing.

Illyana looked afraid for a moment then held up her wand, "Accio, Syringe!" and a moment later a small syringe flew into her hand and she pulled the cover away from the needlepoint while Madam Pomfrey was trying to work something into Jen's mouth.

"What's going on?" Sirius near shouted.

Illyana briefly glared at him, then held up the syringe and began flicking it gently to release the air bubbles. She then lifted Jen's blanket and stabbed her in the hip with it.

"What's that?" Sirius demanded.

Illyana and Poppy ignored him as they waited for Jen's thrashing to cease, and then readjusted her into the bed. They both turned scowling to Sirius.

"Out!" Poppy shouted, pointing at the door.

Sirius looked at her, then at Jennifer. He shook his head. "I'm staying."

Illyana gripped his elbow so tightly Sirius knew he'd have bruises where her bony fingers dug into his flesh. She pulled him from the room with a strength he was surprised she had. When in the hall, she roughly shoved him at Harry, Lily and Jimmy then closed the door and wheeled on them all, but pointed at Sirius "You swore you could control yourselves! You assured me your presence would not upset her!"

"Is she going to be okay?" Jimmy asked timidly.

Illyana's eyes turned dark. "That was a Grande Mal seizure!" She took several slow deep breaths, eyeing each of them with barely contained anger, disgust showing clearly on her face. Then broke into a lengthy tirade, shouting animatedly at the twins in a Language neither Sirius nor Harry understood.

"Is that Spanish?" Harry asked Sirius quietly.

Sirius shook his head. "I don't think so."

Although Lily was at least a head taller than Illyana and Jimmy several inches above that, the twins were looking at their feet, the walls, each other, and anywhere but at Illyana. They obviously understood every word the witch spat at them. And they tried to occasionally respond in the same language, only to be silenced by her furious onslaught.

When Illyana felt the Twins sufficiently thrashed, she turned to Sirius. "What did you think you were doing scaring her like that?" she snarled, switching back to English.

Sirius scowled at her, angry at her presumption that he'd done anything to hurt Jen. "Scaring her?" he repeated.

"After what she's just survived," she snarled, glaring at Sirius. "Did you really think three people pinning her to a bed was the best course of action?"

Sirius made to argue, then realized what Illyana had meant. He closed his eyes. "Oh god," he said to himself thinking how he must have terrified Jen. "What have I done?"

"She probably won't remember." Illyana had calmed considerably, but her voice still held annoyance. "The medication we gave her is Muggle. Normally, I try to avoid Muggle medicines because they have a tendency to muddle the mind. I suspected her injuries to be severe enough to keep all options open, even Muggle. Before I arrived, Bill told me she had been in her families custody." She looked down and slightly shook her head. "I've never met any of them, but Jen's told me enough stories about them to know they could've done anything to her. I didn't want to risk not having everything available if necessary. And in this case we couldn't wait for a potion or a spell to take effect, so it may have been a good thing."

With a resigned shake of her head, she looked at the teens and said, "You need to be off. I believe Professor Dumbledore has a room prepared for you. Madam Pomfrey tells me it's close to the Gryffindor tower. I trust you remember your way around the castle?" she asked Harry, who nodded. Lily was about to protest when Illyana raised her hand. "You're doing no good here, I'll let you back in tomorrow."

The twins looked at each other, then to Illyana and nodded in unison.

Harry was thunderstruck that this witch had so easily controlled Lily and Jimmy. Deciding it best to get them away from her before she exploded again, he looked at Sirius for his consent. Seeing it in a small nod, he led them down the corridor.

Illyana waited a few moments to be sure the youngsters were out of earshot before asking Sirius, "Have you been back to the Ministry? Do you know what the status of all this," she pointed at the closed door, "is?"

"Not exactly." Sirius shook his head and absently pushed the sleeves of his robes up his arms. "But I have several friends that work for the Ministry, and they are all aware of the situation. If anything of consequence happens they know where to find me."

"You're assuming an awful lot." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I suggest you get to the Ministry, and start demanding they do something about this attack." She looked down the hall where Harry and the twins were just disappearing round a corner. "And you should probably contact Professor Dubois. Although I'd like the Twins to stay a few days more before they go back to their studies. It will help in her recovery to see her children are safe."

"Dubois?" Sirius raised his eyebrows and shook his head.

Illyana dropped her jaw and scoffed, "You haven't spoken Professor Dubois yet?" She clearly could not believe Sirius didn't know this Professor.

"It's been a long time since I've been to Hogwarts, give me a little slack."

"Professor Dubois is not a teacher here, you fool." Her hands gripped the sides of her temples for a moment, and then they spread in front of her pleading for a valid explanation. "He's the Headmaster at the Salem Academy. You are aware your children are supposed to be in school right now? I mean you do know their holiday has been over since last Monday?"

Sirius stared at her blankly. Yes, of course he knew they were still in school, but with all that had recently occurred he simply hadn't given it any thought. He shook his head. "I- of course- I mean I knew-"

Taking pity on him, she smiled. "Still trying to adjust to the responsibility of fatherhood?"

"Jen is going to kill me when she finds out I've kept them out of school for so long." He raked his hand through his hair.

"No, she won't." Illyana smiled a bit broader. "You're a father and husband whose life has been turned upside down. I scarcely think you've had a moment to think of their education. But now," she said taking his arm and turned him away from the hospital wing, "You have too. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will be happy to help you. But the twins need to at least be keeping up with their day-to-day assignments. Their W.A.S.P.'s are in February, and if they don't get themselves prepared, they'll be lost once they're out of school."

"W.A.S.P.'s?"

"Wizarding Aptitude Standardized Placement," Illyana explained. "Jen tells me they're the American equivalent of your N.E.W.T.'s. She also told me these tests would basically open up or lock any doors to their futures."

Sirius nodded in agreement, then he looked back at the door longingly.

"Forget it," Illyana said, reading his mind. "I'm not letting any of you back in right now. And Jenny wouldn't know even if I did. Still, right now Jenny needs to recover, and she stands little chance of that with you lot hovering about her." She held her hand up to stop his protestations. "I'll let you in to see her after Poppy and I have had another chance to give her an exam. There's no telling what injuries she's reopened with that seizure, so for now, she is in solitary. No visitors."

Again, Sirius looked at the door, and slightly shook his head. "I suppose you're right." Then turned and started for the Headmaster's office, but stopped and turned back. "Thank-you, Illyana."

She nodded and turned back to the door and entered the room from which Sirius was now denied.

When she entered the hospital wing, Illyana saw Remus on a knee beside the bed, softly stroking Jen's forehead. She was briefly angry that her other patient was out of his bed, and then thought better. Remus Lupin and Jennifer Lennox were friends. And he'd witnessed all that had happened to her. Illyana's heart softened. Jen had told her several times over how loyal those four boys were in school and how they would take responsibility for the world, if it could help a friend. Briefly she paused and tilted her head. Remus Lupin was assuredly in a great amount of emotional pain.

"Mr. Lupin," she said quietly, stepping up to the bed behind him. "You should really be resting."

"She looks better," he responded quietly not looking away from Jen, almost absently. "Will she be able to see?"

Illyana could feel his guilt. "See?" she questioned softly from behind him.

"Her eyes," Remus explained. "They beat her face so badly I didn't think she could see me." He then turned to look at Illyana, eyes glistening, though not shedding one tear. "Will she be able to see?"

Illyana nodded then laid a comforting hand gently on his shoulder. "Her eyes should be fine. There doesn't appear to be any lasting damage to her face. Although I won't know for certain until she wakes and I can properly examine her senses. But neither Poppy or I found any permanent tissue damage."

Remus nodded and turned back to Jen. "I couldn't do anything," he sighed guiltily and took a shuddering breath, stoking his hand affectionately over Jen's forehead. "I couldn't do a goddamned thing."

She could tell by his voice and body language that he blamed himself. "You need to be focusing on your own recovery." Illyana took his arm and pulled him to his feet.

He simply rose and allowed Illyana to steer him to his bed, then tugged his hands through his hair. "She's never going to be the same." He shook his head as he tucked his legs under his blankets and leaned against the Headboard. "Sirius is never going to forgive me."

"Forgive you for what?" Illyana perched on the edge of his bed beside his legs. She could truly feel his guilt, and his desperation. Her senses cued her into his feeling of failure. "You've done nothing wrong."

"I made him a promise." Remus tipped his head over the rail to rest against the wall so he could look at the ceiling. "A long time ago Jen needed help and Sirius knew he couldn't always be there for her. I promised him that when he couldn't protect her, I would."

"Ah," Illyana nodded her head knowingly. "The whole Charles Mendes debacle."

Remus suddenly looked at her straight. "How do you know about that?"

She took a slow breath and smiled slightly, hoping to ease a bit of his pain. "Mr. Lupin, My name is Illyana Colon." When Remus didn't appear to show signs of understanding, she continued, "Jennifer and I trained together in Brazil, as well as a few other places. She spoke of you and Sirius and yes, even Mr. Mendez on more than one occasion."

Understanding suddenly dawned on Remus. "You're the one who told her to change her name."

Illyana weakly giggled. "Nobody tells Jennifer Lennox what to do. You should know that." She looked at him with a soft smile. "I suggested a completely different name. I even had an arranged marriage worked out for her. But she wouldn't have it." She shook her head remembering Jen's complete devotion to Sirius. "If she couldn't be with Sirius she wouldn't be with anyone."

"I told her that Sirius was a traitor." Remus slouched down into the bed. "I really believed it was him. I really thought he betrayed us. Even after Jen and I fought." he looked at Illyana and blinked tears back then continued, "I still thought he did it. I should have known. I should have trusted him."

Illyana shook her head. "Everyone thought he was a murderer. What makes you think you're so special?" she slid forward on his bed, closer to him. "Jen even thought he did it."

"No she didn't," Remus said firmly.

"Yes she did," Illyana responded just as firmly. "Although it wasn't until he escaped from Azkaban, but when he did, she fell apart knowing he'd betrayed all of you. Her heart broke wide open when that idiot Voldemort returned, thinking it was Sirius that gave him the strength to return"

"It's almost funny," Remus tried to snicker. "She was the one person that always thought he was innocent, until he broke out. Then he'd proven his innocence and she thought he was guilty. How backwards is that?"

Illyana smiled and patted his hand. "We're talking about Sirius Black and Jennifer Lennox. From what I understand, they always seem to get it backwards, don't they?"

Remus nodded and nestled further into the bed.

Illyana paused for a moment, and then her expression and tone changed. "Are you rested enough for a discussion, or shall I leave you to sleep?"

"I couldn't sleep if I wanted too."

"Do you feel well enough to discuss your condition?" Illyana pulled a chair up and sat beside his bed.

"Condition?" Remus practically scoffed. "Is that your gracious way of saying I'm a dark beast? A horrifying abomination that hunts children in the night and is evil to my very core? The reason Jen is in this state?" he pointed at the broken woman in the next bed.

Remus watched her look at him closely, appraising him with a look of distaste. "What?" he asked of her expression.

"I was just wondering whom you insult more," she said softly, leaning her elbows onto her knees not looking at him. "By that comment. You, for rejecting who you are, or me, " she looked at him, shaking her head. "Thinking I'm so ignorant to believe you are nothing but an evil hindrance that needs to be controlled."

"I'm a werewolf. It is not ignorant to believe I need to be controlled," he said turning his head from her. "It's a curse I'll always live with."

"It's only a curse if you allow it to be." Illyana put a hand on his arm. "Lycanthropy can be controlled, and even enjoyed under the right circumstances." She squeezed his arm slightly. "However, only if you accept it."

***** ****

Harry Potter rolled off the side of his bed, feeling that unmistakable sensation that something was wrong. He hated that, especially at Hogwarts. Anytime he got a bad feeling while he was at the only home he'd ever known someone would die, or gods forbid worse. More truthfully, what else could happen? Grudgingly he slid slippers onto his feet and walked to the conversation room of the suite Dumbledore had set up for Jimmy, Lily and him. He was still a bit put out that Dumbledore wouldn't let him back into the tower, but did understand. After all, he was no longer a student. When he walked into the conversation room, he saw Lily sitting at the table reading a parchment.

"You Okay, Lily?" he rubbed his eyes, hoping to show his lack of attention, instead of his curiosity as to why he'd been dragged from bed.

"Yes," Lily seethed. "I'm fine."

"You're lying," Harry alleged, sitting beside her. Then sighed softly and smiled. "Why? Don't you think you can trust me?"

Lily sighed and pushed her anger from the letter back. "Of course I can trust you. It's just..." she trailed off shaking her head as she rolled the parchment up, then met his eyes. "I don't know what to think anymore. I suppose it's just a girls emotions running away from her."

For a few moments Harry scrutinized Lily's face. She was clearly concerned about something, and he was sure whatever it was, was written in that rolled parchment on the table. Instead of reaching for it, because he suspected she didn't want him to read it, he grabbed the arm of her chair and pulled her chair much closer to his, then rested a hand on her knee. "I will agree you can be a bit...overzealous from time to time, but your mind is quite sharp. I don't think you're letting your emotions rule you."

"How could they do that?" Lily snapped at Harry. "I mean what could they truly be trying to accomplish? They were going to kill her anyway, why make her suffer so much?"

"Both the Malfoy's and the Lennox's are wicked. There isn't any good way to explain it." He carefully laid his other hand on her shoulder as her watched her fight back tears. "It's a power thing for them. The more power they have the better. And what better way to feel power than to do what they did to your Mum? And to Remus." He lowered his head, thinking of his favourite Professor.

"But why?" Lily said shaking her head again, staring at the parchment. "They can't have enjoyed doing those things, could they?"

In the few conversations Harry had with Jimmy, he'd learned that although Lily was a strong and talented witch her ideas of the world and the way it worked were somewhat rose-colored. This was the first time he'd actually seen it. Her belief lay with Hope, Trust and of course, Love. And when brought face to face with the ugliness of the world Lily fell into denial. "Lily," Harry took a slow deep breath. "You have been lucky. You've always known how much your Mother loves you. You were raised in a family that knew nothing but to make each other happy. It's not that way everywhere. There are families who use abuse to get obedience." He watched as her head snapped up and stared woefully into his eyes. Before she could speak, he placed a finger over her lips. "It wasn't until Hagrid showed up at the Dursley's that I even knew affection."

Lily's eyes briefly showed panic. "But they...I mean Ma said they never hurt you!"

Sadly, Harry smiled. "No. They never hurt me. They never touched me and they never loved me." He tipped his head. "And that abuse is almost worse." He watched Lily quickly turn her head away, knowing she was still fighting her emotions. Needing to somehow alleviate her pain, he continued, "But I do know my parents loved me. Before they died. At least, I imagined they did." He said the last more softly, suddenly being drawn into Lily's desperation.

"If it is only imagination we have, why do we fight to hold on?"

"Because someone like Hagrid will always show up." Before Lily could argue, he continued, "There will always be someone stronger of heart that will fight for you. And when you realize that this person has given up so much for you, you fight back." Harry waited for not only the words to sink in, but also the finality of what Lily would devise from them. "How does that saying go? 'In order for evil to take hold, a righteous man need only do nothing.' Or something like that. We fight because we need too, Lily." He softly placed his hand on her chin and tilted her head to look at him. "We fight because what we stand for is greater than what they do."

"But Dra-" Lily quickly cut herself off and let a deep breath through her nose. "The Malfoy's didn't do anything to Ma, though, did they?"

Dumbfounded, Harry dropped his hand too his lap. "Besides imprisoning her? And doing nothing to stop what happened to her?" He could not keep the anger out of his voice, the thought that Lily felt anything other than contempt for that damndable family made his blood run hot. "The only reasons they wouldn't touch her, is either they didn't have permission from Lucius, or they wouldn't sully their hands on her." He watched as Lily dropped her head, slightly shaking it. "Look, I know when you met Malfoy he seemed very charming. Maybe even likeable. He has a talent for that. He almost had me drawn in at one point. But the bottom line is the only reason he ever does anything is too further his own goals and ambitions." Harry did not miss Lily toying with the parchment as he berated the younger Malfoy. "He's only using you, Lily."

"For what?" Lily's head shot up and she glared at Harry.

"For whatever he can," Harry responded. Then took a deep breath to calm his anger. "Listen, Lily." He sighed again. "Can you think of a better way to get at me, or Sirius for that matter, than through you and your Mum? I mean other than Jimmy, who I won't be surprised to find in a questionable situation very soon, How better to hurt me or my Godfather?"

Lily couldn't help but see the logic to Harry's explanations. No matter how much she liked Draco, she couldn't dismiss the history he shared with Harry. Harry did after all know Draco far better than she. Slowly she nodded her head. "I suppose you're right. It just doesn't make sense to me that if they had the chance to hurt my Mom, why didn't he? I mean they?"

Harry slightly snickered. "Because he's mad, Lily. That whole clan is. Very little of anything they do makes sense." He watched Lily slump back in her chair and felt a softer emotion rising. "Listen, Lily. Today has been probably one of the most horrifying you'll ever know." He lightly grabbed her chin to look at him. "I won't tell you what to do, but I will tell you after a day like this, you can't be thinking straight. I know I'm not." He smiled when Lily's eyes snapped wide. "Yes, I feel it too. The confusion, the pain. But staying awake and making yourself delirious won't help. Professor Dumbledore is going to send you and Jimmy back to The States in a few days. Don't you want to be sharp when your Mum wants to see you? When Illyana says she's able?"

Lily looked thoroughly chastised, and nodded her head. "You're right. I should be thinking of Ma, and not me. I'm sorry." Then stood, tucking the parchment in her robe. "I guess sometimes I just think to much." Then slowly walked back into her room and slowly closed the door.

Harry couldn't help but feel angry she'd remembered to take the scroll with her.

**** ***

Sirius and Remus sat at a table across from each other in the now brightly lit medical wing waiting impatiently for Illyana to bring Jennifer out to meet them. It had only been six days since Jen arrived after her ordeal, but Illyana felt it best for her to not be trapped in a hospital bed. The Medi-witch wanted Sirius to take his fiancé somewhere more comfortable to finish healing.

Remus looked at the Animagus who now gazed out the window at the falling snow biting back a sharp comment, because he was not entirely happy with his friend. After recovering from the full moon he was privy to a meeting with Dumbledore, Moody, Snape, Charles Mendes, Thomas Lennox and Sirius. The meeting itself was brief, but filled with important tidbits of information such as: Lucius Malfoy had been pardoned and The Ministry had been forced to release Jeanne Lennox to her family because she'd broken no laws in Britain. If the Jen wanted to pursue action against her sister, it would have to be in The States.

Charles was reluctant but felt it important that Dumbledore knew Etienne Lennox had been actively courting a union between the Lennox family and the Malfoy's; Patricia, David and Catherine Lennox all had daughters close to Draco's age. Etienne felt it important to unite the more motivated wizards from America to those in Britain. Charles also told them that Snape was widely regarded as mole amongst the dark circle. Most importantly, Lucius and Etienne were both very interested in taking blood-forcibly if necessary- from Harry and at least one of the twins, although they preferred Lily. Neither Charles nor Snape knew anything more about the plan, than that.

And Remus suspected Sirius hadn't told Jen any of it. He felt it was time to breach the subject before it was too late. With his elbows propped on the table and his chin rested on folded fingers, He spoke to his long time friend, "You haven't told her yet, have you?"

Sirius didn't look at Remus right away; he continued to gaze at the school grounds being blanketed with snow. Slowly he shook his head, "I couldn't." With a deep sigh he turned to Remus. "How could I? She's been through so much; I don't want to add to it. She seems so-" he paused, "fragile."

Pushing the sleeves of his robe up over his elbows, Remus reached across the table and touched his friends' arm. "She is fragile." When Sirius looked at him he continued, "Which is why you have to tell her. She needs to hear it from you. Can you imagine what it would do to her if she 'accidentally' found out Charles, not to mention Malfoy, have been released?"

For a long moment Sirius looked at his respected friend. He then turned back to the window. "I know." He puffed a long breath through his cheeks and turned back, "She won't take it well. I'm not taking it well! How could they just 'pardon' Malfoy?"

Remus curled his mouth and raised a shoulder. "They say after reviewing the case there simply wasn't enough evidence to hold him."

Tipping his head down, Sirius cocked an eyebrow and looked through his bangs at Remus. "I know you don't believe that."

"No." Remus matched his satirical face. "I believe Malfoy's pockets are deep."

"As are Jen's father's."

"Well, at least we can be certain they're in league with each other," Remus sighed regretfully. "Can we still trust Charles and Snape?"

Sirius scoffed. "No, we can't trust them. But we really have no choice but to believe them. You of all people should know that."

Sinking back in his chair Remus popped his eyebrows. "Even I fancy a little trip into denial."

"This just keeps getting better and better," A dry voice muttered from the door.

The two turned to see Mad-Eye Moody limp into the medical wing, his magical eye swirling- to join them at the waiting area's round table. As he sat in a chair he explained to the two wizards curious expressions, "The Ministry will not investigate the abductions."

Aghast, werewolf and Animagus abruptly stood and shouted at the same time.

"Excuse me?"
"Why the hell not?"

"If you will calm down." Moody held out his hands to try and quiet them. "I'll explain to you as well as the decision was explained to me. Which wasn't very well." He waited for them to lower back into their seats then began, "The Ministry won't qualify your abductions as abductions for two reasons. One, by your own words," he looked at Remus. "You and Jen both willingly grabbed the Portkey."

"Excuse me?" Remus near shouted and stood up again.

"And two," he continued ignoring Remus's outburst. "It happened in The States. The Ministry says they have no authority."

Sirius leaned forward onto the table. "You can't be serious."

Moody looked directly at Sirius. "If you enjoyed that little show of reasoning, this will positively make you sing. They refuse to take any action on behalf of Jennifer."

It was Sirius's turn to jump from his seat. "Why not?"

"Same reasons." Moody glared at them both. The Auror slightly shook his head. "There is no conclusive evidence."

"Have you seen Jen, Moody? Have they seen her?" Remus spat. "Surely between her injuries and my testimony there's enough to warrant at least an investigation!"

Moody calmly tented his fingers in front of his face. "Again Remus, by your own words, you saw nothing."

Throwing a chair aside Sirius leaned onto the table, scowling at Mad- Eye. "Surely you jest."

He shook his head. "Not at all."

"But I heard it!" Remus was beginning to become as angry as Sirius. "I heard her! I heard it all!"

"It doesn't matter, not to those who would decide if this is a valid case. She willingly grabbed the orb knowing what it was, and you didn't actually see them do anything to her except drop you in the cell with her as the full moon was rising. And again, the actual abduction happened in The States, so even if we could convince The Ministry to take some action, they would have no authority."

"The assault on Jenny happened here!" Remus slapped his palms on the table. "They can't ignore this!"

The two remaining Marauders stood shoulder-to-shoulder, hands flat on the table glaring down at the illustrious Alastor Moody.

"I am not the enemy here," he said quietly.

"Nor I thought," said Remus, trying to control his anger, "was The Ministry."

"I'm not going to let this go," Sirius added. "I will not lie down like a dog for them and let this case blow over!"

Very slowly, Moody rose and laid his hands on the table, reflecting the two men. "They are saying their hands are tied, that there is no evidence any of this happened in Britain."

"I was there," Remus hissed. "Draco Malfoy told me we were in his family's manor."

Alastor shook his head. "The boy denies it, making it your word against his. And with you being a werewolf I don't see many being considerate to your testimony."

"What about Jen?" Sirius suggested. "She could confirm his statement."

"Do you really want to do that to her?" Moody tilted his head. "From what I understand, her memory of the ordeal is fragmented at best. Any legal team the Malfoy's have will tear her to shreds." When he saw Sirius's eyes shift to concern, he sat and folded his hands on the table. "Until we have ample evidence we must work-as we have so many times before- without The Ministry's aid."

Abruptly, Sirius shoved his weight off the table and turned to the window, crossing his arms over his chest. A leaden ball in his gut had been growing consistently for days. Although it still lacked definition (Anger? Despair? Rage?), it continued to grow. And as it grew, his self-control diminished.

Remus shook his head and lowered into his chair. "What about The States? Will their Wizarding Senate take action?"

With a glimmer of hope, Sirius looked over his shoulder at Moody.

"They give us the same arguments, but in reverse." Mad-eye shook his head. "Thomas is attempting to sway their judgment, but it doesn't look good. Although we have a better than average chance of getting the sister arrested, at least, for attacking the twins."

"And Kenton?" Sirius asked.

Again, Moody shook his head. "The only person he actually attacked in Jennifer's flat was you, Sirius. And you attacked him just as earnestly. Even if their Counsel found enough evidence to have him arrested it would only be an assault charge, and they could never make it stick. And if they did, they'd be forced to try to get to extradited to America, so you would be arrested as well."

"He attacked Jenny as well," Sirius seethed.

"Yes," Moody agreed. "But we cannot prove where. And without that proof, or a very thick wallet," Moody slightly gritted his teeth. "We have no chance of convincing The Ministry or the U.S. Senate to do anything."

Sirius turned back and rested his forehead against the windowpane, His hands clenching the frame. He had been combating the urge to seek out the Lennox family and make them suffer, because he knew-at least he thought he knew-the Ministry would see justice served. But now, Now there was to be no punishment to any of them because of some idiotic loophole in the system that was keeping countries bound to their own law enforcement.

"Is there nothing more we can do?" Sirius heard Moony ask.

"Not within the boundaries of the law. Both the Ministry and the American Senate have decided to ignore what is so very blatantly in front of their faces." For the first time since Moody entered the room, His irritation could be heard in his voice. "The Death Eaters are on the rise again and just as before, those in authority are choosing to ignore it. I personally will not stand for this. If they came for Jennifer and her children once, they surely will again-" Mad-eye stopped short, his eye spinning. "I think we should continue this discussion at another time."

Sirius spun to face the Auror, ready to demand further explanation when the door to the infirmary slowly opened.

"Good afternoon, Gentlemen," Illyana announced, to prepare the occupants for another's entrance. Looking into the room from the hallway, she seemed surprised to see the Auror. "Mr. Moody, I wasn't expecting to see you today." Her voice was melodic with her accent, and quiet and smooth, as a parent would use to sooth a frightened child. She pushed the door fully open and stood to the side.

Jennifer slowly limped into the room, leaning heavily on a cane. Her dark tresses were bound in a soft plait scattering a few flowing strands about her face, and she wore exceptionally loose fitting blue robes. The scarves Jen knotted around her waist were draped quite in a way that if one had looked closely he would have noticed the fabric was actually pinned to the robes to keep them from slipping off her hips. Her skin was far too pale causing her olive complexion to look sickly, while her face still held onto the discoloration around her eyes and cheek. As she crossed the threshold into the room Illyana held a hand out to help steady her, but Jen just pushed it aside.

After watching that small display of independence, Sirius held back the urge to leap across the room. He's spent so many hours in the last few days listening to Illyana council him on how to best care for Jen; and he still didn't like the analogy the Medi-witch had used of a frightened animal. However, he was now painfully aware that his lover would be nothing but nerves and fear for some time. He felt his heart break for the thousandth time when she looked up and tried to smile bravely for this audience. It wasn't because of the remnants of the bruises and cuts lingering on her face, or even the effort she seemed to have to put into the smile. Her eyes shattered his emotional walls. Her beautiful deep brown eyes that had been so bright and quick now looked dull. There was a fear in them, and a sadness that had never touched them before. Sirius could still see the love and strength but someone had dimmed the light in her eyes. The lead ball in his gut grew very hot, searing the pieces of his broken heart together with resolution. He wanted to find and kill the first Lennox he could.

Knowing animals could sense danger, using the analogy he disliked from Illyana, he assumed Jen would sense his anger. He quickly buried it and walked to her. He gingerly took her free hand and asked softly, "How are you feeling?"

She shrugged her shoulders in her old habit, indicating that she would be all right in time, adding a firm nod of her head when Sirius still looked so worriedly at her.

"If you all will excuse me," Moody spoke up. "I will be returning to the Ministry. There are a few cases I still need to be working with." He looked at Sirius then Remus. "When I find anything interesting I'll be sure to notify you." He then he turned and left the room, his odd thumping gate echoing faintly for a long while down the corridors of the ancient school.

Sirius however, barely acknowledged him leaving, keeping all of his attention on Jennifer. "Still no voice?" he asked her.

She shook her head.

"Ah, that's okay." He tried to sound easy. "We'll just have to use our imaginations." He lifted her hand to his lips and softly kissed the back of it. Folding her hand in his and stroking it with the other he smiled, smothering the resurging anger when he felt the absence of her finger. "Although I imagine it will make our spectacular arguments a lot less fun."

She squeezed his hand and playfully nudged his shoulder.

Illyana smiled at their exchange. She was concerned Sirius would not be able to keep his emotions in check and would ultimately do more harm. And just now, she knew this was the first time he'd seen Jen in true light, outside of the dim infirmary- he completely masked his anger. Yes, he was going to do just fine. She turned and saw that Remus had been watching her. She smiled a little and raised an eyebrow.

Remus returned the smile coming around the table to stand near her. "You're a credit to your profession."

"Oh, pish," she dismissed the comment with a hand gesture, lightly brushing Remus' shoulder. "Jen did all the work. She was the one who wanted to live. All I did was help Poppy and Severus with a few potions and spells." Illyana then turned back to Jen and Sirius. "Shall we go, or did you want to say good bye to any of the Professors?" Jen shook her head. "Alright then." She disappeared into the office and returned a few moments later with two cloaks and a small carpetbag. She threw her own cloak around her shoulders first, and then helped Jen into hers as Sirius and Remus each put on their own. "Shall we all go home?"

Jen looked at her quizzically.

Sirius folded his fiancé's hand carefully into the crook of his arm; "I've asked Illyana to stay with us for a few days while we set up house." Jen shifted her confused gaze to him, imploring explanation. "Until we have better wards set up at Grimmauld and on your place in The States, we've leased a flat in London."

Jen closed her eyes and shook her head. Damn infuriating man, she thought. Making decisions without me again.

"I agree," Illyana confirmed. "It really is the safest thing to do."

"Your family is looking for you," Remus added, opening the door. "They'll be looking in New York and at Grimmauld place. It's best for us to not be in either of those locations, don't you think?"

Jen heaved a sigh, surrendering. Although she couldn't remember everything that had happened while she and Remus were enjoying her family's hospitality, she did remember Remus to always be there for her, to try to comfort and give her strength every time she found the strength to reach for him. The Lennox clan (she could hardly bring herself to call them family) would be looking for her and Remus and this time wouldn't be interested in taking them back. She could fully remember what they'd been capable of before Thomas had come for Jen and her mother when she was so much younger, leading her to believe whatever they had done to her during Remus and her visit would seem like petting if they ever caught them again. If that clan did find them they'd be out to kill, most painfully.

Jen sighed again. Sirius, Remus and Illyana were going to be coddling her for a long time, and she just didn't feel up to fighting for independence right now.

Sirius moved slowly beside her to keep a steady easy pace for her injured body. He was amazed at how well she was walking after so short a time recovering. "You're always surprising me." He looked down his shoulder at her with a bright smile. Briefly she rested her head on his shoulder, then lifted it and continued to walk toward the entrance hall.

As they made the way casually down the cool hallway, Sirius brought Jen up to date on their children and Harry. Telling her the twins had returned to their classes in Salem- after several long hours of negotiating, and Harry had just as reluctantly returned to his Auror training only after being assured that if there were any new developments Sirius would contact him at once. Jen questioned these decisions with expressions of concern at hearing the teens wouldn't be where she could keep an eye on them.

Sirius smiled reassuringly, thinking maybe it wouldn't be so hard to communicate without words. He reminded her The Salem Academy had many of the same protections as Hogwarts and a few others. And Professor Dubois, as she surely knew, was an accomplished wizard who was abreast of the situation and would take special precautions for the twin's safety. Harry was training to be an Auror, with other Auror's. If he wasn't safe there, there wasn't anywhere he'd be safe.

Jen listened carefully to his briefing, looking at the floor in front of her as they slowly progressed. She could hear the tightness in Sirius's voice as he tried to hide his anxiety. He wasn't fooling her.

Remus and Illyana, too, walked steadily along adding comments here and there, trying to make Jen feel comfortable. She smiled to herself thinking how they were falling over themselves trying to help her. If she had her voice, she'd have told them all they were making fools of themselves. In her youth that is exactly what she would've done. However, she had learned acceptance on many levels during her capture and recovery. So now she just listened to them in patience, and loved them for it.

When they rounded the corner to the main hall, Jen looked up and froze.

At first Sirius stepped in front of Jen and lightly gripped her arms, fearing she'd somehow hurt herself. When he saw her face wasn't masked in pain, but instead her eyes were wide with fear, He lowered his head to her, asking, "What is it? Are you alright?"

Unable to give voice to her terror, she slightly shook her head, trying to back away while staring over Sirius' shoulder.

"Bloody hell," Remus muttered.

Sirius looked at Remus, then behind him to where both Jen and Remus' eyes were transfixed.

Snape was standing in the center of the Hall talking casually with Lucius Malfoy and Kenton Lennox.

The hot lead in Sirius' gut suddenly exploded.

"Don't." Remus restrained Sirius' arm from reaching for his wand. He pulled him around to look at him. "The students."

Sirius eyed Remus in disbelief, and then scrutinized Jen-who was still staring at Lucius and Kenton, gripping his arm so tightly it hurt- then glanced around the hall. For the first time he became aware of the dozens of students milling about. Looking back at Remus he asked, "What are they doing here?" He growled low as his gaze fell upon Jennifer's loathsome brother and the former Slytherins.

Following Sirius' gaze the trio in question, Remus shook his head. "I don't know."

"What is happening?" Illyana asked.

"Professor Lupin!" A student shouted from across the hall, drawing attention to the out of place quartet.

Snape, Malfoy and Kenton all turned to see whom the student was shouting at.

Remus turned to see Dennis Creevey, a sixth year, jogging towards him. Remus composed himself and forced a smile, "Dennis, it's nice to see you."

"Are you here for the teaching position? Are you going to come back to teach Defense Against The Dark Arts again? There have been all kinds of people coming in to apply. Like that man over there." Dennis pointed across the hall towards Kenton. Several students joined him as he prattled on "But Colin said that DADA hasn't been any fun since you left, well there was Professor Moody-" Remus tried to look as though he were paying attention to the boy but only caught about every fourth word, as he had one eye on Sirius and the other on the trio further down the hall.

"Jen," Illyana said quietly. "What's going on?"

Jennifer inclined her head, staring doe-eyed at Kenton.

Following her gaze, Illyana saw Severus talking with two men, both draped in exquisite forest green robes. The taller of the two had dark hair that was clipped quite close, and a handsome face that she instantly didn't trust. The other, a mite shorter, had long platinum hair with a severe, pale complected face. This one she didn't like either. The taller was looking directly at Jen with a wicked smile that was full of malevolence. The other of the two strangers looked at Sirius, and although his pale face shone no expression, his eyes were blazing with contempt. Severus was looking between his companions and the quartet that was rapidly being bombarded by students who were calling out inane questions to their former Professor. Illyana had become fond of Severus over the last week, but seeing him stand with these two men and seeing the look he gave Sirius- not quite as contemptuous as the blonde, but close- she felt something clench in her chest. The feeling that something was about to happen, and it wasn't going to be good.

"Okay." Always trusting her instincts, Illyana took Jen's arm and started to steer her from the hall. "Let's get out of here," she spoke quietly, weaving Jen through the students, heading for the closest door that led outside.

As the women started to move away, Kenton immediately made a beeline for Jen. When he approached, Jen shrank back from Illyana and pressed herself against the wall as if she could push herself further into it.

Illyana's apprehension toward the man multiplied when she interpreted the look on his face. If malevolent before, it was absolutely sinister now. She stepped in front of Jen, instinctively protecting her friend. "Can I help you?" she tried to ask politely, but instead it came out like the edge of a knife. He had a nerve to confront Jen, and Illyana was not about to allow it.

Kenton stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Do you know what that is you're feeling?" he asked Jen, ignoring Illyana. "It's not fear. It's understanding."

"Excuse me." Illyana tried to lean into his face to obscure his view of Jen, though her stature barely brought her to his chest. "I asked you a question."

He looked at her briefly, and then pushed her aside. "You can't hide from it." He stepped closer to his sister.

Jen had turned sideways to the wall with her palms flat upon the stone; her fingers scratched the mortar, trying to find an escape. Her eyes were downcast, looking at Kenton's boots. Her head shook slightly in fear. Kenton leaned in and whispered into her ear, "That's Lennox blood. It's who you are. It's who your children are. You can't run from it, you can't hide." He pushed his hand against Illyana as she tried to get back to Jen. "It's your home. We know how to find you, now." He tilted his head in front of her face; she refused to look at him. "Why do you still fight? You know you can't win."

"Sir!" Illyana gripped his arm hard, digging her fingers into his flesh, "I must insist you refrain from upsetting my patient."

"Kenton," Severus interrupted the conversation. "This is neither the time nor place."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a hand jerked Illyana aside and shoved Kenton away.

Sirius moved in front of Jen and tried to get her to look up at him. He was hesitant to touch her, not wanting to alarm her further. He ducked his head into her line of sight. "Are you okay?" Jen shook her head, still not looking up.

Hearing the name Severus used, Illyana stood staring at Kenton, her eyes ablaze. This was Jen's brother! This was the man that had brutalized her! She fought the urge to lunge at him and tear his throat from his neck, and poised herself. "Kenton Lennox," she seethed. "I've heard much about you."

Slowly, Kenton took his eyes from his sister and appraised Illyana. "And you are?" he asked with a hint of annoyance.

"Just leaving," she replied and tried to pull Jen away. When Sirius turned and stood toe to toe with Kenton, Illyana was about to pull him away as well, but thought better of it. He was a bundle of aggression and needed release. She didn't fancy the idea of him exploding in front of all these children, so she looked at Malfoy and Snape. "Don't you think you gentlemen should retire to a more-secure location?"

"You stay away from my family," Sirius hissed at Kenton.

"Family?" Malfoy snapped his head to Sirius. "What do you know of family? You abandoned yours many years ago in exchange for a whore!"

Sirius scowled at Malfoy. "Family is not defined by blood, Thank Merlin. It's love and respect and taking care of your own. Not taking pride in that which is an abomination."

"And you've done well taking care of your own, haven't you?" Lucius sneered. "First you let your true blood brother die, and now this motley crew you pass off as a family? A whore, two bastards, a dark beast and a deformed orphan? There really is no accounting for taste." He then looked at Illyana. "Are you to join this band of miscreants?"

Illyana pursed her lips tightly together, fighting the urge to explode on the man.

Glaring at Kenton Sirius said low, "You fucker."

"You fuck her," Kenton retorted with a wide smile. "You brought her. Oh wait, that was me, wasn't it?" The words rolled off his tongue like silk. "Tell me," he spoke and leaned closely to Sirius. "When you take her, do you prefer her from the fore, or behind? I found she's much more responsive from behind."

Any self-restraint Sirius clung to was pushed away as rage washed over him. Not having the patience to draw his wand, he pulled his arm back and threw all his weight into his fist that literally lifted Kenton off his feet once it connected with his jaw.

Remus, still trying to extricate himself from the students witnessed the scene and he knew the situation had instantly grown out of control. "Merlin's blood," he whispered to himself and pushed past the last of the students absently instructing them to get to their classrooms, though he knew none of them would listen with Sirius Black and what could possibly be their new DADA Professor dueling in the main hall. He rushed to Jen and Illyana, watching as Snape tried to restrain Sirius and Lucius help Kenton to his feet, which all had drawn their wands. "Illyana," he stopped in front of her and saw an anger on her face, of which he didn't believe her capable. He felt something seething off of her. At first he couldn't name the sensation, but when he recognized the scent of a she-wolf protecting her young, he took a step back. He looked at her as though the first time. But the signs don't fit, he thought. The werewolf wanted to continue this line of thought, but it was broken by the angry shouts coming from the would-be duelists. Remus shook his head, regaining perspective, and stepped closer to Illyana, "Get Jenny out of here. She shouldn't see this."

Illyana tore her eyes from Kenton and looked at Remus, then nodded. She turned and took Jen's arm, then rapidly escorted her from Hogwarts.

Remus watched their retreating backs for only a moment, and then turned his full attention to his former schoolmates. He wanted to catch his friend before he did anything stupid, but instead his body caught the force of Snape being thrown on him. They crashed into the wall with a hearty 'oomph', and he knew it was already to late.

The main hall erupted.

As Sirius and Kenton threw curses at each other, the students scattered. Some huddled in small groups, watching the duel in awe while others fled in fear when a stray burst of energy would get too close.

Lucius had begun to command the students out and took to escorting smaller groups that were trapped behind the duel. When Remus and Snape finally untangled themselves from each other they helped Lucius in his task. Their first priority would be to get all the youngsters to safety; none of them wanted a student to accidentally catch a stray curse full on. All three men hurried the adolescents away while dust and sparks drifted through the air above their ducked heads.

Sirius and Kenton dodged in and out of each other's curses, shouting profanities at one another. For Sirius, he wanted his opponent dead and didn't much care if anyone objected. He was vaguely aware of the shouts and cries coming from around them, but paid them no attention. He was driven to kill this man.

Kenton on the other hand, was rather enjoying it. It had been a long time since his last duel (He really couldn't qualify the brief encounter with Sirius at Jennifer's flat a duel), and he was invigorated to have such a worthy opponent. He also felt it would do the students good to see a real duel and not some staged performance that would teach them nothing. If they were going to learn how to protect themselves in combat they needed to see how it would really happen. Nothing held back, no punches pulled, and no rules. He fought the urge to look at their audience, knowing if he let his guard down- even a trifle- Sirius would best him. And he couldn't have that, not in front of his future students.

"IMMOBULUS!" Dumbledore's thundering spell stilled both Sirius and Kenton, and silenced the main hall. All the students froze and Remus, Severus and Lucius stopped and looked at the Headmaster stride towards the duelists. "I do not recall giving permission for a dueling demonstration, Mr. Lennox." He looked first at Kenton, who stood frozen with his wand raised at Sirius. Dumbledore lithely took the wand, and then looked at Sirius. "And I would think you have other responsibilities to tend too, Mr. Black." Then pulled Sirius' wand from his hand. He then looked about the hall. "Professor Snape, would you kindly see these students to where they need to be?"

With a curt nod, Snape gathered up the remaining students and directed them from the hall. Dumbledore suppressed a smile as he heard Severus take points from all the houses and serve detention to the students that were bold enough to stay and witness the duel.

"My apologies, Headmaster." Malfoy stepped beside him. "We tried to prevent this, but Mr. Black doesn't seem to have any self-control."

"He should never have been forced to try and control it," Remus said all to calmly, picking Illyana's forgotten carpetbag from the floor.

"Yes, well." The Headmaster looked between Kenton and Sirius for a few moments before lifting the spell. "I do believe this altercation has ended."

Kenton smiled jovially. "Of course, Headmaster."

Sirius didn't respond. He glared at Kenton, his chest heaving up and down with anger.

"Lucius, if you will show Mr. Lennox to my office I'll join you shortly."

"I'll be seeing you," Kenton said lowly and pointed his finger at Sirius's chest, barely an inch from touching him. "Soon."

Sirius still didn't speak, but a low growl could be heard as his upper lip curled into a snarl. Kenton smiled broadly in return as he and Malfoy swept out of the hall.

Dumbledore looked at Remus and Sirius, and handed Sirius back his wand. "I trust you won't use this until you're away from here?"

He took the wand and tucked it back into his robes. "Tell me I didn't hear right," he questioned the Headmaster. "You aren't going to allow that vile man to teach here, are you?"

"He came highly recommended from the Ministry," the Headmaster's voice was quite impassive. "And as it's been several years since we've had a suitable instructor," he looked pointedly at Remus. "I'll not overlook any one who applies." He then looked at Sirius. "Anyone."