Always

Mr Padfoot and the Council of Angels

Sirius looked about himself in surprise. This wasn't what he'd been expecting...

Not at all.

He had imagined a huge, light airy gallery sort of place. Not... this. This place was just...

Weird.

He, James and Lily had just wished themselves into a lift which had lead them straight into a crowded, busy office. This was the council of Angels? Nah, this was obviously a joke. Albeit a bad one on James' part.

There were files stacked haphazardly onto every available space, and many people in woollen white gowns were bustling about, shouting orders at their co-workers and, by the looks of it, being largely ignored.

There seemed to be many a glowing square of light hovering over some of the desks, where people were writing notes, as if they were analysing they were analysing what they were watching.

Sirius glanced about and found more glowing squares, the images on some of these were not exactly interesting, but one caught his eye; it showed what looked like a silver haired man lying in a hospital bed, with all kinds of barbaric muggle technology placed around and on and in him.

Frowning, Sirius turned and poked James between the ribs, "What are they doing to that old guy? Torture you reckon?"

James stared at the screen for half a second before attempting wandering over to have a closer look. Lily glowered at her husband and Sirius and growled threats under her breath, whilst yanking them over to a desk that was free.

"How can I help yeh?" A rattled, more than slightly chubby man asked, beckoning them to his desk, which was over-flowing with paper, parchment, pens and quills, folders and a large carriage clock.

Sirius found these... angels... rather disconcerting.

Usually you'd imagine angels to have auras of pure light around them, that they looked serene and calm, with white, white regal looking gowns and gentle eyes.

This bloke looked rushed off his feet, and his aura (if you could call it that) seemed that of a bored business man. Sirius found it hard to take the angel seriously as his beautiful gown had a smear of what looked like ketchup on his sleeve and crumbs sprinkled liberally on his chest.

This man was the one he would ask for help so so he could get back on Earth. Right. Yes.

"Er hello... Could I speak to someone in charge please?" James asked. He seemed to be starting off being polite whilst restraining a tight-lipped, glowering, Lily.

"Well, I'll have to do for the moment, I'm afraid. Everyone else is busy." The man pushed several folders aside to make room from a couple of chairs he'd been using as storage space. "Now sit down and then why don't yeh tell me the problem."

"Well I'm Sirius Black, this is James and Lily Potter," Sirius gestured to each in turn and carried on. "We've come here to talk about how I go about returning to the living."

The man sighed, apparently he wasn't surprised, "Look yeh died, mate; yeh can't go back."

"I am aware that I fell through the veil of Death", Sirius replied at once. "That doesn't mean I'm dead."

"Yeh wouldn't be here and talking to me if yeh weren't dead. Yeh can't go back; end of story."

"Look you!" Lily suddenly erupted, "If you don't even look at his file then we shall go and tear down this place apart, drag someone from higher up to listen to us and have you demoted so low that you'll feel the flames in the pits of Hell licking at your fat arse!"

"Och, look at tha' blumming file, Bob. We're in enough trouble over the gerbil incident from las' week!" An auburn haired woman at the next desk to theirs said, gave an imperious nod at her co-worker and returned back to her paperwork.

After muttering under his breath, the blob of an angel, Bob, went and found a file that had printed on it: Sirius Black, Wizard, Account No. 18395432. After peering at whatever was written inside, Bob frowned and seemed to analyse Sirius' file, suddenly interested in the rather unusual life he had led.

"Animagus, escaped convict...bleeding 'ell man you've done a lot in your short life, ey?"

Sirius gave into the urge to preen and smiled winningly, "Well, it wasn't that difficult..."

"Did yeh know that it is no coincidence that yeh Animagus form is a dog, one that looks suspiciously like a Grim at that?" The bureaucrat surveyed them whilst pulling open a desk draw and unwrapping a large sticky bun.

Sirius noticed that the action seemed automatic and had to suddenly stifle a peal of laughter at the disgusted expression on Lily's face.

Bob carried on his speech, oblivious, and Sirius tried to put his mind back onto the conversation.

"Now Celts thought that dogs and Grims could roam freely in between worlds (as in this world, Heaven and the livin' world) and they often kept dogs to protect their families from the evil spirits that could also go from one world to another and such. They also believed that archways mark entrances and exits to, and from these worlds, and that anyone could go and visit the dead for a bit and return.

Now they were partly right, the archway that yeh fell through is an entranceway to this world but when yeh go through it yeh don't return. But yeh're a dog Animagus, right? So it means that by using the veil yeh can go and visit the livin' world and be visible to the humans residing there."

"So, what does that mean?" James asked, looking bored as he pulled at the thread at the bottom of his robes. He had never been the sort of person who did well, sitting through lectures. He had to cause destruction somehow. Whether it be a cloak, or a classroom.

"It means that Mr Black is able to travel between the realm of the living and this heaven. Course, he'd have to stay in his dog form and if he joined us, he'd get paid for scaring people to death. We'd give yeh a list of victims o' course, Mr Black." Sirius watched with amusement as Bob's eye developed a glint, no doubt, because he might be able to get a raise out of this, and earnestly began to try to convince Sirius of the joys of belonging to the Grim squad or whatever the hell it was called.

James bit back a laugh and Lily smiled brightly.

Sirius tried to swim through the shock and found he could only focus on thinking, 'Return to the living...visible to everyone...'

"What do yeh think, Mr Black? Working for the Council of Angels brings with it many benefits, including..." The Angel then rattled off several things that didn't touch Sirius' ears as his mind was wandering... Go back and be seen!'

"Er..." Sirius said eloquently when he saw Bob was waiting for a reply.

"He'll be able to move between worlds without this Council's help though won't he?" Lily asked, green eyes alight, her hands gripping Sirius' arm painfully tight.

"If he's in his dog form, then yeah. But think of it Mr Black, if you join our experienced team of Grims then..."

"I'll think about it." Sirius said sharply, effectively silencing the plump Angel.

He could go back... even if it was in his dog form. Harry, Remus, Tonks and the rest of the Order, they'd be able to see him and hear him. He'd be able to comfort his godson and best friend. They wouldn't look or feel so dreadful if he was there! Excitement filled his bones and he was unable to sit still, his heart pounding. He could help Harry, his Harry, who needed all the strength he could get to fight this war, and win.

"Going there alone means time limits, but if yeh join our ranks then..." Bob continued to babble, trying to impress him into going into a career of being the spectre of Death before people died.

"Look, I said I'd think about it." Sirius snapped out, he then stood up and strode out of the stuffy, drab office that ironically housed the Council of Angels. Lily and James half ran to catch up with him as he stormed out, forcing a few bemused House Elves to jump out of his way.

He could go back.

He could go back, be seen and make a difference. Sirius transformed and bounded into the lift, hoping to hell that the Veil of Death wouldn't be too far away.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Wherever You Will Go- The Calling.

If I could, then I would,
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low, I'll go wherever you will go

And maybe, I'll find out
A way to make it back someday
To watch you, to guide you through the darkest of your days
If a great wave shall fall and fall upon us all
Then I hope there's someone out there who can bring me back to you

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