Cave Canem

Cave Canem

Chapter Two: Unregistered Werewolf

It had been a long two nights. A long, wet, two nights. A long, boring, wet, two nights, and Sirius was glad to be home at last. Thirty-eight hours hiding on a moor watching an abandoned cottage to witness a possible Death Eater meeting that had not taken place--thirty-eight hours in the rain, no less. The worst part wasn't the rain, although after twelve hours Sirius had felt like he had gone swimming fully clothed. The worst part was being alone with his thoughts for thirty-eight hours. No one should be at the mercy of his own thoughts and memories just one day after a break-up. "And I volunteered for this reconnaissance mission because I thought it would be a distraction," Sirius thought wryly.

Sirius focused his weary mind on the task at hand, temporarily disabling the first of two wards barring his entrance into his flat. Remus had very cleverly designed it to require only force of thought and an inconspicuous gesture of the hand--no wand, no incantation. Sirius blessed his flatmate for that foresight whenever he brought a Muggle woman to the flat. The second ward was even less bother; it "recognized" certain people and admitted them automatically.

Sirius pushed open the door and made a half-hearted attempt to hang his cloak on a peg by the door. The cloak hit the floor with a soggy squelch. He ignored it, performed a drying spell on his robe, and collapsed on the sofa.

"Reeemus--have pity on a weary man and make me some eggs--please?" Silence was the only reply. "Oh, bugger. He's not home and I'm too hungry to sleep." Sirius rolled off the sofa and stumbled into the kitchen. No sooner had he started frying a couple of eggs then he heard a knock at the door.

Sirius hung his head and mumbled, "I'm not home." Whoever it was knocked--no, pounded--on the door louder. "Oh, bloody hell. This better be good."

With a growl of frustration, Sirius stalked to the door and yanked it open. A grey-haired wizard with a beefy build stood with a fist raised, poised to pound again. Beside him was a short, slightly plump witch who appeared to be in her mid-thirties.

"Are you Sirius Black?" the man asked. Somehow he made it sound like that was an unfortunate thing to be.

"Yeah--and you are?"

"I'm Charlotte Stirling," the woman smiled as she spoke and extended a hand to shake Sirius's, "and this is Morris Burdock. I'm from the Office of Werewolf Support Services." Sirius noted that only she was from the Support Services office. He doubted that the scowling wizard was there to offer support to a werewolf. He also noted that the wizard held his wand; it was only partially concealed by the folds of his robe.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Stirling, but Re--" he broke off in mid-sentence. "Remus isn't here, but he didn't ask for Remus. He asked for me." Sirius shook his head and smiled slightly. "Gwen turned me in, didn't she?"

"We don't have to tell you who turned you in," Burdock said gruffly.

"You see, confidentiality is very important in our office," Ms. Stirling added, "for everyone."

Sirius was half-tempted to invite them in and play along for a while. He knew it was an opportunity to experience an aspect of Remus's life, to better understand the problems his friend faced. But he was tired and hungry; he just didn't want to play.

"Look, Gwen got it wrong. I'm not a werewolf, but I'm too tired to try to convince you today. I promise to come to your office tomorrow."

"You'll see us now," the man stated and took a step forward. The moment he tried to cross the threshold, however, he found his way blocked by an icy invisible wall and stepped back hurriedly. Sirius knew from testing the doorway that it felt even colder than walking through a ghost.

"One should always wait to be invited in," Sirius said with a sardonic grin.

"I'm terribly sorry, but we really need to speak with you today." Ms. Stirling actually did seem apologetic as she spoke, and Sirius found himself considering it. She glanced nervously at her companion. "Things may become unpleasant otherwise. Um--is something burning?"

"Bloody hell!" Sirius ran into the kitchen, grabbed the smoking frying pan, and dropped it into the sink. "This week just keeps getting better and better." He put his hands on the counter and leaned forward, his forehead resting against an upper cabinet while he thought. "I need to eat, I need to sleep, and I can't do either standing in the doorway arguing with Miss Goody-Two-Shoes and the troll."

"Come in!" he shouted over his shoulder toward the doorway. He knew that they would be able to enter now, and the sound of the door closing told him that they had done so. "Have a seat at the kitchen counter. I haven't eaten in a couple days, so excuse me if I make a sandwich or something while we talk." He turned around to see Charlotte Stirling climbing onto a stool at the counter that separated the tiny kitchen from the main room. Burdock, however, was stalking around the room examining whatever he chose.

"What would Remus do?" Sirius thought. "Would you like a cup of tea, Ms. Stirling? I was just about to make some."

"Do you promise not to burn it?" she replied with a smile. Sirius found himself smiling back and beginning to relax.

"How about you, Mr. Burdock? Do you want some tea?" Sirius forced himself to sound civil. After all, he was trying to do as Remus would do.

"Nice picture," Burdock snarled sarcastically as he stared at the large photo of a full moon over a forest.

"It's the Forbidden Forest from the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts," Sirius replied as he made tea. "Milk or sugar?" Ms. Stirling shook her head. "A friend of ours took that photo. There's a copy at her house too."

"She a werewolf too?" Burdock asked with a look of disgust as he finally sat at the counter.

Sirius snorted. "Oh yeah, a werewolf taking a photo of the full moon--paws and cameras don't mix very well." Ms. Stirling seemed to be trying not to grin as she looked down into the mug of tea that Sirius had just put before her.

"Let's get to down to business," Burdock said curtly.

Sirius ignored him and began to search the small refrigerator for something to put into a sandwich. Cooling charms and preserving charms were better, but he and Remus made some concessions to Muggle-ness since Sirius brought Muggle women home on occasion.

"I'm here," Burdock continued, "because you aren't registered. You went to Hogwarts; you know the law."

"Yeah, I know a lot of laws concerning werewolves, and most of them are idiotic." "Cheddar, perfect."

"Is that why you never registered?" Ms. Stirling asked in what was obviously meant to be a sympathetic voice.

"No, I never registered because I'm not a werewolf."

"That's not what our informant says," Burdock said as if that settled the matter.

Sirius pulled a large knife out of a drawer in order to cut his sandwich in half. He smiled to himself as Burdock flinched away from the knife. "Your informant is my ex-girlfriend. Twice, twice, I couldn't go somewhere she wanted to go because I already had plans with my friends. Both times happened to be the full moon. Based on that, and that alone, she decided I was a werewolf."

"She had more than that: keeping a moon phase chart in your room, that photo of the moon, veiled comments about wolves from you and your friends," Burdock said accusingly. "It all adds up."

"Yeah, if you're an idiot," Sirius thought. He would have answered aloud, but he was too busy eating.

"Mr. Black, my office is concerned with helping you. It's difficult enough to be a werewolf without having to go through it without assistance," Ms. Stirling said. She ignored the dismissive noise Burdock made. "Obviously, you're less in need of assistance than our Muggle clients, but even wizards and witches who are werewolves need help from time to time. We can provide you with a safe place to transform. I admit it isn't very pleasant, but you won't be able to hurt anyone, and we can provide medical care for your injuries the next morning."

Sirius finished his sandwich and washed it down with his mug of tea. "Wolfed it down," he thought. "Ms. Stirling, you're obviously trying to be helpful, and I do appreciate it, but I'm really not a werewolf. What do you want me to do to prove it? I could come down to your office on the sixteenth, and you'll see for yourself that I won't transform."

"You're not a werewolf, but you know off the top of your head that the next full moon is the sixteenth?" Burdock said. He smiled smugly as if he had just proved his case.

"Stupid of me. Brain is getting fuzzy. Making dumb mistakes," Sirius thought. He felt too tired to stand anymore. He made his way back to the sofa and sat down. "My girlfriend just broke up with me because I wouldn't go with her to a party on the sixteenth, so, yeah, I do know the date off the top of my head. If there's nothing else, I only had about five hours of sleep three nights ago, and none since then. I'd really like to go to bed."

They both got up from the stools, but only Ms. Stirling headed for the door. Burdock stood in front of Sirius and looked down at him with a nasty grin.

"No, that isn't all," he said in a low voice. "Once you've been reported, the law requires that you be registered as a possible werewolf until it's proven one way or the other. You will be taken into custody on the sixteenth, locked in a cell, and when the moon rises, your registration will either be made permanent or erased. And we both know which it will be, don't we?"

Just then the front door opened and Remus came in. Sirius saw Remus tense at the sight of Burdock standing threateningly over his friend.

"Everything O.K., Sirius?" Remus slipped his wand out of his pocket.

"It's fine," Sirius lied. "I don't want Remus to have to deal with this creep." "Do me a favor? We're all out of milk. Run down to the corner for some more."

"You sure?"

"What's wrong?" Burdock snarled. "Doesn't your flatmate know about you yet? Awfully irresponsible of you not to tell him, but I suppose you don't care about putting humans in danger."

"Just go, Remus!" Sirius pleaded. Remus stood with a hand on the doorknob, unsure of what to do. Charlotte Stirling had been watching Sirius and Burdock, but she turned now to get a closer look at Remus.

"Remus--Lupin?" she asked.

Sirius dropped his head and buried his face in his hand. She obviously recognized Remus's name from her files, "Just too memorable a name for a werewolf," and now Burdock would bully Remus.

"And you're Aeneas Black's son, aren't you?" she continued. Sirius looked up at her in surprise. She was smiling as she looked from Remus to Sirius and back again. "Well, things are much clearer now. Although I am a bit surprised you two are still friends after that unfortunate incident three years ago."

There was only one "unfortunate incident" of any significance, the time Sirius nearly got his friends, and Snape, killed by telling Snape how to get under the Whomping Willow. Then he remembered what Mrs. Lupin had said when Remus was facing the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures:

"Oh, Aeneas, thank you so much for sending us that nice Charlotte Stirling. She's the first person I've met from Werewolf Support Services who didn't set my teeth on edge."

"Rather unfortunate name for her job though," Sirius's father had replied.

"Yes, I did rather flinch when she introduced herself."

"Oh, Ms. Stirling, I didn't realize who you were. My brain's a little fogged today. I remember Mrs. Lupin saying how helpful you were to her and Remus when--" Sirius broke off abruptly. He was saying far too much in front of the Werewolf Registry thug.

Remus smiled and shook her hand. "It's nice to see you again, Miss Stirling. I'm sorry I didn't recognize you. May I ask what's going on?"

"Gwen decided to turn the Big Bad Wolf in to the Registry," Sirius explained. "He's here to get me registered, and Ms. Stirling is here to offer whatever help she can."

"Ah," Remus grinned and gestured Ms. Stirling to a seat before sitting on the sofa himself. "Let me get a good seat for the show. This promises to be highly entertaining." Sirius raised an eyebrow at his friend. "Well, Pads, I did warn you. Let me know when you want me to step in and rescue you. Until then I'll just enjoy myself."

"Now would actually be a good time unless you want me locked up in a cell on the sixteenth."

Remus burst out laughing, much to Burdock's amazement. "Sirius Black locked up--it's Filch's dream come true. Wait until I tell James. It's almost worth letting him take you." Sirius glared at Remus. "I said almost." Remus looked at Burdock with a smile. "Has he growled at you yet? He really has a very bad habit of growling at people when he's annoyed."

"I'm getting annoyed with you right now, Remus," Sirius said quietly. "You know I don't want to be locked up for the full moon, but it might be worth it, almost."

Remus stopped smiling. He had understood the true meaning of what Sirius had said. If Sirius couldn't be with Remus at the full moon, Remus would have to be locked up. Prongs couldn't handle him without Padfoot.

"You're right; I'm sorry," Remus apologized. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to Sirius. "There's a silver Sickle inside this. Hold it for a while." Remus then addressed Burdock. "Why don't you have a seat while we wait? The truth is, Sirius's ex-girlfriend figured out that one of us is a werewolf--"

"You don't have to tell him, Remus," Sirius interrupted.

Remus ignored the interruption. "She just came to an incorrect conclusion about which one of us it is. I'm a werewolf; Sirius is not. He's busy at the full moon because he keeps an eye on me and makes sure I don't escape and hurt anyone. Show him your hand, Sirius."
Sirius removed the Sickle from his palm and showed Burdock that it was unblemished, no burn from the silver.

"How do I know that's a real Sickle?"

"Give him one from your own pocket." Burdock did so and then turned his attention to Remus.

"You're registered?"

"Of course."

Burdock pulled a small book out of his pocket and opened to a blank page. "Number?"

"WR040460A." The number appeared on the page as Remus spoke. A moment later the page filled with Remus's name and all the information about him that the registry had collected. Burdock began to skim through the information.

"Your mother sends me Christmas cards every year," Ms. Stirling said to Remus. "She was very proud of how well you did at Hogwarts. You graduated fifth in your class, didn't you?"

Remus looked surprised but pleased. "How on earth do you remember that?" he asked.

"Well, you were the first werewolf to attend Hogwarts, and you did so well--it just seemed worth remembering," she explained. Remus nodded understandingly. He wasn't just an individual; he was a representative of all werewolves.

"This doesn't say where you currently get locked up during the full moon," Burdock said gruffly as he pulled out a quill.

"It varies," Remus answered as he rose to get an inkwell from the writing desk. "Sometimes I go to my mother's house. She has a metal shed that's been inspected by the Registry before." Remus tried to hand Burdock the inkwell, but seeing that he wouldn't take it from Remus's hand, Remus put it on a table near him. "But more often I go to the home of my friends James and Lily Potter. They have a cellar I can use."

"Potter?" Burdock asked as he took notes.

"Yes, here's their address." Remus put a small piece of parchment next to the inkwell. He then returned his attention to Charlotte Stirling.

"I never could have done half so well in school if my friends hadn't explained all the lessons I missed. Sirius graduated second in our class." Sirius didn't want praise. He turned Ms. Stirling's attention back to Remus.

"But Remus blew everyone away in Defense Against the Dark Arts. He was first by far."

Burdock snorted dismissively at that. "A Dark Creature doing well at Dark Arts--that makes sense. A Dark Creature wanting to learn Defense? Why? So you can figure out how to outsmart humans who are trying to protect themselves?"

"THAT'S IT!" Sirius leapt to his feet; he'd had enough. "You do NOT come into my home and insult my friend. GET OUT!"

Burdock merely leaned back in his chair and smiled in a way that implied that he had the upper hand. "But it isn't just your home, is it, Black? It's Lupin's home as well--and I have the authority to drop in on any werewolf I choose and to ask him any questions I choose."

Sirius growled.

"Morris, it's time for you to leave," Ms. Stirling spoke with surprising authority. "Sirius, it's time for you to go to bed. We've kept you up far too long already." Sirius nodded but didn't take his eyes off Burdock.

"I'll go to bed right after he leaves," Sirius said. Burdock didn't move; he glared at Sirius.

"Morris, you told me that your wife wanted you home early today," Ms. Stirling stepped between the two angry men. "If you leave now, I'll write up this report for you and leave a copy on your desk for you to sign in the morning." After a moment's consideration, Burdock left without a word. "Well, that improves the ambience of the room, doesn't it? I should be going as well. Remus, please tell your mother that I said, 'Hello'."

"I will," Remus replied. "It was nice to see you again. I suppose I'll see you the next time Sirius does something idiotic."

Ms. Stirling laughed as she took her cloak off a peg by the door. Sirius noticed that she had hung up his cloak as well. He assisted her in putting on her cloak and stage whispered,

"I'd growl at him for that crack except that it's true." She nodded and patted his arm.

"I can see why Remus is friends with you, Sirius." She then looked at Remus with a very sober expression. "I'm afraid that Mr. Burdock has a tendency to hold a grudge. He may take out his dislike of Sirius by harassing you. If he does, please, don't hesitate to contact me. I can make him back off." Remus nodded. "Promise?"

"I promise," he assured her. Sirius held the door for her and handed her a coin.

"Please give the troll his Sickle back. I don't want him to accuse me of stealing it." He closed the door behind her and then collapsed back against it. He closed his eyes as he yawned and ran his fingers through his hair. "Ugh--this needs to be washed. It's almost as disgusting as Snape's." He opened his eyes to see Remus sitting on the arm of the sofa, his arms crossed and a smug smile on his face.

"So, have you had fun pretending to be a werewolf?"

"I told them the truth; they didn't believe me."

Remus nodded. "O.K."

"Thanks for rescuing me. Quick thinking with the Sickle."

"Yeah, well, the voice of experience." Remus looked down at the palm of his hand with a frown. "Hurts like a bitch." Sirius pushed off from the door and started slowly for his bedroom. As he passed, he saw that the palm of Remus's hand was red and raw.

"Do you need me to make up some of that special burn ointment?"

"No thanks, I still have some of the last batch James made."

"Good night, Moony."

"Good afternoon, Padfoot."

Just before falling into an exhausted sleep, Sirius wondered how Remus had managed to burn his palm. "He usually gets his fingertips if he has to pick up something. I'll ask him in the morning."