Be All My Secrets Remembered

La Reine Noire

Story Summary:
'Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.' Spanning from spring of 1976 through the fateful Halloween night of 1981, the adventures and misadventures of Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, and their contemporaries, particularly those belonging to the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black, Toujours Dysfunctional. Warnings: contains dark thematic material, violence, innuendo, as many literary references as can be managed, and very mild slash.

Chapter 28 - Les jeux sont faits

Chapter Summary:
Wherein Dorcas has a visitor, and Lily and Emmeline see far more of Sirius Black than they ever expected. Severus has a drink with an old friend. Remus takes Dorcas' advice.
Posted:
10/03/2005
Hits:
1,916
Author's Note:
Sending this in quickly, as 27 took rather a long time to appear. Many thanks to Krysa and Adelynne for helping me with conclusions, and coding. Also, my first piece of fanart! ::bounces::


Chapter Twenty-Eight: Les jeux sont faits

April, 1979

Having lived with at least one cat for most of her life, Dorcas' first assumption when she heard odd noises was that they stemmed from feline mischief. This time, however, it was most assuredly a human footstep. Normally, she wouldn't even have been home at this hour, but they had been given the morning off from training on the assumption that they would be staying late into the night. So much for lounging about after her bath.

Grabbing her wand from the top of the bureau, Dorcas stepped into the corridor. The sounds--not very subtle, if one asked her--were still coming from downstairs. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Alastor Moody roared about Constant Vigilance. It was very difficult to feel vigilant when all one was wearing was a bathrobe long since faded from its original red to an embarrassing shade of quasi-fuchsia.

Water from her still-wet hair trickled down her back, causing her to clench her teeth against the cold. Whoever he--she--it--was, the noise was coming from the parlour. A shadow passed across the doorway. Dorcas aimed, and shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

"Protego!" The shield went up even as she finished the word, and in a voice she knew all too well. "Accio Dorcas Meadowes!" added Sirius with what she realised was an insufferably wicked grin, as she felt herself propelled across the room to land on top of him, where he had fallen.

"You great bloody idiot, why can't you knock like normal people do?" Thankfully, the somewhat idiotic grin on her face was at least temporarily buried in his hair, and by the time she managed to pull herself to a seated position, she was looking down at him in her best irate schoolmistress fashion.

"What, and lose the unparalleled pleasure of surprising you?" he protested. "Not on your life. Though I did have a legitimate reason for coming. A question, to be exact."

"Oh, a question..." she lingered on the last word, regarding him with as much disdain as she could muster. It was far more difficult than she might have liked. "And a legitimate one, no less. Maybe we ought to seat ourselves on actual chairs and discuss this like civilised people."

"Merlin's balls, woman, you're on top of me, wearing nothing but a bathrobe, and you're suggesting we move?" Sirius looked horrified at the very thought. "That was below the belt."

Her eyes flickered downward, and then back to his face as she leant deliberately forward. "No less than you deserve. Legitimate question, indeed!"

"I had a question?"

"Apparently. Well, why don't you ask it? Enquiring minds want to know." Belying the words, her fingers played at the collar of his shirt.

Sirius swallowed. "I've got a new assignment from the bank."

"Mhm." Still listening, she began to slip buttons free of loops almost idly. "What sort of assignment?"

"They're sending me to...oh that isn't fair at all," he complained with very little actual rancour as Dorcas shifted herself just enough to nip at his ear.

"Go on, I'm listening," she assured him, the words muffled against his neck.

Sirius managed to catch his breath long enough to blurt out, "There's-a-cursed-roulette-wheel-in-the-casino-in-Monte-Carlo-and-I-was-wondering-if-you-might-want-to-come-along."

It was Dorcas' turn for surprise, as she drew away to look down at him. "Did you just ask me to go the French Riviera with you?"

"For purely research purposes, I assure you," he replied, eyes wide and innocent. "Apparently it's been cursed since 1913, but the casino only informed them recently. Seemed up your alley, as it were."

"I thought Remus was your research drone?" she teased. "Are you expanding your operations?"

"Are you suggesting I drag Moony to Monte Carlo for a romantic holiday?"

"You claimed it was purely for research purposes," countered Dorcas.

"Well..." he grinned, running his fingers, feather-light, along the length of her legs, "I might have estimated a day or two longer than I needed."

She was unable to keep from shivering at the touch. "You've got yourself a research drone, love. And with very little effort, I might add."

"In spite of all your attempts to make it difficult."

"I thought you enjoyed being pounced on by women," she murmured.

"Technically, you didn't pounce. But," he added quickly as she started to get up, "I don't care about technicalities. I'm a firm believer in being pounced on."

"I love it when you backpedal, Sirius Black." Dorcas shifted her weight slightly, a wicked grin of her own forming as Sirius let out a soft groan. "You're so very bad at it. But I'll be merciful." Catching hold of the arm of a nearby chair, she levered herself to her feet. "The floor is terribly uncomfortable, after all."

He didn't answer, even as she started up the stairs. Then, as she turned to see if he had even moved yet, his hand snaked round her waist, and she found herself pressed against the wall, kissing him with enough festered ardour that it might have been months, rather than weeks, since the last time.

"I was worried," she finally murmured, almost hesitantly. "After we heard about Dearborn...or didn't hear, if one wanted to be technical about it. He left about the same time you did, and it's as if he's vanished into thin air."

"I spoke to Prongs yesterday. I just assumed he'd told everyone. I'm sorry." Instead of kissing her again, he drew her close, so her chin rested on his shoulder. "There just wasn't time for too many messages, and it was easiest to track him down."

"It's alright." Composing herself, Dorcas made to pull away, but Sirius did not let go, instead tightening his hold on her until she laughed nervously. "Trying to strangle me, love?"

He didn't respond at first. Then, with a convulsive shiver, he said, "It was so cold there. I can't imagine how Reg---how he could stand it."

"That's where Dumbledore sent you? Durmstrang?" She did not hide her surprise. "I had no idea."

"Dearborn was with me, Dorcas. We should have been back days ago, but he's gone." There was no mistaking the tremor in his voice. "We were supposed to meet in the village just south of Durmstrang, and he never came. I looked all over the place, everywhere I could possibly think of, but I couldn't find him."

"It's not your fault." She pulled away just far enough to look him in the face. "I assume it was part of the plan for you to split up?" She waited for his answering nod to continue, "And you looked for him, you did everything you could. It's awful, yes, but you can't blame yourself."

He smiled then, faintly. "I missed you."

"And I you, love." Leaning forward, she kissed him again, tangling her fingers in black curls. "Now let's go upstairs."

***

"She did say she'd meet us at eleven, didn't she?" Lily glanced at her watch for what felt like the hundredth time. She had arrived at the small coffee shop near the Marina, and Emmeline had shown up within a minute or so, with the message from Dorcas. "I wasn't imagining it?"

Emmeline shook her head. "I remember eleven. She had training starting at one, so she didn't have much time to spare. And she was in the shower when I left, so..." She shrugged, and finished the last of her scone. "I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason."

"So long as you're sure," Lily conceded. Then, after a few more sips of coffee, she said, "It's not like her to be late."

"Do you want to go home and check?"

"You probably think I'm overreacting," she observed, smiling ruefully. "I don't mean to. It's just...after everything that's happened, you know what I mean."

"Caradoc." Emmeline lowered her eyes to the table. "That was Sirius James heard from, wasn't it? He's alright?"

Lily nodded. "I'd wanted to tell Dorcas, but I was already in bed by the time she came home last night, and she was asleep when I left." Reaching forward, she laid one hand across Emmeline's. "Are you alright?"

"Caradoc was a friend of my father's. I'll need to tell him tonight. He thinks it's a terrible idea, Father does. He thinks we're drawing attention to ourselves, being in the Order."

"How so?" Lily frowned. "We're being as quiet as possible."

"That's what I told him," said Emmeline with a shrug. "But he remembers Grindelwald. He'd rather lay low and wait for the storm to pass, and so on." Pre-empting Lily's protest, she added, "I'm not saying it's right, or that it makes sense. It's merely what he thinks."

Lily finished her cup of coffee. "Would you mind horribly if we checked at home?"

"Of course not."

Ducking into the alley behind the coffee shop, they Apparated to the Vances' garden. On instinct, both of them looked up, but there was nothing above the house, save the occasional wispy cloud. Then they discovered the unlocked front door.

Lily's hand fell away from the doorknob as if shocked. "Did you...?"

"I locked it before I left. I know I did." Emmeline did not hesitate, pushed the door open and stepped into the front hall, wand drawn. Lily followed, careful to move as quickly and quietly as possible.

There were noises in the kitchen, the sounds of cupboards being opened and closed, and dishes rattling. Then, what sounded like...bare feet?

"The things I do for...Lily! Emmeline! Lovely to see you."

They could only stare. Sirius Black, outside of coffee mugs held in both hands, was wearing absolutely nothing.

"...Oh." He looked down, but without even the slightest hint of a blush, grinned and made his way past them. "Wasn't expecting you back, obviously. Though if Dorcas planned this to make me squirm, as you can see, she failed."

It was only when they heard the upstairs door close that both women exploded into laughter. "Oh my God, did you see...?" Lily managed to choke out, burying her face in her hands.

"Honestly, Lily, if we were still in school, we'd be the envy of every girl there," Emmeline observed, between her own gasps. "Sirius Black, stark naked in our kitchen. Who'd have predicted that?"

"Dorcas, apparently."

As if summoned by the words, their errant housemate came barrelling down the stairs. "Oh girls, I'm so very sorry...I quite lost track of time."

"So we noticed," Emmeline replied, brows raised. "In fact, we had quite the eyeful."

It was difficult to tell if the pink in Dorcas' cheeks was in fact embarrassment, or merely exertion. "Do you approve?"

Lily, still laughing too hard to properly speak, just nodded. Emmeline grinned. "I don't think you ought to mention this to James, by the way. He might kill Sirius."

"What, for burning out his fair Lily's not-altogether-innocent eyes?" teased Dorcas. "She's seen worse, I'm quite sure. Oh, and by the way, I'll be gone for the next few days or so."

"Gone, or just hiding in the bedroom with the door bolted?"

"I'll leave that to you both to find out. Could we reschedule bridesmaid-gown discussions till the weekend?" At Lily's nod, she retreated up the stairs once more.

Emmeline took one look at Lily and they both collapsed against the walls, laughing yet again.

***

The last person Severus expected to see upon opening his door was Evan Rosier. And yet, there he was, large as life, cat-green eyes glittering and his trademark smirk surprisingly widened into a proper smile.

"Surprise?" he offered, with all the innocence of a schoolboy.

Severus was too startled to do anything but stare for a moment. Finally, "Yes. You'd be right in that assumption. What brings you here?"

"I don't suppose you'd believe me if I told you I missed your taciturn and glowering company?"

He very nearly smiled at that. "At least you're honest with me, Rosier. I do appreciate that." Stepping back, he gestured grandly. "Come in?"

"I'd actually thought to invite you out for a drink," offered Rosier with equal gravity. "Catch up, and such."

"I thought you hadn't come here to see me," Severus pointed out.

"That's no reason for poor manners, at least not in my book. Are you coming?"

There was no good reason to refuse, and in spite of an utter lack of trust where Rosier was concerned, Severus had to admit that he enjoyed the other man's company. Nodding, he stepped out and closed the door behind him. "Where to?"

"I was hoping you might recommend one of those nice student pubs, or something of the like. I feel the oddest urge to take in the culture." As they made their way down the cramped, winding stairs to the street, he continued, "You're right, of course. I am here on business."

"I never imagined you weren't. Nor do I think you need to tell me whose business it is." Severus led him down one of the narrow cobbled streets to the hole-in-the-corner pub he had taken to frequenting on the occasional nights when he left the network of rooms allotted to Professor Faust. It was rife with dark corners where he could sit undisturbed to his heart's content. "No doubt it's far safer for you to keep silent on that particular count."

"Sharp as ever, Snape," said Rosier as he slid with customary catlike grace onto a bench at the table Severus had selected. "How do you like it here? Your letters are unsurprisingly free of sentiment."

"I like it well enough," replied Snape with a shrug. "I'm considering staying another year." Noting the sudden arch of Rosier's brow in surprise, he added, "Professor Faust likes my work, and I can't think of a particularly good reason to return to England. Agrippa's got Damocles Belby working with him, after all."

"Damocles Belby is a buffoon. At least compared to you, he is. I assume he's reasonably competent, given that Agrippa's kept him for this long. Now, what would you like to drink?"

They made relatively innocuous small talk for a few minutes after the drinks were brought, Rosier continuing his snide remarks about Damocles Belby. Much as Severus would have liked to claim that he didn't care, he was forced to admit that it was rather nice to be missed. It happened so rarely, after all.

"Do tell me you aren't seriously considering staying here, Snape," Rosier said, leaning his chin on one hand. "I can think of quite a few people who would be unhappy to hear it." At Snape's querying look, he obliged with clarification. "The Malfoys, for instance. Narcissa was asking about you when last I saw her."

"I wasn't aware that you and Narcissa Malfoy kept company, at least not in any civil sense. In fact, I was under the impression you disliked one another rather violently."

Rosier shrugged. "We've grown on one another. She wanted to know when you were planning to come back to England. Of course..." he paused, lowering his eyes, "I'm not entirely surprised, given what's happened, that she's asking for you."

"What's happened?" Severus' eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"You didn't hear about that incident at the Ministry?" Before Severus could answer, he made a noise of comprehension. "No, I can't imagine you would have done, buried out here like this. It was all over the Prophet."

"Rosier, get to the bloody point."

"Calm down, Snape. Really. Anyone would think you were genuinely frightened. She's obviously fine now. After all, she spoke to me." Rosier was looking at him, his sympathetic expression not reaching his eyes. "She was attacked, at the Ministry Christmas party, of all the places. Isn't that just awful? Rumour has it her own sister hit her with quite the nasty hex."

"Rumour?" echoed Severus. "Or did you witness it for yourself?"

"Really, Snape, what do you take me for? Of course I didn't see it. And, as I said, she's recovered quite well." He paused yet again, this time almost certainly for dramatic value. "Pity about the child, though. But she's young. Only a few years older than you or me. They'll have their heir sooner or later."

It was too much for Severus to digest at once, so he took a rather large sip of his drink to mask the thoughts as they settled. "Would I be correct in assuming that your rather testy employer was somehow involved?"

Rosier lifted his hands, palm-upward. "I know nothing, Snape. I just imagine Narcissa might wish to have you back in the country for any number of reasons, not merely to take advantage of your particular expertise. Would I be wrong in that assumption?"

"And this has nothing to do with the offer the Dark Lord made me last year?" Severus challenged, looking Rosier directly in the eyes. "He doesn't wish to...take advantage of my particular expertise?"

"The Dark Lord is a patient man, Snape. I'm sure he's willing to wait as long as you need. He's very keen on getting hold of you, you know. You're a man of unique and varied talents." The smile accompanying the remark was nothing short of mischievous. "Come, Snape. Surely some part of you wants to join in the fun."

"I suppose it's just my luck that I don't have a sibling to hex me at convenient moments. Unless that's what you're for?"

"Snape, you wound me." The words would have been more convincing, had there not been an undertone of amusement in Rosier's voice. "I wouldn't harm a single hair on your head. Why are you so keen on making a villain of me?"

"Because you play the part so well, Rosier. It would be impolite of me not to jump for the bait after you lay it out so nicely." It was Severus' turn to smile. "But you're quite right. I've heard very little. I can't remember the last time I saw a newspaper. It's been refreshing, all told."

"You can't hide forever, Snape." Severus leant forward in response to the growing intensity of the words. "The world is changing, whether you like it or not. There's a new order now, and you do want to be on the winning side, don't you? I know you've got no more liking for upstart Mudbloods than I do, so there's no logical reason for you to join up with Dumbledore and his misguided band of sheep. That being said, you're far too brilliant to simply stand by, and let someone else steal the prestige that is rightfully yours."

You always have a choice, Severus. Agrippa's words sounded within his head, as loud as when he had first heard them. His power stems from darkness, from instability, and someday it will explode in his face.

"Granted," Rosier was saying, "it isn't all cheer and amusement and such. The Ministry's in an uproar. Law Enforcement's arresting all sorts of people--can't touch anyone who matters, naturally, so they're sweeping away the dregs and such--and security's tighter than that Evans bint's legs, back at school." At the name, Severus' head shot up from his glass, much to his own annoyance. Apparently well aware of his discomfort, Rosier continued with a smile sharp as broken glass, "Of course, rumour has it they've loosened recently."

"And what, precisely, do you mean by that?" Severus' voice matched Rosier's in icy hauteur, the words clipped and careful.

"Why, that she's engaged. To that old friend of yours, James Potter. But he's always had abysmal taste, as you're well aware. His entire family, for that matter."

"I expect no better of him." Snape finished the last of his drink, thankful for the shield provided by the glass. Better to hear it now from Rosier, he supposed, than in the presence of someone skilled in Legilimency.

Rosier smiled. "I didn't think you would."

***

Remus always double-checked before Flooing to Sirius' flat, in spite of Sirius' numerous attempts to point out that it wasn't necessary. Having heard via James that Sirius was back from wherever on earth he had been--Lily made some mention of the south of France, something that made James grimace and grumble that if he'd known curse-breaking would send a person to the Riviera, he'd have taken that up instead of Auror training--he poked his head into his fireplace, amidst the green flames and emerged in Sirius' parlour.

"Padfoot?" he called out. "Are you in?"

"Moony, how many times have I told you--"

"--that I don't need to check before I Floo over," finished Remus with a grin. One that quickly turned into a smirk when Sirius appeared in the doorway, dripping wet and wearing nothing but a towel. "Am I interrupting?"

"Yes," Sirius informed him with a glare. "Now get your lycanthropic arse over here, and let me finish my shower." With that, he turned around and padded back to the bathroom. Even from his odd angle, and even while laughing almost too hard to move properly, Remus could see the network of puddles he had left on the floor.

A few seconds later, he was standing in the middle of the selfsame parlour, and stepped gingerly over the puddles on his way into the bedroom. "Where were you, anyway?" he asked, pitching his voice louder than usual, so Sirius could hear him over the shower.

"Monte Carlo," Sirius called back. "Why?"

"Prongs is annoyed. He doesn't think you deserve to visit the Riviera, even if there was work involved. Which he's not entirely sure he believes." Remus stepped closer to the bureau, opening a copy of an appealing-looking demon text to a bookmarked page. "Blood curses? Nasty stuff."

"It was just a possibility, and you were otherwise occupied on Tuesday so I couldn't ask you." The shower stopped, and he could hear the rattle of the curtains. "There was a cursed roulette table."

"Odd thing to curse," observed Remus, his eyes moving to the assorted photographs on the wall in front of him. In the first one, James snored peacefully in his bed in Gryffindor Tower, oblivious to the fact that his hair had been turned long, blonde, and curly, and several obscene things had been drawn on his face. Directly next to it were the four of them and Lily at Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters. Remus was pushing Sirius into James, who was falling into a pole. "Dorcas took this one."

"Which one's this?" Sirius poked his head through the door, revealing his face covered in shaving cream. "Oh, the one at the station. Yeah."

Remus studied the rest of them, periodically smiling with some nostalgia, and occasionally frowning as he found unfamiliar scenes, no doubt also the product of Dorcas' camera. And his breath caught, lastly, as he watched Lily and James waltz endlessly beside a fountain as autumn leaves swirled about. "She's got a good eye."

"She does, at that. Of course, it's bloody difficult to get her in a photograph," replied Sirius, still from the bathroom. "Near-impossible, actually. I've managed to catch her by surprise once so far, and because I didn't have much time, I accidentally cut off half her face." He laughed ruefully. "Still kept the photograph, though. On the mirror."

"So Padfoot the Sneaky isn't actually so sneaky then," Remus grinned, moving slightly so he could study the photograph half-framed by one of the mirror's corners. A pair of deep brown eyes peered out at him, slightly widened in surprise.

"Someday," Sirius was saying, "I will prevail. There will be a photograph of Dorcas Meadowes if I have to tie her down in order to take it."

But Remus wasn't paying attention. From the mirror, his own reflection gazed back at him. Why it suddenly captured him was puzzling in and of itself. He looked no different than he had this morning, when he had last checked his reflection, if only to make sure there weren't any visible scratches from the full moon a few days back. The somewhat crooked nose, prematurely grey-streaked hair falling over his forehead despite his mother's constant remonstrations to cut it, the frown lines pinched at the corners of his mouth. And the eyes, dark with secrets ---

Remus, dear, I want you to look in the mirror. Very closely.

It had been almost a year since Dorcas told him that. And suddenly, in what Sirius might have referred to as a lightning-flash of inspiration, he saw.

"Moony, have you heard a word I said?"

Remus turned, startled. Sirius, still wrapped in a towel, was leaning against the door to the bathroom, and regarding him with open bafflement.

"Should I start into a chorus of 'You're So Vain'?" he teased. "I thought I was bad, but I've never got myself so lost in my own reflection that I went temporarily deaf."

"No, I believe that was your song, Padfoot. Wormtail did bring it in specially for you in third year," Remus retorted, trying to keep his whirling thoughts to himself. Not on the fact that Sirius was looking at him, which meant the photograph was directly next to him, and that Sirius might or might not already be aware of precisely what was going on in spite of his legendary obliviousness about a great many things... "I seem to recall," he added, stepping deliberately forward to obscure the photograph from Sirius' line of sight, "you were the one who hogged the mirrors in Gryffindor Tower on a regular basis."

"I did no such thing." Sirius made his way across the room and picked up a shirt. "I might be somewhat...particular...about the way I look, but that's beside the point."

Remus' eyes flickered from Sirius to the door, and back again. "I just remembered, I was supposed to meet Emmeline..."

"Emmeline?" Sirius singsonged, grinning incorrigibly. "I thought she'd decided you weren't worth all the trouble you kept giving her?"

"She did. That doesn't stop us from being friends, now, does it? If it did, I think I'd have abandoned you years ago," Remus managed to say, even as he backed toward the door. "I'll see you later, Padfoot."

"Later, Moony."


Author notes: 'You're So Vain' is by Carly Simon, from 1973.