Grim Dawn

Grim Dawn

"Lupin!"

Moody grabbed his arm, but Remus jerked away. Every line of his body was tense with fury, and he still couldn't believe his ears. It took him a long moment to become capable of forming coherent speech, and even then, twelve years of pain colored his words.

"How dare you?" Remus snarled.

Sirius stared at him for a long moment, and then blinked slowly. For an instant, it seemed like his expression might soften, but then he sneered. "Truth hurts, doesn't it?"

Remus started to snap back, but then a logical corner of his mind finally registered what Sirius was saying, though he could not yet understand. "What truth?" he demanded.

"Do you really care?" Bitter blue eyes met his own, and for the first time, Remus saw the pain behind the anger. "Or would you prefer to hit me again because you don't like what I have to say?"

"I--" Remus didn't know what he would have said, or if he would have apologized or not (he had once been the level-headed one, after all), but Moody interrupted before he could speak.

"That's enough," the older wizard said sternly. "Truth or not, there are more important matters at hand--"

"No, it's not enough." Remus was feeling cold again. He wasn't feeling reasonable, no matter how level he was forcing his voice to sound--his emotions were a whirlwind, but now he had to know. "What truth?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I doubt you'd believe me if I told you."

"Try me," Remus snarled. The angry wolf inside of him wanted to lash out again, but he had his temper firmly under control once more. It came out so rarely, and had been so unexpected--but now anxiety was taking over, and he wasn't sure that he should know whatever 'truth' Sirius claimed to have...but he knew he had to.

Almost unwillingly, he met Sirius' eyes once more--really met them, this time, not glaring back in undisguised fury. And now Sirius was looking back, too, and the bitterness was fading behind sadness that was deeper than anything Remus had ever seen before. For a moment, he felt like he was looking in a mirror, back into his own eyes, because he recognized the loneliness and the pain that he saw. There was something else, though, that he hadn't seen in years: the bitter certainty that no one would understand. That no one would believe.

They might have stared in silence for an eternity; it certainly felt that long. Even Moody didn't speak; the older wizard seemed to understand that something lay beneath the surface and had to be exposed. Finally, though, Sirius spoke in a raw whisper. "Would you believe me if I said that I didn't betray James and Lily?"

A lightning bolt might have done less damage if it had hit him full in the heart. Pain and contradicting emotions seized up in his chest, and Remus found it nearly impossible to breathe. He wanted to believe, wanted to not be alone--but at the same time, common sense scoffed at the notion of Sirius being innocent. He had known the truth for years. Why was it that the pain and emptiness in Sirius' eyes made him want to change his mind?

"What...?" he finally managed. The word didn't really make sense, in that he was asking who, what, when, where, why, and how all in the space of one gasping breath, but Sirius clearly understood. Haunted pain swirled in his eyes.

"Peter," he replied bitterly. "We thought--no, I thought--that it would be the perfect ruse..."

Abruptly, Sirius looked away, and that one single motion told Remus more than a thousand words could have explained. Sirius' hands were shaking, and his eyes slid shut for a moment before he forced them open once more. A cold lump formed in Remus' throat.

"And you switched," he whispered. Part of him felt betrayed, because he knew the reason why. "Without telling me."

Sirius nodded numbly. "I never thought it could be Peter..." Fleetingly, he looked up and met Remus' gaze. There was a distressed glitter behind the haunted pain, now, and Remus could feel the long years of hell his friend had suffered even as his world turned upside down. Sirius looked away again, his voice breaking. "I convinced them to change Secret Keepers...it's my fault James and Lily are dead, but I didn't betray them. You've got to believe me, Moony." His eyes met Remus' again, and they were desperate now. "I would have rathered die."

Remus gulped, and struggled to find words to reply, but Sirius' quietly bitter voice rolled over him like a Muggle freight train, slow and heavy and pained.

"And I didn't kill Peter."

"What?" Moody beat him to it, but there was no sarcasm in the ex-Auror's words. Instead, there was something quickly approaching fear.

Sirius scrubbed his hands over his face. "He's here, actually--as a rat, because he got away."

"Huh?" Moody looked bewildered, and Remus could hardly blame him as he tried to sort the facts out in his own head.

"But why did he chase you, then--" Realization dawned. "But he didn't, did he? You chased him. And he escaped...?"

"Yeah." Sirius nodded. "He yelled for everyone to hear that I'd betrayed James and Lily, and then pulled a wand from behind his back--"

"And cut off his own finger before he blew the street up," Moody interrupted softly. "Brilliant."

Sirius gave Moody a slightly sour look, but Remus' mind was still racing, turning over what his friend had said. "He's here?" the Defense professor demanded, finally catching up with everything. His heart began to race. "You said Peter is here?"

"He's been hiding with some family as a rat. I saw his picture in the Daily Prophet...Harry said that Peter's 'owner' is his friend, Ron Weasley."

"Ron?" Remus stuttered, even as Moody's one real eye grew as wide as a Quaffle was round.

"Weasley?" he demanded.

Sirius only nodded again. His eyes were locked on Remus' suddenly, and the need in his gaze was plain. The words hadn't been said, and they needed to be. Tentatively, Remus reached a hand out to his friend. He was only partially surprised to realize that it was shaking. "I believe you," he said quietly. The words were surprisingly easy to say. "And I'm sorry for believing that you were guilty for all these years."

"I thought you were the spy, you know." Sirius said tentatively, hesitating before he accepted the offered hand. "But I didn't think--not enough--and I ruined everything..." He winced. "I'm sorry, too. If you'll accept my apology."

"Of course I will." Remus reached out and grabbed Sirius' hand, then dropped onto the bed and pulled his friend carefully into an embrace. For a split second, he felt Sirius shudder against him, but then his friend returned the hug with equal ferocity. After a moment, he asked gently, "Did you really think I wouldn't?"

"I don't--" emotion choked his voice off, and Remus felt him shake his head slightly. "I..."

"You've always been a daft one, Padfoot," Remus cut him off kindly, and felt the shiver run through Sirius' body as he used a nickname that his friend couldn't have heard for a dozen years. "And it isn't your fault," he murmured.

"Not to break up the glorious reunion or anything, but we do have several problems to deal with," Moody suddenly interjected, making both friends break apart and look up.

"Peter is--" Fury threatened to cut Remus off before he could finish speaking, but surprisingly, Sirius shook his head.

"Harry first," he said quietly, nearly shocking Remus with his restraint. "I don't trust Voldemort--"

"As well you should not," a fourth voice suddenly intruded, and Remus twisted, startled to finally notice Albus Dumbledore standing in the entrance to the Hospital Wing. How long had he been standing there? How much had he heard? The old man's face was grave, and he looked coldly powerful in that moment, more so than Remus could ever remember him being. "Lord Voldemort is on the move," Dumbledore continued levelly. "Apparently, he still does not know where Harry is, but he has decided that it is time to strike elsewhere."

Dumbledore's eyes were still focused on Sirius, but before Remus could leap to his friend's defense, the old man nodded ever so slightly in Sirius' direction. Respectfully--and understandingly. He knows.

"Where?" Moody demanded.

"There is no way to know," the headmaster replied. "He is only now gathering his followers to him."

"So we have time, then," the ex-Auror replied gruffly.

"Very little, but it appears so, yes."

. Remus turned. "Sirius?"

"Harry's at Grimmauld Place," his friend replied softly. It was almost amazing how easily he understood Remus, but then again, perhaps they hadn't changed as much as Remus had once thought. But Grimmauld Place? The one place in the world where Sirius had sworn never to return... The universe, Remus decided abruptly, had a fine sense of irony.

Moody snorted. "Snape is never going to let us live this down."

"Snape?" Sirius' eyes narrowed.

"He guessed that would be where you would go," Remus tried to explain, ignoring the twisted look of distaste that crossed Sirius' face. "He's teaching here."

"I knew that. It's just...Never mind..." Sirius frowned, and Remus realized that Harry must have told him. What an interesting conversation that must have been. But there was hard-won maturity in Sirius' voice now, knowledge of the type that even his career in the Aurors prior to Azkaban hadn't given him, and Remus marveled to hear it. "I don't like him predicting me, but I'm more worried about Harry." His eyes swiveled to Dumbledore. "When can we leave?"

So much for maturity. But Remus had to smile. He was almost drunk on the exhilaration--Sirius was back. It wasn't perfect--nothing ever was--and they had so much to make up for, so much to understand...but this was a second chance staring him in the eye, and he wasn't going to let go. He replied lightly, "Somehow I don't think Madam Pomfrey will like that much at all."

"So?" For a moment there was a glimmer of the old Sirius in those blue eyes, and Remus knew that challenging look all too well. He'd encountered it far too many times to have much pity for Dumbledore, however, when Sirius turned the headmaster's way.

"You realize, Sirius, that most of the Wizarding world still thinks of you as a mass murderer," the old man pointed out gently.

"At the moment, I really don't care. I'd rather make sure Harry is safe before anything else."

Dumbledore smiled slightly. "I thought that was what you would say."

"You know, I hate to be the voice of reason, but you really shouldn't--" Remus started speaking, expecting to be cut off and knowing that it wouldn't' work. He wasn't disappointed, either.

"Shove it, Moony." Sirius' voice was very quiet, but his haunted eyes were determined. "I'm going to get my godson. End of story." A ghost of a grin crossed his face. "Besides, I'd like to see you get into Grimmauld Place without me."

"I stand corrected," Remus murmured, feeling a real smile of his own.

"Well, if that's the case, we'd best do this now," Moody interjected once again. "Before anyone figures out that you're as stupid as you really are."

And surprisingly enough, Sirius laughed.

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Molly and Arthur answered Dumbledore's summons with surprise, to say the least. The "Hunters" usually met in the evening, and rarely in the middle of the week, which made this gathering different from the onset. Neither of them expected to be met by McGonagall, either, and led to the Hospital Wing. Molly's immediate concern had been for one of her children, but the deputy headmistress had assured her that they were all fine, despite the current Weasley tendency to get into trouble. She would not, however, tell them any more.

So the Weasleys were left wondering until they could hear Madam Pomfrey from down the hall, screeching at someone.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" the matron shouted. "You are not taking my patient anywhere! I don't care who you are, Moody--and don't you look at me that way either, Remus Lupin! You of all people ought to know that you can't just waltz in here and do as you please--"

Through the open door, Molly heard an unfamiliar voice remark:

"For someone who's so worried about my health, you're sure giving me one hell of a headache."

McGonagall led them through the door just as Pomfrey launched into another tirade. "Don't you even start with me, Sirius Black!" she roared. "You're staying in that bed, regardless of--"

"ENOUGH!" Moody's bellow cut the matron off and seemed to shake everyone, McGonagall included. The deputy headmistress did pause to give the ex-Auror a chastising look, but it bounced off of Moody's hard exterior just like everything else always did.

"Alastor is right, Poppy," McGonagall said gently before Moody could get another word in edgewise. "I know it's not exactly what you want, but Sirius is the only one who knows how to get to Harry, and--"

"Excuse me, but what did you just say?" Arthur got the words out a split second before Molly thought of saying the same thing, and she found herself stumbling to a halt and watching Remus Lupin help a slender and familiar wizard stand up. His face was bruised and his hair was somewhat shorter, but it was impossible to mistake his identity. Her ears hadn't deceived her. That was Sirius Black!

"Arthur, Molly." Moody grunted a greeting, still glaring at Pomfrey, who didn't even spare a glance in their direction.

"Oh, dear," McGonagall said quietly. "Albus didn't tell you, did he?"

"Tell us what?" Arthur demanded, but Molly couldn't take her eyes off Sirius Black. What in the world was going on? Unfortunately, she couldn't think of anything more intelligent to say than:

"That's Sirius Black."

"Glad you noticed," the convict replied dryly, and Arthur bristled beside her. The other conversations ground to a halt.

"Sirius..." Lupin hissed quietly, but not quietly enough.

"What is he doing here?" Molly turned to McGonagall, searching for answers. Obviously, the raid had succeeded, but she hadn't expected Black to be on friendly terms with Lupin (who claimed to hate him, after all, and whom she'd grown to like quite a bit), or in anything other than a comatose state with Moody in the room. She certainly hadn't expected the others to be willing to work with him, either--

"That's a slightly complicated answer," Lupin began, only to be cut off by Moody.

"Which we haven't time for at the moment," Arthur's old friend said gruffly. "Suffice it to say that Black's not guilty."

"Not guilty of what?" Arthur asked.

"Take your pick," Black mumbled.

"Contain yourself," Moody snapped.

Black arched an eyebrow in response, and Molly sensed undercurrents between the ex-prisoner and the ex-Auror. The tension between those two wasn't the only tension in the room, but it was the greatest. Wait a minute... Suddenly, she remembered something Moody had said weeks ago. Black had been his student once, hadn't he? Still, though, that knowledge only served to make the scene in the Hospital Wing even more surreal. Moody had been his teacher. Lupin had been his friend. McGonagall--McGonagall looked as unhappy as Molly felt. She felt her frown deepening, but did not feel there was any reason to hide her suspicion.

"Regardless of how much time you think we have, I think we need an explanation," she told Moody pointedly. And this had better be good!

In response, though, Moody only looked at Lupin and Black. "That's your department," he said gruffly. "I'm only the muscle. But make it fast."

Black shifted slightly, but whether that was from irritation or discomfort, Molly couldn't tell. He and Lupin exchanged a heavy glance, though, before the convict turned to face the Weasleys, ill-concealed impatience in his voice.

"I didn't kill Peter, I didn't kill all those Muggles, and I don't want to kill Harry," he said. Then his sarcastic gaze cut back to Moody. "Is that short enough for you?"

The ex-Auror only grunted, but Molly swallowed.

"Then you're really not working for You-Know-Who...? she asked hesitantly.

"Voldemort?" Molly shivered; Black snorted. "Not in this lifetime."

And there he stood, the last son of one of the Wizarding world's oldest--and darkest--families, looking her straight in the eye and declaring that he was innocent. The pain in his eyes swayed Molly far more than the defiance did, though; she could see the shadows and the memories lurking in the dark. Only then did she begin to realize what he must have been through, and if he was innocent...

"Then who betrayed the Potters?" Arthur asked, and the expression on Black's face confirmed his innocence.

"Peter Pettigrew." His voice was a snarl. "Who isn't as dead as everyone else thinks he is."

To Black's left, Lupin's face had also tightened, and his voice was much more controlled--but nearly as angry--when he spoke. "But that's a matter for another time," the Defense Professor pointed out, looking at his friend. "And for others to deal with."

"I said I wanted to find Harry first, Remus," Black said coldly. "Not that I didn't want to kill Peter. I've spent twelve years in Azkaban. I'd like to commit the murder they imprisoned me for before I get tossed back in there."

Lupin turned white. "No one said--"

"No, but I know the Ministry." Black laughed harshly, and then turned a meaningful glance in Moody's direction. "I'd say that Fudge will be less than willing to listen to my story, wouldn't you?"

"He'd better dammed well listen, or I'll do to him what I did to Crouch," Moody growled.

"What?" Lupin asked with confusion, also turning to look at the ex-Auror.

"Blackmail and weasel and con until he either leaves office or I ruin his career," the one eyed wizard replied with a satisfied smirk. "Of course, it cost me my career last time, but I don't have a job to lose these days."

"You--"

Black started to speak, only to cut himself off, staring at Moody with wide eyes. Slowly, though, his old Mentor nodded. "I may be a hard man, boy, but I serve the law," he said gently. "All of it."

"Oh." Black had to swallow several times, and his blue eyes were huge. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me for doing the right thing, Sirius." Moody's voice was uncharacteristically understanding. "Let's just get this thing done."

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