The Sun, Moon & Stars

57. The Shrieking Shack

June 6th, 1994
8:04 pm

'You don't move an inch until I say so. You don't follow until I say so. You don't do anything until I say so. If I say to go, you go. If I say to run, you run. If I tell you to do something, you do it. If I say to grab your friends and leave me here - you do that too.'

'Dad-'

'Am I clear?'

'He's innocent.' She mumbled.

'Am I clear?' He demanded, more firmly, eyebrows raised.

'Crystal.' She nodded, staring into his intense honey eyes that she could barley make out in the darkness of the tunnel.

'Then follow me and do as I say. We go through this door, and you get out of the way.'

She nodded, throat dry and hands shaking as he climbed up the steps and kicked open the old, wooden door that creaked as he did so. He rushed in first, wand at the ready and she followed - expecting to be pushed to the side, to say out of the way like he said.

But when her feet hit the creaky floorboards, and her honey eyes trailed over the familiar room she had grown to love her conversations with Sirius in, all that went out the window. Abandoned. Lost. Forgotten. Insignificant - for the picture she saw today when they entered was too large, too frightening, for her to possibly stay out of the way.

Harry was standing over the slender body of Sirius, who lay on the floor, absolutely fuming - wand pointed at his chest, nostrils flaring, and grinding his teeth.

Hermione's eyes widened when she saw Ophelia and Remus - relief or something like it, as she tugged her and Ron to the side of the room when Remus jerked his head to the side to signal them to do so.

Without a moment of hesitation, Remus raised his wand,

'Expellarmus!'

Their wands flew out of their hands like a shot, and he caught all three, pocketing them into his trousers. Before anyone could say anything, Remus waved his wand once more and Ophelia flew to the side of the wall - pressed against it, out of immediate harm, and he gave her a sharp look as if to say stay there before pointing his wand at Sirius; the gratefulness fading off his face as Remus narrowed his eyes at him, searching, not at all unlike what she had done on their first encounter.

It was the first time they had seen each other in twelve years.

'Harry, get to the side.' Remus murmured, without looking up from Sirius' slender body.

'But-'

'GET TO THE SIDE.'

He didn't need to be told twice - stumbling over to Hermione and Ron, and she very briefly saw what Ron was restraining so tightly. A rat. Scabbers. When did he return? She pushed it out of her mind as her gaze snapped back over to her parents -- Remus staring down at Sirius with such intensity it was impossible to tell what he was thinking; what he would choose to do.

'Finally the flesh reflects the madness within.' Remus spoke up, a firm tone - a cold tone, addressing Sirius for the first time.