Come Home + Sirius Black

seven: questions

"You have everything? Your permission slip for Hogsmeade?"

"Yeah."

Charlotte and Harry stood on Platform 9¾, fifteen minutes before the train's departure at 11am. Once again, she had to act as if nothing had happened. The night before, she had kept her promise and waited five minutes after Sirius left through her back door before she approached whichever Ministry official was tasked with keeping watch on her that night. She told him nearly everything — that he came through the back door, what he told her about Peter Pettigrew being the real spy, killing those Muggles, and faking his own death, and that he left through the back again. She left out the part where she fed him and told him it had been nice to see him again.

"I don't suppose you would want to sit with your old Uncle on the train, would you?" A voice had called out from behind the both of them, and they turned to find Remus.

He was looking better than the last time she saw him, except for a new scar on his cheek. It was nearly healed and barely visible, but Charlie was fairly certain that it hadn't been there when she saw him last month. Being friends with Remus, one grew used to his appearance changing between well put together and looking as if he just fought a bear — if they knew of his condition, at least.

"Moony!" The smile on Harry's face grew wide when he saw him there with his trunk by his side; it had been a few months since they last saw him. His condition required him to stay on the move a lot, and when he did come visit, it was never for very long. "What are you doing here?"

"I'll be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts starting this year."

Harry then turned to Charlotte, his eyebrows knitted together. "Did you know?"

It made her chuckle — Lily used to make the exact same face whenever she was questioning something. "I did, but he asked me not to tell you. But don't go expecting him to play favourites now."

Their reunion was cut short when a certain red-head down the platform was calling out to Harry, and naturally, all three of their heads turned to look at Ron Weasley. On his shoulder sat his rat, Scabbers.

Every muscle in Charlotte's body tensed when she saw it. If everything Sirius told her was true, then it was Peter on the boy's shoulder. If everything was true, then for three years, the man who got his parents killed had been so close to Harry all along. If there was even a slightest chance that it was truly Wormtail, then she could not sit still.

"Go on, you better find seats before the train fills up," she told Harry.

"Okay," he said as he gave his Aunt a tight hug.

Charlotte hugged him a little longer than usual, then kissed his head goodbye before sending him off with his friends.

"Moony, wait," she said quickly, before she lowered her voice. "He came to see me last night."

The expression on Remus' face quickly hardened. "Did you tell anyone?"

"Yes, of course. They've been watching my house ever since he escaped. I didn't want to tell you over owl..." She knew that they were pressed for time, so she spoke as quickly as she could. "Remus, he said that Peter was the spy. He told me that he convinced Lily and James to make him their Secret Keeper last minute instead, and that it was Peter that killed those Muggles."

She could tell that he was not completely buying the story. "...Even if that's true, it doesn't matter, he killed Peter."

But she quickly shook her head. "Sirius said he faked his death, used the explosion as a distraction to cut off his finger and transform so he could escape."