When the seasons change will you stand by me? - wolfstar

Visit 3

"Bloody 'ell, you must 'ave lost yer mind to return again!" said the guard on Remus's third visit.

"Yeah, yeah." he handed the guard another one of Dumbledore's letters without much decorum.

They went through the same routine of briskly walking through the prison until they reached Sirius's cell. "Good luck," muttered the guard before he locked the door behind Remus.

"You've come back?" croaked Sirius from the bottom of the stair.

"Unwillingly." Remus replied, walking slowly towards Sirius, ignoring the hurt expression on Sirius's face.

"What does Dumbledore want now?"

"Possible evidence." Remus said simply.

"Like my lack of a dark mark, perhaps?" Sirius said dryly, rolling up his sleeve to expose his left forearm which did indeed lack any traces of the dark mark.

Remus sighed. "They could argue that a spy wouldn't have a mark because it defeats the secrecy."

"Ask my neighbour then – Bellatrix Lestrange – she'll gladly confirm my loyalties."

"She's insane and probably wouldn't know either way."

"Pessimistic attitude you've got."

"It's your word against a crowd of witnesses!" snapped Remus.

"We could re-examine their memories then..." Sirius said to himself more than to Remus.

"They've been obliviated." Remus added.

Sirius thought for a long while, opening and closing his mouth occasionally, as though ready to introduce a new idea.

"Wonderful defence you've got then!" Remus said after a while, "Not even able to think of any proper evidence when all else points at you."

"Examine my wand then!" Sirius snapped. "it'll tell you as I've told you millions of times that I'm innocent! There can't be a trace of a blasting curse there because I haven't cast one! Perhaps it'll even show that I've never taken part in a Fidelius charm too!"

"They did do that! Did you smoke your sock? You were there!" Remus snapped back. "Everything points at you being guilty! Do us a service and just admit your guilt!"

Sirius's eyes darted back and forth in the room, "They didn't examine it though..." he said quietly. "They snapped it right in front of my eyes."

Remus furrowed his eyebrows, "It's in the bloody report! You can't blatantly lie like this."

"I'm not though." Sirius said quietly.

"And yet you have nothing to prove for it!" Remus said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I carried their coffins, wept on their graves, spent money I could have used to buy myself a proper dinner to decorate their graves with flowers, never complaining...Can't you swallow your pride and tell the truth for once?"

"Merlin, Remus!" Sirius said defeated. "It's like you've stuffed socks in your ears or something! I'm telling the truth." He looked over at the wall embellished with deep counting lines that were too many to count. "Veritaserum then?"

Remus went quiet. Veritaserum was rare, but strictly controlled by the Ministry. Why hadn't they reached that idea yet? It certainly couldn't be for lack of potioneers as even Sirius had made one for his Advanced Potions classes – and Sirius was hardly a master potioneer. But then again there hadn't been a trial...

"Perhaps..." Remus sighed, sitting down, hands on his knees. "Are you a proficient Occlumens or Legilimens?"

"Not strong enough to withstand the Veritaserum, though I imagine they could check me for that?" Sirius said hopefully.

"Yeah, you'd have to be Albus Dumbledore to withstand a strong dosage..." Remus muttered conflicted. He knew that a great injustice had been committed in depriving Sirius of a trial. But Sirius had betrayed Lily, James, and Peter. Sirius had killed 12 muggles, laughing about it even. And yet a tiny part of him couldn't believe it – wouldn't believe it. How could Sirius – who had tended to Remus's wounds with such care and who had cried because of his family – be evil? It couldn't be... Had none of it been real?

Remus's jaw tightened and his vision became blurry. "I'll find a way to get you a trial..."

Sirius's eyes lit up.

"If only to do justice to our – my friends' memories. At least the world will know with certainty who killed them."

Remus stood up, gazing at the sorry figure of his former friend for a while and then turned around and left, not hearing the barely audible 'sorry'.