The Contract

Chapter 57

"Good morning, Sirius, it's good to see you again," Miriam said, smiling at the sight of the wizard. "I had begun to fear that you wouldn't return." To say she was surprised when his name appeared on her calendar again was a surprise. Given all she knew about Sirius...he was impulsive and normally when he decided something was 'stupid' he wouldn't go back to it. Not that he'd actually declared anything of the sort. Just one day he cancelled his appointment then his standing appointments and he hadn't seen him since.

Sirius swallowed, pacing back and forth in her office, "I'm sorry...I...had a few things I needed to work through on my own."

Miriam watched Sirius' agitated pacing with a placid look on her face, "I see, do you wish to discuss it?"

"After my last appointment with you...I finally tracked Remus down...wanted answers...got a lot of bullshit in turn." Sirius admitted bitterly, clenching his hands into fists, still furious over the bullshit that had been fed to him.

-0 Flashback 0-

Sirius watched Remus return to his flat, the building was run down and shabby...and honestly? He didn't want to go closer...the smell was atrocious from where he stood. Inhaling sharply, it was now or never, but he stood there still, warring with himself. What if Remus still blamed him for what happened to Lily and James? He still felt responsible despite not being the Secret Keeper...he's suggested the change to James. He had as good as signed their damn death warrant.

He'd never know if he just stood there.

Grumbling quietly, Sirius shored himself up, the hurt and pain swirling around him. Making him feel as though he was actually physically in pain. He'd lost everything, and the fact Remus didn't seem to even care hurt more than words could fathom. He was his best friend; he'd wished for more once upon a time. Unfortunately, Remus was as straight as an arrow. He'd contented himself to being a friend and his crush had waned with time.

He opened the paper that had Remus' current address written across it - thanks to the Private Investigator - and found the exact house number. Number 2B, so ground floor then...hopefully nobody else was in if this got heated.

The last thing he needed was the Muggle police coming after him again...James hadn't half got them into some pickles back in the day. He thought ruefully, with a pained happiness that had consumed him every time he thought of his best friend.

Opening the close door, he walked towards Remus' door, and gave it a good hard knock. Tense and alert, heart pounding, he waited. Breathing through his mouth, the smell in the entire building was awful. He wasn't sure how Remus could stand it really, and that's coming from him, who had endured Azkaban for Merlin's sake. A place that was by no means pleasantly smelling.

It was clear that Sirius was the last person Remus ever expected to see, judging by the way he tensed, blanched and staggered back amber eyes wide with shock, fear and rage. "What...How...You...Azkaban..." he stuttered out, grasping a hold of his wand, shaken to the core.

"Have care where you point that wand," Sirius warned him, "I was given a trial at long last and proven innocent. Don't you get the newspaper?"

"Innocent?" Remus asked, slumping against the door, shaken, feeling as though he could no longer hold himself up.

"The general term for someone who didn't commit a crime. I convinced James to use Peter as Secret Keeper while I would be decoy, I thought I was so smart." He told Remus bitterly, wanting to reach out but not sure of his welcome. It was clear that Remus didn't know anything about him...it eased something in him. That was why he hadn't written...for some reason he'd distanced himself entirely from the magical world.