Ex-Friends || A Drarry Story

Three: Thirteen

"He's the dog. . . He's an Animagus."

A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to his elbows. If his eyes hadn't been shining out of the deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse, he was too thin to be alive. The waxy skin was stretched too tightly over the bones of his face and hands, and his yellow teeth were bared in a grin. it was Sirius Black.

Harry's and Hermione's wands shot out of their hands and clattered against the wall. Black scooped them up swiftly, taking a step forwards. He was staring at Harry.

"I knew," he croaked hoarsely, "that you would come to help your friend."

His voice sounded as if it hadn't been used in a very long time. "Your father would have done the same for me.in fact, he did." He paused, and Harry couldn't quite tell what his expression was trying to convey. "I'm grateful you didn't run to get a professor. This will be much easier."

The taunt about his father made Harry's ears ring as though Black had bellowed it. A boiling hate erupted inside of Harry's chest, leaving no place for fear. For the first time in his life, Harry wanted his wand, but not to defend himself. He wanted to kill Sirius Black. Without knowing what he was doing, he stepped forward, but there were sudden movements on either side of him; it was Ron and Hermione grabbing him to hold him back.

"If you want to kill Harry, you're gonna have to kill me too!" Ron shouted to Black, and he tried to stand, but the effort was making his face devoid of color.

Something flickered in Black's eyes. He looked right at Harry. "I was in their home when you were born." He turned to Ron. "You'd better stay down. You're going to cause more damage to that leg."

"Didn't you hear me?" he asked, grunting from the pain of his broken leg. "You can't kill Harry without going through me."

"There's going to be only one murder here tonight," said Black, a maniac grin growing on his skeletal features.

"Why's that?" Harry asked nastily. He was really starting to sound like Draco Malfoy. "Didn't care last time, when you murdered all of those Muggles. Pettigrew. . ." Black's smile grew. "YOU KILLED MY PARENTS!"

Harry forgot about magic, forgot that he was short and skinny and twitchy and thirteen. All Harry knew that he wanted to hurt Black so badly until he begged for mercy. Perhaps it was shock because Harry was so stupid, but Black couldn't lift the wands in time before Harry had grabbed one of his skinny wrists, and his knuckles collided with the side of Black's head. He could feel the skeletal arm in his hand thrashing,but he clung on, his free hand punching any part of Black he could find in his blind rage.

But Black's free hand found Harry's throat. His fingers tightened, Harry's glasses askew. Harry gulped for air. "No, I've waited far too long for this moment. You don't know the whole story."

"The story?" Harry repeated,grabbing at Black's wrist. "What? Wanna go into detail about how you sold my parents to Voldemort?"

"You've got to listen to me,' said Black,a sense of urgency in his tone now. "You'll regret it if you don't you don't understand!"

"You never had to hear her. My mum. Pleading for Voldemort to not kill me." Harry's hand twitched as Black's grip loosened. "You didn't hear my dad telling my mum to make a run for it."

Muffled footsteps were echoing through the floor. Someone was moving around downstairs. Black made a startled movement, and Harry heard a voice in his head say DO IT NOW! But the footsteps were thundering up the stairs and Harry still had not done it.

The door to the room burst open, and Harry turned as Professor Lupin came hurtling into the room, his face bloodless,wand raised and ready. His eyes flickered over Ron and Hermione, then to Harry, and, finally Sirius Black. His features shifted, and Harry barely had a moment to think before Lupin snatched the wand up.