The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix - Part Two

Not - one?

"What was that?!" Bilius Weasley's voice was shrill with panic. "Bleeding hell, Black, you nearly got yourself arrested. What were you on about?!"

Sirius landed with a thump so hard it blew the wind right out of his lungs and his ribs nearly cracked from the impact. He scrambled to get up, looking up at Bilius, whose face was flushed and panicked.

"Are you mad?" Bilius added, leaning closer and lowering his voice, "The way you were on back there, it sounded almost as if -- as if you knew a -- as if --" Bil's face paled suddenly. He stared at Sirius.

Sirius felt sick. "Calm down, Weasley," he grumbled as he got up. He rubbed the back of his neck where Bilius had grabbed on so roughly. "You blighter, going to leave a mark that is..." he rubbed his chest.

"Sirius!" Bilius looked around them, as though expecting a crowd, even though they were in the middle of no where.

Well, not the middle of no where, really, they were in the front yard of the wonky-looking structure that was the Burrow, the Weasley family home, where Bilius lived with his brother, Arthur, and his whole family. Even from outside in the yard there was a lot of commotion easy to be heard coming from within, including the sound of two shrieking babies.

"You lot are probably going to have a bloody inquiry if she goes to the Ministry, which of course she will, you threatening her like that! Are you mad?" Bilius's voice was shaking, "I mean I know you were just talking theorhetically back there, but I'm your mate so I know you and Remus are safe, but her, she doesn't know that neither of you is a - a - one of them." Bilius lowered his voice.

The look Sirius gave Bil then was one of anger and stinging challenge.

"....right?" Bilius whispered. "You're - you're not... one?"

Sirius shook his head.

Bil stared at him. "And Remus... isn't....?"

Sirius didn't know what to say, what to do. It seemed no matter what he said would be a betrayal on some level. Laugh it off, say that Remus wasn't a werewolf, and hide it like it was something to hide? After all he'd just said? Or reveal the truth, stand his ground, and wipe that terrified fucking look on Bilius's face right off? Either way, Sirius felt like he was violating something and he didn't know what to do. So he just stared at Bilius Weasley, wordlessly, his  mouth sort of gaping like a fish out of water.

"Oh hell," Bilius muttered and he sat down on the grass, crossing his legs and covering his face with his hands.

Sirius stood there, panic gripping him. If Bilius put two and two together so quickly...

Bilius looked up at Sirius. "When?"

"What?"

"When did it happen?"

Sirius stared at him.

"Has he been - one - a long time?"

"Bil..."

"Must've been since after Hogwarts, yeah? This year? Was he one when you got married?"

Sirius stared at Bilius, he couldn't form words, couldn't wrap his mind around what was happening.

"Before? Before - was - was he one at school? Bloody hell, that's dangerous, though. What - what if --" Bilius was shaking, his voice trembling. "Was he one when - when I was at the school? As long as I've known you lot?" He stared at Sirius. "He's been one all this time and I never knew."

"Because there wasn't anything to know," stammered Sirius. "There wasn't any reason to know. He wasn't dangerous, he isn't dangerous, he's not --"

"Not registered. He's not registered." Bilius looked up at Sirius. "He's not, is he? That's illegal, that is."