The Death Debt

Chapter 1

It had been one week since... The Prank, as they had all started referring to it – differentiated from all the other pranks they had played over the years by the implied capitalization – and Sirius Black was on a mission: make Remus forgive him. So far the werewolf had managed to avoid him, but enough was enough. Nothing bad had happened, Snape wasn't dead or turned, and it was time they all put this behind them. Sirius had already lost his spot on the Quidditch team, how much more punishment could Sirius really expect to take? And, anyway, by isolating himself like this, Remus was causing his own suffering as well.

With one last glance at the Marauders' Map to make sure he hadn't moved from his spot, Sirius slipped outside into the north courtyard, his hands automatically coming up to rub a little warmth into his chilled arms. He spotted Remus immediately – a lone figure sitting on the edge of the frozen fountain, hunched over a scroll – and tried to sneak up on him, half-afraid Remus might bolt if he was spotted. Even without werewolf senses, the crunching snow would have given Sirius away, and Remus said, his voice cold and detached, "Something I can help you with?" when Sirius was still several paces away. Remus hadn't even bothered to look up.

"Just checking up on my favorite Marauder," Sirius said with a bright smile he forced onto his face.

"James is in the library bugging Evans."

"I was talking about you, dummy."

"Funny, I thought all I was was a means to an end."

Sirius's heart did something funny at those words, and he wondered if it was possible for a sixteen-year-old to have a heart attack. "Don't say that," he said; it came out as a sort dog-like whine. "It wasn't like that. I wasn't thinking. You know how stupid I can be sometimes."

Remus snorted, his eyes still locked onto the scroll. "Oh, I'm well aware of that."

Ouch. "I'm sorry, Moony. How many times are you going to make me say it? Come on, aren't you starting to miss my company by now?" He gave Remus his most charming smile. "Who else are you going to hang out with anyway? Snivellus?"

Remus was silent, and he wiped at his nose. When he looked up there was a sad smile on his face. "Yeah, you're right," he whispered. "Who else would put up with me?"

"Rem–"

"I forgive you. That's what you wanted, right?" Remus made a funny sign with his hand that Sirius thought he must have picked up from his Muggle mother. "Go and sin no more."

"Are we friends again then?"

"Yeah, we'll always be friends." Remus didn't sound nearly as happy about it as Sirius. The werewolf slid off the fountain, jumped around a little to shake out the pins and needles, and told him, "Tell you what: if you want to make it up to me you can go to the library and pick up The Celestial Transformation for me. I need it for this essay."

Sirius was eager to obey. "Of course, would Master Remus be needing anything else," Sirius asked in a voice similar to Kreacher's, sweeping into a bow.

Remus rolled his eyes and shifted his bag. "You're such a goofball. Just the book is all, and try not to get into any trouble along the way."

Sirius gave him a salute and took off at a run toward the library. If Remus wanted a book, Sirius would get it for him. He'd give him an entire library if he asked.

He spotted James immediately when he first pushed open the door to the library. Just as Remus said, he was showing off for Evans. Lily was leaning against a column, holding her books to her chest, and staring at James in a mixture of amusement and contempt– as if she couldn't decide if he was cute or irritating. James kept running his fingers through his hair, ruffling it, as he told his version of the Prank– the one where he, the dashing hero, saved Snivellus from being eaten by the Monster from the Forbidden Forest; carefully edited, of course, to omit both Sirius's role and Remus's condition.