All the Young Dudes ( Sirius' Perspective )

The War : Winter 1980 & Spring 1981

Bell bottom blues, you made me cry

I don’t want to lose this feeling

And if I could choose a place to die

It would be in your arms

Do you want to see me crawl across the floor to you?

Do you want to hear me beg you to take me back?

I’d gladly do it because

I don’t want to fade away

Give me one more day, please

I don’t want to fade away

In your heart I want to stay

Sirius insisted that they go straight home once it had been established that there was no longer any imminent danger. Ferox called Moody to the scene, and after a brief conversation he dismissed them, with a promise to follow up later. Remus remained quiet throughout it all, dead on his feet, eyes skittering over Livia’s body and then away.

Once they were back in the flat, Marlene came over to fix Remus’s broken arm. Sirius hovered in the doorway, watching them.

“Thanks, Marls,” Remus gave her a tired smile, “I can do dislocations no problem, but broken bones…”

“You really shouldn’t be doing spells on yourself, Remus,” she told him, frowning, “You know you can always contact me, if you need to.”

“I know.”

She gave him a sleeping draught before she left, along with some more of her own pain-relief ointment, and strict instructions to stay in bed for at least forty-eight hours. Sirius thanked her as she left, promising to make sure Remus took care of himself. When he returned to the bedroom, the potion bottle was empty, and Remus was asleep.

Moody and Ferox stopped by the flat an hour later to take Sirius’s report. There wasn’t much left to tell; it seemed that Ferox had already caught Moody up to speed. Still, Sirius recounted what had happened, pointedly avoiding any mention of his transformation into a dog—he glanced at Ferox as he skimmed over that detail, but the man’s face revealed nothing.

Moody left first, disappearing through the floo to return to the Ministry. When Ferox moved to follow him, Sirius reached out to stop him, saying quickly,

“Wait!”

The older man turned, raising a brow expectantly. Sirius shifted, uncomfortable.

“Did you…tell him?”

Ferox gave him a scrutinising look.

“Am I correct in assuming that you’re referring to your miraculous ability to transform into a giant dog?”

Sirius nodded, tersely. Ferox sighed.

“No. I did not tell Alastor that you’re an unregistered animagus—I assumed that if it was a secret, then you had good reason for keeping it.” He frowned, sternly, “But I have to say, lad – a skill like that could be of great use to the Order. You might consider making…certain people aware of it, if you truly want to help.”