A Dance Through Thyme (Harry Potter)

Ausgetrickst Part 1

Chapter 36: Trapped

Part 1: Remus and Sirius

"Sirius, this may be the only time I ever say this to you in your lifetime, so I want you to appreciate it: You are a genius."

Sirius threw his head back with laughter.

"I'm glad you've finally come around to my point of view," he said, still chuckling. "At least I've always had confidence in myself, even if no one else has."

"Very funny, but let's get back to business. Hermione trusts us with getting the Cup, and bringing it back to Dumbledore for her. We can't let her down."

Sirius face immediately lost its gaiety, and his arms dropped down to his side.

"It's amazing how Hermione just happens to know all this stuff about You-Know-Who, and that she needs us to do all these things for her and Dumbledore. I think she is a lot more complex that what she lets on to any of us."

Remus snorted, putting his head down as he and Sirius continued to walk down Diagon Alley together.

"James seems to know more than what we do. She clearly trusts him more than what she trusts us."

"Prongs has known her for longer than what we have known her. That is to be expected. To be honest, I don't know her that well at all. Yeah, we talk, but I can't imagine us sharing our deepest, darkest secrets. You, on the other hand, were much closer with her than either Prongs or me."

Sirius left his words at that, hoping that Remus would be able to extrapolate the situation a little further. He had yet to open up about his failed relationship with Hermione. For Sirius, he had seen them together, and then suddenly they were not together without a hint towards the reason. All the while, they had left together at Christmas.

Remus stayed silent for a little while longer.

"I can't go back into the past to change what happened," he finally said to his companion. "I just need to get into the vault, get the cup and bring it back to her without anything going wrong."

"So, she doesn't trust you. Does she?" Sirius answered rather shrewdly.

Remus couldn't help but feel injured when Sirius said that, but he fought to keep his face neutral.

"Please Sirius, leave it alone. I can fight my own battles. Let's just get into the bank."

Remus walked up the stairs; towards the burnished bronze doors that lead to the small entrance hall of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Sirius followed behind, eager to be able to be of use for the Order, and by extension work on defeating Lord Voldemort.

The stopped just before the silver doors, eyes raking over the engraved words of warning:

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed

For those who take, but do not earn

Must pay most dearly in their turn

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there

Sirius could not help wondering exactly what price a thief might have to pay, and shuddered. He may have not paid much attention at Hogwarts, but he knew enough to know that the Goblin Rebellions were brutal. If that was anything to go by, the situation would not be pretty. Indeed, he was now wondering why Hermione had set him to what might have ended up a spectacularly difficult task.