The Fourth Marauder ~Complete

Unite

Remus laid next to Sirius, as light a sleeper as his partner was heavy, easily awakened by the hooting of an owl or the screeching of a fox. So at one o'clock in the morning, when the fireplace in their bedroom crackled with life, he was immediately awake, walking barefoot to the other side of the bed to wake up Sirius.

"Pads, Pads, we've got a message" he whispered, gently shaking his shoulder to try and stir him. "Pads!"

"Moony, go to bed you daft prick" moaned Sirius, turning over and trying to wrap himself up in the duvet. But Remus stripped it off, and grabbed his glasses, and put on a pair of shoes, throwing the Sleeping Beauty a t-shirt.

"Come on Pads! I think its Dumbledore, no one else would call at this crazy hour. Get up, it might be Harry!"

"Fine" he muttered, rolling out of bed, pulling a the short over his bare chest and throwing on the first pair of shoes he came across. Together, hand in hand, they walked into the flames, and stepped out onto Dumbledore's carpet, ash falling off their shoulders. They were greeted by five figures whom they knew very well. The first was Harry, half asleep in a chair, his drooping head bruised and battered. Behind him stood his headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, currently having an argument with the third man in the room, Fudge, the minister of magic, their shouts sometimes making Harrys eyes snap open, then ease shut again. Professor McGonagall was loyal to Dumbledore, and shouted along side him at the flustered looking minister. Right in the middle of the commotion, stood Severus Snape, his usual scowl on his lips, looking straight at Sirius with a look of pure disgust. He snarled but Remus held his wrist, leading him towards his grandson.

"Harry! What's going on? What's happened?"

"Lord Voldemort has returned" said Dumbledore gravely, looking over his half moon spectacles at Fudge, who spluttered indignantly.

"Preposterous! You know who died many years ago, everyone knows that. The boy is lying!"

"Are you accusing my godson" growled Sirius, slowly standing up and facing his victim, who gulped nervously and backed down, looking at the former convict. It was hard for anyman to look formidable in grey slippers and a Muse t-shirt, but somehow he managed it, and the Minister visably cowered. "Are you accusing my godson of lying about the man who killed his parents? Are you sane? If he says he's back, then he's back!"

"He's not!" he declared, looking defiantly at the company. "He can't be."

Suddenly, Severus stepped forward and roughly pushed up his sleeve, showing the crude tattoo branded on his inner forearm. "Look. There. The Dark mark. It burns and goes clearer when the Dark Lord has called to us, and he and only he can call us. I felt my mark burn, as did Karkaroff, which is why he fled. The Dark Lord is back, Minister. Look, you can see how visible it is tonight." But Fudge slapped his hand away, and put his hat back on his head, the sweat glistening on his brow.

"You're crazy! You all are!" He shouted, before walking in what he thought was a dignified manner to the fireplace, and erupting up in smoke. A loud conversation broke out, only silenced by Dumbledore putting up a hand, like he would for his students.

"...Is he back then?" asked Remus eventually, feeling like a child himself as he looked round at the older faces, all looking at him, the next generation fighter, in pity. "Voldemort? Has he returned?"

"Yes" said Snape curtly, sneering at Remus, even though he was younger than the werewolf.

"I'm surprised you haven't jumped at the chance to be back with your master, Snivilleus" sneered Sirius, baring his teeth in a very mutt-like manner at his former enemy.

"Stop it, both of you" said Dumbledore, again using the tone he normally saved for naughty students, not two fully grown men. "We already have enough conflict and commotion with out picking fights within our own walls. You must put aside your differences and unite, for the greater good." Severus sighed, but stuck out his hand for Sirius to shake, both members looking like they wanted to be anywhere else other than there. "Well, at least settle for open hostility."

"Can we take Harry to ours for the night?"pleaded Remus, looking down at the sleepy boy , curled up on the chair facing him. "I think it would be better if he was among family." McGonagall nodded, but Dumbledore firmly shook his head.

"I think it would be better if Madame Pomferey could see to him" he answered lightly, and Lupin blushed, wishing he hadn't spoken at all. "And I really need to question him, while his mind is still alive with the events of this evening. We need to know every detail if we are to truly understand what has happened here." The five adults nodded, and Harry seemed to twitch in his sleep, so Sirius turned into a dog so he could walk down the corridor to the sickbay without getting screamed at. Lupin, meanwhile, kept Harry propped up and lead him to a small, comfy bed in the corner, where Mrs Weasley was already stood, her ars protectively round her exstensive family. A girl with coffee coloured skin and dark, intelligent eyes was anxiously biting on a hangnail.

"Harry!" shouted Molly, before being shushed by Remus, so that she wouldn't wake up the sleeping boy. Remus gently lowered him into bed, and tucked him up, so only the tip of his grazed chin was visible above the white sheets. Then, he turned to Fred and George, who looked like they were burning with questions, and quelled them with a stern teacher look.

"Don't pester him as soon as he wakes up, boys" he whispered, his eyes flicking over to Harry protectively. Sirius on the floor whined and slaped his tail on the floor, looking around him with big, pleading eyes. "He won't want to go over what has happened to him, he needs to rest."

But the twins weren't about to let their curiosity get the better of them, not this time anyway. Wordlessly, the pair of them stepped into their old professor's arms, and he gave them both a one armed hug, trying to remain the strong one, and not cry, especially in front of the kids. It was only when he turned to go, his dog faithfully by his side, did Remus let a single tear escape.

Sirius nuzzled his hand with his nose, andRemus smiled down gratefully. "Thanks" he whispered, smiling sadly and ducking under the fireplace. When the two of them appeared back at number 12, Grimauld place, Remus sighed and walked over to the sofa, running a hand through his thinning hair. 

"So he's back then" he said eventually, tears running down his cheeks one at a time, getting stuck in the premature lines of his face. Padfoot shook his magnificent fur, then morphed back into a human, and flopped down next to is partne. Remus automatically put a comforting arm round the Animagus, even though it looked like he was the one in need of a hand right now. "You know what this means? Everything we've done, everything we've worked for, has amounted to nothing. He's back, and the whole world's gone to shit." Remus didn't usually swear, only if he was very upset, so Sirius's eyes widened a little bit, but he didn't say anything. "We're both in danger, Harry's friend Hermione is, she's Muggleborn, everyone will get released from Azkaban-"

"Hey. Moony calm down" said Sirius, planting a kiss firmly on his cheekbone. "You're babbling again. Look. Voldemort won't be able to do much, will he? He won't want to blow his cover. And until then, We'd better go set the order up again, don't you think?"

"Yeah" he sniffed, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand and trying to control his breaths. "I'll call Mad-eye." With that the pair of them separated and sent Patronuses to various members of the Order of the Phoenix, trying to be one step ahead, however impossible that may be.