Rebirth {Marauders Era}

CHAPTER 8: SIRIUS: YOU SLY DOG

While James and Lily were at the library, Sirius was curled up on his bed in the dorm. Remus had tried to coax him into coming to breakfast, but he was too shaken to do much. Eventually Remus just let him be and lay on his own bed, reading a muggle book.

"What's your book called?" Peter wondered, not that he really cared, but he wanted to break the awful silence that had settled in the room since James left.

"It's called The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and it's about a boy who was unhappy with his life, so he faked his death and went on an adventure to freedom with a slave named Jim." Remus said, not really looking up. "I'm sure you'd love it Pete."

"Yeah, sounds interesting." The silence descended again.

I'd like to run away from all this. To freedom. But I can't. Sirius looked down at his lap, and with a whine, he became Snuffles.

"Sirius?" Remus immediately looked up. "What are you doing?"

Sirius only barked and started to pace. He couldn't erase the scene of James lying dead in his arms. And Lily. Sobs choked in his throat, coming out as little yelps.

Then there were two sets of arms surrounding him, and he stopped pacing. Remus's concerned eyes met his as he lifted his head.

"We know you're hurting inside Sirius, we understand, seeing your best mate dead is hard. But don't bottle it up for too long Padfoot, it'll come back to bite you."

Sirius barked and gave him a doggy smile. Peter also laughed at the pun.

"But seriously," Sirius shook his shaggy head. Remus narrowed his eyes. "Don't you even start! As I was saying, you should let us help you. I know this affected you more deeply than you wanted us to believe, but we won't judge you."

Sirius turned back. "What happened to us this year? We're so soppy and sentimental."

Remus snorted. "I think it's because we've grown up, we're past being immature and you and James, well you're not bulllies anymore."

"Well I don't think that all of us are past being immature."

"Padfoot!" Wormy smirked.

Suddenly James burst through the door and leaned against it, his face flushed and breathing heavily.

"Mate, what happened?" Sirius said, eyeing him suspiciously. "Is Filch chasing you? Cause I'm not taking the blame for this one."

"I snogged Evans." James gasped out.

Sirius's eyes popped. "You did what?!" Then he shook his head. "You said you wouldn't, you sly dog!"

Remus shook his head yet again. James gave him a slight glare. "I snogged my girlfriend Pads, I can snog her whenever I want! And I'm not a dog, I'm a stag!"

"Well, then, someone is getting quite horny aren't they?"

"Sirius! I'm not out of breath because of that! I was running from Madam Pince!"

"Why? What on earth were you doing to make her come running?"

"Was it that loud?"

Remus slapped Sirius yet again. "Goodness Pads, it's like your only quality is making filthy jokes. Sod off will you?"

"Well, no one noticed until Marlene McKinnon came barreling round the corner, and fell."

"She fell? Was it over you?"

"No, she was being dramatic, and started shrieking about how Lily's grown up, and how good my lips must taste for her to snog me. There was a few seconds of silence until Madam Pince descended on us."

"And what did Lily say?" Peter asked. When James didn't answer, they all looked at him with laughter him their eyes, and in Remus's case, embarrassment.

"She-she didn't say anything...I may have spoken first..."

"Prongsie, what did you bloody say?"

"I may have told her to find out."

"YOU DOG!"

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Later Sirius remembered why they had been in the library, and he knew James probably didn't have an answer, but Lily might.

"Hey Lily, how did your research go this morning?" He asked somewhat innocently. She blushed.

"What did he tell you?"

"Everything. Everything but the material that he was actually sent down there to get."

"Oh." She scowled for a moment, then looked back at Sirius sympathetically. "Well I looked up Decima, and she's a Fate."

"What's that?" She frowned at him and told the whole story. By the end, Sirius was pale.

"But...who ruled over fate?"

"Perhaps death, in that once life is cut, however short or long it must be, it stays that way. I don't really know, why do you ask?"

"Well, recently the figure acted more like it was being forced, rather than working on its own accord." Had Sirius remembered the voice he'd heard when he died, he would've known the figure and the force that brought him back were different. But he didn't know either of those things, the different figures, and the second chance thing.

"Oh." Lily frowned. "Well that's odd, because the message also said to tell Athena. I think it means to tell Minerva. I don't know why an ulterior force would make it say that."

"Tell Minnie about my dreams? I don't want to look mental Evans!"

"No, you simply ask her about Decima you daft git!" She playfully shook her head. "Goodness, why must you always jump to conclusions?"

"I do have one question though."

"What is it now?"

"What aspect of life does Decima dictate?"

Lily smiled. "If you're thinking death, don't worry, that's Morta. And Nona is birth, so Decima measures life. She decides how long it will last, and prepares the thread of life to be cut by her sister."

"Oh good, I have Death Eaters for parents, the last thing I need is actual death haunting my arse."

"Oh Sirius."

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"Decima you say?" McGonagall murmured. "Well, that's quite the story to tell Mr Black."

"Well, I've got time."

She eyes her watch. "You've got exactly two minutes until dinner, I don't think so Mr Black. I'll see what I can find, there are some books and stories even seventh years are not allowed to view. Come back tomorrow at ten, or whenever your next detention will happen to be."

Sirius smiled. "Aw, you know me too well Professor."