Rebirth {Marauders Era}

CHAPTER 17: SIRIUS: BARED TO THE BONE

Sirius leaned back in the chair he was sitting in. "Regulus, I believe you."

His brother's head snapped 'round, eyes wide. "What?"

"I believe you, Reg. Not that you're crazy, of course, but that you see a woman. You said her name was Clotho, correct?" Sirius hoped it was Nona. According to Decima, time was of the essence, so he wanted to figure this out as quickly as possible.

"Yes." Reg breathed. "Her eyes were a piercing green, and she had long blonde hair. But that doesn't explain why you would believe me."

"Well, for one, little brother, I stand with you because you're my brother, but the other reason is quite simple." He hid his expression. "I am visited by a woman in a similar manner."

"You are?" Regulus said, sounding like a broken record, just repeating everything Sirius said.

"Yes, her name is Decima. I don't think it's a coincidence. The woman who visits me has burning amber eyes, and brown hair. Not that that's relevant. She says she decides the future. Not relevant either, not really." Sirius took a deep breath and stopped rambling to get to the point. "Her name when she was captured was Lachesis, the Greek name for one of the fates. That's what Clotho is, as well. She uses her Roman name now, and asked me to find Nona, whom I think happened to visit you."

"Oh," Regulus looked down. "Well that's news."

"Yes." An awkward silence formed between them, lengthening and dragging on.

"Well-" Sirius began, desperate to get away. He never finished, as the other Marauders burst into the room.

"James!" Sirius yelled, seeing the Marauder's map in his hand. "I thought we agreed not to spy on each other!"

"It's not you we were looking for, mate." James gasped, breathless.

"You ran all the way from the tower?" Regulus questioned warily. "What for? How did you know we were here?"

Now, Regulus was no fool, and he had realized that ever since fourth year, the Marauders seemed to be able to go anywhere and find anyone, almost instantly. It was suspicious, and he wanted to find out from his brother. It seemed, however, that no matter how close Reg got to his older brother, his secrets were locked from him.

Sirius knew that Regulus had these suspicions about the Marauders Map, and quickly gestured to hide it. James however, was inconsolable.

"Sirius, you have to see this!" He insisted, holding out the map. Sirius obliged, if only to keep his brother in the dark, and nearly collapsed at what James was pointing at. Nona.

He whirled around, looking in the corner the map saw her in, but saw nothing.

"Reg, do you see anything in the corner?" When his brother hesitated, Sirius asked again, angrily this time. "What do you see?!" He snapped, making Regulus recoil.

"N-nothing..." Regulus looked away and his eye twitched, sure sign he was lying.

"Don't you lie to me, Reg, or I'll hex you!" Sirius didn't really mean to hex his brother, but apparently that's what Regulus thought, as he quickly pointed there.

"I see Clotho, I see her!"

As he spoke, a faint misty shape appeared, looking mildly annoyed.

"Little King," She muttered reproachfully. "You have just bared me to the bone."

When she appeared in full, Sirius immediately knew she was Nona. Who else would look so similar? Her cheekbones were the same as Decima's, and her eyes, while green, held the same burning that seemed to see his soul.

Her blonde hair swished around her shoulders, and she smiled warmly at Sirius.

"Sirius dear, long time, no see! How's life treating you?" She asked the question like she meant his literal life, not how he was.

"How do you know my name? I've never seen you before, how can it be long time no see?" Sirius narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the woman.

"Sirius, I know every human, live and dead. I spun their thread." Her eyes grew far away. "I remember yours quite well, I spun it with pure gold. Not long after was my sister taken. She has kept it safe, all this time, but it has indeed frayed."

James gaped at the figure, Remus looked like he was going to be sick. Peter was reduced to a shivering ball of fear.

"Padfoot?" Remus ventured. "Do you know who this Nona is?"

"Moony, I've never met her personally, but I've heard an awful lot about her."

"My sister has spoken to you?" Nona looked upset. "Have you freed her yet, my child?"

"You are not my mother." Sirius corrected, his voice tight. "Yes, we've spoken, and she seems to think I'm an inadequate candidate."

"She knows nothing, not many would stay sane after seeing your own death play before your very eyes. But you must change the future. Get my sister out, find Morta, and all together we can change this sad future. You go to Azkaban, you know." She disclosed.

James's face paled. "But why? Padfoot could never do wrong."

"So you say, when you are illegal animagi." She mused.

"Hey!" Sirius yelped. He alone remembered who was sitting by them, in a hospital bed. Regulus seemed completely floored, staring in shock at his brother, features quivering.

"You were an animagi, and you never told me?" He whispered. "I'm your brother, the one you should confide in!"

"To be fair Reg, when we first attempted it, you were a little git under Mother's roof. I wasn't going to share anything with you." Sirius growled. "Why did you say that? Even if I go to Azkaban in the future, no need to hurry it up!"

Nona's eyes glittered dangerously. Her face looked down darkly at him, a twisted smile playing across her features. Instantly, Sirius felt a chill go down his spine and backed away as she began laughing, perfectly sane laughter, genuinely enjoying the scene in front of her.

"Oh, isn't this lovely," She smiled wider. "I always seem to cause chaos, now that Decima is gone."

They all glared at her and she shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I should say oops."

Sirius knew he could not trust her fully, there was something terribly off about her. And he intended to figure out what it was.