Sirius Descending

Chapter 2

Remus Lupin stepped out of a fireplace, turning his head to watch the flames flare up quickly before dissipating entirely, becoming as barren as the rest of the house. Moving forward, he carefully maneuvered across a dilapidated living room. A large hole in the thatched roof allowed just enough moonlight through for him to safely avoid the obstacles of shattered glass and overturned tables on his way to the door. Why Greyback insisted on using this decrepit cottage as their one access to the floo network, Remus would never be able to understand.

After a few failed attempts to pry the door open and an unsuccessful Alohomora, Remus let out a sigh and climbed up on the nearest window sill. With a tug, the window scrapped open just enough for Remus to slip his body through and land in the overgrown grass outside. Dusting himself off, he headed away from the cottage and towards the dark forest, letting instinct guide the way.

As his feet moved, his mind wandered back to the meeting at the Black Family house. When Greyback asked him to take his place at the weekly meeting with Sirius Black, Remus had expected something much different. Someone older, perhaps one of Voldemort’s inner circle.

Instead, he’d been greeted by a boy no older than him, someone he used to go to school with. At Hogwarts, it was difficult not to notice Sirius Black. Despite being a Slytherin, he’d always been loud and keen on bending the rules.

Remus never made it past his fifth year. Greyback took him from his father’s house during Christmas break, and Remus never saw Hogwarts again. It had been a shock to see a familiar face again after years of being surrounded by strangers. Sirius looked much the same as he had when they were still in school. Long hair, dark clothes, tattoos crawling up his arms.The only startling difference were the bandages, covering up a dark secret.

It wasn’t surprising that Sirius Black ended up as a Death Eater. Given his family, it was only a matter of time. Still, something about it bothered Remus. While certainly annoying, and oftentimes arrogant and offensive, Sirius Black had never been cruel. To see a boy, whose worst crime was simply being a nuisance, branded with the mark of kidnappers and murders made Remus’ stomach twist uncomfortably. Perhaps Sirius changed in the years since Hogwarts and become the kind of person despicable enough to join the ranks of Voldemort’s legion.

Yet, Remus couldn’t shake the image of Sirius, face twisted in panic, desperately trying to stop the bleeding but not knowing how. Nor could he forget the look they’d shared in that brief moment before Rodolphus interrupted. How relief spread like overturned ink across those stormy grey eyes.

They weren’t the eyes of a killer. At least, not yet.

The sharp noise of a branch breaking startled Remus out of his thoughts. His head snapped up, nostrils flaring, to take in the area immediately around him. He caught the scent of unwashed clothing and piss in the air and turned to the left, zeroing in on the source of the smell. Poking out slightly from behind a tree was a small, dirt-covered foot.

Remus deliberately moved to face the other direction with a small smile. “Must have been nothing,” Remus said wistfully, listening closely to the small sounds of shuffling coming from behind him.

Barely a moment later, he heard the quick crunch of leaves underfoot and then a weight was thrown onto his back. Mud-caked arms encircled his neck, trying to pull him downward. Remus went willingly, careful to aim his fall to hit the leaves and not the small body behind him. Looking up from his position on the ground he saw a small girl standing over him, hands on her hips in a triumphant pose.