#slaughter

HELP 😭

Henriette van Gasteren (NL, Sevenum, 9 Sep 1964)

aka Lilith Love

Henriëtte Johanna Ignatia Maria van Gasteren [HJIM]

Banquet, 2008, self-portrait

thnx everylittoral

@wolfstarmicrofic November 26, word count 698

Previous part First part

For the second time that day, Sirius and Remus walked up the long path to the castle. They were both lagging, the last few drops of Regulus’s potion still fighting away in their systems to keep them awake. Remus knocked on the heavy oak door and didn’t have to wait long for an answer. McGonagall looked at them both and sighed. She stood aside for them to pass, not commenting on Sirius’s presence. He wondered if Dumbledore had told her to let him through or if she couldn’t be bothered fighting him, knowing he knew this castle better than anyone else, except his three best friends. The thought turned sour in his mind as he looked at the cowering vermin in the cage he was carrying. 

McGonagall led them to the stone gargoyle, and together they climbed the staircase to Dumbledore’s office. Just before they walked into the room, Remus reached out and took his hand, squeezing it hard as they walked towards Dumbledore’s desk, where the old man was sitting, waiting for them, his hands steepled before his face and peering at them over his half-moon spectacles. 

“Here,” Sirius said, not too pleasantly and banged the cage down on the desk. Dumbledore looked surprised, as did McGonagall. 

“A rat?” he asked, leaning in to look at it closer. 

“No, not a rat,” Sirius answered, opening the cage and dragging the now squealing rat out of the cage. 

Wormtail dug his sharp teeth into Sirius’s hand, but he didn’t let go. “Remus,” he said calmly, holding Wormtail out to him. Remus raised his wand and muttered the spell that would force Peter into his human form. “Here is your spy. You’re welcome,” Sirius drawled, flicking imaginary dust off his clothes.

“An animagus!” Dumbledore said, his eyes widening in shock. 

“This can’t be,” McGonagall said. “Are you sure? Are you completely sure it’s Mr Pettigrew?” She pleaded with Sirius, her eyes so full of hurt it twisted something deep inside him. He nodded, not making eye contact with her. 

“I checked his mind. The memories are all there. Any legilimens could find them; his mind is completely unprotected, as are all the members of the Order that we tracked down. You might want to look into occlumency lessons for them.” He felt suddenly bone tired, and all he wanted to do was sink into his bed. “We’ll leave him to you then,” Sirius told Dumbledore. He tugged on Remus’s hand, still in his, and turned towards the door. 

“Mr Lupin, a word in private if you don’t mind,” Dumbledore said before Remus could move. 

“I do mind, actually,” Remus said, surprising the room, even Peter, who had cleverly kept his mouth shut since being revealed. “We’re exhausted and have done more for you in a single day than you’ve been able to do in over a year. I will come back with Sirius the day after tomorrow. We need rest and time to come to terms with the utter betrayal by one of our best friends. I’ll be at Grimmauld Place for the foreseeable future, so be careful how you contact me.” Remus spun, and together they walked out of the headmaster's office, leaving Peter to his mercy. 

When they landed outside Grimmauld Place, Sirius could have cried. It was only a few short steps until he could collapse on his bed and sleep. For the first time, he understood Regulus’s anger at being woken when he was trying to sleep, because right now he would happily slaughter anyone who woke him in the next twelve hours at least. He looked down at the hand still in his, which was absentmindedly stroking his knuckles and grinned. Well, almost anybody, he corrected himself and led Remus up to his room. They stripped down, too tired to care and slipped beneath the soft covers. Sirius snuggled up to Remus, and Remus wrapped his arms around him like old times. He could almost kid himself into thinking they were still madly in love. 

He fell asleep thinking of nothing but the way Remus’s hand was stroking his back. It was a lovely feeling and helped him forget about what they’d just done.