messy love •harrypotterxoc•

• chapter forty three (3)

the group they were in was... strange to say the least. in the lead was Crookshanks who led the way down the stairs; Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron went next, looking like entrants in a six-legged race. Next came Professor Snape, drifting creepily along, his toes hitting each stair as they descended, held up by his own wand, which was being pointed at him by Sirius. sirius was also carrying addy on his back as addy was acting like she was a dying soldier and Harry and Hermione brought up the rear.

Getting back into the tunnel was difficult. Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron had to turn sideways to manage it; Lupin still had Pettigrew covered with his wand. Harry could see them edging awkwardly along the tunnel in single file. Crookshanks was still in the lead.

Harry went right after Black, who was still making Snape drift along ahead of them and tightening his grip on addy the more steps he went down; snape kept bumping his lolling head on the low ceiling and addy, being addy, would sometimes take the wand off sirius and bang snape into a wall because as she said 'it was a coping mechanism'. Harry had the impression Black was making no effort to prevent this and addy was doing all in her power to hurt snape while her and sirius watch almost as if it's an entertainment show, grinning and letting out insane cackled once and again

"You know what this means?" Black said abruptly to Harry as they made their slow progress along the tunnel, addy bumping along his back "Turning Pettigrew in?"

"You're free," said Harry looking at addy who staring off into space

"Yes..." said Black. "But I'm also -- I don't know if anyone ever told you -- I'm your godfather."

"Yeah, I knew that," said Harry.

"Well... your parents appointed me your guardian," said Black stiffly. "If anything happened to them..."

"I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle," said Black. "But... well... think about it. Once my name's cleared... if you wanted a... a different home..."

"What -- live with you?" he said, accidentally cracking his head on a bit of rock protruding from the ceiling. "Leave the Dursleys?"

"Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to," said Black quickly. "I understand, I just thought I'd --"

"Are you insane?" said Harry, his voice easily as croaky as Black's. "Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?"

Black turned right around to look at him; Snape's head was scraping the ceiling but Black didn't seem to care.

"You want to?" he said. "You mean it?"

"Yeah, I mean it!" said Harry. Black's gaunt face broke into the first true smile Harry had seen upon it unless addy was the one causing it. The difference it made was startling, as though a person ten years younger were shining through the starved mask

"not to be a downer but do you mind if we don't hug i'm kind of, you know, losing a leg here. wouldn't want to get blood on your celebration" she put a smile on through gritted teeth as they left the tunnel and sat on either an oddly made tree branch or a very spiky ground

The grounds were very dark now; the only light came from the distant windows of the castle. Without a word, they set off. Pettigrew was still wheezing and occasionally whimpering.

"One wrong move, Peter," said Lupin threateningly ahead. His wand was still pointed sideways at Pettigrew's chest.

"dilf" addy coughed once again as sirius coughed next

"piss off addy he's mine, you could be his child" sirius said whacking the back of her head making her curls fall out the bun she'd put it in

"well done, brad mondo, now i have to deal with this lion mane" she's sighed rubbing her head where it was acheing. rolling his eyes sirius turned away and walked up to harry who was sat further down the root