Marauder's Love

Snape's Grudge

"Lupin!" The fireplace shouted making me look up from my book to see Snape's head in the flames. "I want a word!"

Sighing, I place the book down on the desk in the office and stepped into the flame.

"You called, Severus?" I ask as I brush off the ashes from my robes. Then I notice that it wasn't just Snape in the room but Harry also.

"I certainly did," Snape said with a face of fury as he walked back to his desk. "I have just asked Potter to empty his pockets. He was carrying this."

Snape pointed to something that I never thought I would see again, the Marauder's map. Some messages were written out from Mooney, Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail making me mentally chuckle at the insults towards Severus.

"Well?" Snape questioned breaking me from my thoughts. "This parchment is plainly full of Dark Magic. This is supposed to be your brother's area of expertise but unfortunately I can't find him at the moment. So, I call upon you. Where do you imagine Potter got such a thing?"

"Well," I smile kindly. "I might not be an Against the Dark Arts teacher but I can not see what this parchment has to do with Dark Magic. It just seems to insult the readers, that's all. Very childish but not dangerous. Harry probably got it from a joke shop-"

"Indeed?" Snape interrupted in rage. "You think a joke shop could supply him with such a thing? You don't think it more likely that he got it directly from the manufacturers?"

"You mean, by Mr. Wormtail or one of these people? Harry, do you know any of these men?"

"No."

"You see, Severus? It looks like a Zonko product to me-"

Suddenly Ronald Weasley bursted into the room out of breath. Ron nearly slammed into Snape's desk but he stopped just short of crashing.

"I-gave-Harry-that-stuff," he chocked. "Bought-it... in Zonko's...ages...ago..."

"Well!" I smiled trying to get out of this situation. "That seems to clear that up! Severus, I'll take this back, shall I?" I folded up the piece of my childhood, and slipped into the pocket of my robes. "Harry, Ron, come with me, I need a word. The other Professor Lupin was saying something about giving you two some materials about a vampire essay or something."

"Yes, professor. The books, right?" Harry said taking the hint.

I nod. The three of us walk out his office not saying a word as we walked to the entrance hall as thoughts filled my head trying to remember the last time I saw the map all those years ago after it was being taken away but how did it land in Harry's hands?

"Professor, I-" Harry started when we made it to the hall.

"I don't want to hear explanations," I stop him turning to him. Lowering my voice," I happen to know that this map was confiscated by Mr. Filch many years ago. Yes, I know it's a map." I answered when seeing their amazed faces. "I don't want to know how it fell into your possession. I am, however, astounded that you didn't hand it in. Particularity after the last time a student left information about the castle lying around. And I can't let you have it back, Harry."

"Why did Snape think I'd got it from the manufacturers?"

"Because..." I hesitated," these manufacturers are known to be jokers. They would found it very entertaining if you followed the map."

"Do you know them?" Harry questioned.

"I did," I say feeling my jaw clench slightly. "Don't expect me to cover up for you again, Harry. There are things out there at this very minute and I know your parents didn't die for you to just throw your life away by following magic tricks."

I walk away from them. Not knowing where I was supposed to be going but I continued to walk until I made it back to my office. Locking the door, I pull out the map. It was plain parchment nothing special about it on the surface.

Taking out my wand, I breath," I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." The map came to life as the many different halls started to appear and then the footsteps with names attached began to walk the halls making me smile at the old memories of watching the map. Then a thought flew into my head making me frown at the map with tears stinging the back of my eyes.

"Where are you?" I whimper scanning the map over and over again. "Where are you!"

I slammed the map down on the desk feeling the waves of pain that had built itself against the dam in the last twelve years.

~~~~

I walk down the stairs not really concerned about anything and apparently not paying attention when I felt myself bump into someone.

"I'm so sorry!" I turn to the person to see a blonde headed girl with blue eyes, but she looked like a copy of, "Noelle?"

"Actually," the girl smiled kindly," it's Luna. Luna Lovegood. Noelle is my mother."

"Noelle is your mother?" I whisper in disbelief.

"Well, was," Luna trailed off looking at her feet.

"Is she?" I whisper hoping that the thought that is going through my head is false.

"She died when I was a baby," Luna smiled kindly.

"I'm sorry. You should be getting off to the um, quidditch match," I said gesturing to the quidditch field. She nodded before walking away towards the field. I frown as I walk to the one place that I could always to go when I needed to clear my head. The Black Lake seems to always shine somehow. How could I not know that Noelle had died? Did Remus know?
I sat down against the tree as I watched the lake. After a while something caught my eye making me look around the trunk of the tree to see a large black dog.
The dog sat on its hind legs just simply staring back at me.

"Sirius?" I whisper still watching the dog. The dog got up and started walking away into the forest.
Scrambling to my feet, I follow Sirius into the forest not even thinking about the danger of doing so. Once we were good lengths in he stopped and with a blink of an eye he changed into his human form. He still looked ill but there seemed to be an bit more color in his skin. We did in silence but knowing what to say or what top do for that matter.

"Where have you been?" I whisper trying to control my crumbling emotions.

"Around," he said softly not fully answering the question but I didn't question it further.

"Why did you do that? To the Fat Lady?" I ask, looking down at my feet.

"You'll find out soon."

"Why are acting like this?" I ask in disbelief. "What are you trying to do?"
He didn't answer me but slowly walked over to me. I watched him closely not being able move away from him, longing for the familiar touch that I have been craving since that night he was in my room.

"You'll find out soon," he whispers again. His fingers trailing up my arm making my knees go weak at his simple touch. Sirius gently pulls me against him sending warmth through me.

"I've missed you," I confess not looking away from his gaze. His cold eyes soften as he caress my cheek.

"I kept thinking back to before all of this," he says holding us together,"how we could've been. Happy somewhere with James and Lily and Harry. You by my side and I by yours."

"I love you," I whimper against his chest, clinging onto his torn prison clothes. He took my face into his hand and captured my lips with his, everything felt warm at that moment. We could have stayed like that for along time but the cheers from the quidditch field broke the passionate moment.

"I have to leave," he whispers in my hair.

"No, please don't," I mumble not ending to end this perfect scene.

"I'll come back for you. I swear on everything in my being."
We kissed a lingering kiss before he disappeared into the darkness of the forest.