The Marauders: Year Five #Wattys2017

A Traitor

A Traitor

James and Remus were waiting in the entrance hall for Peter to get back, whispering quietly, trying to figure out where Sirius could be, when Maryrose Jenkins approached them. She looked pale and nervous. "Hey," she said quietly. "Um... Regulus left a few minutes ago to go down to the docks to meet you up." She stared at James meaningfully.

She still couldn't believe she'd agreed to do this. Completely mental, she'd thought when James had tried to explain to her why he needed her to do it. But if it would help Regulus get his brother back... she would do whatever it was. And James had made it sound as though finding out what Regulus wanted of Sirius so that Sirius would talk to Regulus again was the main purpose of their meeting. He'd entirely left out the part about getting information on Severus Snape.

James slapped his forehead, "Of course he is. Bloody hell I forgot." He looked at Remus. "I gotta go see Regulus. You know how important this is." His voice lilted with meaning. After all, it was imperative that he learn what was going on with Severus Snape - to find out what power Snape had that Regulus Black knew about. After all, it was Remus that was most endangered by Snape being able to read minds.

Remus nodded, "Yeah, I know. Go on. I'm sure Sirius is fine. You know him, he pitches fits and does his thing and before you know it he's alright again... Wherever he's at, he's probably plotting the next great prank. Pete and I will find him as soon as Peter gets back here with the map."

James nodded. Remus was probably right, he figured. Sirius really was one of the most dramatic people James had ever met . "I'll catch you guys up and we'll do whatever prank Sirius has planned." He grinned and winked as he patted Remus's back, "I'm glad Pomfrey could fix your knee this time, mate."

"Me, too," Rey answered.

James turned to Maryrose, "C'mon, let's go." They said bye to Remus and they hurried across the Great Hall to the stairs that led down into the dungeons.

Remus waited for what felt like forever. He couldn't help but suspect that it would've been faster for he himself to go up to the dormitory, even with his blasted knee, than it was for Peter to! Finally, after at least ten minutes had passed, Peter came wheezing into the entrance hall, tripping on his robes on the staircase. A couple Ravenclaw girls giggled at him as he nearly took a nose-dive, only just barely catching the bannister before he went down. He skid to a halt before Remus.

"He's - he's on the - in the -" Peter was wheezing too hard and he thrust the parchment into Remus's hands and turned toward the door that led into the boat docks.

Remus's eyes skimmed the parchment, spotting Sirius almost immediately, and he caught him by the neck of the robes, stopping him. "Oh no," he whispered. "Of all the places he could go. Why there?"

"It's quiet down there, nobody ever goes down there," Peter suggested.

"Yes, exactly. Exactly why it's a lovely spot for a meeting. A very secret meeting." Remus jabbed his finger at the Map again for Peter to see. There was Sirius on the stairs... and on the docks themselves, mere feet away... were three more dots.

Maryrose Jenkins, James Potter, and Regulus Black.

Sirius lay on the stairs, shivering, and subconsciously spinning the heavy gold band Remus had given him 'round his finger, drifting between sleep and wake. It was the cold that made him decide to move, and he opened his eyes.. it took him a moment to orient himself to his surroundings. The stone walls and ceiling were so foreign, not at all the thick burgundy bed curtains he'd expected when he opened them. His hand moved from the gash he'd made across his chest, the blood dried and crusted against his skin and palm. He stared down at it and his stomach turned. What had he done?