A Good Kid

10.5K 497 1.5K
                                    

"So I told Remus, I'm not going to Uni, I'm taking a year off to do Order work," Sirius said, walking alongside James into the corridor at the bottom of the stairs to the dungeons.

James said, "How'd he take that?"

"Not well. He got rather peeved, to be honest," Sirius sighed. "I mean, I managed to calm him down pretty quickly, he can only be mad so long, especially when the full moon is effecting him like it is this month, so we're alright and all, but I could tell he was realyl bothered."

"Remus really values education," James said wisely. "He just wants what's best for you."

"Well, what's best for me is killing You Know Who," Sirius said.

"Yeah," James said, "Best for all of us, really, but you know Remus. He's against Voldemort and he'll fight anytime he's ready to but I think Ned's death really drove home to him how much risk is involved. Remus's life is risked every month as he turns, and I reckon he just feels like that's enough risk. And it is. More than enough. He's lost enough already. He just doesn't want to lose anymore of his life."

Sirius mused. "Yeah, I s'pose that makes sense." He edged into James, jabbing him with his elbow. "You're too bloody smart for my own good."

James laughed, "Nah. You need my smarts to keep you in line."

"Ah very true, Prongsy," Sirius crooned, and he draped himself on James's shoulder, his nose pressed against his bicep. "Whatever would I do without my harem?"

James lay his head atop of Sirius's, "I haven't a clue, Pads."

They continued on down the hall like that, appraoching the dungeon rooms, when they heard raised voices arguing ahead of them, echoing down the corridor. James stood upright and so did Sirius and they looked at one another. Sirius drew his wand and James felt for his but, as usual, he'd forgotten it back in the dormitory. Sirius rolled his eyes at James, then stepped ahead of him as they inched down the corridor toward the sound of the voices.

"-- am I supposed to do when you've just left and I haven't any idea where you are?" It was Regulus, James recognized his voice, so much like his brother's, carrying down the hall. "I could've been killed if they'd found me out while you were off --"

"Saving he lives of everyone who they would've turned with their stores?" came a cold voice. Both James and Sirius stopped in their tracks at the sound of it.

"Snivellus," breathed Sirius, a grin spreading over his mouth, as he brought his wand up. James grabbed hold of Sirius's elbow to stop him from moving forward.

"Don't. Wait," James hissed.

"Yeah, that and abandoning me, which was directly against our plan."

"Was it not in your plan for me to gain the information of where the werewolf saliva stores were kept?"

"Well yes but --"

"And was it not in the plan to obtain the store, whatever means possible, should we discover their location?"

"Yes, but --"

"I did not have a choice, Regulus," Severus said darkly, "The bottles were too loud to return to the main room where you were, and disapparating away once was risky enough. If I'd been caught in that cellar we would've both been killed for traitorous acts to the Dark Lord."

"But you could've told me --"

"How? How was I supposed to tell you?" Snape demanded, "Without blowing both of our covers? I had snuck away unnoticed. I needed to stay unnoticed to protect us both." His voice had a touch of finality to it. "So you can stand there, looking angry and on the verge of tears all you want --"

The Marauders: Year Seven Part TwoWhere stories live. Discover now