so in love with you // sirius black

chapter 44

My focus was broken by the front door of the shop opening. At first, it seems like no one had come in, but then I peered down and saw a large black dog walking toward the desk.

I glanced around the store to make sure there were no customers inside and went over to the door to put up the closed sign. When I turned back around the dog was gone and in its place stood Sirius Black.

"Hey"

"Sorry did I interrupt your work?" Sirius asked, gesturing towards the piles of papers on the front desk.

"Oh no, I was just organizing some old records" I muttered, running my hands through my hair. "What's up?"

"I um- I don't think I have much time, but I just wanted to swing by quick. I'm doing it tonight."

"Doing what?" Then I remembered. "Oh right. Peter."

"Yeah. Peter."

"Sirius are you sure this is a good idea?"

"It's a horrid idea," He laughed dryly, "but I need to do it."

Instead of saying anything else I walked over to him and wrapped him in a hug.

"I'm trying to understand, okay? Please be safe" I murmured.

"Hey," He said. "This will all be over soon. Peter will be dead and I'll be free. Then you and me, we can do whatever we want."

I just nodded and held him tighter.

"Maude I really have to go."

"Promise you'll come to see me after?"

"After I'm free," He savored the words, "Of course." And then he left me to wait.

God, I hated waiting. It's just hours on end of worry and stress. I'd always been impatient, but now It reminded me of the war, and those weren't memories I needed back.

I paced around the large room, stopping every once and while to adjust the placement of a book or to glance out the window. Eventually, I found myself dozing, slumped over my desk.

I woke up an hour or so later to find myself in darkness. The sun had set while I was asleep. I walked over to the nearest window and peered towards the shrieking shack. The full moon stared back at me, the stars shined pale in comparison. 

Shit. The full moon.

I hadn't talked to Remus about this month's moon, I didn't know if he had a plan, or if he had taken his potion. I added Remus to my endless list of things to stress over and went back to pacing. I swear I heard a howl tear through the night and I was seconds away from running toward the castle, before convincing myself I was having some sort of anxiety-induced hallucination.

I was almost ready to retire upstairs when a sudden cold breeze brushed over me. I walked along the front wall looking for an unlatched window but found nothing.

Then I saw them. They were traveling in a pack and heading towards the castle. Dread flooded me along with memories of the war, Marlene's death, battles, and Lily and James's funeral. I froze in place, not able to do anything about the screams that echoed in my head. 

I hadn't noticed I was hyperventilating until the Dementors were out of sight. I had to sit down and catch my breath and I was rewarded with a second of peace. But only a second, panic hit me as soon as I had the ability to collect my thoughts. 

Why were they all headed to the castle? What had happened?

I prayed that they were going for Peter, but something wasn't right. Without a second thought, I apparated myself right outside the gates of Hogwarts. I pushed the heavy gates open and rushed up the path to the entrance hall.