Chapter 10: Sirius Underground

CHAPTER TEN: SIRIUS UNDERGROUND

*~* Turning *~*

"Ron's already having slight trouble in Transfiguration, but Hermione will get him right. Ginny made the quidditch team. Bill's dating Fleur Delacour. Charlie's still single, much to your mother's dismay, and she keeps hinting to Buffy or Willow. He's in Romania right now, but he's planning a visit at the winter hols. You're mother's hinting. I think I just said that. Oh well. I don't think your mom realizes that Willow would likely be the most interested in Ginny, but... anyhow. And I think Buffy might have a crush on Sirius's cousin Lindsey, but I hear Faith broke up with Robin, but Faith might break Charlie. Ah, anyhow... Fred and George are opening their joke shop. It's all very exciting."

Percy wasn't shocked. Not really. Things were as they ever were with his family, but he was still glad of news of them. Percy just listened. He'd long given up arguing or even trying to gain freedom. He wasn't sure if he wanted it any longer. He was right under his mother's nose. Her vigil of hope was humbling. As nasty as he had been to them, and his mother... he supposed that's what Vi had been trying to tell him all along. They no longer kept him tied up, but he was confined to this room. Sirius had seen to that. The man was still as clever a wizard as he had been before. It was a slow process but the Sirius of before was coming back to the Sirius of now. The combination made him much more formidable than he had been before.

"Willow says there's a slayer here somewhere. In the magic community, but it being the magic community, Willow's having a time finding the girl. We're living in changing times, you know. Giles has been seeing about rebuilding the Watchers Council here. The last one got blown up, you know."

"I know."

She looked at him and made a face. "Sorry. I'm boring you, aren't I?"

"Not at all."

"Can I bring something? Like a book or something? Believe it or not the Blacks were actually big readers, and most of the books aren't cursed."

"A book would be very nice, thanks."

She smiled brightly at him. "I'm on it."

*~*~*

*~* Unexpected Pleas *~*

He and Kit were nosing around Flourish and Blott's when it happened. She was completely fascinated with wizard books. Sirius liked that about her. His family might have had many differences in the way they thought the world ought to be, but there was one common thread. All the Blacks were great readers. they looked a good book, be it fiction or facts.

Sirius scanned the aisles for Kit. They'd become separated. Someone grabbed his wrist. Sirius smiled at her grip, thinking it must be Kit from the delicate nature of the warm hand until he realized Kit's hands weren't quite this delicate.

"I need your help, cousin."

He blood froze in his veins for a moment before it began to boil. "Cissa?" She'd only set him up and tried to kill him not too very long ago. "Why on earth-"

He tried to face her, but she gripped his wrist so tight, Sirius winced in pain. He stayed facing his shelves on the aisle, and she stayed facing hers. Their shoulders were near touching, and her gripping his wrist was hidden in the folds of the large hooded cloak she wore to hide herself.

"Sirius, don't make me beg... because I will. They're going to kill my child. Possibly me for trying to keep them from it, and I know you could care less about me, but don't blame Draco for that. It's not his fault who his parents are. Surely you of all of us realize that."

"No, I can blame Draco for other things."

"Heard of him from Potter, I see, and that's not at all clouded. How would have you and Potter Senior spoken of Severus back in the day? Please."

"Have we come to the begging then?"

"You always were a bit of a bastard." Her voice wavered.

For some reason this bothered Sirius a bit, but only just a bit.

"He's just a stupid boy, Sirius. Just a stupid boy who's been trying to be his father. I think he's only now realizing that's not who he is. Surely you recall that. Weren't you about sixteen as well when you ran away? Surely you recall how Regulus couldn't seem to pull back from being his father's son as you did. Sweet Circe, Sirius, what if Reggie'd had someone to help pull him back? What if he'd had guidance? What would your life be like now?"

Sirius felt his eyes water at thoughts of his brother. True. What if instead of calling Reggie, gods he'd forgotten all the cousins called him that as a boy, what if instead of calling Reggie a stupid idiot, he'd helped him get out? What if he'd forced his brother to see reason? What would life be like now? What if Reggie had been trapped with no one to help him? And Sirius had been too full of himself and James and Lily and Remus and Peter back then to see it all.

Sirius shook himself. This was Narcissa. She was a Death Eater. Why wouldn't she want her son to be one too?

"I would think you." He snarled. "Would be awfully proud to have little Drake carrying on the family traditions."

"My boy isn't a killer. He must have some of your sort of Black blood."

"Oh you mean a conscience?"

She actually chuckled. "Yes. One of those."

"How disappointed Lucius must be."

"He doesn't know."

"What?"

"He doesn't know Draco as I do. Lucius sees only what he wants to see in all of this. He thinks they boy is exactly as he was. Draco's not. He's a bit sensitive."

"You mean to say he has feelings."

"Quite a few. I love him more than I have ever loved anything in my life. More than Lucius... if I ever loved him at all. Even more than my own life."

"So you plan to betray all for Draco?"

"Yes."

"Because you love him so much?"

"Yes."

"Well, this is a day for miracles then." Sirius quipped rather sarcastically.

"I'll have to be hidden. I'm betraying them. I'm betraying them even talking to you."

"If this a trick, I'll kill you with my bare hands. I won't even spare a swish from a wand for you, Cissa. I'll be muggle. I'll drain the very life from you with my gripping fingers."

She gave his wrist a squeeze. Such a Slytherin. You threaten them with death, and they treat it like kisses on their cheeks.

"Meet me at midnight at the Leaky Cauldron." He hissed quietly, as Kit rounded the corner with her arms full of books

"Will it be open then?"

"Tonight it will."

"Sirius, I-"

He pulled her around so he could see her face in the dark green hooded cloak she wore. "And this time, come alone."

*~*~*

*~* Not the Watcher Watching *~*

He'd been watching the both of them since they'd returned to school, and something was decidedly off with Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson. Mainly that Malfoy looked about ready to jump out of his own skin, and Pansy looked as if she were getting no sleep at all.

Currently, Malfoy was tucked into his bed.

Parkinson, on the other hand, was marching into the forbidden forest. In her night clothes and slippers. Severus Snape followed her at a safe distance. He had no idea what was going on with the girl. Why would she being going out at night if she was so obviously tired? Unless she was sleepwalking or in some sort of a trance? Or possibly under a spell?

And then he saw it.

And could not believe it.

Pansy Parkinson was... slaying vampires?

Oh. Bloody. Everlasting. Hell.

*~*~*

*~* Toil and Trouble *~*

Buffy looked up when Remus opened her bedroom door after she'd told him to enter due to his nice little rap on the door.

"We've got a bit of trouble."

"And here I thought it was gonna be a slow night." Buffy said as she stood and followed him.

They passed Tonks and Lindsey in the hallway. Lindsey stayed across the hall. Tonks had a flat of her own, but she visited a lot. Quite a lot. She seemed to divide most of her time between her cousins Sirius and Lindsey and Remus Lupin. Buffy suspected there might be a bit of a crush on the older werewolf. Not that she blamed Tonks. Remus was fabulous. He was one of the good guys, and man, were those hard to find these days.

Dawn poked her head out of the bedroom she and Kit shared. "What's going on?"

"Trouble."

"I swear I didn't know they were going!" Dawn blurted out.

The four adults in the hallway turned slowly to look at her. Connor was standing across the hall in the doorway of the room he and Sirius shared with his arms folded across his chest.

"You really can't keep your mouth shut, can you?"

"Oh piss off! He's my brother and I'm worried about him."

"He's also one of the most clever wizards that ever was."

"Still managed to get himself killed by a set of drapes once, didn't he?"

"Ah-hem." Buffy looked pissed. "Where's Sirius?"

Dawn traced an invisible line on the floor with the toe of her sock. "He... might... have... um, taken Kit to... er... meet Narcissa Malfoy at the Leaky Cauldron."

"What?!" Remus shouted. Then he started talking to himself. "He's lost his bleedin' mind, that's what. He has gone barking mad... no pun intended."

"I'm sure Sirius had his reasons." Tonks offered, placing a comforting hand on Remus' arm.

Lindsey rolled his blue Black eyes. "Yeah, like he thinks his ass is hex-proof or something now."

"That's not the trouble we've got now." Remus said, then sighed. "Come on. Giles is downstairs with that. Best we deal with that, then deal with Sirius."

"No-" Buffy started

"You're needed downstairs." Remus interrupted.

"Here." Tonks said. "Connor and I will go round up Sirius, Buffy."

"I'm going too." Dawn added.

"You most certainly are not." Buffy snapped.

"Dawn." Remus said gently because of the mottled look of fury on Dawn's face. "I think perhaps we might need you downstairs as well."

She blinked in surprise. "Really?"

*~*~*

*~* The Slytherin Slayer *~*

Snape was pacing the sitting room of the Black house. Giles was seated and watching the other man do so. The girl was lying on the sofa... out. Worn out, poor thing. Willow and Xander were near the fireplace whispering quietly.

Remus, Buffy, and Lindsey entered.

Buffy looked at the girl on the sofa in her jammies that was snoring lightly. She was a bit pale and had short black hair. Her little black PJs had little green snakes on them. Buffy smiled. She could feel what this girl was.

Buffy looked at Snape. "But I didn't get you anything."

He rolled his eyes.

"What's going on?" Lindsey asked.

"She's a slayer."

"My guess is she's a Slytherin too. Nice snake jammies. You give those out to everyone in your house, Snape?"

Buffy glared. "Lindsey, shut up. Will's been looking for her. Professor Snape didn't have to bring her here."

"I thought perhaps you lot could help her. It is out of my realm of expertise, this slaying thing. I thought perhaps I could send along her schoolwork and... Lupin could... tutor her, so that she did not fall behind until such time as she might be able to return to Hogwarts."

"What's her name?" Dawn asked.

"Pansy Parkinson."

Dawn nodded.

"I can not believe you would allow me to tutor one of yours, Severus." Remus said.

"She needs more help than I can give her without drawing suspicion, and you are an adequate teacher."

"Oh well thank you."

Willow snorted and rolled her eyes.

"She have parents?" Xander asked. "What about them?"

"It'll be complicated." Snape said. "But Dumbledore has a plan."

"Oh well as long as YOU didn't come up with it." Willow said.

He snarled at her.

Buffy looked from one to the other and her brow furrowed. "Was that all the trouble?"

"Um no, I'm afraid there's a bit more to be had."

Everyone turned.

Sirius was standing there with Kit.

Tonks and Connor were standing with them.

And so was Narcissa Malfoy.

Buffy shot the woman a look of pure venom before she started moving towards her. Her movements suggested severe ass-beatings would follow shortly.

*~*~*

end part 10

AN: Long long time, I know. Sorry. Hopefully updates will not be so few and far.