The Guardian

Disclaimer- Still don’t own them but if I did that veil would have disappeared long before our beloved Sirius fell through…

A/N this one is for Charlotte because I admit my Chapters were getting short. Sorry ;-)

Chapter 11
Of blood and orders.

Thursday’s Double potions class with fifth year Gryiffindors and Slytherins was anything but normal. First Draco Malfoy didn’t have a disparaging word to say to the Gryffindors; in fact he hadn’t said a word to anyone for a couple days. Second Neville Longbottom hadn’t melted a cauldron or blown up a potion all day, Hermione was doing enough of that on her own. As if that wasn’t strange enough Professor Snape didn’t seem to mind and when yet another cauldron suddenly burst into a fountain of violet and green sparks the professor just sighed, waved the mess away with his wand and dismissed the class half an hour early. He returned to staring in to space until the last student scrambled out, a bit worried at their normally snarky professor’s lack of anger.
“I’m sorry sir.” Hermione hung her head, tears choking her voice.
He glared at her. “I suppose you are all hanging around here to see if the dark lord has your friend.” It had been more than a day since Dumbledore and Remus had comeback from the Ministry looking more than a bit beaten up. “Malfoy and Lestrange” they’d mumbled as Madam Pomfrey healed them.
“Have you heard anything?” Harry asked.
“No” Snape growled at them, he really hadn’t heard anything. Rhiannon weirded him out but he didn’t want her dead; she would be of great help to their side. The group went silent each lost in their own thoughts until there was a loud thud from Snape’s private office. Snape was the first through the door, wand drawn against whatever could have found its way in there.
“Um help?” Sirius Black was standing confused next to the professor’s desk, papers scattered around him and a bleeding Rhiannon draped across his arms.

Sirius felt a strange tingle move over his body and watched as the cliffs around him disappeared. The woman in his arms was getting colder by the second. He closed his eyes and thought of Harry, he was at Hogwarts. Hopefully they wouldn’t appear in the middle of the great hall at dinner time, although with the luck he was having it wouldn’t surprise him in the least. He’d end up back in Azkaban and everything anyone one had done for him over the last couple years would be pointless.
They reappeared in a dark office, at least Sirius assumed it was an office as the thing he stumbled into felt like a desk Rhiannon whimpered as he shifted her and he thought she passed out. He took a step and knocked something over, the silent room filling with the fluttering of papers then the click of wards being lifted. Quickly pulling out his wand, and ignoring the thought of it not working he held it as best he could with the unconscious woman in his arms. The large door flew open revealing Severus Snape, wand drawn in one hand the other thrown out to hold a small group of teens back. Sirius had never been so happy to see the greasy bastard in all his life and said the first thing that came to mind, “Um Help?” then rolled his eyes at his own idiotic words.
“What have you done to her Mutt?” Snape hissed entering the small room and lighting torches.
“Nothing Snivellious but she needs to get to Madam Pomfrey quick.” He shifted her in his arms and waited while Snape lit a fire.
“Harry.” Sirius grinned at his godson, relieved.
“Sirius.” Harry moved closer then stopped when he stepped on something.
“Don’t touch that.” Sirius put one foot over the dagger that had fallen out of Rhiannon’s limp hand. “She said it was cursed.” Harry nodded and backed off.
“Infirmary.” Snape bellowed, waited until the flames turned then ushered them through.
“What happened?” he asked as they rushed her down the rows of beds, the teens moving quicker yelling for the medi-witch as they ran. Sirius was getting a bit worried; he could feel her blood seeping through the layers of his suit, his hands becoming slick where he held her.
“I don’t know exactly, she fell from a cliff I guess, said Bellatrix had stabbed her. She was okay till she pulled the dagger out. Don’t you know what happened, I thought you were friends with those people?” Sirius glared at the dark wizard unsure of why he really pushed the man.
“What is this?” The medi-witch finally reached them her voice shrill with shock.
“She needs help before she bleeds to death.” Sirius sat Rhiannon on a bed, staring in surprise at just how much blood was covering him when he stood up. Rhiannon’s once white dress was mostly red now, her hair clumped together with blood. Hermione started crying out loud then, drawing his attention away from the pale woman for a moment.
“Harry, are you okay?” He asked unsure of what one should say when they were believed dead for a month. His godson nodded barely looking away from Rhiannon.
The doors from the hall opened with a deafening thud, emitting Remus and Dumbledore.
“How is she?” Remus was by their side in a moment ignoring everyone but Rhiannon, making Sirius curious about the pair. He felt oddly attached to the woman even though they had just met. She was beautiful, he could see that but that didn’t explain the pull he had felt when she’d wrapped her arms around him to appirate. He shook his head, Rhiannon was almost dead and here he was thinking about how beautiful she is.
“Not good,” said Madam Pomfrey, “I can’t get the blood to stop.”
“Get it stopped!” Remus growled then looked contrite. “Sorry, getting close to the full moon.”
“I’m trying.” The medi-witch growled back. “Sirius where is the dagger she pulled out?”
“Um in Snape’s office. She thinks it was cursed.” He felt helpless, this woman had risked her life to get him and he could do nothing to help her. He growled in frustration.
Remus’s head snapped up. “Padfoot.” Sirius was quickly enveloped in a hug by his best friend. “Glad to see you, but what happened to Rhi?”
Sirius sighed and told the story again as a blood replenisher was forced down Rhiannon’s throat. She gained color for a moment then grew pale again as even more blood seemed to rush out of her.
Sirius had seen Snape leave, probably to tell his master she was good as dead. He felt himself get mad, damn that man, leaving her here to die. He shoved his bloodied hands through his hair, deciding just how to punish the git when he rushed back in carrying a large dark bottle and looking worried. Sirius was pretty sure things were bad if Severus Snape was worried.
“Get this in her as quick as possible.” He handed the bottle to Remus and hurried Madam Pomfrey into a store room, bringing back a bunch of bottles.
“Get that into her!” Snape hissed. Sirius didn’t like the look in his enemy’s eyes; it was something that bordered on worry for the Rhiannon. He lifted her body and tilted her head so Remus could pour the thick liquid into her mouth. It looked like black honey, and moved the same way. Sirius shuddered trying to imagine drinking the stuff. Rhiannon shuddered as if in response to him, her body jerking for a moment before the blood stopped, her color came back and her breathing became deeper.
“Give her this.” Snape shoved another bottle at them, this one was bright purple, and smelled like berries as Remus poured it in her open mouth, she shuddered again. They continued to pour potions into her, some Sirius recognized and others that made him shudder. Everyone had moved back, sitting on the edge of a bed nearby until Snape finished tying a neat knot in a row of muggle stitches. He waved his wand over the woman and moved back as Rhiannon jerked upright and groaned in pain.
“Rhiannon, are you okay?” Dumbledore asked.
She coughed hard, shoving herself back against Sirius and nodded in answer. “What curse?” She asked looking at Snape.
“It was a combination. One to make your blood thin, one to block any replinishers or anything to magically close the wound. There was one that would have caused infections every time the wound was cleaned and various other nasty little things. Bellatrix wanted you dead.”
“She wants to be a Guardian.” Dumbledore chuckled looking at Rhiannon, who smiled softly too.
“I told her good luck, I think that’s when she got pissed and threw the knife at me.”
She shifted again, making Sirius aware of the bloody clothes now plastered against him.
“Too bad that’s already been taken care of.”
“I think every one should let you rest.” Madam Pomfrey suddenly took charge again.
“No, I refuse to stay in here.” Sirius was surprised at the strength in her voice and by the stubborn set of her jaw when he stood up and moved to the end of her bed.
“You need to rest.” The medi-witch argued.
“I can rest in my own room. I don’t want to stay in here. And I’m not a student so you can’t force me to.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Sirius was by her side in an instant when he saw her sway. He couldn’t explain the protective wave that washed over him but decided not to fight it. Instead he swept her up into his arms and followed Remus out the doors, leading an odd kind of processional through the hallways of his old school.

Rhiannon looked up at Sirius; his grey eyes reflected a tiny image of her self. Their intensity making her stomach flutter. “Thank you.” She whispered
“For what? It’s I who should be thanking you.”
“Then maybe we’re even.” She liked how he flipped his hair out of his eyes with a casual toss of his head.
“I don’t think so, if I had stayed where I was told, I wouldn’t have fallen into that place to begin with. You wouldn’t have had to face Bellatrix and there for wouldn’t have been stabbed or nearly bled to death, so I believe I owe you a few more saves to be even.”
She shook her head; recognizing the glint in his eyes and didn’t argue, saying instead, “You don’t have to carry me. I can walk.”
He shrugged but didn’t answer. “Remus is he always like this?” She called.
“Like what Rhi?” The werewolf answered, pushing open the door to the guest chambers.
“Quiet.”
“No.” Remus looked at Sirius oddly for a moment; she didn’t miss the silent conversation that passed between the two. But noticed Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville following closely on Sirius’s heels, looking worried.
“Go tell the others we are back, we will have dinner in here tonight.” She smirked when Harry smiled before chasing his friends through the halls. “Figured you’d like to catch up in private.” She sighed as Sirius sat her in a comfortable armchair.
“What happened after I fell in? I saw you two stun her.” She looked between Dumbledore and Remus.
“You saw us try and stun Lucius. He was ready for it though, got off a couple of good ones before we could bind him and Bellatrix.” Remus answered putting a finger through a hole in the side of his robes.
Rhiannon shook her head, as she stared at her friend.
“The dark lord is… upset with Lucius for keeping his knowledge of you a secret.” Snape offered. “He will try twice as hard to gain back the control he lost over you.” Rhiannon nodded indicating she heard him. But decided to change the subject. “Sirius, what are you planning to do now that you’re back?”
Sirius had been silent for a while now, “I don’t know, spend time with Harry I guess.”
Dumbledore spoke up then, “Sorry Sirius. I’ve already talked with Harry about this; He has to go back to the Dursleys. At least this last summer.” The elderly wizard looked strange, like he knew something no one else did. Rhiannon tried to look into his mind but found herself blocked. He was the only wizard that could do that to her.
“But he’s my godson. I should be allowed to take care of him.” Sirius argued, and she was given to agree.
“By all accounts you are still dead Sirius. It’s probably better if the ministry believes that until we can recapture Peter.” Remus, always the voice of reason.
“Fuck the ministry.” Rhiannon smirked at the surprised looks from Albus, Sirius and Snape. “Why the hell should Harry have to suffer because they can’t admit they fucked up fifteen years ago?”
“Yeah.” Sirius agreed standing up to pace. “They’ve got to know Voldemort is back by now. How can I help if I can’t even take care of Harry?”
Albus smiled, apparently he’d already thought this through and Rhiannon didn’t like the sparkle in his eyes. “What Albus? What scheme have you come up with this time?” She demanded.
“No scheme.” The Headmaster straightened to his full height, Rhiannon glared knowing whatever it was they’d all agree because he was their leader, crazy as he may or may not be. “Sirius you will guard our Guardian until a permanent solution is…presented.”
Rhiannon’s mouth fell open, she needed to be guarded? Making the kids her guard had only been a way to torment Snape and be able to keep an eye on them, keep them out of further trouble. But to actually have someone guard her was annoying. Even if he was mouth wateringly handsome with that shaggy black hair and those tattoos…where the hell had that come from she wondered looking at the man. Oh that’s right, not having sex in like six years would do that. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad… no it would defiantly be bad, having that man underfoot constantly would make her nuts.
“No Albus. I’m going back home, I don’t need anyone to guard me there.”
“You can’t return and you know it. Now stop being stubborn Miss Hades. Sirius and you will be safe at Grimmuald Place.”
At this point Sirius looked up a scowl darkening his eyes, “No I refuse to go back to that house. I hate it there.”
“Both of you will cease this childishness.” Dumbledore snapped his tone holding all the authority of a general directing his troops. “I swear first years are easier to deal with than you two. You will do as I say or I will lock you there myself.”
Both of them hung their heads feeling ashamed, mumbling “Yes sir.” In unison.
“Do you have something to add Severus?” Dumbledore had caught the smirk on his potions professor’s face.
“Nothing sir, just thinking it’s like the suicidal leading the suicidal. They’ll get the other killed with in a week.”
“You miserable…” This time it was Rhiannon that was cut off by Dumbledore.
“You are most correct Severus…so you will also be staying with them. Secretly of course.”
“But Sir!” Severus gasped, outrage making his black eyes glitter.
“Oh come on Sevie,” Rhiannon smirked, this might not be so bad after all. “It’ll be fun.”
“Yeah Snivellus, like a big sleep over.” Sirius caught her eye and winked, a slow sexy grin playing over his lips.

Snape stood up and stomped out of the chambers, muttering about infuriating Gryffindors and addled old men. Dumbledore turned and smiled warmly at Sirius, “Welcome back my boy. Rhiannon feel better.” He moved quietly to the door too, pulling a lemon drop out of his pocket. Only Remus was left to watch his two best friends and laugh to himself. Maybe Dumbledore would let him stay with them a while, things would much more interesting there than they would with a pack of werewolves.
“Don’t say a word.” They both growled at him at the same time, making him laugh out loud.