Copy Cat

Chapter 4 – Train Ride Turbulence

A/N: Holy cow. I'm so sorry guys! I've been soo busy over the hols. And I've only just gotten around to writing again. I know, I know... Terrible. School starts again in a week or so, but I will try to update once a week. If I don't, y'all have permission to yell at me, okay? I didn't have the opportunity to personally address each review this time, but please don't hate me for it. I did read them, and I greatly appreciate the fact that you do take time to review and give me your feedback. As always, ask questions. I will answer. And if you could, again because I suck at life, let me know if you want to be emailed when I have updated, I would greatly appreciate that. Put it at the end of your review with your preferred email address. Thanks guys!! LYSM!

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September 1 was always a busy day for students attending any school, but for students attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, things were a bit more hectic. There was the trunk packing, the broom polishing, the owl cage cleaning, the last minute homework finding, the dining with family before getting to the station, the finding your friends, etc. For a still relatively untrained and unmated magical creature, the day brought even more worries.

“But what if I accidentally unhook the cars of the train?” Harry wailed in despair as Sirius and Remus tried to coax Harry onto the Hogwarts Express.

“Just because you’re powerful enough to do so doesn’t mean you will. Besides, we’ll be riding the train with you, remember?” Remus fruitlessly attempted to smooth a wild lock of Harry’s hair behind one of his human ears. That was still a weird thing for Harry – having four ears… His tail swished in agitation.

“What if my mate’s on the train? What if Hermione and Ron don’t like me anymore? What if you and Sirius get called away to another car because some student is causing problems?” Harry was truly distraught.

“What if your head explodes from all the questions?” Sirius retorted. Thanks to a blunder on the part of the Death Eaters (and Lucius’s idea of some well-earned revenge for Peter Pettigrew having ruined an entire couch), Pettigrew had been caught, his memories examined and compared with those of Sirius.

Sirius had subsequently been cleared of all charges and reparations were being paid for by the Ministry to him, though there was some speculation that the funds were actually coming from Pettigrew’s own, mysteriously large, account. But that was largely overlooked. A week after the trial, Pettigrew received the Kiss upon Harry’s insistence. Having nearly had the Kiss administered to both himself AND Sirius (and Dudley, the mention of which caused Fudge to make a displeased face about having been wrong about that particular incident a couple years ago), Harry was more than happy to have the traitor suffer. In spite of this fact, Sirius was still unused to being out in public without needing to disguise himself. Harry found his discomfort a combination of pitiful and amusing. The tall man was attempting to hide behind Remus, who on a good day only came up to about Sirius’s nose level.

Harry forced himself to breathe. “You’re right. I’m worrying too much.” His guardians smiled in relief for the five seconds it took Harry to panic again. “How do I recognize my mate again?!”

They sighed in dismay, their smiles crumbling into grimaces at the rapidly arising headaches forming behind their temples. “Harry. We’ve gone over this. Sudden, unquestioned obedience. An inkling to be obedient marks a person as someone you would consider an acceptable substitute.”

“Right. Sorry.” Harry looked relieved. “Is Sev going to be on the train today?”
Remus and Sirius exchanged a look. Severus was going to be on the train. With his rapidly growing suspicion that Harry was Draco’s mate, he intended to keep the Ryuugon at bay, not wanting to deal with cleaning up Weasley body parts when Draco shredded the two for being too close to Harry. However, he had actually only told Remus the actual reason; he’d given Sirius the excuse that he was supposed to be writing an owl to Voldemort for Dumbledore, releasing false information for a trap.

“He is, but he’s got…” Sirius struggled to find a way to cover for his most loathed enemy, who (in all actuality) was growing on him, not that he’d ever admit that.

“He’s behind in his lesson plans, what with all the excitement over the summer – the Death Eater blunder, your Inheritance and training, meeting with the Order, fighting with Sirius….” Remus smoothly stepped in to cover for Sirius’s disappointing lack of creativity, and to keep Severus’s real purpose even further in the dark.

“Oh.” Harry ‘s cat ears lowered in slight disappointment, as there was little else that he enjoyed more than pouncing upon his intermediary. Fortunately, only those who already knew the ears were there could see this reaction.

“Cheer up, Harry.” Sirius said, ruffling Harry’s hair and rubbing those ears a little.

“Think of how much fun we’ll get to have this year. What with Remus back as your Defense professor and me assisting him and Severus in their classes, you’ll see all of us plenty.” Sirius grinned when Harry’s mood improved. He leaned closer and whispered,

“Plus, since you mastered the transformation, we can do some after hours roaming, eh? Padfoot and Neggie.”

Harry wrinkled his nose in distaste at the nickname he’d been given. It had arisen when Sirius had drunk a bit too much and was having trouble pronouncing ‘Kuronegato’. Unfortunately for Harry, Sirius had remembered what he had come up with and had decided that it was the perfect name for the rather adorable fluffball kitten form that Harry took on when he transformed.

“Do not think for a moment, Sirius, that I will condone after hours roaming.” Remus said, though his eyes said he most certainly would condone it with a suitable bribe.

Sirius stared at his lover in open awe, forgetting about the werewolf’s sensitive hearing. The train whistle brought everyone back to earth. Well, actually, it brought Sirius around to the fact that they were all going to miss the train if they didn’t get a move on, which, consequently alerted him to the fact that Harry was no longer on the earth per se. When he looked to Remus for help, he found that Remus was busy fighting with a small black cat, trying to disengage it from his robes.

“Harry… come on… Let go. We’ve got to get on the train now. Your friends are waiting for you.” Remus said through gritted teeth. Harry had very sharp claws that were very skilled in peeling away a few layers of flesh, flesh that Remus wasn’t ready to part with.

Sirius put a hand on Remus’s back and guided him onto the train so that at least they wouldn’t miss their ride. Having spoken with Mrs. Weasley that morning via floo, Remus knew that Harry’s friends would be awaiting him at the back of the train. And knowing Harry’s friends, they were, no doubt, more than eager to hear how Harry’s summer went and find out why he hadn’t been to the Burrow at all. So, making their way to the back of the train, the professors smiled at the students, Remus carefully keeping Harry concealed while still trying to dislodge him.

Finally, outside the compartment, they convinced Harry to let go and change back. With a reassuring shove, they sent him towards his friends and made their way back down the train to the teachers’ compartment. Harry sent a glare after them for leaving him all alone to explain himself, but then decided he’d get even with them later. Throwing on a confident smile, reminding himself that he was a Gryffindor and could face this challenge, he ignored the small voice in his head that pointed out he was supposed to be in Slytherin and that self-preservation was the way to go here. But by the time he got around to considering that argument, the door was already open and he was being pulled inside by six hands.

“Harry!” Hermione said in that‘I’m- the- closest - thing- apart -from -Mrs. -Weasley -that -you -will -ever -have -for -a -mother’ voice. She pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, which dismayed Harry as he found himself nearly swallowed by her chest. He hadn’t remembered being quite so short… but, he supposed that Hermione must have grown. Lucky little witch. As soon as Hermione released him, he went to reply, only to be pulled into another hug by Ginny.

“Oh, Harry! I missed you so much! I was hoping you’d come to the Burrow for your birthday, but then you didn’t.” Ginny would have rambled on for minutes had Ron not managed to get him free.

“Thanks.” He breathed, looking up at his best friend.

“Blimey, mate. Aren’t you ever going to grow?” Ron asked, clearly amused by how short Harry really was, though he had apparently learned from the twins how to fake concern. Harry scowled at him and punched him in the arm.

“Bugger off, would you?” Harry flopped into a seat and watched everyone else sit down as well.

“So… Sirius is clear.” Hermione began.

“Yeah.” Harry agreed with a grin.

“Must be nice.” She continued, hoping that something would spark Harry’s desire to confide in them.

“Yeah.” Harry was suddenly drawn to Crookshanks across the compartment from him, giving him the evil eye. Unaware of what he was doing, he hissed at the Kneazle. Crookshanks growled back, ears flattening in challenge. Harry’s own did so under cover of his glamour. He bared his pointed canines, the one part they hadn’t thought to glamour.

“Harry!” Hermione gasped.

Harry was sufficiently drawn out of his mortal combat with Crookshanks and looked at Hermione with a patented cat expression of ‘I didn’t do anything.’ “What?” He asked dumbly.

“Your teeth!” Ginny exclaimed. “You’re not a vampire, are you?” She put her hands up around her neck, just in case.

Harry raised an eyebrow at her. “No…”

“So, then, the twins were right.” Ron said, looking to Hermione for confirmation.

“About what?” Harry asked.

“I guess so.” Hermione answered Ron.

“About what?!” Harry asked again.

“Blimey. I thought for sure they were pulling our legs.”

“It would be like them.” Ginny agreed.

Harry, not usually known for his control over his temper, growled low in his throat. Without warning, his friends were suddenly gagged by silvery-green tendrils of Harry’s magic. Wide-eyed, they looked at Harry. “About. What.” He said in that predatory voice.
Hermione nodded, indicating that she would answer. The gag loosened, but hovered at the ready in case Harry felt it necessary to go back on.

“Apparently, when you didn’t show up at the Burrow on your birthday like everyone had agreed, or even the day after like we thought you might, Ron’s mum went and flooed over to Grimmauld to see what was going on. She left the fireplace active, however, so Fred and George, determined to see if Extendable Ears could survive such a thing, stuck them through the flames like you would in just a floo call, and they overheard the adults all talking about an Inheritance or something that meant you couldn’t come to the Burrow this summer.” Hermione said all of this in one breath, which really wasn’t that surprising as Harry could recall one time when she recited the entire procedure for the Wolfsbane potion in a similar fashion.

The gags loosened on everyone else, but once again, remained at the ready. They looked at Harry expectantly. He sighed. “You have to promise not to tell anyone, okay?”

They nodded.

Harry dropped the glamour.

“Whoa!”

“So it is true.”

“Oh, I’m sure I know what you are, but I can’t remember it at the mom…”

As soon as the three of them started to talk at once, the gags reasserted themselves over their mouths.

“Yes, I am a magical creature. I’m apparently a Kuronegato. I don’t know all that I can do yet because when we finally did attempt to do our training, I insisted that Dudley be there, but that was a bad idea because Kreacher decided to try and sweep Dudley under the man-eating rug in the den every time, and that always took hours to get him out of.” Before Harry could continue with the rest of his explanation, they were joined by an out-of-breath Sirius who quickly locked and warded the doors of the compartment.

Gags forgotten, everyone looked at Sirius with interest.

“Sirius?” Harry questioned cautiously.

Sirius turned and flashed them all a grin. “Hi, guys!”

“What’s going on?” Hermione asked, readying her wand. Everyone else followed suit.

“Oh, well, you know… Made Remus mad. Just… hiding.” Sirius glanced back out the window into the hallway of the train.

Harry, having seen his godfather before getting on the train, knew that he was not usually so fashionable as to wear the silvery blue pendant around his neck. His eyes narrowed. “Don’t lie, Sirius.”

Sirius jumped at Harry’s voice. “I’m not… lying, per se. I am, in a sense, hiding.”
Harry raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms expectantly. Sirius gulped. He really wished Remus had been sent instead of him.

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Severus, when riding the train, preferred the teachers’ compartment by far. Students didn’t bother him there for fear of starting the year with negative points for their house, which had happened from time to time. However, this year, he did not have that option. Under strict orders from Dumbledore and the Malfoys, he was to seclude himself in a compartment with his godson.

Over the summer, Draco had become gradually more aggressive and frightening, at times hardly appearing human at all. His great dark blue membranous wings would emerge and would usually remain slightly unfolded – the Ryuugon way of saying ‘back off’. His pupils would narrow to slits and the color of his irises would turn sapphire with very noticeable flecks of gold. That was intimidating enough, but add in the fact that ALL of Draco’s teeth turned incredibly sharp and pointy, the most apparent, his canines, and Draco was not a fun person to be around when he was in a snit.

Presently, the wings were absent, but the teeth and eyes were accounted for. Severus did not like the fact that he felt as if he were being thought of as a meal, especially by someone he considered family. He fervently wished the train would start moving. When the whistle blew, it was apparently startling enough to make Draco regain his human appearance. Severus relaxed slightly only to get on edge again when Draco stood abruptly and started for the door. Casting a quick stunning spell and then a binding spell, both of which he’d had to learn specifically for controlling Draco, Severus peaked into the hallway. He could see nothing unusual apart from a few first years trying to figure out how to operate the bathroom doors.

He stepped back into the compartment. Having been warned by Sirius and Remus that Harry would be at the back of the train, Severus had done his best to get Draco as close to the front of the train as possible. Unfortunately, Draco had gotten a bit snarly and had insisted that he would go no further than the middle of the train. Faced with those teeth again, Severus had relented.

Now that he had a moment to think about his other charge, he found that he was slightly worried for Harry. He, though no one would think him the type, did pay attention to what went on in his students’ lives. He knew who was dating whom, who had gotten slapped in the girls restroom last Tuesday, etc. He had seen how Weasley had been quick to doubt Harry in their fourth year surrounding the forced entry into the Tournament. He had also, reluctantly, seen how upset Harry was by it. And with probing during Occlumency lessons, he also knew of Harry’s childhood. Rejection was not something a Kuronegato could stand, hence why James had often been rather nasty after Lily had put him down. Again.

Severus sighed. He hoped Sirius and Remus would let him know how Harry was today. He’d finally left after listening to an hour of worrisome questions from the teen. It wasn’t too long after that thought that he heard the distinct sound of the wolf and his mutt. Standing up while casting a quick look at Draco, who was already beginning to stir, he opened the door and waited. 3…2…1… His arm shot out and ensnared and unsuspecting Sirius Black, who shouted in surprise and nearly tripped over his cousin on the floor. Remus, naturally, followed.

“Severus. We were just on our way to find you.” Remus said with a smile, closing the door behind him.

“What’s he doing here?” Sirius asked, nudging Draco with his foot the way you might a specimen of roadkill. Draco growled.

“Long story.” Severus sighed. “How’s Potter?”

“Slight adventure getting him on the train after the whistle blew, eh Remus?” Sirius asked with a smirk.

Remus shot him a pointed look. “Don’t make me hurt you.”

“Fine fine… Harry’s fine, Severus. Thank you for asking.” Sirius said, surprisingly polite. Severus narrowed his eyes. If there was one thing he knew about Sirius it was that the man was never polite to him unless he wanted something.

“What do you want, Black?” Severus asked.

“I really want to know what my cousin is doing in so undignified a position on the floor.” Sirius said, sending Draco a sickening sweet smile. “Surely Lucius taught you
better than to lie on the floor, Draco.”

Draco growled again. Sirius ignored this and knelt down next to the blond, poking and prodding here and there, one eye always fixed on Draco’s face, the other on Draco’s hands. It was then that Severus began to suspect that Sirius might know more about Draco than he had ever let on.

“If you want to keep your fingers, I suggest you stop poking him.” Severus said mildly, uncaring either way.

Sirius waved him off, continuing to needle the Ryuugon until, finally, Draco broke free from his restraints and snapped. “Would you knock it off?!”

Sirius grinned. “THERE we go. I was wondering how long it would take. Cissa could get out in about three seconds if she wanted to.”

The other three in the compartment stared at Sirius. Sirius soon realized what he had just revealed. “Oh shit.”

“Well, Black, take a seat. It seems we have much to discuss.”

Draco, now in control of himself once more, decided that seeing his arrogant cousin squirm was far more entertaining than following the strange pull. Besides, if he was really good, Severus might let him take a few of Sirius’s fingers. This quelled the Ryuugon for now, which Draco imagined as settling down in a contented crouch, watching its prey approach.

“Well, you know…” Sirius began. “I should, uh… I should check on Harry.” He stood, ready to leave.

“Sirius, Severus told me a week ago that Draco is a Ryuugon and that because of that, he would be riding the train. I know he told you something different.” Remus gave Sirius that look. Sirius sighed and sat back down.

“I am, disgrace though I may be, part of the most noble and ancient house of Black.” Sirius said mockingly. “As such, I am aware of the certain… characteristics, shall we say of members of my family. When Cissa came into her Inheritance as a Ryuugel, I was often put on watch duty.” Sirius smiled.

Severus and Remus exchanged a look. Severus had been warning Remus that Sirius might be hiding something, just based on conversations he’d been having with Narcissa of late. Narcissa had dropped hints that she’d had one confidante during her search for her mate, one who happened to share more with her than just a family name. In turn, Remus had confided that his wolf side had long ago detected more magic to Sirius than the man let on to having. It was one reason his wolf had chosen Sirius as a mate.

“Black, before you strain your peabrain with trying to come up with a wonderfully creative story, I should tell you that Narcissa has as good as told me that you’re not all that you seem.” Severus watched Sirius carefully. The man tensed and looked to Remus who did not look like he’d forgive him if he just stayed silent.

He cleared his throat. “Well… I… In addition to being a Gryffindor and forever shaming my family, I did not inherit the Ryuugel genes. Instead… I got Angeline genes.”

Remus blinked. Severus stared. Draco, well, Draco could have told them that much had they asked. Part of his abilities lay in knowing exactly what kinds of creatures other people were. So, if anyone were to ask him, he could confirm the rumors that Severus was actually part vampire. But, as no one ever did, and because he enjoyed having knowledge that no one else did, he never shared this fact.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Sirius?” Remus sounded pained.

Sirius looked mournful. “I don’t know. I figured… I guess I figured you’d just kind of… know, without me having to reveal it.”

Remus glowered at him. “A fine mate you are, Sirius Black. Assuming that I would just know…Lucky for you, I have known that you were something else, I just haven’t known what. And it’s very lucky for you that the wolf acknowledged your creature side as being compatible.”

Sirius gave a lopsided grin. “You still love me, right?”

“Like I have any choice in the matter.” Remus said.

“I hate to rain on your parade, but I have done extensive research on magical creatures, and from what I know about Angeline, they have two mates.” Severus interrupted.

Sirius panicked. “Gotta go!” He fled the compartment before anyone could stop him.

“Well that went well.” Draco said, peering down the hallway after the fleeing man.

“Damn.” Severus said, reaching into his pocket and fishing out a pendant. “I forgot to tell him to use this to help ward the train.” By ‘train’, Remus knew he meant Harry’s compartment.

“I’ll go give it to him.” Remus said, taking the pendant and sprinting after Sirius.

“Don’t take too long. I’ll need help in a minute!” Severus said irritably, already seeing the signs that Draco was about to break down his own self-control with no Sirius to distract from the pull.

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As it turned out, Remus had just barely given Sirius the pendant and seen him disappear into Harry’s compartment when not a minute later, a burst of power ran through the train. Sirius was already wishing he had just come clean about the Angeline business instead of running. Then he wouldn’t be trying to calm a frightened Harry off the ceiling of the compartment.

“There’s nothing to worry about, Harry.” Sirius tried lamely.

“What the hell is that thing?!” Ron asked, pointing at the compartment door.

Sirius turned and couldn’t restrain the scream. Draco Malfoy, in all his Ryuugon glory, was grinning in at them with pointed teeth. Of course, he didn’t exactly look like himself, which was probably a good thing. However, Sirius’s scream triggered Ron’s scream, which triggered Ginny, and Hermione, who had been reading furiously about the Kuronegato, had started to yell about everyone shutting up and not panicking when she caught sight of the now-upside down Ryuugon trying to carve its way into the compartment. She, too, began screaming.

Sirius pulled down the shade to the window and leaned against the door, which started rattling. As an Angeline, he did have the power to take on his winged cousins the Ryuugon and the Ryuugel, but he really, really didn’t want to go there. There were far too many creatures on this train as it was. Besides, it had been years since he had tapped into that side of him. Another jolt of power nearly sent him off balance, but he slammed himself back into the door. This resulted in the shade rolling back up and more screaming of the persons in the compartment.

He glanced over his shoulder and screamed again himself. Draco had managed to get create a small hole right by Sirius’s ear and one long claw was reaching inside. Eventually, the claw withdrew and his nose pressed against the hole instead. He sniffed deeply a few times and then gave a disappointed growl before zooming down the corridor in a flurry of leathery blue wings. It was then that Sirius noticed the pendant around his neck had stopped glowing.

“Thank Merlin for Severus.” He muttered under his breath. Down the hall, he could hear Remus and Severus shouting at students to stay in their compartments while they attempted to stun the Ryuugon into submission. A cry from Remus stirred the Angeline he had long attempted to suppress. “Damn!” He swore before yanking off the pendant and handing it to Hermione. “Take this. Re-ward the door as soon as I’ve left. Don’t let anyone in here unless it’s me, Remus, or Sev—Professor Snape.”

He was out the door so quickly that Hermione had no chance to ask why. Ron snapped her out of her confusion when he slammed the door shut and locked it again, leaning heavily against it, waiting for her to ward it.

“What wards do you think I should use?” She asked.

“I don’t care! Just hurry up before that freaky thing comes back!” Ron said in desperation, determinedly not looking at the window behind him in case the ‘thing’ had returned.

“Okay then. Ginny, could you get Harry off the ceiling?” Hermione asked before casting ward after ward at the door.

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Sirius bolted down the corridor, feeling his own wings emerge, effectively ruining his shirt. He swore again. That had been one that Remus had bought him. But as he flew toward the sounds of his mates… mate…. (dammit!), he decided that a ruined shirt was worth keeping them… him… safe.

“Draco!” He shouted as soon as he was nearby.

Draco turned, correctly interpreting the growl in Sirius’s voice as a challenge. He was about to answer back when a blur of black-feathered wings crashed into him, sending them both to the floor. Severus and Remus were thrown to the side as the two went sailing through the middle of them. Snarls and yelps were all that they could hear as the train continued to chug along toward Hogwarts, despite the rocking of the cars. Finally,
Sirius’s voice rose above everything else with a clear ‘Incarcerous totales’. Draco, effectively subdued, returned to his normal appearance. Sirius withdrew his wings with a shudder and scooped up his astonishingly tall cousin. Without a word to Severus and Remus, he hauled Draco back into his compartment. The others followed him in silence.

“He’ll come round right before we reach the castle, I think.” Sirius said without looking at them. He felt Remus come up behind him and touch his back reverently. He tensed.

“What made you….?” Remus asked, stroking over the tattoo of a pair of black wings just between Sirius’s shoulder blades that he had thought had been just another sign of rebellion.

“My mate,” Sirius forced himself to leave off the ‘s’, much as the Angeline (now sufficiently awakened again) disapproved, “was in trouble.” He turned and smiled at Remus, touching the man’s cheek gently. Without his consent, his eyes flicked to Severus, who was watching him closely.

“Black,” Severus began, curious to see if this suspicion of his would prove true.

Sirius couldn’t control the flinch. He didn’t want Severus to call him ‘Black’.

Severus arched an eyebrow and tried again. “Sirius.”

Remus, surprised by Severus using that name, looked between both men. In an instant he understood. He ineffectively tried to hide his smile. Sirius looked greatly relieved that Severus was addressing him by his first name.

“The gods must hate us, mutt.” Severus said after seeing the relief on Sirius’s face.

“Tell me about it.” Sirius groaned, burying his nose in Remus’s hair and extending a hand toward Severus. Severus sighed, but took hold of the hand of the man he was now stuck with for life. He, once again, cursed himself for having the foresight to find out how to get Sirius back from behind the Veil, though this time, he didn’t squash the little voice that said he hadn’t done it soon enough.

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A/N: If I'm really efficient, I might have another chapter up by tonight, folks! Won't that be nice?! *hurries off to finish working*