Once in a Blue Moon (COMPLETE)

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Out of the Darkness
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Sirius let Regulus lead him towards the podium, and even though he couldn’t see them, he could feel the eyes of everyone in the room watching him. Once he reached the stand he put his hand on the wooden surface and gave a small nod to Regulus to indicate that he could leave him now.

“Thank you for coming,” Sirius said, a croaky voice. He could feel the icy coolness of the glass of water on the podium and reached for the same, taking a quick swallow to settle his nerves and bring back his voice.

“Thank you for coming,” he repeated in a stronger voice. “I know that you are all eager to see the results of the potion I’ve been working on with Damocles Belby for the last year. I did have a speech prepared, my brother has been listening to me rehearse it all week,” he smiled across in the direction he knew Regulus was standing. “But standing here, right now, that speech doesn’t seem right. Instead I’d like to speak to you about Remus Lupin.”

Sirius could hear the murmurs of the crowd, and he waited a moment or two for the room to quieten down.

“When I was eleven years old, like many young wizards, I was lucky enough to receive an invitation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. My first year at the school was not an easy one. I was expecting to join my family in Slytherin, but instead found myself in Gryffindor. I was sure it was a mistake because bravery was something I just couldn’t see in myself. I could see it in my only friend though. His name was Remus Lupin, and he lived on the outskirts of the village of Hogsmeade. Unlike me, he was not a student at Hogwarts. It wasn’t because he was a squib, it wasn’t really because of the money the school costs, and it certainly wasn’t because he wasn’t clever enough. No, the reason Remus wasn’t allowed to attend Hogwarts was because he’d been bitten by a werewolf at the age of six.

“The lack of attendance at Hogwarts didn’t stop him from wanting to learn magic though. He studied at home where he lived under the care of his brother. You might wonder why he didn’t live with his parents. It was because he was a werewolf of course.

“But Remus studied and played and never let his Lycanthropy stand in his way. He suffered immensely during the times of the full moon. He imprisoned himself and let the wolf harm himself rather than endanger anyone else. He showed me what true courage really was.

“He was my first real friend; at times he was my only friend. He was my best friend, and he eventually became my lover and husband.”

Sirius paused at this point and reached a shaking hand for the glass of water. A part of him was glad he couldn’t see the reaction of the crowd, who he was sure could see the watering of his eyes as he spoke of the man he had loved for so long.

“Remus did eventually get to attend Hogwarts,” Sirius finally continued. “Thanks to Albus Dumbledore, Remus was able to get part of the education that had been denied him for so long. But he was only one of many young werewolves and I know that even after he was allowed within Hogwarts he still felt the injustice that so many more were not.

“I decided, even before I left Hogwarts, that I would devote as long as it took to find a cure for Lycanthropy. Though it was tragic circumstances that brought Damocles Belby into my life, I cannot entirely regret it, because he was working towards the same goal as I was. It is our combined efforts that bring us here today.

“Sadly, Remus himself cannot be here to share the joy of our success. Last autumn we were in a motorcycle accident. It was a couple of days before the full moon. The same accident that robbed me of my sight also robbed me of my lover. We were taken to a muggle hospital and by the time I regained consciousness the full moon had been and gone, and the Ministry of Magic had executed Remus on the grounds that he hadn’t taken the proper precautions during the full moon. The fact that he was barely conscious at the time was irrelevant. He died simply because he was a werewolf.

“Unfortunately we haven’t yet achieved a full cure for Lycanthropy. But I’m sure when you see the results of the Wolfsbane potion that you’ll agree that it is one that will be welcomed. Not only by anyone who suffers from Lycanthropy, but also by their family, friends, and anyone who has seen the damage a werewolf can do to it’s human host.”

Sirius picked up his glass of water and stepped back slightly from the podium, his signal to Regulus to come and guide him off of the stage so that Belby could take over. Regulus had not reached him when the sound of a familiar voice called out from the crowd.

“Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet! A question if you please.”

“No questions,” Regulus called out.

“It’s all right,” Sirius said. “What do you want to know?”

“I have a question about Remus,” Rita began.

Sirius drew in a sharp breath. He hadn’t really expecting to be talking about Remus at the conference, much less answering questions about him. But before he could say a word, Regulus was answering for him.

“This conference is about the Wolfsbane Potion,” he declared loudly. “If all questions could be focused on the potion please.”

“Why?” Rita called back. “Sirius was the one who brought up his boyfriend.”

“That’s not the point,” Regulus argued. “Does anyone have any questions about the Wolfsbane potion?”

“Got something to hide?” Rita called out.

“No,” Regulus replied, his voice barely carrying over the murmurs of the crowd, many of whom sounded as though they were agreeing with Rita.

“What question do you have?” Sirius asked quietly, ignoring his brother’s whispered protestations.

He didn’t need to see Rita to know that she was bearing a triumphant and gleeful grin.

“I’d like to know whether you’re aware that one Remus Lupin was sent to the Dangerous Creatures’ Camp in Cheshire last year?”

Sirius’s felt the glass slipping through his fingers, he was vaguely aware of it shattering on the hard wooden floor, and the cool water splashing the hem of his robes. Regulus was tugging on his arm, but all he could do was stand there, mute, as the whispers of the crowd grew louder and louder.

Rita was a gossip, a troublemaker, the nosiest person he’d ever met, and a damn nuisance most of the time. But even her harshest critics could not deny that she was good at her job, and although she might exaggerate the facts or twist them to sell the story, she never outright lied.

“W-would you please repeat that?” Sirius asked as he shook off Regulus’s hand.

“Remus Lupin was sent to the Dangerous Creatures Camp in Cheshire last year,” Rita repeated.

“How do you know this?”

“I covered his trial,” Rita explained. “The Wizengamot seemed rather surprised that you didn’t attend, given your close relationship with the defendant. Was it a lovers’ tiff?”

“Miss Skeeter, may I speak with you privately?” Sirius asked.

“An exclusive?” Rita enthusiastically asked.

“If you like,” agreed Sirius, knowing he’d agree to anything at this particular moment in time.

“There’s a small café just down the road,” Rita said as she scurried up onto the stage and took hold of his arm.

“Sirius, you can’t be thinking of speaking with this woman?” Regulus hissed as he tried to pull Sirius in the opposite direction.

“Regulus, you can either come with us or wait here, but I’m going to listen to what she has to say.”

“This way, Sirius,” Rita said as she hurried him through the crowd and out of the doors.

The café was small and crowded and Sirius felt people banging into him every few minutes as the customers tried to navigate the crowded room. Regulus had come with them and Sirius could tell from his fidgeting that he was agitated.

“Say your piece then,” Sirius said to Rita who he could tell was scratching away on her notepad already.

“The accident you spoke of,” Rita began. “I think you’ve been fed false information as to what exactly happened afterwards.”

“Just answer me one question,” Sirius asked coldly. “Is Remus Lupin dead?”

“Not unless he’s been killed in the camp,” Rita replied equally coldly. “It’s a dog eat dog lifestyle in those places, and only the strongest survive more than a few months.”

“Remus is strong,” Sirius said, more to himself than to Rita.

“Sirius,” Regulus tentatively spoke, his voice barely more than a whisper. “It’s been months, nearly a year, the chances of him being alive are pretty slim.”

“I have to find out for sure.”

“I’ll help you,” Rita offered brightly. “It’ll be a great story no matter what. Sirius Black’s search for his true love, the heartbreak of finding out the truth too late, or the tender reunion of the lovers.”

“He doesn’t need your help,” Regulus snapped. “The Black family has connections enough to uncover the truth, if you’re even speaking the truth.”

“Oh, I’m speaking the truth,” Rita replied silkily. “And I’m sure that Sirius would be only too happy to have my assistance. After all, I’m not the one who’s been lying to him for months.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sirius asked warily.

“Well, far be it from me to criticise the noble house of Black,” Rita purred. “But Remus’s trial was in all the papers, on all the wireless stations, and the talk of London for more than a month. No one in the country could have failed to hear of it. I can’t imagine how the entire Black family could be so out of touch with current events.”

“What exactly are you implying?” Regulus hissed.

“Why, that you and your family have gone to a great deal of trouble to ensure that Sirius believed his lover was dead, of course. It’ll be a nice little twist to the story when I publish it.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Regulus banged his hand on the tabletop, rattling the cups.

“Hasn’t Sirius told you about me?” Rita asked silkily. “When it comes to a story, I’ll do just about anything.”

“The Black family will destroy you if you print those lies.”

“Are they lies?” Sirius asked quietly. “If Remus is alive, I’ll find him, and I’ll find out the truth. I’d easily believe our parents capable of this, but what about you?”

“Sirius please…”

“Did you help our parents deceive me?” Sirius whispered harshly.

“They threatened Chloe,” Regulus replied. “If I didn’t agree to help them they were going to take it out on her and her family. I couldn’t risk it.”

“You could have told me.”

“And what could you have done about it?” Regulus snapped. “You can barely dress yourself without help.”

“You should have told me,” Sirius repeated. He wanted to shout, but the shock had reduced his voice to almost nothing. “Just get out of here.”

“Sirius please…”

“Just go. Please.”

Sirius listened as the chair scraped across the floor and the familiar footsteps of his brother faded amidst the sounds of the busy café.

The silence that descended lasted only a few seconds. “Shall we head to my office?” Rita asked brightly.

“I’ve just found out my entire family have lied to me,” Sirius hissed. “Could you try not to sound so delighted?”

Rita sighed and mumbled an apology. Sirius sipped at his drink, trying to make sense of why his brother had betrayed him so badly.

“Can I ask you a question?” Rita suddenly asked.

“Like you could ever resist the opportunity to be nosy,” Sirius replied with a snort of mild laughter.

Rita huffed a little, but it didn’t deter her from her question. “How is it that you’re still blind?”

It wasn’t the question he was expecting, and Sirius was sure that his surprise must have been showing on his face.

“Your blindness isn’t magic related,” Rita continued. “There’s no reason why the healers shouldn’t have been able to cure you.”

“They tried their best,” Sirius replied quietly. “I had the best treatment money could buy.”

“Black money?” Rita’s question was almost a statement, and a slightly sarcastic one at that.

“Bloody hell,” Sirius swore.

“St Mungo’s is just a couple of streets away,” Rita pointed out. “It’s on the way to Diagon Alley.”

“Let’s go.” Sirius stood up, knocking his chair back into another customer in his hurry.

-o-xXx-o-

“I’d like to see Mr Black’s records,” Rita asked sweetly. “Just a quick peek…”

Sirius shook his head and smirked at the way she wound the young wizard round her little finger. All the way to St Mungo’s she’d been in seventh heaven at the prospect of the story she was about to break. Corruption in St Mungo’s was now as thrilling to her as the idea of prying into his private life generally.

“We’ve already done everything we can to help Mr Black,” an older healer commented from behind Sirius. He spun round quickly, vaguely recognising the voice as someone who had attended on him after the accident.

“What about the Oris potion?” Rita asked. “It’s supposed to be able to help all non-magical cases of blindness.”

“As you can see from Mr Black’s records, we’ve already administered that potion to him… twice.”

Sirius heard the sound of rustling parchment as Rita flicked through his records.

“Perhaps you might like to give it one last try?” Rita suggested. “Third time lucky?”

The healer didn’t sound entirely thrilled about the idea, but she had apparently already figured out that saying no to Rita was something of a pointless exercise.

Five minutes later, Sirius was sitting in a room, sniffing cautiously at the potion that had been handed to him.

“Drink it down quickly, while it’s still warm,” the healer advised.

“What is it?” Sirius asked.

“The Oris potion, of course.” The healer sounded impatient, but there was just a trace of something else in her voice.

“No, it’s not,” Sirius stated firmly. “The Oris potion has a distinct smell of bilberries. This hasn’t. So, what is it?”

“I assure you this…”

Unfortunately, the healer got no further before Rita interrupted. “Did you know that Sirius Black got an Outstanding in his Potions N.E.W.T.? And that this morning he was giving a lecture about the new Wolfsbane potion, the first step towards a cure for Lycanthropy?”

“I…”

“So, perhaps you might like to take a guess on whether or not he might be able to recognise the Oris potion from smell alone?”

“I’ll be sacked…”

“You certainly will be,” Rita agreed. “Especially after I print the story about what you’ve been up to.”

“Rita,” Sirius interrupted. “You’re not really giving her any reason to help me. Perhaps you might like to try bargaining?”

“Bargaining?” Rita echoed, as though this was some sort of foreign concept.

He turned to face the direction of the healer, ignoring Rita’s squawk of protest at having things taken out of her control. “Rita will leave your name out of the story, if you restore my sight.”

“I will?” Rita asked in horror.

“Yes, you will,” Sirius told her firmly.

“You promise?” the healer asked nervously.

“You’ve still got an exclusive story that’s worthy of the front page,” Sirius pointed out impatiently when Rita continued to hesitate.

“Very well,” Rita finally agreed. “Just hurry up, before someone else gets on the trail of the story and scoops me.”

Sirius listened to the healer hurry from the room, a small smile playing on his lips.

Another ten minutes passed before Sirius found himself holding a cup of Oris potion.

“Is that the right one?” Rita asked.

Sirius cautiously sniffed the potion. “Smells like it,” he replied before downing it in one long swallow.

“Did it work?” Rita asked breathlessly.

“I’m not sure.”

“It might help if you open your eyes,” Rita pointed out.

“I’m scared,” Sirius whispered quietly.

“Why?” Rita asked. “It’s not like you’d be looking at me without my makeup.”

Sirius laughed at her joke and opened his eyes to shoot her a startled look. He met her eyes, and gave her a wide grin. “I can see!” he laughed as he pulled her into a tight hug. “How can I ever thank you?”

“You already are,” Rita pointed out. “My story, remember?”

Sirius laughed joyfully. Then he turned to healer and drew in a sharp breath at the sight of the woman before him. “You’re…?” he faltered. The eyes staring back at him were heartbreakingly familiar, as were the features that he had last seen on the face of Remus’s mother.

“I’m Rosina Whitby,” the healer said quietly. “Celeste Lupin is my younger sister.”

“You’re Remus’s aunt?” Sirius asked, knowing the answer already. The eyes, shared by both Remus and his brother, were identical to those he was now looking into. And now he knew the truth, he could see other similarities, too.

“You are?” Rita asked with delight. “What a wonderful twist to this story!”

“You said you wouldn’t print my name,” Rosina reminded her.

Rita looked pleadingly at Sirius, who was almost tempted to renege on his bargain with the healer.

“Your name will stay out of it,” Sirius promised reluctantly. “Though I can’t say the same for the rest of your despicable family.”

“The only member of the Lupin family who’s despicable is that monstrous creature you seem so fond of,” Rosina sneered.

Sirius’s eyes narrowed as he glared at the healer. He didn’t look away as he spoke to Rita. “Print it all,” he said coldly. “Every single detail.”

Rosina’s face turned various shades before settling on a pasty white.

When Sirius turned from her to face Rita, the young reporter looked like all her Christmases had come at once. “Let’s get to your office,” he said as he tugged her from the room.

-o-xXx-o-

Sirius had never been inside the building that was the headquarters of the Daily Prophet. The first thing that struck him was the noise. Dozens of scratching quills, people shouting and the cries of owls mingled together, giving an impression of utter bedlam.

“This way,” Rita said as she wove her way through the desks, finally stopping at a cluttered desk at the back of the room. Makeup and quills littered the desk and an owl was perched on the edge of the partition, a letter attached to its leg. Rita took the letter from the bird and sent it on its way.

“Something interesting?” Sirius asked politely as he watched Rita’s face light up as she swiftly scanned the parchment.

“Just a letter from a reader, praising me on one of my recent stories.” Rita smiled up at him. “I don’t get many of them; being the youngest reporter on the paper, I get sent on all the boring stories that no one reads. Stuff like potions lectures.” She screwed up her nose in distaste.

“I’ll bet you’re pleased you got that boring assignment now though, aren’t you?” Sirius whispered mischievously.

“This is my big break,” Rita whispered back.

“I thought the story about me and Remus on the steps of Gringotts was your big break?”

“So did I,” Rita muttered. “Until your mother sent a howler to my editor complaining about my slandering the name of Black.”

“She didn’t?”

“She most certainly did,” Rita replied, pouting slightly at the memory.

“And you want to risk upsetting her again with this story?” Sirius asked incredulously.

“This isn’t just any story,” Rita pointed out excitedly. “This isn’t some society scandal that can be swept under the carpet… this is deception, corruption, tragedy…”

“Tragedy?”

“If he’s dead, it is.”

“Let’s try not to sound so thrilled at the prospect,” Sirius suggested wryly.

“Of course not,” Rita nodded. “If he’s alive, it’ll sell even more papers. Everyone loves a happy ending.”

“Well, we need to find him first,” Sirius reminded her.

“Of course,” Rita agreed, settling down in her seat and gesturing for Sirius to pull up a chair alongside her. “I know it’s here somewhere,” she muttered as she rifled through the desk drawers, scattering their contents haphazardly over the surface.

“How many eyeliners do you have in there,” Sirius asked as Rita tipped another three onto the desk.

“A couple of dozen,” she replied distractedly. “Why? Do you want some makeup tips?”

“Hardly,” Sirius replied with a snort of laughter. “Just wondering how you can work in all this mess.”

“Ah, here it is!” Rita sat back up and planted a small box on the desk.

“What is it?” Sirius asked, reaching out to touch it, only to have his hand slapped away immediately.

“This, my friend, is my box of favours,” Rita crowed. “My magical IOUs, if you like. And, within this box, is an IOU from one Paul Denby, who is currently working as a security guard at a certain camp in Cheshire.”

“He’ll help us?” Sirius asked sceptically. “He could lose his job if he broke one of the inmates out.”

“Paul fancies himself as a bit of a hero,” Rita explained. “If I promise to show him in that light in my story, he’ll be happy to help.”

“You’re sure?”

“He’ll at least talk to us,” Rita amended. “He’ll be able to confirm whether Remus is still there or not. It’s not like the information’s restricted, it would just take six weeks to get it if we went through proper channels.”

“How are you going to contact him? By owl?”

“Mirror,” Rita replied as she opened the box. “These are magical communication mirrors, and those who owe me favours have the other mirror on them. They work by…”

“I know how they work,” Sirius interrupted, much to Rita’s dismay. “Just contact him, please.”

Rita, still looking a little disgruntled, flicked through the mirrors, checking the names scratched on the reverse. Finally she pulled out the one she wanted and a moment later Paul appeared in the mirror.

“Skeeter?” he asked. “What is it? I’m at work at the moment; this isn’t a good time.”

“You’re at work?” Rita asked. “Perfect!”

Paul looked thoroughly suspicious and rather nervous as Rita asked him to find out whether Remus Lupin was still being help at the camp. “I’m Security, not Admin,” he told her.

“But aren’t you dating that pretty little Mary in Admin?” Rita reminded him. “I’m sure you can persuade her to take a teeny peek at the files…”

Paul looked like he was about to argue, but seemed to think better of it. He disappeared for several minutes before reappearing. “She’s looking now,” he said.

A few more minutes passed before he confirmed that Remus was still in the camp.

Sirius, who hadn’t even realised he’d been holding his breath, let out a sigh of relief.

“So, we’re square now?” Paul was asking Rita.

“Not quite,” Rita told him. “You owe me big, remember? I’ll be up in Cheshire later today for a chat.”

“My shift finishes at five,” Paul replied.

“Perfect!” Rita grinned. “See you soon!”

“What now then?” Sirius asked. “Do you really think he’ll help?”

“He owes me,” Rita said.

“Can I borrow one of the office owls?” Sirius asked as he watched another bird swoop in the open window.

“What for?”

“To get help from a couple of friends.”

“James and Peter, right?”

“Yeah. I think perhaps my messages to them weren’t getting through, or their replies to me weren’t exactly being relayed in full.”

Rita nodded thoughtfully. Then she left Sirius at her desk to write his messages whilst she went to appropriate one of the birds.

Ten minutes later and the owl was on its way. It seemed that someone had noticed the unofficial use of the office bird though, and Rita hurriedly gathered her things together and practically ran out of the office, dragging Sirius along with her.

They had just reached the door when he heard the call behind him: “Skeeter! Where’s my copy?”

“It’ll be on your desk first thing tomorrow!” Rita replied with a grin.

“I need it on my desk now!” her editor yelled.

“Soon, boss!” Rita replied and she left the building.

Sirius stepped out into Diagon Alley with her. “So, I take it you have a plan for breaking Remus out tonight?” he asked.

“Of course,” Rita smirked. “This is so exciting, isn’t it?”

“How about we grab some lunch, and you can fill me in on this ‘exciting’ plan?” Sirius suggested, pointing up the road to a small café.

“That sounds delightful,” Rita agreed as she wound her arm through his own and steered him along.

They sat at one of the outdoor tables of the café, enjoying the mild autumn day. Sirius listened quietly as Rita elaborated on her plan to break Remus out of the dangerous creatures’ camp. He wasn’t sure whether her scheme was genius or just plain insane. Either way, it was the only plan they had.

Sirius was thinking the plan over, whilst perusing the dessert menu, when he felt a prickling of his skin. Someone was watching him… someone was staring at him. Seeing that Rita was busy flirting with the waiter, he took the opportunity to gaze round the familiar street for the first time in nearly a year.

It didn’t take him long to spot the observer, and when he did he felt his blood run icy cold.

The malevolence emanating from the man was almost tangible. Sirius felt goose bumps rising on his arms and his stomach was doing somersaults.

Vaguely he heard Rita asking him what was wrong. He shook his head, wondering if the Oris potion had any hallucinogenic side effects. That was the only explanation he could think of for what he was seeing.

“Is that Romulus Lupin?” Rita asked. “He must have been recently released from Azkaban. He got six years, didn’t he? That would have been up at the start of the summer.”

Sirius still couldn’t seem to muster the words to reply to her. It wasn’t possible, was it?

“I wonder if he remembers me,” Rita continued, and from the corner of his eye, Sirius saw her waving flirtatiously across the street.

Romulus didn’t take his eyes from Sirius as he stalked towards them.

“It’s not possible,” he whispered, almost to himself.

“What do you mean?” Rita questioned, but he had no time to answer her before he was pulled roughly out of his seat and slammed violently into the wall behind him.

“You’re real?” Sirius whispered with wonder. “You’re…”

Then words failed him completely as he tried to comprehend the fact that the man pushing him up against the wall was Remus’s older brother… in the flesh.