To Kill a Puppy Dog

Chapter eight:

Twenty Questions

"Did you truly see Mr. Pettigrew turn into a rat?" Aubrey asked Harry for the tenth time that morning. Harry rolled his eyes and glared.

"I said yes the first time and I'm saying yes again," he snapped. This is not the way he had planned on spending his Saturday morning.

"Well, we shall see about that," she said as she pulled a small vial from the confines of her robes. She held it up as if she wanted Harry to ask what it was. He didn't, instead he gasped.

"It's Veritaserum," he said with a sick feeling in his stomach.

"You are correct sir," she said with an eerie grin. "Now, I've been instructed by your government as well as my own to bring Mr. Black to justice by any means necessary." She paused for effect. "Now, you can take this willingly or you can make this difficult," she said as she placed the vial in the center of the table, in front of Harry. "Go ahead, make your choice,"

Harry gulped, he had nothing to hide and this would prove that Sirius had not confused him or threatened him. It would prove he was telling the truth. Taking a deep breath, he reached across the table and opened the vial. Aubrey stood and walked to stand next to him.

"What?" Harry asked.

"After the third drop you'll drop the vial, I don't want to spill it," she said matter-of-factly.

"Okay, here goes," Harry said tilting his head back and swallowing the serum. After the third drop his eyes glazed over and he slumped forward. The bottle began to fall but Aubrey caught it with unnatural ease.

"Today is Saturday, October twenty-sixth, nineteen ninety-six. For the record, state your name,"

"Harry James Potter," he said in a monotone voice.

"What year in Hogwarts are you?"

"Sixth,"

"What happened on the evening of June ninth, nineteen ninety-four?"

In a monotone voice Harry told her of the fateful evening when he discovered that his godfather was innocent. Aubrey recorded everything and realized that the stories matched completely.

"Thank you Mr. Potter you've been most helpful," she said as she handed him a piece of candy laced with the antidote. Harry shook his head and just looked at her.

"Happy now?" he snapped. Without waiting for a response he jumped from his seat and stormed out of the room.

"Well, god damn that was pleasant," she said aloud to herself. Shaking her head she then called for Ron.

Round Two. She thought to herself as he took his seat.

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By lunchtime Aubrey was convinced that Sirius was innocent. She sat at the end of the Staff Table picking at her lunch and pouring over her notes.

"Find anything interesting?" a cold voice drawled from behind her. She looked up to see a tall looking zombie staring at her over his overly large hooked nose.

"That depends, who's asking?" Aubrey asked.

"Touchy touchy," he sneered. "I madam am Professor Severus Snape. Potions Master, head of Slytherin House, and Hogwarts class of '78,"

"Oh, then you would have known Peter Pettigrew," she said suddenly interested. "Tell me about him,"

"There's not much to tell. He was stupid, he followed the leader, and it killed him,"

"That's flattering," she said sarcastically. "I take it you didn't like him too much?"

"Why should I be bothered with someone who had no talent and even fewer brains?" Snape asked mockingly.

He may have had more brains than you think. She thought to herself. She remembered Harry as well as Ron and Hermione mentioning that Snape had been in the shack that night. "Can you tell me what you saw the night you found Black in the Shrieking Shack?" she asked.

"Oh I knew the children were in danger from the moment I entered the room and I tried to apprehend Black but he had the children under his spell. He made them hit me with a curse and knock me unconscious. More than that I cannot tell you, when I awoke the children were unconscious and Black was standing over them. I rendered him unconscious and escorted all of them to the castle. Black then used some dark magic to escape," Snape paused and then sneered untrustingly at Aubrey, "what could you possibly do, you're a woman and American besides," he twisted her ethnicity as if it were below him just to speak the word, "You're out of your league,"

"You're only angry," Aubrey shot back, "Because a Black outsmarted you and you didn't get your reward,"

"Sounds like you're taking up for the bastard. Just remember Black has turned many a head and most of them have since lost them,"

"Yes, that may be so Professor but I do not intend to lose mine, now if you don't mind I have an interview to get to," having said that Aubrey stomped out of the Great Hall and stormed toward Remus' home.

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Chapter Nine:

Silent confessions

Remus lay on his bed trying not to move. It was the night of the full moon and his body ached. It knew all too well what was going to happen tonight. Part of him wished fiercely that he would just die. That someone like Snape would just shoot him. Closing his eyes he heard a knock on the door. Slowly he rose from the bed and looked out the window. Aubrey stood there, arms crossed, looking quite unhappy.

"Just come on up," he yelled from the window. She looked up and waved at him.

"Okay," she said. Remus had no sooner returned to his spot on the bed than Aubrey appeared in the doorway. "Oh god, are you sick?" she asked concern in her hazel eyes.

"Full moon's tonight," Remus said.

"Oh," Aubrey muttered. "Can I get you anything?"

"No. I already took the Wolfsbane. Now all I can do is wait,"

"Would you like me to wait with you?" she asked.

"You don't have to," Remus began.

"I know I don't have to," she said conjuring a chair and sitting beside the bed. "I want to."

"You mean you're not afraid? Sitting with a werewolf can be dangerous,"

"Danger? I laugh in the face of danger. Ha Ha Ha Ha," she said smiling. "I'm not afraid. You've taken your potion. You'll be like a big dog right?"

"That is correct," Remus said.

"Well then I have nothing to worry about," Aubrey said with a smile. Remus lay back and smiled. He hadn't had anyone sit with him during the full moon for a long time. How he had wished that it were Sirius. "I'm not the one you want to be sitting here am I?" Aubrey asked after a moment.

"What do you mean?" Remus asked acting clueless.

"You wish Sirius were here with you," she said quietly. Remus put his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked.

"To me yes, to most probably not. You probably don't talk to many people about him...the way you describe his eyes is a dead giveaway that you love him," Aubrey sighed and looked at Remus. "Why don't you just tell him that you love him?"

"I can't," Remus said tears forming in his eyes. He sat up, using the wall to keep him upright. "I was going to tell him the night James and Lily were killed. I had the whole thing planned. And then everything went to hell and he was snatched away from me. I can't bare that sort of pain again. Can you imagine how bad it would be if he knew and he returned my feelings?"

"Remus, he's innocent," Aubrey said. Remus looked at her in surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"Sirius. Is. Innocent." Aubrey said slowly emphasizing each word as if she were speaking to a child. "I'm going to go to my boss in America and show her. Then I'm going after Pettigrew. Once I get him Sirius is in the clear,"

"But what if he eludes you forever?" Remus whispered. Tears were flowing freely down his cheeks now and Aubrey felt so sorry for him. He didn't deserve to be so alone. Sirius should be with him now.

"Where is he now Remus?" Aubrey asked.

"Right behind you," Sirius said. Aubrey jumped from her seat and raised her hands as if in surrender. "What are you doing to him?" Sirius demanded advancing on Aubrey. She began to stutter a reply but he pushed her away from Remus. He hugged Remus tightly and Remus buried his head in his chest. He stroked his hair and spoke soothingly in his ear. Aubrey curled up in the corner of the room wondering if Sirius would give her a chance to explain or if he would just curse her. After a moment Remus' sobs subsided. "What did she do to you Moony?" Sirius whispered.

"Nothing. She's done nothing. She has what I think may be good news though," Remus said. He hoped that Sirius could not see in his eyes what he was desperately trying to hide.

"And what's that? Moony she's an Auror!"

"I know Sirius if you would just let her explain,"

"Fine," Sirius said turning on Aubrey. "Explain." She did not move and she tried not to breath. Sirius had frightened her. No one had managed to scare her the way he had.

"Aubrey," Remus said looking at her from the bed. She was curled up in a tight little ball, unmoving. Remus rose from the bed and approached her. Touching her on the shoulder she looked up at him and he realized that she was crying. Wincing in pain he sat beside her on the floor. "What's wrong?"

"I...I didn't mean to upset you," she began quietly so that Sirius would not hear her. "I was just about to offer to go and get him for you. I don't like seeing you so sad. You've been through so much... both of you...you deserve to be together. But you're afraid to love him and he doesn't know it. He frightened me when he appeared like that. I'm not easily frightened but he managed to." She finished. She wiped her eyes. Rising to her feet she helped Remus up and helped him back into bed.

"Sirius I would like you to meet Miss Aubrey Phoenix," Remus said motioning toward Aubrey. "Aubrey, meet Sirius Black,"

Aubrey nodded. "Did you get your necklace back?" she inquired. Sirius nodded. "Good," Aubrey said. The room took on an awkward silence. The sun was dipping below the horizon. "Mr. Black," she began suddenly, "after reviewing all of the facts of this case as well as going by what I've been shown from my visions and I've come to the conclusion that,"

"That what?" Sirius asked impatiently.

"That you're innocent." Aubrey finished. Sirius' jaw dropped. "You have your necklace right?"

"I do,"

"Why don't you touch Peter's name now?" Aubrey suggested. Sirius did and saw the same thing Remus had seen the night before.

"I'm going after him," Sirius snarled. He turned to leave and felt a cold but firm hand on his wrist.

"Don't go," Remus said quietly. It's now or never. He thought to himself. Sirius looked at him in surprise.

"I have to go,"

"No you don't," Aubrey said. "I'm the Auror here, I'll go,"

"But..."

"Look, I insist you stay with Remus," Aubrey said. "He almost lost you once, he doesn't need to lose you again,"

Sirius was still clueless.

"I think you two should talk," Aubrey said looking Remus in the eyes.

"I can't," Remus said beginning to cry again. Sirius noticed the hopelessly lost look in his best friends' eyes and it all came together. No words were spoken. Moving with the reflexes of a cat Sirius sat down beside Remus and kissed him.

"I love you too Moony," he said as Aubrey closed the door behind her.

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Chapter Ten:

Annabelle helps out

Aubrey shut to door behind her and ran to the fireplace. She felt the undying need to both protect and hide Sirius and she could think of only one person that might help her. Throwing some Floo Powder into the fireplace she yelled "Annabelle's chamber" and stepped into the flames. A few seconds later she tumbled out of the fireplace and Annabelle looked at her curiously.

"Aubrey!" she exclaimed jumping from her seat. She helped Aubrey to her feet and looked at her curiously. "What are you doing here?"

"I have a favor to ask of you," she said. "But it's going to take a lot of explaining." Saying this Aubrey drew her wand and placed a silencing charm on the office. "Annabelle, Sirius Black is innocent,"

"Come again?" Annabelle said in disbelief.

"He's innocent," Aubrey said again.

"Care to elaborate?" Annabelle asked. Aubrey began to talk rapidly explaining everything from the Marauders necklace to the visions to meeting Sirius personally. Annabelle said nothing during Aubrey's frantic explanation.

"So in conclusion I need you to perform a Fidelius Charm using me as Sirius' Secret-Keeper." Aubrey said ending her explanation.

"To hide him?" Annabelle exclaimed a look of pure disbelief on her face. "Aubrey I hate to sound like a broken record but you might want to take a vacation. I think this case took more out of you than you realize,"

"No. That's just it. I have hardly worked at all. You see I went through his home. I saw things. I talked to everyone. I used Veritaserum, and got the exact same stories I got when they weren't under the influence of the serum. He's Innocent damn it!"

"I want to believe you Aubrey but the fact of the matter remains that I will be impeached if Fudge finds out about this,"

"Then pray that he doesn't find out," Aubrey said. "Annabelle do you want to wake up in the morning with the sick realization that you put an innocent man in the arms of a Dementor?"

Annabelle sighed. "I have known you for seven years and you've always been obsessed with this case. I am going to go out on a limb and trust you just because this is the one case that you would not withhold any information about."

"So you'll do it?" Aubrey asked.

Annabelle sighed again. "I might lose my job but yes, I'll help you," she said resignedly. "Let's go," she said walking toward the fireplace. Aubrey seized her by the wrist and, throwing Floo Powder into the fireplace she said "Wolves Grove," and they disappeared into the flames.

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Annabelle and Aubrey tumbled out of the fireplace and looked around. The house was quiet and Aubrey wasted no time running up to Remus' room. Aubrey flung the door open to find a human Sirius lying beside Remus in wolf form. Sirius jumped up, wand in hand and looked at Aubrey in confusion.

"Hello Mr. Lupin I assume the dog is Sirius," Aubrey laughed. Annabelle looked at her in confusion. "What?"

"Annabelle, this is Sirius, the wolf is Remus," she said giggling. "Sirius this is Annabelle Chambers, she's going to help me hide you,"

Sirius extended a hand and Annabelle looked at it as if she expected it to explode. To show her that Sirius was not going to harm her Aubrey gave him a hug.

"I don't bite," Sirius said with a grin. He again moved to shake Annabelle's hand and this time she responded. "Did you say something about hiding me?" Sirius asked.

"Yes. I thought of a way to buy me time to find Peter and you some much needed time with Remus," Aubrey said with a small smile.

"What do you have in mind?" Sirius asked.

"A Fidelius Charm," Aubrey said smiling.

"Who's the Secret-Keeper?" Sirius asked.

"Me," Aubrey said.

"No," Sirius said shaking his head. "Definitely not,"

"Why? Don't you trust me?" Aubrey asked. She looked deep into Sirius' eyes. You have to trust me.

"Pardon me if I'm a little squeamish about that particular phrase. The last time I heard it was in reference to my best friend and we all know how that turned out,"

"Sirius," Aubrey said with a sigh, "I'm not Peter. Trust me. Besides it wouldn't do me any good to turn you in. It won't bring my family back and it won't bring that sniveling little son of a bitch to justice." Aubrey took a deep breath a rolled her neck. "It's late. I'm tired. I want to go to bed. Can we just do this already?"

"Don't you think we should wait until Remus can add his two cents?" Sirius asked stalling for time.

"He can," Aubrey said. She walked over to Remus. "Gimme a sign that this is all okay with you," in reply the wolf licked the tip of her nose. "Yep it's okay," she said crinkling her nose. She wiped her nose with a handkerchief and looked to Sirius. "Time's up, are we going to do this or not?"

Sirius sighed. "Yeah. Let's do it."

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