Squeaks, Moony and Padfoot

Chapter 14

Evie's POV

After yesterday's success on the training pitch, I was brimming with excitement. Finally I had overcome my fear of flying. If I was honest with myself, I rather enjoyed myself.

Wanting to share my excitement, I went to find Remus after my classes were over. I headed towards his office hoping that I would find him in there.

I knocked on the office door, not feeling comfortable to just walk straight in. I know Remus has been very busy and if he was in the middle of something, despite my excitement, I don't want to disturb him.

"Yes, enter," Remus' words were stern.

Carefully, I push the creaking door open and peer my head around. Smiling brightly, hoping to lighten his mood. "Hey Uncle Moony," I say brightly.

As I enter the room more fully, Remus looks up quickly. "Oh, hello Evie," he says as his eyes fall back to his desk. He looks tired. From training with Harry, to teaching every day, he has been running himself ragged. It's no wonder we haven't been able to catch up and spend time together these months. It looks like he has a whole cohort of assignments to mark, by the stacks off papers that his eyes fell upon, when I entered the room.

"How are you?" I ask softly.

"Fine, just lots to do as always. What is it you need?" he replied.

I shuffle on my feet, "Well actually I wanted to talk to you," I start. "I've been spending a lot of time with the Weasley twins, they've been teaching me to –"

"I can't listen to this right now Evelyn. Whatever trouble you and those boys have got into, it will have to wait," Remus huffed. Taking a pile of the papers on his desk and placing them in front of him.

"No, I – we aren't in trouble Remus," I try to start again but realise that my earlier excitement for the achievements I made with the boys, is now a dull tug in my lower chest. "It doesn't matter, I can see you are very busy" I sigh. "We can catch up when you are... less busy,"

"Mmm," Remus responds, without even lifting his head.

Quietly, I leave his office. I hate what this job is doing to him. He is so over worked. Never would I have imagined my uncle dismissing me like that, not when I'd come to him to talk.

Feeling defeated, I head back to my own room in the Hufflepuff dorms. I sit a read one of the many books on my desk until it is time to go and see Sirius.

A few days pass, and like always I go to lessons, eat, socialise in the common room and then read my book in bed, before sneaking out to see Sirius.

Unlike the last few nights, tonight when I snuck out of my common room and crept down the halls I felt as though I were being watched. I looked around carefully but saw no one. I could shake the uneasy feeling though.

Once I walked into the room of requirement, Sirius came bounding towards me. One he had morphed back into his human form he hugged me with a grip that nearly squeezed all of the air out of me. "Hey Sirius – Woah you're going to suffocate me," I laughed.

"Sorry squeaks, I've been going mad in here all by myself. Knowing that you and Remus are walking around just outside that door, it's a new kind of torture!" he explained.

"I don't think Remus is walking anywhere that isn't to his classes or wherever it is that he trains Harry." I mutter.

Sirius looks at me with intrigue.

"It's nothing, he's just working so hard that I never see him. I went to see him the other day to tell him about the flying lessons Fred and George had given me, but before I could even get to that part he just dismissed me." I explain as I plop myself on the end of Sirius' bed.

"Don't take it personally sweetheart, this is all new to him. The job, trying to be a role model to you – especially as he is your guardian," Sirius' tries to explain.

"I know," I breathe. "It's just, I don't know... I wish things would go back to how they were."

Sirius was quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say. "You know, Me and your father drifted apart a little when he entered the order to fight full time after Harry was born," he finally said.

"What happened?" I asked. I love hearing the stories of their youth, it makes me feel closer to mum and dad.

"Well, I went to your mother about it. I wanted to see how she was doing with the change and wondered if she had an idea of how we could fix things." He began. "That's when she told me."

My brows furrow in confusion, "Told you what?" I ask.

Sirius laughed, "Told me that she was expecting you and that your father had thrown himself into working for the order, to keep both you and Harry safe!" He place a warm hand on my shoulder and patted it slightly. "I was over the moon, It gave me a little perspective for your father's actions," Sirius paused. "Perhaps you just need sometime to change your perspective on Remus' actions." He offered.

I thought for a moment. "Maybe you are right –" I started. "But right now, I want to hear more stories about the good old days!" I smiled.

Sirius obliged. He had so many stories of when he was younger, his time at Hogwarts and even with me and Harry. It was only when we heard a clatter against the outside wall of the room of requirement that we both went eerily still.

Damn it, had someone found out about this room? Did they know Sirius was in here?

I looked to Sirius who's face was ghostly white. The thought of going back to Azkaban had stunned him into silence. I slowly crept towards the door, opening it and peering my head out to see what the noise was. I couldn't see anything or anyone.

"The coast is clear," I whispered to Sirius as I closed the door and went back over to where he now stood in the middle of the room.

The muscles in his shoulders relaxed slightly and we sat back down. We continued to talk and laugh but it wasn't long before I made my way to leave the room. I opened the door that led back to the corridor and turned to Sirius, giving him a big bear hug. "Thanks, Padfoot," I pulled out of the hug. "We'll go for that walk tomorrow, same time. I'll meet you out there," I whispered.

With that, I snuck back to my common room.