Outcasts Together

Temper, Temper

It was more easy to get out of the castle then I would have thought; but - thinking logically - I doubt anyone would have cared if they seen a cat trotting away. It wasn't uncommon to see some students' pet roaming the corridors freely.

The second I was outside I wrinkled my nose in distaste. The air was stuffy and uncomfortable, so it was slightly suffocating. The ground was soft under my paws.

Padfoot! I called. I'm back! Miss me?

I was silent as I pawed my way down the tunnel under the Whomping Willow and rolled out at the end. With a shake of my head I transformed back into my human form with a soft pop.

"Padfoot?" I called. Almost instantly, I heard a creak on the stairs and seen my old friend standing there with a grin on his face.

"Had fun being a house cat?" Sirius teased.

I smirked at him. "Don't you mean a castle cat?"

Sirius raised one eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah, I know - that joke was lame."  I said with a wave of my hand. "You will not believe what I've just seen."

Sirius Black's POV

Rose and I were both sitting in the upper room of the Shreiking Shack. Rose was telling me about her day in so much detail it would have been amusing if I wasn't so impatient to find out about Peter.

". . .So then there he was, just sitting there as though he never did anything wrong," Rose said, bitterly. "He tried to play the guilt card on me - hitting far below the belt, I might add - but I had enough of his tricks. I chased him around the common room with this other cat - hideous little thing, it was too - but he hid under a dresser. . . I got away just in time. Peter's 'owner' is very protective of him."

"Is there a bright side to this story?" I asked grumpily.

Rose blinked, her emerald eyes wide as her finger twirled her electric blue hair. "Oh. . . yes. There is, actually. The cat I was chasing Peter with has to have some Kneezle in it-"

"Whats a Kneazle?" I asked, gobsmacked. "A desease?"

Rose rolled her eyes at me as though I was missing the most obvious thing in the world. "A Kneazle is a very intelligent cat that is attracted to wisdom and kindness. That cat has to be part Kneazle because he knew exactly what Peter was."

"And?"

"And I think that this cat could help us," Rose said, a smile brightening her features.

It always sent a shock through me every time she smiled. Azkaban had drained her child-like beauty and had left her looking worn out and haunted. She was still undoubtfully beautiful, but when I looked at her the sad look that still haunted her emerald eyes always sent pain through me. But when she smiled it was as though she had never been to Azkaban, it was as though she hadn't been through anything worst then having her pet goldfish die.

"He won't be able to rat us out because he can't exactly talk," Rose continued. "I think he can catch Wormy for us!"

I frowned. "I guess, but how will he trust us?"

"Just let him sit an observe for a while," Rose said with a wide smile. "Then - slowly - he'll start to trust us."

I nodded, warming up to the idea a bit. "Okay, but first, I want to try and get the rat," (Rose winced slightly) "for myself."

"Okay. . ." Rose said after a while, looking uncertain. "What's your plan?"

I grinned at her and shared my plan with her. I was pleased that she didn't question anything in my plan and just nodded.