Hurt | Remus Lupin

~36~ Clean up

I was glad that I didn't bump into Mrs. Weasley in the morning, before heading off to my training. But I saw her when I came back from the Ministry. I had arrived back at the same time as Mundungus, who was holding a large stack of probably stolen cauldrons, and I wrinkled my nose when he grinned when he saw me.

"Sara!" he said gleefully.

"Dung." I mumbled.

He reached over to ring the doorbell.

"No don't ring t-" I started, but too late, he already pressed it.

Mrs. Weasley opened the door and let us in. "We told you not to ring the doorbell!"

"He did it." I pointed at Dung.

Mrs. Weasley's eyes softened when she saw me, but mine hardened. We entered the hallway, where Sirius and Kingsley were talking, and Mrs. Weasley suddenly noticed the cauldron's in Dung's arms. 

"WE ARE NOT RUNNING A HIDEOUT FOR STOLEN GOODS!" she screamed.

Dung's eyes widened. "No- well I was just wanting to-"

"— COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE, AS IF WE HAVEN'T GOT ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT WITHOUT YOU DRAGGING STOLEN CAULDRONS INTO THE HOUSE —"  she raged.

The portrait of Sirius' mother started raging too, and Sirius, Kingsley and I rushed off to close the curtains.

"Damn, I was hoping for a moment of peace after today." I huffed.

"Mad-Eye trained you too hard?" Sirius grinned.

"I'm sure you can imagine." I replied.

Kingsley checked his watch. "I think it is time for my leave."

Kingsley left, and Sirius turned to me, while we could still hear Mrs. Weasley yelling at Mundungus. "I'm going upstairs to Harry, come with me."

I followed Sirius upstairs and entered a room, just as Kreacher said "Kreacher was cleaning."

"Likely story." Sirius said.

 Kreacher bowed suddenly, and lowly. 

"Stand up straight," said Sirius impatiently. "Now, what are you up to?"

"Kreacher is cleaning," the elf repeated. "Kreacher lives to serve the noble house of Black —"

"— and it's getting blacker every day, it's filthy," said Sirius. 

"Master always liked his little joke," said Kreacher, bowing again, and continuing in an undertone, "Master was a nasty ungrateful swine who broke his mother's heart —" 

"My mother didn't have a heart, Kreacher," Sirius snapped. "She kept herself alive out of pure spite." 

"Whatever Master says," then muttered furiously, "Master is not fit to wipe slime from his mother's boots, oh my poor Mistress, what would she say if she saw Kreacher serving him, how she hated him, what a disappointment he was —"

"I asked you what you were up to," said Sirius coldly. "Every time you show up pretending to be cleaning, you sneak something off to your room so we can't throw it out." 

 Kreacher started muttering, and started to exit the room."— comes back from Azkaban ordering Kreacher around, oh my poor Mistress, what would she say if she saw the house now, scum living in it, her treasures thrown out, she swore he was no son of hers and he's back, they say he's a murderer too —"

"Keep muttering and I will be a murderer!" said Sirius irritably, and he slammed the door shut on the elf.

"Sirius, he's not right in the head," said Hermione pleadingly, "I don't think he realizes we can hear him."