The Summoning

Not So Nice Lunch Break

Sirius was still broiling at feeling dismissed, but before anything else could be said he was interrupted.

"Before we start the next chapter, how about some lunch," Arthur offered, he'd seen Ron rubbing at his stomach and always knew what that meant.

Most everyone happily agreed at once, and Arthur took no notice as Black once again seemed to decide he was going to skip the meal. Arthur did notice Harry watching him go with another disappointed look, and Arthur wanted to blame Black no matter how illogically for the fact that Harry once again hardly ate a bite. What was it that made Harry so clearly want that convict around?

Dumbledore seemed to notice as well, as once he'd finished his plate he left in search of the man.

He found him in his room again, but wasted no time beating around the bush as he said, "you have something you wish to say to me Sirius?"

Those darkened gray eyes were still sharp as ever, no matter the extra shadows his stint had given him. Sirius took to his feet at once, pacing in front of his bed for a few moments before he hissed, "yes, yes I do. What right do you have keeping Harry at those Dursleys? I'm his godfather, which I have every intention of telling him when I'm let out, and then it'll be Harry's decision to leave that place, which I know he'll want to." That last part was spoken with more bravado than he truly felt, after all Sirius had nothing to offer Harry, but he was sure that it must still be better than what he had there which was more nothing on top of abuse.

"I do not think that wise-" Dumbledore began, his tone pleading caution, but Sirius fired up even more.

"I don't give a damn what you think! I was loyal to you, did everything you asked, and you couldn't even be bothered to get me a trial! I sat in there for ages before I finally realized no one was coming for me! And what on earth did you say to Remus to have him thinking I'd done this as well!"

Dumbledore's voice cracked like thunder as he stated back in no uncertain terms, "You cannot blame anyone but yourself for your time in that prison. I was never informed of the switch, and your rash actions are what got you caught when you said nothing to anyone. It is not right for you to be blaming me, and Remus, for your temper. Now I said I would see to it you were released for the wrongful imprisonment, but if you continue acting in this manner Black then I feel I will have to take certain precautions to see if the damage done to you is too late to fix." Clearly he found the matter settled, as he spun on his heel for the door.

Sirius blanched and stumbled back in shock as he realized what Dumbledore was implying, and then decided he had no other choice but to keep his mouth shut as Dumbledore left. Sirius didn't realize his knees were shaking until he'd sunk down onto the bed, moving to run his hand through his hair in an age old habit, but then hissing in pain as he used his damaged hand that wasn't happy touching anything.

He sensed him approaching before he came in, but even then he still couldn't bring himself to react as Remus came into the room with another plate of food. He stood awkwardly in the doorway, shuffling his feet and clearly waiting for something, but Sirius wasn't going to help him. So what if he'd finally proved he did care about Harry, he'd had ten years as a free man to act on that and had done nothing about it. Sirius wanted to blame him as much as Dumbledore for Harry being at the Dursleys, Remus should have done something to keep Harry out of there. As the last Marauder standing, the least he could have done was check in on Harry instead of letting whatever form of abuse was going on continue.

Remus watched the hate curling on Sirius' features, and he knew he deserved every second of it, but still he swallowed around a dry throat and couldn't stop himself pleading, "I know it doesn't mean much, but I'm sorry."

Sirius did look over at him then, blinking in surprise.

Remus played back through that first conversation between the two, and he realized he hadn't apologized! He'd been so shocked about everything else, he'd thought it a million times in a second in his head, but he hadn't actually apologized to Sirius yet!

Quickly stumbling forward and nearly spilling all the food off the plate, Remus started repeating that as many times as he could also around getting out, "Sirius, I really am- I don't know how to say it enough, but I am so sorry. For letting you, for thinking that you-"

Something twitched in that lifeless face, Remus wanted to believe it was even something resembling forgiveness even if he never again deserved it, but then his face closed back off into the emotionless mask he'd been housing for the majority of his time here and still said nothing.

When finally Remus stammered himself into silence, he offered the plate as a modicum of a peace offering, whispering, "are you ever going to actually eat?"

Sirius reached awkwardly forward and took the plate with his less dominant hand, but set it aside on his bed without comment.

Before he could forget, Remus also showed what was in his other hand, even though it was already slowly starting to drip making it fairly obvious, "I ah, got you some more ice too, hope the swellings have been going down."

Sirius plucked a bit of fruit from the plate and didn't even acknowledge it.

Clearly pleasantries weren't making an impact, and Remus was honestly starting to feel a bit of his temper rise. Okay, fine, if he was going to be that way, he'd go right for the jugular of the problem. "Sirius, what happened to-" he cut himself off there, because he couldn't figure out how to end that. Peter just sounded too casual for the blood lust he wanted.

Sirius seemed to understand anyways as he whispered, "dead. Blew himself up in the explosion."

Remus felt his shoulders sag for more than one reason. Number one of which was that he'd gotten an answer. By this time he'd half convinced himself Sirius would never speak directly to him again! There was also some lingering shock that anyone he knew could die in such a way, but not a very small part of him was also doing a victory dance, while the rest of him was honestly disappointed he hadn't suffered more for what he'd done.

Sirius was still poking the food on the plate restlessly, clearly only begrudgingly doing that but looking for something to do other than look at Remus, but Remus wasn't going to stop now that he'd gotten even one toenail into Sirius again. "You ah, you going to tell me what really happened-"

"No." Came the flat reply.

Remus rankled at that, he really was getting angry now. He'd never deny Sirius had a right to his anger, but dammit it all if Remus was going to stand here and be deprived of something he had a right to. "What do you mean no? I want to know what happened Sirius-"

"Then go ask Dumbledore," came the icy reply, and if Remus hadn't been watching him he would have been sure that voice had come from a complete stranger. "That's where you get all of your real facts from isn't it."

Remus took a step back as if Sirius had just stabbed him. He was in fact sure that's what had just happened. And yet... again Sirius was right. He had believed Dumbledore over Sirius, he should have come to Azkaban long before now and heard his best friend's side of the story, but he never had because he'd believed Dumbledore.

Sirius clearly cared nothing for whatever state Remus was in, finally choosing a piece of meat with the most fat on it, still dripping from juices, and tearing into it so violently it looked almost canine. Moments later and the majority of the food was gone as well. He stood with the plate in hand and left Remus standing there, more lost than before.