Harry Potter Fic - Apocalyptothon - "Howling At The Moon"
Title: Howling At The Moon; The Party At The End Of The World
Author: originalpuck / Morgan O'Friel
Rating: R
Word Count: 4909
Pairings: James/Lily, Sirius/Remus, implied Severus/Lily
Warnings: Character Death, Violence, Slight Gore
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Prompt: For soda_and_capes at apocalyptothon: "I'd love a first-generation apocalypse fic, with the Marauders and Snape and whoever else dealing with the end of the world. Any pairings are fine."
Summary: The Marauders always swore that their friendships would mean more to them than their individual lives. Now that a disaster has struck, and creatures are nibbling on the few survivors, their bonds are tested and bent into something new and altogether less forgiving.
---
Upon waking, the first thing that Sirius Black noticed was that he wasn't in his room. Not nearly.
Normally that wouldn't be too disturbing. He rarely slept at home if he could help it. There was too much fun to be had - too many men and women willing to ensure a fantastic shag - for him to stay at his house with Prongs.
But the last time he checked, he did not typically wake up in a giant field of rubble.
He swept his arm over his eyes to block out the sun. Another thing that wasn't rare for Sirius was to wake-up without the foggiest as to how he'd gotten where he was. Normally, that wasn't a problem.
This time he could definitely do with a little enlightenment. Just an explanation or two as to why his leg hurt so bloody bad, or why he was using a chunk of concrete as a pillow. He groaned, his throat raw. He remembered heading to a party, seeing Moony --
“Hello?”
Sirius knew that voice as intimately as his own. A little piece of him relaxed. “Prongs, where am I?”
“Padfoot? Merlin, Padfoot, you alright?” Arms were shaking his shoulders, and Sirius moved his arm enough to grimace at his friend. Prongs was way too happy to see him. Sirius wondered how long he'd been gone.
“I've got a hangover the size of Snivellus's nose,” he mumbled. Something was off about James. He was dirty, much dirtier than normal. His glasses were on their side, and his robes were torn and bloody. “What happened to you, mate?”
“You don't remember?” Sirius tried to level him with his best glare. “Merlin, Sirius. Sit up, at least.”
That wasn't one Sirius' priorities, but James seemed so damned concerned that he complied. It hurt like hell, and the area swam a bit as he propped himself up with his arms. It was bright, too bright. There were concrete chunks everywhere, as far as Sirius could see. It looked worse than some of the photos from the Goblin Wars in history class. Merlin. Maybe he didn't have a hangover, after all.
His own robes were torn, his leg throbbing. There was a gash in it, under his knee.
There were other people around James. Most of them Sirius didn't recognize, and almost all of them looked at bad as James. One guy, a blond, had bandages over half of his face. The bandages were soaked in blood, and looked suspiciously like part of someone's robes. “Prongs?”
“Last night something hit the earth, a meteor or something, I don't really know.” James shrugged, and wiped his forehead. There wasn't any sweat. “The Ministry owled everyone in, even those of us who'd just started the Auror program, but it was too late. The thing hit almost seconds after I got there. So now I'm rounding up survivors.”
Sirius let his eyes wander over the people. Most of them were dressed in tattered jumpers and trousers. “Muggles?”
“Yeah, well. End of the world and all that, mate. We figured the last thing we'd worry about was exposure.” James grinned, and leaned down to punch Sirius in the shoulder. He tried not to wince. “Not that we were ever worried about it before, eh?”
“Is-are --” None of the people in the group looked anything like Moony or the others.
“We're still looking.” James cut Sirius off before he could finish. His voice was clipped, and he glanced away. His eyes were on the rescues'. Sirius grimaced and climbed to his feet, nearly tripping over Prongs. His leg would need a good healing spell, and he was pretty sure the world wasn't supposed to be spinning, but other than that he was fine.
“Well, let's shoot off then.”
---
They'd been walking for at least an hour before Prongs' Patronus managed to find anything other than a dead or mutilated corpse. After seeing the last one, which had been severed at the hips and had a piece of concrete through its neck, well, Sirius had become much more thankful that all he had was a painful limp.
Prong's stag ghosted over the rubble and uprooted trees. A few of the Muggles squeaked, but there wasn't anyone recoiling in fear. James' face lit up as he watched it circle the group and then take off again. It was slower this time, and stopped besides an up-turned house.
“Hello?” James held his hand up, to keep the rest of the group quiet. There wasn't a reply. “We're here to help.”
Again, no response.
Sirius nodded at James, and as one they started towards the half-toppled home. It was easier if they looked for survivors themselves, rather than making the others lift. At least they still had their wands.
“Anyone there?” James repeated his question every few feet. “Hello?”
Glancing at James, Sirius extended his wand. Prongs' stag was standing near the furthest corner of what was once a green brick building, towards the right. He spelled away a large chunk of roof, setting it to the side. The Muggles gasped, but they were smart-enough not to intervene. One of the kids, the only girl they had with them, even squeaked about how cool it was.
Ignoring her, Sirius and James slipped inside. The stag had disappeared into the rubble. Sirius tried not to gag as he drew near, the rank scent of decay and feces choking him. Someone must have died - he'd been privy to that scent enough in their search to know - which didn't bode well for any other possible survivors.
“Hello?” James had strode further into the rubble, his wand illuminating crushed walls. “Anyone there?”
Sirius followed carefully afterwards. The place seemed to have collapsed on one side, staying just upright enough for them to crawl forward. A whimper and a grunt caught his attention. He swiveled towards the sound. “Prongs, over here.”
Pointing to his left, he transfigured a small section of crushed red wall into a support beam, and slid through. James followed, pointing his wand into the cramped room, and sliding its light to a stop on two bodies. “Lily!”
Sirius squinted into the darkness, trying not to fall while James pushed past him, and lunged for the redhead. She was curled mostly-underneath a dark-haired man, who managed to slide backwards as James tugged on Lily. The other man's robes were torn, and his legs were twisted odd, but he was groaning, and looking around the room. He was alive. Sirius stared.
“Snivellus?” It would figure, Sirius decided, that while Moony and Wormtail were nowhere to be found, Snivellus was still haunting him. At least Lily was alright, too. James hadn't started shouting yet, so he assumed she was fine.
“Is she okay?” Snivellus's words were hazy. Just hearing his greasy voice made Sirius want to hex him. Still, it was a good question.
James was pulling Lily forward, her arm slung around his shoulder. Her robes were ripped to shreds, and she was drenched in blood. “We need to get her to the shelter, but she'll be fi--”
“She's right here, and she can answer for herself, Potter.” Lily's words were harsh, but her tone was as pleasant as ever. “I'm fine. My side's cut-up, but I was lucky.” Sirius exhaled, unaware that he'd even been holding his breath. “Sirius, could you help Severus?”
“I don't need his help, Lily.” Sirius raised an eyebrow, glancing at Snivellus's awkwardly bent right leg. It had to be broken. Sirius had seen enough mangled limbs in the past few hours to tell one a mile away. Not that he really cared, one way or another. It was Snivellus, after all.
He shrugged, and turned. He didn't give a duck. “Enjoy the rubble, than.”
“Oh, don't be ridiculous --” Lily started.
James was speaking almost at the same time, and it was his complaints that got to Sirius. “Stop being prats, you two. Help him, so we can get Evans somewhere safe.”
Sighing, Sirius circled back for Snivellus. “I'm only letting you touch me for Lily,” Snape snarled. Sirius rolled his eyes.
Reaching for him, he stumbled slightly getting Snivellus onto his shoulders. The walls creaked around them, but they made it out alright. If Sirius could consider having the greasy, bleeding git on his shoulder to be 'alright.' Which was debatable.
“Is that it?” Snape's voice was only inches from Sirius' ear. He was so close that Sirius could feel his breath, and it made him shudder. “All those Muggles? They're all you've found?”
“Shut up or I'll drop you,” Sirius muttered. Thankfully, either Snivellus didn't want to walk, or he was as upset as Sirius was. They didn't say another word to each other as they stumbled back towards the group.
---
A Portkey had been their ticket to the Britain-wide safe haven. Sirius wasn't surprised that the grand 'shelter' ended up just being the headquarters for the Ministry of Magic. It was underground, after all, and built to withstand any sort of attack.
What he was surprised by was the sickening lack of other survivors. There couldn't have been more than a hundred people, tops. A hundred people, for their entire country. It made him cold.
Most of them were milling around in the Atrium, wearing bandages, ripped robes, and mourning faces. A make-shift healing area was set up in the furthest corner from the lifts, and that was where Sirius was sitting now.
Sitting, and trying pointedly not to listen to James and Lily arguing. “What were you doing there, anyways?”
“I had to warn him. Somebody did. I didn't think any of you would bother. And, shocker, I was right.”
“You could have died!”
“I am not your living doll, James Potter.” Sirius winced as Lily brushed past him, storming towards where Snivellus was sitting in the group. She paused when she was a good three meters away, and turned to glare. “So stop treating me like I'm going to break.”
Sirius waited until she was out of earshot before slipping over to James. He was running his hands through his hair, his face in a scowl. “Witches, eh?”
“I tried to warn her. I owled her, made sure she was alright. My mum died because I tried to owl Evans instead of my family.” He was staring off. “And what does she do? Try to save Snivellus. Fucking hell.”
It was hard not to gape. “Mum's dead?” Because she was as much his mother as she was one to James. She'd taken him in when he'd had nowhere to go, had gotten him out of trouble with the Ministry more times than he could count, and had given him someone to talk to that time he thought he'd knocked that girl up. The thought that she would have died with everyone else hadn't even entered his mind.
“Yeah.” James rolled his shoulders, and then shook his head. “Mum's gone.”
All Sirius could do was bite his lip to prevent himself from exploding at Prongs. He'd warned Lily before his folks? She was swell and all, but his parents were, well, family. And that's not even considering the rest of the gang. Missing, most likely hurt, out there alone.
It occurred to him to wonder about his blood family. His father had been paranoid enough that he'd had a back-up plan for everything. He had an escape route for his escape route, and eighteen different measures in place should there be some sort of Muggle insurrection. There was at least one escape idea that involved an underground crawl-space that led to a local river, where they'd hidden a boat that would take them away in case of a werewolf panic.
But as hard as he tried, Sirius couldn't remember a back-up plan in case of meteor. Still, he had to ask. “My folks?”
James looked up, his face rearranging itself from his puzzled glare, and shrugged. “Haven't seen them. They could still be out there.”
Could was the word of the day. Could be alright. Could be out there, just like Moony and Wormtail. But Sirius wasn't stupid. They'd probably died right alongside the Potters. He shook his head. “Are we going out again, or what?”
Slowly, James nodded. They walked towards the lifts in silence, only speaking once the doors had slid shut. “We don't want people to panic, so we're keeping the search parties small and on the q.t. for now.”
Auror headquarters had never looked more torn apart. People were running to-and-fro, papers everywhere, memos buzzing around the ceiling in thicker hordes than flies on a fresh corpse. Some brunette was speaking into a floo chamber, and Sirius vaguely wondered where it might be connected to.
“Maps are over here.” Sirius turned with James, and raised his eyebrows. An entire wall of the department had been turned into an atlas. They looked to be local maps for all of Britain, with red circles drawn over them, alongside large x's and yellow pins.
Another wizard, Millegan, was leaning against it. James had introduced the two once at a party, and Sirius had found out that the shaggy blond gave great head. Not that it really mattered now.
“The circles are where we've searched, the pins are civilization hot spots, and the x's are where residual chunks of meteor hit.” He shook his head. “Radiation there, so we're avoiding it for now.”
Sirius leaned over, staring. Almost half of the country was blacked out with giant x's. He swallowed hard. The red circles were barely blips on the map, looking for all the world like a few mosquito bites on an elephant's ass. “Fuck.”
Millegan sighed and nodded, moving next to him. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Fuck.”
---
Moony had always been the most shy of them, unless it was a full moon. So it would figure that Sirius would run into the bastard on a night when the moon was bright. He'd been out at night, searching for any sign of life. It was better than staying indoors with his nightmares and the groups of sobbing people.
He'd assigned himself the nearest strip to Moony's home, since James had been mostly on the hunt for Wormtail. ‘Had been’ being the important phrase. Peter's dead body had popped up a earlier that morning. Now all that was left was to hope that Moony had managed to find a place to hide. That, or that maybe being a werewolf made him stronger than the rest of them. Not that he had any reason to suspect the latter, but the thought made him breathe easier.
After awhile it had begun to look the same. Concrete, torn buildings, mangled bodies. And the smell of dead flesh. Sirius wasn't sure which was worst - the flies that hovered near the dead to warn him that someone else was gone, or stumbling over a body that was hidden under piles of wrecked wood, fingers crashing into what used to be someone's belly button.
It was the last situation that had saved his life, however, so in Sirius' mind it would definitely be the superior one. The person was dead, and Sirius was grouching and about to stand up, when he saw a dart of brown to his left. It was too quick to be human.
His pulse thundered in his ears. There had been rumors of weird creatures coming out of the radiation zones, things that were more mangled and ravenous than a thousand Manticores put together.
Words were swimming to his mind, spells that had been said to work well, as he skimmed the rubble around him. All worries about the residual flesh on him were gone, as he hunkered down. It was dark, but he could see something circling around the edge of what must have once been a house. It paused, lowering its head near the top of it, and snarled.
A piercing whimper responded, and Sirius' heart stopped. He recognized that voice, had every high-pitched note imprinted in his skin. Moony.
Another check around him showed that whatever the creature was, it seemed to be hunting alone. Which was just fine with Sirius. He could handle anything when it was a one-on-one fight, even mutant creatures spawned from a radiated hell.
Waving his wand to illuminate the area, he leaped out. The thing was thundering towards him almost instantly, and as it came closer, his eyes decided it would be best to stop trying to process whatever it was. It had the head of a human, twisted and burned and seated backwards on the spine, with an elongated jaw and a few added rows of teeth. Its legs were that of a gaunt, gray human, but evened-out to make running on all-fours the only logical course of action. Its skin was hanging from it, bones popping out of its back, and a strange fur covering its elbows and knees.
“Shit.” Dashing to the side, he managed to avoid a snap of the things jaws. Its growls weren't human, weren't even canine. It rounded on Sirius and leaped back on him.
A quick banishing charm had the thing jerking backwards, its claws only ripping the outside of Sirius' already tattered robes. It struggled and threw itself back to its feet, and Sirius backed up, trying to get his footing on the uneven pile of broken walls and town belongings.
His mind raced as they circled one another. Its eyes were pure black, all three of them.
The killing curse didn't work, he'd known that. But tearing them apart seemed like a dead cert destruction method.
It lunged for him just as Sirius howled, “Confringo.”
Keening, the creature’s insides seemed to bubble like an over-boiled potion. It was inches away from Sirius when it exploded from the inside out. Guts and bones sprayed his face, the impact driving him backwards. Stumbling, he fell, clawing at the gunk that was covering him.
Fuck. He choked, some of its skin having lodged itself down his throat. It was like eating four week old shepherds pie, something he knew from experience. He gagged it back up, vomiting, focusing solely on the way his spittle formed an uneven puddle in he red goo that had once been twitching.
It was dead. He was fine, for now.
A low howl dragged him from his thoughts. A familiar sound, one that had kept him company every full moon for the past two and a half years. He jerked to his feet, running forward, managing to only stumble and cut himself on some concrete once. Moony.
Sirius wasn't sure if he should transform before getting to him, or try to explore as a human. He stayed in his latter form, deciding it was better to rely on spells. Which ended up being a good thing.
Trapped inside a pile of rubble, filth, and upturned tree branches, was Moony. He had been whimpering regularly for the time it had taken Sirius to get to the top of the area, but once Moony had laid eyes on him, his shaggy brown hair and bright wolf eyes shining in the dark, he'd started snarling.
Great, just great. He could let him out, and try to fight him off until he could transform, or he could let him wait until morning. He craned his wand, so he could see Remus better. His shaggy brown hair was matted, a bit bloody, but he didn't move like anything was wrong. And, since it looked like he'd been stuck there awhile, he'd probably be starved.
And if there was one thing Sirius wasn't in the mood to be, it was dinner. “Sorry, mate.”
Grunting, he settled down at the roots of the upturned tree, and turned his attention towards the rubble around him. He would wait to get him out until morning. And hey, if he was lucky, he'd get to explode another creature or two - this time without the accidental ingestion.
---
“I can't go back with you.” Remus was staring at his feet. His clothes were shredded, which made it easier for him to tell that Remus wasn't really hurt. Just thin. Three days without food, and only rain water to drink, would do that to a guy.
So the whole emaciated thing was fine, in Sirius' book. And really, Moony had a nice body, even with all of his scars, so Sirius wasn't sure what he was trying to hide by curling in on himself. Everything would be great, really. Except that Moony was being an utter prick.
“Of course you're coming back! You're starved, and there's food there. Don't be daft.” Sirius rolled his eyes. “So your naked, what's the big deal? I've streaked in worse places than the shelter, and I've done it for fun.”
Remus' eyes flared up at him. “I'm the daft one?” He shook his head slowly, his shaggy hair covering his sneer. “I'm a class four deadly creature. They wouldn't let me step foot into the shelter, not when humans are as rare as you're saying.”
“Oh.” It was worse than a brick to his head. He should of thought of that, really. “Well, no reason for them to know. We'll give them a different name for you, and say the scars are from an attack by one of those things.”
Another shake of his head. “Sorry, Padfoot.”
“Why not?” Sirius was getting angry now. He'd searched for days, risked his life, and killed three of those damn things, trying to get to one of his best friends. And now that he had, there was no way that Moony was just going to walk away.
“What about when I change? I'm dangerous.” Moony stood, slowly. He glanced around him, turning his back on Sirius. He could see his friend's ribs.
“I'll go out with you, like we did at school.”
“Every full moon? With such a small population, people would notice. Besides, some of the survivors know me.”
“They'd cover for you.” Sirius shrugged. “I saved Snivellus's life. He owes you. And the Aurors are too busy to know you from a flobberworm.” He was talking fast, his voice rising. He could hear it in himself, but he couldn't stop it. “Dammit Moony, please.”
“Sorry.” He started picking his way through the rubble, walking away from where they'd been sitting on the tree stump. “I can't put anyone in danger.”
Springing to his feet, Sirius chased after him. “Fine, great, be a martyr. But wait one night. Hang out here, and give me a chance to think of something better. We're a team, mate! You can't just go off on your own like this, without giving me a chance to fix things.”
Brown eyes met Sirius' own. There were heavy circles around them, scratches and dirt. But he was still the handsome man who Sirius had groped in the back rooms of Hogsmeade, who would moan if Sirius licked his earlobe just right. “Give me a chance. Please.”
“I don't have a wand. If one of those things comes back...”
Fuck. They did seem to like it around here. Or maybe it was just the rank scent of their dying pack. Sirius wasn't sure which it was, but he wasn't going to take a chance with Moony's safety. And there weren't really many places to hide in the area, other than --
He gave a crooked smile, and turned back toward the tree stump, giving it a dull smack. “Well, mate, you can always get back in the cage. At least then they won't be able to shred you.”
The look he got in return could've torn him to shreds, if Remus hadn't gnawed his own wand apart last night. Sirius laughed for the first time that morning.
---
Sirius was lying on his back in the refugee center, when James' shadow covered his face. “You wanted to chat?”
Leaning up on one elbow, Sirius nodded at him, before dropping back down again. “How well known do you think Moony is?”
Wincing, James shrugged. “He was a prefect, and we were pretty hot stuff at Hogwarts. But he hasn't done much since. Why?”
Sirius shrugged. “Would you say Snivellus would do us a favor?”
“I'd rather rip out my own eyes than ask him. Did you see the way he was looking at Evans earlier?” James shook his head, and ran a hand through his hair. “I'd swear she likes it, too. Snivellus would tattle on us, just to get us in trouble. Like we're kids still, or something. Prat.”
James went on, and Sirius knew he meant well, but it wasn't really helping his train of thought. Well, sneaking Moony in was out. He'd come up with four other ideas, and dismissed them almost as quickly.
“So, Padfoot, what is our secret?”
He sighed. Prongs would be mad he'd waited so long to tell him about Moony, but it wasn't like there'd been a better time. But it was about time; he'd already used up all of his own ideas, and come up with squat. They always managed to plot things better together. “Meet me outside, in search zone three.” Sirius hesitated. “And come alone.”
---
“Lost the cloak in the meteor,” James mused. He was sitting on what used to be a chimney, but was now doubling as a really comfortable bench. They'd been thinking for a few hours. “Or we could sneak him in and out under that.” He shrugged. “Might chew it up when he's changed, though, even if we had it.”
“Well, isn't this just a giant cock-up,” Sirius snarled. He blasted a brick into nothingness, just to make himself feel better. They'd been able to sneak people anywhere at Hogwarts, to trick any Muggles they'd wanted to, and it was killing Sirius that they couldn't sneak one measly wizard into the last safe haven of Britain.
If it weren't for those things it wouldn't be a problem. But they'd begun appearing more often, they'd had Auror's patrolling the grounds at all times. “Fine.”
Blasting another brick, he whirled towards James, his eyes gleaming. “Fine. We'll leave with him. Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs, partying in the new world.” He grinned. “Moony's got the book smarts, you've got the quick reflexes, and I'm sex on wheels. We'll find any hot chicks left, and manage to live like kings.”
Even before he'd finished talking, James' expression had started to droop. “Padfoot, I-- Evans can't change, not like we can, and she doesn't know about Moony.”
“Well, yeah, but she'd be fine at the shelter.” What was he on about? Of course Lily couldn't change. But they'd already rescued her. “Moony's more important than a girl, mate.”
“I - just - let's just think some more, okay?” No, it wasn't okay. But Sirius didn't have it in him to argue anymore just then.
“Sure mate. If you say so.”
---
Sirius stuffed the maps into the bag James had provided him with. It was already pretty full with supplies such as food, extra robes, Sniveler's stolen wand - he should really learn to guard it better while he slept-- some swiped medi-potions and bandages, and an extra pair of trainers from James' work locker.
He felt heavy as he crept out of the Auror's area, and back to the survivor's center. So far Lily was doing a great job with keeping the patrollers distracted. His cot was swiftly shrunk and shoved into his bottomless bag. He tensed when a Muggle snored. Pitiful, he was getting as jumpy as a schoolgirl. Shaking his head, he turned and headed for the exit.
James was waiting for him on the outside, a sad smile on his face. “You've got everything?”
“Yeah, mate.” Sirius swallowed hard against his dry tongue. “You'll visit us, sometime?”
“Course.” It was a lie, Sirius knew. He'd try, sure, but James would be busy helping others and spending time with Evans. And Sirius and Remus would be busy, too. They'd have to constantly move, to hide their location, and possibly ditch the parchment James had spelled for long-distance communication, if one of the creatures trashed their camp.
“Love you, man.” James nodded, and they hugged. Sirius pressed into James' glasses, memorizing the way his best friend felt and smelled. “Stay safe.”
“You too.” James' voice echoed strangely as Sirius started to Apparate away. “I'll write you every day, I swear it.”
---
“So, where to first?” Sirius grinned over at Moony, who was still muttering about how he was swimming in the robes they'd found for him. “I mean, I've always wanted to see the shore, but if you have someplace else you'd like, well, too bad, because we're going to party.”
Remus raised an eyebrow and stared at the map in his hands. His robes were flopping around the edges of the map. “The area around Brighton looks safe enough.” He looked up. “Thanks, Padfoot.”
“Don't thank me yet. It'll be a blast, just you wait.” But he held his friends' eyes, and nodded his head every-so-slightly. “Babes galore, with the beach all to ourselves.”
“Is there any time left for food scavenging in your plans?”
Sirius grinned. “We've got all the time in the world, mate. All the time in the world.”
Author: originalpuck / Morgan O'Friel
Rating: R
Word Count: 4909
Pairings: James/Lily, Sirius/Remus, implied Severus/Lily
Warnings: Character Death, Violence, Slight Gore
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Prompt: For soda_and_capes at apocalyptothon: "I'd love a first-generation apocalypse fic, with the Marauders and Snape and whoever else dealing with the end of the world. Any pairings are fine."
Summary: The Marauders always swore that their friendships would mean more to them than their individual lives. Now that a disaster has struck, and creatures are nibbling on the few survivors, their bonds are tested and bent into something new and altogether less forgiving.
---
Upon waking, the first thing that Sirius Black noticed was that he wasn't in his room. Not nearly.
Normally that wouldn't be too disturbing. He rarely slept at home if he could help it. There was too much fun to be had - too many men and women willing to ensure a fantastic shag - for him to stay at his house with Prongs.
But the last time he checked, he did not typically wake up in a giant field of rubble.
He swept his arm over his eyes to block out the sun. Another thing that wasn't rare for Sirius was to wake-up without the foggiest as to how he'd gotten where he was. Normally, that wasn't a problem.
This time he could definitely do with a little enlightenment. Just an explanation or two as to why his leg hurt so bloody bad, or why he was using a chunk of concrete as a pillow. He groaned, his throat raw. He remembered heading to a party, seeing Moony --
“Hello?”
Sirius knew that voice as intimately as his own. A little piece of him relaxed. “Prongs, where am I?”
“Padfoot? Merlin, Padfoot, you alright?” Arms were shaking his shoulders, and Sirius moved his arm enough to grimace at his friend. Prongs was way too happy to see him. Sirius wondered how long he'd been gone.
“I've got a hangover the size of Snivellus's nose,” he mumbled. Something was off about James. He was dirty, much dirtier than normal. His glasses were on their side, and his robes were torn and bloody. “What happened to you, mate?”
“You don't remember?” Sirius tried to level him with his best glare. “Merlin, Sirius. Sit up, at least.”
That wasn't one Sirius' priorities, but James seemed so damned concerned that he complied. It hurt like hell, and the area swam a bit as he propped himself up with his arms. It was bright, too bright. There were concrete chunks everywhere, as far as Sirius could see. It looked worse than some of the photos from the Goblin Wars in history class. Merlin. Maybe he didn't have a hangover, after all.
His own robes were torn, his leg throbbing. There was a gash in it, under his knee.
There were other people around James. Most of them Sirius didn't recognize, and almost all of them looked at bad as James. One guy, a blond, had bandages over half of his face. The bandages were soaked in blood, and looked suspiciously like part of someone's robes. “Prongs?”
“Last night something hit the earth, a meteor or something, I don't really know.” James shrugged, and wiped his forehead. There wasn't any sweat. “The Ministry owled everyone in, even those of us who'd just started the Auror program, but it was too late. The thing hit almost seconds after I got there. So now I'm rounding up survivors.”
Sirius let his eyes wander over the people. Most of them were dressed in tattered jumpers and trousers. “Muggles?”
“Yeah, well. End of the world and all that, mate. We figured the last thing we'd worry about was exposure.” James grinned, and leaned down to punch Sirius in the shoulder. He tried not to wince. “Not that we were ever worried about it before, eh?”
“Is-are --” None of the people in the group looked anything like Moony or the others.
“We're still looking.” James cut Sirius off before he could finish. His voice was clipped, and he glanced away. His eyes were on the rescues'. Sirius grimaced and climbed to his feet, nearly tripping over Prongs. His leg would need a good healing spell, and he was pretty sure the world wasn't supposed to be spinning, but other than that he was fine.
“Well, let's shoot off then.”
---
They'd been walking for at least an hour before Prongs' Patronus managed to find anything other than a dead or mutilated corpse. After seeing the last one, which had been severed at the hips and had a piece of concrete through its neck, well, Sirius had become much more thankful that all he had was a painful limp.
Prong's stag ghosted over the rubble and uprooted trees. A few of the Muggles squeaked, but there wasn't anyone recoiling in fear. James' face lit up as he watched it circle the group and then take off again. It was slower this time, and stopped besides an up-turned house.
“Hello?” James held his hand up, to keep the rest of the group quiet. There wasn't a reply. “We're here to help.”
Again, no response.
Sirius nodded at James, and as one they started towards the half-toppled home. It was easier if they looked for survivors themselves, rather than making the others lift. At least they still had their wands.
“Anyone there?” James repeated his question every few feet. “Hello?”
Glancing at James, Sirius extended his wand. Prongs' stag was standing near the furthest corner of what was once a green brick building, towards the right. He spelled away a large chunk of roof, setting it to the side. The Muggles gasped, but they were smart-enough not to intervene. One of the kids, the only girl they had with them, even squeaked about how cool it was.
Ignoring her, Sirius and James slipped inside. The stag had disappeared into the rubble. Sirius tried not to gag as he drew near, the rank scent of decay and feces choking him. Someone must have died - he'd been privy to that scent enough in their search to know - which didn't bode well for any other possible survivors.
“Hello?” James had strode further into the rubble, his wand illuminating crushed walls. “Anyone there?”
Sirius followed carefully afterwards. The place seemed to have collapsed on one side, staying just upright enough for them to crawl forward. A whimper and a grunt caught his attention. He swiveled towards the sound. “Prongs, over here.”
Pointing to his left, he transfigured a small section of crushed red wall into a support beam, and slid through. James followed, pointing his wand into the cramped room, and sliding its light to a stop on two bodies. “Lily!”
Sirius squinted into the darkness, trying not to fall while James pushed past him, and lunged for the redhead. She was curled mostly-underneath a dark-haired man, who managed to slide backwards as James tugged on Lily. The other man's robes were torn, and his legs were twisted odd, but he was groaning, and looking around the room. He was alive. Sirius stared.
“Snivellus?” It would figure, Sirius decided, that while Moony and Wormtail were nowhere to be found, Snivellus was still haunting him. At least Lily was alright, too. James hadn't started shouting yet, so he assumed she was fine.
“Is she okay?” Snivellus's words were hazy. Just hearing his greasy voice made Sirius want to hex him. Still, it was a good question.
James was pulling Lily forward, her arm slung around his shoulder. Her robes were ripped to shreds, and she was drenched in blood. “We need to get her to the shelter, but she'll be fi--”
“She's right here, and she can answer for herself, Potter.” Lily's words were harsh, but her tone was as pleasant as ever. “I'm fine. My side's cut-up, but I was lucky.” Sirius exhaled, unaware that he'd even been holding his breath. “Sirius, could you help Severus?”
“I don't need his help, Lily.” Sirius raised an eyebrow, glancing at Snivellus's awkwardly bent right leg. It had to be broken. Sirius had seen enough mangled limbs in the past few hours to tell one a mile away. Not that he really cared, one way or another. It was Snivellus, after all.
He shrugged, and turned. He didn't give a duck. “Enjoy the rubble, than.”
“Oh, don't be ridiculous --” Lily started.
James was speaking almost at the same time, and it was his complaints that got to Sirius. “Stop being prats, you two. Help him, so we can get Evans somewhere safe.”
Sighing, Sirius circled back for Snivellus. “I'm only letting you touch me for Lily,” Snape snarled. Sirius rolled his eyes.
Reaching for him, he stumbled slightly getting Snivellus onto his shoulders. The walls creaked around them, but they made it out alright. If Sirius could consider having the greasy, bleeding git on his shoulder to be 'alright.' Which was debatable.
“Is that it?” Snape's voice was only inches from Sirius' ear. He was so close that Sirius could feel his breath, and it made him shudder. “All those Muggles? They're all you've found?”
“Shut up or I'll drop you,” Sirius muttered. Thankfully, either Snivellus didn't want to walk, or he was as upset as Sirius was. They didn't say another word to each other as they stumbled back towards the group.
---
A Portkey had been their ticket to the Britain-wide safe haven. Sirius wasn't surprised that the grand 'shelter' ended up just being the headquarters for the Ministry of Magic. It was underground, after all, and built to withstand any sort of attack.
What he was surprised by was the sickening lack of other survivors. There couldn't have been more than a hundred people, tops. A hundred people, for their entire country. It made him cold.
Most of them were milling around in the Atrium, wearing bandages, ripped robes, and mourning faces. A make-shift healing area was set up in the furthest corner from the lifts, and that was where Sirius was sitting now.
Sitting, and trying pointedly not to listen to James and Lily arguing. “What were you doing there, anyways?”
“I had to warn him. Somebody did. I didn't think any of you would bother. And, shocker, I was right.”
“You could have died!”
“I am not your living doll, James Potter.” Sirius winced as Lily brushed past him, storming towards where Snivellus was sitting in the group. She paused when she was a good three meters away, and turned to glare. “So stop treating me like I'm going to break.”
Sirius waited until she was out of earshot before slipping over to James. He was running his hands through his hair, his face in a scowl. “Witches, eh?”
“I tried to warn her. I owled her, made sure she was alright. My mum died because I tried to owl Evans instead of my family.” He was staring off. “And what does she do? Try to save Snivellus. Fucking hell.”
It was hard not to gape. “Mum's dead?” Because she was as much his mother as she was one to James. She'd taken him in when he'd had nowhere to go, had gotten him out of trouble with the Ministry more times than he could count, and had given him someone to talk to that time he thought he'd knocked that girl up. The thought that she would have died with everyone else hadn't even entered his mind.
“Yeah.” James rolled his shoulders, and then shook his head. “Mum's gone.”
All Sirius could do was bite his lip to prevent himself from exploding at Prongs. He'd warned Lily before his folks? She was swell and all, but his parents were, well, family. And that's not even considering the rest of the gang. Missing, most likely hurt, out there alone.
It occurred to him to wonder about his blood family. His father had been paranoid enough that he'd had a back-up plan for everything. He had an escape route for his escape route, and eighteen different measures in place should there be some sort of Muggle insurrection. There was at least one escape idea that involved an underground crawl-space that led to a local river, where they'd hidden a boat that would take them away in case of a werewolf panic.
But as hard as he tried, Sirius couldn't remember a back-up plan in case of meteor. Still, he had to ask. “My folks?”
James looked up, his face rearranging itself from his puzzled glare, and shrugged. “Haven't seen them. They could still be out there.”
Could was the word of the day. Could be alright. Could be out there, just like Moony and Wormtail. But Sirius wasn't stupid. They'd probably died right alongside the Potters. He shook his head. “Are we going out again, or what?”
Slowly, James nodded. They walked towards the lifts in silence, only speaking once the doors had slid shut. “We don't want people to panic, so we're keeping the search parties small and on the q.t. for now.”
Auror headquarters had never looked more torn apart. People were running to-and-fro, papers everywhere, memos buzzing around the ceiling in thicker hordes than flies on a fresh corpse. Some brunette was speaking into a floo chamber, and Sirius vaguely wondered where it might be connected to.
“Maps are over here.” Sirius turned with James, and raised his eyebrows. An entire wall of the department had been turned into an atlas. They looked to be local maps for all of Britain, with red circles drawn over them, alongside large x's and yellow pins.
Another wizard, Millegan, was leaning against it. James had introduced the two once at a party, and Sirius had found out that the shaggy blond gave great head. Not that it really mattered now.
“The circles are where we've searched, the pins are civilization hot spots, and the x's are where residual chunks of meteor hit.” He shook his head. “Radiation there, so we're avoiding it for now.”
Sirius leaned over, staring. Almost half of the country was blacked out with giant x's. He swallowed hard. The red circles were barely blips on the map, looking for all the world like a few mosquito bites on an elephant's ass. “Fuck.”
Millegan sighed and nodded, moving next to him. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Fuck.”
---
Moony had always been the most shy of them, unless it was a full moon. So it would figure that Sirius would run into the bastard on a night when the moon was bright. He'd been out at night, searching for any sign of life. It was better than staying indoors with his nightmares and the groups of sobbing people.
He'd assigned himself the nearest strip to Moony's home, since James had been mostly on the hunt for Wormtail. ‘Had been’ being the important phrase. Peter's dead body had popped up a earlier that morning. Now all that was left was to hope that Moony had managed to find a place to hide. That, or that maybe being a werewolf made him stronger than the rest of them. Not that he had any reason to suspect the latter, but the thought made him breathe easier.
After awhile it had begun to look the same. Concrete, torn buildings, mangled bodies. And the smell of dead flesh. Sirius wasn't sure which was worst - the flies that hovered near the dead to warn him that someone else was gone, or stumbling over a body that was hidden under piles of wrecked wood, fingers crashing into what used to be someone's belly button.
It was the last situation that had saved his life, however, so in Sirius' mind it would definitely be the superior one. The person was dead, and Sirius was grouching and about to stand up, when he saw a dart of brown to his left. It was too quick to be human.
His pulse thundered in his ears. There had been rumors of weird creatures coming out of the radiation zones, things that were more mangled and ravenous than a thousand Manticores put together.
Words were swimming to his mind, spells that had been said to work well, as he skimmed the rubble around him. All worries about the residual flesh on him were gone, as he hunkered down. It was dark, but he could see something circling around the edge of what must have once been a house. It paused, lowering its head near the top of it, and snarled.
A piercing whimper responded, and Sirius' heart stopped. He recognized that voice, had every high-pitched note imprinted in his skin. Moony.
Another check around him showed that whatever the creature was, it seemed to be hunting alone. Which was just fine with Sirius. He could handle anything when it was a one-on-one fight, even mutant creatures spawned from a radiated hell.
Waving his wand to illuminate the area, he leaped out. The thing was thundering towards him almost instantly, and as it came closer, his eyes decided it would be best to stop trying to process whatever it was. It had the head of a human, twisted and burned and seated backwards on the spine, with an elongated jaw and a few added rows of teeth. Its legs were that of a gaunt, gray human, but evened-out to make running on all-fours the only logical course of action. Its skin was hanging from it, bones popping out of its back, and a strange fur covering its elbows and knees.
“Shit.” Dashing to the side, he managed to avoid a snap of the things jaws. Its growls weren't human, weren't even canine. It rounded on Sirius and leaped back on him.
A quick banishing charm had the thing jerking backwards, its claws only ripping the outside of Sirius' already tattered robes. It struggled and threw itself back to its feet, and Sirius backed up, trying to get his footing on the uneven pile of broken walls and town belongings.
His mind raced as they circled one another. Its eyes were pure black, all three of them.
The killing curse didn't work, he'd known that. But tearing them apart seemed like a dead cert destruction method.
It lunged for him just as Sirius howled, “Confringo.”
Keening, the creature’s insides seemed to bubble like an over-boiled potion. It was inches away from Sirius when it exploded from the inside out. Guts and bones sprayed his face, the impact driving him backwards. Stumbling, he fell, clawing at the gunk that was covering him.
Fuck. He choked, some of its skin having lodged itself down his throat. It was like eating four week old shepherds pie, something he knew from experience. He gagged it back up, vomiting, focusing solely on the way his spittle formed an uneven puddle in he red goo that had once been twitching.
It was dead. He was fine, for now.
A low howl dragged him from his thoughts. A familiar sound, one that had kept him company every full moon for the past two and a half years. He jerked to his feet, running forward, managing to only stumble and cut himself on some concrete once. Moony.
Sirius wasn't sure if he should transform before getting to him, or try to explore as a human. He stayed in his latter form, deciding it was better to rely on spells. Which ended up being a good thing.
Trapped inside a pile of rubble, filth, and upturned tree branches, was Moony. He had been whimpering regularly for the time it had taken Sirius to get to the top of the area, but once Moony had laid eyes on him, his shaggy brown hair and bright wolf eyes shining in the dark, he'd started snarling.
Great, just great. He could let him out, and try to fight him off until he could transform, or he could let him wait until morning. He craned his wand, so he could see Remus better. His shaggy brown hair was matted, a bit bloody, but he didn't move like anything was wrong. And, since it looked like he'd been stuck there awhile, he'd probably be starved.
And if there was one thing Sirius wasn't in the mood to be, it was dinner. “Sorry, mate.”
Grunting, he settled down at the roots of the upturned tree, and turned his attention towards the rubble around him. He would wait to get him out until morning. And hey, if he was lucky, he'd get to explode another creature or two - this time without the accidental ingestion.
---
“I can't go back with you.” Remus was staring at his feet. His clothes were shredded, which made it easier for him to tell that Remus wasn't really hurt. Just thin. Three days without food, and only rain water to drink, would do that to a guy.
So the whole emaciated thing was fine, in Sirius' book. And really, Moony had a nice body, even with all of his scars, so Sirius wasn't sure what he was trying to hide by curling in on himself. Everything would be great, really. Except that Moony was being an utter prick.
“Of course you're coming back! You're starved, and there's food there. Don't be daft.” Sirius rolled his eyes. “So your naked, what's the big deal? I've streaked in worse places than the shelter, and I've done it for fun.”
Remus' eyes flared up at him. “I'm the daft one?” He shook his head slowly, his shaggy hair covering his sneer. “I'm a class four deadly creature. They wouldn't let me step foot into the shelter, not when humans are as rare as you're saying.”
“Oh.” It was worse than a brick to his head. He should of thought of that, really. “Well, no reason for them to know. We'll give them a different name for you, and say the scars are from an attack by one of those things.”
Another shake of his head. “Sorry, Padfoot.”
“Why not?” Sirius was getting angry now. He'd searched for days, risked his life, and killed three of those damn things, trying to get to one of his best friends. And now that he had, there was no way that Moony was just going to walk away.
“What about when I change? I'm dangerous.” Moony stood, slowly. He glanced around him, turning his back on Sirius. He could see his friend's ribs.
“I'll go out with you, like we did at school.”
“Every full moon? With such a small population, people would notice. Besides, some of the survivors know me.”
“They'd cover for you.” Sirius shrugged. “I saved Snivellus's life. He owes you. And the Aurors are too busy to know you from a flobberworm.” He was talking fast, his voice rising. He could hear it in himself, but he couldn't stop it. “Dammit Moony, please.”
“Sorry.” He started picking his way through the rubble, walking away from where they'd been sitting on the tree stump. “I can't put anyone in danger.”
Springing to his feet, Sirius chased after him. “Fine, great, be a martyr. But wait one night. Hang out here, and give me a chance to think of something better. We're a team, mate! You can't just go off on your own like this, without giving me a chance to fix things.”
Brown eyes met Sirius' own. There were heavy circles around them, scratches and dirt. But he was still the handsome man who Sirius had groped in the back rooms of Hogsmeade, who would moan if Sirius licked his earlobe just right. “Give me a chance. Please.”
“I don't have a wand. If one of those things comes back...”
Fuck. They did seem to like it around here. Or maybe it was just the rank scent of their dying pack. Sirius wasn't sure which it was, but he wasn't going to take a chance with Moony's safety. And there weren't really many places to hide in the area, other than --
He gave a crooked smile, and turned back toward the tree stump, giving it a dull smack. “Well, mate, you can always get back in the cage. At least then they won't be able to shred you.”
The look he got in return could've torn him to shreds, if Remus hadn't gnawed his own wand apart last night. Sirius laughed for the first time that morning.
---
Sirius was lying on his back in the refugee center, when James' shadow covered his face. “You wanted to chat?”
Leaning up on one elbow, Sirius nodded at him, before dropping back down again. “How well known do you think Moony is?”
Wincing, James shrugged. “He was a prefect, and we were pretty hot stuff at Hogwarts. But he hasn't done much since. Why?”
Sirius shrugged. “Would you say Snivellus would do us a favor?”
“I'd rather rip out my own eyes than ask him. Did you see the way he was looking at Evans earlier?” James shook his head, and ran a hand through his hair. “I'd swear she likes it, too. Snivellus would tattle on us, just to get us in trouble. Like we're kids still, or something. Prat.”
James went on, and Sirius knew he meant well, but it wasn't really helping his train of thought. Well, sneaking Moony in was out. He'd come up with four other ideas, and dismissed them almost as quickly.
“So, Padfoot, what is our secret?”
He sighed. Prongs would be mad he'd waited so long to tell him about Moony, but it wasn't like there'd been a better time. But it was about time; he'd already used up all of his own ideas, and come up with squat. They always managed to plot things better together. “Meet me outside, in search zone three.” Sirius hesitated. “And come alone.”
---
“Lost the cloak in the meteor,” James mused. He was sitting on what used to be a chimney, but was now doubling as a really comfortable bench. They'd been thinking for a few hours. “Or we could sneak him in and out under that.” He shrugged. “Might chew it up when he's changed, though, even if we had it.”
“Well, isn't this just a giant cock-up,” Sirius snarled. He blasted a brick into nothingness, just to make himself feel better. They'd been able to sneak people anywhere at Hogwarts, to trick any Muggles they'd wanted to, and it was killing Sirius that they couldn't sneak one measly wizard into the last safe haven of Britain.
If it weren't for those things it wouldn't be a problem. But they'd begun appearing more often, they'd had Auror's patrolling the grounds at all times. “Fine.”
Blasting another brick, he whirled towards James, his eyes gleaming. “Fine. We'll leave with him. Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs, partying in the new world.” He grinned. “Moony's got the book smarts, you've got the quick reflexes, and I'm sex on wheels. We'll find any hot chicks left, and manage to live like kings.”
Even before he'd finished talking, James' expression had started to droop. “Padfoot, I-- Evans can't change, not like we can, and she doesn't know about Moony.”
“Well, yeah, but she'd be fine at the shelter.” What was he on about? Of course Lily couldn't change. But they'd already rescued her. “Moony's more important than a girl, mate.”
“I - just - let's just think some more, okay?” No, it wasn't okay. But Sirius didn't have it in him to argue anymore just then.
“Sure mate. If you say so.”
---
Sirius stuffed the maps into the bag James had provided him with. It was already pretty full with supplies such as food, extra robes, Sniveler's stolen wand - he should really learn to guard it better while he slept-- some swiped medi-potions and bandages, and an extra pair of trainers from James' work locker.
He felt heavy as he crept out of the Auror's area, and back to the survivor's center. So far Lily was doing a great job with keeping the patrollers distracted. His cot was swiftly shrunk and shoved into his bottomless bag. He tensed when a Muggle snored. Pitiful, he was getting as jumpy as a schoolgirl. Shaking his head, he turned and headed for the exit.
James was waiting for him on the outside, a sad smile on his face. “You've got everything?”
“Yeah, mate.” Sirius swallowed hard against his dry tongue. “You'll visit us, sometime?”
“Course.” It was a lie, Sirius knew. He'd try, sure, but James would be busy helping others and spending time with Evans. And Sirius and Remus would be busy, too. They'd have to constantly move, to hide their location, and possibly ditch the parchment James had spelled for long-distance communication, if one of the creatures trashed their camp.
“Love you, man.” James nodded, and they hugged. Sirius pressed into James' glasses, memorizing the way his best friend felt and smelled. “Stay safe.”
“You too.” James' voice echoed strangely as Sirius started to Apparate away. “I'll write you every day, I swear it.”
---
“So, where to first?” Sirius grinned over at Moony, who was still muttering about how he was swimming in the robes they'd found for him. “I mean, I've always wanted to see the shore, but if you have someplace else you'd like, well, too bad, because we're going to party.”
Remus raised an eyebrow and stared at the map in his hands. His robes were flopping around the edges of the map. “The area around Brighton looks safe enough.” He looked up. “Thanks, Padfoot.”
“Don't thank me yet. It'll be a blast, just you wait.” But he held his friends' eyes, and nodded his head every-so-slightly. “Babes galore, with the beach all to ourselves.”
“Is there any time left for food scavenging in your plans?”
Sirius grinned. “We've got all the time in the world, mate. All the time in the world.”