Malfoy kept up the act for much longer than it was amusing. Over time, his constant dragging and wimping became too much annoying. And the worst part of all was that our match against Slytherin was postponed due to the illness of their Seeker.

Oliver was not too happy about that.

Not at all.

We learnt about the match being postponed early this morning when we were all going to the first Hogsmeade weekend. Me, Fred, George and Lee were buying our merchandise at Zonko's when Angelina told us that Captain Wood had called the whole team to meet him at the Three Broomsticks.

With the only exception of our Seeker, Harry, since he couldn't come due to his Hogsmeade form not signed by those revolting Dursleys.

Oliver was downright pissed at Malfoy because all of us had been training for weeks and yet to no avail. He couldn't even finish his Butterbeer because he simply couldn't stop himself from remarking on how cunning Malfoy had been.

And trust me, his bad mood put a dampener on ours too and none of us were able to enjoy our weekend like we should have.

Screw Malfoy and his pathetic little stunts.

The only highlight left of the day was Halloween and the great Feast that followed afterwards.

On the way back from Hogsmeade I shared the idea of Pumpkin Frogs with Fred and George without telling them that I had executed it myself once in the past due to a tiny time travel episode.

Both of them liked the idea so much that they were intent on executing it after the feast in the common room along with a few modifications of their own.

But we never got to execute it. Rather unfortunate for us.

***

You see, after the Halloween Feast a giant commotion awaited us. The feast had finished with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts as they popped out of the walls and tables to do a spot of formation gliding.

The re-enactment of Nearly Headless Nick's botched beheading was hilariously spectacular and it did a lot to revive our good moods. We walked off to the Gryffindor Tower in high spirits but when we reached the corridor where the Fat Lady's portrait was placed, we saw it was jammed with students.

Something definitely was not right.

"Let me through, please," Percy dashed to the front of the crowd, "you can't all have forgotten the password."

We were at the back so we didn't really get to see what was going on.

"Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick," Percy spoke in a sharp voice. That clearly meant something awful had commenced. So the three of us stood up on our tiptoes to get a glimpse and what we saw was horrifying.

The Fat Lady was gone. And her portrait was slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor.

"Bloody Hell," the twins mumbled.

Professor Dumbledore arrived and we squeezed together to let him through as he swept towards the portrait.

"We need to find her," Dumbledore spoke, "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

Soon after, Peeves came zooming through the crowd, cackling with glee just like he always did at the sight of wreckage or worry, "you'll be lucky!"

At Dumbledore's straight gaze, he stopped cackling and answered as he was asked where the Fat Lady was, "she's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, crying something dreadful. Poor thing."

"Did she say who did it?" Dumbledore asked quietly.

All of us wanted to know that and we leaned forward to listen.

"Oh yes, Professorhead," Peeves flipped over and grinned from ear to ear, "he got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Then smirking as if about to throw a big bombshell, he added, "nasty temper he's got. That Sirius Black."

Sirius Black...?

That remark however had spread an alarming fear among the students and teachers alike.

Professor Dumbledore sent us all to the Great Hall where we were joined ten minutes later by all the other houses. "The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle. I'm afraid that for your own safety you will have to spend the night here. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately. Send word with one of the ghosts."

The tables in the Hall had been moved aside and the floor was covered by hundreds of squashy sleeping bags which people normally use for camping out. And it really did look as if we were camping all with that enchanted ceiling and the stars gazing down at us.

After the Headmaster left, the Hall began to buzz with chattering. Fred and George were discussing the whole matter with Lee Jordan, Percy was on the rounds again threatening everyone to shut the hell up, the ghosts were gliding here and there checking on everyone.

However, I knew I couldn't possibly sleep until I had gotten to the bottom of the mystery. Quite a bad habit of me, really. But I just can't help it.

Knowing that the twins were busy in their deductions and Percy was busy shouting at them to go to sleep, I sneaked out of the Hall after telling Katie that I had to go to the lavatory.

Luckily, the excuse worked and I didn't meet any teacher on the way as I crept up flight upon flight of stairs to the Seventh Floor. Waiting in a corner for a few minutes until I was completely sure that no one was prowling on the corridor, I stepped out and stood in front of the door I knew so well.

The Room Of Requirement.

***

Picturing the Marauder's Lair as clearly as I could in my mind, I pushed open the door and stepped inside immediately.

"Expelliarmus!"

I was thrown back forcefully and hit the wall while my wand flew out of my grasp. It all happened so fast that I couldn't even process what exactly had commenced.

"I... I'm so, so sorry," somebody helped me to sit up and I rubbed my head where it was still throbbing from hitting the wall. "Katerina, are you okay?"

Oh. Professor Lupin.

He was looking at me with worry clouding his face and I knew he would be feeling real guilty in using the disarming spell without even seeing who it was.

But then I can understand. He must have thought it was Sirius coming up here to hide.

"Great spell you used, Sir," I smiled to let him know that everything was okay, "luckily for me, I didn't get a concussion."

His tensed features relaxed and he handed me back my wand, but almost immediately he asked me, "what are you doing up here? You should be in the Great Hall with other students."

"I couldn't sleep."

"That's one lame excuse, Kat, both you and me know this isn't the answer," he remarked throwing me a cushion so I could sit on it while he did the same sitting cross legged in front of me.

"Fine, but I really couldn't sleep and well... I wanted to talk to you. I suspected you would be here. And if you weren't then maybe..."

He interrupted me, "a thousand times, Kat, I have told you a thousand times not to poke your curious little nose where it isn't wanted. You could have gotten badly hurt. Not due to the disarming spell, I know, but if the latter option you were going to state was actually true."

Yeah, if Sirius was here instead of Remus.

"How could he get in though?" I asked hoping to change the topic, "there are dementors all around and it's near impossible to penetrate through Hogwarts' security enchantments."

"Exactly," he sighed, "but then we mustn't forget, he broke out of Azkaban so I guess this was easy game for him."

"But why Hogwarts?"

"If what we've heard regarding him being a Death Eater is true, then he might have come here to finish Harry."

I gaped at him blankly, "are you sure? He wouldn't..."

"He absolutely could," Professor Lupin looked straight into my eyes, "I have been doing all I can to find out about the truth regarding his loyalty to the Death Eaters. I have searched thoroughly but not even once did I find a proof of his innocence. You should believe it too, Kat. You're only going to end up hurt if you don't."

Believe it? Believe it when I know it isn't true? Not so likely.

"Say, if you met Sirius tonight, here," I noticed how his jaw had clenched on saying his name, "what would you have done?"

"Ask his side of the story, simple," I replied almost immediately, "ask him to tell the truth. He wouldn't lie. I don't think..."

He shook his head wearily, "you're so stupid."

"What did you just say?"

I mean really how can he call me stupid?

"How can you be so naive to think that he would be the same Sirius Black you met when you time traveled? He has spent 12 bloody years in Azkaban among those ghastly dementors. Why would he be the same? What makes you think he would acknowledge you and tell you the truth? Or rather his side of the story as you put it so yourself."

"But what if he really didn't..."

"Kat, I have given everything you said a chance and yet it proves nothing. While secondly I think it would be best if..."

But then he paused abruptly in the middle of the sentence. I folded my arms defiantly, staring back at him so that he could continue whatever he had in mind.

For a second it seemed as if he was going to do just that, but almost immediately his gaze had turned cold and hard.

"Moony...? You okay?"

He was staring at me with that cold thoughtful look which at times scared the crap out of me. It was the Remus is angry because he thinks I have done something unforgivable look.

Which actually I hadn't. Not anything that I know of.

"Katerina, I want you to answer me truthfully to whatever I ask from you," he spoke at last not taking his eyes off me.

I nodded, "okay..."

"You think Sirius is innocent?"

Uh, I honestly have no idea what he's up to but well... Whatever.

"Yes, I do. Kind of."

"So you would give him a chance to explain himself if you ever met him?"

"Yeah but..."

"Just answer me in a yes or a no. No other explanations, understand?"

I nodded back, "fine. Next question."

"And if he asked you to help him, would you do that?"

"What do you mean?" I asked because all this was beginning to freak me out.

But he only shook his head, "yes or no?"

"It depends on what the truth is."

"Kat, just answer me simply. Would you help him or would you not help him?"

I sighed in defeat, "I would."

His gaze hardened even more and I flinched retreating back.

"Did you help him get inside Hogwarts tonight, Kat?" This time though, he asked very slowly in an almost softer voice though his eyes gave an almost contrary expression.

Wait, what?

"Of course, I didn't. I have no idea what you're talking about!" Honestly? How could he ever think I would do that?

"Your brothers have the Marauders Map, you know every inch and crevice of the castle and with the Map you have access to almost any place inside Hogwarts. Why wouldn't you take up the chance and let Sirius in? You could absolutely do that. Right?"

No, I couldn't.

I stood up, "Remus, you're being unnecessarily judgmental here."

"Of course, I'm not. I'm just working upon the facts, Katerina," he replied in that same ineffectual voice, "you yourself stated that you would help him."

Oh Merlin, yes I did state that but it doesn't necessarily mean...

"Look, I might seem to you like a nutcase who believes that a convicted murderer who has escaped from Azkaban is innocent, but that doesn't mean I would break the school rules to let him inside. Why would he even want to come to Hogwarts?"

His expression softened and he dropped his gaze, "so you didn't let him in tonight?"

"Of course, I did NOT."

I might have been practically yelling at him, but honestly, I don't even care about that. I mean, how could he think I could go that far?

He nodded, "I'm sorry then. I got a bit too carried away."

It took me a while to channel my anger away from him. Seriously, I was not expecting that. More like not expecting him to retaliate on me.

"Its okay, I guess. I got carried away myself."

He took a deep breath, "just promise me one thing, Kat."

I looked at him expectantly waiting for him to finish.

"Just don't ever do anything that would get you hurt," he spoke, "stay away from Sirius and the whole situation of his escapade because I can not risk anything bad happening to you. You realize that you're the only friend I have got left, don't you? And I can't bear to lose you too."

He was right. At that moment he looked so forlorn and sad that I just couldn't help it and went up to him to hug him. It might seem strange or weird to others, but who gives a damn? Hell, there was a time when we both were best friends and book buddies.

He hesitated but soon after wrapped his arms around me. He needed someone at the moment. He must have been feeling so vulnerable and yet I had just roared down on him.

"Just promise me, you'll be safe."

I nodded, "I promise. But on one condition only."

He looked up at me in surprise, "what condition?"

"I get to call you Moony," I replied, "just like the old days."

A soft smile crept up on his face, "just make sure you don't say that in front of others."

I smiled back, "of course I won't. You needn't worry about that, Moons."

He spoke, "come now, let's get you back to the Great Hall. And hope that no one yet knows that you're missing."

***