a/n: Another week, another chapter! Here is the conclusion to the first arc of Hello My Name Is. There'll be a temporary hiatus while I complete the rest of the second arc (to ensure a regular posting schedule).

Thanks again to all of you who are following, favoriting, or have submitted a review: they're all great encouragements!

Quick Key:
~~~v~~~ = Time Skip
~o(0)o~ = Change in View Point

Chapter 6: Prison break

"Dumbles. What a pleasant surprise." Sirius drawled from the floor of his cell, barely lifting his head from where he lay on his back to look at the headmaster. "Funny seeing you here. Falsely imprison anyone else?"

It was dank, dark, and the ripened smell of unwashed bodies floated through the air punctuated by the occasional mad babble in the aftermath of a dementor visit. All in all a regular day in Azkaban. At least until Albus Dumbledore had seen fit to stick his obscenely large nose into Sirius's cell block.

After letting him stew in Azkaban for eleven years, the decrepit old man had the gall to ignore him, instead turning to the warden. "He seems perfectly sane, albeit a little resentful."

The warden opened his mouth to speak, but Sirius wasn't about to let that happen.

"Resentful? Resentful?" He sat up, propping his chin in his palm as he allowed his tangled hair to drop over his eyes. Sirius rocked back and forth gently, willing to endure the uncomfortable way his prominent bones rubbed against the stone if it meant unnerving Dumbledore. "How could I possibly resent you, Dumbles? It's not as if I was stripped of my human rights, thrown into a hellhole, and believed to have murdered two of my best friends all without a proper trial…oh,"

Sirius abruptly stopped rocking and peered from behind his bangs with wide eyes that stared at nothing. "Oh, oh, oh wait…" A hand crept up to grip the threadbare shirt over his heart. "Look at that, Dumbles: it's not resentment." He did his best impression of a delighted house elf as he flicked his gaze to meet the headmaster's. "I actually. Bloody. Hate. Your guts!"

The warden took a step back at the insanely wide grin Sirius gifted Dumbledore. Black looked remarkably similar to Lestrange…He coughed to hide his momentary lapse. "See, Sir? Completely mental."

"Hmm." Dumbledore, having irritatingly little reaction to Sirius's display, turned to look at the other guards. "Could I have a moment alone with the prisoner?"

The warden frowned. "Now, Headmaster, I'm afraid protocol demands that we–"

"Oh, you wouldn't have to go far. To the end of the hallway should be good. You can watch us if you need, but I feel safe that Black will do me no harm." Dumbledore smiled cheerfully and made a shooing gesture with one hand. "Go on. You concern is noted."

"I- um- but-"

The twinkle in the headmaster's eyes grew steely.

"Yes, Sir."

Sirius watched Dumbledore's face as the guards retreated, searching for a clue to what game the crafty old man might be playing this time. "Surely you haven't traveled all this way just to taunt me."

"No." Dumbledore threw one last glance over his shoulder, and seeing that the guards were now stationed at the end of the hall, moved closer to the bars. "Just the opposite. How do you feel about escaping?"

Sirius choked. "What?" He reeled backwards. That was not what he had expected Dumbledore to say. Not even close. "So what, suddenly I'm not an insane murderer to feed to the Ministry radicals?"

"I never said you were."

Sirius gave a bitter chuckle and shook his head. "Oooh, no. Don't try to lie to me now– I heard you in the court room, remember?"

Dumbledore cocked his head. "Nope."

"But–!"

The protest was cut off as the headmaster suddenly pressed himself to the bars, catching Sirius's arm in a tight fist. "I'm not Dumbledore."

Sirius could only watch as the ridiculous robes and trailing white beard melted into a young, chiseled face with eyes of molten gold. Fitted black leather replaced Dumbledore's usual clothes, and the grip holding Sirius's arm was unnaturally strong beneath the new man's white gloves.

"I–"

"We don't have much time to talk." The man released his arm, allowing Sirius to fall back to the floor, though his eyes never left his face. "Remus thinks you can get past the dementors in your animagus form. Wait another couple of days for the signal, then try to escape." A small pencil was withdrawn from an inner pocket of the blond's jacket, and Sirius could only watch mutely as the young man sketched out a circle full of strange runes. "I have another one of these out–"

Sirius shifted through the sudden flood of information. "Wait, Remus? Remus sent you?"

The blond rolled his eyes. "Of course, Dumbass. What, you thought a stranger was going to break you out of here without a reason?" The man didn't wait for Sirius's answer. "The rest of the information is in– Would you like a crossword?"

The pencil and a magazine was shoved through the bars and into Sirius's hands. "Wha-?"

"Very kind of you, Headmaster." At the sound of the warden's voice, Sirius tensed, looking between the strange blond and the warden who was sure to notice any moment that Dumbledore was…But the warden just waited patiently as the man stood and dusted off his knees. Was the warden blind?

"Not at all, my good warden. I think we're done here."

The warden nodded and began to lead the blond away. Just before they turned the corner, the blond looked back and winked at Sirius. Then they were gone.

Sirius stared at the crumpled crossword in his hands.

"Well…here goes nothing."

~o(0)o~

Lupin paced around the small, drafty room, his impatience drowning out the sound of the raging storm outside. Ever so often, the man would plop down in one of the hard wooden chairs around the cabin's driftwood dining table and huff out an exasperated sigh. A minute later, and without fail the wizard would be striding across the room as he envisioned everything that could possibly go wrong with their plan.

They had rented out a small shack on a rock sticking out of the ocean in the middle of nowhere to serve as their based of operations while planning to break Sirius out. The unending torrents of rain beyond the thin wooden walls were a testament to how near the island lay to Azkaban. Really, they wouldn't have even known it was there if Hagrid hadn't mentioned it as a "nice, secluded, cabin at sea owned by some muggles: really the only reason the Ministry ever let 'em get so close to Azkaban."

When they had paid and apparated to the forsaken black rock, both Lupin and Ed had realized just how optimistic Hagrid truly was. The ramshackle two-story deathtrap looked like it could be sent crashing into the sea at the slightest wave, never mind withstand the ten-footers beating at all time against the (alarmingly near) shore. The only sign of human habitation within the last decade was a discarded shotgun in one corner, but even that was broken (most likely with magic judging by the curled barrel).

"None of the guards will notice Ed. They can't see him unless they– what if they touch his automail?!" Lupin very nearly ran out the door to warm Ed before he stopped himself. "No, no Ed wears gloves. He said he won't take then off until he finds Sirius."

The wizard sank into a nearby chair. "And he'll find him. The guards will keep the dementors away. Ed won't even need to use the Patronus charm we worked on."

The wind lashed at the walls and brought more rain to bear against the lonely shack.

"And when Ed gets to him, he'll explain the plan and give him the instructions and– oh, Merlin what if it's true and he's gone insane?" He was back up and pacing, worn leather shoes tracing and retracing their tracks across the unyielding stone. "Sirius can't be insane. He's– He's Sirius Bloody Black, you daft man, and he wouldn't let happiness-eating soul-sucking monsters that hang around him through every waking moment get…to…him." Lupin trail off, so caught in the hopeless train of thought that he didn't hear Ed coming in until the alchemist closed and bolted the door behind him.

Click

Remus spun around, and when he saw Ed standing there in his blond, sopping wet glory he rushed towards him, latching on to the soaked red fabric of his cloak. "Ed did you find him? Whole? The dementor's crossword or an insane patronus? You got the gloves– wait, no, the dog message?"

Bewildered golden eyes took in the wizard's pale and anxious face as he tried to puzzle through exactly what he was being asked. "Uh…can I take my coat off–"

Why couldn't Ed understand how urgent this was? "IS SIRIUS BLACK SANE?!"

Ed's flesh hand clamped down firmly on Remus's shoulder, and the alchemist forced Lupin to look him in the eye. "Calm down, Remus. Sirius is fine. A little on the skinny side and definitely bitter, but definitely sane."

Remus's knees trembled as relief washed over him, taking away the tension that had been growing since he had set foot on this twice-cursed island. He searched Ed's face again, just to make sure he wasn't bending the truth. Remus found no lie.

"You, on the other hand," Ed smirked as he led Lupin over to the deflated couch by the low-burning hearth. "Seem like you went off the deep end in what, six? seven hours I was gone? What is this about a 'dementor's crossword'?"

Lupin scrubbed his face between his palms. "Nothing. Nothing now." Sirius is not insane. I can still make things right. "When did you say the circle would be ready?"

~o(0)o~

Sirius had to admit, when the man had told him to watch for a signal, the animagus had expected something a little more…flashy. Especially after decoding the message.

Signal

Dog

Left

Right

Repeat

Up

Left

Roof

Explosions

Ignore

Quidditch

Dragon

Muggle

Sirius had decided that the last few answers were simply filler, especially when Dumbledore fit perfectly in the space for "ten-letter word for magical jerk face." It had been three days since the strange visit, an hour of which was taken to work out the crossword–meaning the rest of the days were spent in absolute boredom. Strangely, it was only with the chance of escape that his opinion of his dirty little cell had gone from grudging acceptance back to the same impatience he had felt during his first few years in Azkaban.

Bzzt.

Sirius glanced up from his cot. The hastily sketched circle near the bars had begun to spit out blue sparks, runes aglow with an inner light. Making sure the crossword was firmly tucked into his clothes (wouldn't want the guards to find that), Sirius took a deep breath and shifted into his canine form. The dog fur weighed heavily from so long without transformation, but the animagus could deal with that a little bit longer. He was finally leaving.

Around the circle, the stone floor rose in a small mound, pushing against the bars. Where the stone touched the enchanted metal, more sparks jumped onto the bars, dancing around them as the metal slowly twisted away to form a hole just large enough for Sirius to slip through. Mission accomplished, the ground sank back and the sparks fizzled out.

That was the signal, right? Sirius waited for something else. Maybe running guards? A crack team lead by Remus to break him out? At least the explosions mentioned in the crossword?

Silence.

The dog stuck his head out the hole in the bars. No guards.

He trotted out of his cell for the first time in years, his nails clacking on the stone floor as he padded down the hallway. Left.

No guards again. Right. Repeat: left, then right again.

Sirius froze as he turned the corner into the stairway. Hovering in the air, still as death, was a dementor. Crap crap crap, what do I– wait…I don't feel anything.

Even only a few feet away, the normal overwhelming despair that saturated the air around the dementor was gone. Sirius didn't feel bad at all. Well would you look at that…

The dog kept a wary eye on the dementor as he edged closer to the stairs, but the unnatural creature continued floating as if Sirius wasn't even there. As soon as the animagus reached the steps he raced up them two at a time, only allowing himself to glance back once he had reached the top. The dementor hadn't moved.

Left…aw, really? This time he had rounded the corner to see a fully manned guard's station. The last staircase to the roof lay at the opposite end of the hall, and even if the dementor hadn't seen him, the wizards wouldn't be so blind–

KABOOM! The whole prison trembled from the force of the explosion, the guards began shouting orders and spells as they ran to the problem. Seeing his chance in all of the chaos, Sirius kept to the wall of the corridor and smoothly slipped past the last of the panicked guardsmen.

What did they do? Smaller, more concentrated explosions could still be heard from below, and the crash of stone tumbling into the ocean was unmistakable after spending eleven years spent watching the waves.

Nudging the door at the top of the stairwell, Sirius finally found himself on the roof. The glorious feeling of fresh air through his hair and cool rain on his snout overwhelmed him for a moment, and he was almost tempted to change back to human to revel in the full experience. When his senses returned to him and he spotted the various dementors floating in the sky, Sirius was glad he had stayed as a dog.

What am I supposed to do now?

More blue sparks drew his attention to the corner of the roof. Trotting over, the canine peered over the edge…

Never in a million years.

A stone slide ran down the edge of the building, slick with rain and very nearly perpendicular to the ground. The distance was great enough that Sirius couldn't see the bottom, but that didn't really matter if he never went down. Which he didn't plan on. Was Remus trying to rescue him or aid in a suicide attempt?

Barely having begun to back away–if he was getting rescued they were going to have to do it a different way–yet another explosion rocked the building. Aided by the slippery roof and strong winds, the trembling was just enough to force the animagus to stumble off the edge.

I'M GOING TO KILL REMUS IF I LIVE I'M GOING TO KILL REMUS IF I LIVE I'M GOING TO–

It was fortunate that dogs couldn't speak, otherwise all of Azkaban would have heard Sirius's string of violent cursing as the slide swept him down into the darkness and the sea.

~~~v~~~

"-ink he's waking up."

"How can you tell? He's been shifting around for the last hour."

The darkness that surrounded him was surprisingly warm, and Sirius allowed himself to snuggle deeper into the soft fabric surrounding him.

"Definitely waking up. He did the exact same thing on winter mornings when we were at school." The voice was familiar, and Sirius felt a sense of fondness stir within him. This was a nice dream. It had Remus in it. He hadn't had one of those for a while–

"Remus?" Sirius forced his eyes open. Most likely it would make the dream end, but the wizard was willing to chance it for a glimpse of his friend's face.

"Sirius!" Oh, but this was an amazing dream. Remus was kneeling next to him, back to the flickering fireplace, an expectant and hopeful light dancing in the werewolf's bright eyes. Then Remus was leaning forward to hug him and it was all Sirius could do to avoid flinching away, knowing that surely this would make the illusion vanish.

But the arms around him were strong.

They pulled him into a crushing hug, pressing their chests together so hard that Sirius could feel Remus's heartbeat through their clothes. This had never happened in a dream before.

"Remus?" He asked again, more hesitant this time. If this isn't…

Remus pulled away instantly, holding him at arm's length. "What's wrong? Are you hurt somewhere? I knew we should have had one of us up there to help you down the slide!" His friend turned to look at someone to the side, "Ed, go get some bandages."

Slide? Sirius turned to see who this "Ed" might be, and found the strange blond from the…prison break. Sirius choked as the memories came back to him, the air rushing out as the realization that he was free came rushing in. They had busted him out. He was out he was out he was out hewasout!

"Sirius? Sirius? Breath, you need to breath. Can you focus? Look at me. Sirius!"

The animagus took a shaking breath and raised his gaze to meet Remus's. He cracked a small smile. "Hear you loud and clear, Moony. Mind turning down the volume a bit?"

Remus nodded and looked back to Ed. "Bandages?" He reminded.

"We wold have noticed anything wrong the first dozen times we checked him over, Remus. I think he just needs time to get his bearings."

Right. Bearings. Sirius swept his gaze around the room. Fireplace. Table full of supplies. Chair. Another chair. Ed and Remus. He bounced a little. Couch beneath me.

"Where…?"

Ed grinned, his molten eyes glimmering in the dim light of the fire. "A Truth-forsaken rock in the middle of nowhere. Still, gotta be better than Azkaban."

Sirius nodded numbly. He wrestled one of his pale hands out from under his blankets and held it out to Ed. "Sirius Black. I don't think I've managed to thank you yet."

The blond hesitated for a moment before gently accepting the offer with his right hand. Sirius's eyes widened at the sight of the metal fingers, especially when they seemed to move every bit as freely as a normal hand. "Edward Elric, and no thanks are needed. Welcome back."

Remus rolled his eyes, settling a hand on Sirius's shoulder as he corrected the strange blond, "Welcome home."