Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter characters. Dang.
Warnings: SB/RL SLASH; AU; no magic, no werewolf-ness; language.
Summary: Sequel to Black'. Sirius and Remus thought their bloody past was finally buried. But now, two decades later, it looks like someone knows their secret.... and this someone is looking for revenge.
To save space, the above applies to ALL chapters of this story.
-The Haunted-
---
Chapter 1 - Return of the Past
---
He pushed open the front door with his shoulder, emerging into the late afternoon sunlight. He crossed over to the faculty parking lot, but stopped when he saw someone leaning against his car. It was a tall, slender man with waist-length black hair, dressed in a pair of form-fitting blue jeans and a black t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His ears were pierced, and he had a tattoo of intertwined Celtic symbols on his left arm. Remus smiled and hurried over to greet his husband.
Hello, love. Sirius Black bent to kiss Remus' cheek. Good day at school?
Yes, very good. How was it at the garage?
Sirius relieved Remus of the heavy books he had been carrying, pulling open the back door to dump them on the seat. Same as usual. Hot and loud. No complaints.
You're off early today.
Bill's got it covered. He practically pushed me out the door as it was. Said I shouldn't keep the love of my life waiting, even if it was a bloke. He pushed a strand of hair behind his ear. At least I had time to wash up before walking over here.
You didn't have to, Remus said, pleased anyway. Sometimes, even after twenty years, he had trouble believing that Sirius truly wanted to be with him, despite everything Sirius said or did to prove so. Of course, it was silly; they had been together since the age of sixteen, and neither had ever once cheated on the other or even entertained thoughts of it. It was a perfectly peaceful marriage on the whole, though they did occasionally hit a rough patch, but all relationships couldn't go perfectly.
I wanted to. Besides, gotta keep in shape, Sirius said cheerfully, folding his long, lanky form behind the steering wheel of the small car with an easy grace that spoke of long experience. Remus climbed into the passenger seat with a laugh, and they headed for home.
---
Remus and Sirius' life together had not been as peaceful as it seemed from the outside. They had met in a back alley when they were sixteen - Remus a meek, bookish schoolboy trying to hide from the older students who made his life hell, Sirius a sarcastic, cynical punk with a violently abusive father and a cigarette always parked in the corner of his mouth. Sirius had come to Remus' rescue several times when the bullies were bothering him; he had also seduced Remus with his mysterious manner and unfathomable attitude. Eventually, one-sided affection became pure love on both parts and the boys became lovers - and the bloodshed had started.
Two of Remus' chief tormentors, Augustus Williams and Brendan O'Shea, had turned up dead. Both had been stabbed several times, and their bodies had been moved from the places where they had died. After weeks of fear and of searching for answers, Sirius had admitted to Remus that he had murdered the boys. It had come as a large shock, and the news that Sirius' father knew was even worse. And before Remus could even begin to cope with all that knowledge, Mr. Black himself had found the two boys in bed together.
Horrifying' couldn't even begin to describe what had followed. Mr. Black had accused Sirius of killing Williams and O'Shea, threatening to turn in the knife he had found - which was, in fact, the actual murder weapon. He hit Sirius first, and then hurt Remus in an attempt to get Sirius to give himself up to the police. He injured both boys quite badly before Remus managed to stab him with Sirius' knife. Even then, Mr. Black hadn't died, but chased them downstairs as they struggled to call for help on the kitchen phone.
Remus still saw Mr. Black in his nightmares every now and then, looking like he had that long-ago night. The man had been covered in gore, dripping all over the floor, the knife still protruding from his back. Even bleeding to death as he was didn't prevent him from trying to kill his son before dying himself. The only thing that had saved the boys had been the arrival of Sirius' mother and brother, whose sudden appearance distracted Mr. Black in the few vital seconds between life and death.
The boys had faced a murder trial after finally being released from the hospital. Only a blind person would have been in doubt that Mr. Black's murder was done purely in self-defense, since the boys had appeared in court bandaged and bruised, and the jury had ruled in their favour. With Mr. Black's affairs in order, Sirius' mother and brother had moved to Germany to stay with family, but Sirius remained behind with Remus. It had been by silent agreement that they never talked about what had happened, but they couldn't stop the recurring nightmares. These had grown significantly less over the years, some months worse than others, but on the whole, Remus felt he and his husband were putting it behind them.
No one but Sirius and Remus knew the truth behind the deaths of Williams and O'Shea. It had been so long many people had forgotten the case, or at least their involvement in it all. And that was exactly how the two men planned to keep it.
---
Honestly, I can manage - Remus protested, following Sirius into the house. The raven-haired man was carrying all of Remus' things, a bag of groceries balanced precariously atop the teetering stack of files. Siri, you're going to -
Ouch! Dammit!
- Hurt yourself, Remus finished, as Sirius dropped the files and groceries on the table and bent to rub his bumped shin. I tried to warn you. He kissed Sirius' forehead. Let me put these away and get changed, okay? Then we'll cook supper together.
Sounds good, Sirius smiled. Remus carried his files and bag off to his study, then headed to the bedroom he shared with Sirius. He took off his neat blazer and tie, hanging them up in the wardrobe, then pulled off his shoes and slipped out of his trousers. Dressed only in his white button-down shirt, he rummaged in the wardrobe drawers and extracted a bulky, oversized tan jumper and a holey, paint-splattered pair of jeans. He slid into the soft, worn jeans and exchanged his white shirt for the jumper. He rolled up the sleeves and put on his favourite old pair of slippers before heading downstairs.
Sirius was unpacking the groceries when Remus entered the kitchen, his hair pulled back in a loose, messy braid (effective only to keep it out of the way while cooking). Remus took the opportunity to wrap his arms around his lover, pressing his cheek against Sirius' back and inhaling his warm scent. Sirius reached back to hook one arm around Remus' waist, using the other to put groceries away in the cupboard. You're awfully affectionate tonight.
Am I? Remus asked innocently. One mischievous hand rubbed Sirius' hip. I guess maybe I am.
Sirius closed the cupboard and turned around, pulling Remus close and kissing him hard. Remus kissed eagerly back, hooking one leg around Sirius' waist in an effort to bring them even closer, moaning softly into Sirius' mouth. Sirius tugged impatiently at Remus' jumper, wanting it off, but neither of them wished to let go of each other long enough to get rid of it. They broke the kiss, breathless and panting, and Sirius attacked Remus' neck next, planting kisses as Remus' fingers fumbled to undo Sirius' jeans and slide them down. Sirius growled against his skin, thrusting his hips forward, loose strands of hair falling into his eyes. They kissed again, fiercely, doing their best to pull each other's clothes off as lust overrode all else.
But a loud crash caught their attention, Sirius' head jerking up and Remus hastily withdrawing his hand from Sirius' crotch. They stood stock-still for a moment, listening hard; it was completely silent once more.
Remus whispered.
Sirius shook his head, zipping up his jeans and taking a few steps towards the kitchen door. He peeked cautiously around the frame, then looked back at Remus. Everything looks okay in here. I'm going to check out front.
Be careful, Remus said nervously, attempting to straighten his mussed hair. He followed Sirius into the parlour as his husband opened the front door, flipping on the porch light.
Who's there? he called. Remus marveled over how firm Sirius' voice sounded. If he had been out there instead, his voice would have been shaking like anything. There was no answer, and Sirius shrugged. Doesn't look like anything, Remmie. I - He stopped talking, looking down at the ground. With a sigh, he bent and scooped something up - it was a large rock, with a note secured to it by a rubber band. He stepped out onto the porch and groaned.
Looks like this is what we heard, he said, coming back inside with the rock. Left a damn good dent in the door, I'm going to have to see what I can do about that.... He began unwrapping the note from the rock, a small smile on his face. Let's see what this is about, shall we? Neighbours too scared to make their anti-gay feelings known by daylight, I don't doubt... Sirius shook the note open and began to read. The smile faded off his face rapidly and he turned white. Remus' stomach was suddenly full of nervous butterflies.
What is it, love?
Sirius looked faint. He held the paper out to Remus before sinking to the floor and putting his head in his hands. Remus swallowed hard and smoothed the note with shaking hands.
To Mr. Sirius Black, Greetings.
No doubt you will find this note an unwelcome intrusion into your life, but I simply cannot abide sitting around and doing nothing any longer, knowing that you are capable - in fact, guilty - of murder.
You are wondering how I know this, when you and your lover have done such a - as you thought - good job covering up the whole mess? I have my ways, Mr. Black, and I personally witnessed one of these murders when you and I were but sixteen years old. I have kept my silence for two decades, but I am afraid I am unable to keep it much longer. As of yet, I have no proof to offer to the police, besides my word, which sadly enough is not sufficient to even arrest you on. But be advised, Mr. Black - I shall continue my investigation, and as soon as I have proof I shall not hesitate in reporting to the authorities.
Until then - adieu.
A Friend'
Remus put the note down, suddenly aware that he had broken out in a cold sweat. He dropped to his knees beside Sirius, putting his arms around the other man. Don't worry, love... it's just a lie... he said, but his lips were numb as the words passed them. Sirius drew a long, shuddery breath.
It can't be a lie... it can't be, no one else knows but us... Sirius ran his hands through his long hair, trying in vain to stick stray strands back into the braid. He's not... God, Remmie, he knows... He looked into his lover's eyes, plainly terrified. I... what are we going to do? I'm a murderer... I deserve to go to prison, even be executed - but you, Remmie... they'd lock you away for not turning me in... I can't... I wouldn't forgive myself if your life was ruined because of me! He blinked furiously, trying to hold back tears. Remmie... I can't -
Remus pulled Sirius into his arms. Shh, my love, he whispered. Shh... don't do this to yourself... You're not going to prison. Trust me. We'll call the police... tell them someone's harassing us... they'll catch whoever it is...
One note is hardly harassment, Sirius said bitterly. They'd demand to see it, anyway, and after they read it, what do you think they'd do? This note could lead to some very nasty questions, and people would be digging into a past we'd rather have left alone. D'you really want to bring that up again? How long d'you think they'll let you keep your job at the university, if you're a suspect in a twenty-year-old murder investigation?
Remus swallowed hard. He hadn't thought of any of that until Sirius had spoken. He didn't want to lose his job - it wasn't the money, Sirius brought in enough for them to survive on - he was anxious for his students, and he loved his job. He couldn't imagine what he would do if he was forced to quit teaching. Then what are we going to do?
I don't know. Sirius sighed. I suppose we could wait for this person to reveal himself... but what can we do to make him keep quiet? It doesn't sound like he's interested in money. And I don't want to... to kill him to shut him up... I swear it, I don't want to kill anyone ever again -
I know. You won't have to. Remus squeezed him gently. We'll find a way to stop this. And we don't even know if this person knows for sure. A lot of kids suspected us the first time, didn't they - this note-writer could be one of the kids l used to know, making up stories for no reason. He might be operating only on suspicion, lying about everything he knows, just to see how we react. Did you think of that?
His husband's painfully tight grasp loosened slightly as he considered this. Yeah... yeah, you might be right. After all... I know there were a few people who've known me all my life and never liked me much... the kind of people who enjoy making other people uncomfortable, you know.... He got to his feet. Despite his confident tone of voice, he was still pale, and was biting nervously at his bottom lip. Remus stood and kissed him.
Let's go eat, he said firmly, taking Sirius by the hand and leading him into the kitchen. You'll feel better with some food in you, come on....
But the uneasiness didn't go away so willingly that night; even as he lay in bed after love, with Sirius in his arms, Remus kept worrying the same thoughts over and over in his mind. What if the note-writer really did know something? What would he do? How could they convince him to keep quiet? And what could this person possibly be after to bring up something like this, after it had finally seemed to be put to rest?
Remus fell into an uneasy sleep, haunted by strange dreams in which the ghosts of Williams, O'Shea, and Sirius' father came back to haunt him, jerking awake every few minutes just to close his eyes again and fall back into the same terrible dreams. Sirius was likewise restless, tossing and turning.
---
And not far away, another man was having trouble sleeping. Not a surprise, he was an insomniac. In an effort to drowse off, he was sitting in his darkened kitchen drinking a glass of warm milk and paging slowly through a book with yellowing pages. It was a yearbook. He stopped on a page near the middle, looking down at a photo of two boys and two girls. One of the girls had long red hair and the other shoulder-length gold curls; one of the boys had messy black hair and wore spectacles. The other boy had short, shaggy light-brown hair and a shy smile. The four teenagers were laughing into the camera, their arms around each other's shoulders.
The man sat and stared at this photo for a long time, his eyes locked with those of the light-haired boy. As he stared at the photo of a young man he had once known, his lip curled. Whenever he saw that smiling face, it brought another face to mind - this one dark and brooding, framed by long black hair, a cigarette between its lips. He hated the dark face. The dark face had taken the purity and innocence from him, destroyed his life. But he was determined. He knew how to get rid of the dark, and when he was finally able to do it, he would do his best to restore what had been taken from him at such an early age.
The man smiled to himself and drained the last of the milk. Suddenly, he felt pleasantly drowsy. He'd have no problem sleeping tonight.
To Be Continued....
---
(A/N: I must be totally honest. I did not know The Haunted' was the title of an actual movie until after I was almost done this chapter. And by then, I really didn't care. It fits so well with the plot I have in mind that I'm not going to change it. No offense to those of you who like the movie The Haunted'.
Time to comment. I have finally confirmed the rumours I've been hearing about the title of Book 6, and yes, it's going to be Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'. I guess to some the title sounds overly dramatic, but I think it's intriguing. I can't wait to see what's going to happen, but judging from that title, it doesn't sound like the book will deal with Sirius' inevitable return. I guess we'll be waiting until Book 7 for that. More concerns of mine: Will Luna Lovegood play a bigger part? I hope so. What about the Gryffindor Quidditch team? With Umbridge gone, Harry's lifelong ban is lifted. But Fred, George, Angelina, and Alicia will be gone. Katie's staying on, I suppose, and obviously so are Harry and Ron - who else will be on the team? Ginny wants to be a Chaser (I hope she makes it), but we'd still need two Beaters and another Chaser. And I very much hope JK will explain why NO ONE but Harry seems to be mourning Sirius' death. Is that a clue? Maybe the Order's not mourning him because they know he'll return? Sigh. We'll be waiting awhile for the answers to these questions, because as far as I've heard there's no planned release date yet. You can go to 's UK branch to sign up for an email notification as to when Book 6 becomes available. That's what I did.
Enough of that. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please review, and I'll see you in Chapter 2!)