RP with seriousmarauder

[bit_impossible]

He couldn't help pulling a face as plumes of fog rolled in over his feet the moment he'd opened the TARDIS door. "Well, certainly wasn't expecting that," he muttered to himself. Bit of fog never harmed anyone, and he thought it was better than water rushing in--or worse. Then again, he hadn't been expecting...well, whatever that had been to happen to the TARDIS navigational systems.

A chill ran down his spine the moment he stepped out to give the TARDIS a few moments to herself. Any amusement or puzzlement he felt disappeared, replaced with a feeling that someone had just walked over his grave. The little hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he felt his body tense up all over. Now, he'd been in his share of dark, dank, and frankly creepy, cold places before, but this one seemed to be vying for the "Most Disquieting Place He'd Been to in the Past Month" award. Something in the air unsettled him to some degree, penetrating straight to his very bones...

But then he realised just how much of an idiot he was being--a fact he'd never, ever admit to anyone ever--and began walking down the unwelcoming corridor he'd turned up in. The moment he turned the nearest corner, he came to a stop, his eyes widening slightly.

"Ah, sorry, I should have knocked," he said casually, his eyes quickly scanning the creature before him. The hand he saw peeking out from the tattered sleeve ends left him with no desire to shake hands with it, and the brief sight he caught of the thing under the hood. Bit of a dog's breakfast, he thought. "Didn't think anyone was home." A shriek right then pierced a hole in his lie. "Well, I thought there might have been someone else at home." He paused, trying to find the eyes of the cowled creature floating menacingly towards him. "Yeah...I'll just be running now. Bye!"

And he ran--or rather he started to when he noticed his way back to the TARDIS had been blocked by another creature exactly like the other one. "Ohhh, that isn't fair!" he groaned, back-pedalling, and darted down the other end of the corridor.

Comments

[bit_impossible]

Part of him was tempted to ask, "Pad-who?" but he wasn't so dense he couldn't figure something like that out. At least Sirius hadn't named his canine alternate self Rover or something equally stereotypical of Earth's dogs.

"Pretty neat, huh? Got to love a good binary vascular system," he said, mentally preening himself. "But yes, that would be the exact reason why. Glad to see you don't seem so bothered by that! Then again, for a man who can change into a dog, a double-standard like that would be downright hypocritical!"

He stood, offering his hand to Sirius. "Now, I did say we should get something to eat after we saw where we were. The kitchen's decently stocked, unless you wanted to hunt something yourself."

[seriousmarauder]

Sirius laughed, and the noise startled him. He hesitantly took the Doctor's hand, though, and stood up. Then he didn't want to let go. Contact as Padfoot was one thing, but this...

"Kitchen," he replied immediately. He didn't think he had enough energy left in him for more running just yet. Besides, he wondered what sort of food an alien with two hearts would eat.

[bit_impossible]

"Good choice!" he said, beaming. He carefully slung an arm under Sirius' armpit, supporting him while they made their way back into the TARDIS.

Inside, the old girl hummed warmly, but he knew better than to bother her while she ran through a systems check. So, he led his new friend past the console room and into the hallway beyond, turned a couple corners, and soon arrived in the kitchen. "Feel free to poke around the larder or any of the cabinets. Oh, and don't mind the dates on some of the things you'll find in the refrigerator. Everything's still fresh, I assure you."

[seriousmarauder]

Sirius leaned against the Doctor gratefully, though he rolled his eyes at the last comment. "Doctor, I haven't had a proper meal in years. At this point, I don't think the expiration date would bother me even if it wasn't fresh," he pointed out.

He took the Doctor's advice, though, and started poking around the kitchen. He pretty much grabbed whatever he could find that didn't need to be cooked (he didn't have that sort of patience), and piled it on a plate. Or two. Or three. Ravenous didn't even really begin to describe how hungry he was.

[bit_impossible]

Curiously, he watched the other man root about his kitchen from the doorway, any words of correction and explanation about food kept in stasis dying on his tongue by the time the second plate had been filled. A little sigh escaped his lips as he ran a hand through his hair. He didn't think he'd need to restock the kitchen so soon, but then again, he hadn't anticipated rescuing a shapeshifting wizard either.

"I'll, erm, make us a cuppa then, shall I?" he asked, filling the kettle with water from the tap. Then he glanced at the food again and added, "Or two. I just picked up this new darjeeling blend the other day. Well, it's closest to darjeeling in taste, anyway..."

[seriousmarauder]

"Anything's fine, thanks," Sirius replied around a mouthful of food. He ate until he felt full, which surprisingly enough, didn't take long. He frowned, attempting to eat a bit more, but then he felt a bit ill, and stopped. His stomach was clearly as used to not eating as he was.

[bit_impossible]

He arched an eyebrow at Sirius as he joined him finally, setting a teacup down in an open spot in front of Sirius. "Eyes a bit bigger than your stomach, eh?" he asked, chiding him slightly.

[seriousmarauder]

"Seems that way," Sirius replied ruefully. He sipped some tea carefully, and relaxed a bit. After a few moments, he voiced the question that was bothering him the most.

"Doctor...why are you helping me? You know I was locked up in there for a reason, even if you don't know what I've done." The Doctor didn't know he was innocent, either. How could he? But he wanted to know why the Doctor was helping him before he confessed the fact.

[bit_impossible]

He took a sip of his own tea and shrugged. "Well," he said, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "I originally thought I was rescuing a dog from a miserable dungeon. But I doubt anyone who wanted pettings and scratches can be all that dangerous. After all, I did give you full reign of my kitchen. You could have decided to attack and kill me with a knife, steal whatever you needed from my ship including food, and then run away like nothing had happened.

"But here you are drinking tea--and no doubt nursing a massive stomach upset. Plus I'm rather curious as to why you were there in the first place, so curiosity's a factor here as well."

[seriousmarauder]

"Has anyone ever told you you're a bit mad?" Sirius muttered, though his tone was fond. Still, the Doctor had a fair point. He hadn't done anything particularly dangerous, and he didn't plan on it.

He stalled on satisfying the Doctor's curiosity, focusing on his tea. Remembering.

"I was put in Azkaban because they thought I betrayed my best friends -- that I handed them to Voldemort," he admitted eventually, avoiding the Doctor's gaze again. Not out of guilt, but to hide the tears. It wasn't working particularly well. "And because they thought I killed thirteen people with a single curse," he added bitterly, inwardly cursing the rat. If he ever found him, he would commit the murder he was imprisoned for.

[bit_impossible]

"They might've done, yes," he said, grinning mischievously. But he fell silent and watched Sirius patiently, not wanting to rush him or disrupt his train of thought.

Somewhere in that explanation, his smile faded. He'd wondered what sort of crime would land someone in a cell amongst those creatures. "But you didn't, did you?" he said quietly, gently, and handed Sirius a handkerchief. "How were your friends betrayed? What happened to them?"

[seriousmarauder]

Sirius accepted the handkerchief, absently noticing how dirty his hands were as he dried his eyes. He wondered if the TARDIS had a shower somewhere.

"It was my fault. I as good as killed them myself...I was their Secret-Keeper, but I switched at the last minute. Persuaded them to let me switch." Now the guilt in his voice was loud and clear. "I thought it would be safer...but when I went to check on Peter he was gone, so I went to find James and Lily..." his voice broke, and he had to stop, taking another sip of tea before he finished.

"Their house was destroyed. They were dead," he whispered, sounding rather lifeless himself. "Their son survived, somehow...my godson. Harry Potter. Destroyed Voldemort while he was at it, too -- Merlin knows how," he added, with a note of pride. "The most powerful dark wizard in the world, defeated by a baby."

[bit_impossible]

He reached out, resting a hand on Sirius' shoulder after he'd finished. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I'm so sorry. You couldn't have known for certain that any of it would happen." Perhaps their deaths were meant to happen, he wondered. If they hadn't died, would their son have still defeated that wizard, Voldemort? He kept such speculation to himself for the time being, however. Telling someone his friends' deaths were part of a possible fixed point in time wasn't the best of conversation topics, especially since he was barely familiar with this universe. He'd have to explain later.

"But your godson is still alive," he said with a small, encouraging smile. He hoped reiterating that point would raise Sirius' spirits. "Where would he be now?"

[seriousmarauder]

Unfortunately, the topic only accomplished the opposite. "The Dursleys have him," Sirius muttered darkly, his voice practically a growl. "I tried to argue, but it was on Dumbledore's orders." Which meant there had to be a reason. Albus wouldn't send Harry to grow up with a bunch of ignorant muggles without a reason. At least, that's what Sirius kept telling himself.

"Petunia is Lily's sister," he explained after a moment, shaking himself out of his thoughts. "But she's a muggle. She hates wizards, and all things magical -- same with her great fat pig of a husband. It's probably a terrible place for a powerful young wizard like Harry to grow up in, Doctor. I doubt he even knows he's a wizard."

[bit_impossible]

"Well...if he doesn't know he's a wizard, it might not be all that bad," he said thoughtfully after taking a sip of his tea. Then again, he didn't know the family and frankly, he wanted to stay right out of it.

"But what I want to know is if he's a wizard at all. Is that sort of thing handed down directly through his parents, or does it skip a generation? Or is it all a game of chance?"

[seriousmarauder]

Sirius shrugged. "It depends, really. You can be a wizard if you've got muggle parents -- that's what I meant earlier, when I asked if you were muggle-born. If you've got parents who are wizards, you could be a wizard or a squib. With parents as powerful as James and Lily, I highly doubt Harry's a squib. One way to tell is if he has any accidental bursts of magic...tends to happen when young wizards are scared, or angry." He didn't want to think about what Petunia's reaction might be like to any signs of Harry being a wizard.

[bit_impossible]

He leaned forward in his chair, his tea left nearly forgotten on the table. "Exactly what are those accidental bursts of magic like? How old would he be to exhibit signs of such things?" he asked, very much interested in the topic. "Actually," he added, "how old would he be now?"

[seriousmarauder]

"I'm not sure exactly how old he'd be," Sirius admitted, a bit embarrassed. "I sort of lost track of the time in there...he was a year old when Voldemort attacked. So he could be...six or seven, maybe?" he mused. "Definitely old enough to be showing the signs. And the magic could take any form, really. It's generally uncontrollable until they get some proper training."

[bit_impossible]

"Then what are we waiting for?" he asked, standing up suddenly. "If his magic is uncontrollable, and I highly doubt it'll be controlled if he's around people like his aunt and uncle, then we should get you to him."

And he started heading across the kitchen, to the hallway.

[seriousmarauder]

Sirius simply stayed put. As tempting as the idea was, as much as he wanted to rescue his godson that very moment...he knew what he looked like. Well...he had an idea of what he looked like, anyway. Harry would probably be terrified just by the sight of him. Then there were the consequences to think about. Not just for himself, but for Harry, too. He was an escaped convict. On the run. That sort of life wasn't much better for a kid than living with the Dursleys.

"I can't. Not yet." He hoped the Doctor was smart enough to understand why.

[bit_impossible]

He stopped before he made it to the door, his enthusiasm deflating. As disappointed as he was to hear that, he certainly understood Sirius' reasons.

"All right, we don't have to go yet," he said, slowly turning around. "So. What are you planning on doing now?"

[seriousmarauder]

Sirius seriously considered that. What was he going to do? He could hunt for Peter...but who knew where the rat was hiding. He could be anywhere. He could find Remus, try to convince him...but he didn't really want to face that trying task yet either.

"I don't know," he replied honestly. "The Dementors will be hunting for me...so it'll be lots of running and hiding, I expect. And hunting for Peter while I'm at it." He wasn't looking forward to any of it, but it was better than Azkaban.

Sirius glanced up at the Doctor curiously. "What about you?"

[bit_impossible]

He shrugged casually, tucking his hands into his pockets. "Oh, I don't know," he said, after letting out a breath. "I've got to give the old girl some time to recover.

"In fact," he began to head out into the hall, eager to see what's going on with his TARDIS, "I really should check on her progress. But you probably want to get cleaned up. I mean...I can't imagine you had a decent bath in years if they never bothered feeding you well. If you head down to the left from here, take a right, and open the third door on the left, you'll find the bathroom. Take as much time as you need there. There's a wardrobe full of clothing a couple doors down to the right. Unless you want to stay in those," he said, eyeing Sirius' clothing. "But I'll meet you back in the console room when you're done. Give us a shout if you get lost!"

And then he left, leaving no room for argument or for the repeating of directions. Anything he decided hinged on the TARDIS and how easy--or difficult--it would be to get home.