Chapter 35 (1/2)

Waking Sirius looked around and found a very distraught Remus sitting next to him.

”Sirius! You're up!” Iris exclaimed.

He shook his head and replied, ”I just had a bad dream. I saw a boy kissing you and claiming to be your boyfriend.”

A voice cut in, ”But that wasn't a dream. I 'am' her boyfriend and I 'did' kiss her. You fainted after that.”

Eyes wide, Sirius looked at a very resigned Remus who gave a mock sigh and said, ”It's true padfoot. Iris has grown up now. She has a boyfriend. They've been together since last year's Halloween. She doesn't need us. She has her prince charming to take care of her.”

Edmund and Iris had already talked to him about his actions. Remus had sincerely apologized to Edmund and was ashamed for his behavior. The truth was, Dumbledore had warned him about Edmund being involved with Voldemort and had asked Remus try and intimidate him and get some answers. It was foolhardy to try and do so. Edmund wondered if the old man was getting desperate with his pawn slipping out of grasp that he took such an action.

Sirius gasped and yelled with an exaggerated ”NOOOOO!!”

”Exactly!” Edmund said with flare, amused by their antics. Iris on the other hand looked abashed. ”I am here to take care of her. She doesn't need two balding old uncles breathing down her neck.”

Playing along, Sirius grabbed his c.h.e.s.t and turned to a laughing Remus, ”Did you hear that? He said I'm getting bald!”

”So you agree with being old?” Iris laughed.

”Even Iris is pulling my leg,” Sirius pouted, which did not look good on a middle aged man's face.

”Alright enough of this. Time to talk,” Edmund said. Looking at Sirius, he continued, ”Tell me Sirius, when you had Iris in your arms that night in 1981, why did you let Hagrid take her away?”

Looking somber, Sirius replied, ”I was distraught and wasn't thinking straight. I wanted to kill Wormtail for what he had done. Also, Hagrid said that Dumbledore had asked him to get Iris. I mean, if it's Dumbledore then he'd be able to protect her. So I handed her over and went after that rat.”

”And what good that did. You were thrown unceremoniously in Azkaban while Iris was left at the doorsteps of her aunt Petunia.”

Both Sirius and Remus looked shocked. Left at the doorstep? That was, unbelievable. Turning towards Iris, they saw a lone tear roll down her cheek.