Title: A Letter from Mssr Padfoot
Author: tarotgal
Fandom: Harry Potter – Alternate Reality, Marauder’s Era
Rating: G
Disclaimer: The idea for the AR is mine, but the rest isn’t remotely mine and I don’t get a cent for this
Summary: Set in a Regency AR, this is a letter Sirius sends to Lily when the Potters are in hiding
Series: This is the second time I’ve tried out my “Hogwarts Regency Series.” The first was “A Private Moment”
Notes: I went to a Jane Austen tea yesterday with my Harry Potter group. This is largely inspired by the fact that in several of Austen’s letters, she mentions her brother has a cold

A Letter from Mssr Padfoot

My Dear Lily,

So much has transpired as of late I hardly know where to begin.

First, let me apologize for not having written any sooner. Dumbledore has had us working unbelievable hours. There’s barely a moment to rest and recover between missions now and our ranks grow ever smaller.

My carriage has not seen the sky for months. The weather has been ghastly, not fit for anything more than to view it through the windowpanes, tucked safe inside our houses. The chill prevails, however, seeping in through the walls or cracks beneath doors. We dare not light the fires without a series of protective charms.

Mssr Moony is recently returned from visiting those of his kind in the north. Rumor has it that werewolf packs are not only supporting You-Know-Who but are joining up to fight on his side. It seems quite contrary to pack nature but would surely be a dangerous development were it true.

Mssr Moony isn’t able to tell me much about what he does when he leaves to enter their midst. But neither can I confide in him every detail of the tasks to which Dumbledore has appointed me. Mssr Moony returned in such a sorry state, miserable and chilled to the bone, that I have second thoughts about ever letting him out of my sight again.

Never would I think myself glad for his particular affliction. However, the full moon is in a few days’ time, and Mssr Moony is to remain home until after that. It is good to have him here, though I know better than to wish for more time. Nothing is certain these days, I daresay.

Mssr Moony’s constant presence here is largely due to a wretched cold he contracted. He barely has the ability to communicate his needs in-between each sneeze, thanks to the horrid frequency of each onslaught. He needs looking after, and that duty falls to me. After hours of sitting by his bedside equipped with a potion in one hand and a handkerchief in the other, I am finally able to slip away to write this now that he is fast asleep.

I know not when he will wake or in what condition he will be, but the sleep can do nothing but help. If only I were as skilled as you at brewing tea. I am capable to the point of brilliant with potions, if I do say so myself, but Mssr Moony says my tea lacks the necessary body and flavor. And, in any case, the drink keeps him awake, which only means more sneezing, so I am hesitant to administer it in large doses.

If he is no better when I am called away by Dumbledore, Mssr Wormtail will sit with him. The arrangement has already been discussed, though I do hope this cold runs its course soon. Mssr Wormtail will be safe in the presence of the wolf, but he does not fancy trying to keep such a large animal in check alone.

The cruelest blow dealt is surely that All Hallow’s Eve soon approaches and we cannot share the feast with you. I miss you and Mssr Prongs almost more than I can bear. And I would so love to see my young godson on this holiday. Even though you are in hiding, I do hope you will be able to celebrate in your own way. Look to the waning moon and think of us, as we think fondly of you.

I believe I hear footsteps trudging down the hallway and, yes, another sneeze. I take my leave and wish you better health than Mssr Moony currently enjoys.

Mischievously Yours,
Mssr Padfoot