Remus Lupin enjoyed solitude.
At whatever concept enjoyment was for him; he at the least knew solitude to be an old, trusting friend. And it took an item of great importance to be plucked from it and placed in this forest. But Dumbledore's orders, as minimally worded as they may have been, were one of the few things that could place him in step with the hooded man beside him.
They trudged in silence, a small dim pathway lit by wand light alone that seemed to stretch for an eternity before them. The trees, dense and dying, lined the damp winding path like royal black curtains, and they could tell where magic began to touch this forest because the curtains began to sparkle against the light.
"Remus," Albus Dumbledore motioned for the man just behind him to the right to step forward "send message of our arrival. I have no interest in venturing any further unannounced."
Remus Lupin lowered the hood on his patched travelling robe and drew his lit wand to his mouth.
"Headmaster Albus Dumbledore and party seeking audience with-" he was interrupted by the arrival of a patronus, a silvery bat, fluttering through the air above them. Of course, they all knew that just beyond the veil of trees they'd no doubt been followed here for at least the last mile.
"Wands away. Continue forward. You were expected," The bat spoke in the deep voice of a man, and promptly vanished. The hooded figure to Remus's left bristled a bit and reluctantly extinguished his wand. As Dumbledore and Remus extinguished theirs, the whole of their surroundings went to absolute darkness.
"Well how in the-" began the hooded figure, the fear in his voice biting the end of each word, but stopped when he saw it. Coming toward them in the same direction as the patronus, was a tiny floating ball of fire. Dumbledore caught it like a slow moving baseball throw, perching it just in front of him. The ball began to lazily float back to where it had come from, begging them to follow.
"Severus, for the record, none of us wants to be here. It would do you some good to breathe a little. As I'm quite sure you know, they can smell fear…" Remus whispered to his companion, bringing his hood back up against the cold. Severus Snape flinched and cleared his throat.
"Some of us are more welcome here than others," he responded quietly, continuing his cautious canter just behind the both of them. That was not a lie. In fact, Remus still hadn't quite worked out how Severus played into this at all. Unless Dumbledore had finally come to his senses about the man and intended to use him sacrificially.
After a few more minutes, they had reached what inevitably had to be the entrance. It wasn't exactly as Remus remembered it, and it seemed so for Dumbledore as well. The ball of flame rejoined it's host, a torch that lit a black wooden door nestled along a wall of rock.
"We do not allow his kind here," a voice spoke from the wooded darkness beyond the torchlight. Dumbledore smiled politely.
"He is in my care and under strict guidance," Dumbledore responded, maintaining his pleasant smile while still facing the doorway.
"Not the werewolf. The death eater," another voice spoke, seeming to come from a very close place just beyond Snape's reach. He bristled again, his wand hand flinched but remained at his side, staring forward at the door as hard as he could manage to.
"Exactly who I was speaking about. I know it has been some time, but I can still be trusted," Dumbledore replied calmly.
"That is the only reason he lives," replied the voice quietly.
The wooden door swung open, though no one appeared on the other side. Dumbledore and Remus stepped through, but Snape hesitated. He felt a grazing brush of physical contact at his arm, and promptly hurried himself in.
They found themselves in a grand hall lit by a large silver chandelier hanging overhead at least a hundred feet above them. Along the ornate walls hung a series of portraits as far out ahead as they could see, all a single man or woman seated in the same large embellished chair, dressed in the same dark robes, their red eyes glowing down on the guests with the same placid demeanor.
"Announcing the arrival of: Professors of the school of Hogwarts, Mr. Remus John Lupin and Mr. Severus Tobias Snape, and Headmaster of the school of Hogwarts, Mr. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Welcome and welcome back to the most ancient and noble House of Moon!"
They all looked up, including the portraits, to a balcony high above them where the announcer stood, a pale house elf in a black suit who held a small golden sheet of paper just beyond his fingertips that promptly burst into flame. He spun and disappeared on the spot, appearing again a few feet from them in the hall. His red eyes glowed against his pale green skin, his welcoming smile filled with sharpened fangs that were not quite as warm.
"She has been expecting you," he said to Dumbledore, who again smiled politely. The stout house elf extended his arm, and Dumbledore proceeded to remove his travelling cloak and place it neatly by the elf's elbow. Snape shifted uncomfortably again, drawing a very small breath before he mimicked the action along with Remus. The man stared at Remus for a moment, shamelessly furrowing his brow at Remus's prominent scarring. Not something he wasn't accustomed to, but still an uncomfortable occurrence.
"Apologies for any intrusion upon you, Mr. Lupin. I only wonder why you haven't been to us sooner, to avoid all of your… unnecessary injury," the man stated, patting down his patched travelling cloak as though it too could have been more pristine. Remus smiled weakly at the elf but did not respond. The house elf glanced at Dumbledore and bowed deeply.
"If any sirs need a single thing, call upon Freddo, that is I. She awaits you ahead in the dining hall," he said to the floor as he bowed. Dumbledore raised a single finger on his hand.
"Just one question, Freddo. Our meeting was with a man by the name of Maxwell, in the morning. We were expected by whom?" he asked. Snape's eyes widened a little, the same uncomfortable shift now a blatant tell. Remus flexed a bit as well. None of this felt right from the moment they'd walked in. He looked around a bit, but couldn't see a way out.
"Apologies, our current Queen Regnant, Queen Morgana the Kind, sir," he answered, still deep in his bow. Dumbledore nodded, though to himself, and watched Freddo vanish. He turned, addressing Remus and Snape quickly.
"We're meeting with the queen directly? We didn't-" Snape began, but Dumbledore quickly hushed him. The portraits were still watching and, though still placid, they seemed intent on Snape. Remus knew he could feel them, and though they were just pictures they didn't seem to ease the ever increasing anxiety Snape displayed.
"Recall my instructions," he said quietly "do not speak, do not make eye contact. Clear your minds."
He turned back and made his way calmly down the hall. Every foot or so, another portrait would join the intent and uncomfortable staring at Snape, who despite Remus's warning seemed to grow more uneasy by the footstep. Remus couldn't blame him. This wasn't comfortable for any of them, welcome or unwelcome.
They eventually reached an ornate doorway that poured a soft light from underneath it, and Dumbledore gently pushed the door open.
The dining hall was magnificent, as large as the Great Hall of Hogwarts and similarly arranged. Candles floated serenely between tables, and surely when it was occupied it seemed capable of holding at least a thousand people.
At the far end of the table, a few steps led up to a grander table where a single woman sat with a goblet in her left hand. She stood. Her dark robes flowed along the floor as she walked, the same as each portrait figure had been adorned in back in the hall. Her heels clicked along the marble flooring, but she seemed to glide rather than step. She was undeniably beautiful, with pale skin and dark hair that gleamed as it too flowed along like her dark robes. Her eyes were not red, but a light purple that she held firmly on Remus as she approached. She looked not a day over 18. Much too young to be queen of anything.
"Good evening, gentlemen. My name is Morgana, I require nothing more than that. It is my personal pleasure to welcome you to the Sanctuary of Moon," she said in a light voice. She shook hands with Dumbledore and Remus, and turned her hand away from Snape.
"Your kind have already been here, death eater. I believe they received an answer before they reached the door," her voice was instantly more cold to him, her eyes a bit darker, sending a visible shiver down Snape's marked arm. He bristled again, glancing at Dumbledore.
"Morgana, my companion may hold the mark of a follower of Voldemort, but he is a trusted employee of my school and is not here on behalf of anyone but me," Dumbledore assured, staring just past her. She continued to focus on Snape who avoided her eyes by watching his own hands, laced together so tightly in front of him that his knuckles were fiercely white.
She motioned her hand out, pulling chairs from thin air and placing them just before the table nearest them. She flicked her wrist and three bottles of butter beer appeared before each chair.
"I won't subject you to sharing in my drink," she said with a small laugh, her own goblet flying through the air and into her outstretched hand. The dark liquid inside swished gently, emitting a slow rising steam.
The three of them took seat, Dumbledore in the middle, Remus to the right, and Snape to the left. Morgana reappeared on the other end of the table, taking a seat with her goblet in hand.
"Please, indulge. I have nothing but time in this world, and you've no doubt had a long journey to get here," she said, taking a sip from her goblet.
Remus and Dumbledore unscrewed the tops of the butter beer and both took a long sip. Snape remained stone set at Dumbledore's side, his wringing hands now on display at the table.
"I have no intention of causing any human in this world any harm, even a death eater. Drink your drink, lest you be seen as rude," she added with a sternness that made Snape unscrew the lid on his bottle and take the most miniscule of drinks from it.
"Morgana," Dumbledore began, eliciting a smile from her as she drank, her eyes still on Snape "I must admit I was not expecting to meet with you directly."
"Ah, yes. You were to be meeting a member of my court, but what with the death eaters and the ministry both attempting to make my acquaintance this same week, I figured I'd see what all the fuss was about. So, do tell," she said, placing her goblet down and putting her elbows on the table.
"Well, I suppose I know why the ministry contacted you. And it is somewhat similar to why we are here," Dumbledore responded. Remus took another long drink of butter beer, attempting his best to have no interest in the conversation, or negotiation, going on before him.
Morgana's lilac eyes flashed at Remus, narrowing slightly, her long dark lashes fluttering. He made the mistake of catching her eye down the end of his bottle.
"Why?" she asked Remus, her brow furrowed in concentration. He looked quickly away from her, she made a derisive ticking noise with her tongue and laughed at him.
"You could stand to take some lessons from these two, werewolf. You read like a threadbare book," she said with another laugh. She looked at Dumbledore, who sat with the same polite smile he'd held this whole time. She continued with Remus, her face stern and her eyes dark again.
"I understand you've been given these very generous and considerate rules of conduct here, but I will tell you quite honestly that old hat stuff is not my preferred method. Number one, you needn't worry about eye contact, it's an on and off switch kind of a thing, and werewolf blood is disgusting. Number two, I could care less for the supplementary titles I am given in order to lead this sanctuary so please do not treat me any differently because the vampire elf calls me 'Queen Morgana the Kind'. I am no queen and I am only kind when it is deserved. So deserve it, Professor Remus John Lupin of Hogwarts. Tell me why."
Remus looked to Dumbledore, who shrugged ever so slightly. He'd been instructed not to speak, and he'd tried miserably to keep his mind clear. Morgana picked up her goblet with both hands and took a heavy drink, her eyes not leaving Remus for a moment. Remus finally locked eyes with hers, laying his elbows on the table calmly. The scarring on his hands and wrists drew her attention downward for a moment.
"I can't tell you why any death eaters have been to see you," he began. She shook her head, placing her cup down and smiling.
"Seeking asylum, trying to lay low. They were old hat too. Didn't know we were under new management," she answered, flashing a small smile; the long canines of her pearlescent white teeth showing for the slightest of moments as she did.
"I am sure the ministry came here looking for him, though that seemed a mistake for them as well," he continued. She smiled a little more at him, taking another sip from her goblet.
"And you truly believe he will come for the boy at Hogwarts?" she asked. Remus and Dumbledore both nodded. She looked to each of them in turn, taking a final sip of her goblet and setting it down on the table. She focused on Dumbledore now, finally allowing Remus a reprieve from her burning spotlight.
"Well, of course you have the support of the Sanctuary of Moon. What is it you need from me, Headmaster?" she said finally, stealing one more glance at Remus, who smiled weakly in return. She was a draining person to speak to.
"We need a post to be filled, one week of each month as a Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher, to assist Professor Lupin during the period of the full moon," Dumbledore answered. Her smile lessened a bit and she allowed a period of silence before replying.
"You will receive a monthly Wolfsbane potion, correct?" she asked Remus, who glanced at Snape and nodded.
"Professor Snape is an incredibly talented potions master, he already has a stock supply for Professor Lupin prepared," Dumbledore added. Morgana nodded, closing her lilac eyes for a moment to ponder the arrangement.
"I have a steady thing going here, Headmaster. We are self sustaining, we are no longer living in squalor and filth, under the ground like the actual dead. We have infrastructure, schooling, we do not dine on the flesh and blood of people. I have created a lot of good here, humbleness be damned."
It seemed she had every reason to be proud. The last time Remus had been here, it had been just as she'd said. Territorial, cave-like, barely human existences. He'd decided at once and for all that he was better off in solitude above ground.
"That cannot be denied, Morgana. I only ask for a week of your time, it would be completely optional to provide any more of your attention to the matter of Sirius Black. It is only my thought that if he knows you are present, along with Professor Lupin, he may opt to stay away from Harry Potter."
"What exactly makes you think he'd fear me?" she asked Dumbledore, but her eyes again flashed at Remus and she laughed, her eyes lingering with a twinkle on his facial scars.
"For those of you who don't read minds," Remus said quietly, taking a final swig of his butterbeer, "I thought, 'who wouldn't?'" She was the only one who seemed to think he was funny. Snape made a small throaty noise but offered nothing else.
"Mmm, handsome and a sense of humor too. I see exactly why you brought him, Headmaster. I have some arrangements to make, but you have my word. I will guard the boy, and the school, with my life," she said, offering her hand to Dumbledore. He took it, and they shook, a small glow emanating from where their palms met.