Disclaimer: If the Potterverse was mine, things would have gone very differently. That said, many thanks to JK Rowling for letting us play in the world she created. It's one hell of a sandbox.


Early July, 1996

"And it is too dangerous for our prospective allies to be sent sensitive information via owl!" Remus growled as he slammed his fist on Grimmauld Place's kitchen table.

Molly Weasley shot him a withering look. "Then how do you expect us to recruit anyone? We've exhausted our local contacts. The only wizards left nearby are our children, and you will NOT be recruiting them, no matter how willing they are to join. What do you suggest? Do we ask our friends to throw neighborhood parties and offer them a hostess gift if enough people show up? We can't just go door to door like that and say, 'How d'you do, would you like to join our secret resistance group? By the by, if you get caught it means almost certain death.' Owls are our only-"

"But why not?" Dumbledore interrupted. The whole table turned to look at him as if he'd finally lost his mind. Molly's face rapidly cycled from red to white to red again, and she opened her mouth to scream at her new target.

"I don't mean recruiting your children, my dear Molly," placated the old man. "I was merely suggesting that some of the Order visit our loyal friends across the country. If they happen to discreetly invite some of their like-minded neighbors to join, then the more the merrier." His far-away blue eyes twinkled with mischief, already seeing the cogs of his plan turning.

Kingsley leaned back in his chair and scratched his chin. "The plan could have merit. After all, we have been looking for ways to utilize our allies in the farther reaches of Britain. If we could have them host small get-togethers, we'd reach a far greater number of witches and wizards sympathetic to our cause with little to risk to their own person."

"First I think we should ask if anyone would be interested in such a mission," reminded Emmaline Vance. "It's going to be fairly dangerous for us. We have no idea if our 'friends' remain loyal to us or if they've been turned by You-Know-Who's crowd."

"Ten points to Ravenclaw, Ms. Vance, for proper skepticism and good use of logic," Dumbledore joked before his face turned serious once again. "I'd like to have at least three pairs. Pairs are easy enough to travel in and call little attention to themselves, but having a partner also offers some level of protection. Do we have any volunteers?"

Remus dejectedly sank back in his chair; he knew he could never volunteer for this kind of mission. What kind of wizard would willingly welcome a werewolf into their home? His friends here in the Order were happy to do so, but then again they were exceptions to many rules.

Minerva and Filius locked eyes for a moment and raised their hands together. Dumbledore nodded his assent. It was summertime, and no one would think twice about a couple of Hogwarts professors using their holidays to visit some old friends. They would certainly have no trouble appealing to the Order's more logical, academically inclined potential allies.

Alastor Moody slapped the table and barked "Eh, what else does an old bastard like me have to do other than sit around. Count me in."

Hestia Jones and Tonks also raised their hands. Tonks had recently gone on indefinite leave from the Aurors- it was too corrupt and therefore too dangerous for her to stay, no matter how much her position had been an advantage. Hestia had been about to finish her Charms mastery when her mentor was killed a year ago trying to protect his neighbors from Death Eaters. Both were excellent duelers and good choices for this mission.

Dumbledore looked torn. Remus knew he could send the three of them together, but that would put two former Aurors on the same team, which would be a waste of manpower. The headmaster wouldn't send two women together- the old Gryffindor sense of chivalry never really died. That really only left him one option. "Ms. Jones, would you mind accompanying Alastor? I'm afraid his passion and attitude could be a bit abrasive to some of our friends. I think he could use your tact and social skills for these visits. No offense, my old friend," Albus finished.

"Eh, none taken," Moody grunted.

Hestia grinned. "I don't mind at all. It will be nice to put all those pure-blood manners my mother drilled into me to good use." Remus knew the headmaster would send that pair to the Order's more high-brow friends. They'd respect and be impressed by Moody's history, and Hestia would be able to talk their talk and assuage their fears about supporting the Light. A surprisingly good partnership.

"So where does that leave me?" Tonks asked, looking around the table, beseeching anyone else to volunteer.

"My dear, I don't believe this is a mission you would like to undertake alone." Seeing the pout on the young woman's face, Dumbledore smiled sadly. "It's not that you can't do it, Ms. Tonks. I just believe it would be much safer for you if you had a partner along."

Without hesitation, Tonks turned that pretty pout to an unsuspecting werewolf. Remus groaned internally. He'd always been a goner when she gave him that look.


Early November, 1981

Remus stood at the back of the crowd in the small cemetery of Godric's Hollow, rapidly alternating between crushing grief and even more crushing emptiness. How was he supposed to go on when three of his best friends were dead at the hands of the man he'd once counted as close as a brother? On top of it all, sweet little Harry had been swept away to some unknown location to live with his magic-hating aunt and uncle. Remus steeled himself against the onslaught of tears as another wave of unbearable sadness washed over him.

Those who had gathered to mourn the loss of James and Lily began to disperse. Seeing that most everyone had Apparated away, Remus was pulled to the headstone by some unseen force. He placed a cold hand against the even colder white marble. "The last enemy that shall be defeated is death". James and Lily would have hated the epitaph that Dumbledore chose.

That thought broke the dam in the werewolf's eyes. Remus fell to his knees, quietly sobbing before the two fresh graves. He knew he would never again feel as safe or at home as he had in that Hogwarts dorm or the tiny cottage. He'd felt so incredibly blessed to have found friends that loved him despite his lycanthropy. They had taken him in, fed him, clothed him, housed him when he didn't have money or a place to stay. More than that, they had appreciated the man and, besides becoming Animagi, never given a second thought to the wolf. Remus knew that, left to his own devices, he'd never be so lucky again.

He was pulled from his reverie when he felt a small hand on his shoulder. Remus looked up into a pair of gray eyes eerily similar to those of his once-best-friend and swiped a ragged sleeve across his own amber ones.

"Why are you crying?" asked the dark haired little girl. She wasn't more than seven or eight, so she was clearly here with someone attending the funeral.

"I just lost all four of my best friends," Remus explained in a thick voice. "It feels like I'm never going to be happy or have friends again. I don't think I can live without them." He felt strange pouring out his heart to a child, but something about her compelled him to do so. It was oddly cathartic.

The girl cocked her head and furrowed her brow. "You were friends with Ms. Lily?" He could only nod. "She used to baby-sit me sometimes when my mummy and daddy had to go to work. She worked really hard with me on my hair and my face."

It was Remus's turn to look confused. Then he saw the young girl turn into a perfect miniature of Lily Potter right before his eyes. He remembered Lily talking about working with Andy and Ted's daughter on her metamorphagus skills- Lora, Dory, Dorea, something like that.

"I used to get really sad when I couldn't control it," the girl said, interrupting his train of thought. "I wanted to give up for a really long time. Like two whole months!" she exclaimed. "But Ms. Lily wouldn't let me."

Remus chuckled for the first time in a week. That sounded exactly like Lily Potter. "Well I'm glad the two of you got it sorted," he replied.

"It took a really long time," she stressed, "but Ms. Lily said I just had to be an optometrist about it."

Remus surprised himself with a belly laugh.

"Don't laugh at me!" she demanded with a pout. "I'm trying to tell you something here. Grown-ups never listen," she muttered.

The werewolf sat up in silence, startled by just how much she sounded like Sirius when she said that. Tears began to prickle as the grief began creeping in again.

"Better," she smirked, missing his glassy eyes. "You think it's too hard to not have your friends anymore?"

Remus nodded. He'd been despondent before meeting them, and he was utterly alone and miserable without them again.

"You're wrong," the girl countered. "It's gonna be hard, but you just have to keep trying. That's what Ms. Lily told me about my hair. Keep trying, and be optometristic that it will happen. Then one day, you'll figure out you can do it. And the more you do it, the less hard it gets. Someday, you won't have to try anymore. Like me and my hair!" she finished with a smile.

Remus stared at her. He was getting life advice from a seven-year-old - a rather bright, insightful one, but still. This had to be rock bottom. And maybe she was right, but Remus couldn't bear to bring himself to try. What point was there in continuing to fight? It wasn't worth living with this loneliness, this hopelessness and despair...

"Please, mister?" the little girl begged, yanking him from his path of destructive thoughts. "You have to try. You know that's what Ms. Lily would want," she said with the most adorable pout. She looked so desperate for him to listen to her. He felt his wallowing mood crumble at the sheer power of her pleading expression.

"Of course. I'll give it a shot for you and Ms. Lily," Remus croaked. The little girl beamed.

"Dora! There you are!" Andy yelled and came striding over. "I'm sorry if she was bothering you Remus. I told her to leave the adults alone," she said, scowling at her daughter.

"Quite all right, Andy," Remus responded, drying his eyes yet again. "She's actually been giving me some good advice."

"Oh really?" she said dubiously.

"From the mouths of babes," he answered with a shrug. "Goodbye, Andy. Goodbye, Ms. Dora."

He walked to the Apparation point with a bit more spring in his step. He nodded to the waving little girl in the distance and vanished from the cemetery.


July 1996

He doubted Tonks remembered just how much she could affect him, but Remus was quite aware. Without realizing, he raised his hand. The whole table shifted to look at him now.

"I could go with Tonks," Remus murmured.

The rest of the Order looked either confused or surprised. Dumbledore simply nodded, thinking of all the more dangerous places he could send a former Auror and a werewolf.

Remus never noticed. All he ever saw was the wide grin on Tonks's face.