Chapter Four: Nighttime Wanderings

Shucking off his cloak, Lucius quickly changed into his usual attire befitting his rank as a Duke. He walked over to his bedroom window and pushed the curtains aside. Although he much preferred the dark room with its eerily glowing candle, there were times he enjoyed the dancing shadows a setting sun cast room and the ominous light a soon to be following moon would bring.

From the floor below him, he could hear the front door opening. He listened to his wife's footsteps as she climbed the stairs and then stop, hesitating just outside the door to their room. A soft knock followed.

"Enter," Lucius said tonelessly, before turning from the window as she opened the door.

Narcissa inclined her head ever-so-slightly in an almost reverent kind of way. She tore her eyes from his gaze to glance out the window just over his shoulder.

"When do you leave?" she asked him, though she continued to stare at the sun as it slowly dipped below the horizon.

"Roldolphus and I will leave in the morning to," a sneer tugged at his lips, "offer our services to the king to aid him in such a dark time."

Narcissa nodded an echo of her husband's unpleasant smile on her face. "How long will you be gone?"

Lucius took a moment to consider. "We will probably wait a few days before making our move. Roldolphus will… escort the prince and princess back here, as planned, and I shall stay on a few more days so as not to arouse suspicion in our direction."

"Shall I pack your trunk for you, then?"

"No need. I have already sent Snape ahead to announce my impending arrival to the royal family with my noble intentions. He has taken a wardrobe there for my room."

Lucius glanced at the now half set sun for a moment before turning back to his wife. She resembled a beautiful stone statue the way she simply stood there looking at him, most likely awaiting his permission to leave.

"And what of your part? Have you begun?"

Narcissa shook her head. "No, I am meeting Bella at sun down in the market. Most of the ingredients should be easily accessible, though a few may take a bit more time to find and gather."

"Very well, then. Everything is set. I am going to retire now for I have a long journey in the morning."

Narcissa nodded. Taking that as her cue to leave, she silently exited the room, closing the door behind her.

James found his walk through yet another empty corridor of the castle to be a bit, well, dull.

He'd just left Peter's room after her royal highness showed them their quarters before disappearing down the hall, presumably to her own room, with orders not to call upon her anymore that evening for she had a headache.

James huffed. He'd almost followed her to find out where her chambers were. It could prove to be useful knowledge for later. Perhaps he could get Sirius to help him annoy the princess at some point with a joke or prank. She was cute when she was annoyed. A tiny bout of jealously nipped at him as he remembered Sirius was to marry her. Not that he cared… he just thought she was cute… right? Yes, of course.

His thoughts drifted off to his friend. He hadn't seen Sirius since that morning and the guilty feeling returned for having ditched the prince like that. And if he knew Sirius well, which he did, his dark haired friend was probably still a bit put out.

Still, it had been Sirius' decision not to join them, hadn't it? He could have just as easily gone with them on the tour of the castle. Then James wouldn't be out looking for him. But James also remembered telling Sirius that he'd go with him out exploring first. There was that guilt again.

The knight sighed. Hopefully he'd find Sirius soon. The prince wouldn't know where they were sleeping, and although James knew all the other boy had to do was ask one of the servants that were wandering about, James wanted to find him first, before Sirius headed off to bed so that he could attempt to explain why he had gone with Lily instead of-

"Peter!"

James stopped and looked around him, expecting to spot his pudgy friend before remembering that he was supposed to be Peter and so turned his attention to his hailer.

"James," James called back, feeling a little strange calling Sirius that as he waved his friend over.

Remus mentally groaned. Now, not only was this strange boy, who claimed to be a friend of the prince, dragging him through the castle, but now it would be two against one.

"Who's your friend?" the one named Peter asked.

Sirius shrugged. "He says his name's Moony."

"Moony?" James asked, disbelief evident on both his face and in his tone, as he turned to face Remus who was still hidden beneath his cloak.

Remus decided he definitely needed to figure a way out of this, fast. He'd never been caught before trying to get into the castle, but at least, he thought, it wasn't by the guards. "If you would just let me go," he said, a slight hint of irritation creeping into his voice as yet again he tried to twist his arm free. But Sirius stubbornly held fast to his arm.

"Look, I just need to see the princess."

"Sorry, mate," James said. "Her royal highness has given a strict 'no visitors tonight' command."

"I'm sure she'd make an exception for-"

"You heard the man," Sirius cut him off. "The princess wants no visitors."

Remus scowled, though he knew neither boy could see. "Fine, I'll just be going then." Again he tried to pull free and he practically growled when Sirius still kept a firm grip. Remus cursed his lack of strength after a transformation.

"What? You think I'm just going to let you go sneaking back off? How do I know you aren't a thief?" Sirius asked.

Remus wanted to kick something, and since Sirius still held his arm, he made a very welcoming target.

"OW!" Sirius cried, immediately relinquishing his grip on the other boy and grabbing his shin. James couldn't help himself. He doubled over in laughter, earning him a painful glare from his friend.

Remus took advantage of the situation and ran.

"Come in."

Dumbledore did as requested and opened the door. The room wasn't very big, but it looked comfortable.

"Good evening, Severus," he said casually.

Snape inclined his head in acknowledgement. "If you say so, wizard."

Albus merely smiled at the brusque reply given. He paused to peer out the window at the moon clearly visible in the sky now that the sun had finally disappeared below the horizon. He made a mental note to ask Lily in the morning how young Remus Lupin faired.

"Tomorrow morning," Snape said abruptly without explanation for he knew the older man didn't need one.

"It is happening sooner than I predicted. They are both still coming?"

"Unfortunately."

"And you still do not know what they seek, I presume."

Snape shook his head and his onyx eyes darkened slightly before joining the royal advisor's in gazing at the sky.

"We will have to keep a close watch on them then. Whatever it is they come for, we cannot let them have it."

Silently, Snape nodded his agreement before turning his gaze back to the old wizard.

"Have you still not spoken to the king on the threats they pose?"

"No. I have warned him to exercise caution in imparting information to them, but do you think he would believe me if I outright accused two of his dukes of treason?"

The dark haired youth scowled.

"Your king is a fool."

Lily lay back on her bed, enjoying the feel of the cool silk sheets. She knew she should have gone to see how Remus was, but she also knew he needed his rest, and that if she went, he'd have insisted on returning with her.

She'd see him in the morning. It was probably better anyway. With the prince and his two friends staying at the palace, it would probably be a good idea to tell Dumbledore now before she left so that he could better cover for her absences.

There were also the two other guests coming in the morning. Snape, rather unpleasant boy who was not quite a friend but still cordial toward her, had brought news of the duke's impending arrival. Great, just what she needed, more people to notice when she wasn't there.

She hoped they wouldn't still be there for the next full moon or she feared Remus may be traveling to the Longbottoms alone.

That might be happening either way, she thought unhappily. With the Count Pettigrew's annoying habit of cropping up wherever she was, despite several attempts throughout the day to pique his interest in something other than her affairs.

She growled softly to herself. That was the fifth time that night that boy had crept into her thoughts and it only further incensed her. He hadn't even let her get to know the prince, her future husband she thought a bit unhappily.

It wasn't that Prince Sirius was a horrible person. It just wasn't what she pictured her future husband. She wanted someone who swept her off her feet, someone who wanted her just like she wanted them. Someone with a vivacious personality, noble heart, chivalrous perhaps, like a knight.

"Who am I kidding," she whispered to the empty room, before turning over and waiting for sleep to come.

Remus knew if he could just get to the seventh floor, fifth corridor, the second door to his left, he would be safe. Orders against no visitors or not, Lily would help him. But that blasted duo of black haired boys wouldn't let up in their pursuit. Did he really look so much like a thief? Well, he supposed he did.

He was getting tired. Lily and Alice would have died on the spot had they seen the strain he was placing on his healing body. And Remus was beginning to wonder if running had been such a good idea. Breath wasn't coming into his lungs nearly fast enough and he felt lightheaded. Where he had previously had a rather painful stitch in his side where his bandaged wound was, a cold numbness had spread.

"There he is!" Sirius called as he rounded the corner, spotting Remus catching his breath in the hall.

Remus tried to continue his escape, but after having rested a few moments his body protested and a wave of nauseating dizziness swept through him. He grabbed the wall for support, his legs suddenly too weak to hold his now too heavy body.

Catching up to him, a worried frown tugged at Sirius' face. Why had the other boy stopped so suddenly? Though he still couldn't see his face, the prince knew something was definitely wrong. The smaller boy's frame seemed to shake from the exertion of the run and looked like he was about ready to keel over. Sirius grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around so that he could face him.

"Hey, you ok?"

Remus felt his body give way at that moment, as the pain, exertion, and fear consumed him. A pair of strong arms catching him as he fell and a flash of wide, brilliant grey eyes was the last thing he remembered before blacking out.

TBC