Remus yawned widely and shook his head to wake himself up, his overgrown fringe coming to rest in his eyes. The bright sun overhead did nothing but remind him that it had been a good three days since the last time his head had met a pillow. He looked out across the remains of the scene, order members conversing with aurors and other ministry officials in tight groups. An apparently dead death eater was being wrapped up in a clean white sheet by a harassed looking young witch who shot annoyed glances at the lot of them as though it was their fault that she had had to get up and go to work that morning.

"Remus"

He turned to meet Lily, James and Sirius as they left mad eye and Frank to oversee the last of the memory modifications. They too appeared tired and draw, all of them bleeding from one wound or another though they all seemed in good spirits, most likely because they hadn't spent the night before last in the form of a werewolf. He drilled his palms into his eyes to force them to stay open.

"I can't help but notice you're wearing the same clothes that you had on yesterday" Sirius commented, pulling at a singed thread on his sleeve. "I don't suppose you were with a young women last night my fine furry friend?" he asked.

"I don't suppose I was" he said, repressing another yawn, "Some of us actually do work around here." He smiled.

"Remus, go home" Lily ordered him. "You're no good to anyone running on fumes. You need to go home and get some rest. And Sirius will go with you to make sure it happens."

"Oh will he?" Sirius asked.

"Yes" she replied without offering him so much as a glance. "Remus, get a couple of hours of sleep and if you're lucky a toothbrush and a shower might make it feel like more. " She crossed her arms, daring him to argue.

"I can't just leave, and neither can Sirius."

"Sure we can" Sirius said, resigned to the idea, "I was going to bug off anyway."

"And were headed home too" James said with a shrug. "I think the real aurors can handle things here."

Lily smiled, satisfied. "Your work here is done Remus Lupin. Sirius will take you to that diner you like for breakfast , then he'll take you home and tuck you in."

"Ya? Will he be giving me milk and cookies and singing me a lullaby too?" he asked sarcastically. They all looked to Sirius.

"The lullaby thing is a little weird, but milk and cookies could definitely happen if you're good." He clapped James on the shoulder and turned away. "Let's go" he threw over his shoulder.

Remus slid into one of the plastic booths wondering how he had never noticed how wonderful sitting down could be. He glanced up and caught Sirius looking at him strangely.

"WHat?"

"Nothing... I was just thinking. Whoever came up with the formula that every dog year is seven human years?"

"Is it? I don't know, where the hell did that question come from?"

Sirius shrugged.

"So I look that tired?" Remus asked.

Another shrug.

"I was just thinking about it though. With all the murder and mayhem and such that we deal with...I mean, how many years does this stuff take off our expiration dates?"

"Our expiration dates?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sure, you know, were not exactly sitting on a beach drinking margharitas here."

"I think that would be more likely to take years off our life."

Sirius smiled. "Be worth it though."

"What can I get for you?" the waitress asked, appearing at their table in a flouncy skirt and high heels, blonde hair teased into a small mountain.

"We'll have all of page one" Sirius said, offering her a wink and his most charming smile.

Remus watched the waitress bounce away, heels clicking on the linoleum.

"Two years, I'd say. At least" he said.

"What?"

"I'd say that every year doing this has got to be at least two in human years."

Sirius nodded slowly. "I hear that brother. Cheers."