((I am so sorry it took so long guys, but this time it wasn't my fault! stupid fanfiction thingy wouldn't let me upload or edit anything... gosh... how rude of them...))

It wasn't too late, so he just threw his keys on the kitchen counter and walked over to the shelf on the wall to pick out the book he had been reading earlier. He planned on just picking up where he left off, but he couldn't find the dog-eared page he had marked before going over to James and Lily's. Oh great… that meant he had to flip through and find his spot. Not that he minded. Remus was always one to spend time looking back at what he'd read before just because he could.

It was a great feeling, it always had been. Sirius was wearing his helmet, but the sunglasses were also intact. The temptation to get the thing into the air was hard to suppress, but he knew better; not on a muggle road. So he let himself bask in the wind the whistled blissfully past him as he swerved through traffic, heading home.

He wasn't sure if it was quite "home" but it was all his own and he was happy with that much. He pulled into the drive and dismounted his faithful steed.

Sirius walked into the house that was now his, thanks to one of the only members of his family with any sense… Uncle Alfred had never approved of the "Pureblood ways" and so almost every sent he had when he died went to the one child that felt the same. He probably could have gotten a smaller house; he didn't need this much room. Sirius had actually been planning on helping James and Lily out and buying their first home for them. But Lily had been intent on getting something on their own. And they both seemed to like the little cottage they resided in now, so Sirius used the money to spite his parents who were sure he would come into nothing and probably have nowhere to live. Well, here he was now.

Sirius checked the time. It was only about ten thirty; far too early for bed. Still, what else was there to do? He did have work Monday… perhaps he should work on getting prepared for whatever it was he was supposed to be doing….

It took him a couple of minutes, but soon he was sitting on the couch with the lamp light giving the page a yellow hue that he had always found comforting. Remus wasn't sure how long he had been reading, but it had been a while and he found himself dosing off.

His head snapped up and his eyes wide open when he heard a familiar, but at the same time… all too strange popping sound. Remus listened, perfectly still, for a moment and waited for something else to happen. There were about three more popping sounds and Remus quickly put the book down and turned off the lamp. Two thoughts went through his mind: Did I lock the door? And… Crap… I didn't mark my spot in the book again….

Still, he knew that all he could do was stay down and stay quiet. He groped around for his wand and cursed. He couldn't seem to find it anywhere….

James was cleaning up after words before heading back off to bed... Mostly because Lily had said that when she woke up the place had better be clean. So naturally, to avoid sudden death, James went back down to the kitchen to straighten up. Good he did, too. He saw on the table along with the left over cards and drinks… a wand. He picked it up to examine it. It belonged to Remus, he could tell.

Despite the calm mood the evening had left with his friends, James didn't like the idea of Remus being without his wand with the threats that were out there.

James walked swiftly up the stairs and into the bedroom where Lily had already drifted off.

"Lily, darling?" He said, gently trying to wake her.

She looked around and saw him there and smiled.

"Is everything clean?" She yawned and smirked.

"Not quite, but it will be, I promise. Um… Remus left his wand here… so I'm going to head over and get it back to him, okay?"

"Oh…. oh of course. Yeah, be careful- you want me to come?"

"No honey, you stay here with Harry; I'll only be a bit." James kissed her softly and left the room, grabbing his own wand from the dresser.

What was he supposed to do? They would find out, surely they would find out! They always seemed to find out when he was doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing. Peter sat back on the sofa in his apartment, hardly able to sit still. He held his hands tightly, trying to stop their shaking.

It was okay. He wasn't doing anything wrong… at the moment. He had refused to go along with it this time. He didn't ask questions; the less he knew the better. They had promised not to kill the wolf. They just wanted to find out what he knew… perhaps recruit. Peter knew that Remus wouldn't be able to spill…. Right? And there was no way they could know that Sirius was the one who knew…. Right? Peter was stuck between whether he should back out now or if it was too late for that.

It was too late. Deep down he knew it was too late. And what did it matter? They had never really liked him anyway, had they? They were always picking on him… only sticking up for him on occasion. And now He-who-must-not-be-named was going to kill him if he didn't find any information. If only Peter could find a way around the protection; a way around this secret keeper thing….

But what about Remus? Were they already there? And most importantly, would they keep their word not to kill him…?

The tension in the air grew rapidly. It was all Remus could do to keep quiet. Suddenly there was a blinding flash and the front door flew back ward, off of its hinges.

Remus said a few choice words under his breath and waited for them to come in. They took their sweet time doing so, as though they didn't think this would be much of a challenge- and unless he found his wand, Remus was sure it would be no challenge for them at all.

He wasn't going to just sit there though. If he'd ever learned anything from Sirius, it was that being stupid could actually come in handy in moments like these. This meant… going against your initial instincts to protect yourself and take a risk.

So, Remus stood in the pitch black, listening to them walk in through the front hall. Their steps were confident, as though they knew they would easily over power him.

"I can't see a damn thing!" a rough voice said.

"Then light your wand, idiot." Another said further away from where Remus now stood, trying to shuffle his way to the back door.

"Oh right…. Lumos…."

Suddenly the room was filled with a dim blue light, illuminating Remus standing with his hand on the knob of the back door, and five cloaked men with masks; Deatheaters, just as Remus had assumed.

"Well, well, well. What 'ave we 'ere?" The tallest of them all, who was not wearing a mask… perhaps it was because his own face was intimidating enough… or perhaps because Voldemort did not allow half-breeds into his crowd- at least not officially.

"Greyback…." Remus muttered through gritted teeth.

"Oh bless him, he remembers…." Fenrir Greyback said with a mutinous snarl. He started to walk closer to Remus, but one of the masked men grabbed the scruff of his neck, much like you would to a misbehaving dog.

"Greyback, you were given specific orders…. You must wait." There was authority in that voice that Remus recognized, but he couldn't think of where from… it didn't matter now anyway. His mind was racing for a clever way out of this. Where were Sirius and James when you needed them?

James just happened to be walking down the walk of his house. He needed to get to where he could apparate. The fedilus charm prevented him from apperating straight from his living room, and he couldn't once out of the house and in plain sight of muggles. So, he was walking, looking for a spot where he wouldn't be noticed disappearing into thin air.

He was worried about Remus, he wasn't going to deny it, but he was taking his time and keeping his cool, trying not to be paranoid. It wasn't like him to freak out over something small like this, so he refused to do so…. He just took his time looking for a safe place to leave for Remus's.

"Are you, or are you not a friend of Lily and James Potter?"

"Who?" Remus knew that they knew he was aware of who they were talking about, but he was going to make it as difficult as possible for them.

"Lily and James? You don't know them?" One of the masked men stepped forward. His voice a little more dignified than the others. And… Remus recognized it.

"So… you're not friends with Sirius Black, either than are you?"

Remus didn't say a word. He was trying to figure out where he knew that voice from. It was way too familiar for his comfort.

"The pair of them was inseparable…. But then again, they were also hardly ever seen without Remus Lupin…. And that, sir, assuming we have the right house…" the sarcasm was bitter, no humor behind it, "is you."

"Well, I'm glad you got that far. Good for you." Remus didn't bother hiding his own sarcasm. He was using a technique that James and Sirius were rather fond of; making rude jokes and comments to make them feel like you're not intimidated.

However, this got him nowhere good. One of the bulkier men, obviously the bulk of the group besides the werewolf, hit Remus with something hard over the head. Remus hit the ground hard and slid on the linoleum tiled floor. It wasn't enough to knock him out, but he felt something warm and sticky splatter down his face after the impact. Ow….

"Now, let's see if we can get you to tell us what we want to hear." Remus couldn't tell which one of them was talking this time, his vision dizzy and uneven.

"Greyback, pull him to his feet. Put him in the chair and hold him down."

They did so roughly and Remus winced, but otherwise refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing him in pain.

James finally found a spot. Absolutely no one was around so he turned on the spot before he missed his chance.

There was a light on in the kitchen window, but he couldn't see in. James approached the front door and he couldn't get the sinking feeling out of his stomach that there was something wrong. The front door was slightly open, but only a fraction.

"Remus?" James called

"Remus?"

Remus's face drained of all color. He tried to remain expressionless, but he couldn't hide his panic.

"Well, who might this be?" There was triumph in that voice.

Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit… was all Remus could think. How could he get James to take a hint and leave without giving him up to the deatheaters?

One of the deatheaters was approaching the door to answer it. Remus had to think fast. While their backs were turned, anxiously waiting to find out who was at the door, he grabbed the first thing he could get his hands on. This happened to be an empty glass jar. He chucked it at the tall deatheater with his hand on the knob.

It shattered and the man stumbled to the floor.

"RUN PRONGS GET OUT!" Remus bellowed, careful not to say James.

James didn't have time for a second thought. He turned on the spot straight to Sirius's front door. They needed to get help. This was exactly what James had been afraid of. And now if they didn't hurry, Remus would end up just like Lily's parents.

James's stomach lurched at the mere thought of it. He couldn't let that happen.

"SIRIUS! OPEN UP!"