Remus rose late in the morning looking just as tired and disheveled as when he retired. He padded barefoot down to the kitchen, but stopped before entering as he heard an unfamiliar voice.
"You call me straight away if you see that dog about."
"I will Mr. Browning," replied Lindsay cheerily.
"Don't be goin' near it now. It's big and stray dogs can be dangerous."
"I won't go anywhere near it. You have my word. And please thank Mrs. Browning for the scones."
Remus gritted his teeth in temper. They'll never preserve their cover if Sirius kept running around in the daylight hours. He waited a moment, listening carefully and didn't open the door until he heard Lindsay washing dishes. She still insisted on doing things the muggle way.
"Morning, Remus," she said as he entered the kitchen and plopped heavily into the nearest chair.
"Morning, Lin. Sorry I slept in."
"Sleep as much as you like. You need the rest."
"You're a mother hen."
"It's a compulsion. I can't help it. Tea?"
"Yes, please." Lindsay poured him a cup of tea and sat two blueberry scones on a plate in front of him. "Where's Sirius?"
"He's in the springhouse. He's sprucing it up for you." Remus didn't reply to that. "There's something I need to ask you. Sirius told me that Professor Snape is a Death Eater…"
Remus roughly set his teacup down, splashing tea onto the table. He rubbed his eyes for a moment before answering. "Severus was a Death Eater. He's not now. Albus wouldn't hire a Death Eater as a teacher." Remus's tone had been sharper than he'd intended. "I'm sorry, Lin, I didn't mean to snap at you."
"It's fine, Remus. I know it's the illness."
"It's a curse not an illness! I'm not an invalid!" Remus sat back in his chair. "Lin, I'm-"
"You don't need to apologize. Eat your scones. Mrs. Browning's a wonderful baker."
Remus was drinking his second cup of tea when a large, black, shaggy dog trotted across the patio and in the backdoor. The large canine form morphed quickly into Sirius, who stood in front of the counter and lifted a scone from a wicker basket. He sat down across from Remus.
"The neighbors saw you."
"And a cheery good morning to you too, Remus." Sirius nibbled on his scone, dropping crumbs on the table.
"You've got to be more careful, Sirius. We'll be caught if you-"
"So a couple of muggles saw a dog. It's not like they're going to inform the Ministry."
"They could post flyers or place an ad in the newspaper asking about a missing dog," snapped Remus.
"Hm, hadn't thought of that," mumbled Sirius. He waved his hand and the basket floated to the table. He helped himself to another scone.
"You never think anything through! You never think about anyone but yourself!" growled Remus.
"I'll let that pass since it's that time of the month," replied Sirius nonchalantly, still dropping crumbs. Lindsay sat a cup of tea in front of Sirius and took the chair next to him. "Cheers, love."
"How's the springhouse coming along?"
"At least someone appreciates my hard work," said Sirius, shooting a smug glance at Remus. "I've come back for some furniture. A couple more hours and it'll be as safe as Gringott's, but a lot cozier."
Remus rose abruptly and stalked off to wash up. Lindsay took Sirius to the third floor where he rummaged through stacks of old disused furniture. He shrunk the pieces he wanted and stuffed them into a canvas shopping bag. The plan was for Sirius to return to the springhouse as Snuffles the dog, and Lindsay would follow later with the bag.
The interior of the springhouse was divided by thick wrought iron bars with a locking gate. The bars went all the way around one side of the room in a continuous form, butting up against the stone walls. There was nothing else on that side.
In the center of the other side of the room hung a lantern with an unlit white candle in it; another lantern sat atop a small rectangular table, set against the wall, with one chair at either end. The floor was covered by a thick rug. A large, red, overstuffed chair sat facing the iron bars.
"How did you get the bars in here?" said Lindsay taking hold of one of the bars and giving it a good push.
"Magic of course," replied Sirius facetiously. "I borrowed some of your garden fence. I hope you don't mind."
"Not if it will keep Remus safe."
"The bars will hold," said Sirius. "I'm sure of it."
The next evening, just before sunset, Snuffles and Remus headed out to the springhouse that would be Remus's prison for the next few days. Lindsay followed after with a stuffed picnic basket in one hand and a rolled up sleeping bag and cushioned mat under her other arm.
Sirius was already seated in his comfy chair when she entered and Remus was pacing. She set the items on the little table and turned to Remus, who forced a smile. She heard Sirius remark quietly behind her, "Oooh, white wine this time." She hugged Remus and kissed his cheek.
"I'll be fine, Lin. You're in more danger than I am."
"No she's not; I'm here!" said Sirius gallantly, sandwich already in hand. "I hate to be rude, darling, but it's getting late."
Lindsay exited. As she slowly closed the door, she heard the gate close inside and the click of the lock as Sirius turned the key.
"So you're just going to sit there and get drunk?" said Remus.
"On one bottle of wine?" replied Sirius. "Give me some credit. And give me your clothes before you tear them to shreds."
Sirius had done an excellent job of fortifying the springhouse. Lindsay paced the patio listening intently and didn't hear a single sound. She retired early, but didn't sleep well. She kept rising and looking out her bedroom window despite the fact that she could see neither the springhouse nor the thicket that surrounded it from her bedroom. Still, looking out made her feel better somehow.
Remus was still jailed in his cell when Pomona and Neville arrived. Their work wouldn't take them near the springhouse until after Remus was safely back in the house, and they left before evening. Lindsay passed baskets of food to Sirius in the wee hours of the morning and in early evening immediately after Pomona and Neville left. It was difficult for Lindsay to pretend that she had no worries to contend with, but she managed well enough. Neither Neville nor the more astute Pomona seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary, and all three chatted merrily over lunch.
A pale and haggard Remus left his cell very early in the morning. He had one arm stretched painfully over Sirius's shoulders, and the other over Lindsay's. Sirius took a great risk by walking undisguised in the dusky morning light, and Remus was too weak to reprimand him for it. To Lindsay's trained medical eye, Remus resembled a cancer patient undergoing very aggressive chemotherapy. He'd lost a surprising amount of weight. His eyes were sunken and black, his cheeks were sunken, and his jawbone was too prominent.
The trio walked slowly and Remus leaned heavily on his two companions. Sirius whispered words of encouragement to him. "Put one foot in front of the other, Moony. It's not far, you can make it. The worst is over, my friend. Just a few more steps and you'll be in a nice soft bed."
Remus collapsed onto his bed. Sirius immediately offered him a pain potion. Remus was asleep before he'd drunk half of it. Sirius sat the remainder on the nightstand and muttered, "More for later." He and Lindsay removed most of Remus's clothes. Lindsay was startled by the state of Remus's skin; it was inflamed, stretched, and torn. The worst damage was near his joints.
"I know it looks bad," said Sirius, "but it'll heal quickly." He flicked his wand and the blankets rose a few inches in the air; close enough to keep Remus warm without putting painful weight on his torn body. He waved Lindsay out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. "He won't eat much for a day or two; after that you won't be able to fill him up."
Remus's appetite increased dramatically as soon as he was on his feet. He ate six times a day for about a week. His appetite returned to normal after he gained some weight. He slept a lot for the first week and swam in the pool in the evenings after Neville and Pomona left. The weightless exercise was easy on his aching joints. Remus proved himself to be a very strong swimmer once his vitality returned.
The stronger Remus got, the more restless Sirius became. He began pacing through the house at all hours and drinking more. He was the most despondent when the Weasley's visited for a day of swimming, sometimes bringing Harry and Hermione with them. Remus almost had to restrain Sirius to keep him hidden. Only the combined threats of harm coming to Harry and Lindsay being arrested by the Ministry held him back. The cycle began again as the next full moon approached. The pattern continued until Lindsay left for Hogwarts. Remus and Sirius stayed for a few weeks longer, until it was safe for them to go elsewhere. They didn't tell her where they'd be going, stating that it was safer for her not to know.