Hiya all! Ok, it's up, I don't know if I'm happy with it as it was quite hastily put together. Let me know what you think. :)

Thanks to all who've reviewed (ta, abigail) and to those who have alerts on this - as usual, insert plea for reviews here.

WARNING: Lots of swearing. Heaps!

Disclaimer: If Remus were mine and he was locked up all alone in a cell, perhaps tied to the bed...ah...mmm. Sorry, my mind went to a more...carnal place for a moment there...what was I saying? Oh, yeah. He's not mine. Shit.

Chapter Twenty One

'A fucking werewolf, Bradley?' Scrimgeour yelled, spittle flying out of his mouth. 'A dark creature, a half-breed! What's next? A vampire? A frigging centaur?'

'Oh, don't be ridiculous, Rufus!' she said irritably. 'Remus is a good man…'

'He's an animal!' he roared, his face bright red and Kate's eyes flashed dangerously.

'He's a man for all but twelve days of the year,' she snapped back, her hand tightening around her just returned wand as she fought for control. 'And he's a better fucking man than most I know, present company included.'

Alastor finally stepped in and broke up the argument that had been raging for ten solid minutes before Kate could say something she really regretted.

'Look, Rufus,' he said in an unusually deferential tone. 'Kate's explained what happened so perhaps we could just collect Lupin from the cells and…'

'No,' the Head Auror snapped, glaring at Kate still. 'If you're fucking him, you'd cover for him, wouldn't you? If he cast the spell, you'd try and save his worthless backside.'

He looked over at Moody. 'Take her memory,' he demanded. 'I want to see it…'

He glanced back over at Kate who was staring him with an expression of intense dislike that she didn't bother to try and hide.

'…and if there is one single detail that differs from the story you just told me, I swear to Merlin, Bradley, I will have you and Lupin in Azkaban before sunrise.'

Remus sat in the corner of the small, cold cell, knees drawn to his chest for warmth. He rubbed at his face; hardly able to believe this was happening.

Moody's words rang in his ears.

'You understand me, boy; if her mind is ruined because of this, if she spends one minute in Azkaban because of you, I'll put that silver bullet in your head myself.'

Remus shivered. Hearing the anger and concern in Moody's voice had been the most terrifying part of the night, if the tough, old Auror was so worried…

She'll be alright. She has to be.

He clenched his eyes shut tight. What if they didn't believe Kate and dug deeper? What if they found the other memory – the real one? They'd kill him…but would they send Kate to Azkaban for covering for him as well? He could accept his fate but if Kate suffered because she'd stood up for him - that was too much for him to bear.

'God,' he moaned softly, grasping his hair in his hands and tugging despairingly. 'What have I done to her?'

He'd finally realised tonight what Kate had been telling him since day one: that they shouldn't…couldn't…work together because they'd always be distracted trying to protect the other. That's what had happened tonight and he had planned on telling her that they shouldn't go on any more missions with each other; that it was too distracting but now…

Now she's risked everything for me…and it's all because of what I am.

Whenever he was with Kate, he almost forgot what he was. She had never made his lycanthropy an issue: even after the full moon, he never saw any pity in her eyes, any horror or fear; just acceptance and empathy as she healed his wounds and rubbed his aching muscles. Kate made him feel human and he'd started to relax, to think that perhaps his dream of a wife and a family might not be as farfetched as he had always thought it to be.

But after tonight…

He heard a loud shout then raucous laughter coming from down the other end of the long, wide corridor that housed the Ministry's captives. The voices got louder and Remus heard his name. Standing up, he moved to the bars, using his enhanced senses to listen to the distant conversation.

'…fucking the werewolf, apparently,' the first man said, dispensing the information in an eager voice. 'Scrimgeour's screaming the Auror's office down.'

'Kate Bradley?' a second male voice said in disbelief. 'Hot, blonde, Kate Bradley?'

'Why the hell would she be screwing a filthy animal?' said another. 'I mean, someone like that bint Umbridge I could understand needing to resort to bestiality to get laid but Kate…? Jesus, if I'd known she was getting that desperate, I'd have given her one myself.'

There was laughter and the sound of a hand hitting flesh. 'I think your wife might have had something to say about that,' the first voice said in amusement. 'But I'm single…Fuck, what a waste!'

'What's he look like?' asked the married man. 'The werewolf?'

'Go have a look,' the disbelieving voice suggested, then came the sound of clanging keys. 'Wouldn't mind checking him out again myself now. Fuck! Kate Bradley – do you reckon she'll get the sack?'

'Probably,' a now louder voice said. 'Who'd want to work with her? Shit, who'd wanna fuck her now after she's laid down with a frigging monster?'

The voices were getting closer and Remus backed away from the bars. He stood in the centre of the cell, unsure of what to do. He didn't want them to know he was listening but he refused to cower like an injured dog in a corner.

The three men dressed in Ministry robes came into sight, looking surprised to see him standing so defiantly.

'Doesn't look like much, does he?' the short blonde muttered, looking Remus up and down appraisingly. 'What the hell would she see in him?'

'Maybe she likes it rough,' a taller brunette said with a snort and the blonde chuckled. 'Does she fuck you when you're transformed, wolf?'

Remus' jaw tensed and he crossed his arms over his chest to stop himself reaching through those bars and wrapping his fingers around the man's throat.

'Oh, I don't think it liked that, Marcus,' the darker skinned man taunted, brown eyes fixed maliciously on a scowling Remus. 'So, tell us werewolf? What is it Bradley sees in you? Does she like the claws? The fangs? Or maybe it's the tail?'

'Could be the fur,' the blonde snorted. 'Does she like a bit of hair to grab hold of while you're fucking her?'

Remus felt a sharp stinging pain and realised he'd bitten his lip hard in an attempt not to defend Kate, instinctively knowing if he reacted, this could get a whole lot worse.

'Dirty fucking whore,' the dark haired man snapped, face distorted in disgust. 'Screwing an animal…it makes me want to vomit. You shouldn't be allowed to go near decent people. Corrupting our women.'

'You know, I quite fancied Bradley,' the blonde said. 'But if she's spreading her legs for frigging half breeds…'

'Shut up!' Remus yelled furiously, unable to stay silent any longer. 'Just shut the fuck up about her!'

'And what if we don't, werewolf?' the brown haired man said softly. 'What will you do about it from that cage?'

Remus just glared at him but his lack of response seemed to anger the man more.

'Open the cell,' he ordered the blonde, his green eyes fixed on Remus as he withdrew his wand. 'I think you need to relearn your place in society, werewolf.'

'Well?' Moody said, raising an eyebrow at his boss.

'The memory appears genuine,' Scrimgeour said offhandedly, shoving the vial containing her hastily constructed memory at Kate. 'But your use of an Unforgivable is not my biggest concern now.'

Kate's lips turned white as she pressed them together in an effort to stop herself screaming at the man. He was dismissing the use of an Unforgivable now only because the evidence backed up her story. Her relationship with the Head of the Auror department had never been a smooth one and she thought he was secretly relishing her fall from grace. He was wanting to revel in this unexpected opportunity - so he was fixing his sights on Remus.

'It's not your business who I see outside of working hours,' Kate told him, unable to keep the snappishness out of her voice.

Scrimgeour's face turned red with anger again. 'You are an Auror,' he ground out. 'You defend our world against Dark Creatures. You. Don't. FUCK. Them!'

His voice rose with every sharply spat out word and Moody quickly cast a Silencing Spell, although no doubt news of Kate and Remus' relationship had already spread through the Ministry like a bushfire through drought ravaged forest.

'My personal life is my own,' Kate argued but Scrimgeour shook his head.

'You're compromised,' he snapped, pacing the room. 'No one's going to want to work with you now…'

'I am happy to continue to have Kate on my team,' Moody interjected but Scrimgeour waved his words away.

'And who'll want to go out with her?' he spat. 'Who's going to want to spend the night on stakeouts with her? Or hide out with her knowing she's been bedding down with half breeds? She's a fucking liability.'

He suddenly stopped stalking to and fro and sank into a chair. 'Just get out of here, Bradley. I can't stand the sight of you right now...and take your werewolf with you.'

'Gladly. He should never have been put in those cells,' Kate said curtly, still glaring at Scrimgeour. 'He didn't do anything wrong…the way you've allowed him to be treated…'

'He's a werewolf!' Scrimgeour exclaimed, anger rising again. 'He can't be trusted. Most of them are on the Dark Lord's side…'

'Not Remus,' she argued. 'He's loyal…'

Moody cleared his throat warningly and Kate, realising she'd gotten a bit too close to revealing her knowledge of the Order, quickly changed the subject.

'I'm going to get Remus and go.'

'Good,' Scrimgeour muttered. 'And don't come back for a while…I'm serious, Bradley. I don't want to see you here until you sort out what side you're on. You can't be screwing a dark creature and fighting them at the same time. Consider yourself suspended until you work out if you want your job or not.'

Kate almost growled and stalked towards the door, Moody stopping her with a hand on her arm.

'I'll get Lupin,' he said and she shifted her furious eyes to him.

'I can do it,' she spat and his grip tightened as he pulled her aside.

'Do you think he'll want you to see him in a cell, Kate? In a cage?' he hissed, knowing how proud the young man could be and suspecting that the kind of treatment he may be receiving in the cells would not be something he would want Kate to witness. 'Go back to Headquarters and wait for him there…Go.'

She had opened her mouth to argue but shut it again with a snap when she realised he was right. Remus wouldn't want her to see him locked up.

'Fine,' she muttered, walking a few metres then stopping and turning back. 'Thanks, Alastor.'

'What the hell do you think you're doing?'

The three men paused, turning to look at the door of the cells and saw a furious Moody there.

'Come to take him for the bullet, Alastor?' the dark haired one said with obvious glee. 'Give us five more minutes with him first…we've only just started.'

'Get the fuck away from him!' Moody snapped, stepping into the cell and looking past them to a very pale Remus who'd been backed into the corner and was crouched on the floor, trying to stifle his whimpers of pain. Alastor could see his torn and bloodied shirt and caught a glimpse of several nasty looking abrasions over his arms and torso as well as hex burns streaked across his stomach, scorching the fabric.

Moody's temper rose. 'You alright, Lupin?'

The werewolf nodded, pushing himself to his feet and Moody gestured with his head.

'Come on, we're going,' he ordered, glaring at the blonde who held the keys. 'I'll make sure your supervisor hears that you let unauthorised people into the cell with a suspect.'

'You're defending him, Moody?' the brown haired man asked sceptically but the dark man snarled.

'He's defending Bradley. He's wanted to get into her pants for years…'

There was a loud pop and a flash of light and man cried out, holding his face as large, painful looking boils popped out of the skin.

'Let's go, Lupin,' Moody said with deceptive calm, taking the young man's arm and leading him out of the dark holding cell.

Instead of apparating directly to Headquarters, Moody grasped Remus' arm and spun, reappearing with the unresisting man in Hogsmeade, more specifically, the Hog's Head.

'I was just about to lock up, Moody,' Aberforth Dumbledore said as the two men appeared out of nowhere.

'I'll do that when we leave,' Moody grunted and Aberforth got the message, reaching into a cupboard and pulling out an unopened bottle of Firewhiskey, putting it and two glasses on the bar.

'I'll stick it on your tab,' he said then left the front room for his quarters out the back.

'I should go and see Kate,' Remus mumbled but Moody ignored him, moving to sit at the bar and opening the whiskey.

'Have a drink first, Lupin,' he grunted, pouring two glasses of the amber liquid. 'You're in no fit state to face her yet.'

Remus walked over to sit next to Moody, knowing the man was right. His hand was shaking as he raised the glass and he didn't want Kate to see him so rattled. He took a long pull at the fiery alcohol, gasping a little as it burned its way down his throat.

'Does anything need healing?' Moody asked and Remus shook his head. He could heal any wounds himself at home…he had more urgent concerns right now.

'How is Kate?' he asked, voice a little cracked both from the Firewhiskey and from his struggle to keep his whirling emotions under control. 'I'm guessing they believed her…'

'Yeah, they checked the memory and they believed it.'

Alastor threw the remainder of his drink down his throat and slammed the glass down, reaching for the bottle again.

'She's been suspended.'

Remus snapped his head around, staring at the man with his mouth slightly open. 'But…you said they believed her,' he stammered and Moody shook his head, finishing pouring his drink then refilling Remus' still half full glass.

'They believe the memory,' he corrected, picking up his tumbler. 'Kate, unfortunately, has lost all credibility with the Ministry.'

Remus was silent, watching the unusually quiet man as he sipped his drink more sedately this time then said softly, 'Because she's been seeing me.'

It wasn't a question and Moody didn't bother with an answer.

'Scrimgeour didn't take it well,' he told him, after swallowing a large mouthful of whiskey. 'Kate's not welcome back until she gives you the boot. Although, she's going to have a hard time going back regardless…too many people found out and the prejudice against werewolves also extends to their lovers.'

He turned to glance at Remus. 'But I can see that you got your own taste of that particular prejudice tonight.'

Remus nodded, closing his eyes as he recalled the venom spat by the Ministry workers…people who knew Kate but who had still called her a filthy whore for getting involved with him. His hand was even unsteadier this time as he raised the glass again and this time when he lowered it, it was empty.

'We should get going,' Moody said, draining his own glass for a second time.

He turned to a pensive Remus and frowned. 'I warned you it would come to this, Lupin,' he reminded him. 'And you chose to pursue her anyway; now you have to deal with the consequences. Kate was ready for this; she expected this reaction…you're damn naïve if you didn't.'

'I just…I didn't think Kate would get so…' he began then shook his head.

'Ridiculed?' Moody supplied. 'Reviled? She's sleeping with a werewolf…that was never going to be accepted by the Ministry. You should have realised that, Lupin, after your dealings with the Werewolf Regulations Department.'

He sighed. 'I bloody warned you all not to use Killing Spells…'

'How…how is she really with the suspension?' Remus asked. 'She must be angry…'

'She is,' Moody agreed. 'But not with you as she might rightly be, but with Scrimgeour for some of his comments about you. I told you, she was prepared for this.'

He cocked his head, eyes staring piercingly into Remus and not liking what he was reading in the young man's face. 'More prepared than you, I would say. Lupin, she stood up for you and your relationship tonight…in a very public way. If you know anything about the girl, you'll know how hard that decision – you or her job - should have been for her to make. But it wasn't. There was never a choice – she was always going to stand up for you. And what's her repayment going to be? Losing you as well as her job?'

Remus turned sharply towards the man, guilt written across his face. 'How…?'

'You're useless as a fucking spy unless you get your emotions under control,' Moody snapped. 'I can see what you're thinking – it's written all over your face. You're going to leave her; now that she's risked everything she's got for you, you're finally taking my advice to end it.'

Remus didn't answer but he didn't have to – Moody was right. He was only just realising how hard life was going to be for Kate if she was with him and the unhappy thought kept popping up in his mind that if he were any kind of man, he would let her go; let her find someone worthy of her instead of someone who was only going to make her miserable in the end.

'Well, you're a bit bloody late coming to this decision, Lupin,' Moody spat, pushing himself to his feet. 'If her father were here, he'd fucking string you up but as he's not…'

The man's wand was out before Remus realised he'd even reached for it, and it was pointed at Remus' chest.

'You break hers,' Moody warned, jabbing the wand into the flesh over Remus' heart for emphasis. 'And yours won't take another beat. Understand?'

'She'd be better off without me,' Remus whispered shakily, the threatened organ hurting badly as he spoke the terrible truth that had been fixed in his mind since they left Headquarters earlier that night.

'Yeah, she would have been,' Moody agreed, glaring at him. 'But you passed that exit a long time ago. She loves you. Hurt her now and I'll kill you.'

Kate apparated back to Headquarters, trudging up the stairs just in time to see the sun peek over the horizon. Pacing up and down the entry hall, it felt like hours passed before the front door opened and a weary looking Remus stepped inside.

Kate froze. She wanted to go to him, to feel his arms around her but his tension and grim face stopped her. He glanced quickly at her before he shut the door then turned and made a production out of removing his coat, thanking Merlin he'd thought to repair his shirt and heal himself before apparating back to the house.

'Moody went home,' he told her, his voice low and dull. 'I'm going to have a shower and go to bed.'

He looked at her briefly then walked past her on his way to the stairs. 'I'm tired, Kate. You should go home.'

Her mouth fell open in hurt and surprise before she clamped it shut and decided to put his distance down to exhaustion and shock.

'Alright,' she said softly, irritated by the trace of distress that she heard in her voice.

Remus must have heard it as well because he stopped and walked back to her, putting his hands on her shoulders, running his thumbs over her collarbone lightly.

'Have a shower and a sleep, Kate,' he said quietly. 'I'll owl you when I wake up.'

He shifted his hands to her jaw, cupping her face gently as he pressed his lips to her forehead. He lowered his face and gave her a brief, weary smile then let her go, moving quickly up the stairs and disappearing into his bedroom.

Kate put a hand to her chest and rubbed, trying to ease the horrible ache there. There was something about the way he was talking…he didn't sound like himself. He spoke as if she was a stranger, as if she didn't mean anything to him. His earlier words came back to her.

'I…I think I finally understand, Kate. Why you said we shouldn't be together…'

She bit her now trembling lip hard and blinked to try and force back the hot, stinging tears that rose suddenly in her eyes. She had told him many weeks ago that she loved him but had done precious little to show him since - until tonight.

Now she finally fully understood what love truly was…that instinct that made you willing to do anything, give up anything, to protect that person.

He'd risked his life to defend her tonight; risked his heart for her even though she offered him nothing in return. But tonight, she would have gladly lost her mind, happily gone to Azkaban tonight if it had meant that Remus was safe. She had finally shown him how much she loved him.

But was it too little, too late?

She understood now how Remus had felt all those months while she held him at arms length…it hurt to be kept at a distance by someone you wanted to love.

Kate wrapped her arms around her torso, shrinking into herself a bit. She was ashamed that she had taken his love, his trust for granted and treated his heart so carelessly for so long. And now…now that she realised how very much she loved him, that she would do anything; give up anything for him… it seemed that it might be too late to start making up for the pain she'd unwittingly caused him. He was pushing her away - exactly as she'd done to him.

Karma is a bitch.

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