A/N: This is a long chapter and marks a bit of a turning point.

Thanks to all of you who have reviewed over the past few days! This story has more reviews than its prequel now, which strikes me as illogical, but I'm not gonna complain! THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Also, I had no idea Richard's character was so popular... People were much more upset than I'd expected, so uh... sorry? And thank you! I'm very grateful and proud that my OCs have touched you in any way.

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Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter 25: Of Living By One's Creed

The April afternoon was warm with a bright yellow sun. The trees were spotted with pink and white flower buds, just about to bloom. It all seemed highly inappropriate for the somber occasion.

Hundreds of witches and wizards in black robes sat and stood, many weeping, some with solemn expressions. The number of impressive figures in attendance was staggering, from the Minister of Magic to the Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Every member from the Order of the Phoenix was present. An official at the front of the congregation stood next to the closed casket and spoke eloquently of Richard Delacroix's life and accomplishments. He reverently placed a medal over the casket – the Order of Merlin, First Class. Rowan glared at it bitterly.

Alfred, Rowan and Carole sat in the front, all three dry-eyed and looking forward with fierce determination. Rowan's hands were clutched in her lap tightly, as were her mother's. Behind them sat all of her friends. James Potter looked forward with grief across his features while his wife Lily and mother Julia sobbed, grasping hands. Lyall Lupin, Sirius Black, Mina Surrey, and Peter Pettigrew sat still like solemn stones.

The only person whose gaze seemed to be averted from the casket in front was Remus Lupin, who sat beside Rowan. She didn't turn to look at him, but his gaze frequently flickered to see her anxiously. His hands gripped his knees almost painfully, as if forcing them to remain there, to not reach out and touch the young woman next to him. She didn't seem to notice.

As the Ministry official concluded, he gestured to Rowan, and the entire congregation turned to look at her. Rowan stood from her seat and moved to the front, desperately fighting her trembling hands. As she stood at the podium and gazed out on the sea of faces set in black, she felt her stomach tighten painfully. It seemed cruel for her father to put her through this after he'd already left her behind.

She took a shaky breath and looked up at the sky. It was bright and blue and clear, and she thought bitterly of the warm feeling she'd had just a couple weeks before - how could the promise of spring ever be so wrong? The parchment of her notes in her hands was wrinkled from her wringing. She gathered herself and then spoke:

"The Delacroix family has an ancient motto," she said shakily. Her voice sounded weaker than she would have liked, but as she cleared her throat, she realized somewhat sourly that it would remain that way.

"It states, 'Honor in bravery and justice for all.'" Rowan breathed deeply and imagined that her father's voice spoke from her mouth. "For years, I would listen to my father recite that creed, and for years, I would roll my eyes at what I thought was campy enthusiasm. It wasn't until I grew old enough to understand the evils of this world and see the darkness of these days with my own eyes that I truly understood the profundity of our family's motto.

"My father Richard lived everyday seeking justice, and he died with honor showing the purest of bravery. He was a man who defended the voiceless and demonstrated what it truly means to be a Gryffindor: loyalty to one's friends, courage in the face of darkness, and an unquenchable thirst to stand up for what is right.

"He was a loving husband, a doting father, and an irreplaceable friend. His passion for conquering the injustices of this world was only outmatched by the ferocity of his devotion to his loved ones. He worked tirelessly to see that the law was upheld, and he died a warrior's death, fighting until the very end."

Rowan searchingly looked out into the crowd, not really knowing what she was looking for. The expressions on the individual faces hadn't changed, and she felt empty.

"I can spend hours, days, telling you how much he meant to me and my family and how much he meant to the wizarding world, but I think the sheer number of people in attendance here today can testify to the kind of man that Richard Delacroix was. I knew him as a loving parent, but he was more than that. My father was a role model, someone whose aspirations and actions spoke of higher virtues and morals. He was a servant for the people, someone who stood for something greater than himself or the Delacroix family. It only seems appropriate that I speak to what he wished to see in the future for our community, not just the warm personal sentiments I have.

"He didn't want flowery words or declarations of praise. My father wanted justice. He wanted to put evil men behind bars and punish them for their crimes. It would be a lie for me to say that I don't want revenge for the terrible way that he died, but I can say that if he were still here, he would want to see justice upheld. He would want to end this war and bring peace back to the wizarding world."

She took another breath, her face burning at the shakiness of her voice, but she pulled all of the fire left in her forward.

"My father did what most are too afraid to do: he looked into the face of evil men and fought them publicly and proudly until he had nothing left to give. He lived as an avenger, and he died a hero's death."

The volume of her voice had increased, and she felt the flames running through her veins. She thought of her father, and the heat of his fiendfyre.

"I am proud to say that I am the daughter of the Delacroix family and that I will spend the rest of my life standing in the face of evil – even when I'm afraid and even when I think I have nothing left to give – because I know that my father died fighting for what he believed in. I will always think lovingly of the kind man who was my father, and I will always think proudly of the brave hero who was Richard Delacroix. And if he has touched any of your lives as well, I hope that the next time that you are faced with darkness, you will think of him and all of the ways that he fought for justice. Thank you."

She moved from the podium as soon as the last words left her mouth. She didn't look again towards the faces of the crowd and walked back to her seat quickly. As she sat, her mother grasped her hand tightly. They kept their gazes forward, but she knew that a chapter for both women had closed quietly in their hearts. And for both, there was much work to be done.

A solemn reception at the Delacroix Manor followed the funeral, and Rowan looked about bitterly at the numerous Ministry officials rubbing elbows with each other. They stood around the manor salon and chatted in hushed tones, though obviously very animatedly. It seemed shameful that they would use such an event to try and further their connections when one of their own had just died. She wanted to scream at them, to tell them to all leave.

"That was quite an impressive eulogy. You inherited your father's talent for public speaking, it seems."

Rowan's dark thoughts were broken by a hard voice, and she turned to see a man that she recognized from the newspapers and a few of the Ministry events her father had taken her to over the years – Bartemius Crouch Sr. He was a tall man with a serious expression, garbed in impeccably tailored dress robes and a narrow, toothbrush moustache. Though his words were of praise, she didn't feel complimented.

Next to him stood a handsome, lanky young man with straw-colored hair that she recognized as Barty Crouch Jr. He had been a couple of years behind her at Hogwarts in Slytherin. She noted that he had filled out slightly since the last time she'd seen him, dressed in just as sophisticated robes as his father. He had been a quiet and diligent student, a Prefect, and always a competitor for the top marks in his class but never one for the limelight. She'd spoken to him a few times while at school, and despite being a Slytherin, he'd seemed friendly enough. He'd never given her a reason to dislike him, unlike many of his other housemates.

"Mr. Crouch," she acknowledged with a curt nod. "Thank you very much for coming."

She held out her hand, which Barty Sr. shook firmly. He held a hard gaze with her, and she felt a strange fire in her chest as she looked back. It was as if he was trying to stare her down for some reason, and she was determined to match his intensity.

She then turned to his son, who smiled softly at her and extended his hand as well, though still firm his grasp was much gentler. The contrast between the two men was startling.

"It's good to see you again, Rowan," he said quietly. His face grew more solemn. "I'm very sorry about your father. He was a brave man," he said sympathetically.

"Thank you," she said, unsure of how to respond to him. He seemed much more confident than the last time they'd met. She had to pause to make sure he was the same boy she knew from school.

"I've been meaning to speak to you for a while now, Ms. Delacroix," Barty Sr. suddenly said very brusquely. She was slightly taken aback by his forwardness, but she held his gaze with as much poise as she could muster. She wasn't sure why, but she knew she couldn't lose face to this man.

"I apologize, Mr. Crouch. I was unaware of this," she said levelly.

"I understand that you were Damocles Belby's apprentice at the time of his death, were you not?" the Ministry official said. He stated it as a question, but she heard no real inquiry in it. It sounded more like an accusation.

Rowan felt her anger bubble at his rudeness but kept it from her voice. "That is correct," she said curtly.

"I need to know everyone that the apothecary dealt with during your time there. This means clients, suppliers, researchers – everyone you could possibly think of," he said quickly and coldly. His eyes bore into hers. "I will also need a complete inventory."

"I've already given all of our records to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Mr. Crouch, and I have testified to a series of Aurors my account of what happened the day of my master's murder. I believe that is under your department's jurisdiction, is it not?" she countered quickly.

He bristled noticeably. "There have been some… changes in policies recently with my appointment as the Head of the department," he answered carefully. "We are beginning a new investigation with new procedures – ones that I hope will yield more effective results. Therefore, I will once again be needing your full cooperation."

Rowan assessed the older man, and he seemed to size her up as well. She remembered her father's words about Mr. Crouch – that he was ruthless and willing to bargain with flunky Death Eaters if it meant getting to the bigger villains. She knew she had to tread carefully with this man.

"My father mentioned that some officials were considering offering suspects, uh, certain liberties for the names of fellow Death Eaters," she said carefully.

Crouch Sr. nodded curtly and eyed her carefully. "Yes, we reason that if a felon gives the Ministry enough critical information about Death Eater activity and/or participants and is not an immediate threat, certain arrangements can be made to shorten incarceration time," he said fiercely.

There was a strange mania in the man's eyes, and Rowan felt icy dread crawl up her spine. It reminded her of Remus' dark looks after she'd been burnt. She felt incredibly uncomfortable knowing that this man was the new Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The thought of men like Karkaroff being given less than life in Azkaban was infuriating. She had to quell the surge of heat that shot up her back.

"I see," she said quietly. "I have to admit that I'm not entirely in agreement with this policy. I find it difficult to put my faith in a government that bargains with murderers."

The older man assessed her quietly, eyes scanning over her analytically, as if trying to determine her every weakness. She held his gaze steadily and held herself upright with squared shoulders. She would not be intimidated by this man.

"I'll also be on the case, Rowan," Barty Jr. piped in.

Rowan jerked her head to look at the young man. He was looking at her earnestly with a fire in his eyes, though softer than his father's. She looked at him searchingly, unsure of how to respond. He had always been a nice boy. She felt bad that such a gentle man had to endure such an incorrigible father. It seemed very wrong for such a person to be placed in Slytherin. She smiled softly.

"Yes, I'd heard that you'd also joined the Department of Magical Law Enforcement this year," she said quietly. Though it doesn't make much sense for someone like you to pursue such a career, she thought. He seemed much more suited for something like academia, something with books and old parchment. "I'm glad to know someone I can trust will be investigating the case."

He smiled warmly at her.

"I promise I'll do my best. I swear we'll catch the man who murdered Mr. Belby," he pledged fervently. She was quite taken aback by his eagerness. He'd never spoken to her in this way before.

Crouch Sr. looked between Rowan and his son, a calculating look spread across his features.

"You know," he started slowly, "Your father and I were good friends for years. We had often discussed how wonderful it would be to have our families better acquainted. After all, you and Barty are so close in age. It seems foolish that we never thought to introduce you two earlier on," he said carefully, looking at Rowan steadily. "And to have our families working so closely together... Great things could happen," he added cryptically.

Rowan heard the suggestion before Crouch Sr. could even squeeze the words out. She glanced at Barty Jr., who was looking slightly embarrassed at his father's shameless implications, though not displeased. The young man's face was slightly pink and looking at her cautiously.

"Yes, my father did mention it before," she answered slowly, keeping her gaze held with Barty Jr.'s. He stared back with a quiet intensity. "I also have thought that it was regrettable that we were never better acquainted. Two great houses - we could certainly benefit from each other."

She turned back to Crouch Sr. pointedly, who was still looking at her with that careful expression. They held gazes evenly for a silent moment before Crouch Sr.'s face broke into a slow grin.

"Well, then," he drawled, "No time like the present, is there?" He looked at his son with his triumphant smile, though his eyes bore into the younger man's. Rowan could nearly hear the older man's silent warnings to the younger. Don't mess this up, boy.

"Yes," Barty Jr. said lightly, tearing his gaze from his father's and looking at Rowan. He smiled warmly. "Let me take you out to lunch sometime, as a family friend. We should make up for lost time," he said slowly.

Rowan smiled graciously, silently patting herself on the back for coming across this opportunity. "I would enjoy that very much," she said softly.

The Marauders had been watching the entire exchange between the Crouch men and Rowan from the corner of the salon with bated breath. The group's energy hummed anxiously as they saw angry sparks fly between Rowan and the older Crouch, and at the sight of the younger, Sirius had sourly muttered things under his breath like, "slimy Slytherin shit" and "Eyes on her face, you dickhead," as he and James never took kindly to Slytherins. Remus had gotten along decently with his fellow Prefect Barty Jr. while at Hogwarts despite his house placement, but as he saw the younger man smile at Rowan warmly, he couldn't help but agree with Sirius.

When they saw Crouch Sr. grin at Rowan, they'd all bristled uncomfortably. Even at a distance, they could see the scheming behind his eyes, and when Remus noticed the pointed glances he made between Rowan and his son, the light-haired Marauder felt his stomach twist painfully. The dark voice within him roared with anger.

"What? No, Winnie… You can't possibly…" James whispered as he saw Rowan scribble something on a piece of parchment and hand it to Barty Jr. When he saw the younger man smile brightly at her, he groaned, and Remus elbowed him sharply in the stomach to shut up. He grunted painfully.

Remus couldn't breathe. As he saw Rowan slip the piece of parchment into the man's hands, he saw her fingers purposefully graze his. She smiled warmly at the young Ministry official, and he in turn looked quite taken with her. Remus felt something tearing at his insides, thrashing wildly to be let out. He wanted to rip Bartemius Crouch Jr.'s eyes from his face so that he could never look at his woman again.

As the two men turned to leave, she shook hands with them again. She nodded curtly to the older, noticeably shaking his hand with a vigorous grip. The younger grasped her small hand with both of his earnestly, and he held it a moment longer than necessary. Remus mentally noted that his hands would be the next body part to be torn away.

After Rowan was sure that they'd departed, they saw her visibly relax. It was as if all the air in her suddenly deflated. She closed her eyes and took a few deep shaky breaths, running a hand through her hair anxiously. When she opened her eyes back up, there was a renewed heat there. Remus could almost hear her hyping herself up mentally. She then turned on her heel and walked from the room.

"What the shit was that?" Sirius whispered with awe. "She couldn't possibly have just given her information to slithery Slytherin Barty Crouch, right? Did I just imagine that?"

"I can't believe it either," James whispered. He looked confused and slightly angry. "Something's not right. She wouldn't have just agreed to something like that after having such an intense sparring with Crouch. There must be something else going on that we don't know. Maybe we're misreading things," he reasoned quickly.

"Yeah, maybe they're commissioning her for some potions or something," Peter reasoned. The others nodded, but it was obvious that none of the four actually believed it.

"You don't think Crouch blackmailed her, do you?" Sirius asked slowly.

The four looked at each other carefully. "No, Crouch is ruthless, but I can't think of any reason for that. He and our dads were mates," James said slowly. "I know that Richard had been trying to set her up with some young blokes at the Ministry, but I never thought she'd agree to go out with Crouch of all people," he muttered darkly.

James suddenly looked towards Remus with guilt. "I'm sorry, mate. I would've told you, but you two were broken up and all, and she was never interested in it, so I didn't think it was worth mentioning," he said quickly. His words dripped with apology. "And I can't really believe she'd go through with this. There must be a mistake," he reasoned.

Remus tried to stifle the anger that was threatening to burst. The monster in him was thrashing wildly. He bristled with barely contained rage.

"We should just go find Rowan and ask," Peter suggested. The three other men turned towards him with surprise. Even he looked startled at his own voice.

"You're right, Wormy," James said, slightly in awe of the smaller man's rare input. "Yeah, let's find her."

Rowan lay in the grass in the backyard alone, staring up at the blue sky. She noted that she'd have a hell of a time getting the grass out of her hair and robes when she got up and that it was highly irresponsible to leave her mother alone at her father's funeral reception, but the intensity of her conversation with the Crouch men had left her drained and in need of silence. The sky seemed so endless. She wanted to be swallowed by it.

The thought of going out on a few dates with Barty Jr. didn't appall her, but she wasn't thrilled about it either. He was a nice boy – intelligent, gentle, decently good-looking, and well-connected like her father had wanted. If she squinted hard enough, he could even resemble Remus slightly. Really, wasn't he a great potential partner? She grimaced. Yes, but she knew that despite all of his good points, he still wasn't Remus, and this was still going to inevitably end poorly.

All three members of the party seemed to understand the underlying implications of their conversation: Rowan wanted Crouch Sr. to ensure a life sentence for Karkaroff, and Crouch Sr. wanted an impressive pureblood partner for his son. It wasn't exactly a written contract and it was possible that Crouch Sr. was just giving her false hope without any intention of actually trying for a conviction, but if pretending to date Barty Jr. meant having even a slight hand in Karkaroff's case, then she'd do it without complaint. She felt bad towards Barty, but he seemed to understand and held no visible resentment. He'd seemed rather enthusiastic really. She wondered how long she'd have to keep up the charade before Crouch got a conviction for Karkaroff. She hoped that Barty wouldn't mistake their relationship for something genuine.

"There you are!"

Rowan inwardly groaned at James' voice. She wasn't dumb. She knew they'd all been watching her talk to the Crouch men, and she knew they were seeking her out for answers. They were the last people she wanted to see at that moment. Or rather, Remus was the last person she wanted to see at that moment. She closed her eyes and grit her teeth for the coming interrogation.

She opened her eyes to see James and Sirius staring down at her. Remus and Peter stood behind James and Sirius respectively. They were all visibly upset. She closed her eyes, desperately not wanting to meet Remus' gaze.

"What?" she asked sharply.

"We want to know what the hell just happened in there," James said. She could hear petulance in his voice, which sent a small flicker of anger through her. She didn't have the patience for this today.

"I don't see how that's any business of yours. Isn't it rude to eavesdrop?" she asked shortly.

"We weren't eavesdropping. We just watched," Sirius reasoned, sounding indignant.

"Tomato, tomahto," she drawled.

"Answer the question, Rowan!" James demanded.

"Like I said, I really don't see how it's any of your concern," she replied haughtily.

Suddenly, her view went from blue sky to James. Her head spun from the sharp movement, as he yanked her up from the ground so that she was sitting up. She had to grip James' arms unsteadily to ground herself and find which was down.

"Winnie, tell me you didn't just agree to go out with Barty Crouch, of all people!" he demanded quietly.

She felt heat flare in her chest brightly. He seemed to shrink away from her gaze slightly. "So what if I did?" she asked angrily. "I don't see how it's any of your fucking business!"

James' face also flared with anger at her tone. "Of course it's our business!" he retorted. "You're our best friend, and he's a Slytherin! If you're going to go out with someone, it should be because you want to, not because his father blackmailed you!"

"Who said anything about blackmail?" she spat angrily. "Maybe I'm just trying to find someone to settle down with. Maybe I'm trying to fulfill my dead father's wishes to marry well. Did you ever think of that?" She glared hard at him. "And so what if he's a Slytherin? He's a good guy – isn't that all that matters?"

James snorted. "Winnie, we all know you've never given a shit about 'marrying well,'" he responded derisively. "There's something going on between you and Crouch, and as your friends, we have the right to know!" He glared back. "And there's no such thing as a 'good Slytherin,'" he spat.

"Merlin was a Slytherin," she retorted defiantly. She felt like a petulant child for her insipid comment, but she was still feeling contrary from her conversation with Crouch, and James was quickly hacking away at her patience.

"Stop trying to defend him!" he barked angrily.

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe I just like the guy?" she shouted. They all looked disturbed at the suggestion. "Maybe I like him! Maybe I find him attractive, and you're hurting my feelings by saying all these terrible things when you don't even know him! Did you ever stop to think that perhaps I'm doing this because I want to?"

She was lying through her teeth, but if she told them her real reasons, the Marauders would make the boy's life a living hell and probably barge into Crouch Sr.'s office with threats. Shit, she knew they were probably going to torment the young Crouch anyway, but maybe they'd go a little easier on him if they believed that she actually was interested in him.

James looked murderous. He glared at Rowan with nostrils flaring. He looked as if he was struggling to keep his limbs in place, like he wanted to punch something.

"I know that's bull shit, Winnie, but if you want to keep lying to me, fine," he said quietly, bristling with fury. Guilt hit her as she saw the hurt in his eyes, but she kept her face straight. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this sooner or later, and if I find out that Crouch is doing something even slightly shady, he's going to pay," he said darkly.

His eyes searched her face thoroughly again, but she held fast and stared back, willing herself to not look away with guilt. His mouth twitched. You win for now. He stood and looked at Sirius. The two walked back into the house with Peter scurrying after them.

Rowan stared at the grass, berating herself angrily. She'd just hurt her oldest friend because she was dishonorably using someone to get revenge for her master's death and was too ashamed to admit it. Should she have told him? Would he have understood?

No. She knew he'd be too angry to see her reasoning behind it. He'd insist that she break her arrangement off with Crouch. He'd think that they could find a way to get Karkaroff behind bars honestly without the man's help. But she knew that James was too naïve, too honest to understand that sometimes nepotism and backhanded deals were the only way to achieve one's ends, that other people weren't as good as he and Lily were. She thought bitterly to herself that she was one of those people.

Suddenly, she saw a pair of black leather shoes step into her vision. She looked up and saw Remus looking down at her, smiling sadly. Her chest constricted painfully, and she couldn't meet his eye.

"Come on, let's go back inside. I'm sure your mother's looking for you by now," he said softly, extending his hand out.

She gazed at it warily, and the guilt that ate at her stomach seemed to multiply in mere seconds. She wanted to apologize to him, tell him that despite how it looked she loved him still, but she held her tongue. What did it matter if she still loved him? It wouldn't change anything between them. She took his hand carefully, trying not to pay attention to its warmth, and he pulled her to her feet with ease.

She stood in front of him, staring at his chest and avoiding his eyes.

"Hey, look at me," Remus said softly.

Rowan faltered, eyes darting upward slowly. It was painful, forcing herself to look up, but she finally met his gaze. He looked at her searchingly. She wanted to curl up and die with shame.

"You know what you're doing, right?" he asked quietly.

Rowan felt her mouth quiver and mentally kicked herself for slipping. He, of course, noticed, and his face melted darkly. She could see a flicker of anger there. She straightened her face and gathered her poise.

"Yeah," she said firmly. She didn't believe the tone of her own voice. "I have it all under control."