Remus
"whats wrong with her?" Lily fumed as she threw herself down on the bench next to Remus
"her brother died" Remus told her quietly "and her mother,but from what I gather she's not much of a loss"
"which one?" Lily asked quickly,tears already pooling in her eyes "it's not Edward is it? she must be devastated" Lily sniffed softly as she leaned forwards to look at her friend at the far end of the table
"Michael" Remus told her sadly "her dad's not in great shape,he's got aurora's guarding him around the clock in st mungo's"
"poor Michael" Lily sighed softly "he always kept the others in check,they're going to be so disorganized without him,im guessing their deaths were no accident?"
"death eaters" Remus replied with a grimace "broke in during the night,apparently their mother had expressed interest in joining the ranks"
"doesn't surprise me at all" Lily scoffed "she was a vile woman,your mother would have loved her Sirius"
"loved who?" Sirius asked confused as he sank down opposite Remus with James on his heels
"Nicola Greenway" Remus chuckled as Sirius visibly recoiled
"she was my mothers favorite cousin" Sirius frowned "im glad she's dead"
"everyone is mate" James smirked "these pure bloods are mental"
"isn't your mother pure blood?" Remus asked distractedly as he watched Ava read her book at the far end of the table
"my father" James countered before informing Lily of his family tree and his relation to Sirius ,Remus had heard it a thousand times by now and could probably recite it himself.
Ava hadn't muttered a single word to anyone all week,Remus sometimes felt her eyes watching him but as soon as he'd look up she always looked away and busied herself which was highly frustrating,even Lily hadn't persisted after Ava after the first few days back,she attended lessons,ate on her own and then disappeared every only people Ava spoke openly to were the professors and Severus Snape. the latter was quickly making his way over from the slytherin table in Ava's direction
"whats with Snape and Ava?" Sirius asked bluntly as he too watched the Slytherin's progress across the great hall
"they're friends" Lily shrugged before grinning brightly at Severus who glanced up the table in her direction "i think Severus is loosing patience with her,they both tutor potions and Ava's not been pulling her weight lately"
"she's got a lot going on" James defended Ava imminently "i don't think he's being impatient with her,i think he's sharing information" he added eagerly as everyone looked down the table and Ava and Severus looked up.
"we've been caught staring" Lily giggled as they all quickly turned back to their now empty dinner plates.
"Black" Severus muttered inches away from Remus's ear "a word if you please?"
"like im going anywhere alone with you" Sirius scoffed in disbelief
"Potter if you would?" Severus asked politely gesturing to one hand to the entrance hall
"right behind you" James nodded already halfway out of his seat
"you can't be serious?" Sirius asked James completely shocked
"come on" James sighed tugging his friend's arm aggressively to get him to his feet.
"I wonder whats wrong" Lily asked turning to face Remus
'death eaters escaped from azkaban,including Sirius's mother' Ava sent the thought directly to him as he jumped up from his seat with a yelp of surprise,Ava on the other hand continued casually reading her book,like nothing had happened.
"excuse me" Remus told Lily rather rudely before walking quickly to Ava's end of the table
"what was that?" Remus asked cautiously "since when can you get inside my head?"
"around the same time you got in to mine" Ava told him dismissively
"a warning would have been nice" Remus chuckled lightly as he took a seat on the opposite side of the table
"you realize that's literally what I was doing right?" Ava smirked slightly as she glanced up from her book "I was warning you"
"thank you" Remus smiled slightly "have you thought anymore about what we talked about?"
"Remus" Ava sighed sadly "I ment every word that I said"
"I hoped you would change your mind,actions speak louder than word's after all" he smiled softly
"just because you dropped the L bomb and I became weak at the knee's doesn't change the situation" Ava told him quietly "you promised"
"I promised to try" Remus sighed loudly "but I never agreed to when id start trying"
"always looking for loophole's" Ava muttered under her breathe "Remus,I wanted our agreement to start right away and you know that"
"I don't think you really mean that" he smiled thinking back to the two of them alone in the dusty classroom "it didn't feel like a goodbye,more like a very big hello"
"it wont be happening again" Ava told him with a stern look,and he knew she ment it,"it was a mistake on my part and I apologize"
"it doesn't have to be like this" Remus told her sadly "we can forget any of this ever happened,have a real wedding,job's a nice house"
"yes and a heavily padlocked garage for full moon's" Ava told him seriously "not forgetting the ministry snooping around us forever and the fact I cant get a job"
"but we'd be happy" he argued in vain,Remus after all understood Ava's concerns as they were once his own "I did this to you,maybe if we get back together the lycanthropy will transfer back to me"
"you could be just as happy with someone else" Ava smiled sweetly "as for the lycanthropy,I wouldn't give this to anybody especially you"
"but it was mine to begin with" he told her completely bewildered "I'd have done anything to be rid of it,now that I am I feel nothing but guilt"
"please don't feel that way" Ava smiled sadly "I've only transformed twice and the worst thing to happen is the scar on my stomach that you saw yesterday"
"you...you don't know do you?" Remus asked hesitantly as he read Ava's face skeptically.
"know what?" Ava asked frowning slightly in confusion "is there something you need to tell me?"
"it's nothing" Remus lied quickly thinking of how to change the conversation when a warm fuzzy feeling came over him "stop it" Remus snarled as he successfully forced Ava out of his head
"show me" Ava smiled softly her eyes unblinking
"I need to go" Remus told her quickly as he jumped up from the table and made to leave
"Remus" Ava whispered "what are you hiding from me?"
"im not hiding anything" Remus told her reassuringly before making his way back down the table towards Lily,James and a rather grim-looking Sirius.
"Peter's escaped" James told him at once "he hadn't even made it to Azkaban they were still holding him at the Ministry"
"does Dumbledore know Peter's an animagus?" Remus asked after a long minute of thinking
"McGonagall know's about me and Padfoot" James explained as Sirius nodded in agreement "its hard to miss a stag and the grim running around on school grounds"
"so nobody knows about Peter?" Lily asked with a frown "what does Peter transform in to anyway?"
"a rat" the three Marauders chorused
"that make's sense" Lily chuckled lightly "are you going to tell the Professors?"
"I think we should" Sirius told them quietly as Remus all but fell off his seat and James's mouth fell open in shock
"you'd actually tell...you?" Lily asked in complete awe
"my mother's escaped" Sirius told them with a grimace "the more death eaters off the streets the better,besides he was supposed to be our friend the traitor"
"well today is just full of surprises" Remus smiled approvingly "I have a meeting with Dumbledore tomorrow,ill let him know you need to speak to him"
"thank's Mooney" Sirius smiled softly,before turning it into a wolfish grin as Ava passed by them on her way out of the great hall,closely followed by Professor McGonagall.
"is it a full moon tonight Mooney?" James asked quietly as Ava and the professor reached the doors
"no" Remus frowned slightly recalling his Lunar calendar stuck to the dorm room wall "the next one's in a week"
Dumbledore
"is this truly necessary Millicent?" Dumbledore asked with blatant annoyance as a small group of Auror's stepped through the door of his office
"quite Albus" the minister told him curtly "from your letter I assumed that my personal safety was at risk with two werewolf's in attendance"
"the only time your safety would be a concern with werewolf's present,is under a full moon Millicent,as you well know" Albus told her with a wide smile "is your nephew not in fact a werewolf,Luke is it?"
"unfortunately" the minister scowled "he is the black sheep of the family,even my sister doesn't speak to him anymore"
"how unfortunate" Albus smiled sadly "Luke has always been an extremely bright boy,thrived in care of magical creatures if I remember correctly"
"how fitting" the minister scoffed nastily,if Albus had disliked the woman ever since she had become minister of magic,the dislike had turned quickly in to loathing as she spoke with nothing but disgust towards her own nephew.
"Alastor" Dumbledore greeted the Auror with a warm smile as Alastor Moody slipped through the door "its been too long"
"aye" Moody agreed shaking Albus's hand quickly "you still owe me that drink Albus"
"you become rather forgetful in old age Alastor" Dumbledore chuckled while gesturing to an empty seat for his friend as the minister stood by awkwardly
"that'll be the Lupin's arriving" Albus chuckled as several voices floated up from the stair case
"like bulls in a china shop" Alastor cackled as everyone turned to face the door
"I told you...oh" Ava Lupin hissed furiously over her shoulder as a disgruntled looking Remus Lupin walked into the back of her as she'd paused in the doorway frozen in shock at the presence of so many Aurora's.
"are we late?,I told you we were late" she sighed quickly regaining her composure there's even back up Remus,how exciteing" she chuckled darkly as she gestured to Remus at all the auror's in the room "probably here to witness" she grinned finally stepping into the room as Remus,Edward and Daniel followed looking extremely unhappy
"I hope you're aware I lost two members of my family over the past few days" Ava glared at the minster coldly "this is quite rude of you summoning me like this at such a time"
"my apologies Mrs Lupin" the minister told her insincerely "I had planned on this since the marriage was declared"
"I just bet you did" Ava scoffed while summoning several seats for herself and her friends "so what do you want?"
"I just have some simple questions about your marriage ceremony" she minister told her in a matter of fact voice
"so you've dragged me out of hiding to find out the latest gossip?" Ava glared angrily "and fetch half the auror's department with you? who exactly is guarding my father minister Bangold?"
"yes who is guarding William?" Albus asked with a twinkle in his eye "as far as I knew Alastor was supposed to be with him at all times"
"apparently this is more important Albus" Moody scoffed angrily
"I can assure you my actions have a purpose" the minister told the room at large,even her own auror's shifted uncomfortably at her obvious lie
"then get on with it" Ava snapped impatiently
"very well" the minister nodded extracting a long piece of parchment from her robes "what date were yourself and Mr Lupin married?"
"are you really going to waste my time like this?" Ava sighed in disbelief
"have you and Mr Lupin consummated the marriage?" the minister asked with a slight sneer
"that's none of your business" Ava snapped aggressively as Remus flinched slightly and Edward snorted with laughter,even Albus had to cover his laughter with a cough
"are you aware your husband is a werewolf Ava?" the minister asked with a nasty smile
"yes I am aware of that thank you,and its Mrs Lupin to you" Ava smiled back sweetly
"very well Mrs Lupin" the minister tutted "where were you and Mr Lupin married?"
"Cardiff" Remus cut in as Ava began to go red in the face from suppressed rage "the Norwegian church by the bay"
"and the pastor can confirm the ceremony?" the minister asked eagerly
"yes" Remus told her simply as Albus nodded a fraction,Albus had visited the humble church not long after the soul bonding and confunded the unsuspecting pastor regretfully.
"is it true you have now separated?" the minister asked her disappointment obvious
"temporarily yes" Remus sighed sadly "we have decided to finish our education before settling into married life"
"a smart decision" Edward smiled softly at his sister who seemed on the edge of exploding
"anything else Millicent?" Dumbledore asked letting his amusement show
"just one more thing" the minister smiled nastily turning her gaze to the rage filled teenager sitting before her "are you a werewolf Mrs Lupin?"
"how dare you" Remus growled animalistically
"get out" Albus snapped,he'd had enough of the situation "this young woman is going through a separation with her husband and two days ago lost two very important people in her life,shame on you Millicent"
"I didn't mean to cause offence" the minister smiled wickedly as she added what seemed to be a tick next to the last question and rolled it back up
"you horrible,nasty old hag" Ava whispered fiercely "daddy bought his way into the ministry and that's the only reason your minister,you're useless and pathetic"
"arrest her" Millicent grinned triumphantly,her smile faltering as not one auror in the room moved a muscle
"what is her crime?" Alastor asked with a bark of laughter as he withdrew his personal flask from his robes "she's only said what everyone's thinking minister,surely a mild dose of criticism wouldn't affect a woman of your position"
"White" the minister shrieked as a young extremely handsome auror stepped forwards
"yes minister?" he asked politely in a deep voice,Albus almost laughed out loud when he realized that Auror White was one of his old students,and a relation to Daniel Morrissey.
"arrest her" the minister demanded stomping her foot childishly
"for what?" Zach asked while trying to suppress a smile
"for conspiracy to...to" the minister stuttered
"the has broken no law to my knowledge minister" Zach frowned slightly as he took back his position near his step brother.
"I think perhaps it is time you left" Albus told her forcefully as he nodded to one of the auror's
"Minister?" Ava asked sweetly as the woman was half way out of the door "just a quick reminder,seeing as you interviewed me yourself and not a qualified Auror the questions you asked,and answered for me would not hold up in the Wizengamot"
"what?" the minister shrieked angrily glaring around at all the auror's that had not moved an inch from their positions in the office
"as chief warlock i can confirm Mrs Lupin's statement" Albus grinned widely "good day to you minster" he added before snapping the door shut on her shocked face and every auror in his office burst in to laughter.
"now" Albus chuckled softly watching as Ava visibly relaxed while Remus spoke softly to her "who would like some tea?"