Their moment of peace was brutally shortlived.

"Ah. I see."

A now familiar Irish brogue sounded from amidst the crowd of people who surrounded the reunited lovers. At the words, Remus jerked his head up and around, instinctively putting himself between Tonks and the large werewolf who now stood before them.

Patrick was looking at the pair with a smirk that spelled trouble.

"What do you want, Pat?" Remus asked. His quiet voice trembled, and as he tightened his hold on her wrist, Tonks suddenly realized that in his exhausted and shell-shocked state, he probably saw the larger man as a threat. She grasped his hand tightly, laying her other hand on his upper arm as she stepped out from behind him.

"It's alright, Remus. I'm safe here, we all are."

The young man turned weary eyes toward her, and she noticed for the first time that – underneath the grease and grime – the sandy hair at his temples was turning gray.

Even as she stared at this new development, Patrick was eyeing them shrewdly.

"So this is it, eh? The real reason you brought us 'ere."

Slowly, Remus turned his gaze back to the red-haired werewolf. His brows were furrowed in confusion.

"Wh- what?"

Patrick jerked his head at Tonks.

"How long has she had 'er claws in ya, mate? Long enough to get ya believin' every word the humans say? How are we s'posed to trust yer judgment about these people if the only reason we're 'ere is because yer balls deep in some pink-haired slag – "

Nobody actually saw Remus move. But he must have done so, because suddenly Patrick was on the ground, clutching at his nose as it streamed blood onto the stone floor. Remus stood above him, chest heaving, his clenched fist trembling and stained red.

There was a shout from behind Tonks that sounded like Myko, but she was already throwing herself between the two men. She grabbed the front of Remus's shirt, struggling to hold him in place. His eyes were once again cold and calculating, and she fought against a sudden, instinctive urge to get away from him. This was the face of a man who had killed. Many times.

Myko was behind her, holding Patrick back in a similar manner. The red-haired man was already up and furious, seemingly unaware of the blood dripping freely down his chest. His lips were curled into a snarl, and he grappled with Myko to get free.

"Can't take the truth, eh, kid?" he spat. "Some human bitch shags you, and suddenly we're all Dumbledore's lapdogs!"

"Don't fucking talk about her like that!" Remus roared, and Tonks tightened her hold on his shirt. His entire body was trembling, and she could tell that he was trying very hard not to lose it completely, like he had with Nyström. He was purposely avoiding her eyes, his furious gaze fixed on Patrick.

"STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU!"

It took Tonks a long moment to realize that the exasperated cry had come from her. But when both Patrick and Remus paused momentarily to stare at her, taken aback, she quickly took advantage of the silence.

"This is ridiculous. You're both being completely unreasonable."

Seeing the argument forming on Remus's lips, she quickly said, "Remus, the man insulted me. Would you please let me handle it?"

The young man glared at her for a long moment, and she stared back, unwavering. Finally he nodded shortly, shooting one last deadly glance over her shoulder at Patrick before taking a step back. She released a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Keeping one hand on Remus's chest, just in case, she turned to look at the Irish werewolf.

"I would think you, of all people, would know better than to judge me for something I can't control," she said, forcing her voice into a quiet calm. "I didn't choose to be a human, anymore than you chose to be a werewolf."

Patrick had the good grace to look mildly chagrined at her words. But she was not done.

"Look, I'm not just here because of Remus. And neither is anyone else."

She gestured to the students, staff, and other humans scattered throughout the hall.

"We're here to help you. Because you're living beings, just like us. But also because if we let those bastards in the Ministry wipe you out, who knows which of us is next? What's to stop them from moving on to Muggle-borns, or Metamorphmagi like me?"

She paused to take a breath. The hall was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Her eyes flickered to Remus, and she was relieved to see the fight slowly draining from him, the deadly look in his eyes once again fading as he stared at her.

"We're helping you because it is our only choice. To do anything else would be… unthinkable."

She held Patrick's gaze for what seemed like an eternity. He seemed to be examining her, testing her. She stared back at him steadily. Finally, he lifted his eyes to look over her shoulder at Remus.

"Still not sure if I trust 'er, Lupin. But I like 'er. She's got fire."

Tonks ignored how annoying it was that he had yet to actually address her. Now was not the time to confront his obvious misogyny. She was simply happy when he stepped back from Myko's hold, his posture relaxing.

"Like I said, kid. We'll be watching."

And he disappeared into the crowd. The tension slowly melted from the room, and the murmur of conversation started up again as the stragglers resumed their journey out of the hall. More than half of those who had been present at the meeting were already gone, but the audience for Remus and Patrick's altercation had still been sizeable.

Tonks turned back to face Remus, and found him staring at her intently.

"What is it?"

He blinked, and she could almost forget the mask of rage that had transformed his features only a minute before. A small, disbelieving smile threatened at his lips, and he let out a huff of laughter.

"You're… you're amazing, you know that right?"

She slowly smiled back at him.

"Hmm. Flattery will get you lots of places, Mr. Lupin, but it won't get you out of a trip to the Hospital Wing."

His smile shifted to a grimace.

"You wouldn't," he said, sounding wounded. She raised an eyebrow at him, putting her hands on her hips.

"Oy, Moony!"

A cry from the entrance to the hall demanded their attention. Alex Diamantis stood there, his arms full of medical supplies. He looked frightfully skinny, and his eyes were sunken and exhausted. Somehow, he was shooting them a crooked grin.

"Madam Pomfrey wants you to know that for every minute you avoid the Hospital Wing, I get a minute in front of the entire school, telling them embarrassing stories about you. So take your time!"

Throwing a wink over his shoulder, Alex disappeared. Remus turned exasperated eyes back to Tonks, who was stifling laughter with her hand.

"No mercy," he said, shaking his head. "Absolutely no bloody mercy."

Suppressing a grin, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her tightly to him again. Burying his nose in her hair, he pressed a lingering kiss to her temple.

"I'll see you later?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes closed as she breathed him in. He smelled like sweat and blood and weeks without a shower. But he also smelled like pine needles, wood smoke, open air, and something that was mysteriously and completely him. She was quickly learning that Remus changed appearance and mood more often than a hormonal teenager. But his scent was always the same. Tonks memorized it, storing it away in her mind.

"I'll come by the Hospital Wing in a few hours," she murmured. "Have to help this lot take records of everyone."

She felt him nod, and with a final brush of lips against her temple, he started off after Alex. Several other battered young people left their families to join him as he walked out, their weary camaraderie labeling them as fellow DCEF fighters. Tonks watched him as he disappeared into the hallway.

"You alright, Tonks?" Harry asked, coming up beside her. She glanced up at the black-haired boy.

"Yeah, mate. All good. 'Spose we should get back to work."

They joined the others in a circle around Professor McGonagall, to find out exactly what information they needed to get from the refugees. But Tonks found it difficult to pay attention. All she could see was Remus's tense, enraged form as he stood over the other werewolf, death in his eyes.

If I hadn't been there… what would he have done?


Sirius found Remus in the underground city's makeshift Hospital Wing, fully clothed and uncooperative.

"Really dear, I'm not going to ask you again!"

Madam Pomfrey had her hands on her hips. Any normal person would have been quailing under her fiery gaze, but Remus was steadfast.

"Poppy, I'm fine. Nothing I can't take care of myself, focus on the others alright? I'll just grab a few bandages – "

"The others are all severely malnourished, they have lingering chest infections, and they're magically exhausted. Didn't any of you have wands?"

Something flashed in Remus's eyes.

"No, Poppy. Ollivanders doesn't exactly cater to Dark Creatures with no money."

The plump matron's eyes widened, and her hands dropped to her sides. She opened her mouth, clearly ashamed, but Remus was already shaking his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I- I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. You should be asking questions."

He looked back up at her, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Yes, almost all of them have been using large amounts of wandless magic. I taught them everything I know, but it still takes a lot out of you. We- we did our best…"

His eyes drifted to the wall and his jaw clenched for a long moment. Finally, with a deep breath, he looked back.

"We did our best to monitor how people were doing, but there were a few who went too far, used too much…"

He didn't need to finish. He bowed his head, and Poppy and Sirius exchanged a horrified glance. Death by magical exhaustion was an awful way to go.

"How are they?" Remus asked quietly, his gaze still on the floor. "Are they… are they all going to make it?"

"Yes, dear. They're all going to be fine."

Poppy's voice was steady and sure. The young man looked up and gave her a tentative smile. But the woman was not finished.

"They're going to be fine because they all cooperated with me. Now sit down, and take your shirt off!"

She gestured emphatically to a nearby bed, and Sirius snorted with laughter. Remus shot him an irritated glance.

"You're no help," he muttered. With one last tortured look at Poppy, he sat down and removed his shirt, slowly and grudgingly. As Poppy began to bustle around him, prodding him with stethoscopes and other strange instruments, Sirius tried to distract him with conversation.

"It's good to see you, kid."

Trying to ignore the lit wand Madam Pomfrey was shining into his left eyeball, Remus said, "You too, Sirius. Wasn't sure I'd be seeing any of you again. Nice to be back."

"Do you know anything about what's been happening here?"

Remus shrugged.

"The kids who brought us down from the Forbidden Forest were talking up a storm, but I can't say I actually took in much of it. Something about fireworks and foreign schools. Did you send some of the refugees to other countries?"

Sirius nodded. "Beauxbaton took about a thousand veelas and vampires. Some schools in the Americas took a few hundred, we even sent some refugees to New Zealand and Australia. I don't know how he did it, but Dumbledore managed to find families all over the world to take people in. It's not just us, anymore. Your people have a lot of friends, Remus."

The young man swallowed, his eyes bright.

"That's… that's great news, Sirius. I don't really know how to thank you, how to thank everyone."

"Don't start thanking us yet, mate," Sirius said, taking a seat on the bed opposite Remus. "We've still got a long ways to go before we can change the legislative and social bullshit that got you all into this mess."

Remus nodded, his jaw clenching.

"Is that where Dumbledore is? The Ministry?"

Sirius nodded. "Along with most of the former Order members. We helped set things up here, but pretty soon the kids were running it better than we could. So now we spend a lot of time at the Ministry, politicking."

He grimaced, and Remus looked at him intently.

"How's that going?"

Sirius shot him a frustrated glance.

"Fucking terribly, mate. I'm sorry to say it, but it's going to take a miracle to get enough people on our side to push through reforms. Dennis Arthur and the Weasley twins have been sending out fliers every few days, telling the truth to the public. But a lot of people just don't want to hear it. They want to believe the safe little lies that the Daily Prophet spews out. They're not even willing to read about Dark Creatures, how can we expect to change their minds?"

Remus was staring down at the bedspread, his shoulders slumped as he picked at a stray thread. Sirius grimaced again.

"Sorry, mate. Didn't mean to unload on you."

"It's fine," Remus said softly. "We'll just keep working at it. That's all we can do."

"That's right," Sirius agreed, nodding. "We'll beat 'em, kid. No matter how long it takes, we'll beat 'em. Barrett may be an evil bastard, but we're used to fighting Voldemort – "

Sirius knew for a fact that Remus never even batted an eye at the sound of You-Know-Who's name. But this time, something was horribly different. The young man flinched violently, as though the word had been a physical blow. He cowered away from Poppy, and skittered backwards across the bed, pressing his back to the wall and huddling into himself. His wide-eyed gaze darted about the room, and his chest heaved in shallow, desperate breaths. Sirius was forcibly reminded of a cornered, wounded animal.

Sirius found himself on his feet, gently pushing Poppy aside. He had seen symptoms like this before.

"Hey," he said calmly, holding his hands out to the sides to show that he was unarmed. "Remus, it's alright. You're safe, you're at Hogwarts. Nobody's going to hurt you."

The young man's eyes were still wide, and they passed by Sirius without recognition. The Order members had long suspected that Remus had a mild case of PTSD. It was clear that events of the past month had made it much worse.

Sirius stepped forward, very slowly. The last thing he wanted to do was make any sudden movements. He had seen Remus take down the Irish werewolf in the Meeting Hall. The man was dangerous at the best of times. Sirius didn't want to find out what he was capable of at his worst.

"It's me, kid. Can you look at me?"

The wide amber eyes latched onto his, and Sirius nodded.

"Good. You know me. I'm not going to hurt you."

Remus stared at him for a long moment, then took a shuddering breath.

"Reg?"

The word was so quiet, so uncertain, that Sirius was half convinced he had imagined it.

"W- what? What did you call me?"

But Remus was shaking his head. He brought a trembling hand to his face, scrubbing his eyes furiously. And Sirius felt a lump forming in his throat.

"What did you just say, Remus?"

The young man looked up at him, frightened and confused. He was back from wherever he had been. Furiously, selfishly, Sirius considered yelling Voldemort's name again. What could it possibly mean? Why had his little brother's name come out of this young werewolf's mouth?

"Wha- I… I don't know… What just happened?" Remus stammered.

Sirius just stared at him, and the young man began to look increasingly nervous.

"What did I do? Did I hurt you? Fuck, Sirius, what did I do?!"

Poppy shoved Sirius aside and tried to grasp Remus by the arms. The young man shied away from her.

"You didn't do anything, Remus, you just gave us a scare," she said with forced calm. "I'm going to get Severus to come take a look at you, it's nothing to worry about. You've been through a lot, lately, it's only natural – "

"I don't want Severus poking around in my head!" Remus cried. "I'm not a kid anymore, I can deal with it on my own!"

"No, you can't."

Sirius had found his voice again. His tone was firm, immovable.

"You can't, and you shouldn't have to."

Poppy jumped in again.

"Remus, most of your friends are showing signs of PTSD, it's nothing to be ashamed of – "

"Are you asking Severus to stick his nose into their heads?"

"Well, no, but – "

"But what? I'm a special case? I've got too many issues to be left alone?"

By now, their raised voices had attracted the attention of several other people in the hospital wing. But Remus didn't notice. He was livid. Standing up abruptly, he grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head.

"I know I'm a mess," he said fiercely. "I'm dealing with it. I've already given everything I have to this fucking wreck of a world, don't ask me to give up my own mind."

He strode to the door and slammed it open, disappearing before they could figure out how to stop him. Sirius started after him, but Poppy grabbed his arm.

"Don't. It won't do any good."

"He's remembering things. You heard what he said! You know what it might mean!"

"We don't know anything, Sirius. And we can't say anything. He has to do this on his own. If Severus tried to enter his mind against his will, it could be disastrous."

"Poppy, I care about Remus just as much as you do. He deserves all the help we can give him. But he is dangerous. He's a loose cannon right now, and he's dating my cousin."

Poppy brought her hand to her brow, grimacing as though she had just gotten a migraine.

"I'm going to talk to Dumbledore," Sirius said determinedly. "If anyone can make Remus get help, it's him."

Poppy looked up at him.

"Alright but… just be careful. I know I don't need to remind you of this, but Remus is the only person everyone in this castle actually trusts. Remove him from the equation…"

"And we're all fucked," Sirius finished. He ran a hand down his face, scrubbing at the stubble he hadn't had time to shave that morning. He needed a drink. A big one.


A/N: Just wanted you all to know that any similarities between this story and current events are completely - and disturbingly - coincidental. I planned out most of this quite a while ago.

Also, there are obviously a lot of side stories in here that I'm not going to have time to tell - interactions between Hogwarts students and refugees, what Dennis and the Weasley twins are up to, the refugees who went to other countries, etc. While I'm going to try and address some of these things later, I'm also more than open to you guys writing your own interpretations. I kinda bit off more than I can chew with this AU, and there's so much more to flesh out. If you write a companion story, let me know and I'll include a link to it in the author's notes!

Hope you're all doing well, and you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you so much for the reviews!