Sorry for the delay, coursework has been keeping me busy. I love Remus in this chapter.

When Sirius and Dumbledore arrived at Grimmauld Place it was to find that Evie was no longer in bed. She sat at the kitchen table, trembling fingers wrapped around a cup of steaming tea, while Remus talked to her in a low voice. She dropped her eyes to the tabletop as Dumbledore entered the room. Dumbledore took a seat opposite Evie and gently placed his hand over hers, his mouth twitching into a sad frown when she flinched. It was plain to everyone that she expected some sort of reprimand or punishment for what happened to Snape, even though she had exerted all her will and exhausted herself to keep her power in check.

"Professor Snape is fine, my dear," Dumbledore reassured her. There was clear disbelief in Evie's face but she did not argue or accuse him of lying. "I believe," Dumbledore continued, "that he would be insulted at the idea that you could cause him lasting damage."

Evie's mouth twitched into a tiny smile. Yes, that sounded like the kind of thing the proud professor would say. "I am here on another matter," Dumbledore said, and Sirius noticed that he withdrew his hand from Evie's. He couldn't blame the headmaster; he doubted that the gesture would be welcome in a few moments. But as soon as Dumbledore released her, Evie's fingers began to tremble. Sirius swiftly dropped into the seat next to her and took her hand, not caring whether Dumbledore thought it inappropriate.

"I am afraid," said Dumbledore, "that I haven't been entirely honest with you."

This drew Evie's eyes from the tabletop to meet Dumbledore's piercing blue gaze. She said nothing, waiting silently for him to continue. He cleared his throat. "I have led you to believe that you must learn to control the power passed on to you by Mae. This isn't necessarily true."

"Of course she must," Remus said softly. "She could hurt herself if it's allowed to run free."

"Or other people," Evie added, her voice barely audible.

"You must learn to control your power only if you choose to keep it," said Dumbledore.

Silence followed this announcement. Remus looked from Dumbledore to Sirius and then back again as if expecting to see an explanation written on their faces. Evie's mouth moved silently, framing the word 'if' over and over again. Eventually she asked, "If? If? You mean I can decide to get rid of it?" Her voice cracked, whether from tiredness, emotion or lack of use Sirius did not know.

Dumbledore met Evie's gaze levelly, although Sirius didn't know how he had the gall to. "There is a way to strip you of your power. Not the power you were born with, that will remain untouched, but the power you inherited from Mae."

Remus grinned broadly and squeezed Evie's shoulder, but she looked too stunned to celebrate. Her facial features were frozen with shock, preventing her from even smiling. "How long have you known?" she asked.

Eyes unflinching, Dumbledore said, "Since I first learned the nature of your power."

The smile on Remus's lips faded, and his eyes caught Sirius's. The question in them was clear: had Sirius too known about this from the beginning? Sirius shook his head almost imperceptibly. "Why didn't you tell me?" whispered Evie, her hand shaking beneath Sirius's.

Dumbledore sighed, removing his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I worried that fear of the power would cause you to make a rash decision."

"Of course she was afraid," Sirius snapped, speaking for the first time since his arrival. Before leaving Hogwarts he had agreed that he would keep his silence while Dumbledore explained himself, but he was finding it increasingly difficult to hold both his tongue and temper in check. "Who wouldn't have been afraid? You had no right to take this decision away from her."

"I did what I thought was best."

"You-!"

"Get rid of it," said Evie quietly.

Sirius and Dumbledore fell silent, turning their eyes on her. "Evie, please," Dumbledore began. "Before you make any decisions-"

"She's already told you her decision, she wants to get rid of it," Sirius interrupted, something close to triumph in his voice.

"You fail to consider the consequences!" Dumbledore said, rounding on Sirius. "The potential in this power is almost limitless."

"That's just like you, thinking of the power rather than the person," Sirius accused. "You-"

"Both of you be quiet!" snapped Remus. He was on his feet glaring at the other two men. One of his hands still rested protectively on Evie's shoulder. Both Dumbledore and Sirius were surprised by the fierce glint in his eyes and the angry tone in his voice; Remus very rarely got angry. "This isn't about the expansion of magical knowledge or power. Neither," he said, noting the smug grin Sirius wore, "is it about winning a victory over someone you're angry with. This is Evie's decision, and Evie's decision alone. Offer advice but do not try to manipulate her decision for your own petty reasons."

Before the men had a chance to argue, Remus turned his back on them and knelt down so that his face was at a level with Evie's. "Ignore them," he ordered as her eyes drifted over his shoulder to Sirius and Dumbledore. She obeyed, bringing her eyes back to his. "I'm sure you know the consequences of your decision. If you choose to keep the power, you risk injuring yourself or someone else if you lose control, but you retain the gift of being able to heal effortlessly. If you choose to rid yourself of the power, there's no chance you will ever hurt someone with it. But so too do you lose the power to heal. What do you want, Evie?"

"I'm scared," she whispered.

Remus took her hand. "I know."

"I want it gone," she said, and although her voice trembled it was clear that her intent was firm. "I know that without it I'd probably be dead, but I want it gone. I don't want to hurt anyone else."

"You're sure?" Remus asked. Evie nodded. Relinquishing her hand, Remus rose to his feet and turned to Dumbledore. "How do we do it? How do we get rid of it?"

"It would normally take a month to brew, but I had Severus create a portion weeks ago." He drew a small phial from a pocket inside his cloak. The potion inside was an eye smarting shade of red, and it bubbled so violently that it shook the bottle. "In effect it is a poison, and it can cause the drinker great pain. We will have to put Evie into a deep sleep."

It took them a little over an hour to prepare. Evie had to be forced to eat and drink to raise her strength; the potion would make her ill for days afterwards, but the effects would be far worse if she drank it in a weakened state. Once Dumbledore was satisfied that she had eaten as much as her fragile stomach could cope with, he led her, along with Remus and Sirius, to her bedroom. "This will be somewhat unpleasant," he warned her as he uncorked the phial.

Evie recoiled as the scent reached her nose. It wasn't the most unpleasant smell she had ever experienced, but neither was it encouraging. Grimacing, she brought the phial to her lips and drained the liquid in one gulp. The moment the last drop of potion had vanished, Dumbledore flicked his wand and Evie slipped out of consciousness.

The next time Evie woke, her vision was blurred. She blinked once, twice, and the world began to come into focus. She was no longer in her room; she was outside, lying in long grass, bathed in sunlight. At her side sat Remus, smiling at her kindly. "Where am I?" she asked as he gently pulled her into a sitting position.

"Don't you recognise this place?" he asked.

Evie looked around, blinking in the glare from the sun. She did indeed recognise this place; she had spent most of her life here. She had been very happy here. "Yes, I do. But how? This can't be real. It was..." she trailed off, unable to say it.

"Burned," Remus said for her. "In reality this house, this garden, was burned. But they are preserved perfectly in your mind."

"Is that where we are? My mind?" Remus nodded. Evie continued, "Does that mean you're not really Remus?"

"I am also a part of your mind," Remus said calmly. "I am here because you have a vital decision to make, and this is a form you trust above all others. I must help you make your decision."

"What decision?" Evie asked, brow furrowing. "Whether to keep my power? I've already made my mind up."

"Your body is fighting the poison that will destroy your power. If you choose to do so, you will be able to throw it off completely."

"Why would I do that?"

Remus rose to his feet and extended his hand to Evie to help her up. He guided her over to a large pond that most certainly did not belong in Mae and Aaron's carefully tended garden. Its waters were murky, swirling with mud and debris; even on the brightest days the bottom would be hidden from view. "The wizarding world is reaching a crucial time in its history. You must know this or I wouldn't know it. You can see it on the faces of the Order members, in Sirius's eyes during your defence lessons, even if you try not to acknowledge it. There will be a war. The Order will fight. The Weasleys will fight. Harry and Sirius will fight. The man whose face I wear will fight. And you, Evie. You too will fight. The consequences of the decision you are about to make will effect everything."

Remus pointed at the pond, and an image formed on its surface. Harry's unmoving face, a small line of blood trickling from the corner of his open mouth. The image dispersed and reformed itself. Sirius being blasted through the air by a hulking, vicious faced Death Eater. Fred and George with smiles frozen on their faces forever. Remus, his face contorted with pain, pressing his hand over a gushing wound in his side. Mrs. Weasley sobbing into the chest of her husband's still body. Dozens of different images chased each other over the surface of the pond. Each showed the same thing: the people she loved injured or dying.

"You could have saved them," the Remus standing at her side said softly. "If you had kept your power, you could have saved their lives. Are you willing to sacrifice them?"

"I could have killed them," Evie countered. "I could have lost my temper, lost control, and killed them." The images in the pond cleared as quickly as chalk being erased from a blackboard. Seconds later they were replaced by a fresh set of scenarios. Each of them featured a strand of power leaping from an enraged Evie to slam into one of her friends. Sirius fell with the exhilaration of a good fight still alive in his eyes, while Harry's glazed eyes silently accused her. The final image showed Snape being lifted of his feet and thrown into a wall in the corridor of Grimmauld Place.

"Are you ready to choose, Evie?" Remus asked, his voice kind. "There will be no going back from this, no more second chances like the one you have just been offered."

Evie nodded, her heart drumming against her chest. "I'm ready. Or as ready as I'll ever be, anyway."

"What do you choose, Evie?"

"I want the power gone. I know how to heal as well as anyone else with potions and wand work, Mae made sure of that. But if I lose control and let the power hurt or kill someone I care about, I'll never be able to forgive myself."

"You're certain of this?" Remus asked, studying her face carefully.

"I'm certain."

"In that case, it's time for you to wake up."