"Sirius! This is shocking - you're four minutes early!" Isabelle laughed.
"Don't get used to it," Sirius said. Isabelle stared at Sirius for a moment.
"You look like shit - you know that, right?"
"Helpful encouragement - I appreciate it," Sirius said. "It's not like you look so hot yourself!"
"We'll see," Isabelle said as she shoved a package into Sirius's arms. "Go and get changed so we can get this over with."
Sirius emerged from the washroom with a disgusted look on his face. "Why the hell do I have to wear this?"
"Wow," Isabelle said, eyeing Sirius seductively. "Black cleans up very good, indeed..."
Sirius looked down at the formal tuxedo he was forced to wear. "Please don't tell me you find this attractive!"
"On you? No. Especially not with your mouth hanging open!"
Sirius's attention had gone back to Isabelle. For a moment he'd just been staring at her, taking in how beautiful she looked with her blue silk gown. "Okay - can we go now and get this over?"
"Fine. When we arrive, you obviously can't use your own name. I've invented something that you won't be able to forget. First question - what's your best friend's name?"
"James," Sirius said without thinking.
"Bingo," Isabelle winked. "That's your first name for tonight. Second question - what's the opposite of your last name?"
This time it took Sirius a few seconds to work it out. "I was gonna say 'Loner-Who-Hasn't-Had-Sex', but that's a little drastic, so I'm going with 'white'."
"The first one would be interesting, but White it is. You are James White. Got it?" Isabelle said.
"Sure thing. What about you - what's your name going to be?"
"I don't know how you'll remember this, but it's Kelly Budd... Can you get that stuck in there?"
"Erm... Well, Kell, you're my buddy! Katie - shit - I mean Kelly Budd! Right? Is that it?"
Isabelle frowned. "Yes. So when we arrive, we'll give our new names to the person at the door and make our way inside. It's important that you blend in, Sirius. This is a formal, Muggle party and it's a serious matter. You have to act like a Muggle."
"I can do that!" Sirius said seriously. "I won't make a fool of myself... Well, at least not like a wizard."
"You'd better not. And don't have too much to drink - I'll curse you if you even try," Isabelle warned.
Sirius grinned and nodded. "Shall we?"

***

Remus rubbed his eyes as he sat down to work. He'd had a horrible night - not a transformation, but threatening dreams.
"Good morning, Remus!" Harold said cheerfully as he entered the room. "I hope you good a decent night's sleep - we've got a lot of work to do!"
"Vodyanoi repellant potion, sir?"
"No, not today. There was a recent discovery in medical potions and I thought we should give it a go," Harold explained. He started to take a few ingredients out of his store cupboard. "Have you yet heard of the Wolfsbane Potion?"
Remus shook his head.
"It's an extraordinary achievement for those who can produce it."
"What exactly does it do?"
"Well... when the Wolfsbane Potion is brewed to the proper extent," Harold said awkwardly, "it is an ideal medicine for those who have been unfortunate to... receive a werewolf bite."
Remus was now perfectly alert. "A - a cure?" he croaked.
"No, not a cure, but a definite improvement to the transformations. I understand how horrible they can limit to, and this potion helps."
"And how does it help?" Remus asked.
"Well, once the transformation is complete, the victim is... no longer a - a threat to people. It becomes nothing but a tame wolf."
"So... if people have discovered this already, then why am I to work on this?" Remus asked.
"For one thing, it's a horribly difficult potion to brew, and hospitals all over are paying high prices for it. And... second... it was Krystle's idea. I had no choice - she was nearly down on her knees."
Remus felt his heart sink. He frowned and looked up at Harold. "If this is only for me -"
"And so what if it is?" Harold asked. He handed Remus the instructions on a roll of parchment. "I'm paying you by the hour, so take your time."
Harold winked at Remus and left for his study. Remus rested his head in his arms on the table and sighed. 'What good is this? I don't want to be working out of pity... I shouldn't be making something that's useless to Harold. Krystle...'
But something inside of Remus was telling him - begging him - to try at least.

Five hours later...

Krystle arrived at the Potter manor in a rush, continuing to glance at her watch. Remus wasn't at home when she checked and he was over thirty minutes late. Krystle hastily knocked on the door. Harold answered it within minutes.
"Ah ha! There's the trouble maker!" Harold smiled.
"I take it he wasn't pleased with the idea?" Krystle assumed.
"Long story short - I don't think he's putting too much effort into it, thinking it isn't the top priority."
"And... He hasn't come down yet?"
"Hasn't made a sound, didn't come for lunch... He doesn't have to stay here anymore but he hasn't left."
"Would be all right if I go and get him, then?" Krystle asked. Harold smiled and nodded.
"Remus?" Krystle whispered as she entered the chamber room that Remus worked in. The room was very dark and Krystle had to step over a broken bottle to continue into the room. Remus was sitting at the desk with his head hidden in his arms.
"Rem?" Krystle repeated.
"Hmm?"
"Are - are you okay?"
Remus lifted his head and looked up a Krystle. He smiled, slightly, and nodded.
"Are you going to come home?" Krystle asked, a little startled.
"I, er, I just wanted to finish this potion," Remus said, sitting up straight again.
"And how far are you?"
"Well, this is about the seventeenth time I've had to start over, but I think I may be close!" Remus said, glaring at his cauldron. He looked back at Krystle with a sincere look in his eyes. "Why did you do this?"
Krystle sat down next to Remus and put her hand in his. "I told you I'd do anything to end your suffering, and I think this is the way."
"I understand that you want to help and I respect that, but... it feels like you and Harold are only doing this because you pity me. I don't want to be a sob story. I am capable of giving myself enough sympathy as it is - I mean," Remus said, quickly, deciding to reword what he meant when Krystle shot him a wide-eyed look, "I am capable of handling myself."
"I know that you are, Remus..." Krystle sighed. "But I feel like you've gone through torture throughout your entire life, and I want to help you make anything easier. I want you to try this potion - when it's completed. I only want you to try it... for me."
"If it's that important to you," Remus said with a smile, "then I'll do it. But... completing it will be the hardest part. This is the hardest potion I've ever attempted to make... Maybe I should get James to help."

***

"Could this place be anymore packed?" Sirius muttered to Isabelle as they got out of their car. "And worse - it's practically all Muggles!"
"Shh!" Isabelle hissed. Sirius realized what he'd done and nodded. He offered Isabelle his arm and they walked to the entrance.
"Your name, sir?" a Muggle greeting the guests asked Sirius. He was holding a checklist.
"James White," Sirius said. The Muggle checked James' and Kelly's names off and nodded them inside. Isabelle took Sirius's arm again and guided him into the party. Sirius noticed at a glance a man with white blond hair and cold gray eyes staring at him with a glare. Sirius tried to distract himself.
"Attention! Can I have your attention everybody?"
A short, chubby Muggle was standing up on a chair trying to get the attention of his guests.
"Thank you!" he said. "I would like to thank everybody for being here tonight as we celebrate the success of my son -" the man pointed to a young, pale man who seemed to be trying to stay in the back of the room "- in his career! As you all know, he has made a breakthrough in researches and has donated over sixty thousand pounds to charities across England!"
The room bursted with applause - Sirius clued in and joined - and the pale man backed up even more.
"Sixty thousand?" Sirius whispered to Isabelle.
"It appears so," she smiled back.
"Excellent! Congratulations, Marvin!" the chubby man said. "Food is on the way, so let's get ready to have a fantastic evening!"
"Great - 'food is on the way' is code for 'the food will be another hour or two'... Are you ready to socialize?" Isabelle whispered to Sirius.
"As ready as I'm going to be."

One hour later...

"Balcony," Isabelle whispered to Sirius. She led him outside and onto the balcony. After checking to make sure no one was coming, she turned to Sirius. "Check - so far, we've run into about... what - six groups of snobs?"
Sirius nodded. He knew that 'snobs' was just a code for Death Eaters. "And that idiot keeps staring at me - remember the ugly prat with like white hair? Something's up with him."
"Shit - he's headed this way," Isabelle hissed, looking over Sirius's shoulder and biting her lip. "Do something!"
Sirius did the first thing that popped into his head - although it didn't make much sense - and pulled Isabelle close to him and kissed her.
"You must be Black!" the man said in a cold voice. Sirius had no choice but to look up at the man.
"Excuse me?" Sirius tried to put on an innocent act.
"You heard what I said. Are you Black?"
"You must have me mistaken for someone else," Sirius said. Isabelle turned around and nodded in agreement.
"Don't act foolish. I'd know that face anywhere - a cocky look about you... even when you're with your little blondie..."
Sirius felt a vain in his forehead throbbing. "Perhaps I could get your name?" he said, trying to stay calm.
The man ignored him and looked at Isabelle. "I thought most intelligent women wouldn't dare to go near such filth. You wouldn't have been so keen to kiss him if you'd seen him last night... Lying there with her... I bet you anything he wanted to fuck her up -"
Sirius exploded with anger and punched the blond-haired man in the jaw.
"Sirius!" Isabelle held him back, dropping all covers in attempt to keep Sirius from killing the alleged Death Eater. "Don't!"
Sirius stared; his face full of venomous hatred as the man stood still again and put his hand over his bleeding lip.
"That wasn't a very smart move, Black. All I have to do is let out a simple call, and you'd be dead before another thought entered your pathetic mind. I could finish you right now... One wrong move," he warned.
"So what's the big plan here? Are you going to blast all the Muggles to bits - just for thrills?" Isabelle asked, glaring.
"No, no, no! We're doing the world a favour - even if we do have a bit of fun. These Muggles have been holding us back, and it's time we've disposed of them!"
Isabelle muttered something even Sirius couldn't even hear.
"What was that?" the wizard (which was definitely obvious by now) sneered.
"I said you're a disgusting bastard! A cheap, dirty, rotten little arse that can't tell right from wrong," Isabelle spoke up. "What you're doing is senseless and you don't deserve to live!"
The wizard grabbed Isabelle's arm and pulled her close to him so he was staring her right in the eyes. Sirius made to pull her back but the man was now holding a wand up to Sirius's heart.
"That's a popular opinion," he hissed. "But there is a way of reversing it. If I don't deserve to hold on to my life, then I take that of another's. It evens it out, you see?"
Isabelle leaned back and then spat in the man's face.
"Bitch!" he shouted, letting go of Isabelle's arm to wipe the saliva out of his eye. Sirius had pulled his own wand out of his pocket now and pointed it at the man. He looked up at Sirius, one hand still held over his eye, and then shouted, "DOLOHOV!"
Almost instantly, six men ran onto the balcony bearing wands. Isabelle retrieved her own wand and sent a slivery messenger towards the entrance of the building.
"Not one move -"
Sirius didn't take the time to listen to the threats of the men before him. "STUPEFY!"
The Death Eater closest to Sirius collapsed, stunned.
"Anyone else want to test me?" Sirius asked, livid.
"IMPERIO!"
Sirius ducked and the curse flew over his head. He turned to look at Isabelle, who it had hit. Isabelle had a blank look on her face and she stared at the wizard who had put the curse on her. That wizard forced his wand forward, and Isabelle turned quickly around and walked to the edge of the balcony. Sirius realized what she was about to do when she started to lift her leg over the side; he ran to her and grabbed her roughly around the waist before she could put her other leg over the edge.
Just in time, a dozen Ministry witches and wizards burst through the front doors and scattered through the Muggles, who had now brought their attention to the action on the balcony.
Within twenty minutes, the Ministry Aurors had caught sixteen of the twenty Death Eaters, but the other four had escaped. More Ministry workers had arrived to modify the Muggles' memories.
"Are you okay?" Sirius asked Isabelle, who had just gotten off the effects of the Imperius curse.
"Yes... I'm fine," she answered. "Why don't we, er, call it a night?"
Sirius smiled. "Sounds good. I guess I'll see you next week, then? On time, hopefully?"
Isabelle forced a smile and nodded.

***

True to his word, Sirius went back to Darlene's house, although earlier than he'd planned. It was around ten o'clock when he showed up at Darlene's front door.
"How was work?" Darlene greeted him with a smile.
"Well, long story short: there were a lot of Death Eaters, and we caught the majority of them."
Darlene gave him another bright smile, but it faded quickly, and she exhaled. "I need to talk to you."
"Oh?"
"Yeah... Come in."
Sirius came inside and sat down. He took in everything at once: piles upon piles of thick folders spread out along the coffee table, then covered in countless crumpled tissues.
"Are you sick?" Sirius asked as Darlene started to clean up.
"No," Darlene sniffed.
Sirius gave her a sincere look. "What's up?" he asked.
"I'm leaving," Darlene answered quietly.
Sirius paused. "What?"
"I have a mission in Ireland. I'm being forced to leave tomorrow night."
"For how long?" Sirius croaked.
"It's undecided... I guess it depends on how fast the mission is completed. Anywhere from one to two years."
Sirius didn't say anything. He was facing absolute shock.
"You have no idea how much I cried after I found out. I'm being forced to leave when things are... starting to lighten. I don't want to leave my home. I don't want to leave you, Sirius."
"Please... tell me this isn't just the easy way out for you so you don't have to work things out with me," Sirius said very suddenly.
"No! If I had a choice then things would be different and I would stay... But I can't."
"Then you don't have any say in this?"
"None. I leave tomorrow evening at seven o'clock. I don't know what to do. This doesn't feel right - going somewhere I've never been for over a year..."
"One year alone is an eternity... But two years?"
"I don't expect you to commit to doing anything, Sirius. I want you to be happy while I'm gone and I don't want you to wait for me."
"Wait for you?"
"Live your life without me."
"I can't do that," Sirius said blankly, shaking his head.
"Sirius, please don't make this harder on me than it already is -"
"Harder on you?" Sirius yelled, accidentally shooting out of his seat.
"Yes, Sirius! Harder on me!" Darlene said. She tried to use a calming voice but it didn't work very effectively. "I don't know how you work out this picture that I'm a crabby little bitch who doesn't care for anyone, but you've got me completely wrong!"
"I didn't -" Sirius started, but Darlene cut him off immediately.
"No - let me finish!" she snapped. "I care about you more than anything and this is hell for me to leave you! Make it that much easier by showing me a little bit of support!"
"Okay!" Sirius said, holding his hands up as a sign that he understood. "I'm sorry... I guess that I am being a little bit inconsiderate. I support you... I support you one hundred - er... no, ninety... ninety-six percent..."
He sat back down next to Darlene and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "There isn't anything that could get you to stay? I mean... You won't even be able to see Evelyn born!"
"I truly would give anything to see that little angel being born... but the fact of the matter is... I can't."
"And what about me? When will I get to see you?"
Darlene closed her eyes and calmly said, "When I return, I guess."
At these few words Sirius felt as though someone had ripped out his heart and showed it to him.
"It's not like we'll lose contact all together," Darlene added. "We can talk on the phone or write... I don't want to fall apart over this."
"Yeah, I know." Sirius checked his watch. "I have less than a day to spend with you... and all I really want to do is leave. And I want to say goodbye now... in case I don't see you tomorrow or if you have to leave early."
Darlene wiped her eyes and tried to smile. "I understand."
Sirius stood with Darlene and embraced her. He gently caressed her back as she cried into his shoulder.
"You have to make one promise to me," Sirius whispered as he kissed Darlene's forehead.
"What's that?" she whispered back.
"Don't forget me..."
"You don't ever have to worry about that," Darlene said.

***