"We needn't have worried about how Harry would do in the tournament. He was brilliant," Liv said as Remus passed her a cup of tea.
Liv had left the celebration in Gryffindor tower to meet up with him and Sirius in the Shrieking Shack finally. Remus noticed that Liv diplomatically took a seat in the armchair, leaving the couch for him and Sirius.
"I wish I could have been there," Sirius said several minutes later after Liv had given them a play-by-play of the first task.
"Me too," Remus said.
The conversation turned next to Liv's work.
"The ministry suspects Karkaroff," Liv informed them. "The theory is Karkaroff has gotten back together with some former Death Eaters; they caused the trouble at the world cup, and now this. But Dumbledore isn't so sure. He doesn't think other Death Eaters would want to work with the man who betrayed many of them to free himself from Azkaban. But who else might have done it? Dumbledore has no idea."
Remus shared a look with Sirius, they were both clearly troubled by that news. "Do you have any suspicions," Remus asked Liv.
"We're looking into everyone, but…" Liv took a breath before continuing. "How much do you know about Mad-Eye Moody?"
This really surprised Remus. Of all the other names she had mentioned, Bagman, Crouch, and more, Mad-Eye had never crossed his mind as a suspect. "We've known Mad-Eye a long time, since You-Know-Who's rise to power."
Sirius almost laughed. "Mad-Eye? You don't think he had anything to do with it, do you?" Liv looked uncomfortable, and Sirius continued. "He's always been a bit paranoid, but he's always had Dumbledore's trust."
Remus continued, "he has a long records at the auror department, they even say he-"
"He filled half the cells in Azkaban, I know," Liv said. "But there's something about him that puts me on edge. I had tea with him a few days ago. It didn't really surprise me that he'd done his research on my background in America, but what did surprise me was that he mentioned you, Remus," she said awkwardly. "Almost as though he knew we were together."
She finished her sentence looking down at her cup of tea instead of at them, or rather, at him.
"Dumbledore might have mentioned it," Remus said.
"He hasn't, I asked. Minerva either. I also don't think he'd have asked Harry or his friends about my sexual history."
Realizing what she'd said, Liv looked embarrassed and took another sip of tea. Remus, whose memory flooded images of their sexual history, tried to keep his face blank because felt Sirius' eyes on him watching for a reaction.
"Anyway," Liv continued, not looking at Remus still. "My best guess is Snape told him, but he doesn't seem to like Mad-Eye much, and he's usually very secretive with people he doesn't like."
"There was someone else who knew," Remus said, which made Liv look at him at last. "You weren't around when Hermione told Harry and Ron about it in this very room last June, but someone else might have overheard."
"Peter Pettigrew," Sirius said. "But you don't think that little rat told Mad-Eye, do you?"
"We have no idea where Peter is, or who he's seen…."
They were all aware of who he was referring to; dark wizards or possibly Voldemort himself. They sat in silence.
"I'll just have to assume that whoever is behind this knows exactly who I am."
"Another cup of tea, I think," Sirius said, pointing his wand at the kettle which didn't heat up as he expected but flew around the room like a rocket, causing the 3 of them to duck for cover.
"I've had it with this wand," Sirius said once Liv had shot the kettle down.
"Can't you just buy a new one?"
Remus and Sirius looked at each other uncomfortably. "We're a bit short on gold these days," Remus said. "Shakelbolt froze Sirius' account at Gringotts, hoping that would force him out of hiding. We've been getting by on whatever work I can find, which isn't much."
Liv nodded, "I'd help if I could, but my account is monitored as a measure against corruption. Any suspicious spending and they'll investigate. Can't you break into a wand shop and steal one?"
"You've obviously never tried to steal from a wand shop," Sirius said very seriously.
"You have?"
"One of many mistakes I made in my teenage years," Sirius said. "I still have the scars. But don't ask me where. Anyway, we've been trying to find a replacement, pickpocketing wizards at the pub and testing them out, but it's tricky. Remus has to bring them out to me in the woods to test them. And without a proper wand, it's dangerous to be transforming into myself so close to the village. He also has to return them before the wizard leaves, otherwise someone might realize wands go missing when he's around."
"Try mine," Liv said taking out her wand and passing it to Sirius. This time, the kettle didn't fly around the room, but the water inside only got lukewarm. "Maybe you could carry my wand with you in case of trouble while Remus and I go to the pub to pickpocket some wands. I'll keep the wizard talking when Remus takes them to you and brings them back."
Remus nodded and looked at his watch. "Now's the only time we could do it. Rita's up at the school this evening interviewing students trying to dig up dirt on Harry, or at least that's what I overheard her saying to her photographer in the village this morning."
With the plan settled, they made their way over to the busy pub. Liv easily struck up a conversation with two blokes at the bar, both a little drunk, and neither sure if Liv was interested in himself or the other one. It wasn't hard for Remus to come up behind them and pluck their wands from their pockets. He left out the back and a little while later came back, shaking his head slightly to tell Liv neither had been a good match, and replaced the wands. Liv managed to leave the pair after one let it slip the other had a girlfriend. They tried again with a foreign wizard who didn't speak much English, and another witch who politely said she wasn't attracted to other women.
Remus sighed and looked at his watch. 4 failed attempts in an hour. It was better than they could do on their own, but disappointing that nothing had come of it. Remus was beginning to feel anxious. He tried to tell himself that it was because he was worried Rita might show up, but he knew it had more to do with watching Liv flirt with other people. He made a gesture from across the room that they should give up, but Liv directed her gaze to another wizard who had been eyeing her from the bar.
"One more," she whispered as she passed him, approaching the man at the bar. He bought Liv a drink, and Remus carefully took the man's wand while he was distracted to notice.
Remus returned minutes later and made a gesture to indicate the wand was good enough. Liv nodded. At that moment, they heard the barking. While Remus paid for his drinks, he was close enough to overhear Liv's conversation.
"This has been nice, but I'd better be going. Thanks again for the drink," Liv said, standing up to leave. From the corner of his eye, Remus saw the man grab Liv's wrist.
"We were having such a nice time, and I haven't finished talking to you yet," he said tightening his grip.
"I don't think you understood me. I'm leaving," Liv said, trying to pull herself free, but his large hands kept a tight hold on her. Remus look his time counting his coins, pretending not to notice the trouble Liv was having.
"Don't be like that," the man said. "I've bought you a drink, don't you think you owe me a little something in return?"
"Let go. I'm not going to tell you again," Liv said he saw her reach for her wand, forgetting for a moment that she didn't have it.
That's when he heard the barking; Sirius' signal that Rita was on her way back to the pub. Remus looked anxiously out the window and could see Rita coming down the path and Sirius continued to bark. If Rita recognized Liv as a student, they would be in trouble. And they were running out of time.
"Is there a problem here," Remus said, approaching Liv and the man at the bar.
"No problem of yours," the man said.
"I was just leaving," Liv said.
Liv made eye contact with Remus. She heard the barking too.
"Leaving with me," the man said.
"That's not what it looks like," Remus said. People were beginning to look at them. Liv tried again to free herself and this time the man let her go, standing up in front of Remus instead.
"I don't see what business it is of yours," he said, poking Remus in the chest forcefully.
"When some drunk asshole starts mistreating women at the pub, I consider it my business," he said slowly, giving Liv time to get away. "And don't poke me again."
"Or what," the man said, poking Remus in the chest again with each word.
Remus punched him.
By the time he got to the shack, his nose had stopped bleeding. Judging by Liv and Sirius' reaction, he knew he must look bad. He slumped onto the couch with a drink while the others rushed around for bandages and potions.
"A bar fight? Really mate," Sirius said, although he looked proud. Knowing Sirius, he was probably disappointed he'd missed out too. "No wonder that wand wanted a new master."
"Did Rita see you," Remus asked as Liv began to clean the blood from his face.
"No. She was too distracted by the fight. She looked like she wanted to investigate, but she broke a nail trying to ask someone how it started, so she ran upstairs. That was about the same time that guy hit you with a chair."
"You stuck around that long," Remus said surprised.
"Well, when I saw that guy had some friends at another table, I just wanted to make sure someone had your back. I think it was 4 on 4. This cut looks bad," Liv said as she cleaned the dried blood from his nose and lips.
"I think we have some dittany in the other room. I'll go have a look for it," Sirius said, and with a wink to Remus behind Liv's back, left the room closing the door behind him.
"You didn't have to go to all that trouble," Liv said. "I was handling it."
"Yes, I'm sure you could have cursed him with the wand you didn't have," Remus said wincing.
Liv smiled. "Ok, maybe I did need some help. Thanks... It was really satisfying to watch him get punched in the face."
"It was satisfying to punch him," he replied. Their faces where close together as Liv finished wiping the blood from his face.
"I'm sorry for the trouble it caused you," Liv said quietly, and Remus got the impression again that this apology was meant to go further than just what had happened that night.
Remus thought before responding. "They say time heals all wounds. I just need time. And I'm sorry too, for, you know…"
For a moment, they looked at each other as they had many times before, but this time they didn't kiss, and Liv she pulled away instead and began to clean his bruised knuckles.
"In the meantime, we need that dittany for these wounds. What's taking Sirius so long?"
Remus smiled too. "We don't have any dittany, and he knows it."