DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the content referenced/quoted. Warning for swearing.
...
The Mission
Em returns from the shops one day to find Remus sitting at the kitchen table alone, with his head in his hands.
She enters the room slowly, moves to place the shopping bags down on the counter before turning to look at him.
"Is everything ok?"
He's silent for a moment, "I've been given a new mission."
"Oh."
Em drops into the chair opposite him, her gaze averted.
"Say something."
For once, Em is not quite sure what to say. She stares at Remus, who is watching her earnestly. She supposes she feels a little daft for thinking that he wouldn't head off on a longer mission again. That the last time, the last horrible heart wrenching time would be the last time. But it wasn't, it isn't.
"For how long?" She asks. Her voice is hoarse and it scratches at the back of her throat, the words almost lodged in there.
"A few months," he says. "Maybe more."
She's not sure how to feel about this.
He'd told her last month about the recent Greyback rumours. The children that were missing, the people who felt like things might be better for them under Voldemort's rule. She couldn't blame them, not really, not when the rest of wizarding society is so divided and prejudiced over it.
She runs a hand through her hair.
"I'm not sure what to say," she says honestly. "Because I don't want you to go, and I know you don't want to go, but we both know that you have to."
He reaches for her hand.
"It will be different this time."
He's lying. She knows that and he knows that and they both know that it won't be different this time.
"We needed to talk anyway, Em," he says. She looks up at him confused. "We need to be more careful. Dumbledore has asked me not to tell anyone about this mission, which means you can't say anything to anyone."
"But-"
"He's growing stronger every day and there are eyes and ears everywhere," Remus says firmly, "with Lily and James in hiding and me off on missions, the Order are going to be stretched trying to fight him. It is probably going to get worse before it gets any better."
She sighs, before nodding. He squeezes her hand tightly.
"You'll be ok on your own?"
"I'll be fine," she assures him. "Sirius will still be here and so will Cass. And I'm not moving back into the other apartment."
"Just promise me something."
"What?"
"If anything goes wrong," he says, "if you get the slightest feeling that something isn't right, you'll go to Sirius."
"Remus, I-"
"Promise me." His hands tighten around hers.
She sighs, "I promise."