Claire was horrified. She'd never in her life met someone as perfectly rude yet perfectly civilized as Walburga Black. The woman was the snottiest sort of pure-blood, and it was obvious she wanted the entire restaurant to know who she was and her status, as if there were any in the crowd that didn't know. She spoke promptly and stiffly, greeting her son only with an outstretched hand which Sirius was meant to nod to and kiss, and he did. Charlus had threatened them to be on their best behavior as they talked over the arrangement- for this was for both their safety and needed to be done right. Charlus had them both new clothes made just for the occasion, which seemed to be pointless on Claire's part as she had many, many fine sets of gowns and dress robes that would have suited. Sirius, however, had been rebelling the pure-blood so long he no longer had any such clothing, but looked a bit out of place in his fine purple set of dress robes. They suited him though, Claire had to admit to herself- if Sirius was going to have to wear such a thing, the set her father had picked out did him justice.

Claire's new dress was a pale blue, with a tailored over robe in the same shade with silver lining, no doubt for her house colors on her father's part. They'd pulled her hair tightly up onto her head except a few choice curls, and she'd been given a potion with breakfast to keep up her smile. It was a bit painful, really, and did nothing at all for the heartache hiding underneath, but her father, brother, and now Sirius needed her to make a good impression on Walburga. Charlus and she would have to come to an agreement n the terms of the joining of their children in order for the rest of the pure-blood community to buy it, and in order for it to be believable to the Death Eaters, for whom the whole deal was orchestrated. Claire felt nauseated, but could not let it show, thanks to her father's potion, and she smiled brightly from her seat between Charlus and Sirius as Walburga looked her up and down.

"I'd rather a blonde, really, you know. Such a rare beauty these days, natural blondes." She said, adding to a long list of complaints and comments she'd given. Claire looked over to Sirius. She could not make a face, but her eyes pleaded with him to defend her.

"Blonde, mother?" He ask, "Why on Earth? With Claire, at least we know the children will have the dark Black family hair. No oddballs." Claire swallowed, thinking about the fact that Sirius was right, they'd have to bear children if this went well. And most likely on Walburga's timing. Walburga clicked her teeth.

"Right, well, it is your bed, son." Claire wanted to scream 'I'm sitting right here!' as the three discussed her merits for sex and child birth. She knew she was little more than a calf on an auction block now though.

"Claire is top of her class, has been through three summer schools on domestic magics, and speaks French and Italian fluently." Charlus added, and Claire felt a tiny bit of pride in herself. Hopefully, she was worth something to Walburga. In the back of her mind that was all she could think- She had to make all this worth losing Remus.

"Seems you really had high hopes for this one, eh, Charlus?" She ask, sitting forward and refilling her wine glass. Charlus cleared his throat. Claire knew he had to be cautious in how he addressed Walburga. Sure, she and Sirius could just be married- But an officially agreed upon arranged one was the way they needed to go in order to gain the safety that the matrimony was to bring.

"I still do, for both my children." He said firmly. Walburga smiled, but it was not a happy gesture, and Sirius seemed to recognized this right away, for he stiffened.

"I meant to tell you earlier, speaking of. My condolences, on the death of your male heir." She said. Charlus did not react, but it was obvious Sirius was fighting hard not to defend James.

"James and his new bride are both well, I assure you." He said. "The boy has made his choices, and nothing can be done for it now." The words he chose were calculated, neither defending or bashing to Lily. "I am here for Claire, and for my line. Your son is very much already a part of my family, and making things official would be a pleasure." Walburga seemed to be calculating the offer, her nose still high in the air. There was a very long uncomfortable pause, in which Sirius never looked up from the table and Claire wanted to run away. Again, she thought about what Remus might say, but this too, made her sad. After all- She hadn't seen or heard from him since the morning after James and Lily's wedding. She knew her father, Sirius and James had all spoken to him, and he was supposedly alright, but word travels fast- even in the magical world. Everyone was saying he'd gone off to try and infiltrate Greyback's new pack- the one he was growing for You-Know-Who.

Claire worried about him endlessly. She'd sent letter after letter- Only to have all her owls sent back exhausted with her letters still attached. It broke her heart, but she knew he was hurting too- and really, if this had to happen, and she had spent several weeks at school dealing with the thought, then they would have to properly break up and move on from one another. Claire shook her head to bring her thoughts back to her situation. Apparently she had zoned out of an important conversation.

"So we're agreed on November?" Charlus said, and she saw Walburga offer a daintily held hand for her father to shake.

"November. The mountains will be just lovely for the ceremony. Thank you for lunch, and the daughter." She said with a sickening smile as she stood up. "Sirius, do come by and see us, Love. You have been missed."

Claire could feel Sirius shaking, and she could see his hands, how his nails were digging into the palms. "Of course, Mother. Do take care." He replied as the woman left. Claire sat silently for a bit, and Charlus and Sirius neither one said anything for quite some time.

"I am sorry it had to be like this, you know." Claire heard her father say at last.

"We know." Sirius said for them both.

"I suppose you two may want to talk. Sirius, can I trust you to take my girl back to school safely?" He ask, also rising from the table.

"Of course, sir." Sirius nodded. Charlus clapped a large hand on Sirius shoulder and leaned down and kissed the top of Claire's head before going up to the front to pay. Once he was out the door, Sirius turned to his now fiancee.

"What?" She ask, the smiling potion just now starting to wear off so that her face could slightly relax. She still held the 'a bit too happy' look the brew had forced upon her, but she was coming down from it.

"When are you going to react?" Sirius ask, anger obvious. "Are you even in there?" Claire blinked at the wizard before her, thinking.

"Why would I 'react', Sirius? I am a woman, pure-blood of nature. I have never been my own to claim. I was lucky to have been given the time I had to be free." He voice was quiet, but crackled, and made her seem all the more odd coming from the still magically joyous face.

"So your-"

"Just as pissed off as you?" She ask, and laughed dryly. "More. I don't give a damn if you continue to whore yourself around, Sirius. Everyone else in a marriage like this does. You will own me. Don't you understand that? I am nothing but a pawn in this little power struggle. And you have all this freedom, you can do whatever you bloody well want,be with whoever. But me- Remus will never even look at me again, and we both know it. It won't matter what you or I say- He's gone." Tears rolled down her cheeks, the smile fading more now. Sirius wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close- in the same brotherly way James might have had he been here.

"He still loves you, ClaireBear." Sirius said quietly.

"I don't want him to." She replied through a thick sob. "I want him to be happy, not miserable."

"He wouldn't know how, you know." Sirius said, stroking her hair. "Not without you." They sat together for a long moment, and Claire had to admit, she felt comforted by his embrace. When a waiter cleared the table it drew them both back to reality.

"I'm not going to, you know." Sirius said quietly. "As you said, 'Whore around' on you. Trat you like property. I'm not. I'd never."

"You say that now, but don't make promises you can't keep." Claire replied in a harsh yet hushed tone as Sirius escorted her out of the restaurant. Deep down, Sirius felt some offense. He knew that the reputation he'd built for himself was no secret to Claire- but she was important to him. She was James' sister, and Remus' girl. If he had to be the one to keep her safe, he would do his very best.

A few hours later and miles away, far from London, or anything else that could be considered civilization, Remus shivered against the wind that blew into his shack. He brought in a few more logs and transfigured them into the walls of the little hut, trying to keep out the draft of night. He hated this village, if this place could even be called such. It was a couple dozen little transfigured shacks, held together with rope, mud and magic- All because Fenrir felt that 'being with nature helped them to not fight the wolf within'. There was no reason other than this for the desolation that the pack was forced to endure, except maybe that he could control them better when they were run down, tired and cold.

Remus settled into his bunk after a long day of stacking rocks in the fortress wall Greyback and his Beta wanted to surround their little compound. It was hard work with no food or breaks to be had until the day was done. His clothes were filthy, but he was far too tired to even change himself out of them before he had to lay down. Remus had been very glad for his watered down rabbit soup and stale bread that night, the meager meal filling his belly as well as if he'd dined with a king.

Within his covers the cold no longer nipped at him, and he closed his eyes tightly, waiting for sleep to come. He wondered about Claire, but he knew even if she was saddened, or even depressed, she was far better off with Sirius than with someone like him. These conditions were what he'd been meant for, he knew. This life was probably what he had always been destined for, and his youth had been a gift he'd cherish in his heart forever.

Remus did know that the young witch was thinking of him, every time he sent and owl away he knew they were from her. He could not risk getting mail and Fenrir deciding to read it, putting Claire at further risk. He missed the young witch- his love for what little time he had her. He smiled in spite of it all, remembering her warmth. As he drifted off to sleep, the last thought he had was that the two of them truly had loved enough for a lifetime, and he was glad of it.


Little bit shorter, but cutting into the details of it all now- well, for a start. I hope everyone enjoyed the new installment, and thank you all so much for reading. Be sure to review!