A/N: A story idea I got from reading comics, it is a slight variant of one of their plot lines. It also borrows some from various other sources so I'm sorry to all those people. Sorry for any typos!! Everything you recognize is Rowlings. Please R/R and look into my other stories!!

When The Past Comes Back

By: Erised

Sara Austin pulled the roast out of the oven and set it on the counter. She leaned down and took in the aroma, smiling proudly at her accomplishment. She continued to fuss around her kitchen, searching for tidbits of this and pinches of that to complete her meal. Everything had to be perfect. She giggled at herself, imagine her- Sara Austin- fussing like a schoolgirl over a dinner. But, she reasoned playfully, it wasn't anyone she was having dinner with. It was Remus. She found herself smiling again. Remus Lupin had been such an angel to her while they were at school and she had always nursed a crush on him. Why not? He was handsome, quiet and had the biggest brown eyes she had ever seen. She glanced at the clock. He was due to arrive any moment now.

"Okay, Sara, list them." She said biting her lip and pacing the length of her cramped kitchen. "Roast with potatoes, carrots, and celery. Done. Vegetables. Done. Cherry pie." She swooped down and stared at the oven again. "Almost done. Now think, think, think and hair!" She ran into her bedroom and stared at her appearance in the mirror.

She hated her reflection but tried not to think about it. She was, of course, older then she had been when they were students but then again so would he. Sara picked up a gilded brush and began to comb the fine waves of her dark brown hair. She tried to imagine her face how it had been during school. Then, she had been fair with peach colored skin and rosy cheeks with soft hazel eyes. She had been the belle of Hufflepuff house and she could turn anyone's head, even Slytherins fancied her. She had been as beautiful as a veela and as graceful as a swan. Every girl envied her.

She put down the brush and traced trio of slender scars that sliced the left side of her face from brow to chin. She shuttered, feeling tears well up in her eyes. Then the Death Eaters came. She shook her head, sometimes she wished they had killed her instead of taking her beauty from her. She slid a contact into her left eyes, returning the milky white sightless eye to it's hazel color. She braided her hair and slipped into the yellow dress she had bought for tonight. She recounted aloud the ingredients that could temporary do away with the scars but then dismissed them from her mind. She would never do another potion as long as she lived. She turned and stared at the clock again. "Where are you Remus?"

A knock on the door answered her question and smiling with joy, she jumped up and ran to greet him. Checking her reflection one last time, she said a silent prayer and flung open the door.

Remus Lupin watched the sun begin to set, turning the sky into a palette of purples, blues, reds and gold. He smiled ruefully at the scene playing out before him. He laughed softly but this time it was more at the memory of Sara. She had been so beautiful in school and he couldn't believe that she was interested in him. He only wished that Sirius Black was here so he could gloat.

He stepped off his broom and jerked his cloak back in place (away from his shoulders) and looked at Sara's home. The lights were on and the door was opened so he let himself in. He stepped in and instantly smelled trouble before his eyes registered the chaos. An advantage of being a werewolf was a heightened sense of smell and the scent of blood was everywhere. He gritted his teeth against the smell, damn it was strong.

"Sara?" He called, following the scent to the bedroom. He took one step into the room and knew he had arrived too late. He studied the scene, his eyes becoming moist with tears. "I'm sorry Sara...I'm so sorry."

Gideon Mallory knew he would never forget this grisly display. There was blood everywhere, on walls, on the ceiling , in the tea Sara had boiled. As for her body, it was left drained of blood and decapitated. Had he not been an Auror during the Dark Times, he doubted he would have had the stomach for this. He looked over to his new partner Duncan Riley who was currently showing exactly what he felt of the situation by throwing up outside. Gideon walked passed the clean up crew and the man interviewing Remus Lupin to pat his comrade on the back.

"That's it Duncan...get it all out. That filth shouldn't be left inside you." He said compassionately.

Duncan looked up thankfully. "Sorry Gid, you must have been use to that."

"You never get use to that."

"Who would do something like this?" Duncan asked.

Gideon knew he didn't really need to answer the question. The answer was already circling around the Aurors in hushed tones. Gideon looked at Duncan squarely and pointed to something that was carved into the doorframe. It was a Dark Mark. "Death Eaters."

The rumors were flying since June. Voldemort had returned and not to help matters any the Ministry was refusing to acknowledge it. Minister Fudge must have reasoned that if he ignored the Dark Lord, he would go away. Gideon, on the other hand, knew that wasn't true.

"Shut up, will ya Mallory?" Jena Key, a member of clean up, hissed. "The Death Eaters don't exist anymore!"

Remus answered before Mallory had the chance too. "Tell that to Sara."

"It's a shame."

Gideon turned to the fireplace as a tall, burly figured appeared from the lapping flames. It was Benjamin Laud, an Auror from long before Voldemort. He had been Gideon's superior officer during the Dark Times but after the Dark Lord disappeared, 'Benny Laud' had gracefully hid in some corner of Scotland. He had only returned because of the new threat.

"Benjamin." Gideon greeted. "It's very good to see you."

"Although it would be better under different circumstances." the Scots-Irish replied, taking him into a huge bear-hug. He released Gideon and walked to the body. "Poor girl. To survive all she did, and meet death like this."

"What do you mean?"

"Death Eaters...they had visited her once before, back when she worked for Flamel and Dumbledore. Said they were looking for something...found it too. But for some reason they let her live." Benjamin sighed heavily. "Poor girl. She lost everyone that day: Brant, her beauty and that little babe she was always fawning over. Gabrielle, I believe her name was."

"Did she ever tell you what they were looking for?"

"The Sorcerer's Stone."

"That was destroyed years ago. Any idea why they were after her now?"

Benjamin chewed his lip then looked Gideon straight in the eye. " Looks like they trying up lose ends."

Five hours later, Remus and Gideon were sitting together in a pub, drinking. They weren't so much friends as they were allies and right now, neither one wanted to be alone. Remus kept smiling as different memories replayed before him about Sara. He would whisper them into the silence but Gideon seemed aloof to his musing. The Auror seemed worried.

"Alright, what's wrong?" Remus asked, setting down his brandy.

Gideon looked up, confused. "Huh?"

"You Aurors are all alike, you only have three expressions: Disbelieving, Distrustful and Disinterested." He smiled as Gideon laughed. "You are Distrustful."

"I'm..." Gideon took one look at Remus. "Busted."

"What going on?"

"The scar Sara had on her eye...it was a calling card. A very powerful Death Eater once did that to his victims. Only twice before have I seen him leave people alive with that scar."

"Why didn't you tell Laud?"

"Because..."

"Who is this Death Eater?"

Gideon sighed heavily. "A friend."

"I think its time we saw this friend."

"You're not an Auror."

"I was Sara's friend."

Gideon nodded heavily. "Alright, lets go."