A/N: It's only been seven years... *waves nervously* Anyone still there? xx

The Room of Requirement- a secret that Hogwarts Castle had even managed to keep from the Marauders.

That was until Hermione Granger had shown up out of time, with a disregard for Hogwarts' secrets and carrying a folder full of carefully recorded adventures under her arm. Adventures which included this miraculous piece of architectural magic more than once.

Remus was unduly nervous as he and Tonks approached the room that Sunday evening. He'd had a brainwave about a way to give her a proper practice field for her stealth exam – the Ministry training room replicated within Hogwarts seemed like an excellent way for her to gain confidence. So, when she had arrived at his door that evening, with her hair long and dark and wearing a strange ensemble of tartan tights and a black knitted jumper that could have fit Hagrid, he dragged her upstairs at once.

"You really need to tell me what we're doing," she whispered, as they approached the tapestry of trolls in tutus, "I'm not supposed to let you wander about at night."

This was why he was nervous, he worried that she would read a bit too much into his desire to help her. Breaking the rules set for his own safety and so on, just so she could get better practice, and the thing was, she should read something into it, because he realised now that all her little touches and cheeky grins meant much more to him than they should. He had managed to develop a crush on a woman who was too young, and far too … spirited for him to have any sort of future with.

"I feel like I owe you one," he said, and it was the truth, "losing all your study time makes me feel very guilty, so I'm doing my best to make it up to you, we're here." He said as they stopped in front of the bare patch of wall that held the still invisible door to the room of requirement. "Right, now, you need to think about the training room that you'll sit your practical exam in."

"Why?" her lip curled as though she thought he was having her on.

"Just do it." Remus said, "think about wanting it to be available to you here. So that you can practice in the ideal environment."

"Have you gone loopy?"

"No." Remus laughed, "it's a castle secret, you'll be amazed, just think about the room and pace up and down in front of the wall."

"You have gone loopy," she looked up and down the corridor, her wand held a little higher, "have you talked to anyone else today?" She shot at him, turning her wand in his direction.

"No… McGonagall at lunch, a few students while I was walking back to my office from the Great Hall, why?" he asked, nonplussed.

"Do you remember everything you've done today?" she was so serious, steel in her normally bright eyes.

"Yes, what?" he backed away from her just a little, feeling unnerved, "We're just up here so I can help you study, I promise."

"Finite Incantatem, Imperio Reviso," she said sharply, flicking her wand in his direction.

"What the- Tonks," Remus put his hands up, bewildered that she was so concerned.

"Okay, sorry, I had to check, It's my job," She cast him a suspicious little side-eye, "you're being weird."

Good grief, he'd been worried she noticed he liked her, not think he was Imperioused. Perhaps it was better this way.

"So the room?" she prompted

"Yeah," Remus said, a little flustered, "just think about what we need and the room will appear, it's honestly amazing magic."

"Okay." she walked up and down in front of the blank wall, her eyes shut and clearly focusing hard.

On her third turn the door Remus was waiting for popped into existence, Tonks looked surprised, but also eager, she reached for the brass handle without hesitation, though Remus noticed she still held her wand at the ready.

She pushed the door open to reveal a vast space, one that was vaguely familiar to Remus. He was quite sure he'd never been here before, but the large multi coloured cushions piled by the far wall, and two bookcases stocked with Dark Arts defence books gave him the oddest dejavu.

Tonks turned to him, looking relaxed and smiling once more, "Wow," she breathed, "I'd swear we were in London. This is exactly like the defence training room at the Ministry." She bounced experimentally on her toes and the wooden floor creaked loudly, "Squeaky." she said, lifting her eyebrows at him.

"Challenging," Remus offered, unable to stop the smile brought on by her enthusiasm. "But I'm guessing they'd give you a bit more than just an empty room to cross for your exam."

"Yeah," she said, "they set up scenarios, urban streets, or old houses, even a forest one if last year's recruits are to be believed."

Remus was impressed. That was a lot more complicated than he'd imagined. "Okay I think the room will be up to it… what do you want to try first?"

"How about a forest? I just want to see what this place can do."

Then she closed her eyes again and Remus was astounded by the immediate reaction. Trees sprouting from the floor, the light from the gas lamps on the walls morphed and moved, becoming a perforated yellowish green from above.

The quickly growing trees were spreading as they gained height, their branches splaying out to crisscross the ceiling, the dappled light seeming even more authentic as it filtered through the boughs.

Like a speeded up film, leaves shot off from fine green stems as the trees slowed their movement, until all he could see above him was a lattice of mid-summer green, wafting gently in a subtle but definitely new breeze.

Tonks still had her eyes closed as she concentrated, and so was taken by surprise when the floor suddenly moved, the polished wood became uneven, moss and stones and tree roots burst from it, creating a cushy slightly damp carpet beneath their feet.

"Whoa." Tonks breathed in awe as she took in the transformation. "It's so real," she said, the gleeful light in her eyes was yet another little stab at the attraction Remus was doing his best to quash. She did look lovely standing there in the artificial sunlight smiling with wonder. "Too quiet though." she said, and at once birds could be heard in the distance. "Ha!" she laughed, "this is wonderful."

"So what's the test?" Remus asked, making himself look away from her, "I'm not sure how they'd work a forest into your exam."

"Me neither," Tonks said. But even as she spoke the light changed, darkness fell, like a rapid sunset. Then the sound of voices could be heard.

"That Auror is around here somewhere." a gravely male's voice said, "Kill on sight."

"Copy that." a second replied.

The illusion was chilling, Remus could see two vaguely human-shaped shadows far off in the distance, there was a pin prick of light attached to each one. It really looked like criminals with lit wands making their way through the undergrowth towards them.

Tonks was confused, "What do I do?"

"Get away from them, I'd guess."

Then in the same direction as the criminals Remus noticed the purple M symbol of the Ministry, that must be home base, he thought. "I reckon you have to get over there," he said, pointing to the M.

"This is so crazy,'' Tonks murmured. "Do you think an exam will be like this?"

"I hope it is," Remus whispered back, "this is a much better test of talent than feeling safe in a comfortable familiar test space."

"I guess, so I have to get past them and to the Ministry M you reckon?"

"That seems logical." he agreed.

She nodded, then crouched down to lace her heavy red boots more securely. Remus had wondered how she could walk around with them all loose, the tongue flapping with every step. Now though, as she stood again they were snug and tight to halfway up her calf, her tartan leggings tucked into the top and clashed horribly with the yellow laces.

There were crunching footsteps nearing them as she rolled her sleeves back and set off. Heading for the broad trunk of an artificial oak. She paused when she reached it and looked around, and as her eyes fell on Remus still standing in their starting position she frowned then beckoned him with quickly flicking fingers. Mouthing quite clearly, "Get over here."

Remus followed, the whole situation had him feeling edgy, the dark, the illusion of unfriendly people searching for them, the nervous excitement on Tonks's face. He fancied a bit of adventure a much as the next guy, even if his outward appearance didn't project it. Remus felt a grin pull at his lips as he slipped across the open space to join her at the oak. Nothing like a run through the woods to get the blood going.

"You're not supposed to enjoy this," she hissed at him, clearly disgruntled.

But Remus couldn't help it. His day to day life of teaching was rewarding, but it wasn't exhilarating like this. He shrugged, still grinning, "This is to test you, not me, I'm just out for a moonlit stroll, lead on."

Tonks gave him a playful sneer and a half-hearted shove to the shoulder before she turned to peer out from behind their hiding place. The two figures were nearer, and as Remus looked too he noticed it wasn't only two anymore, he could see four dark shapes with the glimmer of a lit wand tip lighting their way.

"Spread out." a gruff voice said. "The Auror is here somewhere."

Tonks took a moment to gauge the area, and Remus was glad she didn't ask for advice. Instead he was left trying to keep up as she picked a quick path from tree to tree cover to cover, he was impressed with her night vision, she didn't stumble on any of the gnarled roots jutting out of the floor, like he would have expected her to with the clumsiness he'd seen from her before.

He himself had always found the marauders night time adventures the easiest, sharp eyes in the dark was one of the canine attributes that stayed with him all month long and so making his way through this dim artificial forest was quite simple.

The Ministry's glowing M was growing larger as they closed in on it. The temperature had dropped in the room and there was mist rolling around their ankles making it more difficult for Tonks to place her feet silently, leaves crunched every so often and Remus would see her freeze each time, worried it was enough to alert the pursuit.

It was definitely a pursuit now.

The indistinct figures were barely ten metres from them as they moved through the trees. It was eerie, the figures seemed ghostly to Remus, they radiated a sinister energy that he was sure the room was manufacturing, but it still made the hair at the back of his neck prickle.

Tonks grew more confident as they flitted from cover to cover, Remus found himself distracted, watching the concentration in her face, the careful control she had over each step. Distracted so much that he didn't pay enough attention and put his foot in an extra crunchy spot of leaves. She whipped around and the noise, scowling. He held up his hands in apology and was sure that she smiled before returning to her task, but it was hard to tell in the dark.

Within five minutes, with no more blunders from his distracted feet, they had found their way to the spot beneath the glowing purple M. The sinister creeping atmosphere lifted at once and they were back in the sunlit clearing. This room really was a wonder.

"Hell yes!" Tonks said happily, "that was brilliant Remus."

Remus was still watching the room return to normal when Tonks put her hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to look at her just as she stretched up and pressed her lips to his. "Thanks." she said, "this has been so much fun. I'm going to miss guarding you."

"You're only halfway done," Remus said, his voice coming out in a raspy croak, he cleared his throat, embarrassed, and sighed internally.

Admitting to himself that he fancied her was such a foolish thing to have done. He should have kept denying it. Then his brain wouldn't be rushing to find a way around the ethical dilemma of Auror and charge.

"Yeah, but," she shrugged, and her expression made Remus's ribs feel too small when he tried to breathe in, there was a steady, significant glint in her eye, it was both intimidating and vulnerable and she was standing too close.

She let out a heavy breath and murmured, "Bugger it," before she rocked up onto her toes and kissed him again.

Only this time it wasn't a dry polite press of lips, it was warm and pliant and promising and Remus was bloody thrilled. He knew he shouldn't be, and they definitely shouldn't be doing this, but as he slid a hand around her back to hold her to him, he thought that she had summed it up pretty well.

Bugger it - it wasn't like anyone had to know.

Just because Sirius knew that the three first year girls were being interviewed that afternoon, Didn't mean he was prepared for how uncomfortable it felt to see his little girl sitting in the interrogation room, his stomach twisted and he kept peering in through the little window in the door.

He and Frank were going to be talking with Greta Reeves first, while Tonks and Moody dealt with Flora and Beth. Thankfully his wife appeared at that moment, bustling from the direction of the lifts, talking at top speed to a quill that was sailing along beside her in mid-air, recording her words on a constantly scrolling piece of parchment.

"Hi,'' she said breathlessly, as she snapped her bag shut. "I'm not late am I?"

"No, Moody and Tonks were just finishing something up stairs, the girls are in there, you won't need to say anything, neither of them are suspects, we have three accounts of them not going anywhere near the office so Moody will just be asking for details of the hospital and people's behaviour. That's all."

"Okay."

Sirius opened the door for her and Hermione entered, greeting Alice with a reassuring smile. "It's a bit strange to be on the boys turf isn't it?" She said, taking a seat next to Flora.

"No wonder Daddy's always so grouchy when he gets home," Beth said, "this place is so gross."

Beth Longbottom was Flora's best friend, and Frank's daughter so Sirius would never say a bad word about her, but she was definitely living proof that Hermione had made the right decisions with Flora. Beth had lived the conventional old-family upbringing, and while she had a good heart and didn't despise muggles, she was slightly spoilt and doted on by all but her mother.

Alice frowned at Beth, "Your father deals with criminals all day, Elizabeth, that's why he's grouchy."

Sirius thought privately that Frank probably did find working in the grimy integration rooms unpleasant, being the neat freak that he was.

Alice had recently returned to the Ministry herself after thirteen years at home; from the time she'd gone into hiding while pregnant with Neville. True to pureblood custom she had remained at home until the children were both at Hogwarts. Alice was one of the few remaining traditionalists like Narcissa, although Frank's mother probably had more to do with Alice's decisions rather than her own values.

Alice was far too out of practice to re-join the Aurors after so long away. Instead she had been hired to help on the theoretical side of James's field training programme. Something Moody was very grateful for. James may have been an excellent teacher, but his record keeping and written reporting were dismal. Alice, with her mostly homemaking and seemingly frivolous skills of function planning and bridge playing had been able to organise James and his shambolic system in a trice. She was a talented woman.

"I'll leave you to it then." Sirius said.

Flora gave him a little wiggly fingered wave, there was a twinkle of mischief in her expression as she said, "Be nice to Greta, Dad."

"Don't get cheeky to Moody and Tonks." Sirius warned seriously, and disappointment flickered over his daughter's face.

"One prod with Moody's cane and she'll do as she's told." Hermione said reprovingly, Flora's mouth dropped open and both Alice and Beth looked horrified.

"Funny, Mum." Flora said, with flick of her wild hair and narrowed eyes. She sounded much more like a teenager than Sirius liked.

"Who says she's joking?" Sirius put in.

Flora's eyes switched from one parent to the other and back again, trying to detect the weaker of the two. Sirius knew it was him and was therefore unsurprised when his daughter said, "Really Dad? You'd let him hit me?"

"I won't be here," Sirius said, "I'd say it's best not to test the theory." He advised hastily, "Be good sweetheart." and then he ducked out the door before he cracked and began to chuckle.

"Funny having your kid in for questioning is it, Black?" Moody and Tonks were coming down the corridor towards him.

"Hilarious," Sirius replied to his boss. "Hey Tonks, you look exhausted, Remus keeping you up all night?" he teased.

"Yup," she half yawned, and then finished as straight faced as ever, "We're at it like rabbits."

Sirius laughed, "I'm so glad you work here," he said happily, "none of the old buggers know how to have fun anymore."

"Longbottom is expecting you in room six," Moody cut in, proving Sirius's point. He swung his cane up sharply to indicate the direction and Sirius only just managed to restrain his flinch.

Moody seemed to know this because he muttered as Sirius walked off, "We all have our own kinds of fun, Black."

Greta Reeves was small and somewhat hunched in on herself as she sat at the table in the interrogation room. This was only emphasised by the dumpy advocate wizard from the DMLE who sat next to her. Frank was already asking questions when Sirius entered.

"There were paper scrolls everywhere." Greta was saying, "so many that they'd overflowed out the door of Madam Pomfrey's office, Mr Fawley had put his bag on the floor by the door and it was completely covered there were so many."

"Professor Lupin says they were the medical records of every visit to the hospital wing since nineteen hundred." Sirius said as he took a seat opposite Greta and her advocate.

Greta nodded silently, suddenly mute now that Sirius was present.

"Hi," he said, "I'm Auror Black."

"Flora's Dad?" she asked, looking at him appraisingly.

"The same." he grinned.

"She looks like you."

"Now there's no need to be mean to poor Flora," Frank said teasingly, "comparing her to his ugly mug."

And Greta let out a nervous little giggle, "Sorry." she said.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "You're forgiven. So where were you up to?" he asked looking over Frank's shoulder to see his notes.

"Greta was just telling me what she saw in the hospital wing."

"Did something happen to Professor Lupin that night?" She asked hesitantly, "D-did the potion fail?"

Sirius and Frank both kept silent, they weren't allowed to confirm that even if they wanted to.

Greta inferred it from their silence anyway. "Oh no," she whispered, "I'm so… that's so scary. It's my worst fear, every moon I worry, wonder if the potion will work, I pray that it will, it's so so scary not knowing."

"Greta," Sirius said, "you would know if the potion wasn't working, I've been friends with Professor Lupin for a long time. Since before Wolfsbane was around. I remember how bad it was for him. you've never faced a full moon without the potion, believe me, you would know with plenty of time to warn the Matron."

"I guess," Greta said softly, unconvinced, "Dad is so funny about it, doesn't trust it."

"I got the impression that your dad doesn't trust a lot of things."

"Maybe." Greta said, "Not any more. It's different now."

"Since your mum died?" Frank asked kindly.

Greta nodded, "he doesn't like that I'm a werewolf." her voice broke, "I miss my mum."

There were tears in the little girl's eyes now, and she dipped her head to hide them. The advocate wizard looked like he was about to speak but Sirius forestalled him.

"Okay Greta, that's all we wanted to ask you." Sirius said, "Would you like Flora and Beth to come in now?"

Greta shook her head, "Not yet." She gave a big sniff and dashed her hand across her eyes, the advocate had a tissue ready for her. She took it and wiped her eyes, "they don't understand. Sorry," she said again, "I mean they are lovely but-"

"But they don't know what it's like to feel unwanted?" Sirius asked quietly.

Frank gave Sirius a questioning look as Sirius sat in the empty chair on Greta's other side. "You're right you know, both our girls have no idea how lucky they are."

Sirius hesitated for a moment, he wasn't really sure if he should talk about this with an eleven year old, but she needed to know she wasn't alone.

"But, I understand. My mother might have been alive when I was your age, but she thoroughly disliked me. Used to lock me in my room, or the cellar as I got older, give me horrible punishments."

Greta looked up at him, and he knew he'd done the right thing.

"Please don't ever think that you're alone." he continued, "Professor Lupin would be very happy to listen if you ever need someone to talk to at school too. He's famous now, but when I first met him he was very much like you. A bit shy, and always worried that he would hurt someone at the full moon. Would you like me to ask him to make time to have a chat with you when you get back to school?"

"Oh, he's very busy," Greta said, looking terrified at the thought, but Sirius smiled encouragingly and she said, "but if you really think he wouldn't mind. He does seem very nice when we take our potion together."

"Brilliant," said Sirius. "I'll send him an owl as soon as I get back to my desk."

"Thanks, Mr Black." she said earnestly, and Sirius was very pleased that this kind little soul was his daughter's friend.