A/N: I own nothing, I make nothing, I love my reviewers!!
****
"Mrs. Lupin....Mrs. Lupin...." A hand was gently shaking her shoulder. Slowly opening her eyes, she blinked a few times and accepted a cup of tea from the wizard sitting on the edge of the bed. As she remembered what had happened, she sat straight up, dropping the cup of tea and ignoring the dull pain at the base of her skull. She looked at Moody a little more closely. His hair, starting to show the first flecks of gray, hung damp around his face. He must have stood outside for some time before she had answered the door. His hands kept running back and forth over his collar. He was nervous--a bit out of character, from the way Tom had described-- "What happened?" she asked suddenly.
Moody looked at her, composing the best possible response. *Gods,* he thought, *I'd be happier dealing with the aftermath of an enraged Horntail than doing this.*
He stared at her, recognizing at once from the glint in her eyes that she would allow no empty platitudes, no false condolences. Tom had mentioned more than once how Amanda was the backbone of the family, the one who always knew what to do when things go wrong. *Lass, I hope he was right about you....*
"It was over quickly. The ministry of magic needs to keep his body"--*or what's left of it*, he added to himself--"for a few more hours, but I imagine it will take that long to get you situated. Right after Tom arrived, I received notification that the position of Auror has been reinstated--apparantly the Ministry finally figured out this was beyond Magical Law Enforcement." He snorted slightly. The only way the Ministry seemed to understand anything of any importance was through the opinion ratings. Fortunately for them, and their public, approval had dropped rapidly since that crazy wizard had started taking out Muggles...and elections were coming up. "We'll be assigning two to your home, starting a half hour ago, to ensure that there are no further...incidents...."
"My...I don't understand." Amanda replied flatly. She paused, allowing a look of slight panic to come into her eyes, which were rapidly filling with tears. "My children--are you saying my family is in danger?!"
Moody gave her a peculiar look. "Didn't Tom explain why he had to leave you?"
He didn't seem to realize the weight of his question. "No." Her voice was quavering. *get it together, Amy,* she thought, *you're not helping.* "No," she repeated, a bit more confidently. "He just...he said he was needed at work, it was urgent...I didn't really ask. There wasn't time. He seemed to think he'd be back soon, so I...." she trailed off.
Moody let out a long sigh. "Your husband...Tom...he was working with the Institute of Prophecy and Divination, trying to develop a charm that would assist Magical Law Enforcement in consolidating its forces in the appropriate locations. Something that could be cast on important buildings- -the Ministry, Hogwarts, and so on--that would give some indication of any impending danger to that institution on a day-to-day basis."
Amanda looked at him, still holding back tears, a puzzled look on his face. "And?"
"Apparantly, they had tested it earlier today. The results were somewhat-- mixed--and they called him in along with a specialist from the IPD to help refine the results. Unfortunately, they were only able to attune the results as the attack occurred--Tom got caught in the crossfire."
"Did he...I mean, was it...."
"He died quickly, if that's what you mean." *don't ask me about painfully, don't ask me about painfully....*
Amanda paused again. "I'm sorry, this is all so sudden, and I'm normally not so foolish...." She started crying again. Whenever she and Tom had argued, it had always ended with Tom calling her a foolish woman...she had been Head Girl at Hogwarts, valedictorian...she was a lot of things, but not foolish. The epithet had always made her laugh. Composing herself, she continued. "but...I don't understand how this puts my family in danger."
Moody grimaced. *I hate to think ill of the dead, but damn it, Tom, didn't you tell her anything? She's a strong lass, could have handled this before, but now....* "Lass," he began gently, "I think there's a few things your husband didn't mention to you."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. Doing her best to keep her voice calm, she leveled her best glare at Moody and replied, "What are you implying, Mr. Moody?"
This was not going well. "Amanda." He awkwardly put his hand on her shoulder. "This isn't easy for me, either. I didn't mean to imply anything, but I know how much Tom adored you and the kids. He knew you had your hands full with work and raising them, and I think he didn't want to burden you any farther...." He didn't know a lot about women, but he only had to look at Amanda's face to know he wasn't saying the right thing. *Get to the point, Moody* "Look, before tonight, he had received a few threats."
Amanda grew pale. "Threats?" Her pitch and volume increased. "Threats? He didn't tell me? Against him? Against the kids? Why? I don't understand."
"Look," Moody began. "I don't know that you realize how big a deal this new charm is...or was. At first, it would probably only be used on the larger targets I mentioned before--meaning that any enemy of the ministry..."
"Like that crazy wizard."
"Right, or any other political nutcase who got wind of his research, would have had a vested interest in its fate. Furthermore, eventual applications could have included private homes, businesses...so that any band of petty crooks would have had an interest as well...as would thieves of a different sort. Look, ma'am, till today, this information has been classified. Had the charm been completed, let's just say the royalties involved could have been tremendous. We have no idea who attacked tonight--could have been big time or little, someone who never wanted for the charm to be completed or someone who wanted to take credit for it. Regardless, Tom knew there might be trouble. There was a series of letters--we checked into it, but whoever sent them was good. Different owls, differing posts--no magic involved, just Muggle pen and paper, so we really have no way to trace them. They threatened your husband--but there was some indication that they wouldn't stop there. Furthermore..." Moody stopped as he noticed Amanda's face growing more and more pale. He was about to stop when Amanda beckoned him on. "...if the attackers are serious, they'll want all your husband's work destroyed as well...."
"...copies of which he keeps at home." Amanda sat in shock for only a second before she leaped into action, quickly throwing her journal, clothes, and other assorted belongings into her suitcases. "Can we go straight---would the kids be safer somewhere--can you take the--". A dozen questions flew into her head at once.
"I think," said Moody slowly, "that the best thing to do would be for you to go home and put that research someplace safe. We can take it to Gringotts for you, if you want, but for right now. . .."
"Of course. Of course." Amanda stopped running about for a moment and looked at Moody. Her expression suddenly softened. "Alastor...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to question your. . .."
"It's all right." He said gruffly. "To your home? Best to Apparate into the yard; we don't want to give the Aurors any surprises."
****
"Mrs. Lupin....Mrs. Lupin...." A hand was gently shaking her shoulder. Slowly opening her eyes, she blinked a few times and accepted a cup of tea from the wizard sitting on the edge of the bed. As she remembered what had happened, she sat straight up, dropping the cup of tea and ignoring the dull pain at the base of her skull. She looked at Moody a little more closely. His hair, starting to show the first flecks of gray, hung damp around his face. He must have stood outside for some time before she had answered the door. His hands kept running back and forth over his collar. He was nervous--a bit out of character, from the way Tom had described-- "What happened?" she asked suddenly.
Moody looked at her, composing the best possible response. *Gods,* he thought, *I'd be happier dealing with the aftermath of an enraged Horntail than doing this.*
He stared at her, recognizing at once from the glint in her eyes that she would allow no empty platitudes, no false condolences. Tom had mentioned more than once how Amanda was the backbone of the family, the one who always knew what to do when things go wrong. *Lass, I hope he was right about you....*
"It was over quickly. The ministry of magic needs to keep his body"--*or what's left of it*, he added to himself--"for a few more hours, but I imagine it will take that long to get you situated. Right after Tom arrived, I received notification that the position of Auror has been reinstated--apparantly the Ministry finally figured out this was beyond Magical Law Enforcement." He snorted slightly. The only way the Ministry seemed to understand anything of any importance was through the opinion ratings. Fortunately for them, and their public, approval had dropped rapidly since that crazy wizard had started taking out Muggles...and elections were coming up. "We'll be assigning two to your home, starting a half hour ago, to ensure that there are no further...incidents...."
"My...I don't understand." Amanda replied flatly. She paused, allowing a look of slight panic to come into her eyes, which were rapidly filling with tears. "My children--are you saying my family is in danger?!"
Moody gave her a peculiar look. "Didn't Tom explain why he had to leave you?"
He didn't seem to realize the weight of his question. "No." Her voice was quavering. *get it together, Amy,* she thought, *you're not helping.* "No," she repeated, a bit more confidently. "He just...he said he was needed at work, it was urgent...I didn't really ask. There wasn't time. He seemed to think he'd be back soon, so I...." she trailed off.
Moody let out a long sigh. "Your husband...Tom...he was working with the Institute of Prophecy and Divination, trying to develop a charm that would assist Magical Law Enforcement in consolidating its forces in the appropriate locations. Something that could be cast on important buildings- -the Ministry, Hogwarts, and so on--that would give some indication of any impending danger to that institution on a day-to-day basis."
Amanda looked at him, still holding back tears, a puzzled look on his face. "And?"
"Apparantly, they had tested it earlier today. The results were somewhat-- mixed--and they called him in along with a specialist from the IPD to help refine the results. Unfortunately, they were only able to attune the results as the attack occurred--Tom got caught in the crossfire."
"Did he...I mean, was it...."
"He died quickly, if that's what you mean." *don't ask me about painfully, don't ask me about painfully....*
Amanda paused again. "I'm sorry, this is all so sudden, and I'm normally not so foolish...." She started crying again. Whenever she and Tom had argued, it had always ended with Tom calling her a foolish woman...she had been Head Girl at Hogwarts, valedictorian...she was a lot of things, but not foolish. The epithet had always made her laugh. Composing herself, she continued. "but...I don't understand how this puts my family in danger."
Moody grimaced. *I hate to think ill of the dead, but damn it, Tom, didn't you tell her anything? She's a strong lass, could have handled this before, but now....* "Lass," he began gently, "I think there's a few things your husband didn't mention to you."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. Doing her best to keep her voice calm, she leveled her best glare at Moody and replied, "What are you implying, Mr. Moody?"
This was not going well. "Amanda." He awkwardly put his hand on her shoulder. "This isn't easy for me, either. I didn't mean to imply anything, but I know how much Tom adored you and the kids. He knew you had your hands full with work and raising them, and I think he didn't want to burden you any farther...." He didn't know a lot about women, but he only had to look at Amanda's face to know he wasn't saying the right thing. *Get to the point, Moody* "Look, before tonight, he had received a few threats."
Amanda grew pale. "Threats?" Her pitch and volume increased. "Threats? He didn't tell me? Against him? Against the kids? Why? I don't understand."
"Look," Moody began. "I don't know that you realize how big a deal this new charm is...or was. At first, it would probably only be used on the larger targets I mentioned before--meaning that any enemy of the ministry..."
"Like that crazy wizard."
"Right, or any other political nutcase who got wind of his research, would have had a vested interest in its fate. Furthermore, eventual applications could have included private homes, businesses...so that any band of petty crooks would have had an interest as well...as would thieves of a different sort. Look, ma'am, till today, this information has been classified. Had the charm been completed, let's just say the royalties involved could have been tremendous. We have no idea who attacked tonight--could have been big time or little, someone who never wanted for the charm to be completed or someone who wanted to take credit for it. Regardless, Tom knew there might be trouble. There was a series of letters--we checked into it, but whoever sent them was good. Different owls, differing posts--no magic involved, just Muggle pen and paper, so we really have no way to trace them. They threatened your husband--but there was some indication that they wouldn't stop there. Furthermore..." Moody stopped as he noticed Amanda's face growing more and more pale. He was about to stop when Amanda beckoned him on. "...if the attackers are serious, they'll want all your husband's work destroyed as well...."
"...copies of which he keeps at home." Amanda sat in shock for only a second before she leaped into action, quickly throwing her journal, clothes, and other assorted belongings into her suitcases. "Can we go straight---would the kids be safer somewhere--can you take the--". A dozen questions flew into her head at once.
"I think," said Moody slowly, "that the best thing to do would be for you to go home and put that research someplace safe. We can take it to Gringotts for you, if you want, but for right now. . .."
"Of course. Of course." Amanda stopped running about for a moment and looked at Moody. Her expression suddenly softened. "Alastor...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to question your. . .."
"It's all right." He said gruffly. "To your home? Best to Apparate into the yard; we don't want to give the Aurors any surprises."