Finally! I only hope this chapter satisfies the one who's been waiting for it. :D

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Two days and three airline tickets later, Snape was standing in the London airport, staring nervously as Cassandra and Sirius checked in and had their backpacks loaded onto the airplane. He didn't like the way the conveyer belt moved, taking his belongings away from him. He didn't like the idea of flying either, especially since they would be strapped into an enormous chunk of metal without a broom to save them if the engines stopped running and the chunk of metal plummeted from the sky.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked Cassandra for what was quite possibly the hundredth time since they'd purchased the tickets. "Do you swear on Remus' life that this . . . airplane, as you call it, won't fall out of the sky?" He tried not to look nervous and obviously failed miserably when Cassandra just shook her head and ignored his question.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Snape, it's a four hour trip. You'll be fine. We're just going to Naples and then no more planes."

"Did I ask you, Black?" Snape growled.

It was apparent he wasn't going to like flying very much, not that Cassandra blamed him. She didn't particularly like getting into an airplane but there was really no other way for them to get to Italy quickly. They could, of course, walk to the edge of England and take a boat to Italy, but Cassandra wasn't sure how long that would take and she wasn't looking forward to spending weeks on the road with Sirius and Snape squabbling like children.

"This way," she said, motioning them to follow her. "Our plane boards in an hour, so we have time to get something to eat."

Sirius and Snape followed quickly, still glaring at each other angrily every few seconds as they went. It seemed that the more capable Cassandra became the further the other two regressed into their childhood. She was beginning to feel like a mother with two very troubled children on her hands. Still she waited, letting the two fully grown men make snappy comments at each other until Sirius had actually resorted to pinching Snape when he wasn't looking.

"Stop it," she hissed, turning on them. "People are starting to stare at us and-" she fell silent, reaching out and grabbing Sirius' arm tightly in her hand.

"Cass?" he asked, grabbing her arms and shaking her. "Cassandra?"

Her breath hitched and her mouth opened and closed as if she were trying to say something. Her eyes were glazed over, staring past Sirius at something that only she could see. Her hand tightened on his arm, squeezing it painfully until he winced and tried to move away. She held him tighter, pulling him close and leaning against him until all her weight was on him. Her arms were around his neck, hugging him tightly and she was suddenly crying, sobbing into his shoulder.

"Oh, Remus," she murmured.

"Cass, what is it?" Sirius asked, pulling away from her and staring into her face. "What'd you see?"

"He doesn't know what to do," she moaned, covering her face with her hands. "He's so lost and he saw James." Her grey eyes widened. "He's going to see James for the first time and he's going to be so confused."

"When?" Sirius asked.

Cassandra shook her head. "I don't know. It might have happened already, but I don't think so. It might happen later today, or tomorrow, or three weeks from now, I don't know! All I know is that I felt his confusion. He thinks we're giving up on him Sirius. Whenever this came from, he's in despair, he thinks he's alone."

"Well, we just won't let him get that far, will we?" Sirius asked, trying to sound sure of himself. "We'll find him before he gets to that point, Cass. I promise."

She glanced at Snape. "Promise me."

He looked utterly lost, but he nodded. "I promise."

"Both of you promise that you won't give up," she said, grabbing for Snape's arm as well. "I need to hear that you won't leave me alone to do this."

Sirius looked shocked. "We would never-"

"I promise," Snape said quietly, understanding now why she was making them promise.

Cassandra met his eyes. "You promise?"

"I swear it," he said softly. "I won't abandon this."

"Cass," Sirius said, still staring at her. "What's going on? Why would you think that we'd give up?"

"She saw something," Snape hissed. "Don't you get it? On the train when she acted like she hadn't seen anything . . . that was what she saw."

Sirius turned to look at her and she nodded slowly.

"I saw myself . . . but I was alone. I was travelling across sand, a desert maybe, all alone and I was crying. I had lost both of you somewhere." She stared very seriously at Snape and then at Sirius. "I can't lose you or we won't find him. I won't be able to do it on my own."

Sirius tried to smile. "I won't let you do it on your own. I'm not going to leave and you won't lose us."

She nodded, trying to look steady. "Okay, that's all I can expect you both to say. Let's go find something to eat." Without another word she turned and walked away, searching for a restaurant in the midst of the gift shops.

Sirius and Snape followed her with their gaze, each taking a moment to adjust to what she had said, then finally looking back at each other. They stood in the middle of the airport and studied each other, neither of them completely sure of what to say at that point. Sirius looked more worried than he had since first seeing Cassandra and Snape was left wondering what could happen to them that would leave Cassandra alone.

"We really can't let it happen," Sirius said softly. "You know that, right?"

Snape nodded. "We promised."

"So we agree?" Sirius asked.

A smile twitched at the corners of Snape's mouth, but it was gone before he gave it time to develop. "On at least one thing," he replied, then followed Cassandra.


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Remus cracked his eyelids open to stare up into the fading sunlight. Red streaks chased long shadows down the deep walls of his dungeon. It was getting near the full moon, he could already feel the wolf inside of him, dying to get out and be free . . . or as free as he could be locked in a cage. His muscles twitched, waiting to be released, he hated the days leading up to the change. He was always so restless in the days before, his body ached, needing some kind of release.

With a deep sigh, Remus stood and paced the length of the room, pausing to stretch his arms above his head. The muscles in his body groaned in protest and he grew light headed by the sudden movement. It was too much too soon, he hadn't had any real exercise in months, nothing more than pacing his cell a few times every so often and now here he was, trying to stretch under used muscles. He paused, his arms still behind his head, and glanced upward to the sky. If they were really coming for him maybe he should do something about the state he was in, maybe he should be able to contribute something when it came down to a fight over him.

He was so deep in thought about the coming months, Remus didn't hear the door open behind him, then shut again with a soft clang. He didn't turn toward the man standing behind him until he heard the soft breathing. Werewolf indeed, Remus though angrily. He didn't even hear an intruder immediately.

The man was hidden in shadows, but Remus could see the setting sun glinting off a pair of glasses. It took him a moment longer to realize that the man wasn't alone. Beside him a chubby man was cowering near the ground, shaking and perspiring in the warm evening.

"Peter," Remus hissed in a low voice and lunged. The man on the ground let out a squeak and threw himself behind the other man, clinging to his legs. One of his hands shimmered brightly in the red shadows that were creeping across the room. The fake hand; the hand Voldemort had given him.

"I knew it," he growled, reaching around the other man to grab Peter by the collar of his robes. Remus wasn't strong, but Peter didn't resist, he just slid lifelessly across the floor.

"Coward," Remus spat in Peter's face. "I knew Voldemort was keeping me here. Why?"

"Now, now, Moony," the other man said and Remus dropped Peter in the stunned silence that followed the voice.

"No," he whispered, backing away. "No. This isn't happening."

James Potter stepped into the fading light and he smiled. "Oh, Moony, you were never the believer of the group, were you?"

Remus closed his eyes and shook his head. "You're dead, Prongs. You died more than fifteen years ago. He killed you," he said, raising a shaking hand and pointing it at Peter.

"Well, you can't always believe what you read in the papers," James said, still smiling. "You should know that by now, Moony."

Remus opened his eyes. "What does that mean?"

James' smile grew. "What do you think it means?"

Remus thought back to the only newspaper he'd read in the time he'd been trapped. "Cassandra?" he whispered.

James nodded. "Of course."

"She didn't escape?"

"No, Moony. She's dead."

Remus' hands went to his face. "No."

"Yes," James said. "It's all true. Cass died months ago."

Remus swallowed hard, then backed up against the wall and sunk to the floor. A low moan built up in his throat until it spilled over his lips, sounding eerily like the werewolf he would soon become. His shoulders shuddered as he stuffed his fists into his eyes, willing the tears not to come. It was a lie, he wouldn't believe it, not coming from a friend he had thought was dead for sixteen years.

"I have proof," James said softly, as if reading Remus' mind.

"You're lying," Remus whispered, still huddled against the wall.

"Look," James said, holding out a glossy photo.

Remus didn't want to take it, he didn't want to see what the picture was of. He knew, deep down, exactly what he was about to see but it didn't make it any easier. His hand trembled as he reached for the picture and he stared at it with unwavering horror, unable to take his eyes away.

Lucius Malfoy leaned over the terrified form Cassandra Harvey, a malicious grin on his lips. One of his hands was entwined in her long hair, forcing her body to press against his and his grin grew wider. If the picture had sound Cassandra would have been whimpering in her throat and Remus was sure Lucius would have been laughing. Lucius leaned over further, his wand pressing into Cassandra's stomach hard enough to pierce the skin. She cringed and fought, but nothing she did helped her. Lucius suddenly shoved her back against the wall and her head slammed against the stone. She dropped to her knees, dazed and still Lucius just watched.

It was until Cassandra finally looked up and met his eyes did his mouth open in an unheard curse. Green light filled the picture to the brim and Remus dropped it, shivering.

"I'll kill him," he muttered, then shoved the picture away.

James picked it up and smiled. "I'm sure he'd be interested to hear that." With a swish of robes, James turned and motioned for Peter to follow him. "She's not coming for you, Moony. Give it up."

Remus slumped against the wall and closed his eyes again, finally submitting himself to his tears.

James shoved Peter into the hallway, then closed and locked Remus' door behind him. He dropped the picture, letting it flutter to the ground and swallowed hard. With a quick glance at Peter, they both walked down the hall to a large stone room nearby. James sunk into the first chair he came to and slowly let out a deep breath, leaning against the cool leather.

"Get me more," he muttered.

Peter frowned. "More?"

"The polyjuice potion," James snapped, running a hand disdainfully through his hair. "What I wouldn't give to not have to live in this body . . ." he muttered.

"I don't want to touch him," Peter began softly.

"Just get me the potion," he snapped, still leaning into the chair. "On second thought," he murmured just as Peter had begun to leave the room. "Remus Lupin is so far away, it couldn't hurt to let myself . . . be myself for a few hours."

Peter nodded gratefully. "Very good idea."

James closed his eyes and relaxed into the chair, feeling his hair grow past his shoulders, his face become leaner and his features more refined. Peter watched until, only moments later, James Potter had become Lucius Malfoy.

Lucius' eyes snapped open and he sat upright in the chair. "Why are you staring at me? Get the potion."

"But I thought-"

"Don't think. I'll need to become James again soon enough, it had better be ready."

Peter nodded slowly. "I just hate touching him."

A cold smile crossed Lucius' lips. "James Potter? I thought you'd like seeing his rotting body every day . . . after all, Wormtail, you're the one who killed him."

Peter flinched and Lucius smiled again.

"The Dark Lord knows what he'd doing. This is perfect. Lupin will be too insane to help when the battle begins and his saviours," he growled, the word dripping with disdain, "will be too confused to do anything right."

Peter stared thoughtfully at Lucius, then said, "Who was the girl in the picture?"

Lucius shrugged. "Some useless mudblood. The Dementors were more than willing to get me a hair from Cassandra's head while she was in Azkaban but there weren't exactly any willing volunteers to stand in for her big death scene." He sighed deeply, then glanced sharply at Peter. "Why are you still here? Get me the polyjuice potion."


Peter nodded and fled the room, leaving Lucius sitting alone with a dangerous smile on his face. Before this was done, he would destroy the name Potter.



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