Author's Note:  Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, I moved again and then suffered a bout of writer's block in the midst of it.  I unconsciously paraphrased Henry V at one point.  And I realize I am straying dangerously close to Mary Sue-dom with Sosia in this chapter, but give me time, trust me she's not perfect.

Many thousands of thanks go out to my splendid reviewers:  Emlizanne—hope this prevents any drastic need for a manicure; Voltora—who knows my Muse loves it when she sends her *Sirius Padfoot eyes*; Rugi—hassling does me good sometimes; Giesbrecht—yes, I know my NT, studied it all my life, and I've always been partial to the interesting names in it; Sosia Camillina, Torquemada, Fainting Maid, Quizzical Sphinx, Heloise, Jane, and Vanessa—I'm glad you are enjoying this and I appreciate all your reviews!

If you are more in the mood for humor, go read my "A Moment Out Of…"; I got a bit silly while trying to write this chapter.

Disclaimer:  Do I need to write this all again?  I didn't think so.  You all know it; go read it someplace else.

Chapter Seven:  The Unexpected Messenger

The conversation went in circles for the rest of the evening; neither Remus nor Sosia, seemingly, wanting to mention the one rather unique talent she possessed that could prove most useful towards their cause.  Finally, it was decided that Remus would stay on until the looked for answer arrived.  And though he was not completely happy with this arrangement, Sam went home for the evening once it became clear that they would solve nothing tonight.

Now it was three in the morning and Remus poured some milk into a saucepan on the stove.  He supposed he could've used magic to heat it, but he didn't want to bother with fetching his wand from his coat pocket.  Besides, sometimes it was just more satisfying to do things the "Muggle" way.  Transferring the warmed milk from the pan to a tall mug, he gazed out the kitchen window into the darkness of the back garden.

He had been surveying the grays and blues of the midnight garden's shadows for a long while, and had grown quite drowsy again, before he spotted the movement beside the pond.  Freezing he peered into the darkness.  Surely, no one had reason to have followed him here…  No, it was Sosia.  Sosia sitting on the kissing bench facing the pond, still dressed in a sweater and jeans, wrapped up in a thick shawl… and shaking.

Alarmed, Remus made his way quietly to the door and slipped into the garden.  As he pulled the door shut behind him, the soft sound of muffled sobbing came floating on the breeze.  He made his silent way to the opposite facing seat and sat down beside her.

"Remembering?"  He asked softly, hazarding a guess.

Her head came up so swiftly he thought she'd give herself whiplash.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He said in his most soothing tone, the one he had used to put shy or scared students at ease.

Staring at him out of wide red-rimmed eyes, she asked, "How did you bear it all these years?"

Leaning back, Remus pondered this, chin sinking to his chest as he clasped his hands together and stretched out his legs, crossing his ankles.

"I honestly don't know.  I didn't handle it at all well at first.  The Ministry investigated the James and Lily's deaths for a while, but they got so very busy rounding up stray Death Eaters that it got forgotten.  They had caught the 'culprit' after all."  Bitterness crept in to his tone for a moment, "I was suspected of colluding with him at one point.  But Dumbledore cleared that away.

"It took so long for my heart and mind to really accept that Sirius had betrayed James and Lily.  I'm not sure I ever really did.  It is certainly far easier to believe it of Peter somehow."  He turned his face towards hers and tilted his head kindly, "you've seemed to take this all in stride so far, I know you and Peter were close friends too."

"Was there a" she paused, taking a deep breath, "a funeral?  And graves?  For James and Lily, I mean," she hastened to add.

"Yes, shortly after you … left, we had a small simple ceremony for them and they were laid to rest up in the churchyard up at old St. Ivo's."

"Where they were married," Sosia acknowledged with a faint half-hearted smile.

"We gave Peter a funeral too," Remus continued after a moment.  "It was much larger.  Everyone wanted to honor the 'fallen heroes' and we wouldn't let them all into the Potters' ceremony.  So they came in droves to Peter's.  Poor Judith, I'm almost glad she's gone, it'd kill her to know what her son had done."

"Does Harry visit his parents' graves often?"

Remus peered at her, "you know, I don't know that he's ever been to them.  I'm fairly certain that Petunia never took him.  She didn't even come to the funeral.  I visit them once a year, on their anniversary.  I visited Peter's too, until recently."  He added.

"He's living with Petunia?  Why?  There had to be somewhere else he could have gone!  She and that husband of hers were irredeemably close-minded."

"It was Dumbledore's decision and, really, there was no one else.  They are the only blood relatives he has left.  Sirius would have been the obvious choice, but he was not a candidate at the time.  Peter might have been able to make a case for adopting him, but they wouldn't have allowed a werewolf to be entrusted with the upbringing of 'The Boy Who Lived'."

"Have you seen Sirius lately?  Since he escaped from Hogwarts?"

No, but I've heard from him.  He feels it is safer that we—he writes to Harry as well—don't know where he is, in case we are questioned concerning him." He tried to make out the expression her face, but it was hidden in the shadow.  "Why are you avoiding any mention of Peter?  I know it must be hard for you, knowing that…"

"That Peter betrayed James and Lily to their deaths, Sirius to imprisonment, and you to pain and solitude?  Yes, it's hard."  Her voice, already roughened by tears, had taken on a harsh edge.

Remus looked away, up to the starlit sky, "I always had the pain." He replied softly.

Sosia's voice lost its sharpness, "What have you done all these years, Remus?  All these moons alone?"

"The Wolfsbane Potion has been perfected in the last few years."  Remus answered in a detached tone, trying to avoid dwelling on the years before that.  "It hasn't been easy.  The Wolf is wilder and more unrestrained inside me when I am alone.  But now, with the Wolfsbane Potion, I can at least keep my mind when I transform.  I can curl up and sleep it off.  It is difficult to find those willing to brew it though.  It is a complex recipe and you may recall that I was always rather ineffectual at Potions."

"Yes, I remember Sirius teasing you about old Ferule despairing of your ever mastering Advanced Potionmaking."  She smiled at him, "I think you just didn't want to be put in the same category as Snape."

Remus gave a short laugh, "you may have a point there.  But you are still avoiding the question."

"Yes, I am."  She looked off towards the trees along the back of the garden and sat up abruptly, peering into the sky.  "Is it dawn already?"

Remus glanced at his watch, "No, it's only a little after three."  Then he followed her gaze and saw the lightening of the sky along the roofline.  "What is that?"  Upon closer inspection, the light was too isolated to be the sun even if the hour didn't already preclude that option.  And it seemed to be drawing closer.  Suddenly the source of the light appeared as it swooped over the roof from the north and fluttered down towards the two of them.  It was a phoenix, and it was carrying something.

"Fawkes?"  Remus inquired quietly, startled.  He hadn't expected an answer this quickly or by this method.

Fawkes landed on the back of the kissing bench, letting off a trembling note of phoenix song in answer and indicating the package he was carrying with a regal inclination of his head.

"Fawkes?"  Sosia whispered softly, reaching up to stroke his feathers tentatively.  He turned his red and gold feathered head towards her and nuzzled at her hand, arching his neck as she continued to stroke him more boldly.

Meanwhile, Remus removed the parcel and began to unwrap it.  He saw by its size why Fawkes, and not Ptolemy, had been entrusted with its delivery; it was too large for even an eagle owl to carry comfortably.  The first object to emerge was a long thin box.  He had a feeling he could guess what it contained.  Putting it aside, he continued to unwrap the packet and as he finally uncovered the bulky contents—a set of folded robes—two letters fell out from the wrappings.  Picking them up, he noted that one was noticeably thicker than the other; the thicker one was addressed to Sosia and both were addressed in Dumbledore's distinctive hand.

"What is it, Remus?" Inquired Sosia as she looked over, her hand still caressing the bird's neck.

"I have a feeling all of these are for you." Remus replied, handing over the larger letter, the box and the folded clothing as he unfolded his own epistle and began to read.

Remus,

You have been even more successful than I had any realistic hope of, congratulations.  You have not misinterpreted my expectations and you have not missed the contact you were sent to make.  Information has, however, come to light that requires me to request your presence here as soon as is conceivably possible.  Both of you.  Please be cautious as you arrive, I would prefer that your presence go unnoticed by the school at large.  Avoid Hogsmeade as well, at least until after we have spoken.  Send Fawkes directly back with your anticipated arrival time.  Take care.

Albus Dumbledore

Remus leaned back after finishing, reaching up to absently stroke Fawkes' back feathers.  What had happened to cause Dumbledore to call him—them—in so secretively?  And why the rush?  Dumbledore was neither an alarmist nor given to exaggeration.  He glanced over at Sosia, wondering if her missive contained the answers to his questions.  She was thoroughly engrossed in her letter, brow furrowed, the box and clothes clasped lightly in her arms.  Settling back in his seat a little more, Remus took a moment to drink in her presence.  Right now, absorbed as she was in her letter, he was able to observe her without impediment.

She was not what everyone would call beautiful; there was too much personality in her face.  But her brand of petite charm had managed to captivate a fair share of the young wizards of her year; enough, certainly, to keep her overprotective elder brother occupied.  With her impish button nose and the odd quicksilver eyes of her family, as well as her diminutive stature, she reminded some of the Cornish Pixies that shared her native birthplace—not always a complimentary association, in her view.  There were lines around her eyes that weren't there before and a sadness behind them still. 

Unexpectedly, he found himself looking straight into those troubled grey eyes and he caught his breath.

"Dumbledore wants us to come as soon as possible.  Why?"

Letting his breath out in slow sigh, "I'm not sure, but I've never known him not to have exceptional grounds for such a summons."

Author's Note:  St. Ivo is the patron saint of orphans and abandoned people, it fit somehow.  Sorry this chapter was so short, the next one should be longer and the promised meeting with Sirius is no more than two or so chapters away, honest!  I now know exactly how this story will end so I can move along a bit faster from here on out (hopefully).  Is that enough clues Emlizanne? ;-)