If you need a disclaimer, you're horribly missing the point.

Chapter 8: Into the Serpent's Lair

"These eyes have seen no conviction, just lies and more contradiction

So tell me what would you say?  I'd say it's time too late....

So am I still waiting, for this world to stop hating? 

Can't find a good reason, can't find hope to believe in…"

                        -- "Still Waiting" by Sum 41

            Sirius Black knocked on the front door of a house at about 8 at night, standing in the pouring rain.  The porch light came on and the door opened to reveal James Potter, carrying his young son Harry.

            "Padfoot, what are you doing here?" James asked, looking at his drenched friend.  "You're absolutely soaked.  Come inside."

            "Hey.  Just putting Harry to bed?" he said weakly, dodging the question by reaching out for his godson.

            "Yeah.  He had a nice long nap earlier and almost didn't want to go to bed now anyways.  I could get Lily to put him to bed…" James replied.

            Sirius cast a drying charm on his clothes and took the child from his father.  "I'll take him for a bit, Jamie."

            "Sirius, what are you doing here?  Did you Apparate from London right now?  What's wrong?  Is it Rigel?  Peter?  Remus?" James asked, trying not to raise his voice as panic set in.

            Sirius flinched at the last name.  "He's gone."

            "Who?  Remus?" James asked, paling as Sirius sat down, wrapping a now drowsy Harry in a blanket as he rocked him.

            Sirius didn't look up, but brushed the fringe from Harry's face.  "Yeah."

            "Lils, come into the drawing room for a moment," James said.

            The redhead walked into the room.  "Siri, so that was you at the door.  How are you?"
            "I'm fine.  I went to go talk to Remmy tonight.  I figured he was still pissed at me for telling the both of you that he was going to be out a job, seeing as how Jamie came to the store on his lunch break to lecture Remus about trusting his friends or something."

            James flushed.  "He… told you did he?"

            "Sent a Howler, Jamie."

            Lily sat down next to her husband and elbowed him in the ribs.  "Real smooth, Romeo.  What happened next, Sirius?"

            "Well, tonight's our Pub Night, you know?  The two of us go out to that little place on Knockturn Alley, you know, near Borgin and Burkes, and get absolutely pissed so that we barely remember the previous night come morning.  So anyways, I walked up to his flat, knocked on the door, and there's this strange person I've never seen before in my entire bloody life.  Seems he was the new boarder, the shop's closed and Remus didn't even leave a forwarding address.  The bloody bastard's skipped town!" he hissed, nearly forgetting that Harry was still in his arms. 

            "What?" James said, back going straight with shock.  "I told him to Floo us before he left."

            "So you just told him?" Sirius asked, cynically.

            "Of course.  It always worked before…"

            The Slytherin sighed.  "You poor naïve Jamie.  You didn't make him promise… or swear, did you?"

            "What are you talking about?" Lily asked.

            "Gods.  Remus is a man of his word.  The only way to guarantee that he will do as you think is to make him say 'I promise' or swear.  As it stands, he made no such deal.  You'll notice that anytime I made him do anything, he swore it."  Sirius got up and paced the floor, looking down at the bundle in his arms. 

            "I… I didn't think he'd actually leave without saying goodbye."

            Lily placed her hand on her husband's arm, which he covered with his own.  "What should we do?  It's not safe for him out there alone."

            They both looked at Sirius, who sighed.  "To tell you the truth, I honestly don't know.  Something's wrong with him.  I mean, he's been a fighter ever since I met him.  I think the first two times I ever saw him, he had a black eye.  Then you remember what he said to Malfoy the first morning at breakfast.  But lately… it's like he's run out of reasons… he's changed, and not for the better.  I mean, he wouldn't have given a shit what the Ministry thought about spending time with Harry.  After they pointed out that damn law to him with the appointment of that damned Department head, he just stopped coming over."

            James shot up.  "What?!?  That's why he wouldn't come over?"

            Sirius looked at James carefully.  "Damn, he's been hiding a lot of things.  Yeah.  According to regulations, a werewolf is not allowed to be in the presence of a child under the age of 10 without Ministry supervision."

            Lily stood up and looked at Sirius' rapidly darkening mood.  She walked over to a fuming James and whispered in his ear.  "I'll put Harry to bed.  You two go out to a Pub.  Merlin knows Siri needs it and you look like you could blow off a bit of steam.  And do try not to hex the first Ministry worker you see?  I'd hate for you to have an inquiry at work."

            James smiled sadly.  "I have the most understanding wife in the world."

            She nodded as the two dark haired men conferred, before taking her son and watching the two leave.

            Remus sighed and tightened the strap on his bag to hold it closer to his body.  It seemed to get heavier each day it rained, as he walked from dawn till dusk.  He needed to change his socks again, he mused, but the question is, would they be dry when he went to put them on.  The sun was blanketed by clouds, and he knew that he'd need to find someplace dry for the night, but given the fact that he didn't even have a rough estimate of what town he was in, he was screwed.

            Quietly, he ducked into an alley and discretely pulled out a map.  He tried to approximate his position, based on the last town he had been in and how long he had walked.  But his sense of direction was good… not flawless, and there were several towns in the same radius.  He supposed it would be better to ask.

            Mustering his courage, he walked back out onto the street and stopped a passerby in a dark cloak.  "Oi, sir.  I was wondering.  What's the name of the town we're in?  I may be a bit lost," he admitted, sheepishly.

            The man he stopped smiled and lowered his cowl.  "It's Malfoy Park, Remus," he replied, placing a hand on Remus' shoulder.  "Good gods, it's been years."  Silently, he surveyed the shorter man's attire.

            Remus wore a dark brown leather coat and hiking boots, as well as a silver and green scarf, and a black jumper underneath.  He carried a leather rucksack and held a folded map in his half-finger gloved hands.  He wore a genuine smile for the first time in days.  "So it has, Lucius.  I didn't know you lived around here."

            The taller Slytherin arched a blonde eyebrow.  "Who else would you expect to live in Malfoy Park?  Potter?"

            "No, I would guess not."

            The taller man smirked, but it was not condescending.  Instead, it was rather friendly for someone the Gryffindors had once called an ice-king.  "So what brings you my way?  Last I heard from Avery, you were still in London.  You ran that little specialized bookstore on Knockturn, didn't you?"

            Remus smiled.  "Gods, does everyone keep in touch but me?  I… I did work there, and 'specialized' is one way to put it.  Everyone knew the type of books we sold there.  But Old Lady Dillard decided to sell the store and move to the country to be with her grandchildren, so I decided to go on a bit of a holiday."

            Lucius nodded.  "Avery told me that too.  He was concerned for your safety, what with all of the disappearances and deaths that have been cropping up lately.  You're the only one I haven't heard from that I actually considered worth keeping an eye on."

            Remus rolled his eyes and drew his coat closed.  "Avery, Dumbledore, Sirius, James, and now you?  When are you all going to realize that I am capable of taking care of myself?  I've lasted this long, haven't I?"

            Lucius sighed.  "It's the sign of people who care about you.  I understand if they seem somewhat unconvinced, but I'll take your word for it.  If you should ever need anything… anything, Remus, you shouldn't hesitate to ask."

            "And be indebted to a Malfoy?" he said jokingly.  "I hear that's a dangerous proposition."

            Lucius narrowed his eyes, returning the jest.  "As it stands, you are already in my debt.  You were lost, and I gave you help.  Therefore, I think you must return my kindness with some of your own… I want you to have dinner with us at the manor."

            Remus sighed.  "Damn, you're a tough negotiator.  But who am I to turn down the hospitality of a friend?" he asked, wiping the rain from his forehead as his ginger brown locks plastered to his skin.  "It sounds brilliant."

            Lucius smiled and draped his arm across the younger boy's shoulder.  "That's right.  You haven't met my family.  I married Narcissa a year or two after we left Hogwarts."

            Remus smiled.  "That's great.  You two were meant for each other."  He paused, frowning briefly.  "Any children?"

            "A son," Lucius confirmed.  "We named him Draco.  I'm told he looks like me.  Why?  You're alright with children, aren't you?"

            Remus rolled his eyes.  "I lived in an orphanage, Lucius, and were that not enough, I watched James' little tyke a time or two.  It's just… habit, I guess.  I'm not that big on families, you know?"  He thought briefly of his own parents and the knot in his stomach that had started when Lucius had mentioned his son grew with the feelings of abandonment and loss that had plagued his childhood.

            Lucius saw this emotion swirling in his hazel eyes and grew concerned.  "Remus, are you okay?"

            Remus swallowed and forced a smile, returning to the present.  "Yeah.  Fine."

            "So what's your friend Black doing these days?"

            Remus smiled at the memory of his best friend.  "He… he's got a job in the Ministry.  Misuse of Muggle Artifacts, I think.  All because he wanted to see if a Muggle motorcycle could fly, and that's the best way to learn about the enchantments.  Bit of a nutter if you ask me, but he is my friend."

            Lucius laughed.  "And an absolute terror on broomstick if memory serves.  He didn't want to come with you?"

            "If I told him, he probably would have," Remus muttered darkly.

            "You didn't tell Black?"

            "No.  I didn't.  Next time I see him, I'm probably going to have to talk my way out of getting my arse kicked.  Not that he'd succeed anyway."  He looked at the ground.  "I really do feel a bit guilty about it though, but truth be told, they're all really starting to bug me.  I mean, they have such perfect lives, and they take it all for granted."

            Lucius sighed as they reached the gates of Malfoy Manor.  The wrought-iron doors swung open on their hinges and Remus gazed appreciatively at the estate.  

            "Nice place you've got here, Lucius.  Or should I say, Lord Malfoy."

            Lucius rolled his eyes.  "Come, Remus, friends should not stand on ceremony, and at any rate, the Wizarding World supposedly ignores such titles.  Something about the brotherhood of wizards…"

            "The Devlin Accords of 1739, if memory serves."

            Lucius let out a hearty laugh.  "I believe you were the only person to pay attention in Binns' class.  At any rate, you have nothing to feel guilty about.  So you decided to go on holiday.  So what?  It's your choice whether you go alone or not.  True friends would understand that, and not impose," he said, opening the front door and gesturing him in.

            Remus smiled at the warmly lit interior, pulling off his gloves and placing them in his pockets.  "You're right, I suppose."

            "Of course I am," he said.  "Don't be foolish enough to suggest otherwise."  He removed his cloak and hung it on a clothes rack near the door.  He then took Remus' coat and bag, before ushering him further into the house.  "You are drenched."

            "Dada!" a small boy called from one of the rooms near the door."

            "Lucius, you're home," Narcissa said from the grand staircase.  "I wasn't expecting you for another hour or two."  Her blonde hair fell in golden ringlets down her back, and she wore a dress of deep blue, which oddly enough, looked better on her than the green she had worn to a ball her Seventh Year. 

            Remus felt horribly underdressed. 

            Lucius merely walked to the first room and lifted his son off the floor.  "I ran into an old friend, Cissa.  You do remember Remus Lupin, don't you?"

            Narcissa finished descending the steps and crossed to Remus, searching his face.  "My dear Remus!  How on earth could I not recognize you?  What brings you from London, dear heart?" she asked, embracing him gently as Lucius held Draco. 

            "I got bored.  The same job day after day for two and a half years.  I thought I was going to go mad."

            Lucius turned to his wife and said, "I invited Remus for dinner, but it seems to be getting dark.  Do you think you could impose on Dobby to set up a room for our guest?"

            Narcissa nodded.

            Remus merely sighed.  "Lucius…"

            "I insist," Narcissa countered firmly.  "The rain in these parts only gets heavier after sunset, and there may be thunder by the time we finish with dinner."

            Remus gave a half-grin.  "There's no way I'm walking out that door before sunrise, is there, Lucius?"

            The elder Malfoy set his son on his hip.  "I don't believe so.  Narcissa is quite adamant about taking care of guests.  So my answer is, no."

            "In that case," Remus replied with a practiced Slytherin smirk.  "I don't mind staying the night."

--00--

Well, I hope that I can get this uploaded someday.  Apparently my connection to ffn.net is sketchy at present.

Sux, don't it?

So anyways, I'm headed home today, to spend time with my mum and dad… might not be dad, as he has an oil well to go look at in South Texas… or was it three at a time?  I don't know.

I'll be nice to go home… as one of my roommates miraculously showed up yesterday.

My feelings on that are well stated and often lamented facts of penal lore… oh wait, that's from Con Air, never mind.

But seriously folks, I got a job, and work 20 hours a week now.  At minimum wage.

I don't know whether to be happy or very sad.

One last thing.  When I was in Germany a few years ago, my uncle's wife's sister's husband told me that in Germany there was a difference between a flat and an apartment.

Now, the apartment that I rent takes up only one level of the building… so is that a flat?  Cause my friend has a two story-studio with a friend of hers. 

Just curious.  Help me out if you know.

And thanks to reviewers since the last chapter was posted!!!

Ginevra - I understand, but they did say that there wasn't a wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin… Gryffindor dogma if you ask me.  Although, I am a Gryffindor most of the time, except when my dark side rears its head… then I am a Slyth all the way.  And this story allows me to be him… wear clothes a bit too big, and rebel, and yell at people who are being insensitive pricks.  So yeah, I like BadArse!Remus too.  And as for the book, me too.

MoonyIsTheBest - So anyways, I hope you haven't died for lack of updates yet. *smirks*  Me too, I can't see how many parents would willingly take on a juvenile werewolf, although I have seen some fics where he has kind and loving parents… but I needed him like this for the plot.

Griffin - *Strikes a pensive pose*  You feel like you have been with Remus longer than Harry how?  Longer in their lifetime, or yours?  Here's more, hope you like it.

Nooka - Well, I got it in the "sometime this month category."  Thanks for your enthusiasm

Piri Lupin-Snape - *blinks and wipes a tear*  I do?  Geez… the pure number of stories that you have inspires me.  And you haven't emailed me in forever… not accusing or anything…  And finish A New Decade… for me?

This is going to sound weird, but *glomps all five of her reviewers, then stands back smugly*.  There.  Done.  Been wanting to do that for months… since I learned what a glomp was.  Just never been in the mood to do so.

Well, I'm off to go home… have a good day!