Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all things related belong to JK Rowling and her affiliates, not me.
Author's note: Thanks once again to all of my FABULOUS reviewers, I really do appreciate and love you all !!! :0)
Here is the next part, sorry for the delay but I do hope you enjoy. I typed this up rather quickly and haven't checked it properly and it's still un beta' so there may be mistakes for which I apologise but I wanted to get it out.
Chapter 4:
The first thing Harry noticed when he returned to consciousness the morning following his little sojourn in the park was the dull throbbing that seemed to be emanating from the side of his head. Cautiously, he used his arms to push himself up into a sitting position resting against his wooden headboard and groaned softly. Reaching his hand up he gingerly pressed his fingertips to his temple feeling the ridges of a small cut and a bump just under his hairline. Wincing, he cautiously opened his eyes and squinted against the bright winter sunlight streaming through the window, past the curtains he had been too shaken to close the night before. Looking around his eyes rested on the clock on the bedside table and he swore loudly at the LED display blinking innocently up at him and telling him that it was 10:23am. Harry was very, very late for work.
Scrambling across his bed as quickly as his stiff limbs would allow him to, he stumbled across the room and into the shower, managing to wash, dress and throw some ibuprofen down his throat in record time, slamming out of the door to his flat as the clock clicked over to 10:44. Settling into the drivers seat of his car and started the engine. He was still let but at least he would now smell nice while the DCI was busy ripping strips off him.
Sure enough when Harry arrived out of breath in the incident room he was immediately summoned into Anderton's small office by a shouted, or rather more accurately bellowed; "Inspector James! Get in here!" that occurred so immediately upon Harry's stepping through the door that Harry suspected his superior to have rigged up some kind of surveillance system. Either that or he had simply seen his wayward inspector arrive through the window that looked out onto the car park.
Wincing, as the pounding in his head, that had increased with the shouting and now seemed to be doubling with every step he took, Harry shuffled across to the door and took a deep steadying breath before knocking twice, gingerly and stepping inside the warm room.
Anderton was indeed standing at the window facing the car park, his back to Harry, his hands deep in his pockets. Not daring to sit down uninvited Harry shifted forward slightly, closer to the desk and cleared his throat nervously.
"Um…Sir?" He asked.
"I expect you've got a nice excuse worked out to explain your lateness this morning haven't you Harry my lad?"
"Uh..well, sort of." Harry began hesitantly. "You see I sort of, well I got into a spot of bother yesterday on my way home and I well, I overslept. Sir"
Anderton turned around to fix Harry with a stern glare that quickly melted to one of concern as he took in both Harry's dishevelled appearance and the purple and black swelling that marred his inspector's pale face.
"Shit Harry!" He exclaimed, clearly startled. " What the hell happened to you? Are you all right?" Anderton's booming voice seemed to echo around the inside of his head and Harry winced once more, gasping involuntarily at the new wave of pain radiating from his left temple. He closed his eyes and pressed a hand to the side of his head, grimacing as he tried to will the steady throbbing away.
"You should sit down."
Harry jumped at the sound of the new voice, though the words were spoken softly. Startled he opened his eyes and turned his head slightly to the right to see a man of about forty-five sitting calmly of the uncomfortable plastic chairs placed in front of Anderton's desk. He noticed the man was thin and pale, almost gaunt looking, though his face was open and friendly. He had light brown hair streaked liberally through with flashes of silver grey. His hazel eyes were warm as he looked at Harry with concern and he was gesturing towards the second, empty chair.
Smiling slightly at the stranger, Harry decided that it was probably best not to nod at him in greeting and instead settled himself into the proffered chair with a relieved sigh and looked back towards his boss, questioningly.
Anderton was now also seated behind his desk and was studying Harry worriedly
"Are you alright?" He asked again.
Harry nodded quickly before wincing as he remembered that he was not supposed to be doing that.
"I'm fine, really. Just a bit of a headache." He answered unconvincingly.
"Hmmm" He could tell that Anderton was clearly not convinced but Harry merely folded his hands neatly in his lap and glanced pointedly at the stranger sitting next to him. Anderton sighed.
"Right, well before you tell me exactly what happened last night" He paused and gave Harry a pointed glare, which the younger man ignored in favour of examining his finger nails. "I should introduce you to Professor Remus Lupin." He nodded in the vague direction of the other man but kept his eyes fixed on Harry. "Professor Lupin is a leading expert on cults and cult activity and has kindly agreed to help us on this case." Anderton, finally now turned to Lupin. "Professor, this is Detective Inspector Harry James. He'll be your main liaison while you're here working with us."
Smiling, Professor Lupin turned to Harry and the younger man could not help but notice how the smile seemed to make Lupin look years younger as it warmed up his face.
"Please" He said holding out his hand; "Call me Remus. Professor Lupin makes me feel old and stuffy.
Harry smiled warmly liking this man and shook the offered hand.
"Harry" He replied. "It's good to have you on board Remus."
He was staring; Remus was aware of that fact, though he could not seem to stop doing it, even if he was aware of little else. But then, who could really blame him? He was fairly certain that anyone else finding themselves in the position he was in would be doing the same; even Snape he thought, successfully managing to suppress a snort. He half listened as Anderton went through the pleasantries of who he was supposed to be to the younger man, and continued to observe Harry quietly.
When Sirius had come bursting into his office the night before, clutching that little black wallet, Remus had not even dared to believe what he was being told. He had not even believed it in the hour that he had spent in this office waiting, and if he was perfectly honest with himself he was not altogether sure whether he really believed it now, even with Harry, familiar green eyes and lightening bolt scar, sitting no more than two feet away from him. Observing his best friend's godson, Remus was surprised at how little the boy; well man now, had changed in the last eight years. He was more assured in both the way he talked and how he carried himself yes, but he still had that same air of vulnerability surrounding him, coupled with that misleadingly light frame that had served him so well during his years as a seeker.
"…..Harry James. He'll be your main liaison while you're here working with us."
Remus snapped back to reality to see both Harry and DCI Anderton looking at him expectantly. He smiled slightly and offered his hand.
"Please. Call me Remus. Professor Lupin makes me feel old and stuffy."
Harry smiled and shook his hand. His grip light but firm.
"Harry." He said."It's good to have you on board Remus."
The exchange was brief and polite but as Harry let his hand go and turned his attention back to the older detective Remus felt that ice fill his stomach once again, and he closed his eyes briefly against the sick feeling clenching his heart and sighed. He had hoped that it was all just an act and that as soon as they were on their own Harry would chew him out for looking for him and Remus in turn could scold the younger man for running off and then drag him back to Hogwarts and Sirius, kicking and screaming if necessary. But, it was not to be so for whilst he still had no idea what had happened to Harry in that final battle or why he did know that in those few moments when he had had the younger mans undivided attention and Remus had been able to look him in the eye he had found no sense of recognition in that green gaze. Nothing other than a professional politeness.
Remus groaned inwardly, despair filling him. Harry did not know him and Remus would have to consider that likelihood that the wizarding world's hero did not even know such a world existed in the first place. This was going to be a lot harder than he had first thought. Remus successfully managed to repress another sigh and with conscious effort turned his attention back to the conversation underway between the other two men.
"…..so I followed them and..2 Harry was cut off abruptly as Anderton slammed his hand down on his desk suddenly making his coffee cup jump a few inches to the left.
"Harry" For god's sake; how many times do I have to tell you to stop putting yourself in these positions?" He roared. Remus saw Harry wince but his gaze never wavered. He stared at his superior belligerently.
"And how many times has it paid off?" He returned. Anderton said nothing and Remus could have sworn he saw Harry smirk for a moment and then he continued his story. "Anyway," He said, "They met up with another two, and I couldn't really see what they were doing because I didn't want to get too close." He directed a pointed look at Anderton who grunted but said nothing. "But it looked like they were torturing someone. They were definitely all wearing cloaks though, and hoods covering their faces."
Anderton sighed. "So what happened here then?" He asked waving a hand in the general direction of Harry's bruises.
Harry snorted, " Well, this man was screaming, horribly" He shuddered " And I couldn't just stand there and watch while they killed this guy could I? So I got up and was just going to intervene when this bloody great dog…"
Remus could not help but chuckle at the indignant look on Harry's face as he went on to describe how the dog, who was undoubtedly Sirius, forced him back down the hill and eventually sent him running for his car.
"So what do you think Remus? Any ideas off the top of your head?" Anderton asked suddenly. Remus frowned.
"A couple" He replied." But nothing concrete. I need to get a bit more specific information from Harry here and then do some research. I'll let you know as soon as I've come up with something. Shouldn't take too long." He stood and held pout for Anderton who stood and shook it.
" Thank you Professor." Remus nodded and Anderton turned to the still seated Harry.
"Inspector James" He barked and Harry shot to his feet; Remus noticed him sway slightly and rest a hand on the back of his chair.
"Sir?"
"You will go with Professor Lupin and tell him everything you know. I don't want to see your face again until tomorrow so I suggest you work from home. Understood?" Harry looked unhappy but nodded anyway.
"Yes Sir." He said and then turned to Remus" If you'd like to follow me."
Remus gathered his coat and together they left the office.
It had been about forty five minutes since they had left the incident room and Remus found himself ensconced in Harry's small and sparse living room surrounded by files, with apologies for the lack of heating and a warm cup of tea clasped in his hands. Harry was currently deeply engrossed in studying his various case notes while Remus continued to surreptitiously study Harry.
"Aha!" The younger man's triumphant exclamation startle Remus out of his reverie and his hands jumped slightly causing some of his hot tea to slosh out over his fingers and he winced.
"Oh" Harry said seeing him and handing him some quickly found tissues. "Sorry about that but I thought I might have lost this." He held up a manila file with a flourish." It's the autopsy report of the last victim. I want you to have a look at the symbol carved onto the body, see if you recognise it ok?" He waited for an answer.
Remus simply nodded and putting his tea down reached for the folder. Opening it he quickly leafed through the pages and then froze as his gaze fell on the picture Harry had indicated. There, carefully etched into the chest in all its glory was the dark mark. Remus swallowed thickly. No one had mentioned this.
"Remus? Are you all right? Do you recognise it? You're as white as a ghost." Blinking himself back to reality Remus focused his eyes on Harry's concerned face.
"No…I uh." He stammered." Could I use your bathroom?"
Harry's forehead creased into a frown, he looked like he wanted to say something but instead he shrugged, leaning further back into his own chair.
"Sure" He said "Through that door. First on your left."
"Thanks." Remus said, getting to his feet and heading quickly through the door indicated.
Finding the bathroom quickly in the small flat, Remus slipped inside then closed and locked the door behind him. Moving to the sink he ran the cold tap and cupping his hands splashed water onto his face and then stared at his reflection in the mirror above the sink while he tried to collect his thoughts.
He had known that there had been a new spate of murders, everyone knew that but nothing had ever been said about the reappearance of the dark mark. Why had Snape never mentioned it? Then another thought struck him. Did Snape know about it? In either case, it was not good news and he was sure his reaction must have aroused Harry's suspicions. Remus had no idea what he was supposed to say to him now.
Patting his face dry with a towel he found haphazardly tossed on a rail Remus took a deep breath to compose himself and made his way slowly back to the living room. Entering he closed the door quietly behind him before he turned to face Harry; and froze.
The young inspector was standing in the middle of the room a look of fury etched onto his pale face. In one hand he was gripping Remus' black coat, in the other, Remus felt his stomach turn over and he swallowed; in the other Harry was holding up his own, small, black wallet.
"Where" he bit out through gritted teeth, green eyes blazing; "did you get my wallet?"
*****TO BE CONTINUED*******
