"We need to park somewhere unobtrusive," Alex said, frowning in concentration as she steered the van through another right turn, "and find out what's happening with Severus."
Lupin disagreed. "Severus is fine. We have to get in touch with Dumbledore. Pull over and let me summon an owl."
"How do you know he's fine ?" Alex's voice held a hint of panic. "Did I see him leave the meeting ?"
"I don't think so – what, can't you remember ?"
"How the hell do I know, Remus ? Whatever I remember about the meeting is in the pensieve !"
He blinked. "Oh. I hadn't thought of that." Lupin ignored Alex's unladylike snort. "I'm sure Severus is fine," he repeated.
Alex was about to argue when the strident blare of a police siren stopped her. She glanced in the rear view mirror. Maybe they'll just pass by. Come on, just pass by. The police car stayed behind them, siren shrieking. "Shit !" she muttered.
"Just pull over," suggested Remus.
"Are you kidding ? For one thing, I don't have a driver's license. Muggle police tend to frown on little omissions like that. And what happens when the cops notice the two guys tied up in the back ?"
"We obliviate them," Remus answered reasonably. "We're wizards. They're Muggles. End of problem. And then we send an owl to Dumbledore."
Alex brought the van to a stop on the shoulder of the road. The police car pulled up behind them, lights flashing. Mercifully, the grating pulse of the siren had stopped. "Step out of the van." The amplified voice was emotionless and professional. Alex grimaced as she turned off the ignition. Slipping her wand up her sleeve, she opened the door and stepped down reluctantly, rough gravel biting into the soles of her bare feet. She shivered; the March air was cold and damp.
Three officers approached, dark outlines, features back lit and obscured in the glare of the headlights. Alex heard the passenger-side door slam. "Wotcher, Remus ?" came a cheerful female voice a moment later.
"Tonks," she cried, relief mingled with confusion, "what are you doing here ?"
-----
"So, a liaison office between the aurors and the Muggle police was formed to deal with the threat posed by Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban," explained Tonks, "and a few of us have been quietly working together ever since. Not that you could really call it working, what this lot do," she added with a grin.
"I wouldn't talk if I were you, witch," came the good-natured retort. Alex, Remus, Tonks, and two Muggle police officers were crowded into a shabby, windowless basement office near King's Cross Station. Tonks had introduced the Muggles, but Alex was too wound up to remember their names.
A small parchment envelope sailed under the office door, arced across the room, and landed on top of a pile of clutter on a desk. Alex noticed a small plastic sign amid the stacks of files and empty coffee cups – Police Detective David Beckford. Beckford picked up the envelope. "You people," he complained as he opened it, "couldn't possibly pick up the telephone, could you ? Ah. Shacklebolt's all right, going to meet you later at Order Headquarters, he says," he continued.
Good. Kingsley Shacklebolt had been standing guard over the hotel room before they'd been kidnapped. Alex had been worried about him, during the moments when she could drive the worry about Severus out of her mind long enough to think of anyone else. Compulsively, Alex checked the magical pendant again. It's not as dark anymore. I think. The office's fluorescent lighting made it difficult for her to tell. She noticed Remus Lupin watching her. When she caught his eye he gave her a reassuring smile.
"Here's the Interpol file on one of the kidnappers, Dave," the other detective said suddenly. He'd been working at a computer since they'd entered the office. A printer began to spew paper.
Beckford reached across the narrow aisle between desks and grabbed the sheets. "Armand Lestrange," he read, "last known address in Marseilles, wanted by the French police for smuggling, kidnapping, robbery..."
"I can't believe the Ministry doesn't have a file on him," Tonks said. "He must be some relative of Rabestan and Rodolphus Lestrange. I think I'll just pop by the office and take a look."
"Go ahead, Tonks." There was a loud pop as the spiky-haired witch disapparated. The two police officers jumped in their seats. "I hate when she does that," Beckford remarked. "Well, in the meantime, we do have to finish taking statements from both of you," he said apologetically.
The two mages answered endless questions while waiting for Tonks to return. It couldn't have taken her more than ten minutes, but to Alex, at least, it seemed much longer. "Armand Lestrange is a distant cousin of our Lestrange brothers," Tonks reported when she got back, reading from a manila file. "He's a squib, wanted by the Ministry of Magic as well as the Muggle police, for smuggling stunners-"
"What's a stunner ?" Lupin interrupted.
"They're fairly new," Tonks replied, "anyone with the least smidgen of magical talent can use one, even a squib. Like the name implies, they can knock you out cold – Stupefy for dummies, basically."
"The red light I saw," Alex said.
Tonks nodded. "They used stunners on you both. This Armand Lestrange is a real thug. Bet you anything he gets transferred out of Muggle custody and sent to Azkaban," she added.
Beckworth shrugged. "You lot are welcome to him. His accomplice is also French, one Jules Mendi. Seems to be a petty criminal, probably a Muggle. You'll have to check with your French counterparts, but somehow I doubt he's even a squib."
"So Voldemort has a French connection," Alex commented. "Why would a pure-blood fanatic send a squib and a Muggle to do his dirty work ?"
"We don't know that any of this was Voldemort's doing," Remus answered. "The Lestranges could be acting on their own." He turned to Tonks. "It's been a long night. If you don't need Alex and me any longer, I think we'll get back to Grimmauld Place."
------
Remus led her through the front door of the hidden house and into the kitchen, which was crowded with witches and wizards. Alex realized that at least half of the Order of the Phoenix were already there waiting for them. A babble of excited conversation broke out as she was engulfed in simultaneous hugs from Molly Weasley and Fleur de la Cour.
The red-haired matriarch of the Weasley family was dusted with soot, evidence that she'd traveled to Grimmauld place by floo powder. "Everyone's been in a panic," Mrs. Weasley said. "Kingsley owled us to ask for help guarding you two, and Bill and Arthur apparated to London right away. When they got to the hotel, they found Kingsley unconscious -"
"They stunned me. Bashed my head on the floor when I fell." Everyone turned to see Kingsley Shacklebolt in the kitchen doorway, followed by two red-haired wizards Alex had never seen before. Kingsley's bald head was heavily bandaged. He looked embarrassed. "They had an invisibility cloak," he explained, "I heard a footstep, but didn't see a thing. Then a hand appeared, as though floating in the air, holding a stunner. Before I could get off a disarming spell, I'd been stupefied."
"No one's blaming you, Kingsley," said Mrs. Weasley, affronted. "It's that Mundungus Fletcher, what did he think he was doing, running off like that ?"
"He didn't run off, Molly -"
She ignored Kingsley's attempt to explain, turning on Remus Lupin instead. "And just look at you," she cried at the sight of his black eye. Conjuring a raw steak, she advanced on him, intent on administering first aid. "You look as if you've been in a brawl," she tutted disapprovingly, "hold still, would you ?"
"Not a brawl, just attacked and kidnapped," he replied cheerfully, ducking and avoiding her ministrations with some difficulty. "Um, an ice pack might help, Molly, if it wouldn't be too much bother," he suggested, wrinkling his nose at the bloody slab of meat.
"Just let me -"
"Mundungus didn't come back ?" Alex broke into the argument. "Is it safe for Severus to go back to Knockturn Alley ?" Damn, this whole thing is a mess. What if he gets away with spying on Voldemort and his Death Eaters, but then gets mugged by squibs when he gets home ? She couldn't decide whether to laugh at the notion or be afraid for him.
"Severus always gets in touch with Albus after a meeting," Minerva McGonagall spoke up from a seat at the kitchen table. The deputy headmistress was calmly grading Transfiguration essays, ignoring the hubbub around her. "I don't know how," McGonagall added, "but he will contact Albus, and once he does, they'll join us here."
There didn't seem to be anything else to do but sit down and wait. Alex wanted to ask Remus to put her back into a trance so she could check on Severus, but restrained herself. They all seem to think he's fine. How would it look if I acted as though I thought he couldn't take care of himself ? She listened to Fleur de la Cour introduce Bill and Arthur Weasley to her and tried to make small talk with them and the other assembled members of the Order. Molly Weasley managed to bully her into accepting a conjured pair of slippers and a cup of tea. She sipped the hot drink and tried to stay calm. I know he's all right. I think he's all right, she amended. I just want to know for sure. Hell of a lot of good a weird psychic link does me, can't even use it when I want to. Alex realized belatedly that Fleur de la Cour was speaking to her. Shit, what did she just say ? "Um, sure," she replied slowly, hoping an affirmative answer was appropriate.
Remus, sitting on the other side of Alex, touched her hand gently. She turned to the greying wizard, glad of an excuse not to have to continue pretending interest in Fleur's conversation. "That should be them now," he said softly, his eyes flicking toward the doorway.
Alex frowned, unsure of what he meant. Then she heard the front door open. She pushed back her chair and ran out of the kitchen, skidding across the wooden floor in Molly Weasley's crocheted slippers. Dumbledore was coming down the hallway, followed by Severus Snape. "Good morning, sir," Alex blurted, slipping past the headmaster. She flung herself into Severus' arms, hugging him tightly. He leaned down to give her a brief kiss.
"What on earth are those things on your feet ? You look ridiculous," he greeted her.
"I'm happy to see you, too," Alex grinned, letting go of him reluctantly. "Damn, Severus. You look like shit."