Chapter 3 ~ Old Friends and New Tales
Remus Lupin looked up from where he and Molly Weasley sat at the kitchen table as the front door opened. They weren't expecting anyone. Both stood and pulled out their wands. They started as the portrait in the hallway began her diatribe, and then, suddenly, was silenced by a soft voice.
"Hello mum." The woman in the portrait looked around warily, but as she couldn't see any of the usual blood traitors and mudbloods, she had fallen silent. Then she said, in the only kindly voice Remus and Molly had ever heard her use, "Muriel, dear, is that you? Back from America after all this time?"
Remus' wand dropped and he dashed into the hallway. The portrait of Mrs. Black began screaming immediately, but fell to the floor in the wash of excited happiness that ran through the house as Remus hugged his old friend. "Muriel, how can you be here? But," he added, his happiness waning as hers did, "then, you already know," he stammered this last out as Muriel began crying.
He held her as best he could as Molly entered the hallway, confused. Remus introduced them, and led Muriel to the kitchen. They sat together as Molly made tea. "How did it happen, Remus?" She asked, finally lifting her head from the table. He recounted for her the entire story of the previous two- year's adventures. She gasped at the finding of Wormtail, and gave him a reproving look, though he tried valiantly to keep the anger out of his voice as he described Snape's hand in it all. When he finished the tale of the final duel against Bellatrix, Muriel's eyes seemed to clear. "A stunning spell? You're sure?"
"Definitely. They were the only two still dueling."
"And then he fell through the archway?" Her brain was ticking behind her eyes and Remus looked worried.
"What about you?" he asked quickly. "You disappeared without a trace and no one would tell us anything. Sirius was," he paused, glancing at Mrs. Weasley, "well, we were all really upset." He finished quietly.
" I suppose I should explain that. Well, you know that I got a job as an Auror after only an extra year of studying. And you probably remember that Severus still wasn't speaking to me, and it wasn't just that, he was blocking me from reading him, too." At this, Mrs. Weasley looked a little confused, but after a warning glance from Remus she chose not to interrupt.
"I caught my first Death Eater about two months after the Potter's wedding. I hadn't even been working, I'd left the hospital - my aunt was very ill, then. I saw him follow a muggle down an alley. When he raised his wand, I stunned him. The muggle ran and I went to see whom it was. It was Severus." She stopped speaking, looking at the table.
"Oh no," Remus said, quietly. He was shaking his head.
"I let him go, Remus. My father saw the whole thing. I didn't even know that he ever visited my aunt, but he must have been heading to the hospital himself." She paused, then continued quickly. "You know how he was - people were already suspicious of him, he couldn't have the whole Ministry finding out that I'd let Severus go, so he did the only logical thing he could do." Her voice was bitter. "He sent me to America to round up anyone that Voldemort had sent to try and recruit new Death Eaters. I left that night. I tried to come home, but the Floo network was being watched. They wouldn't let me or my letters through. I didn't find out about the Potters, and Sirius until months after it happened." She fell silent, then, in a rather breathless tone of voice, asked, "This archway, could you hear whispering coming from it?"
Molly had kept her peace throughout all these stories, but at this question she broke her silence. "I hope you aren't considering anything drastic, Muriel," she said, and instantly regretted it.
The woman turned to her and there was in her eyes the same wildness that had been in Sirius' when he'd been stuck in the house for too long, unable to serve the Order. "Remus, Molly, thank you for the tea," she said abruptly. She was gone before either of them knew what to say. As the front door slammed shut, Remus picked up the portrait of Sirius' mother and rolled it carefully, setting the frame aside.
Remus Lupin looked up from where he and Molly Weasley sat at the kitchen table as the front door opened. They weren't expecting anyone. Both stood and pulled out their wands. They started as the portrait in the hallway began her diatribe, and then, suddenly, was silenced by a soft voice.
"Hello mum." The woman in the portrait looked around warily, but as she couldn't see any of the usual blood traitors and mudbloods, she had fallen silent. Then she said, in the only kindly voice Remus and Molly had ever heard her use, "Muriel, dear, is that you? Back from America after all this time?"
Remus' wand dropped and he dashed into the hallway. The portrait of Mrs. Black began screaming immediately, but fell to the floor in the wash of excited happiness that ran through the house as Remus hugged his old friend. "Muriel, how can you be here? But," he added, his happiness waning as hers did, "then, you already know," he stammered this last out as Muriel began crying.
He held her as best he could as Molly entered the hallway, confused. Remus introduced them, and led Muriel to the kitchen. They sat together as Molly made tea. "How did it happen, Remus?" She asked, finally lifting her head from the table. He recounted for her the entire story of the previous two- year's adventures. She gasped at the finding of Wormtail, and gave him a reproving look, though he tried valiantly to keep the anger out of his voice as he described Snape's hand in it all. When he finished the tale of the final duel against Bellatrix, Muriel's eyes seemed to clear. "A stunning spell? You're sure?"
"Definitely. They were the only two still dueling."
"And then he fell through the archway?" Her brain was ticking behind her eyes and Remus looked worried.
"What about you?" he asked quickly. "You disappeared without a trace and no one would tell us anything. Sirius was," he paused, glancing at Mrs. Weasley, "well, we were all really upset." He finished quietly.
" I suppose I should explain that. Well, you know that I got a job as an Auror after only an extra year of studying. And you probably remember that Severus still wasn't speaking to me, and it wasn't just that, he was blocking me from reading him, too." At this, Mrs. Weasley looked a little confused, but after a warning glance from Remus she chose not to interrupt.
"I caught my first Death Eater about two months after the Potter's wedding. I hadn't even been working, I'd left the hospital - my aunt was very ill, then. I saw him follow a muggle down an alley. When he raised his wand, I stunned him. The muggle ran and I went to see whom it was. It was Severus." She stopped speaking, looking at the table.
"Oh no," Remus said, quietly. He was shaking his head.
"I let him go, Remus. My father saw the whole thing. I didn't even know that he ever visited my aunt, but he must have been heading to the hospital himself." She paused, then continued quickly. "You know how he was - people were already suspicious of him, he couldn't have the whole Ministry finding out that I'd let Severus go, so he did the only logical thing he could do." Her voice was bitter. "He sent me to America to round up anyone that Voldemort had sent to try and recruit new Death Eaters. I left that night. I tried to come home, but the Floo network was being watched. They wouldn't let me or my letters through. I didn't find out about the Potters, and Sirius until months after it happened." She fell silent, then, in a rather breathless tone of voice, asked, "This archway, could you hear whispering coming from it?"
Molly had kept her peace throughout all these stories, but at this question she broke her silence. "I hope you aren't considering anything drastic, Muriel," she said, and instantly regretted it.
The woman turned to her and there was in her eyes the same wildness that had been in Sirius' when he'd been stuck in the house for too long, unable to serve the Order. "Remus, Molly, thank you for the tea," she said abruptly. She was gone before either of them knew what to say. As the front door slammed shut, Remus picked up the portrait of Sirius' mother and rolled it carefully, setting the frame aside.