ACK! I am so bad at this regular updating this time. I'm sorry again that it's so sporadic. Life keeps getting in the way and I'm having trouble getting it finished. But I will finish! It just might take a bit. If anyone is actually still reading this, thank you so much for bearing with me.

I can't tell whether their interaction in this chapter would be read like this, but this is not a Lupin/Tonks fic. Just a heads-up.

Thank you to all my lovely reviewers. I really appreciate it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 5

Remus shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He, Molly, Arthur, and their son Bill were all sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for the meeting to begin. The others would be here soon.

Dumbledore had told him a little more, including the name of the group. But he couldn't remember it. Order of the Something…

The doorbell rang and someone began shrieking upstairs. Molly tore up the steps. Remus followed. A woman's screams of rage pierced the dank air.

Molly went straight to the door and opened it. Remus looked for the source of those screams. They seemed to be coming from behind those curtains. They billowed and he couldn't see what was beyond them. He reached out and spread them as Molly yelled, "Remus, don't!"

An old woman was standing there, shrieking hoarsely. Her rolling eyes fixed upon him.

"HALF-BREED!" she shrieked, "FILTHY HALF-BREED WITH BLOOD ON ITS HANDS! BEGONE FROM THIS HOUSE!"

She reached out for him and he jumped back in horror. Then he saw the picture frame and realized it was a painting that was screaming. With a yelp, he backed up more and tripped over an umbrella stand, landing on his back.

Molly and a man with long, greasy black hair pulled the curtains shut and the screaming stopped. Remus stood up, heart hammering.

"What was that!?"

The man turned and stared sharply at him. Remus felt almost like he had when Dumbledore had stared at him a couple nights earlier, like the man could see through his skull.

An older, severe-looking woman stepped around the umbrella stand and stood next to him. "Lupin." She said.

It took a second for the realization that she was talking to him to sink in. He turned. The woman leaned heavily on a cane, but seemed anything but feeble. "I'm sorry to hear what happened." She said.

"Thank you." His heart was starting to slow down now.

"We'll find a way to get your memory back."

"Thank you, ma'am."

A young woman with spiky purple hair stepped up close to him. She looked up into his eyes. "You don't remember anything?" she asked.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, breaking eye contact. "I don't."

"It's me. Tonks. Come on, you have to remember."

He looked up at her and searched his mind. Nothing. "I-I'm sorry." He said again, "I don't remember."

She looked away. "Come on." Molly said, "We need to start the meeting."

They all followed her downstairs and sat around the table. The black-haired man's gaze never left Remus. The gaze was curious and suspicious.

Dumbledore arrived soon after, then more and more people until the room was filled. Many more curious glances were sent Remus's way, but nobody said anything.

Then Dumbledore stood up. The room went quiet. "Thank you for coming, everyone." He said, "We have a few things to do but first I have to tell you something very important. Most of you already know this but for those who don't, Remus Lupin suffered an accident while off on his mission for the Order. We don't know anything about what happened, but some kind of trauma caused him to lose his memory."

Every head turned in Remus's direction. He felt like crawling under the table. He felt Molly squeeze his hand.

"I am doing everything in my power to help him. So are several others. But in the meantime, please be patient with him. He is trying to relearn everything and while that is not impossible for a man of his intelligence, it will be difficult."

He was speaking as though Remus wasn't there. Remus felt a flash of annoyance, but it disappeared quickly. Dumbledore was trying to help him. He appreciated what the man was doing.

"How severely is this going to impact Lupin's mission?" the man with the fake eye, Moody, asked.

"I don't know." Dumbledore said, "We weren't able to correspond for five months."

Five months? What had he been doing?

"When he's recovered, we'll find out what happened and go from there. Severus, what do you have?"

The black-haired man stood up. "He's adding to his army. I've only heard rumors, but they say that he enslaved a community."

Something stirred in Remus's mind, just out of reach. He tried to recall it, but it was gone.

"Keep your ears open." Dumbledore said.

The meeting went on for a good hour. Remus didn't understand most of what was said, but didn't want to disturb the others. He'd ask about it later.

Finally it was over. As everyone was getting up to leave, Remus caught Severus's eye. He held it for a moment, though he wasn't sure why. Severus sneered and walked out.