Crimson Emeralds
by The Velvet Ghost

Chapter Two - Lupin's Mirror Image

For Remus Lupin, it had been an extremely long month. Every day seemed to pass at the speed of a year, and while it had been an eventful time, his life felt dull and hollow. Every single member of the Order of the Phoenix was experiencing the same thing. Minerva McGonagall was still utterly numb, and since Albus's funeral, Remus had seen her express no emotion whatsoever. There were no discussions about the future of Hogwarts, or even the future of the Order. Albus Dumbledore's carefully laid precautions seemed to fall apart without him, leaving only dark times with no promise of hope at the end of the storm.

For the first fortnight, the Ministry had been in touch with the Order daily, desperate to ascertain the circumstances of Dumbledore's murder or even the identity of his killer. The Minister of Magic himself had visited Minerva McGonagall while Remus was round at her house, and promised that if anybody could provide the Ministry with a name, that person would be brought to swift justice. The wizarding world was reeling from Dumbledore's death. The people needed to know what had happened, who had done it, and maybe seeing his murderer locked away in Azkaban would bring them some hope and comfort.

Nobody said anything though. The truth had not yet sunk in. Every single slither of evidence named Severus Snape as Albus Dumbledore's killer, and there was no possible motive or explanation except that, at last, Snape had revealed his true colours. From talking to Minerva, Remus knew that she hated accepting Severus's guilt - for in doing so, she would imply Dumbledore had been a fool to trust the man. Revenge and justice were not worth such an insult to Albus's memory.

Tonight was the same as any other. Remus sat in the lounge, finishing one last cup of coffee and turning the pages in a wrinkled copy of the Daily Prophet. Each new headline only made him feel worse. Lists of deaths sprawled on for pages and pages, and they were names that Remus knew, names of people that he had never thought would be gone. A month ago now, the name "Albus Dumbledore" had appeared in that list, quiet and insignificant, as he would have wanted it. Minerva carried the cutting everywhere she went.

Hope was a rare, almost extinct creature now. Remus shifted in his armchair, resting his head in one hand and rubbing his fingers against his forehead, eyes scanning a report on the attack at St Mungo's yesterday morning. Innocent, injured people had been an easy target for the Death Eaters. There was only so much the Healers could have done. His eyes picked out the same words that graced every other article now - "tragedy", "barbaric", "another blow to the Ministry of Magic", "He Who Must Not Be Named rising in power", "the loss of Albus Dumbledore".

He closed the newspaper, and left his half-drunk coffee on the side. Perhaps he would cancel his subscription to the Prophet - he knew, subconsciously, that each new edition would bring no good news.

It was getting late. Outside the window, the quiet muggle village in which Remus made his home was oblivious to the war going on so close. It was getting to the stage when even the most logical of muggles could not deny something was wrong with the world. They blamed everything they could, searching for an explanation - God, the government, terrorists, the environment, the universe, aliens - but it was making no difference. Voldemort was winning this terrible war. Without Albus Dumbledore, the chances of clawing back were slimmer and slimmer with each passing day.

Remus drew the curtains, shutting out the streetlight, and left the lounge. The stairs creaked reassuringly beneath his feet as he ascended, thinking only of having a shower and then sleeping away the night's troubles. Maybe tomorrow would bring a miracle.

The bathroom light flickered on with a faint 'plink', and Remus pulled down the blinds, reaching for the hem of his jumper - when a voice spoke, quite near by.

"Remus?"

Remus looked around. Above the bathroom sink, the mirror was flashing, a soft gold pulse every few moments.

"There's somebody wanting to talk to you," the mirror said in her gentle tones. "Shall I put them through, master?"

Wondering who wanted to talk to him at this time of night, and who could know about his mirror, Remus nodded numbly, watching his reflection mimic the action. "Yes, of course..."

Slowly, liquidly, he saw his reflection in the mirror start to turn paler. His hair was darkening, his nose lengthening, the patterned brown jumper changing smoothly to a deep red satin shirt, until all at once, Severus Snape's dark eyes gazed out of the mirror.

"I wondered when you would be in touch," said Remus quietly.

Snape put down his wand, and leant closer to the mirror. "Oh?"

"Yes," said Remus. It was hard knowing what to say. "You've changed your hair."

"With the Death Eaters, the Ministry of Magic and the Order searching for me, Lupin, can you blame me for altering my long-distance appearance?" Snape was cold and curt as always, but there was not so much malice in his voice, as if the scathing comment was only scathing through habit. "I am an outlaw, if you failed to notice."

"No, I noticed," said Remus. He glanced behind Snape, who appeared to be in a bathroom somewhere, with cream-coloured tiles and careful bronze designs of ivy leaves sneaking down the wall. "Where are you?"

Snape let out a laugh. "If only it were that easy, hmm, Lupin? Tell me now if you intend to contact the Order the moment I end this conversation, so I will waste no more time than I have to."

Remus shook his head, placing his hands on either side of the sink and looking Snape in the eye. "I won't do that, until I know why you've got in touch. You don't strike me as the kind to take such a risk, just to gloat."

"No," admitted Snape. "I am not. Nor do I have much to gloat about, at this moment in time."

"Are you sure?" said Remus, feeling the ache momentarily in his chest.

Snape knew what he was thinking, Remus could tell. "Positive, Lupin. Are you alone?"

"I am."

"Good." Snape reached up absent-mindedly, touching the back of his head, and said, "Lupin, might I ask what your general opinion is of me?"

Remus blinked. He had not been expecting such an odd question, but had a feeling he knew why Snape had asked it. "If you want to know whether I think you murdered Albus... yes, I do."

Seeing Snape frown, Remus continued.

"But as to why you murdered him? There, I'm perplexed, Severus. And whether you are as loyal to Voldemort as most of the Order are starting to accept... another question I can't guess an answer to." He watched Snape closely, waiting for a reaction. "My instincts say no."

There was the tiniest hint of a nod. "Is it wise of me to trust you? If I gave you my current location, can I be confident in that you will come alone? There are things I need to explain."

For a few seconds, Remus thought. If it was a trap to finish off the members of the Order one by one... did it entirely matter? The Order of the Phoenix was dying away already. Severus was also taking a substantial risk - if Remus suspected a trick, he could come accompanied by Ministry wizards and the Order, and Severus's plan would backfire. In all his experience of Severus Snape, Remus knew he was not the type of wizard to play with fire.

"Alright," he said at last.

Snape nodded. "I wish you to come tomorrow morning, as early as possible, and I shall explain what I need to explain. After a moment of hesitation, he added, "There will also be a job you must agree to do for me."

"Oh?" said Remus.

"Yes. After I have shown you what I must, I need you to bring somebody to me."

Remus knew from the look on Snape's face. "Harry." Snape did not need to answer. Rubbing his brow, Remus said, "Severus... I don't think that-... put yourself in my place, Severus. Your reputation is not exactly trustworthy at this moment in time. If Harry..."

"Yes, I know," snapped Snape. He seemed even more irritable than usual, as if restless or frustrated. "Consider the situation, Lupin. Is it not blatantly clear that I am alive?"

Remus said nothing.

"I assume we both agree on that fact," said Snape. "In which case, I am equally as trustworthy as you, concerning Harry Potter." He considered Lupin for a moment, then said, "If it makes you more comfortable, you may make your decision once I have explained everything tomorrow morning. Then, you may decide whether to bring the boy to me or not."

"Fine," said Remus. "Where are you?"

He saw Severus reach for something just out of sight. As he turned the object over to read a label sewn to one corner, Remus saw it was a hotel flannel.

"The Bronze Ivy Hotel," Snape read aloud. He put the flannel down. "London, Lupin. I checked the local landmarks. If you follow the street where the Leaky Cauldron is, turn right and take your first left, you will be unable to miss it."

Remus nodded. "Tomorrow morning, then. What time?"

"Several hours before dawn, if at all possible," said Snape. "The earlier you arrive, the earlier we can begin. We have a lot to discuss. And Lupin?"

Remus paused, his finger halfway towards the hinge, a press of which would end the mirror contact. "Yes?"

"Do not be followed," said Snape darkly, and the mirror flickered out, replacing by Remus's own reflection. He watched himself in the mirror for a few moments, thinking, before he reached for his jumper once more and turned on the shower. As he looked for a hairbrush, he made a mental note to set his alarm clock for early tomorrow morning - he did not want to be late.