Sirius wanted to put his fist through a wall. It was either that or put it through Gideon and Fabian Prewitt. He cursed Moody over and over for forcing him to team up with the brothers. It wasn't that they were incompetent or even taking Hermione's kidnapping lightly. It was just that they seemed to lack the sense of urgency Sirius felt.
Their idea of searching seemed to involve a lot of waiting. And neither of them seemed particularly troubled by Remus's disappearance. They said they couldn't worry about some hot head boyfriend running off and trying to play the hero.
The problem was that the more time passed that they hadn't heard from Remus, the more worried Sirius got. Remus was one of the most brilliant wizard's Sirius ever knew, but he had become a lot more impetuous since Hermione had come into his life and Sirius had a really bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
The three wizards began their search in the same place Remus had. They began searching Hogsmeade and headed straight for the Hogshead to see if they could get any information out of the crowd there. They forced Sirius to wait outside, saying that it would look less suspicious if it was just the two of them. The truth was Gideon and Fabian didn't like having Sirius along any more than Sirius liked being with them.
So Sirius found himself standing outside the Hogshead in the freezing January night waiting for the Prewitt brothers to rejoin him. He rubbed his hands together vigorously trying to create a little warmth.
"Sirius, psst."
Sirius turned to the sound of a soft feminine voice, but couldn't see anything.
"Sirius," the voice hissed again.
"Lily?" questioned Sirius.
"Shh," she hushed him. From the shadows between two buildings, he could see the faint outline of Lily Potter. He hurried over to her.
"What are you doing here? Does James know you're here?" Sirius scolded.
"I'm right here, Padfoot," came James' voice from somewhere behind Lily.
Sirius immediately felt a relief flood his body. "How did you two get away?" he asked.
"It wasn't easy," said James quietly. "We had to wait until Moody left."
"You mean he left you two alone?" asked Sirius incredulously.
"Are you kidding?" laughed Lily. "He knew we couldn't be trusted. He left a couple of Order members at the house just to make sure everything stayed safe."
"And," prompted Sirius.
"And we simply got around them," said Lily innocently.
"I'll bet," replied Sirius. "You know, I don't think I want any of the details."
"So, have you found anything out yet?" asked James.
"Not a thing," sighed Sirius. "The Prewitt's are in the Hogshead right now trying to see what they can find out. I swear they treat me like I'm still some green first year instead of a trained Auror."
"Gideon and Fabian have always been a little cocky," said Lily sympathetically. "They remind me a couple of guys I know."
"Lily," warned James, but there was a hint of a smile in his voice.
"Have either of you heard from Remus yet?" asked Sirius.
"No," said James. Lily shook her head.
"I have a real bad feeling, guys," said Sirius. "We should have heard from him by now."
"He hasn't been gone that long," said Lily, but there was worry in her voice.
"I think we need to be worried," said Sirius. "He could be anywhere."
"Do you think he's been captured?" asked James.
"I think we should consider it," replied Sirius.
"If he was," Lily cut in. "Then we may have a bigger problem."
"What do you mean?" asked James.
"Well, if I was in Hermione's shoes and I knew that Voldemort had you, then I'd tell them anything they wanted to know to make sure you were safe."
"She won't give up anything," defended Sirius. "She knows what the consequences would be."
"She might not give up anything at first, but if they pushed her far enough, if they gave her a choice between Remus's life and spilling everything she knows, I don't see how she'll stay quiet," insisted Lily. "I couldn't. Sirius, maybe you can't understand what it's like to love someone that much."
"That's not true, Lily," Sirius cut him off. "Believe me, I would do anything, and I do mean anything to get her back right now." Sirius lowered his eyes and turned away. They were getting off track. He couldn't think about what might be happening to Hermione at this very moment. The only thing keeping him sane was pretending that this was just another training mission. He knew if he thought too much about the kind of danger she was in then he wouldn't be able to function.
"Okay," said James. "Let's assume the worst. Let's say they do have Remus at this point. I don't think it changes anything. We still have to find out where she is and..." he paused and took a deep breath. "And if she's still alive."
Sirius whirled around. "She's alive," he ground out through clenched teeth.
James nodded. "Then we just have to figure out where they're keeping her."
"Well," said Sirius, the frustration evident in his voice. "We're not going to find out standing around the Hogshead. If you want my opinion, we need to find ourselves a Death Eater and make him tell us where Voldemort might be. If we find him, then we'll find her."
"You make it sound so easy," said Lily bitterly.
"But don't you see," interrupted Sirius. "It is easy. We have all the information we need thanks to Hermione. We know who the Death Eaters are, or at least some of them. All we have to do is go to them."
"Or make them come to us," said James.
"What do you mean?" asked Lily excitedly.
"Well, the Death Eaters have families, same as we do. What if we got to them, the way they keep getting to us?" James began pacing deep in thought. "What about Michael Pucey? Hermione was nearly certain he's a Death Eater."
"Pucey?" questioned Sirius. "The name sounds familiar."
"He was a few years ahead of us. He was a Slytherin prefect."
"He has a wife and a son," said Lily quietly. "Her name is Emily. I knew her. She was a Slytherin, but I have a hard time believing she's a Death Eater. She never seemed to have the same viciousness the rest of them had. She was a bit cold and standoffish, but she generally liked to be left alone and she left other people alone. Her son's name is Adrian."
"That's perfect," said James. "If we can make Pucey think his wife and son are in danger he'll tell us everything he knows."
"James I don't know," said Lily. "It's not right. We can't hurt a little boy. He can't be more than two or three."
"They do it to us, Lily," said Sirius coldly.
"It's not right," insisted Lily.
"We're not going to hurt anybody," interrupted James. "We're just going to make them think we are."
"James," began Lily.
"Lily we don't have time for doubt," snapped James. "If you can't do this, then go back home. We don't have time. Hermione doesn't have time."
Lily narrowed her eyes. "Let's get one thing straight, James Potter, there isn't anything I wouldn't do to get Hermione safe and if you ever speak to me like that again you'll be sleeping on the couch for a month."
James wisely kept his mouth shut. Sirius cleared his throat. "Okay, I think we have a plan. Do either of you know where the Pucey's live?"
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Severus Snape was on the verge of cursing Lucius Malfoy into the next century. Malfoy was sitting in one of the many sitting rooms in Malfoy Mansion surrounded by about a half dozen of his fellow Death Eaters giving them the details of his interrogation with Remus Lupin. He had a very captive audience who laughed in the appropriate places and added the appropriate commentary to his narrative.
Snape couldn't stand the sycophant crowd who didn't bother to point out that no wizard could live through what Malfoy was describing, not even Albus Dumbledore. Snape stood and left the room, knowing Malfoy would goad him into giving the details of Hermione's interrogation.
No one questioned him leaving. The others knew Snape normally preferred to be left alone. It gave him a small advantage at the moment. He wanted to make sure Malfoy truly was exaggerating and Lupin wasn't dying in the middle of Malfoy's dungeon at this very moment. He had concluded that his only hope of proving himself to Dumbledore was getting both Hermione and Remus out alive.
Snape made sure no one was following as he made his way down to the dungeons. He crept inside quietly. Hermione looked up and Snape could see the tiredness in her eyes.
It had been a few hours since he had left them and her cheek was beginning to purple where he had hit her. Snape made sure the door was securely closed before coming closer to them.
"You shouldn't be here," said Hermione quietly.
"Don't worry," said Snape, "everybody's occupied."
"That's not what I meant," replied Hermione. "You're supposed to be getting help."
"I can't just leave," said Snape through gritted teeth. "It would look suspicious."
"You came here," Hermione pointed out.
"Look," said Snape. "I just wanted to check and make sure Lupin wasn't dying. I'll leave if I'm bothering you."
"No," said Hermione quickly. "I'm sorry, I just...," she trailed off, looking down at her fiancé. "He's going to go through the transformation in less than two days and I don't know if he'll have the energy to get through it."
"That's the last thing I would worry about if I was you," Snape pointed out.
"You really are a Slytherin," she said in a disgusted tone. "Isn't there anyone you worry about more that yourself."
"What good would that do me?" asked Snape.
"That's sad," was all Hermione would answer.
Snape sighed. "Is he going to make it?" he asked sarcastically.
Hermione narrowed her eyes. "He's tired," she said. "We could use some food," she added.
Snape shook his head. "I can't. It's too big a risk."
"What about some water?" asked Hermione, getting annoyed.
"I'll see what I can do," replied Snape.
"Just get help," snapped Hermione losing her temper. She glanced down at Remus who hadn't woken up despite her and Snape's raised voices. She bit her bottom lip, praying she was doing the right thing. "There is another way," she said quietly.
"What do you mean?" asked Snape.
"If you don't think you can get to Dumbledore at Hogwarts again, there is another place you can go."
"Where?" asked Snape cautiously.
"Sirius Black's."
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A couple of hours later, James, Lily, and Sirius were standing in the latter's apartment. The sun was beginning to rise, which worried Sirius. Whatever they were going to do, they had to do it immediately.
They had decided to go to Sirius's first to pick up a few supplies. Namely, Sirius's invisibility cloak and their two way mirrors. They had to make a stop at the Ministry before they went to Sirius's apartment to get the Pucey's address, but now they were almost ready to leave.
"All right," began James. "We have everything we need and we know what the plan is. Is there anything else we need to do before we get going?"
"I just want to make sure the two of you understand what we're about to do," Lily began.
Sirius groaned and James closed his eyes wearily.
"We're crossing a line here," said Lily angrily. "A line I'm afraid will be difficult to come back from."
"Lily," snapped Sirius angrily. "We have gone over this a million times already. You don't have to come," he reminded her.
"We're talking about terrorizing a mother and her child to get information out of them. It's not right," she cried in frustration.
"They do this stuff all the time," said James. "And worse."
"I just wish there's was another way," said Lily. "Moody is going to have both of your heads after we do this."
"The Ministry has already approved using the unforgivable curses to apprehend Death Eater's," said Sirius. "And we're not necessarily going to go that far," he added hastily. "Not if they cooperate."
"Moody never uses the unforgivable curses if he can help it," argued Lily.
"Lily, if there was another way I would take it," said James. "But there isn't."
"I just want everyone to go into this knowing what we're doing."
"I think we know, Lily," said Sirius. "Now can we just get going? I want Hermione out of there by the end of the day."
They all grabbed their wands and pulled their cloaks tightly around them. They were about to disapparate when there was a knock at the door.
Sirius put his finger to his lips. He moved toward the door cautiously. Before he could open it, there was another knock, this one louder and more urgent.
"Maybe it's Remus," whispered Lily hopefully.
Sirius reached the door quickly and threw it open, hoping to see his best friend. He hadn't expected to see the person he had hated and tormented during his Hogwarts years.
James and Lily immediately pointed their wands them at Snape.
Snape held out his open palms, showing them he wasn't holding his wand.
"What the hell are you doing here?" sneered Sirius.
"I came to deliver a message from Hermione," said Snape, trying to keep his voice nice and even. He didn't know how he had allowed Hermione to convince him to come to Black and now that he was here, he wished he had done anything else.
Within a second of him saying he had a message from Hermione, Sirius had the front of Snape's robes in his fists.
"Sirius," hissed Lily. "Get him inside."
Sirius hauled Snape into the apartment and Lily hurried to close the door behind them. He dragged Snape all the way to the couch and through him down, before pulling out his wand and touching it to Snape's chin. "What do you know about Hermione?" he asked through gritted teeth.
"Put the wand away and I'll tell you," answered Snape.
Sirius pressed his wand even harder into Snape's chin, forcing his head back.
"Sirius," warned Lily. "Be careful."
"What are you really doing here, Snivellus?" asked James coldly. "Why did Voldemort send you?"
"He didn't," said Snape. "Hermione sent me."
"You're lying," growled Sirius. "Hermione would never send you. She knows we'd never trust a sniveling little weasel like you."
"She didn't have any other choice," said Snape, "seeing as how she's under lock and key with Lupin in Malfoy's dungeons right now."
"They've got Remus?" asked Lily.
"He's lying, Lily," snapped James. "Don't fall for it."
"What if he's not?" said Lily. "What if Hermione really did send him?""Wake up, Lily," said Sirius. "He's a Death Eater. This is a trap."
"What's your proof?" Lily asked Snape directly.
Snape locked eyes on Lily, ignoring Sirius and James completely. "She said to tell you that she saw Harry and Ron again."
Lily turned and looked at James quizzically. "That doesn't make any sense. How could she have seen them?"
Meanwhile, Sirius paled considerably and lowered his wand. "She said she saw them again?" he asked.
"I don't know what it means," said Snape. "She just told me to tell you that."
"Do you know what that means, Sirius?" asked James.
"I think so," he said. He motioned for them all to move away from Snape. They did, but didn't take their wands off him.
"She saw them once before," said Sirius quietly. "That night she nearly she drowned in the lake."
"How?" asked Lily.
"I'm not sure," said Sirius. "Remus told me about it weeks after it happened. He said that they had spoken to her and told her to do something."
"From the future?" asked James incredulously.
"Don't ask me to understand it. I don't think she understood it. I just know it happened. And it happened when she was that close to dying," said Sirius. "If she's seen them then I don't think it's a good sign. And if they've got Remus with her, then we're in even bigger trouble. You two know what happens tomorrow night, don't you?"
"Full moon," replied James quietly.
"Oh no," moaned Lily. "We've got to get them out of there."
"I'm still not convinced," said James. "I think we should put Snape in a body bind and go forward with our first plan."
"I don't know, James," said Sirius.
"Me neither," added Lily. "You said earlier that if we had another option we wouldn't go after the Pucey's. Snape is giving us another option. I think we should take it."
"I agree," said Sirius quickly.
James looked at Sirius in surprise. "This means we'll have to trust Snape. You know that, don't you?"
"I don't like it any more than you do, James, but what choice do we have. If they really have Remus in there with her, she's as good as dead by tomorrow night."
They all glanced back at Snape who was sitting quietly on Sirius's sofa as if he were waiting for them to make a decision. "If we're wrong," began James.
"You didn't even have to finish that," said Sirius. "We know what the consequences are."
"Let's just bring them both home," said Lily.
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A/N: I swear I have the best of intentions when it comes to updating, but then life happens and before you know it, it's been a week. I promise to try and update at least once a week. Thank you all for the reviews, they really are very inspiring. I hope you liked the chapter.
