AN: Urg…I was writing my other story and then I got a little bit of writer's block for this one…but I'm back!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except this pen. Yeah! It's an awesome pen.

000

It was a cloudy, overcast afternoon. A cool breeze was ruffling the trees, but Harry couldn't feel it. Lupin, a much younger Lupin, strode quickly down the garden path with Harry trailing behind him. They were quickly approaching a large house, constructed of dark, reddish brick. Something faint, screaming, was echoing around the cool air. As they got nearer, Harry distinctly heard a woman shrieking.

"YOU GET HIM BACK THIS INSTANT!" shrieked a voice. The voice was quickly followed by the tinkling of glass, perhaps of something that had been hurled at the wall rather enthusiastically.

"But, honey, he's just," came another, male voice, but he was cut off by more screaming.

"Oh, dear," muttered Lupin, speeding up his pace slightly. He was clutching a thick, aged looking book under one of his arms and, as usual, his fraying coat looked like it had seen better days. Harry hurried after him.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD LET OUR SON!"

"He's fine! He'll be back any minute now, Sirius just took him for a quick spin, so—"

"AAH!" Another breakable object met its untimely demise against a solid surface with a loud crash.

Lupin was now standing in front of the yard, looking indecisively at the front door. He could ring it, but it was unlikely that it would be heard, considering the argument was taking place at the backdoor. Harry walked passed Lupin into the backyard to get a better look at the action. A young James Potter toppled backward out the back door, narrowly avoiding landing face first on the ground.

"YOU GO GET HIM THIS INSTANT!" shrieked a female voice. Harry assumed it was his mother. She had never been around to berate Harry for doing anything during his childhood, but if she had, he could imagine it would sound something like this.

"Ok, ok, I will right now," said James in a voice that one would use to plead with an angry dragon. "I just need my—"

A broomstick hurtled through the air at his head, but he caught it without flinching. James sighed, mounted the broom, and kicked off into the air, muttering about "harmless fun."

"I heard that!" hollered Lily. She stomped out the door and stood on the patio, shaking her fist at her husband. "I'll give you 'harmless fun' you—!" She suddenly stopped yelling. "Oh, hullo, Remus. How are you?" she said brightly, as if she had been perfectly chipper the entire day. Remus stared at her incredulously.

"I'm fine, Lily," he said tentatively. "How are things in Godric's Hollow?"

Lily frowned slightly. "They were fine until my mature, adult husband decided to let our mature, responsible friend Sirius take our very, very young, frail child on his flying motorbike."

"I see…" said Lupin. Harry noticed he seemed to be suppressing a grin, with some difficulty. "I brought you the book."

"Oh, thank you! Come inside," offered Lily, opening the door. Harry looked around the house. It was large but cozy, and he felt a twinge of sadness that he didn't have a single memory of this place. He might even have grown up in this house…if it wasn't in ruins, of course. She and Remus sat down at the table and she offered him a cup of tea, which he accepted. "I can't believe you managed to find this," said Lily in disbelief, picking up the book and thumbing through it.

"It wasn't easy," chuckled Lupin. "That book is at least 600 years old."

"Well, it's holding up remarkably well." Lily gently blew the dust off the cover, allowing Harry to catch a glimpse at the title. The peeling silver letters on its yellowish, rapidly decaying coverread Ancient Blood Rites and Magicks.

Lupin paused for a moment, then gazed meaningfully into her eyes. "Lily, if you don't mind me asking…what do you want with such an obscure volume anyway?"

Lily shifted uncomfortably. She closed the book and set it down on the table. "Remus, James and I are…going away soon. Into hiding," she said, changing the subject. Remus opened his mouth, but she continued. "I don't know how long. II just want to thank you, and whatever happens…"

There was a sound of the backdoor banging shut, followed by hearty laughter. Sirius and James had obviously returned from their little adventure. They both had, ruffled, wind-blown hair and broad grins on their faces as they entered the kitchen. Sirius was wearing full Muggle attire, including a leather jacket. Harry saw a tiny bundle of blankets cradled in his arms.

"See, Lils? He's fine! I think the little tyke is going to be a great flyer someday, he just loved it up in the air—" Sirius and James both stopped dead when they spotted Lupin in the kitchen, the smiles fading from their faces.

"Moony," said James curtly. Sirius was silent. He remained on the other side of the kitchen, now holding Harry rather protectively. Neither asked what Lupin was doing there, but the question seemed to hang heavily in the air. A few moments of very tense, awkward silence passed before Lupin stood up. The expression on his face was closed, but Harry got the impression he was suffering intensely.

"I have overstayed my welcome," said Lupin quietly. "Goodbye, Lily." He kissed her gently on the forehead. "Whatever happens, good luck." Lupin cast a longing glance over at James and Sirius, then to Harry. He seemed to be considering saying goodbye, but the look on Sirius's face implied that he shouldn't. Harry got the general feeling Sirius would murder Lupin if he took a step forward. Lupin walked to the opposite end of the kitchen to the front door. He paused one last time, looking around at the people in the room—his friends. James and Sirius stared at him with hard, cold eyes. Lily looked at him with compassion, and perhaps a hint of uncertainty. Lupin opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. The door slammed shut behind him as he swept outside.

"You two—you shouldn't…" began Lily. Lupin was outside the house, in the midst of the garden. Harry was standing next to him. Somehow, Harry could hear the conversation in the house as clearly as if her were standing in the next room. Apparently, Lupin could too, because he was standing outside, looking at the door he had just exited, listening. It was pretty weird. Not the weirdest thing Harry had indirectly experienced in the past few hours, but it ranked pretty high up there.

"Shouldn't what?" snapped James. "I don't know how you can even associate with him."

"He's my friend!" protested Lily. "He's your friend!"

"Was," said James coolly. "You know what they said after the last Order meeting. It has to be someone. It's him, Lily. He's the spy! Who else would it be? He gave away the Prewetts last week! You should stay away from him," added James in a low voice.

"I—I'm tired," said Lily in a defeated voice. "I just can't believe it…"

"I know, Lils," said James in a comforting voice. "It's hard to take, but there's no one else. He betrayed all of us…"

"Eavesdropping?" said a voice behind Lupin. Both Lupin and Harry jumped slightly and whirled around. "You can hear them, can't you?" Sirius was standing a few feet away from him, his arms folded. He must have slipped out the back door while James and Lily were talking.

"Sirius—I—" started Lupin.

"What?" snapped Sirius venomously. "Betrayed us? Sold your only friends to Voldemort?"

"No! I would never! I haven't done anything, I swear," pleaded Lupin, a hint of desperation in his voice. "Please…I don't know who it is! Why would I ever—"

"What the hell happened to you mate?" asked Sirius, shaking his head. "I thought you were one of us…but you're not even human, are you?"

Lupin's mouth opened, horrified, but again he said nothing. He always appeared a little sad, but Harry had never seen him looking so—crushed. Finally, Lupin turned his back to the Potters house and walked away slowly. Sirius remained on the Potter's lawn, standing guard like a sentinel. His eyes bored into Lupin's back as he walked away. Somewhere inside, baby Harry was crying. Harry could hear the sound of his own wails growing fainter as Lupin slowly moved farther down the path.

000

"He's sooo cute," giggled Eleanor, swishing her straw around in her glass of butterbeer.

"I know," sighed Minerva. "But he's so sad sometimes…and he never talks to me. I used to thing is was just me, but I think he won't talk to anyone. He must really hate living in that Muggle orphanage."

"I heard that Muggle orphanages serve gruel all year round," said Eleanor seriously.

"That makes sense though," said Minerva. "I mean they have to buy all their food and make it by hand, don't they?"

"Eww…" said Eleanor. "Ooh, if you and Tom had kids, what would you name them?"

"I don't know, but if they were boys, I hope they'd get his hair. And his bone structure. He is so handsome!"

"Oh I know!"

Lupin was fighting the urge to bash his head against the table. It wouldn't have done him any good anyway, considering he was still incorporeal. He was stuck inside the Three Broomsticks, listening to teenage girls prattle and drink butterbeer, and he was nearing the edge of his sanity. Not just any girls, mind you. His former Transfiguration professor had a black and white polka dotted bow in her hair and she was fantasizing about naming the children she planned to have with Voldemort.

"Not Eugene, that's a horrible name!"

"I have an Uncle named Eugene!"

"Well they're my children, why would I name them after your Uncle?"

"What if it's a girl, then?"

"Regina?"

"No!"

"I have an Aunt Regina!"

"Stop talking about your silly relatives!"

"How about Victoria?"

"Ooh, that's a pretty name! I hope she doesn't get my hair, it's so flat and boring…"

"Don't be silly! It's very pretty."

"You're too nice Eleanor."

"Must ignore—senseless prattling—" thought Lupin desperately. He closed his eyes and concentrated, attempting to reach outside of the memory he was caught inside. He couldn't sense Harry anywhere, but then again he had no idea what the hell he was doing. Why had he flipped out and separated them in the first place? And where was Dumbledore? If he hadn't come to retrieve them by now, something bad must have happened…

Well, the best thing he could do now was find Harry. Or at least get as far away from gossiping teenage girls as he possibly could. He held his wand out in front of him and strode away from Minerva and Eleanor. They were now discussing the little house in the country where Minerva and Lord Voldemort would raise their three children a pet. (Two boys and a girl and a baby Krup). As he got farther away, the room began to blur out of focus. Finally, he was standing on the edge between a blur of color and memory, and a dark abyss. He held his breath and jumped into the blackness, out of the memory, hoping desperately that he would land in another memory and not in endless darkness. At least he wouldn't have to hear anymore about Minerva and Tom, the cutest boy at Hogwarts. Ugh.

000

Harry and Lupin were standing in front of large house that Harry had never seen before. Harry couldn't tell how old Lupin was at the time this memory took place, but it had to be at least ten years ago, maybe more. Lupin rapped on the door. It was constructed of a shining, dark, almost black wood and there was a large silver knocker in the center of it. Lupin waited awhile, but no one answered the door. He rapped again, looking warily at the silver knocker. Still no answer. Sighing, Remus carefully wrapped his sleeve around his hand a gingerly grabbed the heavy, silver knocker. After a few firm thumps, the door opened. A tall, middle-aged woman with sleek silver hair pulled open the door. She surveyed Lupin's shabby clothes with some disdain for a moment before speaking.

"You must be the exterminator," she said curtly.

Remus nodded politely. "Yes ma'am."

"Please come in," she said, stepping aside to allow Lupin in the door.

"Thank you," said Lupin graciously. She shut the door behind him and started briskly down the hall. Lupin followed her. "What exactly is the problem?"

"My husband believes there is a boggart in the upstairs hall closet," she said quickly. "He, unfortunately, is out of town on business. My grandchildren have had quite a fright last night when they tried to open the linen closet. I want that creature exterminated."

"You're sure it's a boggart?" pressed Lupin. Harry noticed the floors for the entire house were constructed from the same, dark, wood the door was created from. They were now climbing a staircase.

"I only have the testimony of my grandchildren to go on. From what they said, it seemed like we had a closet full of acromantulas, so I don't know how reliable their opinions are," she explained. She and Lupin were now upstairs. She opened the door to a dimly lit hallway and Remus stepped inside. "Thank you for your promptness," she said, before slamming the door shut.

"Okay…" said Lupin slowly. He pulled out his wand and began cautiously walking down the darkened corridor. A white door at the end of the hall began trembling and emitting loud banging noises. Lupin flattened himself up against the wall and pointed his wand at the door. The banging was getting louder. Suddenly, the door burst open, revealing a full moon. Lupin flinched slightly but his hand remained steady.

"Ridd—" he began, but at that moment, something swooped out of the closet and soared through the air, howling. It looked like a cross between a ghost and a poltergeist. Lupin, spun around to face to the…whatever it was. Harry instinctively pulled his wand out, but he knew he couldn't do anything to help.

"Ghoul," muttered Lupin under his breath. The ghoul began howling louder. It swooped low, causing Lupin to duck. It picked up a large antique vase on it's way down and chucked it at Lupin's head.

"Gahh!" Lupin ducked and rolled across the hallway, using some extremely colorful language. The ghoul rammed into the wall, causing a huge gilded mirror to fall free of the wall and zoom down towards Lupin. He dove out of the way just as the huge mirror smashed against the floor and shattered.

"Bloody—stupid—" he panted. The boggart, apparently upset that it was being ignored, had now transformed itself into a huge, hairy spider and crawled free out of the closet. Remus fired a Stunning Charm at the ghoul, which landed in the closet behind the giant spider with a resounding crash. A faint buzzing sound was building a gradual crescendo from beneath the broken shelves.

"Riddiculus!" he yelled, turning on the boggart-acromantula. It immediately shrank down to the size of a Knut. "Ha," said Remus flatly. He was about to crush the spider with his shoe when a swarm of Doxies hurtled out of the closet in a dark cloud, buzzing furiously. "Are you kidding me!" cried Lupin as the Doxies descended upon him. He was too busing swatting Doxies to notice that the ghoul was recovering. It grabbed a heavy blanket from the linen closet and dropped it on Remus's head. Remus, who was now backed up against the wall by at least a dozen irate Doxies and a brand new boggart-banshee, yelped and began flailing his arms with even more tenacity. He finally managed to get the blanket off of his head. He paused for a moment and surveyed the situation around him. Moving quickly, he flung the blanket over the Doxies and flung the bag of Doxies at the ghoul. The Doxies and the ghoul flew backwards into the closet and Remus slammed the door shut. He rounded back on the boggart. The banshee turned back into a full moon, hovering inches from Remus's wand tip.

"RIDDICULUS!" he yelled. The moon turned into cockroach, and Lupin smashed the cockroach under his shoe with more enthusiasm that was probably necessary. He pulled a vial of something out of his pocket and approached the closet door. After pausing and listening for a moment, he flung open the door and emptied the entire container of Doxycide into the closet. After a few moments, the closet went silent. With a satisfied smile, Lupin pulled out a tiny box and expanded it until it was a about the size of a grindylow cage. (Was it a grindylow cage? Harry wondered.) Lupin opened the door for one last time. The ghoul leapt out at him, only to land within the cage with a squeal of dismay. Lupin fell backwards against the wall and slammed the cage door shut.

"Finally," he grunted. After repairing the various things he had broken in his battle with the ghoul, he headed downstairs. The woman was standing the kitchen. She observed Remus critically as he came down the stairs.

"What is that?" she demanded eying the ghoul in the cage.

"I believe it's a ghoul," said Remus, a little out of breath. "You also had a boggart and rather a lot of Doxies living in that closet. The ghoul emitted a shrill, moaning wail and clawed at the bars of it's cage.

"Kill it," said the woman loudly.

"Are—are you sure?" said Lupin, uncertainly. "It's not dangerous, just noisy. I could take it somewhere if you—"

"I am not paying you to relocate the creatures in my house," she snapped. "I am paying you to exterminate them."

"I—" Lupin stared at her. "All right…" Looking extremely pained, he sat the cage on the counter and aimed his wand at the creature. "Avada Kedavra," he said in a voice barely above a whisper. There was a flash of green light and the creature collapsed, dead.

"Very well," said the woman in her usual, brisk manner. She dropped a few pieces of silver in Lupin's pale hand. He looked at the money.

"Isn't the usual fee 40 sickles?" he asked quietly.

"Hmm…" said the woman, her beady eyes narrowing. "Are you affiliated with the Ministry's Disposal of Dangerous Creatures Department?"

"No."

"Are you affiliated with the Schamander Extermination Services?"

"No."

"Are you affiliated with any industry standard association?"

"No," said Lupin slowly. "You might say I'm…independently employed."

"Hmm…then I guess you don't have any previously stipulated payment, do you?" she said haughtily. Lupin was silent, his jaw clenched. If he was furious, Harry decided he was hiding it remarkably well.

The woman opened the front door for Lupin. "Thank you for your services. Mr…what did you say your name was again?"

"I didn't," said Lupin curtly. He grabbed the grindylow cage and marched out of the house.

AN: Ah, career paths…sorry about the angst. I'm a sucker for angst. And review! I'm a review slut. Seriously. If I get more reviews, I'll totally post another chapter.