For the challenge at LJ community rlntficathon, requested by evrdream33. First of three parts.

I'm not sure I've entirely met the challenge from evrdream, but it's what came out on paper.

I

Remus, for possibly the first time in his life, dropped a book to the floor without noting the page number or marking his place. The heavy tome bounced off the top of his foot before falling open, face-down, on the threadbare carpet. In some small corner of his brain, he could hear a voice that sounded suspiciously like Madam Pince, shrieking about creased pages.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my flat?" His voice cracked a little on the last word as he raised his wand in a defensive posture.

One of the intruders raised two slim hands as if to show that she was unarmed. The man at her side raised his own wand and stepped in front of the woman. They looked familiar, but Remus couldn't remember where or when he'd seen them.

"Put it down, boy. We're not here to harm you," he said softly. "Dumbledore sent us. It's about Sirius..." He trailed off, a hard, dark look twisting his face.

Remus shook his head, certain he hadn't really heard that name. He hadn't heard a peep from any of his friends for almost six weeks. It hadn't really surprised him; they'd all drifted apart somewhat after leaving school and with a baby in the picture now... Well, who would want a werewolf hanging on the bell all day?

"Sure, he did," Remus jeered, "and Voldemort's been defeated and we're all going to live happily ever after."

The couple exchanged looks and the woman touched the man's wand arm, pulling it gently down to his side. She looked at Remus then, the expression in her eyes making a cold and hard lump settle in Remus's belly.

She spoke slowly, almost as though she couldn't force the words past her lips. "Sirius has been... There was an attack tonight and –" She stopped abruptly and moved toward him. "Is anyone here with you?"

"No, I live on my own," he answered automatically, then shook his head. The coldness in his stomach was growing, spreading out and up, into his throat. "Why are you here? What's happened to Sirius? Who are you? TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON!"

The woman was at his side now, pushing his wand arm down as she had just done to her companion. "I'm Andromeda, Sirius's cousin. This is my husband. Dumbledore sent us to tell you – Oh gods, Remus, you should sit down first." Now her voice was cracking and that same dark look was moving into her face.

Remus jumped as he felt the man's hand land on his shoulder, hard. He hadn't even noticed that the wizard had moved. He allowed himself to be steered onto the settee, looking in complete bewilderment at the couple now looming over him.

The man (Ted Tonks, his brain supplied from some dimly remembered encounter) squeezed his shoulder. "Do you have any tea? Or something stronger?"

"Second shelf above the sink, behind the cereal. Will you please just tell me what's happening" He was practically shrieking now, his brain whirling as he tried to figure out why Dumbledore had sent them.

Andromeda dropped to her knees in front of him, clasping both his hands in hers as Ted moved into the tiny kitchenette. Her hands were like ice, but surprisingly strong. She held on tight as she started to speak, her voice barely above a whisper.

"There was an attack tonight, Remus. At Godric's Hollow." Her grip on his hands tightened as he tried to jerk away from her. She started speaking faster, the words tripping over themselves as they fell from her mouth. "It was Voldemort. He attacked the house and tried to kill the baby but the curse rebounded and he's been destroyed."

"Oh dear gods," Remus breathed. "That's wonderful... Where are Lily and James? The baby? Are they all right? I have to go see them!" He tried to push her aside so he could stand up.

"You can't, Remus. You can't," Andromeda said as she struggled against him. "James and Lily Potter are dead."

The next few moments passed in a daze. Andromeda was holding his head to her chest, her hands stroking softly over the back of his head. Screams echoed in his mind. Someone was sobbing.

He was sobbing.

How long he'd been like this, he didn't know. He pulled away from Andromeda and wiped at the tears on his face. The cold lump in his stomach had broken into icy shards that pierced straight through his heart. James and Lily, dead. No more chances to sit and talk with them, no chance to make things right again.

Ted pressed a cool tumbler into his hands. The whisky burned as it flowed down his throat.

He pushed aside the pain, trapped it in a little box. There would be more than enough time for it later. Too much time.

"What –" he croaked, "what happened to Sirius? Where is he?"

Andromeda looked up at her husband, her blue eyes brimming with tears. "You tell him, Ted," she whispered. "I don't think I can."

Ted's broad face crumpled as he looked down at his wife. He nodded, jerkily, and crouched down in front of Remus.

"Sirius has been arrested. Peter Pettigrew confronted him and accused him of– Of betraying his friends. Sirius attacked him, killed him..."

"NO!" Remus shouted. He pushed himself onto the back of the settee, trying to scramble away from the couple, to escape these horrible lies. They had to be lying! How could the Potters be dead? Sirius would never betray them!

He was dimly aware that he was shouting most of this at the couple still crouched on the floor. His eyes moved wildly around the room, searching for the wand one of them had apparently taken from him. If he could find his wand, he could apparate to Godric's Hollow, prove their words were false. Andromeda was openly sobbing now. Ted had risen to his full height and was walking around the end of the settee.

Remus barely noticed. The wand had to be nearby. The flat wasn't that large, just a small parlor and kitchenette with a bedroom and bathroom beyond. Had one of them gone to the back of the flat while he was crying?

He could see the house at Godric's Hollow in his mind. Maybe such a familiar place could be reached with a wandless apparition?

"Remus."

He spun around. Ted had moved up behind him and now had his wand pointed directly at Remus's heart.

"I'm sorry to have to do this, Remus, truly, I am."

Remus gaped at him, unable to process what was happening.

"Petrificus Totalus!"