Distractedly he cleared the table from breakfast. They had stayed up talking until the early hours of the morning, Black nodding off as he and Lupin discussed the latest teaching strategies. In the light of the morning, he was annoyed with just how impressed he had been when Lupin had scooped Black up with ease and had put the man to bed when they parted ways. The man was a werewolf; he would be incredibly strong no matter the moon phase.

There was a round of knocks on the front door dragging him out of his thoughts. Severus slowly set the handful of dirty silverware down before crossing to the front door. The water turned off behind him signaled that Lupin had heard the disturbance as well. He opened the door, finding a shaggy man he did not recognize on the doorstep. It was clear the man hadn't been expecting him either. The man's bewildered hesitation allowed him the first word and he was more than happy to take it. "Can I help you?"

"Ah, yeah," the man started out, the words stilted in the man's surprise. "I was- is Remus Lupin home?"

"Hello Marcus." Lupin came to Severus's side still drying his hands. Severus took a step back, opening the door wider. "I wasn't expecting you until this evening; is something wrong?"

"No, nothing wrong," the man spoke, eyes falling to Severus again. Severus raised an eyebrow in a silent challenge. Marcus jabbed a thumb in his direction as he met Lupin's gaze again. "Who's the shadow?"

"Severus, another IPPA employee and a friend. Severus, this is Marcus Ilhaus, the other werewolf in the community."

"One of two others now, actually," Marcus corrected, looking sheepish. "It's actually why I'm here. New one moved in late last night and Klement wants you to welcome the newcomer and give them the tour before tonight's gathering."

Lupin's expression flattened. "Of course he does." Lupin turned his gaze to Severus, asking, "Do you mind finishing the dishes? Unfortunately this takes priority."

He dipped his head in confirmation, asking, "What do you want me to tell-" it didn't matter if he was deliberately using the man's name; his control over his expression nearly slipped as the name leaving his mouth tried to pull a sneer to his face out of sheer habit- "Sirius when he inevitably asks after your absence?"

Lupin passed him the hand towel, shoes already in hand. "Just let him know Marcus came by with orders from Klement. He'll understand."

The two werewolves remained silent as Lupin stepped barefoot out onto the porch and closed the door. The fogged glass of the front door allowed him to watch their silhouettes walk down the front steps without pausing for Lupin to put the shoes on. He frowned. What kind of priority would prevent the man from following preference and putting on the footwear?

The sound of the sliding glass door greeted him as he stepped back into the dining room. He looked up from the towel he was frowning at to find Black stepping in without Harry in tow. The other man's face was tightly neutral but the concern still pulled at the expression; the man's eyes were a touch too wide and lips tightly pressed together. Black closed the sliding glass door. Whatever had drawn concern across the other man's face wasn't something for the youngest ears to hear, which only piqued his interest more.

"Where'd Moony go?" Black asked. The words were nonchalant but Black's expression never relaxed. Even the nickname, used to feign ease, was strained.

"A man by the name of Marcus Ilhaus arrived a moment ago asking after him. He had orders from someone named Klement for Lupin to show a new werewolf around." The dark look that crossed Black's face at the second name had him settling on a few conclusions. "I take it the dislike from Lupin was warranted, then?"

Black snorted. "Warranted. Klement's an ass and part of the problem."

"Problem?" He had no inclination to what Black was alluding to; neither Black nor Lupin had mentioned anything remotely sounding like a 'problem'. When he didn't get an immediate response, he found himself growing angry but the breath between his own words was not long enough for him to figure out at what and to what extent. If this had anything to do with Harry... "What problem, Black."

"The IPPA werewolf program." Black - uncharacteristically - started picking up the dirty utensils of his own accord, but that was more likely due to the man's apparent frustration than an actual desire to tidy up. This was not the first time Severus had seen the man fidget when agitated, though the fact it was dishware Black was fidgeting with was rather telling in a strange sort of way. "Klement's the head werewolf, so to speak, of the pack Remus runs with during the full moon. It's not an official pack - none of them are exactly loyal to that bastard - but Klement's still perpetuating the pack mentality that most people think about when talking about wolf packs. You know, the whole alpha male and subjugation of the rest of the pack. It's disgusting."

"Isn't the program supposed to be better than the alternative?"

Black rolled his eyes. "Yes, but that doesn't mean it's better by much." The man suddenly sighed, deflating before him as if this was an old argument. "The way the program's set up now..." Black shook his head. "It's not set up in a way that actually benefits anyone beyond a supposedly safe space for werewolves to transform. Well, at least from what I've been able to understand. You'll have to talk with Remus about it. He hasn't shared everything with me and I can't blame him but it doesn't sound like it's any better than the pack Greyback runs."

Several memories rushed forward at the mention of the criminal and he shook his head against them. He balked at the idea. "It should not be possible for it to be that bad," he countered sharply. Doubt edged his words. "The few times I caught glimpses of that pack-" He bit off the rest of that statement vehemently. The silence rang between them as his pulse pounded in his ears. The breath he pulled in shuddered in his chest and did very little to calm him down. He was grateful that Black wasn't looking at him as he tried to bury the crack in his neutral demeanor. "Has he said anything to whatever chain of command the program has?"

Black glared at him. "Of course he has! Repeatedly. But it doesn't seem to matter who he goes to. They either happen to be on Klement's side or bloody ass blind because no one has done anything over the last two years."

"And why have neither of you said anything to me?"

The anger in Black wavered as the man seemed to curl in on himself without actually doing so. Black turned away from him but didn't step away. "I've wanted to but Remus kept saying that he would on his own. I had figured that he would have done so by now but, seeing as you don't even know it's even a problem to start with, he never did."

"Tomorrow is the full moon," Severus said, the fact suddenly dawning on him. "How long is he normally gone?"

"Until the day after, usually late in the afternoon or early evening" Black dropped the silverware into the sink, annoyance or frustration pulling at the man's expression. He watched as it slowly morphed into confusion before the man looked back at him. "You've never been here during a full moon?"

"No; and not by design, either," he assured the other, seeing the immediate flare of old distrust. This was not the time for them to have it out. "I would not have been alone in this house with only you for company if I could help it. That would have been beyond disastrous with our mutual dislike of each other until we had reached the middle ground we are on now."

Black seemed to accept that, snorting at his choice of wording on the animosity that they had once shared. "Makes sense. So, yeah. He doesn't usually come back until late the next day. Usually from medical but he never tells me if it's because of injuries he had sustained or if it was for someone else."

"How do you know he or others sustain injuries?"

"I smell it. He smells like disinfectant - sharp and off. Same smell he would return with from the hospital wing after the harder moons."

He let his gaze drift towards the backyard, catching sight of Harry tucked close to the far fence with a toy in hand. How many 'harder moons' was Lupin having to suffer through now since relocating to North America? Surely the werewolf program was far superior than what the man endured during his years at Hogwarts. IPPA was supposed to be better than - he shuddered as the flicker of memories swelled - better than that.

"I doubt Remus thinks it's anything more than an annoyance," Black finally spoke, drawing his attention back. The other man was looking at Harry but Severus doubted the man was actually seeing the boy. "Harry's safe here and Remus isn't ostracized for being a werewolf - a first in his life he never thought was even possible. He's been able to work and teach and go to the shops without being discriminated for the most part. Not to say there aren't bigots out there but it's definitely better than what it was and could have been for him." Black's expression tightened. "Just wish it was a little more better than this."

When Lupin returned mid afternoon the day after, it was very obvious he had been injured but Severus was having a hard time telling if the man had simply ran away from the hospital before he was fully healed or if the man had avoided medical treatment all together. The man had a limp - though he doubted Black or Harry would ever see it - and skillfully corralled Black and Harry to keep either a tender rib or a nasty bruise from being touched on his right side and back. Black still fretted over the man for a good hour before sweeping Harry up and leaving the gentle werewolf bundled on the couch under a ridiculous amount of blankets cradling the largest mug they owned. Severus wasn't sure if Black had forgotten to coax him along or if he had left him in the house with Lupin on purpose but he wasn't about to turn down the opportunity to talk privately.

"Comfortable?" he drawled, teasing even if he would outright deny such things.

Lupin chuckled. "Almost too comfortable." The man wiggled but didn't go very far. "Do you mind freeing me from most of it? Or taking the mug? Either would be a tremendous help."

Severus pulled his wand out and gave it a swish and flick, levitating the mug without a word. Lupin immediately started shoving the majority of the blankets off and when it became apparent the werewolf wasn't going to simply settle at that, Severus set the mug down on the end table farthest from the man. Lupin proceeded to fold all but one blanket and returned the folded ones to the assorted closets and beds. He raised an eyebrow at the man as Lupin plopped down next to the mug and tugged the last blanket over his lap. "Much better," the werewolf commented, finally picking the mug up.

"You could have stopped him," he pointed out, returning the academic journal to his lap with a finger between the pages. The limp had still been there and Lupin's motions hadn't been as smooth as he knew they normally were.

A fond smile crossed Lupin's face. "Probably. But it's nice to be fretted over once in a while."

Severus wasn't sure he agreed. "Is that why you didn't tell him about the limp?"

It wasn't much of a reaction. The werewolf was always so still compared to Black or Harry - or even Severus, for that matter - but it was still very obvious when the werewolf stilled at his words, both hands firmly wrapped around a half raised mug with a gaze resting on the liquid within. It was only for a breath, maybe a heartbeat, before Lupin let out a sigh, a soft smile curling the side of his mouth upward. "Somehow I find myself surprised that you noticed. I thought I was doing a rather decent job at hiding it."

"You were," he commended, "but not for someone who is used to looking for such things."

Lupin looked up at him with a heavy expression. A car drove by with music so loud, the windows seemed to tremble with the base. As the silence returned, Lupin simply said, "Sounds about right," before taking a drink of his tea.

Severus opened the journal, settling in to read again even as he asked, "So what is it you are trying to pretend doesn't exist? Anything serious or simply heavy bruising?"

"A few broken ribs from the feel of it. Mostly bruising, though."

He stared unseeing at the journal as he tried to get his thoughts to start back up. Slowly, Severus turned his gaze to Lupin, a deep frown on his face. "From the feel of it," he repeated, the words heavy off his tongue. Lupin had moved about as if nothing serious was wrong, barring the subtle limp that was still unexplained. It was obvious the other had not been attended to before returning home. "You are aware even just one broken rib requires medical attention, current werewolf status notwithstanding."

A soft smile pulled at the other's expression. "It doesn't hurt that bad, Severus," Lupin soothed. "It'll be fine in a few more hours."

He raised an eyebrow at the other. "And that somehow negates the need for medical attention." The journal sat discarded on the chair as he stood. "You may be able to hide it from Black and the boy but you cannot get past me. Being a werewolf changes nothing about requiring medical attention beyond the rate of healing. I would stake my magic that you are in incredible pain right now. You will only exacerbate the problem if you keep pretending that you are not."

Lupin's gaze fell away. The silence that followed was hollow. He wasn't breathing heavily but it seemed as if the noise of it filled the room, drowning out the silence between them. The urge to hold his breath, if for nothing more than to be able to hear, had him filling the space with careful words. "What happened, Remus," he coaxed, the words hoarse to his own ears and softer than he had intended.

The other man sagged into the couch, what little color had been present quickly vanishing. Severus's gaze immediately went to the man's chest, taking in the shallow rise and fall. He couldn't hear it from where he stood which had to be a good sign, if nothing else.

"Klement forgot his own strength," Lupin muttered, the words thick with pain. "Nearly killed a pup in his anger. I stepped in."

Anger curled through him, settling in his veins in an old, familiar way. Spite had gotten him far in life and he was about to put it to use again. But first he needed more information. "And this occurred after the full moon?"

"Shortly after we had all returned to being human, yes."

Which meant they would still have had the strength of the wolf. His wand was in his hand with little flourish and he gave a sharp flick of his wrist, a string of words he half listened to leaving his tongue as he did so. He sent the strongest diagnostic spell he knew over Lupin. The werewolf shuddered under the magic but didn't fight it. It would be a few hours yet before the wolf's natural resistance to spells wore off completely but he wasn't about to wait that long; thankfully the magic resistance only slowed the process. He stabbed the pad of paper on the coffee table with the tip of his wand, directing the results of the spell to write itself out even as he started deciphering what the spell was telling him.

Five ribs were broken, all on the right side of the spine, inches from the column of bone. Vaguely he could tell there were cracks around the breaks but he wasn't deft enough in the healing arts to understand all of it. Still, a shudder shot down his own spine at the implication of just how much pain Lupin was in from the broken ribs alone. "Did he hit you with something?" slipped off his tongue as he picked up the pad of paper.

"Kicked me." Severus glanced away from the writing in time to catch the frown that crossed Lupin's exhausted face. "Well, more like he stomped on me but that's semantics at this point."

Had things been less dire, he would have rolled his eyes, but the information he had gleaned alone had strung him too tight. "You have five broken ribs, all on the right side of the spine, not quite at the bottom of the rib cage."

"Ah. Sounds about right."

His eyes raked over the sheet, breath catching in his chest as he read the extent of the damage Lupin had sustained. Years of training kept his words steady and clinical. "Additionally, three vertebrae have sustained hairline fractures but the spinal cord appears undamaged. There are more hairline fractures on the already broken ribs and along the ribs on the other side of the spine. Beyond some internal bruising and dehydration, nothing else was damaged."

"Pleasant."

The pad slapped against the coffee table loudly, startling the werewolf. Lupin's head rose sharply off the back of the couch. A pained whimper escaped the werewolf as the man's body seized from the rush of pain. Severus's lips tightened but he knew he barely had any more color than Lupin at that point and trying for anything than outright concern wasn't going to happen. "Piper," he demanded of the still house, the distance between him and Lupin vanishing in two strides. The house-elf popped into existence somewhere behind his left side. "Medical support. Broken ribs and fractures to the spine."

The house-elf left without a word, the pop seeming to echo in the room longer than it should have. He put a knee to the couch at Lupin's thigh sinking into the cushion as he wrapped an arm around the man's torso. The werewolf hissed in pain as he carefully moved Lupin into a more straight position and Lupin's hands latched onto Severus's upper arms in a grip that would leave serious bruises behind. Severus barely noticed. What he did notice was the grip on his arms was the only reaction the man had allowed himself; Lupin hadn't tensed or fought the movement. His hold on the man shifted upwards until his arm was straight across Lupin's upper back and tucked awkwardly under both arms, taking Lupin's weight as best he could from the front. The hold on his arms released for a breath before returning not quite as painfully as a low groan escaped the other. Potions had allowed him only a glimpse of the healing arts. Being a Death Eater and under contract with Madam Gold had lent him to learning not nearly enough beyond basic first aid knowledge. It wouldn't be long before the house-elf would be back with medical support but he could at least do what he knew how to do.

A quick muttered spell bound the werewolf's ribs tight enough to offer support and to keep everything from moving more. He cast another spell to dull the pain but it wouldn't be nearly as effective as several potions down the werewolf's throat. There was no way he was risking summoning any he had in stock, though. Gone were the days he carried a select number of potions on his person and he was regretting it. Once this whole ordeal was done, he was going back to being stocked and prepared for anything and learning as much of the healing arts as he could manage on his own. "You are an imbecile," he finally ground out as the bone mending spell sank into Lupin's back. It was nowhere near strong enough to do anything against the full breaks but it repaired some of the hairline fractures on the ribs and the outermost branches of fracturing on the spine. "Absolutely moronic."

Lupin chuckled, flinching from the pain that came with it. "Better than watching a child be bludgeoned to death."

The sharp rapping on the door swallowed his lack of response.

Black looked murderous as Severus approached the hospital room. Somehow still standing in one place and not off murdering a specific someone, Black was glowering at nothing in particular and yet had managed to create a massive bubble around himself that no one was willing to pass through. Even the medical staff gave the man a wide berth despite appearing unfazed. That alone was the loudest testament to the Black bloodline, even if the majority of those avoiding the glowering wizard didn't know it. Severus encroached on that bubble, passing right through it to stand before the oblivious man.

He presented the cup carrier and bag in his left hand. "Eat. Before I shove it down your throat."

Black's glower focused on him but he looked down his nose in retaliation, a feat only successful due to Black slouching against the wall. With an actual growl barely audible in the bustling hallway, he pushed off the wall and towered over Severus, the taller of the two of them despite it being meager inches between their heights. Severus expected sharp words at least, a physical blow at most in retaliation but all Black did was take the items from Severus's hand and stalk off towards the seating area a handful of paces away. Tension seeped out of Severus's back and shoulders leaving him feeling strung out. Shaking his head, he stepped into the hospital room the other had been standing guard over.

Lupin's voice was soft but filled the room in an easy, familiar lull that Severus recognized immediately. Stepping around the curtain revealed Harry curled up against Lupin's side, eyes locked on the pages of the picture book Lupin was reading to him. There was a lull in the words and Harry reached out, turning the page with care. Lupin continued on, neither acknowledging Severus's presence until Lupin finished the tale.

"...and fell silent once more," accompanied the book closing. Harry sat up and took the book from Lupin when the man offered it. Severus grabbed the waistband of the boy's pants but did little to actually aid the three-year-old from the bed. Small feet easily found the chair beside the bed and Severus released Harry's pants as the boy's feet found the floor. Those large green eyes turned up to him.

Severus offered the boy the other bag he had. "This is your food. Your Godfather is currently eating in the chairs near the windows."

"Why don't you go keep him company, Harry?" Lupin chimed in, gaining the small boy's attention. The smile on the man's face was loose with exhaustion. "I'll send Severus to join you after a moment. I'm just going to take a nap while you and Sirius and Severus eat something."

It took a few seconds before Harry turned back to Severus and lifted the book up in offering. Severus took it, placing the bag in Harry's grasp in turn. With sure hands, Harry tucked the bag close to his chest and padded out of the room. Severus watched long enough to make sure the boy turned right outside the door.

"How are your arms?" The book flopped haphazardly onto the chair as he looked to the bedridden man. Confusion curled through him and it must have shown because Lupin elaborated, "Where I had grabbed you; I wasn't overly gentle when you were helping me."

He waved off the man's concern. "My arms are fine. There was the expected bruising but it was easily dealt with."

"I didn't do any more damage?"

He frowned, not used to having Lupin be anything resembling meak around him, but here the werewolf was, voice trembling despite the very clear attempt at maintaining the front Lupin had been vehemently holding all afternoon. Not that it mattered. There was one way he could assure the werewolf and he saw no reason why he shouldn't. A swift, fluid motion had his outer robes draped over the chair before equally swift fingers went down the line of buttons of his shirt. The article of clothing was draped over the robe to leave him in a well fitted short sleeve undershirt with sleeves that barely covered his shoulders. It left his upper arms completely bare.

Lupin's touch made him jump but the werewolf's hand simply rubbed at unblemished skin where there had been nasty bruises only hours prior. The muscles underneath were still incredibly sore despite the visible traces having vanished an hour after he had applied the salve. If he had expected this to help Lupin's mood, though, that expectation was quickly trounced by the look of defeat on the man's face as the other asked, "How bad were they?"

"It is of no consequence."

Lupin shook his head, a dark look crossing that normally pleasant and relaxed face. "Yes, it is. I should have been more careful. I could have-"

Faintly he was aware of the pressure from the bed against the front of his pelvis and upper thighs. He covered Lupin's hand, pinning it to his arm as he glared down at the man. "Do not finish that. You did not hurt me on purpose and, even if you had, I am very clearly healed." He gentled his words. "You were in pain, Remus, and a physical reflex is to be expected." With a deliberate step back, he put space between them again; Lupin's hand slipped from his arm. "It was to your benefit that it had been your hands that had clenched rather than your back. Otherwise you would have caused yourself greater pain."

He pulled on his shirt, buttoned it slowly, and slipped the robe back on before Lupin gave him a response. "You're not mad at me, then?"

He ran his hands down the front panels of his robe, meeting the light brown gaze of a hesitant werewolf. "Never; not for some idiotic thing like that."

The hallway was busier than he expected it to be. The last few times he had stopped by her office, the place hadn't been deserted per se but it had certainly been far emptier than the chaos they were walking through now. Barely steps behind Lupin and it was still impossible to hear her call to enter when Lupin knocked. He dutifully followed both men through the door as the rest of her words reached him over the threshold.

"Ah, good. Mr. Lupin. Right on time." If she had glanced up, it had been hidden by the two other men. Severus closed the door, watching as she scrawled something down. "Unfortunately, I am not, so give me a brief moment to finish this up." She gestured towards the chairs before her desk. "Have a seat Mr. Lupin, Mr. Black. Severus, let me get you a chair."

Black and Lupin sat down as a chair in the corner lifted a few inches off the ground. It drifted across the room to settle at Lupin's left without a sound. There was no flourish on her end, no wand movement, no incantation, and he caught the barely hidden shock in Lupin and Black's expressions as he settled in the chair.

The last stroke was sharp across the paper before she dropped the pen onto the desk. The papers were gathered into a file that plopped heavily into an empty basket. At last she met their gazes, expression neutral and at ease. "Now, then. Mr. Lupin."

"Remus is fine, Madam," Lupin informed her quickly.

The corner of her mouth twitched with a soft smile before her neutral expression turned serious. "Remus, I want to extend an apology on IPPA's behalf for the treatment you have received through the werewolf program." He caught Lupin tensing out of the corner of his eye. "Despite my best efforts to create an unbiased system, your attempts to notify higher ups of the situation had been ignored largely in part due to discrimination. It is in our favor that nothing was outright destroyed but that does little to change anything that has occurred. However, with evidence that it has happened in one location now before us, I will be starting an inquiry into the whole of the werewolf program across all of IPPA in the hopes of preventing others from experiencing such harassment and disrespect, as well as finding any others who have fallen through the cracks as you nearly did."

"Thank you, Madam Gold."

Severus glanced at the other, thrown by the relief in the man's words. Lupin had bent forward as if to bow while still seated and as the man straightened, Severus saw the very same relief he had heard written across the werewolf's face. If he was understanding any of it right, Lupin had been surprised at the apology; Lupin had expected something completely different when they had entered the office. He looked across Lupin to Black, finding the same elated relief on the man's face.

Severus shook his head in disbelief only to quickly remind himself that neither man knew Madam Gold as he did. While the apology and subsequent system wide inquiry hadn't surprised him, it would to those used to being brushed aside and ignored.

"Now, with the most important thing accomplished, there is one thing I wish to ask of you, Remus," Madam Gold spoke. There was a slight frown pulling at her expression but otherwise she was at ease and neutral once more. "And it is only a request. You are more than welcome to say no and I encourage you to if you have any doubts or unease with this request. It is not something that will be short term and you will be unable to teach in the same form that you have been these last two years."

The words hung in the air as she paused, eyes never leaving Lupin. After a moment, the werewolf gave a hesitant nod.

"In order to do this inquiry, I cannot do it myself." Irritation edged her words. "There are those that think it's highly improper for my station to personally handle this situation so I am choosing to rely on those I trust to do it instead." The irritation vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "I would like you to be one of the leading forces for the inquiry team." She quickly raised a hand when Lupin leaned forward, mouth opening as if to counter her words. "I am not asking that you lead, though I have no control over whether you end up doing so or not. I am simply asking you to be a member of the leading force, one of several that will be trusted to make sure the others know what they are doing and for them to have someone to go to when the lead is unavailable. The whole team itself will start off small - just under ten for the time being - but I expect you and the others will pick up more members along the way."

"But why me?" Lupin blurted. The words were strung tight with barely any space between them and a glance revealed the man was equally taut. "Surely there are others better suited for this."

"Probably," she humored him, offering an encouraging smile, "but that doesn't mean you are any less qualified. I have been hiring and supporting werewolves since IPPA's founding and I can count on one hand how many I have met who have the same self control as you do. You are the first in quite a long time whose first instinct isn't to resort to any form of violence until very clear, very distinct lines are crossed, and even then you try other ways before violence.

"This position will require you to interact with packs who may not trust outsiders - werewolf or otherwise - and who could potentially resort to violence because they feel cornered. Just as much as they need a gentle hand, they need someone who can hold their own and I know you are capable of both." Her expression tightened. "I also know that I can trust you to be honest with me about the inquiry team and the program branches, something I can only rely on from a very select few, none of whom can be part of the inquiry. If you are willing, I would like you to be part of this inquiry. I will not force you into this and I want you to choose without feeling obligated. I have others I can ask but I wanted to see if you were willing first."

"I..." Lupin started but she held up a hand even as it sounded like his words died on their own.

"I don't want an answer quite yet. I have written up a contract for you to go over and I want you to come back with questions and counterpoints." The stack of bound pages was smaller than Severus was expecting. "You have a week. If I do not hear from you, I will assume my request was rejected. Does that sound reasonable?"

"Yes, Madam," Lupin answered, the words steady and sure. The man's hand was equally steady as he took the sheets from her.

"Good." She looked to Black. "While we're here: anything you wish to share or ask, Mr. Black?"

"No, Ma'am. Not anymore."

She smiled at the pair. "Then that is all I had for you two. Thank you for stopping by." They got to their feet but her next words delayed any movement towards the door. "Severus, if you would stay behind. Shouldn't be more than a few minutes if you two wish to wait outside."

To his surprise, Black and Lupin looked to him, waiting. He raised an eyebrow at them both. "I can find my own way home."

The strange hesitation broke as Black snorted and started for the door. Lupin smiled at him, informing them both, "We'll be outside when you're done," before following Black out the door.

The noise of the hallway was silenced the moment the door clicked shut and he turned to face her. She didn't offer him a chair again, instead offering an amused smile. "They're a good pair. Strong willed. Talented."

"I suggest singing their praises where they can hear them, Madam," he drawled. "You know I will not be your owl."

She laughed. It was softer than the full sound he was used to and that drew his attention more than her dancing around why he was still there. "Very true."

Her gaze drifted to the door behind him. There was a clock on one of the bookcases. He wasn't sure which one it was on, seeing as she had a habit of moving everything around every few months, but he was starting to pick out the soft ticking and, if the silence lasted for much longer, he would be able to point at it blindfolded.

The shift in her attention was abrupt and her hard gaze was on his face, expression tight. "Thank you for making sure this made it to my desk. Corruption seems to have seeped into IPPA despite all my best efforts and weeding out the bad ones has been an arduous task."

He dipped his head in acknowledgement.

"Seven." He tensed at the alias, schooling his features into curious neutrality as quickly as he could manage. Icy dread shot down his spine at the implication. No, not now. They had an agreement. She couldn't pull him in now. "I am aware that you are currently on holiday and of the limitations you have put in place for the extent of young Harry Potter's dependency. I do not plan on pulling you from them at this time, however once your holiday ends and if the circumstances have not changed, I will be expecting your assistance."

There was a reason why he had reached out to her instead of IPPA to hide Harry. The dread seeped from him until it was a distant memory as he spoke. "I take it there is good reason why you are informing me of the possibility now instead of waiting until I am needed."

She nodded, leaning back in her chair. "Despite all of my efforts, you and I both know that things can change without warning. I am doing everything in my power to keep the situation from escalating to the point of having to call you in, especially during your holiday."

Which meant things were already in a terrible state. If she didn't end up pulling him in, he would be impressed.

"There is also the fact that this assignment is innately tied with the werewolf program and the whole debacle in and of itself and it seemed unfair to not inform you of the potential call while the topic was at hand." The folder was thin with barely any pages inside but it seemed to weigh on the desk as if it were made of lead five times as thick. He couldn't recall if it had always been there. Her hand settled on it with fingers splayed. "This will have the information you need. I will send it to you when you are required but not before. I do not want to pull your attention away from your holiday anymore than I already have until it is absolutely necessary."

"And you will be informing me if I am not required," he clarified.

"Of course." She dropped the thin folder into a basket; the folder that had been in the basket prior was no longer there. "Enjoy your holiday, Severus. I look forward to the progress reports on the latest draught."

He gave a half bow and exited the office. It seemed less crowded than when they had first passed through it but no less busy. As promised, Black and Lupin were waiting to the right of the door, both of them drawing themselves up taller at his appearance. Lupin was quick to ask, "Everything alright?"

"Nothing bad, I hope?" Black asked, grinning.

A faint frown pulled at his face at Black's wording. It seemed to pull at something he should remember. "There is a potential new project but she currently lacks all the information. She will send more information when she has it and it comes to fruition."

As far as he could remember. He could faintly recall the sensation of dread on his back but had nothing to anchor it to.

"Nothing more than that?" Lupin inquired, curious.

"Was there supposed to be?"

Black waved them both off. "You two can keep chatting about this over breakfast. I'm hungry and we promised Harry we would pick him up as soon as we were done. I don't have that much time before my meeting and I would like to have breakfast with him like we planned."

Severus rolled his eyes good naturedly at Black's whining. He could make out Lupin's soft chuckling just under the noise of the hallway and Lupin stepped forward, patting Black on the back. "Come on, then. Best not let you starve to death."