A Dangerous Game
by orangepenguin
A/N: Thanks for the kind reviews. And as for you lurky-type folks…thanks for reading.
Just moments after Peter Pettigrew swept from Haven, a new arrival ducked his tall pointed hat into the kitchen door. Albus Dumbledore, looking slightly put out, glanced around the room. He was surprised, and slightly displeased, to see Sirius asleep on the couch, with Remus nowhere in sight.
"Mr. Black?" he said sternly, standing over Sirius's sleeping form.
Sirius jumped about a foot in the air, "I didn't do it!' Dumbledore shook his head, laughing slightly. When Sirius got hold of himself, he too smiled weakly. "I guess there's nothing like a teacher's disapproving voice to wake me up."
"Indeed," Dumbledore replied, eyes twinkling. "But you should know better than to sleep with no one to guard the Haven."
Sirius's eyes widened. "But Moony—Remus was here. He wouldn't have just left."
"No," Dumbledore said, frowning and sitting in the chair opposite Sirius, "he would not. Not unless something of great importance had happened."
"Then surely he would have woken me—" Sirius broke off, and stood up. "I better check the back rooms, before we start getting anxious."
"A fine suggestion," said Dumbledore, rising. Sirius left the room, and Albus wandered towards the bookshelf. He had supplied many of the books himself, pretending that they had just been left by the apartment's prior tenant. While he was sure Remus had seen through this thin ruse, he had said nothing, and Dumbledore understood. Books were not to be turned away for such a small thing as pride. Food, yes, potions, perhaps, but never books. A book shared among friends is a type of debt that needs not be repaid.
After a moment, Sirius came from the concealed door, dragging a half-asleep Remus behind him. "Here he is, Albus."
Remus stood there for a second, rubbing his eyes in a spectacularly undignified manner. He attempted to collect himself. "Albus, what is the problem?"
"When I arrived at Haven a few minutes ago, I was greeted by the sound of Mr. Black's snores coming from the couch. Why was no one awake? You know better than to leave this place unguarded."
Remus looked disturbed, "But Peter, he was here. He came by and we talked, and he said he would watch the place for a few hours so I could get some sleep."
Dumbledore frowned. "Peter Pettigrew?"
"Of course." Remus glanced around the room, as if he suspected that Peter was lurking in a corner, just out of sight, and they had merely overlooked him. But alas, there was no one there, and Dumbledore was surveying him gravely. "He was here," Remus insisted.
"Perhaps we should sit down and talk, the two of us."
Remus felt Sirius's body stiffen next to him. "I'd rather not leave—" Sirius began, but Remus cut him off, tiredly.
"It's fine, Sirius. Go…go to the Longbottoms and check on Dorcas Meadowes, she was supposed to relieve Sturgis, but he never came here to report." He saw Sirius formulating a protest. "Just go, Sirius, it's fine."
"Okay," Sirius said with reluctance, casting a last warning glance in Dumbledore's direction, before Disapparating with a pop.
Remus smiled wanly at Dumbledore, and gestured towards the worn sofa. The tall wizard removed his hat, and sat gracefully; Remus placed himself in the chair opposite, and waited for the lecture he knew was forthcoming. However, Dumbledore did not begin with a lecture; instead, he withdrew a small tin from the pocket of his star studded robes. "Care for a lemon drop, Remus?"
Remus looked at him rather disbelievingly, and then shrugged, "Why not?" He took the proffered candy, and looked up at Albus expectantly.
"Remus, I know you are under much pressure, and extremely straining conditions, but you must understand that what happened today is unacceptable. Yes, Sirius was there, and would have woken if something had happened, but he was off his guard. A Death Eater could have silently Stunned him and begun a search of Haven—you know this."
"I told you, sir. Peter was here. He came from the Potter's early after hearing the news about the attacks, and—"
"He left before his shift was completed?" Everything in Dumbledore's face read quiet disbelief.
"He told me that Emmeline had come early to let him know what happened."
"Did you check this information?"
Remus looked incredulous. "No. I did not. I am in the practice of trusting my friends."
Dumbledore lowered his head, "Your point is taken. But it is war time now, and I can't take chances. You know our objective." He paused, and Remus sighed.
"To protect Harry and Neville, for they will save us all," said Remus in a rather learnt-by-heart way.
"Yes," Dumbledore said firmly. "I can not allow anything to jeopardize their safety. Nothing."
Remus closed his eyes, drawing on his Gryffindor courage. "Albus, do not misunderstand me, I do not wish for either Harry or Neville to come to harm any more than you do, and I also recognize that you have sources that I am not aware of, and that if you trust their information implicitly, I should not question it. But surely there is something wrong when we, fully grown wizards, expect innocent children to save us from something they do not know exists."
He and Dumbledore sat in silence for a long moment, before Dumbledore replied, speaking slowly, as if to ensure absolute understanding. "I will not reveal my sources. It is for the safety of many that I do not. But you can trust that I would not willingly put others' lives at risk unless I believed it absolutely necessary. It is possible for me to make mistakes, I am not infallible. But in this case, I am not mistaken." He stopped, and smiled, losing (for a moment) his intimidating exterior. "I understand your frustration with me, Remus, for people such as us, there is nothing worse than being denied knowledge."
Remus nodded, but continued doggedly. "Albus, you avoided my question. How is it ethical to use children in war?"
Dumbledore shook his head, "I am not going to outfit them with wands and send them into battle, Remus. When I say that they will be the ones to save us all, I am speaking on an authority greater than my own. That is all I will say on the matter."
Remus sighed. He knew when a subject was closed. "Fine, sir, I will have to accept that. But something else…Is it true that you think someone in the Order has turned spy for the Death Eaters?"
"The allure of power is very strong, and though the Order can offer many things, power is not one of them. I do believe that someone on our side is reporting to Voldemort. Do not ask me who I suspect," Dumbledore warned. "I will keep such counsel to myself, and I suggest you do likewise."
Remus shook his head. "It is difficult to do so, when you are the one being suspected."
Dumbledore shifted in his seat, and was about to reply, when Sirius burst through the kitchen door of Haven. "Remus, Dumbledore, I just talked to Sturgis. Dorcas never came to relieve him. He hasn't heard from her."
Remus rose to his feet. "She just didn't come?"
Sirius bowed his head, and Remus knew the answer. He turned towards the fireplace, and called out the name of Dorcas's home, steeling himself for what he might find on the other end of the fire.
A/N: Well, I basically poured my soul into that chapter, and writing it was like pulling teeth. Just so you know… Come on, hit me with your best shot—let's hear what you think.
