Similar to last time, Fae broke into Peter's house far too easily. Much differently than last time, she enjoyed wandering around and waiting for him to come home. She was actually looking forward to talking to him, and not just to advance her own agenda. Things wouldn't ever be okay between them after what he did and she certainly would never forget. But, after all he had been doing and how hard he'd been working, she could certainly begin to forgive.
She wandered around his house, snooping shamelessly. He was pretty boring, all things told. Tidy and clean and simple. His bookshelf caught her eye and she perused the books, laughing at some of the choices and fondly thumbing through the pages of a few she'd read before. Then she paused, squinted her eyes, and cheerfully removed the glamour on the bottom shelf.
"Jackpot!" she said. Not encyclopedias at all, nope. Hogwarts yearbooks and photo albums. Oh this would be good. Having stared at every Hogwarts yearbook printed in the last thirty years for hours and hours back in yearbook club, she opted for the photo albums, grabbing a few at random and setting them on the coffee table. Before she got comfy, she made some coffee and raided his fridge. Fae happily stole some strawberry lemon drizzle cake, the leftover pizza, and a tub of mint chocolate chip ice-cream before making herself comfy on his couch and beginning to flick through them.
The one she had initially picked contained photos from when they were young, clumsy and plenty of them out of focus, but the majority of them still with amazing perspective. Seeing her brothers, Peter, and Remus as 11 year olds, probably freshly back from their first year of Hogwarts, was precious. He had talent for photography even back then, specifically at capturing people. As Fae flicked through page after page and album after album, because there were so many, she marveled and laughed and smiled countless times. Peter had such a gift for snapping that perfect moment.
She couldn't help going a little slower as she got farther into the years. Fae herself started appearing in the photos and it was strange seeing herself, but it made her feel good to see such happy times altogether. There were so many photos she hadn't even known he'd taken, the sneaky little thing. Fae cracking an egg over Sirius' hair, James carrying Fae piggyback on the way home from the cafe, Fae and Sirius making silly faces at James' back while he lectured her, her first time with them in Diagon Alley and trying Fortescue's, the five of them at Hufflepuff table for breakfast, Fae putting glasses on Romilly in Hogsmeade, the first annual Loony Dook, and on and on, all the way to James' wedding and then to Harry's birth.
And then Fae almost stopped for a solid ten minutes every time she came across a particularly good photo of her and Remus. There was an embarrassing amount of those. Or at least, it seemed that every one she found showed a very embarrassing and correct portrayal of how clearly she adored Remus. On the couch, Fae feeding him biscuits to calm him down after they'd first met.
Peter's birthday at the fair, he got a shot of Remus and Fae leaned in, laughing on the ferris wheel because they both hated heights. From behind the both of them as Fae led Peter and Remus on their first 5k with her. Remus carrying the wrecked, bloody, exhausted Fae out of the Forbidden Forest after their first real argument. Remus lifting her in a spinning hug after they finished the marathon. Leaning against each other on the couch while Fae wrote and Remus read. Fae, barefoot and wild, jumping on Remus for a hug when they went to pick him up for the summer.
She was so engrossed that she didn't hear Peter come in.
"I see you've made yourself at home," he said.
Fae jumped and squeaked, looking up to see him leaning against the door frame from the hallway. He looked fond. And like he'd been there for a while, watching her get sentimental over old photos of her and Remus. Embarrassed, she slammed the album closed and shrugged easily. Then smiled and gestured to Audrey by the window, who was reaching out with her vines to give him a welcome-home-pet. He didn't even flinch.
"She looks in good shape. You've been taking care of her."
Peter smiled, gave the plant a pet back, and then settled onto a chair by Fae. "Yeah. Feeding her all the mice she can eat. Very funny, by the way."
She grinned. Audrey was a little carnivorous and she thought he'd see the humor in it once it stopped being an immediate threat to him.
He laughed lightly and smiled patiently at her. "How have you been, Fae?"
"Having the time of my life," she said cheerfully. "Couldn't you tell? I'm sure Tommy's having fun too, huh?"
"Oh he was thrilled by your little press release. Never seen him happier," Peter answered dryly.
"I live to serve," she said, nodding and then giggling madly.
Peter shook his head fondly at her. "How are you? Really."
Leave it to Peter to catch her emotional distress. It was like he had a sensor or something. "I'm hanging in there. It's hard sometimes, not knowing what will happen."
"Better than knowing and being powerless to stop it, I reckon."
"Yeah, you're right," she agreed. "And on that note, we have business to discuss. I'm going to need your help with something."
He brightened up instantly, grinning marvelously. "Excellent! Because I've got tons of ideas. Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband are hiding out in Wembley. Oh and Rookwood is above that one cake shop you liked, hiding in the upstairs apartment and pretending to be a muggle. We could take them out easy! And there's-"
"Woah, woah. Peter, we can't just attack them out of nowhere!"
"Well why not, that's what you've been doing," he argued, frowning.
"True, but it's too risky now. Peter, if I just start going after his Death Eaters one by one like that, Tom will figure out he's got a spy. And he's a Legilimens! The second he thinks there might be a spy, you won't stand a chance. No, we have to be more specific about who we attack and when from now on," Fae explained.
Peter mulled that over and then said, "Well what if I draw them out and they just happen to see you?"
"I mean… we could," she said, considering it. Then she shook her head. "It's still really risky. Too coincidental at this point and time. Besides, I really think I need to lie low for a while."
"Lie...low?"
"Yeah. Before I can take on Voldemort, I've got one thing left to do. Well, two, sort of. But he can't get even a hint of what I'm really doing behind the scenes or we're screwed. Understand?"
"I guess. It's just kind of shitty of you to stir everything up and then leave us all to deal with it," he said, annoyed.
Silence. Utter silence. Fae blinked and gaped at him. The thing was, he wasn't wrong. And that really kind of hit her like a sucker punch. Since when did he have the guts to call her out like this?
But it was Peter, so he quickly looked apologetic and back pedaled. "I'm sorry. I know you have a plan. Despite some of the nasty consequences we're dealing with now, it is working. I trust you to know what you're doing."
"It's okay," Fae said, smiling shakily. "I appreciate how serious you are about this. If only we'd had this attitude on our side from the beginning, we could've shut this war down years ago, you and I."
Peter returned her shaky smile with one of his own. "I'm just doing what you said. Being better. Trying to be brave."
"Yeah well, just because I say something, doesn't make it so. You got yourself here. You have helped the Order fight back. You've done good, Peter. I'm proud of you," Fae said, patting his knee.
"Thank you, Fae. I only wish I'd been this way from the start."
"Well look at it this way. You betrayed my family, nearly got us killed, and did get at least the Prewetts killed I suppose."
He flinched at that and then she continued. "But you've ingrained yourself in Tom's inner circle and now we know almost every move. That's a lot of near-massacres and attacks being turned into fair shots and triumphs for our side."
"And I'll keep it up, I promise. I won't ever stray again, no matter what. I know now, where my loyalties lie," Peter declared, looking down at the coffee table full of albums. He flicked his wand and the album entitled 'Marauders' opened, the pages flipping. Fae watched him gaze at the album fondly, with some rightful regret. And she was truly happy that he'd found his way. This was the Peter she'd grown up with and loved for 7 years.
"I believe you."
He beamed at her and she grinned playfully back. "And besides, you know I'll kill you if you fuck up. So."
They laughed.
"So what did you need from me then?"
"Oh, right," she said, snapping her fingers. "I need Severus Snape."
He blinked. "Snape? What for?"
"Well as it turned out, you're not the only one who betrayed James and Lily and then had some regrets. James is just that loveable I guess," she joked.
"Snape is a spy?!"
She shrugged. "I'm actually not sure if he is or not yet. But if he isn't, he will be by the time I'm through with him," she declared, humming mischievously.
Peter didn't even question it, just got down to business. "Alright then. He's out delivering some healing potions to Nott, Macnair, and Wilkes in Northampton. You're wolves caught them and chased them all the bloody way out of town, literally. Snape should be back tomorrow night."
Fae beamed proudly at that little tidbit. So Remus was doing well. She knew he would. "Where can I get him?"
"Probably best to meet on neutral ground. I'll leave a note for him," Peter decided.
"Can I write it?"
"Sure, I suppose, if you think that won't scare him off or give you away."
"Nah, it'll be fine," she said, snickering and planning.
She kept it short and simple. Just a small card, a box with some red lacy lingerie, and a few lily flowers. The card said 'We need to talk. P.S. I still hate you.' She had no doubts that he'd know exactly who it was from and that he would show up alone. It was exciting, seeing him again. It was too bad they were meeting at a coffee shop. Nice and nostalgic for old times sake, but they'd draw attention to themselves if she hauled off and broke his big nose for ratting out the prophecy.
Unfortunately, she wouldn't meet him until the day after tomorrow. So Fae went back to her hotel room with Romilly and Regulus. Played cards with them and went swimming and watched old movies. However, despite all their warnings and demands not to, Fae just couldn't help it. She had to see the werewolf army for herself. Undetected, of course.
The Invisibility Cloak was damned hot and stuffy in the middle of summer, but there was nothing for it. She kept it practically charmed to her body and made sure her scent was completely suppressed before she began walking. The house was heavily warded, so there was no way she could get there. Most of her woods were heavily warded as well, she was pleased to note. Hidden under illusions and quick to turn passerbys in circles and circles before spitting them out where they'd come in. Still, she'd placed the original wards and knew exactly where to sneak in. Picking the comfiest looking tree on the outskirts, she posted up and waited, curious and excited about who she would see.
The answer - a lot. Werewolves were everywhere, running in and out in loops and bursts. It was incredible. And it looked like Remus was keeping them at least somewhat to her schedule still, after all this. Fae had just arrived before the morning jog at sunrise, a procession of no less than fifteen werewolves running by with Christian and Maddy at the front, challenging each other for the lead and most likely forgetting the pack behind them.
Fae recognized Jim and Willis easily. Troy was not far behind, struggling with all his might to keep up. Martha kept pace with him, sticking her tongue out and teasing him to get him riled up. She was extremely surprised to see Martha, she could've sworn they'd agreed to leave her with the western pack by Newquay, but then again, she was sneaky. She must've followed them back to join the war efforts. Or try, at least. Fae could smell Lucrecia's scent all over her and was delighted by the idea of her helping out at the cafe and staying out of danger for the most part.
Then Fae was surprised to the point of nearly falling off her branch as Patrick jumped right by her, keeping pace easily from the trees. He was more muscular than ever. There were a bunch more she recognized too, a few more from the western pack and Greyback's former pack both. However, there were at least nine that she didn't recognize which was surprising. And very good news.
She hadn't planned on going farther than this tree, but she just couldn't resist. She had to see more. Fae jumped down and easily joined the back of the pack, soundless, invisible, and smell-less, but easily slipping through the wards with them. She followed them almost all the way back home, but was distracted by another group of werewolves.
It was Nile, Silas, Zweite, and Dritte in two teams of two, running sensory training on each other. Nile and Silas, the best at smell and hearing respectively, had no mercy on the two strong brothers, but they refused to back down. It was already surprising to see Nile away from the northern pack, but Fae's jaw downright dropped when Joy attacked the brothers from the side. Fiery, stubborn Joy. Fae had never thought she'd leave Celeste for anything. Wow. Hannah was flying in from the other side simultaneously, faster than Fae could even see for a second. But the strong brothers caught them and dodged. They'd gotten much more agile and aware.
Fae kept creeping around almost all day, just in complete awe. There were so many new faces! And so many old faces, all working together in all different ways, everybody training and laughing and running and howling together. Even the few regular members of the Order that were teaching defense dueling. That was another thing - every werewolf here had a wand. Whether they used it or not, was up to them, but from what Fae could understand, they all had one and had access to learning how to use it. That was such a Remus thing, he would never let them miss out on learning and having a fair opportunity.
She hadn't seen him all day and wasn't sure how to feel about that. Relieved or crushed.
Relieved, actually. Very relieved. Because no sooner than she had thought that, did she catch his sweet, alluring scent. Vanilla, books, and fresh laundry. There was a strong scent of coffee too, he must've been baking. Fae stood stock still like a deer caught in headlights, completely unsure of which way to bolt. Heart racing, she stood there as his scent came closer, she could almost hear his voice if she pushed her hearing capabilities, he was by the house. A little closer and she could see him. The dinner bell on the back porch rang and Fae bolted. A few tears and a few broken laughs escaped her as she bolted the opposite direction as fast as possible. She just couldn't. If she saw him now, she'd never be able to leave his side again.
Fae went straight back to the hotel, tossed her clothes in favor of one of Remus' old t-shirts, and collapsed on the big king size bed under all the blankets to cuddle up and feel miserable. Romilly and Regulus returned from their spa treatments a little while later. Romilly sighed, sat on the bed, and stroked her hair. Regulus joined them a little while later with a box full of chocolates. They only said 'I told you so' once, which was incredibly restrained and sweet of them.
The next day, Fae, as Isla Reynolds, met Severus at a coffee shop in the subway. Plenty of people bustling to and fro through the lunch rush, and not one noticed a thing. He recognized her right away and she was pleased to note he'd maintained his short hair and sense of style since she'd last seen him, although he looked dreadfully depressed and apathetic.
"Hey, long time no see," she greeted.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded, sitting down across from her and ignoring the mocha latte with heaps of whip cream that she'd ordered for him. Ungrateful swine.
"Cutting right through the bullshit, I always did like that about you."
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
Fae's easy, friendly smile turned sharp. "I think I'll be the one asking questions here. Why did you do it?"
He arched an eyebrow. "What, become a Death Eater?"
"No," she said, then amended her statement on second thought. "Well, that too. But I meant why did you tell Voldemort about that stupid, useless prophecy and put a target on my nephew's back, thereby putting my brother and Lily in danger as well?"
His eyes went comically wide. "How did you-"
"Answer the question."
"I-" He started and stopped a few times before sighing and glaring at her. "I didn't know. Alright. What, did you actually think I would've told him if I'd known it were about Lily? I thought it was about those accursed Longbottoms!"
"Hm," she said dismissively, giving him a cool gaze.
"You don't understand. You've never had nothing. Been treated like nothing. Becoming a Death Eater was my only chance to make something of myself."
"Oh? And all those resources I gave you didn't pan out? All the interview practice and connections and business clothes?"
He didn't say anything, just averted his guilty eyes, which was all the answer she needed.
Fae sighed. "You made your choice and despite how our relationship normally is, I am judging you for it. Harshly. How's it working out for you?"
"I think you already know the answer to that," he answered gloomily, finally taking a sip of his drink and relaxing into his seat. Fae grinned at him, he really hadn't changed all that much and she was glad for it. Glad that he still looked at her the same, despite everything that had happened.
"Excellent. So I guess my next question is whether you've gone to Dumbledore yet, asking for his help in protecting my family and offering spy services in return?"
"How did you know about that."
"Don't you ever get tired of asking me that?" she teased. He fixed her with a dead look and she chuckled. "Oh alright then. That lovely apple tree in your front yard let me know - she'd like some more water if you could by the way."
She loved giving him those explanations because he always made this face like he wasn't sure if she was serious or not. They stared each other down. Then he huffed. "Fine! Fine. Yes, I have. Although how you could possibly know that is beyond me, nobody but Dumbledore knows."
"So what, you just check in with Dumbledore every so often, let him know what's going on?"
"...yes," he muttered.
"Well that's weak," she said, snorting. "Come be my spy, my team is much more fun."
He didn't even consider it. "No thanks, you are a walking disaster. Do you even know how much damage you caused, not just to the Dark Lord, but to the entire magical world?"
"Not entirely, but I'm learning more every day."
He gave her a look full of judgment, although they both knew he wasn't judging her in the slightest, just like she didn't really judge him for joining the Death Eaters. That much, anyways. "Okay, but seriously. I do have something I need you to do," she said.
"No."
She rolled her eyes and flicked some sugar packets at him. "Just do it. Okay? It's pretty much the same as you're doing now, but with an awesome finale that is actually in sight, rather than who knows how many years down the line like Dumbledore might've had you spying instead."
He mulled that over. "Alright, I'm listening."
So Fae explained about how she was hunting the Horcruxes, about what they were, and how she planned to destroy them in one go. Only then would she be clear to go after Voldemort for the final battle and end it. She needed to know for sure that there were no other Horcruxes, so she'd be relying on Severus to keep her updated. He was to let her know immediately if Voldemort had any clue that they were being taken and/or if he made another one. Also, if Severus could work some mind magic to figure out if they had them all, that'd be great. Then, of course, stay close as his right hand man. Do that for her, and he'd get one hell of a sweet kickback. One last little job.
"You want me to WHAT," he shrieked, drawing the attention of everybody in the coffee shop. He blushed a little and sank into his seat.
"Did I fucking stutter?"
He gaped like a fish and then said, "Why me? Why should I of all people do that? I'd think you would, or let Lupin do it."
Fae shrugged. "Can't take any chances. This fucker needs to be deader than dead, meaning I need to make sure he absolutely has no other Horcruxes. Gotta make him mad, make him stupid, and get him monologuing at me like the b-rate baddy he is."
"Still. It's risky," he said. "And what if I don't?"
"Then I die," she answered bluntly, honestly. "But it'll be fine. I trust you."
"You're crazy."
"Like that's not why you like me."
They came to an agreement. Or at least, Fae felt that they did. Severus never verbally agreed to anything, but she was pretty sure she had him. And then because it was Severus and he was as much of a bitch as she was, he said, "So. Are you and Lupin finally a thing? I must say, he's really been doing a number on our ingredients suppliers. I haven't been able to brew any decently useful potions in weeks."
"No, we're not. But yeah, he is doing really great isn't he?" Fae said, sighing happily and heartbrokenly all at once.
"You're pathetic."
"I know."
Fae left London eagerly with Romilly and Regulus on a train in a luxury compartment to Loch Ness. The lake was as beautiful as she remembered. And she made sure they stayed somewhere as far away from the castle she and Remus had once stayed in as they could. The memories were too strong, combined with that close brush with him, all Peter's photos. It was just a lot. And then, of course, the whole war thing. Fae did her best to celebrate Romilly's birthday and just have fun. But a few days in, she just got a little too thoughtful. Her mind began to turn on her, especially as she received more and more news of things going wrong back in London.
Increased attacks on muggle-borns or half-blood owned establishments. Order members ambushed in broad daylight now. Diane Artemisia being killed while escorting a family to safety. Isaac Addicock and Patrick going down in a hail of fire with two other Death Eaters during a safehouse raid gone wrong. The print shop Fae had worked at being reduced to dust, including her old manager and two of her old coworkers. Apparently, they'd found her old plates and decided more zines and different zines of the same strain were in order.
Fae ran. She ran laps and laps around the Loch, trying to reach that meditative state where her body was a machine and her mind was quiet. Trying so hard not to think of how she had run this very same route with Remus less than a year ago. So scared for him. Missing him so much. Missing everybody and scared for them and guilty. So guilty. The war hadn't been nearly so brutal before she fucked everything sideways.
She couldn't run. She tried for hours, but gave up around 2 in the morning. Instead, she just waded into the water, contemplated not stopping. Stood with the small waves lapping around her thighs, dreaming of Nessie coming to swallow her whole. Dreaming of turning around and running all the way back to London.
Romilly must've been practicing legilimency. She must've. Regulus probably taught her. They showed up on the shores behind her just before sunrise and cut right to it.
"Fae, just go," Romilly said, voice sharp and frustrated.
"What?" she asked dumbly, turning to face the blonde.
"Go back," she commanded. "Go to Remus and kiss him and make love to him and you guys can be team mom and dad to the army of werewolves you both helped raise and you can fight the war from there."
Or maybe they just knew Fae that well because that was exactly what she wanted.
"But. I can't just abandon the plan," Fae said weakly.
"Sure you can, you're one of the most adaptable people I know," Regulus said.
"No!" Fae yelled, beginning to feel panicky. "I need to destroy the Horcruxes."
"Romilly and I can handle that."
"No way! If you guys get caught, it's all over," Fae argued. "Voldemort can't know you're even alive, Regulus!"
If Voldemort knew? He'd probably start making new Horcruxes left and right, using old pennies and left socks. That, and Fae didn't even want to imagine what he'd do to Regulus for betraying him so thoroughly. The very idea made her sick.
Regulus glared sharply at her. "What, you think so little of us that we'd fuck up so easily?" he asked, offended and prickly.
"No, you guys are awesome," Fae insisted. Because those two really were unstoppable together, but she just couldn't get past her fear that something bad would happen to them if she wasn't there to make sure it didn't. "But it's so dangerous and risky and it was my idea and it's my responsibility and I will see this through to the end!"
"We don't need you Fae," Romilly said coldly. "Just run off to go protect everybody in London from dealing with the war that you made worse."
Fae's eyes blinked with wetness and her voice took on a hysterical edge. "Yes you do! I need to gather the Horcruxes and destroy them! I need to keep Voldemort's attention on me so I can keep him where I need him. So I can draw him out for a final battle and so I can make sure he's dead for good! I made myself the number one target for a reason! Only I can do this!" she yelled.
Caught somewhere between despairing and enraged, Fae glared fiercely at her two best friends. How dare they think they didn't need her? Everything they'd done was all because of Fae's plan from the beginning! Her declaration left her chest heaving and on fire. This was her war. Her revenge.
"Can you do this?" Regulus asked.
"You bet your ass I can!"
They shared a look and then smiled fondly at her, all of their coldness disappearing. "There's our Fae."
"You were lookin' a little regretful and entirely too thoughtful for a second there," Regulus teased.
"It was weird," Romilly said. "And so unwelcome."
"You guys…" Fae sniffled, tears becoming sentimental instead of infuriated. Fuck, what would Fae do without them? She really did need them more than they needed her. Gods, she was such a fucking mess. They couldn't do this without her and she sure as hell couldn't do it without them.
"I know it's hard right now, Fae. We've really made a mess of things and a lot of people are suffering because of us."
Regulus continued where Romilly left off, saying, "But we can't give up now, not when we're so close."
"We have to remember why we're doing this and remember the big picture. Why are you fighting this war Fae? Why did you decide it had to be you?" Romilly asked.
Fae sniffled and then rubbed her tears away harshly. "Because I had all the tools and pieces," she said. "Because otherwise it would've been my nephew and he's an infant and I couldn't take who knows how many more years of war before he did whatever the prophecy would have him do. I did this because I could. Because I could save the people I loved. James. Lily. Harry. Sirius. Remus." With every word, she felt her resolve come back in waves. Her strength returned.
It wasn't unreasonable for her to get depressed or anxious or regretful. Not in the slightest. She should be thoughtful and considerate of her actions. But it was stupid of her to go off and stew in it alone instead of talking about it with Romilly and Regulus. They were her best friends and they were there to support her. She was so bad at remembering that and so bad at sharing her insecurities and worries. She was so lucky they knew that and handled her expertly anyways.
"And are you going to quit now?"
She shook her head fiercely. "No. Not a chance. I've got him on the ropes now and I just need to hang in there a bit longer. Then I can take him down for good."
"That's right."
"Everybody in the Order knew what they were signing up for and they can handle themselves. You've made more progress in three months than they have in three years."
Fae took a deep, shaky breath. Went to join them on the shore and took their hands. "Thank you. I don't know what I would do without you guys."
"Well I do," Regulus said. "I know I'd be dead by now if it weren't for you Fae, so thank you."
"And as for me, I'm just here for the thrills and chills," Romilly said, grinning.
There was a moment of silence and then they all laughed.
Regulus flicked his wand and splashed Romilly with some water. "You little liar."
"Okay, you got me. I'm here for you two. I don't really care about all this political nonsense or doing the right thing or saving the lives of the many. I just care about you two. That's all. You're all I need."
Fae got weepy again. "Awhhhh Romilly," she cooed, reaching out to hug the blonde. Except Regulus shoved her out of the way and hugged Romilly first.
"I've always thought that your honesty was your best quality," he said, voice joking even though they all knew he meant it truly.
Fae cackled and jumped on them both, wrapping her arms around them and letting her full weight dangle. She loved them so much.
Romilly yowled and struggled out of their grips, blushing and fixing her hair. "Now enough of this sappy shit. I've rented a submarine and we're going to find Nessie today."
They didn't find Nessie, but they had one hell of a time trying. Fae and Regulus got increasingly drunk on wine and literally tipsy, running back and forth, side to side and rocking the sub under the water while Romilly yelled at them. And then Romilly got drunk too and they almost died because driving a submarine drunk was hard.
At the end of the day, Charlese and Kent rented the nicest room they could find and Isla met them up there. Just like every day for the past few months, they fell onto the luxurious king-sized bed together, arguing over who got to pick dinner and who got to pick the movie or music or drinks of the night. They fell asleep to Fae's conjured stars and Regulus making up stories about them.
And Fae kept going. She could do anything with these two by her side.
Order of the Phoenix Commander Remus Lupin's Werewolf Brigade. That's what they were getting called. In the papers. On the bloody five o'clock news. Remus had never in his wildest dreams thought he'd read that headline.
WEREWOLF BRIGADE SECURES MINISTRY BUILDING
The Death Eaters had tried to break into the Department of Mysteries for something and Remus' werewolves just happened to be faster, sneakier, and sharper than anyone else close by. They'd fought off the Death Eaters and managed to take down two, at the cost of Velma's left leg, although only temporarily, and two of Christian's fingers on his left hand. At least it wasn't his ring finger, he had joked.
But it seemed they were in the news almost daily now, ever since that first attack in which they'd taken out six Death Eaters and destroyed eight safehouses. And if not then, the news absolutely took a shine to them after Remus led Dritte, Zweite, Nile, Silas, Joy, Hannah, Yesenia, Georgia, and Kramer to break into the Malfoy manor, seize control from the inhabiting Death Eaters, and free several muggle-borns and half-bloods, many of which had incidentally been ministry politicians being used for polyjuice potions.
Of course, the public hadn't realized they were werewolves at first and Remus decided that wasn't quite fair. They wouldn't have been able to do what they did without their lycanthropic abilities. So he caved to Sirius' request of making uniforms for the Werewolf Brigade. All of his werewolves now donned bloody red armbands and bandannas. The armbands adorned the right bicep of every member and had a blaring, sharp white silhouette of a wolf's head facing out for all to see with the words 'Order of the Phoenix: Werewolf Brigade' in a circle around it. And if that wasn't enough of a signal, the bandanna, which most wore around their necks, had the silhouette of a wolf's snarling teeth printed on it.
It was clever. His werewolves would be recognized as werewolves. But if they chose, they could pull the bandanna up partially over their faces to conceal their identity. Not that many did.
And for Remus, the Commander, Sirius had designed a red jacket with the words 'Commander Lupin' across the back over his shoulders and the wolf brigade insignia over his heart. Remus wore it always with pride. Also, for safety because the thing was charmed to hell against dark spells and curses. And Remus kept his bandanna down around his neck. Let the world know what he was and that he was proud to be one. Proud to be a werewolf and proud to be the leader of this amazing, incredible, powerful group of people.
The news took a dive at first, when it got out what they were. It was all about how dangerous they were. How the Order was bonkers for using them.
But the Brigade didn't stop. Not one of his werewolves changed their mind despite the backlash. They all kept fighting. In fact, they just got more determined to prove people wrong. More rescue missions, more raids, more victories.
Then it was about how the Order was brilliant, putting such dangerous creatures to work for the good of the people. And then it was just about the superior abilities of the Werewolf Brigade, the teamwork they showed with each other and with members of the order. Then it was about the kindness and heroics and control they displayed. Werewolves. Heroes.
It certainly helped that not long after the uniforms were implemented and the news about them came out, that a full moon passed. The first full moon in years and years where not a single person was bit or attacked by a werewolf in London. Remus had prepared for it, keeping half of the pack with him in Fae's warded woods while Christian took the other half out to a forest out of town, similarly warded and guarded by Order volunteers. Clearly, Voldemort's werewolves truly had completely abandoned him.
It was amazing. Completely unbelievable. And Remus was not the only werewolf to be shellshocked by the headlines and a little high on it.
Werewolves had superior speed, strength, smell, hearing, and sight. And what they lacked for in magical education, as many of them did, they made up for in hard work, determination, and cunning. And then Remus taught them magic too, so they really became quite unstoppable.
It helped that with every successful raid and a werewolf saving an Order member from walking on a trap that smelled distinctly like dark magic, or a thwarted attack on someone in hiding being guarded by a werewolf, or being able to see an AK spell coming out of the dark alleyway at two in morning and reacting quick enough to deflect it, the two groups also became more ingrained and intertwined. Members of the Order of the Phoenix had always known about Fae and Remus being werewolves, but few had ever actually worked with them or gotten to know them outside of missions and meetings.
Things were different now.
Nile and Alex Diggory had practically been best friends ever since Nile caught the scent of a Death Eater tailing him and had helped fight him off, saving Alex's life. Those two often ran around wreaking havoc with Silas and then the three of them got into competitions with Hannah, Joy, and Dorcas near constantly. It drove Remus nuts, the amount of trouble they could get into or the amount of collateral damage they could cause when they got going. After setting the entire roof on fire and only just barely putting it out before it caused damage, Remus had put the fear of God in them and ordered them to keep their little games to the woods. And then he stupidly sent Dritte and Zweite to watch over them and enforce peace, only for those two to often get pulled into the shenanigans as well on account of being targets that were easy to rile up. At least, they did get lots of training in. Lots of dueling for sure.
Martha and Troy spent almost as much time in the woods training as they did at Lucrecia's helping out at the cafe in his absence. Thankfully, Lucrecia put them up too because those two had so much energy. Remus had no clue when they slept because when they weren't training and pissing off Christian with their bickering, they were cooking for a literal army. And when they weren't doing that, they did what they liked to do best - running messages and packages between Order Members. So often they'd be seen as messengers or handing out pastries to everybody with Lucrecia at meetings, the two quickly became adopted as a little brother and sister to them all.
Cunning, sly things, playing cute to learn spells or curses or dueling maneuvers at any chance. Troy was dying to go on a mission and Remus thought he might be ready, if he could just watch that hot temper of his a little more. Kingsley Shacklebolt in particular had taken a liking to him and Remus thought he'd be a great mentor. And Remus had a feeling that when Martha was older, Fae would probably mentor her herself.
Christian and Moody got on like a house on fire for two extremely reticent people. But Moody didn't care who was what as long as they could do the job. Christian was all about competency and consistency. They were both strict, serious men, so Remus supposed it worked out. They came up with strategies nearly as often as Remus did and he was always grateful for their input. Theirs, and Lenore's, a defector from Greyback, who almost had the same kind of creative, insane way of thinking that Fae did. Almost, not close enough, but certainly helpful. Moody and Christian had argued with her frequently, but now always insisted she was there for planning sessions.
And so on and so forth. It made Remus remember the day he'd told Lily that he was a werewolf. She'd just shrugged it off, said he was still Remus. Still the guy she'd talk about books with or study all night with or drink tea and bitch about times of the month with. Just, acceptance and enduring friendship. Now he saw it everyday, even with the most wary of werewolves and humans, especially once they'd trauma-bonded over a near-death experience and fought Death Eaters together.
They were making history and Remus was immeasurably proud of his werewolves and proud to be their commander, even if the title still made him blush sometimes.
But they had called him Alpha once and that had been even worse. He'd reacted so violently that they all gave him a wide berth for the rest of the day.
'Don't call me Alpha' he'd said. 'I am Fae's Beta. I don't care what else you call me, so long as you remember who our true alpha is' which was ridiculous and embarrassing as hell in hindsight, but he'd just reacted on instinct. They respected his request, agreed that Fae was Alpha. So now he was Commander Lupin.
And it was good that they could be united and fight together, because the attacks and battles were more frequent than ever before. His wild Fae had disappeared yet again and left them quite a mess. It had been fantastic, no doubt, but he couldn't help being mad at her a little bit. Classic Fae, stubbornly thinking her plan was best and not seriously considering the consequences. Or maybe she did, and that's why she needed him, which didn't make him any less mad. Or any less exhausted.
It wasn't all good. This was a war, now ramped into high gear with Fae's little show. With all their numerous abilities, the Werewolf Brigade was called in for nearly everything. Raiding a safehouse? They could smell dark magic like nobody's business, especially Lenore and Jim. Guarding a family in hiding or escorting someone to safety? Hearing and night vision were essential, at which Silas, Nile, and Mirabelle were the best. Ambushing a meeting of supporters? Brute strength and speed, which meant Christian, Dritte, Zweite, Hannah, Joy, and Maddy.
There was never an end and not every mission went well, which was another reason the werewolves were called in so often - they had thicker skin to spells and advanced healing, although Remus fervently and frequently argued against that being the reason they were thrown on the front lines so much.
There were failures. And losses. Harsh realities that brought Remus down from the highs of being a commander of the first heroic werewolf army in history.
The diner Fae had used to work at, with her cute little bows and roller skates, had been bombed. No concern for who was in it - muggle or magic. It was destroyed simply because Fae had worked there.
As was the print shop. Fae had warned them to close up and disappear thanks to her actions, but the owner had kept going, continuing her work and requesting a guard. The owner, two coworkers, Daedalus, Mary, Vance, and Hildy had been killed in that one.
Remus had to be held back from going on a warpath when Lucrecia's cafe had been destroyed. Most of the customers had gotten out, some with a few severe injuries from the blast. Having been in the backroom, Lucrecia had been injured badly and nearly killed. They got very lucky that Martha had been there at the time and had been able to pull Lucrecia out while Troy fought off the Death Eaters until Remus could get there.
Alecto and Amycus Carrow. Remus had hunted them and killed them slowly, breaking their bones one by one, feeding them poison that wracked their bodies with pain only to give them the antidote before it took them. He roasted them slowly with millions of floating lighters. He dipped their limbs in acid, pulled them back out before they could pass out from the pain. Whenever Remus got frustrated with the war, he returned and hurt them some more. That is, until the next full moon. Then he left them wandless, magicless, in the middle of the woods and told his werewolves to hunt. And even if they had no control or awareness, his wolves didn't kill them outright. They bit and tore and chased, but when it came down to it, they obeyed him and let him have the kill. Remus ripped their throats out and felt no remorse. Felt no guilt. Felt no fear of himself. All these years, he'd been terrified of killing someone in his werewolf form. But this? In that moment, it was everything he'd ever wanted and he knew Fae would've been proud of him.
And he was mad at Fae. Mad for turning him into this. Mad that people, innocent people, were dying because of her. Mad that entire places were being wiped off the map just because she'd set foot in there once. And all of these shitty things happened while Order Members, Brigade Wolves, and any muggle-born or half-blood were regularly being attacked or kidnapped.
It hurt. It tested him. It enraged him and broke some things inside. It was exhausting, but Remus kept going. Kept planning, kept teaching. And he had a lot of both to do. With all the headlines, it was no surprise that werewolves who had been living discreetly in London began to show up and ask to help. The Order grew in numbers even faster. Life was mad busy and Remus began to understand why Fae had chosen him. He'd been at the heart of it all, connected to both sides, able to mediate and bridge the gaps and teach. Nerd, she'd always called him. Almost as much as she'd called him Darling. Well his big, nerdy brain was needed desperately to train and manage all his werewolves and then also plan missions and coordinate with the Order. As a werewolf trained by Fae and as one of Hogwarts most intelligent students of all time, nobody could pull it off but him.
And the numbers kept growing and they all called him Commander. Even most of the Order did now too. It was great, albeit chaotic and crowded.
The Potter house was huge and as were the woods, but there was only so much room for nearly 60 werewolves and whatever members of the Order were flitting in and out to plan missions or train. They made it work though. Sirius moved into Fleamont's and Euphemia's room and Remus moved into Fae's bedroom, unwilling to let anyone near her things and having already been sleeping in there for the most part.
That left 9 bedrooms in the house plus the living room and wherever anyone could find room to camp in the yard. They added some extension charms to make the rooms big enough to fit at least six each, added a few more bathrooms, and converted the attic into a second kitchen, this one with industrial appliances because 60 was a lot of mouths to feed.
Lucrecia, after she insisted she'd recovered plenty, had pretty much moved in there with Martha and a few other werewolves she'd taken under her wing, constantly buying out the local grocery store and keeping the ovens going. She was such a blessing and he didn't know what he would've done if that attack had killed her.
A combination of Lucrecia's efforts, Sirius' funding, and hunting parties taking weekend trips out to gather game, food was usually taken care of. With nightly patrolling on the increase, there was usually enough room for everybody too, although it made Remus a little stir crazy some days. He ended up with quite a few patrolling shifts himself, just for the sake of getting a moment of peace.
Riddle had moved onto having his Death Eater's attack any home with a muggle-born or half-blood. He did so at random, trying to instill fear and the idea that anyone with 'dirty blood' could be next. There was no way of knowing who would be next most of the time and so they had no choice, but to patrol at night, usually a combined team of a werewolf for their heightened senses and an Order Member for dueling skills, although as training became more mixed, these lines were becoming blurred and more people were learning all sorts of things. Helping each other. It was a little hard to keep track of everybody and their abilities, but it was good for everyone to be getting along and to be becoming more versatile.
There were many losses still, but their victories were more. He just had to keep reminding himself of that. And this would be over soon, Fae had promised him.
That being said, he almost lost it when the next attack hit far too close to home. His parents, to be exact. They'd had no guard because his father had insisted they didn't need one. He was strong all on his own, and they were unlikely to be attacked because they weren't in the Order. Sure, he might've been right about that first one, having fought off the attackers while sustaining very few injuries. But he might not be right the next time. And he certainly wasn't right about being safe because they were Remus' parents. Remus did not take no for an answer from either of his parents as he ordered Jim and Willis to take them west and hide them with the rest of the pack. No fighting to be had there. They'd be safe.
Remus hugged them tight as they made to leave and he truly felt terrified and guilty that he couldn't take them to safety himself. But he was needed here.
"Your girl really caused some trouble, huh?" his dad said, tone half joking and half grim.
Remus frowned. "She's not my girl. Not yet, anyways."
"And what do you mean by that?" his mother said.
"What do you mean by 'she caused trouble'?" Remus asked back.
His dad frowned and held up his hands, gesturing that he meant no offense. "I just mean that since she ran off and then spilled Tom Riddle's secrets, things have been getting a lot worse. Clearly."
Remus growled. Growled, at his parents. He couldn't help it, his temper was such a shaky thing these days and to hear his parents blaming Fae? Even if he kind of blamed her too, it was still his deepest instinct to defend her. "Well it wasn't all her fault. The war has always been here. Riddle makes one of ours disappear, we arrest one of his Death Eaters, he bombs a school, we take out his safehouses. These things have been going on for years. They're just. Happening a lot faster now."
Then Remus deflated and frowned deeply. "And besides, you two were attacked because of me. Because I lead the werewolves and I've been tearing down all his resources one by one. This is my fault," he said, tired and sad.
"Don't you dare."
"What?" he asked, blinking at his dad's stern tone.
"Don't you dare feel sorry for what happened. Your mother and I are just fine. Don't apologize for what you're doing Remus. I know bad things have happened, but they aren't your fault any more than they are mine. We don't always know the consequences of our actions, but we can always take responsibility and do our best for a better future."
He couldn't describe how he felt to hear his dad say that. His dad, who he knew had always blamed himself for what happened to Remus.
Remus felt his eyes get wet and he smiled weakly. "I'm just trying to be strong and do what Fae asked of me. Lead the werewolves."
His dad settled his hands on Remus' shoulders firmly. "And you have, Remus. You are. You and your wolves have saved more lives than you can imagine. You've done well, son. So well," he said, voice breaking up and getting emotional. The two men shared a shaky, sentimental smile and a watery laugh. Merlin, it felt good to hear that. He heard it from members of the Order and Sirius and his werewolves often, saw it in the papers, but sometimes all he could comprehend was his failures. The missions gone wrong. The bad calls.
Then his mother smacked his shoulder. "And really, what did you mean by 'not yet'? I hope you're not leading that poor girl on and do intend to make your feelings for her clear soon. Lord knows she's always looked at you like you hung the stars."
"What." He gaped dumbly at her.
"Listen to your mother, Remus," his father said, ruffling his hair like he hadn't since Remus was a young boy.
"You are a strong, confident, amazing man now. A war leader and a history maker," he said proudly, making Remus get sniffly again. Then he continued with a teasing grin. "And a lot of that is thanks to Fae being in your life for all these years. She makes you happy and she pushes you to be better, to believe in yourself. The least you could do is put a ring on her finger and devote yourself to her for all eternity."
"And get to work on some grandkids, won't you dear? We're not getting any younger," his mother added.
Remus blushed and stuttered, so confused. Eventually he got out, "But you hate Fae!"
"I do not," his mother said, frowning. "I actually rather like her quite a lot."
He blinked. "What do you mean you like her? You always argue with her and glare at her and talk shit about her clothes or her hair or her manners!"
"Hey, don't you curse in front of your mother."
Remus shrugged him off. "My point is - you two have never gotten along from the very beginning," he said, remembering all the times he and his dad had to diffuse the tension between them, hid laughs from their backhanded compliments to each other, changed the subject to prevent an argument.
"That's because she had no problem telling me I was wrong. She was right, but no woman likes to hear that, especially concerning their own child," his mother said, eyeing him sharply. "Trust me, go ahead and point out when she's wrong, see what happens."
"Well, that's Fae for you," he said helplessly, wondering what on earth she was talking about. His mother sighed, took in his confused expression, and elaborated.
"I love you, my sweet boy," she said, caressing his cheek. "And I've always wanted the best for you and for you to be safe and happy. But I went about it all the wrong ways, thinking that raising you to be normal would help you. Instead, it just made you feel ashamed for being different and I'm so sorry for that. Fae was right - you are unique and different and those things deserve to be celebrated. You are wonderful exactly as you are."
And he was crying again. Wow, some big, tough commander he was. "Thank you mum. I love you too," he said. Then laughed and said, "It's just so weird to hear you say that all this time, you've actually liked Fae. She won't believe me when I tell her."
Fae would absolutely not believe him. She'd fight it to the end of time and his mother would never outright say it. They'd probably never outwardly get along, but to know they liked each other was enough for him. It made him so happy, actually. To have their love and support, both for his role in the war and his desire to be with Fae.
"She's a spirited one. Feisty and tenacious. You hold onto her," she said.
"I will."
"And you thank her for me. For what she's doing. It's not quite what I asked of her, but in some ways it's better."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, so you better tell her yourself."
His mother made a bitter face. "Say something nice about her to her face? I would never."
He and his dad laughed and then he asked, "So Commander, tell us about your Werewolf Brigade. How many do you have now?"
Remus beamed. "Oh, about 55. And we have new ones joining us frequently from all over the country. It's incredible, I never imagined there were so many out there and a lot of them were living normal, everyday lives for the most part, with jobs and families even. It means I have to train them a bit more before they're field-ready, but still it's really good to hear."
"Wow. Remus, that's phenomenal. I'm so proud of you son."
"Thank you," Remus said. "Me too."
Yes. Remus was frustrated with Fae and with the horrors of the war she had seemingly let loose on them all. But there were still little joys and triumphs to be had, reminders to keep going and keep fighting for a better future for them all. He trusted her and he would follow her until the end.
"Hey, have you seen this news about the giants?"
No, she hadn't, actually. Fae had heard about Remus' parents being attacked and hadn't really been able to think about anything else since. Fuck, Hope would definitely never like her now. Not that Fae had ever really tried to get the woman to like her, but she thought they might've come to a decent understanding and level of respect with each other.
Now she just felt so guilty and back in that bad headspace again, doubting her every little action and wondering how she could've done it better, played it smarter so shit like this didn't happen. But then she took a deep breath and reminded herself that she wasn't God and she couldn't control everything. They were still alive and the Order was going strong. Remus was still alive and she still had work to do. Had to focus.
Regulus was reading the paper and Fae leaned over his arm to get a good look at the headline.
GIANT INFIGHTING - FOR OR AGAINST TOM RIDDLE?
Fae made an excited sound and crawled halfway into Regulus' lap so she could read, Romilly doing the same from his other side and reading out loud.
"Fighting erupted in a tribe of giants inhabiting Cheviot Hills last week, causing massive landslides. Reporters say the tribe head has been challenged and Death Eaters were seen in the vicinity, attempting to make contact. No news yet on which side the giants have chosen, or whether they will choose a side at all. More on Page 6."
"Wonder what happened," Fae wondered aloud.
"Well let's check page 6, then."
Regulus scoffed and folded up the paper. "Don't bother, my sources are better. Apparently, someone was spreading rumors about you trying to convert the giants to your side too. Voldemort sent his Death Eaters to find you and to ensure he still had their loyalty. To say they didn't handle it well would be an understatement."
"What do you mean?"
"The two Death Eaters sent to negotiate had no tact or diplomacy. They went in thinking you were there, tried to bully your location out of the giants and force them to remain loyal and obedient, only to get themselves killed," he explained.
Romilly blinked and then grinned. "So what, the giants defected?"
"That would be correct," he answered smugly. "Travers and Rowle had been in charge of maintaining them and well. We killed 'em. So he sent Crabbe and Goyle instead. Morons. We must've cleared out his numbers good to be scraping the bottom of the barrel like that for such a crucial job."
"Are you serious?" Fae shrieked.
Regulus blinked at her and then adopted a shit-eating grin before she could take back her words. "How dare you! 7 years and you still confuse me for my brother? I'm hurt," he whined dramatically.
Fae shoved him onto Romilly and he laughed.
"Well there you go, Fae," Romilly said, grinning. "Giants? Check. We've almost got our Royal Flush."
Fae laughed delightedly and then stuck her head out the train window, whooping loudly into the world for joy.
There were no winners in a war, just survivors. But Fae would see this through and she would have the last laugh.
A/N: This is a war and even badass actions have consequences.
On a brighter note - guess who Fae gets to have a very fun conversation with in the next chapter?
I'm sure many of you have been pondering his absence and lack of involvement. Probably.