The rays of Sunday morning hit Sirius' face. He hadn't expected to fall asleep on the couch of Remus' apartment. His back and nose may ache, but last night was worth it. Remus was up and cooking something that smelled delicious. Sirius sat up and greeted a fully dressed and ready for the day Remus.

"Heard from James yet?" Remus inquired.

Sirius checked his phone and saw that James had texted him what would have been shortly after Sirius fell asleep. It was a simple text stating that James had decided to go home and to wish Lily a goodnight.

"Yeah. He's fallen pretty hard for Lily. Wanted me to wish her goodnight at like 3 am."

The glasses Remus was holding shattered on the floor. He was frozen there, his shoulders began to shake a little, and his eyes became unfocused. Sirius looked around for what might have set him off. After Remus wasn't responding to his inquires from the couch, Sirius got up and tried to walk around the glass that spread across the kitchen floor.

Before grabbing him, Sirius remembered his sore nose. Best to avoid that. "Remus I'm about to touch your shoulders to try and get your attention." Gently, Sirius laid his hands on the man's shoulders. Even though it seemed silly saying it out loud, something must have helped because Sirius was not swung at. "What's going on? You need to tell me so I can try and help you." Silence still permeated in the apartment. Lily might be able to help. Sirius didn't like that thought on gut reaction. The bead of Sirius that felt jealous of Lily had to be set aside if he wanted to help Remus though. "I'm going to get Lily. She probably knows what to do, right?"

This snapped Remus out of it. Remus started grabbing at things on the table and running back and forth across the apartment grabbing items as he went. His mumblings were hard to make out as Sirius tried to catch up and get him to speak up. Sirius had to lean against the front door so Remus couldn't leave before giving a straight answer.

His words sent an ice down his spine. "Lily went to go get James last night. She didn't come home to the apartment. James wanted us to wish her a goodnight, meaning she didn't end up with him. She didn't end up with him, but didn't come home after leaving."

Remus was yelling in the police station. "Like hell I have to wait 48 hours. I can fill out a police report and you won't send out a search party until 48 hours after that. That's where the 48 hours comes in."

Sirius felt bad for the officer a bit. Sure, the officer seemed uncooperative, but Remus on a war path was like staring at the sun. One could not simply stand in the way of the sun.

"She just left an abusive boyfriend. Not to mention the fact that she's just a woman. That seems to be good enough reason for some men to leave someone laying in a ditch. Stranger or not."

The officer kept trying to placate Remus with reasons. Finally, Sirius was sick of the back and forth. He stepped out and called up the Potter's PI. They had used him once or twice when Sirius had run off and wasn't heard from for a few days. Barty Crouch would always find him no matter how meticulous he had been in covering his tracks. "Crouch, I need you to help find a girl. Went missing last night. She's most likely with her ex-boyfriend, but she also went missing at night in the city, so it could be that too. Finding her as quickly as possible would be much appreciated with a very nice bonus to your usual rate if you can do it."

Taking a few details that Sirius had, Barty Crouch said he would call as soon as he could with an update. He returned to Remus who was furiously scribbling out the paperwork. Several cheap pens were snapped in half and discarded on the floor. Remus' hands were covered in ink and copies of ruined forms were balled beside him. The receptionist looked a little annoyed when Remus went up again with a broken pen and asked for another set of the forms.

Sirius texted James the general idea of what was happening and the reassurance that Crouch was on the case. He returned the clipboard with all the information for Remus to spare the officer and receptionist more of Remus' wrath.

What would help? Sirius would want to be distracted if James went missing, but this was probably hitting a nerve too close to sit back and do nothing for Remus. He had said he had been kidnapped, that might be what he's going back to right now in his head. His closest friend, in an unknown situation, not answering his calls. Even a person without trauma that deep would jump to that. What would Lily do? Sirius silently pleaded for some inspiration from Lily. She had grown on him he hated to admit. He had always liked to be social, but people wanting to become close to him were put through the rigors to stay.

Lightning inspiration hit. They would search. Remus might feel better if he and Sirius went out searching alleys. It might set his mind at ease not seeing her dumped in an alley way passed out drunk or something. He reckons that both he and Remus knew where she was deep down. She went back to her ex. Sirius didn't think Remus wanted to believe she may have gone willingly, so Sirius was there to calm his mind while he waited to hear from Lily.

What Sirius knew all too well, was it didn't take much to justify and return to an abusive situation. He had lived with and made excuses for his parents until he was 15 or so. All Sirius knew of her ex was what she had told him and James on the car ride to the café.

Severus was one of her best friends. He started to disagree with the group on some 'values' as Severus called them and stopped hanging out with them as much. Lily hadn't heard from him in a little over a year until her parents' funeral where they started talking again and ended up dating shortly after.

The biggest apprehension that Sirius had towards Severus and Lily's relationship was that Lily had refused to say the word abuse, or directly talk about physical violence. Even though James and Sirius had both seen the bruise on her face the night of the gallery. In fact, many times when she would talk about Severus, it was in defense. She said she left over a difference of opinion and a fight that got heated.

Sirius could see past that flowered up story. She had tried to state an opinion that Severus disagreed with and he had hit her. It may have been the first time her face was hit and that's what triggered her to seek Remus, but as soon as the bruise healed, it was easy to forget and go back.

If Remus felt better walking up and down the streets looking in stores and alleys, Sirius would walk with him. When Remus found no sign of her and started on that Severus must have taken her against her will, Sirius just listened. They both knew though. Something had triggered Lily to go back to Severus after the café. Sirius knew that Remus might be thinking that this was his fault.