Disclaimer: This world and all its characters belong to JK Rowling. I wrote this purely for entertainment purposes, and have no wish to sell, copyright or otherwise claim any of this content.

Remus did not like waiting. Really, he thought, that was the worst part of life. Waiting for your friends to catch up. Waiting for the professor to tell you if you'd passed or failed. Waiting for the moon to rise. And now here he was, pacing in a small room which was locked from the outside, waiting for someone to tell him what was happening, waiting to know whether Sirius was alive or not, and waiting to be told what had been done with Peter.

After James had disappeared with Sirius, the Aurors had taken Remus, Harry and Peter to the Ministry. Upon arrival, Remus' wand had been confiscated and Harry had been taken by a severe looking witch to presumably be checked over and then held in a safe location until this mess could be sorted out. Then Remus had been escorted down to this room, where he had been told to wait until they sent someone down to question him. According to Remus' watch, however, that had been over an hour ago, and he was beginning to get restless. Although he'd always been spectacularly good at hiding it, he'd never been good at sitting still if he didn't have a distraction (such as a good book).

Finally, at 6:30pm, the door swung open and Remus whipped around from where he'd been studying a strange mark on the wall to see Albus Dumbledore enter the room.

"Sir," Remus said, immediately stepping forward. "Thank you for coming. I really am sorry about all this –"

"That's quite all right, Remus," Dumbledore said, but he sounded tired and the ever-present twinkle in his eye was now absent. "Please, sit." A second chair appeared to accompany the one already in the room, and Remus took a seat. "I've just been to see Mr. Pettigrew."

Remus felt a wave of anger course through him, and had to bite down on his tongue to keep from growling out loud. After struggling for a moment, he managed to ask stiffly, "And?"

"And I would like to hear what you have to say," Dumbledore said calmly. "I find that often it is best to gain as many perspectives as possible before coming to a conclusion." He stared over his half-moon spectacles at Remus who had to resist the urge to fidget. It suddenly felt as though he were being questioned about an immature antic pulled off by Sirius and James at Hogwarts. "And while I have a hard time believing anything but the best of you, Remus, I must admit that I am finding it difficult to make sense of the events which have taken place over the last week without you somehow factoring into them."

Briefly, Remus considered telling the lie he'd been half-heartedly constructing over the past two hours in order to protect James, but now, looking Dumbledore in the face, he found that he couldn't do it. He opened his mouth, and suddenly realized that he didn't know what he was going to say.

"Perhaps," Dumbledore added mildly, "you should tell me what happened after you left my office on Halloween night."

"Well," Remus stuttered, collecting himself. "You remember how I told you that James had been to see me right before Voldemort went to Godric's hollow?" Dumbledore nodded. "I didn't realize this, but he told me later that just as he Disapparated, he was hit by a stunner. He was badly splinched, and only came to after Hagrid had been to take Harry…. " Remus paused, uncertain. James hadn't gone into much detail about what happened next, either because he didn't want to or because he himself could barely remember it. From what Remus could understand, though, James had arrived, found Lily dead, and then Sirius had arrived and taken him to St. Mungo's. "Of course, I thought Voldemort had killed him as well." Remus swallowed at the pain that rose up in that memory and the knowledge that, even though James was alive, Lily had not been so lucky.

"I only realized he was alive the next night, when I cam home and found him and Harry asleep on my couch. He told me that Peter had been the secret keeper, not Sirius, and I realized that I needed to get Sirius out of Azkaban. James refused to let anyone know he was still alive, and Sirius is particularly affected by dementors. I retrieved that cloak from you, sir, and managed to sneak Pad– Sirius out of Azkaban. I brought him to my house, where we were all staying, but that was the night we were attacked. James sent Sirius and Harry somewhere safe, and stayed to help me until the Order showed up. This morning –" had it truly only been this morning? "– I received a message to meet them in the park, where Peter attacked us. James had become upset and I went to talk to him while Sirius stayed with Harry. I knew something was wrong when I heard the sirens, and James and I arrived just in time to see Peter blow the place apart. James cast a shield, but –" Remus paused, then asked worriedly "Sir, have you heard of Sirius? Is he – is he all right?"

"We have not been able to locate either Mr. Black or Mr. Potter yet," Dumbledore replied. "However, I will be sure to notify you as soon as I receive word of their whereabouts and well-being."

"Thank you," Remus murmured. Internally, wondered where James could have taken Sirius that they hadn't been found yet. He'd have thought James would have gone to St. Mungo's … no matter. There was nothing he would be able to do anyway. Remus drew a deep breath to continue his account.

"After making sure that James was all right, I stunned and bound Peter. Sirius was unconscious, and when I reached him I found that he was holding Harry, and had protected him from Peter's curse. James began casting healing spells, and that was when the Aurors arrived. I stood to meet Moody, and then James created a distraction before Disapparating with Sirius." Remus sat back, holding his hands in his lap and trying to mask how nervous he was. "I don't know where they are." Please let him believe me … Please let Sirius be okay….

Dumbledore sat staring silently at Remus for a few minutes, enough to make Remus acutely uncomfortable, before he let out a weary sigh and removed his spectacles to rest his ancient head in his hands.

"You realize, Remus, that you have just told me a tale very different than that told to me a mere hour ago by Peter Pettigrew?"

Remus just barely managed to suppress a scowl. "I am."

"Very well." Dumbledore was silent for a moment before placing his spectacles back on his nose and folding his hands in front of him. "I must say, Remus, that I am at a loss. The story I have heard from Mr. Pettigrew aligns with the popular order of events and, I must admit, is therefore more believable. However, I see no reason to doubt your story – it includes many interesting facts which Mr. Pettigrew failed to identify in his telling.

"For now you must stay here and wait a while longer." This time Remus couldn't keep from sighing, but was nevertheless gratified to see the corner of Dumbledore's mouth twitch upwards. "I shall be very surprised, Remus, if you do not find yourself still waiting tomorrow morning. We will do our best to find evidence to corroborate both your and Mr. Pettigrew's stories, but in the meantime Mr. Potter is your best witness, and he cannot be found. I will try to come tomorrow with news, but for now I must bid you goodnight."

"Thank you." Remus stood as Dumbledore did. "Good night, sir."

The door swung shut behind Dumbledore and Remus stared at it forlornly for a moment before spinning around and beginning to pace again. Merlin, he hated waiting.

"Can't you decide for me?" Sirius asked weakly, glancing halfheartedly at Lily. She smiled from where she was sitting opposite him at the table. "I think you know the answer to that, Sirius."

"Right," Sirius muttered, turning back to stare at the the professor's table. He'd thought the choice would be easy – go back, obviously. James was there, and Remus and Harry. They all needed him, and would be devastated if he decided to go on. If he returned, he would have a full life ahead of him. With Voldemort gone, he could stay on the Auror force or turn to Muggle Relations, which he'd always thought interesting. He remembered that it had come up briefly in his conversation with McGonagall at the end of fifth year, but had slipped off the table because for him there simply hadn't been a choice – of course he would join the fight against Voldemort. Now, though … he didn't know.

On the other hand, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't be sent to Azkaban again even with James' testimony. The Azkaban guard's words kept ringing in his ears, reminding him that the Ministry was corrupt and prejudiced, and that he was a Black. And from what he'd seen in the pensieve, there was no way he would escape this without lasting injuries. He knew that magic could fix almost anything, and that the healers at St. Mungo's could work wonders, but he'd also seen many members of the Auror force as well as of the Order of the Phoenix retire to struggle with debilitating injuries that never fully healed, despite the healer's best efforts. He'd always been very active, and didn't know if he could live with an injury like that. And if he made the choice to go on, Remus and James would recover. They had each other, and Harry….

But what if they didn't? Could James survive losing him and Lily all in the span of one week? The image of James when Sirius had found him the night Lily was killed flashed through Sirius' memory, and he closed his eyes briefly. No, he decided. James may survive, but he would not be okay. And while Remus was strong, he too would struggle with another loss.

Sirius sighed, and turned to Lily. "You really did have to complicate things, didn't you," he said softly. Lily didn't say anything, only reached forward to rest her hands on his. He stared at her unhappily for a moment, before abruptly standing. "What now?"

Lily stood as well, and the Great Hall dissolved around them until they were just standing – or were they floating? – in a plane of light. "Now you go back."

Sirius looked down at their hands, which were still joined. "Will I remember this?" he asked.

"I don't know," Lily said. "But Sirius, look at me." Sirius looked up, meeting her steady gaze. "You are the bravest, most loyal person I have ever met. No matter what happens, please know that I love you, and cannot think of a better friend for James and role model for Harry. Thank you for everything you have done for my family, and whatever you think you did wrong, I forgive you."

Sirius managed to smile at that. "Shall I tell James that it was really me you loved all along?" he teased.

Lily laughed, punching him gently with his own hand. "Sirius Black, don't you dare! No, tell him and Harry that I love them and miss them, and remind James that he is the most wonderful person in the world. I think he forgets that sometimes."

Sirius opened his mouth to assure her that of course he would, but before he could make a sound the world around him was gone, taking Lily with it.

James was dosing in one of the armchairs when a sixth sense he had acquired on the Auror force jerked him awake. The moment the doorknob rattled James was on his feet, and the moment he saw who it was his wand was in his hand, although not pointed directly at the intruder. "What are you doing here, Alice?" he asked steadily. Although she was one of the friendliest people he had ever met, she was also very strong-willed and stubborn to a fault. If you were on her good side, she brought light and joy to every moment you were with her. If you were on her bad side, though – well, you didn't want to be on her bad side.

Alice Longbottom shut the door behind her before turning slowly to face him. "One of the healers informed us that Sirius Black was in intensive care," she said calmly, "and when we arrived he told us you were down here. Scrimgeour sent me to find you."

"Fuck," James cursed, starting for the door. When Alice tried to block his way, James raised his wand threateningly. "Out of my way, Longbottom," he threatened. "I won't let them take Sirius."

"Calm down, Potter," Alice said, and even though she was not currently holding her wand it was clear that she was not moving. "No one's doing anything to Black until he's stable and has regained consciousness. We're just here to keep an eye on you two, and I'm supposed to collect a statement while I'm at it." Alice raised an eyebrow, and James struggled with his need to check and the knowledge that it probably wouldn't do any good. After a brief moment, he sighed and lowered his wand.

Alice gestured him into the seat he had just vacated, then sat down herself. She shot him a look, then sighed shook her head. "Merlin, Potter, it's not every day someone comes back from the dead."

"Let's pray it is," James said, thinking of Sirius. Alice had said he was in intensive care now, and had implied that he wasn't yet stable, but surely the healers would let him know if something were truly wrong?

"That would be nice, wouldn't it," Alice laughed bleakly. "I couldn't believe it, you know, when they told me you were dead. Whenever you took a hit before you always bounced right back; I always thought you were too stubborn to die." Alice looked up at James. "This war is a terrible thing, and it hasn't just taken the lives of those who have fallen. It's taken our lives as well."

"Tell me about it," James muttered. He started tapping the armrest again. "Do you know how Sirius is?" he asked abruptly. "No one's told me anything."

Alice shook her head. "I was just told to find you."

"And babysit me, right?"

Alice glanced at him. "And make sure you don't run off again. You've got us in quite a mess, you know."

James shrugged. "What about Remus? And Harry?"

"I don't know about Remus, but I think we can safely assume they've got him locked up somewhere for questioning. As for Harry, I was given specific instructions not to tell anyone, but –" Alice grimaced. "You've always been the exception to the rule, James, and I don't suppose that'll change anytime soon. Arebella Figg, who you know works with the Department of Management and Control of Magical Children, took him to the Longbottom Manor and they're both staying with Frank's mum until this gets sorted out." Alice smiled slightly. "I imagine Frank might take Neville to visit, once he's got some sleep."

James nodded. While he wished he could be there for his son, he knew that Harry was in good hands, and at the moment Sirius needed him more. It was not an easy choice, but like so many others it was one that had to be made. And he could always go find Harry at Mrs. Longbottom's house – he'd been a few times before with his parents – or if they were at Frank and Alice's place, that was only a short floo away –

"Alice," James said slowly, a feeling of dread settling deep in his stomach. "You did perform the Fidelius Charm, didn't you? At the same time as Lily and I did?"

"Yes, of course." Alice gave him an odd look. "You know that, and I assure you it's perfectly safe for Harry –"

"Number 6, Chittenden Avenue, Upper Flagley, Yorkshire" James said curtly, standing. "We need to go."

Alice paled and sprang to her feet. It hardly occurred to James that mere moments ago he had pledged to stay with Sirius – Sirius would understand. He would probably do the same, as James would expect him to. Always go where the need was greatest: that was what half the war was about. They raced down the hall, and when Alice hesitated at the corner, James sprinted past her and to the left. "This way," he called, leading them to the nearest Disapparition point.

James reached the point and immediately spun, focusing on the tall fir tree that he would Apparate to when meeting the Longbottoms at their house. When he arrived, he immediately fell into a crouch, wand out as he surveyed the situation. Nothing seemed to be wrong … he ducked and spun as a loud crack rang out, only to lower his wand as he realized that it was Alice. She didn't stop, but ran towards the house with her wand clenched in her white fist.

James rose and followed quickly, pushing back the memories that threatened to overwhelm him. Collapsed house, blown out windows…. No. It's fine, it'll all be okay … but when had that ever been the case?

Alice reached the door and burst in, James right on her heels. Almost immediately he picked up the sound of someone screaming. Apparently the assailants had cast a sound-muffling charm, though, because Alice didn't seem able to hear anything. James reached out and touched her arm.

"This way," he whispered, gesturing to where the sound was coming from. "I'll cover you." Alice crept forward, her face set, and by the time they reached the drawing room James could tell that she could now hear the screaming as well. It sounded like Frank. They snuck to the door, where they paused. James bent his head, listening intently.

"Crucio!" That was a young man's voice.

Screaming.

"Tell us where the Dark Lord is!" An older man, with a harsh voice.

Choked, harsh breathing.

"You're not doing it right," a woman's voice, prim. "Crucio!"

Screaming.

"Now, Bella, you must let him learn." Another man.

Strained groans.

"Four," James mouthed, holding up his fingers. Alice nodded grimly, her lips pressed in a thin line. James took a brief moment to admire her self-control. Although their odds were low, they weren't impossible, and James had faced worse. Much worse. Both he and Alice were some of the best Aurors in the Ministry, so they had skill in their favor as well. Although he would much rather have Sirius by his side, Alice or Frank would have close seconds. He held up his fingers: three, two, one.

Alice burst in the door, and James immediately started firing over her shoulder. Assessing rapidly, he was pleased to realize that had been right – there were three men and one woman standing around Frank, who was collapsed on the floor. Neville was nowhere in sight. Immediately the four Death Eaters spun around with their wands up, but Alice had already hit the youngest with a stunner and the second man was occupied with tentacles which had burst from his ears, nose and mouth. It was a nasty jinx, but these were nasty men and James was not feeling particularly forgiving at the moment.

"Potter!" James whirled as the woman shrieked his name, hastily erecting a shield and casting around it as Alice dueled the third man. With a sinking feeling he recognized Bellatrix Lestrange, and realized that two of the others must be the Lestrange brothers. While everyone at Hogwarts knew that Sirius was the best dueler, it was apparently in the Black blood – Bellatrix came in a close second, and even her sister Narcissa was good enough to have earned some measure of respect.

A curse shattered his shield, and James dove to the ground as another followed quickly. Rolling to the right, he sprang up and managed to fire hex in her direction before he felt a burning hot spell graze his left arm, causing it to flare in pain. Cursing, he cast another shield and spun to face the elder Lestrange brother, who had apparently recovered from the tentacles.

"You killed him!" Bellatrix screamed. "You killed our beloved master!"

James grit his teeth against the pain in his arm, and stabbed his wand in Bellatrix's direction. It was a powerful non-verbal spell he had learnt from his father, who had told him only to use it in the direst of situations. Now, as James faced two opponents with a burnt arm and a building rage for all they had done, he felt it to be pretty dire. "He killed my wife," he snarled as Bellatrix was blown up and back against the far wall. James turned to her husband, and started casting stunner after stunner. The man stumbled backwards, seeming overwhelmed for a moment, but then he found his feet and was on the offensive again.

Bellatrix stirred in the corner where she had fallen. James turned to stun her, only to throw himself to the ground again to avoid another curse. Spells were flying around the room, and James didn't know how much longer he and Alice could hold their own against three skilled Death Eaters. If it had just been Frank, he and Alice could have grabbed him and Disapparated right out, but they hadn't seen any sign of Neville yet, and that was worrying. James knew that Alice wouldn't go anywhere without her son, and he certainly wouldn't leave Alice to fend for herself.

"James, down!"

James had hardly registered Alice's warning than he had thrown himself to the ground. A spell shot over his head and hit Bellatrix square in the chest. She shrieked as flames burst over her skin, and her husband let out a yell of rage, turning to Alice with a look of fury on his face. James knew what was coming before it happened, and so was already thinking Levicorpus! before the the Killing Curse had left the man's wand. Alice shot into the air with a surprised squeak, but James had already slashed his wand around and conjured a flock of colorful birds which dove at Lestrange, pecking viciously at his face and hands. A spell flew over his shoulder and he glanced up to see that Alice had her wand trained on Bellatrix, her eyes narrowed as she concentrated on casting while hanging upside-down from the ceiling. James flicked his wand at her to let her down, then immediately conjured a shield as Lestrange hurled another round of curses his way.

Just when James was wondering how much longer they could go on dueling, there came a pained groan from the other side of the room, where Frank lay on the ground. Lestrange's eyes darted quickly to the noise, and James took the distraction as an opportunity to disarm him, reaching out to pluck the other man's wand from the air as it came soaring towards him.

"Incarcerous," James said firmly, and ropes shot from his wand to bind the Death Eater where he stood. Bellatrix screamed, and then suddenly James couldn't feel anything except the pain exploding from his abdomen. No. The world tipped, but James didn't even care that he was on the ground – all he could focus on was keeping the black spots which danced around his vision at bay. He grit his teeth, fighting to stay awake. Not now, no way, you're dead if you don't fight this – and then the pain was gone and James was gasping, trying to focus on Alice's pale face. Nausea surged within him and he rolled over, vomiting onto the deep red carpet which covered the Longbottom's sitting room floor. It was only then that he became aware of the fact that it was quiet. "What h-happened –" he coughed, but Alice was already talking.

"She hit you with the Vivius Sectum Curse," Alice let out a shaky laugh. "You are really lucky that I knew the countercurse. Are you all right?"

James gingerly probed his abdomen, and winced. "I think I'll survive." He'd never heard of that particular curse, and he filed the name away so that he could look it up later. "Where did they go?"

The scowl was back on Alice's face in an instant. "Disapparated," she growled, then stood and reached down her hand to pull James to his feet. She then hurried to Frank's side while James secured the two other Death Eaters, both of whom were still unconscious. Finding Frank's broken wand in the corner, he carefully placed it in his pocket before joining Alice beside her husband's still body.

"I've got him," James said, kneeling beside them with his wand already raised over Frank's still form. "You find Neville."