A/N: I'm sorry for the delay. My friend got married last weekend, so I was really busy with the wedding. As for the rest of the week … I've learned to hate meetings. So, I'm posting this a day before my Sunday deadline – can we call it a little early that way? Hopefully, I'll be able to update next Sunday as planned!

Thanks for reading and reviewing! Enjoy this chapter!

I don't own Harry Potter.

Missions

He shouldn't have been so surprised. Really, he had known it was coming. He had been expecting it.

Even so, Remus was stunned when Dumbledore came to his door. He was shocked to hear his former employer ask him to do the most difficult thing anyone had ever asked of him.

"Remus, we need to you infiltrate the werewolf colony."

Remus swallowed hard, trying not to let his feelings show on his face. "You want me to go in openly, don't you?"

"Yes," Dumbledore said, his eyes showing how much the words cost him. "I need you to pretend to be one of them, to convince them that we have more to offer them than Voldemort has."

Remus smiled sadly. "Pretend to be one of them?" he repeated. "I don't need to do that. I already am one of them."

"No, Remus, you are not," Dumbledore said firmly. "You know as well as I do that there is a world of difference between the way you have chosen to live your life and the way they have chosen to live theirs. You know how much more freedom you have, and how much more joy you have."

Remus sighed and ran his hands over his face. "When would you like me to begin?"

"The sooner the better."

Dana and Laura joined Remus and Olivia for dinner the night before he left for the werewolf colony. Laura was fine all evening, laughing and joking with the adults, acting for all the world as though nothing about Remus's mission bothered her. But, when the time came for her and Dana to say goodbye to Remus, her eyes filled with tears.

"Sweetheart, it's going to be fine," Remus said, cupping her face in his hands. "We'll see one another again before you know it."

"That's not true," she sighed. "I leave for school in three days."

"I know," Remus said softly. He kissed her forehead. "I'll see you at Christmas."

"Do you realize how far away that is?"

"Laura, you said yourself that you'll be back at school in three days," Remus said. "We don't have much time together either way."

"Yes, but if you weren't doing this, I'd know that you'd be safe," she said, a tear escaping and running down her cheek.

"Oh, sweetheart," Remus sighed, hugging her tightly. "Please don't worry about me."

Laura pulled back from his embrace and grabbed his face, forcing him to look at her. "Worry? I'm not worried. I'm scared for you, Uncle Remus," she said softly.

"Don't be," he said urgently. "Laura, I'll be fine. I'll be here at Christmas, waiting to see you. We'll go out for lunch together, and I'll help you pick out a present for your mum. It'll be just like every other year."

"You promise?" she asked childishly. Her rational mind told her that he could never make such a promise, but her sentimental mind had to hear the words.

He bit his lip. Could he promise his goddaughter such a thing? He smiled sadly, wondering how much damage other werewolves would be able to inflict upon him. "I promise, love."

She threw her arms around him. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Once Laura had released him, Dana hugged him tightly. They held onto each other for a long time, each drawing from the other's strength. When Dana pulled back, she gave him a wobbly smile.

"Just like old times, huh?"

"Just like old times," Remus agreed. He kissed her cheek. "We know how it's done, right?"

"I wish we didn't have to know," she said quietly. She kissed his cheek. "You take care of yourself, Remus. We want you back safely."

"I will," he promised. "You take care, too."

"Always."

After one last hug from both Dana and Laura, they left. Remus turned to Olivia, who gave him an odd look.

"What?" he asked.

"You aren't going to tell her goodbye, are you?"

Remus frowned. He had just said goodbye to two of the most important "hers" in his life. "Tell whom goodbye?"

"Tonks."

"Liv," Remus sighed, "please don't."

"Remus!" she exploded. "You have to tell her what's going on!"

"She knows what's going on!" Remus exclaimed. "She's an Order member, Liv! She knows what I'm doing!"

"Does she? Can you tell me about all the other Order members' missions?"

"Of course not," Remus said. "But, I could find out what they're doing if I really wanted to know. If she wants to know what I'm up to, she can find out."

"So you don't think she'd want to hear about it from you?"

"What is there to hear? She already knows that I've been working in the werewolf colony for ages. She's always known as well as I have that this day would come. Why does she need more information than that? It would just give her one more thing to worry about, and that's the last thing I want to do to her."

Olivia shook her head. "She needs to know, Remus. And she needs to hear it from you."

"Don't you realize that telling her is like taking a step backwards?" he pleaded. "I can't do that, Liv. It would destroy the lack of relationship I've worked to so hard to build between us."

She shook her head, trying not to laugh. "Do you realize how much like Sirius you sound?"

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"In this case, it's a bad thing. Please, Remus, tell her. I don't want her to have to hear another major detail of your life from me."

"You'd tell her?"

"Of course. I think she deserves to know."

"But I don't want her to know! I don't want her to worry!"

Olivia gave him a rather smug smile. "Well, I'm going to tell her if you don't, so, either way, she's going to worry. Wouldn't this whole thing sound better coming from you?"

Remus looked at her for a long minute, knowing that she would do exactly as she had said. "You are evil. You know that, right?"

She smiled sweetly. "Of course. It's all part of my charm."

Remus heaved a sigh. "I'll see you soon."

He walked out the door, leaving Olivia alone in their flat. She grinned as she cleaned up from the party.

Remus walked the short distance from their flat to Tonks's, hoping to use that time to collect his thoughts. He had never seriously considered telling Tonks what he was doing. While this had removed a great deal of stress from his life, it had left him with very few ideas of what to say to her now. He hoped that the right words would come to him.

All too soon, her found himself knocking on her door. After asking for the identity of her visitor and hearing Remus's name, she slowly opened the door. Her blue-gray eyes were open wide in shock as she admitted him.

"Remus," she said softly, feeling her heart leap from her throat to her stomach and back several times. "I didn't expect to see you."

"You were expecting someone else?" he asked mildly.

"No, I meant … I'm just surprised to see you, that's all."

"Yes, I'm sure you are," he said quietly. "I just … I wanted to talk to you for a moment. Is that all right? Do you have time?"

"Yeah, sure," she said, still obviously surprised by his visit. "Come in and sit down."

"How have you been?" Remus asked as he followed her into the living room.

"Oh, fine," she said. "Busy with work. But, I suppose you know all about that … I'm sure that Olivia gives you updates on what we're doing."

She finished with a faintly accusatory tone that left an awkward feel to the room. Remus cleared his throat.

"Yes, Olivia told me that she had told you about our living arrangement," he said. "I'm sure she made it clear that we're living together as friends and nothing more." He smiled nervously. "It's sort of like living with the neater version of Sirius."

"She said something similar," Tonks acknowledged.

Remus nodded. "I actually came to talk about something else."

"Oh?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. She prayed that the hope that was surging through her wasn't outwardly visible. If living with Olivia had helped him to see that he belonged with Tonks, then she welcomed their situation as flatmates.

"Yes," Remus said. He cleared his throat again. "Dumbledore came to see me the other day."

"I haven't seen him in awhile," she commented. "Did he say where he's been?"

Remus frowned. "At the school, I'd assume."

Tonks shook her head. "McGonagall's been running everything with teacher orientation. Dumbledore is nowhere to be seen."

"Oh," Remus frowned. "Well, I don't know where he's been, other than the day he was with me."

"Right," Tonks said. "Sorry. Tell me what happened."

"He … Tonks, he asked me to try to convince the werewolves to join our cause. And, in order to do that … I have to live there for awhile."

Her eyes flew open as cold terror filled her heart. "He wants you to back in there and become one of them?" she whispered.

"Yes," Remus said, wondering if she knew how much that one word cost him.

"Oh, Remus, don't!" she exclaimed. "Don't go! Please, Remus, please don't put yourself in that danger!"

He looked at her in surprise. "I'll be fine, Tonks."

"No, please, you can't do it!"

"I have to," he said, stunned by her attitude. He had expected her to worry, but not to panic like this. "I already told Dumbledore that I'd do it."

"Then tell him that you've changed your mind!"

"Tonks, I can't do that," he said, taking her hands in his. "You know that I can't. You know that I have to do this. Someone has to talk to them before Voldemort starts using them. And … I'm the only one who has a chance of getting through to them. You know I don't have a choice in this."

"There's always a choice," she said, relishing the feel of his hands holding tightly to hers. "Always."

"What would you do?" he asked. "If you were in my place, would you back out?"

She didn't answer. Of course she wouldn't. They both knew that. She wouldn't do him the favor of saying the words. However, her silence provided him with the answer he was expecting.

"Exactly," he said. "You know how important this is, and you know what I have to do."

Abandoning all pretense of non-friendship, she pulled her hands out of his and threw her arms around his neck. "You'll be careful, won't you?"

"Of course," he said, working hard not to notice how right it felt to hold her in his arms. "I'm always careful."

She buried her face in his neck, causing him to shiver. "God, Remus, I wish it didn't have to be this way."

"It's going to be fine," he murmured, stroking her long hair, wishing that holding her like this didn't make him want more.

She finally pulled away and looked at him. "When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow morning."

Tears filled her eyes, but she remained silent.

"Hey," he said, touching her cheek. "It's going to be fine. I'm going to be fine. You don't have anything to worry about."

She laughed hollowly. "Sure."

"It's just another mission. You go on them all the time."

"I'm going to be at Hogwarts," she said. "I think that living under Dumbledore's wing will be considerably safer than living with werewolves."

He smiled sadly. "I'm already one of them. How much more damage can they cause?"

"Please, Remus, don't say things like that," she said, feeling the first tear slide down her cheek.

"Don't cry," he said earnestly.

She laughed shakily, but it only made the tears fall faster. She felt like a fool for crying in front of him over something that really didn't merit tears, but she couldn't stop herself. Her emotions had been so close to the surface ever since the day he had ended their friendship; it wasn't much of a stretch to find her in tears now.

"Please, Tonks," he said, gently brushing her tears away.

Still crying, she found herself drowning in his compassionate eyes. As she looked deeply into his eyes, she felt her face moving closer to his.

"Remus," she whispered.

"Tonks, I …"

The words died in his throat as their lips fell together. There was no question of who kissed whom; they truly kissed one another. What began as a gentle kiss quickly deepened. They kissed passionately, hungrily, both wanting more but both afraid to seek it. When they finally pulled apart several moments later, both of their faces were wet. They looked at one another for a moment, breathing hard.

"Tonks, I –"

"Stop," she said sadly, putting her fingers over his lips. "I already know what you're going to say. I don't need to hear it again."

"I'm sorry," he said, feeling his heart break even as he watched hers breaking in her eyes.

"I know," she said softly. "I am, too."

The next morning, Remus dressed in his shabbiest clothes. He looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. He hated the way that he looked, but he hated the reason that he looked that way even more. Hoping that he wouldn't encounter any more mirrors, he made his way into the kitchen for breakfast.

Olivia was already seated with a mug of coffee. She looked at him in surprise.

"Trying to fit in with the homeless?" she asked mildly.

"Pretty much," Remus sighed. "I'm trying to make it look like my attempts to live as a 'normal' person have failed. I think they'll accept me better like this than they would if I went in dressed nicely."

"I guess I can see your point."

He sat down and buried his face in his hands. "God, Liv, I really don't want to do this."

"I know," she said, reaching across to touch his hand. "I wish you didn't have to."

He held her hand for a moment, remembering the way Tonks's fingers had felt in his. His face warmed as he remembered the way he had kissed her the night before, then his heart sank as he thought of leaving her.

"What's wrong?" Olivia asked. "I think I just saw about twenty different emotions cross your face."

He looked at her and smiled sadly. "Watch out for Tonks for me, please?"

"Of course," she said. She looked at him closely. "What exactly happened last night? You were pretty vague when you came in."

"It doesn't matter," he sighed. "Nothing's changed, and nothing will change."

"Because you choose not to let it change."

"Liv, is this really the time to attack me?"

"I suppose not," she said with a sad smile. "I'd say it's more the time to wish you luck."

"Thanks."

She bit her lip. "I know you've heard it a thousand times from a thousand people, but, Remus, please be careful."

He smiled sadly. "I will be. And I'll be back before you know it."

Remus felt extraordinarily exposed as he entered the werewolf colony without an invisibility cloak for the first time. He could feel the stares from the time he walked past the first crude dwellings. Finally, one man was brave enough to approach him.

"Are you new?" he asked bluntly.

"New to this area, yes," Remus said.

"That wasn't exactly what I meant," the man said. "How long have you been a werewolf?"

"About thirty years," Remus said. Thirty-one, to be exact. It was one date he never forgot.

The man's eyes narrowed. "Then why is this the first time you've been here?"

"It's not exactly easy to find you," Remus said.

The man looked at him closely. "Well, it looks to me as if you've tried to live among them."

"What would you have me do?" Remus asked. "I was a child when I was bitten. My parents decided how I would live my life."

"And now you've finally seen the light?"

"I suppose you could say that."

"Well, you're going to have to talk to him if you want to stay here."

"To whom?"

"To him. To Greyback! He decides who can live among us."

"Right," Remus said, swallowing hard even as he felt his mouth go dry. "Where might I find him?"

"There," the man said, jerking his head back and to the left.

"Right. Thanks."

Slightly unnerved by the encounter, Remus slowly made his way to the largest house in the colony. There was no question in his mind that the man had given him good, honest instructions. He was certain that Greyback did indeed decide who could stay in his village. Remus hoped that he would make the cut.

Drawing up all the courage and strength that had helped him to earn a place in Gryffindor, he knocked on the door. He only waited a moment before it swung open, revealing the man who had haunted his nightmares for years.

Remus swallowed hard as he looked into the cold eyes of Fenrir Greyback. For the first time, he had no trouble believing that this man was malicious enough to try to bite children. His face showed the effects of years of bitterness and anger. Every line on his face spoke of a moment of hate, every shadow in his eyes of a day of hostility.

"What do you want?" he asked forcefully.

"To – to talk to you," Remus said, finding his voice with difficulty. "I was told that I need to speak with you to be able to live here."

"You were told right," he said. "Come in."

Remus followed him wordlessly into his house. Greyback showed him into the parlor, waving his hand to tell him to sit down. Remus sat gingerly on the edge of his chair. Greyback chose the chair across from him.

He looked at Remus closely, studying his face. "Do I know you?"

"Perhaps," Remus said faintly. "From what I understand, you were the one to bite me."

Greyback's eyes widened. "I never forget those that I bite – I watch over them, waiting for a moment to ask them to join our colony." He looked at Remus for another moment. "You're the Lupin kid, aren't you?"

"Yes," Remus said, his voice slowly strengthening, "I am."

Greyback nodded and sat back in his chair, resting his chin on folded fingertips. "It's been a long time since I bit you. Years. Decades, in fact. I had given you up as a lost cause. Your parents had done such a job on you that I was sure you'd never want to join us. What made you want to live here now?"

"Times have changed," Remus said evenly. "Things are far too difficult for –" He stumbled slightly over his words before recovering. – " for our kind to live among them."

"But you've done it for years."

Remus gestured to his shabby clothes. "Does it look as though I've been successful?"

Greyback shook his head slightly. "Times are hard, so you've come here. Why not turn to your friends and family?"

"I don't want their charity," Remus said, this time feeling completely honest. "I'd rather make my own way."

"Understandable."

Remus drew a deep breath and prepared himself for the statement he had been planning to make for months. "I've become disenchanted with all that the other world has to offer. I've come to realize that you have created a different world – a better world – for people like us. I want to be a part of that world."

"Beautiful words," Greyback said indifferently. He looked at Remus for a moment as though trying to get the measure of him. "Very well, Lupin. We'll see how you do." He waved his hand and a set of keys came flying toward him. "You may have number 15 on Main Street. I hope it suits your needs."

"I'm sure it will," Remus said, taking the keys and marveling at how easy the whole process had been.

Greyback rose to his feet to show Remus out. "Welcome home," he said.

Remus stepped out of Greyback's house into bright sunshine. He found it to be a perfect contrast to his mood and all that had just happened.

He had only gone a few steps when he felt a touch on his shoulder. He turned to see a woman about five years his junior looking up at him.

"Will you be living with us, then?" she asked.

"Yes," Remus said. He extended his hand. "I'm Remus Lupin."

"Shannon Powell," she said, shaking his hand. "Was your interview very difficult?"

"Not too terribly," he said.

She shuddered. "Mine was horrible. I was in there for hours."

Remus raised his eyebrows. "Why?"

She shrugged. "He didn't think I was strong enough, I suppose."

"How long have you lived here?"

"Two years now," she said. "Ever since I was bitten."

"That's not so very long."

"But it's long enough to know my way around. If there's anything I can help you with, please let me know."

"Thanks," Remus said, impressed by her generosity.

"I know how difficult it is when you're first bitten," she said.

"Oh, I was bitten quite awhile ago," Remus clarified.

"Really?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes. It happened when I was just a little boy."

Her eyes narrowed. "Where have you been since then?"

"With family and friends."

"Why would you shun us like that?"

"I didn't know you existed," Remus said. "I had no idea this colony was here until recently."

"How can that be? I knew within months of being bitten."

Remus shrugged. "I don't know. But, I'm here now. Isn't that what's important?"

She shrugged, her initial generosity now lost in her distrust for someone who would choose to live among "normal" people rather than other werewolves like himself. "We'll see."

"Oh, Laura, I'm going to miss you so much!" Dana exclaimed as she hugged her daughter tightly.

"I'll miss you, too, Mum," Laura replied, returning her mother's embrace.

"You'll write, won't you?"

"Of course."

"Good," Dana smiled.

The train's whistle sounded, and Dana hugged Laura again.

"Have a great term, darling! I love you!"

"I love you, too," Laura replied.

After one last hug, Laura made her way onto the train that would carry her to Beauxbatons. She made her way down the long aisle, searching for her friends. She felt a bit irritated with her mother for always keeping her until the last possible moment with drawn out goodbyes. If it hadn't been for her, Laura probably would have already found Carine, Adèle and, most importantly, Pierre.

"Laura! Over here!"

Grinning, Laura made her way back to the compartment that Adèle was hanging out of to wave to her. The other girl helped her to stow her trunk and hugged her tightly.

"How was your British summer?" she asked.

"Not as bad as I expected," Laura said, loving the way the French words fell off her tongue. She hadn't realized how much she had missed speaking French while she had been away for the summer. "Carine!"

Carine grinned and jumped up from her seat to hug her friend. "Have you seen your Pierre yet?"

"Not yet," Laura said.

"But he visited you over the summer?"

Laura's face turned red at the memory. "I told you what happened."

Carine shrieked with laughter. "What a way for your mother to find you!"

"Was she very angry?" Adèle asked.

"Yes! You should have seen her! It was as if we had been shagging on the bed!"

Carine giggled again. "You weren't, were you?"

"No!" Laura laughed. "You know I've never done that! I would have told you both."

"Your mother is just worried about you," Adèle said.

"Oh, Adèle, stop being so mature," Carine said, rolling her eyes. "It wouldn't be the end of the world if she had been shagging him."

Adèle gave her a curious look. "And who exactly have you been shagging?"

Carine laughed. "No one. But that's hardly the point."

The compartment door slid open, and the three girls looked up. Laura gasped as she recognized the young man standing in front of them.

"Pierre!" she exclaimed, jumping up.

"Laura, I've finally found you!"

She fell into his arms, and he tipped her chin up to kiss her. They kissed enthusiastically for several moments before Laura remembered that her friends were still in the compartment. She pulled away from Pierre and looked at the girls with an apologetic smile.

"Well," Carine grinned, "I can see why your mother was so upset."

"Carine!" Laura exclaimed with a giggle.

"Come on, Adèle," Carine said, getting up from her seat. "Let's leave these two in peace."

Giggle along with her, Adèle followed Carine out of the compartment. They shut the door behind them, giving Laura knowing smiles.

"I didn't mean to kick them out," Pierre said.

"Don't worry about them," Laura shrugged. "I'm sure they have plenty of other people to catch up with. And, I have all night in the dormitory to talk to them."

"And only a few hours right now with me," Pierre smiled. "Shall we get back to our conversation?"

"Please," Laura grinned, winding her arms around his neck.

Pierre grinned at her, then captured her lips with his again.

"Don't forget to write!"

"Don't you dare lose this!"

"Don't forget to feed Spike for me!"

"Can't I go to Hogwarts, too?"

Olivia smiled as she made her way though the throngs of people at Platform 9 ¾. It had been years since she had left on the Hogwarts Express, and she was rather thrilled to be back.

Her assigned duty was to make sure that only Hogwarts students made their way onto the train, and to ride to Hogsmeade with them. Once they were in Hogsmeade, Tonks and Dawlish would take over security to take the students into the castle.

No one seemed to notice her as she made her way through the crowd, thanks to the Disillusionment Charm she had used. Tonks had insisted that it would make the students more at ease if they didn't know that she was there. Olivia was inclined to agree, and had cheerfully performed the charm. She rather enjoyed the freedom that invisibility afforded her.

Olivia made her way onto the train, trying to stay out of the way as the students, their luggage and pets boarded. She had only been aboard for a moment when she caught sight of a tall redhead that she recognized as the friend she had seen Harry with at Christmas. She stepped forward eagerly, wanting to see if Harry were with him. She was only slightly disappointed to see that he was with a girl with brown hair; the two of them moved toward the Prefects' carriage together. She grinned to herself. While she was a bit surprised that Lily's son hadn't been made a Prefect, the idea of James's son as a Prefect was laughable. Clearly, Harry took more after his father in that respect.

Then, looking up, she saw Harry himself step aboard the train. He looked around for a moment, then hurried to join a girl with long, red hair.

Olivia blinked as she watched a scene from her own past play itself out before her eyes. Harry leaned forward to ask the girl with red hair a question; Olivia was sure he was asking if they could sit together. The girl cheerfully turned him down and walked away, leaving Harry surrounded but a crowd of girls.

"Just like James," she whispered, thinking of the number of times James had been rejected by Lily, only to have his heart scooped up by another willing young lady.

Unlike his father, however, Harry seemed to be completely disinterested, even frightened of the girls. He looked relieved when another boy came up to join him, followed by one of the oddest-looking girls Olivia had ever seen. The three of them left together to find a compartment.

"Good for you, Harry," she whispered. He had chosen true friends over popularity – something she knew that his father had not excelled at during his sixth year at Hogwarts.

Olivia followed Harry and his friends, wanting to make sure she knew his location before beginning patrols of the train. She swallowed hard as she peeked into the compartment to see Harry and his friends chatting. She wished that Lily and James had been there to see this. She wished that they had been there to say goodbye to their son before he left for school, and to see him with his friends. They would have known his friends' names from something other than a dossier prepared by an Auror. They would have known their son as a person, not as a security risk.

"You should have had them for more than a year," she sighed, watching as Harry laughed at something one of his friends said. "You should have had all of us over for dinner last night to wish you well at Hogwarts. You and Laura should have gotten on this train together. Nothing turned out as we planned for you, Harry." She felt tears fill her eyes, and wiped them away. "I just hope that we can finish what they started. I'll do everything in my power to make sure that their wishes are carried out. I'll do everything I can to make sure that you get to live your life – the life they wanted for you." She swallowed. "I owe it to you. I owe it to them."