Night, 1st November 1981

Thinking was something that Remus had done a lot in his life. It had always been something bittersweet, never something that he relished doing, but always something that he felt he had to do, something unavoidable. He realised that there must be some truth in what Lily had said about intelligent people being more likely to get depressed, because he'd been termed intelligent before and now he was over thinking everything until his head swam. He'd had a lot of time to think in his life too, especially now, still huddled under a tree outside Grimmauld Place, his arms wrapped around him, trying to keep the warmth in. It was more than just the weather that was chilling his bones. He despised autumn and the muted yellows more than ever.

The crack of apparition broke the silence.

With a stiff neck, Remus looked up at the noise, finding what could only be an Auror standing in front of him, jaw clenching as he searched out his target. Conditioned from seven years of mischief at Hogwarts and more on secret missions for the Order of the Phoenix, he scrambled to his feet immediately, using the tree for support, trying to come up with a credible reason for magically breaking into a reservoir in the middle of Islington. The ideas weren't flying through his head like they used to, Gryffindor would have already lost fifty points if they'd been in Hogwarts.

The Auror drew himself up to his full height, surveying the dishevelled man before him from head to toe as Remus studied him equally intensely. He was wearing a long beige trench-coat, buttoned over a smart waistcoat, with a pocket-watch tucked into the breast pocket on a delicate silver chain. In his hair there were minute flecks of grey around the temple, and his broad face was free from any stubble, revealing the lines of middle age across his otherwise youthful skin. Unlike a large proportion of the aurors he wasn't someone who also helped out the Order, and for that he was half-thankful. He didn't want their sympathy, or anyone he knew seeing him like this. He wanted answers. He wanted Sirius.

"You are Remus John Lupin, of 33 St Mark's Rise, Dalston, London. Is that correct?" The Auror folded his arms, not really needing the answer, and giving him that look, the one that showed he knew of his lycanthropy.

Remus cleared his throat, drawing himself up to his full height, determined not to be beaten by a prejudiced Auror who had never met him before. "That is correct."

A dangerous, almost excited glint entered the Auror's eyes. "Am I also correct in the knowledge that you shared your residence at 33 St Mark's Rise with Sirius Black III?"

At the mention of Sirius' name Remus' stomach clenched. There was no knowing what Sirius had done in order for an Auror to be sent looking for him. There was a split second in which he forgot about James and Lily and thought that the Auror could have been a stripper sent to reconcile between them. Then he remembered, realised that Sirius had better taste than this, and his face visibly crumpled. The frown on his face deepened, and his fingers wormed themselves into a cross as he prayed that Sirius hadn't gotten himself into any danger. "That is also correct." His voice failed him as he breathed the words.

"Would you please come with me for questioning." It was an order, not a question.

A tendril of ice wrapped itself around Remus' heart. His outward stoicism failed him and he almost fell to the floor begging to be relieved of the worry and uncertainty. "Oh Merlin, please tell me he's okay." His voice was nothing less than a breathless whisper. He couldn't lose another, there was no way that someone could survive that much loss and still keep their sanity. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't.

"Mr Black is very much alive." The Auror snorted, emotion entering his voice for the first time, but the disgust didn't even register in Remus' brain.

Relief flooded through him. Sirius was alive. Sirius was okay. He'd just done something stupid, no wonder. Probably just got drunk and started doing magic in a muggle place or something, that would definitely be like him. He was okay enough to give his address and get them to summon Remus. It was going to be okay. His body suddenly felt loose with the relief coursing through it. When the Auror held his arm out for side-along apparition he took it without question. Wherever he was being taken would be an improvement on the situation he was now in. Perhaps he'd be taken to Sirius, he'd get his Padfoot back, even if... even if the others had gone where they could never come back. Sirius would know how to fix things, that was what he was good at, messing things up but always putting them back together better than before.

There was a jerk on his navel, and Remus found himself being squeezed through the sickening tube of apparition, made all the worse for the feeling of the wolf that resided in the back of his brain trying to keep him in Grimmauld Place. It was a short journey, the wolf didn't get chance to fight for too long before he was able to breathe again. His feet stumbled on a black tile floor, and he struggled to quickly regain his balance, embarrassed at his poor apparition skills, trying not to think of all the Slytherin jeers during their apparition lessons. It was nothing short of a miracle that he'd managed to get his license, and admittedly, it had taken him four attempts. Even the Marauder's taunts had gotten almost unbearable.

"This way, Mr Lupin." The Auror said curtly, withdrawing his arm quickly and directing him into an interrogation cell. At the door he stopped and held out his hand. "Wand."

Hesitantly Remus handed over the wand, knowing it was what was expected of him. The Auror slotted it into an alcove in the wall where it was hidden behind a sheen of magic.

Being in the small dark room made him realise that this was going to be a meeting without coffee, and that something bad had happened. Nervous, he took the seat which was being pointed out to him, folding his arms in his lap, hoping that it wouldn't be long before he would be realised and could see Sirius. The stuffy underground air was making him feel sick. From a rack on the side of the wall the Auror took a quill and conjured a piece of parchment with a non-verbal spell. The parchment and quill hovered in the air, posed to take note of everything that was said and happened.

"1st November 1981, 9:30pm. Auror Williamson questioning Remus John Lupin, of 33 St Mark's Rise, Dalston, London, about the involvement of Sirius Black III, of the same address, with the Dark Wizard commonly known as You-Know-Who."

Remus froze. He played the words over and over in his head but they made no more sense than they had the first time. An unnameable emotion welled up inside him. The scratching of the quill was too loud, unbearably loud. He couldn't think. Sirius. His Sirius. Their Sirius. Working for Voldemort? Even over the last fortnight, when Sirius hadn't been around anymore he'd never considered that he would have been working for Voldemort. He'd accused him of being a spy for Merlin's sake. The very idea was ridiculous. It was Sirius they were talking about, the man who had abandoned his whole family and everything he'd been indoctrinated into since before he was conceived.

The Auror, Williamson, was talking again. "Were you aware that Sirius Black was working for You-Know-Who?"

"No!" Remus yelped, shocked by the bluntness of the question. "What are you suggesting?!"

"Black was recently caught following the murder of James and Lily Potter last night, and numerous people within the last hour, estimated to the wizard Peter Pettigrew and twelve muggles."

Blood ran cold. Breath came in gasps. Peter Pettigrew. Peter was gone as well. The meek, timid, slightly disturbing but still... their Wormtail. He was one of them too. The boy who'd always followed them around and worshipped them like they were Merlin reincarnated. Wormtail who'd never been the brightest lumos in the world but still did his best. Wormtail who'd never been the bravest but still took part in everything. Wormtail who'd always wanted to please. Remus gasped and spluttered, his hands tightly gripping the edge of the table. Head swimming.

"No. James and Lily and Peter were our friends. His friends. No. Not Sirius. He wouldn't -"

Williamson abruptly cut across his panicked blabbering. "Mr Lupin, did you have any involvement in the dark activities that occurred last night."

"No! No but -"

"Then you weren't there."

"I wasn't but Sirius wouldn -"

"Where were you last night between ten and eleven o'clock?"

"I was at home! I was at home all night. I had nothing to do with it and neither did Si -" The image of Dementors came unbidden into his mind, suffocating him as quickly as a kiss, causing him to falter.

Picking up on the slight pause Williamson kept the questions coming, trying to break the already broken young man in front of him. "You said you shared a residence with Mr Black, did you not notice he was missing?"

Remus threw his hands up in frustration, both with the incessant questioning, irrational accusations and at his terrible argument with Sirius. Running his hands through his hair on their way down he sighed heavily. "We argued, he hadn't been home in weeks."

"So you had no contact with Black or any other Death Eaters?" Williamson's eyes began to widen, creasing in the corner with a poorly hidden smile of satisfaction.

It was the final straw and Remus snapped, leaping to his feet and screaming, his spittle spraying over the desk. "Sirius is not a Death Eater! He was not a fucking Death Eater! He thought it was me. That's why he left. He fought against Voldemort! James and Lily and Peter are our friends." He crumpled at the realisation he had been talking about them in the present tense, and was forced to swallow hard. "Were my friends."

The Auror remained calm in his chair. "Mr Lupin, if you don't calm down you'll be subjected to a full-body bind and detained as an uncontrolled half-species."

Remus collapsed into the chair at his words, knowing that there was nothing that he could to do to help Sirius if he was detained in a Ministry cell. "All I'm trying to say is that they were his friends. James was as good as his brother, his parents adopted him in his fifth year at Hogwarts."

"Is there any hard evidence you can provide to prove the innocence of Black?"

"No but -"

"Then you are free to go." Williamson turned away from his interviewee to the quill which was franticaly scribbling to keep up with the fast paced conversation. "Interview concluded at 9:42pm, 1st November 1981. Sirius Black III to be charged on thirteen counts of murder, and exposure against the Statue of Secrecy. Remus John Lupin to be cleared of all association."

It took a moment for the words to sink in, and Remus' body went on another hippogriff ride of emotions. First that he had been suspected of having something to do with the deaths of his friends, second relief that he was cleared, but mostly pure uncontrollable rage. The words kept ringing in his head, breaking him over and over again. Sirius Black III to be charged on thirteen counts of murder... to be charged on thirteen counts of murder... Sirius Black III... murder... charged.

"When's his hearing?" He demanded suddenly, thinking of a final loophole. When the Auror meerly twisted his wide mouth into a smirk he launched across the table, grabbing him roughly by his coat. "When the fuck is his hearing?!"

Williamson stepped back smartly, drew his wand and cast a full body bind. "There will be no hearing. Mr Black will be sent to Askaban immediately."

"Why? Why the fuck not?" Remus spat, thankful that he could at least control his mouth. He had to fight hard to keep his magic under control, even though he couldn't remember a time since second year that he'd lost control. Grown wizards didn't lose their temper, or at least not in a magical way, but he could almost feel the storm ripping apart the already bare room, and tearing the Auror and his stupid quill apart. "Sirius deserves a fair trial, he's bloody innocent!"

The smirk widened. "And who do you suppose will give evidence at this trial? The House of Black has disowned him and his friends are all dead."

"What do you think I am then?"

"You, Mr Lupin, are a werewolf. And you will remain here until the Ministry can assure that you are no danger to the lives of innocent humans." He grinned and walked out of the room, smugness plastered over his face. The door swung shut behind him, leaving Remus on the cold floor alone with nothing but his thoughts.