The Black's returned to Hogwarts two days before Aludra's second birthday. Thankful to be home Ashlynn and Sirius had quickly planned a small dinner party for her birthday. They had set the party up on the lawns of Hogwarts. Aludra, Harry, and Neville played in a small playpen nearby the table.
At the round table sat Ashlynn, Sirius, James, Lily, Alice, Frank, Remus, and Peter. Sirius had insisted that the birthday party was to include all his friends, even Remus who he mistrusted deeply at the moment. "It's nice to be home finally." Sirius said with a smile all around. "France is such an odd place."
"I liked it there at least at the de Lenfent Manor. The food was the best thing I've ever tried." Lily said as she took a bite of her dinner in front of her.
"I agree." Alice said with a smile. "Oh how I miss those crepes don't you Lily?"
Lily nodded and laughed. "I do but my hips don't!"
"Don't listen to Sirius, France is a fine land, he just didn't like it because the minister banned us from the ministry." Ashlynn said as she patted Sirius shoulder and gave him a cheeky grin. He smiled back at her and leaned down and kissed her softly.
The party progressed for a while without incident until Ashlynn went to pick up Aludra and cried out in pain. Sirius looked at his wife's exposed arm and saw the dark mark blacking her forearm. "Are you okay love?" He called to her but saw that she was staring at something; he followed her line of sight to where Peter was pulling down his long sleeves.
She nodded slowly and finished picking up Aludra. "Here take her; I'm going to cover this up." She mumbled.
Ashlynn had just begun to walk up the hill to the hill when Sirius jogged to catch up with her. "Do you mind if I join you?" He asked as he brushed his hand through brown hair.
Ashlynn smiled and nodded. "Of course you can love." She said with a smile. They made their way up to the doors in silence when Sirius finally broke the silence. "What were you staring at just now?" Sirius asked with a cock of his head.
Ashlynn sighed and rubbed her left forearm. She looked at Sirius and shook her head. "I think Peter has a dark mark." She mumbled as they began walking up the steps. She knew it sounded crazy but it was what she had seen. The black mark had appeared on his arm just as the pain had come to her arm.
"That's insane Ashlynn its Peter!" Sirius laughed as he rolled his eyes at his wife.
"It's not insane; you say it all the time Sirius a spy could be anyone! Why can't it be Peter?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. She knew it would take Sirius a while to admit Peter could be a Death Eater.
Sirius laughed and patted her shoulder. "What would You-Know-Who want with a wimp like him anyways?" He smiled at her and then said. "You wait here; I'll run ahead and get the leather band."
Ashlynn nodded a bit as she gnawed on her lip; she knew why the Dark Lord would recruit Peter. She wanted to rush down to the lawns and rip back Peter's sleeve. She felt herself being propelled towards him and eventually was running back towards the front of the school. Once she reached the doors she threw them open and saw Peter's retreating form. With all her might she screamed out "Stop!"
Yet he may not have heard as he kept going though the others had heard her. "Peter stop!" She screamed again as she took off running, cursing the fact one could not apparate within school grounds. By the time she got to the gates Peter was long gone. With a sigh she collapsed to the ground.
Later that night after the party had broken up the Longbottoms and the Potters had left before dark, Sirius had taken Aludra back to her rooms while Ashlynn and Remus sat outside looking at the night sky. Ashlynn rubbed at her wrist and sighed. "It still is aching?" Remus asked casually as he stared at the sky.
She shook her head. "No I was thinking about Peter." She muttered.
"Do you really think he could be a Death Eater I mean he's Peter!" Remus said as he looked at Ashlynn.
She sighed and nodded. "There are many reasons he would be chosen as a Death Eater Remus. So yes I believe he could be a Death Eater, I mean I saw the mark on him and so soon after my mark appeared he suddenly had to leave. If only I had looked before going back in!" She cried as she flung herself back on the green grass.
"What are the reasons Ashlynn?" Remus asked with a curious look at Ashlynn.
Ashlynn closed her eyes and began to name off the reasons. "Remus, Peter is scared of his own shadow, this would please the Dark Lord because he loves to be feared more then anything in this world. So take someone so wimpy and so scared like Peter he would follow orders without a thought for fear of punishment." She sat up as she stopped talking.
Remus pondered this for a moment before he said. "I think a reason he would not make a good Death Eater because he is so scared. He would let something slip to the wrong person, or he would be too scared to do the missions he was sent on. He is deadly scared of the Dark Lord as he should be." He frowned as he looked at Ashlynn.
Ashlynn nodded slowly. "We will have to disagree on that point Remus." She said with a bit of snootiness. She sighed as she smoothed out her robes. She couldn't stand when people would doubt what she knew about the Dark Lord's workings.
"Why else would he make a good Death Eater?" Remus asked.
Ashlynn sighed and then looked at him. "He's loyal to the people that include him. He would be part of a group that wanted him there and not just allowed him to hang out with them." She said.
Remus shook his head. "He's loyal to the bone! Loyal to us Marauder's, to Dumbledore, and to the Order! He would never betray us; we have been his friends since the school days."
Ashlynn sighed and shook her head. "You Marauder have simply allowed him to hang out with you. You have said it many times yourself Remus. So say one day Lucius Malfoy chose to include him into a conversation suddenly we have our traitor."
Remus thought about it and nodded. "I could see your point on that one Ashlynn." He said with a frown. "We have simply allowed him into our lives and sometimes thought him a burden." He rubbed his cheek for a moment before he said. "Please continue on."
Ashlynn frowned she knew it must be hard for Remus to hear all this, he thought Peter a friend and here she was trying to prove her point about him being a traitor to his friends. "He's pureblooded, Voldemort prides himself on the pureblooded followers he has. They are like his collection of toys." She said. "He likes to pair them off and breed them like the good dogs they are."
Remus shook his head. "I don't think him being a pureblood matters Ashlynn. Some of his followers are half blooded and he even wanted Lily as part of his collection." He said.
Ashlynn nodded slowly. "Yes because Lily is a very talented witch. If she joined him she would never have earned a mark, like James would have." She said with a sigh. "There are more followers then his inner circle Remus and that's what worries me."
Remus pulled Ashlynn into a hug and held her. "We are all worried Ashlynn." He said softly. "Do you have any other reasons why he'd make a good Death Eater?"
Ashlynn chuckled. "Just one, despite his wimpy ways he's not a half bad wizard. I mean he's able to do a lot of complex spells and that would please You-Know-Who, very much."
Remus nodded. "He's only a half bad wizard. He can do some complex spells but not more then any of us can." He said with a smile.
They sat in silence for a few moments when they heard footsteps behind them. They turned to see Sirius rushing toward them. "Sirius?" Ashlynn asked when he stopped in front of them. "What is it love?"
Sirius was doubled over trying to catch his breath his hands on his knees. "Dumbledore just came to the apartments." He was able to force out after a moment.
When he finally caught his breath he stood and said. "Dumbledore came to the apartments to tell me some news." He began that's when Ashlynn saw the tears forming in his eyes.
Ashlynn gasped and looked up at her husband. "Who is it?" She whispered clutching Remus' hand tightly.
"Dorcas Meadows." He said softly. "Voldemort himself caught her on a trip to the store."
Ashlynn's eyes filled with tears as she began to cry. "Oh dear." She moaned. "We are dropping left and right Sirius, are we to live our lives in fear like this?" With those words she stood up and made her way inside.
Once she was out of earshot Remus said. "Do you think we should believe her that Peter might be the spy."
Sirius just sneered at his once best friend. "I don't know who to trust anymore Remus. Goodnight." With that he walked away his heart heavy. He hadn't lied to Lupin he didn't trust any one any more and it hurt him to not trust his best friends.