Prompt- forget
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As he lounges around in Lily and James' living room, chatting away with Marlene and Fabian, it's almost easy to forget the events of the day. Everything is normal, just for a moment, and Remus finds himself beginning to relax.
But the light atmosphere dies down the moment Alastor climbs to his feet. Remus sits up, his back rigid, eyes narrowed in concentration.
James elbows him. "You know Dumbledore was joking about quizzes, right, Moony?" he whispers.
Remus rolls his eyes and waves the teasing away with an impatient gesture of his hand.
Alastor begins to speak, and even James grows serious.
The man had worked at the Ministry. "Not a higher up," Alastor adds. "Just some poor soul who found out something he shouldn't."
"What was it?" Frank asks.
Nobody seems to know.
"The murderer?" James calls, and Remus watches his friends fingers curl to form white-knuckled fists. "Any idea who it was?"
"Of course," Alastor say dryly. "Popped by for a cup of tea with him today then sent him on his merry way."
James' cheeks flush with color, and Remus tries not to laugh. It isn't every day that someone gets the best of James. Except maybe Lily.
"It's one of the Death Eaters, right?" Remus says quietly, and all eyes fall on him. He squirms uncomfortably, hating the sudden weight of the attention. "And the bloke was tortured. The Blacks have a bit of a sadistic streak, don't they?"
Alastor smiles a rare smile, and Remus thinks he'd prefer the Auror yell at him. A happy Mad-Eye is downright unnerving. "Reached that point, have you? Smarter than half my department, Lupin."
Lupin sinks back in his seat, wishing everyone would stop looking at him.
"The Ministry doesn't want to look at the Blacks," Alastor continues. "The family has always had too much influence there."
"Arrogant bastards," James mutters under his breath, earning a snort from Lily.
"Which is exactly why they 'd be above suspicion," Alice adds. "And they're right. To an extent. The majority of the Aurors are looking the other way. But we will not."
OoOoO
Remus stays behind to help Lily and James pick up after the meeting. When Lily disappears into the kitchen, James catches his arm. "Didn't you used to fancy Sirius Black, Moony?"
Remus scowls and focuses his attention on getting a couch cushion perfectly straight. "I was twelve, James. And highly impressionable."
"He's a Black."
"Which is why you told me to stay away from him," Remus laughs, the sound tight and uncomfortable.
"Not the point. He's a Black. Alastor reckons his family's involved with this. Now, if you could get close..."
Remus looks up at last, shaking his head. "No. Don't be ridiculous, James. Dumbledore would nev-"
"Never need to know," James supplies, with a grin. "None of them would. It's not like we haven't broken a few hundred rules before."
"This isn't Hogwarts, James! We're not talking about breaking curfew here!"
But even as he protests, part of Remus yearns for the chance to get close to Sirius at last.