A/N: Holy crap, y'all are a bunch of perverts. The last chapter already has more views than any other. Are you really just here for the sex?!

A bit of a transitional chapter, but there's some action in it too so RATED M.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed while I was away! I'm amazed by how much love the last chapter got haha: TheStarCalledVega, , MajestyLove56, FallToJupiter, S38, sarahmichellegellarfan1, missalex3030, misslak, CursedDoll!

sarahmichellegellarfan1: Haaaaa not telling! You'll just have to wait and see!

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Chapter 46: Of Moving Pawns

Rowan hadn't felt so happy for a long time.

Her relationship with Remus had never been better. After Christmas, they'd resumed their general routine of quiet evenings alone after work, but there was certainly a deeper sense of understanding shared between them. The quiet promise of a future together held Rowan's spirits high. Even as the freshness of their knew dynamic faded slowly with the passing weeks, the thought of a real future with Remus still thrilled her, and she'd frequently caught herself daydreaming in her lab of what time held in store for them.

The Order had been filled with baby mania. Not only were the Weasleys and Potters expecting, Frank and Alice Longbottom had announced that they were also pregnant and expecting at the end of July. Rowan couldn't believe the luck – three babies! She imagined happily the children running around together and then eventually going on to Hogwarts. If all things went according to plan, they'd all be in Gryffindor as well! A huge group of Gryffindor families – it was all too exciting! She sincerely hoped that when she and Remus had children, they'd be around the same age as Sirius and Mina's so that they'd get the same experience too.

However, Rowan couldn't spend much time reveling in her fantasies for the future. Her exam was quickly approaching in the next week, and Death Eater activity had begun to pick up again. When she wasn't studying in her lab, she was doing night patrols with Arthur Weasley in Knockturn Alley. What little free time she had was spent with Remus, and though he'd been disappointed at their lack of time together, he'd understood and given her space to work. She couldn't believe how much he'd really changed.

Towards the end of January, however, her happy mood took a dark turn.

During their weekly meeting, Kingsley and Frank gave a report regarding the recent string of prisoner murders. Another Death Eater had been found dead at the beginning of the month by apparent suicide within his cell at Azkaban after questioning, and all evidence pointed to foul play within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

"We think the culprit has been using stolen wands to commit the murders – it must be the Imperius Curse. There's no other way for the suicides to have occurred within Azkaban without outside contact," Frank reasoned.

"Have you found the stolen wands?" asked Arthur down the table.

Frank shook his head. "No, but there's been a recent string in wand thefts, and we've recorded their data. We've tried analyzing the theft victims and wand properties together for similarities, but they seem to have been done at random. Whoever's doing this has been very thorough to cover their tracks. We suspect someone high up within the Death Eater ranks and the MLE Department. And if someone has been Imperiused by another from outside the Department… Well, I don't know if we'll be able to solve this then."

"It's also become a large investment to make arrests with Crouch as the new head. He's beginning to make sentences without trial, and we want to be sure we've got the right culprit before we make the arrest. We can't send an innocent man to Azkaban," Kingsley said gravely.

Around the room erupted murmurs of discontent over Crouch and the investigation. James and Sirius spouted some rude names for Crouch. Moody adamantly wanted to begin secretly tracking and bugging Department members' activities, though that raised several protests of ethics. The attacks had also ceased since the investigation had taken on a more rigorous tone, so there was no guarantee that the murderer would even move again. It seemed very hopeless.

Rowan's mind was a flurry of conflict. She stormed through her memory of everyone she knew at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for anyone that could be remotely suspicious, but the only name that came to mind was Barty Crouch Jr.

Her mind screamed, and her stomach lurched. She couldn't understand why she felt so uneasy at the thought of him – she hadn't seen him since September when she'd ended things with him, though he'd tried to invite her out for lunch on several occasions. He'd never treated her badly or even hinted at beliefs in Pureblood supremacy, and yet her skin crawled as she thought of him.

But should she say something? There was no reasoning for her feelings of ill ease, and she didn't want to place an innocent man under suspicion because of her paranoia. Was it right?

"What about Barty Jr.?"

Rowan looked up to see that the question had come from Mina. She was staring hard at Frank and Kingsley with a quiet fire in her eyes. She rarely spoke in Order discussions, though when she did speak, her comments and contributions were always insightful. Rowan felt a flare of affection for her as she realized that her friend had also felt the same suspicions – she wasn't just being paranoid.

"What about him?" Frank asked carefully.

"I don't trust him," she said darkly. "I've never liked him. All of his friends from Hogwarts have turned out to be Death Eater affiliates, and he has access to all of the prisoners through his position in the department. He also gets special protection because his father's position as Head. If anyone raises red flags, I think it's him."

"No!"

The room turned with shock to face Peter, who seemed to be surprised at his own outburst. His face was pale and hands were shaking, but his gaze was determined. He seemed even thinner now somehow – could his mother's sickness really be taking so much of a toll on him?

"Barty's a good guy," he continued shrilly. "He was with Rowan all the time last year, and her family has always been known as Dumbledore supporters. If he was a Death Eater, he could've hurt her at anytime, but he was always really nice to her!"

Rowan's eyes widened as she thought through his points. It was true – if Barty had been a Death Eater, she could've been in grave danger on several occasions. He could've used her to get into the Order, blackmailed her parents… A chill shot through her stomach.

"But that'd be really incriminating for him too," Mina argued, eyes narrowed. "If Rowan were to suddenly go missing right after befriending Barty, he'd be the primary suspect. He's much too clever for that. If he's a Death Eater, he'd want to use Rowan to access the Order, but he wouldn't have hurt her. That'd be way too obvious."

Murmurs erupted again. McGonagall slammed her gavel against the table to call the room to order. Frank stared hard at Rowan, mouth twitching as he thought. Rowan felt her face burn.

"Well?" he asked her quietly. "What do you think of this argument? Has Crouch ever given you reason to suspect him?"

Everyone turned to stare. Rowan's chest tightened painfully. She kept herself from glancing over at Peter.

"He's never done anything per se to make me feel at risk," she started slowly. "But… there was a conversation last August… It didn't feel right."

Remus' hand squeezed hers under the table. She felt his gaze heavy on her. She squeezed back.

"He started asking me questions about the Order, as if he knew I was a member. I know a lot of the Ministry assumes that I am, but I've never had anyone confront me about it. He told me he wanted to be involved.

"But there was something off… There were times when I was with him when things just didn't feel right, and that was one of them. It's not much to go on but… I don't know. I'm sorry. I feel like I'm not helping much," she said contritely.

But Frank nodded. "No, if your gut is telling you something is off, then we should look into it." He paused to think for a moment. "Have you seen him at all recently?" he asked carefully.

Rowan shook her head. "No, not since the end of August."

Frank nodded and looked concerned, but Kingsley pushed forward.

"Would you be willing to reach out to him again?" he asked gravely.

Rowan's stomach lurched. Remus' hand squeezed hers under the table again, almost painfully. Her mind raced.

"She can't do that! What if he's really a Death Eater? She'd be in so much danger!" James shouted suddenly, rising from his seat. Lily whispered at him to calm down, raising a hand to his shoulder gently. He sat back down slowly, but his eyes still flared with anger.

"If he is a Death Eater, he's made no indication that he'd harm her. I think Mina's right – if he's the one responsible, he's much too clever to put himself at risk by hurting her," Kingsley reasoned.

"Just because he hasn't yet doesn't mean that he won't!" James argued.

"I'll do it," Rowan declared.

"But, Winnie-" James protested.

"I'll be okay, James. Kingsley and Frank will be around if anything happens. I'll be fine," she said. She smiled confidently, though she didn't feel it. She watched him settle back into his seat bristling. He eyed her angrily still but didn't argue. She felt the tension in her shoulders seep away slightly.

She hazarded a glance down the table towards Peter. He was pale and wide-eyed, staring down at his hands in his lap. It was terribly sad. She knew how hard it was for him to speak at meetings, and the one contribution he'd made had been shot down. She wanted to reach out to him, to tell him he'd done a good job for speaking his mind. She suddenly felt terribly sorry for arguing against him, even if she'd spoken honestly.

The meeting ended with agreement that the Aurors would keep an eye on Barty Jr. and that they'd meet with Rowan once they figured out a course of action. But as the room shifted to leave, Dumbledore stood.

"Remus, may I have a word with you in private, please?"

Remus' head jerked up with surprise. His hand still held Rowan's. He nodded and then turned back towards her.

"Wait for me. I'll be back in a minute," he whispered. She nodded carefully as she watched him disappear into the living room with the old Headmaster. Her stomach clenched with a terrible sinking feeling. Nothing good could come of a private conversation with Dumbledore.

Rowan sat in the kitchen feeling very uncomfortable in the sudden silence. Her friends had all nodded goodbye to her as they'd left, and she couldn't help but feel strangely awkward sitting at the large empty tables alone.

She thought of Peter and his pale face with some worry. He'd all but leapt to his feet and dashed from the room as soon as the meeting had ended. Had he really been so embarrassed? She had wanted to talk to him, to apologize for some reason, but he'd been gone before she could even formulate her thoughts. She frowned as she thought of the heavy bags beneath his eyes, the thinning of his hair.

Sirius had told her that he was still seeing Eris – a chill crept up her spine as she thought of the strange woman – but she hadn't seen her since that first introduction. He'd seemed so happy back then, looking more confident and healthier than ever. Was she not helping him through his mother's illness? Shouldn't one's girlfriend be offering her support in times of need? She suddenly felt very sour.

Her thoughts trailed back to Remus. She frowned. He'd been gone for about 15 minutes now with Dumbledore. She darkly imagined all the reasons the Headmaster could have called for him personally. Was there a reason to reprimand him? No, Remus' contributions to the Order had always been faultless. She and James were the troublemakers, as always. The only reason she could imagine he'd be needed was for a special mission.

Her stomach clenched. A special mission for just him… The only task he'd be specifically needed for would involve lycanthropes. The number of werewolves amongst Voldemort's supporters had been steadily increasing – it would only make sense that Dumbledore would want to address the threat. What could he be asking Remus to do? Could she let him go? Her hands began to tremble as she thought of him going out alone.

The door creaked, and her head shot up to see Remus entering the kitchen with a dark expression. It looked exactly like the expressions he wore in their Fifth Year after discussing their future plans with McGonagall. She felt her heart hit her throat – she knew her suspicions had been right.

He looked up to see her. She forced a weak smile, but he didn't return it. She stood as he moved forward quickly, and he took her hand in his, pulling her to the door in a rush. She felt herself get swept through Headquarters and out the door. Before she could even think, she was stumbling onto her doorstep, mind drenched with confusion.

Remus didn't wait for her to pull her key out as he usually did. He unlocked the door to her building himself and yanked her up the stairs in a flurry, and when she finally fell into the apartment with him, his mouth was on hers almost bruisingly.

His lips and teeth scored her mouth, and all she could do was accept his force. She tried desperately to meet his passion, but she was overwhelmed. His hands were tearing her coat from her shoulders and dropping it to the floor, stumbling over his shoes clumsily. He pushed her into the room until her legs hit her bed, where she felt herself lifted with a surprised yelp and dropped onto the surface.

He finally broke away – she gasped for air – only to yank her shirt over her head quickly. His mouth reconnected with her neck, searing down her chest. She whimpered as she felt him knead her breasts almost painfully before moving down to her jeans. He fumbled with erratic fingers as he tore them from her, pushing her backwards onto the bed to pull them down her legs. They caught on her shoes, which still remained on in the frenzy, and he yanked them off violently. Her socks peeled off with the legs of her pants. His hands burned down her legs.

"Remus, wait," she choked as he pulled her back up, mouth burning against hers again. She gasped as she felt his fingers pushing her panties aside roughly, thumb brushing against her sensitive nub. Her hips jerked in response. She wondered with awe at how she could possibly be wet already. His other hand was quickly unbuckling his belt, and then he reached up to yank his jumper over his head. With a few hard tugs, she felt his length pressing up against her thigh.

But then he stopped. She looked up to see him staring down at her with a hard, searching expression. Is this okay?

Rowan's chest swelled with affection. She reached up to his face and kissed him deeply then pulled his hips towards her. His grip on her hip tightened, and she cried out as he pushed a couple of fingers into her slowly. She felt herself stretch and clench around him, gripping his shoulders desperately. His gaze darkened hungrily, and he pulled his hand away from her before reaching down positioning himself at her entrance. She held her underwear to the side as he pushed into her. They both groaned as he filled her.

He leaned forward and kissed her softly, holding her tightly against him and letting the heat between them build. When he pulled away, his eyes burned into her. She gasped as he pulled out of her – she felt the void achingly – but then he lifted her and dropped her gently farther in. He finished removing his trousers and then crawled in over her, settling between her thighs. Reaching for her hips, he slid her underwear down gently, calluses grazing her legs, before pushing back into her with a choked gasp. She trembled against him.

He made love to her slowly, gently. She ran her palms down his back, letting his heat soak into her and engraving every muscle and line into her memory. He reached up, searing a hand up her arm slowly before pinning it down and threading his fingers with hers. He buried his face in her neck as he thrust into her deeply, and she began to feel her hips tremble with the oncoming waves of her climax.

But he slowed down suddenly, thrusting shallowly. He pulled away from her, sitting up and pushing her legs up to her chest. She felt her peak begin to fall away, and she whimpered in protest.

"Remus," she begged, reaching for him. She felt bereft with his heat suddenly gone.

"Tell me you love me," he whispered, eyes burning into her. He thrust hard. With her legs up, he felt even larger and deeper than usual. She cried out.

"I love you," she gasped.

He thrust again, grinding his hips against her clitoris. "Again," he said desperately. She didn't know who was begging anymore.

"I love you," she sobbed. He thrust hard. She went blind for a moment as her muscles began to clench. "I love you. I love you, Remus. Please!"

Remus panted and thrust hard into her, setting a fast, punishing rhythm. She shrieked as her orgasm hit her suddenly with force. She felt herself tearing at the sheets as she came, crying out broken forms of his name. Her hips bucked and jerked wildly, trapped underneath him as he finished inside of her, gasping silently into the night.

He rocked into her slowly as the last waves of his climax washed over him. Finally, he stilled, relishing the final soft clenches of her body around him before releasing her thighs and pulling himself from her. She gasped as she felt him slip out of her and the sticky remains of their lovemaking between her thighs.

He staggered to his feet, stumbling blindly for his wand.

"Remus," she called weakly. It can wait. But he reached around his pants for his wand, hurrying back to her. His brows were furrowed in a tired but anxious expression as he cleaned her up. His eyes skimmed over her body with intense admiration and concern. Her heart clenched at his sudden gentleness.

When he finally crawled back into the bed with her, he reached for her, but instead, she pulled him towards her. He grunted slightly with surprise as he fell forward ungracefully as she cradled his head against her chest. He tensed with shock for a moment before relaxing steadily, wrapping his arms around her waist. His hands gripped her tightly. Her chest tightened as his heat soaked into her. She combed her fingers through his hair gently and held him, hoping that her presence might soothe his worries. For a long stretch - she didn't know how long - they simply laid there in silence.

"Dumbledore wants me to act as an emissary to the werewolves," he finally said softly.

Rowan's stomach lurched, but she kept her voice calm, willing her heart to stop pounding. Could he heart it?

"I figured," she whispered.

"He told me to think about it."

Rowan nodded against him but didn't respond – they both knew he'd go. She savored the feeling of his body pressed against hers. She dreaded letting him go.

"When do you leave?" she finally asked.

"In a few days," he whispered.

He pulled away slowly, propping himself up on one elbow. He looked down at her with a pained expression. It was such a simple movement - a minuscule distance - and yet he suddenly felt so far away.

"If you don't want me to go, I won't," he said.

Rowan smiled weakly. She reached up to brush his hair from his face – it was getting quite long. She scanned over his face - his defined jaw, his cheekbones and scars. She wanted to remember each feature, each line and shadow. Her memory of him would be all that she'd have for a while.

"Of course I don't want you to go," she whispered, "but you have to, right?"

Remus' eyes searched hers, and she held his gaze sadly. Finally, he nodded slowly, almost imperceptibly. "I'm sorry," he said.

"I know." She brushed the scar along his jaw with gentle fingers. "But no one else can do this but you, right?"

Remus just held her gaze, guilt spreading over his features slowly. She smiled again and pulled him down to her, kissing him gently. Were his lips the ones that trembled or hers? She tangled her fingers in his hair and hoped that he understood all the thoughts and wishes she was pouring into him. He was such a good man – didn't he know? She broke away from him.

"I love you, and I'll be here waiting for you," she whispered. His grip on her tightened. He leaned his forehead against hers and nodded.

"I'll always come back for you. I promise."