'Ah, it's good to be back,' said James, flinging himself down on the couch in his living room. The Christmas holidays had begun and he was back at Potter Mansion.

'And you are sure it is alright that I stay here?' asked Remus for what felt like the hundredth time.

'Yes, for Merlin's sake,' said James, rolling his eyes. 'You know how big the house is, do you really think we need all that space? You parents are in Spain enjoying their first holiday in how knows long. You have nowhere else to go and we love having you here, so stop fretting about it.'

'I am just being polite,' said Remus.

'You are being annoying,' said James, but he grinned at his friend nevertheless. 'Honestly, I am glad that you are here. With Sirius being on vacation in France with Marlene, I feared that I had to spend all of the holidays on my own. I love my parents, but I need people my age as well.'

'I still can't believe that Marlene's parents allowed her to travel with Sirius,' said Remus. 'That hardly seems appropriate for a seventeen year-old pure-blood witch.'

'It isn't,' said James. 'But I think that Marlene's parents have given up any hope of controlling her. She has always been very stubborn after all. And Sirius can be very charming if he wants to be. He went over to her house directly after the train ride, to butter up her parents for the idea. He wrapped Mrs. Mckinnon around his little finger and that was that. At least Sirius and she have been dating for a while. That ought to make things more acceptable.'

'And Marlene is off age, so I guess there is little her parents can do anyway,' said Remus.

'Yeah, but your parents don't just lose their influence over you, just because you get older,' pointed James out. 'Especially in our circles. Marlene is fortunate that she has rather progressive parents. If she had been born a few decades earlier, she would be engaged by now and would marry a husband she did not choose directly after school.'

'That would not sit well with her,' said Remus. 'Marlene is one of the most freedom-loving people I know. I guess that is why she and Sirius get along. They are both free to do whatever they want to do.'

'I guess so, but going on holiday together seems very relationshipish to me,' said James.

'That's not a word,' said Remus.

'I know it isn't,' said James carelessly. 'Nevertheless, you know what I mean, so maybe it should be a word. Marlene and Sirius spend a lot more time together than I had expected and they have lasted for quite a while now. I think they are slowly but surely getting serious.'

'She told me on the last day of school that they still were not-dating and that she was free to do whatever she liked,' said Remus. 'She seemed rather upset that I had called Sirius her boyfriend. Nearly bit my head off, to be honest. How was I supposed to know that I shouldn't call Sirius her boyfriend, when they spent most evenings either locked in an empty classroom together or snuggled up in front of the fire?'

'Don't worry about it,' said James. 'That's just Marlene's desire to be free making itself known. Don't pay attention to what she says, pay attention to what she does. That way, you are going to see what is really going on. And from my point of view, they are heading straight to a long time relationship even if neither Sirius nor Marlene are going to admit it.'

'Good for them,' said Remus. 'Both of them are rather high maintenance, but they seem to work well together.'

'Imagine my surprise,' said James. 'I love Marlene like a sister, but you have to be very patient to put up with her as a girlfriend. She will bolt the moment you make her feel pressured. That's what killed her last relationship after all.'

'Don't tell me you are sorry about that,' said Remus. 'You hated Davies.'

'I did not hate him,' said James, causing Remus to snort. 'I didn't! I just think that he is not as good a Quidditch player as many people, including himself, think. If he would just admit that I am the better chaser, than we would get along just fine.'

'Right,' said Remus, with a cough that sounded suspiciously like stifled laughter. 'I am sure you would be best mates.'

'Well, not everybody can be as chummy with the Ravenclaws like you are,' said James.

'What's that supposed to mean?'

'I happen to know that you skipped your prefect patrol two weeks ago to spend some time with Diana Clearwater behind the tapestry on the fifth floor,' said James. 'Well, good for you, I suppose. She seemed very interested in your scars when you were partnered with her in Charms. Now, she finally had the opportunity to see all of them.'

'Don't you have anything better to do than spying after me?' asked Remus, blushing slightly.

'Hey, I just happened to glance at the map that evening and just connected the dots,' said James, grinning. 'And did she enjoy your scars? I can see why she would like them. They give you a little mysterious edge. After all, why should a rule-abiding prefect like you have that many of them? She is probably dying to find out.'

'In contrast to Sirius and you, I don't kiss and tell,' said Remus, still rather flushed. 'And her curiosity regarding my scars is a problem. She asks too many questions.'

'You just have to shag her more often then,' said James carelessly. 'Give her something better to do with her mouth than asking questions. You could do with a steady girlfriend Remus. It is about time that you try it for a change.'

'I like her well enough, but you know I can't date anyone,' said Remus. 'It is only a matter of time before she learns what I am and then everything will go down the drain. In the worst case, she leaks my secret all over the school and my life at Hogwarts is ruined. I just can't risk it, James.'

'Listen, Moony, you have to stop thinking the worst of people all the time,' said James. 'I don't know Diana well enough to tell you whether she is trustworthy or not, but if you feel like there is a chance that she would accept you and if you want to date her properly than you should tell her at some point. Make her take an Unbreakable Vow if you have to, but you cannot keep isolating yourself just because you are afraid of people finding out the truth. You were devastated when Peter, Sirius and I told you that we knew your secret and everything turned out alright, didn't it?'

'Yes, but you are the exception to the rule,' said Remus impatiently. 'Just because I know three people who don't fear me, doesn't mean that I can expect to find another person that does, as much as I want to.'

'Lily knows,' said James quietly. 'She has known for months and she did not treat you any differently, did she?'

That threw Remus off balance.

'What? How does she know? Did you tell her?'' he asked, his eyes wild.

'Of course, I didn't,' said James. 'She confronted me about what I was doing on the full-moons. I played dumb, but she quickly told me that she has known about your condition for months.'

'Fantastic,' said Remus, tiredly and buried his face in his hands. 'So, what else does she know?'

'I only told her that we do what we do on the full moons to help you, but I did not go into any details,' said James. 'She does not know that we are animagi and I don't plan on telling her. She is better off not knowing.'

'I bet she loved that,' said Remus dryly.

'We had some discussion about it, but she agreed to let it go for now,' said James. 'I am not sure how long that truce will last, though.'

'What are you going to do if she decides that she absolutely has to know?' asked Remus. 'I like Lily, but I am not thrilled at the thought of her knowing our secrets.'

'We will cross that bridge when we get there,' said James. 'But I will not give anything away without talking to you guys first. And as long as we are keeping the relationship as casual as we do today, I don't see myself sharing that information.'

'Ah, I see,' said Remus. He gave James a rather pitying look which James ignored. It was well-known to the other Marauders that James was not happy about Lily keeping her distance in the relationship. They had stopped discussing it about two weeks ago, as they had exhausted all things James could do at the point.

'Well, what am I supposed to do now that Lily knows?

'Nothing,' said James simply. 'It does not change anything after all.'

'I can't just do that! Now that I know that Lily knows about me, I will probably treat her differently and thereby give away that I know that she knows! This is going to make things awkward between us. Maybe you shouldn't have told me at all.'

'You are making this more complicated than it needs to be,' said James. 'Just treat her like you have before and if you find out that you can't do that, just tell her that you know that she knows. Than you can both start dancing around each other for a while and when the dust settles everything will be alright again. You have been friends for quite a while, so I don't see any problem here.'

'Maybe you are right,' said Remus. He had a ponderous expression on his face and remained silent for a while.

'However,' said James after silence had stretched between them long enough, 'There is still the issue of that blasted note to take care of. I still think that I should go.'

'Yes, you have made me question your sanity quite often already,' said Remus. 'James, going there is absolutely mental! You must see that! What good could possible come out of playing delivery boy for the bloody Death Eaters? Keep in mind that this is the best case scenario. Maybe they will just kidnap you and be done with it. You have to stay here!'

'It is a great opportunity to find out what they are up to,' argued James. 'And why would they kidnap me? Rosier has told me that I have to prove my loyalty to the cause. This clearly is the task they have given me and it actually seems quite manageable. I had expected them to send me Muggle hunting, but instead all I have to do is to pick up a parcel in Knockturn Alley and deliver it to a house in Brighton. That is a piece of cake, Remus! It means that I can spy on the Death Eaters and keep up the appearance that I am their ally at the same time. It is win-win!'

'It's not bloody win-win,' said Remus hotly. 'What makes you think that they will let you see anything that could hurt them? They don't trust you, so this is either a pointless test of loyalty or you are their useful idiot who will take the fall for whatever they are trafficking if things go wrong. There is nothing to win here, James. Please, just let it go! This thing with Rosier is dead and gone anyway. It is only a matter of time, before your relationship with Lily becomes known and then there is no way they will let you join. No purist would even consider dating a Muggle-born witch, especially not if her name is Lily Evans.'

'I know that, but I still think it is worth a shot,' said James. 'Maybe you are right and there is nothing of interest going on tomorrow, but maybe I am right and we learn something valuable about how these tossers operate. I have to do something Moony! I can't just sit on my bum and wait for this war to be over! I want to make a difference and maybe this is the way I can do just that. If I find something useful, my father can tip off the aurors and maybe they will make a few arrest as a result. That's a chance I have to take.'

'Have you talked this through with your father already?' asked Remus.

'Not yet, I did not want to put it in a letter,' said James. 'I doubt that anyone is intercepting my mail, but one can never be too careful. I will ask him before dinner.'

'Good, maybe he will be able to talk some sense into you,' said Remus. 'And if you are crazy enough to go, you must not go alone. Maybe your father or even better Moody.'

'The note said to come alone,' pointed James out. 'And I don't think Moody has the patience for this kind of thing. He probably would try to arrest the Death Eaters the moment we get the package.'

'Use the invisibility cloak then. Everybody will think that you are alone, but you will have some backup if things go wrong.'

'That might work,' said James ponderously. 'Do you want to come, Remus?'

'Of course I don't want to come,' said Remus, rolling his eyes. 'But if no else is available to save your skin, then I will do it. Merlin help me, but I will go along if I have to.'

'Marvellous,' said James. 'But I don't think you should be overly worried. I am quite sure that they haven't given up on recruiting me yet. They are not going to send me into a trap.'

'What makes you think that they are still interested in having you join them?' asked Remus. 'From what you have told me, Rosier seemed very angry at you. I don't think that he has put in a good word for you.'

'Probably not,' agreed James. 'But that does not matter too much. The Death Eaters believe in blood purity and there are very few wizarding families with blood as pure as mine. In their eyes, I am the apex of what a wizard can be. Combine that with my family's fortune and fame and you have a combination the Death Eaters cannot resist. To make things ever more interesting to them, my family has traditionally been rather Muggle-friendly. If they were able to convince me of their purist ways, than I would be an ideal poster-child for their crusade. They have a lot to gain and very little to lose, so I am quite sure that they are still willing to give me a chance.'

'It makes sense when you put it like that, but it is still a crazy plan,' said Remus. 'And I am quite sure that your father will tell you not go.'

'We will see about that,' said James, grinning. 'He should be in his study, let's go over there and tell him right now.'

'Fine,' said Remus, 'but you will see that I am right.'

He wasn't.

Richard Potter looked long and hard at the note, before turning to James.

'And you are sure that this is not some prank?' he asked. 'Where did you get it?'

'I found it on my bed one evening. I am not sure how it got there, but Rosier told me that they would be in contact. This fits his announcement too well to be a coincidence.'

'It is troubling that they can reach you in the dormitory,' said Richard looking thoughtful. 'It could be a trap, but it also could provide useful information and keep us in the game a while longer. Yes... it is probably best if you go.'

'What?' said Remus. 'Surely, you are not serious, Mr. Potter! This has to be a trap! Maybe they are setting James up to take the fall for one of their criminal activities!'

'It is a possibility,' said Richard. 'But I don't think that they will play it like that. They have shown in the past that they are very interested in getting our family to join them. I think they still have too much hope to arrange a trap for James. We still have a chance to get close to them and to buy some more time. If we are very lucky we may even get something to pass the aurors. As much as I hate taking chances, I think we should try our luck this time. But you are not going alone, obviously.'

'The note says that I have to,' pointed James out. 'We could use the cloak, but if they find out, my cover will be gone and they probably won't be friendly anymore.'

'Doesn't matter,' said Richard. 'If it comes to this, you just have to get out there quickly. Who do you think should accompany you? I am not as fresh as I used to be, but I can still hold my own in a duel. I could ask Mad-Eye, but he has a lot on his plate at the moment. And he has always hated undercover work, probably because he never was too good at it.'

'I don't think taking an auror is a good idea,' said James. 'If they spot him, we are going to be in a lot of trouble.'

'That's true,' said Richard. 'Maybe taking someone your own age might be the best idea. That gives you some plausible deniability. You were just about to deliver the package, but one of your mates showed up unexpectedly and you were unable to get rid of him. Sirius is on holiday, right?'

'Yes,' said James. 'I have already asked Remus to join me and he has agreed.'

Remus gave James a pointed look, obviously trying to tell him that he had not agreed to this. Naturally, James ignored him.

'It is decided then,' said Richard. 'You and Remus will run that errand. Try to find out what they are up to and if you discover something worthwhile, bring it back to me. Play it safe and be smart! I don't want you to cross the Death Eaters unless you have to. This is a reconnaissance mission, so no heroics! If you get into trouble, just apparate out and get back here. The manor is well protected. Oh, and do me a favour and don't tell your mother about this. I doubt that she would take it well.'

James grinned at the thought. He could vividly picture his mother screaming at them for even thinking about taking such a risk. She was a sweet woman, but sometimes being careful was just not what was needed. The risk is what makes it fun after all.

'I will expect you to be back after no more than two hours,' said Richard. 'If you need more time, send me a message with your patronus. If I don't hear anything and you are not back in time, I will contact Moody and set loose all aurors which I can find.'

'Got it,' said James, excitement coursing through his veins. 'Oh, don't look so gloomy, Remus! It will a great adventure!'

'Yes, our boring lives clearly need more excitement,' said Remus dryly. 'Alright, let's do it. I still think that it is a mad plan, but the whole world has gone mad, so maybe it is just the right thing to do.'

'That's the sprit,' said James with a wide grin.

'I still can't believe that we are doing this,' hissed Remus when they stepped through the gateway leading into Knockturn Alley.

'Be quiet and keep close,' whispered James, trying to move his mouth as little as possible. If other people saw him talking they would either think he was mad or figure out that somebody else was there as well. 'You are invisible, remember? This whole thing only works if you stay undetected.'

Remus did not reply, but James though he could feel his friend's angry glare. James sighed quietly. He wished Sirius was here. Remus was a good friend and a decent dueller, but he was not as adventurous as his best mate was. Sirius was not complain about the plan, he would be bouncing of the walls in excitement instead. While that could be annoying, James preferred it to Remus's sullen silence. He wandered down the dark street with Remus staying close by his side. It was ten o'clock in the morning and shopping was slow. Sleet was raining down from the sky like icy needles and James shivered. He cast a quick warming charm on himself and an impervious charm on his clothes to remain dry. Puddles were already forming on the uneven cobblestones of the street and James had to step carefully to avoid them. The lack of other shoppers suited James as it made it much easier for Remus to remain by his side without stumbling into anyone. He did not like being in Knockturn Alley, the street felt threatening somehow. That uncomfortable feeling was not improved the fact that they were on a secret mission for the Death Eaters. Finally, they had reached their destination: A dingy looking potions shop called 'The Caustic Cauldron'. James stepped inside, making sure that the door was open long enough for Remus to enter as well without attracting attention. The inside of the shop was deserted. It was a small and dark, with shelves upon shelves of potion vials taking up most of the space. All of the vials were opaque, but their size varied wildly. They were all unlabelled. James wondered briefly how anyone was supposed to know what potion was stored where, when a little cough caught his attention. A small man had appeared behind the counter of the shop. He was in his sixties, stooped and thin, with a wispy moustache a very bright eyes. A grimy nametag on his chest marked him as Mr. R. Green.

'Can I help you with something?' he asked in a surprisingly deep and strong voice. 'Do you want to buy one of the more exotic potions maybe?'

'I am here to pick something up,' said James. 'I was told that you had a parcel waiting under the name of Roberts.'

'I see,' said Mr. Green. His eyes narrowed and he gave James a piercing look. James returned it coolly, even though he felt rather nervous. He was very glad that he had changed his appearance for the mission. His face was rounder than usual and his hair was neat and blonde. It would not do for James Potter to wander around in Knockturn Alley after all. It would create too much attention.

'And I am sure that you were also told that I am not allowed to give this particular delivery to just anyone asking for it.'

'Indeed, I was,' said James. 'The password is "nightshade". Now pass it over, I am in a hurry.'

'Very well then,' said the clerk and disappeared in the back of the shop again. James exhaled and felt some of the tension leaving his body. So far, everything was going as planned. They were supposed to drop the parcel off in Brighton. Apparating there should be fairly straight forward, but first he would take a look at what it was the Death Eaters were hiding from them. Judging from the fact that it was stored in a shady potion shop, James suspected some kind of poison. He would not pass anything to the Death Eaters that could hurt other people! It was one thing to be on neutral ground with them and quite another to help their mad crusade.

The man returned quickly, carrying a small, rectangular package. From the way he held it, it seemed to be quite heavy. Somehow that surprised James. He could not picture anything heavy which actually fitted in the package.

'Here you go,' said the clerk and dropped the package in James's hands. It was too heavy to hold it in one hand and James had to quickly clutch it with his other hand to prevent it from falling to the ground. He gave the clerk a dark look for not having warned him.

'Marvellous,' said James coolly. 'I will spread word about your kind service. Good bye.'

'Not so fast,' said the man. 'What about my payment?'

'What payment?' asked James.

'Do you think I store things for free?' asked the clerk and rolled his eyes. 'I am running a business here, laddie. Now give me my five galleons and be on your way.'

'How do I know that you were not already paid for your trouble and just want to make a bit of extra money?' asked James shrewdly. 'It would be very foolish to try to cheat me. Very foolish indeed.'

'Do you want the package or not? Because if you do, then you are going to pay me. Otherwise, it will stay right where it is.'

James thought furiously about what he should do. He was fairly sure that the man was lying and was trying to cheat him. However, he could not be completely sure and he did not dare jeopardizing the mission. Should he give this one more push and see what was going to happen? Maybe the old man would cave if James threatened to walk away. It was worth a shot, but he would look like a right arse if it did not work and he would have to come back and buy the package anyway. If Green would even offer it to him again. No, the risk was too big. Five galleons was a decent amount of money, but his family was too rich to even notice five additionally spent galleons.

'Fine,' spat James. He sat down the parcel, extracted the coins out of his robe and tossed them on the counter. 'I am going to find out if you tricked me though! You should be careful who you are crossing. These are dangerous times after all.'

'Oh, I am quite sure that I will be alright,' said the clerk rather smugly. 'Have a marvellous day.'

James picked up the package again and moved towards the exit. He had to put the package down again to be able to open the door, as he need both hands to carry it. Fortunately, that left Remus more than enough time to slip out into the still mostly deserted street. James grabbed the package again and hurried outside, cursing under his breath all the while. He could feel sweat already forming on his brow. If he had known that the package was that heavy, he would have thought twice about taking the mission in the first place. He did not dare using any magic on it to make it easier to carry though. After all, who knew what kind of protective spells they had placed on that thing? Maybe it would blow up as soon as he cast a spell on it.

'Now what?' whispered Remus into his ear. 'Do we go straight to Brighton and drop it off?'

'Not quite,' whispered James. 'Latch onto me, we are going to do some side-along apparition.'

'Where to?'

'You will see when we get there,' replied James. He did not want to say the destination out loud just in case that they were overheard.

A moment later, James felt Remus's arm latch onto his. He spun on the spot and apparated.

When the pressure of the Apparation lessened, the smell of the sea hit James immediately. They were standing next to a small cottage overlooking the rough waves. The cold wind whipped at them and James shivered. He had never been here in the winter and now he knew why.

'Where are we?' asked Remus, as he whipped the cloak off.

'Scotland,' said James. 'This is the summer cottage of my family. We have not been up here for a few years, but when I was younger we spent most of the summer here. It is quite remote so we should have all the privacy we need. I was not about to go back to the manor just in case they are monitoring it.'

'You are being paranoid,' said Remus. 'How where they supposed to know that we had gone back to the manor? If we apparate close to the house, no one would be able to see us from outside the grounds.'

'Maybe, maybe not,' said James. 'It does not hurt to be careful. Anyway, what did you think about that git in the store?'

'I think he was playing you when he asked you to pay him,' said Remus. 'The note would have told you if you really had to pay him. But I can see why you decided to go along with it. It was quite a risk to take.'

'What do you think is in there?' asked James. 'It is bloody heavy.'

'No idea,' said Remus. 'First, I thought of some illegal potions, but they are not heavy enough. Now I am not sure.'

'Let's crack this open then and see what's going on.'

'James you can't!' said Remus. 'The letter said not to open it! Who knows what will happen if you meddle with it? It could be cursed for all we know!'

'What is the point of this mission if we don't try to find out what the Death Eaters are up to?' argued James. 'All we know is that they are messing around with a small package. That is not useful to anybody! We need to find out what they are transporting or this was pointless.'

'Fine, but let's check for enchantments first,' said Remus. He whipped out his wand and waved it over the package, muttering under his breath.

'Hm… very curious,' he said after a while. 'Very curious, indeed.'

'What did you find?' asked James eagerly.

'Nothing, really,' said Remus. 'There is no spell on the outside of the package. No protective enchantments or any curses. However, there is something magical inside. It is only a faint trace of magic and as far as I can tell, it is harmless, but I cannot be sure.'

'So, I can take a peek without this package exploding in my face?' asked James. 'Sounds like a plan. '

'Wait,' said Remus. 'Let's think this through. We could turn this over to the aurors, but I am not sure whether they are going to take it seriously. After all, we know nothing about the content of the package and we cannot tie it to any Death Eater. Naturally, doing that will reveal that you don't want to follow their cause at all. That could cause a lot of problems in the future.'

'What do you suggest then?' asked James. 'Handing it over to the Death Eaters without looking at it? I can't do that! Who knows what's in there: I don't want to be responsible for anyone's death as a result of this delivery.'

'I am merely stating our options.'

'Yes and they are still the same as yesterday,' said James impatiently. 'We are not getting anywhere with this issue. We decided yesterday that we were going to find out what they are up to and I am going to do just that.'

'James, no…'

James ignored him. He raised his wand and opened the package with a neat Severing Charm. The flaps of the package opened only slightly, so James grabbed one with his left hand and wrenched it open. Inside, was a small, completely innocuous looking stone. For a brief moment, James saw a complicated rune which had been painted on the surface of the rock in pale blue ink. Then, it glowed brightly and vanished, leaving a completely unremarkable stone behind.

'Oh,' said James quietly. 'That probably wasn't good. Well, let's take a proper look then. In for a knut, in for a galleon.'

He grabbed the rock with one hand and tried to pull it out. It was too heavy for him to lift in one hand, so he tucked his wand back in his pocket and used the other one as well. He held up the rock so that Remus could see it as well and tried to spot anything unusual about the item. He could not find anything remarkable except for the weight.

'Finite Incantem,' said Remus, pointing the wand at the stone. Suddenly, it became much lighter and James almost hit himself in the face with it by accident.

'What was that?' he asked Remus.

'I suspected that there was a charm on the rock to make it heavier than usual,' said Remus. 'Turns out that I was right. But I don't see why the purpose behind this delivery. Why should you put an ordinary rock into a package, charm it to be super heavy and then ask someone to carry it around the countryside? It does not make any sense.'

'Yes, it does,' said James, with dread settling in his stomach. 'It was a test and we just failed. There was a rune painted on the stone which vanished when I opened the box. This means that they will be able to detect that we have opened the package! It was never about the delivery in the first place. They just put a stone in there and charmed it so the package appeared to be full and important! It was all just a trick.'

'Bloody hell,' said Remus. 'I told you not to open it, didn't I? What are we going to do now? What did the rune look like?'

'I don't know,' said James. 'It was spiky, I think.'

'James all runes are spiky,' said Remus.

'Oh, shut up, you now that I am not taking ancient runes at school,' snapped James irritably. 'I don't think we will be able to forge the rune, do you?'

'Probably not,' said Remus. 'I can read runes, but I have never tried using a rune to cast actual magic. I thought people did not use that kind of magic anymore.'

'Maybe it is some dark magic,' mused James. 'That would fit to the Death Eaters.'

'In each case, we have to decide on a course of action,' said Remus. 'I think we should just deliver the package anyway. We cannot recast the rune, but we can charm the stone again so that at least the weight is correct. Then we seal the package again and just play dumb. They cannot prove that you were the one opening it after all. It could have been that clerk after all.'

'That's true,' said James slowly, his mind racing. 'Yes, that's probably a good idea. After all, there is no harm in delivering the package and an ordinary rock is of no interest to the aurors.'

'It's the only way I see how we can salvage the mission,' said Remus. 'If you don't show up, they will think that you are unreliable if they notice that you have opened the package, they will think that you are overly curious. I think the latter is preferable. You were supposed to shove that package into a letter box, right?'

'Yes,' said James. 'The note contained an address in Brighton. I think it is good that we don't have to deliver it in person. It would probably be a rather awkward conversation if we have to explain why the package was opened already.'

'Alright, let's do it then,' said Remus. 'We should try not to lose any more time. The longer we take to deliver the package, the more suspicious it will look. I am going to get under the cloak again and you will apparate us there.'

'First we have to restore the charms,' said James and whipped out his wand again. He placed the rock back into the package and cast a charm on it to make it heavy again. Then he picked it up to test the weight. 'Yeah, that seems to be about right. I doubt that will care too much about the weight anyway. Right, now we have to seal the package again.'

He cast another charm and the packet looked untouched again.

Remus threw the cloak over his head again and grabbed James's arm again.

'Ready when you are,' he said. James took a deep breath, concentrated on their destination and disapparated.

They appeared on a small dirt road outside of Brighton. A few ramshackle and gloomy houses populated the desolate looking space. They were quite alone, but the place made James's skin crawl nevertheless. This was a Muggle neighbourhood! He could see a run-down bus stop down the street! What on earth were Death Eater's doing with a safe house in a Muggle neighbourhood? They hated all things Muggle and James doubted that most of the pure-blood fanatics had every spent more than a few hours in the Muggle world. It felt wrong and worried him. Lily was in the Muggle world right now, as she was visiting her family. James had thought that she would be safe there, but now he was not too sure anymore. If the Death Eaters had no qualms about hiding in the Muggle world, it was possible that they would be looking for Muggleborns there as well. It was a sobering thought.

He looked around and spotted their destination: The crumbling house over the street with the number 12 painting on it in fading letters. It looked as run-down as the rest of neighbourhood, with grimy windows and faded colours. However, the letterbox seemed to be new, as it was made of shiny bronze. Curious, James walked over to the house, keeping a strong grip on his wand, just in case of any unfriendly company. He listened hard, searching for any sign of life in the neighbourhood, but everything was quiet. When he had reached the letterbox, he observed it carefully, wondering how he was supposed to shove the parcel through the tiny opening. While the package was rather small, it was way too big to just shove it in. He ran on his fingers over the box and felt a little tingling sensation. Was the letterbox enchanted? He touched the opening with one his fingers and discovered that it felt rubbery. He could stretch it open with just a little bit of force. Grinning, James stretched the opening wildly and deposited the package inside. It stretched the whole post-box widely for a moment, but then it vanished with a quiet pop. Very interesting. Maybe the Aurors should take a look at this. It obviously was a rather sophisticated dead-drop for the Death Eaters. Relaxing slightly, James took one last look around the neighbourhood. Nothing had changed. They were still alone and as far as James could tell they were not watched by anybody.

'It's done,' he whispered so that only Moony could hear. 'Let's get out of here before anybody noticed that we have opened the package.

Instead of answering him, Remus just put his hand back on his arms and gripped tightly. Relieved, James spun on the spot and disapparated.