Hi,

Thank you so much for your kind words.

Ah Ron, Ron is doing great. Their close friendship is as strong but daily life has taken them in different directions. With no hard feelings, of course!

He will be making more appearances from now on but as he isn't exactly part of Remus' pack as much as he is Harry's and Hermione's I haven't given him as much screentime as he probably deserves.

I'll keep in mind that he is sorely missed!

Enjoy!

Rare Passionfruit

They had decided to eat at the Ministry within their secured war room. Hermione had owled Molly with the idea and the wonderfully absurd woman had outdone herself once again. The table was filled with potatoes, prepared in four different ways, two large roasted chickens, and an assortment of vegetables. She gave Harry a pointed look as she noticed he magicked the spoon serving peas and carrots to only to pick up the peas. Harry looked back with a smug look and brought his finger to his lips as to say to not rat him out to Molly. Putting another roasted with parsley, rosemary, and thyme potato to her lips she observed the people around the table. McGonagall couldn't meet them for dinner as she had duties to attend Hogwarts evening meal in the Great Hall, but she'd join them later. Tonks also opted to stay home and have dinner with her mother and Teddy on insistence of Charlie. Bill had invited most of their other siblings to join, talking about outsmarting the wolf by overseeing the hunt in the sky. Sitting in between Molly and Ginny and opposite to Ron, George and Harry felt like old times. She hadn't realised how long it had been since they actually had dinner together. As her eyes locked with Molly's she complimented her. "Dinner is great. As is the company." Hermione spoke as she softly bumped against the petite redhead next to her and beamed up at Ron and George. Ginny beat George to a joke in response. "Don't even try to suck up, Mum always saves the last cornbread for Dad."
"And don't you forget it, children." Arthur laughed. Molly just patted the back of his hand as the delight of having her large family together again radiate off of her face. "Well, actually, today, I've saved the last of my cooking for Remus. Merlin knows what the man decided to do for some sustenance."
"I am fairly sure he always has room for your delicious feast, especially your banoffee pie with chocolate shavings." Arthur assured her as he in turn patted the back of her hand. Turning towards the children his eyes became comically wide and a goofy smile graced his face. It showed his excitement for the dessert his wife made. It reminded Hermione of Ron. At that moment, said person awoke from his food induced stupor. "There's pie?"

Not very long after Molly served dessert, McGonagall took her seat at the table and Harry stepped up next to Kingsley to open the Order meeting. "Thank you all for making the time to attend tonight's meeting." Kingsley started. "Yesterday all residential locations have been secured. Today Bill and Hagrid searched for person of interest in the Dark Forest. Have you found any further leads?"
Bill sat up. "Hagrid had gone to parlay with the Centaurs and Trolls. None noticed any disruptions or signs of wizard nor wolf in their parts of the Forest. When I started my search today, I swiftly divided the Forest in the different domains per creature. I utilized both wolf and magically tracking. I have no reason to believe Remus is hiding out there. This leaves us with the mountains on the edge of the Forest and Great Lake." As Bill spoke, Harry charmed the graphics of the wall to morph into a map of the grounds.
"What is your take on the area?"
"Due to the rough terrain, I think it would be best to continue the search by flight. There aren't many places he could physically fit, and anything magically altered can be easily detected by a wizard highly trained in that area of expertise. I've selected a few general locations where it would be logically our first places to search. I've narrowed it down to three spots to search intensively."
Whilst the others kept strategizing Harry, Ron, and Hermione were having a silent conversation. As soon as Bill mentioned the mountains, they knew. Sirius' cave. It had always been kept secret between the three of them and Dumbledore, with the exception of Remus. How they didn't think of it earlier was a mystery. Harry hand found the back of his neck and began softly rubbing the muscles. Ron tilted his head to the side and shrugged his shoulders. Hermione sucked in her bottom lip and gently tapped her forefinger, middle finger, and ring finger against her thumb in a steady rhythm. Looking first at Ron and then Harry she gave him a terse nod.
"If I may interrupt," Harry started. "With this information, I think I know where he is."
"Where?" Kingsley sounded miffed.
"Here," Harry traced a sphere in the air with his wand. On the map on the wall a thick red circle appeared. It focused their attention on a high and remote location of the furthest mountain from Hogwarts facing the sea that eventually flows into the Great Lake. "It's where Sirius hid when he escaped Azkaban." Harry gave the group a repentant smile.
"It is of no matter, children." Arthur said as the loving father they all knew. "We have all been so focused, it is understandable that it slipped your mind." He put a reassuring hand on Ron's shoulder. Kingsley appeared less merciful but chose not to respond. As it was a location an escaped and seemingly dangerous convict had out run the law for months.
"Have you been there before?" Kingsley asked Harry.
"Yes, sir."
"What do you make of Bill's strategy?"
"Sound. The only access point is through flight. The cave has one way in and one way out."
The situation felt tense, as Harry was grilled by the boss of his boss' boss.
"Didn't Remus Apparate?" Charlie chimed in.
"That area falls far out of Hogwarts grounds, I have no power there to cast an Anti-Apparation Jinx as Headmistress." McGonagall said.

"Do we know someone at the Department of Magical Transportation? The wizard that handles my Portkey's for Gringotts is a twat." Bill claimed.
"We can't lose him. If he moves now, the search area will widen even more. Merlin forbids he knows someone to secure him an illegal Portkey out of the country!" Molly hollered.
The current and former Aurors, Kingsley and Harry, looked at each other. Together they could name a few wizards and witches notorious for such activities.
"I may know someone, indirectly at least." All eyes turned to Ron. "Dean Thomas, right, he came through the shop few weeks ago. Inviting me for drinks to celebrate his little sister's new job. Just graduated from Euro-Glyph School of Extraordinary Languages. Her position is too low to actually do anything, but she knows the department and can be trusted."
"What does she do?" Hermione couldn't curb her interest. She had considered continuing her education at said school but chose to join the workforce of the Ministry straight out of Hogwarts.
"Merlin, 'Mione, I don't know. She said something about arranging international Apparation licenses. It involves a lot of travelling." Ron shrugged.
"Oh yeah," George added. "Half-sister, her name is Harlow Hall. Bought loads every Hogsmeade Weekend for the whole of Gryffindor when still at Hogwarts. Daddy Hall is filthy rich."
"Even if she is capable of doing anything for us, what excuse will grand us an Anti-Apparation Jinx on such a short notice and on the weekend?" Ginny asked.
"Don't worry, I still have some weight to throw around this place, as I am still the Minister of Magic last time I checked." He kindly smiled at Ginny.

Hermione and Harry stepped out of the Floo in the living room of Grimmauld Place.
"Would you mind getting us some tea? Then I'll prepare the white board for our timeline." Harry asked.
"Sure, I'll be right back." Hermione took off her cloak and spelled it to hang itself on the coatrack adjourning in the hallway.
Harry transfigured a piece of forgotten parchment of Hermione's into a Muggle whiteboard and a muggle ballpoint pen into a marker. At home, both Harry and Hermione often fell back into their muggle habits, much to Remus' amusement. He took him a while to get used to it, once properly moved in. Harry started out with a semi straight line across the board. He had spelled his notes of the conversations with friends and family to hoover in front of the board. On the far left he wrote the date Remus' divorce and when he moved in with them. A tray filled with tea moved gently in the air along Hermione as she took her seat on the still enlarged settee. Harry marked the date of Remus' mysterious disappearance of the far right. "So," Harry started. "After talking to Bill and Charlie I think it's best to start with 'pack' members. That includes, Andromeda, Tonks, Teddy, and us. Tonks said that she can't actually help since she spent 3 months after divorce not seeing and talking to Remus at all, and then the last couple of months avoiding him."
He marked the time periods of Tonks' absence in his life with a purple colour. "Since the divorce Teddy has been seeing him according a fairly steady schedule with the exception of the new agreement due to Tonks' vacation." As he said it, he turned around at Hermione. "What are we going to do when Tonks' and Charlie are away? Do you want me to ask Andromeda or Molly? I have to study for my exams."
"No, it's fine. We'll see how it goes; it could be good for Teddy to be here. If Bill and Charlie's suspicions turn out to be right it would be really good for Remus' pack to be here. I'll just," Hermione sighed. "I'll take up my vacation days, their probably happy to see me gone for a while with the whole housing project. If it turns out to be a bad idea, I'm sure someone it willing to take Teddy."
"I'm sorry, Hermione." Harry spoke before turning and marking Teddy's days with his dad with small light blue x's. "So, the last half year, I've been also absent." He marked his own time period in dark blue. "Before that time, I only noticed his shitty sleeping pattern. We've spent most weekends and evenings together. I hate to say it, but I don't actually notice anything wrong." Harry took a moment before taking a breath and turning around to face Hermione with a mischievous smirk. He drew a sloppy heart in red. "Now you."
Hermione rolled her eyes and daintily sipped some tea before answering. "You are right about his sleeping patterns. But that isn't abnormal. He often spoke about dealing with this still with Tonks. The first three moons here, Remus and I noticed his transformations weren't improving." Harry nodded as he marked the third moon.
Hermione continued. "Since the fifth moon he needed after care for two whole days. I would patch him up in the mornings, sort out his breakfast, go to work, Floo call him during lunch, after work I would get him his dinner, refresh bandages and then we'd mostly spend our nights talking and reading in the library or garden. If I had to pinpoint an exact moment, I would choose the fifth moon since moving in. I just thought he was feeling bad because of the transformations."
"Who said it isn't, it could all be connected." Harry said still scribbling on the board. "You're rarely wrong."
"Then why didn't I see it? It was the sixth moon he had arranged his stay in the Forrest with Minerva."
"Bill assured me that, that was most likely Remus' intention. He was hiding it, for all of us."
Hermione snorted. "I just want him back; I don't care what's wrong with him."
"Ooh, you're just soooo in love." Harry cooed, trying to lighten the mood.
"Stop." Hermione groaned, but couldn't hide the small blush staining her cheeks.
"When did you guys fall in love?" Harry asked seriously.
"Excuse me, Remus doesn't love me." Hermione answered shook.
"Eh, I sort of told Bill and Charlie about what Moony said to you."
"Harry! I trusted you…"
"'Moine, I only mentioned the howling part. Not the dirty pillow talk that you seemed to like."
"Harry!"
"Come on, 'Moine. Bill believes it is crucial to figure out what's wrong with him. I am sorry to have betrayed your trust, but Bill is currently the only one that can even remotely understand Moony. This is more important than your embarrassment."
Hermione sighed and put her head in her hands. "Fine, what did he say?"
"Moony loves you. The whole enchilada, he wants to bond and raise brainy little Were-babies with you."
"Harry, honestly! He really said that?"
"Yeah, Bill figures that the whole divorce and Moony's affection for you, Remus probably felt tortured. Being nursed by you and all." Harry drew a heart a black heart at the fifth moon to mark Moony's feelings. Hermione wasn't sure he thought it was actual information or if it was just to annoy her. "So, I made it worse?"
"No! Remus made it worse. They mentioned the whole wolf grieving thing. They reckon it was too soon. Bill thinks Moony just wanted to love you more than Remus wanted to grieve or take it slow. According to Bill, werewolfs don't take it slow. So, come on, when did you fall for him?"
"I´ve always had this thing for him, I guess. Really liking him after him moving in. Something awakened again. With him here every night and morning." Hermione sighed. Harry drew a large, crooked heart in red somewhere between Remus' moving in and the first moon. Harry stuck the marker against the board and sat down next to Hermione. Sipping their tea's, they both sat in silence. Both sets of eyes were focused on the timeline.
"'Mione, what if you are the one to unlock what is wrong with Remus?"
"That's what I'm afraid of." Hermione softly muttered.
"Yeah? Why afraid?"
"If Bill is right, Moony wants to be with me. But Remus doesn't. That doesn't sound like a solid recipe for love."
"Remus wants to be with you, Moony is Remus, remember."
"Maybe in theory, but I find it hard to believe it to be so simple. It's not in Moony's nature to love, that is Remus'. Yet Moony seems to be in control. He didn't profess his love for me, Harry. He just wanted to sleep with me."
"Do you remember my fight with Remus way back when?" Hermione nodded. "Remus is always fighting the pure and simple, black and white way Moony perceives the world. His own feelings or wants don't differ from that. Just the way to go about it and achieve the set goal is a constant struggle. I truly believe that. Then, he wanted to protect the pack. He made sure Tonks was safe, so he could go with us. I knew Remus didn't want to leave, he would have wanted to protect Teddy himself. And then again, even in pack dynamics it is normal for a younger cub to challenge the Alpha. The only difference Remus didn't actually fight me, Moony would have."
"Let's hope Moony is willing to cooperate, right now, every theory is just speculation. I haven't tried to do the calculations on it. It's too frustrating."
"Still want to crash here?"
"Yes."
Harry casted spells to Disillusion the whiteboard while Hermione crawled over the expanded settee and settled into the bedding still faintly smelling of Remus.

It was go-time. Harry, Kingsley, Arthur, Bill, Charlie, George, Ron, Dean and Ginny stood with their brooms at the foot of the ominous rock mountain. Harry and Kingsley would fly up to the cave and explore. Bill, Arthur, and Charlie were the next in line. They would keep hovering at a distance to cover their backs. George, Ron, Dean and Ginny were to be on stand-by in the sky. If Remus' managed to escape the first line of defences, they are instructed to follow him. Kingsley had organized a temporary Anti-Apparation Jinx on the location. A higher up owed him a favour. Still neither Kingsley nor the Chief of the department could be found tied to the covered up Anti-Apparation force field if discovered. For that reason, both Dean and his sister Harlow were briefed on their current mission. Dean was determined to help after that as he really cared for Remus as his professor. Harlow turned out to be just as willing and jumped at the chance to help the Minister of Magic and the Golden Trio on their task. It also gave her an opportunity to prove herself to the Chief of her department. Harlow was new to the department, so it didn't seem strange for her to work the less popular shifts on the weekend. She had gotten her own watch, as a half-blood it had made her laugh. She was to send Dean a message once the Jinx was active. For the time being she was granted clearance to manage the Jinx. The moment Dean received the message he nodded at Harry. Harry was the first to mount his broom and push off to take lift off. The others followed closely. George, Ron, Dean, and Ginny reached their positions around the halfway point of the mountain first. The others kept climbing in height. Soon after Bill, Arthur and Charlie found their position as well. Kingsley and Harry had only a little way to go before landing on the edge of the ledge. Both shrunk their brooms silently before taking their defensive positions. Harry stepped forwards when Kingsley threw up a shield for them.
"Remus?" Harry uttered. The cave looked the same as when he had visited last. He cast a spell checking for any wards or dormant booby-traps as he reached the entrance of the cave. Harry casted Homenum Revelio. One person was there. Harry tapped the watch with their predetermined code to communicate that one person was detected, not a being or beast. For that reason, it caught Harry slightly off guard as a dangerous growl was heard from the depths of the pitch-black cave. Kingsley reinforced the shield. Harry kept standing at attention as he called out to Remus again. "Remus, are you okay? We are worried. Please come home." He was answered with a threatening roar. Kingsley and Harry locked eyes. Though Remus, the human, was detected it didn't seem that he could or wanted to communicate in a manner that they could understand. Now it was of great importance to forgo on trying to talk to him, they just needed to catch him. Once secured he couldn't hurt himself or others and they could find out what is going on. Kingsley nodded at him and tapped the watches to alert the regiments outside. Person of interest wasn't coming along willingly, stand on alert. As agreed, Bill, Arthur, and Charlie were moving closer to give back-up if needed. George, Ron, Dean, and Ginny flew higher to take in new positions. Remus, as if growing even more irritated by their presence, let out a snarl that echoed through the cave. It was hard to tell from where it came. Harry recalled the inside of the cave to be deceitfully large and fairly deep. Kingsley casted a Lumos and soft glow filled the front of the cave. The light didn´t reach very far into the cave. The pitch/black with the soft echo of Remus threatening rumbling filled them with dread. Kingsley decided and sternly shook his head. They wouldn´t risk it, not their own life´s nor that of Remus. Harry tapped his watch. Arthur, Bill, and Arthur made their way onto the ledge. With their brooms shrunken, Arthur casted a Protego to shield him and his boys. Kingsley and Harry moved behind their own shield to the left. The right side of the entrance was now hedged by the Weasley´s. With a curt nod from Kingsley to Arthur all of them casted the Stealth Sensoring spell on their own bodies. Any movement, sounds and smells were now blocked from Remus. They were prepared and they all knew what they had to do. Kingsley couldn't partake in the duel for the small chance the spells from his wand were to be checked. The same applied to Arthur. They were to keep the shields in place, to protect their boys. Luckily Kingsley's wandless magic was strong if needed.

The grumbling of the wolf seemed to come closer. Even though there was still nothing to be seen in the light of Kingsley wandless Lumos since his wand kept powering the shield. The grumbling had stopped, though it soon was substituted by heavy breathing. It didn't quite echo, yet it added to the eeriness of the situation. Bill stuck his nose in the air and sniffed as his glowing eyes took in the dark. After a few seconds he pointed straight ahead, a few meters above of them, with his free hand as his wand arm was kept in defence position. The directions off the wands of Charlie and Harry adapted to Bill's instruction. It would explain why they could sense him close but couldn't see him. He had found a hidden spot above them. Even though it surprised them, it didn't change their strategy in securing Remus.

Bill assured them that since Remus´ seemed to be acting on his wolf instincts they´d just have to be prepared as it was likely Remus would attack first. The magic shields were kept in place because even though the wolf probably wouldn't turn to magic didn't mean he couldn't. The heavy breathing ceased, and the cave became dead quiet. Only the wind was heard on the background as it rushed against the mountain and passed the entrance. This was the moment Bill warned them off. The stare-off, even if they couldn't see him, they felt his eyes staring holes in theirs. As a shoe scraped against the rocks above them small, chipped pieces broke fell down right in the path of the Lumos. The pieces made contact with the rock flooring and echoed through the cave. Merlin, he was really close. Before they could take another breath Remus launched himself off of his hidden spot. Due to the wolf's agility Remus landed neatly on his feet in front of them.
"Flipendo!" Right as Remus pushed up from his left leg to pounce upon them, Charlie hit him with a Tripping Jinx. His left leg was swiftly swept off of the ground and any momentum he had caught left him and he fell back up. The wolf in human form let out a dangerous snarl on impact. Bill had already spotted his wand when he had jumped down. As soon as his brother had spelled him out of balance, he immediately followed with an Expelliarmus. Remus' wand flew high out of reach. Now it was Harry's turn, he adjusted his wand arm and casts a clear Stupefy. Remus' body fell back against the hard rock flooring with a thud. It took a moment for the up-flying dust to settle in the light of Kingsley's Lumos. Arthur tapped his watch murmuring: "Person secured."
The Protego shields were dropped, and the men stepped closer to the stunned man. His brows were scrunched together above his squinted eyes with a murderous look. Literally the only thing still active within the man's body were his eyes, though unmoving, they kept swirling from his familiar green to a glowing caramel. "I've only seen this during transformations." Bill spoke.
"I just want to get him home right now. There is no need to have him laying on the cold, hard floor a moment longer." Harry said crouching down, he couldn't stop himself to grab his rigid hand even though he knew it wouldn't register with the stunned Remus.
"Right you are, son." Arthur said as he put his hand on his shoulder.
"Well done, men. I am very proud of all of you." Kingsley added.

Preview next chapter:

Without another word the men made their way to the kitchen leaving Harry and Hermione on their own.
"Are you okay, Harry?" Hermione asked peering in his eyes as he massaged the back of his neck.

"Yeah, 'Mione. I just feel terrible. We duelled three to one and just stunned him. Now I understand what you meant with the fact that it didn't seem like the Moony we know. He seems rabid. There was no talking with him."

"Don't Harry, you did great. Ron told me nobody got unnecessarily hurt and Remus only needs minor patching up. That's a win in my book since you brought him home."

"Yeah," Harry sighed. "He's home now."