February 22, 1979
Morning
Mariah awoke to a scratching on the wall. Looking around wildly, she nearly missed the fingers curling through the hole she'd made the night before, clawing at the wood. A loud snore from outside her door told her Ulysses had fallen asleep on his watch, and had not yet awoken. Very carefully, Mariah shuffled over to the hole, keeping a tight fist around her shackles to prevent them making any sound, and linked a finger through the man's grip. He withdrew them, and she pressed her eye to the hole, seeing his face on the other side.r
"Where are we?" he asked in the barest outline of a whisper.
"No idea," whispered Mariah "I've been here for weeks. When did they catch you?"
"Yesterday," said the man. "They got the drop on me, knocked me out from behind."
"Did you see anything when they brought you in, then?" asked Mariah.
"No," said the man. "Have you been outside? I heard them take you last night."
"Yeah, Greyback makes me run every time he visits," said Mariah. "There's pretty much nothing but trees in every direction, a big pond further down, but walls either side, impossible to climb." She pointed as she spoke. "There's a mansion, but it's pretty far off."
"Pointed towers?" asked the man. Mariah frowned, recalling the glimpse she had seen from the stable roof.
"Yes, actually."
"Shit," sighed the man, and his eye disappeared from the hole as he sat back. Mariah pressed her eye to the gap and saw him running his hands down his face.
"What is it?" hissed Mariah, her heart thumping.
"We're on the Lestrange estate," said the man. "I was hoping I was wrong. They caught me outside the property." He leaned closer again. "Listen," he said hurriedly. "I'm looking for someone – a potioneer. She was taken a few weeks ago."
"I'm a potioneer," said Mariah, her heart in her throat. "Mariah Jaeger."
"It's you," said the man, letting out his breath. Mariah felt a wrenching pain in her chest and tears filled her eyes.
"You were looking for me?" she asked, her voice breaking as she tried to keep a whisper.
"Shh," said the man quietly.
They sat in silence for a whole heart-hammering minute before he spoke again.
"We've been searching for a week. Merlin willing, they'll notice I'm missing and be able to trace us before the full moon. Do you know what they plan to do to you? To us?" He asked the question as if he already knew. Mariah felt her elation frost over suddenly as she realized the fate she dreaded now awaited this man as well, along with the others in the stable.
"I swear, I didn't know when I made the potion," she said. "I tried to escape, there's no way, they're too fast. If they transform–"
"How many are in here?" asked the man, cutting her off. "Captives."
"At least eight this side," said Mariah. "More on the other side."
"Which way is the house?" he asked.
"Right at the door, but it's not close," said Mariah.
"Then we'll have to run fast. The Lestranges must have some sort of spells in place to prevent the werewolves from entering the house. I'm surprised they're even allowing werewolves on their land, Pureblood as they are."
"Right," said Mariah, "and if we run into the Lestranges themselves?"
"Pray that we don't," said the man. "It's the best option we have."
"Should we tell the others?" asked Mariah.
"No, no one else," said the man sharply. "The only way we stand a chance is if the wolves are distracted. If everyone runs in the same direction, there is no doubt they will catch us."
"But...all these people," said Mariah, staring. "We're leaving them behind?"
"Their numbers are nothing compared to the number of werewolves who will be here tonight," said the man. "As far as we know, they're here just to build numbers. But you're here for something more. If they infect you, they have a weapon. We can't let that happen."
"And who's we? I refuse to just let them die out here," said Mariah. Suddenly, she remembered where she had seen him before. A quick flash of Sirius in an unfamiliar suit, gesturing across a room lined with autumn trees. "You're Benjy...Benjy Fenwick. You work with Sirius. Of course, the greater good." The man Benjy Fenwick regarded her evenly.
"This is bigger than you," he said. "Bigger than me. Bigger than them. If Greyback has the potion, he has an army, and if he has an army, You-Know-Who has an army. Do you know how many thousands could die? How many have already died?"
"Of course I do! But if we don't save them we'll be the ones condemning them to death, or worse," said Mariah.
He sighed. "If you hadn't made the potion, there would be nothing worse than death for these people."
"Fuck you! I tried everything to stop the potion!" said Mariah. "They watched my every move, they caught me every time I tried to escape, they would have–"
"What?" asked Benjy. "Killed you? Then who would have made their potion?" Mariah fell silent. The man sighed again. "I have my orders, and they are to get you out of here." He got to his feet, walking away, but Mariah almost imagined she heard him mutter the words 'whatever the cost' as he rose.
Noon
The last Order meeting before the mission was held at Mad-Eye Moody's house. They generally avoided collective meetings, instead operating a sort of phone-tree system of communication, but they had not yet conducted a raid of this size, and it was paramount that everyone go in on the same page.
Sirius sat himself between James and Fabian Prewett, who was whispering to his brother Gideon and pointing at a suspicious-looking crossbow mounted on the wall behind Moody on the other side of the table. On James's other side sat Lily, and Remus next to her. Sirius and Remus still had not spoken at length since their fight apart from Order business and day-to-day house duties. Sirius wanted to ask him more about Liam Wilder, but his pride held him back. He'd asked James to do it instead, but James had been unavailable as Dumbledore had sent him to spread the information they'd found amongst the other members. That's how they'd found out Benjy Fenwick had gone missing, along with at least half a dozen other witches and wizards outside of the Order, and the rescue team had grown.
As they had searched for potential hunting grounds, Dumbledore had ordered scouts to check out Pureblood family homes, dispatching Fabian Prewett to the Rosier estate, Gideon to the Malfoys', Sirius to his own family home, James to the Lovells', Lily to the Mulcibers', Marlene McKinnon to the Delacroix house, Alice Longbottom to the Notts', Frank to the Averys', Caradoc Dearborn to the Crabbes', Peter to the Goyles', and Benjy Fenwick to the Lestranges'. All had come up empty. Either the estates had been too small, or too far. But Benjy had not come back at all.
Now they sat assembled in Moody's sitting room, crowded with mismatched chairs Sirius was fairly certain the Auror had picked off of the street, around a worn wooden table covered in burns and melted candle wax. They had to sit fairly close to the table because littering the walls were hundreds of detectors, deflectors, and detonators of various sizes sticking out at odd angles. Sirius was particularly aware of a large mirror on the wall just over his shoulder where a hoard of shadowy figures lurked and morphed, catching the corner of his eye and making him paranoid. He was nearly certain one of them had flipped him the bird when he had first sat down.
"How much do you want to bet it's another boy?" Fabian was saying to Gideon.
"Another? She'd be pissed," said Gideon. "She says it'll be a girl every time."
"And it's always a boy. Twins last time. What if it's triplets this time? More boys exponentially," said Fabian.
"Our sister's expecting once again," said Gideon to Sirius as he noticed him listening.
"Didn't you just go to a baptism?" asked Sirius. Gideon and Fabian nodded.
"This will be her sixth," said Fabian. "Those twins are giving her a run for her money, though. The first three boys were a lot, but these two are truly talented terrors from the stories Arthur's told us."
Before he could elaborate, however, they heard steps on the staircase, and Dumbledore entered the room, filling the last seat.
"Let's, as they say, get down to business," he said evenly as he sat down. "As you all are aware, Mariah Jaeger, a Healer in training, is being held captive by Fenrir Greyback and his followers on what we believe to be the Lestrange estate. Sirius and James have discovered a link between Greyback and a relative of Rodolphus Lestrange, and as you are also aware, Benjamin Fenwick, who was sent to scout the grounds yesterday, has not returned. In addition, Gideon and Fabian have provided information that a number of other witches and wizards have been reported missing during the same time frame. These details have solidified our decision to send in a rescue party to retrieve as many victims as we can before they are injured, killed, or worse."
Remus looked at his hands deliberately at the word 'worse,' and Sirius thought he looked frustrated. Something had changed in Remus's attitude since he had been attending the werewolf meetings. Sirius had even heard him make a joke once about his worsening pain as the full moon approached without the regular traces of dark sarcasm. As angry as he was, he couldn't deny that deep down he was relieved to see the change in his friend. It was a far cry from the Remus who had sat drinking alone at James's wedding.
"Our infiltration will be three-fold. We will send in a team before sundown to try to initiate a rescue before the werewolves arrive at the property en masse. This will be Alastor, Gideon, and Fabian," said Dumbledore. The three concerned parties nodded shortly.
"At the same time, Remus, do what you can to minimize the number of werewolves who decide to participate," said Dumbledore, then, turning to Remus. "Should the worst happen, you are the least at-risk in a fight against them at their full power, but if you attack the pack on your own, you will be outnumbered.
"I know some of the others have their doubts. I'm going to see what I can do to convince them. I think a lot of them are more in love with the idea of running free than they are of hunting for sport. I think I know what to say," he said. Dumbledore nodded.
"Excellent. Because Benjamin did not return, we do not have intel on whether or not the Lestranges will be at home, and whether or not they will have company if so. Marlene, Alice, and Frank, it will be your responsibility to mind the house," he said. "Be ready to fight." The corresponding people nodded in affirmation.
"Peter, Lily, and James, patrol nearby, keep watch. Should the first team need reinforcements, look for the signal. Should more Death Eaters arrive at the house, be prepared to enter as backup." The three of them nodded, Peter looking relieved to be on the second string.
Sirius felt his stomach drop. He'd been worried about being left out entirely. Dumbledore didn't seem to like him, and it bothered him that he could never tell what the old man was thinking. There was something in the way the old man looked at him that made him feel...disapproved of. He saw it in the old man's half-moon spectacled gaze as he turned his attention to him.
"Sirius, I want you to sit out this mission entirely," said Dumbledore.
Although he had expected it, Sirius felt the bottom drop out of his stomach, but the next moment he felt the familiar flush of anger constrict his throat, and he laughed for lack of a better reaction. Next to him, he felt more than saw James looking around wildly, just as confused, but only half as angry.
"But Profess–Sir! We'd be better off with Sirius helping us, and with all due respect, Sir, he's the one who found the information we needed to even find them in the first place."
"With equally due respect, James, the Order is not a meritocracy," said Dumbledore calmly. Gideon and Fabian glanced at each other, but Lily was the next to speak.
"Can I ask why the rest of us have been excluded from the first infiltration team?" she asked as evenly as if they were in a potions class with a question about the homework. "Why the only ones asked to retrieve Mariah are the ones who have never met her?"
"The elder, more experienced wizards will be conducting the first infiltration, because we cannot risk the loss of another Order member," said Dumbledore. "We cannot afford a drop in our numbers, just as we cannot afford Lord Voldemort adding more to his ranks. If we continue on our current trajectory, we will lose." He sighed. "And as much value as you bring to the Order, Mr. Black, I cannot risk that you may act rashly trying to save Miss Jaeger."
"You can't blame him for being passionate–" started James, but Sirius held up a hand.
"It's fine, James," he said with a sigh. "Besides, if Bellatrix were to see me there, it might put Mariah in more danger."
James didn't look convinced, but nodded silently. Sirius stared at his own hands on the table, focusing on his fingertips to keep his frustration in check. He saw Dumbledore's point, but he was acquiescing despite himself. He was glad they were finally moving on a plan, and he trusted Fabian and Gideon Prewett to get the job done – they were powerful wizards. But there was something about Dumbledore keeping the rest of them at arm's length that didn't sit right with him.
He felt eyes on him as the conversation turned to schematics of the Lestrange estate, and glanced up to see Remus looking at him. The werewolf nodded once, and Sirius felt his chest tighten. It felt like a promise.
The meeting concluded within the hour, and Sirius and Remus had left separately from the others, who had lingered to plan within their team assignments. They walked silently down the staircase and out of the house, but neither Disapparated right away.
"Bring her back," said Sirius shortly. He hesitated for a minute, then added a mumbled, "Please."
Remus nodded. "I'm...sorry," he said.
"It's not your fault," said Sirius, not looking at him.
"And what if it was?" asked Remus. Sirius looked around at him, confused. Remus was staring at him very intensely, and Sirius noticed suddenly how ragged he looked, from the effects of the impending full moon, but something more. His hands were shaking slightly. Sirius looked him in the eye.
"Then I'd ask you to bring her back all the same," he said. Remus nodded, and Sirius stepped forward, pulling him into a strong embrace.
They said nothing more, but held each other tightly for a half a minute before letting go.
"I'll be rooting for you from the sidelines," said Sirius, clapping him once on the back.
"Sirius Black is so bound by rules he couldn't find a way to break them if he wanted to?" asked Remus. Sirius eyed him carefully.
"The other teams get reinforcements," he mused. "It does seem a little unfair to send in the canine unit without any backup."
"That is a good point," Remus tapped his chin thoughtfully.
Sirius grinned wolfishly at him and walked away, wand in hand. "If you need anything, just howl."
With that, he Disapparated.
Afternoon
In the late afternoon, Gregor came to take Mariah for another walk. At one point she asked to pee and convinced him to give her privacy. She managed to run further than she ever had before, sprinting toward the house until its pointy rooftop had been visible above the treeline before he'd caught her. Unfortunately for Mariah, Gregor had pounced on her with his full weight with such force that her wrist had snapped.
Now she sat outside the stable, white-faced from the pain, tears streaming down her cheeks as Ulysses shouted furiously at a defensive Gregor.
"Greyback'll have your hide, you know! His orders were to keep her undamaged! What were his orders?"
"I barely pushed her down–" protested Gregor for the umpteenth time.
"What were his orders?" repeated Ulysses. "To keep her –"
"Undamaged! Yeah, I get it! So what now? Just fix it," said Gregor, crossing his arms, tired of being to blame.
"Just fix it? I can't fix it! It's your mess, you fix it," said Ulysses.
"I don't know healing magic! Do I look like I fix things?" said Gregor, gesturing at his 6'4 hulking frame.
"I can fix it," said Mariah hoarsely.
"There you go, let her fix it," said Gregor. Ulysses smacked him in the side of the head.
"You dolt! Yeah, let's just hand her a wand? How thick are you? She'd just try to fight her way out," he said. He walked over and tried to take Mariah's forearm, but she hugged it closer to her body and turned away from him. "Well, what did you expect tryin' to escape again!? Now look what you've done to yourself!" he exclaimed, letting out a frustrated growl as he straightened back up. "This is the last thing I need."
"Maybe Greyback can fix it," said Gregor.
"Won't spare us a beating, though," said Ulysses, running a hand down his face. "But I suppose there's nothing for it."
"We could say she fell," said Gregor. Ulysses nodded, looking at Mariah's wrist while she glared at him in pain and fury.
"Gag her," he said. "If that's the story we're going with, we can't have her talking."
Mariah grit her teeth, but Gregor conjured a long piece of cloth and tied it so tightly it pulled at the corners of her mouth, and her lips.
"Put her back inside. They'll be here in an hour, we'll deal with it then," said Ulysses.
Mariah winced as Gregor lifted her off the ground, setting her down unceremoniously inside the stall. He didn't shackle her this time, but shut the door behind him, and Mariah heard it lock.
"Are you alright?" said Benjy, and Mariah scooted herself over to the hole in the wall as best she could with one hand holding the other.
"Broke my wrist," she said thickly through the gag. The words came out garbled, and parting her teeth caused the gag to go further into her mouth, making her cough.
"Put the knot by the hole, maybe I can get it," said Benjy. Mariah moved the back of her head, and Benjy stuck two fingers through, trying to loosen it. She quickly resigned herself to the fact that if he could get the knot undone it would take hours, probably all the time they had.
"The house is too far," she tried to say through the gag, tears leaking out of her eyes from the pain and the frustration, seeping into the cloth as they fell.
"We'll try again," said Benjy. "It's the best chance we have."
