Book II: Age of the Phoenix
Chapter XXV: Split in Two
November 1976...
It had been another win for Gryffindor against Slytherin in the last match of the school term. James had moved up from Chaser to Seeker following Angus McKinnon's graduation and was now captain of the team which earned him the honor of being paraded around Hogsmede upon the shoulders of his classmates. Marlene chuckled at the display from her perch on the stone wall outside the pub where she was enjoying a hot cider when she felt the warmth of a cheek against hers and a voice from behind whisper, "Want me to spike that for ya McKinnon?"
"Black, I..." But she felt his arms wrap around her waist "Someone's going to see."
"They're focused on Quidditch." He hoisted her off the wall and onto her feet.
"If Lily finds out," she whispered harshly as he pulled her out of the streetlights.
"What's wrong? She's got something against snogging?" He asked as he gently pressed her against the wall, his hands around her waist and her arms around his neck.
Despite her sentence being broken between each kiss, Marlene said, "No... just snogging the enemy."
"Oh come now, McKinnon," He pulled away "Evans' beef with Potter has no affect on our snogging."
"Sirius... what are we?"
"A couple Gryffindor's celebrating a win?"
"Sirius..."
"Damn," he let go with an exacerbated groan. "Why do we have to 'be' anything? You started this after all!"
"We were the only people without dates to the Halloween party and I said, 'You'll have to do, eejit'. I hardly understand how that's me starting something."
"I could have had a date to that bloody party if I wanted one. I was doing you the favor of having all this eye candy on your arm." He motioned to himself.
"Ugh. You're so bloody annoying!"
"And you like it." He winked and leaned in for another kiss.
"Oh get bent," she pushed him off but he caught her blushing and caressed her neck for a sloppy kiss. After a moment she pushed him away, "Ok, enough. We'll be missed if we aren't in there soon and I'm not going to be the one to explain this to Lily."
"Fine. I need a smoke anyway."
"Just as long as you know snogging's off the table once you pop one of those in your mouth," she motioned to the pack as he took it from his pocket.
"Don't be an idiot, McKinnon. I'm the one cutting you off. Can't have you getting addicted to me and catching feelings."
"As if." She quipped before strutting inside but Sirius, distracted with his cigarette, didn't notice the bashful grin on her face as she left.
He moved towards the back of the pub where his smoke would blend with the rubbish bin odor. He'd already been lectured once before by Aberforth Dumbledore for 'gassing his patrons' with the smoke. When he rounded the corner he felt harsh hands push him with so much force that his cigarette fell from his lips. "Who the devil?" He grunted.
"No," came the voice of Padraig Mulciber, "But close."
When Sirius turned, he was shocked to see Mulciber accompanied by Evan Rosier, Meredith Avery and Severus Snape.
"Mulciber. What the hell are you doing here?"
"Canna come visit my alma matter?"
"Just think it's weird that after a year out of school you can't find better company than this lot. What's wrong? Have to befriend everyone younger than you so they don't realize how stupid you are?"
"Beat it, Black," Snape said. "This alley is reserved for Slytherin's only."
Sirius pondered, "Really? Why? Everyone knows Slytherin's are a bunch of sore losers. No need to come cry about Quidditch in the dark."
"The only one crying will be you if you don't beat it," Rosier grunted.
"Sirius..." a soft voice came from behind him and Sirius turned to see his brother Regulus. "Listen to him. Beat it."
Sirius looked at him a long while then examined the state of the others, so solumn and stoic. "Ooooh, I see. Padric's gathered you lot here for another lecture on his brain-dead beliefs, hasn't he? You're here to preech about your stupid blood purity cause. Couldn't find any educated adults out there to believe you so you're having to come back and recruit nitwit students like Snivillus for your cause, Mulciber?"
"Don't call me that," Snape stepped forward.
"Or what?" Sirius whispered back.
Snape only grinned. "You think you're so smart. I've been watching you this year, Black. Regulus told us there's been some kind of falling out within your little gang."
"Well he always was one to gossip about things he knows nothing about," Sirius hissed at his brother over his shoulder.
"But I know about them,"" Snape said. "Or have you forgotten that I understand the ironic timing of your little divorce from your old friend Lupin."
Sirius stepped forward and pressed his finger onto Snape's chest, "You don't know shit!"
"What's wrong, Black? Worried I'll spill your little secret?"
"As if his life is interesting," Avery chimed in. "Is that why you picked up McKinnon to whore around with? Something to give common room to talk about to keep yourself relevant?"
"Leave her out of this," Sirius snapped, growing anxious that he and Marlene had been seen.
"Getting anxious, Black?" Snape asked. "Loosing the safety of your friend's support while I've picked up some friends of my own. See, I'm not afraid of you. Because back here you're just a pathetic runway with nobody but Potter to cry to.
Everyone began to circle him. "I'll ask one more time, nicely, Black," Mulciber said. "Beat it."
"That's nicely?" Sirius quipped.
"What?" Mulciber scoffed, "What me to add 'please' to it?"
"Well..." Sirius smirked, "That's what your mother was screaming last night."
Regulus reluctantly snickered and Mulciber, now heated and angry, drew his wand and aimed it at Regulus. Sirius jumped between them and blocked the spell which prompted Avery and Rosier to grab their wands as well. Sirius held his own for some time, fending off the three while Snape pulled Regulus to the side. After a few minutes, Mulciber gazed at Regulus and gave a sinister grin. He turned his wand onto the boy and Sirius shouted, "Stop!"
"Drop your wand, Black."
Sirius looked between his brother and Mulciber only to do as was requested and drop his wand on the ground.
Snape chuckled behind him and said, "Good dog."
Sirius snapped and panic flooded him as the mild hint to his secrets emerged from Snape's lips. He reeled around and punched him only to feel Avery and Rosier grab him by the arms and pull him back. He flailed against them both angrily as Mulciber laughed, "Hold him still. Now that the trace isn't on me, I've got some new hexes I've been wanting to try."
Mulciber wasn't in front of Sirius long though, as a blasting charm came from the back of the pub and sent the bully soaring. Rosier and Avery released Sirius but hadly could react as both of them were zapped with charms that resulted in one of them growing a beak and another a pig's tail. Both boys covered themselves and ran.
"Well well," Snape said as he spotted Remus entering the scene. "Look who is back on his feet after a rough night this week."
"Get the hell out of here, Snape," Remus said.
"Or what?"
"Do you really want to explore those options?" Remus growled at the slender Slytherin who grabbed Regulus by the arm and dragged him away reluctantly. They both helped the dizzy Mulciber from the wine crates he'd crashed upon and helped him leave.
"What the hell are you doing back here, Padfoot?" Remus asked when he turned to face Sirius.
He stuttered in response, not having heard Remus use his nickname in months. "Oh... you know... always looking for mischief."
"You know you could get expelled for using magic outside of school for no reason?"
"It wasn't no reason," he snapped. "And you used it too."
"To defend you. You were back here having a wand brawl. There's a difference."
"The school policy doesn't see it that way."
"Since when do you care about policy?"
"Since when do you talk to me again!?" Sirius finally shouted. They both stood there a long time in silence before he said, "Snape was dropping hints and I snapped. Decked him on the stupid nose of his."
"Hints about me?"
"About all of us..."
"It' can't be fixed, Sirius. The secret's out. He's got that blackmail over us for life. Over me."
"But he's not the one you're mad it, is he?" Sirius finally looked Remus in the eye for the first time in weeks and said, "I wish you'd just punch me or hex me or do what you need to do to get over this?"
"Get over this?!" Remus scoffed.
"I miss my friend!" Sirius shouted.
"Well I do too."
"He's right here," Sirius extended his arms as if he was revealing himself.
"No he's not. I don't know the kid in front of me. I thought I did. But then he betrayed me."
"So that's it? I play a stupid prank on Snape that wasn't supposed to turn out the way it did and now I'm perminantly scarred by that moment?"
"That's the thing about scars, Sirius. They never go away. I should know!"
"Well I look past yours to the person underneath. Why can't you do the same for me?" Sirius pleaded.
"I want to!" Remus shouted then quieted down and said, "I want to... but I've lost faith in my ability to do that. Every time I try to trust in people I get burned."
"We aren't just people, Remus. You, Wormtail and Prongs are my partners. My marauders."
They both looked at the pub as cheers inside continued and Remus said, "I need to get back in there. I promised Tabitha I'd walk her back to the castle."
"She afraid of the dark or something?" He scowled at the sound of her name but when Remus didn't seem amused he said, "Sorry."
"So that you're sorry for?" Remus crossed his arms.
Sirius looked up and was humbled at the reality that he'd yet to say the words Remus had been waiting patiently to hear for months. "I'm sorry, mate. For everything. You have my word I'll never betray you like that again."
"I want to beleive that, Padfoot."
"Then believe it. We can start by leaving that night behind us. Deal?"
Remus thought about it but extended his hand, "It's in the past. This moment forward we won't speak of it again. I can't promise I'll trust you right away, Sirius, but I'm willing to try."
"In the past," he took Remus hand and the first step towards resolution was taken.
"Thanks for saving my ass," Sirius whispered.
"It's what friends are for..."
The Safe House - March 29, 1980...
"So..." Peter said softly from his seat in the small sitting room of the Isle of Sky home. He'd set the stone on the table and shared the stories of his childhood, his father's death and his mother's insanity. He explained that he'd gone to Crabbe looking for help but ran when he discovered the man's loyalties to Voldemort and had lived fearful of that moment ever since. He explained the living situation with his cruel Uncle who ignored him most of his life and the slum that he was raised in after his elegant home was sold at auction. "That's why I never went back home during Christmases. I would have given anything to spend them with Mum, but she didn't remember me all the time. Sometimes when she did, she'd remember the bad bits about my father's death and it would make her sad. When I graduated, I claimed my inheritance and went to get my horrid uncle out of my home. I was going to make the house a nice place for Mum to live, but her mind had become too far gone. I was at least able to get her a nice room at Mungos and I visit her whenever I can. I never shown anyone where she was... before the other day."
"Peter... I'm so so sorry," James said.
"Don't be," he said. "Trauma's good for people. It builds character."
"Who's the insensitive ass you told you," James asked.
"You... our 2nd year," Peter mumbled.
"Oh Wormtail, now I'm doubly sorry. I was just kid. I didn't know what I was saying."
"I know James, but you were right. It made me who I am. I'm a nervous kid always a afraid of loosing people."
"You're not going to loose us Wormtail," Remus said from his spot in the entryway to the room, avoiding sitting as he didn't wish to stay too long.
"I understand, Peter," Marlene said. "I used to be so afraid of loosing my family after Dad died that I ended up trying to run from them so I could be separated from them on my terms. You were stronger than I was to keep your family as together as you could, including this family." She motioned to the group.
"You... you think I'm strong, McKinnon?"
"I do," she gave him a grin which which was doubly reassuring coming from her.
"But why tell us all of this, Wormtail?" Sirius asked. "You've always been so private."
"Because Lily reminded me this war isn't about me. It's about all of us." He lifted the memory stone from the table and held it in front of him. "And whatever this Prophecy means... we'll get it sorted together. Some of these memories though are nightmares."
"I know a thing or two about that," Remus said. "It's better to face them than keep running."
Lily couldn't help but exhale at that statement as she felt Remus may be finally letting go of his losses and coming back to them bit by bit.
"Ok then," Peter focused on some of the traumatic memories that were locked inside it. "Listen..." He heard the prophecy once' more...
"The Guardian must be the most trusted of the untrustworthy. Alone in this world, cast out at first breath, always seeking a master, preying on the pity of those he shall betray. Only he will Renew the son, Revive thy Master, and Resurrect the foe. All three will become one and from the shadows, a new life will begin."
When it completed everyone sat in silence staring at it. Peter looked up at their blank faces, but they didn't seem confused. They seemed stunned. "You... you heard it that time didn't you? I guess you can hear it when it's willingly given up."
"Aye," Remus whispered. "We heard it."
"What does it mean?" James asked.
"Means the Guardian's a loner," Sirius said quickly."You heard it. An outcast."
"Like you?" Marlene grunted to him only to receive a glare.
"Why wouldn't you share this Wormtail?" James asked.
"I'd suppressed a lot of it. That was why Lily encouraged me to share everything with you all, so that it would all come out. Right Lily?" Peter asked but her expression had not shifted from stunned as she continued staring at the rock. "Lily?"
"You said this talked about you defeating the Guardian?" James said as his frustration rose. He'd hoped the prophecy would enlighten them to some kind of clues, but once again it was nothing but vagueness and more questions.
"Well it talked about the Guardian's foe, right? That would be a member of the Order if the Guardian is a Death Eater. I thought that would mean one of us. Why not me?"
"He does have a point. Most trusted of the untrustworthy? The untrustworthy are the Death Eaters."
"You can't have these things taken so literally, McKinnon." Sirius said.
"Yes, listen to Sirius," Remus said. "He gets it right every time."
"Enough!" Sirius shot out of his chair and turned to face Remus. "Don't you have another family to go back to at your little camp?"
"Padfoot!" Peter said in shock at the outburst.
"Don't get him started, Padfoot," James said as he stood up and stepped between the two. "Not this close to the moon."
"Oh yes," Remus said. "We're all afraid of the big bad wolf now that he's twenty years old."
"That's not what I meant and you know it," James said.
"Stop it!" Peter shouted and the room fell silent. Everyone stared at him. "Have none of you even noticed that Lily left?!"
Everyone glanced at her empty seat just in time for James to catch sight of her red hair disappearing around the corner. "This is why I keep things to myself. I knew this prophecy would just frustrate everyone because we don't know what it means."
"No Peter," Marlene said softly and set her hand on his. "You did the right thing. Thank you."
"Yes, now we at least know Tabitha's innocent," Remus said.
"You don't actually know that," Sirius mumbled.
"Cast out at first breath? Her family protected her, they didn't cast her out. The Black family on the other hand..."
"Moony!" James clenched his fist instinctfully at the remark but released it when he realized this was Remus in front of him and not some school bully.
"Speaking of outcasts..." Sirius said to Remus.
"What the hell?" Marlene just shook her head in disbelief at their ability to start things up again so quickly when her eyes fell on the stone, completely black with harsh traumatic moments locked inside of it. She swept it up quickly and threw it into the steamtrunk in the corner that had been doubling as a chest of blankets. Waiving her wand, the trunk slammed shut and everyone looked at her, their eyes blinking and a calm falling over the room that they hadn't realized was missing until it returned.
"What just happened?" James asked.
"Grief..." Marlene said and looked at Peter. "That stone was full of grief and all that comes with it. You're just numb to it, Pete. So am I."
Peter stared at Marlene, not saying anything, but understanding her meaning. His memories were filled with the agony of loss. It brings out the most uncharacteristic emotions of people sometimes and hardens their hearts.
"You loved your Dad very much, didn't you Peter?" Marlene asked as a tear fell from her eye.
"I did." He said, his words breaking. "And he loved me and my Mum. He died for us."
"So did mine. I loved him too." She turned to the boys. "Potter. Black. Lupin. You're new to grief. You're still rejecting it as if it's something that can't touch you. But one day you'll understand what I mean. Until then, all the heartbreak within that stone will bring out the worst in you when you're close enough for the darkness to project onto you. I'd steer clear of it while you work out your issues."
She walked out faster than anyone could stop her and everyone caught their breath for a moment. James composed himself quickly and muttered, "I better go check on Lily." He walked out of the room where the three remained.
"Padfoot-"
"Moony-"
They'd both started at once then stopped before finally Sirius spoke up and said, "We need to talk."
"I guess."
"Outside?" Sirius asked.
"If you leave behind the cigarettes. I've got ten minutes before I have to get back."
Sirius just nodded and Remus shuffled out of the room, collecting the crate of Wolfsbane potion once more.
Sirius looked back at Peter and said, "Chin up mate. You did the right thing."
"I just wish I had more answers."
"Just be grateful your family didn't cast you out at first breath. You can rest easy. It's us delinquent family rejects that have to be worried," he forced a chuckle at it but got not even a smirk from Peter who stared solumnly at the floor. "Wormtail, I'm joking. It's not me. I won't betray you, I swear. After everything we've been through."
"Oh... I know.. I know Padfoot," he nodded. "Go on. Moony's waiting for you."
Sirius gave him an uncertain glance before following Remus to the front yard.
Up the hall, Lily had gotten a bit I'll. The darkness from the stone had affected her more than the rest. She felt as though her very being was drained and was now emptying her stomach contents into the toilet. James found her and held her hair back with one hand and stroked her back with the other until she was done. They then sat on the floor of the powder room, Lily leaning onto James' shoulder as he held her.
"You're very good at that," she whispered weakly.
"I've held many girls hair back after Quidditch bonfires."
"That's the only way you got lucky? You had to get them drunk first?"
"Don't be silly, Lily. I never got lucky," he laughed.
"There was once a time you'd rather die than admit that to me."
"Well you've seen my at my best and worst now. There's nothing left to hide." Her gently 'hmmm' reassured him that she was beginning to feel better and he watched as she stroked her stomach. "We're one step closer to finding the Guardian, Lily."
"Closer than you think I fear," she said in a sad tone.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," she now looked up at him. "I think I know who the Guardian is."
Meanwhile in Spinners's End...
"What do I care if Lupin passes the test or not?" Snape asked Lucious who roamed about the room with an eternal look of disgust on his face from the odorous lake nearby. Snape had transformed his flat even further into a bachelor pad and the beakers and potion ingredients strewn about didn't offer a very homey atmosphere.
"Trust me, Severus," Lucious said as he wiped dust off a seat and plopped himself down on it. "You'll want him to fail. It will take a load off the alternative contender."
"An alternative? Forrestor didn't say he had an alternative. He was thinking the Guardian was some pureblood, the name of which he still won't share."
"Lord Voldemort has selected a second option. Someone within our ranks that isn't to be trusted."
"Nobody in our ranks can be trusted. Our lack of trust in one another is what we have the most in common..."
"Not our allegiance to Voldemort?" Lucious asked in a suggestive tone which Snape caught isnstantly. He turned and examined the expression on Lucious face but he kept a stone cold stare.
"Who is it Lord Voldemort has selected as a contender, Lucious?" Snape asked.
"The Dark Lord said he entrusted a task to you?" Lucious asked.
"Yes. He wanted me to find the traitor in our midst. Someone warned Bones of your most recent attack where Goyle was caught."
"And have you found the traitor?"
"I think so," Snape replied. "I'm not certain yet, but after talking with Barty today I'm growing more suspicious."
"Good," Lucious replied simply. "Voldemort wants you to kill them."
Snape looked up from where he'd been tampering with his potions and stared a while to see if Lucious was bluffing, but the blonde Death Eater was more conerned with picking lint off the velvet arm of his chair. "You're serious?"
"Does the Dark Lord crack jokes?" Lucious snapped. "He wants the traitor dead."
"He'd instructed me to bring the traitor to him."
"Well his instructions have changed!" Lucious shouted but settled as he lifted his nose into the air. "Unless you can't handle it."
"I can handle her just fine," Snape said. "I just need more proof."
"Her?" Lucious leaned back in the seat and crossed his arms.
"Yes..." Snape grunted. "Her."
Back at the Safe House...
"Snape? The Guardian?" James asked Lily after he'd helped her to the kitchen and fetched her some water. "I knew Snivillus was a loner... but the Guardian?"
"He was hated by his father and his mother just took him for granted. He's already proven to be a traitor after what he did at school. Alone in this world? He chooses to be alone. It describes him completely."
"Preying on the pity of those he shall betray... and he did. He depended on you for everything only to call you a slur."
"And if the prophecy is true then it could mean he's the one who helps Voldemort get our child."
"Will you please stop talking like that? You keep acting like someone's after our kid when it's not even supposed to be born until August. We also have never come face-to-face with Voldemort and I have no plans of doing that three times." He leaned against the counter and crosse his arms to add, "I'm so tired of that skinny little prick elbowing his way back into my bloody life."
"Says the bloke who would seek him out and prank him daily."
"Don't turn on me now, Lily. Not today," he said in a hurt tone as he caught a glimps of something through the window curtains over the sink. James peeked through them and onto the hillside near the cliffs and old ruin circles where he spotted Sirius and Remus.
"Are they talking?" Lily asked as if she knew what he could see.
"Hard to tell from here. They aren't looking at each other, so that's not a good sign."
"At least they aren't shouting," Lily sighed. "It's a start."
"James?" Peter suddenly said beside his friend who shot in the air a good foot or so, glasses nearly flying off.
"Geez! Wormtail! Announce yourself. Bloody hell," James gasped and grabbed his chest as his heart raced. "What is it, mate?"
"I have an idea that may help Remus and Sirius... may help me as well. A mission for all four of us."
"And what's that?"
"That we deliver the stone... with the prophecy... t-together?" He hesitated as if he was tempted to change his mind.
Lily quickly said, "Splendid idea, Peter."
"All of us, there for one another, there for you, Wormtail." James set a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I think it's a grand idea. We'll go as soon as..." He glanced out the window at the two boys on the hill. "Well as soon as whatever is going on out there is done."
"I just want to move forward, Remus. Like we did before," Sirius said as he and Remus where mid argument on the hill.
"Last time you promised you'd never betray me again. And you broke that promise. That's all you do with me, is turn back on your word."
"Oh, right," Sirius rolled his eyes, "I forgot. I broke my promise to kill you. Shame on me." His tone was sarcastic and cold.
"What do you want me to do, Sirius?" Remus asked angrily.
"I want you to man up and face what you're too afraid to admit."
"Which is?"
"That you're mad at Delaney, not me!" Sirius shouted as Remus' face fell in surprise. Sirius continued, "She left you, Remus. Maybe I lied, but she believed me... because she'd stopped believing in you two. You'd both stopped believing... maybe you never started."
"That's not true. She said she loved me, I was about to say it to her but you bloody cut me off and pulled me out of there!"
"Feelings and faith are two different things, Remus. You both loved each other, sure, but you both were too afraid to be vulnerable enough to put complete faith in one another. She fell for my lie because she felt Forrestor's vow was more powerful than how you two felt about each other. She was weak. She wouldn't have made it, Remus. She would have-"
"Ok! Ok! Yes I'm bloody mad at her!" Remus snapped, his eyes full of tears. "I'm mad at her for giving up, I'm mad at myself for playing it safe and not confessing how I felt. But that doesn't mean I don't still hold you responsible for pushing us over the edge."
"If all it took was one lie to push you over the edge, Remus, then what you had wasn't strong enough-" Sirius stopped as the emotions of the impending moon hung over Remus an the tall boy grabbed Sirius by the shirt collar.
"Take that back," he grumbled into his face.
"She wasn't strong enough," he repeated.
"She didn't need to be!"
"Because you were going to be strong for her, right? Like you are for everyone? Strong enough for everyone but yourself?"
"We just needed more time."
"You ran out of time, Remus. But don't waist more of it now by being mad at all the wrong people!"
Remus shoved Sirius away and paced around the ruins. He leaned against one, his back to Sirius as he took a few deep breaths. "I don't want to be mad at you anymore, Padfoot," Remus whispered.
Sirius didn't move as he heard Remus use the nickname for the first time since Tabitha's departure.
Remus continued, "I know it was more about us than about you. I should have told her I loved her. If I hadn't shown so much fear and timidity about being there for her maybe she would have had more faith. If she could have just been a little stronger, held on a bit longer, than we would have made it. Not everyone is as lucky as James, having a woman who knows what she wants and being able to provide her all of it. But I guess you understand that too don't you."
"You know I do," Sirius replied as he thought of Marlene, her insistence that he was what she wanted, only for him to push her away. "I never could have given Marleen what she wanted. Stability, trust, guidance, partnership... that's what she needed. I couldn't give it to her."
Remus was quiet a long while before saying, "You gave it to me." Sirius looked away from him at this to hide the vulnerable look in his eye. "That's what made this so damn painful, Sirius. It was like I woke up in the shack again with the memory of Snape being there the night before. When I got back to you and you bluntly told me Tabs had left and you did what I didn't have the strength to do... I wanted to... I don't even know. All I knew is that my friend, my partner, was gone and all the trust that came with it."
"Yea well... I had lost my partner the day that witch got back into town."
Remus now faced Sirius, ready for another battle of whits, but softend at the shorter boys expression as he continued.
"I don't want to argue anymore, Moony. I'm tired. If what I did was so horrible, then fine, hate me. You won't change my mind that I think it was the right thing to do. If I went about it wrong, than fine, but you two couldn't stay together."
"I don't want to stay mad at you, Padfoot. I don't. But every time I look at you I'm reminded that you used the news of my own mother's death as a decoy so you could go behind my back and send Tabs away."
"You once said that you could look past the scars of my betrayal to man behind them. Can't you do that again?"
"I'm starting to wonder if the man I knew is even still there," Remus said sadly, "but I'll try. My Mum would want me to try."
Sirius nodded, "Well she did raise one of the best blokes I've ever known." He stepped closer to Remus and extended his hand, "In the past?"
Remus just stared at it as if accepting it would remove Tabitha from his life altogether. Finally he took it, "In the past."
Later at Hogwarts...
"I'm so nervous," Peter whispered from his place in the ancient passage where the four Marauders waited patiently. James peeked through the carved out eyes of a painting which overlooked the moving staircases, watching students rush to Lunch. He couldn't help but notice a stillness over the school. It's how he imagined Hogwarts during his father's school days when Headmaster Black banned any kind of fun from the corridors. Everyone seemed nervous and quiet, as if some dark presence loomed over the school.
"Don't be nervous, Wormtail," Remus said as he rest his hand on the boys shoulder. "You're doing the right thing." Remus then caught sight of his watch and examined it. "How are we looking James?"
"Coast is almost clear. Damn Ravenclaws are taking their sweet time," He cross referenced the hallway outside with the Marauder's map in his hands then spotted Remus looking at the watch. "Have an appointment?"
"Yes," He sighed. Not that I don't want to be here for you Peter. I think it was a good idea for us to come together. I just want to get the potion to those kids on time. If they miss one dose of it then they're in for a bad blue moon."
"Clear," James said and nodded everyone ahead. They pushed the portrait open and piled into the hall where James motioned them to go ahead to keep his eyes on the map.
"Don't let Dumbledore see that map," Peter whispered. "We're sharing enough secrets today." He then chased after Remus who took up the lead.
Sirius and James hung back and kept their heads down to not attract the portraits' attention. James whispered, "So?"
"So... we're going to be ok."
"That's grand, mate." James said relieved. "I was afraid I was loosing you both."
"I'm not sure you're not," Sirius said sadly. "He's changing a lot, James. He's not as trusting anymore. What's with this camp of his?"
"It's just a mission, Padfoot."
"I guess," he sighed. "Still. We've decided to put the past in the past. I don't think he's forgiven me, but he's willing to move forward. For now, Delaney is somewhere safe and somewhere she can't bloody come between us again."
"It's not her fault, Padfoot. He's allowed to fall for someone that isn't you," James teased giving him a nudge but frowned when Sirius didn't seem amused.
"Still... I feel like for now, it's best that she's out of the picture."
Remus whispered the password to Dumbledore's office and they rushed in. James tucked away the map and Peter stepped forward with a confident stance. But as the boys entered the office, they saw Professor Slughorn and Dumbledore standing in the middle of the room with a silver ring hovering in the air between them as they examined it.
"My heavens!" Slughorn gasped at the sight of them. "How did you all get in here?"
"That's Tabitha's ring." Remus cut off the others before they could speak, his eyes fixed on the silver band.
"I asked Horace to come make an identification," Dumbledore said.
Remus eyes scanned the room and spotted a rock with a string around it and the note "Lupin's Brat" pinned to it.
"The ring was attached a rock and tossed into the Hogshead. My brother just delivered it."
Remus didn't need to hear anything else. He charged forward and reached his hand towards the silver ring.
"Remus, don't," Dumbledore warned but he was too late.
As Remus' fingers wrapped around the silver, and the boy vanished before their eyes.
"Moony!" Sirius shouted.
"Where did he go?" Peter was startled.
"A Porkey?" James asked. "You can take Portkey out of here?!" James asked dumbfounded.
Dumbledore just sighed and shook his head. "When I lower some of the protection wards of this office, yes. I did so because Alastor and Benjy are on their way. They were going to discover where the ring would take us. We assumed it could be a trap which is why I asked Tabitha's old Professor to identify the ring instead of her friends." His voice was more irritated than usual.
"Are you cross with us?!" James defended. "How were we supposed to know you'd have that thing here?"
"What do they want with Moony?" Sirius added.
"That... Mr. Black... is what we're about to find out the hard way," Dumbledore said sadly.
Malfoy Manor...
Remus slammed to the ground, Tabitha's ring flying away. He looked up and saw Malfoy Manor towering over him. He crawled towards the ring and grabbed it, bracing himself, but quickly realizing the ring had been a one-way portkey. As he stood, he drew his wand and approached the door which opened and Max Forrestor was standing there. "Remus. Long time no see. Come in."
Remus didn't know what to say at first. All that came out was, "Where is she?"
"I said... come. in." He scowled and flicked his wand, pulling Remus forward and the door slamming shut behind him.
Remus stood up straight, "I know you have her. I know she's here. What have you done to her?"
Before Max could reply, the side room doors opened and Greyback emerged. "Remusss. Hello son.
Remus, at the sight of Greyback, was overcome with fury. He lunged at him only for Max to hold him back by cementing his feet to the floor with a charm. Remus was restrained by the hold but lashed the air and threw punches to Greyback just out of reach. His angry cries echoed through the house. "Y-You monster!" He shouted. "You killed my mother!"
Greyback smirked and said, "Oh yea. I almost forgot about that." He laughed at the thought which only caused Remus to shout out every bit of pent up aggression at them until he lost his balance and fell to his knees, the weight of the charm still holding him in the same spot. He reached into his pocket and drew his wand.
"Now now, Remus, put it down," Max said. "We aren't here to talk about your mother. We're here to talk about the other woman in your life. He nodded to Greyback who reached just inside the side-door and ripped out the petit figure of Tabitha Delaney.
"No!" Remus shuttered. So many weeks he had longed to see her face but not this way.
Tabitha's face was drenched in tears. She was bound tightly that she couldn't even stand so Greyback held her around the waist, a gag muffling her words when she saw Remus. "No no, Tabby," Greyback said. "You stay right here with me."
"Let her go you bastards!" Remus stood and aimed his wand at them but Greyback pulled a knife from his pocket and held it against Tabitha's neck.
"Stand still, Remus. You know better than anyone I can leave a decent set of scars without killing someone," Greyback snarled.
Remus panted desperately as he watched the woman he loved completely at the mercy of the man he feared the most. He locked eyes with her as if trying to apologize. "You... You don't have to treat her like that. There is no need for it. No need!" He said furiously motioning to her bonds.
"Oh it's true," Greyback said. "Plenty of sleeping potions or charms that would keep her subdued. But I couldn't help myself," He leaned into her and smelled her hair. "I just love to hear the ladies squirm." He tightly squeezed until she reluctantly let out a painful groan and shifted in his grasp best she could as if trying to pry herself away from him.
"Stop it! Stop it!" Remus demanded. "Stop toying with her. What do you want from me. I have nothing." He turned out his pockets. "See? No magical book of prophecies, no special wand, no potions. All I have is-"
"Is what?" Max asked. "Nothing, Remus... you have nothing. You don't even have her. You cast her away," Max said as he walked up to Greyback and Tabitha, forcing the young woman to look up with his hand on her chin. She reluctantly released a whimper and it destroyed Remus on the inside. This was his fault. He allowed her to get too close to him and now she was being used by his enemy.
"Don't touch her! Just tell me what you want!"
"We want to know where your friends are hiding."
"I can't..."
"Well that was a rather quick answer," Max laughed, "Didn't even take a moment to mull over how your actions affect Tabitha?"
"This doesn't concern her. It's me you want, Fenrir, right? Fine! Just let her go?"
"Oooo tempting," He gave Max a look but his partner just shook his head. "Please Maxy let me trade her for my mutt? I've never seen him so compliant. Then again, I've never seen Delaney so vulnerable." Greyback slid the knife up Tabitha cheek and pressed it against her jawline.
"Stop it!" Remus lifted his wand and aimed at Greyback who swayed with Tabitha.
"Go on, Remus! Moving target practice. Try to hit me but not Tabby! Will get you ready for those full moons when you need to hunt."
"Remus," Max said and stepped forward. "Drop your wand. It's useless right now."
Remus refused to do so, not wanting to take Greyback out of his sights, and Max just nodded to Greyback who slashed the knife along the girl's cheek-bone, thinly breaking the skin and drawing blood. She let out a yelp as Greyback returned the knife to her throat.
Remus couldn't even speak as he watched, he just quickly dropped his wand, "Ok! Ok!" He raised his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry," he said under his breath but was really only saying it to Tabitha. "What is it you want with my friends?"
"We want the Guardian."
"You want the..." His eyes widened as he glanced between Tabitha and Max. "I knew it. I knew it! You knew this whole time Tabitha wasn't the Guardian but you sent her away. You made lies up about her-"
"So that we could buy some time for our search," Max finished. "For a while I thought we were right about her. After all, we knew the Guardian is within your ranks."
"I don't know who the guardian is!"
"Some would argue it's you, Remus. Always guarding after your friends. Always looking out for them. Eventually betraying them..."
"I don't betray my friends."
"No," Fenrir said then tossed Tabitha forward like ragdoll onto the floor. "Only the women you care about."
"Tabs!" He flinched as she collapsed onto the floor unable to break it and glancing up at him with a panicked look. He kneeled to reach for her but the spell kept him in place.
Remus looked up at them. "Just take me, ok? But I'll warn you... You can throw me in one of your werewolf colonies but I'll never convert to the monster you want me to be. Because of her. Because she showed me I'm more of a man that you'll ever be, Greyback. So go ahead. Do your worst to me, it won't matter. I'll die before I betray my friends. Just... just please don't hurt her." He looked at Tabitha. "I'm sorry," he whispered to her across the floor. "I'm sorry you ever met me..."
Max and Greyback looked at each other, the former walking towards him, Tabitha wincing as he steps over her and almost hits her with his heel. He crouched in front of Remus to be at eye-level with him. "All that? For some bitch?"
Remus eye's shot up at that and he reeled back to take a swing at Greyback but he caught the boy's fist in his left palm and grabbed Remus around the neck by the right, lifting him from the floor as he stood. "I could have left well enough alone all those years ago, Remus. My beef was with your old man, not you. You should have fucking. died! But you wouldn't do it! You had to go on living. I thought maybe it was a blessing in disguise, the first child surviving one of my attacks could be my own little apprentice. I watched you from the shadows your whole life, waiting for the day you'd reach your fifteenth season, but your fucking friends got in the way with their lectures about the man-within. I thought when you killed one of them by mistake on a full moon that it would break you, but that bitch had to find a potion to suppress the beast! Your very existence taunts and disgusts me."
Remus struggled for air, his feet dangling just off the floor and he whispered, "No matter... what you do to me... I will never become you."
Greyback let out a low growth and hurled Remus across the room with so much force that he was airborn until he hit the wall. "He's not the one we are looking for..." Greyback grunted then stormed back to Max. They exchanged a few whispers while Remus groaned on the floor before Max added. "Let's see if the other one passes his test."
Remus waited for whatever curse they sent his way. Even if it was death, then they would release Tabitha as she wouldn't be leverage anymore. Yet no spell came. Glancing up slowly Remus saw that he and Tabitha had been left alone in the room. Greyback and Max, for whatever reason, spared him. When he was sure they were alone he crawled towards Tabitha's still body.
"Tabs..." He gently lifted her in his arms and wiped away the blood dripping from her jaw. Hiis voice cracked as if he was terrified to hold her. "Tabitha, I'm so sorry. All this time I thought you've been somewhere safe. If I had known you were here... Oh Tabs I thought I'd lost you." He shuffled to release the binds as he spoke. He pulled the handkerchief from her mouth and she regained her breath. The moment they bonds vanished he wrapped her in an embrace and she clung to him. "I'm taking you somewhere, safe, Tabitha. I'll never leave your side again. I... I love you..." He pulled back gently and wiped the tears from her face then, overcome with the moment, forgot where he was and gently kissed her.
Their lips were locked only a moment before his eyes widened and he jerked away from her, crawling backward. "What... Who... You're not..."
"Blimey," Tabitha said, only it wasn't her voice coming from her lips. "You mean you two are so coo coo for each other that you recognize her kiss?"
"Bellatrix..."
"I swear, I almost killed Fenrir and cut the whole act short when he smelled my hair," She said as she stood up and wiped the blood from the cut on her cheek away. "So want do you think, Lupin? Think I could make it on the West End?"
"Where is she!" He screamed as he stood and Bellatrix calmly lifted her hand.
"Easy, Romeo. I just was hired for the acting gig. I've no idea where your little bitch is. All I know is she's alive and she's not here."
"No. Polyjuice has to be fresh," he said panicked.
"Of course. Oh, they know where she is alright. You don't. Have some restless nights in that knowledge." She cackled after that.
"Why," was all he could muster as his anger built.
"We've been watching some of your little friends, lately. Wanted to see if anyone knew anything about the Guardian. Had to put you to the test. You were ready to let someone you love die in front of you and all for what? For some Guardian you don't even know? Fenrir was right. It isn't you we are looking for. Congratulations, Gryffindor. Your loyalty has passed the test. It will be your downfall but for now it just makes you an idiot."
Remus' mind swirled, partly because of the offputting image of Bellatrix disguised as Taitha but also at the realization that another friend of his may be in a similar trap at this very moment. "They said something about someone else having a test."
"Ooooo I see your gears turning, Lupin. You want to know if your friends are going to have a little test too? Of course they will. Not all of them of course. I guess you'll never really know for sure though... until it's too late."
"Too late?"
"You think if someone discovers they're the Guardian that they'll come right out with it? Oh Lupin. So quick to have faith in everyone but yourself. I'd work on that if I were you. Now get it out of my sisters' house."
"Not until you tell me where Tabitha is."
"Oh... wolfy boy," she laughed. "I don't know and I don't care. But this is my last offer to let you leave."
"Why are you letting me leave?" He asked. "You weren't as kind to Marvin?"
"Marvin had a part to play in my game. And now... so do you." She drew her wand as the sandy colored hair now shifted back to black and her face shifted slowly to her own features. Remus backed up, not able to take his eyes off her as it may be the last glimpse he ever got of Tabitha. He wasn't able to look long though as a knockback jinx sent him backwards, crashing through the doors and onto the stone steps outside.