"Come on Moons how badly could it possibly go?" Sirius nudged him with a rakish grin. "It's a wedding, they're good for love magics and all that rot. And you've been so bloody mopey recently."

Remus blinked at him stupidly, "I am not mopey!" he protested indignantly.

"You are a bit, mate," James contradicted, appearing behind them, throwing his arms around their shoulders. "What are we up to?"

"I'm sure you're meant to be with your new wife," Remus supplied wryly.

James' face softened, a slightly sappy smile appearing on it, "I am, aren't I?" he agreed, turning his head, "Oi! Lily-flower, darling, love of my life! Come over here and tell Moony that he's mopey!"

Remus groaned, missing Sirius' smirk and Lily's exasperated eye roll as she carefully picked her way across the emptying garden. "He's not mopey!" she argued, with all the surety of a witch who had drank her way through her wedding reception and was now pleasantly merry, left with those she was closest to as everyone else meandered home. "He's ah…."

"For fucks sake!" Remus groaned when she trailed off at a loss.

"Exactly," Sirius nodded, clapping his hands, "Which is why we're doing a matching ritul. If nothing else it might at least help get him laid and cheer him up a bit."

"A matching ritual?" Lily frowned, leaning heavily into James' side.

"Oh you know, they're meant to show you your soulmate or some such nonsense." Sirius dismissed, rolling his eyes slightly at James' soft-eyed smile as he wrapped an arm around her. "They're a bit unclear as to the details but most old families have a spell."

"Right," Lily didn't look convinced. "And you need what?"

"Well that's just it!" Sirius exclaimed excitedly. "We found one to be performed at a wedding, and all it needs is a few of us for intent and chanting and a focus, which is obviously our lovably mopey Mr Moony here."

"Ah," Lily nodded, "I see. How many?"

"Well, it doesn't explicitly say, balance is needed more often than not so, you and Prongs, Moons in the middle ah….me and Wormy, and two other women who hopefully at least like us a little?"

Lily snorted, calling over Dorcas and Alice. "We need your expertise to cheer up Remus." she explained.

"No you do not," Remus grumbled.

"Hush now," Lily admonished, making Sirius cackle. "The grown-ups are talking. Now where do you want us?"

"Ah…in a circle I think," Sirius mused, "around Mr Moony if you please. Now the words were Remus Lupin vocamus soulmatem. Eos ad nos adduc. I think."

"You don't want to check?" Dorcas asked, looking faintly alarmed.

"Nah, it's fine." Sirius waved her off, "It's just showing a name for Merlin's sake! And once we've got it we can find the witch and plead his case!"

"Right." James grinned. "On three."

It took them a few tries and much giggling to chant in unison. Exasperated, Remus sat down in the middle, enlarging a book he had hidden in his pocket. He only looked up when the air seemed to change, a charge building around them before, in a thunderclap of magic, a witch fell neatly onto his lap looking as startled as he felt.

The chanting stopped abruptly, a stunned silence falling as she looked slowly around the group before finally looking at Remus, her eyes widening comically.

"Hi?" he offered, not looking sure.

That seemed to jumpstart her as she scrambled off his lap, muttering something about murdering George Weasley and faulty daydream charms. The circle broke easily, all of them still looking stunned as she stormed past them, stopping just at the edge of the boundary, holding her hand out expectantly. She paled dramatically when nothing happened, whirling back to look at them properly, before closing her eyes, shaking her head and opening them again.

"Are you alright?" Lily asked faintly, approaching her as one would a feral animal.

The girl blinked slowly, "I think I've gone insane." she muttered finally.

"Nah, I've met insane, darling and you're not it." Sirius smiled winningly at her, despite the fact he looked shaken.

The girl stared at him for several long moments. "Sirius?"

Her face was a curious mix of devastation and disbelief. "Ah…" Sirius faltered, "You have me at a disadvantage, I'm afraid."

"Actually insane." she whispered as if to herself.

"Are…I ah…do…." Remus stammered, not at all sure what he was trying to ask her.

Her head lifted, turning slowly to look at him. "Mother of Christ," she whispered, one arm moving to encircle her waist, her other hand hovering near her mouth. "Remus?"

"Do you know us?" Dorcas checked hesitantly, "Because ah…I'm really sorry but i've never met you before."

The girl gave an almost hysterical sounding laugh her eyes travelling over them one by one before ending on Sirius, "What the fuck did you do this time Sirius Black?"

"Why am I getting the blame!" He protested. "This wasn't my fault!"

"If i'm not actually hallucinating, this has you written all over it." she retorted sharply, making several of them laugh.

Plastering an integrating smile on his face, Sirius approached cautiously. "We just wanted to stop Moony moping, make him smile," he confided, "maybe get him a bit of action you know…."

"A bit of…." She trailed off, clapping her hand over her mouth as if it could contain the startled bark of laughter that escaped before her face turned hard as something seemed to occur to her. "Tell me. Please, for the love of magic, I am begging you please tell me that you did not attempt one of those awful rituals that all pure bloods have in their libraries…the ones that are very, very vague in their possible consequences."

"Right then," Sirius nodded and then promptly shut his mouth.

"So you didn't..?". she hedged.

"Ah no love. That was me not telling you."

Her jaw dropped. "Look you ah obviously at least recognize some of us," Remus attempted to sound reassuring, the wolf under his skin had been antsy since she appeared and he wasn't sure what to do with it. "So I'll apologise. Can we ah…escort you somewhere so you can get home?"

"Get home," she repeated, her face going so pale he automatically darted forward to steady her. He could feel the pulse of her magic under his fingertips. It was a heady feeling and for once, the wolf was silent.

"Yes," He agreed, sounding more sure than he felt.

She took a deep breath, her eyes roaming the group again, seeming to falter when they landed on Peter.

"Can I see the ritual?"

He blinked, a little nonplussed by her swerve. "Course you can," James agreed affably looking pointedly at Sirius who rolled his eyes and produced the book, handing it to her on the correct page.

She hummed her eyes scanning it. "Vocamus soulmatem. Ea nobis revela." She mumbled.

"Hold on!" Alice spoke for the first time, "that's not what we said. We said Remus Lupin vocamus soulmatem. Eos ad nos adduc"

The woman gaped at her for several seconds before sending a wandless stinging jinx at Sirius who yelped.

"What was that for!" He demanded.

The woman ignored him, her face carefully blank as she turned to Alice. "Alice Longbottom?"

"Ah yes," Alice hedged

She hummed, "might I have a word?"

"With me?" Alice looked at her suspiciously

"By all means do bring Frank, but yes, with you," She nodded decisively.

"Right," Alice frowned. "I ah….I'll just go and get him. Shall I?"

"If you would."

"Well, this is…nice," James muttered as she left and a heavy silence fell, dodging Lily who went to hit him.

They remained in uncomfortable silence until Alice reappeared dragging a visibly confused Frank. It wasn't until the girl pulled away that Remus realised he had been clutching her arm.

"Odd bird." Sirius muttered as they watched them walk away, the wolf inside Remus howling at him to go and get her. To not let her out of her sight.

"So…" Alice looked at her pointedly.

"I need to speak to Alastor Moody," the girl cut in frantically, her mask slipping to show her panic. "Now! Oh, Christ!"

"And who are we meant to say is asking for him!" Alice demanded.

Hermione took a slow controlled breath. "I'm going to sound insane," She muttered. "My name is Hermione Granger and ah…technically, I won't be born for another two months."

"What?" Frank barked.

"That ritual was meant to say reveal." She whispered.

Horror dawned on Alice's face as she ran through the words she'd chanted, her previously warm, alcohol-induced fog evaporating as she forced herself to remember her Latin lessons from childhood, "we said bring."

"Yes!" Hermione moaned. "I shouldn't be here! I don't know what damage I could do!"

"So we see Dumbledore, not Moody."

"No!" Hermione barked her face hard, "I will not deal with that man again!"

"What? But he's…"

"Ruthless as long as he can justify it for the greater good," Hermione sneered.

"Right." Alice frowned, darting a look at Frank before something seemed to occur to her "you know everything? How this war ends..."

"Yes," Hermione admitted reluctantly

"Mother of Merlin," Alice whispered. "And you,...you knew some of us."

Hermione blanched. "Please don't," she begged, hugging her arms around herself to stop her hands shaking, "Please. Please don't."

"Ok." Alice breathed. "I…ok. I'll…I'll get Moody. Its….Merlin fuck."

"Are you alright?" Remus demanded, moving to stand beside her, not able to ignore the wolf any longer, especially given the look on her face.

She raised her eyes to look at him and he almost took a step back at the look of utter anguish on her face. He darted a look at Alice who shrugged minutely looking nauseous.

"Do you want to come with me?" she offered.

"I imagine that's best," Hermione murmured, seeming to shake herself.

"You're leaving?" Remus blurted, unable to stop himself.

"I'm going to…" she trailed off.

"She's coming with me." Alice finished. "We have ah…someone to meet."

"But…"

"Remus!" Alice hissed, her face suddenly showing how shaken she was, making him take an instinctual step back to move out of her line of fire. He watched as Alice immediately wrapped a hand around the girl's arm and spun her away, Frank following. And as they did, the wolf howled and he realised he hadn't even gotten her name.