Chapter 38 - Sometimes life is getting help.
December 29, 2005

"But why can't we go back to our house? I promised my lion I would come home. And Nate said I couldn't play with his toys anymore!" Leo's voice was more heartbroken than angry, and Remus steeled himself to explain the situation again to the six year-old who had had more than enough of traveling and family holidays. But Ana, wandering past in a half-hearted effort to straighten up all the things she'd strewed about the room, took over.

"Leo, sometimes we have to take care of the pack first. Dee is in trouble. This really bad lady is trying to hurt her, and we have to help."

Leo was unconvinced, his lower lip sticking out in a precursor to a full-blown tantrum. "Dee's mummy and daddy can help her. I don't want to stay on the farm!"

"Her mummy and daddy died in the war," Ana replied sternly, hands on her hips in a posture that reminded Remus of her own mother, "so we have to share."

That made an impression. Leo's eyes widened. "They did? Like Nate and Caleb's gran and grandad?" He glanced swiftly to Remus, as if seeking confirmation.

"Your sister's right," he said gently. "And that's what it means to be part of a pack, to help the ones who would be all alone otherwise."

Leo's face screwed up as he thought this over. "We can go home and she can come live with us. She can have Conor's room," he finally offered grandly. "He can sleep in the cupboard with Kreacher because he's so small."

Remus covered his face with his hand, hiding his smile as he pretended to consider the idea. Ana had no such compunctions. "Dee doesn't need his room, silly," she scoffed. "She's going to live with Gareth, I heard Gemma say so."

"I think Kreacher's cupboard is already just right for him," Remus added quickly. "But it's always good to talk through our options. What will help Dee and Gareth the most is for all of us to make sure the farm is safe for everyone, and then I will call Aunt Lina and see how else we can help."

With Leo distracted from his own troubles, he continued to announce his other ideas for helping. "We can dig a hole and make a trap for the bad lady. I can help Kreacher make biscuits. Biscuits make people happy," he said, hopping from one foot to the other. "Xavier can get his gun and hide on the roof and shoot the bad lady when she comes! Then we'll eat the biscuits afterwards."

"Lovely, yes," Remus replied distractedly, hearing his mobile phone begin to ring from somewhere under the piles of laundry covering the bed. He grabbed his wand and accio-ed the phone out of the chaos. "Severus? What's going on?"

We checked her grave. She wasn't there…It was Ramón Castillo.

"What?! But that means…

"The man we met was Valentina Rodriguez. He's clearly been dead for some time, probably polyjuiced and imperiused to commit suicide as her after the trial."

Only the two young faces staring up at him kept Remus from verbally venting all his frustration and indignation. "What happens next?" he asked, carefully steadying his voice.

"Miss Laurent's team is at his flat. Miss Rodriguez was gone, but they are looking for additional evidence that might clue us into her plans. Someone is looking into Ramón's finances over the past year as well. They did find an address for a flat in London. Perhaps you and your wife could see what's there."

"Pardon? Oh, yes. Yes, of course, send us the address," Remus sputtered, his brain struggling to assimilate the information that the congenial young man who had appeared so worried about Gareth and so encouraging after learning about his lycanthropy…oh bugger… "Severus, she didn't know we were werewolves until that day," he said hoarsely. "He asked if we all were, and I said you and Eglantine were not, but he…she's bound to figure out about the rest of us."

There was a sigh through the phone. "Yes, I assumed that was the case. If you would feel more comfortable moving to a new location, I'm sure Lina could arrange that as well."

"No, keep her focused on Valentina. We'll be all right here. We're working on securing the farm." But looking at his children, he felt all at once an overwhelming anxiety and sat down heavily on the side of the bed. "Does it ever end?" he muttered in a hushed voice, not really meaning to speak the words aloud.

"That question is better suited to your Seer," Snape's voice muttered hollowly though the phone, "but I believe it improbable."

"Cheers," Remus huffed. "You're a ray of sunshine, you are."

Maybe Gareth should have known something odd was going on. Lina had been gone by the time he'd woken up that morning and made his way downstairs. When asked, Snape had muttered something dismissive about her following up a lead. Then he'd been distracted by Snape wearing a gray suit with a light blue dress shirt and paisley tie, clearly trying to achieve a more normal appearance. The two of them were having coffee at Sirius and Deirdre's hotel, where they were to "accidentally" bump into the pair again before returning to the administrative offices to go over upcoming social and political events. But Gareth had been so focused on getting to see Deirdre, that he was quick to dismiss everything else.

He'd caught sight of her the moment they'd entered the hotel dining room, she was flipping her hair back over her shoulder and Sirius was was laughing. After the necessary noticing and greeting, a House Elf waiter took their orders, Sirius insisting on far too many pastries to accompany the teas and coffees. As soon as the House Elf vanished, Snape glanced around the room as though to check who else might be watching, and then leaned forward slightly, his face severe. "Before I say this, you must remember that we are in a public place and it is imperative that you control your reactions." He flicked his gaze to each of them imperiously before saying, "Early this morning Miss…es Laurent and I were able to gain access to Miss Rodriguez's crypt. I am sorry to say that the body inside was that of Ramón Castillo."

Funny how odd details imprint themselves onto the memory. Forever after Gareth could picture Snape's face as the words left his mouth, and the strangest thing was he could tell the man was actually sorry to have to say it, sorry that they had found Ramón that way. And he could remember hearing Deirdre's quick gasp beside him, and her hand reaching out to clutch at his. Then he noticed his chest felt odd and the room felt…fuzzy. Fuzzy? Yes, that was the word. Sirius, sitting across the table, looked worried…and blurry. Why he blurry?

"Gareth, close your eyes," Deirdre's sharp voice pierced through the strange buzzing sound in his ears. "Take a deep breath and hold it."

He obeyed, not at all certain what was happening. Ramón, the man who'd been closest to him through all of the chaos of the past few years, dead. Dead?!

"…Three…Four…Five. Now slowly exhale. Slower. Good. Take another breath, as deep as you can."

His chest was burning as he held his breath, but he could hear Deirdre count, her voice calm and steady. Her professional voice. Oh, that was probably bad. He didn't like her turning that professional voice on him.

"One more. Hold it."

Okay, her voice was softer now, and she was gently massaging the back of his neck. The roaring sound in his head was almost gone.

"Slowly let it out. Good. Now open your eyes and look at me."

He blinked and turned slightly to look at her. Her hair was loose, draping over her shoulders, uncommonly pretty hair, he'd always thought, that blend of red, orange, and gold. Her eyes were glassy and watching him carefully.

"What…happened?" He looked across the table, Sirius was no longer blurry, but focused on him, still looking worried. Snape was impervious as always.

"Your breathing changed. It looked like you started having a panic attack," Deirdre whispered.

Sard. He rather hated himself in that moment. Hated that he'd become this weak, pathetic man who fell to pieces. Valentina was Ramón. What the hell?! How could that have happened? But how it happened didn't really matter. Lina and Snape had seen it. And Sirius wasn't rolling his eyes or protesting that Snape was crazy. So it must be true.

"I…uh…" He cleared his throat and tried again. "I just need a minute. Go ahead and…say whatever you were going to say." He hated that Snape looked as if he were sizing him up, gauging whether he could handle what was coming. And he hated that he wasn't sure he could handle it.

Deirdre pushed his coffee cup towards him. "Hold that," she directed, murmuring close to his ear. He wrapped his hands around it. "Close your eyes again and smell the coffee. Let it sort of anchor you to right now."

He did it, but he didn't want it to anchor him to right now. He wanted to be anchored to several days ago, when Deirdre had handed him a cup of coffee and they ate breakfast standing up in his kitchen before they curled up together in front of the fireplace, finally feeling free and safe and hopeful. But as his body calmed down and his mind stopped jumping all over the place, he gritted his teeth and forced himself to focus. "You'll want to know what I said to him…to her over the past year, what she knows that could be harmful."

"If you can remember anything pertinent, yes. But also, it would be helpful to know how you think it might benefit her to be Mr. Castillo. She would not have had access to company finances or decision making." Snape settled back in his chair, fingers tented together, waiting for Gareth's response.

He took a slow sip of coffee, trying to buy time. His thoughts bounced around like a pinball, trying to reframe interactions with Ramón as if he were with Valentina. "I do occasionally make phone calls and conduct some business in the car," he finally offered with a shrug. "It's possible she overheard discussions about stock trades, mining protocols, product development. But…" the full import of the situation settled on him like a lead cloak, "I shared more with Ramón about the family than I shared with anyone else, the weddings, the kids, where Izzy was on tour, what it was like living on the farm with everyone all up in each other's business, you," he added, looking at Deirdre. "She knows far more than I would have wanted her to know," he finished in a hushed voice, burying his face in his hands. He felt sick. Trying to destroy him and his family once wasn't enough. There was no way to know what she might do next, but she was certainly preparing for something.

"Can you guess what she might be planning?" Deirdre asked Snape in a quiet voice. Gareth all at once realized she was still holding his hand and remembered they had planned this because Barón Estremera was usually here for a late morning coffee. He shifted in his seat, turning his head just far enough to check that the young man was still there, chatting animatedly with two others. He slipped his hand out from hers, tried to smile, and reached for his coffee cup, cradling it in both hands.

Snape had settled back in his seat, tapping the edge of the table. "That is an irrelevant question," he sighed. "I can easily come up with at least ten things she might be planning. The trouble is that one could waste time following up on the wrong ideas."

"So we have to wait for more evidence," Sirius said, letting out a long breath. He smoothed the ends of his mustache. "Maybe we ought to head back to England to wait for Lina's people to gather whatever intel they can. I'm sure by now she's alerted the authorities. Valentina can't travel through apparation sites, since they check for enchantments, hell most Muggle sites have built-in precautions too. You two are probably safer out of Peru."

"Eglantine suggested the same thing," Snape acknowledged. "However, the original plan was to come here in an attempt to draw her out. That objective has not changed. The risks have not changed. We are in a better position to tighten the net around her, because we know at least part of what she has been doing the past year. I fully expect Miss Laurent's team to have found out more by the time we return."

"Then we continue with our plans," Deirdre said firmly. "There was something Ramón said the night we went to the little bar, well, not Ramón, but her." Deirdre's nose wrinkled in a puzzled sort of way. "Funny that she was talking about herself. Anyway, he said Valentina was a demon that could pretend to be anyone and lure people away. And he said that she knew I was her rival. So I'm willing to be considered the worst sort of gold digger if we need to be featured in some sort of gossipy newspaper and push this thing along." An embarrassed smile crossed her face. "I can't read Spanish anyway, so I won't know what they're saying about me."

"I can't believe you were alone in the same room with her," Gareth shuddered. "Anything could have happened."

"The woman is calculating," Snape said thoughtfully. "I doubt at that time she quite knew what to make of Miss McIntyre being here, and so had not settled on a plan to exploit the situation."

"It certainly wasn't our finest moment," Deirdre said with a small smile. "Gareth and I were at each other hammer and tongs that day."

"Thoughts?" Snape asked, skewering Gareth with his eyes.

For a terrifying moment his mind was blank. He didn't know what to do. Hell, Deirdre had had to tell him to breathe not five minutes ago! Then, strangely, miraculously even, he could see it, all the threads stretched out, webbed and taut, connecting him, Valentina, the company, Peru, Maria, his family, Deirdre. "I might have an idea," he said slowly.

A bitter wind whipped down the street, sending Artemis' black hair flying about under her red knit cap. Remus smiled at her, brushing the wisps away from her face. "It might be hard to cast spells if you're trying to swallow your own hair," he said softly.

"I wanted to cut my hair years ago, but you talked me out of it," she said pertly, taking his hand and snuggling into his side. "You said you liked the way it lay over the pillows in our bed."

"That is a false equivalence," he said dryly. "Me preferring your hair long does not mean you are required to wear it down. It would have been very simple to plait it out of your way."

"Well, the truth is I put the hat on and thought it looked nicer with my hair down. I'll put it up before we have to break into her apartment. It should make you happy that I still care enough to try and look attractive for you."

He laughed. "You don't have to try too hard. The rumpled pajama-wearing wife is more my cup of tea."

"Flatterer," she laughed, pulling him to a stop. "Is this it?"

Remus looked up at the block of East End Muggle flats. "This is it."

"I think it would feel more ominous if it weren't so…ordinary," Artemis whispered.

Remus had to agree. Perfectly ordinary, apart from the fact that this also happened to be the building where Deirdre lived. "It can't be a coincidence. I say we check Deirdre's flat first and make sure there aren't any nasty surprises."

He had recognized the address Severus sent immediately. Deirdre might insist on trying to make her own way, but Remus had taken it upon himself to swing by whenever he could, keep an eye on things, like making sure she could pay her bills and had enough food, and discreetly add his own protective enchantments. Nothing too extreme, but enough to keep any unwelcome non-magic visitors unaware that her flat existed. They would simply walk past her door. He'd had to quickly nip down once and adjust it when she had been dating that Nick from Isabel's band. It had worked a little too well, and the first time Nick had come to pick her up for a date he couldn't find where she lived. But it wasn't enough to keep out a malevolent magic user.

They climbed the stairs to the first floor and headed down the breezeway, the wind sending Artemis' hair flying once more. She huffed in frustration and paused, aiming her wand at her head and whipping all the hair back into a ponytail.

"See, you're just as beautiful as ever," Remus muttered out of the side of his mouth as she rolled her eyes at him. He stopped at the door and began methodically removing the spells he'd put up. When he'd finished he cast a revealing spell, watching a gold film glimmer slightly around the doorknob. "There's definitely something here." He looked at his wife. "I'd like you to step back, further down the corridor…just in case."

Artemis held his gaze, then nodded her assent. "I hope Lina can wrap this up quickly," she said as she stepped away. "I do not want another season in our lives of having to worry about trading missions."

Remus worked for several minutes, removing what appeared to be a detection spell and a befuddlement charm from the door. He unlocked it and let the door swing open, casting another revealing spell over the interior, then poked his head out the door. "All right, I think it's clear. I just want to double check a few more spaces."

Artemis nodded, and followed him, glancing around the flat. "I'll check her bathroom products and her clothes," she said after a moment. Her voice sounded odd, and Remus turned to look at her. She frowned, then shrugged. "If I was trying to destroy a rival I might make it more…personal, more intimate."

He nodded. "I would guess she took her make up things with her, but there are probably other soaps and perfumes. That's a good idea."

She laughed, but didn't sound particularly amused. "Yes, but you're thinking like a dad. That wasn't quite what I was thinking. Deirdre wouldn't have taken fancy lingerie to Peru with her, she and Gareth were barely speaking. But if Valentina has been watching them recently, and she's already been here…well, there are other things she could sabotage."

"Ah," he said, annoyed that he could feel his cheeks heat with embarrassment. "I will let you handle that then. I'll check the kitchen."

She winked at him and disappeared into the bedroom. The kitchen was devoid of most food stuffs, since Deirdre had cleared it before leaving town, but Remus double checked that nothing had been cast over or apparent potions added to any tea or biscuit packets, jams, and sauces. He then checked over the living room and all the windows, Artemis joining him as he finished up. "Anything?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nope. You?"

"No. No additional spells, no potions. So apart from the spells I'd put up and the ones on the door there's no magic here at all."

"A detection spell and befuddlement charm…why only those?" she mused, tapping at her chin with a painted fingernail. It was bright pink with yellow polka-dots, Ana's work no doubt. "Clearly that's why she took a flat in this building, so she'd be close at hand when the detection spell was triggered. She'd know right away when Deirdre returned."

"Right, and a befuddlement charm would give her time to get over here and…and what?" he wondered aloud. "Kill her? There are easier ways, surely. So kidnapping maybe?"

"You don't think she'd try the trick with Deirdre that she tried with Ramón? Stashing her somewhere and using Polyjuice to become her? Gareth would probably actually lose his mind over that one."

"I don't think so," Remus said slowly. "I don't think she'd be able to pull off living like she doesn't have magic. And now that she knows about the lycanthropy…Polyjuice won't go that far. She couldn't sustain the charade."

"Ransom then, or leverage of some kind."

"Probably. Let's lock up here and check the other flat."

It was only three doors down. They paused to listen, but could detect no sound from within. Remus cast a mild revealing spell, not powerful enough to trigger any defenses, but it might give them a clue as to how locked down…ah. That door was lighting up like a Christmas tree. He grabbed Artemis' arm and hauled her away, further down the breezeway.

"Well, I think we can assume she's here," Artemis said under her breath. "That place is locked down tighter than Fort Knox."

"We'll call Severus from the house." Remus said grimly, apparating them both back to Yorkshire.