Just Like Old Times

"Jenny? Are you there?" Remus leaned onto the bars of the cell he was suddenly cast into, frantically calling for his friend. "Jenny?"

"I'm here." Jen's hand appeared around the corner from the cell to the right beside him. The stonewalls of the dungeons separated his view of her, and the metal bars on the cage front allowed them to only be able to reach each other's hands into the corridor, past the iron bars. "I'm so sorry, Remus, you shouldn't be here," Jen's apology, though trying to sound strong, was filled with fear.

"Don't worry about me." Remus clenched Sirius' fiancé's hand tightly, looking around futilely hoping to get his bearings. He wasn't sure where they were, but he was sure it wasn't good. When he saw the panic on Jen's face when she jumped to grab the Portkey sphere before he did, he knew it was trouble. Instead of pulling back, He saw the panic on Jen's face and he locked his fingers with hers around the sphere. Whatever came, whatever Jen knew that he did not, she wouldn't go it alone. Remus would stand beside her. For the briefest of moments they appeared in the center of a room with a very imposing man of about sixty sitting in a luxurious armchair. The room was warm and comfortable. There was a fire blazing in the fireplace and several bookshelves full of old books, the carpeting was as lush as the furniture. The entire room had the feeling of wealth. Just as he was able to focus on these few things, Remus found himself being ported to another location. This location. "Where are we?" Remus looked around the cold, dank prison. The actual cell was quite small, maybe four meters by four. There was a window on the cold gray, back wall that was also quite small, too small for even the smallest of bodies to fit through. The iron bars reaching from floor to ceiling were about 6 inches apart, separated only at the end where the bars were locked together, forming a gate. The corridor in front of the cells had lanterns sporadically placed on the opposite wall casting a dim, foreboding atmosphere.

"I don't know." Jen clutched her other hand on top of his. "This isn't the dungeon in my Father's Manse." Remus could hear the fear she was trying to suppress in her voice. "But that was my father. And he looked very happy to see me." Her fingers were trembling around his.

"Any idea what he wants?" Remus asked.

"From me, or you?" A small tremor in her voice betrayed the normally strong and independent woman. Jen was terrified. Remus was sure of it.

"Either, both," Remus said as he squeezed her hand a bit tighter trying to reassure her, somehow knowing he couldn't.

"You're a collectors item to him. A tame werewolf." Jen took a shuddering breath that Remus felt through their clasped hands. "And I'm a traitor that needs to be taught a lesson." He felt her fear and wanted nothing more than to phase through the wall to protect her. "Thom left when he was fifteen," she explained, stilling Remus's reaction before he could act upon it, as well giving her need to explain everything she'd kept from him. "I was only ten, then. When he hit twenty he came back for my mom and me."

Remus didn't respond to that. A part of him wanted to ask what kind of lesson, but the fear in her voice urged him not too. Whatever was going to happen was not going to be good. Especially for her.

They heard clicking of boot heels on the stone floor slowly approaching. "Well now, isn't this sweet." The man Remus had seen in the room earlier, the one Jen had told him was her father, stepped from the shadows of the corridor and stood at the center point between the two cells. "Trying to comfort each other." He eyed Remus and then looked at Jen. Remus tightened his hold on Jens hand. "Perhaps I should separate you two. Even six inches of rock won't keep you from each other. Tell me, does Black know how strongly you feel for each other?" his boot scuffled over the floor as her stepped closer to Jen. "You know I'm really doing Black a favor. You've already betrayed your family, it would only be a matter of time before you showed your true colors and betrayed him as well."

"Leave her alone," Remus demanded. The Lennox man looked at him and smiled. He was definitely an imposing figure. He was older than Remus initially thought. But then this man was a wizard. He could be more than ninety years, and still look merely sixty. His hair was all but gone, only leaving traces of an ashen colored crown barely darkening the sides of his head. His eyes were green, a penetrating green. Not the green of Lily or Harry's eyes, there was no soul in these eyes, no compassion. The formidable figure he placed before Remus had no heart. Suddenly it became very clear to Remus that Jen was going to suffer. Jen had said that she had betrayed him and now he could see that she was going pay for that infraction. In spades. Remus saw very little hope, but he had to try to lighten is friend's suffering. "It's the werewolf you collect, let her go."

The Lennox Patriarch smiled then. "Are you trying to negotiate for her?" then pulled his wand and pointed it towards Jen's cell, still smiling. "Crucio."

"Don't!" Remus tried to grab at him, when he heard Jen's painful cry. But the older man just stepped back, barely out of his reach. "Leave her alone!" The werewolf tried to stretch around the bars.

"Are you under the impression anything you say has merit?" He smiled wickedly.

"You wanted a werewolf, now you have one! Let her go!" Remus could still hear Jen's whimpering.

"Oh, my dear Mr. Lupin, you are operating under a slight misconception." The imposing man sneered and Remus could almost see the madness behind his cold eyes. "Yes, I've wanted a werebeast for sometime, but you were not our target. It was my daughter." He looked at Jennifer, who was still wrything on the floor, "And her two whelps." Then looked back at Remus and smiled even wider. "You are just an added bonus."

Upon hearing this man use his name, Remus took several steps back into his cell. "How do you know my name?" His fear was rapidly increasing the longer this man spoke to him. If he already knew Remus's name, how much more did he know?

"Oh, forgive me. We haven't been properly introduced. You are Remus Lupin. Former Professor of Defense Against The Dark Arts at Hogwarts, lifetime friend of Sirius Black, unmarried and uninvolved, One of the many wizards who will be held accountable for the fall of the Dark Lord, and most recently, Jennifer Lennox's protector." He tilted his head. "I'm Etienne Lennox, and all you really need know of me is that I hold your life within my hand." He eyed Remus for a moment. "I'd offer you my hand, however, I get the impression you just might forget your manners and try to tear it off."

"Please don't hurt him." Jen's small voice interrupted him.

"You should be concerning yourself with how I'm going to hurt you!" he snarled at Jen and spoke evenly lowering onto his hunches, to become eye level with her as she tried to rise. Then leaned in closer to her cell and said very low, "And believe me, I'm going to hurt you." He dramatically stared at her for several minutes, letting her steep in the knowledge of what he was capable. Then quickly rose and brushed his trousers down, idly straightening them. "Unless you'd like to tell me which of those brats has the gift? Which one of them can read the future? No?"

"Read the future?" confused, Jen shook her head. "They don't, I mean neither of them can!" Mr. Lennox guffawed over Jen's protestations

Remus could hear the fear in Jen's voice as she pleaded with her father, and realized neither he nor Sirius had taken the time to explain to Jen what had happened when they tried to banish the portrait the previous day. She really didn't have much idea about the vision or even that it came from Lily. "How do you know it was one of the twins?" Remus said, trying to pull the man's attention to him and away from Jen. "It's possible it was Sirius."

The elder wizard stopped laughing and looked at Remus. For several moments he scrutinized the wolf, trying to figure if the animal was skilled at subterfuge, or just a plain idiot. Then slowly turned his head to Jen looking as though reevaluating her. "You stupid worthless girl." He finally snarled. "How is it a half breed knows more about your children than you? I suppose I'm going to have to spend a bit more time with your friend, now that I know he knows you and you kids so intimately."

"Just let him go." Jen's fear was breaking into clear panic. "He didn't even know about them until a few months ago!"

He looked at her and slowly shook his head. "You still disappoint me, Jennifer. The beast is going nowhere, and he knows more than he's letting on." He stepped back and eyed Remus. "How about you? Do you want to tell me which of the brats I should focus on?" He drummed his fingers lightly over his wand, waiting for Remus to respond. When the wolf remained silent, Etienne sighed. "Very well." Then pointed his wand at Jen. "Petrificus Totalus." He said in a bored manner, then opened her cell and disappeared into it.

Remus strained to hear what was happening, to no avail. All he could really hear was the rustling of what could only be Etienne handling Jennifer. After several minutes Remus heard the violent sound of fabric being torn from a body. Etienne then stepped from Jen's cell and walked past Remus to the end of the corridor.

"Jen?" He said softly, "Are you okay? Jen?"

"You know she can't answer you." A bored drawling voice from the opposite end of the corridor on the other side of Jens cell startled him.

"Who is it?" Remus tried to strain to see whom it was, he knew that voice.

Remus could hear the click of the heel then the tap of the toe of each deliberate step as the person came closer. "Don't you recognize my voice, Professor?"

He screwed his face in concentration, he did know. "Draco?"

Draco Malfoy stepped into view with a wicked little grin. "Those wolf ears of yours are good. Although I would have thought you'd have heard me earlier."

"What are you doing here?"

He scoffed and leaned on the wall across from the cell where he could safely look on the prisoner. "I live here."

Remus looked at him bewildered, "You can't be helping these people, Draco!"

"Why not?" He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "I help them, and they help my father." He sneered broadly. "How do think they found you? That was a truly inspired spell Thomas wrote, but he really shouldn't have left Lily out of it. But then that's always been the trouble with you 'wizards for the light.' You never think it all the way through. Even after that Weasel saw me with her you took no steps to prevent this."

"You told them where Jen lives," Remus stated, defeated.

"No," Draco shook his head and smiled broadly. "No, I didn't tell them anything. There's some kind of spell preventing anyone from finding where Jennifer Lennox lives. Unless someone who lives with her is stupid enough to write it down." Draco then pulled a small parchment from his pocket. He leaned slightly forward, making sure to speak loud enough for Jennifer to hear. "Look at this." He held it up for Remus to see. "She even put a little heart on it. I've already owled her, just before I owled her grandfather. She really is rather taken with me. It's really a shame her parents will be dead before we marry. But then Lily's still got her grandfather, doesn't she?"

"He's using you Draco!" Remus tried to get through to the boy. "They can't get your father out of Azkaban, They're just using you!" He did not like the thought of that Death Eater out of Azkaban.

"Now Draco," Etienne chided as he returned, placing an affectionate hand on the young Malfoy's shoulder, steering him away from the wall and back down the corridor. "Didn't you're father teach you not to tease or feed the animals?" He raised a hand- that was holding a coiled bullwhip- at Remus. "You'll only get it excited."

Remus's eyes were fixed on the whip. "What are you going to do with that?"

"Oh, don't you worry." He turned to Remus; "We want you nice and healthy for the full moon. Jennifer however has been a very bad girl," he trailed off and stepped in front of his daughters cell.

Remus shot a hand out and grabbed Draco's sleeve, as the boy passed by his cell. "Don't let him do this," he pleaded.

Pulling his arm from his old teacher, Draco looked at him disgusted. "Don't ever touch me again."

"I said you may watch if you stay out of the way," Etienne said to Draco, and then pushed him towards where he'd come from in the corridor. "I have five son's and daughter's impatiently waiting for their chance to see their long lost sister. I can waste no more time." Then stepped into Jen's cell. "Finite Incantatum."

"Please, daddy! No!" The naked terror in Jen's voice rocked Remus. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Remus pressed himself against the wall willing himself to somehow melt through it to help her.

With the first crack the cry that tore from Jen's throat shuddered Remus to his soul, "Stop!" he shouted then heard to second crack and Jen cried in pain. "Oh, god! Stop!" A third crack. "She's your daughter!" Then a fourth. And a fifth.

Remus lost count of how many strikes the whip made. Jen's cries died out long before the whipping.

When it finally did stop, Remus was huddled on the cold, stone floor leaning against the wall with his fingers raked tightly in his hair. He long ago realized his shouts and protests were an exercise in futility.

"That was invigorating." Etienne said as he stepped in front of Remus's cell, absently wiping his whip with the remains of Sirius' shirt Jen had so carelessly thrown on. "Draco, be a good lad and fetch Elizabeth."

Slowly, Remus raised his head and looked at the man with more rage than he'd ever felt in his lifetime. "You bastard," he hissed.

Jen's father smiled at the helpless wolf. "The fun is just beginning." Then conjured a chair and sat in it comfortably crossing an ankle over his knee. "It took a while to decide what order my other children would visit Jennifer, I finally decided on descending age. What do you think?"

Remus did not respond, only leveled his eyes on him.

"You should relax and get comfortable." He turned to see Draco and his eldest daughter approach. "This is going to take a while."

**** **

Remus could do nothing but listen as each of Jen's siblings exacted their own personal definition of punishment on her. He committed each of their crimes to memory hoping he could somehow extract their greatest fears from their actions upon their helpless sister. He couldn't block out Jen's screaming and pleas for mercy, but listening to her siblings gave him something constructive to do while Jen suffered through their torments. He knew one day their time would come. Elizabeth, the eldest of Etienne's children came with a quarterstaff. Remus paid close attention as the woman beat her sister to the point that Jen could no longer beg. Then Kenton, who brought no 'tool' but the grunts Remus heard made it quite obvious how he punished his sister. It was at that time Remus understood why Sirius had become so protective of Jen during their last year at Hogwarts, when the Slytherin's were harassing Jen. Catherine brought several potions. Jen's screaming stopped shortly after the younger sister entered the cell and Remus watched carefully as the wistful expression on Etienne's face changed slightly towards disapproval. The unsteady breaths escaping Catherine as she walked from the cell led Remus to believe she was going to be sick. She paused briefly in front of her brother, David, who brought a dagger. David looked solemnly at his sister then slightly nodded his head and finally walked into Jen's cell. Patricia was the last and had two servants carry in a large cauldron and a pike.

Several times Remus wanted to shout out, but then would look at Etienne's satisfied grin, and hold back. The old man would only find more perverse enjoyment if Remus begged as well. So he stayed with his back against the wall, sitting on the floor, alternating between shutting out the sounds coming from the next cell and committing each sound to memory. He kept his eyes leveled on Etienne. He would make this man pay for what he was doing. Then he would make his offspring pay. He wasn't sure how or when, But they would pay for this.

When the last of them left, Etienne slowly rose and said, "Draco, cut her down."

"But you said when your family was finished-"

"We're not," The old man cut him off sharply. "She still has Jeanne to deal with." Then looked pointedly at Remus for the first time since the torments began. "They won't be able to hold onto her for long." Remus heard the sound of Jen's body crumpling to the ground and Etienne nodded at Draco as the young man came out of the cell and locked it. "Now, lets go see about you father." He put a hand on Draco's shoulder and steered him from the dungeon.

With unimaginable self-control Remus remained as he was on the floor until Etienne and Draco left. He waited until he heard the door close and the latch slip. When he was sure they were gone, he leapt to the bars and reached a hand around. "Jenny! I'm here!" He pushed himself further into the bars trying to reach her. He wanted her to know that she wasn't alone and she had a comforting presence. "Come on Jen, take my hand."

After what felt like hours, though it was probably just a few minutes, a trembling hand reached out from the floor. Gently Remus folded his hands around hers. "I'm here," he soothed and softly stroked the back of her hand. "They've gone." She was struggling to fold her fingers onto his hand, so he tried to help but noticed something felt odd. Cautiously, as though he wasn't sure if he wanted to see, he tilted her hand and saw blood seeping from the end of her hand, her last finger was gone. He closed his eyes against the bile he felt rising and folded her remaining fingers around his hand. "He's on his way for you, Jen." He stroked her hand. "Sirius is coming."

########## #########

At first Harry wasn't quite sure what Lily was doing when she made to stand on her chair. But when she leapt across the table onto Severus Snape and knocked him off his chair onto his back it became quite obvious. Snape had not chosen his words wisely, and no matter how well intentioned his presence was, insulting Lily's mother had not been a very good idea. All the occupants of the table rose with a myriad of reactions.

Fred and George Weasley both turned their backs to hide their laughter and pride, although their shaking shoulders gave them away. Harry and Sirius stood with their mouths agape slightly turned up twisting between amusement and shock, Jimmy dropped his shaking head into his hands, hiding his frustration at his sisters lack of control over her emotions. Bill Weasley tried to pull the screaming girl from the man, Tonks looked to Sirius and Harry for direction (as she felt as strongly about the situation as they), deciding waiting for them to react first was her best course of action, while Moody simply stood silently waiting for the scene to end.

"You've got to be kidding me." Jimmy muttered to himself. Then raking his hands through his thick black hair raised his head and looked at Sirius. "You have to-" then stopped realizing there was no way anyone could hear him over Lily's profane eruptions. "You have to stop her!" he shouted, hopefully louder than his twin.

Sirius looked at him and nodded, suppressing a shocked smile. "Lily!" he shouted, rounding the table to help Bill. Together they managed to pull her flailing limbs from Snape. They moved her several meters away before allowing her feet to touch the floor. She was still ranting and spitting at the head of Slytherin house. Sirius interposed himself between his daughter and Snape, and took her arms in his hands. "Lily! This isn't going to help!"

"Didn't you hear what he just said?" she shouted in her father's face. "If you won't beat the crap out of him for that blatant insult, I will!" she struggled to loose herself, but Sirius held her tight.

Again, Sirius suppressed a smile. Jen was right, Lily had inherited his temper. Lily was ready to beat Snape bloody. Ah, to be young again, he thought wistfully. He tightened his grip on her arms and shook her once, firmly. "Stop! Severus knows where your mother and Remus are being held! If I let you kill him, our chances of getting them home safely diminish greatly."

"When Jennifer was you age, Young lady," Snape said icily, picking himself off the floor. "She did not have such distaste for Slytherin men."

A collective groan filled the room, as everyone knew that Lily was no longer the problem. They were all quite familiar with the ongoing rivalry between the Hogwarts classmates, and for Snape to bring up bad school memories and infer Jen preferred Slytherin to Gryffindor was a mistake. An eruption was inevitable.

Sirius released Lily and wheeled on Snape. However, before he had the chance to act on his anger, Bill stepped in front of him. "No, not you too." He put his hands against Sirius's chest to hold him back, and push him away if necessary. His red ponytail thrashed behind his shoulder like a wound up cat's tail. "I've taken some vacation time to come and help you, let's not waste it fighting with Professor Snape."

Sirius looked at Bill as though he would tear him apart, then took a steadying breath and looked at Snape. "Charles Mendes was a mistake. Jen knows it, we know it. Like all Slytherin, he lied and he used her."

Snape smirked and righted his chair. As he gracefully sat in it he said, "Perhaps. But I think even Jennifer would agree she rather enjoyed the time she spent with him."

Again, Bill pushed on Sirius's chest, "Don't." he warned.

"I'm going to kill him." Lily stated matter-of-factly and started forward, pointing at Snape. But Harry jumped in front of her; as he knew at this point, Sirius would neither want too, nor be able too stop her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her off her feet. "I'm going to kill you too!" she shouted at Harry flailing to get a grip or land a blow on her captor. He moved her another few meters away from the group at the table, and then set her down.

"Lily, calm down," he said quietly, but was drowned out by George and Fred's laughter. He looked at them crossly, "You two are not helping." And Lily again tried to get at Snape. Harry forcefully grabbed her and pulled her back, then bent down and lifted her over his shoulder. He looked at Bill as he started for the door, "You sort this out, and I'll work on her." He tipped his head at the thrashing body of Lily slung over his shoulder; Bill nodded, decidedly not smiling. Tonks opened the door for him as he took Lily away, still fighting and screaming profane remarks at Snape, Sirius, and Harry.

"You filthy snake!" Lily shouted at Snape, "I'll have your head on a pike!"

When Harry finally had Lily across the hall and into another of the rooms, he set her down and quickly pulled his wand and charmed the door. He wasn't letting her out of this room until she was sedate.

"Why are you doing this?" she shouted at him, grabbing the door in a futile effort to get out, needing to hear what was happening in the other room. She jerked and slammed her fists into the door. "Open this door!"

"No," Harry said calmly and sat on the edge of a chair in the small room. It was a cluttered spare room, with several boxes as tables and mismatched chairs with soft cushions. He was going to let her temper go, allowing her to her beat on the door and the walls. He was going to let her scream and bellow until her throat was raw. He was going to allow her to release all the anxiety she had built up over the last five days. Harry saw this girl was walking a very fine edge and Sirius was not in the right mind to help Lily work through the kidnapping of her mother. The young man hoped he would be able to help her.

"Let me out!" she shouted.

He only shook his head, watching her physically pummel the door. She hadn't taken out her wand yet, and he was a bit curious why she hadn't pulled it.

Lily continued to jerk on the door, screaming obscene remarks and banging her fists into the heavy wood. "Dammit!" she slammed her hand heavily onto the door a few times more, before weakly sinking to the floor. "Dammit!" she wailed as she folded against the door.

Harry could feel her anguish and fear. He stayed where he was, allowing her emotions to surface. She had to get this out, and if he stepped in to soon, she would bring up that independent wall, turning everything into anger against him.

She was still half-heartedly hitting the door. "I can't do this," she said and with one profound sob, closed her face into her hand.

Harry was across the room the moment her sob escaped, lowering himself on one knee beside her. He wanted to reach out to her, to take her into his arms and sooth all her fears away. But he knew Lily, and she wouldn't have that. She was nobody's victim and she wouldn't be coddled. "Lily," he said lamely.

She turned on him with fury. "Why?" she yelled. "Why are they doing this?"

"I don't know," Harry shook his head. "I do know your Mum's family is a very wicked lot and will do anything for power." He gently rested a hand on her shoulder. "My guess is they want you because you have exceptional talent. You don't have to look to hard to see how great you could be."

"But I'm not great." She said feebly.

Cautiously, Harry put his other hand to her cheek. "The simple fact that you don't think so, makes you all that much more valuable to them. They are an evil group, to be sure. And you share their blood, like Jimmy and Jen." He was fighting a rushing desire to grab a broom, grab her, and fly away. "You have too know Sirius will get her back."

"He shouldn't have too," she said looking into her lap. "I should've stopped this from the start." She took several deep breaths, and was making a point to not look at Harry. The tears had subsided a bit, but several were still falling. "This is all my fault."

"Now why would you say a fool thing like that?" softly Harry stroked her shoulder.

She raised her head and looked past him to the window. The sun was setting. "They came for me, you know. If I had just gone with them none of this would be happening."

Harry fought back a laugh at the girls' last words. "You really believe that?" He took her chin in his hand and turned her head to look at him. "You really believe Sirius would just let you go? If you had gone with them all this would still be happening. The only difference is we would be plotting your rescue and not Jen and Remus's."

Lily tried to fight back another sob, but it escaped her and she buried her head in her hands. "I never should have owled Sirius. I should have let well enough alone!"

Harry couldn't' stop himself from reaching out and gathering her into his arms. She buried her head into his chest and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

############ #########

"She's still not talking," Thom said with frustration as he entered Living area of Fred and George Weasley's flat. "And I don't think she's going to." He stepped up to the table and quickly scanned the occupants. Fred and George were obviously fighting back laughter, Jimmy was sitting with his face leaning into his hands, Tonks was looking thunderstruck and Moody was standing at the head of the table with his arms crossed firmly over his chest. He then saw Sirius leaning on the table with a decidedly angry face directed at Snape who was retuning the look. Bill was looking between the two of them with a look that would rival any of Molly Weasley's. "What did I miss?" He could feel the tension in the room and knew something had transpired while he was at the Ministry, trying to get information from his half-dazed sister.

"Nothing," Bill said flatly, although the suppressed snickers escaping Fred and George spoke otherwise. Bill looked at Sirius, then Snape. "Everything is fine." Feeling the two men would finally be able to control their tempers, Bill turned his attention to Thom. "What did she tell you?"

"Absolutely nothing useful. Unless you count that I'm an abomination to nature and mankind and Jen is one step shy of being a prostitute."

"No, I don't count that." Bill responded, shaking his head at the thought that even after five days Jeanne could still find the strength to insult her siblings.

"What are we going to do?" Tonks wailed helplessly. "I mean the full moon is tonight, Remus is going to need our help!"

"I guess we'll have to do this the hard way," Thom said as he rolled the small sphere Jeanne had in robes that she used a Portkey to her father, across the table to Sirius. "I can't even get her incantation to activate this damn thing."

Sirius caught the sphere and growled. "I don't know why we're even talking about this. Why don't we just get a vial of veritaserum and shove it down her throat?"

"Because that would be illegal, Sirius," Thom said plainly. Then looked at the still snickering twins. "Do you two think you can maintain control? Or shall we have you removed?"

"Hey, this is our flat!" Fred protested hotly.

"And our shop," George pointed out. "You all knew us before you came here. You had to expect this," he grinned. "But yes," he looked at Fred and shook his head with conspiracy. "We'll try to be good."

"And I agree with Sirius," Fred added. "Why don't we just fill her up with a truth potion and get the answers that way?"

"We're the good guys," Thom said. "If we did that we'd be just as bad as they are. That's what separates us, a respect for the law and the rights of others."

"They aren't showing any signs of respect for others!" Tonks ejected before she thought better of it, then mentally chastised herself. She did know exactly why they couldn't use the potion, but it didn't make the fact any easier to accept. Over the last few days she'd listened in horror as Thom described some of the more heinous actions of his family and was terrified of what they could be doing to Remus and Jennifer. Although she didn't know Jen very well she did know her well enough to have grown fond of her. On more than one occasion Jen had gone out of her way to make Tonks feel welcomed in her family. She even suspected Jen was manipulating Remus towards her. She gulped back tears thinking of Remus in the hands of that wicked, evil family. What were they doing to him? How would they control him tonight?

"Again," Thom said patiently. "That's what separates us. Now we're running short on time. They've been gone a week, if we're going to do something, we have to do it soon."

"They've been gone four days," Severus said. "Is it an American thing that makes you exaggerate so?"

"Is this a waste of my time?" Moody said, with irritation. "We know this Lennox family is the type that would try to resurrect Voldemort, or worse than that, create a new Dark Lord, probably one of their own breeding. If those are in fact their plans I would like to have the drop on them, but if my time is going to be wasted listening to you idiots bicker I'd much rather spend my time doing something constructive."

"No." Sirius lowered himself into his chair and toyed with Jeanne's sphere. "You aren't wasting your time. We have to get the drop on them. But we really have no idea what they're up too." He then looked at the Weasley twins, "I know you two have a penchant for the unorthodox, do you think you could try to work this thing out?" he held the Sphere up. "If the Ministry can't work it out, maybe you two can?"

George smiled and took the sphere from Sirius. "It couldn't hurt to try."

"We do know a few..." Fred paused, looking at Mad-eye Moody, "unusual spells. But hell, if the Ministry couldn't work it out, and we can," he looked at his twin, "Imagine the fallout!"

George nodded in agreement and the two left the room to find a better place to work on this new project.

"Your Gratitude for my risk is touching," Snape snarled when the twins left the room. "I told you Lupin and Jennifer were at Malfoy Manor. If Lucius hadn't asked me to watch over his son until he was freed, this is information you would probably never have gotten. You also know they intend to kill Jennifer and keep Lupin as a pet." He then turned to Thom. "And you also know they managed to get Charles Mendez pardoned. Given his history with Jennifer I can't imagine that to be a very promising situation for her." Severus remembered the fallout after Jennifer had broken up with Charles all those ago. Snape had not taken an active part in the Slytherin House's retribution against the Gryffindor girl. He was, however, very aware of how angry Charles had been. He looked back to Black and said, "He still harbors feelings for her. And he'll do whatever he feels necessary to show her you don't dismiss a Slytherin."

Throughout Snape's tirade, everyone-except Bill- seemed to miss the knowing look Thom and Moody shared, and Moody slowly shaking his head at his American counterpart. Briefly Bill tried to figure what the two wizards were exchanging, but his thoughts were stilled when Sirius jumped up from his chair.

"That's exactly what she did!" Sirius shouted at Snape. "And don't think I don't know why! You disgust me!" he leaned further onto the table. "There's a reason the snake is your House's mascot! You are all a bunch of snakes who devour anything good in your life! You open your snakemouth and swallow all that's right and sit contentedly as you digest then dispel it! She was terrified of all of you after she showed Mendez the door!"

"Stop!" abruptly, Jimmy stood and slammed his palms onto the tabletop, startling everyone. He had been so quiet throughout the scene most of them had forgotten he was even there. "What are you doing?" he implored, looking at each of their faces. "Why are you wasting this time? You know where she is and what they're most likely doing to her!" he then looked at his father, "isn't she more important to you than this..." he shook his hand between Sirius and Snape, "Thing you have against him? She's my mother!" he suddenly felt hot tears on his cheeks. Then said much softer, "she's my mom." His seventeen-year-old pride forced him back into his chair and he pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes, trying to hide his desperation.

Tonks laid a soft hand on his shoulder, knowing anything more would be rejected. She remembered being a teenager and for Jimmy to fall apart and embrace her would be an admission of weakness. And no teenage boy would willingly admit that.

"Oh, Jimmy," Sirius guiltily said. And rounded the table to sit beside his son. "I'm sorry," then paused and looked at Snape who was still scowling. "You're right." He slid his hand up and down his son's back. "You mother is by far more important. And I will find a way to bring her home. I promise you."

"How?" Jimmy lifted his head and looked at Sirius with red eyes. "There's no way to break through all the wards the Malfoy's have on their land! So what if we know where she is! We can't get to her! She may as well be locked in a tomb in Egypt!"

"There is one possibility," Thom said quietly, looking at Moody. "But it's risky."

"This is a bad idea, Thomas." Moody slowly closed his eyes and shook his head. "It's too soon, and there are too many variables we can't predict." He opened his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "A lot of people could die if it he turns against us, including Jennifer and Remus."

"What's a bad idea?" Sirius demanded looking at Moody, then shifted his glare to Thom. "What possibility?"

**** ***

Sitting on the cold stone floor with his back against the bars of his cell, Remus reached his arm around to clasp Jen's hand. Remus gazed out the small window. What he could see of the sky was streaked a glorious red and purple, which meant it would be a clear night. The full moon would be clearly visible, when it rose. He could already feel the animal instincts in his blood vying for control. He'd lost track of how many days they'd been here, he stopped counting after the second day. It couldn't have been long; this was the first full moon since their capture. But it had been long enough. Jen was dying. He knew it and could do nothing to prevent it. He gently squeezed Jens broken hand.

After the first day in the Malfoy dungeon, after Jen's 'family' had taken their vengeance on her, there was a steady stream of Death Eaters filing in and out of Jen's cell. They had beaten, whipped, flogged and raped her mercilessly. Remus protested at first, crying and begging them to stop, but eventually realized all his protestations seemed to make the villains behave dastardlier. He was vaguely aware that Draco had not returned, even after his initial protest to Etienne Lennox. He was curious by the boy's absence, especially when all the other Death Eaters started visiting Jen's cell. He was also aware that Jeanne hadn't shown herself, another curiosity. it seemed so trivial, Remus tried to dismiss it, but the thoughts continually found their way back to the fore of his mind.

Remus remained silent as each of the criminals came to Jen's cell. As Jen remained silent. It was only on that first day with her family that she cried out, after that, she spoke no more. Not even to Remus. He listened as each of the wizards inflicted some sort of pain onto his dear friend, screaming in agony in his head. At first he'd expected Jen to cry out to him when whomever had 'visited' her had left, but she didn't. When they left them Remus would reach his hand out to her, and she would always take it, but she never spoke. Not once. He could feel her raking sobs but never heard a sound. He marveled at her strength to keep silent through all the torments. He babbled inanely at her, trying to take her mind from the pain he knew she must've been in, trying to hide the pain and fear in his voice. If she could find the strength to not cry out, he could find the strength to keep his fear hidden from her.

Although not sure what the plans for him were, Remus knew Jen's death was imminent. Each day she had grown weaker and weaker. At one point she could clasp his hand, now she barely had the strength to pull herself close enough to the bars to reach out for her friend. Each day, Etienne had brought a Healer to give Jen just strength enough to remain conscience throughout her daily torments, but not enough to put up any real fight. Each day she grew weaker, but was forced to remain alive. Remus could only imagine if Jen longed to be dead. But he suspected Jen was still clinging to the hope that she would survive. She had two children, a semi-adopted son, and Sirius. Remus knew Jen would force herself to stay alive to get back to those she loved so dearly. He also knew she wouldn't make it out of this place alive. The injuries and spells cast upon her would kill her. The only reason she was still alive was because Her father enjoyed tormenting her, although he knew it was just a matter of time before the Lennox's grew bored of her.

So he talked to her. He wanted his friend to know how loved she was. He told her tales of Sirius and Harry. He tried to tell her of how Sirius never stopped loving her and how angry he'd been at Remus for never being able to find her while he was in Azkaban. He tried to tell her all he could about those she had come to know during the last few months. He told her humorous tales of the Weasley's, the perpetual clumsiness of Tonks, Harry's Similar Quidditch style to James', and how odd he thought that Harry was a Seeker and Jimmy was a Chaser As both their father's had been. He tried to take her mind from everything but his voice and the tales of happiness he hoped were forming in her mind.

"When the moon rises, I'll not be able to be here for you," Remus finished lamely after they had been left alone for the evening. "I stand no chance of controlling the wolf without wolfsbane."

Her ring finger lightly pressed on the back of his hand as a response. The only response Jen had been able to give for sometime.

"But in the morrow I'll be back for you. You're not going to be alone." Again he felt as her finger slightly shifted. Remus grasped her hand a bit more firmly when he heard the door to the dungeons opening. "Once the wolf is gone I'll be here for you."

"Don't you ever tire of this maudlin behavior?" Etienne stepped into view. Remus did not look at him. He hated this man who always seemed to appear at the worst moments.

"She's dying," Remus said quietly.

"Yes," Etienne agreed and looked down at their hands folded together. "And she's making quite a production out of it." he toed their clasped hands and smiled at Remus. "In fact, she's become quite boring. Would you like to help us?"

Remus finally looked up at him, but didn't respond with any emotion.

Etienne looked down the corridor and jerked his head, beckoning someone forward. Severus Snape, and was that Charles Mendes? Stepped in front of his cell as Etienne unlocked the gate. Remus took a fleeting moment to think of Charles. He'd been locked up for several years, one of the first Death Eaters to be caught. He remembered because Sirius had made the comment, 'I've been waiting years to make that snake suffer'. Remus knew Sirius spoke of how the man had treated Jen while they were all still students at Hogwarts. "Charles?" Remus said, not quite believing he was looking at Jen's old boyfriend who was supposed to be in Azkaban at this very moment.

"It's been quite some time, hasn't it?" Chuck said as he and Snape entered the cell and each grabbed one of his arms, pulling him up. "You're not looking well, Remus. Have you got some sort of bug?" He smiled as he and Snape pulled him from his cell.

"What is this?" Remus tried to fight against the two men, but without proper food or drink his body was too weak. He whipped his head between the two, Charles looking at Etienne, and Snape looking at the floor, avoiding any sort of contact. Snape couldn't have turned back to the dark, could he? "Snape, what's going on?"

The Potions Master pointedly ignored him.

"It's time for Jennifer to die," Etienne explained. "And what better way to die than at the hand of her friend." He smiled, then unlocked Jen's cell. "Or should I say paw. Or maybe tooth?"

"NO!" Remus screamed, as he suddenly understood what was intended for him. His body became rigid with horror at the though of being forced to transform in a cell with Jen, he redoubled his efforts to fight. "Don't! She'll never survive in the same cell with me!"

Smirking, Etienne pulled the gate of Jen's cell open and with flourish slightly bowed as Charles and Severus tossed him into her cell. He landed on his face, quite literally and before he had a chance to recover, Etienne had slammed the gate shut and locked it. "I think my daughter has suffered quite enough. You however, have yet to begin to feel the pang of suffering." He smiled broadly and dismissed Snape and Mendez. "But then knowing you are to be the one to murder your best friends whore is a good start."

"No!" Again, Remus shouted and lunged at the cell bars, feeling his heart breaking as all hope of survival shattered. "Don't do this!"

Etienne raised his eyebrows. "It's already done." Then turned to leave.

"I'll fight this!" Remus continued to shout. His voice cracked with the effort not to come undone, because his heart knew it was hopeless. "Even without wolfsbane I can still fight the wolf!" The bravado was incredible, he had tried often before to fight his blood lust without the aid of medicines only to have it overcome eventually. He could fight it, but he could never win. The poor man's insides had melted with the fear of what he knew was to come.

Etienne stopped short, and slowly turned to Remus. "Really." He tilted his head with that grin that never seemed to escape his face. "Then perhaps I should add a little incentive." He reached into his robes and pulled a small vile. "Do you know this?" He asked as he uncorked it.

Remus immediately caught the scent. She-wolf. He stepped back from the bars and looked at Jen's father squarely, "Even you wouldn't do this to your own daughter."

Still smiling, he looked at his daughter, rumpled against the bars of the cell. Then tipped the vile between the bars, and shook it's contents onto Jen's beaten body. "Of course I would. And now, even you wouldn't think of resisting?" Then turned and left the dungeon.

Panic enveloped him. For so many years he'd been able to not only maintain, but also to some degree control this curse. Now it was gone. He had no control. He felt his fingers begin to ache as he realized how tightly he was gripping the bars. He was going to kill Jen. He slowly turned his head to look at her. To look at her for the first time in days, and he felt himself loose control in another way. Too feel what little food they'd given him rise to his chest then throat. He turned away from her and collapsed on his knees, heaving everything he'd ingested onto the floor before him. The image of Jen was seared to his mind. He continued to heave his eyes freely dropping tears. Though, from the exhaustion of his heaving or the vision of Jen, he wasn't sure. When he finally felt he could turn back, he first took a deep breath to steady himself.

Which he found to be a mistake. The She-wolf scent filled his senses. He wanted to take the she-wolf sharing the cell with him. Only his sight controlled him. He looked at the naked, beaten and battered body of his dear friend and found control. This wasn't a wolf. This was a torn woman who needed him to help her through these final hours. For the first time, his mind connected the sounds he heard earlier with the sight before him now and he wordlessly cried out in anguish.

Remus knew they had beaten, whipped and raped her, but until this moment he had only his imagination to formulate what they actually had done. He found his imagination to be somewhat lacking. She was curled in a somewhat fetal position facing the wall with her arm still stretched between the bars as though she were waiting for Remus to take her hand. A few times at Hogwarts, Remus had accidentally walked in on Sirius and Jen in most compromising positions, and although embarrassed, he couldn't help but notice how attractive he thought her. He shuddered at the thought of Sirius ever seeing her like this. Her hair was matted with filth and blood. Remus couldn't even begin to count the gashes along her back that all still seemed to seep blood, and her arm was contorted at her side in such an unusual fashion he knew it had been broken several times over. He felt tears spilling onto his cheeks as he crawled to her and gently turned her to face him. He felt the bile try to rise again as he looked at her swollen face. There seemed to be one huge bruise covering it's entirety, and her left eye was so swollen he guessed even with proper treatment, her eye would never see correctly again. Her lips were dried and chapped with scars and blood covering them both. Dried blood was coating almost everything. The walls, the floor. Jen.

Before he even realized what he was doing, he'd removed his shirt and was gingerly trying to put it on her. "Oh, Jen. Why did they do to you?" he asked more to himself than her. When he got her arms shifted into the sleeves, he carefully fastened each button. "Jenny, I'm so sorry. Sirius would never have let this come to pass." He was kneeling besides her, and gently lifted her, hoping not to aggravate her injuries and hugged her close to him.

Between her swollen lids, Jen managed to focus her one good eye on him. She moved her mouth to the form of 'Remus' then her tense body relaxed slightly before it began to weakly shake.

Remus thought Jen was trying to cry but could see that she lacked the strength. He held her close, mumbling soft comforts, not sure how long this reprieve would last. Shortly the wolf would take over and with that scent, that wonderful, beautiful scent coming from her, he would be onto her. And he would be worse than any of her previous visitors. But for now he would hold her. For now she would know he cared and meant no harm. He looked over his shoulder to the window and saw the sky had darkened considerably. He shifted and pulled them both slowly out of the path of the window into a corner of the cell. The moon would hold sway over him, no doubt. But he wouldn't give it help.

And so they lay. One victim to the moon, the other victim to what the moon would bring. He held her close not bothering to fight the tears that already escaped his eyes. He was going to kill her. He knew it. He smelled the scent on her and wanted her in a way he never felt for her before. Etienne knew this, and he capitalized on it. No. Remus thought to himself. I am stronger than a potion. I can fight this.

The popping sound of apparition refocused his attention making him look around the cell in confusion, looking for intruders. He saw no one but shortly realized the she-wolf scent was distorting his senses. "Oh god," he thought a bit more loudly than intentioned. He shook his head to catch scent of who the intruder was. "Don't worry." Remus said to Jen, pulling her closer. He may not be able to save her from her death, but he would fight this final horror. Though honestly he didn't know how, then tightened his grip around her.

Charles Mendez appeared out of nowhere from behind an invisibility cloak which he dropped to the floor. He immediately crossed to Remus and Jen. "Here." He held a goblet to Remus. "I think it may be too late, but you can at least try."

"Wha-" he stared from the goblet to Charles quite confused.

Charles lifted Jen's head back to get a better look at the damage, "They really tore you apart, didn't they?" Then shook his head. He fumbled in his robe and pressed something into Jen's hand and she vanished. "If that potion is going to stand a chance of working, you'll have to drink it."

"Wha- where?" Remus stuttered.

Chuck grinned. It wasn't often Remus Lupin was stunned stupid. "She's safe, she's getting help. Now listen to me very carefully." He leaned in closer to Remus, "You need to tell Snape to back off. There are murmurings that question his loyalty. The Lennox's have acquired the gratitude of several Dementors and are planning to put that to good use. Once they have Lucius out of Azkaban the top priority is getting their hands on Harry Potter and those twins of Sirius Black's. I'm not sure what kind of spell they're cooking up, but I know it requires blood from each of those kids." As he breathed his first breath since beginning his quick instructions, he ran back through his head, feeling he was forgetting something.

"Snape?" Remus said, the only word to really have registered through his shock.

Charles nodded. "Yes. Snape. I won't have the ability to get him alone. You need to make sure Moody and Thomas know his loyalty is in question. If you don't he will be killed as an example."

"I don't... I mean I..." Remus' tongue stumbled, as his thoughts were quite faster than his mouth could form.

"Relax." Charles said in a very patronizing tone. "You know where Snape's loyalties are. The Circle doesn't. Why do you think Etienne insisted Snape be one to toss you in here with Jen? It was a test."

"You risked all this for me?" Remus asked dumbfounded.

"No, I did it for me." He cocked his head. "Even the wicked know when they've been defeated," he whispered almost to himself. "Wait ten minutes, then take this." Charles placed an apple on the floor beside Remus. "This will get you to the dark forest, Jen will be at Hogwarts. I'll be able to stall the Lennox's a bit, but once they find you two gone there will be a manhunt for you and Etienne will pay handsomely to anyone who finds and kills one or both of you." He genuinely smiled in sympathy as the confusion on Lupin's face became deeper. "I'm sorry we don't have time to go into a lengthy explanation, and I know trusting me isn't easy. But really, do you have any other choice?"

Slowly, Remus shook his head and finally took the goblet from Mendez. "Thank-you." Remus said as he lifted the goblet and smelled the vile scent of wolfsbane.

"Once Jen is well enough," Charles said lifting and gathering the cloak from the floor. "Tell Black to take his family, and get the hell out of England." When he looked at Remus one last time, Remus thought he saw sadness in the Slytherin's eyes. "Because Etienne will have every Death Eater hunting for them, and for you as well." Then Charles disappeared beneath his cloak.

######### ########

Sirius stood staring out the window into the night sky. For what it was worth Sirius envied the Weasley's little flat. The complete independence and freedom the Twins had in this little space that was wholly theirs. It was a bit cramped, but he remembered that briefly he and Remus had shared a flat in London and two bachelors had a habit of making a large space seem so very small by way of lack of housekeeping. the Weasley's had the most wonderful view. This view was a sweeping landscape of Diagon Alley and the following countryside. The flat he'd shared with Remus had a view of the neighboring building on one side and a very questionable alley on the other.

Pushing his hair back over his head and looking at the moon, Sirius thought of Remus. Somewhere out there Remus had transformed and he was alone.

Sirius had listened intently as Moody and Thomas worked through a very rough plan to get Remus and Jen out of Malfoy manor. The two agents had been very cryptic; saying only that Charles Mendez was in reality working for the Ministry of Magic and Snape was there to ensure Charles motives, else the Death Eater would not have been released from Azkaban. Honestly! Sirius thought. Snivellus and that evil Mendez getting them freed? Do they really think I'm an idiot? It was very obvious to Sirius that Snape and Mendez were sent by Moody and Thomas to find a way to get Jen and Remus out of that hell. Although, I can't for the life of me, figure how! Sirius shook his head sternly at the window. I can't fathom why Moody or Jen's brother would trust either of them!

He had watched in mute frustration as Thom efficiently took over every decision. The American wizard proceeded to insist that Bill contact a woman named Illyana, who apparently was the only person on the face of the earth to be able to help Jen and Remus once they got her to safety. Harry was to stay with Lily and Jimmy right here, above the joke shop. Fred and George were to seek help at the Ministry, with Tonks aid, though no one thought it plausible that the Portkey sphere would be of any help at this point. Thom had finally told Sirius to wait at the flat, He needed to be exactly where Thom could find him if he and Moody were to succeed.

As he was reflecting on the night's events, Sirius squinted his eyes and tried to focus away from the moon and onto a small speck off in the distance that started to grow. It took a few moments, but he finally realized it was an owl. And it was flying in his direction, rapidly. He threw the window open and stepped out of the way as the large brown owl swept into the room, dropped a letter on Sirius and flew back out, not waiting for payment or response. He watched the owl disappear as he broke the seal and read the parchment. It had only three words.

"She's at Hogwarts."