Message In The Ashes

http://orcapotter.tripod.com/index.html , my website.

 

Chapter Seven

The Den

 

 

Of everyone who would have waited for Remus as the moon’s last light retreated and his mind began to return, it was only Peter who stood there anxiously amongst the trees that Remus could see. Remus was surprised, the shock somewhat distracting from the enormous headache and the pain each of his bones complained.

Even as a full grown adult, Peter was still short and stocky, and he stood there wringing his fingers like a child caught in the act. It took a moment for Remus to get him to register that he was butt naked, and toss him the clothes he had stashed in a bush nearby.

"S-sorry," Peter stumbled, as Remus grabbed his clothing and hastily got dressed.

"Fancy seeing you here, Wormtail," Remus muttered, wincing as he carefully eased his shirt over his head.

"You know how busy I am," Peter lamented, his expression pleading for forgiveness. Remus was used to it; he always used it whenever he fell short of catching on to things. "I got off early when I heard you were transforming alone. Please forgive me!"

"Oh, please, stop sniveling!" Remus sighed, getting to his feet slowly. Peter gently gave him a hand, supporting him by the shoulder.

"I’ve been so terribly distant. The work has just been piling up!" Peter continued to make excuses. Remus merely nodded, narrowing his eyes.

"So that’s why you didn’t show up on time when you were assigned with the Longbottoms the other day?" Remus cocked an eye down on him.

Peter looked horrified, clasping his hands to his cheeks. His sudden movement nearly threw Remus off balance.

"No! I completely forgot! Oh, how could I have been so stupid. I wrote that down! I… I was-"

"You mean you never even showed up?" Remus steadied himself and looked straight at Peter. Well, it wasn’t the first time Peter mixed things up. Instead of going to his Divination class back in their fifth year, he ended up in Muggle Studies. At least a good thing to come out of that mishap was Peter became the best chef with a waffle iron.

Peter hung his head and threw up his hands, completely defeated with himself. Remus winced as his head continued to throb, watching Peter moan about in the bramble.

"Oh, Remus! I’m not cut out being an Auror! All I do is mess up, and someone else has to clean up my mess. I’ve never been as good as you, or James, or Sirius, or Lily… I don’t know why Dumbledore even let me join the Order!"

"Stop acting ridiculous, Peter," Remus said, trying hard to hide his immense exasperation. "You know you’re just as talented as we are. Dumbledore has his reasons, and you wouldn’t have been inaugurated into the Order if you weren’t a good wizard. Now, shut up and let’s go inside."

"You’re so testy after you transform," Peter muttered, gathering himself enough to help Remus ease back on his shoulder.

"You just try turning into a werewolf. Like a hangover with fur," Remus hissed as they struggled back to James’ house.

"I’ve never known you to drink!" Peter exclaimed innocently.

"Just shut up."

 

He could smell blood.

Her long, fine fur the color of the darkest tree bark.

A plan.

Voices everywhere. Run! Hunt! The night is dark, the moon is bright!

Eyes as black as pools, amber like the sun, blue like the lightest sky.

Things are more than what they seem, little brother. Always has, always will.

Remus woke up with a start. He was completely soaked with sweat, the bed sheets a tangled mess around his legs. The window of his grandiose bedroom was alight with bright orange rays that were quickly diminishing. Everything else about the room were in shades of gray. He must have slept straight through the day from his transformation that previous night. The aches all over his body were replaced by anxious tension, and he quickly relaxed his muscles and settled a little easier back on his silk pillows.

In his exhausted sleep, he had gained back memories from his night as a werewolf. Although he couldn’t remember much of what happened after Peter had helped him back into James’ house, Remus’ mind was set on everything beforehand. To his relief, he remembered how, as a werewolf, he had managed to meet Beta at Godric’s Hollow. Remus recognized her, bringing all his memories together; the mysterious werewolf who had killed the Muggle woman.

He laid there in the expansive darkness, watching the shadows dance on the canopy of his four poster. The memories played about his mind, the same shadows reminding him of the pack he had now joined. It left Remus with a strange feeling that almost frightened him. He rubbed his eyes; certainly he didn’t feel content with belonging to a group just like himself! This absurdity angered him, and Remus sat up and swung his feet around to the floor.

Pulling his hands through his fine brown hair, Remus began to hear voices from downstairs. For such a large house, he was surprised and realized that they were nearly shouts. Concerned, Remus gathered himself to get on his feet and went out into the hallway.

"It’s not safe for him anymore, Peter!" Remus heard James shout.

"James, calm down," Lily said briskly.

"He’s right, though," Sirius agreed loudly. "Peter, if you had the time you should have gone with him."

"Since when is he my responsibility?" Peter grappled hotly.

Remus quietly descended the stairs, his friends not noticing. He watched them bicker amongst each other, and felt himself grow hot in the face with each argument.

It was Lily who saw him first, and her face went pale as she roughly shoved James and Sirius into silence. Confused and impatient expressions were shot at her, before they noticed the direction she was looking at and both of them groaned. They slowly turned to face Remus, who had reached the bottom of the stairs, regarding them all with an unreadable expression.

"How do you feel, Remus? Sorry to wake you," Lily recovered herself quickly and moved over to him to brush aside his wet bangs.

Remus smiled slightly at her and nodded.

"Fine. But I’m sorry to be the source of such trouble," he said with his expression hardening.

Sirius crossed his arms and looked grim.

"Don’t start with that, Moony, you know how we feel about you. We’re only concerned."

"That’s right," James nodded earnestly.

Peter was still white in the face and again began to wring his fingers.

"Oh, Remus… oh, Remus you know you’re my best friend. I-I didn’t mean anything against you, honestly I didn’t!"

"He happened to have gotten off quite early last night. Only your transformation seemed to had slipped his mind until just before you turned back." Sirius shot Peter an indignant look. James cuffed him on the arm and Sirius glared at him in shock.

"So you’re saying he should have babysat me, then?" Remus looked directly at Sirius.

"Oh, come off it, Remus!" Sirius uncrossed his arms and looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"Isn’t that what you do, though? Isn’t it?" Remus’ voice rose, making Lily take his arm in an effort to calm him. "Ever since we graduated, it’s become such a hassle to stay the Marauders every month! I’m tossed around to all of you so that you can divert your plans for my sake! I’m the family pet, and this is the boarding house!"

"Don’t be ridiculous, Remus!" Lily gasped.

"No," Remus stepped from her grasp and she looked at him with wide eyes. "It’s true. You all may have good intentions, but I can’t live off of charity forever. All of you have productive and self-sustaining lives, while I continue to depend upon you just like the dog that I truly am. I can’t continue to hamper your lives. It’s about time I find my own doghouse."

"Stop being a prat, Remus," James said slowly, his face hardened. "You’re over reacting. We have full confidence in you, and know you’re completely capable of taking care of yourself. We are only upset with Peter because the assignments we were all on last night happened to involve a new murder with the same circumstances as the last one. Our carefree days on the Hogwarts grounds are over, Moony… the land we tread on now is a lot more dangerous. You could have been caught, and we are the only ones apart from the staff at Hogwarts and the Order who know who you are. We only want to help you, like best friends should."

"Like family should," Sirius muttered, looking away.

"Self-pity won’t get you anywhere, Remus," Lily said softly to him. Remus colored in shame and he turned his back on them.

But isn’t pity what you give me all the time? He thought bitterly.

"I’m tired, guys," he muttered without turning. "Tired to be the cause of such worry. I am not your responsibility, and friends shouldn’t have to take up so much effort."

"Remus," Lily took his shoulders and turned him around. She looked deep into his eyes, her rich emerald green seemingly piercing his soul. He quieted with her intense gaze, and without taking her eyes off of him she reached beneath the neck of his shirt and pulled out the infinity charm she had given him. "Remember what this means? Infinite friendship, infinite hope, and infinite possibilities just to name a few. You hold this and tell me what it tells you."

She took his hand and opened his palm, setting the twisted metal ring upon it and folding his fingers back over. Lily holding his hand as he felt the metal dig into his skin, Remus could actually sense some trace of the virtues seeping into his mind. He looked from his hand to her face, and she smiled.

"You see, all you need to do is hold infinity in your hand and know that these things are true- they do exist. You can’t let your mind falter, for the things for which this charm stands for never do. Your mind is more confused than ever after you transform, having your conscious self taken over like that. Be assured, Remus, that we all mean what we said, and there is no reason for you to feel like a burden. We are a family, and families don’t let their members down no matter what."

Her voice ended in silence, the only sound coming from a grandfather clock ticking in the hall up the stairs. It was broken a few moments later, when Sirius let out a stifled sob.

"Oh, Lily… you gotta stop doing that, ya know! I feel all warm and toasty inside, why, I feel like going out to solve world hunger right now!" He shook his head, his face taut in heartfelt emotion, and turned to bury his face in James’ shoulder. Rolling his eyes, James patted his back as he smiled wholeheartedly at Remus.

"Couldn’t have said it better myself," he said warmly to him.

All Peter seemed capable of doing was grin with a distant expression, his face still slightly pale. He seemed to teeter on his feet, looking a tad anxiously at Remus. After a moment he nodded.

"What’s the use of running away?" he said quietly, looking past Remus and staring at nothing in particular.

While he felt soothed by Lily’s words and comforted by the love of his friends, the feelings he had voiced were still there. He couldn’t stay at James’ house for much longer, especially now that he had joined the Pack. The danger would only get worse. He needed time alone to think, and plan out exactly what he was going to do. His life as a spy was about to begin.

 

Remus had found a quiet spot in the Ministry lunchroom to sit down with a mug of tea and think. It was three days later, and Remus and Sirius had been assigned with Aaron and Clara to investigate the second murder. During those days, Remus helped Aaron sort out the evidence while Sirius worked with Clara to classify them all and record them. It was dizzying work, and it was no wonder Dumbledore had them working together on the project. While Remus knew Dumbledore already had an idea on who the murderer was, he said nothing. It was agreed that no one would know of Remus’ new role as a member of the Order. Thus, all efforts to be as innocent as possible must be made.

Even during the short breaks the foursome took between their labors, Remus had a hard time keeping his mind open to his secret challenge. He often found himself elbowing Sirius to keep him from drooling over Clara, for he had obviously taken a great liking to her. She, however, was clueless, for she was not a girl who seemed to have had many flirt with her. Clara made no effort to make herself stand out, and her interests including classical music did not take her to popular places where young people hung out to seek out a significant other.

It was her eyes, Sirius told him later, that attracted him to her. They were the color of the palest blue, and he felt lighter than air whenever she cast her gaze at him. Remus was quite pleased that he should take to a girl who normally didn’t have any suitors. Although, as he observed Aaron and Clara together, he could see how much Aaron respected her and even notice how protective of her he was.

"We should call it a night, guys," he had said to them the second evening. "Clara, you’re tired and you don’t want to aggravate that little cough you seem to be catching."

Clara didn’t seem to take anything out of what he said other than that he was just being kind. They were partners, after all, so perhaps she was used to it. When they made their goodbyes, Aaron escorted her out.

"He doesn’t like her that way," Sirius had muttered, his arms crossed as Remus told him of what he saw when they had left. "She doesn’t like him that way. They’re partners, that’s all. What, you want me to start escorting you out?"

"Then ask her out, why don’t you?" Remus grinned at him then.

Sirius said nothing then, his face contorted up in consideration.

"If she says no, then I will personally turn you into a goat," he muttered.

So it was for that for which they had finished early that day, having found no further clues that they hadn’t already found with the evidence. Clara and Sirius were left alone to finish classifying what was left. And, Remus knew as he and Aaron left the office, to discuss dinner plans.

What now? Remus stared into his tea as he stirred it with his spoon with slow, rhythmic circles. I know I joined the Pack, but Beta has yet to make herself known again. Do I simply do my job once a month as a werewolf? But how could I possibly do that, when it is not me who runs with the moon, but the rogue predator that is unleashed with its light?

But there is a plan… he thought suddenly, stilling his hand with the spoon. The wolf has a plan, that much I know. He longs to be the leader, despite his lone personality. For now he is just going to watch, let things take its proper course. So perhaps that is what I shall do.

"What’cha do’n?" said a loud and curious voice.

Remus jumped slightly, tipping some of his untouched tea onto his lap.

"Oh! Oh, I am so sorry! Let me get that!"

"No, no I’m alright. Please, I got it, thank you." He took a napkin to sop up the few drops, and he looked up to see that it was Emily Maxwell, the girl whom Peter was normally partnered with. She was bent over Remus with two napkins, her eyes wide with genuine humility. Her face blotted out the light in the lunchroom, and his mouth began to open and close like a fish before she apologized again and stood up straight.

"You looked so lonely over here that I thought I’d say hello," she said brightly, seemingly to have forgotten the previous incident just a moment before. "It appears both our partners have ditched us."

"Oh," Remus shook his head, satisfied that his pants were dry and tossing his napkin aside. "Sirius has taken a much needed break, and I was only thinking."

"Really?" Emily rested her elbows roughly on the table, propping up her chin on her hands. "You guys have been really busy, huh?"

"Haven’t you?" Remus retorted mildly, starting to understand why Peter wouldn’t want to come to work now.

"Yes," she said, taking a wisp of her bangs and twirling it around her finger. "But Peter and I have had some uneventful cases and he’s managed to slip out of them a lot. Lately I’ve been working with Mr. Fletcher. He’s such a charmer!"

Remus groaned inwardly and hoped that the hopefully convincing lack of interest on his face would get her to make her leave. He continued to fidget when Emily made no move.

"Does Sirius take breaks often?" she asked him slyly. Remus blinked at her.

"Why?"

Emily shrugged nonchalantly, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder so she could continue to twirl strands around her fingers.

"We don’t all get to talk much amongst us, even though we all belong to the same group of people. I’ve been meaning to get to know my colleagues, and Sirius is one I have yet to have a proper talk with."

It took more effort than he initially realized to keep his eyes from rolling. Remus considered her, and immediately began to laugh inwardly.

"Well I’m sure he’d love to speak with you. Only, he’s a very busy man, as I am, and is currently caught up in affairs at the moment," he managed to say blandly. This seemed to deter her, and she pursed her lips slightly before smiling her broad smile and standing up.

"Nice chatting with you, Remus. Peter speaks very fondly of you. G’night." And to Remus’ relief, she turned and began to leave, before suddenly turning back.

"By the way," she said. "There’s an envelope addressed to you in the Main Office. Sorry I didn’t mention it earlier, must’ve slipped my mind." Then with a last piercing look, she left him.

Remus stared at the spot she had stood in with a slightly shocked expression. Very few people would leave him a letter in such a manner. He took the first and last sip of his tea before standing up, taking the mug to the bin for dirty dishes. Remus took very slow and deep breaths to keep his heart from racing as he walked calmly to the main office of the Ministry. He had subconsciously hoped that things would take their proper course slowly. If this envelope was from whom he thought it was from, he would have to re-evaluate his plan of action.

The Main Office of the Ministry was located in the central lobby of the primary building in London, disguised as an abandoned warehouse. It was a large commuting gateway, with seemingly hundreds of wizards and witches coming and going on personal endeavors. Set in the middle of the huge, plush lobby, was the large desk that was the Main Office. Run by a whole department of wizards and witches, it served as the nerve center for the entire Ministry of Magic in Britain.

Remus threaded his way through the traffic of people going out to lunch and coming back toward the desk. He was so caught up in his thoughts of what the envelope could contain when he walked into someone.

"Excuse me, I’m sorry," he muttered.

"Why, Lupin, my boy! Good to see you." It was Mundungus Fletcher of the Order.

"Oh, hello Mr. Fletcher," Remus said politely, trying not to seem obvious as he eyed the Main Office with the corner of his eyes.

"Please, just Fletcher. Working hard, yes?" Fletcher asked, oblivious to Remus’ distracted tone.

"Mundungus! Quit your dawdling, we’ve got evidence to analyze!" bellowed a particularly sharp voice, which, as Remus quickly noticed, belonged to Arabella Figg, Fletcher’s partner.

"Right then, well, see you at the next meeting, Lupin!" Fletcher said, looking rather dejected as he met up with Figg. That already forgotten, Remus quickly finished his way to the Main Office desk.

Trying not to pant, he waved a hand at one of the secretaries sitting on the other end of the desk. A particularly beautiful witch with velvet-like amber red hair turned her soft, round, and heavily made-up face toward him with cold regard. He waved his hand a little more quickly when she didn’t make an immediate move in his direction. His urgency seemed to make her move even more slowly, and it seemed like forever until she decided to make the unnecessary apparation to the spot where he stood, which was only six feet away from where she was sitting.

"Yes?" she asked dryly, looking at her red-polished, long fingernails.

"An envelope was dropped off here for me, I’m here to pick it up." Remus chose to ignore her attitude.

Her long eyelashes thick with mascara whipped up and down as she blinked lazily. Remus tried not to make a face, imagining them to be so long they could poke someone’s eye out if she got too close.

"Name?" she droned.

"Lupin. Remus Lupin." He began to tap his fingers on the desk, watching her lethargic movements despite her fit form. The red robes she wore were tight fitting, and if Sirius had been there Remus was sure he would have been drooling all over the desktop.

"Identification, please. This letter has been deemed highly classified to Level A personnel and above," she said stiffly.

Remus sighed and pulled out his wallet, flipping out his Ministry ID card. Before she could point out that his ID was not like others issued to the known departments, he turned over the hem of his robes at his collar and flashed the golden phoenix pin. Her eyes went wide before looking up at his face again with her normal, dull expression. Such a shame, he thought as she handed him a clipboard to sign his name. She’s such a pretty thing, too.

Finally she handed him the large brown envelope, which had his name in small print written across it, while a stamp in big red ink deemed it highly classified material. Trying again not to look conspicuous, Remus tucked it under his robes and headed for the small office he and Sirius had been given to use in the building they had been assigned to.

Building D was the quietest building that belonged to the Ministry, as department officials there held private international meetings concerning anything that took place outside British borders. The long corridors held nothing but closed wooden doors bearing various nameplates, and there was seldom anyone commuting between them. Remus felt relatively alone once safely inside the building, and he slowly drew out the envelope as he approached the one door with the words "Authorized Personnel Only" engraved across it.

"Honeydukes," Remus muttered to the door, access granted by the password he and Sirius had cast upon it. The door slid open slightly, and Remus pushed it open further and closed it behind him.

It was a very small office, which Sirius often complained about despite the fact that they hardly ever used it. They were either out on assignment or patrolling the halls in the building, but Remus found it useful. Two small desks facing away from each other against the walls filled up most of the space. A single filing cabinet stood between them, along with a small portrait of a surly looking old wizard hung above it.

"Fancy you dropping by," the wizard muttered gruffly.

Remus put the envelope on his desk and looked at the portrait with a slightly exasperated stare.

"You mind?" He indicated the envelope.

The old wizard gritted his teeth and returned the expression.

"Why would I care anyway? You young louts, always lazing about! Classified material, indeed!" And with that he disappeared from the frame.

Remus let out a sigh of relief and sat down, drawing out his letter opener and slicing open the fold. With his heart racing, and a last look at the closed door, he took out a folded piece of parchment that hardly needed such a large bulky envelope. His fingers shaking slightly, he unfolded it and bit his lip as he began to read.

I knew you would make the right decision. My superior is pleased. Last moon’s run went smoothly, despite his earlier objections. The Pack is a family, and as such, trust is what bonds us together. You are the rogue, and trust won’t come easy. Your future actions and decisions will reflect how trustworthy you are. Nevertheless, you are a part of us now, and it is time you meet your fellow pack members as they are without the fur. This is your second test. Come alone once again to Godric’s Hollow, to the hill where we came together last moon.

Beta

Does she mean come right now? Remus thought, reading the letter through once more. She didn’t indicate a specific time. He looked inside the envelope again, thinking there may be another bit of information, but the one letter was all there was. Looking up at the cobweb covered clock hanging on the wall above him, he still had several hours left before James and Lily got off duty, and no doubt Sirius wouldn’t notice his absence right away.

His mind set and his expression firm, Remus folded the letter back up and placed it inside the envelope. Swinging his cloak on and tucking the envelope securely underneath it, Remus left the office and walked calmly to the closest apparation area. There he found it empty of other people, and disapparated without fear of being watched.

Remus’ memory of the events that took place that last full moon was still sketchy, and the sight of Godric’s Hollow was different to his human perception than it was to his suppressed werewolf persona. He had apparated just outside the village’s border, which was hardly visible amongst the forest of large oak trees that seemed to hide the quaint little homes nestled underneath the branches. The faint sense of fall touched the air here, with the last traces of summer dripping with the faint sunlight that managed to filter through all the foliage. With his cloak flapping behind in the sweet breeze flowing against him, Remus turned parallel to the village and headed to where his muddled memory recalled his meeting with the Pack.

He came to a grassy hill. Sheltering his eyes, he looked up to the top and saw a tall shadow. Looking closely, Remus could see long flowing hair ruffling in the breeze. With a surprising bit of relief, he began to make his way up.

"We meet again, Rogue," Beta said when he could see her clearly.

"Been waiting long?" Remus asked, catching his breath slightly when he reached flat land.

"I’m known for having extraordinary patience," she said softly. Her eyes were dark, hidden underneath long tendrils of dark brown bangs. This was the first time Remus had seen her in full, and he found himself holding his breath as he considered her. Beta’s sharp features were not unpleasant, and her thin form did not appear to be as frail as one would think. She had the athletic air that she could outstrip anyone in a sprint. When she caught his eye, Beta stepped back as if he were uncomfortably close.

"Come with me, then," she said quickly, and she turned and headed down the other side of the hill.

With a last quick look around, Remus followed suit. He caught up to her easily, and he wondered if Beta meant for him to walk beside her as her eyes kept sliding to his direction every now and then. It wasn’t long at all before they came to an old abandoned shed that looked as if it had been neglected for over a century. The thick forest of trees sheltered it from view, and Remus never would have guessed it was there.

"There’s no turning back from here," she stopped before opening the beaten wooden door and faced him. Her eyes flashed their sharp aqua color, before her hair shrouded them into darkness again.

Remus took a deep breath. I hope Dumbledore is right. I hope I can make a difference… I hope this is the right thing.

"I didn’t come all this way just to turn back," he said to her firmly.

Seemingly satisfied, Beta nodded and without turning, opened the door.

A smell instantly hit his nose, and Remus felt the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Some part of him knew this smell, and the excitement that ran through him turned into content. He relaxed, and Beta, who had been watching him, nodded again and Remus could have sworn he saw a faint trace of a smile touch her lips. He couldn’t explain why the smell effected him so, and he brought himself to go past it and observe the shed inside.

Nothing… nothing but the dilapidated, weather-beaten wood of the bare walls. The floor was covered in dirt and straw, until he noticed a large square of wood exposed. Beta walked over to it, and, using the large furrows that Remus recognized as claw markings, she lifted it up to expose a narrow stairway.

"Welcome to our Den, Rogue," she said, looking at him with a ceremonial expression.

Without prompting, Remus tentatively walked over to the stairway that led down into the dark earth. He glanced at Beta, who motioned her head for him to go on, and with a deep breath, Remus began to descend.

Even for the tail end of summer, the atmosphere in this dark, earthen stairway was very humid. The walls were nothing but packed soil, with tiny strands of roots and little rocks managing to peek through. Remus hardly had a problem with the lack of light, which was only what little sun could manage to make its way into the shed; his eyes were canine keen. However, it surprised him when Beta had closed the trap door above them and began to follow quickly behind. The darkness was absolute for only a moment before his eyes adjusted, and the faint trace of electric lighting at the end of the stairs could be seen.

Remus stopped when he reached the last step, and stared. Before him was a large underground control center. Dim electric light bulbs hung simply by their wires from the firm dirt forming the ceiling, casting long shadows. Tables lined up against the walls, covered with telephone books and empty Styrofoam containers. Maps of the entire United Kingdom were pinned to pieces of wooden fence that must had been discarded somewhere and brought down here. Notes and letters were taped all over these maps, some pinned to the walls on larger exposed tree roots. Metal folding chairs, rusted and bent, were scattered everywhere.

Beta pushed herself past Remus and casually made her way through the large room, to an entryway at the back, leading to another section. When she didn’t turn back or say anything, Remus decided it wise to follow.

He stopped in the entryway and stared again. This room was smaller, furnished with old and dirty furniture. Two large and dilapidated sofas, each a horrid mustard orange color, were up against the smaller walls of the room. Three armchairs of varying ugly patterns were placed at random around a huge and moth-eaten throw rug. The floral design on it proved it had seen more dignified days, perhaps in some rich manor in the countryside.

To Remus’ further surprise, a small and rather pathetic looking black and white television faced the sofas. The varying wires were strung up through the ceiling like the light bulbs, and he began to wonder where they got all this electricity.

"It only gets two channels," Beta said suddenly, and Remus finally looked at her. She was standing in yet another entryway, noticing his reactions to the room. "And one channel completely covers the art of making cheese."

Remus blinked, vaguely aware of the reference of "channels", and bewildered about her last statement. Beta’s faint smiled flashed again before she turned her back to him and disappeared into the next room. Fascinated despite himself, Remus followed.

Before then, he had wondered where the rest of the Pack was. His wonder ceased when he found them in the next room. Situated around a large and badly beaten wooden table, were the other six members of the Pack.

Slightly caught off guard, Remus took an involuntary step back as he found every set of eyes turned to him. Three older women, an old man, and two men sat poised in the midst of eating what smelled like some sort of stew. Beta had moved to the back of the now-apparent dining room, where a tabletop electric stove range simmered the stew in a large silver pot. She was spooning the thick concoction into two chipped porcelain bowls. Remus’ jaw had slipped open slightly, and he continued to stare as Beta nonchalantly handed him a bowl. It was only until then that she turned to her pack members.

"Our rogue has joined us at last, as you all can see," she said smartly.

"Sit with us then, before your gracious meal cools and disgraces the masterpiece of its cook," said one of the men, who was the largest and most muscular of the them. Some instinct hidden inside Remus immediately identified him as the alpha male. The leader of this pack; his new leader.

"Thank you," Remus said uncertainly, sitting down in one of the kicked out chairs provided by Beta. His place at the table found him situated between the old man and one of the women. Beta had moved to sit next to the alpha, and Remus watched as Alpha looked at her with a sense of longing and dominance. She, however, kept her eyes low and concentrated on her stew.

"My name is Abigail Warhound," said the woman next to him. "But you just call me Thistle. Everyone does." Remus smiled and nodded, looking up at her. She was the oldest of the three women, he noticed, with scraggily looking red hair. She was also very big and well rounded, making her very intimidating. Remus suppressed a shudder, however, when he noticed how the lime green of her eyes gave a bitterly sour stare.

"I’m Remus Lupin," he said, looking from her to the rest of the table.

"We know that already," said the old man next to him with a bossy tone.

"Yes, but he doesn’t know us," smiled the leader, yet it was a strange expression that somehow did not belong on this man’s face. "In the past, I was known as Epson Lore. You may call me Alpha."

Remus nodded, suppressing the sarcasm of the gesture.

"I’m Puck," said the other man, who could not have been more than a few years older than Remus. "My real name is not important."

"The two women next to me are Lori and Ice," Thistle said, leaning back so Remus could see. The closest woman looked about to be in her thirties, with black hair cut in a militaristic style. Next to her on the other side was the youngest of the three, a woman with pale blonde hair and blue eyes. There was a coldness to her appearance, which answered the reason behind her nickname.

"How about you, Gildie?" asked Alpha to Beta. Beta immediately colored and only concentrated on her stew more. Laughing, Alpha went to toss her hair jokingly, before a low growl began to shake the table. Remus’ eyes went wide, observing the slight sneer issued from Alpha’s face before he shrugged it off.

"That old coon next to you is Churo," he said instead to Remus, not noticing his interest in the prior incident. "He’s the one responsible for this family."

The old man grunted and considered Remus with his sharp eyes for a long, long time before he turned away and stared ahead at the wall with a grim expression.

"I’ve raised this pack as my own since I moved here from Spain," he said, and Remus could recognize the Spanish accent. "I was known as Marcious Pandego, and I had a wife and three sons. I was born a werewolf, and passed my curse on to my children. It was only a matter of time before we were discovered, and one night when my oldest celebrated his fifth birthday, the government came to my door after reports from our village pointed to us for the death of several chickens. Eyewitnesses claimed to had seen ‘mutant wolves’ ravage their prized birds, and that howls could be heard from my family’s home. The report reached the Magic Congressional Senate, and it was their officials that dragged myself and my family outside."

The entire room was silent, everyone listening gravely. Remus could tell that everyone knew this very well, and the air of respect was evident among them all. He kept his eyes on Churo, finding himself just as solemn and saddened as the others appeared to be.

"This was before laws were passed forbidding such barbaric treatment, not that things are much better today. In those days, a werewolf was nothing but a servant of evil, the work of the devil, and a bloodthirsty murderer. There was no mercy, even for women and children, and they all had to be eliminated. While my wife was not a werewolf, there was no evidence that proved such, and, right before my eyes, my family was shot to death. Four silver bullets, one for each, were all it took.

"There was a fifth shot, but I was still in my prime then, and I managed to fight myself free and run before it reached my heart. In fear of being bitten, despite the fact that I was not transformed, the officials were clumsy in trying to detain me. I outran them easily, and found myself wandering the rural forests in my anguish, rage, and fear.

"For five years I traveled the countryside, staying far from villages and homesteads. Until, I found myself on a barge set for England. It wasn’t long after I came here that I blundered upon a small pup one full moon, and a memory of what I had lost kept me from killing the pathetic thing. When I was human again, I had gained myself a charge. Epson was not more than five years then, abandoned by his Australian parents on holiday when they discovered his curse.

"As you can see, my new pack has grown since. I am strict for a reason, and cautious, for I would let myself die before seeing my de facto family meet the same fate as mine first did." He looked at Remus severely, leaning closer to mark his words. Remus swallowed under the intensity of the old man’s glare.

"Beta has convinced me of your worth, but I will make my own judgement. You are Rogue, for every ounce of you smells of the name. Convince me yourself that you can be trusted, and only then will you truly be one of us. Watch your step, pup."

Remus could feel the blood draining from his cheeks. How on Earth was he going to do this? He could tell that Churo already suspected him. Not only was Remus to be wary of Alpha, but now the old male as well.

Laughter shook Remus out of his troubled thoughts, and he looked at Alpha who was grinning at Churo affectionately.

"Don’t worry about him, Rogue. His bark is worse than his bite!"

The irony of his words made everyone chuckle slightly. Only Beta remained silent, and Remus knew that underneath her dark bangs her eyes were rolling.

Everyone went on from that point as they most likely usually did. Remus became the silent observer, making himself familiar with how everyone behaved. He had expected them to be curious about his history, about who he was, but he had an uncanny suspicion that Beta had already covered that. Once, Thistle asked for him to pass the salt; other than that, he was left alone.

Thistle, he came to notice, was the most assertive of the four females in the Pack. If everyone were true wolves, in actuality she would had made the most likely alpha female. But human custom prevented this, for Alpha was about twenty-five and she around thirty-seven. Thistle was loud and brusque, often punctuating her words by slamming her fist on the table. If Churo was the father of the pack, Thistle had to be the mother- everyone showed her respect and warmth.

Also very adamant was Puck, who was around twenty-two years old. He often glanced at Remus, as if expecting him to challenge his words. It became clear that Puck thought himself second in line as alpha male, and almost always agreed with whatever came out of the leader’s mouth. He was ridiculously small compared to Alpha, with wispy tan hair and tiny hazel eyes. Until then, Puck had been the youngest male, and now that eighteen-year-old Remus had joined, his rank moved up as result. Yet, Remus came to notice that he was still treated like the mischievous child of the family. An abrupt memory of a young lanky werewolf in a mad dash after a rabbit came to Remus’ mind.

The second youngest female proved to be just as absolute. Ice lived up to her name, with her jerky movements and indifferent attitude to anyone’s feelings. Almost all of her answers were pessimistic, and the others often treated her with sarcasm. This did not appear to deter her in the slightest, and it seemed as if her pale blue eyes were permanently narrowed in scorn.

Remus had a hard time reading Lori, the woman directly next to Thistle at the table. She hardly spoke, and when she did, her voice was low and submissive. It was often Thistle who spoke for her, and it appeared that they were close. Otherwise, aside from Remus, she was left alone as well, although, not with the same wary suspicion.

The talk at the table concerned issues that Remus could not connect with, although he listened and noted everything in his mind as he suspected he should. Thistle and Ice were growing more annoyed with Alpha over the size of the territory. They said he was always talking about letting the Pack grow, but he never really did anything.

"We don’t have control over our territory anymore, you know that," Alpha said tersely, glancing momentarily in Remus’ direction. Remus looked away, an innocent look on his face. So they weren’t going to talk freely in front of him yet.

"When are we going to meet the other packs, eh? How long until we actually see some of what’s been promised?" Ice gripped her drinking glass tightly, and Remus watched it, expecting it to shatter.

"Patience, Ice… patience," Churo said gently, sipping his tea.

"There are other packs?" Remus asked, genuinely surprised. Each face turned to him again, every one of them with an expression that told him that they thought he was extremely daft.

"You really are sheltered, aren’t you?" Puck laughed. "Of course there are other packs!"

"There’s a really large pack in Wales," Thistle said, with more sympathy in her voice than scorn.

"We often talk to a pair that live in London. You have to admire their courage," Ice said.

"And of course there’s the Network," Alpha added.

"The Network?" Remus had no idea that there was such a large society of werewolves like this. He simply believed that a werewolf lived on it’s own, wandering the woods where he thought they belonged.

"Muggle technology is wonderful," Alpha grinned at him. Remus didn’t like his smile. "Beta? Why don’t you show him what we’re talking about? We’ll clean up today."

Beta looked sharply at Alpha before nodding and standing up. With an expression of indifference, she walked briskly up to Remus and inclined her head for him to follow.

Remus stayed close as he and Beta made their way through the small recreation room with the television and back into the large control center with the tables and maps. Beta immediately went over to one long table with several folding chairs around it and a map of the world pinned to the wall above it. A large transistor radio and microphone (Remus was sure that was their proper names) sat on the table, wires streaming from the electronic devices and threading into the dirt wall. Remus studied the world map, noting all the colored thumbtacks pinned to different places on several of the continents.

"Sit," Beta said sharply, sitting down directly in front of the radio.

Remus obeyed, completely fascinated. His curiosity about all the electricity finally burned too much to remain silent.

"How do you manage the electricity?"

"Lots of wire and deception," she said simply. She did not explain further. Instead, she pulled out a thick wired notebook covered with dirt and fingerprints. Opening it, page after page was completely filled in a neatly categorized order of names and numbers.

"The Network is how we communicate with others of our kind throughout the world. Churo had registered our pack several years ago with the Base Center in Madrid. Each pack has a transistor radio like this one, and we communicate among each other this way. It’s not too surprising that you weren’t aware of other packs; we’re very widespread and don’t travel far from our territories often."

Her tone went a tad softer with the last comment, and Remus considered her a moment before she continued.

"Mostly we only communicate with other packs that are closer to our territory, but since we allied ourselves with You-Know-Who, we’ve been responsible for spreading his instructions and notes around the world."

"He is your master, but you are too afraid to say his name?" Remus said.

Beta’s eyes wavered a moment with an unreadable expression before her indifference returned and she looked up at the map on the wall.

"There are a total of twelve known packs with more than two members in Britain and Scotland combined, three in Ireland. France and Russia both have the largest community of packs, each with a varying total of twenty-five. There is only one pack left in Spain, and they hold the base for the Network in Madrid. The Untied States has been divided into regions- the Northeast, South, Midwest, and Pacific Pack Alliances. Werewolf populations there are very, very widespread and are usually not that large, so each region is responsible for getting the word out to their people.

"Australia has four packs, although they are really small. Conditions there are not favorable for werewolf communities, and they have struggled against being wiped out for centuries. India, China, and Japan are just starting to connect with us. We’re still registering known packs into the database, which is what this notebook is."

She slid the book over to Remus, who looked at it more closely. Each pack was named, with the list of all the members, along with a number code.

"What are the numbers? For a telephone?" he asked, intrigued.

"That’s the frequency their radio is on. The only magic used here is what’s been bewitched with the radio. It’s impossible to intercept the frequencies, and listen in." Beta said.

"But can’t the Ministry detect the use of magic?" Remus looked up from the book.

"Too much electricity." She looked up at the ceiling briefly. "Too much interference."

The ceiling, to Remus’ surprise, began to vibrate suddenly as he followed her gaze. Dirt and little rocks began to rain onto the floor, bouncing off the tables and off their heads. Remus flinched as one particularly large pebble pelted his forehead, and a trickle of blood began to seep through the spot where it hit.

"Careful," Beta said, immediately getting up and walking toward a rusted tin box with a first-aid symbol on it. "We’re directly underneath a Muggle farm. The equipment they use have been known to cave in our rooms."

She took a pad of gauze, tipping some hydrogen peroxide onto it. Remus made to take it from her, before she knocked his hand away and pulled aside his bangs. Her expression was not unlike Madame Pomfrey back at Hogwarts, the nurse, professional and intent. Beta pressed the medicated gauze up against his cut, and he yelped.

"It stings," she said sharply.

"No, really?" Remus retorted without thinking.

"Don’t move," Beta said, lacking the gentle coo Madame Pomfrey used to calm her patients.

His face tight, but otherwise unmoving, Remus let her continue. After she had unceremoniously placed a Band-Aid over the cut, Beta put the first-aid kit back where it had been and sat down as if nothing had happened. Remus tentatively touched the bandage, trying not to wince at the persistent sting as he looked at her.

"So what is it exactly that you want me to do?" he asked finally. Besides my job of spying on you and hoping to turn you away from the dark side, he thought as well.

"Some of us were born with magic, parents either being wizards and witches, or Muggle born. You can teach them what you know," she said.

"It’s not that simple," Remus said bluntly. "You can’t expect to be capable of seven years of education in one crash course."

"We’re not asking to know how to turn a mouse into a matchbox," she said icily.

"But you can’t turn silver into gold without knowing the basics. It would take months to get so far," Remus argued.

"What’s the hurry? Going somewhere?" Beta snapped at him, her face in his. Her eyes momentarily flashed a golden color, which completely took Remus by surprise. She noticed his reaction and flushed slightly, turning away, but was no less calmed down.

"You can get us into places we have yet to manage ourselves. Repair our radios when the spells have broken down. You can… you can…" her voice wavered.

"I can’t do miracles." He looked at her solemnly.

"I honestly don’t know what you can do. I only ask that you try," she said quietly. The desperation in her voice was very unlike her, as far as Remus knew of her at that time. His face softened and he looked away.

"That much I can do, but I can’t make promises I know I can’t keep."

A moment of silence followed, before the hard indifference returned to Beta’s attitude and she took the registry book from in front of him and closed it roughly.

"I don’t believe in promises anyway," she said without looking at him, and stood up. He stood as well, and they looked at each other momentarily before she turned her back to him.

"You know your way now," Beta said over her shoulder as she began to go back into the recreation room. "A rogue comes and goes as he pleases. I’ll see you tomorrow."

She disappeared from view into the continuing rooms, and Remus stood there and remained staring at the spot she had left. Beta was dangerous, for it was she who had killed that woman in that village a month ago, and most likely responsible for the more recent murder as well. Her eyes were normally such a passive, deep aqua blue… but when she was mad…

Remus took his troubled thoughts with him, and left the Den.

 

The following morning, Remus woke and went downstairs with a heavy heart. Dreaming had only made things more confusing. He was such at a loss at what to do, that he hardly noticed that James and Lily were unusually quiet at the table during breakfast. He looked up then, and saw James propped up on his elbows, eating his porridge with a blank and tired expression. Remus suppressed a gasp when he noticed that not only James, but Lily as well were both still dressed in the previous day’s clothes. It had been late when Remus got to the house the night before, and he didn’t see James and Lily. Now, on top of the dirty and tussled clothing, he noticed a large gash across Lily’s slender face and a black eye swelling on James’.

"My God!" Remus exclaimed, letting his spoon fall, ignoring the fact that he had splattered himself with hot porridge. "What on Earth happened to you two?" His face then went beet red; how could he have overlooked the fact that his best friends were sitting half-dead across from him this entire time?

"Took you long enough," James said warily, but he still managed his mischievous grin- reassuring Remus that he wasn’t cross.

"We’re fine, really. We look none the worse for wear I’m sure," Lily said, a smile trying to tug on her face.

"I’m so, so sorry!" Remus babbled, running his hands through his hair. "What happened? Where was Sirius? Peter? Why didn’t you contact me!"

"It happened really quickly," James sighed, pushing his bowl of porridge away. "We were out on an ambush, only to have walked in on a trap."

"Death Eaters, so many in one place that it was highly unusual," Lily added.

"I managed to take out a few of them with a stunning spell, and Lily hexed the rest with various curses."

"What’s strange was that there were three groups of Aurors and Ministry officials within the area, and yet the entire lot of Death Eaters concentrated on us. It was as if they knew the others couldn’t hurt them."

"One Death Eater stood apart from the rest, seemingly keeping watch. He shouted something suddenly before Peter showed up, followed by the Longbottoms. They barely had muttered a spell before the group broke up, leaving behind the ones Lily and I had hexed," James continued.

"That was when Sirius apparated, and he was so angry that without reason he flat out ran after the one Death Eater that had alerted the rest." Lily looked exhausted, and sat back against her chair.

"It was the only Death Eater that didn’t disapparate," James said strangely, and Remus looked at him closely. There was an expression there that he didn’t want to see. Pity. Remus knew what James suspected.

"There’s no reason to deny it anymore," Remus said bitterly, looking down at his cooling breakfast.

"You realize that there is a possibility he won’t escape next time," James said quietly.

"Nor should there be." Remus gripped his spoon.

Lily made a noise, as if to say something, but for once she couldn’t find the right words to say. It didn’t matter; Remus didn’t want to hear it.

Two sudden pops from the foyer broke the silence that had fallen in the dining room, and both Sirius and Peter walked in looking haggard and sleep deprived.

"Are you guys alright?" Sirius asked James and Lily immediately.

"Fine, Padfoot, fine… stop worrying!" James shook his head, but stopped and winced slightly in pain.

"For crying out loud, no you’re not," Sirius sighed, looking stricken. He finally looked at Remus and did a double take. The expression he wore was not unlike the kind that had crossed his face the day he found out Remus was a werewolf, and the memory of it was shame enough. To see it again was even more painful, and Remus recoiled slightly under Sirius’ glare.

"Where were you last night when all this happened?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"I-" Remus began, before James interrupted.

"Oh, stop it, Sirius. It’s not his fault. He was working, unlike you, who was out on a date."

That’s the truth, Remus thought, afraid of his best friends’ anger.

"Well at least I came when I found out what was happening!" Sirius huffed, although his accusing tone had faltered, giving way to defense.

"Stop acting like a child, Sirius. You know Remus would have been there if he could," Lily said soothingly, although with a hint of annoyance.

"Let’s not point fingers," Peter said, finally making his presence known. "None of it was anyone’s fault."

Sirius sighed again, but his shoulders fell slightly, which he often did when he was about to admit he was wrong. Yet before he could open his mouth, a house-elf came running into the dining room, holding up a letter and panting completely out of breath.

James motioned for him to come forward. "What is it, Owen?"

"U-urgent… letter… P-Professor D-D-Dumbledore sent…fire!" He nearly fell and blacked out before Sirius caught the little elf.

James took the soot-covered letter and glanced at everyone, who was staring at him with bated breath. Quickly, he tore it open.

"What does it say, James?" Lily asked cautiously.

He looked up at her; his expression made everyone’s heart skip a beat.

"Emily Maxwell has been killed."