The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix - Part Two

In You Hop

"Remus! Remus wait!"

Footsteps echoed in the tunnel.

It was the next day - Sirius was on his 12th hour in the cell by now - and Remus was on his way to the Howling House for the transformation under the full moon. His palms sweaty. It'd been such a long time since he'd been alone as a wolf.

Remus paused and turned around. He was within view of the door to the Howling House by the time Peter caught up to him, panting and carrying a paper sack in his fist. Peter bent double when he got to Remus, hands on his knees, catching his breath a moment. When he was composed, he stood upright again and said, "I didn't want you to have to transform alone!" 

Remus smiled, "Thanks, Peter."

"Yeah! I mean, I know - I know a rat is a bit useless alone, but at least you'll have someone, even if I can't do much to help... My animagus is so small... I know I'm kind of useless now that we're not at Hogwarts."

"I appreciate you being present at all," Remus smiled. "C'mon."

They went inside and Peter emptied out the sack he'd brought, revealing a sandwich for himself and a nice raw steak for Remus, plus several of Honeyduke's Best and a whole bottle of chocolate milk to boot. Remus opened the chocolate milk eagerly and drank quite a bit without a moment's pause.

Peter smiled and broke off a bit of the chocolate for himself.

It was odd, Remus and Peter, a pairing that so very rarely happening. Remus didn't know why exactly, he always felt sort of awkward and anxious around Peter. He supposed it was because of Peter's initial reactions to both of Remus's biggest secrets - that he was a werewolf and that he was gay - that had driven a small bit of a wedge between them. It wasn't that Peter still carried those prejudices or resentments, Remus knew he probably didn't... but, still. Once something like that is jammed in, it is nearly impossible to remove.

"Do you think Sirius is okay?" Peter asked.

Remus murmured, "I don't know. I still don't know what actually happened yet." He sighed, frustrated. He had tucked the warrant Frank had left into his pocket the day before and the words kept turning over in his mind every few minutes. He wished the accusation wasn't plausible, that he could look at it just know that Sirius hadn't done it; like just known Sirius couldn't have, purely because he was Sirius. It scared Remus a little bit that he couldn't... That spoke volumes on its own, didn't it?

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door of the Howling House.

Remus and Peter looked at one another. James would've just walked in, they knew, so who could this possibly be? Whoever it was had to have come through the Potter house to get to the tunnel in the basement to walk all the way to the House...

Peter went to the door, still holding half of his sandwich in his hand, and he hesitated, peeking 'round the cracked door at their visitors, then flung it wide. 

It was Newt and Tina Scamander.

"Newt!" Remus cried in surprised excitement.

"H-hello Re-Remus," Newt greeted him. He put down his briefcase. "How - How are you f-feeling, my- my boy?"

"I've been better," Remus said.

"I - I imagine so," Newt said. 

Tina sat down next to Remus. "Dora's just told us what happened with Sirius yesterday... I'm so sorry, you must be so confused, seeing him be arrested like that."

Remus nodded.

"I've seen Newt arrested a few times," Tina said, "It doesn't ever get easier."

Newt smiled from where he stood, his eyes diverted. "I've a - a knack, it seems, of getting on the - the wrong side of various Ministry and - and M-MACUSA officials."