Thicker than Water (Marauders Era)

15 March, 1980 - Target

He wasn't sure he would ever be able to explain to her how much it meant to him that she had never turned away, that even when she got short with him, it was always for him. That he knew he would come home to hot tea and the offer of a meal. It was perhaps one of the only ways in which he had ever seen her fight these past few years. Not against anyone, but for people. For her people. He wondered sometimes if she even knew she was doing it.

Now, sighing, Remus approached the top of a small hill in the field he'd been walking across. This was one of his many precautions. The werewolf community he usually visited sat at the very outskirts of a small town surrounded by what seemed like endless fields of grass. Every time he had to depart, he walked until the town was barely visible behind him, then apparated to a safe point, waited for several minutes, then headed home. It was too risky to apparate straight to the house in case he was followed somehow. The longer they could keep the location of their residence a secret, the better.

He crested the hill on weary legs and descended into the trough below, keeping his eyes and ears open for any signs of unwanted company. Just as he reached the bottom, where he could safely apparate away, Remus heard the loud and unmistakable crack of someone apparating nearby.

He whirled, wand in hand, ready to fight and came face to face with two Death Eaters, both hooded but not masked and watching him. One had his wand raised, the other was holding his hands in a placating gesture, though his face was mostly obscured by the shadows in his hood.

"Remus Lupin," said the man whose hands were up and Remus paused with a spell halfway to his lips. What were they here for? He shouldn't hesitate and he knew that, but, he supposed, he spent too much time around Lavinia and all he could think was that if she was right, there was a chance, a tiny, slim, miniscule, stupid chance that these could be defectors. Or that at very least, they might accidentally yield some information that Dumbledore would find useful.

"We are here to talk," the man with his hands raised continued.

Remus clenched his jaw, not trusting them for a moment. "Spit it out then," he replied evenly. Yes, he thought, he most definitely should be cursing them right now. But... but just in case, he waited. All he had to do if he decided this really was an ambush was escape, a far easier task than these Death Eaters would have trying to kill or capture him. So he waited.

But the man who had spoken before was just watching him now, still and silent. Remus got the impression that he was being sized up, like the Death Eater was trying to decide if he was worth it or if he could really give him what he wanted. It was not a comfortable feeling.

Just as the silence stretched and gaped, however, the other Death Eater spoke in a voice Remus thought he recognized, though he wasn't entirely sure what from.

"We have an offer for you," the second man said, a slightly sneer to his voice.

Remus tensed. There was no way this was good. At all. And he should have started firing spells right then, but the first Death Eater was still just watching him and Remus didn't at all know what to make of it. An offer? What did they want from him? And what did they think they had to offer? Not that he was going to ask. Better for him to wait, to stay alert and ready to leave at a moment's notice.

When Remus didn't answer, the second Death Eater made a scoffing sort of noise and continued. "Join us," he said simply.

It took all of Remus's self control not to laugh. Or choke. Or maybe scream. "Bit of a one sided offer," he pointed out after a moment. He should probably have left as soon as he said that, but... but this was valuable information to be able to bring to Dumbledore. The Death Eaters were trying to recruit Order members. The question was why. Why him? Why now? Why why why.