Blood of the Moon {Remus Lupin}

Chapter 44

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Auriga had been informed that there was currently someone flooing to the Gryffindor Common Room fireplace, and she had volunteered to investigate it immediately, given that she had a sneaking suspicion who was behind it. She poked her head gingerly through the flames and it collided moments later with Sirius Black's. "-got caught because of that argument with Malfoy?" Weasley was saying with a frown.

"What?" asked Auriga. Ron turned a very bright shade of pink.

"Oh...uh...nothing," said Granger quickly.

"Miss Granger, if you do not tell me the subject of discussion you will be in detention as long as I remain a Professor here," warned Auriga.

"Um...Professor Lupin-" she began.

"Hermione!" hissed Harry. She closed her mouth but Auriga had heard enough.

"Re-Lupin's been caught?" she asked, turning to Black. "Doing what?"

"It's confidential," said Black with a stony look on his face.

"Well-" Auriga began, but stopped herself. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut off your little party because the Ministry know about it." Harry looked very disgruntled. "Don't do it again, Black." And then she left.

As soon as Auriga had arrived back in her own office she began to panic. Remus had been caught? And what had Ron been saying about her? Or had they been talking about Draco? Or her parents? But to the best of Auriga's knowledge, Remus Lupin only argued with one Malfoy.

*****

"Where is he?" demanded Auriga, bursting into Dumbledore's office and flinging her cloak around her. Minerva looked up from her teacup, and Dumbledore placed his down on his desk.

"Good evening, Auriga," said Dumbledore. "Tea?"

Auriga looked between the two of them and slammed the door. "Goodness me," said one of the portraits and a few others muttered distastefully.

"Do you mean to tell me," seethed Auriga, "That Re-...Lupin...is missing? Or dead? And you are sat here drinking TEA?" McGonagall tutted and put her teacup down. "FUCKING TEA?" Auriga very rarely swore, and the word caught in her mouth a little.

"Well," said Dumbledore, "I didn't know you cared so much."

"Indeed," said McGonagall. "Surely you don't intend on hunting him down yourself?" She looked at Auriga, who had her travelling cloak pulled around her and her hair neatly tied back.

"No," said Auriga quickly. "Absurd...I don't...I wouldn't..." She took a deep breath to stop her stammering. "Where did you send him?"

"I didn't send him anywhere," said Dumbledore, "Remus went of his own accord."

"Rather foolish, if you ask me," said one of the portraits.

"And where did he go?" she asked slowly.

"The Carrow Manor House," said Dumbledore. Auriga wasn't sure how, or why, but her vision went black.

*****

She sat up a little too quickly when she woke up on the headmaster's office floor, and she went very dizzy once more. Luckily, McGonagall saw sense to hold her up, and Auriga didn't black out again. "That's going to leave quite the bruise," said Dumbledore as Auriga felt for the lump that was quickly forming on her head.

"Yes, well," she said dismissively, standing up and brushing her robes down. "I ought to get going."

"Going where?" asked McGonagall with a frown.

"My...room...?" said Auriga, trying to make it sound like she had no intention of going anywhere else.

"Perhaps a visit to Poppy would be wiser?" suggested Dumbledore.

"Oh yeah," said Auriga, already halfway out the door, "Yeah, I'll do that." The pair of them nodded, and Auriga left the office, heading straight for the Entrance Hall. Her mind was so focused on Remus that she hardly remembered walking down the drive and disapparating. But she did. And the next thing she knew, she was crouching as she walked through the back door of the Carrow Manor House.

The first thing that Auriga had to do was trick the occupants into thinking the wards had triggered a false alarm. Opening a nearby window, she cast a summoning spell. Accio blackbird. A sleeping bird flew through the window, waking up and twittering loudly. Perfect. She set it down on the table, where it hopped about. Voices were coming from down the hallway.

Step two: Find a place to hide until someone discovers the blackbird. Casting a disillusionment charm on herself, Auriga crouched beneath the table, hoping for the best. If she was caught...well, she'd think about that when the time came.

"Are you quite certain they were triggered, Father?" asked Augustus Carrow as two pairs of footsteps entered the kitchen.

"I think I'd know if my own house had been broken into," said Caesar Carrow, sounding irritated. "You don't think they've come for..."

Augustus laughed. "The werewolf? No," he said. "It's been weeks now and they didn't even respond to our list of demands." The Order hadn't...responded...at all...

"Hardly a list," said Caesar curtly. "What do you see in the Malfoy girl? There are plenty of other suitors-"

"I told you there was nothing to worry about," interrupted Augustus, walking toward the very spot that Auriga kneeled, hidden in the dark kitchen. "Just a bird." There was a pause, followed by a frantic twittering. "Avada kedavra." There was a flash of green, and Auriga saw Caesar's left foot step back. The twittering stopped. "Come on."