Game Changer ♠ Remus Lupin

Eleven: Forever a Safe Place

With the end of Christmas came the responsibilities and realities of everyday life. The apartment became quieter, emptier, Sirius grew gloomy. We were once again the only residents of Grimmauld Place, with Remus coming and going.

I did, however, see him a lot more than before Christmas. Maybe it was just my imagination, or maybe I saw what I wanted to see, but the trip around Europe brought us closer. We weren't as uneasy around each other anymore. Casual, rather. Not friends, but acquaintances. Colleagues.

Dumbledore came to us not long after the kids had left for school. This time without Snape. A smart choice.

We sat in front of him like students again, waiting for the headmaster's judgement on something we hadn't done. He wasn't looking at us, but rather toward the centre of the table, as though absorbed in his own thoughts.

"I didn't want to disturb you before because everyone deserves a peaceful Christmas. If such a time will ever come again is uncertain." His keen gaze fell on me. "But now is the time."

I haven't talked to anyone about it - in fact, despite the fact that the whole Order was aware that Remus and I were on a mission, no one dared to inquire, most likely for Dumbledore's reason. I've noticed a recurring pattern: if there's anything going on that doesn't involve you, you'll be left in the dark. If there's something you don't know, it's meant to be kept that way.

"I took notes after each meeting. And then a summary on them all once we got everything we needed."

"But you don't have them with you," observed Dumbledore.

"I don't," I confirmed as the atmosphere thickened. "My things were left in Ireland. But the notes were not among them."

"Where are they, then?"

"In my head," I said simply. I think I heard Remus exhale. "I memorised them."

Dumbledore smiled faintly, pleased with the way things had turned out. "It was a clever move, Miss Jenkins, very clever. So you can tell me about all four of the Seers, correct? Three, I suppose, regrettably."

"Two," Remus corrected him. The wizard blinked several times, the only visible sign of his surprise. "Perhaps we should start from the beginning..."

I told him everything that was relevant, leaving anything in between, including my cooperation with Remus, out of the dialogue. We spent a good deal of time in the dining room. After Remus and I recounted what had happened at Imago's residence, it took an especially lengthy time to cover those events. Sometimes Dumbledore asked a lot of questions and other times remained silent, even when I wasn't sure whether what I was saying made sense.

"You must return there," he said at the end. "I have a responsibility to learn what happened to my friend."

"Hold up." I tried to keep my voice calm. "You're sending us over there after all this? With only one wand?" Not to mention the fact that my cracked head was still recovering.

"Why not?" he said with a hint of amusement in his voice. Seeing my serious face didn't change, he added, "They tried twice. Enough time has passed for them to stop bothering about that place."

"They knew what we were doing in Europe. They knew we were talking to the Seers. They've watched us long enough to predict that we'll visit Imago as well, and they're supposed to give up after a few days?"

Dumbledore narrowed his eyes and looked at Remus, silently asking him to intervene. He didn't want to give me any answers, so he had to silence me another way. He must have known that I was ready to argue with him, which I couldn't do to Remus. He must have known Remus was my weak point.