Confident | Fred Weasley

Chapter 75 | Cursed

Remus was leaving the Human Owl service. He was going undercover with the Werewolves to convince them to join Dumbledore's side. So, Sarah had to convince him to send her letter to Dumbledore. She wouldn't be able to convince whoever took over the Human Owl Service next.

Sarah checked the moon cycle before she left the flat. It was a waxing gibbous.

She didn't want to encounter Remus in his 'furry' form, so to speak.

As far as Sarah was aware, Remus was splitting his time between Grimmauld Place and a cottage his father owned in Gloucester. With the knowledge of the moon cycle, Sarah assumed he was still at Grimmauld with Sirius.

She apparated into the square. The winter sun was peaking above the houses. The air bit at her cheeks. Sarah tightened her scarf around her neck as she walked towards number 12. She kept her wand hidden up her sleeve, glancing over her shoulder with unease.

There was a reason this house wasn't used for order meetings anymore. Sirius was the owner of the house, but when he died, Dumbledore worried that the house would've been passed to the next in line: Bellatrix Lestrange.

It got even more complicated and uncertain with Sirius' revival. No one was sure whether the magic of the house had been passed down or not, so it wasn't safe for the order anymore. Sirius remained, but Sarah was certain he would escape to the countryside soon enough.

The houses of 11 and 13 split themselves apart painfully slow. Sarah was beginning to get antsy. They revealed a much dirtier house, its cream walls smeared with grey, and the windows were stained yellow.

Sarah was quick to hurry up the steps. She knocked on the black door.

The door swung open, revealing Remus Lupin. He looked pale in the morning light. He had shadows under his eyes. His wand was pointed at her throat.

By now, having wands pointed at her didn't scare her anymore. Sarah called it a step in the right direction. Exposure had made her numb. She hoped the same thing would happen with her nightmares.

"Who did Sarah Copper fight one on one with at the Department of Mysteries?" Remus demanded in a calm voice.

"Lucius Malfoy," Sarah answered.

Remus lowered his wand and pulled her inside. He shut the door quickly, and the hallway was smothered in darkness again.

As he redid the locks on the door with his wand, resulting in a series of mechanical clicks, Remus asked, "Are you not going to check if I'm really me?"

Sarah shrugged, "No. I know it's you."

"Do you really?"

Sarah smiled grudgingly, "I don't want whatever lecture is on the tip of your tongue, Lupin. You're not my professor anymore."

Remus slid past her, heading towards the staircase to the basement, "Yes, but I am older and more experienced than you. Any advice I have would be incredibly useful."

Sarah followed him, "Another time."

Remus shot her a tense look as he stopped walking down the stairs, "Time is of the essence, Sarah. I don't know if you've heard, but I'm going - "

" - undercover with the Werewolves? I'm aware. I do listen in those meetings, you know," Sarah answered with a grin, but it felt forced.

She was beginning to feel rather nervous, and Remus seemed to notice, based upon the concerned expression on his scarred face.

"Is that Sarah I heard?" Sirius called from the kitchen.

They emerged into the kitchen, greeted cheerily by Sirius.