the case of dawna flynn - r.j lupin

twenty-six

"Remus, you have a letter!" Sirius called from the kitchen and Remus groaned loudly as he got up from where he'd been sat on the couch since he got back from job hunting in the streets of London. He'd decided he'd rather a muggle job so he could stay under the radar for a while.

He stretched before he slumped into the kitchen.

Across the dining room table where a bunch of articles and stacks of papers of the different additions of Reds reappearance. Well Dawnas reappearance. They'd been hoping to find some sort of hint to where she was but there was not, the Ministry were careful not to let anything slip.

Remus wouldn't have bothered to look if Dawna hadn't been so distressed about being taken away. The absolute horror on her face and the tears broke him. Even Sirius had a hard time with it. Besides, he'd promised he'd find her so he would, despite being warned off by the Ministry.

"Pass it here then." Remus huffed and Sirius passed him the letter and Remus sat at the table with a yawn. Sirius stood behind him, peering over his shoulder.

Remus examined the handwriting on the envelope.

"Any idea who its from?" Sirius asked and Remus shook his head.
"I don't recognise the handwriting."
"Hurry up and open it then."

Remus shot his friend a dirty look before he flipped the letter over and he peeled open the envelope, unfolded the paper inside and read it.

They both read it. In absolute silence. And when both of them had read it, still absolute silence.

Sirius spoke first.

"This could be a trick."

Remus nodded slowly. Sirius had a point he did. He really did but the risk was worth it.

"I don't care. If I can maybe see Red then it'll be worth it." Remus told his friend and looked over his shoulder at Sirius.
"Have you ever even been to.." He looked at the letter, "Eagles Meadow shopping centre?"

"I'm Welsh but I'm from Cardiff, Wrexham is too out of the way for me to have been there." Remus told him and Sirius breathed heavily.
"I think id feel better if I wasn't sending you alone mate."
"I'd feel better too but if you're right and its a trap and you get found with me Sirius it'll be a Dementors kiss for you." Remus reminded him, it had only been 10 months since his escape and the search for him was still ongoing. He couldn't lose Sirius, he only just got him back. He couldn't afford two loses so close to eachother, "And- And i can't lose you mate. Not again."

Sirius leant his head over Remus' shoulder and hugged him. Neither of them could deny that the gesture was intimate but they were long past their feelings for eachother. They were just friends.

Remus laid a hand over Sirius' and leant his head back against his friends with a sigh.

"And you won't lose me Remus. I'll stay right here and wait for you to get back and we'll eventually grow old together, with Red of course once we get her back." Sirius pulled back and he grabbed the letter and used a fridge magnet to stick it to the fridge.

"So you don't forget."

Remus wouldn't forget. Remus couldn't forget.

He waited anxiously the whole week, unable to sit still for too long. Sirius could tell he was nervous. That he was thinking it could be a trap or that Red was in a bad condition. So to lessen the strain of his friends stress he cooperated in the distractions he provided and although they didn't entirely work but Remus could feel himself worrying a little less in the company.

When Thursday rolled around Remus was awake and roaring at 6am. He showered, ate, changed and then just sat around waiting.

He planned to be at the shop for 9:30 to prepare himself for when Red arrived at 10am.

He recited the address on the letter so when he stepped into the fireplace he didn't floo to the wrong place and stumbled into a record shop. Remus wasn't too familiar with record shops, he hadn't been to one since his early twenties. After everything that happened in '81 Remus couldn't bring himself to listen to the music he liked anymore because it only brought back memories he had no business wanting to relive.

But right then and there, as he straightened out his great coat, he promised to himself and made a mental note to go back home and gather all of his records and his record player from the loft. He'd do it after they got Red back or even were permitted to see her by the ministry. A momentus occasion.

When he looked up from his coat he was startled by a middle aged woman gazing at him expectantly from a couple paces away.

"Uhm hello?" Remus spoke, it sounded like a question and maybe it was but it hadn't meant to be. The woman beamed at him seconds later.
"You are Remus Lupin yes?" She asked, she had a slight French accent but it had faded and mingled with getting accustomed to a Welsh one and Remus assumed that was from having lived here for so long.
"Yes. Yes I am." He answered and offered a friendly smile, "and you must be Marie?" The woman nodded enthusiastically and checked her watch.
"Yes I am, you're rather early I must say." She observed and Remus shrugged helplessly,
"better early to get my nerves in check before she gets here." Remus laughed and wiped his suddenly sweaty palms on his trousers.

Marie grinned wildly.

"You two really do think alike." She cooed and Remus' brows jerked up in question, "She's already here."
"where?" Remus blurted with wide eyes and a grin that could have split his cheeks. Red was here. In the same building. His Red.

"Just upstairs-"
"Marie, do I look-" The girl paused at the sight of the man and Remus turned around and he froze himself. Oh Lord it was Red. She was alive. And here, in front of him.

It hadn't been a set up. It was just him and her.

Well, and Marie but she was the one who made this all possible so he didn't care.

"Remus." She breathed as he stepped forward with open arms and uttered,
"Oh Red.."

Red flung herself into Remus' arms and his arms wrapped around her so tightly he could have cried. Maybe he was. He probably was.

He had Red in his arms again. He knew she was okay.

It had felt like too long since he'd last seen her. Way too long and he didn't realise how much he missed her until now.

They both cried. They cried and blubbered incoherent words that neither of them understood.

"Oh Red, I missed you so much. So much." Remus finally got out words that  they understood and weren't just gibberish.
"I missed you too Remus, more than you could possibly ever understand."
"I think I just might." Remus told her and she pulled back with a laugh and Remus lifted his hands to her cheeks and brushed the tears away with his thumbs gently.

"How are you?" He asked her, voice hushed as he sensed Marie walk away, her footsteps as quiet as a mouse. One of his hands stayed on her cheek, his thumb caressing her cheekbone gently and the other moved her hair behind her ear and he held the ends of a strand and twisted it in his fingers.
"I'm okay." She answered, holding the folds of his jacket in fists. "And you? Sirius?"
"We're okay. He was sad he couldn't come."
"I'm sad aswell," her smile turned sad, "But I didn't want to risk it the first time l by bringing both of you. Next time. Tell him next time."