They caught the Knight Bus back to the Potter's. It was Remus's first experience of this bizarre wizard transport, but he was so fuzzy from lack of sleep and the remnants of the weed that he found himself dozing off in the comfortable purple armchair. Sirius stayed a dog for the duration, but Remus refused to give him any extra points for this.
James shook him awake once they arrived - it was late afternoon now. Remus stopped outside the front gate, and looked at James nervously,
"Will Dumbledore be there?"
"I think he's gone," James said, reassuringly, "Er... Moody might have stopped by, though..."
"For me?"
"Er... he's seeing dad... look, I didn't want to say anything on the bus, but it's been a bad summer, you know, for the war. We're losing."
"Losing?!"
"Yeah... let's talk about it inside - Padfoot." James clicked his fingers at the black dog. Instantly, Sirius transformed back into himself. Remus looked away at once. Still gorgeous, then. You bastard, you bastard.
Inside, Mrs Potter came running,
"Remus!" She reached her arms up to pull him into a hug,
"Euphemia!" A voice barked from the living room.
"Oh... for goodness sake." Mrs Potter muttered. She took a step back and looked Remus in the eye, "What did Monty and I give you for Christmas in 1973?"
"A chess set," Remus said, quickly, eyeing the doorway Moody's voice had come through.
"It's him!" Effie called, outstretching her arms once more and hugging him as tightly as their height difference would allow. "We were all so worried about you, dear!"
"I'm ok." Remus said, embarrassed.
"We thought you'd been... oh, well it doesn't bear thinking about. People going missing... dark marks... I really don't..." she looked very pale and washed out, as if she'd had a lot of bad news lately. Remus felt terrible for adding to her troubles. "Never mind," she said, briskly, smiling again, "Something to eat? Or would you like a wash, first? Albus sent your things, they're up in your usual room."
"My... my things?!"
"From the Home, dear. Dumbledore sent them first thing this morning..."
Everything had happened so quickly. Was that really necessary? Moody appeared from the living room. He looked Remus up and down with one eye - the other, he appeared to have injured recently; it was covered by a thick leather patch. The effect made him look even more grizzled and terrifying than ever.
"Lupin." He nodded, "A word."
"No, Alastor," Mrs Potter seemed to have surprised everyone, when she turned and placed herself between Remus and Moody, "He's only just arrived, and look at him - he's clearly exhausted. This can wait until tomorrow."
"Effie, this is a matter of ministry--"
"Oh I don't give a toss," she tutted, shutting him up with a wag of her finger, "He's only sixteen, he's not of age, and he's in my care. Remus," she turned around, her voice kind again, "You just pop upstairs, eh? I'll have Gully send some food up, but don't you come down until you're quite ready."
Remus blinked in amazement. Could it be that an adult actually wanted to leave him alone? That had to be a first. He had a new respect for Euphemia Potter.
"Thanks," he murmured, avoiding Moody's fierce gaze and edging past them, ignoring James and Sirius, heading straight for the stairs, climbing them as fast as his clunky hip would allow.
