Monday 8th January 1979
"Please let me come with you?" Was the last thing Sirius said as Remus left the flat early Monday morning.
"I'll be fine." Remus shook his head, trying to give Sirius a reassuring smile. He didn't say what he was thinking, which was 'how would that look?!'. It was bad enough he'd been summoned to Moody's actual office at the ministry; what would he think if Remus brought his boyfriend along for moral support?
Still, Remus had to admit that he had a difficult time leaving their cosy little home that morning. He'd barely left the bedroom since they'd returned from the funeral, let alone got dressed or left the flat. To go to the ministry he had to wear full robes for the first time since school, which helped a little bit - at least he'd be able to blend in.
The visitors entrance for the Ministry of Magic was about twenty minutes' walk from Soho, and Remus found the early morning stroll more pleasant than he'd expected. It was a crisp, cold January day, and his breath turned white in the winter air. Peter was there to meet him,
"Hiya Moony," Wormtail smiled up at him, giving him an awkward pat on the arm, "How're you holding up?"
"Oh, you know." Remus shrugged. Grief was a funny thing. He never knew if he was doing it right.
"Looking forward to saturday!"
"Yeah, me too."
The full moon was due on the thirteenth. So far since Hogwarts the marauders had got away with apparating (Peter side-alonged) to the most remote places possible and transforming there. So far they'd been to the Brecon Beacons, the Outer Hebrides, Dartmoor and the Forest of Dean. No one in the Order had brought it up yet, though Remus supposed they all assumed he was registered.
Peter and Remus entered the ministry via a telephone box. Peter needed to be there, because after Remus had stated his business, a small silver visitors badge dropped out of the telephone's change slot. Wormtail picked it up quickly, and muttered the incantation to turn it to tin, before giving it to Remus.
They descended into the ministry atrium, which was heaving with activity. It was an enormous hall, bigger than Gringotts, with rows of fireplaces lining the walls. Green lights flashed intermittently from each hearth as wizards and witches arrived for work.
Peter led Remus through the security stand, where his wand was weighed by a mean spirited wizard with a long beard. Remus was incredibly grateful to have a friend with him, and secretly quite glad it was quiet, genial Peter, rather than Sirius who had a tendency to get a bit overprotective of Remus when it came to the wizarding community.
Next they moved through to another hall with a set of lifts, and entered the nearest one.
"You're on level two," Peter explained chirpily, "I'm with the Floo Network Authority on four. Do you need me to show you where the Auror's office is?"
Remus thought he would quite like Peter's help, if only Peter wasn't so clearly enjoying having the upper hand.
"No," he smiled, "I'll manage. Cheers mate."
Peter gave him a kind smile as he left the lift. Remus nodded back, and the door slid closed.
Soon enough the tannoy announced; "Level two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement; including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamot Administration Services."
Remus shuffled his way out of the lift and onto the corridor. The lift doors closed behind him with a 'ping' and Remus stood there for a few moments, blindsided. It was a very busy hallway, wizards and witches striding up and down, some deep in conversation, others hastily scribbling down notes on scraps of parchment - and some of them muttering to themselves. Over his head, purple paper aeroplanes zoomed back and forth, fluttering into the office doors which lined the corridor.
