Rebirth {Marauders Era}

CHAPTER 22: REMUS: WE'RE ALL FOOLS

Remus felt panic rise in his belly when James uttered the words going to get himself killed. He couldn't-no wouldn't- believe it, maybe James had heard wrong! But something in his mate's eyes said otherwise.

"Well then, don't dawdle! We've got to save him!" Remus launched himself out of bed, threw on a jumper and pants, woke Pete, and ran downstairs to where James held the Marauders map.

"He has the cloak, so we'll have to be extra careful tonight. We need to be urgent," he added on, seeing James looking confused. "Not slow and careful, but urgent. That way we can get out of here as fast as possible. And I think we have a pretty good excuse if we get caught, don't you?"

"D'ya think they'd believe it though?" James asked, as they left the common room. "That Sirius has gone to Malfoy Manor to save a deity named Morta?"

"I guess not," Remus said, realizing how crazy that sounded. "They'd probably just think we were planning a prank."

"I'm sure Minnie would believe us!" Peter squeaked.

"Believe what?" An irritated voice echoed throughout the hall. Minnie stood right there, in her tartan nightgown, her hair in rollers, and her eyes narrowed. "Believe this story you're telling me now? How do I know Mr Black isn't just down the hall with a prank?"

"Please, Professor, you said we could be friends if the occasion arose, and I believe it has." Remus begged, his eyes wide. The other boys just stopped as Remus did his trick. "Sirius has gone to enemy territory, and we need to save him! We need the Order to go to Malfoy Manor, Sirius went there."

"Why on earth...?"

"I don't know!" Remus cried. "I think he heard someone was being held captive there, and wanted to save them."

"Really, does he have a death wish?" She muttered under her breath. "All right, I'll call the Order, but it had better be a real emergency, or you all will be in very big trouble."

"Please, Minnie. We would never go to this extent to prank anyone." James plead, his eyes wide. "Sirius would never distract the Order from defeating Voldemort."

Although Minnie flinched at his name, she nodded. "Meet us in the Great Hall, from there you can direct us." She hesitated. "But let me make this clear: you will not be joining us. This is very dangerous, someone could die tonight. I don't know what Mr Black was thinking when he did this, but it was a fools errand."

They didn't say anything, but they all knew that they were not going to be left behind.

Once she left, James turned to Remus and Peter and smirked, despite the fear in his eyes.

"Minnie knows us, right? When do we ever listen?"

"But we could die out there!" Peter squeaked.

"Yeah, but Sirius is our mate, and I know we could all die for him, and he for us, am I right?" James turned to Remus. "Look, I know this would be the most dangerous, and, I'll admit, stupid thing we've ever done, but Sirius did one worse, didn't he?"

Remus couldn't argue with either of these points. He nodded sadly, he had worried about this for years. How his friends had done nothing life threatening (well, except for that one time, enchanting the stairwell to disappear below a twenty foot drop, but they'd all like to forget that) was beyond him. Finally it seemed some sense would be knocked into them, if only the hard way.

They met Minnie in the Great Hall, and they embraced her there.

"Professor, good luck on your journey." James said, a glint in his eye."

"Don't you try anything, Mr Potter." She smiled despite herself. "I do have a fondness for you, however slight it may be."

Remus chuckled. "Looks like Lily's got competition." This made them all fall silent for a moment, as this was something Sirius would have said.

"You'll be going now." Peter commented, and trying and failing miserably to seem innocent.

"Pete, remember, we aren't coming with!" James punched Remus in the arm until he too responded.

"Yeah, Pete!" He said, glaring at his friend and rubbing his arm. James smirked and turned away. When Minnie directed them to the Portkey, he watched silently. When it was about to go, they all lunged at it, touching various parts of it, having been a table so all the members could fit. With a pop, they were all gone.

&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&

"Man, this place just oozes evil doesn't it?" Remus heard James comment, and then came an unbecoming shriek. It echoed around the yard and Remus noticed the large, perfectly cut bushes, and the ridiculous white peacocks. What a show of ego.

"POTTER!" It was Minnie's wrath. Wanting to avoid it, Remus dove behind his friend.

"Hello Professor." James said, as if it was nothing more than a casual stroll down the street on a Sunday. "How's your night been? Looks rather dreary to me."

As Minnie continued to scold James, Remus looked down at a squeak. Peter was there, as a rat.

"Bloody coward." Remus mumbled. He pocketed the squealing animal. "C'mon, let's get inside before McGonagall alerts everyone. He found an entrance, a window, and with no better way to hide himself, slipped it open carefully from the outside and jumped in. It was the basement, and he wrinkled his nose at the pungent smell. It smelled like someone had gone and died in there.

"Hello?" He whispered, and noticed a woman sitting in the corner, her eyes closed. Maybe someone did go and die in here.

"Maybe someone, but not me." The woman startled him and he looked over, seeing a slight smirk upon her face. "I would know if I died." She laughed hoarsely.

"What?" Remus said softly, seeing her awake scared him three times over. He reminded himself she was in rags, and so was proabaly a prisoner.

"Oh, I'm not here to hurt you, boy." She smiled and looked up, and Remus yelped as her dead eyes met his. Suddenly her hand was over his mouth, though she had been several feet away seconds prior. "Oh, you don't want to be caught do you? I heard your friend earlier, bloody tramp he was."

"Is he alright?" Remus trembled. If something had happened to Sirius...he feared the worst.

"Oh, as alright as we're all are, being prisoners and all. Don't tarry now, I heard he likes them tender before killing them." She giggled. "I sound like I'm talking about chicken, but I'm not!"

Remus backed away, a choked sob in his throat as screams previously unheard ran through the air. "Sirius..."

"Oh, they always did say I was rather morbid, didn't they. Ah well, this ones on Voldy." She climbed out the window and smiled back at him, her face humorless. "Thanks for the escape. And be sure to take those, won't you?" She pointed to a golden pair of scissors lying in a corner.

"W-what?" Remus whispered, but she was already gone.