Blood of the Moon {Remus Lupin}

Chapter 103

One week today and then we've finished :)

When Auriga, Sirius, and Remus knocked on the back door of six, Oakenmore Way after the March full moon, they were surprised to see Tonks answering the door and not Mrs Weasley as normal. "Treacle Tart," said Remus. Until now they'd been chattering away amicably, if sleepily. But none of them were stupid enough to ignore the solemn mood emitting from the safehouse.

Tonks lowered her wand and stood back, allowing the three of them to trudge through. "You look terrible," said Lee, who didn't look so good himself. He was sat at the kitchen table, while Tonks took a seat next to him. The Weasleys were nowhere to be seen.

"How long have you been up?" asked Auriga, sending a small smile at Remus as he handed her a coffee.

Tonks shrugged. "It was still dark out."

"Who's-?" began Sirius. "Has someone...died?"

Tonks shook her head. "No," she said. "There was a raid on the Burrow though. Smashed to bits."

"How do you know?" asked Remus.

Tonks looked at Auriga. Evidently she'd been dreading this moment all morning. "They're fine...but...Harry, Ron, and Hermione were taken to Malfoy Manor by Snatchers yesterday." Auriga had instinctively drawn her wand as the news broke the air, and caught Sirius's dropped mug of tea before it could spill everywhere. She levitated it neatly to the sink, before looking at Remus, who was sat next to her.

If the full moon hadn't destroyed him last night, this certainly had. He looked like he'd died of shock. His eyes were wide and frozen on Tonks, and his knuckles were white as he curled his hands into fists. "Hey," said Auriga, rubbing his back. He looked at her, apparently having forgotten she was there. "She said they were alright." He swallowed and nodded, looking over her shoulder to see Sirius in a similar state.

He turned to Auriga. "You have to go and get them," he demanded, somewhat aggressively due to the desperation.

"What?" asked Auriga. "Why me?" She would, of course, at a moment's notice. But she'd want back up.

"It's your childhood home!" he said, wild-eyed and advancing on her. "It's your bloody family."

"If I recall correctly, Black," said Auriga coolly, "It's your family too. I wouldn't be surprised if it was dear old Bella behind it."

"Lay off her, Sirius," said Remus, standing up and walking slowly to his best friend. "Tonks said they're alright."

"Where are they now?" asked Auriga, turning her attention away from the panicking Godfather.

"They're at Bill and Fleur's," said Tonks. "Their patronus woke Arthur and Molly up this morning."

Auriga nodded, processing the information. "And where are Arthur and Molly now?"

"Upstairs living room," said Tonks. "Molly wanted to leave right away, but Arthur persuaded her to wait until you got back." Auriga noticed she said this to her and not the group as a whole.

"Me?" she asked with a frown.

"Well, you're sort of in charge," said Tonks with a shrug. "Good at planning and all that." Auriga brushed off the compliment, given the severity of the situation.

"How did they escape?" asked Sirius with a whisper. "A house like that...it should've been impossible."

"Bill said they had help when I floo-called earlier," said Tonks. "Some poor house elf apparated them out. Apparently Bellatrix killed him."

"So someone did die?" said Auriga. Tonks nodded quietly, looking at Lee for some small comfort.

"Apparently Hermione was pretty roughed-up," Lee added. "Gave her a hard time. There was a Goblin that made it out, Dean Thomas and Luna Lovegood. Oh, and Ollivander too."

"It's good they got him out," said Remus. "A mind like that...we need him."

"I'm going to go and talk to Arthur and Molly," said Auriga, straining as her knees shuddered when she stood. It didn't go unnoticed.

"Can't it wait?" asked Remus. "You need to rest. We only just got back."

"No rest for the wicked," said Auriga with a grimace. "Make sure he rests up though," she added to Tonks, before leaning in to kiss Remus on the cheek.

"I still don't understand why they'd have waited before they raided the Burrow," Lee pointed out with a frown. "Why not do it when they raided yours and yours?" he added to Tonks and Remus.

"That's obvious," said Auriga. She looked at the clueless faces. Apparently not. "Ron's meant to be ill with spattergroit?" she reminded them. "So them lying has finally given them enough to be arrested, legally too, because Ron's wanted."

Remus closed his eyes, understanding. "That's why it can't wait," he said. "Because of-"

"Ginny," Auriga finished for him. "Now go to bed." She looked at Sirius. "Both of you." She looked to Tonks, who nodded to say she'd make sure of it, before turning and heading up the stairs. It had to be the upstairs living room, didn't it? No consideration for the fact that Auriga's bones had changed shape twice in one night.

She knocked before she entered the room, and was greeted with the tear-stained face of Molly Weasley, whom it appeared had been pacing before the fire. Fred, George, and Arthur were also in there, each wearing identical stony faces and sat down. "Hello," said Auriga, quietly closing the door and taking a seat in the armchair. "It's probably best if you sit, Molly," she added to the witch, who nodded and scurried to the sofa, next to Arthur.

"I'm sorry about the Burrow," said Auriga, looking to each of them. "I'm afraid we can't risk going there at the minute. It's most likely a trap." Arthur nodded and Molly swallowed, before agreeing.

"I'm sure you all want to see Ron," Auriga continued. All four of them nodded quickly. "Now, this will have to wait, at least until later today. And you need to think about whether or not he'll want to see you."

"Why wouldn't he-?" Molly began.

"You've got to bear in mind that his time at Malfoy Manor, and Merlin knows where else, will have had a huge toll on him," explained Auriga. "He's been joint-second most wanted for months now, and apparently Dumbledore left them a mission too, which I imagine will have been immensely stressful.

"I don't know him very well," she said, "So it's up to you what you decide. But think carefully on it." They finally nodded in understanding. "The last thing to consider is Ginny's safety."

"What's Ginny got to do with it?" asked Fred quickly.

To Auriga's surprise, it was Molly that answered. "Ginny's at Hogwarts," she pointed out, her voice dry. "And now they know we lied about Ron. They might target her." She looked on the verge of tears, but Auriga knew she was most likely exhausted already.

Auriga nodded. "We're not sending anyone in after her," she said. "We just don't have the ability or the manpower. But we'll figure out a way to get a message to her. I'm sure Lee will have some ideas."

There was a knock at the door, and Tonks's friendly face emerged, looking uncharacteristically serious. "Remus says you should really go to sleep, Auriga," she said. "He's being quite stubborn...he won't even take the bruising paste up with him."

"You should rest up, dear," said Molly warmly, ever the mother. "We can discuss the rest later."

Auriga nodded and stood up, her knees feeling like they were about to crumble under her. "Thank you, Molly," she said quietly, before heading across the hall to where Remus awaited her. She'd been expecting him to be waiting for her, if Tonks had said he was being stubborn. But when she entered he was sat up in bed, fast asleep with his head lolling in his shoulder.

Auriga sighed with the smallest of smiles. He was going to get neck ache if slept like that. She flicked her wand, making him slide down underneath the covers, before joining him and cuddling into his side.