Chapter Text
During the last twenty-four hours, James Potter had slowly but surely been going mad.
At first, James had tried to not take it too seriously, assuming that Lily would have overslept or been occupied with an especially intense fight with Petunia. When he had not heard anything of his girlfriend until the late afternoon, James had started to become twitchy. He tried to contact everyone who could possibly know where Lily was, but neither Marlene (Haven’t seen her since she borrowed a gallon of Bubotuber pus on Wednesday ), Dorcas ( Maybe she’s just lost? I’m going to get her a broomstick compass for Christmas! ) nor Gideon or Fabian ( But do tell if she’s finally come to her senses and leaves your scrubby ass! ) had known anything. Then, James had owled for Remus, to force him to call the Evans’ family phone, because he didn’t know where to put the coin in the call box.
Remus then had had an extremely uncomfortable conversation with Lilys sister Petunia (Remus assumed their mother must be a botanist), during which he was informed that Lily had left the house directly after breakfast to meet this awful boy (James) and had not been home since, and if he could only call this line in distinct emergencies prospectively, thank you very much.
After that, James had downright panicked. Remus tried his humble best to calm him down. But nothing helped – not encouraging (“Lily is a bright young witch, Prongs, you know damn well she can look after herself. Remember how she hexed Notts head into a cauliflower in April!”), not confronting (“What is the worst that could have happened, do you think You-Know-Who snitched her off the sidewalk?”), nor distraction (“I still don’t get how the Arrows could win against the Canons last weekend. Could you explain it to me once again?”).
Of course, Remus was only substituting the role of James’ caretaker (and he suspected he did a horrible job). But as the One-And-Only-James-Potter-Lion-Tamer did not answer his owls and neither James’ little pocket mirror, Remus had to do.
Sirius now had stayed at his familys house for two awfully long weeks. Remus remembered the hot-tempered discussion between James and Sirius before the summer break started, which could basically be summed up by James didn’t want Sirius to go back to his family because they’re a bunch of evil, dark wizards and Sirius wanted to go back to his family of evil, dark wizards to make sure his little brother was not becoming one of them. Remus remembered Sirius storming off dramatically, throwing his should-long black hair out of his face like an enraged diva in a sixties movie. Of course he had done as he wanted (no surprise there), but agreed to spend the second half of the break at the Potters’, and to owl regularly.
It was now late afternoon. Even though it was September, they were still in England, and the rain was pouring since breakfast. James parents were gone for a few days (a three-day-seminar on advancements in practical application of moonstone), and the big house felt empty.
“We should go and look for her.”, Peter said. He had arrived half an hour ago and had not at all helped Remus to calm James down, but at least had made tea. “Scanning her last steps and where she went off road.”
“There is literally no point where she could have gotten off road.”, James hissed. “She left her families’ house at nine and would have apparated right in front of my doorstep!”
“Maybe something went wrong with the Apparation?”, Peter continued, without batting an eyelash. Remus liked that about Peter: he did not give into the varied moods the rest of the group (Sirius and James) got into. He simply carried on with his way, like a stubborn, determined mule. “We all just passed the test two month ago and do not have a lot of experience.”
“She apparated that exact route about ten times already, and nothing has ever happened!”
Remus snorted: “Summer break started two weeks ago and Lily was already here ten times? You lot are a bit co-dependent, aren’t you?”
James gave him a glare and opened his mouth to shoot back, when a roll of thunder interrupted them, followed by a displosive loud crack , which made the old chandelier jangle.
It took them a split second to realize what just happened ¬– then, Remus and James jumped simultaneously (Peter got tangled up in between the couch cushions) and the all stared at the creature which had just materialised out of thin air in the centre of the room.
It gave a rasping sound and straightened up, glaring at them with a pair of bloodshot, veined eyes. His oval head was almost bald, only covered by three thin, dark strands of hair reaching from one ear to another. The house elf was barely tall enough to reach Remus elbow, and clad in a shabby pillow slip. His nimble-fingered hands were clenched and trembling. Remus dropped his wand a few inches – the elf looked more miserable than dangerous.
“Kreacher!”, James shouted, and unlike Remus, did not drop his wand. Remus looked back at the crooked figure between them. Sirius had often spoken about the Blacks family servant – usually disgustedly. “What on earth are you doing here?”, James asked.
The elf looked at him in depreciation. “Kreacher apologises for entering the household of an honourable pureblood family without permission, young master Potter.”, he snarled and gave two little bows towards James and Peter, “But Kreacher was sent to deliver a message of upmost importance.” Kreacher bowed again and when his bald head was facing the carpet, he muttered under his breath: “Wretched blood-traitors, soiling the reputation of all pureblood dynasties, they are.”
Remus stared at him in bewilderment, but James did not seem surprised. “Then speak.”, he said, his wand still pointing at the elf. But the elf now looked at Remus, his evil little eyes narrowing further. “Filthy Part Human scum.”, he hissed, his eyes wandering over Remus scarred forearms, “I can smell his contaminated, muddy blood – even worse than a half-blood – a wild animal, an abnorm mutation — ” Remus stared at him (How could he know?), but James shouted: “Shut it, Kreacher! When you’re here to deliver a message, deliver it, for Merlins sake!”
Kreacher looked up at James unimpressed. “As the young master wishes! The message says: Lily Evans is held at Grimmauld Place. Get her tonight. Dinner’s at eight.” And with these words, Kreacher pulled a small object out of his pillow slip and let it fall on the living room carpet.
“Lily is at Grimmauld Place?”, James shouted horrified.
But Kreacher only looked at him with mean little eyes. “The message was delivered. Kreacher will now leave.”
“Stop!”, James roared and Remus took a dive over the coffee table towards the elf, but Kreacher only gave them a spiteful look, snapped his fingers and disappeared with another loud crack .
“Come back, you horrid little shit!”, James howled, as Remus picked himself up from the sofa he had crashed into.
“Merlins balls, what was that?”, Peter asked, and bent down to pick up the object Kreacher had dropped. It was a small, silver comb, engraved with a design of curling snakes. The three friends stared at it in bewilderment.
“What on earth does Sirius want to say by this?”, James asked, as Remus took the comb and examined it. Someone had scratched out the snakes heads and drawn little bell-ends instead, making it look like very long, entangled dicks. A few long, black hairs were caught between its dovetails. Remus snorted: “And why does he send us his comb via his racist house elf?”
“And why did he include the dinner time in his message?”, Peter added, staring mid-air at the spot Kreacher had just disappeared.
“He could have just owled.”, Remus mused, turning the comb in his fingers.
James, who had viciously paced the living room since Kreachers disappearance, suddenly stood still.
“I’m going there.”, he said, grabbing his wand. “No amount of psychopathic, muggle-hating maniacs can hinder me!”
Remus and Peter at once grabbed both of his arms. “You can’t just walk into Grimmauld Place!”; Remus hissed in James ear, struggling to hold him back. Luckily, James had stopped growing in sixth year and Remus had not. Together with Peter he managed to force James down onto the couch.
“Think, James! They would tear you apart before you even put a food down! Surely the house must have all sorts of Security Charms!”
James stopped struggling and clenched his fist: “I can’t anyways. This evil witch of a mother had me banned last Christmas, when I tried to get Sirius, remember?”
It was a terrible memory. James had been woken up in the middle of the night before Christmas by the cries of pain coming out of his pocket mirror. James had begged his father to apparate him to Grimmauld Place immediately and together, they had hammered against the polished main door for most of the night. It had been of no use and Sirius had come back from the Christmas Break with three fresh long scars across his spine. A few weeks later, the Potters had received an official letter by the Department of Magical Law Pursuit, informing them that the Black Family had obtained an order of refrain for James, instructing him to stay at least a hundred yards away from Grimmauld Place No. 12 at all times. The order had also stated that there was a ministerial Alarm Spell casted at the building, which would inform both the Blacks and the Ministry, if James should trespass the agreed restriction.
“You couldn’t just walk in there, even without the order.”, Remus tried to console him. “That whole house is full of black wizards and supporter of Voldemort. That would be suicide!”
James looked at him, utterly hopeless. “But then, how are we supposed to get Lily? They will kill her.”, his voice trembled. “She’s muggleborn. Why else would they hold her captive? They will torture and murder her.” His hazel eyes glazed over. Remus felt his stomach turn when he realized that James was not exaggerating. The news was full of puzzling events of death lately, a vast majority of them muggleborns. Oftenly, they had no wizarding families to defend them and their cases did not even come to the Wizengamot. Remus was under no illusions of the Black Family: it was common knowledge that they supported Voldemort.
Peter had picked up the silver comb from the floor again and now frowned contemplatively.
“James”, he said slowly, “Doesn’t you Dad have Polyjuice Potion in his apothecary?”
Remus froze. Peter had picked a long black hair off the comb and twisted it around his finger.
“No.”, Remus said at the same moment as James shouted “YES!”, jumped up and ran out of the room. They heard him sprinting up the stairs.
“Pete”, Remus said adjuratory, “Don’t give him the wrong idea. That’s impossible
Peter looked back at him, his dulited eyes full of sorrow. “Do you have a better idea, Moony?”
Remus, as a matter of fact, did not.
James stormed back into the room, carrying a box full of ampullas. He put it down on the couch table and picked up one of them. It was filled with a muddy, viscous potion.
“But you can’t.”, Remus said, eyeing the ampulla suspiciously. “You just said, James, there’s an Alarm Charm against you. It’ll go off if you cross the border, even if you’re looking like Sirius.”
“Oh Moony”, James said and a manic, concerning grin took over his face, “As always, you are absolutely right. I cannot turn into Sirius and undercut this dragons’ nest full of dark wizards and sadistic witches that is the noble and most ancient House of Black. But last time I checked” – he uncorked the ampulla of Polyjuice – “there was no magical restraining order against one Remus John Lupin.”
Remus looked from James grinning face to Peters worried one. He was speechless.
“But –“, he stuttered, his mind racing, “Sirius is there! When I pop up at Grimmauld Place, looking like him when he’s already in the house ¬— everyone will know immediately I am a fraud!”
“Yes, that’s a bit weird.”, James said, clearly not concerned enough, “But he did send us his hair, didn’t he? That must mean it’s safe for you to go. Maybe he isn’t there anymore.”
“Then why isn’t he here?”, Remus hissed, now backing up against the wall.
“No idea.”, James answered. “He’ll have his reasons. Or maybe he is in the house, but hidden. Or maybe he needs an alibi. Whatever it is – he sent us the hair, the plan and the dinner invitation. There is no choice.”
Remus gulped. James was right: it was a plan. An utterly ridiculous plan with dozens of plot holes – but also without any alternatives.
“Then why can’t Peter go?”, Remus objected weakly. He looked at the clock: ten to eight.
“He can come with you, as a rat.”, James said, taking Sirius hair out of Wormtails hand and stuffing in the ampulla, then joggling it like a cocktail shaker. It turned into an inky midnight blue.
Wormy looked all but pleased by this news. Of course Remus knew that Peter couldn’t go, it was not even an option. Peter pretending to be Sirius? He could never pull it off, they could just as well not even try.
James now opened the glass ampulla. He looked at Remus, earnestly again. His eyes were bright and warm, boundlessly faithfull, all James.
“Please.”, he said gently. “Moony, please. For Lily.”
Remus gulped. Lilys freckled face appeared in his mind’s eye, framed by a creole of ginger hair, shimmering in the sun. Her green, almond eyes narrowed from laughing too hard.
“Merlins balls”, Remus cursed and snatched the potion out of James hand. “You fucking owe me a nice bouquet on my grave, Prongs, when these maniacs have skinned me alive!”
James bounced of his heels in excitement. “You really are a great one, Moons!”
Remus rolled his eyes, but felt his heart flutter in anticipation.
“I - I’ll come with you, Remus.”, Peter said, trembling but determined. “I’ll be right on your shoulder.”
“Thank you, Wormy.”, Remus said, and he meant it. Peter must be shaking with terror.
“Quick now!”, James shouted, looking at the clock. “You only got five minutes! You transform, I’ll get you some clothes.”, he gave Remus tall figure a discerning look, “Yours will be too big soon.”
Remus nodded and stepped in front of the floor length mirror, whilst James jogged out of the room. Remus looked at the Polyjuice potion. He was surprised Sirius’ potion was not of a brighter colour. Then again, his name literally meant Dark Star.
Remus took a deep breath for courage and then downed the potion.
Firstly, he only felt a slight prickling. Then, his skin started to tickle and when he turned to look into the mirror, he could see the scars on his forearms and neck fading into his skin, which lost its tan and turned pale like porcelain. He shortened well about two inches and felt a tickle on his neck, where his mouse brown hair dropped down onto his shoulders and started to form in elegant black waves. It was a strange sight in the mirror, watching his face forming into Sirius’ familiar features, his cheekbones getting high and chiselled, his jawline sharp and shadowed and at the very last, his brown eyes colouring into a stormy grey. Remus blinked in wonder and saw Sirius’ face in the mirror do the same.
“Does he really have a tattoo on top of his dick?”, James asked, entering the living room with an arm full of clothing. “Let’s find out, eh?”
Remus laughed nervously. He did not exactly feel comfortable, changing clothes in Sirius body, and tried not to look too much – but he was only human after all.
“No.”, Peter commented disappointedly, when Remus closed the last buttons on James’ old shirt, “I knew he was only showing off by that.”
Remus reached over his shoulder and felt the sharp edge of a long scar under the shirt fabric. He sighted.
“You gotta hurry, Moony!”, James said, it was one minute to eight. “Try to go to his room as soon as possible, there should be our pocket mirror. Then we can communicate. And try not to show your wand”, he added, when Remus stored his wand in is wide sleeve. “It’s his family after all, they will notice if he’s got the wrong wand.”
They went towards the main door. “There are three more ampullas left.”, Peter said and handed Remus the small bottles. “That means three more hours. Then we have to get the fuck out of there.”
He shivered and melted down into a rat on the doorstep. James picked him up and put him on Remus shoulder.
For a moment, they looked each other in the eyes, and Remus saw his own fear mirrored in James’ eyes.
“You’ll get her, right?”, he asked, his usually firm voice shaking. “You’ll bring her home?”
“I will, Prongs.”, Remus whispered. “I’ll protect Lily.”
James nodded gently. “Thank you so much, Moony.”
“One for all.”, Remus answered and gave him one of Sirius’ signature, lopsided grins. And with a loud crack, he disapparated.