Chapter Text
Lily and James Potter's Home, Godric's Hollow - 13th February 1980
"It's more complicated than I can put into words," Lily beamed in contrast to the topic. "It's the most intricate brewing process I have even read about, let alone done. I'm learning something new every night."
Lily had been working for Belby for two weeks, and they had barely seen her. The bulk of the potion work was conducted at night, and so she had spent most of her days sleeping to make up for it. James, too, had taken on more night shifts with the Order, both to line up their schedules and to ensure he was one of the team on watch over Belby's while Lily was there.
"The potion is brewed in cauldron's of pure silver," she explained, cross-legged and waving her arms in a tangle of limbs on the squashy sofa. The fireplace burned away happily, casting a light show onto the exposed rafters in their little cottage. There were still stacks of books that hadn't found their home yet and half unpacked boxes.
"That tracks with what we know of Grant's weapons. I wonder if that tip came from Selwyn," Remus added. Lily had all but confirmed the base ingredients of Belby's potion, and the concoction Selwyn had used was the same. Selwyn had just tainted his with blood magic and created a novel poison, either by accident or on purpose.
"That's what I thought," James agreed, carrying in a tray loaded with cheese and wine for himself and Remus as Lily stuck her tongue out at him in mock jealousy as he handed her a Pumpkin juice.
"Maybe, I get the feeling a lot of the developments have been quite recent."
James sat on the floor and cleaned his glasses as he examined some of Lily's pristine notes. He was so engrossed in them that he started to mime along some of the instructions, stirring an invisible cauldron with his wand until golden sparks shot out the end and nearly set his trousers on fire. Lily laughed heartily as they smouldered.
"And the fire beneath is lit from a mix of six different types of wood. We didn't even start on flame type interactions at NEWT level."
It was clear Lily was having the time of her life around the potions expert. Remus couldn't help but smile along with her.
"Have you seen the lunar fragment?" Remus asked, and she nodded seriously. The more Remus heard of it, the more he longed to see it. It was beginning to feel instinctual and obsessive. He wondered if Caliban and Grant felt the same. He had suspected for a while that Emeric, Steve, and Garrick were not kept as informed as the muggle, and his last visit had confirmed it. "What's it like?" He tried to keep the steely longing from his voice.
"Unreal," Lily said. "You know, I actually watched the first moon landing on TV when I was eight? I'd practically forgotten. It's such a strange thing. I remember it so vividly now and wanting to be a scientist, but it's like the moment I arrived at Hogwarts, everything muggle seemed to fade a little." She sounded almost regretful, Remus reached over and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, and she perked up again. "Belby has some spells he's developed to irradiate moonlight from it. He isn't using it in the potion. He's only using it to force maturation in the ingredients that can only be picked by the light of the full moon. The light he can generate from it is strong enough to trick the plants."
Remus had to say he was a little jealous. This all sounded absolutely fascinating.
"Clever," James said, not looking up from a particularly complicated looking diagram. "If he can crack the potion without using the rock, he won't be limited by material quantity."
Lily nodded, "and, because the ingredients are the main blocker to the brewing time, he can potentially shorten that too once he hits mass production."
"Not only that," Remus continued the thought, "fewer potential unwanted effects that might have occured from consumption of unknown material. But if he's thinking of mass production, has he already proven the potion on a test subject?"
Remus didn't want to dampen it, but he had a sneaking suspicion that the ministry wouldn't care if there hadn't been a proper trial period. After all, it was only werewolves that would be at risk. Belby would probably only have to show it didn't make werewolves even more powerful for them to approve it.
"Well, no." Lily admitted, tucking her long red hair behind her ear the way she had so often done at school when about to ask an uncomfortable question. "He does have a single test subject, but he says it's not enough, and as he's doing this without the Ministry, he can't exactly advertise."
"So you were wondering if I would be your test subject," Remus finished for her with a knowing smile.
"Actually, no. We would need somebody registered if we want Ministry approval. I was wondering if you would ask one of the guys in the highlands if they would be willing to sign the reports."
"I can ask, I'd have to deliver the potions, though. They can't leave the estate."
Apparently they had to take multiple doses and it wasn't designed to cure the condition, but allow the drinker to retain full control of their mind. It cured the mental aspects temporarily, if not the physicality, but it was just a start. It could be further developed.
"I would come with you to observe. Then, we could even compare to controls without the potion."
Remus squirmed a little. Lily had never seen him transform before, and he wasn't sure he ever wanted her to. He knew she wouldn't think of him differently, muggleborns tended to be less prejudiced, less indoctrinated. But that didn't mean a lot in the practicality of it.
"Just think about it," she asked gently, "no rush."
--
Remus Lupin’s Flat, London - 14 February 1980
Remus Lupin stared at the uniform in front of him, suspecting a trick or a trap of some kind. He had just returned from Selene's flat. Lestrange had insisted on another date for Valentine's Day, so Remus and Selene would have to wait to have their own celebration.
The moment she had left, Caliban had apparated in with a package for Remus. He claimed he didn't trust Lestrange and wondered if Remus had anyone who would be willing to keep an eye on things.
Inside was a uniform embroidered with the Reluctant Bludger logo. Remus felt the material, it was nicer than anything he owned and it was just a uniform. Remus had obviously never eaten there but could reasonably pass as staff. Caliban had also included hair if Remus' agent was in need of a disguise.
That was the plan, Caliban knew Remus would want to go himself. That's why he included hair and had given him polyjuice on their last visit. Lily had tested it and said it was safe but had been modified slightly. Possibly to account for a faster burn off in werewolves but she couldnt be sure whay the exact modifications were. Whomever he had sourced it from was a master.
He knew Remus wouldn't be able to resist being the one to watch over Selene.
There was always a trick with Caliban.
And yet Remus found himself not caring as he threw back the potion.
--
The Reluctant Bludger, Manchester - 14 February 1980
Remus tugged uncomfortably at his collar before slipping through the back door of the club. The kitchens were quieter than he was expecting. He didn't have time to dwell on it, however, as a paunchy middle-aged wizard nearly ran into him from front of house looking harried.
Whoever he had transformed into had thankfully been the same size and build as he was, so he didn't feel too out of his own body.
"Thank Merlin, you're here. The agency said you would be here by seven. Go get Violet back through here. I promised I wouldn't put her front of house tonight, not after what happened last time. But we were so short-staffed." Remus wasn't sure why the manager even bothered to give an explanation, but he was clearly stressed. He hadn't even asked Remus' name, which was lucky because he hadn't thought of one.
"What happened last time?" He asked but the manager was already hurrying him through.
"Just stay on your spot and don't say a word."
Remus pushed through the swing door expecting to come into a busy, mawkishly love filled restaurant. Instead, there was a single table set in the dead centre of the room, the others must have been vanished. Roses and peonies were affixed to every column and wall. A trio of musicians played away in the corner, cast almost entirely in shadow as the only lights in the room were the lit candle sconces and a tiny candle on the table.
Selene was a light source all her own.
She wore a deep navy that only stood further in contrast to her glowing skin and dark hair.
Remus couldn't have said how long he had stood frozen at the scene, only that he was knocked out of his stunned state by a blonde witch who must have been Violet as she rushed past him. He jerked his neck slightly as the waitress gave him a meaningful stare and directed him to a spot with her eyes alongside another waiter.
And so he went.
He stood sentry next to the other waiter who hadn't said a word as he joined him silently. They couldn't hear the conversation from where they were and Remus guessed some spellwork had been involved. Every so often Selene would smile or laugh but in the hollow way she had before the funeral. None of it real. He doubted Lestrange would notice, she was playing the part perfectly.
What had happened last time?
When Lestrange finished his glass the waiter hurried over quickly to refil it, and when Selene finished hers he gave Remus a sharp nudge with his elbow and tipped his head towards a crystal carafe on the bar.
Remus tried to copy the upright walk of the professional and managed a passable approximation. As he approached, he must have crossed whatever spellwork obscured their voices.
"It must be a relief to have the succession sorted at last." Rabastan would have heard about the will from Sal.
"A big relief, especially now Caliban is so close by." Was that a reminder to Lestrange that she had someone looking out for her?
Remus poured the wine with a steady hand. He could hear Selene's heart racing and he could just feel her nervous energy. With a sick sense of dread he suspected she was going to try and get information from Lestrange.
"Is my uncle pleased with his new reasearch material?" She asked.
He wasn't fast enough to think of a way to stop her without blowing both of their covers. Spilling the wine would do nothing but get him removed from the room.
Selene looked up and smiled at him as she thanked him for the wine. He bowed ever so slightly before retreating. The smell of her hair and perfume followed him back to the wall, embracing his very being.
It was maddening. His muscles were hard and tense as he stood there. All he could do was just stand there. A hundred scenarios flicked through his brain, most of them involving him beating Rabastan Lestrange to a pulp. Every flicker of concern or worry or even at one point sadness that crossed Selene's face was like a body blow to his stomach. What was she asking him?
As they moved on to dessert, all he could do to keep himself sane was stare at Selene, remind himself she was there. She was doing well. But that didn't stop Remus' nerves every time Lestrange tensed or moved his arm in a way that could have been a reach for his wand.
He may have also enjoyed imagining himself ripping Lestrange limb from limb.
When the meal ended whatever enchantment they had broke completely. The other waiter gave Remus a hand signal that may as well have been gobbledegook but he followed along as best he could, clearing away the table. The music was louder, filling the room with a low melody played by a tiny wizard on a double bass.
Rabastan stood and walked round to Selene who was already on her feet. He raised a hand to invite her to dance and she flinched.
It was minute and she had pulled herself together quickly but Remus' senses had caught it. Along with a rapid stutter in her heart beat.
Remus had an idea what had happened last time.
He was going to kill him. He finally saw the real advantage of physical combat. It would be so much more satisfying to feel Lestrange break under him.
The other waiter vanished the table and returned to his spot against the wall and motioned for Remus to join him.
It was as though the evening had been designed to torture him. He had barely looked at Lestrange all night and only then realised this was the closest he had ever been to the man. For all that his reputation suggested, Remus found himself distinctly unimpressed.
The pair danced in the restaurant and Remus wanted scratch and claw at his own skin with the effort it took to remain where he was. He kept reminding himself that it was safer for Selene this way. That no matter how desperately he wanted to take that cretin's hands from her waist that it would just put her in danger.
He would be doing it for himself, not for her.
But he had never wanted anything more.
It wasn't even close to the full moon but every heavy pulse from Selene pounded in his ears like a drum beat, every bead of sweat as she kept herself there hung in the air.
And the worst thing was he was part of the reason she was there.
She might have just left if it weren't for him. Caliban could have stayed secret in Ardverikie, maybe she would have just let Caiban join the Death Eaters and kept out of it. She could have left the country.
Caliban.
Had he designed this just to torture Remus or had he seen something in Selene that Remus had missed? Was there a chance his suspicion of Lestrange was genuine?
The song ended and Remus let a tiny bit of the tension leave his jaw. It would be over soon. He shivered as Rabastan ran his hand down Selene's spine before they stepped apart.
He let his hand sit heavily on her lower back, stopping her from getting away completely. Selene smiled at him but Remus could see her trying to step back.
At last Lestrange stepped away. He slipped his hand into his robes and the other waiter physically held Remus back before he even realised he had made to step in, suspecting Lestrange was going for his wand.
"Don't move," he muttered. "You're worse than Violet." He sounded frustrated.
Instead, Lestrange pulled out a long velvet box, opening it for Selene before dangling a glittering diamond bracelet on a single finger. At least it wasn't cursed. Remus couldn't take his eyes from it.
That bracelet was no doubt worth more than everything Remus owned put together. He doubted he would ever in his life be able to afford to give Selene a bracelet like that, and here was Lestrange giving it after less than a months almost engagement.
Lestrange took hold of her arm and deftly fastened it to her wrist. His grip lingering on her arm before she could drop it. "Think of this as a promise and an apology," he said, his words cutting through the gaps in the music. "Let's get out of here and continue the evening."
She should say no. Remus had gone over it a thousand times, never be alone with a Death Eater. Selene hesitated, Remus thought he could see the pulse in her neck rushing and he could definitely hear it quicken. So much so it was almost frantic. The bracelet caught the low light and sparkled as Lestrange finally let go of her arm which she shakily let drop. It suited her.
Was Caliban right, did it always eventually come down to class and blood status? Regardless of everything else.
Selene looked back up from the bracelet and her eyes widened like a frightened cat. What little colour had been left in her face drained away.
She was staring right at him.
Remus only just realised the clawing feeling he had felt earlier had only been half jealousy. The other half was the polyjuice wearing off.
He had forgotten to drink another dose and had been so preoccupied with Selene that he hadn't realised what he was feeling was as much physical as emotional.
Her eyes darted frantically between the two men and Remus watched the concentration on her face as she tried to adapt.
"Yes, let's go," she stammered quickly, before grabbing Lestrange by the hand. Lestrange apparated immediately before Remus could so much as intervene.
The silence that followed was abrupt. He'd blown it.
She had gone with Lestrange to protect him.
If anything happened after this it was on him.
Remus was knocked from his thoughts once more by the manager who bustled in moments after they left. He gave Remus a squinting look, assessing him for a moment like he was trying to decide if his memory was going or if the man before him really had changed his face. He shook his head a little, deciding the stress of the evening had got to him.
He picked up Remus' arm and dropped a handful of galleons into his palm, closing his fingers back over them. Remus still wasn't in control of his movements, his guilt blocking everything.
"A gift from the host for the evening," he grinned. "Remember not a word to anybody about anything or anyone you saw tonight. There's more where that came from for private events too."
It was more money than Remus would normally have made in a month but it felt heavy and uncomfortable in his hand, like it was sinking into his flesh.
Remus left as soon as he could, he gave half of his pay to the blonde witch Violet. She had initially refused it but begrudgingly accepted it when he insisted. She told him that she had had a bad experience with a boyfriend before. That the last time Lestrange had put his hand around Selene's neck and seeing it had made her ill. She had tried to intervene but Ethan, the other waiter, had kept her back.
Remus tried to reassure her that it would have just been worse for both of them if she had before he rushed out and immediately apparated to the street outside Selene's flat.
The lights were still out and Remus wrestled with the choice of staying and waiting for the signal or continuing to apparate to anywhere Selene might have taken Lestrange. Everywhere he thought of however was a place where his appearance would certainly signal Selene as an Order informant if a stranger popped in unannounced.
So he did the only other thing he could think of, he called for his friends.