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Chapter Nine: Of Lycans and Lords

Harry groaned as the sun invaded his room. "Five more minutes, Ron," he mumbled, before his eyes flew open and he remembered where he was. "Gotta remember to close those bloody curtains," he muttered.

With a heavy sigh, he rolled out of bed and walked to his dresser, grabbing his clothes before walking to the bathroom. It was quickly becoming a routine.

When he stepped back out of the bathroom, fully dressed and ready to go, he was only mildly surprised to see Nimi there. "Is Luna coming?" she asked.

Harry nodded. "Even with me being Lord of Azkaban, knowing Remus he wouldn't come. He knows Luna."

Nimi wrinkled her nose. "Well, he knows you, doesn't he?"

"He knows Harry Potter," Harry corrected. "Not the Lord of Caer Azkaban and the Druid Isles. And I don't want to risk someone else finding out that they're the same person."

Nimi nodded and looked to the clipboard in her hands. "Our spies have tracked him to a Muggle Hotel- it's called The Grand and its in London."

Harry nodded. "Sounds good. Let's get Luna, and we're ready to go."

Nimi nodded, and they set off down the hallway to Luna's room. They met her halfway; she was already dressed. "Let's go," she said, her voice without the dreamlike quality it had used to hold.

Harry nodded solemnly, producing a Portkey from his pocket. Nimi tapped it with her wand, muttered "Portus," and, in a minute, they were off.

Imagine how surprised they were to find Remus' room empty with none of his things in sight.

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Remus snapped at the man gripping his arm. "Let go of me, you great oaf!" His break into Azkaban hadn't worked as well as he had hoped. Apparently, they had set up advanced wards since Sirius had escaped, and his description of Azkaban hadn't been much use.

In short, Remus hadn't set a foot into the prison before he had been grabbed by some guards and hauled off towards Castle Azkaban. From what he could tell, they were almost there.

And they were. In less then a minute of intense struggling on Remus' part, they were in front of a large set of double doors. One of the guards knocked, and a rather annoyed looking girl with her hood pulled over her eyes and shadowing the upper half of her face opened it. "What?" she snapped. "Our Lord is rather angry at the moment."

The guard nodded respectfully. "I apologize, High Admiral Primary Advisor Stardreamer." Remus raised an eyebrow. Quite a mouthful for such a young girl. "Could you please just tell him that we caught this man trying to break into the prison? He could just discuss the matter in his Throne Room..."

The girl nodded with a heavy sigh. "I'll help him find his way. He still doesn't know the layout very well."

The guard nodded. "We'll come in in five minutes, ma'am."

The girl nodded, and, leaving the door opened, swept through the halls towards where, presumeably, the Lord of Azkaban waited.

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"Harry!" she called out. "The guards have intercepted someone trying to break into the prison."

There was a sound of something that sounded expensive and breakable hitting the door. "I'm coming," came a growl from behind the door, and a moment later Harry came out. He silently followed her to the Throne Room and glared at the chair in the front of the room. "Can't I sit on something comfortable?" he whined.

Nimi scowled at him. "No. That's the Lord Azkaban's throne; you'll sit in it, or I'll curse off your buttocks."

Harry scowled back at her and reluctantly sat on the chair. Nimi took a place by his side, shortly behind him. In a moment the door opened and guards came in, dragging a man that looked oddly familiar to Harry. When the man lifted his head he was sure. "Remus?"

The man looked up at him. "Lord Azkaban. I am amazed you know my name."

A smile flitted across his features, and he adressed the guards. "I know why he tried to break into the prison. I thank you for bringing him here. I need to speak with him; would you mind?"

The guards shook their heads and left, and soon it was just Harry, Nimi, and Remus in the room. When Harry was sure no one else was there, he turned back to Remus. "Hello," he said calmly. "We were looking for you earlier; we didn't think you'd come here."

Remus looked confused. "With all due respect, what are you talking about?"

Harry laughed and pulled back his hood, his emerald eyes shining. "Good to see you, Moony."

Remus stared at the boy on the throne. "Harry?" he whispered breathlessly. He ran forward and enveloped the boy in a hug. "Oh Harry, I'm so sorry, I should have known right away-"

Harry waved a hand. "It's alright Remus, really. You didn't do anything to hurt me." He paused. "Although there was something I was wondering if you would do for me."

"Anything, Harry."

"Would you be one of my Secondary Advisors?"

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Luna was pacing her room when a young man poked his head in. He immediately blushed and stammered an apology, turning to leave. "Wait!" Luna called, confused. "Who are you?"

"My name is Nikolai Nadreski," he said nervously. "I'm sory, I didn't mean to bother you. I was looking for the Throne Room; I was told to talk to the Lord of Azkaban."

"Why?"

He gulped. "I- I can't really..."

She smiled. "It's alright, I understand. I overheard his Primary Advisor talking to him about ten minutes ago; he's in an audience."

The boy's face fell. "Oh," he muttered.

Luna smiled at him. "You can stay here, if you'd like. I'm sure Lord Azkaban wouldn't mind."

"Oh, no! I wouldn't want to intrude-"

She shook her head. "Not at all. I... don't have very many friends anymore... I'm open to making some more."

He smiled uncertaintly. "Oh- alright then."

She smiled at him, and motioned him to a chair. Perhaps she wouldn't be left with only three friends after all.

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Dumbledore paced his office. Not only had Luna Lovegood not yet come back, but Remus Lupin was missing, and according to Hermione Granger, had quit the Order.

How to get him to sign back up? Having a werewolf was good for his cause. He needed Remus in the group. They didn't really have anyone of another species, though Hagrid was a half-and-half.

Remus would come back eventually. The Wolfsbane Potion was hard to brew, and very expensive to buy. The werewolf would never be able to afford it. Dumbledore had made sure of that, giving tips to all of his previous bosses about him so that he would be fired and would eventually agree to work with Dumbledore.

Besides, the werewolf had a soft spot for Harry Potter. Perhaps, Albus mused, he could claim to believe in Harry's innocence when he next spoke with Remus? Yes, and then, perhaps a week afterwards, tell him he had just found out of the boys untimely death... That would work. The werewolf would rejoin them.

He would have to.

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"Are you all right?" the blond asked.

The chestnut haired one snorted. "Yeah right." Her voice raised to a high shriek. "I just found out that MY HUSBAND'S DEAD!"

The blond winced. "Lucy was probably lying, just to hurt you."

The other woman let out a breath and shook her head. "No. He was totally convinced with what he was saying." She smiled sadly through the darkness. "Maybe he's wrong."

The blond nodded. "I can't see him just off and dying and leaving you like that."

The chestnut haired one let out a bitter laugh. "Well, he wouldn't exactly have much of a choice in the matter, would he?"

The blond shook her head vehemently. "Honestly Melly, you know that he would have fought tooth and nail to come back to you."

'Melly' chuckled. "And its not like your wolfman wouldn't have done the same for you!"

The blond shook her head sadly. "If they hadn't fooled him into thinking I was dead, he would have."

'Melly' sighed heavily. "I forgot about that. I'm sorry, Ari."

'Ari' shrugged. "It's alright. I know he loved me, and that the fool probably still does. He should just get on with his life if he hasn't. I don't want him moping around."

The other woman sighed again. "Most of me feels the same way... but there's this small, jealous part that hopes he's miserable over me."

'Ari' nodded. "Same here." There was silence for a moment before 'Melly' began to sing in the clear, dulcet tones of a soprano with a bit of a lilt to it.

"Warning sign

I lived the good life, and it passed me by

Then I started looking, and the bubble burst

I started looking at excuses."

'Ari,', understanding exactly how 'Melly' was feeling, joined in a harmony with a beautiful alto voice.

"Come on in

I've got to tell you 'bout the state I'm in

I've got to tell you, in my loudest tones

How I started looking for a warning sign.

"When the truth is

That I miss you

And the truth is

That I miss you so.

"Warning sign

Came back to haunt me, and I realized

That you were my true love, and I let you go

You were my true love, I didn't let you know.

"Come on in

I've got to tell you- what a state I'm in

I've got to tell you, in my loudest tones

How I started looking- for a warning sign.

"When the truth is

That I miss you

And the truth is

That I miss you so

And I'm tired, oh-oh-oh

I should not have le-et, you go-

Oh."

The last note faded into silence as the two women thought of the loved ones they had left behind.

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The man in the grey mist stared into the abyss of nothingness that surrounded him. He had thought he had heard her singing.

It had been the song that Ari had written back in their sixth year, when she had found out what his friend was. She had sang it to him. She had forgiven him. She had still loved him. His friend had been amazed.

But he must have been imagining things. He just wanted to hear her voice so badly, he had thought he had. But he hadn't. He couldn't have.

It was just a dream.

A/N: And chapter nine has emerged... The song featured is "Warning Sign" by Coldplay.

Aerin