BLACK MOON ⍋ Remus Lupin

Chapter 142- Hunt or Hide.

*months later, spring*
ARTY's POV

I swung open the stiff door to the local Muggle pub where Marlene had begun frequently residing; a Muggle bartender had caught her eye. She was shy, completely different from what I had pictured Marlene being interested in. Medium length mousy brown hair, completely straight and blotchy pink cheeks upon her olive toned skin, as if she was permanently overheating in a sun that spring was only still teasing us with.

It had been a dreary spring, and all of us knew that this summer was perhaps going to be rainier than our last. The new born lambs in the fields had been born onto boggy land instead of crisp grass and there were more days of plain grey skies than patterns of clouds against blue.

Some neighbours even still lit their fires at night to avoid a chill, the smell of woody smoke filling the village as the sun went down; a smell I only had associated when snow was coming. It felt bizarre that June was only a number of days away.

"Arty!" Marlene called over to me and I went over and sat down next to her.

"Have they replied to you yet?" I asked and she whipped out a letter from her jacket that was hung at the back of her chair.

"So Mary is still in America, her letter took the longest to get here. She's frolicking around with some potions inventor...or something." Marlene shrugged.

"And Sonny? Dorcas?" I asked almost itching for an answer.

"They've just come back from Romania, she has a cousin in the dragon trade. They said if you'd rather meet them at theirs and not in public, we can do that!" Marlene suggested, handing me over the letters to skim through.

"I am nervous to go back to the city, Remus doesn't think it's a good idea yet, but it'll be fun to be somewhere lively again- even if it's just for a day." I said as I read through the letters quickly.

"I think he's maybe nervous about going back, he's comfortable here isn't he? Less to be anxious about when nothing is going on." Marlene said.

"Yeah I think that too," I agreed.
"Maybe we just do a quick trip. I can test it out for Remus, finally catch up with Sonny and Dorcas and then go home! Easy." I planned.

"Yeah, it won't be a long trip. Do you think Remus would mind you going without him though? Alone?" Marlene asked.

"I won't be alone, I'll be with you!" I smiled.

"Yeah but you know how protective he gets about you when it comes to your safety." Marlene rolled her eyes and laughed a little.

"Do you not think I should tell him?" I wondered.

"I'm not saying that! I just think is it worth stressing him out if we're just going to be going to Sonny's house and not Trafalgar Square or something super public?" She provided food for thought.

I sat on it for a second, she was maybe right. We were only going to be passing through central london, get on the underground once at best. Remus was incredibly anxious about going back to the city, even if for a day trip. He had convinced himself it was forbidden territory. Time had passed on since we last had to leave though, and if Sirius had been safe returning back and forth...I could be too.

"You're right, it would just stress him out knowing. I'll tell him when we come back, to show it's safe!" I nodded surely.

Marlene began mumbling about the girl behind the bar and whether it would be weird to subtly use magic to ask her on a date, with her being a Muggle and all.

That's when my eyes drifted to a fallen letter on the floor underneath her chair.

"Oh Marl, you dropped this..." my voice lingered as I recognised the perfectly written swirly writing. I snatched the letter back and pressed it close to me, before she could take it.
"You've been writing with Sirius?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowed.

No one had seen him since New Years. James said he had received the occasional letter to let him know he was on the move somewhere different and still in good health. Other than that, no one had heard a thing. Or so we thought.

A bold 'M' was on the front of the parchment paper and from the glimpse of what was written on the inside of the folded paper, it wasn't a quick check in letter...it was an update.

Marlene's face turned almost as pink as the bartender she fancied. Her eyes wide as they wracked her brain for an excuse or some alteration to the truth.

"Well..." her voice squeaked.

"What is this?" I unfolded the letter to sentences that didn't make sense and scribbled drawings.

"I don't know." She mumbled.

I stared at it, trying to decipher any kind of theme or message.

"It's only the second letter." She revealed.

"The second?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

She frowned.

"Well it's weird, he started it off addressed to the letter 'M' and it simply read...start questioning everything- wait, I actually have it. One second-" Marlene sighed as she began rummaging around in her huge shoulder bag.

A scrunched up piece of parchment was pulled out.

"Why would he send you a letter but not anyone else?" I questioned out loud.

"I mean, he didn't...it was posted to his old address. I found it the day Remus and Lily were supposed to clear out some of his stuff for the charity shop. I offered to help and there it was, big fat 'M' on the front." She said casually.

"That was over a month ago? Two maybe?" I frowned at her, shocked at her ability to keep a secret.

"Look I didn't think it was important, more Sirius mumbo jumbo," she rolled her eyes.
"But that letter does make me feel a bit worried about him." She nodded to the second letter that was in my hands.

"It's just random words. Letters. I don't know what this is supposed to be?" I squinted at the scribbles.

"Exactly?" Marlene scrunched her face up at it too.

"When did you receive this?" I asked, giving it a shake.

"About two weeks ago." Marlene assessed my body language, I sighed.

"Read that one out then." I rolled my eyes subtly, then gesturing to the first letter that was in her grasp.

"Okay," she cleared her throat.

"M,
start questioning everything,
Everyone,

Cynical much, huh?

She knows something that you won't listen to,

Don't know what that means.

Start listening,
the footsteps of betrayal can be as silent as a mouse.

Like, what?

and a clever mouse will dance around traps to be fed. It's feeding. Hunt or hide."

A moment of silence brewed between us.

"And that doesn't mean anything to you?" I asked.

"Literally nothing...no idea." She looked at me with confused crazed eyes, as she folded the paper away and back into her bag.

"Hunt or hide?" I repeated softly and inquisitively.