Pure Sinners

The only thing Remus could think as he sat in the hospital waiting room was that James had a lot of blood. 

He’d lost so much, that the nurse had taken him back immediately, calling out various things Remus didn’t understand. 

They hadn’t let Lily go with him - and had threatened to sedate her if she carried on verbally abusing the staff. She was sitting now, not quiet calm but better than she had been. 

Remus watched as her leg bounced, her chair groaning with every move. The others in the waiting room stared. He personally didn’t think the noise was overly obnoxious, but then again the patrons had other reasons to keep their eyes on the girl in the seat beside him.

Lily was frantic; staring at her blood-soaked hands like something from a dream. Her shirt was soaked, pressing against her skin and staining it red, her face was pale, in a way that made her look like a living corpse. 

She looked weak. 

Remus glared at the nosey woman across the waiting room.

Lily had yet to say anything since the doctors pried James from her arms. Remus was grateful for her silence, as he had no idea how to respond. 

He did not know how to comfort her. 

Her father had just butchered her boyfriend in front of her. 

She had then briskly murdered said father, before stitching up said boyfriend with a pocket sewing kit from 1964.

Remus blinked, searching for something to say.

She turned to him, her face pale and her eyes so hollow that Remus fought the urge to flee. 

“Do you think he’s going to be alright?” She asked, frowning at the sound of her cracked voice.

No, Remus thought, as he searched his tongue for the words he needed to say.

“Of course” He replied, his voice was strong and he felt his heart stutter as the tension lessened in Lily's shoulders.

She nodded, more to herself than Remus. “Of course, he will. I mean if..” She began, halting her speech as a police officer,  appeared on either side of the duo. 

Remus felt his pulse rise, the booming in every corner of his body as an officer asked them to follow her and her colleagues to another room. He did as asked, following Lily out of the waiting room as the patrons whispered. 

“In here please” asked the officer. She was very pretty, with tan skin and bright blonde hair. Her posture was strong and she had a no-nonsense way about her. An older man with white hair and a long wooden walking stick sat behind a low pop-up table.

Two chairs were propped before it, Lily scoffed and Remus pushed his elbow into her side. Taking a seat beside and urging her to do the same. He watched as the blonde officer dismissed the others before standing ominously against the door. She wasn’t in uniform, in fact, she looked a little too normal - it made Remus uneasy.

“I am senior police chief Dumbledore,” he said, sipping his tea. At the lack of response, he spoke again “tea?” He asked, gesturing to his own cup. Lily said nothing narrowing her eyes at the man. Remus simply shook his head with a shy smile. 

“Very well..” The officer said, in a voice, Remus found quite soothing. “I believe you to be Lily Evans.” His eyebrow raised as Lily did not so much as blink, “adopted daughter of Thomas Riddle.” Remus felt his breathing stutter at the name - he caught it. 

“And who might you be?” The old man asked, Remus looked to Lily for guidance but she simply shrugged, leaning further into her seat. 

“Remus L-Lupin” he said, swallowing around the lump in his throat.

 “Any relation to Lyall Lupin?” The man asked and Remus nodded.

”My Da” he offered. Dumbledore hummed, before focusing his attention back onto Lily. 

Remus was both grateful for and offended by the chief’s dismissal of him.  

The chief gestured to the blonde who placed a series of pictures on the desk. 

Remus blinked at the blurred images of Sirius and Lily defending Riddle as he rushed through a doorway Remus had never seen before. 

“You see Lily, may I call you Lily? I am already fully aware of your involvement with Riddle.” He smiles, it’s perfect and Remus wonders if any of Dumbledore’s teeth are fake. “..now I’m trying to help you. I do not wish to see you punished for your father’s crimes” he speaks gently and his smile only falls slightly when Lily laughs.

“Something funny?” The blonde asks, and Lily laughs again. 

Remus cringes as Dumbledore slams his hand down onto the desk. Lily is hysterical by now, full-body laughs rocking her small frame as Dumbledore turns redder by the second. “God, what Gellert saw in you I have no idea” she speaks softly, her voice a whisper in the hollow room. 

The blonde blinks, they lock eyes and Remus thinks she looks as confused as he feels. Dumbledore reacts as though she slapped him. “Where did you hear that name?” He asks, not waiting for a response before he speaks again. “What did Tom tell you? Do you think he told you the truth? That he cares for you?” He was getting louder, his voice echoing of the walls in the room. “Do you suppose he trusts you? Really? You mean nothing to him. He doesn’t love you, girl, He is incapable!” Remus watched as spit flew from the man's mouth, landing anticlimactically upon his chin. 

Remus squinted, seeing the droplets slide down towards his neck as he pushed his face into Lily’s space. 

“Albus?” The blonde inquired as Dumbledore continued his rant. 

“You think you’re clever don’t you?” He asked rhetorically, only becoming redder in the face as Lily nodded. 

“Albus.” The blonde tried again, fiddling with an item on her belt. “You’re just like him. you …” Dumbledore tried again only to be interrupted forcefully by his officer “Albus!”. 

“What!” Dumbledore cried, turning to face the woman - who to her credit did not flinch. “What is it Marlene?” His voice was kinder but his eyes were still staring daggers into Lil's forehead. “It's James” said Marlene and Remus saw Lily's whole body tense. The old man saw it too, and he smiled.

“Oh? what about him?” Asked Dumbledore, voice innocent as though he hadn’t realised he had won.

“Ummm, well… are you sure I should?…with them in here?” Marlene asked confused. “Yes, yes. Do go on. I’m sure our friends are as eager to know the results of Mr Potter’s surgery as we are” Dumbledore looked to him, for the first time in minutes and Remus belatedly realised he knew more than they wanted him to.

Marlene looked between the inhabitants of the room before speaking, “He’s going to be alright. Apparently whoever stitched him up did a good job, he’s fine - already demanding i inform his mother he’s ok”. She hesitated, clearly going against her better instincts as she looked to Lily. 

“He’s been asking for you,” she said, voice full of suspicion.

Lily moved to stand, only stopped by Dumbledore’s firm hand on her shoulder. “I am afraid we're not quite done here” his voice was hollow and Lily scowled as she sat.

“L-look sir..” Dumbledore turned to him and Remus realised it was he who had spoke. “..we don’t want any trouble. We simply found ourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. We found some information on Riddle’s possible next moves and a few of his associates.” Remus paused, waiting for the old man to nod before he continued. “We’d be happy to tell you everything, but we’d really like to see James…if that’d be alright?” He added, cringing at his clumsy words. 

Lily snorted ineloquently in the chair next to him. Dumbledore seemed to be talking to himself, nodding at words Remus couldn’t hear. “Of course Mr Lupin. You must be quite concerned about the well-being of your..friend. You may go see him, now if you like” Remus wasn’t the only one who heard the underlying message in his words. 

Lily moved quickly, flipping the plastic chair and side-stepping the wide-eyed blonde as she pulled open the door. 

Remus watched the gears still in Lily's mind as she collided with a large officer in the doorway. He gripped her arms, swinging them behind her back with a force that made Remus’s ribs ache. But Lily did not wince, even as the bolder-like man fastened a pair of silver cuffs around her wrists. 

“And the other?” Dumbledore asked, moving out from behind the desk. 

“Cas got him. They’re on the way to the station as we speak” Marlene spoke quickly, avoiding Lily's piercing eyes. “Very good” Dumbledore said before turning to Remus, “you’re free to go son.”

 His face must have shown his surprise because Dumbledore spoke again. “Can’t fault an honest man for the company he keeps” the chief said, leaning in before saying “Tell your father I wish him well”. Remus felt his head move in some semblance of a nod. 

“Marls why don’t you escort him to James’s room? I’m sure you're eager to see him” he offered, amused as Lily's eyes turned calculating. They ran the length of Marlene before turning to Remus. He sent her a panicked look as he followed the blonde from the room. 

Lily said nothing simply smiled, sending him a wink as the bulky officer began to drag her down the hall. 

He was disproportionate, to short in the legs for his width in the middle. Remus heard the blonde beside him stifle a laugh as Lily head-butted the officer. Blood poured from his crooked nose, and he swore loudly as he and Lily disappeared through a set of doors on the opposite end of the hall. 

Marlene shook her head, speaking as she guided Remus down the hallways of the hospital. “Feisty that one, not surprised she had James wrapped around her finger” Her voice was strange, a mixture of discomfort and familiarity that Remus would not pretend to understand. 

Undeterred by Remus’s lack of response she continued “God, this is so like James. Go undercover..fuck it up…fall in love…nearly die..leave me to pick up the pieces.” Remus held the door open for an elderly couple, they smiled at him - Marlene laughed once more. “You don’t have to act like a saint you know. I know you’re just as involved in Riddle’s shit as your friends” She rolled her eyes, pushing through a door labelled ‘Triage’. 

“Then why did you let me go?” Remus asked, pushing his footsteps to match hers. 

“I didn’t” She said poignantly “I’m not a cop, I don't get a say” Remus blinked at her, bewildered, “you're not a cop?” 

“Nah. Good as right now though, Dumbledore took all the hands he could get on the raid and with the way James is...” She trailed off, the sentence jumbled. Remus had nothing to say, confusion wrapped tight around his vocal cords. 

“He’s in there,” she said as she pointed to a cream-coloured door. Remus nodded, wrapping his hand around the handle. Marlene hadn’t moved. 

“Are you coming in?” He asked, fingers flexing. 

“No,” she said simply and Remus couldn’t help the rage that filled him. 

“I thought you cared about him? He almost died and you’re not even going to say hello?” His voice was indignant but Remus didn’t care, James deserved to know she cared. 

Marlene smiled softly “If I see him right now, I’ll kill him myself”. She turned, taking a few steps before speaking once more over her shoulder. “You should let it go” 

“What?” Remus asked confused. 

“The guilt..” She began, her ocean eyes meeting his “You reek of it”.

 She turned away and did not look back. 

Remus pushed the door inwards. 

“What took you so long” James crooned from his hospital bed, Remus stepped quickly into the room. His chest was bandaged, thick cords of white fabric banding from his armpits all the way to his hips. His face was bruised and a small set of stitches could be seen on his forehead.

James’s smile was brilliant and Remus felt his cheeks stretch in return.

“You’re okay then, no permanent disfigurement” his voice was light even as his eyes roared over James’s bruised body.

“All good. Lily patched me up perfectly, maybe just some cool scars to match you…” Remus’s laugh turned watery. “..Where is she anyway? Not that I’m not grateful to see you mate. I just really want to thank her you know..” James waved his hand about the room “..for saving my miserable life or..whatever” James’s voice faltered and the dam broke. 

Tears flowed down Remus’s cheeks, his nose was running. James stared at him horrified as Remus pulled the injured James into his arms. “I’m sorry James, I’m so sorry.” He felt James’s hand skate up his back, his other cradling his head as he sobbed into James’s bare shoulder. “It’s okay, you’re okay” His voice was deeper but the words were Lil's, Remus cried harder. James hummed above him, hands still running the length of Remus’s spine. 

Eventually, his breathing evened out and Remus pulled away from James’s embrace. His head was throbbing, and his skin ached. He ignored James’s eyes as he scratched his scars. “What happened?” James finally asked. Remus sighed, breathing heavily before he explained what had happened.

“It all just went so wrong. Lily wasn’t talking and I didn’t know what to say - the old man was more enraged by her than anything. After she made some comment about  some guy called Gellert..” James cut him off with a sharp intake of breath. “Gellert. You're sure she said, Gellert?!” He asked, already clawing his way out of bed “of course, of course. How did I not see it?” 

“See what?” Remus asked as he helped James into the clean shirt which had been left on the edge of his bed. “There were these letters..It was about the chief, about his romantic involvement with a leader of a criminal organisation..they were all signed GG - Gellert Grindelwald.” 

Remus tilted his head speaking gently “That's a bit of a jump James” 

James nodded. “But if that man was Grindelwald.” James stopped, and Remus looked up from the shoelace he’d been tying. 

“God, we’re all so thick!” James screeched, smacking himself in the forehead. “Of course, Dumbledore was the one to capture him, he had INSIDE information…He was Grindelwald’s partner.” Remus blinked, feeling somewhat lost in James’s explanation. 

James shot up light a bolt, racing for the door as he pulled his mobile phone from his bedside. “Where are you going?” Remus called, following James into the hall.

“Im going to get my girl…and Sirius..” he added with a wink, Remus smiled and listened intently to James's next words. “..and then I’m going to destroy the London police force”.

James pumped his legs faster and Remus felt a stitch in his side. 

“I’ll drive” he declared as they pushed through the doors to the car park.

James looked at him and Remus couldn’t help but shrug. 

“It’s not like i’ve got anything better to do”

James rings someone called, Dorcas as Remus drives. Apparently, she’ll know what to do with the information James has just pieced together - Remus doubts this very much. 

He also doubts James’s plan. 

“This isn’t going to work” he says again, just in case the mastermind next to him decides to listen. 

“Not with that attitude it won’t” James scolds as he watches the back entrance of the precinct. 

Dorcas should have opened the fire door three minutes ago - one minute after 2 swat teams vacated the premises. 

“What is she doesn’t come?” Remus asks to stop himself from picturing his boyfriend behind bars. 

“She’ll come” James says, and luckily for him, she does. 

She’s two minutes and 46 seconds late, but she’s there and before he knows it Remus is walking through the holding cells of Azkaban station. 

“Marls is going to kill you, James. What on earth have you gotten yourself into?” Her voice is pitchy and Remus thinks she’s scared for him.

“I haven’t gotten myself into anything Cas. How was I supposed to know Dumbledore was a criminal!?” His voice echoes in the deserted hallways. She smacks him and Remus decides he quite likes her. 

“Are you stupid?! Stay quiet” she mothers as they approach a row of steel doors. There is no difference in each of them, simply solid slabs of steel with a small sliding eyelet.

 “Which one?” Remus growls, already aching to see his friends.

“Ummm..Black’s in that one..” She says pointing across the hall. Remus doesn’t listen to the rest of her sentence, too busy pressing his picks into the locks of Sirius’s door.

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“Does he really think he can…” Dorcas begins as Remus pockets his pic and opens the door. 

“Damnnnn” 

“I know!” 

Voices echo behind him but Remus is too focused on Sirius. 

He is curled in on himself, back against the wall and his head between his legs.

“Sirius?” He calls and Sirius’s head snaps upwards. 

“I thought you’d never come” His eyes are wide, and his lip is bitten raw.  

Remus is kissing him before he has the chance to blink. 

He loses himself in Sirius, in the feel of his hands in his hair and the smell of his shampoo. 

“Wow..I wasn’t expecting that” came a feminine voice behind them. 

James laughs as Sirius’s hand strays south. “Are they always like this?” Dorcas askes. 

Remus smiles against Sirius’s lips as James responds. 

“Worse” he confirms.

“You’re just as bad” Sirius declares as he pulls away from Remus. 

“Speaking of..can we get my girl now…” His head tilts “..I could really use one of those kisses”

Sirius slides his hand into Remus’s as they follow James across the hall. 

“Sorry mate, you’re not really my type” Remus says, flexing his fingers in Sirius’s.

James makes a dramatic gesture, clutching his heart. “how could you?” He ask’s and Remus pulls out his tools and begins to work on the lock to Lily's cell.

He hears James and Sirius embrace behind him as well as a muffled introduction to Dorcas.The lock clicks and James shoves him out of the way as he rushes forwards. 

A great crash erupts from within. 

Remus shares a look with Sirius, before pushing into the cell.

Lily is screeching, “what were you thinking?! Why wouldn’t you announce yourself? You idiot!” She is straddling him as she beats him on the arms, careful of his injured chest. 

“Lily..ouch..wait..Lily..Love..Please stop hitting me..I came to save you..” James quickly realised his mistake as the screeching began anew. 

“Save me?! You absolute!.” 

“Lily, you just fixed him” Remus interjects softly, aware of Dorcas’s wide eyes and her hand resting on her taser. 

“I can fix him again” Lily said, huffing breath through her nose as she stopped hitting him.

“Anytime love, you make a great doctor” Lily blushed as James spoke. 

“Im still cross with you” she said as she moved to stand, resolutely not helping him up.

“I nearly just died!” James retorted, and Lily huffed again. 

“I’m aware” she confirms glaring at James.

“Im confused, do they even like each other?” Dorcas asks and Remus watches in awe as Sirius chuckles. “wait for it” he advised, turning back to the couple at war.

“Really? You’re mad that I nearly died!?” James asked, stepping closer to Lily who stepped back.

“Yes. Quite so” she informed him, face angry.

“How is that my fault?!” James asked, bewildered.

“IT JUST IS!” Lily shouted.

“ARE YOU SERIOUS?” James yelled, gripping Lily's hand in his.

James froze, as did Lily. 

He stepped closer, Lily let him.

She slid her fingers through his. 

“I’m sorry” James said softly

“You should be” Lily confirmed, raising her lips to meet his.

“Wow..like really wow” Dorcas whispered and Remus felt his defences rise. 

“They really love each other then?” She asked quietly, 

“Yeh, they really do” Sirius returned.

“I hate to break up this lovely moment but we should probably get out of here” Remus spoke, aware of how much time they had wasted.

“What happens now?” Lily asks, hand in hand with James.

“Now, we get the hell out of London” Sirius says eloquently as Dorcas hands him his jacket (which they had liberated from evidence on the way in)“But what about..” James begins only to be interrupted by Dorcas. “There’s nothing you can do.” She says, speaking Remus’s thoughts aloud.

“B-but I have to. People have to know who he is. It’s not right” James states, although Remus can feel his uncertainty in the words.

“They won’t do anything” Lily says and Dorcas nods. “He’s the chief of police James. You’re a disgraced cop - your word means nothing. Theirs even less…no offence?” She adds and Remus sees Sirius shrug. “Non-taken” his ever eloquent boyfriend offers. 

“So what am I supposed to do..just forget about it?” James asks, outraged. Dorcas shakes her head, “No, you’re supposed to trust me. I’ll work on collecting evidence and eventually I’ll build enough that he will have to be removed from his position”. 

“It’s not enough” James says and Remus agrees. 

“No, but it’s the best we get” Dorcas says, Lily looks to James.

“Where will we go?” She asks, and Sirius jumps in eager for involvement. 

“Paris?” He asks, and Remus raises an eyebrow at the fast answer. “..Umm..I may or may not have a place…and a way across the channel” His face is scarlet, Remus kisses him quickly. “ oh Cariad, you are brilliant” Remus smiles as Sirius blushes harder. 

“Right okay well let’s….Mum what about mum? And Marls? What will I tell her?” James looks panicked as he gases at Dorcas. 

“I’ll take care of her” Dorcas promises and James nods.”Just till you get back, mind you” 

“Fuck it. Guess we’re going to France” James says. 

Alarms blare across the precent.

“Best get on that” Dorcas suggests as she runs back the way they came. 

“Run?” Sirius asks, voice far too excited. 

James smiles, hand still intwined with Lil's. 

“Run” Lily agrees.