Chapter One - Remus
The problem has infected all of London. Remus was 17 now, his ‘gift’ at his peak. Remus was what they liked to call a ‘listener’ he could hear apparitions, almost feel them sometimes, he almost went mad because of it. But Lily was there, she was able to help him through the nightmares, help him when he couldn’t sleep because he could hear the ghosts outside, begging for blood. His father had never helped, after Hope was killed by one of the spirts Lyall hadn’t even looked at his son, signing him up to be an agent for the extra money.
12th July 1977
“Why couldn’t I be born a riddle?” Lily had mumbled under her breath, looking at a photo of Tom riddle in a book, he was the founder of one of the most prestigious agencies in the county. Riddle & Co.
“He just re stocked, he’ll never notice Lils” Remus called closing the door with his foot behind him and tipping his head back to drink down the scotch almost spilling it as lily tugs it out of his hand.
“Can’t be drinking that stuff, this is how it starts”.
“How what starts?” He raises an eyebrow at her mostly eyeing the bottle in her hand before looking back at her face.
“How you become like all the miserable adults in this shitty town. Drinking at 2 in the afternoon”
“Oh, piss off it, it’s just a little bit to celebrate your graduation.”
“Now I’m serious rem. Look.” She has her serious face and that causes Remus to give her his full attention “we can’t work for Geryback till our talent fades, we need to go to London, get interviews at Riddles and Hogwarts, make something of ourselves. We should go, tonight.”
“As much as I would do anything to get out” he says snatching back the bottle and taking a sip “I haven’t graduated, I can’t, just wait till next year, ok? Then well be able to go anywhere, won’t need anyone’s permission.”
She lets out a huff of breath, Remus was never a voice of reason so whenever he actually was it was best to listen to him “one more year...” taking the bottle from Remus and drinking from it.
16th July 1977
It was sundown, Remus had a cigarette in his hand and his other hand on his rapier, a complete iron sword used to ward off spirits, Lily was to busy chatting with another boy from their group, his name was Lachlan or something like that, Remus didn’t know nor care, they were discussing the problem, Lachlan like many others was certain that it was no coincidence that when the problem started Dumbledore and Riddle just happened to be there, Remus didn’t know what to think. He himself didn’t care, as long as he was away from his father, he couldn’t care less about the nature of the problem.
The house had an eerie feel to it that he knew Greyback could feel too, still they were told it was a lesser powerful spirt, just an unhappy soul, easy to get rid of, easier than the ones with a purpose. They stepped inside and Remus put out his cigarette closing his eyes and focussing.
“I hear… a child’s voice, no… its more then that” his head ached and his ears had a low ringing in it, his head started to hurt more, the sounds of this spirit giving his head spikes of pain, something was very wrong, more voices filled his mind, it was freezing which didn’t help “somethings wrong… this isn’t a type one”
“You report to Greyback well locate it” Lachlan speaks up and Remus feels his heart drop at that, this wasn’t safe, this was really bad.
“no. we don’t have enough equipment we can’t” Lily counters, after a moment of back-and-forth Remus is persuaded to go, he runs out and over to Greyback.
“Somethings wrong, sir”
Greyback almost jumped out of his seat, his hand reaching briefly for his rapier “what is it lupin?” he asks dryly.
“You need to get them out.”
“Do you have any proof?” he looks completely uninterested, typical. Contrasting Remuss panicked expression.
“No, just a feeling sir please”
“I don’t do work on just feelings” his voice almost mocking Remus’s “go back inside and get the job done.” His voice turns stern, and Remus is about to speak up before rolling his eyes and turning on his heel running back into the house. What he’s witnessed makes him freeze in his tracks, its probably 5 degrees in there, it looks like lightning, the screams of his comrades inside the haze of ghosts, and right in the doorway was Lily, standing still as a deer in headlights, it takes Remus only a second longer to drop his bag sprint towards lily, the ghost fog only moving closer towards them, all he can hear is someone screaming at them both to close the doors, he’s closing them just in time before kneeling at lily holding her, his stomach tight his heart breaking as he screams her name, holding back tears, he looks up at the entrance seeing greyback standing there.
“Sir! She’s dying! Please sir please you have to help her please!” he calls out as he watched greyback slowly step away from the door. Remus screams as he holds lily tight as she passes in his arms.
18th July 1977
“Boy. I’m not having you mope around this house, tomorrow I am taking you back to Greyback first thing and you will beg him to take you back. Do. You. Understand. I will not be the father of the boy who got all those kids killed” Lyalls voice sharp as a knife while Remus sits on his bed a photo of him and lily in his hands.
“yes” he whispers trying to remain calm “yes I understand, Lyall” he says his name although it was made of pure shit. Standing up he was slightly taller than his father, lankier but taller so he could tower over him as he stepped closer “I understand you don’t care about me, or Lily. “He looks down at his fathers’ rage filled eyes “you’ve treated me like nothing ever since I was born until I was able to make you some money. All I want, is for you to love me. But you’re incapable of it, you can’t feel anything. Lily was family and you think I would ever hurt her. You, you are not my family. You are nothing to me.” The death glare he was given was almost unnoticeable as the sting of a slap met his cheek and Remus’s hand cupped it.
“he’s expecting us at nine.” Is all Lyall says before he walks out of the room.
Remus steps back and closes his eyes for a moment before grabbing his things, anything he can find, packing it into a bag and opening his window, tossing the bag and rapier down first before crawling out and down onto the street, flipping off the house before walking off.
~`~
19th July 1977
he made it to London, London was beautiful, Remus didn’t have time to sightsee, he made it to Riddles, then Dumbledores, they wouldn’t give him the time of day. He lit up a cigarette after having another agency slam the door in his face, there was about an hour until curfew, to many ghosts at night. There was one more agency he could go to. Black &Co.
Remus made his way there, moving a hand through his hair as he walked over knocking on the door. Stepping back as the door was opened, A brown haired boy looked at him.
“You Wormys new guy?”
“Who?” Remus said slightly taken aback.
“Wormtail, baker down the street, usually sends pastries around now but you don’t have any baked good so... you’d be another candidate. Name?” His tone of voice slows down as though he’s already tired of Remus. Remus bit his cheek slightly.
“Remus Lupin... are you Mr Black?”
“God no. come on in, last ones just gone in but by the looks of her she won’t be long.”
Remus stepped inside the house and took a quick look around before his head snapped to a girl running down the hall out of what he assumed was the interview. Eyebrows furrowed slightly. The boys voice gets his attention.
“See. all right if you’d like to follow me.” He leads Remus into a room, there’s a man in some black jeans, stars over them, what looks like a button up shirt. Remus looks him up and down for a moment, he was short was the first thing that came to his mind. “You win. There is one more”
“No, you win, I checked the list”.
“Who’s this then?”
Mr Black turned around to face them both, Remus’s breath caught in his throat, this man was absolutely stunning, sharp features, grey eyes and black curled hair which framed his face perfectly, complete ethereal beauty. Remus had to remind himself why he was here. Thankful for the first boy’s presence or he would have surely already snogged his future boss. “Hello, I’m Sirius black.” He reached out his hand towards Remus, a charismatic smile plastered on his face, Remus took a moment to reply.
“Uh, Remus Lupin. My cv” he hands that rather than shaking Sirius hand.
“Would you like some tea? Or has James already offered”
“I thought I would wait to see if he passed the first test” James said slightly lower to Sirius.
“Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and pop the kettle on” Sirius said towards James however never taking his eyes off Remus, Remus had to break the eye contact as he was very sure Sirius wouldn’t. they sat down as Sirius took a look over his CV.
“So, you have the sight and touch but you’re more of a listener?”
“Mhm. Sometimes it’s a mix, touch can trigger sound and that kind of thing” Remus reply’s fiddling with his rings for a moment.
“James can do some of that, Sights my thing, know, death glow, trails, all the residues of death” Sirius speaks with a soft almost humours tone and Remus takes a mental note that Sirius is most likely a dramatic person “says here you trained locally with an operative named.. Greyback, do you have a letter of recommendation.”
“no.” Remus replies shortly but explains when Sirius raises an eyebrow at him “my last employment ended... suddenly.” Sirius looks at him taking a moment, but he seems to realise that’s all Remus will say on the matter, so he drops it and nods.
“Story for another time”
“mm”
“Ah! Finally,” Sirius speaks as James walks in with tea and biscuits “take a biscuit Remus, James will only eat them all” he says with a laugh and Remus happily obliges taking a biscuit off the plate and eating it in small bites, he was hungrier than he thought. He hadn’t eaten in hours, James and Sirius shared a look, but Remus didn’t really care.
“Let’s get on with the tests, shall we?” Sirius speaks with a smile and Remus furrows his brows \
“Tests? There wasn’t anything on the advert about tests?”
“Well, I don’t care for recommendations and experience. I like to see the talent with my own eyes, you understand. Can you tell me what this is?”
he says unveiling a small pocket watch, Remus picks it up and closes his eyes focussing on it. His eyebrows furrow and he tilts his head slightly the sound of children’s screams fills his ears, he opens his eyes as but keeps listening.
“I hear... screams”.
“Sounds scary” James says sitting up straighter.
“No no... they’re happy screams, there’s no suffering, this belonged to someone happy, someone playing with kids”.
“Very good” Sirius smiles taking back the watch “it belonged to my cousin, Andromeda, she had it with her everywhere, even had it when she had a heart attack, shame.” He tuts “how about this”.
Remus picks up the next item which is a picture frame, he closes his eyes and listens, he hears screaming, slicing, the unforgettable sound of the last moments of a brutal death, then he hears another, and another, his eyes almost start to water as he opens them and tosses it down “there’s a lot of death attached to that. Way too much. No body should be holding that, especially not in a Job interview.” He says his voice a little sterner as he gives a judging look to both boys.
“Would you like to know where I got it?” Sirius asks with a hint of delight in his voice.
“No, I very much wouldn’t.”
“Try this one then” Sirius says handing him a bottle of cologne. Remus takes a breath and holds the bottle closing his eyes. His brow furrowing.
“there’s nothing...”
“You sure?” James asks in almost a mocking tone, Remus glares at him and tries again, still, nothing.
“Positive. Nothing”
“Good, that’s my cologne” Sirius takes it back with a laugh and James joins in, Remus glares at them both and stands up.
“I didn’t come here to be made out like a fool. I don’t know what kind of agency this is but from the looks of It its two posh boys playing agents until mummy and daddy come home.” He glares at them both “I’ll see myself out.”
“Bit gutsy” James mumbles and Remus turns to him halfway to the doorway glaring at him.
“Step over here and ill show you how gutsy I am.” He stares down at the other boy who is clearly intimidated by him.
“I will.”
“don’t see you moving” Remus raises an eyebrow at him.
“Deep chair takes a minute to get up”.
“Oh, I’ll wait.” He says grabbing another biscuit and taking a bite, sparing a glance over to Sirius who looks a mix of impressed and something else, but Remus can’t tell what.
“Mister Lupin, I apologise for upsetting you, those were legitimate tests which you passed, you wouldn’t believe the amount of people who make up bullshit stories, if half their stories were true this would be the most haunted bottle in London. If you’re still interested in the position id love to offer it to you”
“Oh, um” Remus takes a moment to calm down and although he wants nothing more then to tell Sirius to shove his offer up his ass, he needs a job “yes, I’m still interested”.
“Great! Welcome to Black &Co. let me give you tour of the house”