Ness: Long time, yes, I know. Let's go...

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Chapter Thirty-Four: A Noble Act

"Wh-what!" Remus gasped, snatching up the fallen letter as Ness collapsed to the floor in tears. James and Sirius peered at the letter over Remus' shoulder.

You know what I want. Be at Stonehenge before midnight tonight and you'll get your daughter back alive and unharmed. And while we're on the subject, bring Potter as well.

The letter was signed with a pulsating Dark Mark, giving no need to announce the writer of the letter.

"No..." Remus gasped, an invisible hand constricting his throat. How could this be...? He rounded on James and Sirius. "What were you doing last night! You were supposed to be watching her!"

"We - we were!" Sirius stuttered, staring, transfixed, at the letter gripped tightly in Remus' hand. "It's impossible that anyone could have gotten into this castle. She fussed a little last night, but then quieted down. That was the only noise from the nursery all night."

"Unless..." James hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "But there's no way he could have gotten out... but... Of course! A portkey..."

"What are you babbling about?" Sirius said, turning to James with a confused look on his face.

"You said he used his animagi form to get in and out of the castle before," James said. "And if he had a small portkey with him it would have been just as easy to get himself and Ivy out."

"Who?" Remus asked, but the feeling that he already knew was smothering him.

"Peter..." Ness gasped from the floor. Remus had almost forgotten she was there, but she must have been listening to what James had said.

"Yes," James nodded, confirming what he had been trying to explain.

"He wants me..." Ness said, in a remarkably calm way. "He wants my powers. I - I... have to go."

"Are you crazy?" Remus said weakly, pulling her to her feet and shaking her roughly by the shoulders. "You can't go just like that. We have to get Dumbledore and the Order. We'll come up with a plan–"

"No!" Ness cried, pushing away from him. "It'll take too much time. He could be h-hurting her!"

"Ness..." Remus said weakly, his heart feeling as if it were being ripped from his chest. "It isn't that I don't care, but we can't just run off without a plan!"

"Remus is right," Sirius began. "We have to–"

"NO!" Ness shouted, shaking her head violently, more tears sliding down her cheeks. "I won't lose another child because you had to be irresponsible, Sirius!" Ness gasped, quickly covering her mouth with her hands. "Oh, S-Sirius, I... I didn't mean–"

"I know what you meant," Sirius snapped, glaring at her in a guilty sort of way.

Ness shook her head again and ran to the bedroom she shared with Remus, slamming the door behind her with loud BANG! Remus wanted to go after her, to comfort her, but hesitated. It was probably best to leave her be, for now. Besides - he glanced nervously at his watch - they had to get to Dumbledore.

"He wants Harry too..." James said, panic in his voice.

"Who wants Harry?"

Remus, James, and Sirius whirled around to see Lily standing in the doorway with a troubled look on her face.

"What's happened here?" Lily asked, looking around the room in shock.

"Sorry, Lily," Remus said, rushing past her and into the corridor. "We have to get to Dumbledore, now!"

"But–" Lily began, but James merely grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

Remus picked up his pace, ignoring Lily's confused protests. They should never have left. It was all his fault! How could he have been so stupid? So blind? Shaking his head roughly, he turned a corner and came face-to-face with the stone gargoyle that was guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Remus opened his mouth to say the password and then realized he had no idea what it was. James, Sirius, and Lily came panting up behind him.

"Moony, mate," James gasped, struggling to catch his breath. "Slow down a little..."

"Does anyone know the password?" Remus asked impatiently.

"Um..." Sirius hesitated. "Skittles...?

The gargoyle didn't move and Remus sighed in frustration, "He's changed it by now, Sirius. Um... Lemon Drops? Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans? Drooble's Best Blowing Gum? Cockroach Clusters?" The gargoyle refused to move. "Damn it! Will you please just move? This is important!" The gargoyle stayed stubbornly still. Remus sighed and thought for a moment. It was a wild guess, but... "Blood Pops?"

The gargoyle jumped aside and Remus, not even wondering why Dumbledore would like Blood Pops, ran inside, jumping the steps of the revolving staircase two at a time. Reaching the top, he banged loudly on the door. There was a slight pause and then, "Enter."

Remus opened the door, rushing inside the office and then froze, backing up against the door, blocking Sirius, James, and Lily from view. Sitting across from the Headmaster were Cornelius Fudge and Dolores Umbridge.

"Hey, Moony, what–" Sirius began in, luckily, a quiet voice, but Remus stomped on his foot. A moment later a big black dog was quickly leading James and Lily back down the revolving staircase.

"Well, speak of the devil," Umbridge sneered, turning to glare at Remus. "We were just speaking about you, Professor."

"R-really?" Remus began, a little breathlessly. "Well, I don't mean to be rude, but I have a very urgent matter to discuss with the Headmaster... privately."

Dumbledore, getting the point, stood, "I am sorry Minister, but I cannot deny my staff the privilege to confide in me when they wish. Perhaps we can discuss this matter another time?" Ignoring Fudge's sudden sputter of indignation, the Headmaster went on, ushering the Minister and Umbridge out the door. "Ten, Wednesday evening? Good, good. I'll see you then. Good bye."

"Now, really, Dumbledore–" Umbridge began, but Dumbledore slammed the door in her face and cast Silencing and Locking Charms on the door.

"You really have perfect timing, Remus," Dumbledore said, smiling. "They were getting rather annoying. Now," he took a seat behind his desk. "What is it you need, my boy?"

"Professor–" Remus started, but was interrupted when someone knocked at the door.

"Professor Dumbledore?" Lily's voice echoed through the door. "Remus? It's just us."

Professor Dumbledore waved his wand and the charms were released, "Enter."

Lily, James, and Sirius piled into the room quickly, closing the door hurriedly behind them.

Dumbledore smiled, "It is lucky that you did not enter the room with such haste before, Mr. Black, or, I daresay, you would be getting the Dementor's Kiss within a few minutes."

Sirius shuddered, "I know. Thanks, Moony, but, next time, could you just elbow me instead of breaking my foot?"

Remus growled in frustration and then shook his head roughly. The full moon was in a mere three days and the wolf was getting too easily riled up. He had to keep his control. Keep the wolf suppressed. But why were they being so damn cheery? Voldemort had his daughter! Don't they care?

"Moony!"

The shout broke him out of his thoughts and he realized that James had a strong grip on his shoulders and was shaking him slightly.

"Calm down," James said in a calm, soothing voice.

Remus felt the wolf subside, giving way to his human conscience. He took a shaky breath, feeling tears threatening to spill over.

"It's okay, Moony," James said. "We'll get her back. Don't let Voldemort win. Don't let the wolf win."

"Thanks," Remus said in a shaky voice.

Remus suddenly felt a stinging pain in his right hand. He looked down and realized he had dug his nails into his own flesh. Uncurling his fist, the blood flowed freely from his palm. He shook his head, there were more important things to do then worry about a self-inflicted wound. Stuffing his hand into his pocket, he turned to Dumbledore, handing him the letter that had been crushed in his other fist.

"Voldemort has Ivy, Professor," Remus said urgently, as Dumbledore flattened the letter and scanned it over.

"I see..." Dumbledore murmured, his face turning grim, the sparkle in his eyes dying. "It is obvious what he wants. Where is Mrs. Lupin and Mr. Potter?"

"Harry's out on the grounds with Ron and Hermione," Lily said, looking frightened and relieved at the same time.

"Ness locked herself in our room," Remus admitted, feeling a bit guilty about leaving her alone.

"What?" Lily shouted, looking horror-stricken. "Y-you left her alone?"

"Well," Remus began, giving Lily an odd look. "Yeah. She was really upset so I figured it was best to just let her be, for now."

"You have no idea what a mother who thinks her child is in danger will do!" Lily said, fear in her voice.

"She wouldn't be that stupid, Lils," Sirius said, also giving her an odd look. "We told her not to–"

"It's not stupidity, Sirius!" Lily shouted again. "In her mind, when you say 'We have to come up with a plan,' she thinks that you don't care and that you're stalling for time because you're scared. Go look for her, I doubt you'll find her!"

Remus' breath quickened and he looked to Dumbledore as if to see reassurance in his blue eyes. But no reassurance came. Dumbledore merely sighed, "Lily is right. The love a mother has for her child is the ultimate courage, whether we think the choice made was stupid or not."

Remus shook his head and ran from the room hurriedly, barely noticing Dumbledore and the others following him. He quickly made it back to his and Ness' personal quarters and, jumping over the overturned furniture, made his way to their bedroom.

He pounded on the door, "Ness? Ness, please! Vanessa, are you in there?"

Hearing no answer, Remus stepped back and pointed his wand at the door, "Alohamora!" The door banged open and he rushed in only to find the room empty and the window open. Remus ran to the closet and cursed as he looked inside. Her broom was gone.

"Remus?"

Remus turned around to face Lily who was handing him a note that she had just picked up from the bedside table. He took it from her, his hands shaking as he read it.

Remus -

I love you.

Love,

Ness

"All of you," Dumbledore began. "Come back to my office. Lily, please fetch Harry, I think he should be in on this as well. We need to form a plan of action."

---

Twenty minutes later Remus, James, Sirius, Lily, and Harry were piled into Dumbledore's office as the man himself sat behind his desk drumming his fingers together in thought.

"The only choice we have," Dumbledore began, sighing glumly. "Is to fall into his trap."

"What?" Remus gasped. "You mean... you just want us to give up?"

"That is not what I meant, Remus," the Headmaster said, though his voice was still grim. "We must let Voldemort think that we are playing into his hands. We must allow him to think that he will win. One of his weaknesses is that he gets too caught up in his own brilliance at times. If we allow him that privilege then it will be easier for us to get both Vanessa and Ivy out safely."

"But," Harry began, with an apologetic look toward Remus. "Won't he kill her when he realizes that I'm not with her?"

"His intentions are to kill her anyway," Dumbledore said grimly and Remus suppressed the urge to slap that man for being so damn calm. "If only we had some more information about the inside workings of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Sadly, Severus is on a mission that cannot be interrupted at the moment."

"Like he would help anyway..." Harry mumbled, before Sirius stepped on his foot.

"What was that, Harry?" Dumbledore asked the teenager.

"Nothing, Pro–"

Just then there was a hesitant sounding knock at the door. Dumbledore sighed, muttering something about nobody respecting privacy anymore. He opened the door a crack and stuck his head out the door.

"Why, Mr. Pettigrew, what a surprise."

Sirius jumped up so fast that it was mere luck that James and Remus managed to grab hold of him as a short, almost balding man walked into the room, his eyes downcast and a large cloak wrapped around him. Sirius struggled violently against the people restraining him.

"What - are -you - doing - here - you - rat?" Sirius gasped, spitting every word out as if it were dirt.

"Now Sirius," Dumbledore said, glaring sternly at the man that was being held back from killing Peter by his two best friends. "It took Mr. Pettigrew a lot of courage to come here tonight. Let us here what he has to say."

Sirius stopped struggling, but he continued to glare at Peter and gritted his teeth together so hard it looked like he had Lock-Jaw.

Peter had been staring at Lily in shock, "L-Lily...? But then..." he looked over toward James and then back toward Lily, "...how?"

"That is not important at the moment," Dumbledore said, sitting back down behind his desk. "What is it that you have come here for?"

Peter was staring at his feet now, shuffling back and fourth, nervously. He looked up and glanced between Sirius and James before stepping over to Remus. He pulled back his cloak to reveal a small baby with bright amber eyes in his arms. The baby giggled and held her tiny arms up to her father when she saw him.

"I know an 'I'm sorry' isn't much," Peter began as Remus scooped Ivy into his arms and held her close to him, kissing her and wanting to cry, out of relief. "But I thought this could be a start...?"

"If you want to redeem yourself," James began, a slight bitterness in his voice. "You'll have to help us get Ness back. She ran off."

"She what?" Peter gasped. "Damn it! I should have left earlier. I wanted to, be he was watching. I never would have made it out with her had I left any earlier..."

"Are you saying, Peter," Dumbledore began, a slight twinkle in his eyes. "That you wish to join the right side again?"

Peter nodded, "Y-yes, Professor."

"How do we know to trust him?" said Harry, who had been glaring at the man since he entered the room.

"Yes, Peter," Lily said in a firm yet gentle voice. "Harry has a point. How do we know you're not working on Voldemort's orders?"

Peter hesitated, glancing between the people in the room, "I-I'll make an Unbreakable Vow."

---

Ness: I had intended to go on, but I thought to myself 'this is a good place to stop,' so I did. What do you think? I want long reviews! Well, not super long, but at least a sentence. Okay, next chapter should be up soon. Sooner than usual anyway. Hey, did everybody like my good Peter? I know a lot of you hate him, I do to, but he must have been good at some point or they would never have been his friend. They would never have trusted him enough to make him secret-keeper. Okay, anywhoo, thanks to all the reviewers and please REVIEW again!

Lady Foxy Roxy - I know James has hazel eyes but when I wrote that he had brown eyes it was way before even the fifth book was written, so I didn't know, and I haven't bothered to change it yet.