"Remus! Remus wait!"

Footsteps echoed in the tunnel.

It was the next day - Sirius was on his 12th hour in the cell by now - and Remus was on his way to the Howling House for the transformation under the full moon. His palms sweaty. It'd been such a long time since he'd been alone as a wolf.

Remus paused and turned around. He was within view of the door to the Howling House by the time Peter caught up to him, panting and carrying a paper sack in his fist. Peter bent double when he got to Remus, hands on his knees, catching his breath a moment. When he was composed, he stood upright again and said, "I didn't want you to have to transform alone!" 

Remus smiled, "Thanks, Peter."

"Yeah! I mean, I know - I know a rat is a bit useless alone, but at least you'll have someone, even if I can't do much to help... My animagus is so small... I know I'm kind of useless now that we're not at Hogwarts."

"I appreciate you being present at all," Remus smiled. "C'mon."

They went inside and Peter emptied out the sack he'd brought, revealing a sandwich for himself and a nice raw steak for Remus, plus several of Honeyduke's Best and a whole bottle of chocolate milk to boot. Remus opened the chocolate milk eagerly and drank quite a bit without a moment's pause.

Peter smiled and broke off a bit of the chocolate for himself.

It was odd, Remus and Peter, a pairing that so very rarely happening. Remus didn't know why exactly, he always felt sort of awkward and anxious around Peter. He supposed it was because of Peter's initial reactions to both of Remus's biggest secrets - that he was a werewolf and that he was gay - that had driven a small bit of a wedge between them. It wasn't that Peter still carried those prejudices or resentments, Remus knew he probably didn't... but, still. Once something like that is jammed in, it is nearly impossible to remove.

"Do you think Sirius is okay?" Peter asked.

Remus murmured, "I don't know. I still don't know what actually happened yet." He sighed, frustrated. He had tucked the warrant Frank had left into his pocket the day before and the words kept turning over in his mind every few minutes. He wished the accusation wasn't plausible, that he could look at it just know that Sirius hadn't done it; like just known Sirius couldn't have, purely because he was Sirius. It scared Remus a little bit that he couldn't... That spoke volumes on its own, didn't it?

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door of the Howling House.

Remus and Peter looked at one another. James would've just walked in, they knew, so who could this possibly be? Whoever it was had to have come through the Potter house to get to the tunnel in the basement to walk all the way to the House...

Peter went to the door, still holding half of his sandwich in his hand, and he hesitated, peeking 'round the cracked door at their visitors, then flung it wide. 

It was Newt and Tina Scamander.

"Newt!" Remus cried in surprised excitement.

"H-hello Re-Remus," Newt greeted him. He put down his briefcase. "How - How are you f-feeling, my- my boy?"

"I've been better," Remus said.

"I - I imagine so," Newt said. 

Tina sat down next to Remus. "Dora's just told us what happened with Sirius yesterday... I'm so sorry, you must be so confused, seeing him be arrested like that."

Remus nodded.

"I've seen Newt arrested a few times," Tina said, "It doesn't ever get easier."

Newt smiled from where he stood, his eyes diverted. "I've a - a knack, it seems, of getting on the - the wrong side of various Ministry and - and M-MACUSA officials."

Tina said, "Stealing incredibly rare beasts and relocating them and such. Advocating for them." She paused. "You know, words get twisted in official reports all the time, honey. I was an auror for MACUSA for a good many years and we were always getting false reports or else reports that were reported falsely. If you know what I mean." She said, "I actually met Mr. Scamander because of a report on him! Unleashing a niffler in a bank... stealing a thunderbird... they accused him of releasing some sort of dragon or other fantastic beast in New York!"

"My - my repu-reputation proceeded me." 

"Truly."

"I was even ex-ex-expelled for - for meddling about in things I oughtn't have been," Newt intoned, "From H-Hog-Hogwarts, that is."

Remus said, "I didn't know all that."

Tina nodded. "Trust me, as an ex-auror, I guarantee you that there's likely quite a lot of exaggerations and fabrications that lace the report about Sirius, and once they investigate it, then the ministry will get everything all sorted out."

"Y-Yes, exact - exactly," Newt said. 

"It's going to be alright," Tina said, "That's my point. And whatever you do, just don't lose faith in Sirius. You have to believe in him above all else." She looked at Newt and smiled.

Remus glanced between them. He could practically feel that warrant pressing his chest through. his pocket.

Newt leaned forward suddenly. "We were hoping you might - might consider coming in-into  our care until James gets everything sorted out at the ministry. James wanted me to come and  - and see to it that you're alright."

"Well, as I said, I've been better." Remus drew a deep breath, "It seems there's been a report against me filed to the Entrapment Offices."

Newt nodded. 

"There's a trapper out looking for me."

"Yes an - an old assistant of - of mine," Newt said. "Chase Volsung."

"Yeah, that's him," Remus said. "Peter saw him."

"Yes, he was very intense," Peter said, chewing on his chocolate. He offered a bar to Tina, who shook her head, then to Newt, who took it, but only held it in his hands instead of eating it.

Newt said, "He can be very passionate and - and de-determined. Very good at what he - he d-does, I'm afraid. B-best not to cross him." He paused before continuing, looking to Remus, "B-B-Bradley would l-love a - a chance to v-visit with you."

Remus smiled, "Oh dear Bradley, I'd love to see him as well."

"B-brilliant, then, it's - it's settled. You'll - You'll come with us to N-New York."

"New York?" Remus asked in surprised. "I can't go to New York. My husband's been arrested."

Newt looked at Tina.

"Just for the moon and we'll be back before Sirius is out," Tina promised. "And it'll keep you out of the way of Chase Volsung until they've called him off."

"Y-Yes short spin to N-New York and b-back again, you'll hardly - hardly known we - we've gone. I've something to take care of there f-for - for Dumbledore." Newt nodded. He reached down and unhinged his briefcase so it popped open.  The shimmery head of Dougal came up from the case and he looked about, only semi-transparent. Newt held out the bit of chocolate that Peter had given to him and Dougal grabbed hold eagerly, his opacity rising as he ate it.

Peter looked shocked as the demiguise ate the chocolate with smacking lips.

"Come," Newt said, smiling. "I-in you - in you hop."

Remus looked to Peter. "Well... I guess I'll see you after the full moon," Remus said slowly. "Hey, at least you don't have to sit about and baby sit a werewolf, huh?" He laughed. 

"Yeah," Peter replied. "Free to do whatever I want now!" He nodded. "Oh - here. Here's an extra couple chocolate bars." He dug in his bag and handed them to Remus. "You may need them. I hear America's got lousy chocolates."

"It's not that bad!" Tina said. 

Newt looked at her, then back to Remus, "It's - It's certainly not - not Honeyduke's, though!"

"But Honeyduke's is no Theobroma's!"

"We - we've had this d-de-debate..." Newt muttered.

Remus laughed, "I guess I'll try both and report back. Thanks Pete." He took the chocolate and took up his rucksack, which he'd left by the door. Peter nodded and watched as Remus went over to the case and gingerly climbed in, being careful of his knees, braced by Newt's hand on his back. 

"N-now you - you stay in there Niffler! Don't be coming out!" Newt said.

Tina climbed down next, and Newt nodded and closed the case behind her, but not before a tiny green plant climbed up his arm from inside. He paused as the tiny creature ran up his arm and settled just inside the collar of his shirt, then he closed the case. It was as he was bending to close it, that he made a peculiar face and paused in the middle of doing the latches.

"Mr. Scamander?" Peter asked, concerned.

Newt stayed still a moment, eyes closed, his face twitching slightly.

Peter started forward, "Mr. Scamander - are you alright?"

There was a long pause and Peter stepped up to his side and touched his shoulder. "Mr. Scamander?"

Newt reacted to the touch on the shoulder by reeling slightly away. "D-d-don't do th-that!" he said. His face looked a bit panicked. "I - I don't - don't touch m-me," he said, "Please." He paused. Then, "I'm s-sorry, I don't - I don't like - touching." 

"Sorry, Mr. Scamander," Peter apologized - he knew that about Newt already, of course, but he'd been worried and reacted on instinct.

Newt nodded. "I - I am sorry, I didn't mean to - to sound rude." Then his thumbs finished clicking the case closed and he stood upright slowly. He paused before he turned to Peter. "S-sorry, sorry. I - I'm quite alright. Thank - Thank you, Peter."

"It's alright," Peter answered. "Everyone has stuff, right?"

Mr. Scamander looked at Peter for a long moment. "Y-yes, that's - that's right. Thank you for - for understanding. Now. Let's be - be off, back to the Potter's."

Peter nodded.

They walked along the tunnel, back out to the basement and up the stairs in relative silence. Peter kept glancing at Newt, wondering what they had been all about back in the Shack, but not daring to ask.

Dora Potter was sitting in the living room, nervously doing some knitting the muggle way. A ball of Gryffindor-crimson unrolling itself at her feet as she knit - row after row after row. She looked up in surprise when the basement door opened. She was rocking herself, her eyes trained on a photograph on the mantel of James and Sirius, embracing one another like brothers at the Potter wedding.

"Back so soon?"

"I - I collected my f-fantastic - fantastic beast," Newt nodded and patted the briefcase.

Dora smiled, "Take good care of him."

"I - I will. G-g-good night, good night you both." Newt ducked out the front door quickly.

Peter stood awkwardly for a moment in the living room. He looked around. "Sooo... I guess, I guess that's it, I'm going to go back to the flat..." he paused. "Unless... you need me?"

Dora looked up from the yarn. She studied Peter a moment. 

He looked like he needed to be needed.

"Well, I am just so very tired," Dora said slowly. "I don't suppose you might be up to possibly helping with the cooking tonight?"

Peter's eyes lit up. "Yeah?"

"Yes," Dora said, smiling. "It would be very helpful if you would could.

"You - you want me to stay?" Peter stammered in excitement, smiling.

Dora nodded, "Of course, Peter. Please stay... don't you go running off on me."