"Sirius, let's go for a walk, mate, ey?" James called coming from the bedroom.

Sirius looked up. He was replacing Remus's tattoo bandage, having begged to have a peek at it. "A walk?"

"Yeah, a walk. C'mon."

Sirius looked at Remus, who shrugged, and finished at smoothing the taped bandage down himself as Sirius got up, kicked on his boots and followed after James, slinging his leather jacket on. The door closed behind them.

"You fancy a cuppa, Rey?" Lily called, heading for the kitchen.

Remus buttoned his shirt up, "Alright..." he followed her in as she flicked her wand to set water to boil and her rosebud patterned cups spun into existence on the table.

"What's going on?" Remus asked.

"Nothing," Lily answered. "Earl Grey or your aconite?"

"Aconite, definitely."

Lily reached for the little box on the window sill they kept an aconite plant growing in.

"So you and James suddenly needing to talk, immediately followed by him and Sirius going for a walk is nothing?"

Lily dropped the leaves into the tea cups. "Listen all the way through before you flare up, then, alright?"

"Flare up?"

"Regulus isn't dead."

"Lily --"

"Remus!" She snapped, "Listen!"

He shut his mouth, staring at her.

"He isn't dead. James went back to the Ministry last night with Frank Longbottom to confirm it."

"There's a dozen reasons why the body might be missing the Mark, Evans, and the jewelry is probably --"

"It was Maryrose Jenkins," Lily interrupted, "How's that for a reason?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Maryrose Jenkins."

Remus stared at her, utterly dumbfounded. "But she died -- months ago..."

"Frank saw the body, too..." Lily hesitated. "We, um. We obliviated the memory, though, of their trip to the Ministry. To protect Regulus."

Remus sat in one of the chairs rather hard, his brain struggling to wrap around what she was saying.

"We discussed not telling Sirius... also to protect Regulus, but -" she shook her head, "He's - he's too --"

"Yeah," Remus said, when she couldn't find an adjective for what Sirius was. "I know."

"That's what James and I were talking about just now."

"Keeping it from him would be a monumental mistake - I mean, if we're certain it wasn't Regulus..." Remus paused. "He's truly certain?"

"It was definitely Maryrose," Lily said firmly. If it hadn't of been, James wouldn't have known about Martin, she knew, so the proof was in the revelation of Maryrose's magic having faded off. Lily placed the tea cup with the aconite in it before him.

Remus stared into the tea cup. "All logic said it was him."

"I know."

"You knew," he said, remembering their fight.

"Speculated strongly," she said.

Remus frowned, "Sirius knew."

"He was right."

"I need to - to trust him better."

Lily stirred her cup of tea, watching the herbs dye the boiling water. "Perhaps we all do."

Remus asked, "So James is telling him now?"

"Yeah, I reckon so," Lily answered. She hesitated, "Remus. Do you know much about Mopsus?"

"Beyond all that happened when he was at Hogwarts? No."

Lily leaned against the counter, took a sip of her tea, and said, "James is a descendent."

"Of Mopsus?" Remus's brows knit together. "How do you know?"

"Alright. Well. See." Lily sat next to him, leaning forward so her face was close to his. "I can't explain everything. I swore I wouldn't. But I can tell you some... Remember when James and I went to Edinburgh?"

"Yes."

"We sort of... had a run in with Mopsus at the castle there, during a tour, and Mopsus told us then."

Remus said, "How in hell do you 'sort of have a run in' with Mopsus? What does that mean?" he looked worried. "Lily, that man is absolutely... positively... vile... evil... disgusting... I --"

"He's not as bad as he comes off," Lily said.

"No - he's worse." Remus's hands shook on his tea cup. "Oh blimey, Lily. I -- Tell me you didn't -- didn't give him any time or anything?"

Lily's mouth twitched ever so slightly, but she kept it shut.

"Oh hell you did. How much?"

"Seconds."

Remus's eyes searched hers. "Lily, this is bad. This is real bad. I'm not sure how yet, but I know it is. It's really bad to get tangled up in that man's webs."

"He's trying to stop You Know Who," Lily whispered.

"He's supposed to be dead," Remus replied, "Not stopping anybody. He's supposed to be dead, but because he stole seconds from people he's able to hang on like a creepy old ghost, only worse... more like a living inferius."

Lily shifted uncomfortably. "Remus, he told us his whole story."

"I'm not sure what he told you, but I'm betting at least half of it was a lie. He killed my father, did you know that?"

"Y-yes," Lily stammered.

"He stole time from my dad that might've been used to make our relationship better." Remus's voice was cold. "Hang on. What're you bringing this up now for? Lily. You and James didn't... give any more time for Regulus did you?"

"No but I reckon Maryrose might've done. And I think maybe that's how her body ended up at the Ministry for Magic and why it is that Regulus isn't dead right now. I think Mopsus used Maryrose's seconds to save Regulus, just like he used --" she stopped mid-sentence.

Remus's eyes were wide. "Lily."

"Well that's what I think!" Lily said quickly.

"And if he had left her alone, let her be, then maybe Maryrose would be alive right now and maybe Regulus wouldn't have needed her seconds and maybe she wouldn't have had to save Regulus and maybe we'd all be just fine or else at least in the same position as we are right now, except she would be here, too. Ever think on that?"

"Maybe. But what he used our seconds for didn't effect anything like that. We're still here - me and James - and Harry --" she stopped, flushing hot.

"Who is Harry?" Remus demanded.

"Nobody," Lily said, and she stood up. "Oh my stars, I need to just shut up. Forget I said anything, alright? What I'm thinking... it doesn't matter."

"It does, I can tell in your face it does. Why can't you tell me who Harry is?"

"Because," she searched for the words, "Because I've a feeling I'm protecting somebody who I love more than any other soul in the entire universe, and who needs that protection more than I need answers."

Remus gave her a funny look.

"Just forget it, Remus. I can't tell you all I know and you can't see past your bias to look at it without the prejudice."

"I'm not prejudiced. I have altogether valid reasons for hating Mopsus."

"Yes, but I think -- I think maybe we're misunderstanding him. Misunderstanding his purpose."

"He's a selfish, ancient prick with nothing better to do," Remus said, "Sums it up."

Lily sighed.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry," Remus took a deep breath. "I will suspend my feelings about him. Let's hash it out. Tell me why you've brought up James being a descendent."

"I think James feels responsible for everything from the first bite of the apple clear to You Know Who's latest kill. I think he compulsively takes all sorts of loads on to himself unnecessarily. I think he feels like he has to orchestrate everything. He's so afraid to set off an unbalance in things - it's like he thinks he is Atlas and he's scared of shrugging."

Remus bit his lip.

"Do you reckon that things like that can be inherited?"

"What?"

"Well isn't all that what Mopsus does? Maybe Mopsus feels responsible for - for his enemies. Responsible for every nasty thing they've gone and done for centuries."

"Has a lot of enemies then, dunne?"

"Rey..."

"I'm serious. He's at least a thousand years old -"

"Over two."

"Two thousand?"

"Yeah."

"He said that?"

"Ancient Greece. Alexander the Great. Maybe even before. It wasn't exactly clear but the muggles were still diviners, there was no restriction act, the witches and wizards and muggles were all... intermingled."

Remus stared at her, incredulous. "You mean to say that old bastard's stolen enough time to -- No.
No. I'm sorry. Nonbiased opinions. Sorry."

Lily raised her eyebrow.

"I think if you think there's some connection between James's behavior and Mopsus that it has to be put to a stop," Remus said, "Suffice to say that, huh? It's dangerous and it's cruel - maybe cruel accidentally, maybe long term its... less cruel in some aspect... but close up, less so. Like this incident. I gather that James is who didn't want to tell Sirius. Protecting Regulus, yeah? And ultimately protecting Sirius. I mean, if Regulus is alive we dunno how long for if Voldemort's after him - why give back only to have taken away. Plus if he's not dead he's chosen not to come back and that just sits in poor taste, I mean what's he think that Sirius doesn't care?"

Lily frowned.

"I'm afraid we tell him and it turns out James is wrong about it somehow, I don't know. But I know Sirius is upset, and I know he's hurting and he thinks he's done it to Regulus. So right now, regardless of the extra stuff, telling Sirius is the kindness. In the long run, it could be the cruelty." Remus shook his head, "I wouldn't want to make the choice myself. But thing is - if what Mopsus does is a kindness and not a cruelty its because he can see the kindness in the long run. I reckon it James doesn't tell Sirius, the cruelty in the foreground can't be outshining the kindness he can see in the length."

Lily mused, "I suppose."

"I don't think James would purposely hurt Sirius."

"Me either."

"But I do think if he is positive Regulus isn't dead, then Sirius ought to know. And if James keeps it from him and Sirius finds out..." Remus shook his head.

"Yeah."

"Hell to pay," Remus finished.

In the hallway, a rat lay on the floor, silently listening, shivering. When they stopped talking and both set to their tea, the rat ran back to the door, transformed, and pretended at having just come in - slamming the door and walking out to the kitchen. He grabbed a snack and made an excuse to go to his room.

There, he bit into the carrot sticks he'd grabbed and pulled another bit of parchment toward him, and the quill.

Forget what I said earlier, he wrote. He's not dead after all. So now may very well be your only chance.