Title: The Order

Author: Takada Saiko

Rating: PG-13

A/N: I don't own these characters, but all of you know that. I'd like to apologize beforehand that I have not written for this fandom in some time, and I'm diving back into the Marauder era, so if I get anything blaringly wrong, let me know. I thought about writing a oneshot, and this may stay a oneshot, but I don't know. Let me know if you'd like it to continue and whatnot… It'll depend on time and such. Please R&R!

He could hear someone calling his name, but he couldn't seem to pull enough energy together to respond. Everything hurt, and if it didn't hurt, he certainly couldn't move it. Why was he lying face-down on the ground? He wasn't sure just how he'd gotten there or why it was so painful.

"Remus!"

Was that Sirius? It sounded like him, but he couldn't pull a memory from his mind when he'd ever heard his friend sound so… panicked. Something had scared the young man, and he couldn't imagine what it was.

"Remus! Where the hell are you?"

The young man attempted to stir, his eyes fluttering and finally cracking open. He tried to force his vocal chords into action, but they rebelled and all he received from them was the ability to cough. This sent fresh pain racing through him and he felt a wetness on his lips. This wasn't good. What had he gotten himself into?

"Remus!" Sirius' voice was now coming closer and it was only a moment more until a pair of dusty boots appeared in his line of sight and the dark haired wizard knelt to the ground, hands reaching for his friend. "Remus? Can you hear me?"

Remus Lupin blinked rapidly, trying to clear the moisture out of his eyes. "Sir..ius?"

"Hey," the taller man soothed, one hand stroking the young werewolf's hair as the other sought out the worst of his injuries. "Stay with me, Remus. Can you look at me? There, that's good. You remember what happened?"

"No."

Sirius frowned and stood momentarily, his eyes scanning the horizon. He cursed someone unknown under his breath before turning his attention back to his friend. "C'mon, Moony, let's get you out of here." He bent over and scooped up Remus' frightening thin and light frame, cradling the smaller man to himself.

"What happened?" Remus asked, his voice strained and filled with pain. He had tensed with the movement, but relaxed as best he could in the awkward position.

"I'll tell you in a bit… We've got to get you out of here for now," Sirius answered. He watched as the smaller man nodded against his chest and slipped back into unconsciousness. A small sigh escaped his lips and they were gone with a loud pop they were gone, leaving behind what was left of Remus' family home that the flames had not claimed.

There was a steady sound of boots hitting a wooden floor. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. That was the first thing that Remus noticed as he began to swim towards the surface that is consciousness. He was tired, but he had the urge to go upwards, towards the sounds that he was hearing. Maybe they could cut through the confusion that was gripping at him.

"Stop that, Padfoot! You're going to drive us all crazy with your pacing."

Clunk. Clunk.

Sigh. "James, he's worried too. We all are."

"Dumbledore said he'd be awake by now."

"No, he said that he might wake up soon. Even he can't predict exactly what will happen. Just be glad that Sirius got there in time."

"Was there anything left?"

Another sigh, but not from the same voice. This one was tired and weary, and when it began, the footsteps ended. "No. The house was mostly destroyed, and… Well, he didn't leave anything behind."

"Do you think they were approaching Remus for their side?"

"Most likely."

"But he'd never…"

"Of course not, Peter. Don't be stupid. Remus would not and could not ever betray us."

Finally he broke surface and his eyes fluttered against the light of the lamp in the room. A cough escaped his lips and he could barely make out his friends in the dim light. Sirius was standing, obviously the one that had been pacing. James was leaned forward in his seat, fingers laced together and chin resting on them, with Lily by his side. Peter was the first to glance over though. "Remus!"

In a rush the bed was surrounded by three newly graduated Gryffindors and Lily stood back, mumbling that they should give him a moment to breathe before descending. The boys paid her no heed.

"We thought you'd never wake up!" Peter exclaimed, looking fidgety and worried.

"How are you feeling?" Sirius questioned.

"Do you remember anything?" James asked.

A short chuckle left the injured man and he smiled. "One at a time," he said, his voice raw sounding and he grimaced. "I'm feeling like I took on the whomping willow and lost, and no, I really don't, but I heard all of you talking…"

A dark look crossed both Sirius and James' faces. "Remus, what's the last thing you remember? Think hard."

Golden eyes closed for a moment and the young werewolf searched his muddled memories. "We graduated a couple of weeks ago, and we split off… I went home to see my parents for a bit. I was at their house. I think… Sirius sent me an owl just a few days ago, asking when I could come to London, didn't you?" The dark haired man nodded his affirmation. "Something important that had to be discussed face-to-face, but…." His eyes opened and a fearful look shown in them. "Greyback."

"I'm going to fetch the Professor," Lily murmured and stood.

"Me too," Peter volunteered and they slipped out the door as the remaining two eased Remus through the horrifying memories.

"Greyback came to my parents' home… He wanted me…. He said that he wanted me to join my kind, that they were following this man and that he had great plans…. It sounded horrible, and I told him that I wanted nothing to do with him or anything he cared about." Fearful eyes moved between a set of grey and hazel ones. "I told him no, and I thought he was about to leave… My mother came out of the house about that time and he was faster than I could have imagined." A sob choked him and he felt Sirius' hand on his shoulder, careful to avoid the bandages that were wrapped there. "I couldn't… I was right there, and she had no defense. She…"

"You don't have to go on," James murmured. "We know the basics of the rest."

"He set fire to their home, left my father to die slowly while he…" He grimaced, hands moving to where the bandages covered the deeper wounds that the potions had not fully healed. "Hadn't he caused us enough pain?"

"I'm afraid that this goes much deeper than an original grudge that he held." Everyone turned to see Albus Dumbledore standing in the doorway. He moved into the room with a very serious look shadowing his usually jolly features. "Remus, I certainly didn't wish for all of this to come about this way, and while I understand that you will need time to heal and understand what has happened, I will need your answer immediately."

"Answer, Professor?"

"Yes. I have asked your friends, and I will ask you now. There are dark days looming over the horizon, and you've turned down their offer to follow them, from the sound of your story. Now, will you fight against them, actively?"

"I don't understand, Professor. What is going on?'

"A former pupil of mine, Voldamort, has been gaining power and he wishes to take control."

"Professor Dumbledore is asking you to join the Order of the Phoenix, Moony," James said with a strained smile. "To fight against Voldamort and to help save everyone."

Remus felt his head swim. Not a day earlier his biggest issue was fining an employer that either didn't mind or wouldn't figure out about his "furry little problem," as James put it, but now… Now he was staring at Dumbledore, James, and Sirius, who were asking him to take part in what sounded like a battle against a wizard that was willing to destroy anything to get what he wanted. He felt the pain grip at him as he struggled to sit up, and Sirius was bracing him in an instant.

"The Marauders are in on this?"

James' tired smile turned to a grin at their old nickname. "Three of four so far.'

"Then of course. Why would I say any differently?"

Dumbledore nodded his understanding. "Good to hear, Remus, good to hear. You really should rest, you know. You're looking a bit peaked."

With that, he was gone, leaving the three young men sitting in silence together. Somehow it had not fully hit him yet, but he knew it would soon. Remus had just lost both of his parents to the man – no, the creature – that had all but ruined his life, and now they would fight a battle that they hadn't even known was on the horizon two weeks before. A small smile perked his lips as he sank back into the darkness, supported by Sirius' strong hold around him. Leave it to James and Sirius to keep life interesting even after graduation.