Steady footsteps sounded from the passage. Lupin instantly raised his head, his mouth going dry.
Vaughn emerged from the shadows of the Whomping Willow passage in velvet robes. At the familiar smile on his face, Lupin's lips moved, but all the questions inside him caught in his throat.
"This isn't like you, Remus. I thought you'd angrily demand an explanation." Vaughn suddenly realized he seemed to have paid less attention to Lupin lately.
This straightforward fellow seemed to have changed without him noticing.
Lupin pressed his lips together and took a deep breath. "You know what I'm going to ask-"
"You mean-Sirius?" Vaughn asked gently.
"Yes! Exactly!" Lupin could no longer stay calm, his emotions slipping out of control. "He's an informer! That's unforgivable!
"I know you want to go after Fudge, but why couldn't you have chosen a different prisoner to escape from Azkaban?"
"Even any other Death Eater would have been better than Black!"
Vaughn snapped his fingers, conjuring a chair. Only after sitting down did he ask slowly, "Moony, how much do you know about Padfoot?" The nickname, which no one had used in years, made Lupin freeze. Memories from over a decade ago came flooding back, leaving him dazed.
"Take a look at this!" Vaughn waved a hand, and a piece of parchment floated over.
The moment Lupin saw the parchment, he froze again. Even without seeing what was on it, he knew what it was.
After all, he and his three best friends had created this magical object.
But that was all in the past. Some had died, and others had betrayed them. Now he alone remained, utterly solitary.
"Where did you find it?" Lupin seemed to have forgotten why he had come to see Vaughn. He accepted the Marauder's Map and asked eagerly.
"Filch's