Surviving Times

Remus opened the door of his apartment. Yep, he was no longer leaving in his little hut in Yorkshire but was living in the suburbs of the Wood Green in London. Not just him, his colleagues too. They all stay in the same building. Daisy Bells.

Remus Lupin was a wizard. And also, a werewolf. But that didn't stop him from being one of the best wizards out there. But the thing is, the British Wizarding Society was superstitious and a little backword (dumb, honestly) and never appreciated his talents. The community never welcomed changes and they remain stubborn. Hence, they were stuck in the Victorian era. Thinking that most of the muggles were still savages and barbarians. Those who participated in the wars may have a different opinion, but that wasn't a bright one either.

It was their innate pride as a wizard that limited their vision. And Remus Lupin was the same too. As good he may be, never thought that muggles could be better than wizards. But the new job he had expanded his vision after destroying it thoroughly.

Because of the nature of his job, the man was able to witness the growth of muggles. Frankly, he had to admit that he was speechless at first.

For starters, his apartment in Daisy Bells, the 58 floored building blew his mind. Remus never actually saw a building that big, at all, in his entire life. Even the Ministry of Magic had 8, maybe 10 stories and it was dwarf compared to his office. And it was only a branch office, not even the headquarters.

He can only sigh every time he thinks about it. Closing the door, Remus removed his coat and his boots. They levitated themselves to the hanger and the shoe rack respectively. Perks of a magical abode. Everything was made easy. Remus was sure, even the most noble families might not have this level of luxury. Again, he couldn't help but gush in pride and be grateful for his current life.

Everything aside, when he looked at the clock, he knew he had to hurry. He overspent his leisure. He hurried to his room to prepare. He was gone for a while and the door opened after few knocks. The person came in with hiding their presence. And Remus who sensed this, immediately took his wand, ready to cast a spell at the intruder, but before he had the chance to do anything, the 'intruder' spoke.

"You would point your wand at me, Remus? I'm hurt." It was the voice of a woman all too familiar to Remus. He sighed in relief after he recognised who it was.

"You can't blame me when you sneak into my house like that, Chloe." He said in a resigned voice. He really was.

"Well, I wouldn't have to if you were on time, Remus." Chloe shrugged.

"I am on time. Still have thirty minutes." Remus said softly.

"Plans change. Our team needs to welcome the folks from The Ministry."

"Wasn't Jenna's team supposed to do that?" He asked.

"Apparently, Jenna and her team got into trouble." She said with a scandalous twist to voice. And knowing her, Remus knew something big happened to get his teammate riled up, despite her love for gossip. He looked at the American witch for answer. The woman made herself comfortable and sat in the couch.

"You wouldn't believe it. They are being sent to New Mexico."

"New Mexico? Why?" He asked. This was big. Really big. New Mexico. It was the only place the people from Fiore never wished to step in. Because the place was meant for trials… which usually meant not well.

"No idea. There several interesting rumours and nothing's clear."

"Oh, poor Jenna. That's really unexpected."

"Yes, it is. And hence we are to take her place to pick up the people from The Ministry. So, my friend, you have 10 minutes to get dressed, though you do look good in that bathrobe. Really hot." She said.

"…Okay, alright. I'll get ready." Remus said awkwardly and went back. Chloe giggled at him. She turned the lights on and started reading the list of guests. It was… lengthy. Almost the entire wizarding community was invited. Muggleborns, Purebloods, Half-bloods and many others…

After she finished memorizing the list, she put it aside. Bored, she started looking around the place. It had the same layout as her flat, but it screamed bachelor. The flats the company provided were actually quite well furnished, with what she understood with a little English touch. But Remus somehow managed to take away that impression and instead make it look like… well, she'd rather not think about it. She decided to take Remus to shopping some stuff after this party. Though his house was nice, according to her, it seriously lacked a personal touch.

Before long, Remus called. "I'm done Chloe."

"Okay. And you look stunning by the way. I guess I'm going to be the target of women's envy again." Chloe said as she assessed the man. He wore a black tux which amplified his appearance positively. The clothes fit him well and brought out his height and stature, adding a bit of sophistication to his casual charms.

"Oh no, you are way better than me. All the men outright glare at me when I take you to the party as my date, again." Remus said. He didn't notice it in the dark, but now, with the lights on, he was able to see how Chloe looked in her champagne dress. Absolutely gorgeous and he was taking this woman as his date.

"Yes, yes. Now let's go. It's better to be early there. Everyone might already be there."

"Why not."

…

The British Ministry of Magic was invited to attend the Halloween party, by Fiore and Cornelius Fudge had no reason to decline at all. He was rather excited. After all, this was the first time the giant has sent out the invitation, to him and many working under him. This was good chance to make some connections with the mysterious but powerful company.

Hence, here they were. Standing in front of a building with a ridiculous name. Daisy Bells. But the place was… well, it was capable of rendering them speechless. Cornelius Fudge, in all his life, can say that he never saw a building that high. Whenever he visited any muggles, he would just use their fireplace through floo network and thus he never paid any attention to… some matters.

But not everyone was like him. Few people, like the gentlemen from the D.M.A.C were a little familiar with the muggle world, but then again, not much. After all, skyscr.a.p.ers are a rare sight in the 1990s. If it weren't for some brilliant charm works which kept it hidden from the muggles, this building alone would cause a sensation in London. 50 stories high building, at present is a miracle in the muggle and the magical world.

"Good evening, Minister Fudge." Snapping them out of their thoughts, Charles Gilmore greeted them warmly. As the head of HR dept, he was here along with his fellow colleague, Alexandra Quinn, the head of PR dept.

Then the guests were invited in. The Minister was escorted by Quinn and Gilmore. One by one, everyone settled into the industrial elevator which lift nearly a 100 people comfortably. But why was Remus required here? It was to entertain the people from the D.M.L.E. The head, Amelia Bones, along with some Aurors were under Remus and Chloe's care.

As their jobs were similar, both the parties can manage a decent conversation. But here comes the question. How were their jobs similar? Well, it'll be soon revealed.

Remus was talking with one of his old friends, Alastor Moody. As former members of The Oder of Phoenix. They both were chatting about the old times, along with some other members as they sipped their drinks. Chloe, on the other hand, completely captured the ladies' attention. The two of them, were doing a fine job. After entertaining them for a bit more, the two slowly exited.

They both sighed and smiled wryly.

"This really isn't our job, Chloe. I'd rather deal with some dark mage than to entertain officials. Never accept this kind of task again." Remus sighed. Talking with his old friends was good, but it wasn't pleasant when they wanted some kind of 'information' from him.

"Well, you did rather well, if you ask me. Look, our boss is quite happy with our work." Chloe said as she pointed towards their boss, Cyril Owen.

"Still no more diplomacy. I'm good with fighting, honestly."

"You should get used to it, with the promotions we keep getting, there'll be more of this."

"But I like to be in the field more."

"Yep, no one said no."

…

Alastor Moody watched Lupin chat with a woman named Smith. At first, he was surprised. Very few people would be willing to hire werewolves. And the fact that Lupin was working here meant that Fiore, as they call it, was much bigger. Everything aside, the old Auror was glad that the man found a job and was happy.

"Hey, Moody, who's that man? You both seem to know each other." A slight tug diverted his attention. It was his young protégé. He brought her here so that she would gain some experience. But all she had done so far was to gawk, stare and get interested in the idle gossip.

But he couldn't be blamed at all. After all, it had taken his every bit of self-control to not behave like a novice and inspect everything. He really didn't want to come here, but he was interested when it was an invitation from the mysterious Fiore. His boss wanted to find out more about this organisation. That's the only reason he came, despite his intolerance towards parties…

And he brought Nymphadora Tonks. So that the young woman would get some understanding of this commercial magical giant. She was quite promising but a little young indeed.

"The man's Remus Lupin. Yes, we do know each other. He was a member in The Order and we fought battles together. Quite a good chap, if you ask me." Moody replied.

"Oh." Tonks said. Someone who fought against the dark lord and survived. Tonks was impressed. She stared at the man a little longer. He looked quite tall and handsome. There was something comforting about him. Made him feel reliable. Unknowingly, Tonks started to develop her little crush…

But when she looked at the gorgeous woman beside him, she felt her spirits falter. Shaking her head, she wanted to get rid of these thoughts. She knew they wouldn't do her any good.

Idly, she looked around. There were many people present here for a simple Halloween party. Well, the party was nowhere simple. It was a bit… grand. Tonks was able to tell few people apart. Many noble families were invited. Malfoy, Greengrass, Nott, etc. and finally, the Blacks. Her supposed grandmother glared at her and turned her face away. Tonks rolled her eyes at that and ignored them. The party started. The lady who picked the minister, Alexandra Quinn, said few words and the party officially began. Some danced, some stayed at the bar counter and some chatted. Soon, the feast began.

Unlike the Halloween feast at Hogwarts, the banquet here was a bit different. Everyone sat together around a small table in groups of four or five. Then suddenly, food appeared on the table. Moody, as paranoid he is, started inspecting the food. Tonks laughed at his actions. No one would dare to do something funny with the food. She just started eating. It was without doubt, succulent. Best she ever tasted.

But before she could finish, Moody asked her to get up. Without a question, she got up and followed. He looked a bit serious and she knew it wasn't the right time to ask doubts. She's an Auror, though in training, for now. She knew better.

Looks like Halloween was going to be much more fun. Not that the party was boring at all. It was way better than the snobbish parties those nobles arranged anyway. But she always welcomed action.

...............

D.M.L.E. – Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

D.M.A.C. – Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes.

A/N:

This and the next chapter, I will reveal few bits about the magical organization created by MC and her friends, just like I promised. And honestly, I love Remus. So Moony gets special attention from me.