James apparated outside of Blackburn to the first location that Underhill had pointed out on the map. He was northwest of Blackburn, on a hill overlooking a small town below.

He looked around himself, the landscape was of rolling hills and a great view that afforded visuals of far off hills and the peaks of houses, pock marked by large stones, brush, and trees. He stood in front of a sign indicating a museum of Roman artifacts, which was housed in an old stone tower that broke the horizon line. The tower loomed high over James's head and he looked up at it and the squat stone walls that surrounded it.

The museum was a bit run down, undercared for. James peered at the peeling paint on the wooden sign that declared the Museum to be OPE (the N was completely faded off). There was nothing at all magical feeling about the place, but the fact that the spot had ties to Roman history - with its origin legends of founders being raised by wolves (Romulus and Remus - really what did Lyall Lupin think his son would be with a name like Remus Lupin?) this seemed like a good hint or give away that James thought might be worth looking into a bit more when time allowed.

However, other than that mild tip, there was no other reason to think the pack might be headquartered there, so he disapparated off to the next stop.

The next route stop he visited was southwest of the city center and, interestingly enough, also was a tower, and also a historical site - though this one appeared more properly known, as there were muggle children in school uniforms clustered about the entrance, waiting in a line for a ticketing booth with their teachers and nannies. It was very crowded and as a result the invisibility cloak was a bit of trouble as people kept bumping into him and looking around with bewildered confusion at the empty air that had felt quite solid a moment before. There was also an open air market with booths folks were selling their wares at - vegetables and jams, flowers, knitted clothes, and trinkets they'd whittled, painted, or otherwise fashioned. James saw a booth selling jewelry and the style made him think of Lily, and he decided to come back later to have a look - but he didn't have enough time now, he had only a short time to disapparate to the next route stop and then back to the muggle station to meet up with Underhill. But, he thought, there wasn't much of anything there, either, that particularly screamed werewolf secret hideout to him.

The third stop was due south of Blackburn, and, yet again, he found himself next to a tower on a hill. This one, however, had no museum, no tourist appeal. Just a hiking trail that went away down the side of the wooded hill, disappearing among the trees.

The view was lovely, and it seemed quite isolated. James moved carefully around the tower, but found no door or entrance way, and wondered whether the tower was actually a tower or more of a monolith that simply stood sentinel. He made a mental note that it may be of worth to investigate the tower further with a broomstick to see if there appeared to be an inside of the tower, or if it was some sort of marker only. However, for the time being, he was nearly out of time, so he disapparated back to Blackburn proper, removed the cloak inconspicuously,  and sat himself down on a bench near to the map board where he and Underhill had left off from.

He checked his watch - he had been gone for eighteen of the twenty minutes.

Underhill returned three minutes late and winded.

"I was starting to worry," James admitted, getting up, then noticing Underhill's breathing he asked, "Alright, sir?"

Underhill nodded and sat down on James's bench. "Hiked a large hill," Underhill said, "And realized how long it'd taken just as I got to the top of it. Old lungs take longer to recoup, Potter."

James smirked. "What'd you do that for?"

"There was a tower up top," Underhill said. "Interestingly, there was a tower on the hill of all three of my stops."

"Mine too," James said.

Underhill looked up, sweeping a handkerchief over his forehead. "Really?" he asked, tone weighted with interest. "Six towers, all on routes hidden off the map. Huh." He swept the soiled handkerchief into his pocket and got up, face crumpled thoughtfully.

"Sorry the investigation didn't turn up more answers, sir," James said as they walked 'round the side of the station, where they wouldn't be seen disapparating away.

"On the contrary. We did rather well! We --" Undrhill was interrupted as the bells of a nearby clock ringing loudly, announcing the hour, "Christ kill me, I'm late for the bleeding training session. Potter, listen, run back to the office and get your notes down, leave them on my desk." And with a crack, Underhill had disapprated off.

James checked his watch and frowned, then decided he'd take his break a touch early and pop back to that market vendor again to have a look see at that jewelry booth he'd seen that had so looked like Lily's style. When he was done, he'd head back to the office as Underhill had asked him to do.

Back to the second route stop he went, coming out again near by to the tower on the hill, and he ducked 'round to the market.

It was sunny for once, though the air still smelled of the rain, and the cracks between cobbled stones still held rivulets. His trainers slipped a bit on the damp stones as he passed by school children shouting and laughing to one another. He found the jewelry booth and spent a great deal of time making a selection, finally settling on a silver necklace with a heart-shaped, pearl-looking clasp set, which priced lower than any real pearls would ever go for. Whatever the heart was, it was lovely and he was certain Lily would enjoy the necklace regardless of whether the pearl was authentic or not.

He was about to leave and had only paused at a gift shop in the side of the tower to one side of the ticketing booth, to purchase a postcard for Sirius - because Sirius Black loved a good postcard. James was leaning against a table near the shop he'd purchased the card at, writing "hullo you wanker" as the message on the back, when he overheard the name Minchum said in a conversation.

James stilled, listening.

"With Minchum dead, the Ministry's really unstable. And what exactly are they thinkin', puttin' Bagnold in office like that? Women don't belong in no office like Minister for Magic! Madness, the 'ole Wizengamot's gone daft! Even for a temporary spot, it just innit right!"

"Just got over that sort of mess with that Jenkins woman before Minchum, didn't we??"

"It's what I'm saying, exactly!"

"Heard the lass is goin' to run to stay on is what they're saying, too," answered the return voice. "Madness. I'd vote in just about anybody else before I'd vote on a woman!"

James frowned, but stayed still and quiet.

The pair of voices had faded off amongst the crowd and James looked about, dashing to follow after them. They stepped past the line of waiting kids and though the ticketing barrier into the tower, but when James tried to do it, the barrier stopped him short. He sighed, backing away, glancing around, and walked back to the market, trying to act cool about the attempt to follow those blokes.

James followed the path through the market, rounding the corner of the tower walls, looking for another entrance. The Market ran along the south wall, and 'round the west side he found himself stepping into a garden. Magically maintained, they had to be, for there were flowers in the end of November, blooming about the hillside. These flowers - some of which he recognized from one of the booths in the market - grew in clumps along the path, markered ever so often with benches for sitting beneath low shade trees. Low stone walls ran to create segments in the garden, individual spaces that seemed to be tended to in different manners, some with edible plants and others with florals. Then a scent caught his nose - a light scent that he recognized, and he followed it, down a path that went a wee ways down the hill and around to the north side of the tower.

Aconite.

An entire wide field of stalks, the leaves swaying gently, though the plants were entirely void of the flowers.

The flowers used for wolfsbane.

James stared in awe, jaw dropped as he looked about. "Underhill's never going to believe this," he murmured, and when he turned back around to run and tell Underhill, he walked right into a man who had come up behind him, silent as death himself.

"REMUS!"

Remus had paused in the quad at the muggle college to tuck the bag of supplies he'd got at the art shop into his briefcase. A skatchbook, a set of colorful charcoals, and a clump of kneaded eraser, all for Spencer Stewart. He hadn't decided how go charm the papers, but he wouldn't sleep until he had done it, he was determined. Spencer Stewart deserved enchanted paper - if Remus Lupin could take away the man's humanity, the least he could do was purchase and charm some drawing tools.

"REMUS!!!"

He looked up. Lula Kensington was running across the quad, frantically waving as she wove between other students and finally arrived to Remus, who she pulled into a crushing hug.

"You're here!" she cried shrilly. "You're actually here. Bloody hell, I was starting to think I'd never see either of you again. I haven't seen you since Halloween!"

"Sorry, been quite busy," Remus said.

"Ohhh but thank goodness! Thank goodness you're here!" She squeezed him in the hug again before letting go and stepping back. "Are you angry with me, too?"

"Angry? Me? No, not at all."

"I haven't heard a thing from Stewie, and his grandfather's at Grimmauld Place is all empty and dismal - I reckon he isn't staying there anymore, and I haven't the slightest clue where he could've gone. I really mussed things up this time, Remus! But ohhh that's not a burden for you. I just - are you alright? Hos have you been? I have missed you so."

Remus nodded, flushing, "I'm - I'm well. I - Spencer's well also, I -"

"You've seen him?" She asked, incredulous.

"Yeah. Here and there," Remus omitted.

Lula's eyes glistened. "Next time you see him, could you tell him I'm just dying to hear from him?"

Remus nodded.

"Thank you." Lula laced her fingers through his, and started leading him toward the arts room. "At least one of you is back. It's been so lonely here without you lot. It's been positively miserable!"

"Sorry," Remus replied. "As I said, been busy, just loads happening. I've only missed one class --"

"Two actually, and one of them we did the midterm drawings during. Have you spoken to the professor about making it up?"

"Planned to after class today."

"Oh good." She led the way in the door of the room, "Now that the portraits of me were completed, it's been a real bore." She laughed, "I'd be devastated if I lost you - you're brilliant, and such a sweet and respectful gentleman. I can't believe he used me got the midterm!"

Remus paused, putting his things down at the table. "You? The uh, the portraits of you were the midterm?"

"Yes," she said.

Remus felt sick. He'd gotten less than half the portrait done.

"Remus?" She asked.

His fact had gone pale.

"Are you alright?"

Remus nodded. "Spiffing."

She raised her eyebrows.

Remus sighed, "I just will have to work on the portrait a lot to make it worth submitting," he admitted it.

"Rey-Rey if you need more time with me to finish your portrait, just let me know and I'll be happy to sit for you again. Anytime, Remus!"

Remus's face flushed and he chuckled nervously as Lula smiled and turned forward to fact the front of the class.