Silverbell

"I have no idea where she could be!" Remus' sobbed in the passenger's seat.

"Well, did you call the police?" Principle Grear asked as she slowed to look at a small girl walking down the sidewalk.

"No, I told you, her father didn't die he's a psychopathic murder, he took her and if we involved the police he'd kill her!" Remus said slamming himself against the seat guilt eating away and his heart. "That's why I called you! Now she might have gotten away, so look at every little girl!"

"If he hasn't already killed her!" The woman shouted. Remus gave her a hard look that chilled her completely. "I'm just saying we need to let them know what's happening before it's too late!" Remus clutched so tightly to the armrest and doorhandles that his knuckles went white.

"You don't understand it's might fault!"

"How?"

"Stop, there, there!" He screamed motioning frantically at a near by candy store. "Bell?" He called running to a girl who was looking in the window. "Bell?" He asked turning a little girl to face him.

"Mommy!" She screamed running off her great blue eyes wide with fear.

"S-sorry!" Remus called out to the woman who now clung to the child. "I thought she was my daughter, she's missing..." Tears stung his eyes once more as he backed away. "Not her!" He called retreating to Ms. Grear's minivan. "It wasn't her." He stated climbing back into the passenger's seat.

"Yeah, well I'd gathered that much!" The woman said in a biting tone.

"What is your problem?" Remus yelled. "You said that you would help me look for her, you didn't have to you know!"

"Yeah well you sounded desperate and at first I didn't believe you, I thought it was just ploy to get me to your house?" She yelled back blaring the horn at the red convertible that had just cut them off. "Asshole!" She swore giving him the middle finger.

"For what?" Remus demanded to know. "A fuck?"

"Well yes!" She said refusing to look at him.

"That's just great!" Remus said sarcastically. "Does the school board know about the types of relationships you lead or try to lead with the parents of your students?"

"No." She stated grinding her teeth. "This was a bad idea." She continued taking an abrupt turn right. "I'm going to drop you off at your place, if Bell isn't in school by Monday I'm calling the police, that gives you an extra day even though everything about this is positively screaming call the authorities."

"Thank you..." Remus said softly as he exited the vehicle. Grear gave him a short nod and drove away. After a quick check of the house to see if she had come home Remus set out to look for his little ward once more, this time alone and on foot.

Remus was exhausted and sore after a full day and half of walking but he had to find her. "Bell!" He called his voice harsh and raw. Clearing his throat he rubbed his Adam's-apple absently. That was it, he would get help, two more blocks and he would be on a main street from there he would walk home. Sweeping through the next block on his way he noticed a few teenagers scatter as the lights flickered on. He knew this park, he and Bell had come here often before things got out of hand with school and after school activities, before slumber parties and play-dates. "Oh, Bell!" Remus sobbed walking towards the jungle gym. Trembling with sorrow and fatigue he collapsing into a swing. "Bell!"

"U-uncle Remus?" Came a soft voice.

"Bell?" Remus asked looking up. Crawling out of a plastic tunnel a small girl with matted brown hair, paled skin, and large brown eyes looked up at the man on the swing. "Bell it is you!" Remus said rushing to embrace the girl. With a small scream Bell backed away from her uncle. "Bell it's me Uncle Remus, are you alright?" The girl shook her head tears spilling from her eyes. "I-I'm not going to hurt you, I promise..." Remus chocked as he struggled not to cry yet again. "I won't hurt you I promise, it was an accident!"

"P-promise?" She whispered looking up at him sceptically.

"I promise, cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye, these words be true I do not lie!" Remus swore make an X on his chest. The girl didn't move. "With cherries on top?" At hearing this Bell rushed to her Uncle crying harder than Remus thought was physically possible for someone so small. "It's ok, it's ok!" He cooed.

"I-was-so-s-scared!" The child bawled.

"Me too!" Remus reassured her as they wept together in a half lit park kneeling in the moist earth.

"Hello Ms. Grear, this is Remus Lupin. I just wanted to inform you that I found Bell, she wasn't as far as I can tell, although she is very tired and ill from having spent two nights outdoors one of which was a cold and rainy evening. I just wanted to thank you for your help the other day, and to inform you that we are both doing well. Also her father is still at large so, we're leaving... Good bye I guess, and thank you, again..." Remus lowered his wand from the side of his throat. The message would appear is in the voice mail of Bell's old principle's mobile-phone in about two hours.

Turning around Remus looked at the small child asleep in the back seat of his rented automobile. She had been through so much in such a sort time, their relationship would never be the same, Bell would never trust him again, nor would he ever trust himself.