Dealing with Danger
Chapter 26: Here It Comes (Year 4)
By Anne B. Walsh
Chapter 26: Here It Comes
All right, I take it back. Being treated like a criminal would be a step up from this.
Remus had been in the same small room at the Ministry, sitting at the same table in the same hard wooden chair, for hours. He was grateful that he hadn’t had any more to drink or eat that morning, since that lessened the attendant necessities of life, and he didn’t want to risk asking if he could use the facilities.
I don’t know what it is they want from me, but they’re obviously going all-out to get it. It’s been five hours since they brought me here, and they haven’t even offered me a drink of water. Just asked lots of questions.
He’d been interrogated by about seven people in all. Three or four had been from Magical Law Enforcement, and had taken his testimony that yes, he’d bitten Lucius Malfoy, yes, he’d known what he was doing thanks to the Wolfsbane Potion, and no, he wasn’t sorry about it.
"The man kidnapped my children," he’d told the last questioner, a witch a few years older than himself. "He was going to use them in blood magic rituals before he killed them." The witch had looked ill and excused herself hastily.
I think maybe I got through to her. She may have children of her own.
A clerk had come around from the Werewolf Registry to update Remus’ address and personal information. That hadn’t been so bad — forms were forms — though he’d had to write "To Be Determined" on the address line, since he could no longer claim the Den as his home.
I don’t know what he thought of me, having to stop halfway through filling everything out to keep myself from crying.
His last two visitors had been from Werewolf Support Services, and had provided him with a much-needed dose of humor in his day. One had been a little old wizard determined to tell him that being a werewolf was nothing to be ashamed of, and the other a harried-looking witch whose basic attitude seemed to be that his case would create a lot of work for her, and therefore she didn’t like him.
Well, I don’t like her either. Nyah. Giving in to a childish urge, Remus stuck his tongue out at the door through which the witch had exited.
All right at home? he sent.
Fine, said Danger brightly. A little too brightly.
What’s wrong?
Nothing.
Remus sighed. We’ve established that you can’t lie mind-to-mind, Danger. What’s wrong?
Let me clarify. Nothing you need to worry about.
Let me clarify further. Nothing I need to worry about, right now. When I get out of here, or when I’m sure I’ll be alone for a while, whichever comes first — they might well keep me here overnight on assault charges, or whatever a werewolf bite is worth these days — then we can talk about it.
Let me clarify even further. I don’t always need you to talk to me about things. Believe it or not, I am an adult, and there are some decisions I can make on my own, and some consequences I can take on my own. And some consequences I should take on my own.
Oh, damn. Danger, if this is about my taking the blame for Malfoy —
There, you see? You always think it’s all about you. Danger’s voice was rising with every sentence. Well, maybe, just maybe, right now it needs to be about me. And just me. Maybe this is a good thing — split us up for a while, so I can remember that I used to be a person and not just half of a twosome. Maybe I’ll get some backbone again, and not be bent over backwards to please you constantly. The image she shot him left him in no doubt that she meant this several ways. So why don’t you just concentrate on what you’re doing and leave me alone. A mental door slammed.
Danger—!
The image of a palm and five fingers formed in his mind.
Talk to the hand. Wonderful. Remus put his head down on the table, hearing a faint buzzing in his ears. She’s just overwrought about this, he told himself. She’s just worked up and losing her temper with me because I’m there. She’s not rejecting me for myself, she’s just angry with the world.
But it still felt like rejection, and it took a lot of Remus’ remaining strength and willpower to lift his head when he heard footsteps approaching the door again.
The wizard who entered was very ordinary looking. Remus might have passed him on the street without giving him a second glance. Hair, face, body and robes were all quite average, so much so that it took Remus a few moments to recognize and be surprised by the immediate dislike swelling within him.
There’s nothing wrong with him — in fact, there’s quite a lot right. The man was carrying a tray with a full pitcher of water and a plate of sandwiches on it. Why don’t I like him?
He inhaled through his nose, picking up the wonderful odors of ham and chicken in those sandwiches, and caught something else as well, something that made him exhale quickly lest he start coughing.
That explains a lot.
The wizard set the tray on the table, shut the door behind him, and sat down. "I’m sorry about the wait, Mr. Lupin," he said. "There was a mix-up between MLE and RCMC. Both of them thought one of the other department’s people was responsible for getting you something to eat. There’s a lavatory right in here if you need to use it."
"Not right now, thank you." Remus kept his voice as polite as the other wizard’s. I don’t think I trust anything you give me. Not when you walk in here stinking of dislike bordering on hatred.
"Well, have a drink on me, at least." The wizard chuckled at his own cleverness, picking up the water pitcher and filling the two glasses which sat on the tray beside it. "Here you are." He handed one across the table to Remus and sipped from the other himself.
I notice you didn’t let me take a glass for myself. Something interesting in here, perhaps? Maybe I’m being paranoid, but better paranoid than caught out...
Remus lifted the glass to his lips and wet them without actually drinking, then casually let it fall below table level. "I don’t think I caught your name," he said, while mentally heating the water in the glass to near-boiling and immediately cooling it to keep it from steaming too much. There was going to be a wet spot on the underside of the table as it was.
"Oh, I’m sorry. Casewizard Christopher Curcio, Wizarding Family Services. Pleased to meet you."
You filthy animal, Remus finished the sentence in his own mind. And I notice you’re not offering to shake my hand. He brought the glass above the table and took a drink from it. It might be warm, but at least now it was clean. I hope. "Likewise."
"Please, have a sandwich," Curcio offered, taking one himself. "So, I understand you live with several children, Mr. Lupin."
Remus took a sandwich from the platter and took a bite. It wasn’t Danger’s cooking, but it was edible. "I did," he said once he’d swallowed. There’s no harm in admitting it. Not only is it common knowledge, but the law is very clear — the only way they can prosecute me for it is if they actually find me in the house. Which they didn’t.
"And you actually signed a magically binding adoption contract for one of them?" Curcio had a small smile on his face.
"What would give you that idea?" Remus took another bite.
"The records of Sirius Black’s trial." Curcio drew two or three parchment scrolls from his pocket and unrolled one of them, finding the passage he wanted. "Master Draco Black specifically said that his adoption contract had been signed by all four of his guardians, which would seem to include you."
Remus matched Curcio’s smile. "Draco was misinformed. He cares about me a great deal, and I about him, so naturally he assumed that I had signed his contract along with my wife and my friends. I would have liked to sign it, but I know that such an action would invalidate the entire contract in the eyes of the law, and I would never endanger my family that way."
"So instead you choose to endanger them by living in the same house with them."
Remus allowed his smile to grow a little. Open war was declared. "I don’t consider living in the same house with them endangering them. I know my transformation nights beforehand — it’s not as if they’re going to sneak up on me — and I have a safe room in the basement where I stay while I’m transformed. My wife and the Blacks often join me there in their Animagus forms. They could even come as humans if they wished, since Aletha Freeman-Black makes the Wolfsbane Potion for me to take every month. It keeps me sane through the transformation, a wolf with a human mind, if you will."
"I know what the Wolfsbane Potion does," Curcio snapped. "Does this woman know how to make it properly?"
"It certainly seems to work well enough." Remus took another bite of his sandwich. "Letha’s a very talented potion maker," he said when his mouth was clear again. "She’s been in contact with Severus Snape at Hogwarts to make sure she was doing everything right."
Curcio’s scent flared in surprise for an instant at the mention of Snape’s name. "Animagus forms, you mentioned," he said, keeping the surprise from his face admirably. "What forms are these?"
"Aletha can become a winged horse, Sirius a large dog, and my wife a wolf. Their presence calms me. As well, any one of them is a match for me, and two could overpower me easily." Remus set his food aside. "I love my children, Casewizard. I would never deliberately put them in harm’s way."
"You love your children." The skepticism in the tone was clear. "What about other people’s children? A school full of children? You had no qualms about taking a teaching position at Hogwarts?"
"Headmaster Dumbledore was quite aware of my condition when he hired me. We arranged for me to receive the Wolfsbane every month, the doors and walls of my office were strengthened, and my wife accompanied me to Hogwarts." Remus was sure Dumbledore would cover this one for him. "It’s not illegal for me to work, is it?"
"Maybe it should be." All trace of Curcio’s original friendly manner was gone. "Though I’m sure you brought a unique perspective to the position. A Dark creature teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"Under our present legal system, werewolves are considered human," said Remus coolly. "There are restrictions placed on them, but they are allowed to own and use wands, obtain jobs and housing, buy what they wish if they have the money for it, even get married."
"Then perhaps our present legal system is flawed." Curcio’s smile was distinctly nasty. "But laws can be changed."
Remus locked eyes with the other wizard and simply stared. Say whatever you like. I will not play your game. I am the alpha of the Pack, the final authority among my own. Only one man can command my obedience, and you are not he.
Curcio looked away first. "You are prohibited from having any contact with Harry Potter, Draco and Meghan Black, or Hermione Granger-Lupin." He sounded disgusted by the name. "No letters, no firecalls, and stay at least one hundred yards away from them at all times. You may also be arrested and charged if you are seen making advances to other minor children."
"Meaning what? Speaking to them?"
"Among other things."
"So it’s now a crime for me to talk to anyone under the age of seventeen. Should I carry around a little placard saying ‘If you’re underage, don’t talk to me’?"
Curcio’s lip curled. "Perhaps. Do not leave this room. A law enforcement officer will come to deal with you should you attempt it." A wave of his wand vanished the sandwiches, including the one Remus had been eating. "Have a pleasant day." He rose and left.
"Up yours," Remus muttered once the door was shut, leaning forward to rest his chin in his hands. "And the broom you rode in on, too."
Someone discreetly cleared her mental throat.
What? Remus made no attempt to moderate his tone. He was angry, and he didn’t care who knew it. If you’re going to tell me I’m a selfish bastard, don’t bother. I’ve just met someone who does it very well indeed, and I doubt you could do it better, so you’d bore me, and I’m quite bored enough already.
I was actually going to tell you I was sorry. But if you want me to leave you alone, I will.
Fine. You do that.
Just remember, if you want me, I’m here.
I’ll remember. In case I want to put myself out of my misery by being nagged to death. Remus slammed the intangible door between them as hard as Danger had earlier.
Way to go, Lupin, said a heavily sarcastic voice in his head. You know, alienating your friends might not be the best of moves. You don’t have too many of them.
Oh, shut up. Remus put his head down on the table. And he took the food, too. I’m hungry, damn it. I haven’t eaten since breakfast...
Suddenly he felt like a fool. And that’s why I’m so edgy. Or part of it. I’m sure Mr. Casewizard Curcio and his stupid prejudices have something to do with it, but I’m never at my best when I’m hungry. I get angry more easily, and for less reason. And right now, I’m also lonely and scared, because I have no idea what’s going to happen to me, only that I’m not allowed to go home or see my cubs. All in all, I have plenty of reasons to be angry, but none of them are Danger’s fault...
Except that I was the one who bit Malfoy. But neither of us knew this would happen.
Remus didn’t bother hiding his relief. You don’t hate me.
No. Not even mad. Or if I am, it’s not really important right now. This is one of those things that makes picking at each other seem kind of stupid — you know, united we stand, divided we fall.
And I’m not interested in falling. I’ve just seen what’s waiting down there. Remus shivered a little. Have a look. He felt Danger slide into his memories of the past few minutes with Curcio. Does he hate all werewolves, or just me?
Both, I think. But you’re there, and not just surviving in wizarding society but succeeding, so you make a good target of opportunity. She sighed heavily. There will probably be more like him. Just don’t forget who loves you and trusts you.
Remus smiled. I won’t. How is everyone there?
The cubs are less than thrilled with the news. Meghan cried when she heard, and Harry holed up in the boys’ bedroom for about an hour until Ron and Draco dragged him out and hauled him off to the orchard to play Quidditch. They all send their love, by the way.
And I send mine. Remus chuckled. "No letters, no firecalls..." Pompous arsehole.
And it gets better. They can’t control what we do in our dreams, now can they?
Oh-ho... practice for a certain Fox and Kitten, I see.
For some of the night. Danger’s presence warmed slightly, as if she had moved closer to him. Then we can send them off to play and have a dreamscape all to ourselves.
The thought sent small chills of pleasure down Remus’ spine. How would I get through this without you?
Well, since without me you wouldn’t be in this situation...
Ah, ah, ah. If you won’t let me, I won’t let you. As you said, neither of us had any idea this would happen. If we had, we’d never have done it. But it’s happened, and we’ll just have to make the best of it. Remus sat up straight at the sound of footsteps approaching. Hold on a second.
The door opened again. "Remus Lupin?" said the wizard it framed.
"Yes." Remus stood up and crossed to the door to take the scroll the wizard was offering him.
"This is a summons to a hearing on the tenth of July," the wizard said in a bored tone, "to answer the charge of assault on one Lucius Malfoy. More details are included in writing. I understand you received a visit from Casewizard Curcio of Wizarding Family Services, is this correct?"
"Yes, it is."
"Do you understand that should you fail to honor the strictures placed on you regarding the children sharing your former place of residence, you will be arrested for endangering minors?"
"I understand."
"Very well. You’re free to go, you can pick up your wand at the front desk."
"Thank you," said Remus coldly. Children sharing my former place of residence, he fumed silently. Could they make it any clearer they don’t think I’m worthy to have custody of a crup, let alone a child?
The opinions of the stupid and the prejudiced need not matter to the intelligent.
Oh, yes, they do. If the stupid and the prejudiced are the ones writing the laws. Remus signed a slip of parchment, and the witch behind the desk handed him his wand. Which they are.
But we have ways around that. Like what we’ll do tonight. And you can always write us letters, and we can read them aloud. We’ll get through this.
I know. Remus walked into the lift and pressed the button for the Atrium. Have I mentioned lately I love you?
I think you might have. But it’s always nice to hear again.
Remus let his eyes drift mostly shut, seeing through Danger’s instead, as she moved around the Den picking up stray items, tidying and cleaning, humming to herself, a pleasant sound, though it kept being intruded upon by the same buzzing he’d heard in the room. He shook his head. I need a meal, and then sleep. But I need to get to Gringotts first. I’ll have to pay for that meal.
He stepped off the lift in the Atrium and headed for a Floo fireplace. A tiny popping sound made him look around, but no one seemed to have Apparated near him.
Great, now I’m hallucinating too.
He tossed a pinch of glittering powder into the flames. "The Leaky Cauldron," he said, and let them carry him away. For a crazy instant, he wondered if it would be possible for him to travel the Network without Floo powder, because of his power with fire...
No. Not wise. Maybe for a blood Heir of Gryffindor, but I was only gifted this. I shouldn’t push it too far.
He stepped from the Leaky Cauldron’s fireplace and wondered for a moment if he had. An expanse of bright green was still in front of his eyes...
But no, Floo flames were never topped with bouffant blonde hair. Nor did they have faces with jeweled spectacles and very toothy smiles. "Mr. Lupin?"
Remus held hard to his poise. "Yes, that’s my name."
"I’m Rita Skeeter. Special Reporter for the Daily Prophet." She held out a hand, which Remus shook, being careful of the talonlike nails. "I was hoping you could spare a minute or two — this shouldn’t take long, and I’m sure you want your side of the story told..." She steered him to a table before he could collect his thoughts, and had a neon-green quill balancing on a scroll the instant he sat down. "So why exactly have you left your happy home?"
I really don’t want to do this right now. But he had no cause to be rude to the woman, other than the inflammatory things she had written about Sirius in the past — she’d believed it at the time, everyone had, so he really had no reason to ignore her. And she might turn out to be helpful. "The Ministry seems to feel that my remaining there would be dangerous to my family."
"Your family. And that includes young Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, I understand?" The capitals were audible.
"Yes, he lives there." Remus wasn’t quite comfortable with the way the quill was moving. It seemed to be taking down far more than Sirius’ DictaQuill did under similar circumstances. "If I may ask, what is that?"
"A Quick-Quotes Quill, very useful in my line of work. You also take care of Draco Malfoy..."
"Draco Black, please."
"Black, of course. Tell me, Remus — I may call you Remus? — with Harry Potter being the godson of Sirius Black, do you feel any special connection between yourself and Draco? Anything out of the ordinary?"
"I care for both boys very much," Remus said carefully. The quill was definitely moving too fast...
"And do you ever find yourself saddened that Draco has your friend’s name and not your own? Does that ever cause jealousy between you?"
"Jealousy?" Remus laughed. "No. Why should it?"
Rita shook her head. "Family strife is a terrible thing," she opined. "And a family like yours, built on the ashes of the war, strengthened in the fires of your years of hiding — how awful that you should be losing one another now..."
"No one’s lost anything yet, Ms. Skeeter," said Remus firmly. "Pardon me." He reached over and caught the quill between thumb and forefinger, lifting it away from the parchment, and turned it around so that he could read it, ignoring Rita’s protests.
Her last statement had been recorded almost verbatim. But above it, under the question about jealousy — Remus felt his eyebrows going up.
Well, of course I’m jealous. Why should Sirius have both boys and I have neither of them?
"Tell me, how much does one of these cost?" he asked, swinging the Quick-Quotes Quill back and forth.
"Well... they’re specialty items, hard to come by..."
"How much?" Remus put a bit of alpha authority into his voice.
"Four Sickles, eleven Knuts."
Remus tossed the Quill to the table, drew his wand for window dressing, and set it on fire. A second flick of the wrist ignited the section of the scroll that had been written on. He put his wand away, found five Sickles in his pocket, and dropped them in front of Rita. "Keep the change," he said, and walked out the back door.
He thought he heard her come after him, but when he turned around, no one was there. He shrugged and opened the archway to Diagon Alley, ignoring a faint, almost indignant buzzing in his ears.
How can buzzing be indignant anyway?
xXxXx
"I have a question," Remus told the goblin at the counter. "How much of what’s in my vault right now was there this time last year?"
The goblin pulled out a ledger. "Two hundred thirty-four Galleons, sixteen Sickles, five Knuts," he said after a few moments. "That was before the contents of the Malfoy vault were added, of course."
"Of course." Two hundred thirty Galleons was hardly a fortune, but it should be enough to see him through for a while. "Thank you. Now I need to make that withdrawal, please."
"Right away."
It’s not much, but it’s mine, earned honestly. Mine and Danger’s. He frowned. That was a complication he hadn’t foreseen. I can’t spend her money...
He paused, but there was no comment in the back of his mind. Danger must be busy with something else.
I’ll only take fifty to start with, and work out what’s her share and mine later. He sighed, climbing into the rickety cart. The money in his vault was the product of his work, and Danger’s, during their years in hiding. They’d never worked long hours, nor done very hard jobs, since they hadn’t been relying on their salaries to feed and clothe themselves — Sirius’ inherited gold had done that marvelously.
But I won’t take charity. It was all right while I lived with the Pack. I did my share then, pulled my weight. I won’t spend other people’s money while I’m not doing anything for them.
It hurt to put his time with the Pack in the past tense. He still hadn’t quite got his mind around it. Part of him still expected to shout "The Marauders’ Den!" to the Floo at the Leaky Cauldron, to step out of the fireplace in the music room, to see Aletha’s face brighten as she turned away from the piano or Draco’s as he put his flute aside, to hear Hermione and Meghan come running for their hugs and Danger for her kiss and Sirius and Harry to say hello and try to play a trick on him...
Damn wind, making my eyes water.
xXxXx
Danger stood at the stove, tapping a finger thoughtfully on a frying pan. The shared dream the night before had been a great success. Draco and Harry had chained up before they went to bed, as had Hermione and Meghan, and she herself had shared with Sirius and Aletha, sleeping on the floor in their room to make that possible.
I won’t use our bed until Remus comes home, she’d promised herself. It’s our bed together, not mine alone. Aletha had promised to help her get something fixed up for herself today...
Sirius, who was reading the Daily Prophet, swore loudly and comprehensively. Danger jerked around, Hermione squeaked and Meghan giggled, while Harry and Draco looked impressed and Aletha just glared.
"Here," Sirius said bluntly, thrusting the newspaper at his wife. "You tell me."
Aletha opened the paper, took in the headline, and cursed as well, an oath even worse than Sirius’. "I thought Gringotts records were private," she said. "Private, as in no..." Several unrepeatable adjectives. "...reporters could get at them."
"What is it?" Danger asked.
Aletha handed her the newspaper. Danger looked at it and was tempted to swear herself.
HOGWARTS PROFESSOR DARK IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE!
Remus Lupin, werewolf, also placed "son’s" money in own vault
Ministry acts immediately for safety of Lupin’s "children"
Danger rubbed her shoulder, which ached after a night of sleeping on the floor. "I think what I like best is the sneer quotes around ‘son’ and ‘children,’" she said. "Here, Sirius, read it to them?" She tossed the paper back to him. "Before they jump on me and tear it out of my hands?" The cubs did look very eager to hear what the newspaper had to say.
Danger had to work hard on not burning the various parts of breakfast as Sirius read. The article was filled with misinterpretations, half-truths, and downright lies, all designed to paint Remus as a calculating con man who had stolen Draco’s money and lied his way into the teaching post at Hogwarts. "Who wrote this piece of shite?" she asked halfway through.
"Rita Skeeter, who else?"
"Just checking." If I ever get my paws on her...
"Dibs," said Draco and Harry at the same time.
"Dibs on what?" said Aletha.
"Beating up Rita Skeeter," said Harry.
"No," said Aletha firmly.
"Why not? She’s a liar."
"If we beat up all the liars in the world, there’d be no one left without bruises. Including the person who put salt on my toothbrush not three days ago and told me to my face that he hadn’t been near my bathroom."
"That wasn’t a lie! I wasn’t near it, I was in it!"
"You had to be near it to be in it. Don’t split hairs. Go on, Sirius."
The rest of the article was very much like the beginning, except that Rita Skeeter also claimed Remus had menaced her when she asked for an interview and caused her to flee in terror from his horrible rage, in which he had magically destroyed all the belongings she had with her. "Certainly, with all his stolen wealth, he can make me reparations," Sirius read aloud, in tones of disbelieving revulsion. "In fact, I demand it. And then he should return what remains of his ‘son’s’ inheritance to the boy and remove himself to that obscurity which he so richly deserves."
"Is her picture in there?" asked Hermione, putting down her glass.
"Who, Skeeter’s? Yeah, it’s here. Right at the top of the column." Sirius scowled. "Ugly old biddy. Looks like a man in drag. Why?"
"May I see it, please?"
Sirius turned the newspaper around. Hermione took another mouthful of her drink, regarded the picture for a moment, then spat. The photographic Rita shrieked silently as orange juice drenched her. The other cubs applauded.
"So what did he really do?" Aletha asked Danger.
"She was trying to interview him, and she had an automatic quill that was misquoting him left and right. He asked her how much it cost, handed over that much and a bit more, burned up the quill and the parchment, and walked out. It was trying to claim he was jealous of you," she told Sirius. "Because Harry’s your godson and Draco’s got your name."
"Oh, please," said Meghan. "Like that makes such a big difference."
"To some people, it does," said Draco. "Names are important."
"Yes, they are, and your name says you belong here," said Sirius firmly. "End of story."
An owl rapped on the windowsill. Hermione got up to bring it in. "It’s something official," she said, handing it to Aletha. "From the Ministry."
Aletha slit the envelope and pulled out the parchment. Her face became very still as she read. Once she reached the end, she started again. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch her.
"I do not believe this," Aletha said finally, tossing parchment and envelope to the table. "I don’t bloody believe this!" She shoved her chair back and stalked around the table and out of the room. Seconds later, there was a crash.
Sirius picked up the parchment gingerly. "Here, let me," said Danger, bringing the frying pan to the table and setting it on the potholder in the middle. Sirius surrendered the parchment gladly.
Danger started to read and felt her knees wobble. She sat down quickly on Aletha’s abandoned chair.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Black and Mrs. Granger-Lupin:
An irregularity has been brought to our attention concerning the adoption contract you signed on 26 July, 1984, with one Narcissa Black Malfoy, regarding her son Draco Regulus, now known as Draco Regulus Black. A hearing has been scheduled for tomorrow morning at 9 AM in the WFS offices on Level Two at the Ministry of Magic. One of you is requested to attend, along with the minor child Draco, and bearing the aforementioned contract. If you do not attend this hearing, your custody of the minor child may be temporarily revoked and the minor child placed in foster care.
Thank you for your time,
The Office of Wizarding Family Services
"I can’t go," said Aletha from the door into the music room. "I have a test."
"Me or him, then," said Danger, glancing at Sirius.
"You or me what?" asked Sirius.
Danger read the note aloud. There was a brief silence.
"This is stupid," said Hermione, slamming her glass down on the table. "This is really stupid. What are they trying to do, take us all away from each other?"
"I don’t know," said Danger, closing her eyes. Remus was still asleep, and she didn’t want to wake him, but she wanted him near, so badly. "I don’t know. I should go, Sirius, you have work..."
"I can get some time off," said Sirius, and Danger felt his hand on her back, then two hands, rubbing her shoulders. She hummed in pleasure and leaned into the massage. "You’re not feeling your best. You were limping on the stairs this morning."
"I’m fine. Just sore from sleeping on the floor is all."
"Could they actually put me in foster care?" asked Draco apprehensively.
"I’m sure they could," said Aletha. "But they won’t. The contract is perfectly in order..." Now, everyone supplied mentally. "...so unless you have something to complain about, everything should be just fine."
"Oh, I have lots of things to complain about," said Draco. "I just never tell you any of them."
"I get it," said Harry. "You’re a stupid horklump and you want to go into foster care."
"No!"
"Then cut out the jokes. People like that have no sense of humor." Harry pointed at the parchment. "You can tell by the way they write."
"It’s just bureau-speak," said Danger. "But Harry’s right, Draco. Be polite and respectful tomorrow, and you have nothing to worry about."
xXxXx
Around four in the afternoon, Danger called Harry out of the music room, where the Pride had been playing games all day. "You’ve been watching me cook for a while," she said. "Helping me, too. Think you’re ready to go solo?"
"You mean make a meal on my own?"
"I’ll be there to give you advice, but yes."
Harry glanced at Danger’s hands. "What’s wrong with your fingers?"
"Nothing," said Danger, putting her hands in her pockets. "What would you like to make?"
Harry frowned. He’d been almost sure he’d seen swelling around Danger’s knuckles. But it might have been a trick of the light. "I think pasta," he said. "Pasta with meat sauce. And a salad. Do we have any bread?"
"Yes, there’s a new loaf in the breadbox. Now, backtrack all that to where it starts. Pasta with meat sauce means..."
"I have to start boiling water," said Harry, already on his way into the kitchen. "And get the meat sauce out of the freezer and start melting it."
"Very good. And the salad..."
"See what we have in the refrigerator, and send Meghan outside to pick from the garden to add to it." Harry pulled out a large saucepan for the meat sauce and a big two-handled pot for the pasta, set the pan on the stove, and stuck the pot in the sink. A flick of his hand turned the water on, and he headed for the refrigerator. A head of lettuce sat in the crisper, along with several carrots and a cucumber. He pulled them out and went back to the sink with them, setting them on the counter and turning the water off just as it came to the rivets in the pot.
"Very neatly done," said Danger from her place at the table. "Keep going."
Harry peeled and chopped and salted and seasoned, trying to keep everything in his mind at once. He remembered just in time to turn the oven on to heat up the bread, and swore when he forgot to stir the sauce and it stuck to the bottom of the pan and burned. "Happens to everyone, Greeneyes," said Danger, unsticking it with her wand and removing the burned parts. "Either watch it better or get someone in here to help you."
"Am I allowed to get someone to help me?"
"Of course. If they want to eat it, they should help make it."
Harry grinned. "Watch it for a minute?"
"Gladly." Danger chuckled.
Harry strode into the music room. "You!" he boomed out in a mock-authoritarian voice, pointing at Draco. "Come set the table! You!" Hermione. "Come stir the sauce! And you!" Meghan. "Go pick me some fresh vegetables for the salad!"
"And what should we do, oh grand exalted master?" said Ron, bowing low and pulling Ginny down with him.
"Clean this up and go home," said Harry in his normal voice. "Your mum’ll probably be calling any minute anyway — where’s Neville?"
"His mum called a minute or two ago," said Meghan. "So you’re right. Bye, Ron, bye, Ginny, bye, Luna."
A general chorus of goodbyes reigned for a few minutes as people found possessions. Harry returned to the kitchen, finding Hermione already stirring the sauce gingerly. "It doesn’t bite," he said.
"No, but it spits." Hermione was holding the spoon high up on the end. "When it bubbles, bits fly up. I could get burned."
"Then you suck it off and run it under cold water," said Harry. "It’s part of being a cook."
"That’s why I’m not a cook." But Hermione lowered her grip on the spoon. "Is this right?" she asked Danger, who stood behind her.
"Better. Back and forth across the whole bottom, scraping as you go, so it doesn’t stick. It’s when it sticks that it burns." Danger put her hand over Hermione’s and guided her stirring. "See? Like this, back and forth, back and forth, make sure you cover everywhere..."
Harry sneaked a look out the side of his eyes. Danger’s knuckles were swollen. Not much, but it was there.
I guess she doesn’t want to have to hold things right now. Maybe it’s the weather. He looked out the window at the lowering clouds, which had been threatening rain all day without ever delivering. I’ll tell Letha about it later. And do more of the cooking, until she gets better.
Meghan came in from the music room, carrying an armload of fresh vegetables. "Draco and Luna are still in there," she said.
"Nobody likes a tattletale, Pearl," said Danger, leaving Hermione in charge of the sauce. "Draco’s job can wait."
"Wasn’t tattling," said Meghan sullenly. "I was just saying."
"Just saying sounded a lot like tattling to me," said Hermione snidely.
"Stop," said Harry, forestalling Meghan’s comeback. "Just stop. We don’t need to fight."
The girls glared at each other, but got back to their jobs, Hermione stirring the sauce, Meghan washing the vegetables. Danger was sitting slumped in her chair, looking tired. There was still no sign of Draco.
Harry sighed to himself, opening the oven to check on the bread. How long can I hold things together?
xXxXx
"I’m worried," said Draco, sitting on the couch beside Luna.
"If you’re scared, say scared," said Luna. "Your voice says scared."
"All right, I’m scared. I don’t know what irregularity they think they found. That magic Danger did was supposed to be undetectable, but what if it’s not? What if they find out Moony signed the contract after all, and decide I can’t stay with the Pack anymore?"
"Then you’ll go to a foster family for a little while. But you’ll be back at Hogwarts with us in two months anyway. You can stay over the holidays — we’ll stay with you — and that gives the Pack a year to get your custody again. I’m sure they can do it. I mean, you’ve been with them nearly ten years, and all that’s happened is that you’ve been turned into a fox for a little while, had a plant break your ribs, and nearly died from a curse. Oh, and had blood magic done on you, but that wasn’t really their fault."
Draco burst out laughing, making Meghan, who was passing through with an armload of vegetables from the garden, look at him oddly. "I wish you could come to the hearing," he said to Luna when he’d caught his breath. "You’d convince them right away."
"I’ve been to one. When Mum died, they assigned somebody to watch me and Dad, and then after three months we had to go to a hearing. It was very boring. Just a lot of people talking and talking. Finally they said it was all right for me to go home, and that was all."
Draco laid a hand on Luna’s shoulder. Luna turned her head to look at it.
"I’m hoping your luck will rub off on me," Draco said, taking his hand away quickly. "So that’s how my hearing will go. A lot of talking, and nothing worse."
"Don’t be silly. Touching shoulders isn’t how you transfer luck."
"Well, how do you transfer luck, then?"
"I’ll show you." Luna stood up and made Draco do the same. She stood directly in front of him, took his arms and put them around her shoulders, and put her own arms around his neck. Then she tilted her head back and pulled his face down to hers.
"There," she said when they broke apart. "That’s how you transfer luck."
"I get it." Draco looked down at Luna. "I think I’m going to need a lot of luck for tomorrow."
xXxXx
"So what have you been doing?" asked Danger when Draco meandered into the kitchen and started taking cutlery out of the drawer.
"Transferring luck."
"What?"
"Luna had to go to a custody hearing when her mum died, and hers came out all right. So she was transferring some of her luck to me, for tomorrow."
"I never knew luck was another word for spit," said Hermione.
Meghan dropped a cherry tomato down the drain. Harry almost knocked over the pasta pot.
"Really, Hermione," said Danger. "I wanted to say that."
Draco’s face was bright pink.
xXxXx
Sirius arrived home in a marginally good mood. He’d been able to get a couple of hours off the next morning with no trouble, and he was now quite sure that no one would realize he’d been gone for that half-hour or so it had taken him to tip off Remus and get him out of the house. Aletha, too, was smiling when she got in, and a tired but triumphant Harry presented the dinner he’d made himself, and suddenly life didn’t seem so bad.
Danger, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright, spent the meal telling everyone about Remus’ day. He’d found a place to live, a small flat in Muggle London, on the third floor of a somewhat dilapidated building, but it would do. The address was posted on the refrigerator. Sirius made a mental note to drop by and make sure his friend was handling himself all right.
It’s been a long time since he was out of Den. And he’s never been a very good cook.
Draco and Luna "transferring luck" came up as well, making Draco blush and everyone else laugh, and Aletha related a story about a teacher who couldn’t get her quill loaded. She’d dip it in the inkwell, and it would come up empty. Finally, she figured out that someone had slipped her a trick quill, made from an Augurey feather, which repelled any liquid that tried to get near it.
Altogether, it was almost a normal night at the Marauders’ Den, except for the one chair empty at the table, and the one voice missing from the conversation. And late that night, when he got up to get a drink of water, Sirius heard crying coming from down the hall, and it didn’t sound like any of the cubs.
xXxXx
Harry was up early the next morning, boiling water and starting toast. People trailed down to the kitchen little by little, snagging what they wanted to start. Sirius munched on his corn flakes, and sprinkled sugar on top when Aletha wasn’t looking. "Eat well," he advised Draco. "These things sometimes run overtime."
"Danger, what’s that on your face?" asked Aletha as Harry brought a bowl of eggs to the table.
"What? Oh, that." Danger scratched at her cheek. "I think I just slept funny, either that or I’m having a reaction to something. Did you switch detergents when you washed the sheets the other day?"
"No, I’m still using the same kind we always do. Maybe it’s something you ate."
Danger shrugged. "It’s not a big deal. Probably go away in a few days. Pass the bacon, please."
Sirius looked down the table. Danger’s cheeks were both covered with a delicate-looking red rash. He frowned. Not that I want to bring this up, but that looks like something you could get if you were crying and rubbing your face a lot...
So, like she said, not a big deal. He checked his watch. 8:30. About time to go.
"Ready, fox?" he asked.
"Almost." Draco shoveled another bite of eggs into his mouth. "Now I am," he said around it.
Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Good luck," she said.
"Break a leg," said Aletha.
"What kind of wish is that?" asked Sirius.
"Stage wish," said Draco. "The luck spirits are always listening, and it’s bad luck to say good luck. So you wish someone symbolic bad luck, and they give you good luck."
"Break both legs, then," said Harry, sitting down to his own breakfast.
"Will do." Draco headed for the music room.
"Take care," said Aletha, tilting her head back to kiss Sirius goodbye.
"You too. Break a leg on that test."
"Thank you."
xXxXx
Aletha had gone off to classes, her wonderful sister had volunteered to do the dishes, and Harry was at the Burrow, so she could lie down on the couch and have a rest...
"Danger?"
Trying not to groan, Danger opened her eyes and sat up. "Yes, Pearl?"
"Are your hands all right?"
Danger smiled a little, taking her hands out of her pockets. "I don’t know, really. They’ve never done this before." All the joints of her knuckles were swollen, and it hurt to bend them. She thought Harry suspected, and had thanked him gratefully for making breakfast for everyone.
Meghan took one of Danger’s hands in her own and massaged the knuckles. The swelling receded slightly, and the pain went away. Danger smiled. "That feels good. Don’t overdo, though."
"I won’t."
Meghan moved along her Pack-mother’s hands systematically, making sure to get every joint of every finger. When she was done, Danger shook her hands out and flexed the fingers. "Meghan, you’re marvelous. Thank you, love." She kissed the little girl’s head. "Madam Pomfrey will be sorry to lose you to regular schooling."
"I’ll still be in the hospital wing. Free times and weekends, and whenever I get my homework done early. Maybe I can even use some work there for class projects."
"I bet you could. Go on, now, I think they were going to play the strategy game today at the Burrow, and you don’t want to miss that. I’ll go finish the dishes and send Hermione along."
Meghan grinned and ran to the fireplace as Danger went into the kitchen.
xXxXx
Sirius pulled Draco aside in the Atrium. "Listen up, Draco," he said sternly. "This is no time for games. You say what you’re supposed to, or you might not come home tonight, understand?"
"I understand." Draco was leaning against the wall, and his voice sounded sullen.
"I don’t think you do." Sirius shook the boy lightly by the shoulder, then looked him straight in the eye. "I said, do you understand, warrior?"
Draco straightened up. "Yes, sir," he said, meeting Sirius’ eyes.
Sirius smiled. "That’s better. Come on, let’s dazzle ‘em."
For a moment, as he stood in line for the lift, Sirius thought he heard a buzzing sound.
xXxXx
Remus knew he should get up. But the bed felt so good, and there wasn’t anyone else here to nag him or push him to do anything...
But that also means no one else here to do anything for you. You want food, you have to make it. You want clean clothes, you have to wash them. And you want money, beyond what you’ve saved, you have to go and get a job.
It wasn’t a bad idea, but later. Remus snuggled down into the sheets again, wishing Danger was beside him, but being perfectly willing to stay there even though she wasn’t...
Suddenly he sat up. His pendants were hot.
He flipped through them quickly, then frowned. Sirius and Draco? What’s going on?
I don’t know. Sirius was taking Draco to that custody hearing... He heard Danger swear aloud. Something’s gone wrong, it must have, that’s the only reason — hold on, there’s the Floo.
Remus lay down again quickly, closing his eyes and abandoning his own body in favor of Danger’s. "What happened?" she demanded of Sirius, who was sitting in a chair in the music room looking stunned.
"I didn’t mean it like that," said Sirius plaintively, looking up at Danger. "I was just telling him not to fool around. It wasn’t a threat."
"What happened?" Danger repeated a little louder.
"When we were on our way in, I told Draco not to play games, or he might not come home tonight. I just meant he might have to go somewhere else — I wasn’t threatening him, not like that! And I didn’t shake him hard, just to get his attention!"
"What does that have to do with anything? Where is he?"
"Someone must have heard me and seen me, and thought I actually meant it, and told the committee — I no sooner got in there than they were accusing me of threatening Draco and abusing him, I couldn’t get a word in edgewise, and they took him off to some other part of the offices and wouldn’t let me see him again, they said they’d send him to a volunteer foster home and I’m supposed to pack a bag for him and take it back there..."
"You bloody idiot," Remus snapped through Danger’s mouth, forgetting he wasn’t there in person. "Can’t you do anything right?"
Sirius stared at him/her/them in shock. Danger seemed rather shocked herself. Whatever happened to asking permission?
Remus yanked himself back to his own body and shut down the connection without answering.
It’s starting. They’re pulling apart the Pack. One by one, they’re going to come for us and take us away from each other, or make us not want to be with each other anymore...
He pulled the sheet over his head and closed his eyes, feeling tiredness overtaking him again.
Sleeping a little later won’t hurt. And maybe I’ll ache less when I’m more rested.
xXxXx
Draco was mad.
Not mad at Padfoot, not anymore, at least. He had been, for the first few minutes, but he knew that sometimes, when the Ministry started working, there wasn’t much one person could do about it. And he knew Padfoot hadn’t meant what he’d said and done in the Atrium the way the casewizards seemed to think he had. He’d tried telling them that, but they just shook their heads at each other and used long words.
He wished Hermione was there.
"Ah, Draco, there you are," said one of the casewizards in a hearty voice.
Yes, here I am. Where I’ve been for the last hour.
Draco stood up quickly, though, when he saw what the wizard was carrying. "Yes, this is yours," said the man, handing the duffel bag to him. "We’ve searched it thoroughly to make sure those people didn’t leave anything in there you wouldn’t want."
To make sure they didn’t give me anything you don’t want me to have, Draco translated, slinging the bag over his shoulder. It didn’t matter anyway. His bag, like all the Pack’s luggage, had a surprise or two built into it.
"Now, I’ll be taking you to your foster home. I’m sure you’ll like it. The family has a boy just your age — you’re in the same year at Hogwarts, I think — and it’s a lovely house in the country with plenty of room..."
xXxXx
Remus had just got out of the shower when he heard someone knock on his door. Wrapping a towel around himself, he limped through the flat and opened the front door.
Sirius stood there, looking very nervous.
"Come in," said Remus flatly, stepping back.
Sirius stepped over the threshold. "I’ll... let you get dressed..."
"No, just say it."
"Say what?"
"Whatever you came here to tell me."
"Are you sure?"
"Spit it out, Sirius."
"Remus, I’m sorry. I don’t know how it happened, really I don’t..."
"I said spit it out."
"Draco’s been sent to the Notts."
Silence ruled the room for three seconds. Then Remus took two steps forward and punched Sirius as hard as he could in the left eye. Sirius staggered backwards and hit the wall with a thud.
"Get out," said Remus, advancing on him. "Before I give Letha more work to do. Out."
Sirius fled. Remus slammed the door behind him, then dropped to one knee, shivering with more than cold.
My Draco. Living in a house with a Death Eater. I’m dangerous, I’m not allowed anywhere near him, but Patroclus effing Nott is just fine...
He wiped his eyes roughly with his bath towel.
xXxXx
Draco sat beside the bed in the guest room he’d been assigned, the apparently empty duffel bag in his lap. He pulled his wand out of his pocket and touched it to one of the short sides inside the bag. "Quo vadis?" he said quietly, and grinned as the side under his wand suddenly developed a large lump. Quickly, he unzipped the hidden compartment and plunged his hand in.
The first thing he felt crackled. He pulled out a letter, addressed in Hermione’s handwriting, and ripped it open eagerly.
Dear Draco,
We’re putting this in the hidden pocket because we don’t want those people to see it. We all love you and hope you’ll be well, wherever they put you. When we find out, I’ll find some way to come and visit. Meow! ;-)
Harry’s handwriting took over. This sucks big-time, fox. Sorry about it. Maybe they’ll still let you come to the Quidditch Cup with us — we’ll be with the Weasleys, not the Pack-parents, so that shouldn’t be a problem.
We’ll write you every couple of days, Meghan wanted him to know. Watch for Hedwig and Maya and Morpheus.
Draco, I am so sorry about this, wrote Padfoot. I am going to find out who told them what I said in the Atrium, and I’m going to kick that person’s arse.
And now you see another reason this has to be in the hidden pocket, said Letha’s writing. We’ll get this sorted out as quickly as we can, Draco, and get you home soon. Don’t forget to brush your teeth.
Moony sends his love with mine, Danger’s handwriting picked up. I know we said you were big enough to take care of yourself, but we didn’t think it would be tested again this soon. We do trust you, though. Just don’t blow anything up, please, unless you have a really good reason.
I’m sending you something I think you need more than I do right now, wrote Harry again. But remember, it’s just a loan, and if you mess it up I’ll take it out of your hide. Or maybe Neville’s hide — that would work better...
Harry! Draco grinned. Meghan could even screech on parchment.
Everybody else sends their best too, scribbled Hermione quickly. Especially Luna. She says the luck you got from her will work some other way now, maybe by making your time away from home easier. I hope it will. I love you very much, twin. Don’t do anything too dumb when I’m not there to watch.
Everyone had signed their names at the bottom. Draco put the letter away quickly before it got spots on it. When he was in control again, he reached into the compartment, his heart beating a little faster. Harry had loaned him something he didn’t want messed up, something he could take out of Neville’s hide... Neville, who was in training to be a demiguise Animagus...
Silvery fabric spilled from the pocket, and Draco let out a breath of wonder. "Harry, I owe you," he said quietly.
He could think of so many great things to do with an Invisibility Cloak at Nott Manor.
The other things in the pocket were more mundane — his stuffed lion, his flute and recorder in their cases, and a small box of Danger’s homemade fudge. Someone, probably Harry, had dug holes in the top of one piece that looked like little feet. Draco had to laugh.
I’d better eat the evidence before someone catches me making fun of the Minister of Magic...
With his lion in his lap and the rich chocolate taste in his mouth, Draco almost felt like he was home again.
Almost would have to do for now.
xXxXx
Danger got out of her cot the next morning in a foul mood. What’s the good of making a sacrifice if it leaves me hurting all over? Meghan’s treatment had only salved the pain in her hands for a few hours before it had come back. All her joints ached, in fact, making her move like an old woman.
What time is it, anyway? She checked the clock. 10:30? Well, I was lazy. Everyone should be gone by now... no, wait, it’s Saturday. They’ll all still be here. Or out doing other things.
She limped into the bathroom, flicking on the light along the way, and yawned before she looked at her face in the mirror.
Good grief. The rash on her cheeks was worse. The two sides were connected now over the bridge of her nose, making her look like someone had sponge-printed a huge red butterfly on her face. There were other red patches on her skin as well, she noticed, on her arms and legs, and when she lifted her shirt to check, on her stomach.
She fanned herself with the cloth. It’s hot in here. I need to get a window open. She took two careful steps to the toilet and sat down on it, panting, then stood up to open the window, breathing hard when she’d finished.
Maybe I’m coming down with something.
The light over the mirror caught her attention as she stood again. It seemed brighter than it usually did.
No, it’s just got more light all around it. Like a halo, or an aura...
Her muscles suddenly tightened to the point of pain, and she cried out in fear. Something was terribly wrong with her, and she couldn’t stop it, she was falling, falling and falling and not breathing...