Dealing with Danger
Chapter 25: Ready or Not (Year 4)
By Anne B. Walsh
Chapter 25: Ready or Not
Harry lay on the hillside in the sun, letting the warmth seep through him. He wished it could bake away the horrible taste left behind by the potion he’d taken the day before.
Worth a try. He opened his mouth wide and let the sunlight fall on his tongue. It was already beating down on the rest of him, turning the insides of his eyelids orange, warming his chest and stomach and arms and legs, though, strangely, it didn’t seem to affect his pendants...
Probably because they’re magical. Magical things don’t work quite the same as other things do.
The knowledge didn’t worry him. He’d always known the necklace he wore was magical. It had helped him do some impressive and very fun things over the years he’d had it. Apart from the taste in his mouth, which he knew would go away over the next few days, it didn’t seem that life could get any better.
He half-heard, half-felt footsteps approaching. A shadow fell over his face. "Hello, Ron," he said without opening his eyes.
"How’d you know it was me?"
Harry shrugged. "Just did."
"Your tongue’s purple."
"I know. Aftereffect from the potion, I think. Like the taste. I thought Hermione was making it up, but she wasn’t. It’s nasty." Harry opened his eyes now and looked a long way up, into Ron’s freckled, red-topped face. "Not too late for you to back out, you know."
"Back out? No way." Ron moved, and Harry hurriedly shut his eyes again as the sun hit him in the face. "I’ve been having dreams about flying — on my own, no broomstick — ever since Christmas of first year, when we did that spell." Harry heard his friend sitting down beside him, then lying down. "Besides, it’s something Fred and George never did. Never even thought about doing."
"And nobody else did either." Harry could appreciate Ron’s feelings. It had to be hard, having five older brothers, who among them had excelled in just about every way a person could excel. There wasn’t much left for Ron to be good at. "You’re moving through really fast, too. I think you might even be done sometime this fall."
"Not as fast as you. You were way behind — you hadn’t done your chest or either of your arms or your head — and then after exams, you just caught fire and raced through all of them in two weeks. How’d you do that?"
Harry shrugged, even knowing Ron wouldn’t see it. "Dunno. I think it had something to do with what happened with Malfoy and Wormtail. I figured if I ever got caught like that again, I wanted to be ready. I wanted to have something else I could do. This was something I knew I could handle, and if I couldn’t, well, it was only me that suffered from it. Nobody else was going to get hurt."
"Mm-hmm."
The boys lay in silence for a time.
"Dad had a letter today, from a bloke he knows in Magical Games and Sports," said Ron finally. "Said he could probably get eleven tickets to the Top Box for the Quidditch World Cup."
"The Top Box?" Harry forgot the bitter, oily coating on his tongue. "You lucky git! That’s the best seats there are!"
"I know."
"Wish my parents had contacts in Magical Games and Sports. I know we’re going to the Cup, but they’re not going to spend what it would cost to get seats like those." Harry squirmed a little on the grass, getting more comfortable. "Padfoot might want to, maybe Letha too, but Moony and Danger won’t let them. Danger might not even want to go."
"Mum doesn’t want to go either. Says she’s looking forward to having the house to herself for a while." Ron shifted positions, and Harry cracked one eye open to see his friend leaning up on one elbow, looking over at him. "Harry, you’re taking Arithmancy, right?"
"Yeah."
"So you can do maths."
"Last time I checked."
"How many people in my family?"
"Nine."
"And how many going to the Cup?"
"Eight, if your mum’s not going. I don’t think any of your brothers are going to want to stay home."
Ron made a rude suggestion about what said brothers would do rather than miss the Quidditch World Cup. "So you’re right," he finished. "Eight of us going to the Cup. And Dad’s got eleven tickets."
Eight from eleven is three... wait a second.
Harry rolled onto his side and opened his eyes, staring at Ron. "Are you inviting me to come to the World Cup with you?"
"Well, you and Hermione and Draco." Ron was grinning now. "Neville’s going with his parents, and Luna’s not interested. I don’t know about Meghan — we might be able to squeeze her in, she’s not very big..."
"She’ll want to sit with Padfoot and Letha. Even if it means being lower down." Harry could hardly imagine it. All his life he’d heard of the great golden stadium built and rebuilt in different locations around the world, able to seat a hundred thousand witches and wizards. And now he had the opportunity, not only to go there, but to sit in the highest and best seats available.
"So, d’you want to go?" asked Ron.
"No," Harry said with a straight face. "I’d rather stay here and do my Potions homework. Yes, of course I want to go!"
He attacked Ron as best he could from a half-prone position. Ron retaliated in kind.
So I was wrong earlier. Now life can’t get any better.
xXxXx
Draco lay on the couch in the Longbottoms’ music room, flute on his chest, looking around at the room with the attention to detail which was necessary when learning a place to make it into a dream setting. He could already render almost any room in the Den, several in the Burrow and the Landing Zone, and quite a few at Hogwarts. Danger wanted him and Hermione to learn as many different settings as possible, so that someday they could craft their own.
She likes to tell about making a beach and a forest and a grassland for her and Moony to play in. It’s a little weird to hear, but she’s usually good about leaving the mushy parts out.
Hermione was less enthusiastic about dream-sculpting than he was. Draco got the feeling she didn’t like the feeling of being manipulative. But it’s not as if we’re doing it to someone else’s dreams. They’re ours. I might see if I could find a way we could all share a dream I made, maybe sleeping with our pendant chains on, but I wouldn’t make anyone do it if they didn’t want to. Going into full-bond obviously works, but that’s not something you do just for fun.
He might even try a few settings from books or movies. Hobbiton, say, or the jungle where Mowgli lived with his brothers. Or a large house in Austria...
Gee, I wonder why I thought of that?
"You look like Captain Von Trapp," he said to Neville.
"Thank you." Neville didn’t even look up from the chords he was fingering.
Draco shrugged. Neville was like that sometimes — he missed the point of teasing entirely, taking it either as a genuine attack or, like now, a genuine compliment.
Not my problem.
Neville lifted his head and shot Draco a quick grin before looking at Luna and Meghan, who were chatting at the other end of the room. "Oh, my darling Maria," he caroled. "Would you come here?"
"Certainly, my darling Captain," Meghan cooed, gliding across the room.
Or he could always be teasing me back.
Luna took a seat on the piano bench and Meghan sat on the floor as Neville began to strum in a familiar pattern. Draco raised the flute to his lips, blew experimentally into it once, then began to play the melody to Edelweiss. On the repeat, they all sang instead, the boys doing two-part harmony on the main theme and the girls adding the responses and descant parts.
xXxXx
Elsewhere in the house, Alice Longbottom sighed happily.
Just like old times with the Order. Frank would bring out his guitar, and so would Fabian Prewett, and we’d all sing — we could forget about the war and all our troubles a little when we had music.
I only hope these children never need to use it that way.
She returned to what she was doing.
Previous experience. Eleven years’ standing on the Auror force...
xXxXx
Hermione sat perched in a tree, book in one hand, apple in the other.
"How’re you doing?" asked Ginny, maneuvering her broom to a stop directly alongside Hermione.
"Not too bad. I’ve only bitten the book and tried to turn the page on the apple twice."
Ginny laughed.
"How about you?"
"All right. It’s a lot of fun. Do you want to try?"
"Flying around on a broom, shooting sparks at things. Thanks, but no thanks."
"You’re boring."
"I know you. Shooting sparks at things would turn into shooting sparks at me."
"I think you’re mistaking me for Ron."
"Who was it set my robes on fire at Animagus work sessions in March?"
"That was an accident!"
"No, it was an accident when you did it to Harry ten minutes earlier. You did it to me on purpose."
"I did not!"
"Well, that’s the only reason I can think of why you’d make the same mistake twice in the same night, is if one of them was on purpose."
"I never said one of them wasn’t on purpose."
Hermione looked up. There was a very small smirk on Ginny’s face. "You did it to Harry on purpose," she said. "I should have known."
Ginny sighed, losing her smile. "Hermione, what am I supposed to do?"
"With what?"
"Him! I keep trying to be his friend, and I think he likes me as a friend, but it’s not turning into anything more than that! And now he’s acting funny when he sees Cho Chang — you know, the Seeker for Ravenclaw? She’s older than he is, and not his House, and he doesn’t even know her!"
Hermione closed her book and tucked it into her pocket. "It’s a crush," she said, starting to climb down the tree. "Like you had on Harry, before you knew him."
"It’s not the same at all! I never had a crush on Harry before I knew him!" Ginny paced Hermione’s descent, her dive controlled although her words were anything but. "I’ve known him for years, and he’s never even said hello to her, and it’s not fair that he’s in love with her!"
"No, it’s not," Hermione said, finding secure footing on a wobbly branch. "But think about this, Ginny. He’s not in love with her, not really. He thinks he is, but he’s not. He has a pretty picture in his mind, probably made of the way she smiles and the way she flies and a few other things about her, and he’s in love with that pretty picture. When he really gets to know her, do you think she’s going to be just like that?"
"No..."
"So, when he gets to know her, he’s going to be disappointed. Right?"
"Right."
"And when he gets disappointed, he could do two things." Hermione dropped to the ground. "He could either be mature and responsible and get over it and learn to love the real person anyway, or he could run away and claim his heart got broken and be unhappy for a while. A very little while, because it won’t really be broken at all. It’ll barely be bruised."
Ginny looked hard at Hermione. "You’re sure about this."
"Positive. Crushes rarely last long."
"You said mature and responsible on purpose, didn’t you?"
"Yes."
"It’s funny, though. Harry is mature and responsible. At least as much as boys ever are. He might actually do what you were saying — get over disappointment, learn to love the real Cho..."
Oh no. Hermione realized too late what she’d let herself in for.
"But I can think of somebody else we both know who is not mature at all, or responsible." Ginny stepped directly in front of Hermione. "Somebody who would probably do exactly what you’re talking about. Build up a picture of the girl he thought he loved, and then be shattered when it turned out not to be true, all without ever noticing the girl standing right beside him who’d be perfect for him, because she’s just his friend."
Hermione sagged, leaning against the tree trunk. "You know."
"I think just about everyone knows. Except Ron. He never notices anything unless you shove it under his nose."
"I’m sometimes tempted." Hermione hit her head gently against the tree. "How long am I supposed to wait, Ginny? How long am I supposed to sit here and do nothing and hope he figures out that I like him?"
"I don’t think that will work," said Ginny thoughtfully. "In fact, I think we both need a new strategy. And I have an idea. What’s the best way to make a boy want anything?"
"I don’t know... tell him he can’t have it?"
"Exactly." Ginny sounded almost smug. "I think the only reason they take us for granted is because we’re always there. If all of a sudden we’re not..."
"Maybe they’ll figure out that they have to do something about that." Hermione lifted her head and answered her friend’s smile with one of her own. "I think I like this plan."
xXxXx
Dear Remus,
Dorothy and I came to a compromise — we’d go and have a look at the records and see if there was anything there that would give the game away. As it happens, the only statement that the contract was signed by all four of you was made by Draco himself. Dorothy’s uneasy about changing the records, and I have to say I agree with her. We’ll still do it if you think it’s wise, but wouldn’t it be easier for you and Draco to claim that he hadn’t seen the contract himself, and had just assumed that all four of you had signed it?
Write when you have a chance. I hope this all comes out well for you.
Sue
P.S. Has Danger read Valentina Jett’s latest? I really love the character of Athena. Dorothy says it’s obvious Jett went to Hogwarts while Minerva McGonagall was teaching there. I wouldn’t know.
Remus chuckled, handing the letter to Sirius, who held it between himself and Aletha. "I think that’s a good suggestion," he said when they had both finished, Sirius grinning a little sheepishly at the PS. "It cuts down on the illegalities here."
"Yeah, now we’re only doing one illegal thing," said Sirius. "Altering a magically binding contract. Are you sure about this?"
"It has to be done," said Danger. "If the contract is invalidated, we lose all parental rights to Draco."
"But if we did, they’d just send him to the nearest unincarcerated blood relative able to care for a child. Who happens to be me."
"Normally, they’d do that," corrected Aletha. "But these are special circumstances. They’d probably say that since you cosigned the contract with Remus while aware of his condition, you’d invalidated yourself as a guardian, and send him to a foster family instead."
"And we’re not the most popular people at the Ministry right now," said Remus. "Between what they can prove and what they suspect about us, they might not be as careful as they should about picking a family with whom Draco would enjoy staying."
"You have a point," Sirius conceded. "I just think we might be jumping the wand here a little. Nobody even knows you’re a werewolf, Moony. The Registry records are sealed except in case of emergency."
Remus raised an eyebrow. "And how long do you think it would take the Ministry to generate an emergency if they were properly motivated?"
"Okay, okay, just playing Muggle’s advocate."
Aletha slapped him lightly. "Watch your mouth."
"If I may?" said Danger deliberately.
"Go ahead." Sirius spread his hands. "I’ll be good."
"Ha." Danger placed her hands flat on the table and closed her eyes. Remus moved his chair closer to hers and put his arms around her, laying his face against her hair. She smells so good.
On the table in front of them lay Draco’s contract, yellowing a little now after ten years. As Aletha unrolled it, Remus could catch the odor of old blood from the signatures at the bottom, which had faded to an ugly brown. Narcissa’s scent was far more delicate than Danger’s or Aletha’s — the women of the Pack shared an earthy strength that Narcissa lacked.
Maybe it’s to do with being Muggleborn. Or maybe it’s just because they are who they are.
His wife and Pack-sister were easy enough to tell apart, though. Even before they had become Animagi, Danger’s scent had always been more akin to that of a predator, and Aletha’s to a plant-eater. Danger would attack on any provocation or none at all, while Aletha would wait out provocations and react only to actual threats.
Sirius’ scent held even more strength than the women’s did, as well as just enough elements similar to Narcissa’s that Remus would have known they were related on their smells alone. The other implications were complicated, hard to pick apart, and Remus realized he was getting an overlay, as the blood-scent of Sirius ten years ago warred in his nostrils with the living-scent of Sirius now. His friend had changed a lot over those years, though Remus thought the biggest changes in him had been wrought, or at least the groundwork laid for them, before the blood on the contract was shed.
Sirius had once been a lone wolf, or dog, willing to fight anything or anyone. Now he fought only for his Pack, and only when necessary. Idly Remus wondered what James would think of the way they had all changed.
His own scent came to him last, familiar yet strange and ever new, like hearing one’s own recorded voice. It never sounded, or smelled, the same from the outside as it did from the inside. He wondered what he smelled like to Sirius or Danger or Aletha in Animagus form. Did they receive the same all-encompassing knowledge he did from scents?
Danger’s consciousness, which had thinned and flickered in his mind, now returned in full strength. She opened her eyes and leaned forward, laying her finger on the capital R in Remus’ name. As the other Pack-adults watched, tiny flames raced along the lines of the signature, burning away the blood on the parchment, leaving clean white lines behind, which yellowed to match the rest of the background in instants.
Remus looked away. He shouldn’t feel bad about this, he told himself. It changed nothing. He had never been Draco’s guardian in the eyes of the law, and he would never stop being Draco’s father in his own heart. This was a precaution, done for safety’s sake, with no real meaning.
But he still seemed to feel fire on his skin, burning him as real fire hadn’t in so long that he couldn’t remember the last time it had happened, burning him out of Draco’s life forever...
Danger passed her hand over the parchment, and the remaining three names moved closer to one another, concealing the fact that a fourth name had ever been there. She sighed deeply. All done. Going to sleep now.
How long?
Probably eight to ten hours. Doing it undetectably costs. Good night. Her head dropped onto his shoulder, she sagged against him, and her mind’s presence closed down into that odd mode between sleep and unconsciousness.
"All done, then?" said Sirius, inspecting the contract.
"All done. And she paid a little extra to have it be undetectable. No one will be able to tell, magically, that this contract was altered."
"And since the only other way they’d know is if someone told them, and the only people who would tell have been well briefed on the exact reasons why they’re not to tell anyone..." Aletha smiled. "I do believe we’ve averted a possible crisis."
"I certainly hope so," said Remus, rearranging Danger so that he could carry her upstairs to bed. "I think we’ve all had enough crises to last us a good long while."
xXxXx
Two days later, Sirius got off the lift whistling cheerfully. He’d played a wonderful trick on Aletha the previous afternoon — he’d been hanging over her as she worked on a knotty problem in her Healer homework, and finally she had told him to "shoo." He had immediately transformed into Padfoot and begun bringing her what she had asked for, and had emptied three of the four bedrooms of footwear before she had noticed the pile of leather and canvas growing at her feet.
But she got back at me. Chased me out into the rain, rolled me in the mud — and then I got back at her again. Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake... He chuckled as he sat down at his desk.
"Morning, Kingsley," he called.
"Morning, Sirius. What’s funny?"
"Oh, just thinking about my wife."
"Oh, she’s funny, is she?"
"Sometimes."
And then we had to take showers, so we’d be clean for den-night. And we’re environmentally friendly, so we conserved water... He chuckled again, digging out his latest stack of case files. Ah well, back to the old grind. Parchment, how I love thee.
"Black," said a woman’s voice from the entrance to his cubicle. "You busy?"
"Not really," said Sirius, looking up. He squinted — his cubicle was right across from a window, and the sun was streaming in, making identifying her difficult. It certainly wasn’t anyone he knew by voice...
"You may not remember me," the woman went on, stepping into the cubicle and to one side, where she was out of the glare. Sirius blinked, letting his eyes adjust. Mostly silver hair, stern face that nonetheless held laugh lines, an Auror’s robes...
His imagination suddenly conjured bars in front of her face, bars seen from the inside, and he grinned. "Auror Halcyon. Nice to see you again."
"Likewise, especially under different circumstances." Leticia Halcyon returned his grin. "You look well."
"Thank you. May I offer you a seat? You look tired."
"I am tired." Halcyon sat down on his one guest chair. "Pulled night shift at Azkaban last night. They’re putting a couple of human guards there now, to prevent further breakouts."
"Good God," said Sirius, shaking his head. "That place is bad enough in broad daylight. Not that it ever sees broad daylight — I think there’s a perpetual storm center over it."
"I think there may be. But there’s something I had to ask you." Halcyon leaned forward. "Your friend. Lupin. I know he helped to capture Malfoy. But I was just looking at the calendar. That night when Malfoy was caught, that was a full moon."
Sirius nodded. "Yeah, it was."
"And last night was, too."
"That’s right."
"I take it Lupin’s wife still stays with him."
"Every time." Sirius kept his voice low. "Why?"
Halcyon shook her head. "So he was thinking when he did it," she said. "If anyone deserves it, it’s that pureblood bastard, but it was still a goddamned stupid thing to do..."
"What?" Sirius was starting to get worried now.
"Biting Malfoy, of course. Or didn’t he tell you?"
"What — you think Remus bit Malfoy?" Sirius laughed. "No, no, he didn’t do that. He’s not that dumb. It was Danger who bit him. She’s just a wolf Animagus. It was just to scare him, make him bleed a little. That’s all."
"You sure about that?"
"Sure, I’m sure. Why?"
"Because I looked in that cell last night, and it wasn’t any wolf Animagus running around in there. There’s an investigation going right now, and they’ve unsealed the Registry to find out if Malfoy had contact with any werewolves while he was out. If they haven’t tumbled to Lupin yet, they will pretty damn soon."
Sirius distinctly felt his stomach fall out of its place and land hard on the floor under his chair. "That’s not possible," he said stupidly. "They told me... they told me..." He stood up, shoving his chair back. "Excuse me. I have to go."
They lied to me. The thought pounded in his head. They lied to me. They lied to all of us. They claimed Danger bit him, but Remus did — Remus must have —
He was on the lift, heading for the Atrium. He’d get in trouble for skiving off work again, but that was nothing compared to the trouble he had in mind for Remus.
Is this why he insisted so hard that we had to get his name off Draco’s contract? Because he knew it was only a matter of time before he was exposed?
He was getting off the lift, heading for a fireplace. Hardly any of them were being used at this hour.
I’ll kick his arse for this — he’s put us all in harm’s way with this one, they’re not going to spare us when they shoot him down in flames —
He was standing in front of a Floo fireplace, powder in his hand, when the furious voice in his head was supplanted by another.
Now just hold on a second, Sirius Valentine Black.
It was uncanny how much that voice sounded like Aletha, Sirius thought, dropping the Floo powder back into the small can it was kept in.
Go somewhere you can think, and think clearly. Don’t just react. You’re a big boy now.
Sirius stepped away from the fireplace and spun around, visualizing the park near their old Den where he had often played with the cubs. It had a small, thick grove of trees at one end, perfect for subtle Apparition.
Once at the park, he found a bench and sat down, idly people-watching as he thought.
Make a proposition. List evidence for and against. Weigh the evidence. Decide if the proposition is true or false. Repeat until everything is settled. Sirius pulled out his pendants and began rubbing them between his fingers, as if the carvings could help him remember things.
Proposition: Remus and Danger lied to us. Remus actually bit Malfoy and said it was Danger.
Evidence for: Malfoy’s a bloody werewolf now! How could he be a werewolf if Remus didn’t bite him?
Sirius looked down at the pendants as if they held the answer. His first one was flipped to the side with the serpentine B. B for Black. The decent Blacks, like me, and Andy...
Wait a second. Andy. Andy told us that Remus didn’t test as a werewolf any more, that she didn’t think he was contagious. List that as evidence against.
He looked at the second pendant; the lion and the wolf looked back at him. And more evidence against. The cubs got back all right. There was no permanent harm done. And Remus knew that. He wouldn’t inflict permanent harm on Malfoy if all Malfoy did was scare the cubs. He believes in justice. So, for scaring them, Remus would have scared him. And what better way to scare him than to make him think he’s a werewolf?
Third point against: Remus swore a long time ago he’d never bite anyone, no matter what. He’d never ruin anyone else’s life that way. I don’t think he’d have broken that promise even for Malfoy.
And fourth: Remus knows if he bit Malfoy the truth would have to come out. He’d have to leave Hogwarts. He might have to leave the Den. He wouldn’t do anything that would hurt the Pack that way.
He leaned back on the bench. All right, new proposition: Remus and Danger are telling the truth. Danger bit Malfoy.
Evidence for: everything listed above as evidence against. And that’s a nice big list.
But it’s all supposition and character witnesses. Almost the only fact around here is the evidence against this one...
His fingers tightened around the pendants. Either Andy was wrong and so is everything I know about Remus, or somehow, a woman who’s not a werewolf managed to infect a man with lycanthropy.
I don’t like either of those options. Unfortunately, they’re all we’ve got.
An owl flapped down beside him, offering him a note. It was addressed to him in Kingsley’s handwriting. He ripped it open.
Sirius —
I was just downstairs. They’ve found Lupin’s file. There’s talk of arresting him for endangering minors. Warn him to get out — they can’t do anything if he’s not in the house when they come. I hope this finds you in time.
"It did," Sirius muttered. "Thanks." Standing up, he prepared to Apparate.
We are in so much trouble.
xXxXx
Remus was just pouring himself a second cup of tea when Sirius exploded into the kitchen. "Remus!" he shouted, then noticed Remus standing by the counter. "There you are. Good. Listen, you have to get out of here."
"I do? Why?"
Sirius held up his hand. "Don’t ask right now. Get moving. Pack a bag or something, just what you need for a couple of nights, and get out of the house. I’ll come with you, explain when we’re gone. We have to move."
Remus frowned. "Right now."
"Yes. Right now. Five minutes ago would be better."
"Should have got me a Time-Turner, then," Remus teased, putting down his tea.
"Dammit, Moony, this isn’t funny. You want to get arrested?"
"Now there’s a magic word." Something’s going on, Remus told Danger. Sirius is insisting I have to get out of here.
Do you think he might be pranking you?
It’s possible, but... no. Sirius’ scent was rife with worry and distress. Not unless he’s learned to control the way he smells along with the way he looks. Remus was halfway up the stairs now, Sirius one step behind him.
I wouldn’t put it past him. But you’re right. It’s lucky Letha and I finished the laundry last night. You’ve got plenty of clean clothes.
Where’s my old duffel bag?
Under the bed. What do you think...?
No idea. Sirius says he’ll tell me when I’m out of the house.
Sirius had the dresser drawers open now and was lifting out underwear and socks. "Here," he said, tossing them into the duffel bag Remus had opened on the bed. "I’ll get some robes and your toothbrush and whatever..."
Remus added a few shirts, some trousers, the book he’d been reading. Sirius tipped an armload of toiletries into the bag. "Think you’re about ready?"
"About. Padfoot, would you mind explaining..."
Someone pounded on the Den’s front door. "Open up! Magical Law Enforcement Squad!"
Sirius swore. "Let’s go. Diagon Alley, I think. Tell Danger you’re not here and she doesn’t know when you’ll be back."
You heard?
I heard. What in the world...
More pounding. "Open this door!"
"I’m coming!" Danger shouted from the main floor. "Hold on a second, please!"
Remus shouldered his bag and Disapparated a split second behind Sirius.
xXxXx
Remus and Sirius sat down together in the main room of the Leaky Cauldron, Sirius with a goblet of mead and Remus with a cup of tea, to make up for the one cooling on the Den’s kitchen counter. "Now will you tell me what the fuss was all about?" he asked, taking a sip. "I assume the MLE’s at the door were there for me, but what did I do?"
"Remus, tell me the truth. Did you or did you not bite Lucius Malfoy?"
Remus frowned. "Not. Why?"
"Swear on Danger’s life."
"I swear on Danger’s life, on the cubs’ lives, on yours and Letha’s and mine. I did not bite Lucius Malfoy."
Sirius groaned. "I was afraid of that."
"You’re not making any sense."
Sirius looked up from his mead and met Remus’ eyes. "Let Halcyon came to see me today. She was the Auror in charge the night we were all arrested."
"I remember. Older woman, had a sense of humor."
"Right. She was on night guard last night at Azkaban. She heard howling coming from one of the cells. Malfoy’s cell. She went to have a look."
Remus took another sip of tea, but it did nothing to dispel the chill in his stomach. "He’s become a werewolf, hasn’t he."
Slowly, Sirius nodded.
Remus pushed his tea aside. "Damn it, HOW?" he suddenly shouted, slamming his fist down on the table. Sirius jumped, as did the few other customers there. Remus didn’t care. He’d worked to avoid exactly this — he’d refused to do what he wanted, been satisfied with a lesser revenge, and now it was coming back to haunt him. "How could that happen?"
"I don’t know. Unless Danger’s somehow become contagious from being with you so long."
"It doesn’t make sense." Remus stared at the tabletop, wishing he could read the future in the patterns of the wood grain. "I don’t test as a werewolf any more, Andy told us that. I know." He raised a hand to stop Sirius interrupting. "That was years ago, and I haven’t been retested. But going in for tests would advertise what I am, not hide it."
There was a bitter taste in his mouth that had nothing to do with the tea. For so long, he’d been able to avoid thinking of himself as a what, because he had been surrounded by people who ignored the what and focused on the who.
Face it, Lupin, you got used to being treated like a normal person. Going back to being treated like a criminal is going to hurt.
Unbidden, the laws on werewolves interacting with children floated into his mind. He’d read them carefully when Harry was born, again when the Pack was founded, and once more this past year before accepting the job at Hogwarts. "Living in the same house with the cubs is endangerment," he said dully. "But they couldn’t arrest me if I wasn’t there when they showed up. They have to catch me in the act for it to count."
"Right. So all you have to do to stay out of jail is never get caught at home." Sirius sounded almost chipper. "You’re one of the fastest Apparators I know, and with you and Danger able to talk the way you can, you could be out of there before they ever saw you..."
"Don’t be stupider than you have to be, Padfoot. They’ll put a watch on me, and on the Den. They might even claim I’m high-risk and slap a monitoring spell on me, so they always know where I am. And if you or Letha or Danger arranged for the cubs to meet me somewhere, they could get you for that, on accessory before the fact."
"What, you think we care about that?"
"I care about it!" Remus jerked his head up to meet Sirius’ eyes again. "I care! Because if you three get yourselves arrested, what happens to those cubs? Where are they going to go? Or if even one of you gets arrested — you’re Harry’s sole guardian, aren’t you? You’ve never officially made Letha co-guardian?"
"Dammit, that’s right." Sirius scowled. "It comes automatically with a magical marriage, but not a Muggle one."
"Not to mention, there’s already one big bloody hole punched in the Pack. You want to make it two, or three?"
"All right, all right," said Sirius, holding up his hands. "You win. I was just trying to help."
"I know." Remus slumped in his chair. "I know. Thank you. It’s just..." He tried to say what it was just, and found his voice choked. Oh, God, not this now, I do not need to cry, not right this minute...
Here, said a quiet voice, and the teary feeling left him, siphoned off by another. I’m already crying, a little more won’t hurt. I love you, by the way.
You love me? After this? Remus noted in passing that Sirius was paying close attention to his drink. I just want to make sure you understand what’s happened here. I’ve done something to you. You are no longer normal.
I never was to begin with.
Stop it. Don’t you understand? You’re different now — they might think you’re dangerous — they might start testing you, and asking you questions, and treating you like...
Like a werewolf?
Yes! And then suddenly the answer unfolded in front of him. That’s it. I know what to do.
What?
I know what I can tell them. I know what I can say to keep them away from you.
I’m sorry?
I’ll claim I did it. I’ll tell them I bit Malfoy. It’s what they’re expecting. They’ll never look any farther. There’ll be a hearing, they’ll fine me, there might be jail time, but since he’s a criminal anyway they might go a bit lighter —
Remus, are you out of your mind?
No, I’m in it. It has to be this way, Danger. Either that, or all our secrets end now, we become medical specimens, and probably end up with both of us barred from contact with the cubs. For their own good.
Hold on a minute. Remus sensed motion on Danger’s end. I’m going to go ask the encyclopedia something.
"You done?" Sirius asked quietly.
"Paused. You’re going to get in trouble for warning me, aren’t you?"
"Not if no one ever knows I did it. I don’t think Kingsley will tell, or Halcyon, not after she came to warn me."
"You’d better get back, then. The longer you’re gone, the more chance someone will notice."
"All right." Sirius stood up, as did Remus. "Take care of yourself, Moony," he said, gripping Remus’ shoulders.
"I will. You take care of everybody else."
"I’ll do that." Sirius pulled Remus closer and hugged him, a gesture Remus returned gladly. "We’ll miss you," he said when he let go.
"Me too. But it won’t be for long."
"We can only hope." Sirius strode over to the fireplace. "Let us know when you’re settled somewhere," he said, and tossed Floo powder into the flames. "Ministry of Magic."
Settled somewhere. I might as well start here. Remus gathered Sirius’ empty goblet and his half-full mug and took them up to the bar, waiting until Tom appeared from the kitchen. "I think I need a room," he said.
"Family troubles?" Tom asked, bringing the ledger out for Remus to sign.
"You could say that. There might be DMLE here looking for me. Just to ask questions," Remus added hastily when Tom made to take the ledger away again. "No arrests, no trouble."
Tom frowned at him, but let Remus sign his name. "Room three," he said, leading the way down the hall. "And I’ll want a Galleon for security."
Remus rummaged in his pocket and handed over his only gold coin. He’d have to go to Gringotts right away.
Found it, said Danger in his mind as Tom shut the door behind himself.
Found what? Remus lay down on the bed.
Current law on a werewolf biting someone. Danger showed him a mental picture of their magical encyclopedia, which was the size of one volume of a Muggle one but could provide just as much information, if correctly asked. You’re right, there’s an automatic fine, and a possibility of jail time. But it mentions that as with any other serious crime, mitigating circumstances are considered. I think facing the man who kidnapped and tortured three of your children could be described as mitigating circumstances.
But I just realized, they’re not going to know I was under control. Frustration surged through Remus. They’re going to think it was your fault, for letting me out...
Maybe. Danger’s mental tone was light. Maybe not.
Oh, dear God. What do you have up your sleeve?
A Pack-sister who’s quite good at brewing potions, and who would cheerfully lie through her teeth for you. The law was written before the Wolfsbane Potion was invented, but they’ll have to consider it differently if we claim you were under its influence when you bit Malfoy, won’t they? He felt Danger sigh. Unfortunately, all that does is shift it back from me to you again.
Danger, I’m already in trouble. I can deal with more trouble. You do not need more trouble. You will have all the trouble you can handle taking care of the cubs. They are trouble all by themselves. And the way they react to trouble is to make more trouble...
How many times can you use the word "trouble" in one paragraph?
I lost count. Remus smiled a little. I know one thing they can’t take away from me.
Me too. He felt Danger kiss her fingertips, then press them against her own cheek. We’ve survived everything else. We’ll survive this. Now I’m off to Bonham School. Letha has a break at 9:30. I’ll talk to her then.
What about the cubs?
I’ll leave a note that we were called out unexpectedly and tell them when I get back.
Someone banged on Remus’ door. "Magical Law Enforcement," said a deep voice. "Open up."
"Just a moment." I have to go.
I know. Much love.
Much love.
Remus stood up and opened the door. "Remus Lupin?" said the wizard on the other side, who looked as if he probably would have knocked the door down if Remus had been a little slower.
"Yes."
"Come with me, please."
"Am I under arrest?"
"Not at the moment."
Thank you, Mr. Tactful...
xXxXx
The Den was still deserted when Danger returned from talking to Aletha. She picked up the mug of tea sitting on the counter and poured its contents into the sink, closing her eyes against tears.
I will not cry. I will not disgrace myself and my mate. We are in no danger, no real trouble, just separated for a few days. The cubs need me to be strong. I will not cry.
"Danger?" Hermione’s voice, breathing quickly, and from the sound, the boys were just behind her. "Mr. Weasley just firecalled Mrs. Weasley — he said it’s all over the Ministry about Moony..."
Danger rubbed her eyes before she turned around. "I’m afraid so," she said. "Last night, Lucius Malfoy transformed into a werewolf. The Ministry had very little trouble finding out who in the Werewolf Registry he’d been close to recently."
Draco’s eyes sparked. "Yesss," he hissed between his teeth. "Perfect..."
"Perfect?" Harry spun on him. "You call this perfect? Or didn’t you hear? They want to arrest Moony! Arrest him, just for living with us!" He turned back to Danger. "He’s gone, isn’t he?"
"Yes."
"They didn’t arrest him?" asked Hermione quickly.
"No. He’s at the Ministry answering questions, but he was not arrested. However, this does mean that until the matter is settled, he won’t be coming home."
Draco dropped into a chair at the kitchen table. "I take it back," he said. "Very much not perfect."
"Amen," muttered Harry, joining him. Hermione did the same.
"There is another facet to this," said Danger, getting all the cubs’ attention. "And this is not to be discussed with anyone." She considered telling them to keep it even from their Pridemates, but so far the other children had been as trustworthy as her own cubs. "I won’t be transforming in front of you anymore unless I must, and you’re all to stay away from me if I do. It wasn’t Moony who bit Lucius Malfoy. It was me."
"You?" asked Harry in surprise. "But you’re not..."
"No, I’m not. But it seems I can transmit it, even if I don’t show it myself."
"A carrier," said Hermione. "Like for inherited diseases. You don’t have it, but you can pass it on."
Danger nodded. "That seems as good a metaphor as any."
Draco cracked a small smile. "You can’t threaten to bite us anymore," he said. "I think we come out ahead. Or we will, when Moony comes home."
"But when can he come home?" Hermione was staring out the kitchen window. "He can’t just stop being a werewolf. Are we even allowed to see him?"
"No."
"That’s stupid," said Harry moodily. "They know when he’ll transform, and they know he’s not dangerous outside that time. Why can’t we see him?"
"I don’t know. I still have a functioning brain, so I can’t get inside the heads of people who write laws."
The cubs gave small chuckles at this, but their smiles faded quickly. "He can’t go back to Hogwarts either, can he?" asked Draco after a moment. "Not if they want to arrest him just for living in the same house as us. There’s lots more kids than us at school."
"You’re right. He can’t go back." She’d have to remind Remus to send a letter of resignation immediately, possibly date it back so it looked as if he’d resigned at the end of the year rather than now. "Looks like you’ll have a new Defense teacher this year after all."
Harry said something which made Danger slap the back of his head lightly. "Language."
"Yes, it is," said Harry. "And so’s this." This one made Hermione gasp a little. "And this." Draco was staring in appreciation. "And—"
"We get the point, Harry," said Danger firmly.
"Do you? Do you really?" Harry stared at her. "I don’t think you do. I’m going upstairs." He shoved his chair back and headed for the front hall.
"May I go to the Lovegoods’, please?" said Draco quietly.
"Yes, you may." Danger caught his hand as he passed. "We’ll get through this, fox," she said. "We’ll be together again."
Draco smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "I know."
"Do you?" Danger winked. "Do you really?" Softly, she whistled a few bars of I’ll Be Home for Christmas. "How does it end?"
Draco hummed it, frowning. Then his face cleared, and more, lit up. "I’ll be home for Christmas," he sang.
Hermione joined the song, beaming. "If only in my dreams!"
"That’s right." Danger grinned. "We’ll get the details worked out later today, but I see no reason we can’t be together again tonight."
Draco gave her a quick hug, then went into the music room to use the fireplace. Hermione’s smile shrank and disappeared. "I think I know why Harry’s upset," she said quietly.
"Anything you can tell me about?"
Hermione nodded. "I think he’s afraid he’ll have to be the alpha now," she said. "Because Moony’s gone."
"Why would he think that?"
"When Draco was first under the curse, I got a look at Harry, and he looked scared to death. Scared for Draco, but scared for himself too. Because he didn’t know what to do, and he thought we were going to ask him."
"Neenie, how do you know this?" Danger asked gently. "Not that I don’t believe you, but it seems like you’re just guessing..."
"He looked relieved when Moony walked in." Hermione balled her hands on the table. "Harry has to be the leader of the Pride," she said. "He has to be the alpha. And he knows that, and he wants to be. But he’s afraid to be too. And I can’t help him like a real alpha female should. Especially not now that I’m twins with Draco. He’d push me away — not meaning to, not doing it to hurt me, but he would."
"Any ideas?"
"You mean about how to help him?" Hermione shook her head. "No. Not really."
"Are you sure?"
"Well, one, but it’s not a real idea. It wouldn’t work."
"Tell me anyway?"
Her sister was right, Danger had to admit. The idea wouldn’t work. Not practically.
But it was an excellent tension-reliever. They both laughed until they cried at the thought.
And who was to say that it might not happen on its own, in a year or two?
"But that’s the problem," said Hermione. "In a year or two. Trouble’s not going to wait a year or two. It’s here now."
"So you and the others will just have to help your alpha make up for what he’s currently missing. Be good friends and good siblings to him, and don’t nitpick and fuss over things that can’t be helped or don’t matter too much. With any luck, we’ll have something figured out and our Pack’s alpha home before Harry has to step into his shoes just yet." Danger dropped a kiss on Hermione’s head. "Besides, I’m still here, so I’m in charge now. And Sirius and Letha come after me. Harry wouldn’t have to be alpha for quite a bit."
"But he always is," said Hermione, getting up. "In his own mind. May I go back to the Burrow, please?"
"Of course." Danger sat down in her sister’s chair as Hermione went into the music room.
Always a leader in his own mind. Always in charge, on trial, in the spotlight. Always the one people look to, or look at.
My poor Greeneyes. He never asked for this. Which is probably part of what makes him so good at it.
Almost without thinking, Danger transformed into her wolf shape. Remus’ scent exploded into her nose, and she howled softly.
I love you, Remus Lupin, my only love, my mate. Come back to us soon.
xXxXx
Harry sat on his bed, staring out the window, and felt like howling himself.
I just want to go to the Quidditch World Cup and get to know Cho Chang. I’m not ready to be an alpha. Not for real.
But ready or not, here it came.
Harry rubbed his forehead, closing his eyes.
I think I’m going to be having a lot of headaches this year.