Title: To Regain Hope Can Be as Simple as a Knock on the Door
Author: Rasei
Challenge: Camp Potter ll – Archery Week 1 (Write about father and his child)
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and not making any money of this.
Pairings: Past Lyall/Hope; Remus/Tonks
Summary: As the second war was lost, Lyall couldn't help but think about the past. He lost his Hope in the first war, his son is on the run and not talking to him, and he lives alone. Then came a knock on his door.
Word Count – 3,211
A/N: Writing about Lyall is addicting. In case you didn't know, Lyall Lupin is the canon name of Remus's father and Hope Lupin is the canon name of Remus's mother. I haven't gotten a chance to read Lyall's and Hope's story on Pottermore yet. Also I'm going to post the rest of the Camp Potter stuff as soon as I can. Writing like this means flashback.
Lyall poured mead into his mug, and sipped. His head ached from his drinking yesterday, but he didn't care. Soon he would be drunk enough to not care about his head or everything he lost. He lost everything in the first war. His wife, Hope, died because of his job; his son found out why Greyback had against Lyall and fought with Lyall; why his son hated him; and most of what he had once consider friends doesn't care about him. Lyall shook his head and chug more mead. The mead couldn't keep the memories away.
A hand touched his shoulder, as he stared at the crib. The strawberry scent that his Hope favor swept over him, and he turns to look at his Hope. Hope look tired from the hard work on delivering the babe in the crib, but she smile with understanding.
"Lyall, you're not going to hurt Remus just by holding him," she whispered, trying to calm him down. Lyall blush, and turned back to his son.
"I know that. It's just…"
"You're scare," she whispered, than push past him. He watch as his Hope reached into the crib, and pick up his son. She turned to look at him and motion with her head for Lyall to get closer. Lyall trust his wife even if she likes pulling pranks. When he was close enough, she said to the one week old,
"Your daddy is silly, Remus. For a big bad boggat hunter to be scared of his own son…"
"I'm not scared of my son," said Lyall, interrupting Hope. Hope grinned suddenly, her eyes screaming trust me. She took a step forward, but tripped over a toy that her grandmother bought Remus. Lyall grabbed both Hope and his son, making sure that they didn't fall.
"Hope, are you okay?" asked Lyall, watching his wife's pale face. Hope nod her head tiredly, than whisper softly,
"Feed Remus, I need to go lay down." Suddenly Lyall found himself holding his son for the first time and his wife leaving the room.
Lyall shook his head, trying to clean his mind. He didn't want to think about what he lost, about what happen in the past. He took a chug of his mead, as his eyes roam around the room. It was a mistake through, as his eyes landed on a family photo. The last one from before Remus was bitten.
Hope had talked Lyall into this noisy, crowded place. He barely could hear Hope talking over the sound of all the muggles laughing and talking. His eyes shifted to the right and left; still feeling like this was a great place for that rumored Dark Lord. Maybe he really was paranoid like Auror Moody.
"Father! Look!" said a face next to him, making him look down at his four-year old son. Remus's brown hair was already tangled, but that wasn't what caught his attention. It was the wet paint on his face. Someone painted a full moon onto his son's face, making Lyall think about the werewolf attack last month. Of the man that he was positive was the werewolf, but had no proof. He shook his head, and smile at his son.
"That is a very nice moon on your face, Remus," he said smiling. Remus smiled hugely, like how Hope did when she was happy.
"Thank you, Father. Look a real life horse!" said the four-year old, pointing in the distance. There was a 17 hand grey and white spotted horse, pawing at the ground. There was a wagon attached to his harness, and a flock of children whispering near it.
"Let go over, and see if we can pet the horse," said Hope, holding a tube of pink fuzz in one hand. She tore a bit off and handed it over to Remus. Remus stuff what he could into his mouth, grinning happily at his mother. She held the tube at Lyall, who raise an eyebrow.
"What? Don't you wizards have cotton candy?" she whispered softly, making Lyall glance to make sure no one overheard.
"Not really. Be careful about what you say, Hope," he whispered back. He pulled some of the cotton candy from the tube, and took a huge bit. It was as sweet as a sugar quill, or maybe even more so. He raised another eyebrow at Hope, as she tugged more of it off.
"Mum, can I have more?" asked Remus, giving her a puppy look. Hope laughed, as she handed the bit she just pulled off to her son.
"What is this?"
Hope grin cheekily at her husband, and said,
"100% pure sugar. Nothing more and nothing left." Lyall sighed, as the small family walked toward the horse. A gnarly, old man stood near the wagon, holding a camera in one hand.
"One picture with the horse, 3 shillings. A two-minute ride, 7 shilling. Both just 10 shilling," said the man, showing of his missing teeth with a smiled. Hope handed over 3 shilling, smiling. Remus looked up at his father.
"Daddy, can you pick me up? I want to pet the horse," said Remus, a bit of cotton candy caked to his face. Lyall just picked Remus up, like Remus weighed nothing. The small boys laughed, and reached over and touch the horse's mane. The horse toss its head, as Remus tried to pet him. Hope wrapped her arms around her husband.
"How do you like the muggle carnival?" whisper Hope, into his ear. He smiled at his wife, and whisper.
"It's not that bad." As he spoke, the old man snapped the picture.
Lyall tore his eyes away from the photo, and tried to chug more of the mead. Only the mug was empty. Lyall sighed, and staggered up. The world stared tilting, as he stumbled toward the fridge. After tugging it open, he found that it was empty. No more mead, no food, not even moldy cheese. He stumbled to his pantry, and only found some chocolate that Remus left over a decade ago. Before Hope died, before the fight between father and son, before You-Know-Who was killed.
Not that You-Know-Who was dead, revealing that he was alive with the takeover of the Ministry of Magic just seven months ago. Lyall sighed and staggered to his chair in the living room. He collapsed into it, his eyes unfocused as he thought how fast it was taken over and how everyone just went with the takeover. It wasn't like this during the first war, the Ministry did it share of work. After all, that partly why Remus got bitten in the first place. His mind drifted, to the fight that destroyed his relationship with Remus.
Hope was dead just three months, and Lyall throw himself into stopping the mad man that was slaughtering people left and right. His son also taken up fighting You-Know-Who, in Dumbledore's Order. Lyall had been invited when Dumbledore first made the Order, but Lyall declined. It had been too dangerous for his defenseless wife and his son. Maybe he should join now.
"Lyall, what do you think about the law about rounding up all the werewolves into one area?" said a coworker, making Lyall lift his head up. He heard about the law, and been arguing against it to people who were leaning towards it.
"It will just turn more werewolves to You-Know-Who," said Lyall, reciting what he been saying since the first time such a law was mention. He checked the time, and saw that it was almost time for Remus to pick him up for their monthly lunch. He started packing up his work, as his coworker sighed.
"Weren't you the one that said that Werewolves were soulless, evil creatures and should be put to death," said the coworker. Lyall sighed, and rubbed his face. In retrospect, it might have been a bad idea to say that all those years ago to Greyback's face. Not only did people quote what he said, but it leaded to his son to be bitten.
"You said that?" said a voice from the doorway. Lyall stood up, and turned to his son. Remus was leaning against his office door, paler than usual. Lyall's coworker, not knowing that he was going to damage Lyall's and his son's relationship forever, smiled at Remus.
"I… I said it a long time ago, Remus. And there were…"
"Father, let take this somewhere else. Before one of us says something that you rather not want…" Remus paused, his hands shaking. Lyall just follow his son out of the office, leaving behind his work. As they reached the floo fireplaces in the Atrium, Remus turned to look at his father.
"Your place or mine, Lyall?" Lyall shiver at how cold his son's voice was, and then stopped. His son has never called him by his first name before.
"Either will work," said Lyall. Remus snorted, remind Lyall sharply of the few times Hope was angry at him.
"Better your place. After all, how do you not know that my 'friends' aren't there ready to eat you," snapped Remus.
"Sirius, James, and Peter aren't that bad. How is James' wife doing? She is still pregnant, right?" asked Lyall.
"Lily is going to have the child sometime during July or maybe early August. I wasn't referring to those three. I was referring to…" Lyall reached over to touch his son's shoulder, to apologize for ever thinking that all werewolves were monsters. Remus just took a step back, and spun around. He grabbed the floo power and called out his father's house. Lyall follow suit, and landed in his kitchen.
Remus was staring at the wall cover in pictures, and whispered,
"Was any of it for real?"
"Was any of what for real?" Lyall asked, sitting at the table. Remus turned around, and stared heartbreaking at Lyall.
"Did you ever love me after I was bitten?" he asked, his voice breaking slightly.
"Of course, Remus, I always love you. No matter what you do, I will always love you," Lyall said, wishing Hope was here. She would hit them both over the heads, and lock them up in the bathroom until they fix what was wrong. But there was no Hope, and there might not be away to fix this. Remus snorted, and glared.
"I asked you when I was young, if I was a monster. You always said no. Why did you lie?"
"Remus, I didn't lie. You aren't a monster! There is a reason…" Remus cut off what Lyall was trying to explain.
"Lyall, you said it. You meant it, I can tell on how that guy said it. It doesn't matter why you said it, but you did. Right?"
"I may have said it Remus, but you don't understand. You weren't…"
"I wasn't what?" Snarled his son, eyes glittering angry. Lyall realizes something. Remus inherited his temper, and wouldn't listen until he calmed down.
"It was three weeks before you were bitten. Two little girls were ripped apart, and we had what seemed to be a good witness. The witness's name was Fenrir Greyback. I tried to argue that he should be lock up until after the next full moon, but…"
"That was the name of the werewolf that bit me. Because of that argument, I'm suffering," snapped Remus, his body trembling.
"Remus…" Lyall started to say, his hand reaching over to grab his son's arm. Remus glared, and turned around.
"Lyall, goodbye. I cannot handle this. Thank you for ruining my life," said his son, walking out of the house.
He never spoke to his son after that fight, and he sure he will never will. His eyes shut as he remembered how it was like back when he was younger. How the Ministry did it's hardest to fight You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters. Now they ruled, and the laws that meant to be semi-fair are twisted into something they shouldn't. Maybe if he had stayed at the Ministry, he could have done something. His mind flash to almost twenty years in the past, back when his son was just nine-teen. When he quit his job, because of what they wanted him to do.
"Hey, Lupin. We got a tip about illegal werewolves that are working for Voldemort, let's go," said Auror Moody, from doorway. A few of the Aurors trainees were behind him. Lyall sighed, not wanting to go, but he still stood up. Why did they make at least one member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures got on one of these raids? A few of his older coworker knew exactly why he hated these raids, and try to go in his place. Sadly, those people have been replaced over the years.
Lyall stood up, and follow the Aurors to their portkey. Five minutes later, he was standing in front of an old, rickety, falling about three storied house. The Aurors start setting up their wards, as Lyall took a deep breath. His hands shook, as he stared at the house.
"Are you okay?" asked one of the trainees, looking a bit peak himself. Lyall just nod his head, studying the house.
"Ready?" said Moody, as the last ward was put in place. Lyall sighed. He was as ready as he ever was. The raid started, and Lyall did what he always did. He separated from the group, and looked for werewolves. He searched, not hard. The place was pretty clean, no dead animal bodies ready to be eaten or torn to pieces. There was shouting from below, and the familiar noise of magic going off. Then he heard it. A sniff and whimper of a child.
He located it coming from a doorway. He opened the door to find a young dark haired woman wrapping herself around a small boy. A boy had a shiny scarred bit mark on one arm. A boy couldn't be older than Remus when Remus was bitten.
"Please, let my son go. I will do anything," whispered the woman. Lyall just stared, then whispered,
"Just stay hidden in here and you will be fine." He then whispered a silence charm against the door, so no one else could hear the boy sniffing. As he shut the door, the woman mouthed thank you.
"Found something?" asked a voice behind him. Auror Moody was standing there; his eyes fasten on the door. Lyall shook his head, a neutral look on his face.
"Just some sheets," he said, evenly. Auror Moody smirked suddenly, and then nodded his head.
"Good. We think we got all of them," said Auror Moody. As the two left, he couldn't help but fell what they did was wrong. That little boy was a victim like Remus was, but under the law, he was a monster. Lyall shook his head, trying to clear the thought from his mind. The smell of smoke faintly reached him, and suddenly Auror Moody started whispering,
"Do you smell smoke?"
"I do."
"Don't tell me those little fools set the place on fire."
Lyall froze then started to turn around, just to warn the mother and her child. Moody grabbed his arm, and shook his head. Lyall tried to pull away.
"Moody, get your hands off me."
"Lupin, the two will be fine. Right now, let go stop those idiots from hurting someone they shouldn't."
Lyall paused then realized that Auror Moody knew that he lied. Part of him wanted to break free and hurry to check on the woman and her son. To get them out of there. Another part understood what Auror Moody wanted. He turned back from the family and left with Auror Moody. As Lyall left, he swore he would never be in that situation.
As he got to work, he handed in his resignation.
Lyall sighed, shaking his head. Maybe he should go to the store, and buy some more mead. His glassy eyes landed on the Wireless, and he wonder if that rebel show was on yet. That was the only way he got news on the war, and the only way he could hear his son's voice once in a while. He unsteadily stood up, and the world shimmer around him. Maybe he should just go to bed instead.
He started too stumbled upstairs when there was a knock on his front door. Lyall stopped, not hearing such a sound for such a long time. He finally went to the door, as there was another knock on the door. He pulled it open, expecting that it was his death meeting him.
Instead it was a graying haired man, holding onto a baby. The man smiled nervously, than spoke.
"Hello, Father. I wanted to introduce you to someone."
"Re… Remus?" Lyall choked out, not expecting his son. His son just smiled, and stepped into the house he grew up in. Lyall just stared at his son, not even noticing the woman slipping in behind Remus.
"Father, this is your grandson, Teddy. My wife had him two weeks ago," whispered Remus, smiling at his father.
"Lyall, this is your son, Remus," whispered Hope, smiling at her husband.
"Do you want to hold him?" asked his son, holding the bundle at his father.
"Do you want to hold him?" asked his wife, holding the bundle at Lyall.
"Yes," whispered Lyall. He took his grandson, and then looked at his son. "Remus, I love you. Forgive me, for making you…"
"Yes," whispered Lyall. He took his son, than looked at his wife. "Hope, I love you."
"It wasn't your fault, Father. I shouldn't have blamed you. I'm sorry," said Remus, making Lyall smile at his son. He looked back down to his grandson.
Lyall, for the first time in over a decades, had hope that his world will be right again.