Chapter 1: The Start
Disclaimer: Me no own characters, understand? Me is poor and anonymous – no JKR here.
July 1st, 1999
Ministry of Magic, London, England
Mary Levcowitz was walking along a wide corridor, with two of her friends, on their way to lunch. She was scribbling down notes about the latest find in the department of The Misuse of Muggle Artefacts – exploding eyeglasses; quite vicious. Mary had just finished crossing the T's when a shoulder rammed painfully into her back.
"Ow!"
But the cry didn't come from her.
"I am sorry! I'm just losing my mind right now"
"Just right now, Tonks?" asked Ann with a cheeky smile, which Tonks returned with less enthusiasm than normal.
"What's going on, Tonks?" asked Mary, kneeling down to pick up the pieces of parchment she had dropped. Tonks, Ann and Elijah immediately bent down to help.
"Quite a lot but I can't elaborate. I just lost my way to Research", she replied hastily.
"Two corridors away – left and left", said Elijah. "Right there", she pointed to the second door to their left.
"Thank you!" Tonks hurried away, the-door-on-the-left slamming shut behind her.
"How could she get lost? She visits the Research Department every day", Ann wondered as they continued on their way.
"Visiting her boyfriend, more to the point", added Elijah smiling.
"Tonks has a boyfriend?" Mary asked absentmindedly.
"You haven't heard?" Elijah exclaimed, wide-eyed. "It's a complete scandal - all over the ministry".
"He's over a decade older than her", Ann put in her two cents.
"And a werewolf", added Elijah earnestly.
"Wow", breathed Mary. "Well, why would someone like Tonks go out with him then?"
"Because he's cuuuuute!" said Ann, going starry-eyed.
"He is", Elijah commented. "Despite his unfortunate situation, he does have a lot going for him".
"Like the fact that he's cuuuuute!" said Ann, blushing with excitement.
"He is", Elijah said again with a fond smile, going along with Ann's antucs.
"What's his name?" asked Mary curiously, smiling at her friend's behavior.
"Remus Lupin", said Elijah helpfully, as Ann was too busy swooning to answer.
Remus Lupin was, in fact, over a decade older than his girlfriend and a werewolf - and cuuuuute as most ministry women thought - but those facts weren't running through his mind when he saw said girlfriend running into his department, looking frantic.
"What's going on?" he asked when she was close enough to hear him, standing up quickly from his chair and causing several of his co-workers to scowl at the, surely loud, noise he was making in the normally silent department.
Tonks approached him, catching her heavy breath. That was the first sign of bad news to Remus Lupin; Tonks was in excellent shape and never had a need to catch her breath even after long distance running, ergo – she was stalling.
"You would want to see this", she said warily, holding out a bunch of Spellotaped pieces of old parchment. Remus held out his hand and took the yellowing pieces, starting to read. The first line forced him to sit down of shock; the rest weren't better.
They stayed like this – Tonks standing, observing her boyfriend worriedly and Remus sitting and frowning with each passing word.
Eventually, he looked up. "It's not possible", breathed Remus. "The Obligation Spells should've worn off".
"Almost ten years ago", Tonks added, nodding. "But they stand".
"Could it… am I just getting my hopes up?" Remus's eyes started to shine.
"There is a way to find out", said Tonks softly. Remus looked up determinedly.
"Let's get to Hogwarts"
Interlude: Ten years ago
The month of October never meant good news for Remus Lupin. He never was too fond of Halloween and the splintering rain that usually accompanied this month was particularly grueling. Early in his adult life, that month got another negative meaning with the death of his nearest and dearest on Halloween – and the imprisonment of one of them soon after.
October of the year 1989 meant the near destruction of whatever mental stability Remus Lupin had managed to maintain during the eight years of trial. In the beginning of that month – October 1st to be exact – Albus Dumbledore was killed while he was away from school. The circumstances were never fully explained; even the portrait of the celebrated man had kept his two-dimensional lips sealed.
The next day, signs of open aggression began rising in the north, growing closer and closer to Scotland. Only some had pulled their children from Hogwarts after the Death of the Headmaster - plenty more now joined them, from the fear that Hogwarts was going to be invaded by these rogues, who were revealed, as it was feared, to be Death Eaters. As it turned out, that was the wrong move.
Hours from crossing the country line, the Death Eaters disappeared as one. Eyewitnesses seemed to know nothing of the reason, though it became clear that same night – Little Whinging, in Surrey, had been subjected to an attack. At first, it was thought to be another attack on Muggles, but the moment someone came up with the information that Harry Potter had lived in that town, panic commenced.
One thorough search took place and then another and another - Remus Lupin led of the searches himself - but all the searchers came back empty-handed and, one of them, Remus, broken-hearted.
On the last week of that accursed month an event occurred that finished that month off with a nice bang – the first ever escape from Azkaban. Remus Lupin couldn't tell you how he knew who had done it – before he even heard the name of the escapee – but it was him; Sirius Black.
For months later people still claimed they had seen Sirius Black hiding behind a potted plant in their back garden, or sneaking over their roof, but eventually it was figured that Black had simply joined his Death Eater companions in their killing spree.
The next year, October brought about the return of Lord Voldemort or, as history chose to refer to him, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and the wizarding world lost hope.
Hogwarts remained, as it always had, untouched.
And Professor Minerva McGonagall remained as invincible as ever. Just as impatient as well.
"What is this, Lupin?" she asked briskly, holding an aforementioned stack of Spellotaped pieces of parchment.
"In essence? A binding marriage contract", the werewolf replied bluntly, causing his girlfriend to raise an eyebrow and his former professor to frown, and he decided to elaborate. "This contract was created about eighteen years ago by Professor Dumbledore", he said in a rush. "Its purpose, as Professor Dumbledore informed us before your arrival", he added, nodding in the direction of said professor's portrait, who was observing them with a slight smile "- was to protect one of the bound in this contract, although, as it is, both are protected".
"Lupin, you are making no sense", interrupted the older witch and Remus sighed before continuing.
"There was a very strong protective enchantment placed on this contract. It involves binding two people with strong magical qualities to one another, causing, basically, their own combined power to protect them".
"The person mainly meant for protection in this contract is Harry Potter", he said, looking determined. Professor McGonagall's eyes began to widen.
"And as you can see the contract is till in tact, meaning the Obligation Spells had never worn off. Meaning Harry is still alive somewhere", Remus finished, sighing.
Silence reined the Headmistress's office, while she herself sat herself down in a chair to her right.
"How could he be alive?" she eventually asked, shell-shocked. "All those searches-"
"Professor Dumbledore, the day he left Harry at the Dursleys, invoked an old spell that protects Harry while he is with his aunt and uncle. No searches would have done any good while we didn't know specifically where he was", Remus explained. "Arabella Figg, who had lived close to the Dursleys', had informed us that their house was in complete ruin. It indeed was – but neither Harry nor his family were there. If they had been, the house could not have been touched".
"Where were they?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"Away at a relative's house", Remus replied. "A Marge Dursley".
"The contract has a condition", added Tonks, speaking for the first time. "If the bound individuals don't enter into a legal marriage before both turn eighteen, they will die".
Professor McGonagall frowned.
"Harry Potter should be about nineteen years old, shouldn't he?" she asked.
"At the end of the month", Remus replied. "But his intended doesn't turn eighteen before this August. August 12th to be exact".
"Who is she?" asked the professor.
"Ginevra Weasley", replied Tonks.
"Bill! Be careful!" Molly Weasley called after her eldest as he ran to the back door of the kitchen. "Where are you going?"
"He has a date", said George Weasley, smirking.
"With a French girl", added his twin, with an identical smirk.
"Stop calling her French Girl", Bill snapped. "She has a name".
"And he's late", George continued, ignoring Bill.
Bill swore, running out the door before his mother could scold him.
"He's uncharacteristically snappy", commented Percy, who was seated at the table, eating breakfast.
"Yes, he's like you Perce", Fred commented.
"He's just nervous", said Ginny, tucking into her own breakfast.
"Why? She's French", said Charlie, joining in on the twin's joke and smiling as it caused his sister to snort.
A knock at the door caught the attention of the Weasleys.
"Probably forgot his wand", said Fred, smirking as his mother went to open the door.
But the door didn't reveal Bill Weasley.
"Remus! Tonks!" said Mrs. Weasley in delighted surprise. "Come in!"
"Sorry for just showing up", said Tonks, walking through the door.
"Not at all, not at all", Mrs. Weasley gushed, urging them to sit before grabbing a plate for each of them. "Here, have some breakfast", she said, loading each plate with food.
"No, Molly, we're not-" Tonks tried to say.
"It's rather urgent", said Remus quietly, causing all the occupants of the kitchen to look up at the heavy tone of his voice.
Mrs. Weasley seemed wrong-footed for a moment.
"Could we talk to you in private?" asked Tonks quietly.
"Of course", she replied, frowning. "Come along".
She left the kitchen with Remus and Tonks right behind her.
The remaining Weasleys only waited a moment before hastily getting up from their chairs and pulling out Extendable Ears, which they all tended to carry with them for such situations.
They followed the sound of the footsteps up to their father's study and waited with the extendable ears, listening.
"I can't hear anything", said Ginny.
"They're not saying anything", said Fred, adjusting his ear.
"Are you sure they're in the room?" asked Percy.
"What's happened?" their father's voice was heard, accompanied by the sound of a closing door, and the young adults quieted down.
"A lot", said Tonks anxiously.
"You remember an arrangement you had with Lily and James before they were murdered?" asked Remus, looking at the older pair meaningfully.
There was no need to remind them, Remus could see. Molly and Arthur exchanged glances and Molly nodded while Arthur said: "We weren't aware that anyone other than Dumbledore and the Potters knew of this".
The Weasleys outside the door were bewildered.
"Arrangement?" asked Ginny.
"First time I've heard of it", said Percy, while the other men nodded in accord.
"The contract", Tonks continued "- was still documented in the ministry and I came across it".
"How could it still be documented?" asked Arthur. "The Obligation Spells should have worn off in October 1989 and disintegrate the parchment". Outside the door, hands were anxiously squeezing the life out of flesh-colored strings.
"Well", said Remus, feeling a headache coming up "-they didn't wear off and the contract is in tact".
"Does that mean our daughter is in danger?" asked Molly in worry. Five pairs of eyes widened outside the door.
"No", said Tonks. "It means that Ginny needs to come to terms with the situation and accept, for everyone's sake".
"How could she…" Mrs. Weasley's voice faded away and was replaced with a gasp. Her husband seemed to have caught on to the situation as well.
"Are you saying…?" Arthur breathed in wonder.
"Yes", said Tonks, with a smile forming on her heart-shaped face.
"Harry Potter is alive", said Remus with an identical smile. "And he and your daughter must marry before the 12th of next month".
AN: Very rough, but I wanted to get the idea out for some feedback before fixing it. I know this is in Britain, so forgive me for any American phrases or anything – I just saw Cold Mountain and the southern accent is stuck in my head.
If there's anything you caught that doesn't fit, inform me in your review.