A/N: Hey guys can't wait to see which of you are returning for this sequel! One important thing I need to stress is that while the present of the story takes place the summer after PoA, there will be quite a lot of flashbacks going back to the time when Harry was born up until his parents were killed. This story will closely follow the events in GoF, but still be AU with Embre there and everything. Hope it won't be too confusing. All writing in italics are memories, dreams, or thoughts. Okay enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my love for Sirius.
Ch 1: Still I Think of You
It was a dark night. Much darker in the Irish countryside then her home in London. Here she could see stars shining down on her.
Embre sat on a whicker chair before the front door to the cottage she was renting and stared at the celestial bodies above her with no pleasure. Ireland was beautiful, but she enjoyed none of it. She looked right through everything with a somber expression.
It was the end of Summer now. In the fall she would have returned to University for her second year had it not been for the state of things. If Voldemort and his crazed ideals were no longer a threat so many things would be different. She might have been able to see Harry when he turned a year old three days ago. To not feel sick with worry for him and his parents every waking minute.
Lily and James had disappeared to hide from Voldemort and she felt so afraid for them despite Remus' reassurances that they would remain safe as long as they continued to be secreted away.
She hadn't even been able to tell them goodbye, or to be careful, that she loved them. Who knew how long it would be until she was able to see them again? She wished she could have one last talk with Lily just washing dishes up after eating dinner together, and be able to joke with James about the playing expectations of Quidditch teams they didn't support.. They were as close and dear a family to her as her own brother Remus was.
She thought of Harry again and couldn't stop her eyes from misting. She had come to love the baby with as much affection as any doting Godmother could give. She loved taking him for walks in his pram, or even feeding him though it was always a messy affair. During the fist year of his life she had never gone long without stopping by the Potter house or to babysit for Lily and James, and to be unable to see him was incredibly hard for her.
Having had enough of sitting out, she got up and opened the door to her small house. Inside the décor was that of the fifty five year old Muggle man who had rented the home out to her. Sparse with the necessary furnishings, and a large trout mounted above the mantelpiece. It made little difference to her.
As she closed the door, warding the cottage on her way to the bathroom a noise in the bedroom made her jump and hold her wand a little tighter. Her hand started shaking and her heart was at a gallop but somehow she forced herself to stay still and wait outside the door. When a heavyset man dressed in a hazelnut colored suit with dark blond hair and a mustache stepped over the doorway he threw his hands up still clutching a wand in one hand.
"Stupefy!" Embre shouted causing the man to fall hard to the floor.
"Oh bollocks," he groaned in a raspy voice. "That'll be a sore one in the morning."
"Accio wand," Embre said ignoring the man and holding out her hand for the wand that had been knocked out of his hand when he had fallen. She took the wand and looked at it in disbelief. She shook with grief and anger knowing the wand's owner was. She had seen it plenty of times lying around on couches and night tables. There was no doubt it was Sirius'.
"What have you done to him?" she said in a shaken voice.
There was only one way this stranger could have taken it from him. And it would not have been while he was still alive.
"Oh God you…Sirius," she sobbed leaning against the wall for support as the tears blinded her eyes.
Brushing tears away she looked down at the intruder with agony as he watched her fall apart with a saddened expression.
"What..what did you…do to…him?" she asked in dread.
"Em…"
"Tell me where he is, is he still alive?" Embre said struggling to speak coherently.
The man looked at her with his forest green eyes filled with grief.
"Give me a minute. I took Polyjuice before I came here. It was the only way I could see you. To keep you safe," the man said solemnly. "I'm Padfoot, Snuffles, Sirius."
"You're just trying to get my guard down," Embre said praying on the inside that it was true and Sirius was not dead.
The man smiled then. "You learned a lot from our DADA lessons Em. I feel like such a proud teacher."
"How did you know about…." Embre broke off.
"Guess you'll have to wait until the potion wears off," he said.
No sooner had he said the words when Embre saw that his eyes had faded to intense grey. She surprised him by lowering her wand and sinking to her knees beside him.
"It's you," she said laying her hand on his. She watched as the man's body became longer and leaner. Loose skin became taut, and the hair framing his quickly changing face was growing dark and scruffy.
"That's a relief love," Sirius replied sitting up as his handsome face returned to the way she remembered it. He lifted his other hand to cover hers. "Missed ya."
Embre smiled through her tears. Sirius sat up and all but crushed her to him wrapping his arms around her shoulders and she sank into his hard familiar body. After so long they needed to be held.
"I missed you so much," she exhaled shakily muffling her voice in his chest.
"I know," he groaned bending his face to nuzzle her hair. He couldn't stop. He wanted to immerse his senses with her as each one came alive at the sight of her, the feel, the soft scent, her voice, and he needed to taste her. He wanted to so badly.
"You've been having a hard time of it haven't you sweetheart?" he said sadly as he reexamined her pale face that looked far too tired compared to the last time they'd been together.
"I've worried," Embre said drinking him in with her chocolate brown eyes.
"Don't leave without me this time."
"Embre" Sirius started closing his eyes. "You have no idea how much I wish I could take you with me."
"I'm meant to be with you," she told him holding his face in her hands. "I'm going mad not knowing what's happening to you. Let me be with you."
Sirius grimaced as if he were in pain and turned his face from hers.
"I can't."
Embre nodded and disentangled herself from his arms and pulled away from him.
"So I should wait quietly until I hear that you're dead?" she said fighting to keep a tremor from her voice.
"More then enough of the people I love are in danger right now. I don't fancy adding you to the count," Sirius said tersely.
"My friends are tangled up in this whatever it is. I should be a part of it Sirius," Embre said firmly. "I may not be the most powerful witch or understand everything but this sitting still and out of the way makes me feel so useless."
"How do you think I would feel if You Know Who's followers ever got to you because you stayed with me?" Sirius said in a pained voice, willing her to understand.
"All of the danger should fall to you then?" Embre said flatly looking at him.
"Dammit Em, I'm not doing this for a lark," Sirius said in frustration as he stood up angrily. "I want to keep you safe from them."
Embre shook her head and got to her feet. "But I want to keep you safe too."
Their eyes met and the anger faded away.
"That's part of why I fell in love with you I think," Sirius said with a lopsided smile. "You're always more concerned with others then you are with yourself."
He took a step towards her and was relieved that she closed the distance and hooked her arms around his neck. Lowering his face to her forehead he closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. This is where he'd wanted to be so badly, here in her arms.
"Can you stay the night at least?" she asked so pleadingly he gathered her even closer and placed a hard kiss to her temple.
"I can do that."
"I don't have anything very good in the cupboards or even any beer for you," Embre said making Sirius laugh against her skin.
"You never were much for drinking after the year we won the Quidditch Cup," Sirius teased.
"Well I did wake up in the bed of a strange Gryffindor boy," she said toying with the end of one of his shaggy bangs as she raised her face. She pressed a kiss to his cheek that was already becoming scratchy and heard his quiet sigh. His arm came round to keep her waist close as she lightly kissed the bridge of his nose and then his mouth. But when she tried to pull away to continue her exploring, he held the back of her neck and held her in place like a willing captive as he took her mouth possessively until she felt faint from lack of air.
When her mouth was free she gasped for air as she was lifted into the air and held against the wall. She kissed his hair and stroked soothingly as he buried his face at her throat and slowly caressed it with his mouth. He came back to every inch of skin to suckle roughly as Embre's head rolled back and she cried out as their bodies felt as if about to ignite. It had been too long, and now touch was all they craved.
"Where's your wand?" Sirius rasped kissing her quickly and deep while reaching down to stroke her belly beneath her shirt.
She understood exactly even in the haze of passion and blindly groped in her pocket and pointed it at him.
"Divestio."
He stood very still then with his eyes blazing as she looked at his bared skin and said the same spell over herself. Skin to skin they all but sighed happily at the feel and when she took his mouth again it was soft despite the urgency in them to join.
The dream halted as Embre was pulled from sleep. She drowsily blinked still lost in the haze of sleep with her heart thumping wildly and her body covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Sighing as she realized the Self-Wakening Charm she had set was still going off, she reached half-blindly for her wand on the nightstand. Grasping the thin piece of wood she murmured the incantation until the noise stopped and she was left in the quiet of her darkened bedroom. She'd dreamt of that night so often after just after Sirius had been sentenced to time in Azkaban Prison, and then again after hearing of his escape. She always woke up alone in the morning as she had after that night twelve years ago.
--
"Morning," Tom greeted Embre with a nod as she walked passed the bar inside the Leaky Cauldron.
"Hi Tom," Embre said with a polite smile before walking out of the inn's back door. Once outside facing the tall brick wall she removed her wand and tapped it against the appropriate red squares. In a moment the wall began opening up, revealing the busy Wizarding business district of Diagon Alley.
Once the doorway in the brick wall was large enough she slipped inside it and headed towards her own destination while taking in the familiar sights, sounds, and smells that always accompanied her walk to work. She made a note to look into buying the biography of Darren O'Hare a former Keeper for the Kenmare Kestrels from the advertisement for its upcoming release in the window of Flourish and Blotts. She watched a few young children in awe over new models in the window of the Quidditch supply shop and found she was so caught up in staring at the new Firebolt that she nearly ran straight into someone.
"Watch where yer goin then!" the man said in annoyance.
"Sorry," Embre said flushing with embarrassment. She kept going past the Wizarding establishments until she came to a particular building on the right side of the alley that had a sign hanging in the front which read simply, Pet Precautions.
She stepped through the doorway into a small waiting room painted cream yellow. It was occupied by an ancient grey haired female receptionist sitting behind a large white desk filing papers as a type writer in front of her dictated something onto the paper in it. The rest of the room consisted of those waiting on the cushy couch and oversized armchairs. Today's visitors included a little girl sitting on a couch holding an enormous cardboard box in her lap with breathing holes poked into it, a plump woman stroking a Persian cat who looked as if it was cringing with ever caress, and a man with a pinched expression on his face gripping a leash with a death hold as an owl on the other end of it flew as much as it could around the ceiling.
Embre's mouth quirked as she walked past them and greeted the receptionist.
"Good morning Natalie," Embre said to the crone behind the desk.
"Hmm. Is it?" the woman said as if she had been too busy to have noticed. One might have mistaken the answer as sarcastic, but after working with the old woman for years, Embre knew enough that Natalie was just odd at times and stated everything as matter of fact.
Dahlia handed Embre a neat clipboard of papers from one corner of her immaculate desk and went back to dictating her letter while speaking.
"How did that delivery go last night?" Natalie quipped.
"Both mother and son are doing as well as I hoped they would," Embre said breaking into a smile. She remembered the exhausting but satisfying work she had performed the night before in delivering a colt into the world alongside a proud chestnut mare. "I thought the stable hands were going to have to be looked at afterwards. They were as white a ghosts."
Natalie smiled as if the thought pleased her. She resumed her letter and Embre departed. She walked down the short hallway off to the side of the reception area and opened the first door on the left with violet letters spelled on it reading Embre L. Lupin, Healer. More specifically, animal healer.
It had been Embre's lifelong dream to heal animals. Ever since she had been little she had no trouble appreciating the beauty and peculiarities of animals both magical and not. Throughout her early years at Hogwarts the ardor had continued until she at last realized her calling when she had seen her friend Hagrid fix a splint for an abandoned dog found wandering the school grounds with a broken leg. She had been there helping Hagrid under his instructions to keep the dog company by talking and petting it. After that she knew there was no other job for her. She went on to University where she graduated third in her class eager to put her skills to good use which had led her to her current job.
Pet Precautions was a small fairly new business that catered specifically to care of animals much in the same way that St. Mungo's cared for witches and wizards. It was barely eighty years old; an establishment in its infancy compared with some of the long standing businesses found in Diagon Alley. Still the age of the place had done nothing to halt the steady flow of clients who readily became regulars of Pet Pre once they had witnessed the wonderful care and service provided to them and their dearly loved pets by the staff who catered to the Wizarding community.
Stepping through the threshold into her office Embre read through her notepad to see what kinds of work she could expect that day from patients who were bringing in their animals, progress of some of her recovering patients, and a note from her coworker Meredith inquiring whose turn it was to pick up lunch that day.
Her office was the same as the other two staff examining rooms in the business, a fairly good size to move around and work, but not enormous. With simple décor consisting of bare wooden floorboards and walls painted a faded cranberry shade, there was mostly open space used for conducting exams though several chairs were lined up against the farthest wall to insure owners could sit comfortably.
Embre prepared for her patients the same way she always did, making sure her hair was held tight in its bun knowing at the end of the day it would look undone. Next she Scourgified her hands and then replaced her wand within her sky blue robes. The official uniform for Animal Healers in contrast to the lime green worn by St. Mungo Healers. Unlike St. Mungo's the symbol for an animal healers was a wand and a wing crossed on the chest of uniforms.
A knock from the open doorway caused her to look up as her first patient stepped in. It was the man with the owl who was so desperately trying to escape the confines of its leash.
Wondering why the bird wasn't kept in a cage like most other people's, Embre stepped towards the pair with her friendly smile in place. She loved her job and helping animals stay healthy. Her profession was more than she had ever expected it would be when she envisioned it. Her personal life however, well that was another matter.
--
Embre stepped out into the reception area carrying her clipboard with her. Leaning against Natalie's desk she set a note down on the top
"What was in that box that the little girl brought in?" Natalie inquired with her back turned as she replaced files in the appropriate cabinets sitting on her swivel chair.
"A skunk that she mistook for a cat," Embre said smiling a bit now that she could see the amusement. "She thought the stripe on the tail meant that it was sick."
"That explains the smell," Natalie mused.
"It sprayed out here too?" Embre winced hoping it hadn't disturbed the other patrons too much.
"I meant on you," Natalie stated as she spun around to return to her desktop.
Embre lifted her shirt front to her face and breathed.
"I Scourgified myself from top to bottom," Embre groaned as she picked up on the lingering smell. She usually ended up smelling a somewhat like her patients by the end of a long day, and had gotten used to it but this time she couldn't wait to be home and take a long bath.
Ignoring the faint scent because there was nothing to be done after a Scourgify, Embre filed through her clipboard again to look at the mail she hadn't gotten to before her patients had come into her office. Making a note to reschedule her check up at a farm in Yorkshire, she flipped through updates on patients until she reached a sealed letter addressed to her. She opened the top and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. Recognizing the handwriting straight away a smile slipped over her face as her brown eyes took in the message ending with a request for dinner.
"Can I borrow a quill Natalie?" Embre asked pulling out a free sheet of paper from the back of her clipboard. A black long peacock feather was extended to her and Embre accepted it with amusement at the old woman's posh choice of writing equipment.
"Christmas gift from my granddaughter," Natalie said absently.
"How is Luna?" Embre asked.
"She's young. She'll be quite alright," Natalie replied.
"Glad to hear it," Embre thought bemused as she penned a short reply to accept her dinner invitation.
--
The London night air was cool now that night had begun to fall in the early summer evening. Dressed for the occasion in a simply in jeans and a nice loose lilac top, from working so long and not paying notice her hair now well below her shoulder blades was held back with a headband keeping the brown hair confined to behind her rather then in her face. There was no need to be made up tonight. The bistro she was going to wasn't one of the most fashionable places to dine in London but that was what made Le Petite Chou good. Without the majority of fashionable diners frequenting it you were able to find a table and have your food soon after being seated.
She turned the corner and found her the man who had extended the offer for a late supper in London to her sitting down at one of the few outside tables. He was the only one sitting in at the tables in front of the establishment contently flipping through the pages in an old tome as he waited. His brown hair was streaked with a few more grey then before, and his brown eyes a shade lighter then hers were soft as his tired but handsome face was held at rapt attention by words in front of him.
She was nearly to the table before he noticed her. When he did his mouth curved into a welcoming smile that she mirrored.
"I'm happy you could make it," Remus said rising from his seat. "The way dad's been writing me, I thought you were getting quite busy at work."
"We sent one of our best Healers to America to start up business there. We're just a little short staffed for the time being," Embre said embracing her brother. "Besides I wanted to be here when you just arrived from the school to hear how your end of the year went. Especially when you didn't tell me in the letter."
"It was….very eventful," Remus said carefully as he released her from the hug. He wasn't saying something and she knew it. From his expression it wasn't something to be taken lightly.
"Remus?" Embre said looking to him.
"Let's sit down," Remus said calmly as he lowered he guided her into the seat opposite his. He poured her an iced tea from the pitcher on the table and handed her a glass which she couldn't touch with her attention on her brother.
"Please tell me what happened," Embre said feeling a strange kind of rolling inside her belly.
"Very well. To begin with, I resigned from the school," he said quietly.
"Oh Remus," Embre said sadly. She knew he'd loved teaching. It was clear every time they sent letters to each other or got together for a quick meal at the Three Broomsticks. It wasn't often that Remus was able to hold down a good job due to his lycanthropy and now to not have a steady, and enjoyable profession again must have taken its toll on him.
"I'm fine," Remus said reaching across the table to give her hand a quick squeeze. "It was my choice. I wasn't sacked but if I had stayed I fear that would have made quite a few people uneasy considering my condition became known."
She hated it. Hearing the resignation in her brother's voice every time he lost a job. He was one of the smartest men she knew and was qualified to hold a number of jobs but he had never found steady work for long because of his being a werewolf. Knowing it would only make it that much more painful for him to talk about how unfair it was she only nodded with reluctant acceptance.
"This is London in the Summer. There's bound to be something to keep me busy for a while," Remus said to assure her. "I just have to find it first."
"Do you need a place to stay until you get settled?" Embre said hoping that he would accept the offer. She knew it pained him to have to receive help in his poor state, but she never minded when she had the means to give.
"That's very kind Em, but I've found a nice place downtown that I'm renting for a while," Remus said gently refusing the hospitality. "Have you had any interesting patients work stories lately?"
"Can you tell me something before I do?" Embre inquired.
"Certainly," Remus said.
"Do you smell anything strange in the air?"
Remus took a considering deep breath of air watching his sister with a perplexed expression. "Am I meant to detect something specific?"
"Thank goodness," Embre said relieved that her bath had done the job. "I was sprayed by a skunk today."
Remus stared at her trying quite unsuccessfully to stifle a broad grin. Embre considered it worth it.
"How exactly…." Remus trailed off as his chuckles slipped out momentarily.
"It was carried inside a box. Maybe we should have a strict no cardboard boxes policy since we allow almost anything else inside," Embre mused taking a drink of her tea. She watched a few people passing on the street. "How was Harry when you left him?"
"Quite well. His exam was score was extremely high. He really does show an aptitude for the subject just as James and Si-" he broke off.
"You can say his name. I won't burst into tears like I did twelve years ago," Embre said sighing.
"There is something I need to tell you," Remus said just as a waiter came to take their orders. The two of them waited until their requests had been taken and then Remus continued.
"I know this year hasn't been easy for you. Hearing about him in the news all year long," Remus said. "I also know that what happened twelve years ago was incredibly hard. Certainly when everyone else used to believe Sirius was guilty and wanted you to agree."
Embre stared at him uncertainly. "Are you saying that, you think that he's innocent?"
"I know him to be innocent," Remus said leaning over the table and keeping his voice low. "What happened during the last full moon proved it beyond a doubt. Peter is alive."
Embre covered her mouth with her hands and gazing at Remus in shock, but with acceptance nonetheless.
"Peter had been living as a rat all these years.
It turns out he was the Secret Keeper," Remus said resting his forehead on his hand. "You knew and I couldn't accept that Sirius could have been blameless because I had no proof. Dumbledore is aware of the truth now, as are Harry and his two close friends."
Embre nodded unable to speak as tears of happiness swelled. It was indescribable what she was feeling. She was overwhelmed and felt a relief in her heart. She had always been refused to believe Sirius was guilty and now she was not the only one.
"Are you alright Em?" Remus inquired gently.
"I'm so happy," Embre said smiling as tears ran down her face.
"Are you?" Remus said returning her grin.
"For right now it's enough," Embre said wiping her face. "Because you know now and Harry, he knows his Godfather wasn't responsible for Lily and James' deaths."
"I'm certainly glad you believe that," Remus said thoughtfully.
They shared their meal in animated conversation as Remus retold the story of that night he found Sirius and learned the full truth. They walked through London when they were full until the story was done. After that they were quiet for some time just wandering through the city with their thoughts.
"Where is he now?" Embre asked at last breaking the silence.
"Somewhere in the mountains by the school. Exactly where I'm not sure," Remus said. "Dumbledore advised that I delay visiting him for a while to let all that's happened die down without arousing suspicion."
"That's understandable. But I'm not waiting any longer then I have to," Embre said in a quiet, determined voice.
She had to see him. So much had changed but the one thing she knew to be true, she would have always been his friend. There was love even if it could never be what it once was. If they were destined to never be lovers, that was something she could accept. She wished to be there for an old friend, she wasn't anticipating anything more.
"Harry came to me before I left the school and we talked. After learning he had a Godfather he never knew existed, he wanted to know if he had a Godmother as well," Remus said.
"What did you tell him?" Embre asked her heart thumping somewhere between fear and hope that she couldn't be sure of.
"I told him her name was Embre Lupin. Every day since he was born she loved him and was never far," Remus said knowing he'd said too much when she stopped walking and fought tears again. Gathering her in his arms because she needed it, he just held on while she took in the vast amount of things she'd been told.
"He didn't look accusing or angry. He only said he wanted to meet you…someday.
--
What did you all think? I know pretty somber compared with the prequel, but I need to explain a few things first so for a few chapters not a whole lot of laughs but it won't be forever. Please just review and let me know how this is going. Don't be shy about asking me to explain stuff if anything is unclear. I will be attending college this fall so I don't think I can update as frequently as I did sometimes, but trust me I will not abandon this fic. One last thing, if enough people like the heated scene with Em/Sirius let me know and I might write an M one shot of that. Thank you to everyone who came to look at this chapter and a big thanks to my continued beta and sis Jack'N'SallyGal. Check out her stuff too if you like Lily/James stories! Byeeeeeeeeee!
