Ashlynn had spent most of the month of August in the office helping the ministry investigate the many reported sightings of Sirius Black. The day he had escaped her home had been subjected to a search, and she had been given a dose of Veritaserum. After clearing her name they had gladly accepted her help. She had hardly seen Aludra and Naos during the month due to her long hours but today was different.
Today was August 31st, Aludra's fourteenth birthday, the day before the children left for Hogwarts and their long put off trip to Diagon Alley for supplies. As special treat Ashlynn and Remus had rented a couple of rooms for their odd family in the Leaky Cauldron.
"Mum!" Naos cried unhappily as they walked into their room. "Can't I share with Uncle Remus? Having to room with you two is a fate worse then death." Ashlynn and Remus had been very careful to keep their relationship under wraps while in public. Ashlynn had the stigma of being the wife of Sirius Black; she did not need the added stigma of wife of a werewolf.
"Naos Sirius De Lenfent, do not whine. You will share our room with out complaint do you understand?" Ashlynn said with a glare that silenced her son.
Remus cleared his throat and smiled. "It's okay if he shares my room; I have the extra bed so you and Aludra don't have to share." He said as he patted Naos' shoulder and smiled down at the boy he considered to be like a son.
"Are you sure Remus? I mean tomorrow you're going to be Professor Lupin and they shouldn't expect you to treat them like you do at home." Ashlynn said with sigh. She took her children's education very seriously and had sent them to a muggle primary school to learn to read and write.
Remus smiled and messed up Naos' dark hair. Ashlynn forced him to keep it short because he reminded her so much of Sirius when he wore it long. "Well they still have today for me to be Uncle Remus." He said. "Go put your stuff in my room Naos."
A few moments later Ashlynn walked into the hall and saw a gaggle of redheaded children in the hall. She smiled as she saw Arthur Weasley push his way to the front with a dark haired child. Her eyes lit up, he looked so much like James. "Arthur!" She cried with a smile.
"Ashlynn." He greeted her with a handshake. "How have you been?"
"Very busy, and yourself?" She said as she peered over that Harry, her grey eyes brimming with tears.
"Fine, fine." Arthur said as he turned to Harry. "Harry, I'd like you to meet Ashlynn De Lenfent."
"Hello." He said with a nod of his head.
Ashlynn gasped when she looked at his eyes. "You have your mother's eyes, but you look more like James." She said as she looked at him.
Harry looked up at her. "You knew my mum?" He asked.
Ashlynn nodded and smiled at him. "I did, Lily was my best friend, and I was there the day you were born."
He was taken back by that she could tell. "Mum!" Naos cried. "I need to get robes c'mon!"
Ashlynn smiled apologetically at Harry. "I have to go it was nice to meet you Harry."
Harry nodded and said. "Yes, it was nice to meet you too." Ashlynn then pushed through the group of redheads to her dark haired son.
Later that night after Ashlynn had sent Naos and Aludra to their rooms to pack and get ready for bed she sat in a parlor with Remus. Across from them sat Arthur and Molly Weasley. "Molly, Harry has a right to know. Fudge treats him like a child." Arthur said with frustration.
"He's happy not knowing! Did you see how he has been behaving? Like a normal boy for once." Molly cried as she glanced over at Ashlynn and Remus.
"They are saying Sirius Black is mad, but he was clever enough to escape Azkaban." Arthur said as he rubbed his cheek.
"Harry will be perfectly safe while at Hogwarts." Molly said.
Arthur laughed. "Look how much trouble he's found in his first two years." He said. "Plus according to the guards he's been mumbling in his sleep. 'He's at Hogwarts, he's at Hogwarts.' Harry should know Black is after him to finish the job."
Ashlynn sighed and stood up from the table. She walked over and stared down at the Weasleys. "I know you two believe the lie that Sirius is the one who betrayed the Potters, but you really didn't know him. Sirius loved James and Lily; he was trying to protect them." She glared at them. "Sirius would not be after Harry."
With that she took Remus' hand into hers and walked up stairs. He walked her to her room and she looked down a bit ashamed. "I shouldn't have said that to them. I'm under enough suspicion at work already."
Remus laughed as he shook his head. "It's fine darling." He said as he leaned down and kissed her lightly.
"Good night Remy." She said softly.
"Night Ash." He said and went to his room. A few seconds later both met up in the hallway.
"Please tell me Aludra's in your room?" Ashlynn said as a worried look crossed her face.
"She is." He said with a grin. Ashlynn laughed as she pulled Remus into the room by his wrist with a wicked grin.
The morning arrived all too quickly for Ashlynn who was being forced to say goodbye to the three people who kept her sane through out the years. She walked into the room where her children had taken over to see Naos already in his new Hogwarts robes.
"Oh no, you change into those muggle jeans I bought you." Ashlynn cried. "We have got to walk to the train station still and wearing robes will just drawl attention to us."
"But Mum!" Naos whined.
Ashlynn rolled her eyes and in one swift move took out her wand. "You have until the count of three to get them off before I force you to." She warned in a low voice.
"Yes Mum." Naos said as Aludra stepped out wearing her muggle clothes.
Ashlynn smiled at her daughter. She couldn't believe she was already in her fourth year. "Do you know that I'm glad about Naos?" Aludra called through the bathroom door.
"What's that?" Naos called back.
"That your head is so full of rocks you won't be sorted into Ravenclaw!" She teased her younger brother. Ashlynn had been surprised when her daughter had been sorted into Ravenclaw as her father had been a Gryffindor and her mother had been a Slytherin.
"Mum!' Naos cried unhappily as he came out with his muggle jeans and t-shirt on.
"Aludra that's not funny." Ashlynn said as Naos kicked open his trunk. "What is that mess?"
Naos slammed the trunk shut and smiled. "No you're not fixing it Mum." He said with a glare as Remus walked in.
"So Naos are you going to be a Gryffindor like me?" He asked with a wink and a smile.
"Now, now Remy, you know he's just like me. He's going to be a Slytherin." Ashlynn cried as she pulled her son to her and hugged him closely.
"Mum! Stop it." Naos huffed as he pushed away and smoothed out his clothes. "My luck I'm going to land in Hufflepuff." He looked almost sad when he said it.
Ashlynn chuckled. "Honey whatever house you're in I'm still going to be proud of you." She said with a smile.
Naos smiled and then grinned at Remus. "I want to be in Gryffindor then! I want to be like Uncle Remus."
Ashlynn laughed and nodded. "Then you just might be there. Come on we have to get going."
It had taken him sometime to track her down; she had changed her name from Black to De Lenfent. She had moved from Hogwarts to Essex after quitting her teaching job, and taking a job at the ministry. She had not made it easy for him to find her but that was his Ashlynn.
He opened the door and crept into the living room. She would no be here; it was Aludra's fourth year at Hogwarts. His baby girl turned fourteen years old yesterday. He sighed as he looked at the pictures on the mantel. None of them were of him which didn't surprise him. What did surprise him were the two in the middle.
One was of Ashlynn holding a baby in the hospital while Remus sat next to her smiling. The second was of them a bit older. The young boy squirmed on Ashlynn's lap, while Aludra crawled all over Remus. So Remus had taken over his family when he left.
He grabbed the picture and his anger grew. He still loved his wife and Ashlynn was still his wife. He threw down the picture and the glass shattered. "Good." He said. He turned and walked up the steps to the second floor.
The train whistled and Ashlynn smiled. She missed her days travelling on the Hogwarts. She hugged Aludra closely and said. "You and Cho better win the Quidditch cup this year." She said referring to Aludra's best friend, Cho Chang.
"We will Mama." She said with a smile. "I love you see you at Christmas." With that Aludra ran off to meet up with her friends, dragging her trunk behind her.
Ashlynn then turned to Naos and sighed. "I can't believe my baby is going off to Hogwarts." She said as tears began to fill her eyes.
"Mum!" Naos cried. "Please don't make a scene."
Ashlynn laughed and nodded. "Give me a hug." She demanded to her son. He smile and gave her a quick hug. "Now be good there, don't get in too much trouble and write often."
"Okay Mum." Naos said and turned to take off before Ashlynn grabbed his wrist.
"Not so fast Mister." Ashlynn said as she pulled him back. "I love you." She hugged him tightly again.
"I love you to Mum. I'll write this evening to tell you what house I am in!" He said and then took off before his mother could embarrass him more.
Ashlynn smiled and shook her head as she turned to Remus who had been waiting in the background. "Are you taking the train?" She asked as she noticed the briefcase in his hand and the trunk by his legs for the first time.
"Yes, I was considering apperating there but then I couldn't get any of this there." He said with a smile.
Ashlynn laughed and touched his cheek, they had never kissed in public and now she had the sudden urge to. "I want to kiss you right now Remy." She said.
"Then do it already." Remus said with a smile.
Ashlynn grinned and went on her tip toes and kissed him softly. "I love you Remy."
Remus laughed as he hugged her tightly. "I love you too sweetie. I'll see you soon I promise." He said softly.
Ashlynn laughed. "You better, and can you do me a favor?"
"Yes I will keep an eye on those two as much as I possibly can." Remus said with a smile as the whistle blew. "I have to get on the train darling."
"Alright." She said with a nod. "I love you."
"I love you too." He said then turned away and got onto the train. Ashlynn sighed as she watched the train gain speed and was soon out of view.
He stepped out of the shower and grinned at himself. He was starting to feel much more human. He wrapped a towel around himself as he stepped up to the mirror. The hair would have to be cut for the desired effect he wished to have. Taking his wand in his hand he slashed and the hair came off quickly. "Perfect." He said with a mock laugh.
The beard would have to go but the mustache would stay. She would enjoy that, she had often teased him about his love of the mustache. After a couple strokes of his wand he smiled at himself. "I'm starting to look like my old self again!" He crackled with laughter as he moved from the bathroom into what appeared to be the master bedroom.
He looked through the drawers and found only female clothes, he frowned. "Bollocks." He said as he sat at the end of the bed and sighed. "This won't do, no it won't. It won't do one bit will it?" He closed his eyes.
Would she have kept his stuff so close to her even if she had a child with Lupin would she still want to keep it close? "Accio clothes!" He cried and sure enough a truck flew from her clothes. "That was easy enough." He knew it was crazy to talk to oneself but he had an excuse.
He popped open the trunk and pulled out a long sleeved maroon shirt he pulled it on, luckily it still fit. He dug around some more and found a pair of black trousers, a black vest Ashlynn had made him so many years ago, and a velvet maroon coat. He dressed quickly before snagging a pair of socks from her dresser, and polishing a set of his old shoes with a swipe of his wand.
He looked at himself in the mirror with a grin he said. "I'm back!" And with those two words he knew it was true, Sirius Black was back and he wasn't going to let Ashlynn go again.
Ashlynn popped into the back of the house and sighed as she walked up the steps. She was already missing her children and Remus even though they had just said goodbye. She wasn't used to being alone; she hadn't been alone in a house since, well she couldn't remember since when.
She opened the back door and walked in. She looked around at the kitchen and sighed. No sense making a big lunch now, she would be the only one eating it. She stopped for a moment when she heard the pop of a fire and notice the tea kettle was on the stove. She knew that no fire had been burning when they had left yesterday morning, and that no fire would have lasted that long and she had not used that tea kettle since Sirius had been locked up. That only left one explanation; someone was in the house, someone who wasn't supposed to be there. She drew her wand from the wand holster on her arm and tried to remind herself of the training she had learned twelve years ago during the war. She slowly made her way to towards the living room as quietly as she could, her wand ahead of her ready to send a hex to the person in there.
The train was going full speed by the time Naos found a nearly empty carriage. His sister had refused to let him sit with her so here he was friendless and alone on the first day. The blonde girl smiled at him. "Mind if I sit here?" He asked with a raised eye brow.
"Go ahead." She said her voice soft and whispering. He smiled as he put his trunk by hers and the sat down opposite of her. "First year?" She asked with a smile.
"Yup." He said with a smile. "Yours?"
"Oh no, this is my second year. I'm Luna Lovegood."
"Naos De Lenfent." He said with a smile.
"Good to meet you." She said.
They weren't alone long before another came in. "Neville!" Naos cried happily.
"Naos! I forgot it was your first year here. Can I sit there the rest of compartments are full." He said with a smile, glad he didn't have to sit in the hallway on his trunk.
"It's no problem. Luna was kind enough to let me sit with her." Naos said with a smile.
At the same time Naos was settling into his compartment Aludra was walking the hallway with Cho. "Harry Potter is cute don't you think?" Cho asked casually.
Aludra shrugged. "I guess if you like the whole brooding lonely boy thing." She said with a shrug. "I fancy Cedric Diggory the Hufflepuff seeker. He's so gorgeous with his blonde hair." Cho laughed and nodded in agreement. They were just about to enter their compartment were Marietta Edgecombe was sitting when they felt the train slow to a stop.
He had just sat down in the large armchair, the fire blazing as he picked up the book. On the table next to him was a steaming cup of tea. Ah how lovely it was to have tea and feel human again. He heard her apparate outside and come inside. He almost chuckled when she tried to be stealthily, even after all these years she still hadn't learned how to be.
She came with her wand out and he held back a laugh as she took in the scene in front of her. He knew what she was thinking slowly he closed the book and set it down on the table and stood. "Don't just stand there and gawk Ashlynn Black, come give your husband a hug."
