Disclaimer:- I only thought up the plot, I neither own nor earn anything else from this story. Harry Potter and his world are the intellectual property of JK Rowling and her associates.
A/N:- The first spell is a made up spell, when I researched containment spells, every site informed me that there was no known incantation, so I made one up. :-) Thank you to my beta, Golden Asp, for her work on this chapter.
Chapter Two – Remus The Protector
As if to highlight the words in Hermione's note, the four of them were staring at another volume of grimoire, and tendrils of magic were already starting to arc up out of the book.
"Bloody hell!" Seamus yelled.
Then all three wizards shouted, "Imobilum containo!" in union.
"Maxima!" Remus added, his eyes opening slightly wider on seeing wisps of magic still trying to jump their containment line. "I'll get Jenny somewhere safe. Harry, get Hermione and Severus back!" he ordered. "And stay here until they arrive. Don't let anyone except them in! I'll be back as soon as I can."
There was a flurry of activity, and Jenny found herself being apparated out of the flat. When they landed, she was uncertain of where they were, but she quickly realised that she was in Remus' arms and she had to fight the urge to place her head on his chest.
Remus inhaled deeply and Moony howled within him as the scent of the witch entered his nostrils. He fought with his inner beast and managed to wrestle his wolf back down. It was too soon after the full moon, and Moony still had power over him. He pulled the dazed witch to arm's length as quickly as he could manage, and he looked past her as he called, "Andie!"
He then set about explaining. "I've brought you to my home. Andie has the knowledge to keep you safe should something happen, but I suspect what has been happening in your flat has more the location of the flat, than anything to do with you."
Jenny found herself caught in Remus' eyes once more, and she nodded vaguely as a woman with long dark, curly hair and beautiful green eyes came into what was obviously an Apparition parlour.
"Hi Remus," Andromeda said, looking at Jenny. She saw the golden hue of Moony pass through her son-in-law's eyes and she narrowed her own. "What brings you home in the middle of the day, and with a pretty witch in tow?"
To Jenny's surprise, Remus chuckled. "Andie, this is Jenny. She's in need of a place to reside for a few days, and I was thinking that she could say with us."
"Were you?" Andromeda replied, crossing her arms over her chest and raising a well sculpted eyebrow. She instantly knew that Remus had finally found someone special. "You don't often bring your work home with you."
Remus chuckled again. "I believe you'll find that it was Moony who made the decision, not me, although I agree with keeping Jenny safe," and he smiled down at the witch he just realised that he still had by the arms as he was talking to Andromeda. He slid his hands off her arms, and led her from the parlour with a hand on her elbow.
For her part, Jenny was starting to become mightily confused, and very disappointed. She instantly assumed that Andromeda was Remus' wife and the disappointment that shot through her was sharp in its intensity.
Then Andromeda fell into step with them and said, "You are most welcome, my dear. Do you have any luggage?"
This brought Jenny up short. "No!" she gasped.
"Don't worry," Remus said. "Do you still have a trunk?" He watched her nod. "Then I will pack your belongings into it and bring it to you once we have proper containment lines drawn up." He looked to Andie. "I must get back, I left Harry and Seamus by themselves," and he turned to Jenny. "Do not worry, Jenny, I will keep you safe," he told her, and sat her at a table in the bright kitchen, fighting the urge to give her a kiss on the forehead. "Andie will be back in a second, and I will see you tonight."
"Oh, okay," Jenny replied, her brain was too confused to fathom what was going on at the moment. She watched her new protector and the witch called Andie walking back the way they had just come, but it wasn't long before Andie returned alone and smiled slightly as she said, "May I offer you some tea?"
"I've drank more tea this morning than I would in a week, but yes, I'd appreciate another cup, as long as I can use the bathroom before I drink it," she stated, blushing slightly.
Andromeda laughed. "Certainly, come, I'll show you to the guest room while I'm showing you to the bathroom."
Jenny couldn't help it, she was nervous about this witch. For one thing, she didn't know what the circumstances were, and she was now thinking that she very well might have been flirting with this witch's husband earlier. Her disappointment at that point stabbed her once more as she followed Andromeda up the stairs.
She was puffing by the time they reached the top, and she saw worry lining Andromeda's face. "Is everything all right?" she asked quietly. "You aren't injured, are you?"
"No," Jenny managed. "It's not a new injury." She didn't want sympathy, and anyway they arrived outside a room and Andromeda opened the door and the conversation changed.
"Here you are."
Andie opened the door on a small but charming bedroom, as she said, "I'm across the hall here, Remus is next door and Teddy's up the hallway further, and we've just gone by the bathroom." She pointed back to the door next to the one she'd opened. "I'll leave you to settle, and I'll go and make the tea."
"Okay, thank you," Jenny managed, but her brain was running at a million miles per hour. This witch couldn't be his wife if they had separate bedrooms. Although, Jenny had heard of married couples who did not share a room for one reason or another. Then she wondered who Teddy was, and also who Moony was. There were so many questions, but she gratefully went to the loo and then started back down stairs after washing her hands.
Back at the flat, Remus was filling Hermione and Severus in on what had happened from his point of view, and he noticed that Harry and Seamus were nowhere to be seen.
"I believe that there's a rift," Remus told them.
"What makes you think that?" Severus asked, folding his arms across his chest.
"Well, the object just came into being and dropped to the floor."
"You think these grimoires are simply falling through time? Like it's a fluke or something," Hermione scoffed.
"No, it has to be something more sinister than that," Severus agreed.
"Did the first book speak to Lucius?"
"Yes," Severus replied, "but considering he had to extract the victim out of the blasted thing as well, he has been unable to give us the full story yet."
"Perhaps tomorrow," Hermione added.
Veela, and even part Veela, had a type of magic of their own. Unfortunately it was community magic, and using it without the backing of other Veela was very draining for the individual concerned. In his capacity as a Veela, Lucius was easily able to speak to the grimoire using his ancient—and largely unknown Veela language—but he always had to rest afterwards, and Narcissa became very protective of him when he was unable to stand up for himself following the charming of a magical object.
"Yes, it will be the morning before we will know more," Severus told Remus. "Cissy dosed him with Dreamless Sleep before we left to allow him to recover."
"Will you take this book to the vault?" Remus wanted to know.
"Yes, are you leaving a guard here?" Hermione asked in return.
Severus saw Remus about to add something and he cut him off. "We are not that stupid, werewolf," he snipped.
Remus raised an eyebrow. "I'm very thorough, Severus,"
Severus sneered. "Yes, but we also know our job, we will not allow them to... mingle. Come, dearest," he stated, turning away from Remus and looking at Hermione.
"Oh, Harry and Seamus will be back in about twenty minutes, they've gone to St. Mungo's to speak to the girl, she's in ward forty nine," Hermione stated over her shoulder as she joined hands with Severus to carry the book between them.
Remus sighed as he nodded and watched them apparating away. Ward forty nine was their code for the Janus Thickey ward, and he hoped Jenny's friend would be all right. Setting up perimeter wards that would repel everyone, but also alert him to Harry's return, he went upstairs and summoning Jenny's trunk he set it to pack itself and follow him as it did it.
Harry arrived back at the flat as Remus had just placed Jenny's shrunken trunk in his pocket. He filled Remus in on what he'd found out from the victim, which wasn't much.
"I don't think she knows any more than her friend does," he said. "Where'd you take her?"
"Who?" Remus asked, playing slightly dumb.
"The victim's friend, Jenny," Harry clarified.
"I took her to stay with Andie," Remus admitted.
"Did you," Harry replied suggestively. "I saw Moony in your eyes this morning," he stated.
"Mmm," Remus said in a non-comital tone.
"So?!"
"Harry, none of your business," Remus snapped, and he saw hurt flash through Harry's features. "Where's that partner of yours?" he replied, trying to lighten things up.
"He's stuck at the station writing this up, he'll come back and wait with me 'til our relief arrives."
"Oh, okay," Remus nodded.
They were silent for some minutes, but then Harry couldn't help trying again. "Why are you going to reject this Jenny?" he wanted to know.
"You just can't give up, can you?"
Harry grinned. "That's me, Harry I-don't-know-when-to-shut-up Potter, always puttin' my foot in it." His expression turned serious. "Remus, you're my friend, I'd like to see you happy again."
Remus' eyebrows rose. "What, like you are?"
"Better leave me out of it, I don't think... nevermind," Harry sighed.
Now Remus had seen Harry and Andie on the back porch last time they'd invited him over. He hadn't noticed it while they were all sitting at the table, but once he'd got up to clear the table he seen the doe-eyes Harry was making at her. He'd seen her noticing too, but he didn't let on. Instead he sighed, and said, "How can I saddle anyone with me, Harry? Dora... I don't know, but it was special."
"This could be just as special too, Remus."
"No, I couldn't find someone else like Dora. My focus needs to be on Teddy now, make certain he grows up happy."
Harry decided that he was not going to win, so he finally changed the subject, and just as he did Seamus arrived.
"All right, I'll leave you to it," Remus said tiredly, "I'll see you both in the morning. What time will your relief arrive?"
"Should be soon," Seamus said, looking at his watch.
Remus apparated home, and Teddy heard him, and was upon him as he came out into the hallway.
"Daddy," he yelled, his hair vivid blue.
"Hey, kiddo," Remus replied, holding his arms out to his son.
"Did Uncle Harry come tonight?" Teddy asked, looking over his father's shoulder, around the hug.
"No, he's still at work," Remus said
Teddy pouted. "I wanted him to take me flying again. When will he be coming?"
"Maybe on the weekend, mate. How was school today?"
"Great. Did you know we have a visitor, Daddy?"
"Yes I did," Remus replied. "Is she in the kitchen with Nanny?"
"Yes, and they were talking 'bout you, Daddy."
"You know you're not supposed to listen to adult conversations, Teddy." Remus' brain started wondering what they may have been talking about as Teddy answered him.
"Yeah, I know, but I was right there, I couldn't help listening. Daddy, is she going to be my new mummy?"
Remus was gobsmacked. "W-What makes you think that, Ted?" he managed, trying to stifle the burst of hope he felt in his chest.
The little boy shrugged. "She looks like the picture you have of my real mummy, and she's real nice."
By this time they had walked to the kitchen door and Remus saw Jenny sitting with Andie. As he saw the witch with the spiky dark hair his resolves started crashing around him. He glanced at Teddy as the little boy struggled to get down, and he lowered his son to the floor and watched him running towards them.
Teddy scrambled up into the chair between them, and happily went back to doing his homework sheet while the two witches turned their eyes to Remus.
Remus took a step into the kitchen and Jenny rose to meet him.
"Hello," she said, walking towards him. "Is there any news?"
"No, nothing more's happened, and your friend does not remember anything. That is not uncommon, but she may remember something later."
"Yes," Andromeda cut in, seeing Jenny's disappointment, she had seen that look several time this afternoon while they had been going about things, and she wondered if concern for her friend was the only problem. "Things tend to filter in after a traumatic experience, only time would tell."
"I guess you're right." Jenny took in Remus and Andromeda working off one another, and her worst fear spiked again. The next request was out of her mouth before she could stop it. "When do you think I can go home?" There was no way she could stay here if they were in a relationship. It had struck her this afternoon that Andromeda may have told her that the room upstairs was her bedroom because she may have wanted to maintain her privacy for some reason. Then it also hit her that she was being ridiculous. How could she have developed such feelings for Remus that she was finding it difficult to bear this disappointment in such a short space of time?
Then she thought back to him as her professor at Hogwarts, and she remembered thinking then that she would have liked to have him teach her more than just Defence. He had been so capable and powerful in his quiet way, and there was something about the scent of him that had fuelled many school girl fantasies behind the closed curtains of her bed. She was brought out of her thoughts as Andromeda spoke to her.
"Do you want to go home so soon?" Andromeda asked. "You're welcome to stay here as long as you need to," she added, seeing conflicted emotions crossing Remus' face.
"Yes, we're happy to have you," Remus added in.
"But I'm disturbing your family," Jenny said. It was still rankling her that she had not been able to work out if Andromeda and Remus were in a relationship, and the witch had been being so nice to her, and she felt awful and conflicted by the pull she felt towards Remus. Even though little Teddy called the witch 'nanna', who knew.
However, it was this same little boy's tears that sorted things out for her. "You can't go," Teddy wailed, suddenly. "I've already lost one mummy, I don't want to lose you too."
To Jenny's shock he leaned sideways on his chair and wrapped his arms around her neck. With her health problems, Jenny had never thought that she would have a child of her own, but here was this little boy, whom she'd only met this afternoon wanting her to be his mother, and there was no way that her arms could have stopped themselves from curling around his small frame.
If nothing else, she needed to make certain that he did not fall, as he had given no thought to his own safe as he'd lunged towards her. "Oh," she gasped. "Teddy... umm," and her slightly panicked eyes had sought Remus' gaze, but he seemed to be as caught for words as she was.
It was then that they heard happy laughter. "If only it was that simple, Teddy Tum Tum," Andromeda chuckled. "Come, I think you had better have your bath before tea," and she winked at Jenny and Remus, making certain that Teddy could not see, and she smiled. "I'll leave you two to deal with the elephant in the room."
Remus watched Andromeda and Teddy moving out of the room, as Teddy chattered excitedly about elephants, having forgotten his distress.
"I'm really sorry about that," Remus said, finally. "Teddy never knew his mum, she died in The Battle of Hogwarts." The gentle werewolf smiled sadly. "Andromeda is great with him, but he seems to know that she's his grandmother and not his mother."
"Andromeda is his grandmother?!"
"Yes, why?"
"Oh," and Jenny laughed softly. "I thought she was your wife, and well..." She looked back up to Remus' serious face. "And... well never mind."
"No, tell me," Remus replied, his eyes searching her face.
Jenny looked away, unwilling to finish the sentence she'd started, but conceded, "It's silly... I only met you this morning."
"What's silly?"
Looking up from under her eye lashes, Jenny said, "That I'm drawn to you... Never mind." She looked awkward for a time, but finished by saying. "I believe in being frank, life's too short, yeah?"
Remus nodded. "Yes, that it is..." He glanced around the room, and his eyes landed on the kettle. "I might make some tea," and he got up from the table. He needed some distance. He was not going to admit it, but he was drawn to her too, and he mused to himself as he extended the time by pulling mugs from the cupboard and milk from the fridge. Yes, life definitely is too short, but how do I... No, I can't do that a second time, I'm cursed. But worst of all, this time Teddy could get his heart broken too. Damn Moony and his impulsiveness!
Hearing Jenny getting up from the table, Remus quickly turned around, but she must have seen the panicked look on his face because she veered off to check the pot on the stove. She stirred the simmering meat dish and carefully placed the spoon back down on the rest. "I will just say that if you wish to try being friends, then I'm here," and she turned and started out of the kitchen.
Of course this was when Remus remembered her trunk in his pocket. "Jenny," he called after her, as he dug in his pocket.
Turning back around, she saw him holding out her trunk to her. "Thank you," she managed around the disappointment bubbling up inside her, and she moved forward to take the small wooden box off him.
Her fingers brushed his hand as she picked her shrunken trunk up off it, and that was when Jenny made her decision. She saw lust curl through his eyes just by her fingers brushing the palm of his hand, and she was determined to bring that out in him once more, preferably as he was thrusting into her in wild abandon. After all, she was a Gryffindor for a reason, she went after what she wanted with passion and determination.
