Disclaimer: All right, I forgot this in the Prologue. If it were mine, do you really think I'd have boarded that plane back to Australia? Don't I just *wish* I was making money off this. Maybe then I wouldn't be developing an ulcer because of this blasted money pit of a house I live in... grrrrrrrr
Updated: Monday 29 June 2009
Chapter One: Truth will Out
'Magic Reversal Squad called out to the museum and still he takes them for ice cream! I refuse to be a part of it!'
Estella's voice reached their ears as the woman let herself in the front door, grumbling.
Charlie leaped up to intercept his partner in the hallway.
'What happened?'
The others overheard their host greet the apparent mother of his children, a brief pause punctuating the exchange of affection.
'Jamie and Sirius thought it funny to reanimate the Lewis Chessmen – though how a Wizarding Chess set found its way into the Muggle side of the British Museum is beyond me," they could hear Estella explain. There was another brief pause and rustling of clothes as the witch removed her outer layers. "Anyway, since the promise of ice cream was assured if the kids did no Accidental Magic, they had Harry over the barrel – but then the department's most lauded Auror has always been a soft touch when it comes to the devil spawn-'
Charlie chuckled.
'They'd better not hear you call them that, it might give them a complex-'
'-Or ideas!'
'Well with names like theirs' and George as a godfather could we really have expected any less?'
'Hmmm... how have the twins been?'
There was an exhausted sigh as Estella asked after the twin toddlers the listening guests had been told were the couples' youngest children, Regulus and Dora.
'As lively and charming as their mother, no less,' Charlie's tone was brimming with pride. 'Ginny and Ron took the little ones to Mum's for lunch – Hermione's going to meet them there with the boys, give us some peace-'
'And what's Harry going to do? What's going on here?' Estella seemed instantly suspicious, her voice sounding more alert despite the earlier fatigue. Charlie remained silent, apparently struck dumb by the impact his revelation would likely have. Estella seemed to have figured some things out for herself. 'The rumours are true, then – oh don't look at me like that Charles Weasley! I may not be so politically inclined to keep up with the Ministry, but there have been more potions ordered for St. Mungo's than there have officially been patients, and I deal with the Unspeakables often enough to know when they're up to something. I'm not an idiot.'
'But you never let on-'
'Honey, I was raised by a Slytherin. There's a lot I don't let on about – besides, I trust you. If there was something for me to know, you wouldn't tell me until you were absolutely sure-'
'I'm sure-' Charlie blurted.
'Who?' Estella's voice had dropped into a hushed whisper.
'Most everyone struck down by the Killing Curse – least those known to have been murdered by a Death Eater... those who would not have otherwise died by other means in the years since...'
'That doesn't answer my question, Charles,' Estella sounded impatient.
'Well why don't you go see for yourself? They're here, in the next room...'
'Prat!'
Estella said a few other choice words under her breath that only Remus could hear, the faintest sound of hurried footsteps their only warning before the door was flung open.
Spotting who awaited her in the living room, Estella froze. Whatever she had been about to say dissolved in her mouth as she gaped at each of them in turn. Taking the initiative, Remus closed the distance between them and held out his arms, mindful not to startle his very much grown up goddaughter, in case she slipped into shock.
'Merlin, it's good to see you at last, Cub-' was all he could get out before he found himself almost bowled over by the young woman's sudden reaction; his werewolf reflexes the only thing keeping him from falling over.
'Moony!' was all the stunned witch could say, the emotion in her voice tangible.
They pulled away after a few brief moments, all too mindful of the others in the room thanks to James' persistent coughing. Eying her father's best friend hungrily, Estella rolled her eyes.
'You know, you ought to take a potion for that...' she quipped. 'Otherwise people might think your Animagus form was a cat and wait for you to hack up a hairball.'
James' eyes flew open wide at the pointed humour, and it was his turn to gape.
'You really are Padfoot's daughter,' he observed reverently. The emotion in his voice bespoke of the grief he felt for the friend who evidently would not, like them, return.
'It's good to see you again, Prongs,' said Estella cryptically, before morphing her features to that of her past alter-ego, Aries Ollerton.
'I knew it!' said Lily, hand flying to her mouth in surprise. 'Selina and I both... after you'd disappeared, and we'd found that pendant design at the jeweller... Selina knew there was something about it...'
'You're a Metamorphagus?' spluttered James, fixated on the transformation.
'I wasn't back then,' Estella pointed out. She morphed again into the appearance that became her own after the blood adoption that had been facilitated in the year after her death had been faked, and magic, damaged. The Dark Lord had started to dabble in Blood Magic himself, calling to his circle the kin of his Marked; diluting Estella's relation to her birth family - particularly her uncle - by magically adding genetic traits of two further 'parents' not only obscured her from the Dark Lord, but introduced inheritable magical ability that repaired her core just enough to grant her a degree of practical function in the wizarding world.
'I wasn't like this until my uncle signed the paperwork, enabling me to add Moony and Tonks as parents.'
When it became apparent that her godfather or Charlie had at least informed the Potters as such, Estella turned to Remus in dismay. 'I'm sorry Dora couldn't come back with you-'
'-She was killed by another curse, I know-'
'Yes, and if Bellatrix crawls out of her grave next I'm going to take great pleasure in putting her back in the dirt – '
Remus inhaled sharply and looked over her shoulder at Charlie, who nodded grimly in confirmation - Estella had fought to the death the final battle. He pulled his goddaughter into a firm embrace.
'All the same, I'm sorry I'm all you've gotten back,' he said, remembering how much the loss of Sirius mere months before that final battle had almost broken Estella. He didn't then want to think of what she went through, losing most everyone else in one foul swoop.
Estella nodded into his chest, her sigh muffled by his robes. Pulling away sharply, she stared at James and Lily in realisation.
'Harry!'
'Hermione should be sending him along soon as she has relieved him of the boys,' Charlie informed her.
Estella shook her head and pulled out a small mobile phone from the pocket of her Muggle jeans. It was playing a distinct tune.
'He's calling me,' she elaborated, calling attention to the caller ID before stepping away from the congregated adults and taking the call.
'Harry?' she uttered into the phone. The others could only listen to the one-sided snatches of conversation that followed. 'What's wrong?... Slow down... Yes, I know about it... Well I'd heard whispers, same as you, but it was just as much a surprise – I'll talk to him... no, don't put him on, I'll come to you...'
At that, Estella snapped the phone shut and looked up at her godfather, bemused.
'Your son is entirely too smart for his own good,' she informed him proudly, before turning to the Potters; 'and your son is an absolute cynic – boy is he in for the surprise of his life!'
She crossed over to Charlie, kissing him goodbye.
'Give me ten minutes, then follow with James and Lily,' she instructed, before making her way to the fireplace. When she could sense, rather than see, no one following, she looked over to her godfather expectantly. 'You waiting for a gilded invitation, Moony?'
Remus almost fell over his feet in his haste. Accepting a pinch of Floo Powder with a shaking hand, he promptly followed his goddaughter to their destination.
Left alone with the unfamiliar red-head once more, James could only marvel.
'Yep, truly the kid of a Marauder, that one,' he gushed, though his tone was still somewhat saddened by the fact the girl's own father would not be able to see the young woman the girl had become; his last memories of his friend being that of a prideful father-to-be. No one could deny the rather marauder-ish machinations behind first surprising Harry with one dead man, only to then let him stew for ten minutes before presenting him with his parents.
Meanwhile at another, familiar, address in London, Harry Potter was staring in disbelief at the man who had followed Estella out of the fireplace.
'When word of the imminent headlines reached them, the Ministry had the Healers move up the schedule,' Remus explained as the younger wizard had pulled the former professor into a firm embrace. 'We were waiting for Estella when she got in... Kingsley arranged for Charlie to pick us up just before the afternoon edition went on sale, to keep your family out of the press-'
'We?' Harry choked, eyes flickering between Estella and the fireplace, wide with surprise... hope.
Estella nodded gently, a small smile tugging at her lips. Remembering then who had yet to be informed of his father's return, she glanced at Remus and asked of Harry; 'Where's Teddy?'
Estella nodded; unsurprised by Harry's response. She looked up to Remus apologetically.
'I can't imagine how long you've already had to wait, Moony, but please just give me a few moments more-'
Reaching out to cup her cheek with his hand, Remus smiled at his cub leaned into the touch and reassured her quietly.
'Somehow I doubt he'll believe it to be true unless he hears it from you,' he guessed. 'I'll wait as long as I have to – I know you'll bring him to me when he's ready.'
'It's good to have you back, Moony,' Estella words were again muffled as she threw herself into her godfather's arms. Pulling away just as quickly – all too keen to reunite father and son – she smiled. 'I'll be back before you know it... we have so much to catch up on!'
'I'm not planning on going anywhere,' said Remus resolutely, watching hungrily as his first and possibly most precious cub went to inform his son of his return.
'Moony, what just did you mean by 'we'?'
When Estella found the boy who had become as much as one of her sons as he was, by virtue of the blood adoption, her little brother, the lad was sat at a desk in the small bedroom Harry had magically added to Grimmauld Place after Estella had insisted it become a communal base for their two growing families. His back was to her.
'Is it true?' the young boy whispered, not looking up from the newspaper Estella suspected the boy had read over and over.
Closing the door softly behind her, Estella closed the distance between them and perched on the desk across from the boy, so that they could be eye-to-eye. Casting aside the newspaper young Teddy was gripping obsessively, she took one of the boy's hands in her own, using her other to raise his chin up to look at her.
'I'm not going to mince words,' she informed him, matter of fact. 'Your father's downstairs.'
Theodore Lupin swallowed thickly and averted his gaze.
'Anyone else?' he whispered hoarsely.
'Your Uncle Harry's parents, James and Lily, will be arriving momentarily,' Estella confirmed. 'Beyond that, I don't know who other families might have gotten back – as the Prophet has rather accurately reported, for a change, it seems to be restricted to people killed by Death Eaters, using an Unforgivable-'
Teddy nodded distractedly. Though the woman who'd raised him had not wanted to go into specifics, he'd known fundamentally what had killed his parents and other people his surrogate mother had cared about.
'What about Uncle Sirius?' he asked in a small voice, looking to Estella sadly.
Estella sighed, but held her composure.
'I've long suspected my Uncle had put it kindly when he'd said it was that Unforgivable that had killed my father,' she said quietly. Sirius Black had come out of hiding roughly seven months before the final battle, intent on securing an audience with his estranged brother-in-law to discuss the ongoing protection of their mutual interest. Estella had been without any means of magical self-defence, her magical core still damaged from the stunt almost two years prior when her uncle faked her death, and with the war intensifying around them, her father had grown less and less sure of his ability to protect her single-handedly. He'd gone to Hogwarts to corner Severus, have him abandon the ambiguous position he held in the war in order to help ensure Estella's future, and had never returned. Her uncle had sought her out soon after to impart the news, but if he had been inclined to give specifics, Estella had not been of right mind to take it in.
'Oh,' said Teddy Lupin, looking down at the floor. He looked troubled.
Sensing the pensive mood, Estella needlessly flattened the silky strands of hair atop her young charge's head. Frowning slightly as its colour changed from its favoured black – the same she'd been born with and preferred herself in honour of her birth parents – to the sandy coloured they both naturally shared, she expressed her concern.
'A Galleon for your thoughts, Teddy-bear?' she intoned with affection.
Teddy Lupin looked up at the only mother figure he'd known, eyes wide with fear and a little confusion.
'I don't know what to think, Mum,' said Teddy desperately, and inwardly Estella cringed at the boy's use of title, and the explanations that it would now evoke. He looked at her knowingly. 'I've always wished I could see my parents... but this changes everything, doesn't it?'
Estella nodded slightly, and Teddy averted his gaze once again, looking conflicted.
'Are you happy he's back?' he whispered. Another nod. Teddy sighed shakily, his eyes flicking back to Estella, full of pain. 'So you don't want me anymore, then?'
Estella blinked slowly in her shock, mouth slightly agape.
'Is that what you're worried about?' she exclaimed finally. Leaping from the desk, she tugged Teddy up out of his chair and into her arms. Once there, the tension that threatened to overwhelm the poor lad dissolved immediately, and he clung to his guardian firmly. Rubbing soothing circles around his back, Estella rested her head in his hair – noting absently that it would not be long until the boy towered over her – and murmured words of reassurance.
'Oh, kid! No one is going to take you away... not from me, or Charlie, or the kids – we're family, and nothing will change that-'
'But he's my dad...' Teddy cut in, confused.
Estella pulled away and cupped the sides of the young boy's face, tilting his head up to look at her.
'Teddy-bear, your father is as much a part of this family as anyone,' she pointed out, reminding the boy of the many stories she'd shared from her childhood. 'As such, he shall be welcome to stay with us as long as he wants. He and I have not discussed anything, of course, but I can assure you, Theodore, that should he ever care to leave no one's going to make you go anywhere you don't want to go.'
'Really?' said Teddy, eyes shining with relief.
Estella nodded, stepping away and taking the hand of her ward, intent on leading him out of the room.
'I promise,' she vowed. Quirking her lips, she gestured towards the door. 'Now what's say we stop taunting your father and let him meet you, hmmm? He's probably paced a hole in my grandmother's ratty old rug by now-''
'Will you stay with me?' Teddy asked meekly. 'I mean, what if he doesn't like me?'
Estella let go of the boy's hand, but only to wrap her arm around his shoulders instead. Ruffling his hair affectionately, she leaned over and kissed his temple in encouragement.
'Teddy, your father has loved you since before you were born. Nothing would ever change that,' she assured him. I will stay as long as you want me to... though between you and me I suspect your dad is having quite the same thoughts as you. I wasn't lying when I said the two of you were alike... and now you will get to see for yourself. You'll both be fine.'
Teddy smiled slightly at the thought, but before they could reach the door he looked up at his guardian thoughtfully.
'Estella,' he said hesitantly, the name sounding so unfamiliar coming from his lips. It reminded Estella just how much she'd come to view the boy before her as one of her sons. Having secured the woman's attention, Teddy continued. 'Do you think my dad will mind if I keep calling you Mum?'
Estella hesitated, inwardly mindful of how she had been wondering that same thought. Truthfully, she answered.
'He'll understand, Teddy, but it might pain him to hear you use it because he loved your mother very much and wouldn't want to think we've forgotten about her.'
'Like with Nan?' whispered Teddy, face alight with understanding. The first time Teddy had called the woman raising him 'Mum' in front of his grandmother, the older witch had burst into tears.
Estella nodded, recalling the same memory.
'Yes, and like with Nan, I think I owe it to your father to explain first,' Estella warned him, grateful her charge had broached the matter first. She squeezed his shoulder in encouragement. 'Come along, your dad is waiting-'
At her words, Teddy's face lit up in a bright smile, his earlier apprehension now giving way to a little excitement. They exited the room and walked down the hall, arm-in-arm. No sooner had they reached the landing could they see him. Remus Lupin stood anxiously at the foot of the stairs, looking equal parts impatient and nervous. Smirking at her godfather, Estella attempted to break the ice.
'I ought to have mentioned, Harry had Bill ward against all of George's products... particularly the Extendable Ear,' Estella informed him, thinking specifically of the old Extendable Ear that was perched on a small stand atop the mantle; a gift from George after she and Harry had helped him with the store in the wake of Fred's death. She wouldn't put it past the man before her to attempt it.
Sheepishly, Remus Lupin tore his eyes away from where he had been staring at his son, to look at his goddaughter shamefacedly.
'I figure a little turnabout would be fair play after what you'd gotten Kreacher to do during Order meetings,' he admitted airily, eying his son for signs of a reaction; 'but the Ear seemed to have been stuck to the mantle-'
Sharing a secretive look with his guardian, Teddy Lupin could not help but twitch his lips.
'That's because you didn't solemnly swear to be up to no good with it,' the boy informed his newly returned father.
All were struck by the irony of the words, Remus quirking a brow at his goddaughter in question.
'Well it just would not do for the progeny of Marauders to be hypocrites, now would it?' Estella supplied. 'Besides, it keeps us all on our toes, recalling to cast Impenetrable Charms when we absolutely cannot be overheard.'
She nudged he boy beside her and they descended the last remaining stairs, coming to a halt a few feet away from her target.
'Remus, I would like to introduce you to your son, Teddy,' she said softly. She squeezed the shoulder of her young charge in encouragement before then dropping her arm entirely. 'Teddy, this is your dad-'
Teddy's eyes were wide as the gravity of his guardian's words sunk in, locking eyes with the man staring at him with longing. Without warning, he launched himself at the taller wizard, his arms wrapping tightly around the man's middle; like he had been hugging his dad his entire life. Tears welling in his own eyes, Remus stared down at the top of his son's head in disbelief before locking eyes with his goddaughter and returning the hug with just as much enthusiasm.
'Welcome home, Moony,' said Estella, her voice thick with emotion as she reached out and took the offered hand of her godfather, the man's other arm still wrapped securely around his son.
'Thank you,' he whispered, before bowing his head and kissing the top of his son's head.
Estella smiled and squeezed his hand.
'You as much as raised me, Moony. I wouldn't have known much about my own parents if not for you,' she winked. 'And like you said, I figured turnabout was only fair play.'
Spotting that her godfather was alone in the hallway and deducing that said presence had more to do with the faint murmurs of voices in the next room than anything else, she smiled.
'Charlie sent James and Lily through, then?'
Remus nodded as his son pulled away at last; the pair now standing side by side, the older man's arm slung casually over his son's shoulders.
'I thought I'd give them a moment,' he said distractedly, his eyes still busy surveying his son hungrily. Addressing the boy, his voice was thick with feeling. 'Look at you, Teddy, practically a man already!'
Teddy twisted his head up to look up at his father, a thoughtful expression colouring his features.
'You didn't miss too much, Dad,' he assured the man, whose own breath caught at the use of title and the ease in which it had come. 'I haven't even got my Hogwarts letter yet, and besides, my photo album is now officially thicker than 'Hogwarts: A History'... and everyone's always told me stories and shown me memories, even, of both you and mum-'
'Sounds like you've been kept in very good hands,' Remus intoned gratefully, sending Estella another grateful look.
Teddy stepped away from his father in favour of wrapping his arms around his guardian's waist.
'The best!' he boasted, looking up adoringly at the young woman.
'Crawler,' Estella teased, ruffling the boy's hair before returning the embrace and planting a kiss on his brow. Looking over at her godfather, she chuckled dryly. 'He's only saying that because I know all the embarrassing stories!'
At her words, Teddy growled torturously and buried his face in his guardian's shoulder, lest his father see his blush. It didn't work, however, for his hair morphed as bright red as his ears, soliciting a groan of realisation from him when he heard Estella's snigger. But before anyone could make light of Teddy's embarrassment, a door opened and Harry's head appeared around the doorframe.
'Charlie Flooed,' he said urgently, looking at Estella significantly. 'The Horntails broke out of the enclosure-'
Estella deployed some words that would make a sailor blush, routinely covering the ears of her young charge, with his help. Remus' eyes were wide at the choice of language and he looked betwene his two former students, now almost as old as he, in question. Meanwhile, Estella spoke.
'Harry, if he hasn't already done so, can you Floo the Burrow and have Ron send the kids to Base Camp? I don't care what their grandmother says, but I promised Sirius I'd let him sit and watch with Teddy next time. The others can stay in the Visitor Tent Creche-'
'-I'll fetch them,' offered Harry. 'Just let me tell my pa-'
Estella cut him off.
'Oh no, I couldn't ask that!' she exclaimed, looking scandalised. 'I'm sure you want to get James and Lily home to meet Ginny-'
'Oh ho, and you think I'll hear the end of it from Jamie if you're letting his cousin watch while I'm staging a reunion at home?' said Harry, incredulous, their respective sons accustomed to doing most everything together, like their grandfathers before them. He shook his head. 'Besides, I've a feeling his namesake would be just as keen to see you and Charlie at work. I can have Ginny watch over the little ones at the Burrow-'
Estella cast her eyes over at her godfather assessingly. She stroked her chin thoughtfully.
'Yes, well I suppose it might make sense to introduce them to the others slowly, rather than throw everyone at them at once,' she mused. Nodding affirmatively, she made her decision. 'Let's do it.'
'Do what?' Remus asked with a slight frown.
'Go to Romania, of course,' Teddy informed him enthusiastically. Misinterpreting his father's blank look, he elaborated. 'That's where the Dragon Enclosure is-'
Remus nodded distractedly, his eyes locked on Estella.
'Oh, I gathered as such,' he told his son gently, before questioning his goddaughter directly. 'But what I do not understand is what you have to do with the dragons – they told me you worked in research!'
Teddy was just about to answer on behalf of his guardian when the woman beat him to it.
'Yes, I work in research... most of the time,' Estella supplied cryptically. She gave both Harry and Teddy pointed looks. 'If you want any more detail than that it'll have to wait until after – I have people relying on me out there and cannot risk the complication of you taking it a face value and trying to stop me from doing my job...'
Remus looked affronted.
'I'm sure whatever it is can't be too bad if those around you condone it,' he said reasonably.
'Oh, it's not,' Teddy assured his father. 'It just looks a little... bad...'
'I think I've got a little bad feeling about this,' Remus groaned. 'But given she's not gotten herself killed yet, I'll come along quietly.'
'We might need to hold you to that, Moony,' joked Harry, making a fast getaway; leaving to have their respective sons meet them in Romania.
End Chapter.
A/N: Well ain't those fighting last words from Moony? Now I hate to beg, but reviews would really cheer me up. Call me a dooms-dayer, call me a procrastinator, but the situation with the house I just bought (well, signed myself over to paying for for eternity with the bank) and all the repairs that are presently snowballing before I've even had a chance to unpack, are really getting me down. And that's saying nothing about my non-existent bank balance and complete and utter inability to return to the place where my heart truly lies (England), even for a holiday, anytime soon. *pouts* It's a darn shame no one's thought to give JK a nudge and have her set up a scholarship fund for struggling fanfic writers, who would dearly love the tuition to hone their creative minds into a tool that can be a little more financially productive.
