MUST READ FOR STORY TO MAKE ANY SENSE WHATSOEVER: SCRAP ALL AGES OKAY? IT'S NOT WORTH THE MENTAL HEADACHE. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT DON'T READ THIS STORY! Sorry for replacing the chapter again, we had a slight breakdown over ages and we fixed it later in the story but not in the earlier part.
Remus stumbled through the fire to find the sisters sat down together, Jamie hugging one of James' old jumpers and Elizabeth rocking Harry gently in her arms. "He doesn't sleep if we put him down, all he does is cry." Elizabeth said as if to explain both her actions and why the two girls were up so late with the child. Jamie piped up through her sobs.
"More like you're too scared to put him down in case he disappears". Remus took both girls into his arms and promised silently that nothing would ever happen to these children on his watch.
"Uncle Remus where's Dad? He said he'd be home after coming to get you." Jamie suddenly questioned.
"He was right behind me. He'll be back soon I'm sure…" Remus trailed off as it dawned on him that that the Potter's house was shielded by the fidelius charm and, as far as he knew, Sirius was the secret keeper. He wouldn't betray the Potters, would he? A feeling of dread slowly crept through Remus until it settled in the pit of his stomach. It was Sirius' fault; he was the reason that James and Lily were dead.
"Your dad… was the secret keeper wasn't he? I hate to even question his loyalty but is there any chance he told Voldemort?" Remus tentatively asked, knowing the girls would defend Sirius until the end.
"No of course not, how could you even think that? It was the rat, Peter fucking Pettigrew!" Elizabeth scowled at her uncle, she knew he meant well but to question their father was a baseless accusation.
Before Elizabeth or Jamie could continue chewing their uncle out they were interrupted by a sudden screech from a ministry owl bearing a letter in his claws. When opened, the voice of Barty Crouch, head of the DMLE rang out in the silent flat:
Dear Miss E Black,
We regret to inform you that your father, Sirius Orion Black, has been arrested for the murder of one Mr. Peter Pettigrew on the night of October 31st 1981. The suspect in question is currently in transport to Azkaban to live out a life sentence. As Miss J Black is a minor not yet attending Hogwarts, someone will arrive in the next few days to assess your new living arrangements. If this arrangement is found to be unsuitable for a young child, Miss Black will be removed from your care and placed with your closest living relatives, the Malfoy family.
Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Barty Crouch
Head of the DMLE
As the voice cut off Remus hugged the young girl as she looked towards her elder sister with fear. "I don't want to go! Please don't let them take me away" She sobbed. Elizabeth looked at her little sister with stricken look on her face and tears in her eyes.
"Sweetheart, with the way this letter sounds, it looks like they're going to find our arrangement lacking no matter what we do to convince them. I'm so sorry but we may not have a choice." Elizabeth could imagine no greater pain than that caused by the terror on Jamie's face, but she knew that there was no way they could come out of this situation as a family no matter how hard they fought.
Remus saw that the girls were resigned to their new found fates and growled "I will not let the two of you be separated due to your father's stupidity. From here on in I will take care of you three, it's what your parents would have wanted. Regardless of what Sirius does, I will always love you three as will James and Lily."
*Time Skip 1 Month*
The newly discovered family of four found themselves at Lief Cottage. "So this is it, our new home. Liz are you sure this is what you want?" Remus asked the 18 year old uneasily, after all, who would want to be forced into forgoing their education after Hogwarts simply to care for a child that was not theirs?
"Remus, I think between the two of us and Jamie we are perfectly capable of bringing up a child." Elizabeth replied, while holding Harry closely. Once assured, Lupin opened the front door.
Although the house was slightly small there was enough space to raise a child; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a decent sized living room and a kitchen diner. Jamie took Harry from Elizabeth and carried him into their room, while Remus and Elizabeth had what they called an 'adult conversation'. Once finished they split up, Remus headed for the kitchen and Elizabeth, after warning him not to touch the oven, approached her room. As she entered she gasped in shock as her, once tidy, room looked like what could only be described as a bomb site; clothes strewn all over the floor and a giggling one year old sitting in the middle of it all. As if appearing out of nowhere Jamie called "I've got days and you have nights!"
"Damn it Jamie you're 10. Don't I get a say?" Elizabeth scowled at the grin on Jamie's face.
"Nope. I've been keeping an eye on him since you went and excluded me from your little conversation with Remus and so now I get to decide when and where you have to take care of Harry." Elizabeth sighed in exasperation but realised that she truly had no say in the matter.
*Time Skip 4 years*
Entering the flat Elizabeth dropped the bags of shopping she was carrying in shock. "Look at my wall. LOOK AT MY WALL," Elizabeth growled in anger "Remus John Lupin you let a five year old near my wall with permanent marker. What happened last time you let Harry near anything unsupervised?" Remus looked dejected and answered her quietly.
"The house got a new colour scheme?"
"And that is exactly my point!" She yelled. A loud wailing noise had Elizabeth rushing over to Harry. "No not you sweetie. THAT adult was supposed to keep you out of trouble" she rounded on Remus and asked "What was is this time, Dickens or Shakespeare?" Remus held the book up with a sheepish look and replied.
"Neither… Eoin Colfer." In a flash the book went up in flames and Elizabeth stood there smirking maliciously.
"This is why you don't mess with the walls." Elizabeth scowled "Oh and Remus, you owe me new ice cream."
*Time Skip to Christmas*
"Jamie, Jamie wake up." Harry squealed as he bounced on top of his elder sister, "It's Christmas!"
"Geroff Harry, it's not Christmas till an acceptable time! Come here and go back to sleep" She lifted up the duvet and let her little brother snuggle in before drifting back to sleep. Only to be woken up ten minutes later by her child of an older sister.
"JAMIE WAKE UP! IT'S CHRISTMAS" Scowling the younger girl sat up and glared as she hunted for her glasses.
"I'm up! Dammit I'm up" Picking Harry up she carried him into the living room only for him to wiggle out of her arms and dive straight under the Christmas tree with a war cry of "PRESENTS". The girls watched on fondly as Remus stumbled from his bedroom towards the kitchen with a grunt that sounded suspiciously like "coffee".
"Harry, you have to wait until everyone is here and at least partially awake okay? And then you can give everyone their presents" Elizabeth said gently. Harry grumbled but relented, coming to sit by his sisters as they waited for their dad to come out of his zombie like state. After his second cup of coffee, Remus rejoined his family in the living room prompting the black haired boy to once again break free from his sisters and go for the presents.
After presents were opened and wrapping paper destroyed, Jamie took it upon herself to make breakfast as her dad and sister hunted for batteries because, although they were wizards there was still no alternative and the little family never seemed to have any in. The peace of the morning was only broken with a banging from the kitchen that signaled to Elizabeth that, either breakfast was done or Jamie had broken something. As she entered the kitchen all she heard was, "Since when was that door fucking there?" She glanced up to see her sister hopping round rubbing her big toe which she had obviously stubbed on the door. "Breakfast is ready by the way" Jamie added as she glared at the pile of plates on the table.
"I'll get the children, just make sure dad has his next cup of coffee ready okay!" Elizabeth said with a little smirk.
*Time skip to that evening*
They had put Harry to bed a short while ago and the three remaining family members curled up on their designated chairs; Remus nursing a cup of coffee while reclining on his lazy boy, Jamie sprawled across their couch with a mug of hot chocolate whilst Elizabeth was curled up in her armchair already on her second mug of hot chocolate. Their eyes were glued to the television watching The Muppet Christmas Carol with Elizabeth singing along quietly under her breath.
Soft footsteps padded down the hall as a red eyed Harry Potter walked into the room clutching his new dog plush. All three sets of eyes immediately swiveled to the child as Jamie dashed over to check if he was okay. "Harry? Harry honey what's wrong? Are you alright?" Jamie held his face in her hands and wiped away the fast flowing tears. Her quick movement sparked action in her sister and father figure as they rushed over to tend to the crying child. Remus was the first to try and guess what was upsetting Harry so much.
"Harry, was it a nightmare? Is that what's gotten you so worked up?" Harry gave a small nod as Elizabeth picked him up and brought him back to his room with Remus and Jamie following.
The subject of what happened in his nightmare was not broached until Elizabeth had put Harry back in bed and the three sat down with him. "Honey, do you want to tell us what it was about?" Jamie asked, Harry looked petrified and shook his head vigorously before leaping into Remus' arms and nuzzling into his chest. Elizabeth and Jamie thought it best to leave the room and allow Remus time to comfort the child, so they returned to the living room to tidy up. Remus didn't leave Harry's room and, when the girls called in to check on him before going to bed themselves, they found Remus fast asleep with Harry curled comfortably on his chest. Both girls smiled softly before retiring to bed.
*Time Skip 2 years*
Harry glanced around in awe as he was pushed through the barrier to platform 9 ¾, he tried to speed up but was pulled back by the hand that was placed gently on his shoulders, "Harry, we've still got 10 minutes until the train arrives, we don't have to run" Remus said indulgently as he tried to hold onto the seven year old. Elizabeth followed behind them at a more sedate pace but still excited to see her little sister who was coming home for her last ever Easter holiday. Harry suddenly lurched forward as he saw the glistening red train finally arrive at the platform only to be pushed out of the way by a gaggle of red headed children followed by a screaming red headed demon. He felt his elder sister grab onto his shoulders and hold onto him with a fierce glare on her face that softened when she saw her little sister step off the train.
"JAMIE" Harry bellowed and he sprinted towards his sister. "I've missed you so much!"
"I've missed you too Harry." She looked back at her friends and waved goodbye before she picked up her little brother giving him a giant kiss on the cheek and holding him close. She hugged her father and her sister "Let's go home".