Chapter Two: Visits and Training; Where we learn more about Petunia's latent magic.

Remus began coming over on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons. The routine suited the four of them well. He would come in the back door disillusioned and help Petunia feed the boys lunch. He would then play with them for a short while and help them control their magic. After this he would talk to Petunia and help her to figure out her own Magic.

It was a Monday about six months after the first visit when Remus brought it up. "Petunia, you really need a wand if we are going to train you properly. You can do some wandless magic. But you need the focus that the wand provides. It will also allow you to do more difficult spell work." He was sitting on the living room floor playing with toy cars with the boys. "I think that we are ready to, no boys! No levitating cars. You can not do that. To move on to proper spell work for you. Transfiguration, charms, simple warding to protect your magical things."

"But Remus," Petunia was working to get the cars back to their proper non-magical form. "If Vernon finds a wand, or any other magical item, we are going to be in so much trouble."

"Petunia, you will be in more danger without one. We both know that. Now, on my next visit we will go to Diagon Ally to get you a wand. We can also pick up some other ingredients for the potions that we need to make as well as get Harry's glasses fixed. Is that alright?" Remus looked up at Petunia determinedly. He knew that this was necessary to protect the two little boys and her. He was eager to train her to do that.

"Alright Remus. I will allow this. But, we had better go there. How will I find you?" Petunia sighed resignedly.

Remus began to explain to her how to get to the leaky cauldron. Together they planned the excursion and how to glamour Harry so that he wouldn't be noticed by everyone else. He then laid the Harry back into his bed and kissed him on the forehead, as well as Dudley. With a nod and small smile to Petunia, he disillusioned himself and was gone.

After his visit with Petunia that day, Remus went straight to Hogwarts. He ascended to the Headmasters office with the intent to speak with him. As he approached the guardian gargoyle he realized that he didn't know the password. So, Remus settled for guessing. "umm, snickers? Fizzing Whizbees? Butterfinger? Ice Mice? No… he wouldn't use something that easily guessed, would he? Oh what the heck. Lemon Drops." With that word the gargoyle slipped to the side revealing the revolving stair case. Remus shook his head as he stepped onto the bottom step and began the ride up. Arriving at the top he lightly knocked on the door, knowing that the portraits would have let the headmaster know that he was coming. "Come in Remus." The Headmaster's voice came through the door.

"Hello Albus. How are you this evening?" Remus asked in greeting as he stepped through the door.

"I am well, I am well. Do sit down." He said conjuring Remus' favorite chair. "Would you care for a lemon drop?"

"Yes, thank you. That would be wonderful." He reached to accept the offered candy.

"Well, what have you come to speak to me about?" For once, the busy headmaster didn't beat around the bush.

"I need a job sir. Something solid and steadfast, that would bring me a steady income. Is there anything that I can do here for you, at the school?" The werewolf asked hopefully.

Albus Dumbledore sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "My dear boy, I can't help you with that. The board would not allow it. A werewolf would not be allowed to live near so many children. We would both be in trouble if they found out about that. However, perhaps you could ask Severus to allow you to brew for him. That would provide you with a job and it could easily be scheduled around the days that you need off for the full moon. You, Severus, and Lily were all top of your potions class. I know that you would be good at this. He has many easier potions that are always needed by Poppy and others of his private endeavors. Go ask him."

"Thank you, professor. This is much appreciated. I will come by and speak with you later. Have a good evening, sir." Remus thanked his mentor earnestly.

"I will expect to see you soon. Congratulations on the success of the potion. That is a relief for all of us. Have a good evening." The headmaster dismissed him gently.

Remus walked to the dungeons with high hopes and a case of nerves. He was eager to speak with Severus, but he was unsure of whether or not he would be allowed to touch his good friend's precious potions. That was something that he wasn't sure would be allowed. Severus Snape coveted his beloved brewing. They were like his children and most prized possessions all rolled into one. All too soon he arrived at the entrance to Severus' quarters. Remus knocked on the heavy wooden door.

"Enter." The sharp but silky smooth voice called from the other side.

"Good afternoon Severus." Remus called as he entered the office. He looked around confused as he saw no one in the office.

"Just a moment and I will be there. I am in the lab and can't be disturbed." Severus' voice came from nowhere again. It was a tad unsettling for Remus to hear his friend but not see him. However he knew that it was probably just a spell like those muggle speaker things that he experienced with Lily and Petunia while staying at their house the summer before seventh year. He looked around the office but his mind was elsewhere. Remus needed this job. He needed to be able to support Petunia and the two boys if they had to leave. He knew that Harry was being abused. And it was affecting Dudley and Petunia as well. Though they were not abused directly, the emotional toll was high for them. He couldn't find an ordinary job in the wizarding world as people were loathe to hire a werewolf. And he would not last long in the muggle world being gone three days each month. He would be fired in the second month, if not the first. This was his only hope. He was unable to receive his inheritance unless the lycanthropy was gone. Remus knew that the chances of that happening were one in a billion.

Remus was pulled from his thoughts by a bookcase in the back of the office sliding to the side. From the dark tunnel he saw his tall, dark haired friend emerged. "Wolf, what brings you to my quarters at this time of day? And in the middle of the week no less. I take it you wish for me to do you a….favor?" Severus sneered.

'Crap, I interrupted his potions and he is in a bad mood. This will not bode well for my asking for a job.' "Well," he began nervously but calmly, "I need a job. I was wondering if you needed any help with your potions."

"Ask the headmaster for a job. I have no use for incompetent dunderheads exploding cauldrons full of expensive ingredients in my private labs. Even if they are grown up dunderheads." Severus was already turning back towards the entrance to his private quarters.

"Wait! I have already talked to the headmaster. He said I could not work for the school because of my furry little problem. The board of governors would not allow me to. That is why he sent me to you. That way I would be working for you directly." Remus said quickly.

"I already told you Remus, now I have to get back to…" Severus began in his snarky and short tempered voice.

"It's about Harry, Petunia, and her son." Remus said softly and almost inaudibly.

"STOP!" Severus snapped. "Come with me." With a sharp turn on his heel and a snap of his robes Severus began to disappear into the dark tunnel. Remus quickly followed him and heard the bookcase snap closed behind him. He followed closely to Severus finding it very hard to see down the tunnel. He stumbled and reached for Severus' shoulder to remain upright.

Honestly!" Severus snapped and grabbed hold of the werewolf's arm. He walked briskly still, though a bit more carefully. He realized that his wolf friend didn't know where he was going as well as he did, but he would never admit that. "Stop." Severus began to take down the wards with a wave of his wand. "Alright, you may enter now." He opened the door and the two men stepped through. "I will shut off the floo, then we will be safe to talk." He flicked his wand several times followed by a swirl and the floo closed off in a flare of purple fire. "Now, you found Potter and Petunia?"

"Yes, I thought I smelled something similar to James along with fear and pain. So I came back the next day. It was Harry. Vernon dursley has been abusing him. Petunia is doing what she can for him, but I do not know how much she can do in the situation. She also came into her magical powers, I do not know how, but she did. I have been going over to her home three times a week and playing with the boys and teaching her magic. We have mastered some wandless, but she really needs a wand. We will be going to Diagon Alley on my next visit to see them. When I found her she had been depleting her magical stores brewing healing potions in her attic of all places. Her Attic! What shocked me was that she had Lily's old books and was brewing everything from bruise balm to skelegrow to heal Harry's injuries. She has a lot of power. Her son Dudley is also a wizard. She has been brewing a magical signature masking potion and giving it to him every week as well." Remus informed Severus of what had been going on while pacing the floor in front of the fire place.

Severus had been watching him and listening intently, but at this he had to speak up. "She has been doing what! She brewed potions in her ATTIC! And was making complex healing potions! That is dangerous. She could have set the house of fire. She could have killed them all with that. And how was she able to brew those potions correctly. I will have to check them. She could totally deplete her magical core if she is not trained." Severus was ranting now.

"I realize that. She is no longer brewing. I have been making the potions that she needs for her. I just bring them to her as I finish them." Remus interrupted.

"You have been brewing them?" Severus interrupted incredulously.

"Yes I have. You do realize that I am good at brewing potions, correct?" Remus added scathingly and rather defensively.'

"Fine, fine. Yes, you are… adequate… at brewing potions. It is acceptable work and you do not tend to explode things." Severus conceded.

"Have I ever exploded a cauldron in the time that you have known me? I do believe that I was there and assisting with the wolf's bane potion, was I not?" Do not be too quick to throw me in with my friends' abilities, or lack thereof, at this subject." Remus shot back.

"Yes, I understand. You are a capable brewer." Severus began to explain. "However, I would appreciate if you would allow me to look over the magical signature blocker before you administer anymore. I would also like to examine the child if possible. This is a very volatile and dangerous potion. It could seriously disable the magical core of the person that it is used on, especially children. Even the dark lord is not aware of this potion. It is something that Lils and I invented especially for the war effort." Severus ran a hand over his face.

"I see. I will talk to Petunia. Also, Pet is afraid that if she gets a wand, Vernon will discover it and hurt her and the boys. That is why I need this job. I need to be able to support her until she gets on her feet again. Is there anything that you have for me to do?"

"Yes, I am very busy lately. Poppy has been demanding more and more medical potions. That combined with my independent orders and researchers are overwhelming me." Severus seemed more tired than normal as he let his mask fall for a moment. "Since you seem informed and well versed at medicinal potions, I would appreciate the help with Poppy's orders. If you have time, I will allow you to assist with my independent orders. I will show you the connection to my home from these quarters. You may stay there, or at your own home and I will connect the floo. If you are not staying or working here at the school, then the board of govoners can not complain about you being a danger to the students. I will accept you as my assistant brewer. We will talk about the other issue at a later date. I assume that you have not informed the headmaster yet?" At this the mask slid back into place.

"No I have not informed Albus. I fear that if I do mention it to him that he will obliviate me and put charms on the house that will block us from entering. One thing that you should know, Arabella Figg is posing as an old squib woman and watching the house. We are using disillusionment charms and the back door for my teaching her and seeing the boys. It keeps Arabella from asking questions." Remus was watching as Severus filled out the parchment that acted as the magical binding of employer to employee.

As Severus finished filling out the form he signed it and passed it to Remus. Remus, too, signed the form and handed it back. It was magically sealed with both their wands. "you must now take this to Albus. The school still covers most of your salary as you are to be brewing for the school. The rest of the salary will come from my grant for research. I will floo you in the morning once everything is settled here at Hogwarts." Severus walked Remus to the floo, reactivating it and un warding the fireplace.

"Thank you Severus, I am eager to work with you." Remus took a pinch of floo powder and threw it into the fire. "Good Evening Severus and thank you." With that he stepped in to the fire. "Headmaster's office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." And in a burst of green flame he was gone.

Severus reactivated his wards and went back to his brewing. 'this is going to get more difficult before it gets better. But, perhaps some good will come of this. Merlin! Now I am sounding like that doddering old fool!'

Remus arrived in the headmasters in a burst of green flame and soot. He stepped from the fireplace and dusted himself off. He straightened his care worn robes and nodded to the headmaster. "Hello sir."

"Hello again Remus, I trust that all went well for you with Severus?" Albus Dumbledore said looking up from his work on his cluttered desk.

"Yes sir, all is well. I have a magical contract here to present to you. I hope that you will accept this as headmaster of the school. I will be brewing potions for Mme. Pomfrey at an off site location. That is what will be done for and covered by the school. For Severus personally, I will be doing extraneous jobs with his oversight and at his discretion. That is to be paid from his grant. This is for your perusal and I hope that you will accept the contract sir." Remus presented formally, bowing slightly.

Albus stood to accept the magical contract. It unrolled for his perusal. He read the scroll carefully and noted the signatures before adding his own signature and magical acceptance. The scroll then rolled back up and resealed with Severus' seal. Albus then added his own wax closure and the seal of the Hogwarts Headmaster. He formally said," I accept this contract." In a burst of magic, the contract disappeared, to file itself at the ministry of magic. "On to more pleasant matters, would you care for a lemon drop?" Albus asked as he shifted through his paperwork and put it in the appropriate drawers.

"No sir. Thank you though. Severus will be taking me to his home to show me the lab, set the wards, and begin brewing this weekend. We are very eager to begin." Remus gave the bare minimum of what was going on and cleared his mind of what else they would be doing.

Good, good. This will help Severus. I am very pleased with this arrangement. Please inform me of how things go." The headmaster answered, looking directly in to Remus' eyes.

"I must go, I have several things to clear up in preparation of setting up for this job. Thank you Albus, for everything. I truly appreciate all you have done for me." Remus sincerely thanked his former professor as he ran his fingers through his hair. He knew that he owed the headmaster a lot and he truly respected him. He didn't like lying to him, but he knew that he had to do this to protect Harry, Dudley, and Petunia.

"I shall see you another day then. Good day, Remus." The headmaster answered softly before turning back to his work.

"Good day albus. I shall see you later." Remus answered rising from his seat. He stepped into the floo and called out "Lupin Residence" before disappearing in a burst of green flame.