Chapter Ten – Fallen Rose
"Good morning," Remus Lupin greeted his wife and one-year-old son, Alexander. He kissed Tonks on the cheek and ruffled the baby boy's hair. "What's for breakfast?"
"Whatever you make," Tonks said, grinning. "Sorry, Remus, I haven't had time to make anything yet. Alex has kept me busy."
Lupin smiled down at the little boy, who knew nothing but mischief. "That's okay," he said. "I can whip something up." He pulled out his wand and flicked it casually. In seconds, the table was set for three with plates of sausage and biscuits.
The family set down at the table and plates were passed from one to another. Alex immensely enjoyed ripping apart his biscuit, rather than eating it. Conversation flowed nicely, as it always did.
Remus couldn't have been happier with his life. He and Tonks had married shortly after the final battle and, three months later, Tonks had announced that she was pregnant. Remus had been terrified at first. He was forty-years old, far too old to have a small child. But, surprisingly, he was able to keep up with Alex just fine. In a way, Tonks and Alex had made Remus younger.
"So what's on the schedule today?" Remus asked, putting a mound of gravy on his sausage.
"Well," said Tonks, pushing her auburn hair (she'd decided pink wasn't an appropriate color for a mother) out of her heart-shaped face. "I think Alex and I are going to go to St. Mungo's and visit Molly. Then, I was planning on going to see Kingsley about getting another job at the ministry. There just aren't enough dark wizards for me to catch anymore. Sirius Alexander Lupin, stop that right now!"
Alex started tossing his destroyed biscuit at his parents saying, "Presents! Here, Mummy! Here, Daddy! Present!"
After calming the boy, Tonks said, "What about you? What are you doing today?"
"Not much, I suppose," Lupin sighed. "I might go to Diagon Alley and pick up a few things for my class."
Lupin now worked as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. McGonagall, the Head Mistress, had begged him to return, and he'd agreed. Surprisingly, not many parents had complained about having a werewolf teaching their children. Of course, he had obtained a certain degree of fame since the last battle, in which he'd killed Wormtail.
"If you do go," Tonks said, "Pick up a few things for me. There's a list on the counter."
"No problem."
About an hour later, Tonks and Alex departed for St. Mungo's, with Alex, always excited, singing, "Mungo's, Mungo's. We go Mungo's."
Remus was preparing to leave for Diagon Alley when there was an unexpected knock on the door. "Coming," he called, walking into the living room. Who on earth would be visiting him? He didn't have any idea.
He opened the door to find seven teenagers on his porch. Surprised, Lupin said, "Hello."
"We have to talk to you," said Harry, who was in the front. He hurried past Lupin and entered the living room.
His companions, who consisted of Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Draco Malfoy – to Lupin's surprise -, a girl he recognized as a nurse from St. Mungo's, and a blond girl he didn't know, followed Harry, with Hermione muttering, "Sorry to barge in like this, but it is rather important."
There wasn't enough seating room in the living room, so Lupin suggested that they go set at the kitchen table. "Now, what is this about?" he asked, seating himself across from Harry and between the nurse – who Harry had introduced as Riley – and Ron.
"This," Harry said, slowly, "is Caroline." He gestured to the blond girl on Draco's right. "Caroline Malfoy."
Lupin sat stock still. He stared in awe at the young girl, not believing his own ears. "Caroline," he whispered. "Oh, God. I knew this would happen someday."
"So you know who she is?" Hermione said.
Lupin nodded. "I know."
"Well, that's good," said Harry, "because we came to you for answers. Here." He handed Lupin a photo.
Glancing down, Lupin saw two people he recognized. Sirius Black and Rose Evans. He sighed. "This was taken at your parents' wedding. I remember that day. So I guess you're here to know about Rose. Is that right?"
"Yes," said Caroline, peering at him intently. "You knew my mother?"
Lupin nodded again. "I did." He sighed. "Okay, let me tell you what I can and save your questions until I'm done." Once the teenagers had agreed, Lupin took a deep breath, looked down at the photo again, and began. "Rose was Lily's younger sister. She was about two years younger. She wasn't like Petunia. She loved that Lily was a witch, and she always wished she was one. Mr. and Mrs. Evans let her come to Hogsmeade sometimes, and we'd see her on our trips into town. She was beautiful, like Lily, and kind and warm. Sirius was in love with her. He had been since he met her in our seventh year.
"That, along with many things, is why Sirius was disowned. Being in love with a muggle was a sin in the eyes of the Blacks, so Sirius went to live with James, but he was too embarrassed to tell Rose how he felt. Isn't it funny? Sirius Black, who every girl wanted, was afraid to tell one girl how he felt." Lupin shook his head reminiscently. "I never understood him, but that's beside the point. Rose and he were close, even after he left Hogwarts.
"Rose and Lily had a great relationship. She was maid of honor at Lily and James wedding. She was so funny and sweet. It was easy to see why Sirius loved her. The only problem with Rose was that she fell in love easily. Poor Sirius. Rose was attractive, so a lot of guys went after her. She'd fall for them and when it ended, she was crushed. She'd always lean on Sirius, though. He got her through a lot.
"Not many muggles hung around wizards, but Rose, who knew so much about our world, blended in well. She could have passed for a witch – and a few times she did. She'd lie and say she was a witch, and no one questioned her. Sirius and James thought it was a laugh, but Lily was a worrier. She always feared that something would happen to Rose." Lupin ran his fingers over the photo, his gray eyes stormy.
"When Voldemort started searching for the Potters," Lupin continued, "it became dangerous. Lily begged Rose to go into hiding with them, but Rose refused, saying that she'd be fine, and promising not to betray them. I really didn't see her for a while after that. About five or six months later, she showed up on Lily and James doorstep, three months pregnant. She never said who the father was. I guess now we know." He looked from Caroline to Draco. "That makes sense. We knew that he'd left her, and she was torn to pieces about it.
"Rose moved in with Sirius, who didn't want her living alone. He was worried about her and the baby. Then they started to see each other. I really think Rose fell in love with Sirius, but she was so scarred from her failed relationship that things were rocky. She was paranoid that someone would come after, though she never said who. She kept Sirius at arms length, never letting him in or talking to him. I think it hurt him a lot, but his main concern was her happiness." Lupin lowered his head.
"Her baby was born in August, and Sirius said he'd care for it as his own, but that didn't happen. Rose took the baby and ran off. That was the last time I saw her. She was killed by Death Eaters a month later. It's obvious why, now. Malfoy must have killed her to protect his secret. Had Voldemort known, Malfoy would have been dead.
"The baby, Caroline, went to an orphanage. We found her, finally, and the plan was for her to go live with Lily and James, but a few weeks later, they were killed. The Dursleys had no idea she existed, and they wouldn't have taken her if they had. Petunia had cut off contact with Rose because she had so much to do with magic. Besides, we were already forcing them to take care of Harry. We had two parentless children. Sirius wanted her, but shortly after, he was put in Azkaban. I was too dangerous to take her, and we all thought Peter was dead. She had to stay in the orphanage. Luckily, not long after, an American family took her in."
Lupin looked at Caroline. "I never thought I'd see you again," he said, tears in his eyes. "But you grew up nicely." He looked away, and when he looked back the tears were gone.
"It was my mother," said Draco. Everyone looked at him. "It was my mother who got the Stratfords to take Caroline. She knew father had had an affair. She knew about Caroline's birth."
Lupin nodded. "Sirius always said that Narcissa had an ounce of humanity in her, even if Lucius forced it out of her. I guess he was right."
"I knew she was your mother's sister," Hermione told Harry. "And that explains why you couldn't live with her rather than the Dursleys."
"Believe me, Harry," Lupin sighed, "if we had any other choice, we wouldn't have sent you to them."
"Do you still want to meet him?" Draco demanded suddenly. Remus looked over quickly to see what was going on.
Caroline looked at Draco, her eyes wide. "What?" she asked.
"Do you still want to meet him?" Draco asked again. "Do you really want to meet the man who abandoned you? This is the man who killed your mother."
"He's my father, Draco," Caroline said, forcefully. "He's done a lot of bad things, terrible things, but he's my father. I don't believe that he'll be able to look at me and reject me. No father can do that to a child."
Lupin kept his mouth shut. He could see that Draco was trying to protect his sister, but Caroline did have a right to meet her father, even if he was Lucius Malfoy. But Caroline's hopes were too high. Lucius was not the man Caroline was expecting, and everyone knew it but her.
"Thank you," Caroline said, turning to face Lupin. She reached across the table and placed a soft hand on his arm. "Thank you for telling me who my mother was, and thank you for caring about me. It really means a lot."
Remus gave a soft smile. "You're welcome," he said.
Author's Note: Okay, I hope that was satisfying. This chapter's song is "The Difficult Kind" by Sheryl Crow. It's a great song and it is a good choice to describe the relationship between Sirius and Rose. Rose loved him, but she was so scarred by Lucius that it wasn't easy for either of them.
I think I was wrong.
I think you were right.
All my angry words.
Keep me up at night.
Through the old screen door.
I still hear you say.
Honey won't you stop.
Treating me that way.
If you could only see.
What love has made of me.
Then I'd no longer be.
In your mind.
The difficult kind.
Because babe I've changed.
Tell it to me slow.
Tell me with your eyes.
If anyone should know.
How to let it slide.
I swear I can see you.
Coming up the drive.
There ain't nothing like regret.
To remind you you're alive.
If you could only see
What love has made of me.
Then I'd no longer be.
In your mind.
The difficult kind.
Because babe I've changed.
I crossed the canyons.
A thousand times.
I never noticed what was mine.
What you remember
Of me tonight.
It almost makes me cry.
It almost makes me cry.
Oh, God breaking moon.
Ridiculed and scarred.
The older I get.
The closer you are.
Don't you got somewhere.
That you need to be.
Instead of hanging here.
Making a fool of me.
If you could only see.
What love has made of me.
Then I'd no longer be
In your mind
The difficult kind.
You won't see.
The change in me.
If you could only see.
What love has made of me.
Well, I'll forever be.
In your mind.
The difficult kind.
You won't see.
No, you won't see.
The good in me.
Because babe I've changed.
Babe, I've changed.