Remus expected Nymphadora to recoil in anger. His declaration was blunt, to say the least.
Instead, her expression softened. "You really believe that."
He watched her turn away to dress, uncertain how to take her calm response. "It's the truth," he said.
She fastened the button on her jeans and shrugged into a black tee. "Let's talk in the other room. Ori's been sleeping six hours between feedings the last couple of nights, and I don't want break the streak."
Remus didn't desire to wake the baby, either. He retrieved his shirt from the bathroom and entered the lounge.
Gitta was making tea. "You wishes a cup, Mister Lupin?"
"It's Remus, and yes, thank you."
"You is welcome, Mister Remus."
Nymphadora stood in the centre of the room, arms hugging her middle, but not crossed defensively. He took hope from that. "I can't begin to understand what it's been like for you," he said, "dealing with what happened, everything you were told, but if you'll listen—"
"No. You listen. Because they're using you, exactly the way they tried to use me."
Remus could have argued, but didn't. He needed to hear Nymphadora's misconceptions in order to counter them. He asked, "How?"
"Simple. The Order knew their Metamorphagus mum and baby needed a daddy to make them happy pawns." Her brief smile was wry. "And they chose the perfect wizard for the job."
Perfect? His heart beat faster. "What do you mean?"
Nymphadora closed the distance between them. "I don't remember much," she said. "Bits and pieces of memories in the day, dreams at night. I tried to pretend they weren't real, but after being with you, I know they are." Her eyes misted. "I know we loved each other."
"Always." He kissed her with all the tenderness in his heart. "Nothing will separate us again." He would make sure of it.
She nodded. "We'll leave. Go so far away they'll never find us. Be a family, you, me, Ori, and Gitta. I have money," she said when he opened his mouth to say they were already a family. "It's at another Gringotts. We'll travel there as soon as we can pack." Tears streamed down her face. "My mother's dead and I can't live for her anymore. Nothing I do will change the past. We'll forget it and make a new life together."
If he'd been the man she thought he was, he would have jumped at the offer. He cupped her face in his hands. "What about your memories?"
"We'll find a clinic—a Healer—it doesn't matter."
He'd seen how she suffered. "It does." He bent to kiss Nymphadora again, casting a wandless spell that was taken in with her next breath, circumventing any possible Shield Charm. She fell into his arms.
"Mistress Tere!" Gitta crossed the room in a twinkling. "What has you done?"
Remus gently lowered his wife to the floor and sat next to her, smoothing her hair away from her face. "She isn't hurt, she's in a deep sleep." He looked into round, troubled eyes and said, "It was the only thing I could do. She wouldn't listen." Stubborn and bold as any Gryffindor, his love fixed on a course and charged ahead.
"I is listening." Gitta's tone made it clear she expected answers.
He gave them, explaining what had happened. "You've lived in the wizarding world, you read the Prophet," he said. "You must be aware of the lies and manipulation Bellatrix was capable of."
Gitta said, "But Mistress has papers."
"Forged. Andromeda has the true birth certificates and a lifetime's photographs from Nymphadora's birth to Teddy's." Remus extended his hand. "I'll give a Wizard's Handshake—make an Unbreakable Vow if you like—to prove every word I've spoken is true."
A long-fingered hand clasped his. The muscles in his body tensed and then relaxed.
Gitta released his hand. "Elves gives truth-shakes, too." She patted Nymphadora's arm. "Poor Mistress, to be hurts by such an evil woman. How is we to helps her?"
"I'm not sure." His focus had been finding his family. He hadn't given thought to what would happen afterward. "There's St. Mungo's."
"Babies does not belongs in the Spell Damage ward," Gitta said with a shake of her head. "You can brings people here. A Healer. Madam Andromeda and the photographs."
Remus agreed separating Nymphadora from Teddy would do more harm than good. Using familiar faces and pictures to help jog memory was an excellent idea with one drawback. "This flat's too small," he said. "No offence, but someplace larger in London, in a more . . . convenient . . . location would better suit our needs."
"You has somewhere in mind?"
"Yes. It's a grim old place, but with your aid we could make one of the larger bedrooms a comfortable haven." He glanced around. "We'll need to use a shrinking spell on the furnishings, and send messages, make certain preparations." There were so many things to do in such a short period of time. First, he would send a Patronus to Andromeda, and who could contact Harry . . . .
Remus didn't realise he'd become lost in thought until he felt a touch on his arm.
"Mister Remus does not needs to worry. Gitta will helps and everything will gets done." Gitta patted his arm in much the same way she had Nymphadora's.
He smiled, grateful for her support.
-
She surfaced from the depths of sleep to hear a baby's cry. "Gitta," she said thickly, "Will you please bring Ori to me?" Tere couldn't open her eyes they were so heavy.
"Here, Mistress."
Tere didn't usually feed Ori in bed, but wasn't up to dragging herself to the rocking chair in the lounge. Her body felt weighted down.
Thank Merlin her baby didn't care where he nursed. She chuckled. "Reclining Mother and Child, they could title us like a painting or a sculpture." Paula Becker. Henry Moore. The names of artists came to mind in masculine tone. "Remus," she whispered. "Remus told me that."
"Mister Remus is a good man," Gitta said.
"Mmm . . . ." She dozed off for a few minutes and then awakened when a tiny grunt reminded her to shift her and Ori's positions so he could nurse on the other side. Eventually, she managed to open her eyes and focus properly. It took a couple of seconds to realise the wall at which she was staring wasn't dingy Magnolia-white. It was yellow, and further away from the bed.
Her eyes flickered upward. Her bedroom didn't have a high ceiling. Had Gitta used elvish magic to give the place a surprise makeover? The bed was the same, and the linens. Bumblebee wasn't her favourite colour palette, but Tere appreciated the thought. She waited for Ori to finish and sat up with him to thank her friend.
Remus was sitting in the rocking chair across the room—a large space with all her bits of furniture in it. He said, "Gitta's downstairs making tea."
"Downstairs." Somehow, she didn't think he meant the kitchen unit had been relocated to the entry hall. She pushed the duvet aside and started to ease out of bed. The hem of her jeans slid up. Silver glinted. Because she'd make Ori cry if she yelled, Tere asked carefully, "Why am I wearing a house arrest anklet?"
"For your protection."
She laughed without humour. "I can't do wandless magic. I'd say you were the one who needed protection."
Tere got out of bed and walked over to the window. "How long was I out?"
"Six hours."
The exact time she'd said Ori slept between feedings at night. Plenty of time for a kidnapping. Outside, darkness made it hard for her to distinguish anything more that she was looking down on an overgrown garden. "Where are we?"
"Still in London. Knockturn Alley wasn't a safe environment to—"
"Scramble my brains with a few more Memory Charms?" She put Ori on his back in the cot and checked his nappy. It was dry. A few sharp turns of a knob sent the mobile of Heffalumps and Kneazles to spinning. "I guess you love me, but not that much."
"You're wrong. I love you more than life itself."
She turned and found him standing a couple of metres away. Soft-footed bastard. "Good," she said harshly, "because I'd like to kill you." She backed against the cot when he took a step toward her. "Stay away from me!" Anger and disappointment made her throat ache. "I don't need spells to hurt you."
He moved closer. "Hit me. I deserve it for not protecting you, for not being there to stop Bellatrix from hurting you."
More lies. She tried to shove him away.
His arms wrapped around her tight.
For the baby's sake, Tere didn't scream as she tried to squirm and twist out of his hold. It wasn't because she was crying. She changed tactics and let her body go limp.
Her sudden dead weight caught Remus off guard and sent them toppling to the floor. He took the brunt of the fall and rolled to pin her down. His face was wet with tears. "Nothing could ever hurt me more than losing you. I woke from a living death to find a corpse with your face lying beside me." His eyes were dark, his expression tortured. "It was the worst moment of my life." He kissed her brow, her cheek. "I won't lose you again. I can't."
His lips parted hers and she responded, giving up the battle against her emotions. The Order might be her enemy, but Remus wasn't. Everything he'd done was because he loved her, and Merlin help her, she couldn't fight him any longer.
Their kiss tasted salty, a mingling of tears. She loved his mouth and the glide of his tongue. The feel of his body on hers awakened needs remembered only from dreams. She wanted to satisfy them in reality.
He groaned when she arched beneath him. "Not like this."
"Then lock the door."
Pressed against him so intimately, Tere could literally feel his muscles tighten even as he said, "Are you sure?"
"I'll do it myself if you let me up."
He looked flattered and regretful. "There's no Muggle lock."
"I can prop a chair under the handle."
She was kissing his smiling mouth when the door opened.
"Mistress? You has—"
A voice cut through Gitta's. "I don't need to be announced. I'm Dora's mother!" A gasp rang out. "Dora! What's happened? Dora!"
Tere closed her eyes. "Tell her to go away," she said. "I don't want to see her. My name's not Dora and she's not my mother!" The tones were similar, but different as day and night, weak and strong.
A fretful cry rent the air.
"Teddy! Nana's precious boy! Let me hold you."
Tere grabbed Remus' shoulders and pushed him to the side, rising to her feet to yell, "Don't touch my son, you bitch!"
-
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A/N: Nice view from cliffs. You can see all the way to England and Australia, and exotic places like Tennessee and South Dakota, heh. There are only a couple of more chapters in the story, so I have to enjoy the scenery (i.e. readers' reactions) while I can. :D Thanks to adrienne hope, alix33, Calenmarwen, Carnivalgirl, Don'tCallMeNymphadora4, giftedfred, iheartmoony7, ishandtwofourths, Lira-leigh54, Lupanari, MAD4moony7, Moontime, RedCloakedMaiden, Rose of the West, Siriusmunchkin, tambrathegreat, Temperance 'Joy' Brennan, and TillTheLastRoseDies for reviewing the last chapter. You've made my holidays more merry and bright, and I hope Father Christmas/Santa Baby puts you at the top of the Nice list, even if you've otherwise been naughty. ;)