Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any profit off of this series. However, I will do my best to portray them to the best of my abilities.
Please, please comment! I'd really like to know how you're feeling about this part of the story, good or bad.
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When Katherine found Remus she was somehow not very surprised to find her Uncle with him, nor was she perplexed by the apologetic look on her best friend's face. She sighed and walked up to them, looking at her Uncle, "No, don't tell me, just let me guess." She closed her eyes and held up her wrists face up, "Just get it over with, and remember if you really want to get all my blood it's side to side not up and down."
Remus looked abashed.
Her Uncle looked at her sympathetically, "I understand that you're a bit tired after today, but I'm afraid that I have bad news."
Katherine waved her hand in the air in a, "get it over with" gesture.
"I have been talking with your grandmother as well as some people from the ministry and aurors… and we believe it would be in your best interest if you weren't to go back to living in Dumbledore manor. We feel you would be much safer if kept in a safe house with aurors around to protect you since you have undoubtedly incurred the wrath of he-who-shall-not-be-named." Albus said, looking slightly apologetic himself.
Katherine just blinked for a moment, visions of practical imprisonment buzzing through her brain like some sort of demented slide show. She opened her mouth to say something… anything… when.
"However, Remus and I have been talking, and he believes that if you were willing that you would be just as safe if you were to move in with him and Sirius at the new Order of the Phoenix headquarters. There are plenty of rooms, and at least you would not have to live with strangers. Sirius and Remus both have experience fighting the dark arts, so you would be well protected." Albus smiled at her, "What do you think?"
Katherine looked from Albus to Remus.
Remus smiled at her, and for a moment the light of the crescent moon was behind him giving him an ethereal glow.
That was very appropriate at the moment, Katherine thought.
She then threw herself into Remus' arms and nuzzled into him, "Thank you!"
He was momentarily caught off guard by the embrace, but then smiled and wrapped his arms around her, "You're welcome, Katherine." He rested his chin on the top of her head.
Albus chuckled and said, "I'll leave you two alone for a bit." As he turned and walked away they could hear him say, "I believe I might ask one of the house elves for a bit of lemon cake…"
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"This is what your family home looks like, and your family had the nerve to be prejudiced against muggles?" Katherine said, raising an eyebrow as she came through the door with a box in her arms.
Sirius shook his head, "Sorry, I haven't exactly had the inclination to have this shit hole fixed up recently. What with finally getting out of one jail I didn't really want to go back into another one."
She rolled her eyes, "Suck it up, Black. I've been living in the house my family was massacred in, and you don't hear me bitching about it."
He smirked, "Funny, that sounded oddly like bitching…"
She growled as she started up the stairs, "Oh, shut the fuck up."
"Hey, it's my house which means you don't get to tell me to shut up in it."
She turned and gave him a dark look.
"Or not…" He said, giving her an innocent smile.
"Hmph…" She said, making her way up the final steps. "So which room is it?"
"Down the hall, the last room on the right."
She took the directions and opened the door, sighing when she looked inside. "Okay, here's the deal. Since I have nothing better to do, I'm going to help you fix up this place. But I get to turn the basement into a potions lab."
Sirius put down the box and stood next to her, looking at the dilapidated room, "Deal."
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When Remus returned home that evening and found Sirius and Katherine in the kitchen, yelling at each other.
"Hey, it's not my fault that all we have in the house is eggs, wilted lettuce, booze, and tea. I'm trying to make the best of it, since we can't go to the market until tomorrow. So how do you want your eggs?" Katherine said, as if she'd asked that question about a million times; her hair sticking out every which way, looking like a small volcano eruption and her eyes blazing in anger. Remus noticed, studying her flushed cheeks and those blue eyes that the corner of Katherine's eye sort of twitched when she was angry.
"But I don't like eggs!" Sirius whined, arms crossed and looking like a small child.
"I don't care what you like, it's not gruel and you're skinny enough already, so you're going to eat eggs whether you like it or not! It's only for one night, give me a break!"
"I know it's not gruel, but come on… you're a woman, plus you're supposed to be good with potions, so can't you just… mix a couple of things together and make a feast?"
Katherine gaped at him, then narrowed her eyes and said, "Alright, you want me to mix what we have together and make a feast? Fine." She turned and chopped up some of the wilted lettuce, and then threw it into a frying pan that had been sitting on the stovetop. Then she cracked some eggs into it and poured in some firewhisky, and stirred the mixture up. When she was satisfied with that she poured the gelatinous goop onto a plate and dropped it in front of Sirius, "There you go, bon apatite."
Sirius frowned at the plate, as if he could turn it into a steak on a whim.
Remus finally couldn't help himself, he chuckled and said, "Home sweet home."
Katherine immediately turned at the sound of his voice, and grinned, "Remus! You're home!"
Sirius gave him a half smile, "And just in time for dinner!"
Remus rolled his eyes and sat across from Sirius, "I'd like my eggs scrambled, please."
Katherine gave him a beautific smile and said, "Alright!' She immediately turned to fix him his eggs.
Sirius rolled his eyes, "I bet she'd fix something nice if you asked her."
Remus just sighed slightly and said, "The only proper thing we have to eat in the house is eggs, Sirius. She'll go to the market tomorrow, but for tonight that's just the way it is."
Sirius rolled his eyes and started picking at his food.
Remus sat back and watched Katherine fix dinner, then he realized something, "Your mother hasn't interrupted us once."
Sirius shrugged, "Turns out Kitty and I can yell much louder and longer than she can. I suppose she eventually just got tired of being ignored and shut up."
Katherine turned around and glared at Sirius, "Stop calling me Kitty."
He smirked, "Yes, Kitty."
Katherine turned around and smacked Sirius across the back of his head.
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That night, the three of them were quietly reading in the study together. Well… Remus was reading, Sirius and Katherine were both asleep. Sirius had drunk a few glasses of firewhisky and fallen into a peaceful slumber on the easy chair while Katherine had snuggled up next to Remus and tried to read with him but just became too tired.
Of course, Remus was more occupied with the fact that in her sleep Katherine had laid down and curled up against his chest, nuzzling into his shirt contentedly. He smiled and reached down, gently stroking her cheek. She smiled and began making a noise he would have sworn was purring, raising his curiosity. He then rubbed over and behind her ears in gentle strokes, and she did in fact lean into his attentions like a contented cat. Remus couldn't repress a small laugh.
Katherine woke up slightly and smiled at him.
He smiled back affectionately, "Hello."
She gave him a contented smile, "Hello. I assume that you're the one who's been stroking me."
He chuckled, "Yes, and you've been the one purring at me."
"Have I?" She asked lazily, not seeming the least bit concerned as she sat up slightly to curl closer to his chest.
"Mhmm," He answered as he wrapped his arms around her to hold her closer.
She sighed happily and mumbled, "I like this much better than that… stupid… manor with… grandmother."
He gently ran fingers through her hair, "I'm glad to hear it."
She smiled into his torso, "Well, it's not really that much of a surprise now is it." She ventured a look up at him, giving him a full view of sleepy blue eyes, "I'm always happier with you."
He smiled at her and leaned down to gently kiss her forehead, mumbling against her skin, "Good. Now, go back to sleep."
She yawned and said, "Ok…" She snuggled back into her spot and sighed gently before quickly going back to sleep.
Remus smiled at her softly as he continued to run his fingers gently through her hair.
"You two make quite a pair," Remus heard Sirius say from across the room.
Startled, Remus looked over at his friend and frowned, "What do you mean?"
Sirius rolled his eyes, "Does she even know, Remus?"
"Know what?" Remus asked, stiffening slightly.
He gave Remus a look, "You know what."
Remus looked down at Katherine and continued running fingers through her hair, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Sirius sighed dramatically and stood up, bottle still in hand, "Sure you don't, mate. And I don't sneak dog biscuits when you're not looking."
Remus looked up at him and smirked, "I knew that was you."
Sirius just grunted and said, "I hope it doesn't take you two too long to get yourselves worked out, it's already annoyingly obvious."
Remus frowned again, "And what would you know about it?"
Sirius shook his head and began to leave, "Nothing, mate, nothing."