Declaration: I write for my own pleasure and not for profit. I do not own Harry Potter Universe.

With You by My Side

Chapter 37- Pre-wedding Blues?

Professor McGonagall was sitting in the office that was commandeered by two of the brightest students she had the privilege to teach. It was probably poetic that one of the two was the son of the two best students that came before him. More than the miracle that many considered him to be and that probably allowed him to survive the night of Lord Voldemort's attack, McGonagall found that Harry was a very good natured young man. As most of the things go, the reality was very different form the legend of the 'Boy-Who-Lived'. The legend was a prince among the masses due to the ecstasy of the masses, while the reality was also a prince but it was due to his ability to really effect a change to the world he was living in.

Right at the moment, Harry and Hermione were under the careful watch of the woman who was acknowledged to be the best in transfiguration. Even to her, the situation she found herself in was utterly confounding. From the time of Godric Gryffindor who was credited for being the first animagus, the process involved painstaking and painful transfiguration of individual body parts. The witch or wizard takes a potion to identify their animal form and then under the watchful eye of one skilled in transfiguration begin the process to attain the animagus form.

The process of animagus transformation was listed as a very grey art and tightly regulated by the Ministry not due to its difficult or potential for misuse but for the serious dangers the process afforded. If not done properly and without adequate precautions, the witch or wizard may seriously and even irreversibly damage their body. Anyone struck in the middle of such a transformation may be forced to lose the body part. But such was the process generally accepted in the magical communities all over Europe and many other countries.

Since the time of their spirit awakening at the 'Medicine Grounds' of the Navajo tribe in Colorado, Harry and Hermione were keen on achieving their animagus form. Their daily meditation routine allowed them to obtain the state of calmness that was prerequisite to achieve their spiritual form. They still had a very long way to go to bodily transform but they were far ahead enough that any loss of concentration could lead to accidental transformation. Unlike in the process followed in the modern times, accidental transformation during mediation was not harmful and can be very easily reversed. It may make the subsequent transformation more difficult but not impossible. All these reasons make the process of animagus transformation using the Native American method that much difficult but at the same time extremely risk free and assured of a result. It just took time and required extreme concentration achieved through months or even years of meditation.

McGonagall was not ready to accept that the process that Harry and Hermione learnt during their trip to the US would give better results than the tried and tested method by which not only she but James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew successfully achieved their animagus forms. She was intrigued though when the two teens described their unique forms and the process by which they 'touched' them.

McGonagall vividly remembered the confrontation that took place when she offered to supervise their attempts to achieve their animal forms.

"… but this is how it was supposed to be done. It is the way I achieved my form" the Transfiguration professor argued.

Hermione had a very well thought out counter argument, "If it was the way it was meant to be, then way was it dangerous? Why should someone be at risk?"

McGonagall had no answer for that and yet the couple was relentless, "Animagus form is said to be inherent to a witch or wizard, is it not?" Harry asked and it was clearly a redundant question as he continued, "… that is why you do not need to force someone into their form. Let the inherent magic guide you to achieve your animal form."

The professor could not deny the logic behind the argument. All the rules of such a transformation say that the first time has to be a forced transformation and then the latent magic of the wizard or witch takes over to make the subsequent transformations possible and easier. "But the potion that we take does not make any changes, it only gives you a vision of what your form looks like" the professor countered.

Hermione shrugged, "I do not deny that the potion is wrong. I only say that the forced transfiguration of each body part may be wrong."

"We accept that transfiguration does not change the mass of an object. Then how do you explain a very large cat's paw when in actuality a cat is much smaller?" Harry wanted to know.

Professor McGonagall recognized that the discussion was not to criticize the technique, but it was to genuinely understand the principle and the working of the animagus transformation. That realization allowed her to let go of the small amount of resentment she harboured upon starting the argument. Now that she was able to really focus all her training as a teacher to analyze the animagus transformation, she found that the logic put forward by the teenaged couple was undeniable.

"Yes, it is generally disconcerting to see that your hand had turned into a paw with fur and all. But the real shocker is when you are struck in the middle of the transformation and find that you have a large leg on a cat's body" the professor could not repress a shudder that went through her. She had to experience it herself when learning the animagus transformation from Professor Dumbledore.

"That does beg the question as to why the size of the witch or a wizard does not remain the same when they transform into their animal form" Harry mused.

Hermione agreed, "Yes, even our own forms are totally disproportionate to our natural bodies."

"So, forcing a person's body into an animal form, which may or may not be their true form cannot be the cause for the differences in the sizes" Harry conceded.

"Maybe it's the magic of the person that makes a difference" McGonagall mused.

Harry and Hermione looked as if they had a brainwave and just muttered a distracted, "Maybe…" already deep in thought.

Even though she had no clue as to what direction the thoughts of her two students were taking, Minerva McGonagall enjoyed her triumph for a short time. Harry and Hermione may have agreed to her suggestion but she was also convinced that the answer to the dilemma would be something totally other than what she would think.

So here they were in the room going about their training; Harry and Hermione were mostly immobile on the floor and in their meditative poses while McGonagall sat on a chair fidgeting. She was not sure how something like meditation could go wrong, in order to justify her constant presence. By their own admission, the Native American method of attaining the animagus form was much safer. Her alter ego was a cat for crying out loud, she could not tolerate being ignored or staying in one place.

A promise was a promise and so with another huff of frustration, the professor continue her vigil and wait for the two teens to come out of their trance.

Scene Break

December brought with it its own share of delights and vexations. As soon as Harry and Hermione arrived home for the Christmas break, they were immediately inundated with various business deals that they has to look into and finalize. Remus turned out to be a very good manager for everyday operations and to keep 'Harmonian Magicks' meet the demands of the fledging business. Sirius, Dan, Emma, and even Dora were able to keep the paperwork up to date. However, the major decisions pertaining to alliances and cooperation between the Ministries of various countries and their company was the burden left to the teenaged couple.

Though they were almost always ahead of their studies, the third year turned out to be a little too packed for time. Harry and Hermione had only planned on tackling the problem of new formulations of potions, but it did turn out into a far greater problem than they anticipated. The lure of leaving things for a nearly a month and spend it in the company of family and friends was certainly enticing, not to mention the event that the whole family was looking forward to, the joining of the houses of Bones and Black through the wedding of Amelia Bones and Sirius Black.

The first week of their Christmas holidays were spent in completing all the formalities to satisfy the business obligations for a variety of bulk orders. One major deal was with the French Ministry of Magic and Hermione's parents, Sirius, Remus, and Dora were also actively involved in clearing the way for supplying the French aurors with 'Harmonian Magicks' protective gear. The French Minister for foreign affairs, Pierre Delacour, was to come and finalize the deal with Harry and Hermione and then stay back until the wedding. The deal with the French Ministry and the arrival of their delegation also had the happy outcome of bringing the entire Delacour family for the celebration.

Harry and Hermione were happy that they could spend a considerable amount of time with their good friend Fleur Delacour. The last time they met her at their residence, the couple took an instant liking to the pretty and intelligent young woman. Though she was of a Veela heritage, there was no attempt to use her potent allure against Harry. She graciously accepted him for what he was, a boy trying to make his way in the world and not the celebrity that the wizarding world projected him as.

More to the advantage of the two teens, Fleur was ahead of them at school and in France too. Harry and Hermione had the distinct pleasure of hashing out the differences and similarities in the education system of the two countries. Now that the Delacour family would stay with them for a ten day period, before leaving to their home for Christmas, Harry and Hermione were determined to enjoy their time with Fleur.

For two of the party, the arrival of the Delacour family brought a much serious discussion. One night after dinner and when the rest of the house retired early following a night of excursion to the shopping mall, Remus and Pierre Delacour sequestered themselves in the library at the Granger's home.

"So what have you been able to find out Remus?" Pierre asked, taking a sip of his firewhisky.

Remus sighed unhappily, "You were right; there are undercurrents of anxiety and tension growing. The unsavoury elements of the society have noticed a marked increase in attention to them and not by the Law Enforcement or by the Ministry."

There was no need to say that the only ones left that could be interested in such lawless people are those interested in less than peaceful intentions. That was the favourite tactic of the death eaters, throw a few galleons around and you would get blameless mayhem and death. Almost all of those hired were not pure-bloods or even magicals. Such considerations could never bother the death eaters when they were doing their master's bidding. Even the statute of secrecy would sometimes be ignored, but they were pure-bloods and could do anything they want and escape censure of the law.

"I hope the sources are reliable…" Pierre voiced.

"Yeah!" Remus replied sipping his nearly empty drink, "… the work done by the 'Lily Potter Foundation' really made a difference. People have hope now and they are not willing to lose that by succumbing to the lure of easy money. Not to mention, now that Harry Potter is in the limelight, they are not willing to do anything to endanger him, and if that would lead to a better life for themselves, they are more than happy to do so."

Pierre hid his smile behind the glass. He was happy to do Harry Potter's bidding too. Even though the wizarding world in France was a much more tolerant society, the people there were prone to England's influence too. After all, quite a few of the ancient houses in England had one or more members of the French aristocracy. During the last war led by Lord Voldemort, France managed to remain out of the conflict; Pierre was certain that it was due to the fortuitous circumstances involving baby Harry and the man Henry Byron. Now, the fragile peace was about to be disturbed once more and it looked as if money was able to talk louder. The onus was now on France to tighten their borders to prevent French nationals to cross into England to cause destruction, he owed at least that much to Harry Potter and his betrothed.

"Do we know who's in charge?"

Remus sighed, "Not really…" he shrugged, "… it's definitely not Lucius Malfoy or his cronies. Their fortunes have dipped significantly due to a spate of takeovers." Pierre gave him an understanding gaze and acknowledged the implication that Harry and Sirius were somehow involved in that too.

Remus played with his now empty tumbler and looked into the distance, while Pierre was left to his own ruminations. A few moments later, Remus collected himself and asked, "How certain is the information from your side?"

"I was the one who gave a chance for Henry to establish himself in France and away from the influence of his old comrades, when he was sent to amass people to support Lord Voldemort. He considered it as a debt on his honour, and even though I asked nothing in return, he gave the information willingly. I can only assume that it is quite accurate" Pierre stated with a hard look in his eyes emphasizing his conviction.

Remus ran his hands tiredly over his face and let out a shaky breath. The last time that there was a conflict involving the death eaters, he lost everything. It took more than ten years for him to find his way back into happiness and Remus was disturbed that it would be the only chance for him to have a family he always wanted. And now that he found the one woman who he sensed cared nothing about his illness and who he felt comfortable enough to open himself to, the threat of war was looming again. Remus was determined not to allow things to proceed like last time and threaten the lives of his friends, especially that of Harry and Hermione. They gave him a chance to live his life to the fullest and he vowed to himself that he would do everything in his power to ensure that they lived to their old age.

"None of them know about this" Remus ventured. Seeing the look of confusion on Pierre's face he elaborated, "… I did not tell Sirius, Amelia or the kids about our suspicions."

Pierre agreed to that decision with a nod of his head, "Oui! Sirius and Amelia have enough on their plate already with the wedding coming up in just about a week. And if Harry or Hermione even catch a hint of this, then they would do anything to keep their family safe."

"Yes" Remus agreed instantly.

The two men drifted into their own thoughts, quite alone in the Granger's library as it was late into the night. Suddenly Pierre perked up, "This place is well protected isn't it?" at a tentative nod from Remus he continued, "… at the same time no one knows about it…"

Remus was still confused about the matter and so Pierre took pity on him, "… we should lure them here and then set up an ambush."

The plan was not as surprising to Remus as Pierre thought, "… I admit that Dora and I…" the light blush on the werewolf's face which could not be concealed, did not go unnoticed by his partner but he kept his merriment to a well concealed smile. Remus cleared his throat and continued, "Miss Tonks told me that she observed one man loitering around the neighbourhood. He cannot see or even approach the house but takes note of any comings or goings of the party."

Pierre admitted that there was a good possibility that whoever wanted to attack the party was well and truly into the conviction that the non-magical house would be the most vulnerable. Bones Manor or 12 Grimmauld Place are very well protected making any surprise attack on them nearly impossible. What they did not know however was that the Granger's house was probably the best protected in all the magical world except for the house that belonged to Harry's aunt. He shared his views with Remus and the only comment that the man had was, "… they sure are making it easy for us."

"We know from Henry that there would be about a dozen of them, ten French nationals and probably two or three English" Pierre surmised.

"Any more would attract unwanted attention even with concealing charms or wards" Remus agreed.

The two men discussed the many possibilities that needed to be taken care of during such an attack. The attackers definitely would not dare to come out into the open; if they could pinpoint and reach the house, they could get away with as much secrecy as possible. However, that was not possible due to the powerful protections set up by Harry and Hermione, which left the time when the members of their family would be moving on the road as the only window for any hostile action. One thing was undecided though, who the target of any possible attack could be, Sirius, Amelia, Harry or all three of them.

"We will need help" Remus admitted reluctantly. "Even if we know the precise time of attack, just the two of us or with Miss Tonks, the three of us cannot contain twelve or even ten of them."

Pierre agreed with that assessment, "If we have enough people on our side, a reverse ambush would give us enough advantage. We may even take them out before our family is exposed to danger."

That certainly was a very attractive option for Remus, who was not at all comfortable putting not only Sirius and his bride-to-be but the glue that brought the family together, Harry and his betrothed, Hermione in even a hint of danger.

"'Mad-Eye' would have been the best man for the job" Remus mused wistfully, "… since the man retired from the auror force, it apparently has been impossible to trace him."

Pierre was surprised at the prodigious care that Remus took in accounting for all possibilities in repelling any possible attack. Henry Byron was only able to confirm the departure of ten French wizards to England just a few days ago. In the short time available, Remus was able to not only dissect the situation but also think about a counter-strike. One thing struck the Frenchman, the familiarity that Remus exhibited about Miss Nymphadora Tonks might indicate something more intimate than just a discussion of the grave situation they were in. Then there was the telltale blush on Remus' face … 'Hmm…' Pierre mused, '…possibilities … possibilities.'

"Miss Tonks might have suggested alternatives…" Pierre asked.

Remus was startled at the stress on the appellation but decided to ignore it for now, unfortunately to his detriment, not that he knew. "She suggested auror Kingsley Shacklebolt as a very competent wizard" Remus supplied.

Pierre nodded his head decisively, "We should meet him and chart a plan."

"Should we hint about the possibility of an attack to the family?" Remus wanted to know.

Pierre gave it the due consideration that it needed. If anything went wrong, his own family would be in the middle of a fight. He had utmost confidence in his wife Apolline and daughter Fleur. Not to mention, Sirius, Amelia, Harry, and Hermione have proven themselves to be ferocious fighters when pushed. It was not an easy decision to put them in danger but it had to be done, "No" he replied.

Remus nodded his head in resignation. After discussion with Dora, both of them agreed on the same thing too. The two men sat in companionable silence before Remus recollected that it was quite late into the night. He slapped his knees bringing Pierre back into the present and bidding a "Good night!" moved to exit the room.

With a wicked grin, Pierre stopped him, "So… Dora eh!" he teased.

Remus blushed instantly and huffed in irritation at the same time. Throwing his hands up in defeat, he exited the room leaving a chortling Pierre Delacour behind.

Minor Break

The wizard known as 'Mole', due to the prominence of the blemish on his forehead, looked impassively towards the area where the muggle contraption known as an automobile materialized from. Today it looked bigger and different than what he had seen the family move in, for the past couple of days. It would be upon their hiding spot in just a few seconds and as he got ready to intercept it, he could not stop the thoughts that tumbled through his mind.

He knew that there was no point in really thinking about how that happened, even though he was staring at the same spot for the past one hour, how could something so big come out of thin air? Even though he did not know much about muggles or their way of living, he knew that even magic could not do something like that and everyone knew that magic could do the impossible. Moreover, he did not see anyone in the vicinity brandishing a wand. He was a pure-blood for many generations, but he could not conjure objects like an automobile. The only thing he could think of was that there was a very powerful ward protecting the house of the mudblood Granger; it was not really a surprise as Black was known to frequent the house.

With that conclusion in mind, 'Mole' tried to identify the perimeter of the ward coverage so as to look for the ward stones a few days ago. His intent was to disable them or at least mark their places so that they could be removed at a very short notice. Unfortunately for him, he was forced to loiter around to find the anchor stones that were not there in the first place, and was easily spotted by Nymphadora Tonks. What baffled him though was that he could not remember searching for the ward stones when he came back to stake out the neighbourhood the next day. Every night his memory was wiped clean making him an easy target for Tonks' own surveillance on him. 'Mole' did not know that the powerful magic invoked by Harry and Hermione was intent on keeping them safe and secure.

With only two days left for the wedding and another five before Christmas, 'Mole' was forced to abandon the plan to attack the house. The man who hired him to complete the job was getting restless and threatened to replace him. The result of the ultimatum was that 'Mole' had to devise a new plan to attack the entire family when they would be travelling in their automobile and this was the day that he would carry out the deed.

The man called 'Mole' cast his eye over his hidden accomplices. He marveled at the stealth displayed by the French wizards as they began their wait for the attack. Unknown to him and to the rest of the attacking party, a contingent of French aurors specifically requested by Pierre Delacour were able to teach their English counterparts a few tricks to neutralize the threat of the mercenaries. A group of English aurors numbering fifteen under the command of Kingsley Shacklebolt positioned themselves behind the ten French and two English wizards with their wands ready. All they had to do was to lean forward and press the tip of the wands to their opponents' necks and hopefully, there would be no blood shed.

Every wizard in the area, attackers and defenders alike straightened themselves when they spied the minivan suddenly appear in front of them seemingly from nothing. The automobile cruised down the empty street towards the waiting party but with a wand sticking into his neck uncomfortably, 'Mole' and his party were forced to allow the family and friends of Harry Potter to go their way unharmed.

Earlier

The interior of the minivan that the Grangers hired was almost full with only space enough to seat just one more. Remus seized the perfect excuse to stay behind, "It's quite alright, I'll walk to the secluded part of the park and then apparate from there."

Even though Harry and Hermione tried to protest such an action, everyone realized that there was no way that the three remaining adults, Remus, Dora, and Pierre could be accommodated into the already cramped vehicle. The plan was agreed to without much fuss and when Pierre offered to accompany Remus so that Dora could avail the last seat in the car, the woman in question who came out of the house in time to hear this exchange and immediately protested.

"Please take this old man with you" Dora pointed to Pierre and struck her tongue out to much laughter from the group. She did not allow any time for the teased man to retaliate and continued, "Besides, I have an errand to run for my mother at Diagon Alley. I may even be a little late for dinner…" she apologized.

Remus acted the gallant gentleman, "… I will accompany you to the apparition site, if you will allow me."

Before Dora could continue the charade or the others could comment on this, Pierre butted in to divert their thoughts to a completely different, albeit very much possible scenario, "… and I will chaperone them" he declared with an unrepentant smirk.

The bright red faces of the two adults and the uproarious laughter of the rest of the company continued until the minivan pulled away from the driveway of the Granger's house and continued down the road. The three remaining adults were brought back to the seriousness of the situation they were in. With a nod of their heads and a grim look on their faces, Remus, Dora, and Pierre ran behind the cruising vehicle. They were thankfully far behind not to alert the occupants and as soon as the minivan crossed the ward line and turned a corner, the three combatants began to sprint.

The absence of any confrontation soothed their frazzled nerves but even then Remus, Dora, and Pierre did not relax. Reaching the site, where the ambushers would have hid themselves, the three were relieved to find that Master Auror Shacklebolt and a contingent of fifteen English aurors were rounding up the French mercenaries who numbered ten. A few of the ward masters were quickly setting up muggle repelling charms while the rest of the aurors were frisking the captured wizards. With a few well placed 'accio' charms any and all belongings of the French wizards were safely deposited in the evidence boxes supplied by 'Harmonian Magicks' that were now mandatory for every auror team to carry.

Seeing that all the foreign wizards were being safely secured, Shacklebolt turned his attention to the two local wizards who looked to be the leaders of the motley group. "Tell me who your target was? Who sent you?" the dark skinned auror demanded.

The grizzly and hunched over wizard turned to his partner, terror in his eyes clearly showing. It did not take a genius to realize that the man who was known to the aurors simply as the 'Mole' was the leader of the party and he simply glowered in return.

Shacklebolt simply shook his head, "Oh… Don't you worry! I have all the time in the world. Once I am done with you, you will be begging me for death. I will have my answers…" he then turned to his second in command and barked an order to take the two away.

After ensuring that the French mercenaries were safely secured, Shacklebolt turned to see Pierre approach. After conferring for a few moments, Pierre gestured to the sole French Ministry official and gestured his approval. The French Ministry official tapped the rope that was binding the French wizards and converted it into a portkey which whisked the arrested suspects and the Ministry official away to a secure holding facility in Paris. It took some persuasion from Pierre to finally get Shacklebolt to agree for the French to take custody of their citizens, but the fear of an international incident that would bring undue attention to a probable increase in death eater activity placated the Master Auror. The assurance from Pierre in his capacity as the French foreign Minister in magical government, that the perpetuators will be punished accordingly also helped ease Shacklebolt's mind.

Dismissing the remaining aurors, Shacklebolt turned to greet Dora and Remus. "Thanks for the warning Tonks…" he was gracious in his gratitude.

Dora quickly waved away the gratitude while stressing that it was Remus and Pierre who were the real brains behind the operation. Remus was a little jealous at the obvious camaraderie displayed between Dora and Shacklebolt. He recalled that the Master Auror was Dora's mentor and even though he knew that their relationship was solely that of friends, Remus could not help but curse his own reluctance in openly displaying his affections to the vivacious young woman. It did not help that he was very introvert and added to that his infliction of being a werewolf never helped him be at ease with the fairer sex. But then he remembered the incident on the last full moon day, where his enforced primal form seemed to accept Dora Tonks and was in turn accepted by her, just about twenty days ago.

Flashback

Remus was able to get a few samples of tissue from his contacts in a werewolf clan on Harry and Hermione's request. The samples were from cadavers and though they would not be the best for identifying differences in a transformed werewolf and a wizard, there was no way that any werewolf would allow someone to take a skin or blood sample during the time they would be forced to spend as werewolves.

On this particular day and with the new moon about to rise, Sirius volunteered to try and get a skin sample from Moony. The many times that Sirius, in his dog form, spent with Moony and not to mention their deep friendship could make him the best one to try. Amelia with her limited training as a field medic, which was a must for all aurors, was able to take some hair, blood, nail, and skin samples from Remus before his transformation.

The unoccupied house bought for Harry and which was used to skillfully trap death eaters after luring them using Lord Voldemort's horcrux diary, was selected as the best site for Remus' transformation. The sturdy cage that was used to trap the death eaters would form an ideal entrapment for Moony. Dora, who happened to invite herself to not only witness the transformation, but also act in case of any emergency also went with them. Though she professed a curiosity to see a werewolf transformation, her heart desired to be there during this tough time and lend every possible comfort to the man she was falling in love with.

Professor Musser of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, urged Remus to take the 'Wolfsbane Potion' before the transformation. Theoretically, the best comparison should be before and after the transformation without the use of any agents that could render the werewolf form more docile or less primal. However, there was no feasible way that any werewolf, even someone like Remus would allow sampling in such a state. Therefore, common sense prevailed and if needed another attempt would be made but with other safeguards in place.

Despite all his bravado, Sirius was never in Moony's company as a human. He was able to get samples of hair and nails but when he tried to get some skin sample, Sirius barely managed to escape serious injury from a flashing paw with claws extended. With a snarling werewolf after him, Sirius hightailed out of the cage and Dora managed to shut the door firmly, thankfully without any injury to either Moony or to Sirius.

"That was a very close call…" Amelia quickly embraced her fiancé. "Are you alright?" she asked, managing to keep the terror out of her voice.

Sirius quickly assured her of his well-being, "It's a pity though…" he sighed. "I was hopeful that Moony would cooperate enough to get the required samples."

"Yeah!" Amelia commiserated, "… the kids were very excited at the prospect of unlocking the secret to a werewolf transformation. If anyone could find a cure for the affliction, Harry and Hermione would be the ones."

While the couple were basking in their embrace, Dora looked at the trapped Moony. Unlike any werewolf that she encountered, Dora could see that Moony was perfectly lucid to what was going on around him. It was only his instincts in face of a threat that prompted him to chase his best friend away. Being an auror Dora could sense that Sirius was not totally comfortable being in the presence of Moony, without the benefit of his animagus form. That might have put the werewolf under fear of bodily harm; yes, all they wanted was a small skin sample and if possible some blood but still they were going to injure him.

When Moony's eyes caught hers, Dora noticed the soft glow in his eyes. Even as a ferocious beast, Remus could not hide his tender regard towards the young lady and Dora was entrapped. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerve, Dora moved towards the latch that secured the cage.

"What are you doing" Sirius nearly screamed in fear, holding onto Dora's arm and stopping her.

Dora faced him, "I believe that I can manage to get a sample" she stammered in face of Sirius' severe countenance.

"Oh No young lady" Sirius shook his head vehemently. "I was friends with him for a very long time and I was chased away. I absolutely forbid you to go in there."

"I have a feeling that Moony will allow me" Dora replied with conviction. "I've spent a lot of time in his company and trained with Remus. He knows that I mean no harm."

Both Sirius and Amelia were surprised at Dora's declaration that she was spending a lot of time in Remus' company. They knew that the two of them were involved in 'Harmonian Magicks' but Sirius never imagined that Remus and Dora could harbor deeper feelings for each other. Dora met his scrutiny squarely and refused to blush.

"That may be true Dora" Amelia interjected gently, "… you were with Remus, not Moony."

Dora acknowledged that with a nod, "… sure, with my auror training, I can anticipate danger. Even though it has been a while that I have been in active duty, since I've taken up a research role for Harry and Hermione, Remus and I duel whenever we have spare time."

Sirius and Amelia were still not ready to let the argument go but before they could renew their objections, Dora pushed forward, "I am considered as the unofficial chief security officer and charged with not only your and Harry's security but also of 'Harmonian Magicks'. As such I may face even this eventuality someday, and it may not be Moony at that time." She took a deep breath to calm herself and looked beseechingly at her cousin, "Sirius, please trust me."

"It's not a matter of trust cousin…" Sirius sighed, "… I don't want to face Harry if something happens to you."

Amelia always liked the bubbly young woman when Dora was under her command in the auror force. The head of DMLE was well aware of her skills and amazing reflexes, but still it was dangerous to go in front of a werewolf, even if he was under the sedate influence of the potion. On the other hand, Amelia recognized the budding relationship between Remus and Dora, which her soon to be cousin inadvertently revealed. Magic works in mysterious ways and if there was a bond forming between the two, then their magic might recognize its counterpart. It was worth a try.

Amelia simply extended her hand towards Dora and pulled her into a strong embrace. With Sirius watching slack jawed she whispered for Dora's ears only, "Be careful as to what your heart wishes Dora." With that Amelia gently pushed her towards the cage and took Sirius arm not only to prevent him from stopping Dora but also to steady herself.

Dora struggled to control her blush and it actually helped her in not feeling nervous while approaching a wary Moony. As a shocked Sirius looked on, Dora began petting the werewolf all the while locking her gaze with the yellow eyes of the man who occupied her thoughts day and night. With nary a twitch, Moony allowed Dora to take a skin sample with a punch biopsy all the while gazing into Dora's eyes, trusting her. With Dora's hands caressing Moony, Amelia was even able to withdraw a blood sample much to their relief.

End of Flashback

The recollection brought a fond smile to Remus' face, the budding jealousy was ruthlessly suppressed due to the confidence in his feelings being reciprocated by Dora. The conference between the Master Auror and his one time student was short and ended with a warm hand shake. Shacklebolt collapsed the repelling wards and with a nod towards Remus, Dora, and Pierre activated his own portkey to go to the DMLE.

Breathing a sigh of relief at the smooth conclusion to a potentially dangerous situation, Remus offered his arm to Dora. With a shy smile and genuine pleasure evident on her face, Dora threaded her arm through his and allowed Remus to lead her away. A beaming Remus, who was nearly propelled into the clouds, began moving towards the nearby park which was used as a point for apparition by the magicals visiting the Granger home. His pleasure did not diminish even after being subjected to a pointed and not so subtle eye roll from their chaperone.

The trio made their way to the restaurant to join their families for a dinner hosted to congratulate the bride and groom on their upcoming nuptials. They were able to make it just on time and so were spared from any explanations or excuses that would have been uncomfortable while hiding the real reason for their excursion.

Scene Break

Meanwhile, in another part of London, Adrian Jones was sitting down to a dinner with his wife and daughter. The joviality that was so liberally sprinkled at the table graced by the Delacours, Grangers, Amelia and Susan Bones, Remus Lupin, Dora Tonks, and Harry Potter was sorely lacking in their home. The pure-blood etiquette demanded comportment of utmost restraint and that was the prevalent emotion at the Jones' table.

Just as they started on the first course, the family had to rise from their table due to the presence of a team of aurors led by Shcaklebolt. The Master Auror dispensed with formalities and addressed the head of the family, "Mr. Jones, you are under arrest on suspicion of an assassination attempt."

Before Shacklebolt could elaborate the details as to who was the purported target or how they traced the origin to him, Adrian's mind connected the dots and came to the conclusion that the French wizards he hired on behalf of Macnair failed in their attempt. He did not know who the target was but it was enough that he was instrumental in helping someone break the law.

Magic demanded a high price from oath breakers and as soon as Adrian Jones realized that he did indeed break the oath he gave to Madam Bones, his magic took the payment. He may have taken the oath not to break the law under the watchful eye of the head of DMLE, but everyone knew that such oaths on one's magic could never be forced. There has to be a commitment from the witch or wizard towards the action demanded by the oath on some level, even if it was sub-conscious for the magic of the oath to be binding. Given the alternative by Madam Bones, the chance of getting away from the death eaters might have looked attractive to Adrian Jones. Even if taking the oath was to his detriment, Adrian took the oath with his free will on some level and was thus enforced by his own magic.

Watched helplessly by his wife and daughter, and by the aurors, Adrian Jones' magic took the payment for his transgression, resulting in his death.

As she desperately tried to console her distraught mother, the new head of house Jones was selfish in her joy. She never liked the arrogance and the thinly veiled disdain towards anyone not a pure-blood, by her father. The dictates of the head of house meant that she could never voice her displeasure lest the magic of the house enforce some form of punishment on her. Now with no such restraint, her joy was increased by the realization that there was nothing to stop her from marrying her muggleborn boyfriend.