A/N: I really wanted to write a Regulus/Hermione fic and this idea just came to me! I'm not focusing on this one, I've got hardly any written yet (this is the only chapter so far), but I wanted to get the beginning out there to see what people thought :D I'll be focusing on UT and AiM, so I'm afraid the wait for the next chapter might be long, and updates may be sporadic, but I'll never abandon anything I'm writing! Promise.
Also just as a side note: I've not read any fics with this premise, so if there's similarities to others you've read, it's entirely unintentional as I wouldn't know haha!
Also this is an AU fully! Ignore anything you thought you knew about what happens after they go to the cave at the end of the sixth book. I've changed a lot.
8th August 1979
Clutching skeletal hands pulled him down, water filled his lungs, and as the darkness edging into his vision threatened to swallow him whole, his last thought was of the future. A wish that he had had a chance to see the end of the Monster he'd signed his life over to. Even Kreacher couldn't save him now though.
He drifted away, sinking deeper and deeper into the darkness of the lake. Consciousness left him and a death date stitched itself into the fabric of the Magically updating Black family tree.
30th June 1997
Dumbledore drew a silver knife from his robes, one like those Harry had used in Potions many times before. He shook his sleeve back, revealing his forearm, and raised the knife to his liver spotted skin. Harry opened his mouth to protest, but before he could get anything out, there was a flash of blinding white light.
Harry yelled and raised a hasty arm to cover his eyes. Too late, as he had spots dancing in front of his eyes, and couldn't see anything past them. He felt Dumbledore step in front of him, pushing him back behind the old Headmaster. Harry peeked around him once the spots cleared from his vision, looking for the source of the light, and nearly missing it until he followed Dumbledore's wand to a much too still figure huddled on the floor.
"Harry, I must ask you to stay back." Dumbledore insisted, stepping forward towards the almost-definitely-dead figure. He crouched down and carefully turned the person over. Harry couldn't see much from his vantage point, so he watched Dumbledore intently, noticing that he tensed when he saw the face of whoever it was. Dumbledore raised his wands and started muttering spells beneath his breath.
With a sudden lurch the person sat up suddenly, and started hacking and coughing, water spewing from their mouth. Harry took a step back, and watched the painful looking process. He could see them clearly now, and something niggled at him. The boy was probably a year or two older than him, with long, dark and wavy hair - slicked to his head with water - and pale skin. He was wearing completely soaked and torn robes. His eyes were closed, but he seemed so familiar. Dumbledore obviously recognised him.
Once the boy was finished coughing, Dumbledore sat back, and Harry watched him examine the boy with shrewd eyes. Before he could say anything, the boy had looked up at him, and his mouth fell open in shock. "Headmaster?" Through his raspy voice Harry could hear a hint of an aristocratic accent, so like Sirius' no matter how hard he'd tried to get rid of it, that Harry's heart clenched in pain. It had only been a year since he'd lost him. The piercing grey eyes, also like Sirius', turned to Harry, and widened, "Potter?!" A hacking cough left the boy, but he carried on before Harry or Dumbledore could say anything. "What's going on? What's Potter doing here? Where's my imbecilic brother and your pet werewolf? Don't think I've ever seen you without them both." The boy sneered.
Harry blinked a couple of times, and then everything seemed to click. Sirius' accent, Sirius' eyes, dark, wavy hair so like Sirius' too. Pet werewolf, this boy recognised him as a Potter. This was Sirius' brother. "That's not possible." He said out loud, staring at the boy, who raised an eyebrow at him. "Professor-"
"Indeed, Harry." Dumbledore responded, also looking at the boy disbelievingly. "Now, young man. Please tell us who you are."
The boy turned those grey eyes on Dumbledore and then scoffed, "Of course you don't remember me. I wasn't one of your precious Gryffindors, so no need right?"
Dumbledore frowned slightly, looking down at the boy with disappointment. "I remember you. But I need you to confirm you are who I think you are."
The boy sighed, and rolled his eyes. He shifted himself around to lean heavily against the rock wall behind him, "Regulus Black."
Harry choked on an intake of breath. He'd thought he'd worked it out, but it didn't make any sense. "I don't get it. Professor, Sirius showed me the tapestry. Regulus died in 1979."
Dumbledore turned to look at Harry, and nodded sadly. Regulus spluttered, and scowled at the two in front of him, "What do you mean I died in 1979? Isn't it still 1979?" He demanded.
"I think we need to have a long talk. And we will need to determine you are truly who you say you are." Dumbledore said, standing up stiffly, moving more like an old man than Harry had ever seen before. "But first, we must venture into the cave. Harry." Dumbledore gestured him back over to where he'd revealed the doorway.
"Why? There's nothing there anymore." Regulus spoke up.
Harry and Dumbledore froze, and then turned as one to face the ex-deceased Black. He looked just as surprised as them, as though he hadn't meant to say that. "What do you mean?" Harry demanded before Dumbledore could say anything.
Regulus narrowed his eyes, "What are you expecting to find?" He prodded, speaking like the Slytherin he was.
Dumbledore returned the narrowed eye look, and Harry took a step back, not wanting to say something that could mess up whatever negotiations were likely to take place. "We suspect that Lord Voldemort hid something important here. We are planning to retrieve and destroy it." Dumbledore finally answered Regulus' question after a long silence.
"Then I repeat what I said, there's nothing there anymore."
"You've taken whatever it is?"
"A locket. I took it, replaced it with a fake. My House-elf should have destroyed it by now."
Dumbledore looked sad at that, "Not so, I'm afraid, Mister Black."
Regulus rose to his feet, and pushed his long hair irritably out of his face, "How so?" He demanded, suddenly looking worried, and a little nauseous.
"The type of item that locket became is not so easily destroyed."
Harry's head was starting to hurt as he listened to the convoluted back and forth, feeling rather like he was watching some kind of Muggle tennis match. "Wait," He held up a hand, and didn't flinch when they both turned to him like they'd forgotten he was standing there. "Are you saying we don't need to be here now? That whatever we came for-"
"The locket."
"-has been taken?" Regulus nodded, running his hand through his hair in an obviously agitated move.
"I believe we should go somewhere else to talk." Dumbledore interjected before either of the younger men could say anything further. He held out his uninjured arm, "Please take hold, we'll go back to Hogwarts and the privacy of my office."
Harry didn't hesitate, taking a hold of the Headmaster's arm. Regulus eyed them both warily, "How do I know I can trust you?"
"Quite simply, Mister Black, you don't. However, we don't know we can trust you either."
"So- it's, what? Mutually assured destruction?" Regulus was looking even more sceptical now.
"Not so, Mister Black. I would say that as there is distrust on both sides, we can trust each other to be wary."
"You want me to apparate with two potentially disguised enemies somewhere unknown. On your word?" Regulus raised an eyebrow.
"Would it set you at ease, Mister Black, if we were to wait until a full hour had passed from your sudden appearance to ensure that no Polyjuice is present?" Regulus sighed, crossed his arms over his chest, and nodded. "Very well. Take a seat, Harry, Mister Black." Dumbledore waved his wand and three cushy armchairs appeared on the cold, water-battered rock. "It should not be long."
It wasn't in fact long, only about fifteen minutes until a full hour had passed, but it felt to Harry like possibly the longest fifteen minutes he'd ever had to sit through. It was agonising, wanting to ask questions, and hear answers, but Dumbledore insisted they wait until they were safely back in Hogwarts before any discussion took place.
Finally, when the hour was up, and none of them revealed themselves to be under polyjuice or any other possible concealment charms or potions, Dumbledore once more held out his arm. This time Regulus took it too, and the Headmaster apparated them back into Hogwarts - not to the Astronomy tower they'd left from, but instead his office.
"I felt this would be a better place to talk." He said serenely, settling into the seat behind his desk. Just as he went to say something further there was a distant bang.
"Professor?!" Harry shouted, leaping to his feet, wand in hand.
"Stay here, Harry, my boy." Dumbledore stood too, sweeping towards the staircase, "Head up the stairs and conceal yourselves there. Do not come out for anyone you do not trust."
"Professor-"
"Harry. You are the only one to know just how Mister Black arrived. Do not follow me. He could be vital, and I need you here to protect him." Dumbledore gave him quite possibly the sternest look Harry had ever received from him, and then swept from the room in a twirl of colourful robes.
Harry immediately raced up the stairs, Regulus on his heels. They hid quickly behind a heavy trunk and with a sudden remembrance Harry pulled out the invisibility cloak, throwing it over them both. Regulus sent him a silent inscrutable look, but didn't say anything. They crouched there in silence for what felt like forever, until there was loud clattering and thumping footsteps on the stairs. The door burst open, and Harry jumped, ignoring Regulus' quiet snort beside him. Framed in the doorway was a distraught looking Hagrid, Dumbledore cradled in his arms.
"Wait." Regulus hissed, reaching out and clutching Harry's arm. Harry complied, not happily though.
Hagrid stepped into the room hastily, followed by a harried looking Professor McGonagall, Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and a very rumpled Mr Weasley. Harry's eyes widened and he was glad he was still concealed so he could hear what they had to say without them knowing.
"Lay him down there, Hagrid." McGonagall said brusquely, gesturing to a chair she'd just transfigured into a chaise.
"You think he'll be okay?" Remus asked quietly, leaning over the prone form of the Headmaster.
"I don't know." McGonagall admitted, suddenly looking twenty years older. "Though Snape missed with his killing curse thanks to Filius, Albus was already weak from whatever is wrong with his hand. Battling Bellatrix Lestrange before she escaped with the others has not helped."
"Where's Poppy?" Shacklebolt asked, leaning against the desk with his arms crossed.
"She's tending to Bill." Mr Weasley said quietly, running his hand through his red hair in an agitated gesture Ron had inherited.
"He'll be okay, Arthur. Might just like his steaks a little raw now." Remus rested a comforting hand on Mr Weasley's arm. He nodded, and looked grateful.
"Well, I'm no Mediwizard, but we are taught basic healing spells as Aurors. I may be able to do something." Shacklebolt offered, stepping forward. Professor McGonagall nodded wearily, and took a seat as Shacklebolt started running his wand over Dumbledore's prone body. There was a long tense silence as everyone in the Headmaster's office watched whilst Shacklebolt checked him over.
When he stepped back, Professor McGonagall stood, and stepped forward, "Well?" She asked, her voice crisp.
"He's stable, he'll be okay." Shacklebolt looked down at Dumbledore's blackened hand, and the disease that was spreading up his arm, "Until whatever that is kills him." He finally said. McGonagall gasped, her hand to her chest, Remus took a surprised step backward looking horrified, and Mr Weasley gaped.
Anger that had been building in Harry's chest exploded, and he ripped the invisibility cloak off, standing up and shouting, "WHAT?!"
The four adults standing at the bottom of the stairs near Dumbledore's unconscious form started, and turned as one to look at him. "Potter?"
"Harry? What are you doing here?"
Harry was breathing heavily watching the four, he ignored the sigh coming from the still hidden Regulus, and strode down the stairs. "What do you mean he's going to die?"
Shacklebolt glanced at the others, but before they could stop him he spoke, "Whatever happened to his hand is slowly killing him, Potter. As far as I can see it's a slow moving curse that has been being held back by potions." He looked down at Dumbledore, "It won't work forever. He's fine for now though."
Harry scowled and looked down at the Wizard who had been his mentor and introduction to Wizarding society. Remus stepped forward and rested his hand firmly on Harry's shoulder, grounding him when he squeezed in that wonderfully fatherly way he had. Sirius may have been Harry's legal guardian, and he still loved him like the father he'd never known. But Remus felt just as important, a fatherly figure who cared about him, the last link to Harry's lost parents.
"I'll stay here with Harry until Albus wakes." He said into the long silence. "I'm sure there's repairs to be done and students to be rounded up," He glanced at the Deputy Headmistress, "Reports to be written," Shacklebolt, "And your family needs you, Arthur." The other three agreed, and soon Remus and Harry were left with Dumbledore's unconscious form and the concealed Regulus. Remus turned to Harry after a long pause, "There's someone else in here." He said certainly, "I can smell them." Harry's eyebrows shot up his forehead, and he was sure if he could see himself he'd look sheepish.
He glanced up the stairs, and nodded briefly, "You're okay to come down." He called.
There was a long pause, and then the telltale shimmer in the air of his invisibility cloak, and then Regulus Black appeared. Harry watched as Remus froze, staring in disbelief at the young man. "Wait. It can't be."
It was Harry's turn to rest a comforting hand on Remus' shoulder. "Me and Dumbledore were-" He hesitated, "Out. And he appeared in front of us. We didn't have a chance to question him before there was some kind of rumble and Dumbledore disappeared off, leaving us here."
Remus looked down at Harry, "There was a battle. Draco Malfoy let Death Eaters into the school. Luckily no one died," Remus glanced briefly at Dumbledore, "Not for lack of trying though. The only reason Snape's spell didn't hit was because Filius distracted him. Bill was attacked by Greyback, but he won't turn." Remus narrowed his eyes at the younger brother of his best friend, dressed in tattered, damp robes, and looking just as he did the last time Remus had seen him, nearly nineteen years ago. "How do we know you're really Regulus Black?" Remus demanded, levelling his wand at the young man.
The former Slytherin raised a dark eyebrow at Remus, and responded scathingly as he descended the stairs and handed Harry his cloak back, "It's been a lot more than an hour, if I was using Polyjuice, I would have transformed back by now." He dropped into the empty chair in front of the Headmaster's desk and looked back at Remus insolently, looking so much like a younger Sirius had that Remus' heart clenched in long-suffered pain.
Remus cleared his throat, trying to get rid of the morbid thoughts that dogged him too often nowadays, "Alright, so arguing that you are Regulus Black. How in Merlin's name did you end up here? The same age that you disappeared no less." Remus looked the young man over, except for his battered robes, and a distinctly exhausted look, he actually didn't look too bad. "We've seen the tapestry, your death date is stitched into it. It updates Magically, so how could it be wrong?"
Regulus shrugged, "I don't know. No one's actually told me where or when 'here' is yet. I was being pulled down into that horrid lake in the cave by Inferi, and the next thing I knew I was lying on the ground with Dumbledore leaning over me."
Remus frowned, and he and Harry shared a brief look. Harry had been silent up 'til then, watching his former Professor interrogate this guy who said he was Sirius' younger brother. "Wait. Inferi?" Harry pulled a horrified face, they'd been taught about them at the beginning of this year by Snape, and they were horrifying.
Regulus couldn't contain a shiver, not making eye contact with either of them, "Yes." He said quietly.
Remus sent Harry a look, and then squared his shoulders. "It seems like your tale needs to be heard by Albus too." He decided, "We'll wait until tomorrow to talk it through, though I can explain when and where you are. I'm staying in my old quarters. Regulus you can come back with me, Harry go back to Gryffindor. I'll bring Regulus back to meet with Dumbledore tomorrow morning. Harry, we'll see you here at nine, okay." Harry nodded reluctantly, Regulus pulled a face, obviously remembering Remus as a teenager and having trouble reconciling the image with the near-40s man in front of him, especially when he was so disoriented. Remus pulled a rolled piece of parchment out of his pocket, and grabbed a quill from the desk. He scrawled a quick message to Dumbledore and softly called Fawkes over, "Keep an eye on Albus for us, Fawkes. Please could you give him this when he wakes." Fawkes squawked in a dignified way, and carefully took the parchment from Remus. He flew away and alighted on the chaise behind Dumbledore's head. "Very well, boys. Let's go." Regulus pulled a face again, clearly resenting being lumped in as a 'boy', but followed Remus and Harry down the stairs out of the Headmaster's office.
Remus stopped them at the bottom of the staircase just before they stepped out past the gargoyle, "It may be a good idea to give Regulus the invisibility cloak until it's decided what we're going to do about him." He looked at Harry sternly when he opened his mouth to protest, "The less people who know about him being here until we can work out how he appeared, the better."
Harry sighed and handed Regulus the cloak reluctantly, "I better get that back in the same condition." He threatened. Regulus just raised an eyebrow, and rolled his eyes, he muttered something below his breath that sounded like 'Gryffindors' in the same scathing tone Snape sometimes used.
They headed out and split up not long later to their respective rooms for the night.
1st July 1997
Harry snuck out of the dormitory early the next morning. He'd managed to avoid answering any of possible questions when he'd got back in the night before. Ron had gotten back later than Harry from the hospital wing where Bill was recovering, so Harry had pretended to be asleep. He'd put Hermione off by insisting that he didn't have the full picture, and he'd tell her and Ron everything after he'd met with Dumbledore. He hadn't been lying, whatever Dumbledore told him, he would definitely tell them.
He didn't see anyone on his way down to the Headmaster's office. For 9am on a Tuesday the halls were completely empty, unsurprising considering the train home would be in a couple of days. Exams and lessons were over already, so students were taking the opportunity to relax and sleep-in before going home for the summer. He reached the entrance, and luckily Dumbledore was standing at the base of the stairs waiting for Harry, Remus standing next to him. Regulus wasn't visible, but Harry assumed he must be there beneath the cloak.
"Ah, Harry, wonderful." Dumbledore smiled kindly at him, and he found himself smiling back stiffly, anxiety making it insincere. "Let's go up and have a talk. Ice mice." Dumbledore gestured expansively at the stairs after the gargoyle leapt aside, and Harry stepped on first, followed by Remus and then Dumbledore. As the gargoyle slid back into place, Regulus pulled off the cloak and handed it silently over to Harry. He looked better than he had the night before, in dry and repaired robes, hair pulled back from his face in a neat cue. He looked less like Sirius with his hair out of his face instead of in loose curls hanging to his shoulders like the night before.
Dumbledore took a seat behind his desk after they'd entered the room, and called for a House-elf to bring some tea. "Lemon drop?" He offered them. They all shook their heads and took the seats opposite his desk as he conjured a third seat.
"Are you feeling better Sir?" Harry asked into the silence that had fallen.
"Yes, thank you, Harry." Dumbledore smiled kindly down at him, "Now, I believe we have a lot to discuss." He turned to look at Regulus, "Remus has informed me you are unaware of how you came to be so far in the future?"
Regulus frowned, and nodded, looking uncomfortable at the reminder. "One minute I was drowning in that lake, the next I was waking up to you leaning over me. I don't remember anything else happening."
Dumbledore frowned too, running his hand through his silvery beard, "Most intriguing. You are certain you don't remember anything else?"
"Yes." Regulus raised an eyebrow, and just watched Dumbledore, Harry repressed a snicker at the obviously annoyed Black. "Now that that's out of the way, can we discuss the Horcrux, and why you think Kreacher will not have been able to destroy it before now."
Remus, who'd just taken a sip of his tea, choked on the sip and spluttered tea all over the floor, turning horrified wide eyes on Regulus, "Horcruxes?!" He exclaimed, shocked.
Dumbledore's frown deepened, and he was practically scowling at Regulus, "You should not have said that Mister Black." He told him crisply.
"You knew?" Remus put his cup down angrily, and stood, "Are you saying that Voldemort has a fucking Horcrux, one of the darkest pieces of magic possible, and you know and haven't told the Order?" Dumbledore sent Remus a quelling look, but the werewolf was incensed, and glanced down at Harry who winced a little. Remus turned a furious look back on Dumbledore, "You put this on Harry? How could you Albus!"
"The less people who know about the Horcruxes, the better."
Remus scowled even more, "That's not a good enough reason to put everything on Harry. He's not even reached his majority yet!"
"Remus, I can handle it!" Harry protested angrily.
"I know you're capable, Harry, believe me. But it shouldn't be put on you alone." He held up a hand when Harry opened his mouth in protest, "Or Ron and Hermione too. You're all still young, you should be allowed to have a childhood and not have all this responsibility put on you." He turned and looked back at Dumbledore scathingly, "Especially by adults who should know better, and are supposed to be here to protect you."
"Remus-"
"I don't want to hear your excuses Albus. Tell me about the Horcrux, and what's going on. Now that I know I may as well help."
Dumbledore looked obviously reluctant to comply, but did after a long moment, telling Remus and Regulus all that he'd already revealed to Harry that year. By the end of the long explanation Remus looked nauseous, and Regulus utterly horrified at the news that Voldemort had at least two or more Horcruxes than the one he'd found.
"Now, I need to speak with Harry alone quickly." Dumbledore said after a long silence to let Remus and Regulus digest the new information.
Remus raised an eyebrow, and turned to Harry, practically disregarding the Headmaster, respect he'd previously had for him obviously wavering. "Is that okay, Harry?"
Harry blinked a little in surprise, but nodded, "Yeah. I'll be right out."
Remus nodded curtly, and rose. Regulus did the same silently; he'd been quietly observing the three others, taking everything in without giving anything of himself away. "I'm assuming that the young Mister Black will be going back to Grimmauld for the summer?" At that Regulus' eyebrows shot up his forehead, and he turned to the Headmaster.
"How are you aware of my ancestral home?"
"It is Order headquarters. Sirius gave it over for the use." Harry noticed that Dumbledore carefully didn't mention any of Sirius' future, obviously leaving that for another day to reveal to Regulus. Judging from the look on Remus' face he had noticed too, and worked out that Dumbledore would likely be delegating that job to him. "Remus, will you be happy to accompany him there, and keep him company for the summer?" Remus sighed quietly, obviously annoyed to be proven right, but nodded his acquiescence, and escorted the last remaining Black out of the office.
When Harry headed down the stairs half an hour later, a dazed look on his face, and Gryffindor's sword clutched in his hands, the two were waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. "Is that-" Harry nodded and held the sword out for Remus, who hesitated a long second before taking the sword in his hand, letting out a quiet breath that sounded like relief and shock all rolled into one. "Why has he given you Gryffindor's sword?"
Harry glanced around uneasily, "I'll explain it all at Grimmauld, once Hermione and Ron are there too." Remus nodded, and they headed back towards the staircases, Regulus in tow hidden back under Harry's cloak. "Could you look after the sword, Moony?" Harry asked, knowing that using his Marauder's nickname often made him more open to agreeing to things. Remus sighed and nodded, sheathing the sword in a quickly conjured sheath and then disillusioning it.
They split and Harry headed back towards Gryffindor tower, his mind whirling, but feeling lighter than he had for the last year since Sirius' death. Even though he knew the toughest trials were coming up, he now had support from Remus as well as Hermione, Ron, and Professor Dumbledore. Having Regulus there too was bound to be a great help towards fetching the Horcruxes. The only thing weighing him down was the conversation he knew he had to have with Ginny soon, preferably before summer holidays. Not only was it too dangerous in his opinion for her to keep dating him, but he'd realised somewhere over the last couple of days that the feelings he'd originally had for her had all but fizzled away to leave behind a strong platonic love.
As he walked he tried to sort everything out in his head properly so that he'd be able to explain it to Hermione and Ron once he reached the common room.
3rd July 1997
Hermione settled onto the bench between Neville and Harry, large book cradled in one hand, cauldron cake in the other. The trolley lady moved on and everyone else settled back into their seats fully, sweets being shared around. Ginny was the only one missing from their usual compartment contingent, having chosen to sit with other fifth year Gryffindors thanks to the abrupt, if amicable, end to hers and Harry's relationship.
Harry and Ron, sitting by the window opposite each other, had pulled the table out from the wall in between them, and set up a game of Wizarding chess that Ron would inevitably win. Luna had her head buried in the latest issue of the Quibbler, wearing the spectrespecs she still had from the beginning of the year. Neville smiled happily at Hermione when she glanced at him briefly, before turning back to the Herbology focused magazine he'd been reading for most of the ride so far.
Hermione didn't open her book yet, letting her mind wander to the information Harry had bombarded them with just two days ago. Regulus Black back from the dead, or - well - not back from the dead as it turned out he'd never died in the first place. They'd not had a chance to meet him before Professor Lupin - Remus as he'd insisted she call him for a while - was flooing to Grimmauld Place with him in tow.
Harry had said Regulus seemed alright, if a little quiet and withdrawn. Hermione couldn't exactly blame him considering what little she knew about his family, and what had recently been revealed about his role in the war. She felt sorry for him, his last moments in the past had been drowning in an Inferi infested lake, and then he'd woken in what turned out to be the future. Harry had said hardly anything had been explained to him about the current state of their world, or what had happened since his 'death', but Hermione assumed Remus had taken the time over the last two days to explain everything to him.
She was distracted from her thoughts by a light tapping at the train window. The others in the compartment all looked up in surprise with her to see Hedwig flapping outside the window, looking entirely disgruntled. Harry jumped from his seat, and pulled the window open quickly to allow his bedraggled owl to fly through. She hooted indignantly, and alighted on the table, ignoring the squawking chess pieces she knocked over. Harry soothed his fingers gently over her head, and carefully detached the letter from her ankle. Hermione rummaged in her bag, pushing Crookshanks out of the way when he tried to nuzzle his way into the bag of owl treats she had. She held the treat out to Hedwig, who nipped the treat from her fingers with a grateful hoot.
Harry was grinning as he read through the letter, "Who's it from?" Ron asked, leaning forward curiously.
"Remus." Harry passed the letter quietly over to Ron, who scanned the letter and grinned too. Hermione held her hand out imperiously and read it through quickly once Ron passed it over. She was pleased to see Remus had been vague with his wording to ensure people would be confused if it fell into the wrong hands, and that he would be coming to collect Harry from the Dursleys as soon as he could - though it likely wouldn't be until just before Harry's birthday. She wondered how he and Regulus were getting on with each other.
A/N: I really hope you liked :D Let me know what you thought!