A/N: We're going back in time a little here! Pay close attention to the dates, as we're hearing from others' perspectives for the next few chapters.
Christmas, 1979
"I don't want to go," Remus said sullenly. "You can't make me."
"Dora's not going to be there, mate. 'Dromeda already said so," Sirius grumbled. "Both of us are having a shit year, and they want us there."
"Why can't we have a shit Christmas alone?"
"Moony, can't you do it for little Tonks? She thinks you're her best friend," Sirius teased. "Wrote to me to ask you over herself."
Remus groaned. The similarities between little Tonks and Dora were too many to count, and the last event he wanted to attend was one in which a Metamorphmagus was involved.
"Get over yourself. If I can see little Tonks after what Dora did to my brother, you can see little Tonks after what Dora did to you."
"If it gets weird, we're leaving," Remus relented grumpily, as Sirius clapped his hands together. "Tell your cousin we'll go. When are we supposed to be there?"
"Five minutes ago," Sirius said gleefully.
"You already said yes for us, didn't you?"
Sirius' silence gave Remus all the confirmation he needed. They stepped out of Sirius' flat together and Apparated to the top step of the new Tonks residence, a row home south of London, and knocked on the door.
Ted opened the door and ushered them in, while a sudden thump from the stairs indicated a colorful blur was on her way down. Remus caught the eight year old in his arms before she hurtled headfirst into the door.
"Remus! You're here!" Tonks said excitedly. "Look at my hair!"
"It's Gryffindor colored," Sirius said, smiling softly.
"No, it's for Christmas!" Tonks whirled around, her red and gold dress matching her hair, both shining in the light.
"She's improved her morphing considerably," Andromeda said, stepping into the foyer. "Having another Metamorphmagus in the family helps, I think."
Remus and Sirius exchanged awkward glances, prompting Tonks to tug on Remus' sleeve for attention.
"Can I show Remus and Sirius my new storybooks?" Tonks asked her parents. "Please?"
"You may," Andromeda assented. "Be quick about it, Nymphadora, as dinner will be ready soon."
"Sirius, Remus, follow me!" Tonks shouted, beckoning the two young men to follow her up the stairs. Once they reached the landing, Tonks pointed to her bedroom.
"That's my room. Gran's is on the other side, and mum and dad's is down there," Tonks explained rapidly. "C'mon!" She rushed through the threshold of the door, immediately kneeling in front of a bookcase.
Remus looked around the room, and his breath hitched. He glanced at Sirius, who bore an identical expression of shock. The nymph murals. The quilt. The stuffed wolf on the bed. Dora. All Dora.
"What's wrong?" Tonks asked, startling Remus out of his reverie. "Are you ill?" Remus watched her grab the beloved stuffed wolf, "Woofie," and present it to him.
"Woofie makes me feel better when I'm ill," Tonks offered, putting the stuffed wolf in Remus' hand. "Maybe he can help you too." Remus looked down at the stuffed wolf, staring at Tonks with a mixture of fear and concern.
"Sirius, why is Remus like this? Did you do something stupid to him?" Tonks looked over at Sirius, frowning at him.
Tonks ran to the threshold of the door. Before she was able to run through the doorframe, Remus caught her. Surely Andromeda and Ted couldn't know.
"We're alright, Tonks," Remus said hoarsely. "This room reminds us of a witch we know." Dora. This is Dora's room. We've been in this room so many times.
"Did you lose her too?" Tonks asked, her gold and crimson hair flopping happily. "My mum told me you lost your mum and dad."
"No," Remus replied, his eyes darting in too many directions, taking in every detail from his own recollections of the room through Dora's memories.
"I haven't lost her, though I'm afraid I will soon," Remus said, his voice strained and tense. Tonks was still looking at him expectantly, and he added, "I miss my parents. They liked you a lot, Tonks."
"Did they tell you stories?" Tonks asked. "My mummy and daddy tell me lots of stories."
"They did," Remus replied gently. "If you'd like, I can tell you stories, too. I'm afraid it might be time for dinner. Sirius?" Remus noted that Sirius was still catatonic, and elbowed him in the side, shaking Sirius out of his thoughts.
"Mmm," Sirius answered noncommittally. "We'll go." Tonks led them out of her room and down to the kitchen, which was also identical to the one Dora had shown them in her memories from the Room of Requirement.
Dinner was an awkward affair, Remus later recollected, as he and Sirius made their way back to Sirius' flat in silence. Not a word was spoken between the two of them until Sirius had cast the usual privacy charms on the flat.
"What the actual fuck." Sirius finally said, eyeing Remus. "I'm not mental, am I? That was—"
"—how? How?" Remus said, hands shaking. "This…something's not adding up."
"Let's discuss the facts," Sirius said quietly. "We entered the new Tonks home tonight, which was eerily identical to the house Dora says she grew up in…in America."
Remus stilled, breathing hard. "Little Tonks showed us her stuffed wolf in the same place as Dora's…and they have the same name."
"Dora and Tonks are both Metamorphmagi," Sirius added. "And half-Black. Tonks' is 'Dromeda's daughter. Dora said she's Al's daughter, but Uncle Al was gay."
"He could've been bi," Remus said hoarsely. "Or he could've had a fling. The Scamanders have never denied they're related to her."
"Why would they, if they're covering something up?" Sirius countered. "Do you remember that day you and Snape got into that fight when Dora disappeared from the Map?"
"Yes?"
Sirius took a deep breath. "Dumbledore said something about the whole truth – and Dora said no."
"You think she's hiding something else?" Remus stared at Sirius with incredulity.
"What else would explain that house?"
"You can't possibly suggest they're the same person," Remus growled. "That's impossible."
"Not what I was thinking, admittedly," Sirius said, rubbing his chin, deep in thought. "But it's more likely than what I thought."
Remus crossed his arms over his chest. "What exactly were you thinking?"
"A Muggle science fiction thing – other planet, or alternate universe," Sirius muttered. "Alex took me to see some ridiculous film about Americans and a furry creature in space."
"Dora being from another planet is more likely than another time," Remus mumbled. "Right?"
"Maybe Dumbledore knows something we don't."
Remus snorted. "That's like saying Dora has secrets."
"Ask him soon?"
"Fine."
….
5 January 1980
"Thanks for meeting with us, Albus," Remus said politely. "We have some questions."
"I gathered as much. How can I help you gentlemen?"
"We visited the Tonkses recently," Sirius began. "We saw their daughter's bedroom, and it was startlingly similar to a room Dora once showed us that conjured itself to look like her childhood bedroom."
"I see. What do you make of this?" Dumbledore's blue eyes were unreadable, thought Remus.
"We have a theory – it's crazy, really," Remus ventured. "Is it possible that Dora isn't all who she seems?"
"Say more." Dumbledore laced his fingers together, gazing at Remus and Sirius in silence.
Sirius shifted uneasily in his seat. "We thought you might know."
"I'm afraid that I'm quite unable to help you, without hearing what you might be suggesting."
Remus frowned; Dumbledore was making this more difficult on purpose.
"Is Dora from a different time?" Sirius blurted. "She has to be, doesn't she?"
"Have you considered asking her?" Dumbledore asked quietly, his even, calm tone irritating Remus further.
"Could you just tell us?" Remus grumbled.
"It's only been a few days since the moon, and our favorite werewolf is a little tetchy," Sirius teased, while Remus made a rude hand gesture at him.
Dumbledore held a hand in front of Sirius and Remus. "Would it change your opinion of Dora if you were to learn she had different origins than she initially told you?"
Remus hesitated. "I don't know."
"If it doesn't change your opinion of her, does it matter?" Dumbledore gazed upon Remus, who felt as if the Headmaster could read his thoughts.
"It maybe would change my opinion of her, if we knew she didn't make things worse," Sirius said slowly. "My brother died in August. If she really was from the future, wouldn't she know?"
"Time Turners only work for days at most, Sirius, and that's why your idea is ridiculous," Remus grumbled. "It's not that."
"How do you explain the house? The same bedroom? The same sitting room? Everything was the same! And the things she says, knew – what first year could duel that well?"
"But that's impossible," Remus retorted. "Impossible."
Dumbledore's mouth twitched slightly. "If it's impossible, why bother with the thought at all?"
"We're not getting any answers, are we?" Sirius said, exasperated.
"Not from me. You're most welcome to try someone else."
"Who? Dora? She'd never—" Remus was growing red in the face, still furious that Dora had broken her promise – it was only Regulus' death that led the wedding to fall apart, not Dora's doing.
Sirius clenched his jaw and tightened his fists, until the knuckles were white. "—we figure it out ourselves, Moony. We can do it without her."
Dumbledore frowned slightly. "Might I ask you both a question? Would learning any more of Dora's background improve or worsen your relationship with her at the moment?"
"It can't get any worse than it is," Remus said bitterly. "There is no relationship. I'm with someone else now."
"Same as Remus. She's a Death Eater now and there's no denying it. I would hardly call her my cousin these days, after what she dragged Regulus into."
"Call it friendship," Dumbledore said gently. "Simply friendship between the two of you and Dora. Would learning more of her background improve how you feel about her, or your friendship with her?"
"I don't know," Remus said, after a few moments of silence, while Sirius nodded in agreement.
"Determine what you'd like your friendship with Dora to look like. She's suffering a great deal at the moment—"
"That's bullshit—"
"Remus. I know that the three of you have a strained friendship, but please know that she's not faring any better than either of you. I ask, as your former Headmaster and as your friend, to consider her feelings. I am willing to cooperate with some of your questions, but I am not willing to expose her to any more suffering."
"What do you want to hear from us?" Sirius demanded. "That we want to be friendly best mates with her again?"
"No," Dumbledore replied quietly. "Come back to me when you have considered whether you wish to improve your friendship with Dora. If you seek information only to hurt her, I'm afraid I cannot help you."
"Why would we wantto hurt her?" Remus asked angrily.
Dumbledore's face grew somber, his blue eyes piercing into Remus' honey brown. "Can't you see that's what you're already doing?"
Remus and Sirius alike couldn't find it in themselves to answer the question, and they went away from the Headmaster's office, feeling guilty and more confused than ever.
….
3 March 1980
Remus was stirring, cold and muddied. Another full moon had come and gone at Greyback's werewolf camp. Remus had been at the camp for nine months, and he had hated it from the first day. He had gone there, after a year of unemployment, on the heels of his painful breakup with Dora. She was marrying another man – she promised she'd wait for him. She had promised, and the lacy, delicate wedding invitation was proof enough that she wasn't going to keep her promise. Betrayed and hurt, Remus took the first opportunity to arrive at Greyback's camp, ingratiating himself to the new order.
His new girlfriend, Lottie, was part of that new order. She had been at the camp for years – bitten before she could receive her Hogwarts letter, only two years Remus' junior. She was kind, and had taken a fancy to Remus almost immediately. Remus, lonely and bitter, had given into her affections. Without a proper dueling partner, and with the enormous stress of being at the camp, he'd given into her body as well. She hoped they'd mate – proper mating, as she'd called it – and Remus couldn't find it in himself to care one way or another.
The only witch he'd ever truly loved was Dora. She had loved him unconditionally, promised him she'd be with him, and given him every happiness. She had betrayed Remus…and if it hadn't been for Regulus' death, she would be married to him now, the new Mrs. Black. Dora had broken her promise and left Remus behind; he was determined to leave his feelings for her behind.
They had no luck in mating – conceiving, really – and Lottie was going spare. She already considered herself Remus' mate, but Remus had yet to shake the feeling that his mate could only ever be Dora. Perhaps that's why they couldn't properly mate, he wondered, as he dressed himself in the cold light of morning.
As soon as he emerged from his ramshackle hut, dressed in threadbare rags, a pair of rough hands grabbed him.
"Get off me!" Remus growled.
"Yer needed fer the alpha," a voice said, as he thrust Remus inside the "grander" hut that Fenrir Greyback enjoyed at the camp.
Remus' eyes watered as he was bound, gagged, and tied against a post. To his surprise, Lottie, and two other werewolves were tied up, all with equally scared expressions on their faces. His ears perked up when he heard Greyback's voice, straining to hear more.
"Dark Lord says you can get them to tell the truth," Greyback rasped. "By whatever means necessary."
Remus' blood ran cold. Death Eaters had come by the camp before, with Greyback rounding up a few werewolves for each visit, to weed out "traitors." As of yet, Remus was the only true traitor, through his connection with the Order. If Death Eaters were coming for traitors…Remus was as good as dead, he thought grimly.
Greyback and a smaller figure came into the hut, who lit the space.
"Spies, we think," Greyback said hoarsely. "Dark Lord said you'd know what to do with traitors."
Remus looked up, eyes widening upon seeing Dora standing before him. He hadn't seen her in months, and she looked worse for wear. Thinner, paler, and a haunted look in her eyes. It broke Remus' heart to see her so broken again. Dumbledore was right, he thought…Dora was suffering, again.
"Do they have wands?" Dora asked quietly.
"This one does," Greyback said, pointing to Remus. "I reckon it's mine now." He took out Remus' familiar cypress wand from his tattered robe pocket, twirling it in his rough, dirty hands.
"It's mine," Dora hissed, summoning the wand out of Greyback's hands, as the werewolf growled with rage. "I will return it if you cooperate with me, or you will become a traitor." Remus would've gasped if he hadn't been gagged – what was Dora thinking?
"You foolish girl," Greyback roared, lunging towards Dora. With a lazy flick of her own wand, Dora had Greyback bound in an instant, leaving him flailing against the conjured ropes on the dirt floor.
"This is my prize," Dora said coldly, twirling Remus' wand in her own hands, as Remus stared at her in disbelief, terrified for her life.
"If you behave yourself, I'll consider releasing you without further punishment, you dog." Remus winced upon hearing Dora call Greyback a dog. It sounded especially cruel coming from her.
Greyback struggled against his constraints. "Let me go," he said angrily. "Now."
"Will you behave yourself?" Dora asked sweetly. "Or will I punish you as I will the others?"
"Fucking witch, just like the other one, Bella—"
"—I consider it quite the compliment for you to compare me to my lovely cousin," Dora said, as Remus stared, horrified at Dora's transformation; Sirius was right – she was a Death Eater now. "We Black women know what we want. Now, will you behave yourself?"
"Fine," Greyback said gruffly. "Let me go!"
Remus felt the betrayal and pain of Dora becoming a Death Eater more fully now, and let the tears fall freely from his eyes. He had done this to her – he had pushed her away, and she had turned to the Death Eaters.
"You are?" Dora asked, removing the cloth stuffed in Remus' mouth.
"Lupin," Remus croaked. "Remus Lupin." He hoped he could still save her, if he pretended not to know her.
"Don't hurt him!" Lottie called. Dora whipped around, looking for the source of the sound.
"Please! He's not a spy!" Lottie cried.
"What's he to you?" Dora asked coldly.
"He's my mate, please, please don't hurt him!" Remus could have cursed the ground he stood on at Lottie's brazenness; they weren't mated. They couldn't be – could they?
Dora looked back at Remus, whose face had fallen, as he stared sullenly at the floor.
"I don't care," Dora said, after pinching the bridge of her nose. "Silencio." Dora silenced the struggling, thrashing girl, and moved back to Remus.
Dora looked back into Remus' pain-filled eyes. "I'll get back to you," she hissed at him. He hung his head, sniffling. If he had any hope of Dora forgiving him, or coming back to her, learning he had a mate would not have helped.
"I'm able to get information out of them in any way I want. Isn't that right, Greyback?" Dora asked, looking Fenrir. He grunted an assent, and returned to his brooding in the corner of the hut.
Dora was doing something to the other werewolves that made their eyes glaze over – what was it?
"What are you doing to them?" Greyback rasped, watching the scene with curiosity.
"I don't need to torture them to know if they're telling the truth," Dora replied coolly, staring Fenrir in the eyes. She flicked her wand and pointed it at Fenrir, murmuring something. His eyes glazed over momentarily before Dora stopped the torture.
"What the fuck was that?" Fenrir roared. "You're like the Dark Lord?"
"Obviously," Dora said, rolling her eyes. "Your minds are so primitive it's dreadfully easy. I'll save the torture for the guilty." Remus began panicking in earnest. Dora was a Death Eater; she was like the Dark Lord! She was likely furious with him when she saw his thoughts – Lottie!
Dora turned to Lottie, her eyes glazing over in the same way as the others. A few seconds later, Lottie cried, "Don't hurt him." She thrashed against the restraints. "He's my mate! Please!"
"Silencio," Dora cast, silencing Lottie once more.
"Spy?" Fenrir rasped. "The girl?"
"Inconclusive," Dora snapped. "I'll get to her when I need to." Fenrir's face filled with glee; while Remus' was filled with terror.
"Remus," Dora whispered, as she approached him. He said nothing, gaze still downcast, staring at the dirt floor. "Look at me in the eyes." He did as he was told, and his gold-flecked eyes looked into Dora's steely ones. "Legilimens."
Remus' mind was a mess; he had no skills in Occlumency. His thoughts were wracked with guilt. Even his memories with Lottie were tinged with guilt, and they were unfortunately graphic and intimate in nature, much to Remus' dismay. Dora easily saw the Order meetings, the Patronus messages to Dumbledore…and herself. Dora must have felt Remus' pain whenever her face flitted through his mind. The emotions of hurt, guilt, and betrayal colored all of his memories of her.
"Inconclusive," Dora said softly, as Remus' eyes grew round with fear. Fenrir smirked, seeing that Dora had found two suspicious figures. "I want to speak with him alone." Remus began trembling in place, wondering what torture she had planned for him.
Fenrir growled, and Dora sent a Stinging Jinx his way, making him whimper. "Get out," Dora ordered, and Fenrir reluctantly shuffled his way out of the hut. Lottie was still thrashing against her restraints, but Dora paid no attention to her.
"Muffliato," Dora murmured, now looking back at Remus.
"Is it true? You mated?" Dora asked, her voice cracking.
Remus' heart broke upon hearing the pain in her voice. He had been so cruel.
"I don't know," Remus finally replied, his voice barely more than a whisper.
"If I threatened to hurt her?"
Remus couldn't very well say he didn't care, because he truly didn't. He settled with, "I don't like it."
"But you don't want to murder me?" Dora asked, the hurt so evident in her eyes that it made Remus' eyes water again.
"Never," Remus said hoarsely. How could I have been so stupid? Remus wondered.
"You hate me, Remus. I could see it in your mind," Dora said quietly. Remus' heart was being torn apart all over again, and it was his doing. He should have trusted her.
"No, Dora, I—" he began protesting.
"—maybe we've broken each other's hearts one too many times," Dora murmured. "You've moved on. I should too, shouldn't I?"
"Dora, no—" Remus' voice cracked, as he tried protesting again.
"—It's fine, Remus," Dora said, in a strained voice. "I'm not going to hurt either of you. I'll move on. You already have."
"But—"
"Silencio," Dora murmured, cutting off Remus' voice. "It's too hard to keep doing this, Remus. I've hurt you too much. It's time to let you go."
Remus' eyes were welling with tears. Dora, my Dora, please don't go! He thought with every fiber of his being. Please, come back to me.
"I'll give your wand to Fenrir for him to return it to you. I'm sorry our timing never worked," she whispered. "Just know – everything I did, it was all for you. I'll always love you, Remus."
If he hadn't been bound and silenced, Remus would have collapsed, begging for her to come back. Come back to him, come back to the light, come back.
She never did.
….
5 July 1980
"Am I to assume you have decided what you wish for your friendship with Dora?" Dumbledore said sagely, peering at Remus and Sirius over his half-moon spectacles.
"We want to fix it. All of it," Remus said firmly. "I don't know how, but we are going to make it better."
"May I ask what brought this on?"
"We haven't heard from her in months. We…I desperately need to see her, alive and well," Remus replied. "Please help us."
"Sirius?"
"She's one of the only decent family members I have, if I'm to believe that she's not a Death Eater," Sirius said carefully. "I still have my doubts. I hear she dines with the Lestranges once a week. That can't possibly be good."
"We've been through this many times, Sirius. Dora is a double agent, and an outstanding spy," Dumbledore said forcefully. "If you're unwilling to accept her as she is, I'm afraid I cannot share anything with you."
"No, we want to know the truth. We want to help her," Remus insisted. "I'm not hurting her again. Never again."
"Sirius? You won't hurt her?"
"No," Sirius exhaled heavily. "I just want us back to normal, whatever that means."
"If her past doesn't matter, and you do not wish to hurt her, I have nothing to show or tell you," Dumbledore said cheerily.
"What?!" Remus sputtered. "You said – you—"
"I believe I said I would entertain some questions, as long as it was in the service of helping Dora, not hurting her."
Sirius tugged at his long, glossy black hair. "We should just pretend that nothing happened last Christmas?"
"Suppose, gentlemen, that your theory is correct," Dumbledore said slowly. "How does that change your treatment or friendship with Dora?"
"If…by some insane, impossible chance, Dora is actually little Tonks from the future?" Remus asked blankly.
"Assume, for a moment, your theory is correct. How does this change your friendship?" Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled over his half-moon spectacles.
"Well, she really is my cousin," Sirius said, tucking his hair behind his ear. "I'd want to know if she knew what happened to Reg, and if she did, why she didn't do anything about it."
"That assumes she didn't do anything to make it worse," Dumbledore said calmly. "If your theory is correct, that is. Remus?"
"I've done things with her…but little Tonks is…" Remus shuddered. "A child!"
"Yet Dora is an adult, isn't she? The child you know and the adult you know are two different individuals, no?"
"So you're saying we're right," Sirius said slowly, a look of astonishment washing over his features.
"I'm not saying anything. It is highly improbable – nay, impossible – that little Miss Tonks could go back in time further than a few days at a time. I am merely asking if it would change your friendship for the better, or worse."
"Well, they are two people…but wouldn't that mean that little Tonks would have to go back in time? So Dora's done this, and we're in a loop that can't change?" Remus wondered aloud, his head beginning to hurt with the paradoxes of time.
"Moony," Sirius said softly. "It's not worth it. Whatever happened to Dora – or Tonks – whoever she is, it doesn't matter. We know Dora. We grew up with Dora. Little Tonks is my baby cousin. If they come together or coexist…whatever."
"How can you be so calm?" Remus demanded. "I might have been shagging your baby cousin!"
"It's not like you're doing it now—"
"—Good Godric, of course not, you wanker—"
"—then you weren't shagging my baby cousin," Sirius concluded. "I've been blaming Dora for Regulus' death for a year. She loved him as a brother. If she did come from the past, she probably tried to save him. Either it didn't work, or it was fate. I'm tired of being angry at her. Aren't you?"
"Well, yeah, but…she's an eight year old!"
"Dora isn't," Sirius said flatly. "It all matches up – her age, her spell work, how she just knows things – but what does it matter anymore? Either she's a kid going to time travel, or a time traveling adult who babysat us for years. Merlin, what we put her through." Sirius exhaled forcefully and put his head in his hands.
"You'll never tell us, will you?" Remus asked, looking back up at Dumbledore, whose eyes were gleaming.
"As you said, it's an impossibility. Outlandish, really," Dumbledore replied, his mouth twitching in amusement.
"Okay…so Dora might be kid Tonks from the future. Now what?" Remus asked, staring at Sirius.
"Now, Moony, we try to fix the mess we've made."
….
1 August 1980
"I can't believe one of us has one of these," Sirius said, holding the newborn Harry James Potter in his arms.
"To think James finally got the girl and the baby," Remus laughed, as James glared at them.
"He's right," Lily said, exhausted. "Even five years ago I thought he was an insufferable toerag. Now, he's my insufferable toerag."
"Why doesn't Uncle Peter get a turn with Harry?" Lily suggested. Peter squeaked, and took Harry gingerly into his arms.
"Since you're all here, I thought we might ask if one of you wanted to be Harry's godfather," James asked, tussling with Harry's baby hair. "I can't choose."
"Lily, what do you want?" Remus asked.
"You, obviously. You're the most responsible," Lily replied, taking Harry back into her arms. "But James said you lot should duel for it."
"I don't think that's a good idea," Remus said nervously. "Dueling or me as godfather. My, err, furry little problem might get in the way."
James frowned. "I hadn't thought of that. The Ministry might not let you have him because they've got their heads up their—"
"—We have a child now, watch your mouth!" Lily hissed.
"That leaves Petey or Sirius for godfather," James continued.
"I want it," Sirius said abruptly. "I can be the dogfather!" Remus shook his head as the others burst into laughter.
"Now we have to give it to him," James laughed. "Petey, you're not put out?"
"I've got my mum to take care of," Peter said quietly. "Sirius should take care of Harry."
"You sure you don't want to be godmother?" Sirius chuckled. "We'd make a lovely pair."
Peter made a face, but at the suggestion of godmother Remus brightened.
"Dora. Dora should be his godmother," Remus said firmly.
"You haven't spoken to her in months?" Lily said, confused. "None of us have?"
Remus shifted guiltily in place. "We're working on it."
Sirius glanced at Remus, and reached out for Harry. "Dora should do it. I'm sure she'll love Harry."
"Even though none of us have seen her for months, and she might be a Death Eater now?" James asked, his brow furrowed.
"She's not a Death Eater," Remus insisted. "Dumbledore trusts her. She has the means to care for him, and a good job. It should be Dora."
James turned to Sirius. "She's got the gold. You still hate her?"
Sirius held Harry close, and looked back at Remus. "Of all the people we know, Dora will know what's best for Harry in the future. She'll keep him safe. I can't say how I know it, but I do. Even if she never talks to us again, she'll take care of Harry. She's amazing with my baby cousin, mini Tonks."
"You think she'd care about our kid, even if she doesn't talk to us?" James asked in surprise. "Really?"
"I think she'll come around," Remus murmured. "Just think on it."
"Are you sure you're not trying to use my child as a bargaining chip?" Lily asked, wiggling her eyebrow at Remus. "As a way to lure her here and talk to her?"
"Now I am," Remus said crossly. "I hadn't thought of that. Can I be here if you ask her?"
"If I ask her, it will be through a letter first," Lily said, after a short pause. "And, if she agrees, you're not going to be here. This is about Harry, not you."
"Okay," Remus agreed. "Really consider it. Dora might be the best chance we all have for the future."
Only Sirius seemed to understand his sentiment, but it didn't matter. They wouldn't believe them, anyway.
….
14 October 1980
"You have to stay under the Cloak," James warned Remus. "If she figures out you're spying on her, she won't forgive you."
"I understand," Remus said solemnly. "I won't say a word, and I'll stay under the Cloak."
"No matter how angry she is at you?"
Remus nodded.
James offered the Invisibility Cloak to Remus. "No matter what she says about you?"
"No matter what, Prongs, I'll stay under the bloody Cloak."
"She'll be here any minute. I'm going out. If the house is destroyed because of your grand cock-up with her, you're the one to blame."
"Fine, now get out before she sees you!" Remus hissed, putting the Invisibility Cloak over his body. He saw James leave, and Remus stood in the corner of the sitting room, waiting for Dora to come in. His heart nearly burst out of his chest upon seeing her walk into the Potters' sitting room, arms outstretched for little Harry.
"Wotcher, Harry," Dora said warmly.
"This is your godmother, Harry," Lily beamed. "She's cousins with your godfather, isn't she?"
"Sirius?"
"James insisted," Lily chuckled. "I thought Remus would be a better option, until we learned that if anything happened to us, the Ministry wouldn't take well to a lycanthrope caring for our son." Remus scowled under the Cloak; even if the Ministry didn't take well to a werewolf guardian, Harry would never be safe with Remus.
"Why me?" Dora asked. "Not that I'm complaining, of course. Harry's a lovely little lad, and I'm honored."
"Remus suggested you," Lily said softly. "He was quite adamant about it."
"He was?" Remus saw Dora's shocked expression, hoping the proverbial olive branch would work in his favor.
"He came by after Harry was born, and we told him Sirius would be godfather, although Sirius insisted he would be the dogfather." Lily rolled her eyes, giggling at Sirius' joke. "When he asked if there was to be a godmother, we said we hadn't planned on it, truthfully. But Remus told us we should have you as the godmother. Demanded it, really. Sirius agreed as well, vehemently, I might add."
"That's…weird." Dora's nose was scrunched in confusion, as she held Harry in her arms.
Lily continued. "They were both so set on it, we had to agree. They're anxious to see you."
Dora looked genuinely surprised. "They are?"
"I thought you knew? Haven't you received their letters or Patronus messages?" Remus' breath hitched; now was the moment of truth – had she been refusing them, or unable to receive them?
"No, I haven't. I, err, set up charms to prevent myself from receiving Patronus messages at home or at work, and I've ordered our house elf to refuse any letters, save for a few people."
"You don't live in that flat anymore?"
"I moved out in March. I live with Walburga now." Remus' heart skipped a beat – the house was under so many enchantments, it made perfect sense that she hadn't received any message at all.
"That explains why they can't find you…Sirius has been trying to find you at the Ministry, but you're never there."
"Unspeakables have odd hours," Dora said feebly. Remus saw the guilty look in Dora's eyes – she's a Metamorphmagus. She could change her appearance any time, and avoid anyone's eye.
"Pandora, would you like to hear from either of them?"
"Maybe from Sirius…not Remus. I can't have my heart broken again. Not after he-" Dora's chin quivered. Remus' heart ached again, to see Dora in distress. He had hurt her. He would never forgive himself.
"He has a letter for you. I can return it, if you'd like." Lily pulled out a thickly folded parchment, and offered it to Dora.
Dora stared at Lily's outstretched hand, seeing her name scribbled in Remus' writing.
"He's desperate, Pandora," Lily said softly, shaking the letter in her hand. "He's beside himself." Remus scowled under the Cloak; why did Lily have to be so blunt?
Dora adjusted Harry in her arms, and returned him to his mother's arms, switching him out for the letter.
"Will you read it?"
"I will, Lily. I – I'll go now," Dora stammered. "I should do this alone."
"You don't want to read it here?"
"No. I don't think I could do it without—" Dora burst into tears, clutching the letter to her chest. She heaved with loud sobs, startling little Harry. Remus almost threw the Invisibility Cloak off his body, aching to hold Dora in his arms and comfort her. Remus was endlessly sorry for breaking her heart, so many times over, out of his own jealousy and pettiness.
"I'm sorry, Lily," Dora blubbered. "I didn't mean to do this. I'm so sorry, this is—"
"You're already crying, Pandora," Lily said kindly. "You can read the letter. I'm not uncomfortable in the least."
Dora nodded weakly, and she tore open the parchment to read. Remus watched carefully as she read, the tears continuing to fall from her eyes.
"Pandora?" Lily asked softly. "Can I get you anything? Is everything…alright?"
"'M fine, Lily. I- I should go now."
"You'll be okay?"
"If you see Remus, tell him I'll need a little time, is all."
Lily glanced nervously around the room, while Remus' heart skipped a beat in anticipation. "Are you sure you don't want to tell him yourself?"
"I don't think I could bear to see him right now. I just need time." Remus was crying now, biting on his knuckles to keep from sobbing loudly – she didn't want to see him.
"Are you upset with him?"
"Lily, just tell him I need time. I'll write when I need to. Give James my best?" Dora gathered her things hastily, and gave Harry a quick kiss on the forehead, before rushing out of the Potters' cottage.
"She's out of the boundaries now," Lily said softly. "You can come out now, Remus. I know you're there."
Remus tore off the Invisibility Cloak, eyes red-rimmed and puffy. He slumped into the armchair Dora had just occupied, inhaling whatever was left of her scent on the fabric.
"You're a mess."
"No shit."
Lily scowled. "Language, Remus. I have an impressionable infant in my arms."
"He's not even three months old. He's got the memory of a flobberworm."
"A very handsome flobberworm, isn't he?"
Remus sighed, exasperated. "Lily, I love Harry, I do, but what am I going to do about Dora?"
"You heard her, didn't you? Give her time."
"How much time?" he asked, eagerly.
"Wait for her to write you or sending you a Patronus."
"What if she doesn't write back?"
"It's a risk you'll have to take. Now, get out. Harry and I both need a kip."
Remus pressed his lips together, both annoyed and despondent, and left the cottage.