Minerva arrived at the cottage with the boys and Andromeda. Teddy was already sleeping his grandmother's arms. They entered, which was killing Minerva to leave again. Her face was giving her away, as her eyes filled with tears.
"I am going to lay him in his bed, then we are going to talk." Andromeda looked at her granddaughter as she went into Teddy's room.
Minerva went and sat Remus in his bassinet while she got their things all together.
"What are you doing?" Andromeda walked in the room confused at what she was seeing.
"We are going away for a little bit. Remus and I need some time away from Charlie." She did not look at her as she spoke.
"You do not need to leave your home, make him leave." She took Minerva's hands.
"He needs to not know where we are. He needs to see that he needs us, and that without us around…" Tears finally left her eyes.
Andromeda wiped her face. "Minerva are you sure that this is the right way to do things? There must be some other way."
"I wish there were, but there is not." She sighed as she packed the last of their things in a bag. "I will be back, I promise." She hugged her grandmother.
"This is where the Remus in you shows."
Minerva looked at her confused. "What do you mean?"
"He used to run away from all his problems as well." She turned away as tears filled her eyes and walked out of the room.
Minerva stood there; she was numb. Andromeda was the one person in the world that had never expressed disappointment in her, and in that moment she just did. She hurt her, and it was ripping Minerva apart inside.
Minerva swaddled Remus up tightly in his blanket. She walked into the living room where Andromeda was looking at the Daily Prophet (which she never read). She stopped and looked over at her.
"Grandmother, I am sorry." She began to get choked up again. "I love you."
"Minerva, I love you and you know that." She closed the newspaper.
Minerva nodded as she headed out the door with her son. As she stood on the front grass she sighed. She had no idea how this would all turn out, or if things were really done between her and the one man that she truly loved. Within the next few moments, she was gone.
She arrived in Hogsmeade, it was quiet, and the streets were dark. Minerva knew that everyone was at the castle celebrating Hermione and Ron.
She walked for a few moments like it had said to do on the parchment that McGonagall had given to her. She then came across a small house; it was well kept. Minerva took a deep breath as she knocked on the front door.
"Hello my dear, come in." She gestured for her to enter.
"I am sorry that it took a little longer than I thought it would." She looked around at the small kitchen.
"It is no worry, dear." McGonagall assured her. "Let me show you to your room." She headed up a small flight of stairs.
"This here is the washroom." She pointed to the first door in the perfectly lit hallway. "Then this here will be your room for your stay. I do have to head back up to the castle, but I will be back in the morning." She smiled and headed off.
Minerva walked into the bedroom; it was a decent size. The walls were wallpapered with an emerald shade, and all the décor were also a shade of green. Beside the bed was a bassinet, Minerva was surprised that one was there for him to sleep in. She sat Remus in it and began to situate their things, before she knew it, she was passed out.
Minerva had awoken to the smell of breakfast cooking. As she got up to check on Remus' she noticed that he was not there and there was a little note that said, 'he is downstairs with me'.
Putting on her nightrobes she headed towards the kitchen, she smiled as she seen Remus laying in another bassinet sleeping like a rock.
"How did you do it?" Minerva smiled.
"Very simply." McGonagall sat food on the table. "I heard him fussing when I came in. I went into your room, you were in a deep sleep, I decided that I would let you sleep in a bit longer. I changed him, fed him, and he fell back to sleep." She sat down at the table.
Minerva joined her. "Thank you, that means a lot to me. Sleep has been rough these last few months."
"It is really no problem my dear. Now eat." McGonagall smiled.
That is how the next few weeks went. McGonagall was very helpful and hands on with Remus when she was not at the school. Minerva was loving all the extra help with her son, but she was also missing her family.
"Minerva, you need to go and see them. Take Remus this afternoon to go see your grandmother and Teddy." McGonagall cleared off the table from lunch.
She shrugged as she fed Remus. "I am not so sure that grandmother wants to see me."
"That is insane, of course she wants to see you. I have had conversations with Andromeda when she was looking for you while you were hiding away in Romania. Trust me, my child she loves you and wants nothing but the best for you."
"I know she loves me, but she is disappointed in me for running away again. She said that dad use to do the same thing with his problems." Minerva put a sleeping Remus in his bassinet.
"Remus was a very private person, and with his condition who could blame him. He did not allow a lot of people in and if he did it took him years to get there." McGonagall sat back at the table. "I am surprised that Nymphadora broke down his walls."
"Mom was determined to get him to let her in, she loved him. He loved her as well, but he was scared that he would hurt her, that a man with his condition could not be married." Minerva sighed. "I am so glad that she did, because once he let her in and faced his fears, he was so much happier."
"Exactly, when Remus learned to face his fears instead of running from them, he found a new kind of happiness. He was at peace with himself, with his condition, and with life." McGonagall smirked at Minerva.
She shook her head. "I see what you did there."
McGonagall stood up. "Did what?" She walked up to her room to get ready for her day.
The next few days Minerva thought on everything, she was so confused and lost. She looked at her son who was laying on the bed beside her.
"We need to." She picked him up and disapperated away.
Moments later she was standing in front of the cottage, she was so nervous to go in. Minerva walked up to the door, and she slowly walked in.
"Sissy!" Teddy ran over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Hey there my little wolf." She smiled down at him. Minerva looked around the kitchen, she needed to make sure that Charlie was not there.
Andromeda smiled as she walked into the kitchen and seen the two of them standing there. "You came back." She walked over taking Remus.
"I am here to visit. I have missed you guys so much." Minerva picked up Teddy.
"We missed you more." He hugged her. "Lee is here."
"Who is Lee?" She looked over at Andromeda.
"Kingsley Shacklebolt." She smiled. "Teddy calls him Lee."
Minerva was confused. "Kingsley?"
Teddy nodded. "Yes, and grandma kissed him."
"Kissed him?" Minerva was even more confused than she was before.
Andromeda nodded. "Yes, I have been seeing him for the last month or so."
Minerva was speechless, she did not see this coming at all.
Kingsley walked into the kitchen. "Morning, you must be the famous Minerva."
She smiled. "Yes, Minerva Lupin."
"It is nice to finally meet you. I have heard so much about you from these two." He smiled as he took Teddy, who reached his arms out to him.
"Um –" Minerva was still in shock.
Andromeda smiled at her. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, honestly was not expecting this." She responded.
"Neither was I, but it happened, and I am so happy that it did." Andromeda smiled at Kingsley.
"I am really happy for you as well." Minerva went over and hugged her grandmother.
The day was spent with lots of laughter, and chatter. Kingsley had a lot of stories about Remus and Nymphadora that Minerva had never heard before. It was beginning to turn to night and Teddy was heading to bed.
"Lee put me to bed." Teddy pulled him by the hand.
"I would love to." Kingsley followed him to his room.
"I am so happy for you; Teddy seems to really enjoy him." Minerva smiled as she began to bundle up Remus.
"He really does adore him, and I think that it is good for Teddy to have him around." Andromeda was beaming.
Minerva nodded. "Yes, just like I needed mom when I was younger."
"Yes, just like that." Andromeda walked over to Minerva. "You need to go and see Molly."
"I can't. What if he is there? I am not ready to see him yet." Minerva sighed.
"He will not be there; he has been overworking himself and does not get in until the middle of the night. Go and see her, she is heartbroken over not seeing Remus." Andromeda was serious about this.
"I will think about it." Minerva sighed as she picked her son up. "I love you." She hugged her grandmother and left.
Minerva stood outside the cottage for a few moments, she took a deep breath and was soon standing in front of the burrow. She could not let Molly and Arthur miss their grandson the way that they were.
Minerva walked into the burrow. "Hello, is anyone home?"
Molly came running into the kitchen. "Minerva!" She hugged her.
"I am so sorry that I have kept Remus away for so long." Minerva handed her the baby.
"You are here now, and that is all that matters." She snuggled the baby. "Come in the living room. Arthur, Ginny, and Percy are all here."
She had no idea if they were going to be accepting of her, not after she had been gone for a few weeks. Not after she left without any word of where she could be located.
Minerva followed Molly into the living room, they were all so excited to see the baby. Ginny seemed like she was a bit off with Minerva, she kept glaring over at her.
Ginny left the living room and headed to the kitchen. Minerva had followed her. "Ginny, is everything okay?"
"You tell me Minerva?" Ginny snapped.
"What do you mean?" Minerva was a bit confused.
"You took my brother's son; you left him without any warning! He is heartbroken! I have never seen him like this before!" Ginny turned away from Minerva.
"I did warn him. The night of the wedding I told him that he needed to tell Harry that he was done with whatever he had him doing. He told me that he would not, and that I could not make him." She defended herself.
"That was not the right time to tell him. He can not remember that evening." Ginny then faced her again.
"Why because he was to sloshed to understand?!"
She nodded. "Yes, it was the night of his brothers wedding and he was having a good time. You should have waited to talk to him in the morning."
Minerva took a deep breath in. "Ginny, I get that you love your brother and that he is hurting but he must stop. Remus and I need to be put first, not this goose chase that Harry has him on."
"Goose chase?" Ginny seemed annoyed by that comment. "Traces of Bellatrix Lestrange is a goose chase?"
Minerva was taken back by the words that she had just heard, she felt weak, so she sat down in the chair. "No…" She shook her head at Ginny, her face was pale.
"You didn't know?" Ginny sat in the chair beside her.
She shook her head. "No, I had no idea what they were doing. Charlie never told me. You sure it is her?"
"Yes, Harry has filled me in on what he was doing. I thought that Charlie would have you as well." Ginny sighed.
"This is not real; it can not be." She took a deep breath.
"Minerva, it is. That is what they have been tracking down this whole time. Someone sent a lead in that she was spotted, and Harry instantly responded to it. He sees her as a big concern." Ginny looked out the kitchen window like she was waiting for someone.
"She is a big problem. I must find her; I must help." Minerva got up.
Ginny stood up and grabbed her arm. "That is not the best idea. You have to look after Remus, he needs you with him. Charlie and Harry have this under control."
"She is dangerous, and I can not chance her getting a hold of any of our family. I know I can stop her; I need to find her and stop her." Minerva looked in the living room at her infant son.
"I want to help to. Harry has convinced me that it is not the best idea to get involved. If there are too many looking for her that gives her a better chance of using us as leverage." Ginny would not let go of Minerva.
"I will hold off for the moment, but I can not promise you that it will be for good." Minerva seen Charlie running towards the burrow. "Great."
"You two need to talk." Ginny joined her family in the living room.