Chapter 6: Love Is In the Air
At the end of the first term, Celeste thought she had a solution to the problem of Sirius Black. She and Harry sat alone before the device, as close as possible without being pulled in. There had been a great many protests over that, Remus, who was now her husband, arguing the loudest. In the end, she had won. This work would be very dangerous, and any distraction could be fatal.
For the last month, she had been preparing Harry for this moment. If this worked, his love for his godfather would be the key to unlock this curse. "It's time," she said.
He nodded nervously.
They joined hands. "Clear your mind. Think only of Sirius and how much you want him here with you."
He closed his eyes as he focused inward.
Celeste closed her own eyes and began weaving the magic. In her mind, she created the image of a fisherman's net, with Harry's call woven into it. She cast it into the void, keeping it anchored in the real world. They worked for what felt like days. She felt herself weakening, but she held on as long as she could. Just at the moment when she was about to let go, her "net" caught something. With the last of her strength, she pulled.
She opened her eyes to see Harry unconscious, and something between them on the floor. She had just enough strength left to summon Mina before she passed out.
She awoke in the hospital wing at Hogwart's. Harry was in the next bed, already sitting up and eating. Remus was sitting in a chair next to her. He had fallen asleep, his head resting on his arms on the side of her bed. She sat up gingerly. "Mother!" Hermione exclaimed, dropping the formality with which she normally addressed her birth mother. Remus stirred at the sound of her voice. "Celeste!"
"Did it work?"
"Yes," Remus answered. "You got him. He's alive. We took him to St. Mungo's. The last I heard, he was still unconscious."
"You're free now," Hermione beamed.
Free. Free from her father. Free from prosecution. Free to love her husband and her daughter. It was a good feeling.
Within a couple of weeks, the staff at St. Mungo's had restored Sirius back to health. He was cool to Celeste at first, not fully believing in her transformation. Seeing Remus fully human under a full moon helped. So did watching Celeste destroy the box he had been trapped in for so long. By the end of the second term, he had actually begun to trust her, if cautiously.
That was when everything changed.
Everyone read the signs around them. It was clear that Voldemort was nearly ready to make his next move. He had gathered what Death Eaters which were still free and the dementors of Azkaban. The Order of the Phoenix, of which Celeste was now a member, had gotten word of what was happening and were already preparing for a major confrontation.
Of course, Fate has a quirky sense of humor. Detective Nathan Martin, a wizard posing a Muggle to track down Death Eaters, had tracked Celeste to Hogwart's. He had been so focused on his search that he was unaware of her new status as a law-abiding citizen.
Celeste had just finished a session with a group of sixth years when he jumped out from behind a corner. "Nathan? What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you. You're under arrest."
She laughed involuntarily. "Haven't you heard?"
"Heard what?"
"I've been pardoned by the Ministry."
His eyes narrowed. "You lie."
"Come. Let me prove it to you."
No matter what she or anyone else said, he remained unconvinced. Eventually, Professor Dumbledore had to have him removed from Hogwart's.
Even so, he was never far away. He accosted her on a Hogsmeade weekend. She tried to ignore him and enjoy the first beautiful day of the year with her husband.
"I haven't forgotten Carol Smith, you know."
Celeste groaned inwardly. "What do you want, Detective? You must be convinced by now that I've been pardoned."
"Yes."
"Then why are you still here?"
He gave her a pained look. "Come back with me."
Celeste stared, speechless. Even knowing his feelings for the Muggle she had pretended to be, she was taken aback by this display. "Nathan…" she began.
"Carol…I mean Celeste. Please." He took hold of her wrist.
She freed herself easily, using a Muggle trick he himself had taught her. "Detective Martin! I know you think you're in love with me, but I have never encouraged you. I have done everything I know to make it plain that I do not love you. I never have. And that you would proposition me in front of my husband, is utterly unbelievable." Her tirade was drawing a crowd. "I suggest, Detective, that you return to America and leave me alone!"
He fell to his knees, sobbing. Celeste stood frozen, already feeling guilty for humiliating him so publicly. Remus placed a hand on her shoulder and led her away. "You did what you had to do," he told her when they were away from the scene.
"That doesn't make me feel any better."
"Come on. Let's go for a walk." They wandered hand-in-hand not really having a goal in mind. Eventually, they found themselves at the Shrieking Shack.
"So this is were you spent your youth," she mused.
He grinned mischievously. "Only the full moons." They heard muffled sounds from inside the shack. "What the…"
Quietly, they approached. Celeste put her ear to the door. The sounds were quieter now but still there. Cautiously, she opened the door—and stopped in shock. There, in the back corner were Hermione and Ron. And what they were doing was not what a mother would want to see.
"What?!" she heard Remus exclaim angrily. Quickly, she closed the door and dragged him away over his vehement protests.
"I can't believe you!" he shouted when they were out of earshot. "That was our daughter in there!"
"And what would you have me say, Remus? Don't do what we did?"
"But…were married!"
She snorted. "Seventeen years after our child was born."
He started to retort but stopped.
"I'll talk to her in the morning," she said more gently.
"But we're Hogwart's teachers. Aren't we supposed to do something?" He looked as though he really didn't want to make the whole thing public.
She shook her head. "Technically, it didn't happen on school grounds, so we can pretend it didn't happen."
"But it did happen. Our daughter is in there with…And she…"
"I don't like it any more than you do, Remus, but she's seventeen now. In the wizarding world, she's considered an adult."
"At least she could've waited until she was out of school."
Celeste chuckled softly. "True Now come. Let's find somewhere else to walk."
Hermione arrived in Celeste's office after breakfast the next morning. "Professor?"
"There you are, Hermione!" Celeste answered brightly. "Come in. Sit down. I was just finishing this potion."
"What did you want to talk to me about?"
"I take it you had a good time in town yesterday."
She fidgeted a little in her seat. "Yes."
Celeste gave her a long look. "At the Shrieking Shack."
Hermione's eyes went wide. "You know?"
"It was all I could do to keep your father from planting a curse on young Mr. Weasley on the spot."
She looked down at her lap. "What are you going to do?"
"Well, since it was off school grounds on a sanctioned outing, I'm going to do nothing. This time."
Hermione looked up, relief plain on her face.
"However. I know I can't truly stop the two of you, but if you are ever caught on school grounds, you will get the same treatment from your father and me as any other pair of students."
"I understand."
"Now, I want you to take a cup of this potion every morning before breakfast." Celeste handed her the small jar she had just filled from her cauldron and a folded piece of parchment. "When you run out, you now have the formula to make more. Don't let anyone find it."
"What does it do?"
"It will keep you and Ron from having any…little surprises."
She mouthed an "oh" as understanding dawned. "You must be breaking about a dozen school rules. Why would you help us like this?"
"As a teacher, I shouldn't." Celeste paused dramatically. "But as your mother," she continued more gently, "I remember how difficult it was to resist your father."
They shared a brief moment before Hermione left for her morning classes. Celeste smiled at her back, thinking she would have to remember to avoid secluded areas on the next Hogsmeade weekend.
Remus loved the full moon these days. He would spend hours outside staring at it. Celeste would often joint him. Tonight, she just sat with him, admiring his profile. His face, his human face in the moonlight was one of the most glorious things she had ever seen. "A Knut for your thoughts," he said, interrupting her reverie.
"Just admiring the view."
He turned and kissed her. "I still can't believe it's true," he whispered in her ear.
"Believe it. You've been cured."
"Not that." He took her face in his hands and looked deeply into her eyes. "I can't believe that a woman as beautiful as you could be in love with me."
She smiled. "Then let me prove it to you." And so she did.
Later, in their quarters, they were rudely interrupted by a knock at the door. Celeste rolled her eyes and Remus chuckled softly. "Who is it?" he called out.
Argus Filch opened the door. His eyes widened when he saw them. "Oh. E-excuse me professors. I found two students out of bed. Y-you were the closest."
"All right," Celeste told him. "Give us a moment, and we'll be right there."
Filch closed the door on his way out.
"Well, so much for a pleasant evening," Remus commented.
Celeste shot him a look as she rose. "Come on. We've got work to do." They each found heavy robes to cover themselves and went to see what the fuss was all about. They found Filch glaring at Draco Malfoy and a Slytherin girl whose name she could never remember.
Celeste crossed her arms and gave them a stern look, trying to emulate Professor McGonagall. "So who's going to tell us what happened?"
Malfoy glared back at them defiantly. The girl studied her feet.
Remus turned to Filch. "Where were they found?"
"In a girl's bathroom."
Celeste noticed that their clothing was in disarray as if put on in haste. It seemed as if everyone at Hogwart's had caught the love bug this week. "And what were you doing in there?"
She shared a look with Remus. He nodded in understanding.
"It will be worse for you if you don't answer," he told them.
The girl began to fidget. A small jar fell out of a pocket in her robes. Celeste snatched it up before the girl could react. It was a contraceptive potion, a poorly mixed version of the one she had given Hermione. "I see," she said.
Malfoy's arrogance was faltering, but he refused to look away.
Remus spoke first. "You will each lose fifty points and serve detention. Separately."
"And," Celeste added. "Your families will be notified."
Malfoy finally cracked. "You can't do that!"
"Oh yes we can, Mr. Malfoy. Now, I suggest you go back to your dormitories. Mr. Filch, if you'll escort them." The surly caretaker led them away.
"That was interesting," Remus commented once the door was closed.
"Hm?"
"Punishing them for imitating us."
She laughed softly. "That's different."
"Really? How?" His eyes sparkled with laughter.
"We're not students."
He kissed her. "So where were we?"