"What do you want with Dad?" Sohalia asked, giving the older man,
(Harry), a piercing look.
"I'm an old friend. We've been looking for him for a little over 18 years now," he answered, returning her stare.
"Do you want me to go and get Dad then?"
"I'd be much obliged Ms. Lupin," Harry said, giving her a slight nod and a smile. She was a little more out-spoken then her father was. She was also beautiful, at least that's what James noticed.
"How old is she Dad?" James asked, staring at Sohalia's retreating back.
"She's 15, your age why?" Harry asked, giving his son a bemused look.
"N-no reason," James blushed, his big, real, Weasley trait.
"I think she'll probably be in your class when they come back to England." Harry spoke as if there was no question on the matter. Remus and Sohalia were to come back to England. If Remus couldn't find a job then Harry would pay for their expenses. They could easily live in Grimwald Place. It had not been inhabited for years because Harry couldn't stand the memories. If they didn't want to live there, Harry could easily pay for a little house near the Potter Estate. A moment later, Remus stepped through the door with his daughter. He looked pale. Harry noticed the wrinkles all over his face.
"H-Harry, what are you doing here?" Remus asked, looking uncomfortable.
"I'm here to take you back! We've been looking for ever since you left!"
"We can't talk about that here. I'll go tell Mr. Cape we're leaving early. We'll go to our house," he stated, retreating to the back room quickly. He emerged a second later with his coat and Sohalia's bag. "It's 24 Isle Rd." He grabbed a handful of floo powder and went through. Sohalia went next.
The two Lupins only had to wait a few seconds before the Potters came tumbling through the fire, one at a time. Harry straightened up and looked around the room. "Please, Harry, sit down," Remus said in a monotone. Sohalia looked at his warily. He rarely was so subdued. He looked extremely tired and woebegone. Harry sat. "You can of course, sit down as well James," he added, seeing the gawky youth looking nervously around the room. He joined his father on the tattered, old couch. "Hallie, you can go now. You don't have to hear this." his voice was deep. He wasn't mad just terribly, terribly sad.
"No Dad, I'll stay." He gave a nod and sat down on an overstuffed chair that had been Tala's. She squeezed in next to him, half beside, half on him. For a few minutes the two families simply stared at each other before Harry finally spoke.
"We've been looking for you for a long time."
"I didn't want to be found," Remus said quietly, averting his eyes from Harry to the floor.
"Why'd you go?" Harry asked, looking down at his feet. Remus sighed and got up, walking over to the window.
"Didn't you get the letter?" Remus asked, running his hands through his gray hair.
"Of course I got the letter but it was a bit epigrammatic wasn't it!"
"Harry, for the last time, I had not choice." Remus's voice was tired, so tired it scared Harry a little.
"Yes you did!" he exclaimed none-the-less, his voice rising loudly. Sohalia stole a glance at James who was looking at this father with a mix of apprehension and bewilderment on his face. "Don't you see, I would have supported you if you couldn't get a job! Lord knows I had enough money, even then."
"Harry, please try to understand. Do you know what it feels like to have to depend on someone that is pretty much your son? I wanted to get a way from that. I wanted to be the one doing the supporting for once." They both fell silent and Harry rose and walked over to Remus.
"Look, I came here to get you to come back. We've been looking for you for a long time. Things have changed, you could get a job, especially with our help. In fact, the DADA position at Hogwarts is open again. I've been teaching there ever since Bearvolt left 2 years ago but I can't do that anymore. I've got to go back to the Ministry and do what I've been trained to do."
"I don't want your pity Harry," Remus replied tersely.
"It's not pity! In fact, you could put in your resume without a name and just see. Please Remus, we all need you back home. James has grown up without a Grandfather on my side. Sure Mr. Weasley-"
"You married Ginny then?"
"Yeah, it'll be 18 years now. We've got three kids. James then Sirius, Remus and the baby, Lily. But how have you been? How did you get a kid and where's your wife?"
"Tala died during child birth."
"I'm sorry," Harry's smile faded.
"No, it's okay. We didn't really love each other. We liked each other find but we were going to divorce before we found out about Hallie. She was a werewolf as well."
"Well you should come back because Sohalia needs us! She's never even seen Hogwarts!"
"I'm quite happy actually!" Sohalia exclaimed. She felt the need to defend her father. He had always made sure she was happy. How dare the man intimate that he had done anything but? "Dad's done a great job!"
"Hallie, it's fine," Remus said in a comforting voice. "Anyway Harry, it's up to Hallie. If she wants to go that's fine if she doesn't I'm afraid the answer is no." Harry looked over at Sohalia.
"So, what do you want to do Sohalia. Do you want to stay here in the US or do you want to come back to England with us and be with family." Sohalia gave him a piercing stare. The only thing her father had not been able to provide was a big family. For the fifteen years of her life; it had just been the two of them. It would be nice, even if just for a bit.
"Okay, we can try it," she said slowly. Harry's face broke into a grin and he pulled her into a hug.
"I suppose you could call me Uncle Harry though we're not technically blood relatives. It doesn't matter. You met James right?" Sohalia couldn't help but smile at the excitement of the older man. "You'll love Hogwarts." She let out a small giggle as she saw him dance around the room. His son's face was beat red and was obviously trying not to smile. She looked over at her father.
"Dad," she walked over to him and put her arms around his waist. He was crying slightly and she felt tears creep into the corners of her eyes. "This is a good thing, a very good thing."
A/N- I know it's short but more's to come! R&R!
"I'm an old friend. We've been looking for him for a little over 18 years now," he answered, returning her stare.
"Do you want me to go and get Dad then?"
"I'd be much obliged Ms. Lupin," Harry said, giving her a slight nod and a smile. She was a little more out-spoken then her father was. She was also beautiful, at least that's what James noticed.
"How old is she Dad?" James asked, staring at Sohalia's retreating back.
"She's 15, your age why?" Harry asked, giving his son a bemused look.
"N-no reason," James blushed, his big, real, Weasley trait.
"I think she'll probably be in your class when they come back to England." Harry spoke as if there was no question on the matter. Remus and Sohalia were to come back to England. If Remus couldn't find a job then Harry would pay for their expenses. They could easily live in Grimwald Place. It had not been inhabited for years because Harry couldn't stand the memories. If they didn't want to live there, Harry could easily pay for a little house near the Potter Estate. A moment later, Remus stepped through the door with his daughter. He looked pale. Harry noticed the wrinkles all over his face.
"H-Harry, what are you doing here?" Remus asked, looking uncomfortable.
"I'm here to take you back! We've been looking for ever since you left!"
"We can't talk about that here. I'll go tell Mr. Cape we're leaving early. We'll go to our house," he stated, retreating to the back room quickly. He emerged a second later with his coat and Sohalia's bag. "It's 24 Isle Rd." He grabbed a handful of floo powder and went through. Sohalia went next.
The two Lupins only had to wait a few seconds before the Potters came tumbling through the fire, one at a time. Harry straightened up and looked around the room. "Please, Harry, sit down," Remus said in a monotone. Sohalia looked at his warily. He rarely was so subdued. He looked extremely tired and woebegone. Harry sat. "You can of course, sit down as well James," he added, seeing the gawky youth looking nervously around the room. He joined his father on the tattered, old couch. "Hallie, you can go now. You don't have to hear this." his voice was deep. He wasn't mad just terribly, terribly sad.
"No Dad, I'll stay." He gave a nod and sat down on an overstuffed chair that had been Tala's. She squeezed in next to him, half beside, half on him. For a few minutes the two families simply stared at each other before Harry finally spoke.
"We've been looking for you for a long time."
"I didn't want to be found," Remus said quietly, averting his eyes from Harry to the floor.
"Why'd you go?" Harry asked, looking down at his feet. Remus sighed and got up, walking over to the window.
"Didn't you get the letter?" Remus asked, running his hands through his gray hair.
"Of course I got the letter but it was a bit epigrammatic wasn't it!"
"Harry, for the last time, I had not choice." Remus's voice was tired, so tired it scared Harry a little.
"Yes you did!" he exclaimed none-the-less, his voice rising loudly. Sohalia stole a glance at James who was looking at this father with a mix of apprehension and bewilderment on his face. "Don't you see, I would have supported you if you couldn't get a job! Lord knows I had enough money, even then."
"Harry, please try to understand. Do you know what it feels like to have to depend on someone that is pretty much your son? I wanted to get a way from that. I wanted to be the one doing the supporting for once." They both fell silent and Harry rose and walked over to Remus.
"Look, I came here to get you to come back. We've been looking for you for a long time. Things have changed, you could get a job, especially with our help. In fact, the DADA position at Hogwarts is open again. I've been teaching there ever since Bearvolt left 2 years ago but I can't do that anymore. I've got to go back to the Ministry and do what I've been trained to do."
"I don't want your pity Harry," Remus replied tersely.
"It's not pity! In fact, you could put in your resume without a name and just see. Please Remus, we all need you back home. James has grown up without a Grandfather on my side. Sure Mr. Weasley-"
"You married Ginny then?"
"Yeah, it'll be 18 years now. We've got three kids. James then Sirius, Remus and the baby, Lily. But how have you been? How did you get a kid and where's your wife?"
"Tala died during child birth."
"I'm sorry," Harry's smile faded.
"No, it's okay. We didn't really love each other. We liked each other find but we were going to divorce before we found out about Hallie. She was a werewolf as well."
"Well you should come back because Sohalia needs us! She's never even seen Hogwarts!"
"I'm quite happy actually!" Sohalia exclaimed. She felt the need to defend her father. He had always made sure she was happy. How dare the man intimate that he had done anything but? "Dad's done a great job!"
"Hallie, it's fine," Remus said in a comforting voice. "Anyway Harry, it's up to Hallie. If she wants to go that's fine if she doesn't I'm afraid the answer is no." Harry looked over at Sohalia.
"So, what do you want to do Sohalia. Do you want to stay here in the US or do you want to come back to England with us and be with family." Sohalia gave him a piercing stare. The only thing her father had not been able to provide was a big family. For the fifteen years of her life; it had just been the two of them. It would be nice, even if just for a bit.
"Okay, we can try it," she said slowly. Harry's face broke into a grin and he pulled her into a hug.
"I suppose you could call me Uncle Harry though we're not technically blood relatives. It doesn't matter. You met James right?" Sohalia couldn't help but smile at the excitement of the older man. "You'll love Hogwarts." She let out a small giggle as she saw him dance around the room. His son's face was beat red and was obviously trying not to smile. She looked over at her father.
"Dad," she walked over to him and put her arms around his waist. He was crying slightly and she felt tears creep into the corners of her eyes. "This is a good thing, a very good thing."
A/N- I know it's short but more's to come! R&R!