August 2002 – Chapter 14 – The Train
Khadja awoke early. She looked down and found Remus there with her. He was naked and pale, but breathing softly in sleep.
She looked down at him studying him for hurts or worse.
Last night had been the last night of the full moon. Luckily he would be able to rest now and then again on the train ride.
She touched his lip where his small mustache was. She loved him so much and hated to see him so each month.
She felt his lips against her fingers. His hand went to the soft swell of her belly. "Do you have any idea what an honor it is to wake up beside you?" He asked softly, his eyes still shut.
She smiled. His hand came up and gently pulled her down lazily to his mouth for a kiss. He was yet to open his eyes.
His mouth was warm and loving. "If I was not so tired I would..." He mumbled and broke off just relaxing against her lips. He softly kissed and nuzzled her in the gentle loving ways of a husband.
She held him as he drifted to sleep again, his head on her breast. Her hand caressed through his hair softly.
She woke him to start packing for the train trip to Hogwarts in the morning.
Her stomach was uneasy and she made several trips to the bathroom while she packed her things. Remus was awake enough to pack and flinch when she ran to the bathroom to retch.
Then she moved to pack her daughter's trunk.
Ready to go at 9 am they caught a train to the large London Station. Each had a Hogwart's Express ticket on platform 9 3/4. Remus showed Khadja how to get to there. It was early at 9:45. No students had come so Remus bought a bottle of some liquid and settled down in a compartment against the window. Soon he was fast asleep.
Khadja watched over him touching his head softly. He was pale and weak and needed as much rest as he could get.
She got up as children began coming in. She looked out of a window watching the activity. Her hands drifted to her belly and caressed it trying to ease the nervousness she felt.
Soon it was 11. The train started to move. She walked back to the compartment and was surprised to find three young people in with her husband. A boy with flaming red hair, one of Arthur's boys no doubt. A girl with ginger hair. Last was...she gasped. She knew him. It was Harry. He looked so grown up. He looked so much like James. Holly was somewhere with her friends.
She sighed as the children chattered while Remus remained oblivious. He was too exhausted to wake. The poor man looked very ill. Transformations took their toll on him.
She sat in a seat in the baggage car. A storm blew up. She watched the rain pelt the windows. She had nearly fallen asleep when the train stopped. She gasoed as she saw something moving outside. She moved away from the window and suddenly became very cold.
She turned and faced a huge cloaked thing. A Dementor. She had seen them in Azkaban. She jumped and felt its cold breath on her. She stiffened as she suddenly heard herself screaming. Her hands went to her belly as her eyes rolled back. She knew no more.
"...found her here just a little before you came professor." A soft voice said.
She was able to listen. She moaned softly and opened her eyes a little. She had no idea where she was or what had happened.
"Easy my darling."
She tilted her head back and saw she was resting on Remus's lap. His pale weary looking face looked down at her full of concern.
Her first thought she had to feel the baby. Her hands clasped under the swell.
He smiled. "The babe is well and thankfully so are you." Remus said softly. "What troubles you so?" He asked seeing fear in her eyes.
"I heard myself screaming. I felt pain. When I lost..." His fingers flew to her lips hushing her.
"Shhhhhh..." He soothed. "Eat some of the chocolate. It is alright. The Dementor was searching for Black."
She nodded and he eased her up to sit. She ached dully. He caressed her neck lovingly. She nibbled the chocolate softly.
"The Dementor effected you and Harry." Remus told her softly.
"I saw him. Is he alright?"
"Yes and so are you hence the Dementors are here looking for Black."
"But he..."
He again put his fingers to her lips and sighed. "We will be there soon. Professor Dumbledore will show us our chambers and then we will go to dinner. I am sure you need it. Our things will be brought to us."
She watched him stand and then he pulled her up.
"Thank you for helping Mr. Conductor." Remus said letting his wife relax against him. "My wife is with child and I am nervous when she wonders."
The man nodded and left Remus and she. He turned to her. "You must not stray so far. I can not protect you."
"But Sirius..."
"He is angry and bitter and who knows what he would do. He killed our best friends and wishes to take out Harry. You turned on him and married me..."
"But he wanted..."
"At the time my darling. Who knows what Azkaban has done to his mind."
She sighed in defeat. Her husband was right and was trying to tell her in his gentle way.
"I do not want you harmed or our baby." He said softly as she felt his hand come and rest on the soft swell.
The train stopped and there were many footsteps as the children got out. Remus led his wife out by the hand and took her to the compartment that was now vacated.
He handed down their things to her and she looked at him. He smiled at her and kissed her nose.
They got out in a rainstorm. A man loaded their things onto a coach. They pulled their cloaks about them and he opened the door. She jumped in and slid to the far side as he climbed in. He hugged her to him and kissed her warm brow trying to relax her and himself "There is not place safer than Hogwarts." He told her as the carriage moved up towards the huge castle that was Hogwarts.
Khadja looked out. "No place safer..." She echoed against him.
Khadja awoke early. She looked down and found Remus there with her. He was naked and pale, but breathing softly in sleep.
She looked down at him studying him for hurts or worse.
Last night had been the last night of the full moon. Luckily he would be able to rest now and then again on the train ride.
She touched his lip where his small mustache was. She loved him so much and hated to see him so each month.
She felt his lips against her fingers. His hand went to the soft swell of her belly. "Do you have any idea what an honor it is to wake up beside you?" He asked softly, his eyes still shut.
She smiled. His hand came up and gently pulled her down lazily to his mouth for a kiss. He was yet to open his eyes.
His mouth was warm and loving. "If I was not so tired I would..." He mumbled and broke off just relaxing against her lips. He softly kissed and nuzzled her in the gentle loving ways of a husband.
She held him as he drifted to sleep again, his head on her breast. Her hand caressed through his hair softly.
She woke him to start packing for the train trip to Hogwarts in the morning.
Her stomach was uneasy and she made several trips to the bathroom while she packed her things. Remus was awake enough to pack and flinch when she ran to the bathroom to retch.
Then she moved to pack her daughter's trunk.
Ready to go at 9 am they caught a train to the large London Station. Each had a Hogwart's Express ticket on platform 9 3/4. Remus showed Khadja how to get to there. It was early at 9:45. No students had come so Remus bought a bottle of some liquid and settled down in a compartment against the window. Soon he was fast asleep.
Khadja watched over him touching his head softly. He was pale and weak and needed as much rest as he could get.
She got up as children began coming in. She looked out of a window watching the activity. Her hands drifted to her belly and caressed it trying to ease the nervousness she felt.
Soon it was 11. The train started to move. She walked back to the compartment and was surprised to find three young people in with her husband. A boy with flaming red hair, one of Arthur's boys no doubt. A girl with ginger hair. Last was...she gasped. She knew him. It was Harry. He looked so grown up. He looked so much like James. Holly was somewhere with her friends.
She sighed as the children chattered while Remus remained oblivious. He was too exhausted to wake. The poor man looked very ill. Transformations took their toll on him.
She sat in a seat in the baggage car. A storm blew up. She watched the rain pelt the windows. She had nearly fallen asleep when the train stopped. She gasoed as she saw something moving outside. She moved away from the window and suddenly became very cold.
She turned and faced a huge cloaked thing. A Dementor. She had seen them in Azkaban. She jumped and felt its cold breath on her. She stiffened as she suddenly heard herself screaming. Her hands went to her belly as her eyes rolled back. She knew no more.
"...found her here just a little before you came professor." A soft voice said.
She was able to listen. She moaned softly and opened her eyes a little. She had no idea where she was or what had happened.
"Easy my darling."
She tilted her head back and saw she was resting on Remus's lap. His pale weary looking face looked down at her full of concern.
Her first thought she had to feel the baby. Her hands clasped under the swell.
He smiled. "The babe is well and thankfully so are you." Remus said softly. "What troubles you so?" He asked seeing fear in her eyes.
"I heard myself screaming. I felt pain. When I lost..." His fingers flew to her lips hushing her.
"Shhhhhh..." He soothed. "Eat some of the chocolate. It is alright. The Dementor was searching for Black."
She nodded and he eased her up to sit. She ached dully. He caressed her neck lovingly. She nibbled the chocolate softly.
"The Dementor effected you and Harry." Remus told her softly.
"I saw him. Is he alright?"
"Yes and so are you hence the Dementors are here looking for Black."
"But he..."
He again put his fingers to her lips and sighed. "We will be there soon. Professor Dumbledore will show us our chambers and then we will go to dinner. I am sure you need it. Our things will be brought to us."
She watched him stand and then he pulled her up.
"Thank you for helping Mr. Conductor." Remus said letting his wife relax against him. "My wife is with child and I am nervous when she wonders."
The man nodded and left Remus and she. He turned to her. "You must not stray so far. I can not protect you."
"But Sirius..."
"He is angry and bitter and who knows what he would do. He killed our best friends and wishes to take out Harry. You turned on him and married me..."
"But he wanted..."
"At the time my darling. Who knows what Azkaban has done to his mind."
She sighed in defeat. Her husband was right and was trying to tell her in his gentle way.
"I do not want you harmed or our baby." He said softly as she felt his hand come and rest on the soft swell.
The train stopped and there were many footsteps as the children got out. Remus led his wife out by the hand and took her to the compartment that was now vacated.
He handed down their things to her and she looked at him. He smiled at her and kissed her nose.
They got out in a rainstorm. A man loaded their things onto a coach. They pulled their cloaks about them and he opened the door. She jumped in and slid to the far side as he climbed in. He hugged her to him and kissed her warm brow trying to relax her and himself "There is not place safer than Hogwarts." He told her as the carriage moved up towards the huge castle that was Hogwarts.
Khadja looked out. "No place safer..." She echoed against him.