A SLIGHT CHANGE
CH. 7- MILES APART
AN- Wow, this is the quickest update I've ever done. My Ch.6 isn't showing up and that's making me mad. So, if it never shows up, here's what happened. Sirius and Tina began dating. That's about it. It wasn't a very long chapter. Um, thanks to all who reviewed. Made me happy. Uh… Gary Oldman's hot? Sorry, can't think of anything else to say.
DISCLAIMER- I own nothing except what you know I own. Geez, I have nothing! Don't make it any worse by saying that I can't have Jon Bon Jovi either. (sniff) Pretty…
If I could I would do all of this again
Travel back in time with you to where this all began
We could hide inside ourselves and leave the world behind
And make believe there's something left to find
We'll be miles apart
I'll keep you deep inside
You're always in my heart
A new life to start
I may be leaving but you're always in my heart
Now we've all grown up, gone on and moved away
Nothing I can do about it, nothing I can say
To bring us back to where we were when life was not this hard
(life was not this hard)
Looking back it all just seems so far, so far away
We'll be miles apart
I'll keep you deep inside
You're always in my heart
A new life to start
I may be leaving but you're always in my heart
I'd give it up for just one more day with you
Give it up for just one more day
I'd give it up for just one more day with you
I'd give it up for just one more day with you
Give it up for just one more day
I'd give it up for just one more day with you
I'd give it up for just one more day with you
Give it up, give it all away
I'd give it up for just one more day with you
We'll be miles apart
I'll keep you deep inside
You're always in my heart
A new life to start
I may be leaving but you're always in my heart
I need you now, we're miles apart
I'll keep you deep inside
You're always in my heart
I need you now, we're miles apart
I may be leaving but you're always in my heart
"MILES APART" - YELLOWCARD
"LORELAI, come on! It's Christmas!" Pause. "Lazy Americans."
"I heard that." I rolled over in bed and was greeted by all of the kids. "Morning."
"Good morning," they chorused.
"Get outta bed!" George wrenched the covers off of me as Fred rolled me out of bed. "It's time to open presents!"
I grabbed my Scooby-Doo robe and we ran downstairs to the living room where everyone was gathered around the Christmas tree. Mom and Sirius were sitting on the couch, holding hands, with Tonks beside them. Remus was standing next to Mom with a smile on his face as he listened to Mr. And Mrs. Weasley tell a story. Mad Eye Moody was there, too, and he nodded a greeting as we sat down on the floor. I'd met him over the summer and we got along pretty well. He was big into the Dark Arts and he helped me out with the Stunning Spell. He was a cool dude.
"Remus, they're awake! Can we open presents now?" Tonks begged Remus, who nodded with a twinkle in his eyes. Ooh, idea! Remus and Tonks! Hmm….
Mom grabbed a present, read the nametag, and handed it to Mad Eye. "It's from Hermione."
Mad Eye thanked Hermione and ripped open the package with a smile on his face. I bet he already knew what was in it thanks to his magic eye. It was the latest version of Dark Magic for Dark Wizards.
The next hour or so was spent opening presents. Harry got me a Sid Vicious t-shirt and a beautiful necklace with LK&HP engraved in the heart pendant. I had bought him a couple of old Clash c.d.'s and a watch much like the Weasley's clock. It had Ron, Hermione, Sirius, mine, and his names on it.
Mr. Weasley was in awe of my c.d. player and tried to take it apart several times before Mad Eye put a curse on it so he couldn't break it.
"So, great Christmas, huh?" Ron surveyed, eating his Chocolate Frogs. He looked at his wizard card and scowled. "Magnus Morelli again."
"Awesome Christmas!" Hermione really enjoyed Remus's gift that consisted of several books on werewolves and Animagi. We had all decided to become Animagi so that we, too, could help Remus with his Transformation. His last one was this past Saturday.
"No complaints," I remarked.
"Except for Mum's sweaters." Ron began scratching at his green wool. "Mine's hideous."
"But it's not nearly as bad as Lor's," Harry said, putting an arm around my bright pink shoulders. "Pink and brown don't match very well, do they?"
"Not at all." Ron glanced quickly at me. "Is Sirius dating your mum, Lor?"
"Um, yeah. Why?"
"I was just wondering. Ever since your mum got here, her and Sirius have been flirting and stuff. I didn't know if they were dating or what."
"Isn't that a little weird though?" Hermione asked me. "I mean, Sirius is Harry's godfather and Harry's your boyfriend." Wow, thanks for clearing that up.
"But Harry and Sirius aren't blood-related so it doesn't matter," I countered.
"Kids!" I turned to see Tonks running over to us, her hair now light blue and spiked. She stopped and put a hand on Ron's shoulder, panting to catch her breath.
"I'm good." She inhaled, held her breath for a few seconds, and then let it out in one long whoosh. "Remus just proposed to Tina."
"HE WHAT?!?" I ran at break-neck speed into the house where Remus and Sirius were having a heated argument but Mom was nowhere to be found.
"What the hell's your problem? She's my girlfriend!"
"She's the mother of my child!"
"Well, Snivellus Snape is the father of your child, too!" At this, Remus was on top of Sirius, punching and kicking.
"STOP IT!"
They stopped and stared at Mom, who was standing at the base of the stairs.
"What did you say, Sirius?" She asked, her voice eerily calm.
"When?" He wiped his bleeding nose with the back of his hand.
"About Severus."
"Remus didn't tell you?"
She shook her head.
"You might want to sit down." He went on to tell Mom about the relationship between Remus and Snape while she listened intently, not once looking at Remus. I felt bad for both of them. I mean, Mom never knew about Remus's "other life" and Remus had to deal with Sirius telling Mom and not himself.
When Sirius was done, she finally looked at her ex-lover. There was a mix of hurt, surprise, and pity in her tear-filled eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked, her throat constricted with emotions.
"I didn't think you wanted to know."
"Didn't want to know? Remus, we were best friends and I love you. I always will. You know all of my secrets and I thought I knew all of yours. We can't get married."
"Why not?"
She paused. "You've heard of that show Friends, right?" He shook her head and Mom sighed. "Well, there are two characters, Ross and Rachel. They love each other so much, but they just don't work together, relationship-wise. Just like you and me. I will always love you, nut I also love Sirius. I love him in a way that I never thought possible and I've felt this way for the past twenty years. I'm sorry, Remus." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before running upstairs. I tired to follow her but Sirius grabbed my arm.
"Give her some time to herself." He took a long sip of his butterbeer and turned to Remus. "Rem, I'm really sorry for lashing out at you."
Remus didn't answer. He just turned on his heel and went out to the forest behind the house. This time, Sirius let me follow him, and I followed him to where Buckbeak was. I bowed to the hippogriff and sat down beside Remus, petting Buckbeak's silky feathers.
"I thought she loved me.," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"She does love you, but in a different way. She loves you like she loves her first real love. The way a woman should love the father of her only child." I laid my head on his shoulder and smiled faintly. "I had my first love when I was 13 years old. His name was Josh Matthews. We went out for over 10 months before he moved. Ever since he left, I've always had a place in my heart for him, just like Mom does for you. You never forget your first love."
"What about Sirius? I thought he was her first boyfriend. Wouldn't that make him her first love?"
"Nope. Not everyone loves their first boyfriend. She was Siri's first love, though. He told me." When Remus didn't respond, I looked him straight in the eye and said, "Ask Tonks out."
"Excuse me?"
"I saw the way you were looking at her."
"And how is that?"
"The same way Mom looks at Sirius. Or the way Snape looks at you."
"Oh."
"You like her. And I think she likes you."
He was silent for a few moments before turning to me with a sly grin. "Oh, yeah?"
THE DAY before Christmas break was supposed to end, I caught Remus and Tonks hugging in the kitchen. They asked me not to tell anyone, though, because they wanted to keep it a secret. I don't blame them. Remus proposed to my mom a little under a week ago and now he's going out with Tonks. At first, I thought he only agreed with me because he wanted to get over Mom, but after seeing him and Tonks together, I quickly changed my mind. I can't believe they didn't get together years before.
"I don't want to say good-bye to you again," Mom whined as I was putting my clothes in my trunk.
"Then don't. It's not really good-bye. I'll see you in about three months. Plus, now you've got Sirius." I latched my trunk shut and smiled at Mom. "Are you staying here with him?"
"I can't. My puppy's at home all by himself."
"Sirius can go with you to get him."
"I'm just gonna Apparate there, get my things, and Apparate back. It won't take that long."
"So, you are staying here."
"Maybe…"
Right then, Hermione rushed in, looking frazzled. (AN- Frazzled… hehe.) "Dumbledore's here. He said the Death Eaters are back, and they're not just after Sirius. They want us all."
"All of us? But why?" It was bad enough knowing that the Death Eaters wanted to kill Sirius but now they want us all dead?
"I have no idea. But Dumbledore wants us to go into hiding. He's got a place up in the mountains in Sweden that we can go to."
"Sweden?" I suddenly had an idea. "Why don't we go back to our house in Cali, Mom?"
Her eyes brightened. "They'll never look there!"
I ran downstairs and saw Dumbledore's tall, slender body, along with Snape and the rest of the gang.
"Professor Dumbledore, why don't we all go back to my mom's house in California? It's in a small town called San Pedro, it's secluded in the woods, and it's about a mile from the beach." I waited for his answer and, soon, his blue eyes twinkled.
"That sounds marvelous. Severus will accompany you all .He is well trained in the Dark Arts."
"But so is Lupin!" Harry objected.
"And Snape used to be a Death Eater! He might still be one!" Ron exclaimed.
"Guys, just let him come," I tried to reason. "He's not still a Death Eater. He'll give us added protection."
Snape gave me a thankful nod as the kids gave me weird looks. What? He's a good guy.
"She's got a point," Hermione finally said. Though, he did look a bit uncomfortable, agreeing with me that Snape is a positive thing to us.
"It's settled then," Dumbledore announced with a clap of his hands. "You all shall go to Tina's house. You adults can Apparate there and the kids will use Floo powder."
As the adults went to gather there things, Dumbledore pulled Hermione, Ron, Harry and me to the side.
"It would be best if you decided now what you want you Animagus form to be."
Harry answered first. "A deer… like my dad."
"A wolf. I know that Professor Lupin is a werewolf but they travel in packs, don't they?" Hermione waited while the elderly wizard nodded. "So two- or even three- wolves wouldn't seem suspicious."
"I'll be a wolf, too," Ron decided.
Everyone looked at me, waiting for my answer. I wanted to be a wolf also to help my dad out a little, but there were already three wolves. Should I be a deer, too, along with Harry? Nah, I never really liked deer. Maybe I can be a big dog, like Sirius. Only I could be a big, white dog.
"I want to be a dog. Like Sirius."
Dumbledore nodded. He pointed to each of us with a long, skinny finger, muttering something. I felt something swell inside me, like someone was blowing up my heart.
"I added a piece of the animal's heart to your own," he told us. "Whenever you wish to change forms, concentrate on your animal and you will transform."
"Thanks, professor," we said in unison.
"Okay. Now, you all have transported by Floo powder, correct?" We nodded. "Very well. Lorelai, you will go first, since you obviously know where you're going." (AN- Don't ask why Tina has Floo network. It made the story easier.)
"Yes, sir." I grabbed a handful of the powder and stood in the fireplace. "The Crap Shack!" I yelled, throwing the powder to the ground. As I felt the familiar pulling sensation in my stomach, I could hear everybody laughing at the name of our house. When Mom and I moved into the house, we decided to name it. I mean, if presidents could name their houses, so could we.
I flew out of the fire place in the Crap Shack's living room and straight into Fred and George.
"Hey, watch it!" Fred yelled.
"We can't have just anybody falling into our arms," George added.
"Sorry, guys." I walked over to where Mom and Remus were talking. Like civilized human beings.
"Will Ferrell is so much better than Chris Rock," Mom was arguing.
"From the movies that you've shown me, I've got to say that I like Chris Rock more."
"Yeah, well… nyuh!" She stuck her tongue out at him and turned to me with a smile on her face. "Hi, I'm Barbie Bimbo. How may I help you?"
I just stared at her. "Oh, my God."
"LET'S JUST try it one more time, guys. Please." I ignored their groans and mumbles, focusing solely on helping my dad. "Just concentrate a little harder. Ron and 'Mione can go first."
"No wonder you're Snape's assistant," Ron grumbled. "Pushy, pushy."
"Shut up, Ron."
I watched them stand together and close their eyes. After about 15 seconds, I could hear the crunch of bones as they morphed into the wolf's skeleton. Soon, two beautiful wolves stood before me. One had red fur (I'm guessing this is Ron) and the other had brown (Hermione).
"You wanna go next?" I asked Harry.
"Sure." He gave the wolves a quick pat before transforming into a gorgeous buck, his antlers strong.
I smiled broadly. It's working! My turn. I closed my eyes and thought about the freedom of a dog. The joy of running with my friends. The thought of having a tail. And then it happened. The process which I thought would be painful was in fact painless. I hunched over and felt my tongue grow inside of my mouth and my nose stretch out.
When my change was done, I let out a yip of excitement. And then Sirius walked in, his face stoic.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He asked in a soft voice.
I put my head down and heard myself whimper.
"You four aren't even of age yet. You're doing illegal magic." Hypocrite.
I wanted to tell him that Dumbledore gave us permission, but instead barked. He rolled his eyes and changed into his dog form.
"What were you saying?" A voice inside my head asked. I thought those didn't exist!
"Dumbledore gave us permission so we could help Dad," I told Sirius.
"Dumbledore doesn't have the authority to do that." He was silent for a minute before he broke out into a doggie grin. "It's amazing that you kids could do this. How long have you guys been practicing?"
"About three weeks," Harry answered. "We practice everyday after lessons."
Since we can't go back to school, Remus and Snape have been giving us lessons. It's almost like being home-schooled.
"That's amazing!" Sirius was shaking with excitement. "Let's go play!"
"You're so immature," Hermione said.
"Come on, it'll be fun!" With that, he ran out of the attic and down the stairs. Like the herd of wild animals that we were, we followed him. Harry's hooves pounded the floor and, despite the frightened shrieks and muttered curses, we ran out of the door that Dumbledore held open.
"Have fun!" He called out after us.
And we did. We played chase through the forest and, after making sure no one was present, we frolicked on the beach and in the waves. We played until about 2 in the morning when Dumbledore and Snape came to fetch us. We transformed back into our human forms in the woods and everyone except Snape and me headed back to the house. We walked along the beach with the waves lapping at our bare feet. It was weird to see Snape wearing Muggle clothes and acting like a guy who held no grudges or felt no pain. He was clad in a pair of black jeans, gray long-sleeved shirt, and a black jacket.
"You and your friends are very talented young wizards," he told me.
"Thanks." I let out a bored sigh and kicked at the waves. "Why do the Death Eaters want Sirius?"
"It was because of Black that Voldemort lost his most faithful servant."
"Pettigrew."
"Yes. Now Voldemort wants Black dead."
"Ah." I realized that I was beginning to become a lot more relaxed around Snape now that we were out of school. He didn't have to act like he hated everybody anymore.
"You're not still a Death Eater, are you?" I asked warily.
"No, and I won't report your dear Black to the Death Eaters, either," he sneered.
"You can't hate him forever."
"Watch me."
"Come on, professor. He's a great guy."
"I noticed that I am the only one you still call Professor. With the exception of Dumbledore."
"Well, what do you want me to call you?"
"Severus is fine."
"Sev?"
"That works too."
"Okay, Sev, now let's work on this thing with Sirius."
"He's a prat," he said dryly.
"Now that's just not nice. He's a good enough guy to have Dad trust him. Isn't that enough?"
He was silent for a minute before glumly nodding. "Yes."
"Will you be nice to him?"
He mumbled something before saying, "I'll try."
"Good. Now let's go home."
Another week had passed without any news about the Death Eaters. Everyone was becoming hopeful that Sirius might be able to live a carefree, Death Eater free life. Siri himself put a damper on our feelings by saying that no one would ever be free of the Death Eaters. Way to go, Siri.
After our little chat, Severus made forth an effort of trying to get along with Sirius. Maybe they'd never be best friends (okay, definitely not) but they might at least exchange a greeting without glaring daggers at each other. Every morning, Sev would tell Sirius "good morning" and every morning he got a replay. That's about all I could get out of them.
I was beginning to miss school, also. Not only the social part of it, but also the educational part. I missed Transfiguration and mocking Trelawney and even taunting Malfoy. I mean, sure, we have the daily lessons from Remus and Sev but that's not nearly enough.
"Hey, chickaroonie!" My mom exclaimed, hopping on the couch next to me and Harry. "Whatcha watching?"
"I am introducing Harry to Will and Grace."
"You mean Jack and Karen?"
"Exactly."
Harry turned to Mom, still laughing from one of Sean Hayes' witty one-liners. "We don't have a TV at our place. This is really great entertainment."
Sirius entered the living room and sat next to Mom, kissing her on the cheek as he did so. "Hey."
"Hey, Sir. What have you been up to?"
"Me and Remus went to the beach to hang out for a bit."
"Are you sure that's safe?"
"I was Padfoot the puppy. Of course it's safe." He put on a reassuring smile and gave Mom another kiss. "I promise, love."
"Okay." She still sounded doubtful.
"Tina, relax. I've got everyone looking out for me. Of course, I've got everyone out looking for me, too." He chuckled dryly. "I'll be fine."
"Well, you're not doing a very good job of reassuring us," Harry remarked.
"Trust me. Have I ever lied to you?"
"No."
"Then why should I start now?" Harry didn't respond. "Come on, now. Let's just be quiet and watch TV, 'kay?"
I couldn't help but worry about Sirius's safety. Death Eaters were really dangerous people. More dangerous than any basilisk or any werewolf. They were led by the most vicious, most sinister, most deadly being that's ever existed and now they're all after Sirius. It's safe to say that I was scared shitless.
That night at dinner, Severus and Sirius actually had a three-minute conversation that didn't consist of curses and yelling. Although it was about the food, it was a decent conversation nonetheless.
"I ran into Dumbledaore this morning at the Ministry," Mr. Weasley said. "He told me something and he wanted me to spread the word on to you. He's been accepted as the new Minister of Magic."
The table erupted into cheers and applause and I glanced at my three best friends who were grinning like mad. That meant that we had permission to become Animagi from the Minister of Magic!
"He also said that he's putting together a sort of… what did he call it….? Skillatary?"
"Military?" Mom suggested.
"Right! A military unit to battle the Death Eaters. He wants you three, along with myself, to join." He pointed to Remus, Tonks, and Severus. "He's stopping by later to fill you in on what it is."
"What about the rest of us?" Ginny asked. "What do we do?"
"Keep the house clean, what d'ya expect?" Fred mumbled.
"I guess you just spend the day like you would any other," said Mr. Weasley, shrugging. "Dumbledore said that they would meet at the Ministry and then split up and do different tasks."
"What kind of tasks?" Tonks asked.
"He didn't say. I'm sure nothing too bad, although with Dumbledore, it's hard to tell."
"I'll second that." The man himself had just Apparated into the kitchen and was chuckling at what Mr. Weasley had said. "Arthur, my boy, if I may just borrow you and the other three. I need to talk to you all."
"Oh, yes, sir." Mr. Weasley excused himself and summoned the rest into the living room.
"I wonder what they have to do," Ron whispered as soon as they had left.
"If Dumbledore wanted us to know, I'm sure he would have told us," Mrs. Weasley said. "Now eat your soup."
"Why didn't he ask me to help?" Sirius asked, his voice almost a whine. "Why can't I help to capture the men and women who are after me?"
"Because if you screw up and they catch you… you're dead," Mom told him. Hey, it's the truth.
"I love the faith you put in me," he retorted sarcastically. "It makes me feel oh so special."
"I just don't want you dead."
"Oh, well, that makes me feel a little better."
"How long have you two known each other?" Ginny asked with a smile on her freckled face.
"Almost twenty years," Sirius answered. "Well, 8 if you don't count the years I was in Azkaban."
"Lor told me that you and Tina dated before now."
"We did. We started dating about five minutes after we met."
"Love at first sight?"
He smiled warmly at Ginny's fairy tale view on love. "Yes. Something like that. I don't know if Tina felt the same way, though." He looked at Mom expectantly.
"I guess you could call it love at second sight," she corrected. "At first I thought he was a twat!"
THE NEXT morning I was up around 5:30 because I was having trouble sleeping. My throat was raw and dry, so I headed down to the kitchen to fetch a cup of water, when I ran into Dumbledore and the three "honorary Aurors". Remus took me aside and held both of my hands in his.
"We're leaving," he stated. "Dumbledore found out some of the Death Eaters know that we're not in England anymore and are meeting somewhere about a hundred miles away. We're going to go get them. I don't know how long we'll be gone but…" He kissed my forehead. "Just in case… something happens, I love you, Lorelai. Tell your mother that I love her, too."
I could feel a lump rising in my throat and the tears threatening my eyes as I hugged my father closely.
"You will come back," I said, my voice cracking. "I know you will. I love you so much, Dad."
He gently pushed me away with a sad smile on his lips, joining the rest of the gang. Realizing that this might be the last time I see them, I jugged each and every soldier, lingering with Severus.
"Be careful," I warned, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Take care of my dad, will ya, Sev?"
"With all of my life." He smiled slightly. "There isn't a single kid like you, Lorelai. Potter's a lucky young man."
"Thanks."
His eyes wandered to the living room. "Reina's asleep on the couch. I want her sister to take very good care of her."
I almost began to cry again when Severus called me her sister.
"I will. Now, go."
He ruffled my hair with a small smile on his face. "I'll bring your father back in one piece."
I watched them Apparate to God knows where and felt a huge piece of my heart go with them. Please, God, I prayed, Take care of them. Please.
AN- Whatever becomes of them? Next chapter: Severus and Remus return because of injury and decide to give love another try.
CH. 7- MILES APART
AN- Wow, this is the quickest update I've ever done. My Ch.6 isn't showing up and that's making me mad. So, if it never shows up, here's what happened. Sirius and Tina began dating. That's about it. It wasn't a very long chapter. Um, thanks to all who reviewed. Made me happy. Uh… Gary Oldman's hot? Sorry, can't think of anything else to say.
DISCLAIMER- I own nothing except what you know I own. Geez, I have nothing! Don't make it any worse by saying that I can't have Jon Bon Jovi either. (sniff) Pretty…
If I could I would do all of this again
Travel back in time with you to where this all began
We could hide inside ourselves and leave the world behind
And make believe there's something left to find
We'll be miles apart
I'll keep you deep inside
You're always in my heart
A new life to start
I may be leaving but you're always in my heart
Now we've all grown up, gone on and moved away
Nothing I can do about it, nothing I can say
To bring us back to where we were when life was not this hard
(life was not this hard)
Looking back it all just seems so far, so far away
We'll be miles apart
I'll keep you deep inside
You're always in my heart
A new life to start
I may be leaving but you're always in my heart
I'd give it up for just one more day with you
Give it up for just one more day
I'd give it up for just one more day with you
I'd give it up for just one more day with you
Give it up for just one more day
I'd give it up for just one more day with you
I'd give it up for just one more day with you
Give it up, give it all away
I'd give it up for just one more day with you
We'll be miles apart
I'll keep you deep inside
You're always in my heart
A new life to start
I may be leaving but you're always in my heart
I need you now, we're miles apart
I'll keep you deep inside
You're always in my heart
I need you now, we're miles apart
I may be leaving but you're always in my heart
"MILES APART" - YELLOWCARD
"LORELAI, come on! It's Christmas!" Pause. "Lazy Americans."
"I heard that." I rolled over in bed and was greeted by all of the kids. "Morning."
"Good morning," they chorused.
"Get outta bed!" George wrenched the covers off of me as Fred rolled me out of bed. "It's time to open presents!"
I grabbed my Scooby-Doo robe and we ran downstairs to the living room where everyone was gathered around the Christmas tree. Mom and Sirius were sitting on the couch, holding hands, with Tonks beside them. Remus was standing next to Mom with a smile on his face as he listened to Mr. And Mrs. Weasley tell a story. Mad Eye Moody was there, too, and he nodded a greeting as we sat down on the floor. I'd met him over the summer and we got along pretty well. He was big into the Dark Arts and he helped me out with the Stunning Spell. He was a cool dude.
"Remus, they're awake! Can we open presents now?" Tonks begged Remus, who nodded with a twinkle in his eyes. Ooh, idea! Remus and Tonks! Hmm….
Mom grabbed a present, read the nametag, and handed it to Mad Eye. "It's from Hermione."
Mad Eye thanked Hermione and ripped open the package with a smile on his face. I bet he already knew what was in it thanks to his magic eye. It was the latest version of Dark Magic for Dark Wizards.
The next hour or so was spent opening presents. Harry got me a Sid Vicious t-shirt and a beautiful necklace with LK&HP engraved in the heart pendant. I had bought him a couple of old Clash c.d.'s and a watch much like the Weasley's clock. It had Ron, Hermione, Sirius, mine, and his names on it.
Mr. Weasley was in awe of my c.d. player and tried to take it apart several times before Mad Eye put a curse on it so he couldn't break it.
"So, great Christmas, huh?" Ron surveyed, eating his Chocolate Frogs. He looked at his wizard card and scowled. "Magnus Morelli again."
"Awesome Christmas!" Hermione really enjoyed Remus's gift that consisted of several books on werewolves and Animagi. We had all decided to become Animagi so that we, too, could help Remus with his Transformation. His last one was this past Saturday.
"No complaints," I remarked.
"Except for Mum's sweaters." Ron began scratching at his green wool. "Mine's hideous."
"But it's not nearly as bad as Lor's," Harry said, putting an arm around my bright pink shoulders. "Pink and brown don't match very well, do they?"
"Not at all." Ron glanced quickly at me. "Is Sirius dating your mum, Lor?"
"Um, yeah. Why?"
"I was just wondering. Ever since your mum got here, her and Sirius have been flirting and stuff. I didn't know if they were dating or what."
"Isn't that a little weird though?" Hermione asked me. "I mean, Sirius is Harry's godfather and Harry's your boyfriend." Wow, thanks for clearing that up.
"But Harry and Sirius aren't blood-related so it doesn't matter," I countered.
"Kids!" I turned to see Tonks running over to us, her hair now light blue and spiked. She stopped and put a hand on Ron's shoulder, panting to catch her breath.
"I'm good." She inhaled, held her breath for a few seconds, and then let it out in one long whoosh. "Remus just proposed to Tina."
"HE WHAT?!?" I ran at break-neck speed into the house where Remus and Sirius were having a heated argument but Mom was nowhere to be found.
"What the hell's your problem? She's my girlfriend!"
"She's the mother of my child!"
"Well, Snivellus Snape is the father of your child, too!" At this, Remus was on top of Sirius, punching and kicking.
"STOP IT!"
They stopped and stared at Mom, who was standing at the base of the stairs.
"What did you say, Sirius?" She asked, her voice eerily calm.
"When?" He wiped his bleeding nose with the back of his hand.
"About Severus."
"Remus didn't tell you?"
She shook her head.
"You might want to sit down." He went on to tell Mom about the relationship between Remus and Snape while she listened intently, not once looking at Remus. I felt bad for both of them. I mean, Mom never knew about Remus's "other life" and Remus had to deal with Sirius telling Mom and not himself.
When Sirius was done, she finally looked at her ex-lover. There was a mix of hurt, surprise, and pity in her tear-filled eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked, her throat constricted with emotions.
"I didn't think you wanted to know."
"Didn't want to know? Remus, we were best friends and I love you. I always will. You know all of my secrets and I thought I knew all of yours. We can't get married."
"Why not?"
She paused. "You've heard of that show Friends, right?" He shook her head and Mom sighed. "Well, there are two characters, Ross and Rachel. They love each other so much, but they just don't work together, relationship-wise. Just like you and me. I will always love you, nut I also love Sirius. I love him in a way that I never thought possible and I've felt this way for the past twenty years. I'm sorry, Remus." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before running upstairs. I tired to follow her but Sirius grabbed my arm.
"Give her some time to herself." He took a long sip of his butterbeer and turned to Remus. "Rem, I'm really sorry for lashing out at you."
Remus didn't answer. He just turned on his heel and went out to the forest behind the house. This time, Sirius let me follow him, and I followed him to where Buckbeak was. I bowed to the hippogriff and sat down beside Remus, petting Buckbeak's silky feathers.
"I thought she loved me.," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"She does love you, but in a different way. She loves you like she loves her first real love. The way a woman should love the father of her only child." I laid my head on his shoulder and smiled faintly. "I had my first love when I was 13 years old. His name was Josh Matthews. We went out for over 10 months before he moved. Ever since he left, I've always had a place in my heart for him, just like Mom does for you. You never forget your first love."
"What about Sirius? I thought he was her first boyfriend. Wouldn't that make him her first love?"
"Nope. Not everyone loves their first boyfriend. She was Siri's first love, though. He told me." When Remus didn't respond, I looked him straight in the eye and said, "Ask Tonks out."
"Excuse me?"
"I saw the way you were looking at her."
"And how is that?"
"The same way Mom looks at Sirius. Or the way Snape looks at you."
"Oh."
"You like her. And I think she likes you."
He was silent for a few moments before turning to me with a sly grin. "Oh, yeah?"
THE DAY before Christmas break was supposed to end, I caught Remus and Tonks hugging in the kitchen. They asked me not to tell anyone, though, because they wanted to keep it a secret. I don't blame them. Remus proposed to my mom a little under a week ago and now he's going out with Tonks. At first, I thought he only agreed with me because he wanted to get over Mom, but after seeing him and Tonks together, I quickly changed my mind. I can't believe they didn't get together years before.
"I don't want to say good-bye to you again," Mom whined as I was putting my clothes in my trunk.
"Then don't. It's not really good-bye. I'll see you in about three months. Plus, now you've got Sirius." I latched my trunk shut and smiled at Mom. "Are you staying here with him?"
"I can't. My puppy's at home all by himself."
"Sirius can go with you to get him."
"I'm just gonna Apparate there, get my things, and Apparate back. It won't take that long."
"So, you are staying here."
"Maybe…"
Right then, Hermione rushed in, looking frazzled. (AN- Frazzled… hehe.) "Dumbledore's here. He said the Death Eaters are back, and they're not just after Sirius. They want us all."
"All of us? But why?" It was bad enough knowing that the Death Eaters wanted to kill Sirius but now they want us all dead?
"I have no idea. But Dumbledore wants us to go into hiding. He's got a place up in the mountains in Sweden that we can go to."
"Sweden?" I suddenly had an idea. "Why don't we go back to our house in Cali, Mom?"
Her eyes brightened. "They'll never look there!"
I ran downstairs and saw Dumbledore's tall, slender body, along with Snape and the rest of the gang.
"Professor Dumbledore, why don't we all go back to my mom's house in California? It's in a small town called San Pedro, it's secluded in the woods, and it's about a mile from the beach." I waited for his answer and, soon, his blue eyes twinkled.
"That sounds marvelous. Severus will accompany you all .He is well trained in the Dark Arts."
"But so is Lupin!" Harry objected.
"And Snape used to be a Death Eater! He might still be one!" Ron exclaimed.
"Guys, just let him come," I tried to reason. "He's not still a Death Eater. He'll give us added protection."
Snape gave me a thankful nod as the kids gave me weird looks. What? He's a good guy.
"She's got a point," Hermione finally said. Though, he did look a bit uncomfortable, agreeing with me that Snape is a positive thing to us.
"It's settled then," Dumbledore announced with a clap of his hands. "You all shall go to Tina's house. You adults can Apparate there and the kids will use Floo powder."
As the adults went to gather there things, Dumbledore pulled Hermione, Ron, Harry and me to the side.
"It would be best if you decided now what you want you Animagus form to be."
Harry answered first. "A deer… like my dad."
"A wolf. I know that Professor Lupin is a werewolf but they travel in packs, don't they?" Hermione waited while the elderly wizard nodded. "So two- or even three- wolves wouldn't seem suspicious."
"I'll be a wolf, too," Ron decided.
Everyone looked at me, waiting for my answer. I wanted to be a wolf also to help my dad out a little, but there were already three wolves. Should I be a deer, too, along with Harry? Nah, I never really liked deer. Maybe I can be a big dog, like Sirius. Only I could be a big, white dog.
"I want to be a dog. Like Sirius."
Dumbledore nodded. He pointed to each of us with a long, skinny finger, muttering something. I felt something swell inside me, like someone was blowing up my heart.
"I added a piece of the animal's heart to your own," he told us. "Whenever you wish to change forms, concentrate on your animal and you will transform."
"Thanks, professor," we said in unison.
"Okay. Now, you all have transported by Floo powder, correct?" We nodded. "Very well. Lorelai, you will go first, since you obviously know where you're going." (AN- Don't ask why Tina has Floo network. It made the story easier.)
"Yes, sir." I grabbed a handful of the powder and stood in the fireplace. "The Crap Shack!" I yelled, throwing the powder to the ground. As I felt the familiar pulling sensation in my stomach, I could hear everybody laughing at the name of our house. When Mom and I moved into the house, we decided to name it. I mean, if presidents could name their houses, so could we.
I flew out of the fire place in the Crap Shack's living room and straight into Fred and George.
"Hey, watch it!" Fred yelled.
"We can't have just anybody falling into our arms," George added.
"Sorry, guys." I walked over to where Mom and Remus were talking. Like civilized human beings.
"Will Ferrell is so much better than Chris Rock," Mom was arguing.
"From the movies that you've shown me, I've got to say that I like Chris Rock more."
"Yeah, well… nyuh!" She stuck her tongue out at him and turned to me with a smile on her face. "Hi, I'm Barbie Bimbo. How may I help you?"
I just stared at her. "Oh, my God."
"LET'S JUST try it one more time, guys. Please." I ignored their groans and mumbles, focusing solely on helping my dad. "Just concentrate a little harder. Ron and 'Mione can go first."
"No wonder you're Snape's assistant," Ron grumbled. "Pushy, pushy."
"Shut up, Ron."
I watched them stand together and close their eyes. After about 15 seconds, I could hear the crunch of bones as they morphed into the wolf's skeleton. Soon, two beautiful wolves stood before me. One had red fur (I'm guessing this is Ron) and the other had brown (Hermione).
"You wanna go next?" I asked Harry.
"Sure." He gave the wolves a quick pat before transforming into a gorgeous buck, his antlers strong.
I smiled broadly. It's working! My turn. I closed my eyes and thought about the freedom of a dog. The joy of running with my friends. The thought of having a tail. And then it happened. The process which I thought would be painful was in fact painless. I hunched over and felt my tongue grow inside of my mouth and my nose stretch out.
When my change was done, I let out a yip of excitement. And then Sirius walked in, his face stoic.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He asked in a soft voice.
I put my head down and heard myself whimper.
"You four aren't even of age yet. You're doing illegal magic." Hypocrite.
I wanted to tell him that Dumbledore gave us permission, but instead barked. He rolled his eyes and changed into his dog form.
"What were you saying?" A voice inside my head asked. I thought those didn't exist!
"Dumbledore gave us permission so we could help Dad," I told Sirius.
"Dumbledore doesn't have the authority to do that." He was silent for a minute before he broke out into a doggie grin. "It's amazing that you kids could do this. How long have you guys been practicing?"
"About three weeks," Harry answered. "We practice everyday after lessons."
Since we can't go back to school, Remus and Snape have been giving us lessons. It's almost like being home-schooled.
"That's amazing!" Sirius was shaking with excitement. "Let's go play!"
"You're so immature," Hermione said.
"Come on, it'll be fun!" With that, he ran out of the attic and down the stairs. Like the herd of wild animals that we were, we followed him. Harry's hooves pounded the floor and, despite the frightened shrieks and muttered curses, we ran out of the door that Dumbledore held open.
"Have fun!" He called out after us.
And we did. We played chase through the forest and, after making sure no one was present, we frolicked on the beach and in the waves. We played until about 2 in the morning when Dumbledore and Snape came to fetch us. We transformed back into our human forms in the woods and everyone except Snape and me headed back to the house. We walked along the beach with the waves lapping at our bare feet. It was weird to see Snape wearing Muggle clothes and acting like a guy who held no grudges or felt no pain. He was clad in a pair of black jeans, gray long-sleeved shirt, and a black jacket.
"You and your friends are very talented young wizards," he told me.
"Thanks." I let out a bored sigh and kicked at the waves. "Why do the Death Eaters want Sirius?"
"It was because of Black that Voldemort lost his most faithful servant."
"Pettigrew."
"Yes. Now Voldemort wants Black dead."
"Ah." I realized that I was beginning to become a lot more relaxed around Snape now that we were out of school. He didn't have to act like he hated everybody anymore.
"You're not still a Death Eater, are you?" I asked warily.
"No, and I won't report your dear Black to the Death Eaters, either," he sneered.
"You can't hate him forever."
"Watch me."
"Come on, professor. He's a great guy."
"I noticed that I am the only one you still call Professor. With the exception of Dumbledore."
"Well, what do you want me to call you?"
"Severus is fine."
"Sev?"
"That works too."
"Okay, Sev, now let's work on this thing with Sirius."
"He's a prat," he said dryly.
"Now that's just not nice. He's a good enough guy to have Dad trust him. Isn't that enough?"
He was silent for a minute before glumly nodding. "Yes."
"Will you be nice to him?"
He mumbled something before saying, "I'll try."
"Good. Now let's go home."
Another week had passed without any news about the Death Eaters. Everyone was becoming hopeful that Sirius might be able to live a carefree, Death Eater free life. Siri himself put a damper on our feelings by saying that no one would ever be free of the Death Eaters. Way to go, Siri.
After our little chat, Severus made forth an effort of trying to get along with Sirius. Maybe they'd never be best friends (okay, definitely not) but they might at least exchange a greeting without glaring daggers at each other. Every morning, Sev would tell Sirius "good morning" and every morning he got a replay. That's about all I could get out of them.
I was beginning to miss school, also. Not only the social part of it, but also the educational part. I missed Transfiguration and mocking Trelawney and even taunting Malfoy. I mean, sure, we have the daily lessons from Remus and Sev but that's not nearly enough.
"Hey, chickaroonie!" My mom exclaimed, hopping on the couch next to me and Harry. "Whatcha watching?"
"I am introducing Harry to Will and Grace."
"You mean Jack and Karen?"
"Exactly."
Harry turned to Mom, still laughing from one of Sean Hayes' witty one-liners. "We don't have a TV at our place. This is really great entertainment."
Sirius entered the living room and sat next to Mom, kissing her on the cheek as he did so. "Hey."
"Hey, Sir. What have you been up to?"
"Me and Remus went to the beach to hang out for a bit."
"Are you sure that's safe?"
"I was Padfoot the puppy. Of course it's safe." He put on a reassuring smile and gave Mom another kiss. "I promise, love."
"Okay." She still sounded doubtful.
"Tina, relax. I've got everyone looking out for me. Of course, I've got everyone out looking for me, too." He chuckled dryly. "I'll be fine."
"Well, you're not doing a very good job of reassuring us," Harry remarked.
"Trust me. Have I ever lied to you?"
"No."
"Then why should I start now?" Harry didn't respond. "Come on, now. Let's just be quiet and watch TV, 'kay?"
I couldn't help but worry about Sirius's safety. Death Eaters were really dangerous people. More dangerous than any basilisk or any werewolf. They were led by the most vicious, most sinister, most deadly being that's ever existed and now they're all after Sirius. It's safe to say that I was scared shitless.
That night at dinner, Severus and Sirius actually had a three-minute conversation that didn't consist of curses and yelling. Although it was about the food, it was a decent conversation nonetheless.
"I ran into Dumbledaore this morning at the Ministry," Mr. Weasley said. "He told me something and he wanted me to spread the word on to you. He's been accepted as the new Minister of Magic."
The table erupted into cheers and applause and I glanced at my three best friends who were grinning like mad. That meant that we had permission to become Animagi from the Minister of Magic!
"He also said that he's putting together a sort of… what did he call it….? Skillatary?"
"Military?" Mom suggested.
"Right! A military unit to battle the Death Eaters. He wants you three, along with myself, to join." He pointed to Remus, Tonks, and Severus. "He's stopping by later to fill you in on what it is."
"What about the rest of us?" Ginny asked. "What do we do?"
"Keep the house clean, what d'ya expect?" Fred mumbled.
"I guess you just spend the day like you would any other," said Mr. Weasley, shrugging. "Dumbledore said that they would meet at the Ministry and then split up and do different tasks."
"What kind of tasks?" Tonks asked.
"He didn't say. I'm sure nothing too bad, although with Dumbledore, it's hard to tell."
"I'll second that." The man himself had just Apparated into the kitchen and was chuckling at what Mr. Weasley had said. "Arthur, my boy, if I may just borrow you and the other three. I need to talk to you all."
"Oh, yes, sir." Mr. Weasley excused himself and summoned the rest into the living room.
"I wonder what they have to do," Ron whispered as soon as they had left.
"If Dumbledore wanted us to know, I'm sure he would have told us," Mrs. Weasley said. "Now eat your soup."
"Why didn't he ask me to help?" Sirius asked, his voice almost a whine. "Why can't I help to capture the men and women who are after me?"
"Because if you screw up and they catch you… you're dead," Mom told him. Hey, it's the truth.
"I love the faith you put in me," he retorted sarcastically. "It makes me feel oh so special."
"I just don't want you dead."
"Oh, well, that makes me feel a little better."
"How long have you two known each other?" Ginny asked with a smile on her freckled face.
"Almost twenty years," Sirius answered. "Well, 8 if you don't count the years I was in Azkaban."
"Lor told me that you and Tina dated before now."
"We did. We started dating about five minutes after we met."
"Love at first sight?"
He smiled warmly at Ginny's fairy tale view on love. "Yes. Something like that. I don't know if Tina felt the same way, though." He looked at Mom expectantly.
"I guess you could call it love at second sight," she corrected. "At first I thought he was a twat!"
THE NEXT morning I was up around 5:30 because I was having trouble sleeping. My throat was raw and dry, so I headed down to the kitchen to fetch a cup of water, when I ran into Dumbledore and the three "honorary Aurors". Remus took me aside and held both of my hands in his.
"We're leaving," he stated. "Dumbledore found out some of the Death Eaters know that we're not in England anymore and are meeting somewhere about a hundred miles away. We're going to go get them. I don't know how long we'll be gone but…" He kissed my forehead. "Just in case… something happens, I love you, Lorelai. Tell your mother that I love her, too."
I could feel a lump rising in my throat and the tears threatening my eyes as I hugged my father closely.
"You will come back," I said, my voice cracking. "I know you will. I love you so much, Dad."
He gently pushed me away with a sad smile on his lips, joining the rest of the gang. Realizing that this might be the last time I see them, I jugged each and every soldier, lingering with Severus.
"Be careful," I warned, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Take care of my dad, will ya, Sev?"
"With all of my life." He smiled slightly. "There isn't a single kid like you, Lorelai. Potter's a lucky young man."
"Thanks."
His eyes wandered to the living room. "Reina's asleep on the couch. I want her sister to take very good care of her."
I almost began to cry again when Severus called me her sister.
"I will. Now, go."
He ruffled my hair with a small smile on his face. "I'll bring your father back in one piece."
I watched them Apparate to God knows where and felt a huge piece of my heart go with them. Please, God, I prayed, Take care of them. Please.
AN- Whatever becomes of them? Next chapter: Severus and Remus return because of injury and decide to give love another try.