TITLE: Under Pressure
AUTHOR: Prussiluskan1984
EMAIL: prussiluskan1984yahoo.se
PAIRING: Harry/Remus
RATING: PG-13
FEEDBACK: prussiluskan1984yahoo.se
DISCLAIMER: Belongs to JKR. No profit. No infringement etc.
SUMMARY: It's no longer safe for Harry to live with the Dursleys, and instead he goes to live with Remus Lupin. Will feelings that were hidden surface when they find themselves under pressure?
CATEGORY: Pre-slash / Drama / Romance
NOTES: This fic is part of the 'Mortal Moon' Harry/Remus Fuh-Q-Fest Challenges: 7. Photographs and portraits sometimes reveal something about the subject that the person normally keeps hidden. A photograph of Harry and Remus shows more than expected. (Superswipergirl) 13. In the middle of the summer after OotP, Harry is taken from the Dursleys and goes to stay with Remus. (Superswipergirl) 26. Harry and Remus go into hiding together, under a Secret Keeper. (Superswipergirl) 77. When a werewolf first touches its future mate, it gets an unusual feeling and somehow knows that person will be its mate. Imagine Remus' surprise when James first hands him a baby Harry… (Cara)
BETA: MacHarm4ever
ARCHIVING: The Mortal Moon Fest, and FF.Net, and my group and my homepage Any other sites ask first.
July 31, 1980. St Mungos
Remus Lupin was seated outside a room at the Wizarding hospital, together with James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. From inside the room they could hear Lily Potter's screams as she was giving birth to the Potter heir. After four hours of restless waiting the men could hear a baby's cry through the door. A nurse comes out with the baby and hands it to the proud father.
"It's a boy," she said as she watched him looking at his new son.
"Hello Harry James. I'm James, your dad," James said to the infant, naming him. "Do you want to meat your god father and your uncles?" At that James hands baby Harry over to Sirius.
"Hi there Harry. I'm your god father, Sirius Black, also known as Padfoot." After Sirius it was Peter's turn to hold the baby.
"Hi Harry. My name is Peter 'Wormtail' Pettigrew and I'm one of your dad's best friends" With that he handed Harry to the last man, Remus.
As he touches Harry for the first time, he feels a stab in his heart. He looked down at the green-eyed baby and realised that he had found his mate.
Summer, 1996 Dursley household
Harry, now 15 soon 16, is outside, working in the garden. Suddenly he hears someone calling his name. He turns around and he sees his ex professor Remus Lupin.
"Hi Remus," he says. "What are you doing here?"
"Dumbledore has decided that it's best if you leave the Dursleys. Apparently, you're no longer safe here." At that Harry stood up from where he was kneeling at the ground.
"So where will I go? Am I staying at the Weasleys?"
"No, you're staying with me." At Harry's nod, he continues "Why don't you go ahead and pack your things while I talk to your relatives."
After Harry's packed and Remus' talked to Petunia Dursley, they were once again outside the house.
"How are we going to your house?"
"Portkey." At seeing Harry's shudder he continues "I know you don't like it, but it's the only way."
"Yeah, I know. That doesn't mean I have to like it though." With that Remus held out a dirty bottle in his hand and Harry, after making sure he got everything, touched it with a finger.
When they arrived outside Remus' home, Harry got his first look at the house, or rather cottage. It was a small two-floor building with a small garden in a forest. The only view the cottage had was trees and some more trees.
"Do you like it?" Remus asked rather nervously. Harry was, after all, his future mate, even if Harry didn't know about it yet, and he wanted his approval.
"Yes, I love it." Harry had actually never seen a home more beautiful.
"Good, then this is your home for as long you want it to be."
They walked inside the small house and Remus showed Harry around. On the first floor were the kitchen and the living room. On the second were the bathroom and two bedrooms.
"Your bedroom is the first when you come up the stairs. Mine is next door," Remus explained.
After the tour ended, Remus left Harry in his new room to unpack. When Harry was done unpacking, he walked downstairs to find Remus in the kitchen, preparing dinner.
July 31, 1996 Remus' cottage
It was Harry's birthday and for Remus it was a big day; his mate would be legal. He was throwing Harry a party and all his friends from Gryffindor were there. Hermione and Ron were fighting over something, Seamus and Dean had a food fight with the cake and Colin Creevey, was walking around, taking photos of everyone.
"Hey, Harry!" Colin yelled over the crowd. "Why don't you let me take a picture of you and professor Lupin?"
Harry and Remus looked at each other and nodded. They moved to stand next to each other so that Colin could take the picture.
September 1, 1996 Kings Cross Station
"Ok Harry, you got everything?" a nervous Remus Lupin asked his charge. Despite the fact that this was Harry's sixth year and not his first, Remus was very nervous. He kept coming up with bad scenarios that could happen during the long train-ride to Hogwarts.
"Don't worry so much Remus, I'll be fine." Harry said with a smile. Just then the whistle was blowing.
"Come on, let's get you on the train, before it leaves without you." Remus said as he dragged the trunk towards the train.
Soon Harry found the compartment with Ron, Hermione and Ginny. He sat down next to Ginny as they started to talk about the summer.
September 1, 1996, Hogwarts
After Dumbledore's welcome speech, everyone started eating. Harry was just about to drink some pumpkin juice, when he felt someone touching his shoulder. Turning around, he saw it was Colin Creevey.
"Hi Harry! I've got the pictures from your birthday party with me. But there is one that's acting weird."
"What do you mean by 'weird'?" Harry was almost afraid to ask. After all, there was only weird things happening to him.
"I'll show you," was all Colin said before he took out the photograph and handed it to Harry. It was the one with Harry and Remus on, only they were kissing.
September 2, 1996, Dumbledore's office, Hogwarts
Harry was sitting in a chair, waiting for Dumbledore to show. He had been awake the whole night, trying to figure out why the photo was acting like it did. He was so deep in thought that he failed to notice that the Headmaster had shown up, so naturally he jumped at the "Hello, Mr Potter."
"Hello professor."
"Lemon drop? Tea?"
"No thank you, I'm fine."
"What can I do for you, Harry?"
"I've got this photograph of me and someone else. It's just that we 'do' something in that picture that we've never done. I mean, in real life. Why did that happen?"
At Harry's speech, Dumbledore's eyes started twinkling like mad. "A magic picture shows a person's personality and feelings. If you are alone in the picture, than the feelings are directed to the person watching it. If there are more than one person in the picture than the feelings are directed to each other."
Harry sat shocked in the chair, going over in his head just what the Headmaster had told him. When he realised that Dumbledore was looking at him, he said "Oh, okay. Uh I've got class now. Thank you for your time professor."
It was a very confused Gryffindor that made his way from the office down to the dungeons for Potions.
September 16, 1996, Hogwarts
It was two weeks since Harry talked to Dumbledore and now he was heading up to his office again. He didn't know why he was called, since he hadn't had any mad men after him, trying to kill him, yet. When he walked into the office he saw professor Dumbledore talking to Remus. Harry coughed to get their attention.
"Mr. Potter! Come in! Sit down! Lemon drop?"
"No thank you." Harry looked at Dumbledore and then at Remus. "What did you want to talk to me about? I'm not in trouble, am I?"
Remus looked at Dumbledore, who began talking: "No my boy, you're not in trouble. But you can't stay at school. Voldemort has found out a way to get in here, and he knows where Remus lives, so the two of you have to go into hiding. I'll be your secret keeper."
"Albus, you're not telling him the whole story," Remus said before he turned to Harry. "Voldemort have already attacked the cottage, I barely escaped last night when the Death Eaters came."
Harry looked both worried and relieved. Worried, since Remus could have died. Relieved, well no need for explanations for that one, right?
"Oh, can I think about this for a while?"
"Of course," Dumbledore assured him. "But you must be ready to go by dinner tonight."
With that, a dazed Harry Potter stepped out of the office. He took out the photograph from a pocket in his robes and looked at it. In the two weeks that he had had it, he had realised that he had a crush on the werewolf. He saw this as a chance for him to figure out what Remus' feelings for him were.
Without noticing, he had walked to the Gryffindor Tower and was currently starring at the Fat Lady. After giving the password ("Boys will be boys"), Harry walked into the common room and saw Ron and Hermione playing chess.
Ron looked as Harry stepped through the hole. "Hi Harry! What did Dumbledore want?"
Harry looked at his best friends and said: "Can we talk upstairs?"
Looking first at Harry and then at each other, Hermione and Ron nodded.
The trio walked into the sixth year boy dorm and sat down at Harry's bed. Taking a deep breath, Harry began talking: "Remus was attacked by Death Eaters last night and he barely escaped. Dumbledore thinks that Hogwarts is no longer safe for me, and wants Remus and me to go into hiding. But I don't want to leave you guys behind."
After he said all that it was quiet in the room until Hermione broke the silence. "We would feel much better if you were safe, hiding, instead of here if You-Know-Who attacked. Sure, we'll miss you, but I think it would be better if you do as Dumbledore says. And we can still write letters through your secret keeper. Who is your secret keeper by the way?"
"Professor Dumbledore, but you can't tell anyone!"
"When do you have to leave?" Ron, who had stayed quiet during the conversation, asked.
"By dinner." With that they fell in silence again, but this time no one broke it.
It was time for dinner. Harry walked together with Ron and Hermione, draging his trunk and Hedwig's cage. They stood outside the Headmaster's office, to say goodbye.
"Well, bye then. We'll talk later." With that Harry turned around to walk up the stairs, when Hermione flung upon him and gave him a big hug. Ron joined, and they stood there for several minutes before they let go of Harry. Together they watched as he disappeared behind the gargoyle.
When Harry came into the office he saw that Remus and Dumbledore were preparing for the spell. Harry had never thought that Remus looked better than he did now. He decided that now he had the chance to figure out how Remus felt for him.
Remus looked up as Harry walked into the office and he suddenly found it hard to breathe. He couldn't believe that this beautiful creature would go into hiding with him. Despite the fact that they both had Voldemort and his cronies, he felt like the luckiest man in the world.
After Dumbledore had cast the Fidelius Charm, they left for Harry and Remus' new home.
The house - actually, Harry thought, it's more of a mansion – had two floors but much more rooms than Remus' old cottage. On the ground floor, there was a kitchen and library to their left and living room and dining room to their right. Upstairs there were two big bedrooms with adjoining bathrooms and a smaller guestroom with a small bathroom.
After giving them the tour and telling them that the wards were placed in a 10-km radius from the house and not to step out of the wards, Dumbledore left the werewolf and the teenager alone in their new home.
The End?