I do not own Harry Potter. I do, however, own the story and all the original characters, whom I am very fond of.

Chapter 8: Homecoming

Harry woke with a start, for a moment unable to remember where he was. The train jolted again and he relaxed, closing his eyes for a moment before getting out of his bed and moving to the chair at the window. He didn't feel remotely tired, even though the first lights of dawn were just tinting the sky. He figured he could thank Durry for that, gathering him up from where he was sleeping on the table and leaning back, watching the seemingly endless terrain of North America roll by the window. He wondered where exactly they were. Tala had commented, when she was able to speak, that they should arrive in Ambersville in mid-morning. He thought then, that they may already be in New Mexico.

He sat there, and he thought about, as he had thought many times the night before, of the speech that Lupin had made the day previous. He frowned thoughtfully for a moment, then turned and rummaged in his robes, which he had flung over the chair when he had undressed for bed. Finally, he came up with the picture of the original order. He was still looking at it when Ron awoke, rumpled and yawning, with the sun still young in the sky. Harry hurriedly stowed the picture back out of view, put Durry gently on the seat of the empty chair, and joined his friend in throwing on his robes and making their way to the restaurant car.

The car was filled with round wooden tables and chattering, and sometimes yawning, witches and wizards. There were windows lining both sides of the car, and the light filtering in, painted long shadows on the faces and the floors. The walls and carpets were warm and dark red, making it a pleasant atmosphere in which to dine. A wizard in an orange uniform approached and handed them menus, and the two of them perused them briefly before ordering. Ron decided to try the waffles with blueberry sauce, while Harry went for eggs, bacon and toast. The wizard bowed and waved his wand over the table, and their orders appeared with a pop.

"Enjoy your breakfast, sirs. My name is Eric, just call if you need more." Then he wandered off to help another set of diners, two young witches with odd colored hair, one with shocking purple and green plaits and the other with a pale blue French braid.

"That one looks like Tonks on a day she's feeling crazy." Ron murmured to Harry. "Wonder if it was a transfiguration gone mad, or on purpose."

Harry shrugged. Aside from the two witches, the other passengers of this train looked fairly normal, to his standards. He could easily see them dining in Diagon Alley. He caught someone glancing casually at his table and self-consciously smoothed down his hair over his forehead before busying himself with his eggs.

"Morning Harry, Ron." Harry looked up as Hermione and Ginny joined them, two more chairs appearing for them, and the table growing a bit larger. "Who's our server?" Hermione asked.

"Eric." Ron answered through a mouthful of waffles. And the man appeared at the table, a large smile on his young, open face.

He distributed menus to the girls, and they also ordered, French toast and pancakes, and Eric bowed, then disappeared again.

Harry watched Ginny from the corner of his eye as they ate, his thoughts more on her than on his food. They hadn't said anything to each other since he had taken her hand the night before. They hadn't let go until they were again on the train, and even then no words were said. Ginny, he remembered, had looked up at him with an almost studying gaze, then she had smiled softly before letting her hand slip from his. He had tried to speak, but the words clogged in his throat.

He wished that he had been brave enough to bend his head and give her a little kiss, and yet he was worried that had he done such a thing, it would have ruined their relationship. He tried to think as Hermione would have told him to. Maybe she was waiting for him to make another move, but what if she wasn't? What if he was wrong? He didn't know anything about this sort of thing, as evidenced by the disastrous relationship with Cho of the year before. Ron called Eric back and ordered more waffles.

Hermione watched him in disgusted amusement as he shoveled them in his mouth. "Honestly, Ron. How do you breathe?"

He grinned at her, showing blue-stained teeth, and she laughed fondly. They had made up the day before, she walking close to him as they made their way back to the train. He with his arm around her shoulders, offering her his handkerchief to dry her face. He had caught them exchanging a quick kiss when they thought no one was watching. He heaved a sigh, and picked at the rest of his breakfast.

"Are you feeling alright, Harry?" Ginny asked, and he saw that she was genuinely concerned. This made him feel warmed.

"Yes, Ginny." He returned. "I'm fine." She smiled at him, her eyes locked upon his, and he found himself looking down and blushing. He could swear he heard her giggle.

"Last stop, Ambersville. Last stop. Please gather any belongings you wish to keep and prepare to disembark." Harry gathered up his bag and his broom, deciding to let Durry remain out of his box, and ride upon his shoulder. Hedwig squalled in her cage, and he fed her an owl treat to calm her. "As soon as we take to broom, I'll let you out." He assured the snowy white. She had been acting rather coldly to him since he had acquired Cord, refusing to come near Harry as long as he had the snake wrapped around his wrist, and now, even with the snake transfigured, she looked at him with cool, golden eyes. "I'm sorry Hedwig." He said quietly. "Try to understand?" She seemed undecided, but finally gave a soft hoot and allowed him to stroke her feathery head through the bars. He grinned happily at her. "As soon as we get in the air." He told her again.

"Everyone set?" Lupin asked as the adults emerged from Hermione and Ginny's side of the car, they and Ron trailing along after them. Harry put his beloved Firebolt over his shoulder and nodded, then they stepped off the train into the hot, New Mexican sun.

"So hot." Ron gasped, as he loosened the neck of his robes. Harry had to agree, and he was glad his robes were fairly light, and that he had packed his cloak away. He would obviously not be needing it. Ginny was pulling her hair up off of her neck and securing it with a twisted bit of cord that automatically tightened to bind it.

"Ah, nice to be back." Tala said comfortably. She, unlike the others was used to this, Harry thought. "The launch is that way." She pointed out a patch of sandy soil that had been cleared of vegetation. They trooped after her, peering around. The Ambersville station was nearly as busy as the one at Plymouth and with good reason. Ambersville was the largest fully wizarding town in the United States. Hundreds of them lived and worked there. They could see the American branch of Gringotts gleaming in the distance, it easily being the tallest building there. The rest of the buildings were largely built of adobe, and brick with tiled roofs, low and warm looking in the hot sun. They could see mountains looming darkly in the distance of the west, and there was a large lake gleaming, silver and still, to the south. He wished they could stay and explore a bit, but he could tell that Tala was eager to get home.

He watched the other wizards in the short trek from the train, and smiled at a little witch who squealed in delight as she was swung up onto the shoulders of her returning father. There were greetings and claps on the back, and a few solitary travelers wandered off in the direction of main street, or to light colored stagecoaches if they were traveling farther. They got few looks as they reached the launch, this was obviously a common occurrence.

Harry, as he had assured Hedwig he would, released the latch on her cage, and the owl flew out, Durry following her briefly in a large circle around their heads, before he settled back down on Harry's shoulder and curled his arms around his neck. Harry patted him, then mounted his broom. He settled his bag more securely over his shoulder and across his chest, waiting as Ron secured Pig's cage to his Cleansweep.

"Next stop, Stepenwolv!" Tala called at them, taking the lead as they rose, while Lupin circled them and Moody took the rear guard. They soared out over the town of Ambersville, heading to the mountains. Harry looked down, as Durry fluttered his wings in the wind pushing at his face. The town sprawled out beneath them, the streets meandering crookedly among the buildings, which were even more varied than he had thought, though still Gringotts towered over the rest. He wondered how such a large town of wizards could exist without the muggles finding out about it. They moved higher, and the town began to blend into the earth, by the time they had left it behind, it had vanished, even the marble of Gringotts no longer visible behind them.

It took longer than Harry had expected it would to reach the mountains, which looked so large even from a distance. They swooped around the peaks, through forests and past waterfalls, and Harry noticed that the temperature seemed to drop the further they went. Harry grinned around, and was pleased to see that even Hermione was sufficiently distracted by the scenery so that she didn't have her hands clutched around her broom as though expecting to fall off at any moment.

Harry thought it beautiful but also thought he knew why Stepenwolv Facility was so out of the way from pretty much everything. He wondered what it felt like to be so shunned by society that he couldn't even find work, let alone walk down a street without people drawing back. He, himself, hadn't had any set prejudices concerning werewolves, but he recalled the way Ron had drawn back from Lupin when he had found out, the words 'Get away from me, werewolf ' spilling from his mouth.

He also recalled the look on Lupin's face when he had heard his student, one who had liked him, spit hurtful words at him, just because he had learned the truth of his Professor's condition. The two of them had never spoken of it again, though, and Harry thought Lupin had put it out of his mind. Ron, however, felt bad about it for a long time afterwards, and he had expressed his regret to Harry that Lupin had left before he could apologize. If he sometimes seemed awkward around the werewolf, it was because he was trying to put learned prejudices behind him. He liked Lupin, though, and respected him immensely.

Harry grinned at his former professor as he made another loop around them, and got a smile and wave in return. He too, liked Lupin and respected him. He was a link to his parents and a link to Sirius, and even more, he was just himself, always with a kind word and a mild smile. If he seemed reserved it was because all his life he had had to live with his terrible condition, and had had to keep his distance from those who would not understand. But Harry knew the other side of him as well, the one who had helped to write the Marauder's Map and had been one of the major rule-breakers in his time at school.

Harry was very glad that his professor had found Tala. He watched her flying ahead of him, her long, dark hair flowing behind her like a banner. They obviously loved each other deeply and accepted each other for who they were.

He was certain that Lupin still felt the loss of James and Sirius deeply, one lost recently and one lost long ago, but his best friends in all the world. He had lived a very lonely life, but now he didn't have to be on his own anymore.

Harry knew what it was like to be lonely. He was famous, he had two very best friends, and various others. But still it was lonely. He often thought that no one quite understood the reason or thought that he felt that way at all. He was alone with a heavy burden, one he could not share with anyone, not even those closest to him. Dumbledore might understand, and Lupin might understand. Two people in the whole wide world. He was suddenly overcome with a great affection for his professor, one of the same kind he had had for Sirius.

He was startled as Ginny called up to him. They had been descending, but he had been so lost in his thoughts that the time had passed by in what seemed to have been minutes. Turning very red, he turned his Firebolt towards the ground and, with its superior acceleration, quickly caught up. Lupin caught his eye and nodded, with a small smile. Harry grinned embarrassedly as he rejoined them, drawing his attention back to their surroundings. They had just emerged from between two low peaks, and were coming down into a huge green and cool valley, it was about three times as long as it was wide, and a small river ran through the middle, originating from a waterfall at the north end. A forest covered the half to the east, and Harry could see houses nestled among the trees. The other half was cleared, with a few more houses, mostly log, small subsistence gardens and various livestock. And at the south end of the valley was the unmistakable form of the Stepenwolv Research Facility, built sturdily in stone and roofed with slate, reinforced on all sides, a necessary thing for a place where one dealt with something as potentially volatile as potions.

As they came lower, Harry could see a young boy standing on a raft near the edge of the river, shading his eyes as he peered up at them. He quickly rowed to shore and darted off in the direction of one of the houses at the edge of the woods, gesturing excitedly. A woman emerged and peered up as well, after a moment, she waved and turned back inside. No one else seemed to have noticed that they were arriving, and they came to a smooth landing at the edge of one of the cleared spaces. Tala was smiling uncertainly, looking around as though she had expected someone to come out and meet them. "Well," She said finally, "We're here. Let's head up to the Facility." She ushered them in the right direction, and they made their way over the smooth lawn.

Harry, too, was wondering where everyone was. He turned to Tala, but just as he did, he saw a gray blur out of the corner of his eye. It flew past him, and launched itself at Tala, knocking the tall woman to the ground. It stood on her chest, growling horribly, and Lupin whipped out his wand, prepared to drive it off.

"Remus, no!" She cried, punching the wolf in the side, and rolling out from under it, gaining her feet. She was scowling. The wolf circled her, and crouched low, panting. "Tainn, you nut!" She yelled at it, and the wolf laid back its ears, then barked, puppy-like, bowing low on its forelegs in a 'come play' gesture. Its tail wagged furiously. It bounced around her invitingly, its mouth open in a canine grin. "Not now." Tala said in a low voice, glancing around at the others.

Lupin was still staring at her, his wand held loosely at his side. "Do you, er...know each other?"

Tala sighed as though terribly put upon. "Yes, indeed, we do." The wolf looked disgruntled that Tala wasn't going to play with him, he sat down on his haunches and whined. "Everyone, this is my nephew, Tainn." They looked at her, then at the wolf, who was regarding them curiously.

There was a faint pop and with a shimmer, the wolf transformed into a young man with long black hair and Tala's green eyes. He was dressed in a pair of well-worn blue jeans and a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to expose very tanned sinewy forearms. His feet were bare. He grinned, the expression giving him an almost feral look.

"What's the matter, Aunt Tally? Too old for a romp with your favorite nephew?" He had a deep voice, seeming odd with his whipcord thin frame.

Tala seemed to be trying to tell him something with her eyes. And only Harry, Lupin, and, he was sure, Moody, knew why she didn't want to race off to play with her nephew. "Don't call me that." She said furiously. "And haven't you noticed we have guests?"

He looked at them as though seeing them for the first time, "Why, no, I didn't! How very unobservant of me!" He gave a short bow, "I am Tainn Snowfoot, a bane to my Aunt's existence. And I'm very offended that she doesn't want to change..." He stopped, as though listening to something no one else could hear. "...her mind." He finished, his eyes narrowed.

Harry stepped forward, offering his hand. "I'm Harry," he said.

"Pleased to meet you Harry," He replied, glancing up at Harry's forehead for a moment before shaking his hand.

"Ron Weasley." The also shook hands.

"Hermione Granger." She looked flustered as he kissed her hand.

"Ginny Weasley." She laughed as he performed the same greeting for her.

"Alastor Moody." He clumped forward, "Most call me Mad-eye."

"Can't imagine why. Can I call you Al?" Moody scowled, and was surely going to tell him that under no circumstances was he to call him Al, when Tainn turned to Professor Lupin.

"And you must be Remus Lupin." He said, folding his arms, and looking at him with his eyebrow raised and a scowl. Remus looked back at him, matching his stance and expression.

"Tainn." Tala said warningly. And he glanced at her ferociously before letting out a howl of laughter.

"What'd you think I was going to do, bite him?" He unfolded his arms and leapt forward, catching the startled werewolf in a bear hug. "Pleased to meet you, Uncle Loopy!"

Ron was staring at the man as though he were a complete nutter, while Harry doubled over in laughter.

Remus looked over Tainn's shoulder. "Are they all like this?" he mouthed at Tala.

"You have no idea." She said resignedly. Tainn released Lupin with a last squeeze before turning to Tala and sweeping her into a hug and completely off of her feet. "Put me down, young man!" He obliged.

"I'll race on ahead and let them know you're here." He totted off a few steps, then looked back over his shoulder, breaking into a feral grin. Tala looked frightened.

"Tainn!" She desperately, "Don't you even think about it!"

"Tally..." He began, breaking into a run.

"Don't you dare! I can still tan your hide, you know!" She practically screeched.

"Hoooooo!" His voice faded into a wolf's howl as he changed and raced away.

"Oh, gods." She moaned, burying her head in her hands. She looked at Lupin. "Welcome to the family." She said with a weak attempt at a smile.

He grinned and swept her into a hug, just as her nephew had, but this time she didn't protest. "I think we'll be just fine." He assured her.



Please review. Encouragement is always welcome, as are suggestions and questions.