Disclaimer: I own little to nothing of what it is named/referred to and am making even less from it.
Chapter 12.
Remus Lupin took an exit off the wizarding thoroughfare before he would normally have left the main road, all the while mindful of the man following him and perhaps more importantly, the child he held in his arms. It was odd, he had never deluded himself that Severus job was either easy or safe, just as he had never really been convinced that he didn't enjoy it. However, both the Potions master letter and the one he had received earlier that morning from Albus Dumbledore had caught him somewhat unawares.
Perhaps it was due to the age-old syndrome by which those you respected in your child hood become invulnerable in your eyes, or maybe it was just because he had let his guard slip knowing that Severus had been away from the front line so to speak. In any case, he was struggling to reconcile what he had seen of this terrified youngster with this fearless down-to-earth head of house he had met as a petrified first-year.
As the noise of the crowds behind them dwindled away he became aware that Severus was talking quietly, a soft stream of reassuring words that from what he understood of the situation 'Minerva' would not understand. The gentle baritone was comforting in and of it's self though, or at least Remus would have said so, even if he was perhaps not the most impartial judge in this case.
The journey to his home, and Severus's over the last few summer holidays, was at best ten minutes from Diagon Alley and today they were certainly not hanging about. When they arrived at the front of their building, Remus pushed open the glass doors and held them so that his companion could enter. From then he followed Severus up the stairs and when they reached the door on the first floor, paused so that the wards could recognise the Slytherin and let them enter without challenge.
As Severus walked through into the sitting room and settled in 'his' chair Remus headed into the kitchen and not certain what else to do, put the kettle on. He stood in the door that led into the main room of their compact, but stylish, flat and leaning against the jamb he simply watched the way his partner interacted with his new charge. Though he kept talking softly, the werewolf could see him gently trying to get her to loosen her iron grip on the front of his robes but it was fairly obvious she was not having it.
Quietly Remus walked across the room and switched on the hifi and turned the volume down low. He knew for a fact, which CD was in the player having been listening to it before he had left earlier. This particular album was a favourite and had been a gift several years ago from a former professor. Severus looked over at him and twitched the corner of his mouth upwards in recognition of the moment of inspiration as the soft fiddle ballad began. Returning to the kitchen, which, at Severus insistence, was stunningly well equipped, he poured water into the café tier before setting out to find a glass and filling it with milk for their visitor.
By the time he arrived back, tray in hand, it seemed that there had certainly been some improvement. Though she still held onto the heavy black fabric, Remus could now see more of her than just a mop of raven curls. Setting the tray down on the coffee table, he couldn't help but note that despite some fairly obvious differences the girl sitting on Severus lap did look remarkably like the Minerva McGonagall they knew. The alabaster skin (now dusted with freckles) the dark blue eyes seeming almost too big for her face and certainly appeared too wise for her years.
He also couldn't help but notice the similarities between the two of them, the black hair, pale complexion and dark clothes making him realise that it wouldn't take a huge leap to for a stranger to assume that they were father and daughter. Once he had poured and handed Severus a mug, he sat down on the sofa and the two of them began conversing in quiet tones. It seemed that their amateurish attempts at reassured the girl were being somewhat successful as a while later Minerva edged off Severus knee and slowly made her way across to the table. Glancing between to the two men, neither of who moved at all, she picked up the glass of milk that Remus had left earlier. The werewolf found the steady look he received over the top of the glass entirely endearing.
"She's certainly gorgeous." He said quietly, still mindful that they didn't want to unsettle her any more for the time being.
"Should I be worried?" Severus asked as he helped her back onto his knee. "Are you trying to steal Moony away from me little lady?" He asked with a light voice and a teasing smile, for the first time since he had met this child he saw her smile. Then she began to giggle as long adept fingers began to tickle her. He could barely believe this was the man he knew so well.
He was more than aware that there was far more to Severus than even he knew but this natural paternal behaviour was so startling that he wasn't certain this was his lover at all. The note he had received the previous night had been some what more in character, short, terse and emphasising the disrupture all this was causing to his schedule with no sign of the affection that was quite clearly growing between them. However, he supposed that the incident this morning might have done the trick in making the other man a little more open with his feelings.
A shriek brought Remus back to the present though and for fear that the Slytherin was on the verge of making the girl ill she was laughing so hard, he decided to intervene. Crossing the space between them quickly he plucked her out of her tormentors grasp. Had he thought about it for any length of time before hand, he might have decided that this was not necessarily a particularly good idea, luckily though Minerva didn't seem to object over much. She clamped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, burying her face in his shoulder where he could feel her giggling against him.
"Spoil sport." Severus said flatly, getting up and pouring himself more coffee. Remus retreated back to the sofa, twisting the child round so that she sat across his legs and said 'thanks' when Severus appeared with a fresh cup for him as well. After she had settled dawn a little, Minerva shuffled around on his lap until she was able to look at him. It was an odd feeling, these deep blue eyes studying him intently, what she was looking for he wasn't entirely sure but whatever the test he seemed to pass as a moment later she smiled again and spoke up.
"Is mise Minerva Anna McGonagall. Dè an t-aimn a th'oirbh?"
"Hello Minerva." He said returning a smile.
"Seo Moony." Severus said perching on the arm of the settee and gesturing towards Remus. He made a face but then supposed that the nickname was as good as any.
A half hour later, it would be impossible for anyone who walked in to realise what kind of rather bizarre morning the three individuals had had. Minerva was sitting cross-legged in front of the coffee table busily putting a place mat back together that had been cut into an impromptu jigsaw. Remus at first had cut it into eight fairly large segments but she had completed that in a mater of seconds so since then they had been gradually increasing the number of pieces. Now it was resting at about 64 he thought and although she had yet to fit them all back together she was making progress and seemed quite happy to keep trying while the two men sat on the sofa and discussed the events of the last few days.
They had never been a 'cuddly' couple per-se but they were sitting close and as Severus told him about the meeting with Draco and his mother, Remus slid a little lower and rested his head against his shoulder.
"Poor kid." Was all Remus could say when he was done.
"Mmmm. He certainly hasn't had it easy." Was the only response he received as they slipped into a comfortable silence.
"We should probably get going. It seems we have quite a bit of shopping to do." Severus said a few minutes later beginning to stir next to him.
"I was thinking," he began sitting upright again, "you could leave her here if you like – I'll keep an eye on her while you go into town and get what you need."
"Unfortunately that would lead to one or two problems in that I have never actually been required to buy children's clothes before. In any case, I think we might be better getting this over with or at least trying to. After all if she's going to be staying in a castle with 400 rampant teenagers she's going to have to get used to it." He smiled at this. It was, he supposed quite true and certainly a very Severus view on the problem.
"Fair enough." He conceded. "Mind if I join you?"
"Course not." Came the reply along with a peck on the cheek before the Slytherin picked up the tray and headed back for the kitchen. "We'll need someone to carry the bags in any case." Remus rolled his eyes at this but turning round to look at their charge, discovered that Minerva was watching them both with an almost comical interest.
A/N: Well I hope you enjoyed this short but sweet instalment - I personally like this chapter but then again I like quite a lot of this fic grin
Let me know what you think either way though
Thanks
xLx
