Chapter Ten
(Present Day)
Once Remus had fully awoken, it took him a moment to remember where he was. The room was cold, but then again it was October so what was he to expect? Glancing around though, his heart dropped when Kit was no where in site. In no time he was up and scrambling around, he couldn't have lost her again…he just couldn't! "Kit?!" He called out, and there was a moment with no answer. In that moment he was pretty sure he was going to have a stroke.
And then, finally, "In here" was said very lightly, in reply to him. He shook his head and laughed slightly to himself. The shower! How could he have been so daft? He poked his head into the bathroom, being hit with an entourage of steam that felt good against his cold skin.
"Are you okay Kitten?" He asked, for once wishing for x-ray vision so he could see through the curtain that hid his love.
"Yep, just thought to grab a quick shower." Her head peaked out the side of the curtain, hair full of shampoo that smelled like cinnamon and one of her blue hues closed to avoid having the soapy foam sting her eye. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah…just when I woke up and you weren't there…"
"I'm not going anywhere…" She said, pausing for a moment to pull her head back into the shower. "At least not right now…kind of naked and stuff."
"Well…you could still…"
"Pervert." She shot back, and he grinned to himself before shutting the bathroom door.
He really felt like his younger self, before the deaths, before all the heartache in pain. He felt complete.
It really was a good feeling.
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After the showers were all done and taken care of, they headed down to grab a quick breakfast which for them consisted of toast with orange marmalade along with hot cocoa that was steaming and warmed them both up inside and out. With a glance over Kit's supply list, it was going to be an easy day. Potions equipment was still needed, and then so were her new school robes and other attire. It wouldn't even take all morning.
They walked hand in hand down Diagon alley, with not a care in the world. To wrapped up in one another to care that they were getting rather odd looks. Potions equipment was bought without a hustle, and robes were easily fitted and bought within an hour.
It was nearing eleven o'clock in the morning when they walked back towards the Leaky cauldron with frowns on their faces.
"In a few minutes we'll have to start pretending…" Kit started, but was interrupted by Remus who handed her a sheet of paper. It simply had the word Lunar on it. "What's this?"
"It's the password to my quarters, my room is right next to my classroom." Remus explained, watching how Kit grinned, and easily pulled him into a hug. "Just make sure that you take the secret passage ways, and you should be fine…you remember where they are don't you?"
Kit rolled her eyes at that and put her hands on her hips. "Just because you're old and senile doesn't mean that I don't remember where passageways are. Besides I went in them the other night with James to get food for that picnic…" She trailed off, a sad look returning to both her face and his. He kissed her forehead slightly as they came into the alley behind the leaky cauldron.
"As long as we remember them…they aren't truly dead."
"Wise words." She told him, with a small sigh escaping her lips.
"I've grown into a wise man."
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They had used the floo network to get back to Dumbledore's office, where he currently was sitting humming to himself while signing papers. He looked up at them with a grin on his face, "I trust things went well today?"
Both Remus and Kit nodded, Kit turning a slight shade of red (after all, it was her fault that they had to stay another night). Dumbledore picked up on her embarrassment right away, "Not to worry my dear girl, something like that was bound to happen sooner or later. You're still adjusting to our timeline. Which leads us to a few things we must talk about before having you escorted to your dormitories." Dumbledore waved his hand towards the two well overstuffed chairs in front of his desk. Setting down Kit's stuff, both Remus and Kit walked towards the chairs and took a seat.
"As you know, things don't stay secret in this school for very long. People will know you are from the past the moment the word is out, and students will no doubt, be asking you questions about back then. It is, quite obvious your decision as to if you will simply be a new student, or a…blast from the past, so to speak."
Kit's nose twitched for a moment and her head would cant to the side, for a moment her eyes would stray over to Remus before she found her gaze drawn back to the Headmaster.
"Well, I…I've been told by both of you how much…Ha--Harry looks like James. There is no doubt that w-when I see him, I'll…well…" Kit stuttered to explain, never in her life doing well around authority figures.
"Perfectly understandable" Dumbledore said with a nod, obviously pleased by her answer. Fawkes chirped in the background, and Dumbledore continued. "Now there is the, fact that Lucius Malfoy saw you yesterday."
At that, Kit glanced over to Remus in question who simply stated "I thought it would be best if I told Dumbledore about that in the letter, just in case anything happened because of yesterdays…situation."
"It obviously won't be safe for you to walk around without someone with you, people would obviously want to question how you are still a fourteen year old girl and yet you were born in 1963...and some people might question you rather roughly and we don't want that to happen…"
Much of the afternoon was spent like that, sitting there in Dumbledore's office and deciding how things were going to work out. She received her daily schedule, and was relieved to find it nearly the exact same as her schedule back in 1976, with only a few minor changes of the instructors who taught the classes. A brow had arched and she grinned slightly upon seeing Hagrid's name next to Care of Magical Creatures. It was about time that Hagrid was able to teach that class, every time Kit and Remus ventured down to his hut he was talking about some new animal or how to take care of a flying cat or something of the sort.
After receiving her Schedule, there was a slight rapping at the door to Dumbledore's office, and in stepped Professor McGonagall, who would be taking her up to the Gryffindor dormitories and introducing her to everyone (Namely Harry, so that Kit doesn't freak out in public about seeing her nephew). After a few moments of silence, Kit and Remus shared a quick embrace. A simple hug, nothing to big, and nothing to small. Kit whispering in his ear that she would see him later if at all possible.
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Upon entering the Gryffindor common room, Kit was greatly happy to see that it hadn't changed a bit. "Looks exactly the same." She told Professor McGonagall, who simply smiled and asked a rather bushy haired girl who was sitting on the sofa with a book in her lap where Harry was. Kit's stomach was doing back flips as she stood there being looked at like some circus freak by a few of the students who happened to be gathered into the room at that moment.
"Everyone, I would like to introduce you to a new student…" a few murmurs were heard at that, and Kit wondered if it had been such a good idea to allow them to know that she was from the past. A moment or two after Professor McGonagall had spoken, the bushy haired girl came back into the common room from the boys dormitories, with two boys in tow. The first one was rather tall, and had bright red hair. The second one, made it feel as if she had just been punched in the stomach.
It was James…it really was, from the messy hair and glasses, too his slightly skinny body. The trio stopped in front of her and Professor McGonagall, and upon closer inspection Kit bit her tongue to avoid saying anything at the moment as she seen Harry's eyes…a bright and marvelous green…just like Lily's.
"You wanted to see me Professor?" Kit shut her eyes, she could feel the tears as she heard his voice. It wasn't as deep as James, but then again Harry was only thirteen…only one year younger then herself (technically anyway).
"I wanted to personally introduce you to our new student." Professor McGonagall said, putting her arm around Kit's shoulders and gently pushing her forward. "I'd like you to meet…your Aunt."
Oh, you'd think that Professor McGonagall could be just a tad more loud as she said that? The whole room exploded in noise, and she had to hush them up. Apparently, she wanted to do this in front of everyone so that later no one would have to ask Kit to confirm this story. Harry looked rather…shocked to say the least (Actually he looked like James when he had been told by Lily that she wouldn't touch him for a week if he didn't stop teasing Severus).
The bushy haired girl was the first to speak, "Are you sure professor…she seems a little…young."
Kit could imagine that McGonagall had rolled her eyes at that comment, Kit tried her best to smile and avoid tears at all cost…he looked so much like James…
"I'm aware that she is young, due to a rather odd circumstance, she has been tossed into the future. She was adopted by Harry's fathers, parents and well is obviously now technically his Aunt. She is from the past, and I do expect you all to have questions, but please refrain from crowding the dear girl…"
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Harry and Kit honestly had no idea what to do, after professor McGonagall left they just stood their looking at each other. It was the bushy haired girl that had taken charge of the situation, taking them both up to the boys dormitories so that they could be alone and talk. She would stand guard with the redheaded boy until they were finally done talking.
So now they sat on what obviously was his bed, neither really saying anything. Kit was trying hard not to cry, biting her inner check, hands playing in her lap. Harry meanwhile was just watching her, she was his Aunt apparently, and knew all about his father and mother. He wasn't sure how to take it.
Kit finally, spoke up as she looked down at her feet. "This sure is awkward." That one statement caused an uneasy laugh from Harry that just pained her heart…she would never see James again…James never got to see how much Harry ended up looking like him. James would be so proud…God, why didn't Remus warn her it would be so hard? She blinked back tears, but they still came anyway. "You look a lot like him."
Harry just nodded numbly, "I've been told that. So…you're my Aunt."
Kit glanced up at him for a moment and then back towards the ground. "Yeah…Professor Dumbledore asked if I wanted to keep the fact that I was from the past a secret…but I'd been warned that you look so much like James…I wouldn't have been able to keep it a secret long…"
"So you knew my dad pretty well then?" Harry asked, causing Kit to give a small chuckle and nod.
"Yeah, my third year of school I was adopted into his family…and he treated me just like a real brother would, he made fun of me and threatened my boyfriend." She smiled at the memory of it and wiped her eyes. James had known she was hiding something, and when he found out he wasted no time in helping her out as much as possible. He became her brother and his parents became her parents, their family was so accepting…"I'm sorry for the tears, it's just…the other day I had been on a picnic date with my boyfriend, James and Lily…and now…"
"I understand…" Harry said, and Kit was pretty sure he didn't understand. No one, not even Remus could even begin to understand the pain of waking up to find your whole world…gone.
"I'll try to be a good Aunt though…or a friend at least."
"It will be good to finally have some family that can stand my presence…" Harry said, causing Kit to blink slightly and look at him in question, "I live with my Aunt Petunia…my mum's sister…"
Oh yes, Kit gave a small chuckle and shook her head slightly with a sigh sniffling and trying to get rid of the last of the tears. She was sitting next to James son…so unbelievable. "Lily was always complaining about Petunia…did she ever marry that whale of a man Vernon? Lily talked about how much she hated him every time she would come back from holiday."
"Unfortunately yes, Uncle Vernon isn't the nicest man in the world…"
They spent the rest of the afternoon talking, until Harry's friends came to fetch them for Dinner. Kit was still feeling rather awkward, walking side by side her own Nephew…and she could feel the gazes of her new classmates on her. It would obviously be question answer time later in the day…
But at least things were looking up…for a little while at least…
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AN: In my opinion, there are too many stories out there where someone from the future (or past) goes into a different time line and has to pretend they are someone they aren't. I figured it was about time that someone just told everyone who they were right away. After all, wouldn't you freak out if you seen the spitting image of your brother in the future? Kit knew she would, thus why she simply agreed to tell everyone she was from the past.
Not as much fluff in this chapter as I would have liked (Yay for fluff) and a lot of depressing chapters are actually coming up, hopefully you're all still enjoying this lil' bit of fan fiction.