PART 2

"Ah," said Lupin with a soft smile "I was wondering how long it would take you."

"Basically Mr Potter," began McGonagall, shifting her seat to turn and face sideways so she could see where he was sitting behind Snape, "I had a discussion with the Headmaster…" The potions master snorted at this and Harry wasn't quite sure what to make of that. She scowled at him but continued on anyway. "Well – we had a discussion and it was decided that perhaps it wouldn't be best for anyone if you were to stay with your relatives again this summer."

"Not that I'm not grateful but – well where am I going instead then?"

"We're going to take you back up to the school," Lupin said. "I'm going to be staying there this summer and officially I'll be looking after you so to speak."

"Right. But why send me away on the Express if…"

"Believe it or not Mr Potter, we didn't actually want to publicise your holiday plans," Snape said, all the while manoeuvring around a teaming roundabout.

"So what's going to happen is that we're going to drive back up to the castle in the muggle fashion. No magic whatsoever," Lupin continued.

"Ok – but why is it going to take three of you? And why you three? And how come you managed to change into a black cat Professor?" he asked, finally turning to look at the Transfigurations mistress.

"Ah, well to start in reverse order, it's all down to hair dye. I haven't been this dark in two decades," she said, gesturing to her solid black hair, and suddenly Harry realised what had been different about her. "We wanted to make sure no-one knew about our plans so we gave you as little information as we could, as late in the day as we could. It would hardly take a genius to realise that my usual tabby self would be easily identified by the students and anyone else watching." He understood what she meant; when there were students returning home there were parents and not all of them were to be trusted.

"The reason we got given the job was that we're the only members of the Order who were available and have muggle driving licences."

"As for why this is going to take three of us is primarily due to the fact that we're going to be driving continually for days thanks to that bloody bam pot," Snape supplied.

"Days!" Harry couldn't help but exclaim.

"Severus would you just concentrate on the road please?" McGonagall asked tersely.

"Why – don't you trust me Minerva?"

"I would trust you with my life, just not to avoid getting arrested before we leave the Greater London area. It was deemed that we ought to take a somewhat circuitous route on the return journey," she continued.

"Thank you Alastor!" Snape added, rolling his eyes.

"Well in any case, it's about a 16 hour drive straight to the castle at the best of times but it's the start of the muggle holidays and, well, we're visiting Cornwall, Wales and Newcastle and some other places on the way," Lupin said.

"Could be worse, it could be winter and then the chances are that half the roads we need would be closed."

"The joys of rural Scotland," Snape deadpanned, before hitting his horn as someone cut him up. "Idiotic muggle!" This time it was McGonagall's turn to roll her eyes.

Harry's mind was whirling with everything he had just learned. Staring out of his window at the other vehicles surrounding them as they made their way through the city he found it hard to actually accept what was happening. For so long the muggle and magic parts of his life had been separate but it seemed that yet again the edges were blurring; seeing his professors in this tableaux was a tad disturbing. They sat in silence for a while and he was just beginning to feel distinctly intimidated at the prospect of spending an extended period of time in an enclosed space with these people when Lupin broke the silence.

"Severus, do you actually know where you're going?" The question was gentle but the response was as hard as ever.

"Of course I do – that's why I'm driving."

"It's just that you're heading towards the centre of the city…"

"Well I was going to turn right but it was a flaming one way street." It was clear that this frustrated the man greatly.

"It is a bit of a maze around here – I'd take the first left at the next round about."

"If I need your advice Lupin – I'll ask for it." The potions master took the first right.

Ten minutes later Harry recognised the same round-about and this time he took the recommended turning. Harry would almost swear that McGonagall was hiding a smile with her delicate hand. Lupin leaned across the centre seat and spoke just loud enough for Harry to hear when he leant in.

"In the cause of peace and quiet I shall refrain from commenting on that." Harry smiled and noticed that McGonagall, in order, he presumed, to distract the man who was scowling at them in the rear-view mirror, turned on the radio. He wasn't hugely surprised when she tuned into a classical station and didn't even mind an awful lot. Besides, the debate that this sparked in the front as to whether the current piece was Chopin or Shosticovitch was worth it. It was strange; if he hadn't been able to hear them he would have sworn that they were discussing quidditch or house points. He said as much to Lupin, and this in turn seemed to spark the first genuine conversation of the trip.

"Did you hear about the Magpies Harry?" Lupin asked. Harry shook his head; his interest in all things Quidditch had all but disappeared this year when he had been banned from playing himself. "It's been rumoured that some foreign fan has bought the team and is throwing gold into getting them some decent players."

"Some decent players isn't going to cover it," McGonagall pointed out somewhat sceptically.

"But it is start," he pointed out.

"True enough" she conceded. "Oh – Remus I meant to say – Rolanda turned down the English coaching spot again."

"Professor Hooch turned down a chance to work with the national team?" Harry asked, shocked that anyone would do that in favour of teaching kids with no aptitude to fly in a straight line.

"She just knows that a certain Scot would throttle her if she accepted," Lupin suggested with an impish grin.

"That is such a lie Remus Lupin – and well you know it. It's not as if I stopped talking to her when she played for them."

"No but you did sit in the opposition's half every time you went to go see her play though."

"The important part is that I went to go see her," McGonagall protested.

"It was Schuman!" There was a momentary silence at this unexpected out burst from Snape. "The concerto – it was by Schuman," he tried to explain. "Anyway," he continued obviously trying to change the subject. "I have a bone to pick with you Minerva about a certain trophy. I was under the impression that you were responsible for having it engraved with the latest date and house before you passed it on."

"That would be a valid complaint Severus were it not for the fact that you broke into my study to claim it before I returned to the school." This silenced his objections for the time being.

By the time they were out of London it was past 8 and getting dark.

"I don't know about anybody else," McGonagall began, "but I'm ready for dinner – what do you say gentlemen?"

"Yes!" And "Me too!" Rang simultaneously from the back seat.

"Anyone would think we never fed you Mr Potter." She replied, her voice softened with mirth. "What about you Severus? What do you fancy?"

"Food," he replied sarcastically. "There is however, as far as I'm aware, a plethora of eating establishments in Brighton and as we're almost there."

"You've been there before?" asked Lupin. "I wouldn't have thought it very you."

"I'd thank you not to make assumptions about me Lupin but as a matter of fact there's a rather good apothecary there."

"Really?" asked McGonagall. "I shall have to remember that."

"I wouldn't bother – the only thing that they stock of any great quality is Wolfsbane stalks," came the tart reply. Again they slipped into silence. It dawned on Harry that the only reason that the potions master would need those stalks was to make the wolfsbane potion for Lupin himself.

If Harry had thought that they made an odd group sitting in the car, it was nothing as to how peculiar it felt wandering along the promenade on Brighton's sea front eating fish and chips with their fingers straight from the paper. This was also a first for him – he'd never actually had a fish supper before and was enjoying it all the more for the novelty value. He had half expected Snape to storm off as soon as they had parked but instead he had seemed relatively content to eat and walk with the group.

"Mmm. That was good, but there is not a chance in the world that I'm going to finish this lot. Anybody care for more?" his Head of House conceded. Harry glanced at Remus.

"Share?" the other man asked.

"Sure. Thanks Professor," he added taking the papers from her.

"That sounds a little odd given the situation so why don't we stick with Minerva for now Mr Potter."

"Harry then," he pointed out.

"Right – Harry," she said with a smile.

After they had visited a somewhat dubious public restroom they returned to the car. McGonagall, or Minerva rather, took the driver's seat and then avoided what could have been a conflict by telling Remus to sit down in the front. Harry had no problem sitting in the back, but sitting in the back with the potions master was another matter entirely though. As they pulled out of the car park and onto the busy main road the Slytherin spoke up.

"Shouldn't you have your glasses on Minerva?" The question sounded more like an insult the way he put it.

"Actually I only need them for up close work and you seem to have forgotten the fact that my night vision is significantly better than yours." That ended that conversation, and Remus turned on the radio and retuned it to what Harry suspected was BBC Radio 4. By the time the 11 o'clock bulletin began, he was drifting into sleep, the only other sound disrupting the silence the soft sound of breathing from the man sitting in front of him.

A/N: hope this helps with some of your queries

thanks again to Rachel

keep reviewing!

Linds

xxx