Altercations

By Neurotica

Twenty-Seven

Emmeline glanced nervously at the clock for the fifth time in a five minute period, wondering when Remus and Sirius would be arriving. Her brothers were in the sitting room with Naomi, drinking coffee and munching from a tray of cheese and crackers. Their wives and children had decided to go for a bit of shopping around London before dinner. Emmeline was more than happy to hear this; Michael's wife, Arnessa, usually got on her last nerve within the first five minutes of a visit and Emmeline was already very much on edge. She only hoped Michael didn't say anything stupid to Remus, but the chances of that happening were about slim to none...

The front door opened and the witch sighed in relief as she heard Remus call out for her. She met him in the hallway with a grateful kiss and flattened the creases in his robes as she told him and Sirius that her brothers were just in the other room.

Remus smiled gently and took her shaking hands in his own. "Don't worry," he said softly, rubbing her knuckles with his thumbs. "Sirius and I will be on our best behavior tonight, you have our word. Right, Padfoot?"

"Huh?" the other wizard said dumbly, examining the family photos on the hallway wall. "Yeah, sure, whatever you say, Moony."

"It's not you two I'm worried about," she muttered under her breath. "Come on, then, let's get this over with..."

She led Remus by the hand into the sitting room where Michael was telling Naomi, who looked bored to tears, about his career.

Michael Vance had short black hair, which Emmeline was sure had been charmed to keep the grey out. He was tall and muscular, and had a slight arrogance surrounding him as though he thought himself better than the others in the room. Emmeline loved him to death, and knew him to be very caring towards his loved ones, but more often than not, he came off as rude to others.

Thomas was almost the exact opposite. He was built more like Remus; taller than his brother, but thin—he was not to be underestimated, though. His slightly longer black hair hung over his eyes and a pair of gold wire-rimmed glasses. Just by looking at him, one could tell he spent the majority of his days hunched over books indoors—his complexion was pale, but not as though he was sick. He had a calm demeanor about him that many had taken for granted when he was younger, but after those trying to bully him spent a few days in the hospital wing, they never bothered him again.

Emmeline cleared her throat and Naomi looked very relieved that Michael was interrupted. "Michael, Thomas, I'd like you to meet my fiancé, Remus Lupin. Remus, my brothers, Michael and Thomas Vance."

The two brothers stood and shook Remus' hand. Thomas smiled and said Emmeline had told them many great things about him. Michael gave Remus a stiff hello, but his eyes had found Sirius, who'd gone over to kiss Naomi. Emmeline bit her lip as she watched her oldest brother try and figure out who Sirius was. It didn't take long...

"I know you," Michael said sharply.

Sirius looked away from where he was caressing Naomi's belly and raised an eyebrow at the other wizard. "Do you?" he asked coolly.

"You're Sirius Black," Michael spat. "I was there the day you were captured."

Sirius slowly stood, his hand being held tightly by Naomi. "Congratulations. Would you like a medal?" he said coldly.

Michael turned to Emmeline. "We don't see you for five years, and you're in the company of murderers, Emma? Honestly, what would Father say?"

Emmeline glared at him, but Remus spoke up first. "Sirius is not a murderer. He was framed for the charges he was arrested on, and given a full pardon," he said coldly.

"And as for what Father would say," Emmeline said, "he would be damn pleased that the real murderer was caught and punished."

"Michael," Thomas said quietly. "You don't even know him. Give him a chance. If Emma trusts him, who are we to do any differently? Thomas Vance, it's a pleasure to meet you, Sirius," he added to the Head Auror with a handshake.

"Pleasure's mine," Sirius muttered automatically, still glaring at Michael.

Emmeline smiled gratefully at Thomas and pushed Michael down into the sofa. "Well," she said through the thick tension, "Remus, Sirius, would you like coffee?"

"Yes, I think I'll help you," Remus said quickly at Emmeline's pleading look. "Excuse us, please."

In the kitchen, Emmeline leaned against the counter, looking ready to cry. Remus slowly approached and took her into his arms. "Thirty seconds was all it took for my brother to start in on Sirius," Emmeline mumbled into Remus' chest. "This was a bad idea... I knew it."

"It's okay," Remus said quietly, rubbing her back soothingly. Inwardly, he wanted to go back into the living room and punch Emmeline's brother's face in, but he reminded himself he was trying to make a good impression. My fist would make an excellent impression, he thought a bit maliciously. "Sirius can handle this. He's gone through it for years..."

"I'm sorry." She sniffed. "I should have told them earlier, but I was nervous about this as it was..."

Remus lifted her chin, wiped the few tears that dropped from her eyes, and kissed her softly. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure the rest of the night will go just fine."

Emmeline nodded slightly and sighed, wiping the rest of her tears from her cheeks. "We better get the coffee and get back in there before they decide to start a duel."

That night, Emmeline had prepared a large ham dinner with all the side dishes. As he ate, Remus was becoming more and more thankful that Emmeline's brothers and their families didn't live close to them. Not Thomas so much—Remus quite liked him and his wife Elizabeth. But upon meeting Arnessa Vance, the woman immediately looked down her pointed nose at his plain black robes—apparently she could smell that he wasn't nearly as rich as she and her husband. Emmeline's nieces and nephews had their own table in the kitchen while the adults gathered around a table in the dining room that had been enlarged so that the eight of them could sit comfortably.

Remus was very proud of Sirius' self control that evening. Though Michael continued to send suspicious glances at him through the night, Sirius kept his cool. But as Emmeline was serving dessert, Sirius found himself having a much harder time keeping himself from snapping.

"Ah, you made Mum's apple pie, Emma," Thomas said, delighted. "I haven't had this in ages."

"Yes, I thought you'd like that," Emmeline said, smiling as she passed a slice to Remus. "Our mother taught me to cook when I was in sixth year. Her cooking was really the only thing that kept her sane after our father passed away."

"How'd her father die?" Sirius muttered in Remus' ear, reaching for a plate.

Remus shook his head. "I don't know," he said under his breath. "She never told me..."

"So what do you do for a living, Remus?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm the Head of the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," Remus replied with a smile.

"Really?" Michael said, slightly surprised. Apparently he'd been under the impression that Remus was unemployed and living off his little sister. "I'd thought about going into Magical Creatures when I first joined the Ministry, but Rufus Scrimgeour—we've been friends for many years—he convinced me to join the DMLE." Sirius and Remus exchanged a glance. If Michael was friends with Scrimgeour, that was all the more reason to dislike him.

"Why did you want to go into Magical Creatures?" Naomi asked curiously, obviously trying to keep up friendly conversation. Nobody noticed Emmeline wince at the question.

"Well, after Father was murdered, I took it upon myself to catch the dirty beast that'd torn apart our family. Werewolf," he added as Sirius, Remus, and Naomi looked at him a bit confused.

Remus felt as though someone had reached into his chest, grabbed hold of his lungs, and was now squeezing them tightly. "A w-werewolf... killed your father?" he asked hoarsely, glancing at Emmeline who'd looked down into her lap.

"Yes," Michael said, also looking at his sister as though wondering why she hadn't told them the story. "When Emma here was only twelve, she, my father, our uncle, Thomas, and I went on our yearly camping trip before she and Thomas returned to Hogwarts. It was the full moon, but none of us thought anything of it. The monster came out of the woods as my father was putting out the fire for the night—he barely had a chance. My uncle and I heard the commotion, and stunned the monster, but my father was already gone."

Sirius looked from Remus to Emmeline with his jaw slightly open, his pie forgotten. "I'm very sorry to hear that," Remus said in forced calm. "I'm sure your father put up a very fair fight to protect his children."

"Michael has dedicated himself to hunting down and destroying as many of the filthy creatures as he can," Arnessa said, her American accent palpable, patting her husband's arm fondly.

Remus swallowed the large lump that had formed in his throat. "A very worthy cause," he said, his voice still very hoarse. "I think I'll go get some more coffee. Emmeline, would you care to help me?"

"Of course, dear," she said quietly, unable to look any of them in the eye as she and Remus made their way to the kitchen. They bypassed the kitchen, however; Remus pulled her gently by the arm back into the hall and up the stairs to her bedroom, without a single word. Once the door was closed, he spun around to find his beloved fiancée sitting on the bed.

"Why didn't you tell me this?" he asked quietly, unable to keep the hurt out of his voice.

She sighed shakily, tears forming in her eyes again. "I didn't think it was important."

Remus raised his eyebrows high. "You didn't think it was important to tell me that your father was murdered by a werewolf, and that your brother kills them for a living? I'm assuming he doesn't know what I am..."

"Look," Emmeline said, standing, "what happened to my father was horrible—I was there, I saw it happen. My brother thinks that by killing every werewolf he comes across, he's somehow avenging my father. I don't hold those kinds of grudges. I of all people should know that all werewolves aren't vicious killers—"

"Oh, so by marrying me you're proving a point?" Remus asked harshly, unable to stop himself.

"That's not what I said, Remus!" Emmeline yelled. "I don't care what you are! If I did, do you think I would have been living with you for the past year or sleeping with you? If I cared about what you are, do you think I'd be marrying you or discussing children with you? If I cared that you're a werewolf, do you think I'd be introducing you to my family? God, Remus! From day one, I knew what you were—I don't care!"

Remus stared at her after her outburst, inwardly very relieved that his condition didn't have any effect on her; it had been one of the fears he'd kept in the back of his mind since they'd started dating. "I still don't understand why you didn't tell me," he muttered.

She took a deep breath. "My father was murdered, plain and simple," she said, calming down a bit. "Why should it matter who killed him?"

"Well, I could have better prepared myself for this if you would have told me." He sighed. "I think you were right; this wasn't the best idea after all."

Emmeline bit her lip. "You are referring to the dinner and not the wedding, right?"

"Were you?"

"Yes."

"Then so was I."

They smiled.

"Well, let's see if we can get past dessert without any bloodshed, then I say we go back to Number Twelve and have a drink or two... or five," Emmeline said, slipping her arms around his back and kissing his chest.

"Why is it," Remus began with a grin as he wrapped his arms around her, "that everyone around me seems to be an alcoholic?"

"I, sir, am no alcoholic," Emmeline said, looking up at him. "But if I don't have a drink soon, I may kill my brother."

Remus chuckled and bent his head to kiss her deeply. "Sounds like an alcoholic to me," he muttered when they broke apart for air.

Emmeline slapped his shoulder, but before she could reply, Sirius was thundering up the stairs, calling their names. "What does he want?" she muttered with a slight whine.

Remus opened the door and looked down the hall where Sirius was opening a linen closet, looking for them. "Wrong room, Padfoot," he said.

Sirius spun around. "Where's Emmeline?"

"I've decided I could no longer put up with her. I've disposed of her body in the laundry hamper," Remus said flatly. "Ow," he added at Emmeline's slap. "She's right here, what do you need?"

"Snape's here," Sirius replied.

Remus blinked few times. "Severus Snape?"

"Do you know another Snape?" Sirius asked impatiently. "Yes, Severus Snape is here. He's asking for you, Remus."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Why me?"

"He's got your Wolfsbane Potion."

"But the full moon isn't for another three weeks!"

Sirius shrugged. "He said something about being out of the area. Dumbledore asked him to make it and bring it to you."

"He told you this?" Emmeline asked, her hands finding Remus' and holding them tightly.

"Well, actually, he told Naomi, but—"

"Did my brothers hear?"

Sirius nodded, raising an eyebrow at the question. "They were sitting right there, weren't they?"

Emmeline groaned. "I'm going to kill Severus."

"Can I help?" Sirius asked eagerly.

"Shut up, Padfoot," Remus muttered. "Well, it looks as though dessert just got shorter. We should go back down."

The trio took their time going back to the dining room and Remus told his best friend to keep a tight hold on his wand until he, Remus, was on the way back to Headquarters. Upon entering the dining room, Remus wondered if the night could get any worse. Mere coincidences and miscommunications had made the evening miserable.

Michael's face was furious as he and Snape turned to Remus, Emmeline, and Sirius. "Severus and I have been having a very interesting conversation, Emma," he said in what Remus assumed was supposed to be a threatening tone.

"Were you now?" Emmeline asked coldly, glaring daggers at Snape. The wizard looked quite pleased with himself as he examined his fingernails. "Thank you for your services, Severus, but your presence is no longer required."

Snape finally looked up and inclined his head politely at Emmeline, sending a very malicious glance at the Marauders. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Michael."

"You as well, Severus."

"Snape, get out before I curse you," Remus snapped.

Snape clicked his tongue, obviously trying not to smirk. "So violent, Lupin. One can only imagine how that temper of yours will affect a, ah, marriage."

"OUT!" Emmeline yelled.

Snape dropped a leather knapsack of Wolfsbane Potion flasks on to the table and went to the fireplace, returning to Hogwarts. Once the green flames disappeared, Michael looked back at Remus. "So it's true, then," he said nastily. "You're a... a werewolf?" he spat.

"Yes, it's true," Remus said calmly.

"And you," Michael said, turning on his sister. "You knew about this?"

Emmeline rolled her eyes. "Say what you want to say, Michael," she said in exasperation.

"How could you marry filth like this?"

"Remus is not filth," Emmeline said coldly. "He's an incredible man who treats me better than I've ever been treated. And nothing makes me prouder than knowing I'll soon be his wife."

Michael narrowed his eyes. "He's brainwashed you, hasn't he? Or have you been turned into a monster as well?"

"That's quite enough," Remus said firmly, holding out an arm to keep Sirius at bay. "Emmeline has never once been around me on the full moon—I would never allow it. And I would never do anything to harm her, physically or otherwise. Now, as I said, I'm terribly sorry about your father, but it was not I who attacked him. So you can either accept that or not. And if you choose the latter, you can leave this house, and if you come to our wedding, I will have you arrested for trespassing."

"I'll have you know, Lupin, that I have many contacts in your Ministry. With a snap of my fingers, I could have you disposed of."

"While I'm sure that's true, I, too, have many connections. For example, I happen to be very good friends with the head of the Auror squads." Sirius stood at his full height, at least a head taller than Michael. "And I'm sure he's got plenty of room for you in the Ministry holding cells for threatening a head of department of the Ministry of Magic."

The only visible effect Remus' threat had on Michael was that his complexion paled very slightly. "I will not allow you to marry this beast, Emma," he growled.

"The last I checked, Michael, I was an adult, and so I will do as I please. I want you out of my home right now. Take your stuck-up family with you. I don't want any of you at my wedding if this is how you're going to treat my new family. And the next time your wife looks at Naomi as though she's so much better, I'm going to give her that nose job Thomas and I have been threatening for years." Remus had to bite the sides of his cheeks to keep from laughing. "I know for a fact, Arnessa, that you were pregnant with Anastasia well before you married my brother."

A snort from the table told Remus that Thomas was also having trouble keeping his laughter silent.

"How dare you talk to my wife like that, you tramp," Michael sneered. He raised his hand, prepared to strike Emmeline, but Remus was quicker—Sirius always did tell him he would have made a great Seeker. It'd taken Michael a few seconds to realize he'd hit the floor, but when he did, he could clearly see Remus standing over him, his normally calm blue eyes blazing.

Sirius didn't bother to cover his laughter at Michael's completely shocked face. His wife rushed over to see if Michael was okay. "If you ever raise a hand to her again," Remus said to Michael, his tone deadly, "you'll see just what a werewolf can do when he's in a temper. Now, get out!"

Michael stood, feeling his tender, possibly broken jaw tentatively as his wife called for their children. "Thomas, are you coming?" he asked through gritted teeth, unable to move his mouth as he turned to his younger brother.

"Why?" the other asked with a raised eyebrow. "You're the one shouting out threats and trying to hit our baby sister. And I never heard Remus or Emmeline say I wasn't invited." He looked at the couple. "My family and I are still invited to the wedding, right?"

Remus nodded, gently rubbing his already-bruising knuckles. "Of course."

"Well, that's settled then," Thomas said brightly. "See you at home, Michael."

Michael scowled at the lot of them before ushering his family out of the house. Once the door was slammed shut, Remus groaned loudly, his face twisted in pain, as he collapsed in an armchair. "I think I broke three knuckles."

Sirius couldn't stop grinning. "Moony, that was brilliant."

"Glad you think so, Padfoot. Make yourself useful, get me some ice," Remus said flatly.

"You've no idea how long I've wanted to do that, Remus," Thomas said, also grinning. "I have to apologize for my brother's actions. He does not speak for me or my family."

"Thank you, Thomas," Remus said, trying to smile through the pain in his hand.

Elizabeth offered to heal Remus' hand and he accepted gratefully. Meanwhile, Emmeline and Thomas stepped into the hall to talk, and both Naomi and Sirius were still grinning widely. Remus thanked Elizabeth heartily as he flexed his now pain-free fingers. When Emmeline reentered the room, she had tears in her eyes, but managed to smile at Remus when he asked what was wrong. "Tell you later," she muttered, kneeling beside his armchair and kissing him. "Thank you for defending me," she said quietly.

"I wasn't just going to let him talk to you like that. Or hit you," he said as though she should have known how he was going to react to Michael's threats. "Anyway, I only did what Sirius has wanted to do all night."

She smiled and kissed him again. "Well, we should probably get this place cleaned up and let my brother and his family settle in. I'll get the dishes started—"

"No, Emmeline, I'll do the dishes," Elizabeth said firmly. "You four just go on back to wherever it is you're staying and relax. No arguments. Go. It's the least I can do after seeing what Remus did to Michael."

Emmeline turned to her fiancé and grinned. "That was pretty great..."

Remus sighed, a smile playing around his lips. "I'm never going to live this down..."