A/N – I'd like to thank Makurayami Ookami for giving me a vague idea for this chapter, and the chapter title! I hope you like it!
Can I Call You Dad?
Chapter 8
It isn't very wise to anger a mother bear; likewise, it is not very clever to anger a mother Werewolf, nor is it possibly the best choice to anger a Werewolf of the opposite sex. However, that was exactly what Mr. Crabbe Sr. and Mr. Goyle Sr. were doing at this very moment. They had sent a message to Lupin, asking for a meeting in a very seedy bar.
Lupin went; it was very close to the full moon (of which he was sure the two grown up goons hadn't noticed) and he was at the height of Werewolf power before he turned into the creature. So, dressed in tatty robes (He wasn't going to dress up for the morons) Remus Lupin met them at the bar.
Morgana's Corner was nestled in the slums of London, more specifically the Wizarding slums of London. There was sign, but the advertisements for entertainment (not meant for children) was the tell-tail sign that people looked for. Lupin did not waist time looking and shameful acts such as those, he walked straight in, caught Crabbe and Goyle in a glare that could have melted the socks off of Voldemort and stalked over to them.
"I don't give a damn what you wanted to talk to me about," Lupin said, he stood in front of the table, wand in hand, he wasn't stupid.
"Lupin…" Crabbe spluttered.
"No, no and no again; I'll tell you this once, if you and you Death Eater friends even think about touching me, Sirius or Harry I'll hunt you down and tear you apart!" Lupin growled.
"That wasn't what we…"
"Than what was it and make it quick!" Werewolves are not friendly around the full moon if they are pissed beyond their normal measure.
"We wanted to talk to you about joining our side," Goyle put in.
"Go back to whoever sent you and tell them to suck an egg, and you can tell them that I said so!" Lupin growled one last time before leaving the table, he stalked (yes stalked with a grace that let everyone know that he was pissed off) out of the bar and into Muggle London.
It wasn't enough that they got Pettigrew on their side; it wasn't enough that Pettigrew conned James, Lily and Sirius into switching Secret Keepers, it wasn't enough that Pettigrew betrayed their secret and it wasn't enough that Voldemort killed James and Lily and also tried to murder Harry as well.
It wasn't enough that Sirius got blamed for the incident, and it wasn't enough that he, Remus J. Lupin, had been alone for fourteen years after that! But now they had to try and make his life hell again, except this time was different! This time he had Harry to think about!
Once Lupin got to a safe Apparating point; he wasted no time and got to his home in a timely fashion; he had to finish the charms on the pendant before something happened. He had to put up more wards and he had to make sure that Harry was safe. Then he had to live through the full moon and then he had to get better in time for Harry to come home. At that point, he'd tell Harry about the meeting he had, and give the gift to Harry.
Sure, that plan had holes in it. But when did a plan not ever have holes in it? What about that time that James and Sirius got caught sneaking into the infirmary in order to visit him? Or when they transfigured all the heads of houses (including Dumbledore) into giant frogs! They had gotten three months detention for that one, and at least a hundred points deducted.
Remus sighed as he entered his house and went straight to his room where he had a pile of charms books open on his bed; there was nothing else he had to do and he needed to get this done, and soon!
"You failed?" Lucius asked, he was sipping a bit of red wine. He and his guests and his wife, Narcissa, sat in the gardens of their home. Draco was doing whatever it was he had wanted to do that afternoon, and Lucius was glad of it.
"The Half-blood wouldn't even let us get a word in edge wise," Crabbe muttered.
"He also told us to tell you that he said you should suck an egg for all he cared," Goyle said with a frown.
"And you didn't hex him because?"
"He's a Werewolf! He was very pissed too,"
"Understandable, it is very close to the full moon," Narcissa put in.
"Does that mean Potter is unprotected?" Goyle asked.
"Even if he was staying with Lupin over the full moon, which I highly doubt, there would be no way of finding their hide away," Narcissa said.
"Dear?"
"I'm surprised you didn't see it, Lucius, it's obvious that Lupin cast the fidelius," she replied with a smirk.
"I knew that," Lucius frowned at her.
"Either way, there is no finding them," Goyle said.
"We'll just have to get the general area then," Crabbe said with a shrug.
"Where is Potter now?" Lucius asked.
"He with those blood traitors, the Weasley's,"
"Oh? This is good," Lucius smirked.
"Sure, how many do you want to send in?"
"Five, you two, Knott, Fleming and the new Fletcher person, it'll be a mission he can do, if he isn't drunk,"
"Mundungus Fletcher? You want to send in that half twit?"
"Didn't I just say so?"
"All right, your funeral I guess," Crabbe said, and with that, the two left the gardens; they needed to plan this just right.
"Do you think they'll mess this up?"
"Of course not, if they know what's good for them," Lucius replied.
"I'll have some rooms ready for the boy, I shant have you beating the living day lights out of him," Narcissa stood.
"Why, honey, I thought you didn't like Potter,"
"I don't, James Potter was a prat, but my cousin did adopt Harry; which makes me his Aunt," Narcissa replied.
"Sweetheart…"
"It'll be nice to have more children," Narcissa had this weird smile on her face.
"Looks like my plans are down the drain,"
"Indeed, you aren't going to hurt the boy, unless he deserves it," Narcissa replied as she too walked out of the gardens.
Narcissa looked over the room – it was of light and dark pastel greens, with a wardrobe with many snakes etched into it, which matched the bed with its silver bed hangings and embroidered snakes. To one side of the bed was the desk with loads of dark arts books that would keep any young wizard occupied for hours on end; to the left side of the bed was a glass cage with one large King Cobra in residency.
Also to the left of the bedroom was the private bath, which was also done in greens and silver, there was also a shelving of books; which was filled with as many books as it could hold. Narcissa crossed to the wardrobe and peered in. There were robes of different colors (mostly black and green) with the Malfoy crest on it, shoes, shirts, pants, and all sorts of under clothes. She wanted to make sure that she had everything ready for Harry when he came for his 'visit'.
She sighed, she remembered visiting Lily one day when her husband was at work; Narcissa and Lily had both adored Harry and Lily wasn't afraid to ask Narcissa to be Godmother. In fact they had done the magical spell right then and there. Narcissa didn't have as much leeway in wizard law as Sirius did (he was Godfather after all) and so she hadn't been able to put in her two cents on where Harry went to live. It would have been nice for Draco and Harry to have grown up together; but Dumbledore had put a stop to that plan the night he put Harry on the doorstep of those bloody muggles!
"Mother?"
"Yes, dear?" Narcissa turned to Draco.
"Who's coming over?" he asked, he noticed that these rooms were VERY close to his own, in fact, he was only two doors down the hall.
"Your cousin is coming over," Narcissa said.
"I don't have a cousin," Draco reminded her.
"You do now; Sirius adopted Harry Potter and that makes me his Aunt, so…"
"Your kidding! Are you off your rocker? Mother!"
"Harry is just as much a pureblood as you or I," Narcissa snorted gently.
"When is he coming?"
"Sometime soon, if Crabbe and Goyle don't mess up our plans," Narcissa replied.
"What about that Werewolf?"
"He'll understand," Narcissa replied. Draco nodded and left the room.
Narcissa went back to her day dreaming.
It was dark; and it was the night of the full moon. Fletcher knew that Lupin would be changed by now, and he would be pissed off in the morning after he found out about Harry. Lupin was a very possessive and protective man; it was part of him just as much as the Werewolf was a part of him.
The Weasley house was dark, there were no lights shining anywhere and the small group of Death Eaters were well away from the protective charms on the house. At this moment Fleming was working on breaking the charms entirely so that they could apparate to the uppermost bedroom. The plan was to get in, get Potter and get out as fast as wizardly possible.
It took Fleming an hour to get the charms down, with a wave from him they all apparated, in no time at all, they found themselves in the bedroom where two boy's had slept just moments before.
Potter scrambled to get his glasses on; he had been startled awake and now that he saw five dark and cloaked figures in his room he also grabbed for his wand. Fletcher subdued the younger Weasley in the room. Ron kicked him in the shins and Fletcher yowled like a cat!
Potter was on his feet and yelled "REDUCTO!" which got Crabbe, however, before he could pull off another curse, Goyle had grabbed him and apparated away, the boy still struggling in his arms.
Fleming, Knott, and Crabbe also apparated; Fletcher left a note with Ronald Weasley with instructions to give it to Remus Lupin before he apparated safely away.
Ron turned to his Mother and Father as they slammed into the room.
"What happened here?" Molly asked.
"They took him! Once moment we're asleep and the next they took him!" Ron explained.
"I have to call Dumbledore," Arthur said and stomped down stairs to the floo.
The Weasley family had no peace that night, not that they could go back to sleep at all. They sat about the kitchen table with tea and biscuits, but they hardly ate or drank anything.
"I'm sorry, Arthur, but I have no idea why this happened," Albus shook his head.
"We have to find him, Albus! We have too, Remus will be so down trodden once he hears of this," Arthur said.
"Not to mention pissed," George said to his twin, who agreed.
"There will be no such language as that in my house, George Weasley!" Molly glared.
"Yes, Mum!" the twins said at the same time.
"Do not worry, we will find him," Albus said before he disconnected the floo.
"PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!" Harry Potter yelled as he once again kicked Goyle, hard. Goyle dropped the boy and Harry scrambled away, his wand in one hand. He made sure that he was in a corner as far away from Goyle as he could possibly get! It wasn't because he was scared; no it wasn't that, he just vaguely remembered that when you were affronted by some sort of enemy, it was best to have a wall to your back.
"Ah, Mr. Potter, how nice of you to join us," a man with long blond hair said as he walked into what looked to be a living room of sorts.
"Mr. Malfoy, what do you want?" Harry asked, his wand never not pointing at the blond man.
"Why, don't you remember me from when you were a baby?" Lucius asked.
"Er – I only remember you from second year," Harry replied.
"What about my wife?"
"Who'd marry you?" Harry replied with as much Gryffindor bravery as he could get.
"Well, me, but I didn't expect you to remember, dear," Narcissa entered the room then. Harry looked at her like she had grown another head.
"What do you mean?"
"As Sirius Black has decided to become your father; I am your Aunt" Narcissa glared.
"Why'd you kidnap me?" Harry asked. Narcissa walked over to him; Harry kept his wand on her the entire time.
"You don't know your place; James Potter was a pureblood, who didn't take kindly to other purebloods because of what we believe, Lily didn't know any better," Narcissa snorted.
"Er – and you care because?" Harry raised an eyebrow at her in a very Lupin-like way.
"Because, as your Aunt, I have certain obligations; I know it would have been polite to ask, but we couldn't wait," Narcissa said, she wrapped one arm around Harry's shoulders and steered him towards the doorway that led to the front hall. Harry planted his feet and refused to go any further.
"I don't mean to be rude; but where do you want to take me?" Harry asked.
"Harry, don't be difficult; Narcissa is just taking you to the rooms she has prepared for you," Lucius explained patiently.
"I want to go home!"
"This will be your home," Narcissa replied as if she were talking to a small child.
"No it isn't! my home is with Remus and Sirius! Why do you not understand?" Harry asked, something welling his chest, making things rattle about.
"He is strong…" Lucius trailed off. Narcissa stood in front of Harry, her hands on his shoulders; shaking him a bit.
"Calm down!"
"Just let me go home!"
"Being angry over this won't help! I've sent a letter to Lupin, he'll understand," Narcissa explained. Harry took deep breaths and the nick-knacks stopped rattling. Some of those things were very, very rare and very breakable.
Lucius didn't miss this opportunity; with a wave of his wand he set a gentle sleeping spell on Harry; who went slack in Narcissa's arms.
"Well, that was interesting," Lucius said as Narcissa effortlessly picked the boy up.
"He's so small," she wondered out loud.
"That can be fixed, at least he wasn't living with those detestable muggles," Lucius replied.
"Yes, that has to be the reason behind it, Lupin would insist that he eat,"
"Indeed," Lucius agreed. Narcissa left her husband in their parlor and set out for the foyer stairs that led to the living wing of the Malfoy family manor. The door was left open and a house elf stood at her beck and call.
"Just turn down the bed tonight, he is in no condition to be awake at the moment," Narcissa said. The house elf did as she was told and then help Narcissa to tuck the boy in. The house elf took the boy's glasses and his wand from Narcissa, and set them on the desk.
Before leaving, Narcissa gently kissedthe boysforehead, she was a very motherly type of person (but firm in what she believed). Then she cast a binding spell on Harry and the Bed. The sheets and duvet pulled themselves tighter about the boy. Thelights were turned off and Narcissa left, closing the door behind her.
A/N – I changed some stuff here – first off, Narcissa is not Harry's Godmother anymore. It was a bit far fetched. Secondly; Aunt works better here than anything else, so I hope that's plausible to everyone here.
Ta,
Poppy
