A/N: Thank you~ And if you had some questions in your reviews, I answered at the bottom. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Gundam Wing.


Chapter 4

Games


AC 196 July 12

North Yorkshire was under a near constant blanket of clouds, thick enough that the slivers of sunshine that slipped through could hurt if looked at directly. It was a mild day, all things considered – perfect for the outing listed on the itinerary that had been provided to Duo over a week ago. Flamingo Land Theme Park was bustling with people, small children darting here and there under their parent's watchful eyes. The light tones of the park's theme music blared from intermittent speakers, thankfully not loud enough to be distracting, nearly drowned out by the stray toddler crying or laughing.

Duo thought this particular theme park was a bit out of his age group but pointing that out to the man seated across from him seemed like a bad idea. Remus Lupin looked like he was kept together through sheer willpower; a thin man marred with scars and keen amber eyes underlined with stress and fatigue. If it wasn't for the fact that Lupin moved about with a purposeful stride, Duo would feel bad about all this physical activity.

War does fuck you up, Duo allowed to himself, stacking two slices of greasy, cheesy goodness together that masqueraded as his lunch at Dave's Pizzeria, before biting down at the edge with vicious glee. It was nowhere close to what he'd been swallowing while hopping about the continental U.S., but it was a whole lot better than whatever the sadistic cook working for the Sweepers had attempted to convince him was pizza.

Lupin was working on his own slice, and Duo was privately relieved the man hadn't tried using a fork and knife like he'd seen some of the other patrons doing. Granted, he was eating with far more poise than Duo, but Duo didn't really feel bad about it; pizza should be eaten with your hands. It was practically sacrilegious to use cutlery. One day Duo would be able to impress that point upon Quatre and Wufei, once he-

"So does this place actually have flamingos?" Duo asked, forcefully derailing his own thought process. He was getting a lot better at that these days. "Or is that just a mascot?"

"They should be in the Zoo area," Lupin answered, setting his slice back down on his plate. He hurriedly wiped his greased-up fingers on a napkin before reaching into his pockets, pulling out the park map. He opened it, eyes scanning it hastily. "Yes, there's a pen for them in the Zoo section. Did you want to see them after we finish here?"

Lupin was a fidgety kind of guy. Well, not fidgety, Duo amended to himself. More like…under constant stress? Lupin was always scanning the crowd like he feared someone was gunning for them, and while that was a constant for Duo, he didn't really think a civilian should have that kind of paranoia streak.

Duo had done a little digging on his FRA-found sire. Remus Lupin's records were spotty, a string of part-time employments that either ended with a resignation or a firing. Medical records presented a man known to come in with minor injuries; most tended to believe it was bar fights but Lupin's blood-alcohol tests never showed any indication of intoxication. Drug tests showed no positive results either, which painted an odd picture for the older man. Was Remus Lupin just one seriously unlucky guy getting caught up in fights and a string of poor jobs?

There were no records of Lupin serving in any military occupations either. There was a chance he was part of some homegrown resistance group, which would have explained some of his quirks – but getting into constant pub brawls would also explain Lupin's twitchy nature.

Lupin's reactions to Duo were also strange, but then again – Duo didn't really know what a normal response would be to their situation. When Duo had found out he had a living relative, a father no less, hysteria had taken him over; laughter had bubbled out of his throat, the same kind that had come before when he'd been mowing down enemy combatants while piloting Deathscythe.

Duo didn't need Quatre to tell him that was a poor coping mechanism. Duo already knew that, and Quatre ate his fucking pizza with a knife and fork, so fuck him-

"Sounds good," Duo agreed, finishing off the last bite of his pizza with a harsh grind of teeth. He wrapped greasy fingers around his can of Coke, bringing it up for a quick swig. "Never seen 'em in real time before."

Lupin's eyes bored into him. The man tended to hang on Duo's every word, which was honestly a bit creepy. But maybe that was supposed to be a normal response too? Lupin had been surprisingly keen about this whole long-lost family thing they had; that hug at the airport had really clued Duo in to Lupin's expectations: he expected them to be a family.

But Duo had no idea how.

Duo didn't know this man. Their conversations over the course of this first day together had been basic: do you like rollercoasters, is the weather always this grey, what do you want for lunch…

Duo knew Lupin's blood type was A-positive. Duo knew Lupin was born on AC 161 March 10th, that he owned a small cottage in Yorkshire, that he had £3,602 in his bank account, and that he was currently unemployed. Duo knew that despite the scarring, Lupin wasn't suffering from any recurring injury that inhibited his movement or agility. Duo knew that Lupin wasn't one for fistfights because his knuckles were even in form. Duo knew he could probably lash out any time he was in arms-length of the man to knock his Adam's apple into his throat, faster than Lupin could move to defend himself. Duo knew that Lupin apparently owned a shit-ton of khaki pants and white button-ups.

Duo didn't know how Lupin took his coffee, or if he even preferred tea over coffee. Duo didn't know if Lupin was a newspaper reader or a TV-watcher in the mornings. Duo didn't know if Lupin liked his eggs scrambled or sunny side-up, or if he even ate breakfast. Duo didn't know if Lupin liked spicy food, didn't know if he watched sports on the weekend, didn't know if he had friends that teased him over his eyebags and Dad-fashion. Duo didn't know if Lupin had been involved in the war, didn't know if Lupin even cared about the war, or if he had just been a bystander watching as Duo and those he loved killed and died, killed and died, killed and died-

Duo knew he could ask. The war was over, enemies were friends, they were alive- Look at this brave new world-

"Coffee or tea?" Duo asked, playing with the tab on his now-empty can of Coke.

Lupin blinked at him, park map in hand. "I'm sorry?" he asked after a moment.

"Do you like coffee or tea?" Duo clarified, grinning cheekily.

(Your smile doesn't reach your eyes, Trowa had told him once.)

"Oh," Lupin's lips quirked up in a smile. "Tea. You?"

"Coffee," Duo answered. "Although by the time I'm done adding sugar, it's more like coffee-flavored syrup. Scrambled or sunny-side up?"

"Over-easy," Lupin replied. "With a little salt and pepper."

"Scrambled with cheese," Duo said.

Lupin set the map down, amber eyes laughing. "Chocolate or vanilla?" he asked.

"Chocolate, any time, any day, any place," Duo replied.

"Agreed," Lupin chuckled, tone warm.

Duo realized it was the first thing they had in common. "Favorite sport?"

Lupin paused in thought. Not into sports then? Duo mused.

"…football," Lupin decided. "But I don't really follow it."

"Rugby, but I cheat," Duo said with a devilish grin.

Lupin laughed outright. "I'd love to see that," the man said in good humor. "Favorite food?"

"Dessert," Duo replied whip-quick.

Lupin's smile was infectious. "Preferably of the chocolate variety," he agreed.

Is having a sweet tooth an inherited trait? Duo wondered. Now Duo had an excuse whenever Heero complained-

"Newspaper or news program?" Duo asked.

"Newspaper," Lupin replied easily.

Duo's smile was teasing. "You're such an old man," he laughed. "Do you read it in your recliner and bemoan how us youngfolk are lazy bums with the attention spans of gnats?"

"Please," Lupin snorted imperiously. "I sulk at the kitchen table like a proper adult."

Duo snickered, snapping off the can's tab. Letting it fall into the empty tin, he pulled his braid over his shoulder to fiddle with the end. He'd have to trim it soon; the marathon of cheap shampoos and conditioners he'd been using for the past few months were doing a number on it.

"Favorite color?" Lupin asked.

"Green," Like the scythe of his Gundam. "And black."

Lupin's eyes darted over his clothes but he said nothing about them. "Red and gold," he said with a wry smile. Inside joke, Duo thought.

The lunch hour rush had dwindled considerably. The pizzeria was only hosting a few patrons now, most having meandered off to continue their adventure through the park. The employees were cleaning up the emptied tables, quiet and efficient, their little table by the patio mostly ignored for now.

(Just say what you mean, Wufei had told him before. Enough of your games.)

"What's my mom's name?" Duo asked, tone absurdly candid.

Lupin froze.

Why was the FRA even a thing to begin with? Duo shared a select number of genes with the man across from him, and that was supposed to mean something? All it meant was that if they shared the same blood type, there was a higher chance they'd be able to successfully transplant organs into each other if necessary.

They were nothing more than the same kind of scrap.

"I'm sorry," Lupin started quietly. "I don't know."

Duo shrugged, flipping his braid back over his shoulder. "That's okay," he said glibly. "I don't know either."

Lupin's stare was layered with some unnamed emotion. (You're hiding again, Heero had told him. You'll regret always hiding from yourself, Duo.) Duo looked away from the man's gaze, eyes scouring the walkway that lay before the pizzeria. There were families everywhere he looked.

"…who raised you?" came Lupin's soft, tentative question.

Duo thought of his colony's streets and the friends he'd left tucked into crates, their gang's idea of makeshift coffins. Duo thought of the Maxwell Church before it had become fire and rubble, and then after when that was all that was left. Duo thought of the Sweepers ship he'd snuck onto, where they'd planned to push him out of the airlock before Doctor G intervened.

"A church-run orphanage," Duo replied.

Lupin's hands balled into fists, Duo could see it just out of the corner of his eye. He could feel the heavy weight of the man's gaze as it went once more to the priest collar wrapped around Duo's throat.

The war's over, Duo reminded himself. "Favorite game?" he asked.

"…Chess," Lupin answered, voice still soft. "You?"

"Life."


AC 196 July 13

Remus wasn't in the habit of telling people about his personal business. The preference to keep things to himself was habit, honed from years of lycanthropy – but it had certainly done him no favors during the first war, where his long absences and lack of explanations had made him suspicious in the eyes of his friends. Remus had learned from this mistake and knew what he must do.

He must tell Sirius and Dumbledore about Duo.

Remus dreaded both their reactions in equal measure. The fact that he'd fathered a child he'd subsequently unknowingly neglected may dredge up old wounds in his friend, or just the fact that Remus had been able to sire a child while Sirius ended up in Azkaban would be enough to send the dog Animagus into a foul mood.

Sirius was getting a lot better these days, especially after that short stint in the tropics last year. But the wounds from Azkaban were not even close to healed, and now locked up in his old, detestable inheritance was enough to make Sirius's mood swings even more severe. Sirius at his worst made Buckbeak look positively tame.

Then there was the issue of Dumbledore. In any other circumstance, Remus wouldn't need to explain to the headmaster – but as a member of the Order of the Phoenix and amid a burgeoning war, Remus could not just wander about as easily as he pleased. He had responsibilities to Dumbledore and he couldn't ignore the Headmaster without some reason for doing so.

It was with this in mind that he had asked Dumbledore for some of his time. With his job as Headmaster and with the rising tension in the Ministry, Dumbledore did not have much free time – so it was nothing short of a miracle that Dumbledore had agreed to meet with Remus on what the former DADA professor had noted as an 'important matter'. The agreed-upon meeting place would be Grimmauld Place, so Remus figured he should tell Sirius at the same time.

Duo was scheduled to stay in the British Isles until the 20th, and Remus wanted to spend as much time with the youth as he could before he left. That was just seven more days – surely the war could wait just one more week?

Remus arrived at Number 12 Grimmauld Place a quarter of an hour before 10PM, their designated meeting time. He'd spent most of the day out with Duo; they'd met for lunch, then gone to The Deep, a public aquarium that offered interactive exhibits among its displays. Duo's admission about his lack of experience with actual wildlife had stuck out to Remus from that first day at Flamingo Land.

Well, among many other things.

Duo wore a priest collar because he'd been raised in a church-run orphanage. Remus's son had been raised in an orphanage because Remus had had no clue he even existed; that up there among the sea of stars, Remus had flesh and blood that had needed him, and Remus had not been there.

That was why Duo was an emancipated minor. An orphanage only kept children until a certain age, and when they reached that age, they had to find their own way in life.

Duo had come down to Earth just to see him, and Remus had never even tried to see if Duo wanted to stay. How much was it to travel from a space colony to Earth? The Preventers letter never mentioned any form of covering expenses, and Remus was using his own money to pay for his and Duo's little day trips.

Was Duo paying for his own travel and lodging? Duo had rented out a small cottage in Remus's little hamlet, the only form of rental space available that provided any form of privacy. Remus hadn't even thought to offer his own home as a place to stay, embarrassed by its shabby appearance. Remus had not even considered that Duo may be as financially-strapped as him.

Three days in, and Remus already failed as a father.

The air of Sirius's unwanted home was musty as ever, but thankfully through years of practice, Remus maintained composure as he exited the Floo. Being forced to listen to Walburga Black's portrait shriek at him was always sure to leave a ringing in his ears. There was a light clanging from the kitchen; Remus followed the sound in hopes of finding Sirius rather than the ill-tempered Kreacher.

His hopes were blessedly answered: Sirius was puttering around the kitchen, seemingly setting up for tea. A plate of steaming scones was set on the table and kept fresh under a charm, most likely a gift from Molly Weasley; Arthur came every now and then for Order meetings, dropping off the occasional gift of food from his wife.

"Finally learned how to be a proper host, Pads?" Remus teased in greeting, stepping fully into the kitchen.

Sirius whirled around, grin on his lips and nearly spilling the cup of tea he'd just poured himself. "Never fear, Moony," he started with a cheeky smile. "I plan to eat all the scones myself. Wouldn't want to give you false hope."

"How kind of you," Remus returned dryly, before darting out a hand to swipe a scone. Sirius lunged forward with a bark of laughter, half-heartedly attempting to swipe it back as Remus easily danced out of his reach.

"Scoundrel!" Sirius cried out theatrically, taking up the plate of scones in faux-outrage. "Thief!"

"Mutt," Remus returned pointedly, taking a victorious bite.

Sirius laid a hand over his heart in mock-hurt.

"Have I come at a bad time?"

Both men turned at the amused voice, dispositions quickly turned into guilty teenagers about to be reprimanded by an authority figure. Albus Dumbledore stood in the kitchen doorway, blue eyes twinkling in good-natured humor as he took in their expressions.

"Remus Lupin is a thief and I simply must ask that you dismiss him, Headmaster," Sirius responded gravely.

Remus straightened his shoulders. "This is an outrage," he intoned. "I have lived an honest life, Headmaster, and I'm sure you can personally attest that I was a perfect student-"

"Perfect twat," Sirius cut in.

"-who never broke the rules, or covered for his miserable friends after they booby-trapped-"

"Lies! Lies and slander!" Sirius broke in. "You come into my home and insult me like this?!"

"Now, now, Sirius," Dumbledore interjected, coming further inside in order to pick up a scone from the plate Sirius was still holding. "I'm sure Remus is very aware of the libel laws."

"Crook," Sirius shot at Remus.

Remus smirked. "Takes one to know one," he replied.

Dumbledore chuckled lowly, taking a seat at the table as the other two did the same. Sirius placed the scone plate back down and waved his wand lazily, the tea kettle and matching cups waiting on the counter floating up and over to them. The teapot poured its contents into three cups, which soon met the hands of the three waiting men.

"Thank you for your time, Albus," Remus started, dropping the humorous pretense.

Dumbledore's smile was gentle, his eyes probing. "You mentioned it was important and I know you aren't one to exaggerate," he said.

Sirius leaned forward a bit in his seat. Remus had thought about telling them separately, but simply lacked the time to do so; he wanted to spend as much time with Duo as he could before the boy left and getting Dumbledore to a meeting was difficult in this trying time.

Remus gripped his cup a little tighter. "What do you know about the Family Reconstruction Act?"

"The what?" Sirius choked out.

Dumbledore's gaze was heavy – and knowing. "An international mandate from the Muggle government organization known as Preventers," he explained. "It's meant to reconnect families that were scattered by the Muggle war last year. If I'm not mistaken, they use Muggle science that identifies blood family members."

Remus nodded, eyes moving from the two men to the tabletop. Going by Dumbledore's knowing look and Sirius's sharp intake of breath, they were starting to see where Remus was going with this. "The FRA – this mandate – finds parents, siblings, and…children," he started haltingly. "I… I have a match."

"…In what way?" came Sirius's tentative inquiry.

Remus glanced up; Dumbledore's expression had not changed but Sirius's had shifted to carefully-cultivated neutrality.

"I have a son," Remus said.

The kitchen fell silent.

"I've used Muggle hospitals every now and then," Remus continued, this time at a rush. "They used a blood sample they'd taken from me and put it into their system. I… He's sixteen. I-I didn't know. It was back during the first war, I met a Muggle woman in a pub, she was going to the space colonies, I didn't even know she was pregnant-"

"Remus," Dumbledore interrupted his stream of words. "You may want to take a chance to breathe."

Remus's hands clenched more around his cup of cooling tea as he took deliberately steady breaths. Sirius was still, expression completely blindsided as he stared at Remus. Dumbledore was, to Remus's surprise, smiling kindly at him.

"I suppose congratulations are in order," Dumbledore began cheerfully.

Remus blinked, heart stuttering in his chest. "Oh- uh, thank you?"

Dumbledore took a meditative sip of tea. "You said his mother went to the space colonies? Are they both still there?" he asked.

Remus fidgeted, glancing away from the wizened wizard to a spot behind the headmaster. "He lives in the space colonies," According to the FRA letter, somewhat validated by Duo. "His mother…isn't in the picture. He grew up in an orphanage."

"I see," Dumbledore murmured. "It must have been difficult for him…"

Remus swallowed dryly. "I- The FRA sets up meetings when you have a match. Duo contacted them first, said he wanted to meet… We- He's here. In Yorkshire, actually. He rented a little vacation cottage, he'll be here until the 20th…" Remus trailed off.

"Duo?" Sirius echoed, voice scratchy like he was choking back some emotion dredged up from whatever was left of the mess the Dementors had made of him. "His name is Duo?"

"It's a perfectly good name," Remus snapped back defensively.

Sirius stared at him.

"Am I correct in assuming you've already met with him?" Dumbledore asked in the silence that lapsed. Remus nodded in answer, tearing his eyes off his best friend to stare into his cup instead. It was amazing, how easily Dumbledore could reduce him back to a chagrined student.

"I believed it was safe," Remus explained, carefully calm. "Duo used a computer – that Muggle device that looks like a box, they use it for communication. Death Eaters wouldn't know how to use one, nor would they know how to use a telephone. And Duo- he's Muggle." The teen may not have any experience with wildlife, but he easily navigated things like taxis and buses that wizards hardly put to use. And unlike Remus, who had set off some Muggle security checkpoints when entering the theme park or aquarium and accidentally short-circuited an automatic ticketing machine just by touching it, Duo easily moved through them.

"You're quite right," Dumbledore agreed. "Death Eaters believe Muggle technologies are beneath them. If he's done as you said, he must be the real thing."

Dumbledore's disposition was encouraging, which was much than Remus had expected. Dumbledore seemed to understand Remus's bewilderment. "It's a wonderful thing to have family, especially in this difficult time, Remus. Parenthood is a gift unlike any other, or so I have been told," he informed his former student.

"Wait wait wait!" Sirius interjected, a flurry of movement as he nearly knocked over his tea in his haste to interrupt. "So, we're just- accepting this? What if he's an impostor?"

"He's not," Remus refuted quickly. "He can use Muggle technology, he's familiar with Muggle customs- I picked him up from the airport, Sirius. You think someone like Lucius Malfoy even knows what an airplane is, much less how to use one?"

"He could be a squib the Death Eaters are using," Sirius pointed out.

"What squib familiar with Muggle culture would side with the Dark Lord?" Remus asked. "And before you ask, he's not Imperius'd or anything of the sort." If they spent even five minutes with the boy, they'd definitely agree; Duo could talk circles around anyone. There was no way someone under the control of the Imperius charm would have that level of autonomy.

Sirius opened his mouth as if to make another argumentative point but shut it when he realized he didn't have any more claims to make. Remus had argued all these points with himself, after all; meeting Duo that first time only validated that the boy really was the genuine article.

"You're certain he's a Muggle?" Dumbledore asked after a moment. "He's made no mention of any accidental magic he may have had?"

Remus shook his head. "He came here just a couple days ago. We…don't really talk about when he was younger. But he grew up in the space colonies, so…"

"Don't the star islands have wizards now?" Sirius spoke up. "What did the Prophet call them- Newtypes?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, a curious group," he said. "They're quite involved in their Muggle communities."

Remus thought about it. Duo hadn't shown any signs of magic, nor had he mentioned anything that may have hinted at magical prowess. He could be hiding it, but he was a sixteen-year-old kid; teens were awful at hiding things. Remus would have seen something that hinted at magical ability by now if Duo had any.

"I'll keep an eye out for it, but I haven't seen anything that may suggest he has magic," Remus said. "His mother was a Muggle. There's a chance Duo just didn't inherit my…magic."

Sirius shifted, fingers drumming on the table. "You said he grew up in an orphanage," he pointed out, voice as close to subdued as Sirius ever got. "Does that mean… Are you going to take him in?"

Remus stilled. Dumbledore remained conspicuously quiet, taking another sip of his tea as he awaited the answer. This was the real crux of the matter, this was why Dumbledore had needed to be informed – because Remus's duties as an Order member would be greatly affected by his newfound parenthood.

"Duo is an emancipated minor," Remus started, voice quiet and carefully even. "He's free to make his own decision on the matter. He… He's only here for a visit. I'm not sure about his current living situation but he seems to have a place to return to if he's already reserved a ticket back."

Duo would stay until the 20th, and then he was off again – either back to the space colonies or somewhere else in the world. Duo's ability to move was inspiring; Remus could only imagine that kind of freedom and was overjoyed to see that Duo had claimed some part of it. Duo would make more of himself than Remus ever could have at that age.

"If Duo needs me to," Remus started halting. "If- If he asks me to – then yes. I will take him in. It's the least I can do, being absent from his life for all these years." Remus owed the world to Duo – he knew that. Remus owed Duo a life, he just wasn't sure he could provide the kind of life he wished Duo had had while growing up.

"Family doesn't mean collecting on unsaid debts," Dumbledore said.

Sirius snorted. "My mum wouldn't agree with you on that," he muttered.

"I would want to," Remus replied. "I want to take Duo in. He's- He's wonderful. Absolutely brilliant in every way." The way Duo smiled, the way he laughed, the way he chattered a mile a minute with minimal input; Duo had cheered up a little girl at the theme park when she'd been upset that the lions wouldn't come out of their shelter by emulating lion roars, getting a whole group of kids to do the same until one of the lions edged out of its shelter in curiosity. Remus had watched the spectacle with wide eyes; this was what the Muggle world had made of his son, and Remus had never been prouder.

"But it's dangerous here," Remus said. "And Duo – he's a Muggle. He would be safer anywhere but here. I won't risk his safety for my own gratification."

Remus would give anything if it meant Duo would never learn the horrors of war.


A/N: Had to split this chapter in two because it got too long, lol. Next chapter will be up soon now though!

Reviewer Reply Section:

-Shadow: Lol! Nooo, don't skip them! Is it because they look like line breaks? XD

-Trenchcoat Man: I was thinking that Syed did sound like Quatre too, haha~ But Quatre is legitly just too busy to be terrifying people at the Constellation Conference, so he tapped his cousin for it. There will be some OCs, but they won't have very prevalent roles; it's just in the political sphere of this story, it requires a lot more characters than GW gave me. So you'll just get like random snapshots of them. Syed will come and go, but even for the Constellation Conference-centered scenes, he won't be as prevalent as he was in his first scene. The canon cast will be taking over much more soon. Oh, you'll actually get to see Wufei next chapter! He's taken over annoying Heero, lmao.

And thank you to everyone else who reviewed, it was much appreciated! :)

And so, please be kind and drop a review.