Red and Black
Still not with the owning
Chapter 3
Meredith couldn't quite wrap her mind around it. As far back as she could remember people had thought she was a freak. Mrs. Clay, Eunice, the kids at the orphanage, Chuck, Kenny. She knew that she wasn't like the other kids. She could do things that they couldn't. She could make things happen. She'd made that toad go boom. When she got mad things flew around the room and broke. She learned very quickly that being different from the other kids was not a good thing. People didn't like her because she was different. Chuck really hadn't liked it. When Eunice had brought her to the office and Mrs. Clay had said she was going with this man, she'd been so scared. She was afraid that this man would be like Chuck. But Remus wasn't like Chuck at all. Not only did he not hate her for her powers, he had powers too! He had made Mrs. Clay and Eunice go to sleep. He had done something to them that made them forget that she had made the office go kaboom. And now she was with him, walking down the street. She was holding tightly to his hand, not wanting to get separated from him. He said he knew her mommy and that her mommy had been magical. She wasn't sure she should believe him, but she wanted to. He was nice and he didn't treat her badly because she was different. When she started to shiver he had taken a hanky from his pocket, waved his wand over it and changed it into a small white coat which she now wore over a pretty pink flowered dress that he had changed her gray dress from the orphanage into. Suddenly Remus stopped.
"That should be far enough," he said. He pulled Meredith gently by the hand into an alley and knelt down so he was face to face with her.
"Now Meredith," he said. "We're gonna go to our new house, but to get there we need to use magic"
"Okay," Meredith said. That was why they were in this alley. Meredith had noticed that Remus only did magic when nobody could see them. "We're going to do something call apparating"
"Ap--rating"
"Yes, it means that we're going to disappear from one place and reappear in a different place"
"How you do that?" Meredith asked.
"Well you won't be able to, not yet. You'll learn how when your older. For now you're just going to hang on to me. That way when I apparate you'll apparate with me"
"Okay," Meredith said a little worried. She wasn't so sure about this. What if ap--rating hurt?
"Apparating feels a little odd the first time you do it," Remus told her. Meredith's eyes widened. Oh this was going to be awful.
"It doesn't hurt," Remus assured her quickly. "It feels kind of like your being squeezed very tightly. It only lasts a few seconds and then it's over. Do you think you can do that?" Meredith was still very uncertain, but she was afraid that if she didn't do this Remus might change his mind and take her back to the orphanage. She didn't want to go back there and so she put on a brave face and nodded.
"Good girl," Remus said picking her up. "Hold on tight." Meredith wrapped her arms around Remus's neck and shut her eyes.
"One, two, three." Meredith felt her breath sucked out of her as lights and colors swirled around her and she felt as though she were being pressed in on all sides.
"Meredith," she heard Remus say in her ear. Tears streamed from her eyes and she quickly reached up to scrub at her eyes with her fists.
"It's okay love,"Remus said reaching up to wipe her tears away.
"It's over now," he said patting her gently on the back. She looked up at him and tried to smile.
"Are we home?" she asked.
"Yes, love," he said. "We're home." Meredith's eyes widened. The house was yellow with white shutters and a big red door and a white picket fence. There were pretty red flowers in boxes under the windows.
"It's so pretty," she said.
"I quite agree with you," Remus said. Dumbldore certainly knew how to pick out a house.
"Shall we go inside?" he asked her. She nodded. He opened the door and stepped inside.
"Wow," Meredith said as Remus set her down.
"You've got that right," Remus said staring around him. Dumbledore had really gone all out with this place. The front hall led to a large living room with gold carpet covering the floor. Against one wall there was a large crimson colored sofa with a gold afghan draped over it. Against the other wall was a plush recliner the same color as the sofa. A brown coffee table with a vase full of bright red and yellow flowers sat in the middle of the room. On the far left side was the fireplace. On the far right was an open doorway that led to the large kitchen. The kitchen came complete with a square table stove, oven, microwave, coffeemaker, sink and a charmed refridgerator that would automatically refill itself when food ran low. From the hallway a staircase led upstairs, and another led from the kitchen down to the basement.
"Shall we look upstairs?" he asked her. Meredith nodded too stunned to speak. She took Remus's hand and he led her upstairs. There was a long hallway with a large bedroom at one end a large bathroom in the middle and a smaller bedroom at the other end. "I think you were meant to have this room," Remus said as they stepped into the smaller room. It was done entirely in pink. A big bed with a white frame and pink blankets was against one wall. Several stuffed animals sat at the head of the bed. On the floor at the foot was a large trunk. There was a large window that looked out onto the woods behind the house. Beside the bed was a nightstand with a lamp. On the right wall was a dresser and a closet on the left.
"This is my room?" Meredith said in wonder. "Just for me?"
"All yours, love," Remus said. She stepped into the room touching everything so gently as though she was afraid it were going to disappear. She opened the closet to reveal robes, and clothes and new shoes.
"Wow," Meredith said running over the the dresser and pulling open all the drawers. She saw socks, underpants, jeans, shirts and even new pj's. But nothing made her as happy as when she opened the trunk at the end of her bed to reveal dolls and toys and books. For the first time Remus heard her giggle and it warmed him to the core.
"Why don't you stay here and play with your new toys," Remus said, "while I go and make dinner." She nodded as she took a doll with a blue dress from the box and played with its little blue hat.
Remus was pleased to find the cabinets well stocked. He had just begun to prepare dinner when their was a knock on the door. He went to the door carefully pulling out his wand on his way. Even with Voldemort being defeated,after years of always being on guard old habits were hard to break.
"Who is it?" he said.
"It is I Albus Dumbledore," the voice said on the other side. Remus quickly pocketed his wand and opened the door. "Good evening sir," he said stepping aside to allow the wizard to enter.
"Forgive the intrusion," Dumbledore said. "I thought I would stop by and see how you and young Meredith were settling in."
"We're doing all right," Remus said. "She's adjusting to the news quite well."
"Any trouble at the orphanage?" Dumbledore asked settling into a chair and waving his wand. A teapot and cup sailed across the room and poured a cup for the headmaster.
"A little," Remus said. "Meredith's powers went slightly haywire at one point. I had to stupefy the headmistress and her assistant and alter their memories."
"Perfectly natural at her age," Dumbledore said. "Those born of muggle families often have a more difficult time adjusting than those born to magical families. It is for that reason that I decided to remove her and place her in your care. How do you find the house?"
"It's wonderful," Remus said. "Meredith loves her room. Thank you for putting the clothes and toys in there." Dumbledore smiled and there was a slight twinkle in his eye.
"Minerva and Poppy are really to thank. They'll be delighted to know she liked what they did." "Do they know?" Remus asked. "About who Meredith's parents are."
"Of course," Dumbledore said. "Minerva is after all the head of Gryffindor house, she was the first one Angela went to when she found out she was pregnant. Poppy tended to Angela during the first months of her pregnancy. No one else however, knows the truth about her heritage. Not even the ministry." Remus nodded. "There are a few things I think we should discuss," Dumbledore said. "First of all your financial situation"
"My parents left me all their money when they died last year," Remus said. "It's not much."
"Both Sirius and Angela, as you know, were very well off. Meredith of course has all rights to her mother's vault. As her legal guardian you do as well. There is more than enough to see you and Meredith through the next several years and should pay for Meredith's education. I have the key here. However because Sirius is still alive, Meredith cannot access his vault."
"I don't need that bastard's money," Remus said with a snarl. "I'll starve before I'll touch it."
"That is of course up to you. Secondly," Dumbledore said pulling out a bottle. "I have here your Wolfsbane potion. You'll need to start taking it tonight. I told Andromeda that you would bring Meredith by to meet her and Nymphadora, once you get settled.
"I will," Remus said. "I don't want to introduce her to too many new people right away. I don't want to overwhelm her"
"This is probably wise," Dumbledore agreed. "There is also the question of schooling. She will of course attend Hogwarts when she turns eleven. But she will need to learn the basics, reading, writing, arithmatic"
"Yes," Remus said. "I thought it might be best if I taught her the basics myself. After that orphanage, I think putting her in primary school might be a bit damaging"
"As you like. One last thing. What do you plan to tell Meredith about your transformations, and about her parents?" Remus sighed. This was something he'd given a lot of thought to.
"About my transformations," he said. "Nothing for now. When she's a little older I'll have to tell her. As far as her parents..." Remus sighed again.
"I think the less she knows about her father the better." Dumbledore gave him an odd look.
"Are you sure that's best"
"I'm not sure of anything,"Remus said. "I..."
"Remus," Meredith's voice shouted as she came running from the hall. She stopped in the kitchen when she saw Dumbledore. Dumbledore couldn't help but smile as Meredith took refuge from this new strange person behind Remus's legs.
"Meredith," Remus said trying to pull her out from behind him. "Meredith, don't be scared. This is Dumbledore. He runs the magic school I told you about." At this Meredith peeped out from behind her guardian. Remus led her forward. Even as she looked at Dumbledore she still clung to Remus.
"It's very nice to meet you, Meredith," Dumbledore said. "Hello," Meredith said before burying her face in Remus's pant leg. Remus looked at Dumbledore helplessly. The headmaster simply shrugged. "Well, Remus," Dumbledore said standing. "That should be all for now. I'll be checking in with you periodically. I'll let you have dinner now."
"I'll see you out," Remus said finally managing to detach Meredith from his leg. He left Meredith in the kitchen and walked with Dumbledore to the hall.
"I'm sorry about that," Remus said.
"Don't worry about it," Dumbledore said. "As you said new people will be tricky for her for awhile. My suggestion would be not to push her into trusting people. Just let it come naturally. Good evening," he said.
"Good evening," Remus said. He watched as the Headmaster walked down the path and disappeared with a pop.