A/N: Wow, has it really been a month since I updated? That scares me. But I'm back, with a super long chapter, new characters, and furthering the plot! Don't worry, I will be updating much faster now since I'm getting really into it. Plus, from now on things start moving really quickly, with Lily going to Hogwarts and Severus being bitchy. It's fun, trust me. And please tell me that this chapter was worth the wait! Don't make me sniff again…
And school is finally over, meaning more time to write! Yay! I've already written 3 chapters for assorted stories in the past week alone.
Summary: In all of his infinite wisdom and loneliness, Harry recreates his sixteen-year-old mother. Of course, having a teenage Lily Evans running around England causes new problems. With both Remus Lupin and Severus Snape as teachers, Lily has to learn about what happened in the twenty-five years since she was in school, as well as work her way around that bitchy slut Soleil Lovegood, who seems to be hitting on both Remus and Snape. What's a young Gryffindor to do?
Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, I would have already dropped out of school and be living off the huge pots of money my books had made me. Sadly, I'm not.
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Last time: Remus
"Hey, Harry! Want some whiskey?" He shook his head, thin lipped. We giggled.
"I just came to say I enrolled Lily at Hogwarts and that tomorrow we can go to Diagon Alley to get her everything she needs." We nodded, and he sighed before sweeping off, glaring at our multiple liquor bottles. After the door clicked shut we once again burst out into laughter for no apparent reason.
It was nice not to be alone anymore.
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Chapter 5: Lily
The first thing that registered when I woke up was the pressing feeling on the sides of my head. I winced as I sat up slowly on Remus' bed, realizing what this was: my very first hangover. Still in my pajamas, I found that he must have lay me down here after I fell asleep, and that the photo albums from the previous night had been closed and stashed away, as well as the flood of Fire Whiskey bottles. Remus was dressed in a pair of tan trousers, a button-down shirt, and a fraying gray robe that hung open, and was hunched over his desk, a quill in hand. It was then that I saw how vulnerable he looked, his light brown hair graying slightly in streaks and his once round, boyishly-cute face now handsome and mature, though haunted by a small handful of worry lines around his forehead. The sun threw light across his face, and you could see the teenager he used to be, though it was obvious that this was not the Remus Lupin I had crushed on for years.
"Morning," I said quietly, a little embarrassed about the impression I must have made on him, drunk and giggling. He looked up and gave me a faint smile as I stood up and walked over to his desk, my feet feeling like lead. He set down his quill and handed me a mug, which I took with a nervous glance. In response to my confused expression, he said,
"Hangover cure, Sirius' old recipe." Noticing how healthy Remus looked, I smelled the liquid hesitantly. No smell. Taking that as a good sign I quickly swallowed it, only to find that it was tasteless. He smiled at my surprise, making me blush. "Better?" I nodded.
"So what's going on today?" I asked, wanting to change the subject. The man shrugged, and I tugged nervously on the edge of my flannel pajamas.
"I vaguely recall Harry mentioning going to Diagon Alley last night, but I was so sloshed I can't really remember." I laughed, feeling less nervous now that he had mentioned the previous night's drinking binge. "Why don't you get dressed and I can go round up some breakfast?" I nodded, and he stood up, sweeping his hair off his forehead.
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Twenty minutes later I found the kitchen, after wandering around lost on my own. With a nervous glance at the house elf heads lining the wall, I ventured through a door to find Remus reading the Daily Prophet at a long table, while Harry stood at the stove, flipping pancakes. He smiled at me as I sat down, before he sent a glare at Remus. He didn't notice.
"Do you like pancakes?" Harry asked as he flipped one onto a plate.
I smirked as I said, "As long as they don't come with a side order of hot sauce." Remus snorted, before holding his paper up higher to prevent me from seeing his grin. My son only shrugged. To Remus, I added, "You four never apologized for that."
"It was just a joke, Lily," he responded, rolling his eyes. Harry sat down across from me and listened, his attention rapt. "No harm was done, right?"
I 'hem hemmed' in protest. "That is so not true! Are you forgetting Lucius Malfoy's 'I've got a napkin, let me get that for you?' stunt? I got felt up by Malfoy!" Harry and Remus both laughed. Stupid planks.
"But you also got to slap Malfoy."
"That doesn't make it any better!" Remus went back to his newspaper, knowing there was no point in arguing. I made small talk with Harry about Quidditch as we finished breakfast, until we were ready to go. He offered me a bowl full of Floo powder, and I took a small pinch and threw it into the flames. "Where are we going anyway?"
"Flourish and Blotts, to get your school books," Remus responded as he took his own pinch. Harry's face hardened.
"No, not there," he argued, his voice low. I blinked. I knew boys for the most part didn't like to read as much as girls, but refusing to just use the fireplace in one was a little extreme. Apparently my son hadn't inherited my love of reading. Remus sighted tiredly and rubbed his temple with his free hand.
"We'll be quick, no one has to see you." I blinked again as Harry shook his head.
"Last time I went in there I had to stun half the shop to leave again. Scrimegour was furious! It will only be worse now that that damn biography's on the shelves." Harry shook his head, smoothing his hair absentmindedly. "Plus I don't feel like facing Hermione, she works there now."
"You have to go eventually, don't put it off," Remus said calmly. I tapped my foot, confused and impatient at the same time. I wanted to go to Diagon Alley and see how much it had changed! Harry glared at the older man.
"I'm not putting it off. I just don't want to go," he whined, reminding me of James. I snorted. Harry whirled around and snarled, "What?"
"I just don't want to go," I imitated, making my voice high pitched and nasal. "You sound like Lucius Malfoy." He scowled and looked away. "What could possibly be that bad about a book store?"
"Alright, fine," he snapped, sounding put out. I smirked as he grabbed his own handful of Floo powder. "You'll see. I can hear the bloody flashbulbs now." He left in an explosion of soot, leaving Remus and I coughing. A little stunned, I turned to face my friend.
"What on earth was that?"
"You see, Harry's a bit of a celebrity," Remus said slowly. "He absolutely hates it, so he tries not to go out too often. It will be easier to understand if you see it for yourself, though hopefully he won't be recognized." Frowning slightly, I shrugged and followed him in the fireplace, wondering why anyone would dislike being famous. Since we didn't seem to have far to go, we were probably in London, and I wasn't very dizzy when I stepped out of the grate in Flourish and Blotts, but I soon became so when I looked around the store. People were everywhere, reading, laughing, joking, and greeting friends. Harry was the lone exception, standing near the wall towards the back, and was scowling at a display of books with his smiling young face on the cover. I stood next to him, reading the cover.
The Truth Behind The Chosen One: Who Is Harry Potter?
Written by Rita Skeeter
"It's full of propaganda," he said, his face harsh. "I didn't even get to read it before it was on shelves. I didn't even know she was writing it!" He took a deep breath, crossing his arms. "She glossed over anything important, still made Sirius look guilty even though he was publicly pronounced innocent, and made me look like a lovable lunatic driven mad by the death of his fiancé." I bit my tongue, holding back questions. He added softly, "I never wanted any of this."
"Well, look who it is," someone drawled from behind us. I stiffened. Oh great. "Scar-head came out of his hole." Harry's face became unreadable as he turned around. I turned, too, tempted to draw my wand when I saw who I was looking at. A blond man looking roughly Harry's age smirked at us, his gray eyes flashing with amusement. He looked me over from head to toe, causing me to fidget uneasily, feeling awkward in my faded jeans and Ballycastle Bats jersey next to his proper black wizarding robes and combed, shoulder-length hair. Wouldn't Lucius Malfoy be Remus' age now? To my surprise Harry smiled, extending his hand, which the blond shook warmly.
"Good to see you Malfoy," he said happily, as my jaw dropped. My son was friends with a Malfoy? How is that possible?
"Same here, Potter. Glad to find you out in the sunlight again." He stepped back, looking over to me. Flashing me a flirtatious smile, he added, "Do introduce me to your friend, Potter." Clearing his throat nervously, Harry said,
"This is Lily Evans, my, uh, second cousin." I extended my own hand reluctantly, confused as to what was going on. Like a true gentleman, there's a thought, Malfoy turned it over and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of my hand, before saying,
"Draco Malfoy, at your service." I blushed. Well that made more sense. Looking back to Harry, I pulled my hand away.
"Malfoy was a spy for our side during the war, one of the reasons we won," Harry told me, erasing my fears. Malfoy looked mock bashful, and gently pushed him on the shoulder.
"Oh don't be so humble, Potter, we all know who deserves thanks. So anyway, what have you been doing the past few months, other than resurrecting your dead mother?" I gasped, tugging on the edge of my sleeve. At my shocked expression, he added, "Oh come on, anyone with half a brain could put two and two together. You two have the same eyes, as everyone always says. 'Eyes as green as a fresh-pickled toad' if I remember correctly." Harry looked like he'd swallowed such a toad. Malfoy winced. "Sorry mate; that just slipped out." I blinked, one eyebrow raised. Harry shuffled his feet.
"What am I missing?" I asked them, but Malfoy shook his head, as if saying I'll tell you later.
"Anyway, I better go. I'm meeting with some stockholders at noon for lunch about a possible office extension. I'll catch you later, Potter." Harry nodded, coming out of his trance. Malfoy looked back to me, flicking back his hair in a very attractive way. "And if you need anything, Ms. Evans, feel free to Owl me. I'm sure I'll see you soon." With a final wink, he swept off into the crowds, leaving me speechless. I swooned; I couldn't help it. It looked like this decade had its own playboy. Harry rolled his eyes at my breathless expression. Remus came up behind us, looking nervous in the crowd.
"What happened to her?" he asked Harry, nodding to me. I cleared my throat and readjusted my shirt, avoiding his eye.
"She's just fallen under the famous Malfoy charm," he said, crossing his arms again. Remus' shy smile disintegrated like ice melting on a summer sidewalk. I glared at Harry, but was rescued from facing Remus' jealous scowl by a frizzy-haired witch who launched herself onto Harry with a squeal. I raised my eyebrows as he gulped, smiling sadly as he awkwardly hugged her, rocking back and forth.
"Oh Merlin, Harry, what a surprise! It's so good to see you. Why are you so skinny? Have you not been eating? How come you haven't returned our owls? Mrs. Weasley's been worried sick, you shouldn't lock yourself up like this. Have you seen Luna? She looks amazing. I'm so glad to see you. I've got major news! Oh, I shouldn't tell you without Ron here, he'll kill me when he finds out I told you, but I just can't help it. Guess what, Harry, we're expecting!" His face went blank, but I could see the mix of shock, hurt and jealousy in his eyes while he hugged the woman who was obviously Hermione. I recognized her from the photo albums, although thankfully in the school pictures of Harry, her, and the red haired boy named Ron, she didn't have the slight bulge around her stomach caused by pregnancy.
She stepped back and smiled at him, her eyes glassy with tears of joy. I felt like I was intruding on a personal moment between these friends, and was relieved when Remus set his hand on my shoulder and said quietly, "Why don't we let these two catch up?"
I nodded gratefully and followed him through the crowds to a section of books (duh). He smiled at me as he said calmly, "That was Mrs. Hermione Weasley, Harry's school friend and the wife of Harry's other friend, Ron. She works here, and in combination with Molly Weasley, her mother-in-law, makes up Harry's surrogate mother team." I nodded, listening closely. He looked over the bookshelf he was standing in front of and skimmed a finger over the embroidered titles, looking for one of my schoolbooks. I shifted from foot to foot, feeling more than a little lost. "Brilliant girl, also fought alongside Harry during the war. She married Ron a few months ago." I hated not knowing about this world. It was all this big mystery that I couldn't understand. People were dead, my son was a hermit, Remus was a widower, and Severus was a teacher who was cruel to his students? It didn't make any sense to me.
"Remus," I said tentatively as he pulled a thick transfiguration book of the shelf.
He didn't face me, only answered a curt, "Yes?"
"Is Severus really as horrible as you've said?" He sighed, sliding the book back in between its companions, before turning to face me. "It just seems so unlikely that he would have changed so much. What happened to him?"
"The only person who could possibly tell you what happened is Severus, but even if you asked him, I doubt you'd get a straight answer." I blinked at him, cryptic much? He noticed my impatient expression and bit his lower lip, as if hovering over confiding a secret. "Alright, fine. You never told me what it was about, but you and Severus had a big fight, around November of our sixth year. All I know is that afterwards you didn't speak to him again." I cringed, setting my jaw. Remus stepped closer and patted my shoulder sympathetically.
"What went wrong?" I asked cautiously, meeting his navy eyes. They welled up in pain at my question. "Remus, don't hold out on me! What happened?"
"I can only assume Severus became a Death Eater." I gasped and grabbed his arm, feeling the need to cling to something. My former best friend, a Death Eater? It sounded completely outrageous, Severus didn't take orders from anyone, much less a raving lunatic Dark Lord! He didn't have a good home life, but he never talked about it. Would he go so far as to seek comfort in servitude?
"A Death Eater?" I whispered, my mouth suddenly dry. He nodded.
"He joined the Order of the Phoenix and switched sides once we were all out of school, but played spy up until the fall of You-Know-Who a few months ago. No one has led a harder life than he has, believe me, Lily, and he's paying for it now." I shook my head in disbelief. Things were so different now. I didn't like it. Hopefully Hogwarts would be better.
"It doesn't seem possible," I whispered, still partially in shock.
"You'd be surprised how much is really possible here, Lily."
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After buying all of the school supplies I didn't already have, along with a new set of dress robes, Remus insisted we visit a joke shop he said was better than Zonko's. Saying Harry was hesitant is an understatement, he was more like panicked, but when he saw how interested I was in going, he reluctantly agreed. I gleefully followed Remus through the glass doors of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.
Colorful boxes seemed to pop out from the shelves, all black letters and shiny labels, with kids circled around displays featuring everything from boxes of fireworks to little fluffy creatures that came in a variety of pastel colors. A few of the older-looking teenagers, as well as the younger adults around Harry's age waved to Remus, while Harry scampered around the wall and ducked into a room through a curtain, mumbling something about a Defense Decoy. I shrugged and followed Remus through the crowded store over towards the counter.
"Professor!" yelled someone on the other side of the glass counter, and I looked up to see two tall redheads beaming at my companion. They both sported purple smocks, one of which said 'Gred' and the second 'Forge'. Remus grinned as he passed by the long line of people to shake both their hands in turn. "What brings you to our humble abode?" The one labeled Forge asked.
"Hello, boys, how's business coming?" he responded, pulling back to stand next to me. They smirked boyishly as he surveyed the crammed store. "Although I suppose it's obvious that you're flourishing."
"We've just improved our Daydream Charms, every witch this side of Russia seems to want one," Gred boasted, gesturing to an unnaturally pink corner of the store. "They're just flying off the shelves, and they were featured in the Daily Prophet last week!" I watched, eyebrows tilted, as two girls about my age bickered back and forth about a pink box displaying a sexy blond girl in the arms of an raven-haired man, who was the absolute definition of tall, dark, and handsome. I wanted to giggle as I noticed the shiny lettering that ran across them, 'WWW's New And Improved Daydream Charm!'
"Who's your friend, Professor?" Forge asked, as I realized all three of them were now looking at me. I smiled nervously at their identical faces, as Remus cleared his throat and said,
"Fred and George Weasley, meet Lily," he enunciated my name, causing the other two to smirk knowingly.
I sheepishly waved as Fred said, "Right, got it, Lily. Are you staying with Harry and Remus?" I nodded, as George ducked under the counter for something.
"Lily's actually coming with me to Hogwarts for her sixth year," Remus continued, as the second twin stood up, holding a purple box that he placed on the counter between us. Remus went on to chat with Fred about replacement teachers for the new term as I looked at George inquiringly.
"What's that?" I asked George, pointing to the box. He smiled, flicking back his red hair, which fell back into place just below his ears, as he pushed the box across the counter to me.
"This is our basic girl's school survival kit," he started as he ran his finger across the matching gold text reading this title. "It includes all of our magic quills, including smart answer and quick spelling, as well as an assortment of our fireworks, several of our candies that can get you out of class, especially our new invention 'Paleface Pastries.' Plus a few fake prefects badges, just in case you get into a tight spot." I giggled at the idea of such products, suddenly understanding why their shop was so successful. He leaned over to whisper into my ear, "Plus a few other feminine products it would be best Professor Lupin didn't know about, just a few bottles of Love potions, one or two appearance enhancers, that you really don't need," I blushed, "And an assortment of Daydream Charms." He winked at me as he pulled away. "Our gift to you, Lily. Enjoy this decade." I grinned as I accepted the gift. Maybe there would be something good about living in the future after all. Draco Malfoy, Harry, and both the Weasley twins were really nice. And with You-Know-Who gone, there wasn't anything to worry about.
"Is Harry with you?" Fred asked me, as his brother resumed checking out customers. I shrugged, looking to Remus, who pointed his thumb over his shoulder towards the curtain-covered doorway across the room that my son had escaped into earlier.
"He's cowering in the dark-detector room, no doubt avoiding the light," he answered, while I sent another look at the girl's section, more specifically at the two teenage girls who were now spraying perfume on each other, giggling hysterically. "I'm glad he agreed to come out with us today. He's been a mess lately." One of the girls gagged and hastily slid a light blue bottle back onto the shelf, before exaggeratedly fluffing her brown hair and winking at an imaginary boy. The other play-acted and threw back her shoulders, adopting an oblivious expression and flicking back her own sandy blond hair.
"Is he still blaming himself?" Fred asked, his jokey voice suddenly serious. Remus nodded. I awkwardly shuffled my feet. "We need to get him some closure."
"That's going to be easier said than done." Seeing as they were exchanging significant looks, I took this as my queue to let them plan on their own. Hugging the survival kit to my chest, I said,
"I'm gonna go check on Harry." They nodded, and I slowly turned and pushed my way through the crowd. The two girls I had been watching looked curiously at me as I passed them, and I smiled at them warmly. They smiled back, before I ducked through the curtain.
The room was darker than the outside, and relatively empty. Standing amid the racks of dark cloaks and assorted accessories was Harry, but instead of sporting his tired frown, I was surprised to see an awkward, though real, smile. Next to him was a woman about his age, perhaps younger, with long blond hair that was almost white, and work robes in a violent shade of purple. She was gesturing with her hands, her dangling green earrings flapping with every movement she made. Harry looked nervous, as if intimidated by the shock of bright colors, but seemed nonetheless happy. I stifled a giggle as I noticed she had tucked her wand behind her ear.
"But if I can prove that the Crumple-Horned Snorkack is real, the Ministry says it will give me a grant to do more research! I can only imagine the amount of research I could do with an actual grant! All of our old schoolmates would finally believe me! But the Ministry doesn't seem to think I'll be able to prove it exists anyway. I think they just told me that as a joke. And it would be a lot of work to do in addition to teaching, that could be a problem," the woman said in a vague, airy voice, as Harry nodded along politely. I tiptoed over to the pair as I wondered what on earth they were discussing.
"That's brilliant, Luna, really. I'm sure you'll prove them wrong," Harry offered, seeming dazed. I realized he probably hadn't understood a word she had just said. With a jolt he noticed me, standing a few feet behind his friend, and waved me over. She smiled peacefully as I took my place next to him, and noticed with a blink our similar eye color. "Luna Lovegood, meet Lily Evans, my relative. Lily, this is Luna. She was a year younger at Hogwarts." I shook her hand, feeling a little edgy around her innocent smile.
"You look like her," she said simply, as if stating the obvious. Confused, I looked to Harry, only to see him coughing dryly and looking at something around her ear. "Did you notice that, Harry?" He nodded.
"Yes, I did," he responded. I shifted, guessing correctly that they were discussing his dead fiancé.
"But she has your eyes," Luna continued, her tone bored, as if she had simply stumbled into the conversation. Fortunately, yet another new person interrupted us. However, it was not one who Harry knew either, apparently.
"Are you Harry Potter?" came the awed voice of a black-haired teenager, who looked about my age. She resembled Luna in some aspects, but looked noticeably more alert. Her wide blue eyes were lined with gold eye shadow, and her thin lips were smeared by neon pink lip gloss. I resisted the urge to gag. She licked her lips as she prowled through the curtain, focused completely on Harry and his scarred forehead. He bit his lip, looking away from the girl slinking towards him to Luna instead. "You are! Merlin that's hot!" I snorted, rolling my eyes at her LA American accent.
"This is my kid sister, Soleil," Luna commented, as if she had only just remembered that fact. The younger Lovegood smirked ferally at him, waggling her fingers seductively as she snapped her gum. Soleil wore a midriff-revealing tube top over freakishly low-riding, snug blue jeans, with a deep blue robe that stank of label fashion. She tore her eyes away from my son to glaze over my faded Quidditch jersey and loose cargo jeans, pausing to snicker and snap. "She was living in America with my cousins during the war and is going to Hogwarts for her seventh year." I swallowed my groan. I had to go to school with this tramp? I may be new in this decade, but was showing five inches of stomach really necessary? Honestly!
"Pleased to meet you, Harry," she cooed, extending her hand.
He stared blankly at her silver nails, not shaking her hand, before saying stiffly, "It was wonderful to see you, Luna. Good luck with teaching." He then sent an annoyed look at me from the corner of his eye, and turned on his heel and left the room, glaring at the floor.
Pop. I scowled at Soleil, who only smirked and twirled a strand of her hair, which I now noticed was streaked with blue. She raised a challenging eyebrow at me, which I ignored.
"Nice to meet you, Luna," I said politely, before following Harry out of the door. However, when I re-entered the main part of the shop, he was nowhere to be found. Remus was on the other side of the room, reviewing the many products, but my son was gone.
"He left," someone said gently from behind me. I looked to my right to see the two girls who had been surveying the girl's products earlier on. The one who had spoken was a refreshing brunette, who thankfully wasn't wearing a tube top, or tacky label robes.
"What?" I asked, startled. I wasn't good at meeting new people, and I'd just met enough new people to satisfy me for a lifetime. They smiled, nonthreatening and just nice. I spotted with a sigh of recognition their Hogwarts uniform robes, more importantly their Gryffindor patches.
"Your boyfriend. Dark hair, green eyes. He skittered out the door a minute or two ago," she elaborated, gesturing to the exit. I laughed at the irony. Incest, much? With my own shy smile, I responded,
"He's not my boyfriend, he's a distant relative, but thanks." They nodded, as I looked over at Remus again. He wasn't smiling, he just looked… pensive. They followed my gaze, and chuckled appreciatively.
"Remus Lupin, early forties, resuming his teaching post at Hogwarts, newly widowed, werewolf, figurehead of the second war, personal friend of Harry Potter, exceedingly intelligent, exceedingly attractive, exceedingly lonely," the blonde girl recited, causing me to nod absentmindedly. They giggled. "But I'm guessing you already knew that?"
"Parts of it, yes," I said, as Remus laughed lightly at the description on the side of a box. Shifting to face the two Gryffindors, I extended my hand. "Lily Evans," I added, and the brunette shook it heartily.
"Ella Dawson," she responded, before moving so the blond could introduce herself.
"Kristyn Winter." Like Ella, Kristyn wore nondescript clothing, a white skirt and a blue polo shirt, with her Hogwarts robe and a Chudly Cannons pin. She carried a Madame Malkin's bag, and had light brown eyes rimmed with green. "Are you going to Hogwarts?" she asked. I nodded.
"I just moved here," I lied, knowing that saying I was Harry Potter's mother from the past wouldn't go over well. "I've been living with cousins in France and I'm spending my remaining schooling at Hogwarts." Please don't notice I'm lying! They didn't. Ella nodded, her own hazel eyes focused.
"Did you go to Beauxbatons?" she asked. Kristyn began to snigger at the mention of the school.
I bit my lip. "Yeah."
She smirked and sent a look to her friend. "Is it true what they say about French guys?"
Coughing uncertainly, I shrugged and nodded. They cackled as I wondered what I had agreed to. Just a little nervous, my eyes once again sought out Remus, who was now standing by the door, watching us. As our eyes met I smiled, and he jerked his head towards the outside.
Ella stopped laughing first, and noticed my smile. "Do you live with Professor Lupin, or something?"
"For now, until we leave for school." Kristyn cleared her throat and scratched the back of her neck as Ella's eyebrows rose. I slid my hands into my pockets, after pushing a loose strand of my still shimmery hair behind my ears. A tiny part of me wished that I had at least gotten to go to Truth or Dare, whether James had embarrassed me or not. I had gotten Jem to make my hair all shiny, what a waste!
"Doesn't Professor Lupin live with Harry Potter?" Ella asked, her head tilted to the side.
I gulped. "Yeah," I admitted, chewing on my bottom lip. Both of their eyes widened, and Kristyn made the connection between my 'boyfriend' and my roommate. It was amusing to see her jaw drop. She looked quickly between the door and me, noticing my eye color.
"Your relative who just ran out is Harry Potter?" Kristyn asked in a stage whisper as Ella's smirk faded. How famous was Harry? Honestly, did that mean that future me had been famous too?
"Um… Harry's my cousin," I said in an uncertain voice. "On his mother's side." Ella smiled, curious. I suppose that was believable.
"Awesome," she muttered. Remus looked impatient, glancing at his watch.
"I better go," I said, gesturing to him. "I'll see you both on the train?" They nodded.
"Of course, look for us," Kristyn said. "It was nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, too. I'll see you soon." They waved as I walked away towards Remus. He opened the door for me and placed his hand on the small of my back to guide me through it. It was a familiar movement, one that he did in my time as well. It made me feel warm, as well as safe. It was interesting how one gentle touch made me feel closer to home. He gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder and took my gift box from me before asking who my new friends were. I answered quickly, easily.
This wasn't my Remy; he was older and more experienced and different. But he was still Remus Lupin and I saw glad to now someone was still around. I just needed to play catch up.
But twenty-five years was a long time to catch up.
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A/N: Wow, that's long. Anyway, I know this chapter was a tad repetitive, but next chapter should be better. I think it will be Lily on the train, but I don't know. And I know the whole name of Soleil is kind of stupid, but I felt like it, so deal.
Yeah, so currently there are a few leads for Lily: Draco, George, and Remus. And wait till she goes to school, that should be interesting, with new students and Snape. I think it will come quicker, since I know what I want to do. Laters! And please review!
Final Word Count: 5541