Disclaimer: Mmmm, nope, even if I were to change my name by Deed Poll; it still wouldn't be mine…
Updated: Monday 31st October 2005
Chapter 07: Rebels with a Cause
"You've got to be joking!" Remus spluttered at his friend in surprise. "You can't actually be considering taking Harry and Estella away from the safety of Grimmauld Place without Dumbledore's knowledge!"
"Better to ask for forgiveness, than permission," said Sirius simply, before Estella quickly cut him off.
"Like we'd even owe him an apology!" she snorted, unimpressed. "He's not our keeper! I doubt he'd even play that part in Quidditch!"
"You're right, kiddo, as usual!" said Sirius, nodding to his daughter in approval and grinning slightly at the unfathomable image of Dumbledore on a broomstick. Squaring his shoulders and looking at his friend, who was unconvinced, he continued. "There's a big wide world out there. Stop being so damn paranoid! They'll never be able to find us if we go somewhere Muggle."
Remus debated this for a moment before sighing. Catching the look in Sirius' eyes that habitually meant that the stubborn Animagus was not about to budge, he knew it was fruitless to protest. His friend, after all, did have a point. Hell, if Peter Pettigrew could hide himself away for 12 years, then surely they could manage going undetected at some obscure Muggle holiday spot for two weeks.
A decisive agreement and clear intention to plot their get away later, the group had returned to Grimmauld Place but a few minutes after the Weasleys. Everyone had been too busy consoling Mrs Weasley to notice the delay, and subsequently, the conspiring party were able to slip off up to Buckbeak's room without drawing attention.
After a brief brainstorming session, all had agreed to bring Tonks in on the coup. Sirius had left to go contact his clumsy cousin whilst Remus left the two teenagers to their excited preamble to see to the other arrangements. Neither teenager had gone on a proper vacation before, so now they could barely contain their excitement. Though Remus had expressed a desire to show Estella the cultural density of central Europe, and Sirius had wanted to track down tickets to that year's Quidditch World Cup, Harry and Estella's only request was that they went somewhere near a beach. When they had reconvened an hour later to finalise their plans, Sirius was still flabbergasted by the news.
"You mean to say neither of you have ever seen the coast?" Sirius was incredulous, and Remus had to avert his eyes away from his friend's glare. "You've both only ever seen Hogwarts, Hogsmeade and London?"
"Well, there was that time Moony took me to meet up with the Tonks' at the Muggle amusement park." Estella interjected quietly, sighing apologetically at Harry's slightly jealous look in her bid to alleviate the scrutiny her godfather was under. "Then the year we went to Reading… OK so we Portkeyed home each night… but it was pouring rain all weekend, I wouldn't have wanted to camp there anyway!"
Sirius did not seem too impressed by the idea of his kids being raised in 'gilded cages', as he called them. The Dursleys' actions, he could fathom… but Severus' decision to keep Estella so close to home was inexcusable.
"Next time I see the greasy-haired bat; Snivellus and I will be having words." Sirius growled scornfully, earning himself a bemused look from Harry and an indignant one from his daughter.
"He only wanted what was best for me, Dad." Estella sighed. "I bet you anything he was only acting on Dumbledore's orders too, you know."
"I think Estella may be right, Sirius." Remus said quietly. "Severus never expected to raise a child – you'd be quite surprised as to how often he looked to Albus or me, for advice."
"Well, if he was so amenable to taking your advice, why did you not advise him that it would have benefited my daughter to see a little of the world?" Sirius scowled. "Poor kid has spent 90 of her life inside a damn school, for crying out loud!"
"Come on, Sirius! You know Severus… he'd never come out and ask for help directly! It took me several years to figure out how to extend my input over Estella's upbringing without him telling me to sod off!" Remus pointed out before adding in a slightly lower tone. "Not to mention how long it took me to convince him to let Estella come stay with me overnight at the house!"
If possible, the look on Sirius' face darkened even further. While it was never anything that was openly discussed, it had not escaped Sirius' attention that the godfather of his child had gone to lengths to avoid the tyranny of the man legally entrusted to raise his daughter. It would have been easy, in Estella's younger years, for Severus to have constantly threatened to deny Remus access in order to keep them both in line. Why he allowed the man into Estella's life in the first place, only Severus knew; but Sirius couldn't help but wish things had been different. Had he had his way, he would have been the one to watch his daughter grow; and in absence of choice, Remus was the next best thing. He hated the implication that Severus had been granted such 'power' over child and godfather. That his child had not even gotten to see the room he and her mother had lovingly prepared for their daughter until she was close to Hogwarts age was an even larger injustice.
"Can we get back to planning our vacation?" Estella cut in tiredly. "Did you hear back from Tonks, or what?"
"Yeah, yeah…" Sirius nodded distractedly, his mind still wrapped up in the past, filled with images of his wife as she so lovingly prepared the room for their unborn child. "She'll meet us there."
'There' was a dilapidated old cottage in the wine regions of southern France. Set atop a cliff overlooking the ocean, the property had belonged to a distant Muggle relative of Remus', ensuring that it was all but untraceable by magical authorities. Remus, himself, had all but forgotten that he'd inherited the modest French abode. After he'd been bitten, the isolated property had been the place his parents would secure him during each full moon, and so its existence was not exactly associated with good memories.
The stone walls, he explained, had been reinforced during the first World War. Each window was fitted with heavy iron shutters that had not only secured the property against squatters, but also served to block out the light within during the air raids of World War II. It had been the perfect place for Remus to endure his transformations in the time before he'd started Hogwarts, and would thus be a safe place to hole up in.
Once upon a time, the house had served as a residence for the proprietors of a small vineyard. Though the acreage surrounding the beachside villa had since grown wild and intangible, giant cellars below the house belied its humbled beginnings. Remus assured them that there would be no shortage of things for them to do.
"Are you sure you do not wish to inform Albus of our plans?" Remus asked for the last time. "You will likely lose any credibility you have gained with the Order lately."
"I don't need them telling me how to raise my kids." Sirius scowled. "I don't care what they think. You and I both know that I wouldn't contemplate this if it wasn't safe; and that's all that matters."
"But are you sure we're taking every available precaution by keeping them out of the loop?" Remus frowned. "What if they need to get hold of us?"
"I've left a note and one of the mirrors." Sirius looked to Estella, who nodded in approval. "There'll be three fully trained wizards there at all times, which is a hell of a lot more than I can say for the 'protection' Harry had in Surrey. Living in plain sight of everyone with a half-blind Squib and blundering idiot like Dung to watch over him! If Dumbledore dares to pull me up on this when we get back I'll be sure to remind him of how safe that arrangement turned out to be!"
"Okay, Padfoot. You've made your point." Remus chuckled slightly, actually seeing sense in Sirius' logic for what could only be the first time. In all fairness, not even Grimmauld Place assured the children as much protection. When you took into consideration the ratio of children to adult and the varying amount of defence against the dark arts experience the trained wizards had, the expedition to France was a more than acceptable risk.
It was inevitable, however, that Dumbledore and the Order would be none too pleased with Sirius' decision to spirit the-boy-who-lived off to some unknown location for something as frivolous as a holiday. Had they tried to arrange something through the 'official' channels, the delays would have rendered the summer break over before they'd even had a chance to step out the door. As he had so bitingly remarked in the note he had charmed to appear to the first person who noticed them missing, Sirius was quick to point out that Harry was not some inhuman machine created to do their bidding. The trip, he reasoned – not that he felt he had to justify his decision, mind – would serve well in giving his young godson some perspective; an insight in all the things in life worth fighting for. Sure, Sirius didn't expect understanding or support, but one day they'd all thank him for his foresight. He was sure of it. Even a blind man could tell that the next few years were not going to be pretty, and that now was probably one of the last chances they – meaning Harry and Estella – would get to be kids.
Unsurprisingly, Sirius' mirror had come to life within an hour of the group reaching their destination. Luckily, Remus had not parted with the Portkey his parents had commissioned in his boyhood to take him to his monthly prison, and it was unlikely that anyone would think back that far when trying to track down where they'd gone. Knowing Sirius as they thought they did, the Order would covertly concentrate their search around loud, crowded tourist locations. Even though the Ministry couldn't do anything since, legally, Sirius was acting completely within his right; there were no illusions to be had about the reach of Dumbledore's influence. Anonymous contacts within the theme parks, both Muggle and Wizarding alike, would likely be put on alert, and an unofficial All-Portkeys-Bulletin would most definitely be placed on any last-minute bookings to the up coming Quidditch World Cup. Luckily, no one, except for maybe Remus, would be able to anticipate that Sirius Black would want to take his charges to a secluded, abandoned vineyard in the middle of nowhere.
Much to Dumbledore's chagrin, Sirius would not so much as hint as to where they were. Existing wards around the property that members from Remus' magical side of the family had erected countless years ago ensured that no locating spell would reveal them. Anti-Muggle wards were also a given, and because such magic was already known to the area, any incidental magic the adult visitors used whilst there would not draw the same attention as unexplained magic in a entirely Muggle area would. They were, effectively, a very small needle in a very large haystack.
"I'm going to stick the mirror in a drawer and walk away now, Albus." Sirius said lightly, though there was little humour in his voice. That the headmaster had reacted so adversely to Sirius' impromptu decision had disappointed him greatly. Did the venerable leader truly believe he would be so foolish as to needlessly risk the lives of his daughter and the boy he loved as a son? All right, so sneaking off without warning as they had done was not the best way to get a man's trust, but at the end of the day, Sirius had only done what he had been fully within his rights to do. He was a fully grown wizard. He didn't have to ask permission to take the children in his care away on a holiday.
"Sirius, please." The headmaster's voice was firm, his shimmering reflection betraying the lines of his aged flesh. "Just tell me where you are so I can dispatch a guard. I only want to ensure your safety, my dear boy."
"Thanks for the offer, Albus, but I do not feel that it is necessary." Sirius turned the offer down again, this time in clipped tones. "If you can't find us yourself, then no one else will."
"Are you suggesting a game of hide and go seek, Sirius?" The headmaster's eyes glinted slightly, though Sirius could not be sure if this was an inflection on the wizard's part, or just a play of light as it hit the mirror. "As much as I would like to indulge you, I'm afraid we're on the verge of war."
"Don't patronise me, Headmaster." Sirius scowled. "I want the kids to be kids while they still can, surely you can understand that? I do wish you'd just trust my judgement."
"Need I remind you of just how important Harry is?"
"No." Sirius said coldly. "Harry and Estella are the single most important things to me in my life. Prophecies be damned, Albus! Sometimes I think you forget that he's just a kid and deserves to have a childhood."
"Harry is too important to take unnecessary risks, Sirius." Albus sighed. "I remember going through the exact same thing with James when I heard he'd taken Harry up on a broom. I really do not wish to impose, Sirius, please believe me. I wish young Harry's childhood could be as rich and normal and rewarding as what he deserves, but unfortunately the weight of the entire Wizarding world lays on his shoulders."
"I know that." Sirius hissed through gritted teeth, biting his tongue less he really say something he'd regret. The man trying to exert his influence over him, as Harry's godfather, was one thing; but to try and tell James how to raise his own son? Suddenly, another reason for why James and Lily had chosen him to be the boy's godfather became increasingly apparent; anyone else would have been Dumbledore's puppet. Steeling himself, Sirius narrowed his eyes at the mirror. "I'm not going to let it stop Harry from having some semblance of normality anymore than James would. Ten years in a cupboard, Albus. A cupboard. You tell me, Dumbledore… what would Harry have had to fight for if that's all he had to go home to? You tell me!"
Sirius Black had achieved the impossible, for Albus Dumbledore was rendered speechless. A defeated, weary sigh, was all that could be heard as the battered-down looking old wizard averted his gaze.
"Marvellous concept, these mirrors," he said conversationally, changing the subject. "Do me a favour and at least keep it on your person, hmm? Just in case?"
"I was going to do that anyway, old man." Sirius shook his head in derision. "You may not think it of me right now, Albus, but I was not born an idiot."
"It was not my intention to in anyway imply that I thought you were." Albus said congenially. "I do not doubt the capabilities of those you have taken with you to protect the children. I was merely trying to impress upon you how eager everyone else is to assist you. If you do not wish to accept their help, then that is your choice. I cannot force you."
'Damn straight!' Sirius thought to himself, regarding the mirror in his hand for a moment before putting it down, severing the connection. Though Dumbledore had come to accept that Sirius was not going to divulge their whereabouts, the old wizard gave no inclination of either respecting Sirius' decision or trusting its safety. When the leader of the Order had admitted being unable to force Sirius' hand in this situation, the runaway Order member had to hold back from bitterly acknowledging that Dumbledore would most certainly have put an end to their plans had he known in advance or otherwise had a clue as to their location.
"So what did he say?" Remus let his presence be known just as Sirius shrunk the mirror and slipped it into a pocket of his Muggle shorts. The mid-August weather in the south of France was considerably warmer than either the urban sprawl of London or the rural highlands of Hogwarts. Thankfully, the thick stone walls and slate floors of the cottage kept the house airy and cool.
"Don't ask." Sirius shrugged, the grey-eyed man fidgeting with his wand in much the same way as his daughter.
"So, are we gonna go back and face the Spanish inquisition?"
"Spanish inquisition? Try the entire council for the International Confederation of Wizards." Sirius frowned. "Hopefully they'll be too taken by the fact the-boy-who-lived was able to go on a normal holiday and come home in one piece to get too mad at our 'blatant irresponsibility'."
"Dumbledore said that?" Remus cocked a brow.
"No, Molly Weasley." Sirius flinched at the memory. "Of all the people to notice us missing first…"
Remus laughed. "We'll get Howlers every day for the next year, I'm sure." He said flatly. Knowing the Weasley woman's temper, and her over protectiveness when it came to the boy she considered a seventh son, it was a distinct possibility. Both men flinched.
"Where are the kids?" Sirius asked conversationally. It would not do to dwell on the storm brewing back home when this was supposed to be their holiday.
"Upstairs fighting over bedrooms." Remus smirked. "Both want the room that faces the ocean."
"How many bedrooms are there?" Sirius asked.
"Three." Remus counted mentally in his head before answering. "Two upstairs, and one downstairs beside the kitchen."
"That porch, you mean?"
"It's enclosed!" Remus scowled. "It's a sunroom. My father enclosed it after I was bitten so I could have somewhere a little more open to go recover after the full moon. It gets the morning sun."
"I would never have guessed." Sirius said glibly, the wizard fully aware of the difference between east and west. "Well there are three bedrooms and five of us, so what, do they think we adults are going to sleep in the living room while they lord the upstairs?"
"Oh, I thought you would want to bunk with Harry and put Estella with Tonks" Remus sported a pensive look. "Just so there's a fully-trained wizard with each of them at all times."
"Not a bad idea." Sirius stroked his chin in consideration. "But I don't want them to think that they need that much protection here. They've been sharing a room at Headquarters, so it'll be best to keep things consistent, don't you think?"
"True." Remus nodded. "And I suppose if they share they can both have the front room."
"Well then it's settled." Sirius stood up. "Kids in the front room, you and me in the back room, and Tonks in the sunroom."
"You only just come to that conclusion?" Tonks said, stumbling into the room with a muffled crashing noise in her wake. Ducking her head back the way she came, she assessed the damage. "No worries, Remus, just knocked over a broomstick… or two."
"I'll stick them in the closet." Remus promised. "You stake out the sunroom, then?"
"Yeah, I got here a few minutes before you did. The Muggle trains are a lot faster than they used to be." Tonks informed them. To cover their tracks, Tonks had journeyed to France by Muggle methods, catching a train to the closest village from where Remus had given her detailed directions. The purpose of the exercise was to familiarise one of them with a viable alternate escape route, should magical means of transportation be compromised. Handing Sirius a handful of train timetables, who accepted them with a nod and banished them to a desk drawer, Tonks continued. "I figured that you'd both probably want to be closest to the kids, and that you wouldn't stick 'em in the sunroom because it's not part of the main structure."
The room in question was, in fact, a converted veranda and comparatively exposed when compared to the thick stone walls and reinforced doors of the original structure.
It was a simple cottage, with a large, provincial-style country kitchen - complete with a wide stone stove, a simple, but sturdy, kitchen table - overlooking the overgrown garden, and two formal rooms at the front. The smaller of the downstairs rooms – the one they were in now – was a cosy little study that doubled as the warmer of the two living areas in winter. The desk Sirius had been sitting at faced the window overlooking the ocean. Bookshelves, which had seen better days, lined the walls; most of the books having been picked off by descendants or lost to age. A battered leather couch with matching armchairs surrounded a fireplace on the exterior wall, while French doors on the back wall led to what was now the sunroom, which also had a small door connected to the kitchen.
The main room, which incorporated both the front door and staircase - which was carved into the stone on the far wall and bracketed by heavy oak balustrades - had a open airy feel to it. Following Remus out of the room as he saw to levitating the fallen brooms and directing them to a cupboard under the stairs, Sirius leaned against the out-of-tune upright piano that sat between the study door and front entrance, whilst Tonks propped herself up on the closed lid. Large, comfortable, lived in couches were positioned in a horseshoe in the middle of the room, each one taking advantage of the view afforded them by the large shuttered window. A few bookshelves and a closet lined the outside wall; the stairs carved into it making it appear as though people going up or down the stairs were walking atop the shelves themselves. At the bottom of the staircase, in the corner, was a large wooden cupboard filled, as Remus explained, with Muggle board games and other assorted oddments, and a half-finished Muggle chess set sat neglected on a small table.
Pacing around the room as Remus quietly detailed some of the property's amenities, Sirius took stock of the rustic décor. Heavy, musty floor rugs covered most of the floor around the couches in an abundance of earthy, dark colours. The contrasting textures of the textiles and mismatching upholsteries on the couches had Sirius itching to transform into Padfoot and explore. Upon closer inspection, the dark-haired Marauder could detect evidence of Moony's habitation around the room. The thick, crocheted throws on the couches cleverly disguised the places in which the werewolf had torn the stuffing out of the old chairs, and had he the inclination to look, Sirius was sure he'd detect the faint aroma of old blood on the dark floor coverings. Following Remus' eyes as they unconsciously took in specific points in the room, Sirius could recognise evidence of scarring on the dark stone walls where Moony had likely clawed at the stone.
Looking up at the imposing iron chandelier, from which oil lanterns hung, suspended from the ceiling that reached as far as the roof of the property, Sirius was appreciative to note that Tonks had apparently put her head start to good use, already having gotten a start on the cleaning. The light fixture and exposed beams of the roof above would surely have been matted in cobwebs, otherwise. No sooner had Remus and Tonks followed Sirius' line of sight, did movement above their heads grab their attention. The front bedroom, which was above the low-ceilinged study, had an interior window overlooking the lower level of the house. Estella had just flung open the privacy shutters and stuck her head out.
"We've decided." Estella announced to the adults below. "Harry and I are going to share this room. You lot can fight it out for the rest."
Rolling his eyes at the man he considered a brother, Sirius winked at Tonks before addressing his daughter. Tilting his head back and amplifying his voice so that it would carry, Sirius proceeded to do his best Kreacher impersonation.
"Mistress has made her wishes clear," said Sirius, trying not to laugh and ruin the effect. "Mistress is making a wise decision."
"Mistress is going to short sheet your bed and put flies in your tea." Estella scowled playfully, disappearing from the window to hurl a projectile – a shoe – at her father. In her place, Harry appeared, his face staring down at them with a look of disbelief.
Playing along, Remus adopted a snivelling, submissive pose. Catching the shoe before it could clip Sirius in the head, he beamed. "Oh, Mistress is giving me clothes! I's free!"
"You're free? Well go on, sod off then." Sirius snorted and clipped his friend over the back of the head in amusement; hardly missing a beat. Gaping at the smirking Animagus in shock, Remus promptly retaliated by hitting him with the shoe in his hand. Tonks, meanwhile, was doubled over in laugher and clutching the edge of the couch for support.
"Stop it, stop it. You're too much. The pair of you." She made out, her sentences short as she gasped for breath. "Keep it up and I'll hex your robes into giant pillow cases and make you be our house elves all week!"
Harry looked behind him for a moment, and when he looked back, Estella had squeezed beside him.
"Oh Tonks, would you?"
"Don't you dare." Sirius growled, glaring at his cousin. The effect was lost, however, when he wrestled the shoe from Remus' pliant hand and brandished it at his cousin. "Trust me when I say you do not wish to wage war on the Marauders."
"Sorry guys," Tonks conceded, looking up at the two teenagers apologetically. "They out number me two to one. Maybe when you guys are old enough to use magic outside of school we could get together like this again and even out the playing field."
"For now, how's about we make this place liveable while those of you who can't use magic go check out the crosswind." Remus suggested after getting a nod of approval from Sirius. After years of friendship, certain intentions need not be conveyed verbally.
With the anti-Muggle wards that had been imposed all those years ago to keep innocent people away from what they thought to be a mythological creature on the full moons, it was perfectly acceptable for the holidaying wizards to fly within the boundaries of the property.
"Stay directly above the house for now." Sirius cautioned Harry as he emerged from the room upstairs to run across the exposed landing and down the stairs. "I want to make a sweep of the perimeter and make sure all the wards are in place before we get too carried away."
"Well if you're worried about the wards, Sirius, maybe I should wait." Harry suggested half-heartedly. Though his voice sounded sincere enough when offering to stay indoors, the fact he was out of breath from running downstairs and was now standing in front of his godfather with his broomstick in his hands made his true intentions known.
"No that's all right, Harry. Just stay above the house where we can hear you, OK?" Sirius nodded his assent. "There's not a Muggle within miles of here anyway."
"Well great, what am I supposed to do, then?" Estella had followed Harry down the stairs, albeit at a much more languid pace. "Don't even suggest helping you clean without magic. That'd be like a detention!"
"Well you're quite welcome to go flying with Harry," Remus said, his voice hopeful. "Or you could take a book off the shelf and sit outside in the sun."
"In other words, get out of the house." Estella rolled her eyes before going to where Remus had pointed towards the bookshelves and perusing the titles.
While Harry waited impatiently by the front door for Estella to choose a book, Remus fired a sun-repelling charm in their directions. By the time Estella had chosen, Remus was going over helpful cleaning charms with the adults and planning a course of action since he knew the place best. Sirius, who'd transformed into Padfoot in an attempt to get out of cleaning, was the first to notice that Estella also had her broom with her as she headed towards the front door.
"Just in case Harry needs assistance." Estella said uncomfortably, her cheeks heating up under the scrutiny of the now-attentive adults. She was already out the door and yelling at Harry to not fly into the sun; so she missed the meaningful look the two Marauders gave each other.
Once outside, Estella watched as Harry took to the air enthusiastically before seeking out a shady spot to sit. Settling for a flat, exposed root of a large fruit tree, Estella leant back against the trunk and stared in confusion at the broom in her hand. She'd not missed the looks the adults had given her when they'd seen her with it; and now she was actually outside she couldn't work out just what possessed her to grab it. On a subconscious level, Estella supposed that the returned memory had awoken her childhood enthusiasm. Grabbing the broom had almost felt like second nature, even though she could only count the number of times she'd flown on one hand.
Confronted now with these conflicting memories – the one that was so recently returned to her, and the ones she grew up with - Estella was at a loss. Instinct had her grab her broom and follow Harry out into the yard. Logic, on the other hand, held her back. If she were simply to act without thinking, Estella supposed that she'd be quite competent in the air; much how she had previously cast her fear aside in the interests of experimentation and necessity. The only problem was, that when not distracted and compelled by a greater force, her mind had a way of catching up with her, reminding her of the implanted fear. Had Estella possessed a greater inclination towards Gryffindor behaviour, she probably would have thrown caution to the wind and pushed herself to fly. As a Ravenclaw, however, she sat, and she stewed.
'This is ridiculous! It was never even my fear!' she tried to convince herself. 'I should just do it…'
Setting the broom aside in frustration, Estella turned her attention towards the book she'd brought out with her. Unable to get into the text, she quickly cast the book aside, frowning. She was increasingly beginning to realise that if she didn't do something to resolve matters soon, it was going to make her crazy. Still, dismissing a fear simply because you'd realised that you'd not always had that phobia was easier said than done… or was it? Maybe if she just did it without preamble, the childhood fascination that Remus' spell had taken from her, would dominate. Scowling in frustration, Estella tapped the heavy, open, book on her knee to the point of distraction. With a sigh, Estella acknowledged that there would only be one way to find out, either way.
With three wands at play, the three adults made short work of getting the cottage in order. Dust was banished, furniture repaired, and crisp clean linens were transfigured onto the beds. The oil-fuelled lanterns that hung from the ceilings and the wax candles that were affixed to the walls were charmed to respond to magic – never burning low – and the rotting wood in the kitchen's stove was replaced with an Ever-Burn Log.
The bathroom, which was upstairs above the sunroom, consisted of a chamber pot and basin. A single tap on the exterior wall drew water from a small tank directly above them. Remus had to explain how the house had not been updated since it was built in the late nineteenth century. The chamber pots were traditionally emptied by hand into a long-drop in the far corner of the property and the house's water supply came from an outdoor well. Many derivatives of 'swish and flicks' later, and the adults' voices were hoarse from over use. The bathroom now appeared before them as a period Muggle bathroom, complete with indoor plumbing. Instead of being physically linked to any Muggle water supply, however, the water was summoned directly from the natural underground water source, and the human waste, simply banished with each flush. A visiting Muggle would simply assume that the property had installed a septic tank and water pipes.
Back downstairs, the adults lingered in the kitchen to magically set a light stew on the stove to simmer, before grabbing their brooms and heading outside to be with the children.
"You know, you would have made a great Charms Professor." Sirius complimented his best friend, still in awe by the werewolf's wand work indoors.
"Nonsense. Lily was always better than me." Remus was modest to a fault. "To be quite honest with you, Sirius, I made a point of looking the charms up before we left."
"Tsk, tsk, Mr Moony." Sirius wagged his finger at his fellow Marauder. "A Marauder never gives away his secret!"
"Well if that's the case then, Mr Padfoot, Mr Moony will not be sharing the locations of the secret tunnels with his company."
The house, incidentally, sat atop an expansive natural cave system. When the property was first built, the tunnels stretching out of the property were sealed off, with the web of caverns within the vineyard's boundaries converted into a distillery. On the furthest inland corner of the estate, a wide cave entrance made it possible for heavy barrels and casks to be rolled into the underground depths. All that remained there now, as Remus had explained to them all earlier that day, was a indistinguishable rubble of stones from where the stables and trade room had been blown up by an aerial bomber, causing the cave entrance to cave in. The only known entrance that remained, therefore, was a trapdoor in the kitchen.
Some cracks and crevices in the caves led to other unexplored cave systems, but these were largely impassable by grown adults and impossible to map inclusively. The entire property was atop a cliff overlooking the ocean, and it had been whilst exploring the cliff face at low tide, that a young, nimble Remus had traced the source of the well's freshwater. Small, and able to fearlessly crawl into extremely tight places, Remus had found a heated natural spring and a cool, underground river separate from the caverns his family knew about. Having lost track of time on one of these repeat expeditions, Remus' parents had begun a search, and it was from following the sound of his father's voice that he'd been able to find a section of rock that had only barely separated his special place from the main cave his father was searching.
Remus had never told his parents of this discovery, and had marked the location in the main cavern with the intent to return one day when he was older to create an entrance to the underground pool. The Lupins had only vacationed at the humble dwelling for a few weeks each summer, and so he knew he'd not always be able to access the underground spring from the narrow crag in the cliff face. Shortly after that particular trip, however, Remus had been bitten, and the family never holidayed there again because of its new use as the werewolf's pen. When the cursed student had been granted exclusive use of the Shrieking Shack for his transformations, Remus had been glad to see the back of this place and, much like Sirius' feelings towards his ancestral home, had never intended to return.
Circumstances do, however, have a funny way of changing one's mind about such things. Now Remus was here again with the people he considered family; the long-forgotten excitement and sense of adventure he'd once felt whilst there was slowly returning to him. The passage of time and the years he'd had to accept his curse as a werewolf softened his memories. Though he'd never be able to get the image of waking up from his first ever transformation to the sight of his blood everywhere and the room trashed, Remus found that coming back to the cottage with people again drove away the feelings of despondency and abandonment that echoed off the stone walls.
Looking around at the perfect blue sky and feeling the cool sea spray on his cheek as they overlooked the ocean, Remus could not think of a better place to go to get away from the perils of the world. Beside him, Sirius and Tonks felt the same, and they all drew satisfaction from the sight of the 'Dark Lord's Most Wanted' flying around them without a care in the world. Estella, they found propped against a tree in the shade, her book propped up on her knees forgotten as she soaked up the ambience of the world before her. Seeing her watching Harry's actions intently, her broom propped up against the tree behind her, Sirius sauntered over, singing softly.
"Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away…" he crooned, placing her broom before her where she could reach and waving his own broom around like a microphone stand.
"No thanks." Estella turned him down gently, though her eyes were brimming with mirth at her father's antics. "Maybe later; it's, er, too warm."
"Suit yourself." Sirius shrugged, not wanting to push the matter. "Though may I suggest you'll have a much better view on the roof."
"In the full sun?" Estella cocked a brow at him.
"Well Moony's been a whiz at Charms today, I'm sure he could surround you with a shade charm." Sirius offered, gesturing towards her broom gently. "Take you two seconds to fly up there. It's not like you've never sat on a roof before."
Choosing not to point out the probable absence of the anti-gravity wards that ensured she'd never fall off the roof at home, Estella shrugged. "How about I see what I can and cannot see from here and see how I go?"
"She sells sea shells by the sea shore." Remus quipped, coming up alongside his brother Marauder, having caught Estella's last comment. "Come on, Padfoot, leave her be. She'll come up on her own steam when she sees how much fun we're having."
Estella made a face at her godfather and shooed her father away, both men mounting their brooms with practiced ease and kicked off to join Harry, who was currently being pursued by Tonks. Soon enough, everyone was too wrapped up in their airborne game of tag to pay the grounded girl any mind, and she found herself yearning to be a part of the action. Tucking her book into the waist of her shorts, Estella rose and dusted herself off. Casually checking to make sure no one's eyes were on her, she calmly bid her broom to rise and mounted it slowly. If anyone were to see her mounting at that moment, only to see her back out two feet off the ground and land, Estella feared she'd not live it down. No, it was best to play her cards close to her chest until she was a little surer of herself.
Before anyone had even noticed, Estella had reached the rooftop. Sitting peacefully on the shaded side of the gable, leaning against the worn terracotta shingle, she marvelled at what she had just so impulsively done. Choosing not to dwell on how she was going to get down, she cast her eyes on her surroundings. From here, she had an interrupted view of the rest of the group as they circled the perimeter of the grounds, Remus' voice carrying across the wind in an inaudible whisper as he pointed out various landmarks to the others.
As dusk began to fall, the flying troupe landed by the tree Estella had been under, all ready to call it a day and head inside for some dinner. Shortly after the four heads had ducked inside, Estella had to bite back a chuckle as she heard the calls of her father below, the lone Animagus unable to find her. On a whim, her father came back outside, broom still in hand, and he circled the back garden directly below her.
Calling her name with increasing urgency, the puzzled expression on his face slowly turned to one of panic. Choosing to put the man out of his misery, Estella smiled malevolently as an idea came to mind. Hefting the book in her hand, Estella took aim, her quiet sniggering escalating into full-blown laughter as the light book hit its target.
"What the?" Sirius rubbed the back of his shoulder and looked down at the book in confusion. Upon hearing his daughter's laughter, however, he spun around and followed the path of the book's trajectory. "How did you get up there?"
"You don't have a very good memory, do you?" Estella leered at her father playfully. "I did what you suggested. I've been up here ever since Harry won that first race."
"What? What?" Sirius spluttered, his behaviour drawing the rest of the occupants out of the house, who now looking up at her, barely able to contain their laughter. Unlike Sirius, they had each noticed her watching them from her vantage point on the roof whilst they had been airborne. "You flew?"
"No. I jumped." Estella deadpanned. "Of course I flew!"
"You scared the living daylights out of me!" Sirius half scowled. "We couldn't find you!"
"Not my problem you didn't think to look up." Estella smirked. "Besides, you should have listened to Moony. He told you not to worry, didn't he?"
"Yes." Sirius acquiesced before the ramifications of that statement hit him full force and he spun around to glare at his friend. "You knew?"
Remus ducked Sirius' jelly legs hex and bolted into the house, calling out after him something about dinner being ready. Wary of the same retribution, Tonks and Harry were hot on his heels. Sirius remained, staring up at his daughter with an odd expression on his face. Pocketing his wand and bringing his broom into a mounting position, he grinned.
"You're so going to pay for that."
"You'll have to catch me first." Estella squeaked, rolling away from her father's sight and onto her broom in one fluid movement.
Sirius, who had been preoccupied on his ascent and busy dismounting his broom on the roof to notice what she'd done, was astonished to see Estella already on the ground. He'd fully expected to peer over the gable she'd rolled behind to find her crouching in wait. Not many people dared to mount their broom in a roll like that. Most generally assumed that it couldn't be done that way. But then again, Estella wasn't most people, and she knew slightly more about a broom's capabilities than the average person. More than likely, Sirius realised, his daughter had no idea of the significance of what she'd just pulled off.
She'd just outplayed a Marauder.
By the time Sirius had gotten over his surprise and followed his daughter down to the ground, Estella had already made her way through the kitchen door and was seated at the kitchen table next to Harry, helping herself to some bread as though nothing had happened. Walking past her on his way to put his broom away in the closet, Sirius paused to ruffle Harry's hair and kiss the top of Estella's head.
"You win." He muttered into her hair, his hand squeezing her shoulder proudly as he passed. Sirius didn't need to look his daughter in the face to see that she was smiling broadly at his admission.
Later that night, after the dishes had been cleared away and charmed to wash themselves in the sink; the Marauders and their guests pulled on some warmer clothes and adjourned to the roof for some star gazing. Having been the only person who had spent parts of his childhood in the region, Remus was intimately aware of the spectacular vantage point the rural location afforded them. As comprehensive as the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts was, there was just no overcoming the bright lights that resonated from the castle's windows, or the habitual fog and cloud cover that characterised the local climate. Here by the beach, however, once the shutters on the cottage's windows were closed, there was not a man-made light to be found for as far as the eye could see. The Mediterranean climate too, was partial to clear, summer skies, and so the urbanised travellers were in for a treat.
"Wow!" Estella sat between her father and godfather, her mouth agape as her eyes darted across the horizon, taking in the sight. "I'd heard about this, but, my goodness!"
"Wow!" Harry mirrored Estella's sentiment from where he sat on the other side of Sirius, leaning against the chimney.
Tonks, sitting next to Remus, shrugged nonchalantly.
"What's a star other than a giant ball of gas by another name?" she said, earning herself a glare from no less than four turned heads.
"Are you saying Sirius here is a giant ball of gas?" The corners of Remus' mouth twitched, and he was thankful that Estella sat between himself and the object of his taunts.
"Well I don't know." Tonks played along, leaning towards Remus conspiringly. "For your sake, I hope not. You're the one who has to share a room with him."
"Moony, if we weren't on a rooftop I'd swear to Merlin I'd hex you two ways to Sunday!" Sirius growled, though there was little real threat to his voice.
The playful jabs flew back and forth between the five kindred spirits. For the next few hours, they took turns with the retractable telescopes Estella and Harry both had in their school trunks and made up stories about the constellations. While Sirius filled the teenager's heads with stories of the Marauder's Astronomy lessons, Remus, on the other hand, was virtually unaware of the other's presence. He was far too busy slipping into full on 'professor mode', answering all of Tonks' questions.
Ever the Marauder, Sirius could not prevent himself from nudging the two teenagers and gesturing towards the oblivious werewolf and Metamorphagus as though there was something brewing between the two. While Harry was inclined to shooting his godfather a knowing look and hum along to the refrain of 'Tonks and Moony sitting in a tree…', Estella could only shake her head.
"Uncle Remus," she nudged the man gently, trying to get his attention. "Remus… Moony!"
"Huh? Oh yes, Estella, would you like your telescope back?" Remus offered politely, as though he hadn't just been ignoring her calls.
"Oh, yes Moony, I would like my telescope back." Estella drawled sarcastically, waving the telescope she'd gotten back from the man no less than ten minutes previously in front of his face.
"Oh." Remus blinked confusedly at the telescope, at Estella, and then at the smirking Sirius and Harry along the line.
Early the next day, Sirius and Remus set about locating the blocked entry point to the underground spring. While they were vacationing, the pair had also gotten it into their heads to set themselves the challenge of trying to map the trafficable corridors of tunnels. The plan, ultimately, was to create a security device not unlike the Marauder's Map of Hogwarts. As they planned to trace the route of each tunnel, those thoroughfares that were deemed either unsafe or unpassable would be magically sealed for added security. For now, however, the two surviving Marauder's plans were more intent on creating an entrance.
"It's got to be around here somewhere! I marked the stone quite clearly!" Remus was frowning at the outcrop of rocks on the far end of one of the cellar's smaller caverns. "I can only hope the marking did not wear away. If I could have made a marking with magic, I would have just made the hole."
"I can't see how it could have eroded, Moony. There's no draft to speak of." Sirius shook his head. "It's got to be… ah… is this it?"
"Yes!" Remus scurried over to his friend and inspected the unnatural marking on the rock. It was little more than a stick exiting from a small hole Remus had been able to spy his father through that eventful day in his youth. "This is the thinnest wall between the two chambers."
"All right then, let's get this broom in the air." Sirius rolled up his sleeves. While the weather above ground was sunny and dry, the temperature below was consistently cool and damp. "This oasis of yours better be all it's cracked up to be." He turned his head towards the trapdoor leading to the kitchen, where Estella, Harry and Tonks were attempting to bake a cake. "Fire in the hole!"
"'Fire in the hole', Sirius?" Remus assumed a battle stance and levelled his wand at the stone.
"Sorry, Moony, always wanted to say it." Sirius admitted sheepishly, mirroring his friend's position. Since his reintroduction into the world, the pardoned convict had taken a particular liking to Muggle action movies. "On the count of three?"
"One…"
"Two…"
"Three…"
"What the!" Three indignant voices cried out as the earth shook in protest. Up on ground level, in the kitchen, Tonks had been caught unaware by the blast and thrown a bag of flour in the air.
Emerging from the trapdoor covered in masonry dust, Remus and Sirius came up for air. Upon seeing Tonks and their two charges covered head to toe in flour, Remus could not help but summon his camera.
"The, er, cellar will be off limits until we get it sorted." Sirius climbed out of the floor and began dusting himself off as Remus started snapping photos of the willing extroverts.
"That's all right, Padfoot." Harry ruffled his scruffy black hair, causing a cloud of flour to rise above his head. "The cake will be… delayed."
"Right then." Remus said decisively. "Shift change. Padfoot, you help the kids with the cake. Tonks, do you mind helping me finish up down here?"
"Not at all." Tonks smiled brightly and dropped into the trapdoor beside Remus. Unsurprisingly, the clumsy Metamorphagus lost her footing on the ladder and disappeared, completely missing the meaningful look Sirius had exchanged with the two teenagers at Remus' suggestion.
"I'm all right!" she called out from the depths below as several sets of eyes crowded around the trapdoor to assess the possible damage.
"Are you sure it's safe to have Tonks down there with you?" Harry whispered to his former defence professor worriedly. "What if she trips and sends a Reductor curse at the roof?"
"Oh I'm sure she won't trip, Harry." Sirius smirked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Moony will hold her hand, won't you Moony?"
Scowling at his friend, Remus shook his head and disappeared down into the cellar. Watching the dim glow of Remus' wand light disappear as he made his way deeper into the cavernous space below, Sirius returned his attention to the state of the kitchen. "So, are we baking a cake or what?"
Many cleaning charms and non-magical curses later, and the smell of chocolate cake baking in the oven lured the sweet-toothed Moony and Tonks out from the cellar.
"Is that cake I smell?" Remus leapt out of the cellar trapdoor enthusiastically, his nose leading him to sniff around the oven like his lupine alter ego.
"Duh." Estella was sitting upon the counter, swinging her legs against the cupboards as she made short work of a Popsicle. "Thank goodness for cooling charms, else the heat in here would be unbearable! When can we go for a swim?"
"Yeah," Harry chimed in, his head appearing from around the door of the charmed ice box as he pulled an armful of Butterbeers from its depths. "Did you find the spring?"
"Of course!" Remus scorned. "It's just how I remember it. Tonks was insightful enough to make a little… adjustments…"
"Well come on then, let's go!" Sirius downed the Butterbeer Harry had handed him and stood from where he'd been perched on the corner of the kitchen table. Placing the bottle on the table behind him, he reached out to Estella who was sitting on the counter opposite him. Helping her hop down from the counter, the three dark-haired occupants of the room looked towards the trapdoor.
"Can't we have the cake first?" Remus pouted.
"What, and then have to wait 45minutes before swimming?" Estella shook her head. "No way."
"Besides, it will need time to cool." Harry informed the disappointed chocoholic, crossing the kitchen to switch the oven off and pull the cake out.
Leaving said cake out to cool, everyone rushed to their respective rooms to fetch their towels and swimwear. To ensure each other's privacy, Sirius had transfigured parchment into a pair of matching privacy screens, behind which each teenager in his care could dress in their shared room.
"Should have packed some Gillyweed." Estella sighed as she headed down the stairs in step with Harry. "We could have explored the depths of the spring."
"Neither of you will do any such thing." Remus cautioned them from behind. "You could easily get swept up in an undercurrent and be taken into a chamber with no air above water level."
"Like being trapped under the ice on a frozen lake?" Estella shuddered, faltering a little in her step.
Coming up alongside her, Remus wrapped an arm around her shoulder and smiled reassuringly at her. "You'll be fine, so long as you stay close to us." He kissed the top of her head. "No testing to see how deep it is, all right?"
"Or testing to see how long you can hold your breath." Sirius was slightly out of breath as he struggled to catch up with them. "Moony has enough grey hairs."
"Yes, Dad." Estella giggled as she felt her godfather stiffen in indignation. Darting forward, she stole past the two men and chanced a mischievous look over her shoulder. "Last one to the trapdoor gets the last piece of chocolate cake!"
As predicted, Sirius and Remus leapt forward, their wide frames too broad to stand alongside each other on the modest staircase, resulting in an overdramatic display of playful pushing and shoving. That is, until, halfway down the stairs Sirius launched himself over the balustrade and tore ahead of his unfortunate friend.
Once down in the cellar, Remus led them to the opening leading to the underground water source. Though they had already trailed the cliff-side path down to the shoreline; the razor-sharp rocks and volatile tides made the inexperienced swimmers reluctant to swim in the open sea. Both children had only ever swam in a confined body of water, and after a brief experimentation, were particularly unnerved by saltwater.
The 'adjustments' Tonks had made to the natural swimming pool were purely aesthetic. The walls and domed ceiling of the room glittered with the abundance of twinkling lights, giving the mossy rocks on the water's edge and the misty steam coming off the tempered water a mystical, other-worldly feel. Along one wall, comfortable all-weather lounges provided seating, and a towel rack gave them a place to hang their towels. After an unfortunate incident that, as Remus explained on the way down, saw Tonks slip on some moss and fall into the water, anti-slipping charms on the floor gave the adults peace of mind. There was no need to add to the scars on Harry's head, they said.
"So, can we just…" Estella looked to her godfather for confirmation, but was cut off as her father tore past her and, in spectacular fashion, transformed into Padfoot in mid-air as he leapt into the water. "…jump in?"
"Only from that rock over there." Remus pointed to where Sirius had leapt from. Harry was in the water before he even had a chance to put his hand down.
Watching the big black dog paddle around his godson, whose glasses Remus had charmed to stay dry and on the boy's face, Estella loitered at the water's edge. Sitting on a mossy rock, she dangled her feet in the water, content to watch the pair play. In her peripheral vision, Remus was helping Tonks walk down a natural stair in the rock face, slowly entering the sparkling depths. As she watched the unlikely couple sink into the water, Estella didn't notice her father's appearance at her feet.
"Hello, Padfoot," Estella chuckled and leant forward to pat the panting canine on the head. Before she knew what was happening, Sirius had transformed and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the water. She screamed.
"It's okay, I've got you." Sirius laughed, a strong arm holding her above water until she found her bearings.
"That's what I'm worried about." Estella retorted, worming out of her father's grip and kicking off from the wall to swim away.
Sirius, however, had other plans, and pulled her back by her foot. Estella was helpless as he lifted her up like a rag doll and threw her towards the centre of the pool. The sounds of splashing and laughter echoed off the walls.
The day flew by in much the same manner. After a late morning tea of chocolate cake, the five spent the afternoon sunning themselves in the garden and gorging on tropical fruit. By the end of it, Remus was sure they'd return the following summer to find the garden full of trees. The pits from the array of peaches, apricots and other assorted stone fruit they had been ingesting had soon found themselves as projectiles in a impromptu turf war.
Dinner was a light affair of French pastries Tonks had picked up. Being a Metamorphagus, she was free to disguise herself and Apparate to the nearest Muggle village to replenish their supplies. The others relied on her to introduce them to as many of the local tastes and experiences as possible because none of them had any intentions of leaving the security of the wards. Having exhausted herself swimming, shopping and maintaining a consistent 'face', Tonks was the first to retire for the night, shortly followed by Estella.
"Are you all right, cub?" Remus sat on the edge of his goddaughter's bed and smoothed her covers under her chin. "It's still quite early. Are you sure you're feeling ok?"
"I'm fine, Moony. Tired, is all." Estella yawned widely to prove her point. Weeks spent cooped up within a musty house in London had clearly taken its toll on her stamina. "Had a late night last night, after all, and I don't know about you, but today wiped me out."
"Tomorrow it will only get better." Remus leant down and kissed her forehead. "I promise."
Remus had just been about to leave the room and call for Sirius, who was in the middle of being taught to play the Muggle boardgame 'Clue' by Harry downstairs, when Estella called him back. He looked at her curiously, mentally ticking off his list to try and figure out if he had forgotten something.
"Do you like Tonks?" Estella asked bluntly as Remus resumed his seat on her bed.
Almost leaping to his feet at the shock of the question, Remus settled for turning his head away, his cheeks flushed. "What makes you say that?"
"Well, whether or not you realise it, whenever you're in the room with her it's like you forget the rest of us are even here." Estella pointed out. "Not that there's a problem with that or anything. I'm just curious."
"Your father put you up to this, didn't he?" Remus looked at her levelly, the question of how easily Sirius had stayed behind while Remus went to tuck Estella in suddenly being answered.
"No." Estella assured him. "But I am sure he'll corner you himself when he gets the chance. You're being kinda obvious."
"I am?" Remus furrowed his brow. He'd not been consciously aware that there was any particular chemistry between himself and his best friend's young cousin. That everyone else seemed to be noticing it unnerved him slightly. He had half a mind to chalk it down to the fact that none of them had ever really seen him interact with a member of the opposite sex, but something stopped him. It had been so long since he had last pursued a relationship, what if he had blinded himself to the signs? His deepening musings were cut off by his goddaughter's continuing line of questioning.
"So? Do you like her, or are you, like, like this around any chick?" Estella sat up in her bed and looked her godfather in the eye. "Cause it's okay if you want to get yourself a girlfriend. I never really thought of it before, but I guess I kinda took up a lot of your time…"
Astounded by his goddaughter's frankness, Remus searched for the right words. "Estella… I don't know what brought this on, but I assure you I did not put my life on hold in any way when I chose to be a part of your life."
"Oh, so did you date and never introduce me to your girlfriends then?"
"What?" Remus spluttered, inwardly hoping that Sirius had not cast an eavesdropping charm, else he'd never get any sleep that night. Taking a deep breath to steel himself, he tried to explain. "I can't expect you to understand this, Estella, but entering into a relationship with someone has never been something I've really paid a lot of thought to."
"Oh, so you don't want to date Tonks, then?" Estella quirked a brow.
"That's not what I said." Remus shook his head.
"So you do! I knew it!" Estella smiled widely.
"I didn't say that either!" Remus was getting frustrated. How was he supposed to answer these questions when he didn't even know the answers himself? "Estella you must understand that it's not exactly easy for a person of my… of my… disposition… there's not a lot a person like me can offer a woman-"
"A werewolf, you mean?" Estella narrowed her eyes. She knew her godfather was talking about a werewolf's inability to father children or hold down steady employment. He nodded. "So, like, what, you thought you'd just take yourself off the market? Deny yourself any chance-"
"What chance could I possibly have?" Remus whispered hoarsely, unable to believe his own ears that he was confiding such matters to his goddaughter. "Whether or not I like a person doesn't matter, Estella. It's what's best for them that is important."
"Yes, but if they…" she looked at her godfather pointedly. "…and I think we both know who 'they' is… if they know you're a werewolf from the beginning, then don't you think you're being a little hard on yourself? I may not really know much about relationships, but I sure as hell know that there's more to them than being able to have children or be a provider. If that's all there was to it, why, my grandmother might have actually had cause to smile in that blasted portrait."
"I'm too old to date." Remus said firmly, chuckling slightly at his goddaughter's logic. The image of Sirius' parents being a loving, happy couple caused his eyes to twinkle in amusement.
"Remus! By wizarding standards, you're still a teenager." Estella admonished. It was a widely known fact that, unnatural death aside, the average lifespan of a witch or wizard was, more or less, close to twice the age of regular Muggles. The more powerful that person's magic, the longer they would live. Though Remus was a werewolf, that he was a magically gifted werewolf, ensured him a decent natural lifespan. "Stop making excuses for yourself."
"But-"
"No buts." Estella cut him off. "You listen to me, Remus Lupin. Do you think I ever questioned you being my godfather? Do you think I ever wished I could have someone else be there because you were a werewolf? I never thought those things, and you want to know why? Because I had everything I needed in you. You've always been there for me, and-"
"Stop." Remus stopped her talking with a trembling hand to her lips as he pulled her into a bone crushing hug. "I love you, cub."
"Love you too, Moony." Estella muffled into his chest. "Even if you are a blundering oaf who can't take a bit of praise." She pulled away to look directly into his eyes, which were, at that moment, unnaturally bright. "Look, I'm not going to goad you or try and set you up or anything…" Remus raised a brow at her in surprise as she continued. "I just want you to be happy; and I mean if there's 'someone'out there for you, I think you should quit holding yourself back and go for it. What do you have to lose?"
Remus smiled slightly and nodded; his throat inexplicably tight. Pulling her in for another hug, he nuzzled his face in her hair and deeply inhaled her scent. The whole world could be falling apart around them, but he wouldn't care so long as he had his cub in his arms. There was no denying that they had grown even closer ever since Severus had permitted him to take the child overnight. Yet even as an infant – back when he had only been able to see Estella for but a few hours at a time – there had always been something about her presence – her scent – that controlled his emotions. During moments like this, when Estella was content and feeling safe and relaxed, Remus would, in turn, feel euphoric and as though he could take on anything. Just the same, whenever Estella was tense or upset, he'd be doubly on edge. It was clear to him that the wolf within had truly marked Estella as his cub, and he idly wondered just what would happen if anyone tried to take the girl away from him. What had started as a lonely man's dedication to honour the dying wish of one of his closest friends had evolved into something he'd never have been able to imagine.
Squeezing her one last time, a deep breath stabilising the fierce feelings of possessiveness that loomed just below the surface, Remus cupped her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams, cub," he said. "See you in the morning."
"Night Moony." Estella leaned into his touch one last time before snuggling down into the blankets he pulled up over her.
Remus was still wearing an awed, dazed smile on his face as he emerged from Estella's doorway. Though part of him could not help but chuckle at the cute assumptions his goddaughter had come up with, part of him had begun to question just how he saw Tonks. The pensive look on his face quickly turned to surprise when he realised Sirius was leaning against the balustrade on the landing outside the door, blocking his path.
"Oh, Sirius, you startled me." Remus inhaled sharply and took a step back, an uncontrollable guilty look flashing across his eyes. Had Sirius overheard?
"Took you long enough." Sirius made a show of looking at his watch and raising an expectant brow at his friend. "Everything OK, Moony?"
"Never better." Remus smiled broadly, chuckling slightly at his friend's puzzlement as he passed him. However long the man had been waiting outside the door, the thick walls had protected the privacy of their conversation. "You want a hot chocolate?"
"Are you kidding? In this heat?" Sirius faltered from where he'd had his hand on the door knob leading into the front bedroom. "But if you're going to take orders on iced chocolate, then I am sure you could count both me and Harry in."
"You're a lucky man, Sirius." said Remus as he turned back to face his friend, his eyes pausing on the closed bedroom door.
"That I am, Moony." Sirius nodded, not quite getting Remus' meaning. "Because you're going to put three scoops of ice cream in mine and hold the nuts, right?"
"Right, Padfoot," Remus smirked, shaking his head slightly as he spun on his heel and headed downstairs to the kitchen.
"Come on, Estella, please?" Three male voices whined at her pleadingly for the umpteenth time that hour. "We're a person short! We can't do it without you."
"I wouldn't be of any use." Estella refused them exasperatingly.
"There's only one Beater." Sirius assured her. "The Bludger will be easy to keep track of."
"No." Estella shook her head. She'd not flown since she took herself up to the rooftop that first day, and she was not about to leap headfirst into a game of Quidditch, regardless of how much she was secretly yearning to give flying another go. "I can't understand how you can even play Quidditch with five people anyway."
"It wouldn't be a competitive game." Harry explained. "Just like drills and stuff. "Two chasers to practice passing the Quaffle and score past a Keeper, a Beater to hit a Bludger around, and a Seeker to practice catching the Snitch."
"But what's the point of catching the Snitch if it's not a game?" Estella questioned. "If you're short a Chaser, don't play Seeker." Harry stared at her as though she had grown an extra head. "What? Don't look at me like that, Potter! It wouldn't do you any harm learning how to play another position!"
"Estella's right." said Remus quietly, coming up behind his goddaughter and wrapping his arms around her shoulders in support. "Harry, just play Chaser."
"But I need to practice catching the Snitch!" Harry pouted.
Sirius and Remus exchanged a look… perhaps bringing the Marauder's old Quidditch set along was not such a good idea after all. Though James had played Chaser on the house team, he'd carried the Marauder's Snitch around with him at school ever since McGonagall had confiscated the one he'd nicked from the School's sports shed. It was a well known fact that James Potter had liked to try and impress the ladies by tossing the Snitch in the air, showing off his reflexes as he caught it before it got away. Ever since Harry had been reunited with one of these said Snitches, he was just itching to let the small winged ball fly again so he could catch it.
"Look, tell you what, how about we all just go for a fly to start with?" Sirius suggested, looking at Estella in a way that indicated to her that she would be expected to do at least this. "I know you aren't that hot about flying, kiddo, but I'd feel a lot better if you got to see an aerial of the property – just so you know where everything is."
"Your father's right." Remus whispered into her ear as he pulled her back to lean against him. "There's certain obstacles that are better pointed out from the air and if you want to go on that hike to the ruins this afternoon; it'd pay to see what you'll be in for."
"Oh, all right." Estella huffed, though inwardly a newly awakened part of her was secretly keen to give flying another go. She had a hunch that most of her problem now lay with getting the courage to take off. Once she was in the air, Estella didn't think she'd have as much of a problem anymore.
"Then can we all play Quidditch?" Harry whined. "I'm sure once you get up there, Estella, you'll realise it's not all bad. At least give it a go."
"I'm not a Gryffindor." Estella stuck her tongue out at her godbrother as she accepted her broom from Tonks, who had just summoned it for her. "We Ravenclaws don't go around trying things just for the sake of trying things."
"Children, children!" Sirius admonished them. "Settle down."
Instantly humoured by Sirius' insincerity, the teenagers laughed.
"Whatever," they muttered simultaneously, too busy mounting their matching Firebolts to pay any mind to the whimsical looks the adults were shooting each other.
"We'll take it nice and slow, okay?" Remus assured her as he mounted his broom alongside her.
"I'm not a porcelain doll, Moony." Estella snorted, kicking off hard and ascending fast. Calling back over her shoulder as she regarded her guardian's looks of surprise, she smirked, only inwardly surprised at herself. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"
Estella found that so long that she didn't think about what she was doing, flying was becoming more and more enjoyable. Of course, it helped that she was in the air with people she trusted implicitly and was comfortable being with because she knew that they'd never lead her to harm. Once she had gotten a feel for the conditions, Remus had led the group on an aerial tour of the grounds. All four of her companions added to the colourful commentary as they had already flown over the various landmarks previously.
Before she knew it, Estella found herself eased into an impromptu game of Quidditch. It started with her father handing her the Quaffle… the passes gradually getting further apart and more technical as she gained confidence. Next thing she knew, the father-daughter pair were working together to get the Quaffle past Remus and through the hovering hula hoop Tonks had bewitched to represent a goal ring. As much progress as she was making, however, Estella was not accustomed to the physical exertion that handling a broom through Quidditch manoeuvres put the body through. While the others were able to go on playing for hours on end, Estella was quick to tire, and so retired to watch the antics of the others from the shade of the ruins on the northern end of the property.
"You were… amazing." Sirius flew down alongside his daughter and conjured a pair of sun lounges as he prepared to watch Remus and Tonks race Harry to the Snitch.
"Only because you guys were going easy on me." Estella shrugged.
"Well, I won't deny that Moony let some easy saves by…" Sirius acknowledged flippantly. "But that probably has more to do with his age, than any lack of trying on his part."
"I'll be sure to tell him that." Estella smirked, knocking shoulders with her father as they sat side by side.
"Not that I don't remind him everyday." Sirius countered, pulling his daughter into a headlock and kissing her head. "So, when you gonna try out for the House team?"
"I'm not." Estella said with a tone of finality, worming out of her father's grip. "Fooling around with people I trust and feel comfortable with is different from putting myself up against other teams. Besides, Moony never played for Gryffindor, did he?"
"But, come on, you are in the enviable position of having connections to two of the most competitive House teams." Sirius informed her. "Think about it… the Slytherins won't go near you for fear Severus would poison their mouthwash, and Harry will keep the Gryffindors on a leash, that I'm sure of."
"I don't believe it." Estella shook her head.
"He loves his Quidditch, I know, I know." Sirius looked at his daughter intently. "But I think you'll find he's rather protective of you. And if he's not, he'll have me to answer to."
"That's not what I meant." Estella giggled. "You called him Severus."
"No I didn't." Sirius scowled playfully.
"Whatever." Estella rolled her eyes. "I'm still not trying out."
"Why not?" Sirius pleaded with her with wide, puppy-dog eyes.
"Don't look at me like that." Estella scowled at him. "And don't even think of transforming for effect."
"Fine. I won't." Sirius scoffed, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms across his chest in mock indignation. "Waste your natural talent. Be just like your mother."
"Fine! I will!" Estella spat back, throwing herself back in her chair in a similar fashion. Exchanging a sidelong look, the pair dissolved into laughter.
"Now there's that teenage rebellion I'm more intimately familiar with." said Sirius. "Can't be a Quidditch player like your old man, oh no, you have to imitate his rebellious streak instead."
"Ha! So you admit it!" Estella grinned victoriously.
"What? I've always maintained I was a rebellious teenager." Sirius corrected her smugly.
"Yes, but you just referred to yourself as a, quote, 'old man'!" Now it was Estella's turn to look smug.
"No! I did no such thing!" said Sirius defensively. "I… I… oh bugger."
"So how's it feel to be an old man, old man?" Estella leered at her father, dodging her father's hand as he attempted to cuff her upside the head in response.
"Watch it, you." Sirius warned, though it was an empty threat. Settling for putting his arm around her shoulder, he pulled her close. "Are you having a good holiday?"
"Dad, we've only been here a few days." Estella rolled her eyes.
"What do you think so far?"
"What do you think?" Estella smiled. "I think coming here was a great idea, though part of me wishes I could be a fly on the wall back at Headquarters right now. It's not very often Dumbledore doesn't know something."
"Well he didn't know James, Peter and I became Animagi." Sirius supplied. "You'd think he'd be used to us Blacks surprising him by now."
"Well, you know what they say about teaching old dogs new tricks." Estella drawled, rolling her eyes as her father started to splutter and snort as he barked with laughter. Chuckling slightly herself, she leant back and watched the flyers above as they played keep away with the Quaffle.
Once the laughter had died down, father and daughter sat in companionable silence, both content to watch the others fly. Turning to her father suddenly, Estella furrowed her brow in thought. "Dad…"
"Yes?" Sirius tore his eyes away from his godson up above and locked eyes with his daughter. Upon seeing her expression, he frowned. "What is it? Are you hot? Do you want to head back?"
"No…" Estella shook her head. "I was just wondering…" she took a breath. "Why… why did no one, um, you know, clean up after Moony?"
"What?" Sirius spun around to look at his daughter completely.
"The claw marks on the walls and the um, bloodstains on the rug." Estella chewed on her bottom lip. "Surely someone could have used magic to clear it away. I notice one of you had done so while Harry and I were outside that first day. Why wasn't it ever done before? One of Remus' parents was magical, weren't they?"
"You saw that, huh?" Sirius sighed, muttering something about his daughter's astute observation skills. "Well, I'm not too clear on it myself, but I think it made the transformations easier. I remember one time, James and I had thought we were doing the right thing by cleaning up the Shrieking Shack…" his voice trailed off. "But… but the following month, Merlin, the following month I don't think I'd ever seen Moony so agitated."
"Oh." Estella nodded. The wolf in her godfather must like to mark its territory. "So now Remus has the Wolfsbane it doesn't matter, right?"
"Right."
"So that time when you knocked over the cauldron and he had to transform without it…" Estella worried her lip between her teeth. If her assumptions were correct, the only two places her godfather had transformed prior to the invention of the Wolfsbane had been either in this cottage or, later, at the Shrieking Shack. The night in question, Remus had spent the full moon in 'unmarked' room, most likely full of all their scents. "That was an exceptionally bad night?"
Unable to speak, Sirius settled for nodding; a flush of shame colouring his cheeks.
"He's really strong, isn't he?" Estella marvelled.
"Estella, your godfather is one of the strongest people I know." Sirius said genuinely. "In body and in mind. Don't tell him I told you that."
"Oh of course not. Wouldn't want him to get a head as big as yours." Estella retorted, settling back down to watch her godfather fly now that her concern had been relieved. In a small voice, she addressed her father one last time, though she didn't look away from the figures flying above the tree line. "You know he said the same about you once."
"Really?" Sirius responded, his eyes not leaving the distant dot that was his last living friend. Taking one last look of their surrounds, he leapt to his feet and offered his hand to his daughter. "Come on, what's say we hike back? They'll be flying in soon."
"Okay." Estella responded, taking her father's hand and letting him pull her up. "I wouldn't mind collecting some soil samples as we go."
"That's right, you want to plant some plants for potions, don't you?" Sirius recalled. "Why can't you just plant them all in the kitchen garden again?"
"Because different plants require different soil types, silly." said Estella. "The acidity and chemical constitution of the earth effect different plant species differently, and while I could just sow plants that are best suited for the soil in that patch of the garden, I'd really like for all the ingredients for one particular potion to be grown on the premises."
"Wolfsbane?" Sirius looked at his daughter knowingly, barely catching her imperceptible nod. "I thought the smell of potions gets to you since…"
"I started flying, didn't I?" said Estella, cutting her father off shortly. "In any event, the farming of ingredients is more Herbology than Potions. I can't even brew Wolfsbane anyway, even if I wanted to try. It's just that Remus has always said he feels bad about taking the potion from Severus every month without restitution. Some of the components are rather rare, you know."
"So, this way he can supply his own ingredients, huh?" Sirius regarded his daughter with a newfound respect. While Dumbledore would not permit Severus to accept financial restitution, not even he could find fault with the furnishing of high quality ingredients.
"Don't tell him though," said Estella. "I want it to be a surprise… a thank you for bringing us here."
"Does that mean I have to help?" Sirius pouted.
"Of course!" Estella told him. "I'm only the brains… you're the brawn. Hope you're good at digging."
END CHAPTER
NEXT CHAPTER: Stars and Moons
DUE: Hopefully by the 16th… I don't have access to a PC at home anymore, so my connectivity is restricted to the local library and on my brother's PC when he's at class. I've typed to the end of chapter 12, but I'm mostly writing by hand now; so the turn around of transcribing my unintelligible scrawl and getting it beta-read is going to slow things down. By placing a couple of weeks between chapters I've already written, I'm hopefully giving myself the chance to get far enough ahead in the process so that lengthier delays won't occur later on down the track. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding…
