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Chapter 6

James was looking at his wife as she flittered between one thing and another around their kitchen. She had sent the elves off to prepare a dessert and the main meal while she worked on some finger food they could eat while they waited. After all of the revelations they'd had that day he was a little exhausted but his mind was working in overdrive.

I thought I knew everything about her but this is a big part of what I'd been missing, he thought. She's always been knowledgeable about the magical world but I thought it was only because of her friendship with Snivellus, why didn't she ever say anything about this?

"Lily?"

"Hm?"

"Why didn't you ever tell me about her?" Lily froze at her husband's question. She knew it was coming but she had hoped it was going to come later.

"I never told anyone."

"Not even Snivellus?"

"Severus never knew where I went during those weeks in the summer, he thought that they were camps my parents were sending me to. And my girls never knew either. Alice and Marlene were the only ones that met her before this and even then they were only told Runa's first name."

"Why?" James had come and stood next to her making her look at him.

"My own protection mostly."

"Again why?"

"The Landvik's don't have a lot of enemies-"

"Then even more reason for you to have flaunted your friendship, then those bigoted bastards wouldn't have messed with you." Lily gave a sad smile remembering the cruel words some of those bastards had sent her way, even her childhood friend had turned those words on her.

"Do you really think they would have believed me?" James opened his mouth to respond but had to close it because she was right. "They wouldn't have and I would have made myself an even bigger target, better to be a brilliant muggleborn than a muggleborn with connections."

"You're brilliant either way," James said as he trailed kissed down her neck, sending shivers of pleasure through her.

"James…"

"I can tell there's more but I'll wait, I know you'll tell me when you're ready."

Lily turned around in her husband's arms encircling his waist as he in turn wrapped her in his arms. They stayed like that until Lily heard the door open. When she looked over James' shoulder she let out a snort before descending into laughter. When James caught sight of what she saw he joined her.

In the doorway stood Runa, but it wasn't her that brought about the laughter, no that was the small black puppy that she held in her arms. Even though he had shrunk considerably there was no mistaking him.

"P-Pa-Pad-Padfoot?" James finally got out between his laughs. Runa just raised her brow as if to say, 'who else could it be'. "Why?"

"He should know better than to eavesdrop on conversations that are none of his business." When Padfoot growled James and Lily descended into another laughing fit, it was comical in comparison to his normal deep and menacing growl.

"What's this all about?" Remus asked as he came in behind Runa. When he caught sight of the little black form in her arms he froze and just kept look back and forth between the woman and the dog. Finally he seemed unable to contain his laughter anymore and joined the others.

This is not funny! Sirius thought, and if he had been human he would have crossed his arms or sent a stinging hex at the lot of them. When he had first started to shrink he was terrified but she had just looked at him with that look that was between annoyance and mirth. He had tried to change back but had been unable to. He did not like this feeling of being powerless.

As the laughter died down, his annoyance had not, he wanted to somehow get back at her even just a little bit.

"Bite me, Black and I'll make this last longer."

Sirius was tempted to bite her anyway but he didn't want to stay this way any longer than he had to. So he closed his little muzzle and even for a dog they could read the disgruntled annoyance in his features causing another bout of laughter. As the laughter died down a second time Lily held her hands out to Runa and Sirius was promptly handed over.

Sirius felt completely humiliated at the way Lily was cuddling him like he was a real puppy and no matter how he tried to push to get her to let go he was too weak to do anything. When he looked pleadingly to Prongs or Moony he could see they were both trying to contain more laughter. He narrowed his eyes at them and growled, sending the men into laughter a third time.

"You have to teach me that spell," James said as he wiped away the tears that had leaked out. Remus was nodding along with him

"Now that wouldn't be fair."

"Why not?"

"Because eventually you'd teach him and where's the fun in that?" Sirius just glared at her but all he got in return was a smirk. "I did warn you Black."

He growled at her again but stopped when he heard the clicking of nails on the floor. Runa apparently heard it too as she moved out of the way letting her wolf in, Harry on his back was clapping at the ride. When he caught sight of Sirius in his mother's arms he tilted his head back and forth his little face scrunched in concentration.

"Padfoo?"

Everyone was surprised that Harry had been able to notice that the puppy was his normally large canine playmate.

"Good instincts you have there, Harry," Runa said, gaining the boy's attention. He promptly held his hands towards her demanding to be held. Everyone watched as a serene smile graced her face as she followed the toddler's demand.

The men were then shocked when this woman whom they had judged as standoffish, snarky and maybe a little cold, placed her forehead against Harry's and rubbed their noses together, much to the toddler's delight. His squeal of pleasure made the woman's smile grow and the light of happiness entered her eyes, making them seem brighter.

Sirius stared at the scene with his jaw hanging open which dropped even more when Runa started laughing. Sirius had been painting her to be just like his mother but his mother had never laughed, let alone with such pure joy.

Runa settled Harry on her hip then looked up to varying expressions. James and Remus were looking at her with an expression caught between shock and surprise, but at least it was better than the utter disbelief that she could see in Sirius' eyes. Lily on the other hand was looking at the two with a smile.

She'll make such a good mother, Lily thought. Despite not having one herself. Runa's mother hadn't been involved in her life but that was normal to an extent within the main Landvik line. She's so good with Harry and the other children in Helligdom.

"So what's for dinner?" Runa asked as she started bouncing Harry on her hip, once again to his delight.

"The elves are whipping up the main course, so I'm sure it will be amazing but I've got some stuff for us to nibble on until then."

It didn't take long until the questions started.

"Sooooo," James started. "What school did you go to? Durmstrang? Beauxbatons?"

"I didn't go to any of the wizarding schools." James, Remus and the still puppy Sirius looked at her in surprise. It was very abnormal for a child of an Ancient and Most Noble house to have not gone to any wizarding schools.

"Why?" James asked incredulously.

"Female heirs never go to any of the wizarding schools, we learn within Helligdom."

"Again why?" Runa just smiled at him until he became uncomfortable and looked away ending that line of questions. Sirius just looked at him with an expression that read, 'coward', James sent back, 'you couldn't do it either'. Remus just shook his head at both of them.

"Is that why your father had you become pen-pals with Lily?" Remus asked.

"Yes," she answered then under her breath added, "amongst other reasons."

"What other reasons?" Runa was taken aback for a second then chastised herself for forgetting that he was a werewolf, enhanced hearing and all, so she used the same smile on him. It took longer than with James or Sirius but he was still the first one to look away. Lily chuckled at the disgruntled faces of the men, then when they turned their looks on her she descended into a full laugh.

"You three never stood a chance. She's had too many years of practice."

"Years?" James questioned.

"Yes, years."

"I thought you said she was younger than us."

"I would've been in the year below you, yes, but I've been part of high society since I was about 9, and international high society since I was 11."

"Why?" James looked appalled. He hated high society functions, the gossip, the rampant underhanded insults, the list could go on.

"Mostly it was to keep up appearances but also to make connections."

"Connections? They all would have been older than you." James inputted, truly confused. While yes, heirs of important families usually started making connections at school they also kept up those connections with their peers at parties and other such nonsense.

"Of course they were but that was part of the idea. They underestimated me." The same smile was back and they could see how they would have underestimated a little girl amongst adults.

"A Slytherin then, and I mean a true Slytherin not the bigoted purist that dominate that house now." Remus said thinking of what he'd seen of her so far, but she made a face at him.

"Most likely not."

"Why?"

"While cunning is import in some respects it is not what I value most." Now it was the men's turn to be confused. "If it was based off of the ability to be cunning then you three would have been in Slytherin." She pointed looked at the three men.

"No, no way would I have been in that House," James vehemently said.

"Really, so your pranks weren't cunning nor ambitious?" When James went to open his mouth Runa continued. "How many of them did you get away with?"

All three men started going through their minds counting what they had gotten away with, there were too many times to count.

"See, that's cunning and ambition, but it is not what you value most."

"So what do you value most?" James wanted to shift the subject away from him in Slytherin, the thought made him a little sick.

"See that's where I think the hat would have a problem with me, I value knowledge, because knowledge in a sense gives you power, but we can do nothing truly on our own, so loyalty is also vital. But none of that would be possible without the courage to do those things in the first place. Any person that tells you that all of the Houses are too different and don't cross is deluding themselves."

All the people around the table just stared openly at her. They had never heard the houses explained that way, and maybe it is because she was looking at it as an outsider, that she could see it more clearly.

"Anyway," Lily said breaking the others out of their thoughts. "What was the party about?"

Runa's face took on a disgusted look, but stifled a laugh when Harry copied her.

"The usual, mostly it's second and third sons trying to catch my attention recently. To be entirely honest it's getting absolutely annoying."

"They actually think they've got a shot?" Lily asked incredulously.

"I've got to pick one at some point, but most of the pureblood's I've met, well I can't stand them and the good ones are all taken or old."

"Wait, pureblood?" James was a little confused, she didn't seem like someone who would discriminate about something like that.

"Mm-hm, it's tradition, and well to be honest for some reason the women in our family can't have children with someone who doesn't have at the very least a strong magical heritage. Don't know why, so don't ask." James snapped his mouth closed, stopping his question.

"Not only that but your family keeps detailed records of pureblood families and refuse to marry someone that shares any strong blood connection." James and Sirius looked at her surprised. Most purebloods didn't care about being related only that the blood was pure.

"I'm about to start looking outside of Europe."

"There's got to be somebody left in Europe-"

"None that I would touch with a seventeen foot pole," She interrupted, with a glare.

"I just want you to be happy." Lily stuck her lip out and gave Runa her best puppy dog eyes, but all she received in return was a raised eyebrow. They were interrupted by a pop.

"Mistress, Master and master's guests dinner be served."

"Thank you Tilly." The group trooped together towards the dining room, Runa carrying Harry with Lily still refusing to relinquish her hold on Sirius, who at this point had resigned himself to being treated like a puppy. They all settled into comfortable dinner conversation, most talking about their time at Hogwarts much to Runa's enjoyment.

James and Remus regaled her with different things they had done, some they hadn't even told Lily, a lot of it having to do with things Sirius usually wanted to never be uttered, but he was still stuck as a puppy. At least he hadn't been put on the floor like a real dog.

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