Meet the Family

Summary: Remus tells Hope, Lyall, and Phia that he and Severus are together. Or such is the plan...

27th February 1986

"All right, I'm ready," Remus says, steeling himself against his nerves as he downs the last of the whiskey from his glass.

"Re, honestly, you're acting like you're about to go marching off to…" Severus trails off awkwardly as he realises what he was about to say. Remus looks mildly amused, but still pensive. The effect of which is really just him looking mildly constipated.

"Yep, you're right, you are totally and completely right. This is ridiculous. Okay, let's go."

"…Daddy."

"Yes baby girl?"

"Aren't you meant to move after you say that?" Severus laughs, hard. Remus will blame them being late on that, he decides as he nods and steps into the floo with Jamie.

"Lupin Residence."

Severus comes through right behind him.

"Remus! Sev!" Lyall calls happily as he walks into the room, "Ah, and there's my little angel. Hello Jamie," He says with a smile. Jamie giggles and runs at her grandpa.

"Grampy!"

"Auntie Phia and Grandma are in the dining room," He tells his grand-daughter after hugging her.

"Hi Dad," Remus says, a forced smile on his face as he hugs his Father.

"What's going on Remus?" Sev snickers slightly, Remus glares at him as icily as he can manage.

"Well, um. Nothing's going on, exactly. I just, er, have some news." Lyall raises an eyebrow at him, he just smiles awkwardly back. Severus rolls his eyes and then clears his throat.

"Perhaps we should move through to the other room and get this over with before Remus melts into a pile of nervous goop."

"Nervous goop?" Remus asks, sounding annoyed, "Are you capable of not being a prat?"

"I'm trying to help!" Remus continues glaring at him, Severus sighs.

"Right, let's head in then," Lyall decides, the three finally moving further into the house.

"YOU'RE DATING?!" Phia screeches as they enter the room, Remus and Severus look confused, then their eyes fall on Jamie who grins cheekily. Remus sighs.

"Jamie, I thought we agreed I was going to tell them."

"You and Uncle Sev were taking ages. How was I gonna tell Auntie Phia about my bike if she don't know that you smush faces with Uncle Sev now?" The six-year-old complains, Remus buries his face in his hands, Severus torn between embarrassment and amusement.

"Been smushing a lot, have you?" Phia asks, Remus glares at his sister.

"Just because you're not getting any –"

"Hey who said I wasn't –"

"-Doesn't mean you can just-"

"-get plenty you wouldn't know-"

"Children!"

"Sorry Mum," Remus and Phia say at once, the twins still glare at each other though. Jamie giggles.

"Grandma you sound like Auntie Lily." Everyone's gazes snap to the young girl who is completely oblivious to the sudden attention. Remus walks out of the room as a tense silence falls, he grabs a beer from the fridge, guzzling it as quickly as he can physically manage. He ignores the sigh at the doorway, honestly unsure who had come to check on him and unbothered when he turns around to find they did not stay.

"So, Severus and I are together," Remus says after he re-enters the room, another drink in hand. He sees Severus sitting at the table, Phia beside him and holding one of his hands supportively, but he doesn't walk over. How can he hope to do the same when his hands have yet to stop trembling again? He shakes the thoughts from his head as his mother begins speaking.

"Well that's lovely dears, now come hug me, both of you. We never see you boys anymore. Next thing you know, Jamie will be off to Hogwarts, won't remember her old Gran anymore."

"Of course she will Mum," Remus tells Hope, privately planning the argument with his daughter when he tells her she will not, under any circumstances, be attending that particular school. Hope fixes him with a teasingly annoyed look.

"Well her Father never seems to."

"Muuum!" Phia and Severus snicker at him, "Oh some help you're being today," Remus tells Severus.

"Sorry Love," Sev replies, placing a hand on his hip, Remus leans into it slightly with a smile.

"Awwwwww."

"Shut up Phia!"

"Don't tell me to shut up!"

"If you don't want me to tell you to shut up then stop speaking."

"I'll bloody make you stop speaking in a minute."

"Will you watch your language around my daughter!"

"Oh but shut up is okay?"

"When necessary."

The two continue bickering the entire night, but honestly, they're all glad. None of them have had a night like this since before the war, and they'll take whatever normalcy they can get.