Author's Note:
I decided to post 150 today for you guys because your reviews have been amazing and I appreciated every one of them. Also, this is what we've been waiting for and I didn't want to wait until Tuesday to share it. I am also impatient and someone's sentence is up.
I read every review and appreciate them more than you know!
Do I see this story following the general same timeline as canon? To an extent yes, but also no. You'll have to see how it plays out as the story steers me.
I chose a Red Panda for Ginny for a few reasons:
They are small and adorable and appear nonthreatening. Territorial and when cornered, extend their claws and stand on hind-legs to appear bigger and more threatening and can be deadlyI
I feel like this fits Ginny, looks innocent, but in fact don't mess with her or anyone she cares about or she will take you down LOL. McGonagall's reaction to animals will be coming eventually, but not for quite a few more chapters as they are back at school.
The jinx in Bellatrix's vault did not work because Sirius has Black blood and basically kind of overruled it, if anyone else had gone into the vault, it would have activated.
As to the Animagus process, the way I understand it and the way I am interpreting it for my story, is that it takes roughly two weeks after drinking the potion to become the animal, however you appear as a baby and from there it takes close to a year to grow as your animal and become fully grown and to master the full Animagus transformation into an adult animal. It's about practice and precision and learning to grow and be the animal itself as much as transforming from man and woman to animal. Hope this helps!
Lastly, Sirius did slip up and call Harry 'Prongslet' in the last chapter and that's because realistically, it's going to take him a while to stop doing so. It's a habit and those are hard to break so give Sirius some time.
Thanks to speedsONEandONLY for this little idea from a previous review— I just loved it and I had to find a way to add it in. Kudos to you!
To those of you who reviews as GUEST — I have no problem with you wanting to be anonymous but maybe you could sign it of as something you'd like so I know who you are? Anything you want. Peanut Butter and Jelly OR Amy OR Guest #312. Just something would be really helpful! Thank you in advance!
Reviews and Comments: To Guest: Thank you! You are too sweet! To midnitewanderer: Thank you! I thought it was adorable, too! To speedsONEandONLY: Yes, baby animals! How much did Ginny see? Oh, she saw much more than Harry thinks she did LOL. Harry is a bit slow and right now definitely only sees Ginny as a friend despite all of the obvious signs that he is getting feelings for her. Thank you! To hills: Thanks for saying my animal choices were original and you didn't guess any of them! That's nice to know! The girls chat needed to happen and yes, Harry's "I guess" will come and bite him in the butt one day LOL. Thank you! To Moony The Sheep: Thank you! I love that you pictured it all happening inside of your head! It was creepy, poor Harry had to see that all. Remus' reaction to the animals will be soon! Thank you! To alix33: Tacos are delicious. I highly recommend. Harry is definitely so cute as an animal! Zee keeps all of the letters Harry writes her. She's sweet like that. Thank you! To purplevictory: Your reviews are never wasting my time! I love reading them! They tell me that people actually care about this story and my characters! Thank you! Yes, those first few stories make me cringe I was only 14-16 when I wrote them. Let's not talk about those LOL.
To scrappy8: Thank you! I'm glad you loved Harry and Ginny changing into their animals! To Guest: Hinny will happen when it happens. It's a slow burn. To Guest: I'm glad you adore Ginny as a panda and Hermione as a fox. I'm glad you loved Harry's despite being disappointed that he's not a stag. Thank you! To Guest: You're welcome for updating twice in one week. Harry and Ginny dating is still a while off. It's a slow burn. To Guest: Thank you! I love that you look forward to my updates! Harry still won't find out about the Horcrux for a while yet and yes, we're all excited for Remus to come home! To Steelcode: Yes, the animals have been revealed! Thank you! I'm glad you found it so heartwarming! To Guest: I am sorry you feel that Ginny's red panda doesn't fit her. I disagree and did not just pick the red panda because it is red. If you read above, those were were my reasons. To darkhk: Thank you! Nice to know this chapter made your heart happy! To nesciamema: We will see McGonagall's response to the animals. As Sirius has stated multiple times, if and when Sirius has an heir, the title will revert back to them and not Draco. Sirius is still filthy rich and his heir therefore would be as well. Money is not a problem.
To ninaz08: Thank you! I love the idea of them being a baby animal and having to grow into the animals as they learn to control it. The jinx in Bellatrix's vault I think didn't work because of Sirius' connection to her. Thank you! To ella144: Thank you! To Sparhawk537: Thank you! To AntiCreator: Thank you! I'm Canadian, not American. Sorry, I really want to make that clear. I'm glad you liked the Animagus forms! Thank you! To riddermark: Thank you! Yes, we will see Remus again in this chapter! To ZeeNooblet: Thank you! I'm glad you're looking forward to an ASC update every week! That makes me smile! I do think Harry's Animagus form is a perfect blend of Sirius and Remus which is what I was going for. Thank you! To coloredwords: They definitely all looked super cute as baby animals! I always thought becoming an Animagus was very time consuming which is why so few people do it. It's a lot of work. Thank you! To : Nope, not a bear. Good guess though! Thank you! To Guest: Thank you!
To iKingAnomalyII: Thank you for saying you think this story is worth more than an anonymous review! I am completely honoured that you consider this one of your favourite fanfictions you've ever read! Thank you for saying that my "Character development is completely believable and it's very easy to be sympathetic with the characters." Thank you for saying Ginny's side story with the Chamber of Secrets was "far more realistic than in the book and it adds an incredible amount of space for Ginny's character development." This was all things I really wanted to show. Thank you for loving my characterization of Ginny. Thank you! It's nice to know my idea of how Voldemort became an infant is somewhat original and not explained anywhere else you've read! I did try my hardest to come up with something that could explain how and why he was able to be in the body of a child. I am honoured you love my story and thank you so much! Your reviews has definitely brought me incredible satisfaction as an author and I feel very accomplished. Thank you for saying you look up to me as a role model for writing, oh my god, that is so nice! Thank you so much for this beautiful review!
To supersandman86: McGonagall is definitely going to be so proud and we'll see more of this later on. Ha, yes, I did love adding some Rocky Horror to my Beginning Series, but I don't think ASC will have that as well. But Sirius would definitely rock Frank-n-furter, but I think Remus would be better! Voldemort should definitely be worried about Harry's power, but he is still only thirteen right now (almost fourteen) and not a concern just yet. Thank you! To LacoMC: Thank you! Harry is currently 13 in this chapter. There is A LOT of time remaining to this story, that I can assure you. To quote one of my favourite authors — there's more. To Guest: Thank you! Yes, just how much did Ginny see of Harry? A lot more than he thinks she did LOL. To CF: Thank you! It was heartbreaking to watch Harry destroy the Horcrux, all of those fears coming to the surface! Thank you for saying I chose the animals wonderfully. To HinnyMe: Yes, Ginny saw Harry naked! She definitely saw a lot more than he thinks she did. Thank you! To LeglessFishOnRollerskates: Thank you! I am considering giving them nicknames, but we'll see. No promises.
To Wolf's scream: Thank you! I am glad to know that the interaction between Harry and Tonks really reflected the positive changes on Harry's life by growing up with Sirius. That means a lot. Yes, I think part of the magic is being able to fully bring your clothes back as well! As to Tonks needing a pushup bra, I do not think Tonks is the kind of woman who changes her appearance. I think the only thing she changes about herself is her hair and probably hides any zits or blemishes. She's proud of who she is. To Ana: Thank you! I love that you can't decide what part of the chapter was your favourite! Oh my gosh, printing this out would be so much paper! LOL. Thank you! To Jmcglynn522: Not Christmas, but you're welcome LOL. I'm glad Padfoot surrounded by baby animals made you go "aww." Zee and Tonks are becoming friends and yes, Zee definitely wants to play a bigger role in Harry and Sirius' lives. And no, not three chapters this week LOL. To krelofwerewolf: Thank you! I wanted to show them getting along and someone else to be helping Tonks while Remus is in prison. I don't think she should be left alone.
To KielWhitehead24: Ha, sorry you've caught up. Thanks for loving the transformations as well as the conversation between Zee and Tonks! To Bigmike33321: Thank you! Yes, I have some lemony nakedness chapters from Remadora and Zeerius LOL. Remus and Tonks Lemons: Chapters 80/81/83/88/91/93/95/101/107/121/123/140. Sirius and Zee Lemons: Chapters 68/71/78/85/86/89/98/99/104/105/120/130/134/136. Hope that helps! Thank you!
Thank you to my Beta — SilverStarwolfe!
My posting schedule: Every Tuesday or Wednesday (usually the latter) and sometimes on the weekends.
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY:
The One Where Harry Calls Remus 'A Bad Dog'
"Black!"
Sirius turned around at the sound of his name on his way into the Wizengamot Chamber the afternoon of the twenty-third of June, surprised to see the broad shouldered blond man rushing towards him. He knew that he looked oddly familiar, but he couldn't quite place the man. "Hello."
The man beamed at him, puffing out his chest as if attempting to make his large belly look smaller. "Lord Black, so glad that I caught you! I'd love to pick your brain if you can give me a few moments?"
Sirius only raised an eyebrow. "I can give you ten minutes, but then I need to get into the Assembly. Who are you?"
"Oh, right! So sorry! So many people just know me, I sometimes forget that not everyone does," he said, a loud booming laugh erupting from him. "Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."
Sirius nodded. "Right, that's why you look familiar, Wimbourne Wasps. You were a hell of a Beater in the eighties."
"Thank you. Sometimes, I miss my Quidditch days. It's actually Quidditch that I was hoping to talk to you about."
"Oh?"
"I heard a rumour that you were pricing out tickets for the World Cup for you and Harry Potter?"
"I was thinking about it, yes."
Bagman beamed at him. "I am looking to fill up the top box and someone of your caliber would be exactly what we need."
"Why do you need to fill the top box?"
Bagman shrugged. "We'd like to have it full of some of our more prominent Ministry employees and noble families that way they can mingle with the Bulgarian Minister of Magic and the Irish diplomats. We've been keeping the top box fairly open until we could see how many seats would be available. Would you be interested?"
Sirius rocked back on his feet, his hands moving into the pockets of his black jeans. "Depends on how many seats you have available."
Bagman grinned widely. "For the infamous Lord Black, I think I could make any number of seats available that you were looking for."
"You said that you want to fill it with Ministry employees as well as noble families? A good friend of mine is the Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Department and I was hoping that he and his entire family would be able to sit with Harry and I, not to mention a few others, friends and the like."
He grinned. "Unless you say fifty people, I can give you as many tickets as you want."
Sirius grinned wider. "Then you have yourself a deal. I assume that you want me to speak with the Bulgarian Minister as well as the Irish diplomats."
"Maybe drop a few nice words about our Ministry in their ears is all; a little good faith never hurt anyone, especially with the Bulgarians considering what's coming up in October."
Sirius smiled. "I'll come to your office after the Wizengamot session and we'll talk."
Bagman extended his hand, a warm smile on his face. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Lord Black."
Sirius nodded at him before he made his way down into the Chamber. He only waited around five minutes before everyone was settled and Dumbledore called the Assembly to order. The first order of business on today's agenda was the plans for the upcoming TriWizard Tournament.
The International Confederation of Wizards, the Department of International Magical Cooperation, the Department of Magical Games and Sports, and the Department of Magical Education were all working together to try to work out the basic guidelines and decisions in terms of the tournament. Being that the TriWizard Tournament hadn't been held since 1792, the Ministry was a little wary about bringing it back due to the increasing number of champion deaths and the extremely dangerous tasks. The tournament of 1792 had resulted in the injury of the three champion judges who themselves had been trampled by a cockatrice on a rampage that the champions were supposed to be trying to catch.
"The main problem is safety, how are we going to keep the students and spectators safe during the tasks?" Lady Bones asked.
Fudge held up his hand to silence the murmurs of the Wizengamot. "We are working on this and working to determine all outcomes. Crouch, with his former Auror training, is doing his best to determine the safest wards for all tasks."
"This time there's going to be an age limit, right?" Lady Dettweiler questioned loudly. "The idea of having a twelve-year-old battle a dragon is just beyond me and explains half of the stupid deaths in the past!"
Fudge nodded at her. "Yes, we've set some guidelines. We've determined that only students who are seventeen, and have turned seventeen as of Halloween of this year, will be allowed to participate in the tournament."
Sirius raised his wand. "How are you going to stop the younger ones from trying to get their names submitted?"
Dumbledore smiled at Sirius. "The Goblet of Fire will be kept somewhere safe to prevent anyone from tampering with it and I myself will draw an Age Line around the goblet. No one under the age of seventeen will be able to cross it."
"What if a younger student asks an older student to do it for them?" Sirius asked.
"We will take all precautions, Lord Black."
Lucius Malfoy raised his wand. "And the tasks themselves?"
"There will be three, all dangerous and daring. Each champion will be tested on their intelligence, on their bravery, and on their gumption. It will not be an easy feat which is why we are keeping it to seventeen-year-olds or older. This is not for the faint of heart," Fudge said, sternly.
They outlined a few more of the guidelines and decisions about the tournament, including the provisions of having Beauxbatons and Durmstrang move into Hogwarts for the majority of the year.
"This tournament is a chance to intermingle with international students and to make friends and allies. We want to have more international cooperation and this is the start of that," Fudge explained. "The new generation can help us achieve that."
Sirius listened with half an ear, his eyes on Fudge. The man was intelligent and a good politician, but he had also proven to be completely incompetent over the last few months. Setting the Dementors on the grounds at Hogwarts, ordering them to Kiss the escaped Death Eaters… of course, it wasn't like he could protest against him for killing an innocent man when said innocent man was very much alive and sitting before him. But he knew that the man wasn't thinking straight and he was beginning to wonder who else other than Umbridge was whispering things into his ear.
He had brought up his concerns to Zee who only nodded. She agreed with him, but at the moment they both knew that there was nothing that they could do to about it. The last thing that they wanted was to get Hermione, McGonagall, or Dumbledore into trouble with the Time Turner. For now, the best course of action was to keep their eye on him and hopefully on Umbridge so that no more surprises would seem to come out of the woodwork.
He focused back in on the Assembly as the discussion turned to the secrecy of the tournament before they moved onto the next topic of the day: The World Cup. With it being only a little over a month away, the Ministry was still trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles and organize the portkeys needed as well as the arrangements for witches and wizards who would be coming in from all over the world to watch Ireland play against Bulgaria in the match.
From there, they moved onto some new policies to be discussed including the school curriculum and ideas to add to the Life in the Magical World course, transportation, and how to use it without alerting Muggles, and finally Dumbledore asked if there were any new bills that needed to be discussed.
Umbridge raised her wand.
"Senior Undersecretary Umbridge?" Dumbledore asked, smiling when she stood up.
"Hem, hem," Umbridge said as she stood. "Chief Warlock, I would like to formally present Bill 426-A17 to be voted on by the Wizengamot. I considered what the problems were concerning it back in March and I have a few proposed changes."
Lady Dettweiler raised her wand. "I want to hear these changes before we go any further in the voting process as what you proposed beforehand was completely immoral."
There were a few murmurs of agreement around the Chamber.
"Hem, hem," Umbridge said in order to get the attention back on her. "I understand that the question of the 'Undesirable' is the main problem with the bill, but I am proposing that the so called 'Undesirable' be registered properly within the Ministry to prevent any prejudice from befalling them."
Sirius raised his wand. "The part of Bill 426-A17 that discusses the rights and responsibilities of the British Magical Citizen is wholly acceptable to me, Madam Umbridge. But I refuse to agree to anything where you are calling fellow witches and wizards 'undesirables,' that's where I very much draw the line. We had this talk a month ago when my friend Remus Lupin was tried for his so called 'undesirable status' as a werewolf after you wrongfully attempted to have him executed without just cause. Can you promise that your new bill will be just and fair to any and all British Magical Citizens no matter what kind of blood they may or may not have running through their veins?"
Augusta Longbottom raised her wand. "As Lord Black has stated, unless the bill is declaring justice and fairness to all British Magical Citizens, I can't say why you think this bill would be accepted in our community."
"I want to protect our magical community and the new additions to this bill do so," Umbridge stated.
"Please address the court with the new sections of your proposed legislation, Madam Umbridge," Dumbledore requested.
"Hem, hem," Umbridge began before she began to read the bill aloud. "The first part of the bill is unchanged, so I will begin reading section two as that was where most of the discussion and concern lay the first time."
She cleared her throat again before she began to recite the legislation.
Moved by the understanding that safety and the protection of our British Magical Citizens and our magical community is the essential condition for the continued existence of the safety and protection of the Magical World, and inspired by the inflexible determination to ensure that the existence of the British Wizarding World for all time, the Ministry of Magic has unanimously adopted the following law, which is promulgated herewith:
Article 1:
1. Marriages between an Undesirable of the population (including and not limited to the following: Werewolves, Veela, Vampires, Giants, Trolls, those possessing of Blood Curses and/or Blood Diseases, Metamorphmagus, Seers, and any other relation that is deemed unworthy and undesirable by the Administration Registration Department) and a British Magical Citizen are strictly discouraged, but NOT prohibited.
2. Annulment proceedings can be initiated only by the Wizengamot Administration Services if the British Magical Citizen does so wish it.
Article 2:
1. Extramarital relations between an Undesirable and a British Magical Citizen are strictly discouraged, but NOT prohibited.
Article 3:
1. Undesirables may not employ in their households any British Magical Citizens of any age.
2. Undesirables may not employ in their households any House elves as a House Elf is only to serve a British Magical Citizen.
Article 4:
1. Undesirables are encouraged to register themselves as an Undesirable with the Administration Registration Department and will be given proper Undesirable Status so as not able to pass themselves off as a British Magical Citizen but as nothing but the half-breed Undesirable that they are classified as.
Article 5:
1. Any person or Undesirable who violates the prohibition under Article 1 will be punished with up to ten years in Azkaban Prison.
2. Any person or Undesirable who violates the prohibition under Article 2 will be punished with up to twenty years in Azkaban Prison.
3. Any person or Undesirable violating the provisions under Articles 3 or 4 will be punished with a fine and depending on the severity of one's crime, time spent in Azkaban Prison including anyone caught harbouring or illegally employing an Undesirable in a forbidden government-agency including and not limited to: hospitals, clinics, schools, and offices.
Article 6:
1. The Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, in coordination with the Minister of Magic, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Administration Registration Department, will issue all legal and administrative regulations required to implement and complete this law.
Article 7:
1. The law takes effect starting the first of September 1994 and anyone seen to be harbouring an Undesirable will be subject to the letter of the law.
Augusta Longbottom raised her wand. "So, you merely changed a few words around, 'discouraged' instead of 'forbidden' and so on, but this legislation reads almost the same. It's discouraged not prohibited, but you do go through with it, you can still be sent to Azkaban and fined. You've changed nothing."
"The law is about protecting the British Magical Citizen!" Umbridge exclaimed. "I am looking out for the good of our community!"
Dumbledore raised his wand. "The bill has been heard, does anyone have anything else to add before we put it to a vote?"
No one answered so he nodded.
"Those in favour of passing Bill 426-A17 into law, raise your wand."
Umbridge, Fudge, and five other members of the Lords of the Wizengamot raised their wands.
"And those who do not support Bill 426-A17, please raise your wand."
Forty-five wands raised into the air almost immediately and Sirius didn't even try to hide his smirk.
Dumbledore nodded, adding his own wand to the vote. "Forty-six votes against. Bill 426-A17 did not pass, forty-six votes to seven."
Sirius leaned over to Mrs Longbottom. "The bill does not pass go and does not collect two hundred Galleons."
Mrs Longbottom merely raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to assume that that's a Muggle reference that I'm unaware of so instead I say, 'good riddance.'"
He chuckled and leaned back in his chair, cracking his knuckles as he did so. Watching Umbridge scowl from her seat made his whole damn day. At least that bill was finally in the ground for good. Good riddance was right, he thought.
He left the Wizengamot with a smile on his face and made his way down to the Department of Magical Games and Sports. If Bagman was serious about offering tickets to the top box during the World Cup, Sirius couldn't think of a better way to greet Remus when he was released from Azkaban Prison the next morning. He smiled at the thought, knocking on the door to one Ludovic Bagman.
The man grinned widely when he recognized him. "Come in! Come in!"
Sirius stepped inside, closing the door behind him. The office was larger than expected and covered in Quidditch memorabilia from Bagman's old Beater bat to his old jersey along with some awards along the way.
"Have a seat!" Bagman exclaimed, smiling brightly.
Sirius took a seat in the chair across from him. "So, top box tickets?"
Bagman grinned. "I've got a few seats gone already. Lucius Malfoy and his wife and son who is bringing two of his friends, Crouch will up be there along with myself, I'm commentating the match," he said cheekily. "Fudge of course and whoever he decides to bring along and then the Bulgarian Minister and a few Irish diplomats. You're thinking…"
Sirius crossed his legs at the ankles and tilted his head. "Myself, my son, and five others plus Arthur Weasley and his family, so… sixteen?"
Bagman grinned widely. "That almost fills my box, you're on!" He reached into the top drawer of his desk and pulled out an envelope, carefully counting sixteen tickets and passed them across the desk. "Remember, be charming to the Bulgarian Minister."
Sirius grinned back, his hands on the tickets. "For sixteen free tickets, I'd invite him home for dinner."
Bagman simply beamed at him.
~ ASC ~
The next morning as the doors to the cell were unlocked and pulled apart, Remus let out of a slow sigh of relief. Thirty days had felt much longer than it had been and ever since the sun had risen, fears had plagued him that it wouldn't be today, that it was a lie, and that he was never actually being released. He rose slowly from the cold stone bench that served as both bed and seat within the cell, his knees cracking. The last three nights of the moon on top of his imprisonment made him feel sore, tired, and cranky.
Kingsley Shacklebolt stood in front of the doors, his dark eyes on Remus'. "You all right, Remus?"
Remus nodded, attempting to shove his hands into pockets that his drab grey prison slacks didn't possess. "Fine."
Kingsley offered him a small smile. "Come with me." He took Remus by the arm and led him down the long hall and into the same room that he had first been brought into; the room that he had thought he was going to die in. "Your clothes are there."
Remus nodded and quickly undressed, not bothering with modesty and pulling on the clothes that he had worn a month ago when he had been arrested. Once he was dressed again, the prison uniform tossed on the chair, he turned back to Kingsley.
"Am I free to go?"
"You are," Kingsley told him, opening up the paperwork in his hand. "Sign here and here." Remus did as he was told and Kingsley signed his name beneath Remus'. "Sirius is waiting for you at the Ministry. Let's go."
Remus only nodded. He didn't speak as guards took his arms and led him outside into the thick fog and into the boat. They moved across the water in silence. When they reached the shore, Kingsley took his arm, nodding a thanks to the guards before he used his Auror portkey to take them directly to the Ministry. The two of them arrived in his office in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
Sirius was pacing in front of the window and he looked up, eyes wide when they landed on him before he moved across the room and pulled Remus into his arms. "Rem!"
Remus hugged him back, the feel of his friend's warm embrace making him breathe a sigh of relief. "Siri."
Kingsley smiled at them. "I'm sorry that you had to spend time there, Remus. But you are now free and can never again be sentenced for being a werewolf."
"Unless of course you kill someone," Sirius joked, earning a hard glare from Remus. "Kidding! I know that you would never!"
Remus only let out a slow breath. "I just want to take a shower. Can we go? Where's my wand?"
Sirius pulled Remus' wand out from his pocket. "I took it home with me to keep it safe. I felt like you'd prefer that over leaving it in the prison."
Remus accepted his wand. "I want to go, Sirius."
Sirius put his arm around his friend's shoulders. "Let's go."
Remus felt like everyone was staring at him as they moved through the Ministry. He was dirty and cold and angry, he realized. He had deserved his sentence and he knew how lucky he was to have only been forced to spend thirty days locked away, but the light-hearted facade of his friend wasn't reassuring. When they finally got into the atrium, Sirius gripped his arm tightly and side Apparated him out of the Ministry and Remus was grateful, still feeling a little weak and weary from his imprisonment. He recognized the woods near his home immediately and almost cried out in relief.
He tore his arm away from his friend and started marching in the direction of his cottage in silence.
"Remus!"
He stopped in his tracks, his hands bunched into fists at his sides as he turned to look at his friend.
"I get it. You need a shower and you need a good meal. Have your shower and then come to the house. Harry is dying to see you, as is Tonks, and Zee is making a big welcome home meal for you. Tonks stayed over last night as we didn't want her to be alone and Harry's been trying to keep her calm, but she's anxious to see you."
"I just want to be left alone, Sirius."
Sirius sighed and moved towards his friend, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "No. Your family needs you and you need us. I got us tickets for the World Cup in August, a surprise for Harry's birthday, so smile a little. Dinner's at six. Don't make me come get you."
Remus simply nodded, turning away from his friend and continuing to walk towards his cottage. He heard Sirius Disapparate as he moved, his heart soaring at the sight of his home and his walk sped up. He knew that Harry and Tonks would want to see him, but he wasn't ready.
Not yet.
He let himself inside, not even bothering to look around as he made his way into the bathroom, his clothes dropping on the floor, tossing the letters and petition onto the bathroom counter. He pointed his wand to the dirty clothes and muttered, 'incendio.' The sight of them turning to ash was more satisfying than he had anticipated.
His amber eyes moved to the mirror and for the first time he took in his surroundings. The bathroom was finished, he realized and completely different. The tall, double-wide shower in the corner was shining behind the black marble and glass and the large claw foot tub had been moved to the other side of the bathroom. It looked good, he thought. Nymphadora must have finished it while he had… he closed his eyes, dragging his hands over his face.
He didn't want her to see him like this.
His amber eyes stared at himself in the mirror. His hair waved over his ears and his eyes, badly needing a trim and he wore a full beard. His fingers touched the hair, eyeing the grey hairs that sprouted through the gold, red, and brown on his face. A few stray grey hairs had even started to sprout at his temples and he blew his hair out of his eyes.
He looked down at his body. He was dirty. Azkaban didn't care about a prisoner's personal hygiene, and he looked at the ugly scratch across his left thigh. He had done that to himself during the moon; he wasn't sure on which night, but he knew that the nearby Dementors had made his transformation harder to sit through despite the potion that had been offered to him. He scratched the cut absentmindedly and touched the tattoo on the top of his arm below his shoulder, feeling comforted by it.
He cleaned his teeth vigorously, gulping water from the tap like a man dying of thirst and then he clutched the sink, his hands tightening on the porcelain.
He was home, he thought, he was free.
The door opened behind him and his eyes met her grey ones through the mirror.
"I want to be alone," he said, coldly.
Tonks closed the bathroom door behind her and wrapped her arms around him from behind, pressing her lips to the centre of his back. "You've been alone."
"Dora —"
"— No," she said, angrily, kissing his back again.
Remus pulled away from her. "I need a shower."
Tonks watched him step into the shower, closing the door behind him as he turned on the jets. There were six of them now, he noticed in surprise as he turned all of them on. Tonks gave him only a moment before she undressed and slipped into the shower behind him and he closed his eyes.
"Dora," he protested.
Tonks ignored him. She picked up the bath pouf from the wall, adding soap to it and began to wash his back, his chest. Remus closed his eyes, standing there as the jets hit his body.
"Let me take care of you," she said softly as she washed him.
The water turned mucky as it slid down the drain, but Tonks didn't stop her ministrations. She scrubbed every inch of him, turning his body so that the jets of hot water beat upon his skin. She added more soap and washed him slowly, her hands rubbing his shoulders, his calves, relieving the tension there.
He let out a shaky breath as the water finally turned clear and then the sob tore through him. He turned his face up to one of the jets and let it beat his face as he cried. Tonks didn't say anything. She put the bath pouf down, resting her cheek over his heart, her arms wrapped around his waist. He didn't touch her and she didn't ask him too; she just held on as he cried. It was only a few moments before his arms wrapped around her and she sighed in relief, kissing the skin over his heart.
Neither of them spoke as the hot water beat on them from six directions.
"I need to wash my hair," he murmured, releasing her.
Tonks simply grabbed the shampoo, squeezing a generous amount into her hands and merely gestured for him to lower his head. He did and her fingers scrubbed his scalp vigorously. He kept his eyes closed, sighing when she used the shampoo on his beard and smiling as she scrubbed the hair there. Her fingers felt wonderful and the head and face massage relaxed him fully in ways that he hadn't realized he needed to be relaxed. He rinsed his hair and she scrubbed it a second time, thoroughly and softly and he sighed in contentment. He rinsed himself clean, feeling immensely better and more like himself, finally taking the time to look at her.
Her short hair was a bit longer, a duller shade of pink and she had dark circles under her eyes. He could see a faint outline of her ribs and he knew that she hadn't been taking care of herself in his absence.
He placed a hand along her ribs, his fingers brushing the jagged scar across her abdomen. It had faded somewhat, but still seemed to stand out across her unblemished skin.
"I don't like seeing this. Have you been eating?"
Tonks didn't answer him. She stood on her toes, tugging his face down and kissed him softly. She kissed his neck, his collarbone, his chest, his ribs, his navel, and then she knelt before him, her mouth moving over him, and he fisted his hands in her curls.
"Nymphadora," he hissed.
She simply looked up at him. "Let me take care of you, Remus," she said softly before using her hands and mouth.
Remus' head fell back against the marble of the shower, his eyes watching her as her plump pink lips slid over him, licking and sucking him thoroughly as her hands fondled and touched. He gripped her hair tighter, his eyes meeting hers as he emptied himself with a loud satisfied groan that echoed in the bathroom. His eyes met hers and he watched her swallow before she kissed her way up his chest, kissing his chin and then she shut off the shower. She took his hand in hers and led him out, grabbing a large blue fluffy towel and carefully drying him off before herself and leading him into their bedroom.
His eyes widened in surprise.
The bed had arrived. A king-sized four poster sleigh bed that looked incredibly inviting. He sat naked on the silver and teal bedspread, not saying a word as Tonks slid red boxers up his body followed by blue jeans and a pair of brown leather sandals. She slipped a light blue button-down shirt over his shoulders and carefully buttoned him up, rolling the sleeves up to the elbows before grabbing his comb and brushing his hair gently.
He didn't say a word as he watched her dress in jean shorts and a white crop top before pulling on one of his green dress shirts, tying it at her waist and rolling up the sleeves. She put sandals on and used a quick charm on her hair to make it spiky the way she liked it and then she leaned down and kissed him softly, holding her hand out.
"Come on; they're waiting for us."
Remus stared at her hand. "Dora, I —"
Tonks sat in his lap, framing his face in her hands. "You needed a shower, a good cry, a release, and a good meal with your family. One more to go. Let me take care of you, baby."
Remus captured her lips in his, his arms wrapping around her and holding her close. "You're too fucking good for me, do you know that? You are too fucking good for me." He turned his head to kiss her palm and she smiled.
"They're waiting, Rem, come on."
He kissed her again, deeply and rested his forehead against hers. "I love you."
"I love you." She kissed him, quickly, and then stood up, extending her hand to him. "Let's go."
~ ASC ~
Harry was pacing the living room of Black Cottage, waiting anxiously. Tonks had left almost two hours ago to get Remus and he couldn't believe that she hadn't brought him back yet.
Sirius spoke from his spot on the sofa. "Sit down, Harry. He'll be here. He just needs a little time. He needs to adjust and to just settle himself."
Harry sighed and simply transformed into his dog form. He was still a puppy with paws too big for his tiny form as he still had to grow into them, but his ears were perked to listen for his father and he played happily with Marauder on the living room floor while he waited. Marauder was ecstatic whenever Harry changed into his Animagus form. He seemed confused by the puppy and yet absolutely in love as Puppy Harry tugged on his ears and his tail in an attempt to play. The front door opened ten minutes later and Harry's ears perked up, yipping in excitement and running towards Remus and Tonks as they came inside.
Remus looked down at the puppy in surprise. "Why hello there, little guy," he said bending down to greet the eager puppy whose too big paws rested on Remus' knees and then his eyes widened when he saw the green eyes. "Harry?"
Harry transformed back into himself and hugged Remus so tightly that he almost fell over.
Remus smiled warmly, his eyes closing happily as he wrapped his arms around his boy, his young man now, he thought, turning his head to kiss his temple. "I missed you, little Prongs."
"It's Harry now," Sirius said from the sofa. "Our boy's getting too big for foolish childhood names now, or so he tells me."
"Harry, then," Remus said, framing Harry's face in his hands and kissing his forehead. "I love you and I'm so glad to be home."
Harry smiled. "I love you, too. I'm so sorry! If I hadn't… you never should have gone to Azkaban."
Remus smiled kindly at him. "It's not your fault, Harry. I've been living on borrowed time and I knew it. Frankly, I was incredibly lucky that I have a friend like Padfoot over there who has the political savviness to pull out a thirty day sentence for someone like me and… you and Nymphadora… when you came into that cage with me…"
"I knew that you wouldn't hurt me, Uncle Moony."
"And you… when did you become an Animagus?"
"Two weeks ago," he said with a grin. "I'm going to get bigger though."
Remus grinned. "I imagine that's true."
"I wanted to be able to play with you during the full moon like Uncle Sirius does, you know, if you wanted me to."
Remus looked touched. "Harry, that's really sweet of you. And maybe one night once you have mastered your transformation, and are no longer a puppy, we'll talk about it."
Harry beamed at him. He moved out of Remus' arms, tugging Tonks towards him to hug her tightly. "You better now?"
Remus made a sound at the back of his throat that sounded almost like a growl, surprising both Harry and Tonks. He seemed to catch himself, but he reached out and put a hand on Tonks' waist as if needing to touch her.
She turned her head and smiled at him. "Did you just growl at Harry? Are you jealous of Harry, Remus?"
Harry grinned wickedly and reached up to flick Remus on the nose. "Bad dog! She was my big sister before she was your mate."
Sirius busted into laughter as Remus' mouth fell open and he stared at Harry in shock.
"Did you just call me a… 'bad dog?'" Remus asked in disbelief.
Harry grinned and kissed Tonks' cheek before he pushed her towards Remus, who wrapped his arms possessively around her and nuzzled her neck. "If the shoe fits, Uncle Moony. Come on, dinner's ready."
Harry turned and headed into the kitchen, leaving Remus standing at the front door with Tonks in his arms, his mouth still gaping open in shock.
Sirius stood up and grinned at his friend. "That moment you think he's all James and then he opens his mouth and Evans comes out."
Remus grinned. "I'm completely flabbergasted right now."
Tonks kissed his neck. "That's what you get for being jealous." She stood on her toes and nibbled on his ear, dropping her voice to a low whisper. "You have no reason to be, love. It's you and only you that I want both in and out of our bed."
He flushed and she grinned.
"Come on, let's go see what delicious food Zee has prepared for your homecoming. We'll fill you in on what you missed and then we'll go home. I've been waiting for you to sleep in our new bed."
He grinned at her and kissed her softly. "I want dessert in our new bed first."
"I made brownies," she said, grinning cheekily.
Remus looked at her, his eyes so full of desire that her stomach butterflies started doing the salsa. "I'd love to eat one, but first I'm eating you in the middle of our brand new bed."
Then he kissed her lips as she blushed and tugged her into the kitchen. Tonks couldn't stop smiling. Her man was home and it was everything she needed and wanted.
End Author's Notes:
Two things:
1. Bagman was not in the Wizengamot session because he was busy with tournament stuff and I also feel like he's the type to send a delegator to do that sort of stuff for him.
2. I wanted to bring up Bill 426-A17 once more just to officially close it. It has now officially been voted out of the Wizengamot and Umbitch cannot get it passed again. However, as of right now, she is still Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic and we know Fudge spoke to her about her role in Remus' trial and how she overstepped but she has kept her job and position — for clarification.
Thank you for reading and please review!