Chapter 20

"Concentrate. Clear your mind. Let your anger leave you and let yourself be filled with peace." Meredith sat with her back straight and her shoulders relaxed. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing deeply in and out.

"When you feel the anger cloud your mind, remember this. Keep your mind clear, let the anger leave you." Meredith felt her body relax and peace filled her. Every evening before dinner for the last three months she had come up to the headmasters office for private lessons. The lessons had consisted mainly of deep meditation and breathing exercises. It was a lot of work, but it was paying off. Meredith had not lost her temper, or made anything explode in weeks. Just the other day Flint had caught her off guard and hit her with the leg-locker curse and she had managed to hold her temper in check. She had of course gotten him back with a full body bind five minutes later. Just because she wasn't blowing things up didn't mean she had to be a pushover.

"Excellent Meredith," Dumbledore said. Meredith opened her eyes and found the headmaster beaming at her.

"You have shown much improvement my dear," The Headmaster said. "I believe that you shall be able to keep control of your temper from now on without my instruction." Meredith stood up and took her wand in her hand.

"Do you really think I'm ready, headmaster?" she asked.

"I do," Dumbledore said. "But remember when faced with provocation…"

"It is the weaker man that gives in to his anger."

"Very good my dear," Dumbledore said his eyes twinkling. "Now we'd best get down to the end of year feast." Meredith hurried down to the Great Hall. It was all decked out in green and silver. Meredith glared at the Slytherin table where Marcus Flint and his cronies were gloating about winning the house cup. Meredith shot a dirty look toward the head table where Snape was smirking. The only reason Slytherin won was because of Snape's constantly taking points from Gryffindor. She took her seat next to Patricia. Across from her Percy and Oliver were looking as glum as she felt. They perked up as the feast was served. As they feasted on turkey and potatoes and stuffing they talked about the year. Their final exams had been brutal but they'd all done very well. Meredith despite her mishap in the potions classroom had gotten high marks in the class and knowing how much it must have irritated Snape to give them to her made Meredith's year.

"Next year I'll be on the team," Oliver said. "I guarantee it. I'm going to practice all summer."

"You'll need to take some time over the summer to do your homework," Percy said.

"Homework," Oliver scoffed. "Over summer holidays?"

"They'll expect you to be well studied when we come back," Percy informed them. Patricia looked worried. She had only just passed all of her exams. Meredith put an arm around her shoulder.

"I swear Percy, you wouldn't know fun if it fell on your shoulder and started to tap dance."

They passed the time on the journey back playing exploding snap and laughing and talking. Meredith, though she would miss her friends was anxious to get home. She was eager to see her dad. She had missed him so much while she was away and she had so much to tell him. She'd not had a lot of time to write to him in the last month or so she'd been so busy studying for finals and her private lessons with Dumbledore. She was anxious to tell him about all she had learned this year. They reached the platform and gathered they're things together.

"Three months without being able to use magic," Percy sighed throwing his bag over his shoulder and gathering up Scabbers. "And Charlie's seventeen now and passed his apparation exam. I just know he's gonna be apparating downstairs every morning, just to show he can just like Bill did. When he's not gloating about winning the Quidditch cup and getting top marks in Care of Magical Creatures."

"Oh come on Percy," Oliver said cuffing him on the shoulder. "He graduates next year."

"Yeah," Percy said. "But then it will Fred and George's turn. I won't even have one year being the only Weasley."

"Enough whining," Meredith said giving them both a shove. They stepped off the train and Percy immediately spotted his mother and siblings. Patricia grabbed Meredith's hand and dragged her over to meet her parents.

"Mom, Dad," Patricia said formally. "This is Meredith Lupin. My best friend."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Meredith," Mrs. Patterson greeted her. Patricia's mother was very beautiful, tall and slender. She wore her hair, which was the same color as her daughter's, in a neat bun at the nape of her neck. Her father was also very tall with dark hair and kind eyes.

"Patricia has told us much about you," Mr. Patterson said in a deep voice.

"Very nice to meet you," Meredith said politely. She couldn't help but be slightly awed by Patricia's parents. They had the air of wealth and propriety that she found a bit unsettling.

"We need to get going dear," Mrs. Patterson said.

"All right," Patricia said. She turned to Meredith and the two friends hugged.

"You will write to me over the summer won't you?" Patricia asked.

"Of course," Meredith said.

"Maybe, if my parents are okay with it you could come visit."

"I'd like that," Meredith said. With one last hug Patricia's parents led her away to step through the barrier. Meredith began to search the platform for her father. She didn't see him anywhere. The platform was starting to empty as parents collected their children.

"Meredith!" Meredith turned and saw Andromeda and Tonks hurrying toward her.

"Darling," Andromeda said giving her a big hug. "Remus asked me to collect you." Meredith's heart dropped.

"Is he all right?" Andromeda took her hand and they began to move through the platform

"He's fine. Just a bit under the weather." Meredith nodded. That was their code for 'a rough transformation'. After collecting the trunks and owls they made their way toward home. From the Tonks's home Meredith flooed home. She stepped out of the fireplace into her living room. For a moment she just stood there taking in the familiar surroundings. She was home. She squealed with delight and raced upstairs. She went directly into her bedroom and jumped onto her bed. It smelled fresh and clean and it was as soft as she remembered. Sitting on her pillow was the stuffed puppy that had been her favorite as a child.

"I'm home Tuffy," she said giving the now ratty eared puppy a squeeze. She set the puppy down and went down the hall. Her father's door was slightly a jar and she gently pushed it open. She could see his shape under the covers. She slowly approached the bed. A gentle warmth spread through her as she watched him sleep. Carefully, so as not to jostle him she climbed up on the bed. His eyes slowly opened and she kissed him on the cheek.

"I'm home," she said. He sat up and wrapped his arms around her. As she inhaled her father's scent she was finally home.

"Welcome home love," he said kissing her hair. "I missed you."

"I missed you too."

"I'm sorry I couldn't come to get you at the station. The transformation last night was rather exhausting."

"It's okay, Dad," she said. "I'm just glad to be home, with you."

"Are you hungry?" he asked. "I should have prepared something."

"Just rest," she said hugging him. "I'll make us a snack and we'll eat up here and I can tell you everything that happened at school this last month." She tucked the blankets around him and hopped off the bed.

"Remember, no magic outside of Hogwarts," he called after her.

"I know," she called back. Remus chuckled. He had missed his little girl. He felt horrible that he hadn't been able to welcome her home properly no matter how light she made of it. It was unfair that his being a werewolf had forced her to grow up so fast.

"Tada!" she said bursting into the room carrying a tray with several peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and two glasses of milk. Remus smiled. Perhaps he was worried over nothing. He smiled to himself as he listened to her chatter away about her classes and her friends and the private lessons she had been taking with Dumbledore. He'd been very happy when Dumbledore had owled him to say that he would be teaching Meredith personally how to control her temper. Perhaps the headmaster would be able to keep her from following in her father's footsteps.

"And then Charlie caught the Snitch and Gryffindor beat Slytherin. I guess Quidditch is kind of exciting to watch but I don't think it's nearly as big a deal as Oliver makes it out to be." Remus chuckled. Yes, he thought. Definitely not flowing in Sirius's footsteps.