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Authors note first I want to assure all of my trouble time readers that chapter 6 of troubled times will be posted hopefully by the end of next week. Another thing just to remind you so that we can avoid some confusion this is an alternate universe where Remus and Sirius were adopted by the Potters at age 16.Thank you and enjoy the rest of the story

Chapter Three

A Strange New World

Written by: Empathicallychosen

Betaed by: Taint of Taia

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." - Aristotle

(o)(o)(o)

Remus vaulted up the stairs after Lily, just in time to see Sirius push James against the wall. At first, Remus was taken aback. He hadn't witnessed that since their fourth year when Sirius thought James was moving in on his then girlfriend, Suzy Burrell. Then, the screams reached his ears.

"I WANNA GO HOME! I WANNA GO HOME!"

Harry. Remus couldn't stop himself from cursing. He rarely did such a thing, but felt the immediate situation warranted the action. Remus was so absorbed in what he was going to do to those wretched monsters for taking and mistreating his nephew that he didn't notice Aidan standing behind him until his father spoke. Yet Remus wasn't looking at his father, but rather at James. He couldn't take his eyes off James, fearing that the impetuous Prongs would sneak past Sirius, who was busy focusing on the plan, and get everyone killed.

" I know this is killing you, but you have to stay focused . . . " Aidan's words barely made it through, but Remus could tell that even James, in his current state of mind, was listening.

Remus watched as James bit down hard on his lip. Being friends with him for so long, and then brothers, made James an open book to Remus. He knew James was thinking that he would've liked to remind their young father that none of them had ever been kidnaped or tortured in the next room. If they had been, Aidan would not be sitting by waiting as they were at the moment.

"... Leave the Death Eaters to us . . . "

James stared incredulously. It was his son locked up and helpless in the next room! Remus was worried James was going to go off the deep end, killing as many of those Death Eaters as he could. It wasn't that Remus believed that the scum deserved any less, but Remus knew where his priorities lay.

"... You just get those kids out of there."

Remus let out a sigh of relief. The plan was saved James's first priority had always been family and Aidan just played into it. It was clever of their father to remind James, so subtly, that Harry came before getting any revenge. Although James could probably think of a most fitting justice, James was always one of the few people who could take care of Harry. James knew what Harry needed almost before Harry did. Because of that, James could not go gallivanting off while his son needed him.

When he noticed James had already gone off, rather quickly at that, Remus had to run to keep up with him. Remus didn't know what stopped him from collapsing with exhaustion when he finally got to Ron. Remus suspected it was one of two things. It might have been the fact that the room smelled like the monkey cage at the zoo, although Remus reminded himself this was probably logical given how the children had been stuck here for several weeks.

Looking around the room, Remus doubted that the subhuman beasts who had taken his charges had ever let them upstairs to use the bathroom. His second suspicion of his feeling so awake was Ron's horrendous physical state and that was likely the real reason. Right off the bat, Remus could see a broken leg, fresh blood and bruises that needed to be attended to, and, possibly, a broken rib.

That would have to wait however, because, no sooner did Remus catch his breath, then Harry had started screaming at the top of his lungs for James to go away.

"Remus do something before he hurts himself! Shh, don't do that. Shh," said James over his sons cries.

"I have my own problems here, Prongs," said Remus, irritated. He was trying to deduce if the best course of action was to first contain Ron's pain or to untie him. "Harry isn't the only one in the room you know!"

"Now, Remus!" barked James.

Remus turned around. He had only done so with the intention of pointing out (by shouting) that Ron was in critical condition as well and required just as much attention as Harry, but froze when he saw Harry trying to escape from James by trying to pull the straps, that bound him, off the table. Remus cursed again. Without thinking, Remus shot a set of lavender fireworks into the air. This scared Harry greatly, but at least he was paying attention now and ceased to harm his wrists and ankles further.

"Harry . . . Harry, I'm sorry. Listen. Prongs isn't going to hurt you! We just want to help you and Ron get away from the bad men," said Remus calmly.

Harry still seemed very skeptical and frightened of what Remus was telling him, but Remus had been watching Harry as he spoke and Remus was quite sure he knew how to convince his nephew of the purity of their motives. "James, transform. Don't look at me like that! Just do it."

James obeyed and was completely taken aback to see Harry smile.

"P'ons. I thinked I d'eamed you." Harry's voice was hoarse and gritty, but the smile said it all to James, who returned to his normal form almost immediately after Harry's words.

"You remember me!" he breathed. "Remus, can you believe it? He remembers his dad!" said James turning back to his brother after he transformed back to his human self.

"Congratulations, Prongs. Harry, your Daddy is going to help you go to sleep now," Remus said gently.

Though Remus had said the words to Harry, he didn't think that the little boywas really paying attention.he was so captivated by the factt the man he had thought was just a dream had come to life and was going to rescue him that Remus was positive James would have no trouble getting Harry to do as he said anymore. all the same Remus didn't turn back to Ron until Harry was fast asleep.

Remus was feeling quite accomplished for the way he had handled Harry. It took Ron biting him on the hand for him to realize he wasn't as well versed in child psychology as he thought. Was it too much for Remus to hope that James would put Harry down long enough for him to help Remus with the most stubborn and difficult of the children? To Remus's great shock, James had yet to even pick up his son. James was staring at Ron with a heavy heart. It was clear James was wracked with guilt that he hadn't even thought about how Ron was faring.

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. Harry's your son. Of course you would tend to him first. I didn't mean to imply --"

"Yeah you did, and you're right." James marched over to Ron, rolled up his sleeves, and began entertaining Ron with some rather elaborate and showy tricks.

Remus undid Ron's straps easily and cleaned Ron off before the boy even realized he was free. It was much harder to sit him up so that Remus could carry him easily from the repugnant dungeon. Ron's shouts of pain from doing this were so loud that plaster fell from the ceiling.

"Sorry," muttered Ron nervously when he stopped screaming, though he was now crying heavily.

"Don't worry about it, cub," said Remus without thinking. He couldn't suppress a pleased smile when Ron pondered the word "cub," just as Harry had with the word "Prongs."

"Moony?" Ron questioned, eyes widening.

"Don't tell me you dreamed about us too," questioned Remus.

Ron nodded.

"My legs hurt real bad, Moony," Ron's sobbed into Remus's shoulder.

Remus felt his blood boiling as he stroked Ron's fiery red hair in an effort to soothe him.

Meanwhile, a tearful Ron rested his head sideways on Remus's shoulder so that he was looking right at James, who had just cursed a little too loudly. "Sorry mate. What I meant was 'drat' . . . "

Remus glared at James, with half a mind to tell Lily what James had said when this was all over. Allowing her to come up with a punishment was by far worse than anything Remus could come up with, and he was a Marauder

"Ron, I know this is all very scary, but you need to let me wrap your legs up. It's the only way to get them to stop hurting," said James, demonstrating what made him such a wonderful father, despite any slip-ups of foul language.

Ron looked torn. He wanted his legs to stop hurting, but he clearly didn't want anyone to come near him with a wand ever again.

"Guess what? All the brave little boys get big red balloons when there all better," continued James in a tone that exuded excitement.

The last thing Remus remembered thinking before healing Ron and placing a sleeping charm on him was that Ron, Hermione, and Harry deserved gigantic balloons for everything they had gone through.

Remus jumped. He just heard something that had jolted him from his memory and made his heart do a somersault in his chest. A high-pitched terrified scream. Hermione's scream . . . He wondered what possibly could have happened. He knew that the house was too heavily protected for anyone to get in and try to take her again. Silently he prayed that it was just a nightmare, but somehow he knew that wasn't what had frightened the girl. Racing down the hall Remus hoped that whatever was scaring Hermione could be easily fixed. Their time here was running out.

-- -- -- -- --

Hermione was frantic she looked around for Ron and Harry, but couldn't see them anywhere. She had woken up in yet another foreign room, and again she didn't know where her friends were. The only thing that could possibly make being kidnaped worse was being kidnaped and all alone. Hermione was desperate. She couldn't fathom what the new strangers had done to her friends. What awful things could their rescuers be doing to Harry and Ron. Why weren't they there with her?

Anxiously, Hermione surveyed the room. It was bright, colorful, and full of interesting toys. It certainly wasn't the dungeon she had been staying in for the past three weeks. But maybe all of this was a trick and maybe the bad stuff happened in another room and maybe that's where Ron and Harry were. As she was contemplating the strange new situation she had landed in, she noticed the strangest monster she had ever seen in her life.

The monster was standing at the foot of her bed, staring as intensely at her as she was at it. All thoughts of Harry and Ron were wiped temporarily from her mind as fear and slight fascination overwhelmed her. The monster on the bed was about the same size as she was, but it was brownish green in color, had huge bat-likeears, and bright blue eyes the size of saucers.

Okay, Hermione thought to herself, if I don't move, maybe it'll go away. She waited for a few moments, holding her breath, but when the monster spoke it was too much for Hermione.

She screamed loudly. She couldn't believe that monsters could talk nothing in her storybooks ever said anything about talking monsters.

"Tiramisu is sorry for scaring you, Miss. I is not believing it. I is never thinking she is living to see any eternus liberi. Master James is never warning Tiramisu that they is . . . "

Hermione didn't stick around to find out what the creature was. All she could think about was that she wanted her mommy and daddy that they were far away and she had already tried popping to them and couldn't . . . but she knew she could pop to Ron and Harry.

She did so without thinking, and the results she got were far worse than she ever expected. She wound up on the edge of an enormous bed much like the one she had been on earlier. She could hear adult voices coming from somewhere down the hall, but those were all the observations she had time to make.

Harry screamed, backing himself up against the headboard and bundling himself into a ball.

"Hermione, you know the rules about freak stuff, that's bad, " said Ron angrily. The redhead tried to sooth his friend by rubbing his back, just as Mrs. Figg had done on occasion. He kept whispering; It's okay over and over to his friend.

It was not true, though. If Harry's Auntie Petunia found out about this, she would get Harry into loads of trouble. Hermione didn't want to get Harry into trouble. Really, she didn't. She just wanted to get away from that awful monster and find her friends while at it. Things were getting so complicated. Hermione couldn't take it anymore. She tried to be a big girl and she tried to be brave, but none of that mattered as she burst into loud and messy tears.

With Hermione crying, Harry in a complete panic, and Ron torn between which one of them to comfort first, no one noticed as the door opened or as six people stepped inside.

"Hey, hey what's going on in here?" asked a woman's voice.

Startled, all three children looked up. Ron was the first to speak, though it took some persuading.

"Hermione popped," he whispered, apprehensive about getting Harry punished, but knowing that hiding it would be much worse. "You're not mad at Harry, are you?"

It took awhile for Lily to realize that popping was Ron's way of explaining apparition, but her reply to Ron's fearful question came without hesitation.

"Of course not. You three used to Apparate all the time when you were ba -"

"How you knows that," asked Harry diffidently, cowering a little behind Ron.

"Because I'm your Mummy silly," laughed Lily, thinking that this would ease the tension.

She was dead wrong. The room became eerily quiet. It seemed as though the children were afraid to breathe.

Then with immense bravery for someone so young, Hermione puffed out her chest and said, "Mr. Vermin says that Harry's mummy and daddy are bad people."

"That is just ridiculous," said the man that had messy hair like Harry's. "If I was a bad person, what would I be doing with these?"

The man pulled out from behind his back three of the biggest red balloons the friends had ever seen, just as they had been promised while freeing the trio from the bad men. He handed one to Hermione first, as she was closest, then he handed Ron another balloon, but Harry did not accept his balloon as readily as the others.

"Go on, take it. It's yours."

When Harry still didn't accept the balloon, the man sighed. Handing the balloon to the older man, he gently picked up Harry and sat down on the bed with the boy in his lap. Hermione couldn't help but gasp. After all, never to her recollection had she ever seen anyone who allowed Harry to sit on their lap. Harry seemed wary of this as well, and tensed up.

"Don't be afraid. No one's going to hurt you anymore," whispered the man gently. He then added for Hermione and Ron's benefit: "No one can hurt you here. That's why we brought you here, because it's safe until we can get you home. I know this is all quite scary, but you have nothing to be afraid of here."

The man, Prongs, wrapped one arm protectively around Harry and used the other to indicate the older people in the room. "This is my father, Aidan, and my mother, Accalia. They are really nice and they're probably going to spoil you silly."

Aidan, the man with the salt and pepper hair laughed. The lady with the tawny hair smiled sweetly. Hermione couldn't help but notice that she had a very pretty smile. Aidan extended the balloon to Harry again. Hermione and Ron waited with bated breath. They knew that Harry would only take it if he trusted his father enough to trust this man. And if Harry trusted these people, it was all right for Ron and Hermione to trust them too.

Harry hesitated for a moment considering both his father and the man with the balloon. Then, ever so slowly as though he expected for the balloon to be taken away from him, he extended his hand to accept the balloon. With the assurance that they were safe, and that no one would be performing anymore experiments on them, not to mention those wicked cool balloons, the world was perfect. Hermione forgot all about being separated from her friend and about her monster until it appeared carrying a tray full of tea. Again Hermione screamed and burst into wild tears. She was so shaken up that she couldn't even answer James when he frantically asked her what the matter was.

"Tiramisu is afraid to be knowing what is wrong. Young Mistress is thinking that I is a monster," the creature squealed hanging its head.

Hermione was shocked when everyone (apart from Ron and Harry) began to laugh.

"No worries, Tiramisu, it's just that she has never been around a house elf before," said Sirius, setting Hermione on his knee as he spoke. "Don't cry, sugarplum. This is Tiramisu. She's just the house elf . . . "

"A what?" asked Ron, wrinkling his nose in concentration.

"A house elf, Tiger," repeated Sirius patiently and then adding under his breath: "I'm sure your mother must have half a dozen by now."

Even though Sirius had tried to keep his last comment quiet, it was not lost on the ever observant youngsters.

"Tiramisu helps around the house and she's really nice," interrupted Remus loudly to redirect the children's attention.

"Oh, and look. She brought you some chocolate milk," said Lily glaring at Sirius.

The children happily accepted the unexpected treat, oblivious to the nonverbal argument going on between Harry's mother and godfather.

-- -- -- -- -

The next morning, Remus got dressed quickly. Things were happening just as quick and Remus didn't like to be away from Harry, Ron, and Hermione for too long. Remus stopped off in the kitchen for a snack before heading down to the nursery. He plucked an apple from the counter and was chewing on it contentedly before he even noticed a group of healers huddled around the kitchen table muttering to each other. They were so busy brooding thatthey apparently didn't realize Remus standing behind them. These healers may have been some of the finest medical minds in the country but they had so many complaints about Harry Ron and Hermione that Remus was surprised they were allowed to work in a profession that involved helping children.

"I've had a sore abdomen ever since yesterday when that green-eyed nuisance kicked my abdomen," grumbled healer Johnston.

Remus was getting sick of this. Every single day, those healers did more complaining then mending.

"Then perhaps you should have warned him you were going to cast a spell, just as you were instructed to do," snapped Remus angrily.

Two healers were startled enough that they jumped out of the chairs. Healer Johnston spilled his tea all over the mahogany table.

"Here he goes again," muttered a healer with thin gray hair.

"What did you say, Ms. Newton," hissed Remus dangerously.

Octavia Newton was one of the few healers Remus, James, and Sirius had not been able to charm or intimidate, even for a few moments. She stood up and looked him squarely in the eyes. Remus had never liked Octavia, even if she was a good healer. However Remus was really starting to question whether she should be around children, especially as he began to watch her rant and rave like a mad woman.

"Always defending them. Always . . . explaining everything away." Finally, after several long minutes, she pulled up her sleeve and said, "Explain this away. I dare you."

On her arm was a set of children's teeth marks, and it was still bleeding. He wondered why she hadn't bothered to heal herself. But after thinking about her for a while he decided he didn't care if she wanted to be over dramatic walking around with an open wound so be it.

"He doesn't have to when I can explain it. You, in your ever bewildering wisdom, levitated the girl. I don't blame Hermione as I would bite you as well had you done the same to me."

Accalia was mad. She had come into the room to see where Remus had gotten to and found the healer badmouthing her future grandchild and his friends.

"YOU WHAT! SHE'S AFRAID OF HEIGHTS!"

"Remus John!" Remus stopped shouting immediately. He wasn't used to his mother calling him by his middle name. Accalia wasn't used to it either, judging by the way she was blushing when she continued. "You promised the children you'd read to them before their nap. I think now is as good a time as any."

Remus was grateful his mother had pulled him away from his confrontation with Octavia. He had seldom been so angry in his whole life. He was even more grateful that Ron, Harry, and Hermione could not read yet. Well, Hermione could read somewhat, but she wasn't nearly as eager to read with him as she was to have Remus reading to her. She especially loved all the funny voices he made while he was reading.

About half an hour later, while the children were napping, Lily, James, Remus and Sirius all enjoyed a nice lunch and an adult conversation. An hour after lunch they were still debating goblin banking policies when they heard Healer Bates screaming in pain.

"Oh Merlin," said Lily exasperatedly. "What now?"

When they reached the nursery, everyone was shocked. Bates, more commonly known as 'Dragon Lady', was wet and her arm was smoking. Still, it was hard for Remus and the others to believe that Ron had lit her on fire, even as she ran hysterically from the house.

"I don' knows what 'appened, Remy," he told Remus for the millionth time. "She tried to make me drink the med'cine and I said 'no' and then she used her stick thing-"

"Wand," corrected Lily helpfully.

"Y-yeah she -- she used . . . that . . . to make my mouth open an' I don' know what 'appened." Ron looked terrified, as if they were going to admonish him as the 'Dragon Lady' had done.

"Don't worry, little man. The mean old harpy had it coming," Sirius replied reassuringly.

Accalia glared at her 'future' son for calling one of the healers a harpy in front of the little boy. Ron, however, looked to be relieved.

"She's not coming back, is she?" Ron whispered, unable to hide the fear in his voice.

Harry shuddered and Hermione looked up mortified at the idea.

Remus began rubbing Ron's back in little circles.

"No," James assured them. "No more Dragon Lady."

After everything the healers had put them through it was no wonder why Harry, Ron, and Hermione refused to trust anyone but Sirius, Lily, James and Remus. They were slowly coming around to Aidan and Accalia, but Aidan had a hurdle to overcome. Lily and the others were leaving soon and they would be leaving behind three terrified children who were still very timid. And to add to the whole dilemma, the younger versions of James, Sirius, and Remus were returning that day and they were hardly mature enough to handle the situation.

Another chapter gotten done. Once again i would to take a moment to thank the wonderful and fabulous Taint of Taia take a bow babe you earned it. By the way Happy Easter to all of you who celebrated. And to the rest of you have a great weekend and may the spring fairies bring me a great fortune. Don't forget to read and review I'd love to know which member of the trio you think is the most adorable toddler or some such nonsense.

Next chapter enter teenage marauders, identity crisis, and a whole lot of chaos love treasure be be a certainty well me you know about him in this at Ron and going with you to go on for a little them