A/N: Heya! This is the last chapter I am going to be posting as a thirteen year old! I'm gonna be 14 on Saturday (Wahoo only two more years till I can drive).
However unfortunately this is also going to be my last regular update. I have my GCSE's next year and the only reason I'm not giving up on this is cause of all my wonderful reviewers, so just for you I'm going to write in all my spare time.
Also thanks to everyone who read my one shot 'Paralysed', I'll be doing another one of those sometime next week (this time more cheerful)
NOTE: There are no dividers in the chapter. I can't seem to get them up. Help on how to do so would be very much appreciated. Thanks
Disclaimer: I don't own HP, blunt enough for you not to sue.
Chapter 9Remus John Lupin limped up the stairs wearily. Though healed expertly by Madam Pomfey, his recently bruised and battered body was still sore and slower than usual. Not to mention neither of them suspected that he'd be spending his first day out of hospital chasing a livid teenager- then again it wouldn't be home if he didn't have to do something of the sort.
As he dragged his lead-like feet up yet another block on the staircase the smart werewolf made a mental note not to challenge Sirius to on of their infamous pillow fights anytime soon. Not unless he wanted to loose miserably anyway.
His thoughts carried Remus all the way to the first baby blue door on the top of the landing. On the top of the door there were small letter in gold metal that read the words 'Harry Potter'. Those two words had been on the door since the day the boy had moved in seventeen years ago; only some fancy charms placed by Remus stopped them from rusting. This, to his guardians' amusement, led a younger Harry to believe that the only reason Hogwarts didn't use the same charm on their trophy cupboard was so that they could torture the students more in detention.
However his remising wasn't the only thing making the werewolf hesitate at the door. Perhaps it was the fact that the room was abnormally quiet without evidence of a silencing charm; something which was usually not the case when a mad Harry was concerned.
Albeit wearily Remus knocked on his surrogate nephew's door.
"Harry," he called when he got no answer. "Harry, can I come in?"
Despite the prolonged silence from the other side of the door, the sandy haired werewolf pushed open the door and quietly walked into the room. Lying face down on the bed, his head buried deep into the pillow was Harry. Although his face was hidden the older wizard knew that the boy was holding back tears.
Sighing Remus sat down on the edge of the bed and began rubbingsoothing circles into the teenager's back.
"Harry?"
The young wizard finally lifted his head to face his guardian. He was still blinking furiously, willing himself not to cry. But when Remus smiled slightly and pulled him into a gentle hug he simply could not hold his emotions back any longer. Burying his face into the werewolf's shoulder Harry clung onto his surrogate nephew and began sobbing uncontrollably.
" Hey, hey, hey," whispered Remus wrapping his arms slightly tighter round his surrogate nephew " Shhhh. It's all going to be okay. It's all going to be okay."
"It's not going to be okay," replied Harry heavily through sobs, " He said he's going to kill you, and Sirius, and Gin, and Ron and Mione. Everyone's going to die and it's all going to be my fault."
"No one's going to die and it's not going to be your fault," said Remus soothingly but the frown on his face deepened. The werewolf didn't know what had happened in the auror training session, but what ever it was it had obviously shaken the boy a lot; it wasn't often that he lost control like this. And didn't he say something about getting expelled?
However no matter how curious he was, Remus knew he should let Harry calm down before pressing him for answers. For about 10 minutes they sat like that; Harry sobbing into Remus' shoulder, whilst the older wizard tried to comfort him.
Eventually the teenager broke away with a beet red face caused by a mixture of tears and embarrassment. Almost immediately he began muttering incoherent apologies to his guardian.
"Harry," Remus cut him off firmly, "Can you tell me what happened today?"
Sighing the young adult adjusted himself into a more comfortable cross-legged position on the bed and lent against the wall. Quite unsure of how to begin Harry began telling Remus everything starting from the interview with Darius Cringe to his argument with Sirius.
Although his voice managed to remain neutral thought the tale, the werewolf's sharp eyes couldn't help noticing the way Harry increased his grip on the pillow in his lap when he began retelling what Darius Cringe said.
When the teenager got to the part where he cast an unforgivable on the death eater Remus was just as shocked as the boys other guardian, only he did a better job of hiding it. He felt like a parent who just caught their child swearing for the first time. He knew that Harry had learnt about the cruciatus curse in his fourth year, but had no idea that it was still in the boy's mind.
"Harry," said Remus once the boy had finished retelling the days events, " I don't want you to worry about what the death eater said to you about us all being killed. He's just some stupid idiot who was tring to scare you, okay. None of us are going to die."
"Promise?" asked Harry weakly.
In that one word the werewolf suddenly understood just how vulnerable the boy felt. He was angry about his argument with his godfather, he was ashamed of using 'crucio' on the death eater- but more than anything he was scared of Cringes' threats.
With one arm Remus pulled Harry closer to him. He didn't want to make a promise he knew he couldn't keep, but he didn't want to worry his nephew more either.
"Harry, you know I can't promise such things. But I do promise that if anything happens to any of us it would not be your fault. I thought you understood that back at the hospital."
The boy-who-lived nodded weakly and rested his head on Remus' shoulder.
"Remus…" he began quietly.
"Let me guess. You're going to ask me whether you are turning evil because you used an unforgivable?"
Harry's smile gave away the answer.
"Well Harry, then answer this for me. Did using the curse give you pleasure? Do you enjoy it? Do you want to do it again?
The boy shook his head having a rough idea where this was leading.
" In that case I think, no, you are not turning evil. Voldemort and his followers torture and kill people because they think it's fun. All you did was make a terrible mistake that you are now going to avoid in the future."
The pair sat on the bed in silence for a couple of minutes both deep in thought. Finally it was Harry who broke the stillness.
"Remus, I meant what I said to Sirius, but if I'm expelled what the bloody hell am I going to do now?"
"Language Harry. I think you've been spending far too much time with the Weasleys that now I think you're starting to adopt their speech. As for your question; I was hoping to discuss that very same thing with Padfoot. In fact why don't I pop in to his office now so that I can talk to him. Will you be alright on your own for about half an hour or so?"
Harry nodded his reply before adding as an after thought, " If you're going to see Sirius can you tell him to piss off from me?" (A/N: I know that this type of comment from Harry is very OOC, but Harry's mad at his godfather so you'll just have to excuse it)
Remus frowned down at the boy sternly, "I'm not telling Sirius anything of the sort," he replied flatly, " If you want to tell him that you're more than welcome to do it yourself when he comes home, because as much as I love you I am not going to get myself involved in this fight between the two of you. But really in all seriousness, I understand that you're angry with Sirius but please try and see it from his point of view as well. Will you?"
The werewolf took Harry's gruff groan as an unwilling yes.
"Anyway I still don't like the idea of leaving you alone at home" The werewolf continued pointedly ignoring the teenager's muffled protests at his last comment, "You're too much like Sirius and James that I wouldn't surprised if the house was burnt down when I come home. I know, why don't you call Ginny over. She should still be at home for summer."
Remus shook his head amusedly as he watched the anger on his surrogate nephew's face slowly change to the more mischievous glint, which on a different face tended to result in a detention.
"Sirius must have been right for the first time in his life. I think I have officially lost it. Leaving Prongs Jr. alone in the house with his girlfriend. What has this world come two?" muttered Remus as the pair exited the room; Harry going to the kitchen fire to contact Ginny and Remus to the ministry.
Sirius Black was sitting in his office grumbling as he filled out yet another one of Fudges pointless security forms. The aim of the particular one lying on the table in front of him was to 'identify places where security needs to be stepped up." The whole scheme wouldn't have been half as pointless if the ministry actually paid any attention to the little boxes they were making the head auror tick. They did what ever they wanted to anyway regardless.
" An attack on the knight bus, highly unlikely," the animagus thought out loud. " At Madam Puddifoot's…huh…how the hell am I supposed to know? Talk about random locations. Why would anyone want to blow up pink china anyway? Next, the residence of Black, Lupin and Potter! Nah, the death eaters would never dream of having a raid there. Voldemort would probably do it himself for god's sake! I wonder what'll happen if I tick impossible?"
"Did you know that talking to yourself if the millionth sign of madness?" came the voice of a young woman and she walked into the head aurors open office (or rather she miscalculated the first time and ended up ricocheting of the door frame).
Sirius looked up just in time to see his cousin Tonks picking herself up off the floor. She was wearing her usual dungarees and bright green top with bubblegum pink curls to match.
"Hey Nymphy," replied the head auror earning him a glare. "I thought the muggle saying was 'talking to yourself is the first sign of madness. At least that's the rubbish Moony comes out with."
"It is- for most people," Tonks said casually. "You are an exception my dear cousin."
As Sirius' brain deciphered the meaning of her words the head auror threw her annoyed look and went back to filling in the form on his desk.
Watching his strange behaviour his cousin remarked "Hey what's up with you? Someone's being a grouchy old git today aren't they!"
"Sorry. It's all this pointless paperwork the minister is throwing at me. And I bet as soon as I hand it in they'll just burn it without even looking at it. And I had an argument with Harry at auror training today. I think he's mad at me."
Tonks nodded sympathetically, but to Sirius' relief didn't press the matter. The female auror had of course heard that Harry had been sacked from training, not that she was going to tell Sirius this.
The pair sat in silence for a couple of seconds when suddenly Tonks' wild laughter filled the room. At her cousin's raised eyebrows the blue haired witch attempted to fit in an explanation between giggles. "You ticked impossible for the likelihood of there being an attack at the residence of Black, Lupin and Potter."
The head auror merely shrugged. "I wanted to see what would happen." Then in a more interested tone of voice he asked, " By the way what's going on between you and the great Moony of the marauders anyways?"
"Same old. Same old." Replied Tonks with a slight sigh in her voice. "We still haven't told Kingsley yet."
"I'd hurry up if I were you. Moony's not really into the whole love and sneaking behind peoples backs. It might give him a heart attack and that would give old Poppy even more of a reason to keep her star patient in the infirmary for even longer!"
Tonks laughed at her boss's antics, whilst the head auror himself conjured a mug of coffee out of the tip of his wand, then offered one to the female auror.
"No thanks Sirius. I should really get going now. I'll see you round." Saying that she began exiting the head auror's office tripping over the rug and landing flat on her face in the process. However just as she left the door Tonks turned around again and called out to Sirius,
" Hey Sirius. I almost forgot the reason that I came to your office. Your girlfriend's waiting downstairs. She wants to know whether she can come up to talk to you for a bit."
The animagus smiled and shook his head. Trust Tonks to come to his office have a chat and then almost forget why she came there in the first place! But even as his mind dwelled on this Sirius realised something more important, "Nymphy…urm…I don't have a girlfriend."
"Yes, but knowing you, you will have a girlfriend by the time she leaves this room. Now should I call her in or not?"
" Yeah okay, bring in the mysterious lady. When you put it like that why not. Besides any thing beats paperwork."
As Tonks left the room Sirius tipped his chair on back on to two legs and took a sip of his coffee. He hoped the mystery girl was every bit at good looking as his cousin had suggested. He could do with something to get his mind of Harry; besides his flirting skills were way too rusty, James would have been appalled.
Eventually Sirius heard the sound of heels from the corridor outside which stopped suddenly only to be replaced by a soft knock on his office door.
"Come in," called the head auror.
The wooden door opened and a young girl about Sirius' own age entered. Well, she certainly was every bit as pretty as the animagus had hoped. She had a moon shaped face with smooth olive skin and dark brown locks down to her waist.
Sirius' chair crashed back down to all fours with a loud slam, spilling the warm coffee all over his robes. He knew this girl.
" Gem," he whispered completely in shock.
The girl in front of him smiled shakily with relief. Perhaps Remus hadn't told him she had become a death eater. Maybe he still didn't hate her.
However she thought to soon. Within seconds Sirius was standing and had drawn his wand making it point directly at the females neck.
" Laxcrosse," the head auror's voice was low but the girl had never heard so much hatred in it before. " What the hell are you doing here?"
"Sirius…" she began weakly
"SHUT THE HELL UP" yelled Sirius at the top of his voice. " You're a death eater and you just walk straight into the head auror's office where I can chuck you in Azkaban like that. So what's Voldie's order?"
" Sirius please I'm not evil. Please," hot tears began prickling her eyes and despite himself the animagus could help admiring how beautiful she looked.
"Damn right you're not," retorted the head auror slamming his fist down on to the desk on his right. " Gemini, are you a death eater?"
"Sirius I need you to listen…" Sirius' wand was still pointed at her neck causing the terrified girl to clutch at her robes helplessly.
" ANSWER MY BLOODY QUESTION! Are you a death eater?"
Exhaling deeply the olive skinned witch shook her long bangs out of her faces and began speaking very quickly before Sirius could cut her off again. "Yes, but I don't want to be. I made a mistake and I want to change sides again."
The head auror laughed loudly but the sound contained no humour. " Why so that you can betray us again? I'm not going to fall for the same thing twice. Voldie must be loosing his touch if he thinks he can command you to waltz in here and everyone will forgive you."
Then for a brief moment the head auror moved his wand away from Gemini and pointed it towards the door, which he locked with one flick.
"So that you don't do a runner," he muttered more to himself than anything.
However before the female even had time to breath a sigh of relief Sirius' wand was back at her neck.
"So that I don't do a runner eh?" spoke the death eater, some of her old confidence returning. " I think it's to stop anyone else from finding us actually."
Sirius flushed red. Gemini still knew him just as well as she did when they did when there were in Hogwarts. Though he did his best not to show it, her standing there, openly crying in front of him, broke the head auror's heart. The only time he'd seen her cry before was when her little sister, Arielle, was murdered by death eaters in her own home. 'What am I thinking,' thought the head auror almost in disgust, 'She betrayed you all just to become a bloody death eater and you are feeling sorry for her. Pull yourself together Padfoot.'
" You're in no position to make any smart comments Laxcrosse. I'm standing here with a wand against your neck and in my eyes you are as bad as Peter Pettigrew. You betrayed us just like he did, so why should I do to you what I did to him?"
The female death eater winced. She knew how much Sirius hated Pettigrew. And it hurt to be hated by someone you loved so much. Though she knew loud and clear that it was her own fault. Instead of going with what she believed in, she ran away in cowardice and became a mindless zombie. Why did she even expect forgiveness?
"Padfoot please! I've telling the truth. You have to believe me. I'll do anything to prove it if I could. Please, for old times sake."
"DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME PADFOOT, you piece of filth. That's what my friends call me!" the emphasis he put on friends broke the witch's heart in two. " And any way why would I believe someone with Voldemort's mark burnt into their arm?"
"Because she saved my life." The familiar male voice came from behind Sirius' back. As the head auror span round, not taking his wand off Gemini, he came face to face with Remus Lupin.
" M…M…Moony. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the Hospital Wing?" For the first time in Sirius' life he was actually lost for words.
Remus on the other hand answered completely calmly, his eyes fixed on Sirius. "I was discharged this morning. Gemini saved my life when I was captured. She gave me and Tonks a portkey which transported us back home. Here," he paused to take a small silver necklace with the letter S and G entwined on the pendant out of his pocket. It dropped on to the desk with loud bang that echoed round the room.
" Anyway I just came to talk about Harry, Padfoot. Seeing that you're busy I'll go see Tonks and talk to you later. Goodbye," with that he disappeared from the room ignoring Sirius' cries of 'Moony'.
The head furiously turned back to the girl in front of him. " Is this true?" he asked roughly.
Gemini just nodded her head sincerely. Sirius looked down and picked up the necklace Remus had left on the desk. He'd recognise it anywhere. S and G. Sirius and Gemini. She still had this necklace.
" Why do you still have this necklace? So that you and Voldie could put a tracking charm on it?"
"SIRIUS!" cried Gemini like desperate woman. "I'm not evil, why don't you understand that? You don't have to like me, but understand that'll I'll never hurt you! That necklace was the only thing that kept me strong all these years. It was like my secret talisman."
Sirius sighed and sat down in his chair motioning with his wand for Gemini to do the same. Tears were now threatening to spill down the head auror's cheek and it took all of his will power to fight them back.
"Gem," he said quietly, voice calmer than it had been since the female death eater entered. "Gemini. For twelve years I thought you were dead. I mourned for you, did you know that?"
"Oh my god Sirius. I'm so sorry. I am really, really…" began the witch but Sirius silenced her with one hand movement.
"Gemini. I forgive you for becoming a death eater. I forgive you for betraying us. But I will never, I repeat never, forgive you for breaking my heart!"
Tears began flowing hard and fast down Gemini's cheeks. How could she have done this?
" I never want to see you again Gem. I could take you straight to Azkaban, but for old times sake I'll give you three seconds to get out of my sight and I'll pretend I never saw you. 3…2…"
There was the sound like the crack of a whip and Gemini Laxcrosse disappeared- forever. Only then did the head auror break down. He just sat in his chair sobbing clutching a bottle of firewhisky in his right hand.
Three miles away Remus Lupin and Nymphradora Tonks were sitting in a small coffee shop discussing their futures.
" I think we should tell Kingsley tonight. I can't stand anymore of this sneaking around business," said Lupin taking a sip of the hot tea in front of him.
" Are you sure Remus? You were only discharged from hospital today. Maybe I should break the news to him first on my own. He might take it better."
" No Nymphradora. This has just as much to do with me as it has with you. I'm fine and I'm coming. Now when are we going to go?"
Tonks slapped the werewolf playfully on the arm (that didn't stop it from hurting though). " If you keep calling me Nymphradora," hissed Tonks, her eyes dancing mischievously, " Then you might risk jeopardizing our relationship."
Remus smiled. " You wouldn't do that," he spoke almost daring her to carry out her threat " Then you'll miss out on these!" The sentence hung mischievously in the air as the werewolf swooped down and kissed Tonks lightly on the lips.
'God that was so unlike you Remus,' he thought to himself as he broke away from his girlfriend, ' that was terrible. You've been spending too much time with Sirius, Lupin'
Tonks on the other hand had a completely different idea. She moaned softly before speaking, " You're right. I can't afford to miss out on those." The she added more sensibly " We can go see Kingsley now if that's what you want. He said he'll be home early from work today"
"That fine by me," said Remus as he helped Tonks up from where she had just tripped over one of the coffee tables. " I'm going to have to side-along- apparate though 'cause I'm not sure exactly where Kingsley's house is."
Within seconds the pair had vanished from the coffee shop and were standing outside a small flat. Remus Lupin had turned a delicate shade of green, which had nothing to do with Tonks' apparation skills (for someone so clumsy she was surprisingly good at it). The young female gently slipped her hand in between his and squeezed it reassuringly.
" Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked, and waited for his stiff nod before knocking on the door.
Part of Remus wanted Kingsley to be out so that he wouldn't have to do this, but the other half wanted to get it all over and done with. It's not as if the werewolf had much choice in the matter anyway because moments after Tonks knocked a tall, black auror opened the door.
'Oh well,' though Remus to himself, 'I guess Tonks is worth doing this for'.
" Hi, Remus, Tonks. I wasn't expecting you two. Come on in, I'm glad to see you've both recovered." If either Remus or Tonks had been paying any attention to Kingsley and weren't as preoccupied in their own thoughts, they would have noticed that although Kingsley said he wasn't expecting them his face showed otherwise.
The three of them settled themselves on the various chairs in Kingsley's living room. When they were all comfortable (and had declined offers of tea and coffee) the former defence teacher thought it would be best to get the purpose of this little visit over and done with as soon as possible.
"Kingsley, I…urm… have something to tell you." He began cringing, unsure of what to say.
" We have something to say," put in Tonks firmly, inadvertently reminding Remus that she was there to help him, something which the werewolf was grateful for.
" When you were both captured you fell in love with each other? And now you want to break up with me, don't you Tonks." Put in Kingsley bluntly. The other two gaped at him in shock! How did he know?
"How did you know?" the former defence professor managed to croak out before fainting in his position on the sofa.
"I think it's best if we leave him like that for a bit," said Tonks softly. " How did you find out Kingsley?"
"Black wasn't the only one who caught you kissing in the hospital. You really ought to be more secretive Tonks," the auror replied in what appeared to be a casual voice. However after dating him for almost two years Tonks knew when he was acting.
"Kingsley I'm so sorry," she begged, "I didn't mean for this to happen."
Her ex-fiancée gave a slightly forced smile. " It's not your fault Tonks. You can't control whom you fall in love with. I just want you to be happy, and I know you will be with Remus. I wish you both luck."
Getting up from the sofa, the female auror walked up to Kingsley and gave him one last hug. She had half expected him to yell at her and tell her to get lost. In its own way this understanding was worse. She had never felt so guilty and rotten in her life.
"Still friends?" she asked almost apprehensively.
"Still friends," he confirmed.
A/N: There we are, finally finished. Please, please, please review. It will make the coolest birthday present. Can I get 50 reviews (come on 22 of you have this story on alerts so if you all review I will be able to)? Please.
I also have a request to make. My friend Gemini Laxcrosse needs a middle name! Autumnlover gave me her first name but if anyone of you has suggestions for what her middle name could be please, please let me know. I'll use my favourite name.
Finally just out of curiosity I was just wondering what country you are all from. I mean I'm British and I was just wondering. I love the fact that people from all around the world can read each other's stories.
