Chapter 10: Seventh Year
"I really wish you could come back with us," Hermione said in disappointment as she looked at Harry. "I had hoped when Dumbledore pulled you out at the wedding..."
"Honestly, Hermione?" Harry replied quietly, arm wrapped lightly around Ginny's shoulder as she laid her head down on his shoulder. "I like it better here."
"Right about now, I'd kick m'self out of school if I could come here and get taught," Ron sighed, folding his arms back behind his head. "But no, I'd only get slaughtered by my mother."
"You promise you'll keep us updated on everything?" Ginny asked.
"'Everything' meaning 'the baby'?" Harry asked with a slight smile. "Yeah, sure."
"More than 'sure', Harry!" Ginny exclaimed, smacking his leg indignantly. "Honestly, Sirius has been such a bad influence on you! I want an 'Absolutely, Ginny, have no fear, I will write weekly updates.'"
"Absolutely, Ginny, have no fear, I will write regular updates," Harry said with a grin as she hit him again. "I don't know about weekly."
"Hey, we're out of here," Tonks said, poking her head into the sitting room. "See you next week, yeah?"
"See who?" Harry asked. "I thought you were still posted at Hogsmeade."
"I am," Tonks shrugged. "They came up with this novel idea about six centuries ago, they call it Apparition." She laughed and dodged the cushion being chucked at her. "Bye."
"Are we at all actually stepping foot over this threshold tonight, Dora?" Remus' call came from the front door.
"Honestly, Remus, you're so impatient..."
"Hey, you lot, your mum wants you home," Sirius announced, showing up amongst them.
"But we're talking to Harry!" Ron protested. "We head back to Hogwarts tomorrow, we won't get another chance until Christmastime!"
"Hey, man, I'm just the messenger," Sirius said with a grin. "I don't mess with mothers. They're scary people."
"What if you were to tell her that you can't find us?" Ginny offered hopefully.
"I'm trying not to envision the horrors she'll unleash," Sirius laughed. "Go on, then, you three have a train to catch tomorrow morning and you," he added to Harry, "are starting the day off with that most wonderful subject of all: Potions."
"Hey, I like it a whole lot more now that Snape isn't the one teaching it," Harry protested when Ron and Ginny both let out simultaneous groans of sympathy.
"Hey, Sirius," Harry asked one crisp late autumn afternoon as they were finishing another day's work. "You know the prophecy?"
"I'm not discussing the prophecy with you until June, Harry," Sirius said sharply. "Finish school first and then we'll talk heroics."
Momentarily taken aback by the severity in Sirius' voice, Harry shut up. That was the closest to an actual parental reprimand he had ever gotten from Sirius.
"C'mon, let's stuff this junk away somewhere," Sirius relented, tousling Harry's hair affectionately. "Tonks is coming over for dinner tonight. Apparently she's pining for a certain sometimes-furry comrade of mine and wants company."
"You mussed my hair," Harry said, gladly putting away the books and parchments. "How old do you think I am?"
"Four," Sirius replied cheerfully. "Don't worry, when Little Lupin arrives, he can be the one to have his hair mussed." He looked up as the front door opened. "Ah, there's our beloved Moony's girl now."
"You know, it is the 20th century, I don't need to be referred to as a possession," Tonks grumbled as she stalked into the house. Sighing impatiently, she dropped her long jacket onto an empty armchair and sat down on the couch.
"Wow, what's your problem today?" Harry asked interestedly.
Tonks glowered at him. "Clearly, my jacket doesn't sit right anymore." She waved her hand at the offending article on the armchair. "Who came up with the brilliant idea of pregnancy?"
"Wait, wait, so I'm being ripped apart because your jacket doesn't fit through no fault of my own?" Sirius demanded.
"Yes."
"All right, just so I'm perfectly clear on where the blame lies, though, whose fault is it again?"
"It's Remus' fault, but I can't exactly yell at him now, so I'm going to yell at you, because you're the closest I have to him." She sighed again. "It's no fun to yell at Remus anyway. He just nods and goes along with it, and I want a sparring match."
"Oh, my dear cousin, I can spar with the best of them," Sirius grinned, making a mock bow in her direction.
"Good."
They were still happily arguing well into the evening hours when the front door opened again and Remus walked in. It was obviously he'd just returned from the colonies – scratches on his face and arms, tears in his robes and dirt in his hair, a slightly feral look to him.
"Hey, Harry, have you seen Dora around?" he asked, a twinge of worry in his voice. "She's not at home."
"Follow the voices," Harry replied, pausing in his Transfiguration practice. "She's having a sparring match with Sirius."
"Why?" Remus asked warily.
"I dunno, her jacket doesn't fit or something," he said, getting up from his chair and pocketing his wand.
"Not that one, I hope," Remus sighed, gesturing to the abandoned jacket.
"Yeah, that's the one."
"Damn. That's her favourite jacket. If it doesn't fit anymore, I'll have hell to pay." He smiled when Tonks appeared in the doorway and let her wrap her arms around his neck, kissing her lightly. "I hear your jacket doesn't fit."
"Okay, you're going to shower and shave before I have any sort of conversation with you," she chided, releasing him. "You have that wild look about you. You'd think you'd just spent three months among the werewolves." Remus rolled his eyes and shook his head, heading for the stairs.
"Spare robes are in the second drawer," Sirius called after him. Remus waved a hand in recognition.
Christmas came before anybody had realized that the snow had fallen outside Grimmauld Place. The week before Christmas brought the Weasleys and Hermione home from Hogwarts and into Grimmauld Place, causing great elation.
"Hermione, seriously, it's Christmas, can't you stop studying for a week?" Ron said in exasperation, trying to tug Hermione's Arithmancy textbook out from her hands. "You're absolutely mental."
Harry hid the smirk behind his Charms textbook when Hermione whirled back around at Ron and snapped, "Well, if you would bother at all to even open your textbooks, you might not be in such dire straits for your NEWTS, Ronald Weasley!"
"It's Christmas break!" Ron said indignantly. "Why would I study on Christmas break? It's unnatural, Hermione, for anybody but you. Isn't that right, Harry?"
"Sorry?" Harry asked innocently, looking up.
"Harry!" Ron exclaimed in a scandalized tone. "What are you doing?"
"My Charms," Harry replied.
"Good, I want that paper tomorrow morning before I leave," Remus said with a smile as he passed. "Are you guys coming for dinner or what?"
"Where's Tonks?" Hermione asked, setting down her Arithmancy as Harry did likewise with his Charms.
"At the Ministry, she had an overtime shift tonight," Remus replied. "Should be back fairly soon, though. Robards has been letting her off early lately."
"Why?" Ginny asked curiously. "Just because she's pregnant?"
"Nah, I think he's just been ordered by Scrimgeour to not have the werewolf's wife hanging around any longer than necessary," he answered, his voice casual with a tense undertone.
"Because the world according to Remus Lupin revolves around him," Sirius said semi-jokingly as the four teens came into the kitchen. "Not everything has to be about you, Remus."
"Hello?" Tonks called as the front door banged open. "Anybody else around besides the two prisoners?"
"Hardly prisoners, Tonks m'dear!" Sirius called back cheerfully, though there was a slight forced tone to it. "We can leave whenever we want, we stay here of our own volition!"
"You didn't answer my question, cousin dearest," Tonks repeated, appearing in the doorway looking haggard, her robes rumpled and hair (a light fawn) tousled. "Oh. Look at that, it's actually a party tonight. And then there's me, looking like death," she added ruefully. "Nice to see you guys back again, Ron, Ginny, Hermione. You staying over here, or…"
"Planning on it," Ron replied.
"How long were you working tonight?" Hermione asked curiously. "You look like you've worked for the last three days straight."
"Thanks, makes a girl feel really good about herself, Hermione," Tonks said dryly.
"I brought a change of clothes for you, they're upstairs in the spare," Remus said obligingly as she turned her look to him expectantly.
"Excellent. I'll be back half hour or so," Tonks said, brightening immediately as she delivered a swift kiss to his cheek and disappeared upstairs.
Sirius rolled his eyes. Remus grinned and laughed, "Rule number 73: Always bring a change of clothes."
"What rules are these?" Harry asked. "And where can I find them?"
"Messrs Padfoot and Moony are proud to present," Remus began.
"The Marauder's Guide to Marriage Survival, as compiled by Sirius Black and Remus Lupin after watching poor hapless James Potter make all the mistakes," Sirius said with a grin and a bow.
"Scrimgeour's getting antsy," Tonks reported at dinner, as the group was happily digging into the meal. "Apparently Umbridge has been hassling him about lenient laws."
Sirius and Remus both looked up. "You don't think Scrimgeour'd actually listen to that beast, do you?" Remus asked uneasily. "That's the sort of thing Fudge would've done."
"Along with throwing people into Azkaban without trials," Sirius added darkly.
"I don't know what exactly is going on, but he and Umbridge and Robards were in pretty deep discussion when I left this evening," Tonks said.
"Well, anywhere Umbridge is guaranteed trouble," Ron muttered.
"Sounds like Umbridge plans on passing the anti-Muggleborn educational decree by Easter," Hermione spoke up quietly. "I overheard her meeting with Scrimgeour a fortnight ago."
"She's calling it something different though, isn't she?" Harry asked, looking at Tonks momentarily. "Nobody in their right mind would try to pass a law called the 'Anti-Muggleborn' law. It's insane."
"It's Educational Decree number 361," Ginny said wryly. "Number 360 was that every witch and wizard of school age is obligated to attend Hogwarts."
Harry laughed with Sirius.
"Definitely broke that one into smithereens, I'm thinking," Sirius snickered.
"Well, they chucked me out, didn't they?" Harry laughed.
March 31, 1998:
"Umbridge and Scrimgeour have passed the revised werewolf legislation through the Wizengamot," Kingsley reported grimly as he entered the kitchen at Grimmauld Place. The rest of the Order had gathered a half hour before to begin their meeting. "Just ten minutes ago."
"How severe?" Moody asked gruffly, as the group all cast wary glances at each other, Remus' hand tightening around Tonks'.
Kingsley sighed heavily as he sat down, looking at Remus and Tonks. "Loosely translated: You see one, shoot it and anybody else in a five-foot radius. Takes effect immediately."
Remus and Sirius exchanged a worried look. "Okay," Remus sighed. "This complicates matters…"
"Remus," Tonks started to protest as he was heading for the fireplace. "Remus, you heard Kingsley…"
"I promise, I'll be careful," Remus said, landing a quick peck to her cheek. "We'll be back within a few hours. Harry, I thought we'd agreed you weren't coming with Sirius and I…"
"We didn't agree to anything," Harry replied, stopping in front of him. "You and Sirius decided that. And you both forgot that I'm of age and I can go anywhere the hell I please."
"Kid does have a point, Moony," Sirius pointed out from beside the fireplace. "We can't really stop him…"
Remus sighed. "Fine. Let's just get this over with."
"There's something wrong with this picture," Tonks complained grouchily as she dropped back down to the couch. "I'm the Auror and yet I'm the one being left behind."
"Damn!" Remus burst out angrily as the three men caught glimpse of flames licking the sky in the distance. "Damn them all!"
"Shut up, Moony," Sirius said tightly, yanking Remus down the ground behind the tangled brush. "There's still someone there."
Harry carefully raised himself up and tried to spot the faces of the people destroying the Lupin house, anger bubbling away inside himself. All of Remus and Tonks' worldly possessions, all of their careful preparations for the baby… all going up in smoke.
"Get down, you idiot!" Sirius hissed, pulling him back down. "Merlin, why am I the only sensible one?"
Remus was still biting back the curses, biting his lip so hard it was threatening to break open. Sirius gripped his arm silently. "C'mon, let's go," he finally said tightly. "There's no use in staying – "
Harry stifled a yell of surprise as something brushed against his arm. Whirling around, he saw a cat creeping from the shadows, its golden eyes intent on them and its reddish fur matted with dirt and soot. It let out a cautious mewl as it leapt gracefully over Harry's arms, climbed over Sirius' shoulders and settled down between Remus' arms, purring contentedly.
"Damn Fox…" Remus muttered. When Sirius and Harry both looked at him questioningly, he said with a roll of his eyes, "Dora's cat. Had the damn thing forever. I can't stand it, but for some reason, it loves me."
"Oh, so this is the kitten Ted and Andromeda were buying," Sirius said in surprise. "Ran into them at the Menagerie the day they bought it for Tonks. C'mon, before somebody decides to come looking."
"Fox!" Tonks exclaimed in delight, taking the dirty creature from Remus' arms. "So you ran off, did you?"
"The mangy thing just about gave us our deaths of fright," Remus grumbled good-naturedly. "Came creeping up on us."
"That wasn't a very nice thing to say about him," Tonks said, glowering at her husband. "Come on, Fox, let's get you cleaned up." With that, she whirled around and stalked back upstairs.
Remus grumbled under his breath again as Sirius laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Nice to know where you stand, mate."
"One step below the cat," Harry agreed with a snicker.
"Mangy beast…" Remus muttered. "Yowls through the night, sheds all over the house, insists on butting at my ankles day and night…"
"Well, in the immortal words of Hagrid, who knows better than anyone else on this topic," Harry said, barely restraining the howls of laughter, "'People can be a bit stupid about their pets'. And girls are worse with their cats than anybody else." He looked up when Hedwig came winging down, landing on his shoulder. "Hey, girl. What, did the cat try to eat you?" Hedwig gave him a reproachful look and clicked her beak expectantly. Laughing, Harry went to get some Owl Treats out of the kitchen and returned with a small handful, which Hedwig was happily snapping up.
"It would be nothing like boys and their owls, would it?" Remus commented dryly.
"No, not at all," Harry replied easily, stroking Hedwig's front gently. "Completely different."
April 2, 1998
"What the hell…" Harry groaned as he heard Tonks ripping into somebody. Groping for his glasses on the bedside table, there was a startled and reprimanding yowl from Fox, whom it seemed had taken a liking to the dark little space between Harry's table and his pillow. "Oh, shut up, you stupid cat. Go away, go bother somebody who likes you." Blinking blearily at his watch, he moaned and shoved his pillow over his head. "Seriously, Tonks, it's 2 bloody AM…"
Fox meowed insistently in his ear, batting his paw against Harry's pillow. Harry growled drowsily and swatted the cat off his bed. Fox jumped right back up and proceeded to march up his side painfully, meowing again loudly.
"Gerroff, you stupid creature!" Harry howled in frustration, throwing him off.
"Oh, good, the cat woke you too, did it?" came Sirius' dry voice. "Pounced on Remus about an hour ago, bothering him until both he and Tonks woke up." He grinned rather halfheartedly at his godson. "I didn't know cats could fly until an hour ago."
"What's going on?" Harry asked with a yawn.
Sirius sighed and dropped down to the foot of Harry's bed. "Andromeda's just arrived with some bad news. Apparently when the torchers from Remus' place realized that they hadn't actually killed anybody, they went to Ted and Andromeda's place looking for them."
Harry stared at Sirius. "Oh, no."
"Andromeda just barely managed to escape, she doesn't think anybody followed her. She went to Dumbledore first, that's how she could get in here. So we have another houseguest. Actually, two in another few hours, I would guess."
Harry stared at him blankly.
"The screaming you hear?" Sirius said with a wry grin. "That's Tonks in labour, ripping Remus' head off."
"Is there a rule for that?" Harry asked with a slight laugh.
"Sure is. Three, in fact. Rule number 102: Never negotiate with a woman in labour. Rule number 103: Try not to be within reach of her fists, her wand or her feet, because she will kill you. Rule number 104: The only thing you say in the labour room is 'Yes, love'."
Harry laughed. "Did my dad ever beat you up for poking fun at him with these rules?"
"Many times. And then he laid claim on 30 percent of the royalties." Sirius looked up when a very frantic-looking Remus appeared in the doorway.
"Sirius…"
"I'm talking with this lot," Sirius replied cheerfully, rubbing Fox's ears as he jumped up onto Sirius' lap. "Go on. Remember number 105."
Remus moaned. "I've already broken 102 through 104 in the last hour…" And he disappeared downstairs again as Sirius burst out laughing.
"What's 105?" Harry asked.
"Rule number 105: If she can't leave, you can't leave."
By the time Sirius and Harry had deemed it safe to return downstairs, Tonks was actually fast asleep on the couch, tucked snugly beneath a couple of blankets (no doubt courtesy of Remus) and Andromeda was sleeping on another couch not far away, her cloak thrown over her as a makeshift blanket.
"Hey," Remus greeted as he looked up momentarily from the tiny bundle of blue in his arms. "I'd forgotten how small they are," he admitted to Sirius, carefully handing him the baby.
"Oh, yeah, just a titch of a thing, isn't he?" Sirius agreed, wincing slightly when the baby stirred and let out a wavering cry. "All right, so we don't like Sirius. There you are, back to Daddy, then."
