Chapter 6: A New Life
"Maybe the whole wedding-ceremony thing was a bad idea, Remus," Sirius said with more than a hint of panic in his voice as he fiddled with his tie. Remus had Harry up in his arms, trying to calm the toddler down – the change of routine and the crowds outside weren't convening themselves to Harry's liking. "I mean, there's no way in the magical or Muggle realm that Harry's going to remain calm through the whole thing. And it'll look a little horrible if you have to beat it out the side doors five minutes in…"
"Sirius, you're panicking," Remus said calmly. "Don't make me hit you like you had to hit James."
"I am not panicking, and James wasn't either, he was in full-fledged terror."
"It'll be fine, Sirius, calm down," Remus repeated, passing Harry to him. "He's two and a half, nobody's going to be expecting him to behave like an angel."
"Except that Jenny's painted him a perfect child, and her entire extended family believes he's Merlin, back from the dead, or whatever the Muggle equivalent is," Sirius replied with a sniff of disgust.
"Where's Jenny?" Harry asked through a subsiding sniffle. "We see Jenny?"
"Soon, Harry," Sirius soothed.
***
"I'm sorry, Jenny, that you didn't get a real honeymoon," Sirius apologized softly into her ear that night as Jenny was putting Harry to bed. True to Sirius' prediction, Harry had kicked up a royal fit about five minutes in and had calmed down only in the few hours in between the ceremony and the reception. He had promptly restarted his tantrum at the reception, causing them to have to end a little earlier than planned – Remus' current position had him working nights, what was certainly going to become an issue come full moon tomorrow, and Sirius simply didn't trust anybody else with Harry.
"I wasn't expecting one, Sirius," Jenny said, tucking the blankets in tightly. "I understand that there's simply too much at stake with Harry to risk it."
"You deserve one," Sirius said again, arms wrapped around her waist. "I think I insulted your mother and your aunt when I turned down their offer to watch him."
"They'll never understand it, Sirius. The rules of the game are so much different than anything they can imagine. Don't worry about it – I know the reasoning." She twisted around and smiled softly as he leaned in to kiss her.
***
Sirius walked into the house at 5 AM on the morning of October 31, 1982 to the sounds of Harry screaming. Jenny, from the sounds of it, had likely gotten up to head to work early, and was desperately trying to sooth Harry.
Groaning, Sirius followed the screams into Harry's room, where Jenny was helplessly rocking Harry. "Here," he said with a sigh, reaching for Harry.
"I'm sorry, Sirius, you've had a long night," Jenny apologized even as she handed Harry over. Sirius had been out at Remus' last night for full moon, had only just arrived back home. "I've just got so much paperwork to do today…"
"Don't worry about it, Jenny," he replied, giving her a quick kiss while Harry continued to rock back and forth, little hands pressed against his forehead and tears running down his cheeks as he screamed again. "We'll see you tonight. Have a good day at work." Holding Harry, he asked, "Harry, what's wrong? What's the matter?"
Harry didn't answer but continued to scream.
Sirius frowned as he watched Harry. He hadn't seen Harry act like this in a year, not since those first few days after…
Today was the first anniversary of James and Lily's murder.
"It's all right, Harry, nobody's going to hurt you here," Sirius soothed, holding Harry tightly against him. "You're safe, he's far from here, Voldemort's gone. I know it hurts…"
***
By the time Jenny had gotten home from work that afternoon, Harry had been crying off and on all day, clinging to Sirius and basically getting in the way of Sirius accomplishing anything much.
"Looks like you didn't get much more work done than I did," she said dismally, plucking Harry out of his lap. "Well, we've got a dinner to get to, remember? Mum was having a birthday dinner for Colin and she keeps hoping that maybe this time Harry will play with him?"
"Right, that was why we both wanted to get work done today," Sirius groaned, leaning back in his chair and staring hopelessly at the paperwork. "Great."
"It'll do us both some good to get away from work for a while, Sirius," Jenny chided gently.
***
They arrived at Jenny's mother and aunt's house shortly before dinner was due to start. Jenny got a warm hug and greeting, Harry got a cheerful, exuberant greeting that he promptly started freaking out at (no matter how many times Jenny and Sirius told them not to jump at Harry like they did with Colin and Dennis, Mae and Isobel just wouldn't listen), and Sirius, as usual since the wedding, got a cordial 'hello' and a somewhat frosty reception.
Sirius shot an exasperated look at Jenny once Mae and Isobel's backs were turned and rubbed Harry's back comfortingly.
"You know," Isobel said pointedly, "he wouldn't be frightened of his own family if you'd leave with us a little more often."
"Or at all," Mae added, always the more tactful sister.
Sirius bit back a retort that would earn him the couch as a bed. Once again, Jenny tried in vain to smooth things over. Harry stubbornly refused Colin's eager attempts to draw him into play with some toy cars, burying himself into Sirius' arms with his security blanket. Lisa, too, sent Sirius a rather disapproving look as Colin burst into tears and ran to her.
Somehow feeling like he was 14 and sitting in number twelve, Grimmauld Place again, Sirius sighed and resettled Harry against his chest. As Harry's small fingers started close around Sirius' wand (hidden inside his jacket – Harry had a newfound fascination with wands lately), Sirius gently disentangled them and pulled his hand out again. The last thing he needed tonight were Obliviators barging in to wipe Jenny's family's memories. Or worse yet, Death-Eaters.
Sirius' heart stopped. The Death-Eaters. Not all of them were in Azkaban. If ever they were going to try to get at Harry, it would be tonight: the first anniversary of their master's defeat; and he had taken Harry away from the security of their home.
He turned his attention back to Harry as he heard Harry whimper in pain again, pressing his hands to his forehead. 'His scar must really be bothering him,' Sirius thought worriedly, gathering Harry more securely into his arms as Harry started to rock again.
Jenny shot a worried look at Sirius, while the rest of her family looked more disturbed than worried. He sighed and squeezed her knee reassuringly before he stood up to take Harry out for a while.
"Jenny," her mother said in a low voice as Sirius left, "have you taken Harry to see a doctor? That's not natural, that behaviour. There is something seriously wrong with that boy…"
Sirius heard Jenny sigh. He had already taken Harry to see the Healers at both Children's andSpell Damage at St. Mungo's today and they couldn't find an explanation beyond that it must be a side effect of his curse scar. He wouldn't take Harry to the Muggle doctors – what could they tell him that the Healers couldn't? Besides, Lily had once explained the way Muggle doctors treated their patients. It was sheer madness, how any parent could subject their children to that was beyond his understanding.
"Sirius took him in to Emergency today," Jenny lied. "They can't find anything wrong. It must just be a headache."
"Jenny, I'm telling you, that's not normal from a two-and-a-half-year-old. Get him assessed."
"It's the first time it's happened, Mum," Jenny said. "Doctors said bring him back if it persists." That much was true. Spell Damage had said to bring him back if the behaviour persisted beyond a few days and they'd see what their options were. Mostly, they'd told Sirius that Harry's case was unique and he would just have to try and deal with it on his own.
"Sirius…" Harry pleaded, the first time he'd been able to speak during these bouts of pain all day, though significantly reduced from what he normally used. "Sirius… hurt head."
"Yes, I know your head hurts, Harry," Sirius soothed, rocking him.
"Sirius… make stop." Harry moaned in pain again and buried his head against Sirius' neck.
"I'm sorry, buddy, I can't," Sirius whispered. "I wish I could."
"Want stop, Sirius," Harry begged. "Please…"
Sirius sighed. He had brought a little bit of children's strength Calming Draught laced with a mild painkiller that the children's Healer had given him earlier ("to at least calm him enough to sleep"), but he was hoping not to have to resort to that again today. Harry had already had a dose this morning at St. Mungo's, and the draught tended to make him look a little zoned out.
"Want draught, Sirius," Harry said desperately. That settled the issue for Sirius – if his two-and-a-half-year-old knew that he wanted the Calming Draught and said so explicitly…
"All right," Sirius ceded, going to get the small vial from inside Harry's bag. He unscrewed the lid and tipped the contents into Harry's mouth. "There you are," he said gently, waiting until Harry had swallowed before he put the lid back on and slipped the empty vial back into his bag.
Harry sniffled and cuddled back into Sirius' arms, laying his head down on his shoulder.
"Well, whatever you gave him certainly worked," Michael commented as Sirius came back in with Harry's sleepy weight settled on one hip. "That must've been some kind of sedative Emergency gave you. Regular children's Tylenol just doesn't work that fast."
"Sedative with a little bit of painkiller," Sirius confirmed quietly, letting Jenny take Harry from him. "Hospital prescription."
There came a knock at the door just then. "Oh, that must be some more trick-or-treaters," Mae said cheerfully. "I'd have thought they were finished by now. Jenny, would you mind getting that? These old bones just don't want to get up."
Sirius shot a confused glance at Jenny. What strange kind of Muggle custom were they going on about now?
Jenny bit back the urge to laugh hysterically. "Later," she murmured to him as she stood up and left. She came back a moment later with a slight frown. "Sirius," she started to say. "Remus is here, he says it's urgent."
Sirius frowned back at her; it had to be urgent if Remus was coming down here and risking the awkward questions from Jenny's family. Nodding, he got up and went outside, where Remus was waiting on the front step.
"Sirius, the free Death-Eaters are out tonight," Remus said quickly and quietly. "They've been going around the country all night, attacking both our kind and Muggles. They penetrated the protection at your place. It's up in flames."
Sirius blanched.
"I wouldn't be hanging around here for much longer if I were you," Remus added. "Who knows how long it'll take before they find you here?"
Sirius nodded grimly. "Thanks, Remus."
"You need me to hang around?" Remus asked.
"I may need your help," Sirius agreed. "I don't know what I'm going to do for Jenny's family."
"We need to get moving –"
"Sirius, Remus, what's going on here?" Jenny asked quietly, coming outside with Harry still sleeping in her arms. "Mum's asking awkward questions, and I don't know what to tell her."
"The Death-Eaters are looking for us," Sirius told her softly. "Or more specifically, looking for Harry."
Jenny paled. "Death-Eaters as in the evil wizards?"
"The very same," Remus confirmed. "Some of them escaped imprisonment."
"So now what?" she asked, looking at Sirius expectantly, who sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
"I don't know," he said finally. "I don't know what we can do."
"Well, we can't stay here," Remus cut in. "What's the matter with Harry?" he asked worriedly as he took Harry from Jenny. "He's never asleep this early in the evening."
"Had to give him Calming Draught," Sirius said quietly. "He's been having pains in his scar all day. Or at least that's what Spell Damage thinks."
"My mother thinks he's mentally subnormal now," Jenny said dryly.
"As many questions as I would like to ask about that," Remus said, "we just don't have the time. We may have to leave your family here, Jenny, we don't have the time or resources to get them out. The Death-Eaters might decide that they won't know anything, and not bother coming."
"Everybody in our world knows that the only place Harry goes is to me and Jenny or to you," Sirius said. "You're right, Remus, we have to go now."
"But where?" Remus asked.
"Well, don't look at me, I don't bleeding have the answers!" Sirius replied testily.
"Sirius, calm down," Jenny said.
"Oh, easy for you to say, you don't know what these guys are capable of," Sirius snapped.
As Jenny opened her mouth to snap something back at him, Remus cut in, shifting Harry's weight in his arms again. "Guys, hold off on the marital dispute until we're somewhere not quite so exposed."
***
What had she gotten herself into one month ago, the day she'd said, "I do"? Jenny shook her head internally as she listened to Sirius and Remus bicker rapidly about things she had no knowledge of: charms and curses and jinxes and Apparition and what not. She had long since reclaimed her stepson from Remus, cuddling with him in the quiet of the London flat they'd escaped to momentarily: supposedly this had been one of the residences that Harry's grandparents had owned.
Harry was still out cold from his medication, though he was starting to stir. His peaceful, measured breathing comforted her: if there was one thing in whole mess she could understand, she could understand him. His adorable little baby face, his warm little baby body in her arms as he slept. For the next ten years, anyway, she would be able to understand him.
"We can't stay here, Remus, it's too obvious!" Sirius hissed.
"You have a better idea, then?" Remus snapped back. "We can't go to the one place they wouldn't dare try breaking into!"
"Why not?" Jenny spoke up.
"Because you can't get in there," Sirius replied tensely. "Hogwarts can't be seen or penetrated by Muggles. And I'm not leaving you behind, you're too perfect of a target."
"Oh, thank you for that display of affection," Jenny muttered.
"This is ridiculous," Remus finally proclaimed. "Why are we arguing with each other?"
Sirius sighed. "I don't know." His voice was tired, defeated as he sank into a nearby armchair. "I should've just let Dumbledore take him to his aunt and uncle," he mumbled, running his hands through his hair. "He had more protection there than we'd ever be able to give him."
Harry started to wake up just then, yawning as he sat up in Jenny's lap. Looking around, wide curious eyes frightened for a moment at the unfamiliar surroundings, he relaxed when he saw that it was the only unfamiliar part. The little boy climbed down from Jenny's lap and wandered over to Sirius, climbing back up with some difficulty. "Sirius," he whispered eagerly as he wriggled securely into Sirius' arms. "Sirius, come play."
"Not right now, Harry, stop it," Sirius said wearily, distancing himself from his godson and pushing his hand away as Harry tried to reach for his wand.
Remus quickly scooped Harry into his arms as Harry's eyes filled with tears and said tremulously, "Sirius is being mean."
Sirius glared at Remus. "You taught him that phrase, you know."
"Yeah, I know, he is being mean, isn't he?" Remus soothed, his wand securely out of Harry's reach. "Just because for once, he's realized that he can't do everything…"
"Remus, don't make me curse you," Sirius growled.
"I'd like to see you try," Remus returned calmly, steadying Harry as the little boy attempted to reach his wand at his hip. "For goodness' sake, Harry, why the newfound fascination with wands? Merlin, I know what I'm getting you for Christmas."
Harry laughed and tried again, green eyes sparkling with delight.
"Sirius?" Jenny asked softly, letting Remus handle Harry for the moment.
Sirius shook his head. "I don't know, Jenny. I don't know what to do."
"Well, we've put up the security," Remus said. "Let's ride out tonight here, and we'll see what tomorrow looks like."
There was an odd sort of chime that went through the apartment, and Sirius and Remus both looked at each other with undisguised fear in their eyes.
"Who is it?" Sirius called. A thin, disembodied voice said,
"Albus Dumbledore."
Both men visibly relaxed. "Enter!" Remus called and there was a brief shuffle before the fireplace lit up with green flames and an elderly man came out, dressed in dazzling purple robes.
Jenny thought for sure that her jaw must've grazed the floor. "He did just walk out of the fireplace?" she asked Sirius, who didn't seem at all perturbed by people coming out of the fireplace.
"Of course," Remus replied, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "How else do you expect him to get here from Hogwarts? Can't Apparate in."
"I'm sorry," she said dryly. "I don't often see people walking out of fireplaces. It's not a very convenient or easy way to enter a building."
"Not a particularly pleasant way to travel, either," the man said to her, eyes twinkling, "particularly after one has just finished consuming rather disgustingly large amounts of food from the Halloween feast."
"How did you know where to find us, sir?" Sirius asked, standing up.
"My dear boys, I thought you would go where it was safest. There's as much security on this flat as there is at Hogwarts." He smiled at Harry. "Ah, young Mr. Potter, we meet yet again." Harry watched him interestedly from the safety of Remus' arms. "Now, Sirius, Remus, we have matters of business to discuss."
"What's being done by the Ministry, first of all?" Sirius asked, accepting Harry from Remus when his godson stretched out his arms to be held.
"The Ministry's official stance is that they're treating it like a Death-Eater attack."
"So basically, they're sending a couple of inexperienced Aurors and hoping that the Order will cover them," Sirius summarized. "It's wonderful to know that the government has such concern for its people."
"Alastor has been organizing defence all night," Dumbledore said with a sigh. "However, he's severely lacking in Order Aurors now, ever since the Longbottoms were decommissioned. We're looking at some recruitment from the Auror Department, but right now Alastor doesn't have as much confidence in them as he did in Frank and Alice."
Harry interrupted just then with a yawn. "Sirius, can we go to bed now?" he asked.
"Come here, Harry," Jenny said, taking her stepson from her husband. "I'll put you to bed. I don't understand a word of this conversation any way."
"No, I want Sirius!" Harry said insistently, reaching for Sirius again.
"I'll put him to bed in a moment, Jenny, it's all right," Sirius said, taking Harry back. "What are we supposed to do, Dumbledore? I don't want to be repeating this whole chaotic scene every time there's a breath of a threat. Harry still needs some semblance of a normal life."
"Hopefully, ideally, tonight would be the last of it," Dumbledore sighed. "If the Ministry and the Order can round up the last of the free Death-Eaters."
"And if it's not?" Remus asked. "They broke through the security on Sirius and Jenny's place tonight. What's to stop the Death-Eaters from doing it again, and next time Sirius and Jenny and Harry are actually home?"
"I don't know, Remus," Dumbledore said quietly. "It's a rather unique situation, if you haven't noticed."
"We can't spend the rest of our lives in hiding," Sirius said.
"Stay here for tonight, until we know how this whole catastrophe ends," Dumbledore replied. "I'll come back tomorrow to let you know." With that, he disappeared back into the fireplace, saying, "Hogwarts."
"What about work, Sirius?" Jenny spoke up suddenly. "I have appointments tomorrow…"
"I'm sorry, darling, we can't risk you leaving. Out of all of us, you're the most likely to get attacked," Sirius said quietly. "I don't think you're going to be able to go back."
"At this rate, we'll probably end up having to change names, change residences, Jenny," Remus explained as Sirius went to go put Harry to bed. "Right now, Harry and Sirius are just too well-known in our world. To stay in England even, we would all be stuck here for who knows how long."
Jenny fell silent.
***
Sirius sighed as Jenny rested her head comfortably into the hollow of his neck, her body nestled against him. Harry was fast asleep in James' old room, Remus in the spare bedroom.
He had irreversibly screwed up all of their lives that night, the night he had taken Harry. None of this would've happened if he had just let Dumbledore do his thing: Harry would be safe, Jenny would be safe, Remus would be… well, he wouldn't be trapped in here with them.
Harry's insistent cries came just then. "Sirius! Sirius!"
Rolling away from Jenny, he got up and went to take Harry back to bed with them – that often seemed to work when Harry couldn't sleep. "Hey, buddy." He came back into the master bedroom, laid Harry down on the bed and then tried to go back to sleep as Harry snuggled into his arms contentedly. "Love you, kiddo," he whispered, brushing away a lock of unruly black hair.
Harry sleepily echoed, "Love you."
Sirius smiled softly. "And I haven't a clue why."
***
Harry was giggling happily as he munched on the cereal Jenny had put in front of him.
Jenny kept glancing at her watch worriedly; if Dumbledore came soon and told them it was okay to go, she might still make her 10 o'clock appointment.
"Stop looking at your watch, you're making me nervous," Remus said, twisting his spoon around anxiously in his oatmeal.
"Both of you, calm down," Sirius said. He flicked his wand irritably at the toaster and caught the toast as it flew out.
"Would you stop it with the wand, that's very unsettling," Jenny replied tersely.
"Get used to it, you married a wizard," Sirius replied shortly, buttering his toast.
"The both of you, stop it," Remus ordered. "It'll do you no good to bicker."
"It makes me feel better," they both replied in terse unison.