So sorry this took so long, I have a bucket of excuses but most of it boils down to procrastination, laziness, and mild writer's block. Anyways, here's a chapter to ruin anyone's good mood because I'm tired and in a pissy one. Enjoy!

Just gone back and edited all my chapters because I've been terrible at proof reading them and keep forgetting to put partition lines in. Nothing's changed in the story though :)

Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter


"The home of Andromeda Tonks."

"Albus?" A voice comes from within the floo.

"Mrs Tonks, would you mind stepping through? We have an urgent matter to discuss with you," Dumbledore tells the woman.

"We?" Dumbledore gestures to Tonks who steps up closer.

"Hi Mum," She calls, a second later Andromeda Tonks steps out, arms wide already. Tonks embraces her Mother happily before Andromeda greets Moody and Albus.

"Remus Lupin, as I live and breathe," She says as she finally turns to him, Remus is confused why she comments on him before Sirius until he notices the dog beside him.

"Andy, hi, how have you been?"

"Oh, you know, every day is an adventure with this one," She says, throwing an arm around her daughter.

"You think I'm bad, Old Man here keeps calling me dreadful!" Tonks exclaims, Remus looks amused.

"Is this possibly because you keep calling him Old Man?"

"No, I call him that because of his Dad jokes."

"To which you continue laughing," Remus can't help but point out.

"Out of pity, old man, out of pity," She tells him again, the two smirk at each other before Remus kneels down beside the dog at his feet.

"Padfoot, it's time." The dog whimpers, looking around shiftily, "Yes, I know, it's a lot more people than you are used to nowadays, but we have no choice Pads. It's this, or Azkaban." Andromeda turns to ask Moody, he just holds a hand up to stop the question and gestures back to the dog. When Andromeda looks back, Sirius is standing there. She screams, tugging her daughter behind her and pointing her wand at Sirius who Remus steps in front of.

"Expelliarmus!" He casts, catching her wand. Andromeda looks at him in horror and confusion for a moment before he hands the wand back, "Let us explain before you curse him, all right?" She looks between everyone in the room, taking in the heavily restrained Peter, for a moment before nodding.

"All right, fine, explain, quickly."

Tonks and Remus explain the whole lot, Moody chiming in occasionally when they get off topic for one reason or another, until Andromeda looks to Albus who simply nods once.

"What can I do?" She asks.

"We have a trial in four days, we had hoped you would consent to look after Mr Black until then?" Albus tells him, she worries at her lip.

"Swear to me, Sirius. Swear to me you really didn't do it." Sirius looks her in the eye for the first time, she gasps. In that moment, she believes it. His words, they mean nothing anymore, she is already nodding her agreement.

"I swear it Andy."

"Okay."


After everything is sorted out, at least for that day, Remus goes to the Gryffindor Common Room in search of his nephew.

"Professor!" Fred and George call as he enters the room, Remus smiles at them both, pulling the map from his pocket.

"Returned as promised," He tells them, handing it over.

"Does that mean you caught him?" They ask, he hesitates for a moment.

"The culprit was caught, yes. Black has been found and is back where he belongs," He tells them, they grin at each other, knowing they helped in some small way, then turn to run off, "Oh, do either of you know where Harry is?"

"Only that Ginny upset him…"

"…and he hasn't let his room since." Remus frowns, nodding for them to continue on which they do. He walks towards the stairs to the dorm when Ginny comes sprinting over.

"Professor! I'm so sorry, I thought he knew, honest," She tells him, panting slightly from the sudden exertion she'd exuded.

"I'm sorry?" He asks, she looks around shiftily before pulling him into a corner.

"Look, I know about your…condition," She tells him, his face freezes, "Don't worry, it's fine, it's not a problem. You should really put an end to Snape taking over your classes though because I worked it out, I'm pretty sure Hermione did, and others might as well. Anyway, not the point at the moment. I sort of assumed Harry knew though and casually mentioned it and now he won't leave his four-poster. Hence the whole…really really sorry…thing," She explains, cringing, "I promise, I will be more careful from now on, no one else will find out because of me." Remus blinks, face falling as all of her words catch up to him. What if he's lost his nephew, his nephew who he only just got back? Who could blame him, really? He's already got one monster for an Uncle, no one can fault him for not wanting another. Remus supposes he was always going to fail Harry in some way again, it should be of no surprise it was this that did it.

"Thank you for telling me," He tells Ginny who bites her lip anxiously. Remus debates what to do for a moment, while a very large part of him wants to leave and never face this, he owes Harry an explanation. But perhaps he wouldn't want one, perhaps it really is for the best if he just…

"Don't even think about it Lupin." Remus looks up to see Hermione Granger standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking at him with a very unimpressed expression, "Upstairs, now." Everyone in the common room looks at her in shock. Hermione Granger is speaking like this to a Professor. Some things just aren't natural, and this is one of them. Remus walks after her when she retreats up the stairs, too caught up in his own mind to reprimand her on the blatant show of disrespect, and in front of his students no less.

"Is there a problem Hermione?" He asks her, she glares.

"You were about to run off again. You promised." He sighs.

"He knows, he clearly isn't happy about it, and he's about to get his God-Father and other Uncle back, one far more suited to…well…everything. I just thought that –"

"You. Promised." He looks up at her, the look on his face softens Hermione's anger instantly, "You don't want to face what you assume will be hate from him. I can understand trying to save yourself pain, especially given how used to it you must be, but Harry isn't like that. Have some faith in him, all right? Besides, your problem here is you don't think you can be a good Uncle to him. Prove yourself wrong, go to him now, he needs you." Remus looks down the stairs again at his exit before he sighs, nodding slightly and continuing on to the dorm, looking for all the world like a man on his way to a funeral. One he is sadly sure will be his own.


When he reaches the dorm he knocks on the door but receives no reply, he opens it hesitantly.

"Harry?"

A glass shatters as it is thrown against the door, thankfully it is still mostly closed and he isn't hit, but he's fairly certain this has set the tone for the rest of the conversation.

"Can I come in?" He asks hesitantly. He hears a derisive snort.

"Doesn't seem like a good idea, every time I let someone in it goes badly." Remus sighs.

"Harry, listen –"

"Is it true?!" He demands, Remus winces at his Nephew's tone.

"Harry, I'd rather not have this conversation through a door."

"IS. IT. TRUE?!" Remus slides down to the ground, back resting against the door, folding in on himself as much as he can and cursing himself for being as weak and childish as he has always been. Unable to deal with the realities of life, unable to deal with anything. He's a monster frightened of monsters, and of humans, and of everything. He's pathetic, and weak, and worthless. It's not wonder he's always been alone, no wonder Harry is so angry. He's dangerous as a beast and a useless sack of mouldy potatoes as a h…well, when not in beast-form. Remus blinks back the tears, he will not cry, Harry has every right to hate him and he'll not guilt the boy into doing anything else like he did his friends back in school. Just look where that got everyone. No, he'd get through this, Harry and Sirius would be free of him, and none of it will matter anymore. Everyone will be better off. They always are without him.

"Yes, Harry, it's true."


NOTES:

Next chapter will show the conversation with Ginny and all of Harry's thoughts as well as clear up this end bit so, fear not, this is not quite as out of character as it first appears!