It took a while, but Tonks and Remus managed to permanently silence the murderous grandfather clock. Everyone else in the house had resumed cleaning by the time they were done, but Aurora was lying in the lounge with an icepack on her face, fast asleep with Sirius keeping watch over her.
"How's she's doing?" Remus asked.
Sirius gave him and Tonks a once over. "You two've seen better days."
Tonks scoffed. It had taken some effort, as her initial hunch had not been correct, but she managed to figure out what jinx had been placed upon the clock and undo it. She was grateful to have Remus' help.
"Thanks," she said.
"So far she seems fine. Molly reckons you might need to take her to a healer for her eye though," Sirius said. "I'm inclined to agree." He checked the clock on the mantle "Need to wake her."
He leaned over and gently shook her shoulder.
"Aurora," he said. "Time to wake up. Take the ice off your face."
"But it doesn't hurt while the ice is on my face," she grumbled her voice thick with sleep.
"Your dad needs to look at you," Sirius said. "And we can't let you just freeze your face off."
Aurora groaned and sat up. She pulled the ice pack down and the first thing Remus saw was the gash. It ran from the top of her forehead to the middle of her right cheek. And then there was the bruising.
"Can you open your eye?" he asked.
Aurora opened the eye but snapped it closed with a hiss.
"We're definitely going to get this looked at," Remus said. "Now."
Tonks was shocked to Aurora groan with frustration.
"Would you rather go blind?" Remus asked.
"No," she groaned. "Let's go."
She stood from the couch and a few minutes later they were gone.
"What a handful," Tonks said.
"She is, but Remus has it handled," Sirius said. "I don't think I'd have done such a good job with her."
Tonks scoffed. "You're doing a good job now. I'm sure that's all that matters to her."
"Hope you're right," Sirius said. "I can't get back all the time I lost with her, but she seems to like me okay now. Tolerate me at least."
"She was furious with you last night about giving Harry more attention than her. That, dear cousin, is love," Tonks said. "It's sure to be different for what she feels for Remus, but she loves you enough that the idea that you might favor Harry over her is maddening."
"But what if I did?" Sirius asked.
Tonks raised an eyebrow. "Do you?"
"I love them the same," Sirius assured her. "But if I didn't, would it be so bad? I mean, Remus is her father. He's the one with her at the hospital right now. Who's always been with her. Who's there for Harry?"
Tonks sighed. "You have a complicated situation, Sirius. You love Aurora and Harry as your children. But they're also dating. Which adds a layer of things to your situation, yes. But she's also told you that she knows how important it is for you and Remus to be in his life. That Harry loves the Weasleys, but you two are the closest connection he had with his parents and that means something to him. You fill a void in his life. And his wonderful girlfriend would not ever take that away from him. You just need to figure out how to balance the two."
"But how?" Sirius asked.
Tonks shrugged. "Dunno. That's how you parent. You figure it out."
Rory came back to Grimmauld, an ice pack still pressed over the side of her face. Harry's gash in his arm had been minor and Mrs. Weasley had fixed him right up and sent him back to work. But Rory had obviously been bruised and getting hit in the eye and bleeding another story.
"Don't worry, folks. I will live to see another day, with both my eyes. No need to call Moody's plastic surgeon," she declared.
"Moody's surgeon is the last person I would call. It looks awful," Neville said.
"But then I'd have a cool spinning eye," Rory said.
"Do you really think it's cool?" Neville asked.
Rory paused. "Okay, no. You're right. But it doesn't matter, because my eye is in tip-top shape, or it will be once my face decides to stop being swollen. Tomorrow probably. Won't even leave a scar. Only cool people like Harry get to have scars."
"I'm easily the uncoolest person on the planet right now," Harry said as Rory took a seat beside him.
"Number one, if you could see how gross I am under this ice pack, you'd know I'm definitely less cool than you, and number two, Mundungus Fletcher is the uncoolest person on the planet right now," Rory said.
"I second that," Sirius said.
"You're very chatty," Matilda said.
"They gave me something so I don't feel pain," Rory said giving Matilda finger guns with her hands.
"Which is why you're going to eat and go to bed before it wears off," Lupin said.
"But to eat means I have to take my ice pack off," Rory said.
"You were supposed to take off five minutes ago," Remus said.
"But it's so nice," Rory said.
"Eat. And then bed," Sirius chimed in.
"Ugh. I don't like being ganged up on," Rory said. She sat her head on Harry's shoulder.
"Sorry, Fish. Gonna have to side with your dads on this one," he chuckled.
"What is the point of having a boyfriend if he doesn't help you rebel against your parents?" Rory asked, pulling the pack from her face. There was the whisper of a gash on her right eye, but it was bruised and clearly painful. But she'd be okay.
"Your parents are a werewolf and an escaped 'serial killer.' Doing what your dads tell you is rebellion," Harry said.
Rory laughed, as did most of the table.
"You're so funny. I don't care what Matilda says. You're the funniest," Rory said. She snaked an arm through Harry's and pulled him close before laying her head down on the table.
"Don't forget to eat," Remus said.
"Mmhmm," Rory responded, but her eyes were closed.
"Rory, you have to eat," Harry said.
"I did," she grumbled.
"You didn't."
"Mmhmm."
"Fish?"
"Harry?"
"You should eat some food."
"I love you too."
After that, Rory was lost to her dreams, though she still held tightly to Harry until Lupin came and carried her off to bed.
Harry was disappointed that he'd gotten to spend almost no time with Rory aside from that morning. But he was grateful that her absence awarded him some time with Sirius. He'd taken Harry through the house that evening, showing him around, and they ended their evening in the drawing room looking at the Black family tree.
"I guess we're a lot alike," Harry said, "Growing up with a family that doesn't really want you."
Sirius chuckled. "Unfortunately."
"But Rory. She loves you. Even though she's upset," Harry said.
"I know," Sirius chuckled. "Difficult waters to navigate. Especially with the two of you dating. And that's going well?"
Harry felt his cheeks go hot. This was the second time Sirius had asked him this. It didn't feel right to say that things were just "good" again. Harry wanted to make a point.
"I think Rory's my best friend," he said. "I can tell her anything. Even stuff I don't tell Ron and Hermione."
Sirius nodded. "Well, I haven't had the gall to ask her about you."
Harry chuckled. "She's scary sometimes. But that's why I like her. She doesn't let anyone intimidate her. I reckon she'd meet Voldemort and tell him to have a seat."
Sirius chuckled. "Glad to hear that."
"I don't think her dad, Lupin, likes me as much anymore," Harry admitted. It was something he'd suspected for a while but never told Rory. She adored her father. He was her hero.
"Why would you think that?" Sirius asked.
"I know he likes me, in general, but since I started dating Rory he's just-."
"Protective of her?" Sirius asked. "Makes sense. Aurora might biologically be my child, but she is Remus' daughter. He did all the hard stuff. And Aurora remembers all the hard things. Because he's her dad. Remus knows her better than either of us."
Harry wanted to argue, because how could anyone know Rory better than he did? How could he always know exactly what to say to her or she to him? Rory was his everything. And she said he was hers.
"I guess," Harry said dismissively.
"She likes you best though," Sirius said.
Harry shrugged. "Can't blame her for that. I am pretty cool."
"They can't expel you," Rory said.
"I mean, they can," Harry replied.
He'd just finished telling Rory all about his upcoming hearing on the 12th for using magic outside of school.
"You were attacked by dementors," Hermione said. "They can't expel you for self-defense."
"Sounds like they're going to try," Ron said. "Dad said they don't usually do hearings for this kind of thing."
"How nice of them to make an exception for you," Matilda said.
Rory rolled her eyes. "I love all of your optimism."
"I'm sure nothing will come of it," Sirius said.
"Hope you're right about that," Harry said. He didn't want to be worried about it, but he was. Especially since it seemed like the Ministry was stacking the deck against him.
The dining room door opened and Lupin walked in, a stack of letters in hand.
"Hogwarts letters," Remus said passing them out.
Harry was hopeful that he'd still need this in a few days.
They all opened their letters, but Ron and Hermione we both gasping as they opened theirs.
"Hey, look at you fancy prefect," Matilda said eyeing Ron and Hermione's new badges.
"I'm surprised, honestly," Hermione said.
"How are you surprised?" Rory asked.
"I thought it might be you two, honestly," she replied.
Rory scoffed. "I think my past interactions with Snape just this past year took me out of the running. And Harry, no offense, is also not known for modeling exemplary behavior. Plus you've got a lot going on. But you'll probably make Quidditch captain next year, so you'll still get to use the fancy Prefects bathroom."
Mrs. Weasley started to go on and on about how proud she was of Ron and Hermione. Harry was happy for them, truly, but he was too wrapped up in his own head, in his own worries.
"You're too much in your head, Lovey," Rory said whispered to him.
"Hard not to be," he said.
"I know," she said. "Can I help?"
Harry paused. "How? With what?"
"With anything," she replied. "Whatever cheers you up."
Somehow that made him feel better. She hadn't done anything, but just the offer was nice. He couldn't think of anything that she could do aside from just being there. It was enough for now.
"Thanks," he said. "I'll think on it."
"So will I," she said with a wink.
Harry didn't realize how much he missed kissing Rory until he was suddenly around her every day unable to do that very thing. He was sure he could get away with it, every once in a while, but with her dad and Sirius around constantly, he wasn't even brave enough to do anything more than kiss her on the cheek before he said goodnight.
Rory was braver than he was, probably because she knew the habits of everyone else in the house better than he did. She seemed to know exactly how long she could reasonably be alone in the library with him before someone came in to look for them. She knew where they could sit in the den that wasn't in the immediate view of someone entering the room. She was clever and thank goodness for it because he wouldn't have kissed her all summer if she hadn't used her brain.
They were blessedly alone in the study for the moment. They'd been cleaning the curtains which, like most of the curtains in the house, were infested with doxies. Matilda had gotten bitten by one and her entire arm started to break out into hives. That left Rory and Harry to finish off the curtains themselves while Matilda went to get treatment for her previously unknown doxy allergy.
Once the curtains were finished, Rory had started to look through the books on the shelves. He liked watching her read books. She looked very much like she was in her element when she did.
"What's it about?" Harry asked.
"This one is basically about Wizard eugenics," Rory said. "Pure-blood wizards are really awful. The Blacks and the Malfoys are some of the worst."
"Mind that you're a Black as well," Harry pointed out.
"Yeah, but Sirius is my Dad and he barely counts," Rory replied. She closed the book and shoved it back onto the shelf. Then she paused and something caught her eye. She knelt down and grabbed a book from a low shelf. "Harry, come look at this."
He went over and knelt beside her. He looked the book in her hands titled.
"What is it?" he asked.
"It's a photo album," Rory said. Harry knelt beside her as they flipped through the pages. They got to a photo of a well-dressed man labeled "Cygnus."
Harry stared at the picture. "He looks a bit like Sirius."
"He does, yeah," Rory said. They flipped through a few more pages. "I dunno what it is about this, but I think I'm going to keep this photo album."
"Something made you pull it off the shelf," Harry said. "I'm learning that nothing's a coincidence with you."
"At least you take me seriously," Rory said.
"Someone has to I suppose," Harry said.
"Do you know the story of the Greek fortune teller, Cassandra?" Rory asked.
"Afraid not," he replied.
"In Greek myth, she was a priestess in Apollo's temple. The god Apollo tried to hook up with her and she shut him down. So he cursed her to be able to predict the future, but that no one would ever believe a thing she said," Rory said. "I feel a bit like that sometimes."
"Don't blame you," Harry said. "But you've got me at least." She smiled at him. How he loved that smile. That smile was the first thing he fell in love with. And now it was all of her. He didn't mind sitting in a dusty old room, spraying for doxies in curtains, listening to her vent her frustrations about being a seer. Just being with her, just seeing him smile, made him forget all of his own frustrations and worries.
"I do love you," she said. She scooted closer to him so that there was no space left between them. She kissed him and Harry forgot to be worried that they weren't alone in the house. He let his hand cup the back of her head and pulled her close. His fingers tangled in her curls. Her hand came to rest on the side of his face.
Their kisses were slow and deep, each one made him crave another and another. He loved the taste of her, the smell of her, the way she felt under his fingers. His hand left her hair and trailed slowly down to her waist. She leaned into him. She let the book fall from her lap and her free hand came to rest on his shoulder. Her fingers curled against his shirt as she closed the distance between them even more.
"Ahem." Someone loudly cleared their throat from the door.
Harry and Rory quickly separated, looking slightly alarmed by the interruption. Harry knew this would be embarrassing no matter who it was, but he hoped against hope that it was anyone other than Lupin or Sirius.
"Oh, hey, Dad," Rory said, her face becoming crimson as they scrambled to their feet.
"Hello," Lupin said.
Harry looked at him, just brief enough to try to gauge his temperament. He didn't seem angry. Harry would almost guess that he was a bit shocked to find them there as well. But Harry did not dare make eye contact. His daughter had very nearly been in Harry's lap when Lupin walked in the door after all.
"We called you downstairs for lunch a few minutes ago," Lupin went on casually.
"Oh, did you?" Rory asked. She was trying desperately to be nonchalant, but she was flushed and her breathing was still quickened. "Must not have heard you."
"Can't imagine why," he replied.
Both teens turned even redder if that were possible.
"Let's head on downstairs then," he said.
Rory grabbed her book from the floor and she and Harry started to inch from the room.
"Actually, Aurora, can I talk to you for a moment?" Lupin said, placing a hand on her shoulders. "She'll be down in a moment Harry."
Harry didn't argue and made a beeline for the stairs.
"Don't say it," Rory said.
"Say what?" Lupin asked.
"Whatever it is you're going to say to me right now. Just don't do it," she said.
"I don't think you get to dictate the conversations we have," he said. "You see, I'm the parent and you're the child."
"Well, snogging my boyfriend in a dusty old room where, as you proved, my dad can walk in the door at any moment is literally the most salacious thing I've done in my life," Rory said.
"So far," he said. Rory groaned.
"Dad, must we?" she grumbled burying her face behind the old photo album.
"And whenever that happens, with whomever it may be with, I just want you to be safe, and respect yourself and always be firm on your boundaries, no matter what," Remus said. "Understand?"
"Yes, I understand," she said. Rory did not think she could ever be more embarrassed than she was right now.
"And know that you can always tell me anything, even if it's embarrassing or if you think I might be angry. I will always love you, no matter what," he said.
"Thank you and I love you," Rory said. "Are we done now?"
"Yes," he said.
