The month of August flew by, so fast that Remus barely even noticed the full moon, having slept through it thanks to the wolvesbane potion.
So he found himself rechecking Harry's trunk for a third time while Harry looked on, amused, while feeding treats to his owl, a Snowy owl named Hedwig, a gift from Hagrid. Harry knew that nothing had changed since the last two checks of the trunk, but he simply sat back and watched as Remus soothed his own nerves by triple checking the list.
"I think we've covered it all, Uncle Remus." Harry called from the table, stroking Hedwig's soft head.
"Yes, well..." Remus signed, closing the trunk with a soft 'thud'. "For my own peace of mind, I needed to make absolutely sure."
"I don't think you can get more sure, honestly." Harry snorted.
"I'm just..."
"Nervous." Harry guessed. "Me too. What if I'm not a Gryffindor like you and mum and dad?"
"You're not a squib, everything else will come out in the wash just fine." Remus teased.
"No. I'm serious. Uncle Remus, I could be sorted into Slytherin. I don't know what I would do..."
"You'd do your best. You'd make friends, get your education. There is nothing wrong with being a Slytherin. I know that Ron has you believing that isn't true, but the Weasley family puts a large emphasis on being in Gryffindor. There are many families who have a tradition of a 'House Legacy', my family had one as well, and I broke it, and I turned out just fine. I expect the disappointment my father felt was going to happen no matter what." Remus said, sitting down on the lid of the trunk.
"You broke your family's tradition? Your family weren't all Gryffindors?" Harry ask, wide-eyed and curious.
"Oh, heavens no." Remus chuckled. "No, Ravenclaws, the lot of them. And they thought very highly of themselves about it, too. Believe me."
"So then-"
"Harry James, stop and listen to me." Remus interrupted firmly, a bit amused at the young boy's curiosity. "The point in me telling you about my family legacy is for you to understand that none of it really matters. What matters is that you are true to yourself, everything else will fall into place. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir..." Harry sighed.
"Come then," Remus said, gesturing for Harry to come over to him. "We have a train to catch."
Remus held on as long as he possibly could, until he felt Arthur's hand on his shoulder, then he loosened his grip on his adopted child.
"Alright, Harry. Remember, be true to you and everything else will fall into place." Remus said again.
"I will." Harry promised.
"And write me as often as you can." Remus reminded him.
"I promise." Harry nodded, pushing his cart toward the train.
"It'll be okay." Arthur said quietly, leaning into Remus shoulder lightly. "It gets easier."
Remus simply nodded, biting his lip. He knew Arthur was a far more experienced father, and he'd put six of his seven on this very train for the first time, and he knew the anxiety of it all. Remus watched as Harry and Ron climbed on board and out of sight. He couldn't bring himself to move, standing in place, hands deep in his pockets. It nearly took his breath when Harry came bounding back, jumping down from the top step of the train to the platform and running full speed to into Remus, slamming into Remus' chest and knocking the wind out of him. Remus was a bit concerned but also a bit relieved. Remus returned the hug, holding Harry just as tightly in return.
"Alright, boy?" Remus ask gently as Harry looked up at him, and Remus tried to blink back the emotion from his eyes.
"Yes, sir. I just forgot something." Harry said. "I forgot to tell you thank you, Uncle Remus. I love you."
"I-" Remus stopped and cleared his throat, "I love you, too, Harry. So, so much. No go on before I decide to home school you."
"Alright, I'm going..." Harry laughed, and he ran for the train once more.
Remus stood and watched until the train was completely out of sight, and then waited a little longer. Remus was aware the other parents had long sense cleared out, but there was something about turning around and exiting the platform that made the whole thing more real he simply could not handle. He'd gotten lost in his own thoughts that when he felt a hand on each shoulder, he nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Just us, dear..." Molly Weasley soothed. She and Arthur had came up on either side of him.
"We were waiting on the muggle platform for you, but it had been a while so I thought we might better come check on you." Arthur explained.
"I don't know how to move." Remus sighed. "I mean, before I got Harry I had just... I was just moving through life without any... I mean I don't-"
"We understand, son." Arthur nodded. "You're still living for your boy. Just have to keep busy. Go to work, do things around the house- catch up on your reading, heaven knows you miss it."
Remus moved with the older couple as they guided him through the false magical wall and back to the London platform.
"Are you okay?" Molly ask, squeezing Remus' hand.
"I will be. I have a couple places to stop by and I think I should just jump right in to the whole 'keep busy' business." Remus nodded. Molly and Arthur each gave him a hug and took their leave. Remus, however, did not feel comforted in the least. Sure, he knew that Harry was where he belonged, and he'd been trying to prepare himself for this split for years, but none of that helped with the moment at hand.
Hands in his pockets, Remus began to wonder.
He'd never been comfortable with muggle London, so he made his way to Diagon Alley, and after window shopping in a couple bookstores, he found himself in a pub. It was a little past 1 in the afternoon, and there were a few groups huddle together, but for the most part it was empty. Remus order a double shot and settled into the last bar stool at the bar, hoping to avoid interaction with anyone other than the bartender.
The firewhiskey went down has hard as Remus knew it would, having barely picked at his own breakfast due to his fussing over Harry's luggage. It was like a burning hole in his stomach, and it did nothing to help his nerves. He found a spot on the wall and began to zone out, trying to think if he'd missed anything, if Harry had anything...
"Wanna tell me about it?" A voice called to Remus through the fog he'd lost himself in. He blinked a few times and noticed that the bartender that had poured his first shot was at the end of the bar, cashing out his tips. Another bartender had clearly just came on shift, as she was still fidgeting with her apron strings.
"I'm sorry?" Remus replied, confused.
Across the bar, a brightly colored young witch smiled. She was quite lovely, if a bit odd with her pastel lavender curls framing her heart-shaped face. She finally had gotten the tie done on her apron and was now leaning on the bar before Remus, a bit too closely for his comfort, and her shirt a bit too low. Remus tried to avert his eyes upward, to her equally purple eyes, or the ceiling, anywhere but her cleavage, which was made worse by her casual posture as she propped on her elbow before Remus. He looked around a bit and realized he was now the only person in the pub.
"Whatever is on your mind." She replied gently. "I only bar-tend occasionally these days, but I know that look when I see it."
"Only occasionally?" Remus pondered back. "What do you do when you're not tending bar?"
"Mostly ask people to not avoid the subject." She retorted quickly, giving a wink. She tilted her head and waited for Remus to reply. He felt his cheeks burn slightly, and he licked his teeth before snorting a muffled laugh away.
"I put my kid on the Hogwarts Express today." He admitted after a second.
"Only child?" She ask, her expression unchanged.
"Yeah. Yeah, he is." Remus nodded.
"Then you may want another shot. On me, this time." She said, pouring his whiskey glass full again. "According to my mum, my dad was a mess the day they first put me on the train, too. Its something about not having another one at home to occupy the mind, I suppose. How is mum handling it?"
"She's passed." Remus replied quietly. "His father, too. I've had him nearly all his life, they were my very best friends."
"Oh." The bartender leaned back on her heels, finally out of Remus' preferred personal space. "I'm so sorr-"
"No, don't worry about it." Remus smiled sadly. He swirled his whiskey for a moment before throwing it back in one pull, wincing as it burned the whole way down his throat. "Long ago, and we miss them, but no need to apologize."
"Still has to be hard, sending him off for the first time." She said, pouring another shot in a new glass. Remus couldn't help the amused look he knew was across his face as she, too, tossed her shot back with a small wince. "Sorry. Had to do something to kill all that awkward..." She laughed, and the sweet bubbly sound was infectious, so Remus couldn't help when he found himself genuinely laughing with her.
"It worked." Remus smiled.
"I'm telling you, I had to become a bit of an expert. I make things awkward often enough." She laughed again.
"So really, what do you do when you aren't tending bar?" Remus ask, trying desperately to steer the conversation away from his own life.
"Nap. Think of ways to put strangers on the spot..." She joked, winking again. "I'm also an Auror. Though my partner seems to think I get sloppy when I have too much time on my hands to focus and think, so I keep my old job as a downtime gig to keep my mind busy. It runs away with me when we work sometimes, so here the monotonous work helps me think things out and not over-think any situation."
"An auror?" Remus ask, his eyebrow once again quirked.
"I know, I don't really seem-"
"The less suspected the better, I'd bet." Remus complimented, feeling bad for his initial reaction, hoping he'd not insulted her. "I used to have a friend, haven't seen him in years... Older fella. Alastor-"
"Moody." The witch finished. "Yeah, that's the partner that thinks me being in my head makes me clumsy." She beamed.
"He's well, then?" Remus was relieved to hear it when she nodded.
"The same as always, so I hear." She added. "How'd you know Mad-Eye?"
"Long story." Remus shrugged, standing from his seat. He felt himself growing restless and even a bit nervous as the conversation continued. This woman was talking with him like she knew him, so at ease in the situation. He couldn't help but think now it was probably an interrogative technique she'd carried over from her other job, whether she meant to or not.
"Alright, then?" She ask, pulling her lips in over her teeth before smiling.
"Just noticed I'd better get home. I've got work in the morning, and things to do 'round the house before. What do I owe you Miss...?"
"Tonks." She answered flatly, leaving no room for a first name.
"What do I owe you, Miss Tonks?" Remus finished.
"Well, considering I just assumed you wanted more than one, and since you were such fine company to start my shift on, I'm going to say we're all set here." She smiled brightly once more.
"Oh." Remus blushed again, his eyes falling to the floor for a second, before he looked back to just above her head. "Thank you very much, Miss Tonks."
"Anytime." She smiled. "I didn't get your name? I could tell Moody 'hello' for you, if you'd like."
"Oh, please do." Remus nodded. "Its Lupin."
"That come with a first name?" She tilted her head again, and Remus felt flustered, he wished she'd stop her antics, because he suddenly hated how adorable he found her to be.
"Does yours?" She replied, wrinkling her nose and sticking out her tongue slightly.
"Remus." He answered.
"Remus, then." She nodded. "And yes, unfortunately I do have a first name, but its ghastly, so you can't know. To get that kind of thing you'd have to buy me a drink first, and definitely not at a pub I work at."
"A bit of mystery never hurt anyone, I'd reckon." He snorted. "At least, not one like this." He stepped toward the door.
"I'm around every other Tuesday, and every Thursday and Saturday." The bar-tending Auror he now knew as Miss Tonks called. "If you find yourself in want of awkward conversation, I'm here."
"I will absolutely keep that in mind." Remus laughed again, giving a slight bow as he gave her thanks once more before walking back outside to disapperate home.
Sorry it has been so long, I hope everyone enjoyed this. I've decided to tweak Tonks' character slightly, so I hope you all enjoy her.
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Thanks for reading!