Harry could honestly say he'd never experienced a Christmas where he'd felt so loved, laughed so much, eaten such good food- It was all new and almost overwhelming, but in the best way.
He'd been given a home, to start, with a bedroom that wasn't someone's spare, new clothes that not only fit him, but were more his preference, books and things for his room. His aunt and uncle had gone to every length to give him the Christmas he'd never had.
Remus healed from the moon, and the family waited for New Year which would mark when Remus and Harry would return to Hogwarts, leaving Jasmine and Monty alone for a bit while she'd have to deal with some things at the library, as a new addition was opening and they needed all hands on deck to get it started. They spent loads of time together, Remus and Harry more than Jasmine, as she only had three days off for Christmas, and would only get two for the New Year.
It was during such time when the wizards were alone that Harry asked his Uncle Remus about the dementors. Why the affected him so, why he couldn't stand them when his classmates just found them unpleasant and fearsome. Remus had gently explained that the horrors and trauma he'd endured were something unique to him, but that being afraid of the dementors did not make him weak. He also promised Harry they would work on something to help him.
It had almost slipped from Harry's mind as he lay on the floor before the television in the living room, half-watching an old sci-fi movie with Monty, but then he heard his Aunt scream, then curse, then use his uncle's full name. This was followed by the sound of Remus falling off the couch to a dead run up the stairs, cursing under his breath. Harry and Monty both followed close behind. The three of them found Jasmine against a wall across from a storage closet, right next to Harry's bedroom. She had her wand in hand, aimed back at the box, but she was looking furiously at Remus. Harry waited back a few feet, but Monty pushed ahead and started to rub around Jasmine's ankles to comfort her.
"Tell me you aren't keeping a fucking Boggart in a chest I keep our Christmas decorations in?" She hissed at Remus, and Harry covered his face with his arm to stifle a snort, as he could tell she was genuinely angry. She'd obviously encountered it, sent it back into it's hiding place, and wanted to keep it that way.
"Well darling, I didn't have anywhere else to put-"
"Why is it in my house?!" Jasmine shrieked over him.
"Well see I needed it to teach-"
"No." Jasmine cut him off again. "No no no. Don't care. Outside. In the shed. Take the whole thing out." She hissed. "If it has to be kept, it will not be in here."
"Right. Sorry, love. I should've warned you." Remus apologized, kissing her cheek as he moved past her, hoisting the box up and turning to immediately take it out. "Harry, be a good lad and get the door?"
"Sure, yeah." Harry agreed, hurrying down the stairs to stay ahead of his Uncle. He dutifully made sure the passage was safe, and Remus flopped the box down onto the ground in the garden shed outside their home. He stood by while Remus reinforced the lid, waiting until he was done to speak up. "So... Aunt Jazz doesn't like boggarts?"
"No she really, really hates them." Remus sighed. "And I forgot to mention it was in the house."
"But we already covered them in class... Why do you have it?" Harry pressed, confused.
"Oh, no. Its for you." Remus said, gesturing over his shoulder to the box. I'm going to teach you a spell to keep off the dementors. But obviously, I can't keep one of them in a box. Nor should that be what you practice on."
"Oh." Harry nodded, understanding. "But why does she-"
"Because she fears things from her past catching up to her... or to you and I... and its not as simple for her to make it into something funny." Remus cut him off. "Its pretty traumatizing stuff. She had to hex it back into the box, the way I did when it came your turn in class. Riddikulus won't work on some fears. That is why there are a few others in your class I didn't allow to face it. At least one child their fear is their own parent."
"I see." Harry nodded. He kicked at the ground.
"Harry." Remus called, pulling his large green eyes back from the floor to meet his own. "Its my fault, not yours. Communication mishap. I should've warned her. I'll be the one paying for it, mostly from Monty leaving dead animals in my shoes, I'm sure. For most people, a boggart is a simple fear and a simple spell to banish. Most people don't have things in their lives like we do."
"What does it turn into for you?" Harry ask. "If you don't mind to tell me, I mean." During class Remus had stepped in between the boggart and Harry, and hexed it back into the wardrobe before it could assume the next form. He'd then dismissed class early, and Harry never got to ask. He moved over and sat on a stack of bagged fertilizer, and Remus propped up on a support post.
"You know the scar Jazz has on her shoulder?" Remus ask, pointing on himself. Harry nodded, knowing the silvery- faded scar he meant. It was small, but looked almost rounded, like a bite would be, but without definition from teeth. "There are some who call it a 'fetter mark', but saving you anything too personal, its basically where-" Remus hesitated and sighed heavily, his face a bit red with embarrassment at the subject at hand. "I bit her, but not as a wolf, where there is barely any venom in my saliva... But it identifies her to the wolf, when he is in control, as our 'mate' as it were. Basically, it keeps her safe, even without the potion, I recognize her."
Harry just nodded along, taking all the information in as well as he had finding out about the lycanthropy. He seemed curious, but unphased.
"Alright." He nodded, waiting for Remus to continue explaining.
"Right." Remus said, almost amused at how casually Harry was taking the information in. "Well, when I encounter one, which I don't allow to take form in front of my students, and won't be letting you see, either, its Jasmine. Except where that scar is, her neck is ripped open and she's bleeding out. Usually, she's stumbling forward, holding the wound, sobbing. 'How could you do this to me?' and the like. Its-" Remus closed his eyes and sighed. "Its bloody awful, and even though you know it isn't real- it still just... Well, you know how it feels."
"That kind of makes my fear feel stupid." Harry said in a small voice. Remus smiled gently, kneeling before his nephew with one hand on his shoulder.
"Oh, Harry. No. Dementors are among the foulest, nastiest things on this planet. They feed on pain and fear, and in a manner of speaking- that is the very thing they are. Your fear is not stupid. Its profound and wise. You fear fear itself. Tomorrow, after breakfast, as long as you are up for it- I will help you learn to face that very thing."
Harry looked up and gave a small, unconvincing smile. Remus stood and held out his hand to help Harry up.
"Come on, let's go see if we can sneak some of the toffee and chocolate drops before your aunt notices."
Harry had just sat down at the table with his plate of leftover holiday foods for dinner when a knock on the front door caught everyone's attention. Jasmine stiffened in her seat and looked to Remus, who had already stood. It was far too late in the evening for any of their sparse neighbors to be over for any reason, so the sound confused both the Lupins. Remus made his was from the dining room to the living room, and looked out the front window.
"Nobody there." He called, before opening the door. Laying in the mud mat on the porch was a long, rectangular box. It was wrapped in brown paper and tied with twisted twine. Remus called over his shoulder for Jasmine, who came and peaked around her husband.
"What is that?" She ask, looking the package over.
"Is everything okay?" Harry called from the door between the dining room and living room.
"It has Harry's name on it." Remus whispered, pointing to a tag hanging from the twine.
"Erm-" Jasmine hummed, clicking her teeth together, trying to think. "What do we do with it? Who is it from?"
"There isn't a name. Without knowing where it is from, I'm not super comfortable letting him open it." Remus replied, still in hushed tones.
"Will someone please fill me in?" Harry called, his voice growing more concerned.
"I'll take it to the shed, you take him back and get started eating. I'll be right in. In the morning, I'll open it and see what it is and if it is cursed or charmed in any way."
Remus pushed the package away from the door with his foot as he stepped outside, and Jasmine quickly shut the door behind him. She turned to her nephew and smiled brightly.
"Come on, love." She said, guiding Harry back to the table. "Time to eat."
"What was that?" Harry questioned.
"No idea." Jasmine answered honestly. She leaned forward and nudged Harry's plate toward him. "Eat."
"But-"
"Harry James, I said eat." She said firmly. Harry paled a bit, never having had Jasmine speak so firmly to him before. He knew that if she were to raise him now, he'd have to expect her to occasionally scold him, but it still caught him off guard.
"Yes ma'am." He nodded, getting some Christmas ham on his fork. He tried to think of what could have possibly scared them into acting so secretively.
It then occurred to him that nearly his entire life was composed of secrets- yet as he discovered them, he'd found that a great deal of them were in place to keep him safe. Not once since meeting Remus and Jasmine had Harry ever doubted their commitment to keeping him safe. Whatever it was, they had their reasons for not telling him. He resolved to let it go, knowing that when the time came, if he needed to know, he'd be told.
Late that night, when Jasmine was sure Remus was, in fact, asleep, she crept out of bed, checking Harry's room to make sure he was also asleep.
Making her way to the kitchen, Jasmine took an empty bag that had previously contained a Christmas present and packed it with food and a few sweets.
She then continued to creep about the house, putting up extra layers of wards and protection before slipping out the back door and down the steps, hitting the ground as a fox, bag hanging from her mouth as she trotted along.
There were still patches of snow on the frozen ground, and it chilled the pads of her paws as she ran toward the treeline. It would've been much warmer to stay in her human form, complete with coat and boots, but that would've been much slower and made much more noise. Her fox-self was nearly silent when she moved, and Jasmine needed the stealth.
She made it to the treeline in a matter of seconds, when she shifted back up into herself, and pulled her coat closed against her neck, the icy winter wind whipping her hair around her head.
"Sirius?" It was a whisper-scream, the loudest she could manage. Jasmine illuminated the tip of her wand and looked around.
"Guilty." His voice called from further ahead.
"What is in the box?" She demanded. "I know its from you."
"But you didn't tell Remus." Sirius retorted. It wasn't a question, he didn't need to ask. If Jasmine had told him anything about Sirius, he'd be outside with her, tracking him down to kill.
"What is in the box?" She charged through gritted teeth.
"A broomstick." Sirius replied, still out of her line of vision. "Harry's was destroyed, after all..."
"How'd you know?" Jasmine ask, head tilted.
"I know lots of things, Mrs. Lupin. I have my ways." Sirius retorted. "Its a Firebolt. I figured if he had to endure the loss of his Nimbus, he at least needed an upgrade."
"How did you even get that? Sirius, if you are innocent, why go around robbing-"
"I didn't rob anyone. I ordered it." Sirius cut her off. "I've had my family vault number memorized since I was fourteen. They never even noticed when I'd use it, which just goes to show they had too much. I ordered it from 'Quality Quidditch', had it delivered to a house in a muggle neighborhood that is for sale, so no one was there. Brought it here, knocked on the door, dove for the bushes."
"You're insane." Jasmine scoffed.
"Yes, well..." Sirius finally stepped out of the shadows, "We knew that already. Just have Moony check it- there are no curses, no hexes... Just the best broom I could find an order slip for in their trash."
"Sirius, that's the fastest broom in the world. You bought it for a thirteen year old child. The boy is barely a teen." She snapped.
"So he'll need to practice on it a bit. He'll be great." Sirius shrugged. "I've seen him play, the boy can fly like a bird. Look- you don't have to let him have it. I obviously bend to your judgement. But like I said- you'll find nothing there but a broom and good intentions."
"Aren't you supposed to be hunting a rat?" Jasmine snarled. "Instead you're haunting my yard like the ghost of Christmas past."
"You've no need to be scared into kindness, Jasmine." Sirius laughed.
"Right. Well." She shivered against the cold wind. "If I were to have been out here, speaking to you, helping you, I'd have told you about an old shack about a ten minute walk up those hills that would keep the wind off. But that didn't happen. I also did not bring a bag of Christmas food out here." She said, sitting the bag down.
"Bless you, Jasmine." Sirius bowed slightly.
"Find that rat, Sirius, and show me you're innocent, because I will be avenging my sister, one way or another."
Brief note:
I noticed in my reviews some comments about physical appearances, and first off let me say:
This is FANfiction. It is what I want to make it- It's my story. In my head, my casting choice for this would be James McAvoy for Remus, Jessica Chastain or Karen Gillian for Jasmine, Tom Hiddleston for Sirius... so yeah, I guess it is a bit different from the books- if you're looking for book or even movie accuracy, fan-fics are not the place to come.
SECONDLY: Overwhelming positivity for this story warms my heart. I really love it, and love working on it.
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Thanks for reading!