April Fool's! Another Update!
I do not own Harry Potter
Chapter Eight
The rest of the Summer was spent with Adeline and Remus continuing to train the children. When Adeline wasn't training the kids, she was in Voldemort's presence, brewing potions for him. She was retrying old methods to make the energy potion last longer, knowing the methods wouldn't work, but wanting to seem like she was at least trying to brew something useful.
Sissy had Umbridge over for tea once she was announced as the new defense teacher, charming her completely as they sat in the sunroom of Malfoy manor. Lucius smirked at his wife's work before smirking at Adeline's, Avery telling her small things everyday when they arrived about Voldemort's weakened state. Adeline made sure to make the energy potions weaker and weaker each time, looked frustrated when they weren't working as she told him she intended them to.
Adeline didn't speak to Sirius or Remus about their soul mate tethers. Instead, she and Remus snuck away to the cottage, throwing up silencing and privacy charms so no one could hear them. They knew they would have to stop eventually, the start of the school year looming over them more and more every day. At night though, oh at night. The shadows and looming dates seemed less terrifying when the sky had darkened and the charms were put into place. They simply enjoyed one another, sleeping naked in one another's arms.
The day that school was to begin, Adeline woke to Remus kissing along her neck. She let out a soft moan as his hands traveled down her body, biting her lip to keep quiet.
"I put the privacy charms up," he told her, voice still deep with sleep.
"Thank Merlin," Adeline gasped as Remus' hand found her center, causing him to laugh lightly.
Adeline ended up rushing to get ready for the day. Remus was in the sitting room, Aster and Harry having already been dropped off at the station, with Sirius sitting in the chair beside him. Both were reading the Daily Prophet when Adeline ran down the stairs, a piece of cold toast in her mouth. She chewed quickly, sticking her head under the faucet to drink a bit of water, washing the toast down. She checked her reflection in the window, fixing her hair a bit before moving to the sitting room.
She pulled Remus' head back by his hair, kissing him gently before stepping through the floo and into her office at the school, not even having seen Sirius.
"Am I chopped liver now?" Sirius questioned, glaring at the floo.
Remus simply chuckled, going back to the paper. Adeline rushed to the staff room, letting out a rough breath as she fell into the chair beside Argus.
"Perfect timing," Albus smiled, entering the room with Severus. "Now, a few announcements."
Albus started his normal speech, going through the motions before a throat clearing in the back of the room caught everyone's attention. Adeline held in her groan as she turned towards Umbridge, clad fully in pink.
"May I?" she asked, waving her hand to Albus.
"Of course," Albus nodded, a twinkle in his eyes telling Adeline he was amused.
"I would like to alert the teachers that the minister has asked me to conduct interviews with each of them. I'm to sit in on each of their classes as well," she stated, voice rather squeaky and high pitched.
'She rather resembles a toad,' Adeline thought to herself.
"We'd love for you to sit in," Adeline spoke up, breaking the awkward silence that had followed and smiling sweetly.
"Wonderful," Umbridge smiled to her.
"Anything else, Dolores?" Albus asked.
"No," Umbridge shook her head. "That is all."
"Wonderful. As I was saying…"
Albus continued his speech, Adeline whispering it under her breath and causing Argus to turn away from her, biting his lip to keep from laughing. Adeline smirked, sending a wink to Severus when he gave her a questioning look. At the end of the meeting, Adeline and Argus walked together towards her classroom, tea prepared in her quarters for the two of them already.
"Lady Black?"
Adeline held in a groan as she turned to face Umbridge.
"Yes, Professor?" Adeline smiled to her.
"I was wondering if you had a few minutes?" Umbridge smiled softly.
"Of course. Argus and I were heading to have tea in my quarters. Would you care to join us?" Adeline offered.
"That would be lovely," Umbridge smiled to the two of them, going to Adeline's other side and following along.
"So, your youngest and the Weasley youngest?" Argus smirked. "I'm sure they're giving him a good ribbing."
"Oh, they were last I saw," Adeline smirked. "I don't know if they're official or anything though. They just seemed much closer."
"Remus should be having a talk with the boys soon," Argus nodded.
"He already did," Adeline smiled softly.
"How long will he be gone?"
"No clue," Adeline sighed, rubbing her chest slightly. "He said he'd send word when he could, though."
"How many children do you have, Lady Black?" Umbridge asked.
"Two boys," Adeline smiled.
"I thought there was only one Black heir?" Umbridge seemed confused.
"I have custody of another boy," Adeline explained without giving too many details. "I lost friends during the war and they left their son to me."
"I'm sorry for your loss," Umbridge offered.
"Thank you. Do you have any children?"
"No," Umbridge shook her head. "No husband, either."
"Better off," Adeline sighed. "I love them but they do tend to find trouble quite often. They'll send me to an early grave, I swear."
Adeline showed Umbridge and Argus into her quarters, leading them to the dining room and passing around tea.
"Cream? Sugar?" Adeline asked Umbridge.
"Both," Umbridge smiled before taking the offered cup.
Adeline prepared Argus' tea like normal before making her own. She sat, smiling softly to the two in her company.
"So, Professor, tell us about yourself," Adeline smiled. "I'm afraid I don't know much."
"Well, I am undersecretary to our minister of magic. I've had the post for ten years now. I worked in the Improper Use of Magic department before that," Umbridge said and Adeline held in her scoff, knowing Umbridge had only been in the position for two years and a few months.
Adeline also held in her anger at the law restricting werewolves from receiving permanent jobs that Umbridge had created and blackmailed people into backing. Instead, Adeline smiled softly, nodding along as Umbridge began talking about her pure family history. Adeline made a note to look into Umbridge's past just in case she needed to deal with her at a later date.
Umbridge talked until a half hour before the students were set to arrive. Adeline led them down to the Great Hall, Argus speaking with Umbridge as Adeline walked ahead of them. Severus saw who was walking behind Adeline and saw the look on her face before he had to duck behind a tapestry to stifle his laughter. Adeline walked into the Great Hall, quickly finding a seat between Minerva and Pomona, refusing to sit beside Umbridge for dinner. Severus came in, giving Adeline a strange look before taking the seat on Minerva's other side. Umbridge sat beside him, her pink robes standing out more beside Severus' black attire. He turned wide eyes to Adeline before glaring at her, realizing what she had done. She smirked and turned to Ponoma, pulling her into conversation to avoid Severus' glare.
Adeline watched as Draco sat away from Harry, Aster, Hermione and the Weasley's, trying to seem indifferent towards them when so many Slytherins were watching him. Adeline smirked as she saw him writing in a journal that connected to the one Hermione was scribbling away in. Harry and Ginny were smiling and talking back and forth, causing Adeline to smile before her eyes travelled to Aster where he sat between Ron and Fred. She noticed how close they seemed to be sitting, whispering back and forth with input from Ron, George, and Lee, causing Adeline to groan as she realized they were planning a prank of some sort.
"What is it?" Minerva asked her.
"They're up to something," Adeline sighed, pointing to the five.
"They're almost always up to something," Minerva smirked. "Reminds me a bit of when you were a student. You, Remus, Sirius, James, and Pettigrew were almost always planning something nefarious."
"Nefarious?" Adeline gasped in mock offense. "Minerva, how dare you think so low of me. My plans were always a bit wicked, but they were in good spirits."
"Good spirits? Is that what you call dueling other students in the halls?"
"Well, they started it, Minnie," Adeline told her, smirking as Minerva gave her a soft glare. "Not my fault they didn't know how to finish it."
Minerva let out a soft laugh at that, taking a sip from her goblet rather than responding. Albus stood, making evening announcements, only to be interrupted yet again.
"Oh, good Lord," Adeline said under her breath. "Does she ever stop speaking?"
After Umbridge's… enlightening speech, Albus finished his, reminding students that the forest was out of bounds. The students were dismissed and Adeline stood, walking through the halls and hurrying students along. She made sure that the Hufflepuff prefects had the stair schedule for the first years before heading to her classroom. She smirked when she saw the door propped open, looking in to find Fred and George sitting on two of the desks and tossing a small ball of light back and forth. Adeline waved her wand, making the room a bit brighter to announce her presence to the two seventh years.
"Boys," Adeline smiled, grabbing the ball. "What's this?"
"We're working on it," Fred sighed.
"It's a fizz ball. You can toss it around and do tricks with it," George explained.
"Unfortunately, it only stays lit for a small amount of time. We haven't been able to make it permanent yet without it glowing when not in use as well."
"Have you tried the locomotive spell mixed with a simple lumos?" Adeline offered.
Fred and George stared at her for a moment before they both slapped their foreheads.
"Of course!" they yelled together before George jumped to his feet and grabbed the ball from her.
George performed the spells, setting the ball down and watching as the glowing died down. He grabbed the ball and tossed it from hand to hand, smirking as it lit up. He tossed it to Fred, smiling as it glowed a bit lighter with the distance it traveled.
"Brilliant," George breathed before catching the ball again.
"What would we do without you, Adie?" Fred questioned.
"Are you sure we can't convince you to marry us rather than Remus or Sirius?" George questioned.
"I think Aster may be a bit upset if I were to marry his soulmate," Adeline smirked, leaning against her desk and staring at Fred as he blushed.
"True," George smirked. "Did he tell you he asked Aster to Hogsmeade?"
"Did he?" Adeline smiled brightly. "Brilliant."
"He said no," Fred interrupted, looking down.
"He what?" Adeline asked.
"He and Harry are spending their Hogsmeade time planning something. They won't tell anyone what, though," Fred explained.
"I'll deal with them," Adeline sighed. "Probably trying to figure out how to trick Remus and I into signing a wedding contract."
"Probably," George nodded. "Well, we should get to the common room before curfew."
"Be good," Adeline told them before brushing Fred's hair from his face. "Don't lose hope. Aster can be a bit obtuse at times."
"Thanks," Fred smiled softly, following George from the room.
Adeline sighed before going into her private quarters, jumping when Remus was sitting on the couch.
"I thought you'd left," she smiled, going straight to his lap.
"Tomorrow," he informed her, arms wrapping tightly around her. "I wanted to see you one more time before leaving."
Adeline laid her head on his shoulder, breathing in the scent of sandalwood and cocoa that tended to linger on him. Remus buried his nose in her hair, breathing her in as well. Adeline lifted her head slowly, looking into Remus' eyes. He lowered his head, kissing her gently. When he pulled away, Adeline pouted a bit.
"We should talk," he whispered.
"I hate talking," Adeline grumbled, moving so she was straddling Remus instead.
"I'm aware," he breathed slowly, hands going to Adeline's hips.
"What is it?" she sighed before smirking and kissing his neck.
"How am I supposed to say anything important when you do that?" he asked before gasping as she bit his neck gently.
"That's the point," she smirked, continuing.
"You have two soul mates and I'm leaving in the morning," Remus breathed out.
"Mhmm," Adeline hummed, kissing down to his collarbone and slowly unbuttoning his shirt, running her fingers down his chest.
"We shouldn't be doing this," he said, hands tightening on her hips and holding her closer.
"Would you like me to stop?" Adeline asked, scratching across his stomach gently before reaching his jeans.
"Gods, no," Remus breathed out.
Adeline moved her lips back to his, kissing him as she ground her hips into his. Adeline isn't sure how they ended up in her bed. She had a vague memory of wrapping her legs around Remus' hips as he pressed her to a wall, her shirt and bra landing in the hall somewhere as Remus kicked off his boots. She was sure there was a full trail of clothes through her quarters actually, but Remus must have gathered everything up for her before leaving, the clothes now in the basket in the bathroom.
He'd kissed her goodbye, telling her he loved her before leaving. She'd mumbled her love back, eyes too heavy to open in the moment. Her wand alarm woke her rudely, causing her to glare before dismissing the spell. She rolled slightly, reaching across the empty bed and holding in her tears. Instead, she sat up and waved her wand, fixing her appearance and causing clothes to appear on her body. She glanced in the bathroom mirror, glaring at the hickey on her neck before waving her wand and covering it.
Adeline ate breakfast at her kitchen counter before going into her classroom and opening the door, stepping outside and smiling when the bell rang. Fred and George rushed towards her room, the other seventh years behind them and smiling brightly at her. Adeline happily greeted them, asking after their summers as she went. Once all of the students had filed in, she shut the classroom door, smirking as the students stood around the room, their bags against the wall and knowing Adeline would have them review wand work for the next two weeks before truly starting on lessons.
Adeline smiled as she walked towards the Great Hall for lunch. The seventh and sixth years had all been too happy to have her on the first day back, all excited for the hands on class. She had desks in place for the fifth years tomorrow, the class being broken into Gryffindors with Ravenclaws and Slytherins with Hufflepuffs since all of the fifth years had signed up for her class after having heard so much from the older students. Adeline had a feeling that would be a common theme in the coming years and was more than thrilled at the idea of having a more full schedule.
She walked into the Great Hall, hearing students whispering urgently back and forth. Adeline caught Harry's name mixed with Umbridge's and frowned, looking towards his table and seeing him frowning. She looked to the front of the hall, finding no other professors present yet. She changed direction, going to Harry instead.
"What's wrong?" she asked him softly, sitting beside him.
"I have detention with Umbridge this weekend," Harry grumbled.
"Why?"
"I yelled at her."
"You yelled at her?" Adeline asked.
"She said Cedric's death was an accident," Harry said, finally looking to Adeline. "It wasn't and she wouldn't listen and I got upset."
"Okay," Adeline nodded. "I understand."
"Professor McGonagall told me to keep my head down," Harry sighed, sending a glare towards a few of his dormmates.
"And what's the glaring about?" Adeline questioned.
"Seamus called me a liar and said his mother almost didn't let him come back because of me. Everyone else seems to agree with him," Harry explained as Aster and Ron joined them.
"Not everyone," Adeline told him gently. "You still have us. Ignore them. Try to stay calm in Umbridge's class. If she says something you don't like, just bite your lip. Think of something, anything, else. Your dad told me to tell you both that he loves you. He left this morning."
Harry and Aster both sighed, looking disappointed.
"So, whatever plan the two of you were coming up with to get us married will have to wait a bit," Adeline smirked as both boys turned to her with wide eyes. "And it looks like, with him gone, you're free to go to Hogsmeade. With someone, perhaps?"
Adeline stood, smirking as she walked away. She took her spot between Minerva and Severus, happy that Umbridge hadn't shown up yet.
"So, Harry has detention this weekend," Minerva told her.
"He just told me," Adeline nodded. "Apparently a few of his classmates aren't speaking to him, either. They're calling him a liar."
"I'm not sure what he expected," Severus sighed.
"He expected his friends to act like his friends," Adeline defended.
"What's got you in a bad mood," Severus grumbled.
"I'm sorry," Adeline sighed, rubbing her eyes. "Remus left this morning. He stayed last night."
"Albus had to pay me fifty galleons thanks to you," Minerva smirked. "Quite a way to announce that the two of you were together."
"Well, we weren't exactly trying to announce it," it was Adeline's turn to grumble.
"I'm sure Sirius has been ignoring you ever since," Severus offered.
"No, actually," Adeline shook her head. "It's almost like he understands, in a way. After the initial yelling, he calmed down quite a bit. Tonks has been giving me the stink eye though. She had a bit of a crush on Remus."
"I'm sure," Severus smirked before his smile fell, spotting Umbridge walking through the door. "I've lost my appetite."
"How about we all head to my quarters," Minerva offered. "We can eat there."
The three stood, walking together out of the side door. They snuck through the castle easily, ending up in front of Minerva's room in no time. The three sat around in Minerva's quarters, laughing and making jokes at the pink monstrosities expense. Adeline hummed as she walked back to her classroom, remembering a tune that her mother would hum to her when she couldn't sleep at night. She sat in her quarters for the remainder of the day, not really sure what to do with herself.
There were no papers to grade yet. Nothing to go and do. Voldemort didn't need her at the moment. Remus was gone… and Sirius was in therapy. Her boys were in class and she had no tasks that needed to be done. She had, for the first time that she could ever remember, free time. She hated it.
Adeline went to her classroom, setting up a dueling dummy. She practiced spell after spell until her hair was falling out of her bun, the robes covering her clothes having been tossed aside a while ago. Her magic fizzled through out the room, causing the air to taste electric. The dummy had been blasted to bits and Adeline put her hands on her hips, breathing heavily. Applause caused her to jump.
"What are you doing here?" Adeline asked the twins. "Don't you have class right now?"
"We walked out of defense," Fred shrugged.
Adeline groaned, rubbing her face.
"She's horrid!" George defended. "We aren't even using our wands!"
"How are we supposed to pass our NEWTs if she isn't going to teach us anything other than theory?" Fred questioned.
"Besides, we already have a magical theory class," George continued.
"Yours," they smiled together.
"You're going to be in detention with Harry. I already feel it," Adeline sighed. "Let me see the textbook."
Fred passed it over, glaring at the book as if it had caused him some sort of offense. Adeline smirked before opening the book. Adeline's smirk slowly turned into a frown as she read random passages in the book. She shut the book before looking to the boys.
"See?" George asked.
"I do," she nodded. "Well, you already know your seventh year spells. I taught them to you over the summer, so NEWTs will be simple enough."
"We wanted to coast through," Fred admitted with a shrug. "Already prewrote a few essays and everything."
"That's what you get for trying to coast through then," Adeline passed the book back to Fred with a pointed look.
"We know," George groaned. "She isn't even going over some of the spells. She's treating us like first years."
"As if we've never learned how to do a spell before this year or something," Fred added.
"It's ridiculous," George stated.
"And what's worse is she's talked badly about every one of our previous professors except for you and Quirrell," Fred added.
"She spoke badly of Remus?" Adeline questioned, brows raising.
"Said half-breeds shouldn't be allowed to teach," George grumbled and Adeline felt her blood boiling.
It wasn't exactly a secret that Remus was a werewolf in the ministry. He was registered after all. The fact that Umbridge knew that information off hand and was speaking poorly to students about him caused Adeline to see red for a moment before she took a calming breath.
"Just ignore her," Adeline told them softly. "It's what I told Harry."
"We're dropping the class," Fred shrugged.
"We don't really need the NEWT for our future plans anyways," George nodded.
"Plus, you and Remus trained us over the summer," Fred smiled brightly.
"We know how to defend ourselves better than most everyone else in the school," George agreed.
"Only if you're sure," Adeline said gently, looking both boys in the eyes.
"We're sure," they said together before Fred continued. "We're going to Minnie after this."
"We just wanted to vent a bit first," George offered.
"Well, I am always here for that," Adeline smiled. "Want a dueling dummy?"
Adeline watched as Fred and George struck their dummies repeatedly with spells they'd learned over the summer, taking their frustrations out on the poor things. George calmed first, sitting beside Adeline on the desk she'd decided to perch on. Fred took another ten minutes before flopping into a chair beside them. Adeline waved her wand, fixing the dummies and shrinking them before sending them back to a counter, looking like display toys rather than what they truly were.
"Thanks, Adie," Fred smiled to her.
"Yeah, thanks," George sighed, leaning his head on her shoulder while Fred put his head in her lap.
She ran her fingers through Fred's hair and rested her head on George's. She smiled softly before hearing the bell ring.
"Off you go," Adeline sighed. "Go talk to Minnie. And don't call her Minnie to her face."
"Yes, ma'am," they both smirked, running from the room before she could hit either of them with a stinging hex for calling her ma'am.
The weeks felt like they were dragging on with Remus gone. Sirius came by to visit every weekend, the boys joining them for tea every Sunday. Sirius seemed happier, lighter than he had before. Adeline smiled as he told her about his new mind healer, how she reminded him of her with her softness but no hippogriff shit attitude. Adeline had laughed at the description.
Tom had called on her a few times, just sitting with her and talking. Venting about how he was worried about his followers no longer being loyal to him. He told her how he wished the Lestrange's were still around, knowing they would always be his. He told her that he knew he had her and the Malfoys, along with Avery and Severus, but he felt the others followed out of fear rather than loyalty. If only he knew.
Harry was growing more distant than ever. Adeline had tried speaking to him a few times, but he'd brushed her off, not looking in her eye in the process. Severus had tried as well, getting nowhere. When she'd asked Aster, he'd simply told her he wasn't sure exactly why Harry was so distant, only knowing that he'd received more detentions than anyone else in Umbridge's class.
Five weeks into the school year, Adeline had to cancel her classes for a day, getting sick into her toilet for the third time that week. Poppy came to check on her, helping her to her bed and forcing her to lay down so she could do a spell.
"Oh, my," Poppy gasped, staring down at Adeline.
"What is it?" Adeline asked, worry creeping in.
"You're pregnant," Poppy told her, eyes wide.
"What?!" Adeline asked, sitting up and instantly regretting it as she felt sick again.
Poppy made a bin appear and Adeline threw up into it, dry heaving once her stomach was empty. She took a few deep breathes while Poppy made the bin disappear. She sat beside Adeline, taking her hand gently.
"I'm guessing it's Remus'?" Poppy asked and Adeline nodded. "Do you have a way to get word to him?"
Adeline shook her head, tears forming in her eyes.
"You're only a few weeks along," Poppy told her. "Seems like it happened at the beginning of the school year. Sound about right?"
"Yes," Adeline nodded, remembering the last time she'd been with Remus. In that very room actually. "Yes, just at the beginning of the school year."
"Congratulations," Poppy whispered, giving Adeline a soft smile. "You both wanted another baby."
"We didn't want Voldemort alive and running around while I was pregnant," Adeline whispered, obviously fearful. "I'll have to go into hiding. If he finds out that I'm pregnant, he'll…"
Adeline trailed off, remembering what he'd tried doing to Aster. She closed her eyes, head down as she took a few deep breaths.
"I'll make you a nausea potion. Lay down and rest," Poppy commanded.
Adelien nodded, laying down as instructed and watched as Poppy left. She closed her eyes, deciding a bit more rest couldn't hurt. The next day, Umbridge showed up in her classroom just as her fifth year students walked in. Harry and Aster glared at Umbridge for a moment before going to Adeline and asking her if she was alright.
"I'm fine," she smiled to them. "Just wasn't feeling well. Madam Pomfrey took care of me. Go to your seats."
"Your relationship with your students is rather… concerning," Umbridge told her.
"What do you mean?" Adeline questioned.
"I mean, I understand your son coming to check on you," Umbridge stated. "Mr. Potter and the Weasley twins seem to be a bit too concerned though."
"Well, Aster is close to all of them, so I see them quite often outside of school," Adeline offered. "I've taken a few students under my wing while teaching. I'm sure you'll have a relationship to a few students at some point as well."
Umbridge didn't look convinced by Adeline's lie but Adeline didn't really care, her mind completely distracted. The bell rang and Adeline nodded to Umbridge, giving her a soft smile before starting her lecture, asking the students questions about the reading they were supposed to do. The class participated as usual, all rather excited knowing they'd be awarded points or given praise for doing so. Umbridge watched on, eyes flashing across the students as they showed more enthusiasm for Adeline than they had for any other teacher.
At the end of the class, Adeline assigned an essay, telling the students to research their favorite spell and describe why it works the way that it does, breaking the spell down completely, giving them a week to complete it. Umbridge stayed behind, giving Adeline a sickeningly sweet smile.
"I didn't think your class would be so lively," she admitted.
"I try to keep them interested. If they understand theory, then they understand their magic better. Makes them stronger and smarter," Adeline smiled. "It's how my father, Lord Shafiq, taught me."
Umbridge seemed a bit taken back at Adeline using the title before smiling again.
"Of course. Us purebloods were taught a certain way. We must be strong. I'm just not sure if the course material for your older students is appropriate."
"Whyever not?" Adeline questioned, smiling right back at Umbridge.
"Well, should they be experimenting with magic in such a way? They are just children after all," Umbridge tried.
"The students who experiment with magic are all of age and completely safe with me looking over them," Adeline told her. "I would never let children experiment with magic, having children myself."
Umbridge just nodded, looking a bit put out before leaving the classroom, telling Adeline the results would be ready in two weeks. Adeline simply smiled, smile dropping and rolling her eyes the moment Umbridge was gone. Adeline went to her quarters, flooing into Severus' immediately.
"How was your review?" he asked, not looking up from his book.
"Better than yours," Adeline shrugged, sitting beside him.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, finally looking her over.
"Pregnant," Adeline admitted, looking over to see Severus' eyes widen in shock. "Yeah."
"Does Remus know?"
"And how would I get word to him?" Adeline questioned.
"Shit," Severus sighed, tossing his book aside. "What are you going to do?"
"Well, I've been looking up spells to hide the pregnancy, make my stomach look flat. It's basically just a notice-me-not charm. I don't need the Dark Lord finding out," Adeline sighed. "And, well, I'll tell Remus when he gets back. Whenever that is."
"Does Sirius know? How did the boys react?" Severus questioned.
"You're the only one I've told. Poppy knows because she did a diagnostic spell and told me. I just found out yesterday and am wrapping my own head around it still."
Severus pulled Adeline close, hugging her to his side. She leaned into his touch, sniffling slightly.
"We'll protect you," Severus whispered to her. "You know we will. No matter what."
"I know," she whispered. "It's not me I'm worried about."
"The baby will be protected. I'll make sure of it. We should tell Albus," Severus stated.
"Not yet," she shook her head. "I'm only a few weeks along. Once I'm further along, I'll start telling people."
"Okay," Severus nodded, kissing her head. "Do you have any other classes today?"
"No."
"Go rest in my bed. I have the boys next. Has Harry spoken to you about what's bothering him?"
"No," Adeline grumbled as she sat up. "I'm going to have to blackmail him just to get him to come see me one-on-one. Oh! Apparently my relationship with my students in concerning."
"Well, you did secretly adopt the boy who lived and sort of adopt the Weasley twins," Severus smirked. "Not to mention the whole brood that they befriended."
"How's Draco doing?" Adeline sighed.
"He's okay," Severus nodded. "Blending well."
"Good," Adeline nodded. "I'm sure you're coaching him through it."
"I am," Severus smirked. "He's much more like us than we originally thought."
"Merlin help us," Adeline smirked before going to Severus' room.
She kicked her heels off before making herself comfortable in his bed, piling blankets over herself since the dungeon was always so cold. She fell asleep easily, Severus waking her for dinner. Aster, Harry and Draco were in the dining room, talking quietly when Adeline and Severus joined them.
"Are you okay?" Draco asked, looking Adeline over.
"I'm fine," Adeline smiled softly, kissing his head. "Nothing to worry about. I just needed a nap and was already here."
She kissed Aster's head next before moving to Harry, kissing his head before wrapping her arms around him gently, hugging him close. Harry leaned into the touch, deflating slightly as if he'd been wound up for ages. She held him a bit tighter, trying to show him how much she loved him in the small action. Harry patted her arm and she released him, catching his eye. They nodded to each other before Adeline sat beside Severus, food appearing on the table in front of them.
Harry wasn't as distant anymore but he still refused to talk about what was bothering him. His classmates had backed off considerably and he wasn't disrupting Umbridge's classes, but he seemed to continue receiving detentions. Adeline tried getting him to talk but it was no use, causing her to feel more and more frustrated.
"We're creating a dueling club," Aster told Adeline at tea on Sunday. "Harry's going to teach it."
"Really?" Adeline asked, brows raising as she looked to Harry, smiling before a frown took over. "Umbridge won't approve it."
"Oh. I'm sorry. A secret dueling club," Harry smirked.
"Oh, they're definitely yours and Remus'," Sirius smirked, staring at the boys.
"What do you mean?" Aster asked curiously.
"Adeline and Remus created a dueling club back when we were still in school. Your mum taught the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs and your dad taught the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws," Sirius explained.
"Was this while you and dad were mad at each other?" Harry asked.
"Yes," she nodded. "I was just teaching the Slytherins, but then a few older Gryffindors picked on a few first-year Hufflepuffs so the Hufflepuffs came to me instead."
"What older students would pick on first-years?" Aster questioned, looking angry for the young students.
"Boys who needed to grow up," Sirius answered, causing Adeline to smirk.
"Indeed," she nodded.
"Your mum dealt with them," Sirius offered. "Started giving the older students pumpkin heads whenever she caught them. Taught her students how to do the same."
"Slughorn walked in while two students were practice dueling with pumpkin heads during that," Adeline laughed. "Gave me points."
"Of course he did," Sirius sighed. "You could have murdered in front of the teachers and they would have given you points and an award of services to the school."
"Well, I remember receiving points for breaking your knee once," Adeline smirked.
"You did not," Sirius gasped. "Who? Who rewarded you for that?"
"Albus Dumbledore himself," Adeline smiled brightly. "I also received a detention with him that was more of an exchanging of information as well."
"Of course you did," Sirius rolled his eyes. "Why am I even surprised?"
"No clue. You should have been used to me getting away with things after my first year. I'm the reason we didn't get in trouble for the mattress surfing and for the blanket forts in the Great Hall."
"I need more information," Aster decided, leaning forward.
"Why do you think there's a stair schedule? James and Peter watched the stairs for a month to figure out the pattern so that we could cause a coo. Whole school conjured mattresses and rode them down the stairs. Walked out of our classes for it and everything," Adeline smirked.
"What day and time?" Harry asked, trying to seem nonchalant.
"I guess you'll have to get a stair schedule and figure it out on your own," Adeline smiled.
"And what about the blanket forts in the Great Hall?" Aster asked, taking notes and not even pretending to hide his smirk.
"Should've been Slytherins," Sirius grumbled.
"Oh, that we just did on a random night. Whole school again. Cooling charms inside the forts so no one got too hot," Adeline shrugged. "Ask the twins. They know the charm."
The boys took off, running from the room at top speeds to find the twins.
"Well, it was good seeing them for a bit," Sirius smirked.
"I needed to talk to you alone," Adeling shrugged, turning to face him.
"This seems serious," he said, placing his cup down.
"I know there's a joke in there somewhere but considering what I'm about to tell you, I'll let it slide," Adeline sighed. "I'm pregnant."
"What?" Sirius asked, staring at Adeline with wide eyes.
"Pregnant. Just over two months along now. I wanted to tell you before I told the boys," she explained.
"Does Remus know?"
"How would I have been able to get word to him?"
"House elves?"
"And blow his cover to a pack of werewolves? No," Adeline shook her head. "I'll tell him when he returns."
"You may have the baby by then," Sirius pointed out.
"I'll figure it out," Adeline sighed.
Sirius took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"Are you angry?" Adeline asked, voice soft.
"No," he shook his head. "I should be. We are soulmates after all. You and Remus have been through so much though. You raised two kids together already. You deserve to be happy. Even if it isn't with me."
"You know I love you, right?" Adeline asked.
"I know," he smiled.
"Remus and I broke up before he left."
"Why?" he asked, shocked.
"We only got together because we were terrified when Voldemort returned. We weren't thinking and then we just didn't stop. We decided that, when he went on his mission, we would be free to love whomever we wanted, whether that mean each other or someone else completely," she explained. "He didn't want me waiting around for him to return, especially if something ended up happening to him."
"Well, you know I'd do anything for you to love me the way you used to," Sirius sighed. "You shouldn't feel pressured to be with me just because of some random tether to one another."
"I don't feel pressured," Adeline smirked. "And I'd rather not love you how I used to. We were terrible together."
"It wasn't all bad," Sirius smirked.
"No. It wasn't," Adeline agreed, giving him a soft smile.
"Well, I'm not sure what to say," he admitted.
"How's therapy?" she asked him, changing the subject.
"Good," he smiled. "Are you having morning sickness?"
"All the time," Adeline complained. "It was bad with Aster and the baby I lost as well. I'm not looking forward to the swollen feet, either."
"What are you going to do when you start showing?" Sirius questioned. "You can't be around Voldemort while pregnant."
"I found a charm that'll hide my stomach," she told him. "Once I start showing, I'll start using it. I'm going to tell the boys in a few weeks."
"Why wait?" he asked curiously.
"I want Harry to talk to me first," Adeline sighed. "He's been so closed off lately and won't tell me why."
"I noticed the distance," Sirius nodded. "Any ideas?"
"A few and I don't like any of them," she complained.
It took two more weeks for Adeline to catch sight of Harry's hand. She grabbed his hand, pushing his sleeve down and staring at the red words on the back of his hand. 'I must not tell lies' glaring back at her. She looked into his eyes.
"Who?" she growled out, Severus and Sirius taking his hand and looking at it.
"It's from a blood quill," Harry whispered. "Umbridge makes me use it during detention."
Adeline swept out of the room, leaving everyone behind. Her wand fell into her hand and students got out of her way as quickly as possible when they saw her. Fred and George followed along immediately, feeling sorry for whoever Adeline was after. Minerva saw her and sent a patronus to Albus, chasing after Adeline.
Sirius took a few secret passages, Severus racing behind him, catching Adeline as she turned down the corridor for the defense classroom. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her in place as she struggled, Severus setting up a privacy bubble so Umbridge wouldn't hear the commotion. Adeline kicked at Sirius, aiming for his foot, which he just barely moved in time.
"You can't kill her," Sirius said low in her ear. "She's the senior undersecretary to the minister. You won't get away with it, Adie, and then you'll be locked in Azkaban."
"She hurt Harry," Adeline growled, still trying to escape his arms.
"I know. You can't, though. We'll think of something but you need to calm down," Sirius' voice dropped even lower. "Think of the baby."
Adeline stilled immediately. She closed her eyes, head down as she took a few deep breaths, thoughts racing through her head. Sirius continued speaking softly until she was completely calmed, the twins, Severus, and Minerva watching on, Albus joining them a few moments later, looking panicked. Adeline's head popped up suddenly, a sinister smile on her face.
"Okay," she shrugged. "I won't kill her."
"You won't harm her at all," Sirius corrected.
"Not with my wand," Adeline countered. "I won't even say anything to her. You can let go."
"I don't like that look on your face. Last time I saw it, you ended up going after Avery and his goons."
"I solemnly swear," Adeline stated, causing the twins to gasp slightly.
"Alright," Sirius nodded, slowly releasing her.
"I'll be back in a few hours," Adeline announced. "Wobky? To the ministry, please."
Wobky appeared, taking Adeline's and Sirius' hands and whisking them away. They landed in the apparition point for the ministry. Sirius made Adeline wait a few moments.
"Why are we waiting?" Adeline questioned before Lucius and Sissy suddenly popped in beside them. "What are you two doing here?"
"Severus sent them a patronus," Sirius explained. "I was waiting to see if he updated them or not."
"I hear you were on a war path," Lucius smirked.
"Umbitch used a blood quill on Harry," Adeline stated.
Lucius stared at Adeline for a moment before blinking.
"What do you need?" he asked, voice low and dangerous.
"Information," she stated. "Something about her background doesn't add up. I want to know why. Then I'm giving the information to Skeeter."
"I may know where to begin," Lucius nodded. "Sissy, will you please go to the school and check on the children? I'm sure Adie may have caused a bit of a scene."
"I left Harry," Adeline gasped, hand going to her mouth. "Oh, Merlin. I just left him there!"
"He's fine," Sirius told her softly, arms wrapping around her. "Breathe, Adie."
Adeline took a moment to calm herself again, knowing it was more her hormones than anything else.
"Oh, my Gods," Sissy gasped, staring at Adeline with a bright smile. "You're pregnant."
"How?" Sirius asked Sissy. "How did you figure that out already? She's not even showing."
"I was around for the other two," Sissy shook her head, moving to Adeline and hugging her gently. "Congratulations."
"We can hug and throw a ball later," Lucius sighed, smiling fondly. "We're on a mission to destroy someone right now, remember?"
Adeline's eyes darkened, remembering Harry's hand.
"Sissy, ask Severus to brew essence of murlap for Harry's hand. They're in my quarters still more than likely. Wobky can take you," Adeline growled out, turning towards the ministry entrance.
Lucius and Sirius followed behind her, people stepping out of their way as they walked through the ministry. They checked their wands in and Lucius led them to the elevator and then through the records department. They looked up the name 'Umbridge' to see what was in her folder. They found her folder and her father's, finding that he had been a janitor for the ministry before retiring at sixty-four.
"It says here that he was married to a muggle," Adeline whispered, looking through the folder. "He had a son as well. Squib."
"Well, definitely not a pureblood," Lucius nodded, trading folders with her. "Here."
"Well, I know she lied about how long she'd been in her post already," Adeline nodded. "Looks like she was an intern for a rather long time. Her superiors didn't want to bump her up due to her people skills. Explains why she tries acting ridiculously sweet now."
Adeline closed her eyes, concentrating as she wandlessly made copies of the folders, the spell taking twice the amount of time due to her not having a wand. Lucius hid the folders in his robes before he separated from them, telling them he was going to ask around a bit and send word if he found anything else out.
Adeline and Sirius retrieved their wands and left, apparating to Hathor cottage before flooing into Dumbledore's office. He looked angry and Adeline figured he'd found out about the blood quill.
"Is it against school policy?" Adeline asked him.
"It is not," he growled out. "It hadn't been used in centuries as a punishment, so it went unnoticed. She does, however, need parental consent for corporal punishment of any kind. You signed no such thing."
"Did Petunia?" Adeline asked, brow raised.
"She did," Albus nodded. "The school did not keep record of you being Harry's new guardian for obvious reasons."
"Which is why she believes that there's permission," Adeline nodded. "Well, we're going to have to fix that, aren't we?"
"He'll find out," Albus whispered.
"I don't care," Adeline told him. "Protecting my children is the most important thing to me and I understand that leaving my post as a spy will put them in danger, but Harry needs me."
"I understand," Albus sighed. "I'll change it now."
"No," Adeline shook her head. "I need to take care of a few things first. I'll tell you when."
"What are you planning?" Albus questioned.
"Word domination," Adeline shrugged before looking to Sirius. "I'll be back late tonight. Can you stay here with the kids?"
"Yeah," he nodded.
"Thank you," she told him, meaning for more than just staying with the boys.
"Anything for you, Adie," Sirius told her, meaning the same thing.
Adeline gave him a soft smile before stepping through the floo again, appearing in Hathor cottage. She sighed before apparating to Lestrange manor. She walked into the manor, smiling when Avery gave her a confused look.
"Am I interrupting?" she asked, voice soft.
"A little," he shrugged, giving her a soft smile. "I don't think he'll mind though. You're better company than the beast he's seeing now anyhow."
"Beast?" Adeline asked just before they walked into the drawing room and her eyes landed on Greyback. "Mister Greyback."
Adeline smiled brightly when she saw him, trying not to let on the fact that she was debating if setting him on fire would be acceptable to Tom or not.
"Mistress Black," Greyback bowed his head immediately.
"How are you?" Adeline asked him, standing a few steps away from him.
"I have been well, mistress," Greyback raised his head, making sure to look only in her eyes. "Thank you for the kindness of asking. How have you been?"
"Dealing with teenagers on a regular basis," Adeline sighed.
"I'm sure you do well in your post," Greyback looked like he wanted to smirk.
"A bit too well, it seems. I have more students signing up for my class than usual this year," Adeline sighed.
"Adeline," Voldemort spoke up, pulling her attention.
"Hello, love," Adeline smiled, feeling sick to her stomach as she approached him. "I came to surprise you. Am I interrupting?"
"Greyback came to inform me about one of your old friends," Voldemort told her. "A Remus Lupin."
"What of him?" Adeline asked, seeming confused.
"He's been going to werewolf packs and trying to rally them to Dumbledore's cause. Has wolfsbane potion," Voldemort offered.
"That's what it was for," she whispered to herself, looking at the floor. "I was wondering why Dumbledore had ordered so much from Shafiq potions. I didn't realize."
"He ordered it from your company?" Voldemort questioned.
"More change in my vault," Adeline shrugged. "I'm cheaper and more discreet than the ministry. I should have realized he was up to something."
Greyback stared at Adeline in confusion for a moment before looking away, taking deep breathes through his nose. Adeline briefly wondered about his sense of smell so close to the full moon before looking back to Voldemort.
"I should have realized he was up to something. Has Lupin had any success?" she questioned.
"He was before Greyback sent his men in. They're forcing them into submission. Lupin got away though," Voldemort explained.
"I'll tell you if he shows up at the next Order meeting," Adeline nodded, knowing she wouldn't be returning after that day.
"Thank you," Voldemort nodded.
"Here," Adeline passed him a potion. "I made you this."
"What is it?" he asked.
"An energy potion I tweaked," she shrugged. "It'll take a few hours to kick in but then it should start to bring you back up to strength."
It wouldn't. In a few hours he would be depleted of energy with no way to fix it for a few days. Bedridden is what Adeline was hoping for. He drank it without question, trusting her completely. Adeline gave him a soft smile before turning back to Greyback.
"Were you able to track him at all?" she asked.
"We plan on hunting him tomorrow during the full moon. A few potions were left behind so we'll have full control of ourselves during the moon."
"Wobky? Bring me five pain potions."
Wobky popped in, holding the pain potions that Adeline had made specifically for Remus. She passed them to Greyback with a smirk, knowing it would earn her a favor.
"Pain potions that go with the wolfsbane. No sugar and will actually work," she explained.
"Really?" he asked, giving her a strange look.
"Really," she smiled.
Adeline knew giving the potions to Greyback was a terrible idea, but she also knew he'd remember it in the future. She turned back to Voldemort, watching as he dismissed Greyback. Once Greyback had been escorted out by Avery, Tom turned to her, giving her a soft smile.
"What have you been up to?" he asked, trying to seem sweet but his voice was more of a hiss now.
"Well, Umbridge, the terrible defense teacher, has been using blood quills on students," Adeline sighed.
"Your son?" he asked, eyes narrowing.
"One of his friends," Adeline shook her head. "Didn't make me not angry though. I've decided I'm going to ruin her for it. Lucius is helping."
"I'm sure he's thrilled," Voldemort smirked.
"Oh, he is actually. He can't stand her, either," Adeline smiled. "You should see her. Looks like a toad, dresses in all pink, obsessed with cats. I wonder if I could convince McGonagall to do some reconnaissance in her animagus form…"
"How have you not taken over Great Britian by now?" Voldemort question with a smirk.
"Too much work," Adeline waved him off. "I hate politics."
Voldemort laughed loudly, head tilted back. Adeline could just see the man he used to be below. Voldemort was all that truly remained now, Tom having disappeared over time. Tom, her teacher who sent her books and used her to recruit Hogwarts students and was infatuated with her. Now he was pale, nose missing and leaving two slits behind, the outside reflecting the snake within. His charm had diminished significantly, leaving a cruel man who tortured his followers for the smallest things, such as staring at her for longer than a few moments or for not looking into his eyes when they spoke to him. She wondered if it had anything to do with the horcruxes or not.
"So, you had free time?" he asked her.
"Just a bit," Adeline shrugged. "I finished that yesterday morning, ran a few tests, decided to make time for you."
"I appreciate you thinking of me so often," he smiled.
"Always," she smiled back.
"I'm sorry that I'm not who I used to be," he whispered, frowning.
"What do you mean?" she asked, playing dumb.
"Adie, you and I both know that I don't exactly look the same," he told her.
"It was never about looks," she shook her head, laying it on thick. "It was about your demeanor, you intelligence, your power."
Voldemort stared at her for a long moment, eyes wide in awe. He leaned forward, kissing her lips gently and Adeline kissed back, eyes only half-lidded in the process. She was able to see Avery return, see them, and step back out, but Voldemort was unaware. He pulled away slowly and Adeline closed her eyes, forcing a small smile onto her face. Her eyes fluttered open and Voldemort was smiling at her in return, seeming satisfied.
"I should be returning," she sighed sadly. "Much to do, papers to grade, government figures to dethrone."
"Have fun," he smiled brightly.
"Oh, I will," she smirked, brushing her fingers across his cheek before leaving.
Avery was waiting for her in the hall. His eyes were wide as he stared at her, as if in shock.
"Are you alright?" she asked, voice soft as he led her towards the front door.
"Yes," he nodded, schooling his features quickly. "Sorry. I may have witnessed you and the Dark Lord having a moment. I hope I didn't interrupt."
"Ah," Adeline nodded. "I though I heard someone step in and then back out again. You didn't interrupt. Thank you for your honesty, Avery."
"You've never used my first name," he pointed out.
"You never gave me permission," she smiled back.
"Ah," it was his turn to nod. "Nathanial."
"Nathanial," Adeline tested. "I like it. Very fitting."
"Is it?" he smirked.
"It is," she nodded. "I brought you potions to last you for the next few months. I'm not sure when I'll be back and wanted to be sure you had enough to last you a while."
"Thank you," Nathanial sighed, accepting the small bag of potions. "I owe you so much for this."
"Eventually, we need to get you to see a mind healer. It'll help you more than you realize," she told him, placing her hand on his and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'll see you next time."
Nathanial gave her a gentle smile, watching as she left. Once Adeline reached the property line, she apparated away, reappearing at the edge of Hathor cottage. She sighed before walking slowly through the forest, just looking around the forest as she went, listening to the sounds of nature until she reached the cottage. She took off the necklace that Tom had given her all those years ago as she walked to the second floor, tucking the necklace into her jewelry box next to her family rings and all the jewelry that Walburga and Miranda had given her in the past. The only jewelry that Adeline wore now was a necklace with Matheo's ring and hers and Reggie's wedding rings on it, the necklace Bella had given her right before her wedding, which hung low on her chest, the charm bracelet that Remus had added to over the years, and the bracelet that connected her to Harry.
Adeline walked through her floo, ending up in Dumbledore's office. She sat in front of him with a sigh, sinking down in the chair a bit. He sat patiently, waiting for her to decompress before telling him what she'd been up to. After a few minutes, she told him about her trip to see Voldemort, including the kiss that made her wipe at her mouth when she remembered it.
"I need to know where Remus was last," she told him. "Someone needs to go collect him or give him a warning. Full moon is tomorrow."
"I'm not sure that's the best idea," Albus said sagely.
"Excuse you?" Adeline asked, brows raised as she stared at Albus.
"Remus knew what he was getting into when he went undercover with the werewolves. He knows the dangers," Albus started.
"Albus, if you don't tell me where Remus is right now, I will kill you where you sit," Adeline growled, standing from her seat.
"Adeline," Albus sighed.
"He is the father of my children," Adeline said, shaking with anger.
"Not biologically," Albus shrugged.
"The one in my womb right now would care to disagree," Adeline hissed.
Albus' eyes widened as he stared at Adeline, his eyes dropping to her stomach for a moment before meeting her eyes again.
"Why would he go on the mission if you're pregnant?" Albus asked, seeming angry for Adeline now.
"Because I wasn't pregnant until the day he left," Adeline explained. "I'm not very far along. Where is he?"
Albus sighed, deflating slightly before nodding. Adeline sat again, still shaking a bit as she glared at Albus. Albus pulled a map out of his desk, spreading it out across the top of it and looking at it for a few moments before pointing at a specific location.
"These are his last known where abouts. There's no way to know for sure what direction he's gone in or if he's apparated away," Albus explained.
"He'll stay nearby. He probably passed word along to some of the wolves to meet him somewhere if they decided not to join Voldemort by a certain day," Adeline nodded. "Wobky?"
Wobky appeared, staring at Adeline with wide eyes. Adeline grabbed the map, pulling it down so Wobky could see it.
"Remus was last seen in Northumberland in Kielder forest. Can you track him?" Adeline asked, voice soft.
"Of course, mistress," Wobky nodded. "Wobky be tracking master at all times. Wobky can find him by tomorrow afternoon."
"I want you to be very careful," Adeline told him, hand going to his small shoulder. "Remus is near werewolves that may not have taken their potions or may even be against us. I need you to be as discreet as possible. Can you do that?"
"I can, mistress," Wobky nodded. "Wobky won't let mistress down."
"You could never," Adeline gave him a soft smile before turning serious again. "Find him, tell him Greyback is coming for him. If he refuses to leave, come back and take me to him. You return before the moon rises no matter what. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, mistress," Wobky nodded. "Wobky will return, mistress."
"And be careful."
"I will."
Wobky had a fierce look of determination on his face as he apparated away. Adeline sighed, rubbing her face before standing again. She passed the map back to Albus before sitting again.
"What do you plan to do about Dolores?" Albus questioned.
"That will take time. Until then, I want McGonagall to question her on why Harry has been getting so many detentions. She's his head of house so it won't sound suspicious coming from her," Adeline stated.
"I will pass the message along," Albus nodded.
"Thank you. I should go. I need to check on the kids and I need a nap," Adeline sighed, standing.
"Adeline?" Albus asked as she reached for the floo powder, causing her to stop and turn to him. "Congratulations."
Adeline gave him a soft smile and a nod before tossing the powder in and stepping through, finding her sitting room full of children, Severus sitting near by and smiling softly as the kids laid inside a blanket fort. Adeline walked over, peaking in and finding Hermione, Ginny, Harry, Aster, Ron, Fred, and George inside the fort, sleeping. She sat next to Severus, the two exchanging looks before staring at the children.
"What happened?" Severus asked, voice soft.
"I went to see him. Gave him the potion that'll take all of his energy away. He'll be bedridden for a while before it wears off. Greyback is hunting Remus. Wobky is searching for him now to warn him. I need you to tell him that I've pulled away from everyone on his side, that I've grown closer to the other Order members and won't speak to you anymore," Adeline whispered.
"He'll want to look into my memories," Severus whispered back.
"I know how to plant fake ones," she whispered back. "Did it to Avery."
"I remember," Severus nodded. "When do you want to do it?"
"We can do it now," Adeline offered. "You'll know they're false, but he won't be able to tell the difference. You're shields are too good."
Severus nodded and turned to her. Adeline raised her wand, performing the spell and slowly adding in new memories of Adeline slowly pulling away from him before not speaking to him at all. Once complete, she pulled out of Severus' mind, sitting back and giving him a reassuring smile as he shook his head, trying to prioritize his thoughts, rearranging his shields.
She knew she would need to do the same for Lucius later. She'd send Kreacher along to ask him to come by so she could take care of it. Lucius' shields weren't near as perfect as Severus' though, so she would have to completely change his memories, not leaving the real ones behind. She'd save them for after everything was over, reimplant them into his mind once it was safe again. She'd take his memories of Harry as well, keep Harry safe.
Severus sighed once he'd finished occluding for a while, making sure everything was safe in his mind while the false memories were readily available when the time came. She knew Severus would go to him as soon as possible, probably first thing in the morning to cement the story. He'd put on a show just as he always had, playing the trusted spy to perfection, and she hated it.
Severus, as if reading her mind, reached over and took her hand. He kissed her knuckles before standing, kissing her head and heading to his own quarters to get some rest. Adeline stretched across the couch and pulled a throw blanket over herself, making sure she could see the kids from where she laid. She closed her eyes, falling asleep quickly after the long day.
Adeline woke to the smell of bacon and burnt eggs. She groaned, trying to hold down the morning sickness that threatened to rear its ugly head. She opened her eyes, looking towards the kitchen and finding Aster tossing away the eggs he'd attempted to make while Harry smirked, taking over the cooking with complete ease, having had to cook meals for his aunt, uncle, and cousin all the time. Adeline sat up, seeing the other kids slowly waking as well.
Aster noticed her first, giving her a bright smile before he ran into the living room, falling onto the couch and giving her a tight hug. Adeline smiled, hugging him tightly and kissing the top of his head. He released her and Adeline moved to the kitchen, going on her tiptoes so she could kiss Harry's cheek, just noticing how tall he'd really gotten recently. Aster and Harry both stood taller than Adeline as of that summer, but now they'd gained quite a few inches on her. They truly were growing up far too fast.
"Aster still can't cook," Harry smirked.
"Remus and I tried," Adeline defended, hands going up.
"I know," Harry chuckled. "I remember."
"It wasn't that bad," Aster grumbled.
"You burnt scrambled eggs," Harry and Adeline said at the same time, causing them both to glance at one another and smile.
"No ganging up on me before classes start on Mondays," Aster complained. "New rule. I just came up with it."
"Sure," Adeline rolled her eyes, seeing amusement on Harry's face. "I can wait an hour or two. Gives me plenty of time to think up more jokes."
"I take it back," Aster immediately looked panicked. "Get it all out now."
"Nope," Adeline shook her head. "You made the rule. I'm just following it."
"I like this rule," Harry nodded. "Good thinking, brother."
"How do you feel about changing your last name?" Adeline asked Harry, turning to him. "I've asked you before, but really."
"I'd love it," Harry smiled brightly, turning to her. "When can we do it?"
"Once school is out," Adeline told him. When did Sissy leave?"
"Just after dinner," Aster answered, setting the table for everyone as the others joined them. "Draco came by for a bit. He's sleeping in the Slytherin dorms now."
Adeline nodded silently, hating that Draco had to play the same part Adeline, Reggie, and Severus had played when they were in school. It brought her back to how alone she'd felt, how terrified. She was sure Draco was feeling the same and decided to make a point to have Severus check on him more often. She called for Kreacher, speaking to him quietly before sending him away. Lucius sent Kreacher back, telling Adeline he would be by shortly.
After all the kids were fed, Adeline taking over breakfast so Harry could sit, they were all sent off to the Gryffindor common room. Adeline ate once they were gone, downing a potion so she'd be able to keep her food down. Lucius stepped through her floo a few minutes later. She explained what she needed to do and Lucius let out a long sigh.
"Do it," he nodded.
Adeline took Lucius' memories, storing them away in glass vials before planting new ones. She gave him memories of him helping her with Umbridge as a way to try getting her to talk to him, just for her to push him away even further. She removed Harry from his mind, leaving the memories of Draco and Aster in tact until they reaching the end of second year. Hermione and her parents, along with the Weasley's, were removed completely. It took them an hour to comb through everything, removing memories and replacing them with fake ones.
Once Adeline was finished, she knocked Lucius out, calling for Kreacher. Kreacher took Lucius home, placing him in his office before returning to Adeline. She thanked him and sent him back to Grimmauld, telling him to take the rest of the day off. Adeline stored the memories in a magically sealed box before going into her classroom as the first bell rang, opening the door to allow the seventh year students in once they started arriving.
She waved her wand over herself before they arrived, fixing her appearance and changing her clothes, black robes appearing over her. She kicked off her heels, leaving them strewn beside her desk and sighing as she stared at her swelling feet, casting a cushioning charm on her feet and casting a spell that made her feet look less swollen. She smiled when Fred and George walked into the classroom, looking as if they hadn't camped out in her living quarters the night before as they took their seats up front, making their Slytherin partners uncomfortable by sitting as close to them as possible.
Adeline rolled her eyes, knowing they were doing it on purpose as a way to mess with them, but not caring in the slightest. Adeline waved her wand and pop quizzes flew around the room, causing the students to groan when they realized what they were receiving.
"I know. I'm a terrible person. It's keeps me awake at night," Adeline rolled her eyes. "You have half an hour. Use the pens provided. You may begin… now."
Adeline heard the students scratching away, the pens spelled so the students couldn't cheat. She walked around the room slowly, checking over the students papers and making sure they weren't trying to find a way to cheat in the process. She almost didn't notice when Umbridge walked into the room. Almost.
"Hem, hem," Umbridge fake coughed, gaining Adeline's attention.
"Hello, Professor," Adelien gave her a smile.
"May I speak with you, Lady Black?" Umbridge asked, pointing towards the hall.
"Of course," Adeline nodded. "Fred, you're in charge."
Adeline didn't need to look to know Fred was grinning from ear-to-ear. She also knew he wouldn't take advantage in her classroom. Any other teacher was fair game, but Adeline was his mentor and second mother. He wouldn't dare disappoint her. Adeline walked into the hall, shutting the door behind herself so the students couldn't hear them before turning to Umbridge.
"What can I do for you, Dolores?" Adeline asked, giving her a fake smile.
"A new decree was passed this morning and I just wanted to make you aware of it," Umbridge informed her.
"Well, I appreciate you coming all the way here to let me know. What is it?" Adeline asked, voice sugary sweet.
"Students are no longer allowed to go to professors for anything outside of their classroom lessons. I fear a few professors were teaching out of their curriculum," Umbridge explained.
"How unfortunate," Adeline stated. "I'm sure the decree doesn't go for my children and I, though. I am their mother after all. I tutor them on weekends in all their courses to be sure they understand everything, along with teaching them our family etiquette."
"Unfortunately it does," Umbridge sighed and Adeline raised her brows. "I understand if you disagree. However, we can't show favoritism now can we?"
"I assure you, I can," Adeline told her. "And I will continue to do so. If there are any issues, I would be more than happy for us to schedule a meeting with the minister to discuss it. As you are from a pureblood family, you should know how important those lessons are for our kind."
Umbridge hesitated and Adeline knew she'd back her into a corner. Umbridge smiled softly, nodding.
"Of course," she stated, nodding. "I apologize for the misunderstanding. You may continue your lessons with your children. I understand."
"Wonderful," Adeline nodded. "Are there any other decrees that I should be made aware of?"
"Yes. Any and all clubs and group activities have to be approved by me. If you hear about any clubs or activities, do be sure to let me know so that I may decide if it should be approved or not."
"Absolutely," Adeline nodded. "I feel the clubs should have been regulated a long time ago."
"I'm making a small group of enforcers. Think of them as prefects but with a bit more authority," Umbridge explained. "I was thinking of allowing Aster to join but he seems to be rather close to Mister Potter, who's a bit of a trouble maker."
"Trouble seems to find Mister Potter anywhere he goes," Adeline stated, making it sound like she agreed with Umbridge. "I try to keep Aster out of trouble but he goes looking for it. Giving him that power probably wouldn't be for the best. Young boys and all that."
"Well, I appreciate the honestly," Umbridge smiled, teeth showing.
"Of course," Adeline smiled back, her own teeth showing now. "My students are taking a test and I need to get back in the room to make sure the Weasley twins haven't burned anything in my absence."
"Oh, yes. Both of them dropped my class. Some students just can't handle orderly learning," Umbridge sighed and Adeline had to swallow the defense that was crawling up her throat, anger coursing through her at the disrespect she had been showing to students since her arrival.
"Agreed," Adeline smiled. "Thank you for telling me about the decrees. I'll see you at dinner?"
"I have a student in detention at dinner time tonight. He doesn't seem to be getting the message. It isn't quite… sinking in the way I want it to," Umbridge sighed and Adeline's stomach dropped, knowing it must be Harry.
"Some students are just a bit more hard headed than others. Do let me know if you need any assistance?" Adeline asked.
"Thank you," Umbridge nodded with a smile. "I'll be sure to let you know."
Adeline watched as Umbridge turned, walking away from her. Adeline took a few moments, calming herself before entering the classroom again. Fred was standing at the front of the room, doing his test and glancing up at the other students in between questions, making sure they weren't cheating. Adeline nodded to him and he went back to his desk, continuing his test and answering questions quickly. Adeline sighed once she reached the front of the room, leaning against her desk as she watched the students.
At the half hour mark, Adeline waved her wand and the tests and pens flew to her desk.
"You're all dismissed early," she said, voice sounding heavy. "Thank you."
The students stared at her in confusion before slowly leaving the room. Fred and George hung around, waiting until everyone was gone to rush towards her.
"What did the toad want?" Goerge asked.
"Are you alright?" Fred questioned.
"I'm fine," she told Fred before looking to George. "She wanted to tell me about the new decrees that went up this morning. I'm sure they were directed at me more than other teachers considering how many of you tend to hang around me. You'll have to find a way to be more discreet when you come to talk to me about inventions."
"We'll figure it out," Fred nodded.
"Are you sure you're alright?" George asked.
"I'm fine," she nodded, giving a soft smile. "Both of you go on. I need to let the sixth years know that class is canceled for today. I have to go bring Remus home."
"Finally," both wizards breathed out before turning and walking away.
Adeline smiled as she watched them go, the two reminding her of Sirius and James when they were in school, thick as thieves and full of wonderful ideas to entertain the masses. Once they were gone, she put a sign on her door, telling the sixth years that class was cancelled for the day and to read a few chapters from their textbook to prepare for their next class. With her classroom door locked, Adeline walked back into her quarters, locking those doors and warding them as well. She sat on the couch, waiting.
Wobky appeared just before the sun was starting to set, looking upset.
"He refused to leave?" Adeline asked.
"Yes, mistress."
"Told you not to take me to him?"
"Yes, mistress."
"Did he take his potions?"
"No, mistress. They were left behind."
"Shit," Adeline cursed. "Take me anyway."
"There are anti-apparatition wards against wizards on the forest, mistress," Wobky told her. "I can take you in but I can only take one person at a time out."
"That's fine," she sighed before holding out her hand. "We'll figure it out."
Wobky took Adeline's hand and they appeared in the forest, Adeline already glaring at Remus where he stood. He let out an annoyed sigh, five others standing with him. Adeline crossed her arms over her chest, raising her brows challengingly.
"I told you not to bring her," Remus said to Wobky.
"Mistress is my master," Wobky informed him.
"Wobky, potions for all of them."
Wobky snapped his fingers and potions appeared in front of the wolves, floating in front of them. Wobky gave Remus a pointed look, head tilted towards Adeline as if to prove the statement he'd just made. The wolves took their potions immediately, knowing they only had a few minutes to still do so. Remus took his as well, keeping eye contact with Adeline as he did so.
"Why are you here?" he asked once he'd finished. "It's too dangerous. If Greyback sees you, he'll report it to Voldemort and your cover will be blown."
"I've prepared for that," Adeline shrugged.
"Have you?" he asked, looking unamused.
"I have."
"What did you do?" Remus groaned out, rubbing his eyes.
"Doesn't matter. We're leaving. I'm taking you all somewhere safe," Adeline stated. "Wobky will start taking you. We need to get out of here before the moon…"
Adeline watched as the wolves began turning, cursing under her breath. She told Wobky to wait outside the forest, telling him they'd get to him in a few hours. He nodded before disappearing, going to wait for further instructions. Adeline watched as the wolves turned, Remus finishing his transformation first and walking over to her, leaning into her slightly. Adeline smiled, leaning into him as well and running her fingers along his back gently.
Once the other wolves had finished, she told the wolves where Wobky was waiting for them, sending them on their way. Remus stayed with her and the two began heading through the woods. She told him to run ahead and that she would meet him soon. He tilted his head, confused why she wasn't turning into a bird and flying alongside him before his eyes widened, sniffing her before his nose dropped to her stomach. He was breathing heavily when he looked to her face, finding Adeline giving him a soft smile.
"Can't fly away when I'm pregnant," she told him. "A little too dangerous for the baby at this stage. Let's go."
Remus walked beside her, both looking over their shoulders and keeping a close eye on the shadows around them as they went. They'd been walking for an hour, Adeline's feet even more swollen than before, when they heard footsteps rapidly approaching.
"Shit," Adeline whispered before taking off in a run.
Remus ran with her, staying by her side as they went. Adeline knew it didn't matter though. In just a few short moments, Greyback's pack would be upon them, fully in control of their actions during the full moon. Remus bumped Adeline, pushing her forward in a way that made her think he planned on distracting them.
"Don't you dare leave me," she growled out.
Remus huffed before taking off in a different direction, causing Adeline to bite her lip to hold in her shout of anger as she continued running through the forest towards the area she knew Wobky would be waiting for them. She could still hear wolves chasing her, though the numbers had dwindled a bit, others running after Remus instead.
The sound of the wolves catching up to her sounded like thunder in her ears when suddenly she was tossed to the side, rolling across the forest floor and letting out a harsh breath before looking up. A wolf had knocked into her, causing her to fall to the ground a few feet away. She stood slowly, finding four wolves surrounding her, her wand already in her hand as some of her hair fell out of the bun she'd pinned it in that morning. She unbuttoned her robes, tossing them to the side and doing a slow circle, staring at the wolves around her. A terrible smile stretched across Adeline's face as adrenaline pumped through her, just as it always did just before a true challenge appeared in front of her, something that hadn't happened in a very long time.
It felt like forever that she waited for one of them to make the first move, the anticipation killing her. Finally, one of them was brave enough to rush her. Adeline sent him flying through the air and into a different wolf that was trying to sneak up on her. The one to her right howled, signaling to the pack that they'd found something while the one that was now in front of her rushed forward. Adeline dropped to the ground at the last second, causing the wolf to trip and fall, rolling a few times before it stood again.
Adeline took off running, knowing the wolves would begin chasing her again. She ran in the direction Remus had run in, knowing that, even in wolf form, they would both be stronger in a closer proximity to one another. She shot a blasting curse over her shoulder, smirking when she heard a loud yelp behind her and knowing she'd hit her mark. Unfortunately, three other wolves chased after her, only slowing down for a moment when their pack member had been hit by her spell. Adeline continued tossing spells blindly behind her, knowing that taking the time to look back could cost her her life.
She heard fighting in the distance and ran towards it, hearing growling and snarling and knowing Remus must be up ahead and fighting. She turned around, firing a sectumsempra in a straight line and cutting into the chests of all three wolves before she took off running again, a stitch in her side and her breath coming out heavy. Adeline froze when she saw Remus and the five other wolves fighting against a pack of ten, Greyback off to the side just watching. The other wolves must have stayed close by rather than escape.
Greyback turned his head when Adeline broke through the trees to see the fight. He stalked towards her slowly, Adeline not even noticing as her eyes locked on Remus. Remus noticed but was unable to warn Adeline as he fought against three wolves. Adeline turned in time to see Greyback jump at her, pushing her onto the ground and roaring into her face. Adeline let out a terrified scream, turning away from his face and squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. Grey back licked her neck, nose traveling down her body and stopping at her stomach. He sniffed her stomach, smelling the same hormones he'd smelt in the air just the day before.
A soft growl escaped him as he went back to her face. The fighting had stopped, Remus being pushed into the dirt by two other wolves, the third one dead as Remus had tried reached Adeline. Adeline opened her eyes, staring at him as he struggled to get to her, tears escaping the wolf's eyes.
"It's okay," she said to him. "It's okay. I'm sorry, Remy. I should have found you and told you sooner. I'm sorry."
Greyback's snout was at her neck again, sniffing her a bit more. Adeline turned, her eyes meeting his. Drool dripped onto her check but Adeline didn't flinch, staring up at the monster defiantly. Greyback stared down at her, studying her for a long while before stepping away. Another wolf stood over her, watching her and waiting for Greyback's signal.
Instead, Greyback walked over to Remus, sniffing him before pushing the other two wolves off of him. He return to Adeline, pushing the wolf off of her and stepping away. He nodded to Adeline and she stood slowly, walking to Remus and keeping her eyes on Greyback the entire time. They slowly began walking backwards out of the forest, the other wolves behind them, minus one that went to Greyback's pack rather than join them. Wobky took them all away one-by-one. Adeline told Wobky to take Remus first, causing him to start growling, the growling being cut off when he disappeared, Wobky not having waited for him to try to struggle.
"Thank you," Adeline whispered to Greyback.
He walked to her, bumping her stomach with his nose before standing fully, nodding to her before backing away. Wobky returned and grabbed Adeline's hand, not waiting for her to tell him if it was time or not before disappearing with her. Remus' wolf was glaring when she landed in the forest behind Hathor cottage, the other wolves having been taking to a separate location, which Wobky left them to return to, prepared to take care of the wolves.
Adeline sighed, leaning against a tree and lowering her head so she was staring at the ground. She closed her eyes as Remus approached her, tears slipping through and running down her face. Remus leaned into her, offering the only comfort he could while in his wolf form. Adeline sniffled, wiping the tears away before waving her wand and summoning a mattress from the house, along with plenty of blankets and few pillows. Remus and Adeline settled onto the mattress, Remus' wolf curled around her and keeping her warm, the blankets laying around them for when Remus turned human again. Adeline fell asleep, exhausted from the running and the stress she'd just endured, more than ready for the day to be over with and knowing that the days to come would be even more challenging as Voldemort began to understand that she wasn't on his side and may never have been.
In the morning, with the sun peeking through the trees, Remus woke before Adeline. He stared down at her sleeping form, seeing so much stress on her face even as she slept. He kissed her head gently, pulling a blanket over them and holding her gently, his hand resting on her stomach. Adeline's alarm woke her a few minutes later and Remus shut it off, sending a patronus to Minerva, asking her to cancel Adeline's classes due to her feeling unwell. He knew Minerva would question them both later, but at that moment he didn't care. The one person who had always stuck by him, had always believed in him and was carrying his child, was wrapped in his arms and she deserved to get some more rest before returning back to her adult life.
Adeline turned in his arms, staring into his eyes and waiting for him to yell at her for being so stupid and reckless. Instead, Remus leaned down, kissing her gently. Adeline leaned into the kiss, pushing him onto his back and climbing on top of him. Remus' wolf was still too close to the surface for that though and Remus rolled them so he was on top of her, settled between her legs and grinding into her, pushing her dress up to her hips so that he could feel how wet she was through her knickers.
Adeline let out a soft gasp before moaning Remus' name, causing him to smirk before kissing down her neck. Remus pulled Adeline so she was sitting up. He reached behind her, unzipping her dress before lifting it over her head and tossing it aside. He undressed her quickly before kissing down her body, pleasuring her with his mouth first before climbing up her again. He pushed into her and they both moaned, feeling complete again after having been separated for so long. Remus began moving slowly, gently, Adeline's scent having changed now that she was pregnant.
He would never admit it to anyone, but he'd been able to smell it both times that she was pregnant. His wolf had found it intoxicating both times before and he'd been able to ignore it, the scent of Regulus and Mattheo causing his wolf to settle a bit. Now she smelt of him and his wolf was purring, wanting to bite Adeline and make her truly belong to him. Remus was able to fight that want off as he moved inside her. How he did it, he'd never know, but soon Adeline was coming around him, clinching him tightly as her nails dug into his shoulders. Remus' mouth swallowed his name escaping her lips before he was coming with her, grunting slightly at the feeling. He pushed into her a few more times before becoming still, waiting a few moments before rolling them so that she was laying on his chest.
They were both breathing heavily as Remus pulled a blanket over them, making sure Adeline was completely covered from the brisk breeze that was in the early November air. Adeline fell asleep again and Remus remained awake, holding her and running his fingers over her skin. He heard someone approaching them and almost groaned in frustration when he smelt Sirius' scent.
Sirius eyed them on the summoned mattress, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed over his chest. Remus held his eye contact, not really sure what to say to his oldest living friend as he held the woman that was once engaged to him. Sirius just sighed before pulling clothes out of his robes and waving his wand, dressing Adeline and Remus in sweats, a large shirt appearing on Adeline. He climbed onto the mattress and Adeline's other side, reaching his arm over and resting it on top of Remus' where he held Adeline's hand. Sirius made himself comfortable against Adeline's back, closing his eyes and more than prepared to get a bit more sleep as well. Remus simply smiled before closing his own eyes, knowing Sirius couldn't be too angry if he was cuddling with the two of them in the middle of the forest.
Maybe everything would be okay…
