Remus could only watch as Jasmine pulled a third dress over her head, swirling around, scowling and crawling back out, leaving the bright blue fabric in a pile on the floor with the first two discarded dresses.
"Why do you let me dress like this?" She groaned, picking up a green dress with a white collar and small white polka dots on the skirt, one of her favorites, Remus knew, and styled after the sock-hop era of the 1950s'.
"You've worn bright colors as long as I've know you, darling." He smiled, amused at her as she fussed with smoothing the wrinkles in this forth choice, though he was secretly wishing she would stop panicking and just pick a dress. "But I believe you let yourself get more adventurous with them when that girl ask if you were Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus books on your children's open house night at work a couple years back, remember?"
"It was a really, really good compliment." Jasmine agreed. "We should all aspire to be like Ms. Frizzle."
"A witch in Muggle children's literature if ever there was one." Remus laughed. "That's the one. Come on. At this point, if I didn't know any better I would think you were stalling to stay in here longer."
Jasmine looked him in the eye via the reflection of the full length mirror she was checking her dress in. He was right, and she hated it, but there was nothing to be done for it now, not since he'd voiced it. Jasmine knew better than to think he'd let her hide out any longer, no matter how nervous she was.
"I'm not ready." She confessed, taking the hand he had held out for her.
"No, I suppose not." He nodded. "But you've wanted this for years, and its here. He's here."
"I'm scared." Her voice was shaking, and Remus gently kissed her temple.
"Here we go." He replied, giving her no more time fret over any small details, swinging the door to his office open.
Harry was already inside, and had been munching on a sandwich from the tray on the table, which Remus had instructed him to do. He'd explained to the younger wizard that Jasmine was something of a 'flight risk' in high stress situations, even happy ones. She'd even been over an hour late meeting him for their wedding, which, while no large affair, was still a bit worrying for Remus, who had not yet become completely familiar with the witch's habits or methods of coping with high stress situations.
Harry had been sitting with his back to the door, but stood and turned when he'd heart Remus and Jasmine come in. For a long moment, the three just stood in silence.
The weight of the moment was neither awkward nor comfortable, but still neither made a move for a long time. Jasmine had silent tears rolling down her cheeks, which she had ignored and simply allowed to roll their way down and fall to the floor.
Harry, however, didn't know what to say. For him, it was uneasy. The only aunt he'd ever known was so cruel, knowing that someone the opposite was out there- and had wanted him this entire time- it hurt him to think of. He knew this was probably more painful for Jasmine, and he knew he was simply standing there looking back at her with her dead sister's eyes. He blinked a few times and stepped forward awkwardly, doubling back momentarily to put down his sandwich, which he had forgotten he'd been holding.
"Its really great to meet you..." He held the last of the word out, unsure what to call her. 'Mrs. Lupin?' he pondered. It felt too formal. 'Aunt Jasmine' felt a bit too familiar for the moment. Just addressing her as Jasmine felt disrespectful.
"Hi." She squeaked, taking the shaky, uneasy hand Harry held out in introduction. "I uh, I don't know what to say."
"Neither do I." Harry laughed humorlessly in an attempt to put them both at ease, which he knew immediately had failed. At this point, Remus finally stepped up.
Gently, he held one hand on the small of Jasmine's back, the other on Harry's shoulder, as he steered them over to the table.
"I wish there was a way to help this come more naturally, but it is probably best to rip it off all at once, like a bandage. Save on the pain." Remus remarked, waiting until Jasmine had settled before sitting down next to her.
"You know, I've been known to trauma dump on people I've just met, but sitting here with you, with all these things inside me that you need to know, you deserve to know- Its like when you lift a rock and the little creatures underneath scatter to every direction- I don't know where to start." Jasmine breathed. "Sorry. Maybe you could ask me something, and I can try to answer you."
Harry nodded and sat in place for a moment, his eyes gazing around the room, like he was searching for the questions.
"Does Aunt Petunia know you're alive?"
The question fell between them like broken glass. Jasmine could almost feel it slicing her skin, and her face reflected as much; the shock and frank confusion of the simple question.
"I- I guess I don't know." Jasmine stammered. "Remus said you'd mentioned hearing Vernon speak about my 'death', but I never gave it any thought. I was taken to hospital once, and she was the only emergency contact I had living, so they called her but she never came. I don't know what she knows of me, now."
"Oh." Harry said quietly, his large green eyes falling to the floor.
"I don't know that she'd care much either way, Harry. I'm sorry." Jasmine added.
"So why can't I stay with you?" Harry ask suddenly. "If Petunia hated you and my mum so much, and Merlin knows she hates me- why not hand me over?"
"The Ministry won't allow it." Remus and Jasmine replied together.
"Why?" He pleaded, his voice cracking slightly.
Remus' face grew noticeably pale, his eyes shifted away and he moved uncomfortably in his seat. Jasmine appeared to be thinking for a moment, her tongue sticking out just slightly in a manner which Harry recognized he himself often did then thinking hard, and he smiled inwardly, knowing now this was something he'd had to have inherited from his mother's side of his family.
"Harry-" Jasmine started, as she took his hand in hers, and Harry met her eyes to see them filled with tears. "Harry please understand. The answer is- complicated. It may hurt you. It would give you means to hurt us, if you choose to."
"Why would I do that?" He interrupted. "I love Professor Lupin, and so far you're pretty great too."
Jasmine looked over to see Remus smile, though he still looked pale and nauseated.
"Then I have to ask you a favor?" Jasmine pressed, and Harry nodded. "Promise what I tell you stays in this room? Its a lot, and some of it is somewhat damning information in the right hands."
"Promise." Harry agreed, squeezing her hand back.
Jasmine took a deep breath.
"When I was young, my parents were killed in a car crash- My father on impact, my mother a couple days later in hospital of her injuries. I lived with your mum and dad for a bit, bless them, taking in a teenager as barely grown newlyweds themselves. When they were murdered- I was left homeless. The professors here at the school helped me as much as they could, as did some of my friends. Offering a couch or spare bed where they could. I scraped by for a while, and got in with some folks who-" She stopped and closed her eyes, let out a long breath, and continued, "I got involved with burlesque dancing, because it paid really well."
"What is-"
"I danced and tended a bar in lingerie for money." Jasmine explained, her face bright red from embarrassment. "It lead to a brief stent of alcoholism, though apparently to hear Vernon hear it I was on drugs. I didn't mean to become a drunk, I just- I had lost everything. Two homes. I had nobody and nothing, and I was in a dark place. But I got out. Your Uncle Remus helped me there." She gave a small smile over to him, which he returned.
"Anyway, even when I had managed to get a flat of my own, my 'job' was an issue for the Ministry. They wouldn't even consider a custody switch. A while after Remus and I were together, a friend of his got me a job at the library where I work now, but because I was with Remus-"
"Why doesn't the Ministry like you?" Harry questioned. Remus did not look up to meet the younger wizard's eyes.
"What you have to understand, Harry. The world is- its not a kind place. I really doubt you need that explained to you, though."
"No, that I get." Harry replied, still staring at Remus.
"I'm-" Remus swallowed thickly as he tried to speak. "I-"
His hand shot over and took Jasmine's free hand, and she could feel he was shaking.
"Do you want me to-"
"No." He said firmly. "Harry, I'm a werewolf."
Harry just blinked back at him, almost blankly.
"Alright, and?" He said after a moment.
Remus looked baffled, and glanced sideways to Jasmine, who had snorted to contain her laughter.
"What?" Harry ask, genuinely confused.
"Harry- Werewolves are some of the most persecuted people in the magical world. Its just- its not exactly everyday someone just... accepts that knowledge about a family member with no comment."
"Well, I mean I get it. Once a month you're a bit dangerous, but the rest of the time you're a bit... Not."
"You calling me soft, Potter?" Remus joked, now also smiling with Jasmine and Harry.
"For lack of a better term at the moment." Harry nodded.
"You know, when your father told me he'd figured it out, I ask if he was going to report me to the school board and have me expelled. Nevermind that he still wanted to be my friend, that was so unthinkable to me. He laughed in my face, Harry. He said 'Remus, you sort your socks by color, you're hardly a monster', and that was that."
"Well..." Jasmine said, and Remus nudged at her a bit, as if to stop her from adding to it.
"Well?" Harry ask, sipping at his tea now, looking back and forth between his Uncle and Aunt.
"Your father and a couple of our other friends- We had this little club. Like to pull pranks, cause some harmless trouble, not unlike the Weasley twins, really. there were four of us- called ourselves the 'Marauders', and your father and the others became unregistered animagi for me. To keep me company on full moons."
Harry's eyes were wide as he listened, nodding along.
"Your dad, he was a Stag, a small one at first- awkward on his legs, just a couple of points on his antlers. Grew to be a large, regal creature. Our friend Peter, he was a shy, awkward boy, he was a round garden rat. And Si-"
Remus froze, Jasmine held her breath, and Harry sat forward.
"And who?" He ask, pressing for more information.
"Sirius." Jasmine answered. "Black."
"He was a dog. Big, black, Scottish Deerhound." Remus finished.
"He was your friend?" Harry almost whispered.
"He was, we thought he was. There were... There were signs. But that's all for another time. But yes, Harry. Sirius Black was a member of our little posse. He and your dad were nearly twins. Sirius actually lived with the Potters for three years. I never saw what happened coming. Nobody did." Remus' voice cracked, and a tear traveled down his cheek, catching in the neatly kept beard on his jawline.
"What happened?" Harry sat forward, anger rising in his voice.
"When it was known that Voldemort wanted Lily and James, they went into hiding. They used a secret keeper, which is a spell to keep something hidden through a living person." Jasmine explained. "They chose Sirius, who was Remus' flatmate at the time. He held their location, and the only way for someone to find it out would've been for Sirius to tell it. Even people who'd been there couldn't tell or show someone how to get there through this spell. Only those living in the house and the secret keeper could come and go. But he told- and-"
"And it got them killed." Harry finished through gritted teeth.
"Its a little worse, actually, darling." Jasmine hesitated as she spoke.
"Worse?!" Harry was nearly hysterical.
"Harry- Sirius is your Godfather." She said gently.
Harry stood from the table so abruptly that it jarred the setting and sloshed tea from a couple of the cups. He was crying and Jasmine sat stone still, unsure how to comfort her nephew. Remus, however, being more familiar with him, was already at his side, hands on his shoulders.
"Deep breaths, Harry. Deep breaths. In and out, that's the way." He said as he couched Harry through his hurt.
"I'm so sorry, Harry." Jasmine said quietly, now standing close by. She still stood back, nervous about the entire situation.
"No offense, to either of you..." Harry gasped as he tried to calm himself, "But this is some of the most fucked up stuff I've ever had handed to me."
"Try not to make using 'fuck' a habit, Harry." Remus scolded, still holding him by the shoulders, face to face.
Harry put one arm up on Remus' in support, and he looked into the other wizard's eyes for a moment, before both burst out laughing. Jasmine took a step back, confused.
"Sorry, sorry." Harry said, wiping his face free of the tears of both anger and laughter that had mingled on his cheeks. "But it is."
"No, it is." Remus agreed. "Its a-fucking-lot."
The two continued to laugh as Harry sank himself into Remus open arms, and his laughter turned back to tears as he sobbed into his Uncle's embrace. Remus looked over the young boy's head to Jasmine, and he nodded for her to come over. Gently, Remus eased Harry over to Jasmine, who continued to hold him. After a long moment of them just standing still, Jasmine stroking Harry's hair as he cried, he pulled away.
"If Petunia agrees, do you think- I mean..."
"Harry, I'd give anything for you to come live with us." Jasmine said quietly, "Really. I would, I just. Its more than Petunia. The Ministry has to also agree. And they're really, really..."
"The Ministry hates werewolves, mate." Remus finished. "Really really really."
"But we're here for you in any and every way we can be. I swear." Jasmine promised.
"Thank you, both of you. I know this hasn't been easy." Harry said, hugging them both.
"Anytime, darling." Jasmine said, squeezing her sister's son closer.
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