Chapter Fifty One
Tonks, Remus and Danica breathed deeply, trying to work out what was going on in the small, white room they'd been sat in. Three cups of truly awful tea sitting on the table in front of them.
Luca was moving between crying, feeding and fussy sleeping. He could pick up on the stress around him and was scared, although he had no way of expressing it other than crying loudly.
The women from before, they'd said their names were Booth and Kelly, came back in with a large stack of paperwork.
"We got word that you'd be coming in from Lord and Lady Parkinson, ambassadors from the Ministry of Magic. Of course they couldn't tell us when you'd be arriving or where… we were lucky to catch you." Kelly said, sitting across from them, "You don't like the tea?"
"Is that what it's meant to be?" Tonks sniffed, sounding a lot like her mother, "Where are our wands?"
"Agent Woods is just bringing them, they just needed to have a basic safety check." Booth explained, "Lady Parkinson even managed to get a wand permit for you Mr Lupin. It's a rarity, considering…"
"Considering what?" Tonks snapped, her temper rising as her mind fought to think of a way out, failing miserably.
"His condition." Kelly said blankly, "I know this is all very confusing Mrs Lupin, but we really are trying to help. All witches and wizards entering America are required to do so through New York, and check in at our main office and have a wand inspection, register with us and apply for a magical license within twenty four hours of them arriving. You did none of these things and yet we're not pressing charges are we? No. We want to help."
"We… things are very difficult over there at the moment." Remus said tightly, "We left very last minute…"
"Which has been taken into consideration." Booth smiled, "And is one of the reasons we're not pressing charges. We're just very glad that we got word where you were coming in and we can straighten everything out."
The door appeared in the wall and opened again, the man from before walking through and placing a clear, plastic box containing their wands and three sheets of parchment on the table.
"Ah see, here's Agent Woods, with your wands." Kelly smiled.
Tonks and Remus snatched their wands up, keeping them ready in their hands rather than putting them away. They looked unchanged and didn't feel any different at least.
"We have a house all set up for you." Kelly continued, "The one that Mrs Snape had arranged wasn't suitable for the legal requirements to house two individuals with lycanthropy. There was a basement but not big enough for two, and not secure enough by half. The laws over here are far stricter than over in the UK."
"Danica can't infect people." Tonks explained, shushing Luca, "She's no threat."
"She can still kill people." Booth said blankly, "And that means that she still must be contained, anyone who transforms must be. Here are all the details on the relevant laws."
She handed over a large, brown envelope that Remus took silently, trying to process what was being said. Danica stared at the table; they were talking about her like she wasn't there, but she was and she could understand exactly what they were saying and was willing herself not to cry.
"We wont be here for long, we hope." Remus said, flicking through the paperwork, "Danica can't go to school?"
Woods shook his head, "Not under the current legislation. But there are a few years to go until she's old enough anyway, so we'll see what's going on then."
"You need to give over a cheek swab that we can have on file, in case of an attack, we can find out the guilty party quickly." Kelly explained.
Remus and Danica opened their mouths, letting the cotton wool bud scrap over the soft skin on the inside of their cheeks.
"Perfect." Booth smiled, "Now, I believe that Mrs Snape set up a bank account for you."
"Yes." Tonks said, pulling Danica onto her knee, letting her snuggle under her head under Tonks's soft hair, it wasn't as calming for Danica as it normally was though, Tonks didn't smell like herself.
"And these are the correct details?" Booth asked.
Remus looked over the strings of numbers and nodded.
"Good. We've allowed this bank account to go ahead." Woods told them, "Even though normal for this level of money it would take a few weeks… we've also added a small amount in as is standard for magical refugees. Lord and Lady Parkinson really helped your case I must say, and what with their daughter missing as well…"
Tonks and Remus managed to look sad at the thought, not giving even the smallest hint that they knew Pansy was perfectly all right.
"We have a job lined up for you Mrs Lupin." Kelly said brightly, "It's nothing fancy but provides medical, dental benefits and such. If you take it you'll be working for MACUSA as well."
"What sort of job is it?" Tonks asked, knowing that if this did turn long term they would need to start getting settled.
"You'll be looking over reports of NoMag's spotting magical events." Kelly explained, "Sort them into natural occurrences and actual breaches of magical law. It's fairly simple and you will be able to work from home, at least for the most part, while you start."
Tonks took the job offer and scanned over it, it looked like something she'd be able to do in her sleep, "Thank you. What about Remus? He's a wonderful teacher…"
Kelly, Booth and Woods all looked awkwardly at one another before Woods cleared his throat.
"Werewolves are not permitted to work." Woods said clearly, "We'll let you know if that should change. The salary from Mrs Lupin's job, plus the money you have in the bank account should be more than enough to live on however. I suggest you look at becoming a house husband. Children do well with an involved father."
"I see." Remus said tightly, "What about self employment? I could… advise or something?"
"We're not allowed to stop you, however there are a fair few rules you'll have to follow, not working for the week of the full moon…" Booth explained.
"The week?" Tonks interrupted, her temper flaring, "The full moon only lasts three days, or is it different this side of the Atlantic?"
"It is to insure there is no left over anger that could be redirected." Booth said, "I'm sorry if you feel it's unfair but it is the law. You will also be legally required to tell anyone who hires you that you have active lycanthropy."
"And let me guess, there will be no repercussions if they refuse to hire him after that?" Tonks snapped, making Luca cry again.
"Of course. They have every right to protect themselves." Woods said simply, "Now, I think we're done here. Agent Kelly has offered to show you to your new house. I wish you the very best."
Woods and Booth left without another word. Kelly smiled at them and guided them to the door, leading them to another, stark, white room. This one however had their suitcases piled in a corner and a large fire burning against one wall.
"You've travelled on the powder network before I assume?" Kelly asked, pulling over their luggage.
"Floo powder?" Tonks clarified, "Yes."
"Excellent." Kelly beamed, "I'll set the address and take the first lot of suitcases, you'll just need to follow."
They watched Kelly vanish in the flames, the green flickering around her jet black coat.
"Well, there's no point waiting I guess." Tonks sighed looking around at the now doorless room they were standing in. She grabbed one of the two leftover suitcases, "Danica or Luca?"
"I'll take Danica." Remus smiled, taking Danica's hand and the last suitcase, leading her into the fire.
Within a moment they were standing in the sitting room of a large, wooden house with trees outside.
"The house is amazing, I picked it for you." Kelly said, "I hope you like it. Four bedrooms, three bathrooms. Follow me."
"Why would we need three bathrooms?" Tonks smirked at Remus.
Agent Kelly showed them round the large kitchen, with a heavy dinning table tucked to one side.
"This is the door to the basement." Kelly said, pulling an old fashioned hoop of keys from a hook just to the side of the door. Two locks and a bolt later she led them down to the basement which had two heavy duty cages running down either side. The heavy metal bars fixed deep into the walls.
"I don't like it." Danica whispered, looking fearfully around, wondering which cage would be her's.
Kelly looked down at her sadly, "Well you can always paint it… and it's only for a few nights a month."
"We'll manage." Remus promised Danica, hugging her tightly, "Painting is a good idea… We'll manage…"
Kelly quickly led them from the cage room, showing them around the rest of the otherwise lovely house. Danica's room had been painted a deep rose, with a large bed complete with slightly sparkly canopy and hundreds of toys for both her and Luca, even more than they'd had at home. But all these toys were new, not their old loved ones.
"I suggest you keep with the identities Mrs Snape came up with for you." Kelly said, making them more awful cups of tea, Tonks and Remus both looking horrified as she poured the barely hot water into the mugs, "If you do change them they will need to be registered with MACUSA, but it wont be an issue. The people are real friendly around here, and… well, I think you'll be all right."
"Thank you." Tonks smiled, looking around.
"The cupboards are all stocked but there's a couple of big stores just in the town, down the road, you got about ten acres here." Kelly explained, "Most of it is forest but you got a good sized garden both front and back. I grew up in a house just like this, loved every minute of it… I'll leave you to settle in. Anything you need, please just ask. You be good for your mommy." she said, stroking Luca's cheek.
They watched her vanish back into the flames, the fire quickly dying behind her. The pile of rules and new laws they had to follow sat on the kitchen counter.
"Can I go sit in the garden?" Danica asked politely.
Tonks nodded, "Yell if you need anything OK? And no going out of the fence."
Danica nodded and walked, very subdued, into the garden. Tonks and Remus watched her go, she looked so defeated. It was difficult to believe she'd been the happy girl in her cloud land just a few hours ago.
"Lily sent her away so she'd have a better life." Tonks hissed, finally allowing herself to process everything that had happened, "She can't go to school! She wont be able to work! She'll need to have a trial before she's allowed to move in with anyone! And they wouldn't be allowed to marry, or have children! Lily was wrong, we never should of left…"
"We're here now." Remus said, wrapping his wife in a hug, "Although the fact I'm not allowed to work has…" memories of how he would of gone hungry, living in rags if it hadn't been for his friends, for Lily and Severus, while no on wanted to hire him or let him rent a home flooded through his mind.
"You'll be a brilliant house husband." Tonks promised him, "And at least I have a job. They even have a study here for me! Although this wants me to start in just two weeks, I should be on maternity leave still, well I would be back home."
Remus smiled, "This is home now, at least for a while. I have to admit, for a first home as a married couple this is pretty good."
Tonks let out a sad laugh, smiling at the man she loved so much it made her chest hurt, "My home is where ever you are. I guess you're right, this is our first house… oh geez this year has been weird as all hell."
Remus laughed, stroking Tonks's cheek, "We'll be OK."
"Will we?" Tonks sighed, "Don't you think it might be better if we just go home? Lily was-"
"Lily knew what she was doing." Remus said, fighting not to just agree with her and go back to Malfoy Manor.
Remus took Luca from Tonks's arms, laying him in the wicker crib that sat by the large corner sofa.
"You're tired, we all are." Remus said, wiping the tears from Tonks's cheeks, "Tomorrow, after some good food and sleep, we'll have more strength for all of this."
"Do you promise?" Tonks smiled weakly.
"I promise." Remus said, pulling her into another hug.
"And Luca is safe, so is Danica… not having the best prospects but safe." Tonks reminded herself.
"Exactly." Remus nodded, "Let's just… get some dinner on and… watch a movie or something."
Tonks nodded, burying her mind in cooking chilli for them all, filling the house with the smell of onions and spice, making it feel a little more like a home.
Danica sat in the garden, kicking her legs in the air from the swing she'd found, hanging from a sturdy tree branch.
It was beautiful, with a large vegetable patch, the first plants already growing, flowers blooming around a large, neatly trimmed lawn. It even had a pond with fish swimming in it.
Her mind was still up in the clouds though, wishing she'd been able to stay in that fairy world. The people in the long black coats might not of really talked to her, but she could still understand them.
She was an outcast, unwanted and something to be feared. They thought she might turn into a killer, the same sort of person that had attacked her in the first place.
What they'd said made her feel too much to think through. She was angry and sad and hurt and a hundred other things she couldn't put a name on but made her want to scream or hide away somewhere.
Danica could just see the tops of the taller buildings in the town in one direction, everywhere else there was nothing but trees, stretching out around her like they went on forever. A part of her wondered if it was worth just running, leaving and losing herself in those trees.
But she was tied to Remus and Luca, she couldn't help it. It was like she could feel their heartbeats almost, connected by the wolf blood that everyone seemed to hate so much.
"Danica, dinner time!" Tonks called.
Danica hopped off the swing and went inside, picking at the chilli and rice, eating as much as she could, although it wasn't much.
"We've just missed the full moon at least." Remus said with forced, slightly awkward happiness, "I checked the calendar."
Danica frowned, "I know."
"The moons are different here." Tonks said gently, "Because we're in a different place on the earth, like the times."
Danica shook her head, she was far too tired to understand it fully right now, back home it was hours and hours passed her bedtime.
Remus and Tonks didn't tuck her into the rose pink room after dinner but into their own bed, Luca in his crib just to the side of them, huddled together against whatever might come next.