Author's Note – No, your eyes are not deceiving you. You are looking at an update after years of silence. I'm hoping the writer's block caused by a really bad mix of depression, anxiety, and stress have broken. I can't tell you how long I've been working on this chapter due to the difficulty of it as well as the events going on in real life right now.
I am so grateful for your patience and understanding, and I know it's probably not as long as I would have wanted to give you since all of you have been waiting for so long. However, it's something I am hoping all of you enjoy.
Disclaimer – I do not own "Harry Potter" nor do I make money from this tale. I just enjoy playing with the characters for my own pleasure to see just what I can do with them and odd story ideas.
Chapter Twelve – Saying Farewell
Once the plans had started to take shape, Remus had gone to spend time in the nursery and his wolf had definitely claimed all three boys as his cubs. The gentle man was in agreement with the inner being; he would protect these innocent lives with everything he had. The little ones were too precious to be harmed, and he knew he would give his life to keep them safe.
In between his research, utilizing the large libraries of the Black, Longbottom, and Malfoy families, he spent time with the children and assisted with the plans for the funerary rites of his two friends.
If he was honest with himself, which Remus was finding he was doing so more and more lately, he found it difficult to even contemplate the fact that they were organizing the funerary rites for two members of his pack. What was even more difficult was that he'd always thought he'd be the first of the group to go, knowing how hard it was to handle the transformations every full moon. Not that the man had ever admitted that particular thought to anyone other than himself.
However, Remus knew he could not hide from the fact that Death had visited their small pack much earlier than any of them expected and it was brought home to him as he, Sirius, Callidora, Augusta, Narcissa, Walburga, and Lucius entered the ancient home of the Potter family. Every mirror had been shrouded in black fabric, and he could see ribbons of various colors to indicate a household in mourning.
Ravvy, the head house elf, bowed to the small group as they stood in the entry hall of the castle.
"It is with great sorrow I welcome you to the Potter's ancestral home of Teach na Laochra," he said.
"We come with heavy hearts of sorrow for the loss of the Marquis and Marchioness," Sirius said, giving a bow of his own. "Though we know they have moved on to be refreshed and born again, the joy we feel at their new cycle is tempered with the sorrow of missing their company during our current journey through life."
"Why have you come," Ravvy asked, standing in for the Potter family in this small ceremony.
"We have come to prepare those who have left us so their physical selves can rest even as their spirits are born again," Callidora told him.
"Then be welcome," the house elf said to them. "All is in readiness for you. Please, follow me."
The group followed the house elf to an antechamber not far from the ritual room, and Walburga reached to support Callidora while Narcissa and Lucius supported Remus and Sirius as their eyes fell upon the bodies that rested on the funerary slabs.
The runes etched into the slabs of polished rose quartz kept the bodies from decomposing so the scent of death did not fill the room, which helped relieve Remus somewhat. It contributed to the illusion that the couple were simply resting on the ancient stones, but his sharp eyes noted the unnatural stillness and pallor that signified the demise of the two he considered family.
By unspoken agreement, the men separated from the women, heading to light the candles and lay the funerary herbs into the engraved incense bowls, lighting the herbs so the scent would fill the antechamber. None of this was done with magic nor would the remaining tasks ahead of them.
From there, Remus, Sirius, and Lucius washed James's body, making sure every inch was clean and the hair brushed properly before preparing him for the funerary ritual later that night. Herbs were crushed and rubbed into the cold skin, ceremonial perfumes created for this purpose was gently dabbed onto the skin over the heart, forehead, and where the magical core was in each person.
Once the anointing was done, both bodies were wrapped in linen with herbs or small crystals slipped in between the layers. Then a cloth was laid over the body, white with the family crest embroidered in gray and amber.
The group gave a bow or curtsy before filing out of the antechamber, soundless as they had come in. Once out of the room and the door was closed behind them, Remus staggered and leaned against the wall.
"Moony?"
"I never expected to have to do this," he rasped, looking up into concerned faces. "I honestly thought I'd be the first of us to go."
"Due to the lycanthropy," Lucius asked, voice holding a note of understanding and sympathy in it. "That cannot be easy on you every month."
"Exactly," Remus told him. "I can't afford the Wolfsbane potion and even under it, the transformation is rough on the body."
"How long has it been since you've had it," Walburga asked, frowning at the young man.
"Nearly a year," he said softly, hating to admit this but knowing they needed to know. "I can't afford it honestly; the ingredients are too expensive."
"Good," the dowager viscountess answered, shocking them with her answer. "That potion does nothing but slowly kill a lycanthrope. Belby is a fool for not looking at the future picture instead of the immediate. If you are willing, I will find some alternatives for you to help with the pain and exhaustion."
That offer caught Remus by surprise, but he was quick to reply.
"Thank you," he said to her. "I'd be grateful for your help. Anything to make it easier."
"We will work on it," she promised. "In the meantime, make sure my son runs with you each full moon. He said that seemed to make it easier on you."
"It does," he admitted, surprised Sirius had told her about that.
"I didn't know you thought you'd be the first of us to go," Sirius said quietly, watching his friend with sorry in his eyes.
"Like Lucius said, lycanthropy is difficult on the body. Magic or not, the change breaks the body down after time passes," Remus told him. "It's why you don't find non-magical werewolves. The change kills them the first time."
"As Mother said, we'll work on it," the viscount promised. "I'm not losing you too."
Remus reached out, holding onto Sirius's forearm and meeting his eyes. He knew the other could read the sincerity in his own eyes.
"I will do all I can to make sure you and our cubs don't," he said to him. "I can make no promises other than I will do all I can."
"I will take it," Sirius answered, grateful his friend understood.
Remus just nodded, giving a soft sigh before rubbing his eyes with his free hand. His amber-brown eyes looked at the group, noticing the expressions of grief and concern on their faces.
"The funerary rite is tonight," he said, voice tight. "I know the elves will be in readiness."
Walburga nodded; she and Narcissa had coordinated with the head house elf prior to today to make sure the night would go according to plan. The notification of the rite had gone out earlier so everyone close to James and Lily would be there.
"We should go and prepare ourselves," the dowager viscountess informed the group. "We need to be here to welcome our fellow mourners."
Everyone nodded in agreement and dispersed; Remus went with Sirius as he was staying with his friend. Once at the manor, he headed to his rooms and showered thoroughly before taking a bath in water scented with special herbs required for tonight's ritual.
By the time they were to leave, Remus had dressed in a white robe embroidered with runes at the hems of the sleeves and bottom in green as his family had no heraldry colors. He met up with Sirius, who had his hair loose and was wearing a white robe with runes embroidered in black and silver.
"Are you going to be all right," Remus asked, knowing his friend had to be as broken hearted to be doing this as he was.
"I honestly don't know, Moony," he answered, sounding lost and heartbroken. "I wasn't prepared for this; even knowing the war was going on. James and Lily were the ones I expected to survive it, you know?"
"I know," the werewolf said softly to his friend. "It isn't fair or right, but we have a duty to care for the cubs in our pack. James and Lily would want that, and it's something to hold onto."
"You're right," Sirius admitted. "They would want that; they'd be happy that Harry has brothers with him now, and they would want us to teach and protect them with everything we have in our arsenal."
"We did swear that to them," he reminded the other. "Marauder's Oath."
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," the viscount said, wiping his eyes as he did so. "We will get through this and teach our cubs everything we can to make sure they not only survive but thrive."
"Exactly," Remus agreed.
As the other man watched in concern, Sirius drew several deep breaths to center himself, eyes closing as he worked to push away the sorrow. He knew what the other was thinking – that they needed to be calm for this, and he couldn't allow himself to fall apart and grieve yet. That would be something the two of them could do later when privacy was assured.
The pair apparated to the Potter family seat, entering through the wards and into the house to find several members of the family already there. Remus went straight to Callidora, who was holding Harry. The toddler reached out for him, and she passed him along to the man with a soft smile.
Harry was dressed in white with the runes embroidered in the Potter heraldry colors. The little boy looked up at the werewolf with a bright smile on his face, hand gently patting his cheek.
"Moo," he said, making Remus chuckle.
"Yes, cub, your Moony is here," he said, snuggling the child close to his heart. "Have you been good for your cousin?"
Harry gave a snaggle toothed grin, nodding with big green eyes as he did so. Remus's heart just melted as it always did around his honorary godson, and he pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.
"Love you cub," he said, looking around as more members of the family began arriving.
Some of the people who arrived were attending were there simply because they shared blood with James Potter through marriage; most of them were connected in one way or another to the Black family. He caught sight of the distinct red hair of both the Prewett and Weasley families, and he just hoped that the Weasleys would be polite around the Malfoy family. He didn't know what had started the feud, but the fact that was they shared blood. Family was vital right now.
To be honest, he was rather surprised to see Molly Weasley here. This type of funeral was very ritualistic, and she had always been very vocal against any type of rituals despite her pureblood background. The only thing that he could figure was that her parents and Arthur's had insisted on a full family appearance. He wasn't sure how long she'd be peaceful towards them once the word of the blood feud against Dumbledore became public knowledge.
He was pulled from his thoughts when the person he'd just been mulling over approached him with a boy close to Harry's age in her arms. Remus could tell she was pregnant again, and he mentally shook his head as he realized just how many children the woman had.
"Remus," she greeted, giving a small smile.
"Molly," he answered, shifting Harry slightly to keep the child more comfortable. "It's good to see you despite the circumstances."
"As it is to see you," she replied, voice soft. "I just wanted to check in to see how you and the little one are doing?"
"As well as can be given the circumstances," Remus told her. "None of us were expecting this; we were caught completely by surprise despite the fact most of us were targets."
"I was heartbroken to hear the news," she agreed, shifting her son a bit. "I didn't know James and Lily very well, but they were good people. Lily was remarkably kind and gentle."
"When you didn't make her angry," he quipped a bit, quirking a sad smile. "But she had a heart and soul of gold. We're going to miss them both very much."
"This war has taken too much from all of us," she said with a sad sigh, gaze going to where her twins were standing with their other brothers and her husband. "I sometimes wonder if we're going to be able to heal from all of this darkness."
"The beautiful thing about darkness is that dawn always comes," Remus reminded her. "We just have to remember that and take our joy when it happens. For us, we have the wonderful adventure in raising Harry to be the good man his parents want him to be."
"That's all any parent wants for their children," she agreed, giving a gentle smile.
"Exactly," he stated, catching sight of Lucius, who had signaled towards him. "If you'll excuse me, Molly, I think I am needed."
When she nodded, Remus moved away from here and headed towards the baron. He could see the faint signs of stress on his face and frowned, wondering what was going on.
"Is everything all right," he asked in a low tone when he joined the man.
"Somewhat," he answered, shaking his head slightly. "Dumbledore tried to enter the wards; Sirius wanted me to make sure Harkin is all right. We're not sure how tied into them he is right now."
"He's been acting fine," Remus told him, hoping to reassure the other man. "I'm not sure he's tied in just yet; I think they went into hiding too quickly after he was born, and they haven't been able to return long enough to make sure he was bonded to them."
"We'll need to make sure of that after the ritual tonight," Lucius stated. "I'd forgotten they'd been away from home that long; I still don't understand why they didn't go into hiding here."
"Or at the Black estates," Remus agreed. "James shared a blood tie with the family, and I know Sirius would have welcomed them as he was heir to the title at the time. Looking back at it, I have to wonder if there wasn't something more sinister involved."
"You think they were manipulated into going into hiding in Godric's Hollow," he asked, watching the younger man.
"It's very likely," the werewolf said, shifting Harry slightly when the little one tried to whine a bit. "James and Lily wore their signets from the moment they were bonded and then when they inherited the titles. That would have prevented any influence from magic or potions."
"But a certain person is good at verbal manipulation," Lucius concluded. "Which means it will be next to impossible to confirm it."
"I know," Remus sighed. "I doubt James or Lily thought to copy and save the memories either, and Lily was not one to keep a journal. There may be someone I can ask though; Lily often spent time with Bathilda Bagshot down the road. She may have mentioned something to her."
"If anyone would know, it would be her," the baron agreed. "I can ask Narcissa if she would pay a call on her; she's good at getting information like that."
"Hopefully she can get the information we're looking for," Remus said. "She's old enough to have probably gotten gossip about the one that caused most of the headache we're facing."
"Possibly both of them," Lucius nodded. "I'll mention it to Narcissa and go from there; it's worth looking into."
They couldn't say anything further when Sirius and the others joined the group in the parlor where everyone had assembled to wait for the funerary rites and ritual. Remus passed Harry to Sirius, who had snuggled happily into the viscount with a giggle.
"How's the cub doing," he asked Remus, who gave a gentle smile.
"He's been behaving himself very well," he answered his friend. "Enjoying the chance for snuggles but that's normal for him."
"That it is," Sirius said, smiling before dropping a kiss to the top of Harry's head. "Hopefully he and the other young ones will make it through the ritual without a problem."
"I'm sure he will," Remus said, head turning when he saw Narcissa, Callidora, and young Nymphadora Tonks come into the room.
The two women and nine year old were dressed in white robes with runes done in the heraldry colors. Narcissa and Callidora carried the colors for their maiden houses along with their married ones, and Nymphadora wore the colors of House Black. Both she and her mother had been brought back in, and Andromeda's husband had also been accepted into the house.
It was a wise decision on his friend's part as he knew that the Black family had been diminishing over the years due to intermarrying; it needed new blood, and he could tell that Ted Tonks's contribution had brought back a bloodline gift long thought lost to the family magic. The little girl was still learning control over her metamorphmagus gifts as evident by the hair that kept trying to change into a shade of cobalt blue. In truth, it was rather adorable to watch as she kept trying to keep it a suitable color for the ritual.
All three of the witches entered the room, each bearing a silver lantern that was lit, and the occupants of the room quieted immediately. Even the children in the group did not make a sound as little Nymphadora spoke.
"It is time," she said, voice audible in the room.
Everyone followed the females into the hallway, going down several corridors into the antechamber of the ritual room. Each person was cleansed with sage before being allowed to pass into the ritual room to take a position outside of the ritual circle.
The circle was soon opened and cast, and the group took their positions in the ritual space. All eyes were on the three as they took position in the center of the circle with the two tables. Lily and James's bodies were laid there on the tables, a cloth bearing the Potter Coat of Arms embroidered on the fabric rested over the wrapped bodies.
"The Wheel of Life has turned," Callidora began, voice clear as she started the ritual.
"Where life had begun," Nymphadora added, her voice drifting to silence as Narcissa continued.
"Where life had been lived abundantly," she said, giving way to Callidora.
"Life has now ended," the older woman stated. "And so the Wheel has turned. Life will begin anew even as we say farewell to the two who were with us for such a short time."
The circle was soon opened and cast, and the group took their positions in the ritual space. All eyes were on the three as they took position in the center of the circle with the two tables. Lily and James's bodies were laid there on the tables, a cloth bearing the Potter Coat of Arms embroidered on the fabric rested over the wrapped bodies.
"The Wheel of Life has turned," Callidora began, voice clear as she started the ritual.
"Where life had begun," Nymphadora added, her voice drifting to silence as Narcissa continued.
"Where life had been lived abundantly," she said, giving way to Callidora.
"Life has now ended," the older woman stated. "And so the Wheel has turned. Life will begin anew even as we say farewell to the two who were with us for such a short time."
"Life is renewal," the child stated. "We are born to live in innocence and love."
"Life is change," Narcissa continued. "We grow; we laugh, love, cry, and learn."
"We die," Callidora finished. "We renew before the cycle begins again, leaving marks of experience and knowledge on our souls before the gods and Mother Magic allows us to begin again."
"The souls of our brother and sister have been reclaimed for renewal early, leaving behind those of us who mourn their passing," the Malfoy lady shared softly. "Yet as we mourn, we must remember to continue on the legacy started in this cycle."
"Their love, we honor," the child said.
"Their courage, we honor," Narcissa continued.
"Their sacrifice, we honor," Callidora offered. "We pay honor to the spirits known in this life as James Charlus and Lily Ana Potter, Marquess and Marchioness of Orkney."
The three females took key positions around the two slabs, face inward towards each other. The room went dark, leaving only the lanterns and the candles lit to illuminate the chamber.
"Come air, bear the spirits to their rest to be renewed before entering the cycle once again," the trio said in unison. "Come fire, renew the spirits as they pass through you. Come water, renew the hearts that grieve even as life continues and will again. Come earth, claim the bodies of those who have gone and complete the process that cycles again and again. From earth we are born and to earth we shall rest. Mother Magic, comfort your children as we part. As we will it so mote it be."
The flare of magic was both subtle and powerful, and the bodies changed. On top of the quartz slabs now rested two statues of petrified wood, an array of earth tone colors, that showed the smiling faces of James and Lily. In between the hands on their chests were their wands. All of this was one intricate piece of petrified wood per statue.
"So mote it be," the group answered in recall, then bowed to the statues.
The group headed to a parlor where refreshments waited, leaving the two statues to be moved to the gallery by the house elves. This particular gallery displayed the statues of every marquess and marchioness that had been a part of the family line, quite a few of them going back to before the title had been granted to the Potter family.
Remus headed to where Sirius stood with Callidora, Walburga, Lucius, and Narcissa. He was carrying Harry, and Lucius held Draco in his arms. All of them looked sad but trying to not show it too much for the young ones with them.
"Narcissa, Callidora, thank you for being a part of the ritual," Sirius said to his cousin. "I am grateful for you both."
"I think we can both agree it was an honor to be asked to be a part of this," Callidora told her young cousin. "Nymphadora did remarkably well; I know it's difficult for a young one of her age to be asked to take part in such a ritual."
Andromeda came up with her husband and daughter, hearing the words and giving a sad smile.
"She did very well," she agreed, wrapping an arm around her daughter as she did so. "She was fairly nervous about doing it but wanted to honor James and Lily."
Sirius dropped to a crouch in front of the girl, pulling her into a hug.
"Thank you for being so brave," he told her. "I know their spirits are happy to know you helped send them onto the next part of the cycle."
"You're welcome, Uncle Sirius," the child answered, hugging him back. "You gonna be okay?"
"I will be in time, Nym," he promised. "We'll have to get you to come over and play with the boys once things calm down. I know they're little, but would you like that?"
Nymphadora nodded, hair turning pink as she did so.
"I would," she chirped, snuggling into his hug.
"That's my girl," he praised, standing up and settling her on his hip as he did so. Since Remus had Harry, Sirius needed the close contact and Nyphadora was an amazing cuddler.
"Do you think Harry will be ok," she asked Sirius, who hugged her closer at that sweet question.
"He will be, Nym," he said with determination in his voice. "After all, he has all of us to love and look after him, right? I dare say he'll grow up knowing he is loved. I like to think that's the most important part of it all."
The child nodded, looking somber as she did so. Her next question nearly broke him, but he held strong as the emotions nearly caused him to buckle.
"Are you okay," she asked, looking him straight in the eyes.
"I'll be honest, Nym, I'm not but I will be in time," he promised, kissing her cheek. "it'll take time and a lot of hugs, but I will be okay in time."
"I'll make sure you get lots and lots," the child said, kissing his cheek again before snuggling into him. "Then you'll be better and happy. Harry and all of you deserve to be happy."
It was at that moment that Sirius realized that Nymphadora was right. His little family deserved to be happy, and he would do everything in his power to ensure that they were.
Author's End Notes – I really hope everyone enjoys the new chapter. I really do appreciate the patience and understanding of all of you who have been waiting for this. Please let me know what you think. I'll see you next chapter! ~ Laran