Remus Lupin (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lumenrelegandus) wrote2021-01-16 10:56 pm
lumenrelegandus) wrote2021-01-16 10:56 pm
Entry tags:
for lancifolium
The little town was barely on most maps. It was rustic—quaint even for muggles. The roads were scarcely auto-worthy and you got the impression they liked it that way. Almost everyone had their own vegetable gardens, in addition to the surrounding farmland, and everywhere was walking distance from everywhere else. All showed a real love of this place. They seemed to consider it blessed. There were hints in their conversation, that they themselves would be unable to identify, that this was more than a feeling. Something was truly Charmed, here.
At one end of town, the dirt roads gave way to paved ones, to eventually connect up with the modern world. At the other end was a gentle hill with a tree on top, picture-perfect as a place to sit and read or gaze out at the village. What she was looking for would be on the other side.
Sure enough, with the hill between it and the village, still in the clear before the start of the woodlands, and set back from the… hardly road, here just a path—was a little one-storey house. Its colour was hard to tell anymore. The paint was so discoloured and the plants so overgrown. They climbed up the walls and windowsills and curved delicately around gutters. The lawn was completely covered in flowering weeds. It seemed that no one could be living here. But the sense the house gave was not of haunting or desertion. Rather, it seemed pleasantly like nature had moved back in. The family of birds under the eave, squirrels in the small tree, and rabbits in the overflowed garden seemed to agree. They gave the impression—unusual to their species—of feeling entirely safe.
But if you looked closely, you'd notice that the roof was in good repair, the windows were all intact, and the front door was clear of plants. Closer still, the doorknob was shiny from touch.
This must be the place.
At one end of town, the dirt roads gave way to paved ones, to eventually connect up with the modern world. At the other end was a gentle hill with a tree on top, picture-perfect as a place to sit and read or gaze out at the village. What she was looking for would be on the other side.
Sure enough, with the hill between it and the village, still in the clear before the start of the woodlands, and set back from the… hardly road, here just a path—was a little one-storey house. Its colour was hard to tell anymore. The paint was so discoloured and the plants so overgrown. They climbed up the walls and windowsills and curved delicately around gutters. The lawn was completely covered in flowering weeds. It seemed that no one could be living here. But the sense the house gave was not of haunting or desertion. Rather, it seemed pleasantly like nature had moved back in. The family of birds under the eave, squirrels in the small tree, and rabbits in the overflowed garden seemed to agree. They gave the impression—unusual to their species—of feeling entirely safe.
But if you looked closely, you'd notice that the roof was in good repair, the windows were all intact, and the front door was clear of plants. Closer still, the doorknob was shiny from touch.
This must be the place.
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Harry, recognizing the sound of his name stared at Remus while reaching for Lily, who lifted him out of his grandfather's arms and cuddled him close while carrying him over to meet their guest. "Harry this is your Uncle Remus," she said, smiling gently up at Lupin as she shifted Harry in her arms so that the baby could study him, which Harry did very intently.
Her parents, seeming to know something was going on, exchanged a look before moving casually back towards their front door. "Don't know if you mean to pop out right away Lily darling, but we'll have the kettle on inside should you decided to stay a bit." Lily nodded gratefully before turning her attention back to Harry, watching as he took in Remus.
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For some moments: stillness. It was difficult to tell whose eyes were bigger: the baby's or Lupin's. They stared at each other as if whole stories were playing out behind their eyes. For Remus, at least, they were. Every memory of James—and, of course, inextricably then, all the rest. Their loss, again—things he'd seen and hadn't had to—and the fight to help Harry, not as his guardian which was of course impossible but somehow, and that (seemingly) denied… all made all right by this, now. He could have fallen to his knees. Instead, he looked again at Lily. Alive. Real. Here. When he fixed his eyes again on Harry's, Remus was here, too. This wasn't a dream he was going to wake up from and have to mourn. This was happening. Lily was alive. And this… at last… not for him to flee or rend from or wall himself away, to protect himself and everyone else. He was here meet… and… as family.
Remus had had two families. Each ended disastrously. He'd believed he'd never have another. He was never so glad to be wrong. And this one would not go that way. He'd die to make sure.
Remus didn't kneel… that would be ridiculous… but he did bend so that his eyes were at a level with Harry's. (The one difference from James: Harry's eyes were Lily's green. Wonderful.)
Very gently and sombrely, Remus took Harry's tiny hand between his own fingers; and gave the tiniest, introducing shake. "Hullo, Harry." He was pretty sure Harry was too young to follow words, but perhaps he could feel by tone. The lump in Remus's throat thickened his voice, but didn't make it less warm or wondering or grateful. "I wasn't sure I'd ever meet you. I hope to be your friend. And I'll do anything to help you and keep you safe." Though his eyes didn't flicker this time, that vow was also to Lily.
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Harry regarded him with big green eyes that held the same sort of crackling energy that Lily's did when she was in an especially fine mood. When Remus took his little hand the boy made a few noises of curiousness. With all the deliberate purpose of any toddler, Harry brought his free hand down onto the man's larger one before the toddler pat it a few times (gently of course!), as his mum had taught him to on the cats that roamed the dirt roads of Hogsmeade when not curled up in front of cozy fireplaces. Harry hadn't quite gotten to making words, but there were several very exuberant syllables Remus was met with instead, each punctuated by an affectionate pat to the back of his hand from the toddler.
"That's right Harry, Uncle Remus is going to stay with us for a while. You'll have to teach him all your games." Lily spoke softly and affectionately to her son before kissing the side of his head. "And you've got a fresh set of legs now, maybe Uncle Remus will be willing to chase you around while you fly on your broom!" Lily had never been especially good on a broom and wasn't confident that she'd be a good instructor for Harry (she thought it was ridiculous that Flying was only taught for one year at school and people were meant to feel confident hurtling through the air forevermore after). Maybe Remus would be a better fit for the job. Either way, she was glad Harry was getting to spend time around more people, especially someone who had been so important to James and was still very much so to her.
"Alright Remus," Lily bundled Harry into her coat before she held out her hand. "Ready to go home?" And whenever he was, she was happy to take them both, bringing them to the front door of the cottage McGonagall was graciously letting she and her son live in.
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Remus was about to start weeping. He swallowed it back, managed a smile, and dove headfirst into overthinking to forestall breakdown. "We probably don't want to say 'Uncle Remus'." Though he and Lily had both grown up in mixed households, Remus may possibly have retreated into more muggle literature than she had (or anybody). "Uncle Lupin maybe, or just Remus… but either way." Yep, a few tears rising to his eyes and he swallowed to make he got it out: "Thank you. For… I haven't had family in a while."
The idea of chasing Harry on a broom made Remus laugh. "Not on a broom myself… I'm hopeless. But I'm sure we could figure something out. Patronus charms can be put to all sorts of uses…"
She held out her hand, and Remus was frozen anew, looking at it and Harry and her and again trying not to simply start bawling—with relief and grief and joy and catharsis and plain old overload.
At last, he realised he didn't have to sort all that out right now: he just had to step closer and take her hand.
So he did.
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That he was so touched and emotional about this turn of events wasn't lost on Lily, nor could she blame him for it. He had made choices that would shift the course of the life he'd been living quickly, and up until hours ago, he thought she was dead. Now he was coming to join her, and Harry in the cottage Minerva had been gracious enough to let them reside in after James' death.
It was a place she thought was quite cozy, close enough to the school to feel safer than anywhere else, and just the right size to raise a small child like Harry in. In truth, Lily was excited about the prospect of getting to share it with Remus. He had been on his own for such a long time when he didn't have to be. She was glad they had the chance to make up for lost time, however slightly.
Taking his hand they winked out of sight, popping back into existence just at the front step of the small cottage, where she released Remus's hand in order to unlock the front door and show him inside.
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Remus walked where she led him, looking at everything as if still seeking the telltale that this wasn't real.
He felt a little like he was following James's ghost. Not replacing him… he couldn't if he wanted to.
…Did he want to…? Like just about everyone had, Remus had loved Lily when they were at school. …And always, really. But he'd taken it in the opposite direction to some and just made sure to support her and James all the more.
Well, thank goodness it wasn't solely up to him. He was too confused to know anything, much less what he might want. As if what he wanted had ever had very much impact on what happened. Right now, that was just fine. He'd keep following her lead.
In any case. Having her alive, and his friend. That was the only essential in the world. Anything else, he was fine with or (much more likely) without. As long as he could be here for her and Harry in any capacity.
"How long have you lived here?"
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"It's McGonagall's," Lily continued brightly after a moment, bouncing Harry on her hip as she led Remus into the kitchen, gently depositing her son in his highchair before kissing the top of Harry's head. "It's perfect really, close enough to Hogwarts that I feel very safe living here by myself, though," tilting her head at Remus Lily smiled warmly. "I suppose while you're staying here that won't be much of a worry." Crossing the room Lily moved her wand, a baby bottle assembling itself and filling with milk as she put the kettle on.
"Would you like a cup of tea? I expect our sovereign lord here to be ready for bed after a bottle and I know I certainly could do with a cup. I can show you your room once he's settled in and get your bed made." Lily had not expected to bring Remus back with her, but she was delighted by the unexpected turn her search for him had taken. It had been too long since she had a friend.