Chapter Twenty Eight
After that night, the dark rain cloud of Sirius Black dissipated. The change was so abrupt, that Remus felt sure someone would notice, but they passed it off as celebrating Harry’s court case win, and everyone seemed to buy it. Speaking to Eloise, it seemed it was largely down to Harry impressing the jury with his magical ability to cast a corporeal Patronus that saved him. Usually, this would have angered Remus, but all he felt was an intense relief that Harry would be able to complete his studies.
He also recognised that it exemplified a slow change in the tide of the jury, who previously would never have dared vote differently from the Minister. Perhaps there was hope for the Ministry yet.
Sirius and Remus started to sneak around like teenagers. They weren’t sure why they were keeping it hidden, but there was comfort in regressing back to their days at Hogwarts. The problem was, they were getting less and less cautious. That morning, if Arthur had looked up from his paper as he walked into the kitchen, he would definitely have seen something he shouldn’t. Grinning silently, they went back to making coffee as nonchalantly as possible, and Remus waited until he wandered off to the Library to pull Sirius back into a quick kiss on the cheek. It quickly turned back into a full on making out session, with Sirius sat on the countertop, legs wrapped round Remus to pull him closer, coffees slowly cooling to the side. They were interrupted, suddenly, by screaming from upstairs.
Wands out, they sprinted upstairs and found Molly Weasley on the landing, hand on her mouth. In front of her was the body of her husband.
“Jesus - ” said Sirius, and Remus stepped back, instinctively taking his hand for reassurance, as Sirius pulled out his wand. Then he frowned. Hadn’t they just seen Arthur go into library downstairs?
There was a crack, and Arthur’s body was replaced by Ron’s. Molly’s sobbing intensified, as each of her children’s bodies appeared in front of her. At this point, Harry, Ron and Hermione had appeared on the landing too, and were staring in shock at the scene in front of them. Remus realised what was happening, but as he stepped in to intervene, it became Harry’s body on the floor. He froze, just for a moment, all the blood in his veins congeling and weighing him down like lead. Then he looked at the real Harry, alive and breathing, and pointed his wand at the Boggart.
“Riddikulus.” He intoned clearly, and the scene vanished in a puff of smoke.
“Oh, Remus… I’m sorry, I -” Molly put her head in her hands and Remus closed the space between her, holding her in a fierce hug.
“It’s ok, it wasn’t real.” He whispered. “Sirius - take the kids down to the kitchen. We’ll join you in a minute.” He smiled at them weakly, but gripped Harry’s shoulder as he passed. Just checking, he thought.
When they were alone, Molly’s breathing began to even out again. He didn’t say anything, or try to rush her in anyway. He just held her, and she gripped him back.
“My brothers - Gideon and Fabian. They were in the first war.” She said.
“I remember them.” replied Remus.
“I know I should be able to fight a Boggart, and that we’re going to face much bigger things, but -”
“There’s nothing bigger than losing the ones we love.” Said Remus.
“Molly?” Arthur appeared, and Molly transferred herself to him. As Remus got up to leave, she reached out an arm.
“I’m sorry I was hard on you, before. I just want to protect them.”
Remus patted her hand. “I know.”
He found Sirius downstairs, who took one look at his pale face and offered him a cigarette. Thinking it would be a moment of respite, Remus accepted. Unfortunately, as soon as they stepped outside Sirius launched into a speech Remus was sure he’d been working on for some time.
“I need to start taking on missions. I can disguise myself, but I need to help. I’m no good here.”
“It’s too risky -” Remus began, the same response he’d given him a hundred times before.
“No, it’s too risky not to!” Sirius replied angrily. “Don’t you see? Did Harry’s body not make you see that -”
“It was just a Boggart,” Remus snapped.
“It was just a Boggart this time, but you can’t look me in the eye and tell me Molly’s fears are baseless." He shot back. "People are going to die, it’s only a matter of time. Every opportunity you miss to let me help, you’re putting everyone else directly into that path of danger.”
“I don’t make the rules! Don’t put me on the same page as Dumbledore!”
“But you agree with him, that I should be imprisoned here?”
“Yes I do, actually!” Remus was tired of always trying to sooth Sirius’s ego. “Your being bored is not a good enough reason to start going on heroic quests that will only endanger you and everyone around you!”
Upstairs, wisps of their cigarette smoke wafted in through Harry’s open window. At the sound of raised voices, he leapt off his bed and craned his head out of the window. Sirius and Remus were arguing again on the doorstep where they went to smoke. It felt like all they did these days. He watched as Sirius pushed Remus, hard, and Remus pushed him right back, causing him to stumble. Those idiots, thought Harry. One more step and they’d be over the property boundary, and visible to the whole world. He grabbed a trainer from under his bed and started to force it on, getting ready to go out and break up whatever bickering was happening now. He glanced outside once more, and was greeted by a very different sight. The two of them were in a tight embrace, kissing as if they weren’t sure they’d live until tomorrow. Harry stared for a full five seconds, mouth open, before running downstairs and throwing the front door open.
“Harry!” The men sprang apart, or as far apart as the limited space at the front door would allow. Harry just shook his head and ran at Remus, ignoring his own previous worries about the boundary as he knocked him backwards into a hug.
Remus stared at Sirius over the top of Harry’s unruly hair. Sirius was mid shrug when Harry turned and hugged him too.
“I knew you were together, I knew it!”
Ever since Sirius had returned, Harry had been wracked with guilt over where to live. He wanted to be with his godfather, of whom he’d been robbed for so many years. But he loved his life with Remus. He’d seen the tension between the two, and knew there was something, but it had always felt like an obstacle, a reason they kept each other at arm’s length. Finally, the awkward puzzle pieces had rotated and slotted together. They could be a family.
“Does this mean we can all live together, at Moony’s?” He said in a rush. “When all this is over, I mean.”
“Harry…” Began Sirius, sceptically.
Remus took his hand to stop him. They both had doubts about the existence of the war ending, but why not let the kid dream?
“Harry, you knew? For how long?”
“Since the time I came to visit you in the cave. The way you leant on each other, I’d never seen you so… relaxed. It was obvious.”
Remus looked at Sirius, and wasn’t sure if his heart had ever felt more full. There was pain, too, and he knew they were all feeling the absence of James and Lily at this moment more than ever. But it was a pain they shared, and they would carry it together.
“Harry…” Sirius began, glancing down. “Why do you only have one shoe on?”