Building Confidence
You and Remus sat in his empty classroom, enjoying a cup of tea with his old jazz record playing quietly in the background. You opened your mouth to speak when the door burst open and five laughing and yelling third year boys ran up the main aisle, Harry leading them. “Can the guys come stay for the first week of summer holiday?”
“Um, well, I don’t see any problem with it.” You shrugged, “But it’s up to your uncle.”
Remus glanced at the star chart by his desk and smiled, “How about we settle for the first three days, and if everyone wants to come over again a bit later, they can.”
Harry looked around to his friends who all nodded and smiled, excitedly talking over each other about games of quidditch, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, and anything else they could do for their stay.
~~~
The whole house was still asleep when you woke up, and Remus was nestled behind you, spooning you perfectly. You stirred a little, maneuvering yourself out from beneath him, and dressing quietly before grabbing your wand and sneaking out to the kitchen.
Venturing down the hall confirmed that you were the only one awake. You filled the kettle and set it on the stove, happily pouring a cup of tea once it was heated and settling in a kitchen chair to read, but mostly scoff at, the morning’s edition of the daily prophet. The hallway floor creaked and you smiled, “Good morning, insert Harry’s early bird friend’s name here.”
“Morning, Mrs. Lupin.” Neville shyly appeared around the corner and he gave a meek smile. “I’m sorry if I bothered you.”
“Neville, Sweetheart, you’re never a bother... I am surprised you’re up so early though, usually I’m the only one awake for hours.” You giggled. “Harry and Remus always sleep in a bit, and Merlin knows that Sirius never gets up early.”
“I’ve never been able to sleep very well, if I don’t toss an’ turn all night, I tend to wake up really early.”
“I have the same problem most nights... you’re more than welcome to have a cup of tea with me, Dear, if you’d like. Tea bags are in the canister, water in the kettle and sugar beside the canister.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Lupin.” He smiled, heading into the kitchen to make himself tea. “May I ask if you have milk?”
“Oh sorry, I always forget I’m the odd one out, I never take milk in my tea. It’s on the middle shelf of the fridge, you’ll see the bottle right in front... Also, you’re welcome to call me Iolanthe, as much as I love being called Mrs. Lupin, it feels too formal when I’m at home.”
“I understand.” He sat beside you at the dinner table, taking a small sip to test the temperature of the tea. “Thank you for letting us all stay over, I didn’t figure you’d let us.”
“Well, technically, Remus and I were sort of put on the spot, but we don’t mind. When I was younger, my mum and dad let James and I have friends over constantly. James had Remus and Sirius, and I had my friends over... your mum and dad included.” You smiled softly, watching his pained eyes light up when you mentioned his parents.
“You knew my mum and dad?”
“I certainly did, she would come over every once in awhile and stay the night, and your dad would come stay over when he could, but your grandmother didn’t let that happen very often. She was just protective though, she didn’t quite fancy James and certainly not Sirius. All the older witches hated his motorbike.” You paused to lean in as if whispering a secret to him, “but all of us younger witches loved it.” He let out a breathy laugh and looked down at his tea, swirling the tea bag around in the water and lifting it to let the stained water drip from its surface. You inhaled and looked down at your tea, trying to bring yourself to speak. “I apologize if you get this a lot, but you— you look a lot like your mum did when she was younger.” You paused, starting to tear up, “She would be so, so proud of you if she was well, Frank too.”
“Thank you.” He spoke quietly and wiped at his eyes, “Can you tell me what they were like? I mean, my grandmother tells me some things but I don’t really know what they were like with their friends.
“Well, your mum and dad were both brilliant aurors but before that your dad was pretty good mates with Remus and my brother, and I made friends with your mum when she tutored me for Herbology, she was really good at it too, and your dad became friends with Remus during Defense Against the Dark Arts once when they were partnered up for a spell. They were both better than most of us at D.A.D.A, and when your dad became friends with Remus, he got to know me, James, and Sirius better... Your mum always liked going to Honeyduke’s with Remus and me, she liked their heart-shaped lollipops and their sugar quills the best and your dad loved those stupid little jelly bean candies that make you sound like an animal.” You giggled, “Your mum would always just roll her eyes and laugh whenever he would sneak one without anyone knowing and the whole Gryffindor common room would sound like an elephant was on the loose. We all loved them so much, those of us that survived the first war still do.” You looked to Neville with a gentle smile and placed your hand over his, giving it a comforting squeeze “I know it hurts to see them the way they are now, but you should be very proud to be their son, they were two of the bravest and most selfless people I’ve ever met.”
“I am proud to be their son. It does hurt, but I really am proud... Mrs. Lupin, do you ever still see my mum and dad?”
“Please don’t tell your grandmother, if she asks you then don’t lie but please don’t just outright tell her. I do still visit them, I learned early on that Augusta would visit them and take you to visit them every holiday so I started visiting them a week or two before every holiday so that I wouldn’t run into her. Ever since what happened to them she’s hated me and James, my brother was the one that told Frank about the Order, it’s who we all fought for during the first war.” You paused, trying again to hold back tears, but failing when you thought of everyone that had been lost. “Those of us who survived, we lost so many brothers and sisters and friends and it was heartbreaking. I want you to know that I don’t blame your grandmother for not liking me, I can’t even imagine what it must be like for her.”
“She compares me to dad a lot, I even use his wand.” Neville shrugged.
“I never noticed that before. As for the comparing, I hate to admit but Remus and I, and even Sirius, are guilty of comparing Harry to James and Lily. It’s just something us older people do I suppose.”
He drank the last sip of his tea and smiled, his smile showing a twinge of sadness. “I’m glad you still visit them, it sounds like you were really good friends.”
“We were.” The two of you finished your tea in silence and you glanced up to the clock knowing you had at least another two hours before Remus would wake up, “You know, Neville, I’ve been having a bit of trouble lately and I think I know the perfect bright young wizard to help me. I have a rather expansive garden, but I’m afraid my fanged cabbages and my madrake roots aren’t growing too properly. My cabbages have yet to grow fangs and my mandrakes don’t seem to be getting big enough to mature... would you like to help me with them?”
Neville beamed, “I’d love to, I didn’t know you had a garden.”
“I sort of have to, Remus and I have a few health problems and I like to grow my own remedy ingredients. Would you like to head out?”
“Yes, please.” You and Neville slipped on your shoes and headed into the backyard, his eyes lighting up when he saw the colorful variety of plants and herbs that filled the large patch of ground. “Brilliant.” He muttered, setting off to walk the paths you had made and admire all of the different species of plants. You grabbed a handheld shovel, separating and replanting your wolfsbane to create more sections of it, watching as the aspiring herbologist began tending to the plants. “Iolanthe?”
“Yes, Dear?”
“May I use the plants in here to make a remedy for the mandrakes, Professor Sprout taught me a recipe that helps force them to the next life stage.”
“Of course.” You smiled, standing to brush the dirt from your knees and hands before going over to a small shed that he hadn’t noticed. You unlocked the door and revealed a small potions cabinet, inside on the shelf sat mixing and heating equipment and the inside of one of the doors was filled with vials of ingredients. “You’re welcome to cut from anything in the garden, let me know if you’d like help should you need to make a potion. I’m not quite sure what the remedy consists of.”
“Thank you... Thankfully it doesn’t require brewing, only mixing, but I may still need your help.” You helped him gather bits from various plants and mix them according to his memory. When he sprinkled the dry mixture over the mandrakes, their leaves turned a shade darker and they became more lush. Neville beamed. “It worked! They should be teenagers now.”
“That’s brilliant, thank you.” You clasped him on the shoulder, and looked down to your mandrakes. “We just may have to have invite you over more often. I may be good at potions, but I’m somewhat dreadful at gardening.” You laughed, leading him over to the cabbages. Neville had the cabbages cured and teething in under ten minutes and he was practically beaming with happiness. You raised your wand and waved it slowly over the length of the garden, Neville watching in awe as a delicate sheet of water cascaded over the plants and you smiled. “Small charms trick I picked up years ago, makes it much easier to water.”
Neville began making his way around the entire garden snipping bits of dead or unhealthy leaves and adding soil to the plants that needed it, and when he was about halfway around the garden the silent morning air was split with the laughing and hollering of young voices. The boys ran out the back door all carrying brooms, with Ron dressed in Harry’s quidditch gear and Sirius following with his own broom. You placed your hands on your hips and laughed, “Well Merlin’s beard! I never thought I’d see the day that Sirius Black got up before noon.”
“They wanted to play a game of quidditch and I bet them they couldn’t keep up with an old man. So we’re heading to Harry’s quidditch pitch by the woods.”
“Wanna come play, Neville?” Harry asked, holding up his broom.
“No thank you, I wanna keep on in the garden for a bit.” He smiled.
“We’re a straight shot that way if you change your mind.” Harry pointed to the direction of the pitch that Sirius and Remus had built for him last summer, and started to wander that way.
“Be careful boys. Remember, it’s a fun game, not a real game.”
“We’ll be perfect gentlemen, Love, it’s not like we’re a bunch of Slytherins.” He taunted, laughing at your open-mouthed shock.
“You wish you were Slytherins, you’re just a bunch of rowdy little Gryffindors.” You stuck your tongue out and Sirius threw up his hands,
“You and me, Pup, Slytherin versus Gryffindor, one on one.”
“Wouldn’t wanna annihilate you in front of all your godson’s friends.” Sirius stalked over to you with a devilish smirk and you backed away, “Sirius, don’t you dare, I am a grown woman. Sirius!”
“You still look like you did when I moved in with you and James though.” He grabbed you by the arm before you could get away and threw you over his shoulder, “This is how you handle a bratty little sister.” The boys all laughed and you swatted Sirius on the ass.
“Put me down, Pads!”
A warm laugh broke the playful arguing that had erupted between you and Sirius and you looked up as best you could to see your husband approaching, his hands resting comfortably in the pocket of his cardigan, “Is there a reason you have my wife held captive over your shoulder?”
“She said Slytherins we’re better than Gryffindors at quidditch.”
“I see, that is a very serious offense.” Sirius set you down and ruffled your hair, running off before you could do the same to his hair. Remus caught you around the waist and kissed you softly, smiling as he pulled away “You should’ve known you wouldn’t win that one, not in a house full of proud Gryffindors.”
“I know, but it’s just so damn fun to mock Sirius.”
“You really are his little sister.”
“Ever since the summer of seventy-six when he moved in with us.”
Remus nodded, looking over to Neville who stood at the edge of the garden, “Good morning, Neville, why aren’t you playing quidditch?”
“I wanted to keep working in the garden, Iolanthe asked me to help with the mandrakes and cabbages.”
Neville went back to clipping and tending and when his back was turned Remus leaned to whisper in your ear. “I thought you saw to the cabbages and mandrakes days ago.”
“I waited so Neville could help fix them, I thought it might help boost his confidence... Alice would be proud of him.”
Your husband wrapped his arms around you from behind and rested his chin on top of your head, “You certainly do break the stereotype of what Slytherins are like... You have the biggest heart of any woman I know.”
“Even Molly Weasley?”
Remus thought for a moment and nodded against your head, “Even Molly Weasley.”
“And how you figure that?”
“Because if Harry came home tomorrow with pink hair down to his knees you probably wouldn’t even bat an eye, but Molly is constantly after poor Bill for his shoulder length hair that’s still a natural color.”
“She really does get on him too much for that. I like his hair, it reminds me of yours when you were about his age... Don’t ever tell Sirius this, ever, but I always thought you had better hair than he did. His was wavy and shiny, but yours was so fluffy and perfect for running yours fingers through.”
Remus chuckled, “When we were in the shrieking shack nearly half of the time was you playing with my hair while we made out.”
“I see nothing wrong with that.” You smirked, giggling when Remus tapped your ass prompting you to walk, while backing away from you.
“You had better get back to your Herbology enthusiast, I’ll start on breakfast for everyone.”
“Thank you, My love.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?” You shyly brushed a strand of hair behind your ear and Remus watched you with nothing but love and admiration in his eyes.
“For being the most loving and captivating wife a man could ever hope for, and for giving me this amazing life that I never thought I could have.”