The Visit
A month had passed since the trial, and there had already been one visit from Child Services. The man had been polite and unbiased thankfully, and he left to report that Draco was in good hands. They received a note a few days later, however, that made both Alyssa and Remus worry. Minister Hall owled them to report that Fudge didn't believe the report of the first representative sent, so he would be sending one of his staff on the next visit.
That day started out like so many others. Remus was the first up. He had to leave for work earlier than usual, to make up for taking the afternoon off. He was worried about this visit, much more so than he was for the other one. Many witches and wizards in Britain distrusted his kind, and he had a feeling that anyone working for Fudge would be the same. By the time Alyssa had gotten up and dressed and collected Draco, thirty minutes had passed and Remus was nervously pacing.
Alyssa looked at the pacing lycanthrope for a minute before silently summoning a calming draught. She beckoned Draco to the table while she went over to Remus, stepping in front of him so he would stop pacing. He looked startled, and she realized that he hadn't even noticed that they had entered the kitchen.
"I made breakfast," he said unnecessarily, gesturing at the table where the food was, complete with warming charms on each plate.
"I'd noticed," Alyssa replied, handing him the potion and giving him a look when he hesitated. "Drink it or I'll spell it in your stomach Remus. You'll give yourself an ulcer worrying like this."
"I can't help it Lyss," Remus sighed, sinking into his seat as he downed the potion and waited for it to work, "Fudge hates werewolves, and the person he sends will look for any excuse to remove Draco from a 'dangerous beast' like me."
"You are not dangerous and they won't be able to do much with Child Services observing them," Alyssa soothed, gently taking his hand as she sat as well. "Minister Hall isn't going to let them take Draco just because of their prejudice."
"Mama's right," Draco added from his seat, pausing in eating his pancakes to reassure his almost parents, "The nice man that was here said you're good parents, 'specially cause you work and still take care of me. Mother and Father didn't do any of that."
"Thanks for the confidence cub," Remus murmured, the calming potion helping him as much as his family's words were.
After breakfast they split up, Alyssa and Draco walking the short distance to the apothecary while Remus apparated to the hospital. Once in the apothecary, Draco made a beeline to the back where he knew Harry would be if he was at the store already. He was there, and so was Uncle Sev who was teaching Harry how to make a simple healing potion. Draco eagerly joined the lesson. Alyssa stayed in the front of the store as promised, as her Healer made it clear that she wasn't allowed to brew until after the baby was born. Smiling slightly as the child in question began kicking once again, she began going over names for the millionth time. The child was a girl, but what to name her? Her musing was interrupted as customers began to enter the store, some buying potions, other only buying ingredients. The morning passed swiftly, and it was almost time for Alyssa and Draco to go. It was noon, and they were going to head home to eat and get ready for the visit at one.
As she called for Draco, two women she hadn't seen before entered the store. The first was average height and thin, but not overly so. Her light blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she was dressed in simple black slacks and a nice blue top. Her blue eyes seemed to gleam with interest as she looked around. The other was short and squat, resembling a toad at first glance. She was dressed entirely in pink, complete with a pink bow on her brown curls. She had her nose wrinkled up in distaste, as though she was too good to be there.
"Welcome to Snape's Apothecary," Alyssa said politely, even as she fought the urge to sneer at the toad lady. Draco appeared at her side, stepping closer as he looked at the woman in pink. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"You are Alyssa Lupin?" the toad asked, saying Lupin with biting disgust.
"Yes, and you are…?" Alyssa smirked at the indignant expression on the toad's face, as though she should have known who that woman was. Granted, she had a pretty good idea, but she wasn't going to admit that.
"Elizabeth Kingsley," the blonde said, holding her hand out for Alyssa to shake and ruffling Draco's hair, "And this must be Draco."
"Yep," he replied, stepping closer to Alyssa as the toad woman looked at him. No way was he letting her touch him.
"I am Delores Umbridge," the pink toad said proudly, lifting her head as though she expected a medal.
"Pleasure," Alyssa said dryly, taking Draco's hand as she stepped out from behind the counter. Severus knew that she was leaving, and she'd prefer to have this conversation at home. "We were just about to leave for lunch, if you would care to join us…"
"How often do you eat out Mrs. Lupin? Do you spend too much time brewing potions and working in this store to worry about taking care of the boy?" Unbridge seemed to be trying to get a rise out of Alyssa, but she'd be damned if she gave the woman the satisfaction.
"Actually, my husband and I take turns cooking each day. He will make breakfast, I'll make lunch, and we take turns for dinner," Alyssa replied, walking out of the store with Draco beside her.
"Mama and Papa cook really good, better than house elves," Draco told Ms. Kingsley, who laughed slightly.
"That's quite the glowing recommendation. I can burn water, so this will probably be an improvement. Did you take classes?" she asked curiously, all three of them ignoring Umbridge's muttering.
"No, but cooking is much easier than brewing, so I just followed the recipes until I learned how to cook without them, adding things as necessary," Alyssa replied, waving her wand to relax the wards so their guests could enter.
The room was tidy, nothing out of place but still managing to look lived in. Draco immediately disappeared to wash up, leaving Alyssa to show the guests to the kitchen. Forgoing more elaborate measures, she began to make grilled cheese with tomato soup, watching as Umbridge poked her nose into every nook and cranny of the kitchen.
Remus appeared in the kitchen with Draco in his arms. He stiffened as he looked at Umbridge, who was responsible for a majority of the anti-werewolf legislation in place in Britain. Alyssa noticed Remus's glance towards Unbridge and winced as she saw the woman glare at him.
"What do you two plan to do with Draco?" Unbridge asked, taking a seat as far from Remus as possible as Alyssa placed food on the table.
"What do you mean?" Remus asked, trying and failing to get Draco to let go of him and sit in his own seat. Shrugging, he let the boy sit on his lap while they ate, something that seemed to irritate Umbridge to no end.
"He is the pureblood heir of a noble house," Umbridge replied, speaking to Alyssa as she scowled at the simple food in front of her. Elizabeth, however, seemed to relish the simple fare. "Neither of you are equipped to handle the training of the boy in how he should behave."
"Which is why Lord Black is going to teach him how to handle politics and his finances," Alyssa replied, forgoing food for a calming cup of tea. Merlin help me not to strangle this harpy. "Remus and I are half-bloods, and we readily admit to not knowing the first thing about what he will need to do, but Sirius knows and has agreed to teach Draco as well as Harry, who is heir to another pureblood house."
The woman muttered something but was ignored. Elizabeth took over the conversation from that point, asking about their daily life and plans for sending Draco to school next year. She questioned about how Draco liked living with Alyssa and Remus and had him give her a tour of the house. By the end of the visit, she was certain that they were the best parents for Draco, while Umbridge was convinced of the opposite. The two were still arguing as Remus showed them out, collapsing on the couch next to Alyssa after he shut the door.
"Thank Merlin that's over," he sighed as Draco scrambled up to sit in his lap, "I thought that harpy would never leave. Ms. Kingsley seemed nice enough though."
"Mm," Alyssa agreed, resting her head against Remus's shoulder, "Let's just hope she has more clout than that pink toad of an undersecretary. I don't trust her any farther than I could throw her."
"Me neither," he admitted, "But it should work out fine. What's the worst she could do?"
"Declare us unfit parents and drag us back into court," Alyssa replied gloomily.
Remus ignored that, and the three of them sat there for a while, thinking about the visit and wondering what Umbridge was going to do when she got back to Britain. Then again, what's the worst she could do?