"Harry Peltier," Harry said, not extending a hand. Petunia's eye twitched.
Peter came to shake Vernon's hand and hugged Petunia. The two sisters definitely were staring daggers at each other and Vernon was acting like the cartoonish version of a white knight, holding a chair for Petunia and smiling exaggeratedly.
Clara served some refreshments. Some white wine with oven baked meat pastries.
"Lovely!" Vernon said as he munched on the snack.
"So, engaged. And so soon!" Clara said.
"I assure you, I have nothing but the best intentions for your daughter," Vernon said patting Petunia's hand. Petunia, whose spindly figure hadn't changed in any way Harry remembered, blushed a scarlet only seen on porcelain dolls.
"Petunia told us you were starting work?" Clara continued.
"Of course, of course! Got a job at Grunnings straight out of Smeltings. Best school there is if you ask me, teaches you real values. Like hard work and persistence. How about you, Harry? I didn't see a car, I take it you're still jobless, right?"
Lily grew red in the face, and smiled at Petunia. "We're still studying," she said, putting an arm around Harry. "Harry is so handsome. We fell in love straight away."
"Public school… is it?" Vernon said turning to Petunia.
Lily got a nefarious grin on her face. "Magical school, actually. Harry is a wizard, and I'm a witch."
Peter seemed to retreat from the conversation into his glass of wine and lit a cigarette. Vernon laughed. "You didn't tell me about your sister's sense of humour," Vernon said to Petunia.
Her face had gone pale as a corpse. "Don't you dare."
"Oh no, Vernon. We really are witch and wizard. Harry, will you show them?"
"Really, I –"
"Come on honeybunch," she said with a grin he couldn't say no to.
Technically this wasn't a breach of the Statute of Secrecy, as engaged was good enough family in the eyes of the Ministry. He raised his hand and summoned Vernon's empty plate. Vernon's mouth gaped and his eyes bulged.
"Harry's quite talented," Lily said, sipping from her wine. "And we don't need a car since we can just appear wherever we want. That is unless we want to fly on brooms."
The shocked fiancé looked to his parents-in-law for reassurance. Clara gave a polite smile and Peter nodded.
He worriedly laughed again. "I see. Prank the fiancé, good spirit and all that?"
Lily took out her wand and flicked it at Vernon's glass. It turned into a squirrel, which was confusedly looking at Vernon. Vernon fainted.
Petunia was furious. Vernon recovered just as the oven dish was served. He must have been some place else entirely because his appetite was pitiful. Peter kept giving Lily a disapproving look. She shrugged. Dinner was an awkward affair.
The next day, the newly engaged couple left after an animated discussion with the parents. Peter and Clara looked a bit sad at their departure and Lily beneath her righteous stubbornness showed signs of remorse. Harry had no idea of what to do, he didn't want to interfere.
On Monday Harry and Lily visited the auto-shop where Peter worked and he proudly introduced them to his colleagues. They went to eat at a sort of private canteen that served fatty but delicious meat loaf. Days passed and Harry was no closer to saving any lives.
One evening they went for a late walk to the elm. They sat in the moonless night drawing out the constellations with their wands. Lily was much better at it. Harry was exhausted. He'd been feeling tired all week, his clouded mind looking for answers but finding none.
A man with a flat cap was smoking a cigarette. Tunnel lights flashed above.
"Where are they, Peter?" the woman said with a shaky voice. "They should have written by now."
"Clara..." The man sighed. "They're on vacation, let them have some fun. You heard what he said."
"I know," the woman said dejectedly.
A rattling came from the metal beneath the frame of the vehicle.
"Shit!"
"Peter?"
"It's not – goddamn! The brakes – the fluid?"
The road ran shorter as they approached a turn. The car did not slow down.
"Hold on to something!"
The man turned the wheel to the left and the car ran into the wall. The woman shrieked. Metal sparked against stone but the road was still running shorter. The man turned hard to the right and rear wheels skid as the vehicle tried to stick to the asphalt. The road was too short for the turn.
"Oh God," the man uttered.
The car went flying nose first into the treeline.
Harry woke up. His first reaction was to panic. Pete and Clara Evans were dead – no. They weren't. Not yet. He heard music playing from downstairs and Clara Evans' voice responding to something Lily said.
Downstairs, Lily was enjoying some tea and toast accompanied by Glenn Miller on the radio. She beamed at him as he came down. He took a deep breath as he sat beside her.
"Car accident," he whispered. "That's how it happens. It's the same car."
Lily's eyes went wide. "Did you – are you sure? Another vision?"
Harry nodded. "I'm sure. If we find what's wrong with the car… I don't want to build up hope for nothing but this hasn't failed me yet."
She nodded enthusiastically. "Come on. Dad's outside."
"What do I say?"
"You heard a noise? Do you know what it is?"
"Your dad… said something about brake fluid before…"
"It's all right," Lily said, grabbing his arm.
They went outside. The same Glenn Miller was playing on the portable radio, with Peter working on the Triumph.
"Morning, you two."
"Good morning, dad."
They stood awkwardly next to the Triumph.
"Something wrong?" Peter asked.
Lily looked at him. "Well, sir –"
"Peter."
"Peter. When you drove us last time, I forget to mention, but I think I heard something – uh – under the car? I thought it might be something with the brake fluid."
Peter frowned at him. "Didn't think you knew anything about cars."
"Well," Harry chuckled, "not really, but –"
"Harry has really good hearing, dad. Please check it out?"
Peter shrugged and moved a rolling board over to the car, disappearing underneath.
"I don't see anything," he said.
"Keep looking," Lily said confidently.
"Pass me that spanner over there," he said from beneath the car. Harry did, his heart pounding in his chest.
A series of clangs came from the car. On the third clang Peter said an expletive. "You've got to be shitting me."
"Dad?"
He came from beneath it. "Brand new," he said wiping his hands on an oily rag. "I don't know how you heard that, line to the rear brakes got weakened. Whole thing went spilling right out with a little tap."
"We'll have to bring this baby in tomorrow," he said with a sigh, and heavily patted Harry's arm. "If you ever get tired of magic, I think we can use you in the shop."
"Just lucky," Harry said with a genuine smile. Lily guided him back inside and they disappeared upstairs in her room. Harry handed her the Crystal and with shaky breath she whispered the name of her father into it. The rusty thread from before was a bright yellow. Lily hugged Harry, and uncaring about the 'no kissing inside the house' rule, pressed her lips to his.
Time until the 23rd flew by in an instant. The one worry they still had was the same that had been hanging over them for a long time now. It was slightly scary, how easy it was just to pass the time with Lily. If they survived their ordeal he told her one day he might just wake up and realize he was a few decades older. They left most of their things at Lily's having given the excuse of a short trip with friends. At 16:28, Harry took her arm and side-along apparated with her to Remus' place.
They were surrounded by trees, and a few hundred feet away stood a quaint thatched roof cottage with a single road leading east of it and a rusty brown Volkswagen Beetle parked next to it. Remus and Severus came from the right out of the trees to greet them. They were both in robes, compared to Lily and Harry's muggle attire.
"Hey!" Remus shouted.
"Hey yourself," Lily replied.
"All ready? Better change into robes, Sirius' folks are a bit traditional, as you know."
They both knowingly nodded and took their everyday robes out of their luggage.
"Big reunion, huh?" Remus said excitedly. "Regulus is away, right?"
Harry nodded. "With the news, well. Things are pretty hectic, he told me he went with his dad to see some friends in Poland. He won't be back until mid August."
Lily and Remus held out their arms for the side-along apparition to Black Manor. Tugging through the haze of angular spaces, they appeared on a path leading upwards to an outcropping. They were near the ocean and seagulls flew overhead beneath the steel blue clouds. Atop the crags of the cliff stood Black Manor, both oppressive and impressive. The manor, nearly a castle, had a single tower built from dark grey stone rising above it. Shingles black as night crested the various rooms and out front stood a luscious garden filled with pink marble sculptures.
As they arrived at the archway opening into the garden, Sirius strutted out and swung spells at two plants Harry now made out as man-eating fly traps. He embraced Remus with a boisterous hug. "Good to see you mate." He spread out his arms to the others. "Welcome to humble Black Manor, although there's not much humble about it."
"Shame you can only stay a week," Sirius said. "Andy is coming over on Monday, my cousin – the good one, not the crazy one. We'll have a bit of a party, yeah? Oh. I'm sure you figured, but James is coming that day too." He lowered his voice. "His mum and dad got ill recently."
As they passed the entrance, a trio of house elves came to take their luggage. Harry realized the old Kreacher wasn't among them.
"Mum's in bed," he said with a sad frown, "for the better, just try not to disturb her. Let's get to the tea room, about the only room in here with enough light."
They entered a glass annex behind the manor. On a good day it might have been a really pleasant place to sit, but right now the dark clouds overhead gave it an ominous quality. Out in the open seas a storm was raging, and lightning crashed down onto the distant waves. Behind the manor was a large greenhouse. They sat down in large reclining chairs and one of the three elves that took their luggage brought tea.
"So," Sirius said his eyes darting to Remus, "are you finally going to tell me what crazy nonsense you all got yourself into?"
Remus looked with pleading eyes to Harry. "I had to tell him something."
Harry shook his head. "I get it. Sirius, we can't tell you. We're the only ones in this anyway."
"Nothing?"
Harry sighed. "Remus. Remember that thing with the claws?"
Remus grinned a toothy grin. "Yeah?"
Harry nodded amusedly. Sirius watched with interest.
"You managed to figure it wandless?" Severus asked as Remus stood up and held out his arm.
"Yeah," Remus shrugged. "Here it goes."
With a wave of his hand, his left arm bulged out. Fingers turned to sharp nailed claws. Sirius stood with a start. The sight was almost comical. The thinly built Remus was standing with an arm fit for a troll with claws sharp as blades. Remus laughed.
"What the hell is that?" Sirius asked.
"We've prepared for this, Padfoot," Remus said, flexing his new arm. With another wave the arm shrunk back to normal. "If I could take you with me, I would. But us four were singled out for this. We're going to kill what killed Voldemort."
"That's crazy, Moony. Merlin's balls… What even killed You-Know – ah fuck it! What killed Voldemort?"
"Something worse," Harry said.
"Can you win?" Sirius asked softly.
They all looked at each other and smiled. "Yes," they replied in unison.
They ate lobster for dinner. Harry had never eaten lobster and Lily had to show him how to crack open the animal to get the good stuff out. It was delicious of course. Everything in the Black Manor had a tint of opulence, down to the sinks in the bathroom that sung an aquatic song as the water flowed. Late at night, Harry found himself in Lily's room as they planned. Staying at the Evans' was nice, but it had been way too long since they'd seen each other more intimately.
During the day they found wizardly things to do. They played quidditch two against two with two charmed bats acting as beaters. They visited the greenhouses where Severus overcame his dislike of Sirius to ask if he could harvest some sting-quill leaves. Sirius opened up the library to them, but told them the real treasures of House Black were hidden where even Sirius couldn't go. Sometimes the cries of Walburga would come from the room beneath the tower. Shouting and complaining about God knows what. Sirius winced every time, but his friends were kind enough not to comment.
On Monday James arrived early, and after saying hello – still awkwardly to Lily and Severus – asked Remus and Sirius to talk in private. Harry could imagine. If Sirius knew something, James did too. A while later they came out and James had a doubtful look on his face. Thankfully they were spared any discussion by Andromeda Tonks' arrival.
Harry had been nervous about it since he found out. It seemed only yesterday he had stood next to Remus arguing about using the time travel spell, right next to him Tonks holding a young baby. He thought of Melissa, and how that child might not even be born this time, a thought he forcefully put away as he heard the giggling of a girl in the entrance.
Andromeda Tonks stood next to her husband Ted. Running around them, hair flashing through every colour of the rainbow, was a small girl.
"Calm down little one," Ted said. "You'll get plenty of time to play with cousin Sirius."
"Hey Ted, Andy. How are you?" Sirius said. He bent down to the girl.
"Hey Dora."
Dora punched Sirius on the nose. "Don't call me Dora!"
"Bloody –"
"Pumpkin!" Ted shouted. "If you're not nice you won't get to fly later, so behave."
Her bright hair turned a sad blue and she pleadingly looked to her mum. "Apologize to Sirius."
She bowed her head. "Sorry, stupid."
Remus snorted with laughter.
"That's all right," Sirius said rubbing his nose. "Andy, you know James and Remus. This is Lily and Harry."
"Pleased to meet you all. Our little girl here is a metamorphmagus," she said rubbing Dora's hair, "and a real trouble-maker, so thanks for looking after her."
"You'll be talking to mum?" Sirius asked.
Andromeda nodded. "Thanks to you running back home. Didn't figure you were that responsible, not that I can talk."
"Reg is doing well. And with what's happening..."
"Probably for the best," Andromeda said. She stepped closer to Sirius and in a barely audible whisper said, "They said Bella died. We got an owl from the Ministry."
"We'll be upstairs for a bit then?" Ted said, and crouched next to Dora. "You be good okay?"
The couple went up the stairs. Dora ran over to Lily and tugged on her robe. "You're pretty!"
"Why thank you," Lily said. "I'm Lily."
"I'm Tonks," the girl said proudly.
"I'm Harry," Harry said extending a hand.
Dora hid behind Lily's leg and shyly shook his hand. "You have a scar! Are you married?"
"You're a very smart girl aren't you?" Lily said with a smile.
"Yes! I know all the planets. Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury… Mars, Earth… Mercury..."
"There's a model of the planets in the library, should we go look at it?" Sirius asked.
Dora ran over to Sirius and took his hand.
The unlikely gathering settled over a wizard chess board where Remus and James played, while Sirius tried to keep the young Dora from turning the study and library into a war zone.
"So," James said. "You're taking two of my friends into danger and I have to find out now?"
Harry fidgeted in his seat. They hadn't talked since Lily smoothed things over. "Yes."
"I want in –"
"No," Remus answered immediately. "It's not your fight, Prongs."
James looked gravely over the board. "We've always done things together. You, me, Padfoot and..."
Remus moved his castle to put James' king in check and smiled. "Not this time."
James sighed at his untenable position. "I don't care if it's dangerous. If it's us – just let Sirius and I help. We're wizards, I can hold a wand, you know I'm not useless. Merlin's beard, Moony!" He looked over to Harry and Lily. They both found it hard not to give into him. But they wouldn't.
"You would risk your life for nothing," Severus said. "As much as that would amuse me, you are part of the lesser evil." He looked towards the young Dora trying to catch bubbles from Sirius' wand. "You think You-Know-Who's followers will just lie down and disappear?"
"He's right," Remus said. "Us doing… what we have to won't solve all problems."
James sat there for a while looking at his hands in his lap. "Mum and dad. 'It'll be all right,' they say. They're terrible liars."
"I hope the best for them," Lily said unconvincingly.
"Potter and Black conquering Britain?" he said mockingly.
"Better us than them," Sirius said from behind James, putting an arm on his shoulder. "This is the way we can help. Be it Reg or you, we're brothers."
Talking about 'after' definitely felt premature to Harry. But they'd talked about it, vaguely, and the conclusion was obvious. James and Regulus were in a strong position to pick up the pieces. Something told him this wasn't something he could do himself, he was just too damn tired.
"Fine then," James said. "You take down the big bad, and we'll do the hard work."
Lily laughed and even Severus smiled.
Later they had lunch. In the afternoon they broke out the brooms to play with Dora. She was a natural, and with a little luck, she'd get to put that talent to work in the future. James played hard when he could when they were confronted. Severus being the least talented, played referee, and in a turn of events where Dora weaved her way through the (purposefully) failing defence, her team won by ten points.
The Tonks didn't stay for dinner, and the little girl seemed a little disappointed, but her mother promised they would come back. James stayed.
A week. They all had their different nervous ticks. Whatever time was spent among the books in the Black library was to calm the nerves, not to prepare. James and Sirius would practice duelling in the hills below the manor. They all joined sometimes. It helped calm his mind and make James and Sirius realize why they did have to be left behind. Between the four of them it would almost always come to a standstill, or get to a point where someone – mostly Harry – found an opening in their opponent's defence.
In the afternoon they played quidditch. In the evening Remus took up anyone in a game of gobstones or wizard chess.
On the morning of Thursday the 29th, Remus was unwell. Harry's look to Lily told him he wasn't he only one who had forgotten. James and Sirius were beside him, with Severus a few feet away. He wasn't sure what to say. Sweat was dripping off Remus' face, he was pale.
"We miscalculated," Lily said. "Why – he should – how did we miss this?"
Remus sighed heavily and mist formed from his breath in the warm air. Severus spoke up. "It won't be a problem… probably."
James almost scoffed. "He can't go anywhere like this! I'd know!"
Severus looked to Lily, then Remus. "I might have a solution. Are you still game?"
"You know it, Sev," Remus breathily laughed. "I haven't changed my mind."
"What?" Sirius demanded.
Severus looked knowingly at Harry. "I've been working on a serum for the past few months."
Harry's eyes went wide in recognition. "That's what you were doing? The eclipse?"
"Hold on, hold on," Sirius said with a laugh. "You're not telling us you found..."
"A cure!" Remus cried. "Yes. And I trust him."
"Is this real?" Lily asked in disbelief.
Severus smiled nervously. "I think so."
Remus did not transform on the night of the 29th. The werewolf curse was temperamental at times, or maybe it was just his strength of will.
It was the 30th and the day of the blue moon. James and Sirius argued, James still wanted to join. Harry understood that feeling of being left out. At dusk Severus prepared a cauldron on the east side, behind the manor overlooking the chalk cliffs. There was little preparation left for him to do.
Everyone sat beside the low simmering cauldron, watching the sun set. As the light of the summer sun faded, the moon still fought with the dusk for attention in the sky. Remus grit his teeth, held up by James and Sirius at his side. The change would happen soon. A bead of sweat rolled off Severus' temple as he took out a long azure vial. Carefully, he added three drops to the bubbling brew. A wisp of smoke emanated from it, stretching to the skies. Severus smiled.
Remus convulsed as darkness set. Harry and Lily stood ready with their wands in case things went wrong. A few gulps were scooped from the cauldron and the shiny liquid was poured into a crystal clear cup. It gleamed silvery as darkness set, and the moon's light basked the scene in cold, still light. Severus went by Remus' side. "Drink it, all of it."
The cup lifted to his lips and with pain he drank it down. He grunted in agony. "It burns!"
"It should," Severus said. "It's changing the curse. Hang in there."
Remus pushed back James and Sirius, writhing. He ripped open his shirt and tossed it aside, clutching his heart. Tufts of fur began to appear on his chest and his eyes turned a predatory amber. Harry stood ready to stun, Severus put his hand up.
"Don't! The change has to happen first."
The transformation popped bones and stretched skin, Remus fell over muffling his screams. Two legs became four and a bushy grey tail appeared, discarding the trousers he wore. Human breathing became panting through razor sharp fangs. Finally, as the transformation finished, the wolf opened his eyes, silvery blue, and turned to the moon high above. It howled a musical crescendo and turned to Severus.
Severus was smiling. The giant wolf was wagging its tail.
"All right," Severus said excitedly. "Time to try to turn back."
The wolf barked, and in a motion so fluid in contrast, lost its fur and turned back into pale skin. James threw a bath robe over Remus and shook his shoulders. "You're really cured, Moony?"
Remus laughed, and let out tears of joy. "I think so yeah… it's – it's gone. That awful feeling, like there's a beast inside me, fighting me." He adjusted his robe and looked to Severus. He walked over seeming to have recovered from the ordeal and hugged him. "You're a bloody amazing friend, Sev."
"Are you kidding?" Severus said. "I did it for the fame. This will get me an Order of Merlin."
"Guess we'll have to see to that when we get back," Remus said with a grin.
Lily came up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Let's get you dressed. It's time to go."