Love Is Not A Simple Thing by Starmaiden
Chapter Notes: This story is on hiatus. I'm sorry, but I can only concentrate on one at a time, and my "Transformations" is currently being worked on. I promise this will be the next one after that! (By the way, if you like Remus romance, go check "Transformations" out!)
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Ch. 1: Return to War
July; after Voldemort’s rebirth
Remus Lupin sat in Professor Dumbledore’s office. He felt like shivering, though he wasn’t actually cold. He had only just learned that Lord Voldemort had returned, and at the cost of a student he had taught just a short time ago.
Sirius Black sat next to him, part of a circle of about a dozen varied chairs. They were filled by members of the original Order of the Phoenix. The headmaster sat in a plushy armchair.
“…And so I asked Sirius to bring you all here. You know what we worked for and you all remember what part you played. It will be much the same now. The time is different, but the end is the same: the defeat of Lord Voldemort.”
Arabella Figg squeaked and clapped a hand over her mouth. She never had been able to hear that name without a shudder. Hearing the tale of Harry’s torture in the graveyard “ even the shortened version “ had made her even jumpier than usual.
Dumbledore glanced at her sympathetically. Turning back to the rest of them, he continued, “Sirius has kindly offered us his house for a headquarters. I will be Secret-Keeper.”
Dumbledore next gave individual orders, each person setting off immediately after receiving his or her own. Mrs. Figg was to return home and take up walking, in an attempt to see as much of Harry as possible, in addition to the guard that would be set on him. She left muttering about cat food and walking alone on Muggle streets.
Hagrid was there, wearing a cloak suitable for a journey afoot. Although the only audible instruction that Dumbledore gave him was to not use magic, it was not exactly hard to guess where the half-giant was going. Especially as Remus thought he saw a large form waiting in Hagrid’s hut, object of the gamekeeper’s would-be furtive glances.
Finally, those left “ Remus, Sirius, Dumbledore, and Sturgis Podmore “ set off, following Sirius’ grim-faced instructions to number 12, Grimmauld Place, London.
***
The next few days were a bit of a blur for Remus. Grimmauld Place was habitable, but extremely unpleasant. The first time Sturgis accidentally set the portraits off in the hall, Sirius tried to set his mother afire. Unfortunately, in Remus’ opinion, she seemed to have fireproofed it. They had to simply learn to speak softly and shut the curtains quickly.
And Kreacher, the house-elf. He was probably almost as old as some of antiques, or at least he looked it. Remus tried to be kind to him, but it was hard. Their first sight of Kreacher had been of the elf sneaking down the stairs when Sturgis fell over the horrible umbrella stand in the entry and Mrs. Black started shrieking horrible curses at her renegade son. When he spotted Sirius, Kreacher had fled, leaving a trail of sobs and profanities that Remus hadn’t thought a house-elf would know.
Despite the fact that Sirius refused to make Kreacher clean “ he said he would be unable to take sitting in a room cleaned by a house-elf with a vendetta, and Remus privately agreed “ the house was habitable. Half an hour after arrival, Dumbledore was the Secret-Keeper for the new headquarters.
Barely a week after Grimmauld Place had been in use, most of Weasley clan was set up in the ancestral Black home. Percy, who had apparently had some sort of fall-out with the others, was not there, nor Charlie, still in Romania, but other five children were. The house got cleaner much more quickly after they arrived.
Two days later, Remus received his first mission. Two days after that found him standing with Kingsley Shacklebolt of the front stoop of the Granger household.
Kingsley rang the doorbell. The door was pulled tentatively open and a woman with long brown hair peered out.
“Yes?”
“I’m Kingsley Shacklebolt. This is Remus Lupin. We’re here from Professor Dumbledore.”
Remus fished a letter out of his coat pocket and handed it to the woman. She took it, hesitated, and reluctantly cracked the door open enough for them to edge inside.
They did so, waiting quietly just inside the door while she shut it quickly and hurried into the main room. A deeper voice joined hers, and a lighter female voice. There were some murmurs and a startled “You left them there?”
More indistinctness. “Mum, you’ve got the letter. I’ve seen Professor Dumbledore’s writing, that’s his style. Besides, I told you about Professor Lupin, remember?”
Hermione Granger came out of the main room. She was taller and fuller than Remus had seen her last, almost sixteen. Remus had seen her last about an hour before he left his teaching position at Hogwarts. She had been a shy fourteen, twisting her fingers and apologizing for suspecting him. It was the first time he had ever heard her stutter.
Now, she looked slightly nervous, but she seemed to have a lot more real confidence, not just a know-it-all façade. She did not know where she was going or what she would do when she got there, but she was ready to go and do what she could for the Order.
“It’s good to see you again, Professor.”
“You too, Hermione. Are you ready?”
She looked ready, with a trunk and a large wicker basket set by the wall, although her parents did not look eager to let their daughter go. Remus remembered his briefing with Dumbledore.
“I visited them this morning and explained the situation. I told them about Voldemort and made it clear that we could keep her safer than she would be anywhere else.”
“Can they really understand? They don’t really know what Voldemort is like, what he can do. Would they let her come if they did?”
Dumbledore sighed. “As much as two Muggles can, I believe they understand. In any case, she will be safer where we can keep an eye on her. I do not want one of Harry’s Potter’s best friends to be without any magical protection.” With that, Remus had to be content.
As they got into the rented car, Hermione hesitated. “Mr. Shacklebolt, would you mind if I let my cat, Crookshanks, sit on my lap?”
She was still holding the wicker basket. “Sure,” Kingsley answered, “I like cats.”
As soon as they settled in, Hermione opened the basket. Crookshanks, an enormous tiger of a feline, leaped out, tail lashing. Hermione watched him explore the corners of the car, as she asked, “Where are we going?”
Remus answered carefully, “I can’t tell you until we arrive. The Weasleys are there, so you’ll be with Ginny and Ron. You’ll know more when we get there.” Crookshanks leaped into Hermione’s lap and curled up, purring loudly.
“Is Harry there yet?”
“Not yet.”
“When?”
“I don’t know. Professor Dumbledore is seeing to that.”
Hermione nodded, forehead creased slightly. “I haven’t written him yet. I was going to, but I had to unpack and get settled in, and I had just started when Professor Dumbledore came and I had to pack again and get ready to leave...I hope he’s all right. It was terribly hard on him, seeing Cedric killed like that.” Her voice quivered slightly.
“We’re keeping watch on him. He’s doing fairly well.”
She nodded slowly. “I thought you would be. He won’t like that.”
Remus winced. He himself had not been particularly happy with the decision to follow Harry without letting him know. “Professor Dumbledore does not want him to know that there is anything different about this summer until we are ready to for it. If he starts acting oddly, it could draw attention from unfriendly eyes.”
“Are there any unfriendly eyes watching him now?”
“None, as far as we know.”
Hermione shivered, whispering, “As far as they know.”
Remus, watching her, thought of the bossy bookworm that she had been as his student. If Harry held their little group together, Hermione gave it direction. She had always been the one to correct their homework “ and, from some of the essays Remus had graded, helped them finish it at times. She was their voice of reason, balancing the boys’ sometimes reckless enthusiasm with logic. But it was in the Shrieking Shack that she had proved herself a true Gryffindor. The very fact that she had accompanied Harry and Ron spoke volumes for her courage and loyalty. Later, she helped Sirius escape. Either would have incurred steep penalties, but she was willing to risk herself for a cause. She had changed a great deal in such a short time. Remus reflected that it probably came of being put in mortal danger on a regular basis.
They spent the rest of the ride in silence. Hermione wore a worried look, gazing at the back of the seat in front of her as if it would become a window through which she could see her friends. Kingsley drove as if unconcerned, but Remus knew the Auror was as alert as he himself was, though Kingsley showed it less.
They drove for about half an hour after that until they arrived at the rented car lot. Once there, Remus pulled a Muggle luggage cart from the boot of the car and set the trunk on it while Hermione coaxed Crookshanks back into the basket and tied it carefully on top of the trunk.
The walk, though it was a straight one that only crossed two streets, was probably the most dangerous part of the journey. It was a Muggle residential area, with trash in the streets and a fair number of stray animals. Luckily, most of the inhabitants stayed inside. This particular district had never been noted for neighborliness.
As they drew near to their destination, Remus pulled a narrow strip of parchment from his coat. “Read this and memorize it. I’m going to destroy it when you’re done. It’s from a Secret-Keeper.”
Hermione’s face lit up, delighted at the chance to see the Fidelus Charm for herself, dangerous or not. Her eyes flicked rapidly over the parchment, then narrowed in concentration as she memorized it. A moment later, she handed it back to her former teacher, who turned it to dust with his wand.
Hermione stopped before number eleven, glancing at thirteen as if to check that it was there. Remus could already see the Black home, as he had been one of the first to know the location. Nothing would change to his eyes, but to Hermione, it would seem to appear out of thin air. After that, she would always be able to see it unless she wished not to. He opened his mouth to tell Hermione to concentrate on the address, but she forestalled him by walking briskly forward onto the porch.
Remus raised an eyebrow. As they joined her on the porch, Kingsley pulled out his wand to open the door. Remus said quietly, “That was well done. Very quick.”
Hermione beamed as she always had when being complimented. That much had not changed.
The hall was as dark as always when they entered. Remus shut the door quietly while Kingsley lit the lamps. Hermione looked around and wrinkled her nose from the smell of rot. Then she saw the ornate chandelier, shaped like winding snakes, and her eyes grew wide. “Professor “ where are we?”
There was a muted squeal and Ginny Weasley dashed down the stairs. “Hermione! You’re here!” The girls hugged as they had been separated for months instead of days, their voices rising with excitement.
“I’m so glad you’re here, I was afraid it was some mistake for a minute “”
“You’ll get used to it, it’s right creepy, but we’re all here “”
“Shhhh!” The girls looked around. Ginny grimaced. “Sorry, Kingsley. Come on Hermione, you’re sharing my room.” She led the older girl upstairs, whispering furiously. On the first landing, Hermione paused and ran back down the stairs.
“I forgot Crookshanks!” She fumbled the basket out and popped the lid. Her cat sprang out, stretched and ran to Ginny, who scooped him up and hugged him. Hermione hesitated, looking at the trunk.
“Don’t worry about it,” Remus said quietly. “I’ll bring it up for you.”
Hermione shot him a grateful smile and ran after her friend, patting the cat in the other girl’s arms. Ginny said something and Hermione laughed. Remus followed more slowly with the trunk and thought that her laughter, low though it was, was a spot of light in the gloom of the house.