Lupin's True Love Returns

September 15, 1996

Harry rolled over in his bed. He had heard Leo fussing slightly in his crib. Ron, Bobby, Piotr, and Neville were sound asleep. He knew that he had to get Leo before he woke up the other boys. Harry groaned slightly as he threw the covers off of himself. He grabbed his navy bathrobe and pulled it on as he slid his feet into his slippers. He slid his wand into the pocket of his robe as he made his way over to Leo's crib. Leo was waving his hands around and cooing as Harry sighed. A soft knock sounded on the door as Harry reached into the crib to pick up Leo. He threw a glance at the clock and saw that it was a little after one in the morning. He shifted Leo in his arms as he padded softly to the door. He cracked it open and saw his cousin, Regina, clutching at her silky lavender bathrobe. He pulled the door open and stepped into the hallway.

"Regina?" Harry closed the door softly behind him. "What's wrong?"

Regina tugged at the belt of her robe. "I went to Mother and Daddy's room to talk to them but they're not there. There weren't any signs of a struggle but I noticed that some of Daddy's robes are missing." Regina looked at Harry with tears forming in her amber eyes. "Do you think the Death Eaters got them?"

"No. Logan's room is right next to theirs. There's no way the Death Eaters would have been able to get into their room without him hearing them." Harry shifted the fussing Leo. "Calm down, Leo. We'll go down to the kitchen and get you a bottle."

"I'll come with you. Maybe Tom knows where Mother and Daddy are." Regina tightened the belt around her waist.

Harry and Regina started down the stairs when the sound of voices stopped them. Harry looked at Regina, who had pulled her wand from her own pocket. Harry handed her Leo, knowing that he knew more spells than she did, and pulled his wand from his pocket. They crept down the stairs, being careful to keep to the shadows.

Meanwhile, sitting around the largest table of the main common room, Tori lifted her cup of tea to her lips. "How are we going to tell Harry?"

Remus sipped his tea as Regina, Harry, and Leo's scents hit his nose. "He's a smart kid. There's no way we can confuse him." Remus's eyes darted toward the stairs as Sessho-Maru blended into the shadows and climbed the stairs toward the two teens. He reached out and grabbed Harry's collar.

"Lord Sessho-Maru!" Harry tugged slightly to get away from the demon lord.

"What are you pups doing out of bed?" Sessho-Maru's eyebrow lifted slightly as he looked at Regina and Leo, who was still fussing in her arms. "Never mind. I believe Veronica has a bottle ready for Leo."

Regina tightened her hold on the squirming Leo as Sessho-Maru laid a hand on her waist. Harry slid his wand back into his pocket as he followed Sessho-Maru and Regina. Sessho-Maru guided Regina down the stairs and into the common room. Once they reached the table, Sessho-Maru took Leo from Regina's arms and handed him to a man with his hood pulled over his face. Leo calmed down immediately as Veronica handed a bottle to the man. Regina looked around the table. She saw her mother and father, Tori, Sessho-Maru, and the hooded man, who was feeding Leo.

"Mother, what's going on?" Regina sank into one of the available chairs. "I went to your room because I wanted to know more about Uncle James and Uncle Sirius..." Regina ignored the hooded man, who was now staring intently at her. "...But you and Daddy weren't there."

"Who exactly is your mother, young lady?" The hooded man hefted Leo onto his shoulder and patted the baby's back.

"Veronica Croft-Lupin." Regina glared at the hooded man. "Who are you to be asking that question?"

"I'm a friend of the family. Now answer me this, dear girl. Who's your father?" The hooded man tilted his head slightly, all the while keeping his head hidden.

"Remus Lupin." Regina saw the faint smile gracing the man's lips.

"And when is your birthday?"

"May 23, 1979." Regina crossed her arms and continued to glare at the hooded man. "I still don't see why any of this is your business."

"Moony." The hooded man turned to face Remus. "I can't believe you did that to Lioness. She had to raise Paws all by herself for seventeen years."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?!" Regina surged to her feet as she glared at the hooded man. "Daddy loved Mother. That old fool Dumbledore is the one that hid us away all this time."

"Damn, Lioness. Did you have to teach her how to curse?" The hooded man rubbed at his ears.

Veronica was staring at her daughter in disbelief. "I think I'm going to kill the mutant who did teach her how to curse. Logan's a dead man."

"I wasn't criticizing, Lioness. I'm proud that she knows how to curse." The hooded man cradled the cooing Leo in his arms. "After all, she's the daughter of two of the Marauders. I think I'd worry if she didn't curse."

"Who are you, sir?" Harry could hear the chuckles and giggles coming from the adults in the room.

Regina looked over at her mother, who was staring at the ceiling and humming softly. "Mother, are you humming?"

"Me? Humming?" Veronica looked around the table. "I thought I was singing." She leaned back in her chair and started to sing softly. "Scooby-Dooby Doo, where are you? We got some work to do now."

"I'm begging you. Don't sing that song." The hooded man looked at Remus for help.

Regina got the hint and her voice blended with her mother's. "Scooby-Dooby Doo, where are you? We need some help from you now."

Remus laughed before he started to join them. "Come on Scooby-Doo, I see you pretending you've got a sliver. But you're not fooling me, cause I can see the way you shake and shiver."

Harry looked from Veronica, Regina, and Remus to the hooded man, who had handed Leo to Sessho-Maru and was now banging his head repeatedly against the table. Harry and Tori grinned at each other and joined Remus, Veronica, and Regina. "You know we got a mystery to solve, so Scooby-Doo, be ready for your act. Don't hold back! And Scooby-Doo if you come through you're gonna have a Scooby Snack! That's a fact! Scooby-Dooby Doo, here are you. You're ready and you're willing. If we can count on you, Scooby-Doo, I know we'll catch that villain!"

Remus was pounding his fist against the table and laughing as Regina and Harry looked at Veronica and Tori laughing and holding onto each other. Regina and Harry looked at each other before turning back to laughing adults.

"What was all that about?" Regina looked over at the fuming hooded man.

"We used to sing that to annoy a certain person." Veronica wiped the tears from her cheeks.

The hooded man shook a fist at Veronica. "I'm going to kill you, Lioness."

"You have to catch me first, Padfoot." Veronica slapped a hand over her mouth as she turned to look at Harry.

Harry looked at the hooded man for a minute. "Padfoot's dead." He climbed to his feet and headed for the stairs.

"If I'm dead, then how can I tell you that James and Lily are very proud of you, Harry?" The hooded man pushed the hood back from his face as Harry slowly turned around to face him. "And Ani says that you're doing a great job taking care of Leo."

"That's impossible. I saw you fall behind the Veil." Harry collapsed to his knees, cracking them on the stone floor.

Sirius climbed to his feet and walked over to him. He knelt next to Harry. "I gave you a Firebolt for Christmas your third year and there wasn't a card attached. I hid in a cave near Hogwarts your fourth year in order to keep an eye on you during the Triwizard Tournament. I hated staying at my mother's house last year. I came with you to the train station on September first last year."

"Sirius?" Harry threw himself into Sirius's arms and cried. "Sirius, I missed you so much. I swore I'd learn Occlumency even if Snape kills me."

Sessho-Maru motioned to Tori and they left the room with Leo, who had finally fallen asleep. Remus and Veronica noticed that Regina was looking a bit confused.

"Maybe you can explain it to us, Sirius. How did you manage to return from behind the Veil?" Veronica watched Harry and Sirius climb to their feet and return to the table.

"I don't know. James and Lily met me. They told me that I could only stay for a few months because Harry and my son still needed me. They also said that I would be back before long." Sirius leaned back in his chair. "When Ani died, she told me all about how you were taking care of Leo and a woman named Esmeralda would be watching over you both." He looked at Veronica. "Who is Esmeralda?"

"She's Gryffindor's wife. She and I share a soul." Veronica blushed slightly as Sirius grinned. "I know it sounds weird but she's the one that knocked Peter out."

"Peter? You found that rat?" Sirius jumped to his feet.

Veronica nodded slightly. "Of course we found him. He was trying to hide in Hermione, Regina, and Ginny's room. Kitty saw him and came and got me. We changed him back and now he's sitting in a cell in Azkaban awaiting trial. Now that you're back you're free." Veronica picked up the late copy of the Daily Prophet.

One the front page was a picture of Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black. The title read "Black Innocent! Ministry Admits Mistake!"

"They're admitting it?" Sirius looked back at the article.

"Keep reading." Veronica motioned to the paper.

BLACK INNOCENT! MINISTRY ADMITS MISTAKE!

Article by Ella Radcliffe

Sirius Black has been cleared of all charges from fifteen years ago. It turns out that Peter Pettigrew was really the one that murdered twelve Muggles when he blew up the street. Mr. Pettigrew is an unregistered Animagus. He can turn himself into a rat. When he blew up the street that day, he cut off his own finger and turned into a rat. He escaped down into the sewers and went into hiding for twelve years. Everyone assumed that Black was the Secret Keeper for the Potters when in fact it was Pettigrew. When Black broke out of Azkaban three years ago, everyone assumed that he was going to go after Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived. In fact he was after Pettigrew, who was hiding in Potter's dorm room. Pettigrew was disguised as a pet of one of Potter's friends.

"I didn't do it!" exclaimed Pettigrew when I tried to ask him why he had betrayed the Wizarding World to the madman He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

I found several of Black's friends from school and asked them what they thought of the false allegations against Black.

"Anyone who knew James and Sirius in school knew that there was no way that Sirius would have betrayed James." Jessica Stone, a former classmate, stated this evening. "They were too close. They were more like brothers than friends. You didn't fight with just one. In fact, the only one who could get away with fighting with them was Veronica."

"I knew when I returned that Sirius didn't do it. When Professor Dumbledore told me that Sirius didn't have a trial, I made it a mission of mine to clear Sirius of all charges even if it killed me." Veronica Croft-Lupin, a professor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, grew up with Potter and Black and saw how close they were. "Personally I think the Ministry is full of a bunch of morons who think that anyone that is the slightest bit different deserves to be persecuted. No one deserves that. It's a shame that good teachers aren't allowed to teach because they're different. The Ministry needs to get rid of the Fudge AND his entire staff." Ms. Croft has requested that all charges against Black be dropped. "Sirius had to spend the last three years in hiding for a crime that he never committed and now it seems that the Ministry wants Sirius back on their side. It's a shame that Sirius didn't live long enough to see his name be cleared."

Black was in the Department of Mysteries in June of this year. He died when he fell behind the Death Veil in the Death Chamber. The Wizengamot met hours after the capture of Pettigrew. By a landslide of votes, Sirius Black has been cleared of all charges. His remaining family will be receiving his back pay from the fifteen years that he was wrongly incarcerated and on the run. The Ministry will make a formal apology to the last remaining member of Black's family, Leo Black, when the boy is old enough to understand. The Prophet is truly sorry for any and all the allegations that it has printed over the last three years about Black. We are sorry and wish the Black Family our condolences during their time of grief.

"Damn. They're making me tear up. Bloody idiots." Sirius crumbled the paper in a ball and tossed it into the fire. "I wonder that the Prophet's going to say when they get a hold of the story that I'm back."

"They'll probably give you the stupid Order of Merlin." Veronica leaned back in her chair.

Regina watched Sirius for a moment before turning to Veronica. "Mother, is this really Uncle Sirius? Is he really back?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she turned her gaze to Sirius again.

Veronica nodded slightly. "Yes, Regina. This is Uncle Sirius."

"Whoa, girl!" Sirius caught Regina as she threw herself into his arms and hugged him tight. "I know you missed me but don't kill me yet."

"I've heard about you, Uncle Sirius." Regina's voice was a bit muffled. She buried her face into Sirius's neck as she cried. "I wanted to meet you and Uncle James and Aunt Lily but I thought I never would."

"Well, you've got me for a while. I'm not planning on going anywhere just yet." Sirius rubbed Regina's back slightly as she calmed down. "Now, I want to know where you've been and everything that you've done in the last seventeen years."

"Sirius, I think we should all go up to bed. You're going to have a lot of explaining to do in the morning." Veronica climbed to her feet. "Remember Inu-Yasha, Koga, Miroku, and Sango all think you're dead."

"I'm not tired, Lioness. And you can't make Paws go to bed. She's of age." Sirius stuck his tongue out at Veronica.

"But I can make Harry go to bed." Veronica pulled Harry to his feet. "Regina can make her own decisions. Oh and you can't force her to break up with Charlie Weasley."

"If Remus can't make her break up with him, what makes you think I can?" Sirius looked at the girl still hugging him. "Besides I bet they make a cute couple."

"They do." Veronica ushered Harry up the stairs as Remus climbed to his feet. "We'll see you in the morning, Sirius."

"Good night. And Moony, keep it in your pants." Sirius ducked as Remus threw a cookie at him. He turned back to Regina as Veronica and Remus disappeared up the stairs. "So dear, what's your full name?"