Professor Lupin's Apprentice

XX: Caves and Children

I woke to the smell of eggs, bacon, and strong coffee. When I rolled over and stretched, I still half expected to find Remus beside me, but I was disappointed. Mrs Lupin knocked on the guest room door a short time later, and she seemed surprised to find me alone.

"Good morning, dear. Where's Remus?"

I sat up, rubbing my eyes. "In his room, I expect."

"Did you two have a falling out?" she asked, looking a little worried.

"No, Mildred," I answered, puzzled, shaking my head. "Why would you think that?"

"I thought he'd be in here with you, dear."

"Oh! Well, Remus said you and Mr Lupin were a little old fashioned."

She sat on the edge of the bed, patting my hand. "Melinda dear, we know the way of the wolf. The two of you are mated for life. That's more of a commitment than marriage, as far as my husband and I are concerned. After all, you cannot divorce from that. Abram and I would fully expect you to be in the same room."

I blushed a little, but I smiled nonetheless. "Thank you, Mildred. I'll see if I can drag him in here tonight."

She winked at me and, for a fleeting instant, her expression was exactly like Remus' most mischievous grin. "He is an attractive boy, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is," I said, giggling, with my face now burning fiercely.

"What's all this giggling about?" Remus asked from the doorway.

"Nothing," we ladies replied in unison.

"Hmmm ... I don't know if I believe that." Remus folded his arms over his chest, leaning against the door.

"Breakfast will be in ten minutes," Mrs Lupin said, walking to the door and pinching her son's cheek before heading downstairs.

"What are you two planning?" Remus asked, entering and sitting beside me on the bed.

"Oh, nothing," I said and kissed him.

"I wonder if I should believe you," he said, eyebrows rising.

"We aren't planning anything, I swear." I crossed my heart. "But, your parents aren't as old fashioned as you seem to think."

He looked adorably confused again. "What do you mean?"

"Your mum said, since we're mated for life, they already consider us more committed than a married couple."

"Really?"

I nodded.

"How long did Mum say until breakfast?"

"Ten minutes," I replied. "Why?"

"That should do nicely," he practically purred, attempting to lay me back onto the bed.

"Stop that!" I protested. "I'm hungry."

"So am I," he whispered against my neck.

I managed to discourage his advances for the time being and, after breakfast, Remus and I again trekked across the moor to look for his cave. We had been a few degrees off in our heading the previous evening, but he found the spot with little trouble in the daylight. The entrance was almost hidden by a bush, which he pulled back to allow me access. Inside we illuminated our wands until he found the old oil lantern he used as a child. He then crouched to light the lantern as I found a comfortable place to sit.

"Remember the night we met?" he asked, turning to face me.

"How could I forget?" I asked and ruffled his hair.

"Well, you asked if I'd lived in a cave all my life. I spent so much time in this cave and in caves in the Black Forest, it does seem that way. Sirius, James, and Peter loved to visit me on holidays because of this cave. They kept me company here many a full moon."

"I thought your parents locked you in the cellar."

"They did, but they couldn't hear anything once they went to bed."

"Your friends let you out?"

"Yes."

I gasped. "That was very dangerous!"

"I know," he said, shaking his head and sitting. "We were often foolish—too busy being impressed with how clever we were to feel remorse. But my friends tried their best to give me a normal life, like my parents and Dumbledore before them, and now you. You know, Wart, I've been fortunate to have known some wonderful people."

"I'm honoured to be included in that number. How did they manage it?"

"Letting me out?"

I nodded.

"Whilst Sirius and James transformed, Peter opened the door, and then Peter relocked the door whilst the others kept me at bay. Then Peter transformed and they guided me out, keeping me away from my parents. We wandered the moor or hid in this cave. I daresay Sirius did a lot to keep the legend of the demon hound of Exmoor alive. After I became human again, we'd all Apparate back to the cottage."

"Without a license?" I asked.

"Three of us were unregistered Animagi," Remus said, "and one of us was a monster that is universally hated and feared. Why would a little thing like Apparating illegally bother us?"

"Good point."

"I missed them so much whilst I was in Germany. Even Sirius. Even though I thought he'd betrayed Lily and James. And every morning after the full moon, I prayed for anaemia. I really did."

"I imagine so."

"Thankfully, I was never disappointed." He was crying, and I put my hand to his wet cheek.

"Moony, I will always be with you, and you'll always have the Wolfsbane Potion from now on. Your nightmare is over. You can wake up now to a happy day, every day for the rest of your life. And we have a steady, Muggle-based income, so you don't have to worry about other wizards shunning you any more. We are set. All we have to do is enjoy our life now."

"Wart, I don't know what I'd do without you!"

"You won't have to find out, either."

He pulled me tightly to him, speechless, and I rocked him, letting him cry. Remus was not prone to tears as a rule; for many years, however, his life was a veritable experiment in torture. I considered his tears not a weakness but rather a catharsis of all the anguish he'd carried so long. He was relieved to have me in his life—not only to love and be loved, but also to have another companion who could make his life normal again. My potion carried all the benefits of having James and Sirius with much fewer risks, and Remus felt he could never thank me enough. This gratitude was the well from which his tears sprang. What he didn't know was his thanks were completely unnecessary. I was just as grateful to be able to take care of him as he was to have me do so.

After the violence of his crying had passed, I risked speaking again. "What did you mean by Dumbledore was keeping you busy?" I asked.

"Oh," Remus said, wiping his eyes. "Well, Sirius isn't the only one who has been running errands."

"When did you have time to play errand-boy for the headmaster?"

"In the afternoons, whilst you were in the dungeon, and sometimes when you were asleep. I've still managed to keep the boarding house running smoothly."

"I know. You've done an admirable job."

"Thank you. But my most important errand doesn't take me away at all."

"What kind of errand is that?"

"You, actually."

"How do you mean?"

"Dumbledore wants me to look after you until you are a fully qualified witch. Of course, I would want to look after you anyhow, but I'm also under orders."

"Why? Is Voldemort after me or something?"

"Not that I am aware, but you are somewhat conspicuous, being an older student. And the headmaster thinks you will be useful to us one day."

"Us?"

"Those fighting Voldemort now he's returned."

"I see ... Moony, I don't know if this is the best time to bring this up, and it certainly won't change how I feel about you, but ... we've never talked about children."

"You aren't pregnant, are you, Wart?" He sat back to look at me.

"No, no. I'm taking birth control pills ... Don't you like children?"

"I adore children. Are you asking ... if I want to have children?"

"Yes."

"I ... I've never thought about it. Do you want children?"

"I must confess I do. You've never thought about children?"

"No, I haven't. It never really seemed an option, so I tried to save myself the heartache by not thinking about it."

"Well, it looks like that is an option now, or it will be soon."

"I suppose so ... You look worried, though."

"I am ... a little."

He licked his lips. "Lycanthropy isn't hereditary, if that's your concern."

My gaze fell to my lap. "I'm sorry, Moony."

"Don't be, Wart." He raised my chin to meet my eyes and then caressed my cheek. "I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy."

"Not even Voldemort?"

"No. He'd revel in it too much."

I smiled, shaking my head.

"My point is, I wouldn't want our children to endure being a werewolf, so I certainly cannot blame you for feeling the same way." A smile slowly grew on his face and, before I knew it, he was positively beaming at me.

"What is it, Moony?"

"What a wonderful thought! Our children, Wart..."

"That is a wonderful thought, isn't it?" Now I was crying. "Oh Moony, I love you so much!"

"I love you, too, Wart!"

For all my fastidiousness the previous night about not making love in a cave, I had no problem with that once we'd started. We were both so caught up in the moment that the locale didn't matter, and the soft light from the oil lamp gave the place rather a romantic glow, I thought. Afterward, Remus cast a Tidiness Charm to remove the fine layer of silt and mould from our clothing and hair, and we returned to his parents' cottage in time for lunch. The charm could not remove the flush from our cheeks nor the smiles from our faces, however, so I'm fairly certain Mr and Mrs Lupin knew what we were about that morning. Since they already considered Remus and I bonded for life, though, they said nothing—only smiled knowingly—which made us more.

With still a week to go until the wedding, I decided that morning to stop taking my birth control pills. A week more or less wouldn't matter. Even if I got pregnant the first time we had sex after I stopped taking the pill, we'd still be married long before anyone knew. I certainly wasn't going to wait until I graduated Hogwarts to get pregnant. The headmaster would understand, of course, and it was no question of loose morals, since I would be married. I only hoped I wouldn't go into labour on school grounds and be taken to the hospital wing. I liked Madame Pomfrey well enough, I suppose, but I wanted our children delivered the old fashioned way—sans magic.

The remainder of our visit with the elder Lupins was lovely. His parents pulled out the old photo albums to thoroughly embarrass Remus, with the standard pictures of him in the buff on a bearskin rug or at bath time, as well as some nice shots of James, Sirius, and Peter during their many holiday visits. Remus' parents liked his old school chums, even if they didn't particularly care for the nickname Sirius chose for him. And, although he told me they had been devastated when they'd learnt Pettigrew was Voldemort's spy, they were glad Sirius escaped. They had even harboured him once during his flight from the dementors. Remus said his father conjured the most powerful Patronus he had ever seen. The happy thought he concentrated on, Mr Lupin was proud to say, was the day he received Dumbledore's letter saying Remus could attend Hogwarts.

Sunday morning, after a late breakfast, Mrs Lupin asked to borrow me for a moment.

"What are you up to, Mum?" Remus asked suspiciously.

"Nothing that concerns you, Remus," Mrs Lupin replied, taking my arm. "This is just for us girls."

When we reached the master bedroom, she closed the door behind us. "You know the old Muggle wedding rhyme, don't you, dear?"

"What rhyme is that, Mildred?"

"Something old, something new—" she began.

"Something borrowed, something blue," I finished for her, nodding.

"Do you have all that?" she asked, rummaging through an old jewellery box.

"Yes. My dress is new, my garters are blue, I have an old cameo from my aunt, and I'm borrowing a set of combs from my maid of honour."

"Well, you do seem to have it covered, but most people these days are too young to remember the last bit of the rhyme, or to have what that line calls for."

"What's the last bit?"

"With a lucky sixpence in her shoe." She turned toward me holding an old coin. "I saved this from my wedding, and I want you to have it for yours." After placing the sixpence piece in my palm, she folded my fingers over the coin.

"Oh, thank you, Mildred!"

"I only have one request."

"What is that?"

"Please pass it on to your daughter or daughter-in-law for her wedding," she said. "I doubt Abram and I will live long enough to see that."

"Why do you say that? Professor Dumbledore has to be—"

"One hundred sixty-seven, I think," she interrupted. "Only very powerful wizards live to be that old, dear. Abram and I won't live nearly that long."

"Well, I hope you're wrong," I said and kissed her cheek.

"So do I, dear, but we must be practical ... I know you're still in school, but do try to have a child soon, won't you?"

I nodded. "I've stopped with my birth control just this morning."

I hesitated to tell her that, but she seemed happy to hear it. Due to their age, I think Remus' parents were anxious for grandchildren, as anxious as Remus and I discovered we were to have children the day before.

"Good," she said with a broad smile. "A child will make Remus so happy."

"Almost as happy as it will make me," I said, also grinning from ear to ear.

We went back downstairs then. Remus and I were packed and ready to leave shortly after lunch. After Mr and Mrs Lupin told us to say hello to Sirius for them and hugged us both good-bye, we went back to my sitting room in the early afternoon. Our Monday morning plans involved my taking Harry, Ron and Hermione to Diagon Alley to buy their sixth year and my second year supplies, whilst Remus took Sirius—in disguise as Professor Snape—for a tuxedo fitting. After the children went to bed that night, Sirius complimented our Polyjuice Potion.

"It was so realistic," he said. "I had to take a shower before I could stand to go anywhere."

"And that is saying something," Remus added, "since he's been living in a cave for the past year."

I knew I was no longer supposed to defend Professor Snape, but this time I thought it would do no harm, especially since the two of them were ganging up on him.

"You know, that oil on his hair is a protection against noxious potion fumes."

"Is it?" they both asked.

"I looked it up," I said, nodding. "If he were to accidentally drop a bottle of something poisonous, the oil would keep him conscious long enough to draw his wand and disperse the fumes. It's as much a protection for the students as it is for him."

"Don't say things like that!" Sirius moaned. "You'll make me start to like him!"

"I don't think you're in any danger of that," Remus said, with a wry grin.

The next week passed quickly. Friday night, I moved downstairs with Hermione. Mr and Mrs Lupin—who arrived just before teatime—took Ron and Harry's room, which left the upstairs rooms to the single men. I wasn't worried the bachelor party would get out of control with two teenagers present, although I imagined even Ron and Harry might be hung over the next day.

In the morning, I had arranged for Hermione, the elder Lupins, and I to have our breakfast brought up to our rooms, but I didn't feel guilty about letting the males upstairs fend for themselves. We'd decorated the church fully on Thursday and the Friday night rehearsal went exceptionally well.

After lunchtime on Saturday, Sirius, Remus, and Remus' parents Apparated to the church, whilst I brought the children in my car. We didn't plan for a large ceremony, but I was surprised at the number of people who attended—Professor McGonagall, Hagrid, and some others of Remus' friends I didn't yet know: Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher, and Ron's parents, Arthur and Molly Weasley. Charles and Gladys Tucker also attended, in addition to our permanent residents from the boarding house.

I'd asked the headmaster to give me away, and Professor Dumbledore had placed a charm on his hair and beard so they would appear short and tidy to the Muggles in the church. In fact, I think the headmaster's charm may have extended to the other wizards and witches as well. Those who didn't have as strong a background of dealing with Muggles as I did looked positively ridiculous in their attempts at Muggle garb, but our Muggle guests didn't seem to notice. Professor McGonagall came into the dressing room momentarily to tell me how lovely I looked and to wish me luck. She then bustled back to her seat. When the music started, Professor Dumbledore knocked on the door.

"It appears the time has come, Miss Rhoades, Miss Granger," he said, his eyes twinkling.

"Thank you, sir," Hermione said, giving me a quick hug before heading out of the room.

"If I may say so, you look enchanting, Miss Rhoades."

"Thank you, Headmaster."

He offered his arm. "Shall we?"

"Let's," I answered, smiling.