Hunted

Chapter 3: Tea and Timepieces

Angela, Remus, and Mad-Eye Moody sat in the sunny kitchen of the Lupin cottage in Beecher's Knoll. Yellow-checkered linens covered an old farmhouse table. A plate of scones sat in the middle surrounded by pots of rich clotted cream and strawberry jam. A bone china teapot with a chipped lip sat beside them, whistling.

Remus tapped the pot with his wand and silenced it. He poured two cups of the steaming brew and offered one to Mad-Eye. Moody shook his head, pulled his hip flask from his pocket, and helped himself to a scone. Remus set a steaming cup in front of his wife and took the other himself.

Angela's hand reached for a scone. She cut it in half, spread it with jam, plopped a large dollop of clotted cream on top, and took a bite. Her husband leaned back in his chair and took a sip of the steaming tea from a chipped china cup.

A large barn owl flew through the open kitchen window and landed deftly on the edge of the kitchen table. The bird dropped a newspaper, ruffled its feathers, and clicked its beak, waiting for payment. Remus' fingers fumbled in his trouser pocket for change. After a minute, he cast his wife a beseeching look.

Angela rose and walked to the pantry cupboard. She took down a ceramic sugar jar, pulled out a velvet pouch that was concealed inside, and retrieved a handful of small coins. She handed the bird a bit of her scone. The bird ate the treat with an eager nip of its beak. Meanwhile, Angela put seven Knuts into a little pouch tied the leg of the owl. Then the bird flew off threw the window.

Remus unfurled the newspaper, the evening edition of the Daily Prophet. His eyes scanned the front page news. Moody looked over at him, a quizzical stare on his normal eye. His magical eye bored into the backside of the paper. Angela watched them both.

"Well," barked Moody, "What's the news?"

"Six more alleged Pettigrew sightings." Remus looked up from the paper. "This is turning into mass hysteria." He folded the paper and laid it on the table.

Moody nodded in agreement. "That'll be the end of Fudge for sure," he groused.

Angela put down the remains of her scone. She eyed them both with an anxious look. "I've seen parts of Pettigrew's case file at work," she said. "I know about the confrontation in the middle of that busy street between Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew and the explosion that killed twelve bystanders. I've read the eyewitness depositions. But can you tell me how all this started?"

"It started seventeen years ago at the height of Lord Voldemort's reign of terror," Remus said. His eyes filled with sadness. "We were all members of the old Order of the Phoenix - Sirius, Peter, James, Lily, Mad-Eye, and I."

"Ah, those were the days," Moody reminisced. "I was much younger then and handsome too. That was before this nose of mine got blasted to bits. And you boys were a reckless bunch, the lot of you." He chuckled. "James and Lily Potter had married and were expecting their first child, little Harry. That's when we got wind of the prophecy."

"What prophecy?" Angela asked, leaning forward with rapt attention. She had forgotten all about the half-eaten scone on her plate or her tea that was growing cold.

"The one that predicted the arrival of a child that would have power to defeat You-Know-Who," Moody answered, raising a bushy eyebrow. "That prophecy was spoken to Dumbledore himself. Well, somehow He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named got news of it."

"And Voldemort set out to kill Harry," Remus added, his brow furrowed. "Well, James and Lily were warned. They took the child and went into hiding, their whereabouts protected by a Fidelius Charm."

"What's that?" Angela inquired with a puzzled expression.

"It's a complicated bit of magic that hides a secret in the soul of a person, the Secret-Keeper," Remus explained. "Only the Keeper can reveal the secret. It remains hidden to anyone else."

"Oh, like Dumbledore did with Headquarters," Angela remarked. "So no one could find James and Lily unless their Secret-Keeper told where they were?"

"Precisely," Remus replied. "Well, Sirius was James' best friend. And we all thought that he was the Secret-Keeper. So when Voldemort showed up at the Potters and murdered James and Lily, we all thought that Sirius had betrayed them." A bitter smile appeared on his lips. "But Pettigrew was the real Secret-Keeper. After the attack, Sirius keened to it and went after Pettigrew."

"But that rat set up that confrontation in the street," Moody growled.

"And that's when Pettigrew set off the explosion?" Angela interjected. "And faked his death in the confusion?"

"Yes," Remus said. "The largest bit of him that the Aurors ever found was his finger."

"Oh, yes," Angela remarked, "that was in the reports."

"Pettigrew gave Sirius the slip and sent him to prison for twelve years for a murder he didn't commit," Moody added with a knowing nod.

"We thought...I thought that Sirius was guilty," Remus said, his voice full of self-reproach. "I didn't discover the truth until much later. When Pettigrew was apprehended in June, I hoped that Sirius' name would finally be cleared." The sadness was back in his eyes.

"Yes," Angela said. She reached for his hand and squeezed it. "I remember that."

"And now," Remus replied with a sigh. "Sirius is dead, Pettigrew is free, and the whole truth remains known only to a few." He stared down into his cold cup of tea. His hand raised it to his lips and he drained the cup.

A green light flashed behind her. All three turned to stare into the mouth of the massive fireplace built of rough fieldstone. Two soot-covered figures stepped down off the hearth. Molly Weasley reached into the large pocketbook on her arm and pulled out a brush. She dusted the soot from her own clothing and her husband's, causing little clouds of ash to fall to the floor. She popped the brush back in her purse, whipped out her wand, and uttered "Evanesco!" The mess on the flagstone kitchen floor vanished.

"So sorry we're late," she explained. "Mundungus Fletcher was supposed to meet us at Headquarters at noon. He's got the next shift. But, as usual, he showed up late smelling of liquor, with some lame excuse about a business opportunity that he couldn't pass up." She frowned with disapproval. "I know that Sirius liked him, but I've always found him to be unreliable. I'll never forgive him for that day two summers ago when he left Harry unprotected," she huffed.

"Well, I'm on duty tomorrow," Remus offered. "I can show up at Headquarters a little early, if you think it would help."

"That wouldn't be a bad idea," Molly replied, "with the two of you to look after things." Molly glanced from Angela to Remus.

"Oh," Angela remarked, "I wasn't planning on going with Remus this time." She hesitated. "I...I don't much care for spending the night at Grimmauld Place."

Molly's face wore a look of surprise.

"I really wish that you would reconsider," Remus said, giving his wife a pleading look. "I would feel better having you with me than knowing that you're here all alone."

"Don't be silly." Angela shot him a feeble smile. "I'll be fine."

Angela dropped her gaze to the floor to avoid her husband's stare. She and Remus had had this debate many times before. The discussion had always ended the same way. And neither one was entirely satisfied with the outcome. Angela moved to the cupboard to gather more teacups.

"That won't be necessary, dear," Molly chimed, sitting down at the table. "We've already had tea."

"Mind if I have a scone?" Arthur inquired, eyeing the food with a hungry stare.

"Help yourself," Angela replied. "They're fresh. I made them this morning."

"Oh?" Arthur answered. "Don't mind if I do." He took a scone, spread it with a generous dollop of jam and clotted cream, and took a bite. "Mmmm."

Molly flashed him an exasperated look. Then she turned to Angela with a motherly smile. "Why don't we get on with our business?" she said.

"Oh, yes, of course," Angela replied. "We should go to the bedroom then." She gestured for Mrs. Weasley to follow her. "Kindly excuse us, gentlemen."

Angela led Molly around the fieldstone fireplace to the bedroom door. She held the door open for Molly. Remus watched the women with a puzzled expression on his face.

"What are they doing?" he inquired.

"Well, Molly stopped by the house to pick up her bag before coming here," Arthur explained, while munching another scone. "She's a registered--" He broke off. His eyes opened wide. He dropped the scone that was half-way to his lips. "You don't suppose?" he exclaimed. He spun around in his chair and looked toward the women. His mouth hung agape.

"What?" Remus prompted. He stared at Arthur with a look of alarm on his face.

Arthur licked his lips that had suddenly gone dry. "Maybe you'd better join them."

Angela ushered Molly into the room and closed the door behind her. The bedroom was bathed in the warmth of the afternoon sun, flooding through the light linen drapes. A large rustic four poster bed covered with a handmade quilt dominated the room, flanked by matching nightstands. The light lavender fragrance from dozens of half-burned candles perfumed the air, pleasant and calming. Angela inhaled the scent to steady her nerves.

Molly placed her black bag on the coverlet, opened it, and thrust her hand inside. Her eyes searched the contents and her fingers rummaged through the satchel. Angela stood just inside the doorway and watched with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension on her face.

"This won't hurt, will it?" Angela asked.

"Oh, no, dear," Molly replied without looking up. "You just lie down on the bed. It'll be over before you know it."

Angela strolled over to the bed and lay down upon it. But her eyes never left Molly or that black bag. An exasperated sigh escaped Molly's lips. She bent over the satchel once more and stared into it.

"Ah, here it is!" she exclaimed with a triumphant smile.

Her hand emerged, holding what appeared to be an old-fashioned alarm clock. It had a round pale face, two silver bells mounted on top, and a wind-up key protruding from the back side. Angela peered over to read the markings on the face of the clock. Her eyes popped wide with surprise. Instead of the normal numerals, words were etched around the edge of the dial.

"Conception, one month, two months,..., labor, birth," Angela read. She flashed Molly a look of astonishment. Then she stared back down at the clock. "How does it work? Where are the hands?"

"They appear only if you're pregnant," Molly rejoined with a smile. "Shall we see if you are?"

Angela nodded and dropped her head back on the pillow. Molly's nimble fingers gave the wind-up key several firm twists. Then she set the clock on Angela's abdomen and waited, her gaze fixed on the curious instrument. Angela could hear sounds of mechanical gears spinning and whirring within the device. After a minute, the alarm on the clock went off with sonorous tinkling sound.

"Well, let's see now," Molly said, taking the clock in her hands with a studied look.

Angela stared up at Molly, an expectant expression upon her face. She watched as Molly's lips turned up into a broad smile. But before she could ask the result, Angela heard a sharp rap on the bedroom door.

"Angela, are you all right in there?" came Remus' voice from the other side of the door. "May I come in?"

Angela glanced from the door to Molly with a quizzical stare.

"Of course, dear," Molly replied, nodding. "He should know this too."

"Then it's true?" Angela asked, her green eyes open wide. "I'm pregnant?"

"Yes, dear," Molly affirmed with a gentle pat on Angela's hand.

"Come in, Remus," Angela chimed. An enormous grin erupted on her face.

The door opened and Remus peered around it. His eyes wandered from woman to woman. His face was creased with concern. Angela sat upright in the bed and beckoned for him to enter.

"Come sit beside me," she invited, patting the coverlet. "We have some wonderful news. You'd better come and sit down."

He strode over to the bed and sat down, eyeing the clock in Molly's hand with suspicion. His brow furrowed. Then he turned and gazed into his wife's eyes.

Angela leaned in toward him and took both his hands in hers. Her green eyes sparkled. Her cheeks flushed a rosy hue. Her lips smiled over at him, an expression of purest bliss.

"I know this might come as a bit of a shock, being so soon and all," she said, staring into his blue-gray eyes. "But we're going to have a baby."

"A baby?" Remus rejoined. His eyes opened wide and his mouth slackened. Angela nodded, not taking her eyes off of him. "But...but how?" he stammered.

"In the usual way, I presume," intoned Molly with a little chuckle. "And actually, you're going to have twins."

"Twins?" Angela remarked, the look of surprise now on her face.

Angela's hands released Remus. She leaned over to glimpse the instrument in Molly's grasp. There on the front of the clock were two hands, both pointing midway between the markings for the first and second months of pregnancy.

"Twins?" Remus echoed. He sank back onto the bed. His eyes now stared up at the ceiling, a stunned expression on his face.

"Remus!" Angela exclaimed. "Oh dear, I think he's fainted."

"Do you have any peppermint extract?" Molly asked, eyeing Remus with a worried look.

"Yes," Angela replied. "Kitchen, second cupboard from the right, about halfway up."

"I'll be right back," Molly replied, bustling from the bedroom.

Angela knelt on the bed at Remus' side. She studied his face. Her hand patted his cheek. He stirred, now gazing into her eyes with a look of astonishment.

"Twins!" he whispered.

She smiled down at him and nodded.

"When did this happen?" he queried, shaking his head in disbelief.

"According to Molly's marvelous clock, I'm six weeks along," she replied. "That means that it must have happened during our honeymoon."

"Our honeymoon," he mused. "What are the odds?"

She lay down beside him, propping her head up on one elbow. Her free hand traced random patterns on his chest. She flashed him a shy glance.

"Well, you were marvelous," she reminisced, her green eyes sparkling. "You remember those long romantic strolls through the woods and the picnic in the meadow."

"Yes," he replied, a twinkle appearing in those blue-gray eyes. "That was rather nice."

"And that thing that you did with the chocolate during dessert," she added, giggling.

"Yes," he said with a chuckle. "The dessert was my favorite part."

Her hand froze. She stared into his eyes, her eyebrows raised. "I thought I was your favorite part."

"You were," he replied with a mischievous grin. "You were the dessert."

His arms reached around her waist. With one brisk motion, he pulled her over on top of him, her giggles muffled by his kisses.

Angela heard a click. Her head jerked up to see the bedroom door close. Her eyes scanned the room and the bed. Molly, her bag, and the magical timepiece had disappeared. Her ears caught snippets of the conversation taking place outside the bedroom door. She could hear Molly's voice, shooing the men out of the cottage. After a minute, the commotion was replaced by silence.

She turned back to Remus, a sweet smile on her face. "It seems we're all alone," she whispered. She leaned in and they kissed.