Raven

Raven

Chapter 2

Remus and Raven went to get the supplies he needed for his cottage, and for him to take care of a child, including an extra bed, which he would put out next to the fireplace. She seemed excited, pointing at everything she saw, then looking up at him for identification. They made one last stop back by Cicilia's to pick up the clothes for Raven, before going back to the cottage to drop it all off.

Remus picked her up, and carried her on his shoulders as they headed off on the next errand he had intended to run that day. He Apparated to a point closer to Sirius, and heard a whimper of fright from Raven.

Raven slid down into her protector's arms, scared by what had just happened. She'd never travelled like that before. It had always been in a car, on long trips with mummy, and sometimes with the nasty man.

"Shh, Raven, it's all right. I didn't mean to scare you." He stroked her hair as he walked, rocking her gently, like he had when she'd had the nightmare. "Here, Raven, look up. This is where we're going." She clung tightly to him when she saw a small shack, frightened. "No one's going to hurt you, Raven. No one's going to hurt you. I'm right here."

Remus stepped into the clearing behind the shack, where there were a few chairs sitting out, and a table. Sirius wasn't just expecting him. Ron and Hermione were retrieving Harry from the Dursley's, and they planned to throw Harry a small birthday party. Remus set down the bag of supplies that he had picked up while resupplying his cottage on the table, sitting down to wait for Sirius to come out.

Raven was peering out at the set-up in curiosity when Sirius finally stirred. Remus had been earlier than expected, and the animagus glared at him, making Raven shrink back.

"Sirius, stop glaring."

Sirius already had, and was sitting down across from his friend. "Who'd the little one, Remus? And where'd you get her? I thought you'd sworn off women." He had an amused smile on his face that faded as Remus summed up the day in a few concise sentences, replaced by one of stunned anger.

"Don't start, Padfoot."

Raven had slid down to the ground as Remus spoke, when the three teens arrived on their brooms, the two boys laughing and racing each other. The little girl scrambled back into Remus's lap, staring in fright at them.

The newcomers were very loud, and noisy. Raven scrambled back up into Remus's lap, staring at them, scared. Why were they making so much noise?

"Harry, Ron, careful." Remus spoke to the two boys. "Raven scares easily."

"Who's Raven?" The red-haired boy was speaking.

Raven pointed to herself, thumping her breastbone with her finger, and the boys looked at her in surprise.

"When did you get a kid?"

Remus sighed behind her. "This morning, Ron. I found her on the rug in front of my hearth, and she seems to have adopted me as someone she can trust."

Raven slid down to the ground again, slowly walking over to the trio. She looked at them a moment, tilting her head to study them, then looked back at Remus, a questioning look on her face.

"They're not going to hurt you, Raven."

She turned back around, and looked at each of them. The girl had hair that stuck out all over the place, and pretty brown eyes. Like her rabbit's eyes had been. Raven's face clouded a moment in sorrow. She missed her rabbit. She ran back to where Remus was sitting, and climbed back into his lap, curling up into a ball. She wanted her rabbit back, but her rabbit was dead.

Remus cradled Raven as she quietly wept, concerned, and confused. She'd looked up at Hermione, and then her face had clouded. "What's wrong, Raven?"

Raven looked up, her eyes filled with tears. She tried to say something, but no noise came out, and Remus was not good at reading lips. She frowned, frustrated, and balled her hands into fists a moment, before trying something else. She curled two of her fingers over, and bounced the hand across the other, over and over again.

"Rabbit?"

She nodded, her eyes full of grief, as she mimed cradling it, and burying it.

Remus looked up at Hermione, who was looking as confused as he had a moment ago.

I remind her of her rabbit?"

Raven touched her eyes, then pointed at Hermione, and mimed the rabbit again, and repeated it when everyone still looked confused.

"Your eyes." Understanding suddenly flitted across Remus's face, and Raven nodded, starting to cry again. Remus simply rocked her until she cried herself to sleep, knowing what to pick up for her on his next trip to town.

Raven dreamed she was back at her old home, the one with the nasty man. Her mummy was cooking dinner, and she was sitting at the table, watching her, and playing with her rabbit. They both looked up when the front door opened, hearing the bellow from the nasty man as he entered.

"WOMAN! What the hell have you done with this house?" He entered the kitchen, Raven shrinking away from him. She'd helped mummy repaint the living room that day. With pretty flowers, and birdies. The nasty man raised a fist, bringing it crashing down on her mummy's face, and Raven ran when her mummy told her to run.

She woke up with a scream of terror, shaking her head, tears falling freely down her cheeks, as she looked around. She didn't recognize where she was, and slid off the cot she was on, looking for Remus. He came running into the room, and she clung to him, terrified that he might leave her alone in here again. She didn't want to be alone.

Remus picked her up, and carried her back outside, stroking her hair, and murmuring "Shh, it's all right. It was just a bad dream." Just like mummy had, before.... Raven stopped that thought. She didn't want to remember, it was painful. And it involved the nasty man, and she didn't want to think about him.

Remus had felt a jolt of fear when he heard Raven scream. It had been filled with abject terror, and he'd bolted inside, where he'd left her to nap, so she wouldn't be disturbed by the noise they were making outside. She clung to him, refusing to let go, tears pouring down her cheeks.

"It's all right, Raven. I won't let anything hurt you, it's all right." He kept murmuring comforting phrases over and over again, soothing the frightened child.

She hiccuped slightly as her sobs slowed, and she pulled her face out of his shoulder to look around. There was food on the table, and she scrambled down to partake of it.

"So, are you going to bring her with you to Hogwarts this year?" Hermione offered a hot dog to Raven, who tilted her head to look at the offering a moment, before taking it.

"Of course." Remus watched as Raven proceeded to drown the hot dog in ketchup before eating it, and making a mess in the process. He chuckled, and picked up the messy child, and a rag to wipe her up with. Raven squirmed, shaking her head, as he managed to get her face clean.

Hermione smiled, and handed Raven another hot dog. Remus groaned, and let the child down, to make a mess to her heart's content.