Cartographer's Craft
Chapter 35
By copperbadge
"Harry, I almost forgot, I have a book for you and I need that roll sheet back, we burn them now -- "
Harry's head jerked up as Hermione reappeared in the kitchen fireplace, followed by Ron. She stopped just beyond the flame, fingers over her mouth, looking shocked. Behind her, Ron's eyes
bulged.
"What the bloody hell's all this, then?" Ron demanded.
"So sorry, Harry, Sirius -- " Hermione said, backing into Ron. He caught her by the shoulders but didn't budge an inch.
Sirius had frozen. There hadn't even been time to pull apart, and Harry could feel the terrified speed of Sirius' pulse through his body. Very slowly, he grasped Sirius' arms and pushed him gently
away. Sirius' face was a mask of fear and worry.
"I didn't want you to find out like this -- " Harry started.
"I should hope not!" Ron shouted.
"Ron, stop shouting," Hermione said.
"My best friend's having it off with a bloke and you want me to stop shouting?" Ron demanded. He was still shouting. "He's your own godfather, Harry!"
Harry glanced at Sirius, who was blushing furiously.
"Well, technically not. I mean, I'm older than he is, Ron," Harry continued, trying to stay calm. "I was going to tell you -- "
"When? This is sort of important news, Harry!"
"When I was ready!" Harry shouted back. "Do you think it's bloody well easy? Hi Ron, can I have a word, I'm sorry I dumped your sister but I'm gay and -- "
"WHAT?"
"Don't say what you're thinking, Ron," Harry said, dangerously. "Whatever you are thinking, do not say it."
Ron's face was bright red and he was holding Hermione's shoulders so tightly that she winced and finally shrugged him off, pulling away and crossing the kitchen floor.
"It's all right, Sirius," she said, surprising all three men in the room. Sirius stared at her, dumbly. "Ron's an idiot, he doesn't mean it. He shouts when he's surprised, that's all."
She took another step closer. "Really, it's all right. I don't care. Harry's been my best friend for years."
Sirius bit his lip, looked to Harry, looked back.
"It's different for Sirius," Hermione said, turning to Harry. "You know that. It was twenty years ago. Nobody told, twenty years ago. There were laws against it, for god's sake." Suddenly she
snickered. "Oh Merlin, and I set you up with Katie Bell...poor Katie..."
Ron was staring at Hermione as if she'd lost her mind, but some of the red was slowly draining from his face. She turned back to Sirius, reaching out to touch his shoulder gently. He didn't flinch
away.
"If you make Harry happy, that's all right, then," she said. "Of course, if you hurt him, I'll kill you slowly," she added with a smile.
"Hermione -- " Ron started, and she turned to him.
"Ron, is shouting really going to do us any good? I know it's a shock, but you can do better than a really stunning display of ignorance," she said. "You're smarter than that."
"What am I supposed to say, then?" he demanded.
"How about Congratulations," she suggested. "There's little enough to celebrate these days, especially for Harry."
"You want me to -- for them -- they're both blokes!"
Hermione sighed. It was a very familiar sigh to Harry and Ron. It meant that someone, somewhere, was being an idiot. Idiocy depressed Hermione.
"Perfect marks for basic anatomy," she said. "Ron, you're not really going to be a big wet blanket over this, are you? It's Harry. Who cares who he -- uh -- spends his time with? He's still
Harry."
Ron threw himself down in one of the seats left over from the Order meeting. "He might have told us," he muttered.
"I was going to, Ron, really," Harry said. "I just hadn't quite decided how yet, and Sirius..."
"It's my fault," Sirius said suddenly. "I made him promise."
"You see?" Ron demanded, waving a hand at Sirius.
"See what, Ron? He was frightened. I would be, if I suddenly started having it off with Parvati or something," Hermione said. Harry tried not to giggle hysterically. "It isn't easy, you know."
"Oh, you're such an expert all of a sudden?" Ron asked testily.
"Course I am. My uncle's -- well, he likes both. It took him ten years to even tell my dad," Hermione said calmly. "And if you put a few facts together, it's pretty obvious that Professor
McGonagall..."
Ron stared at her. "How could you possibly -- "
"Professor Grubbly-Plank?" Harry asked abruptly. Hermione nodded and grinned.
"And I thought Professor Lupin was, for a while," she said. "Ginny and I had a bet on. Tonks lost me two Galleons," she said, aggrieved.
Ron growled. "You're talking about Galleons while they're standing there -- "
"Standing there doing what? Being gay? It's not something they're doing on purpose to annoy you, I'm sure," she retorted.
"Ron, I am sorry," Harry said. "For not telling you, I mean."
Ron did not look pacified, but he didn't immediately reply; finally, he crossed his arms and muttered, "You might at least have considered me before someone you haven't known six months."
Hermione began to laugh. "Ron! Really!"
"He did," Sirius said, stopping Hermione's laughter abruptly. Ron glared at him. "No, really, he did -- didn't you, Harry?"
"I didn't know I -- it's only been a few weeks, you can't go saying things like that," Harry said miserably. "I don't even -- what I mean is, I don't know if it's that it's Sirius or I just never
thought about it, or..."
"No, but you did. Unconsciously or whatnot," Sirius said. "You snogged his sister for ages. She looks just like him."
Ron gaped. "Are you saying he was going out with Ginny because he -- ew!"
"Well, you can't have it both ways," Harry said crossly.
"Tell my uncle that," Hermione murmured.
"Either you're all right with it and jealous, or you think it's disgusting, but if you don't like the idea you've no right to be jealous of Sirius," Harry continued. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but
Sirius did make me promise, and if I'd known you were going to be like this about it, I would have been a lot less reluctant about promising, I can tell you that."
"Ron?" came a voice from the fire. "Hermione, are you there?"
Molly's head appeared in the flames. "I thought you were only going back to get your scarf, Hermione. Have you found it yet?"
"No, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said. "I think someone must have taken it with them. It's all right -- we're coming back now."
"All right," Molly said. "Dinner's ready and you know you have to be back at Hogwarts by eight...Harry, Sirius, are you still there? Not still cleaning up, I hope."
"No, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said. "Just going now."
"Why don't you come to dinner with us? There's plenty of food..."
"Most awkward meal ever," Sirius murmured. Harry glanced at Ron, trying to come up with a good excuse.
"Ron," Hermione said, with quiet urgency. "You don't get a second chance at these things."
"Well, it's not like they can never come to dinner again," Molly said, confused.
"You might as well come, then," Ron said slowly. The frown didn't leave his face, but he managed to look at Sirius, which was more than he'd been able to do before. "Besides, I don't think Sirius and
I are done talking."
"Uh oh," Sirius muttered, as Molly's head disappeared from the fire and Ron stepped into it. Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and gave it a quick squeeze before following.
"I'll go first, in case Ron's armed himself with the poker," Harry said. Sirius caught his arm as he moved to go, turned him around, and kissed him. Harry smoothed his hair down,
affectionately.
"Could have been worse," he said.
"Don't tell me that," Sirius answered. He followed close on Harry's heels, emerging into the bright, warm comfort of Molly's kitchen.
***
Remus was tired, but he wasn't quite ready to sleep yet; it was important, above all, to maintain a normal schedule around the moon, or else it would put his internal clock out of joint for days.
Besides, he was perfectly happy to sit on the living room sofa with Tonks curled up against him and a book on his lap, though he was paying more attention to Tonks than the book. She was a comforting
weight against his shoulder and hip, and her bright pink hair was a blot of cheerful colour against the dark blanket that she'd brought for him.
Glastonbury had brought a note from Sirius saying they were going to have dinner with the Weasleys; now he was chittering cheerfully to himself, perched on the grandfather clock in the corner. He
stopped abruptly enough that Remus glanced over at him and a second later Harry appeared in the fireplace, followed by Sirius.
"Good evening," Remus said. "Got your note, Sirius. How was dinner?"
Glastonbury swooped off the clock and fluttered down on Sirius' outstretched arm.
"Incredibly awkward," Sirius said, stroking Glastonbury's plumage affectionately.
"It wasn't so bad," Harry replied. "Ron and Hermione....um...sort of found out."
Remus raised an eyebrow. "About...?"
Sirius nodded.
"And?"
"Ron didn't take it well," Harry said.
"Found out about what?" Tonks asked sleepily, opening her eyes. Harry glanced at Sirius, who made a gesture of defeat and slumped into a chair.
"Sirius and me," Harry said carefully.
"Oh, is that all?" she asked. Harry stared at her.
"Did you tell her?" Sirius asked Remus.
"No..." Remus glanced down at Tonks, who grinned at him.
"Come on, do you think I'm blind? I practically live here and Harry's not very good at hiding this kind of thing. You could cut the hormones in the room with a knife," she added, burrowing back into
Remus' shoulder. Sirius covered his face with his hands.
"Ron didn't take it well," Harry said, deciding to ignore Tonks for the moment. "He was...well, I guess he had good reasons."
"My fault," Sirius repeated. "I'm the one who made you swear not to tell anyone."
"I don't think he'll have any problem with blaming you, either," Harry sighed. Remus watched him as he sat in the other chair, long legs sprawling, slouching in the exact way James had done in a
similar chair in this room, eighteen years ago. "Hermione took it a bit better."
"Always the level-headed one, Hermione," Remus agreed. "Is Ron all right with it now?"
"Well, he didn't talk much at dinner," Harry said. "But Hermione says he'll come round."
"It's a bit of a shock, that much is true," Remus said. "It takes a day or two sometimes. James and I walked in on Sirius with Matthew Byrnbaum and we did need drinks afterwards..."
"Who's Matthew Byrnbaum?" Harry asked sharply, looking at Sirius. Remus hid a grin and Sirius rolled his eyes.
"Nobody. He's -- was -- a Hufflepuff. Apparently I was desperate enough by seventh year to think he was interesting," Sirius said. "I think Moony made it up to embarrass me."
"I never did," Remus answered, amused. "Byrnbaum lives in New York now, owns his own apothecary's shop. I'm afraid I can't think of a way to ask him about all this that wouldn't be rude,
however."
"Don't bother," Sirius groaned. "I'm going upstairs."
"Tonks," Harry said, "You won't tell anyone, will you? I don't mind, but Sirius..."
"Mmm-m," Tonks said, shaking her head. "I won't tell."
"I'd better go talk to him," Harry said, nodding in the direction Sirius had gone.
"That might be good," Remus answered quietly. "Believe it or not, Harry, there are worse things that can happen than a little shouting."
"I know it," Harry said.
"Would you remind Sirius that he's teaching for me tomorrow?" Remus asked. "The notes are on my desk like always."
Harry nodded. "Where are you going for the full moon?"
"The Shack, as usual. Sirius has said he'll come down after he eats dinner."
"We'll come keep you company on Saturday, too," Harry promised.
"Thank you," Remus said, watching Harry and thinking still of his father, twenty years before.
***
The night of the full moon, Augustus Pye and Fleur Delacour were both attacked.
Or rather, the attempt was made to attack them. Augustus came out the worst, unfortunately; a Death Eater posing as a patient nearly made short work of him but Augustus proved surprisingly deft in
combat, probably the result of a thorough knowledge of anatomy. It was true that he ended up bleeding in a dozen places and nursing two broken ribs, but his opponent was curled on the floor and
screaming in agony by the time the Auror assigned to keep watch on the Healer burst into the room.
"Kidneys are very sensitive, you know," was all the Healer said in reply to the Auror's respectfully questioning look.
It was rather a blow to Augustus' pride that they only sent one man after him, when it turned out later in the evening that they'd sent four after Fleur. Fortunately, Fleur was quite adept at using
mirrors to bounce charms in unexpected directions; when they tried to take her while she was trying on a dress in one of Diagon's fashion boutiques, she simply used the mirrors in front of her to
send one hex three ways, then turned and kicked the fourth Death Eater in the groin. This would have been more effective if her target had been male, but a swift jab between the legs is still a swift
jab between the legs.
The rest of the Order got wind of the two attacks in time to get inside and stay inside, and the Aurors nipped from floo portal to floo portal, arranging patrols and warding shut any unnecessary
windows and doors. It was a good distraction for Tonks, anyway, who as Moody put it would otherwise just have sat in a bar in Hogsmeade and brooded while her boyfriend howled and licked
himself.
Sirius came down to the Shack for the change, of course, and kept Remus company. It was amazing the changes wrought by the full moon -- not just physical, but in personality as well. Remus had always
been a serious, studious sort of man, even when the term "man" could hardly apply, but in those days the wolf was still not fully grown himself and he was playful, eager to chase anything that moved
fast and wrestle with his companions. Perhaps the wolf was allowed to be the child Remus never quite was.
At any rate, though Remus had been exhausted and ill in the hours before the Change, the wolf was eager to play and Sirius was not at all loathe to abandon rational thought for an evening. Besides,
playing with Moony was always fun, always had been fun. In unguarded moments he saw enough of his Moony, gawky and uncertain and sixteen years old, to know that Harry's Remus -- confident,
kind, teacherly and calm -- was merely another layer, like a new cloak. Moony still belonged to him, somewhere deep inside, and it came out on the full moons.
Just after dawn, after Remus had become Remus again and fallen into an exhausted sleep with Padfoot curled up against his stomach to keep him warm, there was a noise on the stairs. A second later he
could smell Tonks and Harry, and he carefully lifted his head without waking Remus, perking his ears forward as they entered.
"Hiya, Sirius," Tonks said softly, coming to sit on the bed and rub him behind the ears. "How is he?"
Sirius licked her hand and did his best doggy smile. She smiled back.
"Not hurt anywhere?"
A headshake.
"He looks all right."
"I'll stand first watch, if you want to sleep," Harry said. Sirius noticed, even with his limited vision, that they both seemed tired but Tonks looked ready to drop. She nodded her thanks at Harry
and lifted the blankets, sliding in next to Remus. He shifted only slightly and made no noise as she curled up against his back, draping one arm over his hip to continue patting behind Padfoot's
ears. Harry went to the boarded-over window and peered out through a crack in one board, the only crack that hadn't been sealed with bits of rag or plaster.
"There were two attacks last night," Harry said quietly, so as not to wake Remus -- or Tonks, whose eyes were already drifting shut. "Augustus and Fleur. They're both fine -- Augustus will be,
anyway, once the bones knit. Tonks spent all night making sure everyone else was secure. Remus was right. Voldemort's going to start picking us off any way he can."
Sirius turned to look at him, laid back his ears and showed his teeth.
"Well, I think so too, but we have to be careful. We don't have enough Aurors to put a guard on everyone and nobody can stay indoors or in public places forever. I may ask the twins to have someone
else mind their shop so that they can help -- they're the best fighters we have, after the Aurors. It makes me angry, you know."
Sirius cocked his head.
"The best lack all convictions, while the worst are full of passionate intensity," said a voice behind him hoarsely. Remus was watching Harry through half-lidded eyes.
"That's it exactly," Harry said, not bothering to scold him for being awake.
"Yeats," Remus answered. He closed his eyes, but he didn't stop talking. "And what rough beast, its hour come round at last..."
His voice faded and Harry looked out the window again, assuming he'd gone back to sleep. It was almost startling when he spoke again.
"Harry, you must not allow yourself to be drowned. A way will come," Remus said.
"A way...?" Harry asked, mystified. "I'm not in the habit of drowning, Remus."
Remus smiled. "No, of course not."
"You'd better sleep some more. You're not making much sense," Harry said. Remus nodded slightly. "I'm keeping watch, don't worry."
Padfoot burrowed deeper against Remus' chest, reassuringly. Remus made a halfhearted noise and, apparently, slipped back into sleep.
Since it was Saturday, Ron and Hermione came down to the Shack to see Remus late in the day and meet with Tonks about the attacks. No more had been made so far, but even Hogwarts was not going to be
immune forever, and they wanted to see about making the castle more secure.
Harry was still there when they arrived; Hermione smiled hesitantly at him and Ron gave him a sort of rough greeting that indicated he was still turning things over in his mind. That was all right;
Harry was used to Ron taking a little extra time to get things sorted. At least he wasn't ignoring him completely. There had been times in the past...
But then that was in the past, before the war that no-one had any illusions was not already upon them. There was this to be said for it -- it gave you a proper perspective on the rest of your life.
When you didn't know how much time you had, you made it count.
"I've had a letter from Charlie," Ron said, after they had finished discussing new ideas for protecting Hogwarts. "It's weird, actually...he's being a bit roundabout. Particularly for Charlie."
He offered the letter to Remus, who held out his hand and took it, unfolding it carefully.
"Tell Remus that I've met a pal of his who brought me a lovely samovar and we've been listening to music together," he read, brow furrowed. "In fact, he's going to take my place here for a
little while so I can come home and see the family. I'll probably be home by the middle of November." He looked up at Ron. "Very roundabout. I suppose one of my Russian friends is visiting him,
but I can't think why he would. Unless he had some message to give someone in the Order, and it couldn't be sent by owl -- but then why would Charlie try to send me an Owl about it?"
"Maybe he's not," Tonks said, leaning over his shoulder. "Maybe he's bringing it -- he does say he'll be coming this way soon."
"Unless he's traveling Muggle-fashion he'd have beaten the owl here, I'd think," Remus said. "Odd. You will let us know when he arrives, won't you?"
"I'll have dad owl you -- I haven't told mum he's coming yet," Ron said. "She'll just fret until he shows up."
"All right," Remus said, handing back the note. "I wish he'd said something about how he's going. We could have sent someone to meet him."
"Charlie's always been independent," Ron said with a shrug. "He handles dragons for a living, so a few Death Eaters probably won't be a problem."
"Let's hope," Remus said reservedly. "Now, you and Hermione had better get back to school, and Harry and Tonks look dead on their feet."
"Well, you can't stay here tonight," Tonks said skeptically. "It isn't far to the floo and we can go directly to Fourteen Back from here."
Ron and Hermione politely turned to look in other directions as Remus began to climb stiffly out of bed; Sirius took his arm and helped him upright, then allowed Tonks to take over.
"We'll come in a bit," Sirius said as they made slow, painful progress towards the door. When they were gone, the four teenagers stood in awkward silence for a while before Hermione cleared her
throat.
"We should go back, I guess," she said. "You could, uh, walk with us part of the way."
"Oh, well -- we should floo back from downstairs, but we could walk you as far as Hogsmeade," Harry agreed. Hermione glanced at Ron; when he didn't move, she gave him a gentle shove in Harry's
direction.
"Sirius, would you like to walk with me?" she asked, taking his arm and dragging him towards the door. He looked back over his shoulder as they went, but he didn't overtly resist.
"So," Harry said. "Everything all right? At Hogwarts, I mean."
"Yeah, Hogwarts...s'all right, I guess," Ron said. "Lot of work, and all."
"Yeah."
"Listen, Harry..."
"No, it's fine," Harry said, waving one hand vaguely.
"It's just weird, you know?"
"Yeah, it is weird. I mean, for me too."
Another awkward silence.
"So you're really, um..."
"I dunno. Still sort of figuring it out. It doesn't matter though, it doesn't change anything," Harry said. "Not any more than, you know, you and Hermione."
"Oh. Yeah, I guess not."
"So it's not really different. I'm not. And there's all this other...stuff going on, that's a lot more important. Um, so I'm going to sort it out when I -- if I live through all this."
"That sounds like a good plan. Not sorting it out just yet," Ron agreed. "I could do that too, I guess."
"All right."
"All right. So...sorry?" Ron said, holding out his hand. Harry shook it solemnly. "No hard feelings?"
"No hard feelings," Harry repeated. "Want to go down to Hogwarts now? Only, we told Remus and Tonks we wouldn't be too long."
Ron nodded and fell into step with Harry, and soon they'd caught up with Sirius and Hermione, who were waiting for them in the snow at the boundary of the Shack's fence. It felt strange to walk down
to Hogsmeade next to Sirius and know that Ron and Hermione knew all about it, to know that he didn't need to hide it from them anymore. He wasn't quite sure he liked it, yet, but he had the feeling
that it would grow on him.
They left Ron and Hermione at the edge of town and made their way back to the Shack, through the floo and home again, in silence. The house was quiet too, except for Tonks speaking quietly to Remus
in his room. Harry barely bothered to kick off his shoes and shrug out of his coat before he flopped down on his bed upstairs, but Sirius hesitated in the middle of the floor, looking at him.
"Things okay between you and Ron?" he asked.
"Yeah. He's sort of sorry."
Sirius nodded. "If you want to finish it...I mean, who am I, right? But you've got a reputation and friends who care about that kind of thing..."
"They're your friends too," Harry said.
"Not really. My friends are all dead. Or old," Sirius added, with a faint trace of a smile. "It's all right -- one day I might belong here, but I don't yet...here I do," he corrected himself,
seeing Harry's look. "At Fourteen Back, because you're here and Moony is here. But this world, this time, it isn't mine yet. I was never supposed to be here."
"But you are here," Harry said. "That's not going to change."
Sirius shrugged. "Everything changes. I just want to know if we should stop. If you want to."
Harry shook his head. "No. I don't want to. I don't see the point of stopping just because you're not supposed to be here. I'm not supposed to be here either -- I was supposed to die sixteen years
ago. Bollocks to what's supposed to happen."
The other man grinned, looking relieved. "Right. Bollocks to that."
Harry sat up on the bed and pulled his shirt off, tossing it carelessly on a nearby chair. "Anyway, I think we got interrupted in the kitchen two days ago, didn't we? I haven't even seen much of you
since then..."
Sirius moved forward, still hesitant until one outstretched hand touched Harry's bare shoulder.
"Granted, it's not one in the eye for your family anymore, but I imagine we could still make it interesting," Harry said, before Sirius stole his breath with a kiss, and the words became vastly
unimportant anyway.